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The course, held at the National Farmers Leadership Centre in Mpigi district, in Uganda, familiarized the participants who are members of the Somali National Commission on Mobilization and Sensitization a statutory agency mandated to mobilize Somali publics to support state programmes and institutions with the principle aspects of leadership, needed to carry out their duties. Somalia requires mobilization for various reasons. It is a country with several internal conflicts, there are several internal conflicts, the relations between the government and the people is characterized by mistrust, explained the co-convener of the training workshop and AMISOMs Senior Political Affairs Officer, Hajji Ssebirumbi. Stories Continues after ad Over the five-day course participants interacted with various leaders, among them the Jacob Oulanyah, the Deputy Speaker of Ugandan Parliament, who delivered a lecture on post-conflict management and reconciliation. Speaker Oulanyah advised the Somali leaders to draw lessons from Ugandas turbulent past, to enable them achieve their goals. The training was a follow-up to a leadership skills development workshop, held in Mogadishu in August 2018. It provided a deeper and broader understanding of the young Somali leaders, of the process of nation building especially in a post-conflict context like Somalia, noted the chief facilitator Paul Odauk, who added that Uganda bore uniquely similar experiences with Somalia, due to the extended period of conflict both countries experienced, and the process of post conflict reconstruction, reconciliation and re-stabilization. The training of members of the National Commission on Mobilization and Sensitization, is in line with the AU Missions Transition Plan, which emphasizes capacity building of institutions of the Federal Government of Somalia, and is expected to help the officers build rapport with local Somali communities, as they embark on activities to promote reconciliation. Additionally, the training was aimed at equipping the commissions members with skills to effectively carry out the agencys mandate, as it supports the objectives of the government. The deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, addressed the participants during the course of the training. He welcomed the objectives of the workshop, saying it would enhance efforts to stabilize and reconstruct Somalia. Even if we have completed a number of key areas militarily, in terms of capturing and degrading Al-shabaab, there are still critical important elements, particularly political ones, to be able to anchor the achievements made so far, Mulongo stated. Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation. The Latest, Greatest Economic Incentive Rural Investment Businesses Need Not Apply (Yet) David Dragoos two companies own 164 acres of former farmland along the Uncompahgre River near downtown Montrose, Colorado. Hes planning to redevelop the area by adding a hotel, apartments, space for outdoor recreation businesses and a path along the river.Its an unusually ambitious project for a sleepy town of about 20,000, known mostly for an airport where the glitterati disembark on their way to Telluride. And the project is attracting an unusual amount of attention, because its in a federally approved opportunity zone where investors can get a tax break for spending money on certain businesses and property.There are now investors reaching out to us from all around the East Coast, Dragoo said. Hes heard from businesses looking to relocate and developers aiming to build apartments. There are groups that are looking at it and saying, We just want to buy the whole thing.The tax break, created under the tax law President Donald Trump signed last year, could be a game changer for towns in rural areas such as Montrose. The zones are expected to attract billions of dollars from people eager to reduce their tax bill on money theyve made selling stocks, bonds or property.Nationally, there are over 8,700 such census tracts, nominated by states for their combination of economic distress and growth potential and approved by the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS earlier this year.But as investors start to open their wallets, some local leaders and national economic development experts worry most of the cash will be spent in booming cities. When it does flow to rural places, they warn, its more likely to flow to real estate projects such as Dragoos rather than to local startups desperate for capital.Im worried that none of this money is going to flow where its really needed, said Paul Major, president and CEO of the Telluride Foundation, a philanthropic organization that focuses on Western Colorado. You can see 99 percent of the money going to urban redevelopment projects and accelerating gentrification.For instance, one of Amazons chosen sites for its new headquarters is in an opportunity zone in Queens thats close to a low-income census tract but is already dense with pricey condos.Past tax incentives intended to spur growth in distressed areas, such as the New Markets Tax Credit program, have had mixed success. About 83 percent of New Markets money from 2001 to 2015 went to cities, according to research by Rebecca Lester, an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business who studies tax policy.That may be because more people live in cities, because city projects are better-known, or because urban economies are stronger, Lester said. But she expects opportunity zone money to end up even more concentrated in cities than New Markets money, because there are fewer restrictions on how the money can be spent.Economic developers in rural Colorado remain hopeful that with enough preparation and marketing savvy, they can attract investment dollars and not just to large, downtown real estate deals.The money has always flowed to the cities, so thats something that were used to, said Deana Sheriff, economic recovery coordinator for the West End Economic Development Corporation, which works in the outer reaches of Montrose County. We just have to work a little harder to make sure our voices are heard as well.Unlike other economic development incentives, opportunity zones arent a program with a federal, state or local approval process for projects. Congress created some parameters for instance, investors cant just buy a building in a zone, they must improve it.But the program is designed to give investors a tax break simply by investing in a given area. You could rehab affordable housing and turn it into luxury condos and still get an incentive, said Brady Meixell, senior research assistant at the Urban Institute. Theres no rule against that.To get the tax benefit, people must invest their capital gains in an opportunity zone fund, which in turn invests in businesses or property in a zone. Investors can defer paying taxes on their gains right away. They earn a 15 percent tax cut on those gains if they hold on to their shares for seven years.And if they hold on to their shares for 10 years, they dont have to pay income taxes on money they make when the shares increase in value.Those tax benefits are huge, said Chris Montgomery, founder and managing director of Four Points Funding, a real estate investing group based in Steamboat Springs, at a recent conference for economic developers in Estes Park, Colorado.Theyre not big enough to make a bad investment good, he said, but theyre really significant.The IRS released some guidance last month but has yet to clarify all the details of the tax break. Until it does probably early next year, lobbyists say many investors are holding off on taking an equity stake in a business or building a structure in an opportunity zone.In hot real estate markets such as the Denver area (Montrose is located on the other side of the state), however, opportunity zones already have set off a fundraising frenzy.Andrew Klein owns 750 acres in an opportunity zone in Aurora, not far from Denver International Airport. The land around the airport, once home mostly to prairie dogs, is now filling up with subdivisions, hotels and business parks.Kleins company, Westside Investment Partners Inc., is planning to construct industrial buildings that could house businesses such as data centers and logistics companies.He said hes talked to many investors, from wealthy Coloradans to national groups that handle family fortunes. The people hes talked to are, collectively, willing to spend some $100 million on his project, he said.Im currently out in New York City meeting with people who want to develop in opportunity zones, he said when he spoke to Stateline last week.Yuriy Gorlov, a vice president of the Aurora Economic Development Council, said that some local landowners and developers are putting together seven- and eight-figure investment funds.The money flowing in will help accelerate development around the airport, he said. Instead of taking the next 20 years to build out a large swath of land out there, maybe itll take 10 years.Rural Colorado presents investors with fewer obvious moneymaking opportunities. While Denver and other cities along Colorados Front Range have rapidly added people and jobs in recent years, many rural places are shrinking as farming and some mining jobs disappear.Recognizing that rural places such as Montrose County need a boost, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade gave the federal government a list of opportunity zones skewed toward rural areas.Only 40 percent of the states 126 zones are in the Front Range, according to Jana Persky, strategic initiatives manager for the development office.Persky has been crisscrossing the state for months, speaking at conferences and meeting with local leaders to explain the opportunity zone incentive and encourage communities to start promoting themselves and lining up projects to pitch to investors.Investors are finding it, she said of the incentive. We want to make sure that communities are equally informed and equally prepared.Montrose hasnt had to do much to market itself, thanks to a July Forbes article that name-dropped the county and called opportunity zones the most unbelievable tax break ever.After the article was published, the phone started ringing off the hook, Montroses mayor, Roy Anderson, said, adding that he expects multiple businesses to relocate to the town in the next six to nine months, partly because of the opportunity zones.Smaller towns west of Montrose havent gotten as much attention. Sheriff of the West End Economic Development Corporation is working with three tiny communities in a remote and rugged region near the Utah border: Naturita (population 500), Norwood (600), and Nucla (700).Both Nucla and Naturitas main streets look like stretches of highway, Sheriff said. The town of Naturita literally does not have sidewalks. The towns are hoping their zone designations will lead to improving sidewalks and renovating buildings.Her office also is compiling data to convince investors that theres demand for housing in the area. Weve got folks that want to move into the region, but theres simply no place to house them, she said.In many rural places, investors likely will have to take advantage of not just the opportunity zone but layers of other incentives to make money, economic development experts say.Deals arent just going to surface, said Major of the Telluride Foundation. Theyll need to be put together using everything from foundation grants to state job training assistance, state tax credits, and a state and local program that pays companies up to $10,000 for every new job created, he said.Communities may need to go the extra mile to draw investment to needed projects that arent particularly lucrative, such as a day care center or affordable housing, Major said. Are there parcels of land that nobody thought about, that the town owns? The town could donate that to do a housing project that opportunity zone capital can invest in.The architects of the opportunity zone incentive intended capital gains to flow to businesses as well as real estate. But investors have shown less enthusiasm in taking an equity stake or partnership interest in businesses.This is partly because its harder to make money that way and partly because the IRS has yet to finalize how such investments must be structured.According to the IRS rules so far, investors must put their money into businesses that generate half their gross income within the zone. Thats a problem, because investors are most interested in growth businesses that sell regionally or nationally, said Montgomery of Four Points Funding.Even though hes hoping his fund will invest in real estate and businesses, he said itll likely invest more in real estate.Most people that are raising money are doing it just for real estate, he said. Its an easier path forward.Major noted that its hard to make a profit investing and growing a business, particularly in a rural area. Youre not going to have a Google, or Amazon, or a Facebook in a distressed, rural community.What youre going to have is small, medium-sized businesses that grow slowly.Major has been helping Natalie Binder, a vacation rental manager based in Telluride, look for funding for her passion project: a camp near Nucla and Naturita that could become a destination for people who want to escape Colorados increasingly crowded mountain towns.Shes envisioning cabins, platforms for tents, a vintage bus used as a check-in desk, and funky art made of junk kind of like a Burning Man meets Marfa meets Colorado, she said, adding that she reached out to some investors working on opportunity funds, but they didnt bite.They were too busy to even talk, she said. Shes hoping to find investors who are interested in the project with or without the zone designation.If the final IRS rules skew the incentive almost entirely toward real estate, then thats a big failure, said John Lettieri, president and CEO of the Economic Innovation Group.The Washington, D.C.-based organization, created by Napster founder Sean Parker, came up with the opportunity zone idea and lobbied Congress to include the incentive in the tax law.But real estate development can be beneficial, Lettieri said, if it sets the stage for businesses to move to and expand in distressed communities. For many of these communities, the built environment is the first step to broader economic growth.Thats why Montgomery sees potential in Dragoos project, which would cluster apartments, businesses and amenities such as restaurants creating an attractive place for people to live and work.And thats why Sheriff is confident that more attractive main streets will encourage mountain bikers and ATVers to linger in the area. Weve seen it happen in other communities, she said. You have to go out and spend the money first. In the sixth year of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many states have two big hurdles to overcome: less federal funding for outreach and advertising, and people who may choose to be uninsured now that there's no tax penalty for lacking health coverage.The Trump administration has dramatically scaled back grants for ACA outreach and advertising -- an 85 percent cut over the past two years. This year,it will spend $10 million on advertising and $10 million on so-called navigators, who help people sign up for health insurance during open enrollment. In 2015, the federal government, under President Barack Obama, spent $67 million on advertising and navigators.Last December, the tax overhaul that Congress passed nixed the ACA's individual mandate, which was a penalty for going without health insurance. So this year, convincing people to sign up for health care will be harder."Were limited by the amount of resources we have, so were framing things around the value of having health insurance. [The loss of the individual mandate] has really changed the way we frame the sales pitch, and its made the challenge a bit bigger," says Zach Sherman, director of HealthSource Rhode Island, which runs the state's insurance marketplace.Though the state hopes to insure everyone, it is specifically targeting younger Latino males who tend to go without health insurance. The state has created a Spanish-language site on par with the English version that's mobile friendly and is sending text messages to those populations to encourage enrollment.Not every state relies on federal funding for outreach or advertising, but even those that don't are still feeling effects from the Trump administration's funding and policy changes."Theres an ancillary effect," says Sherman. "Anytime that much funding is cut, theres an impact. For example, there arent as many [ACA] ads [from the feds] running on TV."The elimination of the individual mandate has made advertising more important."The decision [for states] to spend money on advertising and navigators is not taken lightly, but its key to survival," says Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown Universitys Center on Health Insurance Reforms.After all, the states that run their own insurance marketplace fund their outreach efforts with assessment fees, which are based on the number of people who sign up.Research shows that advertising pays off. According to Corlette , people who live in areas with a high concentration of marketplace advertising are more likelyto sign up for coverage. California credits its above-average enrollment -- which is 25 percent higher than states that rely on the federally run HealthCare.gov -- to spending a lot, $111 million, on marketing and outreach.Oregon funds its own outreach, but "when the federal government decided to scale back, we increased in those mediums" to mitigate any losses that might result from federal decisions, says Elizabeth Cronen, communications and legislative manager for the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace.Oregon has invested in hiring health insurance brokers, who are licensed to give advice on what plans make sense for a particular person. While navigators help people through the enrollment process, they can't offer advice on what plan people should choose. The brokers, Cronen says, also have "deep community roots. They are really closely connected to us and can answer technical questions as well as give a scoop on an impending federal regulation coming down the pipe."The navigator program has been criticized by the Trump administration because they dont tend to enroll large amounts of people. But according to Corlette, thats not the point of navigators."The average appointment is 90 minutes. So whats happening is theyre taking on complicated family situations, tricky issues like if youre not salaried or if you have a mixed-status family. Theres all kinds of reasons determining eligibility is incredibly complicated. Navigators are there for those people," she says. "It's not about volume, its about quality." Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) is calling for the resignation of a white county official who made a comment about being part of the master race.Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp sparked backlash last week after making the comment, directed at a black woman during a public hearing.Racial and discriminative language have no place in our society, and most especially when spoken by someone holding a public office, Colyer said in a statement.The inappropriate remarks made by Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of the county which he represents, the statement read. As such, I call on him to step down as County Commissioner. With only one match left in the qualification group stages, the list of nations to take part in the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations is beginning to take shape. A total of thirteen nations so far have booked places at the newly-extended 24-team finals scheduled to take place in Cameroon next year. Madagascar became the first side to book their spot at the tournament for the first time in their nations history when they beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in October, to qualify for next years final tournament with two matches to spare. Stories Continues after ad Patrick Kaddus 76th-minute goal against Cape Verde in Kampala assured that Uganda qualified for back-to-back Afcon tournaments for the first time in 39 years. Mauritania qualified for the first time from Group I as they came from a goal down to beat Botswana 2-1 at home scoring an 84th minute winner. Guinea progressed yesterday before they even kicked a ball after Rwanda held the Central African Republic to a 2-2 draw in Group H. Their 1-1 draw at home with Ivory Coast later in the day meant the Elephants also progressed to the finals in Cameroon in 2019. The final matches of all the groups will be played on 22nd March 2019 on which the remaining eleven nations will seal their places. The 2019 AFCON tournament will be hosted in Cameroon. The competition will be held in June and July 2019 to move it from January/February for the first time. It will also be the first Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams. Qualifed teams; Cameroon (Hosts), Senegal, Madagascar, Morocco, Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Mauritania, Guinea and Ivory Coast. Facing the likelihood of an embarrassing removal from office, Broward Countys much-maligned election supervisor, Brenda Snipes, announced Sunday she will resign following a string of controversies plaguing her office before and since Election Day.Snipes sent her letter of resignation to state officials in Tallahassee just as the recount ended, her attorney, Burnadette Norris-Weeks, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, which first reported the news. Her letter was not immediately available nor was the exact date of her resignation clear, the paper reported.Norris-Weeks told the Sun Sentinel that the 75-year-old Snipes wanted to spend more time with her family.Had she not quit, she faced the likelihood of being forced into retirement, POLITICO first reported last week, either by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott or incoming Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis after Broward County became the poster child for another botched Florida election. Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera might also be in a position to suspend her if Scott leaves office a few days early in January due to the start of the new Congress following his election to U.S. Senate. 'Not a speech of concession' Unchanged dynamics Some pushback Stacey Abrams halted her run for Georgia governor Friday, but the Democrat said she would not concede the contest to Republican Brian Kemp and planned to launch a voting rights group to file "major" litigation challenging election policies.As state officials prepare to certify the vote, Abrams acknowledged the law "allows no further viable remedy" to extend her quest to be the nation's first black female governor. But she laced her speech with biting criticism of Kemp, whom she accused of leveraging his role as the state's top elections official to suppress voters."I will not concede," she added, "because the erosion of our democracy is not right."Kemp, who stepped down as secretary of state two days after the election, swiftly thanked Abrams for her "passion, hard work and commitment to public service," ratcheting down divisive rhetoric he'd long used to describe her."The election is over and hardworking Georgians are ready to move forward," Kemp said. "We can no longer dwell on the divisive politics of the past but must focus on Georgia's bright and promising future."Abrams' speech marked the end of a campaign that made her a national star by embracing liberal issues in a state where Democrats often run toward the middle of the electorate.She promised to enact gun control measures and decriminalize drug offenses even as she peppered her policies with centrist appeals for Medicaid expansion and increased school funding.Abrams aimed to smash the GOP's 16-year-old grip on Georgia's top office by building a new coalition that united liberal voters, suburban moderates and left-leaning minorities by relentlessly targeting voters who often skipped midterm elections.But the "beautiful red wall" Kemp boasted of building in rural areas sidelined her quest. With President Donald Trump's unabashed support, Kemp ran up huge vote margins in deeply conservative Georgia territory, giving him the highest vote total of any governor in state history.Trump sent out a tweet Friday evening saluting Kemp's victory while also praising Abrams."Congratulations to Brian Kemp on becoming the new Governor of Georgia," Trump wrote. "Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard -- she will have a terrific political future! Brian was unrelenting and will become a great Governor for the truly Wonderful People of Georgia!"Before she stopped her bid for governor, Abrams' campaign was considering a long-shot legal challenge under a law that allows losing candidates to contest the election in the case of misconduct, fraud or "irregularities."She would have faced a tremendous legal burden to prove her case, and even some Democrats warned that prolonging the court battle would jeopardize two down-ticket runoffs set for next month.The secretary of state was expected to certify the election late Friday or early Saturday and cement Kemp's victory in the tightest race for Georgia governor since 1966.The latest tally showed Abrams roughly 55,000 votes behind Kemp -- and she would have needed more than 17,000 votes to force a Dec. 4 runoff. Georgia law requires a runoff if no candidate gets a majority of the vote, which is only a possibility because a third-party contender netted about 1 percent.Abrams' campaign has long tried to make the case that Kemp used his role as secretary of state to make it harder for people to vote. He's countered by pointing to record voter registration numbers and the nearly 4 million people who cast ballots in this race.In her fiery speech, Abrams cited long lines at voting sites, closed polling stations and the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of voter registrations."To watch an elected official who claims to represent the people in this state baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people's democratic right to vote has been truly appalling," Abrams said."So, let's be clear. This is not a speech of concession. Because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede that. But my assessment is the law currently allows no further viable remedy."To have a chance in court, Abrams would have had to prove there were enough Georgians blocked from voting to close the gap. Her campaign apparently could not meet that requirement.Kemp's lead had dwindled since Election Day as absentee and provisional ballots trickled in. But as more counties completed their vote tallies, Abrams and her allies claimed there were thousands of outstanding ballots that never materialized.Her campaign also went to court to force local officials to accept some previously rejected ballots.She secured one court order that required elections officials to review as many as 27,000 provisional ballots, though it didn't require those votes to be accepted.Another ruling required the state to count absentee ballots with incorrect birthdate data, but it rejected an effort to accept provisional ballots cast in the wrong counties.That order, by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, set off a scramble by county officials to revisit rejected ballots. But it left Kemp's lead virtually unchanged, even as the biggest trove of those votes, in Gwinnett County, was added to the total.Those final ballots in Gwinnett also likely cemented the contest for Georgia's 7th Congressional District. Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall led Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux by about 400 votes, though her campaign on Friday said it will request a recount.Abrams has long hinted at more litigation challenging "irregularities" at polling sites, and she targeted what she claimed was Kemp's abuse of the Secretary of State's Office. But she determined that new legal action wouldn't prevent Kemp's victory."Now, I could certainly bring a new case to keep this one contest alive, but I don't want to hold public office if I need to scheme my way into the post," she said." Because the title of governor isn't nearly as important as our shared title: voters."Some Abrams' allies had raised alarms that the prospect of extending her legal fight would shift attention away from a pair of Democratic candidates who are already in a runoff: John Barrow for secretary of state and Lindy Miller for the Public Service Commission."I totally concur with the notion that every vote should be counted," said Michael Thurmond, the DeKalb County chief executive and a former Democratic state labor commissioner. "And going forward, the most effective way to do that is to focus on electing John Barrow as the next secretary of state."Abrams' next steps are uncertain. Some Democrats, such as former U.S. Rep. Buddy Darden, are encouraging her to challenge U.S. Senate David Perdue, who stands for re-election in 2020."Never stop. Keep using this energy," Darden said. "Keep using these new voters."Others, though, want her to consider running for the U.S. House if a seat is vacated or joining a national voting rights advocacy group.Kemp, meanwhile, has quickly plunged into the work of transitioning to power.Several of his aides were at the Capitol this week to meet with state legislators and scope out executive offices. And he's met with Gov. Nathan Deal to present himself as the victor, even as his campaign blasted Abrams for refusing to concede.That feud escalated early Friday, when Kemp's campaign called for Abrams to end her "ridiculous temper tantrum and concede." Minutes after Abrams' speech, Kemp struck a far more conciliatory tone."I humbly ask for citizens of our great state to stand with me in the days ahead," he said."Together, we will realize the opportunities and tackle the challenges to come," Kemp said. "We will be a state that puts hardworking Georgians -- no matter their ZIP code or political preference -- first." Description GIS 19 November 2018: A batch of 105 Public Officers of the Workmens Group, who have successfully completed a Certificate of Achievement in Service and Performance Excellence, Level 1, received their certificates, this morning, at the Municipal City Council of Port Louis during an award ceremony organised by the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms, in collaboration with the Civil Service College, Mauritius (CSCM). The Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms, Mr Eddy Boissezon, the Secretary for Public Service, Mr Premhans Jhugroo, the Chairperson of the CSCM, Mr Sateeaved Seebaluck, the Director General of the CSCM, Professor Ramesh Durbarry, and other personalities were present at the award ceremony. In his address, Minister Boissezon highlighted that for the country to face the challenges ahead, there is a need for trained and knowledgeable Public Officers at all levels, so as to achieve excellence in the delivery of services. He made an appeal to all Public Officers to remain fully committed and encouraged them to strive to help place Mauritius among the high-income economies within the next decade so that the future generations can enjoy a better and more comfortable standard of living. The Minister outlined that the CSCM plays an important role in adequately equipping Public Officers with the relevant skills and expertise so as to implement public policies and Government measures for achieving the goals and objectives as spelt out in the Vision 2030. He also urged officers to develop a sense of belonging to the Civil Service and reassured that further training programmes will be available so as to empower Public Officers to successfully drive the public sector business transformation. For his part, Professor Durbarry underscored that the training, comprising sessions on grooming, communication, work commitment, among others, attended by the 105 Officers during the four days, will help them to better carry out their day to day duties. He also observed that a total of 2 644 Public Officers, of different grades, have already benefitted from training at the CSCM as at date. Description GIS 19 November 2018: The Information and Communication Technologies Act was amended essentially to regulate and curtail harmful and illegal contents and activities perpetrated through any information and communication service, including telecommunication service. The increase in penalty and term of imprisonment for offenders, send a strong signal regarding Governments firm intent to deter and punish misuses of technologies and protect victims. The Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms, Mr. Maneesh Gobin, made this statement during a televised debate that regrouped a panel of independent journalists as well as law students of the University of Mauritius, held on 16 November in Ebene. The debate focused on the amendments brought to the Information and Communication Technologies Act, which has already been promulgated. The Attorney General emphasised that Government has amended the existing legislation to ensure the proper regulation of the use of internet, in particular telecommunications in the wake of online threats such as harassment, sextortion and cyber-bullying. He observed that social media companies are facing increased international scrutiny as the number of victims of online dangers is sharply increasing. Hence, he said, as a caring and responsible Government, the public authority has toughened the law to protect its citizens who are also e-citizens of the world, he stated. He highlighted that the amended law will act as an important recourse for victims of social networks misuses to report their grievances, adding that it is crucial to ensure the safety and protection of the most vulnerable internet users that is the youths. The Attorney General recalled that internet users still exercise the right to freedom of expression, while stressing that the freedom of speech refers to the power to act according to ones will, while respecting the law and the rights of others. He also reiterated Governments commitment to advocate for the fundamental rights and freedom of speech of the population, adding that the Live Broadcast of the proceedings of the National Assembly is a testimony to its stand. According to Minister Gobin, when it comes to the Mauritian context in particular, it is essential to adopt stringent laws regarding the use of information and communication services in view of protecting its fragile social fabric from purveyors of hate speech and racial attacks. On that score, he urged the population to understand the potential risks of the misuses of social in eroding the core foundations of our harmonious society as well as violating the privacy and causing harm to others. He cautioned internet users to act responsibly on the virtual platform as online activities can be intercepted and tracked down. In addition, the Minister elaborated on the amendments brought to the Act, stressing that the terms obscene, indecent, abusive, threatening, false or misleading, or is likely to cause distress or anxiety, should not be decontextualised and considered in isolation. He emphasised that the Judiciary and local authorities exercise their duties and powers in a judicious, independent and fair manner and will continue to engage in an objective appreciation of evidence, that is weighing the credibility and reliability of the evidence presented in the case. It may still be an emerging technology, but in U.S. local government, the Internet of Things is everywhere According to survey data from the 2018 Digital Cities survey, a Center for Digital Government* project, 92 percent of cities participating in the program said they were considering the potential of IoT in their strategic planning.Thats not necessarily a representation of all cities in the U.S.; the data simply reflects survey participants. But the trend in that question is undeniable the annual project has been asking participants this question for years now, and since 2015, the percentage of cities answering affirmatively has risen from 61 percent to 92. That rose steadily each year the question was asked.IoT involves connected sensors of any kind, such as air quality sensors or pedestrian-counting cameras. One particularly popular local government IoT project as of late has been smart street light upgrades , where a municipality will swap out old, inefficient lighting for LEDs. As they do so, many cities opt for lights that are dimmable, can change their color and are outfitted with connectivity hardware that allows them to remotely control the lights and add on extras like cameras, computers and sensors.The question is worded somewhat vaguely, so it's possible some of the participants involved are simply stating that they are thinking about how they might use IoT, as opposed to actively testing it and using it for operations.But there are definitely some using the technology in real-world settings. Take Coral Gables, Fla., a city in the Miami area that won first place in its population category in Digital Cities 2018. Coral Gables IT strategic plan lays out several projects the city has undertaken since 2017, including air quality sensors, pedestrian counters, smart street lights and online dashboards to aggregate all the data together.This data is part of a larger infographic based on Digital Cities 2018 data to be released in the coming weeks. (TNS) A little-noticed state task force is assessing the adequacy of public school internet access and other education technology, and what it would take to make Louisiana a national leader."If we don't find a way to aspire to the highest level of technology in the classroom, we are going to get even further behind," said Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie and sponsor of the legislation that launched the study.The early view is that, like lots of public school snapshots, technology in schools here is lagging."We know there is a pretty good gap between where we are and where we need to be," said Tony Davis, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education who is on the task force.Internet access, up-to-date computers and the availability of laptops for students varies from district to district because they are mostly on their own when it comes to classroom technology.Some school districts have half a dozen educational technologists. Others have none.More than 22,000 students lack the bandwidth needed for digital learning.Major gaps exist in whether students have computers and Wi-Fi at home, especially in a state where two out of three public school students live in low-income households.Among fourth-graders in Louisiana, 79 percent have computers at home, compared with 82 percent nationally, according to figures compiled by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.Even when the school has the hardware, there can be other hurdles."What we see so often is a teacher in the classroom may have this amazing smart-board in the room but may not know how to connect it to the laptop," Davis said."Or they can handle that piece, but they are just not good at the pedagogy in engaging students with the new tool," he added, a reference to teaching skills.The issue is especially pressing amid the rising presence of live-streaming in classrooms in place of teachers and a growing teacher shortage in Louisiana and nationally.The task force, which has held two meetings, includes representatives from the Louisiana School Boards Association, Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, Gov. John Bel Edwards' office, CenturyLink and other firms.The next meeting is set for Jan. 9.Ethan Melancon, policy and research manager for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and a member of the committee, said his group wants to ensure that the state and region are competitive when it comes to technology and education.One way to do so, Melancon said, is to improve the ratio of students with access to computer devices.In the past, he said, technology was something that was cobbled together as demands grew."There is no comprehensive plan to move forward," Melancon said.How to finance upgrades in technology has sparked controversy in Louisiana before.Last year, the state Board of Regents offered high-speed internet access to school districts without charge. But the effort died amid complaints from some superintendents about possible hidden costs and commitments.A year ago, Edwards announced that improved internet availability could be provided to schools, also without charge, by partnering with a nonprofit California group called EducationSuperHighway. Doing so, officials said, would allow nearly 164,000 students to be connected with the minimum recommended bandwidth goals.Donald Songy, education policy adviser for Edwards, said the group's work is done.Now, 22,397 of the state's roughly 700,000 public school students need more bandwidth, according to the group.School districts spent nearly $106 million for technology during the 2016-17 school year, according to the state Department of Education. That includes $86 million for technology supplies, $11 million for hardware and $10 million for software.The department assists districts on discount pricing, workshops, cybersecurity and other areas."Technology in our schools needs to be as common as water and electricity," the agency said in a written statement.The panel is supposed to submit a final written report to the House and Senate education committees by Dec. 1, 2019.Appel said he wants a draft ready for the 2019 race for governor and other campaigns to get the issue on the radar."So that we can get buy-in from the candidates, gubernatorial and legislative candidates," he said. "That is my goal."The task force has been split into three workgroups of about five members each, including one that is studying the always prickly topic of how to pay for any major upgrade.Appel said he is downplaying cost concerns for now."We just want to have a strategy," he said. (TNS) - They were as young as 8. As old as 101. At its height Sunday, the list stretched on for 26 pages, offering a staggering 1,202 names.Most were linked to towns where they may have lived, only about a third had ages. It appeared to include whole families. Seven people from Paradise with the same last name, the oldest 72. A couple in their 80s, another in their 60s and possibly their mother.The list is a culmination of all the people who were reported missing and remain unaccounted for since the devastating Camp fire erupted in Butte County in the early hours of Nov. 8, consuming entire neighborhoods in just hours. That number dropped Sunday for the first time in days, from 1,202 to 993. But it raises a startling question: Could that many people really have died in the blaze?Authorities say probably not.The data are far from perfect. Some people may be listed twice, or more. Others may be safe somewhere, unaware that someone is looking for them.This is a dynamic list, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told reporters. It will fluctuate both up and down, every day.The death toll from the Camp fire, which has scorched 150,000 acres, has risen to 77, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze is 65% contained.What was making an already horrific situation worse was that day by day before Sunday, the number was getting higher. And authorities have not offered a clear indication of how accurate the figures really are and what they could mean for the final death toll. Aileen and Berry Moeller were on the list. So were Aileen and Berry Moller. Darel and Joan Brunn, along with Daryle and Joan Burn.The list was growing at an alarming rate in recent days, much faster than investigators could check off names. On Wednesday, 130 names were on the list, while more than 200 others had been found safe. By Friday, investigators had been able to locate 329 people, but the list had exploded to 1,011 names.Moments before a news conference Saturday, a woman showed up at the Silver Dollar Fairground and told sheriffs officials that she and her husband were on the list, but they were both safe. Her name, she said, was listed twice. By then, authorities had crossed off 714 people, but more than 1,200 still were missing.Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said she hadnt had a chance to go through the list, but at least one person she knew who was missing has turned up alive. She said she wouldnt speculate on how high she thinks the death toll could go. But the fluctuation has stoked anxiety and confusion for those searching for loved ones.When you dont know, the grief is suspended, said Mary Kearns, a chaplain with the First Christian Church of Chico, where a vigil was held Sunday evening. People have said to me its like treading water and you cant get to one side of the pool or the other.At one point, more than half of the 430 names with ages listed were in their 70s and 80s. Some ages listed were squishy. Virginia Church: 90? Linda Dickinson: 58? Nick Clark: 70+. Mary Frost: 67 to 75.Maurine Johnson said she cant bring herself to scan the list. She already knows a couple who died Paula and Randall Dodge and two other couples who are missing.Nobody knows where they are, Johnson, a longtime Paradise resident who turns 80 in a week, said at the vigil. I havent looked at the missing persons list. Im afraid Ill know more people.Only one of the two couples she identified to The Times, Barbara and Bill Schacht, are on the list. She said knowing her friends are dead is just as awful as not knowing if they survived.Im sick of platitudes, of people saying, Something good will come of this, or God has a plan, she said. Shout it out if youve got a plan, God. I dont see it.Authorities are collecting names three ways: through calls to the missing person hotlines, emails to the Butte County Sheriffs Office and by mining through reports generated at the peak of the chaotic evacuation. As the fire raged through Paradise and neighboring communities, dispatchers were fielding dozens of calls and quickly plugging names into their system.So the data are raw and that leaves investigators with the arduous task of combing through it, figuring out which names are duplicates, which are misspelled or mistakenly listed. The day-to-day surge was because of their increased capacity to take calls, gather information from emails, and go back through the initial calls for service to mine the data, said Megan McMann, spokeswoman with the Sheriffs Office.We are making progress on cleaning that up, she said.Judy Peterson called the Sheriffs Office on Sunday with information about her 83-year-old mother-in-law, Betty, who was No. 5 on the list as of Saturday night. The two havent spoken for 18 years, but through the grapevine, the younger Peterson heard her mother-in-law was safe.Somebody seen her yesterday at Feather Falls Casino, said Peterson, 64, of Sacramento. Ive already told them a little bit ago, somebody seen her.Judy Peterson hadnt been terribly worried.I knew she would leave. When they tell you to evacuate, you get out, you go, she said. Good to hear that she wasnt missing after all. We dont get along, but still, its good that shes been found.Carmen Titus and her husband, Tim, also somehow wound up on the list. They live in Portland, Ore., but own a home in Paradise. She figures someone came across their names while sifting through the titles of homes that were destroyed.Obviously I am not missing, she said, with a laugh. We dont know how our name got on that list. But we are OK.She said her friend has reached out to the Sheriffs Office to let investigators know.Some people took the search into their own hands. For nearly a week, Laura Cartwright and her brother looked for their 71-year-old reclusive uncle from Helltown, a small community just north of Paradise.They tried calling him by phone when the Camp fire broke out, but they couldnt get through. Even on normal days, cell service there is spotty. They checked the American Red Cross shelters online list to see whether their uncle had marked himself safe. He hadnt.By day three, they were worried. By day five, they couldnt sit at home anymore and drove up from Concord to the disaster zone. They ended up roaming a tent city in a Walmart parking lot, asking if anyone had seen their uncle.A volunteer with family in Helltown overheard them and called his cousin: Was Brian Moriarty there?Hes there? the volunteer asked.Cartwright placed her right hand over her heart.Hes there? she said, crying.Yes. We found him, the volunteer said.The siblings hugged.You cant imagine the thoughts I had, Cartwright said. We were sure he had lost his life. I keep hearing people in the news saying "I don't blame President Trump for the coronavirus pandemic," which any thinking person should agree with. The President blames China for not containing the virus at its inception, but given the transmission rates and how the virus spread throughout the world, even before we knew how widespread it was, it seems like a sign that likely no country could have contained the virus.The ban on travel to the United States is hailed by some as a key move taken by the administration. I've heard that there were 40,000 people who returned to the United States from China after the ban was implemented. Then, since tens of thousands of people travel to and from China, this means the virus was already widespread, but undetected in Europe, which is believed to have been a key source of infections that ended up in New York City.I have never heard of a president or any other elected official being blamed for a disaster. The president doesn't cause an earthquake, hurricane, or tornado. The blame for these events comes not from the cause. But the blame can come for the response. You only have to ask President George W. Bush about Hurricane Katrina. He was not blamed for anything to do with the wind, flooding and someone losing the roof on their home. The blame came to roost over the response of the federal government to the impacts of the disaster on people and the slow action to remedy the plight of people who were not able to evacuate from New Orleans.Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was another black eye for another president, that being Bill Clinton, over the federal response to the disaster. It was that one that got the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under James Lee Witt to become much more attentive to natural disasters and the federal response.To summarize, it is not the cause of a disaster that should be placed on an administration. It is the response to the disaster that must be assessed and, when appropriate, blame placed at the feet of those holding the positions of responsibility. It is the sitting administration that is responsible for orchestrating the application of resources, people, material, supplies and the approach to include priorities that determine the strategy and tactics that are being taken. Has the response been successful in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, or is it out of control. If it is out of control, then if you are looking to place blame look at the effectiveness of the response and make your judgements. An executive business sponsor who is engaged. A clear definition of success; criteria that can be measured; and an understanding of what a finished project looks like. A communication plan. A Tale of Two States Follow the Three Rules Government organizations, like their business counterparts, must be able to pivot rapidly in order to meet shifting demands from their residents, tourists, customers and businesses. To meet these obligations, organizations often turn to technological solutions, which means there is likely to be a conversation about governance.In the beginning, governance was the responsibility of the technology department and even today the process remains largely an IT operation. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but IT needs to have a process that also involves the business/program owners.Program leaders are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and understand that their business is intertwined with technology. As a result, they need to have a seat at the table and be actively involved in governing the projects they are funding. Program leaders also need to understand that their obligations do not stop once the project or program is funded. Effective governance is made up of multiple processes including intake, prioritization, resource allocation, technical change management and much more.Three ingredients are needed for effective governance:You need all three and if you don't have them you need to stop, reassess and get them in place. To highlight my point, here are two projects that I was involved with to varying degrees.A couple of years ago, two states embarked on similar journeys. Both had big dreams and high hopes for their programs. In the first case, an executive director wanted to change the direction of their organization. This particular agency was plagued with antiquated technology, little understanding of how their clients received services across the various programs, and no effective way to engage with their customers. The processes that were in place were paper-based, time consuming and not meeting expectations.The agency director knew something needed to change, called a meeting of all section managers and laid out a plan. The director was engaged at the outset of the program and on point in laying out a vision. Once all the section managers aligned with the vision, the agency secured funding and purchased a technology platform.The CIO was also involved in crafting the plan and became the programs executive sponsor. This is a mistake that is often made and is unfair to the CIO. The CIO can be the IT sponsor and if the project is primarily an IT project (email, telephony, network), then they can certainly be the executive sponsor, but if it is a business solution, the agency director needs to be at the table in complete partnership with technology leadership.Since the CIO was a peer to the section managers, they were not able to set direction when the director stopped being engaged once funding was secured. While everyone recognized the problem, no one wanted to solve it. A communication plan was attempted on three different occasions but was never fully implemented. This led to rumors, gossip, alignment issues, and discontent with the end users who were clamoring to understand why massive amounts of money was being spent and what their role was in the various projects.The program was fraught with problems, which stemmed from missing all three of the elements mentioned above (executive sponsorship, success criteria, and a communication plan), not from poor technology. However, this particular organization insisted it had governance because it had a steering committee that met regularly and reviewed the project status, risks and milestones.In reality, the agency was just going through the motions and never really understood the principles of good governance. Without the essential building blocks of governance, the project fell behind schedule and ultimately was reduced to a fraction of the original vision. The contractors could never find their proper footing because there was limited direction, resulting in missed deadlines, misaligned features and stunted progress. The customer had to reduce the number of licenses they purchased and they reverted back to older technology that is still not meeting their needs.The other state had similar problems. Their current technology stack was aging; they did not have a modern user interface; it took months for new features and functions to be rolled out; and they did not have a good view into the services clients were receiving. To move forward, the agency created a new position and an individual was hired to lead the charge.This individual held working sessions with the various stakeholders and validated the challenges everyone faced. The information was condensed and presented to various technology providers to determine what was possible. These discussions were shared with the stakeholders so everyone knew what was happening and had specific channels for feedback. With the challenges understood and the realistic possibilities laid out, the executive sponsor presented a vision to the program users, legislative personnel, budget staff and other associated parties a necessary process that consumed about six to eight months. The planning paid off and funding was secured for the program.Unlike the other example, this executive sponsor stayed engaged and continued to execute on a revamped communication plan. With funding approved, it was imperative to improve and accelerate communications. Everyone had questions, wanted to provide additional input, and needed information about how the changes would impact them and the timing of the new technology. By sending out regular updates, the sponsor was able to keep everyone appropriately focused. As the program progressed, the sponsor used the information that was collected to set clear objectives and success criteria. During town halls and focus groups these criteria were used to aid them in decisions related to priorities, timing and scope.Every project has limited funding, so it is critical that everyone agrees to the parameters of a project. Having clearly defined success criteria greatly aids in staying within those parameters or knowing what is being sacrificed if changes are warranted. By staying engaged, setting strong success criteria and sharing those with the stakeholders, and iterating on a communication plan as the program evolved, the project stakeholders followed the basic structure of governance.Unlike the first example, this program enjoys major stakeholder support, has received praise from both business and IT leaders and was delivered on time and on budget. In fact, one of the end users stated this was the best solution rollout they had been a part of in their many years of service.These two programs both started off strong, but while the first one broke down pretty quickly, the other one continued to move forward, is enjoying the euphoric feeling of a successful deployment, and has plans for Phase II. It is easy to see where the breakdown occurred between the two programs. As I said in the beginning, governance is a large topic with volumes of information out there about how to govern effectively.I think that information is vital to review and consider. I also think that if we dont pay attention to the basics, we are destined to fail no matter how much information we have at our disposal. Remember, there are three essential ingredients when governing a program: 1) Have a strong sponsor who is engaged and willing to participate in meetings, key decisions and communications. 2) Be sure to have the end in mind and list out the programs success criteria: Why are you spending the money, what benefits will the users see in the end, and the like. 3) Bring the stakeholders and users along with you and have a communication plan that does not grow stale.If you follow these three rules of governance, the chances of project success will increase dramatically. 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. Get your turkey and sides from Daily Provisions, the new cafe from Danny Meyer. Photo: Liz Clayman Yes, its nice to be chef for the day and make everything for Thanksgiving from scratch. But, also, its hard. Thats a lot of food, and sometimes you need a helping hand or dont feel like cooking at all but still want a great meal at home. Or maybe you just need a good turkey, and, oh, a few sides wont hurt. Whatever, Grub is not here to judge. Also, youre in luck as a New Yorker: Excellent markets and restaurants around town make it their mission to make your holiday easier by smoking turkeys, baking pies, whipping up sides, and taking care of the whole meal for you. Turkey, Sides, and More Marlow & Daughters Price: Turkey: $7-$10 per pound (10 to 25 pounds); side packages a la carte (each serves 4) At Andrew Tarlows general store and butcher, theyre selling pastured turkeys (organic and not organic) for you to roast yourself. If you dont want to cook anything else, theres also poultry gravy, potato gratin, sausage stuffing, brown-sugar-roasted sweet potatoes, and cornbread stuffing. Order by November 19, and pick up between November 20 and 24. MP Taverna Prices: $270 (serves 8 to 10) If youd prefer to eat at home, MP Taverna will prepare its menu to go for eight to ten people. Youll get dishes including turkey with gravy, grandmas meatballs with tzatziki, Greek salad, and Greek sausage stuffing. Order by November 14, and pick up on November 24 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Brooklyn Fare Prices: $199 (serves 6), $299 (serves 12) Hit up the gourmet grocer for your roasted turkey, butternut squash, root vegetables, homemade stuffing, Parker House rolls, pumpkin or apple pie, and more. Order by November 21 at 2 p.m., and pick up at November 24 at noon. Bklyn Larder Price: $15 to $135 Get your turkey from Bklyn Larder, where they brine it, roll it, and stuff it before cooking for you. Theres also a ton of sides, like olive-oil crushed potatoes and cauliflower gratin, platters of cheeses and dips, three kinds of traditional pies, and much more. Mile End Price: Meats $20-$30 a pound, sides $8-$20 If its smoked meats youre after, look no further. The Montreal deli is offering smoked turkey breast and drumsticks, along with braised brisket, plus sides like green beans and chermoula topped with fried onion and conflict garlic mashed potatoes. Fosters Sundry Price: Ham is $16 a pound, turkey is $6 a pound, and sides are still being priced out. The Bushwick market will sell housemade hams, whey-fed pork, and turkeys for preorder, as well as sides like mac and cheese and squash puree. There will be special cheeses in, too, like Comte Sagesse, Rush Creek Reserve, and Vacherin Mont DOr. Preorders will be accepted either until they sell out or a week before Thanksgiving. Related Story Where to Eat in NYC on Thanksgiving Blue Smoke Prices: $175 (serves 6 to 8), $292 (serves 12 to 16) Danny Meyers barbecue spot will make you sweet-potato mash, green beans, biscuits, pie, and turkey breast. Order by November 21, and pick up through November 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ssam Bar Prices: $375 (serves 8 to 10) At David Changs second restaurant, they happen to know a thing or two about large-format meals. So put your trust in them, and get a whole-roasted pork shoulder with bibb sauce, napa kimchee, and pork gravy, plus sweet-potato puree with BLiS maple syrup and roasted marshmallow, turkey buns, apple pie, and more. Order by November 20, and pick up on November 24 between noon and 3 p.m. Harolds Meat + Three Price: $100 for every two people; additional $10 for pecan pie or $25 for pumpkin-spice layer cake The southern restaurant will offer its family-style Thanksgiving dinner both in house and to go. Your haul will include turkey and gravy or country ham, traditional or oyster stuffing, green-bean casserole, cream onions, and roasted sausage. Sweet-potato pie is the default dessert, but you can pay a little extra to get pecan pie or pumpkin-spice layer cake. Daily Provisions Prices: $140 for 4, $275 for 8, $395 for 12 Check out the new cafe attached to the relocated Union Square Cafe, and still eat at home. Youll get rotisserie turkey and pan gravy, rosemary-walnut oil, cranberry mostarda, turkey-giblet-mushroom stuffing, whipped potatoes, and more. Order by November 21, and pick up on November 24 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. This could be your turkey. Photo: courtesy of Marlow & Daughters Court Street Grocers Price: $8 to $15 The sandwich masters at Court Street are preparing a whole slew of dishes to help beef up your Thanksgiving spread. Theres Martins bread and Edwards and Sons sausage stuffing, turkey-giblet gravy and pressed-turkey-thigh confit, cranberry-apple relish, and much more. The Meat Hook Price: $75 for a 10-to-12-pound smoked turkey, or $50 for 4-to-6-pound house ham Along with fresh capon, duck, and turkey, the Williamsburg meat freaks will sell smoked turkeys, available for pickup on November 23, and their house ham, available for pickup starting November 19. White Gold Price: Uncooked turkey $7 to $12 a pound, cooked $12 a pound, sides $6 to $10 April Bloomfields brand-new butcher shop and restaurant will celebrate its first-ever holiday with turkeys and much more. Sides include pan-jus gravy, pumpkin with sage and candied seeds, mashed potatoes with nutmeg, and cranberry sauce with citrus. RedFarm Price: $98 for an 8-to-10-pound bird The modern Chinese-American restaurant will offer its Peking turkey, sold only for Thanksgiving, for pickup. The bird comes with condiments, crepes, and sweet-potato tempura. Order by November 21, and pick up at 2 p.m. on November 24. Desserts Only The Blue Stove Price: $32 to $37 One of New Yorks best pie spots, the Williamsburg shop will stick to its mostly classic routine. Flavors include traditional apple and apple-cardamom crumb, as well as pumpkin, molasses-rum pecan, and more. Marlow & Sons Prices: $41 to $44 If you have your hands full with the savory side of dinner and need dessert covered, Marlow & Sons can lend a helping hand. Theyre making spiced pumpkin-and-squash pie, thyme-and-apple pie with streusel, bourbon-pecan pie, and a malted-milk-chocolate tart. Order by November 17, and pick up on November 23 or 24. Four & Twenty Blackbirds Price: $40 for whole pie The Gowanus pie fiends are offering their classic salted-caramel apple pie, as well as salty-honey, bittersweet-chocolate pecan, and brown-butter pumpkin pies. Orders taken until supplies run out; pick up on November 22 through 24. Ample Hills Price: $58, serves 8 to 12 Introduced last year, this Ample Hills collaboration with Four & Twenty Blackbirds unites ice cream and pie in one dessert. Frozen salty honey custard pie is topped with fudge, sea salt, and Nonna Ds Oatmeal Lace ice cream, then extra fudge and pieces of crack cookies. Pick up at any Ample Hills location from November 18 through 23. It is an unfortunate fact that response times to calls to emergency call centres have increased. Police officers are unable to respond to 100,000 emergency calls a year and, when it comes to crime, are unable to investigate petty offences, a spokesperson for the federation stated in a press release on Thursday. The Finnish Police Federation (SPJL) has urged the next government to increase investments in internal security. SPJL pointed out that the failure to investigate misdemeanours and petty offences due to the resource shortage sends a disconcerting message to the public, as evidenced by feedback received by police departments. We cannot stay put and wait for the situation to get out of control, the press release reads. SPJL also argued that the changes to the organisational structure, the digitalisation of services and cutbacks in the service network made in response to the recent budget cuts have failed to alleviate the chronic shortage of human resources. We want to do our job properly, but it is impossible with these resources, said Tomi Sevander, the chairperson of the council of SPJL. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi The process allows authorities to cite the availability of domestic labour as grounds for preventing employers in certain sectors from hiring from outside the EU and EEA. Finland Chamber of Commerce has called for the abolition of the so-called labour availability consideration for employees arriving in the country from outside the European Union and European Economic Area (EEA). Finland Chamber of Commerce on Thursday highlighted that as many as 18,000 jobs were not created and 42,000 job openings not filled due to the labour shortage in Finland in 2017, according to data published by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The number of unfilled jobs was nearly two times as high last year than in 2016, rising to roughly 42,000 jobs, read a press release from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Johanna Sipola, a director at Finland Chamber of Commerce, underlined in a press release that employment-based immigration is one of the key means to alleviate the labour shortage and guarantee funding for the welfare state as the population continues to age. Many applicants have to currently wait for six to eight months for a work permit, if not even longer, she said. Abolishing the needless and bureaucratic process could also create a competitive advantage for Finland, according to Sipola. [It] would increase the appeal of our country in the eyes of foreign talent. The labour availability consideration is a bureaucratic and needless process, because businesses have a better understanding than authorities of the skill requirements of businesses around the country. She also viewed that the risks associated with abolishing the process have been exaggerated. There has been talk about cheap labour and scaremongering about a two-tier labour market. I do not understand how these claims relate to removing the labour availability consideration. The Finnish labour markets are heavily regulated. You can always address possible disruptions through monitoring, by shifting resources from preliminary assessments to retroactive monitoring, said Sipola. The labour market mismatch has been the subject of considerable public debate in recent months in Finland. Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo (NCP) called attention to the need to tackle the issue earlier this month by reminding that although there are some 270,000 unemployed job seekers and tens of thousands of job openings in the country, 40 per cent of businesses say they have been affected by the skills shortage. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi Statistics Finland on Friday reported that the countrys population is expected to grow, driven by immigration, until it reaches 5.62 million in 2035, before starting to shrink and declining below the current level in the 2050s. The population will start to decline as soon as in 2035. The previous forecast indicated that the growth would continue at least until 2065, Timo Vesala, the chief economist at Savings Bank Finland, highlighted on Twitter. The strength calculations of the welfare state will be truly put to the test. There were concerns about the number of working-age people already because of the previous population forecast, but wait until you see the new forecast down by 200,000 by 2050 and by 460 by 2070. Productivity growth will be needed, he added. Statistics Finland also revealed that the under 15-year-old population is projected to decline to roughly 760,000 by 2030, if the fertility rate remains at its current record-low level, and further below 700,000 in the 2050s. The working-age population, in turn, is forecast to decrease by 57,000 by 2030, having already decreased by over 100,000 between 2010 and 2018. Mauri Kotamaki, the chief economist at Finland Chamber of Commerce, warned that the trend of the fertility rate will have massive ramifications for the long-term balance of the public economy. Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo (NCP) similarly conceded that the population forecast will necessitate that the sustainability deficit projections that have steered policy making will unfortunately have to be updated. 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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 Chris Gillispie Old Colony I am a licensed, full time Realtor with Old Colony of Huntington in OH and WV. I have been helping buyers and sellers for over 15 years. I have experience in all aspects of Real Estate including residential, commercial, multi-family, investment, property management and short sales. I find it very rewarding helping first time home buyers through the process. As a Chesapeake High School Alumni and lifelong resident of the Tri-State, I am knowledgeable about the area and connected to the people of the communities in which I serve. 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. 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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. Vietnam has many opportunities to increase white-leg shrimp exports to the EU - Source: vasep.com.vn The association said Vietnamese shrimp has a competitive advantage over other major competitors in the EU market such as India and Thailand. These countries have seen a reduction in their exports to the EU due to problems relating to quality standards. Meanwhile, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is expected to come into effect next year so Vietnam will be allowed to avoid import tariffs on shrimp and processed shrimp. In addition, more European consumers are buying shrimp in supermarkets, instead of eating shrimp at restaurants. This is an advantage for white-leg shrimp exports because the volume of white shrimp in the EUs retail market is increasing, according to the VASEP. European restaurants often use tiger prawns because of their taste and size, but the economic crisis has made white shrimp more popular. This is an opportunity for businesses that can provide white shrimp at lower prices. In terms of processed products, demand for steamed shrimp in MAP (modified atmospheric packaging) is increasing in the European market, according to VASEP. To promote shrimp exports to the EU, local enterprises should increase the number of farms and factories that are certified for good farming practices and meet environmental and quality standards, the association said. They also should increase the number of factories with upgraded processing lines meeting European retail standards. VASEP reported the EU is the largest export market of Vietnamese shrimp, accounting for 24.7 percent of Vietnams total shrimp exports. Vietnams shrimp exports to this market as of September this year reached USD648.4 million, up 11 percent over the same period in 2017. Of which, the UK is the largest importer of Vietnamese shrimp, accounting for 27 percent of Vietnams shrimp exports to the EU. In the first nine months of this year, shrimp exports to the UK reached nearly USD176 million, up 27.6 percent year on year. Over the past three years, Vietnamese shrimp exports to the UK have grown steadily from USD114.6 million in 2014 to USD210.6 million in 2017, up nearly 84 percent. The Netherlands is the second largest export market of Vietnamese shrimp in the EU, after the UK. In the first nine months of this year, shrimp exports to the Netherlands reached USD158.6 million, up 11.6 percent year on year. Vietnam was the largest supplier of shrimp to the Netherlands, accounting for 37.6 percent of the total import value to this market in 2017. In the structure of Vietnamese shrimp products exported to the Netherlands, white shrimp accounted for the highest volume of 86 percent, followed by black tiger shrimp at 10 percent and other kinds of shrimp at 4 percent./. Superintendent of Schools Barbara Malkas and Vincienza Alicandri, this year's recipient of the Superintendent's Award. Alicandri with friends and family. PreviousNext Drury High Senior Presented With Superintendent's Award Alicandri with Mayor Thomas Bernard, left, Drury Principal Timothy Callahan and her family. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Superintendent of Schools Barbara Malkas remembers the first time she met senior Vincienza Alicandri. It was a barbecue at Hancock Shaker Village and they chanced to sit down next to each other. "I then got schooled on exactly what needed to happen to promote our district and to promote Drury High School," she said. "By the end of our dinner, we had decided that Vincienza would be working on an internship of helping us to develop materials that we will be able to use in our future for recruitment purposes." Alicandri's motivation, eagerness to accept challenges and high academic standards were recognized on Wednesday when she was presented with the Certificate of Academic Excellence. She and her family attended the presentation. The award is made through the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents to the student who has the highest academic ranks and who has distinguished his or her self in the pursuit of academic excellence. Malkas says this annual School Committee meeting is the best one of the year because she gets to present the certificate and acknowledge the achievements of the district's best student. Alicandri, the daughter of Linh Brown, has taken eight Advanced Placement courses in addition to her internship with the community outreach coordinator. She also is editor of the yearbook, a student ambassador and a founding member of the after-school homework help club. Outside of school, Alicandri is also a mentor with 4-H, a volunteer with the Berkshire Food Project, an ambassador for the Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival and has been selected to participate in the 1Berkshire Leadership program. Malkas said the Drury senior takes advantage of every opportunity that comes her way and goes far and above what is expected. She recently was selected for the Chang Chavkin Scholarship, which offers up to $15,000 a year toward a four-year college. She is considering either Barnard or Williams College and wants to major in psychology. "This is a young lady who I can only say I look forward to seeing where you go," Malkas said. "So please, whatever you're doing make sure you stay in touch with the superintendent's office." In other business, Malkas also reported on the completion of hte district's self assessment for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "Our staff worked tirelessly in preparation for the review," she told the committee. "They appreciated we were very honest in the self-assessment. [The DESE representative] would be very curious to watch North Adams Public Schools over the next few years because he felt we were entering into an opportunity for growth." The self-assessment critically examined governance and leadership; district improvement plans and evaluations; curriculum and instruction; data assessment and implementation; student support; human resources and professional development; and financial and asset management. Each indicator was scored as "very well, well, somewhat well and not well at all" with examples of how the school district is addressing each. The evaluation team rated the district as well or somewhat well in categories and offered paths to overcome some of the challenges it sees. "On reflection of the standards and indicators and through discussion of ratings, the district could best be described as initiating and implementing many of effective practices identified," the assessment reads, pointing for example to hires in support services and curriculum development over the past few years. "The work is ongoing and we are only beginning to gain momentum toward achieving our goals." The school district has also been addressing its high-needs population by developing programs addressing learning and behavioral needs and implementing nutrition and food-scarcity programs like Breakfast in the Classroom, supper programs and free lunch. It's also pursuing more outside revenue through grant opportunities and using data to more closely inform student learning needs. The superintendent credited the work of the leadership team on the self-assessment. "It was because of the efforts of the people behind me we were able to get this done," she said, referring to the school principals and administrators seated along the wall. She anticipated the first draft would come back from DESE for review in four or five months. That could only be corrected for factual information before the report could be uploaded. Mayor Thomas Bernard, chairman of the School Committee, also thanked Central Office and leadership for getting all the documentation ready. "The benefit does not come from the report although that helps, but from the self-reflection," he said. "We know there's going to be findings because we identified ourselves where we need to improve." The committee also accepted a donation of $413 from St. John's Episcopal Church of Williamstown to Brayton School. In a communique to the committee, Principal Carolyn Wallace wrote that the parish has in the past donated backpacks and supplies for pupils, which has been appreciated. This particular amount will go toward items and supplies the children might need, such as clothes or toiletries. Cheshire Needs Architectural Study Before Leasing School CHESHIRE, Mass. The town may have to put a second possible Cheshire Elementary School tenant on hold until the building can undergo an Architect Evaluation Review. Selectwoman Carol Francesconi last week read a letter from Berkshire Body, an exercise group that wants to use the school's cafeteria. However, the building inspector has told the board that leasing out the area to the group would be a change of use. "We are dead in the water until I call EDM [architects] tomorrow," Francesconi said on Tuesday. "Anything we put in that building that is a change of use to what it was before you have to have the review that is the first thing we have to do." Berkshire Body is the second group to approach the town about leasing the now-closed school. The town was told that it would have to undergo this study that would consider all possible uses and list needs that would have to be addressed. This could mean fire and safety doors as well as other upgrades. Francesconi estimated that this study could cost between $20,000 and $50,000. But the board did like Berkshire Body's proposal and the business offered to pay the town 25 percent of its earnings. Francesconi added that the business would not need heat and would bring in space heaters to maintain a comfortable temperature of 50 to 60 degrees for exercise sessions. "We are plowing it, we are heating most of it, and we are paying the electric bill," Selectman Robert Ciskowski said. "This would be a way to defray some of the fixed costs." Francesconi said she will call the engineers before informing Berkshire Body. In other business, Highway Superintendent Blair Crane said he will close West Mountain Road this week for the winter. "I normally try to hold off until after deer season but with the impending weather I think we should close it now," Crane said. "Lanesborough had nothing against it; their side of the road is in worse shape than ours." He added that the dock will also be pulled out of the water for the winter. "I try to go through Veterans Day weekend and there have been a few boats on the lake," he said. "I think we are one of the few with the dock left in, but the dock will be out tomorrow for sure." The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed dissatisfaction with the challenges confronting Nigeria, saying that the same mistakes of previous administrations were being repeated by President Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking in Abuja on Monday, one day after flagging off her campaign, Ezekwesili said Nigeria needed a leader like her to make the country realise its potential. She warned Nigerians not to resign to low standards by voting opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party or All Progressives Congress. It would be recalled that President Buhari had last week also warned Nigerians against voting the PDP in the forthcoming presidential elections, saying that any other party could produce the next president but not the PDP. Ezekwesili said, Sometimes it is hard to believe Nigerias greatness in the midst of our daily struggles, and as we watch our country repeat the same mistakes over and over again. It is hard to remember the contributions our country has made for freedom and peace across the African continent. I cannot stand it when we choose to accept mediocrity or resign ourselves to lowly standards. Nigeria can do much better. I care about Nigeria and Nigerians enough to know that the back-to-back failed leadership has held us back for far too long, and if we do not take a stand and take our country back, they would still be here in years to come, holding back our children and their children. God forbid! She assured Nigerians that she would fulfil her electoral promises, adding that a situation where elected candidates deny their promises was bad for Nigerias growth. The APC campaigned in 2015 on a manifesto that propagated the doctrine of restructuring. President Buhari went along with it every step of the way because it is all about getting into power for him. He won and then began to renege on his promises, including on restructuring. He suddenly remembered all the reasons why structure is not the problem with Nigeria. I want to reignite belief in Nigerias greatness by leading a government that would make clear promises to citizens and deliver on them, not like the current leadership which spent its first year in office denying all the promises it made to get into that office, she added. She accused Buhari of placing a lesser value on the lives of Nigerians, warning that Nigerians needed to vote for a candidate who would take their well-being as a priority. The former Vice-President of World Bank explained that Nigerias current federal structure was not working and recommended a review. She said, Entire communities and even local government areas in this country have been driven into hunger and poverty, as their sources of livelihoods are completely wiped out due to insecurity. The value of a Nigerian life has been devalued and cheapened. The structure of a federation is its skeleton. A functional structure gives shape, support, and aids the movement of the federation. No wonder Nigeria is handicapped under this dysfunctional structure. She added, There was a time when the APC agreed on the need to restructure the federation and devolve more powers to the regions and states. Vanguard LAGOSSenator, representing Lagos East Senatorial District in the National Assembly and Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Gbenga Ashafa has commended President Muhammadu Buharis commitment to the completion of projects, describing it as impressive. This Day The National Association of Plants Operators (NAPO), an affiliate of the United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC), has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors against reneging on the newly agreed N30,000 national minimum wage, saying any move against it could have a devastating effect on the country The Sun Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State will, on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, present the 2019 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly in fufillment to Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended). The Guardian Since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the sharing of oil revenue has remained a very contentious issue between oil-producing states and the Federal Government. Daily Times As the electioneering campaigns for the 2019 elections kicks off, Senate Minority Leader and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Senator Biodun Olujimi has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) expressing her concern over recent reports of underage registration and the illegal issuance of PVC to Non-Nigerians in some parts of Northern states of Nigeria. Leadership The date 20th November has great significance for many reasons all around the world. For students of European history, it was the date that the Treaty of Paris of 1815 which ended several decades of bloody Napoleonic wars on the continent, was signed. In more contemporary and humane terms, the United Nations adopted this day in 1954 as the Universal Childrens Day, underscoring the importance attached to togetherness and promoting awareness about the welfare of the worlds Daily Trust The Presidency says the electoral victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Nov. 17 is a sign of things to come in the 2019 elections. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (Photo: VNA) The visit takes place at a time when the two countries will celebrate the Vietnam Year in Russia and Russia Year in Vietnam during 2019-2020, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on fundamental principles of Vietnam - Russia friendship in 2019 and the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2020. It aims to continue stepping up bilateral ties across politics, economy-trade, national defence-security, science-technology, education-training, culture-tourism, and locality-to-locality exchange. On March 1st, 2001, Vietnam and Russia signed a joint statement on strategic partnership. Later on July 27th, 2012, both sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Over the past years, Vietnam Russia political ties with high trust have been incessantly strengthened. The exchange of high-level visits has created a strong foundation to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. On economic-trade ties, the two nations maintained the operation of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, which was established in 1992. The Vietnam - Russia Business Council was set up to facilitate bilateral trade and investment. The two countries recognised each other as market economies in 2007. Two-way trade rose from USD2.2 billion in 2015 to USD2.7 billion in 2016 and USD3.55 billion in 2017. Vietnam mostly exports mobile phones, apparel, farm produce, and seafood to Russia while importing petroleum, iron and steel, fertiliser, machinery and equipment. Russia now ranks 23rd among countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 116 projects worth a total of 990 billion USD, mostly in oil and gas, manufacturing, mining, transportation, telecommunications, and aquaculture. Vietnam currently invests in 22 projects worth nearly USD3 billion in Russia, predominantly in Rusvietpetro and Gazpromviet oil and gas ventures, Hanoi - Moscow cultural-trade centre, TH True Milks milch farming and agriculture, among others. On cultural exchange, Cultural Days in Vietnam and Russia are held annually and alternately. Russia remains among the top 10 sources of tourist arrivals in Vietnam. The number of Russian tourists soared from 176,000 in 2012 to 300,000 in 2013, 364,000 in 2014, 340,000 in 2015, 430,000 in 2016 and 570,000 in 2017. In the past, Russia offered training courses to nearly 40,000 Vietnamese officials and experts in diverse areas. In 2011, Russia provided 345 tertiary and post-tertiary scholarships for Vietnamese students, which rose to 400 in 2012 and 70 others for nuclear experts, 600 ones in 2014, 795 in 2015, 855 in 2016 and 953 in 2017. More than 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia./. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Atiku Abubakar launched his campaign to get Nigeria working again, on November 19th. The former vice president in his campaign manifesto talked about how he plans to double Nigerias GDP to $900 billion by 2025. Investments, which will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first two years. The presidential candidate, who revealed that he started off as an orphan selling firewood in Adamawa State, said he will lead to vast increase in internally generated revenues No state would receive less funding than they do today, in fact all states would receive more, he said. However, Nigerians after listening to Atiku, have this to say as regards his campaing manifesto. See reactions below @atiku plans to yearly create 2.5m jobs. I ask you sir, how? From the public or private sector? In a nation where governors say N30k minimum wage is unrealistic? Don't make promises you cannot deliver. CharlieLeaks (@chaplinez70) November 19, 2018 Atikulated Atiku. He told his people that he is coming to serve for 1term of 4years, but in his Atikulated program and plans, he carefully extend his plan to run into 2nd term. The same way his boss OBJ wanted 3rd term. This man cannot be trusted. 419ners. Olusola Okodugha (@glom_o) November 19, 2018 A world class education at the expense of your own American University of Nigeria ? I doubt this sir Noble (@VetIdowu) November 19, 2018 The Launch of Atiku manifesto by @atiku is actually the best I have even seen of any Nigerian presidential aspirant in Nigeria history, It was so well #Atikulated, I saw semblance of MKO Abiola, he is the most qualified and we'll prepared Candidate to ever run for office colyns (@colynsehys) November 19, 2018 #TheAtikuPlan is nonsense just like all other plans since Nigerias independence is garbage. Atiku nonsense, Buhari Nonsense, all of them nonsense, birds of same feathers, it doesn't really make a difference who'll win,they're all same Paultwin Okoye (@PaultwinOkoye) November 19, 2018 Chinedu Okobi pictured with his family after his 2003 graduation. The sister of a Nigerian man, Chinedu Okobi, killed by American police has spoken out in a very touching post via Facebook on Sunday. Ebele Okobi, a public policy director for Africa at Facebook in a post on the social media platform, spoke of how her brother had died after being tased by California deputies last month Ebele noted that unreleased video, contradicts police report of the way her brother died. In her words: They were shocking because they contradicted, in every single particular, the statement that the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office released and to which San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe referred in multiple news outlets after my brothers murder. They grab him, rip off his jacket. He tries to run, asking, Whats wrong? What did I do?' Ebele OKobi wrote. She said her brother was then tased and fell to the ground while keeping his hands raised. He is not fighting, just crying in pain. I will never forget the visual of his hands, waving above his head, open, begging. He begs them to take the taser prongs off of him. He tries to pull them off himself. When there is a break in the torture, my brother staggers to his knees, tries to run away. A deputy pulls out his baton, strikes, they tase him again. My brother goes down. At some point, my brother tries to run across the street, they chase him, they tase him, they pepper spray him, they jump on top of him while he is prone. Eventually, the footage shows someone shouting I see blood, then its over. No CPR or other life-saving measures are administered, she writes. She further noted that Black people in America live in anxiety, no matter where they work or went to school. It doesnt matter what school you went to, she said. You can go to Harvard. You can work in tech. Every black American will tell you they live in a state of constant anxiety. Every black man will tell you they can work at Google, they can be a senior person at Facebook or Apple but when youre driving and youre a black man, you recognize the danger that youre in. Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen speaks to the board about the new and different things Iowa State has begun to implement to make the school function better and more economically during the Board of Regents meeting Feb. 22. Medical Jobs 2018 For Rawalpindi, Islamabad & Sargodha City Latest Medical Centre Management Posts Islamabad 2021 Medical, health, mbbs and experienced personnel for the posts of Medical Officer, Nurse, Dispenser, Operation Theater Assistant, Ward Boy, Aya, Sweeper, Mali, Chowkidar, Marketing Manager required for medical center in Rawalpindi, Islamabad & Sargodha City. How to Apply on Medical Centre 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. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error possible. Error & omissions excepted. SAYB City Playland Lahore Jobs 2018 for Gym Instructors Latest Playland Lahore Management Posts Lahore 2021 SAYB City Playland Lahore, Pakistan are requires candidates for the posts of General Manager, Manager Management, Instructor Gym, Manager Marketing, Operators Playland, Accountant, Sanitary Worker. How to Apply on Playland Lahore 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. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error possible. Error & omissions excepted. Wah Industries Limited WIL Jobs 2018 for Manager Technical Latest Pakistan Ordnance Factories POF Management Posts Wah Cantt 2021 Wah Industries Limited WIL, Pakistan Ordnance Factories POF Wah Cantt, Pakistan Army, Government of Pakistan required candidates for the posts of Manager Technical, Manager QA, Manager Purchase, Assistant Manager Technical Store, Assistant Manager Technical System, Date Coordinator, Date Control Supervisor, Driver. Download application form through WTS Website. How to Apply on Pakistan Ordnance Factories POF 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. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error possible. Error & omissions excepted. Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong attends the inauguration ceremony of TH Groups dairy plant in Kaluga. (Photo: baodautu.vn) The TH dairy plant, the first of its kind by TH Group and the one using the most modern technology in Russia, is expected to be put into operation by late 2019 in Kaluga, marking a major turning point in Vietnam - Russia investment cooperation. For the first time, Vietnamese products will be officially produced in Russia. Three years earlier, the TH Group announced its strategy in spending USD2.7 billion in 10 years for constructing a complex of farms and dairy processing plants in Moscow, Kaluga, Tyumen and the Far East of Russia. It has become the first Vietnamese private business pouring such large amount of investment in Russia, with USD500 million in the first phase. Talking at the inauguration of TH dairy plant construction in Kaluga, Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong confirmed that the project reflected Vietnamese businesses ability in integrating into the world market, adding that it could be a start of a new tendency of investment cooperation between the two countries. In the past, we get used to the fact that Russian businesses invest in Vietnam; but now Vietnamese businesses invest in Russia, he said. With the success of the TH Group, I hope that more and more Vietnamese businesses will invest in Russia. In fact, not only TH Group, but many Vietnamese businesses are investing in Russia; however, they are mainly State-owned businesses investing in the gas and oil sector. Notable are the projects worth nearly USD2.5 billion of the Rusvietpetro joint-venture. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is paying a 2-day visit to Vietnam from November 18th-19th during which he held talks and met with Vietnamese leaders, discussing Vietnam - Russia cooperation in trade, investment, industry and energy. The two sides also considered the progress in the implementation of joint infrastructure, hi-tech, education and humanity projects, thus further promoting cooperation. Although Russian businesses invested a capital of USD931 million as of late October, they have made important contributions to Vietnams socio-economic development, notably the Vietsovpetro joint-venture. Economic experts are expecting an outbreak of Russian investment into Vietnam, as many cooperative and investment plans have been mentioned between the two sides, especially after the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (VN-EAEU FTA) goes into effect./. PORT MORESBY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- With joint efforts of all parties, the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting achieved positive results, said Chinese officials here Sunday. The meeting, held at a time when the regional economy is facing both opportunities and challenges, has pushed forward the practical cooperation in various fields within the APEC framework, Wang Xiaolong, director-general of the Department of International Economic Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, told the press. China congratulates the success of the meeting, and appreciates the active role of Papua New Guinea as the host, said Wang. China attaches great importance to the meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the meeting and delivered a keynote speech. Xi proposed focusing on openness, development, inclusiveness, innovation and a rules-based approach, strengthening international cooperation, improving global economic governance and handling common challenges, Wang said. Xi put forward proposals on building an open economy in the region, nurture new growth drivers, improve connectivity and deepen partnership, among others, said Wang. The Chinese leader had indepth exchange of views with other leaders and reached many important consensuses, said Wang. At the meeting, Xi called on APEC members to continue to promote regional economic integration and draw up a post-2020 vision for the bloc. Xi highlighted at the meeting that China is a champion of Asia-Pacific cooperation and has taken concrete steps to promote cooperation on the ground. He pledged that China will increase its input for the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Many leaders attending the event responded positively on Xi's proposals for Asia-Pacific cooperation, applauded China's important role in Asia-Pacific cooperation and said they look forward to r cooperation with China so as to make the region more prosperous, said Wang. In response to questions about the multilateral trading system, Wang said that during the meeting, most members expressed their support for multilateralism and the multilateral trading system, expecting the World Trade Organization to play its role. Many members, especially the developing economies, have clearly defined their position to fight against trade protectionism and safeguard the development interests and space of developing countries, said Wang. Regarding WTO reform, Wang said it should be prohibited to pursue protectionism in the name of reform. Adhering to the road of open development, China is committed to building an open world economy, promotes regional economic integration, and upholds multilateralism and the multilateral trading system. When answering questions about the meeting's achievements in economy and trade, Zhang Shaogang, director-general of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs of China's Ministry of Commerce, said that the meeting has achieved positive results in five areas. At the meeting, members made new policy proposals on subjects such as tariff and non-tariff measures, service, and investment, which have facilitated agreements within the bloc toward finalizing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), said Zhang. New progresses have been made regarding the Asia-Pacific Model E-port Network (APMEN) and important results have been achieved in building the international trade in value-added database, he said. Meanwhile, new cooperative elements have been added to a post-2020 vision for the bloc, within which there is now greater consensus to support the multilateral trading system, said Zhang, adding that it represents a positive input for strengthening global trade and economic cooperation amid rising protectionism and unilateralism. [ Editor: WPY ] NDP MP Romeo Saganash stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. NDP reconciliation critic Romeo Saganash says the federal government clearly has a role to play with provincial governments to examine "monstrous" allegations of forced sterilization of Indigenous women. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during an interview with Chinese media in Manila, the Philippines, Nov. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) by Yuan Mengchen, Zheng Xin, Dario Agnote MANILA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the Philippines later this week is expected to bring the relations between the two neighboring Asian countries "a knot higher," Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said. The current relations between Beijing and Manila have reached an "apex" and are like a flower in full bloom, Duterte told the Chinese media in a recent interview. China-Philippines relations are moving along the fast track and gearing up for a stronger development under efforts of the two sides. The past two years have seen frequent high-level exchanges, and dialogue and consultation mechanisms between the two nations have been revived in areas including foreign affairs, defense, energy, economy and trade, agriculture, fishery, science and technology. Besides, the Philippines is reaping the economic rewards of growing trade with and investments from China after Duterte's government decided to cultivate fruitful ties with Beijing. "It (China) is encouraging us to send more what we can," Duterte said, adding that the renewed ties resulted in the lifting of the restrictions on trade. Figures from the Chinese government show that the trade volume between China and the Philippines in 2017 topped 50 billion U.S. dollars, which made China the Philippines' No. 1 trading partner and import origin, and the fourth largest export market. Philippine exports to China grew by 10.5 percent to 19.2 billion dollars in 2017. The tourism sector also benefited, with government data showing a growing number of Chinese tourist arrivals in the past three years. From 490,000 in 2015 and 675,000 Chinese tourists in 2016, the number posted a significant increase in 2017 with 968,000 tourist arrivals. The tally of Chinese tourists to the Philippines in the first three quarters of 2018 has exceeded the full-year total in 2017, reaching over 972,000. Moreover, China and the Philippines have contributed to regional stability by working ly to combat illicit drugs, terrorism and cybercrimes. Duterte noted that China has helped the Philippines deal with terrorists without asking for any favor, saying China has given help and support wholeheartedly with no strings attached. "We will improve our relationship in trade and commerce. Second, (defense) relationship. Third, a cooperation to improve the conditions of our international seas to eliminate piracy," Duterte said. The Philippine president also stressed the need to explore more people-to-people interactions, saying the bilateral relationship has reached "a positive plateau," and he wants it to remain that way. At the invitation of Duterte, Xi is set to pay a state visit to the Philippines on Nov. 20-21. Duterte said he took great pride in Xi's upcoming visit, adding that his little daughter Kitty is studying Chinese as a foreign language, and he might ask her to sing a Chinese song for Xi. [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California have found new information about the size and reflectivity of `Oumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered within our solar system last year. "We estimated the size and reflectivity of `Oumuamua as a comet-like body, and suggested a science-based explanation for the various observations," David Trilling, lead author on the new study and a professor of astronomy at Northern Arizona University, told Xinhua on Friday. `Oumuamua, which means "a messenger from afar arriving first" in Hawaiian, was discovered on Oct. 19, 2017 by astronomers at the University of Hawaii. On Sept. 19, it sped past the Sun at about 315,400 kilometers per hour (kmh), fast enough to escape the Sun's gravitational pull and break free of the solar system, never to return. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was one of many telescopes pointed at 'Oumuamua in the weeks after its discovery that October. Scientists found 'Oumuamua was too faint for Spitzer to detect. However, the "non-detection" puts a new limit on how large the strange object can be, said a paper published recently in the Astronomical Journal and coauthored by scientists at JPL in Pasadena, California. "The fact that 'Oumuamua was too small for Spitzer to detect is actually a very valuable result," Trilling said. Subsequent detailed observations conducted by multiple ground-based telescopes and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope detected sunlight reflected off 'Oumuamua's surface. Large variations in the object's brightness suggested that 'Oumuamua is highly elongated and probably less than half a mile (about 800 meters) in its longest dimension. But Spitzer tracks asteroids and comets using the infrared energy, or heat, they radiate, which can provide more specific information about an object's size than optical observations of reflected sunlight alone would, said the paper. Using three separate models that make slightly different assumptions about the object's composition, Spitzer's non-detection limited 'Oumuamua's spherical diameter to between 1,440 feet (440 meters) to 460 feet (140 meters) or perhaps as little as 320 feet (100 meters). The new study also suggests that 'Oumuamua may be up to 10 times more reflective than the comets that reside in our solar system, according to the paper. [ Editor: WPY ] SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A group of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in the Bay Area in U.S. state of California are working together to promote TCM among Chinese communities and beyond. California Assembly member Kansen Chu, who announced the appointment of Shudong Li to the state's Acupuncture Board Friday, said TCM is a familiar and well-accepted medicine for many overseas Chinese and Chinese Americans, who trusted and relied on TCM to relieve pains. "TCM offers a good alternative medicine for the American society, and another choice for patients beside Western medicine," Chu said. Li, who is to officially take office on the seven-member board after an inauguration ceremony next Monday, said he hoped all the TCM practitioners in the Bay Area would work together to do a good job in further promoting TCM and oriental medicine to the rest of the American society and to have more Americans and members of all communities to benefit from TCM therapy. The board will partner with licensed TCM practitioners to make future plans to launch education programs aimed at training young people to carry on the heritage of TCM. Phil Yang, a veteran licensed TCM practitioner, said the California Acupuncture Board is the first government-established body to oversee the acupuncture sector in the United States. California is the state that has the largest number of acupuncturists in the United States, where nearly 18,000 out of the total of more than 30,000 acupuncturists are practicing in the state, he said, adding that acupuncture occupies a significant place in the state. Prof. Art Johnson, who once taught physician health care at Stanford University, said TCM is part of the family medicine program of Stanford School of Medicine. "Acupuncturists are referred quite a bit by family medicine doctors," he said. "Allopathic system more and more recognizes the value of acupuncture and we want the medical students that will become doctors to understand that there are several modalities that help with healing besides Western medicine," he noted. Western medicine does not cure everything and it doesn't work on some things, he explained. "The side effects of Western medicine can be as detrimental as a disease," Johnson said. "I see acupuncture as a system that helps the body find balance." He strongly supports the promotion of traditional Chinese medicine and health medicine to a larger area, which bring benefits to more people that suffer pains from disease. TCM "opened up a new understanding about healing system," said Johnson. [ Editor: WPY ] Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 64F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 44F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. By Park Hyong-ki Finance Minister nominee Hong Nam-ki answers reporters' questions on the way to his temporary office inside the Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. in Seoul, Nov. 12. Yonhap BTS fans, better known among themselves as ARMY, hold photos of their favorite BTS members in front of Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles last year for the American Music Awards. Some overseas fans of the superstar K-pop band donated for Korean survivors of wartime sexual slavery. AFP-Yonhap Shelter sees surge of small overseas donations By Kang Aa-young Social media postings show BTS fans soliciting for donations for "comfort women." It is still possible that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit the South this year despite a delay in denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang, the unification ministry said Monday. "We will make preparations to make the agreements that the South and the North agreed upon, including Kim's trip to the South, take place without a hitch within this year," Baik Tae-hyun, a ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing. In a September summit in Pyongyang, Kim promised to visit South Korea "at an early date." South Korean President Moon Jae-in later said that his planned trip could be possible within this year should all things proceed without a problem. Stalled denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea, however, have prompted speculation that Kim's first-ever visit to the South could be delayed, along with major cooperative projects the two Koreas agreed to launch before the end of this year. Washington and Pyongyang are currently pushing to rearrange their recently canceled high-level talks to discuss the nuclear issue and preparations for their possible second summit. The spokesman said that he knows that consultations are underway between the U.S. and North Korea to determine the schedules for their high-level talks but declined to comment further, saying that it is a matter that needs to be worked out by those countries. He still expressed hope that progress in denuclearization talks could help speed up the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap) By Jung Da-min Eighty percent of young North Koreans have no loyalty to the country's leader, according to a Japanese newspaper. "Inside the North (North Korea), people, and especially the young generation, are indifferent to each other, politics and their leaders, and there is no sense of loyalty," a Japanese newspaper quoted a North Korean defector as saying. Japan's Sankei Shimbun carried the interview Friday with a man they claimed was Oh Chong-song, 25, who crossed the border through the joint security area (JSA) in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in November 2017. "If the regime was able to feed the people, they would applaud it, but they are given nothing," he said. He said the food distribution system has collapsed but North Korea was "excessively" idolizing leader Kim Jong-un. He said residents were scraping by, while officials earn pocket money for overlooking illegal economic activities. In a short video clip released by Sankei Shimbun, he also said the gap between the capital Pyongyang and other regions has been widening. "Kim Jong-un cares much about construction projects and (transportation) systems including taxis, subways and trolley buses in Pyongyang," he said. "People in Pyongyang are seeing the city of Pyongyang and their way of thinking is more advanced than those living in other regions seeing only mountains there." By Jung Min-ho A Korean college student has been found dead in London after being missing for a week. British media reported Saturday (local time) that the student, 21, surnamed Chang, who lived at Goldsmiths in New Cross, was found on Wapping Beach on Nov. 13 after she disappeared on Nov. 6. She is believed to have taken her own life. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and a file was being prepared for the coroner. Chang, known as Jennifer, was studying Fine Art and History of Art. She lived in Goldsmiths student accommodation. Elisabeth Hill, Deputy Warden of Goldsmiths, University of London, said, "It is with sadness that we have learnt of the death of Chang, a third-year undergraduate student at Goldsmiths. "Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this extremely difficult time. This is a sad loss for our community and we are ensuring that support is available to all those who knew her." By Jung Min-ho Korean students in Canada are demanding that their teacher remove Japan's "Rising Sun" flag a symbol of the country's wartime aggression from their classroom wall. According to , a local paper, Monday (KST), a ninth-grade student at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia, is leading a campaign against a history teacher's decision to put up the flag for "educational purposes." Since the student, surnamed Moon, posted a on the website Change.org on Sunday, it has garnered more than 8,500 signatures. "Thinking of the tragedies my grandparents went through, we cannot imagine how someone wouldn't find this symbol inhumane and unethical," Moon said. "This is also an issue that matters to everyone who believes in the sacredness of fundamental human rights built upon the sacrifices of those fallen in battlefields during World War II." He said the flag was "extremely offensive" to students from Asian countries as it reminded them of Japan's horrific war crimes, such as the sexual enslavement of tens of thousands of young women. "Everyone knows that Adolf Hitler and his administration committed atrocities against humanity. But 'comfort women,' maruta (live human experiments), and the Rape of Nanking (Nanjing Massacre) are historic events that aren't taught in (Canadian) schools at least not with the same degree of importance as that of the Holocaust," Moon said. "(That's because) more Canadians were directly affected by Nazis than the Japanese. However, if we were to live with the idea that human rights are important, that we must uphold them, and that we must be true to these higher ideals, then it is absolutely necessary to remember the atrocities that the Japanese committed during the World War II as much as we remember those of Nazi Germany." Since its defeat in WWII, Germany has strictly banned the use of any patterns or designs that invoke the swastika flag, a symbol of Hitler's Nazi era. Moon asked, "If that specific flag is allowed in the school, why isn't racism and sexism allowed? Are we allowed to wear clothes with a huge Nazi Germany symbol?" School board spokesperson Ken Hoff said the flag was meant to serve as a "talking point" for the history class and was "not meant or intended to give offense" to anyone. Hoff said school officials would talk more about the issue with students. Latvian Ambassador to Seoul Peteris Vaivars, ninth from left in the front row, poses with other heads of diplomatic missions in Korea during a reception to celebrate Latvia's 100th independence anniversary at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, Nov. 16. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo By Yi Whan-woo Peteris Vaivars Latvia celebrated its 100th independence anniversary at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, Nov. 16, drawing hundreds of dignitaries including heads of diplomatic missions and Korean politicians. Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars said the visits of President Raimonds Vejonis and other Latvian leaders to Korea, along with the centenary of independence, made this year special for bilateral relations. The envoy suggested the Korean head of state should visit his country soon. "This year of 2018 was indeed a very special year for Latvia, Korea and for the whole world. The PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games and summit diplomacy of President Moon Jae-in led to peace and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula," Ambassador Vaivars said during a reception. He said the Latvian president was among the first world leaders to confirm his participation in the Olympic Games opening ceremony in February. He said a summit, along with bilateral visits of three Latvian officials Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economics Arvils Aseradens, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics and Defense Minister Bergmanis helped bolster the Seoul-Riga dialogue in a constructive manner. "In this regard, I am very confident that in its famous pali-pali style, Korea will find a way to remove itself from the shortlist of countries whose head of state, head of government and ministers have never visited Latvia for a bilateral visit," Vaivars said. "We are looking forward to welcoming Korean politicians in Latvia any time." In a separate speech posted on the embassy's website, he said Latvia and Korea shared "common values of democracy, protection of human rights and the understanding of rule-based international order and peace." He underscored Latvia's potential in the global economy, pointing out that the world was driven by the data-driven economics, digital transformation and artificial intelligence and that Latvia could cope with this as one of world's top 10 fastest internet providers. "We are ready to challenge Silicon Valley and Asia in this global competition, and that is the reason why leading 5G players, from all over the world, including Korean Samsung and other companies just recently met in Latvia on Sept. 27-28 for the Baltic Sea Region 5G Ecosystem Forum 5G Techritory,'" he said. "Our region offers perfect test-bed for new technologies to be tested and optimized; our main technology providers are open to cooperate with innovative and technological companies and we have well-established cooperation between academia, businesses and government institutions. "Welcome to Latvia Startup friendly and supportive environment and your Gateway to Europe." Meanwhile, the reception featured a performance by Lavia's Emils Darzins Mixed Choir as well as traditional Latvian food and alcoholic drinks. The Baltic nation proclaimed its independence on Nov. 18, 1918, under the leadership of Karlis Ulmanis, before it was invaded by Soviet Russia. Latvia fully restored independence in August 1991. Both Latvia and Korea were admitted to the United Nations on Sept. 17, 1991. They established formal diplomatic relations on Oct. 22 the same year. The foreign ministers of the two countries signed an Air Traffic Agreement in September, fueling optimism for tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges. Vaivars is Latvia's first residing ambassador to Korea since its embassy opened here in 2015. French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone, fifth from right in front row, and other heads of diplomatic missions join a ceremony marking the centenary of the 1918 Armistice of World War I at the War Memorial in Seoul, Nov. 11. Organized by the French Embassy in Korea, the ceremony was also attended by representatives of the French battalion of the United Nations and the Armies, representatives and students of the Lycee Francais de Seoul, Lycee International Xavier, Duksung College and the Seoul Foreign School as well as representatives from the French community in Korea. / Embassy of France The following speech is delivered by French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone at a cermony in Seoul, Nov. 11, to mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice of World War I. ED. Fabien Penone Ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen of the diplomatic corps, Gentlemen of the French battalion of the U.N., representatives of the Armed Forces, ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends of the French community, I would like to thank you for having accepted the invitation of the French Embassy to be present today, as so many of you have, for this Nov. 11 commemoration ceremony. As the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will emphasize in his speech today in Paris and I will now quote him "it has been one century since the Armistice of Nov. 11, 1918 put a stop to the fratricidal combats of the First World War." One century since it put a stop to the interminable conflicts pitting nation against nation, and people against people. To the trenches full of mud, blood and tears. To the storm of fire and steel that defied weather and tore apart the clearest sky. To the bloody battlefields and omnipresence of death. On Nov. 11, 1918, France breathed a sigh of relief, which spread from Compiegne, where the Armistice was signed at dawn, to the battlefields. Finally, after four interminable years of sound and fury, of night and terror, the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Throughout France, every town, every village commemorates today, this day, marking the end of a nightmare. On Nov. 11, we remember. And as the President of the Republic will say a little later today in Paris, we remember our soldiers who died for France; our many civilians who also lost their lives; our veterans whose bodies and minds would never be the same; our villages and towns that were destroyed. Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Armed Forces, ladies and gentlemen, We also remember the suffering and honor of all those who left their homelands in Africa, the Pacific and America to fight in France a country they had never set foot in but nevertheless defended valiantly. We remember the suffering and honor of the 10 million soldiers who were sent from around the world to fight in these terrible combats. On this anniversary, we acknowledge our history and prevent it from being repeated. Because the century that separates us from the terrible sacrifices made by the men and women of 1914-1918 has taught us that peace is precarious. We know the strength with which nationalism and totalitarianism can undermine democracies and threaten the very concept of civilization. We know the speed with which the multilateral order can collapse. We know that the unity of Europe, built around the reconciliation of France and Germany, is more fragile than ever. Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, Gentlemen of the French battalion of the U.N., representatives of the Armed Forces, ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends of the French community, Here in South Korea, we also remember the soldiers killed during the Korean War to preserve the freedom of this country and the future of its population. As where we stand now clearly reminds us, valiant combatants from many nations fell during this conflict. While hope is born today on the Korean Peninsula, I propose we include them within our thoughts. Beyond the Korean Peninsula, today's commemoration must be an invitation to build the peace and prepare for the future all around the world. Just today, in Paris, the President of the Republic will open, in the presence of some sixty heads of state and government from around the world, the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum. This Forum is intended to strengthen global governance and to find solutions to the challenges we face. The multilateral system is more than ever essential for the peace and security of the world. We must make it evolve and adapt to the demands of the present time if we want it to continue to fully play its role. That is why today's ceremony is also aimed at the youngest among us, represented by the students of the Lycee Francais de Seoul, Lycee Xavier International, Duksung College and the Seoul Foreign School. It is up to them to continue the path of hope and freedom, which the older ones have traced. It is up to them to unite to promote peace and prosperity and not to repeat the wanderings of the past. Ladies and gentlemen, We will now honor the memory of all those who have fallen in recollection. I warmly thank all our friends for being here with us. Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung speaks to reporters about the results of a police investigation into a controversial Twitter account, in front of the provincial government building in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Police and Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung are locking horns over the results of an investigation into a controversial Twitter account involved in multiple irregularities that indicate it belongs to his wife. Lee strongly slammed the police investigation, claiming it was a politically motivated attack on him, as he has been talked of being a potential presidential candidate. "The Twitter account does not belong to my wife," Lee told reporters in front of his office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. "There is plenty of evidence proving otherwise, but the police concluded it was hers based on vague information they collected," he said. Police said Saturday that Lee's wife, Kim Hye-gyeong, was the owner of the Twitter account with the ID "Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim," which they claim was used to spread false information about his political opponents over the past several years. They referred the case to the prosecution Monday, requesting an indictment of Kim for violating the Election Law and committing defamation. Police said Lee and "Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim" posted the same pictures on Twitter and other SNS accounts, and the Twitter account owner and Kim changed their phones from an android powered one to an iphone at a similar time. Lee refuted this, saying the police were making politically motivated, baseless accusations. He claimed officers disregarded evidence pointing to his wife's innocence, saying their investigation abilities were poorer than those of internet users. "The police have been so generous to Kim Young-hwan (his former rival from the Bareunmirae Party for the governor post), who spread false information about me. But they are so harsh on me and my wife. I hope they will not involve my innocent wife and family in this battle," Lee said. However, the police said they have compiled enough compelling evidence that has not been revealed to the media. On Sunday after the police announcement, the governor requested support from internet users through his Facebook account, urging them to find and upload photos, comments, or other evidence that can prove his wife was not the owner of the Twitter account. He also invited people to vote on his Twitter account Sunday about who they trust more _ him or the police. However, Lee's aim to gain public support has backfired, with over 80 percent of 40,000 people who cast a vote siding with the police. In December 2016, when Lee was competing with Moon Jae-in in the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) primary for the presidential election, Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim falsely claimed that Moon's son Joon-young received special treatment when landing a public agency job in 2006 because of his father's position as a senior presidential secretary at the time. In April when Lee was competing with Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol of the DPK in the party's primary for the governor election, the Twitter ID posted false comments about Jeon that he cooperated with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party to attack Lee. The governor has also been embroiled in scandals of his own including an alleged extramarital affair with an actress and, forcibly putting his elder brother in a mental institution. Entitled "Building stronger ties for economic integration", the forum witnessed the participation of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, and hundreds of Indian and Vietnamese enterprises. The event held four sectorial sessions, including "Agri, Agro-processing, agro chemicals, food and food processing and food products", Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Power, Energy, Renewable Energy, Oil & Gas, Infrastructure" and Service Information Technology, Communications, Education, Aviation and Tourism. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Acting Director General of Agro Processing and Market Development Department, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasised the fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India, particularly the agricultural cooperation, which has brought about practical results. Since the establishment of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016, the bilateral trade revenue has increased from US$7.8 billion in the 2015-2016 period to US$12.8 billion in the 2017-2018 period. India is also one of the 10 largest trading partners of Vietnam. He noted that the two sides are working to approve the import of five Vietnamese fruits to India including blue dragons, longans, pomelos, rambutans and durians, and the export of three Indian fruits to Vietnam including grapes, pomegranates, and millet. Through the forum, Vietnam expects more cooperation with India in the areas of Indias strength such as farmer training, agricultural disease control, and the application of technology in tracing the origin of farm produce, Toan said. Vietnam is also one of the worlds leading exporters of rice, coffee and seafood, which boasts huge opportunities for the Vietnam and India bilateral agricultural cooperation, Toan noted. Speakers and businesses of both countries also introduced the potential, strength and cooperation opportunities in the areas of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, services, information technology and other sectors. Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung expressed his wish that Indian enterprises would boost investment in the Vietnamese market, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, manufacturing, information technology, infrastructure development, and others. Meanwhile, the Indian President said that the Vietnam-India business relationship presents prospects for engagement in financial services, information technology, digital economy, hydrocarbons, defence, renewable energy, mining, healthcare, tourism and civil aviation, among others. He affirmed that Vietnam is a very important trading partner for India in ASEAN, and India is now among the 10 largest trading partners of Vietnam. He noted that the bilateral economic relations have made significant achievements, but a lot more is waiting to happen. The Indian President called on Indian and Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate for enhanced trade as well as technology and investment partnership. Business representatives also raised problems that they have encountered during their business operations and hoped for more support from the Governments and authorised agencies of both sides to facilitate their operations. The forum, which is part of the Indian Presidents State visit to Vietnam, is jointly held by the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM), Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the India IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMC), and the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM). A council of representative judges from district courts agreed Monday that it is necessary to seek impeachment of sitting judges implicated in a ballooning power abuse scandal involving the previous Supreme Court chief justice. "We agree that the alleged acts (of the judges under probe) are a serious breach of the Constitution, which calls for impeachment procedures as well as disciplinary action," the council said in a statement adopted at the end of a regular meeting. The council's decision come amid a widening prosecution investigation into suspicions that former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae sought to use politically sensitive trials as bargaining chips in dealings with the office of then President Park Geun-hye. Prosecutors believe Yang instructed his officials to interfere in trials to deliver verdicts in Park's favor to gain her approval in return for the establishment of a separate court of appeals, his long-envisioned dream. Prosecutors have arrested and indicted a key man, also a former senior judge, in the scandal and questioned a number of ex-judges over the allegations, with the probe now closing in on Yang. The council's latest decision will likely give a boost to a parliamentary move toward a motion to file a petition with the Constitutional Court for the impeachment of the judges in question. A vote in favor by a third of the 299-member parliament enables a motion to be tabled for a vote to reach a decision. If the motion wins a majority at the parliament, the Constitutional Court begins to review the petition. The judges will be dismissed from their posts if six of the nine judges at the highest court uphold the impeachment. (Yonhap) A fire broke out at a state-run nuclear energy research institute in central South Korea, but there was no risk of a radiation leak, the institute said Monday. The fire broke out at a laboratory in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, as of 2:28 p.m. It was confirmed to have been extinguished at 4:01 p.m. There was no danger of a radiation leak and nobody was injured, the institute said. The institute added that it was investigating the cause of the fire. (Yonhap) By Kim Bo-eun North Korea denounced the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea as an impediment to inter-Korean reconciliation, through media reports Monday. "The UNC is a stumbling block to alleviating the situation on the Korean Peninsula and improving North-South relations for the reconciliation and cooperation between the North and South," the North's Propaganda outlet DPRK Today said in an article. "The U.S. must stop interfering in internal issues of our people using the name of the U.N.," it added. The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling Workers' Party, stated that there have been voices in the South calling for the disbandment of the UNC. Meanwhile, in a separate article, DPRK Today condemned the U.S. maximum pressure campaign on the regime. "The U.S. military is showing signs of supporting U.S. President Donald Trump's North Korea policy which is to drive us to denuclearization through maximum pressure and intervention, at a time negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. are stalled," it stated. The media outlet said the U.S. military is attempting to monitor North Korean military movements by putting state-of-the-art surveillance equipment in the South. It added the U.S. is also trying to pressure North Korea through holding joint military drills with Japan incorporating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and strategic bombers around the Korean Peninsula. "The U.S. needs to realize that the equation that military pressure increases negotiation capabilities does not apply to us," the article said. "The U.S. has forgotten its goal that was affirmed at Singapore, and is driving the train by a local line of denuclearization through maximum pressure, being derailed from improving relations between North Korea and the U.S. and the basic theme, track of peace." By Lee Min-hyung The defense procurement agency has opened a center to promote defense exports to help local players reduce their heavy reliance on the domestic market and enhance their global competitiveness, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Monday. DAPA said its Defense Industry Promotion Center will focus on building a systematic infrastructure under which local defense companies will gain the same government support as "defense powerhouses," such as the United Kingdom and Israel. "For example, Israel runs a special organization to help the country's defense firms expand their overseas sales," a DAPA official said. "About 70 percent of defense sales in Israel come from exports. We are also seeking to expand our overseas defense sales proportion through the launch of the center." In Korea, more than 80 percent of defense sales are to the domestic market. The opening of the center comes amid toughening rivalry in the global defense market. "The nation's defense industry has depended mostly on the government's budget, which does little to enhance industrial competitiveness," said the official. To lay the groundwork to help the defense companies expand their overseas sales, DAPA said it aims to sign a defense-related memorandum of understanding with 50 countries by the end of 2022. As of 2018, DAPA is partnering with 39 countries in defense. Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security / Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun The government's top nuclear envoy and other officials departed for the United States, Monday, for talks on North Korea's denuclearization and inter-Korean affairs. Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet with his counterpart Stephen Biegun in Washington during the three-day visit. Accompanying Lee are officials from the Ministry of Unification in charge of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, as well as from Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Office. The meetings in Washington could also be the first for a working group of South Korean and U.S. officials, which the two countries agreed to launch last month, to coordinate North Korea-related issues. "The working group may hold its first meeting, if possible, after final coordination discussions," Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport before his departure. Some experts here see the working group as a means for the U.S. to slow down inter-Korean projects amid slow progress in its denuclearization talks with the North. Most of the inter-Korean projects that were agreed upon at the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September, and follow-up meetings, have been put on hold. Among them is holding a groundbreaking ceremony to connect railways of the South and North within the year. After the Koreas agreed at a high-level meeting in October that the ceremony would be held in late November or December, plans were to conduct a joint inspection of train tracks in the North the same month. However, the Koreas still have not conducted the inspection, as the U.S.-led United Nations Command has yet to approve a request for a South Korean train carrying personnel and supplies to cross the military demarcation line (MDL). This is because taking supplies such as oil into the North contravenes U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on Pyongyang. The South has been seeking exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean affairs. The plan for the joint inspection of railways has been on hold since August. Officials representing Seoul and Washington will likely discuss this matter, along with related issues including denuclearization. Earlier, the U.S. State Department said the working group "would further strengthen our close coordination on our diplomacy, on our denuclearization efforts, on sanctions implementation, and inter-Korean cooperation that comply with the U.N. sanctions." The meeting may also reveal the developments over holding a high-level meeting between North Korea and the U.S., which was set to take place earlier this month, but postponed at the request of Pyongyang. Expectations are that the meeting will be held soon, based on signs of preparations taking place. Andrew Kim, head of the CIA's Korea Mission Center who is known to have played a key role in the June summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, made a secret visit to Seoul last week to meet with South Korean government officials. He is also known to have met with North Korean officials at the truce village of Panmunjeom. The high-level meeting is expected to address the denuclearization actions North Korea will take, and what the U.S. will provide in corresponding measures. The denuclearization process has failed to make progress since the June summit between Kim and Trump, due to differences over various issues. Pyongyang is calling for sanctions to be eased along with a declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War to be made, but Washington's stance is that sanctions will remain intact until North Korea achieves complete denuclearization. A second summit between Kim and Trump is set to be arranged according to progress made at the high-level meeting. The plan for the North Korean leader to visit Seoul before the end of the year may also depend on the outcome of the high-level meeting. By Lee Min-hyung A controversy is brewing over the death of an Army soldier, with a growing number of people signing an online petition demanding Cheong Wa Dae find the truth behind his death. On Friday night, the Army private first-class was found unconscious in a toilet located near a guard post in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. He suffered a bullet wound to his head before passing away about half an hour after the incident. According to the Army, he went to the toilet while on sentry duty. The military authority found his K2 assault rifle, and an empty cartridge, inside the toilet. After hearing a gunshot, a squad commander rushed to the scene where he found the soldier, surnamed Kim, unconscious and bleeding on the floor with bullet wounds to his head, according to the Army. "We are conducting an investigation, and will give details after finishing the investigation," a military official said. As of Monday, more than 130 people posted online petitions on the website of the presidential house, calling for a thorough investigation into the case. Most of them suspect that the military is attempting to cover up the incident as a suicide. "It is suspicious that the military had de facto concluded that the North has nothing to do with the case even at a time when the two Koreas are dismantling guard posts near the border area," an online user said in the online petition. The Army said it has not detected any unusual signs from North Korea since the incident took place, saying that it does not view the North as responsible for the accident. Such a view came as the two Koreas are on a rapid reconciliation, with both sides taking steps to ease military tension near border areas. Both sides will demolish 10 guard posts near the inter-Korean border on each side by the end of this month. The military police and the Army's investigation team are conducting the investigation to find out the exact causes behind his death. On Saturday, the Army conducted a forensic investigation of the scene with Kim's bereaved family. Another petitioner said: "The public wants to know what caused his death, but the defense ministry announces North Korea has little to do with the incident before conducting an investigation." The Army said it has yet to find any suicide notes from Kim. The military authority also said Kim was on good terms with his fellow soldiers. Any signs of beating or harsh treatment from his senior soldiers have not been found, according to the military. This combination of pictures created on November 12, 2018 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, left, during the Inter-Korean summit in the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom on April 27, 2018, and US President Donald Trump during a post-election press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on November 7, 2018. AFP-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul President Moon Jae-in is toning down his hopes for an easing of U.S. and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea as the South Korean leader wants to try again as the role of a "neutral facilitator" of the ongoing denuclearization process. Political analysts in Seoul said Monday the shift came after the President's efforts to win backing from the United Kingdom and France, which hold seats on the UNSC, apparently fell flat during his earlier trip to European capital cities. Moon's "sanctions-easing" agenda, aimed at inducing the North to accelerate its moves for nuclear disarmament with greater engagement, also caused a rift in South Korea's alliance with the United States. "As the United States is continuing its 'maximum campaign' against North Korea in denuclearization talks, further widening the stark difference in messages, could cause a long-simmering rift between Seoul and Washington, which isn't a good scenario in terms of providing new impetus on the stalled talks," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies. A Cheong Wa Dae official told The Korea Times the presidential national security team led by the National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong is on track to coordinate diverging approaches with Washington and Seoul's other key allies toward the North Korea issue. "Cheong Wa Dae understands that the denuclearization efforts between South Korea and the United States are increasingly at odds as the North Korea nuclear issue is both a local and international issue. However, the close coordination does not mean a cancellation or postponement of inter-Korean business projects as they are being implemented under the UNSC rules," said the Cheong Wa Dae official on the condition of anonymity. Washington is facing growing pressure from China, Russia and South Korea as well as humanitarian groups to loosen economic sanctions on the impoverished North because talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang have hit a snag. Since the June summit between the United States and North Korea, there has been little progress with the two clearly sparring over the exact meaning of "denuclearization." In a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of last week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit; President Moon didn't raise the issue of relaxing North Korean sanctions, instead confirming the continuance of the close cooperation to manage the issue. "It would be premature to ease sanctions at this point," said Troy Stangarone, senior director of the Korea Economic Institute (KEI). "North Korea has yet to provide a denuclearization of its nuclear program or take substantive steps to dismantle its program." President Moon will attend the G20 summit to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, late November. Several face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders of the North Korea issue are scheduled. By Park Ji-won A conflict between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and umbrella unions over expanding a flexible work hour system is intensifying. The unions and the minor liberal Justice Party have opposed the move, as it possibly risks workers' health and is against the 52-hour maximum workweek required by law. Justice Party Chairwoman Rep. Lee Jeong-mi said Monday, "The government and four ruling and opposition parties are expanding flexible working hours by pressuring unions even though they know it could risk workers' health rights and the meaning of a weekly maximum of 52 hours per week (which is stipulated in the labor law.)" Lee insisted the system would enable companies to make people work for 64 hours per week for six weeks in a row. Under the current flexible work hour system, employers can add or reduce the working hours of employees for a three-month period increase in one year. The measure is aimed at lessening the burden of companies in the wake of the introduction of the revised labor law that orders people to work less than an average of 52 hours in one week. The Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KFTU) Chairman Kim Myeong-hwan also criticized DPK floor leader Hong Young-pyo saying he first came up with reducing working hours and he is now showing an oppressive attitude toward workers, making things worse. "Union workers I met in the field express worries over the governmental labor policies. If the Assembly passes the expansion bill, it is going back to square one and will be the start of extreme confrontation," Kim Ju-young, chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Union (FKTU), told reporters at the Assembly Monday. The move came after the DPK and main opposition parties, except the progressive Justice Party, agreed on expanding the three-month period to a maximum of six months on Nov. 5. Amid a sluggish economy, the DPK has been focusing on supporting the government economic policy that includes the expansion of working hours in response to companies' requests to ease the job market so they can add more jobs. However, working circles are criticizing them for being ignorant of labor issues, citing the Moon administration and ruling party have been claiming to be friendly with labor forces. Unions are going all-out to stop the plan. The FKTU held a street rally in front of the National Assembly, Saturday, to protest the government plan, denouncing it as an "anti-labor" policy. The KFTU pledged to hold a rally on Wednesday, calling for the suspension of the measure asking for a face-to-face meeting with President Moon Jae-in. Upon the decision, the DPK is stepping up criticism of the labor forces. Hong, who previously worked as an executive for a union of the KFTU, criticized the organization saying "We cannot communicate with each other as they are violent and unilateral." The Camp Fire has claimed more than 60 victims, and rescue workers continue to search for hundreds who are still missing. The Tubbs Fire, around Santa Rosa, killed 22 in 2017. Mudslides following the Thomas Fire in Southern California killed 20 people last year. Just months ago, seven people perished in the Carr Fire in Redding. There are nearly 9,000 firefighters battling blazes last week in Malibu and Butte County. Californians are anxious. And with our attention fixed on Paradise, we wonder: who will be next? Scientists predict extreme fire danger across much of the West will become the new normal by the middle of the 21st century, per a recent report by the U.S Forest Service. Jerry Brown, California's outgoing governor, says we're already living in the new abnormal. Our hearts go out to those who have lost family, friends, pets and homes. One of the most-read stories on SacBee.com lweek is about how to help, and there's no question your support is needed and appreciated. But when it comes to tangible steps that will reduce tragedies, we face a long road. State and federal agencies, environmentalists, businesses and homeowners must take seats at the same table. We need a clear understanding of risks and tradeoffs and we need strategies to reduce the likelihood of another catastrophe. There is room for optimism. "Sometimes out of catastrophe comes greater unity," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told The Bee's Dale Kasler Wednesday in Butte County. Brown said Wednesday we should "learn how to do this together." There are plenty of places to dig in: Are we doing enough to build fire resistance into our communities? Should building (or rebuilding) be allowed in fire-prone communities? Why spend millions on a mansion in the hills if we risk loss of life to defend it? Can homeowners or homeowners' associations accept responsibility for the risk that comes with a view of beautiful, old-growth trees out the kitchen window? As homeowners, we must take personal responsibility for maintaining our land. For those who already live in high-risk areas, let's be proactive about cutting power lines that spark fires. What are the safest steps in areas where it's difficult, or even impossible, to bury lines? Are we prepared to live off generators during red-flag conditions? Evacuation routes are inadequate. What can we put in place as we move forward sirens, improved reverse 911 calls or other solutions? We must improve forest management. We've been talking about this for decades. The biggest threat to our forests is not tree loss from harvesting. It is catastrophic events such as wildfires. Forests will continue to burn and they will burn into our cities if we do not work together to reduce fuel. Sawmills can be retrofitted to accommodate smaller-diameter trees, those that are now serving as kindling for major fires. How can we responsibly remove those trees and cut down on chaparral and brush? We can also look at roadways, which are major flashpoints for human-caused fires. State lawmakers are working on a proposal to thin vegetation growing near along forest roads, a logical solution to make fire-prone areas more defensible. One of Gavin Newsom's first priorities as governor must be to convene an inclusive and thoroughly serious summit on this issue. He must provide it with direction and deadlines. Breathing the smoke from these fires is dangerous. Period. The chemicals and particulates it contains worsen virtually every respiratory condition; often severely. Look out your window, and realize we all are in danger from these fires. Private landowners, environmentalists, the federal government and our incoming governor and lawmakers all have a role. All of us have a responsibility to demand change and to acknowledge that it comes only if we work together. If we do not, California will continue to burn. Our friends and family will continue to be at risk for homelessness and, as we have seen this week, far worse. The above editorial appeared in the Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.). It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Dr. Jeffrey I. Kim On Nov. 9, President Moon Jae-in replaced two economic policy chiefs. His new picks are presidential chief of staff for economic policy Kim Soo-hyun and finance minister nominee Hong Nam-ki. Kim, who served as presidential social affairs secretary, succeeded Jang Ha-sung who was sacked for failing to create jobs and reinvigorate the slumping economy. Kim vowed to support Hong who will serve as an economic "control tower" when he officially replaces Kim Dong-yeon as economy and finance minister after undergoing a National Assembly confirmation hearing. Kim told the reporters, "I will go anywhere and meet anyone if my visits help create more jobs." Hong, a veteran economic bureaucrat who is currently serving as chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the Prime Minister's Office, publicly pledged to carry out President Moon's three key policies income-driven growth, innovation, and fair competition. The two new policy chiefs seem to have a strong belief that income growth will surely bring about many new jobs. However, not many people are aware there would be a long and rough road going from growth to hiring. Job creation depends on an increase in investment which is contingent upon business expectations. If firms have a bleak business outlook, they would not undertake large-scale investment projects. Instead they may invest their money in the stock market. Top policymakers in any country have a strong interest in raising employment during their term. Arthur Okun, the late economics professor at Yale, served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the late 1960s. He was the very person who coined Okun's law. He first noticed there was a close connection between falling unemployment and the growth rate of real GDP. Employment tends to increase and the unemployment rate tends to decline when the real GDP growth rate is high. Okun's law states that unemployment remains constant when real GDP growth rate is 3 percent, unemployment declines when real GDP is above 3 percent, and unemployment increases when GDP growth is below 3 percent. Statistical regularity about the relationship between income, growth and employment may vary from country to country. For some periods of time, Okun's law was globally popular but it is not as relevant now because the economic structures in many countries have changed. In September, Statistics Korea and the Bank of Korea released a gloomy report that the employment elasticity of GDP growth sharply dropped from 0.395 in 2015 to 0.132 for the second quarter of 2018. This elasticity refers to the employment growth rate divided by the GDP growth rate. The conventional economic principle states that economic growth leads to the expansion of employment. But this principle seems to have lost its validity. The relationship between GDP growth and job growth has been weakening and its elasticity has been constantly declining in Korea. The nation's economic performance in the past decade has been weakening mainly due to its exports of semiconductors, petrochemical products, and automobiles. These products are highly capital intensive or technology intensive. The manufacturing of these products requires people with high levels of skills and experience because hiring people with no work experience causes too many safety accidents. Along with globalization, offshore outsourcing has increased immensely. To be price competitive, manufacturers purchase goods and services from places where they are supplied at the lowest costs. The outsourcing, with all its benefits, results in loss of jobs to other countries. In addition, many large-scale companies are not willing to expand their business investments because they are discouraged by anti-chaebol sentiment in Korea. In this manner, Korea is suffering from a "jobless growth" disease. But there is one critical factor, "social trust," with which we can cure the disease. Social trust is faith in the honesty, integrity, and reliability of other people. In 2007 the Pew Research Center in the U.S. conducted a telephone survey asking 2,000 adults to measure their level of social trust. The survey results are: People with higher family incomes are more trusting than those with lower family incomes. The married are more trusting than the unmarried. The middle-aged and the elderly are more trusting than the young. The survey also showed that people who live in rural areas are more trusting than those who live in cities. These findings can provide us with insight. In order to raise the level of Korea's overall social trust, the government should take proper policy measures. There is plenty of empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that trusting people are healthier and happier and live longer than distrusting people. A nationwide campaign for raising social trust can significantly increase the value of employment elasticity of income growth. The Russian PM is accompanied by his Deputy and Chairman of the Russian Subcommittee of the Russia-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee for Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, Maxim Akimov; Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vasilievich Vnukov; Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov; Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications Konstantin Noskov; Governor of the Nenets Autonomous Area Alexander Tsybulsky; among others. The Russian PM was born on September 14, 1965 in Leningrad. He graduated from the faculty of law at Leningrad State University in 1987. In 1990, he defended his dissertation at Leningrad State University. He holds a PhD in law and is an Associate Professor. From 1990 to 1999, he taught at Sankt-Peterburg State University. From 1990 to 1995, he worked as an advisor to the Chairman of the Leningrad city Council. In 1999, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Government Executive Office, then Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. From 2000, he held the position of First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office. He then, in sequence, served as Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom. From October 2003, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office. In January 2005, he became first Deputy Prime Minister. From March 2008 to March 2012, he held the position of President of the Russian Federation. From May 2012 to March 2018, he served as Prime Minister of Russia. In May 2018, he was re-appointed his present position as Prime Minister of Russia. South Korea should walk diplomatic tightrope China has asked South Korea to participate in its ambitious global infrastructure drive, called the "Belt and Road Initiative." The request is part of Beijing's efforts to attract more countries into the modern-day Silk Road project. No doubt, China's aim is to revive its ancient trade network of land and sea routes. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on President Moon Jae-in to take part in the initiative during their summit Saturday on the sidelines of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Papua New Guinea. However, Moon and his office have yet to decide whether to accept Xi's request, because it was made amid the escalating trade war between the United States and China. Simply put, the Moon administration is in a dilemma over the Chinese call because the U.S. is strongly against the Belt and Road program for fear of Beijing's rising influence. In fact, the APEC summit was overshadowed by the intensified rivalry between the world's two largest economies over trade and investment as well as diplomacy and security. Xi denounced the U.S. for trade protectionism that is stoking a trade war with China. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence harshly criticized China for its infrastructure drive, which he claimed put many countries in a sea of debt. It seemed the G2 giants clashed head-on over global leadership. The U.S., which will not give up its status as the world's sole superpower, is trying to check the rise of China, which is jockeying for greater influence in the region and across the globe. Taking into account this Sino-U.S. confrontation, Xi's call for South Korea to join the Belt and Road project is raising concern about what position Seoul should take. If it complies with the demand, Moon may face a strong backlash from its strongest ally, the U.S. This could also derail Moon's efforts for inter-Korean rapprochement and put the shared goal of North Korea's denuclearization in jeopardy. If it rejects the request, the government might risk souring ties with China, South Korea's largest trading partner. This could make it difficult for the South to expect Beijing to play a more active role in the denuclearization and peace process on the Korean Peninsula. The Moon administration cannot ignore China's economic retaliation against South Korea for the deployment of a U.S. missile defense battery on its soil. Now China has virtually lifted the retaliation and mended the soured ties. Some diplomatic experts said China's request for the South's participation in the Belt and Road drive could be seen as a move to force Seoul to choose between Washington and Beijing. They expressed worries that South Korea might be caught in the crossfire. This explains why Seoul should walk a diplomatic tightrope to avoid collateral damage arising from the escalating rivalry between the G2 mammoths. The question is whether the Moon administration can cope with this rapidly changing situation. By Mark Peterson Whereas many Koreans consider sijo a dead art form, the poetic genre is starting to catch on in America. In a previous column I wrote that haiku, the Japanese short poem form, has become a part of American culture. Every student in America today has studied haiku and has actually written their own haiku in English. There are books on English haiku, websites on English haiku it is a success. Haiku is part of English literature! But now sijo is close on its heels. Sijo is the next step for many American students. They've learned about, and learned to write haiku a short three line poem that features syllable counting as the structural element not rhyme, a more-common feature of English poetics. Now comes sijo, also in three lines with a syllabic count that is a little more elaborate than haiku. Sijo has four segments in each line with three or four beats in each segment, with the exception of a longer segment in the third line. It's that longer segment, the second of four, in the third line that often provides the "punch line" or the twist, or the resolution of the issue set up in the first two lines. When I tell Koreans about writing sijo in English, and the fact that I teach the writing of sijo in English, the often looked puzzled they can't picture sijo in any language other than Korean, or they are confused about syllables or words in the structure of the poem. But once I explain it and give an example, sometimes a translation of a Korean poem, or sometimes an original English poem, then they start to "get it" to see how a sijo can work in a foreign language. The most famous sijo, the "Song of Loyalty" by Jeong Mong-ju as translated into English, is a good example (with the syllable count listed for illustration): Though I die, and die again. Though I die, one hundred deaths = 3, 4, 4, 4 After my bones have turned to dust, whether my soul lives on or not, = 3, 4, 4, 4 My red heart, forever loyal to my Lord, will never disappear. = 3, 8, 3, 3 The Sejong Cultural Society, a private organization based in Chicago and headed by a wonderful Korean-American pediatrician, Lucy Park, has been hosting an online sijo writing contest for American students for the last 11 years. I've been privileged to be one of the judges from time to time. We award a first prize with $500, a second, third, and several honorable mentions. The poems are just wonderful. Some examples (one deadly serious, one whimsical): Cancer Childhood memories infest my head with splendid visions. In my parents' room I was impervious to sorrow. Now it is smothered in disease and Death peers in the windows. Grandmaster's immortal He moved the queen down and smiled; onlookers stopped to watch. With checkmate in sight, he was just toying with his opponent Who had wandered off to play with the pigeons, "C'mon grandpa!" Can you see how sijo works? Can you see how it captures emotions, events, feelings, images? These two are wonderful. And the one called "Emma," about the puppy that represented the recently departed aunt that I quoted two weeks ago in this column, is a beautiful capturing of a young person's understanding of death and loved ones. Like haiku, many of the poems feature some elements of nature. But sijo go beyond nature and address a wider range of emotions and scenes. Here's one that has a mystical look at a dandelion in seed. Make a wish Dandelion puffs rest on the ground, I lean down and pick one up Wanting to fly, I take a deep breath, making my wish I blow out In the air, puffs fly in the sky, but me and my wish are left behind Here is one that captures one of the frustrations of student life, and a frustration we all face from time to time the anxiety of writing. It is untitled (some sijo carry titles, some do not this one does not): With glowing white eyes and shining white teeth, the beast sits in silence Staring, like a hungry caged dog, demanding to be fed Nothing is worse than the malevolent glare of a blank page Notice how some conform to the syllable count better than others. But all fit the three-line short poem format. I guess we have to allow some degree of freedom in form and structure, but that is open to debate. I'm a little bit on the liberal side, but when a form goes too far afield, I'm one of the first to say, "That's not a sijo!" Just how much freedom we should allow in the category of structure is up for debate. Where do you stand? For me, the content carries the day, and I am taken away by the beauty of the poem. Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah. By Jun Ji-hye KT has helped create a smart farm, integrated with the firm's advanced information and communications technology, in the Middle East where local people have difficulty in growing vegetables due to desert conditions, the company said Monday. The Korean telecom firm said it held a launch ceremony for the smart farm, which is customizable for use by disabled people, in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, Sunday, along with the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS). The SCHS, set up in 1979, is a state-run organization in charge of education and rehabilitation services for the disabled. "I hope the smart farm will help create jobs for disabled people and improve their income," said KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu. This is the first time for the mobile carrier to set up a smart farm overseas. Beginning with this, the company plans to actively supply its cutting-edge technologies to other countries experiencing difficulties in agricultural production due to poor environments. During the ceremony, KT vowed to support education related to the operation of the smart farm for a year to vitalize local agriculture integrated with ICT. The UAE has low agricultural productivity as its average annual precipitation is below 100 millimeters, and it has temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius regularly. The country depends heavily on imported fruit and vegetables. Since it began the smart farm business utilizing ICT in 2014, KT has established facilities in 100 places nationwide, including a local one for disabled people, which opened in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 2016, the first in Korea. LG Twin Towers, LG Group's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul By Baek Byung-yeul LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo LG Household & Health Care's (LG H&H) Perioe Pumping Toothpaste, left, and Aekyung Industry's 2080 Pumping Toothpaste / Courtesy of LG H&H and Aekyung By Park Jae-hyuk LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H) recently sued Aekyung Industry for its use of the word "pumping" for its toothpaste pump dispensers, company officials said Monday. LG H&H and Aekyung rank first and second, respectively, in Korea's household goods market. LG H&H claims that Aekyung violated the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, saying the latter's 2080 Pumping Toothpaste is a copycat of its Perioe Pumping Toothpaste. The consumer goods unit of LG Group filed the lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court in October, demanding the court order Aekyung not to use the word "pumping" for its toothpaste pump dispensers. The plaintiff says the defendant's product may confuse consumers. LG H&H argues Aekyung's use of the word "pumping" shows its intention of imitating Perioe Pumping Toothpaste, citing that the terms "toothpaste pump dispenser" and "toothpaste pump" are more commonly used than "pumping" to refer to such products in other countries. Aekyung will likely claim the word "pumping" is a common noun, not a proper noun, to defend itself. The court has yet to set the date for the first hearing, but it is expected to judge whether the word "pumping" is a proper noun or not. The two companies declined to comment on this issue, saying the legal dispute is underway. Since LG H&H released the Perioe Pumping Toothpaste in July 2013, it has come up with six types of toothpaste pump dispensers from three brands Perioe, Himalaya Pink Salt and Bamboo Salt. According to the household goods manufacturing unit of LG Group, it sold more than 15 million units of "pumping toothpastes" as of July 19, with a 351 percent annual sales growth rate. The company said the convenient products are also popular with consumers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Amid the growing popularity, Aekyung released the 2080 Pumping Toothpaste in July. LG H&H registered the trademark rights for "Perioe Pumping" with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and is waiting for the authorities' decision on the trademark right for "Perioe Pumping Toothpaste." According to industry officials, the two companies also came into conflict over toothpastes made with pure salt, although they did not stage a legal battle regarding the issue. LG H&H claims Aekyung's 2080 Pure Salt Toothpaste is a copycat of its Himalaya Pink Salt Toothpaste. Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe As of Monday morning, the Woolsey Fire, which chewed through almost 100,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, is 94% contained. Authorities expect to fully extinguish it on Nov. 22, Thanksgiving Day. Most evacuations have been lifted. This weekend, some residents of the Malibu Colony Cove neighborhood wre allowed to return to their homes -- or the sites where their homes once stood. Although portions of Malibu have been repopulated, as of Sunday night there was still no access to neighborhoods south of Mulholland Highway. You can check this map to determine which properties remain under evacuation. SoCalGas says natural gas service has been turned off in several areas as a safety precaution. These areas include: the Peter Strauss Ranch community, the Oak Forest Mobile Home Park, the Seminole Mobile Home Park, and in the vicinity of Morning View Drive and Bonsall Drive in Malibu. The utility says it's also addressing potential problems at several homes where natural gas service lines were damaged or destroyed but it currently has no reports of broken natural gas lines or natural gas leaks within the fire areas. Woolsey Fire: Stats 96,949 acres burned 91% contained 3 civilian fatalities 3 injured rescue personnel 1,452 structures destroyed 337 structures damaged President Donald Trump takes in the damage from the Woolsey Fire alongside California governor Jerry Brown, governor elect Gavin Newsom and several other officials in Malibu on November 17, 2018. (Photo by GENARO MOLINA/AFP/Getty Images) This weekend, President Donald Trump toured the charred sites of both the Camp Fire, in Butte County, and the Woolsey Fire. He was joined by outgoing California governor Jerry Brown and governor elect Gavin Newsom. After touring the devastated city of Paradise in Northern California, Trump arrived in Malibu on Saturday afternoon. At both sites, Trump minimized the impact of climate change on the wildfires and stated his belief that poor management of forests contributed to the size of the blazes. In Northern California, Trump said, "You've got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forests, it's very important. Trump said that Finland's president, Sauli Niinisto, who he had met a week earlier, had told him about raking the forest floors. "He called it a forest nation," Trump said, "and they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem." Niinisto later disputed that. According to the Associated Press, he said he had told Trump about Finland's efforts to care for its forests, "but said he can't recall anything being mentioned on raking." Trump reiterated those comments later on Saturday, while touring parts of Malibu affected by the Woolsey Fire. The President said, "I'm a strong believer that... a lot of cities are in forests if you look at Europe and other places. We have a lot of forest states where they're mostly forests and they just don't have this problem." Last week, Trump had threatened to withdraw federal aid for for fighting wildfires because, as he tweeted, "forest management is so poor." Those comments provoked a backlash from firefighters' organizations. The International Association of Firefighters and California Professional Firefighters both condemned Trump's statement. Politifact rated Trump's claims about California wildfires to be false. Trump later tweeted a message of support for the crews battling the fires. On Saturday, despite these politicial differences, Trump, while touring areas affected by the Camp and Woolsey fires, said he had "heard great things" about California's incoming governor and that he was optimistic he and Newsom could work together. Later that night, Trump met with families and first responders affected by the shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which left 12 people dead. Trump called it "a horrible, horrible event," according to the Associated Press. He later told reporters, "What can you say other than it's so sad to see. These are great people. Great families, torn apart. We just hugged them and we kissed them -- and everybody. And it was very warm... It was tragic and yet, in one way, it was a very beautiful moment." Hey, thanks. You read the entire story. And we love you for that. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you, not advertisers. We don't have paywalls, but we do have payments (aka bills). So if you love independent, local journalism, join us. Let's make the world a better place, together. Donate now. The former Los Angeles County labor leader celebrated her election to the state Senate. Click on the photo to see full size. >>> Russian Prime Minister begins official visit to Vietnam The visit takes place at a time when the two countries will celebrate the Vietnam Year in Russia and Russia Year in Vietnam during 2019-2020, marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on fundamental principles of Vietnam - Russia friendship and the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. The official visit to Vietnam by PM Medvedev marks a new milestone in the bilateral relationship, contributing to further deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. Vietnamese people are happy to witness Russias achievements in all aspects in recent years, as its socio-political situation has gradually stabilised, the economy has recovered and showed signs of development. The role of the State and the Central Government of Russia has been strengthened, while the separatism trend has been pushed back and the people's life has been improved. In May 2018, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on "National Goals and Strategic Tasks for Russia's Development until 2024", determining the direction for the countrys socio-economic development for the next six years, in which the country will focus on human development, raising incomes, improving social security and modernising the Russian economy. In recent years, economic and financial sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and Western countries on Russia, coupled with declining oil prices, has negatively impacted the Russian economy. Since 2017, its economy has shown signs of overcoming the crisis, with GDP growth reaching 1.5%. Foreign-exchange reserves at the end of April 2018 reached US$458 billion. Russia is the world's largest producer of crude oil and the world's second-largest producer of gas. Trade turnover in 2017 increased by 25% compared to 2016, reaching US$585 billion. Russia maintains ODA provision at US$500 million a year. The country is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, a member of the G20, the BRICS and many other international and regional organisations. Russia adopted the new foreign policy concept in November 2016, with the foundation of an independent and open foreign policy, focused on the protection of national interests and respect for international law. The Asia Pacific is playing an increasingly important role in Russia's foreign policy, with Moscow keen to develop relations with Vietnam, attaching importance to the country's position in the region. We are pleased to see that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has developed actively in all fields, in an increasingly deepened and substantial manner. Vietnam and Russia (as part of the former Soviet Union) have developed a traditional friendship and good cooperation since the formers resistance against foreign invasion and its struggle for national independence and unification. The Vietnamese people will never forget the support and enthusiasm of the former Soviet people, including the Russian people, for the revolution cause and the national development in Vietnam. Political relations between the two countries are highly reliable and are constantly being strengthened and developed. Vietnam and Russia regularly exchanged high-level delegations, creating a strong impetus for the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, with the most recent visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Russia in September 2018 and the visit by Chairwoman of the Federal Council of Russia Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko to Vietnam in 2017. On the basis of the traditional friendship and trust, the two countries have agreed on many international issues and have coordinated and supported each other in international forums, fostering cooperation within the ASEAN-Russia framework. The multi-faceted cooperation, especially in economics, trade, science - technology, education - training, culture and tourism, between the two countries has witnessed new strikes. The economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Russia has been dynamically developing, however, still not matching the potential for good political relations between the two countries. Two-way trade in 2017 reached US$3.55 billion. Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union member countries officially signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2015. Russia ranks 23rd among countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 116 projects worth US$990 billion in registered capital. Vietnam has 22 investment projects in Russia with a total capital of nearly US$3 billion. Energy remains a traditional and effective field of cooperation, bringing great revenue to the two countries' budgets. Russia continues to be one of the top 10 growth markets for Vietnams tourism. Cultural exchanges have been held actively, contributing to enhancing understanding and friendship between the two countries. Previously, in the Soviet Union, Russia helped to train nearly 40,000 officials and specialists in many sectors for Vietnam. At present, Russia continues to support Vietnam to train human resources with more than 5,000 Vietnamese students studying in Russia. The Vietnamese community in Russia has made significant contributions to the host country, always taking the lead in charity activities. This official visit to Vietnam by PM Medvedev aims to confirm the determination of leaders and people of the two countries in strengthening the Vietnam - Russia traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, while promoting cooperation in all fields, especially economics, trade and investment. May the visit to Vietnam by PM Medvedev be a success, thus bringing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia to new heights. As of Sunday, Carlos Ghosn reigned as one of the most powerful executives in the global auto industry. As of Monday morning, his entire legacy was in doubt. Ghosn is chairman and past CEO of Japans Nissan Motor Co., chairman and chief executive of Frances Renault, chairman of Mitsubishi Motors, and chairman of the alliance among the automakers that he cobbled together in a world-spanning rescue plan for all three. Nissan announced Monday that Ghosn had been arrested in Tokyo, along with another board member, for alleged financial misconduct and numerous other significant acts of misconduct and would be promptly forced out as early as Thursday, when a special board meeting has been called. The misdeeds, the company said, were uncovered by an investigation based on a whistleblowers report. They included misstatements of his compensation at Nissan over several years, and personal use of company assets, the company said. You wont have any CEO say, Im overly compensated. Its not up to me, the board is sovereign on this. Carlos Ghosn, to the Financial Times in June Advertisement Japanese media reports stated that Ghosns reported compensation may have been as little as half what he actually received, a difference of about $44 million over five years. The outlines of the charges raised immediate questions about how Ghosn managed to manipulate Nissans financial disclosures on his own, even as chairman, without oversight. CEO Hiroto Saikawa offered one hint at a news conference in Yokohama, Japan, Nissans headquarters, on Monday: The concentration of power in one individual, he said, according to an account by the Washington Post. People who reported to Mr. Ghosn became limited in number. Ghosns fall may be most deeply felt in Japan. There Ghosn had been something of a business demigod, with his beetle-browed visage even adorning a manga, or comic book even as criticism of his compensation rose. Saikawa announced the news with palpable anguish. Beyond being sorry, he said, I feel big disappointment and frustration and despair and indignation and resentment. The case points to a burgeoning issue in corporate management: Executives with too much power and not enough oversight. Recent examples of the drawbacks of such arrangements abound. Some prominent executives cant be removed, even when their judgment is questionable, such as Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook. Zuckerberg holds an impregnable 59.9% of the total shareholder vote at Facebook, thanks to his ownership or control of nearly 89% of its Class B stock, which possesses 10 votes per share. Class A shares, which are in outsiders hands, have only one vote. Even though Facebook has come under withering criticism for its resistance to addressing concerns about privacy for users and its possible complicity in retailing fake news and false information onlineZuckerberg, the architect of the companys strategy and conduct, cant be forced out. Even without a technically insurmountable majority of votes, some corporate leaders exercise an unhealthy influence over their boards. Exhibit A is Elon Musk, the CEO of electric car maker Tesla, whose personal behavior led to fraud charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission and $40 million in penalties for him and his company. The SEC mandated that Musk step down from the chairmanship, but his replacement, Australian businesswoman Robyn Denholm, has been on the board since 2014. Whether she can muster the authority to rein in the willful Musk, whose role at Tesla is thought to be one factor in its market valuation, which outstrips those of larger, more conventional automakers, is an open question. Executives who become personally identified with their companies success as Ghosn is can be especially dangerous. Dennis Kozlowski, who expanded Tyco International into a global conglomerate, eventually was charged with using corporate resources as a personal piggy bank, draining as much as $600 million from Tyco for personal expenses. He was sentenced to prison in 2005 and, with a fellow executive, ordered to pay a total of $134 million in restitution. Kozlowski was fined $70 million. He was released from prison in 2014. At Nissan and the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, Ghosns power derived from his unquestioned success at reversing the companies deteriorating business fortunes. The Brazilian-born French citizen joined Nissan in 1999 from Renault and presided over the companys recovery by cutting costs and eliminating jobs. Nissan, Ghosn recounted for the Harvard Business Review in 2002, had been struggling to turn a profit for eight years. Its margins were notoriously low; specialists estimated that Nissan gave away $1,000 for every car it sold in the United States due to the lack of brand power. Purchasing costs, I was soon to discover, were 15% to 25% higher at Nissan than at Renault. Further adding to the cost burden was a plant capacity far in excess of the companys needs: The Japanese factories alone could produce almost a million more cars a year than the company sold. He wrote, This was, quite literally, a do-or-die situation: Either wed turn the business around or Nissan would cease to exist. Ghosn turned the alliance into the worlds largest carmaker through cross-ownership arrangements, though he stopped shy of a formal merger. Nissan owns 15% of Renault and vies with the French government for influence over the French automaker. Nissan took a controlling 34% stake in Mitsubishi in 2016. One sign of the breadth of Ghosns power is that his ouster leaves a vacuum at the head of the alliance, triggering questions about whether it can survive at all without him. Ghosns disclosed compensation has been drawing criticism in France, where the government owns 15% of Renault, and Japan, where he is one of the nations best-paid executives. In fiscal 2017, he was paid about $6.5 million at Nissan, $8.5 million at Renault and about $2 million at Mitsubishi. As is often the case, Ghosns past statements can now be mined for irony. Compensation is more scrutinized today than in the past, he told the Financial Times in June. I have a lot of that. He was asked whether it ever occurred to him that he was overpaid. You wont have any CEO say, Im overly compensated, he told the FT, laughing. Its not up to me, the board is sovereign on this. He was kidding, of course. At Nissan and its allied companies, the sovereign was Ghosnuntil now. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Maintenance and sustainment work on the U.S. Air Forces next-generation stealth bomber, the B-21, will be headed by Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, the Air Force said late last week. Tinker is home to the Air Force Sustainment Center, which provides depot maintenance and supply chain management. The center already maintains such aircraft as the B-1B Lancer, the B-52 Stratofortress, the KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and the F-22 Raptor. Edwards Air Force Base near Lancaster will be in charge of testing and evaluation of the new bomber, which is set to be delivered to the Air Force in the mid-2020s by prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. Northrop Grumman, which won the B-21 contract in 2015, is building the bomber at its plant nearby in Palmdale. Advertisement The split of duties between Tinker and Edwards relates to each bases mission and its current infrastructure, said Mark Gunzinger, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. For example, Edwards has long been the center for new aircraft tests because of its prime location. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was tested there, as was the F-117 Nighthawk. It has great airspace, is located over unpopulated areas, has very, very long runways, which are useful for recovering and launching advanced aircraft and taxiing tests, Gunzinger said. Those all combine to make it the obvious choice. In April, an Air Force official said the bomber had completed its preliminary design review and that he was comfortable with the progress made by Northrop Grumman. The next step for the bomber was critical design review. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s. To meet the demand, Northrop Grumman has been on a rapid hiring pace in Palmdale. A company official has said it expects to have 5,200 employees by late 2019 at the site, which is part of the Air Forces massive Plant 42 complex. Northrop Grumman has been building new facilities at its Palmdale location, said Jim Purtee, Palmdale city manager. Thats where the company also churns out the Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance drone for the Air Force, the closely related Triton drone for the Navy and center fuselages for the F-35. Aerospace contractors in the area including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Boeing have told Palmdale officials that they are looking to employ 5,000 to 10,000 people in the next five to 10 years, he said. To accommodate increased traffic in the area, the city is looking to apply for federal funding to improve the roads outside Plant 42. To qualify, Palmdale would need to prove that there is a substantial increase in traffic. The city believes it can make a case, Purtee said. The B-21 will replace the B-1B and B-2 aircraft at three existing bomber bases beginning in the mid-2020s. So far, the Air Force has selected Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri as reasonable alternatives for the B-21, though its final decision on bases is expected in 2019. samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga Small-satellite launch firm Virgin Orbit flew its modified Boeing 747 plane with a rocket attached beneath a wing for the first time Sunday, marking a step toward its first test launch. The Long Beach companys goal is to carry small satellites to orbit by launching them from a rocket, which would be released mid-flight from beneath the wing of the plane. The captive carry test took off from Victorville and lasted about 80 minutes. Virgin Orbit said the test enabled it to evaluate landing, low-speed handling and performance of the plane when integrated with the 70-foot-long rocket known as LauncherOne. The carbon-fiber rocket is manufactured in Long Beach. Chief Executive Dan Hart called Sundays flight picture perfect. Advertisement Theres still important work to do, but I know our team and our customers were all thrilled to see us taking this important step forward, he said in a statement released Monday. Virgin Orbit, which is owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, plans to conduct the first test launch of its rocket in early 2019. But it has competition in the small-satellite launch space. The late Paul Allens Stratolaunch also plans to air-launch satellites in a similar fashion and has conducted several tests of how its massive plane which has two fuselages and a 385-foot wingspan performs when taxiing on the ground. And Huntington Beach-based Rocket Lab recently performed its first commercial launch of customer satellites from its New Zealand launch pad. Virgin Orbit said it plans to conduct several more flights of the 747 plane, some with a rocket attached and some without, to gather more data on the system. It also plans to conduct a drop test in which the LauncherOne rocket is dropped, but does not ignite and blast off before its first test launch. samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga Michelle Yeoh is no stranger to playing powerful women on the big screen. The commanding Malaysian-born actress began her career as the queen of Hong Kong martial arts movies and made English-speaking audiences take notice in features such as Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha. This year, she made a huge impression with her portrayal of the regal Eleanor Young, the intimidating, status-conscious mother in the blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians. As Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang wrote earlier this year, In a crisp, authoritative, sometimes startlingly vulnerable performance that never lapses into dragon-lady stereotype, Yeoh brilliantly articulates the unique relationship between Asian parents and their children. On a recent Friday afternoon over a cup of coffee, Yeoh discussed the movie and the importance of seeing more Asian American roles in Hollywood. When her rave reviews were mentioned, she was visibly moved and wiped a tear from her delicate face. I played her as an homage to all the amazing mothers that I know. I didnt want her to be this two-dimensional villain, she noted. Advertisement So, can you tell us a little bit about how you came to play this plum role? When Kevin Kwans book first came out in 2013, I tried to get the rights, but they were already taken. Later, when I met the films director, Jon Chu, he told me, You were always my Eleanor, and I told my producer Nina Jacobson that I want Michelle to play the character. I thought Eleanor was such an interesting character because she is really motivated by her maternal instincts. She is not this snob who looks down at Rachel (Eleanors sons American girlfriend, played by Constance Wu). She wants to make sure Rachel is strong enough to handle the rules and responsibilities of this wealthy society. How did you prepare to play Eleanor? Although I am not a mother myself, I know a lot of women like Eleanor who are very protective of their children. I also know some of the crazy rich people who live in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. I had to make Eleanor very stiff and formal. She never talks with her hands. You always need to feel her formidable presence not simply out of fear but out of respect. She has really earned the respect of others. She is like the captain of this ship. If you visit one of the kitchens in Hong Kong, youll see these women who are definitely in charge. They set the bar very high for themselves and expect everyone else to try to reach for those tough standards. Of course, the film was one of the major box-office hits of 2018, making over $235 million worldwide. Why do you think the film hit such a sweet spot? It has been a long time since we had movies with all-Asian casts films like The Joy Luck Club (1993) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Crazy Rich Asians explored the cultural differences between Asian Americans and their relatives in Asia. It was a feel-good movie because everyone enjoys looking at all the beautiful fashions and the amazing food and feeling as if youre part of this huge wedding. It also illustrates the old values and how some of them should really change, like the way sons are favored in those societies. I think it has a very empowering message for women, that some of those old traditions need to be broken. I work with the United Nations [as a goodwill ambassador] to promote gender equality, and a big goal is to promote education so that women dont put limits on what they can achieve. In addition to playing Eleanor, you also broke more barriers this year by playing the dynamic starship Captain Georgiou on the Star Trek: Discovery series. What are your thoughts on the importance of featuring diverse roles in Hollywood? To be fair, I have been very blessed because I started out my career by venturing out into the mens world of action movies. I set the right Dont mess with me! tone, and I have had great opportunities to do very different kinds of movies. However, weve been fighting a long battle to get good roles. I would get these scripts, and theyd tell me that the role was written for a man, but they would change it to fit me. A movie like Crazy Rich Asians shouldnt be an event: It should be normal. We shouldnt be cast in token roles. Sometimes, they just add Asian roles because they want the movie to sell in China. Recently, I went to a restaurant and the chef came out and said, My pastry chef, who is a young Chinese woman, made this pastry just for you because you made her feel empowered. That meant so much to me. We all need our stories to be told, and these stories and faces have been missing from the screen for such a long time. Zoe Kazan: We first read Richard Fords novel Wildlife in 2011 and have re-read it so often Paul has the page count memorized: The fictional Brinson family falls apart and begins to piece itself back together in a lean 177 pages. Set in Montana in 1960, the book follows the Brinsons story through the eyes of the teenage son, Joe. Paul Dano: Reading the novel, I felt a deep personal attachment. I saw myself, my parents, my grandparents; I saw family as one of our greatest loves and, therefore, sometimes the source of great pain. I wondered if it could be the foundation of a film for me to direct. Eventually, Zoe and I decided to option the book ourselves, wanting to retain as much control as possible. I thought I might hire a writer to adapt the book. But after daydreaming for a few months, an image came to me: a way to end the film, different from the novels ending. That scene, that image, made me think I should adapt the book myself. In early 2013, I took a swing at a first draft. Kazan: When he shared it with me, I thought it resembled a treatment more than a script there wasnt much traditional structure or dialogue. As I gave him notes, we started to fight. After an hour, I suggested that it might be simpler and better for our relationship if I rewrote him instead. That kicked off a three-year process. Advertisement Dano: Often I couldnt finish writing a scene until I could see it playing in my head the image, the cut. Much of the film lives in the space between the lines, in silences, the composition, the actors inner life and I tried to be true to that on the page. But these drafts were ultimately too spare. Zoe was able to maintain my aesthetic spirit but still invite the reader into the script. From left to right, Carey Mulligan as Jeanette Brinson, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jerry Brinson in Wildlife. (IFC Films) Kazan: Paul did most of the initial work, gleaning treasure from the novel, inventing action where there is only internal reflection in the book. He gave Joe a friend, so we could see him turn away from his childhood to try to fix his family. I came back through with an eye to structure and character arc. The first thing I did was cut up his draft and lay scenes out on our living room floor, to rearrange them. Dano: After that, we traded drafts back and forth. We never wrote at the same time. Time was a friend. One of us would go off to act in something, the other would take the reins of the script. In his great book On Writing, Stephen King advises writers to put their first drafts away for six to eight weeks, and then edit again with fresh eyes. We had that pattern built into the natural structure of our lives. Kazan: One challenge was that the book is written like a memory piece, in the first person from Joes perspective, looking back on his childhood. How could we retain that, without using voice-over, or losing the fullness of the parents lives? Also, in the book, Joe appears passive his main action is to observe. We had to weaponize his watching and give him a more active journey toward independence. Dano: Most of my process as a first-time writer was asking why? Why am I making this? Why would this character behave this way? Much like I do as an actor, I tried to turn the material over inside myself and filter that through the characters. Slowly, the script began to shed skins and become itself. Kazan: I want to shout out to our editor Matt Hannam. Before we shot the movie, we thought we had gotten the script down to its purest, sparest form; on an independent film budget, every scene has to do the most work it can to justify the cost of each location and the time spent. Through the editing process, though, we learned that there was more to shed which was exciting, after so many years spent writing. We could still be surprised. Dano: When I first wrote Richard Ford about the option, he said, My book is my book, your picture is your picture. This gave us a great sense of permission. And perhaps as a sign of a fruitful collaboration, Richard, Zoe and I now all have a hard time distinguishing what is from the book, from Zoe, or from myself. calendar@latimes.com Israeli and Palestinian perceptions of justice underpin two very different television productions that arrive Monday: PBS Independent Lens documentary The Judge chronicles the rise and day-to-day life of the Middle Easts first female Sharia law judge, Kholoud Faqih, while AMCs 70s-era drama series adapts John le Carres international spy thriller The Little Drummer Girl. Though the shows have little in common beyond their Mideast connections, they do demonstrate how fact is often more compelling and entertaining than fiction. The Judge, by Emmy-winning director Erika Cohn, is a rare look into the inner workings of Sharia law beyond the hysteria the term invokes here in the U.S. The film focuses on Palestines Islamic court of law, which adjudicates domestic and family matters. Unlike civil or criminal courts, it traditionally banned women from serving as judges until 2009. The diminutive and commanding Faqih challenged the institution with the help of a progressive male chief justice and their interpretation of the Hanafi Islamic school of thought. Now, she dons a magistrates robe and sash along with her hijab. Advertisement Far from the frightening descriptions of Sharia law according to terror factions like Islamic State, or the creeping threat cited by our own domestic alarmists, the cases chronicled in The Judge are as mundane as they come. Faqih rules on child support cases, contentious custody battles and property division in divorce proceedings. Though its a branch of the justice system most likely to affect women, its the last to place females on the bench. Its a rare sight Palestinians on American television, where theyre defined by something other than the Israeli occupation, Hamas and the brutality of a war that never ends. Its an exceptional, multi-dimensional look at the culture from the inside. And Faqih is a dynamic ambassador into that world. The film chronicles her daily routine, following her as she gets her sleepy-headed kids ready for school, kisses her lawyer husband goodbye, navigates the disapproval of a patriarchal system with a fearlessness rooted in faith, and then stops by the bakery on the way home to pick up dessert. She also speaks with women on the ground about why much of what theyve learned about their place in society via religious and cultural teachings is wrong. We drill stereotypes into children that the womans role is to raise children, clean house and to cry if she has a problem, she tells one gathering. Why dont we teach them that they have the same rights as men? Theres a palpable sense of self-determination that spreads across the faces of the women in the room. The camera is also there when she presides over the daily, long line of cases that come through the aging courthouse. Faqih hears ex-wives testify against the deadbeat exes who have dodged spousal support, male plaintiffs who claim their former wives are not allowing them to see their kids and more serious instances of domestic abuse. In one scene, three strapping young men stand before her. In any other situation on the West Bank, they might never pay attention to a middle-aged woman, let alone heed her word. Here they stand and then sit at attention, utterly chastened when she says: May I remind you youre under oath In the end, you stand alone before God. The community is represented here in many forms: rigid, bearded sheiks see her appointment to the bench as blasphemy, because women are there to bleed, have children not to be judges or mix with men. One woman on the street sees Faqih as a hero, another in a hookah cafe questions whether a female might be too emotional to be a judge. Mens answers seem just as varied: some support her, others wonder whether she is capable of treating us as fairly as she does the women. In one of the sweetest scenes in the film, Faqih visits her parents, a humble couple who put their 12 children through college. Standing outside their goat pen with Faqih, her father extols his daughters success. The usually formidable judge blushes. One day, shell take President Abbas place, he brags. She laughs, I dont want that job. Florence Pugh in the AMC series The Little Drummer Girl. (Jonathan Olley / AMC) RELATED: AMC goes for a second helping of John le Carre with The Little Drummer Girl Palestinians and Israelis fall into more familiar roles in AMCs The Little Drummer Girl, a six-part miniseries starring Florence Pugh as Charlie Ross, an amateur British actress and liberal activist who becomes an undercover agent for Israeli intelligence. Martin Kurtz (Michael Shannon with a distracting 70s perm) leads the operation to track down and kill Palestinian terrorist Khalil. The elusive bomber and his brothers have been attacking Jewish targets across Germany, though for seasoned bad guys, they certainly make a lot of newbie mistakes. Khalils brother Salim leaves behind a trail of receipts and matchbooks that the Scooby-Doo gang could easily sleuth. And even when hes locked by his captors in a padded, dark cell, he trusts that the food they give him is not laced with drugs that compromise his criminal faculties. Also hard to swallow is the chemistry between Mossad agent Gadi (Alexander Skarsgard) and Charlie. The stoic and stiff Gadi is as monochrome as his tomato-hued polyester shirt, so its a mystery why Charlie ever falls for him, or is seduced into a dangerous life as a double agent whose sympathies are challenged by compelling arguments on both sides of the conflict. While AMCs 2016 adaptation of Le Carres The Night Manager starring Tom Hiddleston was a fast-moving, suspenseful ride, The Little Drummer Girl by director Park Chan-wook is slow to build and relies too much on the nonexistent chemistry between characters and shots of a braless Charlie in sheer dresses. Ironically, its the stout judge in the hijab who renders Mideast justice a sexier watch than a seductive spy. ------------- Independent Lens: The Judge Where: KOCE When: 10:30 p.m. Monday Rating: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children) ------------- The Little Drummer Girl Where: AMC When: 9 p.m. Nov. 19 Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under age 14) lorraine.ali@latimes.com @lorraineali Fiona Nicole Rucker, the former Gjelina pastry chef and current co-owner of CoFax, has opened Fiona restaurant in Beverly Grove. Rucker will begin by selling pies, breads, cookies and cakes on a first-come basis from a retail area, with limited hours on Thanksgiving Day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner begin on Dec. 3. Former Simbal chef Shawn Phawn is collaborating with Rucker on the menu. The two are making things like Japanese sesame butter toast with a chicken noodle miso soup, with thin ribbons of omelet in place of the noodles. 339 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 852-3210, fionabakeryla.com/ Milla Chocolates Following an earlier pop-up at Row DTLA, Milla Chocolates is now presiding over its first bricks-and-mortar store in Culver City. The brand was created by Christine Sull Sarioz, who taps a background in art and design to make striking, geometrical sweets. Millas full line is available in the new shop, including Kir Royale bon bons, pistachio-mesquite dragee and chocolate-dipped orange chips using Santa Monica Farmers Market citrus. 9414 Venice Blvd., Culver City, (310) 876-1021, millachocolates.com Advertisement HiFi Kitchen Historic Filipinotown local Justin Foronda will soon open a restaurant on Beverly Boulevard that specializes in Filipino rice bowls. While the restaurant isnt open for service yet, hes started offering the entire menu for delivery through Postmates, available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Options include chicken or mushroom adobo, lechon with citrus chimichurri and sweet spaghetti with meatballs. 1667 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 258 8417, hifi-kitchen.com H Cafe Chef Michael Reed (of Poppy + Rose), has opened H Cafe restaurant next to the new H Hotel in Koreatown. The restaurant serves dishes like short rib egg sandwiches and fried chicken and waffles in the morning, patty melts and burgers at lunch and pan-seared salmon and a New York strip by evening. Cocktails include El Guero Paloma with tequila reposado, grapefruit, Jarritos guava, lime and pink chili salt. 3206 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, (213) 389-6711, instagram.com/cafe/ Closings Wolfdown Forage owners Jason and Crissy Kim have closed Wolfdown, their creative, Korean-inspired Silver Lake restaurant . In a glimmer of hope to fans, however, the couple promises to rethink a few things and bring good food and good times to the neighborhood we call home. Komodo Both locations of Komodo, the restaurant that introduced L.A. to inventive Asian curiosities like the pho-rrito, are now closed. Co-founder Eric Tjahyadi, currently of Pasadenas Bone Kettle tells Eater LA the closure is due to a mutual decision among partners. La Celaya The 50-year-old Echo Park family bakery closed its doors at the end of October. According to local news website the Eastsider, the Sunset Boulevard address will become a restaurant and shop from the owners of Tamales Alberto, with the departure leading to a loss of one of the neighborhoods last panaderias. food@latimes.com @latimesfood They came to pray and mourn and connect, to sing hymns and hug friends and cry. For three hours beginning late Sunday afternoon, survivors of the ferocious Camp fire filed into the First Christian Church of Chico to grieve as one. At first they numbered around 50, with more arriving as the vigil continued. They prayed for the dead, a list that stood at more than 70 and grows every day, as more remains are identified. Advertisement Also for the first responders the thousands of men and women who put themselves in the path of danger even as many lost their own homes in the deadliest wildfire in California history, noted Jesse Kearns, pastor of First Christian. We ask for their continued strength, as they are growing weary, Kearns prayed. When they do get sleep, their sleep is disturbed by the memories of the things they have seen. We lift up those who are in search of bodies in the Paradise area. Some mourners walked to the altar to place mementos of those who died, or the battery-powered candles they were given as they walked in. Jacob Kliebe, pastor of Calvary Chapel Chico, prayed that the regions broken hearts are healed. A man bows his head at a prayer vigil in Chico for those who died in the Camp fire. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) As we reflect upon the last week and a half, our hearts are overwhelmed, he said. And Father, we look to you now to guide us ... for those of us who are grieving incalculable loss, strengthen us and give us wisdom for the days ahead. Those days promise to be long and difficult. Paradise Mayor Jody Jones, who attended the vigil, said authorities have estimated that it will take at least two years for her city to begin to bounce back one year to clear debris from the thousands of structures that burned and another to build. She and her husband are now living in their motor home. So they can have a base of operations as the city comes back, they made an offer on a home in Chico on Tuesday, she said, and it is now in escrow. Weve hugged and tried to support each other, Jones said as she left the vigil. Were all in this together. Michelle Rader, who lives in hard-hit Magalia, said that as far as she knows, her home is still standing. But she came to the vigil because a house is not the only thing destroyed in a fire. Many of my friends and co-workers and colleagues have lost their homes, she said. I lost my workplace, which is something dear to my heart. Rader is the office manager and a board member of the Gold Nugget Museum, which burned in the conflagration. One of the museums docents died in the Nov. 8 disaster. John Sedwick, she said, was an amazing storyteller and historian. It is quite a loss. ... He grew up in Old Magalia and had many amazing stories to tell. maria.laganga@latimes.com Twitter: @marialaganga Coastal officials knew decades ago it would take money to open Hollister Ranch to the public. So they entrusted Santa Barbara County with $1 million to someday be spent on land acquisition, trails and bike paths while they duked it out with powerful property owners over access to some of Californias most coveted surf breaks and beaches. After more than 30 years of stops and stalls, officials are now gearing up for what might be the most aggressive fight yet over the 8.5-mile stretch of pristine coastline. But the money was spent long ago on other projects. Advertisement That $1 million would go a heck of a long way, said California Coastal Commissioner Mark Vargas, when told by a reporter that the county had used the funds. For so long, Hollister was considered such an imposing force that access to the beach came to be seen as an impossible feat an attitude that has kept the public locked out all these years. We cant beat Hollister, their lawyers are too strong for us, so lets just give up, is unfortunately the frame of mind, Vargas said, that infested everybody and every agency leading up to where we are today. To reach coveted surf breaks and pristine beaches at Hollister Ranch, many try to boat or paddle along the rugged coastline from nearby Gaviota State Park. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The pipeline gambit Since the passage of the California Coastal Act in 1976, Hollister Ranch has managed to avoid providing beach access for all. First, the 14,500-acre ranch got an exception carved into the law allowing it to bypass a requirement that each of its many owners provide a public route to the beach when developing their parcels. Instead the state in 1982 established a plan to implement a ranch-wide access program with walking trails, a bicycle path and a bus. But property owners continued to push back. Unfettered access, they contended, would undo years of hard work to preserve the ranchs natural state. Negotiations went nowhere and the program never got off the ground. Read more: California beaches are supposed to be public. So why is the Hollister Ranch coast an exception? So coastal officials tried a different tactic. The Reagan administration was pushing domestic energy, leading oil companies to seek permits along the California coast. Chevron USA sought to build a pipeline through Hollister Ranch that would transport oil and gas from offshore platforms near Point Conception to a processing plant east of Gaviota State Park. (Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times) Environmental groups appealed to the Coastal Commission, which saw the permit process as a creative way to finally obtain public access at Hollister, records show. One idea was to require Chevron to establish a strip of land that the public could use to get to the beach. Chevron may have the legal ability to provide public access to and along the shoreline across Hollister Ranch property, the commission said in a report. As a common carrier, Chevron acts as a public utility. The commission ultimately decided this tactic might lead to more lawsuits, further delaying access. When the agency approved the project in 1985, it settled on a different condition: Chevron had to pay $1 million dedicated to implementing a public access program at Hollister Ranch. Fighting the pipeline was a bitter chapter for Hollister Ranch. The ranch lost two lawsuits seeking to halt the project. When 28 owners whose properties the pipeline passed through decided to settle with Chevron, a division developed among owners which took years to heal, according to a history book published by the Hollister Ranch Conservancy. An environmental impact review of the project, said Andy Mills, a former ranch manager who wrote the Chevron chapter of the book, had clearly preferred an offshore pipeline as environmentally safer than an onshore pipeline. The Coastal Commission staff, however, had Chevron pursue an onshore pipeline, hoping to get public access to the ranch as a mitigation measure. Coastal commission staff today say that statement contradicts 40 years of policy and just doesnt sound right. The standard has always been that pipelines are less environmentally damaging onshore than in the water, staff said, because a spill can be better contained on land. Whenever possible, wherever feasible, pipelines should be onshore, said Mark Delaplaine, who manages the commissions energy, ocean resources and federal consistency division and has worked at the agency since 1976. That has been a given since we ever started reviewing oil and gas proposals off the coast. Construction of the pipeline was completed by 1987, and oil became a part of ranch life. Chimes rang out the first Tuesday of each month to test an emergency siren warning. The scar left by excavation was mulched with straw. Chevron later sold its interest in the operation to Plains Resources. It stopped transporting oil through Hollister in 2015 after a rupture in an adjoining pipeline spewed crude oil across Refugio State Beach and blackened the sea. County officials said buried portions of a decommissioned pipeline are typically abandoned in place. So we ended up with the worst alternative the onshore pipeline rather than offshore and no access, said Kim Kimbell, who has been a ranch owner since 1974. But the Coastal Commission did manage to squeeze $1 million out of all this. The $1 million That $1 million went into Santa Barbara Countys Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund, which oil and gas companies pay into each year as a condition of operation. It finances projects such as habitat restoration, marine mammal protection, education programs, coastal recreation and tourism. The fund has provided more than 300 grants over the years, and the annual allocation by the county Board of Supervisors is a big show of environmental and community groups pitching their many projects for funding. With so many coastal issues in need of money, and no access agreement in sight with Hollister Ranch by the late 1980s, the county promptly gave away the $1 million to other projects. Its my understanding that we collected these funds and we never set them aside, Dianne Black, the countys planning and development director, told the Board of Supervisors last year. We immediately allocated them to projects. With the fight at Hollister seeming to pick up again after decades of stagnation, Black and her staff, along with the county auditor and lawyer, urged the board to rebuild the $1 million. Fees going into the fund have dwindled over the years as oil operations were phased out dropping from more than $2 million in 1987, for example, to $414,950 in 2017. In a charged meeting last June, county supervisors debated just how urgently they needed to come up with $1 million for an access battle that has dragged on so long. What we set aside now wont be spent until 2022 or longer, depending on how competent we think Hollister Ranchs attorneys are, said county Supervisor Das Williams, who questioned the opportunity cost of squirreling away this money rather than funding the many project proposals before them. I think theyre very competent attorneys, and theyre going to fight this probably for most of the rest of my lifetime. If something did happen, said county Supervisor Peter Adam, and theres a demand for $1 million, were going to have a really difficult time coming up with it. So the board voted to set aside for Hollister access $125,450 in 2017, $156,138 in 2018 and another $156,138 to be allocated in February. Similar amounts will continue to be set aside each year until the fund reaches $1 million. The Hollister Ranch gatehouse guard allows only designated owners and guests to enter the secluded property. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) A new push Access at Hollister had faded from public scrutiny until this spring, when news trickled out that coastal officials had agreed to a deal that barred the ranchs coastline from everyone but landowners, their guests, select groups and those strong enough to paddle or boat in through treacherous waters. The state, fielding more than 1,500 emails lambasting the deal, is now looking for ways to finish what it started decades ago. Read more: Amid backlash, Coastal Commission asks state to explore all potential options to open Hollister Ranch to the public The latest strategy relies on the access program adopted in 1982. Last month, the Coastal Commission announced it had created a team to update the program as quickly as possible. Given the fact that its going to take a significant amount of funding to implement that plan, that $1 million is a critical part of moving this whole effort forward, Jack Ainsworth, the commissions executive director, told The Times. Several attempts to secure funds for access at Hollister have over the years gone awry. A separate effort by lawmakers this year to start collecting $1 million for beach access at Hollister was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Fees collected over the years from ranch owners to fund access amount to $295,000 though coastal advocates now say that money couldve added up to more than $1 million had anyone challenged the ranchs interpretation of how those fees should be paid. Read more: The fight is on at Hollister Ranch, as coastal officials delay development in push for beach access Coastal commissioners are also gearing up to fight any ranchowner seeking new development permits while the standoff continues. And officials at the State Lands Commission have been looking into their own legal authorities, which include eminent domain proceedings, land exchanges or negotiating new boundary lines. Kimbell, the owner at Hollister, said that careful management is what has allowed the land to heal and thrive. Residents still restrict their own number of guests (12 per parcel per day) and grant access to scientists, historical societies and schoolchildren on occasion. We could probably consider expanding some access, but we dont want to do it to the point that its out of the control, Kimbell said. The primary purpose of all the owners here is to preserve the beauty of the ranch. Susan Jordan of the California Coastal Protection Network, who is pushing for greater access with a coalition of advocacy groups through a court intervention, said the standoff has continued for as long as it has because of the myths and assumptions coming from all sides. Nobody wants to run in and trash Hollister Ranch. We all care about the environment, she said. There are ways to provide access that are both respectful of private property owners rights and the environment and I think its really time to all sit around the table to figure it out. rosanna.xia@latimes.com Interested in coastal issues? Follow @RosannaXia on Twitter. Reports of a possible attempt by migrant caravan members to rush illegally through the San Ysidro Port of Entry prompted the temporary suspension of operations there early Monday, officials said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials received reports from multiple sources, including individuals in the Mexican government, of groups of persons from the caravan gathering in the city of Tijuana for a possible attempt or attempts to rush illegally through the port of entry, the agency said in a statement. Those reports prompted CBP officials to temporarily suspend processing for all northbound vehicle traffic at the border crossing, as well as northbound pedestrian processing at the Pedestrian East facility, at about 3:15 a.m. Lanes were closed for about three hours to install additional port hardening materials, including jersey barriers and concertina wire. After the response, the agency said, no unusual activity materialized at the border crossing. Advertisement CBP will not allow for the unlawful entry of persons into the United States, at or between our ports of entry, said Pete Flores, director of field operations in San Diego. Waiting until a large group of persons mass at the border to attempt an illegal crossing is too late for us; we need to be prepared prior to when they arrive at the border crossing. Additional barriers were placed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry Monday morning after reports that migrants may attempt to rush illegally through the border. (Benjamin Tamayo) In recent days, thousands of Central American migrants have descended on Tijuana, prompting an outcry from residents in the border town and U.S. officials. On a call to news media Monday, Department of Homeland Security officials estimated that there were close to 6,000 people in Tijuana waiting to enter the U.S., most of them members of the caravan. The combination of all groups trying to reach the U.S. totals between 8,500 and 10,500 people, according to officials. More than 500 criminals have been identified as traveling with the caravan flow, according to U.S. officials, who would not detail how those people had been identified. CBP has deployed almost 600 additional officers and 250 Border Patrol agents to areas of the border where the caravans are headed, DHS officials said. Additionally, thousands of Marines and soldiers are assisting the Border Patrol in Texas, Arizona and California by strengthening defenses and building temporary encampments near dozens of border entry points. Late Sunday night and into Monday morning, officials received information about potential waves or groups of individuals communicating about an incursion into ports of entry, DHS officials said on the call. As a precaution, the Mexican government deployed some resources to the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry because they were receiving the same information, officials said. Officials suspended operations to put additional control measures in place. Although lanes reopened about three hours later, eight lanes remained shut down. Previously CBP had been operating with 23 vehicle lanes, but on Monday it was operating 15. Alejandro Tamayo, who lives in Tijuana and works in Los Angeles, said it typically takes him 30 minutes to cross the border. On Monday morning, he waited in line more than three hours. Tamayo noticed several traffic barriers blocking multiple Sentri lanes, or Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection lanes, that are meant for quicker access to the border. Mexican officials had also added tall, wall-like barriers that appeared to be made of metal to block a few general lanes. Tamayo said that aside from the additional barriers, all was business as usual at the border. There were, however, an unusual amount of Mexican officials patrolling the area, he said. I was surprised to see that, he said. You dont normally see that many Mexican federal officials. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra UPDATES: 1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with information from a call with news media by DHS officials. 9:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information from CBP. 8:30 a.m.: This article has been updated with more details about the changes at the port of entry and comments from Alejandro Tamayo. This article was originally published at 7:45 a.m. From November 17-18, the PM attended and joined discussions at numerous closed-door meetings, working luncheons with APEC leaders, and dialogues with the International Monetary Fund, leaders of 14 Pacific island states, the APEC Business Advisory Council. He also held bilateral meetings with the PMs of New Zealand, Vanuatu, Thailand, the head of the Hong Kong (China) Special Administrative Region, and representatives from the US-APEC Business Alliance, including several major US firms investing in Vietnam. At the meetings, the Vietnamese PM made strong calls for promoting trade liberalisation and investment, supporting the World Trade Organisation, economic connectivity, sustainable and inclusive development, and switch to digital economy. He called on APEC to play a vanguard role and foster innovative initiatives, turning Asia-Pacific into a global technological hub. APEC needs to create new driving forces for growth, trade, investment, connectivity and inclusive development, he said, stressing that only by so doing can APEC affirm its position as the leading economic forum in the region. As the top regional economic connectivity mechanism, APEC needs to actively promote existing cooperation mechanisms such as the ASEAN Economic Community, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), towards forming a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), he said. The PM proposed stronger and more effective cooperation to strengthen structural reform to narrow development gap among APEC economies, effectively implement the initiatives APEC Cross-Border E-Commerce Facilitation Framework, APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap and Digital Economy Action Plan, invest in digital infrastructure, improve the organisation and governance skills in both public and private sectors, and offer mutual support for digital economic growth. During a dialogue with ABAC corporate representatives, PM Phuc informed that the Vietnamese legislature approved the CPTPP on November 12, 2018, which demonstrated the countrys determination to continue with comprehensive reform, active and proactive integration into the world, and support open, free and rule-based trade and investment up to high standards. ABAC members congratulated Vietnam on its CPTPP ratification, affirming that it is a great opportunity to attract more foreign investors to the country. The PMs attendance at the 26th APEC Leaders Meeting on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Vietnams membership in APEC has improved Vietnams stature in the forum, affirming its active efforts and high sense of responsibility for shaping regional economic linkage, contributing to fostering the joint vision on an Asia-Pacific Economic Community of peace, stability and prosperity. Manhattan prosecutors pushed back against a call to dismiss criminal charges against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on Monday, weeks after allegations of misconduct against a New York City police detective roiled the case. In a 32-page response, the district attorneys office referred to the defense motion as little more than a media smear, saying the arguments made by Weinstein attorney Benjamin Brafman had no legal basis. There is no hearing necessary here; in truth the only reason the defendant wants a hearing is to provide a public circus that will further the public relations campaign the defendant has been waging from the outset of this case, Manhattan Assistant Dist. Atty. Kevin Wilson wrote in a court filing made public Monday. In the last few weeks, Weinsteins attorneys have focused on the conduct of NYPD Det. Nicholas DiGaudio, the former lead investigator on the case who walked Weinstein into a downtown Manhattan police precinct when he surrendered in May. According to documents made public last month, DiGaudio advised one of Weinsteins accusers to delete information from her cellphone before turning it over to prosecutors. Advertisement Prosecutors did not learn of the incident until last month, and no information was actually deleted. Still, the development marked the latest blow to the prosecution of Weinstein, who was originally indicted on six counts related to the alleged sexual assaults of three women between 2004 and 2014. In early October, prosecutors dropped one of the counts against Weinstein after it was revealed that one of the accusers, former actress Lucia Evans, wrote an email to her husband that offered an account of the alleged assault which differed from the version she gave to prosecutors. The email itself has not been made public and remains under seal. The Times does not normally identify individuals who allege sexual assault, but many of Weinsteins accusers have spoken out in public. In the motion filed earlier this month, Brafman cited DiGaudios alleged misconduct as one of several factors that should spark the dismissal of the remaining five charges against his client. Brafman argued that police misconduct and the failure to disclose other exculpatory evidence by prosecutors had irrevocably tainted the grand jury which returned an indictment against Weinstein earlier this year. Brafman pointed specifically to a text message sent by another accuser, Mimi Haleyi, seeking to arrange a meeting with Weinstein months after an alleged assault took place. Hi! Just wondering if u have any news on whether harvey will have time to see me before he leaves? x Miriam, she wrote in February 2007, according to Brafmans motion. In the response filed Monday, prosecutors said they are not legally obligated to provide exculpatory evidence to a grand jury. Prosecutors also noted that the mere fact that Haleyi contacted Weinstein after the alleged assault does not mean the assault did not occur. Prosecutors also said that DiGaudios suggestion that another accuser delete information from her phone had no effect on the case. The disclosure regarding DiGaudio did not involve facts that were in any way relevant to evidence presented to the grand jury, according to the filing. Brafman scoffed at the district attorneys response Monday, saying the public circus around the case was caused by feuding between prosecutors and the NYPD. Nothing in the D.A.'s response gives us any more confidence in the integrity of the grand jurys proceedings. As for the hearing that [prosecutors] fear will become a circus -- it is a circus that they created with the D.A. and the NYPD calling each other liars, he said in a statement to The Times. DiGaudio is no longer involved in the Weinstein investigation. The NYPD has launched an internal investigation into the detectives handling of the case, according to two people with knowledge of the case. Last week, the head of the unit that investigated Weinstein, Deputy Chief Michael Osgood, was transferred to lead patrol operations in Staten Island, N.Y. Police officials would not say if the move was related to the ongoing issues with the Weinstein case. A judge is expected to rule on the motion to dismiss during a Dec. 20 court hearing. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. Four men are suing the Metropolitan Transit System, one of its code compliance inspectors and a private security contractor over allegations that the trolley personnel assaulted them, used excessive force and violated their civil rights, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month. The suit also alleges a failure by the agency to train, supervise, investigate and discipline security personnel, and that MTS has created a de facto policy of sending untrained security guards into the community to act like police officers. To support the allegations, the lawsuit points to Manny Guaderrama, a 30-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, who now heads the Metropolitan Transit Systems security force. Guaderrama is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, as is Universal Protection Service, the private security firm that contracts with MTS to provide armed security guards on trolleys and buses. Advertisement An MTS spokesman said the agency could not comment on pending litigation. Officials from Universal Protection Service did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. Guaderrama did not immediately return a phone message. Those suing the transit system include Felipe Vedoy, a man who was beaten on an MTS trolley by security contractors in 2014 an incident caught on video that led to the firing of the officers. One of the other plaintiffs is a security officer who worked at a building near a trolley stop in the Lincoln Park area. Clarence Courtney tried to intervene when a code compliance inspector and security contractor named in the lawsuit were allegedly assaulting another man, and was roughed up in the process, the suit says. The other plaintiffs, all of whom are from San Diego County, are Keith Stewart and Prather Johnson. All four men allege that the same MTS code compliance inspector a man whose full name is not known to the plaintiffs used excessive force against them in similar incidents on Feb. 17, April 26 and June 20. On two of the three occasions, the compliance inspector was accompanied by a security officer from the private company, whose full name is unknown to the plaintiffs. He is identified in the lawsuit only by a last name. The excessive force is evidenced by them forcibly taking plaintiffs to the ground without any reasonable suspicion nor probable cause to believe a crime was committed, attorney Doug Gilliland wrote in a complaint filed Nov. 7. The force was used without warning, when plaintiffs were not an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and while plaintiffs were not resisting nor attempting to evade arrest by flight. The lawsuit also accuses Guaderrama of playing a role in turning code compliance officers and security contractors into what the plaintiffs and their attorney call a de facto police force. By calling himself the Chief of Police, MTS knew or should have known that Guaderrama fostered the belief in security and code compliance officers that they were a police force and could take actions against citizens as police officers, the lawsuit says. MTS spokesman Rob Schupp said Guaderrama didnt adopt the title on his own. Mannys title is Director of Transit Enforcement/Chief of Police, Schupp wrote in an email. Guaderramas predecessor held the same title. Code compliance inspectors and contracted security guards are not police officers. Code compliance inspectors can write citations, but dont carry guns. The security contractors employed by Universal Protection Service dont write citations, but can carry a gun if theyre licensed by the state. For residents whose homes were spared by massive wildfires burning throughout the state this month, rains expected this week are prompting concern about another potentially destructive and deadly phenomenon: mudslides. Weather experts said that rain is likely to fall midweek over areas recently affected by the Camp and Woolsey fires. The area hit by the Woolsey Fire, which spread west of the San Fernando Valley and burned to the coast, is expected to see between half an inch to an inch of rain late Wednesday into early Thursday. Showers could linger into Thursday morning, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The Woolsey blaze ravaged nearly 97,000 acres and destroyed 1,500 structures in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Three people died and three firefighters were injured. Heavier precipitation is anticipated in Northern California, in the area of the Camp fire. A series of storms beginning early Wednesday and lasting through Saturday is expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain. That fire charred 151,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 homes. The death toll of 79 is expected to rise as workers comb through the ruins. Advertisement While they wait for a possible second blow, families who fled the fires continued to cope with separation, loss and uncertainty. Calvin Daley, 66, sat listening to jazz on his battery-powered radio on the front porch of his two-story home in the charred hills east of Chico. Tiny birds hopped from the burned branches of a pine tree to a bird feeder. Nearby, Pacific Gas & Electric crews repaired voltage lines, and other workers used an excavator to move aside hunks of melted metal that once were cars. Daley didnt evacuate. Instead, he hooked up three hoses, stationed them around his home and began dousing everything. Some people who stayed to fight for their homes died. He had at least three hours to work before the fire arrived with fury. He had no goggles, no mask, just jeans, a T-shirt and hoses. Sometimes, the water evaporated before hitting its target. His next-door neighbors home went up: My heart sank, I couldnt go over there and save it. Flames also claimed his wifes ski boat and his 1987 Dodge Ram. Also incinerated was the nearby Honey Run covered bridge. By 10:30 p.m. the fire had moved on. Exhausted, Daley woke himself every hour or so to check on hotspots. It was eerily quiet for three days, then the birds returned. Next door, the neighbors cats had survived. He began feeding them. As heavy rain approaches, hes worried contaminants will run into his well. He also worries for people who have lost homes, for people living in tents. He wishes it were summer. At the Butte County Fairgrounds in Gridley, the five Thompsons live at the end of a row of green cots. Hot meals are served, snacks and water are readily available, as are toiletries and American Red Cross volunteers. Were having to turn stuff away, said Melissa Thompson, 38. Someone handed me a $100 bill, and she lost her own home. Its victims helping victims, and its amazing. But shed like to find out if her apartment in Magalia survived. The unknown is the worst part, said Thompson who is legally blind and on disability. As in other places, the fire caught them unawares and they ran for their lives, hopping onto two firetrucks. Daughter Savanna, 12, raced home from school to search for her family, but could not get through. She ended up in Chico before the family was reunited. Now Savanna waits on her cot under fluorescent lights texting friends, watching YouTube videos, reading and listening to bands such as Falling in Reverse. Her favorite donated shoes are a pair of black Vans high tops and some white Adidas sneakers. Theyre expensive, and I got them for free, she said. Shes not big on the 15-minute shower rule here: It takes me 15 minutes just to get into the shower. Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said Sunday that authorities have estimated that it will take at least two years for her obliterated city to begin to return to life one year to clear debris and another to rebuild. But the period of destruction is not necessarily over. The soil in recently burned areas cannot absorb rainwater. Enough rain can lead to fast-moving flows of up to several feet deep containing mud, debris and even trees and boulders that can be deadly for those in their path. The devastation often comes without warning. CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam takes a cellphone video of San Ysidro Creek and a bridge at East Valley Road in Montecito following a devastating mudslide there earlier this year. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) To the south, authorities during a town hall meeting with Malibu residents last week pointed to the deadly debris flow that hit Montecito after the Thomas fire last year. I dont want you to think we can stop floods if it rains. Floods will occur, Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said at the meeting. Much like Montecito, the orders will be evacuate, and you need to evacuate if you get that. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections watershed emergency response team has been surveying the region to determine what areas of Malibu are most at risk for mud flows in the event of a strong storm. Specific areas have not yet been publicly identified. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry UPDATES: 6:55 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from Paradise. This article was originally published at 9 a.m. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, Nov. 19, and heres whats happening across California: CALIFORNIAS FIRES The big picture How a tiny brush fire became the states deadliest wildfire: Driven by fierce winds, the Camp fire quickly laid waste to Paradise and other mountain communities, where many residents received no warnings and gridlocked evacuation routes became firetraps. Residents watched helplessly as neighbors and loved ones died. Others tried to outrun the flames, their shoes melting as cars burned around them. A gripping timeline of a tragedy. Los Angeles Times Advertisement The missing They are as young as 8. As old as 101. The list stretches on for 26 pages, offering nearly 1,000 names. Most are linked to towns where they may have lived, only about a third have ages. It appears to include whole families. Seven people from Paradise with the same last name, the oldest 72. A couple in their 80s, another in their 60s and possibly their mother. But the data are far from perfect. Los Angeles Times TALES OF LOSS AND SURVIVAL -- Residents of the tiny mountain community of Concow hope their losses are not forgotten after the Camp fire. Los Angeles Times -- Jeff Evans and his elderly parents have become unofficial keepers of Concow because they stayed inside the evacuation zone. Los Angeles Times Jeff Evans is surrounded by some of the dogs he rescued. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) -- A newborn baby, Californias worst fire and an epic struggle to survive. San Francisco Chronicle -- This man was handcuffed for trying to go back to Paradise. Then he found only ash. Sacramento Bee -- Amid the devastation, a wedding that had to happen. Los Angeles Times -- The garbage truck driver who saved a 93-year-old woman from the flames. CNN -- The bulletin board no one wants to read. Chico Enterprise-Record DIGGING DEEPER -- PG&E canceled a planned power shut-off in the Paradise area just before the Camp fire broke out. Would it have made a difference? Los Angeles Times -- The mystery over the start of the fire deepens. Mercury News -- This graphic charts the first 12 hours of the fire. New York Times -- Despite what President Trump says, Finlands fires have little in common with California fires. And rakes are not the answer. Los Angeles Times -- From eroding coasts to burning mountains, climate change has California trapped. The New Yorker -- Steve Lopez on one couples quest to rebuild their house after a fire, but smarter. Los Angeles Times -- Ecologists say the Santa Monica Mountains may need two decades or more to recover from the Woolsey fire. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT The orange turns blue: Democrats made a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marked an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. How Orange County went from deep red to blue. Los Angeles Times -- The results tell us something big about suburban politics and how theyre changing in the Trump era. Orange County Register -- Its bigger than just Orange County. Washington Post Why theyre still counting votes: The section of California election law governing absentee ballots lays out a principle that grows more important every year: The rules shall be liberally construed in favor of the voter. And thats why the vote count in California probably will extend into December. Los Angeles Times Crisis in the pews: Revelations about sex abuse are roiling Catholic parishioners in San Diego again. San Diego Union-Tribune CRIME AND COURTS A tragedy too soon forgotten? The fires that broke out less than 24 hours after the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks seem to have eclipsed the tragedy, all but making it vanish from the spotlight. What happens when the world turns away too soon? Los Angeles Times Love letter to Thousand Oaks: A place where people built it to be a cocoon of safety in a tough world. Until they found there are no cocoons. Ventura County Star CALIFORNIA CULTURE History lesson: The 10 days of death that changed San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle Minding the gap: Even in Silicon Valley, there are deep inequalities in wages, which are down for everyone but the very rich. Mercury News So, what will you have, hon? For all the inventiveness and pretentiousness of the Los Angeles food scene, the aging coffee shop still has much of the citys culinary and architectural DNA. Los Angeles Magazine An appreciation: The storytelling style of William Goldman, the screenwriter who changed Hollywood. Los Angeles Times It was memorable: Looking back on the bizarre Star Wars Hollywood special. Los Angeles Times Toon town: Amazon and Netflix are battling for Hollywoods top animators in their battle for the most binge-worthy shows. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles: Mostly cloudy, 72, Monday. Sunny, 69, Tuesday. San Diego: Mostly cloudy, 69, Monday. Partly cloudy, 68, Tuesday. San Francisco: Partly cloudy, 64, Monday. Mostly sunny, 60, Tuesday. San Jose: Partly cloudy, 67, Monday. Mostly sunny, 68, Tuesday. Sacramento: Partly cloudy, 65, Monday and Tuesday. More weather is here. AND FINALLY This weeks birthdays for those who made a mark in California: Talk-show host Larry King (Nov. 19, 1933), actor-director Jodie Foster (Nov. 19, 1962), Nobel chemistry laureate and USC professor Arieh Warshel (Nov. 20, 1940), tennis legend and Dodgers part-owner Billie Jean King (Nov. 22, 1943) and UCLA basketball coach Steve Alford (Nov. 23, 1964). If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. A federal criminal-justice reform bill designed to make sentencing more rational and inmates return to society more successful has bipartisan support and last week won the backing of President Trump. But in the current topsy-turvy political landscape, that may not be enough. Continuing pushback from a key Republican lawmaker and an influential organization of sheriffs spotlights an essential element of the national criminal-justice debate: The fault line runs not between liberals and conservatives or Democrats and Republicans, but rather right through the conservative movement, the Republican Party and the president himself. Its not clear that Democrats will be able to do much to resolve it. The bill, known as the First Step Act, would move federal sentencing laws and reentry programs ever so slightly in the direction of reforms already adopted in many deep blue states such as California and many bright red ones such as Georgia. Congress has already reduced sentences for crack convictions to bring them more in line with similar offenses involving powder cocaine, but the changes apply only to convictions handed down in 2010 or later. This bill would finally make those changes retroactive and would thus affect thousands of imprisoned, mostly African American men sentenced under the unfair drug laws adopted in the crime panic of the 1990s. It also would eliminate mandatory life-without-parole for repeat drug offenders and would reduce mandatory sentences for other drug offenses by a few years. It would reduce mandatory minimums for gun crimes (note reducing mandatory minimums does not eliminate the availability of much longer sentences). And it would enforce laws and regulations that are already on the books but are not always followed for example, applying good-conduct credits (although at a fraction of what is permitted in California and many other states) and providing rehabilitative services and education. Long sentences keep thousands of Americans locked up well after the punitive or rehabilitative value of the incarceration has been exhausted. Advertisement These changes are overdue. Long sentences keep thousands of Americans locked up well after the punitive or rehabilitative value of the incarceration has been exhausted. The bill returns some discretion to judges to make the sentence fit the crime. Some of the more vocal opposition to the bill comes from the left and is of the It doesnt go far enough variety. And of course it doesnt. The bill is modest in the extreme. From 2015, when it was first introduced in Congress, to today, one state after another has eased three-strikes laws and reduced the toughest sentences for drug crimes short of major trafficking. The bill doesnt bring the federal system up to speed with the states. For all its modesty, though, its a good bill, and if they are smart, Democrats and Republicans, the House and the Senate, will join and adopt it during the lame-duck session before the new Democratic majority takes over in the House and members rejockey for position. After the election, Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both trotted out calls for bipartisanship, so the bill gives them a chance to follow through. Standing in the way is, among others, Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who recites criticisms that seem to come directly from the most panicky shadows of the 1990s, or for that matter, the 1950s. Cotton has called the effort the jailbreak bill because of the sentencing reforms. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Cottons opposition to earlier iterations of the bill spotlight the conservative split. Many conservatives have come to question tough sentencing laws, seeing them as contrary to bedrock values of small government, fiscal discipline, personal responsibility and family preservation. The Right on Crime movement has worked to recapture from liberals the moral leadership on criminal-justice reform. At the same time, tough-on-crime Republicans like Cotton (and recently departed Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions) remain influential. As for Trump, he has a foot in each camp. He campaigned as a traditional tough-on-crime conservative and backed Sessions on criminal issues. Earlier this year, he called for the death penalty for drug dealers presumably some of the same people whose current mandatory life sentences could be reduced to 25 years under First Step. But the bill has been strongly pushed by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the president has now signed on. Most of the signals are good. Congress would be wise to act quickly, before the notoriously mercurial president changes his mind. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook When a natural disaster like the California wildfires inflicts such a tragic loss of life and land, youd expect the president of the United States to respond with words of consolation. A show of empathy. A promise of help for the victims. But thats not what Californians got from President Trump on Saturday as he toured the areas destroyed by wildfires in Northern California. Instead they got this bizarre statement: I was with the president of Finland and he said, Were a forest nation. He called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. And they dont have any problem. Or what it is its a small problem. The absurdity of Trumps comment, not to mention his willful blindness to Californias trauma, drew immediate ridicule from experts and laypeople alike. A particularly bemused response came from the people of Finland, which happens to be the country that I call home. Finland, perched far up in Northern Europe, could not be more different from California. About a third of Finlands territory lies inside the Arctic Circle, and overall it is a cold, wet and dark place. Finlands landscape is dotted with lakes and swamps, which act as natural barriers to fire. The rain and wind conditions are also completely different from those in California. Indeed, the most obvious takeaway from Trumps comment is simply that he chooses to remain thunderingly ignorant of the most basic sorts of environmental awareness that will be essential if any of us is to survive the 21st century. Advertisement Finlands entire approach to governance is completely antithetical to everything Donald Trump stands for. Among Finns, though, what caused the most giddy outbursts of incredulity on social media was Trumps suggestion that Finns have somehow avoided Californias fate by spending their time outdoors raking the forest floors. The hashtag #haravointi raking in Finnish quickly began ricocheting around the internet, with Finns posting mock photos of themselves posing with rakes in the forest. Some dug up old images of Finnish soldiers in the woods during World War II, added rakes and invented new farcical captions referencing Trumps comment. Even Finlands nationally beloved cartoon character, a cuddly marshmallow-like animal named Moomin, made appearances exhorting Finns to keep raking. All this satire wasnt intended to minimize the tragedy of Californias wildfires, of course. Finnish media and citizens had been following the fires with the same horror as everyone else. What Finns seem to have been objecting to is Trumps ridiculous attempt to recruit them into the web of cynical fabrication he constantly tries to spin for political gain. After Trumps remark the Finnish media descended on Finlands President Sauli Niinisto seeking clarification: Had Niinisto really discussed some sort of national forest-raking program, which most Finns had never heard of, with Trump? No. Niinisto thought Trump might have been referring to a conversation they had had in Paris a week ago at the ceremonies marking the centenary of the World War I armistice. Apparently the Finnish president had explained that Finland, a country covered by forests, has an elaborate forest management program in place. Niinistos recollected words: We take care of our forests. The ironies in all this are rather profound. Finlands entire approach to governance including forest management and extending to the myriad ways that as a nation Finland takes care of its environment and its people is completely antithetical to everything Donald Trump stands for. He claims to be fighting for everyday Americans, but if Trump actually cared about that goal, hed be seriously considering the kinds of policies that make Nordic countries, including Finland, so successful when it comes to the levels of wealth and quality of life that are enjoyed by most middle-class and working-class citizens. For starters, Finlands forests are an essential pillar of its economy, so for Finns, government-led oversight of the timber industry is a no-brainer. And its on a continuum with smart social policies that invest in its human resources. Exactly the kind of high-quality, taxpayer-funded basic services that Trump and todays Republican Party so abhor have made life immeasurably better for Finns and have strengthened Finlands economic competitiveness: public education that is among the best in the world, universal healthcare that produces similar or better outcomes than U.S. healthcare at half the cost, excellent universal daycare facilities, generous parental leave policies, and so on. In fact, maybe in this sense Finland has a considerable amount in common with California, since the state has been fighting Trumps nihilistic social and environmental attitudes at every turn. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion There is a deeper and more frightening irony lurking in all this, however. Increasingly, cold, wet Finland may not be immune to forest fires. Last summer was one of the warmest and driest on the record in the Nordic region. Sweden, similar to Finland in climate and vegetation and located next door, suffered from its most extensive wildfires in recent history. Alarmed, Finns could conclude that its not our forest management that should be considered an example for California, but Californias wildfires that should be considered a caution to Finns. Last month when the United Nations released its climate-change report, warning of extreme danger as soon as 2040 if greenhouse gas emissions arent further reduced, it seemed like the report was all anyone in Finland could talk about for days. Ordinary Finns and Finnish politicians alike proclaimed immediate changes to their ways of life and their political commitments. Even Finlands beloved forests were implicated: An innovative bio economy is under development in Finland, built on wood-based biofuels as well as alternatives to plastic and even cotton, but now many Finns have asked if our forests shouldnt be kept intact as a carbon sink instead. Compare all this to Trumps response, which was largely to ignore the report. The president would like Californians to go rake in the woods like good Finns, while our planet is burning up. As far as most Finns are concerned, if we and our governments do not do far more to fight climate change now, soon we will all be Californians. Anu Partanen is the author of The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Orange Countys Republican members of Congress lost their jobs for the most common of reasons: They disdained their constituents. I joined the effort to unseat my congresswoman, Mimi Walters, only after she and her staff repeatedly rebuffed efforts to discuss community concerns with voters. As a result, she was defeated by a coalition of the ignored voters with simple priorities including reduced gun violence, affordable healthcare, a livable environment and more. Orange County still boasts more registered Republicans than Democrats, but folks on all sides want representatives that take their marching orders from constituents instead of GOP leadership and big donors. Alexa Foster, Coto de Caza Advertisement .. To the editor: Whatever the Republican Party stood for in the past, its gone. From Richard Nixons silent majority to Proposition 187 to President Trump and his band of torch bearers and birthers, the Republican Party has never accepted the fact that many Latino and African American families are fairly conservative and would fit nicely in a conservative, small-government, small-deficit movement. But instead of seizing opportunities to embrace these constituencies, the Republicans have moved toward white victimization and in some cases outright hostility toward minorities. So, now the bastion of conservatism in Orange County is gone. As we move on, lets hope the Democrats will be the adults weve wanted to run government. If the Republicans want to regain power in places like Orange County, they will have to show that they are willing to be grown-ups and want to govern, not rule. Larry Margo, Valley Village .. If the Republicans want to regain power ... they will have to show that they are willing to be grown-ups and want to govern, not rule. Larry Margo, Valley Village To the editor: This article on Orange Countys rebuke of the Republican Party makes me optimistic. On the one hand, Republican strategist Stuart K. Spencer attributes the congressional flips to demographic changes. He doesnt seem to appreciate the revulsion toward Trump felt by many in the traditional Orange County GOP demographic. On the other hand, another GOP strategist says he left the party because of Trump. Reading this, my hope is that at least two branches of the GOP tree will sprout: Those who think their party cannot win without Trump, and others who believe they should push the president aside. If theyve already sprouted, great. May they grow and prosper and annihilate each other. The political center of this country will then shift leftward, sort of like in our polite neighbor to the north. A fantasy? Who knows? Claude Goldenberg, Seal Beach .. To the editor: The idea that demographic shifts are responsible for the changes in Orange County does not tell the whole story. Longtime conservatives have become increasingly disenchanted with the Republican Party. Many Asians and Latinos gravitate toward the GOP, including members of the Vietnamese community who feel the Republicans got them to the U.S. Both minority and white Republicans have been leaving the GOP and have registered as independents. My father was a Reagan Republican, but he no longer believes in a party that he says has lost its soul. Please do not simplify the story into demographic groups voting against each other. Nancy Kiang, La Crescenta Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Sixteen Democrats, in a letter released Monday, publicly committed to voting for new leadership in the race for House speaker, putting House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a precarious position as she tries to regain the post. We promised to change the status quo, and we intend to deliver on that promise, the group of 11 incumbents and four members-elect wrote to fellow Democrats. Ben McAdams of Utah, who is running against Republican incumbent Rep. Mia Love, also signed the letter. That race remains a toss-up. The letter the culmination of an effort from a minority of Democrats to oust Pelosi from atop House Democratic leadership puts a hard number on the Democrats who may be ready to buck their party. It is close to the margin the San Francisco Democrat needs to maintain to win back the gavel. Depending on the results of the last uncalled House races, Pelosi will be able to lose just 14 to 19 Democratic votes on the House floor when Congress picks a new speaker in January. Advertisement Pelosi has said she remains confident that she has the support of the majority of her party to become speaker again and has suggested the effort to oust her is rooted partly in sexism. The members opposing Pelosi deny this; they argue they won the majority on the promise of change. Dozens of other members and liberal advocacy organizations in recent days have come out to support Pelosi, outlining her fundraising and legislative prowess. One of the key concerns of her supporters is that no one else in the Democratic caucus would be prepared to go toe-to-toe with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or President Trump. In a sign of possible weakness for the anti-Pelosi movement, the letter does not include any commitment to not vote present. If Pelosi can persuade a handful of those Democrats who oppose her to vote present instead of voting against her, that would allow the rebellious members to keep their promise to not vote for Pelosi while also reducing the number of Democratic votes she needs to win the speakership. Some of the members of the group, including Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), have told reporters they would not vote present, but the letter does not address the question. Others signing the letter included Reps. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Bill Foster of Illinois, Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, Kathleen Rice and Brian Higgins of New York, Tim Ryan of Ohio, Linda Sanchez of California, Kurt Schrader of Oregon and Filemon Vela of Texas; Reps.-elect Anthony Brindisi and Max Rose of New York, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey. Previous media reports suggested the original letter had 17 signatures, and leaders of the faction confidently predicted last week that they would deliver even more than that. But the letter may not include all of those opposed to Pelosi. Rep.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) did not sign the letter but said on CNN over the weekend that she will stick by her campaign promise to not vote for Pelosi. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), who won a special election in a Trump district earlier this year, publicly promised to vote against Pelosi, too. So far no one has announced plans to challenge Pelosi. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), who did not sign the letter but has been in the anti-Pelosi camp, said last week that shes considering it. After meeting with Pelosi on Friday, Fudge said she hadnt made a final decision yet. I am honored by and appreciate all the support from those who look to me as the next speaker of the House, she said in a statement. I appreciate the respect my colleagues and others have for me. They believe that I would be honest and open. They also know I love this institution and want to see it run well. Their words of encouragement tell me that people are ready to move in a new direction. House Democrats are due to vote in a secret ballot on Nov. 28 on who they plan to nominate for speaker. Pelosi is expected to win that vote handily. A final vote will take place on the House floor when the new Congress convenes in January. The latest from Washington jennifer.haberkorn@latimes.com @jenhab California must significantly increase the money it spends on child care, food assistance and other social services by as much as $1.6 billion in the first year alone to narrow an income divide that has left almost 2 million children living below the poverty line, a new state task force said Monday. The group, assembled by state government last year to address the child poverty crisis, is calling on Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to earmark money in next years state budget for expansion of antipoverty programs. It has crafted a plan to phase in nearly $14 billion for the efforts over the next decade, saying the savings to the state will balance out the costs in the long term. Task force members say the recommendations in their first report are meant to strengthen the social safety net for low-income families and could help create better living conditions for as many as 450,000 of the most impoverished children in the state over the next four years alone. The group hopes to find an ally in Newsom, who has vowed to combat homelessness and closed out his winning campaign with a focus on the needs of the youngest Californians. The elements of real change are coming together, said Conway Collis, co-chairman of the task force and a former member of the state Board of Equalization. Child poverty is both a human and a fiscal crisis of the state, and this report provides a road map to address both of those issues. Advertisement The task force was established under a state law written last year by Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood) with the support of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. It comprises leaders of county and state agencies, researchers, legislative staffers and members of private industry, labor and community groups. Their report, developed over a year of monthly meetings, is meant to guide the state in reducing the percentage of children living below the poverty line in California by half within the next two decades. Children dont get a second chance to be a child, Burke said. We can change the lives of a lot of children who live in the state of California right now. Although the state is home to the worlds fifth-largest economy, one in five children lives below the federal poverty line, according to the task force including 30% of African American and Latino children. More than 20% of children are part of families that cant afford clothes, food or other basic necessities, partly because of the states housing crisis and the high cost of living, according to a recent study from the nonprofit California Budget and Policy Center. Gov. Jerry Brown, who leaves office early next month, has faced criticism from state lawmakers who have said he hasnt done enough to address the needs of Californias most vulnerable families after the state rebounded from the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression. During the course of his campaign, Newsom sought to distinguish himself from his predecessor. The two-term lieutenant governor pledged to expand and improve early childhood education programs along with prenatal and child care. His commitment to social causes could be tested as early as January, when he will submit a state budget to the Legislature. Nathan Click, a Newsom spokesman said: The governor-elect is thankful to the task force for their work on this important issue, and looks forward to digesting the report. The state currently spends about $10.3 billion annually from its general fund on antipoverty programs, including medical care and food assistance programs. The task forces recommendations include a new targeted child tax credit for low-income families that incorporates rental housing subsidies and would phase in a $1.2-billion increase in grants provided through CalWORKs, the states welfare assistance program that gives cash aid and services to eligible families. The recommended budget boost would also expand access to child care and early childhood education, voluntary home visits for first-time parents and expanded healthcare coverage under the Medi-Cal program. While the recommendations of the task force come with a large price tag, researchers insist those costs would be offset by its savings, estimated to be $12 billion a year. The task force based that figure on projections about long-term reductions in juvenile justice needs, social services and health expenditures. Supporters also say there will be additional tax revenues for the state when children make it out of poverty and become successful adults. Collis said he and other researchers were surprised to find such a large amount of evidence showing the positive effect on a childs future earnings as a result of additional income support for their families as they were growing up. Those savings projections were not developed casually they were based on specific, detailed analysis, Collis said. David Grusky, who helped conduct the analysis and serves as director of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, said their recommendations would completely eliminate the number of children living in extreme poverty, a concern that states across the country have been grappling with for years. Children who grow up in such conditions face health implications and issues with cognitive development early in life, he said, and later struggle to stay in school, find work and meet their full earning potential. It is tragic for these children, he said. It is tragic for the state. More stories from Jazmine Ulloa jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com @jazmineulloa For the most part, President Trumps eight hours in California over the weekend were thankfully devoid of bitter politics. The states tragic events commanded everyones attention. The clashes were muted with Californias current and soon-to-be-governor, Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. Instead, there were pledges to work together to help the victims of a series of events unlike any other in state history. TRUMPS TOUR OF HEARTBREAK The president traveled from Butte County to Ventura County to get a firsthand look at the devastation wrought by two fast-moving and deadly wildfires. He also met with a few of the victims from the Nov. 7 shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks. Advertisement The fire damage, our team of Times reporters noted, seemed to have a visible impact on Trump. People have to see this to really understand it, he said. As big as they look on the tube, you dont see whats going on until you come here. It was a more restrained reaction from the president than his Twitter post one week earlier when he critiqued, not consoled, the Golden State. Not that it was without controversy: Trump told reporters that California could learn something from Finland about forest management. They spend a lot of time raking and cleaning and doing things, and they dont have any problem, he said. But fire officials made clear that the Camp fire, in particular, was a uniquely California blaze. The Woolsey fire, too, was unlike something the Finns would ever see. Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter AND ON CLIMATE CHANGE Brown and Newsom dutifully met Trump at Beale Air Force Base outside Sacramento, traveled with him on Marine One to Butte County, and then flew to Southern California for the final leg of the presidential visit. For the governor, few topics seem to put him further at odds with the Republican president than the threat from climate change. Trump curtly said No when asked by a reporter whether the ravages of fire might cause him to rethink his views on the human causes of a changing climate. And there was this answer to a reporters question onboard Air Force One, courtesy of a press pool report, about any chats during the visit with the California governor on the subject of climate change: We didnt discuss it, Trump said. Brown interjected, quietly, obliquely. Trump continued: We have different views but maybe not as different as people think. Things are happening. Things are changing. And I think most importantly were doing things about to make it better. Were going to make it a lot better. Just what they might have in common on the topic? Hard, if not impossible, to say. TO UNDERSTAND THE FUTURE OF FIRE ... With the stunning speed of death and destruction from these fires, it seems a good time to re-up one of the most important stories in the signature series by Times staff writer Melanie Mason on the challenges facing the next governor and other state officials: natural disaster. As she wrote back in September, its more than just spending money to put out blazes: But experts say the next stage of the discussions must confront how we build communities to better withstand fire, a topic that has long been politically fraught. FOUR RACES, FOUR WINS: DEMOCRATS SWEEP ORANGE COUNTY CONGRESSIONAL SEATS Californias Republican delegation to the House of Representatives slipped into single digits over the weekend, with the most recent victory in the late vote counting for Democrat Gil Cisneros. His win over Republican Young Kim caps a moment in history, especially for Orange County, the longtime heart of GOP politics in the state. So what do the states Republicans do now? Their most prominent leader, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, says the solution is to abandon topics like immigration and focus on practicality and problem-solving. Meanwhile, keep an eye on how those new Orange County members of Congress navigate the leftward march of Democratic politics. First up: the selection of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as the next House speaker. Rep.-elect Katie Porter says shell vote for her San Francisco colleague. POLITICAL ROAD MAP: ABSENTEE BALLOT SIGNATURE WOES But the counting of the final ballots has been a scramble for every vote possible including absentee voters who either didnt sign their ballot envelope or have a signature that doesnt seem to match. The number of ballots affected in key counties is fairly small, perhaps fewer than 5,000 in Los Angeles and Orange counties combined. But as I wrote in my Sunday column, a key question for the unsigned ballots now looks headed to court: How long can elections officials keep allowing those voters to fix the missing signature? NATIONAL LIGHTNING ROUND -- Floridas contentious U.S. Senate race ended Sunday, as Sen. Bill Nelson conceded to Gov. Rick Scott. -- Recount battles are being waged with an unprecedented intensity. There can be a political victory even in losing. And, yes, a lot of cash. -- Citing Saudi Arabias value as an ally, the president appears poised to reject or play down intelligence findings about the crown princes role in the killing of a journalist. -- The president said Friday that hes finishing written answers to questions posed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia probe, a potential milestone in the long-running investigation that Trump has repeatedly denounced. -- Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court to shield Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from answering questions under oath about his decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. -- Voters in three deeply Republican states backed ballot measures on Nov. 6 to expand Medicaid eligibility the product of a model of political action that may become increasingly common across the country in coming years. -- Republicans hope to give Trump border wall funding in a must-pass, year-end spending deal, but it remains to be seen whether they will offer enough immigration reform to win the Democratic votes theyll need for passage. -- After a lull under President Barack Obama, Chinese economic espionage is soaring again as U.S. relations with Beijing worsen. -- Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday unveiled sweeping changes to campus sexual misconduct rules, bolstering rights of the accused and giving colleges more flexibility in handling Title IX cases. -- Alaskas newly elected governor will be sworn in above the Arctic Circle, marking a first for the state. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- Tony Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly and as a local school board member, declared victory on Saturday in the bitterly contested and expensive race for California superintendent of public instruction against Marshall Tuck. -- Californias six-year run of growing tax revenue to pay for government services is expected to continue through at least the summer of 2020, according to an analysis released last week, with enough cash to fund a budget reserve of $29.5 billion. -- Travis Allen, a Huntington Beach assemblyman who unsuccessfully ran for California governor, says hes running for chairman of the state Republican Party. -- With California gripped by a homelessness crisis, the mayors of four of the states largest cities called Friday for a statewide strategy that removes obstacles to affordable housing and gives cities more help in getting people off the streets. -- The amount of money collected by the state from taxes on cannabis grown and sold legally in California continues to increase but is falling short of budget estimates, according to figures released last week. LOGISTICS Essential Politics will take a holiday break on Friday and will return on Monday, Nov. 26. We wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. A welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation was hosted by Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shuikou border crossing. After attending a border marker saluting ceremony and witnessing a joint river patrol, the Vietnamese delegation visited and planted trees at Shuikou towns Border Guard Company. They then visited the Shuikou town school, where General Lich recalled the time when President Ho Chi Minh and other Vietnamese revolutionists lived and worked in Longzhou. The minister expressed his hope that the Party Committees and authorities of localities along the Vietnam-China border, and teachers will create more favourable conditions for exchanges between students of the Shuikou town school and their peers in Vietnams Cao Bang province. He also urged the schools teachers to spend more time introducing Vietnamese culture to their students, contributing to building a common border of peace, development and prosperity. Visiting a memorial house dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in Longzhou, Lich said the documents on display are valuable evidence of the great support of Chinese leaders and people to Vietnamese revolutionists and people during the war. The house, therefore, is a venue to educate young generations about the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, the minister noted. The Vietnamese and Chinese sides are scheduled to hold talks the same day and review five years of the border defence friendship exchange, which aims to enhance political trust, build friendship and solidarity, and promote result-oriented cooperation between border guards, authorities and people of border localities of the two countries, contributing to building a common border of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development. The exchange is also expected to help counter allegations distorting the Vietnam-China relationship. Apart from Chinas Longzhou county, activities within the framework of the exchange will be held in Phuc Hoa district, Cao Bang city of Vietnams northern border province of Cao Bang. This was going to be easy, I thought foolishly. Ask some legislators and experts for their ideas on how to control Californias deadly wildfire epidemic. What should state government do about it? But they basically didnt have a clue. And who could fault them? Its like asking how you stop hurricanes or tornadoes or earthquakes. Its all part of nature. You try to prepare. Fires are a little different, of course. The risk can be reduced. You can hold off flipping a lighted cigarette onto dry grass, or building a campfire in a forest tinderbox. You can try to keep power lines from falling on chaparral. But thats all just common sense. You dont need legislation for that stuff. Well, maybe you do to require utilities to better maintain their power lines. And some good public education ads could help. Bring back Smokey Bear. Advertisement Give Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature some credit: They did enact major wildfire legislation in September. But surely there must be more they can do. Last week, Brown told the truth no one wants to hear. While inspecting the Camp fire devastation in Butte County, a reporter asked Brown, How do we curb these fires? You know, weve had fires for long before the Europeans showed up here, the four-term governor replied. And our indigenous people had a different way of living with nature. For 10,000 years, there were never more than 300,000 [people living in California]. Now we have 40 million and we have a totally different situation. So its not one thing. Its people. Its how people live, its where they live, and its the changing climate. And the truth iswere going to have more difficulties. Things are not going to get better. Theyre going to get more challenging because of the continuing alteration in the climate lack of moisture, early snowmelt and faster winds, the whole thing. All this will be a skunk at Gavin Newsoms inauguration party when hes sworn in as Browns replacement in January. More from George Skelton I contacted the governor-elects transition office and asked whether he had any fresh thoughts about preventing and fighting wildfires. Apparently not. I was referred to a written statement he gave The Times during the election campaign. In it, he talked about spending more money. And, really, theres no way of avoiding that. This has to be a top priority, he said. That starts with more resources to address this crisis. I will build on the work currently underway reexamining lands and vegetation management strategies including the removal of dead trees. Newsom should make wildfires his No. 1 priority higher than homelessness, universal healthcare, anything. The state isnt short of money. The Legislative Analysts Office last week projected a nearly $15-billion budget surplus. A chunk of that could be spent on a crash program of buying firefighting equipment, cleaning forests and funding emergency alert systems. But Brown already is purchasing 12 state-of-the-art helicopters. And the state owns 23 air tankers that couldnt fly when the Camp fire erupted because of high winds. Fire statistics make Browns point about wildfires becoming an increasing menace. Coverage of California politics The Camp fire is the deadliest and most destructive ever recorded in California. As of Sunday, it had killed 76 people, destroyed nearly 12,800 structures 9,700 of them homes and charred almost 150,000 acres. The simultaneous Woolsey fire between Thousand Oaks and Malibu had killed three, destroyed 1,452 structures and burned about 97,000 acres. Of the 20 deadliest wildfires ever recorded in California, 10 have occurred since 2000. Of the 20 most destructive, 14 have been in this century. So have 16 of the 20 largest. The laws enacted in September will significantly expand wildfire prevention efforts while allowing utilities to shift some of their liability costs to customers. But the utility cost shifts dont affect this years fires. And theres speculation that Pacific Gas & Electric could ultimately go bankrupt if its equipment is found to have ignited the Camp fire. State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) is considering legislation to break up the company and allow local governments to buy its pieces. Many have argued that PG&E is too big to fail, Hill says. I think its too big to succeed. The state has substantially stepped up its controlled burning of vulnerable woodlands. And this years legislation provides $200 million a year for forest thinning. But you can have the cleanest forests in the whole world, with thousands of leaf blowers out there, but once a fire starts with 80-mph winds, you cant stop it, says Brian Rice, president of the California Professional Firefighters Assn. You cant cut down all the trees and brush. There would go the watersheds and here would come the mudslides. And, sure, maybe people shouldnt live in potential firetraps. But just try to stop them. People have been flocking to the Sierra foothills since the Gold Rush. One legislator who has been doing heroic fire work is Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg). Much of his district was devastated by last years wine country fires. Last week, the dentist left a legislators group junket in Chile and flew to Chico to help identify the dead through dental records. Its a bit of a slog, frankly, he told me. A lot of dental records were destroyed in the fire. Wood, one of the wildfire bill authors, said: Seeing all the devastation I am now, I feel we have a long way to go. Maybe we need stricter brush management regulation and enforce it. Another fire bill author, Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), urged patience. Were still putting fires out, identifying remains and looking for the missing, he said. Therell be time for [new ideas] when the next session begins. That will be in January. Hopefully lawmakers will show up with creative ideas. But by then it could be flood season. Attention spans are short. george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter With her political career hanging by a thread, British Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a stark warning Sunday to the lawmakers trying to oust her over her proposed Brexit divorce deal: Negotiations wont be any easier if Im gone. Under growing pressure from her own party and faced with a looming Brexit deadline, May took the battle over Britains split from the European Union directly to her opponents, challenging them to put the country first and rally behind her. A change of leadership at this point isnt going to make the negotiations any easier, she said in an interview on Sky News Sunday politics show. And its not going to change parliamentary arithmetic. What it will do is bring in a degree of uncertainty thats uncertainty for people, and their jobs. Instead of hunkering down behind closed doors while rebels within her Conservative Party try to secure the 48 letters of no confidence needed to trigger a leadership challenge, May has come out fighting. Advertisement Its an unusual strategy for a prime minister who is often considered socially awkward and typically keeps her cards and emotions in check. But in the last 72 hours she has spoken candidly about her Christian faith, her Type 1 diabetes and the pressures that being prime minister has put on her and her husband, Philip. Its been a pretty heavy couple of days, she said in a recent interview, revealing that her husband had to turn off the television because of the attacks directed at her by fellow lawmakers. She also acknowledged that when she came home late Wednesday after a grueling five-hour Cabinet meeting, her husband immediately poured her a glass of Welsh whiskey. Mays strategy of winning over constituents by insisting shes not in this for personal glory, but out of a deep sense of responsibility to the country, has resonated, political analysts say. Theresa May is moved less by a sense of strategy than a sense of duty, said Matt Cole, a historian of modern Britain at the University of Birmingham. She has a sense of public service. She is not a political calculator. It would explain her incredible resilience. British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing St. in central London on Nov. 16, 2018. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP/Getty Images) Not only has May had to deal with a torrent of personal attacks, but in the last week two Cabinet colleagues resigned over her proposed Brexit agreement, including Dominic Raab, who was in charge of negotiations with the European Union. Five other ministers and aides also quit and the hard-core Euroskeptic wing of her party is trying to mount a leadership challenge. She knows that shes hanging on to power with a very thin grip, said Matthew Flinders, director of the Sir Bernard Crick Center for the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield. What has she got to lose by coming out and saying: This is what Im doing and why. Im giving 100% and Im not saying its easy, but Im doing my best. The British public really responds to people who do that. The tenacity and honesty will always play well. And its very British to say: I will not quit, Sheffield said. Still, as the pound plummeted last week when news of the Cabinet resignations broke, the country was given a taste of the uncertainty that could be in store if Britain crashes out of the EU in March without any deal in place. Mays previous mantra was that no deal is better than a bad deal but she intimately understands the details laid out in the 585-page draft Brexit withdrawal agreement and believes they will keep the economy stable, save jobs, enable the country to prosper and deliver on what 52% of Britons voted for in the 2016 referendum to pull out of the EU. The proposed deal includes a $50-billion payment to the EU by Britain to secure a divorce. It also aims to ensure frictionless trade between Ireland, a country that will remain a EU member, and Northern Ireland, a British province that will leave the EU. The issue around the Northern Ireland border has been the most fraught element of negotiations and many lawmakers remain deeply unhappy that the draft agreement would see Britain stay within the EU customs union until a new trade agreement with the bloc can be hammered out. May argues that its a temporary solution and that ultimately the country will have complete control over its laws, borders and money. The prime ministers attacks on those who are trying to thwart the deal with the EU have been pointed, accusing them of being driven by self-interest, not the welfare of Britain. There are those in the House of Commons who just want to stop Brexit. I believe it is essential for peoples trust in politics, and trust in Parliament, that we deliver on Brexit for people, she said. May is banking that her tough-talk will encourage EU leaders to ignore the political infighting in Britain and endorse the proposed deal at their upcoming meeting Nov. 25. Shes also hopeful that vote will persuade enough members of Parliament to back the deal that she can secure a majority in Parliament. But if the tide continues turning against May and she does face a leadership challenge, there is the very real issue that there is no clear choice within the Conservative Party to replace her. Nobody wants to take on the role shes got its like a poison chalice, Flinders said. I think shell survive and get a chance to take the deal to Parliament. And then all bets are off. Boyle is a special correspondent. PM Phuc affirmed Vietnams consistent policy of treasuring and prioritising its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia. PM Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia considers Vietnam as one of its most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The two leaders shared their delight at the strong political trust between Vietnam and Russia, with regular meetings and delegation exchanges at all levels, especially those of a high level. They agreed to coordinate closely in organising the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam in 2019 and 2020, on the occasion of 25 years since the signing of the Agreement on Basic Principles for Vietnam-Russia Friendship and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. The two PMs hailed the outcomes of the 21st meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee on economic-trade and science-technology cooperation in Moscow in late October 2018. They held that the economic, trade, and investment partnership between the two countries has grown dynamically over the past years, along with the effective implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union. To bring into full play benefits brought by the agreement, both sides promised to coordinate and gradually address barriers on the import and export of goods, especially agro-fishery-forestry products, with the aim to raise two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2020. The PMs conveyed satisfaction with the results of oil and gas cooperation, considering it one of the important pillars in Vietnam-Russia collaboration. They vowed to continue facilitating oil and gas exploration and exploitation on Vietnams continental shelf and Russias territory, and encouraged the expansion of cooperation in other fields such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas power supply. Both agreed to step up large-scale projects in the fields of energy, industry, transport, agriculture, and expand collaboration in information, digital technology, and e-Government. They affirmed their commitment to carrying out a US$350-million Nuclear Science and Technology Centre, while encouraging cooperation to develop urban transport infrastructure and railways in Vietnam. The two leaders reached a consensus on the importance of security and defence cooperation; on the intensifying of collaboration in the fields of science-technology, culture, tourism, education-training, and labour; as well as on the advancement of partnerships between their localities. PM Phuc took the occasion to thank Russian leaders and authorised offices for helping the Vietnamese community in the country, hoping for their continued support. The PMs also exchanged views on different regional and international issues of mutual concern and stressed the need to maintain peace and stability. This involves ensuring aviation and navigation security, safety, and freedom in the East Sea towards solving disputes peacefully on the basis of respecting international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and working towards the early signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. Both sides affirmed to maintain coordination at multilateral forums, foster cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the ASEAN-Russia cooperation, for the interests of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. They expressed their belief that the outcomes of the visit will contribute to boosting the bilateral relations in all fields. PM Medvedev took the occasion to invite PM Phuc to visit Russia in the coming time. The Vietnamese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure. Thiruvananthapuram : Union Minister of IT Alphons Kannanthanam will be visiting the Sabarimala shrine to evaluate the facilities meant for the pilgrims. While speaking to the IANS, the minister said that he came to know the facilities were not up to the mark. Interestingly, the minister's visit comes at a time when the Kerala unit of the BJP observed Sunday as a protest day over the arrested K Surendran. Meanwhile, BJP leader V. Murlaeedharan said that though he had been invited to the inauguration of the annual Kerala Union of Working Journalists meet at Kozhikode on Monday, he will not take part as it would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Kochi : Amid the protest and furor over the entry of women into the Sabarimala shrine, three young woman on Monday made a plea to the government, police and faithful devotees to stand with them and support their decision to visit the holy shrine. In a press meet, Kannur natives Reshma Nishanth and Anila, Dhanya also added that they were ready to wait until their wish was fulfilled. They also revealed that they revived many threats over their decision to visit the temple. However, the girls added that they would not allow people with vested interest to take advantage of the situation. 'So, we are not going now. But we will remove the 'maala', until we visit Sabarimala', they added. INFORMAL DIALOG. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (third from left) poses for a photo with other leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member-countries prior to the start of the Informal Dialogue with the International Monetary Fund at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Nov. 18, 2018. Presidential Photo Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaLeaders from 21 Asia-Pacific nations failed Sunday to bridge gaping divisions at aovershadowed by aas they vie for influence in the region.For the first time in the history of the APEC grouping, leaders were unable to agree on a formal written declaration amid sharp differences over trade policy. The leaders agreed that instead of a traditional leaders declaration, they would leave it to the hands of PNG as the chair to issue a chair statement on behalf of all the members, said Zhang Xiaolong, a spokesman from the Chinese foreign ministry. READ: Clash of Titans: China, US lock horns anew Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted there were different visions on particular elements with regard to trade that prevented full consensus on a communique document. The annual gathering, held for the first time in Papua New Guinea, was overshadowed by speeches from Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice President Mike Pence, which appeared to represent competing bids for regional leadership. Pence warned smaller countries not to be seduced by Chinas massive Belt-and-Road infrastructure program, in which Beijing offers money to poorer countries for construction and development projects. The opaque loans come with strings attached and build up staggering debt, Pence charged, mocking the initiative as a constricting belt and a one-way road. He urged nations instead to stick with the United States, which doesnt drown our partners in a sea of debt or coerce, corrupt or compromise your independence. In a speech to business leaders just minutes before Pence, Xi insisted the initiative was not a trap and there was no hidden agenda amid criticism that it amounts to checkbook diplomacy in the region. Xi also lashed out at America First trade protectionism, saying it was a short-sighted approach that was doomed to failure. The barbs on a gleaming white cruise ship moored in Port Moresby set the scene for a potentiallyat the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of this month. But Xi and Pence, who both wore shiny, red shirts provided by the Pacific island hosts, did hold talks on Saturday night at the leaders gala dinner. Pence told reporters on Sunday: I spoke to President Xi twice during the course of this conference. We had a candid conversation. He told him that the US is interested in a better relationship with China but there has to be change in Beijings trade policies. With fears that a trade war between the two rivals could cripple the Pacific Rim economy, some attendees voiced concern about the growing rivalry for influence in the region. Business leaders do not want to speak out, but behind the scenes here, they are talking over dinner saying how has this happened? said Denis OBrien, the billionaire chairman of Digicel. Its a very forced situation, one country is trying to force all the other countries to change tariffs agreed over years, OBrien said. Trumpand Russian President Vladimir Putinboth decided to skip the gathering, leaving the spotlight on Xi who arrived two days early to open a Chinese-funded school and road in Papua New Guineas dirt-poor capital Port Moresby. Xi has been the star of the show, front and center at official photos whereas Pence has kept a lower profile, only deciding at the last minute to stay overnight in Port Moresbyshelving original plans to fly in and out from Cairns in Australia.As if to counter Chinese largesse, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan on Sunday announced a project to boost electricity capacity in Papua New Guinea. The project aims to raise the percentage of the PNG population with access to electricity from 13 percent to 70 percent. And as the US and China vie for influence in the region, the statement dangled the prospect of similar projects for countries that support principles and values which help maintain and promote a free, open, prosperous and rules-based region. With the official business of the summit relatively low-key, much of the focus has been on the unlikely venue of Port Moresby, which is hosting its first international event of this scale. The city is on lockdown with hundreds of police and military patrolling the streets of the notoriously crime-ridden capital. Warships are stationed just off the coast to provide security for the leaders, and delegates and media have been housed in enormous cruise ships due to a dearth of hotel rooms. The police were called when Chinese officials attempted to barge into the office of Papua New Guineas foreign minister, it emerged Sunday, as APEC summit tensions boiled over. The Chinese delegates tried to barge in to Rimbink Patos Port Moresby office Saturday, in an eleventh-hour bid to influence a summit draft communique, but were denied entry, three sources with knowledge of the situation said. Police were posted outside the ministers office after they tried to barge in, one source privy to summit negotiations said. The diplomatic incident came with tensions already high at a summit of Asian-Pacific leaders that has been overshadowed by a spat between the United States and China. Pato had refused to meet with the delegates, according to a source, who said: Its not appropriate for the minister to negotiate solo with the Chinese. The Chinese negotiating officials know this. The minister himself sought to downplay the incident. There wasnt an issue, he said. The Chinese delegation has yet to comment publicly on the incident but was set to hold a news conference later Sunday. APEC nations usually agree a joint statement but officials are struggling to bridge deep divides on trade policy and admit that a formal communique may not be issued. This is not the first time Chinese officials have been involved in a tense incident at a regional meeting. At the Pacific Islands Forum in September, Naurus president demanded China apologize after its delegation walked out of a meeting when the host refused to let an envoy speak until island leaders had finished. Theyre not our friends. They just need us for their own purposes, President Baron Waqa said at the time. During the trip, the Russian PM held talks with PM Phuc; paid a courtesy call to General Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee (CPVCC) and President Nguyen Phu Trong; and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. On the occasion, he laid wreathes at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Martyrs Monument in Hanoi, and visited a photo exhibition on Vietnam-Russia traditional relations and comprehensive cooperation, which was co-organised by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Russian News Agency TASS. He also toured the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre and presented a gift from the Russian Government to the science and technology research establishment. Through these meetings, in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual trust, and understanding, the Vietnamese and Russian sides discussed orientations and measures to boost cooperation across many fields towards deepening the two nations strategic partnership. They agreed to celebrate the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam during 2019-2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on fundamental principles of Vietnam-Russia friendly relations (2019) and the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (2020). To optimise opportunities brought by the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, both sides promised to coordinate and gradually address barriers on the import and export of goods, especially agro-fishery-forestry products, with the aim to raise two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2020. They affirmed to continue facilitating oil and gas exploration and exploitation on Vietnams continental shelf and Russian territory, and encouraged the expansion of cooperation in other fields such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas power supply. Both sides agreed to step up large-scale projects in the fields of energy, industry, transport, agriculture, and expand collaboration in information, digital technology, and e-Government. They pledged their commitment to carrying out a US$350-million Nuclear Science and Technology Centre, while encouraging cooperation to develop urban transport infrastructure and railways in Vietnam. The sides reached a consensus on expanding joint engagements in security-defence, science-technology, culture, tourism, education-training, and labour; as well as on the advancement of partnerships between their localities. They exchanged views on international and regional matters of common concern. They stressed the need to maintain peace and stability, which involves ensuring aviation and navigation security, safety, and freedom in the East Sea and solving disputes peacefully on the basis of respecting international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and working towards the early signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. The sides stated they will maintain coordination at multilateral forums, foster cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the ASEAN-Russia cooperation, for the sake of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. Technical Analysis Points to DOW 30k Next Target An incredible really/breakout pattern is setting up in the US Stock Market and US Indexes currently that many traders/investors may not be paying attention to. This is such an incredible opportunity for traders, we are alerting you to this setup and what we expect to be the outcome based on our proprietary predictive price modeling and analysis tools. Almost without fail, the end of each year experiences a Christmas Rally that results in a moderate bullish price bias for most of the 4th quarter. Over the past 17 years, 76.47% of each Q4 period resulted in an average +1049.85 pts in the YM (Dow Futures Contract). Only 23.59% of the time did the YM decline on an average of about -1039.75 pts. This data helps us to understand that downside price rotation in the Q4 (Christmas Rally months) is possible, but unlikely by a 4:1 ratio. It also helps us to understand that our expectations of a massive price rally, much greater than the average +1049 pts, may be a very big play for traders. We wrote about our predictive modeling systems expectations on September 17, 2018, https://www.thetechnicaltraders.com/predictive-trading-model-suggests-falling-stock-prices-us-elections/, where we predicted a market top occurring near September 21, followed by a -5~8% price correction, followed by an Ultimate Bottom setup near or after November 8~12. This Ultimate Bottom setup was predicted by our ADL predictive price modeling tool and suggested a bottom in price would prompt a massive upside rally where new market highs will be reached in early 2019 or before. Our Fibonacci price modeling tool is now telling us the breakout move is imminent and we are alerting all our followers to be prepared for some incredible trading opportunities between now and Jan 1, 2019. Lets take a look at some Daily charts that support our conclusions and warn of downside risk levels. Within each of the two following charts, you will notice similarities. The markets are setting up in a similar pattern that clearly illustrates how price wants to react to a positive price impulse and where support is located. We believe any downside risk, at this time, would be from a dramatic external news event. In other words, we believe current support will hold and we believe the upside price bias predicted by our ADL price modeling system will become the ultimate outcome. This first chart is a Daily YM chart showing our proprietary Fibonacci price modeling system. Notice the upside and downside projected price targets on the right side of the chart. When these price targets are at wide disparities, as they are now, it usually indicates that the markets are setting up for a bigger breakout move. Additionally, it is easy to see the YELLOW Support Zone and the Key Price Support level on this chart. Based on Fibonacci Price Theory, the YM price trend is already Bullish and within a minor price pullback. As long as the Key Price Support level is not breached, the trend will stay Bullish. Please pay special attention to the upside price targets near 27,500 to 28,500 (nearly 3000 pts higher). We believe the upside price trend predicted by our ADL price modeling system will support a price move up to near these levels before or shortly after Jan 1, 2019. We also believe any downside price risk will be contained with the BLUE Key Price Support level. This next Daily chart is of the Transportation Index (TRAN). We are certain you will notice the similarities between the two charts and our Fibonacci Price Modeling System. The primary difference in this chart vs. the YM chart is where the Key Price Support level is located on the price axis of the chart. Overall, the prediction and technical components of these two charts are similar. As long as the Key Price Support level is holding, the upside price bias should drive an upward price breakout over the next few weeks and months. As traders, we want to understand and identify where opportunities exist, when they become advantageous and when we need to act upon them. Our research team believes the next 5~14 days will present incredible opportunities for skilled traders to identify and setup new trades in certain sectors of the market based on this analysis and our predictions of new price highs within 2+ months. Weve seen a similar pattern play out back in March and April of 2018, just before the YM rallied 3400+ pts. If a similar price breakout occurs as we are suggesting, the 30,000 price level in the YM suddenly becomes a very valid price target. If you like our analysis and research and want to know how we can help you find and execute better trades, please take a minute to visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com. Our proprietary price modeling tools and our skilled team of traders and researchers attempt to bring you the very best and timely market research you can find. Take a minute to read our September 17th research post to understand just how incredible our research really is. Ask yourself this question, do you know of anyone else that can accurately predict stock market moves 4~6 months in advance? Take a few minutes to learn how we can help you navigate these incredible market opportunities and find new success. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. On Friday 16 November, with 80 comrades present in a packed auditorium, Alan Woods, leader of the International Marxist Tendency, spoke about the global crisis of capitalism and the international class struggle, at the Leon Trotsky House Museum. At five in the afternoon, dozens of young people and workers gathered at the house where the great Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky died, to listen to Alan Woods. Alan spoke for more than an hour on the hot topics of world politics. Among the attendees were Esteban Volkov, grandson of the legendary Leon Trotsky; Laura Aldana, local deputy for the Naucalpan municipality of the State of Mexico; as well as union leaders and students of the UNAM, the Polytechnic and the UAM. 10 years of crisis In his introduction, Alan referred to the great processes that are happening throughout the American continent, the eurozone and the Middle East. He explained that, 10 years after the great capitalist crisis of 2008, the bourgeoisie has been unable to understand what is happening. On the contrary, all the measures that have been taken to solve the economic crisis have brought about destabilisation of the social and political situation. He said that, in this period, the old political organisations that had been stable for more than 100 years are collapsing: the two-party Democratic and Republican system in the US, establishment bourgeois parties like the Tories in Britain, and the traditional organisations and parties of the working class. Alan explained that, 10 years after the great capitalist crisis of 2008, all the measures that have been taken to solve the economic crisis have brought about destabilisation of the social and political situation / Image: La Izquierda Socialista Alan commented that the great political earthquakes that we have seen in many countries (including the massive vote for AMLO in Mexico and even in a very distorted way the vote for Bolsonaro in Brazil), reflect a search by the working class and youth for an alternative to cuts and attacks on standards of living, given the bankruptcy of the reformist organisations that, instead of fighting against capitalism, only manage its crises. The attendees listened attentively and nodded at the arguments given by Alan Woods. His introduction was strongly applauded. It is essential that the workers and youth discuss these questions. There is an idea in the left-wing media and intelligentsia of isolating the experiences of different countries: they say that what happens in other places does not affect us. This is incorrect: the world is one and capitalism has tied together all the processes occurring on an international level, as Karl Marx explained more than 150 years ago in the Communist Manifesto. It is for this reason that the International Marxist Tendency in Mexico, which is organised as La Izquierda Socialista (The Socialist Left), gave itself the task of organising this talk, which was also the public opening of its Congress. Revolutionary enthusiasm After the introduction, interesting points were raised about the bankruptcy of the so-called "progressive" Latin American governments, and the migrant caravans taking place worldwide, provoked by imperialist atrocities in regions such as Syria or Central America. There were very interesting questions about China's role in world capitalism and the limitations of American imperialism. After the introduction, interesting points were raised about the so-called "progressive" Latin American governments, the migrant caravans taking place worldwide, China's role in world capitalism and the limitations of American imperialism / Image: La Izquierda Socialista In his response, Alan began by explaining that, in recent decades, after the Stalinist bloc fell, a single world power remained: American imperialism, which was filled with arrogance and demanded submission to it. He said that, although the US is a mighty imperialist power, it also has limits, as we have seen in Syria, where ultimately the interests of the Russians and Iranians were imposed. He explained that the tariffs that the US imposed on Chinese goods and the response by the Chinese and European governments is the basis of a possible trade war. These measures could lead to another major crisis, even greater than that of 2008. He said that capitalism is in a dead end and is destroying everything around it: the productive forces, the environment, and everything. The working class must take power to save humanity. It has been shown that workers are prepared to fight, but a major factor is missing: leadership, as Trotsky said in 1938: "the crisis of humanity is the crisis of the leadership of the proletariat". Alan ended with an appeal to struggle. Marxism is not impressionistic and sees the processes that happen under the surface. What we see right now is a great malaise and dissatisfaction with capitalism. Women have come out to fight as part of the working class on 8 March, the youth are also ready to fight. Our aim is to build the revolutionary leadership so that we can rise to the tasks ahead. Everyone present showed great enthusiasm for the ideas defended by comrade Alan Woods. A large amount of Marxist literature was sold and many people interested in the ideas of the International Marxist Tendency left their contact details. Our aim is to build the revolutionary leadership so that we can rise to the tasks ahead / Image: La Izquierda Socialista BACKGROUND: The Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation is a not for-profit 501(c)(3) organization assisting members in Carter, Dawson, Fallon, Prairie, and Wibaux counties. The organization receives funding from federal, state, and local governments, private organizations, and foundations. It administers multiple grant programs and loan programs for businesses, municipalities, and counties. DESCRIPTION: Specific responsibilities: The Community Development Specialist is responsible for facilitating community projects that contribute to successful business operations and vibrant communities. This position will administer federal, state, or foundation grants. Main position responsibilities: Project planning, outreach and research Grant writing Project Management Administrative, recordkeeping, project budget management and compliance Provide administrative support related to all activities of the EPEDC. QUALIFICATIONS: Excellent writing, research and project management skills Demonstrated competency in persuasive writing, team collaboration, effective verbal and written communication and attention to detail Working knowledge of State, Federal and private grant/loan programs Experience with community planning projects and downtown revitalization Competency in development and tracking of project budgets and financial management Experience with public speaking and group facilitation Skilled in coordinating large, complex projects, meeting deadlines and working effectively under pressure. This position requires the ability to prepare written reports to funding partners and present summaries of collaboration and leveraging efforts to project committees. The position is responsible for preparing minutes, in addition to quarterly and annual reports to funding partners. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Some travel is required within the 5 county EPEDC service area. Occasional travel outside the region, including overnight travel to attend meetings, workshops and training seminars, is also required. Flexible work schedule, with occasional evening hours Position requires the ability to communicate with the public, coworkers, and stakeholder groups on a regular basis. May need to sit at a desk, at meetings, and in vehicles for long periods of time. Must be able to stand and walk short distances, stoop and bend, handle and lift books, papers, and office equipment up to 50 pounds. Maintain a valid Montana drivers license, some use of a personal vehicle may be required with appropriate mileage reimbursement. OTHER INFORMATION: This position reports directly to the EPEDC Executive Director Minimum Education Level: Bachelors Degree in a related field 3 years of comparable experience desired This is a fulltime hourly position with a full benefit package including health insurance stipend and contribution to retirement program available Office location is flexible How to Apply: Submit the completed resume and cover letter to [email protected] or mail to PO Box 46, Baker, MT 59313. Position Open Until Filled Contact: Beth Epley, Executive Director Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation PO Box 497 Terry, MT 59349 406-853-6471 [email protected] http://www.epedc.com 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. Vietnam joins a small number of countries in achieving validation of LF elimination, the RTI said. Vietnams success is significant to other developing countries, which are struggling with elephantiasis, an infection transmitted to humans through mosquitoes that damages the bodys lymphatic system. The commitments of the Vietnamese Government, the World Health Organisations and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to ending this tropical disease, together with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltds donations of medications, have been paid off. The institute also spoke highly of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE)s role, describing its coordination as a key factor in wiping out the disease. A national programme to eliminate the LF was launched by the Ministry of Healths NIMPE in 2001. Large-scale treatment campaign and survey were carried out in six LF-endemic provinces during 2003-2008 to block its transmission. USAID has supported Vietnams effort since 2011. Molly Brady, senior manager on RTIs EVISON project funded by the USAID aiming at the control and elimination of seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), stressed that the Vietnamese Government deserves congratulations for achieving this ambitious medical goal. The countrys success is counted on collaboration of various sides, including the WHO, USAID and many other partners, she added. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends ASEAN Summit in Singapore Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, his spouse and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam made a trip to Singapore for the 33rd ASEAN Summit and related summits from November 13-15 at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. During the trip, PM Phuc attended and addressed 18 meetings and sessions as well as had meetings and working sessions with leaders of many countries. On the occasion, PM Phuc cut the ribbon to open the Vietnamese goods week in Singapore. PM attends APEC Economic Leaders Week Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second from right) at the meeting of APEC and Pacific Islands leaders (Source: VNA) Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for the 26th APEC Economic Leaders Week at the invitation of his Papua New Guinea counterpart Peter ONeill. He attended a dialogue between APEC leaders and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) as well as a dialogue between APEC leaders and leaders from 14 Pacific island states, among other activities. Party and State leaders join great national unity festivals Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong joined local people in celebrating the great national unity festival in Nguyen Du ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi on November 14. Chairwoman of National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also attended a festival in Nam O Village, in Thuy Trinh commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province. In addition, many other Party and State leaders joined the great national unity festivals nationwide. Vietnam Craft Village Trade Fair held in Hanoi At the fair The 2018 Vietnam Craft Village Trade Fair is taking place in Hanoi from November 17-21. The event features more than 150 pavilions from centres and craft villages around the country, displaying unique and refined handicraft products, agro-forestry and fishery products, food and beverages, souvenirs, and specialties. Vietnamese novel about war wins Asia Literature Award 2018 The well-known novel by Bao Ninh titled Noi Buon Chien Tranh (The Sorrow of War) won the only prize at the Asia Literature Award 2018. The novel tells the story of a soldier who grows reflective as he collects dead bodies after a battle. Vietnam beats Malaysia 2-0 at AFF Cup Cong Phuong and his teammates celebrate after the first goal for Vietnam. Vietnam cruised past Malaysia, with two straight goals in the match in Hanoi, to join Myanmar on top of the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup Group A with six points after two matches. The goals were scored by Cong Phuong and Anh Duc. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will participate in an official ceremony on Monday marking the completion of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline. The offshore section of the pipeline, which is 930km (578 miles) and runs along the bottom of the Black Sea, is designed to deliver Russian gas to the Turkish market. Russias Gazprom began construction of the section in May 2017. It will be continued by a 180km (112 miles) land transit line for gas supply to the countries of south and southeast Europe. The first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019. The pipeline, which has two parts, is expected to carry 31.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Russia to Turkey. It is a major joint project between the two countries. The deputy chairman of Gazproms board of directors, Alexander Medvedev, said earlier that in the near future the company would finally determine the route of the second line. According to him, two main options are being discussed in accordance with the procedures in the European Union and the European Commission. Medvedev cited Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary as potential markets. Turkey is Gazproms second largest export market. Russian energy is currently supplied to the country through the Blue Stream pipeline and the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. In 2017, Gazprom exported a record 29 billion cubic meters of gas to the Turkish market which is 17.3 percent more than in 2016. READ MORE: Hungary wants Russia's Turkish Stream pipeline to be extended into Europe Orban In June, President Putin said an extension of the Turkish Stream pipeline (aka TurkStream) to Bulgaria had been agreed. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asked Russia to extend the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline to his country and further into Europe. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Israel said its sovereignty over the Golan Heights is permanent, after the US for the first time rejected a symbolic UN resolution that calls on the Jewish state to end its occupation of the Syrian territory it captured in 1967. Israel will remain forever on the Golan Heights, and the Golan Heights will forever remain in our hands, Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, thanking the US leadership for voting against calls at the United Nations on Friday for the return of the Golan to Syria. Read more Netanyahu noted that Israel has been working with the US for some time towards the abandonment of Washingtons passive support for the non-binding resolution titled The occupied Syrian Golan. Previous US leadership had abstained from the vote on the symbolic document but, this year, under Donald Trump, the US became the only state to vote No alongside Israel. However, with 151 votes in favor and 14 abstentions, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee's resolution passed anyway. The document demands the end of Israeli occupation of the Golan while urging Tel Aviv to refrain from establishing settlements and from imposing Israeli citizenship on Syrians living there. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Six Day War. While Tel Aviv refrained from extending sovereignty over the Golan for over a decade, in 1981 the Jewish state annexed the area. The Druze of the Golan were offered full Israeli citizenship under the Golan Heights Law of 1981, however, only a small minority changed their allegiance from Syria to Israel. Despite strong condemnation by Damascus, last month Israel introduced elections to the local Druze councils in the territory. Read more Israel has enjoyed the most favorable relations with the US under the Trump administration, which has bowed to a strong domestic Israeli lobby to support Tel Aviv's demands, ignored by previous American governments. During Trump's presidency, Washington has been blocking Palestinian aspirations for statehood. In the most controversial move, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Months following the move, US ambassador David Friedman hinted that Washington might soon recognize Israels claims over the Golan. I personally cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights will be returned to Syria, he told the Israel Hayom newspaper in September. I frankly cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights is not part of Israel forever. Like this story? Share it with a friend! The Dutch writer who claimed she may have discovered a missing Picasso painting, stolen in the 2012 theft of the century, has announced that she is instead the unfortunate victim of a rather elaborate hoax. Writer Mira Feticu, who wrote a novel based on the heist, claims she was sent an anonymous letter ten days ago with instructions telling her where to find Picassos Tete dArlequin estimated to be worth 800,000 ($913,000), in a forest in eastern Romania. She uncovered the painting buried and wrapped in plastic and then informed the authorities of her amazing find. However, it now emerges that Feticu was the victim of a hoax perpetrated by two Belgian directors based in Antwerp. They came clean about their nefarious hoax after all of the international media coverage it received. Feticu received an email from the pair explaining that it was part of their project called True Copy which is dedicated to infamous Dutch forger Geert Jan Jansen. Jan Jansen was notorious for flooding the European art market with fakes and forgeries before he was eventually caught in 1994. Part of this performance was prepared in silence in the course of the past few months, with a view to bringing back Picassos Tete dArlequin, Bart Baele and Yves Degryse wrote on their website, Berlin. BERLIN currently wishes to abstain from any comment because it wants to speak to Ms Feticu and Mr Westerman first, who discovered the work on Saturday. We will be back with more details on this issue within the next few days.EditDelete Pablo Picassos Tete dArlequin was stolen from Rotterdams Kunsthal museum in 2012 in the so-called theft of the century along with several other paintings by Monet, Gauguin and others. The mastermind and his three accomplices, all from Romania, were all jailed in 2013 but none of the paintings were ever recovered. The four were jailed and ordered to pay 18m to the paintings insurers. Olga Dogaru, one the gang, told investigators that she had burned the paintings to protect her son, who was the alleged mastermind of the heist. Specialists from Romanias natural history museum found traces of at least three oil paintings in the ash in Dogarus home. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Tijuana residents have staged a rally against migrants gathering in the Mexican border city in hopes of crossing to the US. Donald Trump supported their outrage, saying even his country is ill-prepared to survive such an invasion. Anti-migrant sentiment is running high in Tijuana, as hundreds of locals shouting no to the invasion and Mexico First staged a protest rally on Sunday. Starting at a major traffic roundabout they marched north toward a makeshift shelter which now hosts thousands of migrants. The protesters carried placards reading enough of uncontrolled migration and migrants yes, invaders no. Before the procession managed to reach Benito Juarez migrant camp, riot police officers were deployed to block them. Some brief scuffles followed but, according to local media, law enforcement officers managed to disperse the crowd without making any arrests. Tensions in the city exploded last Wednesday when first clashes were reported between the newcomers and locals, that latter angry that migrants illegally forced their way into Mexico and now accumulate at the US border, posing a growing security risk. Responding to the public sentiment, Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum made clear that anyone who endangers public order will be deported. No city in the world is prepared to receive this if Im allowed this avalanche, he said, during a news conference at City Hall last week. It is a tsunami. There is concern among all citizens of Tijuana. Not all Tijuana locals oppose the influx of asylum seekers though. Just before the Sunday anti-caravan march began, a small demonstration was held in support of the Central Americans, condemning what they call racism and discrimination. Some 3,200 Central American migrants had arrived in Tijuana over the past week, their last stop before attempting to cross into the United States. In the coming weeks the number of migrants in Tijuana is expected to reach 10,000 as thousands are heading to a city already stretched beyond its capacity to host the newcomers. Donald Trump, who has deployed thousands of troops at the border to reinforce the frontier with Mexico, said last week that the US, just like Tijuana, is ill-prepared to host such a migrant invasion and urged the Central Americans to go home. Those who try to cross the border illegally will be detained or turned away, the US president warned in another tweet. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Moscow wants to boost economic ties with Hanoi, according to the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He said the two countries have agreed to nearly triple trade turnover by the end of next year. Medvedev is currently on an official visit to Vietnam where he has already met with the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. We have agreed to cooperate more closely and effectively implement a free trade agreement Vietnam has signed with the (Russia-led) Eurasian Economic Union, Phuc told reporters Monday after meeting with Medvedev. He explained the two countries are looking to facilitate bilateral trade in farm produce and seafood and will have measures to support joint energy investment projects. Read more The volume of Russia-Vietnam trade amounted to $3.37 billion in January-August 2018. Last year, trade turnover increased by 36.2 percent to $5.23 billion. Russias exports to Vietnam include machinery and equipment, grain crops, food products, mineral raw materials, metals, etc. Imports included electrical engineering and components, mobile phones, textiles, food, and agricultural raw materials. READ MORE: Putin calls for development of digital economy within Eurasian Economic Union Vietnam was the fourth largest buyer of Russian wheat after Egypt, Turkey and Bangladesh in the previous marketing season. The Southeast Asian country has imported 1.2 million tons of Russian wheat since the start of the current 2018/19 marketing season on July 1. According to Medvedev, the sides will expand their cooperation in the oil and gas industries and transportation. Russia currently invests in over a hundred projects in Vietnam worth almost $1 billion, including oil and gas exploration. Three years ago, Vietnam joined the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), becoming the first non-regional country to enter the bloc. The free trade zone agreement allows Russian car manufacturers to produce vehicles in Vietnam. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section A Russian Progress cargo craft has successfully docked at the International Space Station just days before its 20th anniversary, bringing around 2.5 tons of supplies to keep the mission going. The Progress MS-10 spacecraft, mounted on a Soyuz-FG rocket, lifted off on Friday morning from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Following a two-day space flight, the Progress finally docked at the International Space Station (ISS), Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed. The docking procedure was fully automated, as the spacecrafts computers guided it all the way to the rendezvous point. The craft, which used its thrusters to adjust its trajectory, completed its radar-guided docking with the Zvezda module of the ISS. Cameras on board the station spotted the Progress around one kilometer away as it approached the docking port. The docking occurred while the ISS was in orbit over Algeria. Roscosmos specialists on the ground, as well as cosmonaut Sergey Prokopiev on the ISS, kept an eye on the process, ready to take manual control if needed. The Progress delivered around 2.5 tons of cargo, including 725kg of fuel, 420kg of fresh water, as well as scientific gear, spare parts, food, clothing and other items for the crew. READ MORE: ISS crew made emergency landing in Kazakhstan, both alive It arrived just two days before the station, launched on November 20, 1998, marks its 20th anniversary in orbit. The ISS, which usually accommodates up to six crew from different nations, is deemed to be one of the greatest successes of world powers cooperation in space. Progress is not the only resupply ship scheduled to dock at the station. A US Cygnus spacecraft will arrive later on Monday. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Tensions between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip escalated after Israeli fighter jets fired eight missiles at the headquarters of Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa Television in Gaza, destroying the building and damaging others nearby. The Israeli forces have conducted more than 70 air strikes in retaliation for rocket attacks from Palestinian territories. Previously, Hamas and other armed forces launched more than 400 rockets or mortars across the border area following an anti-tank missile attack on an Israeli bus that injured a soldier. The Palestinian side said that more than a dozen people, including mostly Gaza gunmen, died in recent Israeli attacks. The retaliatory attacks between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continued for the past few months. Violence is pushing the land of Palestine into a serious crisis suffering impacts from Israels siege and embargo policy, the Gaza Strip engulfed in war fire, and the shortage of electricity, food and necessities. The situation worsened after the US decided to cut aid funding for Palestinian refugees. The United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss the escalating violence in Gaza, but no deal was reached on how to deal with the crisis. The UN, the Arab League, countries and the international community have urged the conflicting parties to exercise restraint and called for a solution to the conflict in Gaza. However, international efforts are paralysed by hard-line disagreements between Israel and Hamas. As diplomatic efforts seem to be in a deadlock, Egypt showed its proactive and active role in the Middle East peace process. Although the results did not meet expectations, a ceasefire was reached, helping to relieve concerns over the possible explosion of the gunpowder barrel in Gaza. However, shortly after the ceasefire in Gaza was agreed by the Israeli government, Israeli defence minister Lieberman announced his resignation expressing disagreement over the ceasefire in Gaza, while urging the government to soon hold elections. According to Lieberman, Israels Egypt-mediated deal with Hamas was surrender to terrorism. He also claimed that his right-wing party Yisrael Beitenu would leave the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Turkey criticised the international communitys silence in the face of dangerous developments in the Gaza Strip. Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Saeb Erekat urged the international community to defend the Gaza region after Israeli air strikes. He insisted that all Israeli attacks should be brought to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and called on the international community to do its utmost to prevent a massacre aimed at the Palestinian people in Gaza. However, the actual situation in Gaza, where retaliatory attacks still occur daily, creates great difficulty in getting the parties to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, Palestine now rejects the USs mediating role in the Middle East peace process. The peace roadmap between Israel and Palestine is in need of a hitch, but the issue also depends on goodwill as well as the concession of the parties concerned. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. * The number of people missing after California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire jumped on Saturday to 1,276, despite authorities locating hundreds of people who scattered when the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. * British Prime Minister Theresa May says she sees no alternative to the Brexit deal she presented earlier this week, amid reports that some of her senior ministers want her to renegotiate the draft agreement before meeting EU leaders next weekend. * The China-India Youth Dialogue 2018 was held in the Indian capital in an effort to promote the people-to-people and cultural exchanges and relations between the two countries. *The Argentine Navy said on Saturday a private company hired by the government has located the submarine ARA San Juan some 800 meters (2625 feet) below the ocean's surface a year after it went missing with 44 crew members aboard. * Russia is ready to provide Belarus with weapons if needed, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich told reporters. * Seven people were killed and more than 8,000 others are taking shelters as landslides and quakes struck Mamasa district of Indonesia's West Sulawesi province, a disaster agency official said Saturday. * Iran and Iraq on Saturday renewed their calls for close and "brotherly" ties despite fresh US sanction pressure. In a meeting with visiting Iraqi President Barham Salih, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for strengthening relations with Iraq. * Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that he would meet Sunday (November 18) with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in a last effort to prevent snap elections. * Military personnel from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and US Army Pacific (USARPAC) Saturday ended the Disaster Management Exchange 2018 in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu Province. * Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his RoKs counterpart Moon Jae-in in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday, calling for deepening the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and strengthening communication on the Korean Peninsula issue. * At least 18 Syrian servicemen were killed in an attack by militants in the Syrian province of Latakia, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said Saturday. * The African Union (AU) on Saturday launched a peace fund aimed to promote peace and security in Africa. * The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday expressed concern over recent tribal clashes in southwestern Libya. * At least 40 civilians were killed on Saturday morning by intensified US-led airstrikes in eastern Syria, state news agency SANA reported. * Iranian Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that the country's security forces are ready for anti-terror operations on Pakistani territory. * The 11th extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) on Saturday kicked off at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital to primarily advance the institutional reform of the 55-member Union. In the two-day session, the AU heads of states are expected to consider detailed proposals for making the AU Commission more effective and performance-based institution, which is the heart of the reform. * Ireland's prime minister on Saturday pledged to remove more workers from paying the highest rate of income tax by increasing the threshold by more than a third if his government continues in office for the next five years. * More than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in Central African Republic in an attack on a Catholic mission sheltering 20,000 refugees, a regional lawmaker said. The attack happened on November 15 in Alindao, a town 300 km (200 miles) east of the capital Bangui. Thousands of people were forced to flee when the mission was set on fire, the United Nations said. During the recent international conference on the Libyan crisis held in Italy's Palermo, Speaker of Libya's parliament, Agila Saleh, and UN Special Envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, had a sideline meeting. According to the speaker's media advisor, Salame expressed no objection on any possible joint decision made by the parliament and the Higher Council of State to replace the Presidential Council. The Presidential Council has been appointed based on a UN-sponsored political agreement signed by the Libyan parties later in 2015 in order to end the country's political crisis. However, the country remains politically divided between authorities in the east and the west, both competing for legitimacy. In October, both of the parliament and the Higher Council of State announced that they agreed on forming a new Presidential Council consisting of a president and two deputies, instead of the current one which has a president and eight deputies. Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos, ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Bandar Seri Begawan for a state visit to Brunei on Nov. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Sunday for a state visit to Brunei, the first by a Chinese head of state in 13 years to the Southeastern Asian country. Xi was warmly welcomed by senior officials of Brunei at the airport. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the Brunei government and its people. Xi stressed that China and Brunei are neighbors across the sea, and also friends and partners who trust each other, as the two sides have a long history of friendly exchanges. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 27 years ago, the two countries have been treating each other as equals, and scored deepening political mutual trust and fruitful results in various cooperations, which brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and made positive contributions to peace and prosperity in the region, said Xi. He expected to carry forward bilateral traditional friendship, jointly outline a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the new era, and uplift the China-Brunei good-neighborly friendship to a new high through the visit. It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing Asia-Pacific tour. He has paid a state visit to Papua New Guinea, met with leaders from Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China and attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea's capital city of Port Moresby. Upon his departure from Port Moresby Sunday afternoon, Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel with other senior officials saw the Chinese president off at the airport. After Xi's stay in Brunei, he will fly to the Philippines for a state visit. By Reuters NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) concluded a critical day-long board meeting, said a source familiar with the situation. It wasn't immediately clear whether it had come to any conclusions in a dispute with the government over easing liquidity for the financial sector and increasing credit to small businesses. The central bank will take measure to improve liquidity, according to sources. The government has been pressing the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks, which would speed up loans to small businesses in remote parts of the country, a crucial vote bank for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May. By PTI NEW DELHI: The ongoing rift with the government is set to play out at the RBI's crucial board meeting Monday, which, according to ANI, has begun. The Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team over issues ranging from MSME credit to the central bank's reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. While there have been reports and demands from some quarters for the Governor to step down, sources said Patel is unlikely to yield under pressure and will rather mount a strong defence of the central bank's policies regarding stringent NPA recognition norms as well as measures taken to ease credit supply to MSMEs. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) board meeting begins in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/Ts8eBWHJDB ANI (@ANI) 19 November 2018 Patel and his four deputies, who are all members of the RBI's 18-member central board, will present a united front, while a few independent directors too are expected to support the central bank's mission to clean up bank balance sheets, sources said. The central board, headed by the RBI Governor, is expected to discuss issues mentioned in the agenda circulated to the board members in advance. Off-agenda items can also be raised in the meeting, with the chair's permission. The RBI's central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. The members include Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies as 'full-time official directors', while the rest 13 have been nominated by the government, including two Finance Ministry officials -- Economic Affairs Secretary and Financial Services Secretary. Sources said the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are looking to reach at an agreeable solution with respect to relaxation of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and easing of lending norms for the MSME sector. If not in this board meeting, the issue of relaxation of PCA framework would reach a resolution in the next few weeks, they added. As a result of the relaxation, some banks may come out of the PCA framework by the end of this fiscal. Of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk-weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). Globally, PCA kicks in only when banks slip on a single parameter of capital adequacy ratio, and the government is in favour of this practice being adopted for the domestic banking sector as well. The RBI is also expected to consider a special dispensation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which have been facing liquidity issues. The government feels that the MSME sector -- which employs about 12 crore people and plays a critical role in the economy -- needs some support after being impacted by demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the central bank has been averse to the government's demand as it considers the sectors to be vulnerable. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity. It is necessary that the growth process does not suffer due to the cleaning up of the banking system from the "collectively committed sins" during 2008-14 when the regulatory mechanisms also overlooked high debt accumulation, he said. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the Finance Ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. In his first public comments since the spat between the RBI and the Finance Ministry came out in the open, Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy had last week said the stand-off "is not a happy thing at all". Gurumurthy, who was appointed to the board of RBI a few months back, had said the capital adequacy ratio prescribed in India is 1 per cent higher than the global Basel norms. He also pitched for easing lending norms for small and medium enterprises, which account for 50 per cent of the country's GDP. Last month, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said the RBI Governor should work in sync with the government or resign. "The Reserve Bank of India Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise resign," SJM's co-convener Ashwani Mahajan had said. (With inputs from ANI) By PTI NEW DELHI: The perception of UK businesses of corruption as a barrier to operate in India has halved since 2015 and 46 per cent of companies have plans to expand investment in India in the next 12 months, a report by UK India Business Council (UKIBC) said Monday. The roll-out of GST was also cited as a contributor to the improved operating environment with those optimistic about the reform doubling on 2017, overturning initial caution around its implementation in the last year's report, the UKIBC's Ease of Doing Business Report said. "UK businesses' perceptions of corruption as a barrier to operating in India has halved since 2015," it said. However, it added that there is still room for improvement in important areas. "Most notably in the quality of bureaucracy which saw little improvement," it said. It will take time for reforms introduced at the top of government to filter to every corner of the Indian bureaucratic machine, the report said adding "UK investors would like to see continued efforts to improve this aspect of the operating environment across states". Further it said that since 2000, the UK has been the largest G20 investor in India, investing 17.5 billion and creating 3,71,000 new jobs. Sumi Sukanya dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Early Sunday morning, 21-month-old Ashan, suffering from a rare genetic disorder, breathed his last at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital in the capital in the lap of his helpless father, a daily wage labourer. The distraught father, Alam, said he felt all the more miserable, as his frantic effort to save his sons life through numerous pleas of help to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Prime Ministers office were ignored. The infant couldnt be saved despite the fact that the Centre in 2017 had set up a corpus of `100 crore to help patients and families suffering from rare diseases following a direction from the Delhi High Court. Last several months have been extremely difficult for me, as, on one hand my toddler was struggling for every breath and, on the other, I was not getting any hope despite knocking at every door possible, the infants father said. I wrote to PM Narendra Modi, Health Minister JP Nadda, Health secretary and Delhi CM when I learnt that the government has come up with the National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases in 2017 and has set aside a fund to help needy families, but I did not get any help from anywhere. Ashan had been a patient of Gaucher disease a medical condition characterised by anaemia, mental and neurologic impairment, enlargement of spleen and bone deterioration due to lack of an essential enzyme and his family was told at AIIMS, Delhi last year that the treatment would cost them around `40 lakh per year. I had lost three of my other children to the disease and therefore, did not want to lose Ashan. However, due to government apathy and insensitivity, I couldnt save him, Alam, who earns around R8,000 a month, said. Prasanna Shirol of the Organisation of Rare Diseases of India said that it is extremely unfortunate that the despite a national policy for rare diseases being framed last year, people in need are dying for want of financial and medical help. Treatment cost for a rare disease afflicting a child, weighing 10 kg, can vary between `20 lakh and `1 crore and it is extremely difficult for families to afford such a high cost. Its sad to see that theres been little or no intervention, so far, from either the central or the state government. I can only hope that this tragic incident will shake the authorities concerned out of their slumber and prompt them to act, he said. Shirol said that in last one year, 400 patients have approached the Centre seeking financial help and 20 of them have died. Health secretary Preeti Sudan said she does not, off-hand, remember being approached for this particular case and will have to look into the details.While every loss of life is unfortunate, you have to understand our constraints. Health being a state subject, the fund under the schemes can be released only on 60: 40 ratio with state governments and currently, the Director General of Health Services is in the process of laying down the norms for the release of funds to the beneficiaries under this scheme. she said. By PTI MUMBAI: Hundreds of passengers of Jet Airways were left stranded at the city airport after the carrier cancelled 10 domestic flights from here on Sunday, an airline source said. The Jet Airways said the flights were cancelled from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) due to "operational issues". However, the airline source claimed it was due to pilots' scarcity. "Jet Airways had to cancel a few domestic flights of date (November 18) due to operational reasons. Guests of the affected flights were duly informed about their flight status via SMS alerts. In accordance with regulatory policy, guests have been re-accommodated and or compensated," the airline said in a statement. The airline said it regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests. The airline source said the carrier has not been regular in paying salaries to pilots, engineers and senior management for quite some time now. Facing cash crunch, the Naresh Goyal-controlled private carrier has lost a good number of pilots in the recent past and many a time they have to work overtime to make up for the shortage, the source said. "The airline failed to operate as many as domestic 10 flights from Mumbai Sunday as it did not have required number of pilots." "Due to the abrupt cancellations, passengers who had booked their journey on these flights were left stranded," the source said. He said the shortage of pilots at the airline has been going on for months together as it has not hired new ones to replace those who have quit the airline in this period due to financial issues. Trump says full report over Khashoggi's death to come in two days WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said the U.S. full report over the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will come over the next two days. On a trip to California, Trump told the media that he had talked with the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Gina Haspel, over the killing of Khashoggi. Referring to the incident as "a horrible thing" and "a very, very bad situation," Trump said "we'll be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." The CIA has concluded that the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered to kill Khashoggi, U.S. media quoted insiders on Friday as saying. However, Trump said the CIA has not "assessed anything yet." "It's too early. That was a very premature report. But that's possible -- we're going to see," he said. "But we're going to have a report on Tuesday. And it'll be very complete." "We're going to come up with a report as to what we think the overall impact was and who caused it, and who did it," he said. On Friday, Trump said "we also have a great ally in Saudi Arabia. They give us a lot of jobs and a lot of business and economic development. They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development." Also on Friday, the State Department said the United States has not made a final conclusion on the death of Khashoggi. In a statement, spokesperson Heather Nauert said "recent reports indicating that the U.S. government has made a final conclusion is inaccurate," and that "there remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder." However, Nauert noted that the U.S. side will "maintain strategic relationship" with Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. The Saudi authorities said that Khashoggi died in a "brawl" in its consulate. After releasing the results of its initial investigations, the Saudi Public Prosecution announced that 18 people were arrested over their alleged connections with the killing. The U.S. Congress has urged a thorough investigation in the murder of Khashoggi, and threatened to take more actions against Saudi Arabia if those responsible were not held accountable, such as suspending the U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia and sanctioning the kingdom. On Thursday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 17 individuals over their alleged roles in the killing of Khashoggi. By Express News Service Defending the State governments decision to withdraw general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has questioned the need to give the States powers to Central agencies, when it is evident how rotten it (CBI) has become today. In a controversial move, the Naidu government had withdrawn the general consent accorded to the CBI usually given by all the States to exercise its powers and jurisdiction in Andhra Pradesh. In a brief interaction with mediapersons on Saturday, the Chief Minister said the State institutions were functioning better than the CBI. The ACB is doing better (than the CBI). There is no need for giving our powers to the Centre. Today, there are internal differences in the CBI and corruption is bringing disrepute to the Central investigation agency. Under such circumstances, State institutions can do better than it, Naidu said. On the reactions of his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and others, Naidu observed that several States were supporting the move, which is a welcome development. It protects our autonomy. Further, our ACB can do better. Today, the State is third among the States with low corruption levels and we can do better, he said. The Chief Minister observed that Andhra Pradesh can be a model for other States and at the same time it can also expose the lapses of the Centre. Using institutions for political purposes is not proper, he reiterated. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu defended the governments stand on withdrawal of general consent to the CBI. He said the decision was taken in view of the agency being misused by the Narendra Modi government. In a press release, he said it was within the rights of the State government. Dismissing the criticism unwarranted, he said in the first place the Centre has pushed the CBI into a crisis. Is it not Modi government? Who is diluting the autonomy of RBI? Is it not Narendra Modi? Have we ever been accused in economic offences making rounds of the PMO? Has there ever been an internal squabble in the CBI? Our decision was to protect the federal spirit, Yanamala claimed. Yanamala said the TDPs objective is to protect democracy in the country and stressed that it is the responsibility of everyone to dethrone Modi government in the 2019 elections to protect democracy. On the other hand, YSRC party leader Anam Ramanarayana Reddy reiterated that the Chief Minister was trying to muzzle the functioning of democratic institutions. In fact, Naidus slogan Save the nation, save democracy is confined only to Andhra Pradesh. He is making every effort to destabilise the Central law enforcing agencies and weaken the federal spirit of the country, Anam said. Naidu has been weakening the federal structure of the country by taking audacious and arrogant decisions such as withdrawing the general consent to CBI for functioning in the State at a time when serious corruption charges have come to the fore against the TDP government, Annam Ramanarayana Reddy said. He said Naidu was making a mockery of democracy and going against the national spirit as he fears that law enforcing agencies would dig out shady deals of his and his coterie and many skeletons would tumble once the investigation begins. Anuraag Singh By Express News Service BHOPAL: The battle between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress for the Jabalpur Purv (East) seat turned violent on Sunday late night, as supporters of candidates of both parties indulged in stone pelting, lobbing crude bombs and also firing all outside the Belbag police station of Jabalpur town (330 km from Bhopal). At least three men, including two Congress workers Manish Sen and Tapan Jain and a BJP worker Vishwas Sonkar were injured in the violence which continued for around 45 minutes. Sonkar, who sustained bullet wounds in the stomach has been hospitalized at the Jabalpur Medical College hospital, while the two Congress workers, one of whom has suffered bullet injuries are being treated at another hospital. According to SP Jabalpur Amit Singh, at least 20 persons from both sides have been arrested so far and five different cases have been registered against named and unidentified accused from both sides. "We're scanning the videotapes of the entire episode to identify and arrest more accused in the cases," said Singh. Those booked in the five cases include the son and nephew of the sitting BJP MLA Anchal Sonkar (who is the BJP candidate from the seat) and the brothers of Congress candidate Lakhan Ghanghoriya, Singh added. According to police, the incident was triggered by allegations by the Congress candidate that the BJP candidate's men were distributing Sarees among voters on Sunday evening in the Belbag area. Irked over it, Congress workers rushed to the Belbag police station to report the matter. Coming to know about the incident, the other group led by the BJP MLA along with supporters rushed to the police station, where both the groups had heated exchange of words ensued by a scuffle. Hearing about it more supporters from both sides rushed to the spot and full-blown violent clash erupted between both sides outside the police station at around 11 pm. "Both groups indulged in stone pelting, lobbed crude bombs and also opened fire, before the police in strength rushed to the spot and drove away from the rioting BJP and Congress workers," said SP Jabalpur, who himself led the cops to disperse the rioting mob from the streets. The violence continued for around 45 minutes, leaving the three BJP and Congress supporters injured. The cops fired tear gas shells and lathi-charged protesters to contain the violence, after which security personnel have been deployed in the entire Belbag area. Two out of eight seats in Jabalpur district, including Jabalpur Purva and Bargi have been declared as very sensitive and as many as 20 pockets in Jabalpur Purb seat have been bracketed as vulnerable to violence. Out of the eight assembly seats in Jabalpur, six were won by BJP and two by Congress in 2013 polls. In the previous elections, BJP's Anchal Sonkar had defeated sitting Congress MLA Lakhan Ghanghoriya by a water-tight 1000-plus votes margin from Jabalpur Purva seat. By PTI AMARAVATI: The Jana Sena Party of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan Monday decided not to contest the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana and said it would fight the Lok Sabha polls next year instead. The issue was discussed with all leaders of the party, and it has been decided to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls from now itself, Kalayan said. "Had the assembly elections been held as per schedule (in April 2019), the Jana Sena would have surely jumped into the fray. Since the assembly polls have been advanced, we are not geared up for the contest. "It's really difficult for a fledgling party like ours," Kalyan said. Filing of nominations for the Telangana Assembly election ended Monday. The YSR Congress had earlier announced it would stay away from the Telangana polls since its complete focus was on the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh, its actual base. The YSRC, however, said it would gear up for the 2024 assembly elections in Telangana. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TRS leader KT Rama Rao heckled Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) founder M Kodandaram comparing the latter with a curry leaf. Kodandaram wanted 70 seats in the Grand Alliance. Later, he asked at least 30 seats. Now, the Congress even denied Jangaon ticket to him. Kodandaram readied a ratham and campaign material for Jangaon seat. The Congress used Kodandaram as koora lo karivepaku and threw him away, Rama Rao said after admitting Congress, BJP and MRPS activists from erstwhile Karimnagar district at Telangana Bhavan on Sunday. A prominent Congress leader from Vemulawada Y Manohar Reddy who failed to get Congress ticket too joined in the presence of KTR on Sunday. ALSO READ: Telangana elections: Backward classes get lions share in Congress' final list Rama Rao attacked Kodandaram by saying that the curry leaves are used in dishes and later they are thrown away. The IT Minister said that Grand Alliance seats were being finalised by AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu at Amaravati. Naidu would send notes and the Congress would act as per his directions. Telangana people are politically aware and they reject notes and give votes to TRS, Rama Rao said. He asked the voters not to hand over Telangana to outsiders like TDP, Congress and BJP. Rama Rao said that the Grand Alliance took 70 days to share just 40 Assembly seats. Those who failed to share seats could not deliver good governance, he said. Congress symbol was like Bhasmasura Hastham he said and cautioned the people not to believe the party, he cautioned the voters. Rama Rao said that while bouncers were guarding the Gandhi Bhavan, the Telangana Bhavan was abuzz with political activities. On Bodige Sobha contesting on BJP ticket, Rama Rao said that she had no favourable situation in Choppadandi. If she continued in TRS, the party would have provided her better opportunities in future, Rao said. By PTI MUMBAI: A 27-year-old 'aspiring actor' has been arrested from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly threatening Bollywood superstar Salman Khan by calling up his PA after she refused to share the contact number of the actor, the police said Monday. The accused Shahrukh Gulabnabi alias Shera told the police that he was looking for a break in Bollywood and wanted Salman to be his "godfather" in the film industry, a police officer said. According to police, Shera contacted Salman's personal assistant over phone on October 6 and demanded the personal number of the actor. "When she refused to share the number, he started abusing the actor and threatened to kill him," the officer said. Salman Khan. (Photo | Twitter) He said Shera then called up Salman's father Salim Khan on November 13 and sought the actor's number while claiming that he was working for gangster Chhota Shakeel. As Salim Khan refused to share Salman's contact number, Shera threatened him, the officer said. "After police were contacted, we registered a case against the unidentified person at Bandra police station under section 506 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and others provisions of Information Technology Act," said senior police inspector Girish Anavkar. ALSO READ | Indian cinema shouldn't be remembered just for Salman Khan films, says Naseeruddin Shah He said the caller number was traced to Uttar Pradesh and Shera was arrested from Allahabad. Shera was brought to Mumbai Monday morning and produced before a court which remanded him in police custody til November 22, the officer said. "He told police that he was an aspiring actor and wanted an entry into Bollywood. He was demanding Salman's contact number, as he wanted the actor to be his godfather in the film industry," he said. By PTI WASHINGTON: College students prefer being deprived of food over parting with their smartphones, a study has found. The findings, published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, suggest that smartphones can be more reinforcing than food for college students. "In this study, we provide evidence for the first time that smartphones are reinforcing," said Sara O'Donnell, a scientist at University at Buffalo in the US. "We also found that when deprived of both food and smartphones, students were much more motivated to work for time to use their smartphone, and were willing to part with more hypothetical money to gain access to their phone," she said. The researchers wanted to explore whether smartphones could function as a reinforcing behaviour, the same way that food, drugs and alcohol are reinforcers. "The frequency with which we use our cellphones every day is astounding, with estimates ranging from five to nine hours a day," O'Donnell said. In the study, 76 college students ranging in age from 18 to 22, had no access to food for three hours and no access to their smartphones for two hours. During that time, they either studied or read newspapers. After that, the students could use a computer task in order to earn either the use of their smartphones or 100-calorie servings of their favourite snack food. As smartphone time or food was earned, the amount of work needed to earn either one increased. The researchers measured smartphone reinforcement in two ways. One was a hypothetical questionnaire that asked how many minutes of smartphone use an individual would purchase at increasing prices. The other was a behavioural index of reinforcement that measured the amount of work (ie the number of mouse button clicks) an individual would expend to use their phone, where the amount of clicks needed to use the phone increases over time. The more hypothetical money and work the students were willing to spend to be able to use their smartphones reflected a higher reinforcing value, O'Donnell said. "We knew that students would be motivated to gain access to their phones, but we were surprised that despite modest food deprivation, smartphone reinforcement far exceeded food reinforcement across both methodologies," she said. By Online Desk The Kerala HC on Monday condemned the state police for its high handed behaviour against devotees at the Sabarimala shrine. Over 60 people were arrested late Sunday night after unprecedented protests broke out by devotees against the Kerala Police's restrictions. Hindu Aikya Vedi leader KP Sasikala on Monday morning was granted permission to visit the shrine for her grandson's ' choroonu ' (i.e., rice feeding ceremony). The police issued her a notice, demanding that she return within six hours. On Saturday, she had made an attempt to visit the temple but was not let in as the police cited time restrictions. Following her sit-in protest, she was arrested and later released on bail. The state had come to a standstill after an unexpected hartal called by right-wing Hindu outfits in protest against her arrest. The Sabarimala temple had opened Friday evening for the two-month-long Mandala Pooja-Magaravilaku annual pilgrimage season, as a stand-off continued over the entry of menstrual age women into the shrine. Abhijit Mulye By Express News Service MUMBAI: In a development that might have a nationwide impact, the Maharashtra state cabinet on Sunday decided to create a special category to grant quota for Maratha community. The special underlines the social and economic backwardness of the community, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said while announcing the decision. The development followed the report of the state backward class commission which was submitted to the state government earlier this week. "The commission has very clearly stated three things. One is the social and economic backwardness of the Maratha community. Secondly, they have recommended that reservation in government jobs and education be granted to the community and thirdly the commission has very clearly described how this amounts to an exceptional and extraordinary situation," Fadnavis said after the cabinet meeting. Winter session of the state assembly is set to begin tomorrow and the state government is expected to table a legislation in the house regarding Maratha quota. When asked about it, Fadnavis said that a cabinet sub-committee has been formed to study the report of the backward class commission and decide the course of further action. When asked about the procedure, a senior minister confided that a new Maratha quota bill is likely to be tabled in the first week of the assembly session itself. On queries regarding whether the quota will be granted under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, Fadnavis said that it would be placed under a new category and when asked whether the bill has to be referred to the National Backward Class Commission (NCBC) he made it clear that the state government had sought Advocate Genera's opinion on this and he has opined that once the bill is tabled in the assembly that reference won't be needed. Maharashtra currently has 52 per cent quota allotted to various categories. Though the government is still tight-lipped on how much quota would be granted to Maratha community, senior ministers in the government have indicated that the politicians they won't be able to grant anything less than the previous government - which was 16 per cent. The Population of the Maratha community in the state is believed to be between 28 to 33 per cent. Hence, if the government decides to grant 16 per cent quota for Marathas the total reservation will reach 68 per cent. This is close to the Tamilnadu Model of reservations where 69 per cent quota has been granted to various castes. Speaking about legal hurdles in implementation of such a decision Fadnavis said that the constitution doesn't speak about 50 per cent limit on quota, while the SC judgment demands precondition of the exceptional and extraordinary situation which the community fulfils as per the report of the statutory commission. The development is expected to have a ripple effect in other BJP ruled states like Gujarat and Haryana where dominant castes like Patel and Jat have been demanding quota. Aishik Chanda By Express News Service KOLKATA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, seeking to take the anti-BJP Federal Front to the next level. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Naidu asserted the Front would meet in Delhi in December, after the Assembly elections, to chalk out the course of action ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. ALSO READ | West Bengal follows Andhra Pradesh's example, withdraws free pass to CBI in state The meeting was earlier slated for November 22 but postponed owing to the ongoing Assembly polls. Being senior leaders, we have a responsibility to save the nation and its democracy... All major institutions including CBI, RBI, ED, Income Tax Department and CAG are under tremendous pressure from the government, he said. Demonetisation has been a big farce we have seen the Rupee devaluation, high unemployment, fuel price rise, slump in agricultural output and stagnancy in economy growth under this regime. Intolerance is on the rise and politicians are being threatened, the Andhra Chief Minister added. Giving a message of opposition unity, Naidu added that the Front was in touch with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. However, Naidu ducked the question about the face of the Federal Front, saying, All of us are the faces of Federal Front. All of us are senior to Narendra Modi. Naidu confirmed that he would be present at the Federal Front rally in Kolkata on January 19. Speaking on preventing the Central Bureau of Investigation entry into the state, he said it was the state governments discretion to do that. Mamata Banerjee said, We discussed several issues concerning the country. Except for a few, all other leaders of Federal Front confirmed their presence for the January 19 rally. Military exchanges 'won't be interrupted by trade row' Chinese Lieutenant General Qin Weijiang and US General Robert Brown host a press conference at the US-China Disaster Management Exchange 2018 in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on Saturday. Photo: Liu Xuanzun/GT Senior Chinese and US military officers praised the successful completion of a disaster management exchange (DME) between the two militaries during the weekend in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, as the two sides agreed on the importance of building understanding and mutual trust through similar exchanges. Chinese military analysts said on Sunday that cooperating on humanitarian aid and disaster relief can contribute to the role of military ties acting as a stabilizer to the overall China-US relations. Lieutenant General Qin Weijiang, deputy commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command and the commander of the Eastern Theater Command ground force, said at the DME closing ceremony on Saturday that the exchange demonstrated the expertise and combat morale of the troops from both countries. The Chinese and US militaries have proven that they can enhance cooperation in areas of common interests, Qin said, noting that the two sides should carry out more exchanges and expand cooperation, which will help boost mutual trust and reduce misunderstandings and misconceptions. General Robert Brown, commander of the United States Army Pacific, echoed Qin at the event, calling the DME foundational to the military ties between the two countries. Brown said that seven out of 10 people in the world killed in a disaster were in the Indo-Pacific region, and the US and China must work together to respond to this to save lives. "Military-military is just one aspect of the relations between our two countries, but it is one where we find areas in common and can build trust and reduce miscalculation," Brown told the reporters at the closing ceremony. It is even easier to discuss differences if you are working in areas of common interests, he said. More than 200 military personnel from both sides participated in the DME. The background scenario of the exchange on Saturday was an earthquake which occured in "a third country" who requested disaster assistance from China and the US. During the practical field exercises held on Saturday, troops from both sides jointly conducted search and rescue operations in a "community" of collapsed buildings. Chinese and US troops were mixed together and tasked with locating life signals under the ruins, before getting the victims out of danger. The rescued victims were then transferred for first aid and relocated to safe positions via vehicle. A joint military command center was set up to evaluate the disaster situation and send orders. Chinese and US soldiers work together during a search and rescue training mission during the US-China Disaster Management Exchange 2018 in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on Saturday. Photo: Liu Xuanzun/GT Finding more consensus In front of US military visitors, the PLA also performed a staged scenario where "an island needed to be evacuated." A helicopter and multiple motor boats were used to conduct search and rescue missions simultaneously. The PLA then quickly built a floating bridge within 30 minutes using pieces brought in by trucks. The floating bridge was then used to transfer materials needed for rescue missions into the isolated island. A US officer who didn't give her name told the Global Times that she was surprised by the PLA's speed to build a floating bridge. "It must have required lots of practice," she said. Brown said that senior officials are not the only important ones in military ties between the two countries. Young soldiers and mid-ranked officers also gain an understanding of their counterparts and "that will help no matter what happens in the Indo-Pacific region," he noted. Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday that humanitarian aid and disaster relief is one of the practical fields where the two countries can work together to maintain regional stability and peace. Both officers and soldiers from the two sides would like to have win-win cooperation in these fields rather than compete against each other, Song said, noting that this is how military ties function as a stabilizer for the overall relations between the two countries. A US Army participant learns Chinese at the US-China Disaster Management Exchange 2018 in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on Saturday. Photo: Liu Xuanzun/GT More cooperation to come Dong Bo, Chinese head of the medical staff at the DME, told the Global Times on Friday that the PLA and US soldiers cooperated harmoniously together to the point that they did not need an interpreter all the time and were able to understand each other through simple pictures and gestures. Several US participants told the Global Times on Saturday that they love China and were learning simple Chinese expressions like "ni hao" (Hello in Chinese). Qin said that he hopes that humanitarian aid and disaster relief can act as a starting point to expanding to other areas of interest common to both sides. Brown noted that peacekeeping, counter-piracy and counter-drug efforts are all fields in which both countries have common interests. Experts said that China and the US reached a consensus on strengthening communication and risk control, an agreement which could guarantee military exchanges are not interrupted by escalating trade frictions. By PTI RANCHI: The health condition of RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is serving jail term in fodder scam cases, has deteriorated due to a festering boil on his right leg, the doctor attending him said Sunday. Yadav is currently lodged in a paying ward of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here. The sugar level and blood pressure of the RJD chief, who is a diabetic, have shot up in the past two to three days due to the boil, Dr Umesh Prasad of the RIMS, who attends Prasad, told PTI. The former Bihar chief minister's dose of insulin has been increased to bring down the sudden increase in sugar level, he said. The doctor said Yadav's creatinine level has also increased to 1.85 from 1.5 and so has the while blood cell count to 12,000, the normal range of which is between 4,000 and 8,000. "It will take some time for the infectious boil to heal," the doctor, who is monitoring the RJD chief's health condition round-the-clock, said. Due to the boil, the RJD chief is experiencing difficulty in standing up and going to the washroom, sources close Yadav said. READ | IRCTC Scam: Delhi court directs RJD chief Lalu Prasad to appear through video conference When asked if the RJD chief needs to be shifted to any other hospital, Umesh Prasad said proper care of the patient was being taken at the RIMS. Convicted in the Rs 900-crore fodder scam, the RJD chief surrendered before a special CBI court in late August, following the Jharkhand High Court's refusal to extend his bail on medical grounds. He was admitted to the RIMS and later shifted to its paying ward after he complained that he could not sleep properly due to barking dogs and mosquito menace. The fodder scam is related to fraudulent withdrawal of government funds from the treasuries of various districts of undivided Bihar in the 1990s when RJD was in power and Yadav the chief minister then. Yadav was in Ranchi jail since December last year in fodder scam cases. The Jharkhand High Court had provided him bail first for specialised treatment in hospitals in various states and again in July to attend the wedding of his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav in Patna. Tej Pratap, however, has filed divorce suit against his wife Aishwarya Rai within less than six months of tying the knot. The petition is scheduled to come up for hearing on November 29. The development has caused stress to Prasad, taking a toll on his ailing condition, sources said. By IANS WASHINGTON: An Indian-origin professor in the US compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a daily said. The Kansas City Star daily in a report on Sunday said that it had found that over professor Ashim Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, his students hauled equipment and bussed tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. The claims were made by nearly a dozen of Mitra's former students. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the newspaper that he considered his life at UMKC as "nothing more than modern slavery". "Slavery" to Kuchimanchi meant bailing putrid water from Mitra's basement after a flood and serving food at the professor's Indian cultural celebrations off campus. The students' complaints were corroborated by Mitra's former colleagues, who told the daily that they saw the students performing menial tasks off campus or heard their complaints. A few colleagues repeatedly told the professor his actions were improper, yet nothing changed. According to allegations in pending litigation, the University not only knew about Mitra's behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because he was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. A student who earned her doctorate at the UMKC pharmacy school in 2013 told The Star that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, also from India, has sued Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court - one in 2016 and one in 2018. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. Mitra has denied the allegations. By Express News Service BHOPAL: Former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani came under ink attack carried out by an activist of Hindu Sena in Gwalior town of assembly poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The incident happened when both Mewani and Kumar had stepped down from the car to participate in a symposium on "Save Democracy-Save Sovereignty-Save Constitution," organized by a social group Samvidhan Bachao Samiti at the Gwalior Chamber of Commerce auditorium. A Hindu Sena activist identified as Mukesh Pal threw ink on Mewani and Kumar just when they were about to enter the auditorium to attend the program as key speakers. The Hindu Sena activist was immediately nabbed by cops and organizers from the spot. "The concerned Hindu Sena activist has been arrested," ASP (Gwalior City) Satyendra Singh told The New Indian Express. The ASP added that since Hindu Sena activists had threatened to disrupt the program, around 30 activists of the right-wing outfit were detained in the morning, before the actual program. The symposium was organized by the Samvidhan Bachao Samiti group headed by Devashish Jarariya, who had joined the Congress a few weeks back. Later addressing the program, Kanhaiya Kumar took a dig at the BJP and PM Narendra Modi, "the man who is often dubbed as Pappu (Rahul Gandhi) is giving the PM and his party sleepless nights right now. "Further, Kumar alleged that the situation in the country was very bad, which has been aptly narrated by none other, but ex-union minister Arun Shourie, who has gone on record to say that if the present BJP stays in power, the constitution will be in danger. Addressing the program, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani said "all efforts should be made to ensure that BJP doesn't form government again." By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Calling upon the media to stay away from partisan agendas, former President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said the fourth estate of democracy must be a watchdog, gatekeeper and mediator between the powerful and the public. Mukherjee was speaking on the role of the media in Indian democracy while launching the masthead of The Morning Standard, Delhis newest daily newspaper by The New Indian Express group. "Today we stand at the crossroads of history. There are forces that seek to destroy the very political and socio-economic fabric of our nation. To foil their plans, a strong media is an answer. By stridently sticking to the truth, the media can act as the upholder of fairness and integrity. The watchdog must be forever on the alert, he said. Mukherjee also spoke about fake news and called it the greatest challenge before the media. READ: The Morning Standard: From a proud past to the future All it takes is a morphed picture, a bogus tweet or a photo-shopped statement to create social, political and communal tensions. It is important for journalists to be aware of their power to influence the minds of citizens. Hence it has to be wielded with care, responsibility and courage, he said. He touched upon the danger of paid news and said that questions were being raised about the objectivity of some media outlets. Asking media houses to look for sustainable economic models that will allow them to resist political, public or commercial pressures, Mukherjee said it would let them perform their role with honesty, and without prejudice. Manoj Sonthalia, Chairman of The New Indian Express group, said the group was starting a newspaper in Delhi to serve readers and no one else. Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla welcomed Mukherjee and said there are few things the former President had not done for the country and its people. TNIE editor G S Vasu gave the vote of thanks. By PTI NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several other political leaders paid tribute to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday. "Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary," Modi tweeted. Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2018 UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, former president Pranab Mukherjee, former vice president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal in the city. Congress leaders from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot remembered Indira Gandhi and said her contribution towards nation-building was "immense". IN PICS | Remembering 'Woman of the Millennium' Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary "Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt Indira Gandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation-building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration," Gehlot tweeted. Paying her respects to the former prime minister, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the nation should work together to keep the diversity of the country intact. "Homage to Indira Gandhi Ji, former Prime Minister of India, on her birth anniversary. National Integration Week begins today. As she did so whole-heartedly, let's work together to keep the spirit of 'unity in diversity' alive," the TMC chief tweeted. Congress leader Ashok Chavan also tweeted his homage to the former prime minister. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala quoted Indira Gandhi and said that her contribution towards building the country cannot be forgotten. "I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud. My humble homage to Smt. Indira Gandhi who lived and died in the service of the Nation. Her immense contribution in Nation building and preserving the unity & integrity of the Nation shall always be remembered," he tweeted. Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India', was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. By Express News Service AIZAWL: The BJP hardly has any base in poll-bound Mizoram but the shadow of the party is chasing the ruling Congress. The Congress and the states principal opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) are the two key players in this Christian-majority state. However, the attack of the ruling party has been invariably on the BJP whose presence is scarcely felt. ALSO READ: Mizoram elections: Where all parties have allied with BJP, all claim to be anti-BJP! The BJP, which never won a seat in Mizoram elections, may end up winning just two to three seats in areas of the ethnic minorities such as the Brus (Reangs) and the Chakmas who are a mix of Hindus and Christians. The Congress is jittery about the BJP, primarily because of its political engineering which helped the saffron party grab power in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. We have no doubt the BJP has a tacit understanding with some regional parties including the MNF. The BJP wants to rise to power in Mizoram through the backdoor, Congress spokesman Maliana told reporters in Aizawl on Monday. BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma countered the Congress leader saying, We will have it through the front door. Asked if the BJP is optimistic only about the four-five seats in Bru-Chakma majority areas, he told TNIE, No. We will surprise everyone by winning Mizo seats too. We have friends in the Congress and the MNF. If there is any shortfall (post-election), we have enough friends in both the parties. Maliana also said that the BJP would try to have its presence in the government through its allies in the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), of which Sarma is the convenor. He said the National Peoples Party (NPP), an ally on the BJP in NEDA, was in the poll fray to not win any seats but to help the BJP. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Ram Madhav are schemers. They look innocent but they are dangerous. The BJP espouses one culture, one language and one religion. The people of Mizoram wont accept this, Maliana said. He said the BJPs Mizoram unit president JV Hluna should resign for taking up the causes of the saffron party and telling lies. However, Hluna said, The BJP is a secular party and there is no question of suppressing the religious rights of any community. The Congresss worries surrounding Sarma and Madhav are obvious as the duo had secured power for the BJP in one state after the other through smart scheming. The Congress indicated that the BJP was helping the MNF and some smaller regional entities in whatever way it could to keep the grand old party out of power. The BJP knows for sure that it is not going to win many seats or be in a position to form the government. All that it wants is a non-Congress and regional parties-led government where it will have its presence, even if it is with one or two MLAs. Mizoram, the last Congress-ruled state in the Northeast, will go to election on November 28. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: In a suspected terror attack, two masked men on a motorcycle threw a grenade at a religious congregation, killing three people and injuring 20 in Amritsar on Sunday. It is too early to say if it was a joint attack by Kashmiri and Sikh militants, but it was an act of terror aimed at a particular group in Punjab, said Director General of Police Suresh Arora. The incident took place around noon at Nirankari Bhavan in Adliwal village, near Rajasansi. While one of the suspects held a volunteer deputed at the gate at gunpoint, the other barged into the sermon grounds and threw a hand grenade at the congregation, sources said, adding that the attackers fled immediately after the incident. No CCTV cameras were installed on the premises, where about 250 people were present during the attack. The Nirankari Bhawan has been sealed and a massive search operation has been launched to nab the suspects. A SWAT team has also been deployed for the search operations and security has been beefed up at other Nirankari Bhavans in the state. The hall is just eight km from the Amritsar international airport. A volunteer Gagan, who was stationed at the gate when the two men came on a bike said that one assailant went inside with a crowd of followers and the other one pointed a gun at his stomach as he wanted to know what was happening inside. I told him it was a satsang and he also went inside and then there was an explosion, he said. A crater, which is 3 in diameter was formed by the impact of the explosion and was being examined by the forensic team. The safety valve of the grenade has also been found and was being examined. We are analyzing the CCTV footage of adjacent buildings and looking for clues to identify the attackers. The bodies of the victims sent for post-mortem, said a police official. The injured have been admitted in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and Ivy Hospital in Amritsar. The condition of four of the injured is said to be in critical. An eye-witness who was the part of the congregation said the attackers also had weapons and entered the Nirankari Dera on gunpoint. The youth were chased by people but got away. By PTI MUMBAI: Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil Monday said once the Marathas have been classified as "backward" by a commission, there will not be any hurdle in raising the quota limit beyond 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday said the Maharashtra government has accepted the State Backward Class Commission's report and decided to give quota in jobs and educational institutes to the Maratha community. The reservation will be granted to the community under a new category called 'Socially and Educationally Backward Class' (SEBC) as per the recommendation of the commission, he said. Quantum of reservation has not been fixed yet, he said. Maratha groups are demanding 16 per cent reservation, which if accepted, will breach the 50 per cent quota ceiling set by the apex court. Patil said, "There were multiple commissions set up by the state, but none granted backward status to the Maratha community, which constitutes around 30 per cent of the states 11 crore population." Asked about any legal hurdle in implementing quota for the community, he said, "Once the commission has admitted that Marathas are backward, then there will not be any obstacle of the Supreme Court defined framework of keeping the reservation under 50 per cent of the total seats." Patil was talking to reporters in Pandharpur town of Solapur district where he performed puja at the Lord Vitthal temple as part of a long-held state custom. The revenue minister said he sought blessings of Lord Vitthal for granting reservation to the Marathas and also effectively combating the drought-like situation prevailing in the state. "The challenge of growing water and fodder scarcity in the state is looming. The state has initiated measures for increasing fodder but we need a good spell of rains," Patil said. Asked whether the proposed reservation for Marathas will cross the 50 per cent ceiling, Fadnavis had said the commission had described the condition of Maratha community as "extraordinary and exceptional". "Even though the case of Tamil Nadu, where the reservation has crossed 50 per cent mark, is pending in the apex court, it has not been struck down. We are confident of extending reservation to Marathas," he had said. R Gandhi By "In family feuds, what is important is not who has won; but that nobody lost" This was the sage counsel given to the hero in the Tamil movie Tamiraparani by his mentor when the former is distraught with the feud in the family. I remembered this while pondering the current feud between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Government of India (GOI) who are part of the public governance family. Monetary and Financial Stability Policy, and Fiscal Policy are products of these respective institutions and they need to operate in a mutually supporting and coordinated way. Opinions, viewpoints, perspectives and priorities, and weightage assigned to options, of course, do vary between these institutions. Therefore, there are institutional arrangements, both formal and informal, to resolve differences. Communication, besides adherence to conventions, is critical in preventing the escalation of differences into open fights. The current situation indicates that there has been a stark break here. Instead of examining how the feud evolved or who is to blame, it is time to resolve it. While the RBIs Board would be attempting this on November 19, I wish that they try exactly what I began with, i.e. that nobody loses. The trick is to recognise the compulsions and limitations of each party and then find a middle way, which both will see as a common minimum. To help them achieve this, let me present a few ideas: NBFC liquidity Non-banking Financial Companies, by definition, are required to raise capital and debt with higher risk appetite by paying the right risk premium price. When they do encounter funding difficulties, the central bank should not be the first resort; players who paid incorrect premia will have to learn and pay the right price. Since that phase is over and yields have stabilised at higher levels, an assurance of standby liquidity to the sector as a whole, (which is also in the lending space) will be in order. As the central bank cannot assess the credit risk of individual NBFCs, the standby arrangement will have to be through banks who will be in a better position to evaluate them. Hence, RBI should establish a standing refinance window for banks against their NBFC exposure. PCA banks The medicine administered by RBI so far to return PCA banks to the pink of health is narrow banking; RBI can now agree to change the medicine, based on certain diagnostic tests, to small finance banking. The tests could include certain minimum improvements in asset quality, profitability and capital since the commencement of narrow banking. Improved banks could be allowed to underwrite only small finance. MSME Finance Adequacy of funds, in times of need and at affordable rates, is the ever-present demand of MSMEs, besides stress relief. While the former could be addressed by RBI, the latter will have to be addressed by GOI. RBI could enhance funding lines to SIDBI for MSME refinance. For MSME NPA resolution, GOI should provide banks subsidies to offset haircuts. Reserves transfer The current focus has been on what should be the appropriate level of Contingency Reserves (CR) for RBI. It should be left to RBI to determine what CR it needs. Instead, the focus of GOI should be shifted to the asset side of the RBI balance sheet. As CR is a non-monetary liability, the part beyond a core CR could be held in the form of eligible assets other than standard assets of government securities, foreign securities and gold. These other eligible assets could be the support RBI extends to NBFC and MSME sectors, besides its non-voting capital contribution to PSBs and their Tier-2 instruments (with appropriate provisions for swapping these instruments into government securities, in case of extreme contingencies). PRB GOI should stick to the recommendations of the Watal Committee and make the proposed Payment Regulatory Board, a part of RBI. GOI cannot keep PRB separate from RBI and still expect RBI to implement its decisions. Payments are an integral part of monetary system and should remain within RBIs regulatory ambit. Board composition GOI should continue the convention of having healthy consultation with RBI and there should be no surprises. Basel or Basel Plus RBI should classify banks (alternatively banks can elect themselves) as internationally and nationally active banks. The former should comply with Basel Plus and the latter could comply with even Basel 1 or 2. Further, nationally active banks should become Category 2 Authorised Dealers. If these are agreed in principle in the November 19, RBI Board meeting, details could be worked out to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. This way, neither would have lost. (The author is a former deputy governor, RBI. Views expressed are personal. ) Ten or so years ago, the rise in popularity of vintage watches pushed a hitherto forgotten accessory into the limelight: the NATO strap. This strip of fabric that passes underneath the back of the watch is based on the woven nylon straps worn by fighter pilots in NATOs air forces. They are slim, simple, economical, and they have all the benefits of any fabric. Which is why their similarities to clothing are obvious: they can be trendy and colourful, theyre washable and theyre unlikely to cause a rash. Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph with NATO strap Montblanc Although undeniably popular, for a long time they were relegated to the status of spare strap. Watches would rarely be equipped with one from new, because they would be delivered with a leather strap or metal bracelet, and brands generally considered them a budget accessory. They still havent completely shaken off this downmarket image, which is why NATO straps are generally bought separately, often from specialist watch accessory retailers. The same goes for paracord straps, which are woven and knotted from thin nylon rope, another product of the watchs military heritage. Omega Speedmaster Ultraman with NATO strap Omega But some brands have understood the benefits of supplying their clients with high-quality NATO straps, often in addition to the calf leather or crocodile straps that come as standard. Omega has even made a feature of its NATO strap collection, offering a restricted and very high-end range, available separately. Montblanc recently joined the party, using high-quality materials made in France for its 1858 range. Some Aquaracers by TAG Heuer have them, and Anonimo has made the NATO strap a distinctive feature of the Nautilo collection. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 with fabric strap David Chokron / WorldTempus Richard Mille was intrigued by the materials technical properties. In its pursuit of extreme lightness, the brand has fitted some of its most extreme models, including the carbon flyback tourbillons, with colourful elasticated straps without any clasp or buckle. The disconnect between the price of the watch and its accessory could hardly be greater, but the mission, which is to shave a few grams off the weight, is certainly accomplished. Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1 with elastic strap / Richard Mille RM 67-02 Wayde Van Niekerk with elastic strap David Chokron / WorldTempus NATO straps are now so successful that theyre facing competition from other kinds of fabric. This very recent trend continues to gather pace, and its easy to see why. Textiles offer a virtually infinite range of possibilities. Material, colour, thickness, weave, texture, pattern the options are endless. Back in 2017, Chopard launched the L.U.C XP with a blue cashmere strap, and additional colours are now available. Hublot joined with partner Italia Independent, which in turn has an arrangement with Neapolitan tailor Rubinacci, to create a collection of the same name with straps made of suiting fabric, including houndstooth check, Price-of-Wales and other classics. These materials sometimes even find their way onto the dial. Anonimo offers a Loden strap made of green wool to go with the Epurato Bronze. But theres one drawback: these fine wools are very delicate, so theyre often sewn onto a more robust lining made of leather, alligator or rubber. That may make them less comfortable to wear, but style is guaranteed. Valson Thampu By On 3 November 2018, a 95-year-old man, Varghese Mathew, died in Gods own country. Unfortunately for him, he died in the theatre of an intra-denominational dogfight between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the church. His body was denied burial for 10 days. Heres why.The grandson of the deceased is a priest of the Jacobite faction. The burial has to take place in the cemetery legally controlled by the Orthodox faction. How can a priest of one faction, fiercely loyal to Christ, be allowed to conduct the burial service of his grandfather in the other church, which too is fiercely loyal to Christ? Will not Jesus die of a heart attack, and the church collapse in a moral shock at this schismatic impropriety? Arent priests employed to fight such battles to the last drop of their blood like mercenary armies of yore? In the end, the secular state intervened and ordered them to end the indignity. Come Sunday, these very priests will put on holy vestments and preach, their voices quivering with piety, on the duty to love; and love, as Jesus taught, even ones enemies. They will condemn to hellfire those who dont. They will, on other occasions, preach even more earnestly on the duty to forgive, not seven times, as Jesus said, but seventy times seven; on showing the other cheek when slapped on one; on losing everything rather than dragging anyone to court, and so on. The astonishing thing is that they will do so without even a trace of unease! This is nothing new. It has been so from the beginning of organised religion. Max Weber, in Sociology of Religion (1920), identifies the rise of the priestly class as the greatest peril to the integrity of a religion. According to him, the priests hijack and misappropriate the three pillars of religionscripture, doctrines and ritualsin order to establish their hegemony. What is propagated thereafter, in the name of God, has only one shaping purposeto promote the interests of the priestly class at the expense of everything else. The established church, wrote Soren Kierkegaard, is far more dangerous to Christianity than any heresy or schism. The reality that all should reckon, in respect of institutionalised religion, he argued, is not that some aberrations have crept in here and there. It is that established religion per se is an edifice of aberration. Think of a hospital, he wrote, The patients are dying like flies. Every method is tried to make things better. Its no use. Where does the sickness come from? It comes from the building; the whole building is full of poison. So it is with the religious sphere. When issues like the nun-rape case of Franco Mulakkal fame surface, or nuns die under mysterious circumstances, or bitter denominational battles are fought in the name of God over dead bodies, or Christian educational institutions stink with corruption, or women confessants are blackmailed and raped by priests, believers assuage their anguish by assuming these are stray aberrations. No! Kierkegaard would insist. The entire buildingin the case of every religionhas become poisonous. This is not something that Kierkegaard invented. He owed it to Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saw greed and extortion thriving in the name of God under the auspices of the Jerusalem temple. He sprang upon the clergy, as William Blake said, like a tiger, burning bright in the forest of the night. He thundered, You have made my Fathers house a den of thieves. The words of Kierkegaard are, in comparison, mild and genial. Believers, not priests, are to blame if they treat dens of thieves as houses of God. Assume you are an atheist. You dont believe in God or the souls immortality. You are not preached at sanctimoniously by priests on the need to love and be compassionate. You see a dog on the street dead for 10 days. There is a chance that you bury the corpse or alert civic officials to dispose it off. Your conscience has to be in a mortuary of priestly callousness to believe that denying burial to the body of a 95-year-old man is for the glory of God. Or that it will be condoned even in the underworld. Scoffers of religion will find it hard to swallow this. You have to be drugged dead with the opium of priest-peddled bigotry to be able even to contemplate it. Yet we have priests who do such dastardly things with utmost ease of conscience and expect believers to applaud them for it. The saddest thing is that they do. The NHRC in its order on November 12 on the Varghese Mathew case observed, It is apparent that some people, having some vested interests, are harassing the aggrieved family, which is already in grief as they have lost an elder family member. Imagine. Harassing a grieving family for the love of God! Now listen to Fr. Konattu, the spokesperson of the Orthodox Church: How can we say that the entry of the grandson in cassock to the cemetery is a denial of natural justice? Can an enemy cassock be allowed to enter the cemetery? Thats the main question. Men and women of faith wake up! These are heartless professionals, in the same way an executioner is a professional. He slips the knot clinically over the head of the condemned by way of doing his duty. Your denominational mercenary-priests, who live lives of hypocrisy serving Mammon while pretending to serve God, are stumbling blocks between you and the freedom to be human. You have only yourselves to blame if you, all this notwithstanding, believe they are practitioners of your faith. If they still thrive by brewing these hell-broths, you are to blame; not those who ply this trade for the coins that tinkle in it. J Deepthi Nandan Reddy By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TJS president Professor M Kodandaram has decided to stay out of contest in the ensuing Assembly polls and limit himself to campaigning for the Grand Alliance. However, he will be made chairman of the committee to implement Common Minimum Program, if Grand Alliance comes into power. TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said that this committee will be a statutory body and TJS chief will be accorded cabinet minister status. The decision to make Kodandaram head of CMP implementation and entrust Grand Alliance campaign responsibilities, was made after Friday late night meet at TJS office in which TPCC president Uttam, Telangana Congress Affairs in-charge RC Khuntia, former PCC president and Jangaon ticket aspirant Ponnala Lakshmaiah had elaborate discussions with Kodandaram. After the meeting, while Ponnala Lakshmaiah emerged successful in retaining Jangaon, in spite of intense haggling by TJS chief, Congress has decided to announce Kodandaram as chairman of CMP implementation committee in good faith. As Jangaon, where TJS president fancied a victorious contest, was retained by Congress, he has decided to stay out of contest in his partys maiden poll battle. Grand Alliance sources said that Uttam has asked Kodandaram to part with Jangaon, as Congress president Rahul Gandhi personally conveyed this message, assuring that Congress High Command would make use of services of Kodandram in several other ways in coming days. Transwoman to contest from Goshamahal Ajay Moses: As the State gears up for state assembly elections, M Chandramukhi, a transpersons rights activist, contesting on a Bahujan Left Front (BLF) ticket will take on BJP heavy weight T Raja Singh from Goshamahal assembly constituency. The conscious call to participate in electoral politics and seek peoples mandate has been a long pending dream for. She, who has voiced against several atrocities on her community. After asked to leave from various high-profile jobs, she found her spirit in fighting for the forgotten community that exits for hundred years. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Thousands of farmers, especially sugarcane growers, have gathered at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru in protest against the Government demanding dues running into crores of rupees from sugar factories as well as other demands like the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme and ensuring minimum support price for sugarcane. CM Kumaraswamy at noon agreed to meet the agitating farmer leaders at 12:30 pm tomorrow in the conference hall of the Vidhana Soudha. Sugar mill owners and other stakeholders too have been called, The farmers had earlier today given the CM a 2-hour deadline to come and meet them for talks. WATCH VIDEO Farmers at the venue also expressed their anger at Kumaraswamy for his reaction earlier on Sunday where he had reacted to a protest in Belagavi by terming the protestors as 'goondas'. Now the farmers are threatening to lay siege to the Vidhan Soudha. While the Chief Minister is yet to arrive at the venue and meet the farmers, Co-operation minister Bandeppa Kashempur has arrived at Freedom Park to hold talks. Police outside Vidhan Soudha today. (Photo | BN Sriram/ EPS) HD Kumaraswamy in a statement on Monday morning expressed regrets over his earlier statement but refused to apologise for it. "I was greatly pained by the criticism heaped on me during the Belagavi protests. My statement had no ill intentions. It is unfortunate that it was taken out of context," a statement from CMO said. Thousands of farmers have been demanding dues that are pending from sugar factories for four years now. Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to take up the matter and discuss it in the core committee meeting that has been called for on Tuesday. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday took to Twitter and sought External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs help to rescue 18 fishermen from Bhatkal in Karnataka who have been detained in Iran. Our fishermen from Karnataka have been detained on a fishing boat for more than a month. @SushmaSwaraj ji, I urge you to speak with our Indian Ambassador in Tehran to provide essential supplies to them immediately and take all measures to secure their immediate release (sic) Parameshwara tweeted on Sunday seeking the Union governments intervention in the matter. As many as 18 fishermen from Bhatkal were detained after they allegedly inadvertently reached Iranian waters. The fishermen had set sail from Dubai towards India before they ended up in Iranian waters and were detained by the countrys security forces. Families of the fishermen have petitioned the local administration seeking help and rescue. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The government on Friday directed bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels to have only standing rooms for smoking. Food, chairs, tables, ashtrays, matchboxes and lighters should not be allowed, said a circular issued by the Directorate of Municipal Administration. Also, non-smokers and under-18 individuals should be disallowed from entering these areas. This move is in an attempt to protect non-smokers from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Smoking will be allowed in the designated smoking areas only after obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the civic body concerned that will check whether the eatery has a seating capacity above 30. If these rules are violated the restaurant/bar/pub stands to lose its license. Karnataka's Urban Development and Housing Minister, UT Khader, on Monday, warned saying, Recent studies have shown that there is no safe-level of second hand smoking, we are concerned about the health of the staff who are working in hotels and bars, and customers especially women and children." "In light of all scientific evidences pointing out that second-hand smoking is as harmful as smoking this issue needs to be addressed on priority. We have significant evidence from the worlds best cities that making smoke-free hotel environment improves the business," Khader added. "We are confident that hotels and bars associations in state will welcome and support this initiative. Hotels, clubs and bars owe a legal and moral responsibility of protecting the right to health of their staff and customers, Khader said. He also observed that fire safety is an equally important concern as that of health. According to the circular, the fire department had raised a concern about fire safety in bars and restaurants in a letter which states open fire sources like smoking are potential causes for fire hazards. The circular was issued as a part of Joint Consultation Meeting Advancing Urban Health Policies -- Key Policies for Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention held on Monday organised by the Karnataka government in association with National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Association of Healthcare Providers (India) and Association of National Board Accredited Institutions. According to World Health Organization, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) mainly Cardiovascular Diseases like Stroke, Diabetes, Cancer and lung diseases are attributed to nearly 61% of deaths in India and in 2008, NCDs accounted for 5.2 million deaths. Tobacco is one of the risk factors for NCDs and globally 14% of all NCD deaths among adults are attributed to tobacco. By Express News Service BENGALURU: On a day when protesting sugarcane growers tried to barge into Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, in a strong reaction, described them as goondas and accused them of defaming the entire farming community. Driving trucks with sugarcane, a group of farmers on Sunday morning tried to gatecrash into Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, the legislature complex in Belagavi, protesting against Kumaraswamys reported cancellation of his visit to meet the farmers there on Monday and instead asking them to come to Bengaluru. Trucks laden with sugarcane try to enter Suvarna Vidhana Soudha Farmers in Belagavi have been protesting for the last few days demanding clearance of their pending arrears by sugar factories for the cane supplied and announcement of purchase price for sugarcane. In his bid to defend his five-and-a-half-month-old government, Kumaraswamy ended up not just criticising protesting farmers of Belagavi for their political choices but also deemed them anti-social elements. Kumaraswamy said that the protesters werent genuine farmers and he wont tolerate such behaviour. Kumaraswamys father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and brother PWD minister H D Revanna naturally backed him. My farmers are peace-loving and have great respect towards elected representatives. But the protesters are attempting to break the gates of Suvarna Soudha. They are not farmers but goondas who are disrespecting farmers. My government wants to give benefits to farmers. Should I not take action when you are trying to break Suvarna Soudha? Kumaraswamy said during his address at Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK) in Bengaluru. He even took offence to farmers protesting against his government and chided them for their political choices. A woman who was protesting said I wasnt worthy of becoming CM because sugar mill owners havent paid farmers in four years. I have been chief minister for just five months now. These protesters voted in favour of sugar factory owners in the election and have suddenly woken up to criticise me for non-payment. Where were they all these years? Kumaraswamy asked, making a jibe like he did earlier over protests against his government by farmers of Koppal. Gowda who was asked for his opinion on Kumaraswamys jibe chose to back his son. Has Kumaraswamy ordered golibaar (firing)? I know administration well and I dont have to learn it from you, Gowda said reiterating that he was well equipped to solve problems. Gowdas golibaar reference was a potshot at BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa under whose chief ministership a farmer was shot dead in police firing during a protest in Haveri district. Kumaraswamys brother and cabinet colleague Revanna also chose to back him. Sugar factories are in a bad state across the country. The Union government has to step in and provide support price to farmers. Kumaraswamy cant be held responsible for everything. Does he have a (note) printing machine? Revanna asked. By PTI KOCHI: Activists of the BJP, Yuva Morcha and other right-wing outfits Monday stepped up protests across Kerala against the late night police crackdown at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple complex and the subsequent detention of 69 people. In a strong reprimand, the Kerala High Court expressed its displeasure over the manner in which Ayyappa devotees were dealt with by the police at the "Sannidhanam" (temple complex). Given the tense situation, there was a dip in arrivals at the shrine which is visited by lakhs of pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage season. As a war of words erupted over the police action, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintained that those who had been arrested were not Ayyappa devotees, but RSS workers camping at Sannidhanam (temple complex). Asserting that his government was with the devotees, Vijayan said it was being targeted for trying to implement the Supreme Court order permitting entry of all women into the shrine. Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, on a visit to Nilackal, Pamba and Sannidhanam to take stock of the various facilities at the hill shrine, lashed out at the state goverment, saying the temple complex had been turned into a "war zone" and devotees were being treated as "dacoits". Citing lack of basic amenities, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its September 28 verdict allowing women of all age groups to pray at the hill shrine. The TDB move came amid the stand-off over entry of women in the 10-50 age group, traditionally barred at the shrine. The day also saw three young women expressing their desire to visit the holy shrine, but in a "friendly atmosphere". Reshma Nishant and Anila from Kannur district and Dhanya from Kollam district said they had been observing the "vritham" (the mandatory austerities for visiting Sabarimala) for visiting the shrine. Since the September 28 top court verdict, no women in the 10-50 age group has succeeded in offering prayers at the shrine, where the deity is "Naishtika Brahmachari" (perennial celebate). About a dozen women, including social activist, Trupti Desai, had made futile efforts to go to Sabarimala. A division bench of the Kerala High court, comprising Justices P R Ramachandra Menon and N Anil Kumar, reprimanded police for acting against the devotees and warned of stringent action if such incidents were repeated. Sixty-nine people, picked up from the temple complex early Monday and subsequently arrested, were produced before a court here this evening and remanded to 14 days judicial custody. The men, who had participated in the "nama japam" (clapping and chanting the name of Ayyappa) protest were detained late last night from the temple complex after they refused to vacate the "nadapandal" (pathway leading to the shrine) despite repeated pleas by the police. Protesting the police action, activists of the BJP, its youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and other right-wing outfits Monday escalated their protests across Kerala. Meanwhile, five Yuva Morcha activists waved party flags and two of them tried to jump in front of the chief minister's convoy Monday morning. Two of them have been arrested, Kozhikode district police chief S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar told PTI. The activists also took out a march to the state secretariat in Thirvananthapuram. Slamming the RSS, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged the RSS had launched "Khalistan model" agitation in Sabarimala to take control of the shrine. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the government was trying to "brand" Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists. Declaring an "open agitation" against the state government over the issue, he said a UDF delegation, comprising coalition leaders, would violate the prohibitory order clamped in Sabarimala Tuesday, if the state government did not withdraw it BJP state unit chief P S Sreedharan Pillai demanded a judicial probe into the police action. As the shrine opened on the third day of the "Mandala Makkaravillaku" pilgrimage season, there was a steep fall in the arrival of devotees, especially from Kerala. According to police sources, so far around 60,000 devotees have visited the shrine since it opened on Friday evening for the 64-day annual pilgrimage season. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Sunday accused the BJD Government in the State of working only to protect the interests of the ruling party. After chairpersons of the State Commission for Women (SCW) and the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities resigned, they were appointed as office bearers of the womens wing of BJD in order to strengthen the party, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik said. Patnaik said the BJD Government is neglecting peoples welfare and rapidly losing its popularity ahead of the 2019 elections. Stating that the BJD Government is not serious about the appointment of Lokayukta in the State or running Anganwadi centres in a proper manner, he said it is now trying only to save its base which is shrinking with each passing day. The focus of the Government is entirely on party organisation while common good is being sidelined, he said. Social activist Minati Behera quit the post of chairperson of the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities on November 11 and became president of the womens wing of BJD. Similarly, chairperson of SCW Lopamudra Baxipatra, who resigned from the post on the same day, was appointed as a working president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal. Criticising the State Government for lack of sincerity about the appointment of Lokayukta, Patnaik alleged that the process is being delayed despite the Supreme Courts repeated reminders reflecting the Governments disregard for a constitutional system. The State Government had passed a Bill four years back for the appointment of Lokayukta and the President had also given his consent to it in 2015. But Lokayukta is yet to be appointed in the State, he said. Though the BJD Government always talks of development, the child welfare scheme in the State is in doldrums. Though the Government is providing uniform, bicycles and laptops to students free of cost, it has done little at the grassroots level, he said. Alleging that around half of the 71,000 Anganwadi centres in the State do not have their own buildings, the OPCC president said many of these centres are being run from rented buildings, temple premises and community halls. Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board chairperson Subash Singhs tenure ended around seven months back, but the post is still lying vacant, he added. C Shivakumar and S V Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chennai is staring at another oil spill after more than two tonnes of thick furnace fuel oil (FFO) spilled when a flexible hose snapped while discharging the oil at the Marine Liquid Terminal-1 at the Kamarajar Port in the wee hours on Sunday. The oil spilled at the berth side after the Motor Tanker Coral Stars hose suddenly ruptured and caused accidental spill into seawater at 4.03 am. Kamarajar Port chairman P Raveendran told Express that preliminary estimate showed two tonnes of oil spilled into the sea. "The emergency response mechanism was immediately activated and all agencies including Coast Guard swung into action," he said and added the spillage was confined to the breakwaters as fence boom was immediately deployed around the vessel." The port chairman said, "Ariel survey was also done by the Coast Guard with the seaside reconnaissance by the interceptor boat. The recovery of spilled oil immediately commenced with the help of skimmers and absorbent pads. The recovery process will be completed by tomorrow," he said. ALSO READ: Chennai Ennore oil spill anniversary: One year on, lessons not learnt, Tamil Nadu still vulnerable Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard sources said they were ascertaining how much oil leaked. Two Coast Guard fast patrol vessels with pollution response equipment on board were deployed for combating the spill. Also, senior officials from the Coast Guard Pollution Response Team (East), Chennai were deputed to the Kamarajar Port for an onsite assessment and guidance for port authorities to use appropriate spill response strategy while actively coordinating pollution response operations through the day. "We have also asked our dedicated pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Paheredar vessel in Visakhapatnam to reach the spot immediately," said a Coast Guard official. Director General of Shipping Dr Malini V Shankar told Express that a probe would be ordered. "The leak happened at the port side and it is being contained along the breakwaters. An investigation is on whether it is due to equipment failure or callousness of the ship," she said. D Sekar, member-secretary, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), said the board officials had visited the oil spill site. "The furnace oil was received from Cochin for the BPCL, Chennai through the oil terminal firm Ennore Tank Terminal Private Limited (ETTPL). The spill is contained within 50 metres around the ship since the boom was deployed before the start of operation." K Satyagopal, Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation, said the Tiruvallur Collector had been asked to visit and see if there was any spillage and effect on fishes. Ennore oil spill: MT Dawn, BW Maple owners strike compromise, affected fishermen to get compensation Director of State Fisheries department G S Sameeran said though the Kamrajar Port had stated that the oil spill had been contained, the State Fisheries Department has collected samples from the nearby fishing hamlets. "As of now, there are no reports of death of fishes," he added. State Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan yet to be okayed This is the second oil spill within two years. On January 28, 2017, LPG tanker BW Maple rammed into petroleum tanker MT Dawn Kancheepuram two nautical miles off the Kamarajar Port at Ennore resulting in massive oil spill that polluted close to 35-km coastline. However, Tamil Nadu is yet to have State Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (SOS-DCP) in place. All coastal States are mandated to prepare a contingency plan under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has an obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment. It is to be consistent with the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP), which is the national plan for the response to an oil spill of any size. Unfortunately, Tamil Nadu, though highly prone to oil spills, doesn't have an approved SOS-DCP. BR Subramanian, former advisor for Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and senior scientific consultant for the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), headed a committee, drafted the plan in September 2016 and later, revised it post-Chennai oil spill. When contacted, A Udhayan, director, Department of Environment, told Express that the final draft plan had been accepted by the State and forwarded to the Coast Guard, Delhi for approval. Putting in place such a plan is critical because it provides all details about preparedness required to meet oil spill eventualities and equips the State to combat the spills without loss of any time. Meanwhile, IIT Madras has also prepared an independent oil spill contingency plan and submitted it to the TNPCB. S Mohan, associate professor in Environment and Water Resources, Department of Civil Engineering, said: "I have submitted the report to the TNPCB and do not know what action has been taken." By Express News Service CHENNAI: Various political leaders including MK Stalin, Dr S Ramadoss and GK Vasan, have urged the government to take steps to expedite rescue operations to retrieve the livelihood of the victims of Gaja cyclone. Stalin in a letter to DMK functionaries said, The Delta districts have witnessed huge havoc and people there have been in misery for the last three days. Of them, Vedaranyam was one of the worst hit. The people of Delta and Pudukkottai districts, have resorted to protests to draw the attention of the authorities to carry out rescue operations. The families of the victims should be given Rs 25 lakh while the farmers should be given Rs 50,000 for every coconut tree. The rescue operations should be carried out in a speedy manner, he said. He further said, People are conveying their tears through petition. I console them as an opposition leader. Our workers are carrying out rescue operations in the affected areas. However, it should be expanded. Let us do what we can do. The rulers should get the lesson from our work otherwise people will teach them a fitting lesson, he urged. Stalin also posted a message on his Twitter handle, "Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is yet to visit the cyclone-hit areas. The situation remains just like it was when 13 people were shot dead in Thoothukudi. Hereafter, he would be Ettipparkkatha Palaniswami. Dr S Ramadoss, PMK founder, in a press release said, No significant rescue operation has been carried out by the government. It is not enough even to fulfil the basic needs of victims. The affected who have been sheltered at relief camps were even not given proper food. The government should take steps to provide food and water immediately and should take steps to expedite the rescue operations, he said. GK Vasan, of Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar) said, I visited the cyclone-affected areas and the delta districts have witnessed extreme damage. The government should give Rs 25 lakh to the families of victims. Moreover, in order to prevent communicable diseases, medical camps should be conducted in every village. National governments and regional and international organisations discussed on Sunday progress on the convention's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, reports Ayat Al Tawy Attendees at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP 14 in Sharm El-Sheikh discussed on Sunday progress on the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as major issues including synthetic biology and the use of living modified organisms and gene drives. The global meeting officially opened in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city on Saturday, following four days of African ministerial meetings in the run-up. National governments and regional and international organisations discussed on Sunday progress on the convention's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Participating countries gave updates on progress at the national level, with many developing counties calling for strong resource mobilisation, including financial support, capacity building and technology transfer. On digital sequence information (DSI), the EU on Sunday noted that public and open-access databases are an important form of benefit-sharing. The World Health Organization stressed that pathogen-related DSI as a global public health good, and urged its rapid and broad sharing. Many called for capacity building on contained use of Living Modified Organisms and strengthening research infrastructure under the UN's 2003 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. They also urged utilising the protocol's mechanism of Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) for exchange of experiences. CBD Alliance, a network of civil society group concerned with the Convention on Biological Diversity, said that the "use of digital sequence information without benefit sharing is inequitable and a long term threat to this very convention." It demanded "a full stop to any release of the genetic extermination technology called gene drives and the strengthening of prior and informed consent related to this new and dangerous technology. Countries also discussed the convention's supplementary agreement Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources, with many welcoming the proposal to synchronise national reporting under the convention and its protocols. This year, national governments and regional and international organisations hope to renew support for achieving agreed-upon global biodiversity targets for 2020 and to ramp up support for an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Executive Secretary of the UN Convention of Biodiversity Cristiana Palmer has urged the international community to immediately work together to conserve global biodiversity. "If we do not act we soon may reach tipping points that may cause irreversible destruction to nature and ultimately humankind," Palmer said on Saturday. While the conference marks 25 years since the convention came into force, Palmer said that successes achieved ever since have not been sufficient to halt biodiversity loss, highlighting the urgency to choose a path of conservation, restoration and transformation. Reports suggest that biodiversity around the world is being degraded or lost due to a myriad of pressures including unsustainable use of resources, climate change, and habitat stress, as well as air, land and water pollution. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), world biodiversity has declined by almost one third in the past 35 years, mainly due to habitat loss and wildlife trade. Egypt will be in charge of the convention for the next two years, following Mexico which held the presidency from 2016 to 2018. "Nature and humanity are not separate entities, and Africa is leading the way on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework," said Egypt's Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, who chairs the conference. During the conference, which runs through November 29, governments are expected to present their plans to streamline biodiversity and nature into the decision-making of the major economic sectors of mining and energy, infrastructure, processing and manufacturing and health. Over 8,000 delegates from around 200 countries are expected to attend the two-week global gathering. Attends include delegates from the convention's 196 parties as well as representatives of civil society, the private sector, sub-national governments and indigenous people. Search Keywords: Short link: By Online Desk 'Cyclone Gaja' left many Tamil Nadu districts devasted, with the death toll reaching 45. The most affected by the cyclone were the farmers, many of whom lost their belongings and livelihood, in addition to their field crops that were damaged. While the government is reaching out to people with relief measures, students on the other side are trying to help the distressed farmers. According to a Puthiya Thalaimurai report, some kind-hearted students from a college in Trichy had sent some relief materials to the delta farmers. The farmers, who didn't want to send back the lorry empty, filled it with tender coconuts for the students. Though the cyclone has caused much wreckage and irreversible loss to the farmers, they have proved that there is no excuse to be kind with this sweet gesture. S Kumaresan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Major political parties in the State seem to be maintaining a studied silence over the murder of inter-caste couple Nandish and Swathi of Hosur. Only the PMK, MDMK, VCK and Left parties have so far condemned what is believed to be a case of honour killing. She hailed from Vanniyar community and her family was said to be angry since she eloped with Nandish, a Dalit. All parties including DMK, DMDK and AMMK have not even yet acknowledged the murder or at least sought a proper probe, political observers say. The case is the same with national parties, Congress and BJP, and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan, and actor Rajinikanth, it is pointed out. Political observers say the trend had been the same over the last few years and point out that major political parties remained silent during friction between caste Hindu community and Dalits. Fear of losing the vote bank is attributed as the reason. ALSO READ: Youths T-shirt led police to killers in Hosur honour killing case T Koodalarasan, journalist and political observer, sees this as hesitation of political parties to utter anything that may be unpopular among the influential caste Hindu communities. District secretaries of major Dravidian parties and local functionaries want to be tight-lipped on the issue. So, the party high command endorses the wishes of the local cadres, he said. A few others feel Dravidian parties are driven only by vote bank considerations and not concerned about the underlying social reforms. A Marx, president of Tamil Nadu chapter of Peoples Union for Human Rights, said, There is no surprise since each of them wants to please the majority community and do not want to lose their vote share. Making a similar observation, political analyst Raveenthran Duraisamy said, However, PMKs Dr S Ramadoss has condemned the murders. This should be welcomed. PMK, a Vanniyar-dominated party, earlier made critical statements against inter-caste marriages and even sought legislation that would make consent of parents mandatory for all inter-caste marriages, observers say. By Express News Service VELLORE: The three AIADMK members, who were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Dharmapuri bus burning case in which three female students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, were burnt alive 18 years ago, were released from the Vellore Central Prison on Monday after Governor Banwarilal Purohit accepted the State government's recommendation for their premature release to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. They were released following the orders of the Tamil Nadu government setting them free under a scheme of premature release of prisoners who have completed 10 years on the occasion of the birth centenary of late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran (MGR). Nedu @ A Nedunchezhian (No 24424), Madhu @ G Ravindran (24425) and C Muniappan (24426) walked out of the jail as the prison authorities freed them after receiving the relevant orders from the office of the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Prisons. While there were mixed reactions from various parties to the release of these AIADMK men, the ruling AIADMK saw this as a forerunner to the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. AIADMK spokesperson G Samarasam told Express: "We wish the release of these three life convicts as a forerunner to the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for which the State government has already made a forceful plea with the Governor." Samarasam also pointed out that these three convicts had undergone jail term for many years and they had realised the gravity of the crime they had committed. Now, the Governor has pardoned them, he added. Earlier this year, the Tamil Nadu government recommended premature release of around 1,800 life convicts, who had served 10 years of imprisonment, including these three convicts, to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. Last month, the Governor returned files in this case, asking the government to reconsider its recommendation. However, in the first week of this month, the State government made the recommendation again for the premature release of these convicts. The Governor accepted it and the three convicts were released on Monday from the Vellore prison. It is to be recalled that on February 2, 2000, after a special court convicted the then general secretary in a hotel case and sentenced her to one-year rigorous imprisonment, violence erupted across the state. In an incident, three students of the TNAU, who were on an educational tour, were burnt alive when the bus in which they were travelling was set ablaze by a group of people. The incident claimed the lives of three girl students namely, Kokilavani, Gayathri and Hemalatha. The next day, police registered FIRs against three AIADMK men A Nedunchezhiyan, G Ravindran and C Muniappan and many others. In February 2007, the Salem First Additional Sessions Court awarded death sentence to these three men and in December that year, the Madras HC upheld the verdict. Later, when the three challenged the HC verdict before the SC, the apex court too upheld the HC order in August 2010. Following this, the three filed a review petition before the SC seeking commutation of death sentence to a life sentence, arguing that the bus burning incident was not a premeditated one and that they had no motive to murder the three students. Accepting this, in March 2016, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising the present Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, commuted the death sentence to life term, saying the incident happened in a flash during a mob frenzy and was not premeditated. Trio let out early to avoid media gaze The three life convicts were released at 12.30 pm on Monday after receiving necessary orders from the office of our ADGP, Vellore Central Prison superintendent M Andal told Express. However, informed sources stated that the trio that set the bus on fire in Dharmapuri on February 2, 2000, during a violent protest, were allowed to go out of the prison early in the morning in order to avoid media exposure. A large number reporters and camera persons, who thronged the main entrance of the Central Prison, in the forenoon after word trickled down on the release of the three convicts, had to return disappointed as the three convicts had already walked out. By Express News Service KRISHNAGIRI: In the Krishnagiri honour killing of an inter-caste couple, it was the T-shirt worn by the youth that enabled their identification, police said. The bodies of N Nandish (25), a Dalit, and S Swathi (21), a Vanniyar, of Soodukondapalli, near Shoolagiri, who had married against the wishes of the girls parents, were found in the Cauvery in Karnataka. Nandishs brother had filed a complaint on November 14 with the Hosur Town police that they had gone missing. Following this, they had started investigations, which led to M Krishnan (26) of Punuganthotti village, a relative of Swathi. Later, they also questioned Swathis father L Srinivasan (40) of Soodukondapalli and his brothers L Venkatesh (43) and L Ashwathappa (45). Meanwhile, the Karnataka police fished out two bodies, on separate days, from the Cauvery at Sivanasamuthira in Mandya district. The youth was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Ambedkar and the slogan Jai Bheem. As it also had the name of a village, Choodaganapalli, they suspected him to be from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. On November 15, the Karnataka police visited Hosur and sought the help of the police to identify the bodies. The Hosur Town police then confronted Swathis family members, who denied any role in the matter. However, on further questioning, they admitted to the murder of Nandish and Swathi, said police sources. On the night of November 10, the couple had come to see actor Kamal Haasan during his campaign at Ramnagar in Hosur, where Swathis relative Krishnan saw the couple and initiated a conversation. He also informed Swathis family members, including her father, about the couples whereabouts. They directly came to the place by an SUV and urged the couple to have a wedding function with the familys blessings. The youths believed the familys show of goodwill to be genuine and got into the vehicle. But instead of taking them home, they were driven across the border to Karnataka. Nandish, who suspected something amiss, began to resist them. Swathis relatives then started assaulting them; they were beaten and hacked. They also shaved Swathis head as a mark of disgrace. After this, their hands and feet were bound and thrown into the Cauvery, they added. Kidnap vehicle found On Saturday night, the Hosur police found an abandoned SUV at Balavanapalli, 5 km from victims village of Soodukondapalli. This was the vehicle that Swathis family members used to kidnap the couple, they said, adding that its driver, K Swaminathan (30), would be arrested soon. The police have already arrested Swathis father, L Srinivasan, his brother Venkatesh, and M Krishnan, their relative. They are on the lookout for four others involved in the murder. Meanwhile, a special team of the Karnataka police, led by Circle Inspector Srikanth of the Maralavadi police, have arrived for their investigation into the case. By PTI VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis railed against social inequality Sunday, lamenting "the din of the rich few" drowning out the voice of the needy, as he marked the second "World Day of the Poor". At a mass attended by about 6,000 poor people at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the pope noted that "injustice is the perverse root of poverty." "The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich," he said ahead of a lunch at the Vatican for a group of some 3,000 destitute people. "Let us ask for the grace to hear the cry of all those tossed by the waves of life," the pope said. "It is the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal..while the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all." The pope is to lunch with the poor in the immense Paul VI Hall, which adjoins the Vatican Basilica and usually hosts papal audiences and conferences. The Vatican has also made available a team of doctors to provide free healthcare to the poor. Over 600 people were treated last year at the first World Day of the Poor, a tradition introduced by the pope. Similar initiatives were held at other dioceses across Italy and elsewhere in the world. The pope has often spoken about social inclusion, indirectly criticising governments that do not pay attention to those on the margins of society. By ANI KABUL: The United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad has expressed hope that a truce would be reached with Taliban before Afghanistan's presidential elections due next year in April. Khalilzad, while speaking to the journalist on Sunday, after the completion of the second round of the Afghan peace talks said that he is "cautiously optimistic" and "hopeful" about the peace talks with Taliban. Khalilzad said that he hopes a peace deal is reached before April 20, the date of Afghanistan's Presidential elections on April 20 and simultaneously called on the Taliban to use it as an opportunity. While TOLO news reported Khalilzad saying that the Taliban believes it cannot win the war militarily. This comes a day after General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, affirmed that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country. Taliban during the talks allegedly pressed for a postponement of next year's presidential elections and the establishment of an interim government under a neutral leadership. Khalilzad returned to Kabul on Saturday after a meeting with the Afghan officials, and the officials of United Arab Emirates and Saudi in Abu Dhabi. He also held two-day talks with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. In October, Khalilzad held the first round of peace talks with Afghan leaders. By Online Desk A city in China's Xinjiang region has ordered those who have been 'poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism' or in contact with 'foreign terror groups' or act in 'conservative Islamic manner', to surrender to authorities within a month, Reuters reported. Those who surrender within 30 days and confess to their 'crimes' will be treated leniently and might avoid punishment, said a notice posted on the social media account of Hami city government. All individuals involved in terrorist crimes and poisoned by the three evil forces are urged to surrender themselves to the judicial organs within 30 days and to confess and hand over the facts of your crime, Reuters quoted the Hami city authorities as saying in the notice. READ| China disputes UN report on Uighur Muslims discrimination Beijing has been facing an outcry from activists and foreign governments over mass detentions and strict surveillance of the Muslim Uighur minority that live in Xinjiang province. In August, a United Nations human rights panel said it had received many credible reports that a million or more Uighurs and other minorities are being held in what resembles a massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy in Xinjiang. China rejects the criticism, saying that its security measures are needed to combat the influence of extremist groups that incite violence there. The city authorities further said that although people are entitled to lead their life in accordance with the Koran, they must inform the authorities when they ban watching television, alcohol, smoking and dancing at weddings. READ| Pakistan urges Beijing to ease restrictions on Chinese Uighur Muslims: report Rejecting or thwarting government identification system, housing, subsidies are the other activities listed as illegal by the city government. China says it is not enforcing arbitrary detention and political re-education. China has rejected allegations raised by the UN body that one million Uighurs may be held in internment camps in the restive Xinjiang region, but said that some people underwent re-education after being deceived by extremists. (With inputs from agencies) By PTI ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday reacted sharply to President Donald Trump's latest tirade against Islamabad for not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US, instead of making Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its failures in Afghanistan, should find out why the Taliban has emerged stronger than before. Khan's tweets came a day after President Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan," Khan, said in a series of tweets defending his country's record in the US-led war on terror. He said that Pakistan decided to "participate in the US War on Terror" although no Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. "Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over USD 123 billion was lost," he said, of which "US 'aid' was a miniscule USD 20bn", Khan said. Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices? Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Trumps false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 Nato troops, plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly USD 1 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," he suggested. In addition to economic losses, the prime minister highlighted the impact of the US war on Pakistan's tribal areas. "Our tribal areas were devastated and millions of people were uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted the lives of ordinary Pakistanis," he said. "Pakistan continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications," he added. "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" he asked. Earlier, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari attacked President Trump's criticism of Islamabad's dubious role in the war against terrorism. She said the US President "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Prime Minister Khan, said Trump's latest criticism of Pakistan should be a "lesson" to those Pakistani leaders who "appeased" America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. "Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that Pak does not do 'a damn thing' for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT (war on terrorism); the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc," she tweeted. "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," Mazari said. In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said: "@realDonaldTrump suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, "You know, living, think of this, living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent the "greatest threat" to democracy, the retired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein, has said. William McRaven's remarks on Sunday came after Trump derided the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer". Trump also suggested that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump told Fox news. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," McRaven said. McRaven oversaw the May 2011 covert raid of the US Navy Seals which killed former Al-Qaeda leader bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. He also supervised the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his 37 years in the US military. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven told CNN, referring to remarks he made about Trump last year. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands," he said. Trump coined the term 'Fake News' during his presidential campaign, targeting media houses and has been repeatedly using it for "biased" news coverage. The term is now popularly related to news one does not agree with. He has also announced the 'Fake News Awards' for the "very corrupt and dishonest" press for "bad reporting". McRaven's comments escalated a war of words that began last year when McRaven called Trump's description of the news media as the "enemy of the people" the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, the US President "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell pointed out on Twitter that McRaven's forces had nothing to do with locating Bin Laden. Morrell said it was the CIA that did the "finding" and McRaven's forces that did the "getting", moving out within days of receiving the order. The president's remarks about McRaven came amid broader questions about Trump's relationship with military matters. During a recent trip to France, the president did not attend a ceremony commemorating the centenary of World War I because of the rain, with the White House saying his helicopter couldn't fly in the inclement weather and a motorcade would have caused too much traffic. Trump also has been criticised by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. He, however, said he was planning to visit the two countries. "I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of - obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said in an interview. By UNI COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the parliament legislators to call for a no-confidence vote on the government again, after he rejected last Friday's no-confidence vote as unconstitutional, a statement from the President's Office said on Monday. According to the statement, following the all-party meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the president on Sunday evening, President Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote is taken by a name or conducted through an electronic vote. Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community. Mahinda Rajapakse, the prime minister appointed by Sirisena, and sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had also attended the meeting between the president and legislators. Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said last Friday that a second no-confidence motion called for in the parliament against the government had been passed with a majority, despite it being taken amidst violence and under heavy police presence. However, the government rejected the vote as invalid saying the speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since Oct 26, when President Sirisena surprisingly dissolved his cabinet, sacked Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, appointed former president Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has called on scholars and intellectuals to "defend the reputations of Muslims worldwide by spreading the tolerant teachings of Islam." In a speech, El-Sisi said that the "building up of human beings" and the enlightening of minds is the main pillar of progress and development. The president called on clerics and intellectuals to exert efforts to enlighten and call upon the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, which promote working to face those who call for killing, destruction and extremism. El-Sisi spoke during an event held to celebrate Al-Moulid Al-Nabawy; the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. The event was organised by the Ministry of Endowments and attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Mufti Shawki Allam and a number of ministers and Arab ambassadors. El-Sisi said that Islam's message promotes peaceful coexistence between human beings and the right to life without discrimination based on colour or race. "Our noble religion has taught us that there is no compulsion in religion and it establishes the values of tolerance and acceptance," El-Sisi said. "It is regrettable that we have among us those who have misinterpreted [the religion] and abandoned moderate teachings to follow unchecked opinions that are not in line with the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah regarding the inviolability of human beings," El-Sisi said. The issue of reforming religious discourse, which has been brought up by the president on multiple occasions, was also discussed during the event. Egyptian Endowments Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa said that the issue of reforming religious discourse should move forward as long as the "fixed principles" of the religion are preserved. Earlier this month, El-Sisi said that reforming religious discourse is "one of the most important demands of Egypt and the world. Search Keywords: Short link: By PTI LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday won support from big business for her draft Brexit deal ahead of "intense negotiations" with Brussels in the coming week. May told the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the UK's main business lobby group, that she was "determined to deliver" her Brexit deal as she prepares for Sunday's European Council summit to sign Britain's divorce papers. "We now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us," she told some 1,000 business leaders at the CBI annual conference in central London. "During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship. ALSO READ | European Union debates 'painful' details of Brexit divorce "I am confident that we can strike a deal at the Council that I can take back to the House of Commons." The embattled premier, whose cabinet grudgingly approved her EU divorce draft last week, faces an uphill challenge to pass her deal through a sceptical parliament. She admitted that the final phase "was always going to be the toughest. " The Brussels negotiations will finalise a parallel political declaration setting out a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties. Theresa May. (Photo | AP) CBI chief Carolyn Fairbairn gave qualified support for May's draft deal, telling the conference that "it is not perfect, it is a compromise, but it is hard-won progress." She earlier said that the deal would move Britain "one step away from the nightmare precipice of no deal. "It offers that essential transitional period as a step back from the cliff-edge," she said. ALSO READ | Britain PM Theresa May warns ousting her won't make Brexit talks easier Responding to reports that EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier had raised the prospect of extending the transition deal until the end of 2022, May said it was "important that we are out of the implementation period by the next general election", scheduled for May 2022. Addressing the issue of immigration, a concern for many businesses who fear they will face skills gaps after Brexit, May promised to introduce "more streamlined application processes" that will "attract the brightest and the best from around the world". "But the difference will be this: once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here," she said. "It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi." By PTI WASHINGTON: Continuing his tirade against Pakistan, President Donald Trump on Monday said the US has paid Islamabad billions of dollars but it never told the Americans that the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was living in that country. In an interview to a television news channel on Sunday, Trump had defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. ALSO READ | Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties, over 123 billion USD was lost: Imran Khan takes jibe at Trump "We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars and they never told us he was living there.Fools!," Trump said in a tweet, a day after he told Fox News in an interview that Laden should have been captured long before. "We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another," Trump said. "They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That's ENDING!" he said. Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 ....We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Beginning with a tweet on January 1, the US President has announced stop giving military and security assistance to Pakistan. Trump believes that the Pakistan has been a reluctant partner of the US in the war against terrorism and that it has misused the US money. ALSO READ | President Trump's tirade against Pakistan shows he suffers from perpetual historic amnesia: Minister Trump insisted that Bin laden should have been captured long time back before he was killed in a daring raid in Abbottabad. "Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Centre. President Clinton famously missed his shot," Trump said. The forum was organised by Al-Ahram Hebdo in partnership with the French Embassy in Egypt Weeks ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to Egypt, a forum was held in Cairo on Monday to discuss French-Egyptian strategic partnership in the health sector. The forum, which was organised by Al-Ahram Hebdo in partnership with the French Embassy in Egypt, was attended by Egyptian Minister of Investment Sahar Nasr, Minister of Health Hala Zayed, French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Romatet, and the head of Al-Ahram institution Abdel-Mohsen Salama. Romatet said during the opening ceremony that "we believe Egypt is looking forward to working on renovating the health sector, general health, obesity, cancer treatment, and pharmaceutical industriesWhat we want to offer to you is a strategic partnership in this field." Egypt is currently working on a high-profile plan to improve health insurance coverage for the public. A new public health insurance law, which was ratified earlier this year by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, is designed to provide optimal medical services for the whole nation. The country's health insurance law, which dates back to 1962, stipulates that everyone should be covered by health insurance, but over the years the system has lost its effectiveness, pushing many to forego the system in search of better quality healthcare. "French investing companies are here because they are showing interest in investing in this sector," Romatet said. Franco-Egyptian strategic partnership, investments Egypt's minister of investment highlighted her ministry's efforts to encourage foreign investors to invest in Egypt. "I am here to show interest in negotiating with French investors we are looking forward to implementing projects that would serve the interest of the Egyptian citizen, which is currently the top priority of the cabinet's agenda," Nasr said. The investment minister highlighted that Egypt is keen to learn and benefit from the French expertise in the health sector. "All international institutions are keen to support Egypt's national health plan, including the International Monetary Fund," she said. The minister further stressed that "we have made all efforts to remove all obstacles that were facing investors." Health Minister Zayed said that the ongoing meetings with a French delegation are discussing strategic partnerships in the new national healthcare system, as well as other domains in the health field. The delegation, which comprised 13 individuals, was headed by Lamine Gharbi, president of the Federation of Private Hospitals (FHP) and president of the MEDEF International Health Task Force. MEDEF is the largest employer federation in France and offers healthcare in more than 1,030 hospitals in the country, according to MEDEF's website. "We are currently discussing how French companies could work with the Egyptian government as consultant firms concerning the healthcare system, such as in e-health and technology. We have also discussed hospital management, and the biggest project for us is manufacturing plasma," Zayed said. The health minister also announced that an agreement will be signed in January between the two countries in the health sector. Investing in Egyptians' health During three roundtables, participants discussed universal health insurance, future reform of the pharmaceutical sector, French expertise in the integrated health system, and approaches to improving healthcare through French expertise. Last year, France granted Egypt a loan of 30 million euros to improve the primary healthcare system in several Egyptian governorates. Aid to the health minister Ahmed El-Sobky told Ahram Online that French partners have already started partnering with Egyptian various ways. "We have more than one framework with the French side; the first is concerning the manufacturing of plasma. French companies are expected to help us on both the advisory and the executive levels of this project," said El-Sobky, who added that the second domain is manufacturing pharmaceuticals. "There is currently cooperation with the French Development Agency (FDA), which is a representative of the French sides in the new universal health insurance system. [The FDA is already providing] technical and financial support through grants that are being offered to develop primary healthcare in Port Said," says El-Sobky. The last domain was the development of emergency rooms, where Egypt and France are planning to exchange expertise. Experts, business leaders, and Egyptian and French decision-makers participated in the forum, including general manager of the Saint-Joseph Hospital Group and Special Advisor to the French MFA on International Health expertise Jean-Patrick Lajonchere. Search Keywords: Short link: Reporter Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6). The Egyptian foreign ministry commemorated on Monday the people killed in the explosions of the Egyptian embassy in Pakistan in 1995. "Twenty-three years have passed today since the explosions at our embassy in Pakistan. We recall with love, appreciation and gratitude the memory of the Egyptian martyrs who passed away in such a tragic incident. Egypt will continue to seriously fight terrorism and extremism. God bless all martyrs of the homeland," spokesman for the foreign ministry Ahmed Hafez said on his Facebook page and Twitter account. On 19 November 1994, the Egyptian embassy compound in Islamabad, Pakistan was bombed in a terrorist attack that killed 17 people, including four Egyptian diplomats as well three Egyptian guards. Sixty 60 people were injured in the attack. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the attack. Search Keywords: Short link: Chinese University Department of Educational Psychology Associate Professor Catherine So, whose team developed the programme, hopes it will reach 900 children by 2021. Doron has taken part in the programme and his mother has already noticed that his eating habits have improved. The schools principal Carrie Lam believes the programme can stimulate autistic childrens interest in learning, with the added bonus of providing them with a comfortable, interactive learning environment. Evangelize China Fellowship Holy Word School is one of the schools participating in a robot drama education programme to help students with autism. A robot drama education programme, funded by the Innovation & Technology Fund for Better Living, will help children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Developed by the Chinese University Department of Educational Psychology, the programme helps improve autistic kids communication and social skills. It aims to reach 900 children by 2021. Stimulating learning Autistic children taking part in the programme watch the robots perform gestures, listen to them talk, then imitate them. Evangelize China Fellowship Holy Word School is one of the schools that has joined the programme. Its principal Carrie Lam said the key to the programme is that children are fully engaged in the learning process. For example, all the learning time, they want to touch the robots and listen to the robots instruction and to imitate the robot, what did the robot say. They learn the skills and then they can apply these skills (at) home and in school, as well as they can communicate with their classmates, with the teachers using these skills. Ms Lam also believes robot drama education can stimulate autistic childrens interest in learning, with the added bonus of providing them with a comfortable and interactive learning environment. She explained autistic children can feel threatened by human facial expressions. Robots just have two eyes and a nose. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder would like to see them, to keep their eyes on the social robots. So it could enhance the learning timing in order to enhance the effectiveness of learning. Social interaction Chinese University Department of Educational Psychology Associate Professor Catherine So and her team developed the unique programme which uses dramas to teach autistic children the appropriate behaviour for different social situations. Twenty dramas, including those based on scenarios such as waiting for a late bus or queuing to buy snacks at school, have already been developed. Ms So said: In one scenario, buses being late. So, maybe typical children even though they may not be autistic, they may also find it annoying why the bus is being late. However, for autistic children, they have different issues. The bus is being late. So, it is not according to their routine, it is not following their schedule. So that is why they will feel anxious. They may scream, they may yell. The (robot) mother will explain the rationale behind this scenario. We would like to reduce these kind of problem behaviours. Doron has taken part in the programme and his mother has already noticed a positive change - his eating habits have improved. She said: He did not want to eat cucumbers before. But after taking part in the robot drama he said, Mummy, I remember the robot said cucumbers are healthy for me, I want to try them now. I am surprised that he wants to give them a try and he will eat cucumbers now. Proven routine The Chinese University team has been developing the programme since 2015 and discovered the robots also help reduce autistic childrens anxiety. Ms So said children with autism prefer learning in a routine manner and that they like the materials to be repetitive and predictable. Human therapists will be difficult to follow the same routine or to follow the same content in every lesson. But social robots could help us to do that. And also, another thing is that social robots could create a platform in which the children can learn new materials in a predictable and also in a less anxious environment. She added that government funding enables the team to help more of these children. Launched in 2017 with an allocation of $500 million, the Innovation & Technology Fund for Better Living subsidises projects aimed at improving peoples daily lives or benefiting specific community groups through the use of innovation and technology. As of mid-November, the fund approved 16 applications amounting to about $50 million in grants. Chief Executive Carrie Lam (right) is greeted by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill at the APEC 2018 Economic Leaders Meeting in Port Moresby. Chief Executive Carrie Lam attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2018 Economic Leaders' Meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea today. Together with leaders of other APEC economies, Mrs Lam received a briefing from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde. At the Economic Leaders' Meeting that followed, she said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has invested heavily in education in recent years to ensure the adaptability of the next generation to social changes, and enhanced medical and social welfare services to take care of those in need. The Chief Executive noted Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy under "one country, two systems" and will continue to leverage its advantages to promote international free trade, including expanding the Free Trade Agreement network. Hong Kong will also contribute to the nations Belt & Road Initiative, she added. At the meeting's working lunch, Mrs Lam said the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to work on youth development and women's empowerment to enhance social inclusiveness. The Chief Executive said she hopes to create a favourable environment so that youths and women have more room for development and participation in policymaking. During a break in the meetings, Mrs Lam met separately the leaders of Australia and Vietnam. At her meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, she said she was pleased negotiations on a free trade agreement and an investment agreement were successfully concluded between Hong Kong and Australia, and that she believes business and economic relations between the two places will be taken to a new level. While meeting Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Mrs Lam thanked him for his support in enhancing collaboration between Hong Kong and Vietnam, adding that bilateral relations in tourism and student exchanges can be further enhanced. The Chief Executive will meet Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill tomorrow before departing for Hong Kong. The Government will closely monitor developments in the trade dispute between the Mainland and the US, and will provide assistance to affected industries when necessary, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today. Mrs Lam made the statement after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2018 Economic Leaders' Meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. She said the Government has rolled out a number of measures to assist affected industries, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, amid the trade friction between the Mainland and the US. She said the Government will keep monitoring developments and communicate with various chambers of commerce. In response to a statement by UK members of parliament over the prosecution of nine Occupy Movement participants, Mrs Lam said the Secretary for Justice decides on matters relating to prosecution and the Chief Executive will not intervene under the principles of independence of the judiciary and rule of law. She said it is very undesirable for foreign governments or legislatures to interfere in the internal affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Chief Executive Carrie Lam met Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea this morning. Mrs Lam congratulated the country for successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2018 Economic Leaders' Meeting and related meetings. She said Hong Kong is willing to strengthen exchanges and collaboration with Papua New Guinea and can provide quality professional services and share its rich experience in city management with the country. While attending the APEC meetings, Mrs Lam held bilateral meetings with leaders of countries including Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam to explore opportunities for further co-operation. Speaking to the media, she reaffirmed the support of Hong Kong, a founding member of the World Trade Organization, for free trade and the multilateral trading system. The Butterfly 'Apocalypse' May Not Be Upon Us After All (Newser) Poop comes in all shapes and sizes, but one kind of marsupial produces oddly symmetrical, six-sided feces that have had scientists scratching their heads. Patricia Yang, a mechanical engineering fellow at Georgia Tech, decided she needed to get to the bottom of why wombats expel poop cubesthe only known species to do this organicallyand so she and her team set out to study the Australian marsupial's digestive system to try to solve the mystery, Phys.org reports. Yang presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics, explaining that the researchers examined the insides of two wombats that had been euthanized after being hit by cars in Tasmania. story continues below "We opened those intestines up like it was Christmas," study co-author David Hu says, per Science News. The "gift" they found inside, per CNN, was the discovery that as the feces of the wombatwhich can produce up to 100 poop cubes each nightmoves into the last 8% of the animal's intestine, it shifts from a liquidy state to a solid, morphing into cubes about three-quarters of an inch in length. The scientists then inflated a balloon inside the intestine to find that the soft tissue of the wombat's intestinal walls were quite elastic, allowing the cubes to form. The reason that perhaps underlies the blocky excrement? Wombats, which don't see so well, stack their stinky poop to mark their turf and let other wombats know where they are. If the poop specimens are shaped like cubes, they won't roll away. (An Aussie pol used his vacation time to help wombats.) (Newser) In August 2014, then-Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason punched his wife repeatedly and slammed her head against the car's dashboard. The force of the assault broke her orbital bone; the Ohio couple's children were in the back seat at the time. Now, Aisha Fraser Mason is dead, allegedly by the same man's hands. WKYC reports the 44-year-old Woodbury Elementary School teacher was stabbed to death Saturday morning and found in her driveway; Mason allegedly tried to flee the scene and hit a police car in the process, injuring himself and an officer. He was subsequently arrested. story continues below Yemen's internationally-recognised government announced Monday it has informed UN envoy Martin Griffiths that it will take part in proposed peace talks with Houthi rebels to be held in Sweden. "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," the foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba news agency. Griffiths is expected to visit the Yemeni capital within days for talks with the Houthi rebels in preparation for the peace talks. Search Keywords: Short link: (Newser) A GoFundMe fundraiser for the family of a black security guard shot dead by police soared past its goal after a massive donation from none other than Kanye West. The rapper donated $150,000 to help the family of Jemel Roberson, a bar security guard who was killed by a white officer while holding a shooting suspect at gunpoint in Robbins, around 20 miles south of Chicago, Fox reports. "Jemel's life was tragically and unexpectedly cut short ... as he tried to save others from senseless violence," the fundraiser states. Witnesses say Jemel was wearing a hat and shirt that said "Security" and they shouted at police that he was a security guard. Friends say the 26-year-old hoped to become a Chicago police officer and he was planning to take the entrance exam next month. story continues below Numerous lawmakers have spoken out about the Nov. 11 shooting, CNN reports. "Jemel Roberson was a young father and a security guard who aspired to one day become a police officer," tweeted Sen. Cory Booker. He "was doing his job, subduing a shooter, when he was killed by a police officer. Words can't begin to describe my horror and outrage." Relatives have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit and the officer who fired the fatal shot has been placed on administrative leave. Roberson had a 9-month-old son with partner Avontea Boose, and they had been preparing to announce a second pregnancy to their families. (Lawyers say that when he was shot, Roberson was working overtime to support his family.) (Newser) A man who disappeared on the last day of his 2008 murder trial has been captured in Mexico and returned to Texas, authorities say. Hidalgo County prosecutors said in a news release that 35-year-old Oscar Davila Rodriguez was returned to the US last week. The statement didn't include details about how or where he was captured. "The tireless work of dedicated law enforcement on both sides of the border ensured that justice was served," the district attorney said. Rodriguez was free on $100,000 bond during his murder trial in the 2005 killing of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, Nydia Maldonado, the AP reports. Authorities say he broke into her home in McAllen, stabbed her multiple times and strangled her. story continues below Though Rodriguez failed to appear for the last day of his trial, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The trial was in Edinburg, which is about 15 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. "Justice will finally be served and will give peace to Nydia and all those who loved her," Assistant DA Michelle Puig, who served as lead prosecutor on the case. The 2008 trial was the second time Rodriguez was found guilty of killing Maldonado. Rodriguez was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He remained free when a judge threw out that murder conviction because a witness mentioned a polygraph test that was supposed to have been barred from evidence. (Last month, a supposedly dead Ukrainian fugitive was found living in a French castle.) (Newser) Nissan Motor Co. says it will move to oust chairman Carlos Ghosn after a months-long investigation uncovered "significant misconduct" including the under-reporting of his income by millions, reports the AP. The Japanese automaker says the probe was spurred by a whistleblower, and that the situation also allegedly involves Representative Director Greg Kelly. As the company explains in a statement cited by Reuters, "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosns compensation." Kyodo reports Ghosn's salary was underreported to the tune of $44 million over a five-year period beginning in 2011. The AP reports Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa confirmed Ghosn was arrested Monday after being questioned by Tokyo prosecutors. He added the board would vote on removing Ghosn and Kelly on Thursday. story continues below Ghosn, 64, is described by the Guardian as "one of the world's most powerful auto bosses" who "has managed the seemingly impossible job of running one carmaker in Japan, and another in France." Indeed, he's been CEO of Renault since 2005, and led that company along with Nissan, where he served as CEO from 2001 until April 2017. He's also been chair of Mitsubishi Motors since 2016. The Guardian pulls out lines from a 2014 Fortune profile that spoke to just how key Ghosn has been: "Ghosn seems to be built for the job: He has the ability to connect with strangers instantly and to compartmentalize, no discernible private life outside his family, and a willingness to travel 300,000 miles a year (thats 11 circumnavigations). The question is, Who will run this leviathan, which he calls the Renault-Nissan Alliance, after the 60-year-old retires, or if, God forbid, something happens to him?" Shares in Renault SA of France sank 14% on the news, which broke after Japanese markets were done for the day. (Read more Carlos Ghosn stories.) (Newser) Pamela Anderson is criticizing Australia's prime minister for making "smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion." Appearing on Australia's 60 Minutes this month, the Baywatch star urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to bring WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange back to his to native Australia; Morrison turned down the request, reports the AP. But the prime minister added he had "plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort out the issue with Pamela." A government official called the remark "lighthearted." story continues below Anderson posted a letter in the Daily Beast on Saturday in which she called Morrison's remarks "disappointing." She writes, "You trivialized and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. ... Rather than making lewd suggestions about me, perhaps you should instead think about what you are going to say to millions of Australians when one of their own is marched in an orange jumpsuit to Guantanamo Bayfor publishing the truth. You can prevent this." Morrison has not replied to the letter. CNN notes that Anderson has reportedly been meeting with Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy for the past two years, and characterized their relationship as a "romantic struggle" in the 60 Minutes interview. (An "error" revealed secret Assange charges.) (Newser) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitaker's appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was elevated to the top job after Jeff Sessions was ousted by President Donald Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitution's Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. More from the AP: story continues below The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitaker's appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a "sufficiently senior pay level." The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitaker's appointment as "lawful" and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, and legal precedent. "There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position," Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. "To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent." "President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation's top law enforcement official," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called 'constitutional nobody' and thwarting every senator's constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." (Read more Matthew Whitaker stories.) (Newser) Jamie Sams is alive, and she's suing over that fact. The Albuquerque Journal reports the New Mexico woman has sued Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center over what she alleges were two acts of negligence that occurred at the Santa Fe hospital in 2016. Per the suit, Sams went to the hospital's ER on Feb. 5 of that year to be treated for pain related to Dercum's disease, which she suffers from. Though she claims she advised the staff that she was allergic to the opioid Dilaudid, it was administered to her via IV in the first alleged act of negligence. Then came the second. story continues below Sams says she had an allergic reaction to the pain medication and went into cardiac arrest as a result. The staff resuscitated her even though she had signed a double Do Not Resuscitate form and "adamantly did not want" to be revived. (The Santa Fe New Mexican reports it's unclear what a "double DNR" refers to, but says it could indicate she had two directives in place, one via the hospital and one via her estate planner.) Further, "Plaintiff Sams was wearing a purple bracelet issued by the hospital and labeled 'DNR.'" The suit, which names Christus and an ER doctor as defendants, says she is forced to continue to live with "severe pain ... and limitations" and will bear significant medical costs for the rest of her life. (One man's DNR tattoo caused a great deal of confusion.) (Newser) Christopher Watts was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the murders of his pregnant wife and their two daughters, the AP reports. Watts, who initially said it was a "nightmare" when his family was reported missing in mid-August and pleaded for their safe return, was quickly arrested. He initially said that after telling his wife, Shanann, that he wanted to separate, she killed their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, and he killed her in a rage. But investigators never believed him, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to all three murders. "You monster. You thought you would get away with this," Watts' father-in-law said at the sentencing hearing, per the Denver Post. "You carried them out of the house like trash. You buried my daughter Shannan and Nico [the couple's unborn baby boy] in a shallow grave and then you put Bella and CeCe in containers of crude oil." story continues below "This is perhaps the most inhumane and vicious crime I have handled out the thousands of cases I have seen," said the judge before delivering the sentence. Watts, 33, pleaded guilty to avoid a death sentence; he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for each of the murders plus 48 years for unlawful termination of a pregnancy and 12 years for tampering with the bodies, the Greeley Tribune reports. His parents also spoke at the hearing, telling him they forgave him but struggled to understand what he had done. "We still dont have the answers," said a statement from Watts' father, read by his attorney. "I hope one day, Christopher, you can help us." Watts' own attorney described him as "devastated" and "sincerely sorry." (The woman Watts was dating when he murdered his family says he lied about everything.) (Newser) The Trump administration said Monday that it will fully restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House credentials, but warned that he must follow a series of rules at future press conferences, the AP reports. White House officials Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Bill Shine sent Acosta a letter explaining his status. His press pass had been revoked after a dust-up at a press conference with President Trump. On Twitter, CNN declared victory, saying: "Today the @WhiteHouse fully restored @Acosta's press pass. As a result, our lawsuit is no longer necessary. We look forward to continuing to cover the White House." It was an abrupt about-face for the Trump administration, which said Friday that despite a judge's injunction allowing Acosta back into the White House, it would seek to bar him again in two weeks. story continues below The White House's letter made clear his credentials could be threatened again. The officials said that at future press conferences, each reporter would be limited to a single question, with follow-up questions permitted at the discretion of the president or staff. It adds that "'Yielding the floor' includes ... physically surrendering the microphone to White House staff." The letter said failure to abide by the rules "may result in suspension or revocation of the journalist's hard pass." There had been much controversy over a possibly-doctored video the White House distributed showing Acosta's resistance to giving up his mic. Trump said last week that the White House was writing up "rules and regulations" regarding "decorum" for reporters. (Even Fox News sided with CNN on this issue.) Houthi rebels in Yemen said on Monday they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. The Iranian-aligned group, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years, also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition "wants peace". The Houthis' decision to halt missile attacks could be a turning point in peace efforts as it ends a direct threat to Saudi Arabia. It is by far the biggest concession from the movement since it left the southern port city of Aden in 2015. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemen's main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "We announce our initiative...to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. The decision was based on discussions with UN special envoy Martin Griffiths to show "good faith" and support peace efforts, he said. The UN special envoy to Yemen welcomed the Houthis' announcement to halt drone and missile strikes on the Saudi coalition, his office said on Monday. "The special envoy welcomes Ansarullah's (the Houthis) announcement ... hopes that all parties continue to exercise restraint, to create a conducive environment for convening the consultations," Martin Griffiths said in a Twitter post Griffiths is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year in Sweden to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. Yemen's parties have given "firm assurances" they are committed to attending peace talks, Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Friday, with Britain asking the council to back a humanitarian truce in Yemen on Monday. Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Monday reiterated the kingdom's support for UN efforts to end the war. The Riyadh-backed government also announced its willingness to take part in the next round of consultations. Tired Of War Yemenis cautiously welcomed the announcement on Monday. "We pray that this will be the real beginning of peace in Yemen, we are all tired of this war," said Mona Ibrahim, a teacher in the capital Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since September 2014. "We just want to live like other humans," Mohammed al-Ahdal, a resident of Hodeidah said. The Houthi defence ministry said it would respond to any hostilities from the coalition. Graham Griffiths, a senior analyst at Control Risks Middle East, said the announcement was potentially important as it comes in response to the coalition's pausing of operations around Hodeidah. "Efforts to resume the peace process remain fragile ... given the mutual distrust between the warring parties. Nevertheless, given the renewed pressure from the international community, there is a real chance to begin to move the conflict toward a durable de-escalation," he said. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on Monday that Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile on Saudi-backed forces in the desert of Midi, bordering Saudi Arabia. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition, which entered Yemen's war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. Western allies including the United States have called for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed UN efforts. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday conferred the HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Award for Sustainable Development 2018 on former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in recognition of his efforts and contributions in serving humanity and promoting global peace, security and achieving sustainable development goals. HRH the Premier congratulated Ban Ki-moon on winning the award, noting his accomplishments and contributions that enriched the collective international communitys efforts to achieve the universal goals of humanity. His Royal Highness affirmed that Ban Ki-moon has meritoriously deserved the award in consideration of his long career efforts of boosting the international cooperation vis-a-vis sustainable development goals. HRH the Premier noted Ban Ki-moons efforts focusing on the Millennium sustainable development goals and accelerating the momentum of assisting countries and peoples in this regard and paving solid ground on which countries, including Bahrain, relied in their efforts of implementing the United Nations (UN)s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs2030). HRH the Premier said we strongly support the efforts of the international community to boost the sustainable development goals and we seek, through this award, to project the individual and collective efforts and initiatives contributing in this field, considering them as exemplary drivers on the path of constructive humanitarian work. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa deputised President of the Supreme Health Council Lt-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to open the First Gulf Health Insurance Conference and Exhibition. The event, which is organised by the Supreme Health Council, kicked off yesterday at Isa Cultural Centre under the theme Developing the Health System: the Gulf Vision on Applying Health Insurance. It was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, ministers, former Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, GCC Health Ministers, GCC Secretary General Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh, Director General of the Gulf Health Council Suleiman Al Dekhil, senior invitees and participants. The Supreme Health Council President conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. He expressed heartfelt thanks and gratitude to HRH the Premier for his continuous patronage of international conferences hosted by Bahrain which underlines keenness to support the development process of the health sector in the kingdom. In his opening speech, Dr Shaikh Mohammed emphasised Bahrains unflinching keenness to provide top quality health services for all people in Bahrain. He hailed the kingdoms hosting of the First Gulf Health Insurance Conference and Exhibition, under the auspices of HRH the Premier. He said Bahrain strongly believes that providing distinguished healthcare is an inherent right for every person. He noted that holding the key conference underscores Bahrains keenness to attract specialised medical conferences that bring together international competencies to exchange medical expertise and build regional and international partnerships to boost sustainability of health services. The High Appeals Court has adjourned the case of 87 appellants convicted of terrorism until January 28, 2019, to announce its verdict. The appellants are among 115 male defendants convicted of being part of the countrys biggest terror cell. They were earlier hit with tough sentences and had their Bahraini nationality stripped. The appellants were part of Zu Al Fiqar Terrorist Cell. Fifty-three defendants were sentenced to life behind bars, while three men received 15 years imprisonment. The imprisonment sentences also include 10 years in jail for one defendant and seven years in prison for 15 accused men. The majority of the convicted men, 37, received five years behind bars, while six defendants were given three years imprisonment. The High Criminal Court, however, dropped the charges against 23 defendants due to lack of proof. All the convicted men were ordered to be stripped of their Bahraini nationality. Court files suggest that the cell began its activities in 2013 after it was formed by the first, second and third defendants who invited the other defendants to join it. The cell focused mainly on planning to murder police officers and carrying out subversive activities as well as training its members on making improvised bombs. Its said that the cell was involved in the bombing occurred in Aker village on July 19, 2015, in which several police officers were injured. Moreover, the cell was also blamed for the bombing which happened on August 24 in the same year in Muharraq. The attack caused damages to several cars happened to be in the area as well as two buildings. Furthermore, several defendants involved in the cell were implicated in the riot that broke out on October 9, 2015, in Juffair, where they also planted a homemade explosive which was remotely detonated, causing injuries to two police officers deployed in the area to restore order. Court documents indicate that investigations discovered that many of the accused men were sent to Iran, where they trained on terrorist activities in terror camps run by Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association Bahrain (AMUAAB) celebrated their founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khans 201st birth anniversary on Sunday. The event was attended by over 275 people and is considered to be the biggest gathering of AMU alumni in Bahrain till date. The event stressed on spreading the values and messages emphasised by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to educate and uplift the downtrodden sections of the society. Many dignitaries including Shura member Dr Fatema Abduljabbar AlKooheji and Anubhav Sinha attended the event. Speaking to Tribune, Dr Sharique Ahmed, Gen Secretary of AMUAAB said, The event comes as a part to pay tribute to the great scholar, visionary, social reformer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan where speakers dwelled on the thought process behind establishing this great institution, as well drawing parallels on the relevance of the movement he started and the current education system. Albanias long underexplored coastal waters have become a hotspot for treasure hunters scooping up ancient pottery, sunken ship parts and other shell-encrusted relics that have lain on the seabed for centuries. The 450-kilometre (280-mile) coastline, which is lapped by the Adriatic and Ionian seas, was off-limits under the communist regime which ruled the Balkan state until 1990, with orders to shoot anyone caught diving without authorisation. But today its waters are open, luring archaeologists but also looters eager to plumb the new territory and sell their finds on the art and metals markets. Much of this wealth resting at the depth of 20-30 metres (66-99 feet) is easily accessible without any special equipment and has almost completely disappeared without a trace, said Albanian archaeologist and art historian Neritan Ceka, among those calling for urgent measures to protect the underwater heritage. While diving at the beginning of the 1980s -- under communism, archaeologists and soldiers were permitted -- he was one of the first to see for himself the seabed treasures, he said. I saw extraordinary richness, amphoras (terra-cotta jugs), pottery, archaeological objects which are no longer there today, he added. Teams of European and Albanian divers have started to loot in a barbaric way, he lamented. Big profits Expeditions carried out since 2006 by the US-based RPM Nautical Foundation have found some 40 shipwrecks along Albanias coastline, including vessels dating back to the 7th century BC and naval ships from World War I and II. Hundreds of Roman-era amphoras -- used to store wine, olive oil and other goods on trade vessels -- are also clustered on the sea floor, covered in marine plants. Experts say that without a full inventory, it is impossible to know how many of the artifacts have been plucked from the seabed and sold on the international art trafficking market. The market overall generates a global turnover of more than $4 billion (3.5 billion euros) a year, according to Auron Tare, who chairs UNESCOs scientific and technical advisory body on underwater cultural heritage. Art and steel The vases can be sold for up to 100 euros in Albania, where they are on display in some high-end restaurants, or auctioned for much greater sums in London and other art capitals. Other prized discoveries have been ferried home by foreign divers and placed in various private museums around the world, such as the bell of an ill-fated Austro-Hungarian ship, the SS Linz, that sunk off Albanias northwest coast with 1,000 passengers on board after striking a mine in March 1918. These objects (from the SS Linz), exhibited in a private museum in Austria, must be returned to Albania, said Tare, who also heads the Albanian Center for Marine Research. Divers are also going underwater to strip early 20th century warships for their high-quality steel. Steel produced before any nuclear explosions happened in the world is especially lucrative, as it lacks any trace of radioactivity and can be used for sensitive medical devices and other scientific equipment. To skin the hull and remove it from the seabed, the looters use dynamite, said Ilir Capuni, a researcher and professor at the University of New York Tirana. He has seen the plunder firsthand. Back in 2013, Capuni helped discover a Hungarian-Croat steamer, the Pozsony, that sunk off the coast of Durres in 1916 after striking a mine. But four years later, we found that there was almost nothing left of it, said Capuni. A similar fate has befallen the Italian medical ship Po, which was struck by a British torpedo in 1941 off the coast of southeastern Vlore. Benito Mussolinis daughter Edda Ciano, who was aboard the ship as a nurse, survived. Its algae-covered hull was miraculously intact when it was first discovered but has since been dismantled in places and emptied of valuable objects, such as the bell, compass, telegraph, lights and dishes. Bought firsthand for 5,000 euros, some parts have been resold since to collectors for 20 times that amount, Capuni said. Bahrain International Airshow has increased the occupancy rate in the Kingdoms four and five-star hotels by 20 per cent, said a top official yesterday. According to CEO of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, the Kingdom has witnessed an economic surge in tourism facilities such as malls, restaurants and local cafes during the event during the period. The Airshow, he said, also provided the Kingdom with a great opportunity to showcase the Kingdom as a tourist destination capable of hosting the worlds largest event The fifth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Shaikh Khalid further reiterated the importance of such international events and exhibitions in driving an increased number of tourists to Bahrain and bolstering its competitive position. The United Kingdom could ask for a longer Brexit transition period if needed, Business Secretary Greg Clark said on Monday, not ruling out the possibility it could last until 2022. The United Kingdom is due to formally leave the EU on March 29, 2019 but a planned transition period means it will remain a member in all but name until the end of December 2020. Asked on BBC radio about an extension to the transition period, Clark said: It would be at our request. It would be our discretion, it would be purely for us if we wanted to and there are reasons we may not want to take that up, it would be available to us, he said. He did not rule out a suggestion that it could last until 2022. If we were six weeks away from concluding a future economic partnership and agreeing that then it may make sense to extend the transition period, Clark said. Search Keywords: Short link: The Coalition of Niger Delta ex-Agitators have called on the people of the region to support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 in a way of repaying him for the good and laudable works he has been doing in the region.The leader of Coalition of Niger Delta ex-Agitators, Phase II, Comrade Steve Ebisintei, who made the call in a statement issued in Abuja, particularly, tasked ex-agitators under phases 1, 2 and 3 Presidential Amnesty Program and other critical stakeholders in the region to work towards Buharis victory during the 2019 presidential election.Comrade Ebisintei argued that in order for the region to continue to benefit from the numerous programs and projects of President Muhammadu Buhari in the region, stakeholders must rally round the re-election project of President Buhari.According to him, President Buhari remains the only president since the return of democracy in 1999 who has initiated projects and programs that are directly beneficial to the people of the Niger Delta region.He also called for support for the Amnesty Office boss, Professor Quaker Dokubo, whom he said the president has enormous trust for and the major reason the president is embarking on major projects in the region because Prof Dokubo has shown enviable integrity.Ahead of the forthcoming 2019 election, the ex-agitators leader maintains that the only option left for the region was to continue to support the president and Prof Dokubo in their quest to uplift the lot of the youths of the region.According to him, not supporting the re-election of President Buhari will only hurt the region more as many of the ongoing projects in the region may likely stop.Continuing, he said, Without equivocation, I can tell you that more than ever before, the federal government under President Buhari has paid more attention to our devastated region than any other government at least since 1999.Today, modular refineries, which when completed will take over from illegal refiners and create jobs for our teeming youths are ongoing in the region. The East West road, which had prior to now remain in the pipelines, has been progressing with appreciable speed.The petroleum university at Okerenkoko in Delta State is progressing in good measure. The Amnesty program has been revived and expanded in the interest of the youths of our region. It is the only program that is targeted at the youths and it is evident that Prof Dokubo has integrated more youths into the program than any other Amnesty boss before him.Because of the sterling performance of President Buharis administration in area of peace-building, which has resulted in decrease in the spate of militancy in the region, the dark days of avengers and other militant groups in the region are in the past. All these achievements can be traced to the Midas touch of Prof. Quaker Dokubo and therefore we as a region must encourage the Amnesty boss by supporting President Buhari.He said that no other sentiments should prevail in the region going into the 2019 election except the sentiments of visible performance and what is on ground for the people of the region to benefit.He cautioned politicians from the region to avoid misleading the youths for their own selfish political gains ahead of the 2019 elections and promised to work with other like-minded youths of the region to make sure that the presidents re-election becomes a reality. A meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors Forum to resolve the raging dispute over the proposed N30,000 Nat... A meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors Forum to resolve the raging dispute over the proposed N30,000 National Minimum Wage ended in a deadlock on Monday in Abuja.The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa.The Chairman of the NGF, and Governor of Zamfara State, Mr Abdulazeez Yari, led a smaller team of governors to the meeting to speak for the Forum.Those at the meeting included Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode; Kebbi State Governor, Mr Atiku Bagudu; and the Enugu State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, was also at the meeting.Recall that the majority of the 36 state governors had maintained that they could only afford to pay N22,500 as the NMW.They had also stated that the other options were for them to reduce their workforce or the Federal Government would have to review the revenue sharing formula to make more money available to the states.The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Kayode Fayemi, is one of the key proponents of a revenue formula review.Signs of a deadlock at the meeting was noticed when the governors emerged wearing long faces and refused to formally address State House correspondents.One after another, Yari and his colleagues declined to talk.Similarly, the Presidents Media Office, which earlier promised to brief reporters on the outcome of the meeting, also kept mum after the meeting.As of the time of filing this report, the media office had yet to respond to any inquiries.However, findings indicated that pressure was put on the governors to move up to N24,000, a middle course the federal government was said to be disposed to as the NMW. The Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, Sunday condemned the viral reports that the real President Muhammadu Buhari is long dead and that the President in Aso Rock was Jibril El Sudan.The presidents support group, while reacting to reports counselled the opposition to dwell its campaigns on facts and realities on ground, rather than resorting to fiction.In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by its Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, the BCO said the opposition was spreading the news of a fake Buhari just to divert attention from the sad reality that they lack constructive programmes to campaign with ahead of the 2019 polls.The group described the narrative as evil, unpatriotic and satanic, just as it wondered why any right thinking person would want to create the impression that a foreigner would be sneaked into the country to act as the president of Nigeria for quite a long time without the global intelligence community or the foreign media getting to know.The BCO urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take urgent steps to sanction the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the major opposition party in the country had been flouting the commissions rules of engagement in the campaigns by spreading fake news and making inciting remarks.He said, The same opposition element who had prayed for President Muhammadu Buharis death while on medical vacation in London are at work again. This narrative of a fake Buhari in Aso Rock had been part of their strategy to cover up for their lack of a clear cut manifesto to engage the ruling party in constructive campaign for the 2019 general election.These are people who have squandered the countrys resources without conscience before President Buhari came in to end their reign of massive looting. They had hoped that the president would not return alive from his medical vacation abroad, but were disappointed to see him back hale and hearty to execute the anti-corruption campaign more vigorously.Now that the campaign season is here, the opposition has conscripted idle youths to take advantage of the social media and hoodwink gullible Nigerians into voting them back to power with fake news.This is a mere figment of their own warped imagination. But their frustration is very clear; rather than staying alive to stop the looting regime that plundered our common patrimony with impunity, they would have loved to see President Buhari dead so that the ongoing efforts to recover their looted funds will be frustrated.Ibrahim recalled that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who visited President Buhari in London while he was on medical vacation in that country visited Nigeria recently to see the president, adding that, as a revered man of God, the cleric wouldnt have identified with Buhari if there was anything questionable about the Nigerian president.He continued: PDP and their spin doctors should come up with serious campaign issues. They should dwell on concrete facts instead of creating stories that can only be read on fictional novels. President Buharis survival in London was Gods divine intervention and those who never wanted him to survive are enemies of Nigeria.As the campaigns gather momentum, we urge well-meaning Nigerians to remain steadfast and be rest assured that President Buhari will return in 2019 to continue the great work his administration is doing to revive our economy, the power sector, agriculture, roads and tackle corruption head on. President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to politicians to go about their campaigns peacefully, and not set the county ablaze. He m... President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to politicians to go about their campaigns peacefully, and not set the county ablaze. He made the appeal while flagging off his reelection campaign at the state house conference centre, Abuja. The president said his administration had recorded milestone in the last three years, and is looking forward to fulfilling more if given a new term. I am not unmindful that the national assembly and the presidential campaign starts today, I will implore candidates to go about the campaigns peacefully and decently, he said. We have no other country, let us not set it ablaze because of politics. Buhari spoke on his plans to overhaul the education sector. Every child counts and simply, whatever it takes to prepare our teachers, curriculum and classrooms to attain the right educational goals that grow our country, will be done, he said. We will remodel 10,000 schools every year and retain our teachers to impart science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics using coding, animation, robotics to re-interpreter our curriculum. He said his administration had done a lot in fighting corruption but admitted that there is still much to do. Corruption is an existential threat to Nigeria. Despite the gains we have made in closing the gates, we know that there is still much ground to cover to stop the systemic corruption, he said. We are committed to deepening the work we started this first term such that the nations assets and resources continue to be organised and utilised to do good for the common man. The next four years will be quite significant for our country. Nigeria is faced with a choice to keep building a new Nigeria making a break from its tainted past which favoured an opportunistic few. Germany will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday. Maas said the move was "coordinated very closely with" states France and Britain and the broader EU as they seek more information in Khashoggi's death last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Berlin has "decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be in connection with this deed, in the Schengen information system," Maas told reporters. "We are in close coordination on this issue within the European Union," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. "Over the weekend, we stated that we expected further steps to be taken to clarify the situation. We will follow on this closely and reserve further steps for ourselves." The Schengen zone -- which is composed of 22 EU nations and four non-EU countries. EU member Britain is not part of the passport-free Schengen zone, but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes. Germany called last month for EU countries to follow its lead and suspend arms sales for the moment to Saudi Arabia, prompting a dismissive response from French President Emmanuel Macron. France is the kingdom's second biggest customer after India. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, an audio recording proves that Khashoggi was deliberately killed and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. The United States, traditionally Riyadh's closest ally, has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. Search Keywords: Short link: The Atiku-Agbaje Media Engagement Network has urged the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to rescind his proposed policy on the sale of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation if elected.The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Atiku, on Sunday said he would sell 90 per cent of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and retain just 10 per cent of the company for the Federal Government if elected.The former vice-president, in his policy document put together with a major delivery timeline from 2019 to 2025, also plans to sell all the four national refineries.Mr Felix Oboagwina, the Executive Director of the campaign support group, made the call in a statement issued to NAN in Lagos on Monday.According to Oboagwina, the groundswell of opinions so far collated by the group on this matter wants Alhaji Atiku to think outside the box for solutions to the obvious ineptitude and corruption bedeviling the corporation.The Late President Umar YarAdua had won accolades for reversing the privatisation of the nations four refineries; this demonstrates that Nigerians wanted the governments vigorous involvement in the running of the corporation.We urge Atiku to direct his mind towards probing NNPC, recovering looted funds and positioning the corporation for accountability, integrity, professionalism, and profitability if elected, he said.Oboagwina also urged Atiku to rather commit to perfecting, signing and implementing the Petroleum Industry Bill within six months of coming into power.AAMEN would want Atiku to re-open scandalous NNPC cases like the $25 billion scam alarm raised by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.It is not always that a drastic solution should be visited on a drastic problem and for anyone to say that selling off the countrys shares in NNPC would be the only solution to the rot in the system simply means that corruption would have won, he said. Digital Satellite Television service subscribers in Nigeria are grumbling over the continued payment for services not rendered by MultiChoice, the major distance-to-home service provider in Nigeria.In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday, DStv subscribers pleaded with the Federal Government to enact a law to compel MultiChoice to introduce pay-as-you-view billing system.The subscribers said that there was a need for such billing system, as it would ensure value for the subscription.Many of the subscribers complained of paying for what they did not get services for, saying that after several complaints, MultiChoice did not listen.Mr Uzochukwu Nwafor, a businessman, said that MultiChoice was not considerate on how it was handling the issue of pay-as-you-view.They need to put a regulation in place to help subscribers enjoy the money they paid to view the programmes.With that (pay-as-you-view billing), we can save some money, I see subscribing to DStv programmes as a waste of money; it does not happen abroad or even in South Africa, he said.Mr Silvanus Nwankwo, a civil servant, said that the National Assembly (NASS) was supposed to look into the operations of MultiChoice.Many companies come to Nigeria and rip us off because our policies are not being implemented.Again, DStv does not have serious competitors and that is why the company is behaving as it pleases.The Pay-As-You-Go billing that telecommunications operators offer is supposed to be applicable to DStv, he said.Nwankwo, however, said that the NASS should focus on the number of Nigerians that subscribed to the companys service and insist on reducing prices of its bouquets.A Hip Hop Artiste, Ishmael Lawal, popularly known as King Songo said that MultiChoice was defrauding Nigerians, as its decoder did not work properly.Lawal said that after subscription, he hardly watched the programmes because the signal was poor.He also said, The company cuts off subscriptions two days before expiration, without warning.Again, they keep repeating programmes, when one had paid to get new and trending programmes.A source at the Consumer Protection Council, who pleaded anonymity, said that the council had already taken MultiChoice to court over the issue. The Muslim community in Ekiti State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest, over alleged appropriation of their land by former Governor Ayodele Fayose, urging the government to revoke the forceful acquisition to avert crisis in the state.The Muslims, who displayed placards of various inscriptions, said the land located at Atikankan area, Odo Otu, in the state capital was donated to Ahmmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in 1940 by the late Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Aladesanmi Anirare and the first Ahmmadiya mosque in Ekiti was erected there.Some of the placards read: No Illegal Acquisition of our land, Government, Give Us Our Land, We Want Our Land Back and Enough of Marginalisation of Muslims in Ekiti.They described the forceful takeover of the land as an act of oppression to Muslims in the State.President, Ahmmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, in Ekiti State, Mr. Alawode Bashirudeen said: Our fathers built the first mosque on the plot of land in the 40s before the old structure built with mould blocks was demolished.We went to the State Ministry of Lands and the General Manager of the Ekiti State Housing Corporation and complained, but they told us the land has been acquired by the government and we suspected that government cant acquire land to build a petrol station.When we suspected foul play and saw the structure springing up , we sent a petition to the Police Commissioner and he intervened and stopped the construction. It was at the meeting with the Commissioner of Police that we got to know that the land was acquired by the governor for his son.Rather than even tender an apology, the former governor threatened us and said the land had been acquired and that there was nothing we could do about it.We have documents backing us that we are the original owner, so we are appealing to the government to remove the structure and give us our land back, it belongs to us.We can only negotiate with the owner of this structure if they give us another land within this vicinity and this should come with all necessary documents.Reacting to the allegation, Mr. Fayoses aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka said: No child of the former governor is building a petrol station anywhere in Ekiti State and none of them benefited from his government in terms of land acquisition.All actions of his government were done within the ambit of the law and the records are there.Also, the issue in question was addressed with the Muslims while he was in office and the present government is at liberty to look into it if they have grievances. As the presidential seat campaign for the 2019 general elections kick off today across all political parties, according to the directive of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria, Fela Durotoye, has stated that his campaign train is not a jamboree, but a social impact project to connect with all Nigerians.Speaking through the Director General of the Fela Durotoye Presidential campaign, Mr Lanre Oyegbola, he said the election is no ordinary instead, a choice between politicians that have given us the country we are tired of today and nation builders that will lead Nigerians in building the new country we all want to live in and be proud of.While politicians rent large crowds to give the illusion of a large following, our campaign will be focused on social impact and making a difference in the lives of people all across the country, he said.The campaign train kicks off today with an initiative and life-changing project tagged: Social Impact Project, which cater for many young Nigerians, especially the needy, as the campaign team, party executives and members, among others will accompany Durotoye to feed and donate clothing materials to over 500 children of low income families in the interior part of Lagos, precisely at 31, Bale Street, Boundary, Ajegunle-Apapa, Lagos Nigeria.Speaking on why he channeled his campaign towards such direction, Durotoye noted that it was time the life of Nigerians are restored, because many Nigerians have become beggars not by choice, but the system forced them into begging as a means of survival.The renowned public speaker and business consultant, however, urged Nigerians to be wary of the gimmicks of some politicians that are fond of playing on peoples intelligent by telling people what they would do when they get into office, while the nation builders will show people what they will do before they get into office.We are not politicians. We are nation builders and we intend to run our campaign differently from the usual way politicians do things and this is why we are impacting lives positively across Nigeria, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as an inspiration to every young Nigerian.The President has also felicitated with the former President as he clocks 61 years.In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina in Abuja, Buhari said he joined Nigerians in sending warm greetings to former President Jonathan as he turns 61 on November 20, 2018.President Buhari in the statement said he believes the life journey of the former President remains an inspiration to every young Nigerian of the possibilities that await anyone willing to learn, work hard and participate in making the country great.The President congratulated Dr. Jonathan on the publishing of his memoir, My Transition Hours, which will be launched as part of ceremonies marking his birthday, encouraging Nigerians to follow same example of sharing their experiences in writing.President Buhari prayed that the almighty God will strengthen Dr. Jonathan, grant him longer life and bless his family. President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, said only the military cannot end the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the country.This was even as he fingered politics as the root cause of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.Buhari said successful counterinsurgency operations required what he called unity of efforts across multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies covering political, economic, law enforcement, intelligence and of course the military.The president,who spoke in Abuja,while delivering a keynote address at the maiden Nigerian Air Force International Air Power Seminar with the theme Air Power in Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Understanding and Responding,however,reminded that his vision was to build a stable and prosperous Nigeria that would be the pride of future generations.Noting that his dream cannot be accomplished without peace, stability and security, he enjoined Nigerians to embrace reforms that will entrench true democracy in Nigerias polity.Successful counterinsurgency operations would therefore require unity of efforts across multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies covering political, economic, law enforcement, intelligence and of course the military, in what is popularly called whole of the nation approach.In this regard, we have mobilised relevant agencies and international organisations to support the counterinsurgency effort in order to ensure success,he said.It is common knowledge that even though we require substantial military input in combating an insurgency, its root cause is inherently political in nature,he added.He spoke further:This seminar is quite timely, in that since the outbreak of the Boko Haram crisis in the North East of Nigeria, the Nigerian Air Force and indeed the armed forces of Nigeria have been engaged in conducting counter insurgency operations that have challenged the Services doctrine, tactics, training, Order of Battle and force protection architecture.Seminars like this are thus, necessary for armed forces like the Nigerian Air Force to draw from the experiences of other armed forces that have either previously or are currently engaged in counter insurgency operations.I must therefore commend the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, for this initiative.He said his administration was committed to diversifying our economy, adding,we have been partnering with other stronger economies to attract the much need Foreign Direct Investment.He further said: We are also looking at alternate means of generating electricity to power our industries and meet domestic demand.I assure you all that a lot has been achieved in this regard and we are putting in more effort in order to achieve more.This is to ensure that we build an economically prosperous, politically stable, socially just and truly democratic Nigeria, where security of lives and property is guaranteed.However, no economy can thrive in an insecure environment. It is in realisation of this, that our Government considers it of high priority to develop the capacity of our armed forces and indeed that of all security agencies.We are committed to enhancing the welfare of all service personnel to enable them give their utmost in their service to the nation.We are also committed to ensuring that our armed forces are appropriately trained and equipped to deal with the contemporary challenges of a globalised world, of which insurgency and terrorism have become of greatest concern.In the last few years, Governments effort at reprofessionalizing the armed forces for improved performance has yielded positive results.The provision of modern equipment and motivation of personnel through enhanced welfare is ongoing and I am aware that training activities within the armed forces has improved tremendously.We will continue to support the drive to modernize the armed forces through enhanced budgetary allocation in their quest to meet the constitutional demands of protecting Nigerias sovereignty and territorial integrity. I therefore charge the armed forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force not to rest on its oars in fulfilling this constitutional role.Speaking further,he said:It is important to stress that there has been steady improvement in the security situation in the North East where the Boko Haram activities have been confined in recent times. We have denied them the ability to hold territory and the freedom of movement to operate at will and they now resort to skeletal attacks on soft targets. Our thoughs and prayers are always with the victims and families of the Boko Haram atrocities. We remain committed to ensuring that the crisis comes to an ends, while making the North East and indeed all parts of Nigeria safe for all to live and prosper. Let me, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces once again assure the military that I will continue to ensure appropriate funding for our armed forces in order to enhance capacity building and deepen professionalism.As I conclude, let me express my profound appreciation to all the countries represented at this gathering especially our partners and friends that have contributed in one way or the other towards the success of our counterinsurgency operations. It is hoped that the quality of papers to be delivered and subsequent discussions would be highly beneficial to the Nigerian Air Force in particular, the Nigerian armed forces and Nigeria in general. On his part, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali,commended the efforts of the Nigerian Air Force for what it was expending in support of the counterinsurgency operations, saying the development was instrumental in curtailing the insurgents and making life more meaningful for the victims.While emphasizing the joint and indeed interministerial nature of counterinsurgency operations, he thanked airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force for the consistent and professional manner in which they have handled these operations.He said he was optimistic that the seminar would further provide new options for the air force in its counterinsurgency operations based on experiences from other countries.This seminar perfectly fits into the Ministry of Defences vision of ensuring synergy and cooperation not just within the Services but across ministerial boundaries in support of the nations political objectives. With the support of the Federal Government we are doing our best to ensure optimum utilization of resources in the procurement of equipment and other resources that are required by the Services in prosecuting the counterinsurgency operations,he added.Earlier,in his welcome address, Chief of Air Staff, Air Mashal Sadique Abubakar, while noting that the Nigerian Air Force had for several years hosted the Air Expo among other event on the security situation in Nigeria, he, however,said the rapidly changing dynamics in the international arena and the changing approach to warfare required careful understanding of the threats and response options available for the projection of air power in addressing National Security imperatives.This, he said, necessitated the hosting of the event.We therefore deem it necessary to host this International Air Power Seminar to serve as a platform for exchange of ideas on the way forward.The changing character of warfare has imposed the need for a change in the way armed forces approach warfare. While the engagement in conventional or regular warfare remains a possibility, the global predominant threat to nations has become more irregular in nature. Irregular warfare by its nature is asymmetric, and it covers a wide range of activities with insurgency and counter-insurgency operations at its core,he added.According to him,Since the beginning of this decade, despite many challenges associated with this type of warfare, the Nigerian Air Force has over the years actively employed air power in dealing with security challenges facing the nation. The three-day event has participants from Colombia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, France, Liberia, Morocco, Guinea Bisau, Turkey, Cameroon, Niger, Kenya, Senegal, Chad and the United States of America in attendance. Muhammadu Buhari yesterday launched his re election campaign with the presentation of his achievements, and his plans, if reelected.... On job creation, the campaign with the theme, The Next Level: Working for the Greatest Number, announced plans to engage one million N-Power graduates and skill up 10 million Nigerians under a voucher system in partnership with the private sector.The All Progressives Congress (APC) standard bearer plans to expand the school feeding programme from 9.3 million to 15 million children to create 300,000 extra jobs for vendors and farmers.In infrastructure upgrade, it intends to complete the Ibadan/Kano phase of the Lagos/Kano rail link; the Port Harcourt/Maiduguri line, the Itakpa/Warri link to Abuja, through Lokoja; the Second Niger Bridge; and the East West Road connecting Warri, Delta State, to Oron, Akwa Ibom State, through Kaiama and Port Harcourt in Bayelsa and Rivers State respectively.President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his running mate, also indicated the plan will establish a Peoples Moni Bank to institutionalize the giving out of soft loans of up to N1 million to small traders, artisans and commercial drivers, including taxi drivers, Keke and motorcycle riders.The team intends to consolidate on its Trader Moni, Market Moni and Farmer Moni schemes by increasing the number of beneficiaries from 2.3 million to 10 million.The Buhari/Osinbajo team also wants to create more room for inclusion in government, by achieving 35 per cent in female appointments, give more access to youth appointment in boards and agencies, as well as introduce special mentoring programme in governance, with young graduates working with ministers and other senior government appointees.In education, it states: Every child counts is our roadmap to make our primary and secondary school students digitally literate with emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM).We will reinterpret the curriculum, by imparting functional skills such as coding, robotics, animation, design thinking, collaboration, critical thinking and project management. We will also emphasise civic education.All teachers in public primary and secondary schools will be retrained in their primary areas of teaching, as well as to deliver digital literacy.The team also added that at the next level, 10,000 schools per year will be remodeled and equipped, transforming classrooms to labs, workshops and collaboration centres. Suez Canal officials discussed several major planned investments in the canals economic zone on Monday. The head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) Mohab Memish chaired a meeting of the ordinary general assembly of the Main Development Co. for the Economic Zone at the North West of Suez Gulf (MDC), in the attendance of the firm's managing director Abdel Nasser El-Refaie to discuss investments in the north-west of the Gulf of Suez, the development process in the region and the projects being mulled, according to a statement released by the SCZone. During the meeting, the officials also reviewed final contracts for developing 13.3 million square metres out of a total 20.4 million square metres, as a result of contracts inked with firms such as Egypt TEDA, Carbon Holdings, ECOBAT and Raya Holding Co. They also reviewed the main contracts which are being negotiated, including one which would establish a petrochemicals industrial complex on an area of 900,000 square metres, to produce propylene derivatives, with investments worth $1 billion. The project would provide 4,000 job opportunities, the statement added. Another possible project would see the construction of an industrial complex to produce gas derivatives on 2 million square metres with investments estimated at $10 billion, expected to create 27,000 direct and indirect job opportunities. The MDC is an Egyptian shareholding company whose main role is to plan, design, finance, construct, operate, manage and maintain the Suez Canal Economic Zones infrastructure, utilities, networks and services, by itself or through specialised industrial developers, in addition to promoting the economic zone and attracting investments. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla met with US Assistant Secretary of State Francis Fannon on Monday and discussed ways of boosting bilateral cooperation regarding the oil and gas industries and efforts to develop the sector. El-Molla said in a statement on Monday that he reviewed the latest positive developments in the Egyptian economy with El-Molla, especially in the oil and gas sector, in light of the measures implemented by the Egyptian government to achieve economic reform and comprehensive development. During the meeting, the minister demonstrated the measures adopted over the last four years within the strategy to develop the oil and gas sector in Egypt, aiming to increase the flow of investments of international oil companies in the country and achieving the highest rates of natural gas production and self-sufficiency of locally produced gas and energy supplies, to contribute to economic development. Fanon affirmed his country's keenness to strengthen cooperation with Egypt and to expand joint projects in this field, especially in the eastern Mediterranean region, targeting more discoveries and development of gas reserves in that region. Fannon also hailed the positive results achieved by Egypts oil and gas industry in recent years as well as the Egyptian government's ability to implement major natural gas projects in such a short time, the Egyptian statement said. Search Keywords: Short link: China will expand its ban on imports of solid waste, local media reported Monday, almost a year after its first curbs caused havoc in countries that sent their rubbish to the Asian giant. The regulatory action -- which expands the prohibition to 32 categories of solid waste from the 24 banned last year -- will go into effect from December 31, according to official news agency Xinhua, citing four Chinese government agencies. Newly banned product types include hardware, ships, auto parts, stainless steel waste and scrap, titanium and wood, Xinhua said. The initial ban caused worldwide problems as recyclers were cut off from their main market for waste material. Globally, since 1992, 72 percent of plastic waste has ended up in China and Hong Kong, according to a study in the journal Science Advances. China bought up more than half of the scrap materials exported by the US last year -- but that proportion has been falling with Beijing's regulatory moves cutting down the types of waste Chinese companies could buy. China says the policy changes are in line with a new push to protect the environment. They suggest Beijing no longer wants to be the world's trash can, or even its recycle bin. Equally damaging for recyclers have been more stringent policies on the quality of waste China will allow across its border. For products such as cardboard and metal, China set a contamination level of 0.5 percent last year -- an extremely low threshold that required US and other recyclers to change technology and sorting techniques to meet the new standards. Global plastic exports to China were forecast to fall from 7.4 million tonnes in 2016 to 1.5 million tonnes in 2018, while paper exports might tumble nearly a quarter, according to one researcher. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt sold $1.7 billion worth of dollar-denominated treasury bills at an average yield of 3.697 percent on Monday, the central bank said. On Nov. 15, the bank said it would auction $1.675 billion worth of one-year dollar-denominated treasury bills on Monday. It said the auction would be settled on Tuesday and is open to local banks and foreign institutions. One-year dollar-denominated treasury bills worth $1.73 billion issued a year ago are due to mature on Tuesday. Search Keywords: Short link: This Account has been suspended. Egypt's Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker discussed on Monday fostering cooperation in the electricity sector with Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) at the US Department of State Francis R. Fannon and an accompanying delegation. The meeting is part of efforts by the electricity ministry to attract more foreign investments in various energy projects, according to a statement by the ministry. Shaker reviewed steps taken by the ministry to secure the electricity supply for citizens nationwide as well as challenges the ministry has faced over the past few years. During the meeting, the minister noted that Egypt added 6,882 megawatts to the national power grid by the end of 2015, and has launched electricity projects to generate an additional 3,250 megawatts under its five-year development plan. The electricity sector aims to generate 20 percent of the energy on the national electricity grid from renewable sources by 2020, the minister said. Shaker also said that Cairo has introduced major legislative reforms to create an appropriate environment for investment. He also lauded the fruitful cooperation with US companies, expressing his interest in broadening cooperation, especially in establishing renewable energy projects. Fannon hailed the efforts exerted by the ministry to improve the country's energy infrastructure and lure investments for the private sector, expressing interest in boosting cooperation with Egypt in numerous domains, including in solar and wind energy projects. Search Keywords: Short link: The General Organisation for Import and Export Control (GOEIC) said that Egypt's total non-petroleum exports increased in October by $43 million to reach $1.988 billion, compared to $1.945 billion during the same month last year. In a statement on Monday, the GOEIC said that the Egyptian industrial non-petroleum exports hit $1.653 billion in October, while the foodstuff exports amounted to $335 million. Egypt's exports to the Arab League member states reached $747 million in October. Search Keywords: Short link: Cardiac arrests after inhalant abuse are common enough that theyve been given a name: sudden sniffing death. The death of a Dutch teen serves as a grim reminder of the dangers associated with inhaling common household products, such as spray-on deodorant, keyboard dusters and whipped cream. The 19-year-olds cardiac arrest and eventual death were described in an article published in BMJ Case Reports. The use of volatile substances in everyday household products is common among youngsters in puberty from troubled households, said the studys lead author, Dr. Kelvin Harvey Kramp of the Maasstad Hospital in Rotterdam. Medical personnel unfamiliar with inhalant abuse can be confronted with their dramatic consequences, such as cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrests after inhalant abuse are common enough that theyve been given a name: sudden sniffing death. Inhalant abusers use one of three methods to ingest the volatile substances that will give them a brief high: direct inhalation, known as sniffing; inhaling through a piece of cloth, known as huffing; and bagging, which involves breathing the substance in through a plastic bag or balloon. Hydrocarbons, which are used in aerosol-spray household products, are what cause the short-lived high. These substances easily dissolve in fat, and therefore easily cross the lung-blood and brain-blood barriers and dissolve into tissues with high fat content, such as the nervous system, Kramp explained. Once they cross the blood-brain barrier, they disrupt normal brain processes, said Dr. Michael Lynch, medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the case report. People feel a high and may pass out, Lynch said. They may feel agitated, happy or silly. The effect usually lasts a few minutes. Then people will do it again or move on with their day. Cardiac arrest can occur because inhaled propellants sensitize your heart, Lynch said. They make your heart respond to adrenaline much more readily so people can get cardiac arrests when they become agitated or surprised. The teen described by Kramp and his colleagues was being treated in a drug rehab facility for ketamine and cannabis abuse. In an attempt to get high, he put a towel over his head and inhaled the spray from a deodorant can. He quickly became agitated and hyperactive and then suffered a cardiac arrest. Basic life support by nurses onsite and six rounds of defibrillation (shocking the heart) by paramedics finally revived him. In the hospital, was admitted to intensive care and put into a medically induced coma. While his heart activity appeared to return to normal, his brain activity never did, the doctors report. For nine days, abnormal brain readings and visible jerking indicated continuing epileptic seizures. When his condition didnt improve with treatments, and it became clear that no further intervention would help, doctors disconnected the teen from life support. Ultimately, Kramp explained, what killed the teen was the time the brain went without oxygen during the cardiac arrest. That led to irreparable brain damage. After the brain damage the patient did not have enough brain function to sustain life. While the Dutch authors suggest that inhalant abuse is confined to troubled kids, Dr. Andrew Stolbach believes that in the U.S., its much more widespread. I think the number of people who either sniff or huff or bag is probably higher than we think, said Stolbach, a medical toxicologist and emergency physician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. I would bet a lot of kids are doing it who dont have access to other drugs. With that said, not a lot of people die from it, Stolbach noted. Its not on the scale of opioids or alcohol. But it does happen. I learned about it when I was training as a medical toxicologist. You dont see a lot of it in hospitals, but it seems reasonably prevalent. I grew up in the suburbs and lots of kids would do this. But the true number is unknown. To kids it seems like harmless fun because it involves something they are familiar with and they tend to think of things that are around us - everyday products we see in the garage or the bathroom - as safe. The new article should also serve as a reminder of the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Stolbach said. If you encounter someone without a pulse, the faster you start CPR, the better chance that person has of living, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Tommy Genesis is the kind of artist who breeds quippy headlines. She's a "fetish rapper" rebelliously waging war on taboo and respectability politics. She's a sex object of her own making, turning the male gaze on its heads, and making female desire and pleasure public. She's a theory-reading, manga-loving nerd-hipster-rapper "child of the Internet"-"art hoe" whose music, fashion and public presence skewers the millennial perspective. She's the protege of Atlanta rap collective Awful Records (Father, Playboy Carti, iLoveMakonnen). And of course, the Swedish-Tamil Canadian rapper is the next M.I.A. These narratives might all be true. She is affiliated with Awful (though she never "signed" with them). Her first EP World Vision and her videos like the bathtub-shot visual for "Tommy" are loaded with unapologetic sexuality and a celebration of pleasure (though Genesis wants to point out that her sex-positivity probably isn't all that shocking to younger generations). She and M.I.A have indeed worked together. Some of these stories, Genesis even started, like the "fetish rapper" terminology, although she says the "genre" is just something she ad-libbed once in an interview, and people ran with it because it sounded good. Others, like that her music is defined by Internet culture (although she has lots of thoughts about it) have grown around her mostly unfed. Genesis is unapologetic about her work, but wary of sticky soundbites overshadowing her creations. Because her easily sensationalized provocation was never an end unto itself, but simply a byproduct of her vision: "I'm not putting it on as a show," she said. "I'm not doing it for a reaction. I'm not going against someone else's opinion, and that's what I think rebellion is. I'm just going with my own opinion." Top: AREA, Pants: Madeleine Hogan Even if the political accolades and quirky genres she's been slapped with have truth to them, Genesis' new self-titled album, out now, reflects that she refuses to be limited to them. While her first full album is stocked with the sultry, incorrigible big-bass club songs we've come to expect from her like "100 Bad" ft. Charli XCX and "Bad Boy," replete with fire-alarm synths, sex groans, sinister beats (courtesy of Charlie Heat) and plenty of flexes about her pleasure and prowess, all captured in her signature nonchalant flow, Tommy Genesis has another side. Seemingly vulnerable, pop-leaning tracks that defy her hard edge and see her singing well as rapping capture the middle of the album. At her release show, she says she hopes these songs will be listened to by "girls in the bathtub." On "You Know Me," she celebrates putting friends over dudes: "I don't know/ What I would do without my best friends." She's tenderly lost on "Naughty," which glows bright with Empress Of's touch, all about moving on from a boy who's "full of shit," while"Drive" is a mournful, escapist ballad that twangs with country-pop guitar. On her embrace of pop, Genesis wants people to know that it had nothing to do with marketability or Downtown Records, her new label. She emphasizes that she is the auteur of her projects from the concept to the sound, and warns that, just like with the myths that swirl around her, no one should get too comfortable. "It's just how this album came out," she said. "I don't think it means I won't make experimental rap again. That album is what it is and I love it, but it doesn't dictate all my further music. It doesn't mean that I've suddenly gone pop or that I've suddenly gone this way. I will always make the music that is right for me in that time and is a good representation of where I am." PAPER spoke with Genesis about art school pretension, being 100% in control, and her apathy about labels. How do you think going to art school informed your perspective? Art school taught me how to think critically about art which doesn't always matter or translate into music. I feel like there's two ways to make art. You either are aware of all the theories and the references that you're making, and you know of the histories and you know what you're doing in that sense. Or, you sort of just sit down with the canvas, and you throw paint at it, or you just draw what you're feeling. So for me, when I'm making art, these are things that I think about. Whereas, when I'm making a song for me that's a lot like just throwing paint on a canvas. I'm not thinking about what I'm referencing. But if I'm making a video, a music video, I think about these things, I think about the references, I think conceptually, what does it mean, where does it go from here, what does it reference before, when someone sees this. You know what... it wasn't really school, I was actually a really bad student. Even though I didn't get bad grades, I just didn't always go to school, I was always making shit, my teachers love-hated me, I almost got expelled, I was a bad kid even in university. With art school, it's a strange thing where they want you to be rebellious and they want you to be an artist, but then they don't. Only in the ways they want you to be. So I had a lot of teachers that loved me and a lot of teachers that hated me. So what you learned in art school affects your visual art more than your music? Honestly... I don't really like to talk about art school because I don't think it's necessary to be an artist. Art is something for everyone. That's one thing I hate about art school, at least when I was in art school, they teach you this really pretentious ideology of it only belonging to artists. Or at least at a conceptual art school, that's how it was. It was like, if you don't know what you're referencing, if you can't walk into the gallery and understand this sculpture because of what it means, you fail, or whatever. And I think that's bullshit. For me, even though I understand all these things, I don't really like to think about it or talk about it. That makes sense. I don't want kids to feel like they have to go to art school to make art, you know what I mean? You can read the same books I read in school. You don't have to go to school to read those books. "I feel free to be myself, and I also am learning about how to do it the best way." Do you ever imagine a version of your life where you pursued visual art, or fashion, or modeling rather than music? I didn't try to make music as an actual career, I just was doing it. And it was the one that became, I don't want to say lucrative, but it's the one that popped off. You can sell your drawings and you can sell your art, but I get really attached to the things I make, I hoard all my creations, so with music, the cool thing about it is I can share it without it being one copy. For me, it was always just easier to share. But I'm really involved in every part of it. I do my own vision. I edit and direct my videos. Even though it's music, I'm always doing other things. I spend a lot of time just designing and editing, so it doesn't always just feel like I'm a musician, I'm always doing it myself, and it's really time consuming but it allows me to be really close to the finished product and not have anyone else's sway to it. It's one thing I always try to explain, especially with videos like the "Tommy" video. I'm naked in the bathtub, but nobody told me to be naked in a bathtub. Nobody directed it but me. Nobody edited the footage but me. It was a closed set. So it's not like there was some guy or somebody telling me what to do with my body, or how to do it, or that it was their idea. I think that allowed me to be really comfortable in my visuals, because I know not only can I decide what I'm wearing, how my makeup is, how my hair is, what I'm saying, what the beat sounds like, but I can also choose the footage. I feel free to be myself, and I also am learning about how to do it the best way. Jumpsuit: Carolina Sarria, Pants & Gloves: Madeleine Hogan, Earrings: Jiwinaia, Heels: Kota Okuda So having control is a crucial part of taking those kind of risks? I'm not good with people telling me what to do. I don't know why, it's something probably from my childhood. But I am not good if someone tells me what to do. I immediately feel uncomfortable and angry. I'll be at shoots where everyone is so nice, and I'm so happy to be there, and someone will tell me what to wear, and I'll say no. And then they'll try to get me to wear it, and I'll have to just contain this wild feeling inside of me, because I don't like to be told what to do. I know that even if they tell you it's okay, you'll have control over the finished product, you never do. I think it's terrifying as a female in the industry to have someone else in control of your image, because it's so important to other people, other girls, other kids watching, just so they know they don't need anyone else to tell them how to be themselves. If you have a vision, if you have something you want to make, you can follow it through to fruition, to the end, and finish it on your own and on your own terms, and it's such an empowering feeling. But at the same time, I've sort of learned how to collaborate, and how to slowly open up. Because I'm so OCD, it's important to open up my artistic practice, and take advice, and take input, because that helps me grow. That's something I've definitely learned is important to do, but it's just you do it with the right people. You do it with people you're comfortable with. A lot of the conversation around your work has focused on its sexual politics. But you've been adamant that it isn't a gimmick. What are your frustrations with that narrative? I never use those words. I don't say feminism in interviews. I don't say sexuality. And for me, I am a watered-down version of myself in all these situations. I just think I can't control how people react to me, and it's always been that way. Since I was young, people would always be shocked at the things I would make, and I've just gotten numb to that reaction, because I'm not putting it on as a show. It's just who I am and how it comes across when I do it myself. I don't think I'm rebellious, because I'm not doing it for a reaction. I'm not going against someone else's opinion, and I think that's what rebellion is. I'm just going with my own opinion. I wasn't like, "Okay, well, you're doing it this way, fuck you, I'm gonna do it this way because you did it that way." That's not who I am. It's, "I'm doing it this way, because this is who I am and this is what I am." So for me, I don't view it as rebellion, I just view it as me. I think it's just a box you get put into. I used to hate boxes, but now I just don't care. People say, "Oh, once you're in that box, you can't get out of it," and I don't think that's true. Nowadays, kids themselves aren't sheltered. They're online, they're seeing all these things, they're doing all these things. They're not going to be shocked by me. I think maybe the people shocked by me are of a different generation, because what I'm doing really isn't that shocking. It's not. Maybe I'm brave, but I don't think I'm shocking. Because I'll do things that maybe someone else wouldn't do, but there is also other people doing it. I fight those words sometimes, but honestly, at this point, it doesn't really matter to me how you describe it. Because also, you can't control what other people say or think of you, you really can't. And the minute you say, "I'm not this," you just draw attention to it. People will just do and say what they want about you, and it's their own subjective opinion. Someone can say, "Her music is like this," or, "She's like this," and that's their own opinion. Maybe I have never felt that way in my life, or I've never thought of those words when describing myself, but I can't control the way you think about me. So I don't really know how else to answer the question. I'm not frustrated, I'm just myself. "I don't think I'm rebellious, because I'm not doing it for a reaction. I'm not going against someone else's opinion, and I think that's what rebellion is. I'm just going with my own opinion." Do you still feel comfortable with the "fetish rapper" terminology? I feel like with the whole fetish rapper thing, it was just something I've talked about it so much but obviously it's something that stuck, but I just made it up, so. It's not that deep. It's just not that deep. I think someone said to me, "You make this type of rap," and I'm like, "No, I don't, I make fetish rap." I literally made the term up. It was like years ago. And then ever since that people ran with it just because it was a new term. You're honestly doing journalists' work for us. You gave us this catchy term to use for your music so we didn't have to come up with one. Exactly, and it's a good headline! So people will use it in the headline, and they'll repeat it. It's not that deep. I think if you listen to my music, especially if you listen to the new album, it is what it is. It just meant what you thought it meant, it wasn't deeper than that. I'm sure pretty I've said it was deeper in certain interviews just to fuck with someone, but it really isn't. It's just something I made up. Puffer: Prada, Dress & Heels: Kota Okuda Puffer: Prada, Dress & Heels: Kota Okuda What kind of internet culture influenced you growing up and what internet cultures you feel like you're a part of now? I've had a lot of interviews where my words have been sort of twisted. And I've had a few interviews where a lot of things have been misquoted, that I haven't said that way. I had a really bad one recently, where there was a word in my quote, and I was like, "I know I didn't say this, because I need a thesaurus." But with Internet culture, I don't think I've ever said Internet culture, or Internet stuff, but I often get tied to it. I do think the Internet is an open-ended platform, and it's sort of this crazy sci-fi network where anything is possible. I just view it as: if you are someone who wants to make something, it's the same platform for you as it is for me, and you can just go there and do what I've done or what someone else has done or what you want to do. It's important for people to know that the artists they like, or the art that they like, it's not limited to those people doing it. It's actually for everyone. I think if there's an Internet community, everyone is welcome. Tell me about Tommy Genesis. This is my first project that I've put a significant amount of time into, I've treated it like a body of work, and not just like something made in my basement or whatever. World Vision looks like an album, but I didn't treat it like one, if that makes sense. There wasn't a roll-out, it literally was just uploaded one day. This is my first project that I've put a significant amount of time into, I've treated it like a body of work, and not just like something made in my basement or whatever.World Vision looks like an album, but I didn't treat it like one, if that makes sense. There wasn't a roll-out, it literally was just uploaded one day. Part of this album felt more softer and more emotional than some of your older work. There were some romantic, heartbreak songs. The irony is that I didn't have my heart broken. As an artist I'm very moody, and I'll get in the studio and just be feeling a type of way, and it won't even be something I can classify as a feeling, it'll just be like, "I'm feeling a little bit more vulnerable today, more emotional, or whatever." A lot of artists write differently. Certain artists will write from real life experiences, other artists will not even write their own music and just sing it, and other artists will write from fantasy and from utopian ideals or whatever made up stuff. I feel like, for me, I really have one foot in personal experience, but my other foot is in this fantasy world. When someone's like "What were you feeling during the song? It seems like it's a really real experience." Or like, "You're really angry in this song." It's not that I actually have those experiences or not, it's just that I pull from things. It's like when you're acting or method acting. You have a role and it doesn't mean that role is exactly what you've been through, but in order to create something you pull from an experience, and for me, for a lot of the songs, I'll develop the track just as I write, or the way I say this sounds the best. It's not necessarily actually what's happening. It's a story. I'm telling a story. Yes, I'm the one telling the story and I'm pulling from my real emotions, but it's also not necessarily exactly my life. "With this album, it was about deciding when to pull my walls down and when to put them up." So it's not necessarily a super personal album. I think with this album, it was about deciding when to pull my walls down and when to put them up. I always think about certain songs that I love. Certain songs that I hear that are so emotional and make me emotional, and they'll be an old school pop song or a new school pop song. I'll listen to it and I'll be like, "fuck." And I'll look it up, and I'll realize that the person singing it isn't the person who wrote it. And sometimes, it's this weird glitch. It makes me question music in general. For "Drive," I almost didn't keep that song for myself. I was like, "This song would be so good for someone who's pop/country. But, for the sake of the song, not even for me, does it deserve to be in someone else's hands because of the message?" The message is so, "I wanna get up in my car and drive. I have a feeling I don't feel alright." Wow, it really is so country. It's so country! But I kept it, because it was one of my first songs that I wrote like that. I always think about these things where you make something and it's just like making a painting. You put it in a gallery and someone walks by and sees this painting. They're going to be like, "This is what this painting means to me, so this must be what the artist is going through or what the artist meant." I'm just here to say that sometimes the art itself is in its own feelings, and its detached from the human. The human can be at home, all happy, but the painting can be sad as fuck. It exists forever in its world, in its own boundaries. It as either an object, or it as a song, or how its specific to the time its been put out, or how its specific to the community that hears it. it's always shifting and moving in its own world but I don't think it means that its directly a part of the artist. The way the industry or whatever, I hate using that word the way it works is people connect the music to you and they feel connected to you. It's an illusion, but it's also how you get people to fuck with you. Sometimes it's real and sometimes it's not. It's so country! But I kept it, because it was one of my first songs that I wrote like that. I always think about these things where you make something and it's just like making a painting. You put it in a gallery and someone walks by and sees this painting. They're going to be like, "This is what this painting means to me, so this must be what the artist is going through or what the artist meant." I'm just here to say that sometimes the art itself is in its own feelings, and its detached from the human. The human can be at home, all happy, but the painting can be sad as fuck. It exists forever in its world, in its own boundaries. It as either an object, or it as a song, or how its specific to the time its been put out, or how its specific to the community that hears it. it's always shifting and moving in its own world but I don't think it means that its directly a part of the artist. The way the industry or whatever, I hate using that word the way it works is people connect the music to you and they feel connected to you. It's an illusion, but it's also how you get people to fuck with you. Sometimes it's real and sometimes it's not. Top: Rui Zhou, Jacket: Madeleine Hogan, Earrings: Bond Hardware I definitely had that same epiphany, realizing that these tender pop songs that make me feel so much were written by some old dude. But it can be true, sometimes. Everyone does it different, right? I think it's important to be genuine, I wouldn't make something that would make me feel like I'm a fake person. I don't think that's what I'm trying to say. I'm just saying, as far as art goes, when someone asks you to talk about your art, it's almost just like, "I don't feel like talking about it because you go experience it." If you over-talk about music it's just not interesting to me. I have more interest in talking about art or process or things like that, as opposed to how I feel about music that I make. Yeah, there's something weird about asking an artist "What's this album about?" Like, "I don't know, you listen to it!" I'm conflicted because I still want to talk about it because I want people to have insight into it. But also my favorite music isn't music I've ever Googled reviews or interviews about. I've never looked up why Courtney Love made Hole's album Pretty on the Inside. I just blast that shit. Related | Courtney Love Brings Anarchy to Hollywood What was it like working with Downtown Records as opposed to Awful, and having more resources for this album? I just want to clarify that I never signed to Awful. That's been misquoted. I just started making music with Father and with everyone else on Awful and I would go and hang out. They were just my friends. It was a creative collective. And then I think that Father turned it into a real label. They're really crucial to my development as an artist and some people I will always love, but I never signed. With this album, working with Downtown, this was my first real album to me so there was a budget, there was a roll-out, there was a team behind it. That's the main difference. I had my own resources before, but this one's more just like, "Ok. Let's put out a concise project." Because, if I wasn't on a label, I would probably just be doing my own thing and randomly dropping songs. With this one, it was like, "Ok. Let's do this." And I got really excited about it, like, "Ok. I'm going to make a project. I'm going to make an album." Musically, did working with an indie label like Downtown (Tei Shi, Mura Masa, Santigold, Chet Faker) impact you? The shift musically is all internal, all within me. No one was like, "Do this." No one told me what to do, and it's the same with before. No one told me what to do. I'm not on a major label. I take advice, I take input, and I take peoples' opinions with a grain of salt and I'm open to it, but no one was like, "Shift this way. Do it this way." It was more me experimenting with different things I could do. Could I sing? Could I do this? It was just kind of me experimenting, and that's what came out of it. "This album is its own world, and I zipped it up." How did this record end up moving away from rap more towards pop and R&B? I think it's just how this album came out. I think it's this album. I don't think it means I won't make experimental rap again. Honestly, the next project will definitely be more raw. This album is its own world, and I zipped it up. "Ok, you're done, I'm going to slap the cover on and walk away and I'm keeping moving." That album is what it is. I love it, but it doesn't dictate all my further music. It doesn't mean that I've suddenly gone pop or that I've suddenly gone this way. I will always make the music that is right for me in that time and is a good representation of where I was. A lot of these songs, some are new, some are written this year, but some are a year old. It's not actually where I am at right now, but that's kind of how the cycle works. You make it, you put it out, and then the stuff you're making now isn't out yet, obviously. It's definitely been a learning curve for me, because I used to just be able to make something and put it out that day. Hearing my shit mixed so well, or mastered, I'm just like, "Oh! This is crazy!" It's definitely a different process. I don't know if I like it, to be honest. How do you feel about the release? Once it's out, I'm going to probably feel excited, but until it's out, it's like this weird waiting time that feels like purgatory where you can't celebrate but you're also slightly stressed out by putting something so vulnerable into the world and just being like, "Hey guys! This is my art!" Also, it's just such a funny thing, all of this build up to putting out something that's just art. Or something that's just music. It's just music. I just know that if I wasn't doing music I would still be happy. I just get anxiety and I'm like, "Well whatever, it's just music." But then I get anxiety and I'm like, "Oh my god! It's coming out!" Given that the White House Correspondent Association's annual dinner has historically been a symbol of goodwill between press and the White House, wherein a comedian has the opportunity to roast both it should surprise few that the WHCA has announced that in 2019, for the first time in decades, it will not host a comedian to speak at its annual dinner. Instead, the evening will feature a more "serious" figure. In the wake of Michelle Wolf's merciless remarks at the last dinner, the WHCA announced today that, in lieu of a comic, presidential biographer Ron Chernow will essentially give a history lesson about the first amendment. In a statement, President of the WHCA said: "As we celebrate the importance of a free and independent news media to the health of the republic, I look forward to hearing Ron place this unusual moment in the context of American history." Chernow commented in a press release: "The White House Correspondents' Association has asked me to make the case for the First Amendment and I am happy to oblige. Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics," promising: "While I have never been mistaken for a stand-up comedian, I promise that my history lesson won't be dry," Trump, who boycotted the first two WHCA dinners of his presidency, fiercly criticized Wolf's performance: In her remarks, Wolf infamously charged the press for "creating" and profiting off the "monster" of Trump, reminded the audience that Flint still doesn't have clean water, and likened Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to an "Uncle Tom" for white women, suggesting she uses a kohl of charred facts to perfect her smoky eye. The WHCA's decision appears to bow to White House criticism after Wolf scandalized Trump's supporters. However, the Washington Post suggests that member media outlets' anxieties are likely responsible, reporting that several large news organizations' threatened to withdraw funding for the event if it didn't cut the comedy. After Wolf's routine went viral in April, former WHCA president and Bloomberg reporter Margaret Talev issued a statement claiming: "Unfortunately, the entertainer's monologue was not in the spirit of [the WHCA's] mission." Wolf promptly and concisely responded the WHCA's decision: Iran, Iraq Vow To Significantly Boost Trade Despite U.S. Sanctions 11/19/18 Source: RFE/RL Iran and Iraq have vowed to significantly boost trade despite the United States imposing new crippling economic sanctions against Tehran. Under the sanctions regime, countries that do business with Iran without U.S. waivers risk hefty fines, a threat that has forced many trade partners to cut ties with the Islamic republic. But Iranian President Hassan Rohani said annual bilateral trade with Iraq could rise to $20 billion from the current $12 billion. Iraq & Iran Presidents Barham Salih (L) and Hassan Rohani Press conference in Tehran on Satuarday November 17, 2018 (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) Rohani made the remarks after a meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih in Tehran on November 17, some two weeks after Washington imposed new sanctions against Iran's oil, banking, and transportation sectors. Iran has wielded considerable influence in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Tehran is hoping to maintain exports to its neighbor despite the renewed sanctions. Iraq is Iran's second-largest market after China, buying everything from food and machinery to electricity and natural gas. "Through bilateral efforts, we can raise this figure [for bilateral trade] to $20 billion in the near future," Rohani said in comments broadcast live on state television. Rohani said he and Salih had discussed increasing trade in electricity and oil products and the establishment of free-trade zones along the border. He said they also discussed joint oil projects and improving transport links between the two countries. Salih suggested the formation of a "new regional system" including Iraq and Iran, one based on "political integrity, national interests, and cooperation between nations and governments." He did not elaborate. Baghdad is seeking U.S. waivers that would allow it to import Iranian gas. Salih later met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said "some governments in the region and outside... interfere in Iraq's internal affairs and they must be strongly resisted." Iraqi Presidents meeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Tehran, November 17, 2018 (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) Iran has accused the United States and its regional rival Saudi Arabia of working to undermine its economic and geopolitical interests in the region. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May. Since then, Trump has announced what he billed as the "toughest ever" sanctions against Iran, and the country has seen its oil exports plunge and its currency lose more than half its value. With reporting by AP and Reuters Tensions Rise In Shush, Iran As Many Workers, Labor Leaders Arrested 11/19/18 Source: Radio Farda Following days of protests by workers in Shush, southwest Iran, the labor union at the Haft Tappeh sugar factory reports that up to 19 workers have been arrested by security forces. Earlier, the Governor-General of Khuzestan province had confirmed that four workers had been arrested during labor protests against long overdue wages. The Workers Syndicate at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory also reported on Sunday that two representatives of the plant's labor force, Esma'eil Bakhshi and Mosslim Arman and others had been arrested and taken to the security office of Shush (ancient Susa) on Sunday. Although Radio Farda cannot independently confirm all the details, it appears the two labor representatives are among the 19 arrested, as reported by the labor union. The enraged workers demanded the freedom of their comrades on Monday, as they marched in the city and then gathered for a sit-in at the city's court. Videos published on social media show workers chanting, "Neither threats nor arrests, have no impact anymore". Earlier, it was reported that on Saturday, November 17, Special Unit Forces were deployed at the factory's compound and its surroundings. The forces left the site on Sunday, later reports said. Before being detained, the representative of Haft Tapeh workers, Esma'eil Bakhshi delivered a fiery speech deploring the presence of Special Unit forces. In a footage of the speech circulated on social media, Bakhshi directly addresses the heavily armed forces, admonishing them for aiming their guns at unarmed people, while the protesters were merely demanding their rights. Bakhshi delivered his speech immediately after the Special Unit forces closed the gates of the factory. He told them to stand down, as they were public servants, receiving their salaries from people's taxes and should show solidarity with the people. Nevertheless, angry workers continued their protest rally for the fourteenth consecutive day on Sunday in front of Shush Governor's office, a Telegram messaging Channel, Emtedad said today, adding that there were minor clashes between the protesters and the security forces. The workers at Haft Tapeh Sugarcane factory have been protesting what they have described as "endless difficulties" while demanding their long overdue wages. It was earlier reported that the private director of the plant had either fled Iran or held in custody. The spokesman of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, mid-ranking cleric Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei confirmed on Sunday that the director is indeed on the run. Read related article by Iranian daily Ghanoon Furthermore, the workers at the Iran National Steel Industry Group (INSIG) in Khuzestan capital city, Ahvaz, are also on strike. In their eighth consecutive day of protests, INSIG workers assembled in front of the Governor office in Ahvaz. Shortage Of Nurses In Iran Impacts Patient Care, Say Health Officials 11/19/18 Source: Radio Farda Iranian hospitals are dealing with a shortage of nearly 100,000 nurses, according to Parliament's Health Commission Speaker Heidarali Abedi. Abedi told the commission on Sunday that while healthcare management experts recommend a nurse-to-bed ration of 2.5, Iran's current ratio is closer to 1.7. An Iranian nurse holding a newly born baby (January 2018 photo by Mehr News Agency) "There are only 89,000 nurses currently working in the country's hospitals," said the reformist MP from Isfahan. "Therefore, Iran needs at least 95,500 extra nurses." Abedi added that the shortage means most nurses work an average of 150 hours of overtime per year. Around 1,000 nurses leave the country each year to pursue better pay and working conditions in Europe and North America, the Vice President of the Iranian Nursing Organization Mohammad Sharifi Moqddam said earlier this year. "Most of the Iranian nurses emigrate to Australia, Canada, the U.K., The Netherlands, and Switzerland" Moqaddam said. Turkey and Persian Gulf countries also draw many of Iran's nurses with better pay and conditions. Iranian nurses protesting in front of presidential offices. Tehran, 14 Dec, 2014. Compounding the problem, Abedi says that 4,000 Iranian nurses might go on maternity leave at any given time, and that should be taken into account. Moreover, according to Abedi, who has a Ph.D. in nursing, every five hospital bed also needs one assistant nurse, which means Iran is lacking about 24,000 assistant nurses. "It is highly unacceptable that the shortage has forced hospitals to ask the patients' friends and relatives to serve as nurses and look after their loved ones," Abedi said. Other health officials agree the problem is having a negative impact on patient care. The only way to bridge the gap, according to Abedi, is to hire 10-15 thousand new nurses each year. He predicts this could bring the nurse-to-bed ratio up to an acceptable level by 2025. Despite the shortage of nurses, Moqaddam told a local website in October that there were nearly 30,000 unemployed nurses across the country. According to Moqaddam, the low pay, excessive hours, and dreadful work conditions push even experienced nurses out of the profession, and they are among those unemployed nurses either seeking a new vocation or who have given up working altogether. Iranian nurses, who have repeatedly gone on strike to protest their work conditions, are particularly dissatisfied with the implementation of the third phase of a governmental plan called "Health Development." The plan, the nurses argue, has led to a three-fold rise in physicians' pay, but no significant increase in nurses' pay. Members of Governments Economic Management Team (EMT) have been on a public education roadshow on the 2019 budget since its reading in Parliament on Thursday. The senior government officials have been busy since the day the budget was read; explaining it to Ghanaians like never before. The 2019 Budget is themed A Stronger Economy, for Jobs and Prosperity. It outlines six priority areas while highlighting how the Akufo-Addo Administration has restored macro-economic stability in its first 22 months in office. EMT members including Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, have been leading the charge in providing further explanations and responding to citizens questions since Thursday afternoon. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta was a guest on Accra based Peace Fms morning show programme, Kokrokoo on Friday and on Joy Fms Newsfile on Saturday Morning. Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo also participated in the late afternoon current affairs programme on Asempa FM on Thursday and was on Peace FMs Kokrokoo on Friday morning. The Trade Minister Alan Kyeremanten took time to explain and answer questions on the 2019 budget on Adom FMs Dwaso Nsem while Professor George Gyan Baffour, Minister for Planning, responded to audience questions for nearly an hour on TV3s New Day. Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei featured on Citi Fm and Citi TVs programmes to provide perspectives on the 2019 Budget. Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the move is part of efforts to boost governments information dissemination on policies and programmes. He said a simplified version of the budget has also been converted into six local languages and will soon be put out to engage citizens further on a citizens budget roadshow. The objective is to ensure deeper information dissemination and feedback in the governance process. We expected that these exercises will help deepen understanding of the budgeting and national economic management process, he said. The Citizens budget road-show will be held in selected districts across the country through durbars and town hall meetings. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Commander of Custom Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the Brong Ahafo Region, Seidu Yakubu, has refused to give details in a case in which custom officers were interdicted for assisting importers of wax prints to evade tax to the tune of GH600,000 at Gonokrom, near Dormaa. Three officers of the service stationed at Gonokrom, a border community near Dormaa Ahenkro on 30th October, 2018, were reported to have connived with importers of wax prints to deny the nation of GH600,000 as taxes. The officers, whose identities remain unknown, were asked to hand over equipment in their possession to the relevant authorities before their interdiction. Seidu Yakubu told DAILY GUIDE that he needed clearance from the commissioner of customs in order to speak to the media. When the paper visited the offices of the GRA in Sunyani, the sector commander was in a crunch meeting with all commanders from the various border posts in the region. Its believed that the meeting was related to the matter. It would be recalled that Daily Graphic reported that a truck laden with imported wax prints had been intercepted at Gonokrom by the Preventive Unit of the Customs Division of GRA on 30, October, 2018. The truck, with the registration number, AW 6026-11, was heading towards to Kumasi. It has since been impounded by the division pending further investigation, but the final destination of the consignment is unknown. The owners were to pay GH600,000 as duty on 20,000 wax prints but failed to do so. According to the report, Blessed Yako Limited, a clearing agent, has also been invited to assist in investigations. DAILY GUIDEs checks revealed that officers normally assist importers to evade tax in the region but are often exonerated, but officers from the customs head office in Accra had to intervene to arrest the culprits in this case. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on Ghanaians to support the growth and development of entrepreneurs, especially women, which is the focus of this years celebration in Ghana. November 2018 marks the celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Month as Ghana joins over 170 countries all over the world in this celebration. In a statement to commemorate the celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Month, President Akufo-Addo said entrepreneurship was a vital component of economic growth and development, and had been globally considered and embraced as one of the most important drivers of economic growth. Together let's unite to advance job-creation, unleash innovation and fight poverty through the power of entrepreneurship, he stated. Fostering entrepreneurship He said that fostering entrepreneurship and innovation to advance job-creation and economic prosperity was at the heart of the work undertaken by his administration. The government, according to the President, was therefore committed to creating a conducive, business-friendly environment which would result in a thriving private sector and the creation of wealth and jobs for the teeming masses of Ghanaian youth. Consequently, he said that over the past 22 months, the government had been working to improve the business environment by reducing the overall cost of doing business and improving the macroeconomic space to reduce significantly the cost of borrowing. Ghana, he further stated, had made progress in the ease of doing business, and cited the World Bank Group 2019 Doing Business Report as a case in point. He said that the country improved its ranking to 114 out of 190 countries, up six places from 120 in the 2018 Doing Business Report. World Bank According to the World Bank It is encouraging to see that progress is being made to improve the business environment to promote investments by both domestic and foreign firms, so necessary to spur growth, provide jobs and further reduce poverty. The government, the President said, was diligently pursuing other measures that would go a long way towards the digitisation and formalisation of the economy to accelerate growth and improve domestic revenue mobilisation. These he said included the implementation of the digital address system with area codes; introduction of the National Identification Card the Ghana Card; mobile inter-operability within the banking and financial sector; the paperless port clearing operations at the ports; and the e-registration of businesses at the Registrar-Generals Department. Economic conditions He said that he was determined to change the economic conditions in the country for the better so that young people who constituted the future saw the country as a place of opportunity instead of a place from which they flew at the peril of their lives . Those who set up businesses must succeed for them to create wealth and employ more people. This is the best way to turn our beloved countrys fortunes around, and I salute all our hard working and creative entrepreneurs for their contribution to the economic development of our country, he stated. Source: Graphic.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 Government has indicated that the seven people who were shot dead by the police at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti region were innocent. "According to the report, there were no facts before the committee to establish that the deceased persons were armed robbers who engaged in exchange of fire with the Police". Seven people were shot dead by the police near Anhwiakwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road some months back on suspicion that they were armed robbers. Residents and family members however debunked claims of armed robbery indicating that the seven were well-known members of their community. An independent committee was therefore set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. They have since submitted their report to government. Government upon careful study of the report, has decided that "the twenty-one (21) police personnel involved in the incident who have been found to be the principal suspects be interdicted by the Police administration and be subjected to formal police criminal investigation into the matter". Below is a statement signed by Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah. STATEMENT ON SHOOTING INCIDENT AT MANSO NKWANTA IN THE AMANSIE WEST DISTRICT Following a shooting incident at Manso-Nkwanta within the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region on July 17, 2018 resulting in the death of seven (7) persons, Government established a five (5) Member fact-finding committee to look into the matter. 1. The membership of the fact-finding committee was as follows: Justice Obeng Diawuo - Justice of the High Court Rt. Rev. Prof. Osei-Safo Kantanka - Pastor Methodist Bishop Sheik Ahmed Siedu - Executive Secretary, Office of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam Mr. David Adu-Osei - Ashanti Regional BNI Commander Mrs. Emelia Ayebenu Botchway - Ag. Ashanti Regional Coordinating Director 2. The committee has since completed its work and submitted its report to Government. 3. According to the report, there were no facts before the committee to establish that the deceased persons were armed robbers who engaged in exchange of fire with the Police. 4. Government upon a careful study of the report, has decided as follows; a) the twenty-one (21) police personnel involved in the incident who have been found to be the principal suspects be interdicted by the Police administration and be subjected to formal police criminal investigation into the matter. b) in the interim, Government in consultation with the families and community leaders will provide support for dependents of the deceased persons. 5. Government assures the general public that due process will be followed in the pursuit of justice and calls for continued calm and patience pending a conclusive determination of the matter. END KOJO OPPONG NKRUMAH MINISTER Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The government of Ghana says it will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security, economic growth and development as essential tools for the realization of security and prosperity of member states. Additionally, Ghana intends to continue to export the strength of its democratic institutions by building on its democratic processes to serve as an inspiration for stability and progress in Africa. The Deputy Director of the Multilateral Bureau of Ghanas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Adisa Yakubu who made the pledge in Accra said Ghana will be seeking to complement its role not only as a beacon for African Independence and Unity but also as a beacon for democratic governance, the rule of law, stability and progress. Madam Yakubu told a United Nations Outreach Forum for Students held in Accra that Ghana has always worked closely with the United Nations in achieving its objectives of promoting international cooperation and improving the living standards of people and will continue to do so. The days Forum was organised by the Ghana United Nations Students and Youth Association (GUNSA) with support from the United Nations System in Ghana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the National Inter-Ministerial Ad-hoc National Planning Committee for the 73rd United Nations Day Commemoration in Ghana. The Forum was on the theme Making the United Nations relevant to all: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies and was attended by 260 students from 17 Senior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region. Madam Yakubu recalled that apart from actively participating in several United Nations Peacekeeping operations around the world, Ghana has also provided numerous administrative and professional and diplomatic personnel to support the UNs work at various locations around the world. In addition, Ghana has served on the Security Council which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security as a non-permanent member three times: 1962-1963, 1986-1987 and 2006-200, Madam Yakubu said. Speaking on the topic The significance of the United Nations in maintaining global peace, an official from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Madam Linda Gyala said the United Nations through its binding Treaties and Conventions, works to ensure elimination of illicit weapons, improvement of standards and infrastructure while ensuring living standards and fundamental human rights are upheld, respected and protected. According to Madam Gyala, UN complements efforts by countries to sustain peace and development. In Ghana, complementary efforts between UN and the Government encouraged a successful launch of United Nations Sustainable Partnerships (UNSDP) in October to promote the SDGs Agenda aligned with the countrys development strategies to eliminate hunger, poverty and leaving no one behind, she added. The National Youth Wing Co-ordinator of GUNSA, Mr Anane Yao Kuwornu who spoke on The UN, the SDGs and young people reaffirmed the desire and commitment of GUNSA to lead in the achievement of goals in the 17 SDGs using young people as the main drivers. It is evident that we can consider civil society youth organizations especially GUNSA, as the perfect interface between the government and people of Ghana and the United Nations towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Mr Kuwornu said. The National President of GUNSA, Mr KwashieKlu-Duvor asked young people to educate and position themselves properly to take up leadership of the future. The event was Chaired by the Africa Regional Director of the Geneva-based International Students and Youth Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN), Mr Ernest Gyimah-Danquah. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Following renewed Turkish-Ghanaian commitments to boost bilateral trade, a Turkish electronics and electrical goods trade mission will arrive in Ghana in November for meetings with local buyers and distributors. Organized by the Turkish Electrical and Electronics Exporters Association (TET), the trade mission will showcase advanced Turkish white goods, electronics, all types of cables, lighting and security equipment, electrical production and distribution equipment. Turkeys fast-growing electronics, white goods and electrical components sector exports over $10 billion in goods to a global market annually. TET, founded in 1991, is a semi-governmental agency which promotes trade activities of its members. TET works with over 6,000-member companies in order to improve trade volume and cooperation opportunities of electrical electronics and ICT industries between Turkey and the world. The delegation is made up of eleven (11) Turkish Manufacturing companies and during the Trade mission to Ghana, the delegation will hold B2B Matchmaking event with their counterpart Ghanaian businesses and meet key sectoral bodies and company visits. The B2B Matchmaking event with Ghanaian businesses (importers and distributors within the Energy sector) is scheduled on 28th November 2018 in Accra. Relations between Ghana and Turkey reached its climax when the President of Turkey, H.E. Abdullah Gul, led 150-man business delegation in 2016 to Ghana to hold a business seminar and B2B meeting for the private sector. Ghana and Turkey on during this visit signed five agreements in the areas of Bilateral Air Services, Health and Medical Sciences, Military Training and Science, Mutual Abolition of Visas for Holders of Diplomatic Passports and Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of Consultations on Political Mechanism. The opening of Turkish Embassy in Accra Ghana and subsequently the Turkish Airlines commencing operations in Ghana in 2010, which now flies 7 times a week have all led to increased trade and investment between the two countries. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that Government, in spite of the many challenges it inherited, has begun the process of retooling and equipping the Ghana Police Service. According to President Akufo-Addo, this is in fulfilment of the New Patriotic Partys 2016 Manifesto pledge of resourcing the Police Service sufficiently, so the men and women of the Service can continue to maintain law and order, and protect lives and property. Government, in December 2017, acquired some one hundred and eight (108) vehicles for the Service, and in support of Operation Calm Life; and I followed this up, three weeks ago, when I handed over two hundred (200) Toyota vehicles for use by the Police, the President said. He continued, The construction of three hundred and twenty (320) housing units to ease the problems of accommodation is ongoing, and the numerical strength of the Service is being boosted by the recruitment of four thousand (4,000) men and women this year alone. President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the Graduation Parade of the 48th Officer Cadet Course of the Ghana Police Academy, at the Tesano Police Depot, on Friday, 16th November, 2018. The President also indicated that a considerable backlog of promotions of personnel have been cleared in my time. Between January 2017 and now, some twenty-two (22) months, a total of seven hundred and ninety-five (795) promotions of senior police officers, and sixteen thousand, six hundred and twenty-three (16,623) promotions of junior ranks, have been effected, he added. President Akufo-Addo assured that Government will continue to ensure that the police personnel are properly trained, properly equipped and provided with incentives to enable them discharge professionally their duties and obligations without interference from any quarters. We are also developing a comprehensive policy to enhance the professional competence and capacity of the police to assist them in dealing with cyber-crimes and cyber security related issues. Additionally, the Marine Unit of the Service will be resourced to work in tandem with the Ghana Navy to deal effectively with threats to our maritime boundaries and resources, he indicated. Whilst acknowledging that there are still some issues to be addressed, the President reiterated the commitment of Government to ensuring that accommodation and equipment needs of the Ghana Police Service are systematically resolved to enhance efficiency and morale. With the Police Service currently suffering low public image than it should have, as per the 2017 Afrobarometer Report where 92% of respondents believe that some, most or all police officers are involved in corruption, the President stressed that this can no longer be the status quo. The citizenry can only have confidence in the Police Service when they are seen to be honest, and prepared to enforce the law without fear or favour. I am comforted by the fact that the current leadership of the Police Service is determined to buck this trend, and you, our newly graduating class, should assist in this endeavor, he added. The President further admonished the Police Service to retain their neutrality and professionalism guaranteed under the Constitution. With Governments having term limits, the President noted that the Police Service should not tie its well-being or otherwise to the fortunes of the ruling party of the day. As President, and together with you, men and women of the Police Service, we must ensure that the Police Service is left to focus on its core mandate. I envisage a Police Service that goes about its duty of protecting ordinary citizens confident that there will be no interference from the powers that be, he added. Source: presidency.gov.gh 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 Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the outcome of the party's General Secretary election on Sunday is a great lesson in humility. The provisional results of the two-man contest put Johnson Asiedu Nketia ahead by more than 6,000 votes, beating his Deputy and challenger, Koku Anyidoho, resoundingly. If Koku had consulted me, I would have asked him to go for another positionit was a wrong move. It was a wrong move. Koku is a nice guy; he is a very nice gentleman but it is a wrong move. You see it is like father and sonsomebody that you have worked with closely and you go and you want to contest that person. Its never the bestEvery aspect of life there is that lesson, he said. The provisional results in the contest show that Asiedu Nketia, who has been the opposition partys General Secretary for over a decade, secured over 7,000 votes from the 9,000 delegates while the Mr Anyidoho secured 1,625 votes. Speaking to Joy News, Mr Ade Coker said Kokus defeat was expected. Everybody knew that Asiedu Nketia is very formidable beat. He is an old horse, an old fox and this shows that confidence in him. We need people who have got experience to run the party. So I believe there is a need for us to blend the old and the new. So it is a good result, he said. He thinks the election results between Koku Anyidoho and Asiedu Nketia has a modest lesson that everyone can tap into. Its very important that people should take lessons from this. Dont try to upstage your boss. You can never, never upstage your boss. You have to let your boss put you [on] a certain pedestal and with his blessing, you can move up, he said. Prior to the contest, many had described the decision by Koku Anyidoho to contest the 62-year-old incumbent as a risky move that could cost him his political future in the largest opposition party. Nevertheless, he kept believing in the assurances from delegates he interacted with from the length and breadth of the country during his campaign tours. He believed he could pull a surprise at the end of the contest. Asiedu Nketia had endured a barrage of accusation from some party stalwarts including former Central Region Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, who urged party delegates to vote him out. According to Jacobs, some executives at the partys headquarters had organised themselves into a mafia and are stalling the progress of the party ahead of general elections in 2020. Source: Joy News 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 Newly elected National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has refuted claims that the party is losing the energy and strength of the Volta Region. Such concerns are not grounded on facts, he emphatically stated. Sammy Gyamfi was speaking on TV3 on Monday in the wake of concerns that the Region which gives the party its heaviest votes failed to get a single slot on the National Executive Committee (NEC) at the 9th National Delegates Congress held at the Fantasy Dome of the Accra International Trade Fair Centre. All the aspirants from the Region, from the National Chairman race to the National Zongo Caucus, failed in their contests. Former Volta Region MP Dan Abodakpi [2nd Left] failed in an attempt to be National Chairman Spinal cord These fuelled concerns that a party with its nerve-centre in the Volta Region as regards votes could not give the Region a single elected executive. Sammy Gyamfi agreed that the Region is not only the world bank for the NDC but it is the spinal cord of the party. But he said the Region has not been deserted as claimed. It is not factual, he said, pointing out that at least seven persons from the Region are part of the current executives. He mentioned the likes of Abigail Elorm Mensah, who is the Deputy Womens Organiser, Edem Agbana, the Deputy National Youth Organiser, and Godwin Ako Gunn, a newly elected officer to assist him, as members who hail from the Volta Region. Godwin Ako Gunn is one of the two Deputy Communications Officers elected Sammy Gyamfi, who was a president of NDCs student wing Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) at the Kwame University of Science and Technology (KNUST), stressed that the just ended national delegates congress has unified the party. He disclosed that the party will give the super incompetent governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) a good run for their money in order to become a credible alternative in 2020. The people of Ghana should expect nothing but the right kind of politics. 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 first daughter of former President Jerry John Rawlings, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has been urged to ensure that she facilitates the return of her mother to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which is her original home. Dr Zanetor who was mobbed at the 9th Delegates Congress of the party was given one assignment by those who desired to take photos with her at the event bring Nana Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings back to NDC, they charged. Delegates accosted Dr Zanetor Rawilings and had this simple message for her Go and bring your mother home, you see how we love you? Tell your mother to come home and she would be welcome. Dr Zanetor Rawlings, who is Klottey- Korle constituency lawmaker received so much warmth as delegates kept hugging and taking selfies with her at the International Trade Fair centre where the NDC was electing national leaders in preparation towards elections 2020. Mrs Rawlings divorced the NDC and formed her own political party; National Democratic Party which contested in the 2016 elections. Source: mynewsgh.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 French protests against Macron's fuel taxes lead to 1 Death, 227 Injuries Charles Platiau/Reuters A man wearing a yellow vest, a symbol of a French drivers' protest against higher fuel prices, attends the demonstration with an image of French president Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, France, November 17, 2018. - Yellow Vest' movement protests against gasoline tax increases - Macron's government has refused to back down from tax hike By Fabio Benedetti Valentini / Bloomberg PARIS Petroleumworld 11 19 2018 France was shaken Saturday by the biggest demonstrations since President Emmanuel Macron took office as police responded with tear gas against protesters who blocked traffic in a grassroots movement that coalesced around demands for lower gasoline taxes. Parisian traffic was snarled as more than 1,000 people marched in the center of the capital, and one protester died in southeastern France after being hit by a car whose driver panicked amid a road blockade. More than 2,000 rallies took place across the country, gathering more than 282,000 protesters, according to the government. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said 227 people were injured and dozens arrested amid standoffs throughout the country between protesters who sought to block traffic and drivers. Demonstrators entered a government building in Troyes, in northeastern France. The day's events place Macron in a delicate position as he strives to take the heat out of a movement which has morphed from a demand to lower gasoline taxes into a diffuse expression of anger against high unemployment and difficulties to make ends meet. Our level of concern is at maximal level, Castaner said Saturday morning, according to AFP. He asked demonstrators to take measures to guarantee safety, saying that the right to demonstrate is essential in this country and must be protected, but one must also ensure that the minimal organization of this protest avoids a tragedy of Protesters interrupted traffic on the A13 highway that links Paris to Normandy and blocked the A4 highway near Metz in eastern France, according to toll-road operator Sanef. Traffic was also slowed down by many blockades on the A1 highway north of the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. The government had said it wouldn't bar any protests, but it wouldn't allow any roads to be blocked. Macron refused to back down on higher gasoline taxes, which is part of a long-term goal of weaning France off fossil fuel. The social-media-driven movement, which branded itself "gilets jaunes" -- after the yellow safety vests drivers need to keep in their cars -- blames higher taxes on fossil fuels for rising prices at the pump. A petition on Change.org calling for lower gasoline taxes gathered about 860,000 signatures. Piggyback In the runup to the protests, opposition parties tried to associate themselves with the movement. Far-left party Unbowed France's leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said the number of protesters was much higher than the interior ministry's assessment and accused the government of "dramatizing" the movement. Laurent Wauquiez, leader of conservative party The Republicans, took part in a protest in Puy-en-Velay, central France, calling Macron to ditch his tax hike plans. This government hasn't understood the anger of the French, Socialist Party secretary general Olivier Faure said in a statement Wednesday. We were the first party to express our total support for this movement, said nationalist leader Marine Le Pen in an interview Nov. 13 with Le Parisien. Macron said Wednesday he hears the anger but said he was wary because many different people are trying to piggyback on this movement. In earlier interviews, he has said he prefers taxing fuel to taxing labor. The government increased fuel taxes this year and will add another 6.5 cents per liter to diesel and 2.9 cents per liter to gasoline at the start of 2019, as it tries to bring diesel and gasoline taxes in line. Poll Approval Diesel prices at the pump in France have risen 16 percent this year to an average 1.48 euros ($1.69) a liter, according UFIP, the French oil industry federation. Gasoline is up 5 percent to 1.47 euros per liter. France is trying to end its reliance on diesel, fueled by decades of government support. Diesel once represented three-quarters of cars sold in France, but the proportion has declined below 40 percent as it gradually lost its tax advantage. Contrary to its reputation for public transport, about 70 percent of the French drive to work everyday, according to state statistical unit Insee, compared with about 76 percent in the U.S. With assistance by Geraldine Amiel Read : French Prime Minister Says Won't Back Down on Gasoline Taxes Original article _________________________ Story by Fabio Benedetti Valentini from Bloomberg bloomberg.com 11 17 2018 _________________________ Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Twitter: @petroleumworld1 The Orion lunar test flight was originally supposed to happen in 2017, but delays with both the service module and SLS pushed that back to mid-2020. NASAs Office of Inspector General says that date may slip even further. The first Orion flight with crew aboard, a lap around the Moon and back without stopping in lunar orbit, is not expected until 2023 51 years after humans last left low-Earth orbit during Apollo 17. Orion and SLS have origins in the George W. Bush administration, which initiated a program called Constellation to land humans on the Moon by 2020. In 2010, the Obama administration redirected NASA to an asteroid and Mars, and under a deal struck with Congress to preserve space shuttle-era jobs and facilities, Orion and SLS evolved into their present forms. The Trump administration shifted NASAs human spaceflight goal back to the Moon in late 2017, directing the agency to enable human expansion across the solar system. In September, NASA released a 21-page plan called the National Space Exploration Campaign to meet that directive. The plan centers around SLS, Orion, and commercial rockets constructing a small space station called the Gateway in lunar orbit that would serve as a waypoint for missions to and from the lunar surface. As for surface missions, rather than going straight to large, Apollo-style landers, NASA plans to start with small robotic missions and scale up from there. The plan also says American astronauts will be back on the Moon by 2030, and more recent statements by NASA officials have pledged an earlier goal: 2028. Mary Lynne Dittmar, the president and CEO of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, which represents the aerospace industry, supports the strategy. The current approach, which involves a broad based coalition of industry, international partners and government, can establish U.S. leadership in space for decades to come, unleashing the best of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, government-funded infrastructure, and expanding international relationship and U.S. soft power all while also supporting the aerospace and defense sector at home, she said. But many experts say a Moon landing by 2028 is impossible without a major funding boost to NASAs human spaceflight program. Approximately half of the agencys $21 billion current annual budget directly or indirectly supports human spaceflight activities. Most of that is consumed by International Space Station operations and transportation, SLS, and Orion, leaving little wiggle room to build hardware in support of a return to the Moon. Extraordinary plans require extraordinary budgets, which NASA has not seen since the Apollo missions, said Laura Seward Forczyk, founder of Atlanta-based space consulting firm Astralytical. NASA has been locked in a cycle of different but similar Moon-to-Mars or asteroid-to-Mars or LEO-to-Mars human spaceflight architectures for decades. To shift more funds to deep space exploration, the Trump administration has proposed to stop directly funding the ISS in 2025 and turn the space laboratorys operations over to the commercial sector. The National Space Exploration Campaign claims that once commercial astronaut providers like SpaceX and Boeing are up and running, a new market will flourish for in-space activities that include tourism and manufacturing. Matthew Hersch, a science and technology historian and assistant professor at Harvard University, says that premise is flawed. It imagines a new program of exploration to be paid for by convincing private industry to pay for NASAs existing human spaceflight operations, though it describes no mechanism for creating such a market, he said. Congress has already signaled it is unlikely to support a withdrawal of ISS funding in 2025. Dittmar notes establishing the infrastructure, suppliers and investment pipelines to support commercial activities currently happening on the International Space Station took years to develop. Personally I think [repeating the model for a standalone commercial market] will happen, but I dont think it will happen by 2025, she said. The focus of both government and private efforts needs to be on establishing demand, which is the crimp in the economic development pipeline." With the fate of the ISS up in the air and no funding increase on the horizon on the contrary, the Trump administration is considering a 5 percent cut to agencies like NASA critics say the agency should rethink its deep space exploration plans, starting with the Gateway. Pasadena, Calif. (November 19, 2018) The Planetary Society, the worlds largest independent, non-profit space interest organization, announced the appointment of Brendan Curry as Chief of Washington Operations. Almost everything on The Planetary Society agenda involves the Federal government at some level. From supporting NASA's budget requests, to raising the visibility of planetary defense, to giving continuing high priority to solar system exploration and the search for life in the universe, positive government decisions are essential, said John Logsdon, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington Universitys Elliott School of International Affairs and Planetary Society Board of Directors member. Having Brendan Curry in this key role will greatly increase our influence on issues of highest concern to the Society's members. Mr. Curry will bring nearly twenty years of space policy experience to the new role. Prior to joining The Planetary Society, Mr. Curry served as Vice President of Washington Operations at the Space Foundation. In this high profile position, he interfaced with industry executives, officials in the White House, NASA, the Department of Defense, the National Reconnaissance Office, the State Department, Commerce Department and others officials in the Executive Branch departments. He continues to work with Congress as well as international space officials from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Russia, and China. Mr. Curry routinely speaks in public forums and with news media outlets. Casey Dreier, previously the Director of Space Policy for The Planetary Society, will move into the newly-created role of Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Adviser for the organization. Brendan is a great fit for The Planetary Society, said Dreier. He brings a wealth of professional experience and personal passion to this role, and I am excited to work with him to grow The Societys advocacy and policy efforts. Im excited about The Planetary Societys mission to support and encourage planetary exploration and science, planetary defense and the search for life elsewhere in the universe, Mr. Curry said. I look forward to ensuring The Planetary Society and our passionate member base can be a helpful contributor to space policy discussions and decisions happening here in Washington. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Brendan has been a life-long space enthusiast. He holds a law degree from Penn State and a bachelors degree from the University of Scranton. Chicago police have responded to what is being described as an active shooting at Mercy Hospital on the city's South Side. An officer was wounded. Multiple victims are reported. Police said shots were fired both inside and outside the hospital between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Chicago police have not released any further details about the condition of the wounded, including the officer. Witnesses who spoke to ABC7 Chicago outside the hospital said they heard a flurry of gunshots, as many as 10 to 20, causing them to duck beneath cars and hide. Mike Blake Jr.found guilty of the attempted murder of Officer Cory Goldstein of the Charleston Police Departmenthas been sentenced to life without parole. Blake had acted as his own lawyeralthough he did have a public defender at his side in case he wants legal adviceduring the proceedings. On Thursday, Blake took to the stand in his own defense and gave his testimony in court where he claimed he shot Goldstein in self-defense. Goldstein, who no longer works for the Charleston Police Department, took the stand Tuesday to recount the night of the shooting. He told the jury that during the foot chase, Blake kept looking over his shoulder to see how close Goldstein was to him. Goldstein said that after Blake had stopped, he ordered Blake not to move, and Blake responded, "You don't move [expletive]," and opened fire. The judge sentenced Blake to life under the three strikes law as Blake was previously convicted of drug charges, according to WCSC-TV. A driver in New York whose car came to a stop in a frigid canal was pulled out of the icy water by two Islip police officers who happened to be nearby, according to Newsday. "It was a selfless act to jump into that cold water," Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a statement. "There is no question the victim would have died, had it not been for our trained, quick-thinking park rangers, officers who happened to be patrolling in the community, heard the call come over the radio, and in the right place at the right time. We are incredibly proud of them, and grateful they were not hurt," Carpenter said. The unidentified driver and the officersAnthony LaGrasta and John Riverawere treated for hypothermia at a nearby hospital. Oklahoma deputy Kyle Turner jumped over downed live power wires to rescue a man from burning car. He has been named HAIX Hero of the Month for October 2018. Cleveland County, OK, Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Turner has been named HAIX Hero of the Month for October 2018. Deputy Turner was nominated for the honor for his daring rescue of a man trapped in a burning car. On the night of Oct. 3, 2018, a 2008 Chevy Cobalt 2-Door Sport went off the road in rural Cleveland County, took out two power poles, and dropped the power lines. Turner, who is a patrol deputy and a volunteer firefighter for Cedar County Volunteer Fire when not on duty, received an alert about the crash while he was returning from a hunting trip. First on the scene, Turner saw the car was on fire and power lines were down. I could hear somebody yelling for help, he said. Turner pulled on his firefighter gear due to the extreme heat and jumped over downed power lines to pull the man out of the immediate danger zone. The man suffered injuries to his legs and could not walk. Turner said he wasnt thinking about the danger at the time. All I knew was a man needed help and if I didnt help him, he might not be here today, Turner said. I believe God put me where I was that night on purpose. Master Sgt. Brandon Dominic and Deputy Chazdon Anderson arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and helped Turner pull the man the rest of the way to safety. Turner said the rescue was truly a team effort due to the mans size and the number of downed power lines. All the deputies involved risked their lives due to the downed power lines, Patrol Supervisor Lt. Michael Russell said. The power lines were arcing long after the accident while we waited for electric crews to arrive. I thank God that they (deputies) were being watched over and kept safe. The intense heat and the mans size were big challenges that Deputy Turner overcame. Deputy Turner never gave up the fight to save that man's life. I know, without a doubt, the victim was only moments from death when our deputies arrived. The mans family later contacted the Cleveland County SO to thank the deputies and let them know the man was doing well. As winner of HAIX Hero of the Month for October will receive a pair of boots from HAIX. Also nominated for HAIX Hero of the Month for October were: Oconto Falls, WI, police officer Keith Fischer and Cook County (IL) Sheriff's Deputy Joe Fiorentino. The winner was determined by the total number of "likes" he received for his story on POLICE Magazine's Facebook page. A retired officer with the Columbus (GA) Police Department has been identified as one of the dead in a helicopter crash into a lake just north of Montgomery, Alabama. David Hall had been piloting the Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter that served the Columbus-based Metro Narcotics Task Force that went down in Lake Mitchell on Friday. After a two-day search for the helicopter and the passengers, the Chilton County coroner's office said two bodies were recovered Sunday afternoon. The other occupant of the helicopter has not yet been identified. "We are coming back from Alabama where the bodies have been removed from the helicopter after the crash on Friday. We've touched base with all family members now and this is the end of a long weekend," Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren said Sunday afternoon during a brief news conference at the Columbus Airport. Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson mourned Halls death on Twitter. "He was beloved and respected by his fellow officers and by all who knew him," Tomlinson said. Hall, who was 53, joined the Columbus police force in 1990 and served for 28 years. Despite his retirement, Tomlinson said Hall still served the city with his piloting skills. The crash scene has since been turned over to National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The Virginia Beach Police Department announced the passing of Master Police Officer Kelvin Bailey, who died of an apparent medical emergency early in the morning on Saturday. Image courtesy of Virginia Beach PD / Facebook. It was with a heavy heart Saturday that the Virginia Beach Police Department announced the passing of Master Police Officer Kelvin Bailey, according to WTKR. The department said that Bailey died of an apparent medical emergency early in the morning on Saturday. Virginia Beach City Councilman and Mayor-elect Bobby Dyer said on Twitter, "The @CityofVaBeach lost one of our finest. Officer Kelvin Bailey died from an apparent heart attack while patrolling our streets. Officer Bailey had over 30 years of service. Please join Trish and I in extending our condolences to Officer Bailey's family, friends and the @VBPD." Bailey was a veteran of the Virginia Beach Police Department and Sheriffs Office, with decades of sevice to the city. Chief Loren Culp of the Republic (WA) Police Department said on social media that he won't allow his department to enforce new regulations under newly passed which he said are unconstitutional. Initiative 1639 raises the age limit for some gun purchases and puts an enhanced background check and waiting period in place for people who want to buy a semi-automatic rifle, among other restrictions. Chief Culp wrote on Facebook, "I've taken 3 public oaths, one in the US Army and Two as a police officer. All of them included upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States of America. The second amendment says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The post continued, "The second amendment says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. As long as I am Chief of Police, no Republic Police Officer will infringe on citizens right to keep and Bear Arms, PERIOD!" Further, Culp suggests that the city pass legislation that would make the City of Republic a "2nd Amendment Sanctuary City." Culp said in a separate Facebook post that he wants local legislation passed that that would "prevent federal and state infringement on the right to keep and bear arms; nullifying all federal and state acts in violation of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article 1 Section 24 of the Washington State Constitution." Initiative 1639 passed with a statewide approval of nearly 60 percent of the vote. In Ferry Countywhere the City of Republic is located73 percent of voters said no to the measure. 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: Rebuilding Median By LaGuardia Kicking off construction of a project to rebuild and beautify the Ditmars Blvd medians between 78th Street and the airport (82nd Street), a press conference... Marathon 2021 Runners of all racing stripes took part in the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon on November 7. Racing categories in this, the largest marathon... Mount Sinai Queens Opening New Infusion Center The last week of October was marked by an expansion of health care capacity in the borough, as Mount Sinai Queens celebrated the opening of... 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. Japan will on Monday release October figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Imports are expected to climb 14.1 percent on year after rising 7.0 percent in September. Exports are called higher by an annual 8.9 percent after dipping 1.2 percent in the previous month. The trade deficit is pegged at 70.0 billion yen following the 139.6 billion yen surplus a month earlier. New Zealand will see October results for its Performance of Services Index, plus Q3 numbers for producer prices. The services index had a score of 53.9 in September, while producer price inputs added 1.0 percent on quarter in Q2 and outputs gained 0.9 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Indian shares opened slightly higher on Monday, mirroring positive cues from other Asian after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States might not have to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods. The benchmark BSE Sensex was up 24 points or 0.22 percent at 10,706 in early trade after rising around 1 percent last week. The broader Nifty index was up 103 points or 0.29 percent at 35,560. Yes Bank climbed 6 percent as ICRA affirmed the bank's long-term ratings. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories rallied 1.3 percent after its formulations Srikakulum plant Unit II, Andhra Pradesh cleared the U.S. FDA audit with zero observations. Tata Investment Corporation soared almost 6 percent on share buyback news. Power Grid Corporation rose half a percent after its board approved increasing FII shareholding limit in the company. Oil marketing companies were trading lower as oil prices rose around 1 percent on expectations that top exporter Saudi Arabia will push OPEC to cut supply towards year-end. Jet Airways slumped almost 7 percent after Tata Sons said it hasn't taken any decision yet to acquire a stake in the cash-strapped airline. Siemens tumbled 3.3 percent after its quarterly profit declined 55 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com U.K. stocks rose on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May's speech at the CBI annual conference. The British pound edged higher against major currencies in early European trading, helping limit overall gains to some extent. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 27 points or 0.39 percent at 7,040 in opening deals after closing 0.3 percent lower on Friday. Airline easyJet rose 1.2 percent ahead of its annual results due on Tuesday, while Kingfisher climbed 2.6 percent. Miners Antofagasta, Anglo American and Glencore all rose more than 1 percent, tracking an uptick in copper prices after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that China wants to make a deal on trade with the United States, but any pact has to be reciprocal. Trump's comments helped raise hopes that the U.S. and China will agree on at least "a deal to get a deal" when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Argentina later this month. BHP Billiton advanced 1 percent after it reached an agreement with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to settle the transfer pricing dispute relating to its marketing operations in Singapore. Engineering services company Babcock International Group added 0.8 percent after it issued a statement regarding exceptional items likely to be included in the company's half year results announcement on November 21. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott won a bitterly contested race for Senate in the Sunshine State by a thin margin of just over 10,000 votes over incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla. The official final results of a manual recount of votes showed Scott received 50.05 percent compared to Nelson's 49.93 percent. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner ordered the recount after Scott's lead dwindled to 0.15 percent in the closely fought mid-term elections. As per rules, a recount should be called if a candidates' lead falls below the margin of 0.5 percent. Nelson conceded defeat Sunday. Losing the Senate seat he has held for three terms since 2001 means Nelson's political career comes to a likely end after four decades in various elected posts. The GOP campaign had a significant financial advantage over Nelson as Scott reportedly put around $50 million of his own money into the race, making it one of the most expensive Senate races in U.S. history. Scott's victory helped the Republican Party widen their majority in the Senate to 5 seats. With the result of a runoff in Mississippi pending, currently the Republicans lead Democrats by 52 to 47 seats in the 100-member Senate. President Donald Trump congratulated Scott on "having waged such a courageous and successful campaign." "From day one Rick Scott never wavered. He was a great Governor and will be even a greater Senator in representing the People of Florida," Trump said on Twitter. It was a double blow for the Democrats in Florida, as the state gubernatorial race also went the Republican way. A recount was ordered also for state governor after the Republican candidate Ron DeSantis' lead narrowed to 0.41 percent. But on Saturday, Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded defeat, and his dreams of becoming Florida's first African American governor shattered. Trump had accused Democrats of trying to "steal two big elections in Florida," but state and local authorities denied evidence of any wrongdoing. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The European got off to a positive start Monday, but entered negative territory in the afternoon following the weak start on Wall Street. Traders are keeping a close eye on Brexit developments, as well as the trade talks between the U.S. and China. At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit over the weekend, Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. would not back down until China changes its ways. The stark warning dampened investor hopes for a thaw in U.S.-Chinese trade relations ahead of the G20 summit later this month in Argentina. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 0.73 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip stocks decreased 0.64 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, lost 0.55 percent. The DAX of Germany dropped 0.85 percent and the CAC of France fell 0.79 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 0.19 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 1.06 percent. In Paris, Renault tumbled 8.43 percent on a report that Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn is facing arrest for alleged financial trading violations. In London, BHP Billiton advanced 1.02 percent after it reached an agreement with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to settle the transfer pricing dispute relating to its marketing operations in Singapore. Engineering services company Babcock International Group added 0.55 percent after it issued a statement regarding exceptional items likely to be included in the company's half year results announcement on November 21. Telecom Italia jumped 3.99 percent in Milan. The company's board has appointed Luigi Gubitosi as its new CEO and General Manager, by a majority vote. Novo Nordisk shares advanced 2.23 percent in Copenhagen after JP Morgan upgraded its rating on the stock to "Overweight." Eurozone's current account surplus decreased in September, figures from the European Central Bank showed on Monday. The current account surplus fell to EUR 17 billion from EUR 24 billion in August. In the same month last year, the surplus was EUR 40 billion. Eurozone construction output increased in September after declining in the previous month, but the pace of growth nearly halved sequentially in the third quarter, figures from Eurostat showed on Monday. Construction output grew 2 percent from August, when it declined 0.6 percent, revised from 0.5 percent. UK house prices declined sharply in November at the fastest monthly pace in seven years, figures from the property market data website Rightmove showed on Monday. Average asking prices dropped GBP 5,222 or 1.7 percent month-on-month to GBP 302,023 in November. That was biggest November drop since 2012, Rightmove said. Reflecting growing affordability concerns, the National Association of Home Builders released a report on Monday showing a sharp drop in U.S. homebuilder confidence in the month of November. The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index plunged to 60 in November after inching up by one point to 68 in October. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 67. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis President Donald Trump continued to claim Osama Bin Laden should have been caught much earlier in a post on Twitter on Monday after previously attacking the Navy SEAL who led the 2011 raid that killed the terrorist leader. "Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot," Trump tweeted. "We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!" "We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another," he added. "They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That's ENDING!" The tweets from Trump come as the president has received criticism for his comments about retired U.S. Navy Admiral William McRaven. In an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox news aired Sunday night, Trump derided McRaven as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and argued Bin Laden should have been taken down "a lot sooner." "Wouldn't it have been nicer if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump asked rhetorically. "Living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion. I don't know, I've seen nicer," he added. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they don't tell him." Trump's comments about McRaven came as he was asked about the former Navy SEAL's remarks last year describing the president's attacks on the media as the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed on Sunday when militants opened fire at a CRPF camp in Pulwama district. Police sources said militants fired at the CRPF camp near the railway station in Kakapora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir. "Guards at the camp retaliated after which the militants escaped. A CRPF jawan was killed in the incident," the sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the congress for their pledge to protect cows in Madhya Pradesh, reminding the party that its workers in Kerala last year slaughtered a calf in the open. Addressing an election rally in Chhindwara, the Prime Minister also attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi with the "naamdaar" jibe for "repeatedly lying" to discredit the BJP-led central government. "In the manifesto for Madhya Pradesh, the Congress party is hailing the cow as a mother, but on the streets of Kerala, the Congress people cut off the head of a calf and circulated photos of their eating beef, saying that it was their right to eat cow-meat," Modi said. He said that the Congress included the issue of cow in their election manifesto to confuse the people. "I am criticising it. It is their right but the question that arises is whether the Congress of Madhya Pradesh and Congress of Kerala are separate. Tell the truth to the people. You may like cow or not, it's your prerogative, but don't fool the people," he said. The Congress in its election manifesto has promised to build gaushalas (cow sheds) in every gram panchayat, establish a new department for spirituality, open new Sanskrit schools, besides loan waiver for farmers. The Prime Minister said the Congress had promised farm loan waiver in Karnataka but has not yet implemented it. "They promise but do not deliver. Cheating is in the their blood," he said. Taking a jibe at Congress leaders for questioning the surgical strikes and allegedly using foul language against the army chief, the Prime Minister said that Rahul Gandhi is "confused", and the Congress under him is "fused". Using his trademark jibe of "naamdaar" at Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister said he was continuously abusing him because Modi has put an end to corruption by using technology. "Wherever the naamdaar goes, repeats the same cassette. If you have courage, give the account of your four generations. Modi is ready to give account of his four years," he said. In a major terrorist incident, three people were killed and 20 others injured when two motorcycle-borne masked youths threw a grenade at a Nirankari congregation in Rajasansi area in Punjab's Amritsar district on Sunday, police said. The grenade attack took place at the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan of the Nirankari sect in Adliwal village, about 15 km from Amritsar. The campus is located in Amritsar's rural belt, around three kilometres from the Guru Ram Das Jee Amritsar international airport. The injured were rushed to hospitals in Amritsar. Two of them were in serious condition, police said. All the victims were sect followers from nearby villages who had gathered for the Sunday weekly religious meeting. Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora, who rushed to the spot along with senior Punjab Police officers, admitted that it was a "terror act". "We are taking it as a terror act. This incident is against a group and not an individual. That's why we are taking it as a terror act. We did not have any specific input of a strike against any particular group," he told the media in Adliwal village. Describing it as an unfortunate incident, Arora said that further investigations will reveal details about who was behind the attack. Witnesses told the police that two youths on a motorcycle, their faces covered, forced entry to the sect campus by pointing a pistol at a woman volunteer at the gate. "Everything happened within a couple of minutes. They got in, threw the grenade and fled," one man told the police. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday directed the police to immediately enhance security arrangements at all sensitive places, terming it as "the first such indiscriminate attack on innocent people in recent past". "Preliminary investigations had so far revealed that two men, one of them with a flowing beard, with covered faces, allegedly forced their way into the hall by brandishing a pistol. They detained the sewadar, lobbed the grenade into the prayer room, and escaped on a motorcycle," he said. A crater three inches in diameter was formed by the impact of the explosion and was being examined by the forensic team. The safety valve of the grenade has also been found, he said. "The possibility of involvement of ISI-based Khalistani/Kashmiri terror groups cannot be ruled out. Police teams are investigating various angles," the Chief Minister said in a statement. The attack on Sunday happened amid a high alert issued on November 14 by the Punjab Police regarding the movement of 6-7 terrorists in the state. Punjab Police Inspector General (Border Range) S.P.S. Parmar said that all angles, about who could be behind the attack, were being investigated. "The people had gathered for prayers. There were around 200 people. Preliminary reports suggest that the two persons threw one grenade. No firing took place," he said. The Nirankari sect, with headquarters in Delhi, has millions of followers across the country and abroad. In recent months, Khalistani and Kashmiri activists have been trying to foment trouble in Punjab, which shares a 553-km long barbed wire fenced international border with Pakistan. The Punjab Police, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, had recently busted two modules of Kashmiri students who were studying in institutions in Punjab and having links to terrorist outfits in troubled Kashmir. The Maqsudan police station was targeted by Kashmiri terrorists on September 14 this year with hand grenades though no one was injured in the attack. Posters of Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Mussa had mysteriously appeared in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Friday saying that he had been seen in Punjab. The Chief Minister said he would ensure that the culprits were apprehended. "Though the state had been hit by a series of cases of targeted attacks since 2015/16, this was the first attempt, in a long time, to disturb the peace in the state through indiscriminate killings. Pakistan is continuing with its nefarious activities to disturb the state's peace," Amarinder Singh said. He pointed out that 15 such terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months, with Kashmiri terror links also indicated in some instances, as evidenced in the arrest of Kashmiri students from Jalandhar and in the Maqsudan police station grenade blast case. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the dead. An aspiring nine-year-old rugby player, Faauuga Folita Iosefo, has been given hope for cancer treatment in New Zealand. This is largely thanks to the Samoa Observers Save the Childs Fund and the generous support from businesses, families and members of the community who responded to the urgent request for help. Faauuga had recently been diagnosed with Stage 3 Acute Hodgkinson Lymphoma. He had received approval for overseas treatment under the Samoa Government Medical Treatment Scheme, which covers only the medical and hospital fees during treatment. The timeframe they were given between diagnosis and travel to New Zealand was very small, and with little money on hand to pay for airfare and prepare her small family, Faauugas parents, Tofilau Iosefo and Arieta Viliamu, set about seeking for help. The Samoa Cancer Society (S.C.S.) responded with payment of Faauugas medical visa application fees and assistance with accommodation for Faauuga and his parents while in New Zealand during their treatment appointments. In addition, S.C.S. provided a supporting letter to the Samoa Observers Save the Child Fund, requesting assistance to pay for a return Economy Flexi Airfare for young Faauuga to get to New Zealand for his first appointment. The Head of the Fund and Samoa Observer Publisher, Muliaga Jean Ash Malifa immediately approved and released the funds that ensured Faauugas travel ticket. Faauuga and his family are in New Zealand today. Speaking from New Zealand, Faauugas mother, Arieta, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Samoa Observer Save the Fund and the many people, groups, businesses and especially her families both in Samoa and overseas that came through for her son at the last minute. It is early days yet to determine the next step of Faauugas treatment but Arieta asks to keep the faith and uplift her son in prayers as well as the doctors to help Faauuga at this time. As parents, we would love for him to continue his education, pursue his interest in rugby and grow up like any normal kid. Faauuga has five siblings, four sisters and one brother. He is expected to undergo treatment for 3 months at the Starship Hospital. Hodgkinsons disease(HD) is a type of lymphoma, which is a blood cancer that starts in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps the immune system get rid of waste and fight infections. HD originates in white blood cells that help protect you from germs and infections. These white blood cells are called lymphocytes. IN people with HG, these cells grow abnormally and spread beyond the lymphatic system. As the disease progress, it makes it more difficult for the body to fight infections. The Save the Childs Fund was started by the Samoa Observer with generous donations from members of the community to help needy families send their children overseas for medical treatment. One of the biggest donors is the family of the late Augustine Fuiavailili Fe'esago, who donate on a monthly basis. Rupi Taituuga is among the local designers getting behind Miss Samoa, Sonia Piva, as she begins her mission to bring the Miss Pacific crown to Samoa. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Rupi said he is delighted to have been able to help Ms. Piva, who is leaving for Tonga this week. Ever since I started doing this, my heart has always been with the girls and these pageants give me a sense of inspiration to give my support, he said. It was also never doing it for myself but it was also part of my contribution to our country. Rupi is donating 12 outfits for Ms. PIva. Its not about the number of outfits, he said. I wanted to make sure that our Sonia had enough to wear because I am positive there will be so many various functions she will attend. Rupi added that he would always support the Miss Samoa pageant. Another designer who is helping is Salafai Ah Tong, from the House of Gold. As you are all well, we sponsored former Miss Samoa, Alexandra Iakopo and we hoped to continue our support for the Miss Samoa. It is also important that we showcase our culture through what our Miss Samoa will wear at an overseas country so that people will automatically pick out our girl as a Samoan lady. At the end of the day I want to support the potential and talents within our young girls so that they can contribute better not only for our countrys economy but also our communities. The reigning Miss Samoa, Sonia Piva, said that she feels truly blessed by so much support not only from these designers but also from the whole country. I would never have been able to do this on my own which is why I am truly thankful to everyone that has supported me during my reign. I will do my very best and hope to bring home the crown for our people but it will not be easy so please dont forget me in your prayers because we have need God in everything that we do. Samoa is being represented at the 10th Asia Pacific Red Cross Presidents Regional a conference in Manila, Philippines. Leading the delegation is President of the Red Cross, Leiataua Jerry Brunt. He is accompanied by the Secretary General Namulauulu Tautala Maualaivao and a Youth Delegate and Board Member, Deborah Koon Wai You. The focus of the conference was discussing localisation of humanitarian action in a fast changing world, Leiataua said. The conference saw a gathering of leaders, spokespersons and representatives from Asia Pacific and all over the world, as well as observing National Societies as a platform to discuss strategic issues, common concerns and learn from each others diverse contexts. Another issue highlighted at the conference was the impact of climate change. Leitaua said the conference addressed sustainability, relevance and identity; climate, disaster migration and displacement; trust in institutions at risk; and connectivity transforming our actions. Another relatively important aspect of this conference is the inclusion of a youth forum and this affords the opportunity for the youths who are keen to be a part of the bigger picture and bringing positive change to the world. And our Youth Delegate and Board Member Deborah Koon Wai, who was eager to learn from her peers at the conference and return home and give back to our young volunteers. MOSCOW (AP) A Russian Soyuz rocket sent a cargo ship on its way to the International Space Station on Friday, a successful launch that cleared the way for the next crew to travel to the space outpost. The launch of the Russian Progress MS-10 resupply ship from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan marked the fourth successful liftoff of a Soyuz since a launch with crew members had to be aborted last month. A Soyuz-FG rocket carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos' Alexei Ovchinin failed two minutes into its flight on Oct. 11, activating an automatic rescue system that allowed their capsule to land safely. A Russian investigation attributed the failure to a sensor that was damaged during the rocket's final assembly. The accident was the first aborted crew launch for the Russian space program since 1983, when two Soviet cosmonauts jettisoned after a launch pad explosion and also had a safe landing. The Russian Soyuz spacecraft is currently the only vehicle that can ferry crews to the space station. Since the October mishap, two Soyuz rockets were launched successfully from Plesetsk in northwestern Russia, while a third lifted off from French Guiana carrying satellites into orbit. They were of a different subtype than the rocket that failed in October, but the one that lifted off Friday was the same version. The Progress ship is set to dock at the space station Sunday, delivering almost three tons of food, fuel, water and other supplies to the crew NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergei Prokopyev and German Alexander Gerst. In a separate supply mission, Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket with Cygnus cargo spacecraft is scheduled to lift off Saturday and dock at the station Monday. The current crew is scheduled to return to Earth next month after the arrival of their replacements. American astronaut Anne McClain, Canadian David Saint-Jacques and Russian Oleg Kononenko are set to go up on Dec. 3. Speaking Thursday at the Star City space training center outside Moscow, McClain voiced confidence in the Soyuz despite October's aborted launch. "We trust our rocket. We're ready to fly," she said. "I think what we learned from the inside in October was how safe this rocket was. A lot of people called it an accident or an incident, or maybe want to use it as an example of not being safe. But for us it's exactly the opposite because our friends came home, the systems worked and they worked exactly as they were designed." ISTANBUL (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have marked the completion of a key phase of TurkStream, a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul, Erdogan announced the offshore part of TurkStream's two parallel lines two kilometers deep in the Black Sea had been finished and said the final leg of the "historic project" had been reached. The lines are expected to supply Russian gas to Turkey and European markets through Turkish territories. Together, the two 930-kilometer (578-mile) underwater lines, along with the Russian and Turkish onshore pipes, will carry 31.5 billion cubic meters (1.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually. "We are witnessing a very important event that is a clear demonstration of a partnership and cooperation between our countries in dealing with the most complex and ambitious projects," Putin said. He added, "The implementation of projects like this one is a good example of an ability to stand up for one's own national interests." The remarks appear to be referring to the Kremlin's long-standing position that some European nations are giving up lucrative deals with Russia under pressure from the United States. Turkey relies on imports for its energy needs and Russia is its top supplier for natural gas. It bought nearly 29 billion cubic meters last year. That gas is currently transported through another line under the Black Sea, called Blue Stream, and the onshore West Line through Ukraine, which is mired in conflict with Russia. "Turkey will be able to fulfill its own as well as European countries' natural gas demands without being exposed to transit risks," Erdogan said, as he announced that TurkStream would begin operations in 2019. Ukraine's struggling economy relies on fees it receives for transporting Russian gas. Russia has threatened to stop using Ukrainian pipelines for transit but has not made any decisions to bypass Ukraine as a transit point altogether. Turkey and Russia have warmed in the last two years after Erdogan apologized for the downing of a Russian fighter jet along the border with Syria in 2015 that soured relations. Their increasing cooperation in energy and trade as well as Ankara's pledge to buy a Russian surface-to-air missile defense system has worried the Western allies of Turkey, a NATO member. Erdogan said the two countries aimed for long-term cooperation and their relationship was not dictated by "other countries' demands or impositions." With Erdogan and Putin's instructions, the last part of the offshore pipe was laid on live broadcast, reaching Turkish shores at Kiyikoy near Istanbul. PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) Pacific Rim leaders at a key Asian summit failed to reach agreement on a joint declaration on world trade for the first time in nearly three decades, highlighting the growing tensions between China and the U.S. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit's acrimony also underscored the rivalry between China and the West for influence in the South Pacific, where Beijing has been wooing impoverished island states with aid and loans. The 21 APEC nations, which account for 60 percent of the world economy, struggled at the two-day summit in Papua New Guinea to bridge their differences over the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade, officials said. Instead, a statement was issued by the meeting's chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. "The entire world is worried" about tensions between China and the U.S., O'Neill told reporters surrounding him after the meetings ended Sunday, when he confirmed there was no joint declaration from the leaders. Draft versions of the declaration seen by The Associated Press showed the U.S wanted strong language against unfair trade practices that it accuses China of conducting. China wanted a reaffirmation of opposition to protectionism and unilateralism that it says the U.S. is engaging in. The U.S. has imposed additional tariffs of $250 billion on Chinese goods this year, and Beijing has retaliated with its own tariffs on U.S. products. "I don't think it will come as a huge surprise that there are differing visions" on trade, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Those prevented there from being a full consensus on the communique." U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping traded barbs in speeches on Saturday. Pence professed respect for Xi and China but also harshly criticized the world's No. 2 economy for intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and unfair trading practices. He accused China of luring developing nations into a debt trap through the loans it offers for infrastructure. The world, according to Xi's speech, is facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation as protectionism and unilateralism grows. He said the rules of global institutions set up after World War II such as the World Trade Organization should not be bent for selfish agendas. Pence told reporters that he had two "candid" conversations with Xi, who is expected to meet President Donald Trump at a Group of 20 summit at the end of this month in Argentina. "There are differences today," Pence said. "They begin with trade practices, with tariffs and quotas, forced technology transfers, the theft of intellectual property. It goes beyond that to freedom of navigation in the seas, concerns about human rights." The U.S. is interested in a better relationship, "but there has to be change" from China's side, Pence said he told Xi, who responded that dialogue is important. China's Foreign Ministry rejected the U.S. criticism that it was leading other developing nations into debt bondage. "The assistance provided by China has been warmly welcomed by our partners in this region and beyond," Wang Xiaolong, a Foreign Ministry official, told a news conference. "No country either in this region or in other regions has fallen into a so-called debt trap because of its cooperation with China. Give me one example," he said. China is a relative newcomer to providing aid, and its loan-heavy, no-strings attached approach has unsettled Western nations that have been the mainstay donors to developing nations and often use aid to nudge nations toward reforms. In Port Moresby, the impact of China's aid and loans is highly visible. But the U.S. and its allies are countering with efforts to finance infrastructure in Papua New Guinea and other island states. The U.S. has also said it will be involved in an Australian plan to develop a naval base with Papua New Guinea. On Sunday, the U.S., New Zealand, Japan and Australia said they'd work with Papua New Guinea's government to bring electricity to 70 percent of its people by 2030. Less than 20 percent have a reliable electricity supply. "The commitment of the United States of America to this region of the world has never been stronger," Pence said at a signing ceremony. A separate statement from his office said other countries are welcome to join the electrification initiative provided they support the U.S. vision of a free and open Pacific. China, meanwhile, has promised $4 billion of financing to build the first national road network in Papua New Guinea, among the world's least urbanized countries. Nissan Motors said Monday that chairman Carlos Ghosn has been arrested and will be dismissed after the company uncovered significant acts of misconduct, including underreporting his own salary and using company assets for his personal benefit. Ghosn is considered one of the car industrys top executives and is one of the most highly paid corporate bosses in Japan. He is widely credited with having saved Nissan from near-bankruptcy. He also serves as chairman and chief executive of Frances Renault and chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, he is one of the few foreigners in such a senior position in Japan. Nissan said it conducted an internal investigation for several months based on a report from a whistleblower regarding misconduct by Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly. It shared its findings with public prosecutors for their own parallel investigation. Advertisement I am not in a position to talk about the progress of the investigation itself, but as a result of the investigation, we heard that the arrests have been made of the two gentlemen, CEO Hiroto Saikawa told a news conference in the company headquarters in Yokohama. Saikawa would said he would convene a meeting of the board on Thursday to remove Ghosn and Kelly. Nissan said its investigation showed numerous significant acts of misconduct, including underreporting Ghosns compensation to the Tokyo Stock Exchange to the tune of more than $40 million over five years. It also said he used investment funds for personal gain and misused company expenses. Nissan said Kelly was also deeply involved in the wrongdoing. Saikawa described both men as the masterminds of the alleged misconduct. Renault shares tumbled nearly 10 percent in Paris, while Nissans German-listed securities fell by a similar amount. Ghosn, 64, began his career at tiremaker Michelin in France in 1976 before moving on to Renault in 1996. There he helped engineer a turnaround in the carmakers fortunes that earned him the admiration of the business world but not of labor unions or leftist politicians, who resented his high salary while he presided over massive job losses in the wake of the global financial crisis. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO from 2001 until 2017, engineering a similar turnaround there and earning the nickname Le Cost Cutter. Ghosn stepped down as Nissan CEO last year but remained chairman of the company. He became a star in the business world in Japan, appearing on magazine covers dressed in a kimono and even spawning a manga comic book on his life, although he also attracted more criticism there for his high salary. Ghosn was one of the first executives to champion electric cars, and he also developed a range of low-cost cars for emerging markets. In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosns 7.4 million euro ($8.5 million) compensation for 2017. He also received the equivalent of more than $10 million in his final year as Nissan chief executive. The scandal also raised eyebrows in France, where the French government is a major shareholder in Renault. Amid mounting controversy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday that the government would not comment on the ongoing judicial investigation in Japan but has already made inquiries with Renault about the companys management structure. In a late-night news conference lasting about 90 minutes, Saikawa, the Nissan CEO, did little to hide his anger at Ghosn for letting the company down. The concentration of power in one individual, as well as Ghosns long reign at the automaking conglomerate, impacted operations and could have been factors in allowing the misconduct to take place, he said. People who reported to Mr. Ghosn became limited in number, Saikawa said. As a result, instead of taking decisions based on a range of information and opinions, Ghosn made decisions based on limited input in some cases. Saikawa also spent considerable time expressing his deep regret over the bewilderment and anxiety that the news has caused employees and stakeholders. Its very difficult to express this in words, he said. Beyond being sorry, I feel big disappointment and frustration and despair and indignation and resentment. In its statement, Nissan also deeply apologized for causing great concern to shareholders and stakeholders. We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures, the company said. The news is the latest scandal to sully Nissans brand. In July, it acknowledged it had uncovered falsified emissions data from most of its factories in Japan, while in 2017 it admitted it had allowed unqualified personnel to carry out postproduction tests at some of its plants, forcing it to recall more than a million vehicles for reinspection. Although the company denied a direct link between the failure to carry out proper testing and its ongoing efforts to cut costs, Chief Competitive Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi acknowledged at the time that he needed to reflect on whether there was an environment at Nissan in which anything could be tolerated if it led to cost-cutting. Tim Hubbard, assistant professor of management in the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business, said Ghosns arrest complicates a highly interconnected set of relationships between Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors - and could impact the equity stakes they have in each other. This has widespread implications for a large portion of the auto industry, as these alliances have become more critical in the increasingly interconnected design, manufacturing and support of auto customers worldwide, he said. Ghosns arrest is another unfortunate example of the perils of having too much power concentrated in one individual within - and across - corporations. One of the puzzles was why Ghosn, with all his wealth, might have wanted to defraud his own company, if the accusations are true. It seems very short-sighted to me, when you have that much money, why you would want to nickel-and-dime the company and shareholders, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmonds law school. Tobias said that if the alleged transgressions had occurred in the United States, someone like Ghosn, who could afford the best legal counsel available, might have been able to strike a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time by paying a large fine. But he said it was far from clear whether this would be the case in Japan. The Washington Posts Akiko Kashiwagi in Tokyo and James McAuley in Paris contributed to this report. Published by the Washington Post. Yes, the San Diego and U.S. economies are at all-time highs. The stock market has been hitting new records, though it is increasingly volatile. And importantly, the unemployment rates for our region and the nation are both at 40-year lows. More Americans are working than ever in the history of the country. Rising tides are lifting all boats. Right? Well, maybe not. A few weeks ago, I joined the San Diego Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for a fact-finding trip to Indianapolis. Last year, we took a similar trip to Louisville, and one to Nashville the year before that. Advertisement Along with San Diego, each of these cities has the benefit of being involved in a research project with the Brookings Institution, the non-partisan Washington D.C., think tank, on the concept and true meaning of inclusion. Brookings is helping us all understand the dynamics of these issues and what we can do to ensure that even more of our residents can compete and thrive in our growing economies. Heres what we learned: Weve been putting too much emphasis on attracting highly educated and skilled (therefore, highly paid) workers to our communities while all but ignoring local residents who are struggling to get into and stay in the job market. A revelation related to a phrase I often find myself using Which brings me to this: While in Indianapolis, I had a revelation about a catch-phrase I often find myself using: A rising tide lifts all boats. For a long time, Ive used this phrase based on the age-old belief that a thriving economy is good for everyone. Then I heard a presenter say: But what if youre not in a boat? Hmm. I hadnt really thought of that before. At that moment, I thought about the thousands of people in our communities who, metaphorically speaking, are not only not in a boat, but are standing alone on the shore. That same rising tide just might be washing them away. Consider that here in San Diego, we have more than 40,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not working full-time and not going to school. At the other end of the age spectrum, what about those older workers who cannot survive on their Social Security checks alone? Young and old, these are the working poor, earning minimum wage with two or more jobs just to put food on the table. For me and plenty of others in our 25-member contingent, this was a huge a-ha moment. Because true inclusion is about helping all people reach their potential. How do we work together with our city and county officials, our state and federal governments and our non-profit organizations to address these issues? How can we best support organizations like the San Diego Workforce Partnership as they work to get more people into boats that can navigate todays economy? A vital part of our collective mission to help I believe its a vital part of our collective mission to help these folks achieve a measure of success by offering hand-up opportunities. Because if so many of our residents cannot find success in this strong and surging job market, just imagine the road blocks they will inevitably face in a slowed-down economy when competing with larger numbers of experienced, trained workers. Is it a matter of providing more internships, more training dollars for trade schools and community colleges, more companies providing better training for entry-level employees, better mental health treatment, better drug treatment, better transportation and child-care facilities? Increasingly, its all of the above, and much more. What are the roles of other large organizations like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Housing Commission, and the Downtown Partnership? What should be our next steps? As a board member, chair and/or officer of several of the organizations Ive mentioned, I urge more of my friends and colleagues in the business community to step up, grab an oar, and start rowing towards those people still on the beach. As always, I welcome your thoughts. Phil Blair is co-founder of Manpower San Diego and author of Job Won. pblair@manpowersd.com Twitter: @PhilManpowerSD Dear Liz: My husbands brother had a stroke and is now incapacitated. My husband needs to take over his finances. The bank will not accept the durable power of attorney that they set up 14 years ago because it is too old. Another bank asked me if it was set up less than six months ago, because that would avoid problems. How can you do the right thing if there are so many obstacles? Answer: Banks and other financial institutions have gotten so persnickety about accepting powers of attorney that some states have passed laws forcing them to do so and yet people still report having problems, even in those states! Many institutions want you to use their own forms, which may not be possible once someone is incapacitated. Even if the person is willing to fill out the form before the fact, using a financial institutions power of attorney can create problems if the language in those forms contradicts the persons other estate planning documents. Then theres the sheer hassle factor, especially if the person has accounts at multiple banks and brokerages. You may be able to break through this logjam by hiring an attorney to contact the bank. You can get referrals to lawyers experienced in this issue from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Advertisement When to merge 401(k) accounts Dear Liz: I have $640,000 in a previous employers 401(k) and $100,000 in my new employers plan. Do you recommend I merge the two? Both funds offer similar investment options. My only motivation is based on simplifying paperwork during retirement, although there may be other advantages I am not aware of. Answer: The choice of investment options matters less than what you pay for them. If your current plan offers cheaper choices, rolling your previous account into your current one makes sense if your employer allows that. If the previous employers plan is cheaper, though, leaving the money where it is can make more sense. Once you actually reach retirement age you can decide whether to consolidate the plans or roll them into an IRA. IRAs give you a wider array of investment options, but keeping the money in 401(k) accounts has other advantages. Larger 401(k)s often offer access to cheaper, institutional funds that arent available to retail investors in their IRAs. A 401(k) may offer more asset protection, depending on your states laws, plus you can begin withdrawals as early as age 55 without penalty if you no longer work for that employer. Many factors go into rental choice Dear Liz: You recently answered a reader who didnt want to keep and rent out the home she inherited with her brother. You mentioned that if he refused to buy her out, she could go to court to force a sale. Another option is to hire a property management company to provide a buffer between the siblings but also between them and the tenants. The house will provide a healthy income to both bro and sis. Answer: Actually, we dont know that. While Mom-and-Pop landlords can make a tidy profit with single-family homes in some areas, just breaking even is hard in others. In many high-cost areas of the country, rents arent enough to cover the considerable costs of ownership, especially if the property still has a mortgage. Even if its paid off, the house could need extensive repairs or be damaged by future tenants. Vacancy rates could be high in that area, and the property management company would still need to get paid. The siblings also will need additional liability insurance to protect against being sued. The sister could get a much better return from investments that require a lot less from her. Mutual funds dont call to tell you the roof is leaking or the furnace needs replacement. The home could turn out to be immensely profitable and still be a bad investment for a sister whos an unwilling business partner and who resents the brother who refused to buy her out when he had the opportunity. Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. Distributed by No More Red Inc. Despite the fast failures of bike sharing companies in San Diego, which suffered from the exuberant embrace of electric scooters in their stead, it seems the city is getting yet another e-bike player. And this one has stability on its side. Uber announced Monday it is rolling out a fleet of electric bikes throughout San Diego called Jump. These bright red bikes come equipped with baskets and give users an electric boost while they pedal, letting cyclists travel up to 20 miles per hour without breaking a sweat. Uber is deploying 300 of these bikes across a 28 square-mile radius, largely concentrated in the beach communities and downtown San Diego. The company plans to ramp that up if demand warrants it, eventually expanding its service area to 95 square-miles by the end of the year. To help spur adoption, the company is offering free trips locally from now until Dec. 9. After that, theyll cost $1 to unlock and 10 cents per minute to ride. But will the red bikes stick? Alternative transportation has been a hot and crowded space this year, with companies exiting nearly as quickly as theyve arrived. This year, the dockless bike industrys top companies all rolling in hundreds of millions of venture capital have cruised into San Diego to battle for the loyalty of urban residents. While electric scooters have flourished, dockless bikes have struggled to stick around. The yellow bikes from Ofo were some of the first to debut in San Diego, but disappeared from the streets this summer. Mobike rolled in and back out in a heartbeat. A local favorite Lime originally deployed a fleet of green and white electric bikes en masse in San Diego, but even they appear to have retracted e-bikes in favor of e-scooters. Although the company didnt respond for comment as of press time, the Lime app is dominated by scooters. No e-bikes in sight. Advertisement Does Uber have an edge? And yet, Uber believes the San Diego market is full of potential. In April, the ride-sharing giant decided to get in on the dockless bike action, acquiring Jump Bikes, a New York-based bikesharing company that already had its e-bikes deployed in 40 cities at the time. Since then, Uber has been expanding the e-bikes to new cities. Theyve also deployed electric scooters in select cities, including Austin, Santa Monica and Los Angeles. Ubers Mike Egziabher, whos general manager of Jumps Southern California region, said the company has already seen success in other California markets. In San Francisco, the company started with only 250 bikes, but doubled that to 500 after their data showed 38,000 people took 326,000 trips during the pilot phase. And theyve seen similar responses in Sacramento and Los Angeles. We think that this success will carry over into San Diego, not only because of the citys topography and favorable climate, but also because of the large number of tourists who need affordable and easy ways to get around there, Egziabher said. Plus, theyve got an advantage over other competitors, he said. Our riders are already familiar with Uber, and can access a wide range of transportation options right from the app. Egziabher said Ubers planning on rolling out e-scooters in San Diego in the near future. City still embracing dockless mobility, despite some concerns While city officials have long applauded the use of bikes and other modes of alternative transportation to meet sustainability goals, the deployment of more e-bikes may not be universally welcomed. In the city of San Diego, where long-promised bicycle lanes have yet to fully materialize, many scooter users have taken to riding on sidewalks, frustrating business and unnerving pedestrians. Injuries befalling both pedestrians and riders themselves have spurred lawsuits against electric scooter companies and stoked public concern over a lack of regulation. Despite safety and cost concerns over the past year, the City Council repeatedly pushed the issue onto the back burner. Following months of public outcry, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced last month a proposal to regulate dockless mobility devices throughout the city, including restricting speeds in select areas and requiring companies to share ridership data. City spokesperson Anna Vacchi said the city remains a proponent of more mobility options for residents and visitors because thats consistent with climate action plan goals. The rapid evolution of this industry is evidence of the popularity of dockless mobility devices as great options for folks who would like to leave their car at home, Faulconer said in a statement last month. As with many disruptive new technologies, there are issues that need to be addressed. First and foremost, public safety is our top priority and that will be reflected in these common-sense regulations. Ubers Egziabher said the company did not need a permit to operate in the city, but that the company has been working with the mayors office and city council throughout the development of their permit process. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the city on the development of, and compliance with, local regulatory priorities, he said. The Jump bike comes equipped with a basket and an electric boost with every pedal. (Courtesy/ Uber) Business brittany.meiling@sduniontribune.com 619-293-1286 Twitter: @BrittanyMeiling President Trump, under increasing pressure from lawmakers to punish Saudi Arabia in the killing of prominent journalist-critic Jamal Khashoggi, sided Sunday with the kingdoms de facto ruler, distancing himself from reported U.S. intelligence assessments that the crown prince had ordered the assassination. In an interview aired on Fox News Sunday, Trump also said he had decided to skip listening to a very vicious and terrible audio recording of the Oct. 2 slaying of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As ever more grisly details about the writers death have emerged, Trump has by turns professed incuriosity and squeamishness, telling Fox interviewer Chris Wallace there was no reason for him to listen to the purported death tape provided by Turkish authorities to Western governments. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it, he said. Advertisement Trump also continued his steady criticism of the investigation being led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 election, signaling that he would not object if Matthew Whitaker, his newly appointed acting attorney general, tried to rein in Muellers probe. And he fired off a vulgar tweet aimed at a prominent Democrat who criticized Whitakers appointment, referring to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) as little Adam Schitt. Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that its agents killed Khashoggi, and officials there have said they will seek the death penalty against five Saudis involved. But they have denied that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any advance knowledge of the plan. Those denials have been widely discounted by U.S. officials as well as by other Western governments. The CIA has concluded with high confidence that the crown prince authorized last months premeditated killing of the 59-year-old writer, according to multiple news reports. The president previously accused the Saudis of one of the worst cover-ups in the death of Khashoggi, a Virginia resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post. But in recent days he has swung back to defending the kingdoms rulers, suggesting that the evidence did not definitely establish the crown princes culpability. Will anybody really know? Trump asked in the Fox News interview. He said the crown prince had personally told him maybe five times as recently as a few days ago, that he played no role in the killing and that he has many people now that say he had no knowledge. He did not specify who those individuals were. The Khashoggi episode, and Trumps refusal to cast public suspicion on the crown prince, has once again spotlighted his reluctance to accept intelligence findings that conflict with his political or personal agenda. That pattern became clear from the earliest days of his administration, when he pushed back against assessments that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election. In the Fox interview, Trump again derided Muellers Russia investigation. Trump said Whitaker a loyalist he named as acting attorney general after pushing out Whitakers former boss, Jeff Sessions had full authority in overseeing the Mueller probe. If Whitaker sought to somehow curtail the special counsel, he said, its going to be up to him. I would not get involved, Trump said. In the Khashoggi case, Trump has consistently emphasized Saudi Arabias role as a purchaser of American weaponry, linking that to what critics say are exaggerated claims of U.S. jobs stemming from the arms sales. The Trump administration has bet heavily on Saudi Arabias usefulness as a mediator in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and as an ally against Iran. The administration has cultivated tight links with the Saudis, particularly the 33-year-old crown prince. Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, in particular, forged a personal relationship with the young king-in-waiting. In the Fox interview, Trump again sounded the theme that the desert kingdoms usefulness outweighed qualms about its policies and actions, including Khashoggis killing. We do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good, the president said. The interview aired a day after Trump promised a very full report over the next two days on the killing and described the CIAs reported conclusion as premature. But anger at the Saudis has been building on Capitol Hill, with some of the harshest criticism coming from leading Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Sunday of the crown prince: I have no intention of working with him ever again. Graham, interviewed on NBCs Meet the Press, said it was impossible for me to believe that the crown prince did not know in advance of the killing. That view was echoed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). I think the evidence is overwhelming that the crown prince was involved, Paul said on CBS Face the Nation, adding: I dont think we can sweep this under the rug. Democrats have been far more vocal from the outset in demanding accountability from the Saudis, in the form of tougher sanctions and a curtailment of arms sales and cooperation in the disastrous Yemen war that the crown prince has spearheaded. Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on ABCs This Week that he could not discuss the briefing he received on CIA findings, but its very difficult for me to conceive of the murder of a prominent journalist and critic being carried out without the crown princes knowledge. That, he said, should have major repercussions for the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Our friends dont murder journalists, said Schiff. But at least one senior Republican suggested the intelligence findings left some room for doubt about the crown princes role. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was appropriate to wait and see whether Trump decides to widen economic sanctions already levied on 17 lower-ranking Saudis by punishing the prince himself. I think a smoking gun would certainly help, if you actually did have that specific thing that is unlikely to be out there or unlikely to be found, where someone gave a specific direction and you know that happened, Blunt said on ABCs This Week. A dozen tumultuous days after Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives, Trump who last week made unproven allegations of voter fraud, railed against the Mueller investigation and skipped a solemn World War I remembrance at a historic French battlefield offered a rare expression of regret for one action: his widely criticized decision to forgo a Veterans Day commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is only a few miles from the White House, and the visit is a presidential staple. I should have done that, Trump said in the Fox interview, excusing his absence by citing an extremely busy schedule and other factors. laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT Cierra Robinson knows the word no. Shes heard it over and over since being released from prison. No, we cant hire you. No, you dont qualify for this. No, you cant live here, Robinson said. Theres a lot of nos. The prospect of going back to college, navigating the complexities of academia and bureaucracy, was just as intimidating. The enrollment forms, the expensive textbooks, the financial aid, the fear of failure and the judgment from others that perhaps she didnt belong. Robinson, a 33-year-old honors student at San Diego City College with her eye on a career in clinical psychology, managed to push through the nos on her own. But she thought back to the women shed served time with behind bars, the ones who asked her to write letters for them or read their mail to them. Advertisement I thought how can I make this a smoother transition for the next person? I might just have to do it myself. Inspired Innovation was her answer. The nonprofit she started just over a year ago helps other formerly incarcerated men and women steer through the overwhelming process of pursuing higher education, starting with their GEDs if necessary. Participants often reached through parole resource fairs, re-entry programs or sober living homes get help enrolling in school, finding student loans or scholarships, registering for classes, communicating with their professors and coping with the new territory in monthly support group meetings. Well even sit in your first class with you to try to fight some of that anxiety, Robinson said. Thats my favorite part. I love sitting in class with them. The nonprofit, which operates on donations, has served 63 students so far. It is run by Robinson and a board of directors four people who are also formerly incarcerated. For Robinson, the project has also played an important role in her own healing process. From age 22 to 25, she was trafficked for sex. A native of Baltimore, she was brought to California by her trafficker and was subsequently arrested and convicted of a felony related to her trafficking. With the help of Free to Thrive, a legal nonprofit, Robinson is working toward getting her criminal record vacated under a new state law meant to assist victims of human trafficking. Under the law, survivors must show they were trafficked, that they arent being trafficked anymore and that the crime was connected to their trafficking. Also, the crime cant be considered violent under the law. Two international powerhouse law firms are working with Free to Thrive to provide pro-bono help for Robinson: DLA Piper with her vacatur, and Duane Morris with legal and tax support for the nonprofit. Many of our clients have been charged with crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers, or that their traffickers committed, said San Diego attorney Jamie Quient, who started Free to Thrive last year. They rarely speak up at the time for many reasons. Among them, they would rather serve time than cross their traffickers. They also dont think they will be believed if they do speak up. As a result, society labels these victims as criminals. A vacatur goes beyond an expungement of a criminal record. Its a finding of factual innocence. Its as if it never happened, Quient explained. Its the court saying You are not a criminal, you should not have been treated as a criminal, therefore we are taking this off your record permanently. I get to clear the stuff out of their way so they can be successful, the attorney added. Robinson is already well on that path. Earlier this month, Robinson was recognized with Free to Thrives first Thriver Award. After her release from prison in 2015 with not much beyond $200 and a good luck Robinson found herself in California alone and thousands of miles away from home, yet forced to stay to abide by her parole conditions. She found an open bed at a San Diego transitional housing facility, National Crossroads, and worked on reintegrating into society and pursuing a college degree. She has one more semester left at City College before she transfers to UC San Diego to study behavioral science. For the first time in her life, she has a vehicle registered in her name. Shes living on her own, going to school, working part-time at Grocery Outlet and is the CEO of a nonprofit. I have a sense of pride with that, knowing you can come out of prison with absolutely nothing, maybe like a backpack with some white tees and sweatpants, and literally build yourself all the way up, she said. Quient said Robinson is not an exception. I think a lot of people think, Oh you poor human trafficking survivor, Quient said of her clients. I dont see that at all. I see them as strong, empowered individuals whove overcome tremendous adversity to get where they are and have the utmost potential, but have things holding them back from achieving that potential. Robinson takes that same approach with her fellow formerly incarcerated brothers and sisters, who have served time for a range of crimes. I think the biggest stumbling block we have is ourselves, Robinson said. We dont give ourselves enough credit. We have to build our self-esteem, and I think education is definitely a great way to build your confidence. Balancing the high expectations with reality can be especially daunting. We are so used to criminal behavior, criminal thinking. When you flip your mindset to being positive, being responsible, being accountable, theres a lot of anxiety that comes with that. Emotionally, mentally, we are traveling on new turf, she said. Also, theres fear of failure. You dont want to go back to jail or prison, you want to do something better. You want to make people proud, be productive members of society. One of Inspired Innovations four board members was recently accepted into University of California, Berkeley and is aiming for his Ph.D. Hes literally from neck down covered in tattoos. He scares everybody, Robinson laughed. But hes smart, hes extremely intelligent. Another wants to open a coffee shop and is studying business management. Inspired Innovation students are told not to hide their prison pasts but to be open with fellow classmates and teachers to bridge the empathy gap. So they have an understanding that not everyone coming home is a monster, Robinson said. We do change. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis November 19, 1947 The Tribune-Sun 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. Wednesday, November 19, 1947 In November 1947 a heavily guarded convoy carted the 200-inch mirror of the Hale telescope up the last stretch of the Highway to the Stars to the nearly 6,000-foot-high peak of Palomar Mountain northeast of Escondido. The mirror blank was cast at Corning Glass Works in New York State, then moved across country to the Caltech optical shop in Pasadena, where years of grinding and shaping took place. The final 125-mile journey from Pasadena to Palomar took 32 hours. For more than 40 years, the Hale was the worlds most powerful telescope, until the Keck Telescope, perched atop Hawaii's 13,800-foot Mauna Loa volcano, took the title in 1990. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: Gigantic Eye Reaches Goal At Palomar Perilous Journey Through Hail, Mist, Ends Successfully By Vincent Dunne PALOMAR OBSERVATORY, Nov. 19 (Special) The giant 200-inch mirror, safe and sound, arrived at the Palomar Observatory at 11:05 a.m. today. It was a remarkable trip. The last climbing miles to the 5567-foot high peak were made through drizzling rain, pelting hail and a dense white mist. There was snow along the side of the road. Then a beautiful sight, the sun broke through the clouds and shone on the surface of the big dome. This happened before the drivers of the huge trucks had switched off their ignition keys. The sunlight made the silver dome glisten as brightly as the big eye itself will shine when it scouts the heavens. Visibility Low Coming up the treacherous winding road from the base of the south grade of Palomar Mountain, the visibility at times was less than 50 feet. Many of the 72 sharp curves could not be seen until almost reached. The arrival beat by several hours the announced schedule. Immediately on reaching the dome, huge doors were swung open to receive the long awaited reflector. Caltech officials planned on placing the mirror into a vacuum tank as soon as possible. This was to assure the mirrors security in a higher temperature than the chill weather it encountered today. Gamble on Weather Guardians of the giant 200-inch eye of Palomar today gambled on the weather and won. Risking the wet, winding mountain road which lay ahead, the massive telescope mirror was ordered to roll on what California Institute of Technology scientists prayed would be the last lap of the big orbs historic trek to the Mt. Palomar Observatory. Pulled by one huge truck and pushed by another, the mirror reached Rincon Junction soon after 8 a.m. From Valley Center, the caravan moved slowly but surely toward Rincon in a drizzling rain. 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. Two men were killed after a fire tore through a home in San Bernardino early Monday. The fire was reported about 2:15 a.m. at a house in the 3600 block of North Arrowhead Avenue. By the time crews arrived, flames had already erupted through the roof and windows of the single-story Tudor-style home. Firefighters pulled two men from the burning home, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. One of the men was found dead near the front door. Firefighters searched through billowing smoke and found another man unconscious in a bedroom in the back of the house. They carried him outside just before the roof collapsed. The man sustained major injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Firefighters contained the blaze in just under an hour, but the house was completely destroyed, according to the fire department. Advertisement Authorities have not identified the men. Investigators are trying to determine what sparked the blaze, but said it did not appear to be suspicious. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @Hannahnfry UPDATES: 10 a.m.: This article was updated with news of the second mans death and additional details. This article was originally published at 6:40 a.m. A suspect was taken into custody Sunday night after a vehicle chase and an officer-involved shooting forced the closure of the southbound 101 Freeway at Normandie Avenue, police said. The suspect was located by a Los Angeles Police Department search dog and was taken into custody with non-life-threatening injuries, the LAPD said in a tweet Sunday night. After a closure lasting several hours, all lanes of the freeway were reopened, the California Highway Patrol said in a tweet shortly before 10 p.m. The incident began around 3:40 p.m. when officers from the Hollywood Division began pursuing a black Range Rover. The chase went from Western Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard to the southbound 101, police said. Advertisement The suspect exited the car with a handgun and an OIS occurred, the LAPD said in a tweet, adding that no officers were injured. Television news video showed some drivers using the onramp as an offramp to exit the 101. We understand this Officer-Involved Shooting in Hollywood caused some motorists to be delayed in traffic for a considerable amount of time, but your safety is always our top priority, the LAPD tweeted. We had a perimeter, which included the 101 fwy, as we searched for an armed & dangerous suspect. SB 101 freeway at a stand still near Melrose for police activity. Two LAPD choppers circling. @NBCLA pic.twitter.com/tMKLZ1BVOn Kenny Holmes (@KHOLMESlive) November 18, 2018 UPDATES: 10:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the freeway reopening. 8:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from the LAPD. This article was originally published at 4:50 p.m. A Chicago police officer and two other people were killed in an attack at a South Side hospital Monday afternoon that sent medical personnel and police scrambling through halls, stairwells and even the nursery in search of victims and the shooter before he was found dead. Officer Samuel Jimenez, on the force less than two years, was gunned down as he went to the aid of other officers who had been called to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center around 3:20 p.m. about an assault. Jimenez, 28, was married with three small children. Hes the second Chicago police officer killed in the line of duty this year, the most since 2010 when five officers were fatally shot. The first was Near North District Cmdr. Paul Bauer, killed Feb. 13 outside the Thompson Center. Those officers that responded today saved a lot of lives, said Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. They were heroes because we just dont know how much damage (the shooter) was prepared to do. Police had been called to the hospital after Juan Lopez, 32, confronted emergency room doctor Tamara ONeal, apparently over a broken engagement, sources said. By the time Jimenez and his partner arrived on the scene, Lopez had shot ONeal repeatedly, standing over her as he fired the last shots, according to police sources and witnesses. Advertisement When they pulled up, they heard the gunshots, and they did what heroic officers always do they ran toward that gunfire, Johnson said. So they werent assigned to that particular call, but they went because thats what we do. READ MORE: Gunman in Mercy Hospital attack had threatened to shoot up Chicago Fire Academy, officials say Lopez, who sources say had a concealed carry license, exchanged gunfire with Jimenez and other officers as he ran into the hospital. Jimenez was shot in the lobby as Lopez continued firing. A squad car was hit, and a bullet hit the holster and lodged in the gun barrel of another officer, according to Johnson. Dayna Less, 24, a first-year pharmacy resident, was hit as she walked out of an elevator. That woman got off an elevator and was shot, why? Johnson asked. Lopez was found inside the hospital, apparently suffering a wound to the head. Johnson said it was unclear how he was shot. At a press conference late Monday night, Emergency Department director Patrick Connor grew emotional as he described ONeal as dedicated to her church and patients. The 38-year-old physician graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago in 2016 and had worked as a resident at Mercy for two years. She raised money for disadvantaged children and led her church choir, Connor said, choking up with emotion and pausing frequently. That was her one thing she wanted ... to be able to go to church on Sunday, Connor said, adding that they assured her she could. Well make sure you go to church on Sunday. Less recently graduated from Purdue University and started working at the hospital in July. Dr. Tamara ONeal died in a shooting at Mercy Hospital on Nov. 19, 2018. (Franciscan Health) Michael Davenport, Mercys chief medical officer, said the hospital had conducted an active shooter drill last month. About 200 patients were being treated in the hospital on Monday, but authorities only evacuated the emergency room. The hospitals emergency plans include barricading doors and ensuring patient safety. In the confusion of the first moments, it was unclear how many people were shot, how many officers were among them and how many shooters there were. As dispatchers and responding officers tried to make sense of the scene, reports came in of an officer shot somewhere in the lobby, a woman and an assistant also wounded. Finally, there was word of the gunman apparently shot in the head. Even then, dispatchers continually checked on officers status and whether another gunman might still be on the loose. How many officers shot? a dispatcher asked repeatedly. Trying to find that out, an officer radioed. Officers rushed to lock down the first floor of the hospital for a search, then closed off the stairwells. Were checking for victims, a dispatcher said. We also need officers on the third floor to check the nursery. By 4 p.m., the officer was being taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died. Chicago police Officer Samuel Jimenez was killed at Mercy Hospital while responding to an active shooter on Nov. 19, 2018. (Chicago Police Department) Meanwhile, medical personnel continued to be brought out of the hospital by police, who radioed ahead to warn officers outside. At 4:40 p.m., the hospital tweeted that patients are safe. Steven Mixon, an emergency room clerk, said he had received a call hours earlier, around 1 p.m., from a man he believed to be the ex-fiance of the woman shot outside the hospital. He called and asked to speak with his fiancee, said Mixon. And she said, Oh, just tell him Im in with a patient. Mixon said he got off work around 3 p.m. and waited for an Uber in front of the hospital. I look up and I see her being harassed by some gentleman, he said. She was trying to avoid him and move around. And when she saw me, she waved for me to come that way. Mixon said he started to run toward his colleague to help when Lopez fired. I guess it wasnt my time to go because if I had made it to her, I would have been dead too, Mixon said. He watched as the gunman then shot at a police car and shot again at the woman, who had fallen to the ground. Mixon said he ran back into the emergency room, where it was total chaos. Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Mayor Rahm Emanuel address the media on Nov. 19, 2018, following the death of four people, including the shooter, after an attack at Mercy Hospital. (Chris Walker and Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tri READ MORE: Slain officer, married and father of three young children, had been on force for less than 2 years Everyone was running every which way, he said. We ran into surgery because they had locked doors. Thats when we heard more shots inside the hospital. Mixon said he remembers the woman looking beautiful this year at the hospitals annual gala. She was a sweetheart, just a sweetheart. What a fireball. Before all this, she was looking forward to getting married, he said. Talking about dresses, all of that. But then something happened and it was called off. James Gray was coming out of the clinic area when he said he saw a man in a black coat, black hat and dark pants shoot a woman three times in the chest. The man and the woman had been walking and talking to each other before the shooting, he said. The gunman stood over the woman and shot her three more times after she fell to the ground, said Gray. Then a squad car turned its lights on and came down the drive and the gunman shot at the squad car. It was chaos, said Gray. It was just mass chaos. Gray said the gun looked like a 9 mm handgun; a police source said authorities had identified it as a 9 mm. When the gunman came into the hospital, it appeared that he was shooting people at random, said Gray, who saw one other person shot. And then I ran into the X-ray department and locked the door behind us, he said. I thought it was unbelievable. Its like a movie scene. Nothing like that ever happened to me before. Hector Avitia was watching television in a waiting room at the hospital with his wife when the first woman was shot. Avitia watched through windows as a person in blue scrubs was shot outside and fell to the ground, he said. When the shooter made his way inside the hospital, Avitia and those with him hid by a desk. Oh my God, said Avitia, when asked how many gunshots he heard. Reloaded twice. So 32 bullets each. Ive heard shootings, he said. Ive known people that have died in the neighborhood like that. But something like that? No. Avitia said he was more alert than scared for his life. Its just a messed up situation and I was trying to help out as much as I could, he said. Get people to get out of the way of the windows. Because he could have easily just aimed at us, too. Because he was just shooting like a maniac. And he obviously knows how to shoot because he was holding the gun with both hands. READ MORE: Chaos at Mercy Hospital: This tears at the soul of our city. It is the face and the consequence of evil. Erix Horton, who works in environmental services at the hospital, spoke to a Tribune reporter while outside smoking a cigarette after being inside the hospital when the shooting occurred. I was checking out, getting ready to leave, said Horton. One of the nurses ran back here and it was like she was about to collapse and said (a staff member had) been shot. And shes like, Call the police. We have an active shooter. And thats when everybody took cover. They got on the PA, letting everybody know. Horton said he took cover with others in the break room across from the ER, which has a combination lock, until police entered and escorted everyone out. A Fire Department crew that had just brought in a patient took cover in the room also, Horton said. While in the break room, they could hear someone firing gunshots in the hallway, eight or nine of them, Horton said. We had to duck. A lot was going through my mind. Make it home to see my wife and my kids. Everybody was just worried about the rest of our coworkers making it out safe. Moments after Charlie Wells walked into the emergency room to treat an injury, he heard gunfire and dove behind the registration desk. He sat huddled there with about 15 other people. He heard screams, and more gunfire. Wells, 37, said people dropped to the ground. It was chaos, he said. All panic. Tanisha Smith held her 10-year-old daughters hand and walked quickly away from Mercy Hospital. They were visiting Smiths grandfather at the hospital when someone yelled at them to run. Smith grabbed her daughter and sprinted toward a waiting room, looking frantically for a door. They couldnt find one, so they hid under a desk. I heard gunshots, the girl said while she clutched her mothers hand while an officer hurried them away from the scene. The Chicago Tribunes Patrick M. OConnell, William Lee, Elvia Malagon, Elyssa Cherney, Dan Hinkel, Annie Sweeney, Deanese Williams-Harris, David Heinzmann and Liam Ford contributed. In a week honoring the sacrifice of Americas warriors, President Trump appeared to claim that he visited Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day last year and asserted that veterans, thanks to him, no longer face long waits for medical care. Neither is true. Capping the weekend, the president also misspelled the name of a Democratic lawmaker in an unfortunate way and didnt bother to correct himself. A look at Trumps recent statements and tweets, compared with the facts: Advertisement MIDTERM ELECTION Trump: We picked up two seats in the Senate. We went from 51-49 to 53-47. The facts: Not so. Hes presuming Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will defeat Democrat Mike Espy in a runoff election Nov. 27. If Espy wins, Republicans will have picked up only one seat and have a 52-48 edge. Itll be 53-47 if she wins. RUSSIA INVESTIGATION Trump: So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate! tweet Sunday. The facts: The correct name of the Democratic lawmaker is Adam Schiff. Muellers appointment to lead the investigation into 2016 election interference and possible ties between Moscow and Trumps campaign was not put to the Senate because special counsels are appointed by the Justice Department. His appointment is not in legal dispute. Critics contend Trump illegally sidestepped procedure by appointing Whitaker over Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, whos been confirmed by the Senate. VETERANS Trump, on his decision not to visit Arlington National Cemetery last week to commemorate Veterans Day: In retrospect, I should have, and I did last year and I will virtually every year. But we had come in very late at night and I had just left, literally, the American Cemetery in Paris, and I really probably assumed that was fine and I was extremely busy because of affairs of state doing other things. interview with Fox News Sunday. The facts: While Trump has visited Arlington National Cemetery twice during his presidency on Memorial Day, he did not do so last year on Veterans Day. He was in Asia at the time. Trump: In June, I proudly signed into law the most significant VA reform in half a century, called Veterans Choice. ... Now if a veteran cannot get the treatment they need from the VA in a timely manner, they can see a private doctor. They dont have to wait 12 days or 20 days. ... There is no more waiting on lines. The facts: He continues to spread a misleading claim about veterans now receiving immediate medical care because of his improvements. In fact, the care provided under the Veterans Choice program is not as instantaneous as Trump suggests nor will it necessarily be the biggest overhaul at the Department of Veterans Affairs in decades. Trump signed legislation in June to expand the private-sector Choice program, which was first approved in 2014 during the Obama administration after a scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center in which some veterans died while waiting months for appointments. The current Choice program allows veterans to see doctors outside the VA system if they must wait more than 30 days for an appointment not 12 days or 20 days. But many are waiting much longer than the program prescribes. How much Choice will be expanded under his law will depend on yet-to-be-completed regulations that will determine eligibility for veterans as well as available money for the program. The VA has yet to resolve long-term financing due to congressional budget caps that could put money for VA or other domestic programs at risk of shortfalls next year. The programs success will also depend on an overhaul of the VAs electronic medical records to allow seamless sharing of medical records with private physicians, expected to take up to 10 years. Meanwhile, the current Choice program isnt always timely. A report released this year by the Government Accountability Office found that despite the Choice programs guarantee of providing an appointment within 30 days, veterans waited an average of 51 days to 64 days. Trump: Veteran unemployment has reached its lowest level in nearly 21 years, and its going to be better. The facts: The veterans unemployment rate fell to 2.9% in October, the latest data available, but that is still higher than the 2.7% rate reached in October 2017, also under Trump. That was the lowest joblessness rate for veterans in nearly 17 years. Veterans unemployment has fallen mostly for the same reasons that joblessness has dropped generally: strong hiring and steady economic growth for the past eight years. In May 2000, veterans unemployment dropped to a low of 2.3%, and he hasnt reached that. In any event, its impossible for Trump to claim an achievement not seen in 21 years on veterans unemployment. The data on joblessness for vets go back only 18 years, to 2000. NATO Trump: Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not! Trump: President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia. Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly! The facts: Macron, the president of France, never suggested assembling a European army to stand against the United States, its steadfast military ally. Instead, he joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in proposing a continental army that would give Europe more responsibility for its own security, supplementing NATO. Trump has repeatedly pushed NATO members to spend more on their own military capabilities to relieve pressure on the U.S. to protect Europe. A European army would be aimed at doing that, though in theory outside the NATO umbrella. Macron said in a radio interview before Trumps arrival in France that Europe should be able to defend itself more than it now can, without only relying on the United States. TRADE Trump: On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change! The facts: Yes, U.S. wine is desired in France. Trump, whos been in the wine business, is wrong about France applying tariffs. The European Union does. Hes right about a disparity in wine duties. Tariffs vary by alcohol content and other factors. A bottle of white American wine with 13% alcohol content imported into the EU carries a customs duty of 10 euro cents (just over 11 U.S. cents). A bottle of white wine from the EU exported to the United States has a customs duty of 5 U.S. cents. The gap in duties is narrower for red wine with an alcohol content of 14.5% Bulk wines are another story. The U.S. tariff is double the EU one, a break for American producers because bulk wine represents 25% of the volume of U.S. wine coming into the EU, according to the French wine exporter federation. The value of wine imported by France has jumped 200% over a decade. Meantime Americans are the top consumers of French wine exports. VOTER ID Trump: The disgrace is that, voter ID. If you buy, you know, a box of cereal, if you do anything, you have a voter ID ...The only thing you dont is if youre a voter of the United States. The facts: He is meaning to say that shoppers use a photo ID to make certain purchases, so it should not be a burden to show a photo ID for voting. But as shoppers know, no photo is required to purchase a box of cereal or other items at a grocery store when using cash or to make routine purchases with credit or debit cards. Identifications are required to purchase limited items such as alcohol, cigarettes or cold medicine and in rapidly declining situations in which a customer opts to pay with a personal check. According to the National Grocers Assn.'s most recent data, the use of checks as a percentage of total transactions dropped from 33% in 2000 to 6% in 2015, due in part to the popularity of debit cards, which use PIN codes. Visitors in a famed Chicago skyscraper dropped 84 floors, but survived when an elevator malfunctioned in the worlds 16th tallest building. A mechanical problem caused a half-dozen passengers nearly 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile to drop from the 95th level cocktail lounge at 875 N. Michigan Ave. to the buildings 11th floor Friday. Rescuers spent almost three hours rescuing terrified passengers, according to CBS Chicago. Firefighters hammered through a concrete wall to get to stranded visitors. At the beginning I believed we were going to die, Mexican tourist Jaime Montemayor told CBS. We were going down and then I felt that we were falling down and then I heard a noiseclack clack clack clack clack clack. Advertisement A broken hoist rope is reportedly to blame for the unexpected plummet. A series of back-up ropes brought the elevator to a stop, preventing serious injuries or worse. No one was hospitalized. Passengers needing to get to the top of the skyscraper used freight elevators until maintenance workers had a chance to look over the lifts after Fridays mishap. Properly functioning elevators reportedly travel from the buildings lobby to the 95th floor in 38 seconds. The skyscraper, known by its 875 N. Michigan Ave. address, was built as the John Hancock Center in 1969. At 1,499 feet, 875 N. Michigan Ave. is 44-feet taller than the Empire State Building, which made its debut on the city skyline in 1931. The worlds tallest building is the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. It measures 2,717 feet. Police on Monday were searching for a gunman suspected of robbing a clerk at a gas station in the El Cerrito area. It happened at about 12:50 a.m. at the Arco gas station at the intersection of 54th Street and University Avenue, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said. The thief walked into the gas station, pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money from the register, Buttle said. The clerk complied, then the man ran off from the store with an undisclosed amount of cash and several lottery tickets, Buttle said. Advertisement The suspect was described as a man in his 30s, 5 feet 8, with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black beanie with a gray stripe, gray pants and a dark hoodie. A fire tore through a Lemon Grove home Sunday afternoon, displacing the 12 people who lived there, a fire official said. The fire ignited at a two-story house on Buena Vista Avenue near Central Avenue about 2:30 p.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue spokesman Sonny Saghera said. When firefighters arrived, smoke was coming from the second story. It took about 10 minutes to put out most of the flames, Saghera said. One person was evaluated for smoke inhalation and was later released. The fire seriously damaged the home, prompting a call to a building inspector, who will determine if the house is habitable, Saghera said. Red Cross was called to assist the displaced residents. Advertisement The cause of the fire is under investigation. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com Four teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of beating and gravely injuring a 56-year-old man on the pedestrian bridge near Petco Park, and detectives are working on identifying other possible suspects, police said Monday. Dominick Wells, 19, and three girls ages 14, 15 and 17 were detained shortly after officers found Edward Leon Starland unconscious on the ground near the ballpark, San Diego police Lt. Matt Dobbs said. Witnesses told officers Starland was arguing with a group of teens when he was knocked to the ground around 2:10 p.m. Sunday, police said. Several of the juveniles then continued attacking him until bystanders yelled at them. The teens fled. Officers soon detained four suspects, but its unclear if any of the assailants escaped. Advertisement Starland was rushed to a hospital, but he is not expected to survive, Dobbs said. He remained on life support Monday. Wells was booked into county jail Sunday on suspicion of felony battery, Dobbs said. The three girls were booked into Juvenile Hall on the same charge. Its unclear if the victim knew the teens or what led to the altercation, the lieutenant said. (Were) still working on details as far as how many were involved and what prompted the incident, he said in an email. Anyone with more information about the incident was asked to call police at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 10:00 a.m.: This article was updated with details about four arrests made in the case. This article was originally published at 7:25 p.m. A Chicago police officer and multiple other people, including an apparent shooter, were wounded in an active shooter attack at Mercy Hospital on the Near South Side that brought out a large police presence Monday afternoon, authorities said. The officer was critically injured in the shooting attack at and near the hospital, 2525 S. Michigan Ave., about 3:20 p.m., a police spokesman said. He is in critical condition but receiving excellent care, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, Please send your prayers. There were Reports of multiple victims in the attack, Guglielmi said in a tweet. Fewer than six people were believed shot, according to an official. Advertisement Officers are doing a methodical search At least one possible offender is shot, Guglielmi said. Fire officials called an emergency medical services Plan III, sending at least 15 ambulances to the scene, because of an active shooter situation, a Fire Department spokesman said. A hospital employee said she was in her office when a notice came over a public address system telling those in the hospital to lock their doors. They were later evacuated and people were put on CTA buses as authorities dealt with the situation. I dont know what happened, she said as she was ushered onto a bus. They told us to run so we did, one hospital employee said. Authorities were warning people to stay out of the area. Fire crews were at the scene. Check back for updates. An El Cajon shelter for unaccompanied migrant children reported seven runaway children to police in 2017, but reported only three of those to the California Department of Social Services, which oversees such facilities. The facility, known as Casa San Diego, is run by a Texas-based nonprofit organization, Southwest Key, which contracts with the federal government to provide care to children who either show up at the U.S.-Mexico border without any parents or who are separated from their legal guardians by U.S. immigration officials. The shelter houses about 65 children ages 6 to 17 at Broadway and Oro Street in El Cajon. Southwest Key operates 27 such shelters for unaccompanied migrant children across California, Arizona and Texas. Advertisement Records obtained by U-T Watchdog under the California Public Records Act show the shelter called El Cajon police 19 times in 2017, often involving a faulty burglar alarm on the facilitys southwest entrance. On seven occasions, the calls to police were to report runaway juveniles. According to state records, three of those cases were reported to the Social Services department, which is the state agency responsible for providing oversight over all juveniles living outside their parents care. All licensed group homes are required to report such incidents to the department within 24 hours and follow-up with a written report in 10 days, said state Social Services spokesman Michael Weston. Weston said state officials met with the nonprofit in September to discuss concerns about reporting requirements with Southwest Keys executive director. This includes the need to notify the department when there is any contact between the facility and law enforcement. Jeff Eller, a spokesman for Southwest Key, said he could not discuss specific cases. In general, he said, most states prevent group home facilities from locking minors inside or restraining them to keep them from leaving. In one of the cases unreported to the state, the minor returned to the shelter the same day he ran away, police records show. In another case, one that Southwest Key did report to Social Services, the minor turned out to be a 24-year-old man. El Cajon police officers found the individual the same day he ran away at a nearby restaurant, and determined he was actually an adult man pretending to be a child in the facility, police records show. Juvenile detained at taco shop, the El Cajon Police Department report says. States he is actually 24 years old and went to get food. The police report says the agency called Border Patrol to take custody of the man. It remains unclear whether all of the missing children were found. One child returned the same day he ran away, the records show. We have not received any follow up reports on those cases, Weston said, when asked if the runaway children were ever located, or if they remain missing. Contributor Wendy Fry can be reached at wendym.fry04@gmail.com. U.S. military keeps the world powers in line Re Lets spend tax dollars for the greater good (Nov. 9): I share the letter writers abhorrence of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, his comments about spending less on defense are ridiculous. Several nations with advanced nuclear capabilities are dictatorships. History is replete with dictators having no hesitation about committing mass murder, killing tens of millions, to achieve their ambitions. Only one thing today restrains these monsters, the U.S. military. We need to be able to powerfully dissuade anybody from even thinking about using nukes. Nuclear weapons are so destructive that an aggressor doesnt need the largest inventory. It just needs to catch the U.S. impaired by a failure to update and modernize, or with computer systems so badly hacked that response is impossible. Russia, Iran, North Korea and others are hacking us every day. Advertisement Thats why we need to continuously upgrade our systems. The letter writers naive suggestion of no additional investment in military systems would unfortunately increase the probability of the unthinkable becoming reality. Leo Korman San Diego Trumps claim about military budget false Donald Trump stated that the Democrats decimated the military, but he fixed it. Fact check. After the tea party Republicans gained control of Congress, they were pushing to control the deficit and enacted the Budget Control Act. Remember when the Republicans cared about the deficit? As the Democrats didnt want to cut Social Security or Medicare, and the Republicans didnt want to raise revenues, discretionary spending was cut. Defense spending dipped by 2015 but then started to climb back up. So his statement that the military was decimated under Barack Obama is just more bull. It was his own party that caused the reductions in the defense budget. Anthony Kopec San Marcos French president shows Trump lack of gratitude As a former history professor, I can tell you that French President Emmanuel Macron expressed historical ignorance when he chastised our president Nov. 11 for equating patriotism with nationalism. It was not loyalty to ones country but hyper-nationalism fueled by survival-of-the-fittest ideas that helped stoke the European furnace into World War I. And talk about ingratitude and bad timing. Macron dissed Trump and our country while hosting a gathering of world leaders in France to honor the end of that war, which, if not for the last-minute tipping of the scales by the U.S. at the cost of more than 110,000 American lives, would have seen German troops march down Paris Champs-Elysees in 1918 instead of 1940. Moreover, it was loyalty to our countries and to our allies that motivated the U.S. and British landing at Normandy in 1944 and began the liberation of France in World War II. Howard Killion Oceanside War costs reverberate across our nation When we measure the effects of war, all costs must be considered. The loss of life is primary but the suffering of women and children is next. Then the loss of their infrastructure and the creation of refugees. Breaking the backs of the European countries is reaching a crisis level. The trillions spent from our treasury means a lack of funds for our own infrastructure, instead going to the Pentagon and contractors. Then our veterans suffering from mental issues come home where murders and suicides ensue. We have more to fear from the policy of war, that creates terror, than we do from the fear of outside terrorists. Daniel Venzon San Diego Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. SANTA MONICA Electric scooters are a little like Q-Tips. In both cases, the products are marketed with explicit warnings about how not to use them, even though everyone knows thats precisely the way pretty much every customer will use them. For scooter riders here in Santa Monica, it means: Dont you dare ride on the sidewalk, which is against the law, even though it sometimes feels super unsafe to ride next to cars. Or: wink-wink, always wear a helmet. Also, the beach bike path is verboten, even though it is the smoothest, most fun, most scenic ride possible. And definitely dont just dump your scooter in the middle of a busy path or sidewalk. Advertisement Aw shucks, well, we did warn you. Guess its your fault if you land in the ER. I get it. Electric scooters are hard to regulate. Theyre different from other popular modes of transit skateboards, bicycles, motorcycles, cars so theres no template for rules or best practices. And how do we retrofit both our laws and our car-centric infrastructure to accommodate such a promising new(ish) technology? Compounding all this, public officials are also somewhat scarred by their experience in the ride-share wars. Not so long ago, companies such as Uber and Lyft appeared and proceeded to ignore existing livery laws some of which were sensible, some of which were stupid to gain market share. In the process of turning themselves into billion-dollar-plus unicorns, the companies mounted aggressive public-relations campaigns. Persnickety politicians who tried to enforce the law were labeled puppets of Big Taxi, or worse Luddites. Faced with this new alien e-species, regulators may fear earning another scarlet L. About a year ago, Santa Monica became the first city to fully grapple with the task of regulating scooters. It shows how difficult it is to get the regs right. Developments here followed an arc that will sound familiar to the scores of other cities that have since been inundated. First came giddy media coverage about these whiz-bang devices. Theyre cheap and fast! Theyre super fun! Second came the furious stories about tangled nests of discarded scooters and, more seriously, injuries to both riders or pedestrians. One gentleman, William Kairala, recalls waking up in the emergency room with a fractured skull and possibly permanent brain damage. Theyre very handy. The problem is: You find a scooter, but you dont find a helmet, he said during an interview for a PBS NewsHour segment I did on Santa Monicas experience. And unfortunately I fell off of one. I wasnt even going fast. Third, the backlash: scooters thrown into the ocean or off buildings, set on fire, or desecrated by dogs. Brakes and batteries cut. Furious town halls. Lawsuits. Santa Monica initially fought with the scooter companies, even filing a criminal complaint against one, Bird. Ultimately the city launched a pilot program in September with tighter regulations governing when and where the devices could be used, which companies could operate, and so on. But after another PR campaign, Santa Monica appeared to cave on its original criteria for which firms could participate, and when I interviewed city officials more recently, they took on a more conciliatory tone. So, strikingly, did the vendors themselves, perhaps wary of being banned altogether. Ride-sharing companies had an established, motivated customer base people frustrated with their local taxi monopoly willing to fight the regulators on their behalf. Scooter companies dont really have an equivalent. Which perhaps explains why even Lyft emphasizes just how deferential its being in rolling out its scooter business. Our goal here is to do whats right, and whats right in this context is to work closely with the cities, get permits and launch once we have permission, David Fairbank, Lyfts bikes and scooters market manager, told me. Why does its scooter-sharing strategy seem so different from its car-sharing one? I asked. I dont have a ton of context on that but, yeah, were working closely with the governments this time, he said. Meanwhile, the bad habits that riders developed during the Wild West days remain. Helmet use is still virtually nonexistent. (In January, California will actually stop requiring them.) Scooters are still on sidewalks, beach paths and other places officially forbidden for safety reasons. It is great that regulators and firms have turned the temperature down a little this time and are trying to develop a workable, safety-minded set of regulations. But only if those regulations actually get enforced. Rampell can be reached at crampell@washpost.com or on Twitter, @crampell. Trainer Peter Millers 7-year-old gelding, Solid Wager, had raced 46 times before Sundays $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar. In all those trips, jockey Drayden Van Dyke had never been in the saddle with him, but was tabbed for the latest effort because circumstances aligned just right. Van Dyke had questions for Miller about how to handle Solid Wager, and the trainer had to chuckle before offering an easy answer. This horse knows where to be, he said. Let him place himself. If the pace is fast, hell be 10 back. If theyre going slow, hell be six back. Advertisement Sure enough, in the 7-furlong race on dirt, Solid Wager was six behind with a half-mile to go, and then the cagey veteran picked up the pace and ran down the stretch on what looked like the freshest of legs. He ended up blowing out his rival, John Sadlers Edwards Going Left, by 61/4 lengths. Wow. He never wins like that, Miller said. Hes always a Stormy Liberal nail-biter and gets up in the last jump. There was no doubt (Sunday). He was on it. This is his favorite track at his favorite distance. We got a good pace set up. Drayden kept him in the clear. Once he gets rolling out there you dont want to get him stopped. A great ride by Drayden. For a 7-year-old he looked pretty sprightly out there. In winning his third Cary Grant in four years, Solid Wager ($11.40) avenged a runner-up loss in the race last year to Edwards Going Left. The victory was the 10th in a career of the horse owned by Gary Barber and partners. Hes been trained by Miller since he was 2. Hes a barn favorite and a sweetheart of a horse, Miller said. He wants to please everybody. Its really cool to have a horse in training for nearly six years and have him still running at a high level. Miller said he considered Solid Wager for the $40,000 claiming sixth race on Sunday, but between the favored distance, larger purse and being among California breds, the Grant looked better. That also allowed him to get Van Dyke. When Drayden is open, you take him, Miller said of the rider who finished atop the jockey standings in the Del Mar summer meet. With two wins on Sunday to reach eight for the fall meet, Van Dyke took over the top spot in the standings at the halfway mark of the meet, with eight racing days in the books. Miller, whos trying to win his third straight fall training title here, took over the No. 1 position with five victories. Notable Jockey Joe Talamo got another win on a Bob Baffert horse, riding Nero ($4) to victory in the sixth. The Baffert-Talamo combo was coming off two victories on Saturday, including the Grade III Bob Hope Stakes. Nero, a 3-year-old colt, had only three previous career starts and hadnt run since February, when he finished second in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. He made his career debut at Del Mar in August 2017, finishing second, and won the next time out in January 2018 at Santa Anita. Talamo has moved into a tie for third with Flavien Prat in the jockey standings with six wins. Geovanni Franco is second with seven. Prat won the first race aboard trainer Phil DAmatos Concur ($3.60). The victory was only the second of the meet for DAmato, who has had 13 starters. There were 22 winning Pick Six tickets, each worth $4,433. The tracks Pick Six Jackpot pool rose to $83,347. The next racing day is Thursday, on Thanksgiving. The eight-race card begins at 11 a.m. and should be completed around 2:30 p.m. tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com 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. From studying rock formations from satellite images, planetary researchers know that hundreds of craters across the Martian surface were once filled with water. More than 200 of these paleolakes have outlet canyons tens to hundreds of miles long and several miles wide carved by water flowing from the lakes. A research team from the University of Texas at Austin and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center has found evidence that sometimes the paleolakes would take on so much water that they overflowed and burst from the sides of their basins, creating catastrophic floods that carved canyons very rapidly, perhaps in a matter of weeks. These breached lakes are fairly common and some of them are quite large, some as large as the Caspian Sea, said lead author Dr. Tim Goudge, a postdoctoral researcher in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. So we think this style of catastrophic overflow flooding and rapid incision of outlet canyons was probably quite important on early Mars surface. Using high-resolution images taken by NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Dr. Goudge and co-authors examined the topography of the outlets and the crater rims and found a correlation between the size of the outlet and the volume of water expected to be released during a large flooding event. If the outlet had instead been gradually whittled away over time, the relationship between water volume and outlet size likely wouldnt hold, Dr. Goudge said. In total, the researchers examined 24 paleolakes and their outlet canyons across Mars. While massive floods flowing from Martian craters might sound like a scene in a science fiction novel, a similar process occurs on Earth when lakes dammed by glaciers break through their icy barriers. The team found that the similarity is more than superficial. As long as gravity is accounted for, floods create outlets with similar shapes whether on Earth or Mars. This tells us that things that are different between the planets are not as important as the basic physics of the overflow process and the size of the basin, Dr. Goudge explained. You can learn more about this process by comparing different planets as opposed to just thinking about whats occurring on Earth or whats occurring on Mars. Although massive floods on Mars and Earth are governed by the same mechanics, they fit into different geological paradigms. On Earth, the slow-and-steady motion of tectonic plates dramatically changes the planets surface over millions of years. In contrast, the lack of plate tectonics on Mars means that cataclysmic events like floods and asteroid impacts quickly create changes that can amount to near permanent changes in the landscape. The landscape on Earth doesnt preserve large lakes for a very long time. But on Mars these canyons have been there for 3.7 billion years, a very long time, and it gives us insight into what the deep time surface water was like on Mars, said co-author Dr. Caleb Fassett, a researcher at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The study was published in the journal Geology. _____ Timothy A. Goudge et al. Incision of paleolake outlet canyons on Mars from overflow flooding. Geology, published online November 16, 2018; doi: 10.1130/G45397.1 Under the agreement, SCMA and CMAC will work together to promote Singapore and China as two important seats of maritime arbitration through joint conferences and programmes. The collaboration will also see SCMA and CMAC work together to promote SCMA and CMAC arbitration as an effective means of resolving maritime disputes. Both institutions will recommend qualified candidates to be considered for empanelment in each other institutions panel of arbitrators. Dr Chen Bo, deputy secretary-general of CMAC, said: We look forward to working together with SCMA to achieve the deliverables contained in this MOU and explore new areas of co-operation in our effort to provide efficient and high-quality arbitral services to Belt and Road Initiative countries in the context of a rising Asia. Goh Joon Seng, chairman of SCMA, commented: Our first memorandum of understanding with CMAC was signed in 2009 when our respective institutions were under the management of SIAC and CIETC respectively. This MOU reaffirms the bond of friendship between our institutions, and we look forward to working together with CMAC to promote maritime arbitration in Singapore, China, and along the Belt and Road economies. Many among the over 450 delegates representing 251 companies and organisations at the Greener Shipping Summit in Athens, last week, were by and large in agreement that shipping's logistic chain has to be looked at in general and that there is great need for the shipping industry to improve its lobbying. Delegate Yanna Pavlopoulou, managing partner of Common Lawgic a sustainability research institute, said "The industry needs better lobbying in the EU and the UN, not only at IMO". She said shipping generally should have the right to call on class societies as well as organisations like the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) in this lobbying effort beyond IMO. Read more: Union of Greek Shipowners critical of IMO allowing scrubbers for 2020 sulphur cap compliance The issue was raised during a panel discussion on NOx, SOx CO2 and PM which featured speakers from five classification societies. Shipowner panelist, Stavros Hatzigrigoris, md of Maran Gas Maritime, and chairman of Greece's Marine Technical Managers Association (Martecma), commented that "class should go beyond saying what shipping should do and should work hand-in-hand with us to save the planet". "Classification societies should fight with us," he declared. John Kokarakis, technology and business development director HBSA zone, Bureau Veritas, and chairman of Sname Greek Branch, pointed out classification societies "do not regulate, but do try to make the regulations work". The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) is a global business network working towards the vision of a maritime industry free of corruption. Established in 2011, MACN has grown to include over 100 members globally, and has become one of the pre-eminent examples of collective action to tackle corruption. MACN and its members work towards the elimination of all forms of maritime corruption by raising awareness of the challenges faced; implementing the MACN Anti-Corruption Principles and co-developing and sharing best practices; collaborating with governments, non-governmental organisations, and civil society to identify and mitigate the root causes of corruption; and creating a culture of integrity within the maritime community. We are greatly honoured to be the first ship registry admitted as an associate member of the MACN. The organisation has done great work fighting corrupt practices in some of the most difficult regions in the industry. MACNs model of government and local partner collaboration, and industry-led collective action, is considered global best-practice. Its not often the shipping sector gets that sort of recognition, said Alfonso Castillero, CCO of the Liberian Registry. "Effective flag states, such as Liberia, offer a unique perspective and opportunity in the fight for a maritime industry free of corruption. Liberias fleet of over 4,325 vessels aggregating 157m gt, representing 11% of the worlds oceangoing fleet, trades in some of the worlds most difficult regions. Our global network of full-service offices and local inspectors means that the flag is never far away. Together with MACN, we can help provide the crews of these ships with processes and procedures as well as with firm backing and support to defeat bribery attempts. This backing serves to allay fears and prevent negative recourse by unscrupulous officials seeking enrichment at the expense of shipowner, added Castillero. Read more: Liberia Registry sets up offshore and gas technology department As we have already shown, strength in numbers is a central part of how MACN can drive change. It is vital we look for ways to include maritime-related businesses who want to take part in this fight. Flag states are a central part of the shipping world and we look forward to the contributions Liberia will make to MACNs future efforts, commented MACNs Programme Director, Cecilia Muller Torbrand. MACN has shown that the shipping sector can work together for outcomes that few would have thought possible. We look forward to being an active participant and sharing with the group findings and lessons learned to improve everyones ability to fight corruption. We would encourage other flag states to consider joining the network, because the more we work together the better the results will be for crew, owners, and the wider shipping community, said Benson Peretti, the Liberian flags MACN representative. Press Release November 19, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 420: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the gross inequality in our justice system 11/19/18 Imelda Marcos's conviction and bail grant in a matter of a few days just shows one of the grossest inequality in our justice system. Found guilty of stealing millions of dollars of public funds, Mrs. Marcos is asked to pay a measly P150,000.00 for bail in order to continue enjoying her freedom until the conviction becomes final. The amount of her bail is nothing compared to the amount of the people's taxes she and her husband were found to have stolen and diverted to their secret Swiss bank accounts. On the other hand, to the majority of Filipinos kept in poverty by the Marcos's looting of government coffers, once they are accused of a crime, bail remains a privilege that, more often than not, cannot be availed of. Thousands of accused remain in jail waiting for the trial of their cases, not because they are guilty, but because they cannot afford to post bail or are accused of non-bailable offenses. There are also hundreds, if not thousands of old, very sick, and some dying, people rotting in jail, deprived of any privilege of provisional liberty based on "humanitarian considerations", unlike a powerful former senator. Same excuse of multiple illness is invoked by Imelda Marcos for her provisional liberty, something the poor and powerless similarly-situated convicted persons could never achieve. This unconscionable and abhorrent state of affairs in our justice system is unacceptable. A senator has compared this double-standard to my own case, albeit in a recklessly disingenuous way. He says that I am privileged to be imprisoned in a bungalow, and therefore as entitled as Imelda Marcos in our justice system. For the record, I am not confined in a "bungalow". This colleague of mine is welcome to visit me to see for himself my condition here. Should a visit be too much to ask, he can just ask those who have been here, particularly a few fellow senators, who have already seen my detention quarters. This senator cannot see the difference between the conviction of a powerful and influential Marcos for corruption, and my unjust imprisonment and persecution for political reasons and personal vendetta. Contrary to his malicious imputation, unlike Imelda Marcos and other plunderers, I don't belong here or in any jail facility for that matter. No kind of jail can ever be appropriate for an innocent person. Nevertheless, as I have said before, I'd rather be in jail than be free in the company of cravens, enablers and collaborators. Hindi po ako tumakas at nagtago. At hinding hindi ako tatakas. I have a clear conscience because I am innocent of the charges Duterte has ordered fabricated against me. Hindi ako sangkot sa droga, at lalong hinding hindi ako nagnakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Hindi rin ako mamamatay tao. Press Release November 19, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 421: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on Duterte's Squandering of our Legal Victory, regarding the West Philippine Sea 11/19/18 One can blame it on too much napping, but Duterte's declaration with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upholding freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (SCS), barely a week after saying China is already in possession of the disputed waters, reflects the incoherence in government policy on the SCS and West Philippine Sea issue. One day Duterte is asking China what routes it would allow Philippine vessels to take in the disputed waters, the next day he is asserting freedom of navigation with Japan, China's bitter rival over another disputed area, the East China Sea. One day the Philippine President is acting as China's mouthpiece, defending China's possession of the SCS, the next day he makes a completely contradictory statement in support of freedom of navigation. The mixed messaging does not build regional confidence in our capacity to clearly articulate our interests. It seems that our foreign policy on the entire SCS, particularly that portion we call the West Philippine Sea (WPS), depends upon which side of the bed the President gets up after every nap. Most of the time he wakes up favoring China. Once in a while, he wakes up demanding that China should respect freedom of navigation. But the reality is that the Philippines under Duterte may have squandered the most solid legal ground it has against China in the SCS conflict--the decision of the UNCLOS International Arbitral Tribunal rejecting China's nine-dash line claim and upholding the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone in the WPS. Duterte has wasted international legal recognition of the Philippines' claims over China's outrageous incursions, in exchange for China's support to his regime. This is Duterte's most inexcusable act on the WPS dispute, more inexcusable than sleeping on the job. It is already a serious concern that the President napped through several important ASEAN Summit meetings. But it seems that what he does when he is awake should worry us more. And this includes giving away to China the Philippines' rights over the WPS, despite the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal. Press Release November 19, 2018 Drilon to Duterte: Ask Xi Jinping to speed up delivery of investment pledges Aside from the issue on the West Philippine Sea, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said he hopes the President will bring up the apparent delays in the release of Chinese loans and investment pledges during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit this week. Since the Duterte administration adopted a policy of appeasement on China two years ago, Drilon said he has yet to see the economic advantages of such a sudden pivot to China. "I hope the loan agreements that the Philippines has signed with the Chinese government will not be a case of pangakong napako," said Drilon."We must demand the Chinese government to honor its pledges." Drilon noted that most projects under the government's Build, Build, Build program rely on Chinese loans and grants. The program is hit by delays, he added. "It has been almost two years since the government has pivoted to China and signed various loan agreements, but until now there are no clear signs that these loans and investment pledges are going to be delivered soon, except for some minor projects," Drilon added. Last June, Drilon urged a review of the government's policy of appeasement on China, saying it does not translate into better economic and trade relations with China. He cited Vietnam, which took a more aggressive stance against the economic giant but was found out to be benefiting more from China economically. In 2017, bilateral trade between the Philippines and China was US$21.94 billion, while those of Vietnam and China was amounted to US$71.85 billion, he revealed. Drilon also asked the President to take up the issue on the West Philippine Sea and the concerns of the fishermen, particularly the bullying they received from Chinese coast guards. Press Release November 19, 2018 Drilon wants Senate to look into Binondo-Intramuros Bridge construction Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asked his colleagues to look into the issues surrounding the construction of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, citing warnings by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that its construction may cause the delisting of four centuries-old churches from the World Heritage Site. In filing Senate Resolution No. 944 on Monday, Drilon urged the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the possible delisting of the "Baroque Churches of the Philippines" from the prestigious World Heritage Site. These include the Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustin in Manila; the Church of La Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; the Church of Saint Augustine in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; and the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Miag-ao, Iloilo. In 1993, these four edifices, collectively inscribed as the "Baroque Churches of the Philippines", were declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The inclusion of these four churches in the prestigious World Heritage Site in 1993 drew praises and recognition all over the world," Drilon said. "These renowned churches are always in the bucket list of both local and foreign travelers, thereby helping our tourism industry while also serving as reminders of our past," he added. "The government should learn to strike a balance between urban development and heritage conservation. We must balance our pursuit of economic success with our concern for our cultural heritage. The two can co-exist," said Drilon, citing his experiences in restoring many heritage sites in Iloilo. The Ilonggo senator is widely credited for the preservation of iconic architecture and historical landmarks in Iloilo. The UNESCO has reportedly warned that the construction of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge may encroach on the buffer zone prescribed for the San Agustin Church. The proposed bridge will pass over the Pasig River and connect San Fernando Street in Binondo to Solana Street and Riverside Drive in Intramuros. In 2009, Germany's Dresden Elbe Valley was delisted from UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2009 due to the building of a four-lane bridge in the heart of the cultural landscape, Drilon noted. Drilon said that under Republic Act No. 10066 and its implementing rules and regulations, Word Heritage sites are subject to the highest standards of conservation and management in order to ensure the safeguarding and sustainability of its "Outstanding Universal Value" over time. Drilon urged the Senate must look into the issue with the end-in-view of crafting remedial legislation for the proper conservation and preservation of our National Cultural Treasures and World Heritage Sites. Press Release November 19, 2018 HONTIVEROS TO CHED: REEXAMINE REMOVAL OF FILIPINO SUBJECTS IN COLLEGE Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to reexamine its move to remove Filipino, Panitikan (literature), and Constitution from the college level, saying that removing these subjects endangers Filipino culture and identity. "Kailangan natin ang ating wika sa lahat ng antas ng edukasyon. I can understand some of the reasons for suggesting their removal, but I believe that in the long run, the loss of these subjects at the college level will be detrimental. Filipino, as the national language, should be preserved not only as a tool for work, but also as a means of discourse, cultural expression and a language for advanced research into our culture," Hontiveros said. The Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the order of CHED to remove the mandatory Filipino subjects in the college curriculum. The high court previously blocked the CHED order through a temporary restraining order. Some advocacy groups have also warned that the removal of the subjects would result in the loss of work for thousands of Filipino teachers. Media reports say that CHED will wait for the SC's final decision before implementing the removal. "I ask the Commission on Higher Education to seriously reconsider and review its decision, because our language shapes our reality. And I believe that it is possible for the Filipino to become globally competitive without sacrificing our skill in our own language," Hontiveros said. Press Release November 19, 2018 HONTIVEROS: A DIVIDED PALAWAN STRENGTHENS CHINA'S POSITION IN THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday voted against a measure that seeks to divide the Province of Palawan into three (3) Provinces. She said that a divided Palawan may strengthen China's position in the West Philippine Sea. Hontiveros said that China has aggressively and arrogantly exerted its claim on the West Philippine Sea. "Instead of having to face a single, strong provincial government which can mobilize the entire island in its own defense, China will now have the opportunity to infiltrate and influence smaller local government units," Hontiveros said. "This is not your business as usual subdivision of political units but one with deep geopolitical repercussions especially since the Province of Palawan is right in the forefront of our West Philippine Sea territory," she added. Hontiveros also lamented the lack of genuine consultation in the proposal. She pointed to the letter of Bishop Eduardo Sarabia Juanich of Taytay, Palawan and the petition by the Save Palawan Movement saying that there was no genuine consultation made when the bill was being heard. "For something as important as what the bill seeks to accomplish, it is my opinion that our committee did not reach out to all affected sectors, particularly the non-government organizations, the religious and the private sector. While the public hearing conducted in the Senate invited as resources persons, local government officials and employees of the province, it failed to take into account the position of the various NGOs, people's organizations and the religious who are opposed to the subdivision of our last frontier," Hontiveros said. The Senator also underscored the various implications the proposed measure may have on the country's existing environmental laws. "It is my opinion that the bill has failed to take into account the various environmental and natural resources laws that have specific jurisdiction over Palawan," Hontiveros said. The measure seeks to divide Palawan into 3 provinces: Palawan del Norte (Northern Palawan), Palawan Oriental (Central Palawan), and Palawan del Sur (Southern Palawan). Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan on PNP plan to revive Alsa Masa-like network Plan may be recipe for rampant atrocities, abuse - Kiko Alsa Masa in the 1980s became notorious for rampant violations of human rights, widespread atrocities, and abuse all in the name of anti-communism and law and order. I am afraid it is giving the corrupt and abusive policemen more teeth to rape, to kill, and to commit crime against unarmed citizens. Reviving it may in fact be a recipe for rampant atrocities and abuse. The PNP should seriously reconsider this approach. Press Release November 19, 2018 Senate OKs Palawan split into 3 provinces The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill dividing Palawan - the country's largest province into three new provinces, namely Palawan Del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan Del Sur. House Bill No. 8055 was sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, and was passed with 14 affirmative votes, 1 negative vote from Senator Risa Hontiveros and zero abstention. Under the bill, the province of Palawan del Norte will be composed of the municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linacapan, Taytay and El Nido. The province of Palawan Oriental, in turn, will be comprised of the municipalities of Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente. The province of Palawan del Sur, which will be considered as the "mother province," will be composed of the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke's Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan. The three proposed provinces will be created upon approval of the majority of the votes cast by voters in the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted in 2020, Angara said. Angara noted that due to the "vastness" of Palawan, an archipelago of 1,800 islands with a population of at least 1.1 million, the division of the existing province under the bill will comply with requirements for a province set forth by the Local Government Code. He said that the three proposed provinces will meet the land area requirement, and that Palawan del Norte and Palawan Oriental are expected to satisfy the population requirement imposed by law by 2020. "If we speak of economic potential, Palawan is a powerhouse. Its local growth rate has been clocked at bristling 7 percent per annum for many years now. And this was achieved with a total ban on the exploitation of natural resources over a wide swath of its land," Angara added. Meanwhile, the Senate also approved on third reading a bill that will create a separate prosecution service in the city of Navotas in Metro Manila. House Bill No. 5161 was also sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara who said that the bill will "enable the local government unit (LGU) to comply with the constitutional mandate of the right to speedy disposition of cases." The measure was passed with 16 affirmative votes, no negative vote and zero abstention. Under the bill, the proposed Office of the City Prosecution Service of Navotas will be headed by a City Prosecutor with sufficient staff under the supervision and control of the Department of Justice. Angara noted that under the present setup, prosecutors from Malabon City attend to all courts under the jurisdiction of Navotas, leading to a situation where only 11 prosecutors serve 17 courts in 2 cities with a combined population of more than 600,000. "Giving the city of Navotas its own prosecution service will surely better serve the needs of the city, and would improve the resolution of cases to the benefit of Navotas' residents," he said. Fonterra says its emission reduction efforts are running about a year ahead of schedule. The firm, which has pledged to get its 2030 emissions 30 percent below those in 2015, and to have net zero emissions by 2050, today formally opened a co-fired boiler conversion at its Brightwater plant south of Nelson. The $1.75 million project will reduce the sites coal use by about 30 percent and its carbon dioxide emissions by about 2,400 tonnes, or the equivalent of 530 cars coming off the road. Alan van der Nagel, Fonterras director of New Zealand manufacturing, said the firm is serious about meeting the goals it has set itself. Im particularly proud of what we have delivered on this action, and in fact were a year ahead of schedule, he told guests at the site today. Fonterra is serious about supporting New Zealands commitment to the Paris agreement and the global goal of keeping temperature change well below two degrees. New Zealands biggest exporter operates 30 plants nationally and is a major user of gas and coal for its milk powder drying. It started running the Brightwater plant, which produces whole milk powder, on a blend of coal and wood last week. In August it announced plans to convert the boiler fuel at its cheese plant at Stirling south-east of Balclutha - from coal to electricity. Van der Nagel said Brightwater was an ideal scale for the co-firing project, which received $250,000 of funding from the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority. Brightwater processes about 230,000 litres of milk a day, compared with 13 million for the companys biggest site. Being relatively open also made it easier to install new wood storage and fuel blending plant, while its location within a strong forestry region meant there was a ready fuel supply. Electrification of transport and heavy industry, alongside large-scale afforestation, will be key planks of New Zealands efforts to meet its 2050 target net-zero emissions, the Productivity Commission reported in August. Speaking at the opening, Energy & Resources Minister Megan Woods said process heat presents one of the biggest opportunities the country has to reduce its emissions. Life-cycle emissions from wood energy are only 2-to-4 percent of those from coal or gas-fired operations, and Brightwater is the sort of project the government wants to see more of, she said. Bio energy, including wood energy, will make a significant contribution to our transition here in New Zealand, she said. Brightwater hosts a 7.2 MW Maxitherm boiler installed in 1986. It will now run on a 50-50 blend of coal and wood by mass, or 70-30 by energy. The plant, which gets its coal from Reefton, will receive about 250 cubic metres of wood a week and be able to hold about 100 cubic metres on site. It is being supplied by Nelson-based Azwood Energy. Azwood general manager Brook Brewerton noted that co-firing with wood is not only commercially viable, it also has other environmental benefits beyond emissions reduction. A project like Brightwater might take 2,000 tonnes of wood waste out of the environment annually, reducing the risk it poses through forest fires, and preventing it getting into waterways. EECA chief executive Andrew Caseley said New Zealand faces a real challenge reducing emissions from its food processing industry. That is particularly true on the South Island where firms are more reliant on coal due to the absence of natural gas. Projects like Brightwater show what can be achieved, he said. We have to show to our large industrial processors, particularly agricultural processors, that initiatives like this will work and that they are part of the future. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Awarded Callaghan Innovation Funding Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Reports Steady First Half Progress 23rd November 2021 Morning Report Argosy Property Limited (NZX: ARG) FY22 Interim Result market release SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) REOPENING OF SKYCITY AUCKLAND PROPERTY 22nd November 2021 Morning Report Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) welcomes final investment decision on ITS The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Transition of Marsden Point site to a fuel import terminal Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) reports 164% profit growth, delivers on strategy Meridian Energy Limited (NZX: MEL) agrees terms for the sale of Australian business Imposing a capital gains tax on investment in New Zealand shares runs the risk of discouraging direct retail investment, damaging the nations capital markets. It could also create an unlevel playing field between direct investment and investment through Portfolio Investment Entities or PIEs. Thats the gist of a joint NZX and Securities Industry Association (SIA) submission to the Tax Working Group. We are concerned that extending capital income taxation to investments in New Zealand shares ... has the capacity to discourage direct investment and damage our capital markets, the two organisations say. This could push retail investors away from buying shares directly to either investing through PIEs or even away from the capital markets entirely. NZX data shows retail investors account for 26 percent of all trades by number and 13 percent by value, as well as 41 percent of price-setting trades by number and 23 percent by value. As well, SIA member data shows they work with more than 300,000 New Zealand retail investors with total assets of more than $80 billion, including $40 billion held in custodial accounts. Without these investors, the secondary market would be in the hands of a relatively small number of fund managers, many of whom are passive investors, the submission said. It is clear from the activity data above that this would result in significantly reduced on-market activity, price discovery and liquidity. In turn, this would affect the attractiveness of NZXs market to offshore investors, it said. Concentrated ownership of competing companies can have adverse effects on competition in the markets where those companies compete, which would be negative for the economy as a whole. Capital raisings would also be affected: the combination of weakened secondary markets and the concentrated nature of the investor market would likely result in increased costs of capital for New Zealand companies. That would likely drive companies wanting to raise capital to grow to choose to list in Australia rather than at home and perhaps even being encouraged to move head office or operations offshore. The submission says the floating of the state-owned electricity generators and retailers in 2013 and 2014 would have been more difficult without retail investors and that the government, investment funds and retail investors have all experienced a very positive outcome from both capital appreciation and dividend income as a result of those floats. A capital gains tax (CGT) on direct retail investment in shares would encourage those investors to switch to alternative investments that arent so-taxed. For example, international shares would become relatively more attractive if their taxation did not change, the submission said. More particularly, it appears from the Tax Working Groups interim report that a different CGT treatment is contemplated for Australasian shares held by investors directly compared to those held through PIEs, it said. It is mentioned in the report that, given the practical difficulties that arise in applying a CGT to PIEs, one option is for Australasian shares to remain CGT for PIEs, it said. More favourable tax treatment of PIEs would tend to discourage direct investment. The administration burden of a CGT would also tend to favour indirect investment through PIEs. But it seems NZX and SIA arent certain their arguments against a CGT on retail investment in shares will fall on receptive ears. If the above is not accepted, we suggest that at the very least there should be a level playing field between owning New Zealand shares directly and owning them indirectly via PIEs, their submission said. Without parity of treatment for direct and indirect investment, there is a risk that we see a return to the tax-driven structures and behaviours of yesteryear that, through sensible policy choices, have now largely disappeared. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Awarded Callaghan Innovation Funding Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Reports Steady First Half Progress 23rd November 2021 Morning Report Argosy Property Limited (NZX: ARG) FY22 Interim Result market release SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) REOPENING OF SKYCITY AUCKLAND PROPERTY 22nd November 2021 Morning Report Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) welcomes final investment decision on ITS The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Transition of Marsden Point site to a fuel import terminal Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) reports 164% profit growth, delivers on strategy Meridian Energy Limited (NZX: MEL) agrees terms for the sale of Australian business New Zealand shares fell for a fifth day as investors remain wary of the impact a trade war will have on company earnings with export-focused stocks Tourism Holdings and Pushpay still under pressure. Fletcher Building declined ahead of tomorrow's annual meeting. The S&P/NZX 50 index decreased 16.77 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,792.93. Within the index, 28 stocks fell, 19 gained and three were unchanged. Turnover was smaller than usual at $80.3 million. New Zealand's benchmark index followed Australia lower as comments by US vice president Mike Pence at the APEC leaders' meeting over the weekend kept investors nervous about the protracted trade dispute between the US and China. The world's two biggest economies have been at odds over the past 18 months, and investors are worried an economic slowdown will undermine company earnings. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.6 percent in afternoon trading. Shane Solly, a portfolio manager at Harbour Asset Management, said New Zealand's market held up well, with the local economy still in reasonably good health. That means companies need to meet or beat earnings expectations to maintain their current pricing. The NZX's average historic price-to-earnings is 17 times. "There's a little bit of volatility at a high level and companies reporting here which is taking people's attention," he said. "At an overarching level investors are still pretty wary about slowing activity and extended tariff discussion." Tourism Holdings led the market lower on smaller than usual volumes, falling 3.4 percent to $4.82, the lowest close in 12 months. Pushpay dropped 3.1 percent to $3.15, the lowest close since November last year. Solly said Tourism Holdings has been unwinding its gains as investors question the future of its US business, while Pushpay is still under pressure from its recent earnings report. Fletcher Building declined 2.1 percent to seven-month low $5.55 on a third of the average trading. Tomorrow's AGM will be the first for chief executive Ross Taylor and chair Bruce Hassall. A2 Milk was the most traded stock with 1.4 million shares changing hands. It rose 3 percent to $10.47 ahead of tomorrow's annual meeting, and Solly said investors expect the milk marketing firm's trading update to show double-digit revenue growth. Among other companies with more than a million shares changing hands, Spark New Zealand declined 1.8 percent to $4.125 and Goodman Property Trust was unchanged at $1.515. Kiwi Property Group fell 1.1 percent to $1.345 after reporting a small decline in first-half underlying earnings after asset sales provided a smaller income stream. Investore Property decreased 0.7 percent to $1.50 after distributable earnings edged higher. Outside the benchmark index, Metro Performance Glass plunged 24 percent to a record 64 cents after acknowledging a new entrant to the local market was likely to emerge in the next 18 months. Solly said the new rival will be a significant change for the company. Sanford fell 2.1 percent to $7.05 after agreeing to sell its Tauranga-based fishing business for an undisclosed sum. Separately, First NZ Capital affirmed its 'neutral' rating on the stock while cutting the target price 11 percent to $7.39. Heartland Group slipped 0.7 percent to $1.51 after lifting first-quarter profit 8.7 percent on growth at its reverse mortgage business and in small business and auto lending. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Awarded Callaghan Innovation Funding Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Reports Steady First Half Progress 23rd November 2021 Morning Report Argosy Property Limited (NZX: ARG) FY22 Interim Result market release SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) REOPENING OF SKYCITY AUCKLAND PROPERTY 22nd November 2021 Morning Report Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) welcomes final investment decision on ITS The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Transition of Marsden Point site to a fuel import terminal Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) reports 164% profit growth, delivers on strategy Meridian Energy Limited (NZX: MEL) agrees terms for the sale of Australian business A2 Milk Co said strong growth continued in the past four months and it remains sanguine on regulatory changes in China. Revenue in the four months through October rose to $368.4 million, up 40.5 percent on the same period a year ago, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 58.5 percent to $124.2 million. Net profit was $86 million, up 64.5 percent, the company said in a trading update for its annual meeting in Melbourne. "We have had a great year and we are off to a strong start in FY19. We have a strong brand, special culture and unique proposition, the combination of which positions us very well for the future," said chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka. She underscored the company is not concerned about the current regulatory dynamic in China and elsewhere in the world. In China, the company operates a multi-channel approach to selling its products, using online platforms such as Kaola.com, JD.com and Alibaba's T-mall, alongside bricks and mortar stores. In the first four months of the current financial year, it lifted distribution from 10,000 to 12,000 stores. For infant formula, there are two registrations required for China label product, Hrdlicka said. One is for individual products and the other is for the blending and canning facilities used to produce the product. The registration of A2's infant formula products was secured a year ago and the Synlait Milk manufacturing facility that produces its products in the South Island of New Zealand is also registered. "We believe we are in a good position relative to many other international companies, particularly those with smaller brands and we will invest heavily in-market to ensure we are building a China-based business that is very respectful of the regulatory framework," she said. In August the Chinese Government passed a new law providing a framework in respect of all activities relating to e-commerce in China, both domestic and cross-border. "We expect this legislation to require that all CBEC platforms and daigou retailers be registered as an import retailer into China, abide by basic consumer protections and pay the full taxable amount," Hrdlicka said. "The a2 Milk Company and our well-managed daigou network have been anticipating and preparing for these changes for some time." Looking ahead, she reiterated the company expects revenue growth to continue but at a slightly more moderate rate than the 33.7 percent experienced in the past four months. The company is forecasting the ebitda-to-sales ratio to be "broadly consistent" with the prior year. It expects a higher gross margin percentage to be offset by increased marketing expenditure as a percentage of sales and further investment in greater resourcing. The first four months of the year were also favorably impacted by the exchange rate, something that is forecast to reverse during the balance of the year. A2 Milk's ebitda to sales margin was 30.7 percent in the year to June, up from 25.7 percent the year before The stock last traded at $10.47 and is up 29.7 percent so far this year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Awarded Callaghan Innovation Funding Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Reports Steady First Half Progress 23rd November 2021 Morning Report Argosy Property Limited (NZX: ARG) FY22 Interim Result market release SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) REOPENING OF SKYCITY AUCKLAND PROPERTY 22nd November 2021 Morning Report Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) welcomes final investment decision on ITS The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Transition of Marsden Point site to a fuel import terminal Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) reports 164% profit growth, delivers on strategy Meridian Energy Limited (NZX: MEL) agrees terms for the sale of Australian business Steel & Tube Holdings and the Commerce Commission have each appealed the record $1.89 million fine imposed against the company for misrepresenting steel mesh products it sold. The regulator said Auckland District Court Judge Warren Cathcart erred last month by not adequately taking into account the size of Steel & Tube and the potential it had to gain from the misconduct. Nor had the judge properly attributed the knowledge of a Steel & Tube manager to the company. Steel & Tube believes the fine is excessive, given the breaches were unintentional and that both the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand have indicated that homeowners should not be concerned about the safety or ductility of steel mesh in their homes. Steel & Tube shares fell a cent to $1.27, taking their loss so far this year to 37 percent. Steel & Tube was sentenced last month on 24 charges under the Fair Trading Act after an earlier guilty plea. The charges, brought by the commission, related to conduct spanning four years, where Steel & Tube sold about 480,000 sheets of steel mesh for $24 million from 482 batches. The regulator argued Steel & Tube misled the public with representations that the mesh met an Australia/New Zealand standard for reinforcing steel when it didn't, and that the batches had been independently tested when they hadn't. Lawyers for the commission had initially called for a fine of between $3.8 million and $4.6 million as a starting point. The judge had started at a $2.9 million fine for the company, discounted to reflect Steel & Tube's cooperation and early guilty plea. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. 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Related News: Rua Bioscience Limited (NZX: RUA) Awarded Callaghan Innovation Funding Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) Reports Steady First Half Progress 23rd November 2021 Morning Report Argosy Property Limited (NZX: ARG) FY22 Interim Result market release SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) REOPENING OF SKYCITY AUCKLAND PROPERTY 22nd November 2021 Morning Report Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) welcomes final investment decision on ITS The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZX: NZR) Transition of Marsden Point site to a fuel import terminal Kiwi Property Group Limited (NZX: KPG) reports 164% profit growth, delivers on strategy Meridian Energy Limited (NZX: MEL) agrees terms for the sale of Australian business According to reports from Japan, Ghosn had been alleged as under-reporting salary to exchange houses and filing agencies. Executives from Nissan, a Japanese auto-major that Ghosn was associated with, were quoted as saying that they uncovered "significant acts of financial misconduct". In a statement by Nissan, the company's Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa said, Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a representative director may have done this to reduce their disclosed compensation. Brazil born French business-magnate of Lebanese origin, Carlos Ghosn is usually referred as a Titan, Czar, or a Mogul. On Monday, however, his name unceremoniously cropped on a list of criminals. Kyodo News reported Saikawa as saying that there were three large instances of misconduct by Ghosn. Saikawa also added that Ghosn and Kelly had been arrested. A statement from Nissan alleged that the duo had resorted to "personal use of company assets". Prosecutors from Tokyo arrested Ghosn on Monday and public broadcaster NHK confirmed reported prosecutors alleging that Ghosn deflated his income by about 5 billion yen or approximately $44 million. Although Saikawa did not offer a customary bow as mark of sorrow during a media briefing, he expressed his feelings in words. "I feel strong anger and disappointment," he was quoted as saying by Bloomberg while at a news conference at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. Nissan is likely to seek the removal of both Ghosn as well as Kelly from the board. Reports concur that their removal was a mere formality. Meanwhile attorneys and legal experts believe that prosecutors may have to show additional details of Ghosn's crime. Reports are yet to reveal where Ghosn has been lodged. Prosecutors are also investigating details such as the role of others besides the two. Reports say that there was a possibility of a corporate coup being played to oust Ghosn from his job. Ghosn enjoyed a demi-god status at Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi and the global automotive industry. The 64 year old Ghosn had been credited for rescuing Japanese automaker Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999. Back then, Renault overtook the charges of saving Nissan and let it's Man-Friday (Ghosn) free. A large overhaul ensued and Nissan was brought back from the dead and into a list of innovative automakers. The operation in 1999 earned Ghosn the sobriquet Le Cost Killer, a nickname for leaving at least one in seven jobless. Le Cost Killer unleashed a similar reign at Mitsubishi, another Japanese automaker that reported sickness in 2016. But this time, instead of Renault it was Nissan that threw a lifeboat. Nissan purchased a third of Mitsubishi for about $2.2 billion. Carlos Ghosn and Nissan are currently the top trending topics on Twitter. Anand Mahindra, the Chief at Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra also took to twitter to express his thoughts. Why oh why? Id like to give Carlos the benefit of the doubt until the enquiry is complete. So hard to believe that an iconic talent like him would risk his reputation & legacy for this... https://t.co/InW6WmEBIL November 19, 2018 The unceremonious arrest has thrown a spotlight on the alliance between Nissan, Mitsubishi and Renault. The arrest has also lead to questions being posed to the French President Emmanuel Macron. The French government owns a 15% share in Renault. Macron had been quoted in an Agence France-Presse story as saying that France would be extremely vigilant about the fate of Ghosn. "The state, as a shareholder (of Renault), will be extremely vigilant to the stability of the alliance and the group," he said. Also Read (From Archives): One of the worlds fastest growing economies, India, has some of the most toxic air. India is home to the worlds 10 most polluted cities. Come the festival season of Diwali, things only got worse even as the apex court ordered a curb on bursting of fireworks. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study, over 1 lakh children have died because of air pollution in the country in 2016. For a long time, neighbors China were fighting a battle against pollution with frequent reports of some of its biggest cities engulfed by smog. Chinas economy is significantly larger than Indias and has taken some steps in tackling the pollution crisis there. In 2013, the Chinese government released the Air Pollution Action Plan; its most influential environmental policy. As part of it, some the countrys main population centres such as Beijing decided to close coal-fired power stations and instead gas-fired hubs were built. In July, China unveiled the new Three Year Action Plan, which is seen as the second phase of the 2013 initiative. The plan essentially involves widespread improvements in air quality, drinkable water and ecology over the next few years. The ways in which China will do this is by urging authorities to promote green development, develop efficient and green energy systems. Several cities including Beijing were blanketed by the worst smog this year with the particulate matter (PM 2.5) hitting hazardous levels. In 2014, the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang declared a war on pollution after increasing anger from the public. These plans have shown positive results. India has struggled to put forward a comprehensive action plan t tackle air pollution. The challenge that faces India is to balance this out with everything that comes from a rapidly growing economy. The second most populous country in the world will inevitably have challenges pollution. The Delhi government has formed a six member committee which will conduct checks of steps being taken by local bodies, the Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB). The urban and rural centres of the country cause pollution. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana continue to burn stubble despite a court order. While the government has promoted farm machinery and there is a relative reduction in the volume of stubble burning, there are still those who continue the practice. A Livemint editorial points out the rural India problem regarding air pollution . The editorial points out that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) does not have sufficient data on the divide between rural and urban contribution to pollution levels in the country. The CPCB which has more than 600 air quality monitoring stations, there arent any in rural areas. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this month blamed stubble burning in Punjab as the main reason for rising pollution levels in the national capital, saying in part, There is a small portion of Haryana (burning stubble) but its role is quite limited. Otherwise, it (stubble burning) is mostly happening in Punjab. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that India could face severe heat spells and increasing pollution if global temperatures rise by more than 1.5 degrees celsius. Last month, Erik Solheim, UN Environment Chief seemed encouraged at Indias efforts to tackle pollution saying in part, I can see enormous energy in India from various states to beat plastic pollution who have made very very strong commitments. Tackling pollution is critical. Several studies published over the past few years have pointed out in no uncertain terms that children are the most affected. In 2015, then South Asia correspondent for the New York Times Gardiner Harris, in an op-ed , explained his reason for leaving Delhi due to the pollution affecting his childrens health . The government has not yet released the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). A draft released earlier this year did not provide a time frame for reaching specific targets; one of which is to reduce the PM 2.5 concentrations by 35% in the first five years of the NCAP implementation. This target is for 100 cities across the country. The imperative in India would be for all states to tackle the problem of pollution and there should be some legal ramifications for failure to do so. An example here is the European Commission taking the UK, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Romania to the European Court of Justice for their failure to meet nitrogen dioxide standards. Paul Romer, one of the winners for the Nobel Prize in Economics commented, Once we start to try to reduce carbon emissions, well be surprised that it wasnt as hard as we anticipated. One problem today is that people think protecting the environment will be so costly and so hard that they want to ignore the problem and pretend it doesnt exist. More columns by Varun Sukumar System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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Iran has been abiding by the terms of its nuclear deal with global powers, the latest report from the UN atomic watchdog indicated last week, days after fresh US sanctions hit the country. US President Donald Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear programme and introducing several rounds of unilateral sanctions. Hunt's visit is the first by a Western foreign minister since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said, in a statement issued in London. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. "But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt was to meet Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks on European efforts to maintain relief from nuclear-related sanctions. Hunt was also due to discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and the ongoing cases of detained British-Iranian dual nationals. One notable case is that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition. "More than anything, we must see those innocent British-Iranian dual nationals imprisoned in Iran returned to their families in Britain," he said. "I have just heard too many heartbreaking stories from families who have been forced to endure a terrible separation. "So I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage." On Yemen, Hunt was to stress concerns at reports that Iran has supplied ballistic missiles and weapons to the Huthi rebels, his ministry said. Wealth gaps affecting school children in Iraq: UN Baghdad, Nov 19 (AFP) Nov 19, 2018 Economic inequality is massively affecting whether students in war-ravaged Iraq finish school, the United Nations children's agency warned Monday, urging the fledgling government in Baghdad to spend more on education. An economic downturn, years of fighting and little government support has left Iraq's school system lacking, UNICEF found in a new study of more than 20,000 families. Socio-economic status creates a huge gap in who graduates from secondary school -- 73 percent for the wealthiest students compared to just 23 percent of the poorest students. One-third of schools across the country operate multiple shifts in an effort to enrol as many kids as possible, meaning students may get just a few hours of class per day. To improve access to education, Iraq needs 7,500 new schools, UNICEF said. "It's to do with the conflict, the economic collapse, and lack of investment over the past 20 years. When the quality falls, then children themselves march out of the classroom," UNICEF country director Peter Hawkins told AFP. "Children are the future of this country, and a growing gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' sows discord and is detrimental for children and for Iraq," he added. The wide-ranging study was the first in seven years in Iraq. The country's infrastructure, including its schools, has been hit hard by conflict, from the US-led invasion in 2003 to years of sectarian violence and bombings. In 2014, the Islamic State group overran a third of the country, implementing its own twisted curriculum in schools before being ousted from its urban strongholds last year. And in recent months, a water crisis in the country's south kept many children at home in fear of contracting diseases. To get more children in school, the government must boost its spending on education, one of the lowest rates in the region at just 5.7 percent of total expenditure, UNICEF said. "Ministers: please use this to target investment to those children in greater need. Those children are your future," Hawkins urged government members. Parliamentary divisions mean Iraq has not appointed anyone to head the ministries of education or higher education. According to Iraq's Human Rights Commission, more than 1,050 schools across the country have been damaged to varying degrees by the recent violent years. Sixty percent of the country's 39 million people are under the age of 24. Trump says bin Laden should have been captured sooner Washington, Nov 19 (AFP) Nov 19, 2018 President Donald Trump repeated Monday that Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, killed by US Navy SEALs in May 2011, should have been captured much earlier, casting blame on his predecessors and Pakistan. "Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did," the US president tweeted, echoing remarks he gave to "Fox News Sunday" that drew the ire of Pakistan, where bin Laden had been hiding. "I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center," he continued. "President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!" Ten years after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, bin Laden was found to be hiding in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he was killed in a raid by US Navy SEALs approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. The assault sent relations between the wayward allies to a new low. In his interview on Sunday, the Republican leader had said he canceled assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Pakistan earlier this year because "they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us." Trump had also told Fox News that bin Laden had lived "beautifully in Pakistan and what I guess in what they considered a nice mansion. I don't know, I've seen nicer." Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hit back at Trump's claim, calling on the president to name an ally that has sacrificed more against militancy. "Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US 'aid' was a miniscule $20 bn," Khan tweeted. And Robert O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL who claims to have fired the shots that killed bin Laden, was terse in his reply. "The mission to get bin Laden was bipartisan. We all wanted to get him as soon as we could," tweeted O'Neill, who regularly appears on Fox News as a security expert. A delegation from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Central Military Commission Logistics Support division, steered by its Deputy Chief of Administrative Office, Senior Colonel Huang Dongping, have visited the South African Department of Defence Logistics Division in Pretoria and Cape Town to finalise hosting the first military logistics symposium between the two countries. The visit took place between 29 October and 2 November. According to the agreement between the two Armed Forces, they are scheduled to host the logistics symposium in March 2019 at the Logistics University of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (Chongqing, China). A few topics under discussion will include preservation of warehouses and technical maintenance and repair, uniform production and supply. The General Officer Commanding DOD Logistics Support Formation, Maj Gen John Kobbie, headed a Logistics Command Group that welcomed the Chinese delegation at the DOD School of Logistics Training in Wynberg, Cape Town. The atmosphere that welcomed us on our arrival portrayed the professionalism that is upheld in this School, Dongping said. According to her it is imperative and logical to nurture on fresh soldiers by exposing them to foreign learning opportunities. Disclaimer: This article was originally produced and published by sldinfo. View the original article at sldinfo. Cheng Kaijia [File photo] Members of the public have been paying tribute to Cheng Kaijiaa prominent scientist who helped China enter the atomic ageafter he passed away on Saturday in Beijing at the age of 101. Many people expressed their condolences below news reports on Sina Weibo and WeChat, the most popular social network platforms in China. A great number of people wrote that they will always be grateful to Cheng for his contribution to the nation and its defense. One microblogger who goes under the name of Dandingchaogupiao called Cheng "a hero and backbone of the Chinese nation", while DiqianQueen wished to tell Cheng: "When you were born to the motherland, she was miserable and desolate. But when you left today, she has become beautiful and magnificent." People's Daily said on Saturday on its Sina Weibo account that the Chinese people will never forget Cheng because he brought pride to the Chinese people and made the world respect China. Born on Aug 3, 1918, in Wujiang, Jiangsu province, Cheng went to a middle school in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in 1931. He studied physics at Zhejiang University in 1937 and became an assistant lecturer there in 1941 after his graduation. In 1946, Cheng went to the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, obtaining a PhD in 1948 under adviser Max Born, a distinguished German physicist and mathematician. In 1950, the young physicist returned to China and performed research in physics at two universities. The career path of Cheng was transformed in the summer of 1960 when he was summoned to China's nuclear weapons program. [Photo/Xinhua] Cheng was named chief designer of China's nuclear test technology in 1962 and personally designed the explosion test method of the country's first atomic bomb, which made China the world's fifth nuclear power in 1964. Later the scientist took part in more than 30 nuclear tests and worked at a nuclear test base in northwestern China for more than 20 years until he was named a top defense technology adviser and returned to Beijing in the mid-1980s. Due to Cheng's research and contributions, he was elected member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was given numerous national awards and honorary titles. He was recipient of the top national science and technology award and the August 1 Medal, the highest honor given to Chinese military personnel. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Alternative Funding Donation Scandal Hits German Right-Wing Populists The right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany has long crowed that it is different than the "cartel parties." Now, though, it has been rocked by a far-reaching donation scandal. Party leadership may soon see a shake-up. Madrid (Spain), November 19, 2018 (SPS) - The 43rd European Conference for Support and Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO 2018), which wrapped up Saturday in Madrid, has denounced the continued plunder of the Sahrawi natural resources by the European firms, warning against Europes manoeuvres aiming at including the Sahrawi territory in its commercial deal with Morocco. In this regard, the participants have warned the EU of new actions in the event that the European Parliament adopts amendments to include Western Sahara in the EU-Morocco commercial agreements. Worth reminding indeed, the EU Justice Court has issued three decisions, separating the territories, that of Morocco and Western Sahara. The participants in the Eucoco 2018 also renewed support to the Polisario Front, willing to "bring to justice the companies responsible for the plunder." Research in this matter must be pursued by the solidarity movement so "denounce and bring to justice the European companies which are operating in the occupied territories without prior negotiations with Polisario Front, the representative of Western Sahara people," they said. "The solidity movement must work closely with the International lawyers to endow the activists and support the Polisario Front in its legal battle" == Providing Minurso with human rights monitoring mechanism == Concerning the respect of human rights in the occupied Sahrawi territories and the constant abuses committed by Morocco, the participants called on the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights to visit the occupied territories to meet the political prisoners. The participants renewed their demand to provide the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) with human rights monitoring mechanisms in Western Sahara. The final declaration of EUCOCO 2018 also stressed that the treatment of the Sahrawi political prisoners and the permanent repression of activists have always been under "media blackout," calling for swift actions." "These actions have high media visibility and force politicians to position themselves with regard to human rights violations in Western Sahara," they said. Besides, the participants stressed "the Geneva-based group of ambassadors can expand our advocacy to diplomatic circles, and it would be appropriate to duplicate these initiatives in New York and Brussels. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Madrid (Spain), November 19, 2018 (SPS) The Polisario Front will go to the coming negotiations with Morocco, scheduled in early December in Geneva. The Front will participate in those talks in "good faith and with good willingness to relaunch Western Sahara conflict settlement process and on the basis of the international law, Sahrawi officials said in Madrid, on the sidelines of the 43rd European Conference for Support and Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO 2018). "We are going to Geneva to relaunch the settlement process so to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination," Sahrawi minister delegate for Europe Mohamed Sidati said following the Conference Eucoco 2018. UN special envoy for Western Sahara Horst Kohler has invited the two conflicting parties, Morocco and Polisario Front to a round table on 5 and 6 December in Geneva. Those direct talks are part of the relaunch of the UN process aiming to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara and the exercise by the Sahrawi people of their right to self-determination. Geneva talks will be an opportunity for the Polisario Front to reaffirm its commitment to implement the Sahrawi people right to self-determination. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS By Wen Wei and Liu Jianwei BEIJING, Nov. 19 (ChinaMil) -- The United Nations Senior National Planners Course on Peacekeeping concluded at the training base of the Peacekeeping Affairs Center of Chinas Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Beijing on November 16 2018. A total of 43 trainers and trainees from 26 countries and international organizations, including China, Brazil, France, Ghana, the United States, and the United Nations, took part in the training course. Co-hosted by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Peacekeeping Affairs Center of Chinas MND for the first time, the two-week course, held in English, covered subjects including the selection, training, deployment, support, rotation, and withdrawal of peacekeeping personnel. The aim of the course was to improve the management capabilities of peacekeeping missions in various countries and to train and reserve peacekeeping management talents for other countries. Five Chinese trainees took part in the training course. According to officers from the Peacekeeping Affairs Center of Chinas Ministry of National Defense, Chinese President Xi Jinping made solemn commitments while attending the UN Summit on Peacekeeping in September 2015 that China would join the new United Nations Stand-By Arrangement System (UNSAS), build a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 personnel, and train 2,000 peacekeepers for other countries in the next five years. This opened a new chapter in the history of PLAs involvement in UN peacekeeping operations. In the last three years, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) organized a series of international training programs in China, including training programs for senior peacekeeping officials, peacekeeping instructors, military observers, and staff officers. At the same time, the PLA has actively sent outstanding instructors abroad to provide training and support to foreign militaries and has trained more than 1,400 peacekeeping reserve personnel for over 60 countries, demonstrating the firm determination of the Chinese military to fulfill its international obligations and assume the mission of safeguarding peace. Since 1990, the PLA has dispatched more than 38,000 peacekeepers in 24 UN peacekeeping missions. As of November 2018, the PLA still has 2,506 officers and soldiers performing peacekeeping missions in seven peacekeeping mission areas and the UN headquarters, and a total of 13 peacekeepers have lost their lives in UN peacekeeping operations. Currently, China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council and the second largest funding country for UN peacekeeping operations. China has become the backbone of UN peacekeeping operations and is an important supporter, performer, and decision-maker of UN peacekeeping operations. HONG KONG, Nov. 19 (ChinaMil) - The Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) held Open Day for public at San Wai Barracks on November 17 and demonstrated the fruits of the "Peace and Friendship 2018" joint military drill among China, Malaysia and Thailand. The activity was intended to improve Hong Kong citizens understanding of national defense and military and enhance communication between the military and the people from all walks of life in Hong Kong. Tian Yongjiang, Deputy Commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, said in the welcome speech that this Open Day is the second chance following the August 1st Army Day Reception to consolidate the close military-civilian friendship with people from all walks of life in Hong Kong. It aims to further enhance communication and deepen relations between the PLA HK Garrison and HK citizens. During the Open Day event, four special activities were arranged at its San Wai Barracks and Tai Ling Firing Range, based on the fruits of "Peace and Friendship 2018" joint military drill. The Open Day kicked off at 9:30 am on November 17. The documentary of the "Peace and Friendship 2018" joint military drill was first shown to visitors and amazed them with numerous incredible moments of the exercise. Afterwards, visitors watched such course performances as grappling and wrestling, and armed escort in the Parade Platz. Later on, visitors were bound for the Tai Ling Firing Range to observe some fruits of the "Peace and Friendship 2018" joint military drill. A series of wonderful demonstrations, including pistol shooting, shooting under obstacle circumstances, special sniping, and clearing operations by special operations squad, brought the atmosphere to climax for many times. Lieutenant Gao Junjie, head of special sniping in the PLA Hong Kong Garrison who attended the joint military drill in Malaysia, told media that he has learned a lot of professional knowledge in the ten-day drill and developed deep friendships with officers and soldiers from Malaysia and Thailand. Attendance also include Tung Chee-hwa (Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Leung Chun-ying (Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Matthew Cheung (Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Wang Zhimin (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), and Xie Feng (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) as well as over 300 representatives from Hong Kong's political and business circle, social groups, schools, and villages near the military barracks. ZEAL Network SE (-) ZEAL Network SE announces takeover offer for Germany's largest private digital lottery broker Lotto24 AG 19-Nov-2018 / 08:30 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. Press release ZEAL Network SE announces takeover offer for Germany's largest private digital lottery broker Lotto24 AG The transaction will create a digital lottery group with currently more than 5 million combined customers globally, current combined billings of about EUR 500 million, and a diverse international footprint The combined group will build on the existing position of Lotto24, discontinue the German secondary lottery business of Tipp24 and transform it to a locally licensed online broker. The companies jointly aim to accelerate growth of online brokerage in the EUR 8.7 billion German lottery market The all-share takeover delivers significant benefits for shareholders with expected cost synergies of EUR 57 million per year, strong future cash generation, and a reduced risk profile The transaction strengthens the German lottery market and returns to federal states and their lottery beneficiaries ZEAL expects to offer one new ZEAL share for ca. 1.6 Lotto24 shares, reflecting the ratio of the volume-weighted average prices of ZEAL and Lotto24 shares over the past three months ZEAL has secured irrevocable commitments to accept the offer from major shareholders representing approximately 65% of Lotto24 shares (London, 19 November 2018) ZEAL Network SE ('ZEAL') today announced an all-share voluntary takeover offer for Germany's largest private digital lottery broker, Lotto24 AG ('Lotto24'). On completion, the transaction will create a digital lottery group with currently more than 5 million combined customers globally, current combined billings of about EUR 500 million, and a diverse international footprint. In the context of the deal, and consistent with its renewed strategy to de-risk its business model and focus on locally-licensed businesses, ZEAL intends to transform its German secondary lottery business into a locally licensed online brokerage model after reacquiring control of its myLotto24 and Tipp24 subsidiaries and, in due course, to relocate ZEAL to Germany. The transaction will significantly strengthen the German lottery market and expand returns to federal states and their lottery beneficiaries. A strong platform for accelerated growth and shareholder value creation The transaction combines the strong balance sheet, high-quality loyal customer base, and technological capabilities of ZEAL with the proven expertise of Lotto24 in the German lottery brokerage market. The enlarged Group will be in a unique position to accelerate online brokerage growth in the German lottery market. The Group will also continue to pursue its international growth ambitions, building on the existing, diverse international portfolio (UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, and Netherlands) and global development pipeline of ZEAL, with the aim of creating long-term growth and sustained shareholder and customer value. ZEAL believes that the change to its business model in Germany will deliver significant benefits to ZEAL shareholders in the medium term as a result of reduced operational, tax and regulatory risk as well as improved growth potential. As part of the business model change, ZEAL has taken the decision to discontinue certain products and to focus on less volatile brokerage income in the German market, resulting in net annual run-rate revenue dis-synergies of ca. EUR 107 million, which is expected to be compensated for over time through accelerated growth of the enlarged Group. The combination with Lotto24 is also expected to deliver annual run-rate cost synergies of c. EUR 57 million through greater platform efficiencies and significant reductions in other operational costs. Further details of these revenue dis-synergies and cost savings are set out in Appendix A to this announcement. In addition, ZEAL management has identified further cost savings of approximately EUR 4 million, which do not arise as a consequence of the transaction and sees additional potential future upside. Dr Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL, said: 'ZEAL will reunite with Germany's largest digital lottery broker. We will have a significantly enlarged, loyal customer base, strong technology and marketing platforms, and an exceptionally experienced team. Together with our plans to regain control of Tipp24 and transform its German business models, this puts us in an excellent position to accelerate online growth in both the EUR 8.7 billion German lottery market and EUR 270 billion global lottery sector - as a locally-licensed broker, licensed operator, and lottery investor. This transaction is good for shareholders, good for customers, and good for the German federal states and their lottery beneficiaries. We have held initial, constructive conversations with Lotto24 and look forward to further engaging with the management to achieve a successful combination of the businesses. We also look forward to a successful and constructive cooperation with Germany's state lotteries and invite all shareholders to join us on this journey.' Since its IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2012, Lotto24 has grown rapidly. In 2017, Lotto24 generated billings of EUR 220.7 million and revenues of EUR 25.2 million. In October 2018, Lotto24 upgraded its full year guidance, anticipating billings' growth of between 38% and 43% for 2018. In the first nine months of 2018, the company increased billings by 43% to EUR 235.9 million, revenues grew almost 50% to EUR 28.1 million, and the total number of registered customers rose by 36% to 2.04 million. ZEAL has nearly two decades' experience as an online lottery operator, reseller and investor. In 2017, ZEAL delivered billings of EUR 280.5 million and revenues of EUR 134.3 million. In the first nine months of 2018, billings increased 5% to EUR 212.4 million, revenues rose by 19% to EUR 111.2 million, and the number of new customers grew by 54%, taking the total number of registered customers of the Group to more than 3.5 million. Transaction supported by major Lotto24 shareholders ZEAL will offer Lotto24 shareholders the opportunity to exchange their Lotto24 shares for shares in ZEAL. The offer consideration will reflect the ratio of the volume-weighted average share prices of both Lotto24 and ZEAL over the past three months before announcement of the transaction. Subject to the final determination of the minimum prices required by law and the final terms set forth in the offer document, ZEAL intends to offer one new ZEAL share as consideration in exchange for each ca. 1.6 tendered shares of Lotto24. Independently of the offer, ZEAL expects to pay an ordinary interim dividend of EUR 1.00 by year-end 2018. In a clear statement of shareholder support for the deal, ZEAL today entered into irrevocable tender agreements with major shareholders of Lotto24, namely with Gunther Group, Working Capital and Jens Schumann. They represent approximately 65% of the shares and voting rights in Lotto24. By entering into the tender agreements, these shareholders have undertaken to tender their shares in Lotto24 into the offer. Jonas Mattsson, Chief Financial Officer of ZEAL: 'We believe this deal creates significant value for ZEAL and Lotto24 shareholders. The future growth prospects, significant reduction of regulatory risk and the related uncertainties, and EUR 57 million of annual cost synergies make the combined group a highly attractive long-term investment proposition. With our shared history, we are confident of achieving a seamless integration of both companies. We encourage all holders of Lotto24 and ZEAL shares to follow the major shareholders and take part in the offer.' The offer will be made in accordance with the conditions to be set forth in the offer document, among others a minimum acceptance rate of 50% plus one share of Lotto24. Further details of the offer and its terms, including the acceptance period, will be contained in the offer document. ZEAL expects that the offer document will be published on the website www.zeal-offer.com at the beginning of 2019. An extraordinary general meeting of ZEAL is expected to be held at the end of December 2018, at which ZEAL will ask its shareholders to approve the offer, including the acquisition of Lotto24 shares from certain members of the Supervisory Board of ZEAL or persons connected with them, and authorise the Executive Board to allot a number of shares as required to fund the offer. As Gunther Group has made it a condition to its tender agreement with ZEAL that it will not, as a consequence of the offer, be subject to a legal obligation to make a general offer for the shares in ZEAL which it does not own at that time, ZEAL will furthermore propose a resolution to its shareholders (other than Gunther Group and persons acting in concert with Gunther Group) to approve the waiver of such obligation granted by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers. The ZEAL shareholder approvals will be a condition for ZEAL to publish the offer document. Discussions with the German gambling regulatory body about the future licensing arrangements for the enlarged Group have already been initiated. ZEAL expects to complete the transaction in the first half of 2019. Updated ZEAL Profit Guidance As previously announced today, the Executive Board has decided to adjust the upper end of the ZEAL Group EBIT forecast range for the financial year 2018. The Executive Board now anticipates EBIT in the range of EUR 33 million to EUR 38 million (previously EUR 33 million to EUR 43 million). The adjustment includes the impact of the transaction costs in connection with the announced intention of ZEAL to make a public takeover offer for Lotto24 AG as well as restructuring expenses in connection with an internal cost savings programme initiated today. Except for the narrowing of the previously forecasted EBIT range, the Executive Board confirms its previously published guidance and expects the ZEAL Group to generate Total Operating Performance (TOP) of EUR 150 million to EUR 160 million in the financial year 2018. ENDS Additional information ZEAL invites media, investors and Analysts to two separate webcasts and conference calls today to present the rationale and details of the transaction. The webcasts will be hosted in English by Dr Helmut Becker, CEO and Jonas Mattsson, CFO of ZEAL. ZEAL Network SE Media Webcast and Conference Call: Date: Today, 19 November 2018, 11.15 am CET / 10.15 am GMT ConferenceCall dial-ins Germany: +49 69 201744210 UK: +44 2030092470 USA: +1 8774230830 Confirmation code: 46065908# Audio-Webcast: https://webcasts.eqs.com/zeal2420181119media A replay of the webcast will be available under the same link after conclusion of the conference call. ZEAL Network SE Investor and Analyst Webcast and Conference Call: Date: Today, 19 November 2018, 12.00 pm CET / 11.00 am GMT Conference Call dial-ins Germany: +49 69 201744210 UK: +44 2030092470 USA: +1 8774230830 Confirmation code: 70491804# Audio-Webcast: https://webcasts.eqs.com/zeal20181119investors A replay of the webcast will be available under the same link after conclusion of the conference call. Press contact: ZEAL Network Matt Drage Head of Corporate Communications T: +44 (0)7976 872 861 matt.drage@zeal-network.co.uk ZEAL Network Frank Hoffmann Investor Relations Manager +44 (0) 20 3739 7123 frank.hoffmann@zeal-network.co.uk FTI Consulting Lutz Golsch T: +49 69 920 37 110 M: +49 173 6517710 Lutz.Golsch@fticonsulting.com Important note This announcement is for information purposes only and neither constitutes an offer to purchase or exchange nor an invitation to sell or to make an offer to exchange, securities of Lotto24 AG ('Lotto24') or ZEAL Network SE ('ZEAL'). The final terms and further provisions regarding the public takeover offer will be disclosed in the offer document once its publication will have been approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht). ZEAL reserves the right to deviate in the final terms and conditions of the public takeover offer from the basic information described herein. Investors and holders of securities of Lotto24 are strongly recommended to read the offer document and all announcements in connection with the public takeover offer as soon as they are published, as they contain or will contain important information. The offer will be made exclusively under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, in particular under the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Ubernahmegesetz (WpUG)). The offer will not be made pursuant to the provisions of jurisdictions other than those of the Federal Republic of Germany. Therefore, no other announcements, registrations, admissions or approvals of the offer outside of the Federal Republic of Germany have been filed, arranged for or granted. The ZEAL shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or any other jurisdiction of the United States of America ('USA'). Therefore, subject to certain exceptions, ZEAL shares may not be offered or sold within the USA or in any other jurisdiction where to do so would be a violation of applicable law. There is no public offering of ZEAL shares in the USA. To the extent this announcement contains forward-looking statements, such statements do not represent facts. Forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They are characterised by the words 'expect', 'believe', 'estimate', 'intend', 'aim', 'assume', 'plan' or similar expressions. Such statements express the intentions, opinions or current expectations and assumptions of ZEAL and the persons acting in conjunction with ZEAL, for example with regard to the potential consequences of the takeover offer for Lotto24, for those shareholders of Lotto24 who choose not to accept the takeover offer or for future financial results of Lotto24. Such forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and forecasts which ZEAL and the persons acting in conjunction with it have made to the best of their knowledge, but which do not claim to be correct in the future. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and usually cannot be influenced by ZEAL or the persons acting in conjunction with it. Actual events or consequences may differ materially from those contained in or expressed by such forward-looking statements. This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release are not directed to or intended for release, publication or distribution (in whole or in part) directly or indirectly into or from the USA or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction, nor are they directed to, or intended for use by, any person or entity that is a citizen or resident or located in the USA or in any locality, state, country or other jurisdiction where such release, distribution, publication, availability or use would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction or which would require any registration or licensing within such jurisdiction. Lazard & Co., Limited ('Lazard'), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for ZEAL Network SE and no one else in connection with the proposals referred to in this document. Lazard will not be responsible to anyone other than ZEAL Network SE for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to any of the matters referred to or contemplated in this document. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this document, any statement or report contained herein, any of the matters referred to or contemplated in this document or otherwise. Appendix A QUANTIFIED FINANCIAL BENEFITS STATEMENT Part A This Announcement contains statements of estimated cost savings, revenue synergies and dis-synergies arising from the Combination (together, the 'Quantified Financial Benefits Statement'). A copy of the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement is set out below. 'The Executive Board of ZEAL (the 'ZEAL Board') believes the following: Cost synergies The quantified recurring pre-tax cost synergies expected to result from the Combination principally arise from: a) Business model change (non-personnel costs): Savings in direct costs of operations account for around 60 percent of the overall cost synergies: -- all costs covering the bookmaking risks for the German market (hedging costs) will not be required after the transformation to an online brokerage business; -- reduction of non-deductible VAT within the myLotto24 sub-group. b) Organisational efficiency: Reduction of personnel and other operating expenses within the Combined Group, which represents around 40 percent of the overall cost synergies and will arise from: -- removing business related duplicated roles enabled by the migration of the German broker businesses of the Combined Group onto one technology platform; -- removing duplication of central functions roles; -- removing duplicates in senior management structure; -- rationalisation of the Combined Group's locations; -- removing roles related to hedging activities; and -- reduction of consultancy expenses / professional fees based on de-duplication and changed requirements due to business model change. The total anticipated cost synergies of EUR 57 million per annum are equivalent to approximately 41 percent of the Combined Group operating expenses (including personnel expenses) from continuing operations of EUR 138 million, calculated based on the consolidated audited accounts for each of ZEAL and Lotto24 for the financial year ended 31 December 2017. The ZEAL Board expects that the cost synergy realisation will take place progressively, with approximately 80 percent of the total cost synergies achieved by the end of year one, rising to 100 percent achieved by the end of year two. Revenue synergies and dis-synergies For the Combined Group it is envisaged that there will be overall net revenue dis-synergies of approximately EUR 107 million, mainly caused by the business model change of ZEAL's myLotto24 subsidiary into a German licensed online lottery brokerage business. This represents the loss of approximately 67% of the Combined Group's revenue of EUR 160 million, calculated based on the consolidated audited accounts for each of ZEAL and Lotto24 for the financial year ended 31 December 2017. The revenue synergies and dis-synergies will principally comprise: a) Business model-related revenue dis-synergies of EUR 120 million will be generated mainly from: -- billings loss: An overall billings loss due to the customer loss which will be caused by the transition into an online brokerage business, and reduced average billings per user, due to the restriction to the DLTB product portfolio; and -- margin reduction: A reduction in the margin applied to the Group's reduced billings, as a result of the lower margin of an online brokerage business, relative to the higher margin enjoyed by ZEAL's current secondary lottery business. b) Revenue synergies of EUR 13 million: The revenue dis-synergies will be offset to some extent by increased billings generated by the Combined Group mainly arising from: -- reduced customer acquisition costs due to improved access to and optimization of marketing channels within the Combined Group, which leads to more newly registered & active customers; and -- decreased legal restrictions and improved customer quality, leading to a higher number of active customers and / or higher average spend per user. The ZEAL Board expects the transformation of the business model to be implemented within the first full year following completion. Revenue dis-synergies will take effect at the same time as the business model change with a full run-rate by the end of year one following completion of the Combination. The revenue synergies realisation will take place progressively, with approximately 40 percent of the total revenue synergies achieved by the end of year one, approximately 70 percent achieved by the end of year two and with full the run-rate effect achieved by the end of year three after the completion of the Combination. Costs to achieve The ZEAL Board expects that implementation of the business model change and realisation of the cost and revenue synergies would result in total non-recurring costs in the range of approximately EUR 15 million to EUR 20 million incurred within the first two years following Completion. These costs consist mainly of employee restructuring costs and IT migration costs.' Bases of belief for the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement Following initial discussions regarding the Combination, a synergy development team was established at ZEAL to evaluate and assess the potential synergies available from the Combination. The team, which comprised senior strategy, financial, technology and business personnel at ZEAL, worked to identify and quantify potential synergies as well as estimate any associated costs. The team engaged with the relevant functional heads and other personnel at ZEAL to provide input into the development process and to agree on the nature and quantum of the identified synergy initiatives. In preparing the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement and to estimate the merger benefits relating to the Combination, the ZEAL Board has made use of publicly available information about Lotto24 along with knowledge it continues to have from the period prior to Lotto24's spin-off from ZEAL in 2012 and as a result of the separation of the technology platform in 2015. In circumstances where data has been limited for commercial or other reasons, the team has made estimates and assumptions to aid the development of individual synergy initiatives. ZEAL did not have access to the Lotto24 senior management or any current non-public information about Lotto24 and its business during the preparation of the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement. The bases used for the quantified exercises are: -- ZEAL: Full year 2018 P&L forecast data from ZEAL's financial planning contains 6 months actuals and 6 months forecast. Revenues and resultant synergies / dis-synergies are based on normalised revenue, which has been adjusted to match the statistically expected prize pay-out ratio; -- Lotto24: Rolling 12 months actual P&L data for the period July 2017 to June 2018 has been used as a baseline, as no full year 2018 forecast is publicly available. In arriving at the estimate of synergies set out in this document, the ZEAL Board made the following operational assumptions: -- the Combined Group will migrate the two broker businesses onto one technology platform; -- policies and procedures will be harmonised according to best practices at ZEAL and Lotto24; and -- the Combined Group will, wherever possible, utilise existing resource and capabilities within ZEAL and Lotto24 to deliver the revenue synergies. The ZEAL Board has, in addition, made the following assumptions, all of which are outside its control: -- a license and / or license extension will be granted to the Combined Group to enable the transformation of the myLotto24 sub group's German secondary lottery business into a licensed private online brokerage business; -- there will be no change to macroeconomic, political, regulatory or legal conditions in the markets or regions in which Lotto24 and ZEAL operate that materially impact the implementation or costs to achieve the proposed cost and revenue synergies; -- there will be no material change in current foreign exchange rates; and -- there will be no change in tax legislation or tax rates or other legislation or regulation in the countries in which Lotto24 and ZEAL operate that could materially impact the ability to achieve any benefits. The assessment and quantification of the potential synergies have in turn been informed by ZEAL management's industry experience as well as their experience of executing and integrating past acquisitions. Further synergies and savings not contingent on the Combination and separate to the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement Separately, ZEAL plans to achieve, and has already started to implement recurring cost savings of approximately EUR 4 million per annum as a result of an internal cost saving initiative, which will be delivered by end of 2018. These additional cost savings are not contingent on the Combination and so do not form part of the Quantified Financial Benefits Statement. Furthermore, the ZEAL Board believes that additional synergy opportunities in revenue and costs can be achieved related to the Combination, which are not quantified as part of this Quantified Financial Benefits Statement. Reports As required by Rule 28.1(a) of the Takeover Code, Ernst & Young, as reporting accountants to ZEAL, and Lazard, as financial advisers to ZEAL, have provided the opinions required under that Rule. Copies of these reports are included at Parts B and C of this Appendix A. Each of Ernst & Young and Lazard has given and not withdrawn its consent to the publication of its report in this Announcement in the form and context in which it is included. Notes The Quantified Financial Benefits Statement relates to future actions and circumstances which, by their nature, involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies. As a result, the cost savings and synergies referred to may not be achieved, or may be achieved later or sooner than estimated, or those achieved could be materially different from those estimated. Due to the scale of the Combined Group, there may be additional changes to the Combined Group's operations. As a result, and given the fact that the changes relate to the future, the resulting synergies may be materially greater or less than those estimated. No statement should be construed as a profit forecast or interpreted to mean that the Combined Group's earnings in the first full year following implementation of the Combination, or in any subsequent period, would necessarily match or be greater than or be less than those of ZEAL and / or Lotto24 for the relevant preceding financial period or any other period. Part B Report from Ernst & Young The Directors ZEAL Network SE 5th Floor -- One New Change London EC4M 9AF Lazard & Co. Limited 50 Stratton Street London W1J 8LL 19 November 2018 Dear Sirs We refer to the statement regarding the estimate of expected merger benefits statement ('the Statement') made by ZEAL Network SE ('the Company'). The Statement, including the relevant bases of belief (including sources of information) is set out in Appendix A of the initial announcement of the proposed Offer in compliance with the Takeover Code (the 'Announcement') issued by the Company dated 19 November 2018. This report is required by Rule 28.1(a)(i) of The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'City Code') and is given for the purpose of complying with that rule and for no other purpose. Save for any responsibility that we may have to those persons to whom this report is expressly addressed, to the fullest extent permitted by law we do not assume any responsibility and will not accept any liability to any other person for any loss suffered by any such other person as a result of, arising out of, or in connection with, this report or our statement, required by and given solely for the purposes of complying with Rule 23.2 of the City Code by consenting to its inclusion in the Announcement. Responsibility It is the responsibility of the directors of the Company ('the Directors') to prepare the Statement in accordance with the requirements of the City Code. It is our responsibility to form an opinion as required by the Code as to the proper compilation of the Statement and to report that opinion to you. It is the responsibility of Lazard & Co. Limited to form an opinion as required by, and solely for the purpose of Rule 28.1(a)(ii) of the City Code as to whether the Statement has been prepared with due care and consideration and to report that opinion to you. Basis of opinion We conducted our work in accordance with Standards for Investment Reporting 1000 (Investment Reporting Standards applicable to all engagements in connection with an investment circular) issued by the Auditing Practices Board in the United Kingdom. We have discussed the Statement together with the relevant bases of belief (including sources of information) with the Directors and with Lazard & Co. Limited. Our work did not involve any independent examination of any of the financial or other information underlying the Statement. We do not express any opinion as to the achievability of the cost and revenue synergies, as well as the revenue dis-synergies identified by the Directors. Our work has not been carried out in accordance with auditing or other standards and practices generally accepted in other jurisdictions and accordingly should not be relied upon as if it had been carried out in accordance with those standards and practices. Opinion In our opinion, the Statement has been properly compiled on the basis stated. Yours faithfully Ernst & Young LLP Part C Report from Lazard The Executive Board ZEAL Network SE 5th Floor -- One New Change London EC4M 9AF United Kingdom 19 November 2018 Dear Sirs, Intended public takeover offer for Lotto24 AG by ZEAL Network SE ('ZEAL' or the 'Company') We refer to the ZEAL Quantified Financial Benefits Statement, the bases of belief thereof and the notes thereto (together, the 'Statement') as set out in Part A of Appendix A of this announcement, for which the Directors of ZEAL (the 'Directors' or 'you') are solely responsible under Rule 28 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'City Code'). We have discussed the Statement (including the assumptions and sources of information referred to therein), with the Directors and those officers and employees of ZEAL who developed the underlying plans to which the Statement relates. The Statement is subject to uncertainty as described in this announcement and our work did not involve an independent examination of any of the financial or other information underlying the Statement. You have confirmed to us that all financial and other information relevant to the Statement has been disclosed to us. We have relied upon the accuracy and completeness of all the financial and other information provided to us by, or on behalf of, ZEAL, or otherwise discussed with or reviewed by us, and we have assumed such accuracy and completeness for the purposes of providing this letter. We do not express any opinion as to the achievability of the quantified financial benefits identified in the Statement. We have also reviewed the work carried out by Ernst & Young LLP as auditors of the Company and reporting accountants whose responsibility it is to form an opinion as required by Rule 28.1(a)(i) of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers that the Statement has been properly compiled on the basis stated and that the basis of accounting used is consistent with the Company's accounting policies and we have discussed with them the opinion set out in Part B of Appendix A of this announcement addressed to yourselves and ourselves on this matter. This letter is provided to you solely in connection with Rule 28.1(a)(ii) of the City Code and for no other purpose. We accept no responsibility to the Company or its shareholders or any person other than the Directors in respect of the contents of this letter. We are acting exclusively as financial adviser to the Company and no one else in connection with the transaction referenced above in connection with which the Statement has been produced and it was solely for the purpose of complying with Rule 28.1(a)(ii) that you requested us to prepare this letter. No person other than the Directors can rely on the contents of this letter and accordingly, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) to any other person in respect of this letter, its contents or the work undertaken in relation to this letter, or any of the results or conclusions that can be derived from this letter or any written or oral information provided in connection with this letter, and in relation to any loss suffered by any such person as a result of, or in connection with, this letter. On the basis of the foregoing, we consider that the Statement, for which you as the Directors are solely responsible, has been prepared with due care and consideration. Yours faithfully, For and on behalf of Lazard & Co., Limited Part D Definitions The following definitions apply throughout this Appendix A unless the context otherwise requires: 'Announcement' -- the announcement of the Company on 19 November of its intention to make the Offer; 'Combination' -- the proposed combination of the business of ZEAL and Lotto24 following successful completion of the Offer; 'Combined Group' -- the Existing Group as enlarged by the acquisition of control of Lotto24 pursuant to the Offer; 'Company' or 'ZEAL' -- ZEAL Network SE; 'Completion' -- The completion of the Combination; 'DLTB' -- Deutscher Lotto- und Totoblock, the German Association of State Lottery Companies; 'Ernst & Young' -- Ernst & Young LLP; 'Executive Board' -- the executive board of the Company, comprising, at the date of this document, Dr Helmut Becker (Chairman of the Executive Board) and Jonas Mattsson (Chief Financial Officer); 'Existing Group' -- the Company, its subsidiaries and its subsidiary undertakings and associated undertakings whose results are fully consolidated into the Company's annual consolidated accounts, as at the date of this document; 'Lazard' -- Lazard & Co., Limited, independent advisers to the Company; 'Lotto24' -- Lotto24 AG; 'myLotto24' -- myLotto24 Limited, an associated undertaking of the Company whose results are fully consolidated into the Company's annual consolidated accounts and which carries on business in the United Kingdom as a bookmaker; 'Offer' -- the voluntary takeover offer pursuant to the German Takeover Act to be made by the Company to acquire all the issued shares of Lotto24; 'Takeover Code' or 'Code' -- the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. China's state-run Xinhua News has debuted what it called the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) anchor. But the novelty has generated more dislikes than likes online among Chinese netizens, with many calling the new virtual host "a news-reading device without a soul." Analysts say the latest creation has showcased China's short-term progress in voice recognition, text mining and semantic analysis, but challenges remain ahead for its long-term ambition of becoming an AI superpower by 2030. 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The vessel was detected 800 m deep in waters off the Valdes Peninsula in Argentine Patagonia, the statement said. The navy said a "positive identification" had been made by a remote-operated submersible from the American ship Ocean Infinity, which was hired for the latest search for the missing vessel. The discovery was announced just two days after families of the missing sailors held a commemoration one year after the sub disappeared on Nov. 15, 2017. Commitment to Find the Truth On Thursday, on the anniversary of the disappearance, President Mauricio Macri said the families of the submariners should not feel alone and delivered an "absolute and non-negotiable commitment" to find "the truth." Macri promised a full investigation after the submarine was lost. Federal police raided naval bases and other buildings last January as part of the probe, soon after the government dismissed the head of the navy. The San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata when contact was lost. Argentina gave up hope of finding survivors after an intense search aided by 18 countries, but the navy has continued searching for the vessel. A Constitutional crisis- undermining the Constitution By Prof. Srilal M. Perera View(s): View(s): The present crisis in Sri Lanka, generated first, by the appointment of a second Prime Minister by the President, while the first had not been properly removed from, or ceased to hold office under the Constitution, has created a very serious constitutional dilemma. The crisis was compounded by the dissolution of Parliament. The Gazette Notification pronouncing the dissolution of Parliament was challenged in fourteen separate Petitions and a three judge bench of the Supreme Court stayed the application of all actions contemplated in the notification until December 7, 2018. That the Presidents decisions were based on a reliance on the Constitution cannot be denied. But on what specific provisions in the 19th Amendment is sometimes unclear. The 19th Amendment should have been the sole basis for the Presidents decisions since that law in reality governs all of the actions taken by the President. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is in itself replete with inconsistencies. Therefore, the present crisis has also been seriously affected by the structural weaknesses in the 19th Amendment. Notwithstanding, it is the 19th Amendment which must be examined to attempt to find, at least, some objectivity for the decisions taken. Appointment of a Prime Minister under the 19th Amendment The original Chapter VIII of the Constitution having been repealed in its entirety, the matter of appointment of a Prime Minister and the Cabinet is now guided by the 19th Amendment. The exactly applicable provision is Article 42(4): 42(4) The President shall appoint as Prime Minister the Member of Parliament, who, in the Presidents opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. (emphasis added). It appears that the President in appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa, as Prime Minister, had recourse to this provision. It does give the President flexibility to use his subjective judgment. A prima facie reading of the Section provides the President with this appointing authority. (Incidentally, the original provision of the Constitution Article 43(3) has the same language with a minor change the words in his opinion have been changed to in the Presidents opinion perhaps for avoidance of any doubt, to ensure that it is the Presidents subjective opinion that matters). But it can be equally and persuasively argued that the Presidents decision cannot be based on a purely subjective opinion. First, that subjective opinion has to be based on the fact that the individual chosen to be Prime Minister is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. Hence, the Presidents subjective judgment must necessarily be substantiated on some reasonable test on which to justify his opinion. And that can only be accomplished through reference to all Members of Parliament the nomination of the specified Member of Parliament to be appointed as Prime Minister. In the tradition of well-established democratic principles, the nominee should at least have the approbation of a simple majority in Parliament. That did not happen in the case of the purported appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. Second, the reasonable intent of the drafters of the original Constitutional provision that is also mirrored in the 19th Amendment cannot be read to anoint such powers of appointment on the President in any and under all circumstances. Generally, only two clear situations can be foreseen in the context of the Constitution read as a whole for the appointment of the Prime Minister. The first is upon the conclusion of a general election; or second, where the Government has lost its Parliamentary majority under specified circumstances. In the latter circumstances, and as a practical matter, the Government is unable, therefore, to carry out its legislative functions and Parliament is dissolved by the President. Clearly, these are the only two circumstances under which the President can exercise his power of appointment of a Prime Minister, albeit in accordance with the Presidents opinion. There is no evidence however, that any of these events had, in fact, ever occurred before Mr. Rajapaksa was appointed as Prime Minister. The Office of the Prime Minister One of the most substantive changes brought about in the 19th Amendment was to legislate for transfer of some of the Presidents executive powers, prescribed in the Constitution, to the Prime Minister. The objective of the applicable provisions for such a transition is clearly evident from the language of Article 46(2) of the 19th Amendment. Article 46(2) states thus: (2) The Prime Minister shall continue to hold office throughout the period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the provisions of the Constitution unless: (a) he resigns his office by a writing under his hand addressed to the President; or (b) ceases to be a Member of Parliament. The current events which have occurred do not show any evidence that any of these elements were present or had occurred. At the time of the appointment of Mr. Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the President, upon Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes advice, was still functioning. Neither had Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned his office by writing to the President nor had he ceased to be a Member of Parliament. Therefore, a reasonable conclusion which can be drawn is that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, could not have been properly removed from office under Article 46(2) and, therefore, remains the constitutionally appointed Prime Minister. The result is a wholly abstract situation of having two competing Prime Ministers. This could never have been foreseen or intended under the Constitution. Is the Prime Ministers term in office limited to the term of the Cabinet of Ministers? An argument has been advanced by some commentators that the prefatory language in Article 46(2) of the 19th Amendment can lead to a conclusion that the Prime Ministers holding of office is limited to a period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the Constitution. It is to the analysis of this line of argument that we must now turn. In order to determine whether there is such an intended limitation it is necessary to examine the specific provisions in the 19th Amendment that speak to the appointment of Cabinet Ministers, removal of Cabinet Ministers and the time frame provided in the 19th Amendment for the Cabinet of Ministers to function. Articles 43(1) and 43(2) of the 19th Amendment give the power of appointing of each Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers to the President, but always on the advice of the Prime Minister. This task was carried out by the President in 2015, to appoint a Cabinet of Ministers upon the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. And they continued to function as a Cabinet of Ministers, albeit changes of portfolios having occurred from time to time, all in accordance with such Articles. It is important to note, in context, that once appointed the Cabinet of Ministers is responsible and answerable only to Parliament and not to the President. A key Article under the 19th Amendment, and clearly relevant to the argument presented, is Article 46(3) which concerns the removal of Ministers from the Cabinet. Article 46(3) states as follows: A Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, a Minister who is not a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and a Deputy Minister, shall continue to hold office throughout the period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the provisions of the Constitution unless he: (a) is removed from office under the hand of the President on advice of the Prime Minister; (b) resigns from office by a writing under his hand addressed to the President; or (c) ceases to be a Member of Parliament. The logic of this argument seems to be that the President by his ability to remove every one of the members of the Cabinet by the hand of the President (presumably in writing), can by doing so disable the Cabinet of Ministers as a whole, from carrying out their functions under the Constitution. Ipso facto, read together with Article 46(2), the conclusion is that the Prime Minister himself cannot continue to function since he holds office only throughout the period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function... This argument is extremely tenuous. First, at the time of writing, it is not evident that the President ever sent a written notice to Cabinet Members that they have been dismissed. Second, if he did so, there is no evidence that he secured the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (on whose advice the President sought to appoint the respective Ministers), in order to dismiss them. This is a required condition under Article 46(3)(a). Third, another anomaly in the 19th Amendment is that the President himself, under Article 42(3) is a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and in fact is the Head of the Cabinet. Hence, reliance on this line of reasoning can lead to absurd presumptions. To lend Article 46(2) to be completely effective, the President will also have had to serve written notice on himself to be removed from offices of the ministries in his charge! (See, also in context Paragraph 50 of the Special Provisions of the 19th Amendment). It is inconceivable that the President ever did so or would have contemplated meeting such a requirement with his actions. Fourth, none of the Ministers of the previous Cabinet had either resigned or ceased to be a Member of Parliament, in compliance with the requirements of Articles 46(3)(b) or 46(3)(c). Therefore, the previous Cabinet of Ministers can be deemed to have not been properly dismissed under the Constitution. Another key argument in support of the Presidents actions, which is being made, concerns the application of Article 48(1) of the Constitution. It reads as follows: On the Prime Minister ceasing to hold office by death, resignation or otherwise, exceptduring the period intervening between the dissolution of Parliament and the conclusion of the General Election, the Cabinet of Ministers shall, unless the President has in the exercise of his powers under Article 70, dissolved Parliament, stand dissolved and the President shall appoint a Prime Minister, Members of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministers who are not members of the Cabinet of Ministers and Deputy Ministers in terms Article 42, 43, 44 and 45. (Emphasis added) Justification under this section yet seems to be the strongest argument that can be made for the apparent constitutional appropriateness of the steps taken by the President. But this argument also runs squarely into the same rigid conditionality included in Article 46(2) that the Prime Minister can only be relieved from office if he either resigns or ceases to be a Member of Parliament. It could nevertheless be argued that the above emphasized phrase or otherwise contemplates other ways by which the Prime Minister can cease to hold office. There is no evidence, however, at least to this writers knowledge, that in the communication dismissing the Prime Minister, that Article 48(1) was cited as the justification. In any event, in addition to death and resignation of the Prime Minister which are specifically mentioned, one other way the Prime Minister can cease to hold office is by ceasing to become a Member of Parliament. Since it is not specifically mentioned in Article 48(1) that condition can be deemed to conform to the emphasized phrase or otherwise, as with other circumstances reviewed below. But none of these material conditions for cessation of the Prime Minister to hold office have occurred for the Cabinet of Ministers to have been dissolved and remain dissolved. Article 48(1) corresponds to the original Article 49(1) of the Constitution, which in relevant part states: 49(1) On the Prime Minister ceasing to hold office by removal, resignation or otherwise, except during the period intervening between the dissolution of Parliament. (Emphasis added). It is important to note the emphasized phrase by removal. This phrase was deliberately removed in Article 48(1) of the 19th Amendment in order to obviously align it with Article 46(2) of the 19th Amendment. This was precisely to avoid any presumption that the Prime Minister can be removed from office by the President at will, as originally envisaged in the Constitution. However, it is also argued that the Sinhalese version of Article 48(1) never eliminated the phrase by removal therein. Consequently, it is argued that Article 48(1) properly anticipated a removal of the Prime Minister and, therefore, that the Presidents actions were in conformity with the Constitution. However, the phrase cannot be read in isolation of the other applicable Articles; specifically, Article 46(2) which clearly specifies the ways in which the Prime Minister ceases to hold office. Therefore, in accordance with general principles of interpretation, absent any other provision which clearly specifies how the Prime Minister can be removed and by whom, Article 46(2) supersedes any other interpretation under any less specific Article in the Constitution. Paragraph 48 of the 19th Amendment also adds a specific provision on inconsistency in relation to interpretation as follows: 48 In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail. Those who have argued that this provision entitles the Sinhala text to prevail in the event of an inconsistency have not quite interpreted the text accurately. Prima facie, the Sinhala text will only prevail where there is an inconsistency with the Tamil text of the Act and NOT where there is an inconsistency with the English text. Yet, objectively speaking, an argument can be made that under the Constitution, Sinhalese and Tamil are the official languages (Articles 18 and 19 of the Constitution) and, therefore, English being the link language should yield to the primacy of the Sinhala version of the text. It is a fair point and can be argued. However, the English text, being more consistent with the specific changes made in the 19th Amendment, must prevail over any other text to the contrary because it deems to capture the specific intent encapsulated in Article 46(2) that is the same in the Sinhalese text of that Article. If not, Article 46(2) of the Constitution can be rendered without any practical use. One other plausible way, constitutionally, where the Cabinet of Ministers can be dissolved by virtue of which the Prime Minister ceases to hold office. This is Article 48(2) of the 19th Amendment. Article 48(2) in relevant part reads as follows; If Parliament rejects the Statement of Government Policy or the Appropriations Bill or passes a vote of no confidence in the Government, the Cabinet of Ministers shall stand dissolved.. Once again, none of the aforementioned events had occurred for the President to justify the dismissal of the Prime Minister under the 19th Amendment of the Constitution. While there was recently a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister, that vote in Parliament failed to muster a majority and it was not a vote of no confidence in the Government. The only other method of indirectly dismissing the Prime Minister would have been through the dissolution of Parliament. But the ordinary dissolution of Parliament has been curtailed under Article 70(1) of the Constitution as amended under the 19th Amendment. The President cannot dissolve Parliament for a period of four years and six months from the date appointed for the Parliaments first meeting. The earliest that can happen in this instance is late 2019. But, the President citing his enabling power under Articles 33(2)(c), 62(2), and 70 dissolved Parliament. Article 62(2) of the Constitution also anticipates circumstances where the Parliament can be dissolved earlier as per the phrase unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, every Parliament shall continue for 5 years. Objectively speaking these provisions requires further analysis. It is true that Article 33(2)(c) does empower the President to to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament,. It is, however, an empowering Article and does not mean that such power can be exercised without regard to the rest of the limiting Articles in the Constitution, such as Article 70(1), or Article 62(2). Article 62(2) sets the upper time limit, or ceiling for Parliament to be in session for no longer than five years. Article 70(1) sets the lower time limit, or the floor, to four years and six months. Furthermore, it is manifestly clear that Article 70(1) intended to qualify what maybe assumed to be the Presidents otherwise entrenched power to dissolve parliament under Article 33(2)(c). Article 70(1), in fact, recognizes this power of the President who may by proclamation, summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament, which is the preface to the proviso which follows, that the President shall not dissolve Parliament until the expiration of four years and six months. The use of the phrase shall not is obligatory or mandatory. In sum, there cannot be an ordinary dissolution of Parliament prior to the time-limits set in Article 70(1) or after the expiration of the time limit set-forth in Article 62(2). The only exceptions are those circumstances set forth for a prior dissolution of Parliament discussed earlier, under Article 48(2). If reliance is placed only on the empowering Article 33(2)(c), all of the aforementioned Articles are rendered totally useless and ineffective. Given, the precarious circumstances, and as anticipated, 14 separate fundamental rights petitions were filed before the Supreme Court under Article 125(1) of the Constitution for its determination of the constitutionality of the decisions taken by the President. The Supreme Court has the exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question relating to the interpretation of the Constitution A three judge bench of the Supreme Court, however, did not decide on the constitutionality or otherwise of the Presidents decisions. The Court instead stayed the enforcement of actions contemplated in the specific Gazette Notification until it had the opportunity to hear all of the petitions. It would then make its final decision on December 7. In the interim, the dissolution order can have no effect and Parliament would, therefore, resume its present term. The chaos and confusion which has followed is the outcome of the still unresolved constitutional issues. Consequences The series of actions taken by the President without due regard for the procedures set forth in the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, has created serious political gridlock. It has further undermined the integrity of the Constitution, no matter its inherent flaws and serious errors in consistency, as earlier observed. For the foregoing reasons, with the appointment of Mr. Rajapaksa as Prime Minister by the President, the dismissal of Mr. Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and the dissolution of Parliament, the potential for a finding of breaches of fundamental provisions of the Constitution is possible. These possible breaches can have severe consequences. First, such action and related actions can have serious consequences for the President, particularly in light of his constitutional duty to ensure that the Constitution is respected and upheld. (Section 33(a) of the 19th Amendment). Second, such action has completely undermined the integrity of the Constitution. Third, exercising of such unchecked executive power has rendered fundamental democratic principles in the form of separation of powers to be under serious jeopardy. The catastrophic consequences are all too evident to observe. By not seeking to find ways to legally dissolve the Cabinet of Ministers through the only methods iterated in Section 48(2) of the 19th Amendment; having no constitutional right to dismiss the Prime Minister in the manner done; and by dissolving Parliament, the President finds himself in a precarious situation. The interim decision of the Supreme Court merely exacerbated an already volatile situation. The nation is in a perilous situation confronting a constitutional crisis; an impasse from which it will be extremely difficult to extricate itself. It can only be hoped a well-considered Supreme Court decision on December, the 7th, might provide an interpretation which can finally reinstate a status quo of stability. (Prof. Srilal Perera is Adjunct Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law of the American University and has previously opined on constitutional issues in Sri Lanka) The British-born designer of the likes of the iPod, iMac, MacBook Air, iPhone and iPad has teamed up with acclaimed industrial designer, Marc Newson, to create the glittering trinket event to raise funds to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa. Said to be inspired by the unibody design of the MacBook, the premium diamond ring is cut out of a single diamond block with some of its facets measuring as small as several hundred micrometres. The interior portion of the ring is cut and smoothened using a micrometer thick water jet with a laser beam and will showcase between 2000-3000 facets. The ring will be sold at an upcoming Sotheby's auction and will be custom made to fit the buyer up to a size 5. It is not the first time Ive and Newson have collaborated. Previously they have created several pieces together such as an aluminium clad work desk, a retro-looking Leica camera and a one-of-a-kind MacBook Pro in red, each of which were sold for millions of dollars. As for this new diamond ring, it is expected to fetch anywhere between $150,000 to $250,000 at the Sothebys Auction on 8 December. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo issued reassuring statements for the people of Gibraltar on Thursday, following the publication of the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU. Brexit draft deal angers Brits in Europe : Page 22 With fears having been expressed by some over the wording of the agreement and the special protocol for Gibraltar, referring to cooperation on various matters between Gibraltar and Spain and increased prices for fuel, alcohol and probably tobacco on the Rock, he and the Gibraltar government stressed that there was nothing to worry about. In a press release, Picardo said: "This Protocol contains absolutely no concessions on sovereignty, jurisdiction or control. We would not have accepted it if it had. There are no issues of bilateralism that can cause any concern. Gibraltar, for EU purposes, has always been included in the definition of the Member State United Kingdom. This is an important part of our inclusion in the proposed Implementation Period and the definition of the United Kingdom in the Withdrawal Agreement. There are no matters which in any way challenge our fundamental positions on any key issues. I expect to make a ministerial statement explaining the details of the Protocol and the Memoranda of Understanding next week. I am satisfied that the aspects of the proposed Withdrawal Agreement which relate to Gibraltar work for Gibraltar. There are many more documents to be published so that every part of the Protocol and its effect on Gibraltar can be properly analysed and understood." One of the most important aspects of this proposed Withdrawal Agreement is that the transition period will apply to Gibraltar, something which was in doubt some time ago, before the change of Spanish government. This had been a top priority for the government, because otherwise Gibraltar would have crashed out of the European Union in March 2019. The chief minister made it clear that if this draft agreement is signed, things will largely remain as they are until the end of 2020. "This period will allow for the negotiation of the future relationship with the European Union which would be expected to apply after the end of the transition," he said. Although Theresa May initially appeared to have backing for this deal, it has yet to be signed. The Gibraltar authorities, although they would prefer Britain not to be leaving the EU, are in favour of this agreement if the choice is between that or a 'hard Brexit'. They are convinced it is better for Gibraltar than crashing out of the European Union in four months' time without an agreement, a prospect which Picardo says would be "very bad indeed for Gibraltar". Sheikh Al-Thani is no longer involved in La Bajadilla marina. The Supreme Court has decided not to admit the proceedings filed by Nas Marbella, the joint company headed by Al-Thani, against the refusal by the Andalusian High Court of Justice (TSJA) to allow an appeal against the decision to annul the concession for the management and extension to the port, which was approved in 2011. The Supreme Court had declared the appeal inadmissible in a sentence dictated in Madrid last September, which this newspaper has now seen. This was the last possibility for Al-Thani to continue legal action and remain linked in some way to La Bajadilla port, because this decision by the Supreme Court means that the High Court sentence is final. On 28 September last year the Andalusian court decided that Al-Thani did not fulfill the necessary technical and financial solvency requirements and therefore the temporary joint company of which he is the head should not have been permitted to bid for the contract for the expansion of the port. The court decided that at the time of presenting the bid, the company failed to meet the requirements because it could not show a minimum threshold of turnover during the three previous years as it was a newly formed company, and it had no experience in managing marinas. For that reason it annulled the decision adopted in 2011 by the Andalusian Public Ports Agency (APPA), which is part of the regional government, when it accepted a bid from Nas Marbella, the joint company formed by a company belonging to Sheikh Al-Thani (Nasir Bin Abdullah & Sons SL), the Marbella Leisure Port and the town council. The sentence, which is now definitive, annuls the original decision by the contracting committee more than six years previously and all later ones, including granting the concession to the company headed by the sheikh for the expansion and management of the port. Although the APPA, which a year earlier had already cancelled the adjudication and recovered the concession due to continual breaches by Al-Thani, decided not to appeal, the sheikh did so without the backing of his partners, Marbella council and its municipal company Puerto Deportivo de Marbella. He appealed first to the TSJA and then, when that was unsuccessful, tried the Supreme Court, which also rejected the case. Another temporary joint company, formed by local businessmen who wanted to manage the port but whose application was turned down in favour of the sheikh, also took action against the APPA over its decision to allow Marbella council to be a partner in the joint company with Al-Thani and Marbella Leisure Port, claiming that the sheikh could turn to the town hall for financing in order to make the company look solvent. It was good news for European consumers last week when the European Parliament voted in favour of a new EU-wide Electronic Communications Code. The document brings together different communications laws and prepares Europe for the introduction of 5G networks, which the EU has estimated could need 500 to 600 billion euros' investment, mostly from private operators. The EU wants to guarantee operators who buy network licences a minimum 20-year contract to encourage them to invest in the services known as 'big data', including artificial intelligence and robotics. In terms of call costs, a decision was taken that from 15 May 2019, the price to call between two EU countries will be 19 cents a minute, and six cents for an SMS. Despite the introduction of EU-wide roaming in June last year, operators generally continue charging high call tariffs for these types of conversations. For example, it can cost 60 cents per minute to call a Belgian mobile from a Spanish mobile and 1.50 euros vice versa. However, Spain is one of the countries where these costs have come down the most since the introduction of roaming, by up to 70 per cent. The EU rejected operators' objections that there was enough competition in the market already from upstart services like WhatsApp. Citizens' groups representing Britons abroad have reacted "with anger and disappointment" to the draft Brexit deal which Theresa May's cabinet approved on Wednesday evening. British in Europe, which is an umbrella organisation representing British people's rights with regards to Brexit, issued a statement on Thursday morning while MPs debated the 585-page draft document in the House of Commons. Jane Golding, co-chair of British in Europe said, "We were told in March that citizens' rights were a done deal and that discussions on this would not be reopened. However it is clear from the text that some changes have in fact been made, meaning that it is unacceptable and upsetting that free movement - a lifeline for many of us - has been excluded when both sides knew it was critical for us." Theresa May has said that she is "determined to see this through" despite criticism on many fronts By Thursday morning, May's draft deal had already led to the resignation of three senior Tories and calls for the prime minister herself to stand down. May faced mounting pressure as three Conservative ministers, including the second Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Dominic Raab; Work and Pensions Secretary, Esther McVey; and Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Ranil Jayawardena, all resigned over the draft deal. The same morning, which heard impassioned statements from both sides of the Brexit debate, details of a letter written by hard Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg emerged in which he calls for a vote of no confidence against Theresa May and suggests she should "step aside". Leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, whose views on Brexit have never been made clear, said that the existing deal "does not meet Labour's six tests". Throughout Thursday's debate in the Commons, when challenged on the possibility of a People's Vote on the final deal, May repeatedly said that there would be "no second vote" and that "the British people voted to leave in the 2016 referendum and that is what we will deliver". She also stated that there were "no plans for no Brexit" but that in the event of a no deal, the rights of EU citizens already living in the UK "would be protected". The rights of British citizens living in the EU27 remain in limbo. At a press conference later on Thursday May said that she was "determined to see this though" despite growing criticism. Healthcare bill debate While the cabinet was meeting at Downing Street to agree on the draft deal, the second reading of the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill was being debated at Westminster. The bill aims to legislate for post-Brexit alternatives to Britain's current reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the European Union. Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, Stephen Barclay, presented the bill and said that it "will help to ensure that UK nationals who live and work in EU countries can continue to access healthcare on the same basis as local people". The bill was largely supported by MPs who participated in the reading. It will now be commended to the House of Commons and will pass to a committee stage. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the test of a new weapon for the first time since North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in November last year, state media reported Friday. The official Rodong Sinmun daily said Kim watched the test of a newly developed high-tech tactical weapon at the test site near Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province. Kim said that the test was successful, "meeting all superior and powerful designing indicators" but did not disclose what it was. The South Korean government and military only said they are "analyzing" the report. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) inspects a weapons test site near Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province in this photo from North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun daily on Friday. It is believed to be either a new surface-to-ship cruise missile that could be used in striking an aircraft carrier or a new multiple rocket launcher with precision guidance. However, South Korean military authorities said the test was not a provocation. "By saying, 'high-tech,' the North was announcing to its people that it's aspiring to become a military power," a military spokesman here said. "By 'tactical weapon,' it meant it wasn't a show of force to the outside world." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) visits a glass factory in North Pyongan Province in this photo from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. Meanwhile, Kim reiterated the importance of modernization during a visit to a glass factory in the same province. "The world is rapidly changing and developing," the official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Sunday quoted him as saying. Gary Samore, a former White House coordinator for arms control, told Radio Free Asia that the latest test means that the regime is trying to put pressure on Seoul and Washington to gain economic benefits through the easing of sanctions. Back in May, Kim sent 300,000 soldiers to construction sites, saying that it would be possible to attract foreign investment because international sanctions were expected to be eased, a source told the Tokyo Shimbun. Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun (center) arrives at a rest area in Goseong, Gangwon Province on Sunday. /Newsis Meanwhile, about 100 Hyundai Group executives and staff led by chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, arrived in the North on Sunday for a two-day event marking the 20th anniversary of package tours to the Mt. Kumgang resort. Fostering Pathways to Success (FP2S) Title V Grant Purpose of Hispanic Serving Institutions Program The Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Program provides grants to assist Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. HSI Program grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance the academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability of colleges and universities that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and help large numbers of Hispanic students and other low-income individuals complete postsecondary degrees. FP2S PROJECT Texas A&M University-Kingsville received a five year Title V grant from the US Department of Education starting October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2025 through a competitive grant process. The Fostering Pathways to Success (FP2S) grant project will provide students and TAMUK Stakeholders with pathways that foster retention, persistence and completion to graduation through student-centered high-impact practices. Goal 1 addresses the need to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students that will participate in undergraduate research, internships, and financial literacy workshops. The Association of American Colleges and Universities identifies both internships* and undergraduate research* as high-impact practices that increase student retention rates, student engagement, and graduation. Goal 2 addresses the need to provide professional development to faculty interested in redesigning their course to include classroom-based undergraduate research through a High- Impact Practices in Higher Education Conference held annually. Through this initiative, faculty will acquire knowledge and skills to enhance student learning via classroom-based research. Additionally, Goal 2 will facilitate collaborative series of meetings between TAMUK Stakeholders and surrounding area employers to create academic plans that address industry required marketable skills. Goal 3 will provide Hispanic and low-income students an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills through a Design, Explore, and Create (DEC) Makerspace Studio. This space will invite users to explore traditional and digital media, interact with mentors and peers, engage in creative projects, help students develop their creativity and collaboration skills, implement project-based learning, and promote campus learning spaces effectively. Title V HSI Grant #P031S200040 Funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program for $3,000,000 October 1, 2020 September 30, 2025 Korea on Saturday drew a friendly match against Australia in Brisbane 1-1. Hwang Ui-jo scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute but Massimo Luongo dramatically equalized in the final minutes. Korea has yet to lose under coach Paulo Bento, who has two wins and three draws in five games since taking the helm of the Korean national football team in August. North Korean defector Oh Chong-song, whose bold dash across the heavily armed border in November last year made global headlines, spoke with Japan's Sankei Shimbun on Friday. "I really thought North Korea would go to war with the U.S. when tensions rose last year," he said. Oh uses a pseudonym, but the daily said Japanese intelligence had verified his identity. The interview took place in Tokyo, and the Sankei published a short video clip showing Oh in a white T-shirt and black jacket and speaking with hardly any trace of a North Korean accent. If the person interviewed was the actual defector, it would be his first comments to the media since his defection. Oh strongly criticized the North Korean regime. "Probably around 80 percent of my generation has no interest or loyalty" to the regime, he said. "If the regime was able to feed the people, we would applaud it, but they are giving us nothing." He also slammed the "excessive" personality cult surrounding leader Kim Jong-un. He identified himself as the son of a brigadier general and said, "I knew about [South] Korean movies and music and thought about visiting." But he added that he never imagined he would defect. We talked with Marcelo Maia, an openly HIV-positive member of ACT UP NYs Meth Working Group, about what else to expect from the forum, which goes from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free and open to all. ( Register here .) The forum will also highlight group treatment programs such as GMHC and Housing Works' Re-Charge and the LGBT Center's outpatient recovery program , which exist as alternatives or additions to the more traditional, abstinence-focused 12-step approach of Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) . And the forum will highlight studies of pharmaceutical treatments to treat or alleviate meth withdrawal. The evening of Nov. 29 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, an array of LGBTQ doctors and activists (including TheBody senior editor Kenyon Farrow and contributing writer David Fawcett, Ph.D., LCSW) will take part in ParTy boi, Meth & Health , a forum organized by ACT UP's Crystal Meth Working Group to provide more information about the party drug's effects on the brain and treatment options for reducing or stopping use. The forum is aimed primarily at gay and bisexual men of color, whose meth use in New York City has increased dramatically in recent years, according to anecdotal accounts from many experts and activists. It will feature a screening of parTy boi: black diamonds in ice castles , a highly graphic documentary about meth use in New York's gay black community made by Micheal Rice. (We wrote about him and the doc last year.) Tim Murphy: Hi Marcelo. Thanks for talking with us! So how did the forum come to be? Marcelo Maia: This whole thing started in 2016, when the social worker and psychotherapist David Fawcett came to the LGBT Center to talk about his book Lust, Men and Meth: A Gay Man's Guide to Sex and Recovery. He blew us away with the amount of information he had, telling us that there was no FDA-approved treatment for meth in the U.S., even though the drug has been around since World War II. There's nothing like a nicotine patch to help alleviate the cravings when you're trying to stop using. The hallucinogenic drug ibogaine is used in some countries, but it's illegal in the United States. Meth releases an explosion of dopamine in the brain, and because with gay men the drug is often introduced during sex, the two things become linked to the point where often people don't know if they're getting together for sex or for the drug. So the following week, I created the ACT UP Meth Working Group to raise awareness about meth and how it affects people -- where they can go to get help. With meth, you're really embarking on a voyage where you don't know how it's going to end. We're not trying to criticize people for doing it or even trying to make people stop. We have a harm-reduction approach, and we've been greatly aided by Demetre Daskalakis, M.D., M.P.H., who is the best thing that's ever happened to New York's department of health. He helped start the GMHC/Housing Works Re-Charge program. I've been to a couple of the group meetings. It's mostly young black and Latinx men there, who are the focus of this forum, too, and who also are the most at risk for HIV. We're not trying to be sex-negative, but there is an established relationship between meth use and HIV risk. TM: What are unique issues for gay men of color using or trying to reduce use of meth? MM: The quality of care and prevention is often impacted by racism. Just starting with getting help, going to a place where you don't see yourself represented. That's a barrier. It can even play out in terms of how the receptionist treats you. TM: Why do you think that 12-step programs like CMA are not enough? MM: I've never been to a CMA meeting, but something that says you should abstain from a substance that maybe you feel like you can't live without -- that's a huge hurdle for people, stopping cold turkey. A harm-reduction approach like at Re-Charge is a much softer transition, where people can come in at the stage they want to be at and continue getting help. They open up, come to a few meetings, get a one-on-one counselor to design a personal program with. They might decide to try to do meth just once a month, or to stop injecting it and smoke it instead. The idea is to reduce risk or harm. Ideally, of course, the idea is to help people stay [away] from it, but not in a radical setting where, if you fall off the wagon, you have to go back to the beginning, Day Zero. That puts a lot of extra pressure on people who are already psychologically fragile from the drug in terms of challenges with work, housing, health care, family and friend relationships. TM: What do you hope will come out of this forum? MM: Giving people information. People may have used for a long time but still don't have a very good idea about the effect it's having on their brains. Again, it's not about criticizing anyone for their habits. Hopefully, people who've never even heard of meth will come, so they'll understand what family members and friends are going through. Researcher Gabriel Torres is going to talk a bit about what Columbia University is doing in terms of studying pharmaceutical treatment approaches. TM: You said in the promo material for the forum that meth use "grows like mushrooms in the shadow of the opioid epidemic." What do you mean? MM: Meth use doesn't cause the high number of overdose deaths that opioids do, but according to an article in The Lancet, it actually accounts for 11% of them. I call it the crystal elephant in the bedroom that nobody is talking about. The point is to raise awareness about the issue and not just let it sit there. President Moon Jae-in told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday he hopes both sides will work more closely to improve ties between Seoul and Beijing and to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. The two met for about 40 minutes on the sidelines of the APEC meetings in Papua New Guinea on Saturday. Xi said he hopes to visit both Seoul and Pyongyang next year. Moon said the visits "would help to improve relations between the North and the South." The total number of illegal immigrants is expected to surpass 350,000, and the justice ministry has 250 people just working on cracking down on them. As of the end of September this year, 11,177 people are now staying in Korea illegally on a D-4 visa, double last year's 7,136. "The number of people staying illegally is rising fast, but we don't have enough manpower to track them down," a ministry official said. "That's why we're considering tightening visa requirements." Currently, D-4 visa can be obtained with a simple background check, but many overstay them and work illegally in Korea. The plan is to apply this new hurdle for people from 26 countries including China and Vietnam, where many illegal immigrants come from. The ministry is currently seeking opinions on this matter from language institutes attached to universities. It is considering making it a requirement for applicants to pass at least Level 2 in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), which means the applicant can speak enough Korean to get by in daily life such as making phone calls and using banks or the post office. The Justice Ministry is considering adding a Korean language proficiency requirement for D-4 general training visas for certain nationalities. D-4 visa is issued to those who want to study Korean at qualified institutions or learn skills or technology at public research organizations. But universities argue that it makes no sense to require a certain level of proficiency from people who come here specifically to learn Korean in the first place. There are often limits to learning Korean in their home countries, and TOPIK tests is not administered in over 130 countries. "Why do we have to stop students who wish to come to Korea because they like Korea? I've never heard of such visa requirement for language students in other countries," said a staffer at well-known university in Seoul. Another university staffer in North Chungcheong Province said, "If this comes into effect, the number of language students will drop by half. One university in North Jeolla Province is considering opening a Korean language course in Vietnam to teach prospective students before they can come to Korea. The move might also have a negative effect on the global popularity of Korean popular culture. A professor at a private university in Seoul said, "About one-third of our students are K-pop fans. They invite friends over from their home countries, and go to K-pop concerts. Many of their friends end up becoming language students in Korea themselves." Even the U.S., which is constantly vowing to get tougher on illegal migration, does not request language skills from language students at the visa application stage but instead keeps a closer eye on them when they are there. For example, U.S. authorities check their attendance at school every three or four weeks. If the number of absences increases suspiciously, the visa is forfeited and investigation begins. Kim Nam-jo at Hanyang University said, "Language students from abroad are among the main advocates of K-pop culture. Rather than making it hard for prospective students to enter Korea, we should come up with a better measure to ensure they stay within the legal limits." The ministry will hold a meeting with officials from universities on Monday, and announce the final plan by the end of the year. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 08:30 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc00f0 4 Editorial #Editorial,aviation,Garuda-Indonesia,Sriwijaya-Air,citilink,Transportation Free The recent takeover of Sriwijaya Air operations by Citilink, the budget airline subsidiary of state-owned Garuda Indonesia, is a strategic corporate move by the national flag carrier to strengthen its competitiveness in domestic, regional and international operations. In terms of operations, the Citilink-Sriwijaya cooperation should run smoothly because Garuda has been tied up in a code-sharing agreement with Sriwijaya and its subsidiary Nam Air since earlier this year. As for the legal aspect, the Citilink-Sriwijaya business deal is not likely to require special assessment by the Business Competition Supervisory Commissions antitrust regulators because the government periodically sets minimum airline fares to prevent cutthroat price wars and the abuse of market power. The operational merger of the two budget carriers simply validated the rumors that had long been circulating about Sriwijayas financial distress in the face of the increasingly fierce competition among the 10 low-cost carriers as the largest budget airline Lion Air has steadily expanded its operations. Airlines are indeed difficult businesses to run as they are both capital and labor intensive, have complex operations and thin margins and their marginal cost of production is rather negligible. They also encounter plenty of unpredictability as major factors affecting results, such as fuel prices, weather and macroeconomic shifts, are simply beyond management control. The Transportation Ministry warned as early as 2015 that the government would not allow airline companies that were neither commercially viable nor able to ensure safety, security and comfort for customers to continue operations. However, virtually all transportation analysts foresee a bright future for the airline industry in the worlds largest archipelagic country of over 15,000 islands, stretching 5,200 kilometers across from east to west and almost 2,000 km from north to south. With a population of over 265 million and with a steadily rising middle class, Indonesia badly needs adequate air transportation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected by 2034 Indonesia will become the sixth-largest market for air travel with some 300 million passengers expected to fly to, from and within the country. The biggest challenge is the acute lack of aviation infrastructure even though the government has accelerated the pace of new airport construction and the expansion of existing ones on the various islands. The European Commissions decision last June to remove all Indonesian carriers from a decade-long European Union airline blacklist has further bolstered market confidence in the countrys aviation industry. The Citilink-Sriwijaya joint operations will contribute greatly to improving Garuda Groups operational economies of scale, which is the key to competitiveness in the airline industry with its specific characteristics of being capital, technology and labor intensive. The Citilink-Sriwijaya tie-up will operate almost 100 aircraft serving 130 domestic routes, thereby providing a strong synergy for the full-service Garuda airline and leaving them both better geared up to compete within the ASEAN open-skies policy. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 09:05 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc21af 1 Opinion politics,political-education,women-empowerment,election,gender-equality Free Families in Central Sulawesi and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, have barely begun to rebuild their lives. With thousands of disaster survivors, many have raised calls to cut short the seven-month political campaign period. Fears of an unproductive campaign ahead of the April elections were stoked followed the recent brouhaha involving playwright Ratna Sarumpaet, drawing substantial attention away from the disaster survivors in Central Sulawesi. Flyers created by the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno camp, for whom Ratna is a campaigner, called the alleged assault against her a threat to democracy. Days later Ratna apologized, admitting her bruises were from plastic surgery. She was dismissed from the campaign team and arrested on charges of spreading lies before she was able to leave the country for Chile for an arts event. Along with the ensuing mockery aimed at Ratna, as well as the anger and sadness expressed by Prabowos supporters, many voiced the lesson learned by all: lets check and recheck every report, especially provocative ones. Excellent! But the scandal also reminds us of the extra work that women face in order to be heard, such as the feared shakier ground women must stand on when claiming abuse. Another concern is regarding womens role in politics as aspirants for elected positions, campaigners and voters. Both issues concern credibility, with women having to fight harder than men for recognition. At least until next April, intense public civic education would do much to equip women as well-informed and credible electoral aspirants, campaigners and voters. Among nearly 188 million eligible voters in Indonesia, more than half or 94 million are women, slightly more than men. Almost 8,000 candidates from 20 political parties are contesting the 575 seats at the House of Representatives, including 3,194 women (against 4,774 men). Today, 14 percent of the 560 House members are women, or 79 the 30 percent female quota is only for legislative candidates. But better political education would at least ensure improved knowledge and awareness among all those elected for public office of their responsibilities. So, lets use the time available to have a more informed electorate than before whoever is elected and whether people will vote or not. In a video broadcast last year on IKnow Politics, an educational platform on politics from United Nations Women, Indonesian lawmaker Irine Putri said that for todays generation, equality is something normal. Yet, reality shows otherwise; workforce figures still show female participation hovering at around 50 percent throughout the past decades. The other half are not exactly cruising the malls or lounging at home, so Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati recently raised the need for paying housework, mostly done by women. Many doubt Sri Mulyani was serious, but its high time a new policy addresses inequality. Cooking and childcare are important work, but bargaining power goes with a paycheck. Being busy at home cannot mean women ignore matters that concern them. Education, including on constitutional citizens rights and responsibilities, would encourage, for instance, housewives to speak up in community meetings on their preferred allocation of their village or subdistrict funds. We need political education on a massive scale, said Azriana, chairperson of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), during the commissions 20th anniversary recently. As things stand, we have many clueless candidates and voters, as confirmed by a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in several countries, including Indonesia. In every election, voters have said that at best, they scoured for information on candidates at the last minute, if at all. Likewise, political parties have recruited popular figures both as campaigners and candidates, with a very loose screening process of track records, as the Ratna incident suggested. Like voters in the Philippines, we push celebrities into politics and then decry less qualified politicians. Many are impatient about reforms as we gained freedom 20 years ago. But both older and younger voters lack political education, while women advocates say the poorest women who are breadwinners, including widows, are among the most invisible citizens, and thus most are unaware of their rights and how to access them. Worse, since 1998, grassroots political education has declined. Activists have become busy pursuing new policies, Azriana said, like the 30 percent quota for women legislative candidates, while we assumed that access to information was getting easier. It soon became clear that social media can be a tool for lies, and that at the grassroots level, public education was still needed despite technological advances, she told The Jakarta Post. To address their needs, local groups filled in the gap to educate their communities, such as farmers groups. Komnas Perempuan presented at its anniversary honors for human rights defenders, including for Rosad, the widow of Ibu Patmi from Mount Kendeng in West Java. It is believed that Ibu Patmi died from exhaustion after joining protests in front of the State Palace, in which women sat silently with their feet planted in cement, rallying against a planned cement plant in Central Java. Widespread neglect of civic education at the grassroots also led to public space being taken over by certain groups spreading fundamentalism and intolerance, Azriana said. In Azrianas home province of Aceh, Rosdiana, a lecturer at Banda Acehs Ar Raniry State Islamic Institute, learns that even academics are not free to provoke students minds. After it became known that she had taken students to a church to learn about Christianity, she became infamous and was given one weekend class when few people were around campus, she said. She told me she may take up an offer to lecture elsewhere, but she is also expected to lie low. Given all the odds against them, each elected woman raises hopes. Afridawati of the Aceh Party was elected deputy regent of Simeulue Island in the last local elections. Recently, Bekasi Regent Neneng Hasanah was the latest female executive to be arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for what many say is a normal practice of accepting bribes. Earlier described as religious and honest, Neneng, a medical graduate from a reputable private Jakarta university, remains innocent until convicted. Her case deals another blow to the struggle to have more good female decision makers. There is no choice but to continue the work to train women as citizens and voters. Beyond repeating the message to vote for women, trainers should remember to instill the understanding that accepting bribes is unacceptable. *** The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Richard Weiss (Bloomberg) Mon, November 19, 2018 11:05 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc7dcf 2 Lifestyle Hugo-Boss,Meghan-Markle Free When Meghan Markle graced the English town of Chichester with a royal visit last month, her forest-green outfit lit up Instagram. Within minutes, the $595 lambskin pencil skirt from Hugo Boss AG sold out online. The Duchess of Sussexs choice of wardrobe was a coup for the German company, better known for wrapping businessmen in grey suits and sensible shirts. The episode revealed several key things, according to Chief Executive Officer Mark Langer: consumers are finding inspiration online, they want instant gratification, and Hugo Boss is still behind the curve when it comes to addressing those two points. We took some inspiration from companies that are faster than us, Langer said in an interview in London. As brands from Dior to Burberry woo younger shoppers with flash sales and social media hype, the staid German label needs to harness some of their techniques if it wants to compete. Thats why Boss is experimenting with vegan sneakers made from pineapple fibers or capsule collections that include made-in-Germany bomber jackets and sweaters. Michael Jackson Even the mainstay suit is getting a makeover: theres now a machine washable version; the once-frumpy double-breasted model is coming back; and Boss even reissued the white number that Michael Jackson wore on the cover of the 1982 album Thriller -- albeit with slimmed-down lapels more in tune with current tastes. Theres also no tiger-cub option. Speed is key to getting consumers hooked on the new trends. The company took inspiration from fast-fashion pioneer Zara, the CEO said, even though the Spanish company operates at a much lower price point and could lap Boss several times with its lightning turnarounds. But the German brand has cut the time to design and develop new collections from eight months to six weeks, using digital tools and skipping fabric-and-thread prototypes. The next step will be to accelerate manufacturing, Langer said. "We have to recognize our industry has changed," he said. Boss is still recovering from an ill-advised push beyond office wear and into higher-end luxury that overstretched the brand several years ago. Langer has streamlined its stable of sub-brands, pushed e-commerce and scaled back some of the companys bigger but underperforming stores. Hes also shifted spending away from magazines and toward online. One brand that has survived is the Hugo label, which targets a younger clientele with more casual wear. Among the collections are tops featuring the logo printed in reverse. The company is experimenting with letting buyers choose their own wording as it seeks to lift the share of customized products. Read also: The End of Plastic: Eco-fashion becomes catwalk reality Womens Line The Meghan Markle episode was also important for Boss in another way, in that it helped position the company away from a predominantly male audience. Langer said the female line is an integral part of the company, and that Boss wants to be the No. 1 wear-to-work brand for professional women. Its all part of an aspiration to lift sales growth from 4 percent this year to as much as 7 percent annually through 2022. The new targets are ambitious and ahead of projected industry growth, according to RBC analyst Piral Dadhania said. Indeed, Langers pitch to the investment community at a presentation in London last week was greeted with some skepticism. The shares, which have lost 11 percent this year and trade at about half their 2015 peak, were little changed despite praise from analysts. Langer, who took over in 2016, said hes not surprised as investors will first want to see whether the strategy works. Now its down to execution, the CEO said. We have to deliver. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sunil Kataria (Reuters) Uttar Pradesh Mon, November 19, 2018 09:07 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc21d0 2 Environment elephant-hospital,Mathura,Wildlife-SOS Free At India's first hospital for elephants, opened last week in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 49-year old Asha placed her left foreleg on a stool for a doctor to attend to an injury while visitors filmed it all on their mobile phones. The facility, armed with facilities such as wireless digital X-Ray, thermal imaging, ultrasonography, tranquilization devices and quarantine facilities, has not only come as a respite to the elephants but is also attracting local and foreign tourists. Elephants are an important part of India's culture and are prominently displayed in festivals and processions in the south of the country. They are also used as tourist attractions at several forts and palaces in the northern and western regions. The hospital, inaugurated on Friday in the Hindu holy town of Mathura, is spread over 12,000 square feet and is designed to treat injured, sick or geriatric elephants. "I think by building a hospital we are underlining the fact that elephants need welfare measures as much as any other animal," Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, the non-profit behind the hospital, told Reuters TV. "That captive elephants are not meant to be used and abused but instead have to be given the respect which an animal needs if you are going to be using the animal." Read also: Wild elephant gives birth in wildlife reserve in Riau While elephants are revered as a cultural and religious symbol in India, they are also ill-treated by their unschooled mahouts and often fall victim to electrocution, poaching, train accidents and poisoning, animal rights activists say. India's elephant population fell to 27,312 in 2017 from 29,391-30,711 in 2012, government data shows. Hundreds of elephants across India, which accounts for more than half of Asia's elephant population, are held in captivity and sharp metal hooks are often used to pinch and tease them into subordination. The hospital, on the banks of the Yamuna River, is close to an elephant conservation and care centre run by Wildlife SOS that is home to 22 elephants. Elizabeth Ritson, a tourist from Australia, said she was glad there was now a dedicated hospital for elephants in India. "Look at them, they are so much happier and when you see the abuse that they have been through, the horrible shackles that were put on their feet and to see them all healed up, it's just really nice," she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java Mon, November 19, 2018 10:31 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc7c76 1 Art & Culture wayang,exhibition,millenials,surakarta Free Tens of wayang kulit (leather shadow puppets) or wayang milenial -- which are more contemporary or futuristic in their form, character and style -- were recently exhibited at TK Surya Mentari kindergarten in Manahan subdistrict, Surakarta, Central Java. The exhibition, titled Ayo Peduli Wayang (Lets Care for Wayang), was held to celebrate World Wayang Day and aimed to raise awareness among millennials about Indonesias extraordinary cultural heritage. The head of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Surakarta's Visual Communication Design (DKV) study program, Basnendar H., said this type of wayang was needed to introduce the culture to the current generation. The shapes are different from traditional wayang without abandoning the standard of wayang, he added. Read also: 'Wayang kulit', night bazaar enliven cultural park in Surakarta The puppets were modernized, complete with accessories. Gareng, for example, was shown wearing glasses, a jacket and blowing a saxophone, while Werkudara wore a tight shirt to show off his muscular body. "Wayang milenial are new creations that interpret wayang with fresh faces to interest children to learn about them" said ISI Surakarta lecturer Rendya Adi Kurniawan. The head of TK Surya, Mentari Parwanti, said the school had always been open to hosting cultural and traditional events. "Children need to know that life is more just television programs, games and mobile phones," Parwanti added. (iru/kes) China localities pledge support for private businesses From:ChinaDaily | 2018-11-18 02:34 BEIJING, Nov. 17 -- Authorities in many regions across China have pledged support for private enterprises in a bid to stimulate economic growth and boost job creation. Beijing municipal government is offering customized services to help privately-owned firms address a wide array of issues. Local authorities and social capital have set up a capital pool of 35 billion yuan (5 billion US dollars) to help ease liquidity risks for publicly-traded firms which have pledged shares as collateral for loans, Beijing mayor Chen Jining said in an interview, adding authorities will support private firms to issue bonds to raise funds. Many firms in share pledge financing face the risk of margin calls when they need to deposit additional money to bring up the margin account to maintenance levels. If they fail to pay up when the stocks prices fall below the level agreed upon, lenders can sell the pledged shares, thus triggering further market volatility. "The city government in Beijing will clear investment hurdles and open private capital to over 60 projects with a total investment of 100 billion yuan," Chen said. The Shanghai municipal banking and insurance regulator ordered local lenders to optimize lending policies and eliminate discriminative barriers, to create a level playing field to increase lending to private businesses. The regulator urged the expanding of financial channels and providing sufficient financial services for private firms at different growth stages. It also called for more innovative products to increase the availability of loans for small- and micro-sized enterprises and regulate administrative fees and reduce borrowing costs for the private sector. South China's Guangdong Province, known for its booming private sector, has the largest number of private firms and the highest related tax revenues in China. The province issued a package of policies to support private companies, including lowering the prices of gas and electricity for industry use and favorable loans to small- and micro-sized companies. In the old industrial base of Heilongjiang, local authorities will continue to improve the business environment. Measures include reduction of taxes and fees, lowering financing costs, creating a level playing field, and a crackdown on intellectual property right violations and investment hurdles. The spate of measures across the country came after the central Chinese authorities pledged substantial policy support for the private sector, including tax cuts and easier financing. The private sector plays an important role in the Chinese economy, contributing more than 50 percent of tax revenue, 60 percent of gross domestic product, 70 percent of technological innovation, 80 percent of urban employment and 90 percent of new jobs and new firms. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lin Taylor (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Mon, November 19, 2018 15:08 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cd772d 2 Entertainment Women,gender,podcast,MeToo,Spotify Free Looking for a podcast where Asian women chat about taboos, plus-sized women discuss dating, or Muslim feminists talk politics? Scroll through any list of popular podcasts, and you would be hard-pressed to find one that fits the bill. Even though a third of people surveyed by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism this year said they listen to a podcast once a month, like many traditional media outlets, most of the voices heard are those of white men. Women only hosted or co-hosted about a third of the top 100 podcasts on the Apple podcast chart in 2017, according to WNYC Studios, a New York-based podcast creator and distributor. From film, television and news media, an increasing number of women, boosted by the #MeToo movement, are pushing for more control to address gender parity and tackle sexual harassment. Jennifer Sendrow, organiser of Werk It, a women's podcast festival run by WNYC Studios, said the lack of female hosts and producers reduces the diversity of stories being told. "Gender inequity hurts everyone. It makes podcasting a less inclusive, less interesting, less vibrant place, not just for people making podcasts but for people listening to podcasts," she said in a phone interview. "We want women to be listening and we want women's stories to be told," said Sendrow, whose organization wants women-hosted podcasts to make up half of the top 100 podcasts within the next five years. Read also: Podcasts take growing role in shifting media landscape Amplifying voices It is a trend that some companies, like tech giant Google and audio streaming company Spotify, are hoping to foster, running podcast bootcamps for women in cities like Sydney, New York and London. Alexandra Adey, head of podcasts partnerships in Britain for Spotify, said media companies have a responsibility to boost diverse voices. "The media in general, and podcasting, is a white and male-dominated environment," said Adey in an interview during a Spotify podcast bootcamp in London. "It's really important for us to make sure we're amplifying the voices of people who wouldn't necessarily have their voices amplified. And to get new and fresh talent into the podcasting industry," she said. There is a booming market for it, too. In the United States alone, the number of females tuning into podcasts has jumped by nearly a third in a year, according to a September report by Westwood One, one of the largest distributors of audio content to radio stations nationwide. While there are more male listeners overall, the time that women spent listening to podcasts every week grew six times more than men over the past year, to 5.5 hours from 4.6 hours, the study showed. Read also: Beyond 'Serial': Hollywood eyes gameshows in booming podcast market The first Hungry for stories that reflected her experiences as a woman from a traditional Indian family, Sangeeta Pillai decided to start her own podcast to delve into taboos, like sexuality and menopause. "I fought and fought and fought to have a voice - and it feels like I'm at a place in my 40s where I'm confident about talking about these things that I've never talked about," said the 46-year-old host of "Masala Podcast". "Podcast is a medium where you can forget that there's a microphone sometimes. It allows for intimate, real, authentic conversations," said Pillai, one of a dozen women selected to attend the Spotify bootcamp in London. Another attendee, Jasmine Darko, 23, who had never used an audio recorder before, said she planned to host and produce a podcast series on plus-sized women called "The Fullness". "(A podcast) breaks down the barrier in that you don't have to look a certain way. It's much freer than having the pressure of being in front of a camera," she said. "I don't know any well-known podcasts headed up by plus-sized women, let alone women of color. So I want to be the first one." More women need to be in senior, decision-making roles too, said Tanzila Ahmed, co-host since 2015 of "#GoodMuslimBadMuslim" - an independent podcast about politics and culture. "Companies that run these networks are usually men-heavy," she said in a Skype interview. "I would love for it to move in a direction where women are not just owning their own voice, but literally owning the companies that broadcast the voices." Men hold nearly two-thirds of senior jobs in media companies globally, according to a study by the United Nation's cultural agency UNESCO and the International Women's Media Foundation. "We still have to look at institutionally who is commissioning the podcast. There's still a gatekeeping process," said podcaster and radio host Beverley Wang from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Unlike in traditional media, the rules in podcasting are still being written, Wang said, and most people can get their voices heard regardless of their gender or background. "At its core, it is much more democratic. If you have an idea, a voice, a phone or microphone and access to the internet, it's so simple," Wang said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ryotaro Nakamaru (Kyodo News) Fukuoka, Japan Mon, November 19, 2018 18:03 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce06c4 2 Science & Tech Japan,startup,fukuoka,Tsutaya Free Fukuoka is making a name for itself as Japan's startup capital, attracting entrepreneurs from far and wide in a bid to boost its economy. The city has significantly lowered corporate tax rates for startups and implemented sweeping regulatory reforms, making it easier to launch a business as part of Mayor Soichiro Takashima's drive to grow Fukuoka into a hub of innovative technology and services. The moves became possible after the city was chosen in 2014 as a national strategic special zone, a sort of test site for measures that could eventually be expanded across the country. Takashima, a 44-year-old former TV anchorman, has said he hopes to turn Fukuoka into Japan's version of Seattle, the US city that is home to giants such as Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. Aside from the tax cuts and regulatory reforms, one of the ways the city is encouraging entrepreneurs is through the Startup Cafe, a facility that provides a place to plan and receive advice. Nestled in a former elementary school dating back to the 1870s in the trendy Daimyo area, the Startup Cafe houses a number of advisers who speak English, Chinese and other foreign languages for general inquiries, with regular visits by lawyers, accountants and financial advisers for more specialized advice. Read also: Expert tips before launching startup company There have been more than 7,000 visits by would-be entrepreneurs, ranging from middle school students to a woman in her 80s who was looking for a way to sell handmade "geta" sandals. The facility has helped launch at least 165 companies so far. "It's really never too late to get started," says Junichi Anazawa, manager of the facility. The space is open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week in order to accommodate people who are working through the early stages of their business while still holding day jobs. Run by Culture Convenience Club, the company behind the Tsutaya video rental and bookstore chain, it also provides a Wi-Fi equipped work space and a literal wall of books on business management. While many of Japan's regional economies have suffered from shrinking populations as people flock to Tokyo, the number of people living in Fukuoka has continued to grow, further increasing its attractiveness as a place to start a business. That is doubly true for foreigners, who under the regulatory reforms can expedite the visa application process. For example, they can bypass the requirement to have both funding of at least 5 million yen and at least two full-time employees. "We really think Fukuoka is the best place to start a business (for people from overseas) and to grow that business," says Hideo Makinose, an adviser at the Startup Cafe. "Nowhere else in Japan will you get more support." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin David Harding (Agence France-Presse) Doha, Qatar Mon, November 19, 2018 19:02 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce1e18 2 Art & Culture Damien-Hirst,sculpture,Qatar,art,artist Free Fourteen giant bronze sculptures by British artist Damien Hirst graphically charting the moment of conception to birth greet patients arriving at an $8-billion hospital in Gulf state Qatar. The vast open-air installation, named "The Miraculous Journey", shows a foetus growing in the womb and culminates with a 14-meter of a naked baby just after birth. The monumental work is the centerpiece of an impressive modern art collection at the Sidra Medicine Hospital, officially opened this week in Doha, that would be the envy of many galleries around the world. "We believe it reflects very much the mission of Sidra, taking care of the healthcare of woman and babies," said Layla Ibrahim Bacha, art specialist with the government-supported Qatar Foundation, which owns most of the artwork. "I think it's perfect for the location, as you can see a lot of people are taking pictures, I think its becoming iconic." Among the 65 works at the specialty facility for children's and women's health are pieces by high-profile international names and artists from across the Arab world, including Qatar. A fourth-floor outpatient clinic is decorated with a neon installation entitled "I Listen To The Ocean And All I Hear Is You" by Tracey Emin, one of Hirst's ground-breaking contemporaries from Britain. Bacha says the art was chosen with "very specific themes" in mind. "They are not meant to be decorative, they are meant to be more creating debates, helping with the patient to keep calm," she said. Read also: New Damien Hirst exhibition leaves critics divided Syrian artist, Jaber al-Azmeh, whose pictures hang in the hospital, told AFP that it makes him "smile" to imagine his photographs on display in a place where new lives are starting. Sidra began receiving its first patients in January and last month successfully conducted Qatar's first conjoined twin separation surgery. Energy-rich Qatar has become a major buyer of contemporary art. It is seeking to portray itself as one of the most progressive states in the region against the backdrop of a bitter standoff with Gulf rivals led by Saudi Arabia. But that does not mean there has not been some controversy over the Damien Hirst works towering outside the hospital. The sculptures were originally unveiled in October 2013 but then covered from public view until recent weeks. The official reason was to protect them from ongoing building work on the hospital, but they were concealed after a social media outcry. "We are not expecting everyone to like them. We are not expecting everyone to understand them," said Bacha. "This is why they are there to actually create this element of debate, this element of thinking." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Briseida Mema (Agence France-Presse) Vlora, Albania Tue, November 20, 2018 05:01 1099 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce668e 2 Art & Culture albania,treasure,history,culture Free Albania's long underexplored coastal waters have become a hotspot for treasure hunters scooping up ancient pottery, sunken ship parts and other shell-encrusted relics that have lain on the seabed for centuries. The 450-kilometer coastline, which is lapped by the Adriatic and Ionian seas, was off-limits under the communist regime which ruled the Balkan state until 1990, with orders to shoot anyone caught diving without authorization. But today its waters are open, luring archaeologists but also looters eager to plumb the new territory and sell their finds on the art and metals markets. "Much of this wealth resting at the depth of 20-30 meters is easily accessible without any special equipment and has almost completely disappeared without a trace," said Albanian archaeologist and art historian Neritan Ceka, among those calling for urgent measures to protect the underwater heritage. While diving at the beginning of the 1980s -- under communism, archaeologists and soldiers were permitted -- he was one of the first to see for himself the seabed treasures, he said. "I saw extraordinary richness, amphoras (terracotta jugs), pottery, archaeological objects which are no longer there today," he added. Teams of European and Albanian divers "have started to loot in a barbaric way", he lamented. Read also: US returns plundered artifacts to Colombia - 'Big profits' - Expeditions carried out since 2006 by the US-based RPM Nautical Foundation have found some 40 shipwrecks along Albania's coastline, including vessels dating back to the 7th century BC and naval ships from World War I and II. Hundreds of Roman-era amphoras -- used to store wine, olive oil and other goods on trade vessels -- are also clustered on the sea floor, covered in marine plants. Experts say that without a full inventory, it is impossible to know how many of the artifacts have been plucked from the seabed and sold on the international art trafficking market. The market overall generates a global turnover of more than $4 billion a year, according to Auron Tare, who chairs UNESCO's scientific and technical advisory body on underwater cultural heritage. "But what is certain: a treasure hunt below the seas can bring in big profits," said Moikom Zeqo, an underwater archaeologist who helped discover a 2nd-century BC Roman ship carrying hundreds of amphoras. - Art and steel - The vases can be sold for up to 100 euros in Albania, where they are on display in some high-end restaurants, or auctioned for much greater sums in London and other art capitals. Other prized discoveries have been ferried home by foreign divers and placed in various private museums around the world, such as the bell of an ill-fated Austro-Hungarian ship, the SS Linz, that sunk off Albania's northwest coast with 1,000 passengers on board after striking a mine in March 1918. "These objects (from the SS Linz), exhibited in a private museum in Austria, must be returned to Albania," said Tare, who also heads the Albanian Center for Marine Research. Divers are also going underwater to strip early 20th century warships for their high-quality steel. Steel produced before any nuclear explosions happened in the world is especially lucrative, as it lacks any trace of radioactivity and can be used for sensitive medical devices and other scientific equipment. "To skin the hull and remove it from the seabed, the looters use dynamite," said Ilir Capuni, a researcher and professor at the University of New York Tirana. He has seen the plunder firsthand. Back in 2013, Capuni helped discover a Hungarian-Croat steamer, the Pozsony, that sunk off the coast of Durres in 1916 after striking a mine. But four years later, "we found that there was almost nothing left of it," said Capuni. A similar fate has befallen the Italian medical ship Po, which was struck by a British torpedo in 1941 off the coast of southeastern Vlore. Benito Mussolini's daughter Edda Ciano, who was aboard the ship as a nurse, survived. Its algae-covered hull was miraculously intact when it was first discovered but has since been dismantled in places and emptied of valuable objects, such as the bell, compass, telegraph, lights and dishes. Bought firsthand for 5,000 euros, some parts have been resold since to collectors for 20 times that amount, Capuni said. Read also: Dry Danube reveals hidden treasure in Hungary - Underwater museum - In June, authorities passed a law classifying the shipwrecks as cultural monuments and requiring strict licensing for diving teams. Police are also working with Interpol to trace and return stolen objects, said criminal police director Eduart Merkaj, although so far there have been no concrete results. One dream shared by Albanian and foreign experts is to create an underwater museum, such as the one that exists in the Turkish city of Bodrum, that would protect the artifacts and draw tourists. "The time has come to build an underwater museum, laboratories and a specialized center," says Luan Perzhita, director of Albania's Archaeological Institute. But the high costs of such a project remain a barrier, with only 30,000 euros allotted in the state budget this year for archaeology. "Albania has never had the luxury or awareness to understand the great importance that this wealth represents for the country's history and for Mediterranean civilization," said Tare. Even though, he added, the waters still contain "more treasures that have not yet been discovered". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands Mon, November 19, 2018 08:29 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cbfe50 1 Business BP-Batam,property,foreigners,Johor,Singapore,property-market Free Batam Indonesia Free Trade Zone Authority (BIFZA or BP Batam) says it is ready to be the guarantor for foreigners who want to buy property on the island to compete with the property market in Johor Bahru in Malaysia and Singapore. BIFZA head Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo said he had submitted the proposal to the Law and Human Rights Ministry to allow his office to be the guarantor for foreigners visiting Batam on a social visit visa. We want it to be easy for foreigners, like how it is when buying property in Singapore and Johor, he said on Saturday at the groundbreaking ceremony of apartment complex The Nove by developer Sinarmas Land in Nongsa, Batam, Riau Islands. The Nove is part of the Nuvasa Bay development. He said a recent market survey showed that property prices in Batam were on average 30 percent lower than those in Johor Bahru and 15 percent lower than in Singapore. Foreigner demand for property in Batam had been met by domestic developers, he said. But some improvements in the regulations were needed, he went on. He said that he and real estate business association Real Estate Indonesia (REI) had met with several related ministries to improve the ease of buying property in Indonesia for foreigners. The obstacles include the requirement for foreigners to have a tax registration number in Indonesia and to have temporary stay permit (Kitas). Only foreigners working permanently in Indonesia have a Kitas, while the property market in Batam is attractive also to foreigners coming on a regular visit visa, he said. We want foreigners to absorb these luxury houses and premium apartments, he went on. The head of Sinarmas Lands strategic development division, Margiman, said they targeted Singaporeans and Malaysians as buyers for their apartments. Two apartment towers had been put up for sale, he said. Out of 172 apartments in Tower Kaina, 161 have been sold and 30 percent of them to foreigners. Out of 262 apartments in Tower Kalani, which have been on sale for the past two months, 51 apartments have been sold, with foreigners among those buying. Im sure if BIFZAs proposal is approved, we will get more foreign buyers, he said. Margiman said the development concept was green building to match the foreign buyers aspiration. Most foreigners buying property in Batam are permanent workers on the island or those who have Indonesian spouses. Sukanti, the wife of an Australian, who came to the ceremony to see the apartments, said the obstacles for foreigners like her husband were the red tape and difficult requirements. On one hand, it is advantageous for me because all the properties will be in my name, but my husband wants his name on the property as well, said Sukanti. Several other new properties, developed by Ciputra, Agung Podomoro, Sinarmas Land and Pollux Batam, are also ready to hit the market. Batam citys economic assistant, Febrialin, said over the weekend that many big developers saw Batam as a good place to build their properties. The regulations that need improvement are at the national level, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 06:32 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cbd770 1 City public-urination,pee,toilets,World-Toilet-Day Free Jakarta is a city that never sleeps, and while its awake, many residents spend their time on the streets, where public toilets are scarce. Hence, a urine stench often greets Jakartans in busy places. Informal-sector workers like ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers and street vendors spend much time outside without access to proper sanitation facilities, forcing some of them to practice public urination. The odor of urine is particularly strong in some busy areas, such as train stations and bus stops. The sight of a man urinating on a plant, open sewer or wall is quite common in parts of the city, especially at night. Public urination is actually forbidden under a Jakarta bylaw. Putri Anisa, 27, a resident of Depok who works in Jakarta, said she always smelled a strong urine odor while walking to the Sarinah Transjakarta bus stop on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta. The area under the pedestrian bridge smelled so awful that she had to cover her nose and mouth with her hand while passing by. To her great annoyance, Putri said one day she came across a man who was about to pee under the bridge in the middle of the day. She walked fast to avoid that man. It was so embarrassing and awkward. I still dont understand how he had the nerve to pee in public at noon, Putri told The Jakarta Post. Zhahrah Qamaranii, 25, an employee of a private company in Slipi, West Jakarta, said she smelled the urine odor every time she walked under a pedestrian bridge at the Palmerah train station in Central Jakarta. Easier in the sewer Conventional and app-based ojek drivers usually wait for their passengers on streets and sidewalks around Palmerah Station. Numerous street vendors that have set up shop on the sidewalks add to the areas crowdedness. Ojek driver Mugiono, 35 admitted that a lot of ojek drivers relieved themselves in the station area, frequently under the pedestrian bridge or inside the open sewer near the railway tracks. Mugiono said the sewer was quite deep, so no one would see if someone jumped in there to urinate. However, he said, it was not only the drivers who urinated there, but also rail passengers who were going to work. He said he could actually go to the nearby mosque or gas station, but they were just too far. Using the stations toilet is not an option for him, because to get there, he would have to pass the ticket gate. He also cannot use toilets at supermarkets, because the storekeepers usually do not allow noncustomers to do so. They often use the pretext that the toilet is broken or clogged. I also cant use the toilet in buildings near the station, because to do that I have to show my ID card, which is so troublesome, Mugiono said. Sisyphean task It falls upon public facility maintenance agency (PPSU) workers to clean the mess every day. Because besides cleaning the area of trash, they also have to get rid of the urine smell. The workers recruited by the Gelora subdistrict clean the sewer with disinfectant to alleviate the smell every two days. However, it is a Sisyphean task, because the spot will be smelly again soon. From 2015 to 2018, city authorities have received 83 complaints about public urination through complaint-handling app Qlue, mostly from Central and West Jakarta. The low number of complaints does not reflect the real conditions, since a lot of users may be reluctant to report public urination, as they have to attach a photo as evidence in their reports. On Jl. Matraman Raya, East Jakarta, for instance drivers of angkot (public minivans) and bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle) often urinate in public. Back in December last year, a video of a member of the Matraman Police throwing a brick at an angkot driver who was peeing went viral on social media. The police officer, chief Brig. Sugino, who retired last October, said he could catch about 10 men urinating on the street every day. He said he had lost his temper and thrown the brick because the driver frequently urinated in the area despite being reprimanded. Sometimes, I asked them to do push-ups or sing national songs like Garuda Pancasila or Indonesia Raya to punish them. However, they felt no remorse, Sugino recalled his experience. Women go the extra mile Public urinating seems to involve more men than women. An owner of a small kiosk on the sidewalk of Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta, Ani, 42, said she always went back to her boarding house if she wanted to pee. As she was befriended with a security officer of an apartment building in the area, she could also go there to use the toilet, she said. Aris Cahyadi, the head of the Public Order Agency in Tanah Abang, an area also blighted with public urination, said it was very challenging for his officers to catch people peeing on the streets, as they usually fled quickly after doing their business. According to the citys public order regulation, public urination and defecation is punishable by fines ranging from Rp 100,000 (US$6.77) to Rp 20 million or up to 60 days in jail. Even though his personnel preferred a soft approach, by only reprimanding people caught peeing in public, Aris said, the officers were committed to enforcing the regulation. If someone is caught red-handed peeing on the street, we will punish him according to the regulation, Aris said. Citys plan To tackle the problem, the Jakarta Environment Agency is set to procure 36 portable toilets in December to serve people working in areas that do not have sufficient public toilets. The agency says it is still mapping out the area by considering the needs of the people, the size of the area and the agencys capability in supplying the water and cleaning the toilets. The residents will be able to use the toilets for free. Agency head Isnawa Adji said he hoped that, no later than 2020, the city administration could develop some eco-friendly public toilets in crowded areas to serve the people. He added that the procurement might be conducted in cooperation with private companies. Isnawa claimed people could actually find the nearest toilet to urinate but had just grown accustomed to the bad habit. Many cities in the world, in fact, have a similar problem. Residents of New York City, for example, have relied on the toilets inside Starbucks coffee shops. In 2011, The New York Times published a story about Starbucks mutiny against people using their toilets as a public good because of the rampant practice. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Mon, November 19, 2018 10:30 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc7507 2 Business Ngurah-Rai-International-Airport,bali,tourist-arrivals,increase Free I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, welcomed 5.2 million foreign tourists from January to October, a 6.5 percent increase from 4.9 million visitors recorded in the same period last year. Airport general manager Yanus Suprayogi said in a press statement made publicly available on Friday that the increase was out of the ordinary because October was a low tourist season. The main contributors to the increase were [last months] 2018 International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings and the 2018 Our Ocean Conference, he said. The seven-day IMF-WB meetings, which ended on Oct. 14, attracted more than 34,000 foreign delegates, while the two-day Our Ocean Conference, which ended on Oct. 30, attracted over 2,200 delegates. Airport data shows that, in terms of origin countries, the three biggest contributors to the figure were tourists from China (23.47 percent), Australia (19 percent) and India (5.6 percent). Meanwhile, American tourists saw the highest growth at 50.83 percent to 6,653 visitors, up from 3,271 visitors in the same period last year. (brf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 19:07 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce23a9 1 City murder,car,missing,bogor Free The family of Abdullah Fithri Setiawan, a former journalist who was found dead in a drum on Sunday in Bogor, West Java, said they have not been able to locate his car. The victim used a white Toyota Kijang Innova when traveling to work. Dufi, as the victim was affectionately known to friends and relatives, was known to have used the car for the last time on Friday, when he parked in Rawa Buntu train station in South Tangerang, before taking the train to his workplace. The last WhatsApp chats received by his wife said he had parked his car in Rawa Buntu station. It was at 10 a.m. on Friday and she lost contact since, Muhammad Ali Ramdoni, the younger brother of the victim, said on Monday as quoted by tribunnews.com. He added that the police had received the copy of the car identification number and were currently trying to locate it. A scavenger found Dufis body on Sunday inside a blue plastic drum at Kembang Kuning industrial estate in Klapanunggal. The police did not find any identity cards or documents near his body. An autopsy carried out at East Jakartas Kramat Jati Police Hospital revealed stab wounds to the neck and abdomen. Dufi had vast experience working as either a journalist or marketer at mass media organizations, including the Rakyat Merdeka and Indopos dailies, as well as at Berita Satu, iNews TV and TVRI television stations. Dufi later started his own advertising company while he continued working at TVRI and freelancing at TV Muhammadiyah. (fac) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 13:42 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cd2d78 1 Business danamon,extraordinary-meeting,shareholders-meeting,commissioner,appointment Free Bank Danamon Indonesia has announced the appointment of a new commissioner, a representative from Japans MUFG Bank, after the extraordinary meeting of shareholders on Monday. Shareholders of the private lender agreed to the appointment of Yasuda as Bank Danamons new commissioner. He currently serves as group chief risk officer of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. and MUFG Bank chief credit officer. He has experience as a senior banker from Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. With his experience and expertise in the global banking industry, Yasudas appointment was aimed at strengthening the companys leadership, especially in the areas of risk management and credit disbursement, the bank said in a statement. The shareholders meeting also accepted the resignation of Ernest Wong Yuen Weng, who had previously served as Bank Danamon commissioner. As of Sept. 30, 40 percent of Bank Danamons shares are owned by MUFG Bank, Ltd., 33.83 percent by Asia Financial (Indonesia) Pte. Ltd., 5.22 percent by JPMCB-Franklin Templeton Investment Funds and 21.95 percent by the public. Previously, Bank Danamon sold an 80 percent stake in its subsidiary Adira Insurance to Zurich Insurance for $414 million. Danamon has been struggling to boost profit growth. In the first nine month of 2018, it recorded Rp 3.03 trillion ($207 million) in net profit, which was similar to the figure in the corresponding period of last year. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 17:49 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cdf373 1 City land-subsidence,North-Jakarta,houses,semi-permanent-dwellings Free Land subsidence has affected at least three homes on the banks of a Ciliwung River tributary in Ancol, North Jakarta, since Saturday night and forced six families to be relocated. Kompas.com reported on Monday that the semi-permanent houses were slanted by 15 degrees. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said on Monday that he had received a report on the matter. I will have to check the situation first. So far, based on a report from the Pademangan district head, six families have been affected, and they have been relocated. The incident occurred in an area that was previously affected by erosion and had therefore been restored by the Water Resources Agency. However, Anies said, the efforts carried out by the agency may have been flawed. It will be part of an evaluation for the agency to be more thorough, particularly because the rivers there do not have strong walls, Anies said at City Hall on Monday, as reported by tribunjakarta.com. (fac) Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Monday have given priority to a host of political, sociocultural and economic issues. Almost all newspapers have published reports about the meeting of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee and its decision to extend the term of its student wing on their front pages. Some newspapers have published reports about Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapas statements at a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee also on their front pages. Whereas Kantipur has published its lead story on the governments preparation to relocate the Office of Vice-President, Nagarik and Republica have said stakeholders have objected to the preparation to expand the Office of President. Important Nepali Congress extends NSU term amid protest Despite the objection of senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and influential leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, the Central Working Committee meeting of Nepali Congress extended the term of the central committee of its student wing, Nepal Students Union, by two months, according to newspaper reports. The term of the Nain Singh Mahar-led panel was about to expire yesterday itself. Thapa refuses to speak on Pant murder probe Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has decided to give information regarding investigation into the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in Parliaments State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, reports The Himalayan Times. Meanwhile, Thapa at the meeting warned that naturalised citizenship could jeopardise the countrys national interests and security, according to The Kathmandu Post lead story. Expansion, relocation of Presidents, Vice-Presidents Office draw flak Nagarik reports that the land where Nepal Police Academy has been located has been donated by a former police official, claiming the governments plan to acquire this land to extend the Office of Presidents is not good. Likewise, Republica says people who know the history of Sheetal Niwas, the current Office of the President, have called for removing the office from the historic building. Meanwhile, Social Welfare Council officials have objected to the government decision to relocate the Office of Vice-President to the Councils existing office, reports Kantipur. Supreme Court to act tough on verdict execution Gorkhapatra, Rajdhani and Nepal Samacharpatra report in their lead stories that the Supreme Court has announced to take stern action against those who fail to execute the court verdict. The government is yet to collect Rs 12 billion in fine and refunding from the convicts of various cases, Nepal Samacharpatra reports. Meanwhile, Rajdhani adds that around 150,000 convicts are yet to serve their jail terms. Ignored Govt doesnt have evidence to support wide body purchase deal Amid a controversy about irregularities in the purchase of two wide body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation and questions that if the aircraft were purchased or borrowed on lease, the Civil Aviation Minister has said he does not have evidence to support that the aircraft were purchased rightly, claims Annapurna Post. Adhikari told a television programme that he will mobilise investigators to look into the issue and reach conclusions within next two and half months, according to the report. China recalls its ambassador to Nepal The Chinese government has decided to call back its Ambassador to Nepal, Yu Hong, and proposed sending Hou Yanqi as her successor, The Kathmandu Post reports in a snippet. Though anonymous sources confirmed that Beijing has already sent the name to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approve the new name, the government officials have refused to speak on the issue formally, according to the report. Stakeholders divided over transitional justice mechanism Republica reports in its lead story that conflict victims and stakeholders are sharply divided over a proposed political mechanism to conclude transitional justice process in Nepal. The report adds that some of them are for mandating the mechanism to formulate policies on truth seeking, reparation and reconciliation and national policies as required, whereas some view that the proposed process supports the perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Interesting Korea to gradually increase number of Nepali workers Concluding that Nepali workers are honest and hard working, the South Korean government is preparing to increase the number of the migrant workers to be recruited under the Employment Permit System every year, according to a brief story in Karobar. The report informs that the number of Nepali workers illegally staying in Korea is the lowest among the people staying illegally in the country. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Valletta, Malta Mon, November 19, 2018 10:01 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc5a7f 2 World #MurderCase,#journalists,malta,mastermind,journalist,killing Free The masterminds behind the 2017 car-bomb murder of Maltese journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia have been identified according to unnamed police sources quoted by The Sunday Times of Malta. The report quoted high-ranking officers as saying that a group of more than two Maltese nationals had been identified as having ordered her killing. Three suspects are under arrest for having carried out the murder and facing trial, but the identity of whoever ordered it has remained a mystery. Caruana Galizia, who died on October 16 last year aged 53, sought to expose scandals from petrol smuggling to money laundering, implicating members of the government and organised crime. Her blog also launched highly personal attacks on Maltese politicians. Caruana Galizia's journalist son Matthew last month blasted what he called a "system of impunity" he said was protecting those who ordered her killing. Her son, who believes the murder was ordered by powerful figures, said it would "send a terrible lesson if only the people who pressed the button to detonate the bomb ended up in prison". Three men stand charged with her murder. Brothers Alfred Degiorgio and George Degiorgio as well as Vince Muscat were arrested on December 4 last year and charged with the murder. Their case is still pending. The Caruana Galizia family said on Sunday that they was not formally informed by the police that the suspected masterminds had been identified. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yulia Savitri (The Jakarta Post) Palembang Mon, November 19, 2018 14:36 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cd72d0 1 National #onlinetaxi,online-transportation,ride-hailing-service,#ridehailing,Transportation,transportation-ministry,#Transportation Free The Transportation Ministry is to release a revised regulation on "online taxis" and ride-hailing transportation services in December, officials have said. The ministry previously issued Regulation No. 108/2017 on non-route public transportation services, but the Supreme Court struck down several clauses in the regulation in September following a petition for judicial review submitted by ride-hailing drivers. The ministrys land transportation director general, Budi Setiyadi, said the new regulation omitted the offending clauses and had been tested in the six cities of Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung (West Java), Surabaya (East Java), Medan (North Sumatra) and Makassar (South Sulawesi). Rules on KIR [roadworthiness test] and stickers [special stickers from the ministry] are no longer be in the regulation to be issued in December, Budi said on Saturday, adding that rules on pricing and limits on operational areas would still be included. He said that the regulation also included minimum service standards on insurance, recruitment standards for drivers and a requirement for ride-hailing applications to provide a panic button to call emergency services. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi particularly requested that online car-sharing and ride-hailing companies be more stringent in recruiting their drivers. There must be a good recruitment process because it affects the services the public receives, he said. (kmt/ipa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 16:24 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cdbf05 4 Business insurance,Insurance-Day,bandung,OJK Free Only 1.7 percent of about 265 million Indonesians have some form of insurance, a low rate the Indonesian Insurance Council attributes to a lack of awareness about the benefits of coverage. That is great opportunity for the insurance business, the industry groups chairman, Dadang Sukresna, said in the West Java capital city of Bandung over the weekend, as quoted by kompas.com. He was speaking at Insurance Day, an event organized by insurers to explain the importance of insurance both to protect people against unexpected negative events and as part of their long-term investment plan. Our major target group is the millennials. Therefore, we disseminate insurance programs to university students, among others, Dadang said, adding that events related to Insurance Day were held in 18 cities across the country, involving 6,065 people. The event was recorded in the Indonesian Records Museum (MURI) as the largest such event, he added. Meanwhile, the Financial Services Authoritys (OJK) nonbank financial industry executive supervisor, Riswinandi, said the penetration of insurance coverage was still far behind the penetration of banking products. He said insurance companies needed to follow the trends of the millennials so that they were interested in signing up for insurance. Millennials have a different lifestyle. They tend to [prefer] quick services and easier procedures for purchasing certain items. They are also familiar with the digital world, Riswandi added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana and Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Medan Mon, November 19, 2018 12:12 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc907c 1 National #KPK,KPK,corruption,#corruption,North-Sumatra,#NorthSumatra,Pakpak-Bharat,#Pakpak-Bharat Free The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Pakpak Bharat Regent Remigo Yolando Berutu a graft suspect following his arrest in Medan, North Sumatra, on Saturday night. Remigo stands accused of accepting Rp 550 million (US$37,638) in bribes from a contractor involved in a project with the Pakpak Bharat Public Works Agency. The KPK has detained six people on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, KPK head Agus Rahardjo said in a press conference at the KPK headquarters on Sunday night. Only three of the six arrested have been named suspects: Remigo, Pakpak Bharat Public Works Agency head David Anderson Kasokeli and businessman Hendriko Sembiring. The antigraft body also found Rp 150 million in cash in a bag at Remigos house in Medan. Remigo, a member of the Democratic Party, was arrested not long after he attended an event for volunteers for President Joko Jokowi Widodos reelection campaign. Despite his partys official support for the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno ticket, Remigo is the head of a pro-Jokowi volunteer group. Remigo is the eighth regional head from North Sumatra to have been arrested in a KPK raid in the past few years. (ipa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 18:13 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce1176 4 National greenpeace,palm-oil,forest-conversion,deforestation,Mondelez,APINDO,environment Free The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association (Apkasindo) have called on the government to take firm action against environmental watchdog Greenpeace, which they say harms Indonesias economy. The statement was in response to Greenpeace activists staging a rally on a Wilmar International-owned tanker transporting crude palm oil from a refinery in Dumai, Riau, to Europe. The ship was in the Bay of Cadiz in Spain when the activists boarded and unfurled banners that read Save Our Rainforest and Drop Dirty Palm Oil". Greenpeace campaigners have said they believe the palm oil industry could use methods that did not destroy the environment. "Palm oil can be made without destroying the forests," said Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace global campaigner on forests, in a statement on the groups website. The state has to side with the palm oil industry that is being threatened by Greenpeace, because the state has profited from the foreign currency [palm oil brings in], Apindo trade division head Benny Soetrisno said, as quoted by Antara, adding that palm oil exports had reached US$22.97 billion in 2017. Read also: We are not against palm oil but against deforestation: Greenpeace [Greenpeaces] actions have been let go for too long. The result is, now palm oil exports are prevented from entering Europe he said. Apkasindo deputy chairman Rino Afrino said Greenpeaces campaign had insulted the dignity of Indonesia with accusations of dirty palm oil. In a report released in September, Greenpeace claimed that 25 palm oil producers had cleared 130,000 hectares of Indonesian rainforest since 2015, 18 of which supplied palm oil to Wilmar. Wilmar disputed the report, saying, Greenpeaces allegation that Wilmar is failing at monitoring our supply chain is based on a wilful lack of understanding of our work on the ground. Can Greenpeace prove that the palm oil sold by Wilmar damages the environment? Rino said. Their campaign destroys the image of Indonesian palm oil. Meanwhile, in a separate occasion, President Joko Jokowi Widodo threw his support behind the industry, saying universities should have palm oil departments given the importance of the commodity for Indonesias economy. We have 14 million hectares of palm oil [plantations], but we dont have any palm oil departments [in universities], he said in Lamongan, East Java, on Monday. (kmt/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 15:14 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cd7d21 1 City murder,bogor,crime,Bogor-Police Free The identity of a man found dead in a plastic drum on Sunday has been confirmed as 43-year-old former journalist Abdullah Fithri Setiawan and father of six, known as Dufi to family and friends. His brother, Muhammad Ali Ramdoni, 35, told tribunnews.com on Monday that Dufi had vast experience working as either a journalist or marketing staff at mass media companies, including the Rakyat Merdeka and Indopos dailies, as well as at the Berita Satu, iNews TV and TVRI television stations. Dufi later started his own advertising company while he continued working at TVRI and freelancing at TV Muhammadiyah. A scavenger found the body on Sunday inside a blue plastic drum at Kramat Kuning industrial estate in Klapanunggal. The doctor who conducted the autopsy on Dufi's body at East Jakarta's Kramat Jati National Police Hospital found stab wounds in the neck and abdomen. Dufi was buried on Monday morning in the same tomb as his father at Semper public cemetery in North Jakarta. A police investigation had been opened into his death. (sau) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 08:57 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc1437 1 National Indonesian-politics,#2019GeneralElections,2019-elections,political-parties,sharia-law,bylaws,PSI,PPP,PKS,PDI-P,Golkar,Gerindra-Party Free Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Grace Natalies declaration that her party was against religion-based regulations has reignited the controversy surrounding the proliferation of sharia-inspired bylaws in regions across the country. The PSI will prevent the emergence of injustice, discrimination and all intolerant acts in this country. The PSI will never support gospel-based bylaws or sharia-based bylaws, Grace said last week at a celebration of the PSIs fourth anniversary. Her remarks came as some local politicians in several regions promised to enact morality bylaws in what analysts say is an attempt to win votes in the 2019 legislative election, particularly from Muslim constituents. The statements drew criticism from an Islamist group that has accused Grace of blasphemy and from the older parties within both the ruling coalition and the opposition, which were quick to defend sharia-based bylaws. It is fardhu kifayah [a collective obligation] for there to be a political party that is focused on implementing sharia principles in Indonesian laws and regulations, United Development Party (PPP) chairman Romahurmuziy wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. That is why we in the PPP will continue to safeguard sharia bylaws because, for us, adopting sharia principles is a reflection of Pancasila as seen in the spirit of Belief in the One and Only God. Gerindra Party executive Sodik Mudjahid echoed Romys statement that sharia-based laws were in accordance with the values of state ideology Pancasila. The values of Islamic sharia and those of other religions in Indonesia are the soul and pillars of Pancasilas five principles, he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. People who say sharia should be fought because it contradicts Pancasila do not understand the history, essence, philosophy and substance of Pancasila. Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) executive Suhud Aliyudin also reiterated his partys support for sharia-based laws and regulations, adding that regulations that were considered intolerant could be challenged in court. If someone does not agree [with a sharia bylaw] or believes it causes intolerance, then they have to prove it in court through a judicial review. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker and Jokowi-Maruf Amin campaign team member Eva Kusuma Sundari, on the other hand, said the PDI-P was against exclusive religion-based bylaws that could often lead to discrimination. We support sharia bylaws that are universal, such as those that fight against poverty and ignorance. We also support specific but optional bylaws such as those on sharia banking, she said. But we do not agree with exclusive bylaws that are discriminatory, for example, bylaws that restrict women from being out of the house at night and bylaws that create religion-based segregation. Golkar Party lawmaker Firman Soebagyo said that the matter was a sensitive one, but that in principle, regional bylaws should not contradict existing laws and the constitutions. Bylaws should safeguard our national unity and diversity. Sharia bylaws are widely popular among Indonesian Muslims, with 90.9 percent of 1,620 respondents in a 2017 Institute of South East Asian Studies survey saying that there were benefits to implementing sharia law. Research conducted by University of London political analyst Michael Buehler found that 443 sharia-based regulations had been issued at the provincial, regency and municipal levels between 1998 and 2013. The regulations were enacted by regional heads and legislative councils from both secular and Islamic parties. In his 2016 book, The Politics of Sharia Law, Buehler argues that politicians support for sharia-based bylaws and regulations was more the result of political considerations than ideological or religious ones. State elites in Indonesia are opportunist Islamizers whose affection for Islamic law is less emotional than transactional, he wrote. A 2015 survey conducted by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) also found that political interests were primarily responsible for the implementation of sharia bylaws, with most of the bylaws that the study reviewed in Jakarta, Banten and West Java, being passed during local election campaign periods. This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on Nov. 19, 2018, with the title "Parties clash over sharia-based bylaws". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19 2018 Good news for children living in areas lacking access to books and literacy advocates: state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia has backtracked on its decision to scrap a free book delivery program. Pos Indonesia stopped its program allowing people to send books through the mail at no charge on Oct. 23, citing funding issues. But last Thursday, Pos Indonesia announced it would continue the program after receiving financial support from the Education and Culture Ministry to run the program until the end of this year, while waiting for the ministry to formulate a regulation to support any future financing schemes. 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 (Agence France-Presse) Kuwait City, Kuwait Mon, November 19, 2018 16:04 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cd9521 2 Sports #sports,#Kuwait,IOC,chairmanship Free World sport powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah said he was "temporarily" stepping aside from his International Olympic Committee duties on Monday after he was charged with forgery in Switzerland. The Kuwaiti, one of the most influential figures in international sport, said he "strenuously denies any wrongdoing", calling the allegations "maliciously motivated by political factions within Kuwait". Sheikh Ahmad said he would stop his work with the IOC until he had been investigated by the body's ethics commission. "Sheikh Ahmad has today decided to step aside temporarily from his roles and responsibilities as an IOC member and chairman of Olympic Solidarity Commission, pending the outcome of an IOC Ethics Commission hearing," said a statement from his office. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Mon, November 19, 2018 09:09 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc2d0d 2 World #USA,#DonaldTrump,Republican,conservatives Free A Republican senator said Sunday that a conservative should run against US President Donald Trump for the party's presidential nomination in 2020. Jeff Flake, a vocal critic of the president, said he did not think he would run but that someone else should. "I have said all along that somebody needs to run on the Republican side, if nothing else, to remind Republicans what it means to be conservative, what being a conservative really means, and what it means to be decent as well," he said in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union." Flake, who is leaving the Senate in January, warned that in his state of Arizona, a Republican bastion in the past, voters are rejecting candidates "tied at the hip with the president." "And I think that we're seeing that elsewhere in the country as well. We're losing the suburbs," he said. "If we had a mass movement from the suburbs for people to move back to rural areas, then perhaps our Republican Party would have more of a future -- but not the way that we're going now." Democrat Kyrsten Sinema was elected in this month's midterms to the Senate seat Flake is vacating, defeating Martha McSally, a former air force pilot who embraced Trump. Trump has said he is "100 percent" certain he will run for a second four-year term in 2020. Home Just In Minister Pandit: Civil servants did not understand the country Kathmandu, November 19 Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lalbabu Pandit says civil servants of the country have not understood Nepal. He claims many of the staff consider Kathmandu to be the entire Nepal. Many servants of the country did not understand Nepal. They understood that Nepal was just Kathmandu or what where they were, Minister Pandit said while inaugurating a new training programme for a group of civil servants in Lalitpur on Monday. According to him, the staffs reluctance to work at the assigned duty station was a big trouble to the government. He warned that staff disobeying the decision about work places would face stern action. Likewise, Pandit accused the staff of failing to implement their learning from foreign training opportunities though they were passionate about foreign trips. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 12:02 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc8a11 1 City jakarta,brawl,discotheque,crime,police Free Frengky Denger Manu, 25, and Julius Umbu Ngailu, 38 -- suspects in a brawl that resulted in the deaths of two nightclub visitors in West Jakarta-- were arrested in Samhin, Pangkalan Baru, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung, on Sunday. The suspects are believed to have been involved in a brawl that ended in the deaths of two visitors of Bandara nightclub, Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, on Oct. 17. West Jakarta Police's criminal investigation unit head, Sr. Adj. Comr. Edi Suranta Sitepu, said the suspects were arrested with the help of Bangka Belitung Police. The two suspects were arrested at a house in Samhin, which was their hiding place. The two suspects are being questioned at the West Jakarta Police, Edi said on Monday, tribunnews.com reported. He said both suspects lived in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. He said police shot one of the suspects right leg because he resisted arrest. A deadly brawl at Bandara nightclub occurred last month after two people dancing in the establishment bumped into each other. An argument occurred outside the nightclub, which led to a brawl. HS, 38 one of the victims, died of stab wounds at the scene, while another victim, SG, also sustained stab wounds and was taken to Royal Trauma Hospital, but died the next day. (ami) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19 2018 Nirmala, not her real name, recalled how easy it was to mingle with people of the community she was living in despite being a waria (transgender woman). The 23-year-old used to casually talk with her neighbors in Jakarta, where she has been living since migrating from her hometown in Wonogiri, Central Java, five years ago. But she feels the growing prejudice against her and has become more isolated. They dont even accept our monthly garbage fees now, so I just give them directly to the garbage collector on duty, she said. 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 Aulina Adamy (The Jakarta Post) Kachin, Myanmar Mon, November 19 2018 It was morning and chilly when we arrived at a village in Kachin state, Myanmar. Steam came out of our mouths when we talked. I could see a forest-covered hill as I sat in the middle of a field near a school building. An empty flagpole stood straight in front of me. Three polling stations located in this school compound were already open. I got the sense the school opened just as our car arrived exactly in front of its gate. Probably the teachers didnt believe me when I told them two days earlier that we would come back on voting day. It was too quiet there. One of the teachers said most of the villagers had left and were living in camps for internally displaced people (IDP) across Kachin and northern Shanmar. Only some elders, women and children stayed. Kachin and eight other states or regions conducted by-elections on Nov. 3 to fill 13 empty seats in the parliament. In the case of Myanmar, those seats were made vacant when incumbents died or were appointed to other positions in the government. Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and France are several countries that apply the same mechanism, while in Indonesia the power to fill empty legislative seats belongs to political parties. The Nov. 3 by-elections were the second Myanmar had organized since the historic general election in 2015, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), win by a landslide. As Suu Kyi is prohibited by the constitution from running for president because her late husband Michael Aris was a Brit and their two sons are both British citizens, she was named the state counselor, a new position created just for her. She is nevertheless the de facto leader of Myanmar. Myanmar, just like Indonesia, is home to many ethnicities. Officially the government of the predominantly Buddhist country recognizes 135 ethnicities that are grouped into eight major national ethnic races. The Kachin are one of the major ethnicities together with the Bamar (Burmese) and the Rakhine. Kachin is the northernmost state of Myanmar, which abuts China and partly borders Tibet and India. Other tribes, including the Jinghpaw, live in the predominantly Christian Kachin. Like other states or regions in Myanmar, the local government of Kachin is facing armed rebellion from other ethnic groups. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which was established in 1961, has been fighting for the internal autonomy promised in the Panglong Agreement of 1947 by the Kachin leaders and then general Aung San (Suu Kyis father) when they decided to join Burma and form the Union of Myanmar, which gained independence from Britain. According to the Myanmar Peace Monitor website, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) as the KIOs armed wing is the second-largest ethnic armed group in Myanmar. The KIO claims to have 10,000 troops with 10,000 reservists in the civilian population ready to fight for wide-ranging autonomy. To retain the rights of the Kachin is the tagline of the KIO, reminiscent of the cause the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fought for nearly 30 years. I cannot disengage Aceh from the conflict in Kachin. The comparison is inevitable. Indonesia is still considered an exemplary democracy in Southeast Asia, thanks to the sweeping reforms in 1998 that put an end to 32 years of Soehartos militaristic regime. One major achievement of the reforms was the militarys return to the barracks. In particular, Aceh is a success story of conflict resolution in Indonesia. The earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, accelerated peace talks between GAM and the Indonesian government, which signed a peace accord on Aug. 15, 2005, in Helsinki. Knowing that I come from Aceh, most of people I met expressed their admiration. They spoke about Kachin rights with passion and with shining eyes. Traces of anger were visible when they recounted their experiences in the war, in which many Kachin civilians fell victim to the conflict between Tatmadaw (the Myanmar Army) and the KIA. It was genocide like what has happened in Rakhine, one of the people told me. His abhorrence reminded me of the hatred the Acehnese vented against the Indonesian Army, which was accused of atrocities during its operation to quell the armed resistance movement in the westernmost province. We read, observe and learn from what happened in Aceh and Timor Leste. Hopefully one day Kachin will also gain peace, he said. But is it true that Aceh is a success story? After the peace agreement, Aceh has enjoyed everything beyond the Kachin peoples imagination. The state recognizes local political parties, grants huge special autonomy funds, allocates hefty regional development budgets and allows sharia implementation in Aceh, privileges that elude other Indonesian provinces. Unfortunately, the success does not favor victims of past human right abuses. Female victims of rape have not achieved justice, thousands of civilians killed during the military operation in Aceh have remained unacknowledged and survivors of the operation have mostly lived in poverty. One of the camps in Kachin I visited has existed for almost seven years and there is no sign the displaced people will return home anytime soon. Some of them left their loved ones who died when they fled their villages. I wonder if the dead are only a number like those in Aceh. Yes, we are afraid it will happen here, a teacher in the village told me. His worry is understandable as on Nov. 5 a local newspaper reported the seat in Kachin went to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), an affiliate of the Myanmar military. ___________________ The writer is a lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, a member of INDEPTH (Institute for Democracy, Politics and Human Rights) Indonesia and an electoral analyst for Myanmar By-Elections in 2017 and 2018 under the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) Foundation. The views expressed are her own. 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 (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 09:34 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cc4658 2 Business Merpati-Nusantara-Airlines,operation,YLKI,comments Free The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) supports the return of state-owned aircraft carrier Merpati Nusantara Airlines, heralding it a positive catalyst for equilibrium in a domestic industry dominated by Lion Air group, with a market share of 51 percent, Garuda Indonesia with 31 percent and Sriwijaya with 13 percent. Merpati can bring healthy competition, because there is now unhealthy market domination, said YLKI deputy chairman Sudaryatmo as reported by tempo.co. He said this was detrimental for consumers because they would have to bear the repercussions of any problem faced by the dominant player, such as when Lion Air experienced numerous flight delays and cancelations in 2016 as their pilots went on strike over workers rights violations. He added that Merpati could provide a public service for consumers by operating flights, with financial support from the government, into remote areas in the country. Merpati discontinued operations in February 2014 after having accrued more than Rp 10.95 trillion (US$749.38 million) in debt to over 80 debtors. However, the Surabaya Commercial Court issued a debt postponement petition for the company on Wednesday, giving it a second chance to pay off its dues. (brf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Mon, November 19, 2018 21:05 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877ce4017 2 News travel,tourist-destination,tourists,tourism,traveling,travel-insight Free The Philippines most famous resort island Boracay has re-opened after a six-month clean-up intended to fix the damage done by unrestrained mass tourism. Here are some other global hotspots that authorities have moved to protect: Bali, Indonesia Officials on the holiday island, Indonesias top tourist destination, declared a garbage emergency last year after the palm-fringed Kuta beach was swallowed up by mountains of trash. Indonesia, second only to China as the worlds biggest contributor to marine debris, deployed 700 cleaners and 35 lorries to remove roughly 100 tonnes of debris each day from Kuta and two other popular beaches to a nearby landfill. Easter Island, Chile Known for its 900-odd human figures standing up to 10 meter tall, the isolated Pacific island severely curtailed visitor numbers in August this year due to concerns over the remote Chilean territorys environmental sustainability. Tourist stays on the island, believed to have been settled by the Rapa Nui people around the 12th century, were cut to 30 days from 90, after the population along with the crime rate doubled in just a few decades. Those who wish to live on the island are now required to be a parent, partner or child of the Rapa Nui people. Read also: Philippines' spruced up Boracay re-opens with new rules Dubrovnik, Croatia Dubrovnik boasts an old walled city. It saw cruise ship arrivals shoot through the roof after it was used as a backdrop in the smash television drama series Game Of Thrones, causing congestion as tourists made a beeline for the shoot locales. Mayor Mato Frankovic said the authorities plan to cut cruise ship numbers coming into the Adriatic port, while deploying cameras to count the number of people entering the old town. Venice and Florence, Italy Venice authorities are trialing a system that forces visitors to make a reservation if they want to go to the popular Saint Marks Square during peak hours. They are also fining tourists 500 euros for bathing or having picnics in the citys famous canals. In Florence, officials have resorted to hosing down public spots such as church steps where many visitors congregate to have picnics. This aims to prevent people from sitting on the wet pavement. Machu Picchu, Peru Peruvian authorities increased surveillance at the 15th-century Incan citadel high in the Andes mountain range in 2014 as nude photos and streaking became increasingly common. Since 2013, tourists have been posting their naked selfies on social media, which the government described as a disrespectful act aimed solely at getting attention. Maya Bay, Thailand The glittering Thai bay immortalized in the movie The Beach was closed indefinitely on Oct 1 to allow it to recover from the impact of mass tourism, after a four-month respite failed to ease beach erosion and pollution. About 5,000 tourists had arrived by boat each day to the beach framed by limestone cliffs that was made famous by the 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, November 19, 2018 17:31 1100 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877cde4ca 4 News bandung,#Bandung,West-Java,application,website,tourism,#tourism,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling,mobile-application Free West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil on Saturday launched a website and two smartphone applications for tourists visiting Bandung. The website, wonderfulwestjava.com, and the apps, Gurilaps and Smartfishing, are aimed at helping visitors get most out of their time in and around the city. Ridwan said the technological products were part of his First-100-Days program. According tempo.co, wonderfulwestjava.com was developed by the West Java Tourism and Culture Agency. Meanwhile, Gurilaps, which stands for Gunung, Udara, Rimba and Pantai (Mountain, Air, Forest and Beach), was created by city-owned enterprise (BUMD) Jaswita Jabar. Available on iOS and Android phones, the app serves as an online travel marketplace, allowing tourists to access various nature tours. To ensure the tourists safety and comfort, all the packages are curated by Koperasi Wanadri and come with Jasa Raharja Putera travel insurance. Read also: Jakpost explores Bandung Meanwhile, Smartfishing was developed by the West Java Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency. We [have developed] the app for Android phones to allow fishermen to fish with the help of satellite technology, said Ridwan. Although, the app was designed for fishermen, fishing enthusiasts are also welcome to use the Smartfishing app. We hope that, as the fishermen get more familiar with technology, they can go fishing without guessing the position of the fish, he said. Ridwan expressed his hope that the website and apps would help tourists while traveling around West Java. (jes/kes) Nov 19 2018 9:01 am By Ron Benvenisti. With all the attention given to having armed guards in schools, I just wanted to make some observations and comments. First of all, New Jersey is one of the few states that tries to circumvent Federal Law enabling law enforcement. How is that? Let me call your attention to New Jerseys continuous fight with the Federal Government over something called LEOSA (the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act). This is incredible. New Jersey wants to tie the hands of Police and Peace Officers despite Federal Law. Lets look at some New Jersey crime stats. In 2016 the violent crime rate in Newark was 135.96 percent higher than the national violent crime rate average. You read that right, 135.96! How about Camden? The 2012 statistics (the most current) had a violent crime rate of a whopping 563.3 percent higher than the national average. Lets not stop there. Trenton, the state capitol, the 2016 violent crime rate was 239.33 percent higher than the national violent crime rate. How could it be that New Jersey Legislature whose offices which sit in Trenton are oblivious. But this is what their answer is: Taking away guns from law enforcement. Incredulous, Insane and Unimaginable to anyone in their right mind. In an Oct. 12, 2018 directive, the New Jersey Attorney General once again reinforced New Jerseys thwarting of LEOSA. What is LEOSA LEOSA is a federal law, enacted in 2004, which allows two classes of people the qualified Law Enforcement officer and the qualified retired or separated Law Enforcement officer to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States or United States Territories, regardless of state or local laws, with certain exceptions. The exceptions are that a state can restrict carry authority on private property (bars, amusement parks, etc.); a state can restrict carry on state property (courts, state office buildings, etc.); and on school grounds. The law was amended in 2010 and 2013; in both cases LEOSA authority was actually expanding and enhanced. A good thing. LEOSA was enacted to ensure active and retired officers were protected from a patchwork of state concealed carry laws. It was also enacted to ensure that law enforcement officers on or off duty could be a force multiplier in the event something happens, and an off duty or retired law enforcement officer is nearby and ready to help, immediately. The recent mass shootings in California and Pittsburgh underscore the need for law enforcement officers, of all generations, around the nation to be capable of being ready. Isnt that obvious. New jersey doesnt get it. Unbelievable. LEOSAs Federal History LEOSAs legislative intention was to supersede all states laws, including the home state of the individual claiming its exemption. Congress declared LEOSAs purpose was to implement national measures of uniformity and consistency and allow officers to carry a concealed firearm anywhere within the United States. Congress totally rejected efforts to allow states to opt out of LEOSA. Both The House of Representatives defeated and the Senate refused to consider proposed amendments aimed at preserving local law enforcement agencies discretion to regulate the conditions under which their officers may carry firearms; this made LEOSA the law of the land EXCEPT in New Jersey. Again, totally insane. New Jersey vs. LEOSA From the inception of LEOSA, New Jersey has made every and any attempt to restrict, place roadblocks, and a complete obstacle course of regulations to impede and circumvent an officers LEOSA authority. How Is This Even Possible? Lets see: An officer must obtain a New Jersey permit to purchase and carry a firearm. An officer is not allowed to carry uniformly standard law enforcement hollow point ammunition, (which ballistics have proven is more effective and less penetrating than full metal jacket ammunition) This is mandated by New Jersey. If an officer wants to carry across state lines, they must qualify at the same level as active officers. So, New Jersey effectively turns retired law enforcement officers into criminals if they comply with federal law but dare not comply with New Jerseys incredibly restrictive regulations. New Jersey says, LEOSA means nothing. You must get a separate permit (which involves a fee) and follow our rules. But the criminals in Camden, Trenton and Newark have NO rules to follow. They can inflict as much terror as they want. Meanwhile, the legislators in Trenton are more concerned about restricting guns for law enforcement. So, New Jersey continues to ignore a Federal Law which allows law enforcement officers to go above and beyond to be armed and ready. Have any New Jersey Legislators been to the streets of Trenton, Camden or Newark. How about helping law enforcement officers take the guns off the streets instead of out of their hands? Outrageous! Ron Benvenisti Home Just In NCP holding Secretariat meeting after one month on Thursday Kathmandu, November 19 Preparations are underway to hold the Secretariat meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party on Thursday, November 22, said the partys central office. The meeting could not be held for the past one month due to various reasons including the ill health of Prime Minister and party chair KP Sharma Oli and festivals, said Secretary of the central office Krishna Gopal Shrestha. The meeting will discuss issues regarding giving full-shape to the partys provincial committees, formation of the district committees, unification of sister organisations, the agenda and schedule for holding the standing committee meeting, review of the performance of party, parliament and the government and management of the central office, according to him. The last Secretariat meeting was held on October 25. Partys senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is on a foreign visit, is returning home on coming Wednesday. Thereafter the meeting will be held, he said. RSS Grab your earphones and stick this weeks best new releases in your playlist. Gazel via Sonic PR Fontaines D.C. are ones to watch this year, with their gritty-post punk style delivered with a deadpan Irish flair. Too Real exudes a narrative of discontent in a deadpan vocal style akin to Mark E. Smith, against a background of contorted looping guitars, reflecting a feeling of disillusionment that characterises a lot of British guitar music at the moment. Exploring the narrative of toxic-masculinity and male mental health, Joe Thompson releases his latest single, the moving Boys Dont Talk. With brooding synths against the naively pure vocals of Thompson, it captures the feelings of isolation and loneliness often projected by toxic masculinity. 'Boys Don't Talk' crescendos into an anthemic interplay of upbeat electronica, allowing Thompson to reach out a hand of support to those struggling. Dichotomised against the voice clips of Theresa Mays speech on mental health funding, the song raises questions on the sincerity of the Post-Brexit Government. HMLTD electro driven Over their short career, the London based band HMLTD have become notorious as one of the most arresting visual live bands on the UK scene, with their barrage ofshock-pop. Their latest single Flex is no anomaly, crashing and smashing with heavy synths, hip-hop style beats, and sensual vocals courtesy of Jazz from Xvoto.Delete. You can catch them supporting Shame next week on their UK headline tour. Following the release of Lilo, Follow My Girl is as beautifully ethereal as we have come to expect from Amber Bain - the heart and soul of pseudonym-named outfit The Japanese House. It's the second to be released from her forthcoming debut album Good At Falling, which is set to be released on the 1st March of next year. On her latest track, Bains dreamy vocals, are complimented against tropical and airy electronics, transporting you right back into the breezy days of summer. four-piece's An atmospheric build-up of delicate instrumentation against poignant vocals cumulates into a climax of electronic tones, like a hybrid of Massive Attack and Portishead. With lyrics such as "Dont distract me like Im a novelty", 'Distract Me' evokes a feeling of being manipulated and scarred in love. The new single is taken from the Bristol-basedforthcoming EP - one which we're very, very much looking forward to. Like his royal namesake, William the Conqueror have achieved enormous success this year, with their raw and sorrowful lyrics driven by blues and dark Americana. The Curse Of Friends is the second teaser track from their upcoming album due to be released in February 2019. Its a song about a leopard trying to change its spots, creating an atmosphere of fond but distanced nostalgia, as Ruarri Joseph expresses But your history aint my future in his gruff, mellow tones. famers Atmospheric, hushed tones leaning on influences from Fleetwood Mac contrast against Louises ethereal vocals to create a moving reflection on frustration in love in her latest single 'Not Enough'. Penned as the new voice of death-gospel, Lemon notes that "'Not Enough' is a song about staying in a relationship that you know already ended. When you're in something so destructive but still just can't let go." The track comes from the highly anticipated forthcoming album, set to be released in March 2019.'Laugh Some More', while sounding cautiously optimistic from the outset, delves deep into the morose isolation that comes from being unable to forge a healthy, meaningful relationship with anyone or anything around you. The debut single from the Swedish alt-rock duo, 'Laugh Some More', is devastatingly charming with just the right amount of scuzz and fizz, pulling on influences of rock n' roll hall-of-Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, and Oasis.With a dark blend of pop, Burial style electronic and middle-eastern folk music, Gazels latest single Minas Hymn is mesmeric, immersive and enchanting. Each of Gazels singles is sung from the point of view of an internalised character, with Minas Hymn being sung from the perspective of a widow who watches memories of her youth on a loop. She positions herself as one of Gazels most bitter and resentful characters, as she refuses to come to peace with what is behind her. Gazel will be heading on tour on the 21st of November. Travelling through lands that are vibrantly different to our own (in our case through Chinas Pearl River Delta and into the metropolis of Shanghai; a shiny and very futuristic experience in itself) is something that youll almost certainly want to capture on camera. Shanghai, as seen from the Shanghai Tower // Credit: Lucy Miller In the city of Shenzhen, a fishing village less than half a century ago and one of the worlds fastest growing metropolises, people (an estimated 20 million of them) and skyscrapers jostle for much-needed space. Old meets very, very new here, with teenagers playing dice games and smoking shisha in outdoor bars, and visitors sipping negronis (ordered via iPads) in 104th floor lounges just a few hundred yards away. We were lucky enough to undertake this journey with the Huawei P20 Pro, a smartphone that has been ubiquitous on UK billboards, buses and social feeds over the past few months. As it turns out, its a great bit of tech to have up your sleeve (or in your back pocket) for this kind of expedition. (A note: the brand is pronounced wah-way. Not hoo-a-wey. Not ha-wey. Not who-are-we. Wah-way.) Visiting Chinas eastern coast, we flew into Hong Kong and then travelled across the border to Shenzhen and later Shanghai - the first of which is home to the Huawei Campus, a sprawling tech behemoth thats Chinas version of Apple and the third largest smartphone-maker in the world (Samsung takes second place.) Huawei, and in particular its highly reliant, AI-powered, high definition smartphones, might be borne from the boom of new China, but in recent years the west has been catching up - and thats good news for everyone. Spending almost $15 billion per year on research and development last year alone, Huawei is in ascendance - and with smartphone features that blow its rivals out of the water, its easy to see why. Heres why you need to consider Huawei next time youre upgrading your phone - particularly if, like us, youre invested in capturing every moment, and coming back from your travels with great quality photographs to show for it. The quality of photograph The three cameras that are built into the Huawei P20 Pro means that the bar has risen for smartphone photograph quality. Its the first smartphone to offer a triple camera, and promises to increase your creativity x 3 (get it...?) Its also got a 5X hybrid zoom, a 20MP black and white lens that offers unrivalled depth, and a 40MP lens with a Light Fusion sensor, which means high definition is guaranteed both in photography and film. And unlike with many smartphones, the quality of the Huawei Pro 20s zoom means that you wont sacrifice quality when you do want to hone in on a subject. The camera offers immediate vibrancy and focus, even in low light. Heres a filter-free snap we took in Shenzhen, right before we headed to the cocktail bar right at the top (gulp): Artistic filters For those looking to add a bit of a surreal aesthetic to their social feeds, the P20 Pros filters come up trumps - offering effects that turn your photograph into a sketchpad, a watercolour , a hazy dream, or entirely change the time of day: Filter: Colour Pencil Filter: Crayon: Filter: Watercolour Filter: Illusion Filter: Dawn Theres also a Demist filter, for super-high definition : Want to add Snow? Theres a filter for that: In fact, there are more than 40 filters across seven different themes (Mono, Nostalgia, Shadow, Classic, Paint, Weather and Chic), as well as effects that allow splashes of colour , graffiti, mosaic, and text a la an Instagram Story. All this means your creativity has a huge amount of free rein, and its great if you want to use effects to prep your photographs for film or animation, too. Selfie function You know when you flip to forward-facing camera and immediately realise how much your face looks like a thumb? The P20 Pro has made this sad sad situation a thing of the past, with its 24-pixel selfie camera and ability to recognise your face, get rid of dark patches and automatically switch to selfie mode. Heres the result (filter-free) when we tested out the selfie function before we headed off on the China trip: And another, after 14 hours on a plane: Not a blemish/eye bag in sight, and for that we can all be thankful. AI capability This phone is clever (obviously) - and its camera, according to Huawei itself, understands you and the picture you want to create. Thats somewhat helpful, especially for those of us that arent exactly pros when it comes to the finer points of smartphone photography. The phones portrait function focuses automatically and blurs the background, meaning you can guarantee that your subject will remain the focal point of your photograph. You can see this demonstrated clearly with this portrait of, erm, a tub of prawns at the Cheng Huang food market in Shanghai: eatinldn's Bryony Palmer Diana Armfield RA We also used the Huawei P20 Pro for our interviews withand iconic artist- so check out those portraits if you want to see how the phone works with faces as well as with food. The stabilising technology thats built into the phone means that the need for a tripod is negated, too - something thats likely to be a massive positive if youre taking photographs professionally. Because carrying bulky equipment around is definitely something we dont need, especially when trying to travel light. Video functionality For bloggers and vloggers - both professional and aspiring - the fewer bits of extra kit that need to be carried around, the better. The camera on the Huawei P20 Pro is film quality, which cuts out the need for a DSLR or heavy camera equipment. It also means you can shoot high definition video on the fly, wherever you are - something thats highly useful if youre travelling and want ease of movement (bye bye heavy camera bags) whilst sourcing your #content. Battery life on the Huawei P20 Pro You guessed it: the 4000 mAh battery on Huaweis phone lasts just a little bit longer than that of other leading smartphone brands. It recharges more quickly that its competitors, too. Huawei predicts that (based on lab tests) it has around 25 hours of talk time (yes, really.) So, no more charging your portable charger or fruitlessly searching for the plug socket with the Huawei, no matter how much video you shoot or how much snapping and filtering throughout the day. We charged the phone twice in five days, which was quite frankly mind-blowing after years of reluctantly switching to flight mode at 7pm . And youve seen how much time we spent playing with it. Making the move A big fear that many of us have when moving between tech brands is the usability - i.e., weve got so used to one operating system; how will we possibly adapt to any other? Actually, its not an issue. The lightness of the Huawei P20 Pro and the ease of use means that youll get used to the Android operating system within a matter of minutes - and in fact, youll wonder why you didnt make the switch sooner. Especially when you see the Instagram likes rolling in Find out more via @HuaweiMobileUK and the hashtags #HuaweiTravels and #HuaweiP20Pro The National Student was not paid for this content Image credits: Lucy Miller Home Just In Nepal to provide national citizenship card to every citizen within next three years Kathmandu, November 19 The government of Nepal says it is launching the distribution of national citizenship cards to its citizen on Monday. The government aims to complete the distribution and equip all citizens with the machine readable card that includes all essential information about the citizen within next three years. When you get the national identity card, you do not need to carry multiple documents like citizenship certificate and voter id card along with you, Deepak Kaphle, Director General at the Department of National Identity Card and Civil Registration says, adding efforts are underway to make sure that everyone gets such card within the stipulated time. Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa will launch the distribution campaign offering the card to 101-year-old Bhagawati Devi Bhandari, a resident of Shantipur in Phidim Municipality-1 of Panchthar district of eastern Nepal, today. Total 50 other persons will receive the identity card at the special function to be organised this afternoon. Bhandari was the first person, about whom the government had collect information for the card some months ago. We have collected details of over 52,000 persons of the district. But, we have printed only 2,400 cards for now, Panchthars Chief District Officer Prakash Chandra Adhikari says, We will gradually distribute the cards to others as well. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close 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. You cannot print contents of this website. Sign in Welcome, Login to your account. Forget password? Remember me Sign in Recover your password. A password will be e-mailed to you. You might have to scratch your head to think of something that Luxembourg is famous for. The Grand Duchy is the least populated of all the countries in the EU, and unless youre a banker or a lawyer, its generally overlooked. But the city has twice been the European Capital of Culture, and its UNESCO listed Old Town is utterly charming. You can walk the cobbled streets amongst medieval buildings, tour fortifications, wander in the parks, and sit for hours with a local beer, listening to live music on the street. Many of the people who work here disappear home to France or Belgium at the weekends, leaving central Luxembourg wonderfully quiet for visitors to explore. Here are our 10 picks for the best things to see and do in Luxembourg: Discover Luxembourgs military history In Luxembourg, its all about castles and caves. This was once the most heavily fortified city in northern Europe, and though most of the fortifications were dismantled in the late 19th century, there are still plenty of sections to see. The Bock Casemates is a natural defence, a rocky promontory that juts out from the Old Town. Count Siegfried built a castle on top of these cliffs in 963 and the underground passages and galleries survive. On a hot, summers day, the Bock remains cool, and the numerous archways in the rock beautifully frame the different city views. You can visit the Bock Casements on a self guided tour, or as part of a UNESCO Walk. Explore the museums on MuseumSmile Clearly visible across the gorge from the Casements are two remarkable museums whose architecture is completely juxtaposed. At the front is the Museum Drai Eechelen, what remains of a medieval fortress; and right next door is the striking glass pyramid of MUDAM, the Museum of Modern Art. They are part of Luxembourgs MuseumSmile seven museums within a mile and you can visit all of them for free with a Luxembourg Card. Relax in the Grund The Grund is the liveliest quarter of Luxembourg in the evenings, with cafes and bars spilling out onto the medieval streets and squares. Liquid Cafe is right on the river, and it is without doubt the best option for craft beers: it has around 50 on any given day. Shop til you drop Place Guillaume II is Luxembourgs main square, and its been the centre of the citys commercial life since medieval times. Come here on a Wednesday or Saturday to browse stalls in the lively market, which sell everything from artisanal cheeses and fresh flowers, to vintage clothes and bric a brac. Youre guaranteed to pick up some unique souvenirs. Try some local Luxembourgish delicacies On the northern side of Place Guillaume II are some attractive shopping arcades, and you can cut through to Kaempff Koeffler. This wonderful delicatessen is known for selling the best Luxembourgish produce, from chocolates and pastries, to cheeses and local wines. Whether youre peckish and ready to pick up a picnic lunch, or shopping for gastronomic treats to bring home, this is the place to go. Feast at Restaurant Clairefontaine Before visiting Luxembourg, we asked for recommendations. Restaurant Clairefontaines name came up time and again. This Michelin starred restaurant is right in the Old Town and just moments from the most important government offices: locals joke that Clairefontaine is the Presidents canteen! Chef Arnaud Magnier has been at Clairefontaine for 14 years. He trained in France including a stint working in the Elysee Palace for President Francois Mitterrand and earned Clairefontaines Michelin star in a single season. His mouthwatering dishes are imaginatively presented twists on French classics, and often incorporate local Luxembourgish produce. Our particular favourites included a tower of foie gras cloaked in a wafer thin tower of transparent sugar, lobster tartare wrapped in finely sliced courgette, and poached pigeon accompanied by rhubarb. Take a walk in the parks Luxembourg is remarkably green. Wherever you are in the city, youre never far from the gorge and river, or one of the immaculately kept parks. There are plenty of attractive floral displays, and also impressive works of sculpture and fountains. Some of the fountains are designed so you can run through the water jets: perfect on a hot summers day. Ride in the Pfaffenthal Elevator The central part of Luxembourg is built atop a cliff, and you can ride from top to bottom on the glass Pfaffenthal Elevator. This isnt an option for those scared of heights: the floor as well as the walls are see through! But the elevator is in a striking position, and you get fabulous panoramic views. Its also a relief not to have to climb back to the Old Town at the end of a long day of sightseeing. Sundowner cocktails with fantastic views There are plenty of cocktail bars in Luxembourg, but the bar at Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal occupies a position that is second to none. Its across the bridge from the Old Town, but you look directly across at the historic architecture. Time your visit to coincide with sunset and the spires of the churches will be silhouetted against the orange-red sky. Fact File FLY: Easyjet has flights to Luxembourg from Gatwick and Stansted STAY: Le Royal Luxembourg MORE INFO: Check out the official Luxembourg website PORT MORESBY: The United States and China swapped barbs over trade, investment and regional security at an Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit on Saturday, as growing fault lines among members suggested little prospect of consensus at the weekend meeting. Speaking in the Papua New Guinean capital, US Vice President Mike Pence said there would be no end to American tariffs until China changed its ways, after its president, Xi Jinping, warned that the shadow of protectionism and unilateralism was hanging over global growth. Illustrating the impasse between the worlds two largest economies, a diplomat involved in negotiating an APEC leaders declaration told Reuters trade was a sticking point, and the host nation was having trouble finding language acceptable to all. Pence took direct aim at Xis flagship Belt and Road programme, which China has been promoting to Pacific nations at APEC, saying countries should not accept debt that compromised their sovereignty. We do not offer constricting belt or a one-way road, Pence told the APEC CEO summit, a precursor to the official leaders meeting, held on a cruise liner tethered in Port Moresbys Fairfax Harbour. Chinas efforts to win friends in the resource-rich Pacific have been watched warily by the traditionally influential powers in the region - Australia and the United States. US President Donald Trump is not attending the APEC meeting, nor is his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Xi, who is staying in Port Moresby, has been feted by PNG officials and stoked Western concern on Friday when he held a meeting with Pacific island leaders, in which he pitched the Belt and Road initiative. Speaking before Pence, Xi said there was no geopolitical agenda behind the project, which was unveiled in 2013 and aims to bolster a network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. It does not exclude anyone. It is not an exclusive club closed to non-members, nor is it a trap as some people have labelled it. There have been concerns that small countries that sign up for infrastructure projects will be left with debt burdens they cannot service, something Pence highlighted. Do not accept foreign debt that could compromise your sovereignty. Protect your interest. Preserve your independence. And just like America, always put your country first, he said. Sri Lanka formally handed over commercial activities in its main southern port of Hambantota to a Chinese company last December as part of a plan to convert $6 billion of loans that Sri Lanka owed China into equity. Soon after Pence spoke, Australia said it was joining the United States and Japan in a partnership that would help countries in the region develop infrastructure priorities, a possible alternative to Chinas Belt and Road. REGIONAL SECURITY Pence also said the United States would join Australia to help Papua New Guinea build a navy base on its Manus Island, which was a US base in World War Two. The plan comes after China emerged as a possible developer of the deep-water port, which analysts say could impact the Wests ability to navigate in the Pacific while offering China a site close to US bases in Guam. The United States of America will continue to uphold the freedom of the seas and the skies, which are so essential to our prosperity, Pence said. In a meeting that could irritate Beijing, Pence had talks with Taiwans envoy to APEC, Morris Chang. Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province of one China, ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Despite Taiwans lack of diplomatic recognition by the majority of countries, APEC allows it to participate as an economic, rather than political, entity. Pence later told reporters travelling with him he would carry back a Taiwan proposal for a free trade agreement. DOUBLE TARIFFS? There were differences between other APEC members, with some calling for radical change to trade systems while others argued for a return to the status quo on globalisation. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned globalisation was leaving some people behind and fuelling inequality. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison mounted a defence of free trade, saying a billion people had been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1991 because of the jobs and cheaper goods that free trade brought. Xi told delegates that the shadow of protectionism and unilateralism hung over global growth and erecting barriers and cutting ties was short-sighted and doomed to fail. But Pence made it clear that the United States would not back down, saying it could more than double the $250 billion of Chinese goods subject to tariffs. The United States though will not change course until China changes its ways, Pence said. Trump and Xi are due to meet at a G20 meeting in Argentina late this month, raising some hope that trade tension could ease. Trump is pressing China to reduce its huge bilateral trade surplus and make sweeping changes to its policies on trade, technology transfers and high-tech industrial subsidies. China has denied that US companies are forced to transfer technology and sees US demands on rolling back its industrial policies as an attempt to contain Chinas economic rise. Sebastian Pinera, the president of Chile, which will host next years APEC, called on the two powers to find a resolution. This is a very good opportunity to ask the US and China to find ways to end their tariff and trade war which benefits no one, he told the forum. Both countries will have to change course.Reuters If I did not know better, I would say the new government has its work cut out on the logic that it does not need to reinvent the wheel in order to get the kingdom out of the woods, but to simply pick up and dust the National Development Strategy (NDS) that was an outcome of genuine, honest and principled interaction between national and social partners. Yes, the NDS has it all. It is a 25-year vision (1997 2022) and is a product of extensive engagement and consultation between a wide spectrum of national stakeholders; government, workers, employers, statutory organisations, professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, Legislature, churches and chiefs, among others. The product was visionary in every respect in putting the country on a trajectory of fast-tracked economic development, for the momentous launch into the new millennium in 2000. But since its adoption, the NDS has never been operationalised. What we have seen are successive governments diplomatically skirting around it and occasionally stealing one idea or two and coining these into short-term mini social and economic policies of the day. But as we now know, none of these have delivered anything, hence the country finds itself on the edge of a precipice. Of course, the question has to be asked why successive governments have been shy to unleash the NDS. The answer is simple; the fault line of the NDS was that it identified the root cause of the economic, social and political challenges facing the nation that needed to be addressed before the kingdom could take the quantum leap into a politically-stable and economically-prosperous future. The stakeholders identified the political system as not conducive in motoring the kingdom forward to fully exploit its potential and thus called for urgent political reforms for the NDS to take effect. The inherent weaknesses of the Tinkhundla political system are there for all discerning compatriots to see. The system, largely built on a foundation of lies wherein the truth is the number one enemy of the State, has created this superficial exterior of a stable and peaceful nation and, therefore, is unsustainable in the long-term. It is for this grim reality that capital, in the form of foreign direct investments, has taken flight from the kingdom to much more attractive and conducive destinations, in which there are no extra-judiciary demands for free shareholding in investor entities by those in authority. Thus the so-called peace that is often boasted about by the political elites has not taken this country forward, for in reality there is no real peace but fear. This is further underwritten by the truism of the kingdoms negative human rights record that has often put it at odds with its international obligations, in which more often than not it has been the black sheep of the family of nations. The emergence of Prince Simelane in Cabinet as Minister for Housing and Urban Development has also served as concrete evidence that skills, education, competency, etc, are not really a consideration under the political status quo for appointment into key public positions. This after the honest prince admitted as much in his first public engagement, wherein he let the world know that he never even knew of the existence of the portfolio he now heads and that he had never even used a computer in his existence. This has apparently unfolded as the kingdom is on a trajectory to the so-called First World status, come 2022, the vision mothered by the NDS. Yet, here we are still saddled by an untenable political system that is only self-serving to a few and people are only good enough for crumbs falling from the high table. As I see it, because successive governments since the adoption of the NDS were and are products of the obtaining polity they could not dare undo themselves, by reforming the political system for a number of reasons. Thus, the NDS is seen as revolutionary that would open the gates to a pluralistic body politic in which the people would be central to which the leadership is vehemently opposed. The Tinkhundla political system is an insurance underwriting the permanent usurpation of political power from the people through the Kings Proclamation to the Nation of April 12, 1973, that effectively overthrew the liberal Westminster-styled independence constitution. The rationale behind the coup detat against the independence constitution was that it was unworkable. The net effect of this move has made citizens become serfs with no rights and freedoms whatsoever. This scenario has obtained post-2005 when the kingdom ushered in a new constitutional dispensation. What is ironic, however, is that judging by the consistency and regularity with which the Constitution is violated by those sworn to be its first line of defence, the latest such breaches manifested by the configuration of the Legislature and Cabinet, this Constitution might be also unworkable as well. It is unfortunate that the one solution that could unlock the potential of this country, the NDS, is also not available to the new government and, short of a miracle, will ensure that the Kingdom of Eswatini remains unbankable while progressive nations in the region and beyond prosper. MHLANGATANE A post-mortem has revealed that there were no signs of physical injuries on the bodies of a couple who were found burnt inside their house on November 11, 2018. This means the couple, Mandla Lukhele (58) and his wife Thulile (48), were burnt alive. The post-mortem was carried out last Friday at the Piggs Peak Government Hospital Mortuary and was attended by family members as well as police officers. Family members initially suggested the couple may have been killed prior to their bodies being burnt because the charred bodies were found on the bed in the same positions they normally slept. They argued that had they been alive, there would have been physical signs of struggle such as rolling or efforts to get out of the house through the door. This was, however, not the case according to earlier statements given by family members. Mandla and his wife Thuliles bodies were burnt beyond recognition according to family members. Speaking after the fire incident, family member, Alison Lukhele, had suggested that the couple may have been dead prior to their bodies being burnt. However, a family member said the post-mortem now showed otherwise adding there is a very strong possibility that they were both alive when the fire started. The family member said their failure to escape could have been as a result of being stunned while they slept. The relative further said the post-mortem revealed that there were smoke particles in the blood of the deceased couple. We were told that this is a sign that the person was breathing and that they inhaled the smoke particles, he said. He also said blood samples were also taken from the bodies so that it could be determined whether they had been poisoned prior to their death. The blood samples will be used to determine whether the couple could have been poisoned hence their failure to flee from the fire. Sam Lukhele, a brother to the deceased, said the family was still shocked by the incident. The fire was so intense that the walls of the house cracked while the windows were shattered. This is said to have made it difficult for the family to determine whether the windows were broken before the fire was started or after. He said he was hoping police officers would continue to investigate the matter so that the culprit (s) who committed the incident could be brought to book. Noteworthy is that the deceaseds homestead is situated within an enclosed premises surrounded by wire fencing. Within the premises, there are other houses occupied by some of the family members. Though Mandla and his wife Thulile often lived with some of their children, they were not in the house on the day of the fire incident. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said no one had been arrested yet but that investigations were still ongoing. Recently another couple Roy (81) and Alice Mngomezulu, were also burnt. It could not be established whether they were murdered before their bodies were burnt. GEGE Two pupils have dropped out of school, while another had to be taken to a clinic for treatment after being allegedly beaten by a teacher. This is despite that corporal punishment was long banned in the country by the Ministry of Education and Training. The consequence for the alleged continued use of corporal punishment at Bethel Lutheran Primary School, in Gege, has seen two young girls, both aged 11, skipping the country in fear of being canned. The pair was caught hitchhiking in South Africa, in an attempt to reach one of the Gauteng Provinces cluster cities, where they were expecting to find refuge with a relative. A family member later explained that one of the girls often visited the relative in Gauteng during the December school holidays. She clarified that the girls uncle usually fetched her by car and that she had never embarked on the long journey through public transport, which is why they were all surprised to learn that the two were trying to reach the place by hitchhiking. After they were found flagging cars for lifts, the youngsters were immediately deported back into the country. However, disturbingly, they havent gone back to school ever since their return, allegedly in fear of being punished. This was confirmed by their guardians during a visit by this reporter to their homestead, which is located close to the Gege Border Gate, on Saturday. The two young girls threw the whole Gege community into fear when they disappeared last Monday, resulting in their guardians reporting them as missing persons at the local police station. For three days, the girls could not be accounted for until a South African elderly man, who was going home from work on Tuesday evening, came across them hitchhiking in an area close to Piet Retief in the neighbouring country and offered them a place to sleep. His efforts were initially met with resistance from the young girls, who ran away to a nearby homestead after the elderly man started to ask many questions about their travelling. Little did the girls know that the homestead they were hiding in, coincidentally belonged to the same man they were running away from. The man later caught up with them and eventually got the opportunity to get answers to the questions he had earlier posed to the youngsters. He learnt that the girls had jumped the border from neighbouring Eswatini, and were hoping to find a relative who resides in Gauteng. Seeing the danger which the young girls were getting themselves into, the man promptly called the local Mkhondo Radio Station, where an announcement was aired. This enabled local enforcement agents to locate the girls, who were brought back to the country on the following day. However, it has emerged that since their return, the girls have refused to go back to school because of the persisting practice of being beaten by their teachers. A guardian to one of the girls conceded that the girls would not be returning to the school anytime soon because she felt they must have been too traumatised to take the drastic decision to abandon their homesteads. LUSHIKISHINI Three men who were going after mature, beautiful dagga plants were assaulted by a dagga dealer, who chased after them with a hoe-handle, killing one in the process. Information gathered in statements submitted in court is that the accused person, Thami Sicelo Mavuso (25) of Lushikishini, had been guarding his dagga fields with a torch when he saw three men walking towards where he was, carrying plastic bags and with the intention of stealing his dagga. When he saw them, he shouted and ran after them. one of the men, Sibusiso Nxumalo, tripped and fell, and Mavuso assaulted him using the hoe-handle. When he realised that he had severely assaulted him, Mavuso left Sibusiso in the mountains where the fields are located and headed back home. Meanwhile, the two other men escaped and reported the assault incident to their relatives and police. One of the men, identified as Senzo Nxumalo, revealed that he was with Sibusiso when the incident occurred. he said prior to the incident, they had allegedly planned to go and steal the dagga at the suspects fields as it had already matured and was ready to be sold. When we got to the fields, we saw a torch within the fields and immediately fled, dropping our bag in the process. While escaping, a man chased after us and Sibusiso fell to the ground. We heard him screaming, however, we could not assist him as we also feared getting caught and being severely assaulted or killed. When I reached home, I received a phone call from him, informing me that he had been seriously injured and was dying, Senzo said in the statements. He added that Sibusiso insisted that he should be fetched from the mountains, however before he could even respond, his battery died. We contacted the police, relatives and friends and all went up to the mountains. upon arrival there, we heard a snoring sound and when we got closer to where it was coming from, we found Sibusiso in a critical condition. He was severely injured on the head, face, neck and the injuries looked like a piercing object had been used to assault him. The team of officers took him to a police van and he was immediately taken to Mankayane Government Hospital, where he died upon arrival, Senzo added. He mentioned that they were then taken to Mankayane Police station where statements were recorded. Meanwhile, the accused persons mother is alleged to have later contacted private investigator Hunter Shongwe who arrived at the place and investigated the incident, interviewing some of the people involved. Shongwe, through the mothers assistance, later managed to get hold of the accused person, who after he had been interviewed, was handed over to the police by the former. Mavuso, who is alleged to be remorseful of his actions, informed the police that he made a living through dealing in dagga. he added that he wished he would be afforded bail as his parents solely depended on him for a living. Yesterday, the accused person made a court appearance before Magistrate Philisiwe Simelane, where he was informed to make a bail application through the High Court. His charge sheet states that he had committed a murder offence at Lushikishini, near Ntendwane River, last Thursday, where he assaulted Sibusiso Nxumalo with the hoe-handle several times on his body. NHLANGANO Although she has been out of work due to illness, work colleagues were somehow relieved after getting wind that Nhlangano Senior Magistrate Philisiwe Dlamini was recuperating. Little did they know that death was about to come knocking. Last Friday, most staffers at the Nhlangano Magistrates Court were unwinding after a long days work when they received bad news. Word started spreading like wild fire indicating that the judicial officer, who had been with the Nhlangano Magistrates Court since 2016, had passed on. The senior magistrate died at home on Friday morning, according to a close family member. She succumbed to what was described as an illness that had seen her missing work in the past few months. She was on medication and seemed to be responding well, until she succumbed to her illness on Friday, explained the close relative, in a brief interview yesterday morning. Although she acknowledged receiving a report on the judicial officers death, High Court Registrar Nosipho Mazibuko declined to comment any further, stating that they were yet to get an official word from the family. Yes, we have heard about the sad news but I can only be in a position to speak to you after we have met with her family, she said. Staffers at the Nhlangano Magistrates Court, who are still trying to grapple with the news of the senior magistrates demise, revealed that they were inundated with people sending condolences and requests for more information. Senior Magistrate Dlamini, who was also a former police officer, served at the Simunye Magistrates Court before being transferred to Nhlangano in 2016. While in Nhlangano, she became widely-known for her no-nonsense approach and stiff sentences when dealing with criminal matters. A regular at the Nhlangano Magistrates Court, who likes following court proceedings, called this publication to pay his respects to the late judicial officer. She spoke her mind and was strongly against gender-based violence, he said. Although some residents were quick to commend the judicial officer for her stance, which they felt was needed to tackle the problem of violent crime in the region, some of her decisions attracted controversy though. This partly led to lawyers flocking the High Court to have some of her decisions reviewed by judges. RECORDER REPORT ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake a day-long visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today where he will hold meetings with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum among others. The Foreign Office said on Saturday that the prime minister is visiting the UAE on invitation of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan al Nehyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAEs Armed Forces. The premier will be accompanied by Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Petroleum, Power and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce. Matters of bilateral, regional and global interest will be discussed in the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince, the foreign office said. This is Khans second visit to the UAE in two months and he last visited Abu Dhabi on September 19. The Prime Ministers visit, which some official sources are claiming was previously scheduled, has generated considerable speculation in the federal capital with many maintaining that it is to seek financial assistance from UAE with the objective of meeting Pakistans external financing requirements from friendly countries instead of seeking a bail-out package from the visiting International Monetary Fund team which has reportedly identified some politically painful conditionality. The team that prime minister is taking with him to UAE is the same that he took on his visits to Saudi Arabia and China, and therefore, the objective is the same, sources added on condition of anonymity. By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov The assembly production of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2019, Khanlar Fatiyev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant, told reporters on November 19. The statement was made ahead of the 11th meeting of the Belarusian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission. Khanlar Fatiyev noted that the construction of a plant for the assembly of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey is at the final stage. The sides plan to start the first assembly there before the end of the first quarter of next year, he added. It is planned to produce up to 5,000 units of tractors at the factory in Turkey. The design capacity that will be implemented at the first stage makes up to 2,500. During the meeting of the commission, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy said that the creation of assembly production of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey will bring the cooperation between the two countries to a new level. Its successful implementation will open way for new initiatives on joint development of the regional market. The deputy prime minister noted that Belarus attaches great importance to expanding cooperation in the field of industrial and agricultural cooperation, the work of the Ganja Automobile Plant for the assembly of tractors, combine harvesters, MAZ equipment and the production of other industrial products. Azerbaijan and Belarus have jointly created the branch of agricultural engineering, he added. Rusy described cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan in the field of transport and logistics, the petrochemical industry, pharmaceuticals as promising. He expressed readiness for further steps to create a modern production of anticancer drugs in Azerbaijan. This is not only an economic but also a social project. The Belarussian official believes that the parties will promptly establish communication so that next year they will receive products at this enterprise. Azerbaijani First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov noted the need to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. "The achieved level of turnover does not correspond to potential of two countries. The established friendly relations are important," Eyyubov stated. Following the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, seven documents were signed, three of which concern cooperation with the Ganja Automobile Plant. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1993, but cooperation in the economic sphere has been developing dynamically over the past decade. Belarus mainly exports to Azerbaijan the production of machinery, woodworking, tires, foodstuff, medicine, household appliances, dishes and other goods, meanwhile Azerbaijan exports to Belarus the products made of aluminum, products of petrochemistry, engineering and agriculture. A store of Belarusian goods is expected to open in Ganja, the second biggest city of Azerbaijan, while similar sale points are already operational in the capital city Baku. Moreover, Azerbaijan and Belarus had plans to supply tractors to Turkey. The Minsk Tractor Works (MTW) OJSC signed a new contract with Ganja Automobile Plant in Azerbaijan on September 22, 2017, for a supply of tractors to Azerbaijan along with an additional protocol on jointly entering the Turkish market. Azerbaijans first ever Trade House was opened in Belarusian capital Minsk on May 26, 2017. The trade between the two countries increased 3.3 times compared with the same period last year and amounted to $ 331.5 million in January-September 2018. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Baku Museum Center hosted an opening of the exhibition of famous Portuguese artist Carlos Mota "Found and findings". Addressing the event, charge d'affaires of Portugal in Azerbaijan Jorge Fonseca stressed that he was extremely happy to organize such an event in Baku. He spoke about Motas awards and achievements, as well as expressed hope that the exhibition would attract the attention of Baku residents, Report.az informed. In his turn, the artist himself said that he is in Baku for the first time and very happy to organize an exhibition in such a wonderful city. The works of the artist Carlos Mota combine multiple interpretations. His canvases are inspired by various emotions and glorify the freedom of imagination. The most interesting fact is that the artist's art works are painted with juices of natural vegetables and fruits, like original watercolors. Carlos Mota, born in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, graduated in Interior Architecture at CAD - Centre des Arts Decoratifs and Painting at Ecole des Arts D'lxelles in Brussels, Belgium. He currently lives and works in Lisbon. His work has been showcased in both public and private collections in various countries, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Mexico, U.S., Canada and Brazil. Morever, he was the ?rst contemporary Portuguese and foreign artist to be invited to have a piece in the permanent private collection of the Federal Presidency of Brazil at the Planalto Palace. His career years of 1993-2002 were brought to life in a ?lm called "Soul Adventures" ("Aventuras do Espirito") by director Teresa Tome and broadcast on several Portuguese TV channels. We Feel You California, was the moving message of solidarity that young Greeks from Mati and Neos Voutzas sent out to the California wildfire victims Having experienced the fiery havoc, destruction, death and intense smell of their burned houses back on July 23, the young people of Mati, Athens sent a touching message to California, which is being devastated by deadly fires, that cost the lives to 76 people while more than 1.200 people are still missing, protothema.gr reports. The young people from Mati, Neo Voutzas and all the fire-stricken areas of Attica Region with four black and white photographs formed the sentence We feel you California. This is how they elected to express their solidarity to the people of California who lost loved ones and their houses from the fire on the other side of the Atlantic. Their message is: I feel you California! I have gone through the loss of my hometown, a place where I created my memories and lived my dreams. I have felt what its like to look around me and not recognize surroundings that were once familiar. I have felt how it is to be wondering why?. And now what?. To wonder what the future will holdor if I can ever even start again I have experienced losing everything I took for granted! But let me tell you , you have to stay strong California! Because even though you will be feeling, disappointment, bitterness, sorrow and anger -you will find something; and that something will keep you upright You will realize that you are not alone, cause many are there to support you. You will succeed And by working together, your Paradise will rise again. I feel you California! The US Ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey Pyatt, retweet the post of the Associate Professor of the University of Macedonia, Spyros Litsa, writing: Thanks Mati. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Australian tourists in Greece, on average, spend the most per visit, while Turkish tourists top the list in terms of expenditure per overnight stay, according figures in a study released by INSETE, the research arm of four tourism-related trade groups in the country, naftemporiki.gr reports. The study, extending over the 2005-2017 period, ranks Australian, American, Canadian, Swiss and Russian tourists at the top of the list for expenditure per visit. Specifically for 2017, an Australian tourist spent, on average, 1,218 euros per visit to the country, up by 10.8 percent from 2005's figures. In terms of average length of stay, an Australian tourist in Greece stays 12.8 days - again topping the list - down from 14.3 days in 2005. In all, more than 324,000 Australian citizens arrived in Greece in 2017, up from 121,000 in 2005. Turkish tourists, on their part, boasted the highest expenditure per overnight stay, at 99 euros, for 2017. Nevertheless, the figure, compared to 2005, was down by 12.4 percent. In pre-crisis 2005, the average expenditure per overnight stay for a Turkish tourist was 113 euros. Turkish tourists remain, on average, 3.3 days in Greece. In absolute terms, arrivals from Turkey exceeded 972,000 in 2017, up by a spectacular 683.7 percent compared to 2005. Arrivals from Turkey comprised 3.6 percent of the total in 2017, up from 0.9 percent in 2005. Additionally, travel revenue corresponding to Turkish holiday-makers in Greece reached 321 million euros in 2017, up from 65 million euros in 2005. Last year also saw a record in terms of arrivals by US tourists, with the figure exceeding 865,000, and comprising 3.2 percent of the total. In 2005, arrivals from the US exceeded 557,000, comprising 3.9 percent of the total arrivals. According to UN-WTO data for 2016, Greece comprises the 25th most popular tourism destination in the planet for American holiday makers taking foreign trips; third for Mediterranean destinations. Furthermore, INSETE analysts cite that average spending per traveler dropped by 19 percent for euro zone countries compared to a 30% decrease overall while the average expenditure per night grew by 5% in the 2005-2017 period comared to a 3% fall overall. In another recent study, INSETE revealed that 93.2% of visitors to Greece booked their vacations to the country in advance during 2017. INSETE is a non-profit organization established in early 2013 on the initiative of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), by four partners with a prominent position in the Greek tourism industry: SETE (the principal partner), the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (HHF), the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies (HATTA) and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Rented Rooms and Apartments (SETKE). RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Saudi Arabia has announced plans for 23 new road safety projects at an investment of SR2.2 billion ($585 million), said a report. The government will be completing these major infrastructure projects in phases. In the first phase, the kingdom will implement a total of eight projects, covering more than 68,000 km across the kingdom at an investment of SR773 million ($206 million), reported Arab News. The eight projects include the establishment of the National Road Safety Center, three traffic safety equipment projects, three rumble strip projects to alert motorists to changing road conditions, and the implementation of recommendations from last years Engineering and Consultancy Services Agreement. The agreement identified a number of issues with the countrys road network, including accident black spots; reviewed the ministrys traffic control centres; analysed accident reports; and modernised the ministrys safety department documentation and policies, it stated. These are part of the Ministry of Transports contribution to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, it stated. In Phase Two, the ministry will implement a further 15 projects over the next three years, all aimed at reducing the number of accidents and casualties on the kingdoms roads, said the Arab News report. It is estimated that traffic accidents cause material losses of SR4.4 billion every year. Later projects will include improved safety facilities at animal crossings, the installation of protective barriers for lampposts on some roads, improved intersections and junctions, and enhanced streetlighting around dangerous intersections, it added. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently met with officials the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) to discuss cooperation in various fields of interest. The OIC secretary general Dr Yousef Al Othaimeen received in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the director-general of AOAD Professor Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri, said a statement from the organisation. The two sides discussed cooperation in exchanging experience, capacity building and implementation of joint activities and programmes, it said. While highlighting the activities of OIC in this sector, the secretary general underscored the significance, which OIC attaches to collaboration with AOAD, a specialised institution of the League of Arab States, towards addressing food insecurity and low agricultural productivity in their member states. On his part, Professor El Dukheri presented an overview of AOAD and its scope of work, including potential programmes on agriculture and food security for joint action with OIC. - TradeArabia News Service Avaya Holdings Corp, a global leader in digital communications software, said it will present cutting-edge technologies that enable impactful customer and employee experiences at the Cairo ICT 2018 conference, to be held in Egypt. The technology conference will take place at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre, from November 25 to 28. The company will demonstrate a number of industry-first platforms that unify Unified Communications (UC) and Contact Center (CC), enabling the seamless transition of communications between customer-facing employees and internal teams, said a statement from the company. Avaya will also showcase the worlds first Social Network for Chatbots, a huge step forward in customer self-service, as well as several industry-specific use cases that highlight innovations in workflows, customer engagement and customer relationship management, it said. Fadi Hani, vice president for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Avaya, said: The ICT market in Egypt is growing by leaps and bounds as the country continues to adopt smart, connected business solutions. At the same time, organisations are increasingly looking to deliver more rewarding and consistent customer experiences through the use of technology, Hani said. These experiences are key to driving customer loyalty, while also boosting employee productivity and engagement. Our companys strengths in this arena are built upon years of experience working with businesses of all sizes in Egypt to seize the opportunities of the connected world, he added. Avaya is one of two companies named a Worldwide Leader in both Contact Center Infrastructure and Unified Communications by Gartner 2018 Magic Quadrants. Avayas leadership position and firm commitment to open, standards-based cooperation have allowed it to accelerate its innovation agenda, working closely with customers and partners in Egypt and beyond to merge the communications and customer-facing aspects of business for a unified enterprise experience. Indeed, Avayas customer-centric approach to innovation will be on full display at Cairo ICT 2018. Present at the Avaya stand will be several of the companys technology alliance partners and customers. These organisations have worked with Avaya to develop use cases that employ cutting-edge technologiesincluding AI, machine learning, IoT, blockchain, automation and data analyticsthat help to solve real-world business challenges. At Avayas stand, visitors from the hospitality, healthcare, banking and financial services, and government sectors will find solutions designed to enhance communication workflows, employee efficiency and customer satisfaction, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Uniview, a global pioneer in IP video surveillance, said its manufacturing base has officially opened in the Economic Development Zone in Tongxiang, Zhejiang, China. In only five months, Uniview moved and re-organised the manufacturing, logistics and supply chain business to the new base, said a statement from the company. Occupying 100,000-sq-m of floor area and 70,000-sq-m of construction area, the base is now ready for mass production, it said. The output value was over $14.5 million during the trial production in September, and it will soon reach the estimated production capacity, it added. Additionally, Uniview together with China Transinfo Company, plans to invest $156 million into the new manufacturing base. In the future, the base will be able to produce more than 10 million pieces of high-end video surveillance products per year, valued at over $1 billion. On November 16, Uniview opened a new branch office in South Korea. The office, located at 1203, Kolon Digital Tower Millart II, 31 Digital-ro 30-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, represents the company's strong commitment to the Korean market and rapid growth in South Korea, said a statement. The opening of Uniview's Korean office is the culmination of several years of resounding success. With the branch office, Uniview is able to provide more efficient, localised service and support, and strengthen relationships with customers. More investment will be put into the Korean market and human resources, including sales, pre-sales, and after-sales teams, will be increased to meet the demands of both the market and the customers. Hermit Zhang, chief executive officer, Uniview, said: The manufacturing base is the first step for a higher objective and the Korean office is a significant milestone for our companys overseas market. With a stronger manufacturing foundation in Tongxiang, our company will explore new logistics models for the international market, break the trade barrier and fully accelerate international market development, he added. TradeArabia News Service Al Mahmood Pearls, a name synonymous with the pearling industry in Bahrain, will introduce an exquisite, limited edition piece of jewellery, La Lune, as well as a signature collection named Camelia at the Jewellery Arabia 2018, opening in Bahrain tomorrow (November 20). The 27th edition of the premier international jewellery and watch exhibition will run till November 24 at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Al Mahmood Pearls La Lune is an enchanting collier necklace which is crafted to perfection with precious, natural Bahraini pearls and diamonds. The dazzling necklace, which is a truly one-of-its-kind piece is made of 1,275 natural Bahraini pearls of the finest quality. Blended with white gold, pearls and diamonds, each piece of jewellery in the ravishing and unique Camelia collection is breathtaking and creative, and the intricate design of these classic pieces of art truly resembles that of a Camellia flowerm, Al Mahmood Pearls said. In addition to the elegant offerings being exclusively unveiled at the exhibition, Al Mahmood Pearls showcases a premium selection of jewellery from five prestigious collections: Sabha, Al Yasmina, Garland, L'espoir and Timeless. The Sabha and Al Yasmina collections comprise authentic traditional Bahraini culture-inspired jewellery. Mohamed Al Mahmood , General Manager of Al Mahmood Pearls Group, said: I would like to express my immense pleasure at Al Mahmood Pearls participation in this years edition of Jewellery Arabia. Being regular participants in the esteemed exhibition, we are extremely delighted to feature our mesmerising new collection of masterpieces in a prominent manner during the course of the five-day exhibition. To mark the 27th edition of Jewellery Arabia, we provide our prospective customers with the opportunity to witness the rarest and finest collection of handpicked designs, offering these connoisseurs of fine art a unique experience and an unparalleled visual treat. The new lineup was made to exceedingly impress even those with the most particular of refined tastes and we thus earnestly look forward to exhibiting our choice jewellery wares at the distinguished event, he added. - TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi Airports yesterday (November 19) celebrated Oman National Day at Abu Dhabi International Airport, welcoming passengers from neighbouring Oman with flags and sweets being handed out across arrival and departure terminals. The special Oman National Day activities come as part of Abu Dhabi Airports focus on ensuring a seamless passenger experience and customer happiness. The UAE capitals airport also indulged travellers arriving from Oman on the day with various offers and surprise gifts through its concessionaires and partners. Lucky passengers were greeted at the luggage belt by Abu Dhabi Duty Free mascot, the famous Dhabian camel, who handed out a one-night stay hotel voucher at one of Millenniums 4 properties in Muscat, Oman. Bryan Thompson, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: Our celebrations today are a reflection of the deep ties and close connections between the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman. We are proud to be in a position to provide our Omani neighbours with special welcome to Abu Dhabi with our own unique brand of Arabian hospitality. From the moment they touch down, we hope that each and every one of our Omani travellers will feel at home in Abu Dhabi, and we look forward to celebrating more National Days with them over the coming years, Thompson added. TradeArabia News Service The recently concluded fifth edition of Bahrain International Airshow has increased the occupancy rate by 20 per cent in four- and five-star hotels, said the chief executive officer Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). The Kingdom has witnessed an economic surge in tourism facilities such as malls, restaurants and local cafes during the event, added Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, applauding the success of the event held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain. Shaikh Khaled expressed his sincere congratulations to the Personal Representative of HM the King and chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee, HH Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the success of hosting the Bahrain International Airshow, which witnessed a remarkable success and unprecedented public presence. "The Bahrain International Airshow is a great opportunity to showcase the Kingdom as a tourist destination capable of hosting the world's largest event, he said. Shaikh Khalid further reiterated the importance of such international events and exhibitions in driving an increased number of tourists to Bahrain and bolstering its competitive position. Shaikh Khaled that the success and growth of Bahrain International Airshow over the years positions the Kingdom as a prime destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE). TradeArabia News Service Rotana, a top hotel management company, has signed a hotel management agreement with Grandview Hotels and Resorts Limited to manage a new five-star hotel in the Republic of Zambia that is scheduled to be opened by 2021. Set to be situated in the heart of the south-central African countrys capital city Lusaka, the upcoming hotel will be the first-ever property to be operated under the Rotana Hotels and Resorts brand in Zambia. The hotel will be the addition to the companys three operating properties in the African continent, including Al Salam Rotana, Khartoum, Sudan; Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DR Congo; and Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Selim El Zyr, vice chairman, Rotana, said: We are delighted to sign the agreement for a new hotel in Zambia which underpins Rotanas growing presence in Africa. As reflected in our strong portfolio and our solid development pipeline, the continent is a key focus market for us. We will continue to seek new opportunities to add our hotels in new destinations, thereby providing value to our partners and guests and strengthening our global footprint even further. On behalf of Rotana, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the owner of Grandview Hotels and Resorts Limited for placing its trust and confidence in our abilities to manage the upcoming hotel. Bokani Soko, chairman, Grandview Hotels and Resorts Limited, Zambia, said: Grandviews vision is to be one of the leading property development and investment companies in Zambia that started five years ago and has far exceeded its vision of growth from developing residential and commercial properties, to expanding into integrated developments. The need for five-star hotels in the Republic of Zambia is evident in the hospitality sector, and therefore, Grandviews foray into the sector is a natural progression for the Group. When we first started looking for a hotel operator, we knew we would engage with a brand that is not only well-positioned in the market but also one that exudes class and quality and, above all, personal service. We found all of these factors, and more, in the Rotana brand. We are confident that Rotana will add value not only to our development but also to the Republic of Zambia. Located in the newly expanded Central Business District of Lusaka, the hotel is located near major landmarks in the city, including the East Park Mall and several multinational corporate offices, Embassies, and Ministries, making it the ideal choice for both business and leisure travellers. It will feature 150 rooms and 50 hotel apartments that will provide guests with all the comforts and the luxury for a pleasant and memorable long stay experience. The hotel will also feature key exclusive hospitality offerings, including three signature dining restaurants, executive lounge, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and generous indoor and outdoor space thoughtfully designed for formal and informal gatherings. Other amenities will include pool and terraces, as well as a fully equipped fitness & wellness club. When opened, the new hotel will bring Rotanas total inventory in Africa to 1,060. With the objective of capitalizing on the potential of the burgeoning market for the hospitality sector, Rotana has planned new hotels in Angola, Mauritania, Nigeria and Tanzania that will be opening by 2022. TradeArabia News Service Building the Next Generation of Algos While many buy-side firms trade on a suite of existing algorithms, is it time for a new breed of algo? Kathryn Zhao, Global Head of Electronic Trading at Cantor Fitzgerald, sat down with Traders Magazine's sister publication GlobalTrading to discuss the roadmap to building a new generation of algos. Are algos commoditized? Trading in todays complex marketplace requires advanced technology solutions that are performant, robust and flexible. Plug-and-play algorithms used to be enough to satisfy the needs of large institutions who engaged in electronic trading; however, today it is a different story. Utilization of algorithmic trading is growing and so are the customization demands of the buy-side. Investments in analytics raise the bar for algo performance, while also varying the nature of a successful trading outcome. Modern, competitive electronic trading offerings are required to deliver customized solutions tailored to each clients specific trading preferences, and that fits our business model perfectly. A helpful analogy is that of Precision Medicine, a medical model, where healthcare is customized according to each patients specific characteristics. By targeting the context of each patients DNA structure and tailoring a medical treatment, doctors can achieve the best healthcare outcome with the fewest side effects. Likewise, the next generation of algos must target each clients trading DNA and optimize trading performance for each client. This is the exact definition of our Precision Algo Platform. With growing sophistication of quantitative models and ever increasing electronic solution variety, buy-side firms face a unique challenge: how to choose a product that is straightforward to use and yet easy to customize. We kept these considerations in our focus when we designed our algorithmic trading platform. Our Precision Algo framework is modular and easily customizable, with speed of turnaround in mind, to help traders reduce their order trading flow and take advantage of price and liquidity conditions as they occur. Replicate or blaze a new trail? Our Precision Algo Platform was designed from scratch, with latest technologies, armed by experienced electronic trading professionals, devoted to pure meritocracy and achieving the best results for our clients. When we began the process of developing a new suite of next generation algos nine months ago, we had a late-mover advantage. The electronic trading technology landscape has experienced dramatic changes over the past 20 years. Innovations in hardware, networking, and software have had an immense impact on current state of the art technology. To truly stand out from the rest of the competition, an electronic trading product must be performant from latency and throughput point of view and resilient to failure without compromising capabilities and quality of execution. We took and will continue to take a craftsman-like approach to building and continually improving our software. Our platform is designed with performance in mind. 1 2 next For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). | By Patricia Fanning During a series of panel discussions on how best to address the opioid crisis, one factor has arisen repeatedly. It is stigma. Panelist Michelle Tuten, PhD, MSW, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW), devoted her remarks to the topic of stigma during the most recent presentation held in Cockeysville, Md., by the Office of Philanthropy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). She called stigma a factor that arguably has had the most profound impact on the creation of the opioid epidemic and one that will continue to impact what solutions are available for addressing the opioid crisis. Michelle Tuten, PhD, MSW, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, urges an end to stigma related to opioid-use disorder during a presentation that included Bethany DiPaula, PharmD, professor at the UM School of Pharmacy, and Eric Weintraub, MD, associate professor at the UM School of Medicine. Finding solutions is uppermost on the mind of those who have organized and attended the gatherings throughout the region in 2018. UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, launched the series at an event held in April in Anne Arundel County. In September, a panel discussion was held in Howard County, and an event took place in Montgomery County in October. The series, UMB: Targeting Solutions to the Opioid Crisis, concluded Nov. 8 at the Grand Lodge of Maryland in Baltimore County with a presentation by Tuten and three other UMB faculty members who have expertise in substance abuse treatment and research. Representing the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) was Bethany DiPaula, PharmD, a professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. Representing the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) were associate professors in the Department of Psychiatry Christopher Welsh, MD, and Eric Weintraub, MD. Weintraub, who served as moderator, reminded the invited audience of the toll: In Maryland last year, more than five people a day lost their lives to opioid-related overdoses. Contributing to stigma are significant misconceptions about opioid use disorders, said Tuten, who is co-director of the Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service (CARES). The center is UMBs interdisciplinary effort to address the adverse impact of addiction whose co-director is Raymond C. Love, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP, professor at UMSOP. The center is led at the decanal level by UMSSW Dean Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, and UMSOP Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FAAPS, FCP. Misconceptions that fuel the stigma run counter both to science and what we know about the nature of substance use disorders, Tuten said. Truth is a powerful weapon. These misconceptions include a perception that individuals are lacking in moral character and willpower, that usage is a choice that can be stopped at any time, that continuation is a refusal to change, and that the only real measure of success is complete abstinence during and following treatment. Indeed, voluntary control is affected by genetic vulnerability, environmental factors, and, most significantly, the effects of addictive substances in the brain, she said. Beyond the general public, inaccuracies persist even among providers, she said. These include mistaken perceptions that individuals with substance-use disorders are harder to treat, are less compliant, and relapse at exceptionally high rates. Panelists called for greater understanding among health care professionals of the effectiveness of medication-assisted therapies, such as buprenorphine and methadone, and the methods involved in administering them. DiPaula and Welsh spoke of ways that they are broadening clinicians knowledge in their respective disciplines. DiPaula is a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist who directs the Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program at UMSOP and pharmacy services at the Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville, Md., which is operated by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). Working under the states collaborative drug therapy management protocols, she has worked at several clinical sites as part of the health care team treating patients with psychiatric and substance-use disorders such as opioid use disorder. I serve as a physician extender, DiPaula said. This type of practice will work in multiple outpatient settings. Weve also been able to demonstrate that it can optimize care and save costs, she said, referring to data collected at three different health-care settings. And each site has a training rotation so we can train future pharmacists to continue to work in this practice area. This helps meet a great need to expand access to treatment and strengthen the workforce dealing with opioid use disorders. Its one of those all-hands-on-deck situations, DiPaula said, noting that pharmacy can be seen as under-utilized as a profession in regard to the opioid crisis. We hope to spur some discussion of what we can be doing in the future, she said. Welsh is medical director of outpatient addiction treatment services at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). As medical director of the Substance Abuse Consultation Service at the hospital, he oversees substance abuse assessment and intervention with patients throughout the medical center. Welsh also works statewide and locally with the MHD and the Baltimore City Health Department on expansion of treatment for opioid use disorders, needle exchange, opioid overdose prevention, and other harm-reduction initiatives. We try to treat people when theyre willing and ready, he said, referring to a multidisciplinary team that provides consultations and sees dozens of people per day who are admitted to UMMC for a variety of reasons. Welsh told the group he is working with Baltimore City to help other hospitals replicate the model. Beyond that, he said, Were trying to help throughout the rest of the state. For example he and other experts are now on call when primary-care physicians need to consult with them about addiction treatment. Calls that were initially focused on methadone and buprenorphine now extend to complicated pain management, he said. During a question-and-answer session, several in the audience identified themselves as health care providers who were eager to share insights with the panelists representing UMB. UN World Wildlife Day 2019 Theme- 'Life below water: for people and planet' Geneva/New York, Nov 19- The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working in partnership to facilitate the global celebration of the United Nations World Wildlife Day 2019 (March 3), announced today the theme of the day as- 'Life below water: for people and planet'. The World Wildlife Day 2019 aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goal 14 Life below water, which focuses on marine species, and will be an opportunity to highlight the critical issues and values of marine wildlife to our everyday lives. The occasion will also celebrate successful initiatives to conserve and sustainably manage these species, and to scale up support for future initiatives. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDPs Bureau for Policy and Programme notes, Oceans regulate our climate, produce half the oxygen we breathe, provide nourishment for 3+ billion people, and absorb 30% of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and fully 90% of the heat from climate change. To ensure that oceans and marine species are preserved and protected, nature-based solutions that bring together public, private and civil society partners need to be replicated and scaled-up. David Morgan, Officer-in-Charge of the CITES Secretariat, said: All whales and dolphins, all marine turtles, all seahorses, many coral species, and more and more shark species have been put under the protection by CITES - the worlds wildlife trade regulator. For marine species, CITES is at the interface between sustainable use and international trade for fisheries, working to ensure that trade in marine species listed under the Convention is legal, sustainable and traceable. CITES plays a well-targeted role in advancing implementation of SDG 14 with trade-related measures combined with effective compliance procedures. World Wildlife Day 2019 will be marked by a series of events and media activities around the world, including a high-level event at UN Headquarters in New York on 1 March (Friday). As part of these activities, CITES and UNDP are also partnering with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival to organize an international film showcase focusing on marine species Living Oceans Film Showcase. The Film Showcase will help raise global awareness of the importance of life below water to our everyday lives, explore the critical challenges facing marine ecosystems, and highlight inspiring solutions. The International Fund for Animal Welfare will also host a youth art contest to engage school-aged children and help them build a sense of connection with the marine world. Winners of the Living Oceans Film Showcase and the youth art contest will be announced at the high-level event in UN Headquarters. There are few images that evoke the words vast and endless as effectively in the human imagination as those of the ocean and the life teeming within it. Oceans and seas make up two-thirds of the worlds surface, and due to their depth even more than 99% of earths livable habitat. The resulting richness of ecosystems and species, Life below water, has sustained human civilization and development for millennia, from providing food and nourishment, material for handicraft and construction to the very air we breathe. 50% of the oxygen on Earth is produced in the ocean, every second breath we take. Yet despite, or precisely because of, the perceived limitless nature of the oceans and marine living resources, their ability to sustain mankind and contribute to sustainable development has been severely impacted by unregulated or poorly managed human activities, including unregulated fisheries, pollution and climate change. In collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, CITES is also deeply engaged in capacity building to assist Parties to overcome the challenges in ensuring long term sustainability of trade in species listed under the Convention, as recognized in the annual UN General Assembly on Sustainable Fisheries. UNDPs Ocean Governance Programme is strongly aligned with and supports a majority of targets for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 on oceans to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. In the lead up to and since the adoption of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life below water, an inspiring number of initiatives focused on the sustainable development of the oceans and seas has emerged, reflected in the over 1,400 voluntary commitments made at the UN Ocean Conference in 2016. In line with the UN General Assembly Resolution proclaiming World Wildlife Day, the CITES Secretariat and UNDP call on all the Member States and organizations of the United Nations system and other global, regional and sub-regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and all interested individuals, to: observe and raise awareness of the theme for World Wildlife Day 2019; associate the celebrations with major national and international conservation events; build collaborative partnerships; organize campaigns to support the conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources and their products using targeted strategies in order to influence consumer behavior; and make use of the World Wildlife Day logo as widely as possible. More information on the conservation and sustainable use of life below water and promotional materials to illustrate the theme will be made available at a later stage on the World Wildlife Day website and social media platforms. For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact: CITES Secretariat: Yuan Liu, +41 22 917 8130, yuan.liu@un.org United Nations Development Programme, Sangita Khadka, +212 906 5043, sangita.khadka@undp.org About CITES With 183 Parties (182 countries + the European Union), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of trade. Thousands of species are internationally traded and used by people in their daily lives for food, health care, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion. CITES regulates international trade in over 36,000 species of plants and animals, including their products and derivatives, to ensure their survival in the wild with benefits for the livelihoods of local people and the global environment. The CITES permit system seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable. CITES was signed in Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975. About UNDP UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. Worlds leading jaguar conservation organizations and Latin American governments designate November 29 as International Jaguar Day Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov 19 In an unprecedented global commitment to saving the jaguar, leading international conservation organizations and 14 jaguar range states have joined together to launch the Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap for the Americas, presented at the Conference of Parties (COP) 14 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Published at a critical and uncertain time for the future of the Americas largest wild cat, the roadmap aims to strengthen the Jaguar Corridor, ranging from Mexico to Argentina, by securing 30 priority jaguar conservation landscapes by the year 2030. This bold, regionally-focused initiative will pave a new path to strengthen international cooperation and awareness for jaguar protection initiatives, including those mitigating human-jaguar conflict and connecting and protecting jaguar habitats, and stimulate sustainable development opportunities, such as eco-tourism, that support the well-being of communities and indigenous peoples coexisting with this species. At the Convention, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Panthera and government representatives also announced the creation of the first-ever International Jaguar Day. Celebrated annually on November 29, this day will raise awareness about threats facing the jaguar, conservation efforts ensuring its survival and the role of the jaguar as a keystone species whose presence is indicative of a healthy ecosystem the foundation for a sustainable future for wildlife and people alike. The Jaguar Conservation Roadmap for the Americas represents the type of innovative partnership that is essential for achieving the SDGs, stated Midori Paxton, the Head of Biodiversity and Ecosystems at UNDP. By bringing together range country governments, the private sector, civil society and international partners, the Roadmap will help protect key jaguar corridors in ways that strengthen sustainable livelihoods for local communities and open up new business opportunities for ecotourism and sustainable agriculture. Panthera Conservation Science Executive Director, Dr. Howard Quigley, stated, Today represents a true landmark for the future of the jaguar. The Jaguar 2030 Roadmap breathes new life into the world of jaguar conservation, providing a vision and real solutions for the world to protect this culturally iconic and ecologically essential species, while creating tremendous economic opportunities and a sustainable future for all. Particularly as new and pervasive threats emerge for the species, this first-of-its-kind global commitment shines a much-needed conservation spotlight on the often overlooked jaguar. Jaguar conservation transcends the intent of safeguarding a single species. Successful jaguar conservation maintains forests, carbon, biodiversity, watersheds, and national and cultural heritage. Accomplishing continental jaguar conservation requires visionary landscape planning and management in development and economic sectors, such as agriculture, forestry and infrastructure, to maintain biodiversity, while achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and the Aichi biodiversity targets. The jaguars crucial role in biodiversity conservation will be highlighted by the celebration of International Jaguar Day. The release of the roadmap follows the United Nations high-level forum held in March that resulted in the launch of the Jaguar 2030 New York Statement by 14 jaguar range countries and international conservation partners. The jaguar is the largest apex carnivore in Latin America, ranging across 18 countries. However, 50% of the species original range has been lost and jaguar populations are declining due to illegal poaching, human-jaguar conflict and loss and fragmentation of habitat. Given this decline, including the jaguars extinction in El Salvador and Uruguay, governments from 14 of 18 jaguar range states have doubled down to save the species, including. QUOTES Edson Duarte, Brazils Minister of the Environment: We are full committed to protect the jaguar in our country. To increase the public awareness and to promote integrated actions we established a National Jaguar Day. Maria Jose Villanueva, WWF Mexico Conservation Director: The jaguar is an icon for Latin America and a clear reminder of our indigenous heritage, we need to strive to mobilize people to stand up and defend the home we share. We need to go beyond the business as usual efforts and engage new partners such as the private and financial sectors. We cannot continue developing at the expense of biodiversity we need to find a balance where both people and nature can thrive. Dr. John Polisar, WCS Jaguar Conservation Program Coordinator: The future of humans and jaguars is fused in forest and biodiversity conservation. In a time when the world has lost much of its terrestrial wilderness, we are pleased to have united with our partners to save a symbol of wild forests in tropical America, the jaguar. International Jaguar Day demonstrates our unprecedented collective commitment to hold ground for jaguars in core areas and to maintain connectivity between them so that jaguars can thrive across the Americas. It is the day to celebrate our efforts to ensure that jaguars and their spectacular habitats thrive forever. Note to the editors: About the Roadmap Four strategic jaguar conservation pathways are outlined in the roadmap: 1) Range-wide coordination in support of protection, connectivity, scaling up and enhancing ambition; 2) Development and national-level implementation of range countries strategies and improved contributions to transboundary efforts; 3) Scaling up of conservation-compatible sustainable development models in jaguar corridors; and 4) Enhancing the financial sustainability of systems and actions aimed to conserve jaguars and associated ecosystems. About CBD COP 14 The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1992 and entered into effect on 29 December 1993. CBD has three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. Its objective is to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It is often seen as the key document regarding sustainable development. For more information, please visit: https://www.cbd.int/ About Panthera Panthera, founded in 2006, is devoted exclusively to preserving wild cats and their critical role in the worlds ecosystems. Pantheras team of leading biologists, law enforcement experts and wild cat advocates develop innovative strategies based on the best available science to protect cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, snow leopards and tigers and their vast landscapes. In 36 countries around the world, Panthera works with a wide variety of stakeholders to reduce or eliminate the most pressing threats to wild catssecuring their future, and ours. Visit panthera.org About UNDP UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. About WCS The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the worlds oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit www.wcs.org and follow us at @WCSNewsroom. About WWF World Wildlife Fund is one of the largest and most experienced independent conservation organizations in the world. WWF was born in 1961 and is known for its Panda symbol. Currently, close to 5 million people cooperate with the WWF and it has a global network that works in more than 100 countries. Its mission is to stop nature degradation and build a future in which humans can live in harmony with nature, conserving the worlds biological diversity, ensuring that the sustainable use of its renewable natural resources and promote a reduction in pollution and wasteful consumption For more information, please visit: www.wwf.org.mx and www.panda.org For more information: Jatziri Perez, WWF Mexico Communications, +52 (55) 52865631 Ext 223, +52 55 26 99 0591, jperez@wwfmex.org Sangita Khadka, UNDP New York, sangita.khadka@undp.org Stephen Sautner, Wildlife Conservation Society, 1-718-220-3682, SSautner@wcs.org Susie Weller Sheppard, Panthera, 1-347-446-9904, sweller@panthera.org 25-year-old Josephine is waiting in a food distribution queue along with hundreds of others. Her youngest child is firmly wrapped to her back. She is carrying an empty sack and bottle for the maiz, grains and oil that she will be provided. More than three years have now passed since Josephine fled Burundi together with her husband and children. Life in the Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda, where the family has sought temporary shelter the whole time, is difficult: The food we are receiving is so little, and its supposed to last so long. And we have no options to change the food. I pray to God for changes, so that we can have peace in my country, and my family and I can get a better future, she says. Violence and political unrest broke out in Burundi in 2015 in connection with the Presidential elections. Since then, more than 400,000 people have been forced from their homes and scattered across the region, seeking safety and protection. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has recently allocated DKK 10 million (USD 1.6 million) from Denmarks Emergency Reserve Fund to strengthen the severely underfunded response to the Burundi refugee situation, which currently stands out as one of the most forgotten and underfunded refugee crises in the world. The impact of the lack of available resources is felt in all areas of the response, but especially in cuts to already limited food rations, the deterioration of shelters, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities, which leaves the refugees in an extremely vulnerable situation. The capacity to provide services to unaccompanied children and survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) is limited, health facilities are overcrowded, and more classrooms are acutely needed to ensure that children can go to school. Generous support and flexible funding from Denmark to the Burundi Situation helps UNHCR address gaps in the provision of protection, adequate medical care and better access to education. It also sends an important signal of solidarity to major refugee hosting countries, and to Burundi children, women and men, that they are not forgotten. We hope other donors will follow suit, says UNHCRs Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Burundi Situation, Catherine Wiesner. 25-year old Josephine was forced to flee Burundi more than three years ago and is now struggling to make ends meet with the food rations, provided to her and her family in the refugee camp in Rwanda, where the family has sought protection and shelter. The Burundi refugee situation is currently one of the most underfunded in the world. Photo UNHCR/Helena Christensen. Desire, a Burundi refugee in Rwanda, has started university, hoping to be able to ensure a better future for himself and his family, but the horrors of what sent the family fleeing Burundi three years ago are still printed in his memory. A contribution from Denmarks Emergency Reserve Fund will help UNHCR provide protection and aid to Burundi refugees such as Desire. Photo: UNHCR/Hector Perez Almost 400.000 Burundian refugees who have fled horrific violence and persecution are now living in neighboring countries. Mahama Camp in Rwanda is home to more than 57,000 Burundian children, women and men. Photo: UNHCR/Hector Perez Desire, a Burundi refugee in Rwanda, has started university, hoping to be able to ensure a better future for himself and his family, but the horrors of what sent the family fleeing Burundi three years ago are still printed in his memory. A contribution from Denmarks Emergency Reserve Fund will help UNHCR provide protection and aid to Burundi refugees such as Desire. Photo: UNHCR/Hector Perez The majority of Burundi refugees have sought protection in Tanzania. Here, more than 50 per cent of the refugees are still living in emergency tents, and children are attending school outside under trees because classrooms are too overcrowded. Other Burundi refugees have sought protection in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya and countries in Southern Africa. UNHCR is working with partners and governments to receive new arrivals while responding to the needs of the hundreds of thousands of refugees already living in camps and urban settings. UNHCR is also assisting those Burundi refugees who have opted to return home to do so in safety and dignity. While 53,000 have voluntarily repatriated in the last year, many more do not see the situation as conducive for their return and will continue to need international protection for some time. One of those not yet ready to return is 44-year-old Desire Uwimana, who fled his home country in 2015 with his wife and four children. It was such a bad situation, and I have never before seen things like this. They destroyed everything, they killed people. I cant believe that human beings can do this to each other, he says. Determined to start anew, Desire has learnt English in the camp, enabling him to pursue higher education and regain hope for a brighter future. Denmark as a donor to UNHCR Denmark has long ranked among UNHCRs top ten donors, and was UNHCRs 6th largest donor of unearmarked funding in 2017. Denmark annually contributes with an Emergency Reserve Fund of DKK 50.5 million (USD 7.2 million) at the start of every year, which UNHCR can allocate to where the needs are most urgent. The flexibility of the fund allows UNHCR to respond to emergencies, which saves lives and assists displaced people with critical protection needs and acute basic necessities. In 2018, a total of five allocations has been made from the fund to operations covering the following situations: DRC (DKK 10M), Venezuela (DKK 10M), South Sudan (DKK 10.5M), Somalia (DKK 10M) and Burundi (DKK 10M). Denmarks other flexible contribution includes DKK 160 million in unearmarked funding. This is of vital importance to support the so-called forgotten refugee situations, which are critically underfunded as they attract minimal public attention. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Nurse Patricia Sampule smiles as she carefully checks the tiny baby. At just 20 minutes old, the little girl doesnt yet have a name, but she and her mother, both Congolese refugees, are doing well. Until recently, they would have had to travel over 30 kilometres to see a doctor. Now, this is the fourteenth baby delivered this week at the clinic in Mantapala Settlement, in north-western Zambia. Were saving lives with this institution, says Patricia, 34, who works full time at the facility that was set up to serve over 13,000 Congolese refugees fleeing mounting violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its made a big difference. Built around existing farmland, Mantapala Settlement is home to around 5,000 local Zambians who can also access the clinic. Before it opened in February, many locals would have to set out at dawn for an eight-hour odyssey on foot to see a doctor. For pregnant women, or the seriously ill, surviving the trek meant the difference between life and death. Were saving lives with this institution." Im glad the clinic is here now, says Agnes Manda, 18, one of a group of Zambian pregnant women waiting for a check-up. We used to only go to the doctor if we were seriously ill. Often people wouldnt believe you were going to make it. But now its so near. If we need to we can just walk here. The clinic, staffed and run by the Zambian local health authority, is equipped to vaccinate residents and treat life-threatening diseases endemic to the area, such as malaria. An ambulance is on call 24 hours a day to take the most serious cases to hospital. A more permanent building is under construction. Weve seen and treated thousands of people, says general nurse Judith Mwansa, 50. If it wasnt for the services we provide, there would be many more deaths both among the refugees and the locals. A short walk away from the clinic, aspiring doctor Joyce Kanyembo is studying English grammar at the settlements school. Most of her classmates are Congolese refugees, but Joyce is one of a growing number of local Zambians who are also attending. Agnes Manda, 18, a member of the Zambian host community, waits for a check-up at a clinic managed by UNHCR, UNICEF and Medecins Sans Frontieres at the Mantapala Settlement. UNHCR/Enoch Kavindele Jr Judith Mwansa, 50, is a Zambian nurse who works at the clinic in Mantapala Settlement. "We've seen and treated thousands of people," she says. UNHCR/Enoch Kavindele Jr Joyce, 20, says her favourite school subject is English and she hopes to be a doctor when she is older. UNHCR/Enoch Kavindele Jr Christopher Mukapa, 30, is headmaster at the school in Mantapala Settlement. He says Zambian students are helping to integrate their Congolese classmates. UNHCR/Enoch Kavindele Jr In future, the school, which was established by a range of international partners including Save the Children and UNICEF, will be run by the government. Its easier to come to this school because its closer to my home, says Joyce, 20, who attended a community school in a nearby village before the school opened. When I finish school, I want to be a doctor, adds the keen student, who is fourth from the top of her class. Its my hobby to help people and look after them. Headteacher Christoph Mukupa is proud of the difference his school is making to local pupils like Joyce and hopes to boost the Zambian student quota to 20 per cent. For him, the benefits of mixed classes are huge, with Zambian students helping to integrate their Congolese classmates. When I finish school, I want to be a doctor." Its a privilege and an honour to have this school in place, says Christoph. We are learning languages, norms and cultures from the Congolese and they from us. Mantapala Settlement, which was designed to encourage this kind of exchange between locals and refugees, forms part of a wider response to refugee movements known as the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, or CRRF. Mantapala Settlement gives refugees and hosts the chance to live together in a very cohesive way, explains George Ormondi, a livelihoods officer for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. They access the schools, clinic and markets together and live as one community. Last year, the Zambian government passed legislation that ensured both refugees and host communities would benefit from services in settlements like Mantapala. In the past the local community were looking on at what was given to refugees and that was bringing a bit of apprehension, says Abdon Mawere, Zambian Commissioner for Refugees. We thought it was important our refugee programs also help the host community. By ensuring refugees and hosts benefit from the same services, the government is working hand in hand with UNHCR to promote integration and social inclusion of refugees, adds Pierrine Aylara, UNHCR's representative to Zambia. For those who no longer have to walk eight hours to see a doctor, the benefits of hosting refugees in their community are clear. Im happy that the refugees are here, says Zambian farmer Kelvin Mwansa, 28, who in early September rushed his six-month-old daughter to the Mantapala Settlement clinic after she contracted malaria. The nurses saved her life. Now there is a school, a clinic and jobs, he adds. Most people see the benefit of the services here because they are not only for refugees, they are for everyone. 93 African children freed in Algeria from human trafficking networks ALGIERS, Nov 19 (Xinhua) Algerian authorities on Sunday said 93 children of different African nationalities were freed from human trafficking networks. Police Department and Social Assistance Bureau of Algiers announced in a statement that "Algerian security forces managed within a week to free 93 children of various African nationalities, including over 60 children from Niger, as they are exploited to raise money by begging in the capital Algiers." The source specified that the first operation was carried out five days ago, as 39 children were rescued from human trafficking gangs who used them to raise money by begging in the streets of the eastern outskirts of Algiers. Clash erupts in Birbhum 23 Nov 2021 | 10:02 PM Kolkata, Nov 23 (UNI) Violent clashes erupted on Tuesday between two factions of TMC at Dubrajpur in Birbhum district of West Bengal. see more.. State working committee meet of BJP held, party set to corner government over host of issues 23 Nov 2021 | 9:39 PM Ranchi, Nov 24 (UNI) The state working committee meet of the Jharkhand BJP was held on Tuesday during which the party leaders attacked the JMM led state government for having failed to deliver on the promises made to the people and has decided to corner the government over a host of issues. see more.. Odisha to formulate Electronic Policy to stimulate electronic manufacturing industry 23 Nov 2021 | 9:37 PM Bhubaneswar, Nov 23 (UNI) Odisha government today decided to formulate Electronics Policy to stimulate the electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM)industry in the state. see more.. Modi asks Sonia to break silence on stand of Manish Tiwari on 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai 23 Nov 2021 | 9:28 PM Patna, Nov 23 (UNI) Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to break her silence on stand of Congress leader Manish Tiwari regarding 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai . see more.. Mongolia to strengthen economic ties with Russia Ulan Bator, Nov 19 (Xinhua) Mongolia is willing to further strengthen ties with Russia in the fields of economy, trade and investment, deputy speaker of the Mongolian parliament Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan said Monday. Enkh-Amgalan, also head of the Mongolia-Russia inter-parliamentary group in parliament, made the remarks while meeting with a visiting Russian delegation led by Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. "The potential of trade, investment and economic cooperation between Mongolia and Russia is not being used at full strength. Thus, our two countries need to make more efforts and improve the business and legal environment in order to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in these sectors," Enkh-Amgalan said. Number of people injured during protests in France rises to 227 Paris, November 18 (Sputnik) The number of people injured during the Saturday protests against the increasing fuel prices in France has increased up to 227, local media reported. Earlier in the day, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that 106 people had been injured during the protests. According to the new data of the Interior Ministry, the number of injured people has risen up to 227, while 117 people have been detained, the Parisien newspaper reported. Syrian forces rebuff terrorist attack on residential areas of Aleppo Damascus, Nov 19 (Sputnik) The Syrian forces rebuffed the shelling of the militants on the residential areas of the northern city of Aleppo, media reported on Sunday. The militants shelled the city's districts of New Aleppo and Al-Zahraa, while the Syrian army repelled the attack and managed to injure several militants, according to the Al Ekhbariya broadcaster. Militants, operating in Aleppo's neighborhoods, have repeatedly attacked the residential quarters of once most populated Syrian cities, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure. Torchlight procession held in Riga on 100th Anniversary of Latvias Independence Riga, Nov 18 (Sputnik) Several thousand of people took part on Sunday in the torchlight procession in the center of Riga on the 100th anniversary of creation of the independent Latvian state, a Sputnik correspondent reported. The march was organized by the National Alliance far-right political party, which is a part of the countrys government. The procession kicked off near the Karlis Ulmanis Monument and ended on the November 11 Embankment. People of various ages, including many children, took part in the march with torches and Latvian flags. US seeks to counter China with Papua New Guinea with power grid Port Moresby, Nov 18 (UNI) In the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, the US and its Pacific allies on Sunday announced plans to build a 1.7 billion electricity grid in the latest effort to counter Chinas growing influence in the region. The Prime Ministers of Papua New Guinea (ONeill), Australia (Morrison), Japan (Abe), New Zealand (Ardern) and the Vice President of the United States (Pence) hereby sign this Joint Statement to mark the announcement of this new multi-country initiative at APEC House. Xi Jinping Calls on Philippines to Enhance Dialogue on South China Sea Issue Beijing, Nov 19 (UNI) Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing and Manila should intensify dialogue on settling territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Chinese President said in an article published in The Philippine Star, that both the countries should intesify dialogue on settling the South China Sea issue. President Xi said " We need to properly handle differences through friendly consultations, enhance dialogue and cooperation on maritime issues, and make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation that truly benefits our two peoples, Sputnik International reported. Published: November 19, 2018 Institute of International Education Ranks The University of Tampa as a Top Host of International Students The Institute of International Education (IIE) has ranked The University of Tampa as the 20th highest masters degreegranting university in the country in hosting international students. The ranking is based on the actual number of international students for the 2017-2018 academic year. UTs ranking increased 13 positions from the rankings of the 2016-2017 academic year. Currently, UT has approximately 1,400 international students, from 132 countries. This falls incoming class included students from such countries as Kuwait, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, Brazil, Uruguay, Democratic Republic of Congo and Albania. George DaPonte, director of international admissions, said that UT remains successful in attracting international students to campus, despite many external pressures. UT has become known as a campus that welcomes international students and values what these students bring to the academic experience, DaPonte said. The numbers were compiled as part of IIEs Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Open Doors is conducted by IIE and is supported by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Published: November 19, 2018 Senior Criminology Major Excels in Two Federal Internships As Jasmine Velez 19 secured chains on a prisoner in the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse and escorted him into the prisoner elevator, she knew this was a job most students dont have the opportunity to experience. She sat down in the courtroom next to the prisoner and reflected as she realized working in law enforcement would become her future. Although it can be scary at times, working with criminals is definitely a rewarding experience, said Velez. You learn to appreciate the life you live after working with some of these inmates. When Velez began attending UT, she was an undecided major and wasnt sure where to take her education, until she took a basic criminology course. She developed a passion for law and wanted to get involved as she pursued a degree and future in criminology and criminal justice. As a senior, Velez has worked two internships full of interactive experiences. This fall, she has been interning with the U.S. Marshals Service, located in downtown Tampa. She works with deputies and helps transport prisoners to and from the courthouse. She said her current job include chaining prisoners, bringing them into courtrooms, sitting in court with the prisoner and making sure everything goes smoothly. With the U.S. Marshals, Velez also files warrants to take criminals into custody and organizes transportation for inmates who need to be moved to different federal facilities across the U.S., like airlifts. Throughout the second semester of her junior year, Velez interned with the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which is also located downtown. With the inspector general, she worked on presenting information to the FBI, DEA and other federal agencies in an investigation against a local pharmacy that looked at the major pill discrepancies between opioids. I basically looked at how this pharmacy in particular was taking in a certain number of pills that werent actually prescribed, said Velez. I did all the research behind this case and found every persons information and identification in relation to the pharmacy. After, I actually put together the report with the numbers and kinds of pills that were missing from the pharmacy and presented it to the DEA. After Velez presented this information, she was also able to conduct a search warrant with the inspector general, which allowed her to photograph an entire medical facility that filed the pharmacies medical records and find the doctors who showed involvement in the illegal activities. Wanting more experience in the field, Velez extended her internship with the inspector general from May until the beginning of the fall semester. It was interesting to work with all these members and agents, because there are multiple personalities present, not only in the office, but within the different agencies, Velez said. A lot of people think its a very contentious environment, and its not. We actually work together more than people think we do, and it was awesome to be included in that. As Velez finishes her criminology degree at UT, she has high hopes for herself as her end goal is to be a U.S. federal agent. Its definitely a little intimidating stepping into this field, since Im a woman working in a male dominated field. But, knowing that I can do the exact same things that men do, if not better, is empowering at the same time. Velez said Sorle Diih, assistant professor in criminology and coordinator of law enforcement internships, has been her biggest influence throughout her time at the University and helped her apply for her first internship. If I did not take that leap of faith to apply, I would not be where I am today now having two federal internships under my belt. Ive made so many connections and received various praise and awards, and I cant thank him enough, said Velez. Having these two internship experiences has taught me more than I ever could have learned in the classroom, and I definitely feel prepared for my future. With UTs criminal justice and criminology program being the only Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences certified program in the state of Florida, Diih said that the rigorous academic program and internships will enable Jasmine to make an immense contribution to any criminal justice agency. Jasmine immediately stood out to me, said Diih. Although I helped her begin her initial internship search, she has excelled so much on her own. She is a very confident and disciplined student, and I have no doubt in my mind that she will do big things when she leaves UT. Story by Sydney Rhodes '21, journalism major "High-quality academic programs, excellent facilities and outstanding faculty." Accreditation The University of Tennessee at Martin is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of The University of Tennessee at Martin. Quality Education Students attend UT Martin for many reasons, but high-quality academic programs, excellent facilities and outstanding faculty continue to attract a diverse and engaged student body. Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs UT Martin offers over 100 different undergraduate and graduate program areas. Undergraduate academic majors are offered within natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, fine and performing arts, computer science, nursing, agriculture, teacher education, business administration and engineering. At the graduate level, masters degrees are offered in business administration; counseling, educational leadership and teaching; family and consumer sciences; and agriculture and natural resources. (Nov. 19, 2018) -- UTSA and the National Security Agency (NSA) have announced an articulation agreement to create accelerated degree plans in cybersecurity and modern languages and enhance workforce development in those fields. The partnership allows NSA employees who complete coursework through the agencys National Cryptologic School (NSC) to earn undergraduate credit hours at UTSA. Eligible students will be able to transfer NSC credit hours into three UTSA degree programs: Bachelor of Business Administration in Cyber Security Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Bachelor of Arts in Modern Language Studies. The BBA in Cyber Security will be offered online; the BA in Spanish and BA in Modern Languages will be offered onsite at UTSA. The agreement will be formally signed by UTSA President Taylor Eighmy and Leonard Reinsfelder, commandant of the National Cryptologic School, in a ceremony at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26 in the Durango Building La Villita Room (DBB 1.116) at the UTSA Downtown Campus. Innovative partnerships such as this are so critically important for UTSA to help meet the needs of our government and industry partners, said Eighmy. We are honored to have the opportunity to provide this programming to NSC students to help them advance in their career and better serve our country through their work in the NSA. Reinsfelder echoed those statements. "We are very proud of the Accelerated Degree Program and we want to make sure that our employees have the opportunity to further their education while also serving their country," he said. NSA had partnered with fewer than 10 higher education institutions to offer accelerated degrees for its employees. Others include Angelo State University, Augusta University, Capitol Technology University, Dakota State University, Drexel University, University of Maryland University College and University of West Florida. Nancy Martin, former associate vice provost for University College, will lead the project for UTSA. A lot of effort by both NSA and UTSA administrators, particularly Dr. Martin, has gone into this partnership, and we are so thrilled to see it realized, said Heather Shipley, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs and dean of University College. NSA reached out to us specifically because of UTSAs strong curriculum and distinguished faculty in Modern Languages and Cyber Security, but there is a possibility that the partnership could expand in the future to include other programs of relevance to NSA personnel. "NSA in Texas is excited to continue building our UTSA partnership, said Col Gregory J. Gagnon, NSA in Texas Commander. This agreement benefits both institutions and will be critical in developing the expertise of our workforce as they tackle some of America's toughest problems." K-12 Teachers Get Jumpstart on Integrating Computer Science into Curriculum at UW Camp RAMPED II Lead Teacher Astrid Northrup, center, from Northwest College in Powell, helps Laura Paige, right, a life science teacher at Caspers Centennial Middle School, with a program during a computer science professional development program at UW. Anna Youmans, left, the library media specialist at Laramies Indian Paintbrush Elementary School, works on her program. (UW Photo) Forty Wyoming teachers -- spanning all grade levels and content areas -- worked with experts at the University of Wyoming last summer to gain new ideas and abilities to incorporate concepts of computer science, computational thinking and cybersecurity into their classrooms. The cohort participated in Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Physics and Engineering Design (RAMPED) II, a cross-disciplinary professional development program led by Andrea Burrows, an associate professor in the College of Education, and Mike Borowczak, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The program includes a two-week summer camp that occurs on the UW campus, as well as follow-up participant collaboration days that take place during the school year. RAMPED II is supported by a U.S. Department of Education grant that is administered by a Wyoming Department of Education Math and Science Partnerships grant. The grant began its second iteration in summer 2018. When the K-12 teachers explicitly call out pieces of computer science, they are showcasing computer science as a possible career while creating a space for K-12 students to practice computational thinking skills, Burrows says. K-12 teachers who participated in RAMPED II will have the skills required to promote computer science and computational thinking to their students and dispel the myth that computer science is just coding, creating video games or robotics, she adds. As a new teacher, I feel it is my role and responsibility to teach our students 21st century skills, says Laura Paige, a science teacher at Centennial Middle School in Casper. This is an area of development for me, and I felt RAMPED II provided an outstanding opportunity for professional development and collaboration. I enjoyed looking at computer science as a whole way of thinking and really digging into how it permeates every aspect of our lives, says Victoria Davis, a math and science teacher for grades K-8 at Kaycee School. The professional development comes at a time when Wyoming is developing computer science standards for the state as outlined in Senate Enrolled Act 0048, which passed in the Wyoming Legislature during the 2018 budget session. The act adds computer science and computational thinking to the state educational program. School districts are mandated to offer computer science in K-12 classrooms at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. The state of Wyoming is moving toward a graduation requirement that includes computational thinking and coding, says Christy Rodgers, an engineering design teacher at CY Middle School in Casper. My students will have a jumpstart toward that because of my advance preparedness. The legislation does not include funds to support hiring new teachers or creating new courses. RAMPED II specifically showcased ways the teacher participants could integrate computer science and computational thinking principles into their existing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. In the future, this integrated approach could allow school districts to meet the new requirements without the financial burden of hiring additional teachers or creating new stand-alone courses to cover the material. The program was divided into four sessions: machine learning, anomaly detection, large distances and virtual reality. The teacher participants not only learned about these elements, but they began to develop ways in which they can incorporate these concepts in their daily lessons, regardless of the grade level or subject area they teach. Additionally, the teachers participated in daily K-12 integration sessions. Our faculty team asks teachers to bring the main topics that they teach and has them identify areas of strength and weakness in those topics, Burrows says. We then showcase computer science and computational thinking in activities and, as a team, we brainstorm real-world applications embedded in the areas of weakness identified by the teachers. With faculty and lead teacher support, the teachers then create lessons utilizing the suggested real-world computer science applications. Participants used micro:bits, low-cost open source computers that are half the size of a credit card, to assist with learning about computer science and computational thinking, and to practice writing computer code. They also participated in beacon and lock-pick activities using the micro:bits to simulate the world of interconnected devices in which we currently live. Both activities were created by UW faculty and graduate students to emphasize the cybersecurity concepts in computer science. During the beacon activity, teachers programmed a micro:bit to seek out and capture information broadcast from beacons. The lock-pick activity was similar but, instead of random information being broadcast, the lock responded to a set of strict commands. To view a video of the lock-pick activity, go to http://bit.ly/uw-lockpick. As part of the follow-up to the program at UW, Burrows, Borowczak and two lead teachers obtain feedback from the RAMPED II teachers when they implement lessons in their classrooms that they developed during the summer camp. The RAMPED II leaders then assess the K-12 teachers on the implementation of their lessons and advise them on any improvements they can make. Although the focus is on teachers understanding and use of computer science and STEM content during RAMPED II, Wyoming students are the real beneficiaries of the professional development, Burrows says. With well-prepared teachers, Wyomings K-12 students have the opportunity to explore STEM and computer science in meaningful experiences that can help them pursue careers in new industries that assist in diversifying the states economy. These experiences also can allow them to apply their computer science knowledge to solve problems in the industries that have driven Wyomings economic engine for decades, Burrows adds. Computer science knowledge, computational thinking skills and programming skills are predicted to be a part of just about every job in the future, Borowczak says. Our world is headed toward automation, and the only way to control automation is through programming, computational thinking and computer science. K-12 educators in Wyoming who are interested in similar professional development opportunities can visit www.uwyo.edu/SEED, or follow Burrows (@SciEdBurrows) and Borowczak (@mborowczak) on Twitter. To view the lessons and activities presented at RAMPED II, go to http://bit.ly/RAMPED-labs. The RAMPED II teacher participants and two lead teachers, listed by their hometowns, schools, subjects taught and grade levels, are: Bar Nunn -- Tanya Harris, CY Middle School, math, grades 6-8. Bondurant -- Karin Unruh, Bondurant Elementary School, kindergarten, fourth and fifth grades. Buffalo -- Timothy Brown, Clear Creek Middle School, science, grades 7-8; and Karmen Marbry, Kaycee School, science, grades 9-12. Casper -- Colleen Burridge, Pathways Innovation Center, social studies, grades 9-11; Derek Green, Star Lane Center (Pathways Innovation Center), computer science, grades 9-11; Mance Hurley, Pathways Innovation Center, welding and advanced manufacturing, grades 10-12; Mark McAtee, Roosevelt High School, science, grades 9-12; Laura Paige, Centennial Middle School, life science, grades 6-8, Sustaining Wyomings Advancing Reach in Mathematics and Science (SWARMS) scholar; Ruby Perry, Fort Caspar Academy, fourth grade; Sarah Ramsey, Roosevelt High School, science, grades 10-12; Christy Rodgers, CY Middle School, engineering and manufacturing, grades 6-8. Centennial -- Claire Ratcliffe, UW Lab School, technology, grades K-4; STEM, grades 5-6; and innovation by design, grades 7-8. Cheyenne -- Ginny Margolis, Hobbs Elementary School, first grade. Cody -- Rachel Holmes, Powell Middle School, math and life science, seventh grade. Evanston -- Adrienne Unertl, Clark Elementary School, computer science, grades 2-5. Gillette -- Keith Jacobson, Westwood High School, science, grades 9-12; and Trish Kuberra, Campbell County High School, science, grades 9-12. Guernsey -- Tesha Frederick, Guernsey-Sunrise Schools, Title I math; and Connie Hollin, Guernsey-Sunrise Schools, computer science, grades 5-12. Kaycee -- Victoria Davis, Kaycee School, STEM, grades K-5; science, grades 6-8; and math, seventh grade. Laramie -- Douglas Brenneman, Laramie Middle School, industrial arts, grades 6-8; Scott Mecca, Albany County School District 1, districtwide tech integrator and RAMPED II lead teacher; and Anna Youmans, Indian Paintbrush Elementary School, technology and library skills, grades K-5. Midwest -- Cheryl Anderson, Midwest Junior High School and Midwest High School, math and science, middle school; and science, high school. Pinedale -- Gregory Allen, Pinedale Middle School and Pinedale High School, choir; Clare Rutar, Pinedale Middle School, engineering, design and robotics, grades 6-8; Cheryl Travis, Pinedale Middle School, computer science, grades 6-8; and Jennifer Wilson, Pinedale High School, special education, English language arts, and job and career readiness, grades 9-12. Powell -- Bryan Bonander, Powell Middle School, math and science, sixth grade; Randi Bonander, Southside Elementary School, third grade; Patrick DAlessandro, Southside Elementary School, kindergarten; Heidi Dicks, Southside Elementary School, lab manager; Astrid Northrup, Northwest College, engineering and practical surveying; thermodynamics; and dynamics/mechanics; and RAMPED II lead teacher; and Shelby Randall, Westside Elementary School, first grade. Rawlins -- Mark Flaherty, Carbon County Higher Education Center, welding; and Rebecca Haynes, Rawlins High School, English, grades 9-12. Riverton -- Theodore Robinson, Shoshoni Schools, STEM, grades 1-5; and math, sixth grade. Saratoga -- Janet Jorgensen, Rawlins High School, chemistry and physical science, grades 9-12. Shoshoni -- Nicole Biltoft, Shoshoni Schools, library paraprofessional; Shawnna Gibbel, Shoshoni Elementary School, second grade; and Mark Maxson, Shoshoni High School, physical education and health. UW Extensions Livestock Marketing Specialist Receives Organizations Highest Honor Bridger Feuz Developing programs for ranchers focusing on increased production and efficiency, and collaboration with peers are among reasons a Uinta County University of Wyoming Extension educator has received the organizations highest honor. Bridger Feuz, based in Evanston, was presented the Jim DeBree Award at extensions training conference Nov. 6-8 in Casper. Bridger Feuz is undoubtedly an exceptional extension educator who contributes significantly to the University of Wyomings statewide engagement mission, says Kelly Crane, associate director of UW Extension. Bridgers resounding success as an extension educator is attributable to his genuine obligation to listen and respond to the contemporary challenges facing Wyoming farmers, ranchers and community members. Feuz is extensions livestock marketing specialist and involved in extensions range initiative team. Programs he has developed include the Wyoming Master Cattleman Program and Ranch Management Institute. The multiday workshops focus on topics such as assessing ranch marketing and financial analysis, partial budgeting and investment analysis tools, range management, genetics and livestock risk protection. At the end of each production strategy session, producers work through examples using tools from earlier sessions. Each strategy is analyzed for its potential from a goals/risk perspective and a financial what if analysis. Feuz started the annual Wyoming-Utah Ag Days, first held in January in Evanston, two years ago. Nominators also cited Feuzs involvement in his local community; his willingness to draw in extension educators from surrounding states for his programs; and his involvement in other extension professional areas, including nutrition and youth education. The Jim DeBree Award is named in honor of the retired Wyoming extension administrator and given to those who demonstrate a high level of professionalism, performance and leadership within their program areas and communities. Feuz joined UW Extension in 2004. The final quarter of 2021 is on its way and theres so much positivity about the rapid growth of the... Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. Im pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week included a bunch of excellent wines. Lets start with a very pretty Albarino from the folks at Artesa in Carneros, who have been playing with the grape since the late 1990s and are one of the main (and few) producers in the state. This one is distinctly Californian, but also quite varietally true, and worth seeking out for its refreshing green brightness. I get occasional bottles of German Riesling here and there, but its rare to get a nicely aged one. This week I got a very pretty 2004 bottling from Max Ferdinand Richter that was firing on all cylinders, and delivering exactly what a good aged Riesling can fruit, brightness, secondary flavors and aromas, and utter deliciousness. This week I also have a study in two Roussannes, one from the Sierra Foothills, and one from Sonomas Bennett Valley. As an exotic treat, I also received a couple of wines that are a collaboration between veteran winemaking legend Paul Hobbs and a wine producer in Armenia. Both feature the indigenous variety Areni Noir, which is something like a cross between Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, if youve never had it. Both of these wines are very pretty and excellent examples of the potential in both the grape and the country of Armenia. In the event you didnt know, Armenia plays host to the oldest archeological evidence of winemaking on the planet, and most DNA analysis points to the region as the likely site of wine grapes being first domesticated. Check out these wines and drink a little bit of the past. Finally this week, Ive got three incarnations of the Rhone Valley for you, courtesy of the reliably excellent E. Guigal, and then a couple of California Rhone blends from one of the original Rhone Rangers, William Easton up at Domaine Terre Rouge in the Sierra Foothills. All these and more this week. Enjoy! 2017 Artesa Albarino, Carneros, California Light greenish gold in color, this wine smells of sappy green apple, unripe nectarine and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, green apple and white peach and lime flavors are bright and juicy with excellent acidity. Notes of lime zest and lime juice linger in the finish. 3% of the wine was fermented in neutral puncheon. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $28. click to buy. 2016 Oremus Mandolas Furmint, Tokaj, Hungary Light blonde in color, this wine smells of pears and unripe apples with hints of lemon pith. In the mouth, citrus pith and pear flesh mix with a nice underlying minerality that has a wet pavement quality. Excellent acidity and length. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $25. click to buy. 2004 Max Ferdinand Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling, Mosel, Germany Light to medium gold in color this wine smells of mandarine orange zest and honeysuckle. In the mouth, wonderfully mineral flavors of mandarine orange, honey and asian pear have only the faintest trace of sweetness to them, with a deep wet-chalkboard minerality. Notes of lychee linger in the finish. 8% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $34. click to buy. 2013 Domaine Terre Rouge Monarch Mine Vineyard Roussanne, Sierra Foothills, California Light gold in color, this wine smells of golden delicious apples, quince and chamomile. In the mouth, silky-textured flavors of bee pollen, chamomile and baked apples mix with a hint of candle wax. Notes of herbs and dried yellow flowers linger in the finish. Soft acidity. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $25. click to buy. 2015 Sosie Vivio Vineyard Roussanne, Bennett Valley, Sonoma, California Pale gold in color, this wine smells of quince and pears poached in cream. In the mouth, silky flavors of unripe pear and golden apple mix with a hint of yellow flowers. Theres a nice underlying wet chalkboard minerality, though the acidity is delicate and softer than I would like. Finishes clean with hints of chamomile. 12.9% alcohol. 100 cases produced. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $?? 2015 Yacoubian-Hobbs Sarpina Areni, Armenia Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of forest berries and flowers. In the mouth, forest berries and herbs and flowers have an aromatic sweetness to them that suggests some deft use of oak. Excellent acidity and length, with gorgeous floral and berry scents lingering sweet through the finish. Polished and refined, perhaps a little more than it should be, but undeniably tasty. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $45 click to buy. 2015 Yacoubian-Hobbs Rind Areni, Armenia Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of flowers, huckleberries, and fresh herbs. In the mouth, juicy huckleberry and mulberry flavors are shot through with fresh thyme and other herbs. Excellent acidity and fine-grained tannins linger in the long finish. 14% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $34. click to buy. 2015 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone, Rhone, France Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of strawberry and cherry fruit with hints of cedar. In the mouth, strawberry and cedar flavors mix with dried herbs and a touch of river mud. Powdery tannins flex their muscles as the wine lingers long. Excellent acidity and balance. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $20. click to buy. 2015 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of brambly herbs and blackberries. In the mouth, spicy notes of blackberry and herbs and flowers have a stark, stony minerality to them, enlivened with excellent acidity and caressed by fleecy tannins. Nice floral notes linger in the finish. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $27. click to buy. 2015 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph, Rhone, France Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of blackberry and forest floor. In the mouth, earthy notes of blackberry and cassis mix with a touch of leather as beautifully bright acidity and powdery, muscular tannins caress the fruit. Theres a nice wet-pavement minerality underlying everything, and a sweetness of fruit that lingers in the finish. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $30. click to buy. 2012 Domaine Terre Rouge Mourvedre, Sierra Foothills, California Dark ruby in color, this wine smells of gamey huckleberry and cherry. In the mouth, the wine has fantastically bright acidity and gorgeous cherry and dried cherry fruit mixed with dried herbs and a touch of meatiness. Theres a wonderful saline quality to this wine that, balancing the sweetness of of the fruit makes for a mouthwatering experience. Powdery tannins seem to coalesce through the long finish. 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $32. click to buy. 2013 Domaine Terre Rouge Tete-a-Tete Red Blend, Sierra Foothills, California Medium to dark ruby in the glass with a little hint of purple remaining in the core, this wine smells of strawberry and cherry fruit with a hint of cedar. In the mouth, aromatically sweet flavors of strawberry jam and dried sour cherries have a bright, juiciness thanks to excellent acidity. Gauzy tannins drape the palate, and the wine lingers long in the finish. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $18. click to buy. Sunday Times, 18 November 2018: the British Army has been tasked with getting ready to maintain order in the UKs big cities by working alongside the police. Confronted by the EUs rigidity, it is unlikely Prime Minister Theresa will be unable to reach an agreement with Brussels. The EU has rejected the British proposal whereby the UK would retain its position in the Common Market but abandon the supranational aspects of the Maastricht Treaty. Panicked that Brexit may have a contagion effect, the EU threatened to reactivate the war of national liberation in Northern Ireland if the United Kingdom did not accept a deal that would dis-incentivize other Member States from leaving. If the negotiations fail, the pro-EU bourgeoisie could kick off riots. At the invitation of the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya spoke at the Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held in Georgetown, Guyana, on 15 November 2018. The COTED is the body bringing together CARICOM Trade Ministers and to which the CARICOM Customs Committee reports on matters relating to the WCOs role and the future cooperation between both Organizations. Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two Organizations on 20 March 2018, Dr. Mikuriya pointed out that as the WCO was currently looking into the special needs of and challenges facing Small Island Economies, it would be timely to explore ways of enhancing cooperation with CARICOM, especially as nine of the latters fifteen Members were also Members of the WCO. He presented various relevant WCO instruments and programmes which could serve as a basis for further regional integration in the Caribbean region. In response to the WCO presentation, Ms. Sandra Husbands, Barbados Minister of Foreign Trade and Chair of COTED, summarized some of the matters of immediate interest to Customs of the region, such as the Single Window, knowledge management in Customs, e-learning, integrity and the pool of WCO experts. She confirmed that there would be opportunities for further cooperation between the two Organizations, before expressing her gratitude to Secretary General Mikuriya for WCOs support. Dr. Mikuriya had several bilateral meetings on the fringe of the COTED meeting, including with Ms. Paula Gopee-Scoon, Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Trade and Industry, to follow up on Secretary Generals recent visit to her country. The Revised Kyoto Convention Management Committee (RKC/MC) at its 19th Meeting held from 12 to 13 November 2018 discussed and endorsed the report presented by the Working Group on the Comprehensive review of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) established by the RKC/MC and endorsed by the June 2018 sessions of the Policy Commission and the Council. The RKC/MC comprises of all Contracting Parties to the Convention as Members. Non-Contracting parties as well as representatives of some international governmental and non-governmental organizations are entitled to attend it sessions as observers. The status and the right of observers are determined by decision N 305 taken by the Council during its 97th/98th sessions held in June 2001. The RKC/MC was established to consider the implementation of the Convention, any measures to secure the uniformity in the interpretation and application thereof as well as any amendments proposed. The Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) is the International convention on the simplification and harmonization of the Customs procedures as amended in 1999. This Convention is known as the blueprint for modern and efficient Customs procedures in the 21st century. The RKC entered into force on February 3, 2006 and has already 116 Contracting Parties, including Kiribati who is the very first non-WCO Members to accede to the RKC. Its increasing implementation is providing international commerce with the predictability and efficiency that modern trade requires. In her opening remarks, Ms. Ana B. Hinojosa, the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Director, highlighted, among other things, several WCO ongoing efforts in the area of the accession to, and the implementation of, the RKC and she appreciated the increase in the number of Contracting Parties. She underlined that, while it was essential that the Convention keep pace with the latest developments and the changing environment in which Customs operates, it was equally essential that Developing and Least Developed Members States continue moving forward on the path of modernizing Customs procedures and practices and facilitating legitimate trade, whilst curbing illicit flows. At this Meeting, the RKC/MC examined the report of the WGRKC, including its work programme, and finally endorsed the interim report as presented by the Chairperson of the WGRKC noting the contributions and interventions from delegates. During this meeting, the WCO Secretariat also shared some highlights on the Global conference on the comprehensive review of the RKC held in Brussels on 9 November 2018. Overall, the RKC/MC Meeting generated animated discussion, active engagement and high level of commitment from the participants. The RKC/MC participants expressed their gratitude to the presenters from Georgia, New Zealand and Switzerland who shared their experiences on the accession to the RKC and the implementation of certain RKC provisions included in the General Annex and Specific Annexes as well as lessons learnt. They also thanked the Secretariat for presenting, on behalf of Kiribati and Vanuatu, and sharing their experience on the accession to the RKC. By WestKyStar and MSU Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | 06:59 AM | MURRAY In an effort to continue meeting the needs of current and prospective students, Murray State University is expanding its undergraduate program offerings to include specializations in game development and design as well as unmanned aerial systems.Our colleges and departments constantly seek ways to innovate and make available new academic opportunities for our students and our communities, said Dr. Renae Duncan, associate provost for undergraduate education.Murray State students now have the opportunity to pursue a distinct degree track in game development through the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems in the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business. In addition to establishing a base foundation in computer science principles, the new track covers a variety of interdisciplinary subjects, such as computer-based graphical rendering, programming, creative writing, graphic arts, mathematics, physics and audio/video production. Graduates of this track will be well-prepared for careers with both indie and well-established game development companies. Students in other majors may choose to complete a minor in game development as well.The College of Humanities and Fine Arts is also offering an undergraduate certificate in game design to help prepare students for entry-level positions in the video game industry. The curriculum covers technical areas in game programming languages in addition to focusing on learning the necessary design skills in animation and illustration, computer graphics, computer science and creative writing. As students make their way through the certificate program, they will encounter opportunities to create two- and three-dimensional graphics to bring their games and stories to life.Beyond programming there are career opportunities in game development involving story writing, graphic arts, cinematography, dialog production, sound effects, production and marketing, said Dr. Robert Pilgrim, associate professor in computer science. The computer games industry earned more than $100 billion in 2017 with sales of newly released games exceeding the gross receipts of blockbuster movies.The Hutson School of Agriculture and the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology as well as other academic units are also partnering to offer a certificate and minor in unmanned aerial systems.Participating students will focus on learning how to use drone technology: operating the software, interpreting and mapping data, completing FFA certification training and much more. The new program will also allow students interested in pursuing careers in agriculture or earth and environmental sciences to use drone and mapping technology to see and understand areas of land as they determine crop health, examine soil types and elevation and more. As the drone industry continues to develop, other areas of study will benefit as well. Criminal justice, occupational safety and health, construction, journalism, engineering and art have drone applications that enhance the student experience and career preparation at Murray State.There are many exciting and evolving career opportunities involving unmanned aerial systems, said Dr. Tony Brannon, dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture. It is our goal to provide an education that will afford our students with hands-on training in drones and drone technology that will place them at a competitive advantage in the career market.Students interested in learning about each of these programs should contact the following individuals: Dr. Robert Pilgrim (game development) at rpilgrim@murraystate.edu, Jim Bryant (game design) at jbryant@murraystate.edu and Dr. Brian Hoover (unmanned aerial systems) at whoover@murraystate.edu.Visit murraystate.edu/programs to learn more about undergraduate and graduate offerings at Murray State University. By WestKyStar & Mercy Medical Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | 07:09 AM | PADUCAH The Festival of Trees features 20 trees, including Polar Express, Canine Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Farmhouse Christmas, plus many more whimsical trees. They will be on display until December 13 in the Marshall Nemer Medical Office Building Plaza. The winners will be announced December 14. You can also buy a ticket to win your favorite tree at the Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital Christmas Market on Saturday, November 17 from 9 am 4 pm in the Marshall Nemer Medical Office Building Plaza. The event is free and features more than 40 vendors with jewelry, childrens clothing, handbags, scarves, and Christmas decor. The Christmas Market benefits the Mercy Health Associates Christmas Giving Program. Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Mercy Health with the start of the 7th Annual Festival of Trees celebration. The Festival of Trees is a decoration of Christmas trees by hospital departments to raise money for the Mercy Health Associates Christmas Giving program. The departments donate the decorations and the community is invited to buy a ticket to win their favorite tree. Tickets are $1. You can purchase them in the hospital gift shop. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | 10:54 AM | PADUCAH A woman who pled guilty to prescription drug fraud in September was sentenced last week. According to the McCracken County Circuit Court Clerk, 54-year-old Lisa Kaylor was sentenced by Judge Tony Kitchen on Wednesday. She had pled guilty to 33 counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. Kitchen sentenced Kaylor to five years on each count, with sentences running concurrently, and then probated the sentence to three years. Kentucky State Police had searched the doctor's office where Kaylor works last summer after getting a tip about forged prescriptions. She was arrested in March after a grand jury heard evidence and returned indictments against her. Kaylor's attorney, Emily Roark, told West Kentucky Star that numerous motions for probation instead of jail time were filed in the case by well-respected citizens on her behalf. Roark also said evidence was presented at sentencing indicating that Kaylor had an abusive husband who may have harmed her or himself if she did not provide him with the drugs he wanted. Kaylor is no longer in the relationship. Roark said very specific information about Kaylor's situation was shared with Judge Kitchen before he announced his sentence. The attorney said Kaylor has never before been in trouble with the law in her life. Roark said the doctor has continued to employ Kaylor, but in a position where she cannot write or order prescriptions. At the time of her arrest, Kaylor was also an employee at the McCracken County Jail, but resigned that job soon after. In order to stay on probation and avoid jail time, Kaylor must continue not violate the law, undertake drug screenings, and report to probation officers as required. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | METROPOLIS By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | 09:02 AM | METROPOLIS Every day Superman fans pull off of I-24 at Metropolis to take a selfie with the Man of Steel. This week, they'll be able to get a special "collector" photo -- one with Superman wearing a black armband. The Metropolis Chamber of Commerce put the armband on the statue last week in memory of Stan Lee, the Marvel comic book writer and publisher who helped create a legion of iconic superheroes. Lee passed away November 12 at the age of 95. Amanda King at the Metro Chamber told West Kentucky Star that the armband will remain on Superman's left bicep until this Friday. After that, Superman will be decked out for the holidays with his annual Santa hat. The statue is accessible for photos 24 hours a day on Superman Square in downtown Metropolis, next to the Massac County courthouse. Across the street, the Metro Chamber office is open seven days a week with Superman merchandise, and information about other attractions and events in Metropolis. 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. Advertisement By Jim Waters Nov. 18, 2018 | LEXINGTON By Jim Waters Nov. 18, 2018 | 03:56 PM | LEXINGTON COMMENTARY: Should we be cynical enough to believe critics claiming that Amazon knew from the beginning of its yearlong process to ostensibly determine the location of a second headquarters that it would expand into the New York City and Washington, D.C. regions and simply used the bidding war to extract $2 billion worth of additional corporate-welfare handouts from those cities? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, citizens should demand their leaders get smarter about these projects by being more transparent and focused on creating the economic environment and education system needed to attract new opportunities rather than just seeing how many taxpayer-backed goodies they can stuff into incentive stockings. Amazon itself even seems to suggest this would be a better approach, admitting in in its news release revealing the new locations that "economic incentives were one factor in our decision but attracting top talent was the leading driver." It's not that cities like Louisville one of 236 competing for the Amazon shop that failed wasn't offering enough treats; rather, it doesn't have the needed workforce. Still, many politicians want to build Kentucky's entire economic-development process around secretive incentive packages, which almost never deliver on their promises regarding jobs and wages. Revealing such information, they incessantly claim, would put the state or community at a competitive disadvantage because companies wouldn't participate. However, recent developments surrounding huge development projects suggest more, not less, transparency would restore some sanity to these bidding wars. From the kind of buyer's remorse expressed by state lawmakers pressured to approve a direct $15 million taxpayer-funded expenditure for a private industry in the closing hours of the 2017 legislative session even though they didn't know what they were voting for more transparency before the vote likely would have halted such a sloppy measure. It also would have given political cover to those who wanted to refuse to go along with such nonsense. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer not only went to court to keep reporters from accessing the incentive package offered by the city to Amazon before the online retail giant revealed its new headquarters' location, but he's also doubled down on not releasing the information even though the city was eliminated from the competition earlier this year. A local judge has said there's no legal justification for exempting the proposal from open records requirements. Still, the mayor insists on expending resources on a Kentucky Court of Appeals case. Perhaps it's because he knows that when citizens find out what Louisville offered to give away to get this project, they likely will deem it as even newly elected New York Democratic representative and avowed socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that constituents called her city's $1.5 billion handout to Amazon: "outrageous." One thing Fischer can't hide behind in a courtroom is that fewer than three in 10 Kentucky eighth-grade students are proficient in math an area of academic performance absolutely essential to high-tech workforces or that barely half of the commonwealth's high-schoolers who manage to graduate receive diplomas worth little more than the paper upon which they're printed. Subjecting corporate handouts to open records requests when it matters would reduce politicians' power to pick which companies will be the winners while using their one-hit wonder response: "Every other state is doing it." It would also broaden the focus development policies beyond making giveaways the cornerstones of attempts to attract new opportunities to including real results in terms of creating the kind of overall economic and education environment that make our state and its communities attractive to all sizes and types of companies not just the ones with political connections or friends in Frankfort or at city hall. Jim Waters is president and CEO of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, Kentucky's free-market think tank. Read previous columns at www.bipps.org. He can be reached at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com and @bipps on Twitter. Beware the uncivil and spectacle politics of the EFF Uncivil and spectacle politics fan ethnic and racial hatred, deepen divides in our society, continuously violates the rights of others, and turn violent. Where do we go from here to contain this kind of politics? Is civility important to democratic politics? The obvious answer is yes. There is a belief that social mobilisation and progressive politics has to be undisciplined, threatening and violent if it is to be radical; a view that is at odds with the personal conduct of many of the grand leaders of the radical political tradition from whom these same activists draw inspiration. Civility is seen by some young activists and politicians as being supportive of the status quo, a behaviour typical of older political generations who were unable to transform the economy and society. If these activists read widely enough rather than rely on rhetorical statements and party memorabilia they would know that Sobukwe, Cabral, Biko, Fanon, Alexander, Che Guevara and the like were often courteous individuals who underscored the importance of discipline. In their world, being ill-disciplined could cost lives. Too many young activists, and now increasingly politicians, speak with a sense of bravado about their politics being robust. This has now become code for rudeness, uncivil behaviour, the use of expletives, disruption and the violation of the rights of others, and sometimes even violence. Uncivil politics, as distinct from extra-institutional politics, has its roots in the politics of the right and fascist movements in the inter-war years. These movements were marginal political entities that used the rights (and never took on the responsibility obligations) of their democratic systems to build their base and subvert democracy itself. Ironically, those in South Africa who have adopted this behaviour subscribe to radical or leftist thinking, but have really adopted the strategies and tactics of the right. How is it that radical politics has come to be interpreted to mean uncivil engagement in South Africa? To be fair, part of this has its roots in the liberation movement itself. Competitive liberation politics in the later years of the apartheid era produced a toxicity that led to violence in some parts of the country. But this was overshadowed by the widespread violence unleashed by the apartheid state against all strands of the movement and communities in the later years of the apartheid era. Perhaps this, together with the fact that all of us were excluded from the state, ensured that the intra-party and intra-liberation incivility and violence were contained by a broader tradition of civility and comradeship within the liberation movement. In the first decade of the post-apartheid era, the ANC went out of its way to cultivate a civility in public discourse and parliamentary politics. A significant part of this had to do with Nelson Mandela who took on the responsibility of building bridges across South Africas multiple divides in order to buy South Africa the political space to transform itself. Thabo Mbeki also continued the civil traditions in public discourse and parliamentary politics, perhaps assisted by his own intellectual orientation. None of this must be interpreted to mean that political discourse was in any way easy or not divisive. The public discourse between Mbeki and Tony Leon was very polarising, as were Mbekis public criticisms against both intra-party and external dissidents. But these polemics were largely within the confines of the democratic system, even if it were unsavoury and may have affronted particular individuals. Where Mbeki was seen to have crossed the legitimate democratic line was in his treatment of some intra-party dissidents, particularly through the use of state institutions to settle party-political battles. Jacob Zuma took this behaviour outside the party once his position was under threat. He found allies in the ANC Youth League, Cosatu, and the SACP and together they pioneered a politics of spectacle that was mainstreamed into the popular discourse and in the broader public arena. This involved the advancement of ethnic and/or racial politics, the public slander of individuals, threats of violence and a social mobilisation that trashed public facilities, private businesses, and mythologised militarism. These tactics were most tragically deployed in the mobilisation outside the courts during the Zuma rape trial, particularly targeted at the rape victim Kwezi, and was led in principle by then leading ANC Youth league members Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu. The tactics perfected outside the courts were also deployed against leaders within the ANC and particularly against those associated with Mbeki. Unruly behaviour that was previously typical of ANC Youth League meetings was taken into ANC gatherings. It is then unsurprising that the EFF, born from the ANC Youth League of Zumas presidency, is employing a similar strategy and tactics. It has perfected the politics of spectacle that it had learnt outside the courts during Jacob Zumas trial and now deployed this within the parliamentary precinct and in broader society. The politics of spectacle was reflected in the chants to Zuma to pay back the money and in the continued haranguing of Zuma and other ANC leaders. It was devastatingly effective. It wrong-footed the ANC parliamentarians whose overwhelming parliamentary majority was no antidote to the spectacle of disruption. Even when security measures were used and EFF parliamentarians were evicted, they would simply repeat the exercise on the next occasion. Focused solely on the unravelling of the Zuma administration and unconstrained as a result of having no desire to convince the electorate of their ability to rule, the EFF effectively destroyed what democratic civility remained in the Zuma years. Gradually other parties began to realise the value of the EFFs tactics. But constrained by their own desire to rule, and perhaps by their own inabilities, none could replicate these tactics. So these opposition parties decided to do the next best thing, align with the EFF inside and outside Parliament to increase the pressure on the Zuma administration. The result was a series of broader campaigns within society which greatly enhanced the image of the EFF, especially among students and the broader youth. It also enhanced the image of the movement among journalists and analysts, who had been at the forefront of exposing the corruption and ethical breaches associated with the capture of the state by the Gupta family. But while uncivil and spectacle politics may have been devastatingly effective in unravelling the Zuma administration, it has been found wanting in an era of reconstruction. This has become increasingly apparent as the EFFs spectacle politics and destructive potential is unleashed against the very partners such as the Democratic Alliance who opportunistically aligned with it to keep the ANC out of power in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay. Journalists and analysts who were only a year ago gushing about Malemas political wisdom have also found themselves on the wrong side of the EFFs ire as they increasingly became critical of the partys destructive politics, including its propensity for racist attacks on individuals and the violent actions of some of its leaders and members. But some of its other partners the UDM and Saftu in particular still continue to find the EFFs tactics valuable because of a coincidence of interests in unravelling the DA administration in Nelson Mandela Bay and undermining outsourcing arrangements in selected corporates. They too are likely to be turned off when the EFFs propensity for destruction is unleashed in occasions which compromise their interests. It goes without saying that I believe that this uncivil and spectacle politics is dangerous for our democracy. Not only does it fan ethnic and racial hatred and deepens divides in our society, it also continuously violates the rights of others and is on many occasions violent. So where do we go from here to contain this kind of politics? Two options have emerged. The first, co-option, is seemingly preferred by many in the leadership of the ANC. Ramaphosa and David Mabuza have both hinted at it, as have figures from the Gauteng provincial leadership such as Panyaza Lesufi. Yet none has recognised that it is not in Malemas short-term interest to do this. After all, why would Malema trade his current position and the ability to unravel all and sundry that comes with it for going into the ANC for one or other Cabinet position? He would want a position that is far more substantive, one that puts him in place to be the ultimate successor to Ramaphosa. It would seem that this would be the price the ANC would not be prepared to pay. But more important than individual aggrandisement and ambition is the likely effect that such a co-option would have within the ANC. The party has already witnessed the shifts in its internal culture with the influx of individuals from the IFP. Doing this again with followers of uncivil and spectacle politics would forever erode the partys internal dynamics and make it a parody of the liberation movement it once was. The second is what I would describe as the accountability option. The ANC and other parties need to develop practical plans for addressing the concrete problems on which the EFF mobilises. This does not mean pandering to the EFF as the ANC did in the case of the land issue. Rather it involves developing their own concrete plans, distinct from the populist and spectacle agenda of the EFF, to sustainably address the challenges of inequality. Ramaphosas victory in the ANC election and his accession to office was interpreted as a new dawn by many in South Africa, but he is increasingly squandering this by creating the impression that he is merely responsive to the EFF. Leadership requires one to be seen to lead. The same goes for the opposition parties. The reason that the EFF has the resonance that it has even though it commands only about 10% of electoral support in selected municipalities is because it has become the kingmaker. If parties such as the DA were simply to walk away, even at the cost of short-term political gain and power, the leverage and effectiveness of the EFF would be eroded. There is a cost to opportunistic alliances, as Zwelinzima Vavi and the SACP found out so tragically in their dalliance with Jacob Zuma. The accountability option must also entail a firm response to the violence and violation of rights perpetrated by the EFF and others within the ANC. Violent actions must have consequences, as must the threats that critics are regularly subjected to. It is also unacceptable that public institutions and the courts respond firmly to the racist diatribes of individual white citizens, and then remain silent when the same is done by political leaders and activists. Our Constitution and the law is meant to apply to all and it must also be seen to be the case. There were many progressives in the 1990s who warned the ANC and the newly ascendant leadership that the adoption of a neoliberal economic programme would have the consequence of socially and politically polarising society. It was a warning that went unheeded and we are today living with the consequence of that choice. Similarly, 14 years later, there were many who warned about the dangers of electing as corrupt an individual as Jacob Zuma. Again, that warning went unheeded and we are living with the consequences of widespread corruption in our public institutions and state-owned enterprises, and the economic effects of State Capture. Now today, there are many who are warning about the dangers of uncivil and spectacle politics. If this warning is again unheeded, South Africa will pay the consequences through the emboldenment of a proto-fascist party that practises an uncivil politics that divides rather than unites, and destroys rather than builds. This will ultimately erode the democratic foundations that were so painstakingly built and paid for with the lives of so many previous generations of South Africans. Professor Adam Habib is a Professor in Political Studies and the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand.This article first appeared in the Daily Maverick. 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 Michael Gerrity Miami, Fl-based Global Listings, Inc. announced this week that it has now launched and deployed the first worldwide real estate listings Search Platform and Matching Engine on GlobalListings.com.GlobalListings.com enables website visitors worldwide to search multiple categories of property listings (Residential, Commercial and Vacation properties) under multiple property transaction types (For Sale, Rent or Auction), on a global scale.In addition, Global Listings new 'digital soul-mating' technologies goes well beyond a simple listings search. The company's property search platform will actually start making highly-accurate 'listing suggestions' overtime of new properties to review for site users worldwide.Currently GlobalListings.com enjoys over 2.4 million searchable property listings being uploaded per month from 104 different countries, making it the largest global real estate listings search platform in the world today.Global Listings founder and CEO Michael Gerrity commented, "We are pleased to now offer the massive worldwide property industry a new and better online platform that enables - on both a local and global basis - the seamless search of all categories of active real estate listings on one easy-to-use platform."Gerrity further commented, "We are also excited to offer the added ability to make 'property suggestions' to all search user - via our proprietary algorithms -- of new property listings they may have never thought of or seen in prior property searches. At the end of the day, it's all about creating a better, more intelligent and convenient user property search experience." MCALPIN, Fla. (WTXL) - Human remains that were discovered at a home in McAlpin, Suwannee County back in June have been identified. The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office said the District Two Medical Examiners Office along with the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida have identified the human remains found on June 24, 2018 at a home in the 19200 block of 77th Road as 61-year-old Deborah Pittman. According to SCSO, Pittman, the previous owner of the home, lived alone and was estranged from her family at the time of her death. Her closest next of kin told deputies that it was not unusual for Deborah to go up to a year or more without contacting them. Investigative efforts revealed that Deborah was last confirmed alive in December 2015 when she paid her electric bill. In January 2016, her electricity was disconnected for non-payment. Her property was eventually sold through a tax deed sale to a Canadian investment firm in December 2017, who ultimately resold it in January 2018 to its current owner. According to Medical Examiners reports, there were no signs of trauma on Deborahs remains, and her cause of death was unable to be determined. If anyone has any information regarding Ms. Pittman, please contact SCSO at 386-362-2222. MCALPIN, Fla. (WTXL) - A search is underway after human remains were discovered in McAlpin, Suwannee County. The Suwanee County sheriffs office got a call at 6 on Sunday after a resident found what she thought was a human skull just outside her property. We spent the day with the search team. Right now, deputies say they have more questions than answers. Sheriff Sam St. John estimates the skull is at least a year old. During Sunday night and Mondays searches, deputies discovered what they believe to be two human bones. The skull and two bones were spread out, but within several hundred feet of each other. One bone was found on a resident's property. The other two were found just outside it. Sheriff St. John says they are investigating whether these remains are connected to Kamrie Mitchell. Mitchell went missing in 2012. From where were at and where her car was found at was very close proximity, probably about five or 6 miles away," said Sheriff St. John. "So naturally thats going to be our focus. The sheriff's office is sending the bones to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tuesday morning so start testing for DNA. The resident who found the skull bought the house three months ago and is not a suspect in this case. Sheriff St John says, they have yet to get in contact with the former homeowner. He says, theres a possibility the remains belong to the former owner, who lived alone. At this time, deputies are following leads as they wait for the autopsy results. MCALPIN, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating after years old human remains were discovered in a wooded area in Suwannee County. Deputies say the human remains were discovered on Sunday in a wooded area in the 19200 block of 77th Road in McAlpin. They say they got a call from a visitor who was visiting a friend who lived nearby. When deputies went down there, they found a human skull and another type of human bone in two different spots just a few hundred yards apart. Deputies note the remains appeared to have been there for several years. SCSO called then FDLE, who processed the two areas. The remains have been sent to the medical examiner's office to see if any DNA can be extracted. Investigators with the Suwannee County Sheriffs Office, with the assistance of the FDLE, will be in the area throughout the day searching the surrounding area. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - A Tallahassee judge has refused to allow the Florida House of Representatives to intervene in a medical marijuana lawsuit, saying the Republican-dominated Legislature should sue the federal government if lawmakers are unhappy that he struck down a 2017 pot-related statute as unconstitutional. Ruling from the bench during a hearing Monday morning, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson rejected the Houses request to intervene in the challenge filed by Tampa-based Florigrown, owned in part by strip-club operator Joe Redner. Florigrown is challenging a state law, passed during a special session last year, aimed at implementing a voter-approved 2016 constitutional amendment broadly legalizing medical marijuana. Redner said the legislature is ignoring the will of Florida voters. None of this makes any sense to me, because its a constitutional amendment. As my attorney has said, if you want to respect the constitution, then follow the constitution," said Redner. "Its as simple as that. Judge Dodson ruled last month that the law, which among other things, capped the number of medical marijuana licenses the Department of Health can approve, was unconstitutional and ordered the state to begin registering Florigrown and other medical-marijuana firms to do business in the state. Florigrown Attorney Luke Lirot said that shouldnt be too much to ask. Step over all of this political noise. Just do what the amendment says you should do," said Lirot. "Make medical marijuana safe and available to the citizens of Florida that need it. The circuit judge in October found fault with parts of the law that capped the number of marijuana licenses and created a vertical integration system that requires marijuana operators to grow and process cannabis and distribute related products. The health department has appealed the case, but Dodson on Monday refused to block his October order from going into effect. That decision is also expected to be appealed. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, though it has been legalized for medicinal and recreational uses in more than three dozen states, including Florida. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Florida lawmakers will be asked to tackle how elections are run, after the chaos of this years elections led to a federal judge calling the states process the laughingstock of the world. Incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, who will take the reins of the chamber on Tuesday, told reporters Friday that he expects lawmakers to review various aspects of the elections process, from the handling of vote-by-mail ballots to certification dates. Galvano, R-Bradenton, said hes heard from a number of senators about the issue and that he wants to revisit aspects of state elections laws. He pointed to problems beyond the current election cycle, which has included troubled recounts in races for U.S. Senate, governor and agriculture commissioner and three legislative seats. The goal, he said, is to keep future elections from judicial intervention. There is an interest among the members that Ive talked to --- after this cycle --- to revisit it, and figure out why ballots appear, why they are hard to track, why we have machine recounts that produce a substantially lesser number of votes than originally reported, Galvano said during a gathering with reporters in his office in advance of a legislative organization session Tuesday. Those are all issues that are important. A spokesman for the House did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson said in a telephone interview Friday that, in addition to looking for ways to improve the vote-by-mail process, any legislative approach to elections should consider uniformity among ballot designs. The Jacksonville Democrat also said Florida should create a contingent of county elections supervisors to review how other states conduct different aspect of the voting process, with an emphasis on states like Oregon where elections have been conducted exclusively by mail. If were determining the process, its up to us to make this as smooth a process as possible for the voters. Thats who its about, Gibson said. I believe we can get to that place. I dont think any member of the Legislature wants our state to look in disarray. The comments from Galvano and Gibson came a day after U.S. District Judge Mark Walker expressed exasperation as lawsuits piled up over the Nov. 6 election. He ripped the elections process as he dealt with a case involving Palm Beach County, which was unable to finish a machine recount because of antiquated equipment. We have been the laughingstock of the world in election after election and we chose not to fix this, Walker said. I get all that. Were still going to go to a default where we dont count every vote. Asked about comments --- including by Gov. Rick Scott and President Donald Trump --- regarding elections being stolen and incompetence by county elections supervisors, Galvano said there may not have been much confidence in Florida elections even going into the cycle. The state drew worldwide attention for the 2000 presidential recount. We have sort of been painted with that brush since 2000, Galvano said. I think they definitely highlight that we have concerns, and you see repeated problems in the South Florida counties. I think by the next election cycle, the voters are going to want to have more in terms of assurance that their votes are going to be properly counted. Without pointing to Broward and Palm Beach counties, Galvano discussed a need to look at how vote-by-mail ballots are handled, from signatures to the chain of command within county supervisors offices. Another area that Galvano wants reviewed is how recounts are conducted, noting that in Hillsborough County the overall ballot count went down significantly in the machine recount. The county is a concern for Galvano because Democrat Janet Cruz, the House minority leader, held a narrow lead in her bid to unseat Sen. Dana Young, R-Tampa, in Senate District 18. The race went to a manual recount on Thursday after county Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer decided not to submit machine recount numbers due the reduced ballot count. Instead, he refiled earlier unofficial numbers. It does raise concern when you see a change in numbers in terms of votes cast, Galvano said. According to the county election office, during the recount there were a pair of power outages, along with the impacts of an emergency court hearing, resulting in 846 fewer votes in the machine recount. Democrats said Friday that Cruz has won the race. But the deadline for counties to complete their manual recounts is noon Sunday. Mark Ard, a spokesman for the state Division of Elections, said election results will be simultaneously posted. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 02:29:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Mahmoud Fouly, Emad al-Azrak CAIRO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt is working to eradicate 80 percent of about 366 unsafe slums across the country by the end of this year and all of them by mid-2019, an Egyptian official said in a recent interview with Xinhua. "When President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took office in mid-2014, Egypt already had about 366 unsafe slums and more than 1,000 random marketplaces, while about 40 percent of the country's construction area was unplanned," said Khaled Siddiq, director of Egypt's Slum Development Fund (SDF). "These are the three categories of random buildings that we are concerned with and seek to eradicate," Siddiq explained. Sisi gave instructions in the second half of 2016 to eradicate dangerous and unsafe slums in the country within two years, according to Siddiq. The SDF belongs to the Egyptian cabinet and the prime minister is the head of its board of directors. Siddiq clarified that there are four types of unsafe slums. "The first type is the imminently dangerous slums including those subjected to rockslides or mountainous collapses. The second is the inconvenient homes including illegally built ones, those built of tinplates or wood and those with aluminum roofs," Siddiq said. The third type refers to unhealthy ones such as those built in highly polluted industrial areas, under high voltage power transmission lines or in swamp areas with polluted drinking water. The fourth type of slums, the SDF director said, refers to the ones with irregular ownership such as the slums illegally possessed for being built on other people's lands. Siddiq noted that there are 30 imminently dangerous slums across Egypt, with 26 in the capital Cairo, but their inhabitants have been moved to new buildings in the three-phase Asmarat housing project. Cairo's Ezbet Khair-Allah and Manshiyat Nasser neighborhoods are the biggest shantytowns in Egypt, he added. "There are also 1,103 random marketplaces in Egypt, including 134 in Cairo, 83 in nearby Giza and 84 in the coastal province of Alexandria," the official said, pointing out that the SDF has a center that gathers information and analyzes related data. He revealed that the fund has already finished the establishment of 12 new marketplaces and is currently studying the building of 26 others. "Sometimes reconstruction of the area of an eradicated slum is not available, as in cases of rockslides and mountainous collapses. We also don't rebuild lands of eradicated slums around railways and in some flood vulnerable areas," the SDF chief told Xinhua. "Another solution is to provide slum inhabitants with financial compensations to own apartments in the state social housing projects," he added. However, it is more difficult to develop the vast unplanned areas and have them equipped with proper services such as water, electricity, road networks and communications, Siddiq said. "The development of such unplanned areas needs some 350 billion Egyptian pounds (19.5 billion U.S. dollars) and about 10 years," he explained. The SDF also seeks to provide a decent life for the households moving from slums by building "an integrated system that includes constructional, cultural, environmental and economic development," Siddiq said. "Without working on the cultural, social and psychological aspects, the developed areas will turn into new slums," he noted. "We focus on building humans before building stone structures," the SDF director told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 06:59:54|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Carrie Feyerabend from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU) performs The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms during the show titled "Amazing Chinese Opera" at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo city of New York State, the United States, Nov. 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) By Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Ma Qian BUFFALO, the United States, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- It was a cold evening on Friday at Buffalo, the second largest city in the U.S. state of New York as the temperature dropped down to 36 F (2 C) after a day's heavy wet snow. Yet it was as in a warm Spring in the Slee Hall at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) as about two hundred audience applauded and shouted "Bravo!" time and again during the incredible show of the "Amazing Chinese Opera," featuring the U.S. and Chinese artists from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU). The event, sponsored by the UB Confucius Institute, was the closing event of the university's International Education Week, an annual initiative to celebrate and promote international education and exchange. Founded in 2009, the BU's CICO is the first such place in the U.S. to offer Chinese Opera lessons through cooperation with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing, while supplying tools and support for teaching Chinese language and culture. Barbara Krajewski, 60, a UB biological technician, was among the audience who watched the Peking Opera the first time and were wowed by the delicate makeup, exquisite costumes and headwear, tumbling and acrobatic movements of the opera performers including He Zichen, Xu qiushi, Ting Wang, Qi Zhang and Carrie Feyerabend, also assistant to the CICO director. "I have quite a few Chinese friends that I've worked with and they've introduced me to some kinds Chinese cultural events. In fact one took me to Beijing during a vacation, so I'm just very fascinated and interested in the Chinese culture," Krajewski told Xinhua. "It was fabulous. It's wonderful. The colors, the costuming, the choreographing... it's all wonderful," said Pam Burns, 66, a nearby resident, "(It's) our first experience and won't be the last." "It was cool. I like it. It's very abstract. There's a lot of symbolism and I thought it was a very bright, like lots of dance fighters," said Joe Sinicki, who said himself a Chinese Opera fan. Sinicki said he liked the most the excerpt from the Money Tree, presented by Xu qiushi and Qi Zhang. The Peking Opera classic describes a love story between a fairy, Zhang Sijie and an ordinary person, Cui Wenrui. The Jade Emperor in Heaven sent Heavenly Generals down to the earth to punish her, but Zhang Sijie fights with them bravely. He also was impressed by the "Green Ripples in the Milky Way" performed by Yuming Zhang on Guzheng, which describes the scenes of the famous folktale "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid." When the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl meet across the Milky Way, the green ripples sing of their everlasting love. "Yeah, the cool instrument, I like it. I think just she did really good. I like the way she played with the strings. It needs a lot of circular motion on the strings and so just up and down. There goes more fluid than like guitar," Sinicki said. Another performance that attracted the audience was a Chinese bamboo flute piece Flying Partridges, one of the best-known flute pieces in China. The solo piece describes the desolate scenes after the demise of the Yue kingdom dating back over 2,000 years ago, as a flock of partridges flying across the sky and evokes in people a sense of longing for freedom. "The bamboo flute actually imitates the cries of different birds and you can hear as if the birds flying overhead into the faraway distance," said Chen Yuxiao, performer of bamboo flute music. "I hope the vivid melody could make the American audience get a closer touch of the Chinese ancient culture through music, an art form that goes beyond nation boundaries," she said. "It expanded my knowledge of it in the music. I love the music. I was not familiar with the flute at all... But you recognize the sound of the string, which is a hard type of instrument. But I loved the music. It was very relaxing," said Burns. Like many others, Sinicki was extremely amazed by Feyerabend's performance of an excerpt from another Peking Opera classic The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms, "She did pretty good. If I didn't see her, I think she was maybe a Chinese girl," he said. Feyerabend, who has studied Peking Opera in Beijing, also served the Master of the Ceremony for the event in English and perfect Mandarin. "As a musician and as someone who appreciates different culture and different religion, the Buddhist piece was just amazing to me," said Lori Burns, 53, another nearby resident. "The limited amount of knowledge that I know and to be able to see that, those kinds of details, the hand movements and the position of the body is very important to me. So that was awesome." Jenna Lenz, an employee of international student services in the office of international education UB, viewed the show as a window to have a glimpse at the Chinese culture. "It's obviously very unique to be able to come and see this. It's a really interesting experience obviously to see something that's so very different, especially from anything in Buffalo obviously," Lenz said. "For me, this is my first time seeing Chinese opera. So it was a great way to learn a little bit," she said. "The performers are clearly very, very talented and it's good to see something so unique and just really entertaining too. But it's a view of an obviously very different culture than what we're used to, so it's a very interesting way to celebrate difference and to see obviously different traditional dance and then instruments and singing. So even for people who aren't necessarily familiar with everything." The Burns also took the opportunity to let her children, who learned a little bit of Chinese and Chinese culture while they went to school in the state of Kentucky, to learn about the programs at the UB Confucius Institute. "We saw it on the Facebook. When we moved here and we saw that this was happening. We wanted to get involved in. We're really excited actually. Our youngest is a dancer and she particularly liked the ribbons and that sort of things. So she said that was pretty cool. So we were hoping that maybe the Confucius institute here will give her an opportunity to learn more, which is a great way for American young people exposure to different cultures. So this is really exciting," Burns said. The opera show was just one of the six programs celebrating Chinese culture contributed by the UB Confucius Institute to the week-long celebrations from Nov.12-16, said the institute's director Zhiqiang Liu. In 2018, nearly 5,000 students throughout the Buffalo area studied Chinese language in programs supported by the institute. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 10:30:31|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close XICHANG, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- When the Chinese invented the compass, humanity steered into uncharted waters. Now China is navigating the world in the new era of global exchange with a new option -- its fledging BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). With the launch of two new BDS-3 satellites on Monday, China will complete the basic navigation system and start to provide services for countries participating in the Belt and Road initiative by the end of this year. "This is a key step for BDS developing from a domestic Chinese system to a regional and then a global navigation system," said Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou system. China plans to launch another 11 BDS-3 satellites in the coming two years. By the end of 2020, the BeiDou system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, will become global, and provide high-precision, reliable positioning, navigation and timing services anywhere in the world. "China developed BDS through a unique technological approach, contributing Chinese wisdom to the theory and construction of international satellite navigation systems," said Xie Jun, deputy chief designer of the Beidou system. Altogether 18 BDS satellites have been sent into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2018. Chi Jun, head of the BDS-3 satellite team from the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), has been in the valley of the launch center for more than six months. As head of the team, Chi has never seen a BDS satellite launch, as he has to monitor data on a computer each time. "This year has seen the most intensive launch of the BDS satellites. We improved our work efficiency by reforming the management process. The number of satellite staff at the launch center has been reduced by nearly half, and the testing time before launch has been shortened by nearly a third," said Chi. In the CAST production base in Beijing, several BDS satellites are being manufactured at the same time. "We try to improve intelligent manufacturing capability, and cut down production times. Construction of the BDS-3 system has accelerated," Chi said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 10:30:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- A grassroots campaign group in the northwestern U.S. state of Alaska is ramping up fight against sexual violence after a local judge gave a controversial ruling that failed to punish a suspect accused of sexually attacking a woman, Alaska KTUU TV outlet reported Sunday. The group, "No More Free Passes," is working to make it a political advocacy organization in Alaska to fight for women's rights after it rallied massive support from Alaska voters, who ousted Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Corey from his bench for the first time in the state's history. Alaska voters decided last week to dismiss Judge Corey whose term will end in February after he handed out the controversial ruling sentencing 34-year-old Justin Scott Schneider to no jail time who choked and sexually assaulted a woman last August. Many saw the sentence too lenient for a sexual offender. The No More Free Passes group launched massive protest campaigns to condemn the ruling and Corey's handling of the case. "We are going to be focusing on legislative advocacy, making sure that sexual assault is one of the most pressing issues in Alaska," KTUU quoted co-founder of the group Elizabeth Williams as saying. Williams said her goal is to strengthen sexual assault laws and increase sentencing for sexual assault cases. On Tuesday, a 26-year-old victim known as "Jane Doe" filed a civil lawsuit against Schneider. A report of Anchorage Daily News published last month said Alaska is facing an epidemic of sexual violence. Alaska's rape rate is more than twice the national average and the child sexual assault rate is almost six times the national average, said the report. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 10:40:32|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close China sends two new satellites of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 2:07 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua) XICHANG, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- When the Chinese invented the compass, humanity steered into uncharted waters. Now China is navigating the world in the new era of global exchange with a new option -- its fledging BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). With the launch of two new BDS-3 satellites on Monday, China will complete the basic navigation system and start to provide services for countries participating in the Belt and Road initiative by the end of this year. "This is a key step for BDS developing from a domestic Chinese system to a regional and then a global navigation system," said Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou system. China plans to launch another 11 BDS-3 satellites in the coming two years. By the end of 2020, the BeiDou system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, will become global, and provide high-precision, reliable positioning, navigation and timing services anywhere in the world. "China developed BDS through a unique technological approach, contributing Chinese wisdom to the theory and construction of international satellite navigation systems," said Xie Jun, deputy chief designer of the Beidou system. Altogether 18 BDS satellites have been sent into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2018. Chi Jun, head of the BDS-3 satellite team from the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), has been in the valley of the launch center for more than six months. However, Chi has never seen a BDS satellite launch, as he has to monitor data on a computer each time. "This year has seen the most intensive launch of the BDS satellites. We improved our work efficiency by reforming the management process. The number of satellite staff at the launch center has been reduced by nearly half, and the testing time before launch has been shortened by nearly a third," said Chi. In the CAST production base in Beijing, several BDS satellites are being manufactured at the same time. "We try to improve intelligent manufacturing capability, and cut down production times. Construction of the BDS-3 system has accelerated," Chi said. Wang Jingang, deputy chief designer of the BDS-3 satellites, has participated in the development of BDS-1, BDS-2 and BDS-3 systems. "It's a rare chance to devote my intelligence to a symbolic national project." Experience of failure has left a deep impression on him. A BDS-2 satellite failed in orbit in 2009. To identify the fault, the whole team of the satellite developers stayed in their office building for more than a month, working till midnight every day. "It was an unforgettable experience, and if the fault were not found, we would be punished by failure again." Wang said. Eventually, they found the cause of the breakdown and the solution. Since then, all Chinese satellites have avoided similar problems. "When friends or relatives learn that I work on the development of the BDS satellites, they often show me the BDS signals on their mobile phones. People still mainly depend on navigation by GPS, supplemented by BDS. I hope that in a few years, people can be navigated mainly by BDS," Wang said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 11:05:35|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Farmers harvest bananas in a plantation in Davao Del Norte Province, the Philippines, Oct. 30, 2018. China is now the second largest recipient of Filipino bananas, which are the Philippines' biggest agricultural export product. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) by Xinhua writers Yuan Mengchen, Zheng Xin, Dario Agnote DAVAO, the Philippines, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Pol Tuyor is planning to expand his banana farm in the southern Philippines and increase his manpower to keep up with the rising demand of the Chinese market for the tropical fruit. Managing a six-hectare (60,000 square meters) banana planting farm, Tuyor, 53, has been working in the banana industry for more than 25 years. "We produce about 30 containers of bananas each week and all of them are shipped to China. Our main market is China," Tuyor told Xinhua in a recent interview. Tuyor, from Davao Del Norte province in the southern Philippines, is experiencing the best time of his career, as China is buying more bananas from the Southeast Asian nation. The province, known as the "banana capital" of the Philippines, is dotted with thousands of banana planting farms, which produce more than one-third of the whole country's bananas. Under the care of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, bilateral relations have not only improved but shifted into high gear. China is now the second largest recipient of Filipino bananas, which are the Philippines' biggest agricultural export product. The country's banana exports to China have amounted to 288 million U.S. dollars, or 25.6 percent of its total banana exports last year, with a year-on-year increase of 49.5 percent by value. Besides bananas, more tropical fruits are entering the Chinese market from the Philippines. Figures from the Chinese government show that China imported more than 2 million tons of tropical fruits from the country over the past two years. According to the Chinese government, trade between China and the Philippines in 2017 topped 50 billion dollars, which made China the Philippines' largest trading partner. Nelson Chua, chairman of the company Golden Mindanao, a leading Philippine banana exporter, started sending bananas to China in 2009. Back then, he owned 100 hectares of banana farms. "Now, I have 1,000 hectares," he told Xinhua. Today, Chua said his company exports more than 50 containers of bananas to China weekly, almost doubling that of 2015. "It's almost 1,000 tons of bananas just from my company each week," he said. Over 80 percent of the country's banana production is from the southern island of Mindanao. The main variety grown there is Cavendish bananas, as they have a longer shelf life and are popular among consumers. Richard Mark delos Reyes, president of the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association, is happy to see China emerging as one of the top markets for Philippine bananas. "We, exporters, prefer to send bananas to China because it's fast (in transportation), and it's very easy to deal with Chinese people when it comes to business," said Reyes, adding that the Chinese market also offers higher prices. He added that the association, a major supplier of Philippine bananas to China that groups about 25 active exporters, is encouraging banana farmers to expand plantation now that China is importing a lot of bananas. He predicted that China's demand for bananas will continue to rise in the years to come. "That's 100 percent sure. There is really a big opportunity for us to expand," he added. Jhevarlynne Otao is a 39-year-old local banana farm worker in the southern Philippines. Her job is to ensure that the freshly-harvested Cavendish bananas are carefully handled before the padded bunches are packed in boxes and loaded onto containers for shipment to China. She just got a big pay raise this August because the farm is selling more bananas to China. "I am very happy to say that the bananas we send to China are of good quality and chemical-free," Otao, a mother of three, told Xinhua. "I hope more and more Chinese people will buy our bananas." Photo taken on Nov. 10, 2018 shows the aerial view of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei) PORT MORESBY, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is creating more and more cooperation opportunities between China and Pacific island countries, paving the way for their further integration into the global economy. MORE COOPERATION Papua New Guinea (PNG), the host of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders' meeting, joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in May, and became the first Pacific island country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China on the Belt and Road cooperation in June. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill told Xinhua recently that "for international developing countries like PNG, this (the Belt and Road Initiative) is a great initiative because of the access to capital and infrastructure-building capacities that we are now developing together with China. It is able to open up markets and improve the standard of living for our people." "The initiative is something that is good for PNG and good for the region and globally it will continue to promote trade and investment for all countries," he added. Earlier this month, the tropical nation of Fiji also signed a memorandum of understanding with China on cooperation within the Belt and Road framework. "Fiji highly appreciates and supports the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), and will actively participate in the development of the initiative in a bid to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries," Fiji's Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister Yogesh Karan said. As one of the first Pacific island countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, Samoa has also expressed interest in partnering China on sustainable development projects. "The Belt and Road Initiative is opening a vast market and bringing lots of opportunities for the world, particular for the small countries like Samoa in the South Pacific region in this difficult time and challenges posed by climate change," Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said in an interview with Xinhua earlier this year. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa. David Morris, trade commissioner at Pacific Islands Trade and Invest, an agency under the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, said the initiative can help build the infrastructure and connectivity needed across the developing world and beyond, stressing that openness and cooperation are the only way to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. LESS BARRIERS Many Pacific island countries are in great demand for infrastructure, which is crucial for regional connectivity and interaction with the world. The need matches a key target of the Belt and Road Initiative: to boost connectivity. Jerry Agus, chief executive officer of PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, said infrastructure is very important for Pacific island countries and "without infrastructure, you can not do anything. Our (geological) environment is very unforgiving. We need roads, airports, bridges." A helicopter flies near the Leaders' Conference Centre in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Nov. 14, 2018. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) PNG has been undertaking infrastructure projects to meet the demand of its growing economy. "In our province, we are building a university, expanding an airport, and planning to build a new port. Also we wanted to upgrade our hydro-power generation station, for the power generation capacity could not meet demand of the province," said Joseph Cajetan, acting administrator for the Southern Highlands Provincial Government in PNG. "The BRI can really benefit PNG, especially with electric power supply, as PNG is developing fast and there is great demand for energy and we are running out of capacity," he said, adding that he is ready to sign more cooperation contracts with organizations or businessmen from China. To gain access to finance being crucial for connectivity, many Pacific island countries have joined the AIIB amid efforts to boost infrastructure, trade and investment, including PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu, among others. Recently, PNG has introduced its first sovereign bond and it was 600 percent over-subscribed. As a result, O'Neill said his country expected more cooperation with financial institutions in China within the Belt and Road framework. EMERGING FIELDS With expanding and deepening cooperations, the connotation of the Belt and Road Initiative has also been widening, involving the digital silk road and green silk road, creating more chances for China and the Pacific island countries to work together. The overarching theme of this year's APEC economic leaders' meeting, "Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future," indicates that cooperation between China and Pacific island countries will go beyond traditional sectors such as agriculture, fishery, infrastructure and natural resources into emerging sectors like the digital economy, according to Xu Xiujun, a researcher with the Institute of World Economy and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. John Kongoi, managing director of a small to medium technology company in PNG, hoped PNG and China can cooperate more on digital infrastructure, saying it is "very expensive here" to go online and thus the cost is high for smaller enterprises to do business. However, he was confident that his business will prosper if digital infrastructure is improved, because if more people have access to Internet, he will have more clients to buy services and equipment. Meanwhile, climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing Pacific island countries, is a priority of their international cooperation. "As the world's largest developing country, China has made remarkable progress in green technology and thus can provide support for the Pacific island nations to help them cope with climate change and build their green economy," Xu said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 11:30:38|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he wants to maintain alliance with Saudi Arabia after being fully briefed on the tape of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The tape, shared previously by Turkey, was "suffering" and "terrible," Trump told Fox News, adding that "I don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape." "In fact I said to the people: should I? They said, you really shouldn't, there's no reason. I know exactly -- I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it," he said. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday imposed sanctions on 17 individuals over their alleged roles in the killing of Khashoggi. "You saw we put on very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia," said Trump. "But at the same time, we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Trump said Saturday that a U.S. full report over Khashoggi's death will come over the next two days. "We're going to come up with a report as to what we think the overall impact was and who caused it, and who did it," he said. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. The Saudi authorities said that Khashoggi died in a "brawl" in its consulate. After releasing the results of initial investigations, the Saudi Public Prosecution announced that 18 people were arrested over their alleged connections with the killing. U.S. Congress has urged a thorough investigation in the murder and threatened to take more actions against Saudi Arabia if those responsible were not held accountable, like suspending U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 12:10:44|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close LONDON, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Acupuncture-Moxibustion event was held Sunday at the University of Cambridge, Britain, which grabbed lots of local people's attention. Under the theme "'the Belt and Road' TCM Acupuncture-Moxibustion Glamour Tour UK," experts and scholars from numbers of countries exchanged views and discussed a wide range of topics, such as British TCM education, inheritance of the TCM, as well as the TCM Acupuncture-Moxibustion treatment and health care. The event was aimed at enhancing the dialogue and communication between China and western countries in the TCM, and participants were invited to experience TCM diagnosis, treatment and health care on the spot. Oscar Gillestie, councilor of Cambridge City Hall, hailed the high-level academic exchanges conducted at Cambridge University. He said it was the first time for Cambridge to hold such an international Acupuncture-Moxibustion conference, and local people were extremely fascinated by it. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 13:10:49|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close HANOI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Toraji over the weekend in Vietnam's central Nha Trang city have killed 14 people and left two others missing, according to local authorities on Monday. Due to heavy rain and floods, many areas were still inundated including roads to the city's airport, local daily newspaper Sai Gon Giai Phong (Saigon Liberation) quoted the municipal People's Committee as reporting. Flash floods and landslides also destroyed 12 houses, injured several people and triggered a breach of a reservoir. According to local online newspaper VnExpress, the municipal authorities told some 90,000 students to stay home from school on Monday. In 2017, typhoons claimed the lives of 386 people in Vietnam, damaged more than 600,000 houses and caused economic losses of about 60 trillion Vietnamese dong (2.6 billion U.S. dollars). Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 13:30:51|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's unification ministry said Monday that it will prepare well for the possible visit by Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to Seoul within this year. Baik Tae-hyun, unification ministry spokesman, told a press briefing that South Korea will prepare well to make what the two Koreas agreed to, including Kim's visit to Seoul within this year, be implemented without a hitch. South Korean President Moon Jae-in traveled to Pyongyang in September for his third summit with the DPRK leader, who promised to visit Seoul at an early date. The South Korean president said later that Kim's trip to Seoul could happen by the end of this year. Expectations emerged that the DPRK leader's visit to Seoul may be delayed after the postponed high-level dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. Baik said he knew that consultations were underway between the DPRK and the United States to reschedule the high-level talks. Regarding the groundbreaking ceremony, which the two Koreas agreed to hold in late November or early December to modernize and connect railways across the inter-Korean border, the spokesman said relevant preparations were being made to hold the ceremony as agreed upon. The spokesman, however, noted that the implementation was being delayed a bit. South Korea and the DPRK were originally scheduled to conduct a joint field survey of the DPRK railway from late October, but it was delayed amid the U.S. insistence that inter-Korean cooperation go in tandem with the progress in denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 14:00:56|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has decided to start an anti-dumping investigation into imported barley from Australia, it announced Monday. The probe was launched after the ministry received an application from the China Chamber of International Commerce, saying Australian barley had been dumped in the Chinese market at prices below fair value, according to an official statement. "The domestic industry suffered damage, and a causal relationship exists between the dumping of the product and damage to the domestic industry," the MOC said. The investigation will run from Nov. 19, 2019, and could be extended to May 19, 2020 in special circumstances. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 14:00:58|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Political parties from China and Arab countries will hold a dialogue Thursday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The dialogue aims to enhance friendly exchanges and practical cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. More than 60 political parties from Arab countries are expected to attend the dialogue. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 14:26:04|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank said Monday that it had signed a bilateral currency swap agreement with its counterpart in Indonesia. The agreement will allow the two sides to swap a total of 200 billion yuan (about 28.8 billion U.S. dollars) for 440 trillion Indonesian rupiah, and vice versa, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said. The move is aimed at facilitating bilateral trade and investment, and maintaining financial market stability, according to the PBOC. The agreement will be valid for three years and can be extended by mutual consent. A currency swap deal allows two institutions to exchange payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in the other to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and provide liquidity support to financial markets. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 15:41:18|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the parliament legislators to call for a no-confidence vote on the government again, after he rejected last Friday's no-confidence vote as unconstitutional, a statement from the President's Office said on Monday. According to the statement, following the all party meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the president on Sunday evening, President Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote is taken by name or conducted through an electronic vote. Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community. Mahinda Rajapakse, the prime minister appointed by Sirisena, and sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had also attended the meeting between the president and legislators. Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said last Friday that a second no-confidence motion called for in the parliament against the government had been passed with a majority, despite it being taken amidst violence and under heavy police presence. However, the government rejected the vote as invalid saying the speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since Oct.26, when President Sirisena surprisingly dissolved his cabinet, sacked Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, appointed former president Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 16:26:26|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close GUIYANG, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 500,000 people living under China's poverty line have been employed as government-paid forest rangers through ecological poverty-relief programs, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Zhang Jianlong, director of the administration, said at the administration's work meeting held in Libo County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on Friday, that forestry authorities nationwide had recruited the forest rangers from the impoverished population. In addition, more than 1.6 million poor households have received government subsidies for giving up their reclaimed land to forest and grassland. For example, the forestry government in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture has made all people in 195 impoverished households of the Dulong Ethnic Minority Group ecological rangers, to get income for protecting forest in their native land, helping them escape poverty. "Local governments should tighten up personnel management of the forest rangers to make sure people in need are covered by the policy through the jobs," Zhang said. He said the administration planned to add 300,000 more forest and grassland rangers nationwide and provide professional skill training to the work team. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 16:41:28|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish coast guard on Monday rescued a total of 44 illegal migrants stranded on an island in the Aegean Sea. The migrants, trying to sneak into a Greek island, had to take shelter overnight on Yumurta island in Turkey's western Balikesir province due to bad weather, the coast guard said in a statement posted on its website. The force launched a rescue operation at around 4:00 a.m. local time after one migrant called the emergency service for help, the statement said. The coast guard teams have rescued all the refugees, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The Aegean Sea was a favorite route for migrants fleeing into Europe via Turkey. A deal signed between Turkey and the European Union in March 2016 has helped reduce the flow of illegal migration. A total of 23,584 migrants have attempted to reach the Greek islands via Turkey this year, up from 19,732 over the same period in 2017, according to figures released by the Turkish coast guard. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:06:31|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Participants attend a side event named "Chinese Business and Biodiversity Partnership" during the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 14) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 18, 2018. Delegates from more than 190 countries look at the schedule of the CBD COP 14, they will find out not only the events directly related to China, but also the Chinese wisdom to the global biodiversity conservation. (Xinhua/Meng Tao) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- When the delegates look at the schedule of the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 14), they will find Chinese wisdom to the global biodiversity conservation. The UN CBD COP 14, which runs from Nov. 17 to 29 in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, attracts delegates from more than 190 countries. It aims to step up efforts to halt the biodiversity loss and protect the ecosystems that support food and water security and health for billions of people. Over the past years, China has made solid efforts in biodiversity conservation, as the country understands the importance of it and regards it as an important part of development. GOVERNMENT LEAD As one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity and the first to join the Convention, the Chinese government has always attached great importance to the biodiversity conservation. It has also been incorporated into the relevant plans of local governments as an important part of the construction of ecological civilization. Chinese Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Huang Runqiu told Xinhua that the Chinese government regarded ecological civilization as a significant part of good governance. Huang said the past several years mark the era while China conducted the most strenuous efforts and undertook the most substantial measures in ecological and environmental protection with the fastest progress and best outcomes achieved. In October, the southwestern province of Yunnan has passed a regulation protecting local biodiversity. This is the first local regulation on biodiversity protection in China and it will be put into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. Yunnan is a Chinese province with a variety of animals and plants and one of the 34 areas in the world where biodiversity is threatened. The regulation stipulates a government-guided system to protect biodiversity in ecosystems, species and genes. Almost at the same time, China's cabinet released a guideline to improve aquatic life protection and ecological rehabilitation in the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River, the longest river in China, has been damaged by human activities including dam building, water pollution and over-fishing, resulting in deteriorating biodiversity and arduous tasks of ecological restoration. According to the guideline, fishing on major waters of the river will be banned throughout the year and more conservation areas will be built and better supervised before 2020. So far, China has land conservation areas of over 1.7 million square km, accounting for 18 percent of the total land area, ahead of the schedule of reaching 17 percent by 2020 required by the CBD. BUSINESS PARTICIPATION Huang Runqiu told Xinhua that China is committed to promoting business participation in biodiversity conservation, regarding it as an integral part of the domestic implementation of the convention. The side event on progress of China's business engaging in biodiversity on Sunday attracted more than 60 delegates to join, discussing the importance of the business to biodiversity conservation. "Only by protecting biodiversity can we have the sustainable development of the world and the long-term health of enterprises," Zhang Jianqiu, the CEO of a leading Chinese diary company Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd told Xinhua. At the end of 2016, Yili became the first Chinese enterprise to sign the Cancun Business and Biodiversity Pledge of 2016 COP CBD. Considering the unique features of Yili's industry chain, they extended the CBD requirements to their upstream and downstream partners so that to make the whole industry chain become eco-friendly. Cristiana Pasca Palmer, executive secretary of the UN CBD, noted that businesses play a decisive role in biodiversity conservation. Business operations depend on biodiversity and ecosystem services while transforming the economic model by moving towards sustainable consumption and production can also generate significant benefits to businesses, Palmer said. In the context of the convention, more and more businesses are committing to delivering such contributions, as reflected in the global Business and Biodiversity Pledge opened for signature at the Global Business and Biodiversity Forum in Cancun, Mexico, in 2016. "We should promote green development in all links of industry chain through sustainable modes, also the implementation of sustainable development goals through shared values created by enterprises and the society," Zhang added. TECHNOLOGICAL ASSIST The practice of biodiversity conservation is inseparable from the guarantee and assistance of science and technology. Last month, the Global Biodiversity and Health Big Data Alliance, an international alliance to promote biodiversity and health big data sharing, was established in Beijing. Based at the Beijing Institute of Genomics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the organization is under a framework initiated by the International Union of Biological Sciences, aiming to construct a world-class biodiversity and health big data center that are publicly accessible to worldwide communities. According to Chinese Science Daily, Chinese research institutions has launched a project to conduct water and biodiversity research under climate change in the Pan-Third Pole. The project, featuring 16 institutions, will study the mechanism between water, typical ecosystems and climate change, as well as conduct continuous monitoring and evaluation research on water and biodiversity. Huang said that China will strengthen biodiversity conservation supervision and biodiversity research to protect important natural ecosystems and wildlife. China will seek ways to achieve biodiversity through technological cooperation, funding and strengthening the capacity of developing countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:11:31|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Scores of ailing Ecuadorians from low-income households have received free medical care from Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark since it docked at Ecuador's western port of Guayaquil on Thursday. Zoila Carranza, a 75-year-old resident of Guayaquil's populous Guasmo Sur neighborhood, received sight-saving cataract surgery recently, after years of impaired vision. The ship's arrival "has been a great blessing," her daughter Glerida Palma told Xinhua, as she stood by her mother's bedside. On board, the medical staff has been working nonstop to serve the large number of patients, who were previously selected with the help of local health agencies. Patients accompanied by family waited patiently in the hallways of the floating hospital, among them Estela de Rojas, whose husband, 57, was about to undergo gallstone surgery that had been put off due to a lack of money. "He has been suffering pain from severe colic for more than a year, and they (local doctors) would only give him sedatives," said De Rojas. "The Chinese ship's arrival is a blessing ... I even cried from joy when they told me that he was going to be operated on by Chinese (doctors)," she said. This is Peace Ark's first visit to Ecuador, being part of a multinational humanitarian mission, dubbed Harmony 2018. It has brought free medical care to Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and other countries. The 120-strong Chinese staff, including 57 doctors, 36 pharmacists and 27 nurses, treats patients aboard the fully-equipped vessel featuring eight operating rooms, 300 hospital beds and a helicopter ambulance. The doctors specialize in numerous fields, including neurology, gastroenterology, physiotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine, infectious diseases, reconstructive surgery and burns. Liu Min, in charge of the ship's pharmacy, said "there are many medications" as well as "traditional (Chinese) medicine to alleviate many pains. It is a very, very complete pharmacy." Peace Ark's doctors are expected to attend some 4,000 patients during the week-long stay in the country, and perform some 70 surgeries, according to the Chinese embassy in Ecuador. The hospital's general director Zhang Congxin said cataract surgery was in most demand. Ecuador is the 42nd country visited by the Peace Ark since its launch in 2008. The hospital ship has provided medical service to more than 220,000 people around the world. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:36:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ANKARA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Monday issued arrest warrants for 32 former civil servants for their links with Gulen movement, an organization accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup attempt. The 32 former civil servants, who had worked at Health Ministry, was wanted for using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone messaging app allegedly used by Gulen followers. According to state-run Anadolu Agency, police have detained 18 of the suspects in simultaneous operations across Turkey. They will be taken to the Ankara police headquarters. Turkey accuses extradite preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in the United States since 1999, of masterminding the coup attempt in July 2016 that left 250 people dead. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:41:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HARARE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday said it was necessary for all African countries to fight corruption within their respective jurisdictions, as the recent launch of a Continental Free Trade Area had created a single African economy with a market of 1.2 billion people. He said this soon after arriving in Harare from the 11th Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which deliberated on proposed reforms to transform the organization into a highly efficient institution capable of delivering stability and economic prosperity on the continent, the Herald newspaper reported Monday. Mnangagwa said there was urgent need to change the structures of the AU to reflect the contemporary transition from focusing on political issues to concentrating on economic development. This prompted the Assembly, the supreme organ of the bloc, to trim the number of commissions from 10 to eight, including the chairperson and the deputy chairperson of the commission. "The structures in the past were structured to deal with the political issues of the time, but now it's a question of the economy as well as market issues, so the following issues have been resolved: We have reduced the size of the commissions from 10 to eight. "We have also introduced the system of rotation. In the past, there was no systematic rotation of chairpersons of the AU, but now it must rotate among the five regions (West, Central, East, North and South). And also in terms of the many commissioners, we must see that they also rotate among the regions, but of course on the basis of merit," he said. The Southern African Development Community believes that there should be "predictable inter- and intra-regional rotation (among the regions) following the English alphabetical order. The proposed new structure will have a chairperson, deputy and six commissioners who will superintend over the restructured portfolios of Sustainable Environment, Agriculture Rural Development and Blue Economy; Economic Development, Trade and Industry; Education, Science, Technology and Innovation; Infrastructure and Energy; Political Affairs, Peace and Security; and Health, Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs. On Saturday, Mnangagwa told the Assembly that streamlining portfolios of the AU Commission, the Union's secretariat, through focused units would help "remove overlaps and duplication in portfolios". The current amorphous structure is viewed as complex as it has eight commission directorates, 31 departments and offices, along with 11 AU organs, 31 specialized technical agencies and 20 high-level committees. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:41:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A training plane crashed on Monday in Turkey's southwestern region, with no immediate casualties reported. The plane fell near the Merkezefendi district of Denizli province after taking off from an airport in the neighboring province of Aydin, the broadcaster NTV said. The governor of Denizli announced that rescue teams had been deployed to the scene, according to NTV. The cause of the crash is not immediately clear, the broadcaster said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:46:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close GABORONE, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry has said that the country welcomes more Chinese investments to assist in the realization of Vision 2036. Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration marking China State Construction Engineering Corporation's (CSCEC) presence in the country late Sunday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, the minister Bogolo Kenewendo said the country is keen to welcome more Chinese investments. Botswana has reiterated her dedication to explore prospects of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), as the local economy seeks to move from middle-income status to high income status. "We look forward to tapping into the FOCAC commitments on trade facilitation to increase our trade to China so as to further strengthen this relationship towards a win-win cooperation," said Kenewendo. Botswana also expressed hope that China would help bridge the digital divide towards the attainment of development goals in the southern African country. Kenewendo said the country wants to stimulate growth through value addition and beneficiation of natural resources, modernization of agriculture, full digitalization of information and communication infrastructure and empowerment and full participation of citizens towards transforming the country from a resource-reliant economy to a fully industrialized one. CSCEC has witnessed growth in its 30 years in Botswana, having undertaken over 110 private and public projects. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 17:56:46|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close COLOMBO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The pragmatic cooperation between Sri Lanka and China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought tangible benefits to both countries and their peoples, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan has said. Speaking at the International Seminar under the theme "BRI at Five Years -- Regional and Global Dimensions" , jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Bandaranaike Center for International Studies (BCIS) in Colombo, Cheng said that over the past five years, the BRI had developed from an initiative to a reality, from a vision to an important platform, and had become more popular around the world. He said Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to openly support and join the BRI and in the last five years, in-depth exchanges and cooperation in various fields between China and Sri Lanka had blossomed under the BRI framework. Among the completed BRI projects in Sri Lanka, the Norocholai Power Station provides about 40 percent of the nation's electricity supply, the Colombo Airport Expressway has brought great convenience to domestic and international travelers, the Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) has become the fastest growing container terminal in Asia and the Moragahakanda Project, the biggest water reservoir in Sri Lanka, has brought great benefits to local agriculture and people. "Besides, the under-construction Colombo Port City, as well as the Hambantota Port and Industrial Park, are expected to become the new engines for Sri Lankan economic take-off. The pragmatic cooperation between our two countries has made a great contribution to Sri Lanka's development, and also brought tangible benefits to our two countries and two peoples," Cheng said. He said China is glad to see that more countries had already begun to share their achievements and constructive suggestions under the BRI framework. Twenty-one leading scholars from 10 countries, including China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, Spain, Greece and Kenya, participated in the seminar held Friday. Around 300 representatives from various sectors of Sri Lanka and foreign diplomatic corps also attended the event, according to a statement from the Chinese embassy. On the sidelines of the seminar, foreign scholars also visited some mega-projects under the framework of BRI, including the Colombo Port City, the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) and the Hambantota Port. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:01:48|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner on Monday said that it had approved an airport expansion project in Urumqi, capital of the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. With a total investment of 42.1 billion yuan (about 6.1 billion U.S. dollars), the project will expand the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport to meet the demand of the region's rapidly growing aviation market, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). A new terminal covering 500,000 square meters, and two new runways will be built. After the expansion, the airport will be able to handle 63 million passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo and mail by 2030. The NDRC approved nine fixed-asset investment projects in October with a combined investment of 91.8 billion yuan, primarily in transport and energy. Fixed-asset investment, one of the major drivers of China's economy, posted growth of 5.7 percent in the first 10 months, up from 5.4 percent in the first nine months, according the National Bureau of Statistics. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:01:48|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close GARISSA, Kenya, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police on Monday thwarted an attack on a police camp by suspected al-Shabaab terrorists in Garissa county in the northeast part of the east African nation. Mohamed Birik, Northeastern regional commissioner clarified that one al-Shabaab terrorist was killed and several escaped with serious injuries during the attack that was thwarted by the border patrol special forces. Birik said the militants whose exact number was not known struck the camp at round midnight and proceeded to open fire indiscriminately at the police camp in Ijara but the officers responded swiftly and managed to kill one of them and injured several others. "Our gallant officers reacted immediately the militants struck and engaged them in a fierce gun battle; they finally managed to repulse them. No officer was injured or killed," the regional government administrator said. Birik, who did not state the identity of the slain militant however said that several of the insurgents escaped with serious injuries, adding that a contingent of security officers were busy trailing them. The government official said efforts to 'vanquish and eliminate al-Shabaab in the region remains on course' adding that in the next few weeks more activities and engagements will be done. According to police officers based in the area, the militants wanted to carry out a simultaneous attack on the police camp and the nearby Safaricom mast. The militants usually destroy telecommunication mast to disrupt police response and communication in the area before they could inflict harm on the locals. The incident comes barely two weeks after local government officials held a security meeting with the locals in the area which is near the Somali border to enhance security. Ijara region has borne the brunt of al-Shabaab militants due to its proximity to Boni forest and Somalia where the militants carry out attacks before escaping back. A number of security personnel have died as a result of the attacks, some of which included improvised explosive devices placed on roadsides by al-Shabaab militants. The administrator said security forces have intensified patrols along the border with Somalia in the wake of terror attacks in the border region. This is the latest such incident in the area and no arrests have been made so far. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:06:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Carlos Ghosn, chairman of the Nissan Motor Co., Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. alliance, is to be arrested for allegedly violating a financial law, local media reported Monday. According to the reports, Ghosn, 64, who was questioned Monday by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office, is facing arrest on suspicion of under-reporting his corporate salary, sources close to the matter said. Investigators with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office have been looking at suspected violations of Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and believe that Ghosn may have filed corporate financial statements and entries that were several hundreds of millions of yen (several millions of U.S. dollars) less than actual earnings, sources said. In 1999 Ghosn became Nissan's chief operating officer and was charged with boosting the at-the-time ailing automaker's market and profit margins, under a capital alliance with Renault. In 2000 Ghosn was promoted to president of Nissan and turned the automaker around through cost-cutting and restructuring measures, including the closure of some of the firm's plants. Ghosn, a French citizen who was born in Brazil, became CEO in 2001 and convinced shareholders he would stay with the automaker until it had been fully rehabilitated. Continuing with his aggressive cost-cutting and streamlining measures, he became Renault's CEO in 2005 and advocated for joint procurement and development under the Nissan-Renault alliance. Nissan's headquarters in Tokyo were searched by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office for evidence related to the allegations against Ghosn, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said Monday evening. A spokesperson for Nissan Motor said of the matter that "We are currently checking the facts". Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:31:59|Editor: mmm Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia is willing to further strengthen ties with Russia in the fields of economy, trade and investment, deputy speaker of the Mongolian parliament Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan said Monday. Enkh-Amgalan, also head of the Mongolia-Russia inter-parliamentary group in parliament, made the remarks while meeting with a visiting Russian delegation led by Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. "The potential of trade, investment and economic cooperation between Mongolia and Russia is not being used at full strength. Thus, our two countries need to make more efforts and improve the business and legal environment in order to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in these sectors," Enkh-Amgalan said. Klishas expressed Russia's willingness to promote the development of Russia-Mongolia ties in all sectors. He also stressed the important role of the Mongolia-Russia interparliamentary group in parliament in expanding cooperation between the two legislative bodies. Last year, the trade volume between Russia and Mongolia amounted to 1.4 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 46.9 percent compared with 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:47:02|Editor: mmm Video Player Close TOKYO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Carlos Ghosn, chairman of the Nissan Motor Co., Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. alliance, is set to be arrested for allegedly violating a financial law, local media reported Monday. According to the reports, Ghosn, 64, who was questioned Monday by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, is facing arrest on suspicion of under-reporting his corporate salary, sources close to the matter said. Investigators with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office have been looking at suspected violations of Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and believed that Ghosn may have filed corporate financial statements and entries that were millions of U.S. dollars less than actual earnings, sources said. The undeclared earnings were used for personal reasons by Ghosn, Nissan has indicated. While saying it will fully cooperate with the prosecutors' investigation of Ghosn, Nissan has said that it will propose dismissing Ghosn as chairman at a board meeting. The automaker has also said it will propose that Greg Kelly, a member of the board, also be dismissed for improper practices. Ghosn's improprieties, according to Nissan, came to light several months ago, following a whistleblower reporting the chairman's misconduct. In 1999, Ghosn became Nissan's chief operating officer and was charged with boosting the at-the-time ailing automaker's market and profit margins, under a capital alliance with Renault. In 2000, Ghosn was promoted to president of Nissan and turned the automaker around through cost-cutting and restructuring measures, including the closure of some of the firm's plants. Ghosn, a French citizen who was born in Brazil, became CEO in 2001 and convinced shareholders he would stay with the automaker until it had been fully rehabilitated. Continuing with his aggressive cost-cutting and streamlining measures, he became Renault's CEO in 2005 and advocated for joint procurement and development under the Nissan-Renault alliance. Nissan's headquarters in Tokyo were searched by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office for evidence related to the allegations against Ghosn, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said Monday evening. A spokesperson for Nissan Motor said of the matter that "we are currently checking the facts." Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:52:03|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev will pay an official visit to China from Nov.21 to 22 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Monday. Li and Sagintayev will hold the fourth regular meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries during the visit, Geng added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 18:52:05|Editor: mmm Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his government's commitment towards toilet and sanitation facilities across the nation. In his message to mark the "World Toilet Day," Modi said "we reiterate our commitment towards enhancing cleanliness and sanitation facilities across the nation. We in India take pride at the remarkable speed with which sanitation cover has increased in the last four years." The Modi government has laid a special emphasis on improving sanitation facilities and providing one toilet to every household which lacked the facility. As per official estimates, almost 80 million household toilets have been built since Modi's pledge in 2014 to ensure universal sanitation coverage by October 2019. The "Clean India" mission, which costs around 20 billion U.S. dollars, aims to construct 111 million latrines in five years. It also promises to improve the health, safety and dignity of hundreds of millions of Indians. People in villages and other remote areas lack proper toilet facilities and could be often seen defecating and urinating in public. Amid the "Clean India" mission, a popular film "Toilet - Ek Prem Katha" (Toilet - A Love Story) in 2017 became an instant hit. The movie showcased how women in villages and other remote areas had to suffer every day due to lack of toilet facility inside their homes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 19:07:08|Editor: mmm Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony for the tenth "Indo-Russian Joint Exercise "INDRA 18" was held on Monday at the Babina Military Station in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Contingents of both India and Russia came together for the opening ceremony which was held in presence of a number of senior officers from both sides. There was a fly past of "Army Aviation" helicopters which carried the national flags of both the participating nations during the parade, said an official statement. The members of both the participating nations also interacted and familiarised with each other after the opening ceremony. The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct to enhance interoperability of the two armies in the peace keeping and enforcement environment under the aegis of United Nations, said the official statement The 11-day exercise focuses upon training on enhancing team building and tactical level operations in a counter insurgency environment in semi urban terrain, added the statement. The joint military exercise focuses upon training on enhancing team building, special tactical level operations such as cordon and search, house intervention, handling and neutralisation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and integrated employment of force multipliers. The primary focus of the tactical field exercise is to share best practices among the militaries and hone existing skills of the troops in the backdrop of interoperability between the two armies in the peace keeping or enforcement environment. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 19:17:10|Editor: mmm Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Special Envoy to Iraq Jan Kubis on Monday strongly condemned the car bomb attack that killed five people and wounded 13 others in Tikrit, capital of Iraq's central province of Salahudin. A statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) quoted Kubis as saying "this cowardly attack outside a restaurant in central Tikrit is pure evil. It has no aims other than to kill civilians and to try to destroy Iraq's recovery and peaceful march after years of conflict." Kubis expressed "his deepest sympathies with the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured a speedy recovery," according to the statement. The UN envoy urged the Iraqi authorities to "focus on combating the terrorists' sleeper cells to thwart any future attacks against civilians," the statement added. On Sunday evening a booby-trapped car parking near a popular restaurant went off in downtown Tikrit, some 170 km north of the capital Baghdad, leaving three women and two men killed in the explosion, while several children were among the wounded, according to Mohammed al-Jubouri from Salahudin's provincial police. The huge explosion destroyed part of the restaurant, as well as several nearby buildings and cars, Jubouri told Xinhua. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is behind such attacks targeting security forces and crowded places including markets, cafes and mosques. The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated IS militants in late 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted or regrouped in urban and rugged areas, carrying out attacks against security forces and civilians despite regular operations to hunt them down. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 19:27:13|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's political turmoil continued into its third week on Monday, with the government and the former ruling United National Alliance quarreling with each other. The governmnet reiterated that it would continue in governance while the former ruling United National Alliance said it would not recognize the government and called for financial cuts. Parliament proceedings began on Monday afternoon, but lasted only for 10 minutes and was adjourned till Nov. 23 by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, who held an All Party Conference in his Parliament Chamber before proceedings began, did not attend the proceedings on Monday. Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and supporter of Prime Minister Mahinda Rakapakse, told journalists at the parliamentary complex that they urged Speaker Jayasuriya to recognize the government as the No Confidence Motions which had been conducted last week in parliament had been unlawful. Rauff Hakeem, leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, who is a part of the United National Alliance, told journalists that in the All Party Conference held in parliament on Monday morning, legislators had proposed to call for a vote on the No Confidence Motion against the government again, this time by name or an electronic voting system, but this had been turned down by the "purported government." He said a motion to halt the funds distributed to the prime minister had been submitted, which will be debated and voted in parliament on Nov. 29. Hakeem further said that several measures, to protest against the "purported government" will be carried out in the coming days. Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena, in an official message, thanked all party leaders and legislators for adopting a "peaceful and consensual course of action at the parliament," following his meeting with all the party leaders on Sunday evening. At the party leaders meeting, Sirisena had urged legislators to call for a No Confidence vote on the government again after he rejected the vote which was held in parliament last Friday saying it was unconstitutional. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a severe political turmoil after Sirisena on Oct. 26 surprisingly sacked his cabinet and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 19:57:18|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged congratulatory messages on Monday to mark the official launch of the China-France Year of the Environment. Xi said in his message that ecological advancement leads to civilization prosperity whereas ecological deterioration leads to civilization decline. He said that the decision to launch the China-France Year of the Environment is to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation in areas such as eco-protection, climate change and biodiversity, so as to deal with the global environmental challenge with concerted efforts. China is willing to work with France and the international community to protect our planet for the safety of human survival and the building of a clean and beautiful world, Xi said. In his message, Macron said that fighting climate change and protecting the environment and biodiversity are among the most important challenges facing the human beings. This forms the core of France-China comprehensive strategic partnership. China is promoting an ecological civilization and actively participating in the multilateral process of climate governance, laying a solid foundation for France-China cooperations, Macron said. France is ready to work with China in steering the world onto a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable growth, the French president added. The China-France Year of the Environment is a joint decision made by the leaders of the two countries in January during Macron's state visit to China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 19:57:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, inspects the guard of honor in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Nov. 19, 2018. Xi attended a grand welcome ceremony held by Hassanal at Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei's royal palace, before their talks on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Brunei on Monday agreed to upgrade their relations to a strategic cooperative partnership. The two countries also pledged to be good partners featuring mutual trust in politics, mutual benefit in economy, mutual understanding in people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and mutual assistance in multilateral affairs. The consensus was reached during talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. "The decision made by our two sides to establish a strategic cooperative partnership is to ... deliver greater benefits to our two peoples through our cooperation," Xi said. Xi arrived here on Sunday for a state visit to Brunei, the first by a Chinese head of state in 13 years to the Southeast Asian nation. During the talks, Xi expressed high appreciation to the Sultan for the great importance he has long attached to developing the China-Brunei relations. The Chinese president said he was deeply impressed by the warmth and hospitality of the Bruneian people on his first visit to the country, which Xi said vividly testifies to the profound friendship between the two peoples. Xi praised the bilateral ties, saying that China and Brunei enjoy a long and deep historical and cultural link, and are close neighbors across the sea as well as friends and partners who trust each other. PLANNING FOR FUTURE During the talks, Xi called on the two sides to increase high-level exchanges to well steer the vessel of bilateral relations. China appreciates Brunei's firm adherence to the one-China policy and will continue to support Brunei in pursuing a development path that suits its own national conditions, Xi said. China sees Brunei as an important partner for cooperation in building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and is willing to align the Belt and Road Initiative with Brunei's Wawasan 2035, a strategy for economic diversification, in a bid to boost the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, he said. Brunei's businesses are welcome to expand exports to China, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Brunei in infrastructure construction, agriculture, fishery, energy and other areas, and share the experience in developing digital economy, e-commerce and other emerging sectors. The Chinese president urged the two sides to enhance cooperation in education, culture, sports, health and tourism, promote understanding and friendship between the youths, expand exchanges at sub-national level, and boost cooperation in judiciary, counter-terrorism and crackdown on cross-border crime. Xi also proposed that the two countries deepen communication, coordination and collaboration within the frameworks such as the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and jointly promote greater development in China-ASEAN relations and East Asia cooperation. China supports the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) cooperation and ASEAN in achieving a comprehensive, balanced development, he said. On the South China Sea, Xi pointed out that it is in the vital interests of both China and Brunei to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and also the shared aspiration of both peoples. Xi said that China appreciates the dual-track approach proposed by Brunei: disputes should be handled through friendly consultation by parties concerned and countries in the region should jointly safeguard stability in the South China Sea. Both sides should continue to advance maritime cooperation and the negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, thus building the sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, he added. For his part, Hassanal extended warm welcome to Xi for his first state visit to Brunei, saying that the visit will deepen the traditional friendly relations between the two countries and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. He said that Brunei and China enjoy a long history of friendship and the bilateral relations have continuously developed on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. The Sultan said he is delighted that the bilateral ties were upgraded to a strategic cooperative partnership during Xi's visit. Brunei firmly adheres to the one-China policy and will take this visit as an opportunity to promote bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, education, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and judicial assistance, thus benefiting the two peoples, he said. Brunei admires China for its remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and sustainable development, and is willing to promote synergy and cooperation between the Wawasan 2035 and the Belt and Road Initiative, Hassanal said. He said that Brunei highly appreciates the important role of China in fostering global stability and prosperity, tackling climate change, safeguarding multilateral trading system, and promoting regional economic integration, and is grateful to China for supporting BIMP-EAGA cooperation. Brunei stands ready to increase communication and coordination with China in international and regional affairs, and push forward ASEAN-China cooperation to a deeper level, he said. Brunei is delighted that countries in the region jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and advance maritime cooperation through dialogue and consultation, he added. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a cooperation plan on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative and other bilateral cooperation documents. A joint statement was also issued. A grand welcome ceremony was held at Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei's royal palace, where Xi talked to members of Brunei's royal family. He told them that the Chinese side appreciates the long-term friendly policy upheld by the royal family toward China and the traditional friendship will be carried forward. Xi also welcomed them to visit China more often. Brunei is the second stop of Xi's ongoing Asia-Pacific tour, which has already taken him to Papua New Guinea. He will also visit the Philippines. In Papua New Guinea, Xi paid a state visit and attended the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. He also met with leaders of eight Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China. Related: Full text of China-Brunei joint statement Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:02:24|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that there was a need to re-engineer the country's entire education system, and that the same education could not suit each and every individual. He said that the country's current education system failed to recognize the innate potential that exists within each student, and also failed to nurture and develop these unique qualities and capabilities. The youths should be allowed to think freely in order to ensure a balanced education, added Naidu. "There is a need to re-engineer our entire education system. The 'one size fits all' approach followed by us so far will not take us anywhere," said Naidu while speaking at the annual convocation of the University of Delhi. "We cannot keep forcing the same syllabus on a student who excels in science stream and a student who is a savant in music," he said. He also said that only half of the school hours should be spent in classrooms, and the rest should be spent in the community, in the playground, in nature and in open air to ensure balanced education. The vice president expressed his deep concern over the fact that the rise in the number of educational institutions in the country "had not led to corresponding improvement in the quality of education" granted in the country. On the occasion, he urged the students to not let their degrees and mark lists limit themselves. Degrees were just foundations and it depended on students, on what built from there, what they choose to be and do in life, he added. According to the vice president, India presently has more than 33,000 colleges and 659 universities. The world has realized that the economic success of any nation is directly determined by their education systems. Education is a nation's power, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:02:25|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will host the 16th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the Ministerial level between Malaysia and Indonesia from Nov 20 to 21. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah will meet his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. "Among issues that are expected to be discussed include cooperation on trade and investment, progress of maritime boundary delimitation and land boundary demarcation, review of border crossing and border trade agreements, Indonesian domestic and migrant workers in Malaysia as well as other issues of mutual interest," the statement said. The meeting will also provide the opportunity for both sides to explore prospects of cooperation in new areas that will further enhance and strengthen the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:07:27|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been boosting the development of Asia-Pacific countries and benefitting local people, said senior officials and experts on Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). "Thanks to five years of joint efforts, cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has entered a new phase of full implementation," Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday at the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Proposed by China in 2013, the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond. For developing countries like Papua New Guinea (PNG), the BRI "is a great initiative because of the access to capital, access to infrastructure-building capacities that we are now developing together with China," PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill told Xinhua. PNG, the host of this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in May, and became the first Pacific island country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China on BRI cooperation in June. "I think globally it (the BRI) will continue to promote trade and investment for all countries," O'Neill said. "So we support that." David Toua, a PNG representative on the APEC Business Advisory Council, said the initiative has "gathered momentum" and now is "quite mature." David Morris, trade commissioner at Pacific Islands Trade and Invest, an agency under the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, said the initiative can help build the infrastructure and connectivity needed across the developing world and beyond, stressing that openness and cooperation are the only way to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. "APEC economies enjoy cultural and geopolitical advantages when it comes to cooperation with China," said Benjamin Peng, managing director of Tel Aviv-based investment house Cukierman. "China and (other) APEC economies should increase their mutual visits and exchange to benefit more from the BRI." China's trade with Belt and Road countries has exceeded 5 trillion U.S. dollars and outward direct investment has amounted to over 60 billion dollars, creating over 200,000 local jobs. As the BRI strengthens cooperation and brings benefits, it also dissipates doubts and misgivings that bystanders once harbored. "This initiative has won wide international endorsement in the past five years," Xi said Saturday in a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit, adding that China has signed BRI cooperation documents with over 140 countries and international organizations, and that a large number of cooperation projects have been launched under this initiative. "It is guided by the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits," Xi said. "It is not an exclusive club that is closed to non-members, nor is it a 'trap' as some people have labeled it." "The BRI involves a huge market and vast space for cooperation that allow all members to participate in and benefit from the initiative," said Liu Chenyang, head of APEC Study Center of Tianjin-based Nankai University. "We are confident that the BRI offers win-win cooperation and is a sunny boulevard, and that we will develop along the direction we have set." "The Pacific Ocean is big enough to converge various countries and people to develop together," Chen Hong, director of Asia Pacific Studies Center at Shanghai-based East China Normal University, explained. "China will be based in the Asia-Pacific, and make it prosper." China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April next year. "China will work with all countries involved under the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative against high standards so that it will deliver quality outcomes and create even greater development opportunities for the people in the Asia-Pacific and beyond," Xi said at the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. (Xinhua reporters Fei Liena, Bai Xu, Zhan Yan, Wang Wendi, Mo Huaying, Qiu Bo, Hu Jingchen, Hao Yalin also contributed to the story.) Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:07:28|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan will undertake an official visit to Malaysia on Nov. 20-2, his first visit to the country since assuming his post in August. Imran is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to review existing relations and cooperation as well as identify new areas for future collaboration between the two countries, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said Monday in a statement. "The visit underlines the significance and importance Malaysia attaches to its relationship with Pakistan. It will also be an opportunity for both leaders to exchange views on a range of global and regional issues of common concern," the statement said. Both leaders will also witness the signing of an agreement on partial abolition of visa between their governments. Malaysia and Pakistan enjoy substantial and long standing bilateral relations in the field of education, tourism, defense cooperation and technical assistance, according to the statement. In 2017, total bilateral trade was recorded at 1.34 billion U.S. dollars. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:52:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BANGKOK, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people are expected to do Loy Krathong (float a banana-leaf basket) onto Chao Phraya River in Bangkok on Thursday night. Deputy National Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Chalermkiat Srivorakhan said on Monday that tens of thousands of revelers in the annual nocturnal festival are expected at three riverside venues in the Thai capital, including an estimated 50,000 people at the newly-open Iconsiam shopping center in Khlong Sarn area, some 20,000 others at Asiatique, the Riverfront shopping center in Yannawa area and some 10,000 others at Rama VIII Bridge in Phra Nakhon area. Besides, about 5,000 Loy Krathong festival goers are expected at a pond inside Chulalongkorn University campus in Pathumwan area. In the provinces throughout Thailand, a large number of revelers are expected at about 200 riverside and canalside venues, the deputy police chief said. Pol. Gen. Chalermkiat called on the people to take extra caution while staying on pontoons along the rivers and canals to float Krathong items onto the water for fear that they might possibly get overly crowded and collapse. As many as 55,000 policemen, plus a backup of 10,000 others on stand-by, will be deployed at and around the festival venues nationwide for stepped-up security reasons, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 20:57:42|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close NANNING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The fifth high-level border meeting between the Chinese and Vietnamese militaries opened Monday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the two sides pledging to maintain stability in border areas. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe and Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich attended the meeting held in the county of Longzhou. The China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation has maintained a sound and steady momentum for development in recent years, said Wei. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Vietnamese side to deepen land boundary and border defense cooperation, enrich border defense exchanges, and safeguard stability and prosperity in border areas, said Wei. Ngo said such border defense friendly exchange has injected strong impetus into the development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries, adding Vietnam is willing to work with China to make new contributions to peace and stability in border areas, and the sustainable development of the two countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 21:12:44|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on Oct. 29, 2013 shows a scene of Waigaoqiao area in Shanghai free trade zone (FTZ) in Pudong of Shanghai, east China. In the past five years, from tourism to agriculture, from technology to daily necessities and from costal cities to inland areas, China's FTZs have offered the nation copious advances in institutional explorations. On Sept. 29, 2013, China established its first pilot FTZ in Shanghai, the country's financial hub. And on Oct. 16, 2018, China rolled out a plan for establishing Hainan as a pilot FTZ, the 12th and largest among its peers. (Xinhua/Fan Jun) BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has approved the establishment of its 12th Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the southern island province of Hainan, demonstrating its unshakable faith in pushing ahead reform and opening-up. Five years on, from tourism to agriculture, from technology to daily necessities and from costal cities to inland areas, the FTZs have offered the nation copious advances in institutional explorations. The following dates are major milestones in the development of China's FTZs in the past five years: -- Sept. 29, 2013: China established its first pilot FTZ in Shanghai, the country's financial hub. -- Sept. 30, 2013: China first piloted a "negative list" in the Shanghai FTZ with 190 items on it. -- Nov. 22, 2013: The Shanghai International Energy Exchange was unveiled in the Shanghai FTZ, a key step toward the launch of China's own crude oil futures. -- March 4, 2015: The Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange, a jointly funded platform to prompt oil and gas reform and enhance China's pricing power, was registered within the Shanghai FTZ. -- April 21, 2015: China expanded the pilot FTZ practice to three other coastal provincial-level regions: Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian. -- April 27, 2015: The Shanghai FTZ was enlarged to cover the city's commercial and financial center Lujiazui and the districts of Jinqiao and Zhangjiang. -- Aug. 31, 2016: China's Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that the government has approved the establishment of new pilot FTZs in Liaoning, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces as well as Chongqing municipality. -- April 1, 2017: New pilot FTZs were launched in Liaoning, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces as well as Chongqing municipality. -- March 26, 2018: China launched the trading of yuan-denominated crude oil futures on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange in the Shanghai FTZ, the first futures variety on the Chinese mainland to open to overseas investment. -- June 30, 2018: China unveiled a new negative list for foreign investment in the pilot FTZs, with the number of items down from 95 to 45 compared to the previous year. -- Oct. 10, 2018: The Shanghai FTZ issued the country's first negative list in the service trade field. -- Oct. 16, 2018: China rolled out a plan for establishing Hainan as a pilot FTZ, the 12th and largest among its peers. -- Oct. 24, 2018: In an instruction on the development of pilot FTZs, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for building the country's pilot FTZs toward new heights of reform and opening-up in the new era. -- Nov. 5, 2018: When delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai, Xi announced the Shanghai FTZ would expand to include a new section. "[We] will encourage and support bold and creative steps by Shanghai to advance investment and trade liberalization and facilitation so that more of its successful practices may be replicated in other parts of China," Xi said in the keynote speech. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 21:12:44|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Dong Yue, Chen Jipeng PORT MORESBY, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Think of the vast Pacific Ocean, where thousands of commercial ships are moving the best of what Asia-Pacific countries produce to and fro among them at any moment of the day. Meanwhile, scientists from a private firm in China's eastern city of Shanghai are working on a sea lander named Rainbow Fish, which they plan to use to explore seabeds near the New Britain Trench off Papua New Guinea in 2019. They had conducted a joint maritime environment survey with engineers from an Australian firm in the waters in 2016. It was commissioned by a local firm. In Singapore and Malaysia, business leaders are discussing cooperation to roll out projects in the region aimed at boosting infrastructural connectivity and growing the digital economy -- a new sector that now often allows regional countries to transcend barriers of development. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region have been striving to promote innovative cooperation in their pursuit of inclusive growth, a trend reflected in the theme of "Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future" of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG). A key player in Asia-Pacific cooperation, China, while pursuing its own development, has contributed its wisdom and opportunities to propelling regional countries towards shared prosperity within the APEC framework. PURSUING COMPREHENSIVE CONNECTIVITY China plays an especially important role in the drive to enhance regional infrastructural connectivity. The approach partly derives from its own development experience, as infrastructural development, sometimes far ahead of its development in other respects, often proves to have led the way. "Infrastructural connectivity does strike a good point in galvanizing the economic development, as many countries in Asia, actually the Asia-Pacific region, has a huge demand for infrastructure," said Dr. Kong Tuan Yuen, a research fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. China has made clear that it is open to other parties joining the drive to promote growth through increased connectivity or dovetailing their own development plans with the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has proposed the Global Maritime Axis. Such efforts are already producing tangible benefits to people in regional countries. In Fiji, another island country in the Pacific, the Nabouwalu road in the north has gone through an upgrade by China Railway First Group (Fiji) Co., Ltd. to become a modern and quality highway, cutting the travel time on the route by more than half to around two hours. "We are very happy the traffic is now very convenient and local people like me have really benefited from it," said Osea Raula, a 39-year-old resident. EMBRACING DIGITAL FUTURE Going side by side with the drive to boost physical infrastructural connectivity are joint efforts to build a digital future, as modern technologies inherently call for and enable countries to be better integrated. Building a digital future topped the agenda of this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Internet, e-commerce and digital technologies have not only become major drivers of the modern economy but often allow the developing economies to leapfrog and transcend their development barriers. The use of smart phones in the Asia-Pacific economies is growing fast. In Indonesia, where regional telecommunications firms have been helping build the network, such a trend has brought about a sea change by allowing users to jump on the digital wagon without first having a computer. In September, Alipay, a mobile payment leader instrumental in China's surprisingly fast transition to a cashless society, brought its popular e-payment APP to Singapore, one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists. Taxi drivers now accept payments made through the APP, which allows conversion between the Chinese yuan and the Singapore dollar. The cooperation goes further. Alibaba, the e-commerce giant from China, has acquired a minority stake in established logistics player SingPost in recent years, paving the way for further collaboration in e-commerce. "We recognize the importance of the Internet, digital economy, as well as e-commerce and digital trade. Driven by technology and innovation, they are changing the pace of global trade and fostering innovative and inclusive growth in the Asia-Pacific region," said a statement from the 24th APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Port Moresby in May. MAINTAINING MOMENTUM FOR OPEN ECONOMY The consensus-based cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow fast, even against the backdrop of rising trade protectionism. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which groups the ten member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its six dialogue partners, is aiming to conclude a free trade pact soon. Other multilateral initiatives are ongoing. Observers have set their eyes on the next step, which should eventually lead towards the Free Trade Agreement of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). Statistics from APEC show its 21 member economies are home to around 2.8 billion people and represent approximately 59 percent of world gross domestic product and 49 percent of world trade in 2015. China, committed to globalization and free trade, deems APEC as a platform to demonstrate its faith in an open economy and economic integration. "China is open in terms of trade and is pursuing regional integration," said Kong from the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. Zhai Kun, a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University, said it is good to let connectivity and digital economy take the lead in APEC cooperation. Regional cooperation is moving fast forward multi-thronged and in both directions. In Fiji, Chinese scientist and entrepreneur Lin Zhanxi has introduced a technology to grow edible or medicinal mushrooms using a grass. In Brunei, cooperation projects are ongoing to drive the country's efforts to diversify its economy beyond the oil and gas sectors. Ling Shengli, a scholar from China Foreign Affairs University, said China's firm advocation of the FTAAP will help reduce the "spaghetti bowl effect" resulting from overlapping trade arrangements. "I think the connectivity in various fields will strengthen economic interdependence and facilitate the building of an economic community," he said. (Xinhua correspondents Zheng Kaijun, Zhang Xin in Shanghai also contributed to the story) Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 21:22:46|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, president of the Portuguese parliament, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Portugal on Monday vowed to facilitate their parliamentary exchange and cooperation in Beijing. The pledge came as China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks with Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, president of the Portuguese parliament, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. While hailing the healthy and steady development of bilateral ties, Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said high-level political mutual trust between the two countries had become a distinctive feature of the bilateral ties. It has become a good experience in developing China-Portugal relations to expand cooperation in opening-up and seek shared growth in cooperation, Li stressed. "The relations of the two countries are stable and full of vitality, and there are broad prospects for cooperation in diverse fields, " said Li. In the hope of further advancing bilateral ties, he called on the two sides to intensify mutually-beneficial cooperation in fields including the construction of the Belt and Road, and to communicate more and coordinate with each other on international affairs. Li said China has announced a series of opening-up measures since the beginning of the year and stressed Portugal and all countries are welcome to share China's development opportunities for win-win outcomes. "The Chinese NPC is willing to boost more institutionalized exchange and cooperation with the Portuguese Parliament and contribute to the two countries' relations," Li said. The two legislative bodies should work to foster a good policy environment, protect the investors' legal rights and interests, support people-to-people exchange and promote local cooperation, to lay a solid social foundation for the China-Portugal friendship, Li added. For Rodrigues' part, he said Portugal's cooperation with China has boomed in various areas and expressed his willingness to push forward the two countries' parliamentary exchange and cooperation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 21:37:48|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close MANILA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the entire nation look forward to the forthcoming state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a presidential spokesperson said here on Monday. "Xi's visit to the Philippines, which he described as a 'beautiful land', is a turning point in both our countries' histories," Salvador Panelo said in a statement released on the eve of Xi's two-day visit which will kick off on Tuesday. This is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state since 2005. Panelo said Xi's visit to the Philippines marks an opportunity to further strengthen and sustain bilateral relations. "China is now considered a top trading partner of the Philippines, a leading export market for the Philippines, and one of the largest tourist origins to the Philippines," Panelo said. "We laud Xi for China's continued efforts to promote peace and stability in our region, through dialogues and consultations in handling the South China Sea issue, as we share his aspiration to bring our nations' relationship to a higher level of collaboration," he added. "The Philippines and China's shared hopes for their citizens continue to pave the way for closer bonds between the two nations," Panelo said. He added that "we anticipate more opportunities to forge better cooperation and friendship with China." Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:07:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close by Larry Neild LONDON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May told top business leaders in London Monday that she was determined to lead Britain out of the European Union (EU). May delivered a keynote speech to the annual conference of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on the day, when Britain was in what has been described as a critical week in Brexit negotiations with Brussels. Addressing hundreds of CBI business leaders and delegates in Greenwich, May acknowledged that Brexit was the one paramount issue facing the country at the moment, adding "and I know it is the number one concern of the CBI." Last week May's team of ministers agreed the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the EU as well as a draft outline of the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. "Both documents were the result of many hours of negotiation between Britain and the European Union. Together they represent a decisive breakthrough, but they are not the final deal," said May. She said Britain now has an intense week of negotiations ahead in the run-up to the special European Council on Sunday. "During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship and I am confident that we can strike a deal at the European Council that I can take back to the House of Commons," said May. May noted she had always had a very clear sense of the outcomes she wants to deliver for people in these negotiations. On regaining control of Britain's borders, May said it would no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. "But the difference will be this-once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here," May said. May described it as a system that works for business, allowing British industry sector to attract the brightest and the best from around the world, with a more streamlined application and entry processes. On trade in goods, she said the outline future framework would create a comprehensive free trade area with the EU, Britain's biggest and nearest goods market. "Zero tariffs, no fees, charges or restrictions across all goods sectors, with an ambitious customs arrangement that respects both sides' legal orders. That is what our businesses need, and that is what my deal will deliver," May said. May stated the government has agreed with the EU to negotiate a trading relationship in services more ambitious than any existing free trade agreement. "It will deliver a level of liberalisation that goes well beyond WTO terms. All modes of supply will be covered and it will remove substantially all discrimination in the sectors it covers," she told the CBI. Her speech was seen as turning the Brexit debate from political wrangling to the country's future as a global trading nation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:07:52|Editor: mmm Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said Monday that the Palestinian Authority will continue to seek accession to international treaties and organizations. Malki said on the official Palestinian radio station Voice of Palestine that such accession helps enhance the legitimacy of the State of Palestine around the world. The top Palestinian diplomat said that the accession to world treaties and organizations helps grant Palestine with full membership in the UN and "enables it to fully handle its responsibilities instead of being a burden to the international community." Malki's comments are considered as a response to the earlier remarks made by a senior U.S. official that played down the efforts of the Palestinians to join international organizations and treaties. The U.S. official said that such efforts are "early and lead to counter effect," adding that the only realistic approach for the Palestinians is to reach "comprehensive and permanent" peace through direct negotiations, Israeli newspaper Times of Israel reported. "We disagree with the American logic and we are fully aware that Washington's statement arose from its vision to prevent Palestine from becoming a full member state of the UN," said Malki. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed on Thursday 11 international agreements, covering children's rights, rights of people with disabilities, women citizenship rights and countering gender discrimination. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:07:52|Editor: mmm Video Player Close SARAJEVO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested on Monday one person suspected of war crimes during the country's war. Acting on the orders of BiH's Prosecutor's Office, SIPA members located and arrested the suspect in Zvornik, a city some 125 kilometers northeast of the capital Sarajevo. "Dusan Spasojevic, 64 and born in Zvornik, is charged with a criminal offense, namely a war crime against a civilian population," BiH Prosecutor's Office said on Monday in a statement. "Being a member of the Territorial Defense of the Serbian Municipality of Zvornik, the suspect committed war crimes against the victim of Bosniak nationality in May 1992 in Jusici village," it said. On Monday, the suspect will be handed over to the acting prosecutor for examination before a decision is made on the case. An ethnically rooted war that took place from 1992 to 1995 in BiH was fought between Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs, resulting in 100,000 people killed and over 2 million displaced worldwide. After years of bitter fighting, Western countries with backing by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) imposed a final ceasefire negotiated at Dayton, Ohio, U.S., in 1995. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:12:53|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Recommended amendment to the South Africa constitution that allows seizing land without compensation has seen South Africans divided. The Parliament's Joint Constitutional Review Committee last week said amending section 25 of the constitution could accelerate land reform. It emerged on Monday that even land reform experts are not in consensus on the modalities of the distribution of land in a country where the majority of the blacks are landless. South African Institute of Race Relations, a Johannesburg-based lobby group on land, told Xinhua on Monday that it was preparing papers to challenge the decision in court. "We've to be very cautious, we lose agriculture exports and damage the balance of payment," said Terence Corrigan, a research fellow at the Institute. Corrigan noted that agriculture contributed immensely to the country's domestic growth, adding that South Africa faces a huge risk if the land reform is done badly. However, Julius Malema, leader of the opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, said "there is no going back on the land issue, justice needs to be done now...It is high time our dignity is restored, (and) we're not asking much for our people, but land for our forefathers." Cas Coovadia, managing director of Banking Association South Africa, said in a telephone interview that "it is important to promote access to the formal economy by providing security of tenure for the communal land." The land reform fears have put South Africa's rand on the back foot. On Monday, the local currency broke R14 to the U.S. dollar as it digested the news of vote by the lawmakers in favor of taking land without compensation last week. "Land reform is becoming one of the key factors and it's clear markets will remain subdued and nervous," Timothy Stamps, a lecturer of economics at the Midrand University said, adding that the land distribution issue is expected to trigger repeated volatility in the local currency exchange rates. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is under immense pressure to speed up the distribution of land ahead of a watershed election next year. Although the ANC is willing to embark on the land reform, it is reminded by critics of Zimbabwe's controversial land seizures during former leader Robert Mugabe's administration which were marred by violence and led to the economic meltdown. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:12:53|Editor: mmm Video Player Close TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tehran and Washington are not holding talks in Oman over the existing issues, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "Iran and the United States have had no talks, not in Oman or anywhere else," Bahram Qasemi, the ministry's spokesman, said in his weekly press conference. In the meantime, the Iranian spokesman stressed that Iran is interested in making peaceful ties with other countries. Qasemi was reacting to some local reports that secret negotiations are underway in Oman between the Islamic republic and the United States over Washington's mounting sanction pressure on Tehran. Over the past years, Oman has played an intermediary role between Iran and the United States to settle their rift. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:17:53|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory letter to the United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress held Monday in Deqing, east China's Zhejiang Province. Geospatial information plays a crucial role in socio-economic development. In today's world, geospatial information technology has been deeply integrated with the new generation of information technologies, such as mobile internet, big data and cloud computing, facilitating the development of new growth impetus, business models and applications, Li said in the letter. The Chinese government has always been an active participant and supporter of the global cooperation of geospatial information, and appreciates the United Nations' efforts in coordinating and managing geospatial information and boosting global sustainable development, Li said. He noted that China will continuously join hands with other countries to enable the collaboration of geospatial information to play a more significant role in serving global governance, facilitating sustainable development, boosting the well-being of mankind, and building a community with a shared future for humanity. Li hoped the congress, under the theme "The Geospatial Way to a Better World," can pool wisdom and strengthen cooperation to help expand the global application of geospatial information as well as promote its innovative development. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:27:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A key partner in Israel's government withdrew his threat to quit the government coalition on Monday, avoiding snap elections and preserving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition intact. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of the Jewish Home, said he would not remove his party from the coalition over a crisis revolving a cease-fire agreement with Gaza Strip's Hamas group. Speaking at a press conference, Bennett said the Jewish Home would give Netanyahu another opportunity to deal with security issues, specifying threats from Gaza, which he called to deal in a more forceful way. "I tell the prime minister here, we are withdrawing right now all of our political demands and will stand to help you in this great mission of getting Israel to win again," he said. "If the government would really start leading toward the right path, acting like a real right-wing government, it is worth trying," he said, adding that "the ball is in the prime minister's court." The announcement came after Bennett vowed last week to quit the government together with his party if Netanyahu would not give him the defense portfolio following the recent resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. On Sunday, Netanyahu said he had decided to keep the defense portfolio for himself. On Monday, he addressed a Knesset (parliament) committee, saying following his announcement he had met with Israel's Chief-of-Staff Gadi Eizenkot and his designated successor Aviv Kochavi. "We are ready for all challenges," the prime minister said. "As I said last night, we are in a campaign that has not yet ended," he said. "At this sensitive security time, it would be irresponsible to topple the government." "Whether our partners decide to topple the government or not, we will continue to take actions to ensure the security of our state and of our people," he said. Lieberman announced his resignation in a press conference last Wednesday, citing sharp disagreement over an agreed cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian movement that runs the Gaza Strip. Lieberman, 60 years old, a hawkish member of the coalition, accused Netanyahu of "surrendering to terror" by agreeing to the cease-fire. His resignation left the coalition with 61 members in the 120-seat parliament, making it likely to collapse if another party decides to quit. The official date for the next general elections in Israel is November 2019. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:32:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia has tested its newest fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday. "The flights were conducted to confirm the declared capabilities of the newest aircraft in a real combat situation," it said. The flight performance of the aircraft, its smart information and control complex, and operation of all onboard systems, including the weapon system, were checked in practice, it added. According to the ministry, Su-57 crews performed more than 10 flights in Syria, but it is not ascertained if the aircraft had participated in any combat operations. The superb maneuverability, the ability to perform supersonic flights, a modern onboard equipment complex and stealth-capabilities enable the Su-57 to overwhelm the enemy, the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 22:42:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close MAPUTO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said here on Monday that the government is waiting for the former rebel movement, now the main opposition Renamo's agenda for Demilitarization, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process. "We are continuing to wait for the agenda agreed with Renamo to take firm steps towards the reintegration of party members," said the president. According to the president, the government is looking to the Renamo party to follow up and "it is important that Renamo's leadership remains consistent for the rapid completion of the process". In the prospect of reintegration, Nyusi said that a military contribution to the promotion of peace is expected from all military personnel. Some days ago, the president said that the process should be completed by the end of the year, and the reintegration process has already begun, with the presence of foreign observers in Mozambique. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:03:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said on Monday that China and Cuba should further strengthen their traditional friendly relations and continuously push for the development of bilateral ties. Xu made the remarks when meeting with Cuban Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Leopoldo Cintra Frias. Xu said after more than half a century since their establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties between China and Cuba have weathered international changes, remained unshakable and become even firmer thanks to the efforts of several generations of state leaders. With bilateral military relations having achieved rapid development in recent years, China will continue to support Cuba's efforts in military building and push for further development of military exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, said Xu. Cintra expressed his hope that the two militaries can deepen their practical cooperation in all aspects and make contributions to the constant advancement of overall bilateral relations. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:08:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-backed Yemeni government announced Monday to take part in the peace talks planned to be held by the United Nations in Sweden during the next few weeks. According to the state-run Saba news agency, the government through its Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, declaring its full commitment to participating in the next peace talks with a complete negotiating team. The government called on the UN to pressure the Houthi rebels to respond to the peace efforts positively and attend the upcoming negotiations without placing preconditions, Saba said. The internationally-backed government concluded its letter by demanding the UN to confront any Houthi disruption attempts including delaying or not attending the scheduled negotiations with a firm stance, according to Saba. On Friday, the UN envoy for Yemen said that he plans to visit Hodeidah next week to work toward a UN supervision over the Yemeni port that handles 80 percent of the humanitarian relief to the war-torn country. "I plan to visit Hodeidah next week ... to revisit a UN supervisory role (for the port)," Griffiths told the Security Council. Griffiths said that he intends to convene peace talks between the warring factions "shortly" in Sweden in a bid to end the four-year long military conflict in the war-torn Arab country. The fighting raging over the control of the Red Sea port city erupted following the collapse of peacemaking efforts by the UN in Geneva on Sept. 8, as Houthi rebels refused to attend. The Yemeni troops made significant gains and advanced to near the city center in Hodeidah during the past few days, but fighting with Houthi rebels was temporarily paused for humanitarian purposes despite sporadic attacks. Capturing the port city would be a major victory for the government since the civil war erupted four years ago, and could force the loser to sit down at the negotiation table. The military conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of the capital of Sanaa by the Houthis, which overthrew Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since 2015. The coalition has been trying to retake the strategic city of Hodeidah from the Houthis, but halted an offensive three days ago amid international concern about a humanitarian catastrophe that an all-out operation could spark. The de-escalation of fighting was described by Yemeni sources as "an unannounced cease-fire" hammered out by powerful Western countries in order to pave the way for new UN-sponsored peace talks. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:13:04|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIYADH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud assured on Monday that his country's oil policy is based on cooperation and coordination with other oil producers, Al Arabiya reported. He spoke about the oil production at the inauguration ceremony of the third year of the 7th session of the Shura (Consultative) Council, highlighting keenness on a strategic partnership based on mutual benefits and respects. "We are working to maintain the stability of oil markets to protect producers and consumers," the king said. About the local affairs, he stressed that the Saudi citizens are the main driving force of development in the country, adding that development plans are achieving set goals at a satisfactory rate. The king also spoke about terrorism in the region, stating that the kingdom will continue to fight extremism and support a developmental approach. He added that the Palestinian case will remain the number one priority "until the Palestinians get their rights." In the Yemeni file, the king stated that Saudi Arabia's involvement was not a choice, but a duty to confront the Houthi militias, saying the kingdom supports a political solution in Yemen according to Security Council resolutions and the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative. The king also spoke about relations with Iraq, stating that the kingdom looks forward to continuing efforts to strengthen cooperation with Baghdad. On Iran, the king said that the international community needs to put an end to its activities that threaten the stability and security of the region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:13:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has held 404 officials in 10 provincial regions accountable for environmental damage after inspections by central authorities from Oct. 30 to Nov. 6, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. As of Nov. 16, a total of 32 people have been detained and 33.25 million yuan (about 4.8 million U.S. dollars) of fines were imposed following the environmental inspections, the ministry said in a statement. The inspected regions were Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Anhui, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Shaanxi. Inspectors uncovered a slew of problems, including inadequate implementation of measures to improve environmental protection. The inspections are part of China's campaign to fight pollution and environmental degradation as decades of growth have left the country with smog, polluted water, and contaminated soil. Tackling pollution is one of "the three tough battles" that China aims to win within three years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:18:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran will not succumb to the U.S. economic and psychological pressures. "The United States is wrong to think that Iran would surrender under pressures," Rouhani said in Iran's northwestern city of Khoy, in West Azerbaijan Province. The United States has suffered "defeats" in the region and is now attempting to take revenge for those failures on the Iranian nation, he was quoted as saying by Press TV. The U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from Iran's international nuclear deal in May and later reimposed sanctions on the country, including on its oil exports. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:23:10|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China will take solid steps to relieve the tax burdens for private enterprises to support better development of private businesses. The burden of taxes and fees on private enterprises will be further eased, according to a guideline recently released by the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) on supporting the private sector. The guideline outlined 26 detailed measures to facilitate the development of private businesses, including advancing substantial tax cuts, especially the reduction of value-added taxes, working on tax exemptions for micro and small firms as well as technology startups, and promoting the reduction of nominal rates for social security contributions. Measures will also be taken to address the difficulty and high costs of financing for private firms, simplify tax payment procedures and level the playing field for private businesses. "China's taxation authority has always treated private enterprises equal," said Huang Yun, a senior SAT official. Huang said micro and small firms enjoyed 143.7 billion yuan (20.7 billion U.S. dollars) of tax exemptions in the first three quarters, rising 41.3 percent year on year. The private sector plays an important role in the Chinese economy, contributing more than 50 percent of tax revenue, 60 percent of GDP, 70 percent of technological innovation, 80 percent of urban employment and 90 percent of new jobs and new firms. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:28:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia's sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, damaged in a floating dock accident last month, will be upgraded in time, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said Monday. "This problem will not affect the timing, because, under a contract, the upgrading work in a dock is planned for next summer or the spring of 2020," Manturov was quoted by TASS news agency as saying. He said the place, where the upgrading of the ship will be completed, is currently under determination. The modernization of Admiral Kuznetsov began in October 2017 at a plant in Russia's northwestern port city of Murmansk. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2020 and the vessel is expected to return to service in 2021. But the PD-50 floating dock, one of the largest in the world, sank on the night of Oct. 30 during the planned release of the Admiral Kuznetsov from it. A falling crane damaged the ship's take-off deck. Four people were injured in the accident, one of whom died later. Another worker is still missing. Manturov said that options include building a dry dock structure at a nearby shipbuilding plant, acquiring a new finished dock, or using a dry dock at the Sevastopol plant in Crimea. The 300-meter-long and 67-meter-wide PD-50 dock, built in Sweden in 1980, is to be recovered, Manturov said, without specifying the exact date. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:33:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine may become a key player on the European natural gas market after the implementation of the energy sector reform, a senior European Union (EU) official said on Monday. "Ukraine may become an exporter (of gas). It has a potential to become one of the most powerful gas markets in Europe," Hugues Mingarelli, head of the EU delegation to Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian state-run Ukrinform news agency. Mingarelli stressed the need for Kiev to unbundle the national energy giant Naftogaz by 2020 to more effectively manage the country's gas transportation system. Unbundling of Naftogaz into companies dealing with gas extraction, transport, distribution and storage is part of Ukraine's energy sector reform launched in 2015. The reform also envisages lower gas consumption through the implementation of energy saving programs and higher domestic gas production. Last year, the East European country consumed 32.2 billion cubic meters of gas, of which 20.8 billion cubic meters were produced domestically. Ukraine, which extracts only 3.5 percent of its confirmed gas reserves annually, has set a target to be self-sufficient in gas by 2022 and turn from gas importer to exporter by 2035. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:38:13|Editor: ZD Video Player Close MANILA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's signed article published Monday in the mainstream Philippine newspapers has raised high expectations in the Southeast Asian country for closer ties with China. In his article titled "Open Up a New Future Together for China-Philippine Relations," Xi called on the two countries to elevate all-round cooperation under new circumstances and design an overall plan for greater progress in their relationship towards a higher level. The Chinese president will arrive in Manila on Tuesday, the last leg of his Asia-Pacific tour that has already taken him to Papua New Guinea and Brunei. Xi also attended the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea. Philippine Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran expressed optimism that Xi's state visit will further strengthen relations between Beijing and Manila. "The relations now between China and the Philippines in the economic and financial fields are really warm. It's something we are looking forward to. Many infrastructure projects are being implemented and I believe there will be more cooperation in the future," Beltran said. Beltran said his country appreciates Xi's pledge that China welcomes the Philippines and other countries aboard the express train of its development. "We are looking forward to having better relations and cooperation with China," Beltran added. Philippine Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Xi's visit is important because it will not only strengthen diplomatic relations and economic links between the two countries, but also add momentum to the Philippine government's development program. "This cooperation benefits both countries," Diokno said. Jhevarlynne Otao, a 39-year-old banana worker from the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, was excited as Xi said in his article that more and more Philippine fruits are going to the dining table in Chinese households. "I am very happy to hear this good news. Many Filipinos will benefit if China will import more fruits, especially bananas," she told Xinhua. "My family, for instance, will benefit because I will have a steady farm work and income that I can use to raise my three children," she added. Princess Jacel Kiram, daughter of Jamalul Kiram III and a descendant of Sultan of Sulu Paduka Batara, expressed her gratitude to the Chinese president for keeping the memory of the Sultan's historical journey to China. In his article, Xi cited the "goodwill visit" of Sultan Batara over 600 years ago. "It's a very significant part of the history of China and the Philippines," she said, adding that the story proves that China and the Philippines enjoy the "ties that bind up to now." Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist of Philippine Star newspaper, said Xi's article is very comprehensive and detailed the ties that started more than 600 years ago. "I was very impressed that in his article, he not only mentioned government-to-government relations but also discussed people-to-people relations that cemented the blood, family ties," Flores said. The article reminded "every one of us that China and the Philippines are ancient friends; that their relationship started even before the Westerners discovered the country," he said. Xi's article "concretely shows good will and builds confidence on both sides," Flores said, adding that the warm relations will usher in peace. Peter Chua, one of the leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community and chairman of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Association of the Philippines, recalled that many Chinese born on China's southeast coast sailed across the sea to settle in the Philippines more than 600 years ago. "China and the Philippines are close neighbors separated by a narrow strip of water. The two peoples are enjoying a long history of friendship. Just as President Xi points out in his article that China and the Philippines are very close to each other in terms of geographical location, ancestral ties and cultural backgrounds," Chua said. The Chinese immigrants and the Filipinos continue "to live in harmony, intermarried and blended with the Philippine culture," Chua said. "We believe President Xi's visit to the Philippines will further enhance the relations; and I also believe that the two peoples will have a better future together," Chua added. Related: Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:53:19|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's commercial banks saw a higher non-performing loan ratio at the end of Q3, data from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission showed Monday. The non-performing loan ratio of commercial banks stood at 1.87 percent, 0.01 percentage points higher than the end of Q2. Outstanding bad loans from commercial banks amounted to 2.03 trillion yuan (292.4 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of Q3, 75.1 billion yuan more than that of Q2. By the end of Q3, Chinese commercial banks held 264 trillion yuan in assets, up 7 percent year on year, the regulator said. Meanwhile, commercial lenders' liabilities rose 6.6 percent year on year to reach 243 trillion yuan as of the end of Q3. China continued to take a tough line on market violations in Q3 to maintain stable market order and prevent risks. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-19 23:58:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Ambassador to Lebanon Sanjiv Arora said Monday that India aims to expand its businesses and companies to Lebanon, local media reported. "We aim at creating partnerships between Lebanese and Indian companies in a bid to boost further our economic bilateral ties," the ambassador was quoted as saying by the National News Agency. His remarks came during a ceremony held at the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry in Beirut in the presence of its president Mohamad Choucair. The ceremony was organized on the occasion of a partnership agreement signed between Lebanese and Indian companies to boost their cooperation in maritime transport. "This occasion reflects the great confidence that the international community has placed in the Lebanese private sector," said Choucair. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:03:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada on Monday expressed his belief that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative would help transform the economy of those partnering countries including Nepal. The minister made the remarks here during a two-day international conference on the Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia and Nepal. Khatiwada said the initiative created win-win situation for those countries. "I think nobody should be skeptic about the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) as it creates win-win situation for all who are part of it," Khatiwada said. Proposed by China in 2013, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa through the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. Noting that Nepal has already become part of the initiative, Khatiwada said Nepal would reap benefit from the enhanced connectivity. "The initiative has opened up new opportunities for countries like Nepal. We believe that we can gain easy access to the sea and further strengthen economic ties with South Asian and Central Asian countries through enhanced connectivity," he said. The minister added that the initiative helped to narrow the gap of physical infrastructure and investment. Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong said the Belt and Road Initiative has adopted the principle of achieving shared benefits through extensive consultation and joint construction. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:03:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 500 million people in Africa have no official identification (ID) as the lack of robust identification has contributed to marginalization and exclusion of millions of Africans, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The statement was made by ECA's Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, who urged African leaders for proper intervention in digital ID during a high-level meeting on Sunday at the margins of the just concluded 11th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa from Nov. 17 to 18. The Digital ID for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 meeting discussed opportunities, risks and lessons for Digital Identity in the African Market. "An estimated 500 million people in Africa have no official ID, and in many ways, the lack of robust identification, which is underpinned by a poor Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system on the continent, has contributed to marginalization and exclusion of many," said Songwe. A Good Digital ID Platform for Africa would ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises, which constitute 80 percent of African enterprises, benefit from this opportunity, Songwe said. "Digital ID is an important enabler for access to social and political services, as well as financial and economic inclusion," she added. The benefits of digital ID is said to go a long way towards preventing vote rigging in elections, reducing leaks in the management of government payroll as well as social intervention programs and improving access of the poor, to financial services, according to the ECA. Technology-enabled business platforms that create value by facilitating exchanges via business to business (B2b) platforms could represent 10 trillion U.S. dollars in socio-economic value creation from 2016 to 2025 globally, figures from the ECA indicated. The Digital Identity for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 high-level meeting, co-hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the AU Commission, discusses opportunities, risks and lessons for digital identification in the African context, as well as on the need for Africa to embark on a digital identification drive. During the high-level meeting the ECA and the Omidyar Network have announced a partnership to establish legal digital identities in Africa. The partnership is said to work towards ECA's support to the AU Commission Digital Identity Platform for Africa. The support by Omidyar Network will also be instrumental in the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Digital Identity and Data Privacy and building the capacity of senior officials in this regard. According to the ECA, while few African countries have already made progress in developing digital ID systems as a basis for legal IDs, "Africa as a whole is yet to fully harness the benefits of digital ID." Digital identity will facilitate the participation of Africans in the digital economy, which is expected to grow in Africa to over 300 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, according to the ECA. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:13:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Christina Lassen, head of the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, announced Monday that the EU has allocated 100 million euros (114.54 million U.S. dollars) to offer high-quality education for the Lebanese children and youths, local media reported. "This is the biggest amount allocated by the EU for the education sector in Lebanon," Lassen was quoted by Elnashra, an independent online newspaper, as saying. Lassen said that education of children and the youths is one of the most important human rights. "It is very important in building healthy societies," she said. Lassen's remarks came during a press conference held with Lebanese caretaker Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh in Beirut. Meanwhile, Hamadeh said that the ministry is committed to enhancing education in a bid to maintain Lebanon's regional and international rankings in the sector, and to equip next generations to face future challenges and grab the best job opportunities. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:18:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close ABU DHABI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Integrated Transport Center (ITC) at the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Monday announced to resume Uber services in the emirate after two years of suspension. The transport authority announced the decision after signing an agreement with Uber, the Gulf News reported. The Uber services in Abu Dhabi will be the same as in Dubai, as the citizens can register as full-time or part-time drivers via the app using their private vehicles, said the report. The fares of the ride will vary depending on the day of week and the time of day, and may change during public holidays, the report added. The agreement with Uber shows the ITC's commitment to developing smart transportation solutions in the emirate, Mohammad Darwish al Qamzi, general manager of ITC, was quoted as saying. "We are proud to announce the relaunch of Uber and bring our technology to all residents and visitors in the emirate," Anthony Khoury, regional manager of Uber Middle East, was quoted as saying. "Abu Dhabi is a significant market for Uber and we're delighted to serve as catalysts for economic growth, and for Emiratis to be able to drive on the Uber app using their private vehicles," he added. Abu Dhabi suspended the services of both Uber and its major rival in the Middle East, Careem, in August 2016, after some drivers were arrested over regulation violations. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:18:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- African experts are meeting in Uganda to discuss the use of science in ensuring tax compliance. While opening the five day meeting on Monday, Jacob Oulanyah, deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, urged African tax administrators to always be innovative. Patrick Mukiibi, acting Commissioner General Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), told the delegates that Uganda was using science on top of other measures to enhance revenue collection. He said science is indispensable in tax administration. According to URA, Uganda has for the last 10 years registered enormous benefits through science-led approaches and interventions. These methods include the use of Input-Output Coefficients, laboratory analysis, digital forensic audits and document examinations. The tax body says the scientific approach is used to establish actual turnover which in turn helps to detect mis declarations by manufactures with the intention to evade Excise Tax, Value Added Tax, Income Tax and exaggerate duty draw back. The meeting is held under the auspices of the African Tax Administration Forum. The theme of the meeting is "The Evolution of Science in Tax Administration". Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:18:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Exports by Germany's mechanical engineering companies continued to rise during the first nine months of 2018, a report published on Monday by the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) shows. VDMA cited data from the Federal Statistical Office that machine deliveries had increased by a nominal 5.2 percent or 6.5 billion euros to 131.9 billion euros (150.7 billion U.S. dollars) between January and September compared with the same period last year. In spite of the general upward trend, the VDMA noted, however, that the pace of exports had slowed in the course of 2018. Exports increased by 5.9 percent on average at the end of the first half of the year, while export growth subsequently came in at a lower rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter (Q3). "September showed the first signs of a slowdown, with exports falling by 0.2 percent," a statement by VDMA chief economist Ralph Wiechers read. Nevertheless, Wiechers added that "one should not overestimate a single monthly figure" as only the coming months would show how ongoing global trade disputes affected mechanical engineering firms in Germany. China regained its position as the most important individual export market for the sector so far this year. Between January and September, exports rose by 11.4 percent to 14.23 billion euros. China thus accounted for 10.8 percent of total German machinery exports. Exports to the United States increased by 6.9 percent to 14.16 billion euros over the same period, accounting for 10.7 percent of total exports. The volume of U.S. exports still ranked ahead of those to China in the first half of the year. Total exports to European Union (EU) countries increased by 5.6 percent to 62.14 billion euros. By contrast, business with Turkey remained challenging and witnessed an 8.9 percent fall in industry exports. "Business is becoming increasingly difficult. All the more pleasing is the ability of many medium-sized mechanical engineering companies to hold their own in global competition despite all trade barriers," Wiechers analysed the latest export data. Speaking to Xinhua on Monday, Thiess Petersen, senior economics expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation, highlighted that German exports had fallen by 1.2 percent as a whole in September 2018. Although monthly swings were not uncommon, Petersen cautioned against disregarding the implications of lasting "uncertainties in foreign trade" which could affect engineering firms as well. "Uncertainty surrounding the economic development of the United Kingdom, Turkey and Italy in particular are weighing on the European investment climate," he explained. A failure to resolve these uncertainties swiftly could result in lower corporate investment across the continent which would in turn also hit the machine engineering sector. Counting around 1.35 million workers in total, mechanical and plant engineering is Germany's single largest industrial employer. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:23:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has beefed up security on disputed waters on a common border lake with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to avert possible revenge attacks following weekend deadly killings and abductions, a police spokesperson said Monday. Julius Hakiza, the Albertine regional police spokesperson based in the mid-western district of Hoima, told Xinhua by telephone that the police and military have deployed troops and increased patrols near the disputed waters on Lake Albert to ensure peace and security. He said the enhanced security follows plans by Ugandan fishermen to carry out retaliatory attacks on Congolese following the weekend deadly attacks by armed Lendu militiamen that left two people dead, one injured and 5-6 still missing. The deceased, injured and missing fishermen hail from Kaiso landing site, Baseruka Sub County in Hoima, which hosts thousands of Congolese refugees. "The police and other security agencies have come in to reinforce and apply professional mechanisms. Let the community report any suspicious face and avoid going past the boundaries," said Hakiza. "They should avoid issues like violence and revenge that may cause other problems," he said. The Saturday attack came barely five days after the same militia attacked and cut into pieces five Ugandan fishermen on the same lake, before dumping their bodies in the waters, according to local media. Hakiza blamed Ugandan fishermen for crossing into DRC's waters to do illegal fishing, which is causing confusion, unfortunate attacks and deaths. "Ugandan fishermen have depleted fish here (Ugandan side) so they normally cross to Congo waters hence bringing all this confusion. But this is being addressed at high level," said Hakiza. Authorities in Kampala and their Kinshasa counterparts have in the past agreed to conduct joint operations by fisheries and security officials to prevent clashes and disagreements over fishing in the disputed area, which both countries claim ownership. Xu Qiushi from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU) performs during the show titled "Amazing Chinese Opera" at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo city of New York State, the United States, Nov. 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) By Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Ma Qian BUFFALO, the United States, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- It was a cold evening on Friday at Buffalo, the second largest city in the U.S. state of New York as the temperature dropped down to 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) after a day's heavy wet snow. Yet it was as in a warm Spring in the Slee Hall at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) as about two hundred audience applauded and shouted "Bravo!" time and again during the incredible show of the "Amazing Chinese Opera," featuring the U.S. and Chinese artists from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU). The event, sponsored by the UB Confucius Institute, was the closing event of the university's International Education Week, an annual initiative to celebrate and promote international education and exchange. Founded in 2009, the BU's CICO is the first such place in the U.S. to offer Chinese Opera lessons through cooperation with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing, while supplying tools and support for teaching Chinese language and culture. Carrie Feyerabend from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU) performs The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms during the show titled "Amazing Chinese Opera" at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo city of New York State, the United States, Nov. 16, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Barbara Krajewski, 60, a UB biological technician, was among the audience who watched the Peking Opera the first time and were wowed by the delicate makeup, exquisite costumes and headwear, tumbling and acrobatic movements of the opera performers including He Zichen, Xu qiushi, Ting Wang, Qi Zhang and Carrie Feyerabend, also assistant to the CICO director. "I have quite a few Chinese friends that I've worked with and they've introduced me to some kinds of Chinese cultural events. In fact one took me to Beijing during a vacation, so I'm just very fascinated and interested in the Chinese culture," Krajewski told Xinhua. "It was fabulous. It's wonderful. The colors, the costuming, the choreographing... it's all wonderful," said Pam Burns, 66, a nearby resident, "(It's) our first experience and won't be the last." "It was cool. I like it. It's very abstract. There's a lot of symbolism and I thought it was a very bright, like lots of dance fighters," said Joe Sinicki, who said himself a Chinese Opera fan. Sinicki said he liked the most the excerpt from the Money Tree, presented by Xu qiushi and Qi Zhang. The Peking Opera classic describes a love story between a fairy, Zhang Sijie and an ordinary person, Cui Wenrui. The Jade Emperor in Heaven sent Heavenly Generals down to the earth to punish her, but Zhang Sijie fights with them bravely. He also was impressed by the "Green Ripples in the Milky Way" performed by Yuming Zhang on Guzheng, which describes the scenes of the famous folktale "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid." When the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl meet across the Milky Way, the green ripples sing of their everlasting love. "Yeah, the cool instrument, I like it. I think just she did really good. I like the way she played with the strings. It needs a lot of circular motion on the strings and so just up and down. There goes more fluid than like guitar," Sinicki said. Another performance that attracted the audience was a Chinese bamboo flute piece Flying Partridges, one of the best-known flute pieces in China. The solo piece describes the desolate scenes after the demise of the Yue kingdom dating back over 2,000 years ago, as a flock of partridges flying across the sky and evokes in people a sense of longing for freedom. "The bamboo flute actually imitates the cries of different birds and you can hear as if the birds flying overhead into the faraway distance," said Chen Yuxiao, performer of bamboo flute music. "I hope the vivid melody could make the American audience get a closer touch of the Chinese ancient culture through music, an art form that goes beyond nation boundaries," she said. "It expanded my knowledge of it in the music. I love the music. I was not familiar with the flute at all... But you recognize the sound of the string, which is a hard type of instrument. But I loved the music. It was very relaxing," said Burns. Like many others, Sinicki was extremely amazed by Feyerabend's performance of an excerpt from another Peking Opera classic The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms, "She did pretty good. If I didn't see her, I think she was maybe a Chinese girl," he said. Feyerabend, who has studied Peking Opera in Beijing, also served the Master of the Ceremony for the event in English and perfect Mandarin. "As a musician and as someone who appreciates different culture and different religion, the Buddhist piece was just amazing to me," said Lori Burns, 53, another nearby resident. "The limited amount of knowledge that I know and to be able to see that, those kinds of details, the hand movements and the position of the body is very important to me. So that was awesome." Jenna Lenz, an employee of international student services in the office of international education UB, viewed the show as a window to have a glimpse at the Chinese culture. "It's obviously very unique to be able to come and see this. It's a really interesting experience obviously to see something that's so very different, especially from anything in Buffalo obviously," Lenz said. "For me, this is my first time seeing Chinese opera. So it was a great way to learn a little bit," she said. "The performers are clearly very, very talented and it's good to see something so unique and just really entertaining too. But it's a view of an obviously very different culture than what we're used to, so it's a very interesting way to celebrate difference and to see obviously different traditional dance and then instruments and singing. So even for people who aren't necessarily familiar with everything." The Burns also took the opportunity to let her children, who learned a little bit of Chinese and Chinese culture while they went to school in the state of Kentucky, to learn about the programs at the UB Confucius Institute. "We saw it on the Facebook. When we moved here and we saw that this was happening. We wanted to get involved in. We're really excited actually. Our youngest is a dancer and she particularly liked the ribbons and that sort of things. So she said that was pretty cool. So we were hoping that maybe the Confucius institute here will give her an opportunity to learn more, which is a great way for American young people exposure to different cultures. So this is really exciting," Burns said. The opera show was just one of the six programs celebrating Chinese culture contributed by the UB Confucius Institute to the week-long celebrations from Nov.12-16, said the institute's director Zhiqiang Liu. In 2018, nearly 5,000 students throughout the Buffalo area studied Chinese language in programs supported by the institute. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:43:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes the United States' commitment to support regional infrastructure and hopes the promise won't fail in practice, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Monday when commenting on U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's recent statement. In a speech during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held in Papua New Guinea, Pence said the United States would provide 60 billion U.S. dollars for regional infrastructure development, but Washington "does not offer a constricting belt or a one-way road." Some media said the statement was aimed at China. "We have noted the relevant remarks of the U.S. side and will not make unnecessary connections. But since the U.S. side has mentioned 'belt' and 'road,' I might as well respond with a few words," Geng said. The Belt and Road Initiative is an economic cooperation initiative and a public good provided by China to the international community. If it benefits unilaterally, there wouldn't be more than 140 countries and international organizations signing cooperation agreements with China, according to Geng. "The international community generally welcomes and supports the Belt and Road Initiative. There is no shortage of examples," he said. During recent meetings with the Chinese leader, leaders of Pacific island countries that have diplomatic relations with China expressed their hope to deepen practical cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Geng said. They also hoped the participation in the initiative will contribute to economic and social development in their countries, he added. Geng also cited the Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez as saying in an interview Sunday that the Belt and Road Initiative is transparent and provides win-win cooperation, and the Philippine side has joined on a voluntary basis. "For whatever purpose, the United States has committed to providing 60 billion dollars in infrastructure financing to support regional infrastructure development. It is a good thing to help the development of countries in the region. The Chinese side welcomes it," he said. "At the same time, we have noticed some discussions about whether the U.S. can deliver on its promises and whether it will fail in practice," he said. "We hope that such concerns will not become a reality." Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 00:53:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury announced on Monday that it has imposed sanctions on a Libyan militia leader, accusing him of sparking violence in Libya. The Treasury said in a statement that the designated Salah Badi was the leader of the Sumud Brigade militia, an armed group that has allegedly sparked violent clashes in the south of Libya's capital city of Tripoli. The U.S. State Department claimed in a separate statement released on the day that Badi has "played a critical role in undermining Libyan peace, security, and stability" since 2014. As a result of the designation, any property or interests in property of the individual designated within or transiting U.S. jurisdiction would be blocked. Additionally, U.S. persons were generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked person. Libya has been suffering from political division and unrest following the uprising of 2011 that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 01:18:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine may suspend its membership in the Interpol if a Russian candidate is elected president of the organization, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsene Avakov said on Monday. "Ukraine will consider suspending of its membership," Avakov wrote on Facebook. He said that the possible presidency of Russia in Interpol is "contrary to the spirit and goals of the organization". The Interpol, which is known as the International Criminal Police Organization, is set to elect its president on Nov. 21. According to local media, Russian major-general Alexander Prokopchuk, who is the Interpol vice president and head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol at the Russian Interior Ministry, is seen as a frontrunner at the election. Relations between Ukraine and Russia have deteriorated since early 2014 over Crimea and the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. The global organization incorporates nearly 200 countries, which work together to fight international crime. Ukraine became a member in 1992. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 01:53:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close ARUSHA, Tanzania, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Crime in the Tanzania's semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago, has decreased by 34 percent in the period between January and October this year, Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein said on Moday. Shein said made the remarks when Tanzania's Home Affairs minister Kangi Lugulo and other key officials paid a courtesy call at Zanzibar State House. The Zanzibar leader acknowledged the efforts by departments in the Home Affairs Ministry for the job well done, saying the ongoing efforts taken by security organs in the east African nation bore fruits of peace and harmony in the Isles. He also said that minor offenses also had decreased by 57 percent in the period between January and October, this year. According to Shein, strengthened safety measures and security in the Isles had enabled the residents to engage in their daily income generating activities without any worries. "Safety and security bodies including police, immigration as well as the national Identification Authority (NIDA) plays a very big role in the country's peace," he noted. Home Affairs Minister Lugola also assured Shein that the ministry will continue further initiatives and strategies to maintain the Isles's peace and security. He said that apart from the sharp decrease of crime and minor offenses, the anti-drugs war had also started to pay off in the Isles. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 02:18:58|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian prisons are less crowded now than they were a few years ago, daily newspaper Magyar Idok (Hungarian Times) reported on Monday, citing colonel Mihaly Kovacs, director of Incarceration at the Hungarian Prison Service. "Hungarian prisons are saturated and run at 123 percent capacity, but this number is significantly down from 143 percent in 2013," Kovacs told the newspaper. "The decrease has been achieved by the creation of new cells for 1,600 inmates in older buildings, and the creation of a new prison in Kiskunhalas (Central Hungary), able to accommodate another 470 person," Kovacs added. The Hungarian Prison Service is an armed law enforcement agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The Hungarian Prison Service carries out measures and sentences of imprisonment and criminal procedure enforcement measures and also executes confinements for fine defaulters and deals with law enforcement custody. A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-57 jet flies over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2018. (AP Photo) MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia has tested its newest fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday. "The flights were conducted to confirm the declared capabilities of the newest aircraft in a real combat situation," it said. The flight performance of the aircraft, its smart information and control complex, and operation of all onboard systems, including the weapon system, were checked in practice, it added. According to the ministry, Su-57 crews performed more than 10 flights in Syria, but it is not ascertained if the aircraft had participated in any combat operations. The superb maneuverability, the ability to perform supersonic flights, a modern onboard equipment complex and stealth-capabilities enable the Su-57 to overwhelm the enemy, the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 02:39:04|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday "strongly" criticized the United States for imposing new sanctions on Cuba. Such an action of the United States, which is implementing the policy of heightening pressure on Havana, created additional obstacles for the socio-economic development of Cuba in the context of ongoing reforms in the country, the ministry said in a statement. It recalled that the United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 1 almost unanimously adopted a non-binding resolution urging the United States to lift its embargo against Cuba. With the new sanctions, Washington is turning the overwhelming majority of the representatives of the world community even further away from itself, the Russian statement said. The U.S. State Department on Nov. 14 announced to add 26 tourism-related subentities, including 16 hotels owned by the Cuban military, into its sanction list by barring Americans from visiting them. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 02:39:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Monday denied reports that President Barham Salih is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf media reports that "Iraqi President proposed to mediate" after "Iran offered to negotiate with Saudi Arabia" are "absolutely untrue," Salih's office said in a statement. "We stress the need to take accurate information from reliable sources, which is in line with the professional charters of the media," the statement added. Earlier in the day, a separate statement by Salih's office said the Iraqi president arrived in the capital Baghdad after visiting neighboring countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia. Salih's regional tour starting on Nov. 11, the first of its kind since he took office on Oct. 2, also covered Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and aimed at boosting Iraq's relations with Middle Eastern countries. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (R) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Nov. 2, 2018. (AFP Photo) MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday "strongly" criticized the United States for imposing new sanctions on Cuba. Such an action of the United States, which is implementing the policy of heightening pressure on Havana, created additional obstacles for the socio-economic development of Cuba in the context of ongoing reforms in the country, the ministry said in a statement. It recalled that the United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 1 almost unanimously adopted a non-binding resolution urging the United States to lift its embargo against Cuba. With the new sanctions, Washington is turning the overwhelming majority of the representatives of the world community even further away from itself, the Russian statement said. The U.S. State Department on Nov. 14 announced to add 26 tourism-related subentities, including 16 hotels owned by the Cuban military, into its sanction list by barring Americans from visiting them. A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on Nov. 16, 2018. At least 14 Palestinians were shot and wounded on Friday by Israeli soldiers' gunfire in eastern Gaza Strip during the 34th weekly "Great March of Return," medics said. (Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Monday asked for immediate intra-Palestinian reconciliation following the latest round of violence in Gaza. "The clock on intra-Palestinian reconciliation is ticking," Mladenov told the Security Council. "I urge all parties to not waste time and engage in earnest and achieve visible progress in the coming six months." Intra-Palestinian reconciliation is in the interests of the Palestinian people. It is in the interests of peace. The success of international efforts in Gaza depends on the parties' willingness to confront the inevitable hurdles, withstand the internal political consequences, and stay committed to the reconciliation process over the long term, he noted. "If any side fails, every side fails," he said. The international community cannot stand idle and allow the division between the West Bank and Gaza, which are controlled respectively by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, to be further entrenched, said Mladenov. The Palestinian people are demanding that their leadership finally reunite Gaza and the West Bank and advance their goal of peacefully ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a viable Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions, he said. The recent days have witnessed another dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza that risked unleashing an armed conflict with catastrophic consequences for 2 million impoverished Palestinians, said the UN envoy. The escalation was triggered by an operation by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inside the Gaza Strip. In retaliation, militants in Gaza launched some 450 rockets and mortars at Israel. The IDF responded in turn with a series of airstrikes on 160 militant targets, killing seven Palestinians. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 03:39:18|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Guo Shengkun (L), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi) BUDAPEST, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security with Hungary, Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said here on Monday. Guo, also head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting separately with Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover and Hungarian Minister of Interior Sandor Pinter. During his meeting with Kover, Guo said that China is willing to further implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leadership, build up mutual political trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and enhance law enforcement and security cooperation with Hungary. In meeting with Pinter, Guo mentioned the Interior Minister's contributions to the development of high-level Sino-Hungarian relations and his respect and support of China's core interests and major concerns. Noting that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary, Guo told Pinter that he hopes the two countries can work together on the construction of the Belt and Road, advance the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries, and strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation. Both Kover and Pinter agreed that it is in both countries' interests to further enhance bilateral ties and deepen pragmatic cooperation. They said that Hungary supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Hungarian side is willing to improve communication and coordination with China. Hungary is also willing to strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation with China, and advance cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 03:49:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu on Monday called for international efforts to promote the resumption of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis. The international community and the Security Council must embrace an elevated sense of responsibility and urgency in launching a new round of efforts to promote peace, Ma told the Security Council. All parties that have important influence should play a constructive role in exploring new mediation mechanisms and in breaking the impasse, he said. The two-state solution is the fundamental way out of the conflict and the final status of Jerusalem is a key issue in the Middle East peace process, said Ma. The final status of Jerusalem is complex and sensitive and concerns the future of the two-state solution as well as regional peace and tranquillity, he said. All parties must be cautious in dealing with related issues and refrain from imposing solutions that may trigger new confrontation, he said. Ma expressed deep concern and distress at the recent escalation of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza. The use of force and attempts to stop violence with violence do not help solve problems, he said. "China calls on both sides to meet each other half-way, stop military actions and effectively promote the easing of tension." China is committed to advancing the Middle East peace process and supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people for restoring their legitimate national rights. China supports the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestine state on the basis of 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said. China will continue to work with all parties concerned to achieve peace in the Middle East, said the Chinese envoy. Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on Nov. 16, 2018. (Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu on Monday called for international efforts to promote the resumption of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis. The international community and the Security Council must embrace an elevated sense of responsibility and urgency in launching a new round of efforts to promote peace, Ma told the Security Council. All parties that have important influence should play a constructive role in exploring new mediation mechanisms and in breaking the impasse, he said. The two-state solution is the fundamental way out of the conflict and the final status of Jerusalem is a key issue in the Middle East peace process, said Ma. The final status of Jerusalem is complex and sensitive and concerns the future of the two-state solution as well as regional peace and tranquillity, he said. All parties must be cautious in dealing with related issues and refrain from imposing solutions that may trigger new confrontation, he said. Ma expressed deep concern and distress at the recent escalation of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza. The use of force and attempts to stop violence with violence do not help solve problems, he said. "China calls on both sides to meet each other half-way, stop military actions and effectively promote the easing of tension." China is committed to advancing the Middle East peace process and supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people for restoring their legitimate national rights. China supports the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestine state on the basis of 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, he said. China will continue to work with all parties concerned to achieve peace in the Middle East, said the Chinese envoy. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:14:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of Jordanian parliamentarians visited Syria on Monday, in an attempt to break the ice between the two governments for years. During the more than seven-year war in Syria, the relations between Jordan and Syria became strained, as the Syrian government accused Jordan of being a backer of the rebels active in southern Syria. An intelligence operation room run by anti-Syrian government powers was also said to have been created in Jordan to conduct anti-government operations in Syria. In 2014, Jordan expelled the Syrian ambassador, a move that further deteriorated the diplomatic relations. However, the progress by the Syrian army over the past two years, particularly its recapture of all southern region this year, has started to shift the positive tide toward the Syrian government. The military victory of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including the army's capture of the only border crossing of Nasib between Jordan and Syria, has apparently pushed Amman to restore relations with Damascus. Butros Murjan, a member of the Jordanian delegation, said he hopes "the visit would be a beginning for restoring trust between the two countries," as the visit holds "political dimensions," the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported. The delegation visited Syria to convey the word of the Jordanian people, as general opinion in Jordan differs from that of the government there, Murjan noted. During the meeting between the Jordanian delegation and President Assad, both highlighted the importance of activating the bilateral relations on all levels to achieve the interests of both peoples, state news agency SANA reported. According to the report, the delegation said the Jordanian people have largely sided with the Syrian people against foreign schemes. The two countries re-opened the Nasib Border Crossing late in September for the first time in years. The border crossing was closed in 2015 when the rebels took over the Nasib area and the crossing in the countryside of Daraa Province in southern Syria. The Syrian army re-captured Daraa and the border crossing in July after the rebels in the province surrendered and agreed to evacuate to northern Syria, mainly the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. Ahead of the crisis, the Nasib crossing was the busiest border crossing in Syria as it is situated on the Damascus-Amman international highway. The crossing is also considered one of the most important land crossings in the Middle East as it was the main crossing for Syrian exports to Jordan and the Gulf countries. The re-opening of the crossing has enabled the Jordanian people to visit Syria after years of war, which is considered the first step for normalizing relations between the two neighbors. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:14:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Political jostling continued in Westminster on Monday night as British Prime Minister Theresa May switched attention to "selling" her proposed Brexit agreement to the business world. May addressed 2,000 top business leaders at the annual conference in London of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Hours later May's opposite number in Westminster, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced the same audience. In Europe's mainland, trouble was brewing for the Brexit negotiations with media reports in London saying the Spanish government has threatened to reject May's Brexit deal over the issue of Gibraltar. The Spanish government wants last-minute changes be made to the text of the plan ahead of a crunch summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Sunday. Spain has said it wants clarity over the status of Gibraltar before it would support the Brexit agreement. The Independent in London said the Brexit withdrawal agreement has to be approved by qualified majority voting at the European Council this Sunday, meaning that if other countries add their voices of dissent to Spain's, the agreement could be in trouble. The report added that the EU has so far publicly stressed its unity in dealings with Britain, though it is understood that some other countries have problems with the future relationship proposals, fearing too many concessions may have been granted to May's government. The Independent said countries understood to have voiced concerns in private include Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands, who were annoyed that Britain has been given an EU customs union as part of a backstop arrangement without a formal agreement guaranteeing their retention of fishing rights in British waters. Downing Street on Monday night ruled out any kind of concessions,with a spokesperson saying: "The draft withdrawal agreement agreed last week covers Gibraltar. The prime minister has been clear that we will not exclude Gibraltar or the other overseas territories or the Crown dependencies from our negotiations on the future relationship. We will get a deal that works for the whole UK family." In Westminster, attention switched to whether the number of names needed to force a leadership challenge had been reached. Although more named were added to the list Monday, it appears the required number has yet to reach 48 from Conservative MPs expressing no confidence in May. In his speech to the CBI, Corbyn said Labour would vote against May's Brexit deal, adding his party would not countenance a no deal Brexit. Corbyn added: "If the government cannot get its central policy through parliament, then we will demand a general election. But if we cannot secure a general election, we have been clear that all options must remain on the table, including a public vote." In her speech to the CBI, May said she was not willing to reopen discussions with Brussels over the withdrawal agreement, adding she expected to hammer out a framework for a future trade relationship this week, before signing off the deal on Sunday at the EU council meeting when the 27 leaders gather in Brussels. After the speeches by the two political heavyweights, the CBI's Director General Carolyn Fairbairn gave her response, which indicated May came out on top. Fairbairn said the prime minister had opened the door for enterprise and government to work together and build a fairer and more competitive Britain. "Getting the right Brexit deal will dominate the coming weeks but we can't afford to lose sight of the domestic agenda. At the heart of that is people. We need a focus on jobs, skills and investment. "The prime minister has opened the door for enterprise and government to work together and build a fairer and more competitive UK," added Fairbairn. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:24:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Senior military leaders from Morocco and Britain discussed on Monday measures to strengthen bilateral military cooperation, the Moroccan army said. The discussion between Fathallah El Ouarrak, the Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), and John Lorimer, British Defense senior advisor in charge of the MENA region, focused on improving the two armies' interoperability through sharing experiences and expertise, according to a FAR statement. The military cooperation between the two countries is governed by a Framework Agreement signed in 1993 and a status-of-forces agreement inked in 2013, the statement noted. Bilateral activities are scheduled on the basis of an agenda defined by a joint commission held every year alternately in Rabat and London, it said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:24:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces on Monday called for strong collective action to tackle complex global juncture. "We need a strong collective action and global agreements" to deal with the complex global juncture marked by multiple crises ranging from poverty and inequality to the devasting effects of climate change or forced migration or the deepening of several conflicts in the world, terrorism, intolerance and hate, said Espinosa at the 8th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) on partnerships for prevention and sustaining peace. "To build those agreements, dialogue is the most powerful means," she said. The president also stressed the importance of "the mobilization of political willingness and political action." "As representative of the most representative and democratic multilateral forum, the General Assembly of the United Nations, I reiterate my commitment to facilitate dialogue and global action to prevent violence and conflicts and reach collective agreements for the benefit of humanity and the planet," she noted. Espinosa also urged attention be given to youth, noting that "young people are architects and agents of change." "Including young people in development policies and in peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities is fundamental to prevent conflicts or to achieve sustainable and lasting solutions," she said. The forum kicked off on Monday and will conclude on Tuesday. Nihal Saad, spokesperson for UNAOC high representative, told reporters Thursday that "UNAOC will bring together more than 1,000 participants to share knowledge and explore innovative ways of promoting inclusive approaches to conflict prevention as a pathway for sustaining peace." The forum, with the theme "#Commit2Dialogue: Partnerships for Prevention and Sustaining Peace," will also "serve as a catalyst for building meaningful partnerships that will help achieve that goal," said Saad. UNAOC was launched in 2005 as the political initiative of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan with the co-sponsorship of the governments of Spain and Turkey. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:44:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close SANAA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the sites of Houthi rebels on Monday night as clashes intensified on the outskirts of Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, according to local residents. A total of 12 airstrikes were launched on the 90th Street and July 7 neighborhood, as the rival forces traded heavy fire east of the 50th Street and al-Saleh quarter. The escalation came hours after the Yemeni government, backed by the coalition, and Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, announced peace initiatives to support peace efforts by the United Nations. The government said it would halt fighting and go for peace talks, while Houthis announced their intention to halt ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as a show of "good will" to support the UN peace efforts. Earlier in the day, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also expressed his support for Yemen's peace, Saudi-run Al Arabiya television reported. Hodeidah has been the focus of war as the government forces have been trying to capture it from the Houthis. Houthis remain in control of much parts of Hodeidah, including its port, which is the main entry for 80 percent of imports and aid to the war-torn country. On Friday, the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths told the Security Council that the Yemeni government and Houthis had pledged to attend peace talks. Griffiths said he hoped to convene the talks in Sweden before the end of this year and that he would visit Sanaa and Hodeidah in the next few days. Meanwhile, Britain asked the UN Security Council to impose an immediate humanitarian truce in Yemen to ensure the success of the UN envoy's efforts. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa. The four-year-long war has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million others and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:44:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN secretary-general's special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Monday welcomed the announcement of Houthi rebels to halt drone and missile attacks. "The SE (special envoy) welcomes AA's announcement to halt drone and missile strikes; hopes that all parties continue to exercise restraint, to create a conducive environment for convening the consultations," Griffiths' office tweeted, using the acronym of the rebel force's official name, Ansar Allah. Griffiths told the Security Council on Friday that he intended to reconvene the country's warring parties in Sweden, saying he had received firm assurance from the leadership of the parties to attend the meeting. Yemen has been in civil war in the past three years, pitting Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition to support the Hadi government. Houthi rebels had launched missiles at the allies from time to time. Griffiths intends to visit Sanaa, the rebel-held Yemeni capital, this week to finalize arrangements for the meeting in Sweden, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Monday. The special envoy also plans to visit Yemen's Hudaydah this week with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande to revisit a UN supervisory role and to draw attention to the continued need for a pause in the fighting, said the spokesman. TWEET ME DISCLAIMER *COMMENTS, LINKS, AND CUT AND PASTE ARTICLES, ARE NOT ALL ENDORSED BY THE PUBLISHER. THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed. MORE DISCLAIMERS This is a commercial free blog. Money is nice, but being able to speak my mind is better. "Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if youve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)" ~Philebrity~ "One of the most precocious and hilarious Black political minds on the net. Ive been a long-time fan!" ~Asad Malik~ "..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet." ~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~ "To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs." ~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~ ~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~ "That's why I love the blog " Field Negro " so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the ( CowPuckey ) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~ 411 On The Field field negro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Raised in the house, but field certified. Jamaica is the land of my birth, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. I currently practice law in the city of "brotherly love". View my complete profile "Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call the AfroSpear. Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslave and African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online." ~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~ "I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~ IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO FLAUNT IT. Come visit my store on CafePress! Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-20 05:54:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- As reductions in malaria cases have stalled after several years of decline globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are joining a new country-led response to scale up prevention, treatment and investment to protect vulnerable people from the deadly disease, the WHO said on Monday. In its latest World Malaria Report 2018, the WHO reveals a plateauing in numbers of people affected by malaria, from an estimated 217 million cases of malaria in 2016 to 219 million 2017. In comparison, the numbers were 214 million in 2015 and 239 million in 2010. In 2017, about 70 percent of all malaria cases, or 151 million, and deaths, or 274,000, were concentrated in 11 countries, of which 10 were in Africa with the rest being India. Some 3.5 million more malaria cases reported in the 10 African countries in 2017 compared to the previous year, while India, however, showed progress in reducing its disease burden. Despite the efforts in recent years, an estimated half of at-risk people in Africa are still not sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net, which has been the primary tool for preventing malaria. Also, fewer homes are being protected by indoor residual spraying than before, and access to preventive therapies that protect pregnant women and children from malaria remains too low. As a response, the WHO and partners are launching a new country-driven "High burden to high impact" plan to support nations with most malaria cases and deaths. It aims to galvanize national and global political attention to reduce malaria deaths; to enhance the use of information; to establish best global guidance, policies and strategies; and to implement a coordinated country response. The plan highlights domestic financing as key to success, as funding for the global response has shown a leveling off during the past years. To meet the 2030 targets of the global malaria strategy, malaria investments should reach at least 6.6 billion U.S. dollars annually by 2020, more than double the amount available today. The report highlights some positive progress. The number of countries nearing elimination continues to grow from 37 in 2010 to 46 in 2017, while China and El Salvador reported zero local transmission of malaria in 2017, which are perfect examples that intensive country-led control efforts can succeed in reducing the risk people face from the disease. The newly established Budapest Municipal Development Council will enhance the role of the citys mayor and the municipal council in making decisions concerning the capital citys development projects, the head of the Prime Ministers Office said on Saturday. The new body will be co-headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos, Gergely Gulyas told a press conference after the bodys founding session. The ten-member council, formed by central government and municipal council officials, will meet every 1-2 months and take decision on matters related to Budapests development, he said. Besides the prime minister, the government will be represented by the head of the Prime Ministers Office, the ministers in charge of innovation and development and national assets, as well as the state secretary for greater Budapest, Gulyas said. It will ensure the presence of a designated cabinet member on development projects requiring cabinet approval, he added. At its inaugural session, the council discussed matters concerning the suburban HEV railway and gave the go-ahead for planning a new Danube bridge called Galvani in the south of the city, Gulyas said. Related articles: PM Orban, Mayor Tarlos Sign Pact On Budapest Cooperation MTI Photo: Monus Marton Opposition Parbeszed has called on the Hungarian foreign minister to resign over the case of former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who is seeking asylum in Hungary, the partys spokesman said. The circumstances of Gruevskis arrival in Hungary have not been properly clarified since the affair came to light five days ago, Richard Barabas told a press conference held in front of the foreign ministry. He said it was unclear why the Hungarian government helped Gruevski flee his home country and has stopped short of extraditing the Macedonian politician to his home country so that he may start his prison term in line with domestic and international law. Under a 1969 decree, Hungary must extradite Gruevski, who is wanted on an international warrant, to Macedonia since he entered the country without a passport, said Barabas. Responsibility lies with the government, including the prime minister and the head of his office, he said. But it is the foreign minister who should resign since, according to press reports, members of Hungarian embassies in Tirana and Montenegro assisted Gruevski and were actively involved in brining Gruevski to Hungary, he added. The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said it plans to file a criminal complaint against the Hungarian prime minister for people smuggling and promotion of illegal border crossing. DK deputy leader Csaba Molnar told a press conference on Friday that Viktor Orbans government has been lying about the circumstances of Gruevskis flight to Hungary and pointed to Albanian press reports that Gruevski had left Albania in a car belonging to the Hungarian embassy in Tirana. The government is not only hiding a convicted criminal but has helped him illegally cross the border, Molnar insisted, demanding that the government disclose details of smuggling the criminal into Hungary and proposed that parliament should have the affair on its agenda next Monday. In response, ruling Fidesz called it natural that the Hungarian authorities made it possible for a peoples party politician threatened and persecuted by a left-wing government backed by George Soros to apply for asylum in Hungary. In some other Socialist-led EU countries, such as Malta, journalists are being murdered while in other countries Socialist governments are threatening their predecessors, Fidesz said in a statement. In line with Hungarys unbroken legal practice, all those that are in fact persecuted in their homeland are granted asylum. The Hungarian authorities are still assessing Gruevskis application and have still to make a decision, Fidesz said. Gruevski held office between 2006 and 2016. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this week after he failed to start a two-year prison sentence for corruption. He announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday that he was in Budapest and had asked the Hungarian authorities for political asylum. Related articles: PM's Office Confirms Gruevski Asylum Claim Former Macedonian PM Seeks Political Asylum In Hungary MTI Photo: KKM A protest to express solidarity with the Central European University, organised by the Momentum Movement, was held with over 1,000 participants in central Budapest on Friday. Independent lawmaker Bernadett Szel told the event that the government had a problem with the CEU because the university taught people to think independently instead of regurgitating ready-made answers. Those in power have named the Soros network as an enemy, yet such a network does not even exist, she said. Momentum Movement leader Andras Fekete-Gyor told the crowd that Prime Minister Viktor Orban uses the language of brute force and will run over everyone who stay silent. Fekete-Gyor asked leaders in higher education, health care and public education to join forces, and promised that Momentum would support them. Related articles: Video: Solidarity Demo For CEU In Budapest MTI Photo: Kovacs Tamas Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos on Saturday signed a pact on cooperation between the government and the capital city. A key provision of the pact is the establishment of the Budapest Municipal Development Council to be jointly headed by the PM and the mayor. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 145th anniversary of Budapests unification, Tarlos said the agreement would drive forward Budapests sources of funding. He insisted that Budapests elected mayor and the relevant public bodies would have an influence on the development of the capital more significant than at any time in the past seventy years. Budapest is part of Hungarian nation-building and is one of its important achievements, he said. Meanwhile, Tarlos and Deputy Mayor Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky handed out prizes for public service and outstanding sporting achievements at the ceremony. The Pro Urbe Budapest Award went to Sandor Deak, Deputy Director General of the Budapest Szabo Ervin Library, actress Eniko Eszenyi director of the Vigszinhaz, Jozsef Halzl, honorary chairman of the Rakoczi Association and Attila Vidnyanszky, director of the National Theatre, among others. Orban said Budapest stood at the gates of great progress and the next decade would be the most successful in the citys history. By 2030, Budapest will be among Europes most liveable cities and one of its safest, he said at the ceremony marking Budapest Day. Noting the agreement regarding the Budapest Municipal Development Council, he said joint work would have to be carried out with grit and determination. The prime minister noted the completion of various flagship projects in the capital such as the 4th metro line, the renovation of the Museum of Fine Arts, and sports-related developments such as the Danube Arena and new stadiums. He also mentioned ongoing reconstruction of the City Park, the Opera House, the Museum of Applied Arts and the refurbishment of Metro 3. The council will soon have to make a decision regarding construction of a new modern pentathlon centre and the restoration of historic buildings in the Buda Castle, Orban said. Also, construction of the new South-Buda central hospital will begin, he added. It is a huge task we are undertaking, Orban said, referring to developments planned up to 2030. Budapest must radiate dignity, pride and greatness, he added. Referring to the new arrangements, the green opposition LMP party said Budapest was being put under guardianship of the prime minister. LMP lawmaker Jozsef Gal told a news conference that the development council was a way of depriving the Budapest Metropolitan Assembly and the citys inhabitants of their right to decide what kind of city they wanted to live in. It would be better, he said, if people were asked about their desired direction of developments. The opposition Socialist Partys Csaba Horvath told journalists that Tarlos would be nothing more than a puppet. He censured the mayor for stating his unqualified support for Fidesz even if the government did not comply with the agreement. He said Budapest needed a genuine cooperation agreement to guarantee that the 20 billion forints Budapest taxpayers pay each day into the citys coffers would finance public utilities in the capital in a proportionate way. MTI Photo: Koszticsak Szilard The roof of a four-storey building in Budapests 6th district caught fire last Saturday afternoon, the Budapest Disaster Management Directorate confirmed, the building housed the offices of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK). The 400sqm roof structure of the building on the Terez Ring Road was in flames and around 40 firefighters with ten vehicles extinguished the fire. There were no reports of injuries, Peter Kolozsi, deputy spokesman of the Budapest Disaster Management Directorate told MTI. The cause of the fire will be investigated, he added. Earlier in the day an extractor fan in a restaurant kitchen located on the ground floor caught fire but this was extinguished by firefighters. It is not yet known whether the two fires are linked, Kolozsi said. Sandor Ronai, DKs spokesman, told MTI that the building houses the offices of DK parliamentary representatives and the partys foundation, and the fire affected the floor where these offices are located. He said DK had no information about the cause or the circumstances of the fire. There were no staff members in the offices at the time of the fire and we are not aware of any personal injuries. All of DKs offices were destroyed in the fire which affected the buildings 5th floor, he said. It has caused serious material damage but no personal injuries, Ronai added. MTI Photo: Mihadak Zoltan 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... Baia Mare: Furt surprins de jandarmi In cursul zilei de ieri, in jurul orelor 15:00 jandarmii din cadrul patrulei canine aflata in serviciu pe raza municipiului Baia Mare, in fata unui imobil de pe strada Vlad Tepes, au observat un tanar care avea in mana un cos pentru cumparaturi pe care era inscriptionat numele unui supermarket, in care se aflau mai multe bunuri. [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The leaders of Romanias Liberals (PNL) and their former USR ally said on Wednesday they are getting closer to rebuilding their majority ruling coalition, a first step toward ending a month-long political stalemate jeopardising reforms, according to Reuters. PNL led by Florin Citu cancelled a vote of - Vaccination of children in the 5-11-year age group will be "strongly recommended" for those who are registered with chronic diseases, head of Romania's National COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV) Valeriu Gheorghita said on Tuesday. He said that in mid-December the European - Romania has one of the "lowest" rates of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the European Union, stated, on Tuesday, in Glasgow, President Klaus Iohannis, who added that Romania is committing to increasing, in the future, the percentage of electrical energy coming from renewable sources. "We - Natural population growth in Romania remains negative, with minus 2,456 persons in August 2021 and minus 7,968 persons in August 2020, data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) show. According to INS, the number of live births was higher by 3,027, while the number - Prof.dr. Viorel Scripcariu, rectorul Universitatii de Medicina si Farmacie Grigore T. Popa" din Iasi, a fost reales, cu unanimitate de voturi, membru in Comitetul Executiv al Asociatiei Scolilor de Medicina Europene (Association of Medical Schools in Europe - AMSE). Adunarea Generala AMSE a avut loc, - Prime Minister Florin Citu considers that, during this period, political leaders should "totally dissociate" themselves from those who conduct anti-vaccination campaigns and considers that the protest that took place on Saturday was a "cynical one" ". "We also looked at yesterday's protest, - In the 27 member states of the European Union, 1.3 million people worked in sports last year, representing 0.7% of total employment, the lowest percentage of employees in this sector being in Romania, show the data published on Monday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Among member - Liceenii romani pot studia un an in SUA. S-a deschis aplicatia pentru Future Leaders Exchange Program FLEX 2022-2023. Conditii Ambasada Statelor Unite in Romania si American Councils for International Education (Consiliile Americane pentru Educatie Internationala) invita liceenii cu cetatenie romana For 41 years, Lou Caputo has been growing mushrooms in the Kennett Square area, where half of U.S. table mushrooms are produced in climate-controlled block sheds. Among the challenges that never go away: climate, bugs, labor supply and what Caputo calls unfair competition from Asia. "People are eating shiitake mushrooms that say 'Made in USA' that are only packaged here. They are spawned, frozen, and shipped in sawdust logs from China, and who here knows what's in them?" Caputo told me. Caputo is vertically integrated: He makes his own pressed-sawdust shiitake spawn logs from native red-oak sawdust and the threads the mushrooms use to reproduce. Each helmet-size log grows about two pounds of slender-stemmed, pungent, brown-capped shiitake mushrooms, retailing for about $10 a pound. As recently as 2016, Caputo's spawn company, KSS Sales, shipped 85,000 logs a week to other growers at $3.90 each. In the last two years, cheap competition from China, he says, has cut his production to 20,000 a week, mostly for use in his own growing houses, Kennett Square Specialties. The revenue loss works out to more than $10 million a year. He's still growing and selling mushrooms: "Fulton Bank has really stood by me." I asked Lori Harrison of Avondale-based American Mushroom Institute, an industry lobby, if rival growers were running any risk with imported logs. She sent me an AMI member report noting that China-made shiitake logs are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's import inspection service, which has authorized their use so long as the sawdust is sterilized. The imported logs should be labeled as made in China. But the department also says fresh mushrooms grown in the United States from Chinese spawn are domestic American produce a logic Caputo challenges. At least one other Kennett grower, Chris Alonzo, frustrated by Congress' failure to address the labor shortage, has taken steps to join the competition: He invested in a Chinese mushroom farm. (Alonzo says those mushrooms are for Asian consumption, not export to the U.S.) Caputo appears to have no intention of compromising with foreign competition. Given the Chinese government's widely reported subsidies and control of industry, Caputo assumes he's competing not just with smart operators, but with the official machinery of the most populous nation on Earth, which hopes to drive him out of business so its preferred vendors can take over the market and boost prices at will. It's not just mushrooms, Caputo insisted: Other Chinese food products are finding their way to U.S. packers and being sold to customers who don't realize their ultimate origin. This kind of thing has happened before, he added. In the 1980s, when mushrooms were a seasonal crop grown in winter, Caputo and his neighbor growers rallied against cheap imported canned mushrooms from Taiwan, China, and Macau. "Sen. John Heinz (R., Pa.) came to my farm on Cope Road," he said. In the end, the Kennett-area growers, underpriced, shut their canneries, bought refrigeration systems, and set up year-round production. Caputo and others then moved on from common white "button" Agaricus mushrooms to grow higher-margin "exotics," such as shiitake and oyster mushrooms; Caputo said his staff "invented" sliced portabellas, a giant brown meat-like Agaricus "and we built this company up." By trial and error in his own shiitake sheds, Caputo said he built himself "a corner on the market" for domestic shiitake logs and prospered for a time. He said the first cheaper Chinese imports, after weeks at sea, arrived decayed. But the China suppliers learned and improved: Frozen logs, priced cheap, offered what he acknowledges are a "simpler" growing process, quickly ate the market. "My fellow growers, who stood beside me against the 1980s and 1990s imports, are the same SOBs who are buying Chinese logs for economic purposes. They ran me out of that business," he complained. Caputo said he has appealed to Penn State's mushroom program, to Gov. Wolf's office, to the U.S. Department of Commerce, looking for ways to restore competitive balance. He's paid lawyers to pore over state and federal laws and find the basis for legal challenge. It's not all about Caputo's top-line sales, he insisted: "The worst is this misleading of the American public." Caputo's operation, with several locations around Kennett, includes his kids and nephews: "I'm one man here trying to save the jobs of my 200 employees who have 200 families in Pennsylvania." Many of the workers came from Mexico. Caputo is upset he can't get immigrant labor permits for more: "With all the jobs out there, people are picking and choosing what work they want, and there isn't enough labor force to go around." Imports, immigration aren't those Washington problems? "I'm a Trump supporter, but I keep waiting for him to do something for me," Caputo concluded. "He has put some tariffs on Chinese mushrooms. But he has not yet tariffed the growing medium, the logs. I hope the next round helps me there." SAP said Monday it had acquired Contextor SAS, Orsay, France, to help build its planned SAP Leonardo Machine Learning portfolio. The business-software giant, based in Germany, with U.S. headquarters in Newtown Square, won't say what it agreed to pay. Contextor, founded in 2000, builds software for desktop automation and robotic process automation (RPA) compatible with Microsoft and open-source Xen Project remote workstations. Contextor's products are used to simplify the process of deploying software across a company. SAP says Contextor "relieves business software users from performing repetitive tasks." Contextor's RPA platform "will be combined with SAP Cloud Platform and conversational AI technology and document processing capabilities provided by SAP Leonardo Machine Learning to deliver intelligent RPA, which SAP plans to include in key SAP solutions," SAP said in a statement. "With intelligent RPA accelerated by Contextor, businesses will be able to achieve the high automation level necessary to become intelligent enterprises," said Markus Noga, head of machine learning at SAP, in a statement. "The acquisition is a big step towards orchestrating process automation." SAP plans to automate half of all the business processes supported by its SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) software over the next three years. Last week, SAP announced plans to acquire Qualtrics, which produces corporate employee and customer analytics, for $8 billion. That was SAP's biggest acquisition to date as the company rushes to acquire new business applications under CEO William McDermott. "We believe in going after the market leader," when it's time to add new markets and major software platforms, said Arlen Shenkman, head of SAP's 150-member multinational investment banking group, which overseas about a dozen large acquisitions like the Qualtrics deal annually. By comparison, the Conextor deal, at a smaller scale, "is one of our tuck-ins, a technology deal." (Arlen Shenkman's name corrected 11/27/18) Carlos Ghosn, chairman of the alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, poses for a photograph on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23. Read more YOKOHAMA, Japan Nissan Motors said Monday that chairman Carlos Ghosn has been arrested and will be dismissed after the company uncovered "significant acts of misconduct," including underreporting his own salary and using company assets for his personal benefit. Ghosn is considered one of the car industry's top executives and is one of the most highly paid corporate bosses in Japan. He is widely credited with having saved Nissan from near-bankruptcy. He also serves as chairman and chief executive of France's Renault and chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. Ghosn is one of the few foreigners in such a senior position in Japan. He was born in Brazil, of Lebanese descent, and holds French citizenship. Nissan said it conducted an internal investigation for several months based on a report from a whistle-blower regarding misconduct by Ghosn and representative director Greg Kelly. The company shared its findings with public prosecutors for their own parallel investigation. "I am not in a position to talk about the progress of the investigation itself, but as a result of the investigation, we heard that the arrests have been made of the two gentlemen," CEO Hiroto Saikawa told a news conference in the company headquarters in Yokohama. Saikawa would said he would convene a meeting of the board on Thursday to remove Ghosn and Kelly. Nissan said its investigation showed numerous "significant acts of misconduct," including underreporting Ghosn's compensation to the Tokyo Stock Exchange of more than $40 million over five years. Nissan also said he used investment funds for personal gain and misused company expenses. Nissan said Kelly was deeply involved in the wrongdoing. Saikawa described both men as the masterminds of the alleged misconduct. Renault shares tumbled nearly 10 percent in Paris, while Nissan's German-listed securities fell by a similar amount. In New York, Nissan's shares fell 5.85 percent to close at $16.90. Ghosn, 64, began his career at tiremaker Michelin in France in 1976 before moving on to Renault in 1996. There he helped engineer a turnaround in the carmaker's fortunes that earned him the admiration of the business world but not of labor unions or leftist politicians, who resented his high salary while he presided over massive job losses in the wake of the global financial crisis. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO from 2001 until 2017, engineering a similar turnaround there and earning the nickname "Le Cost Cutter." Ghosn stepped down as Nissan CEO last year but remained chairman of the company. He became a star in the business world in Japan, appearing on magazine covers dressed in a kimono and even spawning a manga comic book on his life, although he also attracted more criticism there for his high salary. Ghosn was one of the first executives to champion electric cars, and he also developed a range of low-cost cars for emerging markets. In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosn's $8.5 million compensation for 2017. He also received the equivalent of more than $10 million in his final year as Nissan chief executive. The French government is a major shareholder in Renault. Amid mounting controversy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday that the government would not comment on the ongoing judicial investigation in Japan but has made inquiries with Renault about the company's management structure. In a late-night news conference lasting about 90 minutes, Nissan CEO Saikawa did little to hide his anger at Ghosn for letting the company down. "The concentration of power in one individual," as well as Ghosn's "long reign" at the automaking conglomerate, impacted operations and could have been factors in allowing the misconduct to take place, he said. "People who reported to Mr. Ghosn became limited in number," Saikawa said. As a result, instead of taking decisions based on a range of information and opinions, Ghosn "made decisions based on limited input in some cases." Saikawa also spent considerable time expressing his deep regret over the "bewilderment and anxiety" that the news has caused employees and stakeholders. "It's very difficult to express this in words," he said. "Beyond being sorry, I feel big disappointment and frustration and despair and indignation and resentment." In its statement, Nissan also deeply apologized for causing great concern to shareholders and stakeholders. "We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures," the company said. The news is the latest scandal to sully Nissan's brand. In July, it acknowledged that it had uncovered falsified emissions data from most of its factories in Japan; in 2017, the company acknowledged that unqualified personnel had conducted postproduction tests at some plants, forcing the recall of more than a million vehicles for reinspection. Although the company denied a direct link between the failure to carry out proper testing and its ongoing efforts to cut costs, chief competitive officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi acknowledged at the time that he "needed to reflect on whether there was an environment at Nissan in which anything could be tolerated if it led to cost-cutting." Tim Hubbard, assistant professor of management in the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, said Ghosn's arrest complicates a highly interconnected set of relationships between Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi Motors and could impact the equity stakes they have in each other. "This has widespread implications for a large portion of the auto industry, as these alliances have become more critical in the increasingly interconnected design, manufacturing, and support of auto customers worldwide," he said. "Ghosn's arrest is another unfortunate example of the perils of having too much power concentrated in one individual within and across corporations." One of the puzzles if the accusations are true was why Ghosn, with his wealth, would have wanted to defraud his own company. "It seems very shortsighted to me, when you have that much money, why you would want to nickel-and-dime the company and shareholders," said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond's law school. Tobias said that if the alleged transgressions had occurred in the United States, someone like Ghosn, who could afford the best legal counsel available, might have been able to strike a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time by paying a large fine. But he said it was far from clear whether this would be the case in Japan. Pennsylvania gaming regulators say Mike Giammarino is unsuitable to operate a restaurant in a casino because of alleged links to organized crime. Giammarino, shown here in 2013 in Gennaro's Tomato Pie in South Philadelphia, is fighting back. Read more Michael Giammarino says it wasn't his idea to open an offshoot of Lombardi's Pizza in Parx Casino in Bensalem. But two intermediaries said Parx was eager to host his famous New York restaurant, and a deal was struck. That was when his problems began. Law enforcement officials in late 2016 told gaming regulators that organized crime was attempting to get a toehold in Pennsylvania casinos via Lombardi's, which was founded in New York's Little Italy and claims to be America's oldest pizzeria. Last December, only weeks before Lombardi's was scheduled to open in Parx, investigators for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board moved to revoke Giammarino's 2016 permit. Investigators said he was unsuitable to be a gaming service provider "due to his associations with reputed organized crime members." Parx paid Giammarino $155,000 for his investment but dropped Lombardi's like a scalding slice. It opened the restaurant this year under the name Oliveto. But Giammarino did not go away. He had run a Lombardi's outlet on 18th Street near Rittenhouse Square until 2005, and had operated a South Philadelphia restaurant, Gennaro's Tomato Pie, until 2017. He wanted to clear his name. "Everybody's going to make the assumption that I'm mobbed up, and it's not true," he said in an interview. The 53-year-old restaurateur challenged the revocation. Giammarino said he barely knew the two intermediaries who recruited him a New York cannoli merchant who is an alleged associate of the Gambino crime family, and a South Philadelphia ex-convict best known as the victim of a Mafia hit man's electric drill. And Giammarino said he had no idea that the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, the agency overseeing the port, had named his stepfather, John Brescio, as a captain in the Genovese crime family. Brescio was the public face of Lombardi's in New York. "I just don't understand how all these people's misdeeds got basically tattooed on me," Giammarino said at an appearance last month before the gaming board, which is scheduled to rule on the revocation on Nov. 28. PGCB investigators portrayed Giammarino as a clear risk. "Everywhere our investigators looked in this matter, they found histories of drug trafficking and ties to organized crime," Michael Roland, a lawyer with the board's Office of Enforcement Counsel, said at the Oct. 31 hearing. Roland urged the gaming board to reject any casino supplier with even a whiff of organized crime connections. "We encourage the board to take a zero tolerance policy to any association with organized crime by any applicant or licensee," he said. Giammarino said the only black mark against him was a misdemeanor drug conviction when he was 20, which he disclosed in his gaming board application and for which he expressed remorse. He says his legal challenge is about restoring reputational damage. But the matter also ventures into uncharted territory for gaming regulators, who will be pressed to define more precisely what makes a person unsuitable to do business with a Pennsylvania casino. State law requires that the gaming board grant service-provider permits only to people of "good character, honesty and integrity" whose past activities or associations "do not pose a threat to the public interest or the effective regulation and control" of gaming. A hearing examiner in August sided with the pizza-shop owner, saying the gaming board's Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) had "failed to prove by a preponderance of evidence" that Giammarino's management firm, Sonic Services Inc., was unsuitable to provide casino services. "The problem with OEC's mafia infiltration narrative is that it begins with an allegation that is not supported by the record," the hearing examiner, Jay R. Lantzy, said in an August report to the gaming board. Rather than adopting the zero tolerance policy recommended by Pennsylvania investigators, Lantzy recommended following the guidance of New Jersey courts, which he said establish a more lenient standard of "fundamental fairness and due process" to determine the suitability of a licensee. Giammarino, in an interview last week, said the allegations against him were "ridiculous" and "totally without merit," and called investigators "very vindictive." "It's not what they think it is, but unfortunately they have a lot of time and money invested in this, and they're used to getting their way," he said. "Let's just hope the board sees it for what it is and does what I think is the right and just thing." By all accounts, Parx's courtship of the pizzeria owner was complicated and drawn out, and involved several intermediaries with colorful nicknames and shady histories. In 2014, the casino was looking to expand its food offerings, according to the hearing examiner's report. Five Parx officials, including Paul Greco, the current general manager, and Anthony Ricci, the chief executive of Greenwood Racing Inc., the casino's parent company, met with John DeLutro, the owner of a New York pastry shop, and Joseph DeSimone, a regular Parx patron. A Parx entourage later traveled to New York to visit DeLutro's pastry shop, Caffe Palermo, in Little Italy. Ricci said the cannolis were very good, according to testimony, and Parx officials decided they wanted DeLutro's shop at the casino. DeLutro, who is known as "Baby John," then walked the Parx contingent around the block to Lombardi's Pizza on Spring Street. John Brescio, who managed the store, gave them a tour and some pizza. The Parx emissaries were favorably impressed with Lombardi's. After departing New York, they asked DeLutro to explore whether the pizzeria would also set up shop in the casino. Giammarino rejected DeLutro's overtures. Parx officials, meanwhile, abandoned plans to do business with DeLutro after doing some research and discovering he had an extensive criminal history. Law enforcement officials called him an associate of the Gambino crime family. DeLutro did not respond to phone messages and emails. In 2015, Joseph DeSimone picked up where DeLutro left off and sought to connect the Lombardi's owner with Parx. DeSimone, 65, who was present during the initial Parx meeting with the pastry shop owner, approached Giammarino at his South Philadelphia restaurant, Gennaro's Tomato Pie. Giammarino said he had never met DeSimone before but was impressed that DeSimone immediately got a Parx official on the phone to set up a meeting. As talks between the pizza shop owner and Parx got underway, Giammarino said he made it clear that DeSimone was not a partner in the project, though he told Parx officials he might pay DeSimone a small finder's fee for making the introduction. They eventually signed a deal in 2016. Giammarino said he had no idea that DeSimone had a criminal history. DeSimone, interviewed at his South Philadelphia house last week, acknowledged that he had been aligned with Philadelphia mob boss John Stanfa in the early 1990s. DeSimone also occupies a small, uncredited role in local Mafia lore after John Veasey, a mob hit man, assaulted him with an electric drill. DeSimone was identified only as "Joe Fudge" in Veasey's dramatic 1995 courtroom testimony. DeSimone said he has gone straight since his 2005 release from prison for conspiracy, and he now makes a living from Social Security, odd jobs, and work as a "consultant," connecting parties in business deals. He says he is shopping a screenwriter's script to potential investors. The condition of his unheated, two-story, rented rowhouse, with a hole in the living room ceiling from leaking pipes, suggests he has not been entirely successful. DeSimone said that Giammarino is "100 percent legit," and that he introduced the pizza shop owner to Parx officials because he hoped to earn a commission, not because he was getting a foothold in the casino for the mob. He is still unhappy with Giammarino that he never got a finder's fee. Parx permanently banished DeSimone from the casino on Christmas Eve last year, three days after the gaming board moved to revoke Giammarino's permit. A Parx spokeswoman declined to comment. Lantzy, the hearing examiner, discounted Giammarino's associations with DeLutro and DeSimone. "If anything, the evidence established that Joseph DeSimone had associations with the general manager of the Parx as opposed to Michael Giammarino," he wrote. But he said Giammarino's relationship with his stepfather, John Brescio, was "more problematic." Brescio married Giammarino's mother, Joan Volpe, in 1996, when Giammarino was an adult, and the stepson said did not know his stepfather well. He had heard Brescio had done jail time it was for gambling, drug, and conspiracy offenses in the 1970s and 1980s but Brescio was not in trouble by the time he became his stepfather. The only public evidence connecting Brescio to organized crime was a May 2017 news release from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, which named Brescio as a captain in the Genovese crime family. Giammarino said it was the first time he had ever heard of an alleged mob association involving his stepfather. Brescio did not respond to requests for comment. Brescio, along with Volpe, restarted Lombardi's Pizza in the mid-1990s with the blessing of the Lombardi family after it had been out of business for more than a decade. Brescio presented himself as the owner in public and to the parade of celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, who stopped in to have a pie, though it was actually Brescio's wife who was the sole shareholder, according to gaming board testimony. When Volpe died without a will in 2011, ownership transferred to Brescio, her husband. Brescio transferred ownership through a trust to Giammarino in 2012 in accordance with Volpe's wishes that her son take ownership, according to the gaming board record. But Brescio maintained some legal ties to the trust, which the gaming board investigators cited as proof that the restaurant was associated with organized crime. Brescio renounced all legal claims on the restaurant this year. Gaming regulators maintained that Giammarino's associations were not innocent, but a concerted effort by the Mafia to get their hooks into Parx. But the hearing examiner wrote that based upon the evidence, he could not find that Giammarino's relationship with Brescio "was anything but innocent, a familial relationship brought about by virtue of John Brescio marrying Michael Giammarino's mother." Listening to Taps being played at the conclusion of services for their brother, Army Sgt. Karl R. Loesche, are (left) Richard Loesche, of Florida, and Marion Atkinson, of Bensalem, Pa.. Her great-grandaughter, Marin VanGilder, 8, is at her side. The remains of Sgt. Loesche, who perished in a POW camp in 1942, had been interred as unidentified in a military cemetery in the Philippines until a DNA match with his last two surviving siblings was made three months ago. Read more Army Staff Sgt. Karl R. Loesche a World War II casualty whose remains could not be identified for 76 years was buried with full military honors in a picturesque Salem County graveyard, not far from where he grew up. About 150 people, including members of a local VFW post and a delegation of motorcyclists from such organizations as the Rolling Thunder POW-MIA advocacy group, paid their respects at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Alloway Township, near Elmer. "We've buried many veterans, but this was a first he had been unidentified for so long," said Mark Adams, whose Adams Funeral Home in Elmer handled the arrangements. "We're glad for the family to have closure. But it's sad to think what they went through all these years, and what he went through." Loesche had just graduated from Woodstown High School when he took a bus to Camden in August 1939 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and died of dysentery in the Japanese POW camp at Cabanatuan on Nov. 16, 1942. He was 22. The young soldier was first buried in a common grave with seven other fallen American servicemen at Cabanatuan, and was later reinterred at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Loesche's remains were identified Sept. 13 after DNA analysis of his last surviving siblings, Marion Atkinson, 87, of Bensalem, and Richard Loesche, 90, of Ocala, Fla. "The church, the pastor, the whole community opened up to us so freely," Atkinson said after the Saturday funeral. She and other relatives had pursued identification and repatriation of the remains for many years. "The funeral was about my brother," Atkinson said. "But in all honesty, it was about what the Lord did for us. He made it possible for my brother Richard and I to have this day." Said Loesche, a retired Lutheran clergyman: "It was overwhelming a wonderful day. It was a way of thanking everybody, and thanking the Lord." The two siblings also had high praise for Aidan Peterson, 12, who played "Taps" at the graveside as he has done at 150 military funerals and events for the last four years throughout the region. "It was perfect," Loesche said. "I didn't even realize it was a boy playing it," said Atkinson, who insisted that Aidan take home a plate of desserts from the post-funeral reception at a local fire hall. "I couldn't help but give him a big hug. I was just amazed with him, and I wanted him to know how much our family appreciated what he did." An accomplished multi-instrumentalist from Ardmore, Aidan is a volunteer with Bugles Across America, an organization that provides trumpeters to play at the funerals of veterans. The seventh grader also is active with the Pennsylvania-based A Hero's Welcome; volunteers from that group also attended the funeral. "It was a great honor for me," Aidan said after the service. "The generation of World War II had the strength and courage to fight for their country. [Sgt. Loesche] went to war when he was fresh out of high school. It's hard to get that thought out of your head." Aidan, who also plays cello and piano, is supported by the Primavera Fund in Philadelphia. The organization helps exceptional students of limited means pay for lessons and attend music camps, said his mother, Amy Shumoski, an administrator at Harcum College. "He's played taps at so many funerals of veterans. But this one was different," she said. "Aidan told me, 'I'm fine, Mom,' and he played flawlessly. I was so proud of him." Wes Hughes, a Loesche family friend who lives in Cherry Hill, was impressed with Aidan's rendition of "Taps," and with the turnout at the funeral. "That slogan, 'Never forgotten'? It's for real," he said. "Even after 76 years." Said Atkinson: "I am so thankful that my brother is now at peace and at rest with my mother and father and my sister. "It definitely feels like he's home. This is where he belongs." Zac Oliver's parents raised $600,000 to fly him from from England to CHOP for T-cell therapy to treat his rare, aggressive leukemia. Read more A 4-year-old British boy battling leukemia has had a whirlwind visit to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to begin what his parents hope will be life-saving immunotherapy. Zac Oliver was diagnosed in May with an extremely aggressive subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in which immature white blood cells grow uncontrollably. British media have chronicled his parents' frantic campaign to crowd-fund more than $600,000 in barely three months to pay for treatment with Novartis' Kymriah, the revolutionary T-cell therapy pioneered at CHOP in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. Zac and his mother, Hannah Oliver-Willets, arrived in Philadelphia on Nov. 13. His father, Mark Garbett, arrived on Wednesday, the day that Zac's T cells were siphoned from his blood at CHOP. The T cells disease-fighting soldiers of the immune system will be genetically programmed to recognize and attack his leukemia cells, multiplied over the next four to six weeks, then returned to his bloodstream. The re-infusion typically triggers serious side effects that require intensive care, adding to the $475,000 cost of Kymriah. The family was scheduled to fly home to Broseley, a small town northwest of Birmingham, on Monday night, Garbett said during a phone interview early in the day. "They've taken the T cells," Garbett said. "Zac is doing well. We're returning to England and we'll come back in December or January. We're just waiting for the hospital to tell us when to return." Garbett, a heating contractor, separated from Oliver-Willets before Zac's birth but is closely involved in his son's life. Although Zac was terrified by the T-cell siphoning process, which required hooking him to a machine for five hours, he enjoyed a few outings in the city, including seeing a movie, Garbett said. "Philadelphia is not like any city in England," Garbett said. "Everyone is so friendly. They have made us feel so welcome. People here are so kind." In September, England's national health-care system announced a deal with Novartis to make Kymriah available to children who have relapsed and exhausted standard treatment options chemotherapy, radiation, and stem-cell transplants. That's the same as the approved protocol in the United States. But Zac's parents believe relapse would be a death sentence because of the vicious nature of his ultra-rare type of leukemia, called near haploid. Even though he has been on chemotherapy continuously since his May diagnosis, it has not eradicated the disease. CHOP agreed to treat him before relapse at a total cost of $604,000, according to his parents. Drew Kotler, 29, and Elana Baurer, 31, both of Philadelphia, were surprised by a $63 hospital charge for olive oil used as part of a medical procedure during Baurer's pregnancy. Read more Elana Baurer and her husband, Drew Kotler, have been bombarded with medical bills since their first child was born in August. In the pile of charges for ultrasounds, doctor's visits, and hospital equipment, one stood out: Olive oil, $63. The baby had been breech, curled feet-down in Baurer's belly. A few weeks before the expected due date, their midwife recommended a procedure so Baurer could give birth without a cesarean section. The doctor at Bryn Mawr Hospital used a drizzle of sweet oil, a derivative of olive oil, as a topical lubricant as she pressed on Baurer's stomach in an attempt to manually rotate the baby's position. "I would have brought my own," said Baurer, 31, of Philadelphia. "We certainly don't pay $63 for our own olive oil." Baurer's olive oil charge exposes a health-care reality hidden in plain sight: Massive markups. Usually it's hard to know what's a reasonable charge, because we rarely purchase services like an appendectomy or knee replacement. Olive oil is another thing entirely. At $63 an ounce, a liter would go for about $2,130. "You could buy the tanker for that," said Sal Auriemma, owner of Claudio Specialty Foods in Philadelphia's Italian Market. He's partial to a grassy-tasting extra virgin from Gonnelli 1585, family-farmed in Tuscany for more than 400 years. A liter costs $21.99 at Claudio's. The cost of a good olive oil depends on numerous factors, he said, but like health-care services, higher cost doesn't necessarily mean higher quality. None of which helps the new parents. "I don't agree that olive oil should be $63 [an ounce], and I'm sure we could prove it didn't cost $63, but you as a patient don't really have any say in it," said Kotler, 29. Medical guidelines state that babies positioned feet-first must be delivered by c-section, though it is widely thought that c-section rates are far too high in the United States. As hospitals look to reduce the number of elective c-sections, they're turning to a procedure called external cephalic version to rotate the baby, said Laura Hart, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist and an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services at Temple University. Lubricant applied to the mother's belly reduces friction, though not all doctors use it, she said. "Some people will use olive oil or baby oil, some will use ultrasound gel, cornstarch, some don't use anything. It's just in terms of how you were trained," Hart said. Any oil or gel used is typically packaged in a quantity specifically for that procedure. In other words, you won't find a liter of EVOO like the ones Auriemma sells. Baurer's doctor used a one-ounce, single-use bottle of sweet oil, a "hospital-grade, all-natural solution that lists olive oil as its primary component," Joseph Gobern, Main Line Health's chair of obstetrics and gynecology, said in a statement. Bryn Mawr Hospital is part of Main Line Health. "While sweet oil has benefits for our maternity patients, we are committed to evaluating and exploring more affordable alternatives that are equally effective," he said. Sweet oil, a home remedy for maladies such as earaches, is available over the counter. A four-ounce bottle retails for $3.94 on Amazon. Spring for the one with a dropper, and an ounce will cost about $7. But at a hospital, price tags reflect much more than the cost of the product itself. Salaries, equipment maintenance, new technology, and capital investments are factored into the price for every aspirin pill, heart valve and ounce of olive oil. Prices charged to private insurance plans also may be higher to help cover the costs of uninsured patients, and for the deeper discounts hospitals must give the Medicare and Medicaid programs, said Ron Peck, senior vice president and general counsel for the Phia Group, a health-care consulting firm in Boston. "This bottle of oil is less like a bottle of oil and more like a Trojan horse, with all these other costs piled inside," Peck said. But Baurer and Kotler can't even tell how much their insurance actually paid for the oil. It was itemized on a hospital statement, but in the explanation of benefits from Baurer's insurance plan, it was lumped into a $2,060 charge for "miscellaneous services" related to the external cephalic version. That charge, plus a $235 laboratory fee, was negotiated down to a total of $771, of which Baurer had to pay $154 out of pocket. But they marveled at the very idea of the $63 drizzle. "I thought it was just comical, and emblematic of what's wrong with our health-care system. It feels like it's fraudulent to price-gouge, but it's also unclear how much insurance paid for it," said Kotler, who is a physician. Even if their insurance didn't actually pay $63 for the oil, that full "chargemaster" price matters because these are the starting points for negotiations between hospitals and insurers, said Ge Bai, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School, who has studied hospital billing practices. The rates insurers agree to are factored into their projected costs for the year, which in turn affects the premiums, deductibles and co-pays consumers owe. "So ultimately who's footing the bill? Patients," Bai said. Baurer and Kotler plan to pay the bill for the external cephalic version, though it wasn't successful in moving the baby. Baurer ended up needing a c-section, which is more expensive than vaginal delivery and has a longer recovery time. They're still waiting for those bills. Taryn McNabb holds her 4-month-old son John, left, and 17-month-old daughter Madeleine, right, in Bryn Mawr, PA on May 24, 2018. Read more Madeleine James McNabb came into the world the day after Christmas 2016, bringing her parents 4 pounds, 12 ounces of joy and thousands of dollars in a medical bill they are still paying off. The Bryn Mawr family's insurance plan covered much of Madeleine and 31-year-old Taryn McNabb's costs, but not the $2,000 out-of-pocket responsibility the young family is meeting in $175 monthly installments. "Miracle babies" born very prematurely, or with problems requiring high-tech interventions, get much of the cost attention, with bills that can approach and exceed seven figures. But these days, even the routine birth of a healthy child to a woman who needs only a short time in the hospital can prove a financial surprise. As a greater share of all health-care costs shifts to consumers, new parents with already-limited savings are being saddled with medical debt just as they are facing the added cost of diapers, day care, and the many other needs of a new baby. No one with private health insurance expects to have a baby for free, and a few thousand dollars may not sound like much compared with the extraordinary costs that many patients face. But to young families, it can be a boulder at the starting line on the expensive path of parenthood. "It's almost like you're being punished for wanting a family," McNabb said. Routine prenatal care is covered in full under the Affordable Care Act, with no cost-sharing. But exactly which services count as "routine" can vary from one plan to the next, leaving new mothers with thousands of dollars in medical bills for ultrasounds, genetic testing, and other services they didn't realize would not be covered in full. And when it comes to the actual birth, young adults who may never before have faced major medical issues are learning what it means to have a high-deductible health plan spending thousands before any benefits start to kick in. "The high-deductible plans are not made for the level of expense that occurs for childbirth in this country," said Carol Sakala, director of childbirth connection programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families. Understanding your health plan is important, especially for people preparing for a major life and budget change such as a child. But it can be hard to figure out which services are covered without cost-sharing and which will lead to a bill. Some plans may pay for two or even three ultrasounds, while others cover just one in full. Genetic testing and other screens that doctors may order if there is a family history of a particular illness are often extra, too, said Katy B. Kozhimannil, an associate professor of health policy and management at University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. "It is so difficult to know in advance what you are on the hook for and what you're not on the hook for during pregnancy," she said. Rubina Tahir's pregnancy was considered high risk because of her age in the world of childbirth, 35 is deemed "advanced maternal age" and came with additional tests and procedures that weren't covered in full by her insurance. Tahir, 38, a chiropractor in Philadelphia, surpassed her plan's $2,000 deductible giving birth to her daughter, Viyana. And the expenses kept coming at such a clip that even when the plan started paying a portion of her costs, she also hit her $5,000 out-of-pocket maximum. That's money she might otherwise have put in a college fund. "It shouldn't have to be this much money to bring a child into the world," she said. "It's already hard enough." A perfect storm Forty percent of Americans don't have the savings to cover even $400 in unexpected expenses, according to a May 2018 report from the Federal Reserve. Try juggling a $1,000 deductible and additional co-insurance costs of a health plan getting a workout for the first time, leave from work, and buying baby gear. "It creates a perfect storm," said A. Mark Fendrick, director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan. Taylor DiMatteo, 26, and her husband found out she was pregnant shortly after returning home from their Hawaiian honeymoon. The trip followed a wedding they'd largely paid for themselves. After learning about the pregnancy, they bought a house right away, a twin tucked up a shady hill in Havertown, to raise their daughter in a nice neighborhood. DiMatteo didn't incur any prenatal expenses beyond what was covered in full by her health plan, but she and 4-month-old Aliyah still managed to rack up $2,500 in hospital bills when she was born in January. "Not that I didn't think having a baby was going to be expensive, but you get home from the hospital and you have no idea what you're doing," she said. "You're confused and exhausted and every day, still, you just get seven bills a day. It's almost terrifying." These unexpected costs can drastically alter the future that parents envisioned. When McNabb became pregnant again just four months after giving birth, she and her husband, Connor, knew they wouldn't be able to keep up with the medical bills on top of utilities, rent, student loans, credit card debt, and the cost of clothing and feeding two babies without help. So they moved from Pittsburgh to the Philadelphia area, where they live in a rental owned by Connor's parents, who live next door. The break on rent and utilities, plus next-door child care, are lifesavers now that the McNabbs have added to their monthly bills the payment plan to cover at least $1,000 in medical expenses from their son's birth in January. "No one should have to uproot their life to pay medical bills especially when you have insurance," McNabb said. "How does that even happen?" Planning ahead isnt easy Planning for this life-giving expense, perhaps by switching to a health plan with more robust coverage, is increasingly difficult. High deductibles have become near-ubiquitous in employer-sponsored health plans, where the vast majority of workers get health insurance. Just over half of employees now have a deductible of at least $1,000, up from 32 percent of workers in 2012, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as employers cope with rising health-care costs by shifting the burden to workers. "Fewer and fewer people have a choice," said J. Frank Wharam, an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Employers are moving toward those high-deductible plans so they can keep the premiums lower and, I suspect, taking away the choice of having a plan that has a lower deductible." And figuring out how much any given service will cost important details to people with high-deductible plans can be nearly impossible, even for people such as Tahir, who has years of experience dealing with insurers through her private practice. She called her insurer before each blood test, ultrasound, and scan to see whether it would be covered and, if not, how much she would owe. It was almost impossible, she said. "It's like this cat-and-mouse game," said Julie E. Cristol, clinical director of Lifecycle WomanCare in Philadelphia, of efforts such as Tahir's. "We have people to a greater extent than I ever remember making decisions about, 'Should I have this test? Should I not have it?'" >>READ MORE: The high cost of getting a good night's sleep Another complication: More plans have "narrow networks" of providers that can be seen at a discounted rate. So consumers need to be careful that everyone they see is in-network. Dana Mincer, a medical resident at Lower Bucks Hospital who is now pregnant with her second child, doesn't have that option. All Mincer's doctors will be considered out of network, because her employer's self-funded plan has no in-network obstetrician within an hour's drive of her home in Glenside, Montgomery County. And none of the three Philadelphia-area hospitals in the plan delivers babies. She found out she was pregnant in November, a month after enrolling in the plan, and tried to switch to a plan that might offer better coverage. Mincer remembered that certain life events, such as marriage, a job change, or the birth of a baby, qualify people to switch their health plan before the year is up, so she asked. The answer felt like a slap in the face. "Apparently," Mincer said, "pregnancy is not considered a life-changing event." By the numbers $12,772 Pennsylvania average charge (including facility and doctor fees) for vaginal delivery in Pennsylvania in 2017 $17,677 New Jersey average charge for vaginal delivery in 2017 $12,290 National average charge for vaginal delivery in 2017 $18,486 Pennsylvania average charge for C-section in 2017 $24,941 New Jersey average charge for C-section in 2017 $16,907 National average charge for C-section in 2017 $11,450-$16,000 estimated annual cost to raise a 2-year-old in 2015 $233,610 estimated cost to raise a child through age 17 in a two-child, married-couple, middle-income household in 2015 Source: FAIR Health, United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Share your own experience and what you paid at Philly Price Check or by emailing healthcosts@philly.com. Or leave a voicemail message at 215-854-2500 describing the billing issue you would like to share. (From left to right) Johnny Bobbitt, Kate McClure, and Mark D'Amico are facing charges in an alleged GoFundMe scam. Read more Kate McClure, accused of creating a fake GoFundMe account to help a homeless man that went viral and amassed more than $400,000, secretly recorded phone conversations with her then-boyfriend and insisted that he was the one who concocted the scam. "You started the whole thing. You did everything," McClure told Mark D'Amico in an exchange she recorded in September that her lawyer played Monday on Good Morning America. In the recording about the bogus campaign to aid Johnny Bobbitt Jr., McClure is heard saying, "I had no part in any of this, and I'm the one taking the fall." McClure and D'Amico, along with Bobbitt, were charged last week with theft by deception and conspiracy after the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced that the fund-raising campaign they started in November 2017 was based on a lie. Prosecutors say the three conspired to tug at the heartstrings of the public and duped more than 14,000 donors worldwide. The three made up a story that McClure ran out of gas on I-95 as she was on her way into Philadelphia, and Bobbitt, who was living on the streets nearby, came to her rescue, using his last $20 to get her on her way, prosecutors said. McClure and D'Amico set up the GoFundMe campaign, which they said was designed to repay Bobbitt's kindness. They told donors they wanted to buy him a house and raise money to ensure his financial stability. McClure, D'Amico, and Bobbitt made national television appearances to tell their feel-good story. The response was overwhelming, and they quickly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. By March, the money was gone spent, prosecutors say, on vacations, a BMW, gambling excursions, and designer handbags. All along, Bobbitt was in on the deal, authorities said, spending tens of thousands of dollars himself. Some of it, he later admitted, was spent on drugs. At one point, authorities said, he made cash withdrawals of more than $23,000 within about three months, mostly in the Philadelphia neighborhood where he had been living while homeless. The couple's relationship with Bobbitt soon soured and by the summer, they had stopped giving him money. Bobbitt, a veteran who struggles with a heroin addiction, was back on the street, panhandling for money and drugs. In anger at being denied what he considered his fair share of the GoFundMe money, Bobbitt sued, alleging he was scammed. Prosecutors launched an investigation that led to the criminal charges. The three now face the prospect of five to 10 years in jail if convicted. McClure and D'Amico were briefly in custody, then released to await a Dec. 24 court hearing. Bobbitt is in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, awaiting extradition to New Jersey. GoFundMe has said it will refund all of the money donors contributed. McClure and D'Amico, who lived together in Florence Township, Burlington County, have split up. The recording played Monday on Good Morning America, laced with anger and curses, shows the couple's deteriorating relationship. It was made days after the Inquirer and Daily News reported that Bobbitt, who had been living in a trailer near the couple's home in rural Burlington County, was again homeless and accusing McClure and D'Amico of squandering the money donors had contributed to help him. Monday's television appearance by McClure's attorney, James Gerrow, may signal her intention to mount a vigorous defense. Gerrow has said D'Amico was the mastermind of the scheme and McClure an unwitting accomplice. "Kate thought she was helping a veteran who was homeless," Gerrow told Good Morning America. "Mr. D'Amico was the one behind this and he was calling all the shots. She didn't understand or appreciate the fact that this may very well be a crime." Efforts to reach Gerrow were unsuccessful Monday. Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, declined to comment. Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina has said investigators have a trove of text messages that make clear McClure conspired with D'Amico and Bobbitt to devise the false narrative and steal from unsuspecting donors. In one text message, made public last week, McClure admitted to her best friend that at least part of the story the trio told the public was untrue. "Okay so wait the gas part is completely made up," she wrote in the message, which was included in an affidavit of probable cause for her arrest. "I had to make something up to make people feel bad So, shush about the made up part." Text messages obtained by prosecutors show that McClure's friend and even McClure's mother told her the scheme could get her in trouble. "My mom just called me and said that people go to jail for scamming others out of money," McClure said in a text to her friend on Nov. 14, 2017. "This gas story is gonna backfire," the friend wrote in a text to McClure the following day. "Nah, it's all good," McClure replied. Months later, in March, the friend again warned McClure that she could be in legal jeopardy and suggested she donate the balance of the stolen funds. "I'll be keeping the rest of the money, [expletive] you very much," McClure replied. Presciently, the friend said: "He could out you." Sun Peng, center right, and Di Ying walk from the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on Monday, after their son An-Tso Sun, a Taiwanese exchange student accused of threatening to "shoot up" his high school near Philadelphia has been spared additional time in prison. Read more The son of a Taiwanese celebrity couple will be released from federal custody and deported, nine months after he threatened to carry out a shooting at the Delaware County high school where he was studying as a foreign exchange student. During a hearing Monday in federal court in Philadelphia, An-Tso "Edward" Sun 18-year-old son of the actors Peng Sun and Di Ying described his March threat to attack Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill as an immature joke and said he never had any intention of acting upon it. He apologized for the trouble he had caused his parents, the United States, and his native country. But U.S. District Judge Nitza Quinones-Alejandro interrupted. "The word is not trouble for what you've brought to your family," she said. "You have brought them shame, which is an even higher offense." The "time served" sentence Quinones-Alejandro eventually imposed with stipulations for the younger Sun's voluntary and immediate deportation brought to an end a legal drama that has received only moderate attention in this country but has driven sensational, front-page headlines in the island nation for months. Since his arrest earlier this year, Tawianese news outlets have tracked Sun's parents as they put their film careers on hold and decamped nearly full-time to the United States to be closer to their son at the federal detention center in Philadelphia. Some even reported that the couple had placed homes worth millions of dollars on the market to fund his defense. Each of Sun's court appearances first to plead guilty in June to state counts of making terroristic threats in Delaware County, then in August to do the same for federal ammunition possession charges have attracted a reliable crowd of paparazzi and television news crews from overseas. Up until Monday, his parents had stayed away from court, fearing that their presence might cause a distraction, his lawyer Robert Keller said. "The Taiwanese press has been all over this," he said. "The entire country knows what he's done." Peng Sun, who has starred in more than a dozen movies, pleaded Monday for mercy for his son. Addressing the court while dressed in a dark suit and tie, he described the strain that concern over his son's fate had placed on his career. "My job is to entertain the public," he said through an interpreter. "Even when I go to work, I cannot perform the best." Other friends described the younger Sun as naive and sheltered, brought up in his parents' world of celebrity excess. He came to the United States as a foreign exchange student in 2017, they said, and was set to attend Temple University this fall to pursue a dream of becoming a forensic scientist. Yet within months of his arrival, Sun began visiting gun ranges, where he fired assault rifles and semiautomatic weapons and began stockpiling ammunition, which is illegal for foreign visitors to purchase in the United States. On Monday, Keller described his client's fascination with guns as that of a sportsman. But when Sun told a classmate not to show up to class one day in March because he intended to "shoot up" the school a comment he immediately dismissed as a joke school officials were in no mood to laugh. The threat came just a month after a gunman killed 17 students and staff and injured others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Bonner-Prendergast officials contacted authorities, and investigators later discovered 1,600 rounds of ammunition, several weapons, a military-style ballistic vest, and a high-powered crossbow in Sun's bedroom at his host family's house in Lansdowne. On his school-issued iPad, investigators discovered searches for how to buy an AK-47 or an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. "It is impossible to know whether the defendant intended to carry out that horrific threat [but] simply by making it, [he] instilled tremendous fear in the minds of other student[s]," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wolfe last week argued in court papers, seeking up to an additional 21 months of prison time. Quinones-Alejandro rebuffed that request Monday. But as she prepared to send Sun and his family back home to Taiwan, she paused to address his parents, seated together in the court's second row, holding hands. "Once your son is released, I want you to make sure your son grows up and becomes a mature person," she said. "You can't continue to shelter him." Former Police Officers Matthew Walsh (upper left) and Marvin Jones had charges dismissed against them by a judge. Read more A Philadelphia judge on Monday dismissed all charges against two former police officers who were arrested and charged in September with illegally detaining a man in East Mount Airy five months earlier. Municipal Court Judge Thomas Gehret dismissed the charges against former Philadelphia Officers Matthew Walsh, 30, and Marvin Jones, 48, after a preliminary hearing. They had been charged with tampering with the public record a third-degree felony and misdemeanor counts of obstructing the administration of law, false imprisonment, official oppression, and conspiracy. The alleged victim, Jordan Elijah, 26, of West Mount Airy, testified that about 10 a.m. April 17, he stepped into a grocery store on Sharpnack Street near Ross Street to order something to eat when Walsh grabbed him from the back of his belt and told him to walk out of the store. He said Walsh and his partner, Jones, then searched him outside the store, put him in the back of their police SUV, and went to search his black Chevrolet Tahoe, which was parked across the street. The officers then returned to their vehicle and drove off with him, handcuffed in the back seat, Elijah testified. He said he asked the officers if he was under arrest, and that they replied that he was not. About a block north on Ross Street, he said, the police vehicle stopped and Walsh let him out. Elijah testified that the officers had taken four oxycodone pills from a bag of pills in his possession. He contended that the officers harassed him and illegally detained and searched him. He said he went to the 14th District afterward and complained about being detained and about his missing pills. Walsh's attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., argued that the officers questioned and frisked Elijah because they knew him Walsh had previously arrested him in a drug-and-gun case and suspected him of having illegal drugs. He contended that the officers searched the Tahoe after Elijah said he had a prescription for his pills inside. He contended that the officers found the prescription, but decided to drive the police vehicle, with Elijah in it, away from the scene for about a block to allow a UPS vehicle to pass on the street. Perri and attorney Bill Davis, who represented Jones, contended that the officers didn't steal any of Elijah's pills. Elijah testified under cross-examination by Perri that the officers did not find his oxycodone prescription in his Tahoe that morning. (He told a reporter after the hearing that he used the pills for pain, and had later shown his prescription to the police Internal Affairs Division, which was investigating his complaint.) Perri contended that the officers had a right to stop and frisk Elijah and contended that they eventually let him go after realizing he had a prescription for the pills in his Tahoe. The officers shouldn't have been arrested and charged, he argued. "Are we going to lock up every cop every time there's a bad search?" Perri said before the judge. "We shouldn't. This has got to stop." Assistant District Attorney Tracy Tripp argued that the officers had committed "official oppression" by keeping Elijah handcuffed in the police vehicle for 20 minutes and then "cruising" with him for about a block before letting him go. "They're disrespectful," she said. Of the prior arrest of Elijah by Walsh, Tripp told the judge that Elijah had a legal permit to carry a gun at that time and that the drug charges against him were eventually dismissed after the drug evidence against him was suppressed following a court hearing. She said after Monday's hearing that she disagreed with the judge's ruling and planned to refile the charges against Walsh and Jones. Lt. Brian Hartzell of Internal Affairs testified that police did not find Elijah's alleged missing pills in the officers' vehicle or lockers. He said Walsh and Jones, in their documentation for stopping and frisking Elijah, said they observed him in a high-crime area known for drugs, but wrote on their document that no evidence of contraband was recovered from Elijah. Walsh and Jones were fired from the Police Department after their arrests. Perri said after the hearing that they hope to get their jobs back. (This story has been updated with a comment from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.) In 2013, a cure for hepatitis C a chronic viral infection that, if untreated, can lead to fatal liver disease was brought to market. But who would get the $100,000 lifesaving treatment? That's been a subject of political and legal battles ever since. In May 2017, the Wolf administration announced that Pennsylvania would expand Medicaid coverage of the treatment to anyone with hepatitis C, instead of treating only those with signs of liver damage. Now, through a legal settlement filed for approval Monday in federal court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, approximately 5,000 incarcerated Pennsylvanians who have hepatitis C would also have access to direct-acting antiviral drugs, which are effective in about 95 percent of cases. "We believe that this settlement, if approved by the court, will be a landmark in medical care in our state prisons and will greatly advance public health in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania [Department of Corrections] has taken an important step in health care that puts them at the forefront of care for people with chronic hep C," said David Rudovsky, a Philadelphia civil-rights lawyer who filed the lawsuit with the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project and the Dechert law firm. It will, in fact, make access to hepatitis C treatment in Pennsylvania prisons better than what's available to those on Medicaid in some states. Treatment, which will begin with the most advanced cases, will extend to everyone with hepatitis C in prison by June 30, 2022, under the agreement. It's the result of a four-year-long class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of plaintiffs including Salvatore Chimenti, whose disease had evolved into stage-four cirrhosis of the liver, along with a slew of other health problems, but who was denied the hepatitis C treatment for more than two years. He and others alleged that the prisons had violated their rights under the Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. In July 2018, Judge John Padova issued a memorandum indicating he believed the prisons were legally required to provide treatment. "He almost immediately said, if somebody's sick, they've got to get treated. That's what the law required," said Angus Love of the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project. The settlement also was probably helped along by a drastic drop in the price of the medication, which now costs the Department of Corrections about $20,000 per course of treatment. Amy Worden, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, said the department had acted ahead of the settlement to treat some of the most seriously ill prisoners. "Providing quality health care to all inmates is a priority for the Department of Corrections," she said in an email. The department budgeted $13.2 million in its 2018-19 fiscal year for treatment, she said; 650 prisoners with advanced liver damage have already received the drug, and 105 more are now undergoing treatment. The department this year also partnered with Temple University to provide treatment and follow-up care after release. Chimenti, 66, who received treatment in 2016, said he's not feeling any better as a result: "I was too far gone." He said that unless he gets a liver transplant, which he doesn't expect to receive while incarcerated, he'll die. Chimenti, of Philadelphia, is serving a life sentence at the Chester state prison for a 1982 murder. But for others, he said, "it's going to be fabulous. A lot of people have been asking to get treatment, and they keep telling them, 'Your liver is not that bad yet.'" Dr. Stacey B. Trooskin, director of the Viral Hepatitis Program at Philadelphia FIGHT and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's medical school, said that until now, access to treatment in Pennsylvania prisons as in many other prison systems around the country has been substandard. The guidelines put forward by medical associations are clear, she said: "Everybody deserves a cure. If you have a chronic hepatitis C infection and you're going to live longer than one year you should be treated." She said effects of the disease include everything from diabetes to skin manifestations, depression, and fatigue. Over time, a person's liver can become covered with scar tissue, reducing its ability to function and increasing risk for cancer. Moreover, given the high prevalence of the disease in jail and prison populations an estimated 30,000 Philadelphians reenter the community each year from institutions she said treating them is a public-health opportunity and an essential part of an ongoing effort to stop the spread of hepatitis C in the city. "We have to be looking to treating individuals who are incarcerated," she said. "If we're really going to be talking about eliminating hepatitis C from our community, it is a critical piece of it." The rate of infection nationwide hit a 15-year high, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last May, as a result of the rise in intravenous drug use. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection that can be spread by sharing needles. According to Mandy Altman, program manager for the National Hepatitis Corrections Network, a project of the Seattle-based Hepatitis Education Project, prevalence of the infection in prisons is estimated to be around 17 percent, compared with less than 2 percent of the U.S. population. But many states don't test inmates at all, likely because they aren't offering treatment. That's changing, though: "Some places are taking steps to get it done as the price has come down, and at the same time there are a lot of lawsuits and advocacy efforts happening," Altman said. Massachusetts agreed in March to provide treatment to inmates with advanced disease, and a Florida judge ordered treatment for many sick prisoners there as well. California passed a budget this year to allocate $106 million to treat 22,000 prisoners with the disease. Altman said it's estimated that 30 percent of those who have hepatitis C pass through a prison or jail each year. "The World Health Organization goal is to eliminate hepatitis by 2030," Altman said. "The only way you can do that is to treat correctional populations." Attendees and trainers at the third session of the Immigrant Workers Academy organized by the City of Philadelphia in Kensington on Friday. Symbol Lai, the city official who founded the academy, is at far left. Read more Hey, the police officer says. What's your name? Show me your ID. Carlos Trinidad freezes. He looks around, unsure of his next move. Trinidad, a 40-year-old Mexican construction worker who lives in North Philly, and the officer actually an organizer with the union Unite Here aren't out in the street on this cold Friday night. They're in the community center of St. Joan of Arc Church in Kensington, role-playing for a small audience, to go over their rights in case of a run-in with the cops or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It's the third session of the City of Philadelphia's Immigrant Workers Academy, launched in May to empower and educate immigrants about their rights on the job. Immigrant workers, especially those who are undocumented, are among the most vulnerable in Philadelphia, subject to wage theft, informal work arrangements, and unsafe conditions, as well as the fear that ICE might come for them if they speak out of turn. Philadelphia is home to the most aggressive ICE office in the country. And the work of immigrants is largely invisible, said Symbol Lai, deputy director of the city's Office of Immigrant Affairs, who started the academy. Much of the resources and attention for the foreign-born population goes toward entrepreneurs, but not all can afford to start their own business. The academy, she said, is a way of saying: "Your experience as a worker exists." Earlier sessions of the academy, hosted in Southwest Philly and Oxford Circle, featured workshops on sexual harassment, how to advocate for yourself, and what to expect in the workplace. But Friday's training, on the recommendation of one of the members of the Philadelphia Workers Association, a construction worker cooperative owned by Latino immigrants, was the first that was focused exclusively on interacting with law enforcement, as well as the first that was conducted entirely in Spanish. (The first two had interpreters, translating the sessions into languages like Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Arabic.) These kinds of know-your-rights trainings which Unite Here organizer Emiliano Rodriguez said have also been hosted by immigrant advocacy organizations like Juntos and New Sanctuary Movement, and labor groups like the Philadelphia AFL-CIO have become more prevalent since President Trump's election. Among the guidelines that trainers from Unite Here and Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition gave was: Ask if you're being arrested, and if you're not, ask to leave. And: In Pennsylvania, you're legally required to give your name but other than that, you're under no obligation to speak. A packet prepared by the city for attendees showed an example of what a proper court order looks like, vs. other paperwork from ICE that doesn't require you to let a law enforcement officer into the house. Philadelphia, whose leaders have fiercely defended its "sanctuary city" status, is following the lead of other city and state governments who have taken steps to educate and protect immigrants in what are also known as anti-deportation trainings: New York hosted a series throughout the state, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo described as a response to the federal government's efforts to "roll back rights of immigrants." Los Angeles County designed a pocket-size know-your-rights card for immigrants, featuring a list of legal resources and statements to use when interacting with law enforcement. >> READ MORE: No sanctuary: In Philadelphia, it's open season on undocumented immigrants Lai disputed that this is a controversial idea: It's essentially a class on constitutional rights. "This is what you're entitled to as a human living in the United States," she said. The city partners with community organizations on each session, in part to drive turnout. But Ricardo of the Philadelphia Workers Association, who helped put on the event, said it was hard to get people to come because of their distrust of the city and ICE. The flier for the event used the word immigrant multiple times, which he thinks many people associate with ICE. Six people came to the training Friday. Lai agreed that it was especially difficult to get attendees because the subject matter was so sensitive. Despite the low turnout, attendees were deeply engaged, asking questions about how their rights would differ if they crossed state lines and if they're legally required to carry ID (they're not). Mary, a 42-year-old mother of two from Mexico who did not want to share her last name, said the training would help her prepare her young children. "There is no one more important to a child than their parents," she said in Spanish, "and for those of us raising our kids here, this helps us tell them what our circumstances might look like as a family if we encounter any situation with law enforcement." The next academy, with the Garces Foundation, will be held in South Philadelphia in the spring. Khalil Bryant holds a clipboard as he encourages students to pledge to vote on Election Day. Read more Brendan Stec, 22, who has voted in past elections, decided to sit out the 2018 midterms. The Drexel University senior said he wasn't motivated to vote, and, besides, he had other things on his plate such as trying to find a job after college. "I feel disconnected to the widening polarity of the political world in America," said Stec, an engineering and business major. "I didn't have a real reason to feel like I wanted to be a part of that. I have other priorities." Stec had plenty of non-voting company among this peers. With massive efforts, vote-drive organizers were hoping for a "historic" turnout in the midterm elections among voters in the 18-to-29 age group. But although the youth vote was higher than in some previous midterm elections as it was for all age groups evidently it was well shy of historic locally. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the 18-to-29 group makes up about 1 in 5 adult citizens, according to estimates from the Census Bureau. But in this month's election, young voters cast only 12 percent to 14 percent of the votes, according to national exit polling and surveys of the two states. That means that although young voters may have voted at a higher rate than in past elections, the surge was essentially neutralized by higher turnout in other age groups. It is impossible to say who would benefit most from increased youth turnout, but a Pew Research Center report published in the spring suggested that it likely would be Democratic candidates because millennials have become increasingly liberal. That represents a change, said Dan Hart, a Rutgers-Camden professor who specializes in youth voter turnout. "It hasn't always been that way," he said, citing voter behavior in the 2000 presidential election race between George W. Bush and former Al Gore, which was much more homogeneous across age groups. College is a "disruptive force" that can pull young voters out of the electorate because they are likely away from their homes and need to cast absentee ballots or travel home to vote in person, Hart said. NextGen Pennsylvania was out in force trying to energize potential voters on campuses. In the week before Election Day, NextGen Pennsylvania's state director Jarrett Smith and other staffers and volunteers were at Temple University around a table in the center of campus, calling out to passing students: "Pledge to vote! Free pizza!" "We really want to create historic turnout," Smith said. Also, students in Philadelphia, its suburbs, and the Pittsburgh area involved in efforts to push stricter gun laws worked to register voters. Caroline Perry, a North Carolina resident earning a graduate degree at Penn in cancer biology, said she voted by absentee ballot in the midterm because of how heavily advertised "get out the vote" efforts were. And it's the first time she ever voted in a midterm. "This is also the first midterm election since I've been out of college. When I was in college, I wasn't really paying attention," she said. "Now that I'm working, I thought, 'Yeah, it's probably important."" "It might be considered lazy," said Stec, the Drexel student who decided not to vote. And if young people sit out elections, they'll lose clout with politicians, said Hart, the Rutgers professor. "You will get a systematic shifting of legislative emphases toward the interest of those who do vote and away from young people," he said. Young voters are particularly disinclined to participate in midterm and municipal elections, Hart said. It's even worse in large cities such as Philadelphia. "In large American cities, [turnout] is just dismal," he said. Still, Hart said, he sees hope in the increased turnout this year among the young. "As someone concerned about the electorate, I'm glad to see that the exit polls are suggesting enhanced participation, if not at the rates we'd ideally like to see," he added. This Dec. 1, 2012 file photo shows a silhouette of a crucifix and a stained glass window inside a Catholic Church. The Catholic church in New Jersey will release the names of priests credibly accused of abusing children early next year, in conjunction with the state attorney general's office's investigation, the church's highest-ranking cleric announced Monday. Read more NEWARK, N.J. The Catholic Church in New Jersey will release the names of priests credibly accused of abusing children early next year, in conjunction with an investigation by the state Attorney General's Office, the church's highest-ranking cleric announced Monday. Cardinal Joseph Tobin, head of the Archdiocese of Newark, also said the church would establish a fund to compensate victims of clergy abuse in New Jersey, including cases in which the legal statute of limitations has expired. The fund will be established by the Newark Archdiocese as well as the Dioceses of Camden, Paterson, Trenton, and Metuchen. It also will pay for counseling for those who have been victimized, according to the announcement. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal launched a task force in September to investigate the clergy abuse scandal. That inquiry followed a lengthy grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania that concluded that more than 1,000 children in that state had been abused over a span of decades by about 300 priests. The task force will have the power to subpoena evidence and present it to a grand jury. Investigators will probe whether the state's dioceses have complied with a 2002 memorandum of understanding that abuse complaints would be reported to law enforcement. The New Jersey Catholic Conference, which represents the state's bishops on policy matters, has said it is fully cooperating and is confident the dioceses are in compliance with the memorandum. After the launch of the task force, an abuse victim hotline established by the state received so many calls that more staff had to be added, Grewal said at the time. That same month, the New Jersey Catholic Conference said sex abuse victims required to keep quiet by settlement agreements may speak publicly about their ordeals. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has barred such agreements since 2002 unless a victim requests confidentiality. Victims who had signed agreements before 2002 can now come forward, the New Jersey conference said. It's unclear how many of the agreements were made before 2002. The steps of the Pennsylvania state Capitol are seen on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy) Read more HARRISBURG The Democratic challenger who lost by 74 votes among over 100,000 cast in her bid to unseat longtime State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (R., Bucks) filed a petition Monday in Bucks County Court to have more absentee ballots counted. At least 216 absentee ballots went uncounted because they were received after the deadline but before Election Day, according to the filing on behalf of challenger State Rep. Tina Davis. Davis' campaign argues that budget cuts and scheduling changes at the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the closure of one local post office due to a fire, made it impossible for some people to submit their absentee ballots within the deadline, therefore depriving them of their rights under the Pennsylvania and U.S. Constitutions. It cites as examples the stories of at least five voters who said they submitted their applications on time but did not receive them quickly enough to meet the response deadline. Pennsylvania's election rules allow counties to begin sending out absentee ballots two weeks before the election although they can still be sent several days after that and require voters to return them by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. "The Election Code by its terms permits widespread disenfranchisement of qualified electors by imposing an unreasonable deadline by which the qualified electors must submit their absentee ballots," according to the filing written by attorney Adam Bonin. Tomlinson's campaign manager, Ryan Skoczylas, called on Davis to drop her petition. "Now, after all the votes have been counted, Rep. Davis wants to change the rules of the election that every voter had to follow," Skoczylas said in a statement. "Worse yet, she is wasting the resources of our judicial system by filing this lawsuit to try and change the election rules after the fact. " The challenge filed Monday is similar to one filed earlier this month by the ACLU, which also argued that the time frame for returning ballots was too short. Regardless of the outcome of the challenge, Davis will be returning to the Capitol; separately, she was reelected to her state House seat. Tom P. Monteverde was a prominent Philadelphia leader and lawyer and someone who loved life, including dancing. Read more As a lawyer, Tom P. Monteverde sought justice for clients prominent and unknown. He was a skilled advocate, a mentor, teacher, friend, father and husband, and all who knew and loved him in those roles are now mourning his passing. Mr. Monteverde, 91, died of natural causes Nov. 16 at home in Rittenhouse Square, having worked more than six decades as a lawyer in Philadelphia and, earlier, in his hometown of Pittsburgh. "Tom Monteverde epitomized the traits a Philadelphia lawyer ought to embody: integrity, intellect and industriousness," said former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, who also was mayor of Philadelphia. Mr. Monteverde specialized in commercial litigation, often accepting difficult cases for clients who had been unable to find a lawyer to represent them, his family said. He began his legal career in 1951 as an associate working with his uncle, James J. Burns Jr., at Burns & Burns in Pittsburgh. In 1955 he was recruited to Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis in Philadelphia. New at the firm, Mr. Monteverde asked, What were the office hours? William Schnader answered, "From now on." Mr. Monteverde took that to heart. "He was the hardest-working, most intense, most-devoted-to-his-client's-cause trial lawyer I have ever known," said Dennis Suplee, a partner at the firm. In 1970, Mr. Monteverde left the Schnader office to join the firm that became Pelino, Wasserstrom, Chucas & Monteverde. In 1977, Mr. Monteverde established his own firm, Monteverde & Hemphill. In 2006, what had become the firm of Monteverde, McAlee & Hurd merged with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP. Mr. Monteverde retired from that firm in 2009. His cases offer a sense of his legal reach: He represented the Burlesque Artists Association in a suit against the then-owner of the Trocadero Theater, when it was a burlesque house. He won a $1.1 million settlement over deficiencies in the design of the Piper Twin Comanche airplane in 1969. He later represented tenant associations in at least seven cases that resisted the condominium conversion of large Philadelphia apartment buildings, including One Presidential Boulevard. In Mississippi, he helped strike a blow against the Ku Klux Klan. In 1967, Monteverde spent a month in Jackson, providing pro bono legal services through the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Before returning to Philadelphia, he devised a novel strategy in the case of Ben Chester White, a 65-year-old African American man who had been lured to a forest and shot to death by three members of a Klan offshoot. Mr. Monteverde saw the futility of a criminal prosecution in Mississippi state court, and correctly theorized that a civil wrongful death suit could be brought in federal court resulting in a $1 million judgment against the Klan. "Tom was an incredibly important mentor to me," said Jean C. Hemphill, a partner at Ballard Spahr. "He taught me how to be a careful and thorough lawyer, to focus most on the facts, and then let the legal arguments flow from there. He very much wanted me, as a woman, to succeed." Mr. Monteverde was born in Pittsburgh to Josephine Muldowney and Joseph E. Monteverde. He attended Mount Gallitzin Academy, a boarding school operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. Shortly after the end of World War II, he served in Austria as an editor and on-air radio presenter of news and sports, retaining a passion for the latter throughout his life and rooting for the Steelers, Pirates, Eagles and Phillies. After receiving an honorable discharge, Mr. Monteverde earned his undergraduate degree in engineering, summa cum laude, at the University of Pittsburgh. He considered a career in journalism and enrolled at the Columbia University School of Journalism, but changed his mind after getting lost on the New York subway system. In 1951 he graduated first in his class at the Dickinson School of Law. Mr. Monteverde was a lifetime trustee of the law school, now the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. For years he directed its continuing legal education program. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1980. "He was a brilliant litigator," said his son Michael Scullin, a lawyer who worked with Mr. Monteverde for more than 15 years. "No matter who the client was, he left no stone unturned to render the best service for their cause." Mr. Monteverde, who loved singing and dancing, was devoted to family, raising two of his own children and then three others, when he remarried after the 1960 death of his first wife, Catharine Stauffer Monteverde. He was married to his second wife, Dorothy S. Monteverde, from 1962 until her death in 2000. In addition to his son Michael Scullin, Mr. Monteverde is survived by his wife, Beverly Faunce Monteverde, by his children Dorothy D. Kaplan, Robert S. Scullin, Margaret Pyne Monteverde and Susan J. Monteverde; by grandchildren Katie and Haley Turner and Jason Poore; and by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services will be held at St. Mark's Church, 1625 Locust St., Philadelphia, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20. Friends may call between 9 and 10 a.m. Burial will be at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 718 Hazelwood Ave, Pittsburgh. The family suggests contributions to charity. Now that Amazon has officially selected New York City and northern Virginia for its second headquarters, Philadelphia policymakers are searching high and low for a silver lining to the city's unsuccessful bid. The sad truth is that the whole cloak-and-dagger process was a sham from the start, and Amazon made off with sensitive city data on economic development plans and infrastructure investments that could give the company an unfair advantage over local businesses for years to come. Instead of trying to sugarcoat what the failed bid means, lawmakers should level with the public about exactly what was offered to Amazon for HQ2. It is time they stand up to Amazon and say no to any more corporate welfare for one of the richest companies in the world. Amazon has been getting away with these strong-arm tactics for years. An analysis by my organization, the Free & Fair Markets Initiative, found that Amazon has received $23.5 million in subsidies from Pennsylvania taxpayers since 2000. In fact, Pennsylvania is the number one spender in the nation on corporate welfare of this sort, doling out more than $6 billion on corporate subsidies from 2007 to 2016, per the Commonwealth Foundation. >> READ MORE: Philly dodged a 'prosperity bomb' when Amazon didn't pick us. Be very grateful. What's become absolutely clear is that corporate welfare has become central to Amazon's business model. Our analysis found that from 2000 to 2017, Amazon doled out almost $10 million on state lobbying and another $6 million to political campaigns. Amazon's own reports indicate that the tech giant spent nearly $14 million on what it calls state and local "government relations efforts" from 2013 to 2017, with annual spending peaking in 2017 at $3.6 million. A troubling report on Amazon's influence in Washington revealed that Amazon has lobbied more government entities than any other tech company. The upshot is clear: In order to grow, Amazon is increasingly trying to curry political favor behind closed doors, in the corridors of power. Meanwhile, the subsidies have been pouring in. Amazon has received $1.5 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies nationwide since 2000 and that amount is about to grow exponentially from the pockets of taxpayers in New York City and northern Virginia. >> READ MORE: Losing Amazon HQ2 underscores where Philly falls short The toll on businesses and local economies across the country has been disastrous. Benefiting from seemingly endless special treatment, Amazon has rapidly expanded its shipping and distribution network and gained an unprecedented competitive edge. Now, because of the HQ2 bidding process, Amazon knows when, where, and how communities plan to invest data every local business should have access to as well. It is simply outrageous that Amazon has insider information under lock and key, and it should be obvious that the only thing the tech giant cares about is its bottom line. Just listen to the company's senior vice president, who said Amazon's impact on local communities is not something for Amazon to worry about. Philadelphia lawmakers should make it clear to Amazon and other corporations that they can well afford to build future facilities in their communities on the company's own dime. Taxpayers are tired of underwriting corporate growth and record profits by giving up their hard-earned tax dollars through subsidies and giveaways. The fact is there is no silver lining to the HQ2 process, but this should be a wake-up call to all lawmakers: Corporate welfare is a losing game. There must be transparency about everything Philadelphia put on the table and what information the city gave away. And lawmakers must promise residents that this mistake will never be repeated. Robert B. Engel is the chief spokesperson of the Free & Fair Markets Initiative, a nonprofit coalition. As one of us departs and the other prepares for a new Congress, our eight years together working across the aisle one Republican, one Democrat demonstrate that the right thing to do for our values is also the smart thing to do for America. Last year, we traveled together to Bidi Bidi refugee camp in Uganda, where more than 270,000 innocent people are bearing the burden of fighting, famine, and failed governance. We saw firsthand the role the U.S. government plays in providing lifesaving assistance and identified ways we can make our food aid programs more efficient and effective. Just as important, our journey underscored the common purpose that can overcome the widening gulf separating Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate. We may not agree on everything, but we are united behind our investment in America's development and diplomacy programs , which save lives, cure diseases, and return a dividend of peace and prosperity many times over. Even in a divided Congress, we have successfully legislated together to modernize U.S. global food assistance programs, bring transparency to foreign aid, and create opportunities for economic growth. These priorities are not partisan, but represent what we, as Americans, have always stood for a world in which democracy is defended, universal values upheld, and economic opportunity advanced. As a new Congress prepares to take its place, we share with you three lessons learned from working together on what makes America strong at home and overseas. At a time when we face threats to our democratic institutions and competing economic models around the world, these lessons and using them to inform America's role in the world are more important than ever. First, we learned there is a smart way to do the right thing reducing bureaucracy and it unites us across party lines. One of the bipartisan success stories of the past two decades is the way Congress partnered with both Republican and Democratic administrations to rewrite America's global development agenda. Congress made development policy less bureaucratic and more effective, and as a result, we established new markets in countries from Africa to Asia to Latin America whose populations will be customers for American businesses for generations. Second, Congress and the executive branch have to find more ways to work together. Similar to how Congress and the White House cooperated to launch PEPFAR America's signature HIV/AIDS initiative a decade and a half ago, we staked out partnerships with the Trump administration because we all want to see America succeed. Like us, the administration saw China making a concerted effort to expand economic inroads in Africa while U.S. development tools stagnated. Last month, Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law, our Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act. Our bill empowers America to do well by doing good and strengthens our hand to compete against China. The BUILD Act will create a new U.S. development finance institution to promote economic growth in developing countries by leveraging $60 billion in U.S. business investment at no cost to the American taxpayer. This will create new opportunities for our businesses abroad, while helping to bring people out of poverty, and advancing global stability. Our third and final lesson builds on the second: Democrat or Republican, we all need to recognize that American leadership abroad is not a favor we do for others, but a foundation of our strength. If we fail to lead, those who do not share our values will fill the vacuum. China, in particular, is seeking to claim the mantle of international leadership. Beijing has doubled its diplomatic budget over five years and will spend over a trillion dollars on its "One Belt One Road" initiative seven times the size of the Marshall Plan in real dollars. The United States must prepare for the long term. We pay now, or we pay later. We should remember the words of General, now Secretary, Jim Mattis: "America's got two fundamental powers: the power of intimidation and the power of inspiration." His words remind us of the twin engines of American power: Intimidation is sometimes needed, but inspiration is always invaluable. We can only fly high if both those engines are powered up. Anyone who has ever marveled at the troops who make Tennessee's Fort Campbell the home of the "Screaming Eagles" or stood at attention at Dover Air Force Base as the flag-draped casket of a brave American arrives home, understands the power and stakes of our military might. But we feel just as strongly that if there's one weapon in our arsenal we must protect, it is the one that guarantees we only use that power as a last resort: the combination of diplomacy and development. We hope our collaboration shows bipartisan cooperation to advance American interests and values is possible and that our efforts lay the groundwork for future progress. Chris Coons (D) is a U.S. senator for Delaware, and Bob Corker (R) is a senator for Tennessee. RAIPUR: Polling in the second and concluding phase of Assembly elections will be held in 72 seats spread across 19 districts of Chhattisgarh amid tight security on Tuesday. The last phase of polls will see the ruling BJP wrestling it out with the opposition Congress and the Ajit Jogi-Mayawati-led alliance emerging as a formidable third front. A total of 1,079 candidates are in the fray, and both Congress and BJP are contesting all the 72 seats. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is in the fray for 25 seats and its ally and former Chief Minister Jogi`s Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) is vying in 46 seats. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded candidates in 66 constituencies. Carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, the state where the BJP is in power since 2003, is witnessing a three-way poll battle for the first time. Jogi, who ruled the state for the first three years as a Congress Chief Minister, later floated his own outfit and aligned with the BSP and the CPI, is perceived to impact the poll battle where the vote share difference between the BJP and the Congress was less than one per cent in 2013. In 2013, the BJP with 41.04 per cent vote share had won 49 seat, while the Congress won 38 seats with a vote share of 40.29 per cent in the 90-member Assembly. Among the prominent faces in fray in the last phase are state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel (Patan), Leader of Opposition in the Assembly TS Singh Deo (Ambikapur) and former Union Minister Charandas Mahant (Shakti). For the BJP, the list includes state ministers Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur City South), Rajesh Munat (Raipur City West), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur), Prem Prakash Pandey (Bhilai Nagar), Dayaldas Baghel (Nawagarh) and state party president Dharamlal Kaushik (Bilha). For the alliance, Jogi is in the fray from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi is contesting from Kota, while his daughter-in-law Richa Jogi is a BSP nominee from the Akaltara seat. The high-decibel poll campaign, which ended on Sunday, saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Chief Minister Raman Singh and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath raising the pitch for the party. For the Congress, which looking to unseat the BJP, its president Rahul Gandhi led from the front targeting Modi and the Raman Singh government over corruption and agrarian distress. Besides flaying PM Modi for demonetisation, Gandhi also dared the Prime Minister to speak up over the Rafale deal which the Congress calls to be India`s "biggest defence scam". The BJP`s campaign centered around attacking the Congress over dynasty politics, with the Nehru-Gandhi family being the focal point of both Modi and Shah`s attack. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the second phase where an electorate of over 1.5 crore is eligible to exercise its franchise. The first phase of election in 18 constituencies across eight Maoist-affected districts of the state took place on November 12 and saw a 76.28 per cent voting despite the rebels threatening people to stay away from the poll process. The results will be declared on December 11. New Delhi: The Congress has released its final list of six candidates for the upcoming Telangana assembly elections. The list was announced late on Sunday by the general secretary of the Congress's Central Election Commission, Mukul Wasnik. INC COMMUNIQUE Announcement of fourth list of Congress candidates for the ensuing elections to Legislative Assembly of Telangana. pic.twitter.com/tEBLYklFs0 INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) November 18, 2018 The party is sharing some seats with TDP and some other like-minded parties. The Congress has so far released lists for 94 candidates for the state which goes to polls on December 7. The party had initially released a list of 65 candidates, followed by 10 and 13 candidates in other lists. Earlier on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released the sixth list of six candidates for the upcoming polls in the state. The counting of votes for the high-stakes elections will take place on December 11. The Telangana State Assembly was dissolved prematurely in September on the recommendation of the ruling K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government. (With inputs from agencies) Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Sunday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), current CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Uma Bharti. Again and again, they say 'Digvijaya Singh's 10 years and our 15 years'. I challenge Shivraj Singh Chouhan to come on one stage and debate on his 15 years and my 10 years. Aapko saahas ho to aa jaaiye (Come, if you've courage), said Singh while at a public event in Indore. I was CM for 10 years, no corruption allegation was levelled against me.There wasn't one case of corruption involving big minister and CM. When Uma Bharti levelled allegations against me I brought her to court. It's been 15 years, she couldn't level even one allegation and is on bail, he added. Singh's comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a veiled attack, alleged that one of the senior Congress leaders is not being allowed to campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in the state as the party fears that people will recall the failure of their tenure if Singh campaigns. Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28 to elect 230 members of the legislative assembly. The results will be declared on December 11. The single-phase election in the state is seen as a direct political battle between the BJP and the Congress. While Chouhan is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term as chief minister, the Congress is looking to regain power after 2003. JAIPUR: Transport Minister and BJP legislator Yoonus Khan will contest against Congress leader Sachin Pilot from Muslim-dominated Tonk constituency in the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections. Deedwana MLA's name featured in the latest list of candidates issued by BJP. According to party sources, Khan's name was finalised on Sunday. "Since the Congress has sent an outsider in Tonk, there was a need to change the strategy. Yoonus Khan would be fielded in Tonk and official announcement in this regard is yet to be made," Jaunapuria told PTI on Sunday night. Khan, who replaced sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta, met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje at her residence here on Sunday. After the meeting, he told reporters that he has been asked to take over the responsibility of the area, without mentioning details. The BJP in its first list on November 11 had announced the name of sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta as its candidate from Tonk while the Congress had declared Sachin Pilot as its candidate in its first list on November 15. Last day for filing nomination papers is Monday and the state will go to the polls on December 7 JAIPUR: Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Monday filed his nomination from the Tonk assembly constituency where he is pitted against BJP's Yoonus Khan in the crucial state assembly elections. After fighting his nomination papers, Pilot said that Athe upcoming assembly election in the state is a fight between the ideologies of two parties. Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot files his nomination from Tonk constituency. #RajasthanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/xnLLyouuRl ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Ahead of filing nomination, Pilot also offered prayers at a Shiv Temple in Tonk. Rajasthan: Congress state president Sachin Pilot offers prayers at a Shiv Temple in Tonk. pic.twitter.com/jeVvDqW6Rq ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 The young Congress leader exuded confidence that his party would not only win the election in Tonk, but also the entire state with a sizeable margin. Attacking the BJP government in the state, Pilot said that the ruling BJP has deceived the people and its report card is in front of the people. ''There is resentment among the people and they are waiting to vote for the Congress,'' the state Congress president said adding, ''It is an important election and there is a wave for the Congress across the state.'' Pilot's rival, Yoonus Khan, is the only Muslim candidate pitted in the election by the saffron party. Khan too filed his nomination from Tonk on Monday. "I would not like to comment on caste and religion. I have seen the tension on Sachin Pilot's face. We both have come to Tonk for the first time as election nominees," Khan said, adding that he had always accepted his party's decision and was ready to work for the party anywhere in the country. Khan said he had done various developmental works in Tonk district as a public works department minister in the last five years and the development would remain the issue for him and his party in the upcoming election. Earlier in the day, the BJP released its fifth list of six candidates, fielding Khan against Pilot in the Muslim-dominated Tonk Assembly constituency by replacing sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta. After the Congress fielded Pilot in Tonk, the BJP did brainstorming and replaced Mehta, who figured in the first list issued last week. Khan is a sitting MLA from Deedwana constituency of Nagaur district and his name was kept reserved by the party till the last moment. The state will go to polls on December 7. (With Agency Inputs) Jaipur: The BJP is likely to field Transport Minister and Deedwana legislator Yoonus Khan in place of sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta from Tonk constituency in the Rajasthan Assembly elections, a party leader said late Sunday night. Tonk-Sawaimadhpour MP Sukhbeer Singh Jaunapuria said the party was considering change in the strategy for Tonk seat after the Congress fielded its state chief Sachin Pilot from this constituency. "Since the Congress has sent an outsider in Tonk, there was a need to change the strategy. Yoonus Khan would be fielded in Tonk and official announcement in this regard is yet to be made," Jaunapuria told PTI on Sunday night. Khan met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje at her residence here late Sunday night and discussed the matter. After the meeting, he told reporters that he has been asked to take over the responsibility of the area, without mentioning details. The BJP in its first list on November 11 had announced the name of sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta as its candidate from Tonk while the Congress had declared Sachin Pilot as its candidate in its first list on November 15. Last day for filing nomination papers is Monday and the state will go to the polls on December 7. Telangana: Security outside Congress office in Hyderabad was beefed up following intense protests by party members over the distribution of tickets. Images tweeted by news agency ANI showed bouncers and police standing guard outside the office on Monday. A wave of discontent spread among few Congress members after the party released the names of candidates contesting in upcoming Telangana Assembly polls. Nearly 50 ticket aspirants are "upset" with the party's selection of candidates. A three-member committee deputed by the central leadership of the Congress party held talks on Sunday with those unhappy over being denied the ticket. Three member committee is led by Puducherry Chief Minister Narayana Swamy. Karnataka Irrigation Minister D K Shiva Kumar and Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao are the other two members. Miffed at being denied tickets, some Congress dissidents had announced last week that they will contest the December 7 elections as independents on at least 40 seats. The committee advised the dissidents not to enter the fray as rebels as this would mar the prospects of `Mahakutami` or grand alliance headed by the Congress. Elections to the 119-member Telanaga Assembly are scheduled for December 7. The counting will be held on December 11. With agency inputs New Delhi: A two-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a man, who then left her near the railway tracks of Old Delhi Railway Station, police said on Sunday. The accused, a 24-year-old drug addict, was arrested Sunday morning, they said. The girl was allegedly kidnapped by the accused on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday while she was sleeping with her mother on a footpath in a north Delhi area, a senior police officer. Around 2.30 am on Saturday, the woman found her daughter missing and started looking for her. As the search did not bear fruit, the woman approached police around 10 am on Saturday following which a kidnapping case was registered, he said. Around afternoon, police learnt a baby girl had been admitted to a hospital in central Delhi and subsequently, she was identified as the one who was kidnapped, the official said. It was revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and the accused dumped her near the railway tracks from where she was rescued by a team of police personnel, he said, adding that the girl underwent surgery and is now better. Police identified the accused by scanning CCTV footage. Following this, a trap was laid at various temples and gurdwara where street-dwellers usually come for food and subsequently the accused was nabbed, the officer said. The accused used to collect garbage for a living and also worked as a waiter during weddings. Three months ago, he was arrested in connection with a theft case, the officer added. Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal met the girl in the hospital and expressed outrage over the incident. "1.5 year old homeless girl brutally raped in Delhi. Met her in hospital & can't describe her condition. Her beggar mom is inconsolable. Her cries ring in my head. Thru my Anshan, law 4 death 2 rapist created but till date no rapist given death in Delhi! No fear amongst criminals (sic)," she tweeted. "PM @narendramodi ji's cabinet promised during my Anshan that within 3 months they will increase police resources, accountability & fast track courts so that rapists shall be given death within 6 months. I broke my fast on this promise. Till date, nothing done by Centre. Shameful!" Maliwal wrote. She also took a dig at Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, who had recently courted controversy over his remarks on rape incidents. "Want to know from @mlkhattar, this 1.5-year-old girl who has been raped in Delhi also filed a false case? What kind of sick mindset he suffers from. If he had even a shred of decency, he would have resigned. His statements have hurt the sentiments of Nirbhayas across the country!" she wrote on Twitter. Khattar Sunday said his statement had been twisted and asserted there should not be any politics on the issue. New Delhi: Amidst the alleged ongoing rift with the government, the RBI's crucial board meeting with the Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors began here on Monday. Almost at the same time, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted asking RBI to stand firm. He wrote: Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the #RBIBoardMeet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 19, 2018 RBI Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies, who all are members of the RBI's 18-member central board, will present a united front, while a few independent directors too are expected to support the central bank's mission to clean up bank balance sheets, news Agency PTI quoting sources had said. The central board, headed by the RBI Governor, is expected to discuss issues mentioned in the agenda circulated to the board members in advance. Off-agenda items can also be raised in the meeting, with the chair's permission. The RBI's central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. The members include Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies as 'full-time official directors', while the rest 13 have been nominated by the government, including two Finance Ministry officials -- Economic Affairs Secretary and Financial Services Secretary. PTI also said the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are looking to reach at an agreeable solution with respect to relaxation of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and easing of lending norms for the MSME sector. If not in this board meeting, the issue of relaxation of PCA framework would reach a resolution in the next few weeks, they added. As a result of the relaxation, some banks may come out of the PCA framework by the end of this fiscal. Of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). The RBI is also expected to consider a special dispensation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which have been facing liquidity issues. The government feels that the MSME sector -- which employs about 12 crore people and plays a critical role in the economy -- needs some support after being impacted by demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the central bank has been averse to the government's demand as it considers the sectors to be vulnerable. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: Sabyasachi Mukherji is every bride`s dream designer. However, only a few get to don his priceless creations, and Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone is one such bride. Deepika looked no less than a vision in his extravagant and beautiful creations. Here are some of our favourite looks of the Sabyasachi bride: The `Padmaavat` actor donned a Sabyasachi outfit for the first wedding ritual with her groom-to-be. The 32-year-old wore an orange coloured ethnic outfit with heavy gold traditional earrings for a pooja organised to mark the beginning of their wedding. She looked graceful and radiant as she chose to keep her makeup minimal. She looked ethereal and exquisite, dressed in a Sabyasachi ensemble for her Konkani wedding. The actor wore a red and gold silk saree with all the traditional jewelry including a heavy gold matha-patti, stunning neckpieces and heavy jhumkas. Ranveer too chose to go traditional with Sabyasachi white and gold kurta paired with dhoti and a traditional mundavli. For her Sindhi wedding, the Sabyasachi bride donned a red coloured extravagant lehenga paired with a heavy maang tika, a beautiful nath. She completed the mandatory North Indian bride look with red chooda and a set of golden kalire. Giving the outfit a unique touch, the designer paid extra attention to the details of Deepika`s dupatta and bordered it with the auspicious blessing `Saubhagyavati Bhava`. While the bride stole the show, the groom gave major `dulha` goals donning a matching red coloured kanjeevaram sherwani. While the first official pictures from the wedding took the internet by storm, Deepika`s engagement ring has kept everyone obsessing over it. The engagement ring, studded with a huge diamond was blingy enough to make you blind! The massive rectangle solitaire was surely unmissable and looked gorgeous on her henna-laden hands. The newlyweds who returned to Mumbai on Sunday, after a dreamy destination wedding in Italy, were spotted wearing, yet again, Sabyasachi outfits. Deepika wore a cream coloured kurta with matching churidar paired with a red silk dupatta, accessorised with traditional jewelry. The beautiful bride also sported a chooda and wore sindoor to complete her look. Ranveer, colour coordinating with his better half, opting for a cream kurta with matching churidar and a contrasting red sleeveless jacket. B-Town`s power couple tied the knot in Lake Como in a traditional Konkani ceremony on November 14, and a Sindhi wedding on November 15. It seems like Sabyasachi is pretty popular when it comes to celebrity weddings. He also designed some stunning outfits for Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli`s wedding last year. However, the designer was not the only similarity in the two weddings. The couples also shared the same wedding destination, Italy. Anushka and Virat got hitched at a countryside resort named Borgo Finocchieto in Bibbiano, Italy. They looked celestial in Sabyasachi ensemble. Anushka chose an exquisite tailor-made creation by the designer, a pale pink lehenga with `Renaissance embroidery` in vintage English colours. While, Virat wore an ivory raw silk sherwani, embroidered in a vintage Benarasi pattern.When it comes to designing the perfect bridal outfit, nothing can match Sabyasachi Mukherji`s awe-inspiring creations. DUBAI: In a significant development, a top court in Dubai on Monday accepted New Delhi's request to extradite AgustaWestland case middleman and British businessman Christian Michel to India to face probe into the multi-crore VVIP chopper scam. The request made by the Government of India was approved by Dubai's Court of Cassation, said reports. Christian James Michel, a British middleman, is wanted in India in connection with the multi-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. ''Michel is to be extradited from the UAE,'' Dubai's top court said in its order on Monday. The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which said that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers. A court bench, presided over by judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge. On Monday, Emirati lawyer Abdul Moneim Bin Suwaidan of Bin Suwaidan Firm for Advocates and Legal Counsels, who is representing Michel, submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled on not to extradite his client. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case," he said. Earlier, Bin Suwaidan argued at Dubai's highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a "violation" of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. The Briton, who is accused of organising bribes in exchange for a contract for VVIP helicopters, had filed his appeal before Dubai's Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. He remains behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody here pending the legal and judicial procedure. With Dubai's top court upholding the lower court's decision, it has become final but it will still need approval from the UAE's Ministry of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. His extradition will take happen in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal Investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities here and later released on bail, became 'wanted' on September 2, following a decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals, according to which he could be extradited to the authorities concerned in India. New Delhi: An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA sparked a controversy by accusing Army chief General Bipin Rawat of orchestrating the Amritsar attack on a religious sect which killed three and left injured over 20 people. AAP MLA HS Phoolka has, however, on Monday regretted over his comments saying that his statement was misunderstood. "My statement has been totally misunderstood. Please see the full video, the whole statement was actually against the Congress, and not against the respected Army Chief. Still, it was an inadvertent comment and I regret it," he said. Following the blast on Sunday, Phoolka had said, "Army Chief came and made a statement. To prove his statement, he could have orchestrated the attack. This matter should be looked into. Did government do it (attack)? Did the earlier government do it now? It is wrong to repeatedly say that Punjab`s atmosphere is not good. We must get to the root of it. Government must get to the root of it. Those who made false statements about Maur blast, what action has been taken against them? Punjab is a sensitive state. One must not make statements without facts. One must not make accusations. Get to the root of it - who did it?" Later in the day, Phoolka took to Twitter and clarified, "Please see whole video. An inadvertent statement made standing on road is being blown out of proportion. I have stated that history is evidence of that fact that governments in the past have caused violence to further their interest. Like in last year`s Maur blast no one should reach a conclusion without detailed impartial investigation. Even a moderate person like me who has always been against Khalistan thinks so. I regret statement that may have purported to be against the Army Chief." At least three people were killed while more than 20 others were injured in an explosion at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Rajasansi village on Sunday. Nirankari Bhawan is a prayer hall of a religious sect. According to eyewitnesses, two to three bike-borne masked men carried out the grenade attack who later fled. (With inputs from agencies) Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will on Tuesday visit the site of the grenade attack that killed three and injured over 20 people in Amritsar's Adliwal village. He will visit the spot in the afternoon for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. The Chief Minister will be briefed by top officials and will also meet the injured persons. Amarinder Singh has announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved in the blast. "The information can be provided by calling the police helpline number - 181. The identity of the informers will be kept secret," said Media Advisor to Punjab CM. The NIA team, meanwhile, visited the blast site late on Sunday night along with their investigators and explosive experts. They held discussions with Punjab DGP and DG Intelligence regarding the incident. At least three people were killed while more than 20 others were injured in an explosion at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Rajasansi village on Sunday. Nirankari Bhawan is a prayer hall of a religious sect. Media reports suggest that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had earlier alerted the police stations. According to eyewitnesses, two to three bike-borne masked men carried out the grenade attack who later fled. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Activist Varavara Rao, who was in police custody in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, has been taken to a hospital after he complained of difficulties in breathing. On Sunday, the activist was sent to police custody till November 26 by Pune sessions court. He has now been taken to Sassoon Hospital. Rao was arrested by Pune Police from his residence in Hyderabad on Saturday after his house arrest ended on November 17. He was under house arrest since August for having alleged links with CPI (Maoist) in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence. Earlier on October 25, the Hyderabad High Court had extended his house arrest for three weeks. In August, police arrested five left-wing activists, after raiding their homes in several states for suspected Maoist links over the Elgar Parishad meeting which was held a day before the violence. The police raided the homes of the activists and lawyers from five states - Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, Bharadwaj in Faridabad and Gautam Navalakha in Delhi. In a media briefing, the police had released details of seized letters related to five activists arrested in June in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence. The police also claimed they have "conclusive proof" to link Left-wing activists arrested in June and this week to Maoists, saying one of them spoke of a "Rajiv Gandhi-type event to end Modi-raj". NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took to social media Monday, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing row between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Centre. Rahul's comments came while the crucial board meeting of the central bank of the country was still underway in Mumbai. Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the RBI Board Meet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place, he tweeted. Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the #RBIBoardMeet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 19, 2018 The Congress president has openly praised RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "defending" the central bank from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last month, he said, Nice that Mr Patel is finally defending the RBI from 'Mr 56'. Better late then never (sic). India will never allow the BJP/ RSS to capture our institutions, Reports of a rift between RBI and the Centre emerged in October this year. Since then talks of RBI governor Urjit Patel's resignation have been doing the rounds. The RBI`s crucial board meeting is expected to take up the liquidity crisis that initially triggered a tiff between the government and the central bank, according to sources. Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors are expected to take on Patel and his four deputies over issues ranging from MSME credit to the central bank's reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. With agency inputs New Delhi [India], Nov 19 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to hear Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit`s plea challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on November 21. "We had always raised the issue that there is no valid sanction before the court had taken cognizance. So, that issue is pending before the High Court. Now, we had requested the High Court that till this issue is decided the trial court should defer framing charges," Neela Gokhale, counsel for Colonel Purohit, told ANI. "But, the High Court had refused to grant such prayer. Against this, we had come to the Supreme Court. Now, the top court has requested the High Court to decide at the earliest issue regarding charges and sanction for prosecution of Colonel Purohit. So, in all probability and in reference of the order of the Supreme Court, the High Court will surely hear the issue of sanction raised by us in the appeal first before the trial proceeds," Gokhale added. Earlier, a Special Court had commenced a trial against Colonel Purohit and six other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, which took place near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra and claimed six lives. Meanwhile, the Special NIA court has asked the registrar to submit a copy of photographs and videos of incidents to Colonel Purohit. NEW DELHI: CBI officer Manish Kumar Sinha, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, on Monday made sensational claims before the Supreme Court. Sinha, an IPS officer, also challenged his transfer to Nagpur in his petition filed before the top court. In his petition, Sinha claimed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval tried to influence the ongoing probe into allegations of corruption against CBI number two Rakesh Asthana. Sinha claimed that Doval did not allow searches that were important to the inquiry. Efforts were also made to influence probe against fugitive businessman and PNB bank loan defaulter Nirav Modi, he alleged. The CBI officer further claimed that a union minister of state took "a few crores" to help a businessman under investigation. Sinha claimed that he had "several documents that will shock the court" to which the top court replied by saying, "nothing shocks us." Manish Kumar Sinha was part of the investigation team probing Asthana's role in an alleged corruption case. Sinha mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for an urgent hearing on Tuesday. The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government's decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha pleaded that his plea be also heard along with Verma on Tuesday. He alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Gurugram. While the PM inaugurated the expressway - and questioned the previous governments for the delay, the Congress has questioned the intention of the Centre and state government behind what it claims is hastened inauguration. Making note of the fact that the expressway was initially meant to be used during the Commonweath Games of 2010, PM Modi rued the numerous delays. "The previous government had a much different way of functioning. This expressway should have been yours 8 to 9 years back but that never happened. It was meant to be used during CWG but like the corruption in CWG, this expressway too was caught in a web," he said. Prior to the inauguration, Congress had questioned the timing of the event. "Is the incomplete flyover being inaugurated with an eye on upcoming elections or to make the private company earn Rs 26 crore monthly," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had tweeted. Claiming that the flyover is incomplete, he said that the government is putting the lives of people at risk. "Why are you inaugurating a half-completed KMP expressway and putting the lives of passengers at risk. Where is the completion certificate from Consultant and HSIIDC? How can this be opened for operation without inspection by engineers," he tweeted. The 136-kilometres-long KMP Expressway or the Western Peripheral Expressway has been built by the Haryana government. However, the cost of land acquisition, utility shifting and project preparation, etc for both the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (executed by National Highways Authority of India) and Western Peripheral Expressway (KMP Expressway) was borne by the Delhi government, Uttar Pradesh government and Haryana government in the ratio of 50:25:25 respectively. The expressway links four National Highways number 1, 10, 8 and 2 running through the districts of Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Mewat and Palwal. With the expressway being brought into operation, the traffic congestion of the National Capital Region is likely to be eased. It will provide high speed link to the Northern Haryana with its Southern Districts like Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal. By taking this expressway, people traveling from North India will not need to pass through NCR. The de-congestion will also reduce pollution in NCR tremendously. The project initially started in 2006 and was to be developed on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis and had to be completed by 2009. However, it took 15 years to complete as it missed multiple deadlines. In June 2012, a new deadline of May 2013 was decided in a meeting between Haryana government, Delhi government and the developer. However, with a delay in construction, the HSIIDC decided to penalise the company in April 2012. Thereafter, the matter went to the courts and the project was put on the back burner. The lenders led by IDBI bank had served a substitution notice to KMP Expressways for its continued defaults due to which the then Congress government in Haryana decided to terminate the contract and pay the KMP Expressways and the lenders a lump sum amount of Rs 1,300 crore as a termination payment. However, in 2014, the project was revived and was also upgraded to six-lanes instead of the earlier sanctioned 4-lane. On April 5 2016, the 53-km stretch between Manesar and Palwal was opened for public use. Earlier, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the Eastern Peripheral Expressway or the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal (KGP) Expressway on May 27 in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Tokyo: Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Monday it was moving to terminate Carlos Ghosn from his chairman`s post after finding that he had used company money for personal use and committed several other serious acts of misconduct. The Japanese automaker said that based on a whistleblower report, it had been investigating possible improper practices of Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly for several months, and that it was fully cooperating with investigators. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosns compensation," Nissan said in a statement. It said CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose to the Nissan board to remove Ghosn and Kelly. The Yomiuri newspaper reported that Ghosn had been arrested by Tokyo prosecutors on suspicion of under-reporting his salary. Earlier, several outlets had reported he was being questioned. The news comes as a shock in Japan where Ghosn, a rare foreign top executive, is well regarded for having turned Nissan around from near bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of France`s Renault. The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissan`s headquarters and other locations on Monday evening. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office declined to comment. Nissan said it would brief reporters on Monday evening. Spokesmen for Renault and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance did not immediately return calls and messages seeking comment on the arrest reports. An ouster of Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about the future of the alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. Renault shares tumbled 13 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissan`s German-listed securities plunged 12 percent. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, he began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post till last year. In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosn`s 7.4 million euro ($8.45 million) compensation for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive. SABARIMALA: Activists of the BJP, Yuva Morcha and other right-wing outfits on Monday stepped up protests across Kerala against the late night police crackdown at the Ayyappa temple complex here and the subsequent detention of 68 people. Whereas state's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made it clear that the Left government was with the believers. At a function in Kozhikode, he said that those arrested were not the devotees of Lord Ayyappa. "They were not Ayyappa devotees. RSS workers were camping at Sannidhanam with a motive to create trouble. The government cannot let anyone create trouble at Sabarimala," Vijayan said at the state conference of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). The day also saw Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam visiting Nilackal, Pamba and Sannidhanam to take stock of the various facilities at the hill shrine, where lakhs of devotees from across the country and outside visit each year. Kannanthanam, who arrived at Nilackal, the base camp, Monday morning said, "The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims". "Pilgrims are being treated like dacoits. They have imposed Section 144 in a place where people live peacefully. What was the need to impose Section 144 at Sabarimala?" he told reporters. The minister said there was lack of basic facilities at the temple complex, adding the Centre had provided Rs 100 crore for putting up various facilities at Sabarimala. "We gave Rs 100 crore, but they have not spent even a rupee," he said. The Union tourism minister's visit came hours after the late Sunday night development wherein 100 odd devotees protested by chanting "nama japam" (chantings in the name of Lord Ayyappa) against the lack of facilities and police restrictions. Hitting back, Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the Union Tourism Ministry had in 2016 sanctioned Rs 99.98 crore for spiritual circuit project for the development of Sabarimala, of which only Rs 18 crore had been released so far. Meanwhile, five Yuva Morcha activists waved party flags and two of them tried to jump in front of the chief minister's convoy Monday morning. Two of them have been arrested, Kozhikode district police chief S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar told PTI. The activists also took out a march to the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged the RSS had launched "Khalistan model" agitation in Sabarimala to take control of the holy hill shrine. The leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Ramesh Chennithala slammed the government for the police action, saying the government was trying to "brand" Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists. Condemning the police action as "cruel", BJP state unit chief P S Sreedharan Pillai demanded a judicial probe into the police action. Police sources told PTI that 68 people had been taken into preventive custody from the temple and brought to the Manniyar camp early Monday morning. Their details are being verified and their arrests have not been recorded yet, they said. Caught unawares by the showdown on the second day of the two-month long pilgrim season, the police officials asked the protestors to disperse. When they refused, the security forces took 68 of them into custody early Monday morning, the first such incident witnessed at Sabarimala. The development led to protests across the state, including in front of the official residence of the Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram. Those taken into custody have been brought to the Manniyar police camp and BJP leaders led by Shobha Surendran are holding "nama japam" protest in front of the camp, sources said. In another development, Hindu Aikya Vedi president K P Sasikala, who was at the shrine for the "chorunnu ceremony" (rice feeding) of her grandsons, was served a notice by Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra at Nilackal Monday morning, informing her that she could remain at the 'Sannidhanam' only for six hours. Sasikala had been taken into preventive custody from near the temple premises two days ago for flouting police regulations and had been released after being produced before the magistrate. A day later, BJP state general secretary K Surendran was arrested from Nilackal after he refused to heed the police plea not to go to the hill shrine at night. Devotees chanting 'nama japam' had gathered at the covered pathway to the temple and had refused to disperse even after the shrine closed at 11 PM. Since prohibitory orders had been imposed, the police informed them that they should leave and they cannot stay back. Police sources said they had information that the protesters might create trouble at Sannidhanam and they took the precautionary measures accordingly. The temple had opened on Friday evening for the 64-day annual pilgrimage season, even as the stand-off continued over the entry of menstrual age women into the shrine following a Supreme Court order on September 28. New Delhi: The recently held Lux Golden Rose Awards saw a beeline of B-Town beauties making heads turn. The who's who of the Hindi film industry attended the awards night and were dressed to impress! The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan dazzled in a red shimmering gown. She shared her pictures on social media and several fan clubs too posted the pictures from the night. A fan page posted a video where Ash can be seen thanking the media for coming and covering daughter Aaradhya's birthday. Watch it here: The doting mommy even asked if the press got their share of cake. Recently, the Bachchans hosted a grand birthday bash for Aaradhya where almost all the star kids were invited. Meanwhile, several B-Towners were seen on the Lux Golden Rose Awards red carpet. From Madhuri Dixit Nene, Aishwarya, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kajol, Alia Bhatt, Swara Bhasker, Taapsee Pannu, Isabelle Kaif to Chitrangda Singh, Ankita Lokhande, Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Kartik Aaryan, Ishaan Khatter and Akshay Kumarall came to make it a starry night! New Delhi: Actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are all over the internet these days. The 'It' couple of Bollywood tied the knot in a traditional Konkani wedding ceremony on November 14 at the picturesque locale of Lake Como, Italy. On November 15, Deepveer exchanged marital vows in a Sidhi style wedding. The bride and groom shared pictures from their wedding on social media which made fans go gaga over them. While we still weren't over the Deepveer wedding pics, the couple returned to Mumbai as man and wife and greeted the media outside their home. While posing for the shutterbugs and addressing the media, Ranveer and Deepika looked endearing together! However, after looking at the pictures, what got our attention was the mehendi design on Ranveer's palm. The actor had his bride's name written on his palm with mehendi. Check it out for yourself here: (Image Courtesy: Yogen Shah) How adorable is that gesture! This is why all girls out there want a man like Ranveer Singh in their life. Well, we can never really take our eyes off 'Deepveer'. The two have been giving us major relationship goals for a long time and their dreamy wedding in Italy just makes us believe that 'Happily ever after' exists! Here's wishing Ranveer and Deepika, loads of love and a happily married life. The couple will host two reception parties reportedly, one in Bengaluru on November 21 and the other in Mumbai on November 28. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has been at the receiving end of the Twitterati after her comments on the Me Too movement went viral on social media. However, the actress has now said that her statements were taken out of context. Preity lashed out at the journalist on Twitter for editing her comments. During an interview to web portal Bollywood Hungama, Zinta was asked if she had ever personally experienced any sort of harassment, to which she replied, "No, I haven't, I wish I had. (laughs) Atleast, then, I would have had an answer to tell you. No and that's what I am saying that this is very relevant question because people treat you the way you want to be treated." Later, Preity claimed that the interview was wrongly edited. She took to Twitter and wrote, "Really sad 2see how the interview Is edited to trivialis& be insensitive. Not everything is traction & as someone being interviewed I expected decency & maturity froma journalist @iFaridoon. I did 25 interviews that day & only yours turned out edited like this #dissappointed." Really sad 2see how the interview Is edited to trivialis& be insensitive. Not everything is traction & as someone being interviewed I expected decency & maturity froma journalist @iFaridoon. I did 25 interviews that day & only yours turned out edited like this #dissappointed Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 19, 2018 On the work front, Preity would be next seen in 'Bhaiyaji Superhit'.The film also stars Sunny Deol, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Sanjay Mishra, Brijendra Kala and Ameesha Patel. Preity's last big released film was the 2008 "Heroes" which also featured Sunny in the lead. New Delhi: Actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh got married at Lake Como, Italy on November 14 as per Konkani rituals and on November 15 as per Sindhi tradition. Deepveer's wedding was much-awaited upon by fans ever since the wedding invites were shared on Twitter last month. The two never really admitted to dating each other even though rumours are that they have been together for 6 years. Deepveer's relationship was therefore made official only when the wedding invites were shared. As per a Times of India report, trouble has started brewing for the couple as questions have been raised over their Anand Karaj ceremony. It has been alleged that the couple's Anand Karaj ceremony violated the Sikh code of conduct since the Akal Takht strictly prohibits taking the holy Guru Granth Sahib to any place other than a Gurudwara. The report further revealed that the president of an Italian Sikh organisation has taken the matter to the Akal Takht Jathedar for further action. In return, they have responded by saying that the matter would be taken to five high priests once the complaint has been received. The couple is presently in Mumbai and was seen greeting the media yesterday. Ranveer and Deepika walked hand in hand towards the media and thanked them for their wishes. There will be two reception parties, as per reports. One will be organized in Bengaluru and the other in Mumbai. KOLKATA: Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday arrived in Kolkata to discuss details of forming a non-BJP alliance with the like-minded parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Naidu later met his West Bengal counterpart and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Howrah in the evening, according to ANI. #WestBengal: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu meets West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Howrah. pic.twitter.com/ct4aQzZYGG ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Naidu had reached Kolkata in the afternoon from where he left for Nabanna where he was received by Mamata Didi herself. Kolkata: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu reaches Nabanna; he was received by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. pic.twitter.com/SDAjR6CLvT ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Following his meeting with Mamata, the TDP president announced the postponement of a November 22 opposition conclave in Delhi to chalk out details of the proposed anti-BJP front. Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee here, Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced very soon. Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under "severe pressure". Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had on Friday withdrawn the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states. "We wanted to meet on November 22 earlier because of the elections... We wanted to make it before Parliament (winter) session. "Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation," the Telugu Desam Party chief said, adding the fresh date for the meeting will be decided very soon. Ahead of meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister, Naidu had earlier held crucial discussions with Janata Dal-Secular chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and DMK chief MK Stalin over the possibility of forging a Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance of secular parties. Mamata Banerjee was possibly the first non-BJP leader who tried to unite the Opposition ever since the Centre took the move to ban the old currency notes of high denomination. Even at that point in time, she had reached out to CPI-M's Sitaram Yechiry for holding a joint protest against the Centre's move. Mamata had earlier mooted the theory of one-to-one fight against the Narendra Modi-powered BJP. ''Whoever is strong in whichever area should fight out the BJP and others should support that party,'' she had suggested. However, Mamata 'didi' has still not confirmed whether she will attend the big Magathbandhan meeting on November 22 or send some representative. Mamata has, meanwhile, called a meeting in Kolkata on January 19 where she has invited big political players of the country. Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, MK Stalin and several others have given their consent to take part in the grand anti-BJP show in Kolkata. A day after Donald Trump once again lashed out at Pakistan and defended his decision to cut back military aid to Islamabad, the country's human rights minister hit back by throwing reverse allegations. Shireen Mazari took to Twitter to claim that Pakistani lives had been lost fighting the US war on terror. "The loss of Pakistani lives in US War on Terror, the free space for Raymond Davis and other operatives, the illegal killings by drone attacks the list is endless. Once again history shows appeasement does not work," she wrote. The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests. https://t.co/tFBe9BentG Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) November 19, 2018 Mazari also said that Trump's statement should be a lesson for Pakistani leaders who have 'kept appeasing the US since 9/11. Trump, in an interview to Fox News Sunday, had stood by his decision to cut military funding to Pakistan and even highlighted how Osama bin Laden was living in a mansion in the country. "You know, living -- think of this -- living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them any more, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he had said. Relations between the two countries have been steadily declining with the US asking Pakistan to do more against home-grown terrorists while Islamabad maintaining that it has made enormous sacrifices in the war on terror. Many leaders in the country have even called for reducing dependence on the US and instead, focus on even closer ties with 'all-weather-ally' China. A day after US President Donald Trump launched a tirade against Pakistan, countrys Prime Minister Imran Khan hit back at America on Monday, accusing it of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Imran Khan claimed that Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in US war on terror. Khan further claimed that Pakistan suffered a loss of $123 billion while the US aid was a miniscule $20 billion. Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn, tweeted the Pakistan Prime Minister. Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices? Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Further claiming that tribal areas of the country were devastated and millions of people uprooted from their homes, Khan alleged that the war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. He added, Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices? Imran tweeted, 3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices? Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before, the Pakistan Prime Minister added. Defending his governments decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, Trump had on Sunday said that the country does not do a damn thing for the US. Trump had also accused Pakistan of helping Al Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. Talking about Laden during an interview with Fox News, Trump had said, "You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer...But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there" Open source Kremlin-orchestrated, internationally unrecognized elections were held on November 11 in the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics (DPR, LPR), Russian-controlled territories in Ukraines east. The final returns, made public on November 14, serve to confirm and prolong the authority of the head of the republic (glava respubliki, would-be president) and the peoples council (would-be legislature) in each of the two territories. The DPRs interim acting head, Denis Pushilin, is credited with 61 percent of the votes cast (the remainder being shared by four also-rans). Pushilins political organization, Donetsk Republic, is attributed 72 percent of the votes cast in the parliamentary election, versus 26 percent to the Free Donbas group. The former has a nomenklatura flavor, the latter a populist flavor; and both are billed as movements, rather than parties. In a parallel exercise, the LPRs interim acting head, Leonid Pasechnik, is credited with 68 percent of the votes cast (three also-rans share the rest). Pasechniks organization, Peace to the Luhansk Region, is allotted 74 percent of the votes cast in the election for parliament, versus 25 percent to the Luhansk Economic Union. Again, both organizations are labeled as movements rather than parties; the former displaying a populist style, the latter being cast as pro-business. (Donetskoye Agentstvo Novostei, Lugansk Infotsentr, November 14). Both republics claim implausible and unverifiable voter turnouts: 1.6 million votes cast (80 percent of eligible voters) in the DPR, and 873,000 votes cast (77 percent of eligible voters) in the LPR, according to the respective electoral commissions. No international organization observed the voting. Several dozen Western European individuals with pro-Russia attitudes observed and blessed the voting in a personal capacity (Donetskoye Agentstvo Novostei, Lugansk Infotsentr, November 1114). Pushilin, born in 1981 in Donetsk province, held various posts at or near the top of the DPRs leadership from its inception, in 2014, to date. His career was an agitated one, marked by local factional infighting and punctuated by involuntary time-outs in Moscow. More recently, Pushilin served as the DPRs chief representative to the Minsk Contact Group (where the implementation of the Minsk armistice is being discussed). Following head of the republic Aleksandr Zakharchenkos assassination on August 31, 2018 (the latest chapter in local factional struggles), the Kremlin selected Pushilin as interim acting head of the DPR in September and scheduled the election to confirm him (see EDM, September 12). Pasechnik, born in 1970 in Luhansk city, was a colonel in Ukraines State Security Service in that same province but defected to the Russian side from the outset of Russias intervention in 2014. Promoted to general, he served as LPR state security minister from 2014 to 2018. In that capacity, Pasechnik led the overthrow of the head of the republic, Igor Plotnitsky, in an armed putsch in November 2017 (Luhansk rivalries were even bloodier than those in Donetsk, but this putsch was a bloodless professional job). In this case, too, the Kremlin picked Pasechnik as interim acting head of the LPR, to be confirmed subsequently through an election (see EDM, September 12). The post-election statements of both leaders straddle the line between celebrating their own statehood and anticipating the ultimate unification with Russia. This dialectical combination replicates the pattern of the protracted conflicts in Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, allowing Russia and its proxies to enjoy flexibility in negotiations while firmly controlling the territory, and often confusing Western counterparts through these ambiguities. According to Pushilin, We have now crossed a historic threshold: we are a state, one that must be taken into account by the world. We have proven that we can build a state, based on democratic principles. Yet, We have confirmed our 2014 choice, namely, integration with Russia. We are going to pursue an integration policy together with the brother people of Russia. Similarly, according to Pasechnik, In 2014 we defined our path, chose our fate, to build our Republic in the Russian world, with Russia in our hearts. Today we have voted for our independence, for peace, for our Republic (Donetskoye Agentstvo Novostei, Lugansk Infotsentr, November 11). The violent removal of Plotnitsky and Zakharchenko was a contributory factor, but not the determining factor to the holding of the November 11 elections. These were predictable and almost foreordained by the quadrennial electoral cycle that the Kremlin and the DPR-LPR need to perpetuate in the occupied territory. The republics should at least pretend to observe some formal electoral procedures, and generate for their leaders at regular intervals the semblance of a popular mandate. This could strengthen their claim for acceptance de facto as negotiating parties (even short of formal recognition) and make it possible for Russia on the international level to portray its hand-picked proxies as emanations of the local population. The DPR and LPR were proclaimed in May 2014, and the quadrennial electoral cycle started in November 2014 with the voting for heads of the republic and peoples councils. No government anywhere, not even Russia (see below) recognized those results and those authorities. Nevertheless, DPR and LPR heads Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky were internationally accepted as signatories to the Minsk One and Minsk Two armistice agreements, predominantly political documents (and formally still in force). The general expectation at that time was for a relatively quick political settlement in Russias favor, with Donetsk-Luhansk entitled to a special status under Russias protection and wide scope for influencing Ukraines internal politics at the same time. The Minsk Two armistice in February 2015 reinforced the anticipation of such a settlement, stipulating a deadline for it by December 2015. Ukraines Western partners adopted a line of minimal resistance and partial cooperation with Russia in the diplomatic process. Yet, the Ukrainian government (as well as patriotic public opinion and the army in the field) succeeded in stalling and, ultimately, blocking those negotiation processes that would have led to that outcome. This situation has now compelled the Kremlin to re-legitimize its proxies through a new quadrennial cycle of elections in the DPR and LPR. Read the original article at The Jamestown Foundation. Related video: Private military companies (PMC), which the Kremlin has used with success in Ukraine, Syria, the Central African Republic and elsewhere, nonetheless constitute a potentially serious problem domestically for Russia. If they pursue their own goals, they can challenge the governments monopoly on the legitimate use of force and even threaten its control of key sectors. That is one of the reasons why the Russian Federation has not legalized them. But their rise, especially in the gray area of semi-legality, is now frightening the powers that be in the Kremlin who have turned to the Federal Security Service (FSB) in an effort to establish tighter control over one of these groups. In the last few weeks, the FSB, working together with the police, arrested several members of the E.N.O.T. Corp., a Russian nationalist organization that, over the last year, has succeeded in transforming itself into a private military company. This is according to an investigation carried out by three journalists at the Russian website Daily Storm (Daily Storm, November 9). That this transformation occurred is no surprise given the Russian governments willingness to make use of E.N.O.T.-trained cadre in Donbas and Syria. And the fact that the authorities are now afraid of the hybrid organization they have created is also hardly a shock. Naturally, therefore, the FSB made sure to conduct this operation as quietly as possible, given what some would make of it were it better known. On November 7, media in Ryazan (Rzyazan Oblast, 120 miles southeast of Moscow) reported that several people had been detained but did not give any details as to who they were or what specifically they were arrested for (Ya62.ru, November 7). The next day, the VKontakte social network page of the E.N.O.T. organization reported that those arrested were part of its private military company. The following day, it added that all those detained had been released and that the organization would seek to defend their honor in court (Vk.com, Noember 8). According to the Daily Storm investigative journalists, the Ryazan arrests were part of a large operation across the territory of the Russian Federation to clamp down on the activity of E.N.O.T. The portals sources say that the FSB had decided to move after reports came in that E.N.O.T. was expanding its activities from training people who might be sent to hotspots abroad to providing young Russians with instruction of a kind inconsistent with such assignments. Indeed, the source implied, the authorities apparently are afraid that this group or one like it might be used against the existing political order in Russia. E.N.O.T. Corp. was originally created by Igor Mangushev of the Russian nationalist movement Svetlaya Rus who was seeking a way for Russians of his habit of mind to participate in the Donbas conflict. He and his comrades set up camps in Russia and dispatched graduates to the Moscow-backed, separatist Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics nominally to provide humanitarian assistance but in fact to serve as fellow combatants against Ukrainian forces (Kommersant, March 23, 2015). Since that time, it has acted as a private military company in fact if not in name, receiving assistance from the Russian authorities and sending its people to Syria, Karabakh and elsewhere, as it proudly claims on its website. As the Daily Storm journalists recount, the group denies that it is a PMC. To say otherwise would put it beyond the law, which in Russia still declares the existence of any such group as prima facie evidence of criminal behavior (Daily Storm, November 9). Nonetheless, E.N.O.T. has acted like one in various conflict areas and beyond. In Serbia, its actions were sufficiently aggressive that the authorities asked it to leave this past summer (see EDM, October 31). And in Belarus, its youth camps, which drew on military instructors from numerous places, looked like staging grounds for a possible coup attempt or at least as preparation for indirect support of a possible Russian military movepossibilities that clearly worried Minsk and the Belarusian opposition alike (see EDM, November 28, 2017). At the time, E.N.O.T. leaders provocatively said that the Belarusian authorities had insufficiently opposed radical pro-Western forces, which ever more actively are preparing a repetition of the Ukrainian Maidan there (Charter 97, September 25, 2017). Up to the present, the Daily Storm journalists report, E.N.O.T. calls itself a Russian Orthodox community and points to its official registration with the Russian Ministry of Justice in May 2016 as giving it legal status. But since then, the group, whose acronym stands for United Popular Communal Groups, has not behaved like a regular non-governmental organization. Not once over that period has it filed the required declarations with the government. Apparently, even though the Kremlin has been happy enough to use the E.N.O.T. Corp. to support its hybrid military operations outside of Russia, the senior leadership of the Russian Federation is increasingly concerned that this group, which acts like a PMC even if it refuses to call itself that, is a potential threat domestically. This seems all the more likely given that it is operating under the radar and because its chief ideologists are almost as radical in their criticism of Russian government policy as they are of the policies of the West. And it is clearly that ideological position, rather than the services it has provided Moscow with in the past, that is behind the new crackdown against E.N.O.T. In short, Moscow intends to continue to make use of such companies; but its new moves against E.N.O.T. Corp. show that the Kremlin will insist that they follow the official line more closely and that they submit to greater control by the state than they have up to now. Read the original text at The Jamestown Foundation. The propaganda campaign to entrench the occupation comes amid a Russian military build up in the region, jangling nerves on a potential escalation A motley crew of has-been politicians from mostly far-right and far-left EU parties flocked to Russia-occupied Ukraine to cheer on puppet rulers there last week. The propaganda campaign to entrench the occupation comes amid a Russian military build up in the region, jangling nerves on a potential escalation. Thierry Mariani, a former transport minister from Les Republicans, a centre-right opposition party in France, was the most senior politician to go to east Ukraine last Sunday (11 November). He was one of 81 foreigners who went there to appear on local TV saying that "elections" in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republics (LPR) were fine. Most of them were Russians, but four other Les Republicans, including two former MPs, also went. They were joined by six small-time politicians from far-right parties in Belgium, Hungary, Germany, and Italy: Vlaams Belang, Jobbik, AfD, Forza Italia and the League. They were also joined by two men from the far-left German party Die Linke and one from Syriza in Greece. The Greek delegate, former deputy defence minister Kostas Isihos, was the most senior one. But the mixed bag of European visitors also contained characters like Johan Backman, a Finnish pro-Kremlin activist who is under a one-year conditional jail sentence for attacking a journalist. Also included were Xavier Moreau, a Frenchman whose Moscow-based firm, Sokol Holding, recruits former French commandos to work in Russia. It also contained a Greek cartoonist, and Italian conspiracy theorist, and a French volunteer fighter who sings in the Donetsk Symphony Orchestra. Most of them have a track record of cheerleading dodgy elections whether in Russia-occupied Ukraine or in Russia in recent years. They falsely claimed on TV that the votes were in line with the Minsk agreements, an EU-brokered ceasefire pact on the conflict. They praised the high turnout, the orderly manner of the vote, and spoke of how "safe and peaceful" life was in the conflict zone, according to the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), an NGO in Berlin. They "were invited to the 'republics' to provide a sense of general legitimacy and normalcy to the 'elections' in the eyes of the domestic and Russian audiences," the EBDE's Anton Shekhovtsov said. They did it even though the EU said the votes were "illegal and illegitimate" because they "violate[d] Ukraine's sovereignty and law". Their comments also flew in the face of UN reports, which say people in the Russia-occupied territories have "been effectively denied basic protection and deprived of basic human rights and freedoms". The 2.7m people there live in poverty, the UN said in February, under a regime in which "armed groups" have "imposed an arbitrary system of rules", "cracked down on dissent", and "tortured and ill-treated" opponents. From Paris to Donetsk Mariani, from Les Republicans, flew from Paris to Moscow, then to Rostov-on-Don in Russia to get there, he told EUobserver on Friday. He crossed the Ukrainian border into DPR, where local security forces drove him to his hotel, within earshot of live fire on the contact line. He denied he went there for Russia propaganda purposes. "I did not go there to support [DPR's] independence, just to look at the elections ... I did not go to legitimise anything," he said. He also denied the UN report on abuses, saying that things might be worse in Luhansk, but that in Donetsk it looked "normal" and that "people didn't sound traumatised". "There were no armed men in balaclavas. Yes, in the cafe, you might see a man with a Kalashnikov on his back, and politicians tend to go around with five bodyguards, but we were just 15km from a conflict zone," he said. The DPR invited him via his NGO, the Franco-Russian Dialogue Association in Paris, and paid him just 420 for his plane fare, he said. The reason why the EU group was made up of junior figures from fringe parties was because other politicians were scared of press "attacks", he said. The EU and Ukraine should make peace with DPR and LPR then try to lure them back via economic incentives, the way Moldova was doing with Transniestria, another Russia-controlled entity in the region, Mariani added. Azov problem His musings on conflict resolution come amid EU and Ukrainian concern of escalation due to a Russian naval build-up in the Azov Sea. EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to repeat non-recognition of the DPR and LPR votes and to discuss the Azov problem. The Azov Sea connects the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait. Russian warships have stopped over 200 commercial vessels, including from Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands, in the area for inspections, causing financial damage. They have also massed there to complete the "Azov Fleet", a new Russian military deployment that makes south-east Ukraine more vulnerable to a Russian invasion, according to a Ukrainian security assessment, seen by the website. It could signal the renewal of Russia's 'Novorossiya' project - to take all of south-east Ukraine, joining DPR and LPR to Russia-occupied Crimea, an EU diplomat said. The fleet is to contain over a dozen artillery armoured troop carriers, infantry landing ships and missile boats, on top other Russian warships already in the Black Sea. "EU and G7 sanctions against Russia's ports in the Sea of Azov should be introduced" in order to stop the "escalation", the Ukrainian document said, referring to the Group of Seven wealthy EU and American states. Read the original text here. Open source Ukraines united opposition has decided on a single candidate who would run as a president in 2019. This is co-chairman of Opposition bloc party Yuriy Boyko. Of course, now this is countrys key political news because now the presidential race participants list contains the name of a real contender for the second round or even for a victory. After the Maidan and the collapse of Yanukovychs Party of Regions, its traditional electorate, situated in the south-east of the country, was, in fact, deprived of the decision-making. Many Donbas residents were cut off from Ukraine by the line of demarcation, some were disappointed with the situation and decided not to participate in the elections. Under these conditions, 9.43% of the Opposition bloc at the parliamentary elections in 2014 meant that there was a request for a powerful opposition force in the country. By the way, Lady Fortuna has smiled upon Vadym Rabinovich (For Life party leader), who demonstrated a good result in the presidential elections. During these four years, the opposition-oriented electorate in Ukraine has noticeably increased. The difficult economic situation in the country and the incomprehensible policy of the authorities disappointed the Ukrainians. At the same time, some political forces that positioned themselves as oppositional were connected with the authorities yesterday, and therefore do not enjoy the trust of the citizens. Under such conditions, the potential of a truly oppositional political force in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019 is very high, although underestimated by some political experts. If we talk about the presidential campaign, the main problem for the opposition was the lack of a single candidate who could rely on the electorate of the southeast and then unite the protest voices of the Ukrainians in order to challenge the races favorites. Several candidates from Opposition bloc, as well as Vadym Rabinovich. But the problem is that there are not that many votes, so this is time for negotiations. Vadym Rabinovich took the initiative into his own hands. To strengthen the position in the negotiation process, he invited the Ukrainian choice leader Viktor Medvedchuk to his team. Thus, two most prominent opposition politicians of the last years, Boyko and Rabinovich, have signed a declaration on uniting their efforts and creating an Opposition Platform, and then demonstrated that their readiness to give up their personal ambitions. At first, Yuriy Boyko stated that he was ready to support another candidate, if the Board of the Opposition Platform decides so. Then Rabinovich refused to nominate his candidacy for the sake of the common cause. In fact, this is a rare case for Ukrainian politics. Our politicians are more likely to follow their own ambitions rather than unite. So, the creation of the Opposition Platform and the nomination of a single candidate for the presidential election is not just a beautiful picture for the media. First, in terms of a very dense election race, where the second most popular candidate is supported by only 10% of future voters, a single candidate from the opposition might gain more than 10%. Secondly, the Ukrainians in the south-east of the country are finally getting a clear ideological agenda ending the Donbas war, normalizing relations with Russia, getting rid of the external control. Now it is the only formed response to the ideological request of the opposition voter. Our association, which in the presidential, parliamentary, and local elections will represent the interests of the residents of the southeast, the Russian-speaking population, and all those who understand the need for a radical change in the policy of the current government, has become a reality, Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the Political Council of the For Life party said. However, the opposition has not submitted its economic program. Thirdly, following the laws of gravity, the appearance of a heavyweight player will necessarily gather smaller ones around it. Ukraines Development Party, headed by Yuriy Miroshnychenko, has already joined the Opposition Platform. The party decided to support Yuriy Boyko in the future presidential elections: "This is an alternative for all our compatriots who are not satisfied with what is happening in the country." Earlier, not all Opposition Bloc members were ready to join the union of the opposition forces, but not, in fact, some of them have no other choice (like oligarch Rinat Akhmetovs wing). So, of course, in the near future, we will still see the accession of other politicians and political forces to the Opposition Platform. The consolidation process has been launched, and those who remain on the sidelines will simply lose the electorate and their political future. Fourthly, previously, Yuriy Boykos rating as a presidential candidate constantly fluctuated at the same level, he did not have any growth prospects as he was associated with only one region; now this problem is solved. The Opposition Platform is associated not only with Boyko himself but also with the For Life party, Vadym Rabinovich and Viktor Medvedchuk. Supporters of Rabinovich and his party could be found all over Ukraine, and Medvedchuks authority will help to consolidate a vacillating voter. In order to claim victory in the presidential election, Yuriy Boyko must be a candidate from all of Ukraine, although he relies on its south-east part. The outlook of the single opposition candidate is very bright; participation in the second round in terms of such a high anti-rating of the current favorites of the race would give good chances for the victory. Read the original text at 112.ua. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners. Harjit Sajjan met with Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo kLimkin, as the latter is in Canada with the official visit Harjit Sajjan and Pavlo Klimkin, meeting in Canada, November 2018 112 Agency Ukraine and Canada negotiated boosting the interstate cooperation in the security area. Canada's National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan posted this on Twitter after his meeting with Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin, as the latter was in Canada with the official visit. 'Good to speak with Pavlo Klimkin about Canadas strong commitment to Ukraine. We are proud to be supporting a stable and secure Ukraine through our Canadian forces members deployed on Operation UNIFIER who are working alongside the Ukrainian Security Forces', Sajjan posted on Twitter. As is known, the Ukrainian minister visited Canada to join the Halifax Security Forum 2018. He also negotiated with Canadian Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Ian Shugart, members of the Canadian Parliament, NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Goethemuller, US senators and congressmen. Earlier, in July 2018, Harjit Sajjan added that together with the partners are working on the development of safe, successive and democratic Ukraine. He noted that Canada had provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with non-lethal military equipment costing over 16 million dollars. 'Our commitment isn't limited only by training soldiers. As part of a comprehensive support of Ukraine, Canada provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine non-lethal military equipment costing over 16 million dollars, and more equipment will be provided by the of March of 2019,' he said. Bydevka became a peoples deputy in the Verkhovna Rada as the member of Communist party, which is banned now Volodymyr Bydevka, newly appointed Head of the national council of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic novosti.dn.ua Former Ukrainian peoples deputy of the 7th convocation (2012-2014) Volodymyr Bydevka became the chairman of the national council of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR), as Donbas News reported. Bydevka became the Verkhovna Rada MP from the Communist party, which is banned now. 98 DPR peoples deputies out of 100 voted for the communist-separatist. Bydevka is the representative of the so-called Donetsk Republic faction. He was born in Makiivka, Donetsk region. He has been a member of Ukraine's Communist Party for a long time. The so-called elections took place in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions November 11. The voters elected the leaders of "people's republics" and their representatives in the parliaments of the "republics." Russian media reported that the elections were "calm" and "without violations." According to the so-called "Central Election Commissions" of the militants, the voter turnout as of 18:00 made 72,5% in Luhansk and 76,2% in Donetsk People's Republic. Leonid Pasechnyk was chosen as the "head" of the self-proclaimed republic at the illegal "elections" in the separate parts of Luhansk regions (Luhansk People's Republic). Denis Pushilin was "elected" as the head of the territory of Donetsk region occupied by the pro-Russian militants (Donetsk People's Republic). Besides, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged Ukrainians living in the occupied Donbas not to vote at the fake elections on November 11. . , . , . . . ... The Prosecutors Office of Ukraine filed the petition to the court to provide it the access to the documents at the National Bank concerning Smartbank Open source Former Minister of Interior Affairs of Ukraine Vitaliy Zakharchenko and his allies are suspected in the laundering of $362, 739 through Smartbank, as Ukrainian News reported citing the court materials. The Prosecutor Generals Office filed the petition to the court to provide it the access to the documents at the National Bank concerning Smartbank. It became known from the materials provided for the justification of the petition that the Department of the special investigation of the Prosecutor Generals Office holds the pretrial investigation on the facts of the criminal activity of Zakharchenko and his allies according to types of accomplices, bribery, laundering of money received in a criminal way, fictive entrepreneurship, tax evasion. The Prosecutor Generals Office points out that the investigation has enough evidence to think that Smartbank was created to cover the illegal activity connected with the provision and execution of the financial operations aiming for the provision of the illegal service on the forming of the value-added technical tax credit to the enterprises of the real sector of the economy; in other words, the tax evasion, minimization of the incomes, illegal conversion of the non-cash funds in the sum of $362, 739 and for the execution of the financial operations aiming for the legalization of the funds and property received from Zakharchenko and his allies in the criminal way, actual and legal provision of which was reached with assistance from the ex-minister. The court allowed the Prosecutor Generals Office to confiscate the document from the National Bank concerning Smartbank, which are necessary for the investigation of the criminal proceeding. In June 2017, the Department of special investigations of General Prosecutors Office of Ukraine reported about the change and addition of suspicions to former high officials of Yanukovych regime on crimes committed against protesters on Maidan Nezalezhnosti on February 12-20. Hungarian Prime Minister claimed that Ukraine did not have prospects of the membership in NATO and the EU Open source Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Ijgyarto was not called to the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine due to the statements of Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the absence of the dialogue with the Ukrainian authority as the press service of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry reported. The Hungarian ambassador held the negotiations in the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs upon the initiative of Hungary; he was not called, the message said. Earlier Orban claimed that Hungary cannot negotiate with the current Ukrainian government; however, the situation might change after the presidential election slated for next year. According to Orban, Hungary expects Ukraine to act friendly and to restore the rights of Hungarians who reside in this country. As is known, Ukraine and Hungary's relations worsened when the Ukrainian parliament passed the language on education; it stipulated that the national minorities will be gradually switched to the mode where school students study in the Ukrainian language. They will be able to learn their native language, choosing it as an optional subject. Related video: Open source The NATO Committee for Civilian Dimension of Security has unanimously passed the resolution of the Alliance's Parliamentary Assembly. The document condemns the Russian aggression in the Sea of Azov and blames the construction of Kerch Strait Bridge. Iryna Fryz, the head of Ukraine's Permanent Office in NATO reported this on Facebook. 'Condemning the illegal construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge by Russia, and Russia's policy in terms of selective denial and groundless detention of Ukrainian and international vessels in the Sea of Azov, we're deeply concerned about new challenges in terms of security, economy, and environment in the region', the resolution said. The resolution also insists that the NATO needs to assign funds to weaken the Russian system of area denial weapons (2/AD), deployed in the Baltic States, Kaliningrad, and the Black Sea region. In recent months, Russia's activity in the Sea of Azov has increased significantly. The Russians do not allow merchant ships leave Ukrainian ports to pass through the Kerch Strait without hindrance. In this regard, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko instructed the Minister of Defense, the Chief of General Staff and the command of the Ukrainian Navy to take measures to stop Russian provocations regarding blocking the entry of ships into Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. The regulation committee to consider the petition of Prosecutor General on November 19 Open source The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to consider the petition of Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko on the lifting of the immunity from MP Stanislav Berezkin. Andriy Parubiy, speaker of the parliament, made such statement as 112 Ukraine reported. We have the petition from the prosecutor general on lifting the immunity from the MP. I also want to remind that if the regulation committee makes its decision, I will be forced to urgently put the issue for the consideration... Consequently, we will have five days after the decision of the regulation committee to consider the issue at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Parubiy said. On November 7, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko officially asked the Ukrainian Parliament for authorization to bring to justice, detain, and arrest a member of Parliament Stanislav Berezkin. Solomiansky Court of Kyiv arrested Maksym Berezkin, son of MP Stanyslav Berezkin. He is suspected of the embezzlement of $20 million of Ukraine's state-run Oschadbank funds. On October 23, under the procedural control of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) prosecutors, National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) detectives detained ten people who were served with charge papers concerning embezzling $20 million of Oshchadbank. The body to study assassinations on public activists and the investigation of the cases in Kherson region, Odesa region, Kharkiv, Sievierodonetsk, and Kyiv The members of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigation Commission (TIC) plan to expand their activity in up to five Ukrainian regions. MP Anton Herashchenko, panel member of the MIA, claimed this as 112.ua broadcasted. As a member of the TIC, I assess the work to be very effective. We will have the third session tomorrow. Visiting sessions to Kherson are scheduled for the next week. Tomorrow, we plan to divide the country into five parts, five regions, where we will study assassinations on public activists and the quality of the work of the law enforcement bodies. That will be Kherson region, Odesa region, Kharkiv, Sievierodonetsk, and Kyiv, Herashchenko claimed. He added that the security forces provided information on Ukraine's activist Handziuk case to the members of the Temporary Investigation Commission, but it is not subject to publicity. Earlier, the Ukrainian Parliament issued a decree on creating of temporary investigation commission for the investigation of data about the attack on Kateryna Handzuik and other public activists. Despite criticism from the prosecutor general, the parliament supported the creation of a Temporary Investigation Commission to inspect attacks against activists and the murder of Kateryna Handziuk with 155 votes. It was headed by non-fractional MP Boryslav Bereza. Conclusions and decisions of the commission are not decisive for the investigation and the court. Ukraine has presented the report on the ties of the Russian Federation with the Islamic terrorist organizations to the partners during the session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) as Iryna Fryz, Chairman of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to NATO PA, reported on Facebook. We drew special attention to the ties of Kremlin and Taliban and the proves of the supply of the weapons and material resources. Taliban is the topic for the separate report of the Parliamentary Assembly, and it is tabled for this session, the message said. Besides, the report contains the evidence of the fact that the Russian special services encourage the radical Islamists to leave the territory of Russia, including, the payment of the flights, for the participation in the combat actions outside of the state, particularly Syria, at the side of the Islamic State. Moreover, a lot of former Iraqi Baathists who made the core of the military and political elite at the time of Hussein, and then the top of the ISIS, were trained by Soviet KGB. There are a lot of interesting facts, testimony, and evidence of such cooperation in the report, the message said. As we reported the NATO Committee for Civilian Dimension of Security has unanimously passed the resolution of the Alliance's Parliamentary Assembly. The document condemns the Russian aggression in the Sea of Azov and blames the construction of Kerch Strait Bridge. The supplies of Javelin anti-tank missile launchers made a psychological impact; Russians withdrew tanks deeper into the occupied territory of Donbas, the Ukrainian official says Ukraine and the United States continue their negotiations on the lethal weapons supplies. Defense News reported that with the reference to Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin. The Ukrainian minister admitted that Russian troops have been permanently present in Donbas, supporting the militants and mercenaries. On the other hand, he marked that the U.S. weapons that had reached Ukraine earlier, - Javelin anti-tank missile launchers, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft electronic warfare systems, - appear to have made a positive impact. Its an ongoing discussion, because Javelins were important psychologically, he said. We have noticed that the Russians [withdrew] their tanks deeper into the occupied area basically fearing symbolically, psychologically and physically that such [anti-tank] weapons can be used in the case of Russian provocation, the minister said. Klimkin added that Ukraine was trying hard to boost the defense capability of the military in the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has been negotiating with the United States on this particular matter since spring 2014 when Russian troops annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas. For a while, Washington only sent the non-lethal equipment (Humvee cars, reconnaissance drones and counter-mortar radars) and assisted the Ukrainian military in terms of training the staff. However, given the ongoing military aggression of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, the White House approved the supplies of lethal weaponry to Ukraine. Pavlo Klimkin will have several bilateral meetings during the working visit Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin to visit Austria on November 20-21, as the press office of Ukraines Foreign Ministry reported. The main goal of the working visit is the participation in the international high-level conference on countering anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. The Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin is to deliver a speech during the panel discussion, the message says. It was noted that Klimkin would also have bilateral meetings in Vienna. Before his visit to Austria, Klimkin has visited the U.S. and Canada, having conducted a number of meetings there. Constitutional Court to deliver a conclusion on the draft amendment to the Constitution on Ukraine's strategic direction and its entering to the EU and NATO The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will consider the draft amendment to the Constitution on country's entering into the EU and NATO on November 22, if the decisions of the Constitutional Court and profile committee are made. Andriy Parubiy, speaker of the parliament made such statement, as 112 Ukraine reported. Indeed, there is such information, that on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court will deliver a conclusion on the draft amendment to the Constitution on Ukraine's strategic direction and its entering to the EU and NATO. If the court and the committee make such decision, such chance will appear, Paruby said. On September 20, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a draft regulation on including the draft amendments to the Constitution concerning foreign policy into the agenda. 321 peoples deputies voted for. The relevant bill provides for the amendments to the Constitutions preamble. In compliance with this, Verkhovna Rada confirms Ukraines European identity and inconvertibility of the European and Euro-Atlantic policy. Related video: Open source The member of the European Parliament Rebecca Harms stated that the EU member states would have to leave Interpol if Russian Aleksandr Prokopchuk becomes the head of the organization, as she wrote o Twitter. I agree with @anders_aslund : if a Russian Deputy Police Minister gets in leadership of Interpol EU states have to leave Interpol. @VeraJourova @FedericaMog @JunckerEU @INTERPOL_HQ https://t.co/9JLTkXy0jc Rebecca Harms (@RebHarms) November 18, 2018 Reportedly, the elections of the new head of Interpol are scheduled for November 21. Interpol has to re-elect the chairman of the organization after its head Meng Hongwei went missing. Therefore, it was reported that China conducts an investigation on him concerning corruption. Major General of the Russian police Oleksandr Prokopchuk is a favorite on the elections of Interpols head. From 2006 to 2011, he served as a deputy head of National Central Bureau of Interpol of Russias Internal Ministry. Then, he becomes the head of this organization. In 2016, the Major General became the Vice-President of Interpol. Arsen Avakov, Ukraines Internal Minister, thinks that as an aggressor state, Russias perspective to head the Interpol is a threat to the entire world. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, headed by Saudi Arabia, pushes for the group to lower the output by 1 million to 1,4 million barrels per day to prevent an increase of unused fuel Pumpjack in Scheibenhard, France, October 6, 2017 Reuters November 19, oil steadied and gained in the previous three sessions from the prospect that Saudi Arabia, which is a top exporter, will push OPEC and, probably, Russia to cut supply till the end of the year, as Reuters reported. As the news agency informs, Brent crude futures were down 6 cents at $66.70 a barrel by 1243 GMT, while U.S. futures were up 3 cents at $56.49. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, headed by Saudi Arabia, pushes for the group to lower the output by 1 million to 1,4 million barrels per day to prevent an increase of unused fuel. It appears that the market takes a production cut for granted. Well see if it is right after the next OPEC meeting on December 6. It is not unreasonable to anticipate stable prices until then, Tamas Varga, PVM Oil Associates strategist, said. Alexander Novak, Russian Energy Minister, stated that Russia, which is not an OPEC member, intended to sign a partnership agreement with the group. The details would be discussed at the meeting of the organization scheduled for December 6 in Vienna. Brent is almost 25 percent below early Octobers 2018 peak of $86.74, as evidence of slowing demand has materialized and output from the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia hit historic highs, the news agency reads. The authority reacted to the assault on Canadian journalist Michael Colborne, which occurred in Kyiv on Sunday The attacks on journalists, like any other forms of intolerance or violence are unacceptable. Kateryna Zelenko, the spokesperson of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reported that, commenting on the recent incident in Kyiv. 'We're looking into the results of the investigation of the law enforcers,' she wrote. As is known, far-right opponents of the march for the rights of the transgender people attacked Canadian journalist Michael Colborne as he was taking photos during the march in the Ukrainian capital on November 18. Kyiv police department specified that the incident took place near Volodymyrsky Cathedral in Kyiv. Coborne turned to the law enforcers after the attack and said that he had been assaulted by two men while he was on duty; one of the attackers used a pepper spray, and the other one punched him in the face, breaking his glasses. The assailants disappeared right after the attack but Colborne managed to take photo of them as they turned their backs on him. He handed the picture over to the police. According to Agence France-Presse journalist, the far-right protesters who tried to crash the march lit smoke bombs and threw them into the crowd. Donbas, the film by Ukrainian filmmaker Serhiy Loznytsia, won the main award of the 15th international film festival in Seville, Spain. The jury ruled that the Golden Giraldillo will go to the famous motion picture dedicated to the tragic events in eastern Ukraine, torn apart by the ongoing military actions. 'The film achieves an exquisite mix of fiction film form and documentary film feel. The excellent cinematography provides a creative and clear view of the relentless tragedy of the fog of war. Writer/director Sergei Loznitsa effectively balances the horrors of violent armed conflict, plus the animus of nationalist posturing, with an affecting and watchable story on a relatable human scale', reads the description as posted on the official website of the festival. Recently, Ukrainian film Weightlifter directed by Dmytro Sukholytky-Sobchuk got the main award in the short-films competition of the 34th Warsaw International Film Festival as it is stated on the website of the festival. The film tells about a young weightlifter who prepares for the prestigious competition. In parallel, he has difficulties in the relationships with a girlfriend, trainer, and relatives. The movie was made in the cooperation of Ukraine and Poland. Also, the Ukrainian films 'When the trees fall' by Marysia Nykytyuk, 'Eter' by Krzysztof Zanussi, and 'Cacophony of Donbas' by Ihor Minayev were demonstrated at Warsaw International Film Festival. The European Union brought to the attention of Russia the necessity to end excessive inspection of vessels in the Sea of Azov Open source The European Union is intended to take concrete actions on the situation in the Sea of Azov in the coming weeks or days. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini claimed it at the press conference, Interfax-Ukraine reported. This is an issue on which we will continue to work with member countries and EU institutions, including the adoption of appropriate targeted measures in the coming days or weeks, Mogherini claimed. According to her, the situation in the Sea of Azov is damaging the economy of both Ukraine and vessels under the flags of the European countries. High Representative noted that the EU brought to the attention of Russia the necessity to end excessive inspection of vessels in the Sea of Azov. She said that the EU authorities, in particular, the European Commission examine support measures for those regions of Ukraine that have been affected by the actions of Russia. The Representative added that this matter was discussed at the session of the Council of the European Union for international affairs. Today, we have an opportunity to express the full unity of the European Union, which we have expressed earlier regarding the non-recognition of the so-called elections that took place on November 11 in Donbas, Mogherini added. In his turn, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko claimed on Twitter that the Council of the European Union adopted a decision on provision of assistance to Ukraine to develop Azov region. For the first time, the Council of the European Union discussed the issues of aggressive actions of Russia in the Sea of Azov. I am thankful for the approval of the initiative to reinforce the EU assistance for the social-economic development of the Ukrainian Azov region, the President claimed. He has also noted that he welcomes the results of todays session of the Council of Europe for international affairs that confirmed the prioritized attention of the EU to support Ukraine in repelling Russian aggression and restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state. It should be noted that the Russian activity in the Sea of Azov increased over the last three months. Russians do not allow the trade vessels heading to and emerging from the Ukrainian ports to freely pass through the Kerch Strait. In this regard, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko commissioned the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff and the Commandment of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to take measures to stop Russian provocations in relation to blocking the entry of vessels into Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine developed a set of measures in response to Russia's actions. The set of measures includes the limit of passenger traffic with Russia. Ukraine will consider the termination of membership in Interpol if Russian Aleksandr Prokopchuk becomes the president of the organization. Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov claimed, the press office of the ministry reported. The Minister together with Ukrainian mission is in the United Arab Emirates, where a voting for the new president of Interpol will take place on November 21. According to Avakov, if the arguments of Ukraine, human rights defenders, and the leadership of other countries on the impossibility to appoint the Russian representative to the position are not heard, then it will consider ending the membership in Interpol. "Possible Russian presidency in Interpol is absurd, it contradicts the spirit and goals of the organization. Ukraine will address the issue of the termination of the membership in Interpol, in case of electing Russian representative for the position of the president of Interpol," Avakov stated. Interpol has to re-elect the chairman of the organization after its head Meng Hongwei went missing. Therefore, it was reported that China conducts an investigation on him concerning corruption. Major General of the Russian police Aleksandr Prokopchuk is a favorite of the elections of Interpols head. In 2006 - 2011, he served as a deputy head of National Central Bureau of Interpol of Russias Internal Ministry. Then, he became the head of this organization. In 2016, the Major General became the Vice-President of Interpol. Arsen Avakov, Ukraines Internal Minister, thinks that Russia is an aggressor state, so its perspective to head the Interpol is a threat to the entire world. The European Aviation Safety Agency auditors marked the company's readiness to get the certificate and high level of cooperation for the sake of a comprehensive audit Open source The auditors of EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency, have completed the checks of Ukraerorukh Ukraine's State Air Traffic Services Enterprise for meeting the EU requirements. The press office of Ukraine's infrastructure ministry reported this on Monday. 'On November 16, the auditors completed certification activities within the audit of Ukraerorukh, with the latter conducted in the units based in Kyiv, Lviv, and Uzhgorod. The EASA audit was performed under the supervision of the authoritative body of the Slovak Republic and Ukraine's State Aviation Service', the message says. The goal of certification is to meet the requirements set by the EU legal framework and, consequently, granting Ukraerorukh the right to provide the services of air transportation over a certain part of the Slovakian territory. The ministry added that Ukraine needs this right for the aircraft to be able to take off and land on the Uzhgorod airfield. The EASA auditors marked the company's readiness to get the certificate and high level of cooperation for the sake of a comprehensive audit. Currently, Ukraerorukh plans to complete the technical measures for preparing the final report of EASA auditors. It is supposed to be ready by early December. The document will provide the basic reason to obtain the certificate, which confirms that the company's service quality meets the EU standards. Vasyl Hanysh will remain under house arrest until the decision comes into force Vasyl Hanysh, former member of the Crimean Parliament, who was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for state treason on November 19, 2018 Krym.Realii Kyiv Dniprovskiy District Court sentenced former member of the Crimean Parliament Vasyl Hanysh to 12 years behind bars on November 19, as KrymRealii reported. Hanysh has been found guilty of state treason. The court found that Hanysh contributed to Russias subversive activities in Ukraine when he participated in voting for the Russian Constitution of Crimea. The court found his participation in the elections to Feodosia city council, held in September 2014, illegal. Hanysh is obliged to pay $206 of court costs. The convicted will remain under house arrest until the decision comes into force. The prosecution demanded to sentence former MP to 12 years of imprisonment at the debates. Hanysh himself and his lawyers asked to find him not guilty and fully acquit. Hanysh stated that he has never committed a crime against Ukrainians and Ukraine, and in his opinion, witness testimony proves this. As it was reported earlier, Military Prosecution filed a lawsuit against former MP of the Crimean Parliament Vasyl Hanysh, accusing him of treason, deliberately committed at the expense of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the state. The French movie director disagrees with the conditions of detention of the Ukrainian political prisoner, kept by Russia Jean-Luc Godard, French movie director AFP Prominent French movie director Jean-Luc Godard refused to visit Russian museum Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, as AFP reported referring to the statement of Society of French Film Directors. According to Godard, despite his attitude towards the Russians, he does not have a right to visit Russia due to the conditions of detention of Oleg Sentsov. Thank you for the invitation, but considering the conditions of detention of the movie director Oleg Sentsov, I dont think it is possible to visit Hermitage for now, regardless of the friendship with the Russian nation, he noted. As it was reported earlier, Sentsov became an honorary citizen of Paris. As is known, Sentsov was judged and sentenced to 20-years-long imprisonment in Russia, as the judges found him guilty of preparing a terrorist act in annexed Crimea. Sentsovs hunger strike began in May 2018, as he demanded that Russia release all Ukrainian political prisoners. Oleg Sentsov stopped the hunger strike on the 144th day. The decision to end the hunger strike was made after Russian doctors and penitentiary facility workers issued an ultimatum to Sentsov, suggesting that he either voluntarily stop the hunger strike or agree to be force-fed Reportedly, Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov was awarded Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The decision was announced by the European Parliament on October 25. It is supposed that the official ceremony is to be held in Strasbourg on December 12. Related video: The protesters did not even let the special car of the electricians 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 112 Agency People protesting in Zakarpattia region, blocking Kyiv-Chop highway and demanding lower gas tariffs, November 19, 2018 Traffic in Zakarpattia region at Nyzhni Vorota checkpoint on Kyiv-Chop highway is restricted due to the protests of the local residents, as the worker of NPC Ukrenergo (power company responsible for operational and technological control of the Integrated Power System (IPS) of Ukraine and electricity transmission via trunk power grids from generating plants to the distribution networks of the regional electricity suppliers) told 112.ua. I am in a traffic jam on the international route Kyiv-Chop in Nyzhni Vorota. They want to lower gas tariffs this way. They are waiting for Hennadiy Moskal, Chairman of Zakarpattia Region Administration, the interlocutor said. Besides, the worker of NPC Ukrenergo stated that the protesters did not even let the special car of the electricians. We have an emergency power cut, one-third of Zakarpattia region might suffer from outage, the worker said. The official website of Dosta-Zakarpattia has published a statement about the protest, which was made on November 15. Earlier, today, on November 19, Kyiv resident blocked Zoolohichna street because of lack of heating. Bioceres, the Argentinian ag biotech business, is set to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) early next year through a SPAC listing. The deal will see Bioceres core agriculture business valued at around $450 million, according to a press release. Bioceres develops, produces and sells genetically modified soybean, wheat, and alfalfa seeds as well as crop protection and nutrition products through a collection of 12 subsidiaries and joint ventures. The company, which was founded in 2001 by a group of 23 Argentinian, reached an agreement with Union Acquisition Corp (UAC), a publicly-traded company created by Juan Sartori, a renowned Uruguayan businessman set to run for President of Uruguay next year. Through the transaction, UAC will absorb Bioceres core agricultural business lines those that account for 95% of Bioceres current revenues and change its name to Bioceres Crop Solutions. This will make available to Bioceres around $110 million of capital that UAC raised through its listing on NYSE. Sartori, whose investment business Union Group has holdings in agriculture, natural resources, infrastructure, and real estate, will join Bioceres Crop Solutions board, but will not be involved in the governance of the business going forward. As a global agriculture investor, having the opportunity to invest in a pioneer in the agtech space that has built a market-leading position in Latin America is a unique opportunity. We believe the global growth potential of Bioceres HB4 family of products represents a rare investment opportunity, Sartori said in a statement. So What Does This All Mean? Its a complicated transaction, but makes sense for an Argentinian company that faced market volatility earlier in the year, forcing it to delay its planned NYSE IPO. Bioceres also continues to face instability at home in Argentina not least with a fluctuating currency. SPACs, or reverse listings, are commonplace across stock markets globally as a means for companies to become publicly-traded without a public fundraising event; in agriculture, they also frequently take place in the cannabis segment. (Incidentally, Sartori recently sold his cannabis business International Cannabis Corp to Canadas Aurara Cannabis for $220 million, fueling the recent spike in cannabis stock prices, according to Bloomberg.) This deal with UAC was the perfect structure for what we wanted to accomplish, Federico Trucco, CEO of Bioceres told AgFunderNews. It minimized the execution risk of attempting another IPO and now helps us move forward on our planned path of becoming listed in New York. While the deal doesnt provide liquidity or an exit for Bioceres existing 320 shareholders they remain shareholders in Bioceres Holdings in Argentina Trucco hopes that it could in the near future through Bioceres US subsidiary Bioceres USA. Trucco has wanted to list Bioceres for a couple of years now, as a means to access capital and build a globally recognized brand. With the proceeds, Bioceres will increase its ownership of Rizobacter, the agriculture products retailer responsible for a significant portion of Bioceres revenues, to 80%. This is the compelling story of this deal; increasing our ownership of Rizobacter by 20%, said Trucco. The rest will go towards working capital to grow our business, which is also significant as getting finance locally in Argentina is increasingly expensive and if we want to do $400 million in sales next year, we need $100 million in working capital. The final value of the deal will be determined once shareholders of UAC decide to redeem their shares or stay on as shareholders in Bioceres Crop Solutions. Trucco added that theres a backstop of $50 million, the amount needed to increase its equity holding in Rizobacter, as he can trade shares in Bioceres Crop Solutions for that stake if needed. 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!) English Icelandic The Board of Directors of Eimskip and the CEO Gylfi Sigfusson have agreed that Gylfi will step down as the CEO of the company at the end of the year. As of 1 January 2019 Gylfi will manage Eimskips operation in USA and Canada, along with the freight forwarding company Eimskip Logistics. The Board of Directors of the company will start the process of hiring a new CEO. Baldvin orsteinsson, Chairman of Eimskip Gylfi Sigfusson has had a successful career at Eimskip for over 28 years. He became the CEO in May 2008 and lead the company through a demanding restructuring. Prior to becoming the CEO he was the managing director of Eimskip USA, Canada and Eimskip Logistics, and as of 1 January 2019 he will again manage that operation and move to United States. Gylfi became the CEO ten years ago and lead Eimskip through a financial and operational restructuring during the economic downturn post 2008. The task was not only important for Eimskip but also for the Icelandic economy: securing unrestricted transportation to and from the country, building a solid foundation for the future alongside hardworking and dedicated team of coworkers. The restructuring was a success and the company is in a very strong position. The goal is to continue to build the company on the solid foundation Gylfi has built. On behalf of the Board of Directors I want to thank him for his contribution to the Company and wish him all the best leading the operation in North America. Gylfi Sigfusson, CEO of Eimskip First and foremost I would like to thank all the board members, managing directors and employees as well as our customers that I was fortunate enough to work with during my time as CEO. All of them made valuable contribution to get Eimskip back on track. The reorganization of the Company was a big challenge for the employees but the results were fruitful and now the Company is heading into exciting future. I will lead further progression of the company in North America, but our weekly sailing system is the cornerstone of the service. I wish the Company, the Board of Directors, employees and our customers all the best in the future. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ICC International Cannabis Corp. (CSE: WRLD)(FWB: 8K51)(OTC: KNHBF) ("ICC" or International Cannabis or the Company) is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Enigma Unipessoal Lda (Enigma). Enigma controls one of the first hemp licenses to be issued in Portugal, which permits the cultivation, processing and import/export of hemp-derived products. Enigma successfully harvested and extracted its first hemp crop in 2015, and has become a notable importer of proprietary hemp seeds. This licence authorizes International Cannabis to cultivate hemp on 400 acres of fertile agricultural land located in the Castelo Branco region of Portugal. The Companys Portuguese hemp operations are estimated to yield 45,000 kg of finished, extracted pure cannabidiol (CBD) isolate product per annum, and a full operating team and infrastructure is in place. The Castelo Branco region boasts over 250 days of unadulterated sunshine per year, resulting in an attractive climate for outdoor hemp cultivation. International Cannabis expects to seed the newly acquired land package in the spring of 2019. Eugene Beukman, CEO and a director of International Cannabis stated, "International Cannabis is progressing towards a full spectrum cannabis license in Portugal, which it is hopeful to achieve before the end of Q1 2019. The Company considers the addition of this hemp licence as the first step towards developing a material cultivation presence in Portugal. Enigma plans to release both branded and white-labeled CBD products in the first quarter of 2019. Enigmas product offering will include CBD-infused chocolate, CBD oils, as well as CBD-based topical creams. The Company continues to expand upon its European cultivation portfolio. This acquisition allows International Cannabis to further leverage its network through Cosmos Holdings' distribution network of approximately 35,000 pharmacies across 16 countries. Cosmos Holdings is equipped with a trans-European network of over 160 clients and vendors. This European distribution network is augmented by various value added services including strategic procurement, warehousing, product registrations and regulatory representations. Mr. Beukman continued, "International Cannabis has long been focused on developing a capable team in Portugal. The Company is confident that this acquisition lays an excellent foundation for the comprehensive build out of a vertically integrated Portuguese operation. ICCs expansive distribution network, will allow for continued penetration of the European Union's burgeoning CBD markets and appetite for natural health products". ICC International Cannabis, through its subsidiaries, has agreements in place for European-based pharmaceutical distribution, wholesale importation, and research and development, as well as licences to cultivate, produce, distribute, store and export cannabis, cannabis derivatives and industrial hemp in Colombia, Denmark, Poland, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will issue 18 million common shares at a deemed value of 66 cents per share. A finders fee is payable on this transaction. ON BEHALF OF THE ICC INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS CORP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Eugene Beukman Eugene Beukman CEO, Director +1 (604) 687-2038 info@intlcannabiscorp.com Learn more about ICC by visiting our website at: https://intlcannabiscorp.com/ Stay up to date with everything happening at ICC by following or liking us on: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ICCWRLD/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ICC_WRLD LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/icc-wrld/ THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information: This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: political changes in Canada and internationally, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis in Canada and internationally, the Companys ability to secure distribution channels in international jurisdictions, competition and other risks affecting the Company in particular and the cannabis industry generally. The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking information to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. ICG ENTERPRISE TRUST PLC TRANSACTION IN OWN SHARES 19 November 2018 ICG Enterprise Trust plc (the Company) announces that on 16 November 2018 it bought back 15,000 of its own shares, to be held in treasury, at an average price of 829.0p. The highest and lowest price paid was 829.0p. Further details are set out below: Number of shares held in treasury following this purchase: 3,705,945 Total shares in issue excluding treasury shares following this purchase: 69,207,055 For further information, please contact Ian Stanlake on 0203 201 7700. Notes The Company has bought back these shares under the authority granted by shareholders at its Annual General Meeting in June 2018, which permits the Company to repurchase a maximum of 14.99% of its ordinary shares. The actual number of shares repurchased by the Company will depend on market conditions. This authority lasts until the next shareholder authority granted (expected to be at the Annual General Meeting in 2019), or until expressly revoked by shareholders. No maximum consideration payable has been determined by the Company, but the Company is unable to pay a price for any shares pursuant to the buyback which would equate to a premium to the net asset value. It is the Companys current intention to hold any shares bought back in treasury. The Company has instructed Numis Securities Limited as its broker in respect of its buyback transactions. This arrangement is in accordance with Chapter 12 of the UKLA Listing Rules and the Companys general authority to repurchase shares. NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkNewsAudio - NetworkNewsAudio (NNA), a NetworkNewsWire (NNW) Solution that delivers clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness in the investment community, today announces the online availability of its interview with Sharing Services (OTCQB: SHRV), a client of NNW and diversified holding company specializing in the direct selling industry. The interview can be heard at http://nnw.fm/BFu0K NNWs Stuart Smith introduces Sharing Services CEO John JT Thatch in an interview that reviews the companys unique business model and the strategy that has distinguished it among competitors in the industry. Sharing Services is a diversified holding company that owns a 20- to 100-percent stake in a variety of direct selling businesses. Thatch describes SHRV as unique, in that many other top companies in the direct selling space, such as Herbalife, Avon and Nu Skin, brand one product line that forms their niche. What separates SHRV is that the company takes a percentage of ownership in different companies across various sectors, which it calls lanes of opportunity, with each of those offering unique products. Independent representatives sell SHRV products, benefiting from a diversified platform that offers support services and a strong infrastructure to allow direct sellers to succeed. SHRVs leadership team is well-rounded, with expertise guiding public companies and direct experience in industry verticals in which SHRV currently operates. SHRV founder Robert Oblon founded one of the largest travel selling companies in the sector. He is also the creator of SHRVs distinctive Blue Ocean Strategy. After discussing his own experience as a 30-year entrepreneur, Thatch describes SHRVs management team as industry icons who have their DNA in the top 10 or 20 direct selling companies of all time. The companys leadership includes Keith Halls, co-founder of Nu Skin; John Fleming, the past president of Avon West and the past editor of Direct Selling News; and Larry Taylor, co-founder of Herbalife. Thatch attributes the companys success to the talent of this leadership team, excitement and motivation of its staff, and the companys unique strategy. The value of this team is reflective in the companys sales performance. Upon initial launch in December 2017, SHRV generated about $200,000 in organic growth revenues, and continued to climb. Then we rolled right into January and quadrupled that to about $800,000, and it hasnt stopped, Thatch says. From year-end 2017 to April 2018, SHRV generated approximately $8 million in revenue is on pace to achieve nearly $50 million per year. Thatch credits this explosive growth to the companys reverse model of putting a management team in place and proving strong sales on a shoe string budget. The interview closes with Thatch looking into the future with the intention of moving forward with continued monthly sales increases and global expansions, but continuance with the same strategy that has worked extremely well. The company also seeks to gain more interest in the public sector. Were kind of under the radar right now. A lot of people dont know about us, Thatch says, but is adamant that, they soon will. About Sharing Services, Inc. Sharing Services, Inc. (SHRV) is a diversified holding company specializing in the direct selling industry. SHRV owns, operates, or controls an interest in a variety of companies that either sell products to the consumer directly through independent representatives or offers services that range from health and wellness, energy, technology, insurance services, training, media and travel benefits. For more information, visit the companys website at www.SHRVinc.com About NetworkNewsAudio NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) , a NetworkNewsWire (NNW) Solution, allows you to sit back and listen to market updates, CEO interviews and a Company AudioPressRelease (APR) . These audio clips provide snapshots of position, opportunity and momentum. NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) can assist your company by cutting through the overload of information in today's market. NNA brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is where news, content and information converge. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a comprehensive provider of news aggregation and syndication, enhanced press release services and a full array of social communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and distribution company with an extensive team of journalists and writers, NNW has the unparalleled ability to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public with an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the nation. For more information, visit: www.NetworkNewsAudio.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer . Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Corporate Communications Contact: Recognition Comes on the Heels of Company Founder & CEO Kathy Gendel Receiving CEO Report's 2018 Mid-Atlantic Women's Leadership Award PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Gendel Girls, the family behind Breezies, QVCs largest intimate apparel brand, took home awards in two categories last week at the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business ceremony in New York City. Company Founder and CEO Kathy Gendel was recognized individually as a Bronze Stevie Award winner in the Female Entrepreneur of the Year - Consumer Products -10 or Less Employees category, while the company was recognized with a Bronze Stevie Award in the Company of the Year - Consumer Products - 10 or Less Employees category. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the worlds premier business awards. This years Stevie Awards for Women in Business event took place in New York City on Friday, November 16, where women executives and entrepreneurs from across the U.S.A and several other countries gathered to be honored. We were thrilled to be considered for this award alongside such amazing female leaders and entrepreneurs, said Kathy Gendel. This award speaks volumes to the blood, sweat and tears weve put into the business both in the last year and over the last 24 years. Its not always an easy road, but we continue to push forward creating new and innovative products for our customers and working to further shape Breezies into a go-to intimates brand. Its recognition like this that makes all the hard work worth it. More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 90 categories, including Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Company of the Year, Startup of the Year, Women Helping Women, and Women Run Workplace of the Year. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 200 business professionals around the world, working on five juries. Their scores determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements that were revealed at the annual awards dinner and presentations. This recognition comes on the heels of another award win for the company and its Founder. Kathy Gendel was selected as a winner of CEO Report's 2018 Mid-Atlantic Women's Leadership Award and was honored at an awards gala in October 2018. Each of these recent wins point to the extraordinary success and momentum the company has seen over the last year. Just this year, Breezies introduced five multi-million-dollar bra silhouettes and continues to beat its own sales records with each launch. Additional product launches scheduled through the end of the year and the beginning of 2019 aim to continue The Gendel Girls momentum. Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women . About The Gendel Girls Kathy Gendel and her husband Craig left corporate jobs to start a lingerie business in 1994. After a lot of perseverance and a lucky encounter on Madison Avenue, they found a home at QVC, where The Gendel Girls patented performance fabric, UltimAir, has made Breezies the largest intimate apparel brand on the network. Based outside Philadelphia and operating on a family farm, The Gendel Girls are first and foremost a family business with Kathy, the CEO, at the helm and her three daughters: Kalina Gendel, Chief Operating Officer, and Laurissa Gendel, President, in tandem leadership, and Catherine Gendel, VP of Creative Marketing. One of only a handful of on-air family personalities in the entire home-shopping genre, The Gendel Girls have been a mainstay on QVC for 23 years with an average annual growth increase of 22.5%. During that time, they have sold millions of bras and panties worldwide. For more information, please visit Gendel-Girls.com QVC, Inc., QVC, the Q and Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc. and QVC, Inc. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fb256e8-fe95-4161-b5da-2c669e6b2437 Contact: In statements to RPP radio and TV station, Bergamino said the information that Uruguay has already conferred asylum is considered a leak since his Government has made no pronouncements on the merits of the case. "This is a leak. We refer to yesterday's statements issued by the Presidency and the Foreign Affairs Ministry (of Uruguay). Both agree the ex-President requested asylum at the Uruguayan Embassy in Peru," he told RPP. "He did it under the 1954 Caracas Convention (). The procedures established by the aforementioned Convention are being followed," he added. Likewise, the Uruguayan Government official noted there is a difference between accepting the request and issuing a statement about it. He emphasized the Caracas Convention does not specify a deadline to make a statement about an asylum request. Plus, he reported that his Government is processing the paperwork and collecting data about the issue. In this regard, he said information from Garcia 's defense will be assessed, as well as the one conferred by the Peruvian Government. Bergamino mentioned Uruguay has a long tradition of asylum and described it as a "country of law." Finally, he affirmed his country has handled the asylum request in a natural manner and without drama. On Saturday, Peruvian Judge Juan Carlos Sanchez approved Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez's request to forbid Garcia from leaving the Inca country for 18 months , while he faces an Odebrecht-related investigation. As is known, Brazilian construction giant and corruption-tainted Odebrecht allegedly paid bribes to secure the Lima Metro Line 1 contract during his presidency (2006-2011). Alan Garcia served as President of Peru between 1985-1990 and 2006-2011. (END) CCR/RMB/MVB Loading... The Uruguayan Government has not yet decided to grant diplomatic asylum to former Peruvian President Alan Garcia, Uruguay's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ariel Bergamino affirmed on Monday.Publicado: 19/11/2018 ?? #AHORA Aumenta el numero de efectivos policiales en la embajada de Uruguay donde se encuentra el expresidente Alan Garcia (Video: Karol Munoz) https://t.co/guwWkXH9Lj pic.twitter.com/iMfbDvxRVm TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Troilus Gold Corp. (TSX: TLG) (OTCQB: CHXMF) (Troilus or the Company) is pleased to provide a mineral resource estimate from its 100% owned Troilus gold and copper property located Northeast of the Val-dOr district in Chibougamou Quebec, Canada (the Troilus Project). This resource estimate is the result of over 36,000 metres (91 drill holes) of drilling completed by the Company from February 2018 to August 2018. Exploration activities as part of the 2019 drill program will commence in Q1 2019. Highlights: Increases total estimated mineral resource by approximately 90% from the 2016 mineral resource estimate Updates the estimated indicated resource to 3.92Moz AuEq and the estimated inferred resource to 1.17Moz AuEq Table 1 - Mineral Resource Estimate Summary Effective as of November 19, 2018 Classification Tonnage Au Cu AuEq Contained Contained Contained (Mt) (g/t) (%) (g/t) Gold Copper AuEq (Moz) (Mlb) (Moz) Total Open Pit and Underground Indicated 121.7 0.87 0.086 1.00 3.40 231.8 3.92 Inferred 36.1 0.88 0.083 1.01 1.02 66.2 1.17 Total Open Pit Indicated 97.5 0.76 0.078 0.88 2.37 167.0 2.7 Inferred 21.7 0.60 0.062 0.69 0.42 29.7 0.5 Total Open Pit Z87 Indicated 56.6 0.83 0.096 0.98 1.51 119.4 1.8 Inferred 12.1 0.58 0.066 0.68 0.23 17.5 0.3 Total Open Pit J4-J5 Indicated 40.8 0.66 0.053 0.74 0.86 47.6 1.0 Inferred 9.6 0.61 0.058 0.70 0.19 12.2 0.2 Total Underground Indicated 24.2 1.32 0.121 1.50 1.02 64.8 1.2 Inferred 14.4 1.31 0.115 1.49 0.61 36.5 0.7 Notes: CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. Open pit Mineral Resources were estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t AuEq and were constrained by a Whittle pit shell. Underground Mineral Resources were estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.9 g/t AuEq. Mineral Resources were estimated using long-term metal prices of US$1,400 per ounce gold and US$3.25 per pound copper; and an exchange rate of US$1.00 = C$1.25. AuEq = Au Grade + 1.546 * Cu grade A recovery of 83% was used for gold and 92% for copper. Figures have been rounded to the appropriate level of precision for the reporting of Mineral Resources. Due to rounding, some columns or rows may not compute exactly as shown. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. In ten short months since the formation of Troilus, we have outlined what could be one of Quebecs most significant gold development assets, said Justin Reid, CEO of Troilus Gold Corp. Our investors will continue to benefit from our low discovery costs, mine development expertise and support from our local communities. This resource estimate is the cornerstone upon which we will grow and build the future of Troilus. This resource is the culmination of intense drilling and systematic mapping over the course of nearly a year, said Blake Hylands, SVP Exploration of Troilus Gold Corp. It represents a fundamental change in thinking at Troilus. The mineral resource estimate was prepared pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) by Roscoe Postle and Associates and has been reviewed internally by the Corporation. The full technical report, will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under the Corporations issuer profile within 45 calendar days (the Technical Report). 2018 Drill Program The intent of the 2018 Drill Program was to confirm and expand the underground potential at Z87, explore open pit potential at the J Zone, and discover new opportunities for resource development across the property. In February 2018, the Company commenced a planned 30,000 metre drill program, which was subsequently expanded to approximately 36,000 metres. The program focused on two primary areas Z87 and the J Zone (J4 and J5). During the summer, property wide exploration also occurred with a focus on Southwest and J4 North extension. Z87 Mineralization at Z87 is hosted in breccias and amphibolite grade metamorphic rocks within a much broader, 4.5 kilometre by 400 metre, metamorphosed diorite, known as the Troilus Diorite. Fine-grained disseminated gold accounts for approximately 90% of mineralization at Troilus, primarily as native gold and electrum with grains as large as 20 microns. Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, and Pyrrhotite are broadly disseminated throughout the mineralized body, which are rarely associated with gold (<1-3%). Vein-hosted gold accounts for approximately 10% of mineralization which are responsible for high grade intercepts (>50gpt over 1 m) at Troilus. The broad geology and style of mineralization at Z87 creates a large deposit area, nearly 1 kilometre along strike and 30-50 metres wide, which remains open both along strike and down dip J Zone (J4 and J5) The J Zone, directly northeast of Z87 is characterized by the same mineralization and geology as Z87 remains open at depth and along strike. Our inherited database suggested the potential for additional near surface mineralization and open pittable potential. The 2018 Drill Program, has successfully expanded the open pit and underground estimated mineral resource below these lesser historic pits. Quality Control During the 2018 Drill Program, one metre assay samples are taken from NQ core and sawed in half. One-half is sent for assaying at ALS Laboratory, a certified commercial laboratory, and the other half is retained for results, cross checks, and future reference. A strict QA/QC program is applied to all samples; which include insertion of one certified mineralized standard and one blank sample in each batch of 25 samples. The gold analyses were by fire-assay on 50 grams of pulp with an atomic absorption finish. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay with a gravimetric finish on each sample containing 3.5 g/t Au or more. About Troilus Gold Corp. Troilus is a Toronto-based, Quebec focused, advanced stage exploration and early-development company focused on the mineral expansion and potential mine re-start of the former gold and copper Troilus mine. The 4,700-hectare Troilus property is located Northeast of the Val-dOr mining district, within the Frotet-Evans Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada. From 1997 to 2010, Inmet Mining Corporation operated the Troilus project as an open-pit mine, producing more than 2,000,000 ounces of gold and nearly 70,000 tonnes of copper. Qualified Person The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Bruno Perron, P.Eng., Senior Technical Manager, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Perron is an employee of Troilus and is not independent of the Company under National Instrument 43-101. The resource estimate was prepared by RPA Principal Geological Engineer Luke Evans, M.Sc., P.Eng., and a supporting technical report will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under the Corporations issuer profile within 45 calendar days. Mr. Evans, who is an independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the resource estimate in this release. For more information: Spyros Karellas Communications Manager +1 (416) 433-5696 skarellas@troilusgold.com Cautionary statements The Mineral Resource estimates contained herein may be subject to legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of such Mineral Resources. See the Technical Report for more information with respect to the key assumptions, parameters, methods and risks of determination associated with the foregoing. This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the impact of the updated mineral resource estimate and drill results on the Company, the projected economics of the project, and the Companys understanding of the project; statements with respect to the development potential and timetable of the project; the estimation of mineral resources; realization of mineral resource estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future exploration; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; government regulation of mining operations; and environmental risks and the receipt of any required regulatory approvals. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Troilus to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: there being no assurance that the exploration program will result in expanded mineral resources; ;risks and uncertainties inherent to mineral resource estimates; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future prices of mineral prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental and other risks of the mining industry, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties discussed in the Technical Report and other continuous disclosure documents of the Company available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com . Although Troilus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Troilus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Cautionary note to U.S. investors concerning estimates of Mineral Resources These estimates have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. The terms mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource are defined in NI 43-101 and recognized by Canadian securities laws but are not defined terms or recognized under U.S. securities laws. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be upgraded to mineral reserves. Inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Accordingly, these mineral resource estimates and related information may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. THE TSX HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE In a statement, the Uruguayan Government indicated the Inca country's President Martin Vizcarra spoke with his counterpart Tabare Vazquez over the phone last Sunday regarding the asylum request. "In the said conversation it was agreed that Peru's Government will send, as soon as possible, information concerning this subject. Uruguay's Government will make a decision on the petition, after having received it. Both Foreign Affairs Ministries will be in charge of the process," it reads. As is known, Brazilian construction giant and corruption-tainted Odebrecht allegedly paid bribes to secure the Lima Metro Line 1 contract during Garcia's presidency (2006-2011). Last Thursday, investigative journalism site IDL-Reporteros reported Garcia had received US$100,000 from Odebrecht for a lecture in Sao Paulo . He had denied the allegations and said he would stay in the country. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Yemens Houthi movement announced it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, Reuters reported. International pressure has mounted on Yemens warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemens main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. The Iranian-aligned group which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years added it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition wants peace. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The nuclear deal signed with Iran is one of the key components of stability in the Middle East, UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said ahead of the Tehran visit, TASS reports. The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearized Iran, he said, adding that it needs 100% compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. Jeremy Hunt will arrive in Iran on November 19 to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and other officials. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The key change that has taken place in Armenia is that each citizen in the Republic of Armenia is in power, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting with residents of Martuni, a town in the countrys Gegharkunik province. Weve now already shaped a new Armenia, where each and every one of you feels victorious. The key change that took place in Armenia is that you, each of you is in power in Armenia. Until now, its accepted to critically say that there are three million prime ministers in Armenia, there are three million presidents, there are three million ministers. This was said as a critisizm, but I find this to be an advantage that there are three million prime ministers in our country, because when we are saying that you are the power in Armenia, we mean this very thing. Being a prime minister in new times is not an enjoyment, it is a responsibility. When we are saying that the power belongs to the people in Armenia, this means that there are three million prime ministers in Armenia, and each and every one of you is a prime minister. Yes, each of you is the prime minister of this country, this means the special responsibility of each of us for our reality, Pashinyan said. He said that now the time has come for the responsibility of each and everyone, in order for all to understand how much depends on their decisions. For example, you have one vote in the election, I have one too also, the governor and the minister also have one vote. Everyone must feel their special responsibility in the election. Because now is not the time when the governor, police commissioner, national security service director or the [venals] are making decisions. Now you are the ones who will make a decision, and each and every one of you must feel this responsibility. By giving your vote you will determine the fate of these children who still are not entitled to vote, Pashinyan said. Speaking about the Day of Martuni, a local holiday, Pashinyan stressed that the townlet always has the occasion to celebrate and be proud, because the locals, as well as all citizens of Armenia, stand out with their strong will, diligence and their power not to reconcile with despair. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The waste disposal problem in Armenia ought to be solved with the joint responsibility of the government and the citizens, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting with residents of Martuni, a town in Gegharkunik province. Each time I travel to provinces and I look out from the window of the car I truly feel pain because our Fatherland, our sacred Fatherland is [filled] with garbage. And the same since this morning, I look out from the window and I see much garbage. This problem must be solved with the joint responsibility of the government and the citizens. Indeed, the government, the local self-governing bodies must solve the waste disposal problem. Today one of the most pressing issues is the creation of a waste reprocessing factory, so that this garbage doesnt get moved from one place to another. Today in Armenia, if the citizens dont keep at least their own environment clean, nothing serious will change in our country. Revolution starts from here, because it is the change of each and every one of us. The change of power is not enough, there is a lot to change, and the change of everything starts from ourselves, Pashinyan said. He said he was horrified when he saw two big stores near the Noratus intersection, and only 10 meters away there was a pile of garbage the size of these stores. And there is an impression that this place lacks a village official, an owner, where is the governors office looking? It seems as if nothing has changed in this country, because this spilled garbage is disrespect towards each of us. And I will very seriously deal with the people who are in charge of collecting this garbage. They want to teach us to live in waste, they wanted to teach us to live in political garbage, we have cleaned this political garbage, and now we must clean the physical garbage, the garbage of despair. We will not tolerate the existence of any garbage within us. From all sides they want to convince us that we are [poor] people, a small people, but we are telling everyone no, we are not small people, perhaps we are small in numbers, but we are great people, Pashinyan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. During April-May of this year the citizens of Armenia went out to the streets to fulfill their dream to have a country where the rule of law, democracy, human and business rights will be materialized, acting justice minister Artak Zeynalyan said in his remarks during a conference titled Reduction of Corruption Risks in the Private Sector in Yerevan, reports Armenpress. To have a country where everyone can freely carry out an economic activity, maintain market economy rules in the conditions of a really free economic competition. The recent velvet revolution in Armenia, its subsequent events should be described as unprecedented and historic. I think business is one of the main winners on which the results of the revolution should have a direct impact, he said. In this regard, the acting minister emphasized the need to turn this victorious revolution into institutional reforms which will give a new impetus after the upcoming early parliamentary elections. He stated that it is necessary for the public, especially, the business community to be constantly involved in the reconstruction of changes system. Zeynalayan noted that the tactical tools used during the revolution must also be used while conducting reforms. Although talks are firstly about the corruption and its manifestations in the public administration system, but there are also corruption risks in the private business sector. Business will play two roles in the anti-corruption fight. Firstly, as I said, business is one of the main beneficiaries of the anti-corruption fight, and businessmen are interested to see the results of the anti-corruption fight from corruption to a free economic environment, a real free economic competition. But the business also has another key role to ensure the viability and effectiveness of its internal integrity and anti-corruption system, the acting justice minister said. According to him, the economic companies not only must have an opportunity to carry out activities in a corruption-free atmosphere, but also must ensure ruling out corruption phenomena in their domestic environment. The government is taking steps to solve the issues relating to the field, as well as to improve the business climate. Based on the results of the actions carried out, Armenia is among the top ten of the World Banks Doing Business 2018 report with an indicator of Starting a business, by capturing the 8th place. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Georgian government said it will re-pay the bank debts of citizens who are blacklisted. Citizens are blacklisted by banks when they fail to re-pay interest or loans in time. Blacklisted individuals are denied credits in the future. Nearly 95% of blacklisted debts comprise debts whose main amount doesnt exceed two thousand laris, PM Mamuka Bakhtadze said in a briefing. He said he refers to a total of more than 600,000 people and the total amount is nearly 1,5 billion laris. By todays decision, this 1,5 billion lari debt is being nullified for our citizens, he said, according to Sputnik News. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Billionaire businessmen, philanthropist and former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg has donated 1,8 billion dollars to the Johns Hopkins University. Im giving $1.8 billion to @JohnsHopkins for financial aid so admissions can be permanently need blind. I want to open the same door of opportunity that I had for generations of talented students, regardless of financial circumstances, he said on Twitter. Heres a simple idea I bet most Americans agree with: No qualified high school student should ever be barred entrance to a college based on his or her familys bank account. Yet it happens all the time. When colleges review applications, all but a few consider a students ability to pay. As a result, high-achieving applicants from low- and middle-income families are routinely denied seats that are saved for students whose families have deeper pockets, he further said in a New York Times op-ed. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan says the political team that carried out a revolution in Armenia has fulfilled all obligations before the people as of now, reports Armenpress. During todays meeting with the residents of Martuni town of Gegharkunik province, Pashinyan highlighted that this fact is very important. We have promised that if the people of Armenia express their will peacefully, just in squares and streets that they want a change of power, we will turn that will into a reality. Moreover, we were saying this without any violence. At that time, there were talks that this is impossible without violence. But we were saying that we will do that without violence since we dont want any sacrifice from you. We were just telling you to show your will in streets and squares, and we guaranteed to make that will a reality, and we made it a reality, Pashinyan said. He added that they have also promised to carry out a strong fight against corruption. And today this obligation is completely implemented. Anti-corruption fight in Armenia is being carried out with the greatest possible volume and pace, he said. The acting PM reminded that they were also saying that they will reach holding early parliamentary elections. Do you remember that when I was resigned there was a great concern among the people, but thanks to your support and that of tens of thousands of citizens who blocked the Parliament on October 2 we reached early parliamentary elections. Therefore, all the promises we gave for this revolutionary stage, are implemented, Nikol Pashinyan said. He stated that they have also fulfilled their biggest promise according to which they will return the power to the people. Pashinyan said now the fate of all is in the hands of the people as the Parliament is dissolved, and he is an acting PM, the ministers as well. Our fate is in the hands of all of you, but as of now we have completely fulfilled all obligations before the people. And in the near future, we, as well as other political forces, will come and ask for a mandate from you. We have carried out a political revolution and now are going to ask for a mandate from you in order to conduct an economic revolution. But you are the ones who will decide, the power is yours. The first and most important stage of the revolution is over as the power has been completely returned to you. I guarantee that no one can force you to vote in favor of someone by any administrative leverage, giving bribe, or threatening you. Free, fair and transparent elections will be held in Armenia. No one can tell the citizen of Armenia whom to vote for as the citizen is the one who can tell in Armenia. Dont let anyone tell you whom to vote for. Follow the campaign, the political forces and decide whom you want to vote in favor of. And whoever you vote in favor of, your choice will be the highest and irrevocable decision for us, Pashinyan added. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan English French TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This document corrects and replaces the press release that was sent November 19th at 13:18 ET. Sunwing is excited to announce it is partnering with Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford for the third consecutive year. Customers on board Sunwing Airlines can now enjoy a new and improved Sunwing Cafe menu. Available on all flights, the updated menu features two new dishes inspired by Chef Lynn including the Tex Mex Grilled Chicken Wrap, filled with delicious grilled chicken breast, chipotle mayonnaise, guacamole, lettuce, corn and black bean salsa and shredded cheddar cheese wrapped in a soft tortilla. Also new is Chef Lynns famous Mac & Cheese made with aged white cheddar and the delicious flavours of shallots, thyme and Dijon Mustard. To celebrate the continuation of the partnership and new Sunwing Cafe menu, Sunwing is launching the new Foodies Take Flight contest in collaboration with Food Network Canada, where participants can enter for the chance to win a trip for two to Mexico to meet and cook with Chef Lynn. Starting November 19, 2018 participants can enter the Foodies Take Flight contest to win an all inclusive vacation for two to Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa . To enter, participants must submit a selfie with a caption mentioning their favourite meal. The grand prize winner will then jet off to Rivera Maya * on board Sunwing Airlines to meet Chef Lynn at Royalton Riviera Cancun and cook delicious Mexican dishes together. When theyre not cooking up a storm, the winner and their guest can enjoy the luxurious amenities and elegant facilities around the resort including unlimited a la carte dining at the propertys ten restaurants. The contest ends on December 16, 2018 and the winner will be contacted soon after. All Sunwing packages include return flights on Sunwing Airlines where passengers can sit back and relax while on board, with award-winning inflight service, complimentary non-alcoholic beverage service and buy on board selection of light meals and snacks with choices inspired by Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford. Passengers also benefit from a generous complimentary 23kg checked luggage allowance. Ten adults travelling together can receive special prices, added values and reduced deposits. For more information on group vacations click here . *Chosen winner must be available for travel between specific dates set out in the terms and conditions. About Sunwing The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from over 33 airports across Canada to over 45 popular sun destinations. This scale enables Sunwing to negotiate the best deals and exclusive offers at all of the top-rated resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Renowned for its award-winning service, Sunwing is consistently voted the top leisure airline by travel agents and is the perennial winner of the Consumer Choice Award. Customers can look forward to starting their vacation off in style with award-winning inflight service, which features a complimentary glass of sparkling wine*, tea and coffee and non-alcoholic beverage service; together with a buy on board menu of light meals and snacks (including kids choices) inspired by Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford. Sunwing customers also benefit from the assistance of the companys own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For all media enquires, please contact: Rachel Goldrick Senior Corporate Communications Manager Sunwing Vacations 1-800-387-5602 | media@sunwing.ca https://www.facebook.com/SunwingVacations https://twitter.com/SunwingVacay https://www.instagram.com/sunwingvacations https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzjZ-lcuaqBQH7Sq0u3ru7A A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6fa14a0-9e85-4eb4-b3a9-ab7855fcd3ff YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenias caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has presented the governments policy on community consolidation. He was speaking at a meeting with residents of Martuni in Gegharkunik Province. Pashinyan said the government will wait to see what results the already consolidated communities will record. But at this phase we will carry out consolidation only in communities where the residents want it. Therefore, if there are communities that desire consolidation, let them officially apply to the government, and the government will certainly agree, Pashinyan said. Earlier in September the community consolidation program was temporarily suspended. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will convene an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on today, November 19, the PMs office said. The session will take place at 15:00. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Nissan said it planned to oust Chairman Carlos Ghosn after alleging he had used company money for personal use and committed other serious acts of misconduct, Reuters reports. Japanese media reported that Ghosn, who is also chairman and chief executive of Nissans French partner Renault and one of the best known figures in the global car industry, had been arrested. The Japanese automaker said that based on a whistleblower report, it had been investigating possible improper practices by Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly for several months, and that it was fully cooperating with investigators. The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosns compensation, Nissan said in a statement. It said CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose that the Nissan board remove Ghosn and Kelly Carlos Ghosn is a Lebanese businessman born in Porto Velho, Brazil. From June 2013 to June 2016, Ghosn was chairman of Russia-based automobile manufacturer AvtoVAZ. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. During todays extraordinary session in the government, acting first deputy prime minister Ararat Mirzoyan assured that extra-budgets must be refused, reports Armenpress. The Cabinet members mostly voted against bringing the issue of extra-budgets to the agenda by acting finance minister Atom Janjughazyan. Ararat Mirzoyan said the issue of extra-budgets has always been in the interests of various agencies. We must definitely move on the path of eliminating extra-budgets. Unfortunately, till now this issue has not been discussed in detail. I am confident that after passing some stages of discussions we will again touch upon this issue and this time with a positive solution, he said, adding that this is one of the key steps on the path of reforms. Its understandable that there are agencies which have extra-budgets, and not managing the financial flows here is more easy and free of certain procedures and restrictions, he said, adding that the government, ministries, the State Revenue Committee and the remaining structures should understand that there will not be a management of non-transparent, different flows with extra-budgets. Acting deputy PM Tigran Avinyan stated that in order to be in favor of or against the closure of extra-budgets it is necessary to understand what problems extra-budgets solve. Now I definitely agree with the logic that no ministry must have extra-budgets, but as long as we have not thoroughly discussed what risks are managed by these extra-budgets, I think its still inappropriate to bring this issue to the agenda for discussion, he said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The State Revenue Committee of Armenia has issued a clarification over the initiative on launching a revenue declaration process for individuals, i.e. natural persons. In response to certain online rumors, The State Revenue Committee said that no bill, or even an idea of taxing the revenues of migrant workers exists. The topic on declarations of natural persons is widely discussed in the press and social networks. The State Revenue Committee finds it necessary to inform that prior to introducing the project it should be put for broad public discussion, during which the positive and negative sides of the issue will be raised. As far as the mechanism on taxing the revenues of citizens who depart for migrant work, no such draft or even idea exists. While the State Revenue Committee presidents response in an interview stemmed from the general principles of taxing revenues received by residents (revenues received by Armenian or foreign sources), however this doesnt mean that their revenues will be subject to taxation or that any similar project is being discussed, the State Revenue Committee said in a statement. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. National Security Service Director Artur Vanetsyan says they will disclose the identity of the Member of Parliament who is suspected in a corruption scandal. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was first to announce about an investigation into a massive bribery case involving a lawmaker earlier in October. You will know in the coming days, Vanetsyan told reporters today. Asked about the investigation into the wiretapping of his phone conversation with Special Investigative Service Director Sasun Khachatryan, Vanetsyan refused to comment, saying that the investigative committee will issue clarifications as the probe is proceeding. He also declined to comment on the investigation regarding former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, saying operative works are underway. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan On September 28, 2018, Brazilian President Michel Temer sanctioned Law 13,720 authorizing the Ministry of Defense to donate 25 M41C light tanks to the Uruguayan Army. The Brazilian Armys 16th Logistics Battalion donated M-41C armored combat vehicles as historical equipment to the Brazilian Armys 22nd Infantry Battalion, based in Tocantins state. (Picture source: EB/Brazilian army) The Brazilian Army (EB, Exercito Brasileiro), which once had 340 units of this US-made tank, now has only 152 ones left, all deactivated. Brazil purchased the M41 Walker Bulldog tanks from the United States in the 1960s. The EB finally used these tanks almost five decades for training purposes. In 2009, all units were deemed obsolete and were permanently retired from the inventory. Some of them were placed in museums and others used as monuments. EB replaced the M41C with Leopard main battle tanks. The donated vehicles are at the Regional Maintenance Park of the EBs 3rd Military Region in Rio Grande do Sul state, at the border with Uruguay. Out of the 25 units for donation, 15 need basic maintenance for transport and shipping, said EBs Press Office. Repairs will be carried out at the Regional Maintenance Park where the vehicles are located. The other 10 vehicles will be sent to Uruguay as-is to be dismantled for parts by the Uruguayan Army. According to the law, the Brazilian Ministry of Defense will cover transfer costs, estimated at $93,200. This is an important form of cooperation with our neighboring country, and the Brazilian land force will see the benefits of a good relationship with our partner nation, surpassing the donations material costs, said Brazilian Senator Pedro Chaves to the Brazilian Congresss Commission of Foreign Affairs and National Defense. The vehicles will be sent to the Uruguayan Armys 3rd Cavalry Regiment, in Rivera city, north of Uruguay. The Uruguayan Army plans to assign the vehicles to the 13th Armored Infantry Battalion to replace the M24 Chaffee tanks dating back to World War 2. The U.S transferred the M24 Chaffees to Uruguay in 1957, under the defense assistance program between both countries. The 13th Armored Infantry Battalion is headquartered in Durazno, at the heart of Uruguay, and will be the location of a new Army headquarters. The 13th Armored Infantry Battalion will combine with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 15th Mechanized Infantry Battalion to form an armored brigade. Uruguayan service members are familiar with the M41 as the Army has 22 such tanks. In 1978, EB began to upgrade the M41 fleet and designated the model M-41C Caxias. The main changes, according to EBs Press Office, were armor improvement and modification of the 76mm M32A1. With the Brazilian M-41C units, the Uruguayan Army will be able to improve troops training and strengthen ground operations. The APEC summit saw Australia, Japan and the US push back against Chinese efforts to use spending through the Belt and Road initiative to gain influence in the Pacific. While Australias prime minister, Scott Morrison, had struck an upbeat note as APEC drew to a close, declaring that Washington and Beijing were getting closer to resolving a trade war that threatens economic growth in the region, the Port Moresby summit failed to reach consensus on a concluding statement because of differences between the major powers. SYDNEY - The APEC summit has been unable to produce a joint communique because of tensions between the US and China over trade and security issues which flared throughout the gathering of regional leaders. APEC leaders in their finery: The meeting of leaders was an ugly contest between China and the US. And let's not forget the expense The US also issued a pointed warning about the dangers of Pacific nations compromising their sovereignty by accepting high levels of debt through infrastructure loans. There was also muscling up with military facilities. Australia and the US have agreed to construct the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island a port China had expressed interest in developing and the US vice-president, Mike Pence, made it clear that shipping lanes needed to remain open. As well as the unresolved tensions about security and economic issues on display at the Port Moresby summit, the ABC also reported there was a diplomatic incident involving a group of Chinese officials who attempted to force their way in to the office of the Papua New Guinean foreign minister, Rimbink Pato, after being denied a meeting on Saturday afternoon. The report said the Chinese officials wanted a discussion with Pato about the wording of the communique to be released at the conclusion of the summit, and security was called, before the group left. PNGs prime minister, Peter ONeill was clear about the cause of the breakdown in consensus on Sunday night, referring to the two big giants in the room. He said the dispute prevented the release of a communique centred on reform of the World Trade Organization. ONeill said WTO issues were outside APECs remit: Those matters can be raised at the World Trade Organisation. Under Chinas flagship Belt and Road initiative, it has already committed to billions of dollars in infrastructure and agricultural projects across PNG. Recent reports have revealed evidence that large quantities of Chinas wood imports come from illegal operations in PNG. But despite being the worlds largest consumer and manufacturer of wood and wood products, China has no regulations to keep illegal timber from entering its borders. PORT MORESBY During the APEC forum c ivil society groups in Papua New Guinea delivered a collective letter to president Xi Jinping calling on him to urgently review the current lack of regulation on illegal wood entering China. Illegally harvested logs from a lease at Turubu are carted away for use in China (Global Witness) The letter praised Chinas vision of an ecological civilisation but urged that it place the same level of attention on its ecological footprint overseas as it does at home, and asked it to ensure that materials sourced from abroad are legal and sustainable. The letter also highlighted the devastating effect of illegal logging on the forests of PNG and the resulting climate impacts and damage to biodiversity and the livelihoods of Papua New Guineans. Chinas influence in PNG is strong and growing, said Peter Bosip, executive director of the Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights. But meanwhile, the forests that sustain our livelihoods and culture are being liquidated. For decades now, the PNG government has failed to enforce its own law and protect our forests and our peoples livelihoods. Since most of PNGs logs are exported to China, we are calling on China to help end this illegal trade. Gary Juffa MP, Governor of Oro Province, said: President Xi Jinping has called for Chinese citizens to defend what he called ecological red lines: natural areas that are too valuable to exploit. I couldnt agree more. The problem is that, while China protects its own environment, its behaviour abroad is driving environmental devastation in countries like PNG. China has not yet extended its own internal best practices to how it sources raw materials in other countries, which means that illegally produced timber from PNG continues to feed Chinas manufacturing sector. This needs to change now. Lela Stanley, policy advisor at Global Witness, said: China is taking steps to clean up its domestic manufacturing sector and polluted environment, and positioning itself as a global leader on climate change. But if its serious about its vision of an ecological civilization, it needs to ensure the raw materials like timber that it sources abroad are produced legally and sustainably. The United Nations has introduced a treaty that it believes will eventually lead to the total elimination of nuclear weapons. A recent watchdog report said the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is a historically significant effort that's gaining traction, which highlights the profound power imbalance between the few nuclear powers and the many countries without the devastating weapons. "The rate of adherence to the TPNW is faster than for any other weapons-of-mass-destruction (WMD) treaty," the report says. But with an estimated 14,485 extant nuclear weapons, total elimination is more of a long-term goal. This is an overview of the nine nuclear-armed states and the 31 nuclear-weapon-endorsing states - countries that do not develop or possess nuclear weapons but rely on another nuclear-armed state for protection. All of these countries would need to make profound changes to reach the UN goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world. Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal. The Russian Federation has an estimated 6,850 nuclear weapons in its arsenal. Armenia and Belarus, who both rely on Russia's arsenal for "umbrella" protections, stand in violation of TPNW. Russia is also only one of three nations to possess a nuclear "triad," which includes intercontinental ballistic-missile delivery. A nuclear "triad" refers to a nation's ability to deploy its nuclear arsenal through intercontinental ballistic missiles, sea-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers, as defined by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an advisory board that conducts research and provides analysis to encourage diplomacy. The US is the only country to detonate nuclear weapons against an enemy, as it did in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks against Japan in August 1945. The US has agreed to potentially use its nuclear weapons to protect NATO member states, as well as Japan, Australia and South Korea. Story continues Because of these agreements, all 29 NATO member states, and the three who hold bilateral protection agreements with the US, are in violation of TPNW. The US, which has a nuclear arsenal that's nearly the size of Russia's, is the only nation in the western hemisphere that possesses nuclear weapons, and one of three countries to possess the nuclear "triad." The US is also the only nation in the world to store nuclear weapons in other countries. According to the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor, the US is believed to store some 180 nuclear weapons in other countries. This number has been "significantly reduced since the Cold War," according to the report. The United Kingdom can only launch its nuclear weapons from its four Vanguard-class submarines. The United Kingdom is a NATO member state and shares in the umbrella protections of the alliance. The kingdom maintains at least one nuclear-armed submarine on patrol at all times, under a Continuous at Sea Defence Posture, according to NWBM. British policy also states that the country will not threaten the use of nuclear weapons against any "non-nuclear weapons state." The French Dassault Rafale fighter jet can deploy a nuclear weapon with a warhead 20 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. France, also a NATO member state, can only deliver its nuclear weapons via aircraft and submarines. The ASMP-A is a 300 kiloton warhead, approximately 20 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of World War II. If a warhead of that size were to drop over Washington, DC, it would result in approximately 280,000 casualties. Israel maintains a policy of "opacity," while other nations promise not to use their nukes against countries that don't have them. China possesses a nuclear "triad," but has agreed not to employ nuclear weapons against any nation in a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone, which include Latin American and Caribbean nations, as well as some in Africa, the South Pacific and Central Asia. US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies reported 13 undeclared missile bases in North Korea. Although North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly proclaimed a desire to denuclearize the entire Korean peninsula, there is no evidence that he has made any attempt to do so. Reports vary as to the size of the North Korean nuclear arsenal. While the monitor follows conventional views that the country possesses 10 to 20 nukes, The Washington Post has previously reported that it may hold up to 60, citing confidential US assessments. Negev Nuclear Research Center in Israel is said to have produced enough plutonium for 100 to 200 nuclear warheads. Israel has never publicly admitted to possession of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, the international community operates on the assumption that since its inception, Israel has developed and maintained a nuclear arsenal. The size of Israel's cache remains unclear, and though it is possible that the nation holds enough enriched plutonium for 100 to 200 warheads, the NWBM accepts estimates from the Federation of American Scientists, which show that Israel possesses approximately 80 nuclear weapons. The next Cold War may be between India and Pakistan, neither of which will back down its nuclear stance. Attempts to develop intercontinental and submarine-launched nuclear missiles indicate that India may soon possess the nuclear "triad." Mainly due to tensions with Pakistan, some experts have questioned whether India's "no first-use" posture will endure. Pakistan can deliver its nuclear weapons from the ground and air and is allegedly developing methods of sea-based delivery to complete the nuclear "triad." Despite facing sanctions, Pakistan is reportedly expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other nation. Similar to British policy, Pakistan claims it will not use or threaten to use its nuclear arsenal against any "non-nuclear" state, leaving many questions unanswered on the potential use against neighbour India, which also maintains nuclear weapons. DUBLIN, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of full-service HR solutions for small and medium size businesses (SMBs), today announced the appointment of Samantha Wellington as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and Secretary. Wellington assumes her new role effective immediately. Reporting directly to TriNet President and CEO Burton M. Goldfield, Wellington leads TriNets team of legal and compliance experts who serve TriNet and its more-than-16,000 SMB clients in commercial, strategic, compliance and immigration matters, as well as with employee benefits. She joined TriNet in 2016 as Vice President and Associate General Counsel and has since been instrumental to TriNet in the areas of legal strategy development, diversity and inclusion, workplace benefits, gender gap mitigation and the shared economy. Samantha has been a strong, trusted member of the TriNet team, providing outstanding leadership and legal expertise across many functional areas of the organization, said Goldfield. As a member of the executive leadership team, she is well positioned to continue working toward many of TriNets key initiatives, including an enhanced customer service experience and HR compliance guidance that helps our clients grow successful companies. Prior to joining TriNet, Wellington spent 12 years at Oracle, where she held a number of senior legal positions. Her experience also includes legal positions for broadcasting companies in Australia. She holds bachelors degrees in creative arts and laws from Wollongong University, as well as a master of laws in communication and technology law from the University of New South Wales. I am thrilled to step into this new role and continue to focus on providing the HR products and services that help the incredible businesses we serve to succeed. I have a deep respect for the TriNet colleagues and a passion for our mission, said Wellington. Wellington replaces Brady Mickelsen, who will remain at TriNet through December 31 to assist in the transition. About TriNet TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters mostgrowing their business. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter . Contacts Investors: Media: Alex Bauer Fatima Afzal TriNet TriNet Investorrelations@TriNet.com Fatima.Afzal@TriNet.com (510) 875-7201 (510) 875-7265 PR@TriNet.com TriNet and the TriNet logo are registered trademarks of TriNet. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f64cb7da-a57e-4b11-929f-6d854685f66d Australian auction clearance rates continued to edge lower last week as more properties went under the hammer. A sharp increase in auction activity saw Melbourne's preliminary clearance rate tumble to 43.5%. Given the extremely low preliminary estimate, the final clearance rate could be revised down to 40% or lower later in the week, leaving it at fresh multi-year lows. After hitting a decade-low in the prior week, Sydney's final clearance rate could also hit fresh lows again this week. Preliminary clearance rates improved in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra. Adelaide's market has consistently outperformed the national average in recent months. Australian auction clearance rates continued to edge lower last week as more properties went under the hammer. According to preliminary data released by CoreLogic, just 45.5% of reported results cleared across Australia's capital cities last week, below the 46.8% preliminary estimate released seven days earlier. It was the fourth consecutive week the preliminary estimate was lower than that reported seven days earlier. Of the 2,753 homes that went under the hammer, CoreLogic received results from 2,009, representing a reporting rate of 72.9%, an improvement on the 70.2% level seen a week earlier. A total 912 homes sold before, at or prior to auction while 1,097 failed to clear, including 227 that were withdrawn prior to going to market. Despite the stronger reporting rate, it's likely final figures for the week released on Thursday will show a steep downward revision, perhaps to the lowest level seen in the current cycle. Preliminary clearance rates tend to be revised lower as late, often unsuccessful results, are reported by agents. In the prior week, CoreLogic's final estimate was revised down from 46.8% to 43.3%, just off the six-year low of 42.3% struck in early November. Given last week's preliminary estimate, there's a good chance the final figure could come in below the level seen at the start of the month. Story continues One year ago, Australia's final combined capitals clearance rate stood at 60.9% despite a larger 3,390 properties going under the hammer. By type of property, CoreLogic said preliminary clearance rates for houses and apartments were much the same last week, sitting at 45.4% and 45.6% respectively. In recent months, clearance rates for apartments have usually outperformed those for houses by quite some margin, partially reflecting the impact of tighter lending standards on more expensive homes. By capital city, a sharp increase in auction activity saw Melbourne's preliminary clearance rate tumble to 43.5%, well below the 48.3% level reported seven days earlier. A total 1,411 homes went under the hammer in the city, below the 1,141 level of a week earlier. CoreLogic received results from 1,116 of those, representing a reporting rate of 79.1%, marginally below the 79.3% level seven days earlier. Given the extremely low preliminary estimate, Melbourne's final clearance rate could be revised down to 40% or lower later in the week, leaving it at fresh multi-year lows. In the same week a year ago, Melbourne hosted 1,732 auctions and recorded a final clearance rate of 66.9%. The current clearance rate is consistent with further price declines in Melbourne, already the capital city that has experienced the largest drop in median prices so far in 2018. Helping to offset the weakness seen in Melbourne, Sydney's preliminary clearance rate was almost unchanged from seven days earlier, standing at 48.5% from 48.4% a week earlier. CoreLogic received results from 571 of the 874 auctions that took place in Australia's largest and most expensive city, or 65.3%. That was a slight improvement on the 64.2% reporting rate seen seven days earlier. In the prior week Sydney's preliminary clearance rate was revised down to sow a final figure of 42.1%, the lowest level since December 2008. A similar outcome is likely to be seen again this week. One year ago, and reflecting that Sydney's housing downturn started earlier than in Melbourne, a final clearance rate of 54.8% was recorded from 1,061 auctions held. Sydney's auction market has continued to weaken over the past year, just not as much as conditions in Melbourne. More broadly, sitting in the low to mid-40% range, Garteh Aird, Senior Economist at the Commonwealth Bank, says the levels are consistent with further price declines in both cities in the near-term. "This is indicative of a housing market that has weakened and one where there is a mismatch between the expectations of buyers and sellers," he says. "As such, prices are adjusting downwards. "The latest auction clearance rates imply that dwelling prices in Sydney and Melbourne will weaken further over the very near term." While there is some debate as to whether or not clearance rates are a leading indicator for price movements or simply a symptom of current conditions, Aird sits in the camp that suggests they do tend to provide an indication of annual price movements, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. "Theres a pretty sound relationship between auction clearance rates and annual changes in property prices. Auction clearance rates tend to lead prices on average by two months," he says. "Auctions are more popular in Sydney and Melbourne as a means of selling a property. "As such, the link between auction clearance rates and property prices is very much a Sydney and Melbourne story. As a rough rule of thumb, the annual change in dwelling prices tends to be negative when the auction clearance rate is below 55%." Obviously, we're well below that level at present, perhaps explaining the ongoing and consistent price declines seen in 2018. Along with clearance rates, Aird says changes in housing finance, foreign residential demand and house price expectations are leading indicators that "capture the momentum in the property market well". "From our perspective, we have found these indicators to be particularly useful for identifying turning points in short-run housing price cycles," he says. "Presently all of these indicators are pointing to dwelling prices continuing to deflate over the near-term." Across the smaller capitals, Adelaide continued to outperform the national average with a preliminary clearance rate of 64.4%, up from 47.5% a week earlier. Preliminary clearance rates also improved in Brisbane, Perth and Canberra from a week earlier. The relationship between auction clearance rates and annual price movements in Australia's smaller capitals is not as robust as those in Sydney and Melbourne given many sales in these locations are done via private treaty. While median prices in Perth have continued to fall this year, modest gains have been seen in Brisbane and Adelaide while prices in Hobart continue to run hot, albeit not to the same level seen in 2017 and earlier this year. Markets will receive further information on price movements in Australia's five mainland state capitals later today when CoreLogic will release weekly price data from its daily series. After an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea failed to deliver a final joint statement of agreement, Australia says China and the United States must resolve their differences. Australian PM Scott Morrison says Pacific leaders also delivered the warring Chinese and US factions a "very clear" message to get on with business. The summit deteriorated - despite the signing of many deals - following a pointed speech from US Vice President Mike Pence that accused China of 'predatory' economic behaviour in the region. Following an historically ill-tempered APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Australia says the Pacific can still get along even if China and the United States can't. Despite the 21 Nation bloc failing to produce a joint communique for the first time in its 25 year history, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Pacific leaders also delivered the warring Chinese and US factions a "very clear" message to get on with business, according to The Guardian. Following a pointed speech from US Vice President Mike Pence that accused China of "predatory" economic behaviour in the region, an irate Chinese delegation stonewalled the US push to add passages to the communique on trade reforms that clearly targeted China. Rather than dwelling on the fact that, for the first time in APEC history, leaders failed to put pen to paper on a communique, the Australian prime minister said the APEC community was still a "family" and progress had been made. "(These differences) we are dealing with are difficult," Morrison said from the deck of one of the Australian Navy destroyers sent to dock in Port Moresby for the duration of the summit. "We've got to stop kidding ourselves everyone is going to agree all the time. I mean what family does that happen in?" Decked out in naval attire on HMAS Adelaide, Morrison acknowledged the bitter dispute between China and the US, but insisted that the APEC summit had been a success. Story continues "We're all still committed to stronger trading outcomes because we understand that here in the APEC family we've been able to reduce tariffs, we've been able to increase the level and the size of our economies and that's all welcome," he said. The reference to tariffs - imposed on some key imports into the US upon many countries by the current US administration - will not have been missed by both China and its antagonist as Canberra continues to navigate the treacherous waters between its key military ally and biggest trading partner, as many APEC nations must do. But the blemish on the summit's reputation as a friendly meeting of like-minded leaders was clear for all to see and Morrison acknowledged that the region needed, and expected, resolution through further dialogue. "I can say very clearly that the other economies around the table here, and nations's that sat around the East Asia Summit, it has been made very clear to both the United States and China that we want to see these issues resolved," he said. One winner from the weekend was PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who not only drew rich new deals - 14 alone from China - but also praise from Morrison for his handling of the summit and in particular the "testing" closing hours. Instead of the traditional communique, Morrison said that O'Neill would draw up the final statement as host. "The chair will issue a statement," Morrison said, lauding O'Neill's decision as courageous. "I thought that took a lot of courage." "If the major powers here are not going to agree, we shouldn't be pretending that they do, and we shouldn't be trying to smooth that over for the sake of a communique, and we should call it out." Morrison told reporters that the meeting was "a very successful APEC," concluding a myriad of agreements. For its part, Australia is focusing anew on the Pacific after once again being caught between its strongest ally and its biggest trading partner. The Australian decision to develop the Lombrum naval base at Manus Island, was backed late last week by Pence, amid a push by the traditional allies to secure access to key infrastructure and block China from a strategic toehold. The prime minister tried to play down growing concerns that the US and China are in fact drifting further away from any kind of economic rapprochement to put an end to a trade war costing hundreds of billions of dollars. Morrison said the issues would be raised again by both leaders at the G20 meeting in Argentina scheduled for the ned opf November. "People have got to understand when there is not an agreement, that just means the dialogue has got to continue," he said. US President Donald Trump had recently been talking up his personal admiration for Xi and tweeted of his optimism of an outcome heading into Buenos Aires. But while Trump and his Chinese counterpart are destined to finally discuss their war face to face at the G-20 in Argentina, hopes are a little dimmer that the two might be able to seek some way out of their confrontation. It is a trade war in which Xi has warned their will "be no winners." Image: Getty Foodora delivery rider, Josh Klooger won his unfair dismissal case on Friday and it has major ramifications for the gig economy. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) granted Kloogers victory after he was fired by Foodora for blowing the whistle on the companys sub-par pay and conditions. Also read: Foodora owes workers $8 million but only wants to cough up half Klooger won $16,000 in the landmark case. In the time since he was hired in March 2016, the pay offered to rider fell from $14 an hour, plus $5 per delivery to just $7 per delivery with no hourly wage. Klooger set up a messaging group on Whatsapp with 250 fellow riders to discuss the worsening conditions and appeared on television earlier this year to raise further awareness of the issue. Within days, Klooger was fired. This was a harsh, unjust and unreasonable move by Foodora, the FWC decided, awarding Klooger the unfair dismissal verdict. Will other gig economy platforms face the same treatment? The FWCs decision is a shot across the bow to other businesses operating in the gig economy, Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Tony Sheldon said. This fight does not end here. We will continue to pursue Foodora for the money they still owe riders in Australia, he added. Also read: Moving overseas? Heres how to avoid a tax nightmare We will continue to demand an end to the exploitation of riders and other on-demand economy workers. The FWC also found Foodora treated its workers as employees, not contractors, implying they were also entitled to benefits like superannuation which come with employee status. This is a titanic wave coming towards every employer using wage theft as a business model through an app, Sheldon said. Foodora left the country in August amid multiple lawsuits, including Kloogers, while owing debts to Australian workers and the tax office of $8.5 million. Riders accept $3million compensation offer The Fair Work Commission decision came just hours after Foodora workers accepted a $3 million offer from administrators Worrells as partial compensation for chronic underpayment. Story continues The administrators earlier this month admitted workers are probably owed around $5 million after being incorrectly classified as independent contractors, rather than casual workers. Also read: The 28 world economies most ready for the future Speaking on Friday, the Transport Workers Unions Tony Sheldon described the agreement a breakthrough decision but warned workers at other delivery services like Deliveroo and Uber Eats are still being exploited. Unions call for the government to sue German parent company Continuing, Sheldon said there is a fundamental obligation for the government to act. The receivers should push national authorities to lay criminal charges against the German company for the wage theft and the tax fraud that has occurred within this company that has been replicated by other ride-share and food delivery companies. In addition to the $5.5 million in lost wages, the Australian Tax Office is also claiming Foodora failed to pay $2.15 million in superannuation. Why are companies doing this? A parliamentary report has found wage theft, or systemic underpayment or non-payment of superannuation, entitlements and wages is costing the Queensland economy nearly $2.5 billion a year alone. Sham contracting or the misclassification of workers as contractors to dodge employer responsibilities is included in this. In one Queensland area, Fortitude Valley, 60 per cent of businesses were found to be non-compliant in a July audit. Also read: Has the Aussie dollar finally bottomed out? According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, many businesses use wage theft as a means of staying competitive. The parliamentary report made 17 recommendations, including a public education campaign with the higher education sector to inform students and international students on their workplace rights and the role of unions. Can the gig economy turn this around? The gig economy poses a number of questions for Australian and particular the predominantly younger Australians employed in the sector. I can see cultural issues here, demographer Bernard Salt said at a Mercer event in October. The cultural issues that we need to address is [how do we encourage] contract workers, gig economy workers to actually put 9.5 or 12 per cent awayand culturally [how do we encourage] the millennial generation to be aware or connected to their financial future. The solution? Re-framing superannuation as an attractive element of a particular employer. From an employer perspective, when superannuation first came out it was a differentiator. Now everyone has super, Mercer CEO Ben Walsh said. I wonder if in the future there will be some employers in this gig economy who will actually pay more into super than what is legislated today to actually compete for those contractors and to encourage that agile workforce. He said the superannuation system and the businesses which use it needs a major overhaul to meet the needs of future workers. Todays workplace is no longer recognisable from the workplace of 1992, which was predominantly nine to five Monday to Friday, with full-time positions largely held by men. Wide-ranging changes driven by the adoption of technology and automation have revolutionised businesses needs and how employees choose to work, Mr Walsh said. A savings scheme structured 28 years ago to reward a lifetime of uninterrupted employment with one firm no longer reflects the trend towards casualisation and contract work, and the job flexibility increasingly being demanded by emerging generations. We know the current system doesnt work well for women taking career breaks or working reduced hours, or for contractors and those reliant on the growing gig economy. If we dont act now, more and more employees will be left out of pocket when they will need their money the most, he said. Should I delete my delivery apps? According to Klooger, yes. Hungry Australians should move away from delivery apps and order directly through the restaurants, he told the ABC in August. Its better for the restaurants if you go out and support them, he said. Restaurants need it too and if more people were using the restaurants then maybe they could figure out their own way of doing this service and employ the riders and do it in the right way. "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace told President Donald Trump his claims about American news media made him a worldwide "beacon for repression." In an interview aired Sunday, Trump railed against outlets he called "fake news," which was a term Wallace said was part of the rhetoric that is similar to authoritarian rulers. Wallace also objected to Trump's attempt to classify outlets, saying Fox News stood with the president's usual targets CNN and The New York Times "in solidarity." "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace pushed back against President Donald Trump's claims about American news media and said his extreme targeting of news outlets made him a "beacon for repression" around the world. In a lengthy interview that aired Sunday, Wallace told Trump that his oft-used characterization of mainstream media outlets as "fake news" is a dangerous departure from simply disagreeing with the coverage of his administration. "Leaders in authoritarian countries like Russia, China, Venezuela now repress the media using your words," Wallace said, specifically citing a February 2017 tweet in which Trump listed the New York Times, NBC News, ABC, CBS, and CNN as "the enemy of the American people." "I can't talk for other people, I can only talk for me," Trump said. Wallace interjected, "But you're seen around the world as a beacon for repression." Trump then insisted he only disagreed with outlets that consistently cover his administration negatively, which signalled they were unfair. Read more: Trump administration accused of behaving like authoritarian regime after revoking CNN reporter Jim Acosta's credentials and sharing suspicious video Wallace said the president doesn't "get to decide what's fair and what's not." "I can tell what's fair and what's not," Trump replied, adding that the media doesn't report when he does something "very good." Story continues "[President] Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time," Wallace said, "but he never said we were the enemy of the people." Trump acknowledged his criticism of the press involved saying "something differently than anyone has ever said it before." The president then tried again to distinguish the "fake news" from legitimate media when Wallace rejected a possible distinction. "We're all together," Wallace said. "When you call CNN and The New York Times [fake news], we are in solidarity, sir." Fox News recently offered a major rebuke against the Trump administration when it supported a lawsuit that CNN brought against the Trump administration last week over the decision to revoke CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass. The dispute came after a combative exchange between Acosta and Trump at a press conference last week. After arguing about Acosta's question about the migrant caravan travelling to the US, Trump called Acosta a "rude, terrible person." A White House intern eventually attempted to grab the microphone from Acosta's hand, though he twisted away from her and held onto it. The Trump administration argued that the First Amendment didn't grant Acosta the right to enter the White House and that the administration has "broad discretion" to revoke press credentials. On Friday, a federal judge ordered for Acosta's credentials to be returned. Trump told Wallace the ruling was "not a big deal" but that his administration is now drafting a code of conduct for reporters to follow in onsite press conferences, as Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced last week. "If he misbehaves, we'll throw him out or we'll stop the news conference," Trump said. Watch a clip of the 'Fox News Sunday' interview below: New York City-based photographer Harvey Stein spent 18 years visiting and photographing small villages, and festivals in central Mexico. In total, Stein visited the country 14 times between 1993 and 2010. Stein was fascinated by the country's traditional culture and unique relationship with death, myth, rituals, and religion. He returned again and again to document the strange, beautiful, and touching aspects of Mexican life. Stein has collected his years of work exploring and documenting central Mexico into "Mexico: Between Life and Death" published byKehrer Verlag in September. The book can be ordered here. New York-based photographer Harvey Stein first became fascinated with Mexico as a teenager. It was the country's relationship with death, myth, rituals, and religion that drew him in. As a child, Stein was both afraid of and intrigued by the concept of death. When he began reading about Mexico, he discovered that Mexicans have a far closer relationship with death than Americans, most clearly seen in the culture's reverence for family and elders and the celebration of The Day of the Dead festival. "It seemed more exciting and romantic in a way than my bland upbringing in Pittsburgh," Stein told Business Insider. Stein visited the country for the first time in 1993. He was immediately taken with Mexico - the traditional culture, the colourful festivals, and the warm people he met, who he said were "much more open, generous, and emotional" than those he knew in America. Related: A photographer spent years exploring India's apocalyptic 'capital of coal' and returned with unreal photos In the 18 years following Stein's first foray south, he visited Mexico 14 times. But rather than traverse the entirety of the country or document Mexico's rapidly changing urban hubs like Mexico City, he returned again and again to the small villages and vibrant festivals that form the core of traditional Mexican culture. Story continues "I knew pretty early on what intrigued me about Mexico," said Stein. "The symbols of death, the light and the shadows. I found find skeletons, skulls, and cemeteries to photograph. It was more bizarre and strange to me as an outsider " Stein has collected his 18 years of work exploring and documenting Mexico and Mexican culture into "Mexico: Between Life and Death" published byKehrer Verlag in September. The book can be ordered here. Despite being interested in Mexico from a young age, Stein did not visit until later in life. After starting a career in engineering and business, Stein quit his job at 28 and resolved to become a photographer. His first destination was Mexico. Stein first visited in 1993. Two of his friends were living in San Miguel de Allende, a small picturesque city a few hours outside of Mexico City that was a commercial center during the Spanish colonial period. In the beginning, San Miguel de Allende served as frequent backdrop for Steins exploration of the country. Since the 1940s and 1950s, the city has become home to a 20,000-person community of foreign artists, writers, and retirees, many of whom are American. "Photography allowed me to go there on my own terms and investigate what I thought Mexico would be like. I was never disappointed. I found it exciting and different, said Stein. The main town is surrounded by small rural communities populated primarily by the countrys indigenous populations. Indigenous groups, of which there are many in Mexico, make up between 5% and 23% of Mexicos population of more than 123 million. Mexican culture is a mix of these indigenous cultures, the larger national culture, remnants of the Spanish colonial era, and more. For example, the Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, dates back to both indigenous celebrations of death and an Aztec festival. The Day of the Dead became a frequent subject for Stein, who saw in the festival how Mexicans incorporate and celebrate death in their lives. Mexicans often view death as a natural part of life, an attitude derived from the Aztecs, Toltecs, and the Mayans. For the people of ancient Mexico, death was not an end, but merely a stage in a continuous cycle, Stein wrote in the foreword to Mexico: Between Life and Death. In order to evoke Mexican cultures relationship with death, Stein often photographed the symbols of death that he found ever present throughout the country, such as skeletons, skulls, guns, crosses, and cemeteries. During the Day of the Dead festival, Stein would often visit the cemeteries where families honored their ancestors at their grave sites. Sometimes he would ask if he could take pictures of families holding images of their deceased family members. Other festivals that interested Stein included Semana Santa (Easter Week) and Mexicos Independence Day. Semana Santa was particularly interesting to Stein because it was a holiday filled with processions through the small streets of villages like Taxco de Alarcon, southwest of Mexico City. The processions are dramatic affairs, according to Stein, where penitents carry 100-150 pound bundles of thin tree branches on the back of their neck and arms for three miles over the course of three hours. Alongside the penitents, are hooded, bare-chested men who whip themselves with ropes embedded with glass and thorns while cradling large wooden crosses. Despite these dramatic and sometimes mournful scenes, Stein said that he found Mexico to be an inviting and joyful place. I love their free spirit. They are religious in a way, but they marry Christianity with their ancient religions and culture, said Stein. I think they enjoy life, at least in public, more than we do and we can learn from that. It seems like a looser, more authentic, more family oriented culture. Though Stein returned 14 times to Mexico, he said he never learned Spanish fluently. He always sought to approach Mexico from the perspective of an outsider, which he said suited how he liked to photograph. "I go as a wanderer, photographing in a country often strange to me. I hear words not known, see things I don't understand, view acts of kindness and violence, smell new odours and taste new foods; I walk down small, unfamiliar cobblestone streets. I react and photograph intuitively, Stein wrote in the foreword. The media in the US often talks about how dangerous Mexico is, focusing on the drug war, which has cost 60-80,000 Mexicans their lives. But Stein said he never felt unsafe in the country, despite carrying three cameras and photographing frequently at night. It is common, he said, to see families with children hanging out in parks well past midnight. "We look down on Mexicans in this era and perhaps even before. Many are poorer and less educated [than Americans]. But they have a rich culture and history that goes back way before we were ever around, Stein said. A writer who thought she had found a painting by Pablo Picasso stolen in an infamous art heist six years ago said Sunday she was the victim of a "publicity stunt", Dutch media reported. Picasso's "Harlequin Head" was one of seven celebrated paintings snatched from the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam in 2012 during a daring robbery local media dubbed "the theft of the century". The artworks by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse and Lucian Freud have not been seen since. But Dutch writer Mira Feticu, who wrote a novel based on the brazen heist, thought she had uncovered the piece after she was sent an anonymous letter around 10 days ago "with instructions regarding the place where the painting was hidden" in Romania. Feticu, of Romanian origin, told AFP the tip-off led her to a forest in the east of the country where she dug up an artwork wrapped in plastic. Romanian authorities, who were handed the canvas on Saturday night, said that it "might be" Picasso's painting, which is estimated to be worth 800,000 euros ($915,000). However, on Sunday night Feticu told the Dutch public broadcaster NOS that she was the victim of a "performance" by two Belgian directors in Antwerp. Feticu said she received an email from the Belgian duo explaining that the letter was part of a project called "True Copy", dedicated to the notorious Dutch forger Geert Jan Jansen, whose fakes flooded the art collections of Europe and beyond until he was caught in 1994. "Part of this performance was prepared in silence in the course of the past few months, with a view to bringing back Picasso's 'Tete d'Arlequin'," Bart Baele and Yves Degryse wrote on their website. Their production company "currently wishes to abstain from any comment" because it first wants to speak to Feticu, the statement said. "We will be back with more details on this issue within the next few days." - 'Theft of the century' - Four Romanians were jailed in 2014 for the heist and ordered to pay 18 million euros ($20.5 million at today's rates) to the work's insurers. One of the group, Olga Dogaru, told investigators she had burned the paintings in her stove in the sleepy village of Carcaliu to protect her son, Radu, when he could not sell them. She later retracted the statement. Investigators have previously said the paintings were destroyed after the thieves failed to find a buyer. Specialists from Romania's museum of natural history examined ashes from a stove in Dogaru's home and found traces of at least three oil paintings, based on lead- and zinc-based pigments in blue, yellow, red and green that are no longer used, director Ernest Oberlaender-Tarnoveanu said. The thieves had slipped into the Dutch museum during the night of October 15-16, 2012 and got away with the works which despite their value were not protected by alarms. Picasso's 'Harlequin Head' was one of seven celebrated paintings stolen in 2012 from the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam Alper Yilmaz has no doubt where his home is. "My homeland is Austria, Vienna," he says. But with a far-right party sharing power and anti-immigration sentiment generally on the rise in Austria, Yilmaz -- along with potentially thousands of other Austrians with Turkish roots -- is worried he could be stripped of his citizenship. Except in very special cases, Austria does not allow its citizens to hold dual nationality. But the far-right and anti-Islam Freedom Party (FPOe) -- junior partner in a ruling coalition with the centre-right Austrian People's Party (OeVP) -- last year claimed to have received a list of Turkish voters which it said could contain tens of thousands of illegal dual nationals. The affair drew comparisons to Britain's "Windrush" scandal, in which scores of British citizens of Caribbean origin were deported or detained because they had not collected the necessary paperwork proving their right be there. Now many of the Austrians of Turkish origin whose names appear on the list could face a similar administrative nightmare. Duygu Ozkan, a journalist for the Die Presse newspaper, said the dual nationality issue had become "virtually the only topic of conversation" for Austria's Turkish community. Austria, like neighbouring Germany, invited thousands of Turkish citizens to come and work in the 1960s and 1970s, with many staying and putting down roots. Turkish immigrants and their descendants now number around 270,000 out of the population of 8.7 million. One of them is Cigdem Schiller, born in Austria 31 years ago to Turkish parents. Schiller -- who handed in her Turkish passport to become an Austrian citizen when she was a teenager in 2003 -- said that because of her presence on the list, she received a letter from the authorities in February asking her to prove she doesn't illegally hold dual nationality. After many visits to the Turkish consulate in the city of Salzburg where she lives, she says she eventually managed to do so. But the process was not easy and she argues that her case proves the list is unreliable. - 'Kafkaesque' - Others have found themselves trapped in a similarly "Kafkaesque" situation. Earlier this year, the Salzburg authorities stripped a Turkish man on the list of his Austrian citizenship, a decision subsequently upheld by a court, which argued that the list -- whose mysterious origin the FPOe has never revealed -- could only have been produced by a bona fide Turkish authority. The man's lawyer, Peter Weidisch, said his client found himself in the "extremely difficult situation of... being asked to prove that he hadn't done something". To make matters worse, the Turkish authorities also washed their hands of him. Weidisch said his client was told "you are an Austrian citizen, we can't help you". Yilmaz, who runs a cafe in Vienna, has no idea how his name ended up on the list. Born in Turkey, the 53-year-old came to Austria in the early 1980s and adopted Austrian citizenship in 1988. He says he has had no official contact with Turkey since. Yilmaz said the Turkish consulate in Vienna suggested he go back to Turkey to pursue his case. But the cafe owner is reluctant to go as he believes his status as an Alevi Kurd, and his opposition to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, could put him in danger. Nationwide, 85 people have already had their citizenship revoked and the Vienna city authorities say they have hired an 26 extra staff to investigate 18,000 potential cases. - Anti-Turkish rhetoric - Yilmaz feels he has been caught up in political manoeuvrings outside his control. On the one hand, Turkish President Erdogan is keen to keep Turkish communities in Europe closely tied to the motherland, not least because they count among his most loyal supporters. According to Austrian media reports, some Turkish consular officials are reluctant to help Turks give up their nationality. On the other hand is the anti-Turkish and outright Islamophobic rhetoric spouted by the far-right FPOe. Just last week the party posted a video about health insurance fraud that featured two fez-wearing cartoon criminals called Mustafa and Ali. It deleted the video after a storm of criticism. Yilmaz says he has no political axe to grind with any party, but simply wants the government to come up with a fair solution. "I am afraid, I have sleepless nights thinking: What happens now?" he says. Yilmaz feels he has been caught up in political manoeuvrings outside his control Austrian media reports say some Turkish consular officials are reluctant to help Turks give up their nationality Yilmaz (L), with his lawyer Bernhard Hofer, says he has no idea how his name ended up on the list Russia clashed bitterly with the West Monday as it tried to block the world chemical arms watchdog's new ability to attribute blame for attacks like those in Syria and Salisbury. Accusations of hypocrisy and lying erupted as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons debated how to move ahead with plans agreed in June to give the body new teeth. Backed by China and Iran, Russia called last-minute votes on the OPCW's budget and on setting up an "expert group" to scrutinise the OPCW's new role in pointing the finger for toxic weapons attacks. But the United States and Britain furiously accused them of trying to "turn back the clock of history", and said the work to attribute blame for attacks in Syria should start as planned early next year. The West pushed through the new powers after a string of chemical incidents in Syria, as well as a nerve agent attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury in March. Russian envoy Alexander Shulgin said Western claims of chemical weapons use by Damascus and Moscow were "out and out lies" and an excuse for "raining down missiles" on Syria. He said the June decision was "illegitimate" and went beyond the Chemical Weapons Convention, the 1997 agreement to rid the world of toxic arms, under which the OPCW was set up. - 'Where is your morality?' - Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad denied his country had ever used chemical weapons, in a fierce broadside at the western allies. "You have taught people to use chemical weapons, you have used chemical weapons in the first two world wars." he said."Where is your morality? This is sheer hypocrisy and sheer lies." US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said Russia's claims that the OPCW's new powers were illegitimate were "pungent hypocrisy", and warned against allowing a "new era of chemical weapons use to take hold". "What have they done for the last few years but to connive with their Syrian ally to bury the truth of what has happened in Syria, along with the dead killed by the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," Ward said. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, Salisbury comes along." Britain accused Russia of carrying out the Salisbury attack using a Soviet-era chemical called Novichok and the West has since imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow. British envoy to the OPCW Peter Wilson called any attempt to limit the watchdog's power to attribute blame for chemical attacks "unacceptable". French ambassador Philippe Lalliot meanwhile said the Russian plan "at best" would indefinitely postpone the attribution role "and that is something we cannot accept". Member countries will now vote on the watchdog's budget -- the first such vote in its history -- and on the plans for an "expert group" on Tuesday. The OPCW is meeting for two weeks. - 'Strong and unified resolve' - The meeting is also the first since the expulsion of four Russians accused by Dutch authorities in October of trying to hack into the OPCW's computer system, using electronic equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby hotel. At the time the organisation was investigating the attack on Skripal as well as a major chemical attack in Syria. The spying incident is not on this meeting's agenda, however. The OPCW says the two-week meeting of the 193 member countries is meant to "discuss the future of the organisation". New OPCW director-general Fernando Arias warned in his opening address on Monday that the "international norm against the use of chemical weapons has come under strain". "Their repeated use poses a challenge that must be met with strong and unified resolve," he added. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the OPCW says it has overseen the destruction of 96.5 percent of the world's chemical arms stocks. But in recent years it has seen its role expand to cover Syria and other attacks. Arias said in the run-up to the meeting that he aimed to have a "very small but strong" investigative team start work early next year on attributing blame for all attacks in Syria going back to 2013. 17:04 The Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons in The Hague faces difficult talks over a new investigative team that will start work next year to apportion blame for attacks in Syria Members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in June agreed to boost powers in pointing the finger for attacks New powers would also allow the OPCW to probe incidents like the Salisbury nerve agent attack on a Russian double agent British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt visited Iran for the first time on Monday for talks about the conflict in Yemen and freeing UK nationals held in Iranian jails. It was the first visit to Tehran by a Western foreign minister since the United States withdrew from the multi-nation nuclear deal in May. Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. But Hunt was particularly focused on the conflict in Yemen, where Iran is accused of supplying weapons to Huthi rebels. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," he told the BBC. "But also we have the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals here who are in prison and shouldn't be. We want to get them home." Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," Hunt said in a statement before leaving London. Britain is determined to keep Iran in the nuclear deal, technically known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. "But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Iran's patience has been tested by Europe's slow progress in finding ways to work around US sanctions. "If Europe thinks that the JCPOA is important for its sovereignty, security and credibility, it must be ready to pay for it," deputy foreign minister Abbas Aragchi told ISNA. "The price of losing the JCPOA is greater for Europe than the US," he added. burs-er/dr Jeremy Hunt's visit is the first by a western foreign minister since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal A police officer has been praised for his actions after images of him cradling a baby went viral. West Jordan Police Department in the US state of Utah shared the photos on Facebook on Thursday after a mother entered the station to file a domestic violence report. Robert Lofgran took up the task of looking after the womans baby, with the officer caring for the child for several hours while the mother got the help she needed for that day. Source: Facebook/ West Jordan Police Department He spent hours on this call. Thank you for your service! the department wrote online. Sgt Alex Earelli told CTVNews Officer Lofgrans actions were commonplace within the force. Its often where officers do step in to try and help out with providing any type of resource so the parents or the victims can get assistance, he said. Source: Facebook/ West Jordan Police Department The Facebook post was awash with people heaping praise on Officer Lofgran. This is beautiful!! Such kind help in a moment of stress and fear for the mother, one user wrote. What a great person. THANK YOU for your service!!!! another said. Last year a police officer in China was praised for his selfless act when he gave up his clothes to keep an abandoned baby warm during freezing temperatures. Greece and Turkey Hit Rough Waters in the Aegean Sea Athens has signaled it may expand its maritime boundaries, and Ankara isnt happy about it. By Xander Snyder When outgoing Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias announced last month that Greece intended to expand its territorial waters from six nautical miles off the coast to 12 nautical miles, it reignited a dispute that had been simmering for decades. It may seem like a minor change at first glance, but Greece has thousands of islands scattered throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas, so expanding its territorial limits will have outsize effects on the region. According to Kotzias, the first planned extension will be to Greek territory in and along the Ionian Sea from the island of Othonoi to the island of Antikythera. Then, Greece plans to expand the extension to its east coast, from Antikythera to the Saronic Gulf and then through the Pagasitikos Gulf in the Aegean Sea. This is where it has run into opposition, namely from Turkey, which has major ports along the Aegean and depends on free passage through this sea to access the Mediterranean. Grounds for War (click to enlarge) Turkey has long been at odds with Greece over control of the Aegean, and predictably responded with stern warnings. It summoned Greeces ambassador to Ankara and released a statement reminding Athens of a 1995 declaration by the Turkish parliament that Greek expansion of territorial boundaries beyond six nautical miles would be considered casus belli, or grounds for war. In response, Greece has decided to refer the matter to parliament, instead of passing the change through presidential decree as originally intended. Greece has argued that it has a right under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to extend its maritime borders to 12 nautical miles, the maximum allowed by the treaty. (Turkey is one of few countries, along with the U.S., that hasnt ratified UNCLOS, which has more than 160 signatories.) Since 1936, however, Greece has claimed sovereignty over only six nautical miles from its shores. (Prior to this time, it had control over only three nautical miles.) Turkey wants to keep it that way, claiming that the Aegean is a special case given the proximity of Greek islands to the Turkish coast. According to the Turks, UNCLOS shouldnt apply there and the issue must be settled through bilateral talks. Turkey has effectively drawn a red line in the Aegean Sea, and its not hard to understand why. If Greece were to extend its territorial control to 12 nautical miles, it would create a potential chokepoint in Turkeys access to the Mediterranean, forcing Turkish vessels departing from, say, the Bosporus (arguably Turkeys most valuable strategic asset) or even Izmir (a major port on the Aegean) to navigate through Greek-controlled waters. The extension would increase Greek jurisdiction over the surface area of the Aegean from 43 percent to 71 percent, and reduce international waters from 49 percent to 19.7 percent. It would also increase Turkish claims over the sea, from 7.5 percent to 8.8 percent, but navigation through these waters could still be hampered for the Turks by its historical adversary, an unacceptable proposition for Ankara. While UNCLOS does allow for innocent passage through sovereign territorial waters, there are restrictions. For example, states are prohibited from carrying out military exercises that involve any sort of weapons, and submarines that travel through the waters must remain above the surface. There are also restrictions on loading or unloading any commodities in violation of the laws and regulations of the coastal state and conducting research or survey activities, which Turkey needs to do if its to secure access to natural gas supplies in the Eastern Mediterranean. Enforcement measures for UNCLOS are notoriously weak, but the European Union has backed Greeces right to extend its territorial control. Its undoubtedly a worrying development for Turkey, which has increasingly squared off against European countries over drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. And if Greece does extend its territorial boundaries, Turkey may not be able to carry out military exercises in these waters to intimidate other countries competing for natural resources there or block European vessels from accessing drilling rigs, at least not without violating UNCLOS, which could draw an EU response. Extending the maritime boundary by six nautical miles wont really change much in the balance of power between Greece and Turkey. The balance of power between two states is defined not by what either side says it controls but by the military hardware and forces it has to back up its claims. Still, its a good litmus test for Greek power. If Greece can extend control by six nautical miles without a Turkish challenge, it would demonstrate that Greece is more powerful than it previously was and than many believed it to be. Conversely, if Turkey can push back, itll be a sign of the limits of Greek power. Cyprus Heats Up Why is Greece making this move now? One possible reason is that its looking for ways to push back against Turkeys recent moves around Cyprus and to test how far Turkey is willing to go there. The long-standing dispute between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus an island split between a majority Greek Cypriot population in the south and a minority Turkish Cypriot population in the north has remained relatively calm for decades but has intensified this year. In February, Turkey blocked an Italian ship contracted by energy firm Eni en route to explore for natural gas in Cyprus exclusive economic zone, claiming that Cyprus had given access to a portion of its EEZ that actually belonged to the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a state recognized only by Ankara. In October, the Turkish navy blocked a Greek frigate that Turkey claimed was trying to obstruct a Turkish energy exploration ship operating in the region. And on Wednesday, Turkey announced its own deep-sea drilling vessel, the Fatih, had begun drilling off Turkeys southern coast, near Cyprus. For Turkey, having access to natural gas reserves off Cyprus is about more than money. Turkey is highly dependent on imported natural gas to meet its growing energy needs. Natural gas accounts for roughly 27 percent of Turkeys energy consumption, and about 99 percent of its supply is imported. In 2017, its natural gas consumption reached a record high 53.5 billion cubic meters and over 50 percent of this supply came from Russia. Its second-largest supplier, Iran, supplied 17 percent. So long as Turkey remains dependent on these countries for natural gas, its strategic flexibility will be limited. (click to enlarge) For Greece, Turkeys assertiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean is concerning because it demonstrates a willingness to use force in pursuit of economic interests. To that end, Turkey may be willing to establish a greater military presence closer to Greek shores. In any case, Athens has been suspicious of Turkeys intentions for many years. Greeces move this week to end its diplomatic spat with Russia over Moscows alleged undermining of the deal on the Macedonia name dispute may be a hint that Greece wants more allies in its corner should any conflict with Turkey erupt. Although its unlikely that Turkey would want direct confrontation with Greece, given that its already engaged in northern Syria, it cant be ruled out completely. After all, Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 following a Greek-backed military coup on the island, even though both countries were already NATO members at the time. They almost went to war again in 1987 and 1996 over similar issues. That the Greek prime minister is turning the decision on maritime borders in the Ionian Sea over to parliament indicates hes not willing to press the issue, at least not for now. (Though he may also be looking for parliamentary approval so he can avoid blame if the move ignites a conflict with Turkey.) The real test would come if the Greek parliament decided to move ahead. At that point, the Greek government would be faced with a tough decision: back down or risk possible confrontation with a NATO ally, however unlikely. If it chooses the latter, the Turks would then have to decide how to respond. If a conflict were to break out, there would be consequences beyond Greece and Turkey. A war between two NATO allies could substantially weaken the alliance or even lead to Turkeys expulsion. When they confronted each other in 1974, the Soviet Union was still a considerable threat, and Turkey was a key part of the containment line, which limited how widely the conflict could spread. Today, Russia poses nowhere near the danger the Soviets once did, and thus the alliance isnt as secure as it once was. Still, so long as Turkey is unable to independently defend itself from Russia, it needs NATO as a shield, and its therefore unlikely to challenge a NATO ally and risk incurring the consequences. Beijing on Monday downplayed the unprecedented fallout from this year's APEC summit, which for the first time ever failed to issue a joint statement after US-China trade tensions boiled over. Clashes between the world's top two economies over the rules of global trade blocked agreement on a formal written declaration by the 21 nations represented at the Port Moresby meeting. Washington had pressed for leaders to issue what amounted to a denunciation of the World Trade Organization and a call for its wholesale reform -- a step too far for Beijing, which would likely suffer in the event of any change to trade rules. But China on Monday chose instead to focus on the "positive results" of the summit. "The meeting pushed forward different areas of practical cooperation under the APEC framework," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, adding that many APEC leaders "clearly expressed that they were against protectionism". "I think they are standing on the right side of history," he added. Beijing also denied attempting to barge into the office of host country Papua New Guinea's foreign minister during the summit. Police were stationed outside of foreign minister Rimbink Pato's office after Chinese delegates tried to enter the office in a last-minute bid to influence the summit's draft statement, according to several sources. "This is purely a rumour from someone with ulterior motives," said Geng. "Any plot to undermine China-Papua New Guinea relations will not succeed." The spat ramps up the stakes for a crunch meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Argentina later this month. In a speech at the APEC summit, Xi lashed out at "America First" trade protectionism, while US Vice President Mike Pence warned smaller countries not to be seduced by China's massive Belt and Road infrastructure programme. The "opaque" loans come with strings attached and build up "staggering debt", Pence charged, mocking the initiative as a "constricting belt" and a "one-way road". Clashes between Beijing and Washington over the rules of global trade blocked agreement on a formal APEC declaration Protesters angry over high fuel prices blocked access to fuel depots and stopped traffic on major roads on Monday with the government refusing to back down on fuel taxes after a weekend of demonstrations across France. One person was accidentally killed and more than 400 people injured during the "yellow vest" protests which began Saturday with nearly 300,000 participants nationwide. Early Monday, dozens of barricades were still being manned on motorways and roundabouts, far fewer than the more than 2,000 sites on Saturday. Around 200 trucks were backed up along a road leading to a fuel depot in the western city of Rennes, where some protesters had camped out overnight, an AFP reporter said. Others continued to camp out in supermarket parking lots. "The movement is not exceptional... and obviously isn't as big as on Saturday," Laurent Nunez, junior interior minister, told CNews, adding that police would continue to intervene to ensure major roads are not blocked. But further large-scale protests are already being planned. A call by a member of the rightwing Debout La France (Stand Up France) party for protesters to descend on Paris on Saturday and "block" the city has been viewed over 165,000 times on Facebook. Another Facebook page calling for a mass rally on Saturday in Paris "because there is where the government is!!!" had also garnered widespread interest. The government has warned that the anarchic nature of the roadblocks threatens the safety of both demonstrators and drivers. A 63-year-old demonstrator was run down Saturday by a panicked motorist at a roadblock in the eastern Savoie region. A handful of skirmishes were also reported on Sunday night, including in the northern port city of Calais where an Australian truck driver and a British motorist were detained after trying to force their way through a barricade. The grassroots movement emerged on social media last month over a surge in fuel prices this year, in particular for diesel, which many blame on taxes implemented in recent years as part of France's anti-pollution fight. - Gov't stands firm - It quickly snowballed into a broader protest over stagnant spending power under President Emmanuel Macron. "I earn 500 euros ($570) a month -- how do you expect me to live on that? With what I earn I can only allow myself one meal a day," said Jean-Luc, a 57-year-old protesting in Calais. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Sunday night that the government had heard the anger, but that it would maintain the fuel taxes, which are set to increase again in January. Last week the government unveiled a 500 million euro package of measures to help low-income households, including energy subsidies and higher scrappage bonuses for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. But even some lawmakers in Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party are urging the government to do more to help ease fuel and energy costs as winter approaches. "We need to maintain environmental taxes, (Philippe) is right to reiterate this, but we also need more measures to assist the French, especially the middle classes and the less well off," LREM lawmaker Matthieu Orphelin told RFI radio on Monday. Dozens of barricades were still being manned on motorways and roundabouts across France as 'yellow vest' protesters pursued their movement Protesters blocked access to a fuel depot in La Rochelle, southwest France, on Monday as part of the "yellow vest" movement against high fuel prices Protesters angry over high fuel prices were expected to block access to French fuel depots and stop traffic on major roads for a fourth day Tuesday, incensed by the government's refusal to scrap anti-pollution taxes. One person was accidentally killed and 528 people have been injured, 17 seriously, during the "Yellow Vest" protests that have galvanised resistance to President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies. As the protests rumbled on, it emerged four men were taken into custody and charged as part of an anti-terrorist investigation in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne on Saturday -- the first day of the blockades -- accused of planning to take advantage of the police mobilisation for the demonstrations to mount a terror attack, according to Le Parisien newspaper. One of the suspects texted his fiancee saying, "It's going to bleed on November 17", the newspaper said. Officials were not immediately available to comment on the report. On Monday, tens of thousands of demonstrators were still manning hundreds of barricades on motorways and petrol stations, down from nearly 300,000 protesters at over 2,000 sites on Saturday. Oil giant Total confirmed that some of its trucks had been prevented from reaching depots in the south and east of the country, causing alarm among small business owners. "The worst thing would be to block the economy and make the whole situation worse," Alain Griset, head of the U2P federation of small and medium-sized businesses said in a statement. On Monday, security forces cleared protesters from several sites, including a suspension bridge leading to the southwestern city of Bordeaux that had been blocked for three days. - 'Much more than fuel' - The "Yellow Vest" movement -- named after the high-visibility vests motorists are required to carry in their cars -- was sparked by rising diesel prices, which many blame on taxes implemented in recent years as part of France's anti-pollution fight. It quickly snowballed into a protest by rural and small-town France over falling spending power of the less well-off under Macron, assailed as a "president of the rich". "It's about much more than fuel. They (the government) have left us with nothing," Dominique, a 50-year-old unemployed technician told AFP at a roadblock in the town of Martigues, near the southern city of Marseille. Macron's government, which is trying to buff its environmental credentials, has vowed not to back down on trying to wean people off their cars through fuel taxes. While the number of protesters has fallen since the weekend, in tandem with plummeting temperatures, further large-scale demonstrations are planned. Two separate calls for mass protests in Paris on November 24 were widely circulated on social media. The start of the protests was marred by the death of a 63-year-old demonstrator, who was run down by a panicked motorist at a roadblock in the eastern Savoie region. Several other people were injured in attempts by truck drivers and motorists to force their way through barricades. A 32-year-old man was sentenced to four months in prison Monday for endangering life by taking part in a human chain on a highway in the northeast of France. - Government stands firm - Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Sunday night that the government had heard the protesters' anger but would not change course. Last week, he unveiled a 500-million-euro package of measures to help low-income households, including energy subsidies and higher scrappage bonuses for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. But the measures have failed to appease anger over Macron's tax policies, seen as favouring the rich over the working and lower-middle classes. "I earn 500 euros ($570) a month -- how do you expect me to live on that? With what I earn I can only allow myself one meal a day," said Jean-Luc, a 57-year-old protesting in Calais. Even some lawmakers in Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party are urging the government to do more to help ease fuel and energy costs as winter approaches. The "Yellow Vest" movement is named after the high-visibility vests motorists are required to carry in their cars The government has unveiled a 500-million-euro package of measures to help low-income households, including energy subsidies Two separate calls for mass protests in Paris on November 24 have been widely circulated on social media The protest was sparked by rising diesel prices, which many blame on taxes implemented in recent years as part of France's anti-pollution fight While the number of protesters has fallen since the weekend, in tandem with plummeting temperatures, further large-scale demonstrations are planned Greece on Monday issued its first licenses for the cultivation and processing of medical cannabis in a taboo-breaking move, the agriculture ministry said Monday. The licenses went to two companies, Biomecann and Bioprocann, respectively based in Larissa and Corinth, who are expected to invest a combined 22 million euros ($25 million) and hire over 100 people. "It's a greenhouse cultivation expected to create many jobs," junior agriculture minister Vassilis Kokkalis said in a statement jointly released with the ministries of health and development. The licenses have a five-year duration and are revised annually. A law permitting the production of medical cannabis was passed earlier this year by Greece's leftist-led government. Another 12 investment proposals worth 185 million euros are awaiting approval, junior development minister Stergios Pitsiorlas said. The government last year authorised the import of several products based on medical marijuana, as well as hemp cultivation for industrial purposes. Hemp can be used to make construction materials, paper, textiles and food. Over a dozen EU countries have authorised the use of medical . Greece had grown and exported cannabis before its possession was banned in 1936. Last month, Canada became the world's first major economy to fully legalise cannabis, making good on a 2015 campaign promise by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A law permitting the production of medical cannabis was passed earlier this year by Greece's leftist-led government Iran's former economy minister, impeached less than three months ago, will head the national oil company as it works to evade renewed US sanctions, local media reported Monday. Masoud Karbasian, 67, was impeached by parliament on August 26 after only a year in the job, over his handling of the country's economic downturn. In a short statement run by the state-run Iran newspaper Monday, he vowed to "use four decades of experience... to overcome the sanctions crisis." Karbasian takes over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) at a crucial moment following the US oil embargo that was reimposed on November 5. Although he kept a very low profile during his tenure as economy minister, he was praised in the reformist Sazandegi newspaper on Monday for his "anti-corruption" stance -- particularly during an earlier stint as head of customs. But there was some confusion over his appointment, since he is in breach of a new law barring anyone over 60 -- the age of retirement -- from public office. Parliament passed the law in September, and it was used to remove outgoing NIOC head Ali Kardor, who is three years younger than Karbasian, according to several newspapers. The Iran daily said Karbasian's age was overlooked due to "sanctions and the gravity of sustaining oil sales". The US reimposed sanctions on Iran after deciding in May to abandon a landmark multi-lateral deal signed in 2015 over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. Temporary exemptions have been granted to several key customers of Iran's oil, including China and India. But Iranian authorities are seeking alternative and clandestine methods to keep oil flowing as Washington remains determined to eventually force its exports down to zero. The unaffiliated Haft-e Sobh newspaper described the new NIOC chief as "special agent: Masoud Karbasian". It said his appointment was approved by the Council for Special Economic Measures, set up during the previous sanctions period between 2010 and 2015, headed by President Hassan Rouhani, and whose decisions are taken in consultation with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Masoud Karbasian addresses Iran's parliament on August 26, 2018, shortly before a vote which saw him impeached European ministers signed off on Britain's draft divorce deal on Monday as they launched a "painful" final week of negotiations on future cross-Channel ties. Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the Union's Austrian rotating presidency said the negotiated text would be presented to EU leaders at a signing summit on Sunday. "The first, difficult step is done," said Austrian European affairs minister Gernot Bluemel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, after the ministers' meeting. "A painful week in European politics is starting," he warned. "We have the divorce papers on the table. Forty-five years of difficult marriage are coming to an end." Meanwhile, detailed discussions continue on a parallel political statement setting out the bloc's ambitions for future relations with post-Brexit Britain -- and on a possible extension to the transition period. Britain will leave the Union on March 29 next year, but remain within its single market for a further 21 months as negotiators seek a deal to avoid a potential breakdown in trade between the key economic partners. If the parties struggle to find a deal before the end of this period, Britain can request a one-off extension. Barnier has suggested that this should expire at the end of 2022, but he said member states have yet to sign off on this. "I think that during this week we'll have a definitive proposition for this date. The decision will be made jointly between the United Kingdom and the 27," Barnier said. - Trade deal hopes - Neither European member states, who want to protect access to their single market, nor hardline British Brexiteers, who fear being trapped in a bloc where they don't make the rules, want an endless transition. Barnier stressed it was Prime Minister Theresa May's British government that requested the extension option and warned: "It can't be indefinite. It needs to be decided." In London, May said she wants to reach a trade deal by the end of 2020 to avoid asking for an extension, but that if the transition is prolonged it should be out of the way by "the next general election." If May survives domestic anger over the deal, the next British election is scheduled for 2022. Preparations continued meanwhile for Sunday's summit, where May and her 27 colleagues are supposed to sign the withdrawal agreement. "We're in the closing stages of negotiating the deal at the moment," she said. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." May will be in Brussels this week to see the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, but her spokesman could not say when she would arrive. "I don't have a timeline to set out for you but negotiations are very much ongoing and I'd expect coming days to see very intense talks continuing," he said. London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible a route to a free trade agreement, in part to shore up support in a British parliament that may yet reject the deal. Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market after Brexit on March 29 next year. - UK political in-fighting - While the EU 27 have remained publicly united through the 17-month negotiation, Britain's political camps are fighting bitterly among themselves. Conservative hardliners and May's Northern Irish unionist allies have pledged to vote down the treaty despite the threat of a calamitous no-deal Brexit. The opposition Labour Party, scenting a chance to topple May's government, has also warned that its members will not support her deal. EU officials are surprised by the furious debate and mostly refuse to intervene, but French minister for European affairs Nathalie Loiseau said both sides had "exhausted their margin to manoeuvre". Dutch foreign minster Stef Blok said it was imperative that the political statement "lays the foundation of our future relationship, it has to be ambitious". Some member states were annoyed that their rights to fish in British waters were not guaranteed in the withdrawal deal and have been left to future talks. Spain is also concerned that the draft texts do not, in its view, make clear that it retains a veto on the future status of Gibraltar, the British territory it claims on its southern coast. "Until we have the future declaration and we know what it says, whether we agree or not, we are also not going to approve the withdrawal agreement," said Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell. Nevertheless, Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders said of the deal: "Here, it will survive. We are waiting for the same situation in London, but here in Brussels it will survive." Theresa May's cabinet grudgingly approved the draft Brexit deal she negotiated with Brussels EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the negotiated text would be presented to EU leaders at a summit on Sunday Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May said she wants to reach a trade deal by the end of 2020 EU leaders will attend Sunday's signing summit Updated timeline of the Brexit talks. A man who was plagued by a runny nose for five years has discovered his seemingly innocuous symptoms turned out to be far more serious. Greg Phillpotts, from the US state of North Carolina, has described how liquid dripping from his nose became a common occurrence in his daily life, including last years Thanksgiving. I was preparing a meal and standing in the kitchen and it just added itself to the ingredients it screwed up the whole dinner, he recalled to US television station ABC11. Greg Phillpotts battled a runny nose for years until his diagnosis. Source: ABC11 Mr Phillpotts believed he was constantly battling allergies while some doctors even diagnosed him with pneumonia and bronchitis. I was stuffing tissues up my nose, he said on how he managed the unfortunate situation. Yet it wasnt until a visit to a doctor in New York that he learnt the true extent of his sickness. Mr Phillpotts runny nose was in fact a cerebrospinal fluid leak where liquid from around his brain was escaping through his nose. Greg Phillpotts said hed been previously told he had pneumonia and bronchitis. Source: ABC11 Its the leakage of fluid that surrounds the brain to cushion it primarily to protect it from shock or trauma or anything like that, Dr Alfred Iloreta at Mount Sinai Hospital told ABC11. He said if his problem went untreated it could develop into meningitis with bacteria from the nose travelling up to the brain. Doctors were able to perform minimally invasive skull surgery on Mr Phillpotts and rectify the issue. Dr Iloreta urged anyone with a runny nostril on one side and severe headaches to get themselves checked out. While Mr Phillpotts is on the mend, a Brisbane man faces an anxious wait to receive high-risk brain surgery after a tumour was discovered inside his skull the size of an orange. Sunrise in Tokyo Japans stockmarket is poised for a comeback After three decades out of fashion, the countrys companies are ready for a revival THE BIG hair, shoulder pads, splashy videos and tinny recordings were hard to escape at the time. But where are the pop stars of the 1980s now? At an arena near you, most probably. Though the waists are thicker and the hair is thinner, the singers and their songs are recognisably the same. In their own minds, they are still big stars. It was the music business that got small. No sub-genre of pop is so lamentable that it cannot be resold to the nostalgic. Might such marketing magic also be applied to Japans stockmarket? In the 1980s asset prices in Japan reached a level of excess that made the cocaine-addled pop stars of the era seem like choirboys. By 1990 the Nikkei index of stocks was trading at 60 times company earnings. Then came the fall. But after a long time in rehab, Japanese stocks are creeping back into the spotlight. Like other mooted revivals, this one attracts plenty of scorn. Repeated attempts to call the bottom of the Japanese market have made fools of foreign investors. Japanese companies are not known for making shareholder returns a priority. And why invest in a country with an ageing and shrinking workforce? For these and other reasons, big global funds have been underweight Japan. But who can resist a comeback story? For the first time in years, Japanese companies are playing a tune that investors are able to whistle. The key change is that listed firms in Japan are using shareholder funds more effectively. As a new report from analysts at Morgan Stanley points out, return on equity (RoE) has lagged well behind global standards for most of the past three decades. But since 2012 the gap has narrowed. Japans RoE has doubled, to 9.8% (see chart). Much of the improvement can be traced to cuts in corporate taxes and a reduction in debt-servicing costs because of lower interest rates. But it is also down to better control of costs and the sweating of corporate assets. A healthier economy has helped, too. Deflation has ended. Nominal GDP has been growing steadily. And the job market is buoyant. Unemployment has fallen to 2.3%. The ratio of vacancies to jobseekers is the highest since the early 1970s. More women than ever are in the workforcethe female participation rate is higher than in America and above average for the OECD. Output per hour has recently grown faster in Japan than in any other G7 country, according to the Conference Board, a research group. Less noticed, perhaps, are changes at the company level. Corporate Japan remains a cosy place; the custom of cross-shareholdings, in which companies own equity stakes in each other, created a core of friendly stockholders who dont rock the boat. But a recent spate of governance reforms has shaken things up a bit. The vast majority of companies now have at least two independent directors. There are more female board members. And firms are less likely now to schedule their shareholder meetings on the same day as each othera tactic to deter awkward questions for managers. All this is encouraging. But it is easier to change Japans corporate culture than its demography. Investors wonder why they should put money into a country with fewer and fewer customers. The answer is that the market for Tokyo-listed firms is not confined to Japan. A survey commissioned by the Morgan Stanley analysts found that expanding into foreign markets was the primary strategic focus of Japanese firms. (Improving productivity was second.) The firms themselves are investing. Private-sector capital spending has risen for seven consecutive quarters for the first time since the 1980s. In an economy with a shortage of labour, people are more likely to be open to automation. Japanese firms already hold sway in key parts of the robotics industry. Increased automation will help Japan close the RoE gap with its peers by 2025, says Morgan Stanley. A higher premium on Japanese stocks would then be warranted. Reaching that target would depend on Japan sticking with Abenomics, the expansionist policies of the prime minister, Shinzo Abe. It would also require buy-in from global fund managers. They are used to thinking of China and other emerging markets as the alternatives to investing in America, passing over Japan and Europe as has-beens. But fashions change, in investing as in popular culture. Time in the wilderness can be used to great effect. In order to have a comeback you must first have a setbacka wise observation by that icon of 1980s popular culture, Mr T. A Japanese student who went missing in eastern France in 2016 was probably suffocated in her university room by her fugitive Chilean ex-boyfriend, a prosecutor said Monday. Narumi Kurosaki, 21, disappeared in the city of Besancon on the night of December 4, 2016 after having dinner with her ex, Nicolas Zepeda. Local prosecutor Etienne Manteaux said that investigators believed that she had been killed, but determining the cause of death was difficult because her body has not been found despite extensive searches of a nearby forested area. No blood had been detected in her room in the university residence in Besancon where terrified cries and the sound of a physical struggle were reported by fellow students at around 3:30 am. "Was it by suffocation? Probably. That doesn't leave blood," Manteaux told reporters in Besancon. "There are ways of killing that don't leave many traces." He said that Zepeda, who had posted videos online threatening Kurosaki, had been jealous that she had started a new relationship with another man and was "more than ever considered the main suspect in this killing". He also revealed that Zepeda had bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared and his hire car was returned covered in mud. In their search for her body, police have focused their efforts on the vast Chaux forest area on the outskirts of Besancon, but have been unable to find any trace of the student. Zepeda, a teaching assistant aged in his mid-twenties, left France and returned to Chile shortly after Kurosaki was last seen dining with him in a restaurant a short drive from Besancon, a town in the foothills of the Alps mountains. He has admitted going to her room afterwards -- he claims for consensual sex -- but has denied responsibility for her disappearance. -- Chilean 'reticence' -- Chilean authorities have so far declined to arrest him, despite an international arrest warrant issued by France, and Manteaux admitted that there had been a "certain reticence" to take action. A Chilean judge criticised "the scarce information related to the facts and the suspect's participation in them" in February last year during a hearing. French authorities are now set to send a request to their Chilean counterparts "in the coming weeks" to ask if a French magistrate can visit the country to interview the suspect. "What we want now is to go to Chile to interview Mr Zepeda... and to explain to the Chilean police and judicial authorities all of the evidence against Mr Zepeda," he explained. "We have done everything to try to find the body, without success. We need to accept that. We need to move on to the diplomatic stage," he added. France had not sent a formal extradition request, with most countries reluctant to extradite their own nationals for trials overseas, the prosecutor explained. Manteaux suggested the most likely conclusion was either a trial in Chile, based on evidence handed over by French authorities, or a trial in France which would judge Zepeda in absentia. - Hope and despair - Kurosaki's parents, who reportedly visited France last week, continue to hold out hope that their daughter might be seen again. "For as long as the body has not been found, they continue to cling to the hope that she might be alive," Manteaux said. "For me, who has to take an objective view of the facts, this hope seems in vain." During the press conference, Manteaux also raised the issue of why none of the roughly 10 students who heard screams on the night Kurosaki disappeared had called the police. Some had sent text messages to friends, but no-one raised the alarm, he said. Local police commander Regis Millet also revealed that police had been unable to access the GPS data from Zepeda's car because it had been erased by other customers by the time they inspected the vehicle. Kurosaki, described as a smiley, gentle individual by friends, started a relationship with Zepado after they met in Japan but the couple later split. Besancon prosecutor Etienne Manteaux said the Chilean ex-boyfriend of Japanese student Narumi Kurosaki was "more than ever considered the main suspect in this killing" Kurosaki's ex-boyfriend Nicolas Zepeda returned to Chile shortly after the Japanese student was last seen dining with him Nigeria's opposition leader Atiku Abubakar launched his presidential campaign on Monday vowing to create millions of jobs to tackle rising inequality and insecurity in Africa's top oil producer. Seated for a nine-minute address streamed live on Facebook and Twitter, Abubakar laid out his plan to "get Nigeria working again". "The sad fact today, as you know, is that too many of our people are not working and are living in poverty and insecurity," Abubakar said. "The very fabric of our society is breaking down. We have never been so divided as a nation," he said. "The most important question in this election is: are you better off than you were four years ago, are you richer or poorer? That is why our primary focus is to get Nigeria working again." As a former vice president dogged by allegations of corruption, Abubakar drew criticism and scepticism when he announced his intention to run in the February 2019 presidential polls. But his campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gaining momentum, with the 71-year-old political veteran casting himself as an antidote to lacklustre growth in Nigeria. Abubakar laid out his plan to ramp up growth in his policy document, targeting a gross domestic product of $900 billion (788 billion euros) by 2025 -- more than double the current amount -- and vowing to lift "at least 50 million people out of extreme poverty". Under his plan to help businesses he would introduce tax incentives, improve availability of foreign exchange and accelerate the privatisation of the power sector. He would partially privatise the state-run oil company and "reconsider" the introduction of bidding rounds for marginal fields and oil blocks, and he plans to double refining capacity to 2 million barrels of crude daily by issuing new licenses for greenfield investments in crude refineries. In response to Buhari, who in a misstep earlier this year said youth in Nigeria "do nothing", Abubakar pledged to revive an apprenticeship programme which will recruit 100,000 artisans to train one million people. The opposition candidate promises to introduce liberalising reforms in contrast to Buhari, a 75-year-old former general who has focussed instead on rooting out corruption. Buhari's anti-graft campaign has yet to secure any high-profile convictions while his opponents accuse him of mounting a political witch-hunt. Although Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer, poverty is rampant and unemployment is high in the former British colony. The government, approaching its 10th year fighting Boko Haram jihadists in the northeast, is also struggling to contain outbreaks of violence between herders and farmers across the country. "The most important question in this election is: are you better off than you were four years ago, are you richer or poorer? That is why our primary focus is to get Nigeria working again," Abubakar said as he launched his presidential campaign Russia, Iran and Turkey will hold the next round of talks on Syria's conflict on November 28-29 in the Kazakh capital Astana, Kazakhstan's foreign minister said on Monday. "The participants plan to discuss the current situation in Syria, in particular in Idlib, creating conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced people, and post-conflict reconstruction," Kairat Abdrakhmanov said in Astana. The meeting will be the 11th in the Astana peace process -- set up in early 2017 by Russia and Iran, who support President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, and opposition backer Turkey. Abdrakhmanov said representatives of Damascus and armed opposition groups would take part, but did not specify what level of officials from Russia, Iran and Turkey would attend. The Astana process was launched after Russia's military intervention in Syria tipped the balance in the regime's favour. It has gradually eclipsed an earlier UN-sponsored negotiations framework known as the Geneva process. This month's meeting comes with continued violence threatening plans for a buffer zone around Idlib, the last major opposition stronghold in Syria. Russia and Turkey agreed in September to set up the buffer zone to avert a Syrian regime offensive, but jihadists who hold around 70 percent of the area have refused to withdraw. Fighting in the area has continued, with jihadists on Friday killing 22 regime fighters in an attack on government forces in the northwest of Hama province near the planned zone. Russian prosecutors said Monday they had opened a new criminal probe into British financier William Browder and suggested the anti-Kremlin crusader may have been involved in an associate's death. Browder, who describes himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "Enemy Number One", has led an anti-corruption campaign in memory of his whistle-blowing former employee Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison in 2009. Browder, a US-born British citizen, headed a major investment firm in Moscow in the 1990s and 2000s but fell foul of the authorities and has since been convicted in absentia of tax evasion and deliberate bankruptcy. A representative of the Russian General Prosecutor's Office, Nikolai Atmonyev, told a news conference that a new probe against Browder had been opened on Friday on suspicion that he had established and run a "transnational criminal gang". Browder faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the new charges, Atmonyev said, adding that he would be put on an international wanted list "in the near future". Atmonyev also claimed that Browder, the chief executive of Hermitage Capital Management, might have forced Magnitsky to commit perjury and therefore was interested in seeing him dead. "The Russian General Prosecutor's Office has concluded that it was Browder who was interested in Magnitsky's death," Atmonyev said. Alexander Kurennoi, spokesman for the General Prosecutor's Office, told AFP that Magnitsky had been poisoned by a substance containing aluminium and that it was "highly likely" Browder was responsible "to cover up the crimes he committed in Russia". Magnitsky went public with details of massive fraud by Russian state officials before being charged with tax evasion and later dying in detention after a year in jail. Browder's campaign for Magnitsky has had strong resonance worldwide. -- Prison abuses -- In 2012, the United States passed the "Sergei Magnitsky Act" which imposed a visa ban and froze the assets of Russian officials implicated in the lawyer's death. Earlier this year, British lawmakers followed suit by backing measures to impose sanctions against people guilty of human rights violations in memory of Magnitsky. The legislation became a symbol of prison abuses in Russia and strained ties with the West. In December 2017, a Moscow court sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in a penal colony after convicting him of deliberate bankruptcy and tax evasion. Browder was also sentenced to nine years in prison in 2013 in absentia. Browder dismissed the latest allegations and suggested they were a response to British claims that Russian operatives in March attempted to kill former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in England. On Twitter, he denounced the latest probe as "Putin's 'fever dream' response to being caught poisoning the Skripals". The Russian General Prosecutor's Office announced that a new probe against British financier William Browder has been opened on suspicion that he had established and ran a "transnational criminal gang" British financier William Browder, who describes himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "Enemy Number One", has led an anti-corruption campaign in memory of his whistle-blowing former employee Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison in 2009 Alexander Kurennoi, spokesman for the General Prosecutor's Office, told AFP Sergei Magnitsky had been poisoned by a substance containing aluminium and that it was 'highly likely' British financier Browder was responsible 'to cover up the crimes he committed in Russia' Saudi King Salman stood by the crown prince and heaped praise on the judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst crises. The public prosecutor last week exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son, of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded he had ordered the assassination. The prosecutor called for the death penalty against five men, announced indictments against 11 people, and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. "The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution," the 82-year-old monarch said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory body. "We ensure that this country will never deviate from implementing God's law without discrimination," he added, without directly addressing the murder of The Washington Post columnist in his speech. In Saudi Arabia's absolute monarchy, only the king has the authority to oust the powerful crown prince ?- who faces intense global criticism over the murder ?- but he has repeatedly indicated that he has no intention to do so. In his speech, the king praised his son's economic reform program aimed at creating jobs for a swelling youth population and preparing the kingdom for a post-crude era. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported the prince will attend the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Argentina, his first overseas trip since the murder. In a show of defiance, the prince will come face-to-face with international leaders from Turkey, the United States and other European nations at the two-day summit that begins November 30. "The crown prince is sending a very clear message to the international community that nothing they say or do over the Khashoggi affair will interfere with Saudi decision making," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States. "Effectively, he is daring his international critics to put their rhetoric into action and betting that they won't." - Shoring up support - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who claims the orders for the killing came from "the highest levels" of the Saudi government, has pledged that no cover-up of the crime will be allowed. But US President Donald Trump has praised Saudi Arabia as a "truly spectacular ally" and has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the Central Intelligence Agency's reported assessment that he was behind the killing. Saudi Arabia -- which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings -- has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom "by means of persuasion", but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime, including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing. In a sign of further international pressure, Germany on Monday said it will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder. But shrugging off the scrutiny, the king and crown prince resumed an unprecedented domestic tour Monday with a visit to northern Tabuk region, as they seek to leverage links with different tribes and religious leaders and shore up support for the leadership. The visit follows a trip to central Qassim province and the neighbouring region of Hail earlier this month. King Salman has pardoned some "insolvent prisoners" on his trips and last month ordered the resumption of annual bonus payments -- which were suspended under austerity measures in 2016 -- to all government workers from the beginning of next year. "The actions point to a campaign inside the kingdom to shore up support within the ruling family and to demonstrate public confidence in the crown prince," said Kristin Diwan, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "The king, relying upon the more traditional assets of prestige and patronage, has been central to these efforts, in a clear bid to save the most valuable achievement of his reign: the consolidation of power and future rule in the hands of his direct descendant." Saudi King Salman said the kingdom was proud of the efforts of the judiciary Saudi King Salman heaped praise on the kingdom's judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst international crises. The public prosecutor last week exonerated powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered the assassination. The prosecutor called for the death penalty against five men, announced indictments against 11 people and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. "The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution," the king said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory body. "We ensure that this country will never deviate from implementing God's law and... serving justice," the 82-year-old monarch added, without directly addressing the murder of The Washington Post columnist in his speech. US President Donald Trump, who has praised Saudi Arabia as a "truly spectacular ally", has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the Central Intelligence Agency's reported assessment that he was behind the killing. Saudi Arabia -- which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings -- has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom "by means of persuasion", but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime, including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing. In a sign of further international pressure, Germany on Monday said it will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder. Saudi King Salman said the kingdom was proud of the efforts of the judiciary Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts that new regulations of tech companies and social networks to protect personal data are "inevitable." In an interview with news website Axios being broadcast Sunday on HBO television, Cook said he expected the US Congress would take up the matter. "Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of regulation," Cook said in an excerpt released by Axios. "I'm a big believer in the free market. But we have to admit when the free market is not working. And it hasn't worked here. I think it's inevitable that there will be some level of regulation. "I think the Congress and the administration at some point will pass something." Cook has previously been a proponent of self-regulation, especially as concerns user data protection. But following the scandal that saw data consultancy Cambridge Analytica obtain data from millions of Facebook users, Cook said the industry was now "beyond" the scope of self-regulation. Facebook has been trying to fend off concerns about how well it protects user data and defends against use of the site to spread misinformation aimed at swaying elections. Controversies that have battered Facebook since the 2016 presidential election in the United States have raised questions over whether co-founder Mark Zuckerberg should keep his post as chief executive. Turning to gender inequality in the workplace, Cook said the tech industry has generally been strong in diversity, even though a male-dominated culture prevails. "I agree 100 percent from a gender point of view that the (Silicon) Valley has missed it, and tech in general has missed it," he said. However, Cook added, "I?m actually encouraged at this point that there will be a more marked improvement over time." Apple CEO Tim Cook anticipates further regulation of the tech industry The frontrunner in Madagascar's presidential race accused election officials of "manipulation" on Monday after they published results that showed him short of the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round run-off vote. Former president Andry Rajoelina told a crowd of supporters in the capital Antananarivo that "everything had been done to prevent (him) from scoring more than 40 percent" in the November 7 first round. "They inflated the number of registered voters and gave votes for (me) to other candidates," he said, attacking supposed "vote manipulation" by the CENI election commission. Neither Rajoelina nor his arch-rival Marc Ravalomanana won the 50 percent of votes required for a first-round victory. Rajoelina was on 39.19 percent and Ravalomanana on 35.29 percent, according to final results from the election commission. Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who was running to hold on to power, secured only 8.84 percent of the vote. Turnout was 54.3 percent, according to CENI. The run-off is scheduled for December 19. All three leading candidates, of a total of 36, have alleged fraud and malpractice by election authorities, and the result will be subject to fierce legal battles. Observers from the African Union, EU and Southern African Development Community bloc all said the poll was conducted fairly and largely without incident. CENI issued a 500-word statement in response to Rajoelina's allegations insisting that it had "ensured the transparency of the electoral system at all times". It also rejected claims by candidates that its computerised vote tallying systems had been hacked, saying that "no anomalies in the software's operation have been recorded". - Bitter rivalries - Rajoelina, who wore a tie in his signature orange beside a giant digital portrait of himself, had earlier said that "the only thing we agree on is that I'm in the lead". "But we don't agree on the numbers," he added. Rajoelina said that his campaign would approach the High Constitutional Court (HCC) "to rule on these issues in the interests of fairness", promising "victory" to his vocal backers. The HCC has until the end of the month to certify the first-round results. CENI said it would "refrain" from commenting on any possible legal action. On Friday two explosions rocked supporters of Rajoelina according to police who ruled out an accident but could not immediately confirm the source of the blasts. One shook the home of a pro-Rajoelina lawmaker in Antananarivo while the other hit an open-air amphitheatre in the city belonging to another parliamentarian. Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries, according to World Bank data, with almost four in five people living in grinding poverty. But the frontrunners spent huge sums in the first round on flashy campaign rallies, helicopters and giveaways such as free T-shirts. Both Ravalomanana and Rajoelina were banned from running in the last election in 2013 under international pressure to avoid a repeat of deadly political violence that engulfed the island in 2009. Though Ravalomanana, 68, and Rajoelina, 44, are bitter rivals, it is the first time they have faced each other at the ballot box. Ravalomanana ruled from 2002 to 2009 until he was ousted in a military-backed coup that installed Rajoelina, who was in power until 2014. Rajaonarimampianina succeeded him, ruling until earlier this year. Rajaonarimampianina's attempts to change the electoral laws this year backfired, sparking nearly three months of sometimes violent protests in Antananarivo. The demonstrators forced Rajaonarimampianina to accept a "consensus" government tasked with organising the election in the former French colony, which is burdened by a long history of coups and unrest. Neither Andry Rajoelina (R) nor his arch-rival Marc Ravalomanana won the 50 percent of votes required for a first-round victory Candidate Marc Ravalomanana (C) and his rival Rajoelina were banned from running in the last election in 2013 under international pressure to avoid a repeat of deadly political violence that engulfed the island in 2009 Country fact file ahead of the presidential election Observers from the African Union, EU and Southern African Development Community bloc all said the poll was conducted fairly and largely without incident A high-ranking Yemeni rebel official urged his leadership Monday to freeze military operations and stop firing missiles into Saudi Arabia as the UN prepares for peace talks. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Huthi insurgents' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that he also wants his group to announce "readiness to suspend and halt all military operations". He called on "all (Huthi) official Yemeni sides to issue directives to end launching missiles and drones against aggression countries... in order to deprive them from any reason to continue their aggression and siege." He also said the rebels should be ready "to freeze and stop all military operations on all fronts" to achieve "a just and honourable peace". Huthi rebels have controlled the capital Sanaa since capturing it in late 2014. They have since fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which since 2015 has led a regional military coalition aiming to restore to power the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Although Mohammed Ali al-Huthi is head of the Iran-linked rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee, he is not their ultimate decision-maker -- that power lies with supreme leader Abdulmalek al-Huthi. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi's comments came after UN special envoy Martin Griffiths said he would visit Sanaa this week to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden. Griffiths -- whose efforts at kick-starting peace talks collapsed in September -- said both the Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels have shown a "renewed commitment" to work on a political solution. He said both sides have given "firm assurances" that they would attend the talks, although no date has yet been set. Multiple attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Huthis have failed, most recently in September, when the rebels refused to fly to Geneva for planned UN-hosted negotiations. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi said his call for an end to missile and drone attacks was aimed at "supporting the efforts of the (UN) envoy and proving our good intentions", adding that it follows "our contact with the UN envoy and his request to stop launching missiles and drones". The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, met UN officials on Sunday evening, according to the rebels' Saba news agency. It quoted him as saying that the UN and the international community should "adopt the political path to stop the bloodshed and protect Yemenis' properties from destruction". Fighting in Yemen intensified at the beginning of this month as the coalition renewed an offensive aimed at seizing Hodeida, a Red Sea city whose port serves as entry point for nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid. The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high. The war in Yemen has left the country on the edge of mass starvation and sparked what the UN has labelled the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Yemeni forces aligned with Huthi rebels ride during a parade in the capital Sanaa on October 16, 2018 to show support against the Saudi-led pro-government coalition Efforts to end Yemen's devastating war picked up pace Monday as the government and rebels edged closer to peace talks and Britain led a push at the UN Security Council for an immediate truce. The moves came ahead of a visit in the next few days to the Arabian Peninsula country by UN envoy Martin Griffiths, once again trying to get all sides around the negotiating table. "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," Yemen's foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba news agency. Earlier, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Huthi rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that he wanted his group to announce "readiness to suspend and halt all military operations" and stop firing missiles on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition backing the Yemeni government, also lent its support to new talks. A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council Monday calls for an immediate truce in the battleground port city of Hodeida, according to the draft seen by AFP. However, fierce fighting broke out in the city late Monday between rebels and pro-government forces, according to military officials. The fighting was the worst since forces loyal to the government halted an offensive last week, and was concentrated in the eastern part of the city where rebels fired artillery. Pro-government forces responded while planes from the Saudi-led coalition launched 12 raids, the sources said. The text of the draft UN resolution, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-linked Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. It also calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month. - 'Renewed commitment' - The Huthis have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa since capturing it in late 2014. They also hold Hodeida, home to a key port on the Red Sea. The rebels have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has since 2015 led a military coalition to restore to power President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Residents of Sanaa, interviewed by AFP, welcomed the Huthi call to halt military operations. "This initiative is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength to prevent bloodshed and for life to go on," Mohammed al-Jouri said. Griffiths also hailed the rebel move, saying he "hopes that all parties continue to exercise restraint to create a conducive environment" for talks. The envoy will visit Sanaa Wednesday, a source in his office said. He is expected to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden, a date for which has not been set. On Monday, Saudi King Salman told the Shura Council, his country's top advisory body, that Riyadh also supported a "political solution" and a "comprehensive national dialogue" in Yemen. Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Huthis have failed. Griffiths said he hoped the rivals would meet in Sweden "within the next few weeks" to seek "an appropriate formula for the involvement of Ansarullah (the Huthis' movement) and other political parties throughout Yemen in a government of unity". He told Sky News an agreement had been reached to ensure Huthi delegates could attend the talks without fear of being prevented from returning to Yemen, an obstacle that doomed peace talks slated to take place in Geneva in September. - 'Stop the bloodshed' - The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, met UN officials late Sunday, and was quoted by the rebels' news agency as saying the UN and the international community should "adopt the political path to stop the bloodshed". British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told British television after the talks. Fighting in Yemen intensified at the start of November as the coalition renewed an offensive aimed at seizing Hodeida, whose port serves as entry point for nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid. Pro-government forces announced a pause in their offensive last week as international pressure grew for a ceasefire. But the coalition insisted Monday their operations were still ongoing, with spokesman Turki al-Maliki saying they were targeting rebel reinforcements even as he voiced support for the talks. The rebel-run Al-Masirah TV said the coalition had carried out seven air strikes in the surrounding province and one inside Hodeida city. The rebels also reported fresh clashes in a battle front near Sanaa on Monday, Al-Masirah said. The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher. The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation. bur-mah-oh-ac/hc/dv/rsc/kaf Armoured vehicles of the Yemeni pro-government forces are seen driving past destruction in an industrial district in the eastern outskirts of the embattled port city of Hodeida This file handout picture released on October 9, 2014 by the press office of the Yemeni Shiite Huthi group shows Abdulmalik al-Huthi, the group's leader A Yemeni child plays in Sanaa's old city on November 13, 2018 A journalist looks at a destroyed warehouse in an industrial district in the eastern outskirts of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida on November 18, 2018, during the ongoing battle for control of the city between pro-government forces and Huthi rebels The UN envoy for Syria on Monday signalled that he was ready to abandon efforts to set up a committee on drafting a post-war constitution if no deal is reached by the end of December. The planned constitutional committee agreed at a Russia-hosted conference in January has run into objections from the Syrian government over allowing religious leaders, representatives from women's groups and independent experts to take part. The centerpiece of UN peace efforts in Syria, the committee would be tasked with negotiating a new post-war constitution that would pave the way to elections aimed at turning the page on seven years of devastating war. "We are in the last days of the attempts to implement the constitutional committee," envoy Staffan de Mistura told a Security Council meeting on the Syria crisis. "We may have to conclude that (it) may not be possible to form a constitutional committee, credible and inclusive, at this stage," said the envoy, speaking by videoconference from Geneva. "In such an unfortunate case, I will certainly be ready to explain to the council why," he warned. De Mistura, an Italian-Swedish diplomat who has been the UN's peace envoy since July 2014, was due to step down at the end of November, but he agreed to stay on for an extra month to lead a final push. The United Nations is still hoping to send invitations to committee members by mid-December and convene a first meeting before December 31, said the envoy. The leaders of Russia, Turkey, Germany and France have called for the committee to be formed by the end of the year. Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen has been appointed to become the fourth UN envoy for Syria since the war began in 2011. Russia and Iran, which are providing crucial military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which supports some armed groups, will meet next week in the Kazakh capital, Astana. More than 360,000 people have been killed in the war, which began in March 2011 as an uprising against Assad but has morphed into a complex conflict with myriad armed groups, many of whom are foreign-backed. cml/mdl UN envoy Staffan de Mistura will make a final push to set up by the end of December a committee to draft a post-war constitution for Syria that would pave the way to elections They started work in the cool of the morning and moved quickly, uncoiling reel after reel of vicious-looking fencing and tying it with barbed wire to green poles hammered into the ground. Over the course of three days, a gleaming, shoulders-high barrier of concertina-wire emerged like a silver snake along a lush riverbank, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was the work of 100 or so American troops from the 19th Engineer Battalion, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Rather than finding themselves in a far-off warzone, the soldiers are in Laredo, a busy border town overlooking a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas, carrying out controversial orders from President Donald Trump. He has sent about 5,800 troops to the border to forestall the arrival of large groups of Central American migrants traveling through Mexico and towards the US, in a move critics decry as a costly political stunt to galvanize supporters ahead of midterm elections earlier this month. Before the election Trump called the matter a "national emergency" and warned that so-called migrant caravans were an "invasion" with "some very bad thugs and gang members." So far at least, the most visible aspect of Trump's deployment is the fence, a visible deterrent and physical obstacle to migrants, designed to corral would-be asylum seekers towards organized points of entry into the US. - Residents with cakes - Over the weekend, Lieutenant Alan Koepnick's platoon could be seen stringing concertina wire, which is built to snag clothing, along one edge of a quiet riverside park near downtown Laredo. As families walked dogs, grilled sausages and relaxed, the soldiers mounted the wire, occasionally ripping their camouflaged uniforms on its metal barbs. Koepnick said some Laredo residents had voiced disquiet about the fencing and the presence of US troops. "But there's also been a lot of support, people coming in, vets shaking our hands, bringing us cakes, water, things like that," Koepnick told AFP. About 100 yards (meters) behind him, a group of people on the Mexican side of the river could be seen standing on the bank. "You'll see people across the river cursing at us in Spanish, throwing bottles at us. But on this side it's more positive," Koepnick said. He and his soldiers were unarmed, but a group of armed military police officers stood by to provide "force protection." Under US law, the military is not allowed to conduct domestic law enforcement in most cases, so soldiers here will not have any direct interactions with migrants. Trump created a media whirlwind by sounding the alarm about the migrant caravans before the November 6 elections. He has mainly stopped raising it since, though last week he praised the military's work. "They built great fencing, they built a very powerful fence," said Trump, who wants to build a hardened wall along the entire 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border. Laura Pole, a British tourist visiting Laredo for the third time, was less enthusiastic. "It reminds me of Hitler and the concentration camps," she said, but added: "I really don't know what's the best thing to do." - No risk of combat - The border mission has put the supposedly non-political military in an uncomfortable spotlight. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has hit back at critics who say the Pentagon should not be doing Trump's political bidding, saying "we don't do stunts". He visited troops on the border last week and reiterated that their job in the short term was to assist under-resourced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and put up physical obstacles. But "longer term, it's somewhat to be determined," he said. After some rank-and-file troops grumbled about the purpose of the mission to US media last week, they are now under strict instructions not to voice personal opinions to the press. Several soldiers AFP spoke to said their time on the border provided valuable real-world training, albeit without the risks of combat. "We have a very large group of brand-new soldiers and it's really good for them," Corporal Samuel Fletcher said, citing a chance for the green troops "to do real work and put their skills to use." - Focus on Tijuana - In Laredo, large groups of migrants from the caravans in Mexico had not arrived. Instead they were mainly headed to Tijuana, about 1,300 miles away in San Diego, where authorities say more than 3,000 have already arrived. Still, a CBP agent, who was not authorized to give his name, said he was glad of the military assistance as each day, "hundreds" of migrants attempt to cross the approximately 30-mile stretch of border he patrols. The military deployment is set to wrap up December 15 and it is not clear what will become of the wire fencing. Already, the winds whistling down the Rio Grande valley are strewing trash, clothing and plastic bags along the jagged wire. "Nobody seems to know when it's coming down. It's not really our decision," said Koepnick. "If we are told to take it down, we will take it down with a smile on our faces, like good soldiers." Soldiers from the Kentucky-based 19th Engineer Battalion installing barbed wire fences on the banks of the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas These soldiers are some of the thousands of US troops deployed to the US-Mexico border as part of a mission ordered by President Donald Trump to toughen the frontier and provide engineering and logistical support to Customs and Border Protection agents A group of people hang out on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river, as seen from Laredo, Texas A military Humvee can be seen mired in the mud on the banks of the Rio Grande Concertina wire can be seen installed all the way up to the US-Mexico border on this busy international bridge at the frontier between Nueva Laredo, Mexico (L) and Laredo, Texas, (R) Economic inequality is massively affecting whether students in war-ravaged Iraq finish school, the United Nations children's agency warned Monday, urging the fledgling government in Baghdad to spend more on education. An economic downturn, years of fighting and little government support has left Iraq's school system lacking, UNICEF found in a new study of more than 20,000 families. Socio-economic status creates a huge gap in who graduates from secondary school -- 73 percent for the wealthiest students compared to just 23 percent of the poorest students. One-third of schools across the country operate multiple shifts in an effort to enrol as many kids as possible, meaning students may get just a few hours of class per day. To improve access to education, Iraq needs 7,500 new schools, UNICEF said. "It's to do with the conflict, the economic collapse, and lack of investment over the past 20 years. When the quality falls, then children themselves march out of the classroom," UNICEF country director Peter Hawkins told AFP. "Children are the future of this country, and a growing gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' sows discord and is detrimental for children and for Iraq," he added. The wide-ranging study was the first in seven years in Iraq. The country's infrastructure, including its schools, has been hit hard by conflict, from the US-led invasion in 2003 to years of sectarian violence and bombings. In 2014, the Islamic State group overran a third of the country, implementing its own twisted curriculum in schools before being ousted from its urban strongholds last year. And in recent months, a water crisis in the country's south kept many children at home in fear of contracting diseases. To get more children in school, the government must boost its spending on education, one of the lowest rates in the region at just 5.7 percent of total expenditure, UNICEF said. "Ministers: please use this to target investment to those children in greater need. Those children are your future," Hawkins urged government members. Parliamentary divisions mean Iraq has not appointed anyone to head the ministries of education or higher education. According to Iraq's Human Rights Commission, more than 1,050 schools across the country have been damaged to varying degrees by the recent violent years. Sixty percent of the country's 39 million people are under the age of 24. The UN children's agency says an economic downturn, years of fighting and little government support has left Iraq's schools system lacking with inequality affecting if students finish school A woman has been rushed to hospital after being mauled by her pet dog in Adelaides north. Paramedics were called to International Avenue in Salisbury North where they found a 55-year-old woman with severe bite wounds to her arm and head. A spokesperson for SA Ambulance said she was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. She is currently in a serious condition, a spokesperson for SA Health told Yahoo7 News. Salisbury Council officers removed the bullmastiff from the property. Its not yet known if it will be destroyed. The bullmastiff has been seized by council. Source: Getty (file image) The attack comes after a four-year-old boy was mauled by his neighbours American Bulldog in Quakers Hill, 40 kilometres west of Sydney, on Sunday about 1pm. The boy was taken to The Childrens Hospital in Westmead for treatment after the dog latched onto his neck and shoulder. With a multimillion-dollar grant from the state, Finger Lakes Railway is planning to significantly reduce congestion at railroad crossings in the city of Auburn and Cayuga County. The Geneva-based company has been awarded $2.8 million for its $3.5 million project to improve rail yards in the county. The corporation provides freight service between Geneva and Solvay in Onondaga County. Mike Smith, president of Finger Lakes Railway, said in a phone interview Monday that local residents have complained about freight trains blocking grade crossings in Auburn, especially on Cottage, Perrine and State streets near the company's rail yard in the city. Complaints about blocked crossings have risen as Finger Lakes Railway's business grows. The company provides freight service for a few major businesses in Cayuga County, such as Nucor in Auburn and Owens-Illinois in Sennett. Finger Lakes Railway transports 18,000 carloads of materials annually in Cayuga County, Smith noted. To reduce the instances of blocked crossings, Finger Lakes Railway plans to expand its rail yard operations to a location adjacent to Owens-Illinois, which is located off County House Road in Sennett. By expanding at that site, the company can have "set-offs" and pickups of rail cars done there instead of at the yard in the city. While it won't completely eliminate blockages of the grade crossings, Smith said it will "significantly reduce" them. "This project will enable us to be better neighbors," Smith said. With the state picking up 80 percent of the project's cost, Finger Lakes Railway will cover the remaining 20 percent, or $700,000. The project is one of 18 being funded by the state through the Governor's Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program. Cuomo's office announced that $27.1 million has been awarded to support the projects, three of which are in central New York. In addition to the Finger Lakes Railway project, the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority will receive $600,000 to rehabilitate a platform at the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse. The New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp. will get $1.1 million to install 2.6 miles of continuous welded rail in Onondaga County. Don Hutton, president of Railroads of New York, lauded the state for its support of rail projects across New York. "These investments not only reduce costs for shippers, but they will lead to lower commodity prices for consumers," he said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is urging the federal government to release more information about the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 160 people in 35 states. The salmonella outbreak has been linked to raw turkey, leading to concerns among consumers ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn't determined the source of the bacteria, but there are calls for the agency to release the brands of raw turkey products and processing facilities where the strain has been found. Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to request that the USDA release "critical information" regarding the strain of salmonella that has been linked to raw turkey. The failure to provide the identifying information ahead of the holidays, the senators wrote, is "simply unconscionable." "As such, we demand that you reverse course and immediately disclose the names of the slaughter facilities and processing plants and, if possible, the consumer-level brand names linked to this dangerous outbreak, so that Americans across the country can come together without worrying for the safety of their friends, family and loved ones," the senators wrote in their letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Gillibrand and Blumenthal, both Democrats, represent states that are home to people who have been sickened by salmonella. There have been 12 people from New York and three from Connecticut who have been infected with a strain of salmonella. The total number of people sickened by the bacteria is 164, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixty-three people have been hospitalized since the outbreak began and one person has died. What's concerning about the strain is that certain samples have been found to be resistant to antibiotics. The senators noted in their letter that the CDC and USDA say they haven't identified a source, a common supplier or specific products. There was a recall announced last week for 91,388 pounds of raw ground turkey products sold by Jennie-O Turkey Store. A strain of salmonella was found in a sample from a package of Jennie-O ground turkey. But the salmonella outbreak dates back to last year, and it's unclear if there are more products involved. Gillibrand and Blumenthal revealed that testing conducted by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service found the strain of salmonella at 22 slaughterhouses and seven processing facilities. "Every moment that USDA neglects its responsibility to ensure that the turkey eaten across the country is safe, the health of Americans is jeopardized," the senators wrote. Salmonella sickens about 1.2 million people annually, according to the CDC. It leads to 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths in the U.S. each year. People infected with salmonella may experience abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. The illness lasts between four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) Lawyers for an upstate New York man accused of robbing a restaurant and fatally shooting his former co-workers say their client will undergo a psychological exam. Syracuse.com reports lawyers for 32-year-old William Wood Jr. are seeking to avoid him spending life in prison if convicted of murder. Wood is accused of stealing around $900 from a suburban Syracuse Chili's restaurant where he previously worked and killing employees Kristopher Hicks and Stephen Gudknecht. Prosecutors say he promised thousands of dollars to his co-defendants in exchange for helping him with the September robbery. One co-defendant is accused of being Wood's getaway driver, and two others have been charged with illegally selling the gun used in the killings. All defendants remain in jail pending their next court hearings. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 City Ashley J. Hess, 29, 10 McMaster St., Apt. 2, Auburn, was picked up Nov. 13 on a bench warrant. Scott A. Corey Sr., 41, 37 Washington St., Auburn, was picked up Nov. 13 on a bench warrant. Francis P. Costello, 46, 80 Washington St., Auburn, was charged Nov. 15 with driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated first offense. John S. Baity, Sr., 28, 8 McMaster St., Apt. 1, Auburn, was charged Nov. 15 with second-degree constructing governmental administration and resisting arrest. State Matthew C. Pelton, 21, Phoenix, was charged Nov. 13 with third-degree false report an incident and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Mark L. Walter, 50, Genoa, was charged Nov. 13 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Tara E. Todisco, 36, Camillus, was charged Nov. 13 with endangering the welfare of a child. Jamie E. Cruikshank, 30, Memphis, was charged Nov. 13 with second-degree criminal contempt. Molly M. Conroy, 23, Elbridge, was charged Nov. 15 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Love 0 Funny 8 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 1 THE NETHERLANDSShots has released a new Skulls & Bones range under its Ouch! brand of BDSM-themed products. The Skulls & Bones collection consists of a variety of products embellished with either small metal skulls or impressive metal spikes, as the main element of the design. Both are unisex and made with high-quality bonded leather. After multiple successful introductions, Ouch! saw another niche in the market to strengthen the brand even more. The result is a unique BDSM line called Skulls & Bones, a line that brings the world of fashion and BDSM together in a very powerful way. Given the fact that the complete line is intended as unisex, Shots vision was to execute this idea with a professional photo-shoot in Los Angeles with top models. The backdrop for the shoot was a motor club, which combined extremely well with our male and female models in all their statement outfits. The results were fantastic and you can check for them out for yourself on the Shots YouTube Channel. Giving a perfect impression of what the Skulls & Bones stand for, these superb pictures were of course used for the creation of a very handy and functional unisex packaging. The idea was to create something that really promotes and attracts a female as well as a male audience. At first sight, the packaging shows a female model, but on opening there is a second packaging showing a male model. Thats two options for the price of one. This gives the retailer a unique opportunity to showcase the products however they choose, to their own key audiences. And last but not least there is, of course, the icing on the cake of this new and exciting line of products. With every Skulls & Bones product comes a free gift in the form of a fashionable Skulls & Bones patch, which can easily be attached to any form of clothing. Skulls & Bones has something for everyone and it can be worn and used for a variety of occasions. For more information about the Skulls & Bones collection, contact [email protected] or [email protected]. CYBERSPACEBQT Crypto Exchange (an acronym for Better, Quick and Transparent) announced Luca Cotta is now a member of its advisory board. A former Slack and Telegram app developer, Cotto is a top-ranked ICObench expert who brings eight years of ICOdriving expertise and anti-scam knowledge to BQT, the first decentralized P2P crypto hedge trading platform. Im an ICOdriver and have been launching ICOs since the early 2010s, so Ive been working with startups across the cryptocurrency market, Cotta said. BQTs decentralized P2P crypto hedge trading platform inspires and matches my ambitions. Ive helped many ICOs succeed in the past, my last one ETHend sold out in just 77 hours. So I want to bring my expertise and experience to this exciting new platform. Cotta is a strategic adviser for ETHend, a Swiss-based technology company, founded in 2017 by Stani Kulechov. ETHend focus on empowering people through the development of decentralised and hybrid blockchain applications. He is also a highly respected app developer and provides analytical, legal, and technical insights to global investors. As an expert on ICOs, blockchain and app-based technologies, Cotta has influenced numerous startups, which have achieved their financial targets. His superbot experience will prove invaluable to BQT, and he has successfully developed anti-scam systems for both Slack and Telegram. We are proud to welcome Luca Cotta to our advisory board. His strategic understanding of ICOs will bring great benefits to our team. Lucas accurate insight and invaluable experience will help BQT and assist us in achieving our strategic goals, said BQTs CEO Edward W. Mandel. As the first decentralized P2P crypto hedge trading platform, the BQT exchange allows direct negotiations between crypto traders for short-term hedging. It aims to challenge existing crypto trading models by empowering traders to leverage their crypto asset holdings through escrow. For more, visit BQT.io. LOS ANGELESJasmin announced it was proud to welcome more than 160 of its partners to Budapest, the birthplace of the leading cam site. Jasmin Academy dedicated this second edition to strengthening the ties between the website and their worldwide partners. Invitations were sent out to Romania, Colombia, Russia, the UK, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Ukraine, USA, and Hungary, requesting the presence of many studio owners, managers, trainers, and models at the second Jasmin Academy, which successfully concluded last week. Among the many topics we discussed at the Jasmin Academy, a recurring theme was how the content providers of the website could maximize their earnings on the service. said Karoly Papp, CEO and co-founder of Jasmin.com. I was extremely happy to see many of our highly esteemed partners in one place and I was even happier to have the chance to discuss our joint future in such a pleasant environment with such a friendly atmosphere. The day started with a workshop dedicated to models held by the groups CPO Zsolt Theiss-Balazs. The goal of my seminar was to show our partners how they can become more successful overall," Theiss-Balazs said. "I believe that the key to persistent professional success is focusing on the individual model and letting them shine. In other words; put the model in the limelight and watch them thrive. His workshop, together with other important seminars that industry veterans held, covered all the aspects of professional live camming. Some of the other key workshops were dedicated to how to stand out from the crowd, how to build up a member base, how to strengthen it, and how to increase their earnings. The Customer Support department is a huge part of Jasmin.com, so naturally, they also held a seminar about the common misconceptions of the department, what their role is, and how they are able to assist the model or studio. Should Beaufort County elected officials demand that every alleged incident of Child Rape be investigated in Beaufort County? Yes, without fail, irrespective of the parties involved; this heinous crime must be investigated, and the truth be known, and responsible parties prosecuted. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty. Both the Separatists and Puritans were rigid fundamentalists who came here fully intending to take the land away from its Native inhabitants and establish a new nation, their "Holy Kingdom." The Plymouth colonists were never concerned with "freedom of religion" for anyone but themselves. Thanksgiving Day celebrates not justice or equality but aggression and enslavement. It affirms the genocidal beliefs that destroyed millions of Native American people and their cultures from the Pilgrim landings to the 20th century. You may remember celebrating Thanksgiving by tracing your hand to create the outline of a turkey and hearing the story of the harvest meal celebrated by Pilgrims and American Indians in 1621. Edward Winslow's December 11, 1621 letter references a harvest meal that would become the basis for the "traditional" Thanksgiving story. Winslow wrote,Of course, the traditional account by Winslow and others does not tell the whole story. Historian Perry Miller points out in his 1953 book, The New England Mind: From Colony to Province,At minimum, the Thanksgiving holiday celebration was not consistent with the Calvinist beliefs of the first generation of Separatist/Pilgrim and Puritan settlers. It is an invention of subsequent generations of Americans.But the story of cooperation and celebration that schoolchildren in the 18th, 19th, and 20th century learned is not necessarily the story that children will hear today.In fact, the North Carolina Standard Course of Study does not mandate that teachers deliver a lesson about Thanksgiving at all. Rather, state standards direct educators to teach about national holidays as they occur throughout the year. The state standards for first grade, for example, require students to know why nations celebrate holidays, the distinction between national and religious holidays, and the cultural and historical significance of the holidays celebrated. Presumably, the requirement that can be met by highlighting any holiday selected by the teacher.For educators who choose to deliver a lesson on Thanksgiving, teachers are asked to set the record straight on the myths and realities of the traditional Thanksgiving story. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction offers a list of resources for teaching about Thanksgiving in light of competing historical interpretations and cultural considerations. One of the links provided by NC DPI is "Deconstructing the Myths of 'The First Thanksgiving'" on the Oyate website, which claims Similar interpretations can be found by searching the "truth about Thanksgiving" on the internet. The idea that, at its core, Thanksgiving celebrates the brutality of Europeans who settled in the New World is a page out of the radical Howard Zinn school of historical thought. The Zinn Education Project contends Today, teachers are encouraged to address conflicts between colonists and American Indians in their Thanksgiving Day lessons. This is a far cry from the Winslow letter and the traditional account of the encounter between Pilgrims and American Indians in the early 1620s. I'm not sure this is an improvement. Clearly, the conflict-based account precludes the kinds of benign commemorations that decades of elementary school children enjoyed. Despite their historical inaccuracies, which warrant acknowledgment and correction, lessons on Thanksgiving in elementary school were designed to be celebrations of friendship, gratitude, discovery, and other virtues that seem to be in short supply these days. On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union came out against the Title IX reforms proposed by the Trump Department of Education, led by Betsy Devos. Those reforms are based on preserving the rights of the accused while still protecting accusers in sexual assault cases - but the ACLU, caving to the woke Left, has decided that it is no longer worthwhile to protect such accused people. Civil liberties go by the wayside when it comes to sexual assault, apparently.The Title IX reforms, as David French aptly describes at National Review, requires colleges to end their kangaroo courts when it comes to sexual assault - courts that have caught up students in an un-American, Kafka-esque process of proving their innocence. The new rules require colleges to permit cross-examination of witnesses including the accuser by attorneys for the accused, and stops universities from allowing evidence from those who refuse cross-examination. Furthermore, the new Title IX regulations allow the accused to see the evidence given against them - and yes, there were schools that prohibited the accused from even knowing the nature of the accusations against them.The rules also tighten up the definition of sexual harassment, which had been expanded to encompass behavior up to and including language regarding gender or sex alone. As French states:The new proposed rules, by contrast, apply controlling language from the Supreme Court to define sexual harassment as sexual assault, quid pro quo harassment, and "unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient's education program or activity." Through this change, the DOE finally conforms its harassment definition to the language of Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, a case that defined the standard for peer-on-peer hostile-environment sexual harassment. The Davis standard serves the purpose of protecting students from true harassment and protecting students from arbitrary, truly subjective claims of offense.The ACLU's response to all of this - which is the least due process guarantees with regard to sexual assault - was to oppose it. Following on the ACLU's decision to oppose the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh based on nothing but Leftist politics, now the ACLU has abandoned its raison d'etre: civil liberties. Here was their statement, via Twitter:We advocate for fair school disciplinary processes that uphold the rights of both parties in campus sexual assault and harassment cases. Today Secretary DeVos proposed a rule that would tip the scales against those who raise their voices. We strongly oppose it. The proposed rule would make schools less safe for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, when there is already alarmingly high rates of campus sexual assaults and harassment that go unreported. It promotes an unfair process, inappropriately favoring the accused and letting schools ignore their responsibility under Title IX to respond promptly and fairly to complaints of sexual violence. We will continue to support survivors."Inappropriately favoring the accused" is a phrase no one could have rightly expected from the ACLU in the past. But being truly woke means taking your civil liberties principles out to a corn field and then burying them alive like Joe Pesci in Casino. In the late '00s and early '10s, the Dirty Projectors rose to the forefront of indie rock on the backs of three genre-defying, instant classic albums: the Black Flag dadaism of Rise Above, the classic rock stomp of Bitte Orca and the idiosyncratic romanticism of Swing Lo Magellan. Combining the anxious melodicism of David Byrne with modern hip-hop production textures, Dave Longstreth's longtime solo project evolved during this period into a sprawling, jagged, unforgettable band whose complex harmonies were unrivaled in the rock world. But around 2013, that lineup imploded just as Longstreth broke-up with bandmate and fellow songwriter Amber Coffman. Longstreth withdrew from public for several years, decamping from Greenpoint to LA, focusing on production work, and taking part in songwriter sessions with the likes of Kanye West (which resulted in the wonderful single "FourFiveSeconds"). In the last two years though, Longstreth has revived the band with two twin albums, 2017's electronic-based Dirty Projectors (which was a solo album in all but name) and this year's much more buoyant and rhythmic Lamp Lit Prose. "This new record is about being in love," he told Gothamist recently. "I think that that's where a lot of the songs are coming from." Before the band plays at Elsewhere Monday night (with Lower Dens), we spoke to Longstreth about the genesis of the new records; about using autobiography as songwriting tool; about the brand new lineup of the band; about the toxic overload of the news cycle during the Trump era; and what he misses about living in NYC. "My hope is that there's something eternal about the city," he said. "Something that doesn't change. And times that I'll go back there and spend a week or two, more recently, I feel that's the case." (Note: Longstreth declined to speak about his former collaborator West"I'm burned out on thinking about Kanye"but for those interested, he did note that one of the new songs slated for the perpetually delayed Yandhi features a sample from his friend Delicate Steve.) When you are writing music, do you go into it with a set amount of ideas or themes or even lyrics that you want to focus on, or do you write and then you unconsciously, or later in the process, find what the songs are about? I think it's more the latter than the former. I like to just write a lot of stuff, just throw a lot of stuff at the wall, and then it helps when you take a step back and you look at what has come out and you're like, oh, there are some themes here. There's some through-lines. That helps me at least figure out, 'okay, what is this body of songs? What is this whole album about? It feels like it's about this.' You released two albums in less than two years. Were you working on them simultaneously, or were they very separate groups of songs? I guess the answer is a little bit of both. I was kind of stepping out from a whole bunch of music that I had started at a certain point. I was like hmm, there's some songs that are kind of emotionally devastated sad songs, and then there are these songs that are sort of jubilant and celebratory and it would be cool to make it like...I'm trying to think of the word, all I can come up with is yin-yang. Like a one-two where you just are outlining a relationship spectrum. On the one hand, there's the sadness, the pain that can come out of that, the rebirth that can come out of that pain, but then also on the other side, just the infatuation, the meaning that can come out of good love. So I think about those as a pair, and a guiding light, or principle, pretty early on, before I had made the self-titled record. But then when I actually got to [what became] Lamp Lit Prose, it was more mapped out, so a lot of the music was written since the self-titled. That's interesting, because when I heard Lamp Lit Prose, I felt like the self-titled album made a lot more sense to me in that context. Seeing them as sister albums, two halves of the same circle. There were some mixed reviews of both albums, and I wonder whether you think people would have enjoyed them more if they had listened to them together, to see this whole picture instead of seeing one half of a journey on either end. That's sort of how I was thinking of it when I was making it, sort of like the lows of the self-titled are a bit calibrated to the highs of Lamp Lit. I like the idea that music can take you to extreme places and these are all part of all of our experience, and weaving all of those together into a somewhat coherent story felt like a cool place to take the songwriting. I've seen a lot of interpretations of both albums that made a lot of assumptions about the biographical elements of the lyrics, and who you were writing about. I'm wondering whether that's something you get nervous about, or perhaps are hesitant about revealing too much? Or is it something that you calibrate specifically for those kinds of reactions? That's an interesting question and it's a long one. Yeah, it might be. When you're making anything, you gotta be willing to use your experience. Certain forms have more of an assumption of autobiography than others. You might write a screenplay that's really closely based on your personal experience, and the fact that you're casting actors and giving it characters might make it seem less personal. Autobiography, I guess, is just a format, it's a trope that you can play with in songwriting. And I think when I was younger, it did make me really uncomfortable. I would be very mortified for someone to draw a line between some string of words that popped into my head as the best phrase that fit the character of one specific melody or something like that, and draw a line between that and any specific aspect of my own boring individual life. But I guess, as I've been doing it for a little while, you recognize the power of it, and I also recognize how a lot of my favorite songwriters and a lot of my favorite songs did just that. You can lean into a sort of, if not autobiography, then persona. I think you have to be willing to take little atoms of your own personal experience, take a little slice of the most extreme emotion in your life, and then make a song out of that, live in that. That's not who you are as a person, but it's an element of human experience, and it might be one that a lot of people can relate to, because we all experience the same things, and so I think it's a fascinating thing to play around with. And because of course, it's not you. At this point, the Dirty Projectors lineup has changed a lot over the years, and I think the only real consistent person besides yourself has been [bassist] Nat Baldwin. Are the Dirty Projectors just anything you're working on, or is there something that differentiates the band from something that you might put out under your own name one day? I think it's kind of always just been the music that I've been working on. I put out four records before I even put together any version of a band to tour around. And I think I was reluctant to define even a specific instrumentation or lineup for a long time because I was like, my next record might be just a guira player and a quintet of french horns. So yeah, to me, there's this body of songs that are Dirty Projectors songs and it's a changing and changeable line. How have these shows with the new band been, and how is it different than some of the older lineup dynamics? What has changed about how you approach playing live now? An interesting development for me putting together the band around the shows this year was to realize that actually, a group where four people are singing and we've got two guitars and a keyboard player and a bass, drums, aux percussion, that's like an incredibly flexible format. That's like, we can do the last two albums incredibly well and the older Dirty Projectors songs as well. It's such a flexible group, and it felt like a super organic way of accepting the identity of the live band. I think that maybe a difference with the shows now, like the residency tour for example that we're doing, has been amazing because it feels like with this group, we're able to take more risks. We've been doing different sets every night, and just switching things up on the fly. It feels like a freer approach, maybe a little bit looser than it's been it the past. And it's just really been super fun to play with this crew. We've been actually rehearsing a ton, so we know a bunch of Rise Above, almost all of Swing Lo, all of Lamp Lit, and a bunch of the self-titled. And to string all those different songs together into a different continuum every night, it's crazy. It's cool. It's funny to have taken...it's not funny, but I have taken some years away from the road, [to] just focus on producing and writing with other people. I have a different perspective on playing live now where I feel it's less about the song and more about the connection. The connection with all of us on stage, with one another, and then also with the audience. And I feel strangely connected to the idea of a moment. Everyone is coming together in this room to share something and let's make it specific, let's make it individual to that night. We're all so lucky to be in that situation, to be there together. Do you ever work on new songs with the band or throw songs out to try to debut them live, anything like that? Or do you keep all the writing and recording separated for after the tour? Things are always recombining in different ways. With this group, I'd be really interested to basically record an album that's just essentially what we're playing live. So I think that that might be in the future a little bit. You've been very politically outspoken, you played shows for Bernie in 2016 and certainly have a lot of songs that touch on political commentary and the environment. It seems like a natural part of your personality and interests. The last two years have been really difficult and dark and cynical Whew, yeah. And the sister albums have been done for a little while. Have you started writing new songs, and what do they reflect of this era? And how engaged are you in the news cycle and keeping up with what's happening around the country? Well, I think lyrics are often the last thing that I'm working on. And so, most of the lyrics, certainly on Lamp Lit, were written after the election. I think that's true. Time passes strangely in Los Angeles, there's no seasons, so it's really hard to keep any kind of track, so I don't know that I'm the most reliable narrator about when any of this stuff happened. But I do know that "Feel It All", the last song on Lamp Lit, is only just over a year old and it was the youngest music on the album. Lamp Lit is largely a personal record, but I feel like that album is more about lower case P politics. It's in there, but it's [about] how we treat each other, starting with how to respond to such an onslaught of things that make us despair and fear and get angry and the rest of it, and how we can be in ourselves and with the people that we love and our families. So I don't think that the emotional tone of Lamp Lit is unrelated to the hellscape that we inhabit currently. As far as my engagement with the 24/7 news cycle, it's probably just like everybody else, man. I go through periods where I'm absolutely glued to it and I can't look away, and that comes from a number of places, like the idea of I need to be an informed citizen, so I need to try to keep up on all of this. I need to know what's going on. That feels very vitally important. And also, there's this sort of thing that I think also happens to a lot of people where it is almost like...an addiction kind of thing, where it's like we have to stay plugged in. I oscillate between that extreme and then the other, where I'm just like, "I need a break from this stuff and I can't deal." When you're feeling despondent, do you have things you do for self care? I guess so. I play the nylon strings guitar, the nylon acoustic. This little Requinto guitar that I got in Mexico City a few year ago that's a little smaller than a normal guitar. I just really love playing it. And for me music is a lot of that. It's a refuge. It's an escape. It's so interesting. We're this generation of networked brains and we're figuring out what the rhythm of all that means. I go backand this is not a coherent thought, I probably shouldn't say it out loudbut I wonder if it's inevitable that the circumstances of us negotiating a network hive mind happens in a context like this dystopia. Or whether it could be that the relationship of technology and the rise of totalitarianism and fascism around the world, they seem united. Did it have to be that way, I don't know. But, I guess in the last couple months it's felt clear to me that to disconnect from the network...it feels better. It feels healthier. It feels more creative. I don't know whether it's irresponsible or not, you know? It's not a terribly coherent thought. I think I get you. If I'm not mistaken, you and I are sort of in a similar age range, we're on the older end of millennials probably. Silverback millennial, that's what it's called. And we're the last generation where we can remember a time in our lives when we weren't on the internet, we weren't connected 24/7. I keep expecting there's gonna be some sort of mainstream movement to get offline more. Maybe not to get off the internet completely, but to get off social media, to back away from that stuff as our generation gets older, just to keep ourselves from information overload. I know. I sort of think it's happening. But then there's an irony there. Online is the place where movements coalesce. So you're talking about a movement to log-off, there's an irony there, but I know what you mean. Or this idea of, you see some movie from the '40s where everyone in the room is smoking and it seems insane. It seems so toxic and insane. Will we regard some of the ways that we're experimenting with bringing technology into our actual mind and lives? Will that strike us as similarly toxic or cancerous in the future? I don't know. Especially when we find out in 40 years that we all have cancer from all of our various devices. It's really crazy. We really don't know. The possibilities are endless. Something I've been wondering about for years now: I saw you perform at the Met with the Calder Quartet back in 2013. It was a lovely gig, and you played a bunch of new songs and I always wondered what became of them. Did you ever record them? I'm really happy to be asked that question, and I don't think anyone ever has. One of those songs became the bridge and outro of "I Feel Energy." Another one of them was an early version of "You're the One." Another one of them became the chords of "Work Together" from the self-titled record. That was like the nucleus of these two records right here. Ah! I just remember really loving the combination of your voice with the quartet. Oh, that's super cool of you to say, man. Thank you. I've been writing new stuff recently and you always get reflective about things that you do and haven't done correctly, or different stuff to try, and for me, one of the things that's jumping out is how obsessively process-based I've been in the last couple of years. Were I not to have taken that music and submitted it, there are so many different mutations and deconstructions. What if I had just recorded what we played that day, you know? And put that out, and then been on to the next one. I don't know, it's an interesting question. Was that period, post-Swing Lo, a real fork in the road for you and for that iteration of the band? Yeah, maybe. I guess writing is something for me that is always happening, and the different social circumstances and logistical circumstances of, is the touring group assembled currently? What are people's plans? That stuff always changes. It has impact on the kind of music that I write, and how often it comes out. Yeah, I guess I had written these songs, and I was really just not in the mood to be on tour, or to make another album, per se. Instead, I kept on tearing at those melodies and chord progressions and playing around with them. But literally any time there's a string quartet on those two albums, it's from that era, and it's recordings of, basically the music from that show. Did you record those shows, or any of the songs in their older form? No, I didn't record the shows. I think those sort of institutions, there's a big origination fee that you always gotta pay, so we didn't record it. I had a little recording, a rehearsal, in my voice memos. But with the Calder Quartet, we recorded those songs maybe a couple weeks later. Those recordings are the ones that are in the last two albums. So you really have embraced a lot of modern production techniques then? Mixing this piece of music with that piece of music, cutting things up? Yeah. There's generating, and there's editing. And they're two parts of it. There's real power in the Burroughs cut-up idea, and two things next to each other might be trite or boring or just pretty basic, but then, if you cut it in half...you can arrive at something that feels emotionally surprising that way. Often [it's] truer, because I guess cliches are offensive because they feel too simplistic. But, for me, there's always been a relationship between specifically the chamber music that I write, and the digital cut-up process. I don't know why that is, but even going back to an album that I made a really long time ago, The Getty Address, it was really about these recordings of chamber music, and for me it's arriving at a point of feeling true when I'm cutting it up and juxtaposing the natural space with digital silence, and creating loops out of it. You don't have a place in New York anymore, right? Yeah, I live in LA now. What do you miss most, if anything, about the city? Do you have any traumatic subway flashbacks? I remember I saw a rat dragging a slice of pizza down a staircase. No, wait... [Laughs] Yeah. There's a lot that I miss about New York, to be honest. Just the energy of the place is so unique, and so intoxicating. And the people who make up the city are special. This all sounds super trite, but it's in incredible place. Los Angeles has been great for me to build a studio and be able to focus pretty singly on making music. When I left, I felt that the Greenpoint that I knew was gone, you know? And when you get a little bit of distance from things, that's the law of New York, that the neighborhoods are always in flux. My hopeand I say this as a person who left so perhaps it may be just qualifyingbut my hope is that there's something eternal about the city. Something that doesn't change. And times that I'll go back there and spend a week or two, more recently, I feel that's the case. Just the tenacity and inventiveness and intelligence of the people. This resource is no longer available This resource is no longer available. Return to previous page. For the last few weeks Shawn Woods has been trying various popular suggestions for keeping rodents away. Nothing has worked. Irish Spring bar soap: the rats ate it. Fabric softener sheets: they used it for nesting material. Wolf urine: they ignored it to obtain food. Hot pepper juice mixed with grain: they ate it. This week, Shawn is trying another repellent suggested on YouTube: mothballs. He place four mothballs in a small box with a hole cut in it for mice to enter. He sprinkled grain in the box. Shawn said the mothball smell was very strong but the mice didn't care; they entered the box and leisurely ate their fill. He repeated the experiment with 40 or 50 mothballs. The mice didn't seem to mind in the least. The FBI describes the group Proud Boys as an "extremist group with ties to white nationalism" in a document provided to reporters by law enforcement in the state of Washington. This marks the first time the American public has seen the nation's top law enforcement agency officially call the self-described "western chauvinist group" an extremist organization. Finally. 'Proud Boys' is most recently best known for running around Manhattan terrifying people who aren't white. The hate group was founded by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who keeps saying they're not white nationalist, white supremacist, or "alt-right," despite ample evidence to the contrary. From the Guardian report on the Washington state police document: The document also says: "The FBI has warned local law enforcement agencies that the Proud Boys are actively recruiting in the Pacific north-west", and: "Proud Boys members have contributed to the recent escalation of violence at political rallies held on college campuses, and in cities like Charlottesville, Virginia, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington." The report, and the FBI's warning to south-west Washington police agencies about the Proud Boys' role in escalating violence at these events came in August, two months before the group was involved in an infamous weekend of street violence in New York City and Portland, and not long after they participated in street violence in downtown Portland on 30 June. The document, provided to the Guardian by the government transparency non-profit Property of the People, was part of an internal affairs investigation into a probationary deputy in the Clark county sheriff's department. The former clark county deputy, Erin Willey, was fired last July after a photo of her wearing a "Proud Boys Girls" sweatshirt was published by the Vancouver, Washington newspaper the Columbian. The Proud Boys Girls is the female auxiliary of the men-only group founded by McInnes in 2016. The author of the document, headquarters commander Michael McCabe, is in charge of internal affairs, training, background investigation and courthouse security in the Clark county sheriff's department. After confirming the authenticity of the document, he told the Guardian in a telephone interview that the FBI's classification of the Proud Boys as an extremist group was revealed to him in "a briefing we were given by the FBI" on 2 August, at Clark county's west precinct. The briefing included agency heads from local law enforcement, and in it the FBI said that they "have been warning [local law enforcement] for a while" about the Proud Boys, "not just in Washington but around the nation". The briefing including the Proud Boys was delivered by an FBI analyst, according to information forwarded to the Guardian by McCabe. SPLC has more on Proud Boys here. Photo courtesy SPLC. Dutch dart enthusiast Wesley Harms claims he could not play his best in the Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals due to poor air quality. From Deadspin: In case you missed it, Scottish dart player Gary Anderson defeated Dutchman Wesley Harms 10-2 to earn a spot in the quarterfinals of the Gland Slam of Darts. But the match was not without a whiff of controversy. In a post-match interview, Harms claimed that he wasn't able to play to the best of his abilities because there was a terrible smell on stage that likely came from the posterior of his opponent. He said Anderson left a "fragrant smell" behind and that it will "take [him] two nights to lose this smell from my nose." Those might have seemed like harsh comments coming from a likely frustrated loser, but it's not as though Anderson did a great job defending the honor of his ass. Rather than play the "whoever smelt it, dealt it" card, the Scotsman went some serious lengths to deny any and all accusations. Fuck Zuck, sure, but what about Sheryl Sandberg? Despite a string of ever-worsening scandals, the Facebook COO has managed to remain largely above the fray, so that she's thought of as that great "Lean In" woman, not an executive whose decisions have helped to create a tech monster that has enabled genocidal violence, the rise of white supremacy and ultra-nationalism, voter suppression, and disinformation of every kind. But Sandberg's day of reckoning is at hand: as Facebookers break ranks and slip data about the way that the company's worst scandals arose internally, Sandberg is exactly where you'd expect her to be, at Zuckerberg's right hands, directing operations that the hooded man-child lacks the attention-span to tackle on his own, from covering up the extent of foreign intelligence ops to hiring PR companies who used antisemitic memes to smear Facebook's critics. Sandberg played a central role in nearly every misdeed at Facebook that's described in the Times piece. Singularly focused on the company's stock price and its advertising-based business model, she worked to minimize data abuse and election interference. She employed a Republican-leaning crisis PR firm to attack the company's critics, and opted to do little to address the company's rampant fake news problem, fearing that it would anger conservative users. Sandberg also hired lobbyists to pester Democratic senators who dared criticize the company and its business model, and to push terrible pieces of legislation like the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, which has endangered the safety of sex workers, in an attempt to woo skeptical Republicans. She worked to minimize regulation that could have helped the company fight bad actors, but would damage its business model. "While Facebook had publicly declared itself ready for new federal regulations, Ms. Sandberg privately contended that the social network was already adopting the best reforms and policies available," the Times reported. "Heavy-handed regulation, she warned, would only disadvantage smaller competitors." This was, to an extent, what Sandberg was hired to do: grow the business, protect the bottom line, and avoid onerous regulation. Using dirty tactics to accomplish these goals is a widely accepted practice in corporate America. But Zuckerberg and Sandberg have repeatedly insisted that they were new kinds of executives leading a new kind of company. When Facebook hit a snag in the past, they beseeched their usersa significant percentage of the publicto trust them. The Punctured Myth of Sheryl Sandberg [Alex Shephard/New Republic] Donald Trump says that the reason California's forests are on fire is that Californians don't rake their forest floors to clear potential fuel, the way the Finns do. There are a lot of things wrong with this statement, including the fact that ground cover is key to maintaining wildlife habitats. But perhaps more importantly, people in Finland don't rake their forests. The Finnish President Sauli Niinisto denies telling Trump that Finns rake their forest floors (Trump claims he learned about Finnish forest-raking from Niinisto). Finns are posting memes of themselves raking the forest floor, calling the whole thing "rake news" and "raking America great again." "I was with the president of Finland, and he said: 'We have a much different [sic], we're a forest nation.' And they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem," he added. But Sauli Niinisto told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper raking had not come up when they talked. "I mentioned [to] him that Finland is a land covered by forests and we also have a good monitoring system and network," he said. The forestry director of the Finnish Forest Association, Heikki Savolainen, told the newspaper that raking was not usually a forest-management measure. California wildfires: Finland bemused by Trump raking comment [BBC] (Image: @aspfors) Sudan was the first Sub-Saharan state to achieve independence from Britain after World War II. However, in 2018, it is listed 7th out of 178 countries on the Fragile States Index [1] by the Fund for Peace. What factors have driven its tumultuous postcolonial history? Analyses of Sudan have focused have focused on a range of causes behind the countrys postcolonial civil wars; elements that include precolonial and colonial histories, nineteenth century violence, British administrative efforts in leaving the South unprepared for political independence, and continual competition for scarce resources. [2] The relationship between religion and political action in Sudanese history continues to be the stuff of great scholarly inquiry. Noah Salomons For Love of the Prophet [3] examines Sudans lengthy experiment with Islamic statehood and the effects of Islamization on Sudanese society. Harry Verhoevens Water, Civilisation and Power in Sudan [4] explores the ways in which the Sudanese states use of water and agriculture to consolidate power is partially connected to Islamist ideology. Modern Sudan Sudan was an Egyptian dependency before Muslim revivalist forces conquered the region in 1885. Britain helped Egypt recapture Sudan and accomplished this goal in 1898. They co-ruled Sudan until 1956, when it became independent. The division between Muslims in Northern Sudan and Southern societies that are Christian and/or adhere to indigenous beliefs has been volatile. Southerners fought two civil wars against the government, and another conflict erupted in Darfur after the black Sudan Liberation Army rebelled against Darfurs marginalization. An Arab militia supported by President Omar Bashirs government brutally responded, leading to violence and genocide. South Sudan seceded and became independent in 2011. [5] In 2018, the Fund for Peace listed Sudan 7th out of 178 countries on its Fragile States Index. An Economic Perspective Rather than focusing exclusively on the racial and religious elements of Sudanese nationalism (which would reinforce the oft-mentioned and over-simplified division between an Arab Muslim North and Black Christian/indigenous religious South), Young focuses on the economics of Sudanese state formation during the late colonial and early postcolonial years. He writes that his study demonstrates how the economic imagination of Sudans planners expanded or constrained the visions of Sudans politicians. (p. 3) Individuals of note include John Carmichael (the last British permanent undersecretary of finance and financial advisory to the first three independent Sudanese governments), A.L. Chick (Deputy Financial Secretary and co-author of The Five Year Plan for Postwar Development in Sudan: 1946-1951), and Hamza Mirghani Hamza (the first Sudanese Permanent Under-Secretary of Finance). Young explains in the first chapter that in the years before independence, Sudanese intellectuals took ownership of the lexicon and ideas linked with development and transformed them into their own national tradition. The following chapter focuses on how finance officials thinking and their political position within the government shifted through embracing national economic planning and the budgeting and reprioritizing this entailed. Young contends that the planning process strengthened their conviction in a unified national economy. He then examines arguments within the colonial government on whether planning should be done in prose or numerically; a debate, Young posits, that was critical in the journey to define the meaning of development. In the years after Sudan achieved self-governance, the bureaucratic elite largely overlapped with the political and economic elite, and one of the key ties between all of them was cotton. (p. 91) The Northern Sudanese elite made three misjudgments: taking the nations singular quality for granted, believing that independence ensured political unity, and that the only requisite action was to increase the states strength and peoples living standards. In doing so, they neglected the role of economic development in building political and national unity even at the expense of economic efficiency. (p. 95) Chapter Five delves into the Ibrahim Abboud era (1958-64). Policy makers became more aware of the gap between the states wealth and that of other states when they started to evaluate economic policy according to changes in GDP over time. However, that metric made them less cognizant of wealth disparities within the country and directed their focus on accelerating economic growth at the cost of inequality. In Chapter Six, Young notes that the Abboud regime did not fall because of economic mismanagement. Still, economic policies in the early 1960s were tailored to the countrys economic core but did not produce results fast enough to bind the peripheries together. What Builds a Nation? Youngs main stated purpose was to correct Sudan scholars de-emphasis of the late colonial and early independent states distinctiveness by demonstrating that the nature of the postcolonial Sudanese state was determined by policies enacted during the twenty years following World War II. (p. 6) His Conclusion challenges what he lists as the two explanations typically used to position Sudan as a failed state: that racial and religious conflicts are the primary engines of conflict, and that the countrys core-periphery exploitation can be traced to the Anglo-Egyptian colonial and previous Egyptian conquest. By taking seriously questions about policy making and bureaucracy in postcolonial Africa, Young argues that his study is distinct from most literature on the African state (which, he notes, tries to trace the states failure to its being too weak, strong, or greedy in relation to an often loosely-defined society). Young claims that to interrogate the large deviations in the structures of African political economies, work must be grounded in a renewed intellectual historythat takes seriously the ways in which prior experiences of colonialism, revolution, war, and reconstruction have formed the distinct infrastructures in which individual political and policy elites are grounded. (p. 152) What were the terms and goals of African nation-building? Some scholars have argued that colonial administrators sought to build future African nations through their system of indirect rule (showing Africans how modern nations should be run and one day handing the reigns over). Highlighted by James Colemans work in Nigeria [6], some scholars have taken the liberal position; maintaining that nationalism in Africa was able to thrive in the form of colonial schools and political parties. Others, like Heather Sharkey [7] in the Sudanese case, have argued that schools also served to build a sense of camaraderie among its student body and forge peer-relationships and networks that would last into the independence era. By contrast, colonial boundary-making that attempted to abrogate (or ignore) social differences made the prospects of future nationhood tenuous. Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society, once noted that the 1885 Act of Berlin which set the stage for the Scramble for Africa carved up what were thought to have been between six to ten thousand political units. They were then carved up, Dowden continued, often cutting peoples in half, water tables sort of cut off from sources; it was just complete geographical madness. [8] Africas postcolonial states inherited artificial boundaries and, with them, the possible social disruptions that came with cultural diversity. Transforming Sudan contributes to the scholarly conversation on African nation-building by encouraging readers to consider the following questions: canor shoulda nation be an economic reality before it is a social or cultural one? What are the terms and limits of economic policy in fashioning a successful postcolonial state? What are the risks of emphasizing economic development at the expense of promoting social equality? It is in addressing such questions, whether in the African context or elsewhere in the postcolonial world, Youngs study could be a useful resource to consider. Young provides an important lens into a nation-building agenda that was economic rather than purely cultural. Some elements could have been further explored. How was the government takeover of Southern mission schools in the 1950s-60s not just a social project but an economic one as well? What economic impact was linked with the expulsion of foreign missionaries and the decision to replace Sunday with Friday as a weekly holiday in the South? Here his archival work may have been complemented by the South Sudan National Archive. Still, Youngs study is essential for anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of Sudanese decolonization and early independence. The book should have broader appeal for students and scholars of African economic history and decolonization. It complements David Millss Dividing the Nile [9] which differs from Youngs text through its primary concern with the economic plans of Egyptian actors and its focus on the forty years preceding independence. Young accomplishes the difficult task of examining an oft-studied period in a fresh way; his book is therefore is an important contribution to the historiography of Sudanese history. Reviewed: Alden Young, Transforming Sudan: Decolonization, Economic Development, and State Formation (African Studies), Cambridge & New York, Cambridge University Press, 2017, 180 p. Happy Monday, the NYC subway system is a literal hellscape pic.twitter.com/mYN2n5uD16 max linsky (@maxlinsky) November 19, 2018 Did you wake up this morning thinking that because it's a holiday Thanksgiving week, everything would go a little more smoothly and quickly? That you would effortlessly glide into the shortened workweek with the faint, comforting hint of stuffing and sweet potatoes in the air? Well you were wrong, because the only thing you might be smelling onboard our fundamentally broken subway system is the scorching scent of fire. This morning, our staff nearly had to evacuate @MTA @NYCTSubway when the track caught fire. B train. Thankfully no one was hurt. Here's a video of the fire: pic.twitter.com/vudMczbBON gabriel sayegh (@_gabrielsayegh) November 19, 2018 I will say: New Yorkers capacity to stay chill in these situations is incredible. We basically live on this train now, there is a genuine fire 20 yards away, and everyone is just cracking jokes and making fun of their bosses max linsky (@maxlinsky) November 19, 2018 "It happened just south of [the] Prospect Park stop on a B, took 30-40 mins to deal with," said Max Linsky, who took the fire photo up above and was stuck on the train around 9:15 a.m. "Our conductor was amazing, kept everyone super calm and gave lots of updates. People were amazing on the train actually, cracking all kindsa jokes." And theres the smoke and fire shutting down the B Q at Prospect Park pic.twitter.com/79UZF72Go6 Eric Sumberg (@ericsumberg) November 19, 2018 PSA dont take a BQ train today. Theres a track fire ahead of our train and were now evacuating the train through the back. @MTA pic.twitter.com/Balgtgte6Z Jacqui Layne Devaney (@jacquidevaney) November 19, 2018 B and Q train service was delayed and rerouted along other lines while the fire was happening. As of 10:30 a.m., it has now resumed, although you may not realize that if you are currently still waiting for one of those trains, as nothing is working: Sorry about that. A track fire in Brooklyn backed up Q train service quite a bit. It looks like a Q train should be arriving momentarily. Hope you enjoy your day. ^MW NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) November 19, 2018 Hi there, service is still delayed following that earlier track fire in Brooklyn. As a result, some trains may hold in stations as we are trying to evenly space out service. ^SL NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) November 19, 2018 Hi, Nina. We're sorry for the long wait. There are delays in service because of an earlier track fire at Prospect Park which rerouted B and Q train service. ^JP NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) November 19, 2018 Happy Monday, write your local politicians to tell them we need a working subway, XOXO. - Prophet Mboro claims police illegally arrested him in 2011 - He filed a lawsuit against SAPS for compensation in 2014 - However, the State has questioned his 3-year wait to file the claim PAY ATTENTION: Click "See first" under the "Following" tab to see Briefly News on your newsfeed! Prophet Paseka "Mboro" Motsoeneng is continuing with his 2014 lawsuit against the South African Police Service over his "illegal arrest." The lawsuit's latest court hearing was held on Friday, Daily Sun reports. Mboro claimed police illegally arrested him in 2011 and is thus seeking compensation of an unknown amount. The Incredible Happenings Ministries leader said the incident happened at a shopping mall in Bedfordview, Gauteng. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app He said police were apparently acting on a tip-off about a potential armed robbery. According to him, police claimed his bodyguards were in possession of unlicensed firearms. Mboro however disputed this, claiming that their firearms were actually licensed. Police nevertheless allegedly apprehended them and the preacher claimed he spent a night in jail. READ ALSO: Hilarious Lasizwe Dambuza acts as Woolworths, PnP, and Checkers cashier The self-styled prophet said as a result, he suffered physical, emotional, and reputational harm. He lamented: I was pulled by my private parts, hit with fists, called a fake prophet, sworn at, and thrown inside the van. People at the mall and motorists driving by were looking at us. It was very traumatic. READ ALSO: Velaphi Khumalo apologises for "cleanse SA of white people" comment However, the State questioned why Prophet Mboro filed his lawsuit three years after the incident. It argued that he must have known his rights at the time of the arrest. The State also said Mboro could have obtained medical reports within a reasonable period of time. Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly.co.za - The Mozambican presidents son has allegedly assaulted and intimidated a local doctor and his group of friends - Dr Amogelang Maganyi, the son of a Gauteng MEC, reported the incident to local authorities as well as the Mozambican embassy and the international relations ministry - According to Maganyi nothing has come of reporting the incident, Florindo Nyusi has yet to be arrested PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Florindo Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, son of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has allegedly intimidated and bullied a local doctor in two separate incidents in Johannesburg last week. Dr Amogelang Manganyi, son of a Gauteng MEC reported that Nyusi allegedly assaulted him and smashed his cellphone at a Sandton restaurant. According to Sowetan Live, Manganyi was enjoying dinner with friends when he gave one of his friends his iPhone 8 to take photos of the group. The phones flash then illuminated the area where Jacinto and his bodyguards were seated. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app READ ALSO: Proof linking South African Communist Party to VBS Looting surfaces "About eight or nine bodyguards confronted us and asked why we were taking pictures of them and the son of the president. They then grabbed the phone from my friend," Dr Amogelang Manganyi said. When he went to find out what the cause of the confrontation was Jacinto aggressively pushed him before taking the iPhone from a bodyguard and shattering it on the floor, stomping on it. "When I begged these guys to explain what was really going on, the other bodyguard told us to back off and asked us if we really wanted to die for a cellphone. They started swearing at us. So this guy, the son of the president, took some bank notes and threw them at me and said I should go fix the phone," Manganyi pleaded with restaurant staff to get security involved but they denied him any help, claiming that they were afraid of the president's son and his bodyguards. Nyusi then left in three vehicles with his guards, iPhone included. The doctor and friends followed to get the vehicles registrations but a guard who introduced himself as Joe ordered them not to approach the cars or they would shoot. Joe then told them to follow the cars to the Westcliff hotel to resolve the issue. However, when they arrived there, Joe told the men they had been ordered to take the phone to the intelligence unit for forensic investigations. The group then left to open a case with the Parkview police. "But to date, nothing has happened. This guy damaged my phone and took it with. He basically assaulted me and threatened to shoot me simply because he thought we were taking pictures of him. What have we done to be disrespected and violated like this in our own country?" Manganyi said he has alerted the Mozambican embassy and the international relations ministry about the incident. Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly.co.za News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his delegation are back from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he had attended the 11th African Union (AU) summit.Speaking to journalists soon after arrival, the President said it is work in progress to develop a leaner, efficient and more business friendly continental body."It was an extra-ordinary summit of the AU to deal with reforms of the AU in order to address current issues,such as the economy. We also resolved to reduce the size of the commission from 10 to 8, and introduced the concept of rotation, the commissioners themselves should now rotate among the regions but of course on the basis of merit," said Mnangagwa.He appreciated the amount of work accomplished over the past two years, adding that Zimbabwe is in synch with the decisions made by African leaders to make the continent more self-sufficient in funding its programmes.President Mnangagwa was met at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by the two vice presidents: Retired General Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, the Minister of State Security Owen Ncube, the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Welfare Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and service chiefs. News / National by Staff reporter China has the potential to finance Zimbabwe's re-industrialisation strategy following a significant increase in trade between the two countries, economic analysts have said.This comes as China's commercial success has been largely interpreted as the result of economic and political reforms resulting in the country being the second largest economy after the United States of America."First, a key lesson from China's experience is the adoption of a pragmatic approach to economic reforms and the adaptive capacity of the country's economic agents to the process of development," Ithel Mavesere, a University of Zimbabwe economics lecturer, told delegates attending the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries workshop on Zimbabwe-China partnership.The CZI workshop was focusing on how the country can leverage on the Zimbabwe-China partnership for re-industrialisation.Mavesere also said a sound industrial policy has been the heart of development policies and strategies in developing countries and China has five-year development plans that have contributed to its economic growth.China has accumulated foreign-exchange reserves in excess of $3 trillion because of trade surpluses over the years. These surpluses allow for outward overseas direct investment and in Africa countries such as Nigeria and Zambia have benefitted more."For Zimbabwe to industrialise there is need for industrial partnership and industrial capacity co-operation between the two countries, with China committing to facilitate Chinese private investment, provide technical assistance and training and technology transfer," Mavesere said.The provision of loans was agreed upon as another way of industrialising Zimbabwe but Mavesere also urged government to be inward looking and mobilise its own resources for development and industrialisation.China's acting ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhao Baogang said China was aware of the urgent need for industrialisation in Zimbabwe and was actively encouraging Chinese investors to look at Zimbabwe.He said for China to achieve success, the Asian economic giant undertook deliberate reform measures and implemented policies, through its strong political leadership, which resulted in the country being at the top of the global economy.Luyolo Sijake, a visiting scholar at Peking University, recently said African countries should tap into China's technologies to advance the continent's industrialisation agenda."As Africa's largest trading partner, China has an important role to play in supporting the African economies in these endeavours, because e-commerce companies such as Alibaba can facilitate Africa's growth and economic expansion. For example, they can increase the access between the two markets and make their exchanges more effective," Sijake added. News / National by Staff reporter Hwange-based Zambezi Gas, a coal mining company, has appealed to the Temba Mliswa-led parliamentary panel to intervene so that it can get its land, which was allegedly grabbed by Zanu-PF administration secretary Obert Mpofu's Makomo Resources, back.Mpofu's Makomo Resources is the largest privately-owned coal producer in Zimbabwe and supplies power stations, industrial and agricultural sectors.Zambezi Gas shareholder and deputy managing director Linos Masimura told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines led by Mliswa that its special grant allocated it19 000 hectares but the company has been given access to only 8 000 hectares, with the rest allegedly grabbed by Mpofu's company.Zambezi Gas's disclosure is a boon for Mliswa, whose committee has been moving to pressure the Zimbabwe Power Company to stop buying coal from Makomo Resources because of contempt of Parliament allegedly displayed by Mpofu after he was summoned to the National Assembly in February to help explain the missing $15 billion worth of precious stones from Marange, as the government hunts for elusive answers on the emotive issue.The parliamentary panel was on a tour to hear how Hwange Colliery Company was operating after Mines and Mining Development minister Winston Chitando gazetted an order, effective October 30, placing the company under reconstruction in terms of section 4 of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act.Hwange, in which Zimbabwe's government is the biggest shareholder with 37 percent shares, is the nation's second largest coal producer after Makomo and also supplies coke to national electricity company Zesa."We have all our papers indicating that the land belongs to us. From 2003 the size never changed. When we pay licence fees, we pay for the whole land. We have written to the ministry of Mines asking them to follow the law," Masimura said.Masimura said the dispute arose when the shareholders of Zambezi Gas and Makomo Resources were negotiating a partnership, but when the deal fell through Makomo allegedly grabbed the Zambezi Gas land.It seems it never rains but pours for Mpofu, who is also being frustrated by a group of former liberation war fighters who want him out of the ruling Zanu-PF party.The former Home Affairs minister is topping the list of under-fire Zanu-PF functionaries that have received a hostile reception at the party headquarters in Hararewhere they were deployed after being thrown out of President Mnangagwa's Cabinet in September.Parliament had previously recommended that Zambezi Gas should get back its land and that recommendation is yet to come to fruition. Meanwhile, Masimura said the shortage of foreign currency is affecting the operation of their mine.The company is currently producing 50 000 tonnes of coal per month and is looking to produce 300 000 tonnes by 2019.Mliswa hailed the company for doing its best under the circumstances."This is good of our country, you are doing great job and we are happy with the way you run your business. This is the right way to follow when you are doing mining," Mliswa said.The bad blood between Mliswa and Mpofu seem to have escalated in the wake of the former Mines minister's refusal to be answerable to Mliswa during the inquiry on the missing $15 billion revenue from the gem-rich Chiadzwa diamonds fields.The minister made it clear from the beginning of proceedings back in February that he had no time for the committee, also telling Mliswa bluntly that he could not be lectured on how Parliament worked.Mpofu's tantrum sparked anger among the gathered MPs who called for him to be slapped with stiff sanctions which he said, however, would have little effect on him - as he had been in Parliament for more than three decades, and thus knew how to deal with the august House's procedures.The burly former Home Affairs minister vowed never to appear before the portfolio committee to answer any questions relating to the missing $15 billion revenue as long as Mliswa was presiding over the emotive issue - also suggesting damagingly that the garrulous Norton legislator had at some point sought a bribe from him.Mliswa, who has been reinstated as chairperson of the portfolio committee in the 9th Parliament, said: "We recommended that Mpofu is not fit to be a minister and I am happy that the appointing authority listened to us."Mliswa told the Daily News he will also follow-through recommendations by his committee to ensure the ZPC stops buying coal from Mpofu's Makomo Resources company."We hope this issue is going implemented," Mliswa said then. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu A section of Christian community has organised an emergency demonstration again the Billionaire Korean cult leader of Family Federation and World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) Hak Ja Han Moon who arrived in the country on Monday.Reports are that the pastors are seeking an urgent clearance letter form the Zimbabwe Republic Police so as to rally their members to show their displeasure about the presence of Hak ja han Moon in the country.The demonstration is reportedly planned for Tuesday afternoon in Harare.On Monday gospel musicians Michael Mahendere and Janet Manyowa pulled out of the list of entertainers who were supposed to sing at the event.Moon is in the country to officiate a Peace and Family Festival that will be held on 21 November 2018. President Mnangagwa is expected to officiate the event.Commenting on Moon's presence Founder, GCFIC Ministries Bishop Dave Chikosi said, "So Zimbabwe seeks peace thru Hak Ja Han's FFWPU. Why do we need foreign religious entity to heal the nation when we have our own Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Council of Churches and Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference? Why is the government ostensibly endorsing a religion (one foreign to majority Zimbabweans)?"Majority of Zimbabweanss are Christian. This group is not. Hak Ja Han calls herself the Only Begotten daughter of God. Her late husband Rev Moon claimed to be the 2nd Coming of the Messiah. Zimbabwe Christians believe true peace can only come from the Prince of Peace. Not this outfit."On Monday Moon had a briefing with Minister of Defense Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and Minister of Information Energy Mutodi in Harare. She was recieved by ZANU PF women's league members at miekels hotel. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa has vowed to push for a law that will require who stand as Members of Parliament possess a minimum academic qualification. This followed after MPs were seen fighting over a chair during a session."The behaviour of many of Members of Parliament in political parties leaves a lot to be desired. In Parliament there were no questions of substance only arguments on petty issues dominated. Two MPs were witnessed fighting for a chair. Is this what our people deserve? What a waste of tax payers,"said Mliswa."We need to reflect on people we choose to represent us. Such behaviour is indicative of a lack of capacity. Hence, I reiterate that there must be a provision for minimum education levels for one to stand as a legislator. For as long as there are no criteria it will be a circus."I will be moving such a motion soon following yesterday s motion that I moved against political party's whipping system which limits MP's ability to debate freely, earnestly and without fear or favour on issues that affect the people of Zimbabwe where matters appear to contradict party lines."Zimbabwe s parliament is always marred by trivial matters and fights. In 2017, tempers flared in Parliament after Gokwe-Nembudziya MP, Justice Mayor Wadyajena interjected the then fellow Zanu PF MP, Sarah Mahoka speech over use of the word ngwena (crocodile).Mahoka had claimed in Shona that schoolchildren in some parts of the country were being mauled by crocodiles, as they crossed flooded rivers to school. Wadyajena interjected her, asking, which crocodile are you referring to?Ngwena is a term used in Zanu PF circles to refer to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.This did not augur well with Mahoka, who warned Wadyajena against trivialising Parliament business, but Wadyajena kept interjecting, demanding her to be specify the type of crocodile she was referring to. Opinion / Columnist This week last year Zimbabwe went through the epoch-making Operation Restore Legacy which culminated in the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe on 21 November and the ascension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to power on 24 November 2018 to see through the former's term of office which was set to expire in July this year.President Mnangagwa's inauguration and assumption of power ignited a sense of optimism in both Zimbabwe and most of the progressive world following years of socio-economic regression and hopelessness. The people expected a turnaround of the economy which would, in turn, improve the quality of their livelihoods through increased job opportunities. Following two decades of severe economic hardships the people of Zimbabwe expected a change to a better life and they wanted it as soon as the last five years.One year later society is divided among the progressive, the optimistic and the pessimistic over the progress which the new administration has made so far. Some successes have been registered in the one short year while a lot of work still awaits to be done or is in progress. The private media and most of opposition political parties and their members are driving the pessimistic agenda which they are using to discredit President Mnangagwa and his administration.The pessimists and detractors' main rallying point has been the economy with the recent spate of arbitrary commodity price increases, fuel and commodity shortage and unemployment being used to mount idle criticism of Government with no meaningful solutions being offered. The economic challenges which the country is facing have come in handy to the opposition, which is still smarting from its electoral loss during the last harmonised election, to divert its restive members' attention from the debilitating defeat that they blame on President Mnangagwa's presidential election main contender, MDC-T Chamisa faction, Nelson Chamisa.The critics are also using the slow recovery of the manufacturing sector to slate President Mnangagwa despite the fact that the economy deteriorated to its current state over two decades. In all fairness, one cannot be expected to turn around such an economy in just twelve months. The twenty years of economic hardship have increased the pressure on the people to expect a quick relief and the President understands that. He, however, needs to strike a balance between addressing the people's expectations and ensuring that they are alive to the fact that economic success cannot be achieved in a flash. This is why he explained during his inauguration on 26 August this year that this would not be achieved overnight and that Zimbabweans needed to be patient.The positive minded, while acknowledging the onerous task before President Mnangagwa and every Zimbabwean to turn the country's fortunes around, are confident of the President's ability to, not only restore Zimbabwe to its pre-2000 status as a successful and proud member of the global community of nations, but catapult it to the pinnacle of stability and economic growth.When President Mnangagwa assumed office in November last year, he kept the previous Cabinet as much as possible to facilitate continuity but when he won his own mandate at the end of July, he dispensed with old dispensation's predictable retention of senior ZANU PF members. He came up with a refreshingly different Cabinet which is rich in terms of gender and age balance. The new Cabinet saw the appointment of non-ZANU PF members and technocrats such as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube.Gender imbalance has been one of the major complaints against the previous administration but this time around great strides have been made in addressing the social anomaly. Women such as Oppah Muchinguri and Monica Mutsvangwa are now at the helm of such powerful and influential portfolios as defence and information respectively. Former Zimbabwe Energy and Regulatory Authority (ZERA) Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Gloria Magombo was appointed to the position of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development as the President sought to address the concerns of the society.The President's birthday, September 15, came and is now behind us and the following day many Zimbabweans scratched themselves in disbelief of the fact that gone and gone forever was the old tradition of perpetuating a personality cult around the person of the President by carrying out events such as the 21st February Movement celebrations which were held to mark Mugabe's birthday. This demonstrated that although the President shared ZANU PF membership and history with his predecessor, he is a different man with a burning zeal to see better Zimbabwe for every citizen irrespective of colour, creed or political affiliation.Under the new dispensation, Government has committed itself to significantly reduce its expenditure through cutting expenses associated with foreign travel. Unlike the previous administration, the President and his officials have not only reduced the number of foreign trips to those which are really necessary but has also reduced the number of delegation members as a way of curbing unnecessary spending as well as improving good governance and ensuring sound prioritisation of resources.Despite the renewing of sanctions of against Zimbabwe by the United States government in July this year, the President and his administration have jettisoned the sanctions as an excuse for the economic challenges. This is because he appreciates that merely using the mantra without coming up with sound strategies and actionable plans to turn the economy around would not take the country anywhere. He laughed the punitive measures off by stating that he would rather look inside Zimbabwe and give of his best to resolve its challenges than waste his attention and focus on America. Instead of crying in self-pity, the President has put in place a number of measures which include the privatisation and merging of parastatals to drive the ongoing economic turnaround. That his efforts are yet to fully turn the economy around does not mean that he has failed.If the opposition was honest, it would be the first to attest to the dawn of a new political space and era which is characterised by tolerance of opposing ideologies and ideas. Chamisa has been at the forefront of criticising President Mnangagwa but should be the first to tell the world how, as a result of the opened up democratic space, he managed to chalk up the unprecedented record of over 80 rallies during the last election season, which is probably beats his predecessor, the late Morgan Tsvangirai's record.One reason why critics and detractors are making the false claims that one year on the President has not succeeded are born of the fact that most people expect Government to do everything all by itself while they watch and rub hands in expectation. The undesirable economic circumstances, which Zimbabwe finds itself in, affect all people and, therefore, it behoves everyone to apply their shoulders to the wheel instead of politicking by pointing fingers. Unless people take responsibility for their own livelihoods by taking up opportunities and coming up with initiatives to turnaround their own lives, Government cannot do it for them. The furthest distance that it can go is creating a conducive and enabling environment for citizens to exploit their passions and talents for their own prosperity.When pointing the index finger at someone, the pointer's four fingers point back at him or her. Similarly, as the opposition, detractors and retrogressive citizens point accusatory fingers at President Mnangagwa and his administration, they should know that they also have a responsibility for the success of their country and that the nation can only succeed if everyone pulls in the same direction. The police are looking for a subway rider who allegedly placed a sticker with a swastika on a train earlier this month. According to the NYPD, the incident took place around 11:52 a.m. on November 4th, on an southbound 6 train. When the train neared Bleecker Street, the male suspect allegedly placed the sticker and then exited the train car. The suspect, who is wanted for aggravated harassment, is described as being in his 40s, 5'10" and about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing all dark clothing. A subway rider took photographs of the suspect and gave them to the police. Police Commissioner James O'Neill has blamed the "current atmosphere" for the rise in hate crimes. The NYPD say there have been 309 hate crimes reported so far this year (up from 297 over the same period in 2017), and about half of those reported incidents have been anti-Semitic in nature. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at www.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. Editors note: Over the next two weeks, Yahoo Finance Canada will be highlighting the best of Canadian innovation in a series called The Future Is Now. Well be bringing into the spotlight some of the companies and individuals that arent just pushing the limits, theyre creating new ones, for themselves and investors alike. Well be shining the spotlight on homegrown talent in the fields of satellite technology, autonomous vehicles, wearable tech and more. Check out our hub page for even more coverage and let us know in the comments: Which companies do you think represent the best of Canada looking toward the future? Corey Gross, CEO and Co-Founder, Sensibill Its probably fair to say you would be hard-pressed to find someone who enjoys keeping track of receipts. Hunting them down and adding them up is a time consuming activity that usually ends in frustration. Especially if youre trying to run a business. Well theres an app for that created by a Canadian company. Its called Sensibill and depending on where you bank, it lets you store receipts within a mobile banking app. Heres how it works. Yahoo Finance Canada spoke with Sensibills CEO & Co-Founder Corey Gross. What were you doing before starting the company? Im a lawyer by trade, but prior to starting Sensibill, I founded a company called Smartslips-another digital receipt company. The business model was quite different from Sensibills. With Smartslips, I worked directly with retailers like Indigo, Sephora, and Pottery Barn, to issue e-receipts from their point-of-sale providers. Retailers were slower to adopt e-receipts than I had hoped, so I launched Sensibill in 2013 to put consumers in control of digitizing their receipts using their smartphone camera. What gave you the idea? I was fed up with paper receipts. Having a cluttered wallet just in case I needed a receipt for a return or warranty, rifling through drawers for expense reports and tax returnsit was a pain. I decided I had to do something about it when I tried returning an expensive item at Best Buy without a receipt. I first founded Smartslips to solve this problem, but after realizing that relying on retailers to issue e-receipts would take too long, I founded Sensibill with Jamie Alexander, the companys now-CTO. I met Jamie at the DMZ, an accelerator program in Toronto, and we were opportunistically approached by a major Canadian bank that was interested in a receipt solution for their new digital wallet. Thats when we decided to go in the fintech direction. Story continues What makes your software different than your competitors? We differentiate in three main ways. Number one, we go beyond static receipt capture and storage. We pioneered machine learning techniques to extract and structure item-level data from receipts, and to this day, our technology is the most accurate and scalable solution on the market. Competing solutions either use rules-based templates, which are difficult to scale across geographies and languages, or employ manual methods such as a human intervention, which is slow and presents a host of privacy concerns. Number two, we have simple workflows, accessible in multiple geographies, and easy-to-use for the segment we service, namely the microbusinesses and self-employed professionals. Number three, weve packaged all of this up in a bank-tough solution that allow banks to get to market quickly. Its actually the only receipt management solution built specifically for banks. Our team of enterprise delivery experts, our high security standards, and our easy integration make us a quick winsomething that not many startups have been able to achieve in the financial services industry. How much money have you raised so far and who were the investors? Weve raised $18.9 million CAD to date, including a $17.3 million (USD $13 million) Series A round that was one of the biggest to come out of Canada in 2017. The Series A funding was led by Operative Capital, Information Venture Partners, and OpenText Enterprise Apps Fund, among others. What are your thoughts on Canadas fintech in terms of investment potential? Canada has a lot of potential to attract investment. We have a centralized and trustworthy banking system, and a welcome business environment, but too often, most companies pursue funding and expansion elsewhere, where innovation is incentivized more comprehensively. We have a lot of potential, but were not where we need to be. Is Canada a leader or laggard when it comes to Fintech? Canada is a laggard. I think our complex regulatory structure and risk-averse culture prevents fintech adoption from reaching the mark weve seen in other countries, like the United Kingdom. Also, high compliance costs and a lack of access to startup capital means higher barriers to entry. Then theres the issue of a short supply of tech jobs in Canada. We lose top tech talent to the US, where they have more access to experienced tech leaders and more resources, so its hard for us to lead in any tech industry. London is a real example of fintech leadership, and I can personally attest to their willingness to collaborate and their openness to new technology. With regulatory frameworks like Open Banking and PSD2 encouraging an even playing field, hundreds of innovative new competitors have entered the market across the entire fintech spectrum. Incumbents are also incentivized to partner with fintechs in the UK, so the financial services ecosystem is rapidly evolving there. Which financial institutions are you partnered with now and into the future? Weve partnered with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (this includes NatWest), Mastercard, and Scotiabank, to name a few. We also work with a channel partner in the US, FIS, to distribute our solution to community and regional banks. We have several other major partners yet-to-be announced. Stay tuned. Can you explain how your company uses AI? In combination with OCR, we use machine learning techniques to normalize and structure receipt data. Let me explain what this means. No two receipts are the same. They come in various shapes, lengths and formats. In other words, theyre unstructured. This unstructured data isnt of much use. Machine learning, and deep learning specifically, allows us to uncover patterns in a set of data. What were trying to do is teach machines to read receipts the same way humans do: identify items, the categories items belong to, the merchant, the subtotal, the total and so on. This sounds simple, but its not. Text means something to humans, but not to the untrained machine. We had to teach the machine to essentially understand and decode symbols. Teach it characters, words, and phrases. This means that the next time an end-user is filing their taxes and need to expense their home office supplies, they can just search laptop and their Apple receipt will populate. Our technology can identify 150+ unique data fields, which means end users can search for a receipt based on any data field found on said receipt. Due to the very nature of AI, with each day, our technology continues to learn autonomously, being able to understand receipts from new and unfamiliar merchants at an increased speed and accuracy. Ultimately, were leveraging AI to ensure our solution can scale globally, and understand receipts from anywhere in the world. What types of users benefit from your product? Our solution is designed specifically to serve micro-businessessmall businesses with less than 10 employeesand self-employed professionals. These folks are short on time and burdened by operational inefficiencies that prevent their growth. Instead of running their business, they spend up to 80 hours a year on manual bookkeeping and reconciliation, and even forfeit tax claims just to avoid dealing with receipts. They cant afford to outsource the work, and they dont need sophisticated accounting software either, so theyre more or less neglected from a solution point of view. We wanted to change that. We built a simple solution that helped them manage these tasks in an affordable way. By offering it through mobile banking apps, we marry banking data with accounting data, which allows these folks to have more visibility and insight into their spend, in a holistic way. This way, they can make more informed business decisions, on-the-go. What have been your biggest challenges so far and what obstacles do you expect going forward? One of the biggest challenges is finding ways to shrink our sales cycles. Given the complexity of banks as organizations, it can take a long time for them to assess vendors and products, and to ensure that were compliant with their regulatory, security, and risk mitigation standards. Of course, its worth it in the end, and weve done a better job than most at delivering quickly and strictly adhering to their requirements. Another challenge is not being able to get direct end user feedback as regularly as wed like. Since we distribute our solution through banks, were one relationship removed from the end user, and dont have the same level of communication as we would have if we were a consumer-facing product. This makes it difficult to receive, and use, customer feedback for product improvements. Moving forward, our biggest challenge will be making sure we can deliver as good of a solution globally, as we do locally. Localization is a big challenge from a product point of view. And Im not just talking about localizing our receipt extraction and understanding foreign languages, but its also about localizing the use cases. Related to this, scaling in a way that ensures we can deliver with the same level of excellence, and maintain close relationships with customers all over the world the way that we do today, is going to be tough. It means growing our team significantly, and even opening more offices worldwide, which has its own unique, operational challenges. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Leaders have left the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Papua New Guinea without coming to a consensus on a final communique to describe what was agreed at their talks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a late afternoon news conference in Port Moresby that, when he left the summit, it appeared to be issuing only a "chair's summary" a statement from Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, as opposed to one written on behalf of the group. "We had a broad consensus on a wide range of issues," Trudeau said. "But I don't think that it will come as a huge surprise that there are different visions on particular elements in regards to trade and those prevented there from being a full consensus on the communique document." "There were a number of countries involved," in the disagreement Trudeau said, including the U.S. and China. O'Neill found himself in a pushy, moving scrum shortly after, and was a bit more blunt. "You know, there were two big giants in the room. What can I say?" the chair of the talks said. Trade issues divisive According to O'Neill, the talks broke down over language about the World Trade Organization. The U.S. has been unhappy for years with some aspects of WTO enforcement of the rules governing international trade. In particular, it objects to the way some rules are now applied to China, which the U.S. will not accept as a market economy because of the dominance of its state-owned industries. Efforts are underway to propose reforms to the WTO, including one initiative led by Canada, in part to address longstanding American concerns. The U.S. is currently blocking the appointment of any more judges to the WTO's appellate body, threatening the viability of the arbitration system countries use to resolve their disputes. "The whole entire world is concerned about the debate that is going on about trade relations between China and, of course, the United States," O'Neill said. "This is a situation that both countries need to sit down and resolve. And I believe that the G20 meeting that is going to be held very shortly will be an opportune time." Story continues "Conversations are going on to the last minute," Trudeau told reporters earlier in the afternoon about efforts to finalize the communique's language. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images But during his news conference, he did not give any specific details on exactly what prevented one or more countries from signing off. A summit communique like this is normally worked out in advance of the event. In this case, those efforts failed, and nothing that happened in the room between the leaders themselves was able to overcome the conflict. Pence, Xi left summit site immediately U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping left APEC Haus, where the leaders were meeting, at midday, appearing to skip the working lunch scheduled for the leaders. There were only two short windows of time when every leader was expected in the summit room Sunday. Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press The day started with another group photo the third one in two days, right hands raised to wave and forced grins for the pool cameras, like a group of uncomfortable tourists. Cameras covering the photo call noticed Pence and Xi chatting for about a minute and a half, according to a report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Pence also spoke to Trudeau, although it's unknown what the pair discussed. David Gray/Reuters Then came the two main morning sessions: If they held to the published schedule, the leaders met with Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, for about an hour, and then convened privately for half an hour to discuss the theme of this year's summit, "connecting for inclusive growth through [a] digital future." And that was it. Leaders fanned out to pursue their own agendas and head for the airport. Five leaders Pence, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and the host, O'Neill called a news conference to announce their financial support for improving Papua New Guinea's electricity grid, with a goal of connecting 70 per cent of the mostly rural, developing country's population by 2030. Plotting strategy for G20 Trudeau held two bilateral meetings. Before lunch, he met with Abe. The pair sat beside each other at the leaders' gala dinner Saturday evening and had a nearly two-hour informal conversation, a Canadian official said, prior to the 40 minutes they scheduled officially for Sunday. While cameras were still in the room, Abe said through a translator that the pair "share fundamental values" and added that Japan's ready for a closer relationship to work on "global challenges." Trudeau said that their conversation had been "warm and wide-ranging as they always are," and that the two countries would be working together in the weeks to come on the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) the 11-country Pacific Rim trade deal set to take effect Dec.30 after the required number of countries ratify it. Trudeau also suggested Japan and Canada were working on joint strategy for the upcoming G20 in Argentina. Both countries have been among the leading advocates for WTO reform. A readout from the meeting said the pair also discussed regional security issues, including North Korea's nuclear program. Trudeau met with Australia's Morrison after lunch, and started brief media remarks by congratulating the still-new prime minister, who only took the reins in late August. David Gray/Reuters Canada and Australia have been "very well aligned" on trade issues at this summit, Trudeau said, joking that the two countries had been in a race to see who could ratify the CPTPP first, as the deadline approached for implementing its tariff cuts before the end of this calendar year. Morrison called the implementation of the CPTPP an "extraordinary achievement" and "a statement of absolute advocacy for continued open, free trade," which other countries can join. Like Abe, Morrison mentioned working closely with Canada at the upcoming G20 meeting at the end of this month. Much like this APEC summit, other issues at the G20 now seem likely to be overshadowed by a U.S.-China trade showdown. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Xi in person in Buenos Aires. A police officer and a soldier on duty outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London following the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017 (Picture: PA) The army is working on plans to put troops on the streets of the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it has been reported. Operation Temperer, which has already been used in the wake of terror attacks on British soil, could be enacted if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal. The Sunday Times reported that a team of army planners is in the middle of drawing up emergency measures to deploy soldiers to respond to any chaos caused by a no-deal Brexit. Quoting a source, it said about 20 officers who oversee Operation Temperer were tasked last week to begin no-deal Brexit planning. A A no-deal Brexit could mean army personnel on the streets of the UK (Picture: PA) In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the army would help the police keep public order and deliver medicines to hospitals, the Sunday Times said. MORE: Argentine submarine found in Atlantic a year after going missing with 44 crew on board MORE: Woman claims airport valet drove her car 500 miles then got her a parking ticket The team of planners are based at the armys headquarters in Andover, Hampshire, and will also strategise how troops can help ease traffic flow in Kent, potentially by creating a lorry park in Folkestone near an army training centre. Last week, Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter told the Andrew Marr show: We make sensible contingency plans for all sort of eventualities whether its a terrorist attack, a tanker driver dispute or industrial action. At this stage I think people are confident there will be a deal. If theres not one, we stand ready to help in any way we can. When asked about the supply of medicines in a no-deal Brexit, he said: Were involved in thinking hard about what it might involve. Weve not been asked to do anything specifically at this stage. Soldiers join police officers outside Buckingham Palace under Operation Temperer after the Parsons Green Tube bombing in September 2017 (Picture: PA) The army has about 1,200 troops on standby who can respond to a given situation within 24 hours. Another 10,000 military personnel are able to help with an emergency at short notice. Operation Temperer has already been put into force on two occasions. Story continues It was activated in May 2017 in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing in which 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber. The operation was activated again in September 2017 after the Parsons Green Tube bombing in London, in which 30 people were injured. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo B.C.'s premier and the leader of the Green Party hope to spur more participation in the province's proportional representation referendum by appealing directly to voters. John Horgan and Andrew Weaver headlined an event on Sunday dubbed as a proportional representation day of action in Vancouver. The two leaders spoke to volunteers about the importance of participating in the referendum before hitting the streets and knocking on doors to canvass residents about sending in their ballots. The push comes as Elections BC says it has received less than 20 per cent of ballots, which need to be mailed by Nov. 30. Voters are being asked whether they want to maintain the existing first-past-the-post system for provincial elections or switch to one of three different types of proportional representation. The Vote No campaign has raised concerns about the referendum, saying an extension is needed because of the potential for low voter turnout and mail delivery disruption from the Canada Post strike. Micki Cowan/CBC Previous referendums in B.C., like those on the electoral system in 2005 and 2009 or on the harmonized sale tax in 2011, all had a voter turnout of more than 50 per cent. However, there is no minimum voter participation threshold for any referendum. The government has come under criticism for the way the ballot and its questions are structured. University of the Fraser Valley political science professor Hamish Telford said he questions the amount of engagement undertaken to promote the referendum. George Heyman, MLA for Vancouver-Fairview and the Environment Minister also participated in Sunday's day of action. With files from Clare Henning and the Canadian Press. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a Calgary cab driver who failed for show for sentencing after being convicted of sexual assault on a passed-out fare. Muhammad Nadeem Irshad, 37, was convicted June 25 and was due in court Friday for sentencing. He is described as being five feet 10 inches and 195 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Irshad was convicted of sexual assault after forcing a passed-out fare to perform oral sex on him in the back of his cab in 2014. Calgary Police Service The woman whose identity is protected by a publication ban had been picked up after partying downtown during Stampede week. The victim, in her 20s at the time of the assault, memorized Irshad's licence plate and called police after she woke up to being assaulted in the back of the taxi. The victim testified that she collapsed on the floor of her bedroom after returning home, crying on the floor and feeling "in shock and ashamed and sad." The woman's boyfriend had been sleeping and woke up and called police, who arrived and initiated an investigation. The licence plate was a match to the cab driven by Irshad. Travelled to Pakistan Last month, Irshad was supposed to appear in court for a sentencing hearing. At that time, prosecutor Melissa Bond and defence lawyer David Chow appeared before Justice Michele Hollins and indicated that not only had Irshad missed a pre-sentence psychiatric assessment appointment, he had also travelled to Pakistan to visit family. Chow indicated to the judge that he believed his client had every intention of returning to Canada before his next court appearance. To ensure he was back in the country for that date, the judge ordered that Irshad appear on Nov. 8 to ensure he had made up the missed appointment and would be ready for the sentencing hearing. Bond also requested that Irshad surrender his passport at that time. Irshad never showed up, however. After asking to be removed as counsel of record, Chow is no longer representing Irshad. Anyone with information on Irshad's whereabouts is asked to call Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Canada Post's largest union has rejected the mail carrier's proposal of a "cooling off" period followed by mediation that would have brought an end to all strike activity until January. On Monday morning, the carrier proposed the two sides agree to mediation to settle their month-long strike before it cripples the key holiday shopping season. The company set a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Monday for its offer, which came with a $1,000 bonus to each employee if there was no more strike activity up until the end of January. If mediation didn't work, Canada Post was asking its union to agree to binding arbitration as of Feb. 1, 2019. But the union rejected the idea in the afternoon, saying it prefers to settle the dispute through collective bargaining. "We aren't doing this to harm the public, but the proposal asks our members to go back to work at the heaviest and most stressful time of year, under the same conditions that produce the highest injury rate in the federal sector," said Mike Palecek, Canada Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) president. "We are confident that an agreement can be reached, if only Canada Post would address the issues and stop looking for ways not to negotiate." The two sides have been at odds since the middle of October over pay and job safety issues. So far, the union's main weapon has been short, targeted strikes shutting down delivery service in specific locations at a time. Monday's strike action was scheduled for Edmonton, Kitchener, Ont., Kelowna, B.C., and a handful of other places. But the impact of those actions are being felt nationally, as the postal service says it currently has about 550 trucks full of parcels waiting to be delivered, and it has asked the postal services of other countries to stop sending things to Canada until it can clear it. Within minutes of CUPW's statement, federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu renewed her call for the two sides to continue bargaining, but did not say whether the government is contemplating back-to-work legislation. Story continues "We've encouraged [both sides] to work together. We've appointed special mediators," Hajdu said on her way into the House of Commons. "They are not open to voluntary arbitration, so we're reviewing the evidence right now, and we'll have more to say in the days to come." The Retail Council of Canada and other businesses have urged the federal government to legislate an end to the strike. Chris Wattie/Reuters Busiest time of year for parcel service "If we don't clear the backlog soon, those Black Friday [and] Cyber Monday volumes are going to hit" Canada Post, spokesperson Jon Hamilton said, "and that kicks off a period of several weeks where we see double the volumes that we normally do." The busiest time of year for parcel service is the period between Black Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving, through the holiday season. That's set to begin this Friday, so Hamilton says he expects even more parcels "are going to start coming and coming fast." More than 200,000 Canadian businesses rely on Canada Post to ship goods to customers, and many of the smaller ones will be left in a lurch, says Andrea Stairs, general manager for online selling marketplace eBay Canada. The big guys can figure out alternative shipping arrangements, and they can afford them. The little guys are the ones that have real difficulty with that. - Andrea Stairs, general manager for eBay Canada "The big guys can figure out alternative shipping arrangements, and they can afford them," Stairs said. "The little guys are the ones that have real difficulty with that." Small shops that sell goods across the country on eBay rely on Canada Post to ship between 80 to 90 per cent of everything they sell, Stairs said. "If the postal system breaks, businesses have real consequences," Stairs said. Late last week, Canada Post made another offer to the union representing 42,000 urban employees and 8,000 rural and suburban carriers, an offer that was rejected by the union, which proposed a counteroffer that was also rejected. The union's latest offer proposed: A 2.9 per cent annual wage increase. Double-time pay for working a sixth or seventh day. New wage advancements for temporary workers, based on working 1,000 hours in a fiscal year. Injury pay at 80 per cent of regular salary. Improvements to the company's short-term disability plan. The offer from Canada Post included: AMSTERDAM Its hard to predict where Austrias Nikolaus Geyrhalter will go next. Pripyat (1999) saw him investigate the radioactive legacy of Chernobyl; 2005s food-processing doc Our Daily Bread took him all over Europe, while 7915km (2008) involved a mini-tour of Africa on the trail of The Dakar Rally. His latest film, though, is a little closer to home. Making its international premiere in competition at IDFA, The Border Fence visits the Brenner Pass, a tiny strip of land between Austria and Italy that suddenly became a media hotspot in 2016, after a deal between the European Union and Turkey officially closed the Balkan Route that was being used by refugees. With that road closed, Austrian authorities feared that illegal migrants would cross at the Brenner Pass instead. The result was a proposed border fence, although all those involved with its development and construction were reluctant to call it that. And when work finally started, Geyrhalter visited the site almost immediately to conduct interviews with the areas local people: Villagers, cafe owners, farmers and most surprisingly of all the local police, who hold surprisingly compassionate views on the subject. All are given time to articulate their often highly nuanced thoughts in a sympathetic, non-judgmental setting. Variety spoke to Geyrhalter as he prepared for his first screening. What was the timeline on The Border Fence? It seems like it came together very quickly Nikolaus Geyrhalter: Yes, thats true, it was a very quick reaction [to the issue]. I simply couldnt believe that Europe was starting to build fences against refugees, and, obviously, we couldnt set things right, but I thought at least we could document it for future generations. Actually, the original idea was about building fences in Europe, but we missed the first fences because they were just too quick, and, as you know, financing a film takes a bit of a time. We were able to get the money pretty quickly, but still we missed the first bunch of fences. Everybody expected the Austrian government to build a fence at the Brenner Pass, so we decided just to observe those operations. We didnt know at the time that the fence would never really be constructed. So the idea of the film stayed the same, it just changed a little bit, and it became more of a film about our society, about what just the announcement of a fence does to us, and how we react to it. Story continues Its a very simple film, both formally you use long, static takes and in terms of its interview content. Was that a conscious decision? Its formal because its still a documentary for the cinema. But what we did is, we simply went there and talked to the people. And they were a little bit angry with the media, because when we started to film there, it was a media hotspot a lot of TV crews came there, and they made their report, and they stayed for some hours, and then they left again. So we tried to convince them that we were really interested, that we would come back, and then come back another time, and they understood that we really wanted to present another kind of story, with a different interest. And so on the one hand we wanted the local people just to cooperate with us and we tried to convince them. But on the other hand, its my feeling that every documentary film that is made for the cinema is also made for the archives, so it should be presented in a kind of universal language. I mean, many of the films today, they look kind of modern but they will look old in ten or 20 years, and so what I try to do is present a film that, in the end, can still be read by future generations in at least 200 years time. Its a little bit closer to the very first documentaries that were shot, like, 100 years ago. Its a very cinematographic, pure kind of language. Do you always work in the same way? Basically the work is always the same. I try to organize to get as much time on location as possible and then be patient, because being impatient just leads to lots of fragments of material. I think its more important when youre on location to, first of all, look around you, listen to the people and then decide who it is you want to work with. And its better to work with fewer people in a more intense way for a longer period of time than to interview 50 people and have just two or three sentences from each. So a lot of the time that we had for this project went into the research and the pre-selection of potential protagonists. But, other than that, its a very small area. Its a very small town. So once youre there, many things just happen by themselves. You cant miss them. What kind of crew did you work with? In this specific case , it was a very small team. It was my assistant, Eva Hausberger, who did the research and sometimes even the sound, and there was a camera assistant with me. That was basically it. What did you do to gain the townspeoples confidence? Be present, and still be present on the next day and even the day after. Yknow that what people see they see a difference between journalists who just jump in and jump out again and journalists who dont. These people saw that we came back after a week, and after a month, and even after a year, and in the end we returned even after two years to finish the film. I wouldnt call it friendship, but you do get to know people and you talk about private stuff between shoots. As I said, its a small village, and once some people accept you, they will hand you over to other friends or to neighbors. So once, once you have your foot in the door, it either works or it doesnt work. But once it works, it works well. You give a lot of time to your interviewees, and they dont just give easy soundbites I hate to edit interviews. I never do this. I decide to frame [the interviewee] correctly, within [a set-up] that also tells you something about their life circumstances and their environment, and once Ive done this, its like portrait photography. And then I film them talking. Its about making decisions: the decision for the person, the decision for a setting, and then you just go. The films original German title Die bauliche Manahme doesnt translate as The Border Fence. Why did you change it? Because, even in German, its very complex. Its a creation of words by authorities that basically means a border fence, only they didnt want to call it by that name because they were afraid [of the reaction]. So this title worked only in German. It was a quote from an Austrian politician who wanted to say, Were thinking about building some fences, but they didnt dare to say this. So they were talking about constructional measures something like that would be the correct translation. It means actually nothing. But we realized that it wouldnt make sense internationally, because it would be too complex and dense. But I like it as a title, because its a title about an idea. Everyone expects a border fence, but, until the end, you never see a border fence. So its more about a fence in your head. Related stories Wide House Unveils Flurry of Deals on IDFA Players (EXCLUSIVE) IDFA: 'Hamada's' Eloy Dominguez Seren On Wit, Wisdom In Wilderness IDFA Film Review: 'Los Reyes' Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! First-time feature director Carmen Torres follows up the domestic premiere of her autobiographical documentary Dawn at this years Cartagena Intl. Film Festival in Colombia (FICCI) with a European premiere at the 2018 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Addressing head on the question of nature versus nature, Torres tracks down her biological mother to ask why she gave her up for adoption, and reflects on the relationship she had with her adoptive mother before her untimely death when Torres was only 13 years old. Across oceans and continents, Torres looks to answer deeply personal questions that turn out to be entirely universal: Questions of family, history and identity. The film is a co-production between Senal Colombia and Spains Playtime Audiovisuales, and was selected as this years best Colombian film at Cartagena. Torres talked with Variety ahead of IDFA about sharing her story, meeting her biological mother and confronting the truth that was hidden from her most of her life. At what point in your search did you decide to start filming? Ive been filming whats happening to me for years. Its like I take notes of what catches my attention, trying to keep it with me. When I first decided to go and look for Jacinta, I took some photos and filmed moments that seemed important to me at that moment. The next time I went I brought a video camera, but the filming was really an excuse to be there. Then, I needed a year before seeing what I had filmed, because that second meeting with Jacinta provoked mixed feelings. It was in that viewing that I realized I wanted to make the film relating the encounter to the images I collected over the ten years prior. With the benefit of hindsight, what does this film mean to you now? I went to look for my biological mother, Jacinta, believing that she would offer the origin of my identity. But, what happened was that I reunited with my mother Teresa, and learned that my origin had always been there. Through the process, my memories of Teresa dominated the mother role. Its a strange thing, but when she gave me up for adoption Jacinta gave me a mother, which I lost too soon. Then when I met Jacinta again 40 years later she gave that to me a second time. I think the film shows something that is in the end very simple: a mother is the one who was there, not the one who gave birth. Story continues Do you think that knowing your biological mother changed how you self-identify? When I started the search I thought I was going to discover my origin. But when I met Jacinta I understood that my origin is not in my blood or the place where I was born, but where I started to be who I am. The beautiful thing is that this discovery is not only mental, but emotional. Thanks to the movie, my mother Teresa is present in my life again, and I understand how to live with the absence a bit. Did it bother you that your adoptive mother never told you the truth about your real mother? It never bothered me. At times, when she told me the different stories, she diverted my attention and I wondered why she did it. But now I feel a deep tenderness. It moves me to know that she hid this out of her fear of losing me. Did you have any fear or concern about telling such a private story with your first film? To a point I felt ashamed, thinking: Who could be interested in my story? But as I proceeded I felt the need to share not just my story, but that of those who have lived something similar. One thing I will never forget was at the end of a screening a foster mother approached me and said: I have always been afraid my daughter wants to look for her biological mother, but after seeing Dawn that fear is gone. Related stories IDFA: 'The Border Fence' Director Nikolaus Geyrhalter on Building A Divided Europe Wide House Unveils Flurry of Deals on IDFA Players (EXCLUSIVE) IDFA: 'Hamada's' Eloy Dominguez Seren On Wit, Wisdom In Wilderness Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! Thirteen days after Election Day, South Brooklyn's longtime Republican State Senator Martin Golden has admitted defeat. Golden had refused to concede on November 6, when his Democratic challenger Andrew Gounardes declared victory, and vowed to carry on until all the ballots were tallied. Now, after votes have been counted (and recounted), Golden has conceded and offered his congratulations. "As the Board of Elections completes its final count of this years close election, I congratulate Andrew Gounardes and wish him well in his service to the people of the 22nd State Senate District," Golden said in a statement. According to Bklyner, "As of last night, Gounardes led Golden unofficially by 1055 votes with several uncounted assembly districts. The Board of Elections is still completing its final tabulation of the close race between Gounardes and Golden, but the outgoing senator sent the following statement." Golden has represented southern BrooklynBay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Gravesend and parts of Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay and Marine Parkfor 16 years, but Bay Ridge native Gounardes, a lawyer and an activist, tapped an energized and mobilized a Democratic base to turn the State Senate seat blue (even Alyssa Milano Tweeted support of and Ben Stiller canvassed for Gounardes). Golden further put himself into the crosshairs of his constituents when he stalled on legislation to extend speed cameras in school zones (after pressure, he caved). The district's changing demographics also contributed to the turnout. Abdullah Younus, a board member of Yalla Brooklyn, a Bay Ridge-based Muslim political club which endorsed Gounardes, told Gothamist's Sam Adler-Bell in October, "Marty Golden has consistently sided with bigotry. Hes supported the surveillance of mosques, supported Trumps Muslim Ban, and even falsely claimed the 9/11 hijackers came from Bay Ridge. Its time for a change." Gounardes issued a statement on Twitter: My official statement on the conclusion of this election and @SenMartyGolden's concession: Now that the election is over, I am grateful to the people of Southern Brooklyn for their support and humbled by their trust in me to be our communitys voice in Albany. https://t.co/UAsrm1zvTN Andrew Gounardes (@agounardes) November 19, 2018 I look forward to going to Albany to fight for affordable health care, a livable wage, a world-class education system, pedestrian safety, an MTA that is reliable, accessible, and accountable to all, and equal protections for all of our citizens. Andrew Gounardes (@agounardes) November 19, 2018 In the days since the election, my team and I have worked closely with Democratic leadership and my colleagues in the State Senate to ensure that I'm ready to hit the ground running. Andrew Gounardes (@agounardes) November 19, 2018 AMSTERDAM Helena Trestikovas speciality is what she likes to call time-lapse documentary, and its a phrase she doesnt bandy about lightly. Having made her non-fiction debut in 1974 with short film The Miracle, she has worked consistently ever since, balancing so many years-in-the-making projects that sometimes she has up to 15 on the go at any given time. Trestikova arrived at IDFA to introduce a short, selective retrospective of her decades-spanning filmography and also to curate a Top Ten, which includes works by Krzysztof Kieslowski, Sergei Miroshnichenko and the Czech Republics Vera Chytilova, whose 1963 film Something Different inspired the teenage Trestikova to become a film director in the first place. For IDFA Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia, honoring Trestikova is a chance to put right some of the gender inequality he sees in the documentary world. To me, he says, Helen undoubtedly is one of the greatest living documentary filmmakers. But she is not recognized as such in most of the world, which I think is a great example of how masculine our industry is. So its only natural that we are paying tribute to Helena. But why is she not being acknowledged and recognized everywhere, for the value of her career, and the films shes making? Variety spoke to Trestikova after her Filmmaker Talk at the festival. How do you feel when a festival like IDFA decides to show a retrospective of your work? Helena Trestikova: Well, its really thrilling to see that an audience understands me [outside my homeland], because I am very local filmmaker. I make films with very local themes, about very local people, with very local protagonists, so its thrilling to be in an international arena and see that the audiences connect with those films, and with these themes. Why did you become a filmmaker? [Laughs] I am a child of the 60s. I was influenced by the Czech New Wave, and, as a result of that, I decided to become a director. I studied at art school, and my interest was to show the lives of normal people their everyday life. I wanted to make these films about our lives for the future, too, so thats my task, and it keeps me in love with documentary films. I never wanted to make feature films. I am a pure documentary filmmaker. Why is that? Story continues I just think that life writes better stories than any writer. My method is to collect small anecdotes from everyday life and build a story out of that out of the small daily events of quotidian life. When did you realize you had a style? The first step was when I started a project called A Marriage Story in 1980, and it was my first long-term observation project. I realized this was my message and that I would continue making films in this way. The project was that we would observe six young couples who were newly married, and we would observe them for six years. I always say that my method is putting all my money placing a bet on something thats totally insecure. [Laughs] Insecurity is my slogan! But I can live with uncertainty. Its an adventure. Are you a very patient person? [Laughs] Probably, yes! How do you find your subjects? Its usually accidental. I usually have a subject matter, a theme. For example, with A Marriage Story we found them simply at the registry office when they decided to get married. We selected six random couples. We had no idea who these people were. We basically told them that he would like to observe them for a long period of time, for six years. And weve basically been observing them for the last 35 years. This was initially a six- year project. After six years we finished the films. They were shown and sometime later I decided to follow up on that, and so altogether that makes 35 years. Is it easy to juggle six stories over six years? It was a very vital work for me, so I guess it wasnt difficult, but there was a lot of uncertainty because nobody around me had done anything like that before, so there was no experience to draw on. I no idea that there were similar time lapse films being made around the world. I only learned that much later for example, the Seven Up! project by Michael Apted. I only learned about this many, many years later, because, at the time, Czech society was very isolated, and we had no contact with the work that was being done internationally contemporary work. This is also the reason why I dont speak English as well as I would like to, because in my youth I simply had no opportunity to practise it. [Laughs] And now theres no time for it! Were the Marriage Story projects shot on film or video? The first part was on film, 16mm, and then the second and third parts were on video. How much material did you have at the end of six years? About 50, 60, 70 hours maybe. But its not so difficult, because Ive worked out a system where I have transcripts to be able to keep track of the footage. And basically they are like retrograde scripts. So it takes some organization skills, but its not difficult. Whats the longest youve ever worked on a project? Private Universe. That was 37 years. Actually, It started with a short film I made [in 1974] about a baby being born. Then I decided, after I finished the film, to continue observing the people involved, but I did that on my own money. It was only in the last five years that I got a producer involved, and then a production company, Negativ, decided to join the project. We applied for a grant, which we received, and the result was Private Universe. Another example is the film Rene [2008] was a project that Id finished, and then decided to continue shooting with the main character. So I didnt set out to commit to a story for 20 years, it just happened by installments. What are the advantages of filming this way? Time writes a certain story, and by following that story over time, we record episodes that we can then shape in the editing room. Do you ever get too close to your subjects? I want to get close, and I get as close as they let me and, actually, I feel thats pretty close. We develop a relationship thats almost like a friendship. We keep in touch outside of film production as well these people have become a part of my life and Im a part of their life. Its often mentioned that you never hide the filmmaking process. Has that always been deliberate? Well, its a part of the openness that Im looking for, because I also want the viewer to be aware that whats going on is taking place in front of a camera. Its part of my method. There is no hidden camera or candid camera. I should add that, after I finish my film, I let my protagonists see it, and they authorize it [for release]. Its always little details that theyre not happy about and that they ask us to leave out of the film, but theyve always been very small things its never been anything really important. [Laughs] Fortunately! Has it become easier with digital technology? Obviously its much, much easier because with film technology at the outset it was much more complicated. Now, its just the cinematographer, the sound recordist and me, so the situation is much, much more intimate. I much prefer digital technology, because it doesnt limit you. With film stock youre always limited, which you are not in digital. Has a risk ever not paid off? So far, its always worked. So lets hope the luck continues. Why do you think that is? I hope its because the relationship is always very honest, and that people trust me. So I trust them in return, so they wont say, I quit. Its a two-way thing. What are you working on now? I have just finished a film about Milos Forman, but its not time-lapse film its a film from archive materials. Its about the whole life of this very important Czech and then American director, and it will be screened next year. Its the story of his life, and his life was not easy. He was actually a war orphan. He was basically the outsider who became the king. His life was full of challenges that he managed to overcome. Milos was a very important personality for me my guru. In fact I sent him every film I made and he liked them. He actually wrote me letters. He said he liked documentary and he liked a story, and my films had both. So I was very happy to hear that from him. Finally, what advice would you have for a young filmmaker? Find your own voice and dont try to be a copy of somebody else. Related stories IDFA: 'The Border Fence' Director Nikolaus Geyrhalter on Building A Divided Europe Wide House Unveils Flurry of Deals on IDFA Players (EXCLUSIVE) IDFA: 'Hamada's' Eloy Dominguez Seren On Wit, Wisdom In Wilderness Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts! This fall has been the worst ever for finding employees says Mark Wykes, the owner of the Independent grocery store in Whitehorse. Labour shortages in the service and other industries are not new in Yukon. But some employers, like Wykes, cannot remember a time when it's been as bad as it has been in recent months. "It's really tough on the people," he said. "They're picking up the slack or they're working overtime they don't necessarily want to, just to make sure that we're meeting the customers' needs." He said, however, hiring has just picked up over the past couple of weeks so the situation is not as dire as it had been. Hundreds of service-sector jobs vacant in Yukon Likewise, Lee Bodie, the manager of a general store in Carmacks, said he's had some recent hires, but was desperate in the summer. "It's been probably one of the worst years ever for us running a business in Carmacks, it's just very tough finding qualified people to do the job and get them to move here," said Bodie. Dave Croft/CBC The staff shortage facing employers is reflected in figures released by Statistics Canada. They show Yukon, at 5.1 per cent, had the highest job vacancy rate in the country in the second-quarter of this year. The agency says there were 890 vacant jobs in the territory. In October, it says 900 people were unemployed so the number of people of looking for work is almost identical to the number of available jobs. The statistics indicate the majority of the vacancies were in sales and service occupations followed by the trades and transport and equipment operators. Employers look for ways to attract new staff Wykes said because of the remoteness of Yukon communities, there aren't many options for finding new employees. The best option, he said, is to treat existing employees well and be flexible in accommodating their shift preferences. Wykes said he's also recently begun offering bonuses to staff who recommend a potential employee who is hired and makes it through the probationary period. Story continues Bodie says the store he manages offers housing to employees as an added incentive. It also advertises worldwide and hires people through the Yukon Nominee program. It allows people from foreign countries to work in the territory and eventually become permanent Canadian residents. "We can't find Canadians who want to work," he said. A neighbourhood being planned in Markham will be the first in Canada to connect all its houses to a geothermal energy system -- which will harness the heat from deep within the earth to not only to warm, but cool the homes. Construction on the new community of Berczy Glen, planned in the area of Elgin Mills and Warden avenues, won't begin until 2020 at the earliest, but the partners behind the ambitious plans were announced this week. submitted The city of Markham, Mattamy Homes and Enwave Energy Corporation plan to build the 300-home community, which will use what's known as a district geothermal system, the largest of its type currently proposed in Canada. "I'm very excited about it. I think everybody should be excited about it," said Subhi Alsayed, the vice president of, sustainable development for Mattamy Homes. Geothermal technology has been around for decades, he said. It essentially uses the heat of the earth deep beneath the surface to regulate temperature, and is considered one way for homes to work toward a "net zero" energy footprint meaning they produce at least as much energy as they consume. submitted Geothermal works on the same principles as a refrigerator or air conditioner. In the winter, liquid refrigerant flowing through tubes is pumped deep underground where it absorbs the heat from the earth and brings it back up to heat the home. In the summer, the reverse happens; the liquid in the tubes absorbs heat from the home where it's pumped down in the earth. The cooler liquid that returns helps to cool the home. That makes the home more energy efficient, because in Canada most energy consumption is related to heating and cooling homes. But Tom Adams, an independent energy analyst, researcher and former executive director of Energy Probe, is skeptical. Mattamy Homes Limited/submitted "This is one of those things that I wish would really work," he said. "But I think we need to be kind of chastened by history." Story continues Adams says in places where there is more geothermal activity, such as Iceland or parts of California, it completely makes sense. However, experiments with the technology in Canada have been less successful. "There's been a tremendous amount of research that's been done on these things because the theoretical potential is there," Adams said. "But when the practicalities come to bear, it turns out that it's a lot harder than many of the advocates had hoped." CBC But Alsayed said the plan doesn't really hinge on one single technology. "I mean, geothermal is a cool technology. But, in my opinion, the innovation here that we're bringing to the industry is not just in the geothermal system, it's in the business model that we're introducing to the market," he said. Alsayed said partnering with Enwave Energy, a company with experience in district and community energy systems to install and operate the geothermal system and supply heating cooling and domestic hot water to all the homes, is a groundbreaking concept. "We think this business model is going to enable whatever technologies are going to come down the road, because honestly today we think you know that geothermal is cool, but there's other technologies that we don't even know of," he said. Alsayed said other communities should be watching the project, since provincial and federal governments are considering net-zero construction standards by 2030. Photo - Midge Point arts committee met on 8 November changing 2019 as an art exhibition rather than a prize. The Midge Point arts community met for morning tea earlier this month to discuss the direction of the annual art prize, now without a prize money sponsor after 6 years. It was determined there will be in its place, an exhibition where the emphasis becomes not on one winner, rather on local artists having their paintings on exhibit for selling. It was thought that the single art prize somehow took away from the image that all the painting were in effect on sale this had been missed, and with an exhibition it will be front and centre. Meanwhile the Whitsundays Laguna Quays Respite coordinated by Well-Being Australia for missions opened in 2011 has proven to be a lovely break away for a wide range of those in Christian service. Heres the rub: Additional art was purchased for the respite cottage. These art works were from the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize in July and have now been hung. The Midge Point arts community had a viewing morning last Wednesday. This was most enjoyable. This two 2 min video is of the respite ministry for missionaries, home missions, church full time personnel is remarkable. Laguna Quays Respite It is a joy in the Lord seeing so many wishing to visit. The respite cottage is situated a fifteen minute drive south of Proserpine airport and a stone's throw from Midge Point. The missionaries and their families along with school chaplains, home missions of all shapes and varieties, church ministry personnel enjoy their stay. Opened in 2011, Well-Being Australia developed this mission respite ministry after my wife Delma and I had ministered respite to Australian Institute of Sport elite athlete "respite" in both Moruya (Basil Sellers Moruya) and Tweed Heads (Basil Sellers Tweed) since 1992. The Laguna Quays Respite facility was a dream of ours to serve our mission community with a no-cost rest and recuperation experience and the Whitsundays provides many such opportunities for relaxation. Photo - Oi Oi Oi by Margaret Pearce to be hung in Laguna Quays Respite Arrival Upon arrival they can collect a heavily discounted AVIS rental vehicle under a special arrangement between Well-Being Australia and AVIS for mission people visiting the respite cottage. There is no charge for the Laguna Quays Respite cottage yet visitors are welcome to leave a gifting to help with its functioning costs. Over these six years mission people have visited the Laguna Quays Respite facility from such missions and denominations as: SIM, CMS, WEC, OMS, SU, TEAR, BCS, UCA, OMF, YM, Wycliffe, BCA, YWAM, MAF, AFES, CM, ASEF, Japan Missions, International Inter-Serve, NZ Missions, Global Interaction, independent missions, school chaplains and Ministers and pastors from many denominations. Photo - Cheeky Posom by Ann Campbell to be hung in Laguna Quays Respite Who can visit Laguna Quays Respite? Missionaries, home mission personnel, school chaplains and professional church personnel needing respite and rest. It is specifically designed and dedicated to such mission personnel. Over these past five years many family groups have visited in school holiday periods it is a three bedroom beach house cottage but they squeeze in somehow. Many missionary families have had family stays before they leave for overseas. Many are simply tired and need rest. It has also been a wonderful solace for pastors and specialist ministry personnel who need timeout to relax their head space and for those wanting to seriously reflect as their prepare significant messages or writing designations. It is a broad church. The local community are remarkable in their willingness to help in this missions project. Enquiries are welcome for bookings - missionaries / home missions / school chaplains / pastors - to contact us for your respite visit to the Whitsundays timeout@bushorchestra.com 0419 917 713 Laguna Quays Respite web site also host this video. http://www.bushorchestra.com/respite Photo - Swan Lake by Betty Moxham to be hung in Laguna Quays Respite Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html Photo - Tronson du Coudrays Hijinks Some months ago I was watching a movie on television taken from a real life incident in the US some years previously. The story line was simple enough. Mum and dad with three children, all happy families. Things were very tight financially, mum had always been a 'looker' and still was, and was enticed by the additional money for the family's needs to become an upmarket call-girl. I hardly need go on. She began servicing not only the rich and famous, the local police, but also her friend's husbands along with a local preacher. She made so much money that she found herself not wanting to 'give-it-up' as she enjoyed the riches and buying goodies for her family including a motor bike for hubby. Then somebody squealed to a want-to-be-politician in an election term. There was a police raid, television crews and mum was sprung to a totally unbelieving husband who was watching the newscast at the bar with his mates. Well it turned out that a goodly number of the city's most important citizens, including a circuit judge and happenstance happy customers and in the end the five girls were given a slap on the wrist 30 day sentence in the county jail. But all that was not the point of the story, ie: the moral lesson was about Covetness, Sin, Sprung, Family Destruction, and Punishment. Indeed not. The lesson of the story was that after mum returned home (while she and her husband and children taking baby steps to reconcile) she had seven visitors. And you would not guess who they were? They were the wives of whose husbands she had serviced 'weekly'. They had not come to ridicule. They had not come to punish. They had not come cast the first stone. They had not come to exile her out of their community. No, nothing of a sort. They had come to be attend an instructional class. Their question was a simple one: What was it that she did that drew their husbands into her hands like putty and could she teach them in like manner. She began buying many large bananas as her class became very popular. No one was ever late to this class. Photo - Tronson du Coudrays Camoflurage Susan Patton Then along comes Susan Patton the New York mum with two Ivy League sons at university who advised the young women at the university that statistically this was their best chance to score a husband. There was an outcry by the feminists like you would never I wrote of this some months back. Now Susan Patton is back in the limelight and toured Australia along with many other western countries and her message was again a simple one. Look after your husbands. Susan Patton, a Jewish mother, and clearly well versed in the Old Testament and with top rating academic and professional qualifications herself, claims that the pendulum has swung so far towards women's needs that the husbands (partners) have been left to drift and such a man will respond to some purring pointed in his direction. The point was clear. The emphasis on women's needs are all over advertising, merchandise, cosmetics, cars, clothing or lack of it, fulfillment, career, education, sexual appetite, holidays, sun tans, well-being, psychology, political correctness, best seats, right of way (supermarkets, lining up, banking, anything really). Photo - Tronson du Coudrays Intuition Pendulum Susan Patton says that it's time the pendulum was stopped and given a nudge in the other direction. She has some very practical suggestions: Welcome your husband home with a smile asking him not to fix something, but to genuinely express your appreciation (that he comes home at all as it were). The advice covers a wide range of practical expressions where a wife does little thing to illustrate not only that he is loved and care for, but truly appreciated as the male of the home. This is not a silly dismissal of the feminist cause, rather Patton says that the wife should be looking good for her husband, this shows him respect and that he is the one who provides her - her needs. You can only imagine the do-gooders, who again have come out of the woodwork to slam such 'common sense' and 'wisdom' (Proverbs 31) that have helped to bond loving marriage relationships over centuries where a husband loves his wife and his wide in turns responds to such love and commitment. There you have it! Photo - Tronson du Coudrays Femineity Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html MONDAY, Nov. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- When someone with HIV has the virus suppressed with medication, there is virtually no chance of passing it on to sex partners, a new review concludes. The Public Health Agency of Canada pulled together studies from the last decade looking at the risk of HIV transmission among partners where one person is HIV-positive and one is not. It found there were no cases of transmission when the HIV-positive partner was on drug "cocktails" that were keeping the virus suppressed. "Suppressed" means there are fewer than 200 copies of the virus per milliliter of blood. In those cases, the review found, there were no HIV transmissions even when couples did not use condoms. Experts said the findings are good news for people living with HIV -- and have implications for current laws in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. At issue are laws that subject HIV-positive people to possible criminal prosecution for not telling their sexual partners about their status. They exist in Canada and many U.S. states. But the laws are "rooted in the 1980s view of the disease," said Perry Halkitis, dean of the School of Public Health at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. That is, they reflect an era when HIV was a death sentence instead of the manageable chronic condition it is today. Drug therapies that first became available in the 1990s changed the face of HIV treatment. And in recent years, Halkitis said, studies have offered "a ton of evidence" that when those drugs suppress the virus, it is not transmissible to person's sex partners. "These criminalization laws do nothing but stigmatize HIV-positive people. They need to be revisited," said Halkitis, who was not involved in the new research. In Canada, the findings have already had an impact. The Department of Justice Canada, which collaborated on the review, issued a report last December saying that criminal law should no longer apply to HIV-positive people who have their virus suppressed by medication. Its report also said the laws should not apply to people who are not on medication but use condoms during sex. In the research review, the risk of HIV transmission in those cases was deemed to be "low" -- at just over 1 transmission for every 100 people per year. The health agency used the word "negligible" to describe the risk of transmission when the virus is suppressed by medication. That means there is a theoretical risk of transmission because there is an "exchange of bodily fluids that carry the virus," officials said -- but no actual confirmed cases. "We hope these findings help people living with HIV and their partners to make decisions, and that they help reduce the stigma experienced by people living with HIV," the agency said. The latest review, led by the agency's Dr. Rachel Rodin, is based on 11 studies and one previously published research review. The studies followed steady partners -- both heterosexual and same-sex -- in various countries. The results were published Nov. 19 in the CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. In the United States, 29 states have "HIV-specific" criminal laws, according to the nonprofit Center for HIV Law & Policy (CHLP). That includes laws that target people who fail to disclose their HIV status to sexual partners. Many medical organizations, like the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association, have long called for reform of those criminal laws. And the CHLP and other groups argue that it's not enough to exempt HIV-positive people who have their virus suppressed through medication. The CHLP points to the fact that Americans have unequal access to health care, and certain groups -- including blacks and the poor -- face more obstacles in keeping their HIV levels suppressed. That means they are unfairly targeted by criminal laws, the CHLP says. Halkitis agreed that having HIV-specific laws at all is problematic. No other transmissible disease is subject to such criminal prosecution, he pointed out. "We have to stop reacting to HIV like it's still the 1980s," Halkitis said. And that, he added, includes having policies that are "grounded in scientific evidence." More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on HIV transmission. Venezuela Claims "International Experts" Approve of the Petro The government of Venezuela claims it has held an international blockchain technology and cryptocurrency consultancy seminar in Caracas, with overseas experts attending to give their take on the state-backed Petro cryptocurrency. A moment from the meeting with the \"international experts\". Source: Twitter State media outlet Telesur and government tweets claimed that experts from China, Russia, Luxembourg, Spain and Mexico were in attendance. The presidents office quotes Lluis Mas Luque, head of the Spanish Blockchain Institute & Technology, which has branches in Barcelona and Madrid, as stating that the Petro represents a triumph over conventional financial systems. Mas Luque and others were taken on a tour of the governments Petro headquarters, with the Spaniard quoted as saying he was surprised by the scale of the power of the project. The Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro tweeted: Although much of the world has refused to do business in the Petro with United States president Donald Trump placing a series of prohibitive sanctions on parties trading in the oil-backed token Caracas claims it has the backing of political and business leaders in Colombia, Brazil, Japan, China, Palestine, Spain and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The presidents offices claimed other speakers at the event included Sri Lanka-based Crypto Genesis managing partner Nilhan de Mel and Spanish peer-to-peer energy market platform Shasta founder Alex Sicart Ramos. The event organizers claimed attendees were allowed to buy Petro-themed merchandise using Petro tokens, and even pay for admission at a Petro-accepting ticket office. The Petro has often been called Venezuelas latest attempt to circumvent international sanctions which plunged the country into an economic crisis. Aso, the countrys officials have previously announced their intent to use petro to build villas for the homeless. Meanwhile, the coin itself has been deemed a scam by various rating sites. Venezuelas crypto-drive appears to be continuing apace, with department store Traki, dubbed by some as the Walmart of Venezuela, recently announcing that it will accept payment in a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Dash. The store has around 50 branches around the country, and sells items like groceries, clothing and home appliances. Opinion Being happy Being happy is oftentimes a matter of the opinion that you have about yourself and your environment. We might be living in a very cozy home with more money than we will ever need. We may have a really good job that you go to every Pakistan: Sindh Assembly asks Centre to abolish deep-sea fishing policy by Hasan Mansoor November 19,2018 | Source: Dawn The Sindh Assembly on Friday called upon the federal government to abolish the deep-sea fishing licensing policy 2018, which it said was in violation of the Constitution and encroachment on the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of fishermen of the province. A resolution to this effect was moved by Pakistan Peoples Partys Saleem Baloch and Liaquat Askani and was passed with a majority vote. The opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan supported the resolution, but the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Grand Democratic Alliance opposed it. While the MQM-P backs the PPP resolution against the 2018 policy, the PTI and GDA oppose it. The resolution reads: This house resolves and recommends to the government of Sindh to approach the federal government to withdraw and abolish its Deep Sea Fishing Licensing Policy 2018, as it is a violation of the Constitution following the [passage of the] 18th Amendment. It further said that the fishing policy was an encroachment on the livelihood of estimated 1.6 million poor fishermen of Sindh and Balochistan and an open disregard to the assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that more than 72 per cent of the fish stock in coastal areas of Pakistan has already declined. Foreign companies using lethal nets Mr Baloch said Islamabad had issued licences for deep-sea fishing to numerous foreign companies, including Chinese and Korean, which were using lethal nets and hunting even fish seeds during trawling. By doing this they are actually decimating fish species from our sea at the cost of our fishermen who are suffering a great deal. He said the licensing policy adopted by the federal government had caused grave negative impacts on the fishermen of Sindh. I appeal to those who [talk of a] new Pakistan that they should not deprive the livelihood of the fishermen of the old Pakistan. Fisheries Minister Bari Pitafi said the federal government had passed an act in 1975 which defined zoning of the sea, according to which Sindh was authorised to take care of the area up to 12 nautical miles; from there to 20 nautical miles was termed the buffer zone while from that point up to 200 nautical miles was handed to the federal government. He said the federal government had issued licences to various companies in the past decades, which caused grave impact to overall fishing for local population. Referring to a 2016 survey carried out by the FAO that more than 70pc of fish stock across the coastline of Pakistan had depleted, he said the foreign companies involved in the business would even scoop up the seeds as the survey revealed. The fisheries minister said after devolution of the fisheries sector following the 18th Amendment, the authority to issue trawling licences should rest with the Sindh government. He added that the past PML-N government had drafted and got passed the 2018 law in April without taking the Sindh government into confidence. Mr Pitafi said the 2018 law had been designed on the outlines of the 1975 Act, which reiterated the Zone-3 (from 20 to 200 nautical miles) would be controlled by the federal government. Fresh policy through legislation sought He said the PTI, which was in the opposition then, had also opposed the law, which he said was designed only to harm the people of Sindh. He said a number of marine species were on the verge of extinction while some species had completely vanished. The minister appealed to the PTI government to review the existing licensing policy and rectify it through fresh legislation. He said the waters where the federal government had its claim and control were constitutionally in the jurisdiction of Sindh. Giving an alternative solution, the Sindh minister said both the Sindh and the federal governments should jointly issue such licences and for that local fishing community should be given preference. He said it would be hugely difficult to revive the depleted fish stock as it took five decades for a country like Canada to restore its declined marine life. He also demanded that the fishermen of Sindh should not be stopped from fishing in Balochistan. PTIs Khurram Sher Zaman opposed the resolution saying how the entire territorial waters could be given to the Sindh government. He said Sindh had its jurisdiction in the sea up to 20 nautical miles and then began the jurisdiction of Islamabad. The 18th Amendment does not say that the entire sea on the Sindh coastline belongs to Sindh, he said, asking the mover to change wording of the resolution. Issue would be resolved in CCI MQM-Ps Mohammad Hussain said it was a good resolution. However, he said the 18th Amendment was passed in 2010 and such violations of the landmark legislation continued for the past eight years. He asked why the issue was not raised in the meetings of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). He demanded that the Sindh government write a letter to the federal government asking it to call an urgent meeting of the CCI to discuss the issue. We have passed scores of resolutions in the past, which helped us a little. This issue would be resolved in the CCI meetings. Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani put the resolution before the house, which passed it by majority. The members of the PTI and the GDA opposed the resolution. Calling-attention notices Replying to a calling-attention notice by PTIs Shaharyar Mahar, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that more than four armed men were arrested in Ghotki and weapons and ammunition were recovered from them. He said Punjabs Chhotoo gang was involved in crimes in the district bordering Sindh, but the situation had improved. Mr Mahar had said his partys activists had been arrested and kidnapped from the district. Malik Shahzad spoke over water shortages in Baldia Town, which had made life miserable for the area people. Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani said the situation would improve after completion of some ongoing schemes in the area. He said West district was hooked to the Hub Dam which was completely dried up at present. Waseem Qureshi spoke over a similar problem in North Karachi and said that riots over water supply were making the situation graver. Minister Ghani requested the opposition benches to help the government in improving such facilities in the province. Later, Mr Qureshi withdrew his adjournment motion regarding a better ambulance service in Sindh after the LG minister assured him that the government was already working on the issue. The scheduled debate on water shortages in parts of Sindh was deferred till Thursday as the assembly secretariat received similar motions from other members of the house. Karnataka: No help: 18 Karnataka fishermen continue to be held in Iran by Chethan Kumar November 19,2018 | Source: The Times of India Fishermen from Karnatakas coastal districts, detained by authorities after the boat they left from Dubai accidentally strayed into Iranian waters in July, continue to struggle in a boat they have been held in, with no help from the Indian government to get them released. TOI had reported on October 11 that at least nine fishermen from Bhatkal were detained by Iranian authorities and are being held in their own boats parked in Kish, an island about 1,000km from Tehran, Irans capital. The menMohammed Sharief, 37; Abdal Hussain, 46; Nayeem Bhandi, 32; Ibrahim Mulla, 44; Usman Bambaikar, 31; Jaffer Thadlikar, 35; Abdullah Dangi, 40; Ansar Ismail Bapu, 39, and Ateeq Gharu, 33had said that there were nine other people stuck in two other boats. While TOI could not independently confirm the presence of the other men in October, it has now been confirmed that there are, in fact, a total of 18 fishermen from the state stranded in Iran. Their families have made representations to local authorities seeking their intervention. As per the copy of a letter with the Uttara Kannada district administration, the other men are: Nayeem Bhandi; Khalil Punibodu; Yakub Shamali; Ilyas Ambadi; Inayat Shamali; Ibrahim Hodekar; Kashim Shaik; Ajmal Shamali and Matlub Sarang. As TOI had reported earlier, these men had left Dubai on their boats in July and accidentally strayed into Iran and detained on July 27. They had all been working as fishermen in Dubai, and had left Karnataka in the first half of July. Stating that they were all taken to a police station where a case has been registered before being kept in their boats, Sharief said: The company we work for has stopped remitting out salaries, which has caused a lot of problems for our families back home. Our children are suffering too. Although one official from the Indian embassy in Iran had told TOI in October that efforts to get the men released was on, attempts to contact officials on Friday was futile. Also, there has been no response to the emailsone on October 10 and another on Fridaydid not get a response. The fishermen, however, have been in touch with the embassy officials, who continue to promise help to them. Besides they have also spoken to the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada district, who has collected all their details. Yet, no help has reached the men, who continue to been kept in the boats on the island. It has been nearly four months, our families have no money, we are unable to help them and nobody is helping us, the fishermen said in a video call. India: European Commission audit report reveals reasons for flood of Indian shrimp into the United States by Southern Shrimp Alliance November 19,2018 | Source: Perishable News On November 8th, the European Commissions Directorate General for Health and Food Safety made public the report of its audit and evaluation of the Indian governments control of residues and contaminants in live animals and animal products including controls on veterinary medicinal products. The audit report shows the extensive, unique controls that the Indian government has installed to safeguard against exporting shrimp contaminated with antibiotics to the European Union. In doing so, the report also reveals why massive quantities of Indian shrimp have been directed to the U.S. market, where no comparable controls are required. As explained in the report, all shrimp exported from India to the European Union must be shipped from an establishment approved by the Export Inspection Council (EIC) within the Indian Governments Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with each establishment assigned a unique approval number. EIC approval for export requires that establishments maintain a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) program and that they be inspected by the Export Inspection Agency every one to three months depending on the risk presented. Further, every six months, samples are collected from EIC approved facilities and are tested for the presence of antibiotics including chloramphenicol, nitrofuran metabolites and tetracyclines. EIC-approved shrimp exporters may only source farmed shrimp from shrimp farms registered with the Marine Product Export Development Agency (MPEDA). Although there are 60,000 MPEDA registered aquaculture farms in the country, registered farms are a subset of all of the shrimp farms operated within India. Each MPEDA registered farm is identified with its GPS coordinates and records of each harvest must be maintained, ensuring traceability of shrimp exported to the European Union back to the original pond. For MPEDA registered aquaculture farms, shrimp batches are sampled and tested for the presence of chloramphenicol and four nitrofuran metabolites prior to harvest. The cost of the screening tests is paid by shrimp farmers, sales of the harvested batch of shrimp are accompanied by pre-harvest testing results, and the EIC-approved shrimp processing plants send staff to the MPEDA registered farms to witness harvest and seal the delivery trucks before shipments are delivered to the plant. Additionally, EIC-approved plants crosscheck the amounts received from a MPEDA registered farm with production estimated for the pond. EIC-approval also requires that a processing plant limit the number of farms/batches in one exported consignment to four. This limitation on sourcing allows for more accurate sampling, facilitates follow-up investigations, and ensures traceability. Further, prior to export, staff from EIC laboratories visit the EIC-approved facility and take samples to test for chloramphenicol, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and metabolites of nitrofurans. All shipments of shrimp to the European Union from India must be accompanied by the results of this analytical test. The audit report explains that through 2017, one EIC laboratory in Chennai found nitrofurans in 24 samples tested and chloramphenicol in another four samples tested through this pre-export testing regime. In the first four months of 2018, that same laboratory found nitrofurans in 32 samples tested. However, even with all of these controls in place, the European Union requires that half of all consignments of shrimp exported from India be tested at the border. These tests continue to find banned antibiotics in Indian shrimp. The audit report estimates that in 2017 the European Union conducted roughly 1,600 tests at the border and found nitrofurans in 14 of those tests. Through October of this year, the European Unions Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed has 13 notifications for nitrofurans found in Indian shrimp. Although the systems in place are supposed to facilitate traceability, post-detection investigations by Indian government authorities are rarely able to identify the reasons for the violative results. The audit report concludes that despite all of the additional controls in place to eliminate antibiotics from shrimp exported to the European Union from India, the integrity of the system is undermined by the widespread availability of antibiotics in India. The audit report explains that chloramphenicol and nitrofurans continue to be sold over the counter and that the auditors were able to confirm that nitrofurans remained actively on the market, with furazolidone in approximately 40 commercial products, nitrofurazone in 11 commercial products, and furaltadone in 7 commercial products. Even more disturbingly, a number of antibiotics which are banned for use in food-producing animals in the European Union are freely available on the Indian market and may be purchased over the counter but are not tested for at any stage of the supply chain. The audit report notes that there is no requirement that purchase records be maintained regarding these antibiotics and there currently exists no legal tools by which to sanction producers responsible for violative results. Summarizing its findings, the audit report states: Overall, whilst there have been improvements in the residue control system in India, the effectiveness of the already EU-approved residue monitoring plans is weakened by a scope of testing which should better reflect the availability of veterinary medicinal products on the market and access of farmers to those substances. There are no similar controls or requirements in place for Indian shrimp exports to the United States. At most, a U.S. importer of Indian shrimp need only have evidence that its Indian supplier maintain a HACCP program. The differences in approach have had a huge impact on the respective markets for shrimp in the European Union and the United States. In the European Union, the single largest supplier of shrimp is Ecuador, which accounted for 15.9 percent of the value of all shrimp imports in 2017. India, in comparison, accounted for 13.1 percent of the value of shrimp imports into the European Union last year, with shipments worth roughly 555 million Euros (US$627 million). In sharp contrast, India is by far the largest single supplier of shrimp to the United States. India accounted for 35.2 percent of the value of all shrimp imports into the United States last year, with shipments worth roughly US$2.2 billion. The next largest supplier Indonesia accounted for roughly half that value last year (18.8 percent of the value, roughly US$1.2 billion). And Indian shrimp shipments to the United States continued to grow significantly in 2018. The EUs audit report confirms our worst fears, said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. The inability of our food safety regulatory system to deal with the problem of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in aquaculture has made the United States a dumping ground for contaminated shrimp. The U.S. shrimp industry was devastated fifteen years ago when massive amounts of cheap, contaminated Chinese shrimp was re-directed to this market. The federal government cannot allow history to repeat itself. Read the European Commissions Final Report of an Audit Carried Out in India From 16 to 27 April 2018 in Order to Evaluate the Control of Residues and Contaminants in Live Animals and Animal Products Including Controls on Veterinary Medicinal Products DG(SANTE) 2018-6345 here: http://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=4055 Jerusalem one of 123 nations voting for resolution hailing the possibility of moving away from capital punishment through domestic decision-making As the Knesset advances controversial legislation calling for the death penalty for convicted terrorists, Israel this week voted in favor of a United Nations resolution calling for a global moratorium on capital punishment in an effort to abolish the practice altogether. Jerusalem on Tuesday was 1 of 123 countries that supported Resolution A/C.3/73/L.44, which expresses its deep concern about the continued application of the death penalty and welcomes the steps taken by some states to reduce the number of offences for which the death penalty may be imposed. 36 countries, including the US, opposed the motion. 30 abstained. The resolution, discussed biannually by the UN General Assemblys Third Committee, welcomes initiatives and political leadership encouraging national discussions and debates on the possibility of moving away from capital punishment through domestic decision-making. It also hailed the fact that an increasing number countries decided to apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of the death penalty. The resolution calls on states to progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and to decrease the number of offenses punishable by death. At the same time, the resolution passed included an amendment reaffirming the sovereign right of all countries to develop their own legal systems, including determining appropriate legal penalties. Israel has supported a similar resolution on the moratorium of the death penalty in the past, but Tuesdays vote appears to contradict efforts by its coalition lawmakers and comes just one day after a bill was discussed in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, which calls to make it easier to impose the death penalty on convicted Palestinian killers of Israeli civilians and soldiers. Championed by outgoing Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and his hardline Yisrael Beytenu party, the so-called Penal Bill passed a preliminary vote on the Knesset in January. It is currently being prepared in committee for final plenary votes to pass it into law. At this point it is unclear whether the governing coalition, which may fall apart soon due to Libermans resignation Wednesday, will advance the bill before new elections are called. Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer said Thursday that he expected the bill to be passed into law before the Knesset votes to dissolve itself and trigger snap elections. It can go very quickly because its a very simple law. It could be passed within 2 weeks, he told the Knesset Channel. On November 4, Netanyahu gave lawmakers green light to advance the legislation, reportedly rejecting the advice of the security establishment. Although the death penalty formally exists in Israeli law, it has only ever been used once in 1962 in the case of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust. It is technically allowed in cases of high treason, as well as in certain circumstances under the martial law that applies within the IDF and in the West Bank, but currently requires a unanimous decision from a panel of three judges, and has never been implemented. Yisrael Beytenus bill would allow a simple majority of 2 to 1 judges to impose the death penalty. In July 2016, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack that killed 3 Israelis, Netanyahu for the 1st time publicly supported the death penalty. The death penalty for terrorists its time to implement it in severe cases, he told members of the Salomon family, who had lost three loved ones in a brutal stabbing in the West Bank town of Halamish. Its anchored in the law. You need the judges to rule unanimously on it, but if you want to know the governments position and my position as prime minister in a case like this, of a base murderer like this he should be executed. He should simply not smile anymore, Netanyahu said, referring to the terrorist, 19-year-old Omar al-Abed. During his trial, the judges seriously discussed sentencing al-Abed to death, but ultimately handed him 4 life terms in prison. The Prime Ministers Office on Thursday did not respond to numerous queries as to whether Netanyahus still supports the controversial bill and what his position on capital punishment is in general. | 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 The Times of Israel, November 16, 2018 The practice of warning competing tribes via shootings, including in residential areas, threatens to undermine state agencies A bloody, age-old custom used by Iraqs powerful tribes to mete out justice has come under fire, with authorities classifying it as a terrorist act punishable by death. For centuries, Iraqi clans have used their own system to resolve disputes, with tribal dignitaries bringing together opposing sides to mediate in de facto hearings. If one side failed to attend such a meeting, the rival clan would fire on the absentees home or that of fellow tribesmen, a practice known as the degga ashairiya or tribal warning. But in an age when Iraqs vast rural areas and built-up cities alike are flooded with weapons outside state control, the degga may be deadlier than ever. A recent dispute between 2 young men in a tea shop in the capitals eastern district of Sadr City escalated to near-fatal proportions, leaving a 40-year-old policeman with a broken hip and severely damaged abdomen. His cousin Abu Tayba said the policeman was wounded in a stray bullet during a degga on a nearby home. Weeks after the incident, hes still in the hospital, hovering between life and death, Tayba told AFP. Even in Baghdad, disputes often involve machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the citys military command warned a top Iraqi court recently. That body, the countrys Superior Magistrate Council, issued a decision last week classifying deggas as terrorist acts and therefore warranting the death penalty because of their impact on public safety. A few days later, it announced it would take legal action against three people accused of targeting a home in Al-Adhamiyah, north of Baghdad, with the deadly custom. Iraq is like a jungle In Iraq, a country of 39 million people, clan origin and family name can carry weight in securing a job, finding romance, and gathering political support. They can also interfere in the work of the state, as tribal structures in some areas can be more powerful than government institutions. Last year, Iraqs tribes and the ministries of interior and justice pledged to work closer together to impose the law, but deggas seem to have hindered such cooperation. Raed al-Fraiji, the head of a tribal council in the southern province of Basra, told AFP the warnings have become commonplace. This happens every day. Yesterday it happened twice. The day before, three times, he said. 2 months ago, a domestic dispute between a husband and wife turned into an armed attack on the husbands home. The exchange of fire killed 1 person and wounded 3. Fraiji said tribal influence and practices were growing because the state was seen as unreliable. For an Iraqi citizen, the law has become weak. Meanwhile, tribes impose themselves by force. Iraq is like a jungle so a citizen will turn to a tribe to find solutions to their problems. The country has been ravaged by years of conflict since the US-led invasion in 2003 that removed strongman Saddam Hussein and led to the rise of militias. A decade later, the Islamic State jihadist group overran much of Iraq and was only ousted from its urban strongholds across the country late last year. Taking on tribes Years of instability have left many of Iraqs communities flush with weapons and largely out of the states reach, contributing to a preference for tribal mediation methods. The government is responsible for the increase in tribal conflict and of degga cases, said Adnan al-Khazaali, a tribal leader in Baghdads Sadr City. Most of the young men today are armed and even the security forces cannot stand in their way. Tribal leaders and government officials alike are clinging to the hope that the new ruling could change things. These incidents are continually happening, and are often causing casualties, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan told AFP. Court rulings and their implementation, Maan said, could be the only way to secure peace. Back in Basra, the head of the local human rights commission estimated around a dozen people were wounded or killed in deggas last year. These incidents threatens social peace, said Mahdi al-Tamimi. Its sad and worrying, and cannot be eliminated without a solid and effective law. But Fraiji, known in Basra for his relatively progressive views, feared the courts ruling would not be enough to take on Iraqs powerful clans. The decision will only remain ink on paper if the security forces do not enforce it on the tribes, he said. | 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 Agence France-Presse, November 18, 2018 The Supreme Court last week turned down an appeal from a British woman sentenced to die for a Harris County murder-kidnapping, moving the case one step closer to a possible execution date. Linda Carty was sent to death row in 2001 after she was convicted of masterminding a plot to murder her 20-year-old neighbor and steal the woman's baby in order to save her own common-law marriage. In the years since the killing of Joana Rodriguez, Carty has consistently professed her innocence, insisting she was railroaded by prosecutors who failed to turn over evidence and coerced witnesses to win a conviction. Yet the nation's highest court has now turned down her most recent appeal without comment, refusing to review the argument that the combination of bad lawyering and "egregious prosecutorial misconduct" was enough to make a difference in the outcome of the case. READ MORE: Judge rejects appeal from British woman on Texas death row The now 60-year-old had lived in the Houston area for more than a decade at the time of the slaying, but was born on St. Kitts. At the time, the Caribbean island was a British protectorate, so Carty holds British citizenship - a fact that's brought her case celebrity attention, spawned a documentary film and landed her on the front pages of papers in the U.K. During her 2002 trial, prosecutors argued that the former schoolteacher and erstwhile DEA informant had directed three men to storm the victims' apartment, steal $1,000 and kidnap the mother and her 3-day-old child at gunpoint. Afterward, authorities found Rodriguez asphyxiated, bound and gagged, in the trunk of a car linked to Carty. Using witness statement, phone records and evidence from cars at the crime scene, Harris County prosecutors persuaded a jury to find her guilty and vote for a death sentence. For the past 16 years, the now-grandmother has been fighting her conviction. Carty's trial was handled by a famously overworked lawyer who never won a death penalty trial, and a federal appeals court decided some of his work on the case was "objectively unreasonable." But, the court said, it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome - even though it was a "close case." READ MORE: Woman given death sentence in kidnap case Later, a Texas state court decided that prosecutors had failed to hand over potentially exculpatory evidence and neglected to reveal information that could have called into question some of the witnesses who testified against her. But, again, the court said it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome and wasn't enough to overcome the evidence against her. Now in the latest Supreme Court appeal, Carty's current counsel - a team from Baker Botts led by Michael Goldberg - argued that those things combined would be enough to sway a jury to a different verdict. And, they said, courts have offered different opinions as to how and when the legal system should handle "cumulative error" claims alleging different types of Constitutional violations all at once. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a group of criminal justice experts including Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu, and the United Kingdom all filed briefs supporting Carty's appeal. Now, after the Supreme Court's rejection, Goldberg says he plans to file another appeal. | 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 Vijayawada: Jana Sena cadres worried over the attacks on Jana Sena founder K. Pawan Kalyans convoy and that of former AP Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar at various places. A lorry rammed into Mr Kalyans convoy while it was going to Rajanagaram, injuring the security personnel. A lorry carrying sand had rammed into the car of Mr Manohor in Hyderabad on November 15 at 10.30 pm. The driver of Mr Manohars car, Mr C.S. Raju, lodged a complaint with the Jubilee Hills police. Following these two incidents in quick succession, Jana Sena cadres feared that there could be a conspiracy against Mr Kalyan and Mr Manohar in view of the recent knife attack on YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at Visakhapatnam airport. Mr Kalyan on Sunday discussed the incidents with party senior leaders and advisors. Party leaders said it could be part of Operation Garuda, a purported plan to unseat the TD, or a conspiracy to weak the Jana Sena. The logo of Unilever is seen at the headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands August 21, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw The state auditing agency says Unilever Vietnam should pay over $25 million in back taxes for the 2009- 2013 period. Speaking at a National Assembly session on the draft bill on Tax Administration, State Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc pointed to the Holland-backed personal care products maker Unilever Vietnam as an example of taxes overlooked by the authorities. Phoc submitted an audit report that says Unilever Vietnam had under-declared its tax dues. The company took the case to the Prime Minister and the National Assembly's Budget and Finance Committee. After re-examination, the State Audit concluded that the company had under-declared its tax dues by VND584 billion ($25 million). The auditor general said the company had accepted this figure, but requested that it is not charged for late payment. "Whether the company is fined will be decided by the General Department of Taxation, not us," Phoc said. However, tax department officials as well as Unilever Vietnam representatives told VnExpress that the company had not accepted the above figure despite the parties having discussed the issue many times. "The determination of the amount of tax arrears arising from errors in calculating the preferential tax rate that applies to Unilever Vietnam for its expansion activities in 2009-2013 is not related to transfer pricing," said a representative of the General Department of Taxation. Representatives of the HCMC Taxation Department also confirmed that the decision to collect this sum from Unilever Vietnam has been made, but has not been accepted by the company. Unilever Vietnam denies having under-declared any tax obligation. Tran Vu Hoai, the companys vice president of Sustainable Development and Public Relations, said the outstanding tax issue in question is "due to the differences in the stipulations of the Investment Tax Law and the Corporate Income Tax Law for the period before 2014." "Such differences in the stipulations of the relevant laws have led to different interpretations, causing difficulties for businesses and relevant agencies in the implementation of the laws," Hoai told VnExpress. The crux of this issue lies in the differences that existed in terms of investment incentives between "new projects" and "expanded investment projects" between 2009 and 2013. Then, "expanded investment projects" were only entitled to a three-year corporate income tax (CIT) exemption, and a 50 percent CIT reduction in the five following years. Meanwhile, "new projects" could enjoy a preferential CIT rate of 15 percent for 12 years, three-year tax exemption, and a 50 percent reduction over the next seven years. Tax men and companies are divided over the definition of "new project" and "expanded investment project" as they apply to tax incentives. Unilever Vietnam has petitioned the Government, the Ministry of Finance and State Audit to find a satisfactory solution in compliance with Vietnamese laws and international regulations. Unilever Vietnam is not the only company thats faced this problem. Suntory Pepsico Vietnam Beverage, GE, Piaggio Vietnam and Yamaha Motors have reportedly fought similar battles. Hoai said the matter is being handled by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and other agencies. In September, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment the task of coordinating and working with the Ministry of Finance to resolve such issues for enterprises, in the spirit of ensuring non-retroactivity of the law. Should Vietnam drink more liquor or less? NA debates Some National Assembly deputies fret over economic impacts of curbing alcohol consumption, others argue alcoholism causes much greater losses. In Vietnam, alcohol is big business. Every evening, people of all ages, mostly men, fill large beer halls for drinks after a long day at work. Multinational brewers find the Vietnamese market very attractive, and foreign brands like Heineken and Sapporo are hugely popular as are local ones like Saigon Special, 333, Hanoi and Truc Bach. Foreign companies have already bought stakes in local brewing giants like the Saigon Alcohol Beer and Beverages Corporation (Sabeco) and the Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Jsc., (Habeco). However, there are worries that the drinking habit is causing socio-economic problems that can worsen without curbs on consumption and marketing. A draft bill prepared by the Ministry of Health proposing several such curbs is currently being debated in the National Assembly (NA). The draft bill on the prevention of dangers of alcohol contains several prohibitions including: promotion in any manner of liquor with alcohol content of 15 degrees or more; ban on use of positive phrases like "medicinal alcohol", "nutritious alcohol" in product labels; advertising of alcohol during television prime time (6-9 p.m.); ban on sale of alcohol to persons under 18; and a ban on online alcohol sales. Vietnam already bans advertisements for hard alcohol. Responsible drinkers, lawful sellers Several of the draft bills provisions were objected to by some National Assembly deputies and industry insiders. Phan Thai Binh, deputy head of the National Assembly's delegation from central Quang Nam Province, said Vietnam should focus on controlling the "abuse of alcoholic beverages" by persons under 18 years of age. He said it was not advisable to restrict the consumption of alcohol in general, as it would adversely affect responsible drinkers and lawful businesses. NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien said the bill should pay attention to trade agreements that Vietnam has signed. Vietnam might be questioned if it imposes a special consumption tax on liquor, if it contravenes the agreements signed, Hien said. Some people even expressed concerns that the proposed restrictions could affect the number of visitors coming to Vietnam. Nguyen Van Viet, chairman of the Vietnam Beer, Alcohol, and Beverage Association (VBA), said: "Beer and alcohol production plays an important role in the development of the economy and society." Data collected by the Ministry of Health shows Vietnamese citizens consumed 305 million liters of liquor and 4.1 billion liters of beer in 2017, making it the biggest alcohol consumer in Southeast Asia and third biggest in Asia after Japan and China. On beer alone, nearly $4 billion was spent last year. The alcohol industry contributes about VND50 trillion ($2.17 billion) to the state budget a year and provides about 220,000 direct and indirect jobs. Vietnam targets production of 4.1 billion liters of beer in 2020 and 5.5 billion in 2035, according to VBA. The bad and the ugly Contradicting the proclaimed economic benefits, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the social costs generated by alcohol consumption at 1.33.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Based on this, Vietnam would lose at least VND65 trillion ($2.8 billion) each year, calculating the loss at the lowest rate of 1.3 percent, according to the Health Ministry. Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said: "We have to find a balance between economic benefits and damage to health and social welfare." Legislator Pham Trong Nhan said that the economic damage that alcohol consumption inflicts on Vietnam is significant. Although many people point to economic benefits and job creation, Nhan said it was hard to justify the mass production of beer and liquor. The indirect impact of alcohol on the economy should also be taken into consideration, Nhan said, citing official data that alcohol was the direct causes of at least 30 diseases and injuries and the indirect cause of at least 200 types of illnesses. He stressed that prompt measures should be taken now to take Vietnam out of its leading position in alcohol consumption in the world. Should Vietnam drink more liquor or less? NA debates Vietnam proposes beer advertisement ban to curb drinking In 2008, Vietnam ranked 8th in beer consumption in Asia. Eight years later, it had climbed to the 3rd position, behind Japan and China. Health Minister Tien said that the total direct burden of six types of cancer caused by alcohol and beer consumption is nearly VND26 trillion ($1.12 billion), accounting for 0.25 percent of total GDP last year; and the cost to deal with consequences of traffic accidents involving driving under the influence (DUI) accounted for 1 percent of GDP last year, or about VND50 trillion ($2.17 billion). The high volume of alcohol consumption in Vietnam is a result of easy availability of alcohol, especially beer, which can be found everywhere from wet market to convenience stores, according to some legislators. Legislator Le Thi Yen said Vietnam should not trade all the negative impacts that alcohol can cause for VND50 trillion, and that it should be noticed that it poses a challenge for sustainable social-economic development. Nha Trang and its surrounds are flooded, houses are wrecked as the storm causes heavy rains, landslides Sunday. Some low-lying communes on the outskirts of the popular resort town of Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa were submerged under more than one meter (over three feet) of water following a heavy downpour Sunday morning. Officials said 13 people have been killed in Nha Trang and four others are missing. Khanh Hoa was also among the hardest hit by Typhoon Damrey, which hit early November last year and killed 106 people, including 44 in the province. Local residents rescue a car that broke down. A motorbike rider walks her vehicle on a flooded road. The railway track running through Nha Trang and Cam Lam District was also flooded, forcing one train to halt at a station 12 kilometers from Nha Trang Station. Some 400 passengers remain stranded. Seven houses were buried under mud and rocks after prolonged downpours triggered landslides in Vinh Truong Ward. Many people barely escaped with their lives. Two people reportedly died when the wall of a pho noodle soup restaurant collapsed in the downpours Sunday. Hundreds of rescue workers were dispatched to the landslides areas to look for victims possibly buried under rocks. A car is seriously damaged. Dao Cong Thien, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Province, said more than 90,000 students in Nha Trang have been allowed to stay home from Monday since many schools are submerged under up to a meter of water as of Sunday morning. Several houses suffered heavy damage. Heavy rains also caused a landslide on the Cu Hin Pass. Traffic between Nha Trang and Cam Ranh Airport has been blocked as a result. Domestic flights headed to Nha Trang and the nearby Da Lat in the Central Highlands Sunday were forced to land in Ho Chi Minh City due to bad weather. The typhoon weakened into a tropical depression Sunday morning before making landfall according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center. Vietnam was struck by a record 16 tropical storms last year that left 389 people dead or missing and injured 668 others, mostly in the northern and central regions. In the first ten months of this year natural disasters left 185 people dead or missing and injured 134 others, and caused losses of more than VND8.8 trillion ($381 million), according to the General Statistics Office. Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as they attend the welcome ceremony at Yanqi Lake during the Belt and Road Forum, in Beijing, China, May 15, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Roman Pilipey Two years after the Philippines announced a divorce with old ally the U.S. in return for bumper business ties with China, it doesn't have much to show for it. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte left Beijing in 2016 with $24 billion of Chinese loans and investment pledges for his ambitious infrastructure overhaul, a few weeks after saying the Philippines was being treated like a dog by Washington and would be better off with China. But only a fraction of China's pledged support has materialised, exposing Duturte to criticisms he has been complicit in allowing China to pose threats to Philippines' sovereignty, and been left high and dry by Beijing. When Xi Jinping visits the Philippines this week, Duterte will need the Chinese president to put his money where his mouth is and help Duterte justify his geopolitical concessions to a historic rival, according to Richard Heydarian, a Manila-based defence and security analyst. "Otherwise, we can definitely conclude that there's really nothing much in the rhetoric and the Philippines has been taken for a ride," Heydarian said. "Duterte's naivety with China has been a slam dunk strategic coup for China, no doubt about it." Philippine's Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said it would be unreasonable to expect all the Chinese pledges to come through after only two years, but officials were hopeful intervention by Xi after his visit could help. "We're very optimistic this will, their head of state, will pressure their bureaucracy to speed up the process," he said last week. Duterte's signature "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program, the centerpiece of his economic strategy, involves 75 flagship projects of which about half are earmarked for Chinese loans, grants or investments. But according to publicly available Philippine government documents reviewed by Reuters, only three of those - two bridges and an irrigation facility worth a combined $167 million - have so far broken ground. The rest, including three rail projects, three highways and nine bridges, are at various levels of planning and budgeting, or are awaiting Chinese government approval for financing, or the nomination of Chinese contractors. 'Positive results' China's foreign ministry said major projects agreed by both sides "are proceeding smoothly and continue to achieve positive results". China wanted to boost trade and investment and "promote the early commencement of building of even more agreed upon projects," the ministry said in a statement to Reuters. Chinese committed investments in the Philippines in the first half of this year were just $33 million, about 40 percent of that of the United States and about a seventh of Japan's, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, tracking a similar trend the previous year. Trade between China and the Philippines has picked up significantly, but data suggests mostly in China's favour. Chinese exports to the Philippines grew 26 percent in the first nine months of 2017 from the same period a year earlier, outpacing its imports from Manila, which grew 9.8 percent. Net foreign direct investment from China has, however, surged to $181 million for the first eight months of this year, from $28.8 million for all of 2017, according to the Philippine central bank. Pressure needed Duterte has made a point of praising China effusively and confessing his "love" for Xi. He even jokingly offered his country to Beijing as "a province of China". Many ordinary Filipinos as well as international lawyers and diplomats are incensed by Duterte's refusal to even raise with China the Permanent Court of Arbitration's (PCA) 2016 award that ruled in the Philippines' favour, and invalidated Beijing's claim to most of the South China Sea. Instead, Duterte is seeking an agreement with China to jointly explore offshore gas at the disputed Reed Bank in the resource-rich and strategic waterway. Some lawmakers fear that could be tantamount to recognising Beijing's claim to a site that the PCA ruling said China has no sovereign rights to under international law. Duterte has also been against Southeast Asian countries taking a united stand against China militarisation and at a regional summit last week, he warned against causing friction, because the South China Sea was "now in their (China's) hands." Heydarian said if Duterte was unable to show an economic dividend from his China gambit, it could weaken his hand ahead of 2019 mid-term elections that might determine the success or failure of his presidency. To stand a chance of delivering on his policy agenda, Duterte needs his allies to command a majority in Congress and the Senate to ensure key legislation is passed to enable reforms aimed at generating revenue, attracting investment and creating higher-quality jobs. "If after Xi Jinping's visit, there's still no big move by China to invest in the Philippines, if China's militarisation and reclamation will just continue unabated, you're going to have a situation where Duterte will come under extreme pressure," he said. "The opposition is going to use that to pin down Duterte and his allies as Chinese lackeys." Over 44,000 people cross border at checkpoints with occupied Donbas within 24 hours On the morning of November 17, some 190 cars were standing in lines at entry/exit checkpoints. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine cuts grain exports by 12% in Jan-Sept expert Asian, African and European countries remain the major buyers of Ukrainian grain this year. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Vladimir Putin thanked the Turkish leader for his political will and courage. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Nov 19 attended the ceremony marking the completion of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream Project, a gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine. For us, Russia is a friend we can have long term cooperation with and is an important natural gas supplier, Erdogan said, speaking at the ceremony, according to Hurriyet Daily. He identified that this project is one of the outcomes of a tested friendship throughout many years and said Turkey has never judged its relations with Russia over impositions of other countries. Read alsoPoroshenko, Erdogan instruct to accelerate preparations for signing FTA Countries decisions as to how to obtain natural gas in accordance with their own circumstances must be respected. Pressure, which will violate states sovereign rights and prevent them from serving their citizens, will benefit no one, said Erdogan. I believe our solidarity with Putin and the Russian people will be foreshadowing of bigger projects, the president said. Turkish Stream is a project of historic proportions for our bilateral relations and for energy geopolitics in our region, on which we have exerted great efforts with our Russian friends, said Erdogan. Vladimir Putin, for his part, thanked Erdogan for his political will and courage and the Turkish Parliament for immediate permission for Turkish Stream. Read alsoUkraine in talks with Turkey on purchase of UAVs Turchynov TurkStream and the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will be symbols of the development of relations between Turkey and Russia, he said, noting that his country wants to reach a $100 billion bilateral trade volume with Turkey. As UNIAN reported earlier, the United States remains in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream gas pipeline projects bypassing Ukraine, that's according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry who visited Kyiv last week. The TurkStream will deliver Russian natural gas across the Black Sea to Turkey and then onto Europe. Read alsoPompeo to Klimkin: We'll keep working together to stop Nord Stream 2 (Video) Gazprom began construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream in May 2017. The Turkish Stream project envisages the construction of two pipelines, each 939 kilometers long. The first line will be designed for the Turkish market and will meet 35 percent of Turkeys natural gas consumption alone. The second is for gas supply to countries in southern and southeastern Europe. The capacity of each line is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019. The progress on the construction of the second line will depend on from where Russian natural gas will enter Europe, the relevant natural gas agreements to be signed and the route. Two lines will have a total throughput capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The first stream of gas is expected to flow through the pipeline in December 2019. Russia detains Ukrainian fishing vessel with crew in Sea of Azov - media The boat was escorted to the port of Yeisk. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Miners in "LPR" protesting against wage arrears "stripped, forced to dig holes" The organizers of the strike were shortly fired. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Christopher Columbus may have discovered the New World, but he is now persona non grata in the city of Los Angeles. Christopher Columbus is removed from the center of Los Angeles. TWITTER TWITTER Insisting that the Genovese explorers activities in the Americas amount to a stain on history, LA Council member Mitch OFarrell, a descendant of the Native American Wyandotte nation, secured the removal of his statue from the city centers Grand Park on November 10 to cheers and celebratory drumming from the local indigenous community, many of whom had fought alongside OFarrell during his campaign. The statue, which was a gift from an Italian association based in southern California in 1973, was trucked off to be left in storage.The question, however, remains: was Christopher Columbus a product of his time or was he, as OFarrell and the indigenous community maintain, the man who ushered in some of the worst massacres the world has ever known? The explorer Columbus undertook four voyages across the Atlantic under the patronage of Spains Catholic Monarchs between 1492 and 1502, seeking to establish a western route to the East Indies and profit from the spice trade. When he came ashore in the Bahamas, he believed he had reached his destination, which is why the indigenous population became known as Indians. His discovery paved the way for centuries of colonization, and though colonization is, by its very nature, violent and repressive, a majority of historians consulted for this story do not believe Christopher Columbus should be accused of genocide. He started a period of mass murder by the European conquerors British historian Roger Crowley According to Carlos Martinez Shaw, professor of modern history at the National University of Distance Learning (UNED) and a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of History, Columbus has avoided criticism and protest on account of his navigational feats and because he colonized new territory which led to globalization. However, there is a dark side to all this because he was driven by his desire to find gold and spices. When the explorers came across tribes, they would at times destroy them, or at least their culture, and there were many conflicts as the [indigenous] people rightfully defended themselves against the intruders. Martinez Shaw adds, however, that it is hard to talk in terms of genocide because there was no actual plan to wipe out indigenous populations, among other things because the local tribes were seen as an essential labor source. Meanwhile Steve Hackel, a history professor at the University of California, supports the claims of the indigenous Americans but believes that taking down the statue has generated controversy because of the lack of debate and the almost furtive manner in which it was carried out. Hackel believes that Columbus was a very controversial figure. He did not intend genocide nor did he practice it, he says. But he can be condemned for enslaving hundreds of Indians. He cant, however, be held responsible for the actions of those who came after him. According to the Colombian publisher and writer Mario Jursich, it is well documented that Columbus was not at the helm of any genocidal project. The people who committed atrocities against the indigenous Americans came after him the colonizers, he says. Nothing is gained by hiding uncomfortable aspects of the past by removing them from public view Colombian writer Mario Jursich Borja de Riquer, professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, considers it an exaggeration to accuse Columbus of ethnic cleansing. He was a voyager rather than a manager, he says. These stories are always violent. It shouldnt be termed so much a discovery as a conquest and the subjugation of a people by a foreign power. According to Professor Santiago Munoz Machado, a member of the Spanish Royal Academy who won the Spanish National History Prize last week for his book We Speak The Same Language, which charts Spains expansion during colonization, there is nothing to feel sorry about, nor is there any reason to condemn him. The removal of monuments in memory of Columbus is a cultural aggression. Taking the opposite view is British historian Roger Crowley, author of Empires of the Sea and Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire. He believes that when Columbus set foot on American soil on October 12, 1492, he ushered in an era of bloodshed. He started a period of mass murder by the European conquerors, he says. And that makes him the founding father of genocide in the New World. Crowley does, however, recognize that there was no conscious intent to wipe out the indigenous population. Antonio Espino Lopez, a historian from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and author of The Conquest of America: a critical look, is of a similar opinion. We cant speak in terms of a calculated genocide, he says. But we can speak in terms of the start of massive bloodbaths on the American continent. Jose Luis de Rojas, professor of American Anthropology at Madrids Complutense University and an expert in the conquest of Mexico, says that Columbus actions can be explained by his lifestyle. He was there for a very short time, he says. He spent half of his life on ships. De Rojas adds that the figures are exaggerated. Epidemics like smallpox killed more people than the Spanish did, he says. History in the dock The real question is whether we should apply modern criteria when judging the past. Carmen Sanz Ayan, professor of modern history at Madrids Complutense University and a member of the History Academy, says that it is not surprising that we are now revising our opinion of Columbus. It is something that has been in the air for some time in American universities, she says. But it is curious that it is coming from the descendants of communities that were nearly wiped out by other civilizations. According to Sanz, authority is being awarded to those who want to take what happened in the past out of context and make unambiguous interpretations. This is something that goes against science and, as historians, we cant allow it. Sanz believes that to do so is to risk inviting the construction of a national identity from an ethno-cultural point of view. And we all know what that led to in Europe, she says. Epidemics like smallpox killed more people than the Spanish did Jose Luis de Rojas, professor at Madrids Complutense University Espino Lopez, on the other hand, believes that imperialism in general should be re-examined: Its not just a question of the Spanish monarchy during the 16th century. They [Europeans] have all been equally bad and have tried to justify themselves with the argument that the [indigenous] people benefited from their actions. But that type of argument no longer stands up to scrutiny, he says. But Pablo Emilio Perez-Mallaina, professor of American history at the University of Seville, says that you cant judge what happened in the 15th century by 21st century standards. All civilizations have been both conquerors and conquered, he says. The Aztecs enslaved their enemies, sacrificed them and ate their hearts. Borja de Riquer agrees that few figures from history would emerge guiltless if they were judged by our criteria. Martinez Shaw adds that history allows for different interpretations of the facts and he believes that, in the case of Columbus, it is the big picture that counts. I prefer to leave it well enough alone because these are significant matters, he says. I do however understand there are those who dont want to. According to De Rojas, We have to acknowledge the past so that we dont repeat it, as is happening in central Africa. The only thing we can do is to accept it, even if we are not responsible for it. Empires In the ongoing debate over which countries committed the worst atrocities, De Riquer maintains that the conquest of America was not much different from what the British, the Dutch and the Italians were doing. The colonialist is never good, says Consuelo Varela, doctor of American history and a researcher at the CSIC School of Hispanic-American Studies. But if we compare what the Spanish did in Latin America with what the English did in the US and the Portuguese in Brazil She leaves the phrase hanging. Spain founded the University of Peru in the 16th century while the English founded Harvard in 1636 and in Brazil there was nothing until the start of the 20th century, when it was already independent. His statue is representative of someone helped initiate the greatest genocide ever recorded in human history LA Council member Mitch OFarrell Perez-Mallaina claims that the Spanish colonialists were not the worst offenders because they were closely linked to Catholicism which gave them a bad conscience about what they were doing something the English didnt have. While Roger Crowley recognizes that all colonization involves violence, pillage and oppression, he maintains that Belgian rule in the Congo was worse than British rule in India. Going back to the posthumous fate of Christopher Columbus, Professor De Rojas says that the statue was taken down because of what it represented rather than what Columbus actually did. Perhaps so, but Jursich still maintains: Nothing is gained by hiding uncomfortable aspects of the past by removing them from public view. English version by Heather Galloway. With information from Jacinto Anton, Francesco Manetto, Margot Molina, Pablo Ximenez de Sandoval, Pablo Ferri and Peio H. Riano. Feminist activists on Sunday interrupted a Madrid rally held to commemorate the anniversary of Francos death. Three members of the international collective Femen ran through the crowd half-naked, with the slogan legal fascism, national shame written across their breasts. On their backs, the women had written Stop 20N, a reference to November 20, the date when Franco nostalgics gather annually to observe the late Spanish dictators death in 1975. Franco supporters give fascist salutes at Madrid's Plaza de Oriente. PAUL HANNA (REUTERS) The police quickly moved in to pull the activists away from the angry demonstrators, some of whom had begun to push them around to cries of whores. One of these individuals was Manuel Andrino, the head of the far-right party Falange. The march took place between Callao and Plaza de Oriente, a symbolic spot that was once the site of pro-government demonstrations during the Franco regime. Demonstrators stood or sat on folding chairs across from the Teatro Real, bearing signs with the slogans Movement for Spain and Sanchez stop squatting and leave Franco in peace. The rally had been organized by the Association to Revoke the Historical Memory Law, a piece of legislation introduced in 2007 to recognize victims of the Civil War and condemn the Franco regime. This law is now being invoked by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, of the Socialist Party (PSOE), to try to take Francos body out of its current resting place in the Valley of the Fallen, a controversial monument northwest of Madrid. The decision has triggered a dispute with the dictators family, who is threatening to take the remains to La Almudena cathedral, which is also located next to Plaza de Oriente. English version by Susana Urra. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell (r) with his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian. JOHN THYS (AFP) The governments of the 27 European Union member states have now had time to carry out their first examination of the draft agreement covering the terms of the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the bloc popularly known as Brexit and on which they will hold a summit on Sunday. For its part, Spain has made clear it is not in a position to sign off on the document given a lack of clarity on the situation of Gibraltar, the contested British Overseas Territory located in the south of Spain. Spains foreign minister, Josep Borrell, on Monday called on the EUs Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, to modify an article about the negotiations that will see the establishment of the future relationship between the UK and EU. We want the interpretation to be clear in that text that the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU will not apply to Gibraltar, Borrell said following a meeting in Brussels of EU ministers for European affairs. According to diplomatic sources, Spain was unaware of Article 184 until Wednesday night The part of the deal that has raised the ire of Spain is article 184, which establishes that there will be negotiations to define the future EU-UK relationship. According to diplomatic sources, Spain was unaware of this article until Wednesday night, when Barnier distributed the text among the 27 member states. In contrast, the Cabinet of British Prime Minister Theresa May had seen it, as had the first minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo. Whats more, the governments legal services department wants to avoid at all costs that this provision covers Gibraltar. Borrell has called for a modification to the article so that it leaves no doubt that negotiations with Gibraltar are separate from the withdrawal agreement, and are subject to bilateral talks between London and Madrid. Diplomatic sources added that what Spain is really demanding is clarity That what is being negotiated has a territorial scope that does not include Gibraltar, Borrell added. That the future negotiations on Gibraltar are separate. And that is what has to be made clear. A separate framework M.G. The draft Brexit withdrawal agreement contains a protocol on Gibraltar that creates a brand new cooperation framework between London and Madrid to address relations between the Rock and the surrounding Spanish territory known as Campo de Gibraltar. In six articles, the protocol creates three Spanish-British committees that will be tasked with addressing issues of concern such as the rights of cross-border workers, the fight against smuggling, environmental protection, and cooperation on law enforcement and border control. According to EU sources, a number of ministers agreed that the Spanish demands should be met. However, the negotiating team and several member states are reluctant to reopen the text to introduce changes; in part, because this would open the door to other countries demanding new terms in a document whose negotiation was a balancing act. Diplomatic sources are not, however, ruling out that a solution could be found via an annex to the deal. The 2.3-square-mile territory of Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. English version by Simon Hunter. Animal-rights groups and political parties have reacted with indignation over a viral video that has emerged of 12 hunting dogs falling off a cliff edge, followed by the deer they were attacking, during a hunt in Herreruela, a municipality of 350 inhabitants in the Spanish province of Caceres. The hunting sector, meanwhile, has stated that the incident was an unlucky and isolated accident. Pacma, a Spanish political party that campaigns on its support for animal rights, environmental protection and social justice, was among the organizations that has shared the video, which lasts around a minute. HORRIFIC IMAGES! the group wrote in a tweet. 12 dogs and a deer chased by hunters fall off a cliff amidst gunshots. Enough is enough! There is no limit to the cruelty of hunters. The Spanish Royal Hunting Federation (RFEC) has confirmed that the incident took place in Herreruela, and expressed the consternation of the hunting sector for this accident that had the misfortune to take place in a dangerous area. The RFEC added that immediately afterward, as you would expect, the dogs involved were treated by veterinarians on site and at veterinary clinics. The association did not provide more information about the condition of the animals. A deputy from Spanish green party Equo, Juan Lopez Uralde, wrote on Twitter that he could not understand how people could enjoy this activity, while his party called for there to be consequences. The general secretary of left-wing anti-austerity party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, also criticized the incident, calling those responsible for what happened criminals. Lets abolish this once and for all and punish those who are guilty, he added. English version by Simon Hunter. The international payment system TYME has filed a lawsuit against the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to invalidate the decision of June 14, 2018 to cancel the registration of the international payment system TYME, according to a press release from the company. In the claims, the company requires that the court be obliged to renew all the licenses that have been revoked by the regulator, as well as the registration of the payment system and all its participants. According to the statements of the NBU management, these decisions were made on the basis of the indisputable evidence received from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) about violations of the regulator's requirements by the TYME payment system, which entailed risks to the national security of Ukraine. TYME repeatedly requested to provide these documents for review, including through legal inquiries. The documents were not provided in the responses received from the NBU and the SBU. The company believes that "the actions of the SBU and the NBU, represented by Yakiv Smolii, are not within the legal framework and are criminal in nature." TYME was the only international non-bank payment system in Ukraine and until the time of its closure it was the leader in the market of payment systems in Ukraine in 2017 and the first half of 2018. In early 2018, TYME was assigned the status of a socially important payment system in Ukraine, along with Ukrposhta. As reported, the NBU by its decision of June 14 canceled the registration of the international payment system TYME. Next year, a meeting of the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership commission will be held in Kyiv, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said. "Next year, this Commission (the Ukraine-U.S. Strategic Partnership Commission) will be in Kyiv," Klimkin said on the air of Voice of America program on Channel 5 on Friday evening. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has been taken to a hospital, Yanukovych's lawyer Oleksandr Horoshynsky said on Sunday. "I confirm that Viktor Yanukovych has sustained a severe injury and has been hospitalized," Horoshynsky said on the television channel News One. According to the lawyer, Yanukovych will be unable to make his final statement in a video-link to the Kyiv Obolonsky District Court, which is hearing his treason case, on November 19. "We had a brief meeting yesterday, and exchanged a few words on tomorrow's court hearing. Of course, he can take no part in the hearing for health reasons; he is actually unable to move," Horoshynsky said. The media said earlier that Yanukovych had been hospitalized in Moscow. The Kyiv Obolonsky District Court said on October 30 that debates at Yanukovych's treason trial had come to an end. The court gave Horoshynsky time for being registered as a foreign lawyer in Russia, so that he could attend Yanukovych's final statement in a video-conference format. "The court believes that November 19 is the reasonable deadline by which you can either be registered or not. If the court fails to hear Viktor Yanukovych for some reason, and he waives his right, then, consistent with the Criminal Procedure Code, the court will have an obligation and a right to recess for making a final decision in this case," Presiding Judge Vladyslav Deviatko said. He added that was the last date when Yanukovych could make his final statement in the Obolonsky District Court. Lord Jopling's report at the NATO PA is an analysis of Russia's hybrid war against the democratic world MP Friz The fundamental report of the British parliamentarian Lord Thomas Michael Jopling "Countering Hybrid Threats in Russia" says Russia's hybrid war is primarily aimed at the Euro-Atlantic community and NATO/EU countries, delegation member to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Iryna Friz has said. Friz said on Facebook the report of the British parliamentarian is the first attempt to analyze all aspects of the hybrid war that the Kremlin imposed on the democratic world. "The report contains specific examples of the various interventions of Russia in the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Belgium, Finland, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and others. This comprehensive report is aimed at further informing about the hybrid actions of Russia, including political interference, espionage, disinformation and propaganda, cyberattacks, kinetic intervention, economic pressure, and also demonstrates how several methods strengthen and complement each other," Friz said. Friz said, according to Lord Jopling, British intelligence had already turned Russia into a "first" threat alongside Islamic terrorism. She also noted that a separate item in the report noted the weight of the provision of tomos to Ukraine and Russian hacker attacks on Ukraine's Ecumenical Patriarchate. "Religious and state officials in Russia are working side by side to prevent disengagement, as this will undoubtedly reduce Russia's influence in Ukraine," Friz said, quoting the British parliamentarian. According to the Ukrainian parliamentarian, the speaker pointed out Russian hackers targeted high-ranking Orthodox Christian leaders, including the top hierarchs of Patriarch Bartholomew. Iryna Gerashchenko, the First Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada, Representative of the Ukrainian President for Peaceful Settlement in Donbas, has urged the NATO PA to support Ukraine's initiative regarding the peacekeeping mission in Donbas, as well as the participation of women in it. "Traditionally, these debates gather a large audience at the Assembly. Taking advantage of the presence of a large number of delegations, I spoke about the participation of Ukrainians in peace processes, the role of military and civil women to restore the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," she commented on Facebook on Sunday on her participation in the discussion "Women. Peace. Security," which was held in the framework of the ninth session of the NATO PA in Halifax (Canada). She noted that Ukrainian women pay the highest and most terrible price for the Russian aggression unleashed against Ukraine. "More than 1,500 widows, more than 2,250 mothers who lost their sons ... She told about young nurses and women-soldiers who were killed by Russian mercenaries, women who remain hostages in the occupied Donbas for the pro-Ukrainian position. She emphasized that Donbas and especially Crimea, remain closed to monitoring missions. We cannot fully record all human rights violations there, including sexual crimes," wrote Gerashchenko. The representative of Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the TCG in Minsk called for support of the initiative of Ukraine regarding the peacekeeping mission in Donbas. "It would be good if women constitute a significant percentage in the peacekeeping mission," said Gerashchenko. In addition, the politician said that during the discussion, the sides exchanged views on enhancing the role of women in peacekeeping processes with NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security Clare Hutchinson, who recently visited Ukraine. In a resolution at the 64th session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), which took place in Canada, the Ukrainian delegation presented another report on the relationship of the Russian Federation with Islamic terrorist organizations, head of Ukraine's parliamentary delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Verkhovna Rada deputy (Bloc Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction) Iryna Friz has said. "Today, during the meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly/Assemblee parlementaire de l'OTAN, we have presented our partners with a regular report on the relationship of the Russian Federation with Islamic terrorist organizations," Friz wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday evening. According to her, the report focuses on the Kremlin's relations with the Taliban, as well as evidence of the supply of weapons and material resources. "The Taliban is the subject of a separate report of the Parliamentary Assembly, which was discussed at that session," Friz said. She also said that the report has evidence of how Russian special services encourage radical Islamists to leave the territory of Russia, including by ensuring their flight and participation in hostilities outside the state, in particular, in Syria on the side of the Islamic state. "In addition, many former Iraqi ba'athists, who formed the main body of the military-political elite during the time of Hussein, and then the top of ISIS, were trained in the KGB of the USSR. The report contains many interesting facts, evidence and proof of such cooperation," the parliamentarian added. Friz also added that back in the 1980s, when the KGB was headed by Yuriy Andropov, the idea of using Islamic terrorism against the countries of Western civilization was founded. "This is the sixth report by our delegation. Today, during its presentation, the President of the NATO PA and the heads of delegations of Great Britain, France, Germany, USA, Canada, Turkey, and Spain noted that these reports are very important for understanding the aggressive actions of Russia," she concluded. The possible appointment of a Russian representative to the presidency of Interpol will allow the Kremlin to expand the practice of using Interpol tools to persecute political opponents of the Russian regime, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said. "The General Assembly is deciding the fate of Interpol, reflecting another hybrid attack by the Putin regime. Today, the 87th session of the Interpol General Assembly opened. It will take extremely important decisions that will affect the entire global security system. In fact, the question remains whether the world's largest international criminal police organization (ICPO) is committed to the principle of cooperation only in cases of ordinary crimes and can refuse cases of political, religious, racial (ethnic) or military character, as it is written in its Charter," Avakov said on Facebook. Avakov noted that Alexander Prokopchuk, a veteran of Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Russian foreign intelligence agencies, is contending to the top post of the ICPO. "The Putin regime is waging an open hybrid war against a significant part of the civilized world. It is waging a direct hybrid war against Ukraine, using, among other things, specific methods under the control of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Russian GRU military intelligence directorate," Avakov said. "If Prokopchuk becomes Interpol president it will allow the Russian regime to further expand the practice of using the 'red notices' to restrict freedom of movement and prosecution of undesirable persons in the interests of the odious regime," Avakov said. Avakov expressed conviction that the world community should finally recognize the toxicity of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin and work out preventive measures, rather than "legalizing it through posts in the leadership of Interpol." "Ukraine, which was the first to suffer from its aggression, is today actually restraining this aggression from moving further to Europe. We can and should be heard. To do this, we work closely at the General Assembly of Interpol in Dubai. With the help of our partners, we hope to prevent this next hybrid threat to Ukraine and the entire civilized world," the minister said. In turn, as a member of the collegium of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada deputy (People's Front Party faction) deputy Anton Gerashchenko said Ukraine has "irrefutable information that Alexander Prokopchuk, the main candidate for the post of new president of Interpol, is a Russian intelligence agent infiltrated into Interpol." Gerashchenko said since Prokopchuk was put in charge of the Russian Interpol Bureau in 2011, Russia began to actively use this organization as a tool for the prosecution of undesirable persons. "This was done by issuing red cards on trumped-up charges against people dangerous to the Putin regime. The persons were then detained at Interpol requests. In the end, this led to a big scandal," Gerashchenko said, adding that Prokopchuk's election to president of the International Police Organization would mean Interpol's subordination to Russian special services and discredit of this organization. "The head of Interpol should be a representative of a neutral state that respects human rights and does not wage aggressive wars. The formal reason for excluding Prokopchuk from the list of applicants is the fact he hides his connection with Russian intelligence services," he said. Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliament deputy Mustafa Nayyem, in turn, said on Facebook that Interpol's General Assembly would elect a new president on November 21. "It's most likely that they will elect Prokopchuk. The election of a representative of Russia to the highest post in Interpol will mean the actual seizure of this organization by Russia and other authoritarian regimes. We are asking non-governmental organizations to sign a joint appeal to delegates to the assembly calling on them not to elect him," Nayyem said. Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Heorhiy Tuka has said he expects the Verkhovna Rada to increase in the draft state budget for 2019 the financing of the program for the construction or purchase of housing for IDPs to UAH 100-150 million. "I hope that in 2019 there will be an opportunity to increase funding for the housing program. Since the program's territory covers the whole country, and the funding has remained at the level of this year in the amount of UAH 36 million. For the whole of Ukraine, this is just a drop in the ocean ... I hope that parliament deputies when they consider the draft budget will do everything possible to find additional sources of funding for this program," Tuka said at a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday. Tuka stressed that, according to his forecasts, UAH 100-150 million is needed for the first year of nation-wide program. The deputy minister noted that the program is to co-finance 50/50 from the state and local budgets for the construction or purchase of housing for IDPs. Tuka also complained about the low activity of participation in this program by local authorities and how they are addressing housing for displaced people in general. Among other things, he noted that the current system of IDP registration does not make it possible to determine the number of IDPs currently in need of housing. Ukrainian diplomats have condemned an attack on Canadian journalist Michael Colborne in Kyiv on November 18 while he was attending a rally for transgenders' rights. They said they expect a swift investigation into the case. "We consider attacks on journalists as well as any manifestations of intolerance and violence to be unacceptable. We are waiting for the results of an investigation by law enforcement agencies," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Kateryna Zelenko wrote in a tweet on Twitter. In his turn, Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko said he expected a quick investigation, too. "As a Ukrainian diplomat and a journalist, I am upset and disappointed by the attack on Michael Colborne. It is not the Kyiv we love and cherish. The perpetrators should be quickly brought to justice!," he said in a post on Twitter on November 18. As was earlier reported, members of far-right parties disrupted a rally by participants of the Kyiv March for Transgender Rights that was meant to commemorate the transgender people who were killed in violent attacks. Ukraine's SBU State Security Service has blocked a distribution channel for weapons and ammunition organized by supporters of the international terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIL), detaining one of the groups participants. According to the SBU's press service, intelligence officers of the security services established that citizens of Central Asian countries, using fake documents, illegally arrived in Ukraine after deportation from the territory of another Asian country because of links with ISIL. Employees of the SBU documented the sale of two foreign-made pistols and ammunition to the attackers. Law enforcement officers detained one of the participants of the group and served him with a notice of suspicion of committing a crime, under Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons) of Ukraine's Criminal Code. The person was remanded to custody. The SBU's press center said the detainee in his home country was wanted for participation in armed units, armed conflicts or military actions on the territory of other states and financing of crimes of a terrorist nature. During searches at the place of residence of the defendants in the case, law enforcement officers seized four F-1 grenades and a RGD-5 grenade, forged documents, symbols of an international terrorist organization and money from the sale of weapons and ammunition. The Verkhovna Rada's regulations committee has said a request by Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko seeking the parliament's consent to detaining and arresting MP Stanislav Berezkin of the People's Will group was not motivated enough and groundless. At the same time, the committee said it will question the reasoning of the request by the Prosecutor General to bring criminal charges against the MP, in connection with which it will issue a statement in writing. A number of non-governmental organizations and human rights groups from different countries have called on the delegates by member states to the 87th session of INTERPOL's General Assembly not to allow for electing the current INTERPOL Vice President Aleksandr Prokopchuk as the new president of that organization. We "hereby call on the delegates of the countries participating in the 87th session of the General Assembly of INTERPOL to prevent the election of a representative of the Russian Federation Oleksandr Prokopchuk to the post of President of INTERPOL and to take all necessary measures to prevent the use of this reputable organization, in violation of Art. 3 Constitution of INTERPOL, for prosecuting people within the framework of fabricated and politically motivated cases," a statement on the website of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union says. The statement says that it is important that "the engagement of INTERPOL with Russia and other authoritarian regimes need to be ceased immediately"; otherwise if the situation does not change now, it can become a serious challenge to humanity, which will entail a significant number of victims. The statement says that currently Russia and its allies are leaders in misusing INTERPOL mechanisms, including Red Notice and Diffusion requests for the purpose of politically motivated prosecution and national, religious, social and gender-related persecution. Thus, in spite of an active work aimed at preventing such misuse, it can be asserted with confidence that the database of the organization includes several thousand people that follow authoritarian regimes, including the Russian Federation, in violation of Art. 3 of the INTERPOL Constitution. These are residents of the occupied Crimea and other regions of Ukraine, natives of Chechnya and other republics of the North Caucasus, human rights activists, opposition politicians, and businessmen. In addition, the INTERPOL list contains the names of many people who have been granted refugee status in relation to the state that is pursuing them. "If a representative of the Russian Federation is elected to the leading position in the organization, the number of politically motivated prosecutions with the use of the INTERPOL mechanisms will only increase, as it is highly likely that the authorities of the Russian Federation would apply methods of blocking complaints regarding unlawful registration of the criminal record of prosecuted persons whose names have been included in the database of the organization," the statement reads further. Also, the possibility that Russia would reissue requests for the pursuit of individuals who had been previously removed from the INTERPOL database due to a violation of the organizations Constitution cannot be ignored. Thus, these individuals may be subjected to unlawful prosecution again. The organizations that have signed the statement also voice their fears that INTERPOL can turn into an organization that deals with the persecution of dissenters under the orders of dictatorial, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. "If a representative of the Russian Federation is elected to the leading position in the organization, it can be argued that the database of the organization could be used in the interests of the regime of Putin and his satellites," the statement says. The statement was signed in particular by Kharkiv human rights group, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Open Dialogue Foundation, Center for Civil Liberties, Humanitarian Studio Khvylia, Anticorruption Action Center, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Center for Global Studies Strategy XXI, Civic organization Fairness corps, Human Rights Information Center, Center Eidos, Center for Political Studies, Vostok-SOS (East-SOS), Crimean Human Rights Group, Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, NGO Transcarpathian community, Democracy Monitor Azerbaijan, Democracy For Azerbaijan France, Journalist Academy Latvia, Democratic Azerbaijan Movement, Azerbaijani Latvian Lawyers, Institute for Peace and Democracy Azerbaijan/Netherlands, Migration Center of Azerbaijan (Germany), Ukraine Action (France), Euro Asia News Media Group Journalist Against Corruption, and many others. Klimkin to visit Vienna on Nov 20-21 to attend conference on countering anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin will pay a working visit to Vienna, Austria, on November 20-21. "The main purpose of the visit is to attend a high-level international conference on countering anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. Minister Pavlo Klimkin is scheduled to speak at panel discussion," the Foreign Ministry's press service said on Monday. The foreign minister will also hold a number of bilateral meetings in Vienna. As part of his visit to Canada, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has met with Canada's Minister of National Defense Harjit Singh Sajjan. "Among all the discussions, we have had outstanding meetings with our Canadian friends, in particular, Defense Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan. We talked about defense cooperation and what their presidency of G7 is doing for Ukraine," Klimkin said in a tweet on Twitter on November 19. He also said that before his departure he called Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to discuss "a strong stance" on the Ukrainian issue at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU's European External Action Service that is meeting in Brussels on Monday. Over 20 lawmakers receive housing refunds although own houses in Kyiv, probe under way - Lutsenko The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine and Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) are probing into the lawfulness of housing refund payment to over 20 lawmakers, PGO Chief Yuriy Lutsenko said. "As far as I know, both the PGO and SAPO have gathered materialsThese are more than 20 lawmakers who receive refunds for housing while they have houses in Kyiv, within 30 km, as is foreseen in laws," he told reporters in Kyiv on Monday answering a question about motions being prepared to strip new lawmakers of parliamentary immunity. This probe concerns members of almost every parliamentary faction, he added. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is taking heat from conservatives over his recent remark that money laundering is rampant in the Islamic Republic. The pressure has increased to a level that the spokesman of the foreign ministry, Bahram Ghasemi had to react on Monday in his press briefing. For sure, I reject this rumor. These are manufactured, processed and spread by certain circles. Mr. Zarif is energetically busy with his work. He was in parliament yesterday and today he is hosting a foreign delegation. He added, I imagine these rumors are calculated and purposeful. Their target is the foreign ministry and specifically the minister [Zarif]. This is not the first time that these rumors are spread in social media and today even by some media outlets. A hardline politician and a member of parliaments national security commission, Javad Karimi Ghodousi is one of the persons who claims he has partly credible information that Zarif has already resigned or will do so soon. He also told Fars news agency, Zarif is the source of many entanglements for the country. The spokesman of the Iranian judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has demanded Zarif present evidence to support his claims of endemic money laundering problems in the country. The foreign ministry spokesman reacted to rumors that Ejei has sent a letter to Zarif, requesting an explanation for his corruption remarks. Ghasemi said, We have not received any requests from the distinguished spokesman of the Judiciary. Zarif had told a local website November 11 that those who profit from money laundering in Iran are spending millions of dollars to prevent the passage of legislation requiring more financial transparency. The foreign minister went on to accuse state-run agencies that he refrained from naming, of mounting a campaign against legislation intended to bring Iran in line with international rules and regulations. .Known collectively in Iran as the Palermo Bills, the legislation would pave the way for the country to meet the requirements of international organizations for financial transparency and measures to prevent financing terrorism. Originally proposed by President Hassan Rouhani in November last year, the bills have met staunch resistance from hardliners, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who says the agreements have been cooked up by foreign enemies. A hardline MP Mohammad Dehqan, lambasted Zarif in a fiery speech before Parliament, saying, "Mr. Zarif you have disgraced the Islamic Republic by your irrational and absurd comments." Dehqan, who is the deputy chairman of a parliamentary faction supporting the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, went on to say, that any hope of passing the Palermo Bills was now lost as a result of Zarifs hideous and unwarranted comments. Several other conservative MPs have demanded Zarif provide evidence to support his claims of widespread corruption. Tasnim, a website run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported November 18 that six MPs have signed a petition calling for Zarifs removal from office. The signatories are close allies of the ultra-conservative Front of Islamic Revolution Stability. No official confirmation exists about a parliamentary move to impeach Zarif. IRGC commanders, Friday Prayer Leaders across Iran, and other figures appointed by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly opposed the passage of the UN-sponsored conventions against financing international terrorism and money laundering. The opponents of the Palermo Bills argue that their implementation is a threat to Irans security. Analysts say the real fear in circles loyal to the Supreme Leader is that adhering to the financial transparency requirements would prevent Iran from financially supporting the Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas militant groups. The FATF has given Tehran until February to either endorse the UNTOC or be added to its blacklist of countries refusing to cooperate in the fight against money laundering and financing terrorism. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Tehran to endorse the bills before the deadline set by FATF. Following days of protests by workers in Shush, southwest Iran, the labor union at the Haft Tappeh sugar factory reports that up to 19 workers have been arrested by security forces. Earlier, the Governor-General of Khuzestan province had confirmed that four workers had been arrested during labor protests against long overdue wages. The Workers Syndicate at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory also reported on Sunday that two representatives of the plant's labor force, Esma'eil Bakhshi and Mosslim Arman and others had been arrested and taken to the security office of Shush (ancient Susa) on Sunday. Although Radio Farda cannot independently confirm all the details, it appears the two labor representatives are among the 19 arrested, as reported by the labor union. A tweet announcing the arrest of two labor leaders The enraged workers demanded the freedom of their comrades on Monday, as they marched in the city and then gathered for a sit-in at the city's court. Videos published on social media show workers chanting, "Neither threats nor arrests, have no impact anymore". Earlier, it was reported that on Saturday, November 17, Special Unit Forces were deployed at the factory's compound and its surroundings. The forces left the site on Sunday, later reports said. Before being detained, the representative of Haft Tapeh workers, Esma'eil Bakhshi delivered a fiery speech deploring the presence of Special Unit forces. In a footage of the speech circulated on social media, Bakhshi directly addresses the heavily armed forces, admonishing them for aiming their guns at unarmed people, while the protesters were merely demanding their rights. Bakhshi delivered his speech immediately after the Special Unit forces closed the gates of the factory. He told them to stand down, as they were public servants, receiving their salaries from people's taxes and should show solidarity with the people. Nevertheless, angry workers continued their protest rally for the fourteenth consecutive day on Sunday in front of Shush Governor's office, a Telegram messaging Channel, Emtedad said today, adding that there were minor clashes between the protesters and the security forces. The workers at Haft Tapeh Sugarcane factory have been protesting what they have described as "endless difficulties" while demanding their long overdue wages. It was earlier reported that the private director of the plant had either fled Iran or held in custody. The spokesman of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, mid-ranking cleric Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei confirmed on Sunday that the director is indeed on the run. Furthermore, the workers at the Iran National Steel Industry Group (INSIG) in Khuzestan capital city, Ahvaz, are also on strike. In their eighth consecutive day of protests, INSIG workers assembled in front of the Governor office in Ahvaz. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.19 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Croatia advocates peaceful and diplomatic solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Charges d'affaires ad interim of Croatian embassy in Azerbaijan Branko Zebic said in an interview with Trend. He pointed out that Croatia has also experienced such difficulties and has much experience in conflict settlement. Croatia recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity. We advocate peaceful and diplomatic solution of the conflict. We support OSCE Minsk Group and efforts of the international community in this regard, said the diplomat. 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 the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 Trend: As part of his official visit to Belarus, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited a monument to the victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945 in Victory Square in Minsk. A guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani president in the square. President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the monument. The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Belarus were played. The guard of honor marched in front of the head of state to the accompaniment of the military march. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who is on an official visit to Belarus, has familiarized himself with Azerbaijans trading house in Minsk. The head of state was informed of the conditions created in the trading house. Azerbaijans trading house was opened in Minsk in May 2017. The trading house is created to support the promotion of Azerbaijani goods under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in Belarus, and engage in marketing research, participation in exhibitions and other activities related to the promotion of Azerbaijani goods. The permanent exhibition at the trading house features various types of products manufactured by 30 Azerbaijani companies. ASAN and ABAD stands are also presented to visitors here. The exhibition also features the stand of the representation of IT company Caspel which operates in five countries apart from Azerbaijan. After viewing the conditions created here, the head of state wished Azerbaijans trading house success. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 Trend: An official welcome ceremony has been held for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Minsk. A ceremonial guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani president at the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko welcomed President Aliyev. State anthems of Azerbaijan and Belarus were played. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Aliyev. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor. President Aliyev saluted Belarus soldiers. State and government representatives of Belarus were introduced to President Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Lukashenko. Then, the guard of honor marched in front of the presidents. The presidents posed for official photos. President Aliyev then viewed the photos of the renovated historical monuments, including the churches, castles and other monuments in Minsk, as well as in other cities during Alexander Lukashenko's presidency after the Republic of Belarus restored its independence. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 Trend: Following the one-on-one meeting, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko have been joined by their delegations for a meeting in an expanded format. The presidents made speeches at the meeting. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 Trend: Following the expanded meeting, a ceremony of signing documents has been held with participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. President Ilham Aliyev and President Alexander Lukashenko signed The Joint Declaration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Republic of Belarus. Azerbaijan`s Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev and Belarus Minister of Labor and Social Protection Irina Kostevich signed The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus in the field of social and labor affairs". Azerbaijan`s Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade and Belarus Minister of Communications and Informatization Konstantin Shulgan signed The Protocol of Intent on Cooperation between the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus in the fields of communication and information and communication technologies. Azerbaijan`s Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov and Belarus Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Vashchenko signed The Comprehensive Plan of Action for 2019-2021 for the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus on October 17, 2006, in the city of Minsk. Azerbaijan`s Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov and Chairman of the State Military Industrial Committee of Belarus Roman Golovchenko signed The Memorandum of Understanding on the development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Military Industrial Committee of the Republic of Belarus in the field of supply of air defense weapons and equipment. Azerbaijan`s Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov and Belarus Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Vladimir Grakun signed The Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus in the fields of agriculture and food. Azerbaijan`s Ambassador to Belarus Latif Gandilov and Chairman of the State Forensic Examination Committee of Belarus Andrei Shved signed The Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Forensic Examination Committee of the Republic of Belarus in the field of the forensic expertise. Azerbaijan`s Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov and Belarus Prosecutor General Alexander Konyuk signed The Agreement on Cooperation between the Prosecutor General`s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prosecutor General`s Office of the Republic of Belarus. Azerbaijan`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov and Belarus Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Shunevich signed The Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Belarus in the field of migration. The signing of documents was followed by a ceremony to launch a joint postage stamp marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Azerbaijani and Belarus presidents sealed the postage stamps and signed a stamped envelope. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Samir Ali - Trend: The US State Department's international conference on combating drugs will be held in Baku, the Azerbaijani deputy prime minister, chairman of the State Commission for Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, Ali Hasanov, said. He was speaking at the 53rd session of the UN Subcommission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East Nov. 19 in Baku. He said that in this regard, the conference organizers appealed to the Azerbaijani president. The conference will be held in Baku April 16-18, 2019, Hasanov said. In this regard, an organizing committee has already been created. Up to 500 representatives from 120 countries, as well as heads of state of several countries, will participate in the event. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree Nov. 15 on the creation of an Organizing Committee for holding the 36th International Conference on Fighting Drug Trafficking in Baku in 2019. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Ali Qasimov Trend: During 1995-2018, Georgia invested $93.8 million in the Azerbaijani economy and Azerbaijan invested more than $3 billion in the Georgian economy, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev said. Mustafayev made remarks at the meeting with the Georgian delegation headed by Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani on a visit to Baku. Since 2012, Azerbaijan has ranked first in terms of making investments in Georgia, he added. More than 300 Georgian companies, about 650 investment companies of Azerbaijan have been registered in Azerbaijan. In particular, the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR successfully operates in Georgia. Mustafayev stressed that trade relations, which are one of the main areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia, are developing. He added that in 2017 the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia amounted to $545 million, while exports increased by 13 percent. "In January-September 2018, trade turnover between the countries amounted to $450 million, while exports grew by 8 percent, the minister added. Joint business forums, business meetings and other events involving business people are regularly held between the countries." He stressed that the energy sector is one of the main directions of the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia and such big projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Southern Gas Corridor testify to the successful cooperation. As for the cooperation in the transport and transit field, Mustafayev stressed the special importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and added that earlier this year China had a presentation of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor project. The minister also stressed that a similar presentation is planned to be held in Baku. In turn, Machavariani stressed the friendly relations between the countries, cooperation in big energy and transport projects having international importance, the development of ties in the economic sphere. Stressing that the holding of another presentation in connection with the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor with the participation of Azerbaijan and Georgia will be important in terms of promoting the transport and transit potential of the region. Machavariani said that Georgia, along with the energy, transport and transit, is also interested in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the fields of industry, agriculture, tourism and others. He appreciated SOCARs activity in Georgia. shgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 19 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The business forum organized by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan together with Italian Trade Agency has taken place in Ashgabat, said a message from Turkmen government. The Italian delegation includes more than thirty companies functioning in the area of fuel and energy complex (FEC), chemical and food industry, agriculture, in particular such companies as Eni, Maire Tecnimont, Nuovo Pignone, FATA, Kerry Logistics, Aermec, Brunel. The Ambassador of Italy to Turkmenistan Diego Ungaro noted that the volume of Turkmen exports to Italy has almost tripled from the beginning of this year, and the volume of Italian products imported in Turkmenistan has increased by 50 percent, the message says. "The representatives of business circles of Italy expressed their special interest in expansion of fruitful contacts with private sector of Turkmen economy," said Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry. The presence of the Italian business on the Turkmen market is noticeable in oil and gas sector. In November 2014, the Eni company extended its activity in Turkmenistan within Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for 10 years. This refers to oil and gas bearing contract area of more than 1,000 square kilometers in Balkan region of the country. The company also expressed its interest in exploration of offshore blocks 19 and 20 in Turkmen sector of Caspian Sea with reserves of more than 500 million tons of oil and 630 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan's agriculture machinery holding, UzAgroTechMachHolding (O'zagrosanoatmashxolding), has registered an additional issue of shares worth 273.94 billion soums (over $33.12 million), the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Assistance to Privatized Enterprises and Development of Competition told Trend. The total value of the holdings accounted shares exceeded 864.9 billion soums ($104.57 million). The Committee said that as of Nov. 16, 2018 the securities of 603 joint-stock companies were taken into account at the Central Securities Depository, the total volume of which amounted to 5.599 trillion with a nominal value of 57.135 trillion soums. The financial sector (banks, stock exchanges, investment funds, leasing and insurance companies) accounted for 3.336 trillion shares with a nominal value of 14.964 trillion soums. A large majority of corporate bonds in Uzbekistan fell on the share of commercial banks. According to the Committee, the Central Securities Depository accounted for 500,000 corporate bonds totaling 198.06 billion soums, of which 450,000 bonds or 148.06 billion soums were issued by only three commercial banks. Earlier, it was reported that the Nov. 5-9 trade week at the Tashkent Republican Stock Exchange ended with 250 purchase and sale transactions on shares of 32 joint stock companies. As a result, 567.2 million shares worth a record high of 12.4 billion soums were sold against 101.3 billion soums last week. Since the beginning of the year, 8,839 security transactions worth 553.5 billion soums have been concluded at the Tashkent RSE. Some 8.46 billion securities of 115 issuers were used in the trades. (8271.27 UZS = 1 USD on Nov. 16) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has held a telephone conversation with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the official website of Kazakh president stated. The leaders confirmed the agreement to hold the next Consultative Meeting of the heads of the Central Asian states next year in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. The presidents also noted the importance of coordinating preparation of a meeting at the level of foreign ministries of the Central Asian states. During the telephone conversation, Nazarbayev and Mirziyoyev also discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, as well as issues of the regional agenda. First Consultative Meeting of the heads of Central Asian states was held in Astana in March this year. At the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September last year, president of Uzbekistan proposed to hold an informal meeting of the Central Asian presidents. Nazarbayev supported Mirziyoyev and offered to meet in the capital of Kazakhstan. Today, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are strengthening economic cooperation. As many as 16 documents on the implementation of joint projects were signed during the First Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Interregional Forum, held in Shymkent last week. In particular, agreements were signed on the mutual recognition of visa regimes by the Silk Road states and creation of a joint venture between KTZ Express and Uzavtotranstekhnika Scientific and Production Center. Also, KazTransGas and Uztransgas signed an agreement on the transportation of natural gas through the territory of Uzbekistan. Trade turnover between the two countries in 2017 increased by 31.2 percent and amounted to $2 billion. Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan set a task to increase the trade turnover to $5 billion by 2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 19 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Ashgabat will host the Turkmenistan International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition (OGT Expo 2018) on November 20-22, the Turkmenoil state concern and the Turkmen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the organizers of the event, said in a message. Special attention will be paid to such issues as the diversification of export routes of Turkmen natural gas, attraction of investments to the oil and gas industry, introduction of innovative technologies in the process of search and production of hydrocarbons, global experience in the production of environmentally friendly fuel, projects on the processing of natural gas and the production of gas chemical products. During the conference, it is planned to organize discussion on the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the message said. Last years similar conference in Ashgabat involved 328 delegates from 37 countries. The ministries of energy of Russia and Georgia, the European Commission, the US Department of State, the International Energy Charter, as well as Exxon Mobil, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, BP, Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd, Samsung, Dragon Oil, Petronas Carigali, CNPC, ENI, Axis, Total, ILF Consulting Engineers, Burckhardt Compression AG, Westport Trading Europe Limited, Capex, Albemarle Chemicals, Burintekh, Honeywell, Morinzhgeology, Wood Group, Inter State Gas Systems, Allen & Overy were represented in the forum. On the sidelines of the forum, business meetings were held between top managers of Turkmenistans fuel and energy industry and heads of foreign companies. Turkmenistan in the CIS ranks second after Russia in terms of natural gas reserves. At this stage, the main gas buyer is China. In accordance with the program for development of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan, it is planned to bring the annual production of gas to 250 billion cubic meters and oil to 110 million tons in 2030. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 19 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: A delegation of Turkmenistan led by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov is on a working visit to Berlin these days, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message. The delegation has already held several meetings with Claudia Dorr-Voss, state secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Joachim Bertele, the German Chancellor's counsellor for foreign policy and security. During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation in various fields, including energy, transport, logistics and financial ones. In addition, a meeting was held with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, where it was noted that meetings at a high state level are an important factor in strengthening bilateral relations. The visits of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Germany in 2008 and 2016 became an important stage in the expansion of Turkmen-German cooperation in political-diplomatic, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres, the message said. The parties also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and international issues of mutual interest. In August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that Germany was discussing a project to deliver Turkmen gas through the Caspian Sea. The negotiations on the delivery of Turkmen gas to Europe have been conducted since 2011. The project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan is optimal for the delivery of Turkmen gas to the European market. Further, the Turkmen gas can be delivered to Turkey, which borders with European countries. Turkmenistan declared its readiness to supply Europe with an annual volume of up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas over 30 years. It is expected that the gas supplies can be provided through the East-West gas pipeline, which begins on the large Turkmen "Galkynysh" field. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.19 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Elsewhere coal demand could be more resilient than some expect, especially among developing economies in Asia, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its World Energy Outlook 2018. While both coal demand and prices declined after 2014, prices started to rebound in 2016 and coal demand made a comeback in 2017, said the report. "In Europe and North America, coal demand remains under pressure due to low electricity demand growth, strong uptake of renewables-based capacity and, in the United States, the availability of inexpensive natural gas. Nonetheless, elsewhere coal demand could be more resilient than some expect, especially among developing economies in Asia," IEA believes. Coal demand in 2040 in the New Policies Scenario (NPS) has been revised down by some 3 percent compared with last years outlook. Downward revisions have been made for industrial coal use, as the shift from coal to alternative fuels in industry speeds up, and in the buildings sector where coal use almost disappears. Overall coal demand for power generation declines slightly in the NPS as moderate growth in coal-fired generation is offset by improvements in plant efficiencies. "Overall coal consumption flattens around 5 400 million tons of coal equivalent (Mtce) and does not regain the peak seen in 2014," said the report. IEA believes that there are stark regional differences in coal production prospects to 2040. "Coal production in China, by far the worlds largest coal producer, declines at an average rate of 0.4 percent per year over the outlook period. India overtakes Australia and the United States in the early 2020s to become the worlds second-largest coal producer behind China. US coal production is projected to drop by 30 percent over the period to 2040, reflecting declining domestic demand and limited opportunities to tap into export markets," the report shows. In the NPS, the share of coal in global primary energy demand declines from 27 percent today to 22 percent in 2040, falling behind gas in the late 2020s. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and Turkey continue cooperation in oil and gas exploration, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Fatih Donmez said, Turkish media reported on Nov. 19. The minister, commenting on the construction of the Star oil refinery in Turkey, noted that the refinery is an important element in ensuring Turkey's energy security. The minister also noted that oil and gas exploration will begin in Turkey's southern province of Mersin this week. On Oct. 19, a solemn opening ceremony of the Star refinery was held in Izmir with the participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The facility's total oil refining capacity will be 10 million tons and SOCAR is the main supplier of crude for it. The refinery will significantly reduce Turkeys dependence on imports of petrochemical products. Some 1.6 million tons of naphtha, 1.6 million tons of aviation fuel, 4.8 million tons of low-sulfur diesel fuel, 700,000 tons of petroleum coke, 420,000 tons of mixed xylene and 160,000 tons of sulfur will be produced at the refinery built by SOCAR in the Aliaga district of Izmir, in the territory of the Petkim petrochemical complex. A law permitting oil exploration in forests and national parks came into force in Turkey in April 2014. In 2017, 1,863 exploration projects were carried out in Turkey to search for new oil and gas fields. Turkey is also planning to create a new company for oil and gas exploration abroad. The new company is expected to be engaged in oil and gas exploration in Central Asian and African countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The opening of the Turkish Stream is a significant event for Turkey and Russia, Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said during the opening ceremony of the Turkish Stream's offshore section in Istanbul on Nov. 19, Turkish media reported. The minister noted that the project is important for ensuring Turkey's energy security. Today, the opening ceremony of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, with the participation of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, took place in Istanbul. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Fatih Donmez and the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. Today, after the opening ceremony of the offshore section, the Turkish and Russian presidents will hold a bilateral meeting, during which they will discuss the development of economic relations between the two countries, as well as the settlement of the Syrian crisis. Russia's Gazprom began construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in May 2017. The section runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the Turkish coast. Its length is 930 kilometers. Further, the land transit (second) branch with the length of 180 kilometers will be laid to Turkey's borders with neighboring countries. The first branch is designed for the Turkish market, while the second for gas supply to the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe. The capacity of each branch is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas supply is planned to start at the end of 2019. In late May 2018, Gazprom and the Turkish government signed a protocol on the land section of the transit branch of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline to supply Russian gas to European consumers. The construction of the offshore section of the gas pipeline was carried out by South Stream Transport B.V. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: A ceremony to open the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline was held in Istanbul, the Turkish media reported on Nov. 19. Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak attended the ceremony. Today, after the opening ceremony of the offshore section, the Turkish and Russian presidents will hold a bilateral meeting, during which they will discuss the development of economic relations between the two countries, as well as the settlement of the Syrian crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the opening of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream. Russia's Gazprom launched the construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in May 2017. The section runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the Turkish coast. Its length is 930 kilometers. Further, an onshore transit (second) section with a length of 180 kilometers will be laid to Turkey's borders with neighboring countries. The first branch is designed for the Turkish market, while the second branch for gas supply to the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe. The capacity of each branch is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas is planned to be supplied at the end of 2019. In May 2018, Gazprom and the Turkish government signed a protocol on the onshore section of the transit branch of the Turkish Stream to supply Russian gas to European consumers. South Stream Transport BV was involved in construction of the offshore section of the gas pipeline. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Tehran, Iran, Nov.19 Trend: Iran has been invited to Oman, to finalize the framework of documents on the gas export from the Islamic Republic to Oman, Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) Mehran Amir-Moeini told ILNA regarding the last situation of Gas Export to Oman. "Good consultations have been made with the Omani side in the past few months," he said. There are some disagreements about some items of the contracts, including legal issues and some local regulations of the two countries, if we conclude these disagreements in the upcoming sessions, the agreement will be signed by the two parties, he said. Iran's gas export contract with Oman is a 15-year-old oil contract based on our first agreement, if we reach the final stage, we may conclude a contract for the long term, said managing director of National Gas Export Company. He went on to explain that gas exports to Oman will be carried out in two phases: in the first phase, 6 to 7 million cubic meters of gas going to the Oman by pipeline will be converted into LNG and returned to Iran; then we will do marketing and re-export it, he added. Amir-Moeini said that a foreign company has also stressed willingness to cooperate with the project, adding that its implementation needs from $600 million to $800 million. Iran has for long been discussing with Oman to produce LNG in its Qalhat liquefaction plant. The project involves piping gas from southern Iran to the Persian Gulf sultanate and liquefying it into LNG for shipments to international markets. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey will reach record levels in tourism,the country's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy said, Turkish media reported on Nov. 19. The minister noted that by the end of 2018, Turkey will be visited by over 40 million tourists. Presently, Turkey's tourism sector is actively developing, he said, adding that in 2019 tourism figures will be even higher than in 2018. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey had earlier noted that 5,425,845 tourists visited Turkey in September 2018, which is 15.64 percent more than in the same period of 2017. Some 589,754 tourists from Germany, 317,748 - from the UK, 308,066 - from Bulgaria and 195,850 tourists from Georgia visited Turkey in September 2018. During the above-mentioned period, 1,899,103 tourists, accounting for 39.62 percent of the total number of tourists, visited the Turkish province of Antalya. In September 2018, 1,235,301 tourists, accounting for 25.77 percent of the total number of tourists, visited Istanbul. As of January-September 2018, 31,815,952 tourists visited Turkey, which is 22.08 percent more than in January-September 2017. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu On November 12, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe started a new project, Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops through Promotion of Regional Cooperation, news.tj reports. The project is supported by the Federal Republic of Germany and was launched in the Regional Training Center of Khalqayor, some 230km south of Dushanbe. According to the OSCE Programme Office, the five-year project aims to deliver specialized tactical trainings to 1,500 Tajik border troops who are part of a recently established border management team named Special Border Unit under the Border Troops of the Republic of Tajikistan. The first group of 25 senior Tajik border officers of the Special Border Units will be the first trainees attending a four-week course on Sustained Field Operational Capacities, which also started on 12 November 2018. The First Secretary of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dushanbe Maik Sydoruk, the Japanese Ambassador to Dushanbe Hajime Kitaoka and the Commander of the Border Troops for Khatlon Provincen, Major-General Dilshod Tohirzoda, attended the project launch. Maik Sydoruk underlined that Germany values international co-operation as the only way to address common challenges and the OSCE is the best placed organization to facilitate such co-operation on a large scale. The Japanese Ambassador to Tajikistan, Hajime Kitaoka, underscored the importance of global solidarity in the face of terrorism and all forms of organized crime. He stressed the importance of the OSCEs work in building the capacities of the Tajik border troops and neighboring countries. General Dilshod Tohirzoda expressed high appreciation for the co-operation between the OSCE and the Tajik Border Troops, considering its assistance is vital in addressing all types of security threats in Tajikistan and beyond. The National Drug Policy Dialogue (NDPD) that was held in Dushanbe on November 16 is the second event of this nature in Tajikistan, according to the European Union (EU) Delegation to Tajikistan, news.tj reports. The NDPD reportedly aims to support the national drug policies and services towards an effective, evidence-based and comprehensive response to the drug issues in the country. Fridays NDPD builds bridges to earlier activities of the CADAP Component on Drug Policy over the two years, like the assessment of the national drug policies in all Central Asian countries, the national meeting in Dushanbe in March 2016, the first and the second Regional Drug Policy Dialogue held in March 2017 and October 2018 and a study tour to the Netherlands and the European Commission in Brussels organized by CADAP in October 2017. During the meeting in Dushanbe, CADAP experts and the national partners from Drug Control Agency (DCA), Narcology Service, Penitentiary System, National Center for Monitoring and Prevention of Drug Use, AIDS Center, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Customs Service, Ministry of Education and Science, National Center for Legislation under the President of Tajikistan, State Control Service over Pharmacy Activity, local NGOs and development partners reportedly exchanged their views on developments in the national situation on the drug trends, policies and services and on regional and global drug policy. A special attention was paid to the early warning system and the drugs information monitoring systems in response to the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). CADAP experts made a presentation on alternatives to incarceration, evaluation of the opioid substitution therapy program and other related topics. The Tajik partners, in their turn, presented the current drug trends and develoments in the drug policy in Tajikistan. The participants discussed the countrys needs and follow up from Component 1 (and other CADAP Components). Also, on November 14, CADAP experts from EU countries had meetings with partners from DCA, Narcology Service, National Center for Monitoring and Prevention of Drug Use, local NGOs and UNODC to discuss further collaboration in the drug policy. CADAP 6 represents continuity of the EU policy and long-term engagement with Central Asian partners to help further strengthen their national strategies in drug and drug demand reduction policies. The program is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Consortium from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, led by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 19 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The delegation of Turkmenistan took part in the forum of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG) held in Minsk Nov. 12-16, the Belarusian Embassy in Turkmenistan said in a message. A representative delegation of heads of financial monitoring departments of the Ministry of Finance, as well as banks and insurance companies of Turkmenistan, left for Minsk. The event involved more than 250 experts from EAG member states: Belarus, Russia, China, India, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The delegates discussed issues of international cooperation in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, harmonization of national legislation in this area and personnel training. Belarus hosted such a forum for the second time. The previous EAG plenary week was held in Minsk in 2013. The visit of the Turkmen delegation, organized with the interaction of the embassy with the State Control Committee of Belarus, will contribute to the consolidation of international efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, as well as to further strengthening of the Belarusian-Turkmen cooperation in this area, the message said. Turkmenistan joined the EAG in 2010 as its full member. Ashgabat is regularly visited by delegations of the International Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF). Tehran, Iran, Nov.19 Trend: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom Jeremy Hunt is scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Nov. 19 in Tehran, the public relations department of Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Hunt's meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled, as well as Hunt's meetings with other senior officials of the Islamic Republic. It seems that the trip`s agenda is including bilateral and consular issues, economic relations, the latest state of issues surrounding Iran, as well as regional and international developments. The last time that a British foreign secretary has traveled to Iran was last year. Boris Johnson, the Ex-UK foreign secretary, has traveled to Tehran on December 9, 2017. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: A joint Iran-EU conference on development of agricultural cooperation, standards, food and agricultural products was held in Tehran, Fars News Agency reported. The conference will continue on Nov. 20. At the conference, EU representatives will consider areas of cooperation and development with Iran and sign trade agreements with Iran in the field of agriculture. Austrian ambassador, representatives of the European Commissions Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as representatives from other EU member-states are taking part in the conference. Members of the Iranian Parliament's Department for Agriculture and Rural Development and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad attended the conference. "We have three goals, director for international affairs in the European Commission's DG Agriculture John Clarke said at the conference, ILNA reported. The issues related to the European products, high standards of European products and peoples' relations will be discussed." Tehran, Iran, Nov. 19 Trend: Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi says halting commercial activities of 20 Iranian companies in Tajikistan was not politically motivated. "I do not confirm this number, but I think due to lack of commitment to local frameworks and regulations, including tax payment, the [Iranian] companies have faced a few problems and their work has been suspended temporarily," Trend reporter quoted Ghasemi as saying during a press conference Nov. 19. "We are following the issue and hope it would be solved," added Ghasemi. Tehran, Iran, Nov.19 Trend: Iranian presidents advisor described the new round of US sanctions to be more complicated and difficult than the previous sanctions against Iran in 2012 to 2014. We have always faced the challenges of sanctions. I served at Defense Industry at the time of Iraq-Iran war, when the US sanctions were very serious against us, but authorities had some solutions. Sanctions were imposed on us, but there were solutions to deal with them, said Akbar Torkan, a top adviser to Hassan Rouhani. Torkan made the remarks at the 12th International Congress on Strategic Management in Tehran, on November 19. Today, if a container is carried by a ship, everyone can observe its contents. Todays sanctions are more severe and more complicated than previous ones. Our economic growth rate is less than our expectance, and the unemployment rate is too high. There may be sime 3.5 million of unemployed in Iran, he said. "Sanctions have put pressure on Iran`s transportation, metals, shipment and oil industries. We have internal restrictions too, such as banking system problems and liquidity which is being spent in non-productive ways, he said. The US is striving to harm us. Now, our solution is to see how to use our opportunities, said Torkan. He suggested the reduction in energy consumption as the first solution and said that tourism is another way to pass through this situation. Tehran, Iran, Nov. 19 Trend: Iran's president made bold comments on the US sanctions during a speech in the West Azerbaijan Province today. "White House should know that our brave nation has always followed the school of martyrs. We only bow before the mighty God, said Hassan Rouhani in his speech broadcast live on state TV. "They think we surrender under the psychological pressure. We were not the starters of an economic war, he said. "You think you cut our oil exports or our relations with neighbor countries, which you definitely cannot," said Rouhani on the US sanctions against Iran's oil industry. "We will sell our oil and create closer ties with neighbors." "They have failed to stop our oil export. We will keep exporting it," he added. "Iran will stand in front of those who have imposed an economic war against us, so we will not surrender, but do our national responsibility and continue our path," Rouhani insists. Under any circumstances, we will not let people have any problems regarding basic goods. The necessary goods are either being produced in the country or will be imported, he said. "I know that people's living condition is harder than in previous months and the prices have hiked." "But exports can improve the production. We should improve tourism, exports of food, petrochemical, mineral and industrial materials," he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.19 By Elnur Bahgishov Trend: Around 2,590 tons of shrimps have been produced from an area of 830 hectares in Gumushan farm in Irans Golestan province since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year, said Director General of the Golestan Veterinary Organization, Golmirza Mehrabi. He noted that currently, the shrimp hunting has ended in Gumushan farm, ISNA reported. Mehrabi went on to add that no disease has been recorded so far in Gumushan farm. Around 1,690 tons of shrimp was produced in Golestan province last year. It is planned to export shrimps from Golestan province to Spain for the first time after obtaining license to ship shrimps to Europe directly. Plans are underway to export 50 kilogram of shrimps to Spain for the first time. This could facilitate the export of the sea creature to European nations. It is expected to export 2 to 3 million tons of processed shrimps to Spain by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21). The province is currently exporting shrimps to China and the UAE. Tehran, Iran, Nov. 19 Trend: Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi has expressed concerns over the EU failure to operate the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) on trades with Iran. Three European countries of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (aka nuclear deal) must fulfill their obligations and speed up the creation of this mechanism [SPV], Trend reporter quoted Ghasemi as saying during a press conference Nov. 19. The European Union has proposed to create a financial mechanism by Nov. 5 to aid Irans transactions for its gas and oil exports to avoid the re-imposed US sanctions. However, reportedly, the new plan has faced setbacks and disagreement among the European countries. Unfortunately, for some reasons the progress has been slowed down and we expect the three European countries in 1+4, who demand the JCPOA to continue, to stay committed to their obligations that were made after the US pulled out of the deal, Ghasemi added. If necessary, we will not depend on Europe and use all of our strength, Ghasemi said referring to the EU delay in running the SPV for financial transactions with Iran. We had hoped to get this system in a short time in practice we have not witnessed Europeans work in a proper pace, he added. If we reach an undesirable point where remaining in the JPCOA or any other commitment causes loss, we would defiantly decide to avoid damages. Ghasemi also ruled out the rumors of Foreign Minister Javad Zarifs resignation. Zarif is to host foreign delegates and continues his work, and these rumors are calculated and aim to weaken the foreign minister, he said. The British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to visit Iran for the first time on Monday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Sunday denounced terror attack in Tikrit, which killed five and wounded 16, IRNA reported. He also expressed solidarity with the Iraqi government and nation as well as families of the victims. Remnants of the Takfiri terrorists which have lost their status in the wake of the Iraqi peoples resistance, are seeking to avenge the Iraqi people through suicide attacks, which of course will never affect the Iraqi nation and governments resolve in fighting terrorists and uprooting the cancerous tumor, he said. A car bomb blast has killed at least five civilians and wounded 16 others in northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, police and medical sources have said. The car was parked near a restaurant in Tikrit, about 175km north of the capital, Baghdad. The blast set nearly a dozen vehicles on fire, police sources said on Sunday. Three of the dead were women, sources told the AFP news agency. Tikrit's main hospital said it had received several patients wounded in the attack. There were no immediate claims for the attack, though the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks in Iraq. The bank debt of over 600,000 Georgian citizens, including those on a so-called Black List will be written-off, announced the Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze this morning, agenda.ge reports. The process of annulment of the loans will start on December 15 and continue until December 31. In this period a total of 1.5 million GEL will be written-off. Almost 95% of debts of the blacklisted" citizens come from loans, whose principal payments do not exceed 2,000 GEL. This is a financial liability of more than 600,000 people towards banks, online organisations or various financial institutions, which totals 1.5 billion GEL. In accordance with today's decision, these loans will be written off. This category includes almost 150,000 socially vulnerable citizens and tens of thousands of our disabled citizens, Bakhtadze said. Our approach is to overcome the problem of excessive debt, as a risk and a heavy-burdenElimination of the excessive debt is a precondition for defeating poverty. Today's decision will allow hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens to get involved in the economic and social life of the country, which will make our economy more sustainable and the banking sector healthier, Bakhtadze said. Bakhtadze thanked the Cartu Foundation - a charity fund established and financed by Georgian tycoon and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili - for its support in implementing the initiative of the annulment of blacklisted citizens debts. As Bakhtadze said, without its support, this extremely important initiative would never be carried out. China sent two new satellites of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 2:07 a.m. Monday, according to Xinhua. The satellites entered a medium earth orbit more than three hours later and will work with 17 other BDS-3 satellites already in space. They are also the 42nd and 43rd satellites of the BDS satellite family. With the successful launch, the basic BDS constellation deployment is complete. China plans to provide navigation services with the BDS-3 to the Belt and Road partner countries by the end of this year, marking a key step toward a global navigation service. Chinas commerce ministry said on Monday it will abide by WTO rules in its anti-dumping investigation of vertical machining centers from Japan and Taiwan, Reuters reports. Japans Brother Industries Ltd (6473.T) said on Friday the Chinese ministry had begun an investigation into alleged dumping of machine tools by it and other Japanese companies, including Fanuc Corp (6954.T). The ministry will follow World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and make a ruling objectively and fairly, the commerce ministry told Reuters in a statement. The Maldives new government will pull out of a free trade agreement with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the worlds second biggest economy, the head of the largest party in the countrys ruling alliance said, The South China Morning Post reports. It is the latest sign of a backlash against China in the Maldives, known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands. The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of a free trade agreement between such parties, said Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance. China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty. On Saturday, as he took office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the state coffers had been looted and warned that the country was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. Abdullah Yameen, who lost the presidential election in September, signed the agreement during a visit to Beijing in December last year, and the same month his parliament ratified the treaty despite opposition protests that he had rushed through the 1,000-page document in less than an hour without debate. Nasheed, a former president and now an adviser to Solih, said parliament would not pass the law changes required for the zero tariffs agreement to go into force. It was ratified by parliament, but fortunately it calls for different sets of legislation. We are not going to have this further legislation. We cannot go with that, Nasheed said. Chinas Foreign Ministry said that Culture and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang, President Xi Jinpings special envoy at the presidential inauguration, told Solih that China paid great attention to developing relations with the Maldives. The Maldives is one of a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building motorways and housing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Through that initiative, Beijing hopes to improve trade and investment flows with much of Asia. China was willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate their traditional friendship, plan their practical cooperation and promote Belt and Road to inject new impetus into their relationship, the foreign ministry quoted Luo as saying during Sundays meeting with the Maldivian president. According to the foreign ministry, Solih expressed appreciation for Chinas long-term support for the Maldives and that he was willing to further extend cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. Critics in the Maldives said a China-led infrastructure boom has left the country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship. Between January and August this year, the Maldives imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were $265,270, according to the Maldives customs service. The island nation bought meat, agricultural produce, flowers, plants, electronics and toys from China among many other items. It imported $194 million worth of goods from India, its traditional partner, during the same period, while exporting $1.8 million of products including scrap metal such as copper, aluminium and steel. The Yameen administration said at the time that the agreement with China would help diversify the $3.9 billion economy and boost fisheries exports from the Maldives, crucial since the European Union declined in 2014 to renew a tax concession on them. The two countries would open up services such as finance, health care and tourism, China said at the time. The Maldives has no free trade pacts with any other country. If the Maldives turns away, it would be the latest setback for China, which is facing opposition for its projects in countries stretching from Malaysia to Nepal, and even from long-time ally Pakistan. A proposed free trade agreement has been held up in Sri Lanka over Colombos demand that it have the option to leave after 10 years. A member of Solihs transition team also said the administration was thinking of cancelling the pact. It makes no business sense, the official said. This is not something we are going to pursue, we expect the cabinet to meet and take a formal decision on this. The new government plans an audit of the deals signed by the Yameen administration, but it said it had no plans to suspend or cancel any of the projects, such as airport expansion and housing contracts, given to Chinese firms. The French government will not reverse its decision to raise the tax on diesel and carbon fuels, despite massive protests across the country last weekend, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said, according to Sputnik. On Sunday, French Interior Minister Cristophe Castaner said that over 400 people have suffered injuries in France in the protests against fuel prices hikes. The rioters, wearing high-visibility yellow vests, were blocking traffic. One woman was knocked down and killed in the southeastern Isere department during the demonstration, according to media reports. The carbon tax will be kept in place. We will stick to the line that we have set, Philippe told the France 2 broadcaster. The government understands that the citizens are tired of growing tax burden, the prime minister added, pledging that it will be reduced by the end of French President Emmanuel Macrons term. The 'yellow vests' movement has spoken out very clearly But I also say that the government, which is constantly changing direction, wriggles in front of difficulties, would do what too many governments have done in the past, and this would not lead France to where it should be Philippe noted. In late 2017, the French government approved the decision to raise direct tax on diesel fuel, which is the most popular type of fuel in the country. Since then diesel prices in France have grown up over 40 percent. Turkey, Russia and Iran will hold the next round of talks on Syria on Nov. 28-29 in Kazakhstan, Kazakh foreign minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on Monday, Daily Sabah reported Delegations of the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition are also set to attend, Abdrakhmanov told reporters. Officials from the U.N. and Jordan will take part in talks as observers. The Astana peace process was launched by Russia, Iran, and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana in January 2017 to bring all warring parties in the Syrian conflict to the table to find a political solution as a complementary part of the U.N. sponsored peace talks in Geneva. Last year, the three guarantor countries agreed to establish de-escalation zones in the northern province of Idlib and parts of neighboring Latakia, Hama and Aleppo. The partial cease-fire, however, was short-lived. Regime forces backed by Russia and Iran re-conquered three of the zones through heavy bombardments. Idlib remained as the last stronghold of the opposition with dozens of opposition groups squeezed into northwestern Syria's Idlib. As the Bashar Assad regime was preparing for a full-scale operation in the province of Idlib in late August and September, Turkey and Russia stepped in reaching an agreement on Sept. 17 to prevent a humanitarian disaster. The deal, known as the Sochi agreement, set up a demilitarized zone of 15-20 kilometers between the opposition forces and the regime forces. The deal also saw the evacuation of all heavy weapons and all radical groups from the zone, while moderate opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas where they are already present. Accordingly, Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to ward off renewed fighting and ensure the compliance to the deal. The European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday in a meeting of the European Union on the timing of implementing EU's special financing mechanism for Iran said that the mechanism must be implemented as soon as possible, irna.ir reports. Laurence Norman, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, said that before the start of the meeting on Monday, the European Union officials in Brussels when asked Mogherini when the EU special financing mechanism for Iran will be implemented, she replied 'very soon'. 'It is very important for us to address all the challenges and complications arising from Iran's behavior on European soil or in the region,' the EU foreign policy chief said while stressing support for the nuclear agreement. When asked by the Wall Street Journal correspondent about whether it is time to run the mechanism of finance in a few days or weeks, Mogherini declined to answer. Deputy of the European Union's foreign policy chief Helga Schmidt said today will hold talks with the political directors of the three European countries of Germany, Britain and France about the Iranian special finance mechanism before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of European Union. Sylvan Adams, the Canadian-Israeli billionaire businessman credited with bringing the Giro d'Italia "Big Start" to Israel earlier this year, has identified his next ambitious project - a mission to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon, The Jerusalem Post reports. SpaceIL announced Monday that Adams would be joining their groundbreaking project and donating $5 million to the effort. The non-profit organization's spacecraft is due to be launched in early 2019 and reach the moon two months later, making Israel only the fourth country to soft-land on the lunar surface. "This contribution to strengthening the Israeli space program, and encouraging education for excellence and innovation among the younger generation in Israel, is the best gift I could have asked for," said Adams, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, as he announced his contribution at the Israel Aerospaces Industries (IAI) MBT Space Division in Yehud where the spacecraft is being assembled. "I believe that sending the first Israeli spacecraft to the moon will inspire Israeli school children to take up STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] studies and think about space exploration, and especially to believe that everything is possible," Adams said. SpaceIL was among the five finalists in Google's Lunar XPRIZE competition to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon. Despite Google cancelling the $30 million cash prize in January, SpaceIL reiterated its campaign mission after raising critical funds to continue its activity. Adams joins a group of donors who have contributed to the lunar project, including Amdocs founder Morris Kahn, Sam Sagol, Steven Grand, the Adelson Family Foundation and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation. "I want to thank Sylvan Adams for his generous contribution to our effort," said Kahn, the president of SpaceIL, who has contributed NIS 100 million ($30m.) to the project. "He joins the amazing group of donors with a common vision - to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon. We are in the final stretch, and I believe that his joining will help us raise the remaining money to complete our ambitious mission," Kahn said. A group of private, governmental and academic partners have joined SpaceIL's project since its inception, including IAI, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Space Agency, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Bezeq. In October, NASA signed an agreement with the Ministry of Science and Technology to contribute specialist space technology to SpaceIL's project. "We are in the final stretch before the launch, and preparations are at full power. The teams of SpaceIL and IAI are making great progress in a series of tests and trials being carried out at IAI's space facility," said Dr. Ido Anteby, CEO of SpaceIL. "At the same time, we are stepping up activities to promote scientific and technological education in the State of Israel ahead of the launch. We thank Mr. Sylvan Adams for his contribution." The Tamar partners have signed another agreement to supply gas to Jordanian customers Jordan Bromine and Arab Potash, Globes reports. Without any special announcements, the quantity of natural gas that Israel will export to Jordan is likely to rise substantially, starting next year, according to the reports published yesterday by Tamar Petroleum Ltd. (TASE:TMRP) In October, the Tamar partners signed another agreement to supply gas to Jordanian customers Jordan Bromine Company and Arab Potash Company. The interruptible agreement is for up to 1 BCM, meaning that the Jordanians are not obligated to buy the entire amount. The deal, whose value is likely to reach $200 million, will go into effect in the first quarter of 2019 and continue until the supply termination date in the 15-year agreement signed by the companies in 2017, i.e. until the end of 2032. The agreement can become a binding agreement. Jordan has no energy resources itself; it currently buys liquefied gas from Qatar at high prices, so Israeli gas can be a worthwhile alternative for the country. Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) and Noble Energy founded Tamar Petroleum as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in 2017 for buying 9.25% of the rights in the Tamar reservoir. After this deal was completed in March, Tamar Petroleum bought 7.5% more of the rights, giving it a current holding of 16.75% in the reservoir. The results for the third quarter reported yesterday by Tamar Petroleum were affected by the recent purchase of additional rights. The company's revenue, excluding royalties, totaled $190.3 million in the first nine months of 2018, a 72% increase, compared with $110.6 million in the corresponding period last year. The increase is attributable mainly to $76.6 million in revenue from the newly acquired rights, excluding royalties. Operating profit in January-September amounted to $140.7 million, compared with $87.7 million in the corresponding period in 2017, a 60% increase. Operating profit in the third quarter amounted to $57.3 million, compared with $31.4 million in the third quarter of 2017. Pro forma operating profit in the quarter was up 3.4% to $55.4 million. Tamar Petroleum posted a $33 million net profit in the third quarter, 80% more than in the corresponding quarter last year. Net profit for the first nine months of 2018 totaled $72.3 million, 2% lower than in January-September 2017. Tamar Petroleum's market cap is NIS 1.5 billion, after the share fell 5% over the past year. Japan is ready to continue efforts on developing economic relations with Russia, Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said on Monday, Sputnik reported. I, as the minister responsible for economic cooperation with Russia, uniting the efforts of the Japanese government, is ready to continue efforts to concretize and improve the plan on strengthening the economic ties between our countries, Seko said at a joint meeting of the Japanese-Russian and Russian-Japanese Economic Cooperation Committees in Tokyo. Earlier this week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he shared Putin's desire to put an end to the situation of absence of the peace treaty between Japan and Russia. Previous year, Russian Minister for the Development of the Far East Alexander Galushka said that Japanese investors contributed over $16 billion into a total of 21 projects in the Russian Far East. This month, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said that Japanese and South Korean partners of the RDIF have confirmed readiness to pour investments into a digital project of the Russian Transneft Telecom, envisaging the creation of a submarine high-speed telecommunications cable connecting Russia. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday that a teacher sentenced to jail for spreading an immoral audio tape documenting alleged sexual harassment by the school principal should seek a judicial review, Reuters reports. In a case that has shocked many Indonesians, the Supreme Court announced last week that Baiq Nuril Maknun, 37, would be jailed for six months for recording and spreading information violating decency. She was also fined 500 million rupiah ($34,300). Widowo said he could not intervene in the case, but said Maknun should request a judicial review. If later she does not find justice through a judicial review she can request clemency to the president, thats the procedure, he said in a statement. When the clemency request has been submitted, then it will be on my turf. Indonesias #MeToo movement has gained some traction on social media with women sharing their experiences of sexual harassment but in a mainly conservative society has yet to trigger the type of impact it has had in the West. According to media reports, Maknun was harassed by the head of a school where she worked as a contract teacher on the island of Lombok, including through sexually explicit and abusive comments on her cell phone. She made a recording of one of the calls and it was later obtained by a co-worker in 2014 and subsequently spread on social media. In 2015, the school principal reported Maknun to police. A court document said that Maknun had recorded the phone call without the knowledge of the headmaster and gave the recording to a third person and distributed it using an electronic device causing the principal to lose his job. Prosecutors had taken the case to the Supreme Court after it was rejected by the court in Lombok. This absurd ruling by the Supreme Court appears to jail someone just for documenting the abuse they were subjected to from their employer, Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesias executive director, said in a statement. More than 111,000 signatures have been submitted on an online petition demanding clemency for Maknun. Joko Jumadi, Maknuns lawyer, said his client intended to file a judicial review once the Supreme Court had provided a full verdict explaining its decision. US-born British financier William Browder, the founder of Hermitage Capital Management, will be placed on an international wanted list and his property will be confiscated under new criminal charges of setting up a criminal network, Adviser to Russias Prosecutor-Generals Office Nikolai Atmonyev said on Monday, TASS reports. "Browder will be put on an international wanted list with the aim of detaining and extraditing him," Atmonyev said, noting that his assets would be frozen, including those formally owned by his authorized representatives and the firms controlled by him. "A whole network of companies and credit institutions has been uncovered in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland, which were used to funnel money and cash large sums valued at amounts ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars," he noted. Browder has been twice sentenced in Russia in absentia. On July 11, 2013, Moscows Tverskoy District Court found Browder guilty in absentia of massive tax evasion (estimated at 522 mln rubles, or $8 mln) and sentenced him to nine years in prison. He was also stripped of his right to do business for two years. In July 2014, Russia put Browder on a worldwide wanted list. The Russian Prosecutor-Generals Office has repeatedly requested Interpol to arrest Browder. The latest news on such a request came in December 2017. On December 29, 2018 Moscows Tverskoy Court sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison, finding him guilty of tax evasion to the tune of more than 3 billion rubles ($45.5 mln) and bankruptcy fraud. Ivan Cherkasov, Browders business partner, was given a similar sentence. The court ruled to satisfy a civil suit against the defendants and ordered them to pay 4.2 billion rubles ($64 mln), while barring them from doing business in Russia for three years. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: In January-October 2018, the number of Turkish citizens arriving in Georgia through the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) in search of work fell by 97.59 percent compared to the same period in 2017, ISKUR told Trend on Nov. 19. In January-October 2018, nine Turkish citizens arrived in Georgia through ISKUR, which is 364 citizens less compared to the same period in 2017. In October 2018, no Turkish citizen visited Georgia through the Turkish Employment Agency. In October 2018, a total of 3,373 Turkish citizens went abroad searching for work via ISKUR. According to the agency, in January-October 2018, 20,155 Turkish citizens left the country via ISKUR, which is 18.23 percent more compared to the same period in 2017. In October 2018, 123,870 Turkish citizens were provided with work in Turkey, which is 9.2 percent more compared to the same month in 2017. A total of 3.215 million people were registered as unemployed in Turkey in October 2018. Fifty-two percent of them are women and 48 percent are men. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has urged residents on both sides of the Periyar river to be vigilant. DENVER and CHICAGO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Diabetes Association along with Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (MDRX) announced today that the American Diabetes Association Colorado has welcomed Fatima Paruk, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of Allscripts Analytics, as a new member to its Community Leadership Board. The American Diabetes Associations Community Leadership Board is comprised of 18 proven leaders from all sectors of Colorados business and healthcare communities. The Board works to bring the mission of the American Diabetes Association to life with one vision as a guiding forceto work toward a life free of diabetes and all its burdens. Alongside staff, its members recruit high-level volunteers to spearhead Association programs and events, open doors through personal and professional spheres of influence, and develop strategic market plans to help strengthen the organizations footprint in the community. Dr. Paruk provides medical leadership to a world-class team to develop, design and deploy predictive models to improve health. She is a physician and public health specialist that has been extensively involved in health systems and global surgical initiatives. Recently, she has worked to utilize real-world big data to analyze the progression of diabetes and has led the development of clinical decision support content for diabetes and prediabetes management for integration into electronic health records at the point of care. In addition to her executive role, Fatima remains committed to disaster response and has been involved in the development of Kenyas National Emergency Care policy. It is an honor to join the American Diabetes Association Colorado Community Leadership Board, said Dr. Paruk. Diabetes is a complex and costly disease that can lead to serious life-threatening complications. Having greater analytic insights into patient populations can provide early detection, lead to greater success in treatment plans and significantly improve the well-being of patients. That is why this cause is so important to me. Story continues We are delighted to welcome Dr. Paruk to the Community Leadership Board, Colorado, said Amy Stadler, Chair, American Diabetes Association Community Leadership Board, Colorado. Dr. Paruks expertise will help use the power of big data to help proactively identify patients who are at risk of diabetes and transform data into actionable insights, which can be delivered to clinicians in real-time at the point of care. For more information on ADA Colorados volunteer leadership opportunities, contact Dave Samson, Area Executive Director, at dsamson@diabetes.org . About the American Diabetes Association Nearly half of American adults have diabetes or prediabetes; more than 30 million adults and children have diabetes; and every 21 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nations leading voluntary health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The ADA drives discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with diabetes. In addition, the ADA supports people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes, and the health care professionals who serve them through information and programs that can improve health outcomes and quality of life. For more information, please call the ADA at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn) About Allscripts Allscripts (MDRX) is a leader in healthcare information technology solutions that advance clinical, financial and operational results. Our innovative solutions connect people, places and data across an Open, Connected Community of Health. Connectivity empowers caregivers to make better decisions and deliver better care for healthier populations. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com , Twitter , YouTube and It Takes A Community: The Allscripts Blog . 2018 Allscripts Healthcare, LLC and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Allscripts, the Allscripts logo, and other Allscripts marks are trademarks of Allscripts Healthcare, LLC and/or its affiliates. All other products are trademarks of their respective holders, all rights reserved. Reference to these products is not intended to imply affiliation with or sponsorship of Allscripts Healthcare, LLC and/or its affiliates. For more information contact: Investors : Stephen Shulstein 312-386-6735 Stephen.Shulstein@allscripts.com The pass rate for California's July 2018 bar exam was historically brutal. Overshadowed by that gloomy news, 3,284 test-takers did succeed and, once they fulfill all the other bar requirements, they'll be licensed to practice law in the Golden State. The state bar released their names on Sunday. A quick scan of the list shows that 59 applicants from Washington, D.C. passed the test as did 23 registered with a New York City address. Eight people from Cambridge, Massachusettshello, Harvard Universitywere on the list, which is more than the number of successful test-takers from Canada (seven), the United Kingdom (seven), China (six) and Hong Kong (six). Ten would-be California lawyers from the Republic of Korea passed. State bar leaders noted that California's 40.7 percent pass rate on the exam mirrors a similar drop across the country. California test-takers, however, continue to post a higher average score on the multistate bar exam than those in other states. "Our cut score means you aren't good enough for CA (but plenty good enough in other states)," California bar trustee Joanna Mendoza tweeted Saturday. "The unfortunate consequence is less about qualifications, but directly hurts diversity and inclusion in our profession. That has a further direct negative impact on access to justice and hurts the public. This needs to be fixed." falcon-embed src="embed_2" Lawmakers and some state lawmakers pressed the California Supreme Court last year to lower the bar exam's cut score, or the minimum score needed to pass the test. The justices told bar leaders in October 2017 that they were "not persuaded" by available studies and data that they needed to reduce the score, now the second highest in the nation behind Delaware. The bar is currently conducting a study of what job skills new lawyers need and whether the exam adequately tests for them. The names of the individuals who passed the California exam are posted below: falcon-embed src="embed_1" Read more: Nearly Six in 10 Failed California's July 2018 Bar Exam Here's Who Passed the February 2018 California Bar Exam How Law Schools Fared on Calif.'s February 2018 Bar Exam By Gregory Scruggs SEATTLE, Nov 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In December 2016, environmental group Chesapeake Conservancy unveiled one of the largest, high-resolution land-cover maps made in the United States. It analysed every square metre of satellite data in the 207 cities and counties that touch the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay on the U.S. eastern seaboard. The bay, North America's biggest estuary, has struggled to recover from overfishing and pollution, and the conservancy hopes the map will guide environmental restoration decisions like where to plant stormwater-absorbing trees. Creating a 100,000-square-mile (259,000 square kilometres) digital map that defined land use - water, vegetation or concrete - at such a fine scale was "gruelling", said project director Jeff Allenby. "(It was) day after day of having staff process and correct the tiles," he said. First a computer analysed almost 80,000 tiles - each of which corresponds to about 13 square miles and digitally records the landscape. Then, 30 people fixed any errors over a period of 10 months. For land managers, better and more detailed maps help to improve how resources are conserved, Allenby said. That painstaking process is set to get much quicker. U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp hopes using artificial intelligence and machine learning will speed up the labour-intensive approach used by Chesapeake Conservancy. "Your brain has an algorithm that's been trained to (identify images): 'That's a tree, that's a car, that's a boat,'" said Microsoft chief environmental officer Lucas Joppa. But, he said, the volume of such data flowing in on a daily basis from around the world precludes such human analysis. "What we need to be able to do is train computers to do that." WARP-SPEED PROCESSING Chesapeake Conservancy, which specialises in using high-tech to make environmental restoration quicker and more efficient, said more detailed land-cover maps that were updated more frequently would help conservationists. Before it started this mapmaking project, the best available version was from 2011 and had a 30-metre resolution. The new map, using 2016 satellite imagery, has resolution to one metre, making it 900 times more detailed. Story continues At a 30-metre resolution, a single pixel comprises about 0.25 acres (0.1 hectares), which could identify a farmer's field, for example. But at a one-metre resolution, a single pixel can identify an individual crop, said Jim Levitt, co-founder of the International Land Conservation Network. "If you have a one-square-metre resolution you can deploy vegetative buffers along streams at exactly the place where the water will flow in a storm," he said, describing a scenario of rainfall causing polluted runoff from a field that drains into a stream. "If you are able to do precision conservation and that allows you to measurably reduce the amount of nutrients that flow into a larger river system, then you have a much better chance of taking care of these very large - and to date intractable - problems." Chesapeake Conservancy's Allenby said being able to measure performance in that way "is a game-changer, because it allows you to make more effective decisions about where to invest your resources". It is, he added, "a fundamentally different way of thinking about land management". Since Chesapeake Conservancy produced its map, Microsoft has used technology to process land-cover images at much higher speeds as part of its AI for Earth initiative. Earlier this year, its deep-learning initiative called Project Brainwave began using a specialist computer chip called a field programmable gate array. Working with Microsoft's cloud service, it processed nearly 200 million satellite images in only 10 minutes and - for a cost of $42 - produced a draft land-cover map of the entire United States. For Allenby, such speeds could scale the Chesapeake project nationally - something that is impossible with its current approach. "We would need a warehouse of workers going 24/7 to turn out a national data-set in any reasonable amount of time," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation via phone from Maryland. GETTING SMARTER Being able to generate high-resolution land cover maps fast means conservation groups can measure change more frequently, and hone in on places where, for example, forests are quickly becoming housing. Since the Chesapeake Conservancy started working with Microsoft in February 2016, it has used the company's processing power to produce similar land-cover maps for decision makers in Iowa and Arizona. It is now planning to map the Great Lakes region. However, accuracy remains a challenge, said Allenby. For example, the machine learning algorithm based on the blue and green tones of the Chesapeake watershed did not compute the beige and sandstone colours that dominate the arid landscape of Pima County, Arizona. "Remote sensing is never a direct replacement for actual boots on the ground. What it can do is help direct you to areas you need to focus on," Allenby said. Despite its shortcomings, the approach has helped the Trust for Public Land, a San Francisco-based non-profit that advocates for parks. It uses the technology to prioritise where to build parks among 98,000 locations in the country that the trust has determined are underserved by green space. The organisation cross-referenced on a map pre-identified areas that lack parks with data measuring the "urban heat island effect" - whereby cities are often several degrees warmer than nearby rural areas due to heat trapped by dark-coloured roads and buildings. The purpose was to see where parks could not only fill an open space need, but also reduce temperatures, said Pete Aniello, the group's geographic information specialist. "To process a heat island attribute from 100 gigabytes of data and provide that attribute to 98,000 points is a huge data-processing problem that would be barely possible - or impossible - without the Microsoft data science machine," said Aniello. KEY QUESTIONS Microsoft's Joppa said he was hopeful artificial intelligence could serve a greater good. After all, he said, the technology industry had expended vast efforts training computers to recognise celebrities, faces and the spoken word. "We just haven't focused our skill and our focus on some of these bigger societal challenges," he said at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington headquarters. He said accurate land maps would prove vital in answering key questions for land managers. "We don't know what is where, we don't know how much is there, and we don't know how fast it's changing," he said. "Yet those three questions are at the heart of some of our most contentious land use and economic development conversations in the country," he said. Land experts like George McCarthy, head of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, heralded the technological advances of high-resolution land cover maps. But he cautioned that such tools, created from public data, should not serve private interests in the way that companies have curated and sold information about publicly available land records. "There is a giant interest among the tech companies to figure out how they can package information and then monetise it," he said. "Sooner or later, we should be ready and concerned about any efforts to privatise the data commons." (Reporting by Gregory Scruggs; Editing by Robert Carmichael. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Croatia's public sector workers, mostly teachers and health sector employees, will begin a strike next week in protest at the government's offer of a three percent wage hike in 2019, their trade union leaders said on Monday. Trade unions say public sector salary growth has considerably lagged behind the private sector in the last 10 years and are demanding an increase of at least 5.8 percent. The strike will begin on Nov. 28 and will be held one day each week from then on, the unions said. "A policy where public sector workers are seen only as an expense is wrong," one of the union leaders in the education sector, Vilim Ribic, told a news conference where the strike has been announced. Close to 200,000 people are employed in Croatia's public services. Another union leader, Branimir Mihalinec, said the goal of the strike was not just to achieve higher salaries but also to create better public services. "Our request for 2019 is a wage hike of at least 5.8 percent," he said. The government this month proposed a 2019 budget which targeted a deficit of 0.4 percent of gross domestic product, a touch lower than this year's target of 0.5 percent. It said it could not at the moment offer a higher wage hike than three percent. (Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Richard Balmforth) FILE PHOTO: Danske Bank sign is seen at the bank's Estonian branch in Tallinn, Estonia August 3, 2018. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo By Teis Jensen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank has been caught up in one of the largest-ever money laundering scandals. Howard Wilkinson, the whistleblower who first alerted Denmark's biggest bank to the problem, testified before the Danish parliament on Monday. HOW BIG A SCANDAL IS THIS? Some 200 billion euros ($227 billion) in payments flowed through the non-resident portfolio of Danske Bank's tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015. The bank eventually commissioned a report which concluded in September that many of these payments were suspicious. WHERE WAS THIS MONEY FROM? Most of the payments came from Estonia, Russia, Latvia and Cyprus and Britain, the report said. Shell companies were used to disguise the identities of those involved, former chairman Ole Andersen has told Reuters. AND WHERE WAS IT GOING? Payments went to Estonia, Latvia, China, Switzerland, Turkey, Britain and more than 150 other countries, the report said. WHO BLEW THE WHISTLE? Howard Wilkinson, the head of the bank's trading unit in the Baltics from 2007 to 2014, was the whistleblower who had warned the executive board in Copenhagen in 2013 and 2014 about suspicious activities at the Estonian branch, Danish newspaper Berlingske reported in September. WHY DIDN'T AUTHORITIES ACT SOONER? Denmark's financial watchdog faces an inquiry by the European Union's banking supervisor, and the Danish business minister has criticized the regulator for not being critical enough toward the bank and for trusting it too much. HAS ANYONE BEEN FOUND RESPONSIBLE? Not yet. The case is under criminal investigation in Denmark, Estonia and the United States. The Danish state prosecutor's investigation includes whether top management can be held personally liable. Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) has said it is investigating the use of UK-registered companies. CONSEQUENCES FOR DANSKE BANK? Denmark's financial regulator has said the bank's compliance and reputational risks have risen and increased its capital requirements by 10 billion Danish crowns ($1.5 billion). In May the regulator, which is still looking at the case, imposed eight orders for reforms and eight reprimands. Story continues HAS ANYONE TAKEN THE BLAME? Danske Bank's former chief executive Thomas Borgen stepped down, saying that although he was "personally cleared from a legal point of view" he held "the ultimate responsibility". The Maersk family, which controls about 21 percent of the bank's shares, ousted chairman Ole Andersen and nominated Karsten Dybvad, who heads the Confederation of Danish Industry, to take over. WHAT ABOUT DANSKE'S SHARES? Danske Bank's shares are trading 40 percent below their level at the end of February, even following an uptick when its Nov. 1 earnings report showed lending increased in the third quarter despite the scandal. https://tmsnrt.rs/2PvfSwZ WHAT NEXT FOR DANSKE BANK? The U.S investigation is worrying for Danske Bank shareholders as U.S. fines tend to be much larger than those in Denmark and Estonia, and Europe in general. For many, the worst-case scenario is if the bank suffers the same fate as Latvian bank ABLV, which lost access to dollar funding when U.S. authorities accused it in February of covering up money laundering, forcing its closure. Danske Bank has said the two cases cannot be compared as it closed the part of the Estonian business under suspicion. The U.S. authorities also alleged that ABLV violated sanctions imposed on North Korea. Danske Bank has said that it has not found any breaches of sanctions. ARE THERE WIDER CONSEQUENCES FOR DENMARK? Danske Bank is an integral part of Danish business and the scandal comes as a government tax scandal and a fraud case in the ministry for social affairs have undermined confidence in institutions on which its welfare society is built. The case is also a risk for Denmark's entire financial sector, the Systemic Risk Council said in September, prompting the government to increase the cash cushion financial firms must hold to protect against economic shocks. WHAT DOES THE BANK SAY IN ITS DEFENSE? Danske Bank has acknowledged that its money laundering controls in Estonia has been insufficient. But in its September report it said the board had not breached its legal obligations. The bank has since boosted compliance efforts, with around 1,000 of its 20,000 staff working on this. IS IT ONLY DANSKE BANK? Danske might only be the "tip of the iceberg" and investigators should examine major Western banks, Wilkinson's lawyer told Reuters. HOW TO PREVENT A REPEAT? Denmark plans to strengthen its financial regulator, while a broad majority in the Danish parliament has agreed to tighten the country's anti-money laundering laws, including increasing penalties by up to 700 percent. European Union states are still divided over an overhaul of rules for the supervision of banks against money laundering, two EU sources told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Alexander Smith) Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM recently received another warning from the Turkish government for hydrocarbon exploration in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Cyprus. The government of Turkey claimed that the move from the worlds largest publicly traded energy company has the potential of breaking the delicate balance of regions stability. Geopolitical Turmoil Notably, in October, ExxonMobil stated that it plans to go ahead with its exploration plans in the region, ignoring the warnings from the Turkish government. The company accepted the invitation from the Greek Cypriot to search for gas in the region, where the Turkish Cypriot side claims its ownership. ExxonMobil, accompanied by Qatar Petroleum, recently began drilling operations in the Block 10 of the EEZ. Moreover, Frances TOTAL S.A. TOT and Eni S.p.A. E of Italy were invited by the Greek Cyprus last month, along with ExxonMobil, to bid for the Block 7 in the EEZ. In February, the Turkish military vessels blocked the path of a drillship contracted by Eni, which was headed for the Block 3. United States Backs Exploration Activities Francis Fannon, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, sees the exploration activities in the region as a great opportunity. Importantly, Noble Energy, Inc. NBL discovered a field offshore Cyprus in 2011, which was estimated to contain 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The recent visit from Francis Fannon in Cyprus further backs ExxonMobils ongoing activities in the eastern Mediterranean. ExxonMobils View The significant hydrocarbon deposits in Cyprus neighbor countries, Israel and Egypt, makes ExxonMobil optimistic of generating positive results from offshore Cyprus. With backing from Washington, the company is expected to keep up with its activities in the region. The company has its presence in Cyprus for more than half a century and the recent developments are expected to enhance its footprint in the region. It has already acquired 3-D seismic data of the block and has plans to drill two wells in the area within its first licensee period. Story continues Price Performance and Zacks Rank Irving, TX-based ExxonMobil has lost 2% of its value in the past year against 2% collective rally of the industry it belongs to. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report TOTAL S.A. (TOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eni SpA (E) : Free Stock Analysis Report Noble Energy Inc. (NBL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the 50-year anniversary of Californias signing of the first no-fault law in the United States, family lawyer Nathalie Paluch, of the Law Office of Peter A. Lauzon, celebrates with a look back on the history of this momentous law and what it has done for women and men who dissolved marriages in a more safe, transparent and equitable manner. When Herma Kay, attorney and law professor, drafted the Family Law Act of 1969 with the intent of women being free and conscious actors [without anything standing] in the way of their self-realization, she inspired Nathalie Paluch in her own practice of the law. Says Paluch, The no-fault divorce gave all California residents the opportunity to decide for themselves who they would or would not like to share their lives with. California was truly a pioneer in offering this before any other state and before many other developed nations. Nathalie Paluch is available to give comment on the historic timeline of some of the pivotal gains for women in family law in the US over the past three centuries: 2010 - All 50 states permit no-fault divorce 1984-2004 - Research shows a 20% drop in suicides and a 33% drop in domestic violence in no-fault states 1986 - Canada pioneers the no-fault divorce 1980 - California pioneers the collaborative divorce 1975 - Australia pioneers no-fault divorce 1969 - California pioneers the no-fault divorce 1960s - Women homemakers had no access to bank accounts or credit and marriage was considered legally indissoluble in California 1819 - Divorce in Alabama required a bill approved by two-thirds of the state legislature 1800s - Wives were considered property of husbands ABOUT THE LAW OFFICE OF PETER A. LAUZON: Offering representation for people in a broad range of challenging family law matters, the Law Office of Peter A. Lauzon excels in all aspects of family law, including divorce, custody and property division with an expertise in interstate and international custody and jurisdiction matters. http://www.lauzonfamilylaw.com https://www.facebook.com/LauzonFamilyLaw ABOUT NATHALIE PALUCH: Named to the list of Super Lawyers Rising Stars and dedicated exclusively to helping clients with family law matters, Ms. Paluch, a Certified Family Law Specialist, is passionate about bringing peace of mind to her clients involved in complex family law matters involving adoption and guardianship cases. http://www.lauzonfamilylaw.com/About/Nathalie-Amir.shtml Media Contact: Jess Block Nerren - 909-706-8525 - jess@feltenmedia.com (Adds details) BAGHDAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Iraq has agreed with Iran to exchange Iraqi food items for Iranian gas and energy supplies, two Iraqi government officials said on Wednesday. Baghdad is now seeking U.S. approval to allow it to import Iranian gas which is used in its power stations, and needs more time to find an alternative source, they said. The sources are a senior government official and a member of Iraq's ministerial energy committee. "The American deadline of 45 days to stop importing Iranian gas is not enough at all for Iraq to find an alternative source," the first official said. "Stopping Iranian gas after the deadline will create a real power crisis. We need more time ... the Americans are completely aware of how desperately we need Iranian gas." Washington granted Iraq a waiver to be able to import Iranian gas and energy supplies as well as food items when U.S. sanctions were restored against Iran's oil sector last week. But the United States has said the exemption will last only 45 days. Iraq relies heavily on Iranian gas to feed its power stations. The second official said Iraq would will submit a request to the United States to allow it to import beyond the 45-day deadline. In exchange for the gas Iraq is to "pay food and humanitarian items for Iran ... Iran accepted this proposal," the official said. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed Writing by John Davison; Editing by Toby Chopra) crypto Israel Bitcoin The infrastructure for institutional investors in the crypto market continues to gain steam despite this years relentless bear market. Most recently, Israel-based crypto investment fund Silver Castle, which targets institutional and accredited investors, unveiled two crypto funds in November with another fund waiting in the wings and is targeting $50 million in assets under management (AUM) by year-end, according to Bloomberg. Silver Castle Raising $50 Million for Crypto Funds Meanwhile, the combined value of the crypto market, which is currently hovering at $170 billion, continues to reel. Bitcoin has lost nearly three-quarters of its value since last years peak, as crypto funds, of which there are hundreds, oversee a combined $10 billion in AUM, based on data from Autonomous Research. We spent close to a year building robust infrastructure for managing other peoples money at the level of institutional grade with very, very high security, Silver Castle CEO Eli Mizroch told Bloomberg. Silver Castles maiden fund uses a momentum strategy for long and short investing, an approach whose in-house version has generated high double-digit returns, this years market downdraft notwithstanding. Its a market-cap-weighted fund that uses proprietary algorithms to select the five biggest cryptocurrencies. Theres also a CRB-style fund thats comprised of the leading 10 coins and whose weightings are determined by an algorithm. The investment firm plans to unveil a third fund by year-end with a focus on, dare we say, ICOs. Israel has been a first mover for crypto regulation, and according to a recent report by One Alpha and Digital Assets Group, more than $1.3 billion has been poured into Israeli blockchain companies, the lions share of which are ICO related. Institutional Infrastructure Silver Castle is in good company with firms like Fidelity readying its debut in the space, which is a bullish sign for Mizroch, who characterized Fidelitys crypto push as awesome for everybody. Silver Castle similarly boasts talent from the traditional financial system, with alumni from Israels biggest bank and investment fund, Bank Hapoalim Ltd and Psagot Ofek Investment House, respectively. Zvi Ziv, who was previously at the helm of Bank Hapoalim, stated: Story continues There is a lot of potential in using blockchain and everything is going to try and move there. I believe herein lies the biggest potential in the financial world. Silver Castles ability to launch three new funds in the current market environment is a reflection of the blockchain innovation that has emerged from the country. Israel is home to more than 100 blockchain startups, up approximately threefold from 2015 levels. Featured Image from Shutterstock The post Israel: Tel Aviv Investment Firm Silver Castle Launches Trio of Crypto Funds appeared first on CCN. INCLINE VILLAGE, NV / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / LithiumOre (http://lithiumore.net), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oroplata Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ORRP), a lithium resource exploration and development company, Chief Executive Officer Doug Cole recently sat down with Proactive Investors to provide an update on their Railroad Valley Lithium Project in Nevada. Proactive Investors is a UK-based online investor services company that provides analytics, market reports, and company and industry profiles. During the interview, LithiumOre Chief Executive Officer Doug Cole stated they are "three weeks away" from beginning the intial drill at their Railroad Valley Lithium Project in Nevada. Analysis of samples taken from this initial drill will tell the company approximately how many tons of lithium brine they have within their 26,000 acre land package. When asked how many tons of lithium brine they believe they have, Doug Cole stated "at least one million metric tons." TO ACCESS THE VIDEO INTERVIEW Please visit Proactive Investors site: Made in America, LithiumOre holds 1,300 accepted lithium mineral claims, totaling 26,000 acres, located in Railroad Valley of Nye County, Nevada. Railroad Valley is approximately 112 miles northeast of Clayton Valley and can be accessed by paved highway directly from U.S. Route 6. Railroad Valley is one of Nevada's largest trapped basins (twice the size of Clayton Valley) and is noted to hold all the necessary commercial and engineering prerequisites for a massive lithium brine extraction and development project. The Company's claims have been evaluated by experts and the BLM and are in planned on-site exploration. About LithiumOre, Corp. LithiumOre (http://lithiumore.net), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oroplata Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ORRP), is a lithium resource exploration and development company, whose primary focus is the establishment of a low cost, environmentally sound production base to supply the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery industry for both mobile devices and laptops, as well as the burgeoning EV (electronic vehicle) industry. LithiumOre is focused on becoming a substantial, profitable lithium producer via the timely development of valuable production-grade lithium brine deposits in Nevada. Story continues For more information, please visit: http://lithiumore.net Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to the expected project economics for Western Nevada Basin (Railroad Valley), including estimates of life of mine, average production, cash costs, AISC, initial CAPEX, sustaining CAPEX, pre-tax IRR, pre-tax NPV, net cash flows and recovery rates, the impact of self-mining versus contract mining, the timing to obtain necessary permits, the submission of the project for final investment approval and the timing of initial lithium production after investment approval and full financing, metallurgy and processing expectations, the mineral resource estimate, expectations regarding the ability to expand the mineral resource through future drilling, ongoing work to be conducted at the Western Nevada Basin (Railroad Valley), and the potential results of such efforts, the potential commissioning of a Pre-Feasibility study and the effects on timing of the project, are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, interpretations or reinterpretations of geologic information, unfavorable exploration results, inability to obtain permits required for future exploration, development or production, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuating mineral and commodity prices, final investment approval and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2017. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the information contained or referenced in this press release. Contact Information Hayden IR Stephen Hart (917) 658-7878 hart@haydenir.com SOURCE: LithiumOre Harvey Weinstein arrives at the First Precinct in lower Manhattan, May 25, 2018. Photo: David Handschuh/NYLJ) Fighting to maintain its sexual assault case against former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, the Manhattan District Attorneys office argues in papers filed on Monday that while one of six counts against fallen Hollywood titan has been dismissed, the evidence supporting the remaining counts is strong. The Manhattan DAs filing is a response to Weinsteins latest motion to dismiss, in which Weinstein argues that alleged police misconduct has tainted the grand jury proceedings in the case. Weinstein still faces two counts of predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Last month, the Manhattan DAs office moved to dismiss one count of first-degree criminal sexual act when it was revealed that New York City Police Det. Nicholas DiGaudio, who led the investigation against Weinstein, did not tell prosecutors that a witness had provided him with an account that contradicted that of Lucia Evans, who claimed that Weinstein forced her to give him oral sex in 2004. The dismissal of the criminal sexual act charge removed Evans as one of the accusers in the criminal case against Weinstein, leaving Mimi Haleyi, a production assistant who says the producer forced himself on her in 2006 and an accuser who is unnamed in court filings who says that Weinstein assaulted her in 2013. Prosecutors later disclosed that DiGaudio told the 2013 accuser to delete files from cellphones that she was handing over as evidence in the case. Weinstein argues that prosecutors should have presented grand jurors with communiques between Weinstein and the unnamed accuser from after the alleged assault that he says shows that the two had a consensual romantic relationship. He also says that, because the testimony undergirding the dismissed count was allegedly based on false testimony, that the whole case should get thrown out. In response, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Wilson argued in court filings that the disclosures about alleged misconduct by DiGaudio do not show that the testimony supporting the criminal sexual act count was false and that it had no bearing on the strength of the remaining five counts. Wilson said his office is not required to show exculpatory evidence to the grand jury, citing a 1986 ruling by the Court of Appeals in which the court said that a defendant can present exculpatory evidence to a grand jury through his or her own testimony. Weinstein did not testify before the grand jury in the case, saying he was not given adequate notice to prepare for testimony. With respect to a request from Weinstein for a hearing on issues raised in his motion to dismiss, Wilson said that Weinstein wants a hearing to put on a public circus that will further the public relations campaign the defendant has been waging from the outset of this case. In response to the new filing from the prosecution, Benjamin Brafman of Brafman & Associates, lead counsel for Weinstein, said nothing in the new filing gives him additional confidence in the integrity of the grand jury proceedings. As for the hearing that the People fear will become a circus, it is a circus that they created with the DA and the NYPD calling each other liars, Brafman said. Read more: Harvey Weinstein Moves to Dismiss Remaining Sexual Assault Charges Challenges Mounting for Manhattan DA in Harvey Weinstein Prosecution Court Tosses Charge Against Harvey Weinstein as Brafman Faults NYPD Handling of an Accuser's Account The new president of Mexico has a unique opportunity to turn a period of relative economic stability for the country into a more prolonged prosperity that is more widely shared in a country were income poverty and inequality remain extremely high. Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador after casting a vote in Mexico. Photo: Getty Images. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, was elected in July on the promise of reducing crime and corruption as well as bolstering social spending in order to address the countrys wealth disparities. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has this month released its latest economic assessment of Mexico and the outlook is cautiously bright. A new political landscape is shaping up in Mexico following the July elections. President-elect Lopez Obrador has promised to reduce corruption and crime, and boost social spending and public investment, while maintaining fiscal prudence, the Fund said. The incoming administration will inherit an economy with very strong fundamentals and policy frameworks that has exhibited resilience in the face of a complex external environment. But Mexico still confronts significant challengesnamely to strengthen growth while reducing poverty and inequalityand has yet to win the fight against corruption and crime. Mexicos poverty rate remains startling, encompassing over 43% of the population. One reason why poverty rates remain high is Mexicos meager per capita growth in recent decades, the Fund said. Another, according to the IMF, is that social policies have not been targeted as well as they could have been. While conditional cash transfer programs have been very effective at reducing inequality, other social programs have disproportionately benefited individuals at the top rather than at the bottom of the income distribution. Further, the redistributive role of fiscal policytargeted government expenditures to help lower income inequalityis generally weaker in Mexico than in other members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) and could be expanded. Story continues The Fund expects Mexican growth to accelerate modestly in the near term, reaching 2.1 percent in 2018 and 2.3 percent in 2019. Thats lower than a July forecast of 2.3% for this year and 2.7% next year. There was agreement that the balance of risks is tilted to the downside, the IMF said. Weaker global growth or a deepening of trade wars between the United States and other major economies would hurt Mexicos prospects given its relative openness to global markets. Mexico is also exposed to the risk of renewed volatility in global financial markets and a sharp pull-back of capital from emerging markets, the Fund said. The IMFs policy recommendations including ongoing reform of the energy sector to expand private participation in oil gas exploration; better enforcement of labor market rules; the introduction of unemployment insurance; improvement in the defined contribution pension system; and a stronger social safety net that encourage formal employment and help reduce poverty and inequality. Mexico should redouble its efforts to help women enter the workforce, the report said. Despite significant improvements in female labor market participation and pay equality, women remain heavily underrepresented in the Mexican economy, the Fund said. Lowering participation gaps for mothers remains a priority. Childcare and maternity and paternity benefits remain well below OECD peers and could help close these gaps. The post Mexicos New President Must Tackle Inequality appeared first on Emerging Market Views. By Ritsuko Ando and Maki Shiraki YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Monday for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan's French partner Renault and his departure will raise questions about the future of the alliance. Nissan said an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower, had revealed that Ghosn engaged in wrongdoing including personal use of company money and under-reporting for years how much he was earning. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said too much power had been concentrated on Ghosn, one of the best known figures in the global car industry and a rare foreign executive who enjoyed corporate superstar status in Japan for reviving the ailing Japanese brand. "The problem of governance was significant," Saikawa said, confirming the arrest of Ghosn in Japan. "Looking back, after 2005 when he became CEO of both Renault and Nissan, we did not really discuss the implications." Saikawa, a long-standing lieutenant to Ghosn, said he could not give specifics on the personal use of company money but that the wrongdoing was serious and had gone on for years. Ghosn could not be reached for comment. "To have so greatly violated the trust of many, I feel full of disappointment and regret," Saikawa told a late night news conference. "It's not just disappointment, but a stronger feeling of outrage, and for me, despondency." Saikawa took over as Nissan CEO from Ghosn last year. Ghosn once told reporters the two thought alike. Saikawa said he would propose at a board meeting on Thursday to remove Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, who was also accused of financial misconduct. Kelly could also not be reached for comment. Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissan's German-listed securities dropped 10 percent. Story continues French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, Renault's top shareholder, would safeguard the long-term viability of the carmaker. "The key question for us is to ensure the stability of Renault and of the alliance between Renault and Nissan, so I am working on that with all the parties," he told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of euro zone finance ministers. GOVERNANCE Known as "Le Cost Killer" for overseeing turnarounds that included cuts, Ghosn has remained popular in Japan despite pushing through massive job losses and recent controversy over his pay. Japanese media said Ghosn had reported about 10 billion yen ($88.9 million) of annual compensation as about 5 billion yen for several years. Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. "It is hard not to conclude that there may be a gulf opening up between Renault and Nissan," said Bernstein analyst Max Warburton, raising the prospect of a potential "re-Japanization" of Nissan and the end of the alliance. Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said the share price reaction showed how important Ghosn was to the partnership, adding that the alliance had long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors. "Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock," he added. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Since 2016 Nissan has held a 34 percent controlling stake in its smaller Japanese rival, Mitsubishi. A statement from Mitsubishi said it would propose removing Ghosn from its board. Monday's news is likely to raise questions about Nissan's accountability at a time when Japan has been pushing companies for better governance. Recent cases of corporate malfeasance have hit companies including accounting irregularities at Toshiba Corp and data falsification and improper inspections by manufacturers including Nissan. The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissan's headquarters and other locations on Monday evening. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post until last year. In June Renault shareholders approved Ghosn's 7.4 million euro ($8.5 million) pay package for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive. ($1 = 0.8759 euros) ($1 = 112.4900 yen) (Additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Chris Gallagher, Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo and Laurence Frost in Paris; Editing by Keith Weir, Mark Potter and David Goodman) FILE PHOTO: Paris Auto Show FILE PHOTO: Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, attends a press conference on the second press day of the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo By Ritsuko Ando and Maki Shiraki YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Monday for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan's French partner Renault and his departure will raise questions about the future of the alliance. Nissan said an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower, had revealed that Ghosn engaged in wrongdoing including personal use of company money and under-reporting for years how much he was earning. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said too much power had been concentrated on Ghosn, one of the best known figures in the global car industry and a rare foreign executive who enjoyed corporate superstar status in Japan for reviving the ailing Japanese brand. "The problem of governance was significant," Saikawa said, confirming the arrest of Ghosn in Japan. "Looking back, after 2005 when he became CEO of both Renault and Nissan, we did not really discuss the implications." Saikawa, a long-standing lieutenant to Ghosn, said he could not give specifics on the personal use of company money but that the wrongdoing was serious and had gone on for years. Ghosn could not be reached for comment. "To have so greatly violated the trust of many, I feel full of disappointment and regret," Saikawa told a late night news conference. "It's not just disappointment, but a stronger feeling of outrage, and for me, despondency." Saikawa took over as Nissan CEO from Ghosn last year. Ghosn once told reporters the two thought alike. Saikawa said he would propose at a board meeting on Thursday to remove Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, who was also accused of financial misconduct. Kelly could also not be reached for comment. Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissan's German-listed securities dropped 10 percent. Story continues French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, Renault's top shareholder, would safeguard the long-term viability of the carmaker. "The key question for us is to ensure the stability of Renault and of the alliance between Renault and Nissan, so I am working on that with all the parties," he told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of euro zone finance ministers. GOVERNANCE Known as "Le Cost Killer" for overseeing turnarounds that included cuts, Ghosn has remained popular in Japan despite pushing through massive job losses and recent controversy over his pay. Japanese media said Ghosn had reported about 10 billion yen ($88.9 million) of annual compensation as about 5 billion yen for several years. Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. "It is hard not to conclude that there may be a gulf opening up between Renault and Nissan," said Bernstein analyst Max Warburton, raising the prospect of a potential "re-Japanization" of Nissan and the end of the alliance. Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said the share price reaction showed how important Ghosn was to the partnership, adding that the alliance had long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors. "Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock," he added. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Since 2016 Nissan has held a 34 percent controlling stake in its smaller Japanese rival, Mitsubishi. A statement from Mitsubishi said it would propose removing Ghosn from its board. Monday's news is likely to raise questions about Nissan's accountability at a time when Japan has been pushing companies for better governance. Recent cases of corporate malfeasance have hit companies including accounting irregularities at Toshiba Corp and data falsification and improper inspections by manufacturers including Nissan. The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissan's headquarters and other locations on Monday evening. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post until last year. In June Renault shareholders approved Ghosn's 7.4 million euro ($8.5 million) pay package for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive. ($1 = 0.8759 euros) ($1 = 112.4900 yen) (Additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Chris Gallagher, Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo and Laurence Frost in Paris; Editing by Keith Weir, Mark Potter and David Goodman) * * Future of 2015 nuclear deal among topics for discussion * Hunt says Britain committed to deal as long as Iran sticks to terms * Meets Zarif and Supreme Leader's ally Shamkhani - state TV * Iran's role in region, Yemen conflict also discussed (drops state tv attribution in headline) By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI, Nov 19 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt discussed the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, the conflict in Yemen and other issues in meetings with Iranian authorities in Tehran on Monday, Iranian state media reported. Hunt's office also said that during the trip - his first to Iran as foreign minister - he would press Iran on its human rights record and call for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. Iranian media made no mention of this. U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in May and Washington has reimposed sanctions on Iran to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile programmes, further curb its nuclear work and limit its support for proxy militias from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen. Other signatories of the deal - the European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China - have been trying to salvage it. Iran has warned it could scrap the accord if the EU fails to preserve its economic benefits from U.S. pressure. "The Europeans should accelerate their efforts to save the deal...We are ready for all scenarios, including a return to pre-deal era," the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, told Hunt, Iranian state television reported. Hunt said Britain was committed to the nuclear deal and discussed European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. SPEEDING UP Story continues Hunt and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also discussed the need to accelerate efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has been battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for nearly four years. "This is a part of the world which is frankly a tinderbox and so many things can go wrong here. And Iran is one of the big players and we are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen, that's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told reporters, according to BBC. In comments before the meetings, Hunt also mentioned Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested in April 2016 in Tehran as she headed back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit. "We have the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other internationals here, who are in prison and shouldn't be, we want to get them home. So, there is lots to talk about," Hunt said. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was convicted of plotting to overthrow Irans clerical establishment, a charge denied by her family and the Foundation, a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News. There was no immediate mention of any Iranian response regarding to her case. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan in LONDON Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Angus MacSwan) (Repeats story, without changes) * Washington wants Saudi help to end two regional crises * U.S. has put pressure on Riyadh since journalist's murder * Saudi-led coalition has halted offensive on Yemeni port * But diplomats sees no sign of movement on Qatar By Katie Paul and Rania El Gamal DUBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is defying U.S. calls to mend ties with Qatar despite signs that pressure to end another regional crisis, the Yemen war, has had an impact on Riyadh since the killing of a prominent journalist. Jamal Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 caused a global outcry, opened Saudi Arabia to the possibility of sanctions and damaged the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Washington believes it has more influence over Riyadh as its ally tries to repair the damage to the kingdom's standing, and wants to use this leverage to end the Yemen war and rebuild Gulf unity against Iran, four sources familiar with the matter said. On one front, there is movement. In an apparent response to U.S. and British pressure for a ceasefire in Yemen by the end of this month, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-aligned Houthi rebels halted an offensive on the main port city of Hodeidah on Thursday. Maintaining pressure on Riyadh, Washington imposed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their role in Khashoggi's killing later on Thursday, and U.S. senators introduced draft legislation which, if it became law, would suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the journalist's death and the Yemen war. Saudi authorities did not respond to requests for comment. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said Washington had been calling for a resolution throughout the Qatar and Yemen crises. "We continue to engage on both of these issues with our partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia," the spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said. "Gulf unity is essential to our common interests of confronting Irans malign influence, countering terrorism, and ensuring a prosperous future for all of our Gulf partners." QATAR RIFT RUNS DEEP Story continues The United States sees Saudi Arabia as a crucial player in the efforts to build unity in the Gulf to contain Iran's influence in the Middle East, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Riyadh soon after Khashoggi's killing. But Washington sees the Yemen war as a destabilising factor in the region and wants an end to the conflict, which has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. Saudi Arabia and its ally, the United Arab Emirates, also now have reasons to exit the war as it has proved costly and reached stalemate. Since the death of Khashoggi, a Saudi national and U.S. resident who was critical of the Crown Prince, U.S. officials have also sought to sway Riyadh over its row with Qatar. Gulf unity, which Washington considers a bulwark against Iran, was shattered when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed trade and transport ties in June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and Iran -- charges Doha denies. "They are seizing the opportunity to try to end the Qatar dispute," a source with knowledge of U.S. policy said. Washington had wanted Gulf unity restored, to help contain Iran's influence in the region, before new sanctions went into force against Tehran over its nuclear programme on Nov. 4, two of the sources said. Western hopes that Riyadh might mend ties with Doha had been raised by a comment Prince Mohammed made on the strength of Qatar's economy at an investment forum on Oct. 25. But diplomats and Gulf sources say they have seen no new ideas or concrete moves by Riyadh or its allies to end the row with tiny but wealthy Qatar. "I don't see any change on Qatar. The crown prince's message was interpreted wrongly. He was sending a message to America ... 'Don't get worried about Qatar because you still have a strong economy in Qatar'," one Arab diplomat told Reuters. Each of the boycotting countries is an ally of Riyadh and has longstanding political and security differences with Qatar. A Gulf source said Prince Mohammed, known as MbS, would avoid any move that could be interpreted as weakness as he tries to recover from the diplomatic fallout over Khashoggi. Riyadh offered contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance before saying he was killed in a rogue operation. King Salman, who stepped in to defuse the crisis, has stood by his chosen heir, in whose hands he has concentrated power. CONTAINING THE CRISIS Kuwait said this month there was a "positive view to contain the Gulf crisis," and a source familiar with U.S. policy said diplomats were putting forward a plan on Qatar. But neither side seems ready to cede ground. Qatar's foreign ministry spokeswoman said last month that Khashoggi's death should serve as a "wake-up call". Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker said on Tuesday he did not expect a thaw soon. "I am very pessimistic about this. With the current (Saudi and UAE) leadership I don't see that there is any way that things may be loosened up," he told reporters. "The only face-saving way for them to get out is to apologise." Abu Dhabi says the dispute is not a priority, according to three diplomats and other sources familiar with Gulf policy. "The Qataris are raising the price for resolving the crisis," said one Western diplomat. "The Emiratis are happy to keep the Qataris isolated." Qatar and UAE authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi continue to reassure Washington that the dispute will not deter the formation of a proposed Middle East security alliance, which would include Doha, diplomats said. They said the UAE still strongly supports MbS against Iran and on his economic and social reforms, seen by Abu Dhabi as essential to replicating the UAE model of a business-friendly, tolerant Muslim society to combat extremism. "The Emiratis see Saudi Arabia as the only choice to lead the region. They haven't blinked in their belief that Riyadh's reform plans are the best and only option," said Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula at the International Crisis Group. (Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin in Riyadh, David Brunnstrom in Washington, Dmitry Zhdannikov in London, Belen Carreno in Madrid, Eric Knecht in Doha and Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Timothy Heritage) * Looking to bolster profitable equipment division * Iberian equipment business sold for $180 mln * Focus on acquisitions in construction and mining sectors (Recasts throughout, adds CEO comment) By Patricia Aruo JOHANNESBURG, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Barloworld Ltd is in talks to buy a business from Caterpillar Inc using proceeds from the sale of a unit earlier this year, the head of the South African equipment maker said on Monday. Barloworld sold its underperforming Iberian equipment business in June to privately owned Italian group Tesa S.p.A. for 2.5 billion rand ($180 million). "I have given myself a year to identify a business and I have already engaged Caterpillar. They have given me a commitment to a specific area," Chief Executive Dominic Sewela told Reuters in a telephonic interview, without elaborating. The rest of the proceeds would be brought back into South Africa and possibly used to buy back shares, he added. Barloworld Equipment is the official dealer for Caterpillar's CAT construction, mining and industrial machine range in eleven southern African countries, in addition to Spain, Portugal, Siberia and the Russian far east. "Equipment is the bulk of our business so it makes sense that we continue to invest in that area. I am looking for heavy construction and mining-related type of geographies," Sewela said. The equipment division was the main contributor to an 18 percent jump in Barloworld's full-year profit, helped by strong growth in mining. Operating revenue for the company's Russian equipment business soared 57 percent to $606 million in the year to the end of September, while revenues from the South African equipment unit rose 8.1 percent to 19.8 billion rand. Diluted headline earnings per share (HEPS) from continuing operations came in at 1,150.9 cents, compared with 974.5 cents a year earlier. The company issued a final dividend of 462 cents per share. Barloworld shares were up 0.04 percent at 115.97 rand at 0956 GMT. ($1 = 13.9272 rand) (Reporting by Patricia Aruo, Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mark Potter) twitter bitcoin scam Last weeks bitcoin giveaway scams on Twitter, which saw one of Googles social media accounts compromised, was the result of a hacked third-party provider and not the social media platforms system, Twitter has claimed. In an email correspondence with Hard Fork, the tech company firmly established that a loophole in an unnamed third-party app was exploited by the hackers to share their scammy tweets. Twitters confirmation comes less than a week after the account of some high profile brands were hacked on the platform, most notably Google and retail giant Target, in a bold move to promote scammy bitcoin giveaways. In its usual way, the scammers asked non-savvy Twitter users to send small amounts of cryptocurrency for a chance to win big as much as 10,000 BTC. Google twitter bitcoin scam Target posted an update after the scammy tweets from the hackers were taken down, stating that its Twitter account was inappropriately accessed before backpedaling to Hard Fork, explaining that the hackers took advantage of a loophole in a third-party marketing app used to publish content on behalf of the retailer on Twitter. Using a third-party app explains how the thieves were able to get hold of so many verified Twitter accounts to publish the same giveaways. About the same time Targets account got hacked, The Body Shop, Toledo Rockets, Universal Music Czech Republic, and even the UNHCR Serbia account were compromised. This was not the first time a high profile Twitter account had been compromised for the promotion of crypto giveaways. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was long the target of choice for Twitter bitcoin scammers. Once they took control of a verified account, the hackers would replace the profile picture and name of the brand with that of Elon Musk. Both Pathe UK and Cap Gemini Australia had their accounts hacked and replaced with a hastily-assembled profile mimicking Musks real one. There have been a lot of criticisms on Twitter in the past few months over their ad vetting process, as a lot of commentators believe the social media network should be able to put a hold to the scams. Cornell professor Emin Gun Sirer lashed out at Twitter in March, asking them how they intend to improve the platform when they cant even detect this kind of brazen scam? Story continues Twitters CEO Jack Dorsey had replied with a reassuring sentence, stating: We are on it. Eight months later, the Twitter scams are stronger than ever. Featured Image from Shutterstock The post Twitter: Bitcoin Scams Came from Third-Party Marketing App appeared first on CCN. (Bloomberg) -- Three years ago, Arlington, Virginia, was pitching itself as the next Silicon Valley. Victor Hoskins, the countys director of economic development, tried to lure entrepreneurs with cash prizes, free housing, office space and other incentives. Few showed up. Last week, after a courtship lasting more than a year, Arlington landed the opposite of a startup: half of a second headquarters for Amazon.com Inc. Amazons arrival looks like a panacea for Arlingtons economy, which has been hurt by the flight of defense industry jobs. Amazon says it will hire more than 25,000 people and spend about $2.5 billion in the area. Hoskins also helped negotiate a bargain compared with Amazons other pick. New York City agreed to pay almost double in tax incentives and infrastructure improvements per job. Amazons target for the workforce in Arlington is an average wage of more than $150,000. Its transforming how businesses think about the county, Hoskins says. What happens next is a matter of debate. Proponents of the deal say it will raise Arlingtons profile, making it a more attractive place to start a tech company, and that Amazon will recruit people who will someday leave to start their own businesses in the area. The counterargument is that Amazon will hire up all the people who might otherwise start their own businesses. Either way, Amazon is a big deal for Virginia. The last time the state was a major player in consumer tech, people were dialing up with AOL. The internet pioneer, rooted in Fairfax County, decamped for New York at the height of the dot-com bubble in one of the most disastrous mergers in corporate history. Amazon will bring more tech mojo back to the area, says Todd Stottlemyer, who serves on the board of the Northern Virginia Tech Council. They dont just see Washington as this government-type town, he says. People want to come to a region because theres a cool factor. When Hoskins joined as director of Arlington Economic Development in 2015, the area was in a rough spot. The 26-square-mile county across the Potomac River from Washington was once a military center but has suffered in recent years from a move to consolidate the work elsewhere in the country. That led to thousands of federal employees and contractors leaving town. It had a devastating effect, says Tim Helmig, managing partner of Monday Properties, a real estate firm with multiple buildings throughout Arlington. Story continues At the time, Arlingtons office vacancy rate was 21 percent, double Washingtons. Hoskins, a 61-year-old former deputy mayor of Washington, came in with a plan to turn things around. He pledged to reduce the vacancy rate to 10 percent over nine years. Doing so would require help from businesses of all sizes, he said. A favorite saying of Hoskinss: Its not impossible; its improbable. One of his first improbable goals: turning Arlington into a tech startup hub. First, he needed more startup-friendly office space. Hoskins convinced Andrew Chang, a local who runs an independent co-working space in Arlingtons Crystal City community, to open a second location four miles upriver in the Rosslyn neighborhood. Before talking to Hoskins, Chang had thought about going to Alexandria, Virginia, or Washington. Two years ago, no one was considering Rosslyn, Chang says. He knows how to get companies to go to areas that need to improve. The tax breaks didnt hurt, either. A former Silicon Valley venture capitalist named Paul Singh also set up a co-working project in Crystal City. He ran the space, part of Disruption Corp., alongside a $50 million Crystal Tech Fund to invest in local startups. The entity underperformed, and Singh, whose LinkedIn profile lists his title as Chief Hustler, sold it in 2015. Meanwhile, the entrepreneurial community was mourning the decline of perhaps Arlingtons most promising startup, Opower. In the two years after a 2014 initial public offering, the energy management software company had lost more than two-thirds of its market value before selling to Oracle Corp. To build excitement around startups, Hoskinss department came up with the Virginia equivalent of Shark Tank. The economic team organized a contest called Startup Arlington, where entrepreneurs could compete for living and office spaces, mentorship and cash prizes, in exchange for relocating to Arlington. So far, they have struck out. The winner of the first contest, Oppleo Security, is already out of business. The founder, Roderick Flores, says he couldnt afford to keep the company going. He moved to Portland, Oregon, and plans to take a software-security job at Nike Inc. Last years competition was sponsored by Kiddar Capital, an asset management firm in neighboring Fairfax County, with an award of as much as $25,000. GreenSight Agronomics, a drone company based in Boston, won. It took an investment from Kiddar Capital and relocated to Arlington. The move was only temporary. Co-founder James Peverill says the stint there was helpful for developing relationships with regulators and government officials, but the founders decided to return to Boston where their strong personal networks made hiring easier. Last month, Kiddar Capital Chief Executive Officer Todd Hitt was arrested and criminally charged with securities fraud, unrelated to the contest or the drone startup. He hasnt been indicted or entered a plea. His lawyer didnt respond to a request for comment. There were no cash rewards for this years Startup Arlington. The deadline for submissions was this month. There were 64 entrants, the fewest in the programs three-year history. Christina Winn, Arlingtons director of business development, says the contest has value, even if the startups dont stick around. It promotes the county to entrepreneurs across the nation and provides her office with a list of businesses open to relocating, she says. Notably, growth in venture funding going to Arlington startups outpaces the national average, according to data from PitchBook. At the same time Hoskins was going after startups, he was also hunting bigger companies. He helped persuade Nestle SA to move its U.S. headquarters last year to Rosslyn from Glendale, California, along with 750 jobs. The deal was celebrated in the local press. Nestle got an incentive package totaling $12 million and a promise from Hoskins that the city would relocate two bus stops crowding the entrance to the companys new building. It took some convincing of the local transportation department. Victor is very smart at pulling together partners and being creative in getting deals done, says Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District. For Amazon, Hoskins says he sold his locale as a neighbor to the nations capital and some of the countrys top universities in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. There were lots of skeptics. Everyone said no, becausethink about itArlington is just a little county, Hoskins says. Stop thinking about it that way. Were part of a region. As Hoskins toiled away on the Amazon proposal, he had a key advantage over other cities: Reagan National Airport, which sits in Arlington county. The airport, with a soaring terminal designed by architect Cesar Pelli and a nearby Metro rail system, compares favorably with LaGuardia, the closest one to Amazons other new campus in Queens, New York. In the waning months of summer, Arlingtons office vacancy rate had slid to 18 percent. Winn invited Hoskins to a team lunch, where she handed out paper plates to members of her staff labeled with each ones accomplishment. She surprised Hoskins with his own plate celebrating the vacancy rate achievement, emblazoned with the words Mission Impossible. Hoskins, who still has the plate in his office, says Amazon should be good for another four percentage points. Ancillary businesses that come along because of Amazon will shave off another two. That includes startups, he says, and Hoskins believes hell hit his goal of 10 percent. Now he can make a new pitch to startups: Arlington is the spot Amazon picked after a 14-month search. To contact the author of this story: Sarah McBride in San Francisco at smcbride24@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Milian at mmilian@bloomberg.net, Robin Ajello For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. SQM may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report. That is because Sociedad Quimica is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earnings with the most up-to-date information possible is a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for SQM in this report. In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at 42 cents per share for SQM, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for SQM, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of +1.84% heading into earnings season. Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. Price and EPS Surprise Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. Price and EPS Surprise | Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. Quote Why is this Important? A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10-year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here). Given that SQM has a Zacks Rank #3 and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Sociedad Quimica, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Story continues Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (SQM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research There is a zero-duty tariff for the anthracite in the EU, due to the fact that the EU countries dont mine enough of it to protect the market. We were the first to describe in the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily the practice of importing anthracite to Poland from Russian-occupied Donbas. We have published several articles about it since October 4th, 2017. On the grounds that the issue is complicated, we have prepared a compendium of the most important information about the subject, basing on the frequently asked questions. Reklama Why is the Donbas anthracite trade reprehensible? After the outbreak of the war in the Donets Basin in 2014, all Ukrainian anthracite mines both state and private could be found in the area controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics, controlled by the Russians. And, when Ukraine after some time forbade trade with the separatists, they illegally took over all the mines in retaliation. In the first years, the DPR and the LPR officials dealt with the shipment of coal to Russia, but it is the oligarch Serhii Kurchenko who has recently monopolized it. The Donbas mines are exploited in a predatory manner. Coal first goes to Russia, where with the consent of the government in Moscow it receives false documents, confirming its allegedly Russian origin. Then, it is sent by sea or land to other countries, including Poland. Trading profits go to the pocket of Kurchenko and separatists. The names of many of them can be found on the USA and the European Union sanctions lists. What is anthracite and what is it for? Anthracite is the most energetic hard coal. With the highest calorific value, it contains the most of coal in coal. In Ukraine, anthracite was burned in power plants. Polish power plants do not use this type of coal, because they burn mainly culm. Poland has not produced anthracite since 1990s, when the Wabrzych Basin district was closed. In contrast to Ukraine, which has to import anthracite from other sources and gradually switch power plants to gas, anthracite is not a strategic raw material from Polish point of view. In Poland, anthracite can be used in chemical processes of water treatment and wastewater treatment. It is also used to produce electrodes. It is a component for the production of materials for metallurgy, such as carburizers and slag foaming agents. Part of the raw material is re-exported to other EU countries by the Polish importers. What is the scale of the problem? According to our information, from March 2017 to September 2018, a total of 304,000 tonnes of anthracite from Donbas were sent to Poland. This year, mainly by rail through Maaszewicze, it has come much less anthracite than before, and the loss of income in this respect in comparison to the previous year reaches several dozen million dollars. It is worth noting that anthracite is bought by private companies, so the statement that the country of Poland imports coal from the separatists is unfair. However, it is true that the state turns a blind eye to this practice. The Ministry of Energy is right when they talk about the negligible impact of this import on the Polish energy balance. But the problem with anthracite from Donbas does not depend on its influence on the Polish market, but on the fact that, contrary to the Polish raison detat and the EU policy, it supports pro-Russian separatists. Is it possible to buy Ukrainian anthracite? It is not possible to buy anthracite from Ukraine because the mines of this raw material are only on the side occupied by the separatists. Ukraine, in early 2017, introduced an embargo on trade with the occupied territories. If the Ministry of Energy gives in this context data on import from Ukraine, which has decreased to zero, it misleads the public opinion. The anthracite from the Donets Basin, thanks to false certificates of origin, is accounted for as an import from Russia. Who buys anthracite in Poland? According to our findings, only private companies have done it or continue to do it. Most of them have purely Polish capital. In waybills that we possess are, among others, Szar from Czestochowa or K-Investments from Zielona Gora, which even boasted on its website that it is a shareholder of two mines in Donetsk. When we asked about it last year, the owners explained that it was just a marketing gimmick and a mistake. Nevertheless, the information about the mines was available on their website until July 2018. Some companies registered in Poland have traces of the capital directly related to separatists. Among the owners of the dynamically operating company TD Anthracite from Sawkow until 2017, there was Ihor Lyzov, holding managerial positions in the party ruling the DPR. On the other hand, the majority shareholder and, until recently, the president of the Doncoaltrade company from Katowice, which seems to be extinguished, is Oleksandr Melnychuk, the former deputy minister of fuels, energy and mining in the LPR. What have the Polish authorities done about the import of anthracite from Donbas since October 2017? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy transfer responsibility to one another. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not able to answer the question whether it has used its powers to apply for sanctions on the EU forum to recognize the heroes of our articles as persons who finance activities of the DPR and the LPR. The Ministry of Energy understates the matter, not willing to understand that this matter it is not about disrupting the coal balance. The former deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan Dziedziczak, in response to the interpellation of the deputies of Nowoczesna, however, suggested that the services should be interested in journalists writing on the subject and determine whether their motivation is not spoiling the Polish-Ukrainian relations. The Minister of Energy demanded from his subordinate companies a declaration that they do not buy the anthracite from Donbas. We unofficially know that the Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki demanded explanations in this matter. On the other hand, the infrastructure department, as unofficially claimed by the railwaymen, expects operators to monitor coal transports. What have the authorities of other countries done about the import of anthracite from Donbas since October 2017? The greatest success was imposing sanctions by the US on some of the heroes of our articles and their companies. It happened in January and February 2018, four months after publicizing the case by the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Among them was Oleksandr Melnychuk and his Doncoaltrade, which thus became the first Polish company to be under restrictions associated with the Donbas war. The sanctions mean introducing a ban for these people on entering the US, freezing their American assets, and banning trade with them. The European Commission has done nothing, and if we do not count the general assurances of respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine, they even have not answered our questions on this matter. The European Parliament Member of the PO, Jarosaw Waesa, asked the Commission his own questions. Ms. Federica Mogherini, the deputy head of the European Commission, was answering them, but the questions were short and did not contribute much to the matter. Ms. Mogherini emphasized, among others, that the EU countries are responsible for respecting the sanctions. Moreover, Ukraine initiated a number of investigations into terrorist financing and ordered customs officers to examine samples of each transport of anthracite at the border, to exclude the possibility of importing the raw material from the DPR / the LPR on its territory. Also Turkey, the largest recipient of Donbas coal besides Russia, conducts its own investigation. Why does the anthracite business continue to revolve? There is a zero-duty tariff for anthracite in the EU, because the EU countries do not produce enough of it to protect the market. This means that customs controls only come down to checking the papers of the transported goods. Is anthracite trade illegal? From the point of view of the Polish law, buying a raw material from separatists is not illegal, because the European Union did not impose a trade embargo on the DPR and the LPR, as opposed to the Crimea annexed by Russia. The same argument is used by the European Commission, although in this case the sanctions can be interpreted as an order to sanction the anthracite traffickers as financing the activities of self-proclaimed republics, which are banned from financing. From the point of view of Ukraine, the practice breaks many provisions. The raw material leaves the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine without its customs and border controls, at the same time breaking the ban on trade with the occupied territories. Companies producing the anthracite do not pay taxes to Kiev, and instead, they settle with the authorities of the DPR and the LPR, thereby breaking the rules of the prohibition of financing terrorism. The Polish Embassy in Kyiv called on the entrepreneurs to act in accordance with Ukrainian regulations in the context of possible trade with Donbas. On the other hand, the nationalization of private mines by the separatists can be interpreted as a violation of martial law, specifically the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which stipulate that the misappropriation of assets, unjustifiable by military necessities, and unlawfully carried out on a large scale, is a war crime. Where does anthracite from Donbas go beyond Poland? According to our information, the largest amount of raw material from the Donets Basin goes, besides Russia, to Turkey. From March 2017 to September 2018, over 2.5 million tonnes of raw material were sent there, while, at the same time, only slightly over 2 million tonnes were sent to the entire EU. In the EU, the largest recipients are Romania, Belgium and Poland, but that does not mean that the raw material stays there. A part of it actually stays in these countries where it is used in industry, but the rest goes to the re-export. In the EU, the Donbas anthracite can also be found in Bulgaria, Italy or Greece; and outside the EU in Egypt, Georgia, India, Belarus or even South Korea. Separatists make use of three major transfer routes: a railway route through Belarus and Maaszewicze in Poland, and two sea routes through the Black Sea port in Rostov-on-Don and the Baltic port in Ust-Luga. Translated into English by Paulina Baca The Associated Press reports that high-ranking members of the Taliban have held three days of talks in Qatar with the U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad. The report on November 18 said the former Taliban governor of Herat Province, Khairullah Khairkhwa, and former Taliban military chief Mohammed Fazl attended the talks with Khalilzad in Qatar where the Afghan militant group has a political office. Khairkhwa and Fazl were among five senior Taliban members released from the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2014 in exchange for a captured U.S. soldier, Bowe Bergdahl. All five former Guantanamo Bay detainees are now based in Qatar and are thought to have enough influence with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to broker a peace deal. The U.S. State Department has refused to comment on reported talks between U.S. officials and the Taliban. Khalilzad has been touring the region in recent days as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is stepping up efforts to settle the conflict after more than 17 years of war. He met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on November 18 in Kabul where he was expected to push for Ghani to put together his own negotiating team. Afghanistan's Taliban has long refused U.S. demands to negotiate with the Western-backed government in Kabul. Afghan media on November 18 quoted Khalilzad as saying that he hopes a peace deal with the Taliban would be reached before Afghanistan's next presidential election on April 20, 2019. "I am talking to all interested parties, all Afghan groups... and I think there is an opportunity for reconciliation and peace," Khalilzad told a news conference in Kabul, without referring explicitly to the talks in Qatar. "The Afghan government wants peace," the U.S. envoy also said. "The Taliban [is] saying they do not believe they can succeed militarily, that they would like to see the problems that remain resolved by peaceful means, by political negotiations." On November 17, U.S. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Taliban, which controls more territory than any time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, is "not losing" and there is no "military solution" to ending the war. Dunford, the top U.S. military officer, said during a discussion at a security forum in Halifax, Canada, that the United States and its NATO allies were working to leverage military, political, and economic pressure to convince the Taliban to negotiate an end to the war. He said the U.S. believes the Taliban knows "that "at some point" it has to reconcile." "The key to success is to combine all that pressure to incentivize the Taliban" to negotiate, he added. With reporting by AP, Reuters, CNN, and Tolo News Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, left, jokes with Colorado Rockies' Vinny Castilla during batting practice before their game in Denver's Coors Field, Thursday, Aug. 27, 1998. Sosa, who has hit 52 home runs this season, is in pursuit of the major league home run record of 61 home runs set by Roger Maris in 1961. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Donald Stratton, one of five surviving sailors who was aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, was lionized Friday as Colorado Springs paused Navy veteran Welling Clark stands near steel beams cut from the hulk of the USS Arizona. Clark is one of the backers of an exhibit that will incorporate the steel to honor Donald Stratton, a local sailor who survived the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. With the holiday season fast approaching, Colorado alpaca breeders showed off their animals and merchandise over the weekend at the Black Forest Community Center. The 13th annual Alpaca Extravaganza featured 14 vendors 13 who raise alpacas and a woman and her daughter who produce products from the animals fleece. A lot of the same people show up every year, said Mike Searcy, who has 22 alpacas at his Whispering Winds Ranch in Franktown. Searcy said Colorados climate is similar to South Americas Andes Mountains, where alpacas are native. Alpacas are domesticated descendants of vicunas, which live high in the Andes, and are related to llamas. While llamas are used as pack animals, alpacas are raised mainly for their soft fleece. Peter and Barb Ziek, who care for 110 alpacas on their 35-acre farm in the northern part of Black Forest, brought 7-year-old Plain Vanilla and Madagascar, her 2-month-old baby called a cria to the show. The Zieks helped start the event to educate the public on the uses and advantages of alpacas and to sell comfortable, warm products. If youre depressed, you need an alpaca. You cant not smile around an alpaca. Peter said. He and his wife began raising alpaca as empty-nesters, after both had retired and their kids had gone off to college. We wondered what we were going to do when we grew up, then we came across the alpacas on accident and fell in love with them, Peter said Sunday. Now, they run their business, Wild Hair Alpacas, selling items made from the alpacas fleece that Barb commonly crafts using the felting method to create vests, scarves and shawls. The Zieks spend about four hours a day tending to their alpacas, which are very easy to take care of. There is very little that I dont like about these animals, Peter said. Other local farmers, Kathie and Dave Dalgleish at Raisin Bred Alpacas, were weaving and carding during the show. They have 13 alpacas on 18 acres in Kiowa. Colorados alpaca breeders are a tight-knit group, who came to the aid of the Zieks and others during the Black Forest fire in 2013, helping them evacuate more than 100 animals. The Zieks are members of Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies, an association based in Estes Park. The couple called the association for help when the fire took a threatening turn toward their land. Multiple trucks and trailers arrived within an hour to take their animals to safety on four farms in Douglas County. 636-4809 @leslie_m_james The Pikes Peak International Raceway in February. The raceway has donated 17 acres that the department will use to construct three 50-yard shooting ranges, a 100-yard range and a scenario and classroom training facility, police Cmdr. Pat Rigdon said. Vaughn Chamberlain watches a truck pass the far curve of the Time Attack course during the seasons first practice session at the Pikes Peak International Raceway on Sunday, February 18, 2018. About 150 drivers came out to the raceway with everything from trucks, to a prius to a McLaren 720s supercar for the first of two practice sessions before the scored events start in April. All of the events, practice and scored, are open for anyone to enter whether for fun or competition. (Nadav Soroker, The Gazette) Carl Chinn begins most days in the hollow hours before dawn, over coffee and an unfinished catalog of carnage. The 59-year-old former building engineer and grandfather of 16 started compiling a database of deadly force incidents on faith-based properties in the U.S. almost two decades ago, after he came face to face with a gunman, and was taken hostage, during an assault at Focus on the Family. Keeping his dark archive current, and using what hes learned to improve church safety in Colorado Springs and other cities nationwide, is now a full-time job. Before Sept. 15, 1963, when a racially motivated bombing killed four young black girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., there never had been a mass murder four or more lives lost in a single attack at a house of worship in the United States. The murder of 11 people at Pittsburghs Tree of Life synagogue Oct. 27 was the 15th mass killing on the nations hallowed ground. Its very difficult to predict when one of these is going to occur, but every time one of these incidents happens we can learn something from it, said Chinn, who since 1999 has identified and analyzed more than 1,700 such crimes, including more than 800 that involved a violent death. The more we learn about what led up to the event the weapons, the methods, triggers or motives the more we can apply that to current security exercises. Chinn is an advocate for well-trained armed security in places of worship; hes seen it save lives. He also said he knows such measures are only part of the answer, and that theyre not right for every community, congregation or person of faith. Ive had people walk out of my seminars, said Chinn, who founded the nonprofit Faith Based Security Network in 2016 to share what hes learned and help connect faith groups and law enforcement on local levels. Most of the time, the people who walk out say its just too much, and I cant take this. At a recent talk in New Jersey, Chinn said one attendee who left early did so because she was a Democrat, and said she didnt like what she was hearing. He maintains the issue is bigger than partisan politics, though. The three of us that teach this have a conservative bent, theres no question about that, but this is not a political issue, he said. Its not just about guns, its about practical readiness. For others in the faith community, however, it is about guns. A church is where we come to feel safe. Its a refuge, a sanctuary. I dont want to have to look at an armed guard when I come for service. What does that say, to us and about us? said the Rev. Nori Rost, of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, whose roughly 150 members voted this year against hiring armed security. We shouldnt have to worry about armed guards, but youre forced to choose, each one of us, because we live in an unsafe nation with gun laws that dont make sense. In a country where it seems no public gathering place is immune from the threat of armed assault, the burden on faith leaders to provide security and preserve sanctity is a complex, and heavy, one. For me as a minister, I feel a great responsibility because I really advocated for not having an armed guard, Rost said. And you know, what would I feel like if we had an intruder? Doing everything they can At Unity Spiritual Center on the citys west side, church leaders made the decision to hire a full-time armed guard after a gunman killed 26 and wounded 20 at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, last November. What felt like a necessary decision was not an easy one, said pastor Ahriana Platten. A church is where you go when your heart is broken when youve lost a beloved when youre asking the richer, deeper important questions about your lifes purpose and why youre here and what youre doing, said Platten, who grew up in a military family of gun proponents but, as a mother and minister, says she is a firm supporter of stricter laws. Youre in a different mindset when youre at church than you are at Walmart. Youre assuming you are in a holy place. Those same dynamics can make houses of worship more vulnerable, however. In my opinion, church is one of the places where people are the least prepared for violence, Platten said. Its where you come to let your guard down, not put it up. Unitys congregation of about 200 represents an interfaith community whose members embrace an open and inclusive theology that Platten said can, and has, made it a target for hate. Several years ago, employees arrived to find a mysterious package hanging from the mailbox. It turned out to be a prank a gift-wrapped Quran but the incident nonetheless resonated deeply. When you have these kinds of experiences, you really begin to see how vulnerable you are as a community, Platten said. Having an armed guard means the church can keep its focus on its good works. In todays world, I want to do everything I can to make sure the people that attend our services and activities are safe. Its my responsibility as a parent and also my responsibility as a pastor and Im not professionally trained to take anybody down, whether they have a gun or not, she said. Having armed security allows us to continue to keep the doors open and be welcoming. Some quit the church Before he became a sentinel of the once-unfathomable, Carl Chinn was a witness. First in May 1996, when he was one of four hostages taken by an armed man at Focus on the Family. Eleven years later, on Dec. 9, 2007, he was an armed member of the volunteer security team at New Life Church when at-large killer Matthew John Murray launched an assault with smoke bombs and a modified AR-15-style rifle that killed two teenage sisters and injured five others. One of Chinns partners on that security team, Jeanne Assam, shot and wounded Murray, who then took his life. New Life is still the only incident where a killer who had already killed was stopped by an intentional volunteer team at a church, Chinn said. Even so, the teams response drew criticism from the community and from within the congregation, he said. We had some people who couldnt believe we had the audacity to carry a firearm in church. We even had some people quit the church, he said. There are some people who are so opposed to it they see no reason a gun should ever be used, period. Chinn points out that his presentations also make it clear a gun isnt necessary, citing the heroism of James Shaw Jr., the unarmed man who tackled and disarmed a gunman at a Tennessee Waffle House in April, ending a shooting spree that had claimed four lives. I can give you many, many examples of people who have stopped a killer with nothing in their hands and only determination and protection in their heart, Chinn said. While I still believe a firearm in the hands of a responsible defender is the best defense against a firearm in the hands of a killer, its not whats in the hands that will kill people or save people. A firearm in the hands of a responsible defender is no guarantee, though. Among the 12 casualties of the Nov. 7 mass shooting at a country-western bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif, was a Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year-veteran of the Ventura County Police Department. Guardian ministry In open carry Colorado, where its legal in many places to advertise ones ethos on ones hip (or, more covertly, with a permit), individual callings can sometimes collide with pastoral mandates. Chinn recalled one local church security director and former corrections officer who told him he was planning to resign from the role because his pastor had forbidden team members from carrying firearms. I said, You, as one of the most credentialed people who could be leading the team, are quitting because you cant carry a gun? Chinn said. The reason you do this is to protect people and you do what you do at the pleasure of your ministry leader. If they want you to do it without a firearm, you need to find a way to do it without a firearm. At the citys largest church, New Life, professional law enforcement and trained members of the volunteer security team are the only people allowed to carry weapons on campus. At Pikes Peak Christian Church, an emerging megachurch in the Security-Widefield area, the 1,300 members are protected by a guardian ministry of trained volunteers who patrol the campus during services. Chinn encourages larger congregations to work with local law enforcement, to arrange for visible police presence, and marked vehicles, during peak times. Such precautions are not practical, or possible, however, at many of the roughly 365,000 congregations in the United States, the overwhelming majority of which have fewer than 100 people attending services on any given week. When the Rev. Harley Ihm addresses his flock of 100 or so at Central Christian Church in Old Colorado City, he knows the unseen forces at work arent just spiritual in nature. Several members of his flock carry concealed firearms. With us being a smaller church, were more low-key, but weve had probably three guys who have concealed carry and are trained. Nobody ever really knows theyre carrying but they always are, Ihm said. Theyre keeping an eye out and I know if something happens, theyll be able to handle it. What would we do? A proposal to hire armed security at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church was overwhelmingly defeated by the congregation in May, the Rev. Rost said. We voted against it, but all the churches who chose to do that, I fully support, she said. It is a decision that every congregation should make. They should talk about, if they havent already: What would we do if theres an emergency a fire, a heart attack in the third pew, an armed attacker? To that end, the church developed and continues to hone its crisis response policy, which includes security measures such as controlling access, safe rooms with solid doors and exits to the outside, and, soon, video training for the congregation on what to do should a violent intruder gain access. Vigilance is everyones responsibility these days, Rost said. If you see someone who looks suspicious, just kind of monitor them, she said. Be vigilant. Be alert but I dont ever want to make a decision based in fear. As is written in Hebrews 13:2, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Problem is, those strangers can be impossible to distinguish from the ones who entertain devils. As Rost was delivering her closing words at a Sunday service early this month, a white man wearing a winter coat walked in and sat four rows from the front. Im like, Service is ending, and he has a jacket on? said Rost, who finished her sermon and took her usual seat, turning so she could face the congregation and keep an eye on the stranger. I was just unnerved. In my mind, I had a scenario of, if he pulled out a gun this is how I would rush him, Rost said. Just turned out he had the wrong time for the service, but I had to think about all that. A first-of-its-kind endeavor to curtail crime by improving an areas economy and overall quality of life is beginning to take root in southeast Colorado Springs. The effort which funnels parole reform savings into education grants and small business loans for people living in that area has pumped nearly $2 million in grants into the community, while helping a handful of businesses get the money they need to open. Called Justice Reinvestment Crime Prevention Initiative, its an unprecedented step to reverse disproportionately high crime rates in the area. The second wave of grants were issued last week, and organizers say its just the start. Were still trying to tackle the problem called crime, but were doing it in a different way, said Christie Donner, executive director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, which advocated heavily for the program. The potential is phenomenal. The effort stems from legislation in 2017 sponsored in part by former Democratic state Rep. Pete Lee now a state senator-elect and Republican state Sen. Bob Gardner, both of Colorado Springs. It was predicated on a single, novel idea: lower crime rates and keep people from committing new crimes after being released from prison by funneling money into a community, boosting its economy and creating programs that keep kids and adults from falling into a life of crime. The legislation first made reforms to the states parole system by reducing parolees prison time for certain technical violations. By having slightly fewer inmates in the states prisons, the Colorado Department of Corrections was expected to save about $4 million a year. But rather than return that money a veritable drop in the bucket for a department with an $860 million budget those state legislators asked to funnel it into struggling communities. SPECIAL REPORT, ARCHIVE: An entire quadrant of Colorado Springs languishes as the city rides high times. Southeast Colorado Springs was selected to receive $6 million over a three-year span. Another $6 million will go to northern Aurora. Two-thirds of that money will be set aside for grants for educational programs and for nonprofits helping inmates find success outside prison. In addition, each community will have access to $1.5 million in loans for small businesses. For Donner, the program is about approaching crime from a new perspective. Just like you see in health care where they say power of prevention is worth more than the cure you can actually do a lot in public safety from a prevention perspective in early intervention, that can cost substantially less and have better outcomes, Donner said. Already, 21 nonprofits and agencies in southeast Colorado Springs have received nearly $2 million in grants. One program, Educating Children of Color, helps train high school students for the SAT and offers scholarships. It also hosts an annual seminar that gathers educators and 130 high school students most of whom hail from Harrison School District 2 to help students stay in school and remain out of the criminal justice system. We want to see that educators are making an effort to learn more about how to be more relevant, how to connect with students, in a more meaningful way, said Alex Malone, vice president of the nonprofits board. And really, the preventative methodology is what we believe in, because by the time they get to be adjudicated, its almost hard to reverse all of those behaviors. Other programs aim to help reduce high-risk behaviors among LGBTQ teens, keep kids from joining gangs, help people recently released from prison find jobs and redesign Panorama Park. In addition, five loans totaling $65,583 have been awarded to small businesses in southeast Colorado Springs, said Gwendolyn Bonilla, regional lending officer for Accion, a nonprofit lending agency. So far, 13 people have been employed by those new companies, which include a roofer, a consultant for homeowners associations, a remodeling contractor, a management consultant who also does motivational speaking and a company that helps people transition from nursing homes into their home. The true impact might not be known for years, said Eula Tatman, who helps oversee the local initiative with the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. Even so, its spurred grassroots efforts at positive changes for the area one in dire need of a kick-start. Its built this great energy in the community, Tatman said. Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 19 November 2018 Vast Resources plc (Vast or the Company) Commencement of Drilling at Magura Neagra and Piciorul Zimbrului Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company with operating mines in Romania and Zimbabwe, is pleased to announce that surface exploration drilling has commenced at the Magura Neagra and Piciorul Zimbrului prospecting licences (collectively Zagra) in northern Romania in which Vast has a minimum 90% interest. A detailed update on Zagra was given in the Companys announcement of 17 October 2017. Drilling at Zagra was part of the Companys planned expenditure as detailed in the Open Offer announcement of 21 November 2017, and reference was made to the planned drilling programme in Q4 2018 in the Strategic Report contained in the Companys Annual Report announced on 28 September 2018. Overview 4,000m surface diamond drilling campaign commenced at Zagra Previous exploration has demonstrated both licences' prospectivity for polymetallic mineralisation: Previously reported estimates by the Romanian state exploration company, IPEG Cluj, have indicated an exploration target (non-JORC compliant) of up to 3,000Mt of ore to a depth of 600m, at grades ranging from 0.4% copper ("Cu") and 0.3g/t gold ("Au") up to 0.8% Cu and 0.5g/t Au at Magura Neagra Six veins associated copper and gold mineralisation previously identified at Piciorul Zimbrului through underground development Drilling campaign expected to be complete by the end of December 2018 All core samples will be submitted to the ALS laboratories located in Rosia Montana for copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold and silver assays Commenting, Andrew Prelea said, Magura Neagra and Piciorul Zimbrului are important components of our evolving and expanding global inventory of resource assets. Although further behind in the development curve when compared to the already producing nearby Manaila mine, or our near term production assets at Baita Plai and brownfield Blueberry, the licences are highly compelling by virtue of the historic assessments conducted by the previous state exploration company which pointed to both licences demonstrating sufficient size and scale to warrant a comprehensive exploration campaign. I look forward to advancing these assets over the coming months as we begin to get an impression of the resource potential of Magura Neagra and Piciorul Zimbrului and continue in our strategy to become a mid-tier producer in the region. Talks are advancing with institutional investors and the completion of the prospecting drilling campaign is essential to ensure securing the Exploration Licence in H1 2019. This is a vital step to concluding the transaction. Further Information Located in the Zagra-Telciu area in Bistrita-Nasaud County of Romania, the 21km2 Magura Neagra licence and the 10km2 Piciorul Zimbrului licence are adjacent to one another and are approximately 110km from Vasts producing Manaila Polymetallic Mine by road. Magura Neagra Polymetallic Licence Initial drilling is being undertaken within the Magura Neagra licence area, targeting sets of polymetallic veins together with areas of disseminated sulphide mineralisation. The mineralisation is associated with areas of intense silicification and is hosted within silicified sandstones spatially related to a quartz diorite. Historical prospecting activities undertaken by the state exploration company IPEG Cluj during the period 1986-1993, identified five polymetallic veins ranging in widths from 0.30m-5.00m, together with an 800-metre-long zone of disseminated sulphide mineralisation which was intersected in an underground drive accessed by means of a surface adit (Gallery 47). The underground drives are developed from elevations ranging between 972m amsl-1,340m amsl representing a vertical extent or exposure of 368m. A spatial analysis of the vein system, areas of intense silicification and occurrences of disseminated mineralisation may indicate the possible presence of a porphyry copper type mineralising system together with mineralised veins containing gold, silver, molybdenum, lead and zinc. Porphyry style copper mineralisation appears to be associated with the vein systems, and with areas of intensely silicified sandstones with disseminated sulphide impregnations. Initial estimates, by the Romanian state exploration company IPEG Cluj, related to the porphyry style mineralisation, have indicated an exploration target (non-JORC compliant) of up to 3,000Mt of ore to a depth of 600m, at grades ranging from 0.4% copper ("Cu") and 0.3g/t gold ("Au") up to 0.8% Cu and 0.5g/t Au. The exploration team surmised that at a 10% conversion ratio from exploration target to a mineral reserve, the reserves may total 300Mt of ore and place it above the current operations of Cuprumin at Rosia Poieni. The current drill campaign will comprise 2,000 metres of diamond drilling which will focus on the five previously identified veins at Magura Neagra. Piciorul Zimbrului Polymetallic Licence Previous exploration activities, conducted by IPEG Cluj, the former state exploration company, included 1,200m of underground development and underground diamond drilling, along with 862m surface diamond drilling and geological mapping over an area of 4.0km2. Several trenches and pits totalling 238m and 3,484m3 were excavated on surface. This work identified a total of six veins, with associated copper and gold mineralisation along an underground drive developed for 820m at an elevation of 835m above mean sea level ("amsl"). A further two veins with associated polymetallic mineralisation were investigated with an additional two veins exhibiting gold, silver, and antimony mineralisation, which were encountered in the underground development at an elevation of +950m amsl. All the veins are hosted within Paleocene sandstones and the full extent of the veins has not been defined. Mention is made in literature of exploration activities undertaken in 1981 for disseminated porphyry copper in the silicified sandstones. The current drill campaign will comprise 2,000 metres of diamond drilling which will focus on the six previously identified veins at Piciorul Zimbrului. Zagra is a Joint Asset of which Andrew Prelea is entitled to a 10% interest as referred to in the Companys announcement of 1 March 2018 following his appointment to the Company as a director. As therein stated, in order to eliminate conflicts of interest it was and remains the intention of both the Company and Andrew Prelea to negotiate terms under which Andrew Preleas interests in the Joint Assets are exchanged for special option rights to acquire shares in the Company subject to approval by shareholders of the Company at a General Meeting. General The Companys quarterly production summary and operating update for the quarter ended 30 September 2018 will be announced shortly. Qualified Person The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Mr Craig Harvey, the Chief Operating Officer for Vast and a full-time employee and Director of the Company. Mr Harvey is a Competent Person who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Recognised Professional Organisation included in a list that is posted on the ASX website from time to time. Mr Harvey has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr Harvey consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. **ENDS** For further information, visit www.vastresourcesplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Andrew Prelea (Chief Executive Officer) www.vastresourcesplc.com +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Beaumont Cornish - Financial & Nominated Adviser Roland Cornish James Biddle www.beaumontcornish.com +44 (0) 020 7628 3396 Brandon Hill Capital Ltd Joint Broker Jonathan Evans www.brandonhillcapital.com +44 (0) 20 3463 5016 SVS Securities Plc Joint Broker Tom Curran Ben Tadd www.svssecurities.com +44 (0) 20 3700 0100 St Brides Partners Ltd Susie Geliher Juliet Earl www.stbridespartners.co.uk +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Notes Vast Resources plc is an AIM listed mining and resource development company focussed on the rapid advancement of high-quality brownfield projects and recommencing production at previously producing mines in Romania and Zimbabwe. Vast Resources currently owns and operates the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, and is focussed on its expansion through the development of a second open pit operation and new metallurgical complex at the Carlibaba Extension Area. The Companys Romanian portfolio also includes interests in two brownfield development projects; the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine (80% interest), which has a reported 1,800,000-tonne copper-silver-zinc-lead-gold-tungsten-molybdenum ore body at 6% copper equivalent (Russian Reserves and Resources Reporting System) within the mining licence area; and the Blueberry Project (29.41% interest), a 7.285km brownfield area of prospectivity in the Golden Quadrilateral of Romania located in the immediate vicinity of the now closed Baia de Aries mine. The Company also has interests in a number of projects in Zimbabwe including a controlling 25 per cent. interest in the producing Pickstone-Peerless Gold Mine, a 23.75% economic interest in the Eureka Gold Mine, and an 86.67% interest in a SPV which has a due diligence access agreement and pre-agreed joint venture terms on a diamond concession within the Marange Diamond Fields, widely considered to be one of the richest sources of alluvial diamonds globally. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Arrow Minerals Inc. (TSXV-NAR) is pleased to provide an update on its exploration projects in the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan, including new microdiamond results from the Loki Diamond Project in the Lac de Gras region of the Northwest Territories. Highlights of these programs include: At Loki, caustic fusion analyses of 164.7 kg of kimberlite EG05 have returned 28 diamonds greater than the 0.106 mm sieve size and caustic fusion analyses of 40.9 kg of kimberlite 465, discovered in 2018, have returned a single diamond greater than the 0.150 mm sieve size; At the LDG Joint Venture Diamond Project (NT), partner and joint venture operator Dominion Diamond Mines has reported completion of diamond and reverse circulation drilling programs and samples of the Big Blue kimberlite are currently undergoing kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) characterization and microdiamond analyses; Recent claim staking has increased the Pikoo Diamond Project (SK) area to over 39,000 ha, in advance of renewed till sampling in 2019. Ken Armstrong, President and CEO of North Arrow stated, Exploration drilling programs were completed during the 2018 field season at the Loki and LDG Projects. This work was highlighted by North Arrows discovery of kimberlite 465 at Loki, the first publicly reported kimberlite discovery in the Lac de Gras region in over five years, demonstrating the potential for additional new discoveries in the area. Furthermore, recent claim staking has increased North Arrows Pikoo Diamond Project area in anticipation of renewed exploration in 2019. This work is part of our corporate strategy of evaluating a pipeline of prospective diamond properties in Canada and is in addition to the ongoing evaluation of newly discovered diamondiferous kimberlite at the Mel Project (NU) and detailed planning in advance of renewed bulk sampling work on the Q1-4 kimberlite at the Naujaat Project (NU). North Arrow is presently evaluating five Canadian projects known to host kimberlite, including four projects where the kimberlites are known to be significantly diamondiferous. Loki Diamond Project, NT North Arrows 100% owned Loki project is located in the Lac de Gras region, approximately 30 km southwest, and 24 km west of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines, respectively, and immediately adjacent to the west of North Arrows LDG Joint Venture Diamond Project with Dominion. During the spring of 2018 North Arrow discovered kimberlite 465 and drilled a previously untested portion of kimberlite EG05. The discovery of 465 represented the first kimberlite discovery in the Lac de Gras region in over 5 years (please see North Arrow news release dated April 5, 2018 for details on the drilling program). Caustic fusion results of drill core samples from both kimberlites have been received and are summarized in the following table: Number of Diamonds per Sieve Size (mm Square Mesh Sieve) Kimberlite Sample Weight Dry Kg +0.106 -0.150 +0.150 -0.212 +0.212 -0.300 +0.300 -0.425 +0.425 -0.600 +0.600 -0.850 +0.850 -1.18 Total Stones EG05 164.7 19 5 1 3 0 0 0 28 465 40.9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 An ongoing kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) characterization study has confirmed EG05 hosts a full suite of KIMs including pyrope and eclogitic garnet, chrome diopside, picroilmenite and chromite. The kimberlite remains unconstrained by drilling completed to date and planning is underway for detailed ground gravity survey in an attempt to better define the extents of the pipe. The recovery of a single microdiamond from 465 is in line with initial results of petrographic logging and KIM characterization which suggest the kimberlite contains a limited mantle sample. There are no plans for further work on the kimberlite. LDG Joint Venture, NT. Dominion, operator of the LDG joint venture, has provided an update of ongoing exploration on the 147,000 ha project. During the spring of 2018, Dominion completed 31 shallow reverse circulation (RC) exploration drill holes in eight target areas and 7 diamond drill holes (1,013m) in two target areas. No new kimberlites were discovered however the Big Blue kimberlite, one of three known kimberlites within the project, was tested by a single RC hole and by two vertical diamond drill holes. Drill core from Big Blue has undergone detailed petrographic logging and samples have been submitted for KIM characterization and microdiamond analyses. Final details on the drilling campaigns will be reported to North Arrow at the end of the program. During August 2018, 93 overburden RC holes and 9 hand dug sample pits were completed in 13 target areas. Till samples collected from this work are presently undergoing heavy mineral processing with the goal of better defining KIM dispersal trains down ice from the target areas. The till sample results will be used to prioritize targets for additional discovery type drilling during the winter 2019 field season. The approved $4M budget for the 2018 exploration program is being fully funded by Dominion and as a result North Arrow expects its interest in the joint venture to be diluted to approximately 25%. Pikoo Diamond Project, SK. North Arrow also announces that it has staked additional mineral claims in the vicinity of its 100% owned Pikoo Diamond Project, Saskatchewan, increasing the project area to 39,752 ha. Planning is underway for renewed till sampling at the project in spring of 2019 in an effort to better define existing targets and to identify new target areas on the expanded property. The Loki Diamond Project exploration program is managed and directed by Michael MacMorran, P.Geo. (NWT/NU), Project Geologist of North Arrow. North Arrows diamond exploration programs are conducted under the direction of Kenneth Armstrong, P.Geo. (ON), President and CEO of North Arrow and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. MacMorran and Mr. Armstrong has reviewed the contents of this press release. About North Arrow Minerals North Arrow is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the identification and evaluation of diamond exploration opportunities in Canada. North Arrows management, board of directors and advisors have significant successful experience in the Canadian diamond industry. North Arrow has discovered and is evaluating kimberlite fields at the Mel (NU) and Pikoo (SK) Projects, and also has exploration exposure to the prolific Lac de Gras region (NT) through its Loki and LDG Joint Venture Projects. The Companys most advanced diamond project is the large, well located Q1-4 diamond deposit at the Naujaat Project (NU). The Company also maintains a 100% interest in the Hope Bay Oro Gold Project (NU), located approximately 3 km north of TMAC Resources Doris Gold Mine. North Arrow Minerals Inc. /s/ Kenneth A. Armstrong Kenneth Armstrong President and CEO For further information, please contact: Ken Armstrong Tel: 604-668-8355 or 604-668-8354 Website: www.northarrowminerals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to statements with respect to North Arrows plans, the estimation of a mineral resource and the success of exploration activities. Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to general economic and market conditions; closing of financing; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; actual results of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in mineral resources or grade; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations. Although North Arrow has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. North Arrow undertakes no obligation or responsibility to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LSC Lithium Corporation (LSC or together with its subsidiaries, the Company) (TSXV:LSC) is pleased to announce that it has received further encouraging pump test results from step tests, airlifts and a second 7-day continuous pump test at the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes (PPG) Project. HIGHLIGHTS Step Test from Well WPZ-18-04: Yielded average grades of 531mg/l Li Confirms a southern extension of the high grade depocenter at Pozuelos salar Results of drawdown and recharge indicate that an operational well of 70m 3 /h could be supported at this hole 7-Day Pump Test from Well WPZ-18-01: Yielded average grades of 420mg/l Li Constant pump rate over 7 days at 41.5m 3 /h 80% of recharge within 3 hours Results indicate that an operational well of over 45m 3 /h could be supported Total of 7 sites with completed pump or step tests across Pozuelos Results will support the upcoming resource update for Pozuelos salar expected by end of November 2018 LSCs President and CEO Ian Stalker, noted, These results continue to increase our confidence in the potential of the Pozuelos depocentre. We look forward to incorporating these high grade results into the resource update of Pozuelos, which is expected to be completed with our PEA in November 2018. As the grades are higher than the values currently assumed in these areas of the resource, we anticipate the updated Pozuelos resource to be higher both in terms of lithium grade and tonnes. See map of the Pozuelos salar which shows the location of all 7 hydrogeological test sites, including sites WPZ-18-01 and WPZ-18-04 reported in this press release. (Link to Map of the Pozuelos salar hydrological test sites). WPZ-18-01 7-day Pump Test Well WPZ-18-01 was drilled in the north of the depo center of the Pozuelos salar at a diameter of 12. The well was cased with PVC screen casing and one monitoring piezometer, PZ20 was installed at a distance of 20.54m. A 6 down-the-hole pump with 22kW motor powered by a generator was installed and operated under constant supervision for a continuous period of 168 hours (7-days). Brine samples were collected for assaying at the following intervals: Hourly for the first day Every three hours for the second day Every eight hours thereafter During the pumping test, the piezometric levels in the pumping well and piezometer were measured manually with piezometric probes and automatically with datalogger. Flows were measured at a distance of 200m from the pumping well in a gauging tank with a hole in the base, of known area, determining the flow depending on the height of water that is produced inside the tank. This flow measurement was corroborated with volumetric measurements with an excellent correlation between both values. Lithium grades were found to be relatively consistent, averaging 420mg/l with minimum and maximum grades of 371mg/l and 448mg/l respectively. Grades started lower and then stabilized around the average. ( Link to WPZ-18-01 Li Grade from Pump Tests Results Graph) Pumping was performed steadily at a rate of 41.5m3/h. Drawdown was observed in the monitoring well and the pumping well. Drawdown levels remained steady after approximately 8 hours of pumping approximately as follows: 30m in the pumping well and 4m in PZ20. A full recharge to pre-pumping levels was observed within 48 hours after the completion of the pump test, with 80% of the recharge occurring within the first 3 hours. These results were interpreted with a numerical model using the Infinite Extent software and accepted hydrogeological equations. They concluded that a production well of at least 45m3/h could be supported in this area. ( Link to 7 Day Pump Test Results WPZ-18-01 Graph) Furthermore, the fact that the observed drawdown reduces rapidly with distance, supports the view that pumping wells can be installed in a production grid to support a high grade brine supply system for operations. WPZ-18-04 Step Test Well WPZ-18-04 was drilled in the south of the Pozuelos salar utilizing a tricone system to a depth of 183m at a diameter of 12. The well was cased with PVC screen casing at 8. A 6 down-the-hole 22kW pump powered by a generator was installed at a depth of 57m and pumped at variable speeds for a 6-hour period to test the drawdown, yield and recharge. During the test, the piezometric levels in the pumping well were measured manually with piezometric probes and automatically with a datalogger. Flows were measured at a distance of 200m from the pumping well in a gauging tank with a hole in the base, of known area, determining the flow depending on the height of water that is produced inside the tank. Lithium grades were measured every 15 minutes and were found to be very consistent, averaging 531mg/l with minimum and maximum grades of 517mg/l and 543mg/l respectively. Pumping was performed at stepped increments with 20m3/h for two hours, followed by 43m3/h for two hours and 58m3/h for the final two hours. Drawdown was observed in the pumping well and levels displayed steady behavior within minutes of pumping at each rate and stabilized approximately as follows: 9m at 20m 3 /h /h 23m at 43m 3 /h /h 37m at 58m3/h A full recharge to pre-pumping levels was observed within 2 hours after the completion of the step test, with 80% of the recharge occurring within the first 5min. ( Link to Step Test Results for WPZ 18-04 Graph) Conhidro, a Salta based hydrogeology consultancy, interpreted these results with a numerical model using the Infinite Extent software and accepted hydrogeological equations. They concluded that the maximum exploitation flow of this work is 70m3/h with a calculated dynamic level of 56.04m below the wellhead. Pozuelos Resource Update LSC will proceed to incorporate these positive results into an updated resource estimate of Pozuelos, which will be released together with the PEA towards the end of November 2018. The data from WPZ-18-04 supports the view of a second high grade depo center in the south of the salar. As the grades encountered during the pump test are higher than those in the current resource estimate, an increase of grade and quantity is anticipated in this area. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Brine samples were collected in 1 litre sample bottles, sealed and transported daily to the assay laboratory. Sample data for collection date and time, sample number, pumping rate and other factors were recorded in a data base. Sample assays were undertaken at Alex Stewart Argentina (ASA) in Jujuy, Argentina using ICP, gravimetric, potentiometric and volumetric methods as detailed in a press release from LSC dated April 10, 2017. ASA is independent of LSC and has significant experience in assaying lithium brine and is certified to ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 standards for quality control and quality assurance. LSC has a well-developed program of QA/QC. Certified standards are inserted in sample batches at a rate of at least 1 in 20, sample duplicates are run at a rate of at least 1 in 20. Blanks are inserted at a rate of at least 1 in 20 samples. LSC uses distilled water for blanks. ALS Global or SGS Argentina are used as secondary check laboratories to monitor primary laboratory results. Both ALS Global and SGS Argentina are certified to ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 standards and are independent of LSC. Qualified Person This press release is based upon information prepared and approved by Donald H. Hains, P.Geo. Mr. Hains is a qualified person, as defined in NI 43-101 and is independent of LSC. Mr. Hains has verified all sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained in this press release by on-site inspection during drilling, brine sampling; review of drill core photographs to verify lithology; review of certified assay certificates against the assay data base; review of pump test data. There are no drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy and reliability of the data. ABOUT LSC LITHIUM CORPORATION: LSC Lithium has amassed a large portfolio of prospective lithium rich salars and is focused on developing its material projects: Pozuelos and Pastos Grandes Project, Rio Grande Project and Salinas Grandes Project. All LSC tenements are located in the Lithium Triangle, an area at the intersection of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile where the worlds most abundant lithium brine deposits are found. LSC Lithium has a land package portfolio totaling approximately 300,000 hectares, which represents extensive lithium prospective salar holdings in Argentina. For further information please contact: LSC Lithium Corporation Ian Stalker President & Chief Executive Officer 40 University Avenue, Suite 605, Toronto ON Canada M5J 1T1 +416 306 8382 Email: info@lsclithium.com Web: lsclithium.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance, including statements as to the timing and expected completion of delivering a PEA for the PPG Project and an updated resource estimate for the Pozuelos salar, ability to incorporate results into the updated resource of Pozuelos with higher grade and higher resource, ability of a production well to be supported using these results, results and use of data from the pump test work on Pozuelos in the updated resource estimate for the salar, timing of completing engineering work on the PPG Project, targeted production of lithium carbonate from the PPG Project, the size of future production weels, LSCs overall contained lithium inventory, and ability to produce more results on the Companys properties. The use of any of the words could, anticipate, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, targeted, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on LSC's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Whether actual results and developments will conform with LSC's expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including factors underlying management's assumptions, such as risks related to: title, permitting and regulatory risks; exploration and the establishment of any resources or reserves on the LSC properties; volatility in lithium prices and the market for lithium; exchange rate fluctuations; volatility in LSCs share price; the requirement for significant additional funds for development that may not be available; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in Argentina or elsewhere; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which the Company holds an interest; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the Company's properties; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the Company's properties. Actual future results may differ materially. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and LSC is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. For more information, see the Company's filing statement on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canopy Rivers Inc. (Canopy Rivers or the Company) (TSXV:RIV) congratulates its portfolio company, Radicle Medical Marijuana Inc. (Radicle), on receiving its production and sales licence from Health Canada. The licence will allow Radicle to supply and sell finished cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use market in Canada. First licensed for cultivation in early 2018, Radicles 140,000 square foot indoor facility located in Hamilton, ON is focused on small-batch cultivation of unique genetic strains using proprietary and sustainable growth methods. In August 2018, Radicle was one of the original twenty-six licensed cannabis producers selected in a highly competitive product call by the Ontario Cannabis Store for recreational sale online and one of two entities selected despite only having a licence to cultivate at the time. Radicle recently launched Gage Cannabis Co., a new premium brand in the craft cannabis segment. We are very proud to be part of the Radicle story, said Daniel Pearlstein, EVP Strategy at Canopy Rivers. This latest milestone marks a new and exciting chapter for Radicle and strengthens our confidence in their commitment to deliver premium, small-batch, handcrafted cannabis. Canopy Rivers first invested in Radicle in August 2017. The grant of the sales licence has triggered the conversion of Canopy Rivers convertible debenture into approximately 24% of the fully diluted issued and outstanding common shares of Radicle. Further, Canopy Rivers repayable debenture has been automatically set-off against consideration otherwise payable entitling Canopy Rivers to a royalty interest with a minimum annual payment of $900,000 per year for a term of 20 years. For more information regarding the Companys investment in Radicle, please refer to the joint management information circular (the Circular) of Canopy Rivers Corporation and the Company dated August 8, 2018, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Canopy Rivers Inc. The Company is a unique investment and operating platform structured to pursue investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. The Company works collaboratively with Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED, NYSE: CGC) to identify strategic counterparties seeking financial and/or operating support. The Company has developed an investment ecosystem of complementary cannabis operating companies that represent various segments of the value chain across the emerging cannabis sector. As the portfolio continues to develop, constituents will be provided with opportunities to work with Canopy Growth and collaborate among themselves, which the Company believes will maximize value for its shareholders and foster an environment of innovation, synergy and value creation for the entire ecosystem. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements which constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar expressions and includes information regarding the delivery of premium, small-batch, handcrafted cannabis; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects managements expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: regulatory and licensing risks; the ability to cultivate premium, small-batch handcrafted product; the ability to secure distribution and sales channels; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; potential conflicts of interest; the Canadian regulatory landscape and enforcement related to cannabis, including political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry; and the risk factors set out in the Circular, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information: POINT ROBERTS, Wash. and LAS VEGAS, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- www.Investorideas.com , a global news source covering marijuana and hemp stocks and its cannabis podcast site www.potcasts.ca report from Las Vegas at this years biggest MJBizCon show to date, from the first ever Podcasters Row. Since it was founded seven years ago, MJBizCon has grown to become the largest trade show in the cannabis industry. This years record attendance was a notable reflection of the sectors growth and all the industry professionals on the floor were impressed. Roger Ralston, CEO of DirectView Holdings Inc. ( OTC: DIRV ), there to introduce his security surveillance technology to industry peers, when asked about the conference, like many others in attendance, said, Im just blown away by how many people are here. Ive heard numbers from 25,000 to 30,000 people are here and I look around and its a sea of people and I see opportunity all over the place. Ralston went on to discuss the industry response he and DIRV received stating, Its very positive! The fortunate part that we have is that all these people here that have booths have specialized items and they may be selling certain things to certain industries and certain sized shops, and as Ive said before, were like the electric company, so the products and services we sell are something virtually everybody here can use. The opportunities here are boundless. Interview with CEO, Roger Ralston of DirectView Holdings Inc. (OTC: DIRV) at Podcaster Row, MJBizCon https://www.investorideas.com/Audio/Podcasts/2018/111618-OTCDIRV-MJBizCon.mp3 Hear Investor ideas cannabis potcast on iTunes Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora Cannabis ( NYSE: ACB ) ( TSX: ACB ), speaking in a panel session said regarding the 2018 Farm Bill in US "If this farm bill passes in the US, the US may very well beat us (Canada) to the punch with regards to CBD." Talking about funded capacity versus actual capacity in the cannabis space he said, "Nobody is at full capacity yet. There's a big difference between the funded capacity versus actual plant product available and the global demand for cannabis is very significant." Booth also said about late stage Canadian companies entering the Canadian market "If you're a Canadian company just starting out in the cannabis space and looking to go public in Canada, I'd say 'Good luck!' However, if you're based in the US and looking to go public on the Canadian exchanges I think its a great opportunity and hats off to you." Acreage Holdings did just that and listed last week on the Canadian Securities Exchange ( CSE: ACRG.U ); with "U" indicating shares trade in U.S. dollars. With one of the largest geographic footprints of any cannabis company, it currently owns and/or operates cultivation, processing and dispensary operations, The first day of MJBizCon featured a Fireside Chat with Acreage CEO, Kevin Murphy. With former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner and former Governor of the State of Massachusetts, Bill Weld on its Board of Advisors and now former Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney joining the Board as well, this was one of the most talked about companies at the conference. Other room-filled panels included Globalization of Cannabis: Trends & Opportunities panelists with speakers Alfredo Pascual, International Analyst, Marijuana Business Daily; Deepak Anand, VP, Business Development & Government Relations, Cannabis Compliance and Mike Gorenstein, CEO of Cronos Group ( NASDAQ: CRON ) ( TSX: CRON ). For investors following the sector that had an opportunity to attend MJBizCon, they would have to agree the growth of the conference and the sector is explosive and even though not all panel members agreed on where the industry is heading, the crowded conference spoke for itself. About MJBizCon: https://mjbizconference.com/vegas/ About Investorideas.com - News that Inspires Big Investing Ideas https://www.investorideas.com/About/ To hear more Investorideas.com podcasts visit: https://www.investorideas.com/Audio/ . Investorideas.com podcasts are also available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, Spreaker, YouTube via Spreaker, iHeartradio and Tunein. Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, contents creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: this podcast is a paid for distribution (third party) on Investorideas and social media. Learn more about Investor ideas podcast and news publication services and costs https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp . Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15, 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: https://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894 . Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Investor Ideas does not condone the use of cannabis except where permissible by law. Our site does not possess, distribute, or sell cannabis products. Follow us on our Cannabis Social Media https://www.facebook.com/Investorideaspotcasts/ https://twitter.com/MJInvestorIdeas https://www.instagram.com/potcasts_investorideas/ Contact Investorideas.com 800-665-0411 OTTAWA, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSXV: ORE) (Orezone or the Company) is pleased to provide the following key updates on its 90%-owned Bombore Gold Project: Work has commenced to update the 2018 Feasibility Study (2018 FS) to include a staged higher-grade sulphide expansion (Phase II Sulphide Expansion) to complement the oxide mine plan in the 2018 FS. The Phase II Sulphide Expansion is envisioned as a 3,000 to 3,500 tonne per day (tpd) sulphide circuit to process zones of higher-grade sulphide and lower transition oxide resources starting in Year 3 of commercial production. Capital for this expansion is expected to be funded by future operating cash flows. Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. (RPA) will update the current January 5, 2017 mineral resource (2017 Resource) estimate to include the oxide material within the previously termed Restricted Zones and the free milling sulphide material at P17S in support of this Phase II Sulphide Expansion study. This update to the 2018 FS will not impact the ongoing development and schedule of the Bombore project as presented in the 2018 FS. As stated in the Companys press release of November 8th, 2018, the current project is being designed as a 5.2 Million tonne per annum (Mtpa) operation and is currently advancing through detailed engineering with first gold production scheduled to commence by October 2020. Patrick Downey, President and CEO, stated that We are very excited to commence an updated feasibility study to evaluate the potential upside of a sulphide circuit to meaningfully contribute to the projects future gold production as part of a phased expansion to the 2018 FS oxide mine plan. Previously, the sulphides at Bombore were viewed as a large low-grade deposit. However, a recent detailed review of the Measured and Indicated (M&I) sulphide resources by the Company and our consultants has identified continuous zones of significantly higher grade, near surface mineralization which warrants a more in-depth analysis. In addition to the higher grade sulphides at P17S, we have successfully identified four additional areas of thick and continuous higher-grade M&I sulphide resources located directly beneath current oxide reserves. Historical metallurgical test work together with pit geotechnical evaluations have been previously completed on these sulphides which will allow for rapid advancement of this update to the 2018 FS, which we are targeting for completion by the end of Q2 2019. Feasibility Update for Phase II Sulphide Expansion Test work and previously released studies indicate that the sulphide process plant extension will consist of a crushing and grinding circuit that feeds into a leaching circuit that will be designed to provide the first the 24 hours of leaching. This partially-leached material will then be fed to the main oxide carbon in-leach circuit where overall leaching of the blended material will be completed, and the gold recovered to the oxide plant carbon elution circuit. Test work to date on sulphide material indicates recoveries ranging from 73% in the north (Maga and P8/P9) to over 90% in the south (Siga and P17S). The gold recovery, tailings and reagent systems of the oxide plant design in the 2018 FS will remain unchanged as will the main project infrastructure. The overall plant throughput is currently contemplated to remain at 5.2Mtpa with these higher-grade sulphides replacing lower-grade oxides. Over the past quarter, the Company, in conjunction with its consultants, has been reviewing the sulphide mineralization beneath the current oxide reserve pits in the 2018 FS. The 2017 Resource statement estimated that the sulphide zones contained 96M tonnes of M&I resources at a gold grade of 0.83 g/t (above a lower cut-off grade of 0.38 g/t), including 71M tonnes of M&I resources at a gold grade of 0.97 g/t over a higher cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t (refer to Appendix B for the pit design parameters used by RPA for the resource estimation). From this review, the Company has outlined several higher-grade sulphide zones located within the Main M&I sulphide. Subsets of the 2017 RPA M&I resource estimates for these zones are included in table 1 below. For the initial review, these zones of higher-grade sulphides have been constrained to a maximum depth of 100 m but the mineralization remains open at depth. Table 1: Subsets of RPA 2017 M&I Resource Estimate Table 1 is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26e493cd-38b0-43ad-bf59-cd6299d920d8 Notes: CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are estimated at variable cut-off grades depending on weathering layer and location. Elevated cut-off grades have been used to identify higher-grade mineralization within the Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term gold price of US$1,400/oz. A minimum mining width of approximately 3 m was used. Estimates for contained gold have been rounded to the nearest 100 oz. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability and have not had the considerations applied to them that allow conversion to Mineral Reserves. This work will be carried out during the Phase II Sulphide Expansion study. A review of these zones by the Companys consultants has indicated sufficient thickness and continuity to advance to detailed feasibility to evaluate the potential to convert these resources into reserves (see location of areas of interest, Appendix A). These zones will be included in the updated FS in combination with the lower transition oxides and P17S. The Company has retained its previous consultants from the 2018 FS for this FS update. Lycopodium Minerals Canada Ltd. will act as lead study manager together with AMC Consultants, Knight Piesold Consulting and RPA. The FS update will be based on the construction of the sulphide circuit in Year 2 of commercial production to allow the Company to access up to two years of operating cash flow to self-fund the expansion. Significant historical metallurgical, environmental and geotechnical test work has already been completed on the sulphide material from these zones and been included in previously filed NI 43-101 reports. Work includes: Grind versus recovery test work; Leach kinetics including optimal leach residence time; Reagent consumptions; Crushing and grinding Work Indices; Abrasion Indices; Waste rock acid rock drainage(ARD) characterization; and Pit wall geotechnical drilling and analysis. The Company will benefit from the extensive database of existing test work in reducing both the costs and schedule of this FS update. In 2012, McClelland performed a feasibility-level test work program. The testwork included ore variability composite testing, comminution testing, CIL/CIP leaching, residue characterization, and waste rock testing. The sulphide composites were tested at two grind sizes (-75 and -53m). The results, which are taken directly from Table 13.13 in the August 23rd, 2018 NI 43-101 technical report are summarized in Appendix C. A 2009 AMMTEC metallurgical program included in the August 23rd, 2018 NI 43-101technical report in Tables 13.5 and 13.6 provide additional recovery data for the sulphide resources. The samples provided to AMMTEC were PQ and HQ drill cores taken from the fresh rock, transition, and oxide ore zones. Summary results from the AMMTEC program are presented in Appendix D. Bombore Resource Update by RPA The resource estimate update will be performed by RPA who completed the 2017 Resource estimate. The new resource estimate will include oxide material from the previously excluded Restricted Zones based on all prior drilling up to February 2016. This material is located within the flood zones of seasonal river crossings (see Appendix A). Any material within the Restricted Zones that falls within an updated mine plan will be mined and subsequently backfilled with waste from the same area during each years dry season of November to April. Permitting of the Restricted Zones is advanced with submission of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report as the next steps. The RPA resource update will also include the near surface P17S sulphide deposit. This deposit does not have significant oxide mineralization and therefore, is currently outside of the existing mining permit. A resource estimate for P17S was included in the 2017 Resource based on limited drilling to February 2016 which identified a M&I resource of 335,000 tonnes at a gold grade of 2.52 grams per tonne (g/t). This resource was to a depth of ~100 m and down dip extension of ~190 m from surface. Over the past two years, the Company has conducted successful follow-up drilling at P17S (see Companys Press Release of July 16, 2018) which has materially increased the size of the deposit. The drilling continued to define the extensions of the deposit, which is hosted in a series of shallowly-plunging granodiorite thickened fold hinges, with the most recent drilling having intersected new fold hinges and defined the down-plunge extension of the original deposit over a distance of at least 500 m, to a vertical depth of about 200 m. All new drilling data available as of October 2018 will be incorporated within the new resource estimate by RPA. Qualified Persons Tim Miller, SME and COO, Pascal Marquis, Geo and SVP and Patrick Downey, P.Eng and CEO of Orezone, are Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101 and have reviewed and approved the information in this news release. Orezone has also prepared and filed a current technical report on the Bombore Project titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Feasibility Study of the Bombore Gold Project Burkina Faso with a date of 23 August 2018, and which is available at www.sedar.com and at www.orezone.com . The technical report includes relevant information regarding the effective dates and the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource and reserve estimates at the Bombore Project, as well as information regarding data verification, and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release. Readers should also refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2018 available at www.sedar.com, for this detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein. About Orezone Gold Corporation Orezone is a Canadian company with a successful gold discovery track record and recent mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 90% interest in Bombore, a fully permitted, low cost, development stage gold project in Burkina Faso, situated 85 km east of the capital city of Ouagadougou, adjacent to an international highway. For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (613) 241-3699 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.com . Orezone Gold Corporation Patrick Downey President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663 FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, potential, possible and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could, or should occur. This news release includes certain forward-looking statements. These include statements regarding, among others, construction enhancement opportunities including expansion of plant processing capacity to 5.2Mtpa, successful permitting of the Restricted Zone oxides and P17S for inclusion into a new mine plan, the potential of processing higher grade sulphide material on a 3,000 to 3,500 tpd basis as supplemental plant feed into the 2018 FS oxide mine plan and the associated plant improvements required, the construction start-up of the sulphide plant extension in Year 2 of commercial production with commencement of gold production from the sulphide circuit starting in Year 3, the funding of the sulphide expansion from internal operating cash flow, and the completion of a feasibility update to the 2018 FS by the end of Q2 2019. All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management and qualified persons in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management and the qualified persons believe are appropriate in the circumstances. Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from those presented. In addition, all forward-looking information and statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, use of assumptions that may not prove to be correct, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Companys most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR on www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. This news release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on, among other things: (i) fluctuations in the price of gold; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) results of metallurgical testing, process and other studies; (iv) changes to proposed mine plans; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licenses. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Appendix A: Map of Sulphide Areas Considered Appendix A is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e8e6b95-cc74-4f84-bddd-50245ba8b99d Appendix B: Whittle Parameters for 2017 Resource Pit Shells Appendix A is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68006ada-2b26-451b-a36b-f6948315999c Appendix C: McClelland Grind and Cyanide Concentration Optimization Tests Appendix C is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31a4aa17-137a-4edd-8037-96fbe1457686 Appendix D: AMMTEC Leach Extraction Results Appendix D is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba398b1c-0a9a-4f2a-b3a0-39f15023f052 NUKONDO LOI to incorporate RevoluPAY as a global payment mechanism for Real Estate and app Membership Transactions. NUKONDO LOI for commissions on new property development sales in markets: Vancouver, Paris, Chicago, Barcelona and Madrid. NUKONDO iOS/Android App and website LOI to feature RevoluPAY payments. CUV Advisor, GRI, CIPS, CCIM Certified , W. Patrick Murphy, to head-up eventual RevoluPAY real estate payment division. , Mr. Ricardo Estrazulas Joins RevoluPAY Licensing Advisory Board CEO Steve Marshall attends IMTC International Money Transfers & Payments Industry conference in Miami. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) (the Company) Vancouver, BC (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Friday 16th November 2018 with Nukondo LLC to incorporate RevoluPAY into the Nukondo iOS and Android app and, the website, of the United States based company. The LOI also outlines a proposed licensing agreement, under which CUV, or its subsidiaries, may collaborate internationally with Nukondo to expand into international real-estate transactions. Both parties have agreed on a maximum 60-day term to conclude the definitive agreement (DA). Influential Deal maker, Mr. Ricardo Estrazulas, joins the RevoluPAY Licensing Advisory Board. CEO, Steve Marshall, attends the IMTC, International Money Transfers & Payments Industry conference in Miami on November 14th. About Nukondo NUKONDO's Apple iOS and the Android app creates a marketplace for the new condominium market. It provides a platform for real estate developers and their master brokers to keep information about their projects updated and accurate, all in one place. It standardizes and distributes this information globally so that buyers and their agents can gain access to these projects; providing them with tools to decide which condominium is most suited for their needs. Jorge Brugo, NUKONDO Founder and CEO, commented: RevoluPAY, as our payment hub for memberships and real estate transactions, is a natural fit. As we expand internationally, speed and ease of use are what NUKONDO users desire and, with RevoluPAY integrated, that will be the outcome. In collaboration with RevoluPAY, NUKONDO intends to assist buyers with a paid subscription service for additional services and, the financial coordination of real estate transactions. NUKONDO further intends to assist real estate developers and, their agents, with a simple mechanism to receive any manner of payments during the property purchase cycle. NUKONDO intends to assist brokers with an automated payment distribution mechanism for timely commission and fee disbursements. The company contemplates a dual synergy between RevoluFIN and, this nascent RevoluPAY division. CEO, Steve Marshall, commented: Amongst our numerous RevoluPAY verticals, we believe the real estate industry is another enormous market. We look forward to working with Jorge to integrate RevoluPAY into NUKONDO and, aiding with international expansion, by adding new property developments in the markets of; Vancouver, Paris, Chicago, Barcelona and Madrid. Should a definitive agreement be signed, longtime CUV advisor and, GRI, CIPS, CCIM certified real estate professional, W. Patrick Murphy, will assist with NUKONDO international expansion and, the entire vertical division integration. Ricardo Estrazulas Joins RevoluPAY Licensing Advisory Board CUV Ventures is delighted to have a person of Ricardos notoriety join its advisory board. For more than 20 years, Ricardo Estrazulas has been one of the key advisors for Paington Consulting and, is the founder and managing director of the brokerage Nautilus International. Mr. Estrazulas has grown an extensive network of influential and, high net worth investors and, travels frequently throughout Latin American countries to visit numerous long-standing and notable clients. He is fluent in six languages: English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. In a previous role, Ricardo worked as director of sales for the Miami based developer and, sales and marketing firm, Fortune Development Sales, managing promotion and development of strategic partners throughout Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Guatemala, Russia and more nations, netting hundreds of millions in sales. IMTC Conference Miami With over 500 delegates from 70 countries, the World IMTC (International Money Transfers & Payments Industry Conference) in Miami, held between 13-16 November, brings together market leaders in the industry, along with experts and professionals. CUV Ventures CEO, Steve Marshall, presented RevoluPAY to multiple participants and, is currently preparing numerous possible synergies for 80 supplementary countries. About CUV Ventures Corp.: CUV Ventures Corp. is a multi-asset, multidivisional publicly traded Canadian company deploying advanced technologies in the: Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Mobile phone top-ups, Invoice factoring, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors. Our flagship technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational leisure payments and remittance app, powered by blockchain protocols, and aimed at the worldwide + $595 billion family remittance market. Click here to read more. For further information on CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) visit the Companys website at www.cuvventures.com. The Company has approximately 123,200,000 shares issued and outstanding. CUV VENTURES CORP. STEVE MARSHALL ______________________________ Steve Marshall CEO For further information contact myself or: Nick Findler CUV Ventures Corp. Telephone: 604-639-3850 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: info@cuvventures.com Combined Technologies May Yield Therapies for Multiple Cancer Indications ATLANTA, GA, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE GeoVax Labs, Inc . (OTCQB: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing human vaccines, announced today that it is collaborating with Leidos, Inc. on a research program evaluating the combination of the companies respective technologies. The project will include the design, construction, and characterization of multiple immunotherapeutic vaccine candidates using GeoVaxs MVA-VLP vaccine platform combined with certain novel peptide PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors developed by Leidos. The vaccine design, construction, and characterization will be performed at GeoVax with further analysis conducted by Leidos. GeoVaxs vaccine technology is based on its live Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) platform, which generates vaccine antigens, in the form of multimeric proteins or noninfectious VLPs, in the individual being vaccinated. Gene sequences of target antigens are inserted into the MVA genome which drives their expression and budding from the infected cells. In this way, vaccination strategy mimics a natural viral infection which induces two pools of proteins virus-infected cells and released multimeric or VLP proteins. Farshad Guirakhoo, PhD, GeoVaxs Chief Scientific Officer, commented, We are very pleased to be collaborating with Leidos on this project, which may lead to expanded efforts in cancer immunotherapy, treatments for chronic Hepatitis B infections, or other diseases where an immunological-based therapeutic approach would be beneficial. The Leidos life sciences team is recognized as having solid expertise in biopharmaceutical concept prototyping, regulatory strategy, and product development, and we look forward to working closely with them. Dr. Guirakhoo continued, Currently, there are major limitations on cancer immunotherapies which include high costs (limiting patient access, straining both the healthcare system and the patients own finances), the need for multiple injections, and significant side effects. Moreover, monotherapy with one checkpoint inhibitor drug can induce drug resistance in some patients making it necessary to combine with other drugs and treatments, which in turn may further increase toxicity. We have shown that our MVA platform is safe in humans without any major side effects and hope that delivery of the immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without the tumor-associated antigens may overcome some of the challenges associated with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancers or other chronic infectious diseases. About GeoVax GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines against infectious diseases using its MVA-VLP vaccine platform. GeoVax was the winner of the 2018 Best Biotech Vaccine Industry Excellence Awards, a finalist for the 2018 Best Prophylactic Vaccine Award for its Zika vaccine at the World Vaccine Congress, as well as a finalist for Pipelines of Promise at Buzz of Bio 2018. The Companys development programs are focused on vaccines against HIV, Zika, hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, Lassa) and malaria. GeoVax also is evaluating the use of its MVA-VLP platform in cancer immunotherapy, and for therapeutic use in chronic Hepatitis B infections. GeoVaxs vaccine platform supports in vivo production of non-infectious VLPs from the cells of the very person receiving the vaccine. The production of VLPs in the person being vaccinated mimics virus production in a natural infection, stimulating both the humoral and cellular arms of the immune system to recognize, prevent, and control the target infection. For more information, visit www.geovax.com . About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the worlds toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The companys 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.17 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2017. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this document are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax can develop and manufacture its vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax's vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVaxs vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete vaccine development, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax's products, GeoVax will be able to enter into favorable manufacturing and distribution agreements, and other factors, over which GeoVax has no control. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements and does not intend to do so. More information about these factors is contained in GeoVax's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including those set forth at "Risk Factors" in GeoVax's Form 10-K. CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eguana Technologies (TSX.V: EGT) (OTCQB: EGTYF) is pleased to announce it has been approved for both the South Australia Home Battery Scheme and CEFC home battery financing providing direct access to $100 million in subsidies and low interest loans for residential battery storage. As part of the program, Eguana will produce its Evolve home battery systems in the state. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway said its another major coup for South Australias renewables sector. Im pleased to welcome Eguana as the latest international company to invest in South Australia, Mr. Ridgway said. From its headquarters in Calgary, Canada, Eguana Technologies designs and manufactures high performance residential and commercial energy storage systems, so to be able to bring their skills and technology to South Australia is a significant win. The Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment has been working with Eguana for some time now to attract them to our state and this investment is further proof that South Australia is indeed the heartland of renewables in our country. Chief Executive Officer at Eguana Technologies Justin Holland stated South Australia was a key market for the Company and the Home Battery Scheme will open up the largest demand market in the world. The Evolve product, which was tested and recently endorsed by Mercedes Benz Energy, has been designed with full grid services capabilities. "The Virtual Power Plant requirement for the Home Battery program is the first of its kind and the Evolve product was designed and developed to deliver a full suite of grid services supporting sophisticated programs like these that go well beyond basic backup power and self-consumption capabilities, Mr. Holland said. We have already begun working with South Australian government services to establish supply partners and manufacturing capabilities in South Australia and look forward to supporting the South Australian economy and energy storage customers. The Marshall Governments $100 million home battery storage scheme, the CEFCs $100 million MOU and todays announcement confirm that South Australia is a world leader in the utilisation of solar technology. Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan noted that Eguana has two decades of experience delivering grid edge power electronics for fuel cell, photovoltaic and battery applications, and delivers proven, durable, high quality solutions from its high capacity manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America. Through our Home Battery Storage Scheme, 40,000 South Australian households will have access to $100 million in State Government subsidies to pay for the installation of home battery systems, Mr. van Holst Pellekaan said. Under the scheme, priority will be given to System Providers that commit to installing approved battery systems that are manufactured or assembled in South Australia, and Im pleased that Eguana Technologies is bringing their Evolve system to the program. Interested parties may contact: Eguana Technologies Brent Harris Chief Technology Officer Brent.Harris@EguanaTech.com +1.403.630.8876 About Eguana Technologies Inc. Based in Calgary, Alberta Canada, Eguana Technologies (EGT: TSX.V) (OTCQB: EGTYF) designs and manufactures high performance residential and commercial energy storage systems. Eguana has two decades of experience delivering grid edge power electronics for fuel cell, photovoltaic and battery applications, and delivers proven, durable, high quality solutions from its high capacity manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America. With thousands of its proprietary energy storage inverters deployed in the European and North American markets, Eguana is one of the leading suppliers of power controls for solar self-consumption, grid services and demand charge applications at the grid edge. To learn more, visit www.EguanaTech.com or follow us on Twitter @EguanaTech Company Inquiries Justin Holland CEO, Eguana Technologies Inc. +1.416.728.7635 Justin.Holland@EguanaTech.com Forward Looking Information The reader is advised that some of the information herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning assigned by National Instruments 51-102 and other relevant securities legislation. In particular, we include: statements pertaining to the value of our power controls to the energy storage market and statements concerning the use of proceeds and the Company's ability to obtain necessary approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or future events or developments, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date hereof. Readers are also directed to the Risk Factors section of the Companys most recent audited Financial Statements which may be found on its website or at sedar.com. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained herein to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Lithuanian English Lietuvos Energija, UAB, (hereinafter the Company) identification code 301844044, registered office placed at Zveju str. 14, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. The total nominal value of issued bonds 600 000 000 EUR; ISIN codes XS1646530565; XS1853999313. On 19 November 2018, the subsidiary of Lietuvos Energija, AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius (ESO) adopted a decision to appeal to Vilnius Regional Administrative Court regarding the Resolution No O3E-334 On the recalculation of price cap limits for the distribution services by medium and low voltage grids of AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius for 2019 adopted by the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices (hereinafter the Commission) on 17 October 2018 whereby the price cap limits for the ESO electricity distribution services were set for the year 2019. By determining the price cap limits, the Commission reduced the allowable rate of return on investment which was calculated by applying not the base of the asset value determined according to the accounting model of long run average incremental costs, approved by the Commission, but the base of the historical asset value. In the opinion of ESO, these adjustments of the rates of return on investment no longer meet the valid regulation for determining state regulated prices. The Commissions decision on the determination of the price cap limits for 2019 (in the absence of unambiguous clarity regarding the consistency of principles of the applied regulation) and practical application of normative documents may have a significant negative effect on the value of the ESO assets as well as the negative impact on Lietuvos Energija investments on ESO value. Possible effect will be clear when an independent property valuer completes valuation of the ESO assets. More information: Laura Sebekiene, Head of Corporate Communications of Lietuvos Energija +370 633 99940, laura.sebekiene@le.lt NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King & Spalding today announced that Mirella deRose, Russell Johnston, Richard Margolies and Michael Watling joined as partners in the Government Matters practice and the Securities Enforcement and Regulation team in the New York office. All four partners served as senior attorneys with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement. Johnston, Margolies and Watling joined King & Spalding directly from FINRA, while deRose joined from private practice. Following the return of former FINRA senior vice president and deputy chief of Enforcement Russ Ryan in September, their arrival brings the number of former senior FINRA Enforcement officials at the firm to five. Financial regulatory examinations, investigations and enforcement proceedings have always been a core strength of King & Spaldings Government Matters practice, said Wick Sollers, head of the Government Matters practice group, of which the Securities Enforcement and Regulation team is a part. We are thrilled to welcome these four new partners who bolster our securities regulation capabilities while also supplementing our investigations and compliance expertise. Their insights and experience dealing with FINRA rules, FinTech, cryptocurrency, anti-money laundering and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues will be a huge asset to the firm and our clients. Mirella, Russell, Richard and Michael will provide tremendous value to our clients in New York and all over the world, said Ed Kehoe, managing partner of the New York office. They follow more than a dozen partners and other lawyers who have joined our New York office since January, and who will expand our offerings to our clients. Mirella deRose deRose, an experienced prosecutor, regulator, and private practice attorney, has successfully represented individuals in FINRA and other white-collar actions, including the CFO and CCO of a broker-dealer; employees of major financial institutions both in the United States and Latin America during internal and government investigations; and large Brazilian companies involved in U.S. Department of Justice corruption probes. In addition, she has advised clients in Turkey and Latvia regarding financial crimes compliance and white-collar investigations. Conversant in Spanish, deRose has extensive experience in handling matters emanating from Latin America. From 2014 to 2016, deRose served as principal counsel in FINRAs Department of Enforcement, where she was the primary attorney assigned to the High Risk Broker Unit. She successfully led over 30 investigations of broker-dealers and associated individuals involving securities fraud, money laundering, conversion and supervisory failures. From 2006 to 2014, deRose served as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, where she investigated and prosecuted a variety of white-collar crime matters and garnered extensive grand jury, hearing and trial experience. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. Russell Johnston Johnston, who has broad compliance expertise, served as the lead attorney on some of FINRAs most complex matters, including historic enforcement actions regarding anti-money laundering violations, sales practice supervision issues, and the most significant penalties and restitution programs emanating from the Puerto Rico debt crisis. In addition, he served as counsel on several of FINRAs earliest FinTech-related matters, including serving as the primary counsel to FINRAs funding portal examination program. Johnston also served as counsel on matters addressing corporate finance and advertising regulations for public and private securities offerings. Prior to FINRA, Johnston represented multinational corporations across a wide range of sectors on financial crime compliance matters. He led worldwide internal investigations, assisted clients in cooperating with regulatory inquiries, conducted due diligence on M&A transactions, and prepared corporate officers for congressional hearings. He also provided compliance training, best practices and policy formation to clients and fellow attorneys, and prepared a witness for the UK Parliament Select Committee drafting the UK Bribery Act. Prior to practicing law, he worked at Deutsche Bank. Johnston received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. Richard Margolies Margolies, a seasoned securities lawyer, served as lead counsel on numerous complex FINRA investigations and enforcement proceedings concerning securities fraud, conversion, market manipulation, unlicensed sale of securities, private securities transactions, outside business activities, suitability, Regulation S-P, anti-money laundering, corporate finance, advertising regulations and customer protection rules. Margolies also served as lead counsel for Enforcement in a litigated matter involving novel issues pertaining to foreign investment through the United States EB-5 program. Before joining FINRA, Margolies spent 13 years in private practice where he litigated, both in state and federal courts, numerous complex class actions in the fields of securities, consumer financial services, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. During that time, Margolies served as lead counsel in matters involving violations of the federal securities laws, breaches of fiduciary duty, insider trading, market manipulation, improper financial reporting and accounting fraud. Prior to practicing law, Margolies worked at Fimat Futures USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Societe Generale Group, and Bankers Trust New York Corporation. He received his undergraduate degree from Lehigh University, his J.D. from New York Law School, and his M.B.A. in finance from New York University. Michael Watling Watling, a career trial attorney, has acted as lead counsel in many of FINRAs most complex and programmatically significant litigated matters, including representing FINRA as appellate counsel before the organizations National Adjudicatory Council. In this role, he led dozens of matters from investigation through contested disciplinary proceedings concerning, among other things, securities fraud, market manipulation, programmatic anti-money laundering and supervision failures, and a wide range of sales practice violations. Watling also served as FINRAs Enforcement Department liaison to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Prior to joining FINRA, Watling served for over six years as a federal prosecutor in the Justice Departments Tax Division. While at the DOJ, Watling acted as lead trial counsel in matters concerning tax fraud, mortgage fraud, money laundering and other white-collar offenses. In 2012, Watling served as deputy associate counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel during the Administration of President Barack Obama. While at the White House, he vetted presidential appointees and counseled the president and vice president on tax-related matters. Watling started his career as an assistant district attorney in Queens County, New York. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and his J.D. from Hofstra University. The combination of King & Spaldings regulatory prowess, the ability to join as a team, and the firms culture of collaboration made this an easy choice for us, said Margolies. With our civil and criminal regulatory investigations expertise, our team will add immediate support to our new securities enforcement and white-collar defense and commercial litigation colleagues. We are excited to expand the firms services to broker-dealer and financial institution clients. About King & Spalding Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,000 lawyers in 20 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com. Contact: Luis Mocete 212-827-4008 lmocete@kslaw.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4896afee-3466-4fcd-8b61-f350593eeb58 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c70e22d-8815-4d24-9a0e-85b3dcf186cd http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/452d2dee-d2fe-44a2-86ba-657a1bfbc14f http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3bc802e3-0716-4f5a-b89c-b54dd1cc4cf5 English French press release Paris, November 19, 2018 SOCIETE GENERALE REACHES AGREEMENTS WITH U.S. Authorities TO RESOLVE U.S. ECONOMIC sanctions and AML INVESTIGATIONS Societe Generale has reached settlement agreements with certain U.S. authorities, resolving their investigations relating to certain U.S. dollar transactions processed by Societe Generale involving countries, persons or entities that are the subject of U.S. economic sanctions and implicating New York State laws. Societe Generale has agreed to pay penalties totaling approximately $1.3 billion (1.2 billion) to the U.S. Authorities. This amount is entirely covered by the provision for disputes booked in Societe Generale's accounts. These agreements will not have an additional impact on the Bank's results for 2018. The Bank has signed deferred prosecution agreements with the U.S Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York ("SDNY") and the New York County District Attorney's Office, which provide that, following a three-year probation period, the Bank will not be prosecuted if it abides by the terms of the agreements, to which Societe Generale is fully committed. The deferred prosecution agreement with SDNY will be subject to court approval in the United States. The Bank has also committed, beyond the extensive actions it has already taken to date, to enhance its compliance program to prevent and detect potential violations of U.S. economic sanctions regulations and New York state laws, and to enhance corporate oversight of its sanctions compliance program. The Bank has also agreed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to retain an independent consultant that will evaluate the Bank's progress on the implementation of enhancements to its sanctions compliance program. In addition, the Bank has reached a separate agreement with the New York State Department of Financial Services relating to the Bank's anti-money-laundering compliance program in the New York Branch. The Bank has agreed to pay an additional penalty of $95 million (82 million) in connection with this agreement, which amount is likewise entirely covered by the provision for disputes booked in Societe Generale's accounts. ****** Societe Generale has reached settlement agreements with the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("OFAC"), the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York ("SDNY"), the New York County District Attorney's Office ("DANY"), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (together , the "Federal Reserve"), and the New York State Department of Financial Services ("DFS") (collectively, the "U.S. Authorities"), resolving their investigations relating to certain U.S. dollar transactions processed by Societe Generale involving countries, persons, or entities that are the subject of U.S. economic sanctions and implicating New York State laws The vast majority by value of the sanctions violations involved in the settlements related to Cuba, and stem from a single revolving credit facility extended in 2000. The remaining transactions involved other countries that are the target of U.S. economic sanctions, including Iran. Under the terms of these agreements, Societe Generale has agreed to pay penalties totaling approximately $1.3 billion (1.2 billion) to the U.S. Authorities, including $53.9 million to OFAC, $717.2 million to SDNY, $162.8 million to DANY, $81.3 million to the Federal Reserve, and $325 million to DFS. This amount is entirely covered by the provision for disputes booked in Societe Generale's accounts. These agreements will not have an additional impact on the Bank's results for 2018. The Bank has signed deferred prosecution agreements with SDNY and DANY, which provide that, following a three-year probation period, the Bank will not be prosecuted if it abides by the terms of the agreements, to which Societe Generale is fully committed. Societe Generale received significant credit from the U.S. Authorities for its cooperation during the investigation. The Bank will continue to cooperate with the U.S. Authorities in the future, pursuant to the agreements. The Bank has also committed to continue to enhance its compliance program to prevent and detect potential violations of U.S. economic sanctions laws and New York state laws. The Bank also agreed to enhance its oversight of its sanctions compliance program. The Bank has also agreed with the Federal Reserve to retain an independent consultant that will evaluate the Bank's progress on the implementation of enhancements to its sanctions compliance program. In this regard, in recent years, the Bank has already taken several actions, which include: Disseminating enhanced policies related to complying with regulations regarding sanctions and embargoes to all employees, emphasizing their importance, and in parallel, initiating an ambitious training program in the matter. Recruiting additional compliance officers working on financial crime, at the Group level and in the relevant business lines, and reinforcing the centralized Group-level sanctions and embargoes alert management teams. Reorganizing the hierarchical structure of the teams responsible for sanctions and embargoes compliance, and enhancing escalation procedures. These specific actions supplement important measures that the Bank has already taken regarding the organization and operation of its compliance program. Notably, they include a vast multi-year compliance transformation program, the implementation of a centralized and independent compliance role directly supervised by General Management, and the deployment of a worldwide "Culture & Conduct" program. The Bank is fully committed to complying with all remediation program requirements set forth in the agreements. In addition, the Bank has agreed to a Consent Order with DFS relating to components of the Bank's anti-money-laundering ("AML") compliance program in the New York Branch. The Consent Order requires the Bank to pay a civil money penalty of $95 million (82 million) in light of deficiencies noted by DFS, which amount is likewise entirely covered by the provision for disputes booked in Societe Generale's accounts. The Consent Order requires the Bank to continue a series of enhancements to its New York branch's AML compliance program. After a period of 18 months, an independent consultant will conduct an assessment of the Branch's progress on the implementation of its AML compliance program. Frederic Oudea, Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale, stated: "We acknowledge and regret the shortcomings that were identified in these settlements, and have cooperated with the U.S. Authorities to resolve these matters. Societe Generale has already taken a number of significant steps in recent years and dedicated substantial resources to enhance its sanctions and AML compliance programs. More broadly, these resolutions, following on the heels of the resolution of other investigations earlier this year, allow the Bank to close a chapter on our most important historical disputes. Looking to the future, we aim to be a trusted partner. Anchoring a culture of responsibility in the way we conduct and develop our activities is a priority of our 'Transform to Grow' strategic plan. We aim to meet the highest standards of compliance and ethics, in the best interest of our clients and of all of our stakeholders." Societe Generale Societe Generale is one of the leading European financial services groups. Based on a diversified and integrated banking model, the Group combines financial strength and proven expertise in innovation with a strategy of sustainable growth, aiming to be the trusted partner for its clients, committed to the positive transformations of society and the economy. Active in the real economy for over 150 years, with a solid position in Europe and connected to the rest of the world, Societe Generale has over 147,000 members of staff in 67 countries and supports on a daily basis 31 million individual clients, businesses and institutional investors around the world by offering a wide range of advisory services and tailored financial solutions. The Group is built on three complementary core businesses: French Retail Banking, which encompasses the Societe Generale, Credit du Nord and Boursorama brands. Each offers a full range of financial services with omnichannel products at the cutting edge of digital innovation; International Retail Banking, Insurance and Financial Services to Corporates, with networks in Africa, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and specialised businesses that are leaders in their markets; Global Banking and Investor Solutions, which offers recognised expertise, key international locations and integrated solutions. Societe Generale is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (World and Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Euronext Vigeo (World, Europe and Eurozone), four of the STOXX ESG Leaders indices, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index. For more information, you can follow us on twitter @societegenerale or visit our website www.societegenerale.com Press contacts Paris: Antoine Lheritier _ +33 (0)1 42 13 68 99 _ antoine.lheritier@socgen.com Pascal Henisse _ +33(0)1 57 29 54 08 _ pascal.henisse@socgen.com Press contact New York: Jim Galvin_ +1 212 278 71 31_ jim.galvin@sgcib.com LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- November 19 2018: International emergency relief and recovery organization Medair and Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) have signed a formal agreement to continue working closely together during emergency responses and ongoing humanitarian operations. The partnership between MAF and Medair enables the rapid delivery of life-saving relief, such as health care and safe drinking water, to vulnerable people affected by crisis or conflict. Without MAFs air support, it would be impossible for Medair to reach out to the most vulnerable people in very remote and hard-to-reach areas, recounts David Verboom, Medairs CEO. The formal agreement allows Medair and MAF to coordinate a response within 24 hours of a large natural disaster or declared emergency. When Super Typhoon Mangkhut, locally known as Ompong, hit the northeast coast of the Philippines on September 15th, Medair and MAF rapidly mobilized their emergency response teams. The MAF team conducted aerial surveys of the affected areas and reported to Medair on the needs of coastal and remote communities that seemed to be among the most severely hit, and where no one else was helping. The people who lived there were extremely isolated and relief could only get to them by air or boat. MAF organized essential helicopter flights within days of the disaster to enable Medair to deliver food and shelter supplies to more than 500 families. Although the formal agreement to collaborate during disasters was signed recently, the partnership is a long-standing one. Together with MEDAF (Medicaments pour LAfrique), and YWAM (Youth With A Mission), MAF founded Medair in 1989, giving it the mandate to provide emergency aid quickly. A few years later, Medair became independent of its three founding organizations, and it has continued to partner with MAF ever since. For almost thirty years, Medair and MAF have worked together in multiple emergency and crisis situations in countries such as Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Nepal. In South Sudan, a country with only 300 kilometres of paved roads and a seven-month rainy season that turns dirt roads into muddy rivers, MAF flies almost weekly to Medairs project sites. These flights transport Medair personnel and cargo, ranging from emergency nutrition supplies, medicines, water filters, and bikes for community outreach workers to team office and food supplies. We are grateful to play a role in the life-saving mission of Medair. They are a true partner in reaching the isolated and hurting people of the world, says Dave Fyock, MAF Internationals CEO. Medair is an international humanitarian NGO inspired by Christian faith that provides emergency relief and recovery aid to families made vulnerable by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This year, U.S. troops deployed overseas and those protecting the United States southern border get a taste of home on Thanksgiving thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Subsistence supply chain employees. DLA sent more than 300,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food to field kitchens, dining facilities and galleys throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and even to those here at home in Texas and Arizona. It takes a lot of coordination and attention to detail to make sure service members get the Thanksgiving meal they deserve, said Rich Faso, deputy director, DLA Troop Supports Subsistence supply chain in Philadelphia. The planning begins in May and the work continues until the last deliveries are made. The Troop Support Subsistence team is a dedicated group of employees who take pride in ensuring that deployed service members can experience an enjoyable holiday meal each Thanksgiving, Faso said. While it is not exactly the same as being home, it is important for the troops to know that someone cares. Many of Americas military men and women are away from home this Thanksgiving, making sacrifices to secure our freedom and to protect our southern border, said Army Brig. Gen. Mark Simerly, DLA Troop Support commander. The DLA Troop Support staff and I are excited about this amazing opportunity to provide them the very best Thanksgiving meal our country has to offer. This year, service members serving away from home received: 9,738 whole turkeys 51,234 pounds of roasted turkey 74,036 pounds of beef 21,758 pounds of ham 67,860 pounds of shrimp 16,284 pounds of sweet potatoes 81, 360 pies 19,284 cakes 7,836 gallons of eggnog The Subsistence team worked diligently with regional vendors both locally and across the globe to ensure that military food service professionals had what they needed to prepare a festive holiday meal for those away from home this Thanksgiving. DLA Troop Support supplies Americas armed forces with $17 billion annually of food, uniforms, protective equipment, medicine and medical supplies, repair parts, and construction and equipment. As the nations combat logistics support agency, the Defense Logistics Agency manages the global supply chain from raw materials to end user to disposition for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 10 combatant commands, other federal agencies, and partner and allied nations. For more information about DLA, go to: www.dla.mil, www.facebook.com/dla.mil or http://twitter.com/dlamil. - 30 - Attachment TOKYO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tokyo-based restaurant group, Pepper Food Service Co., Ltd has opened 345 locations of Ikinari Steak in Japan since the brand was founded in December 2013. On November 30th of this year, the company will open its first outpost in Akita prefecture, giving them a presence in all 47 prefectures in Japan. The company takes pride in Ikinari Steaks signature Steak-Serving System which they invented and filed for a patent application on June 4th on 2014; obtaining the patent on June 10th, 2016 in Japan (Japanese Patent No. 5946491) Below is the system that Ikinari Steak has patented (Numbers 5 and 6 was added later due to a request for correction) 1. Ikinari Steaks Steak-Serving System includes; how Ikinari Steak navigates the guests to their table, how they have customers order by weight, how they cut the desired amount from the block of meat, how they cook the steak, how they bring the cooked steak to the guest, which involves; 2. The usage of cards that indicate the table numbers 3. The usage of measuring machines that weigh the meat. 4. An indication that shows to which guest each cut of meat belongs to. and 5. How the above measuring machine prints out a sticker that has the weight of the meat and the number of the card written on it. 6. The above indication is a sticker with the weight of the meat and the number of the card printed on it. However on November 24th, 2016, an objection to this patent was filed, and on November 28th of 2017, the Japan Patent Office revoked the patent. In response, Ikinari Steak took action against the Japan Patent Office to rescind the revocation of the patent at the Intellectual Property High Court in Japan. On October 17th of 2018, at the Intellectual Property High Court number 821, the Chief Justice officially ordered the rescission of the revocation of the patent. Japan Patent Office did not make an appeal for revision during the given period, therefore Ikinari Steak won this case. This court decision is extremely important as to the relevance of Ikinari Steaks invention, and we anticipate that this decision will be shared in various law reports. Ikinari Steak believes that they were able to win this case due to the companys team effort, including the founders unique thoughts and deep understanding of new inventions, their patent attorney who was able to put the invention into words on the specification for the patent, and the attorney who understood the inventions correctly and appealed to the court. With this court decision, Ikinari Steaks Steak-Serving System, a case where a patent reflected Japanese efficiency, will be paid more attention, and will be regarded as a truly unique and unrivalled system which has now been officially approved by the Japanese court. Ikinari Steak will continue to grow by making legendary strides along the way. Hall PR www.HallPR.com Steven Hall StevenH@HallPR.com New York: 161 West 23 Street, 3rd Floor New York, New York 10011 Phone: 212-684-1955 Fax: 212-675-9388 San Francisco affiliate: Andrew Freeman & Co 1212 Market Street, Suite 330 San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: 415-781-5700 Tokyo affiliate: Office K2M 248-10 32 Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0064 Japan 03-5738-2261 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maclos Capital Inc. (Maclos) and Gefion Canada Inc. (Gefion), a private company incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the CBCA), are pleased to announce today that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement (the Definitive Agreement), which, subject to certain conditions and applicable Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) approval, will result in the reverse takeover of Maclos by Gefion (the RTO). The RTO is currently structured as a three-cornered amalgamation (the Amalgamation) whereby: (i) Gefion will amalgamate with a newly incorporated company under the CBCA (and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Maclos) to form an amalgamated corporation (Amalco); (ii) the holders of Gefions Class A Common Shares will receive one common share of Maclos (New Common Shares) for each Gefion Class A Common Share; (iii) the holders of Gefions Class B Common Shares will receive one multiple voting share of Maclos (the Multiple Voting Shares), as described herein, for each Class B Common Share of Gefion; and (iv) Amalco will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Maclos. The Multiple Voting Shares each carry the right to three votes at meetings of the holders of New Common Shares and Multiple Voting Shares and the New Common Shares shall have one vote per New Common Share held. The Resulting Issuer (as hereinafter defined) shall seek a listing of the New Common Shares of Maclos on the CSE. The Multiple Voting Shares will not be listed for trading on any exchange. The Multiple Voting Shares are convertible into New Common Shares at any time after the earlier of (i) the Resulting Issuer achieving minimum pre-tax earnings of CAD$20 million in any fiscal year or (ii) the date on which the market capitalization of the Resulting Issuer exceeds CAD$400 million. The Multiple Voting Shares are convertible into New Common Shares of the Resulting Issuer on a 1:1 basis. A listing statement in respect of the RTO will be prepared and posted on the CSE website and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com in accordance with Policy 2 of the CSE prior to the closing of the RTO. A press release will be issued once the listing statement has been filed. Gefion is also pleased to announce the closing of a private placement offering (the Prior Private Placement) for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,833,754.20 raised over three closing tranches, with the last tranche closing on November 2, 2018. The Prior Private Placement was led by Kingsdale Capital Markets Inc. (Kingsdale) and included the sale of 3,056,257 Class A Common Shares of Gefion at a price of $0.60 per Class A Common Share. Name Change In connection with the transactions contemplated in the Definitive Agreement, Maclos or the resultant entity after the Amalgamation (the Resulting Issuer) intends to effect, among other items of special business, a change of its name to Gefion Holdings Inc. and will also apply to change its stock symbol. Proposed Private Placement Gefion is in the process of completing a brokered private placement of Gefion Class A Common Shares (the Current Private Placement Financing). Gefion has engaged Kingsdale as lead agent to assist in the Current Private Placement Financing. Pursuant to the Current Private Placement Financing Gefion will issue up to 20,000,000 Class A Common Shares at $1.00 per Class A Common Share and up to 2,000,000 broker warrants, entitling holders to acquire up to 2,000,000 Gefion Class A Common Shares at $1.00 per Class A Common Share, and expiring on the earlier of (a) the date that is two (2) years after the Gefion Class A Common Shares become publicly tradeable on a securities exchange and (b) on the date which is five years from the closing date of the Current Private Placement Financing. It is anticipated that the Current Private Placement Financing will close on or about November 30, 2018. The broker warrants issuable on the Current Private Placement Financing shall be exchanged for warrants of the Resulting Issuer on a 1:1 basis. Kingsdale and Cameron Prange, President of Maclos and Kingsdale, have a combined ownership position of 540,584 shares of Maclos representing 2.09%. Gefion will use the proceeds of the Current Private Placement Financing for marketing, inventory, scientific development, technology acquisition, Health Canada filings and general working capital purposes. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Capitalization Maclos currently has 25,787,781 Common Shares issued and outstanding. All existing warrants and other securities convertible into shares of Maclos will be cancelled prior to the completion of the RTO without cost or other compensation; provided that 2,400,000 options to acquire common shares of Maclos which had previously expired will be reissued by Maclos for a term of five years from the date of issuance with an exercise price of CAD$0.06 per Common Share. After the Consolidation (as hereinafter defined) the options shall be exchanged for 141,176 options of the Resulting Issuer and each such option shall be exercisable at CAD$1.02 for one New Common Share of the Resulting Issuer. Under the terms of the Transaction Agreement and prior to the Amalgamation, Maclos will undertake a 17:1 share consolidation such that it will have 1,516,928 Common Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the completion of the Amalgamation (the Consolidation). The RTO is being completed with an ascribed value of $910,156 for Maclos, which equals approximately $0.035 per Common Share on a pre-Consolidation basis and approximately $0.60 per Common Share on a post-consolidation basis. Gefion, as at the date hereof has, following the completion of the Prior Private Placement, 3,056,257 Class A Common Shares and 50,000,000 Class B Common Shares issued and outstanding. Gefion also has issued the following broker warrants pursuant to the Prior Private Placement: 133,367 Gefion Class A Common Share purchase warrants to purchase Gefion Class A Common Shares, exercisable at $0.60 per Gefion Class A Common Share and expiring on the earlier of (a) the date that is two (2) years after the Gefion Class A Common Shares become publicly tradeable on a securities exchange and (b) September 26, 2023; 66,496 Gefion Class A Common Share purchase warrants to purchase Gefion Class A Common Shares, exercisable at $0.60 per Gefion Class A Common Share and expiring on the earlier of (a) the date that is two (2) years after the Gefion Class A Common Shares become publicly tradeable on a securities exchange and (b) October 17, 2023; and 105,763 Gefion Class A Common Shares exercisable at $0.60 per Gefion Class A Common Share and expiring on the earlier of (a) the date that is two (2) years after the Gefion Class A Common Shares become publicly traded on a securities exchange and (b) November 2, 2023. Each Gefion Class A Common Share will be exchanged on the Amalgamation for one New Common Share, and each Gefion Class B Common Share will be exchanged for one Multiple Voting Share such that, following the Amalgamation, but excluding the effect of the Current Private Placement Financing, the shareholders of Gefion will hold, in the aggregate, 3,056,257 Common Shares and 50,000,000 Voting Shares. All issued broker warrants of Gefion shall be exchanged for warrants of the Resulting Issuer on a 1:1 basis. Assuming completion of the transactions contemplated in the Definitive Agreement, but excluding the effect of the Current Private Placement Financing, the Resulting Issuer will have 4,573,185 Common Shares and 50,000,000 Multiple Voting Shares outstanding, with the largest shareholder being BioPhysics Pharma, Inc. (BioPhysics) holding 50,000,000 Multiple Voting Shares comprising 91.6% of the votes of Common Shares and Multiple Voting Shares in the aggregate. Maclos shareholders would hold an aggregate of 1,516,928 New Common Shares of the Resulting Issuer, being approximately 2.78%. Assuming full subscription of the Current Private Placement Financing, the Resulting Issuer will have 24,573,185 New Maclos Common Shares issued and outstanding and aggregate broker warrants entitling holders to acquire up to an additional 2,305,626 New Common Shares. Gefion also intends to issue incentive compensation options and/or warrants to employees and consultants, which incentive securities could result in up to 6,000,000 Gefion Class A Common Shares being issued to such eligible individuals (the Gefion Incentive Securities). The exercise price for such incentive securities will be determined in accordance with the rules and polices of the CSE and other applicable legislation. The Gefion Incentive Securities will be exchanged for comparable securities of the Resulting Issuer on a 1:1 basis. License Agreement Gefion entered into a licensing agreement with BioPhysics dated as of September 26, 2018 (the License Agreement). The License Agreement grants Gefion an exclusive world-wide royalty free right to use BioPhysics transdermal delivery technology for the development and sale of herbal extract products, including cannabis and hemp products (the License). In consideration for the grant of the License, Gefion agreed to pay to the Licensor the sum of US$6,000,000 with US$400,000 payable within 30 days of the date of the License Agreement and the remaining balance on a payment schedule to be agreed, provided that the remaining balance shall be due on the earlier of (a) Gefion becoming a publicly traded company or (b) one year from the date of the License Agreement. Given the issue of the 50,000,000 Class B Shares of Gefion to BioPhysics on incorporation of Gefion, Gefion was able to obtain the License on substantially more favourable terms than such License would have been issued were BioPhysics not a significant shareholder of Gefion. Maclos Meeting Maclos will convene an annual and special meeting of its shareholders to approve the amendment to the articles of Maclos to create the new share provisions for the New Common Shares and the Multiple Voting Shares, the Consolidation, a new Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, an updated set of by-laws (which will include advance notice provisions) and the election, conditional upon and effective as of the completion of the RTO, of new directors of the Resulting Issuer, and the change of name of the Resulting Issuer, which matters will be set out in a management information circular of Maclos mailed to shareholders of Maclos (and filed at www.sedar.com ). Information about Gefion Gefion is a private Canadian corporation which has licensed transdermal delivery technology from BioPhysics. The license is an exclusive royalty free world-wide right to use any BioPhysics transdermal delivery technology for the development and sale of herbal extracts products which include cannabis and hemp based products. Gefion plans to use the GT4 transdermal delivery technology. The GT4 transdermal technology is covered by a pending patent. GT4 is a breakthrough transdermal technology (not a topical). GT4 quickly and efficiently moves the active drug including herbal extracts through all of the skin layers into the blood stream or deep local tissue depending upon how it is formulated. The stable complex emulsion can be in the form of a cream or gel (not a patch). GT4 is the most advanced, chemically active controlled dosing transdermal technology developed for the cannabinoid space. This technological capability allows for the creation of innovative products with built-in advantages compared to other drug delivery methods. The GT4 technology can be applied through a single dose system to precisely control dosage. Further, it is an active delivery system designed to quickly penetrate into the skin unlike passive topicals that remain for an extended period on the surface of the skin as messy odorous creams or oils that allow for cross contamination of clothes or other individuals. The GT4 technology provides the safety of transdermal (no gastro-intestinal impact or first pass liver effect) with the convenience of a pill. Gefion plans to participate in four different industry categories. The first is prescription drug products. Initially Gefion has five possible products to begin clinical testing. Among these pre-clinical products are possible treatments for epilepsy, decubitus ulcers (bed sores/diabetic foot ulcers), fibromyalgia, peripheral muscular/skeletal pain (osteoarthritis) and back pain. Gefion has developed products for entry into the cannabinoid over-the-counter (OTC) market in Canada. These products can enter the Canadian market following Health Canada review and approval. In addition, with the recent legalization of cannabis recreationally in Canada, the GT4 technology provides a better user experience without the problems of smoking and edibles. Gefions management believes that the Herbal Plus line could become the definitive product line and brand in the OTC medical and recreational markets in Canada. Due to the regulatory situation in the United States, Gefion has developed a unique strategy to address these markets. In the United States, cannabinoids are not legal. However, many states have approved the sale of cannabinoids at the state level, derived from state licensed growers and extractors, and such through state licensed dispensaries. In the United States, Gefions business model provides for the sale of the formula bases (without cannabinoids but containing the GT4 technology) in bulk to extractors who then blend their extracted cannabinoids into Gefions formula base and create their own white labeled product line which is anticipated to provide higher margins than bulk extractions. Since Gefion does not touch the flower, the bases can be shipped throughout the United States and fully comply with both federal and state regulation. Gefion has already successfully test marketed this concept. Gefion has created a line of Extract Plus products that combine the GT4 technology with hemp and various herbal extracts to create a series of life style products for the consumer market. Examples of these products include Be Active with White Willow, Comfrey and Rosemary; Be Healthy with Echinacea, Reishi and Chlorella; Be Intimate with Maca, Yohimbe and Ginkgo; Be Positive with Valerian and Lemon Balm Leaf; and Be Sleepy with Chamomile, Wild Lettuce, Rhodiola Root and Melatonin. Gefion plans to launch these Extract Plus hemp products into the United States and Canadian consumer markets. About Maclos Maclos was incorporated under the CBCA on December 8, 1993. Until 2009, Maclos (formerly LMS Medical Systems inc. ) had been actively developing and commercializing a series of leading-edge software-based products to be used as decision support tools for physicians. After a sale of its assets on July 23, 2009, Maclos has not carried on any active business and its principal business became to identify and evaluate assets or businesses with a view to potentially merging or acquiring an interest therein. The shares of Maclos are not listed on any stock exchange, but trade on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board in the United States. Further information about Maclos can be found at www.sedar.com About the Resulting Issuer The Resulting Issuers business objective will be to build a business based on the transdermal delivery of herbal extracts which include cannabis and hemp based products through the GT4 transdermal delivery technology licensed to Gefion by BioPhysics. Upon completion of the transactions contemplated in the Definitive Agreement, including the Amalgamation, the current directors and officers of Maclos will resign and it is currently expected that the proposed board of directors and senior management of the Resulting Issuer will include the following individuals: Ronald Heselgrave (Director) Jack Altshuler (Director) James Mongiardo (Chief Executive Officer and Director) Frank Manguso (Chief Financial Officer) Ronald Heslegrave, Ph.D. is Chief of Research, William Osler Health System, Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Heslegrave has extensive experience in evaluation of innovative treatment and medical care innovation and study design. Dr. Heslegrave has extensive experience chairing Institutional Review Boards approving clinical trial protocols for major hospitals in Toronto. Jack Altshuler, Esq., is a General Practice, Family Law Attorney who is a graduate of Northeastern University (B.S.) and Boston College (J.D.). Frank Manguso, CPA, M.B.A., is our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Manguso previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Star Solutions and as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Z-LOK Industries, Inc. Mr. Manguso also served as Director of Management Information Consulting at Bank Boston Corporation and held management positions at two Gillette companies, Sterilon and Gillette of Puerto Rico. Mr. Manguso holds an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Babson College. James Mongiardo, J.D., our Chief Executive Officer, is a former senior manager at Schering-Plough where he headed United States marketing and launched multiple OTC and prescription drug products. He initially served as FDA regulatory counsel for Schering-Plough. Mr. Mongiardo also has extensive experience in building companies. He has served as Chief Executive Officer for public biotechnology and healthcare services companies. He has raised capital for clients through institutional private placements, directed business start-ups from concept to marketing, completed a successful turn-around, designed operative business plans, raised venture and public equity financing, created marketing and promotional plans for new products, directed acquisitions and divestitures and developed and administered sales budgets over $ 300 million. Mr. Mongiardo holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from Harvard University. Gefion Media Contact Gefion Canada Inc. Attention: Laura Stephens Phone: +1-978-473-7007. Maclos Media Contact Maclos Capital Inc. Attention: Yves Grou Phone: +1-514-237-7757 Forward-Looking Information Statement This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including statements in respect of the entering into of definitive agreements and completion of the proposed Amalgamation. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. There is no assurance that the transactions contemplated by the Definitive Agreement (including the Amalgamation) will be completed as proposed or at all. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company's management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information, events, results, circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including securities laws. The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the transactions contemplated in the Definitive Agreement (including the Amalgamation) and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Quote: "Would Have" in "then clause", requires past perfect in "If clause". Option C. has "would have" in then clause but no past perfect in if clause. i am confused. Thank you Daagh for your time on GMAT Club and all your contributions! Thank you for everything you did! Your work will remain a great tribute to you here on GMAT Club ! -bb -bb Signature Read More There are three types of conditional sentences: First Conditional, Second Conditional, and Third Conditional1. First Conditional: if clause = If + present tense, then main clause=- future (will) or present tense + bare infinitive(Bare infinitive means the base form of the verb)Example: If I have enough money, I will buy a house (future tense)If the sum of the digits of a number is divisible by three, the number is divisible by three2. Second Conditional: If clause = if + simple past tense, then main clause = would or might or could + bare infinitiveExample: If I had enough money, I would buy a houseIf I were Bill Gates, I would donate $100 to Mother Theresa's Ashram every month.3. Third Conditional: If clause = If + past perfect, then the main clause = would have + past participle (technically called the conditional perfect)Example: If I had had enough money, I would have bought a house.rishabhdxt wroteThe 'would have' in the then clause you have referred is not past perfect. It is simply the future past of will namely 'would' + the bare infinitive 'have'. This example corresponds to the second conditional cited above.If you want to use a past perfect in the 'if clause', then the sentence will be:if one had counted the Los Angeles metropolitan area as a separate nation, it would have had the worlds eleventh largest gross national product -- Please note that the conditional past perfect you had in mind takes the form of 'would have had'_________________ IceViking strongly condemns physical attacks and harassment directed towards them. They are also often victims of the Islamic idea. This is true when it comes to the cruel and tragic treatment of Muslim women and children when it is in accord with the Koran, the example of Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia, which may be applied regardless of where a Muslim male may find himself in the world, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country. However, in no way, shape or form should one judge all Muslim men because of what is in Islamic scripture and what constitutes the Islamic law, Sharia. "Race", ethnicity or basically anything that you are "merely" born with should never be a basis for bigotry and discrimination. Apostates from Islam have been executed for 1400 years in accord with the Koran and the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia. They should be lovingly helped. Furthermore, approximately as many as 11,000,000 Muslims may have been killed by other Muslims since 1948. To quote the website The Religion of Peace (TROP), edited by Glen Roberts: While it may be safe to say that a true Muslim would not intentionally kill another true Muslim ( 4:92-93 ), the Quran places no such value on the life of a Muslim who is not true. Consider verse 9:73 : Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell. The Arabic for strive hard uses the same root as Jihad - and the context in this sura is holy war (see v. 86 and 91). Thus, there are two distinct classes of people that a true Muslim is to target with harshness: disbelievers and hypocrites. A disbeliever obviously refers to a non-Muslim, so a "hypocrite" must be a Muslim of some sort. In fact, hypocrites are those who say they believe, but do not act as they should. In other words, they are "Muslims", but not true Muslims. They will go to hell just as unbelievers do, and so, according to the verse, their lives matter for naught. The same sura says that a hypocrite can be recognized not just by lack of piety (reluctance to follow Sharia), but by fear of death ( 9:56 ), reluctance to fight ( 9:44-45 ) and even friendliness toward non-believers ( 9:67 ). A true Muslim would thus be a pious person who relishes martyrdom, is eager to fight, and shuns non-believers. Even the Quranic passage that warns against killing "believers" ( 4:88-94 ) is more complicated than it first appears. It never says that a true Muslim is incapable of killing another Muslim, just that it should not be done. In fact, it makes exceptions for the unintentional killing of "believers" in war and mandates the killing of "hypocrites." Verse 17:33 says, "Do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause" . The greatest cause of all is that Islam be superior ( 9:33 ), which is exactly what Islamic terrorists say is their goal. Thus believing Muslims are allowed to be collateral damage in the war on unbelievers. There is sadly a phenomena that I`ve noticed in Sweden and elsewhere of people using true facts about Islamic doctrine and history as a cover for all sorts of irrational targeting of Muslims, ranging from xenophobia and racism to verbal abuse and physical attacks. This is strongly condemned by this website and does not in any way serve serious criticism of orthodox Islam and other important work. It`s also important that one tries to express oneself in a civilized way. Words matter. In this bloggers humble opinion the root cause of the problem is the ancient doctrine of orthodox Islam. In simple terms a non-Muslim is a Kafir. " The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life." An exact quote, as stated in the writings of Dr. Bill Warner in the article "Kafir" at http://www.politicalislam.com/kafir . In the perfect Koran (Allah`s direct and literal word as revealed to Mohammed through the angel Jibril), Muslims are told 89 times to emulate Mohammed in all ways (see Koran 33:21 for instance). Mohammed`s example, the Sunna, is found in the Hadith (stories of what Mohammed said and did) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed). Islamic law, Sharia , is directly derived from these unchanging scriptures. It is based on the Koran`s numerous commands to obey Allah and obey the Messenger, that is Mohammed (see Koran 4:59 for instance). Islam is Sharia. Sharia is Islam. It is a capital crime for Muslims to deny Sharia in any way. A Muslim is someone who submits to Islam and submitting to Islam means obeying the Sharia of Allah. Sharia law includes pronouncements for both Muslims and non-Muslims (Kafirs). Islam is a "complete way of life", a "complete code of life", a "complete system of life". Islam is not just a religion but also a comprehensive ideology. Islam is a supremacist ideology. Islam is a totalitarian and imperialistic ideology akin to Communism and Nazism. Islam is a civilization. Islamic law, Sharia, is a manual for a civilization. Islamic law, Sharia, governs every aspect of life. It has a say about every conceivable human act . Non-Muslims are morally and legally inferior in Islam. Women are morally and legally inferior in Islam. The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language and a great book on the topic. Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Koran 9:111). A hadith depicts a Muslim asking Muhammad: "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." Muhammad replied, "I do not find such a deed." (Bukhari 4.52.44) Muhammad himself said: I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. (Sahih Muslim 30) Freedom of speech, human rights, democracy, science and human lives are all at stake in the fight against the Islamic Jihad. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ They even hoped that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would deflect international attention and somehow stop the implementation of sanctions, but the full sanctions came into force on November 5, with no way for Iran to escape. This was devastating for the mullahs, who are barely able to control the already volatile domestic situation, as they righty fear that it will increase political unrest among Iranians and make their rule even less tenable. While the protests began long before the sanctions took hold (and even before they were announced), the sanctions are limiting the Regimes power to control the situation; less money from oil exports, means less money to pay the Iranian militias that usually suppress uprisings. Now, Irans oil trade, use of the US dollar and use of American financial institutions has been cut off and the Regime is being forced into a corner. Trump has offered them a way out in the form of a new deal that confronts a of Irans malign behaviours. However, the mullahs are unlikely to agree, even if it is the only thing that could save them. Journalist Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed wrote : It seems very plausible that in two years time the regime will nd itself in such dire straits that it will have no other choice but to give up its nuclear program. But, even more likely, the Regime wont last two years. The careful sanctions waivers, which allow time for certain countries to adjust, were the subject of much controversy, but they are stabilising the market, making it more likely that US allies will go along with the sanctions. It also, possibly more importantly, shows Iran what life could be like if it relinquishes its missile program for good and indicates that the only way out is through diplomacy and not force. This could be the way to bring peace to the Middle East. Yemen In related news, the US-backed Saudi-led Arab alliance in Yemen is continuing its battle against the Iran-backed Houthis for control of the port city of Hodeidah. This is strategically important for both sides, but while progress has been made by the allied powers, the Houthis still hold the city and new UN calls for negotiations have been made. The Iranians will not allow peace talks to go ahead, however, which will leave brute force as the only option. The statement read: The country has maintained the highest number of executions in the world per capita during the presidency of the so-called moderate Hassan Rouhani. According to Amnesty Internationals Global Report on the Death Penalty, more than half of all recorded executions in 2017 took place in Iran. It is also the leading executioner of underage offenders. The MEPs, which include four Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament and 14 Committee and Delegation Chairs, acknowledge that the major uprising by the Iranian people that began in December has shaken the Regime badly. The mullahs, unable to crush the domestic protests that are led by the opposition, are using terror attacks against the Iranian opposition in Europe and the US; something thankfully prevented by the relevant authorities in time. Regarding the attempted bombing of the National Council of Resistance of Irans Free Iran gathering in Paris on June 30, France has officially sanctioned Irans Ministry of Intelligence for its role and an Iranian diplomat arrested in Germany is now facing trial in Belgium. French ministers said: This extremely serious act, which was intended to take place on our soil, cannot go without a response. While Denmark recalled its Iranian ambassador in October, over a foiled assassination plot targeting Iranian dissidents living in Denmark that led to the arrest of an Iranian agent in Norway. The MEPs criticised the current lack of EU response to the human rights violations in Iran and terror plots in Europe, calling it unacceptable and affirmed that we must hold the Iranian regime accountable for its terror plots and expel Iranian Intelligence Ministry operatives from Europe. They also urged Albania, which is currently home to several thousand Iranian opposition refugees, not to allow Iranian agents to enter the country after an Iranian bomb plot was foiled near Tirana in March. MEP Gerard Deprez, chair of Friends of a Free Iran an informal intergroup with a large following in the European Parliament stressed: Human rights in Iran cannot be compromised or marginalised on the excuse of political considerations, trade or the nuclear deal. Any expansion of political and economic relations with Iran must be conditional to a clear progress on human rights, womens rights and a halt to executions. - President Rodrigo Duterte discussed that he is still negotiating with Chinas President - He also said the need to remain meek and humble to get Chinas mercy - Duterte stated about the impact of war to the Philippines if ever it happens PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed According to President Rodrigo Duterte, Chinas President Xi Jinping is proposing to offer bigger share of West Philippine Sea to the Philippines when both countries conduct joint development. KAMI learned that the Philippine President also had exchanges with Xi. Ang tao naman basta ganoon ang paano mo, you remain meek and humble, eh 'yung ego niya, mag-start to, and then it turns to something basic like maaawa rin," President Duterte recalled. Photo from Inquirer Source: Facebook For President Duterte, it is better to negotiate with China than to go in war with them. Sabi niya [Xi] sige, so we are now negotiating. Eh kaysa magkagiyera ako, sabi ko mauubos ang sundalo ko, pag-launch pa lang ng alam mo, atin ito ganito kalaki, 'sus matamaan ito ng cruise missile, wala na, patay ang sundalo ko," the Philippine President stated. In a previous report by KAMI, President Duterte commented on the South China Sea issue when he was at the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits. "I said China is already in possession. It's now in their hands. So why do you have to create frictions strong military activity that will prompt a response from China?" Duterte quipped. I do not mind everybody going to war except that the Philippines is just beside those islands and if there's a shooting there, my country will be the first to suffer. That is my only national interest there. Nothing else," he added. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Philippines social experiment: can you answer these tricky questions? Today we are going to ask Philippines strangers some very funny Tagalog tricky questions! Do you think you can answer them correctly? These individuals from the Philippines have their answers! Saan Aabot Ang Bente Pesos Mo? This questions might sound easy, but in reality, they are pretty tricky and it is easy to make a mistake! on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph CSUF Announces New 5-Year Strategic Plan Cal State Fullertons new 2018-2023 Strategic Plan was announced during the universitys Academic Senate meeting on Nov. 15. Various members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee reviewed the mission, values and four goals of the new plan. The process began in October 2017, said Mary Ann Villarreal, associate vice president for strategic initiatives. President Fram Virjee stressed the efforts made to create the strategic plan as a collaborative effort. The committee met with more than 200 different campus groups and in town hall meetings. Such efforts led to the emergence of a draft plan, but we werent done with gathering input and we received more robust responses and more feedback. ADVERTISEMENT We knew we needed to dig deeper and we did exactly that, Virjee said, noting that the committee covered the breadth of the campus, included faculty, staff, administrators, and students, and worked hard to bring to fruition this plan, these values, this mission. This is not a laundry list of what we do well, its not a laundry list of what we dont do well and its certainly not everything that were going to be doing, he stressed. It is, he noted, where we want to emphasize our focus and commitment over the next five years. That effort begins with the plans mission statement, a concise 58 words: California State University, Fullerton, enriches the lives of students and inspires them to thrive in a global environment. We cultivate lifelong habits of scholarly inquiry, critical and creative thinking, dynamic inclusivity, and social responsibility. Rooted in the strength of our diversity and immersive experiences, we embolden Titans to become intellectual, community, and economic leaders who shape the future. Collaborative work led to many shared accomplishments during the universitys previous five-year plan beginning in 2013. In those five years, CSUF achieved a 27 percent improvement in six-year graduation rates and a 47 percent improvement in four-year graduation rates for first-time freshmen. The university also erased the equity gap for transfer students and made tremendous strides in decreasing it for first-time freshman, and nearly tripled annual gift commitments to help ensure the future success of our students. The 2018-2013 plan continues with seven values that include student success; scholarly and creative activities: diversity, equity and inclusion; civic engagement; collegial governance; integrity; and service to the region. Then came the plans four goals: Our Commitment to a Transformational Titan Experience Our Commitment to Student Success and Completion Recruit and Retain a High-Quality and Diverse Faculty and Staff Our Commitment to Our Learning Environment and Legacy Each goal, its objectives, and strategies are listed on the Strategic Plan website. ADVERTISEMENT We are collaborative, collective partners in this plan, Virjee stressed. It is audacious. but it is achievable. Every day, lets get out there and make this happen. Los Angeles Nonprofits Receive Over $1 Million in Economic Development Grants from Bank of America to Stimulate Business and Neighborhood Revitalization Bank of America announced $1,124,000 in economic development grants given to 52 nonprofits that help stimulate local business and neighborhood revitalization in communities across Los Angeles. Nonprofits receiving the funds provide services ranging from affordable housing and community development resources to small business support and arts and culture programs that stimulate the local economy. By investing in these nonprofits, Bank of America aims to create economic opportunity for entire communities through programs ranging from neighborhood revitalization to scaling small business micro-lending support. As the economy continues to boom, we want to help ensure Los Angeles position as a desirable and attainable place to live, work and conduct business for all Angelinos, said Raul Anaya, Los Angeles Market President for Bank of America. Among these grant recipients is Opportunity Fund, which provides micro-loans to businesses and micro-enterprises that may not yet qualify for traditional bank credit. A west coast Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that supports underserved businesses and communities across the nation, Opportunity Fund has seen rapid expansion of its services into Southern California, with nearly one-third of its lending going to Los Angeles entrepreneurs this year alone. While Bank of America is a long-time investor lending capital to Opportunity Fund, this $20,000 grant will help the nonprofit with its staffing and capacity to achieve its goal of investing $22 million with Los Angeles entrepreneurs in 2019, stimulating $43 million in new economic activity across California. ADVERTISEMENT Talent and toil should be enough for determined entrepreneurs to succeed. But access to capital remains a central challenge. Opportunity Fund is building a more inclusive financial system and this support from Opportunity Fund ensures that we can say Yes to more business owners in Los Angeles, especially women, immigrants, and minority business owners, said Iosefa Alofaituli, Southern California Regional Director for Opportunity Fund. Other organizations receiving grants include: A Community of Friends, Abode Communities, Affordable Living for the Aging, American Red Cross, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program Incorporated, Business Resource Group, Autry Museum of the American West, Bridge Housing Corporation, California Housing Consortium, Center Theatre Group, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Discovery Cube, East LA Community Corporation, Greater Los Angeles Zoo, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, Homes for Families, Huntington Library, La Opera, La Plaza De Cultura Y Arte Foundation, LA River Revitalization Corporation, LABC Institute, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles Foundation Inc., LINC Housing Corporation, Long Beach Symphony, LTSC Community Development Corporation, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Latin American Art, National Association of Women Business Owners Los Angeles, Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County, NHMLA County Museum of National History, Opportunity Fund, Outfest, Pasadena Symphony, Plaza de La Raza, San Diego Region Small Business Development Corporation, San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, Inc., Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, Self Help Graphics, Shalom Center, Skirball Cultural Center, Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing, The Skid Row Housing Trust, The Valley Economic Alliance, Treepeople Inc., University of California Los Angeles, Valley Economic Development Center, Vermont Slauson Local Development Corporation, West Angeles Community Development Corporation and West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation. Advancing economic mobility through community development partnerships is just one example of Bank of Americas commitment to responsible growth and shared success as it works to improve the financial lives of individuals and families in the Inland Empire. Earlier this year, the bank awarded $2.2 million in grants to 83 nonprofits addressing workforce readiness, emergency shelter and basic needs such as hunger and other barriers to economic mobility for individuals and families. . Monday, November 19, 2018 The United Nations Security Council lifted sanctions on Eritrea last week, ending a nine-year period of isolation of the country and rewarding the country's improved relations with neighboring Ethiopia and other countries. The Security Council unanimously voted to end an arms embargo, travel ban, and a freeze on assets held by Eritrea and its political leaders. The sanctions had been first imposed in 2009 after the United Nations determined that Eritrea was arming and training militants who sought to undermine the government of Somalia, although Eritrea itself denied that accusation. For more information, see Carol Morello, U.N. Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea, Ending Nearly a Decade of Isolation, Washington Post, Nov. 15, 2018, at A11. (mew) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/international_law/2018/11/eritrea.html November 2018 is most certainly a good month for the auction house Christies. Last week, Christies recorded the highest sale for an artwork created by a living artist. Portrait of An Artist (Pool with Two Figures) by David Hockney, sold for 90.3 million dollars, beating Jeff Koons Balloon Dog (58.4 million dollars). Two weeks before the record sale, the auction house won a tortuous legal battle over which party has the burden of the re-sale right royalty, ruling in favour of the seller (Christies) and thereby overturning the position in place since 1920. [rather fundamental] question: who owes the re-sale right royalty: seller or buyer?. This point of law had been agitating the French jurisprudence since 2012, despite a ruling of the CJEU in 2015, against which the French appeal judges subsequently resisted. At stake was thequestion: who owes the re-sale right royalty: seller or buyer?. This point of law had been agitating the French jurisprudence since 2012, despite a ruling of the CJEU in 2015, against which the French appeal judges subsequently resisted. here The French Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation) put an end to all suspense and resistance, stating it was perfectly legal for a contract to stipulate that the buyer bears the re-sale right royalty in the context of a sale between professionals, thereby siding with the CJEU (). Read on for more. Portrait of An Artist (Pool with Two Figures) by David Hockney The dispute The dispute began by reference to Christies standard terms and conditions, providing that the buyer of the artworks shall settle the resale right royalty. The Syndicat National des Antiquaires (read -- National Union of Antique Dealers) (SNA) took issue with this clause, which they argued was a breach of the French Intellectual Property Code (IPC). Article L 122-8, paragraph 3, of the IPC reads: The resale right is discharged by the seller. The professional involved in the sale assumes the responsibility of discharging the right and, when the transfer is arranged between two professionals, the burden of the payment rests on the seller. The SNA submitted that Article L 122-8 was of public order (ordre public) and therefore it could not be waived by contract. It should be noted that Article L 122-8 of the IPC was implemented to transpose the 2001/84/CE Directive The SNA submitted that Article L 122-8 was of public order (ordre public) and therefore it could not be waived by contract. It should be noted that Article L 122-8 of the IPC was implemented to transpose theon the harmonisation of sales and re-sales of art works in the common market. 2001/84/CE Directive The Unions argument was accepted by the Paris Court of Appeal in 2015, which ruled the clause to be null and void, on the ground that such a clause goes against the provision of the IPC and the aims of theto guarantee the harmonious functioning of the art market. Referral to the CJEU The question that the French Supreme Court put to the CJEU was: Must the rule laid down by Article 1(4) of Directive 2001/84, which makes the seller responsible for payment of the royalty, be interpreted as meaning that the seller is required definitively to bear the cost of the royalty without any derogation by agreement being possible? I n the CJEUs words, the answer to the question is that: Article 1(4) of Directive 2001/84 must be interpreted as not precluding the person by whom the resale royalty is payable, designated as such by national law, whether that is the seller or an art market professional involved in the transaction, from agreeing with any other person, including the buyer, that that other person will definitively bear, in whole or in part, the cost of the royalty, provided that a contractual arrangement of that kind does not affect the obligations and liability which the person by whom the royalty is payable has towards the author. (C-41/14, para 14) In short, it does not matter who pays the re-sale right royalty, so long as it is paid. Cour Cass, first civil chamber, 3 June 2015, 13-12.675 Following the CJEU judgment, the French Supreme Court overturned the 2012 decision of the Paris Court of Appeal (see, , ECLI:FR:CCASS:2015:C100605 ) and referred the parties to the Court of Appeal of Versailles to proceed with the final ruling on the dispute, as is the procedure in France. The Versailles Court of Appeal resists French resistance. [NB: the Versailles Court of Appeal awarded only 1 euro in damages to be paid to the claimant] . To everyones surprise, in a decision dated 24 March 2017, the Versailles Court of Appeal resisted the interpretation put forward by the French Supreme Court and the CJEU. The Court of Appeal declared that the clause shifting the burden of the re-sale royalty onto the buyer remained unlawful, a second time, because it is in contradiction with the IPC The answer, according to the Versailles Appeal Court, is that basic EU law principles still govern. Their reasoning is as follows: How can it be that the Versailles decision complies with the CJEU ruling?The answer, according to the Versailles Appeal Court, is that basic EU law principles still govern. Their reasoning is as follows: [1] Article L 122-8 transposes into national law a directive which, by definition, is only binding on EU Member States insofar as its objective is concerned. The means to achieve this goal however are for national legislators to do so as they see fit. [2] The Re-sale Right Directive is silent about the identity of the person who must definitively bear the cost of the re-sale right royalty * -- a point made by the CJEU itself in its ruling ( C-41/14, para 27). [3] Versailles court, national legislators enjoy the discretionary power to determine the person who bears the cost of the re-sale right royalty.* The French legislator clearly exercised that right and expressed such intention in Article L 122-8, in which it clearly assigned the burden of the re-sale right to the seller [] where there was no obligation to do so under the directive.* Thus, in the words of theVersailles court,.* The French legislator clearly exercised that right and expressed such intention in Article L 122-8, in which it.* For the Versailles Court of Appeal, Article L 122-8 is an intentional decision on the part of the French government to have the burden of the re-sale right rest solely on the seller, as a way to regulate competition in the national (art) market. Suite et Fin on the droit de suite here ratio decidi of the decision states that the Versailles Court of Appeal wrongly interpreted Article L 122-8 as proscribing that the burden of the re-sale right On 9 November 2018, the Plenary Assembly of the Supreme Court reversed this interpretation of the IPC (). The very conciseof the decision states that the Versailles Court of Appeal wrongly interpreted Article L 122-8 as proscribing that the burden of the re-sale right may be borne by the buyer without any further explanation. here The submission of Advocate General Ingall-Montagnier, supported overturning the position of the Versailles Court of Appeal (), relying on three main elements. [1] The parliamentary debates regarding the drafting of this particular provision of the IPC are sufficiently clear to unequivocally support either decision. As such, it should not be inferred that the IPC prohibits the re-allocation of the burden of the re-sale right to the buyer. [2] It is the aim of a rule that determines whether or not the rule has the quality of public order or not, and can be waived or not by contract as a result. In this case, the aim of the rule is to ensure that the author of the work is paid. No other purpose or objective is enshrined in either the Directive or the IPC. On that basis, it does not matter which party discharges the re-sale right, as long as one of them does. [3] justified and proportionate when it is not prescribed by the directive. In this case, the Advocate General considers that prohibiting the re-allocation of the discharge of the re-sale right to the buyer is not justified or proportionate because it creates an unnecessary bar to the freedom of contract, which is not necessary to achieve the aim of the directive. The means adopted by a Member State is to achieve the goal of a directive must beandwhen it is not prescribed by the directive. In this case, the Advocate General considers that prohibiting the re-allocation of the discharge of the re-sale right to the buyer is not justified or proportionate because it creates an unnecessary bar to the freedom of contract, which is not necessary to achieve the aim of the directive. Although the Supreme Court makes no reference to any of these arguments in its decision, presumably one or more must have carried enough weight to justify not only reversing the interpretation of the Versailles Court of Appeal but also overturning a legal principle that had been treated as good law in France for nearly 100 years. * Kats translation Young women in Kyrgyzstan are reaching for the stars. They are working to build and launch the countrys first satellite before 2020. A small group of female scientists has been working with computers and other equipment since March to build a CubeSat. The American space agency NASA has described CubeSat as the smallest and cheapest satellite used for space exploration. Im very proud that its going to be the first satellite of the country, said 23-year-old student Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova. Im doing this because I want to empower other girls, she said. Batyrkanova added that a persons gender whether you are male or female doesnt have to determine what you do in this life. She spoke to the Reuters news agency on Skype from Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. Few Kyrgyz choosing careers in technology Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country where nearly two thirds of the people live in rural areas. The United Nations notes that the local economy depends heavily on farming. So it is rare for any Kyrgyz to choose technology as a career path. The UN Development Program studied records about the countrys college graduates in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, construction and manufacturing. It found that women make up less than 10 percent of those graduates. Nineteen-year-old Alina Anisimova is a computer programmer who leads the CubeSat project. She told Reuters some girls dont have the courage to take on such studies because it is not common in their country. And, she said, the majority of parents discourage their daughters from studying these subjects. Anisimova said she wishes that in the future people will not consider it so surprising to see young women involved in engineering and metal working. She is one of the young women, ages 17 to 24, who are working on the project. It was started by Kloop Media, a local media group, after a chance meeting with Alexander MacDonald, a NASA official. MacDonald suggested the idea of building the satellite. He told Reuters that building a satellite can serve as a powerful social and political signal," or sign. MacDonald said it could send important messages about who is able to participate and build the future." Kloop created a crowdfunding page to raise money for the project. It says the manufacture and launch of Kyrgyzstan's first CubeSat will cost up to $150,000. The final part of device will be made with a Lithuanian company. Women in scientific research The number of women in science, technology, engineering and math areas has increased in recent years. In the United States, there has been a push to get more girls interested in such subjects at an early age. Still, the UNs cultural agency UNESCO notes that only about 30 percent of the world's researchers are women. Aidana Aidarbekova is a 19-year-old student involved in the project. She said girls and women in her country are expected to marry instead of having careers. "There are a lot of people who don't believe that girls are capable of doing anything else but cleaning and cooking and giving birth to children," Aidarbekova said. Nearly one in 10 girls in Kyrgyzstan is married before age 18, notes the international aid group Girls Not Brides. Aidarbekova said she hopes the space project will inspire girls in Kyrgyzstan and other countries. "We are doing this program because we want to prove that girls can actually do it," she said. Maybe our project will give hope to girls all around the world." Im Anne Ball. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English from Reuters. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cheap adj. not costing a lot of money proud adj. causing a feeling of pride determine v. to officially decide (something) especially because of evidence or facts : to establish (something) exactly or with authority graduate n. a person who has completed a course of study in college or university construction - n. to build or make things like buildings, roads, equipment, etc. courage n. to be brave crowdfunding n. the practice of getting money (as for a new business) by asking for contributions from a large number of people especially online inspire v. to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create Japans Nissan Motor Company says its chairman, Carlos Ghosn, has been arrested and will be dismissed from his position. He is accused of under-reporting his earnings and misusing company money. Nissans chief executive officer, Hiroto Saikawa, confirmed that Ghosn was arrested on Monday. He announced that Ghosn was detained after being questioned by Japanese government lawyers after he arrived in Japan. The development surprised many people and raised questions about the partnership of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors. Together, the three companies make up one of the worlds biggest car manufacturing groups. Nissan said that Ghosn and another company official, Greg Kelly, are accused of misusing millions of dollars. It said an investigation was launched after someone inside the company told officials about suspected wrongdoing. Kelly also was arrested. Saikawa apologized at a press conference, saying he felt great disappointment. He told reporters that the investigation had identified serious misconduct. He added that he wanted to reduce the impact on the operation and our business partners. Nissan Motors, which is based in Yokohama, said it is providing information to the Japanese government and is cooperating with the investigation. Saikawa said that a system in the company had permitted the activity to remain hidden. He said three kinds of wrongdoing were identified: under-reporting of earnings, using investment money for personal gain and illegal use of company money. He added that Nissans board of directors will vote Thursday on whether to dismiss both Ghosn and Kelly. Unusual for a Japanese company head Saikawa said he could not provide more details because the investigation was continuing. But he promised Nissans leadership would get more involved in supervising top company officials. Ghosn has been at Nissan for 19 years. The Reuters news agency reports that he had signed a contract earlier this year that would have kept him employed until 2022. His pay is unusually high for leaders of Japanese businesses. Japans NHK and Kyodo News Service reported that Nissan paid Ghosn about $89 million over the five years ending in 2015. However, they added that he reported only half that: about $44 million. Company documents show that Ghosn received $8.9 million in yearly pay until 2016, when shareholders voted against his pay deal. In 2017, he received a 30 percent cut in pay. Ghosn is credited with helping Nissan improve the profitability of its business operations. Before he joined the company almost 20 years ago, it was close to financial collapse. A French citizen, Ghosn also was credited with helping French carmaker Renault become profitable through cost-cutting measures and new products like electric cars. However, he made enemies of French labor unions and some politicians. Ghosn was an unusual business leader because he served as chief executive of Nissan and also of Renault starting in 2005. In 2016, he also became chairman of Mitsubishi Motors, another one of Japans large carmakers. The partnership between Nissan and Renault started in 1999. Ghosn was born in Brazil 64 years ago. He holds both Brazilian and French citizenship. He came to Nissan from Renault, Frances largest carmaker. Nissans Saikawa was asked if Ghosn was a good or bad leader. He achieved much that many others could not do in reforms, especially in the beginning, he said. Im Mario Ritter. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story impact n. a powerful or major influence or effect misconduct n. wrong behavior that is illegal or morally wrong achieve v. to become successful; to reach a goal contract n. a business agreement between two more or more people board n. a group of people with supervisory or advisory powers disappointment n. dissatisfaction We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. In 1863, the American poet Walt Whitman wrote approvingly about the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. Whitman described the building as calm and confident. And he said the Capitols dome made it easily recognized and seen throughout the Washington area. Whitman called the dome a vast eggshell, built of iron and glass. He also likened it to a bubble, a tiara, and a towering bulge of pure white. Today, the Capitol building is still a well-known symbol of the U.S. government. Although some people confuse it with the White House, where the president lives, it is the home of the U.S. Congress. In other words, the Capitol is the place where the countrys lawmakers meet to discuss, make and approve legislation. The House of Representatives meets in the buildings south wing. The Senate meets in its north wing. The two large meeting rooms for lawmakers are called chambers. Usually House members and senators meet in their own chambers. But from time to time, they gather together in the House chamber, which is larger. These gatherings are called joint sessions of Congress. They happen at least once a year when the president gives a speech that is called the State of the Union address. Sometimes joint sessions of Congress happen after an election or when a foreign leader speaks. U.S. lawmakers also gather at the Capitol when a president is sworn-in. Years ago, those swearing-in ceremonies called inaugurations sometimes took place inside the building. But today they usually are held outside. Many people who have never visited Washington, DC may still recognize the Capitol building because they have seen pictures of it during a presidential inauguration. And those who come to Washington can visit the Capitol building in person. The U.S. Capitol Visitors Center can hold up to 4,000 people at one time. Visitors can see the building up close, learn its history and even listen to lawmakers debate the issues of the day. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story confident - adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something dome - n. a large rounded roof or ceiling that is shaped like half of a ball vast - adj. very great in size, amount, or extent tiara - n. a small crown bulge - n. a rounded lump on the surface of something symbol - n. an object that expresses a particular idea confuse - v. to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing joint - adj. combining the work of two or more groups of people After spending nine years and more than USD300 million to prosecute leaders of Cambodias Khmer Rouge responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million of their countrymen, a U.N.-assisted tribunal has ended up convicting only three people for the communist groups heinous actions. Was it worth it? These kinds of proceedings dont run cheap. The longer-running tribunals covering genocide in Rwanda and war crimes in the former Yugoslavia ran up costs of as much as $2 billion though both tried many more people than were called to account in Cambodia for crimes committed during the 1975-79 regime of the late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. On Friday, the tribunal convicted Nuon Chea, 92, and Khieu Samphan, 87, the last surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and sentenced them to life in prison. The only other person who has been convicted is Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, who as head of the Khmer Rouge prison system ran the infamous Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh. Justice is the primary goal. But international tribunals, trying people accused of crimes on a national scale, also serve to promote human rights and establish a historical record, among other targets. Even the most bullish observers acknowledge the shortcomings of the Cambodian tribunal, officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC. The rules hammered out in extensive negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian government hobbled its proceedings in ways that were not always foreseeable. The ECCC was set up as a hybrid court, meaning every international prosecutor and judge was paired with a Cambodian counterpart. However, what was a political atmosphere encouraging cooperation when the U.N. agreement was signed in 2003 deteriorated, as democratic space has shrunk under Cambodias long-serving, autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hybrid courts require domestic and international partners to share the steering wheel. They tend to function well only when the two drivers want to head in the same general direction, said John Ciorciari, a professor at the University of Michigan and co-author of a book about the tribunal. When they do, mixed tribunals can help fill gaps in otherwise frail domestic systems. When interests clash, these efforts to share sovereignty are prone to crash. The main case in point: Hun Sen himself a former Khmer Rouge commander who defected from the group when it was in power declaring no more suspects should be prosecuted, saying without justification that such action could cause unrest. It didnt help that the U.N. agreements vague wording of who could be targeted for prosecution senior Khmer Rouge leaders and those most responsible for the atrocities proved to be more restrictive than open- ended. All tribunals of this character have political restraints, and so that is not unique to the ECCC, said David Scheffer, a law professor at Northwestern University and former U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes. Other points he mentioned that delayed the proceedings included the protection of due process rights and the unusual combination of a civil law investigating judicial procedure alongside a common law prosecutorial model. One can always surmise about more being done, said Scheffer, who also served as the U.N.s special expert on assistance to the Khmer Rouge trials. But that was the negotiated reality of this particular tribunal. Nevertheless, he gave high marks to the tribunals performance, saying its main contribution has been both domestic and international justice rendered against some of the major figures in the Pol Pot regime. The Cambodian people sought justice and the ECCC delivered a significant measure of it, Scheffer said in an email interview. The ECCC also established a historical record, albeit not comprehensive, that otherwise never would have been uncovered. Adama Dieng, the U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide, also said Fridays convictions showed that justice will prevail, and that impunity should never be accepted for genocide and other atrocity crimes. Political education is an area where the tribunal has succeeded, said Heather Ryan, who has monitored the trials for the Open Society Justice Initiative, an independent international human rights organization. The court has made a huge contribution to helping the world and Cambodians better understand what occurred during the Khmer Rouge regime, said Ryan. It has triggered discussions at all levels of Cambodian society about not only the past, but concepts of impunity, justice and accountability relevant to the current political situation in Cambodia. Other observers were less impressed. Theary Seng, a U.S.-trained lawyer, writer and political analyst based in Phnom Penh, Cambodias capital, who is an outspoken critic of Hun Sens government, called the tribunal a complete failure for international justice because it didnt accomplish any of the established goals of reconciliation, symbolic justice and combating impunity. Seng, whose parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, pointed out that the hope that at least some of the Cambodian judges, prosecutors and lawyers that the government placed in the tribunal would somehow become champions of judicial fairness and the rule of law has been the opposite of fulfilled: they have all been deeply implicated in government abuse and perversion of the domestic justice system. She said her top concern now was for the integrity of the tribunals documents to be preserved for researchers. It is likely that the voluminous documentation used by the tribunal will be handed over to the government or institution controlled by the government, she said. This means that the printed documents could be selectively destroyed and the electronic version could be subtly altered, she warned. Future researchers writing the history of Cambodia will not know whats what. Grant Peck, Bangkok, AP First came the clampdown on shadow banks. Then it was gaming companies and drugmakers. Now education firms are in the Chinese governments crosshairs, roiling stocks and reminding investors how quickly their fortunes can change in a country rife with regulatory risk. RYB Education Inc. and Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd. both plunged by records in U.S. trading, while Vtron Group Co. and China Maple Leaf Educational Systems Ltd. sank in Shenzhen and Hong Kong after the government unveiled new rules that prohibit companies from financing for-profit kindergartens via the equity market. The losses echoed declines in Chinese peer-to-peer lenders, game makers and pharmaceutical companies after regulators increased scrutiny of the industries this year. While policy makers say the new rules will help protect consumers, theyve taken many investors by surprise. Thats adding to jitters in a USD5.8 trillion stock market already grappling with a trade war and the weakest economic expansion since 2009. Chinas benchmark Shanghai Composite Index has tumbled 19 percent this year, one of the steepest declines worldwide. Read more on China education stocks here. The education sector had massive growth potential and was once red-hot among equity investors, said Steven Leung, executive director at Uob Kay Hian (Hong Kong) Ltd. Its a pity that the government is stepping up regulation. Whats more annoying for a lot of sectors which rely heavily on the government is that you cant expect a timeline, and many sudden changes in policies are a surprise. Chinese parents spend an average of $42,892 on their childrens education, almost double that of counterparts in countries like Canada and the U.K., according to a report last year from HSBC Holdings Plc. The potential for growth helped propel shares of schooling firms to record highs as recently as June, with recently-listed China New Higher Education Group Ltd. and China Education Group Holdings Ltd. more than doubling in value within six months. Both dropped at least 4.5 percent in Hong Kong on Friday. In new guidelines for the industry published late on Thursday, Chinas government said it wants to build more public kindergartens. It called for public institutions to educate half of the nations kindergarten students by 2020. Policymakers were concerned about excessively profit-driven education that may cause social issues, Credit Suisse Group AG analysts Alex Xie and Thomas Chong wrote in a note. The move comes just a few months after Chinese regulators stopped approving new game licenses, a decision that erased billions of market value from companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and NetEase Inc. The government is restructuring how it reviews video games amid concerns about addiction, myopia and other ills among the countrys youth. Tencent said this week it was unable to provide further clarity on the approvals process, which has been the biggest drag on its revenue this year. RYB Education was only a year ago at the center child-abuse allegations, suspicions of which led to a teacher being fired from one of its schools and detained by authorities. While Beijing police later said it found no evidence of impropriety, the stock never recovered after the investigation sparked fury on Chinese social media. Bloomberg Sands China Ltd. honoured some of its outstanding team members at the 10th edition of its Because We Care Team Members Awards on Thursday at The Parisian Macao. Beginning in 2013, the awards recognise team members who exemplify the companys Because We Care culture of service, which consists of four cultural values: We Are Friendly, We Are Professional, We Are Active Listeners, and We Are One Team. Sands China is very pleased to see our Because We Care service culture becoming fully integrated into the daily work of our team members over the last five years, said company president Dr. Wilfred Wong, as cited in a press release. Nominees in this 10th edition of the awards represent 24 different departments, which is a 60 percent increase compared to the first awards ceremony. For this edition of the awards, more than 300 individuals and teams were nominated during the March-August nomination period, with over 1,000 team members nominated in total. Previous editions of the awards comprised more than 2,700 nominations, with over 7,200 team members nominated in total. CEM attends seminar on green and smart innovation In its 23rd edition, the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Power Industry Services Seminar was held last week, with the theme Green and Smart Innovation Integrated Development. Hosted by Guangdong Power Grid Co. Ltd. (GPG) this year in Shaoguan City, Guangdong province, 15 CEM delegates participated in the seminar. Shaoguans forest coverage rate reaches over 70 percent, ranking first among cities in Guangdong Province. Shaoguan City also makes full use of its advantages and is dedicated to building green and smart power. According to a statement issued by the electric company, more than one hundred insiders and representatives from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau attended the seminar and carried out discussion about the application of green and smart power as well as the development of the three places. Shaoguan City combines innovation and intelligence together with city development, building it into the first city of green ecology in Guangdong. Lawmaker Au Kam San was called to the Court of First Instance last Friday, to provide his testimony regarding the lawsuit between Polytec Asset Holdings Ltd (Polytec) and local Chinese newspaper Son Pou and columnist Lei Kong. According to Aus testimony, Leis column was not insulting. It was just a comment based on common sense, information and news reports. Furthermore, in the lawmakers opinion, Leis articles were only meant to urge the relevant governmental departments to solve the Pearl Horizon problem through law-abiding methods. Despite disagreeing with Leis opinion, Au does not think Lei should have been careful with the use of specific phrases. The lawmaker also pointed out that the banners outside the Polytec groups headquarters are way more serious than Leis articles, adding that he never saw Polytec trying to hide the banners. The reputational damage of Polytec group is believed to have been caused by how the company has handled the Pearl Horizon incident. Unreasonable and ridiculous are the two words Au used to describe his personal feelings when he heard about Polytec filing the lawsuit. Current affairs commentator Wong Dongs testimony remarked that Leis articles came out only after the Pearl Horizon case, which means that the articles were not trying to instigate buyers to disturb the Polytec company. Wong does not think the articles were factually incorrect. Wong also expressed that, in his opinion, Leis articles were not written about Lei himself but were done for the progress of the entire society. The commentator voiced that the lawsuits evolution will not only make a big difference in terms of social development, but also represents a case worthy of everybodys attention. The trial will resume on November 23. JZ The European Union is hammering out the first bloc-wide rules to prevent foreign investments from threatening national security, as Chinese acquisitions foster political unease. Negotiators representing EU governments and the European Parliament may agree on draft legislation to screen foreign direct investments on Nov. 20, according to Franck Proust, a French member of the 28-nation assembly. Both sides have settled on 95 percent of the text and the goal at the meeting in Brussels is to bridge differences over the remaining part, which includes the politically sensitive matter of how far EU members can push concerns about FDI with their peers, said Proust. The deliberations show how a large degree of EU business is progressing in the shadow of the Brexit drama, which will include a special European summit on Nov. 25 to endorse a divorce deal. Everybody has the common will to work in the same direction, Proust, the chief negotiator for the EU Parliament, said in an interview last week at the assemblys headquarters in Strasbourg, France. I remain positive. Concerns are mounting across the western world about national-security risks tied to foreign investment, particularly by China. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump blocked a Chinese-backed investor from buying Lattice Semiconductor Corp. as a result of national-security worries and Germany moved to shield cutting-edge technologies after a bid by Chinas Midea Group Co. for robot maker Kuka AG prompted an outcry. Earlier this year, the German government stopped a Chinese bid for the first time by vetoing the potential purchase of machine-tool manufacturer Leifeld Metal Spinning AG. We are making up for lost time, Proust said. All the worlds other powers have their own investment-screening systems. Only Europe doesnt have such a tool. The European Commission, the EUs regulatory arm, proposed in September last year a bloc-wide cooperation mechanism for foreign direct investments through a combination of data collection, information exchange and peer pressure. The law would create an alert mechanism for future foreign investments in Europe and a centralized database of ones that occur after the system enters in force without taking the ultimate power of approving deals away from individual EU governments. While having ceded power over monetary, competition and trade policies to the EU, member countries still jealously guard their sovereignty in areas including investment and security. The goal of the proposed European investment-screening framework, according to the commission, is to limit foreign threats to critical infrastructure, including in the energy, transport, communications, data, space and financial industries, and to critical technologies such as semiconductors, robotics and artificial intelligence. In backing these provisions, the negotiators for EU governments and Parliament have agreed to add such areas as water, health, defense, media, biotechnology and food security to the scope. EU governments would be allowed to request information and offer comments on a foreign investment in a particular member country. In addition, the commission could ask for information and issue an opinion. The nation in which the investment was planned would have to give due consideration to any comments and opinion as well as take utmost account of any commission view regarding a foreign investment deemed to affect a European project or program. A key sticking point is an amendment introduced by Proust to bolster these provisions. He effectively wants an extra red flag to be raised when at least a third of EU governments believes a foreign investment in another member country is likely to affect their security. We are making good progress in the talks and are confident of wrapping up work by the end of December, Economy Minister Margarete Schramboeck of Austria, which as current holder of the EUs rotating presidency is negotiating on behalf of the blocs governments, said in an emailed statement. It will be extremely important that member states continue their support for our efforts. There are still some open issues we need to tackle. Proust signaled room for compromise exists. Attitudes have evolved, he said. A certain number of countries were fearful of losing decision-making control, were fearful that Europe would impose a decision on them. No. What we are putting in place is a system of information exchange to bring about the best assistance for the national decision. Jonathan Stearns, Bloomberg France was shaken Saturday by the biggest demonstrations since President Emmanuel Macron took office as police responded with tear gas against protesters who blocked traffic in a grassroots movement that coalesced around demands for lower gasoline taxes. Parisian traffic was snarled as more than 1,000 people marched in the center of the capital, and one protester died in southeastern France after being hit by a car whose driver panicked amid a road blockade. More than 2,000 rallies took place across the country, gathering more than 282,000 protesters, according to the government. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said 227 people were injured and dozens arrested amid standoffs throughout the country between protesters who sought to block traffic and drivers. Demonstrators entered a government building in Troyes, in northeastern France. The days events place Macron in a delicate position as he strives to take the heat out of a movement which has morphed from a demand to lower gasoline taxes into a diffuse expression of anger against high unemployment and difficulties to make ends meet.Our level of concern is at maximal level, Castaner said Saturday morning, according to AFP. He asked demonstrators to take measures to guarantee safety, saying that the right to demonstrate is essential in this country and must be protected, but one must also ensure that the minimal organization of this protest avoids a tragedy of this kind. Protesters interrupted traffic on the A13 highway that links Paris to Normandy and blocked the A4 highway near Metz in eastern France, according to toll-road operator Sanef. Traffic was also slowed down by many blockades on the A1 highway north of the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. The government had said it wouldnt bar any protests, but it wouldnt allow any roads to be blocked. Macron refused to back down on higher gasoline taxes, which is part of a long-term goal of weaning France off fossil fuel. The social-media-driven movement, which branded itself gilets jaunes after the yellow safety vests drivers need to keep in their cars blames higher taxes on fossil fuels for rising prices at the pump. A petition on Change.org calling for lower gasoline taxes gathered about 860,000 signatures. A website www.blocage17novembre.com listed plans for protests in all of Frances 95 mainland departments. In the runup to the protests, opposition parties tried to associate themselves with the movement. Far-left party Unbowed Frances leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said the number of protesters was much higher than the interior ministrys assessment and accused the government of dramatizing the movement. Laurent Wauquiez, leader of conservative party The Republicans, took part in a protest in Puy-en-Velay, central France, calling Macron to ditch his tax hike plans. This government hasnt understood the anger of the French, Socialist Party secretary general Olivier Faure said in a statement Wednesday. We were the first party to express our total support for this movement, said nationalist leader Marine Le Pen in an interview Nov. 13 with Le Parisien. Macron said Wednesday he hears the anger but said he was wary because many different people are trying to piggyback on this movement. In earlier interviews, he has said he prefers taxing fuel to taxing labor. The government increased fuel taxes this year and will add another 6.5 cents per liter to diesel and 2.9 cents per liter to gasoline at the start of 2019, as it tries to bring diesel and gasoline taxes in line. Diesel prices at the pump in France have risen 16 percent this year to an average 1.48 euros ($1.69) a liter, according UFIP, the French oil industry federation. Gasoline is up 5 percent to 1.47 euros per liter. France is trying to end its reliance on diesel, fueled by decades of government support. Diesel once represented three-quarters of cars sold in France, but the proportion has declined below 40 percent as it gradually lost its tax advantage. Contrary to its reputation for public transport, about 70 percent of the French drive to work everyday, according to state statistical unit Insee, compared with about 76 percent in the U.S. Bloomberg Interest in Macau-related history is growing in several parts of the world, Rui Lourido, the president of the Observatory for China, told the Times. The Portuguese scholar has recently lectured at Queens College and Brown University in the US, where he fielded questions about the Silk Road, its relationship with the Belt and Road initiative, and the links between Macau and the Portuguese-speaking countries. There is a lot of interest because there was a huge English community in Macau during the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century. Hong Kong also developed incommensurably compared with Macau. Scholars view Macau as a contact point with Canton and the Pearl River, said Lourido, who was in Macau give several lectures. He added that there are also several recent masters theses and doctoral dissertations related to these topics in Macau. Established in 2005, the Observatory for China focuses on multidisciplinary studies related to China. Together with the Portuguese National Library, it is currently setting up a digital library of literature on Macau and China, which contains around 200,000 pages of books published between the 16th and the 19th centuries. The library is stored on computer servers provided by the Portuguese National Library. The complete books, most of them written in Portuguese, are being made available for download. The collection is not an accumulation of quotes. It consists of complete books, cover-to-cover, explained Lourido, adding that many of the digitized works are rare original editions and not the modern editions of the same books. It is a research tool to support universities and simultaneously to help students attending masters and doctoral courses. Lourido, who is also the director of the Union of Capital Cities of Portuguese Language (UCCLA), says that a key project for Observatory for China next year is the launch of a trilingual version (Chinese, Portuguese and English) of the book Maritime Journals (Hailu). The book was written by Chinese adventurer Xie Qinggao, who traveled to Europe likely aboard a Portuguese ship and stayed overseas for 14 years, during which he visited the main harbors of Europe, America and Asia. Xie eventually returned to China and lived in Macau, where he died in 1822. He travelled through the Portuguese maritime route and he had a huge impact here in the 19th century, during a time when China was being threatened by Britain, Lourido said, adding that a University of Macau student is writing a PhD thesis about Xies book, which is currently only available in Chinese. The Observatory for China is planning several other activities for 2019, a year which also marks the 70th anniversary of the PRC, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal, and the 20-year anniversary of the Macau SAR. In May, a puppet theater group from Yangzhou will visit Portugal and take part in an international puppet festival in the city of Evora, among other shows. In June, there will be a conference at the prestigious Gulbernkian Foundation in Lisbon, focusing on the historical relationship between Portugal and China. Scholars from Beijing, Macau and Guangzhou are expected to attend. A Cantonese opera group will also visit Portugal later in the year. Gambling profits must be reinvested Macau cant stop with the gaming industry, which is important for its sustainability. But the profit generated by gambling must be increasingly reinvested in the creative industries [] and in education, transforming Macau into an educational platform between China and the Lusophone countries, said Rui Lourido, adding that culture must be a priority for the region. Questioned about the role of the newly opened Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in the process of regional integration, Lourido said it was an opportunity to potentially enhance Macaus international visibility. However, he added that the excessive control of peoples movements, as seen in the current operation of the bridge, is prejudicial. China controls because of its superstructure. They dont need to control movements so tightly. Belt and Road brings continuity and rupture During an interview with the Times at the Macau Polytechnic Institute, Rui Lourido was asked to comment on the parallels and differences between the Belt and Road initiative and the ancient Chinese Silk Road. There is continuity and rupture. The essential dynamic is continuity, meaning to look at the commerce as a way to enrich the participants [] the rupture project is a new vision to build peace in the world. Many countries in the corridor that links China to the West are highly unstable politically, he said. Lourido contends that Beijing is fostering the peace by helping to build infrastructure that is essential to the development of those countries, although the effort naturally has the main aim of having China being able to access natural resources and foreign funds. What Lourido finds radically different in the Belt and Road initiative is that China understood that the financial crisis in 2008/2009, created by the US and with implacable repercussions in Europe, meant that the big corporations forced the countries to lose capital in order to save the banks. Today, he said, those European countries can no longer react to a new crisis and are forced to give up control of key sectors that are of interest to the multinationals, namely social security, education and health. Beijing, he added, is acting differently, creating policies to share wealth, whilst maintaining the social role of the elite. Around five years ago, China established minimum wages for cities and villages. It has taken 700 million people out from poverty and created a middle class which will be the largest [in] the world and is currently the [worlds] main consumer of luxury products, he noted. Police chiefs from around the world gathered in Dubai yesterday for Interpols general assembly to select a new president after the agencys former leader was detained in China. Meng Hongwei who was Chinas vice minister of public security while also leading Interpol went missing while on a trip to China in September. It later emerged that the long-time Communist Party insider with decades of experience in Chinas security apparatus was detained as part of a sweeping purge against allegedly corrupt or disloyal officials under President Xi Jinpings authoritarian administration. Interpol member-states will also be deciding whether to accept Kosovo as a full member, which would allow officials there to file red notices for Serbian officials that Kosovo considers war criminals. The red notices are alerts circulated by Interpol to all member countries that identify a person wanted for arrest by another country. Interpol says there are 57,289 active red notices around the world. Interpol acts as a clearinghouse for national police services that want to hunt down suspects outside their borders. The body, however, has faced criticism that governments have abused the red notice system to go after political enemies and dissidents, even though its charter explicitly proclaims its neutrality and prohibits the use of police notices for political reasons. Two years ago, Interpol introduced new measures aimed at strengthening the legal framework around the red notice system. As part of the changes, an international team of lawyers and experts first check a notices compliance with Interpol rules and regulations before it goes out. Interpol also introduced an appeals body for those targeted with red notices. Chinese authorities say Meng is being lawfully investigated for taking bribes and other crimes. Chinas beleaguered rights activists point out that as someone with a seat atop the countrys powerful public security apparatus, Meng helped build the opaque system of largely unchecked power wielded by the ruling Communist Party to which hes now fallen victim. Mengs wife has told The Associated Press from France that the bribery accusation he faces is just an excuse for a lengthy detention and that he is being persecuted for political reasons. As more than 1,000 delegates from 192 member-states began filling the main hall for the annual event, Interpol Secretary-General Jurgen Stock explained to reporters that the agencys rules did not allow for Meng to continue acting as president. Meng had been serving as president since November 2016, and his term was due to end in 2020. He said Interpol received Mengs resignation letter from China on Oct. 7 and that Interpol was notified by Chinese authorities that Meng is no longer a delegate to Interpol. It sounds a little technical but again that automatically leads to the fact, according to our rules, that he is not the president anymore, Stock said. We had to take the measures to ensure the functioning of the organization. Mengs representatives say Interpol accepted an unsigned resignation letter without any resistance and without evidence of his consent. In Mengs place yesterday, senior vice president of Interpols executive committee, Kim Jong Yang of South Korea who was previously named acting president helped open the ceremony for the general assembly meeting. A little more than a week ago, Stock told reporters in France where Interpol is headquartered that there was no reason for him to suspect that anything about Mengs resignation was forced or wrong. He said he encouraged Chinese authorities to provide information about Mengs location and legal status but can do no more because the role of Interpol is not to govern over member states. Aya Batrawy, Dubai, AP It was spring 2007 in northern Iraq when 6-year-old Saja Saleem raced home from school with the good news about her excellent grades, hoping to receive the gift her father had promised her. All of a sudden, I found myself spinning into the air with fire trailing from my school uniform after a loud boom, Saleem, now 17, recounted to The Associated Press. Saleem lost her eyesight, right arm and an ear in the explosion, set off by a roadside bomb. Months later, her disfiguring injuries forced her to drop out of school after other students complained about her scary face. Feeling helpless, Saleem recently turned to social media to find help. Eventually, her appeal grabbed the attention of a surgeon who offered free treatment. Others have also reached out on social media. Emotional videos and photographs of Iraqis with war wounds and disabilities have overwhelmed social media platforms, mainly Facebook, widely used in Iraq. The widespread violence unleashed by the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein and the 2014-2017 battle against the Islamic State group has wounded hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Many are maimed and scarred, their suffering lingering long after the violence subsides. Poor medical services, scarcity of specialized staff and medical centers, and poverty have exacerbated the suffering. Those who cannot get treatment at state-run hospitals and cannot afford private clinics are looking to social media platforms to make appeals. Appeals are posted on the personal Facebook pages of patients or on the pages of aid organizations and public figures with tens of thousands of followers. Patients describe their condition along with contact details. Messages are also distributed on platforms like WhatsApp and Viber. Saleem and her family recall the explosion that upended her life, and the years that followed as they struggled financially to get her treatment. When I hit the ground, I felt severe pain all over my body [] I was bleeding, a pool of blood around me everything turned dark and I lost consciousness, she recalled from her bed at a Baghdad hospital where she is undergoing free reconstructive and plastic surgeries. Saleems mother, Khawla Omar Hussein, remembers her daughters screams when three weeks later, she regained consciousness and realized she had lost her right arm and ear. She woke up screaming, crying: Mammy, mammy, Hussein recalled. Then she asked: Why cant I see and why is everything dark? They told her it was the bandages over her eyes and that she would see after they were removed. When that day came, the doctors told her she had lost both eyes. Nearly two years later, Saleems family tried to send her back to school where she was accepted only as a listener in class, accompanying her brothers. But that arrangement ended soon as other students and teachers complained that her disfigured face was bothering them. I was crying day and night and became a very reclusive person, Saleem said. After the state-run hospital couldnt go beyond the necessary treatment to save her life, Saleems family looked for plastic and reconstructive surgery for her at a private clinic, but they couldnt afford the doctors $7,500 fee. Then, late last year, her mother made an appeal, posting photographs of Saleem and details about her ordeal in a public group on Viber. Days later, Baghdad-based Dr. Abbas al-Sahan, one of Iraqs best plastic surgeons, offered to do free surgeries. Since January, Saleem has undergone four surgeries first so her face could accommodate the two glass eyes, or ocular prostheses, then a procedure to reduce some of the scars. She also had a surgery to adjust to a prosthetic arm and is due to have plastic surgery to reconstruct her missing ear, al-Sahan said. Al-Sahan runs the only state-run specialized hospital for reconstructive and plastic surgery in Iraq. He said that about 40 percent of the monthly surgeries his hospital preforms between 600 to 850 are for victims of bombings and other war-related explosions, as well as for casualties of military operations. Saleems family feels she is lucky. Not everyone gets the help they need through social media. Iraqi army Capt. Salar al-Jaff was shot by a sniper in January 2017, during the height of the fight to recapture the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. The bullet hit him in the head and left him paralyzed in one side of his body. Since then, he has been treated for the head wound and for complications from lying in bed all the time, but not for the paralysis. He sold his car and all his possessions to be able to afford three injections a day, each costing $100, to overcome the pain. He also appeared in a video, posted on social media, alongside a cleric who asks that someone help al-Jaff. But so far, there have been no offers for free treatment. Sinan Salaheddin, Baghdad, AP WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not willingly travel to the United States to face charges filed under seal against him, one of his lawyers said, foreshadowing a possible fight over extradition for a central figure in the U.S. special counsels Russia-Trump investigation. Assange, who has taken cover in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he has been granted asylum, has speculated publicly for years that the Justice Department had brought secret criminal charges against him for revealing highly sensitive government information on his website. That hypothesis appeared closer to reality after prosecutors, in an errant court filing in an unrelated case, inadvertently revealed the existence of sealed charges. The filing, discovered Thursday night, said the charges and arrest warrant would need to remain sealed until Assange is arrested in connection with the charges in the criminal complaint and can therefore no longer evade or avoid arrest and extradition in this matter. A person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity because the case had not been made public, confirmed that charges had been filed under seal. The exact charges Assange faces and when they might be unsealed remained uncertain Friday. Any charges against him could help illuminate whether Russia coordinated with the Trump campaign to sway the 2016 presidential election. They also would suggest that, after years of internal Justice Department wrangling, prosecutors have decided to take a more aggressive tack against WikiLeaks. A criminal case also holds the potential to expose the practices of a radical transparency activist who has been under U.S. government scrutiny for years and at the center of some of the most explosive disclosures of stolen information in the last decade. Those include thousands of military and State Department cables from Army Pvt. Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning, secret CIA hacking tools, and most recently and notoriously, Democratic emails that were published in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election and that U.S. intelligence officials say had been hacked by Russia. Federal special counsel Robert Mueller, who has already charged 12 Russian military intelligence officers with hacking, has been investigating whether any Trump associates had advance knowledge of the stolen emails. Assange could be an important link for Mueller as he looks to establish exactly how WikiLeaks came to receive the emails, and why its release of the communications on the same day a highly damaging video of Trump from a decade earlier surfaced publicly appeared timed to boost his campaign. Assange, 47, has resided in the Ecuadorian Embassy under a grant of asylum for more than six years to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he was accused of sex crimes, or to the United States, whose government he has repeatedly humbled with mass disclosures of classified information. The Australian was once a welcome guest at the embassy, which takes up part of the ground floor of a stucco-fronted apartment in Londons posh Knightsbridge neighborhood. But his relationship with his hosts has soured over the years amid reports of espionage, erratic behavior and diplomatic unease. Barry Pollack, a Washington lawyer for Assange, said he expected Ecuador to comply with its obligations to preserve asylum for him, though he acknowledged a concern that the county could revoke his asylum, expel him from the embassy and extradite him to the U.S. The burden should not shift to Mr. Assange to have to defend against criminal charges when what he has been accused of doing is what journalists do every day, Pollack said. They publish truthful information because the public has a right to know and consider that information and understand what its government and institutions are doing. The charges came to light in an unrelated court filing from a federal prosecutor in Virginia, who was attempting to keep sealed a separate case involving a man accused of coercing a minor for sex. The three-page filing contained two references to Assange, including one sentence that said due to the sophistication of the defendant and the publicity surrounding the case, no other procedure is likely to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged. It was not immediately clear why Assanges name was included in the document. Joshua Stueve, a spokesman for the Justice Departments Eastern District of Virginia said, The court filing was made in error. That was not the intended name for this filing. The filing was discovered by Seamus Hughes, a terrorism expert at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, who posted it on Twitter hours after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department was preparing to prosecute Assange. The case at issue concerns a defendant named Seitu Sulayman Kokayi, a 29-year-old teacher who has since been indicted in Virginia on charges of enticing a 15-year-old girl to commit sex acts and to produce child pornography. There doesnt appear to be any connection between Assange and Kokayi. The since-unsealed document, a motion filed in late August asking to keep Kokayis case secret, mentions Assange in two boilerplate sections, suggesting a copy-and-paste error or that his name was inadvertently left in a template used for the common filings. The filing suggests prosecutors have reason to believe they will be able to arrest and extradite Assange. Ecuadorian officials say they have cut off his high-speed internet access and will restore it only if he agrees to stop interfering in the affairs of Ecuadors partners, such as the U.S. and Spain. He is allowed to use the embassys WiFi, though it is unclear if he doing so. Officials have also imposed a series of other restrictions on Assanges activities and visitors, and ordered him to clean after his cat. Carlos Poveda, Assanges lawyer in Ecuador, said he suspects Ecuador has been maneuvering to kick Assange out of the embassy through the stricter new living requirements it recently imposed. He said possible U.S. charges, however, are proof his client remains under threat, and he called on Ecuadors government to uphold Assanges asylum protections. He said Ecuador would be responsible if anything happened to Assange. With shrinking options an Ecuadorian lawsuit seeking to reverse the restrictions was recently turned down WikiLeaks announced in September that former spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson, an Icelandic journalist who has long served as one of Assanges lieutenants, would take over as editor-in-chief. In a brief interview in Reykjavik, Iceland, Hrafnsson called the U.S. news a very black day for journalism. Eric Tucker, Washington, AP An acrimonious meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea failed to agree yesterday on a final communique, highlighting widening divisions between global powers China and the U.S. The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade, officials said. A statement was to be issued instead by the meetings chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill. The entire world is worried about tensions between China and the U.S., ONeill told a mob of reporters that surrounded him after he confirmed there was no communique from leaders. It was the first time leaders had failed to agree on a declaration in 29 years of the Pacific Rim summits that involve countries representing 60 percent of the world economy. Draft versions of the communique seen by The Associated Press showed the U.S wanted strong language against unfair trade practices that it accuses China of. China, meanwhile, wanted a reaffirmation of opposition to protectionism and unilateralism that it says the U.S. is engaging in. The U.S. has imposed additional tariffs of USD250 billion on Chinese goods this year and Beijing has retaliated with its own tariffs on American exports. I dont think it will come as a huge surprise that there are differing visions on trade, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Those prevented there from being a full consensus on the communique. The two-day summit was punctuated by acrimony and also underlined a rising rivalry between China and the West for influence in the usually neglected South Pacific, where Beijing has been wooing impoverished island states with aid and loans. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping traded barbs in speeches on Saturday. Pence professed respect for Xi and China but also harshly criticized the worlds No. 2 economy for intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and unfair trading practices. He accused China of luring developing nations into a debt trap through the loans it offers for infrastructure. The world, according to Xis speech, is facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation as protectionism and unilateralism grows. He said the rules of global institutions set up after World War II such as the World Trade Organization should not be bent for selfish agendas. Pence told reporters that during the weekend he had two candid conversations with Xi, who is expected to meet President Donald Trump at a Group of 20 summit at the end of this month in Argentina. There are differences today, Pence said. They begin with trade practices, with tariffs and quotas, forced technology transfers, the theft of intellectual property. It goes beyond that to freedom of navigation in the seas, concerns about human rights. The U.S. is interested in a better relationship but there has to be change from Chinas side, Pence said he told Xi, who responded that dialogue is important. Chinas foreign ministry rejected the U.S. criticism that it was leading other developing nations into debt bondage. The assistance provided by China has been warmly welcomed by our partners in this region and beyond, Wang Xiaolong, a foreign ministry official, told a news conference. No country either in this region or in other regions has fallen into a so called debt trap because of its cooperation with China. Give me one example, he said. China is a relative newcomer to providing aid, and its loan-heavy, no-strings attached approach has unsettled Western nations that have been the mainstay donors to developing nations and often use aid to nudge nations towards reforms. In Port Moresby, Papua New Guineas capital, the impact of Chinas aid and loans is highly visible. But the U.S. and allies are countering with efforts to finance infrastructure in Papua New Guinea and other island states. The U.S. has also said it will be involved in ally Australias plan to develop a naval base with Papua New Guinea. Yesterday, the U.S., New Zealand, Japan and Australia said theyd work with Papua New Guineas government to bring electricity to 70 percent of its people by 2030. Less than 20 percent have a reliable electricity supply. The commitment of the United States of America to this region of the world has never been stronger, Pence said at a signing ceremony. A separate statement from his office said other countries are welcome to join the electrification initiative provided they support the U.S. vision of a free and open Pacific. China, meanwhile, has promised $4 billion of finance to build the the first national road network in Papua New Guinea, among the least urbanized countries in the world. Stephen Wright, Port Moresby, AP The government has planned to build a flyover in the vicinity of Amizade roundabout to improve traffic conditions around the northern area, Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On revealed when responding to questions from lawmakers during Fridays Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary meeting. Chuis information was included in his reply to lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, who urged the government to come up with a solution to solve traffic problems in Macau, especially in the northern district, particularly in the vicinity of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macau Bridges (HKZMB) Macau port. According to Chui, the government has considered building an overpass to connect Av. De Nordeste, Av. de Amizade, and the northern district. One side of the overpass will be located inside the original site of the Pearl Horizon project. Chui hopes the project can be handed over shortly to the transport advisory committee. He also hopes that the project can be carried out as a special case as soon as possible. Traffic in the northern district has worsened since the opening of the HKZMB. Chui believes more time is needed for the three regions governments to observe the traffic flow around the bridge before they divert and guide the situation. Regarding other transportation developments, Chui said that the draft of the fourth cross-sea channel has been completed and will be tendered before the end of this year, with its construction starting next year. Besides transportation matters, lawmakers Ella Lei and Lei Chan U accused the government of taking a step backwards in terms of protecting employees. The two lawmakers criticized the proposed labor law amendment, which determines the selection of three compulsory holidays and consequent change into ordinary holidays. First of all, I hereby promise to the employees that the revision of the labor law is unlikely to result in a retrogression of the original labor standards because this is the bottom line the government cannot surpass in guaranteeing the basic rights and interests of workers, said Chui. Chui further noted that the amendment proposal is still under discussion, and that the bill has not been yet formally submitted to the AL. He reiterated that the government is willing to listen to more opinions. Due to the fierce reaction in society, the government has suggested that the relevant amendment proposal be sent to the social welfare committee for discussion. Chui declared that employers and employees should be concerned about each others interests, and added that he hopes the two sides will not expand their disagreements until they reach a consensus. The CE suggests that the two sides should voice their opinions to each other through the Standing Committee for the Co-ordination of Social Affairs (CPCS). Chui also outlined a number of measures to be included in the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2019 regarding the development of active cooperation between places covered by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). Chui stated that tourism authorities of the Greater Bay Area had engaged in discussions regarding launching fresh initiatives promoting multi-destination travel. The Chief Executive said that the Government would step up support for relevant policies and for incremental expansion of resources, in order to support young people seeking to pursue either a career in innovative fields or to start a business in some other Greater Bay Area city. Meanwhile, the government leader expressed plans to enlarge the functions of Macaus Youth Entrepreneur Incubation Centre, providing more working spaces for young people in need, information services, consulting services, training, exchange opportunities, and product sales. The government planned to position in terms of marketing the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macau. The Chief Executive also mentioned projects such as the construction of a theme park and hotel in Macau, the showcasing of healthcare industries, the cultural aspects of traditional Chinese medicine, medical tourism, and the creation of a museum for innovations in traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, Chui also pointed out issues to be addressed under the varied regulatory systems within the Greater Bay Area. He said the Governments concern was how to streamline procedures for people in other Greater Bay Area cities in their dealings with Macau, and what welfare benefits would be available for Macao residents living in any other Greater Bay Area cities. For cross-boundary medical welfare, the Government proposed to set up an insurance mechanism for Macau residents to enjoy medical services in other Greater Bay Area cities. New accountability rules for top officials The government has been doing research on amending Macaus laws to prevent public officials from applying for retirement when they are subject to a disciplinary procedure or their positions are being terminated, Chui told lawmakers on Friday. The research is considering preventing these high officials from reducing their political responsibility or disciplinary responsibility by applying for retirement. Chui disclosed the information after Agnes Lams question regarding transparency in the government and its administration. According to him, the government has been conducting this research since the retirement of former SMG Director Fong Soi Kun. Chui noted that residents have many ways of expressing their opinions, such as through the organization of demonstrations or assemblies, and that the government is willing to hear their opinions. Officials on Saturday recovered a boat that sank in rough weather off Thailands southern resort island of Phuket in July, killing 47 Chinese tourists. Two tour boats sank off Phuket on July 5. Tourists from one boat were rescued, while the sinking of the double-decker Phoenix left 47 Chinese tourists dead. The accident was one of Thailands worst tourism-related disasters in recent years. The boat was raised from the 45-meter-deep sea floor on Saturday by a crane ship operated by a salvage company from Singapore, officials said. The recovery operation itself faced many obstacles. The first company, hired to salvage the boat, lost a member of its team during the operation and failed to lift the boat. A group of senior police officers witnessing the raising of the boat stood in silence for one minute in commemoration of the victims. The Phoenix, covered in brown algae and sludge, will be towed into a pier in Phuket. Police will inspect it as part of their investigation into the tragedy. Five people have been charged so far, including the owner and two operators of the Phoenix. They have been accused of negligence causing death, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Officials said other people are also under investigation, including some at the company that built the boat. More than 9.8 million Chinese visited Thailand in 2017, accounting for the biggest share of the 35.38 million total foreign tourists. AP Political revolts around the world have targeted what are widely seen as corrupt and unaccountable political and business elites elites that pursue their own interests globally at the expense of ordinary citizens and regulatory regimes in nation- states. The result has often been the elevation of demagogues stoking xenophobic passions against not only elites, but minorities and immigrants. Yet one case Malaysia shows that demagoguery doesnt have to be the inevitable consequence of elite misrule. The scandal at 1Malaysia Development Bhd., the state investment fund more commonly known as 1MDB, has offered up a classic cast of apparent villains, from former Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, accused of siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars from the fund, to the bankers that allegedly helped them. Last month, for instance, the U.S. Department of Justice implicated at least three senior bankers at the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in the alleged fraud. Two of them are accused of bribing officials in Malaysia and laundering hundreds of millions of dollars, while underwriting lavish lifestyles. (One, former Southeast Asia chief Tim Leissner, has pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy.) One of their Malaysian associates allegedly paid $27.3 million to a New York jeweler to design a pink diamond necklace for Najibs wife, Rosmah Mansor. Goldman Sachs, which raised USD6.5 billion for 1MDB and earned hundreds of millions of dollars in fees and commissions, now faces hostile scrutiny from federal prosecutors. Demagogues tend to profit from the exposure of such blatant venality. And they often do so by feverishly circulating nasty conspiracy theories about rootless cosmopolitans and invoking the rights of the presumably rooted ethnic or racial majority. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who ousted Najib in elections last spring in part because of public outrage over the 1MDB scandal, would seem tailor-made for that role of rabble rouser. As prime minister during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, Mahathir railed against Western currency speculators and blithely played with anti-Semitic stereotypes as he blamed George Soros for Malaysias troubles. During his first stint in power from 1981 to 2003, Mahathir was also an unabashed exponent of racial nationalism, elevating the Malay majority over the countrys sizable Chinese and Indian minorities. He cracked down on the media, imprisoned his opponents on flimsy charges, and presided over a regime of crony capitalism. Given this record, his reelection could have stirred fears that Malaysia was following its neighbors Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar down the dark path of authoritarian rule. Instead, a remarkable political alignment has occurred in Malaysia, as the old autocrat and racialist has reinvented himself as a democrat and multiculturalist. In his election campaign, Mahathir effectively mined discontent among Malaysians of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, especially the young. Presiding over a unique coalition of parties and personalities, including people he had viciously persecuted, the former Malay nationalist delivered his countrys first multi-ethnic vote. In office, Mahathir has sought to reassert his countrys political and economic sovereignty. Whether reexamining extravagant Chinese-sponsored projects or demanding refunds from Goldman Sachs, hes doing what every politician today must do: attend to the welfare of the many, as opposed to the enrichment of the few. He has focused on specific cases of malfeasance, rather than demonizing whole segments of society or creating faceless bogeymen. The goal is transparency, not score-settling, and support for him is widespread. Its entirely possible, if not probable, that in the few months that remain to him in office, Mahathir lapses into his former authoritarian ways. Hopefully, though, the broad-based movement he has led will outlast his worst instincts. Certainly, it offers an instructive lesson to all those who despair at their polarized societies and their out-of-control hatreds: that angry political movements provoked into being by a venal and dysfunctional ruling class need not start civil wars or trade wars. Instead, the discrediting of the old ruling elite can open up scope for a demographically diverse and politically progressive coalition. It might even give democracy another chance. Bloomberg, Pankaj Mishra 3 men booked over Janaki temple graft The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday filed a case against three persons in Special Court for alleged irregularities that took place during the construction of various buildings and structures on the premises of Janaki Temple in Janakpur, Dhanusha. Interview with Massimiliano Taricone, CEO of Casa Trasacco What is your assessment of the furniture sector? What are the general trends that you are seeing here in 2018? Ghana has changed quite a lot in the last 10 years. When we started Casa Trasacco and we decided to open this kind of showroom, people were shocked. They said the country was not ready, that these things were good for Europe or America, but not for Africa. However, I was convinced that in a country where you have million-dollar houses, you can also have quality and good furniture. That does not mean expensive. The perception here is that if you want quality things, they must be expensive by default. It is not like that, especially in furniture now because technology has made a big jump ahead. Now, you can afford quality goods at a very cheap price. Are there many companies that provide furniture? How is the competitive environment? The competitive environment in Ghana now is very busy. Now, a lot of companies are coming into Ghana from all over the world. We have a company from Brazil, from many places in Europe, from Turkey, and especially from China. So, in Ghana you can actually have any kind of furniture from good quality to low quality. It is not the product itself, what is important is the service that you can provide for them. Another important area you are active in is the hospitality sector. Does Accra really need more hotels? In the hospitality sector at the moment, we have one hotel. We have two corporate agreements, one with the Accor Group and the other with Hilton. Currently, we are building two Hiltons, one in Airport which is Hilton Hotel Airport, and the other one is a proper Hilton resort in Ada called Hilton Turtle Bay. The economy is growing in Ghana, so there is the need for more hospitality places in Ghana. If you come to Ghana now, hotels are always fully booked. There are still a lot of jobs and work to be done before people are satisfied with the hospitality sector here. Of course, the more hotels you build, the more furniture you need, the more quality things you need, mattresses, and everything else. What different sectors do you participate in? We want to find the right balance between quality, service and price. You cannot focus just on one of these things because otherwise, you do not succeed. Because of our name and our brand, we cannot disappoint our customers. Trasacco Group was born in Ghana in 1968. My grandfather was the founder. He came here to Ghana looking for gold, but he never found any. So, he started in the wood business. And then, the first organized venture for us turned into furniture. After that, he realized that Ghana was a developing country so it needed everything and we started in construction. Sadly, my grandfather passed away very young in 1970. After that, my uncle, who is the actual chairman, is the one that made the company grow into a proper group of companies. He wears the suit so he thinks that if you want to have such a store in Ghana, you must be independent. Construction is our core business and he created a lot of subsidiary companies that can support construction. We started with the stone, the iron, aluminum, and then went into furniture. Everything is working towards the real estate business that we are famous for. Trasacco is known in Ghana for luxury real estate and everything related to that sector. Additionally, we are always looking to scout any new opportunities. In the last five years, we have made a huge investment in agriculture. We have the biggest pineapple farm in Ghana currently. The Ghanaian pineapple that you can find in Europe comes from our farm. Now, we have started to invest in tourism and hospitality is related to that. Our key is that even though we are originally from Italy, we feel that we are Ghanaian. We are always proud to be Ghanaian and to contribute to the growth of this country. That for us is everything. We love Ghana and we always try to do what is best for the country. What are your key competitive advantages in the furniture sector? How do you distinguish yourself? We want to find the right balance between quality, service and price. You cannot focus just on one of these things because otherwise, you do not succeed. Because of our name and our brand, we cannot disappoint our customers. For us, it is key to find quality products that are the right product for the environment and the customers and that we can offer at the lowest price possible and give the best service in terms of after sales. So, if you buy something from us, it means that it is forever, not just for a couple of seasons. We give value to the money of our customers. What is the international outreach of the company? Are you purely focused on Ghana or do you also have other international perspectives? We have other branches in Italy: in Rome, in Florence and in Milan, and now we are scouting other opportunities even in the United States. The main thing for us is to show that in Ghana we have a quality system, a quality chain of business process, and operating as a Ghanaian company abroad and bringing the Ghanaian flag even in this field where people do not expect us. What do you bring to Italy from Ghana? We have some locally made products that we export in Italy with the certification recognized worldwide. We have a furniture factory here where we make tables, chairs, and some furniture accessories. These are very well appreciated by the European public. That is the next challenge that Ghana has to face. At the moment, Ghana imports 90% of its needs, and even now, the government is giving a lot of incentive for people to come and start production in Ghana. That is what will make the country bigger and bigger. The moment that you produce your needs in the country, everything becomes faster. Currently, whatever you need, you must import. Production time, shipping, freight, all these things take two to three months. If you can make it locally, everything will be much faster. Next, what we are focusing on is attracting investors. This is even part of my personal commitment with the government because I am the Consul of Ghana to Italy. It is also one of my main tasks to promote my country, Ghana, in Italy and attract possible investors to come to Ghana and set up production here. Ghana is a beautiful country for that. It is a safe country. We have a system that works very well. We have laws. What Ghana needs at the moment is some expert knowhow, someone willing to come invest. Whatever is invested in Ghana is a safe investment. People can come and make very good business here. Where are your factories based? Are they in a free zone or a normal area? At the moment, they are in a normal area, but of course, Ghana offers the possibility of a free zone license. We have a free zone factory for food processing currently. Ghana is a source of opportunity. People need to take the opportunity and carry on and succeed. What current projects do you want to develop? As a group, now, we are building two Hilton hotels, one in Airport and the other in Ada. So, we are focusing on that. Because there is a lot of international corporate presence coming here like banks, institutions, and oil companies, all of them need a proper office and proper building. We are focusing more on providing such a service for these international corporates. They need efficient offices, organized with safe furniture, that kind of environment. Project yourself two to three years time to the medium term. What would you like to have achieved? What is your vision for Casa Trasacco? The dream is to make a full, proper industrial production in Ghana and to make products for Ghana where people are proud to have a product made in Ghana with the same quality of products made in Europe, of course with a more affordable price. All the costs involved in the shipping and freight and all the other related costs affect the final price that the public has to pay. So, we are really focusing on making that industry in Ghana locally made but with an international standard quality level. Are you looking for partners with knowhow for this? Which areas are you looking at? Because the country is developing, you have new buildings and the next goal for Ghana would be the social housing. If you follow the system in Europe, when they were developing, the main thing for them was housing. The people start to have proper houses, then when you have proper housing you start to achieve a kind of lifestyle, then you also have a television there and want to expand a bit more and start to want more. The people start to become the low and medium level entrepreneurs. That is what Ghana is focusing on. We want to build a new generation of young entrepreneurs that can contribute to making Ghana bigger and bigger. For example, we already have a factory where we build prestress concrete material that helps to build houses quickly. But we are focusing now on the furniture material, meaning laminated material that is the base for any kind of furniture for the home. In West Africa, there are no factories that make laminated panels. Everything is imported and then resold. It is a main thing for any developing country to have such a kind of production in the country. From there, you have the structure to make the furniture, the building material, chairs, sofas, everything comes from there. Of course, for such production, you need the proper knowhow, machinery, and the industrialization of the country. That is what we would like to make happen. FAIR USE POLICY This material (including media content) may not be published, broadcasted, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the page (including the source, i.e. Marcopolis.net) is permitted and encouraged. Peer leader speaks to the sex worker community at the annual Baraza (community meeting) in Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Julie Lajoie, Author provided With nearly two million new infections and one million associated deaths each year, the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) pandemic is alive and well. Thirty-seven million people are now living with HIV, more than half of whom are women. Today, most HIV transmission occurs through sex. Fortunately, you can protect yourself and others by keeping HIV away (abstinence, condom use, circumcision) or by inactivating HIV (microbicide gels or a combination of prophylactic anti-HIV drugs such as PrEP). However, these methods are not always feasible for many and can come with stigma. Imagine though, if instead of targeting the virus, we could make people less susceptible to HIV and address the needs of communities by using a relatively safe, affordable and globally accessible drug with no associated stigma. This is where Aspirin comes in. It may sound like a fairy tale, but results from our lab's pilot study published last month suggest it may be true. Plus, there's good science behind the explanation. Aspirin reduced HIV 'target cells' The idea comes from a partnership with a community of women in Nairobi, Kenya over more than 30 years. This relationship has led to establishment of a clinic which provides almost 50,000 sex workers with disease prevention and treatment resources, and is often referred to by the WHO and UNAIDS as a model of best practices. Remarkably, many of these women are naturally resistant to HIV, at least in part because they have very little inflammation in their blood and genital tract. This is important because inflammation can increase HIV infection by 1) recruiting immune cells to the site of inflammation, including the cells that HIV loves to infectso-called HIV "target cells" and 2) activating these HIV target cells, which increases their susceptibility to viral infection and enhances HIV's ability to replicate within them. The major question posed by our study was this: as an anti-inflammatory drug, could Aspirin reduce the number of HIV target cells and make them less activated? To answer this question, our lab quantified HIV target cells in the blood and vagina of 37 Kenyan women before and after taking Aspirin for up to six weeks. The results, published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, show that aspirin reduced the frequency of vaginal HIV target cells by approximately 35 per cent and made them less activated. As a bonus, Aspirin seemed to increase the structural integrity of the skin in the vagina, which could also prevent HIV infection by further restricting HIV's access to more target cells in the blood. We also tried another anti-inflammatory drug called hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). HCQ is less well known than Aspirin, but used to be a popular treatment for malaria and is now used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. HCQ also seemed to reduce inflammation in the vagina, but in a slightly different manner. First drug to target the host PrEP (a daily treatment of anti-HIV drugs used for prevention) is often used in the form of a vaginal gel, but does not work for women who have genital inflammation. The next step will be a clinical trial testing whether Aspirin can reduce inflammation in women using PrEP and thereby reduce the number of HIV infections in women at high risk for HIV, such as female sex workers. This population has been asking about future research plans focusing on using Aspirin to prevent HIV. If we can demonstrate this, Aspirin would be the first drug that targets the host, rather than the virus, to prevent HIV. By acting on the host rather than the virus, Aspirin is not prone to generate HIV resistance, since there is no selective pressure for HIV to evolve around. We are not yet at the stage where Aspirin can be recommended for preventing HIV, but the potential for another tool in our belt against a virus that has killed 35 million people (almost the population of Canada), can only be good news. Especially one as safe, affordable, accessible and non-stigmatizing as Aspirin. Explore further An aspirin a day may keep HIV away, study finds This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. (HealthDay)In a simulation of children with peanut allergy, epinephrine personal autoinjectors are cost-effective at $24, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in JAMA Network Open. Marcus Shaker, M.D., from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Matthew Greenhawt, M.D., from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, assessed cost ceilings for value-based epinephrine prices in peanut allergy. They compared a cohort of children with a peanut allergy who had been prescribed epinephrine autoinjectors to children with a peanut allergy not receiving personal epinephrine prescriptions. A total of 100,000 simulated infants with peanut allergy entered each strategy; two-thirds of the group received annual personal epinephrine prescriptions and used these devices appropriately. The researchers found that the cost of anaphylaxis preparedness and treatment was $25,478 in those with personal epinephrine devices versus $654 in those without personal epinephrine. The average food allergy fatality was 0.00056 and 0.00148 per patient prescribed self-injectable epinephrine and not prescribed self-injectable epinephrine, respectively. Based on a 10-fold fatality risk difference, the value-based price for personal epinephrine was $24. The autoinjector incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $2,742,697 per quality-adjusted life-year at a market cost of $715 per twin pack. The value-based price ceiling for a personal autoinjector was $264 if a hypothetical fatality risk protection from personal epinephrine was modeled at 100-fold. "Current autoinjector prices are not cost-effective in preventing an outcome of fatality from food allergy," the authors write. Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry. Explore further Will your epinephrine auto injector still work if it gets frozen? Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. More than half of personal health information leaks happened because of internal issues with medical providers. Credit: PxHere - CC0 Your personal identity may fall at the mercy of sophisticated hackers on many websites, but when it comes to health data breaches, hospitals, doctors offices and even insurance companies are oftentimes the culprits. New research from Michigan State University and Johns Hopkins University found that more than half of the recent personal health information, or PHI, data breaches were because of internal issues with medical providersnot because of hackers or external parties. "There's no perfect way to store information, but more than half of the cases we reviewed were not triggered by external factorsbut rather by internal negligence," said John (Xuefeng) Jiang, lead author and associate professor of accounting and information systems at MSU's Eli Broad College of Business. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, follows the joint 2017 study that showed the magnitude of hospital data breaches in the United States. The research revealed nearly 1,800 occurrences of large data breaches in patient information over a seven years, with 33 hospitals experiencing more than one substantial breach. For this paper, Jiang and co-author Ge Bai, associate professor at the John's Hopkins Carey Business School, dove deeper to identify triggers of the PHI data breaches. They reviewed nearly 1,150 cases between October 2009 and December 2017 that affected more than 164 million patients. "Every time a hospital has some sort of a data breach, they need to report it to the Department of Health and Human Services and classify what they believe is the cause," Jiang, the Plante Moran Faculty Fellow, said. "These causes fell into six categories: theft, unauthorized access, hacking or an IT incident, loss, improper disposal or 'other.'" After reviewing detailed reports, assessing notes and reclassifying cases with specific benchmarks, Jiang and Bai found that 53 percent were the result of internal factors in healthcare entities. "One quarter of all the cases were caused by unauthorized access or disclosuremore than twice the amount that were caused by external hackers," Jiang said. "This could be an employee taking PHI home or forwarding to a personal account or device, accessing data without authorization, or even through email mistakes, like sending to the wrong recipients, copying instead of blind copying or sharing unencrypted content." While some of the errors seem to be common sense, Jiang said that the big mistakes can lead to even bigger accidents and that seemingly innocuous errors can compromise patients' personal data. "Hospitals, doctors offices, insurance companies, small physician offices and even pharmacies are making these kinds of errors and putting patients at risk," Jiang said. Of the external breaches, theft accounted for 33 percent with hacking credited for just 12 percent. While some data breaches might result in minor consequences, such as obtaining the phone numbers of patients, others can have much more invasive effects. For example, when Anthem, Inc. suffered a data breach in 2015, 37.5 million records were compromised. Many of the victims were not notified immediately, so weren't aware of the situation until they went to file their taxes only to discover that a third-party fraudulently filed them with the data they obtained from Anthem. While tight software and hardware security can protect from theft and hackers, Jiang and Bai suggest health care providers adopt internal policies and procedures that can tighten processes and prevent internal parties from leaking PHI by following a set of simple protocols. The procedures to mitigate PHI breaches related to storage include transitioning from paper to digital medical records, safe storage, moving to non-mobile policies for patient-protected information and implementing encryption. Procedures related to PHI communication include mandatory verification of mailing recipients, following a "copy vs. blind copy" protocol (bcc vs cc) as well as encryption of content. "Not putting on the whole armor opened health care entities to enemy's attacks," Bai said. "The good news is that the armor is not hard to put on if simple protocols are followed." Next, Jiang and Bai plan to look even more closely at the kind of data that is hacked from external sources to learn what exactly digital thieves hope to steal from patient data. Explore further Hospitals put your data at risk, study finds Electron micrographs of hepatitis C virus purified from cell culture. Scale bar is 50 nanometers. Credit: Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University. Results from a new study led by Boston Medical Center (BMC) found routine Hepatitis C testing identified a significant number of cases that would have been missed by targeted testing among a population of individuals in Washington State prisons. Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the authors recommend routine testing in correctional facilities to best identify and treat the disease as part of the national strategy to eliminate Hepatitis C transmission. It is estimated that 30 percent of the total Hepatitis C (HCV) infected population in the United States passes through the prison system annually, yet there is no widely accepted approach to HCV testing in correctional settings. Approximately 40 percent of state prison facilities, including Washington State, routinely test for HCV. Other facilities employ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation of targeted or risk-based testing, which tests individuals born between 1945 and 1965 as well as those with a history of injection drug use. Researchers looked at data from Washington State prison HCV testing results to determine whether routine or targeted testing was most effective in identifying cases of disease. From 2012 to 2016, more than 24,000 people were tested for HCV; 20 percent of those people were infected and close to 2,000 people had chronic infections. Of those with chronic infections, nearly a quarter had at least moderate liver disease, putting them at risk for complications. Infections were more prevalent in individuals born between 1945 and 1965, however nearly 35 percent of infections would have been missed if only targeted testing was performed. With routine testing, five individuals had to be tested to identify a case of HCV, compared to three individuals with targeted testing. This remains a small number in contrast with other infectious diseases, such as HIV, that require testing a large number of incarcerated individuals to identify a single case. "These data build upon existing evidence supporting the implementation of routine testing for all individuals when entering a correctional facility," said Sabrina Assoumou, MD, MPH, an infectious diseases physician at BMC and lead author of the study. "Coupled with treatment, routine testing would identify and cure many cases of HCV, preventing the substantial burden of future liver disease." One of the current barriers to routine testing is the high cost of HCV treatment. Even without treatment, those who receive a diagnosis of HCV may make lifestyle changes that can reduce transmission. Researchers also note that it is unclear how these findings will generalize to other U.S. prison populations, and believe more research should be done to determine the effectiveness of routine HCV testing across the country. Explore further Rapid hepatitis C testing may help better screen young adults Provided by Boston Medical Center (HealthDay)Almost 8 percent of American children have food allergies, and 1 in 5 of those kids suffers an allergic reaction severe enough to wind up in the hospital, a new study finds. "Childhood food allergies are relatively common and should be taken seriously, with 1 in 5 having a reaction that takes them to the emergency room every year," said lead researcher Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The most common allergies are to peanuts, milk, shellfish, tree nuts, egg, fish, wheat, soy and sesame, Gupta said. Peanut is the most common food allergy, affecting about 2 million children, followed by milk (1 million), shellfish (1 million), tree nuts (1 million), eggs (nearly 1 million), fish (less than a half million), wheat and soy (.4 million) and sesame (.15 million), she said. Among children allergic to sesame, at least 1 in 3 had a reaction severe enough to visit the emergency room in the past year, Gupta said. Senior author Dr. Kari Nadeau, director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University in California, said food allergies are on the rise because children are not exposed to a variety of foods at a young age. People live a cleaner life, she said. "We are not exposed to the farm, animals and dirt. We know that if you have a dog at home during the first year of life, it protects you against allergies," Nadeau said. Another way to prevent food allergies is to expose children early to the foods that cause most of them, she said. "Exposing children to these food late has actually caused an increase in food allergies, Nadeau said. In addition, adequate amounts of vitamin D and preventing dry skin are also important in reducing the odds of developing a food allergy, she said. Prevention is the only treatment available, Nadeau said. That means avoiding the foods one is allergic to, but that can be a challenge. It's often hard to tell if a prepared food contains possible allergens. Although food packaging is often labeled, the law in the United States doesn't require that sesame appear on a list of ingredients, as it must in Canada, Europe, Australia and Israel, Nadeau said. For example, a 15-year-old girl who was allergic to sesame died in June after eating a sandwich on a baguette that contained sesame, but was not labeled as such, Nadeau said. In the study, Gupta, Nadeau and colleagues asked nearly 40,000 parents if their children had food allergies. Specifically, the researchers asked if the children had a suspected food allergy, if it was diagnosed by a doctor, what were the symptoms of the allergic reaction and how it was treated. The research team also found that 41 percent of kids with food allergies had a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector, such as EpiPen. The most severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis, which causes the airway to swell, making it hard or impossible to breathe. Injecting epinephrine rapidly reduces swelling and opens the airway. Epinephrine can save the life of someone having an allergic reaction, which is why people who are at risk for allergic reactions are encouraged to carry the drug with them at all times. "Parents who suspect that their child has a food allergy should consult a physician for testing so that foods are not unnecessarily avoided and that, if an allergy is confirmed, an epinephrine auto-injector can be prescribed for emergency treatment," Gupta said. In addition to more kids having food allergies, many don't outgrow them, Nadeau said. "It does not look like food allergies are getting better, and it does not look like they're getting less," she said. "It's starting to look like those who have food allergies in childhood will have them in adulthood," Nadeau said. Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, medical director of the division of allergy and immunology at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, said, "This important article highlights the public health epidemic that we have with food allergies." She was not part of the study. Hernandez-Trujillo hopes that the recent changes in the recommendation about when infants should be introduced to solid food, which call for an earlier introduction, will turn the tide and stop the increase, but that will take years. The report was published online Nov. 19 in the journal Pediatrics . Explore further One in five kids with food allergies treated in emergency department in past year More information: Kari Nadeau, M.D., director, Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.; Ruchi Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., professor, pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, M.D., medical director, division of allergy and immunology, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami; Nov. 19, 2018, Pediatrics, online Kari Nadeau, M.D., director, Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.; Ruchi Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., professor, pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, M.D., medical director, division of allergy and immunology, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami; Nov. 19, 2018,, online Visit the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for more on food allergies. Journal information: Pediatrics Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that leads to muscle paralysis from birth and results in death before two years of age. Although no treatment currently exists, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, working in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, France, have identified a molecule that not only greatly reduces the progression of the disease but also boosts life expectancy in animal models by a factor of seven. Since the molecule known as tamoxifen is already used for breast cancer, the researchers hope to soon set up a clinical trial so that patients can be given the medication. You can read all about the results in the journal Nature Communications. Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that weakens all the skeletal muscles from birth. Ninety percent of affected babies do not live to two years of age. "The disease affects the X chromosome in one in 50,000 male infants," begins Leonardo Scapozza, full professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNIGE's Faculty of Science. Only boys are struck by myotubular myopathy, since the second X chromosome in girls generally compensates for the possible mutation of the first. Although there is no existing treatment for this genetic defect, valuable research in gene therapy is currently underway. "But it will take years before we can come to a conclusion about how effective the clinical trials are," points out Olivier Dorchies, a researcher in the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. "That's why we turned to a molecule that is already authorised for other treatments in humans, in the hope of finding a quicker way to counter this life-threatening disease." Tamoxifen: a multi-purpose molecule The researchers focused on tamoxifen, which has been used for many years to treat breast cancer, because the molecule has several interesting properties for protecting muscle fibres: it is antioxidant, anti-fibrotic and protects the mitochondria. "In a previous study, we used tamoxifen against Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is also an inherited muscular disease that affects one in 3,500 boys, where the life expectancy is 30 years," explains Elinam Gayi, a Ph.D. student in UNIGE's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences . "The results have been excellent, and a clinical trial is also in progress." This is why the scientists have been looking at the molecule in an attempt to combat myotubular myopathy, which although it also leads to muscular paralysis does not have the same mechanisms of action as in its cousin Duchenne. "Myotubular myopathy is caused by a lack of myotubularin, an enzyme that transforms the lipidic messengers. Without it, the protein known as dynamin 2 accumulates and brings on muscle atrophy," continues Elinam. In the search for a cure, one of the avenues explored by several groups including UNIGE's colleagues in Strasbourg is to target dynamin 2, which is modulated by tamoxifen. Oral treatment that increases life expectancy sevenfold The scientists administered tamoxifen orally on a daily basis to sick mice with the same symptoms as affected babies, mixing it with their food. Three doses were tested: 0.03 milligrams per kilogram, 0.3 milligrams per kilogram and 3 milligrams per kilogram. The highest dose matches that used for treating breast cancer in women if we consider the metabolic differences between mouse and human. The results obtained by the research team left no room for argument. An untreated sick mouse lived for 45 days on average. With the lowest dose, the average life expectancy was 80 days, rising to 120 days with the intermediate dose. "But with the biggest dose, life expectancy went up to 290 days on average seven times higher than for an untreated mouse. Some even survived for over 400 days!" says Professor Scapozza. In addition, the progress of the paralysis was slowed down enormously or even completely stopped. Muscular strength was tripled, and it was possible to recover 60% of the muscular deficit between a healthy mouse and a sick mouse. The scientists began the treatment when the mice developed the first symptoms, namely paralysis of the hindlegs at about three weeks. However, they have not ruled out that administering the drug earlier might be more efficacious against muscle weakness. "In parallel to our study, a team from the Children's Hospital of Toronto tested the drug on even younger mice, and the disease did not develop," says Olivier. "The problem is that in humans, myotubular myopathy starts during foetal development, so it's hard to know whether the total absence of paralysis might be achieved if this molecule is given after birth." Is a clinical trial on the horizon? Elinam adds: "Since tamoxifen is already authorised for use in humans, and a clinical trial is underway for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we're hopeful that a clinical trial will come on line within a couple of years." It is now up to clinicians to make the most of our research and put it into practice. The UNIGE researchers will continue to explore the multiple uses of tamoxifen for treating genetic muscle diseases. They will try to combine it with other authorised molecules or in the final phase of clinical development. The goal will be to find treatments that can be put on the market quickly. Explore further Newly published model of FSHD and a potential gene therapy to improve functional outcomes More information: Elinam Gayi et al. Tamoxifen prolongs survival and alleviates symptoms in mice with fatal X-linked myotubular myopathy, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Elinam Gayi et al. Tamoxifen prolongs survival and alleviates symptoms in mice with fatal X-linked myotubular myopathy,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07058-4 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Can virtual reality help reduce the pain of medical procedures? When I was a child, I dreaded seeing the doctor. Before a visit, my heart beat faster, my vision went blurry and I would feel light-headed. This was because most visits involved needles, and I hate needles. Does this experience sound familiar? It's estimated over 60% of children have a fear of needles. For some, this fear can lead to anxiety and, in extreme cases, aichmophobia (a fear of all sharp objects). If we could find a way to break the association of a doctor's visit with pain and fear, it would be a huge relief for childrenand their parents! Thankfully, with modern tech, we're already on our way. Health service with a smile Dr. Evelyn Chan has seen many children who were anxious and distressed about having a needle. Her experiences as a paediatric doctor inspired her to create Smileyscopea virtual reality (VR) adventure to entertain and distract children from painful procedures like needles. Evelyn says, "I knew there had to be a better way to manage children's anxiety and pain during needle procedures. We started asking children what they would like to see, think and experience during needles." Virtual reality is an ideal solution as it allows children to "virtually escape the scary procedure room", she says. When children put on the Smileyscope VR headset, they go on an underwater adventure. Children blow bubbles, feed fish and search for other exciting sea creatures. Smileyscope is easy to use, consisting of a smartphone and Google Daydream VR headset. Doctors can choose from short, medium or long experiences for different procedures. Smileyscope is being used in 20 hospitals across Australia and the United States, including the St John of God hospitals in Perth. It's also given researchers something to smile about. Smiling success Monash Children's Hospital and the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne led the world's largest paediatric needle VR trial. The effectiveness of Smileyscope was tested with 252 patients aged 4 to 11 years. Compared to current practices, Smileyscope reduced pain and anxiety. Smileyscope was designed specifically for needles, yet Evelyn reports clinicians are using it in creative ways, including for wound dressings, suturing and before anaesthesia/surgery. Monash Medical Imaging has also found Smileyscope helps with medical imaging. Using Smileyscope significantly improved children's cooperation and anxiety before MRI scans. Virtual reality experiences are safe with little to no side effects. One possible side effect is nausea, which can be fixed by removing the headset. But what is it about these experiences that make them so effective in healthcare? A welcome distraction Those cute pictures of puppies on your dentist's ceiling have an important purpose. You feel less pain when distracted. Pain is not just a physical sensation. Your mind influences the feeling of pain. If you focus on pain, it will feel more intense, but if your mind is distracted, it will feel less intense. Virtual reality offers a more immersive distraction than pictures, television or toys. Wearing a VR headset also prevents patients from watching the procedure. VR in medicine Evelyn says Smileyscope is growing. "We are creating more VR content for different procedures, to help prepare, educate and support children through their entire healthcare journey." "We're working together with talented and passionate clinicians, families, researchers, software engineers and digital artists to do this work." As VR becomes cheaper and more accessible, it is becoming a popular tool in medicine, including treating phobias, anxiety, pain and more. Soon your visit to the doctor could include a virtual trip to a relaxing beach. Explore further Virtual reality headsets significantly reduce children's fear of needles This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the original article. Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets. On March 3, 2018, a liquid nitrogen storage tank at the University Hospitals Fertility Center in Cleveland failed. Dr. Eli Adashi, a professor of medical science at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School, characterized the event as a "tragic accident" in which 950 patients lost more than 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos. However, one couple's wrongful death lawsuit following the incident, which seeks to establish that embryos should be treated as "persons" under the law, could have "a chain of profound implications for other families," Adashi says. In an "Ideas and Opinions" article published on Nov. 20 in Annals of Internal Medicine, Adashi and co-authors I. Glenn Cohen, a professor of law at Harvard University, and Dov Fox, a professor of law policy and bioethics at the University of San Diego, wrote about the potential implications should the Ohio court hearing the case rule in favor of the couple. They argue that a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could lead to limits on abortion, stem cell research and in vitro fertilization (IVF). "It would be a sad irony if a legal claim aimed at protecting the rights of those who lost their ability to reproduce had the effect of limiting the reproductive rights of countless others," the authors wrote. The plaintiffs in the case, Wendy and Rick Penniman, are challenging a legal precedent in Ohio establishing that "a fetus that is not yet viable is not a 'person' under its wrongful death law," the authors wrote. The challenge is based on "the grounds that the 'life of a person begins at the moment of conception,'" the article notes. A ruling that embryos are "persons" could be used as grounds to limit abortion rights, the authors say, as well as to potentially restrict research on embryonic stem cells. There could be implications for the future of IVF as well. "IVF would be significantly compromised," Adashi said. "If a clinician were to freeze embryos, and some do not survive the process, how would that be dealt with? Would that be manslaughter? One needs to view this suit in that context. The implications are of national interest. They go beyond the pro-life / pro-choice debate and reach into the very conduct of IVF and other fertility promotion techniques." Legal limitations The authors also discuss the limitations of conventional legal strategies tried in similar cases, including breach of contract, medical malpractice, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and loss of property. Many fertility clinics require patients to sign waivers that explicitly excuse liability for storage failures due to negligence, limiting breach of contract suits, the authors wrote. Medical malpractice also doesn't apply in a case such as this, because the egg-harvesting procedures were performed properly. And in Ohio, negligent infliction of emotional distress requires the plaintiffs to be "bystanders" to a physical threat to another person; in this case, they did not witness the tank failure, the authors wrote. The last strategy, loss of property and medical costs, doesn't fully capture the painful disruption of "family-building plans," Adashi said. However, these are the legal grounds the other 70 other patients affected by the accident are pursing in their class-action lawsuit. The legal system hasn't established appropriate venues for seeking damages for the destruction of eggs or embryos, he added. "At this point, there's no clarity in the courts as to how to deal with cases like this." Revising regulations Accidents happen, but more needs to be done to limit and track them, Adashi said. "It was a wake-up call for a lot of people in the field," he said. "How do we deal with something like this? How do we prevent something like this? Who should be in charge?" Professional societies in the fertility field are evaluating the root cause of the incident and are working on new recommendations and guidelines, Adashi said, in an effort to avoid similar situations in the future. The authors note that currently there are few federal regulations pertaining to assisted reproduction technologies and there is no system for tracking reproductive errors in the U.S. Because agents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already visit IVF labs to screen donated human tissues for communicable diseases, Adashi says the FDA would be the most relevant agency to assume responsibility for the liquid nitrogen freezers involved in assisted reproduction clinics and track accidents involving eggs and embryos. Explore further 50 years ago, Clomid gave birth to the era of assisted reproduction High magnification micrograph of hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy, as seen in pregnancy-induced hypertension. Credit: Wikipedia A collaboration of scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Western Sydney University, have shown that an innovative new type of therapy using small interfering RNAs (siRNA) can temper the symptoms of preeclampsia in an animal model. The research, led by Anastasia Khvorova, Ph.D., and Melissa Moore, Ph.D., of UMass Medical School's RNA Therapeutics Institute and Ananath Karumanchi, MD, of Beth Israel and Harvard Medical Schoolsuggests that RNA interference therapy could be a potential strategy for the treatment of preeclampsia in humans. "For women with preeclampsia, being able to carry a pregnancy for just a few more weeks can make a huge difference in the health of the baby," said Dr. Khvorova, professor of RNA therapeutics. "Thanks to rapid advances in siRNA, we've developed an siRNA that displays the potential to allow women with preeclampsia to extend their pregnancy from 24 or 25 weeks to as long as 30 weeks, greatly improving outcomes for the infant." Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder associated with pregnancy; preeclampsia has no cure or adequate treatment options. Women experiencing preeclampsia suffer from the onset of high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine, called proteinuria, beginning around 20 weeks of pregnancy. In severe cases, red blood cells can break down, blood platelet counts fall, liver and kidney function is impaired and fluid can fill the lungs causing shortness of breath and increasing the risk to both mother and baby. A complication in 2 to 8 percent of all pregnancies, preeclampsia is responsible for 100,000 premature births and more than 10,000 infant deaths in the U.S. every year. The only treatment for the illness is the delivery of the baby and placenta. Symptoms of preeclampsia arise from a defect found in the placenta associated with abnormally high levels of the protein sFLT1 in the blood, which acts as an on/off switch for inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels. Reducing levels of circulating sFLT1 is considered a promising therapeutic target for the disease. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, shows that 'short interfering RNAs' or siRNAs can be used to reduce circulating sFLT1 in the blood of pregnant mice. An emerging class of drugs that target nucleic acids, siRNAs degrade the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that carry the instructions for making proteins from DNA. By reducing the number of mRNAs for a specific DNA sequence, scientists can reduce the number of mature proteins that get made. When siRNAs targeting some of the messenger RNAs that encode sFLT1 were delivered to pregnant mice, scientists were able to reduce the amount of circulating levels of the protein by up to 50 percent. In collaboration with Annemarie Hennessy, Ph.D., MBA, MBBS, dean of the School of Medicine at Sydney University Medical School, investigators tested this approach in pregnant baboons, an established preclinical model for human preeclampsia. The researchers found that a single injection of siRNA lowers circulating sFLT1 levels and normalizes both high blood pressure and proteinuria in the mothers. "Six years ago, this wouldn't have been possible," said Khvorova. "Scientific advances that now allow us to chemically stabilize and produce siRNAs so they can be delivered to tissues outside of the liver have lead to rapid advances in these compounds. The preeclampsia compounds we are developing are an example of what siRNA can do and how far they've come." Dr. Moore, professor of RNA therapeutics at UMass Medical School, began researching preeclampsia 15 years ago after being diagnosed with the disease and being asked to participate in a study of the illness. "This project is near and dear to my heart," Moore said. "As exciting as these results are, it still feels like we're half done. It won't be complete until we can get a therapy to women. Getting pregnant shouldn't be one of the most dangerous things a woman can do." Although the therapy improves maternal baboon health, the study's authors also noted a trend toward reduced birth weight in the offspringindicating that this approach's effects on neonatal health needs to be studied in greater detail before advancing to clinical trials. The next step for researchers will be to attract funding for the necessary studies needed to further optimize siRNA chemical configuration and extensively test safety, studies necessary before applying for an investigational new drug (IND) application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Explore further Increases in sFLT1 predict the onset of preeclampsia symptoms in mice More information: RNAi modulation of placental sFLT 1 for the treatment of preeclampsia, Nature Biotechnology (2018). www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4297 Journal information: Nature Biotechnology RNAi modulation of placental sFLT 1 for the treatment of preeclampsia,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/nbt.4297 Florida's last statewide race to be called is over. After grueling machine and manual recounts for the razor-thin race, Nicole "Nikki" Fried emerged victorious in the contest to replace term-limited Adam Putnam by just 6,753 votes a margin of .08 percent. Her opponent, state Rep. Matt Caldwell conceded in a letter to voters and a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner Monday afternoon. Caldwell was ahead of Fried by about half of one percent on election night, which triggered a state law requiring two recounts: one by machine, one by hand. He writes that his loss was a result of the "abject failures" in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and that he would not pursue further legal action. Caldwell filed a lawsuit in Broward County earlier last week, asking the court to determine if Brenda Snipes, the Broward County supervisor of elections, illegally included ballots after polls closed Nov. 6. His campaign also filed a public-records request for vote counts and emails among Snipes, her team, and any third parties regarding ballot-counting. Snipes misplaced more than 2,000 ballots and Palm Beach County's supervisor, Susan Bucher, said technical problems and understaffing meant their recount may not be finished until Christmas. Snipes' staff missed the state deadline to turn in machine recount numbers, and Bucher's never submitted them at all. On Saturday, Caldwell filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in Broward to mandate the county to submit machine recount results to the state, which would give Republicans a net increase. That petition was denied, according to Broward County attorney Andrew Meyers. "It has become clear that we may never gain an understanding of what transpired in the hours and days after polls closed, despite the exhaustive efforts of my legal team to get to the truth," Caldwell said. Caldwell, an eight-year veteran of the House, said he is proud of his time in the public eye and has offered to assist Fried in any way he can. "I hope to see Florida continue to prosper and pursue the proper balance between all of the things that make this state great." In a separate letter addressed to Detzner, Caldwell wrote that supervisors across the state failed to act "fairly and competently," ultimately undermining voters' confidence in the process. Caldwell laid out a long list of errors and failures that he said "plagued the vote counting process," including problems with logic and accuracy tests, improper commingling of provisional ballots in Broward County and the 2,000-vote discrepancy between first and second unofficial results reported by Broward County. "We cannot afford to have another election that produces similar delays, irregularities and questions over the validity of the election system," he wrote. "Lets get in front of this problem now so we can be the model for fair, free and open elections, instead of the target of national criticism and derision." Cabinet officers and new members will be sworn in Tuesday during the Legislature's organizational session. Floridas recount madness is over, Browards supervisor of elections is out, and Rick Scott is going to be a U.S. Senator. On Sunday, following a 12-day ordeal in which 8.3 million ballots were counted twice some of them thrice Floridas Division of Elections confirmed that Scott beat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson by 10,033 votes. Shortly after, Nelson called the term-limited governor to concede, ending any speculation that he might challenge the results. With the extended campaign behind him, Scott, 65, will now head to Washington, where he will add to the Republican Partys majority in the U.S. Senate. The win is the third in three tries for the former healthcare executive, who unexpectedly rode a Tea Party wave into the governors mansion in 2010 and used a tireless work ethic and his own personal wealth to hold onto power. My focus will not be on looking backward, but on doing exactly what I ran on: Making Washington Work, Scott, who spent $64 million of his own money on his campaign, said in a statement. Scott, who topped 50 percent of the vote for the first time in his political career, called Sunday for the country to come together. But his victory follows a tumultuous two-week period in which he claimed rampant voter fraud in South Florida without evidence and asserted that unethical liberals were trying to steal his election. As if to sting Nelson one last time on his way out the door, Scott preempted the outgoing Senators concession speech Sunday by announcing that Nelson had called him and was bowing out. We may have been heavily outspent in this campaign, but we were never outworked, Nelson said in a statement that lacked any congratulations for Scott. To all Floridians, whether you voted for me, or for my opponent, or you didnt vote at all, I ask that you to never give up this fight. Click here to read the rest. Bhairahawa airport may get additional parking bays The Gautam Buddha Airport project in Bhairahawa said that additional parking bays at the airport will be developed as per the study in response to the Finance Ministrys concern that the currently designed parking stands are insufficient. ARCHIVED - Mediterranean migrant total likely to reach 58,000 off the coast of Spain this year An increase of over 250 per cent on the 2017 figure means that the annual record has already been shattered Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Morocco for the first time on Monday, along with Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spains Minister of the Interior, to meet with representatives of the Moroccan government and discuss a number of issues, but at the top of the agenda was the migratory flow which has already seen a new record set for the number of people reaching Spanish territory without authorization by sea from the northern coastline of Africa. Until this year the record in this field belonged to the year 2006, when 39,180 people were either intercepted at sea or detained after reaching Spain, many of them after setting sail in the Atlantic to reach the Canary Islands. This year, though, the figure had already risen to 47,684 by the end of October, according to government figures, most of them crossing the Mediterranean, and the expectation is that another 10,000 could be added to that total before the year is out. The Spanish government warns that although the problem is a serious one it is difficult to envisage any solution being found in the short term, attributing the huge increase in this years figures (likely to show a rise of 250 per cent over those recorded in 2017) to the shift of focus among migrants from Turkey and Libya to Morocco and Algeria. It is believed that the agreement reached by Turkey and the EU has resulted in the country no longer being viewed as a point of entry into Europe, while in Libya it appears that the climate is so unstable that even people traffickers are wary of setting out from the coast towards Italy. It is not only in the Mediterranean that the figures have increased so dramatically this year: the number of people setting sail for the Canaries in 2018 has reached 1,215, almost five times as many as in the whole of last year, and it seems that the agreements which are in place with Senegal and Mauritania are beginning to be insufficient to staunch the flow. Image: Pedro Sanchez on arrival in the Moroccan capital of Rabat Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/ article_detail --> Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa is exploring options including selling all or part of itself, people with knowledge of the matter said. The closely held company is working with Evercore Inc. to assess options, which may include an initial public offering, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Discussions are at a preliminary stage and no final decisions have been made, meaning that the owners may opt to retain the business or spin it off, they said. Representatives for Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa and Evercore declined to comment. Shareholders of the company include billionaire Richard Bransons Virgin Group, Kuwaits Gulf Investment Corp. and National Technology Enterprises Co., investment firm ePlanet Ventures, Omans Dolphin International and members of the senior management team, according to its website. Formed in 2006 and headquartered in Dubai, the carrier offers wireless services in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Malaysia and South Africa either under its eponymous brand or as Friendi Mobile. The company raised $30 million through the sale of Islamic bonds in May. The so-called sukuk were chosen after carefully exploring appropriate funding routes in line with the companys preparations for a potential public markets listing, the carriers Chairman Peter Langkilde said at that time. Now read: Amazon chooses New York and Northern Virginia for additional headquarters Experts are warning that the governments decision to make it easier to get a National Senior Certificate (NSC) Bachelors pass will mean universities will be flooded with applications. Up until March 2018, the minimum requirement for admission to degree studies was subject to a list of 20-credit subjects known as the designated subject list. Anne Oberholzer, CEO of the Independent Examinations Board, explained that pupils had to obtain an NSC with a minimum of a 50% in four designated subjects. However, on 2 March, the designated subject list was revoked by the department of higher education. This means that the minimum admission requirements for degree study changed to an achievement of 50% or more in any four subjects. Oberholzer highlighted that the only National Senior Certificate subject that does not qualify is Life Orientation. This means that learners can achieve an NSC Bachelors pass with subjects like dance studies, design, and tourism. The new requirements for entry to degree studies at a university are listed below. Pass one official language at Home Language level at 40% or more. Pass 4 subjects at 50% or more. Pass 2 other subjects at a minimum of 30%. Meet the language requirement for entry to further study. Warning about university applications Flip Smit, a demographer and former vice chancellor of the University of Pretoria, called the move by the department of higher education reckless. He told Rapport that South African universities already received between 5-9 times more applications than what they can accommodate. The new rules will make it much easier to get an NSC Bachelors pass, which will open the flood gates for applications to universities. This increase in applications, Smit warns, will put enormous pressure on universities which are already struggling to cope with the current application levels. He added that the ease of achieving a Bachelors pass also misleads learners into thinking they can complete a degree course. Matric results are a disgraceful freak show Jonathan Jansen, distinguished professor in the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University, has also called the matric results a disgraceful freak show. Jansen said in a column this year that to believe that the 2017 matric pass rate is 75.1%, about 2.5% higher than in 2016, is asking that you forego common sense. Jansen highlighted that: 78% of children cannot read with understanding in Grade 4. 9% of Grade 6 teachers cannot pass a Grade 6 math test. The pass mark in some subjects is 30%. It is not as if the few who passed and even those who graduated with a so-called Bachelors pass have a solid academic education to see them through tertiary studies, he said. In fact, we know most of these students will drop out of university and few would attain the degree within the minimum time. He said that this is because the quality of the NSC examination is so weak in the intellectual demands made of pupils that any fool can scale the 30% (three subjects) and 40% (three subjects including home language) passing hurdles. Cape Town residents have been suffering under extreme water restrictions for nearly 18 months. These were implemented due to severe water shortages in the area. However, some Cape Town residents have been without water for days on end due to another reason faulty water meters. This is according to reports from Cape Town residents received by MyBroadband. The problem According to a MyBroadband reader, a fault in his smart meter which is is digital, not mechanical is resulting in the water supply to his home being cut off. The water meter is seemingly detecting a leak where none exists. The water connection is still turned off, however, to avoid wastage. A contractor who attended to the readers meter reportedly said that they have had to reset the meters because the valve shuts off for no reason. The reset is only a temporary solution, though, as the citizen told MyBroadband that his valve shut off again two weeks later. Many Cape Town residents have also reported this issue online, with complaints spanning as far back as February 2018. The complaints state that the meters called Water Management Devices were installed by the City of Cape Town earlier this year. No leaks To prove there was an issue with his meter, the reader tracked his water usage for a week by taking a photo of the meters counter every morning before going to work, and again when he returned home. There was no change in the counter meaning that there was no usage and no leak. He stated that getting technicians to come out to investigate the problem and reset his water meter after it shut off supply also took up to several days. While telephone support staff claimed the issue would be solved within 24 hours, there have been reports of it taking days to fix the meters. City of Cape Town responds When contacted by MyBroadband, the City of Cape Town said it was not familiar with the scenario described by the reader. Without investigations and/or a leak detection report from an accredited company confirming the status regarding leaks on the property, the City holds the view that the meter probably curtailed water supply due to a leak or taps left open on the property, said committee member for informal settlements, water, and waste services Xanthea Limberg. Limberg added that the city would investigate the cases mentioned. This isnt the first issue that the City of Cape Town has suffered relating to its water meter services this year. After transitioning its uploading of monthly water readings from a third-party platform to its own service, the City of Cape Town had to deal with technical challenges that resulted in some residents being sent excessive water bills. Pictures of the readers closed water meter are shown below. On Thursday, Nov. 15, the students, teachers, staff, community partners, parents and Angwin community gathered together to share a Thanksgiving feast, a tradition at Howell Mountain Elementary School. The Thanksgiving feast is a tradition at the school, said Janet Tufts, principal and superintendent, and one that Im going to keep going. All of the schools 87 students from kindergarten through the eighth grade were in attendance, along with their parents, grandparents and friends. Invited guests, members of the Angwin Fire Department, showed up on a red fire truck. Despite the smoke, people come out to celebrate family and community, Tufts said. Angwin is all about community. Each of the districts families and each classroom made a side dish to go with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, created by chef Josh Loveall, who has been with the district for a few years and heads up the schools food service program. Also celebrating the day was St. Helena author Beclee Wilson, who read one of her favorite poems. Tufts said Wilson is working with the students on a poetry and photography project right now. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With so much trauma assailing our neighbors affected by the Camp and Woolsey fires, one of my friends said it feels awkward to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. After all, how can we in good conscience celebrate our own blessings when our neighbors are suffering so much? But I humbly suggest we should celebrate Thanksgiving this year more than ever, not only by showing our gratitude for our friends, family and community, but also by sharing our good fortune with others. *** That brings me to a new feature on the city of St. Helenas home page: an Emergency Preparedness link. Youll find tips on how to be prepared for a disaster and how to donate to those affected by the Camp Fire. There are links to the North Valley Community Foundation, North Valley Animal Disaster Group, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Butte County Fairgrounds, and the Hope Center in Oroville. Find it all at cityofsthelena.org. *** Speaking of the city, its quarterly SHINE newsletter is available at the aforementioned home page. Youll find articles on the citys downtown economic strategy, the General Plan update, design guidelines, and even a recipe for potroast contributed by none other than Ines Chiarello. *** The California Retired Teachers Association of Napa Valley is once again announcing the availability of scholarships for current and aspiring teachers, awarded in the names of former educators Edward W. Solomon and Judith B. Cutcomb. Solomon scholarships are offered to all teachers and paraprofessionals in the county; the Cutcomb scholarship is reserved for a St. Helena Unified School District educator or a St. Helena High School graduate whos ready to transfer to a four-year college to pursue a career in education. Applications will be posted Jan. 7 on the Napa Valley Community Foundations scholarships page at napavalleycf.org. In addition, scholarship applications for transfer-ready Napa Valley College students are already online at napavalley.edu. *** The poor Robert Louis Stevenson Museum Treasure Hunt, originally scheduled for Nov. 10 and then rescheduled to Nov. 17, has once again been postponed due to smoky, unhealthy air. No word on the new date, but Ill keep you posted. *** Schools out this week of course, but when it resumes please keep in mind that PG&E is conducting some maintenance along Grayson Avenue from Nov. 19 to Dec. 7. Expect delays, and if youre dropping off a high school student, you should probably do so in front of Vintage Hall instead of along Grayson. *** Have you seen this years Napa Valley Give Guide? Every year, Napa Valley CanDo compiles a directory of local nonprofits and makes it easy to funnel your donations to any or all of them, including St. Helena favorites like We Care Animal Rescue, the Saint Helena Community Band, Sunrise Horse Rescue, and Upper Valley Girl Scouts. Find the online version at NapaValleyGiveGuide.org. *** Thank you, Dear Readers. For reading, for volunteering, for generously donating to so many worthy causes, for letting other drivers in when theyre trying to turn left from Spring onto Main, for exchanging pleasantries with people whose names you cant quite place while youre standing in line at Sunshine, for making it impossible to walk down Main Street without being greeted warmly at least once, and for making St. Helena feel like home. Happy Thanksgiving. Adventist Health St. Helena is hosting a new family-friendly fun run and walk on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. The free AHEAD Turkey Trot will feature two distances through St. Helena. The free fun run invites people of all ages to get some exercise and enjoy time outdoors before sitting down to their Thanksgiving feast. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Carnegie Building, 1360 Oak Ave., before taking off at 9 a.m. Participants can choose a 2.75-mile run or a 1.25-mile walk. Strollers and polite dogs on leashes are welcome. A Turkey Trot is a great way to start the day off right with family and friends, said Jordan Bentley, a St. Helena resident who served on the organizing team. We look forward to seeing our neighbors being active and celebrating together on Thanksgiving morning! AHEAD stands for Adventist Health Early All-Around Detection, a hereditary cancer screening program at Adventist Health St. Helena. Research has shown that up to 10 percent of cancers are due to factors that are passed on from one generation to the next. The AHEAD Program is reducing the risk of hereditary cancer by encouraging genetic screening. The Thanksgiving holiday brings generations of family together and is a wonderful time to share gratitude for the blessing of good health, said Dr. Candace Westgate, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in St. Helena and founded the AHEAD Program. It can also be a time to check in with your family about any history of cancer so you can be aware and take preventive measures to keep enjoying time together for years to come. Information about genetic cancer screening and family history surveys will be available at registration, along with Napa Valley Roasting Company coffee and Clif Bars. Adventist Health St. Helena staff will be volunteering at the starting line and out on the course to ensure a fun event for all. To learn more about the free AHEAD Turkey Trot, visit facebook.com/ahsthelena or call 967-7550. This story was updated at 7:35 a..m. Pacific time, Monday, Nov. 19. Firefighters are battling two massive California wildfires late in the fire season, including a Northern California blaze that has killed at least 77 people and destroyed more than 9,700 homes. More than 1,200 people remain missing. In 2018, 7,778 wildfires have ravaged more than 1.8 million acres as of Friday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Here's the latest on the largest wildfires now burning in the Golden State. Camp Fire In Butte County in Northern California, the Camp Fire, which erupted Nov. 8, has burned 151,000 acres, killed 77 people and destroyed 11,713 homes as of Monday morning, reported the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze, the cause of which remains under investigation, swept through the foothill town of Paradise, laying waste to the community of 27,000, reported The Sacramento Bee. Some of the dead were found in vehicles overcome by flames as they tried to flee, while others were found in burned homes, according to the publication. More than 900 people remain missing. The Camp Fire is the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Numerous evacuations are in effect for the wildfire, which also has destroyed 472 businesses, reported Cal Fire. The Camp Fire has reached 66 percent containment, according to Cal Fire. Three of the 5,600 firefighters battling the blaze have been injured. Cal Fire said it expects the Camp Fire to be fully contained by Nov. 30. Woolsey Fire In Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California, the Woolsey Fire, which broke out Nov. 8, has burned 96,949 acres, killed at least three people and destroyed an estimated 1,500 structures as of Mondaymorning, according to Cal Fire. The fire, which prompted evacuations of entire communities, has reached 94percent containment, the agency reported Saturday morning. How the blaze ignited remains under investigation. The Woolsey Fire began in Simi Valley and quickly spread in several directions to threaten Malibu and other coastal communities, jumping Highway 101 in three places, according to the Los Angeles Times. Among the evacuees are numerous celebrities living near Malibu, including several who reported their homes have been destroyed. Among them are Miley Cyrus, Gerard Butler, Robin Thicke and Neil Young. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PARADISE -- Her name is Jody Jones and she lived on Lighty Lane and she is the mayor of Paradise. Her singsong name and fairy-tale address once seemed like a perfect fit for her mostly ceremonial duties: riding in a convertible during the Gold Nugget Days parade and giving speeches, like the one two months ago for a new bike trail honoring pioneer Yellowstone Kelly. Now, 10 days after the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history tore through the heart of this place, she carries the weight of a town searching for its soul. What is left when a community of 26,000 is virtually wiped off the map? How can you bring people back when there's almost nothing to come home to? With the remains of 76 people uncovered so far -- and the death count soaring every day -- the loss is unfathomable, the trauma immense and the prospect of rebuilding monumental, and perhaps too soon. "It's overwhelming if you try to look at the whole thing. It's just overwhelming," said Jones, 62, who grew up in San Jose, worked for years as a Caltrans district director and moved to Paradise when she married. "My strategy so far has been one day at a time, one foot in front of the other." Ninety percent of the homes in Paradise are leveled. More than half the downtown is destroyed. And nearly everyone she knows lost everything they own. Jones and every member of the town council lost their homes. So did the police chief, the county supervisor and the entire public works crew. More than a dozen homes belonging to Town Councilman Greg Bolin and his extended family burned to the ground, including his mother's, his sister's, two cousins', an uncle's, an aunt's. The list keeps going. Who will return? What are the odds that the senior citizens on fixed incomes will rebuild or that the poor people in trailers will be drawn back or that the families with children settled into new schools will come back? "Is it worth it to go back to a community when there's nothing for the children?" asked Luke Doris, 47, who has raised his two kids, 10 and 14, in Paradise. "Most of the people we know lost their homes. Some didn't have insurance. They won't come back." Complete California wildfire coverage with latest updates and stories from the scene -- Read the stories For many of those who fled, contemplating the future of Paradise is not a priority right now. It is finding a place to live, filling out insurance forms, buying a car, finding pants that fit that consume their days. Some are having panic attacks stuck at traffic lights in downtown Chico, obsessing about the grandmother's ring or the baby pictures they should have grabbed before they fled, or grieving over loved ones who didn't make it out. Robert Fillmore, 71, was lucky to get a hotel room in Chico but feels lost about his next move. "My nephew called and he lives in L.A. He said you have to look for opportunity in tragedy, so that's what we've been trying to do," said Fillmore who lost the home he shares with his wife. "But it's like you're in the smoke and you can't see your way through the smoke, which direction to go." Jones understands the uncertainty, the bewilderment. Her two-story farmhouse at the end of Lighty Lane burned to the ground. Wearing the same pair of jeans and purple sweater she's been wearing for days, Jones is doing the best she can. She was re-elected to her second term on the council two days before the fire. As mayor -- a one-year rotating position among the council -- she doesn't have the community stature of Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea, whose steadfast leadership beginning with the Oroville Dam crisis last year made him a folk hero who gets standing ovations at community meetings filled with evacuees. When Jones held her first public council meeting in borrowed space in Chico days after the fire, one Paradise resident angry over the chaotic, gridlocked evacuation demanded she resign. "We could have done better," she says. But still, Jones, who is paid $300 a month as mayor, thinks of herself as a practical optimist. Not all, she says, is lost. On a tour through town last week, smoke still thick in the air, she looked out the car window and pointed to the building blocks of a new Paradise. The Safeway is gone, but not the Holiday Market. Ponderosa Elementary is gone, but Paradise High is intact. One fire station was destroyed, but two survived. The Gold Nugget Museum is gone, but the library was spared. The pink-painted Joy Lyn candy shop, a local institution with "Heavenly candies made in Paradise" is destroyed, but the Old Barn that makes cheese blintzes survived. The town hall, the police department, the irrigation district office are all still standing. Part of the Feather River Hospital can be salvaged. The Kmart shopping center and the Ace Hardware, the Dutch Bros. and Starbucks remain. "So many have said, well, there's nothing left of Paradise," Jones said, but "there's really a core to build on." Paradise has the ignoble distinction of being the largest municipality west of the Mississippi that runs on a septic system. But she knows -- from her experience with disasters and big projects at Caltrans -- that with federal money and grants, there's an opportunity to bring a sewer system, at least to the downtown corridors that could allow for bigger businesses, hotels and apartment buildings. The downtown was built up in the 1950s, and many of the ruined cinder block buildings could be replaced by attractive modern structures. Perhaps more sidewalks and street lights can be installed. In the meantime, as speculators are poised to buy up tracts of land surely to be sold, some are trying to be visionary, dreaming up a new Paradise with more parks and public transportation and employment hubs. "There's an opportunity to be thoughtful and design something special," said Phillip Dawe, who grew up in Paradise and whose mother -- who once ran "Picture Perfect Pet Parlour in Paradise" -- lost her home. "When do you get a whole town as a blank slate?" Get breaking news alerts on wildfire and other important stories -- Sign up now At the same time, how can you reweave the fabric of a town that goes back to the Gold Rush, when a donkey carrying a 54-pound gold nugget walked into a bar, or so the story goes? Jones is hopeful the "builders and doers" will return. She wants to see the cultural stalwarts such as 65-year-old Dave Greslie, who organizes the "Donkey Derby" every year during Gold Nugget Days, when the stubborn animals are weighted down with 54-pound sacks and pulled through an obstacle course. And teenagers such as Pride Harvey, 16, who has always dreamed of being the Gold Nugget queen. Councilman Bolin, a general contractor, promises he'll return. "We're going to build and make it better than before," said Bolin. "I'm encouraged that people are saying, 'That's home, we're going back.' " But Bill and Pam Hartley, owners of Joy Lyn candies, are wavering. They saved the chocolate recipes but lost the copper kettles and cream beaters and enrobing machines that made their old-fashioned chocolates special. They hope their son and daughter-in-law will keep making candy in Chico, but their Paradise home, and those of most of their extended family, is gone. "I'm 70. I think it will take 10 years for it to start looking like a community again," said Bill Hartley, who was on the board at the museum and raised $50,000 for the Yosemite Kelly trail and interpretive signs. "I don't know if we have that left in us." Forward is the only way Jones wants to look. The last time she looked back -- in her rearview mirror as she fled Paradise -- her town was burning down. How you can help victims of the Camp Fire in Butte County A few days after the fire, for Veterans Day, Town Councilman Mike Zuccolillo and a group of volunteers were allowed through the roadblock to stake American flags along the entrance to downtown, "just to show we're still here and our traditions aren't gone," Jones said. She's confident a new Paradise will emerge, holding on to the best of the past and building something better. It won't be a year. It could be five. "I know what I'm in for," she said. "I'm not naive." Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The city of Napa will take the lead among local governments in funding a new plan to help the county cope with Californias next drought emergency. Napa would assume $138,966 of the $230,193 to be provided by Napa Countys five cities, plus the county and the Napa Sanitation District, toward a drought contingency plan. The City Council on Tuesday accepted its share of the $430,193 budget, which includes a $200,000 federal grant from the Bureau of Reclamation Napa officials expect to see approved by months end. Each governments payment toward the drought plan will be based on its population and water use, with the city of Napa paying about 60 percent of the local share, according to a city memorandum. American Canyon would provide the second largest share at $31,652, followed by the county with $22,567, St. Helena with $15,120 and Napa Sanitation with $10,132. Calistoga would commit $8,502 and Yountville $3,254. A contingency plan reviews the water supply and consumption in each city and agency, and recommends potential projects to make up supply deficits during a drought. The most recent plan stemmed from a 2005 study by Napa Valley governments, and led to the city of Napa improving its Barwick Jamieson Treatment plant and buying more rights to state-supplied water from Yountville and St. Helena. All of the Napa Valley governments are interested in completing a new regional study in 2019, according to Napa city utilities director Phil Brun. Brown and Caldwell, a Walnut Creek design and engineering firm, will partner with local governments to create the drought plan. The company originally contracted with Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties last year on a water shortage strategy for all three counties, but Marin and Sonoma ultimately pursued their own plan, Brun said in a pre-meeting memorandum. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Fire crews are still working to contain the deadly inferno that leveled the town of Paradise, virtually wiping it off the map. Thousands of people are homeless, living in tents, trailers and parking lots. Dozens are dead. Hundreds are still missing. While rain before Thanksgiving is expected to clear away the smoke and mercifully reduce fire danger, this weather change is tempered by a grim reality. Scientists say as temperatures continue to warm, drying out brush, grasses and trees into explosively flammable fuel by late summer and autumn, catastrophic fires and the unhealthy smoke they spew hundreds of miles away will almost certainly become more frequent in California and across the West in the coming years. Climate change is not the cause of these fires, said Park Williams, a climate scientist at Columbia Universitys LamontDoherty Earth Observatory in New York. But the warmer atmosphere is causing most fires to be harder to contain. They are burning bigger and hotter. The numbers are stark. California has warmed roughly 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1980 during the autumn months of September, October and November. Rainfall in those months has fallen by about one-third over the same time. And the result has been a state increasingly on fire. From 1980 to 1990, roughly 300,000 to 400,000 acres a year burned in California. Last year, 1.4 million acres burned. This year, so far, 1.8 million acres _ an area six times the city of Los Angeles _ of federal, state and private land has been incinerated. Similar trends are afoot in other Western states. We dont even say fire season any more. Its year round, said Scott McLean, deputy chief of Cal Fire, the states primary firefighting agency. The climate change we are dealing with is related to that. Put another way, 15 of the 20 largest fires in California history have occurred since 2000. Four of the five largest have happened since 2012. And the two all-time biggest in terms of acres burned _ the Mendocino Complex Fire centered in Lake County this summer and the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties last December _ both happened in the last 12 months. Were in a new abnormal, a grim Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference to discuss the Paradise disaster. Things like this will be part of our future. Things like this and worse. Even Ryan Zinke, the Department of the Interior secretary in the Trump administration, which has been skeptical of climate science, conceded the changing conditions on Wednesday during a visit to Paradise. Zinke said he did not want to finger point and said there were multiple reasons for the worsening fires. But those include the fact that fire seasons have gotten longer and the temperatures have gotten hotter, Zinke said. The climate is warming because burning fossil fuels traps heat in the atmosphere. The 10 hottest years on Earth since modern temperature records began in 1880 all have occurred since 1998, according to NASA and NOAA. But climate change is not the only reason for the growth in wildfires, scientists and firefighters say. Centuries ago, lightning and Native Americans clearing land burned more acres a year than are burning now in California. But those fires were mostly low-intensity affairs, helping clear dead underbrush. Today, because fire crews have put out blazes for generations, many forests have so much dead and living vegetation that they often explode out of control, wiping out large trees and seeds. More than a century ago, it was not uncommon for whole towns to burn down. The 1871 Peshtigo Fire killed about 1,500 people in Wisconsin and Michigan, with so many fatalities that there werent enough survivors in some communities to identify the dead. The Great Fire of 1910 burned 3 million acres in Washington, Idaho and Montana, killing 86 and sending smoke plumes to New York. Afterward, the U.S. Forest Service set a policy of putting out fires by 10 a.m. the next morning, and radios, helicopters, planes and other equipment improved safety dramatically over the generations. But now, with hotter, larger fires growing ever more intense in a warming world, creating fire tornadoes and walls of flame hundreds of feet tall, whole towns could again burn down, fire experts say. This is the kind of urban conflagration Americans thought they had banished in the early 20th century, wrote Stephen Pyne, an Arizona State University fire historian, last week, of the Paradise disaster. Its like watching measles or polio return. Earlier this year, California lawmakers passed a bill that promises $1 billion in state funding over the next five years in grants to cities, counties, fire departments and nonprofit groups to thin overgrown forests around towns, cut fuel breaks and conduct controlled burns to restore some natural balance. Scott Stephens, a fire scientist at UC Berkeley, has estimated that the state and federal government will need to increase such thinning and controlled burning tenfold from current levels to make a difference. That will cost billions of dollars. Another challenge is population growth. From 1990 to 2010, there was a 41 percent increase in the number of houses in Americas wild land-urban interface _ the area where homes and forests meet, and where wildfire problems are most pronounced, according to a study last year led by the University of Wisconsin. One in three Americans now lives in those fire-prone areas. Add to that Californias 2012-2017 drought, which killed 129 million trees, mostly in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills. That left enormous amounts of dead vegetation, primed to burn. McLean, of Cal Fire, said the solution going forward must be more vigilance. More education campaigns to teach people how to create defensible space around their homes. More forest thinning. More controlled burns. More escape route drills. More firefighting equipment. Others say that tougher building codes are needed. Some suggest burying power lines, which cause many of Californias worst fires. But that costs 10 times as much as stringing them on poles. And there are 176,000 miles of power lines in California. While 3 degrees of warming in the past 40 years might not seem like a lot, it makes a big difference in the moisture levels of plants, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. Moisture levels in vegetation across California remain today at some of the lowest levels ever recorded, even as autumn wind conditions increase fire risk. Normally, by mid-November, the ground and the vegetation is damp. So sparks from cars, power lines and campfires have a difficult time growing into large fires, Swain noted. But increasingly, the storms that once soaked California have been blocked in the fall and spring months because of ridges of high pressure in the Pacific Ocean. Some scientists are tying those ridiculously resilient ridges to changes driven by melting sea ice in the Arctic. Unfortunately, the later and later extent of the fire season into autumn is something we are going to have to cope with, Swain said. We are already starting to see it. We didnt really get major wildfires into November and December before, but we are now. This really is a new thing. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Last year, as the Tubbs Fire scorched its way across Napa and Sonoma counties, environmental researchers at the University of California, Davis, fielded questions about the health impact of chronic exposure to smoke from a wildfire that torched trees and urban structures alike. UCDs Kent Pinkerton and Rebecca Schmidt and other researchers had the same questions. They sought studies on urban wildfires and found no answers. Everyone had concerns about their health and what was in the smoke, said Schmidt, who studies how environmental exposures influence child development. We just didnt have any answers to those questions, and when we looked and searched to see what was out there, we really found there wasnt much. Yet studies on air pollution do offer up clues to what happens when the human body is under assault from microscopic particles in the air, Pinkerton said. The UCD professor has spent decades studying the effects of air pollution on lung inflammation and disease. Longer-term, Pinkerton said, the health of people breathing in smoke from the wildfires might well depend on the degree of their exposure and whether the microscopic particles floating in the air manage to worm their way deep into lungs and circulatory systems. When exposed intermittently to bad air days, Pinkerton said, the average healthy person may experience irritated eyes, scratchy throats, a cough, maybe tightness of the chest, even wheezing. Other experts said people also report shortness of breath, headaches and nosebleeds. Various hospitals around Northern California are reporting a slight uptick in emergency room visits by people experiencing respiratory issues: In Sacramento, that includes both Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Medical Center. Other hospitals are seeing a surge of patients: In Sonoma County, emergency room doctors at St. Joseph health hospitals reported an influx of patients equal to what they saw when the Tubbs fire raged across their county last year. It isnt so much about breathing the air thats closest to the fire, said Dr. Chad Krilich, chief medical officer for Sonoma County for St. Joseph Health. Its being in the area thats experiencing air quality issues. You dont necessarily need to be living in Paradise to be having these issues. Were actually seeing that play out in the volumes in our emergency departments. Were seeing lots of folks with respiratory issues. Doctors urged residents to monitor air quality, either through government websites such as www.airnow.gov or www.sparetheair.com, or via local news media. Stay indoors as much as possible, said Dr. Nicole Braxley, medical director of the emergency department at Carmichaels Mercy San Juan, and use N95 respirator masks when outdoors. Even if youre a completely healthy person, theres no reason to expose yourself to these particles, Braxley said. You might cause yourself harm. With progressive exposure to the wildfire smoke, Pinkerton said, healthy people tend to adapt to the conditions: Their eyes are not quite so irritated. They dont necessarily have that scratchy throat anymore. They cough less and their throats arent as tight. When we have repeated exposures, our bodies hunker down, Pinkerton said. It says, OK, I know this is a bad situation, so Im going to make some changes. The changes are all subconscious. We may breathe a little less deeply. Our cells might be a little bit more responsive in terms of not putting up lots of inflammatory factors. The epithelial cells that line our airways would become tolerant, meaning theyre not so easily damaged. Does that mean there is no risk of longer-term damage to the body? Actually, Pinkerton said, chronic exposures to fine particulates could elicit other responses. For instance, theres evidence that it can lead to asthma. In 1996, as the Olympics got underway in Atlanta, city officials acted to minimize the amount of traffic allowed within city limits, Pinkerton said, and there was a statistically significant drop in the percentage of people coming to emergency rooms with asthmatic symptoms. Links also have been found between exposure to traffic pollutants and problems with pregnancies, Pinkerton said. Studies have shown that pregnant women who live downwind of freeways were more likely to have premature births and to deliver low birth-weight infants. Both conditions are associated with higher risk of infant mortality. And, Pinkerton said, research also has shown that animals that breathe in particulate matter while pregnant have a tendency to deliver offspring with asthmatic lungs. One of the greatest concerns that researchers have, Pinkerton said, is whether an embryo will have a tougher time implanting to the uterine wall if its mother is exposed to the fine particulate matter of wildfire smoke during the first trimester. While doing research in Napa and Sonoma counties, Schmidt met several women who asked whether breathing in wildfire smoke could have caused them to lose their babies. She had to tell them there was no answer yet to that question. They asked to be included in the study, Schmidt said, because they wanted the answer. For that study, Schmidt and her team collected bio-specimens from the women hair, blood, saliva, even placenta and umbilical cord blood. They will use the hair to check for bio-markers of stress, and theyll also look at the specimens to determine which pollutants were present and measure their impact. UCD researchers have funding to follow the babies progress for a year and are seeking funds to continue monitoring them through preschool. Their mothers have provided information on their exposure to the fire and to smoke and on protective measures they took, so researchers will be able to compare children who had greater exposure to those who had less. Theyll also be able to compare all the children to data on children in the general population. Respiratory and reproductive systems are not the only vulnerable targets in the body. Pinkerton explained: When we talk about particulate matter, or PM, we always think, Oh, well, the target organ is the respiratory tract, the lungs, but far more people have problems with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality due to PM exposure than respiratory conditions. The fine particles being deposited in the lungs dont necessarily stay there, Pinkerton said, and even if they do, that doesnt mean their presence isnt felt by other parts of the body. Researchers have posited several theories about how these particles affect other organs and systems. The most common belief is that, during the lungs exchange of oxygen into cells, the microscopic particles hitch a ride into the circulatory system and subsequently cause problems in human organs or in blood vessels. The greatest concern, Pinkerton said, is that these particles are attaching themselves to plaque formations in blood vessels. Those formations are already bad news, because theyre composed of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances. Its believed, Pinkerton said, that the particles could provoke inflammation that ultimately triggers a heart attack or stroke. Another theory, Pinkerton said, is that particles in the airway can disrupt how critical nerves perform their job. There are nerves in the bronchial tree that give automatic feedback to the heart and brain: Narrow the airway. Expand the airway. Speed up the heartbeat. Slow down the heartbeat. In essence, these nerves are part of the control system for the human flight-or-fight mechanism, Pinkerton said, but when the tiny particles land in the bronchial tree, they somehow delay or dampen the signal. That means the heart no longer immediately responds, said Pinkerton, noting that these are relationships UCD researchers found as part of their research on the health effects of secondary cigarette smoke. Because of the dearth of research on fine particulate from wildfires, an interdisciplinary team of UC Davis researchers sought funding from the National Institutes of Health to study the impact of breathing in fine particulate matter from wildfires in urban areas. The data from those studies is just coming in for analysis: survey responses from hundreds of people living in or near the wildfire boundaries, analysis of ash and gases from urban neighborhoods like Santa Rosas Coffey Park that were consumed by the blazes, sophisticated computer models of the movement of the smoke plume. This kind of scientific research is challenging, Schmidt said, and the toughest part is going to people who have been traumatized by the disaster and asking them to participate in a study. When they approached residents in fire-stricken communities, she said, roughly 2,000 households and 200 women pregnant at the time of the Tubbs Fire volunteered to participate. Usually, when we think about poor air quality, what were dealing with is a day or two, not a prolonged, several-day period, Pinkerton said. If we continue to have bad air for more than a week, that certainly is a concern. ... We oftentimes have asked the questions: What is the effect of chronic exposure? Is there a cumulative effect every day that we breathe particles? Is it building up? Is it doing something in that way? Researchers at UC Davis are moving closer to some answers. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Gavin Newson will not begin his governorship in January with a budget deficit. But nevertheless, Gov. Jerry Brown will leave him a stack of knotty managerial and policy issues that cannot be ignored. The two most obvious are Browns two pet public works projects, twin tunnels to carry water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a north-south bullet train. While Brown portrays them as vital to Californias future, Newsom has blown hot and cold on both, reflecting their high costs and highly controversial nature. But at some point and probably very early in his governorship he must declare go or no-go on both. The tunnels are being pushed by Southern California water agencies, hoping that bypassing the ecologically fragile Delta would allow larger, or at least more reliable, water deliveries southward via the California Aqueduct. But Newsom is from San Francisco and the tunnels are very unpopular among Northern California environmentalists an important Democratic Party constituency who see them as a water grab that will doom the Delta. An initial segment of track is being laid for the bullet train in the San Joaquin Valley. But for the project to begin actually carrying passengers it would need to connect to a major metropolitan area. Current plans call for a connection to San Jose, which then would allow passengers to flow southward from San Francisco via Caltrain service on the San Francisco Peninsula. But the connections costs are immense and Browns High-Speed Rail Authority has been unable to identify a source of financing. Browns departure two months hence will doubtless leave two managerial messes still simmering a service meltdown in the Department of Motor Vehicles compounded by allegations of corruption among DMV clerks, and allegations that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has been falsifying reports on psychiatric care of inmates mandated by federal courts. Brown resisted efforts in the Legislature to require the DMVs long wait times and voter registration errors to be probed by the state auditors office. But pressure for an audit will crank up again when the Legislature returns to Sacramento, especially with new revelations about clerks taking bribes to give drivers licenses to applicants that flunked tests. The prison scandal is playing out in federal court, centered on a lengthy, detailed report by the departments chief psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Golding, alleging falsified reports on the treatment of mentally ill inmates. CDCR has a broken system of care because information is not accurately reported upon, and reliable, commonsensical action has not been taken, the 161-page report from Golding, released by a federal judge, states. I have documented that patients are not getting to appointments on schedule and in confidential spaces, that appropriate consultation is not occurring, and worse, appropriate medical decision-making by psychiatric physicians has been overridden. I have documented that CDCR has prevented errors from being fixed, and worse, CDCR has not allowed anyone to know that there has been inaccurate reporting to the courts and to our leadership. The Golding report undermines what Brown has portrayed as successful responses to federal court orders to reduce prison overcrowding and improve inmate care. A shift of felons into local jails and probation is also being criticized by some law enforcement officials, who say it increases criminal activity. Where the prison situation could lead is still uncertain, but no matter what happens in court it will land on Newsoms desk. And its just one of the leftovers he will find there. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. First digital ID card issued in Panchthar Centenarian Bhagawati Devi Bhandari, a resident of Phidim Municipality-4, acquired the first digital national identity card in the country from Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa in Panchthar district on Monday. Perhaps what is most astonishing for me, as both an anthropologist and educator, is the level of racist discourse promoted by the current Trump administration against hapless refugees and the so-called threat they pose. Indeed, Trump and his administration have focused on immigrants as a major threat to the security of nation. Such hyped-up racist rhetoric is completely false. This vitriol against the caravan of Central Americans and Mexicans on their way to the U.S. border was cruel electioneering, no more. These people are poor and are fleeing horrific violence in their home countries. Some of this violence has been caused by U.S. policies in the region. Nonetheless, Trump has staged the National Guard at the border for photo opportunities of soldiers building coil wire fencing. Trumps words of racist hatred have also inspired and summoned numerous paramilitary posses of armed militias to the U.S./Mexican borderlands. Fear-mongering and racism against immigrants is nothing new in the history of the United States. Toward the end of the 19th-century and at the turn of the 20th-century, many in the U.S. promoted Nativisman all-White America where good jobs belonged to Whites, not foreigners. This was the historical period known as the Second-Industrial Revolution, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Eraa time of enormous economic transformation for the country through industrialization and urbanization. Those on the West Coast blamed the loss of jobs and low wages on Chinese immigrants. This resulted in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act by the U.S. Congress in 1882. In 1907, there was also a Gentlemans Agreement with Japan to restrict Japanese emigration. By 1924, Congress passed the Immigration Act, limiting immigration from Eastern and Southern Europeans such as those with Greek, Italian, Polish, and Jewish origins and banned Asians. During the mid-19th century, a huge wave of Irish immigrants came to the U.S. because of the Great Famine (1845-1849) in Ireland. These Irish worked in the worst jobs possible. They built the railroads connecting the country to the West Coast, constructed canals, and provided cheap labor for much of northern industry. In this period, the Irish were viewed as dogs, drunkards, and non-human apes, barely considered White. Conditions in manufacturing were generally deplorable for all new immigrants in the Gilded Age. Workers were not protected and required to work 14- to 16-hour days, six or seven days a week, nearly 365 days a year. Children worked too and were not required to attend school. A typical unskilled laborer at the time earned no more than $8-$10 per week. Upton Sinclairs historical novel, The Jungle (1904), illustrates these hazardous conditions for immigrants in Chicagos meatpacking industry lost limbs and digits, no workmans compensation, unsanitary conditions, and dangerous work. In the Chicago, Haymarket Riot of 1886, several German immigrants were unfairly accused of instigating a protest where policemen were killed. The injustice of the following trial was so evident that the governor of Illinois commuted some of the sentences of those accused. Fear of immigrants, even American citizen descendants of some of them, was also evident during World War II with the racialized internment of Japanese-Americans into concentration camps. Some 100,000 Japanese-Americans were imprisoned between 1942 and 1945, preventing a non-existent threat. Mythologies persist. Immigrants are easy scapegoats and targets because they often do not have a voice to protest such falsehoods against them. Indeed, immigrants are often the hardest working populations under the worst conditions, wanting a better life for their families. We find this in new immigrant populations coming from Mexico and Central America to the United States today. These are people who work in the fields picking our fruits and vegetables, doing domestic work and caring for our children, laboring in meatpacking plants, working in landscaping and mowing our lawns, cleaning motel rooms, and preparing our food in the restaurant industry. I have been advocating on behalf of the Guatemalan-Maya population in South Florida since 1990. Many of these immigrants arrived here from the genocide and civil war in Guatemala in the early 1980s where the U.S. was indirectly involved, having trained the countrys military leaders in the School of the Americas and supplying the military junta with weapons. During the 1980s, the U.S. intervened more directly in the civil wars in Central American countries like El Salvador and Nicaragua. Such U.S. military interventionism was justified as against the spread of communism, yet caused greater instability in the region. Moreover, U.S. economic trade policies of the 1990s such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) have consistently undermined the economic opportunities of those living in countries like El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Employers in Central America have consistently violated minimum wage agreements and fair labor conditions. These 5,000 people coming from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico pose no threat to the security of the United States. It will not be difficult to prevent them from crossing our border. But the fake news created by the Trump administration will most likely persist in the American imagination: Our Pentagon says there is no threat of Middle Eastern terrorists amongst this caravan of mostly poor Central Americans. Nor was the Democratic Party responsible for organizing the caravan. Migrant caravans have been coming to the United States-Mexican borders for years under both Republican and Democrat administrations. Traveling in numbers makes the journey safer for these migrants. Often migrants are commonly victims of real threats of violence along the waymurder, rape, and robbery. Nor is the Honduran government financially supporting the caravan. And finally, these people cannot just return to their home countries and apply for political asylum there. They must be in the United States to apply for asylum and citizenship. The situation in Central America is a humanitarian crisis on a large scale. It is a crisis largely caused by U.S. policies in the region. We have often treated those south of the border as inferior peoples since the beginning of our imperialist aims in the Western Hemisphere with the Monroe Doctrine, then the Roosevelt Corollary, and U.S. military interventionism over the last century throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. Do not be fooled by Trumps racist rhetoric. These immigrants are desperate human beings wanting survival for their families. They are not security threats. They should be protected and sheltered and given the same opportunities as our ancestors arriving at Ellis Island. Rather, Emma Lazarus words (1883), should echo with everyone: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. This is the true America and the ideals we all hold dear. J. P. Linstroth is a former Fulbright Scholar to Brazil. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. He is the author of Marching Against Gender Practice (2015). This commentary was distributed by Peacevoice. The man-elephant conflict refuses to die down in the Indo-Bhutan border villages of Udalguri district. In yet another incident, two people were trampled to death by a loner wild jumbo at 1 No. Segunbari under Paneri PS in Udalguri district at about 7. 45 am on Monday morning. The victims were identified as Kamil Ekka(60) and Pradhan Murmu(70). The jumbo also attacked another person Ram Kunar Gaur(37) leaving him critically injured. According to locals, the two people who were trampled were chatting at the verandah of Kamil Ekka when a jumbo suddenly raided his place trampling him to death. The other two injured were rushed to Udalguri Civil Hospital. One of them Pradhan Murmu succumbed to his injuries and Ram Kumar Gaur is being treated. The incident has cast a pall of gloom in the neighbouring villages. The irked locals have blamed the forest department about the lack of co-ordination to chase away jumbo herds which frequent the villages in the post-harvesting season. It is to be mentioned that a total of 17 humans and 4 elephants have died prematurely due to the man-elephant conflict. PM: Armenia decides road through which communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan will be ensured Armenia PM: Karabakh conflict settlement and unblocking of communications shouldn't be discussed in '3+3' format Pashinyan fails to clearly state whether Armenia applied to Russia and CSTO in writing in regard to Nov. 16 attack Armenia PM: Azerbaijan is trying to turn the region into a jungle Pashinyan: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other's territorial integrity when they acceded to CIS in 1991 Pashinyan: If government of Armenia was a giver, there wouldn't be shootings Armenia PM: 32 servicemen were captured on Nov. 16, according to unverified information PM: It's the first time that direct communication is established between Armenian and Azerbaijani defense ministers Armenian premier: Armenia will not give in to that policy of blackmail Armenia PM answers question about online meeting with Azerbaijani leader on Nov. 9 Armenia PM on upcoming meetings with Azerbaijan President in Brussels and Sochi Azerbaijani plane flies from Nakhchivan to Baku through Armenia's airspace (PHOTOS) Armenia PM is giving a press conference Armenian demining experts demine 2,000,000 square meters of territory in Damascus along with UNMAS Armenia opposition movement holding march in Yerevan, calling on citizens to join NEWS.am daily digest: 23.11.21 Russian analyst: Karabakh's regions under Azerbaijan's control are becoming a serious problem for Aliyev Stepanakert: Azerbaijan intends to create terrorists training centers in Karabakhs territories Iran and Georgia hold talks on creation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor Israeli FM demands Turkey to close offices of Hamas movement Opposition MP: Situation in Armenia's judiciary is impacting security issues Armenia PM calls UN Under-Secretary-General's attention to facts of destruction of Armenian heritage Ruling party MP: If Russia's proposals are acceptable for Armenian premier, they are in Armenia's interests Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev to hold talks in Sochi on November 26 Armenia Ombudsman: Baku's Armenophobia is policy aimed at maintaining hostility between two peoples around the world Karabakh National Security Service: Citizen gets lost, in territory under Azerbaijani control, taken into custody ECHR awards 5,000 each to judges detained in Turkey after 2016 putsch American Center of US Embassy in Yerevan sends more than 5,000 Armenian library items to United States Iranian Ambassador to Turkey: Iran supports '3+3' regional format Azerbaijan MOD thanks Turkish ASELSAN's CEO for equipment used during war against Karabakh Armenia MOD receives Russia Ambassador and embassy's Defense Attache MFA: Armenia has informed Moscow about its willingness to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues calls US a nation of paradoxes Armenian parliamentary commission honors memory of soldier who died yesterday Alen Simonyan briefs Gerard Larcher over continuing aggressive behavior of Azerbaijan China and Russia are discussing details of Putin's possible visit to Beijing Olympics Yerevan court rejects motion to apply to Constitutional Court due to lack of procedures for overcoming MP's immunity Criminal case initiated into death of Armenian soldier Employee of Norabak village council on exchange of fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, issue of wounded soldiers Russian peacekeepers donate humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh Coronavirus in Armenia: 48 new deaths 116 million AMD assistance to minors with disabilities in Shirak Province from Mikayel Vardanyan Armenian soldier who died in Armenia's Gegharkunik Province was Yezdi by nationality, was in army for a year Taliban want to establish 'fraternal' ties with Turkey Letter addressed to UN Security Council President about Azerbaijani attack published as SC official document Armenia, India to end process of mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates soon Syrian mercenaries who fought on Azerbaijani side during 44-day war complaining about not having received 'salaries' Armenia Ombudsman: Videos about captured Armenian servicemen being explored, translated from Azerbaijani and identified Armenia National Academy of Sciences Physiology Institute wins Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's grant Armenian MFA on news about Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker receives ARF-D Lebanon Central Committee member Hagop Pakradouni Armenia MOD: Conscript dies after Azerbaijani soldier's gunshot fired in Gegharkunik Province Did the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan speak about 'the liberated territories'? Armenia PM appoints new head of Vedi village Armenian army's General Staff chief holds working consultation, presents current situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border Armenia Deputy PM receives Eurasian Economic Union's minister in charge of integration and macroeconomics Armenia's new Ambassador to Iran presents credentials to FM Aysor.am: Armenia MOD: Exchange of fire began near Norabak village on border with Azerbaijan Ambassador to Baku: United States makes persistent efforts for Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders' tete-a-tete meeting Azerbaijan's special detachment soldiers conducting exercises under Turkish specialists' supervision in Nakhchivan Armenian movement leader: If Armenian parliamentary opposition can't do anything, why is it in parliament? Armenia MP to protesters: Our sovereign territories can't be transferred illegally and behind people's backs Armenian military servicemen score medals at championship in Iran Iranian FM, Azerbaijani Deputy PM discuss situation in Caucasus Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of another serviceman found in Varanda region Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with French Senate President Richard Ferrand Yerevan protesters demand to declassify content of Armenian-Azerbaijani document G7 FMs to discuss human rights protection issue in Liverpool Exchange rates in Armenia Level of Armenia's Lake Sevan drops by 2 cm in one week Armenia is interested in Russia's Ka-52M and Mi-28NE attack helicopters Azerbaijan President invites South Korean companies to work in Nagorno-Karabakh's occupied territories Opposition 'Armenia' faction MP: Azerbaijanis built customs terminal in Nakhchivan, will try to obtain road Armenia PM, Belarus President hold phone talks Syria Ambassador to Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker: Turkey's actions are fully targeted against regional stability Armenia applies to ECHR for ensuring fundamental rights of Armenian soldiers captured on Nov. 16 Armenian Ombudsman presents Azerbaijani aggression facts to US Congressman Adam Schiff More than 40 people killed in heavy rains in southeastern India Opposition 'Armenia' faction MP Armen Charchyan greeted with applause in courtroom Australia, UK and US sign first agreement under AUKUS Armenian PM to hold online Q&A conference Tuesday Armenia opposition member says Azerbaijani ex-FM expresses gratitude to Pashinyan Gas prices in Europe drop below $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters Erdogan and Turkish ministers to discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Citizens who blocked one of Yerevan avenues are apprehended Defense ministry: Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable U.S. Embassy in Israel advises diplomats not to visit Jerusalem's Old City Covid-19 in Armenia: 30 new deaths 18 citizens are apprehended for participation in Yerevan protests Russian peacekeepers ensure control in Nagorno-Karabakh Carbon monoxide causes death in Yerevan In Yerevan, citizens block main streets to draw attention to the situation at the border El Salvador plans to build the world's first Bitcoin city Canadian portal publishes list of countries with strongest Air Force on Earth Japan announces self-destruction of COVID-19 delta strain Israel to sign solar energy agreement with Jordan in UAE Japan concerned over joint air patrols of Russia and China near country's borders In Mexico, 600 migrants were found in two trucks Europe protests against coronavirus restrictions Commander of Russian airbase in Armenia: Ready to perform tasks as intended Civil right activists call for proper investigation Civil society leaders, human rights activist and conflict victims have called for a proper investigation and prosecution of war-era crimes as the country marks the 12th anniversary of the signing of Comprehensive Peace Accord this week. YEREVAN. Artur Vanetsyan, Director of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, on Monday declined to comment on the course of the ongoing investigation along the lines of the criminal case into the wiretapped telephonic conversation between him and Special Investigation Service Head Sasun Khachatryan. I cant say anything, Vanetsyan told reporters. The Investigative Committee is examining the case, expertise examinations have been commissioned; the Investigative Committee will give explanations. And when asked about course of the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan, the NSS chief said an operative work was being carried out, and specific announcements would be made once this work was completed. Artur Vanetsyan did not offer any other comments. In their wiretapped telephonic conversation which was posted on the internet on September 11, Vanetsyan and Khachatryan were discussing some particulars of the criminal cases which have been launched into the events that had occurred in capital city Yerevan in March 2008. Also, they had mentioned the name of the judge who later granted the petition to remand second President Robert Kocharyan in custody along the lines of a criminal case into those events. Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan was charged within the framework of the criminal case into the tragic events that transpired in capital city Yerevan on March 1 and 2, 2008and under Article 300.1 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; that is, breaching Armenias constitutional order, in conspiracy with others. On July 27, Kocharyan was remanded in custody for two months by a court decision. But on August 13, the Court of Appeal granted Robert Kocharyans legal defenders appeal to commute the first-instance courts decision on remanding their client in custody, and Kocharyan was released from courtroom on the grounds that he had presidential immunity. Both the Prosecutor Generals Office and the defense, however, appealed this decision. In addition, the defense argued that there were other grounds too for the release of their client. On March 1 and 2, 2008, the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the then recent presidential election. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day. Flying on empty Privatisation is a must to steer NAC away from turbulence Story Highlights Less than half of Nicaraguans feel safe walking alone where they live Confidence in police has dropped 17 percentage points in 2018 In El Salvador, majorities continue to report local gang activity WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Donald Trump last week signed a proclamation that will make it tougher for migrants -- like those from Central America who are slowly making their way toward the U.S. border -- to seek asylum in the U.S. But the caravan of migrants and asylum seekers -- though now smaller than when it began -- is continuing to press on. The challenge of getting to the U.S. may be worth it to those seeking safer conditions than the ones they are leaving behind. For the past decade, feelings of safety in many of these countries and the broader region have lagged behind the rest of the world. Although Nicaraguans make up a small part of the main caravan, their willingness to make the trip draws attention to the increasing feelings of insecurity back home. Nicaragua stands out as the only country among four in Central America where confidence in police and feelings of safety when walking alone are currently below 50%. Nicaraguans' feelings of safety have never been particularly high at any point in the past decade, and in 2018, less than half of residents in the country (46%) say they feel safe walking alone at night in their area and 40% express confidence in local police. Police crackdowns on anti-government protesters -- which have resulted in hundreds of deaths since the protests began in April -- likely did not help security perceptions. Currently, both measures mark new lows in Gallup's 12-year trend for Nicaragua. Drug Trafficking, Gang Activity and Murders in Central America In addition to the political strife, many residents in these countries share their neighborhoods with gangs and drug traffickers. In Nicaragua, for example, about one in three residents reported in 2017 that there are gangs (35%) and drug trafficking (32%) in their local areas. In Honduras, from where the caravan originated in a crime-ridden city rife with gang warfare, more than one in five in 2017 reported local drug trafficking (21%), while one in four said there are gangs in their area (26%). Meanwhile, nearly one in five (18%) say that a close friend or relative has been murdered in the past year. Reports of Gangs, Drug Trafficking and Murder in Central America in 2017, by Country Are there gangs in the area where you live? Is there illicit drug trafficking or drug sales in the area where you live? Within the last 12 months, have you had a relative or close friend murdered? Gangs Drug trafficking Murder % Yes % Yes % Yes El Salvador 54 19 13 Guatemala 37 19 12 Honduras 26 21 18 Nicaragua 35 32 4 Gallup World Poll, 2017 Reports of knowing a murder victim are also fairly high in Guatemala and El Salvador, where more than one in 10 say they know a friend or relative who has been murdered in the past 12 months. Majorities Have Reported Gang Activity in El Salvador for Three Years While Nicaraguans are most likely to report drug trafficking among the four Central American countries that have made up the caravan, gang presence is highest in El Salvador, where most residents (54%) say there are gangs in the area where they live. Gang violence in El Salvador has grown over the decade Gallup has tracked this measure. Compared with about a quarter of residents reporting gangs in their local areas in 2007 to 2009, this figure has at least doubled in recent years, with majorities of residents reporting local gang activity in 2015 through 2017. Bottom Line The caravan of migrants and asylum seekers has become a flashpoint in U.S. politics, a symbol Trump has used to support his mission to beef up border security and enforcement. Though legal asylum in the U.S. remains unlikely for many migrants as Trump doubles down, a variety of conditions back home make the trip worth the gamble. For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. Foreign Minister Gyawali invites expatriates to invest in Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, who is on an official visit to Japan, has called on the Nepali diaspora to invest in Nepal. Turtles are amazing creatures, found around the world in tropical and subtropical waters. They play a vital role in marine ecosystem health and have been in the ocean for more than 100 million years. They are an understandably popular dive and photography choice and you can dive with them at a variety of top liveaboard diving destinations. 1. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia Six of the seven species of sea turtle can be seen at the Great Barrier Reef, where they feed and nest. The best way to go turtle spotting is during a liveaboard cruise to the outer reef, where youll typically dive Ribbon and Osprey reefs. Both of these stunning reefs are great places to see green, hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles. Keep your eyes open for the less commonly seen Olive Ridley and leatherback sea turtles as well. The MV Spoilsport Australia offers special Turtle Spectacular safaris in November each year to explore the far northern reefs. These safaris include a visit to Raine Island, which has been a green turtle nesting site for over 1,000 years. Thousands of turtles return to Raine Island to lay their eggs in the warm sands each year. 2. Galapagos Islands The Galapagos green sea turtle is the only type of green sea turtle that nests on the beaches of the Galapagos Islands. These turtles have a slightly darker and more domed shell than green sea turtles. Cabo Marshall and Cabo Douglas are both good dive sites for sea turtle sightings and there are plenty of other marine life highlights to enjoy at this world-class dive destination. Read more about diving the Galapagos. 3. Thailand The Similan Islands are home to some of the best dive sites in Thailand and include thriving reefs, submerged boulders and stunning rock formations. This is a great destination to encounter green sea turtles whilst also enjoying marine life such as whale sharks, manta rays and more. The Surin Islands are less accessible and, as such, are a sought after liveaboard diving destination. The healthy reefs at these islands have huge numbers of green and hawksbill turtles. The Whale liveaboard caters for just 12 guests and offers safaris to the Similan Islands, as well as other North and South Andaman dive destinations. 4. Sipadan, Malaysia Sipadan Island, Malaysia is known for a high aggregation of green sea turtles year round and there is a high concentration of mating green turtles there during each August. Diving with these reptiles while they mate is a unique experience for any turtle fan. Sipadan is a tropical destination, with fairly easy dive conditions making it suitable for divers of all levels. The marine life is abundant, and there are colourful and vibrant reefs with hundreds of species of fish. Grand Cayman benefits from the Turtle Centre. Here they breed turtles in captivity, transporting their eggs to beaches and burying them to replicate what happens in nature. The baby turtles make their way down to the sea, increasing the population which later return to islands waters. The Cayman Islands should be included in your list as well. The Cayman's are well known for their healthy turtle population. You'll mostly see Hawksbill Sea Turtles but you'll get the occasional Green Sea Turtle. Cayman Islands have it all ????? pic.twitter.com/E6TrJA5rUq Johnathan Williams (@John_Scuba_12) December 4, 2018 There are more great destinations to go swimming with sea turtles. Find out all about them in The Top 5 Places to Dive with Sea Turtles. This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com Photo Credits: Tim Nicholson, David Collins, Matt Kieffer, Shane Myers International support must for Nepal to fight climate change: Experts Experts, discussion negotiators and a group of stakeholders working in the field of climate change have urged the government to strive for securing financial and technological support from the international community in its fight against climate change. Man makes failed suicide bid after killing wife, son A 49-year-old man murdered his wife and son before he attempted to kill himself at Tribeni Rural Municipality-1 in Rukum on Sunday. Medical Education Bill likely to pass this winter session The Education and Health Committee of Parliament has assured to endorse the Medical Education Bill as soon as the House opens for winter session. Naya Shakti supports Pant couple Naya Shakti Party Nepal has expressed its solidarity to the indefinite sit-in launched by Nirmala Pants parents in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur. Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade. No monkeying around Proper planning is required to mitigate conflict between wild animals and people Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo drove to from Devon to London the day she passed her driving test - and didn't return home for a week. The 'Made in Chelsea' star grew up in the countryside but longed to live in the city so seized the opportunity to head to the UK capital as soon as she could. Speaking on the Outspoken Beauty podcast, she said: "I passed my driving test within about two months of turning 17. "And I remember I passed and it was a Monday of half term and I got in the car and I drove straight up to Central London from Devon - that was on the same day, I promise. "Yes I grew up in Devon, but gosh I wanted to be in the city I was like 'Finally I've got my freedom see you later!' And I didn't come home for a week. "I remember seeing the congestion charge sign and being like, 'Oh my goodness how exciting I'm going into this new thing.' And of course, driving in Devon is very different to London but yeah just loved it." Although the 24-year-old television personality left the seaside town of Torquay, she returned this weekend to switch on the town's Christmas lights - and seemed to have a good night after raving about how good her food was. Toff took to both Twitter and Instagram to tell her followers just how amazing her kebab was and decided the man who made it deserved a knighthood. On Twitter, she said: "I've actually decided that the man who made my kebab last night needs either a knighthood or Michelin star, wow it was just delicious." 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. Riley Keough will make her debut as Laurie Lake in the 7th episode of #Riverdale titled "The Man in Black". It will air on December 5th. Here's the synopsis: #RileyKeough pic.twitter.com/WwhBQF4BP7 RILEY-KEOUGH.COM (@rileykeoughcom) November 16, 2018 Missed out on the Supernatural 300th party last night because I was on set shooting a gay makeout, which has no deeper metaphorical resonance whatsoever so dont go looking Britta Lundin (@brittashipsit) November 17, 2018 The gay makeout made me cry, it was very good! Britta Lundin (@brittashipsit) November 17, 2018 Gina Gershon and Trinity Likins won't appear as Gladys and Jellybean until Dec 12, the mid-season finale. They seem to be in Riverdale as of 3x12 as Gina posted about filming with Skeet and commented about getting to work with Camila--- It was previously announced that Riley Keough will appear on Riverdale, and it turns out she's part of 3x07 which is another anthology episodeAirs December 5 --- Nathalie Boltt has been testing her skills behind the camera and recently got to direct an episode of Damon Wayans' CBS sitcom Happy Together--- If you were wondering what would happen to Attorney McCoy since Robin Givens has joined two other shows in larger roles, she'll probably just juggle the three of them. It's not like Riverdale was using her that much anyways. Get those frequent flyer miles!--- Britta Lundin, author of Ship It, fan of Supernatural and writer on Riverdale recently teased a gay makeout scene in her episode for Riverdale that made her cry.Now to immediately deflate your hope, neither Vanessa nor Madelaine are in Vancouver for filming. So it seems this makeout will involve Kevin unless the show really wants to surprise us.But who will he be making out with? Well, despite joining another show, Cody recently posted about being on the Riverdale set. And as for the scene making the writer cry, the actor playing Major Mason also posted a picture in costume so OP believes Kevin and Moose will be making out, and this episode might involve Moose coming out. source: 1 While OPEC is considering cutting oil production again, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, called on Monday for common sense because fresh cuts could have negative effects on the oil market. Currently markets are very well supplied but we should not forget that spare capacity in Saudi Arabia is very thin, therefore cutting the production significantly today by key oil producers may have some negative implications for the markets and further tightening the markets, Reuters quoted Birol as saying at a news conference in Bratislava. My appeal to all producers and consumers across the world is to have common sense in these difficult days, the IEAs executive director said. In its Oil Market Report for November published last week, the IEA said that surging production from the worlds biggest oil producers have more than offset Iranian and Venezuelan supply losses, while demand growth in some developing markets is slowing, pointing to a global oil oversupply next year. Despite the implied surplus in oil supply next year, the IEA doesnt see the oversupply as a threat to the markets. Although the oil market appears to be more relaxed than it was a few weeks ago, and there might be a sense of mission accomplished that producers have met the challenge of replacing lost barrels, such is the volatility of events that rising stocks should be welcomed as a form of insurance, rather than a threat, the IEA said in its report. After the latest plunge in oil prices in recent weeks and after supply-demand analysis started to suggest that an oversupply may be building, OPEC and its de facto leader Saudi Arabia have started to hint at new production cuts, with speculation ranging from cuts of 1 million bpd to as much as 1.4 million bpd. OPEC and allies meet in early December in Vienna, where they are set to discuss the state of the oil market and potential new oil production policies. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After declining by more than 20 percent from the October peak, oil prices are showing some signs that they have now bottomed out. WTI hit a low point at $56 per barrel on Wednesday and Brent hit a low just below $65 per barrel. Both crude benchmarks regained some ground at the end of the week, despite the huge increase in U.S. crude oil inventories. In fact, rising prices in the face of the 10-million-barrel increase in crude stocks suggests that oil may have already hit a bottom. [Y]esterdays price reaction to the US inventory data shows that negative news is now largely priced in, Commerzbank said in a note. This is the only way to explain why an increase in US crude oil stocks of a good 10 million barrels failed to put further pressure on prices. At the same time, crude stocks have now climbed for eight consecutive weeks, surely a sign that the market is decidedly back in a surplus situation. That is bearish, to be sure, and helps explain the collapse in oil prices over the past month. But it also significantly increases the odds of a response from the OPEC+ coalition in early December. [W]e believe oil is oversold and will likely bounce up from the current levels, as OPEC+ dials back production in December, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note on Wednesday. The bank said that it no longer sees Brent rising to $95 per barrel next year, as it previously thought, noting that oil bulls have capitulated and so have we. Related: Its Time For Big Oil To Start Spending However, the liquidation of net-long positioning by hedge funds and other money managers has taken a lot of pressure out of the market. As a result, there is more room on the upside once again. [T]he oil market is a lot cleaner now from a positioning standpoint. Given that inventories are still not too high, we believe oil prices should find some support from a fundamental perspective, BofAML wrote. Barclays pointed to some fundamentals to suggest that things arent as bad as they seem. For instance, OECD stocks in terms of days of demand cover, remain below the five-year average. Based on our balances, we expect the amount of inventories in the OECD on a days of demand cover basis to remain supportive of prices through the end of next year, Barclays said in a note. Moreover, the waivers on Iran sanctions are temporary, and even though the U.S. was more lenient than expected, Iran should continue to lose exports in the months ahead. Indeed, the recent price crash actually gives the Trump administration a lot more room to work with, and it can take a harder line with the eight countries it granted waivers to the next time around. Oil Prices Crash, But Oil Majors Arent Panicking Finally, lower prices could shut in marginal supply and stimulate demand. Barclays even suggests that Iran may step up threats on the Strait of Hormuz because of lower prices, while Venezuela might lose output at a faster rate. Still, a price increase from current levels hinges on action from OPEC+. Saudi Arabia has already signaled that it intends to lower exports by 500,000 bpd in December, and that further action might be forthcoming from OPEC+. Russian officials told Reuters that they are not enthusiastic about the 1.4-million-barrel-per-day cut that was reported in the media, but that they might sign on to something more on the order of 1 mb/d. These rumors tend to drive the market and the price gains seen on Thursday and Friday may have been somewhat driven by rising expectations of OPEC+ action. As these things go, oil traders buy and sell on the rumor. More specifically, the 500,000-bpd Saudi cut is already being priced into the market, and the potential 1-mb/d cut from OPEC+ collectively is now increasingly being factored into the market as well. Because there are now rumors of a cut as large as 1.4 mb/d, the 1 mb/d option could take on a middle-of-the-road option. Anything less will be a huge disappointment and could drag oil prices back down. The IEA noted that the global supply surplus could rise to as much as 2 mb/d in the first half of 2019 based on the trajectory of the current fundamentals. It will require OPEC+ action to head that off. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Irans president Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the country will continue to export oil despite fresh U.S. sanctions, which he described as psychological war doomed to failure. We will not yield to this pressure which is part of the psychological war launched against Iran, he said on state TV. They have failed to stop our oil exports. We will keep exporting it ... Your regional policies have failed and you blame Iran for that failure from Afghanistan to Yemen and Syria, he added, to chants of Death to America!. Rouhani also said that the U.S. lacked international support for its sanctions against Iran. America is isolated now. Iran is supported by many countries. Except for the Zionist regime (Israel) and some countries in the region, no other country backs Americas pressure on Iran, he said. Though Rouhani is right that other countries have not supported fresh U.S. sanctions against his country, he is also failing to address that EU support, strongest in the early days after President Trump announced impending sanctions in May, lost steam as Tehran demanded more than the EU, as either a body, or individually, could give. Iran also hurts its case with most EU members last month when Danish authorities accused Iranian agents of attempting to carry out a plot to assassinate an Iranian-Arab opposition figure on Danish soil. "An Iranian intelligence agency has planned an assassination on Danish soil. This is completely unacceptable. In fact, the gravity of the matter is difficult to describe. That has been made crystal clear to the Iranian ambassador in Copenhagen today," Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, said in a statement at the time. Iran hurts its own cause Not only has the EU been mostly powerless to help Iran offset U.S. sanctions, but Rouhanis rhetoric today is little more than chest beating, while also missing the obvious. The main reason that Iran is still exporting much of its oil is attributed to the U.S. allowing eight importers a waiver for importing Iranian crude to allow global oil markets a so-called adjustment period. Related: Russias Most Powerful Oilman: We're Fine With Any Oil Price However, given the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing which is also hurting economic growth not only in China but worldwide, especially in emerging markets, and with the U.S. opening up its oil production spigots, markets arent in dire need any more for Iranian barrels that will be lost due to sanctions. The U.S. is now pumping an unprecedented 11.6 million barrel per day (bpd) of oil, with that number projected to increase going forward, a spike of 2 million bpd from the same period last year, and 400,000 barrels from the week earlier, based on weekly U.S. government data. Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that US production could grow to 12.1 million bpd on average next year. Russian oil production is also spiking, much to the dismal of OPEC and Saudi energy planners who have watched oil market mastery continue to slip out of their hands with renewed power from both US and Russian producers. In October, Russia produced 11.4 million bod, a post-Soviet high. However, Saudi Arabian production, the third part of a new oil production trinity, has also recently increased. In October, the kingdom said its oil production hit a record 10.7 million bpd in order to offset the loss of Iranian barrels. It now appears that a Saudi-lead OPEC will try to push for oil production cuts of between 1 million to 1.4 million bpd to reign in an approaching over supply scenario with a likely corresponding drop in prices. Russia waffles over output deal However, there also signs that Moscow this time around may not be interested in another OPEC/non-OPEC production cut similar to the one orchestrated in early 2017 to drain down Related: Can We Expect A Major Rebound In Oil Prices? then high oil inventory levels, and to resuscitate prices that dropped from over $100 per barrel in mid-2014 to under $30 per barrel in January 2016. On Thursday, Reuters, citing inside sources, said that for now Russia wants to stay out of any oil-production cuts being touted by some of its partners in an OPEC-led supply pact. Adding more uncertainty over Russias direction, on Monday Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia, which is not an OPEC member, planned to sign a partnership agreement with the group, and that details would be discussed at OPEC's December 6 meeting in Vienna. Yet, even if OPEC and Russia trim production around 1 million bpd collectively, it might still not be enough to drain down global supplies for long if U.S. production spikes to 12.1 million bpd on average next year and demand growth for oil going forward, especially in emerging markets hurt by exorbitant oil prices and a robust U.S. dollar which increase oil prices, persist - coming full circle to Rouhanis assertion that U.S. sanctions are doomed to failure. On the contrary, sanctions have already put Iran's economy in a tail spin, and largely devalued its currency, something that the U.S. designed long ago when it decided to reimpose sanctions. Moreover, global oil markets will also be able to survive, even thrive, with the loss of Iranian barrels due to those vary sanctions. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A month after President Donald Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions on Tehrans oil, Irans archrival and OPECs de facto leader Saudi Arabia got in June its Arab Gulf fellow cartel members and OPEC+ deal partner Russia on board to start pumping more oil to offset the expected loss of Iranian supply. Just five months later, Saudi Arabia and OPEC are hinting at a fresh oil production cut, as rising production and signs of waning demand growth point to oversupply next year. The oil market and analystswho were questioning just two months ago the Saudi and Russian ability to offset expected steep Iranian lossesare now thinking that OPEC and its allies reacted too early to come to the rescue of global oil supply. Analysts say that President Trump, intentionally or not, duped the Saudis into overproducing to compensate for what was expected to surely be more than 1 million bpd and even close to 2 million bpd loss from Iran. The Saudis and Russia actually never said that they were compensating for Irantheir goal, as always, was to ensure market stability, OPECs favorite buzzword. All through the summer and early fall, the United States was hinting that this time around sanctions will be more severe than during the Obama administration and that the goal was to have Iranian oil exports down to zero. In reality, few thought that Irans exports would be zero at the start of November, but the oil market and analysts started to fear that the Iranian loss would be much more than anticipated earlier. As a result, the market welcomed the rising production from Saudi Arabia and Russia, and even questioned whether that would be enough. Oil prices jumped to four-year highs, with Brent Crude hitting $86 in early October, a month before the U.S. sanctions on Iran snapped back. But those higher oil prices started to weigh on the crude import bill of many emerging markets, especially the worlds third-largest oil importer India, aggravated by sliding local currencies against the U.S. dollar. Add to this the escalating U.S.-China trade war, which started to weigh on global economic and oil demand growth prospects, and the fear of a supply crunch flipped into fear of waning demand. In just two months, the key question among market participants and analysts also flipped from are they pumping enough to arent they overproducing. Then came the start of the U.S. sanctions on Iran, and with it, waivers to eight Iranian oil customersincluding the biggest buyers China and Indiadue to the specific countries circumstances and to ensure a well-supplied oil market, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Related: Natural Gas Markets Remain Ultra Tight The sanctions on Iran and the U.S. waivers came on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections. President Trump saw U.S. gasoline prices drop to a six-month low the week before the elections. As analysts say, few things really terrify an American president more than surging fuel prices. According to analysts who spoke to CNBC, the Saudis were tricked into pumping more in expectation of severe Iranian losses and a determined U.S. stance on waivers and bringing Irans exports to zero. Irans exports are down, by around 1 million bpd from May, but some 1.2 million bpd-1.5 million bpd is probably still out there flowing to Tehrans customerscompared to estimates that 1.5 million bpd and even 2 million bpd of exports would be choked off. The Saudis were duped into boosting oil production, Matt Smith, head of commodities research at ClipperData, told CNBC. Related: Oil Prices Rise As Saudis Cut Exports Theyve really done a good job of decreasing that oil price, but it has been at the expense of some of those relations there, because surely the Saudis have got to be pretty unhappy with the way things have played out here, Smith said. The Saudis are now hinting of another U-turna new cut next year. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih reiterated that we need to do whatever it takes to balance the market, but Russia is reportedly reluctant to join another collective reduction in supply. President Trump is not hinting anything at allhe said prices should be even lower in his latest tweet aimed at OPEC this weekHopefully, Saudi Arabia and OPEC will not be cutting oil production. Oil prices should be much lower based on supply! The next full OPEC meeting at which production policy decisions could be taken is taking place in the first week of December. Were in for an interesting two and a half weeks of rumors, leaks, hints, and comments from Saudi Arabia and Russia, and probably from President Trump. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nigerias opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar promises to boost Nigerian upstream oil and gas production and downstream production by attracting more investments, if he is elected president in the February elections. Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will run against incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari, under whose watch Nigerias economy suffered from the low oil prices that reduced export revenues. Nigerias oil industry also suffered from vandalism and militant attacks on oil infrastructure in most of 2016 and early 2017. Abubakar, who unveiled his policy plan on Monday, pledges more transparency and efficiency in the management of the institutions in the oil and gas industry. If elected president, Abubakars federal government will work to create an incentive regime to grow oil and gas resource bases, re-consider the introduction of bid rounds for marginal fields and bid rounds for blocks. Inventors will be incentivized to tap unexploited resources in the mature Niger Delta Basin through policies that will encourage infill drilling, enhanced oil recovery, improved oil recovery, pressure maintenance, and full-field delineation and development. Exploration of the frontier areas inland will also be incentivized, Abubakar says. The candidate will also incentivize the building of modular refineries in the northern parts of Nigeria, and partially privatize the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), according to his plan. If elected, Abubakar also pledges to deploy modern technology in pipeline surveillance and other security enhancements. The candidate promises to intensify the governments dialog with the local communities in the oil-production areas. Last week, Abubakar said that Niger Delta communities could keep all of the revenues that the oil-rich province produces. In an interview with the Africa Report, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar suggested that a sharing scheme might still be better for everyone. According to some observers, Abubakar would be the biggest threat for Buharis second term. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The UKs Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt is visiting Tehran this week to discuss, among other things, the nuclear deal that Iran agreed to sign with six world powers back in 2015, which President Trump pulled out of in May this year. Reuters reports, citing Iranian media, that Hunt will meet with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, an ally of Irans Supreme Ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The visit, a first since Hunt took office, comes two weeks after U.S. sanctions against Tehran snapped back, with President Trump repeatedly saying he was unhappy with the 2015 deal and demanding that Iran curbed its missile development program and stopped its involvement in Middle East conflicts, notably the Syrian war. The European signatories of the dealthe UK, France, and Germanyhave been actively trying to find ways to make sure Iran sticks to the agreement, doubling down on these efforts after Tehran threatened to revive its nuclear program after the United States exit if the European Union signatories failed to find a way to continue buying Iranian crude oil after the U.S. sanctions returned. The other two signatories to the deal, Russia and China, have already made it clear that they will continue to support their ally in the Middle East, including by buying its crude and helping Tehran find ways to sell the commodity abroad, circumventing the sanctions. The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive, Jeremy Hunt said in a statement before his departure for Tehran. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces, he also said in the statement. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Mainland Chinese companies tarnished by regulatory breaches or two straight years of losses fell on Monday, as regulators ratcheted up efforts to crack down on wrongdoings among listed firms and speculative trading with tougher delisting rules. A gauge tracking 86 such companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses dropped as much as 1.5 per cent on Monday before closing 0.4 per cent lower, while the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.9 per cent. The Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges said on Friday night that they will for the first time force companies that commit major violations, such as endangering state security, public safety, ecological safety and work safety to delist, effective immediately. Among the decliners, Tianma Bearing Group, Shandong Longlive Bio-technology and China Security & Fire all slid by the 5 per cent daily limit, the maximum movement allowed for the special treatment (ST) stocks the group of companies that have suffered two straight years of losses, have unusual financial conditions or have been fined for regulatory violation. The regulator isnt too happy about the heavily speculative mood on the ST sector, said Dai Ming, a fund manager at Hengsheng Asset Management in Shanghai. The case of Changsheng Bio-technology offers a perfect case for the regulator to roll out tougher rules on delisting. The unveiling of the supplementary delisting rules is a follow-up measure in response to the severe law breaches by Shenzhen-listed Changsheng Bio-technology, which was found in July to have falsified data on rabies vaccines and has drawn the attention of President Xi Jinping who ordered a thorough probe into the case. Troubled Chinese vaccine maker Changsheng faces delisting for endangering public security under revised rules Even as Changsheng lost almost a total of 90 per cent of its market value over the past six months, the stock has seen frantic trading recently, with the share price jumping 41 per cent over the past seven days. The company has been suspended from trading since Monday pending the Shenzhen exchanges final decision on whether to cancel its listing status. Story continues The Chinese stock-market regulator has been long criticised for being lax with firms that do not actually meet standards required of listed companies. The leniency has fostered widespread speculation, particularly among retail investors, on unprofitable or poorly managed companies. The case of Changsheng Bio-technology offers a perfect case for the regulator to roll out tougher rules on delisting Dai Ming, Hengsheng Asset Management Chinese traders prefer to wager on these stocks, or so-called shell companies that are often ramped up significantly because of rumours about becoming reverse-merger targets. ST stocks are typical of such speculative sentiment, even though their classification by regulators was meant as a warning against investing in these counters. On the contrary, the sector has become a hotbed to bet on which company may be picked as a shell for back-door listing. The regulators tougher stance on delisting would curb speculative demand among retail investors, according to Citic Securities which added that such speculation was unsustainable. In the new delisting rules, companies found guilty of financial fraud in their initial public offerings will be banned from re-listing forever. Companies that are delisted for other reasons need to trade in the over-the-counter market for five years before they can apply for re-listing. Two Shenzhen-traded companies Geeya Technology and Jiangsu Yabaite Technology have said they would fall immediate victims to the new delisting rules. Geeya Technology, a ChiNext-listed company, issued a statement warning investors of the risk of investing in its shares on Friday night because of frauds in its IPO, while Jiangsu Yabaite put out a similar filing as it was found to have inflated revenues and earnings in 2015. Both stocks were halted from trading on Monday. This article Chinas regulator gets tougher on firms for major law breaches and frauds, sending special treatment stocks tumbling first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte dismissed from service three officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a top Palace official confirmed on Monday, November 19.The President terminated PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte dismissed from service three officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a top Palace official confirmed on Monday, November 19. The President terminated the appointments of DSWD undersecretaries Maria Lourdes Turalde-Jarabe (Promotive Operations and Programs Group), Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa (Protective Operations and Programs Group), and Hope Hervilla (Disaster Response Management Group). Jarabe, Templa and Hervilla, prior to their appointment in 2016, were part of different left-leaning groups. Jarabe served as former secretary general of Gabriela Women's Party, while Hervilla was a former Bayan Muna regional chairman. Ancheta-Templa was a member of Forum of Women for Action with Rody Duterte. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea clarified in a text message sent to Palace reporters that the dismissal of the three DSWD executives had nothing to do with their affiliation to the communist group, which has acrid ties with Duterte following its moribund peace talks with the government. Medialdea said their removal from office was meant to ensure "formation of a good team" within the DSWD. He said the executive was expecting the new head of the DSWD, Secretary Rolando Bautista, to form his own team. "We expect the new secretary to bring his own team to provide better services to the public," Medialdea said, referring to Bautista whose appointment paper was inked last October 17. On November 16, Duterte announced that he would fire another government official. It was, however, not clear if he was referring to the three DSWD undersecretaries. In a separate statement on Monday, November 19, the DSWD announced that the three undersecretaries already vacated their posts since November 14. The DSWD said Templa and Jarabe quit their respective posts following orders from Malacanang. Hervilla, on the other hand, stepped down after Duterte accepted her resignation. (SunStar Philippines) RPP leaders appeal for solidarity Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders have appealed for solidarity among leaders of the three pro-Hindu parties for their swift unification. To end the trade war, China must deliver on its promises to reform and open up China should fully commit to reform and opening up if it wants to resolve its trade tensions with the United States, while both sides should face the reality of their changing relationship, business leaders and diplomatic observers said. Beijings dispute with Washington was not formed in one day and would not be easy to resolve, said He Ning, a former Chinese commerce ministry official dealing with US issues. But Beijing should reflect on whether it had truly delivered on the promises it made on joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2001, he said at a forum organised by the Centre for China and Globalisation over the weekend in Sanya, in southern Chinas Hainan province. Over the decades, our thoughts on reform and opening up should have been updated. The economic growth and better standards of living [achieved] should have provided very solid evidence [of the need] to continue with reforms and opening up, he said. But in fact, during internal government discussions in recent years on topics such as free-trade agreements there had been a resistance to further opening up. He said it reminded him of the situation almost two decades ago when Beijing was seeking to join the WTO and some officials were reluctant to open up the nations markets to the outside world. Im a bit sad, He said. Hes assessment echoes the long-standing grievances of foreign firms operating in China, which have repeatedly accused the government of dragging its feet on easing market access and reforming state firms to provide a more level playing field. Their complaints have also been fuel for US President Donald Trump in the trade war. Whether we can continue to deepen the reforms matters in tackling China-US conflicts, He said. When we think of competition we cant only think about our own benefits, but also [we must consider] common interests. Only when we can do that and all can share in the fruits of Chinas economic development will we have a better business environment and improved trade relationships. Story continues While Beijing has promised a number of measures to improve market access, there slow implementation has left the foreign business community mostly unimpressed. At the same forum, William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said Beijing might announce more policies when the top leadership gathered next month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the countrys reform and opening up. He said that if China could swiftly introduce comprehensive and sweeping policies it would get us close to a reciprocal [trading] environment. This is not going to solve all problems, but is going to start to dislodge the lockjaw and change the momentum, he said. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a trade war since July, and have imposed punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of each others products. The US is also wary of Chinas efforts to develop its hi-tech sectors and has raised the bar for would-be Chinese investors in its technology industry. While Beijing has agreed to buy more US goods to reduce its trade surplus, it has refrained from dramatically overhauling its industrial policies as Washington has requested. Their disputes also go beyond trade. In their speeches at the Apec summit in Papua New Guinea on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice-President Mike Pence exchanged barbs on sensitive trade and geopolitical issues. David Zweig, director of the Centre on Chinas Transnational Relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said at the Sanya gathering that an important part of Chinas reform and opening up had been the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the US and that the engagement had benefited both sides greatly. But in the US recently, support for further engagement had waned, he said. There are problems in both camps. [But] the ball largely lies in Chinas camp, to convince the United States that there are real opportunities but there [needs to be] serious reforms within China, he said. Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, agreed that while not all the accusations levelled against it were fair or genuine, China should seriously consider its trading partners concerns. As long as the risks were controllable, China should take great leaps to adjust its trade policy, reform and open up, so as to demobilise our rivals, he said this week. In a bid to reach a ceasefire in the trade war, China has offered to buy more natural gas from the US and improve protection for intellectual property rights, a source said. Jake Parker, vice-president for China operations at the US-China Business Council, said in Sanya that he was optimistic about a planned meeting between Xi and Trump in Buenos Aires in two weeks. He expected the two leaders to reach an agreement to at least delay the introduction of any new tariffs, but his outlook for the long term is more pessimistic. China had yet to deliver on its promises, he said, adding that industrial policies, such as Made in China 2025 and the continued subsidisation of state firms would perpetuate the unfair trading environment and lead to overcapacity. After six months of deliberate negotiations, we are going to realise that [these] problems are not going to be resolved immediately, he said. These are challenges of how our economic system operates, and there is not going to be a fundamental and major shift in that period of negotiations. It is going to lead to changes in what the US expects or wants. Beijing must fully implement the promises of reforms it had made to date, Parker said. It wont solve the US-China relationship, but it will put it on a trajectory towards continuous negotiations, which is exactly what we need. This article To end the trade war, China must deliver on its promises to reform and open up first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Automaker Nissan on Monday accused its chairman Carlos Ghosn of "significant acts of misconduct" including underreporting his salary and said it would move to fire him, as reports emerged he faced arrest in Tokyo. In a statement, Nissan said it had been conducting a probe into Ghosn for several months after receiving a whistleblower report and had uncovered misconduct going back several years. The statement came after local media reported that Ghosn was being questioned Monday night by prosecutors in Tokyo and was expected to be arrested on violation of financial regulations including misreporting his income. The Tokyo prosecutor's office had no comment on reports it was questioning Ghosn, who also heads an alliance of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. In its statement, Nissan said it had launched an investigation into both Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation," the statement said. "Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kelly's deep involvement has also been confirmed." The company said it had provided information to Japanese prosecutors and would propose to the board of directors that it "promptly remove Ghosn from his positions" along with Kelly. The astonishing news first emerged early Monday evening, when the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported Ghosn was being questioned by prosecutors and was likely to face arrest. Public broadcaster NHK reported that Tokyo prosecutors were raiding Nissan's headquarters in the city of Yokohama. Renault shares plunged 12 percent in late-morning trading in Paris on the shock news. "If he is arrested, it's going to rock the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as he is the keystone of the alliance," said Satoru Takada, an analyst at TIW, a Tokyo-based research and consulting firm. "He is the man of charisma for the alliance. It is likely to have a negative impact on its brand image," he told AFP. Nicknamed Le Cost Killer, Brazil-born Ghosn, 64, is known for overhauling Renault and Nissan starting in the nineties. Renault came to the rescue of the then-ailing Japanese automaker in 1999 and parachuted in Ghosn, who set about slashing costs and jobs in a huge corporate overhaul. In 2016, Ghosn also took charge at troubled Mitsubishi after Nissan threw it a lifeline, buying a one-third stake for about $2.2 billion as it wrestled with a mileage-cheating scandal that hammered sales. Ghosn has a high profile in Japan and is known as a major advocate of the country's auto sector. He has not yet commented on the allegations. CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma has urged the faithful to pray for the blessings they received in 2018 and for President Rodrigo Duterte.He appealed to the public not to cheer on the chief executives unflattering A MINDANAOAN lawmaker has filed a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to extend martial law in Mindanao for another six months. In his resolution, Iligan City Representative Frederick Siao cited initial reports of terrorist plots and the need to ensure peace, orderly and honest May 2019 elections in Mindanao." He also cited "sporadic incidents of violence in Mindanao such as the recent ambush in Lanao del Sur which resulted in the death of five Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents. House Resolution 2302 urges Duterte to extend martial law in Mindanao from January 1 to June 30, 2019. The President placed the entire Mindanao under martial law shortly after violence erupted in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur between the Maute Group and the government forces on May 23, 2017. The martial law proclamation, which has been extended twice, will last until December 31. Siao noted in his proposed resolution the reports from the intelligence services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police that there are Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) bomb experts positioned in some areas of Mindanao that are plotting to generate widespread panic and terror among the populace. It is urgently imperative that government authority must ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest May 2019 elections in Mindanao, including and especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and adjacent regions, to secure the integrity of the ballots and safety of voters and elections personnel and to ensure that the duly-elected officials are installed, reads the resolution. In a press statement, Siao said "the Isis, their collaborators among lawless armed groups, and the illegal drugs networks operating in Mindanao want to sow terror in pursuit of their twisted objectives. He said they also want to prevent some candidates from being elected into office. "After the elected officials assume office, the martial law can end and the Philippine National Police can reassume peace and order responsibilities in Mindanao and with the civilian elected officials by their side, Siao said. Story continues Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, in reaction to the claims of Siao, said the proposed martial law extension may be used to ensure the victory of administration candidates. "Nobyembre pa lang at Disyembre pa matatapos ang ini-extend na ngang Martial law, tapos ngayon ay gusto na naman nilang patagalin pa ang Martial law sa Mindanao. Ang mga ganitong pakana ay posibleng gamitin din para tiyakin na mananalo ang mga alyado ng administrasyon sa darating na eleksyon dahil kapag iniextend pa ang batas militar sa Mindanao ay siguradong aabutin ito ng eleksyon sa 2019, said Zarate. House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier said he will support President Rodrigo Duterte if he wishes to ask the Congress for another extension of martial law in Mindanao. (SunStar Philippines) Antarctica is covered with sastrugi -- concrete-hard snow drifts -- for thousands of miles in every direction. Credit: Kelly Brunt, National Science Foundation As the Antarctic ice sheet melts, warming of the atmosphere will be delayed by about a decade but sea level rise will accelerate, according to new research scheduled for advance online publication in the journal Nature. The study is the first to project how the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet will affect future climate, said first author Ben Bronselaer of the University of Arizona, adding that current climate models do not include the effects of melting ice on the global climate. The entire Earth will continue to warm, but the atmosphere will warm more slowly because more of the heat will be trapped in the ocean, he said "Warming won't be as bad as fast as we thought, but sea level rise will be worse," said Bronselaer, a postdoctoral research associate in the UA Department of Geosciences. Observations show that the Antarctic ice sheet has been melting faster in recent years. The UA-led team found that by the year 2100, sea level could rise as much as 10 inches more than the previous estimate of approximately 30 inches by 2100. "No one had looked at the big picture of what Antarctic ice sheet melting means for the global climate," he said. To figure out whether the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet would affect global climate, the research team modified one of the most current climate computer models to include the ice melt. Adding the melted ice into the team's model indicated that the global temperature would increase by 2 degrees C (3.6 F) by the year 2065, rather than the year 2053, the team writes. In addition to slowing warming and increasing sea level, the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet will change precipitation regimes because the tropical rain belt will shift north, said senior author Joellen Russell, who holds the Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair of Integrative Science and is an associate professor of geosciences at the UA. "Our projections indicate the tropical rain belt will shift toward the Northern Hemisphere, making it slightly wetter in the Northern Hemisphere and slightly drier in the Southern Hemisphere than previously predicted," Russell said. The team's research paper, "Change in future climate due to Antarctic meltwater," is scheduled for online publication in the journal Nature on Nov. 19. A complete list of coauthors and their affiliations is at the end of this release. The research is part of the National Science Foundation-funded Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) Project. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA also funded the research. Russell leads the part of SOCCOM that is charged with improving how the Southern Ocean is represented in the computer models of global climate. The Southern Ocean is the ocean that surrounds Antarctica. Researchers previously thought the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet would affect only sea level, not the entire climate system. To test that idea, Bronselaer ran a climate model with and without the ice- sheet melting included. The team included researchers from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey and from Princeton University. The scientists used NOAA GFDL's climate model called ESM2M and tested the simulation over the time period from 1950 to 2100. In addition, they set the level of greenhouse gas emissions for the 21st century using the scenario known as RCP8.5, sometimes called the "business-as-usual" scenario. Russell and Bronselaer were both surprised by their findings. They did not expect the Antarctic meltwater to affect the global climate system. Ocean circulation moves heat from the equator to the poles. The heat is then released into the atmosphere, Russell said. However, the team's new research reveals that the additional freshwater from the melting ice sheet acts like a lid on the waters around Antarctica and slows the release of heat. "It's the first new identified feedback on climate in 20 years," she said. "The melting delays warmingit's still warming but it will warm less steeply and give us another 15-year grace period." Another SOCCOM team that has deployed robotic floats throughout the Southern Ocean that are gathering temperature, salinity, and biological and chemical information about the ocean. Russell said her next steps are evaluating climate models against the observations from the SOCCOM floats to see what else the models might be missing. Explore further Study reveals new Antarctic process contributing to sea level rise and climate change More information: Ben Bronselaer et al, Change in future climate due to Antarctic meltwater, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Ben Bronselaer et al, Change in future climate due to Antarctic meltwater,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0712-z Antarctica's mountains, inlcuding these remnants of the Sarnoff Mountains in Marie Byrd Land, were formed by rivers before the continent became covered with ice, according to research from the University of Edinburgh and Durham University. Credit: University of Edinburgh/Durham University/Scottish Geographical Journal Antarctica's mountainous landscape was shaped by rivers rather than carved by glaciers as previously thought, a study has revealed. The continent's mountains and valleys, mostly covered by ice up to 4 kilometres thick, were formed millions of years ago, after Antarctica's landmass separated from that of Australia, India and Africa, but before it was inundated by an ice sheet, research suggests. The improved knowledge of how Antarctica's landscape evolved could be a vital aid to understanding how the ice sheet might respond to continued climate warming. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Durham University studied the landscape beneath the Antarctic ice sheet and compared it to the landscapes of the southern continents, to reconstruct how Antarctica's landscape would have looked before it was covered by ice. Their study shows that West Antarctica shares a similar landscape, and evolved in a similar way, to other regions including southern Africa, Australia and Madagascar. Characteristics such as river valleys, plains, mountain escarpments and basins are the same. Antarctica was formed following the break-up of an ancient supercontinent, known as Gondwana, which contained about half the world's land mass. The process, which shaped the lands of the southern hemisphere, began about 160-180 million years ago. Ice sheet formation on Antarctica began later, some 34 million years ago. The research, published in Scottish Geographical Journal, was funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council. Knowledge of the pre-glacial landscape helps determine where glaciers first formed. It also helps understand the nature of the ice sheet bed and the location of deep troughs carved into the land by present-day glaciers that affect the stability of the ice sheet, which is useful for forecasts. Professor David Sugden, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Geosciences, who led the study, said: "It is remarkable to stand on the slopes of a mountain in South Africa and realise that their exact equivalents lie preserved in ice in Antarctica. "The pre-glacial landscape of Antarctica is less well known than the surface of the Moon and Mars, and yet it plays a part in how the continent's ice sheet responds to global warming. Learning how it has evolved will help us to better forecast future changes." Dr. Stewart Jamieson, of the Department of Geography at Durham University, who took part in the study, said: "The research is an integral part of an effort by the scientific committee on Antarctic research to try to understand how the Antarctic Ice Sheet might respond to climates that are warmer than present." Explore further Antarctic study shows central ice sheet is stable since milder times More information: David E. Sugden et al, The pre-glacial landscape of Antarctica, Scottish Geographical Journal (2018). David E. Sugden et al, The pre-glacial landscape of Antarctica,(2018). DOI: 10.1080/14702541.2018.1535090 Credit: University of Central Florida In 1974, the Arecibo Observatory made history by beaming the most powerful radio message into deep space ever made. The famous Arecibo Message was designed by the AO 74's staff, led by Frank Drake, and with the help of the astronomer and famed science communicator Carl Sagan. It contained information about the human race and was intended to be our intergalactic calling card. "Our society and our technology have changed a lot since 1974," says Francisco Cordova, the director of the NSF-funded Arecibo Observatory. "So, if we were assembling our message today, what would it say? What would it look like? What one would need to learn to be able to design the right updated message from the earthlings? Those are the questions we are posing to young people around the world through the New Arecibo Message the global challenge." The NSF-funded facility, which is home to the largest fully operational radar telescope on the planet, will launch its online competition later today on the 44th anniversary of the original Arecibo message. Check out the observatory's website after 1 p.m. for details and today's Google doodle for more information about the first message. Organizers are seeking innovative ideas from global collaborative efforts of inter-generation, diverse and international teams of students to inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts and define the New Arecibo Message. But this will be no simple task. In order to get started, teams of up to 10 students in grades kindergarten through college, must decode various clues that will be released online. Like a Chinese puzzle box, teams must learn about Space Sciences, break coded messages and solve brain-puzzles to qualify, get instructions, register and then submit their entries. Arecibo will post its first puzzle on its website and social media channels this afternoon (Nov. 16). This challenge gives teams nine months to complete their designs. A winner will be announced during the Arecibo Observatory Week activities planned for 2019, which includes the special celebration of the 45th anniversary of the original Arecibo Message. "We have quite a few surprises in store for participants and we will be sharing more details as the competition progresses," Cordova says. "We can't wait to see what our young people across the globe come up with." Explore further A new search for extrasolar planets from the Arecibo Observatory A graphical depiction how mitochondrial TIM transfer-chaperones use multiple clamp-like binding sites to transport membrane protein substrates in elongated, nascent chain like conformation through the mitochondrial intermembrane space. The image depicts this principle by showing two 'dodecapuses' holding a sea snake with multiple of their tentacles. Credit: Yong Wang (Lindorff-Larsen lab) and Wei Chen Working in cooperation with international colleagues, researchers from the University of Freiburg have described how water-insoluble membrane proteins are transported through the aqueous space between the mitochondrial membranes with the aid of chaperone proteins. The membrane proteins enable the cellular powerhouses to import and export small biomolecules. Thus the team led by Prof. Dr. Nils Wiedemann from Freiburg and Dr. Paul Schanda from Grenoble (France) together with researchers from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) and the University of Tubingen has answered a fundamental question about the formation of mitochondria. The European Research Council (ERC) funded the research with both a Consolidator Grant and a Starting Grant. The scientists have published their results in the science journal Cell. In the same way that the human body consists of various organs, eukaryotic cells contain small organelles such as the mitochondria, which synthesize the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The total amount of ATP that the mitochondrial membranes transport to supply the cells each day is roughly as much as the individual's body weight. This process depends on special channel and transporter protein molecules that are present in the inner membrane and outer membrane of mitochondria. These channels and transporters are produced outside the mitochondria and are transported across the outer membrane. Although these protein molecules are not soluble in water, they have to be transported through the aqueous intermembrane space, so that they can be integrated into the outer or inner mitochondrial membrane. To achieve this, the intermembrane space contains special TIM chaperone proteins, which bind the channel and transporter proteins to facilitate their transport through the intermembrane space. To identify the molecular mechanism of this process Dr. Katharina Weinhaupl performed structural work and Caroline Lindau performed functional mitochondrial studies which complemented each other. The results show that the ring-shaped TIM chaperones have six water-repellent brackets to which the channels and transporters are loosely attached to prevent their aggregation. This is important because many diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's are associated with the formation of aggregates of protein molecules. Likewise, a malfunction of the TIM chaperones can cause Mohr-Tranebjrg syndrome with neurological deafness and movement disorders. Explore further Scientists elucidate the mechanism for inserting protein molecules into the outer compartment of mitochondria More information: Katharina Weinhaupl et al, Structural Basis of Membrane Protein Chaperoning through the Mitochondrial Intermembrane Space, Cell (2018). Journal information: Cell Katharina Weinhaupl et al, Structural Basis of Membrane Protein Chaperoning through the Mitochondrial Intermembrane Space,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.039 RUDN Chemist have developed a new method for the synthesis of polymer nanoparticles of a given size. Credit: Allen Dressen A chemist from RUDN created the technology for the synthesis of polymer nanospheres for use in the production of electrochemical devices. The method does not require any surfactants and produces nanoparticles of a predetermined size. The results of the study were published in Polymer Chemistry. Nanoparticles used for industrial applications should be the same in shape and size, regardless of the material they are made of. That is a difficult challenge to achieve both in the laboratory and for industrial production. In some cases, nanoparticles with even a few tens of nanometers difference in size do not perform the required functions. RUDN University's Rafael Luke, together with colleagues from China and Pakistan, proposed a simplified method for creating polymer nanospheres of controlled size. The new technology is based on the sol-gel process of polymer synthesis. Scientists mix a series of monomers and start hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions. These processes lead to the formation of a sola solution of the tiny particles, including nanosized particles of a solid substance or gas bubbles. Upon further processing, the sol either concentrates to the state of a homogeneous gel or exudes the individual nanoparticles (for example, by centrifugation). In order to make the resulting particles homogeneous, it is necessary to apply surfactants to the sol or to use a matrix. The researchers obtained nanoparticles by synthesizing polybenzoxazine compounds, a group of polymers that can be produced from various monomers under fairly mild conditions. Unlike most of the previous researchers the chemists at RUDN managed to synthesize polybenzoxazine in the form of nanoparticles without using any matrices or surfactants. Chemists have found specific concentrations of the monomers (phloroglucin, para-phenylenediamine, and formaldehyde) dissolved in water and ethanol which, in combination with mild (up to 75 C) heating, led to the formation of nanospheres of uniform size. The authors suggest that the effect is achieved due to the use of para-phenylenediamine. It participates in the reaction and acts as a catalyst. Researchers and manufacturers can set the desired size of nanoparticles by varying the concentration of the initial monomers and the ratio in water and ethanol solutions. That is an additional advantage of the new method. In the experiment, section researchers managed to product nanospheres with a diameter of 105, 157 and 186 nm. Nanoparticles of this type can be used in electrochemistry. Researchers at RUDN carbonized the polymeric nanospheres in a nitrogen atmosphere at 800 C and obtained carbon nanospheres containing nitrogen, which retained the same size and shape. These nanoparticles were used to create electrodes. Carbon nanospheres demonstrated high electrical capacity. In the future, they can be used to create supercapacitors and chemical current sources. "The traditional approach to the synthesis of such polymers requires the use of surfactants or matrices. They directly control the size of the particles and build the structure of the material," explains Rafael Luka, director of the Molecular Design and Synthesis of Innovative Compounds for Medicine. "Our approach allows you to stop using them. We have already tested one of the possible applications of the obtained nanoparticles. Carbon nanospheres containing nitrogen without additional activation were used as a supercapacitor and demonstrated the potential to be used in the field of energy conversion and storage." More information: Jianming Zhao et al. Facile surfactant-free synthesis of polybenzoxazine-based polymer and nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres, Polymer Chemistry (2018). Jianming Zhao et al. Facile surfactant-free synthesis of polybenzoxazine-based polymer and nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres,(2018). DOI: 10.1039/C8PY00911B Researchers Kate Langwig, Joseph Hoyt, and Jennifer Redell tagged bats with fluorescent dust and observed their movements to track hidden connections that can spread disease within and between bat species. Credit: Virginia Tech Diseases have repeatedly spilled over from wildlife to humans, causing local to global epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Nipah. A new study by researchers of disease transmission in bats has broad implications for understanding hidden or "cryptic" connections that can spread diseases between species and lead to large-scale outbreaks. By dusting bats with a fluorescent powder that glows under ultraviolet light, Virginia Tech researchers Joseph Hoyt and Kate Langwig were able to trace the dynamics of disease transmission in bat species that have been devastated by white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that has killed 6.7 million bats in North America since 2006. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature. "These results uncovered and quantified connections, both within and among species, that we never knew about before," said first author Joseph Hoyt, who led the study as a UC Santa Cruz graduate student and completed the analyses at Virginia Tech as a research scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science. "We had been seeing explosive epidemics where an entire bat population would become infected with white-nose syndrome within a month or two, and it was a mystery as to how that was happening. We are now able to more accurately explain and track the spread of white-nose syndrome, and our study has strong implications for predicting other epidemics," Hoyt said. When we think about who we might get sick from, we tend to think of our social groups: family, friends, and co-workers. But, we forget about that brief interaction with an employee at the DMV, a barista at a coffee shop, or shared airspace on public transportation. People are aware of these interactions, but not how important they are to the spread of epidemics. In the past, these types of hidden interactions have been poorly understood because they are so difficult to quantify. Second author on the study, Kate Langwig, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, said this study shows that infrequent and indirect connections, also called "cryptic" connections, among individuals play a far larger role in the transmission of disease than was previously understood. "Cryptic connections are essentially pathways or connections between individuals that we wouldn't normally be able to estimate or observe. They have largely been ignored by researchers in the past, but this study quantifies their importance. Our study creates an integrated model of social group connections and cryptic connections," said Langwig, an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change Center, an arm of the Fralin Life Science Institute. Coauthor A. Marm Kilpatrick, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, noted that spillover events, when pathogens spread from wild animals to human populations, tend to occur through these kinds of cryptic connections. "We don't normally appreciate how important they are except retrospectively, when we investigate outbreaks of diseases like Ebola or SARS," he said. "Our study has compelling implications that will allow researchers to track seemingly random or indirect connections in wildlife that may spill over to human populations," said Langwig. The fluorescent dust used in this study proved to be highly effective at revealing cryptic connections among the bats. The researchers conducted the study at eight hibernation sites, mostly abandoned mine tunnels, in the upper Midwest. Each site had as many as four species of bats using it. At the start of the study, the pathogen causing white-nose syndrome had not yet reached these populations. Little brown bat covered in UVF dust roosting in a group with other little brown bats. Credit: Joe Hoyt and Kate Langwig The researchers first surveyed the bats and characterized their social networks, measuring direct physical contacts among bats hibernating together in groups, as well as additional connections made by bats moving between groups. Then, they applied the fluorescent dust to several bats in early winter, using a different color for each individual bat. In late winter, the researchers returned to see where each color of fluorescent dust ended up. "We amassed huge data sets for every single bat in each population. We characterized the bats' social groups, and also used the fluorescent dust to track their movements and contacts," said Langwig. The researchers found that "the spread of the dust mirrors how the fungal pathogen spreads, so we can see if a bat deposits dust somewhere in the environment and another bat passes through and picks it up. It also reveals infrequent direct contacts that we would not normally observe," said Hoyt. Researchers were able to track cryptic connections between bats by coating individual bats, such as this tri-colored bat, with a dust that is fluorescent under ultraviolet light ("UVF dust"). Credit: Joseph Hoyt The fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome arrived in the area after the fluorescent dust studies were conducted, and the researchers also tracked its spread at each site. They found that the actual transmission dynamics of the disease were better explained by the sum of all the connections revealed in the dust studies than by just using the hibernation social groups. "We were able to explain the actual invasion of the pathogen much better by including those cryptic connections, and they were even more important for explaining transmission between species than for transmission within species," Hoyt said. One of the puzzling features of white-nose syndrome is its ability to spread through a community of bats during the winter, when the animals are hibernating 99.5 percent of the time. They rouse from hibernation only very briefly every two to three weeks. Yet the dust studies showed that they move around enough to have many more connections than can be observed in their hibernation groups. Most striking were the cryptic connections revealed for one species, the northern long-eared bat, which roosts by itself, not in groups. Although classical theory would predict low infection rates for this solitary species, it has been hard hit by white-nose syndrome. "When we put fluorescent dust on the northern long-eared bat, it would show up on other species that we had never seen them interact with. We would never have predicted that the infection could spread by that route," Hoyt said. The researchers discovered that a different solitary species, the tri-colored bat, has a lower infection rate and showed less evidence of cryptic connections with other bats, but did transfer dust to surfaces in the sites where it roosts. "We found that the tri-colored bat is much more spatially segregated. It's not that it doesn't rouse and crawl around, it just does so in a range that has less overlap with other batsit appears to be more territorial in its use of space," Hoyt said. Unfortunately for bats, the spores of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome stay in the environment and remain infectious for years. Once the walls and ceiling of a cave have been contaminated with the spores, bats using the site for hibernation will be exposed to infections year after year. White-nose syndrome is considered one of the worst wildlife diseases in modern times, having killed millions of bats across North America. But white-nose syndrome does not appear to pose a risk to human health. It is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which grows optimally at low temperatures. The United States Geological Survey said, "Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since white-nose syndrome was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to white-nose syndrome. We are still learning about the disease, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with white nose-affected bats." Explore further Bats in Asia found to have resistance to white-nose syndrome fungus More information: Joseph R. Hoyt et al, Cryptic connections illuminate pathogen transmission within community networks, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Joseph R. Hoyt et al, Cryptic connections illuminate pathogen transmission within community networks,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0720-z This is an image of Apep captured at 8 microns in the thermal infrared with the VISIR camera on the European Southern Observatory's VLT telescope, Mt Paranal, Chile. The system can be seen to be a binary, with a much fainter companion to the North of the heart of the system. This companion is not believed to play a role in the sculping of the extended dust plume, about 12 arcseconds across. The origin of this structure comes from the central region, believed itself to contain a binary (the whole thing being a triple star). Credit: Peter Tuthill/University of Sydney/ESO University of Sydney astronomers, working with international colleagues, have found a star system like none seen before in our galaxy. The scientists believe one of the starsabout 8000 light years from Earthis the first known candidate in the Milky Way to produce a dangerous gamma-ray burst, among the most energetic events in the universe, when it explodes and dies. The system, comprising a pair of scorchingly luminous stars, was nicknamed Apep by the team after the serpentine Egyptian god of chaos. One star is on the brink of a massive supernova explosion. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, are controversial as no gamma-ray burst has ever been detected within our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Yet in the southern constellation of Norma, nestled just beneath Scorpio's tail, astronomers have discovered this uniquely beautiful star system. At its heart, wrapped in an elegantly sculpted plume of dust and gas, lies a powerful binary pair. The two hot, luminous starsknown to astronomers as Wolf-Rayets - orbit each other every hundred years or so, according to the research conducted at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy. This orbital dance is embossed on a fast wind streaming off the stars. Using spectroscopy, the astronomers have measured the velocity of the stellar winds as fast as 12 million kilometres an hour, about 1 percent the speed of light. This animated gif is intended to illustrate the geometry of the structure that we have witnessed in the Apep system. From a single image, it is harder to understand the 3-D structure. The central binary (only: not the wider Northern companion in the triple) is illustrated as the blue star at the centre. The geometry given is that believed typical for a Wolf-Rayet colliding pinwheel system: that is an optically thin dust plume distributed over the surface of a cone that is dictated by the colliding winds. The whole outflow structure is wrapped into a spiral by the orbital motion of the presumed central binary. Further the dust formation has a specific onset and cessation, which truncate the spiral at the outer and inner limits (for example, giving rise to the notable elliptical hole). Note this is a toy animation to illustrate a fly-around of the structure, and not a model fitted to the data that describes the dust flow process. The looping animation proceeds for about half an orbit (say roughly 60 years) with a pause at about the present epoch. Note that the motion we actually recorded with VISIR in the real data only spans 3 years. Credit: Peter Tuthill/University of Sydney/ESO Dr. Joe Callingham, lead author of the study, said: "We discovered this star as an outlier in a survey with a radio telescope operated by the University of Sydney. "We knew immediately we had found something quite exceptional: the luminosity across the spectrum from the radio to the infrared was off the charts," said Dr. Callingham, who is now at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. "When we saw the stunning dust plume coiled around the these incandescent stars, we decided to name it 'Apep' - the monstrous serpent deity and mortal enemy of Sun god Ra from Egyptian mythology." That sculpted plume is what makes the system so important, said Professor Peter Tuthill, research group leader at the University of Sydney. "When we saw the spiral dust tail we immediately knew we were dealing with a rare and special kind of nebula called a pinwheel," Professor Tuthill said. "The curved tail is formed by the orbiting binary stars at the centre, which inject dust into the expanding wind creating a pattern like a rotating lawn sprinkler. Because the wind expands so much, it inflates the tiny coils of dust revealing the physics of the stars at the heart of the system." However, the data on the plume presented a conundrum: the stellar winds were expanding 10 times faster than the dust. "It was just astonishing," Professor Tuthill said. "It was like finding a feather caught in a hurricane just drifting along at walking pace." Dr. Benjamin Pope, a co-author from New York University, said: "The key to understanding the bizarre behaviour of the wind lies in the rotation of the central stars. "What we have found in the Apep system is a supernova precursor that seems to be very rapidly rotating, so fast it might be near break-up." Wolf-Rayet stars, like those driving Apep's plume, are known to be very massive stars at the ends of their lives; they could explode as supernovae at any time. "The rapid rotation puts Apep into a whole new class. Normal supernovae are already extreme events but adding rotation to the mix can really throw gasoline on the fire." The researchers think this might be the recipe for a perfect stellar storm to produce a gamma-ray burst, which are the most extreme events in the Universe after the Big Bang itself. Fortunately, Apep appears not to be aimed at Earth, because a strike by a gamma-ray burst from this proximity could strip ozone from the atmosphere, drastically increasing our exposure to UV light from the Sun. "Ultimately, we can't be certain what the future has in store for Apep," Professor Tuthill said. "The system might slow down enough so it explodes as a normal supernova rather than a gamma-ray burst. However, in the meantime, it is providing astronomers a ringside seat into beautiful and dangerous physics that we have not seen before in our galaxy." More information: J. R. Callingham et al, Anisotropic winds in a WolfRayet binary identify a potential gamma-ray burst progenitor, Nature Astronomy (2018). Journal information: Nature Astronomy J. R. Callingham et al, Anisotropic winds in a WolfRayet binary identify a potential gamma-ray burst progenitor,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-018-0617-7 The defence rests Kusum Shrestha who played a lead role in the law profession passed away last fortnight Spotted hyaenas. Credit: Oliver Hoener / Leibniz-IZW In most animal societies, members of one sex dominate those of the other. Is this, as widely believed, an inevitable consequence of a disparity in strength and ferocity between males and females? Not necessarily. A new study on wild spotted hyaenas shows that in this social carnivore, females dominate males because they can rely on greater social support than males, not because they are stronger or more competitive in any other individual attribute. The main reason for females having, on average, more social support than males is that males are more likely to disperse and that dispersal disrupts social bonds. The study by scientists of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW, Germany) and the Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM, France) was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Spotted hyaena females are often portrayed as archetypes of powerful and ferocious females. They are on average heavier than the males, have highly masculinised outer genitalia (a 'pseudo-penis' and a 'pseudo-scrotum'), and usually occupy the highest position in the society. But according to the new study, it is not their manliness that allows them to dominate males. "When two hyaenas squabble, the one that can rely on greater social support wins, irrespective of sex, body mass or aggressiveness," explains Oliver Hoener, head of the Ngorongoro Hyena Project of the Leibniz-IZW. Differences in social support between two individuals correctly predicted who will be the dominant in almost all encounters and in all contextsbetween natives and immigrants, members of the same and different clans, residents and intruders, and individuals of the same and opposite sex. Female dominance thus emerges from females being more likely to receive greater social support than males. "What is so fascinating is that it all works without any direct involvement of other hyaenas," says Colin Vullioud, Hoener's colleague at Leibniz-IZW and first author of the study. "In the end, it's all about assertiveness and how confident a hyaena is of receiving support if needed." For their study, the scientists analysed the outcome of 4133 agonistic interactions between 748 hyaenas from eight different clans monitored for 21 years in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. To estimate potential social support, they developed an algorithm that predicted for each clan member, which of two interacting hyaenas it would support; this algorithm was derived from behavioural observations of social support and relatedness estimates based on one of the most comprehensive pedigrees of a free-ranging mammal. "To tease apart the effects of social support and intrinsic attributes such as body mass, one needs to evaluate each effect while controlling for the presence of the other" explains Francois Rousset (ISEM), who has developed statistical methods for such purposes. "When this is done, the effects of sex and body mass appear negligible." In many social contexts, female and male hyaenas can rely on equal social support and are equally likely to win. But there is one exception: when natives interact with immigrant clan members. "Hyaena society is highly nepotistic and social support is primarily given to kin. Native clan members live among their relatives and have a competitive advantage over immigrants because immigrants lose their social bonds when they disperse from home" explains Eve Davidian (Leibniz-IZW), co-first author of the study. "In this context, females have the upper hand because immigrants are usually males." Female dominance in spotted hyaenas is therefore driven by the sex bias in dispersal and the demographic structure of the clan: when the clan contains a high proportion of immigrant males, female dominance is nearly absolute. But when the clan contains many native males, males win almost as often as females and the sexes are co-dominant. "Identifying the determinants of dominance relationships between the sexes is fundamental to understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies, gender roles, and sexual conflicts," concludes Alexandre Courtiol (Leibniz-IZW), co-senior author of the study. "Our findings show that social dominance of one sex over the othera trait that characterises gender rolesdoes not need to be a direct consequence of sex or physical strength, but can be shaped by the social environment." By demonstrating the key role of social support in mediating the establishment of dominanceand sex-biased dominancethe study improves our understanding of the social impact of nepotism, political alliances, as well as emigration and immigration patterns in animal and human societies. Explore further Researchers reconsider roles of second-rank hyena males More information: Colin Vullioud et al, Social support drives female dominance in the spotted hyaena, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2018). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Colin Vullioud et al, Social support drives female dominance in the spotted hyaena,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0718-9 Map displays the cumulative number of climate hazards by 2100 under business as usual scenario. Interactive data at https://maps.esri.com/MoraLab/CumulativeChange/index.html Credit: Camilo Mora. A new study published in Nature Climate Change provides one of the most comprehensive assessments yet of how humanity is being impacted by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple climate hazards strengthened by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. This research reveals that society faces a much larger threat from climate change than previous studies have suggested. An analysis of thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers reveals 467 ways in which human health, food, water, economy, infrastructure, and security have been impacted by multiple climatic changes including: warming, drought, heatwaves, wildfires, precipitation, floods, storms, sea level rise and changes in land cover and ocean chemistry. Until now, with few exceptions, climate hazards due to greenhouse gas emissions have been studied individually. However, focusing on one or few hazards may mask the impacts of other hazards resulting in incomplete assessments of the consequences of climate change on humanity. Ongoing greenhouse gas emissions are known to increase atmospheric temperature, in turn enhancing soil water evaporation resulting in drought, wildfires and heatwaves in normally dry places, or massive rain and floods in commonly wet areas. In the oceans, warmer waters also evaporate faster, increasing wind speeds and the downpours of hurricanes, whose surges can be aggravated by sea level rise. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions can aggravate simultaneously multiple climate hazards. In a systematic review of thousands of papers, the study details 467 ways of how these hazards have already impacted human health, including death, disease and mental well-being; food supply from animals and plants on land and sea; quantity and quality of freshwater; infrastructure including electricity, transportation and "life line" services such as water and sewage lines, and economic losses including property damage and reduced labor productivity; all while triggering multiple cases of migrations and violence. Over 3,000 documented case examples, with supporting papers, are listed at http://impactsofclimatechange.info/. "Greenhouse gas emissions pose a broad threat to humanity by simultaneously intensifying many hazards that have proven harmful in the past," said lead author Camilo Mora, associate professor of geography in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa "Further, we predict that by 2100 the number of hazards occurring concurrently will increase, making it even more difficult for people to cope." The study, co-authored by 23 scientists, combines exhaustive data mining and the technological abilities of Mora's graduate students analyzing vast amounts of big data, with the longtime expertise of veteran climate scientists, including several lead authors on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. In the year 2100, for instance, New York is projected to face up to four climate hazards, if greenhouse gas emissions are not mitigated, including sea-level rise and extreme precipitation. That same year, Sydney and Los Angeles will face three concurrent climate hazards, Mexico City will face four, and the Atlantic coast of Brazil will face five. Even under strong mitigation scenarios, increasing cumulative exposure to the multitude of climate hazards will impact rich and poor countries alike and especially in tropical coastal areas. A web-application that accompanies the paper allows users to see the cumulative number of climate hazards likely to occur anywhere on Earth, under different emissions scenarios through 2100 (see figure). "The study is a compelling review of how climate change is literally redrawing lines on the map, clearly showing the threats that our world faces at every level. The maps and data hammer home how much danger humanity truly faces, and the need for immediate action," said Dawn Wright, ESRI Chief Scientist "Our health depends on multiple factors, from clean air and water, to safe food and shelter and more," said co-author Jonathan Patz, professor and director of the University of Wisconsin's Global Health Institute. "So without a real systems approach to climate change impacts, we cannot adequately understand the full risks. If we only consider the most direct threats from climate change, for example heatwaves or severe storms, we inevitably will be blindsided by even larger threats that, in combination, can have even broader societal impacts." Said Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University who was not involved in the study, "This new research provides rigorous, quantitative support for a point we have emphasized for some time: the costs of inaction greatly outweigh the costs of taking action on climate change. It also provides robust support for another key point: we can still reduce future damage and suffering if we act quickly and dramatically to reduce carbon emissions." "The collision of cumulative climate hazards is not something on the horizon, it is already here," said Mora. "Co-occurring and colliding climate hazards are already making headlines worldwide. Last year, for instance, Florida recorded extreme drought, record high temperatures, over 100 wildfires, and the strongest ever recorded hurricane in its Panhandle: the category 4 Hurricane Michael. Likewise, California is currently experiencing ferocious wild fires and one of the longest droughts, plus extreme heatwaves this past summer." "The evidence of climate change impacting humanity is abundant, loud and clear," said Assistant Professor Daniele Spirandelli at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-author of the study. "Clearly, the outstanding question ishow many wake-up calls will it take to wake up?" The paper concludes urgently: "Overall, our analysis shows that ongoing climate change will pose a heightened threat to humanity that will be greatly aggravated if substantial and timely reductions of greenhouse gas emissions are not achieved." Explore further Bitcoin can push global warming above 2 C in a couple decades More information: Camilo Mora et al, Broad threat to humanity from cumulative climate hazards intensified by greenhouse gas emissions, Nature Climate Change (2018). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Camilo Mora et al, Broad threat to humanity from cumulative climate hazards intensified by greenhouse gas emissions,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0315-6 Soot particles remain suspended in the atmosphere as coated with organic matter. This coating results in non-linear enhancement of solar light absorption and subsequent heating of the surrounding air by these particles. Credit: Chakrabarty Lab and Lisa Wable Soot belches out of diesel engines, rises from wood- and dung-burning cookstoves and shoots out of oil refinery stacks. According to recent research, air pollution, including soot, is linked to heart disease, some cancers and, in the United States, as many as 150,000 cases of diabetes every year. Beyond its impact on health, soot, known as black carbon by atmospheric scientists, is a powerful global warming agent. It absorbs sunlight and traps heat in the atmosphere in magnitude second only to the notorious carbon dioxide. Recent commentaries in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences called the absence of consensus on soot's light absorption magnitude "one of the grand challenges in atmospheric climate science." Rajan Chakrabarty, assistant professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, and William R. Heinson, a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in Chakrabarty's lab, took on that challenge and discovered something new about soot, or rather, a new law that describes its ability to absorb light: the law of light absorption. With it, scientists will be able to better understand soot's role in climate change. The research has been selected as an "Editors' Suggestion" published online Nov. 19 in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters. Because of its ability to absorb sunlight and directly heat the surrounding air, climate scientists incorporate soot into their modelscomputational systems which try to replicate conditions of the real worldand then predict future warming trends. Scientists use real world observations to program their models. But there hasn't been a consensus on how to incorporate soot's light absorption into these models. They treat it over-simplistically, using a sphere to represent a pure, black carbon aerosol. "But nature is funny, it has its own ways to add complexity," Chakrabarty said. "By mass, 80 percent of all black carbon you find is always mixed. It's not perfect, like the models treat it." The particles are mixed, or coated, with organic aerosols that are co-emitted with soot from a combustion system. It turns out, black carbon absorbs more light when it is coated with these organic materials, but the magnitude of absorption enhancement varies non-linearly depending on how much coating is present. Chakrabarty and Heinson wanted to figure out a universal relationship between the amount of coating and the ability of soot to absorb light. First, they created simulated particles that looked just like those found in nature, with varying degrees of organic coating. Then, using techniques borrowed from Chakrabarty's work with fractals, the team went through exacting calculations, measuring light absorption in particles bit-by-bit. When they plotted the absorption magnitudes against the percentage of organic coating, the result was what mathematicians and scientists call a "universal power law." This means that, as the amount of coating increases, soot's light absorption goes up by a proportionately relative amount. (The length and area of a square are related by a universal power law: If you double the length of the sides of a square, the area increases by four. It does not matter what the initial length of the side was, the relationship will always hold.) They then turned to work done by different research groups who measured ambient soot light absorption across the globe, from Houston to London to Beijing. Chakrabarty and Heinson again plotted absorption enhancements against the percentage of coating. The result was a universal power law with the same one-third ratio as was found in their simulated experiments. With so many differing values for light absorption enhancement in soot, Chakrabarty said that the climate modelers are confused. "What on earth do we do? How do we account for the reality in our models? "Now you have order in chaos and a law," he said. "And now you can apply it in a computationally inexpensive manner." Their findings also point to the fact that warming due to black carbon could have been underestimated by climate models. Assuming spherical shape for these particles and not properly accounting for light absorption enhancement could result in significantly lower heating estimates. Rahul Zaveri, senior scientist and developer of the comprehensive aerosol model MOSAIC at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, calls the findings a significant and timely advancement. "I am particularly excited about the mathematical elegance and extreme computational efficiency of the new parameterization," he said, "which can be quite readily implemented in climate models once the companion parameterization for light scattering by coated black carbon particles is developed." Explore further Shining a light on the darkness of soot in air pollution The observations show a clear enhancement of warming In the Arctic region and across Siberia, Northern Canada and Alaska. Credit: Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Long-term observations of surface temperatures show an intensified surface warming in Canada, Siberia, Alaska and in the Arctic Ocean relative to global mean temperature rise. This warming pattern, commonly referred to as Arctic amplification, is consistent with computer models, simulating the response to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. However, the underlying physical processes for the intensified warming still remain elusive. A new international research study on the cause of Arctic amplification published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that local greenhouse gas concentrations, and Arctic climate feedbacks outweigh other processes. Using complex computer simulations, the scientists were able to disprove previously suggested hypotheses, that emphasized the role of transport of heat from the tropics to the poles as one of the key contributors to the amplified warming in the Arctic. "Our study clearly shows that local carbon dioxide forcing and polar feedbacks are most effective in Arctic amplification compared to other processes," said corresponding author Malte Stuecker, project leader at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) in Busan, South Korea. Increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations trap heat in the atmosphere, which leads to surface warming. Regional processes can then further amplify or dampen this effect, thereby creating the typical pattern of global warming. In the Arctic region, surface warming reduces snow and sea-ice extent, which in turn decreases the reflectivity of the surface. As a result, more sunlight can reach the top of layers of the soil and ocean, leading to accelerated warming. Furthermore, changes in Arctic clouds and of the vertical atmospheric temperature profile can enhance warming in the polar regions. In addition to these factors, heat can be transported into the Arctic by winds. "We see this process for instance during El Nino events. Tropical warming, caused either by El Nino or anthropogenic greenhouse emissions, can cause global shifts in atmospheric weather patterns, which may lead to changes in surface temperatures in remote regions, such as the Arctic," said Kyle Armour, co-author of the study and professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography at the University of Washington. Moreover, global warming outside the Arctic region will also lead to an increase in Atlantic Ocean temperatures. Ocean currents, such as the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic drift can then transport the warmer waters to the Arctic ocean, where they could melt sea ice and experience further amplification due to local processes. To determine whether tropical warming, atmospheric wind and ocean current changes contribute to future Arctic Amplification, the team designed a series of computer model simulations. "By comparing simulations with only Arctic CO 2 changes with simulations that apply CO 2 globally, we find similar Arctic warming patterns. These findings demonstrate that remote physical processes from outside the polar regions do not play a major role, in contrast to previous suggestions," says co-author Cecilia Bitz, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. In the tropicsfueled by high temperature and moistureair can easily move up to high altitudes, meaning the atmosphere is unstable. In contrast, the Arctic atmosphere is much more stable with respect to vertical air movement. This condition enhances the CO 2 -induced warming in the Arctic near the surface. In the tropicsdue to the unstable atmosphereCO 2 mostly warms the upper atmosphere and energy is easily lost to space. This is opposite to what happens in the Arctic: Less outgoing infrared radiation escapes the atmosphere, which further amplifies the surface-trapped warming. "Our computer simulations show that these changes in the vertical atmospheric temperature profile in the Arctic region outweigh other regional feedback factors, such as the often-cited ice-albedo feedback" says Malte Stuecker. The new findings of this study highlight the importance of Arctic processes in controlling the pace at which sea-ice will retreat in the Arctic Ocean. The results are also important to understand how sensitive polar ecosystems, Arctic permafrost and the Greenland ice-sheet will respond to Global Warming. Explore further Pacific Ocean's effect on Arctic warming More information: Malte F. Stuecker et al, Polar amplification dominated by local forcing and feedbacks, Nature Climate Change (2018). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Malte F. Stuecker et al, Polar amplification dominated by local forcing and feedbacks,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0339-y Peatlands in some parts of the world, including Canada, Siberia and Southeast Asia, have already turned into significant carbon sources. The same fate may be coming soon for the Peruvian peatlands. Credit: Arizona State University/Samantha Lloyd Until humans can find a way to geoengineer ourselves out of the climate disaster we've created, we must rely on natural carbon sinks, such as oceans and forests, to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These ecosystems are deteriorating at the hand of climate change, and once destroyed they may not only stop absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, but start emitting it. Ecosystems that host a carbon-dioxide rich type of soil called peat, known as peatlands, are the most efficient natural carbon sink on the planet. When undisturbed, they store more carbon dioxide than all other vegetation types on Earth combined. But when they're drained and deforested, they can release nearly six percent of global carbon dioxide emissions each year. Climate researchers are worried that many of the peatlands soaking up carbon now will soon be doing the opposite. "Global peatlands cover only about 3 percent of global land area, but hold around 30 percent of the earth's soil organic carbon," said Qianlai Zhuang, a professor of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences at Purdue University. "Peatlands act like a 'terrestrial ocean' because of their sequestering carbon, but will this large amount of peat carbon be released under a warmer climate, causing further warming?" In collaboration with Sirui Wang, a Ph.D. candidate at Purdue, Zhuang looked to peatlands in the Peruvian Amazon to try to answer this question. According to an earth systems model spanning from 12,000 years ago to 2100 AD, this relatively small basin could lose up to 500 million tons of carbon by the end of this century. That's about 5 percent of current global annual fossil fuel carbon emissions, or 10 percent of U.S. emissions, being spit back out into the atmosphere. By most estimates, South America will become both warmer and wetter by the end of the century. Zhuang's findings, which were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, show that higher temperatures lead to more peat carbon loss, while increased precipitation slightly enhances the build-up of peat carbon over long timescales. Together, this is likely to increase carbon loss from peatlands to the atmosphere. Peatlands in northwest Peru remain nearly intact, but this is isn't the case in most places with significant peat stocks, which are being cleared to make room for agriculture. Peatlands in some parts of the world, including Canada, Siberia and Southeast Asia, have already turned into significant carbon sources. The same fate may be coming soon for the Peruvian peatlands. "If the area we looked at could represent the whole Amazonia or tropical peatlands, the loss of peat carbon to the atmosphere under future climate scenarios should be of great concern to our society," Zhuang said. "Agricultural intensification and increasing land-use disturbances, such as forest fires, threaten the persistence of peat carbon stocks. These peatland ecosystems may turn into carbon sources instead of sinks unless necessary actions are taken." Explore further Peatlands will store more carbon as planet warms More information: Sirui Wang el al., "Potential shift from a carbon sink to a source in Amazonian peatlands under a changing climate," PNAS (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sirui Wang el al., "Potential shift from a carbon sink to a source in Amazonian peatlands under a changing climate,"(2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1801317115 No problem, I can talk. Credit: Zurijeta/Shutterstock.com Over the Thanksgiving travel period an estimated 30 million Americans plan to fly to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings with far-flung family and friends. The huge increase in air travelers and ever more full and oversold flights have made air travel more trying. But it has gotten better in one aspect that most of us in the smartphone-addicted public appreciate: Cellphone use is no longer completely forbidden on planes. We used to have to turn our phones off and store them when we flew commercially, but now can keep them on as long as they are in Airplane Mode. Why? What's changed? Weren't planes supposed to fall out of the sky should some forgetful flier leave their phone on? And what really would happen if everyone started yakking away during cross-country flights? Connecting calls via cell towers First some basics on how cellphone systems work. When you make or receive a call, your phone looks for the closest cell tower to connect to. Each tower services an area (a "cell") that may be as large as 50 miles in radius over flat terrain, or smaller than a mile in radius in hilly areas or dense urban zones. As you move from one cell to another, say on your daily commute, your cellphone call gets handed off from one tower to the next. It requires a fair bit of work on the part of the overall system to make these transitions seem seamless to you. There are also built-in expectations about how often these handoffs should happen (not very), the speed of the user (highway speeds at most), and your altitude (somewhere near the ground). Cellular use on a plane at cruising altitude breaks all three of these expectations. Simply put, calls in the sky may interfere with the proper functioning of this complex system particularly if a couple hundred passengers all had their cellular radios on such that users on the ground are affected. So, for now, the Federal Communications Commission restricts cellular use on airplanes. But what's the risk? That all sounds like a service issue, not a safety one. What would happen if someone kept their phone's cellular functions on while enjoying the view at 30,000 feet? Likely, nothing. And that's a good thing, since even when their use was completely banned, people left them on all the time, whether intentionally or not. But there is a non-neglible risk that using your phone could interfere with critical systems on the plane. Your call gets transferred from tower to tower as you move through the landscape. Credit: Anucha Cheechang/Shutterstock.com Although most modern phones no longer do this, GSM (2G) phones were notorious for interfering with other electronic systems. Former owners will recall the "buzz" you heard in your stereo or speakerphone when making a call. Now, imagine this buzz being picked up by a sensitive navigation system. You don't need to be technically minded to understand that might not be good. Researchers found that electromagnetic emissions from personal electronic devices can interfere with a plane's systems. Specifically, those in the 800-900 MHz range can interfere with unshielded cockpit instrumentation. This is a particular issue on older aircraft. Newer planes are designed to deal with the huge amount of electronics the flying public takes onto airplanes. Airplanes are incredibly complex machines, filled with electronics and critical systems required to perform the modern miracle that is flight. The thing about complex systems is that it's usually impossible to test how safe they are under every conceivable contingency. Given how many new phones come on the market each year, it would be challenging to test how each and every model might interfere with the systems on each aircraft in the commercial fleet worldwide. So airplane manufacturers work to "harden" the critical systems on their planes to make them less susceptible to interference from electronics. Switch your phone to Airplane Mode Cellphones used to be just that, a phone. You used it to call and text people. Arguably, the "phone" is now the least used functionthink about the time you spend making calls versus everything else you do with it. So frequent fliers chafed at having to put their phone away for hours. Although the FCC governs the use of cellular phones on planes, the Federal Aviation Administration governs the use of electronic devices on planes. If a device doesn't interfere with the aircraft's communication or navigation systems, it can be used on planes. People were using laptops, cameras, video players, tablets, electronic games and so on, so why not smartphones? After all, this single device now performs the functions of all those others. Hence, the FAA ruled they may be used, but only if the cellular radio was switched off. Enter Airplane Mode. By adding Airplane Mode, device manufacturers have made our lives easier. When you flip on this feature, it turns off your phone's cellular radio so you can't make phone calls or text. It also turns off WiFi and Bluetooth, but both of those can be re-enabled and used on planes. Airlines continue to innovate. Delta, for example, offers free access to certain messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which work over WiFi. But cellular texting, which needs the cellular radio, is still prohibited. Of course some people still want to be able to make phone calls while in flight. Sadly for those of us in the flying public who don't want to sit next to someone loudly blabbing away all the way from New York to LA, this day may come. Airlines are experimenting with "picocells," which are like mini, low-power cell towers within the plane itself. Since this is the closest "tower" a phone on a plane would find, it would not connect to any towers on the ground, eliminating the FCC's concerns. Your call would be routed like a VoIP call using the plane's onboard internet provider system. As for how to keep the rest of us from erupting like Samuel L. Jackson, "Enough is enough! I've had it with these [daggone] cell phones on this [daggone] plane!" perhaps airlines will create "cell-free zones" like the ones in trains and other public places. Explore further Europe Union OKs constant chatting on flights This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Cell in G1 phase of the cell cycle with magenta nuclei and the primary cilia in cyan. Credit: Lancaster University Scientist have cast new light on the behaviour of tiny hair-like structures called cilia found on almost every cell in the body. Cilia play important roles in human development and disease. Akin to tiny antennae, they act as cell timers keeping the brakes on cell division until the right growth cues are received. Malfunction of cilia leads to many human diseases such as polycystic kidney disease and cancer. In the study published in Developmental Cell, researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Lancaster developed a multi-component fluorescent biosensor that allows users to 'light up' both cilia and cells that are actively dividing simultaneously. This is important because the machinery that drives cilia growth and cell division are shared. Dr. Pleasantine Mill of the University of Edinburgh said: "This powerful new tool will allow us to investigate cilia function in human disease in unprecedented detail." Cilia are important in embryonic development shaping the size of organs, like our brains and lungs. However in adults both loss and hyperactivity in these crucial signalling centres is implicated in cancer cell proliferation and migration. Dr. Richard Mort of Lancaster University said: "It has long been known that the cilia and cell cycles are closely linked but until now it has been difficult to image these processes in parallel." The new biosensor will allow researchers to carry out fundamental studies exploring how changes to cilia length and dynamics affect the speed of division and of tissue development. Joint first author Dr. Matthew Ford said: "This new resource will shed light at an individual cell level on the interplay between the cilia and cell cycles in development, regeneration and disease." It is hoped these studies will help researchers build a more detailed picture of cilia in human disease and help monitor novel therapeutic approaches. Explore further Insight on molecular regulation of cilium structure and composition Cubical feces in the wombat's intestine. Credit: P. Yang and D. Hu/Georgia Tech Wombats, the chubby and beloved, short-legged marsupials native to Australia, are central to a biological mystery in the animal kingdom: How do they produce cube-shaped poop? Patricia Yang, a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, set out to investigate. Yang studies the hydrodynamics of fluids, including blood, processed food and urine, in the bodies of animals. She was curious how the differences in wombats' digestive processes and soft tissue structures might explain their oddly shaped scat. During the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting, which will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Yang and her co-authors, Scott Carver, David Hu and undergraduate student Miles Chan, will explain their findings from dissecting the alimentary systems, or digestive tracts, of wombats. "The first thing that drove me to this is that I have never seen anything this weird in biology. That was a mystery," said Yang. "I didn't even believe it was true at the beginning. I Googled it and saw a lot about cube-shaped wombat poop, but I was skeptical." Yang and her co-authors studied the digestive tracts of wombats that had been euthanized following motor vehicle collisions in Tasmania, Australia. Carver, the biologist and Australian counterpart to the group of American mechanical engineers, supplied the wombat intestinal specimens. Near the end of the intestine, they found that feces changed from liquidlike states to solid states made up of small, separated cubes. The group concluded that the varying elastic properties of wombats' intestinal walls allowed for the cube formation. In the built world, cubic structuressugar cubes, sculptures, and architectural featuresare common, and produced by injection molding or extrusion. Cubes, however, are rare in the natural world. Currently, wombats are the only known species capable of producing cubes organically. "We currently have only two methods to manufacture cubes: We mold it, or we cut it. Now we have this third method," Yang said. "It would be a cool method to apply to the manufacturing processhow to make a cube with soft tissue instead of just molding it." So, why do wombats poop cubes? Wombats pile their feces to mark their home ranges and communicate with one another through scent. They pile their feces in prominent places (e.g., next to burrows, or on logs, rocks and small raises) because they have poor eye sight. The higher and more prominently placed the pile of feces, the more visually distinctive it is to attract other wombats to smell and engage in communication. Therefore, it is important that their droppings do not roll away, and cube-shaped poop solves this problem. Yang hopes that the group's research on wombats will contribute to current understandings of soft tissue transportation, or how the gut moves. She also emphasized that the group's research involved mechanical engineering and biology, and their findings are valuable to both fields. "We can learn from wombats and hopefully apply this novel method to our manufacturing process," Yang said. "We can understand how to move this stuff in a very efficient way." Carver added, "There is much general interest from the public, both in Australia and internationally, about how and why wombats create cube-shaped feces. Many ideas, some more entertaining than others, have been put forward to explain this, but until this study nobody had ever investigated the cause. This has been a fantastic collaboration which shows the value of interdisciplinary research for making new scientific discoveries." Explore further Breeding benefits when love bites wombats on the butt More information: Presentation E19.1, "How do wombats make cubed poo?" by Patricia J. Yang, Miles Chan, Scott Carver and David L. Hu, will be Sunday, Nov. 18, 5:10 p.m. in Room B306 of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Abstract: Presentation E19.1, "How do wombats make cubed poo?" by Patricia J. Yang, Miles Chan, Scott Carver and David L. Hu, will be Sunday, Nov. 18, 5:10 p.m. in Room B306 of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Abstract: meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Session/E19.1 Flooding at Palm Plaza on February 28, 2010. Credit: Coastal Data Information Program In December 2015, a large swell enhanced by El Nino conditions resulted in major flooding in the City of Imperial Beach, a low-lying coastal community south of San Diego along the U.S.-Mexico border. Barricades and barriers installed on the beach were not enough to contain the water along Seacoast Drive. During these periods of large winter swell combined with extreme high tides, the city routinely experiences flooding that impacts residents, businesses and infrastructure. It's also considered to be one of the cities most vulnerable to sea-level rise in California. Now, thanks to a $250,000 donation from the David C. Copley Foundation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego will help the City of Imperial Beach significantly upgrade its flood-alert capabilities and better prepare for sea-level rise. The Resilient Futures program will create a flood alert system customized to the specific needs of Imperial Beach. A network of instruments to measure local wave and water level conditions is being installed by researchers with the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation (CCCIA) at Scripps. These observations will improve predictive models of coastal flooding, especially where large waves and extreme tides may occur simultaneously, exacerbating flooding risk. Additional measurements will also be made to monitor flooding on shorelines adjacent to South San Diego Bay and the Tijuana Estuary. Researchers with the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Scripps install pressure sensors in the sand in Imperial Beach on Nov. 13, 2018. These sensors will assess the wave run-up predictions in flood-prone areas. Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications "This program will help Imperial Beach to understand what factors are contributing to flood events and inform preparedness for emergency managers and the community at large," said Mark Merrifield, director of the CCCIA at Scripps and a leading sea-level rise expert. "These tools will also help assess future flooding risk as sea levels continue to rise." The initial funding from the David C. Copley Foundation has supported the installation by the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) of an offshore wave buoy at Imperial Beach to measure wave height, period and direction. Other network components include a tide gauge at the end of the Imperial Beach Pier for accurate tidal heights and water levels; current meters and pressure sensors at 10 meters (32 feet) depth to assess nearshore wave model predictions; and pressure sensors buried in the beach at the mean high-water line to test wave run-up predictions in flood-prone areas. Scripps also plans to install an array of pressure and salinity sensors on land to assess the duration, depth and arrival times of flood waters. "Recognizing Imperial Beach is a community at high risk to the impacts from sea-level rise, the David C. Copley Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to collaborate in a partnership with Scripps and the City of Imperial Beach on this important program," said Dean Dwyer, president and CEO of the David C. Copley Foundation. "We see this as a model that other communities in San Diego and along our California coast could adapt in the future." Three pressure sensors will be installed at the mean high-water line throughout Imperial Beach. The sensors will be retrieved after winter to collect and analyze the data. Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications The funding also contributes to coastal modeling advancements that will be used to refine the flood forecasting system. "We hope to provide today's coastal communities with better tools to track extreme events and predict risks," said Merrifield. In 2016, Imperial Beach conducted a Sea-Level Rise Assessment to identify vulnerabilities and identify adaptation strategies. The study stated that Imperial Beach is particularly susceptible to flooding as it is bound on three sides by bodies of water San Diego Bay and Otay River to the north, Pacific Ocean to the west, and Tijuana River and Estuary to the south. The study reviewed modeling done by the Department of Defense and U.S. Geological Survey and found that storm-induced dune erosion, coastal flooding from wave run-up, and tidal inundation were the biggest potential hazards threatening wastewater systems, pump stations, roads and oceanfront properties. "It is an honor for the City of Imperial Beach to partner with Scripps Institution of Oceanography to be the first city in California to install sea-level rise monitoring technology along our beautiful beach as part of our efforts to monitor and adapt to rising seas," said Mayor of Imperial Beach Serge Dedina, also an alum of UC San Diego (Marshall '87). Flooding at Cortez Avenue and Seacoast Drive during an El Nino event on December 12, 2015. Credit: Chris Helmer, City of IB The gift also contributes to the Campaign for UC San Diego, the university's $2 billion comprehensive fundraising effort to empower the next generation of innovators to blaze a new path toward revolutionary ideas, unexpected answers, life-saving discoveries, and planet-changing impact. The Imperial Beach CDIP buoy was installed in August 2018, and pressure sensors will be installed in November through mid-December. More information on the Resilient Futures program from the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation can be accessed here: Resilient Futures website. Associate Professor Bo Li and colleague Xue Rui from the Centre for Archaeological Science at the University of Wollongong. Credit: Paul Jones A new study of stone tools from a cave site in China shows that sophisticated "Levallois" tool-making techniques were present in East Asia at a much earlier date than previously thought. The findings challenge the existing model of the origin and spread of these techniques in East Asia, with implications for theories of the dispersal of modern humans around the world. The study, by researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW), University of Washington, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China's Bureau of Cultural Relics Protection, is published online in Nature on 19 November. Examples of Levallois technology (named after a Paris suburb where tools made with this method were discovered) have been found in Africa and Europe dating back to around 300,000 years ago. Before now, the earliest examples of Levallois techniques in East Asia were dated to 40,000 30,000 years ago; the new study places them there as far back as 170,000 years ago. Associate Professor Bo Li from UOW's Centre for Archaeological Science, one of the paper's corresponding authors, said the researchers analysed 2,273 stone artefacts excavated from Guanyindong Cave in southwest China in the 1960s and '70s, and found 45 artefacts (four tools, eleven cores and thirty flakes) that show Levallois-style knapping. Some of the artefacts from the Guanyindong Cave site in China showing signs of Levallois tool-making techniques. Credit: University of Wollongong "Levallois technology is a step up from earlier stone tools because it involves a level of planning, of preparation, and a repetition of technique" Professor Li said. "Instead of hitting two stones together and picking up whatever looks useful, for Levallois tools you first have to prepare the core to make it a special shape before you knap the core to produce a flake that can be used for cutting or scraping. "Earlier stone tools are more arbitrary in size and shape. Levallois tools are more standardised. "When we analysed the artefacts from Guanyindong we found they had similar features to Levallois tools found in Africa and Europe. The question then was, how old are they?" Previous dating at the site, using uranium-series dating, had indicated an age between 240,000 and 50,000 years ago, but had focused on fossils and carbonate samples found away from the stone artefacts. The team returned to Guanyindong Cave to do further dating using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which measures the time since the artefacts-bearing sediments were last exposed to sunlight. "Dating for this site was challenging because it had been excavated 40 years ago, and the sediment profile was exposed to air and without protection, so trees, plants, animals, insects could disturb the stratigraphy, which may affect the dating results if conventional methods were used for dating" Professor Li said. "To solve this problem we used a new single-grain dating technique recently developed in our OSL lab here at the University of Wollongong, to date individual mineral grains in the sediment. Luckily we found residual sediment left over by the previous excavations so that allowed us to take samples for dating." The Guanyindong Cave site in southwest China. Credit: Jia-Fu Zhang What they found was that the deepest layers of the cave in which Levallois tools were uncovered dated back to about 170,000 years ago, while those from the upper layers dated to approximately 80,000 years ago. "This is a very exciting result, as it challenges the existing theory about the history and evolution of humans and technology in East Asia," Professor Li said. "Until now, archaeologists thought modern human only arrived there 50,000 years ago and brought the technology with them. "We've found something much older, which suggests a different model of human dispersal and technology evolution." Levallois tools are also known as Mode III technology, part of a broad evolutionary sequence that was preceded by hand-axe technology (Mode II) and followed by blade tool technology (Mode IV). Because the archaeological record from China appeared to jump from Mode II to Mode IV around 40,000 to 30,000 years ago without the development of Mode III tools, it was argued the more advanced technologies must have arrived by migration from the West. The paper's other corresponding author, Associate Professor Ben Marwick from the University of Washington, described Levallois technology as the "Swiss-army knife of prehistoric tools", and said the study suggests the more advanced technologies could have been invented in East Asia independently. "It used to be thought that Levallois cores came to China relatively recently with modern humans," Professor Marwick said. Map showing the location of the Guanyindong Cave site in China. Credit: University of Wollongong "Our work reveals the complexity and adaptability of people there that is equivalent to elsewhere in the world. It shows the diversity of the human experience. "Our work shows that ancient people there were just as capable of innovation as anywhere else. Technological innovations in East Asia can be homegrown, and don't always walk in from the West." The question of whether Levallois techniques were invented independently in East Asia won't be resolved until further archaeological evidence is uncovered, Professor Li said. "There are several possible explanations but because of the lack of fossil evidence we can't answer exactly which is the truth. "One theory is technology convergence; that different groups came up with the same idea. The second is that the technology spread through communication between different groups of people who exchanged their techniques. The map shows where Levallois artifacts have been found. The oldest, dating to 337,000 years ago, have been found in Europe and Africa. The star on the map marks the site of Guanyindong Cave, where new research published in the journal Nature shows that this technology was used 80,000 to 170,000 years ago in Asia, much earlier than previously thought. Credit: Marwick et al. "The third possibility is population replacement, that migration brought those techniques into the area. "Hopefully our study will lead to new excavations and more detailed studies in this region. There are many caves in this region that are perfect for the preservation of tools and fossils but there haven't been many digs. "If we can find a human fossil or the fossil of a different species then we can then understand more about who made these tools and what the origin of the technique is." Explore further Innovative Stone Age tools were not African invention, research says More information: Yue Hu et al. Late Middle Pleistocene Levallois stone-tool technology in southwest China, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Yue Hu et al. Late Middle Pleistocene Levallois stone-tool technology in southwest China,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0710-1 Even though no building material is fire-proof, a few strategies could still allow more evacuation time during a future wildfire. Credit: Purdue University Low humidity and strong winds in California mean that this month's wildfires could strike again. Unfortunately, better building materials and planning can only offer so much protection, says a Purdue University natural hazards engineering expert. "Two possible strategies to mitigate a structure's vulnerabilities to wildfire damage include incorporating better building materials, and creating a defensible space around the structure where a fire can be stopped," says Julio Ramirez, the center director for the National Science Foundation's Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Network Coordination Office, and Purdue's Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering. "But no building material is completely fire-proof," he says. The majority of wildfire damage so far is concentrated on buildings with wooden frames and flammable roof material. To delay damage, Ramirez says that the frames should be substituted with concrete reinforced by steel, and the roofs with clay tiles. The type of windows is also important, as single-pane windows are vulnerable to glass breakage due to high temperatures. A defensible space adds extra protection. Buildings in these regions should be farther apart from each other since human activity in highly populated areas increases risk of fires and as far away as possible from wooded areas or shrubbery. When fire reaches a reinforced concrete structure, the heat has to first cause the concrete to separate and fall off, exposing steel. Then the steel eventually melts and the structure can potentially collapse. Despite its shortcomings, reinforced concrete combined with a defensible space could still buy time for people to evacuate along identified routes. "The biggest problem with wildfires is how quickly they spread," Ramirez says. "Even though reinforced concrete can be more expensive than wood, it's not unreasonable for areas commonly stricken by this type of natural disaster." Cities should also evaluate power distribution, such as risk of a transformer spark initiating a fire, and further educate residents on preventative measures in a dry environment. Explore further Memory steela new material for the strengthening of buildings A Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog. Credit: Elliot Lowndes In a box, within a canister, surrounded by snow, tucked tightly into a backpack strapped to one determined ecologist. Twenty at a time they travel, these unassuming, iconic frogs, departing places where they're thriving for sites from which their species has vanished. Their mission: population recovery. In ecology-speak this is known as translocationcapturing, transporting, then releasing animals somewhere else, often to conserve the species. And when it comes to the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, amphibian residents of Yosemite National Park left devastated by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), it appears to be working. UC Santa Barbara ecologist Roland Knapp has been leading a team of field crewsin collaboration with the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serviceto save these frogs by reintroducing them to lakes from which they have disappeared because of Bd. The results of these novel experiments might provide important insights into how amphibian populations worldwide that have been impacted Bd might be recovered. "Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs were devastated by Bd following its spread across these mountains," said Knapp, a research scientist based at the UCSB-managed Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory in Mammoth Lakes. "But a few populations survived and appear to be evolving some degree of resistance to this pathogen, allowing them to recover despite the ongoing presence of Bd. Using frogs from those recovering populations to reestablish populations that were previously eliminated by Bdthat hasn't been done much before. It's good news for frogs for sure." Because few examples exist in which reintroduced amphibians were able to recover in the face of ongoing Bd infection, Knapp said, describing the fates of these populations is critically important. He and co-author Maxwell Joseph, a data scientist at the University of Colorado-Boulder, have now published their new ffindings in the paper "Disease and climate effects on individuals drive post-reintroduction population dynamics of an endangered amphibian," in the journal Ecosphere. "This paper shows that we can facilitate recovery by translocating frogs from places where they are recovering naturally to places where they were previously driven to extinctioneither by disease or by fish or both," said Knapp. "They persist despite the disease and become established, at least in some cases. If you rely on natural recovery, success will be limited. We've shown that we can move the frogs to habitats to which they could never return by themselves (because of introduced predatory fish in interconnecting streams) and develop new populations. That's an important advance." It's been a long time comingquite literally. The first two translocations of frogs were conducted more than 10 years ago, and Knapp and Joseph have been following those frogs ever since. Translocated into sites from which their species had previously been killed off by Bd, these new arrivals face challenges from disease and from variable winters (the frogs spend winter under the ice, getting by on energy reserves built up over the summer). By repeatedly catching the same frogs over several years, the researchers are able to track their health and survival, and determine whether the translocated populations are growing or shrinking. Coupling Knapp's long-term data with the novel statistical models developed by Joseph enabled the researchers to uncover key insights into how disease and climate together influence the persistence (or not) of these new populations. "What we really want to know is how infection loada measure of how infected a frog ischanges over time, and we need to keep track for every individual in the population," Joseph said. "But we don't know exactly how many individuals there are in the population and we don't observe them all at every visit. So we decided, let's model the data that we wish we had for every individual and use the data from the subset of individuals that we caught to inform that model. "For disease ecology as a field, being able to focus at the level of individual animals in wild populations is definitely a frontier," Joseph added. "We haven't had the necessary computational tools to do that until recently. With today's computational resources, we can better understand how differences among individuals affect the fate of populationsdo they persist or do they go extinct?" Of the two frog populations detailed in the paper, one is persistingwith hundreds of new animals born since their reintroduction. The other has failed to thrive and appears on the verge of extinction. The researchers believe that the difference in outcomes at the two sites is being driven the varying, lingering effects of Bd: infections are lower in the thriving population and higher in the group that is failing. "Despite still having major effects on frog populations, disease is unlikely to doom this iconic species in Yosemite National Park," Knapp said. "Since the early translocations described in this paper, many additional translocations have been conducted in Yosemite and the majority of those populations show signs of becoming established. "Translocations are a viable conservation measure to re-establish populations of frogs that have been wiped out by Bd, assuming that large donor populations are available," he continued. "To facilitate recovery at a larger scale, across Yosemite and the entire range of the frog, we ultimately want to be able to predict in which habitats reintroduced frogs will survive. In the future, we hope to use the outcomes of all these translocations to identify the characteristics of sites that maximize the chance of successfully reestablishing frog populations. We are probably a decade away from that but that's where I want this to go. And having long term data and powerful analytical tools is the only way we're going to eventually get to that point." Added Knapp, who has been studying how best to recover yellow-legged frogs for decades, "I'm optimistic that with a little help these iconic frogs will once again be able to thrive in the Sierra Nevada." More information: Maxwell B. Joseph et al, Disease and climate effects on individuals drive post-reintroduction population dynamics of an endangered amphibian, Ecosphere (2018). Journal information: Ecosphere Maxwell B. Joseph et al, Disease and climate effects on individuals drive post-reintroduction population dynamics of an endangered amphibian,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2499 (Left) Picture of the laboratory drop tower developed by the Blum group at TU Braunschweig. (Right) Impact-induced expansion of granular clusters.In each row, the temporal sequence goes from left to right. Credit: Hiroaki Katsuragi and Jurgen Blum A collaboration between Nagoya University and TU Braunschweig finds evidence that when projectiles hit soft clumps of dust or hard clumps of loose glass beads, the scaling laws for energy dissipation and energy transfer are the same in each case. This helps to understand how granular clumps stick together, and how planets are formed. Granular clusters are common phenomenawhile making a cake in the kitchen, flour forms clumps. Porous dust agglomerates, which are clumps of clumps of dust grains, are considered to be building materials in the formation of planets. But to reveal how planets are formed, the physical behaviour of these dust clumps has to be properly understood. In particular, their response when hit by projectiles is key because the conditions causing impact-induced sticking, bouncing, fracturing, and so on, must be known in order to establish a plausible planetary-formation model. Since the porous dust agglomerates can be regarded as granular matter, the basic physical properties of granular matter are crucial for constructing the model. One approach to learning about granular impact dynamics relating to the planetary formation process is by direct observationthat is, carrying out experiments on Earth that simulate the space environment. Hiroaki Katsuragi, a granular physics expert from Nagoya University, and Jurgen Blum of the Technische Universitat Braunschweig have done just that. Blum has constructed a drop tower where microgravity and vacuum conditions are achieved to mimic the environment in space (Figure 1, left). They fired plastic, lead and glass projectiles of varying sizes at soft and fragile clumps of dust, as well as at loose, dense clumps of relatively rigid glass beads. The team then carefully analyzed the impact-induced expansion (Figure 1, right) and found evidence for universal energy transfer and dissipation scaling laws. In addition, the team found that the scaling laws are applicable not only to the porous agglomerate clusters but also to the dense glass-bead clusters. Katsuragi, explains: "The result is useful to deeply understand the planet-formation process. At the same time, we are surprised at the agreement of the expansion dynamics between porous (fragile) clusters and dense (rigid) clusters. Actually, the porous clusters consist of tiny grains of powder clumped together, and these clusters of many sizes are themselves clustered together. We found that this type of hierarchical structure does not affect the impact-induced dynamics." (Left) Picture of the laboratory drop tower developed by the Blum group at TU Braunschweig. (Right) Impact-induced expansion of granular clusters.In each row, the temporal sequence goes from left to right. Credit: Hiroaki Katsuragi and Jurgen Blum This study links the physics of planetary formation and clump formation through the microgravity experiment. The drop tower used in the study is unique in that short-duration impact experiments can readily be repeated at low cost. The interdisciplinary collaboration team is also unique. Hiroaki Katsuragi is a granular physicist and Jurgen Blum is a planetary physicist and both share the common goal of understanding the impact of porous and dense granular matter. Katsuragi says, "We're all familiar with clumps of powder: they're formed whenever we make a cake with flour. Nevertheless, the physics of clumpsof hierarchical granular matterhas not been studied well so far. This study could open up a novel research direction in the physics of granular matter." Explore further How the seeds of planets take shape More information: Hiroaki Katsuragi et al, Impact-Induced Energy Transfer and Dissipation in Granular Clusters under Microgravity Conditions, Physical Review Letters (2018). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Hiroaki Katsuragi et al, Impact-Induced Energy Transfer and Dissipation in Granular Clusters under Microgravity Conditions,(2018). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.208001 Woman, 73, tortured over witchcraft allegation A 73-year-old woman from Siddalek Rural Municipality-4, Dhading, has been admitted to a Kathmandu-based hospital after she was tortured and force-fed human faeces by four men over witchcraft allegation. (Ad) The headline screamed "Amazon, Google and Netflix are fighting over this rare gas," which is helium, nonrenewable, and running out. When it's gone it's gone. That's a huge crisis for medicine, the military, and computer chips that run the 21st century's gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. But, a couple small companies have a solution. Women demand irrigation canal, road and security posts Women of Parashuram Municipality in Dadeldhura district have launched a campaign to exert pressure on the authorities to build an irrigation canal, roads and security check posts in the area. 1. Yes. Nonprofit youth organizations are underfunded in the city. Its a good decision. 2. Yes. In conjunction with city-run programs, it will provide needed opportunities. 3. No. The money should be used to benefit all residents, not just the citys youth. 4. No. The funds should be invested in the area where the project is being developed.. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether its an appropriate use of the money. Vote View Results " " Turkeys: Why are there two types of meat on one bird? Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Any way you slice it, turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner. Most people around the table will have a definite preference for their serving of bird: white meat or dark. Mostly, it's a matter of taste and texture. Dark meat tends to be richer, more flavorful and moister; white meat is less fatty, blander and drier. Lots of people also choose white meat because they think it's healthier it has less fat and fewer calories than dark. But the difference isn't that big. A 3 1/2 ounce serving of white meat (about the size of a computer mouse) has 161 calories and 4 grams of fat, versus 232 calories and 13 grams of fat for dark meat (and dark meat has more vitamins). Not so bad when you compare it to a slice of pecan pie (around 500 calories and 27 grams of fat). Advertisement So why are there two types of meat on one bird? The color depends on the kind of muscle it is and how much myoglobin it has. Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen and delivers it to muscle cells when the muscle is active. Muscles for flying and running are referred to as slow-twitch fibers; they're built to be active for long stretches of time and have more myoglobin. The more myoglobin there is, the darker the meat. Turkeys walk a lot they can even run up to 25 mph (40 kph) so their legs and thighs have lots of myoglobin and are dark meat. But domestic turkeys don't really fly; at best, they flap around. Their breast and wing muscles are made of fast-twitch fibers designed for quick bursts of energy, but they tire quickly. These muscles have less myoglobin and are therefore lighter in color: white meat. Want a taste of the past this Thanksgiving? Try a heritage turkey a slow-growing, pasture-raised bird that more resembles wild turkeys of yesterday in flavor, especially the dark meat. You'll have to pay today's price though about four times as much as a conventional frozen turkey. Now That's Interesting Do humans have white and dark meat? According to our myoglobin content, we're red meat. And while we may look like beef, Polynesian cannibals describe our flavor as more like pork or veal. Monday, November 19, 2018 Stocks down. U.S. stocks opened lower as tech and energy companies weighed down the markets. Major tech companies Apple, Facebook and Nvidia shed 2 percent in early trading. Meanwhile, corporate debt is showing some strain, with spreads hitting nearly two-year highs. In addition, the trade spat between the U.S. and China shows no signs of slowing down, with both sides digging in at a major economic summit in Asia this weekend. Chart of the Week (Click to enlarge) - Copper prices crashed over the summer because of fears that the U.S.-China trade war would drag down the commodity complex. - Over the last few months, copper prices have held up. In fact, copper has even weathered the recent meltdown in oil prices. - Some of the support likely came from speculative positioning. - However, copper may not be able to maintain its price levels if the global economy hits the skids and speculators sour. Markets U.S.-China battle at Asian summit. The U.S.-China trade fight dominated the agenda at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea this weekend. Chinas Xi Jingping and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence were at odds at the summit, leaving the 21 nations unable to agree on even a bland joint statement for the first time in three decades. The standoff indicates that neither the U.S. nor China are willing to offer concessions at this point. The markets will closely watch the G20 summit in Buenos Aires later this month, where Trump and Xi Jingping are expected to meet. U.S. housing market in trouble. New single-family home sales were down 22 percent in September relative to the recent high in November 2017, a sign that the housing market is hitting a rough patch. Because of housings large role in the U.S. economy, both as a driver of growth and as a barometer of economic health, the poor sales figures raise some concerns. U.S. household income has not kept up with soaring home values in many urban areas, which suggests prices could be reaching a limit. Related: Gold Miners Face More Bearish Pressure UK government under Brexit pressure. UK Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a perilous week due to the Brexit negotiations after last weeks defections from her government. May will visit Brussels this week for negotiations, but she is squeezed between hardline supporters of a clean break from the EU on her right flank, and those that want to keep closer ties with Europe. Her government is looking increasingly shaky. Commodities Developing countries increasing demands on mining giants. Many developing nations are increasing demands on mining giants in a bid to capture more of the wealth from their nations, according to the Wall Street Journal. Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) and Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) came under pressure by Indonesia to sell off a copper mine; Tanzania issued a steep tax bill to a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX); and First Quantum Minerals (TSE: FM) saw billions in duties from Zambia, the WSJ reports. These are examples of a growing trend of more stringent demands from host countries in the developing world. Copper and oil diverge. Copper prices for November delivery were up 5.3 percent in the first half of this month while Brent crude fell more than 11 percent. The divergence is notable, the WSJ argues, because investors tend to trade both commodities in the same basket. However, copper also suffered a steep slide earlier this year due to the U.S.-China trade war, so some of the losses have already been factored in. Copper has already priced in an awful lot and demand is not necessarily bad, said Michael Widmer, a commodities strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Scrutiny on commodity traders. A report from Global Witness alleges that Glencore (LON: GLEN), Trafigura and Vitol, the three largest oil traders in the world, have ties to the sweeping corruption scandal in Brazil due to their links with key players acting as middlemen. Separately, Public Eye, says that Vitol has some sketchy business ties to the ruling regime in Kazakhstan. The case of Vitol in Kazakhstan highlights the need of specific regulation of the commodity trading sector, said Public Eye. Banks have to do it. Traders should too. Energy Iraq and Kurdistan restart Kirkuk oil. After a year-long hiatus, the oil from the Kirkuk fields is flowing again. The seizure of the fields by the Iraqi army from Kurdistan led to their sidelining. But a recent agreement between the two sides has allowed for the oil to come back online. The U.S. took a particular interest in pushing Baghdad and Erbil to reach a tentative deal, as higher output would help offset losses from Iran. The Kirkuk oil fields could allow 50,000 to 100,000 bpd to come back online immediately. OPEC compliance rate of 119 percent in October. OPECs compliance rate with the production cuts dipped to 119 percent in October, according to Bloomberg, the lowest so far this year. In other words, OPEC was producing more, led by a huge jump in supply from Saudi Arabia. Russia and Kazakhstan also exceeded their targets last month. The OPEC+ coalition is a little over two weeks away from the December meeting in Vienna, a summit that could yield a supply cut. Related: Chinese Gold Demand On The Rise Japan and South Korea to buy oil from Iran again. After receiving sanctions waivers from the Trump administration, Japan and South Korea may begin importing oil from Iran again beginning in January, according to Reuters. Both countries had zeroed out their imports from Iran, but now have some room to buy once again. They are seeking to get the best price and are in talks with Iran, a South Korean source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin crashes. Last week, Bitcoin plunged, falling from around $6,200 down to $5,500 in a single day. At the start of Monday, Bitcoin was trading at $5,278. Bitcoins market capitalization fell below the $100 billion mark on Thursday, a level not seen since October 2017. As of Monday, the market cap stood at $91 billion. The broader crypto market suffered a selloff last week. The false promise of blockchain. Blockchain technology has exploded onto the scene as an exciting technology. However, a former blockchain evangelist says that the hype has vastly exceeded the promise. On Bloombergs podcast, Odd Lots, they discuss the problems with blockchain technologies. Switzerland gives greenlight to cryptocurrency ETP. Switzerlands main stock exchange will allow the worlds first exchange traded product tracking multiple cryptocurrencies. The Amun Crypto ETP will begin trading this week on the Six exchange in Zurich and will track an index of the five leading cryptocurrencies. Nearly half of the assets will be invested in Bitcoin. The Amun ETP will give institutional investors that are restricted to investing only in securities or do not want to set up custody for digital assets exposure to cryptocurrencies. It will also provide access for retail investors that currently have no access to crypto exchanges due to local regulatory impediments, said Hany Rashwan, co-founder and chief executive of Amun. By Tom Kool for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: The American coasts are draining thanks to the high cost of living and rising mortgage rates, feeding a migration of people that is poised to change the map of trendy places to live in the future. This is where cities like Sacramento, Atlanta, Phoenix (and even Detroit?) could end up becoming major venues for those looking for a new, affordable life. According to Redfin data, the third quarter of this year saw the migration continue, with people relinquishing their emotional and fashionable hold on cities such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and moving to new metro areas. A sample of more than 1 million Redfin.com users searched for homes across 80 cities from July through September this year. One-quarter of users sought to move to another metro area in the most recent quarterup from 22 percent during the same period last year. Rising mortgage rates are exacerbating affordability issues that have been driving people out of expensive coastal metros for the past few years, said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. With rates no longer near historic lows, buyers are increasingly cost-conscious, seeking more affordable homes in low-tax states in the South and middle of the country. Topping the list of venues Americans are looking to escape are San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Denver . Among RedFin users, over 28,000 sought to leave San Francisco for good, while over 23,000 sought to escape from high-cost New York. Related: Chinese Gold Demand On The Rise In terms of new boom-time cities, Sacramento is on the top of Redfins list for over 42 percent of users surveyed. Atlanta came in at No. 2, followed by Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, Miami, Austin, Tampa, Dallas, and Nashville. Some 40 million Americans move at least once, every year. Thats around 14 percent of the entire U.S. population, according to USA Today. And while the data is skewed to include young people moving within cities, there is a growing trend to seek out more affordable venues, better job opportunities andin some caseswarmer climates. Between 2010 and 2017, the biggest destination cities for relocations were in states such as Florida, Texas and Arizonabased on census figures that line up with what Redfin data is showing. Forbes notes that smaller citieswith fewer than 1 million peopleare starting to figure in the migration trend, too. The trend since 2012 is for mid-sized cities to experience increases in net migration, while major metro areas experience decreases. Making its point, Forbes notes that last year alone, New York and Los Angeles lost 209,000 people. Realtor.com is plugging Spokane, WA as the best place to be, based on the fact that no one wants to leave, and its becoming a hot destination for those looking to see their dollars stretch a lot farther. The average home price in Spokane is around $290,000compared to Seattles $555,000, according to Realtor.com. If Spokane isnt speaking to you, the next on Realtor.coms affordability list is Deltona, Florida, with average metro-area home prices at $287,350, following by Portland, Charleston and Boise. The online real estate website said its data showed that nearly 84 percent of residents in Silicon Valleys San Jose area were looking for an escape, with median home prices nearing $1.1 million. Ok, so Detroit didnt make Redfins Top 10 listor anyone elses, for that matterbut if the trend continues, maybe someday. It doesnt get much more affordable than Detroit, but theres a reason for that. There has been a bit of a revival in the downtown area, along with an influx of affluent residents and large-scale developments, with 10,000 new residents setting up house in the greater downtown area since 2010. But on the flip side, the city has lost 35,000 residents in that same time period, according to Moodys, which notes that the citywide population is declining and per-capita income is just above 52 percent of the nation. By Fred Dunkley for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: On screen, Merritt Patterson is known as the girl who royalty fall in love with from E!s The Royals where Merritt portrayed Ophelia who captured Prince Liams heart to her prior Hallmark film A Royal Winter, where her character Maggie catches the eye of Prince Adrian. Thus, it is no surprise that in her latest Hallmark film Christmas At The Palace, Merritt portrays retired figure-skater turned skating choreographer whose destiny pulls her once again into the royal realm. In an exclusive interview, Merritt talks about the joy of portraying a young woman who finds herself is swept up yet again in a royal romance. I got a chance to preview your new Christmas special, The Christmas at the Palace. Maybe you could just talk about what you saw in the script and why you wanted this particular role and to work on this project. MERRITT: Absolutely. I had actually read a version of this script a number of months ago and, I mean everyone loves a Christmas story, so I was immediately interested in doing it. Then it actually ended up getting pushed a few months due to just like filming and getting a crew together and script. But, eventually, I heard that it was a go and they sent me the new version of the script, which was actually even better and I was just really excited to be a part of it. It was fun to play a professional figure skater, turned choreographer. I thought that was an interesting element and it was just magical as it filmed the movie in Romania, which Ive actually been to before for A Royal Winter. So I loved it the first time around and I was really looking forward to going back so that was also an added bonus doing this film. This is kind of a familiar role for you as youve done, of course, A Royal Winter and you worked on The Royals. So youre doing another royal romance, so to speak. What kind of draws you to these stories? MERRITT: I know, its so funny! Its just kind of coincidence that I end up doing all of these royal story lines. But its also interesting because Ive never actually played a royal. Im always the American who falls for the royal. One day, maybe, Ill actually play the Queen or the Princess. Do you ever ask the casting directors what they see in you that says you are of course destined to make princes fall in love with you? MERRITT: [Laughs] You know what? No, I havent asked. Ive been lucky with Hallmark they usually approach me with these roles. So, they must just see me as the All-American, I guess. Clearly they are seeing a potential princess every time they see you. Thats not a bad thing! MERRITT: [Laughs] Yeah. Its not bad typecast, I guess! There also seems to be the theme of dance whether it be skating or working in the dance area. You must also come across as somebody who would be naturally graceful and beautiful in motion. Is that something you tend to pursue in roles? MERRITT: Nice of you to say. Ill take that! Do you pursue those kinds of dance-related roles? MERRITT: I did dance growing up somewhat competitively. But I grew up in a small town, so it wasnt at any large stage. But I really enjoyed that growing up and I also did figure skate, when I was quite young. But I didnt end up doing that as I got older. The town I grew up in, the lakes freeze in the winter so we would skate on the lakes. So I am comfortable on a pair of skates. So I think these are bits of the characters that Im familiar with, and its good that you think I can portray it I mean, its working! What was it like to do skating in this particular film? MERRITT: It was really fun. Like I said, Im comfortable in skates. I wouldnt say Im a professional by any stretch of the imagination. But luckily the character I play has turned choreographer, so I actually wasnt on the ice a ton. Brittany [Bristow], who plays Jessica, is actually a skater. She was competitively figure-skating at one point. So she was incredible. But it was really fun just to get out on the ice and skate around. It was unique. I hadnt done that before for a film. The character does get on the ice at the end of the show and is supposed to perform a routine. They brought in stunt doubles who were incredible figure skaters, so I kind of would start and she would take over. Very very incredible to watch. It looked like the dynamics between you character Katie and Brittanys character Jessica seemed to just be real natural and fun. What was it like working together that way with Brittany? MERRITT: It was great. The four of us; myself, Brittany, Andrew [Cooper], who plays the King, and Nick [Banks] whos character is also called Nicholas the four of us got along so well. You never know who youre going to be working with. I actually didnt find out who any of the other cast members were until the night I arrived in Romania. Was all very kind of last minute. And you always hope that youre going to get along, especially when you are playing best friends or your love interest or whoever the character may be. And the four of us got along so well. Brittanys from Canada as well. Shes from the east coast. I had never met her before but from the first time we met we were close so it worked really well. Both you and Brittany have done a number of the Hallmark films now, so you are kind of in that Hallmark family. So there might be a natural kind of affinity there. MERRITT: There we go. Yeah, absolutely. She had just done Love in Safari. That was so cool that it filmed in South Africa. That was pretty stunning. Its amazing that Hallmark is providing all these amazing opportunities for the actors to go to these incredible remote locations. MERRITT: Absolutely. Thats one of my favorite parts of the industry: getting to travel and go to new locations. I love that. What did you get to enjoy in Romania while you were there? MERRITT: This particular shoot was very, very busy. We shot 6-day work weeks. So we only actually had two days off the entire time we were there, which was about just under 3 weeks. So this trip, unfortunately, I didnt get to see as much. But the last time I was there, I had a bit more time to explore and we actually traveled up into the mountains to film some of the exterior shots. So I was able to go to Sighisoara, which is a village in the mountains and hundreds of years old. It was so cool. And at one of the locations that we shoot at for this film as well. Snagov Palace, its called. There is an island on a lake, and there is an island in the lake that has the monastery for Vlad Dracula for Vlad the Impaler. So thats kind of a cool thing to check out. Thats remarkable that your career allows you that opportunity to go see these places and gives you the time to actually see a few things while youre there. MERRITT: Its nice. I definitely try to take advantage of the time I have off to check out the locations because usually theyre incredible. For this particular film, Christmas at the Palace, what was unique and special about this? What did you love about it? MERRITT: I think the figure skating was really interesting. I was looking forward to that. That was definitely one unique element and I think I liked that this film had a couple of different storylines. It was really lovely to work with India [Fowler], who played the daughter of the King, Princess Christina. She was fantastic. I havent done a Hallmark film before when there was a girl, like a younger character of Christina. So it was really fun to work with her. Then just all of the different dynamics between me and Brittany, and me and Andrew, and Brittany and Nicholas. It was just, it was really fun. It allowed for a lot of fun on set interacting with all four of us. And anytime that we were all in a scene, it was great. I looked forward to that. Interesting enough, this film was a very female-empowering Hallmark movie. It allowed your character of Katie, and Brittanys character of Jessica to show that they were pursuing an entrepreneurial business on their own. Thats actually a really nice dynamic to see young women who are going we want to start a business and were going to do it no matter what. I loved that element. MERRITT: I do too, actually, and I think Hallmark does a really good job of having strong female leads, which can sometimes be hard to come by in film and television. So thats a great aspect of doing Hallmark films. Hallmark always want their female characters to have a strong sense of identity in the business world. So that they dont just drop everything to fall in love. They have careers and theyre ambitious and they pursue their careers no matter what else comes along the way, which is quite beautiful to see that you can have love in your life and have a professional life that they work complementary together. MERRITT: Absolutely. Not only did these two characters have like a passion figure skating but they also were entrepreneurial and were creating their own business. The film really went like above and beyond just having something of their own going on. That was a cool aspect. Its nice to see that as a woman that you can fall in love and not just be a housewife or a princess but that you do get to pursue a business interest as well. MERRITT: Yeah. Absolutely. Were there any specific challenges working on this film, like was it too cold or was it really tricky being on a remote location? MERRITT: I cant really think of any big challenges. It was actually such a beautiful time of year to be in Romania, which is great because often if you are doing a Christmas film sometimes you are filming it in August and that can be very challenging. But this was beautiful fall in Romania and it was actually sunny the majority of the time we were there, so it was kind of the perfect temperature to be shooting this film. I guess the only really challenging was just the fact that there is so much material that you have to get through in such a short period of time when you do the entire film in 16-18 days, which is really, really quick. So it just requires you to know your lines and be prepared and be rested and kind of ready to go because theres not a lot of downtime. You have had a very blessed career. How does it feel for you to be at this point where youre at right now? MERRITT: It feels really good. I have been lucky. Ive worked on some incredible projects. Ive met some really great people. Ive been really lucky over the years to be a part of some of these projects and I just hope that continues. I mean the only really difficult thing in this industry is finding some sort of consistency. So, ideally, Id like to be working more and more often, but theyre also very intense shoots often so its nice to have downtime in between. I appreciate all your time in talking about Christmas At The Palace and Im sure everybodys going to fall in love with it. You did a really amazing job and Im looking forward to your next project as well. Do you have anything you want to share with the fans about what might also be upcoming? MERRITT: [Laughs] No, unfortunately, I dont have anything to report as of now. Theres nothing set in stone so hopefully, hopefully soon. To fall in love with the wonder of Christmas At The Palace along with Katie and Jessica, be sure to tune in for the premiere on Wednesday, November 22nd at 8:00 p.m. on Hallmark Channel and also be sure to follow both @HallmarkChannel and @merrittpattrsn for the live-tweet during the premiere. Christmas At The Palace preview: Four changes to the FIRST STEP Act sought by Senator Tom Cotton | Main | Justice Gorsuch, joined by Justice Sotomayor, dissents from denial of cert in Confrontation Clause case from Alabama November 19, 2018 "Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit" The title of this post is the title of this notable new document now available via SSRN and authored by Valena Beety, Alex Kreit, Jeremiah Goulka and Leo Beletsky. Here is its abstract: In response to the growing opioid crisis, many prosecutors are treating overdose deaths as homicides. Since 2010, drug-induced homicide prosecutions have increased at least threefold. Criminal defense attorneys and defendants' families have asked for help in understanding these cases and how to defend them. This Toolkit is an effort to provide that help. And here is an introductory paragraph from the first part of the document: This Toolkit is intended to serve as an informational guide for defense counsel and other interested parties working to mount a defense for individuals charged with drug-induced homicide or similar crimes resulting from overdoses. The creation of this toolkit was spurred by two related trends: (1) information from parents, news reports, and other sources about pervasively inadequate defense being provided to many individuals charged with these crimes, and (2) widespread efforts by prosecutors to disseminate information and tools that aid other prosecutors and law enforcement in investigating and bringing drug-induced homicide and related charges, including presentations at conferences, continuing legal education modules, webinars, and the like. November 19, 2018 at 09:58 AM | Permalink Comments Opiod drugs are rippling thru criminal prosecutions in many and sometimes unexpected ways. I have worked on DUI cases involving heroin and fentanyl instead of alcohol. CUrrently, I am working with a Lexington defense lawyer on a case pending in Morgan County, Kentucky, where the defendant is charged with 2 counts of First Degree Wanton Murder (driver had oxycodone and hydrocodone in her blood), arising out of a car versus motorcycle accident, where the 2 passengers on the motorcycle were killed. The Kentucky State Police screwed up the investigation. First, they said that the point of impact was across the center line, on the motorcycle's side, based on skid marks at the scene. The Black Box on the defendant's car shows that the brakes were not applied during the 5 seconds before the air bags deployed upon impact, so there could not be any skid marks. A photo from Google Earth shows that those skids marks existed at that location more than a year before the accident! How can the prosecution prove a murder case when they cannot even show which side of the center line the accident occurred on? The defendant has a traumatic brain injury from the accident, so she has no memory about what happened, and there are no living witnesses. Also, the defendant was given fentanyl in the life-flight helicopter to a hospital in Huntington, West Virginia, which does not show up in the toxicology from the same blood draw. This woman has been a pre-trial detainee in jail for almost years, because she cannot post the $250,000 full cash bond. Trial is scheduled to begin December 6th. This mountains judge doesn't grant directed verdicts of acquittal either. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Nov 19, 2018 1:15:06 PM If the stories are to be believed nearly all defendants get a "pervasively inadequate defense " and not just drug induced homicide defendants. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Nov 19, 2018 4:28:42 PM Post a comment "Drug-Induced Homicide Defense Toolkit" | Main | Another round of news and notes from the front lines of the debate over the FIRST STEP Act November 19, 2018 Justice Gorsuch, joined by Justice Sotomayor, dissents from denial of cert in Confrontation Clause case from Alabama Because the Confrontation Clause has been deemed inapplicable at sentencing (which has always seemed problematic to me), I tend not always pay a lot of attention to the Supreme Court's modern Confrontation Clause jurisprudence. But I do always pay a lot of attention to any indication that a new Justice is particularly concerned about the rights of criminal defendants, and so it is now interesting and notable to see Justice Gorsuch (joined by Justice Sotomayor) penning a dissent from the Supreme Court's denial of cert this morning in Stuart v. Alabama. Here are key paragraphs from the start and end of the dissent: More and more, forensic evidence plays a decisive role in criminal trials today. But it is hardly immune from the risk of manipulation. Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 557 U.S. 305, 318 (2009). A forensic analyst may feel pressure or have an incentive to alter the evidence in a manner favorable to the prosecution. Ibid. Even the most well-meaning analyst may lack essential training, contaminate a sample, or err during the testing process. See ibid.; see also Bullcoming v. New Mexico, 564 U.S. 647, 654, n.1 (2011) (documenting laboratory problems). To guard against such mischief and mistake and the risk of false convictions they invite, our criminal justice system depends on adversarial testing and cross-examination. Because cross-examination may be the greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth, California v. Green, 399 U.S. 149, 158 (1970) (internal quotation marks omitted), the Constitution promises every person accused of a crime the right to confront his accusers. Amdt. 6. That promise was broken here. To prove Vanessa Stuart was driving under the influence, the State of Alabama introduced in evidence the results of a blood-alcohol test conducted hours after her arrest. But the State refused to bring to the stand the analyst who performed the test. Instead, the State called a different analyst. Using the results of the test after her arrest and the rate at which alcohol is metabolized, this analyst sought to estimate for the jury Ms. Stuarts blood-alcohol level hours earlier when she was driving. Through these steps, the State effectively denied Ms. Stuart the chance to confront the witness who supplied a foundational piece of evidence in her conviction. The engine of cross-examination was left unengaged, and the Sixth Amendment was violated.... Respectfully, I believe we owe lower courts struggling to abide our holdings more clarity than we have afforded them in this area. Williams imposes on courts with crowded dockets the job of trying to distill holdings on two separate and important issues from four competing opinions. The errors here may be manifest, but they are understandable and they affect courts across the country in cases that regularly recur. I would grant review. November 19, 2018 at 11:47 AM | Permalink Comments The problem with the CC today is that there are not five justices who can agree on what it requires. The last thing the lower courts need is another fractured decision. The sad part is that with Justice K on the court there isn't likely to be major changes until someone leaves, which may not be anything soon. Posted by: Daniel | Nov 19, 2018 1:11:00 PM Post a comment Huobi Communist Party Committee As part of its desire to forge deeper ties with the Chinese government, Huobi Group, the parent company of digital asset platform Huobi, has formed a Communist Party committee in China, according to an announcement by the company. The new branch was established by a Huobi subsidiary, Beijing Lianhuo Information Service, and will reside in the Haidian District of the municipality of Beijing. Per reports on the South China Morning Post, the Beijing Lianhuo was established earlier this year, wholly owned by Huobi founder and chief executive Li Lin. Lin, who was full of praises for the government at the opening, calling the event a "milestone" for the company, adding: "Under the cordial care of the Party Working Committee of Haidian, the party branch of the Beijing Lianhuo Information Service Ltd. was gloriously established." For state-owned companies in China, the Communist Party charter mandates that enterprises with at least three Communist party members must set up a Communist party branch for promoting the party's ideals. Private firms, on the other hand, are not obliged to set up these committees, but it's becoming evident that many want to, as they seek closer ties with the central government. Huobi becomes the first cryptocurrency company to take such step, joining the likes of Baidu, Tencent and Alibaba Group to set up party committees. Huobi's cryptocurrency exchange, which is the worlds third largest crypto exchange by trade volume, was initially founded in China. The exchange was forced to move shop to Singapore, where it now operates, after Chinese regulators came down hard on cryptocurrency exchanges in the country last year. This crackdown also extended to the suspension of cryptocurrency transactions on Tencent's WeChat Pay. Shortly afterward, Alipay issued a statement saying it would refuse services to virtual currency merchants. The Chinese government has been anti-crypto but pro-blockchain, which explains why Huobi is paying homage to the tradition, as it still has blockchain operations in mainland China. Earlier this year, Huobi launched an investment fund focused on developing blockchain startups in China and South Korea. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. Actress Jacelyn Tay with her husband Brian Wong. (Photo: Jacelyn Tay/Instagram) Singapore actress Jacelyn Tay made a surprise announcement on Sunday (18 Nov) that she is splitting with her husband of eight years. Tay posted on Instagram saying that she was in the final stage of divorce proceedings, but did not give a reason for the split. I do not think I owe anyone the reason for divorce except to my son, she wrote. Even if you guys know, you cant help or change anything for us. Hence, I ask all who truly care for me and Zavier to give us a peaceful Christmas this year. The Mediacorp actress added a note of reassurance to fans: Dont worry, me and Zavier are fine. The 43-year-old accompanied her post with two photos. One was of herself with her seven-year-old son Zavier at Changi Airport, and the other was of Zavier and her husband Brian Wong, 50, on an airplane. She said her son and husband were flying off to Europe for a holiday. Tay removed the text of her post on Monday morning but reinstated it by the same evening. View this post on Instagram A post shared by | Wellness | Beauty (@jacelyn_tay) on Nov 17, 2018 at 10:21pm PST Tay said many may be shocked at her split, but asked friends and fans not to comment on her post, as she would delete all comments. If you truly love us and want to give support, just give a Like and pray for us. Thank you for your love, she wrote. By Monday, however, Tays Instagram post had attracted more than 400 comments and over 12,000 likes. The actress married Wong, a former Mediacorp sales executive, in 2010. The couple had been managing the wellness and spa business that Tay founded, Body Inc. Follow Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore on Facebook. By Moses Ndhaye. President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to continue improving the working conditions of health workers as the country targets to have over than 80,000 medical workers. Addressing doctors under the Uganda Medical association last night during their dinner, Museveni said the country currently has only 7000 who are enough to deliver quality services to all Ugandans. Museveni says all that is required to prevent Ugandan doctors from seeking for greener pastures abroad is by facilitating them well with a better pay. He has now asked doctors to put more focus on disease prevention if the cost of treating Ugandans is to reduce. Ervin Yeo, Ascotts Regional General Manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (left, seated) and Artadinata Djangkar, Senior Director of Ciputra (right, seated), inking the agreement at the opening ceremony of Ascott Sudirman Jakarta. (Photo: Ascott) The Ascott has signed an agreement with Ciputra Development Group to manage its serviced residences in Indonesia and China over the next five years. The 253-unit Citadines Sudirman Jakarta, the first property under the alliance, will open in 2021, according to a statement on Monday (19 November). CapitaLands serviced residence unit had also acquired Ascott Kuningan Jakarta from Ciputra in 2014 since it first partnered with the Indonesian property developer in 1996 for Somerset Grand Citra Jakarta, which is jointly owned with Ascott Residence Trust. The alliance was signed on Monday at the opening ceremony of Ascott Sudirman Jakarta, a 192-unit serviced residence property, which Ascott acquired from Ciputra in 2017. Ascott also recently signed a partnership with Tauzia Hotel Management, one of Indonesias top five hotel operators. These partnerships have helped Ascott grow its portfolio to over 130 serviced residences and business hotels with about 22,000 units across 39 cities in Indonesia. Russia clashed bitterly with the West Monday as it tried to block the world chemical arms watchdog's new ability to attribute blame for attacks like those in Syria and Salisbury. Accusations of hypocrisy and lying erupted as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons debated how to move ahead with plans agreed in June to give the body new teeth. Backed by China and Iran, Russia called last-minute votes on the OPCW's budget and on setting up an "expert group" to scrutinise the OPCW's new role in pointing the finger for toxic weapons attacks. But the United States and Britain furiously accused them of trying to "turn back the clock of history", and said the work to attribute blame for attacks in Syria should start as planned early next year. The West pushed through the new powers after a string of chemical incidents in Syria, as well as a nerve agent attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury in March. Russian envoy Alexander Shulgin said Western claims of chemical weapons use by Damascus and Moscow were "out and out lies" and an excuse for "raining down missiles" on Syria. He said the June decision was "illegitimate" and went beyond the Chemical Weapons Convention, the 1997 agreement to rid the world of toxic arms, under which the OPCW was set up. - 'Where is your morality?' - Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad denied his country had ever used chemical weapons, in a fierce broadside at the western allies. "You have taught people to use chemical weapons, you have used chemical weapons in the first two world wars." he said."Where is your morality? This is sheer hypocrisy and sheer lies." US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said Russia's claims that the OPCW's new powers were illegitimate were "pungent hypocrisy", and warned against allowing a "new era of chemical weapons use to take hold". "What have they done for the last few years but to connive with their Syrian ally to bury the truth of what has happened in Syria, along with the dead killed by the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," Ward said. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, Salisbury comes along." Britain accused Russia of carrying out the Salisbury attack using a Soviet-era chemical called Novichok and the West has since imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow. British envoy to the OPCW Peter Wilson called any attempt to limit the watchdog's power to attribute blame for chemical attacks "unacceptable". French ambassador Philippe Lalliot meanwhile said the Russian plan "at best" would indefinitely postpone the attribution role "and that is something we cannot accept". Member countries will now vote on the watchdog's budget -- the first such vote in its history -- and on the plans for an "expert group" on Tuesday. The OPCW is meeting for two weeks. - 'Strong and unified resolve' - The meeting is also the first since the expulsion of four Russians accused by Dutch authorities in October of trying to hack into the OPCW's computer system, using electronic equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby hotel. At the time the organisation was investigating the attack on Skripal as well as a major chemical attack in Syria. The spying incident is not on this meeting's agenda, however. The OPCW says the two-week meeting of the 193 member countries is meant to "discuss the future of the organisation". New OPCW director-general Fernando Arias warned in his opening address on Monday that the "international norm against the use of chemical weapons has come under strain". "Their repeated use poses a challenge that must be met with strong and unified resolve," he added. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the OPCW says it has overseen the destruction of 96.5 percent of the world's chemical arms stocks. But in recent years it has seen its role expand to cover Syria and other attacks. Arias said in the run-up to the meeting that he aimed to have a "very small but strong" investigative team start work early next year on attributing blame for all attacks in Syria going back to 2013. 17:04 Reuters Pakistan's Cabinet on Tuesday granted permission to arch-rival India to use its land route to ship wheat aid to neighbouring Afghanistan where millions of people face hunger as a harsh winter sets in. Islamabad will also send aid, the prime minister's office said in a statement, including 50,000 metric tons of wheat, matching the level sent by India. "We have approved to give passage to this 50,000 tons of wheat that India wants to send to Afghanistan," Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told a news conference after the Cabinet met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. The former Hong Kong mansion of kung fu legend Bruce Lee will become a centre for Chinese studies next year to offer courses on Mandarin and music. The sole trustee of the charitable trust which owns it founded by late billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin said it would keep the external structure of the mansion at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, intact after a renovation. Pang Chi-ping, also Yus grandson, said: We will convert the mansion into a centre for Chinese studies next year, which provides courses like Mandarin and Chinese music for children. He said renovation work on the 5,699 sq ft property, which had recently fallen into disrepair, would start soon after the Lunar New Year and classes were expected to begin in September next year. About 400 children, from kindergarten to secondary school, will be trained at the centre every year. He added: We will keep the mosaic, which was left by Bruce Lee, on the back of the wall surrounding the mansion. The centre may also offer classes on martial arts in future. But Pang said the trust would not use Lees name on publicity for the renovated site because they did not possess the late kung fu legends image rights. US-born Lee, who lived in Hong Kong as a child before returning to the US aged 18, taught martial arts and starred in many martial arts films. He spent his last years with his family in the Kowloon Tong mansion before his death on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. Yu Pang-lin, who bought the house in the early 1970s for about HK$1 million, planned to sell it in 2008 to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake that year. But he scrapped the idea when fans urged him to restore and preserve the property, affectionately known by Lee as the Cranes Nest. At that time the house was being used as a short-stay love hotel. The trust, which has assets estimated at HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion), is also considering donations to Hong Kongs universities for scholarships and cash help for students from poor families. Story continues We will also consider extending the scope of subsidies to secondary and primary school pupils in future, Pang said. He said the trust would launch projects targeting needy people, after finalising the legal formalities for his grandfathers estate by the end of this year. The trust will launch its first initiative next month by giving out 60,000 packages containing biscuits, towels and umbrellas to the elderly and needy families in Wan Chai. The initiative will cost HK$3 million. Yu died in 2015 of an undisclosed illness in Shenzhen, mainland China, at the age of 92. Raymond Chow, film producer who brought world Bruce Lee, dies at 91 That year, Pang asked the High Court to declare the will Yu made on July 21, 2011, giving his entire estate to charity, the true last and final will. He also asked the court to override two caveats raised by Yus son Pang Ah-fan and grandson Pang San-hon. In March, the High Court validated the will. The judge said the case illustrated the better part of human personality. Yu, a Hunan province native, moved to Hong Kong in 1958 and once worked as a toilet cleaner before making a fortune in the hotel and property business. He was named one of the worlds top 14 philanthropists by Time magazine. My grandfather had pledged to donate his full estate to charity. He would be seen as a cheat if his will is not implemented, Pang Chi-ping said. I asked the court to validate my grandfathers will to show filial piety to him. This article Bruce Lees Hong Kong mansion to become Chinese studies centre first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Cambodia will not allow foreign military bases on its soil, strongman premier Hun Sen said Monday, swatting away US concerns about a possible Chinese naval site near hotly contested seas. China has lavished billions of dollars in soft loans, infrastructure and investment on the poor Southeast Asian kingdom, providing Prime Minister Hun Sen with a fast growing economy that he wields as justification for his 33-year authoritarian rule. In exchange Cambodia has been a staunch China ally. It has seeded disunity among the 10-member ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations over a diplomatic pushback to Beijing's aggression in the strategically pivotal South China Sea. Rumours a Chinese naval base is under construction off Cambodia's southwest coast have been swirling. The area under scrutiny is in the Gulf of Thailand but gives ready access to the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the flashpoint area, infuriating the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan who all have competing claims to its islands and potentially resource-rich waters. But in comments during a cabinet meeting, broadcast on Facebook live, Hun Sen denied military bases of any kind have -- or will be -- built on Cambodian territory. "I have received a letter from Mike Pence, US Vice President, regarding concerns that there will be a China naval base in Cambodia," he said. "The constitution of Cambodia bans the presence of foreign troops or military bases in its territory.... whether naval forces, infantry forces or air forces." The US, once the region's undisputed military power, is acutely aware of the strategic and trading importance of the South China Sea and insists it remains international waters. US, Australian and British warships have increasingly conducted "freedom of navigation" operations through the sea to press that point, infuriating Beijing. Hun Sen dismissed reports of a Chinese base as "information that only tries to manipulate the truth." "I will reply to the letter form US Vice-president Mike Pence to make him understand clearly about the issue," he said. Chinese-bankrolled casinos, developments and dams have mushroomed in recent years, fanning growth but incubating resentment among some Cambodians who fear the country is increasingly in the pocket of the regional superpower. Several joint military exercises have also taken place while in June Beijing promised $100 million to modernise Cambodia's military. "China and Cambodia are friendly neighbours... co-operation between the two sides is open and transparent," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at press briefing in Beijing. "It is not aimed against third parties and cannot be unfairly criticised." China has established military positions on disputed outcrops in the South China Sea and intimidates fishermen and naval vessels from rival countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang last week sought to soothe anxieties, backing a rule book on behaviour in contested waters to be finished in three years "We are not and we will not seek hegemony or expansion," he added, ahead of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Singapore. Critics have countered that China has deliberately spent years negotiating the rulebook with Southeast Asian neighbours to buy time to build up its military bases. China's former top trade negotiator has questioned Beijing's strategy in the trade row with Washington, offering a rare window into a policy disagreement in the Communist-ruled country. Long Yongtu, who paved the way for the country's admission to the World Trade Organization, suggested the government erred by immediately retaliating against Washington tariffs by imposing levies on soybeans from the United States. "I hope when you start hitting back you'll avoid hitting agricultural products," and leave them for last, Long said he advised before the trade war's first tariff volley this summer. "Instead from the very start we hit their agricultural products and soybeans," China's former chief representative for trade negotiations said at a a Caixin media business forum on Sunday. China slapped 25 percent tariffs on American soybeans -- its single largest import from the US -- and other products in July immediately after Donald Trump fired at $50 billion in Chinese imports. The move was widely seen as an attack on Trump's agricultural base of electoral support, and tacitly acknowledged as such by Chinese officials. "I said from my experience in China-US trade, agricultural products are very sensitive, soybeans are very sensitive," Long said. When China was negotiating its WTO entry, the US wanted to bring politics into the discussion, said Long. "But if you talk politics you will never reach a deal," Long warned, recommending the world's top two economic giants engage narrowly on trade and avoid the larger strategic rivalry to strike a deal. But Long's interlocutor on stage, and during the WTO negotiations nearly two decades ago, former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, cautioned that the gulf between the two powers was expanding. "China's economy and economic policies have been on a divergent course from market economics... accelerating in the last four or five years," Barshefsky told the Caixin forum. The shift to a state-led system is a "fundamental conflict between China and the United States and other countries Europe, Japan, Australia", she said. "It is difficult to resolve." President Duterte in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit | Presidential Communications PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea Contrary to earlier announcements, President Rodrigo Duterte attended the last of the leaders meeting in line with the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit which concluded Sunday (November 18). According to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, the President did not tell them what made him change his mind and decide to finish the event instead. Its the decision of the President. Unang-una hindi ko alam yung report na maaga uuwi. Tama lang na nag-stay siya, Lopez said. The President, however, skipped the gala dinner, and when asked why, Lopez said I dont know. Maybe hes not feeling well, Im not sure. Im not privy to the condition of the President. Nevertheless, President Duterte attended the dialogue together with 20 other economic leaders in the APEC Business Advisory Council, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and the International Monetary Fund. During the business leaders meeting, the President laid on the table, matters that would strengthen the Philippines micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs) The messages of the president were very clear in terms of making sure, again ang globalization should not really affect the small countries as well as the smaller players in small countries. In other words, we have to make sure that the globalization will really benefit everyone, lalo na yung mga micro SMEs, Lopez said. Meanwhile, the Philippine government maintained that it will not take sides between the U.S. and China. It vows to maintain a good working relationship between the two countries despite their ongoing trade war. Frankly, we dont have to side with anyone, but we merit in both arguments, frankly. But we agree that we have to strengthen the WTO, the rule-based system. But the reality there is regional trade groups, but we should also not drop the idea of keeping very strong WTO and rules-based multilateral system, Lopez explained. Marje Pelayo (with reports from Rosalie Coz) The post Duterte finishes 26th APEC Summit, calls for investments on MSMEs in PH appeared first on UNTV News. President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France would be extremely vigilant about the fate of Renault and its alliance with Nissan after the arrest of the French auto group's boss Carlos Ghosn in Japan. Macron, speaking at a news conference in Brussels with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel at the start of a two-day state visit said: "It is too early to comment on the facts." But he went on to add that the French state, as a Renault shareholder, "will be extremely vigilant as to the stability of the alliance and the group." Ghosn, one of the world's best-known businessmen, was reportedly under arrest in Japan on Monday in a shocking fall from grace linked to allegations of financial misconduct. Japanese media said Ghosn had been arrested after questioning by prosecutors for various improprieties including under-reporting his income. The news rocked the auto industry, where Ghosn is a towering figure credited with turning around several major manufacturers and who leads an alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. Macron said his government would give "all its support" to employees of Renault, one of France's most emblematic companies. His state visit is the first to Belgium by a French leader since 1971 despite several stops in Brussels every year for EU summits. Meanwhile, on Tuesday Macron will visit a tech hub in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, home to many of the Islamic State jihadists who carried out the 2015 Paris attacks. It was in Molenbeek that top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam was arrested in spectacular fashion in March 2016, near his family home, and Macron's visit has been portrayed as part of the district's efforts to revive its reputation. Protesters angry over high fuel prices blocked access to fuel depots and stopped traffic on major roads on Monday with the government refusing to back down on fuel taxes after a weekend of demonstrations across France. One person was accidentally killed and more than 400 people injured during the "yellow vest" protests which began Saturday with nearly 300,000 participants nationwide. Early Monday, dozens of barricades were still being manned on motorways and roundabouts, far fewer than the more than 2,000 sites on Saturday. Around 200 trucks were backed up along a road leading to a fuel depot in the western city of Rennes, where some protesters had camped out overnight, an AFP reporter said. Others continued to camp out in supermarket parking lots. "The movement is not exceptional... and obviously isn't as big as on Saturday," Laurent Nunez, junior interior minister, told CNews, adding that police would continue to intervene to ensure major roads are not blocked. But further large-scale protests are already being planned. A call by a member of the rightwing Debout La France (Stand Up France) party for protesters to descend on Paris on Saturday and "block" the city has been viewed over 165,000 times on Facebook. Another Facebook page calling for a mass rally on Saturday in Paris "because there is where the government is!!!" had also garnered widespread interest. The government has warned that the anarchic nature of the roadblocks threatens the safety of both demonstrators and drivers. A 63-year-old demonstrator was run down Saturday by a panicked motorist at a roadblock in the eastern Savoie region. A handful of skirmishes were also reported on Sunday night, including in the northern port city of Calais where an Australian truck driver and a British motorist were detained after trying to force their way through a barricade. The grassroots movement emerged on social media last month over a surge in fuel prices this year, in particular for diesel, which many blame on taxes implemented in recent years as part of France's anti-pollution fight. - Gov't stands firm - It quickly snowballed into a broader protest over stagnant spending power under President Emmanuel Macron. "I earn 500 euros ($570) a month -- how do you expect me to live on that? With what I earn I can only allow myself one meal a day," said Jean-Luc, a 57-year-old protesting in Calais. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Sunday night that the government had heard the anger, but that it would maintain the fuel taxes, which are set to increase again in January. Last week the government unveiled a 500 million euro package of measures to help low-income households, including energy subsidies and higher scrappage bonuses for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. But even some lawmakers in Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party are urging the government to do more to help ease fuel and energy costs as winter approaches. "We need to maintain environmental taxes, (Philippe) is right to reiterate this, but we also need more measures to assist the French, especially the middle classes and the less well off," LREM lawmaker Matthieu Orphelin told RFI radio on Monday. The best way to learn is to do Twelve teams with over 30 participants composed of local IHL students, current startup founders as well as corporate employees from various industry sectors registered to participate in the Citi x GiTSG Data Hack, a half-day hackathon organised by Citi and Girls in Tech Singapore . The purpose of running the hackathon in partnership with Citi is two-fold, explained Wan Ting Poh, Managing Director at Girls in Tech Singapore (GIT): Create a learning opportunity for the community through a project Solve a business problem for Citi Unlike previous GIT hackathons, this was focused on solving a specific business problem that Citi faces which involves the use of Natural Language Processing techniques, a branch of Artificial Intelligence. To encourage more people from the community to try, technical mentors were also invited to provide guidance to the participants during the hackathon itself. Wan Ting shared: The best way to learn is to do our partner at Citi is a huge supporter of encouraging and empowering more females in STEM. We are aligned in scoping out a project that has tangible outcomes and through it, allow participants to get their hands dirty and pick up some new skills. It makes us very proud that there are quite a few participants who are trying out NLP for the first time. This spirit of trying and learning encompasses what we hope to drive for this event and what we stand at GIT creating a support network for women in technology. Also read: For women in tech, persistence is key in getting those dreams fulfilled Jeff Dunbar, Digital Business Developer at Citi, kicked off the hacking proper with the following problem statement: Citi produces over 3,000 publications every month for our clients. These publications range widely in terms of length, from a few paragraphs to multiple pages. It is a client request to ready a summary before consuming the full article. Our hackathon aims to solve a real business need. I dont want to read 30 pages into a research paper before realising that its wasting my time. Send me only those articles that matter to me, Jeff explained. Story continues At the end of a 2.5 hour sprint, the goal was to create a functioning prototype of a summarising tool that summarises an input publication from Citi. The teams would deliver a 3min presentation followed by a 2min Q&A with a judging panel that included: Natalie Marko Nietsch, Pan Asia Head, Core Sales, Client Strategy, Global Investor Sales, Markets, Citi Agrim Singh, D10X Innovator, Hacker in Residence Rahul Puri, Corporate Sales & Solutions, Corporate Salesperson, Markets, Citi Summarytime Sadness emerged as the winning team to walk away with S$1,000 worth of cash and prizes. Team Data Camp and Team Enthusiasts finished first and second runners-up respectively. It was a rare sight for Singapores central business district to be hosting such energy and productivity on a Saturday afternoon, but it was also one that was definitely well spent. Tasha Abdul Mutalib, Advisory Board Member at Girls in Tech Singapore, summed it up nicely: Its so inspiring to hear the stories of those who have joined us today from students working on a consumer banking brief totally foreign to them, to a pair of women who started building their solution the night before one with only a foundational understanding of Python! Were hoping to do more events like these and help the community build bridges to corporates and mentors, tackling problems that impact us all with fresh eyes. Id ask everyone to think about their next conference, panel discussion or hackathon and encourage, design for, or include women specifically; when we do this, everyone wins. Also read: e27 partners with CodingGirls Day 2018 to improve female representation in STEM Citis corporation innovation journey In the events opening remarks, Natalie commented that Citibank is really more of a technology company now than it is a traditional banking firm. According to her, Citi has involved more than 100,000 employees and invested more than US$8 billion in technology in the past year alone. They are currently operating 3 different types of corporate innovation initiatives across the globe. Citi Innovation Labs: Using new web, mobile, supply chain and analytics technologies to engage Citis institutional clients more innovatively and to create the most effective solutions and products for them. D10x: an incubator that provides employees with the opportunity to generate and test new ideas in financial services, validating whether or not a proposed product solves a client need early on in the development process. Citi Ventures: Citis corporate venture capital arm founded in 1972, based in Palo Alto with a presence in Tel Aviv and Singapore. The fund has invested in 42 companies, and exited from 13. - The post With latest AI hackathon by Girls in Tech Singapore and Citi, we take a peek into the banks corporate innovation journey appeared first on e27. Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected. No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions. Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with. Leeds Trinity University, where lecturers have been advised not to write to students in capital letters (Google). Lecturers have been banned from using capital letters when assigning work to students because it might upset them. Staff at Leeds Trinitys journalism department have been told writing to students using capital letters could scare them into failure and instead suggested using a friendly tone and avoiding the use of negative language. Critics have since slammed the memo, saying it is just aiding to the snowflake generation being overindulged throughout their education following incidents in Manchester and Kent. The memo said: Despite our best attempts to explain assessment tasks, any lack of clarity can generate anxiety and even discourage students from attempting the assessment at all. The Express reports that it goes on to say writing words in capital letters could make the assignment appear more difficult adding to anxieties. Leeds Trinity University has been criticised for a memo telling staff how to address students without upsetting them stock image. (PA) But one staff member said capitals helped ensure students didnt misunderstand their instructions. They added: We are not doing our students any favours with this kind of nonsense. A spokesperson for Leeds Trinity said the memo was guidance on how to explain tasks to students so they achieve their full potential. The move is the latest in a string of incidents which have seen universities criticised for pandering to students. The University of Manchesters students union replaced applause with jazz hands at one event to alleviate stress among the anxious and people with sensory issues. Kent University last month was criticised for banning students wearing offensive costumes, including cowboy outfits or sombreros, in case it affected students right to a safe space at the institution. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo A Japanese student who went missing in eastern France in 2016 was probably suffocated in her university room by her fugitive Chilean ex-boyfriend, a prosecutor said Monday. Narumi Kurosaki, 21, disappeared in the city of Besancon on the night of December 4, 2016 after having dinner with her ex, Nicolas Zepeda. Local prosecutor Etienne Manteaux said that investigators believed that she had been killed, but determining the cause of death was difficult because her body has not been found despite extensive searches of a nearby forested area. No blood had been detected in her room in the university residence in Besancon where terrified cries and the sound of a physical struggle were reported by fellow students at around 3:30 am. "Was it by suffocation? Probably. That doesn't leave blood," Manteaux told reporters in Besancon. "There are ways of killing that don't leave many traces." He said that Zepeda, who had posted videos online threatening Kurosaki, had been jealous that she had started a new relationship with another man and was "more than ever considered the main suspect in this killing". He also revealed that Zepeda had bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared and his hire car was returned covered in mud. In their search for her body, police have focused their efforts on the vast Chaux forest area on the outskirts of Besancon, but have been unable to find any trace of the student. Zepeda, a teaching assistant aged in his mid-twenties, left France and returned to Chile shortly after Kurosaki was last seen dining with him in a restaurant a short drive from Besancon, a town in the foothills of the Alps mountains. He has admitted going to her room afterwards -- he claims for consensual sex -- but has denied responsibility for her disappearance. -- Chilean 'reticence' -- Chilean authorities have so far declined to arrest him, despite an international arrest warrant issued by France, and Manteaux admitted that there had been a "certain reticence" to take action. A Chilean judge criticised "the scarce information related to the facts and the suspect's participation in them" in February last year during a hearing. French authorities are now set to send a request to their Chilean counterparts "in the coming weeks" to ask if a French magistrate can visit the country to interview the suspect. "What we want now is to go to Chile to interview Mr Zepeda... and to explain to the Chilean police and judicial authorities all of the evidence against Mr Zepeda," he explained. "We have done everything to try to find the body, without success. We need to accept that. We need to move on to the diplomatic stage," he added. France had not sent a formal extradition request, with most countries reluctant to extradite their own nationals for trials overseas, the prosecutor explained. Manteaux suggested the most likely conclusion was either a trial in Chile, based on evidence handed over by French authorities, or a trial in France which would judge Zepeda in absentia. - Hope and despair - Kurosaki's parents, who reportedly visited France last week, continue to hold out hope that their daughter might be seen again. "For as long as the body has not been found, they continue to cling to the hope that she might be alive," Manteaux said. "For me, who has to take an objective view of the facts, this hope seems in vain." During the press conference, Manteaux also raised the issue of why none of the roughly 10 students who heard screams on the night Kurosaki disappeared had called the police. Some had sent text messages to friends, but no-one raised the alarm, he said. Local police commander Regis Millet also revealed that police had been unable to access the GPS data from Zepeda's car because it had been erased by other customers by the time they inspected the vehicle. Kurosaki, described as a smiley, gentle individual by friends, started a relationship with Zepado after they met in Japan but the couple later split. Hours before his hometown of Paradise in Northern California was destroyed by the raging Camp Fire on November 8, Randy Stein, 62, had an appointment with his cardiologist. Although his wife, Lois, did not usually accompany him, this time she did. When they emerged from the doctors office, they realized something was terribly amiss. The temperature had dropped into the 30s, and the midday sky was as dark as night. The road leading home was blocked. The Steins soon learned that their home on Edgewood Lane, along with every other house on their block, had been totally destroyed. Five of their neighbors died trying to escape the flames. Everything we own was in that house, Stein said. We have nothing left. Their dealership for Old Hickory Sheds also burned to the ground. The Steins reached out to Rabbi Mendy and Chana Zwiebel, Chabad emissaries in Chico, the closest city to Paradise. The fire raged just five minutes away from their home in the Rohr Chabad Jewish Center at Chico State University, where Randy had been attending services and classes for six years. The Zwiebels provided us with food and some gelt just to tide us over, said Randy, who likes to pepper his sentences with Yiddish phrases. The moral support they have given us, he adds, has been tremendous. The Chabad house has been turned into a refuge for displaced families. We are appealing to your readers, Rabbi Zwiebel told Lubavitch.com, to help us help people who have suffered such terrible losses. Randy and Lois Stein, who have been staying more than an hour away, will soon be moving into the Chabad House for the foreseeable future. I dont think people outside the area realize the scope of this disaster and how many people are affected, said Zwiebel. Despite its fanciful name, Paradise is a working-class town, most of whose residents do not have the resources to get back on their feet. Mendy Zwiebel knows of at least twenty Jewish families in circumstances similar to the Steins. Those affected range in age and background, and many have had limited contact with Chabad until the Zwiebels reached out to help them. Many evacuees are underinsured and few have the emergency insurance necessary to tide them over the first few months until insurance kicks inleaving them without basics such as food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. The fires rising death toll now stands at 76, and the number of missing persons is nearly 1,300. Close to 13,000 structures have been destroyed. Besides for arranging temporary accommodations, the Zwiebels have been delivering hot food to people camping out in parking lots and collecting funds for basic necessities. People need a lot of financial assistance, Zwiebel said. For now, we are trying to fill their basic needs, but we must raise the funds to help them rebuild. People lost everything, their homes and businesses, and they will have to start from scratch. Aside from the physical losses and the noxious air quality throughout the region, people are also struggling with the psychological toll. They are emotionally drained from the trauma of driving through the flames to safety and losing everything. For some, its still hitting them, said Zwiebel. For people like the Steins, the enormity of the loss will take time to absorb. Will they rebuild? Start over someplace else? We are totally farmisht, says Randy. Support those affected by the California Camp Fire at www.JewishChico.com/FireFund. Randy and Lois Stein, who lost all their worldly possessions in the Camp Fire, gain some comfort with a hot meal and friendly welcome from the Zwiebel family. Chabad brings nourishing provisions to victims of the Camp Fire, who are camped out in parking lots despite near-freezing overnight temperatures. Face masks provide some protection against noxious air quality. A volunteer at Chabad of Chico ladles out hot soup to be brought to fire victims. Sri Lanka's president ordered the removal of a police chief investigating alleged crimes by the family and associates of his preferred candidate for prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse, officials said Monday. The Indian Ocean nation has been paralysed since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena controversially sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former rival Rajapakse. Wickremesinghe insists he is still prime minister, leading to a constitutional deadlock in the Indian Ocean nation. In the latest twist in the ongoing crisis, Chief Inspector Nishantha Silva was transferred from the Criminal Investigation Department on Sunday as he pursued inquiries into the close family and allies of Rajapakse, an official told AFP. Since sacking Wickremesinghe, Sirisena has taken the police under his direct control. Silva investigated the killing of 11 children between 2008-2009 and had secured an arrest order last week against the country's top military official when he was shifted on Sunday, an official said. "He was about to arrest Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne when his marching orders came," a senior police official told AFP. "This is a serious blow to half a dozen high profile investigations." Wijegunaratne has remained the chief of defence staff. Silva was also pursuing the killers of editor Lasantha Wickrematunga and investigating Rajapakse's former defence secretary brother Gotabhaya, who is accused of defrauding the state. Gotabhaya Rajapakse was indicted in September on charges of siphoning off over $250,000 in state funds to build a memorial for his parents. Silva was also investigating an alleged corrupt aircraft purchase from Ukraine when Gotabhaya Rajapakse was in power between 2005 and 2015. Sacked PM Wickremesinghe has accused Rajapakse of seeking to grab power again in order to sabotage the court cases against his family and associates. In August, a special court charged Rajapakse's chief of staff with embezzling millions of dollars from a state insurance firm. Rajapakse's top civil servant, Lalith Weeratunga, was convicted of misappropriating $4 million and sentenced to three years in prison. Two of the former president's three sons have also been charged with money-laundering and other relatives face corruption allegations. The former president was questioned in August over the 2008 abduction and torture of a journalist. He denies any wrongdoing and has accused the government of a witch-hunt. Three Central African military died in a shootout between soldiers in the town of Bambari in the centre of the restive country, a high-ranking military source told AFP on Sunday. Three other soldiers were injured in the gunfight which broke out Saturday and pitted members of military engineering units against each other, the source said. The altercation occurred only days after a peacekeeper died in an attack on a UN base in the CAR and a priest was burnt to death following sectarian clashes which claimed nearly 40 lives. The volatile country, whose territory is mostly controlled by rival armed groups, has been embroiled in deadly conflict for the last six years, leading to the displacement of more than a quarter of its 4.5 million inhabitants. "Everything started with an argument between military engineering units about the security and financial conditions in which they were carrying out their work," the military source said about Saturday's fight. The engineers had been deployed to Bambari to undertake work in preparation for World Food Day celebrations, which had originally been planned for October 16 but have been postponed twice because of violent incidents. The government controls only a small part of CAR's national territory. Armed groups clash in the provinces for control of resources, including diamonds, gold and livestock. The rebuilding of CAR's depleted national army is a priority for President Faustin-Archange Touadera who was elected in 2016. The UN has about 12,500 personnel deployed in Central Africa as part of its MINUSCA mission, one of the world body's largest peacekeeping forces. The UN Security Council voted Thursday to temporarily renew the mandate of the mission until December, amid heated debates about its ability to stem the unrest. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Also, Gushcloud buys back its company and Tencent restricts WeChat publishing Tencent and Sea Group ink deal for first publishing rights in Southeast Asia Garena, the gaming arm of SeaGroup, announced today it has signed a letter of intent with Tencent which will give Garena the right to first refusal for publishing Tencent properties across Southeast Asia. The deal covers Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Garena has already published Tencent content as it is the company behind Arena of Valor and League of Legends in Southeast Asia. This arrangement can bring top quality IP to the large and growing games community in our region, said SeaGroup Chairman Forrest Li in a statement. Google/Tencent report predicts 3x market growth amid growing mobile proliferation [e27] Southeast Asias internet economy is set to skyrocket to US$240 billion by 2025 about triple the size (US$72 billion) this year according to the e-Conomy SEA 2018 report jointly commissioned by Google and Temasek. The report, which takes into account four key internet sectors, online travel, online media, ride-hailing, and e-commerce, states that the figure is US$40 billion more than their previous forecast in their 2017 report. This massive growth can be attributed to the regions mobile-first economy. More users are coming online than before, thanks to the proliferation of smartphones. Gushcloud Founders buy back control of their company for US$8.2 million [e27] Gushcloud, an influencer marketing company, announced today it has paid US$8.2 million to buy back 62 per cent of the company from investor Yello Digital Marketing Group (YDMG). YDMG had bought the controlling stake back in 2015. The move was made to take the company beyond influencer marketing. The company thanked YDMG for helping it break into new markets and is now looking forward to diversifying. Gushcloud International has 200 employee working across nine offices globally, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and Los Angeles. Story continues Tencent crackdown hits WeChat as company restricts publishing channels [South China Morning Post] The China crack down on digital content has finally reached WeChat. Tencent announced today it is reducing the number of channels available for content producers on the platform, according to the South China Morning Post. Companies will be allowed to have two accounts (from the previous number of 5) and individuals will only get one account (they used to be allowed two). The decision comes in the context of an online crackdown by the Chinese government. According to the article, Beijing has closed 9,800 social media accounts since the start of October. Apple cuts production orders for iPhones [Reuters] Apple has reportedly cut production numbers for the most recent iPhone models, a decision that will raise eyebrows about the popularity of the newest editions, according to Reuters. The decision comes just after the company announced it will no longer reveal the number of units sold in its quarterly reports. The company has already prepared investors for lower-than-expected numbers in the upcoming holiday season. The post Todays top tech news, November 19: Google and Temasek are bullish on Southeast Asia appeared first on e27. By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt discussed the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, the conflict in Yemen and other issues in meetings with Iranian authorities in Tehran on Monday, Iranian state media reported. Hunt's office also said that during the trip - his first to Iran as foreign minister - he would press Iran on its human rights record and call for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. Iranian media made no mention of this. U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in May and Washington has reimposed sanctions on Iran to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile programmes, further curb its nuclear work and limit its support for proxy militias from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen. Other signatories of the deal - the European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China - have been trying to salvage it. Iran has warned it could scrap the accord if the EU fails to preserve its economic benefits from U.S. pressure. "The Europeans should accelerate their efforts to save the deal...We are ready for all scenarios, including a return to pre-deal era," the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, told Hunt, Iranian state television reported. Hunt said Britain was committed to the nuclear deal and discussed European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. SPEEDING UP Hunt and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also discussed the need to accelerate efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has been battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for nearly four years. Story continues "This is a part of the world which is frankly a tinderbox and so many things can go wrong here. And Iran is one of the big players and we are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen, that's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told reporters, according to BBC. In comments before the meetings, Hunt also mentioned Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested in April 2016 in Tehran as she headed back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit. "We have the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other internationals here, who are in prison and shouldn't be, we want to get them home. So, there is lots to talk about," Hunt said. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was convicted of plotting to overthrow Irans clerical establishment, a charge denied by her family and the Foundation, a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News. There was no immediate mention of any Iranian response regarding to her case. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan in LONDON; Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Angus MacSwan) Woman, 78, jailed for a year by Hong Kong court for pouring hot water on Indonesian domestic helper A 78-year-old Indonesian Chinese woman found guilty of pouring hot water on her domestic helper was jailed for a year by a Hong Kong court on Monday. But Gee Hoo Giok maintained her innocence, with her family saying she was framed by her former helper, Ismiati, 29, also from Indonesia. Judge, judge, you have misjudged me, Gee shouted from the dock as Deputy District Judge Li Chi-ho returned to his chambers after the hearing. Ive never done something like this, how could you sentence me like that? Gee was found guilty earlier this month on charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and terminating the contract of an employee during a period of incapacity. The District Court heard Gee hired Ismiati in January last year to take care of her husband, who was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2005. But Gees husband died on March 3, before Ismiati arrived. Two days after Ismiati reported for work on March 27, the helper recalled that Gee complained about her slow cooking and suddenly poured hot water from a kettle on her back while she was preparing dinner. Ive never done something like this, how could you sentence me like that? Gee Hoo Giok, defendant Ismiati also claimed Gee blamed and scolded her for her husbands death. She recalled herself retorting: Your husband will die if he is meant to die. The helper was fired on the same day. Subsequent medical examination found she had moderate-degree burns, with redness from the back of her neck to her lower back, as well as ruptured blisters and peeling skin. The pain increased every day, Ismiati testified during the trial through an Indonesian interpreter. I couldnt lie down on my back. Gee countered that she knew nothing about the burns and claimed she never complained about Ismiati because she was grateful to have her. But the judge rejected Gees account, questioning why Ismiati would hurt herself just to frame her employer. Story continues A clinical psychologist who interviewed Gee said it was hard to ascertain her intent behind the assault since she totally denied the index offence. But he said it was possible that she attacked Ismiati on a moment of impulse given that she was still grieving for her husband and that she might have faced adjustment difficulties with a new helper. His report also noted there was no strong evidence to indicate habitual use of violence and concluded Gee had a low chance of reoffending. Gees medical report further revealed she needed psychiatric treatment following the incident as she was worried about the case and suffered from depressive tendencies. Fifteen letters from Gees family and colleagues were submitted in her mitigation. Her daughters helper, who had worked for the family for 13 years, also pleaded for leniency, saying she had never seen Gee being unfriendly towards helpers. The judge accepted that the case was an isolated incident. He said he understood that the death of a life partner could bring immense pain and that the victim might have said things to provoke the attack. But he also noted that the victim was attacked from behind with no opportunity to defend herself, and that she must have experienced a painful recovery. The court believes imprisonment is the only option, Li said. Still, he considered Gees age and reduced the starting point of sentence from 15 months to 12. Gee was further fined HK$500 for the labour offence. Ismiati has since recovered from her injuries. This article Woman, 78, jailed for a year by Hong Kong court for pouring hot water on Indonesian domestic helper first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Huobi Group, operator of one of the worlds largest digital asset exchanges, has set up a Communist Party committee, in a first for any cryptocurrency and blockchain-focused company in China. A Huobi subsidiary called Beijing Lianhuo Information Service established its party branch on Friday, according to a statement from Huobi posted on the microblogging site Weibo. Founded in 2013, Huobi is the worlds third largest cryptocurrency exchange with a daily trading volume of US$560 million, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Beijing Lianhuo was established in April with a registered capital of 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million), according to public company register records. Huobi founder and chief executive Li Lin has a 99 per cent stake in the company. The Communist Partys charter stipulates that any enterprise in China having at least three party members as employees shall establish its own party branch responsible for promoting the official party line. While such an organ has long played a central role in state-owned companies, private firms in China only began setting up party committees in recent years as they seek closer ties with the government. In the technology industry, big names with party committees include gaming giant Tencent Holdings, search engine operator Baidu, smartphone supplier Xiaomi and e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post. Newer tech start-ups like live-streaming platform operator Douyu and bike-sharing service provider Ofo are among the latest to join the foray. Why PR chiefs are running Communist Party branches at China tech firms In Huobis case, it is the first known Chinese blockchain company to set up its own party branch. Li hailed the move as a milestone for the company, according to local media reports that quoted a press release from Huobi. Li said the key reason for Huobis success is because of the partys policies promoting the blockchain industry. Story continues Li and more than 50 party members from Huobi attended the ceremony on establishing the party committee, according to the press release. Huobi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We must enhance the partys political leadership, and carry out the party's principles and policies in private enterprises, Cao Zhou, a party official with Beijings Haidian district where Huobi is based, was paraphrased as saying in Huobis Weibo statement. While Chinese governments at all levels have ratcheted up their efforts to adopt blockchain in areas from accounting and supply chains to data management, Beijing has made it clear it does not want retail investors to get involved in cryptocurrency trading amid fears of financial chaos. In September last year the central government shut down all domestic cryptocurrency exchanges, spurring companies like Huobi and OKCoin to move their exchange businesses to friendlier overseas jurisdictions. Huobi now operates its main exchange service from Singapore but has kept most of its businesses from venture funding to cryptocurrency mining pools within mainland China. Earlier this year the company moved its research unit from Beijing to Hainan after president Xi Jinping promised to turn the southern tourist island into a pilot free-trade zone. This article Worlds third largest cryptocurrency exchange Huobi creates Communist Party committee first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: Post: #9 RE: 11-year-old girl gang raped in Sweden LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 03:22 PM) What the hell is wrong with Swedish people? They are under Anglo-Jewish-Vatican occupation. The British are using the Jew's as cover, to bring absolute horror and a social cataclysm to the West, so the British can conquer what remains of the West, then try to conquer the world. You have to read the "Secret Treaty of Verona" and study the way the Roman Catholic Church operates(to destroy it's competitors). When the dust settles, the Monarchists, will use the hostile activities of the Jewish own press in Sweden/West, to justify abolishing freedom of the press(at this point, freedom of speech has pretty much been abolished in most of the West). The Monarchists will also blame their agents, whom they placed in power by blatantly rigging elections, as say "see, this is what happens when govern yourselves and have elections". The Vatican, who spent decades, if not a century plus, to place it's heretics in the Christian Churches of the West to spread heresy and other abominations, will then say "see, this is what happens when you leave the mother Church". This is Marxism 101, of refusing to prosecute criminals. "Marxism", is a British created thought-form weapon, to destroy societies/nations. It is about de-legitimizing the Swedish government, so when a future British King, comes in riding a white horse, they will be regarded as the legitimate authority. They are under Anglo-Jewish-Vatican occupation. The British are using the Jew's as cover, to bring absolute horror and a social cataclysm to the West, so the British can conquer what remains of the West, then try to conquer the world.You have to read the "Secret Treaty of Verona" and study the way the Roman Catholic Church operates(to destroy it's competitors). When the dust settles, the Monarchists, will use the hostile activities of the Jewish own press in Sweden/West, to justify abolishing freedom of the press(at this point, freedom of speech has pretty much been abolished in most of the West).The Monarchists will also blame their agents, whom they placed in power by blatantly rigging elections, as say "see, this is what happens when govern yourselves and have elections".The Vatican, who spent decades, if not a century plus, to place it's heretics in the Christian Churches of the West to spread heresy and other abominations, will then say "see, this is what happens when you leave the mother Church".This is Marxism 101, of refusing to prosecute criminals. "Marxism", is a British created thought-form weapon, to destroy societies/nations.It is about de-legitimizing the Swedish government, so when a future British King, comes in riding a white horse, they will be regarded as the legitimate authority. 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #46 Posted on 18 November 2018 by John Hartz Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Photo of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Scientists acknowledge key errors in study of how fast the oceans are warming A major study claimed the oceans were warming much faster than previously thought. But researchers now say they cant necessarily make that claim. The sun sets over sea ice floating on the Victoria Strait along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago during the summer of 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Scientists behind a major study that claimed the Earths oceans are warming faster than previously thought now say their work contained inadvertent errors that made their conclusions seem more certain than they actually are. Two weeks after the high-profile study was published in the journal Nature, its authors have submitted corrections to the publication. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, home to several of the researchers involved, also noted the problems in the scientists' work and corrected a news release on its website, which previously had asserted that the study detailed how the Earths oceans have absorbed 60 percent more heat than previously thought. Unfortunately, we made mistakes here, said Ralph Keeling, a climate scientist at Scripps, who was a co-author of the study. I think the main lesson is that you work as fast as you can to fix mistakes when you find them. Scientists acknowledge key errors in study of how fast the oceans are warming by Chris Mooney & Brady Dennis, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Nov 14, 2018 Toon of the Week... SkS in the News [To be added.] Photo of the Week... In this aerial photo, a burned neighborhood is seen in Paradise, California on November 15, 2018. JOSH EDELSON / AFP / GETTY IMAGES California Wildfires: Where Is the Climate Change Outrage? by Bruce Melton, Environment & Health, Truthout, Nov 17, 2018 SkS Highlights... New weather app 'a quantum leap' for understanding extreme events Dr Soderholm says extreme weather can be missed by instruments because weather radars could not see close to the ground. New weather app 'a quantum leap' for understanding extreme events by Shelley Lloyd, Weather, ABC News (Australia), Nov 21, 2018 Coming Soon on SkS... The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change (Sarah Finnie Robinson) (Sarah Finnie Robinson) Did bombing during second world war cool global temperatures? (Alan Robock) (Alan Robock) New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning) (Scott Denning) Global coal use may have peaked in 2014, says latest IEA World Energy Outlook (Simon Evans) (Simon Evans) New research this week ( Ari Jokimaki ) ( ) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47 (John Hartz) (John Hartz) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47 (John Hartz) Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change Posted on 19 November 2018 by Guest Author This is a re-post from the Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy by Sarah Finnie Robinson When do 97% of people agree on anything, even ice cream? In scientific circles, consensus is a rare trophy, held to famously exacting standards. When a scientific consensus is finally reached e.g., the Earth orbits the sun; water freezes at 32F, 0C; blood is red a new fact joins the foundations of human discovery. Under normal circumstances, a 97% consensus of the worlds leading scientists on anything would establish it as fact and compel action if needed. But our circumstances are not normal. Only 12% of Americans realize that that the scientific consensus on climate change is greater than 90%. Even among people who are Alarmed or Concerned about climate change, the consensus is somewhat unknown. Of the Alarmed, 84% understand the scientific consensus on climate change (16% do not); and 73% of the Concerned (27%). This is a great opportunity for climate communicators. Background: In 2004, Naomi Oreskes published The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change, in which she established the substantive scientific consensus on the reality of anthropogenic climate change. The paper was widely cited, including in the Academy-award winning movie An Inconvenient Truth. Several years went by. CO2 emissions continued their upward trend. A team of scientists led by John Cook decided to revisit Oreskess findings and provide an update. After examining 21 years of published papers and over 12,000 abstracts, in 2013 Cook et al. published Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature. The conclusion: 97% of scientists agree. Cooks paper went viral, in the manner of an academic paper with nine authors and twenty-three references; as I write, it has been downloaded 862,789 times. An advertising director named Matt Birdoff, of SJI in New York, proposed a pro-bono social-media campaign: The Consensus Project. Matts website was terrific, and it was helpful in raising awareness of the paper. Cook says. An AP journalist wrote about it, and President Obama tweeted a link to the article. Im thinking, thats a big deal! But then, the 97% Consensus balloon popped. In the world of climate solutions, which is populated with world-class heroes and also villains, youre onto something powerful when the trolls come out and the deniers kick in. And so it went for Cook: The Lie of the Century! read one especially virulent headline. Cook decided to refute the noisy (and unfounded) claims. I got together six of the other consensus people, my heroes [Oreskes, Ed Maibach, and four others], and we co-authored a rebuttal to say, We agree with each other. The Consensus on the Consensus was published in 2016: We examine the available studies and conclude that the finding of 97% consensus in published climate research is robust and consistent with other surveys of climate scientists and peer-reviewed studies. The other 2 or 3%? As HBOs John Oliver says, Who cares? This is a fact, not an opinion! The science is settled. A consensus has been identified, confirmed and re-confirmed. Danger is upon us. Now the question is what to do about it. Giants of contemporary communicators have seized on the 97% consensus: John Oliver is one. Jimmy Kimmel (The planet is going out of business!) is another. David Fenton is a third. Fentons advertising firm has created a quick, brilliant video called The Dentists. Opening scene: a dentist peers into his patients mouth and shakes his head before giving the bad news. Voiceover: If 97% of dentists told you a tooth couldnt be saved, youd pull that tooth. Cue the dreaded whirring sound of a dentists drill. Next: zoom into two construction engineers in hard hats. And if 97 percent of all engineers told you your house was unstable, youd move. Cut to a nice house crashing to smithereens as the cliff below it crumbles. Third scene: airline employees advising passengers not to board the plane. The Dentists did really well, Fenton told me. Off the charts. Pause. Even with skeptics. The Dentists was funded by The Partnership for Responsible Growth, a seasoned, bi-partisan group advocating for a price on carbon and focused on Capitol Hill policy-makers. Like the Consensus Project campaign, The Dentists utilizes best practices of climate communications: the power of Scientific Consensus to build Social Consensus (source TK) And, it exemplifies another another potent principle: the effectiveness of the Trusted Messenger. People like your dentist, a building engineer, or your airline personnel. Sadly, the ad was aired for only one week, and in only one market (Washington, D.C.). Ed Maibach is the founding director of the George Mason University Climate Communications Center, a Six Americas collaborator, and a Trusted Messenger expert. His communications mantra: simple clear messages, repeated often, by a variety of trusted sources. The corollary: make the behaviors we are promoting easy, fun and popular. The Dentists satisfies these requirements. Its a simple message, repeated in a fun way by three sets of trusted sources. Its easy to watch, and its short. Is it popular? It will be when more people see it! According to Maibach, it will be more effective as it is repeated. Which is exactly what a 30-second spot is designed to do on television. Message repetition works best when many different messengers repeat the same set of messages, consistently, over time. Heres an idea: Create a partnership with the TV networks, Netflix, Google, HBO, Facebook, nytimes.com, and/or other screen channels. Target the shows and sporting events that the 51% of Concerned and Alarmed people are likely to watch. Schedule The Dentists to air in major markets on a strategic, repetitive schedule, for at least one month and preferably three or until it achieves the desired effect. How do we pay for this? Lets figure it out. Maybe the Dentists becomes a PSA endorsed by Oprah Winfrey or Bruce Springsteen. Maybe the CEOs of NBC, CNN, Netflix, Google, HBO, Facebook, and The New York Times decide to offer a discounted rate or other practical arrangement. The film, so easy, persuasive, and fun, will increase peoples self-confidence about having a climate conversation. It provides an amusing way to communicate their personal alarm or concern about global warming without being preachy or long-winded. Its convenient and easy to use: simply key it up on your smart phone. Show it to a friend at an opportune moment. Post it on Facebook. Show it to your book club, your dinner companion, the guy sitting next to you on a bus. In this way, the 51 Percent become Trusted Messengers themselves. Equipped to share a bedrock fact via the clever Fenton interpretation, they may find it much easier to chat about the realities of climate change, and thereby bend the stultifying climate spiral of silence. Stay tuned. Sarah Finnie Robinson is an investor in large-scale climate solutions and founding partner of WeSpire, a Boston tech firm that powers sustainability programs at F500 corporations. She is active on the Climate Task Force for Boston Harbor Now. She serves as a judge for MITs Climate CoLab Shifting Behaviors & Attitudes track; advises the Metcalf Institute for Environmental Reporting at the University of Rhode Island; and supports Ceres and the Environmental Defense Fund. She is a Climate Reality Leader and mentor, and she advises Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Robinson also serves on the board of the Princeton78 Foundation, whose endowment fuels undergraduate service projects in the United States and around the world. She holds a B.A. from Princeton, an M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, and she graduated with the inaugural class of Seth Godins altMBA in 2015. Robinson began her career at The New Yorker and continued at The Atlantic and at iVillage, where she was the launch content director. She blogs on HuffPost, Medium, and mindbodygreen. Her current project is a curated digital showcase to identify and share standout communications to engage and accelerate broad public support for the global clean-energy transition now underway. The Bulgarians won a decisive victory in the Battle of Slivnitsa on this day in 1885. You may use the comment thread on this page to comment upon this and other significant chapters of the Serbo-Bulgarian War or to pursue other points of off-topic, freewheeling discourse. Find previous discussions in the Open Thread archive. Excepting the entreaty that you remain on topic, all of Slates usual commenting policies apply. If you depend on this community and Slates journalism, please consider joining Slate Plus. We appreciate your support! Get More Who Runs That? Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Who Runs That? Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to Who Runs That? via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. Seth Stevenson talks to Cuyana CEO Karla Gallardo about her upbringing in Ecuador and how it inspired her to make products that last. Gallardo also explains why she focused on female investors when she started the company and what it was like to see Meghan Markle sporting a Cuyana bag. You can email us at whorunsthat@slate.com. Podcast production by Cameron Drews and Cleo Levin. Theres no ethical consumption under capitalism, but some kinds of consumption are less ethical than others, and on this weeks Patriot Act, host Hasan Minhaj went deep on one of them: the wildly popular streetwear brand Supreme. In a segment that touches on everything from the size of sneaker manufacturing runs to Barbara Kruger to the debate over whether or not its good for United States companies to make a profit murdering schoolchildren overseas, Minhaj, a self-confessed sneaker addict, follows the money all the way from the line outside Supreme merchandise drops to a school bus full of dead Yemeni kids. The connecting link is the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm with military holdings that was the focal point for a lot of GWB-era paranoia (the Bush and bin Laden families were both investors). The Carlyle Group bought a 50% share in Supreme for $500 million a year ago, which is how the money you spend today on Barbara Kruger ripoffs can end up getting invested tomorrow in companies like Wesco Aircraft Holdings, which provides integrated supply chain solutions to BAE Systems to support the Eurofighter Typhoon, currently seeing action as part of the Royal Saudi Air Force: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first thing that jumps out from the segment is Barbara Krugers comment to Complex about Supreme, which is one of the greatest press statements in history: What a ridiculous clusterfuck of totally uncool jokers. As for the thrust of the piece, Minhajs chart of the various connections between Supreme and the military industrial complex is Glenn Beckish in its complexity, but hes not wrong: the Carlyle Group makes money from death, they also make money from Supreme-branded merchandise, and its a package deal. The vicious interests have wormed their way into so much of the economy that these kinds of package deals are so common as to be almost unremarkablegiven how many 401ks include gun holdings, a lot of people are going to unknowingly retire on money they made from school shootingsbut maybe this kind of commingling should be remarkable. Kudos to Minhaj, who is quickly becoming an essential voice in TV comedy, for remarking on it. As for the unstated suggestion underlying the entire segment, that purchasing Veblen goods like Supreme products to lord them over your friends and neighbors is an inherently shitty thing to do with your money, its a big and complicated topic, and something we should probably wait to address until after we stop treating people who kill other people for profit as if they were respectable businessmen, and start treating them like a ridiculous clusterfuck of totally uncool jokers. Any day now. Last Week Tonight is done for the year, and if you thought John Oliver would keep it light for his final show of 2018, you dont know Last Week Tonight. The comedian used the time to fret about the rise of authoritarianism across the globe, explaining the qualities that help far-right leaders seize power. These include projecting strength, which explains Vladimir Putins glamour shots and Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrovs Instagram presence, and demonizing enemies, as Rodrigo Duterte has done in the Philippines with a drug war that has killed an estimated 12,000 people, many of them extrajudicially. Advertisement Authoritarians need enemies, because one of their greatest appeals is making a complicated world simple, noted Oliver, adding that he himself is not invincible to the charms of a charismatic leader. If America were descend into civil war, and someone said Hey, what if we just let Tom Hanks figure it out a not-insignificant part of me would go, Yeah, that seems nice, all praise Daddy Hanks, long live the Gump, death to his enemies. Those qualities, plus authoritarians tendency to dismantle institutions that could be a check on their power, might sound uncomfortably familiar. As Oliver points out, Donald Trump himself once retweeted a Benito Mussolini quote wrongfully attributed to him, wanted a military parade, and regularly vilifies the media. The world is dabbling in something very dangerous right now, said Oliver. I know that America is a different country with a different history, and, thankfully, more resilient institutions, but that is no cause for complacency. The filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron has said that his new feature Roma is the movie he was always meant to make, the culmination of everything hes done before. This statement is saved from grandiosity only by being so transparently true. The sweeping yet contemplative drama, which takes its name not from the Italian capital but from the Mexico City neighborhood where Cuaron grew up, combines elements from just about every film hes made, from the indie-est to the most mass-market. Like his 1991 debut, the satirical romantic comedy Solo con Tu Pareja, it explores the turbulent domestic lives of middle-class Mexico City dwellersthough in Romas case the scope opens up to include the lives of their live-in servants. Like his first Hollywood film, an adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic A Little Princess, Roma explores the subjective experience of childhoodthough its not, like that movie, told from a childs point of view, or indeed placed inside the subjective world of any specific character. Like Cuarons breakthrough international hit Y Tu Mama Tambien, its framed as the work of a grown man looking back at his youth, though here the voice-over has been replaced by a purely visual approach in which the movement of the camera through space is enough to suggest the existence of a point of view, a mind doing the remembering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Cuarons Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanwidely and to my mind rightly considered the best-made movie in that seriesRoma is about magic, not the Hogwarts kind but the even weirder alchemy of memory and art. Like his masterpiece Children of Men, an adaptation of a dystopian novel by P.D. James, its concerned with questions of natality and futurity, the miracle that new life represents in an ever more frightening and unjust world. Finally, like Cuarons Oscar-winning Gravity, Roma is a flat-out technical marvel. Using black-and-white 65 mm digital cinematography (the director of photography is the writer-director himself) and up-to-the-minute sound mixing technology, Roma tells a story at once intimate and epic, or rather, a story thats capable of moving from intimate to epic and back again within the space of one long, kinetic take. Advertisement Roma tells a story as intimate as it is epic, or rather, a story thats capable of moving from intimate to epic and back again within the space of one long, kinetic take. Not only has Cuaron never made a more autobiographical movie than Roma, Id be hard pressed to think of any nondocumentary director who has. In an act of re-creation that borders on madness, the 56-year-old filmmaker traveled to his home city with a celebrated Mexican production designer (Eugenio Caballero, who designed Guillermo del Toros fantasy Pans Labyrinth), chose a location not far from the house where he grew up, and in essence rebuilt his childhood home inside the house they rented for that purpose. The room layouts and designs were constructed exactly as the director remembered them, and his siblings provided furniture, knickknacks, even toys from their early days. The casting process was similarly meticulous: For every role, Cuaron sought actors who looked as much as possible like the faces he remembered. This resemblance was especially important when it came to the lead role, Cleo, the maidturnednannyturnedsecond mother played by the extraordinary first-time actress Yalitza Aparicio and based on Cuarons beloved childhood caregiver, Libo Rodriguez (whom Variety recently profiled alongside the director, and whose memories of that time served as the basis for his screenplay). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This elaborate process of reconstruction and re-enactment would seem to bode ill for the final result. After all, as Charlie Kaufmans gloomy allegory Synecdoche, New York foretold, any artist who attempts to make art by recreating the details of his own life on a grand scale is doomed to produce something self-referential and airless, right? But somehow, from its very first shot of a light-flooded stone floor being cleaned by slosh after slosh of soapy water, Roma feels just the opposite. Its fully aerated, its images washed by light as if by a liquid substance, and so nonnavel-gazing that, of the four children in the family, its never clear which one is supposed to represent the younger Cuaron. The storys true protagonista heroine who earns that designation, scene by sceneis Cleo, a young woman from a small Oaxacan village who speaks in a mixture of Spanish and her native language, Mixteco (the subtitles are differentiated so the viewer can tell which one is which) and lives in a room above the familys garage with her friend Adela (Nancy Garcia), also a domestic employee. Advertisement Im not inclined to reveal too much about what happens to Cleo; her employer, Sofia (Marina de Tavira); and the four children they care for together in the year or so over which the movie takes place. Cuaron himself took care during filming to reveal each new story development to the actors only as needed for the next days shoot, which required the unusual and labor-intensive choice of shooting all the scenes in order. Roma is a movie about the way daily life unfolds in real, unpredictable time, sometimes bumping up against major historical events (like the massacre of student protesters that took place in the streets of Mexico City in June 1971) and sometimes proceeding at the pace of the simplest daily tasks: hanging laundry on a clothesline, tucking in a child with a lullaby, or cleaning up the dog poop that accumulates daily on the familys garage floor. (Im almost certain that errant pet turds have never been so lyrically photographed.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All you need to know going in is this: The childrens father, a doctor (Fernando Grediaga), leaves early in the film on a business trip of uncertain duration. Cleo and Adela spend their days off going on double dates, and Cleos connection to a young man named Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrero) turns out to have lasting consequences. And the family continues to live together, fighting, eating meals, playing board games, and going to the movies. The class system that keeps Cleo forever suspended between the statuses of domestic worker and beloved family member is ever-present to the viewers mindit is, in some sense, the movies whole subjectbut Roma never takes the form of either social-justice manifesto or satire. Though she suffers great personal hardship over the course of the story, Cleos life is not painted as joyless or unendurable. She finds small moments of happiness every day, lying in the sun on the roof or watching nighttime TV with the family (though Cleo alone can be interrupted at any time to fetch tea for her employers). Most of all she loves the four children she cares for, and they love her back. The kids relationship with their anxious and short-tempered mother is more fraught, though her character is written (and played by de Tavira) with compassion and complexity. Advertisement Roma is hypnotic and transporting and sublime, everything a movie seen on the big screen ought to be. The defining aesthetic element of Roma (and one I fear this review hasnt conveyed yet even at the thousand-word mark) is its mise-en-scene, a much-debated and hard-to-define term having to do with the placement of figures and objects in a films frame and the choice of whether and how to move the camera through that frame. Very few movies Ive seen have relied this much on composition to tell their story (the work of Orson Welles and of the Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami, both great compositors of images, comes to mind). Cuarons camera roams freely among rooms or across landscapes, allowing us to make what we will of what we see. The wide frame allows for grand tableaux when theyre needed, as in the scene of the student massacre, which when it comes is both frightening and breathtaking, a historical photograph come to dangerous life. The period design is both newsreel-like in its specificity and Proustian in its evocation of subjective experience. Advertisement Advertisement And I havent even gotten to the ingenuity of Romas sound design! With no added music or other sound besides what the characters hear, Cuaron uses the sound-layering digital technology known as Atmos to render the soundscape of 1970s Mexico City in all its richness, with passing military bands, whooshing traffic, the shouts of children playing, and barkers hawking games and toys. Theres no detail thats not there for a reasonbut theres also no need to go chasing down all the meanings. On a simple emotional level, Roma is overwhelming. Its a film you let wash over you like ocean waves until the heart-pounding climactic scene arrives, and you suddenly realize how deep the water around you has grown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One note about this movies release strategy: In an unusual arrangement, the distributor, Netflix, has agreed at the filmmakers request to release Roma on screens in some locations this week before its streaming debut on Dec. 14. I rarely get evangelical about viewing modalities, but if theres any way to do so where you live, please get yourself to a real theater to see this. So much of whats special about itthe widescreen compositions, the complex sound mix, the fluid shifts in scalewould be lost on a home TV screen, much less a laptop. Roma is hypnotic and transporting and sublime, everything a movie seen on the big screen ought to be. Seeing it in a theater will not only give you a far better experience of the film itself, itll demonstrate to Netflixa company many in the film industry regard as an existential threat to their art formthat audiences still consider some movies worth leaving home for. Facebooks already-beat-up public image took another hard hit last week when the New York Times published a bruising expose that detailed, among other things, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandbergs unwillingness to take seriously the spread of Russian disinformation and Trump-inspired hate speech on their platform ahead of the 2016 election. The Times report is the latest in a cascade of crises for the tech giantcrises that have made a travesty of the mantra most associated with Zuckerberg, Move fast and break things. Now that Facebook has broken people and places in addition to things, many are understandably furious at the company. Advertisement Should we have been more worried about the fragility of the thingsand people and placesaround us? In hindsight, the answer is obvious. Now that Silicon Valleys gospel of technological progress has been revealed as PR gloss, its time to wonder why we were so easy to dupe for so long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The movies Zuckerberg is no less than a personification of the American dream. Released in 2010, The Social Network was made long before Facebook was powerful enough to destabilize democracies or help enable genocide. Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, the Best Picture nominee (and most acclaimed movie of its year) is something akin to a Greek tragedy, playing up the irony of a visionary connecting the world together in a historically unprecedented way by betraying his only friend. But The Social Network is also very much a Hollywood biopic, with its schmaltzy psychoanalysis and Great Man mythmaking. Played by Jesse Eisenberg, the fictional Zuckerberg is given a lost love, Rooney Maras Erica, and his yearning after her sparks some of his biggest breakthroughs. (The real-life Zuckerberg would famously go on to marry his college sweetheart, Priscilla Chan.) The movie ends with a haunting scene: a lonely Zuckerberg refreshing Ericas Facebook page after he requests to be her friend, stuck behind the digital wall he himself built, as the Beatles sing-taunt, Baby, youre a rich man. Advertisement But The Social Network also cant help glamorizing Zuckerberg. Its one thing to humanize the protagonist, which the film also does. But this version of Facebooks origin story gives Zuckerberg a rascally anti-heroic sheen. New York Times media columnist Jim Rutenberg likely wasnt alone in his initial reaction to the movie nearly a decade ago: I was rooting for the young Mark Zuckerberg to get the better of the people trying to hold him back, he reflected in a column on Sunday. Wasnt it time for the geeks to take the power from the old guard? For the underdogs to beat the establishment? The movies Zuckerberg speaks in professionally punched-up one-liners, and his brilliance is so absolute that his only mistake was to LiveJournal misogynistic comments about Erica the night of their breakupnever anything business-related. In contrast to the preppy Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer) and even his Wall Street whiz-kid best friend (Andrew Garfield), hes a self-made gajillionaire who doesnt really care about moneyno less than a personification of the American dream. Though Eisenberg plays him with a perma-scowl, as if hes never not sucking on lemons, Movie Mark is certainly an improvement over the charisma black hole that is the actual Zuckerberg, whom writer Talia Lavin once described evocatively as a wax doll cursed into life. And whatever his former friends and acquaintances think of him, Zuckerberg has, by the movies end, an empire that has changed the world. What have those guys got, other than an anonymous pile of molding money and some overpriced suits? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Social Network begins and ends with Zuckerbergs egoand therein lies, I think, its lamentable contribution to how we think of Facebook. Sorkin and Fincher dont pull punches in their criticisms of the sites first months of existence, at least if you read between the lines. The movie implies that theres something gross about the sites instrumentalization of human relationshipsa reflection of how the status-obsessed Mark sees those around himin which social bonds are forged primarily to signal how many and which people you can put in your outward-facing Rolodex. But the film is bookended by his heartbreak over Erica. How does Facebook affect the lives of the million people who have signed up by the movies end, who have implicitly adopted Zuckerbergs reflexive cataloging of friendship? The Social Network has no idea. After revisiting the film, Rutenberg concluded that everything we needed to know about Facebook was right in front of our faces, on the big screen, in 2010. If only that were true. Advertisement It doesnt feel altogether unrelated that, less than a year after the films premiere, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney would declare, Corporations are people, my friend. The Social Network made Facebook and Zuckerberg mirror images of one another in the public imagination, so much so that Sandbergs glitzy media launch a few years later did little to disturb that conflation between man and platform. But it shouldnt be the tech giants face that matters. It should be its impact. Soaked in sentimentality that absolves jerk-geniuses for their mistakes (a Sorkin fixation), The Social Network helped normalize the Silicon Valley ethos of It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission by once again worshipping at the feet of bad-boy rebels. The Social Network built another altar, but what weve needed all along is a magnifying glass. For years, its been a tradition of the White House Correspondents Dinner to have comedians as lead speakers. From Jon Stewart to Stephen Colbert to Seth Meyers to Jay Leno, each one of their performances included a political roast of the current government. While some presidents havent enjoyed being the laughingstock of the evening, such as George W. Bush during Colberts 2006 performance, others have joined in, as Barack Obama with Meyers in 2011. But since Trump took office, he hasnt attended either of the two dinners, which had Hasan Minhaj and Michelle Wolf as speakers. Advertisement Trumps disdain toward the dinner is rare, and the last time a sitting president did not attend was Ronald Reagan in 1981but he had a good excuse, since he was recovering from being shot. Last year, Trump sent press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in his place, but Wolfs punchlines caused such a stir that Sanders wouldnt even pose for a photo alongside the comedian. After that event, there was speculation as to what the dinner should look like in the future, or whether it should even continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monday, the White House Correspondents Association announced the (at least temporary) end of the comedian as host, as it is having Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow speak at the 2019 dinner. Oliver Knox, president of the WHCA, said that he was, delighted that Ron will share his lively, deeply researched perspectives on American politics and history, and added that, as we celebrate the importance of free and independent news media to the health of the republic, I look forward to hearing Ron place this unusual moment in the context of American history. Advertisement While not every single performer has been a comediansome have been musicians, like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin it is unusual to have someone thats not an entertainer of sorts host the dinner. Chernow says he was was asked that his speech focus on the importance of the First Amendment. He said that, Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics. My major worry these days is that we Americans will forget who we are as a people and historians should serve as our chief custodians in preserving that rich storehouse of memory. While I have never been mistaken for a stand-up comedian, I promise that my history lesson wont be dry. This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission. Stemless wine glasses can be divisive: I think elitists still believe it is somewhat gauche to carry stemless glasses versus proper wine glasses in a restaurant, says Zach Jones, wine director at Chicago restaurant Pacific Standard Time. Thats kind of a silly way to think, but it is true that, at least in a restaurant, stemmed wine glasses are easier to store and transport because they can be hung upside down. But then, the opposite is true for klutzy people at home with small kitchens: When shelf space is limited, theyre a real lifesaver, without having to deal with giant racks or having to make space for tall glassware, says Roman Tartakovsky, beverage manager at Hudsons in New York. Plus, as many experts pointed out: a stemless wine glass works equally well for Aperol spritzs, Sangria, a nightcap of something brown, or even just water. So as a way to praise the stemless wine glass, here are over a dozen wine experts, restaurant owners, beverage directors, and frequent party hosts whove chosen their favorites. The Very Best Stemless Wine Glasses Austrian glassware company Riedel, which has been around since 1756, is the perennial favorite wine glass, but its O series of stemless glassesaround half of the pros interviewed for this story raved about themdidnt come about until 2004. Introduced initially as tumbler glasses, this particular style is technically intended for Cabernet and Merlot red wines. Cedric Nicaise, wine director at Eleven Madison Park, likes these because there are relatively few compromises compared to a traditional stemmed style. It still provides great aromatics and the glass is very thin, so smelling and drinking wine are great experiences, Nicaise says. (Although he warns about using them for cocktails: the glass is delicate, so be careful when putting in ice.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Riedel O Cabernet and Merlot Stemless Wine Glasses $40, Amazon Tartakovskys favorite Riedel stemless style is the curvaceous, undulating silhouette of the Swirl, because of its unique shape for swirling the wine, he says. Advertisement BUY: Riedel Swirl Stemless Red Wine Glasses $23, Amazon Vanessa von Bismarck, co-founder and partner of PR firm BPCM, is a self-described traditionalist when it comes to wine glasses, usually opting for stemmed styles, but shes also a fan of the wide, ultra-rounded Pinot/Nebbiolo style in the O series. The shape and the hand feel is more comforting than the more traditional long-stem wine glass, she says. Von Bismarck also likes to serve white wine or gin and tonics in stemless glassware when shes entertaining at home. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Riedel O Stemless Pinot/Nebbiolo Wine Glass $51, Amazon What makes a great glass is similar to what makes a great wine: you like how it feels; for a wine, when drinking it, for a glass, when its in your hand, explains Andrew Bell, wine director and sommelier at Playboy Club New York, who likes Riedel but also recommends the Aero style from Luigi Bormioli. There is the weight of the bowl, and how the glass or crystal feels when you drink; the key in high-end glassware is the provenance of the sand, and the purer the sand, the greater the opportunity for the glass to be flawless. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Luigi Bormioli Aero Stemless Wine Glass $45, Amazon The Best Dishwasher-Safe Stemless Wine Glasses Victoria James, beverage director at New York Korean steakhouse Cote, suggests this sturdy style for at-home drinking, saying they feel French. This tumbler brings me back to brasseries and vineyards in France, where these are used for a simple casse-croute, she says. The thickness of the glass allows you to grip it and not heat up the wine too much, which is an issue with thin, stemless tumblers; they are dishwasher safe, stackable, and last forever, James says. She says to use these for a casual Tuesday-night bottle: Theyre meant to be used for everyday, glou-glou wine, something that you would gulp alongside a sandwich. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Duralex Piacardie Clear Tumbler $15, Amazon Or, opt for a slightly more squat style. This glass is classic and elegant, while still looking modern, and it feels comfortable in your hand, says Thom Neil, beverage director at Ribbon Midtown, opening this fall. Neil discovered the style while researching glassware and spotted a brand I didnt know made glasses, which piqued my interest, he says. The glass fits the hand nicely, with a very balanced weight, and they are sturdy enough to handle a dishwasher. Advertisement BUY: Peugeot 250201 Espirit Casual Tasting Glasses $50, Amazon These angular glasses, intended for wine or cocktails, wont chip or break, and have a nice, thick base. Ive always been a big fan of Schott Zwiesels products: Theyre not the most inexpensive wine glasses out there, but theyre aesthetically beautiful, functional, and generally more durable than their closest competitors, Jones says. Although there are different versions available for red or white wine, Jones suggests using these for any grape. Its wide enough at the base to be considered proper for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the overall shape is sleek and vertical, like a Bordeaux glass, so its perfectly suitable for Sauvignon Blanc or rich reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Burgundy Red Wine Glass $60, Amazon The Best Bodega Wine Glasses Yvette Leeper-Bueno, owner of Harlem restaurant Vinateria, only uses stemmed glasses at the restaurant, but loves these short bodega-style glasses for at-home drinking. When I was traveling in Spain I saw them everywhere in Barcelona, she says. The culture of drinking there is so casual and fun, which goes with the informality of these flat-bottomed glasses. Theyre not technically perfect for wine, as they dont let it breathe. So anything too special might not be a good fit for these glasses, Leeper-Bueno says. But they are easy to hold, stackable, and super to easy to throw in the dishwasher; they are just casual and fun, Leeper-Bueno says. [Editors note: These are also one size smaller than the favorite of our own deputy editor Jason Chen, who likes the slightly larger ones for wine, too.] Advertisement BUY: Bormioli Rocco Bodega Tumbler $20, Amazon Pottery Barn also stocks a bodega glass, which Ariel Arce, owner and restaurateur of Airs Champagne Parlor and Tokyo Record Bar, likes for the short, stout shape, so you cant knock them over, she says. Advertisement Advertisement Arce was tipped off to the beauty of the bodega glass by friends who went to Spain and started drinking txakolina, the sparkling white wine that comes from the Basque region. They had a dinner party where they served wine in these glasses, and I fell in love. Advertisement BUY: Pottery Barn Stemless Bodega Wine Glass $2, Amazon The Best Stemless Champagne Glasses Yes, there are stem-free ways to drink bubbles that arent a traditional flute, like this clever inverse design from MoMA. Eric Smith, co-owner of Baltimores Atlas Restaurant Group, keeps a couple of these in his bar cart at home. While drinking whites or sparkling wines out of most stemless glassware presents the problem of warming the drink with your body heat when sipping, thats not an issue here: These solve that problem in an innovative, visually stunning way that doesnt compromise the sparkling liquid within, he says. He also says that theyre delicate and not easy to clean, so, they dont exactly go in the dishwasher. Advertisement BUY: Inside Out Champagne Glasses by Alissia Melka Teichroew $78, Amazon The Best Plastic Stemless Glasses Govino is the only stemless glass I tend to use, says Steven Grubbs, wine director at Atlanta restaurants Empire State South and Five & Ten, who uses them for casual, rugged, and outdoor portable drinking, he says. I believe if youre in a scenario where stems are too precious or dainty, then actual glass is probably a liability there, too; enter good, smart, effective plastic wine cups. Thomas Pastuszak, wine director at the NoMad (and founder of Empire Estate, a winery in the Finger Lakes region) uses the 12-ounce ones too: Its a super-versatile size, great for sparkling, white, or red wine, and it also nicely fits cocktails on ice, too, like an Aperol spritz, he says. Theres also a really convenient dimple on the bottom and side of the glass, for an even more stable grip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Govino Wine/Cocktail Glasses $18, Amazon Andy Maturana, chef and owner of RAPT, an NYC-based catering company, goes through approximately 3,000 Govino stemless styles at his companys events each year; he likes the slightly larger 16-ounce versions. Advertisement BUY: Govino Shatterproof Recyclable Wine Glasses $18, Amazon These glasses are pretty and are a no-brainer: They cant break, and look nice on the table, says Arce. Her earliest encounters with indestructible drinkware is quite relatable: Plastic glassware was a big thing in college; you didnt have to worry about breaking anything. These days, she likes using them for outdoor parties. Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Vivocci Unbreakable Elegant Plastic Wine Glasses $14, Amazon The Stemless Wine Glasses to Splurge On Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff frequently hosts dinner parties (in addition to many charity galas), and when entertaining at home, she opts for glassware that looks as fancy as possible. I love Saint Louis wine glasses; they make whatever you are drinking look expensive, she says. This handcrafted crystal tumbler is from the French brand that dates back to the 16th century. Advertisement BUY: Saint Louis Crystal Folia Medium Tumbler $150, Saks Fifth Avenue Or, theres this more modern, clean-edged version thats just slightly more affordable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BUY: Saint Louis Crystal Twist 1586 Tumbler $130, Saks Fifth Avenue Another work of art masquerading as a stemless wine glass: this gorgeous, hand-blown Murano glass style, which Jenny Vorhoff, of design studio Studio Riga, uses at home. I have a few sets of six in various colors, and they look even more chic and collected when mixed together, she says. They are actually quite sturdy and feel heavy in the hand, like crystal, Vorhoff says. Using stemless wine glasses has a subtle but important purpose when entertaining at home, as it tells my guests that dinner is going to be relaxed, and relaxed dinners are the most fun. BUY: Land of Belle Laguna B Blue & White Endless Summer Collection Wine Glass $195, Land of Belle Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. 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Its the beautiful culmination of the Mexican directors lifes work so far. Gavel grab: There are rumblings among House Democrats that someone could challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the House speakership. On Monday, 16 Democrats signed a letter committing to new leadership. Notably absent from the letter was who that new leader should be. Heres why Pelosi is actually daring a challenger to jump in, according to Jim Newell. Advertisement Not stolen: Brian Kemps voter-suppression efforts in Georgia have been odious, but, Richard Hasen argues, Democrats shouldnt call the Georgia governors race stolen. For democracy to work, we need to accept the outcomes of the election, even if it wasnt perfectly conducted. Come, he told me: Willa Paskin reviews The Little Drummer Girl, a six-episode adaptation of the John le Carre novel of the same name that premieres Monday night on AMC. Its a historical spy thriller with an improbable romance, and according to Paskin, youll want to eat the whole thing at once. For fun: Did Nazi doctors really raise an unstoppable army of super zombies? Speaking a weird moon language called French, Abby Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes resigned Monday, almost two weeks after the Nov. 6 midterm elections that saw Florida Republicans eke out close victories in two races decided by recounts. Snipes quickly became the face of the elections in Florida, where Republicans accused her of incompetence at best and outright fraud at worst, and Democrats lamented how the ballots her office designed may have led thousands to entirely bypass voting in the Senate race. Almost immediately after Election Day, Rick Scott gave a short speech outside his official residence, asking for a law enforcement investigation into how Broward County was conducting its voting and tabulation. After both a machine recount and then a hand recount, Scott would win the statewide Senate election by just more than 10,000 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the recounts, it was not exactly clear how many votes the heavily Democratic Broward County had left to tabulate after Election Day, leading many Republicans to challenge a margin that seemed to only be narrowing. When ordered to do a machine recount in the Senate and governors races, Broward County was two minutes late in reporting, which resulted in the initial tally being used instead. There was also the problem of Snipes mixing of about 20 provisional ballots that ultimately did not meet the standards for being counted with about 200 provisional ballots that did. Once they were mixed, Broward election officials could no longer distinguish between them and decided to count all of them. Snipes also lost a lawsuit brought by Scott that accused her of violating the states open records laws after the election and forced her to update the campaigns with detailed vote data before the official count was completed. Advertisement But perhaps the biggest blunder in Broward actually harmed the Democrats. Contrary to best practices for ballot design, the ballot there listed the Senate race underneath the voting instructions in the far left-hand column, which may have caused many voters to miss it entirely. Advertisement About 26,000 more people in Broward voted in the governors race than in the Senate race, and Broward had more ballots without a selection in the Senate race than any other Florida county, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Because Nelson had almost 40 percent more votes than his opponent in Broward, he probably missed out on thousands more votes. The 75-year-old Snipes was appointed to the job in 2003 by Republican Gov. Jeb Bush to fill out the term of the previous supervisor, who he had suspended. She subsequently won four elections. She was previously an education official in Broward County. People dont have confidence in her anymore, the chairwoman of the Broward County Democratic Party told the New York Times. And if that includes even those of us who have tried to be helpful over the last couple of years as best we can, that in and of itself makes it an untenable situation going into a presidential election. In addition to the climbing death toll from the Camp Fire in Northern California that burned through the city of Paradise on Nov. 8, the list of missingnumbering more than 900 portends the fire could become a disaster with few precedents in modern American history. There are 77 confirmed deaths in the Northern California fire and three in the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. (The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 claimed as many as 300 lives, while the Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin, which started on the same day, killed at least 1,200. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire killed 7003,000.) Advertisement The official number of missing people jumped from just over 100 in the middle of last week to more than 600 by Thursday and to more than 1,000 on Friday, then dipped to more than 900 on Sunday. The list of missing has been compiled by law enforcement in Butte County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The list, unlike the death toll, is fluid and can expand and contract as authorities make contact with people on it. The Los Angeles Times found a few instances of people being listed more than once, or being listed by different spellings of their names. The New York Times found at least a dozen people who were on the list but still alive just by searching through Facebook. Advertisement One concerning factor, however, is that many people on the list are elderly residents who may have had more difficulty fleeing the fire. On one version of the list, the Los Angeles Times reported, 430 names with ages listed were in their 70s and 80s. Another less grim possibility is that those older folks are a bit harder to locate than younger ones and are less likely be reachable through social media or to even be aware they are on the online list of missing people. The Los Angeles Times said that Butte County officials are constructing the list based on calls and emails from people reporting missing residents and by mining through reports generated at the peak of the chaotic evacuation. The New York Times reported that the sheriffs office added people by looking at 911 calls made during the fire. The Butte County sheriffs office told the New York Times that it had been able to find 330 people through Friday, although that figure was outpaced by the number of missing people added to the list. A former judge in Cleveland who had been hired for a job at City Hall after serving just nine months for punching his wife 20 times in front of their children was arrested Saturday and accused of stabbing her to death. Lance Mason, Clevelands minority business administrator, was arrested after police responded to a domestic violence call and found his estranged wife, 45-year-old teacher Aisha Fraser Mason, dead on her driveway, according to WKYC, a Cleveland NBC affiliate. Lance Mason reportedly tried to kill himself after her death, before fleeing from the scene and ramming his car into a police cruiser, injuring himself and a police officer. He was fired from his city job after the arrest. Advertisement In 2014, Mason was arrested after getting into an argument with Fraser while driving home from a funeral. He punched her repeatedly in the head, bit her face, and slammed her head against the dashboard and window, according to Cleveland.com. She tried to escape the car but fell to the ground, where Mason beat her more, then got back into the car and drove off, leaving her to flag down a passing car to ask for a ride to the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The assault left her with a broken orbital bone and injuries that required facial reconstruction surgery. Their two daughters, 6 and 4, were inside the car for the duration of the assault. When Fraser called 911 dispatchers, she told them she was afraid that Mason would hurt their daughters, according to Cleveland.com. Advertisement Cleveland police who arrived at their home confiscated smoke grenades, semi-automatic rifles, a sword, a bulletproof vest, and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition. A member of Masons family had called Cleveland police to warn of her fear he would kill himself using the weapons in his home. Mason pleaded guilty to the assault in 2015. The court found him to be genuinely remorseful, Cleveland 19 News reported. I think this would be an example of sometimes how good people make bad decisions or do bad things, the prosecutor said at the sentencing. He was sentenced to two years in prison but served only nine months. Fraser filed for divorce after the assault but it was not finalized at the time of her death. According to WKYC, she had taught sixth grade at a local elementary school for two decades. Before his arrest for an assault in 2014, Mason had also served as a state representative and state senator. He had served as a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge until he was removed from the position a month after the assault. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson hired Mason in 2017 for the job of city director of minority business administrator. According to Cleveland.com, he was one of 13 candidates for the job and was handpicked by Jackson, who was up for, and who won, re-election. Slates expanded voting rights coverage is made possible by the support of Slate Plus members and readers like you. Many Democrats are understandably angry about efforts to suppress the vote in Georgia and elsewhere in the 2018 midterm elections. In the Peach State, there is no question that Gov.-elect Brian Kemp, while secretary of state, made it harder for minority and other voters to register and vote, through a combination of deliberate efforts and gross incompetence. He administered what I consider to be the most egregious partisan action by an election official in the modern era when he falsely accused the Georgia Democratic Party of hacking into the state election system and, a few days before Election Day, posted that false accusation on the website that Georgia voters used to get polling information. Advertisement But for three reasons, Democrats should stop with the rhetoric that the race was stolen, as Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, has said, and they should not follow the lead of Kemps Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams, who repeatedly refused to acknowledge Kemp as the legitimate winner of the election when questioned Sunday by CNNs Jake Tapper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, rhetoric about stolen elections feeds a growing cycle of mistrust and delegitimization of the election process, an attack pushed by President Donald Trump and other Republicans who have been yelling voter fraud every time they are behind in the count. Ive already set out my fear that Trump could refuse to concede the 2020 presidential election if he is ahead in the count on election night and then ballot counts inevitably shift toward Democrats as the counting continues. A democratic polity depends on losers accepting election results, even if the election was not conducted perfectly. I would hold stolen election rhetoric for conduct even more outrageous than Kemps decisions, which, while odious, either have not been found to be illegal or that courts allowed to remain in place for this election. Advertisement Second, the rhetoric about a stolen election is unproven. Although Hillary Clinton declared that if Abrams had a fair election she already would have won, we dont know that Kemps suppression efforts cost Abrams the seat. As Ari Berman recently put it, We dont know yetand might never knowhow many people were disenfranchised or dissuaded from voting in the state. But its clear that Kemp did everything in his power to put in place restrictive voting policies that would help his candidacy and hurt his opponent, all while overseeing his own election. Saying Kemp tried to suppress Democratic votes and saying the election was stolen are two different things, and making charges of a stolen election when it cannot be proved undermines Democrats complaints about suppressive tactics. If Democrats cant prove it, some people will think the suppression is no big deal when it really is. Advertisement Advertisement This ties in with the third and final problem I see with stolen election rhetoric: It focuses attention on the wrong question: whether there was enough suppression to change election outcomes. As Ive long argued, the right question is why the state gets to put stumbling blocks in front of voterssuch as onerous voter registration requirements and easy voter-purge ruleswithout offering a good reason for doing so. We know that the voter fraud and public-confidence arguments often advanced for suppressive tactics are bogus, and we need to keep saying it whether it is one voter or thousands of voters facing new hurdles. Advertisement A democratic polity depends on losers accepting election results, even if the election was not conducted perfectly. By focusing on the dignity and respect to be afforded to each voter, we can push to maximize the number of eligible voters who are enfranchised and able to cast a ballot that will count, regardless of election outcomes. Advertisement Rather than questioning the elections legitimacy or making uprovable claims of stolen elections, Democrats should focus their efforts into doing whatever is possible to prevent voter suppression and incompetence in the upcoming 2020 elections. I was very pleased to see that in her speech acknowledging Kemp as the legal winner of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, Abrams announced the launch of Fair Fight Georgia, an operation that will pursue accountability in Georgias elections and integrity in the process of maintaining our voting rolls. In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections from unconstitutional actions. Advertisement This is the right way to go. Kemp is out of office. The race for Georgia secretary of state is going to a runoff on Dec. 4, and whether the Democrat or Republican wins, there will be a lot of work to do to start the 2020 elections off on a sound footing. The state needs to entirely revamp its voter registration system, which has proved uniquely susceptible to hacking. The state needs to fix tough and unnecessary voter-purge rules. It must replace bad voting machines and unfair and unclear procedures. The state must put in place fair processes for notifying voters whose mail-in ballots are rejected for nonmatching signatures. Whichever of these remedies the state doesnt pursue voluntarily should be the subject of lawsuits where possible. Georgia is not alone. Florida itself, epicenter of the disputed 2000 presidential election, is a recurring nightmare when it comes to how its elections have been run. President Barack Obama famously told people at his rallies, Dont boo. Vote. Theres a corollary here. Dont cry stolen elections. Keep the pressure on and sue when necessary, so that voter suppression doesnt affect thousands of voters in 2020, as it did in 2018. Maybe he just didnt want to put on the shirt? President Donald Trump was a no-show at this years Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Papua New Guinea, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place to don a natty red silk top for the local-dress photo thats become an annual summit tradition. While its hard to read Trumps non-attendance as anything but a snub, APEC leaders might have hoped that they could at least avoid some of the drama the president tends to bring to international gatherings. But this years APEC was nothing if not contentious. For the first time in its nearly 30-year history, the summit ended Sunday without a joint communique, a outcome that highlights the deep divisions on display at a meeting dominated by growing U.S.-China tensions As the host, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill, put it when asked about the impasse, You know the two big giants in the room, so what can I say? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. had reportedly insisted that the communique contain language calling for reform of the World Trade Organization and condemning unfair trade practices. China, reportedly, refused to sign on. Pence said that he and Xi had had a candid conversation, but the two delegations mostly kept their distance. Neither leader attended the others address to the conference, though both speeches were aimed at the other leader. Pence used his remarks to warn countries against taking part in Chinas massive Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative, which he called debt diplomacy. He urged them instead to seek U.S. development assistance and investment, saying, We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt. We dont coerce or compromise your independence. (While President Trump is a longtime critic of foreign aid, his administration has quietly expanded some development assistance programs with an eye toward countering Chinese influence in the developing world.) Advertisement Xi, meanwhile, who will sit down with Trump for a highly-anticipated meeting in Buenos Aires at the end of this month, devoted his speech to a defense of economic globalization and free trade, saying, in a clear reference to Trumps America First policies, Resorting to old practices such as protectionism and unilateralism will not resolve problems. On the contrary, they can only add uncertainties to the global economy. Only openness and cooperation can bring more opportunities and create more space for development. Advertisement This is nothing new from Xi. The general secretary of the Communist Party of China has been trying to position himself internationally as the leading defender of global capitalism since Trump was elected. In Trumps obvious disinterest in playing the role of global leader, Xi clearly sees an opportunity to boost Chinas stature and soft power. (This dynamic will be on display again next month at global climate talks in Poland.) Advertisement Advertisement But its far from clear that governments and citizens around the world are buying what Xi is selling. For all the talk of a peaceful rise and win-win arrangements coming out of Beijing, Chinese influence remains extremely controversial around the world. In recent Asian elections in Malaysia and the Maldives, voters delivered shock results that ousted entrenched governments seen as too beholden to Chinese interests. Two years after the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced his intention to separate from its longtime ally, the United States, and to throw in his lot with Beijing, the country has little in new investment or trade to show for it. Pro-China leaders recently launched a near-coup to maintain power in Sri Lanka, plunging the country into a constitutional crisis. China has been wooing Pacific island countries, including APEC hosts Papua New Guinea, with splashy development projects, but there are growing questions across the region about whether these investments are worth the political compromises, corruption concerns, and environmental impacts that have often accompanied them. Advertisement Advertisement Its not just Asia where this dynamic is playing out. Anti-Chinese rhetoric is now a regular feature of election campaigns across Africa. And in South America, right-wing President-Elect Jair Bolsonaro accused China of buying Brazil during his campaign, though hes softened his rhetoric a bit since his election. And many EU leaders share Trumps frustration with Chinas trade policies, if not the tone he uses to voice them. On top of that, the growing international condemnation of Chinas treatment of its Muslim Uighur minoritya brutal campaign of religious repression thats been referred to as cultural genocidehave only undermined Xis efforts to present a friendlier Chinese face to the world. Trumps disinterest in global cooperation and overall international unpopularity ought to have opened up an opportunity for China as a rising economic and political power. Judging from this past weeks events in Port Moresby, it appears Xi is in not in a position to take advantage of it. President Trump, currently in a spat with the retired Navy SEAL who led the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, has doubled down on an assertion that he had known the al-Qaida leader would orchestrate a 9/11-style attack and that the military had bungled the search for bin Laden, appearing to call the Clinton- and Obama-era intelligence establishment fools in a Monday morning tweet. In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Trump put forth a number of falsehoods about the background to the raid that killed Bin Laden and lashed out against retired Adm. Bill McRaven, the SEAL who led the raid, calling him a Clinton fan and Obama backer, in response to McRavens criticism. Advertisement McRaven had first criticized Trump last year after the president called news media the enemy of the people. Then, in the summer, when Trump revoked former CIA Director John Brennans security clearance, McRaven wrote in the Washington Post that the president had embarrassed and humiliated the country. Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Wallace, seeking comment from Trump about his recent decision to revoke Jim Acostas press pass, tried to cite the retired admirals comments, Trump repeatedly cut Wallace off to dismiss McRaven as aligned with Obama and Clinton. (I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else, McRaven later told CNN. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for.) When Wallace replied that McRaven had been a SEAL for 37 years, Trump cut him off again: Advertisement Wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldnt it have been nice? You know, livingthink of thisliving in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what I guess they considered a nice mansionI dont know, Ive seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they dont tell him, they dont tell him Wallace then asked, Youre not even going to give them credit for taking down Bin Laden? But Trump moved on to discuss financial assistance to Pakistana topic he would return to in his tweets on Monday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Trumps assertions here are false, as Peter Bergen, CNNs national security analyst and the author of a book about the search for Bin Laden, wrote. When I was researching a book about the hunt for bin Laden, I spoke to dozens of key government, intelligence and military officials involved in the bin Laden operation and they all said that the Pakistanis had no clue that al Qaedas leader was living in the city of Abbottabad, Pakistan where he was found, Bergen wrote. The fact is that finding bin Laden took a decade after the 9/11 attacks because he wasnt using any form of electronic communication and relied instead on handheld messages delivered by his trusted courier. As a result, even senior leaders of al Qaeda didnt know where bin Laden was hiding. Advertisement Advertisement After Trumps comments, many rallied to defend McRaven, including George P. Bush, the only Bush family member to publicly support Trump. Having served in Afghanistan with Adm. McRaven, I have personally witnessed his patriotism & love of country. He is an American hero & has always served our country with honor. Im grateful for his service and sacrifices for our freedom. George P. Bush (@georgepbush) November 19, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Trump may have still been feeling defensive after the backlash following his Sunday appearance, as he tweeted again about the matter on Monday morning: Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Advertisement Here, he returns to a falsehood he has promoted several times, implying, as he has said in the past, that he predicted Osama Bin Laden would attack. This falsehood is based on a passage from his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, in which there is a single reference to Bin Laden as an example: Advertisement Instead of one looming crisis hanging over us, we face a bewildering series of smaller crises, flash points, standoffs, and hot spots. Were not playing the chess game to end all chess games anymore. Were playing tournament chess one master against many rivals. One day were told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later its on to a new enemy and new crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Bin Laden was not an unknown figure at the time. But in the book, Trump makes a separate observation about terrorism that he has, years later, combined with the reference to Bin Laden to imply he had predicted Bin Laden would lead a terror attack on the U.S.: I really am convinced were in danger of the sort of terrorist attacks that will make the bombing of the Trade Center look like kids playing with firecrackers. No sensible analyst rejects this possibility, and plenty of them, like me, are not wondering if but when it will happen. This point, too, was not original at the time. As the Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler noted, even if Trump had made a prediction about Bin Laden orchestrating a terror attacks in the book, it would have been echoing predictions of experts, news organizations and even bin Laden himself. But the reality is he never predicted terrorism or predicted bin Laden. Advertisement Trumps comments directed toward the intelligence establishment and the military came a week after another military-related controversy in which he neglected to visit Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, as presidents traditionally do. He later said that he should have gone but that he had been busy making phone calls. On a related topic, Wallace pointed out during Sundays interview that Trump has not visited troops in Iraq or Afghanistan since he started his presidency. Trump then said he had opposed the war in Iraq. But this is about the soldiers, sir, Wallace responded. Youre right, Trump said. Ive had an unbelievable busy schedule and I will be doing it. On top of which you have these phony witch hunts. On top of whichI mean, weve just been very busy. This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. On Nov. 11, 30 senior Obama administration officials issued a statement calling on the Trump administration to end all support for Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen. This was a positive and thoughtful effort, given Americas participation in a war that has had catastrophic outcomes for the people of Yemen. But it was, ultimately, a failed reckoning for the Obama administrations role in risking American complicity in Saudi-led coalition abuses in the first place. The statement by the former senior officials attempts to acknowledge that Americas participation in the warproviding intelligence, refueling, and logistical assistance to the Saudi-led coalitionwas now clearly a mistake, given the coalitions failure to limit its myriad violations and end the war. But they justify the Obama administrations initial decision to support the war as based on a legitimate threat posed by missiles on the Saudi border and the Houthi overthrow of the Yemeni government, with support from Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A more honest reckoning for how the U.S. got to where it is in this war in Yemen would start with a greater admission of the truth of the Obama administrations motivations and mistakes in participating in this war. In their letter, the Obama officials try to distinguish their administrations support for the war as conditional vs. Trumps unconditional support. Of course, this matters little to the Yemeni people because the outcome has been the same: death and destruction, very often by U.S. bombs. The Obama administrations stated justifications for joining the war effort obscure the truth of what led them to the war. Other Obama administration officials had already stated that their support for the war, coupled with a $1 billion arms deal, was first and foremost payback for Saudi Arabias grudging tolerance of the Iran nuclear deal, to reassure them that the U.S. remained a reliable ally, despite the deal. The amount of Iranian support to the Houthis has been debated, of course, but with little evidence, all pretty murky; better known is the fact that the Houthis are a fiercely independent group with a long history of waging war in Yemen. Advertisement Advertisement As the war has evolved, Irans involvement with the Houthis has certainly grown, filling in the vacuum for the Houthis desperate search for allies, effectively creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is clear is that the former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Salehlong supported by the U.S.and various Yemeni defense forces controlled by his son and nephew supported the Houthis to such a degree that international observers formally dubbed them the Houthi-Saleh forces. The Houthis had been at war with Salehs government for decades over long-simmering grievances as a minority group in the country. They had supported the uprising against Saleh and were active participants in the countrys National Dialogue to reshape its governance. When Houthi armed groups marched on the capital, it was to rebel against the newly drafted constitution and a proposed federal structure they believed would weaken them. They negotiated an agreement with President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to resolve their differences but soon found themselves in control of the capital when Saleh-backed defense forces stepped down from defending key government buildings, including the Parliament and the presidential palace. Advertisement Advertisement The Obama administration, not learning enough from past foreign military experiences in Yemen, accepted baseless assurances from the Saudisincluding the thenDeputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the inexperienced Saudi militarythat they would overthrow the Houthis in months. The U.S. decidedly looked the other way from Salehs strong support for the Houthis, including vast stores of weaponry from the Defense Ministry, an institution that remained loyal to Saleh. The war dragged on, with limited military gains by the Saudi-led coalition, but a rising toll of unnecessary and unlawful death and destruction. Advertisement This is not a case of hindsight knows best. The Obama administration should have known back then. Well before President Donald Trumps appearance, we at Human Rights Watch and others had documented more than 100 apparently indiscriminate or disproportionate aerial attacks by the Saudi-led coalition on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen, causing devastation to Yemenis in their homes, markets, schools, hospitals, and even during their weddings and their funerals. In case after case, we showed that U.S. weapons were being used in many of these attacks, including widely banned cluster munitions in populated areas. False denials and cover-ups by Saudi military authorities were clear signs that they were not trustworthy partners. We repeatedly provided this evidence to Obama administration officials, but they would insist, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary, that the support they were providing was reining in the Saudis and helping improve their ability to comply with the laws of war. This is not a case of hindsight knows best. The Obama administration should have known back then. Advertisement Also well before Trump adviserand son-in-lawJared Kushners conspicuous friendship with Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi-led coalitions arbitrary and excessive delays on imports to Yemen were exacerbating health and nutrition crises, as diseases like cholera spread like wildfire. The Saudi-led coalitions closure of a critical airport meant that many Yemenis couldnt travel to get the health care they needed. U.N. humanitarian agencies and global relief organizations pleaded in vain about the harm caused by the coalition restrictions, to little avail. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Obama administration was providing Saudi Arabia not only with ongoing military support (which the formal officials mention) but also diplomatic cover (which the former officials omit), especially at the U.N. When the U.N. finally named Saudi Arabia on its Global List of Shame, of the worst offenders against children, for its attacks on children in Yemen, the U.S. stood silent as Saudi Arabia strong-armed the U.N. ThenSecretary General Ban Ki-moon resisted for a while, but finally caved in and removed Saudi Arabia from the list, admitting that Riyadh had threatened to cut its funding to various U.N. agencies. Twice during the Obama administration, the U.S. had the opportunity to push for a U.N. inquiry into abuses by all sides in the Yemen conflict, and twice it did notthe Saudi-led coalition didnt want one. Despite repeated queries about whether the U.S. supported the first proposed U.N. inquiry, Obama officials responded with silence or words of deflection, which spelled the political demise of such an initiative. Advertisement The cost of the Obama administrations support for Saudi Arabias war went beyond Yemen. The juxtaposition of the Obama administration decrying Syrian/Russian attacks on civilians and Assads ongoing blockade of humanitarian goods while the United States was defending Saudi-led coalition attacks on civilians and the impact of the blockade in Yemen undermined the credibility of the Obama teams efforts to restrain the Syrian government. The Russians openly mocked thenU.N. Ambassador Samantha Power for this hypocrisy. The U.S. should have condemned and acted to curb both coalitions, equally and fairly. Advertisement Advertisement Whatever conditionality the Obama administration thought it had createdin holding up the transfer of precision munitions near the tail end of Obamas term and suspending cluster munition transfers earlierultimately did not have meaningful impact in reining in the continued Saudi-led coalition attacks on civilians. Nor were the steps robust enough to protect the U.S. and U.S. officials from risking complicity in war crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Despite the claimed unconditional support from the Trump administration, its officials, too, have reacted strongly to some excesses: condemning the total blockade, pushing Saudi Arabia to permit cranes to get into Yemen, ending refueling of coalition planes. But, like the steps of the previous administration, it is not anywhere close to enough. As Yemenis remember the pain and suffering the U.S. has helped inflict on their country, as they surely must, they will not look more kindly on the Obama administrations merely conditional support. And that is not to mention several dozens of Yemeni civilians in the pursuit of al-Qaida fighters. The responsibility for these failed policies does not fall equally on all senior Obama officials, and some individuals made every effort to steer the ship in a far better direction. But thats not the point here. The point is an honest, full appreciation of the reasons for these policies and their consequences. The statement by former senior officials fails in that task. Advertisement Advertisement The tragic fact is that the U.S. can play a less destructive role in Yemenbuilding on what weve seen these past few weeks. The U.S. could end arms sales to Saudi Arabia, push for the U.N. to call out Riyadh for its role in Yemens nightmare, and investigate the U.S. role in war crime after war crime so that the U.S., too, can ensure it does not keep making the same deadly mistakes. The bipartisan Senate resolution introduced on Thursday calling for sanctions and restrictions on Saudi Arabia for the harm it has caused in this war is the strongest effort to date for taking serious action. The question is: Will they? Will U.S. officials be able to look back in a few years and write a letter saying they did all they could to stop famine, to prevent more atrocities, to ensure countless Yemenis dont go without justice or redress? Or will those officials, too, only be able to see there was so much more that could have been done when it is far too late and many more have died? Advertisement Advertisement And finally, the broader reckoning Obama administration officials should provide is their failure to seize the opportunity presented by the Arab uprisings for a new orientation of U.S. interests in line with the interests of the regions people and their rights, and not their dictators and outright tyranny. This is not predominately about Syria, and the ongoing debate about whether the Obama administrations interventionincluding providing arms and assistance to a variety of little-known armed groupsand at other times nonintervention helped or hurt the Syrian people. It is, however, squarely about where the U.S. plays a leading role in supporting, arming, and protecting abusive governments in the Middle Eastnamely Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAEso that America is much more directly responsible for the conduct of these foreign partners. The Obama administration had an opportunity to broadly rethink Americas historically problematic role in the region, and ultimately failed to do so. A fuller reckoning is the only way to avoid current policy debates and future policies from remaining misguided. More From Just Security: Iraqs So-Called ISIS Families: Rounded Up, Vilified, Forgotten Why the Trump Administrations Counterterrorism Strategy Is Surprisingly Conventional There is one place in particular that the Canadian musicians have a soft spot for. The Burning Hell will perform in Bratislava and in Banska Stiavnica. (Source: Courtesy by The Burning Hell) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Tell friends you are going to see a band named The Burning Hell, whose most popular song is called F*ck The Government, and you can see in their eyes what they are expecting. Maybe an angry punk band or some thrash metal outfit. Well they couldnt be further from the truth. Canadian band The Burning Hell have so far released nine albums of songs full of intelligence, wit and charm. Upcoming concerts in Slovakia -November 24, Art Cafe, Banska Stiavnica -November 25, .klub pod lampou, Bratislava What started out as the name of a songwriting project for ethnomusicologist Mathias Kom, developed into a band, as the need arose to tour and record the songs. Kom spoke to The Slovak Spectator in advance of their upcoming European tour. So how would he characterise their music? (Source: Courtesy by The Burning Hell) Lyrics take central stage The lazy answer is just to say that its folk music, Kom said. Louis Armstrong said All music is folk music. I aint never seen a horse playing a trombone. Ive always loved that. They are story songs, the lyrics are the central feature and to me, thats what makes it folk music, so it can sound different from album to album. It could be leaning towards more of an acoustic interpretation or weve done a lot of rock songs. But the lyrics take centre stage no matter what. video //www.youtube.com/embed/FIRph805nJE Kom is joined in the band by partner Ariel Sharratt, who plays bass clarinet or drums, and Darren Browne on bouzouki or bass. Although the size of the group has varied over the years, Kom finds the current set-up the best. We can do a rock show with Ariel on drums and Darren on bass, or we can play an unplugged show with bass clarinet and bouzouki, or we can switch it up. I love being that dynamic. Slovak audiences are very receptive Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company AIOC lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 05:38 PM Post: #1 British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company Advertisement With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit, a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. " Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions " When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. " BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable.With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit, a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979.Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 473849 11-19-2018 05:58 PM Post: #2 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company I hate the British. OP, your a prime reason why Britain deserves to burn. 1) The Overthrow of the Iranian government, was instigated by the UK after the Prime Minister of Iran, nationalized the oil industry in Iran. 2) British and American oil companies, where given lucrative deals by the Shah. Since America did most of the leg work, a majority of contracts went to them, but British interests in Iran where maintained. Your re-writing history, to suit the agenda of your pathologically evil nation: the UK. America had three points of interest: 1) Stopping the Spread of Communism(the Prime Minister was suspected of being socialistic) 2) Appeasing the British in a matter America cared little for 3) Increasing American economic power Britain's point of interest? 1)Regain some of their holding they lost when Iran nationalized all of it. 2)Revenge for nationalizing British owned holdings. It is like with Vietnam, all over trying to appease the French. The British neurotic refusal to hold themselves to account, and shift all the blame to others, is a trait clearly seen even here, among ethnic British, be they from America, UK, Australia or NZ. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 06:09 PM Post: #3 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:58 PM) I hate the British. OP, your a prime reason That should be "you're" a contraction of "you are". "Your" is the possessive pronoun for something belonging to the person you're addressing. I hope I have cleared that up for you, no need to thank me. That should be "you're" a contraction of "you are". "Your" is the possessive pronoun for something belonging to the person you're addressing. I hope I have cleared that up for you, no need to thank me. singing spider terrarising the 'hood User ID: 474156 11-19-2018 06:10 PM Posts: 21,552 Post: #4 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company AIOC Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:38 PM) British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable. With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit , a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions[/b]" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.[/b]" BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 Norway isn't in the EU Norway isn't in the EU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92i5m3tV5XY nobody starts at point zero (This post was last modified: 11-19-2018 06:13 PM by singing spider .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474170 11-19-2018 06:14 PM Post: #5 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) AIOC Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:38 PM) British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable. With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit , a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions[/b]" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.[/b]" BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 Norway isn't in the EU Neither is Iran. Neither is Iran. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 06:17 PM Post: #6 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) AIOC Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:38 PM) British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable. With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit , a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions[/b]" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.[/b]" BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 Norway isn't in the EU Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474170 11-19-2018 06:18 PM Post: #7 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:17 PM) singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) Norway isn't in the EU Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. Toll rules they set themselves and higher standards in wares Toll rules they set themselves and higher standards in wares LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 473031 11-19-2018 06:23 PM Post: #8 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) AIOC Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:38 PM) British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable. With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit , a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions[/b]" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.[/b]" BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 Norway isn't in the EU Usualy B*llox... the overthrow of Iran by the US came at the same time the US pushed Britain and France out of the Levant, and replace them in the ME, known as the Eisenhower Doctrine.. But Americans tend to like to make lots of silliness up and blame everyone else for their woes, stubbed toes and everything wrong.. That is not to say Britain is not a player of games, it certainly is, and it certainly has scr*wed over Iran on numerous occasions, this time though Britain is not the culprit. Much to a lot of peoples chargrin, the UK and Iran have never really stopped working on oil and gas, the Rhum field in the North Sea is jointly owned by BP and the National Iranian Company which was the first field to get a "waiver" from the Trump Admin... The Norway angle is an interesting one if taken on Brexit alone, and there has been noise they may have to revisit where they stand vis-a-vis the EU given how close the UK and Norway have moved in the last decade, the ramping up of defence ties shows there has been a significant movement, and Norway is at the heart of creating a "Northern Alliance with the UK and Scandinavia" that US leaks show the US (in terms of NATO control) is deeply worried about... Still the largest source of the EUs O&G is still the North Sea most of which will end up sitting outside the EU when the UK leaves, so expecting a little bit of a tug from either on that one... Lots of great discussion points vis-a-vis UK, Iran, Norway, O&G etc (especially with the Pars Feild) and yet they talk utter b*llox and make believe. Usualy B*llox... the overthrow of Iran by the US came at the same time the US pushed Britain and France out of the Levant, and replace them in the ME, known as the Eisenhower Doctrine.. But Americans tend to like to make lots of silliness up and blame everyone else for their woes, stubbed toes and everything wrong..That is not to say Britain is not a player of games, it certainly is, and it certainly has scr*wed over Iran on numerous occasions, this time though Britain is not the culprit.Much to a lot of peoples chargrin, the UK and Iran have never really stopped working on oil and gas, the Rhum field in the North Sea is jointly owned by BP and the National Iranian Company which was the first field to get a "waiver" from the Trump Admin...The Norway angle is an interesting one if taken on Brexit alone, and there has been noise they may have to revisit where they stand vis-a-vis the EU given how close the UK and Norway have moved in the last decade, the ramping up of defence ties shows there has been a significant movement, and Norway is at the heart of creating a "Northern Alliance with the UK and Scandinavia" that US leaks show the US (in terms of NATO control) is deeply worried about...Still the largest source of the EUs O&G is still the North Sea most of which will end up sitting outside the EU when the UK leaves, so expecting a little bit of a tug from either on that one...Lots of great discussion points vis-a-vis UK, Iran, Norway, O&G etc (especially with the Pars Feild) and yet they talk utter b*llox and make believe. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 473849 11-19-2018 06:24 PM Post: #9 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) AIOC Wrote: (11-19-2018 05:38 PM) British Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is currently in Iran where he was warmly greeted by his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The stated reason for his visit was to talk about Yemen and British prisoners in Iran but the timing is unmistakable. With Iran facing increasing isolation and oil export restrictions because of reimposed sanctions from America and Britain facing being cut off from its main source of oil, Norway, in the event of a no deal brexit , a mutual oil deal is on the cards. For most of the 20th century all Iranian oil was produced and exported by the Anglo-Iranian oil company, modern day BP. A CIA backed coup in 1953 removed the democratically elected leader of Iran and replaced him with a brutal dictator friendly to America, the Shah of Iran. The Shah promptly granted concessions to American oil companies. Eventually the Shah was overthrown in a popular rebellion and the American oil companies were thrown out in 1979. Now Jeremy Hunt is touring around Iran with his host. "Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions[/b]" When asked about the possibility of Britian supporting American sanctions hunt dismissed the idea. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive.We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.[/b]" BP still maintains close links to Iran. they jointly own and operate the large Rhum oilfield in the North Sea. How soon will we see the Anglo-Iranian oil company producing oil in Iran, this time to both countries mutual benefit? https://www.timesnownews.com/internation...ers/316902 Norway isn't in the EU It is typical British hysterics, fear-mongering, and blatant bold face lying. It is typical British hysterics, fear-mongering, and blatant bold face lying. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 473031 11-19-2018 06:25 PM Post: #10 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:17 PM) singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) Norway isn't in the EU Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. and Norway are contemplating revisiting where they stand depending on what deal the UK does or does not get... they are an important part of the GIUK Gap in terms of the Northern Triangle... and Norway are contemplating revisiting where they stand depending on what deal the UK does or does not get... they are an important part of the GIUK Gap in terms of the Northern Triangle... LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 06:29 PM Post: #11 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company Of course the Iranian government is in no doubt about the instigator of the coup that overthrew Mosadegh and replaced him with the Shah. "Ayatollah Khamenei asserted, 'Historical experience, including what happened to Dr. Mosadegh, proves that, beyond doubt, the US does not even treat those who place their trust in them mercifully.' He added more detail, stating, ' Mosadegh negotiated with the Americans and trusted them to resist the British, but it was the Americans who orchestrated the coup d'etat against him.' Concluding his remarks on this matter the Leader of the Revolution insisted: 'The US would not even be satisfied with the likes of Dr. Mosadegh. They want a loyal servant, a submissive henchman, so they can effectively control an important and productive country like Iran, as they were doing so during the reign of the Shah. ' LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 06:32 PM Post: #12 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company Link : Link : http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82717653 LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 472863 11-19-2018 06:37 PM Post: #13 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:25 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:17 PM) Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. and Norway are contemplating revisiting where they stand depending on what deal the UK does or does not get... they are an important part of the GIUK Gap in terms of the Northern Triangle... It's an interesting idea. Both Ireland and Denmark joined the EU on the back of Britain's joining because of their very close trade links with Britain. It's an interesting idea. Both Ireland and Denmark joined the EU on the back of Britain's joining because of their very close trade links with Britain. singing spider terrarising the 'hood User ID: 474156 11-19-2018 06:37 PM Posts: 21,552 Post: #14 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:17 PM) singing wilbury spider Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:10 PM) Norway isn't in the EU Norway is however part of the EEA and the EU's single market. Britain won't be following a hard brexit. being part of EEA and EFTA gives them access to EU single market doesn't make them part of it they are still free to sell their oil to whomever being part of EEA and EFTA gives themto EU single marketdoesn't make them part of itthey are still free to sell their oil to whomever https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92i5m3tV5XY nobody starts at point zero LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 473031 11-19-2018 06:39 PM Post: #15 RE: British Minister in Iran to re-establish Anglo-Persian Oil Company LoP Guest Wrote: (11-19-2018 06:32 PM) ^ Link : http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82717653 The US was at the time pushing out the Empires of the day, Britain and France in particular... while not undermining Britains rear guard action in protecting it's sphere of influence only the silly people look on at those events and see some different narrative.. The US was to a point not long after those events threatening to destroy Britain, the 6th fleet had received orders to prepare for conflict, and not with Russia, but with Britain and France... So trying to isolate events and pretend they are the actual narrative is a bit of a false start, the US did what all emerging empires do and replace the old... this is the process we see evolving from the 1950s to late 1960s, with the final nail in the late 1960s where all reserves that where in sterling where replaced with US$.. That's not to say the US was wrong, it is simply what empires do... am sure China will attempt to do the same at some point in the not to distant future... The US was at the time pushing out the Empires of the day, Britain and France in particular... while not undermining Britains rear guard action in protecting it's sphere of influence only the silly people look on at those events and see some different narrative..The US was to a point not long after those events threatening to destroy Britain, the 6th fleet had received orders to prepare for conflict, and not with Russia, but with Britain and France...So trying to isolate events and pretend they are the actual narrative is a bit of a false start, the US did what all emerging empires do and replace the old... this is the process we see evolving from the 1950s to late 1960s, with the final nail in the late 1960s where all reserves that where in sterling where replaced with US$..That's not to say the US was wrong, it is simply what empires do... am sure China will attempt to do the same at some point in the not to distant future... Advertisement Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Seven journalists received the White Crow award for defending the public good. The organisers of For a Decent Slovakia were given a special vote of thanks. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled On November 17, seven investigative journalists who have reported about several scandals involving politicians and affiliated entrepreneurs received a collective White Crow award, granted every year to people for defending the public good despite various obstacles. The White Crow award The White Crow is the appreciation of a socially beneficial and brave civic act. It is awarded to people who showed civic courage, suppressed personal interests in the name of public benefit and could have suffered various wrongs and injustices or rejection. Watchdogs the Fair-Play Alliance and Via Iuris praised the work of murdered journalist Jan Kuciak, his close collaborator, Czech journalist Pavla Holcova, and Slovak reporters Xenia Makarova, Zuzana Petkova, Monika Todova, Marek Vagovic and Adam Valcek, the Sme daily reported. The White Crow for journalists is the expression of our gratitude and honour, as well as a reference to the irreplaceable value of journalistic work for society, particularly in breaking moments, but also a warning of what journalists have had to face this year, said Zuzana Wienk, head of the Fair-Play Alliance, as quoted by Sme. The investigation has proven that many of the journalists who received this award have been scrutinised by controversial businessman Marian Kocner, while the people who murdered Kuciak were planning other killing sprees, she added. A special thanks to protest organisers The White Crow council also gave, for the first time, a special vote of thanks to the For a Decent Slovakia initiative. It could not grant an award since some of the organisers of the nation-wide protest gatherings have entered politics. The awards are given only to civilians, Sme wrote. Read also: Read also: We want a decent Slovakia, people chanted in squares Read more However, they wanted to show appreciation for their selfless civilian activism, said head of Via Iuris Milan Sagat. At a time when politicians seriously doubted the ability of the people to selflessly unite without ambitions of power, with which various conspiracy media outlets aided them, we need to voice the truth, take notice of and support the true shape of events, Sagat said, as quoted by Sme. Democracy will be threatened when we stop believing in good and having the ability to distinguish between facts and lies. Who are the laureates? Jan Kuciak was awarded in memoriam for his exceptional approach to journalism. He was one of a few journalists who, despite the competition in the media sector, wanted the media to cooperate and share information. He was very good at working with open sources, databases and in the international environment. Kuciak was the only Slovak journalist who had exclusive access to the materials from the international Panama Papers scandal, but he called a group of journalists from several media outlets and offered to cooperate with them. He also revealed several scandals concerning Kocner and tax fraud suspect Ladislav Basternak. Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were killed in February 2018. Read also: Read also: We refuse Fico's attacks against journalists Read more Adam Valcek is a reporter working for the Sme daily, focusing on business and economy. As one of a few journalists, he is working with data and open sources. He has revealed several corruption cases concerning Kocner and tycoon Juraj Siroky, and has described the activities of Italian businessman and alleged mafia boss Antonino Vadala. Xenia Makarova and Zuzana Petkova are both former reporters of the Trend weekly. The latter is now leading the Stop Corruption Foundation. They have both faced several threats of criminal prosecution. Together, the two journalists have revealed extensive VAT frauds, also concerning Basternak. Monika Todova is a reporter for the Dennik N daily. She, among other things, reported about the testimony of two police officers concerning the abduction of Vietnamese businessman Trinh Xuan Thanh and discovered that the wife of the former head of the National Criminal Agencys unit was working in a company linked to a businessman listed in the so-called mafia lists and that Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik has not submitted a single suit in the cases he has supervised during his time in the post. Read also: Read also: Kuciak receives press freedom prize in memoriam in Berlin Read more Marek Vagovic is a reporter for the Aktuality.sk website, where he worked with Kuciak. He, for example, reported about a recording of a voice similar to the one of Robert Fico, who was talking about dubious money for the Smer party received outside the official bookkeeping and various scandals involving Smer and its sponsors. Pavla Holcova is a Czech reporter and founder of the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism. She worked with Kuciak on several cases, including the documents from the Panama Papers. She has also worked on stories about the traces of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and the global drug cartel laundering money via a hotel in the Tatra mountains. Non-parliamentary parties rise in two polls carried out in the first half of November. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Two non-parliamentary parties, Spolu (Together) and Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia) would make it to parliament if the parliamentary election was held in early November. While the former would receive 5 percent of the vote, the latter would be supported by 5.3 percent of voters, as stems from the poll carried out by the Focus agency on 1,012 respondents between November 7 and 14. Unlike the new parties, the strongest parliamentary party Smer would drop by 1.5 percentage points compared with the September Focus poll. It would receive only 20.9 percent of the vote, as reported by the Sme daily. Read also: Read also: UPDATED: Dennik N: Danko is a plagiarist Read more Second would be the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) with 12 percent, followed by the far-right Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) with 9.8 percent, the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) movement with 9.5 percent, and Sme Rodina (We Are Family) of Boris Kollar with 8.1 percent. Another coalition party, the Slovak National Party (SNS), would lose support following the scandal over the doctoral dissertation of its chair Andrej Danko. While in September it would have received 9.2 percent, in November only 8 percent of respondents would cast a ballot for it, Sme wrote. Also the non-parliamentary Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) would make it to parliament with 7.7 percent, followed by the coalition Most-Hid party with 5.9 percent. AKO confirms Progressive Slovakia in parliament Following the November 10 municipal elections, the AKO pollster also surveyed the preferences of the voters. The elections would be won by Smer with 23.9 percent, followed by the SaS with 16.1 percent and Sme Rodina with 10.4 percent, according to a phone poll carried out between November 13 and 15 on 1,000 respondents. Read also: Read also: Focus poll: Smer's popularity is increasing slightly Read more The SNS dropped slightly in the poll. While in October it would have received 10.2 percent, in mid-November it would be supported by only 9.2 percent of the vote, Sme reported. OLaNO would garner 8.1 percent in the AKO poll, while the LSNS would win the support of 7.8 percent. The coalition Most-Hid would be chosen by 6.1 percent of voters, while the KDH would receive 5.9 percent and Progressive Slovakia 5 percent. Spolu would remain outside the parliamentary doors with 4.2 percent of the vote, Sme wrote. They have turned to the European Commission to decide on the matter. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The ministers of labour and social affairs of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, i.e. Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, have objected to the changes to child benefits adopted by the Austrian parliament. These in fact cut the sum granted to foreigners working in Austria, whose children live in another country. In their opinion, the law is at odds with the European Unions legislation and the principle of equal treatment. Thus the ministers signed a common statement and turned to the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labor Mobility Marianne Thyssen, asking her to scrutinise the changes. We ask the European Commission to act, said Slovak Labour Minister Jan Richter, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Apart from the V4 ministers, their colleagues from the labour and social affairs ministries in Slovenia, Lithuania and Bulgaria have also joined the protest, he added. Negative impact on families and mobility expected The new Austrian law, expected to become effective on January 1, 2019, will have a strong impact on the families of V4 citizens. It is expected that after the law comes into force, the socio-economic status of 87,500 children living in V4 countries will be negatively affected, said Richter, as quoted by SITA. He is convinced that all workers should receive the same benefits for paying the same taxes and payroll levies. The signatories also agreed that the indexation of child benefits will negatively impact the situation of mobile workers and will distract them from free movement. It will also widen the gap in the EU. This indexation is undignified and denies the principle of equal treatment, said State Secretary for the Czech Labour Ministry Petr Hurka, as quoted by the TASR newswire. What will happen now? Richter expects that there will be two phases of solutions now. First, that the EC will start acting based on the letter. Second, that it will turn to the courts. This phase will start after three months. We expect that the EC will turn to the European Court since we dont expect there to be an agreement, Richter said, as quoted by TASR. At the same time, the V4 ministers agreed that the best solution to the current situation will be to act in concert. They will not submit individual motions to the European court, Richter added, as reported by SITA. Western Slovakia with Bratislava remains the strongest locality. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The robust economic growth driven by the automotive industry has been the main factor affecting the production and logistics real estate sectors in Slovakia over the last few years. Another factor with a significant impact is the fast development of e-commerce when requirements of customers with increasing purchase power are growing and becoming more complex. The lack of labour force stimulating automation and robotisation of production and logistics processes brings new challenges, too. The arrival of the Jaguar Land Rover carmaker and its subcontractors in Slovakia has a fundamental influence on the development of the market, Anton Jasenovec, head of industrial real estate at Cushman & Wakefield in Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator, pointing to the brand new plant the British-Indian carmaker is building in Slovakia. Its production is expected to start in late 2018. Some statistics In 2017, the greatest amount of industrial space was built in central and eastern Europe in history more than 3.7 million m. This represented a 68-percent increase compared to 2016. The total industrial space in the region has increased by 17 percent as a result, Cushman & Wakefield wrote in its report based on its long-term monitoring of the industrial property market in the Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Romania. Poland was a clear leader in terms of new development. Its share of 2.3 million m accounted for 63 percent. The Czech Republic built 662,000 m of new industrial space. Romania followed closely with almost 500,000 m of newly built industrial space. Hungary and Slovakia added roughly the same amount of space at 120,000 m of new industrial space each. Poland has become the clear winner in terms of taking advantage of the post-crisis economic boom, said Ferdinand Hlobil, partner and head of the CEE industrial team at Cushman & Wakefield. Hungary and Slovakia did not take full advantage of the opportunities at the beginning of the last decade, but in the past two years they have begun to accelerate their growth, he added. Slovakia is gradually becoming one of the logistics and production centres of Europe, Jan Rakovsky, consultant of the industrial team at Cushman & Wakefield in Slovakia, points out. Huge interest of investment funds in acquisition of industrial real estate here proves this, said Rakovsky, citing the record transaction of the year 2017 in CEE when Prologis sold its fully occupied 240,000m logistics park in Galanta to the Chinese government-owned CNIC Corporation. Slovakia on the European map At the time being, the Polish market has reported the biggest development, followed by the Czech market. Following the arrival of new investments, Slovakia has started going up rapidly during the last two years with more than 120,000 m of new developments built here annually, said Jasenovec of Cushman & Wakefield. The JLL consultancy company estimates the total logistics and production halls in Slovakia open to the market, i.e. not owned by the final user, at 2.3 million m. For comparison, the Czech market is approximately three times bigger. Slovakia has become an even more attractive area for developers and investors over the last years, said Martin Varacka, head of the department of industrial real estate at CBRE Slovensko. They made their way to the local market through acquisitions and creation of new localities along the D1 cross-country highway and the R1 dual carriageway connecting Bratislava with Ruzomberok via Banska Bystrica. In general, Slovakia benefits most from its geographical position, according to Martin Stratov, director of leasing and development at Prologis in Slovakia. Western Slovakia is one of the most attractive European locations in all of the CEE region for logistics development, thanks mostly to the immediate and fast transport accessibility, said Stratov, highlighting the improving state of infrastructure across the country, which is of high quality in the western part of Slovakia. Western Slovakia keeps dominating Bratislava and its vicinity remain the strongest location not only because Bratislava is the countrys capital with an international airport, but also because it is an important transport and logistics crossroad with other Visegrad Group countries and the rest of CEE. Moreover, western Slovakia is the centre of Slovakias automotive industry. Jakub Volner, senior consultant at JLLs industrial agency, estimates that 88 percent of the logistics and production real estates, except those owned by the users, are in western Slovakia. The strongest demand is in areas close to Bratislava, but prospects are quite limited, Volner told The Slovak Spectator. More and more investors have been eying central Slovakia over the last two years and several projects have been successfully completed. Some bigger investments went to eastern Slovakia, but these were mostly building production facilities for the owners. In general, developers remain cautious in eastern Slovakia. While western Slovakia is a tested market for developers and keeps creating new locations, developers view central and eastern Slovakia as a challenge, said Varacka of CBRE, adding that some companies are surveying and preparing locations. The common way of doing business for most developers is selling the rented real estate to investment funds. And these are, in terms of central and eastern Slovakia, cautious for now. But the lack of labour force in western Slovakia and developing road infrastructure shows prospects for central and eastern Slovakia, especially in Kosice and Presov. For example, Prologis Park Bratislava, the largest park in the CEE region, and Prologis Park Nitra, which is in the immediate vicinity of the new Nitra plant of Jaguar Land Rover, has its third locality in Ziar nad Hronom in central Slovakia. Here, it owns a six-hectare parcel of land ready for development. Once the rental contract is signed, we can build a facility of 22,500 m within eight months, said Stratov. E-commerce challenges the sector As more people do their shopping online, online retailers and parcel companies are looking for solutions enabling them to deliver ordered goods as soon as possible. These are either large hubs, which Slovakia can benefit from with its central location in Europe, or urban logistics parks close to cities, solving the problem of last mile delivery. E-commerce services require short logistics connection with the city and fast, trouble-free transport lasting 30 minutes at most, Peter Janosi, director of P3 Logistic Parks for Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator. Jasenovec of Cushman and Wakefield agrees, adding that requirements of end customers are becoming more demanding. While in the past the time of delivery was more than 48 hours from ordering the goods, the requirement today is 24 hours and will be even shorter, said Jasenovec. Centralisation into large hubs requires preparation of large plots. But such plots are getting scarce in Europe, especially close to large cities. P3 Logistic Parks sees as a solution a land bank with plots prepared for construction so the developer can respond to the increasing demand as soon as possible. Varacka of CBRE points out that e-commerce developers encounter obsolete legislation related to the issuing of permissions, which is not reflecting the current needs of tenants. They increasingly require a higher number of parking places for passengers cars, higher halls or more dense traffic of trucks, all of which are aspects offices did not foresee, said Varacka. Slovak legislation also needs to catch up with the latest trends, like automated warehouses, added Volner of JJL. Modern technologies have enabled goods of bigger heights to be kept and logistics halls have adapted to this, he said and noted that the halls height is increasing from the standard 10 metres to 12, 14 and more metres. A project that responds to the increasing e-commerce is P3 Bratislava Airport, a logistics park now in construction by P3. It is located close to the largest retail park in Slovakia, Avion, and to the airport, and is still easily accessible from the city centre and suburban areas. The parks first building will feature floor space of more than 17,100 m with potential office space of up to 5,100 m. In total, the park will offer up to 89,000 m of new warehouse and office space in two warehouses and one stand-alone office building. Other trends Apart from e-commerce, the shortage of labour force and technological progress are propelling the industrial and logistics segment forward. Both lead to more automation and robotisation as well as reduction of costs for operation of such premises. Technological progress is shifting the whole segment of industrial real estate in many ways, said Stratov of Prologis. This applies on the construction side where the developer has to reflect customer need for space suited for equipment related to a certain degree of automation or robotization and implement smart sustainable solutions, focusing on the use of alternative sources of green energy. Emerging technologies, such as freight e-mobility and autonomous truck operations, will also influence how logistics parks and facilities will look in the near future, said Stratov. Biggest players Five big players dominate the Slovak industrial and logistics market, and have been controlling an aggregate market share of more than 60 percent, according to Cushman & Wakefield. These are Prologis, CTP, P3, Goodman and Chinese CNIC Corporation. During the last three years, the Slovak market witnessed the arrival of new market players, of which CBRE mentions Sisban Holding in Trencin, Russian PNK and Mountpark ofSered, Invest4SEE of Dubnica and Arete Invest in Nove Mesto nad Vahom. Other entries have been announced too, but we cannot specify their names for now, said Volner. Expectations During the first half of 2018, the industrial sector, usually the most active market in terms of real estate, was relatively inactive. Market watchers, despite the expected high demand from tenants and continuing intensive activity in renting logistics premises, do not expect to reach the record levels of 2016 and 2017 in 2018. The vacation rate, or the share of real estate free for purchase or rent, has been increasing and experts do not expect its decrease due to continued construction. New developments are being constructed either as built-to-suit or speculative, i.e. without any contracts signed in advance, said Jasenovec of Cushman & Wakefield. As we still register demand for industrial real estate, we do not expect any damping. Based of Cushman & Wakefields statistics, the vacancy rate increased from 3.8 percent at the beginning of 2018 to 5.5 percent in October 2018 under the influence of speculative construction and new developments. But this year is very productive compared with previous years, said Jasenovec, adding that the activities focus on building urban logistics around Bratislava. During the autumn of 2018, there were about 200,000 m of logistics and production halls within development projects under construction, of which more than 90 percent is being built in western Slovakia, according to JLL. New projects are being announced, too. Even though the general demand and development activity keep a moderately growing character, there are some indications of possible stagnation of another growth of demand, said Volner of JLL. Regarding the expectations of future development, Prologis expects the demand for high-quality facilities situated in superior locations to continue in Slovakia. The demand as such will continue to stem primarily from 3PL (third-party logistics), the automotive and light industries, and the increasing presence of e-commerce companies among customers, said Stratov. The occupancy rate will remain high and we do not expect it to decline over the next few years. The factors that will have the greatest impact on the next developments will be the complementary, added-value real estate services. The police could not locate the ex-ministers at first but later declared the search over. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The police earlier declared a search for former construction ministers, Marian Janusek and Igor Stefanov, four days after the Supreme Court found them guilty. They attempted to transfer Janusek and Stefanov on November 19, but could not locate them, the Sme daily reported. The police then declared a search for Stefanov, which was also confirmed by Veronika Slamkova, spokesperson for the Bratislava department. However, they later found him and escorted him to prison. The search is over, the police wrote on Facebook. As well as Stefanov, Janusek was also listed among people being sought by the police, even though the Aktuality.sk news website reported that they had detained him at around 16:00. However, the information has not yet been officially confirmed, Sme wrote. Januseks and Stefanovs lawyers are not aware of any detention. The latter stressed that his client is not on the run, as reported by the daily. Lawyers ponder special appeal The Supreme Court sentenced Janusek and Stefanov for 11 and 9 years in prison, respectively, and ordered them to pay a 30,000 fine each. If they fail to pay the sum, their sentence will be prolonged by one more year, Sme wrote. Read also: Read also: Bulletin-board ministers go to prison Read more Since the two ministers were not present when the verdict was read, they remained outside of prison. The court issued the order to transfer them to the prison on November 16, as spokesperson Alexandra Vazanova confirmed. Although the police did not find the ministers at their addresses, it does not automatically mean they are on the run. The police could find them later or they can report their whereabouts on their own, Sme wrote. Meanwhile, the ministers lawyers are considering submitting a special appeal. In this instance, the case would again be judged by the Supreme Court, but by a bigger and different senate, according to the daily. What is the case about? The bulletin-board case dates back to 2007 and is described as one of the biggest scandals of Robert Ficos first government (2006-2010). It involved the announcement of a 120 million tender for supplying the former Construction Ministry with various legal and advertising services, co-financed by EU funds. The call for applicants was placed on a bulletin board in a corridor at the ministry, then under the remit of the Slovak National Party (SNS) and nowhere else. The tender was won by the only bidder, a consortium of companies including Zamedia and Avocat, both businesses with links to former SNS party leader Jan Slota. Stefanov served as a senior official at the ministry when the tender was announced and was later appointed minister after Janusek was sacked by then-prime minister Robert Fico. The contract was terminated in May 2009 after official audits confirmed that the tender was improperly conducted and that the services covered in the contract were over-priced. In a town like Melbourne, where food and drink are the lifeblood of peoples professional and recreational day-to-day, places like the Queen Victoria Market are the beating heart of the city. Its where families come to get their weekly groceries (and maybe some fancy delicatessen goods), its where chefs come to pick up seasonal vegetables and meat, and its where tourists flock to try the delicious dips and famed boreks (or to gather some delightfully kitschy Australiana souvenirs). Its a delightful microcosm of all that Melbourne has to offer. This diverse appeal, and the central location of the market, led founders Fleur Studd and Jason Scheltus to open an outpost of Market Lane Coffee at Queen Victoria Market over seven years ago on Therry Street, which runs alongside the market. (Disclosure: this writer worked for Market Lane between 20112014). In the years since, theyve opened locations in Carlton, in the CBD, at South Melbourne market, and a satellite cafe within the deli area of Queen Vic Market. While their original Therry Street store absolutely flourished over the years, the building that housed the cafe was sold to the City of Melbourne four years ago, which meant theyd need to leave the spaceprompting them to search for an alternative, more permanent location at the market to fill the gap. With this, they happily secured a new space on the corner of Victoria and Queen, in a beautiful terraced storefrontopening just in time for their Therry Street site to close its doors. The design for the space was undertaken by Sarah Trotter of Hearth Studio, whos designed the interiors of the last five Market Lane Coffee shops, while the build-out was done by Orio of Arteveneta, whos also been behind the carpentry for nearly all the Market Lane venues over the years. The shop has one main bar where all the coffee brewing is undertaken, which creates a line and flow between the two entryways to the spacelight wood frames the space through cabinetry, benches, and shelving, while brass handles, rich maroon tiles, and a patterned navy blue curtain punctuate the aesthetic and draw the eye. The building itself is protected by a Heritage Overlay, which means that any new work needed to be undertaken with respect to historic aesthetic elements. As Trotter explained, We aim to work in a way that is directly responsive to site and settingand as such the historical and cultural context of the spaces within which Market Lane shops are located becomes very important to the way we design Whilst our strategy revolved around the idea of minimal intervention, we were able to recognize and work with several opportunities the traditional Victorian shop front layout provided. Chatting to Scheltus about what they hope to achieve in the new space, he said, One of the big goals is to create a space where our customers can sit and interact with our staff while theyre brewing coffee. I think bartenders are really lucky to be able to have many of their customers sitting comfortably in front of them as they work, giving them a great opportunity to create rapport, relationships, and a familiarity with their customers. While the team considered installing an under-the-counter espresso set-up to break down barriers, they eventually came to the conclusion that even the most subtle equipment cant create an inviting and intimate environment for customersinstead, they set up dedicated bar seating that highlights the pour-over coffee station, allowing for extended interaction and engagement while staff are brewing filter coffee. The offering here is relatively minimalespresso coffee or filter coffee, along with a small selection of sweets from North Melbourne-based bakery Beatrix, and a retail offering with an emphasis on brewing at home. As any enterprise matures over time, theres the question of sustainabilitynot only in relation to finance and whether the business is viable, but also whether the company is growing in a way that promotes a healthy culture for the people that work in that business. Its an evolution that is often key to a companys success, and one that Market Lane has very much been paying attention to. From the outside it probably seems like the biggest change to the company has been the number of stores we have opened, but really the biggest change has been the structures around staff, their development, progression, and training. Scheltus explained, We made a conscious decision in 2013 to be the best place for coffee-focused hospitality staff to workmeaning since then we consider the engagement, well-being, progression, and training of staff. Its this openness to evolution that has contributed to Market Lane Coffees growth from their original roastery and cafe in Prahran Market to a company that has six venues across Melbourne city. In a city like Melbourne that appears to have an insatiable thirst for high-quality coffee, Market Lanes oft-appropriated tagline We love to make coffee for the city that loves to drink it definitely makes you feel like theres no need for them to slow down any time soon. Eileen P. Kenny is a coffee professional, winemaker, and Sprudge Media Network contributor based in Melbourne. Read more Eileen P. Kenny on Sprudge. With photos courtesy of Armelle Habib for Market Lane Coffee. The Harness Horse Breeders of New York State (HHBNYS) has announced that longtime Standardbred owner Ken Jacobs will receive the 2018 Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal. Jacobs is the kind of person anyone loves to have involved in harness racing because unlike many who view the sport with a dollars-and-cents mentality, Jacobs is not involved in this sport for investment only. He is also a fan who loves to carry the message of harness racing with him where ever he goes. A lifelong resident of Baldwinsville, New York, Jacobs has always had an interest in horses. After buying an antiquated electric motor plant in 1981 and turning it into a North American industry-leading state of the art manufacturer of electric drive motors, he found some time to pursue his love of the sport. In 1993 Jacobs bought his first horse a $2,500 claimer at Vernon Downs. From there it didnt take long for him to turn his attention to buying yearlings that were staked; in particular to the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) program. Through spending hours on research and doing his due diligence for every sale, Jacobs became very adept in his selections and as a result, has had a long run of picking successful yearlings who have become big time winners. Names like Rita J (Bettors Delight-Road Sign $193,012), Kenneth J (Bettors Delight-Advantest $1.56 million), Hes Gorgeous (Art Major- So Ravishing $743,844), Heston Blue Chip (American Ideal-Shot Togo Bluechip $1.78 million) and Walner (Chapter Seven-Random Destiny $567,652) have not only made an impression on the racing scene in the state, they have helped keep New York-breds in the forefront of the sport on the Grand Circuit. Jacobs cares about his horses beyond what they do on the track as well. He is very particular in the way they are treated no matter how they perform. In a previous interview Jacobs stated, Im not like some other owners who just want the money. I want whats right for the horse. And every horse I have gets the same thing regardless how they perform. They are all very special to me. Jacobs also cares about the community he lives in and supports many charitable causes and organizations. He does not want any credit for doing well for others; he feels its his duty to give back where he can because he has been blessed himself. For decades, Jacobs has brought the best he could to the track and has always supported the sport of harness racing. He has been involved hands-on through supporting breeding in the state, but he also goes the extra mile to promote harness racing whenever he can. Through talking to fans at the track, bringing non-racing acquaintances to the races or grabbing random people and children from the crowd to go out for win pictures, his friendly personality and affable demeanour make him a true ambassador to harness racing and one of the true good guys in the industry. Ken Jacobs will receive his award on Sunday, December 2 during the NYSS Awards Banquet that will be held at 6 p.m. in the Grandstands Banquet Room at Batavia Downs. The Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to harness horse racing and the improvement of breeding Standardbred horses in the State of New York. It is presented in honour of Bruce Hamilton who was the 18-year executive secretary of Harness Horse Breeders and guided the New York Sire Stakes program through some of its most exciting and challenging years. Hamilton was instrumental in uniting racetracks, horsemen and breeders in pursuit of video lottery terminals and the eventual passage of the gaming law in 2001. (HHBNYS) Syrian who have been tempted back by the general amnesty that was announced, have found that the deal was not what they expected writes Alsouria. The general amnesty that was issued by Syrian regime head Bashar al-Assad pushed some Syrians to hand themselves in, believing the amnesty would be in their favor. However, Syrians who handed themselves in have spoken of the hell they endured. Assad issued an amnesty on Oct. 9, 2018, for those who defected from his forces and who fled from compulsory service in the army, and the decision was welcomed by Syrians. Moataz, a false name for a Syrian refugee who was living in Lebanon, told Alsouria Net what happened to him after he returned to Syria. He had avoided service in the Republican Guard forces before leaving the country. Moataz said that he had been working in Lebanon in humiliating circumstances, and that when the amnesty was issued, he went back and turned himself in. After he presented himself to the military judge, he thought that the matter would be over, however, the military police of the Republican Guard arrested him and he spent 18 days under investigation, being insulted, and then was put into a fighting unit. Moataz told Alsouria Net, I regret turning myself in, especially given everything thats happening around me in the unit where I was sent. I feel like Im in a nightmare. I fled from the humiliation of alienation to a more brutal and bloody humiliation. Raed, another false name, also fled military conscription. He said that he stayed in his village for a year and a half, until he was called up for service. He said that with the issuance of the amnesty he turned himself in to one of the checkpoints near the city of Banyas which was under the control of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Raed told Alsouria Net that he was investigated by the Air Force Intelligence for four days, describing this period has a real hell. He added that he was then transferred with people detained for various crimes to a military judge, who gave a lecture on patriotism before releasing me. The first thing I thought of was fleeing a second time. When the Assad regime announced the general amnesty, loyalist media reported that the regime would cancel the calls for reserves in its forces, but regime military officials have since confirmed that the reserve calls are continuing, while loyalist media on Saturday discussed the preparation of a new list of names of those wanted for reserve service. The Director of the Military Courts Directorate in the regime army, Brigadier General Yazin al-Homsi, sparked regime loyalist anger when he told the regimes al-Akhbariya channel that The Syrians who served six years before and during the October War didnt complain. Loyalists described this as selling patriots and empty partisan slogans. An activist living in Tartous city told Alsouria Net asking not to be named that Homsi is continuing the trickery and prevarication that the regime has carried out towards the loyalist public. It is carrying out a new mobilization of young men, despite the many demands to demobilize groups, such as conscription groups 103 and 104. It will not demobilize these conscription groups until it meets the shortage for the number of conscripts that it wants. The activist added, The contents of the decree states that they are to temporarily stop cables, inspections, and arrest raids for four months for those who have fled internally and six months for those who fled abroad. After this, matters will return to the way they were before this period, so where is the amnesty? Hundreds of thousands of young Syrian men have fled the country since 2011, to avoid having to fight in Assads forces, which have resorted to conscripting a large number of Syrians who ended their compulsory service before 2011. The shortage of men in Assads forces has pushed the regime to rely, to a large extent, on foreign militias, which Iran has played a major role in bringing to Syria and supporting in order to support its forces in returning areas which it had lost. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Kurdish meetings to discuss Turkish military movements, civilians killed in Hajin, rising tensions in Idleb and weapon caches found in Daraa. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. Officials from the Kurdish self-management and tribal elders held a meeting in the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria to discuss the Turkish intervention in Syria. The Vice President of the Executive Council of the heavily Kurdish populated territory of al-Jazerra Province said to Smart News Agency that they met with Arab and Kurdish tribes to engage them in the decision making process and to take a serious position on the intervention of Turkish troops in the province of Idlib and Afrin and areas of Aleppo. The meeting was attended by elders and the tribes of Baggara, Al-egaidat, Shumar, Tai, Khawatneh, and al-Sharabeen, according to Azzam. 2. On Saturday, 40 civilians, mostly women and children, were martyred in the latest aggression launched by the warplanes of the US-led International Coalition in al-Buqaan village, which surrounds Hajin town, about 110 km southeastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, local sources said. According to SANA, heavy shelling was continued by Coalition aircrafts on Friday-Saturday night, on Hajin city and the villages and towns around it where dozens of houses were destroyed and hundreds of families were displaced. The death toll is likely to rise due to the difficulty of evacuating civilians trapped under the rubble of houses destroyed by the airstrikes. 3. Despite a fragile buffer zone deal and mounting skirmishes, thousands of people came out on to the streets of rebel-held areas in Idleb and Aleppo provinces to rally against the Syria regime and their key Russian ally. Zaman Al Wasl reported that demonstrators held up the three-star flag of the Syrian revolution and placards recalling the first days of the Syrian revolution in 2011, saying their goal is the toppling of the Assad regime and stopping Russian aggression. 4. Germany is looking into whether Syrians convicted of crimes or who are deemed dangerous can be sent back to their war-torn country, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Friday, Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported. That is being looked at closely by our ministry, Seehofer told newspaper group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). 5. On Sunday, authorities a found quantity of US and Israeli made weapons, ammunition and missiles in al-Yadodeh town and in the farms in Daraas surrounding countryside. An officer told SANA that, during the process of combing the western countryside of Daraa, US-made TAW missiles, Israeli-made LAW missiles, medium and light weapons, 23 and 14.5 mm ammunition and various mortars were found in al-Yadodeh town. The seized weapons included PKC machine guns, a B-10 machine gun, RPG rounds, a sniper rifle, a DShK machine gun and cameras, the officer said. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. President Assad has called for Alawites to join the reserve military and serve in the province of Lattakia, while many hide in the mountains to avoid conscription writes Zaman Al Wasl. Bashar al-Assad has directed calls for the reserve military to serve in the province of Lattakia. These recruitment calls included a large number of people from Syrian areas that signed agreements of reconciliation. The requests coincided with a large media campaigns that demands demobilization. Special information was handed to Zaman al-Wasl by a member of staff in the second Lattakia Recruitment Division, in which he confirmed the arrival of lists, with more than 50,000 names of citizens from different regions of Syria. They were invited to join the Assad forces for reserve military service. The tables are signed by the Defense Minister as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The official confirmed that several thousand of the recruited citizens from the province are under the age of 45, and have not previously enrolled. A large number of them, however, were previously invited, but did not answer the call; they were luckily included in the final exemption decision. According to the source, another list arrived including the names of more than four thousand young people from the province of Lattakia, who will perform compulsory military service. A large numbers of tweets and blogs have been published on social media sites regarding this. One user, Joshua Atiq, wrote on the Tartus news page, Today we received a new notification of reserve and advocacy by the recruitment division, adding, I have been part of the reserve forces for 6 years, and today they contacted my brother, who was called to join the forces before, but he was exempted and now they have called for him once again. The Alawite-dominated areas are still the main manpower supply for the Assads regime. More than 125,000 pro-regime forces have been killed in seven years of brutal war, according to local monitoring groups. The source in the recruitment division asserted that there are several names from the areas of Rastan and Talbisseh in the countryside of northern Homs and Daraa and the countryside of Damascus. An officer in the Lattakia region pointed out in an exclusive interview with Zaman al-Wasl that the regime wants to strengthen its forces and that in order to do so, it compels the inhabitants of the areas that have signed reconciliation agreements, to drive its youth into the army. Otherwise, they will have to face the inevitable fate of dying in prisons. Most of them are wanted by the intelligence agencies and their criminal charges are already set. The calls for the recruitment into Assads forces coincided with demands for demobilization by senior military personnel, a group of journalists are working on it under full military supervision. Zaman Al Wasl has been the only newspaper that succeeded to cover the details. These lists brought terror into the souls of Lattakias youth and its pro-Assad countryside. Many of them have returned to their lives in remote villages in the high mountains of Qardahah, Hafah and Jibla, where they used to go in order to escape military service. The Qardaha, Sallanfa and Ain Sharqiya are all places where a large number of armed men flee from compulsory and reserve service. The retired officer Abou Haidar confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl the presence of large numbers of young people from the province and the western countryside of the province of Hama who live in the mountains, sleeping in the open or in abandoned homes, carrying arms and engaging in armed robberies to secure their expenses, and he also confirmed that these elements deal with the police to ensure their life requirements. The police authorities ignore them, because they do not want to open side battles, and in order to hide from the public their disagreements with those who consider themselves to be loyal to the regime, he added. The adjunct believes that the situation is now different, and that they must either be subjugated to the army or completely eliminated. The regime fears the continuation of their rebellion; and being from the province, means they have relatives and a popular force standing by them. This may provoke great strife among the loyal sect, which the regime still needs to assert its authority. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. In a move welcomed by the regime, the United Arab Emirates will be the first Arab country to reopen its embassy in the capital reports Ana Press. The Syrian regime has commented on reports that an Arab country is moving to reopen its embassy in Damascus and to operate on Syrian territory, in statements delivered by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad. According to the statements, carried by the pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper, on Sunday, Damascus welcomes any step that can be taken in this regard, in reference to the reports which have said that the United Arab Emirates will return to open its embassy in Syria. He continued: We welcome any step to return all the Arab countries who closed their embassies. The decision to reopen the embassy concerns the Emirates, who are a sovereign country and they will be the ones to announce and broadcast this news. According to Al-Mayadin, informed sources have said that the United Arab Emirates have asked a number of its former Syrian employees to resume their work. The Russian Nevavisimaya Gazeta also said that there is an Emirati diplomat living in Damascus with permanent status, adding that Emirati delegations are regularly visiting the Syrian capital. In a related context, the same newspaper quoted the charge daffaires of the Egyptian embassy in Syria, Mohamed Sarwat Saleem, as saying that: Syrian-Egyptian relations are excellent. The Egyptian diplomat stressed that, Egypt has and still does support the efforts of the United Nations with regards to settling the crisis in Syria politically. As we supported the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, we will also support the efforts of the new envoy, Geir Pedersen. We hope that the coming stages will witness developments that lead to a resolution with regards to the political process. He addedaccording to the newspaperthat his country was always in support of finding solutions to Arab crises. He said, We believe that with a political solution in Syria, things will be better. The solution will have positive effects on all matters, including the role of the Arab League in Syria. In another context the regimes Deputy Foreign Minister said that, The campaigns, which Western countries are carrying out, have double standards. He said that, They want these refugees to return, but at the same time they do not encourage them to return. Their media agencies and some officials also broadcast propaganda so that these refugees do not return home, and they even exploit them politically, in order to achieve in politics what they couldnt achieve on the ground. These countries also bear direct responsibility for the economic situation in Syria because of the harsh economic sanctions, which have prevented any of the necessary economic or development progress from being achieved. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Major General Aous Ali Aslan is a professional soldier that was once thought to be a viable successor to Bashar al-Assad. In Brief The son of the retired general Ali Aslan, who served as Chief of Staff in the Army and Armed Forces, Aous Aslan has a good weight inside the military institution. Aslan is a professional officer who has played a major role in fixing the regime of the Assad family. His name surfaced in the summer of 2017, when news was leaked that the Russians were preparing Aslan to succeed Bashar al-Assad in a deal with the American, a story that proved to be baseless. Background Major General Aous Aslan is the son of Ali Aslan who was a corner stone for the rule of Hafez al-Assad and played a vital role in transitioning the rule from Hafez to his son Bashar in 2000. Aslan the father was also a member of the Central Committee of the Baath Party and a close confidant of the late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad. He was regarded by outside observers as having significantly improved Syrian military readiness while operating under severe financial constraints. Aous Aslan is close in age to Bashar al-Assad his late brother Bassel, who was killed in a car accident in 1994. Aous and Bashar have known each other since they were young men. However, Aous almost never appeared in the media or in the social circles of Damascus. Like his father, he preferred to keep a low profile and did not appear to have interests in politics. The Syrian Revolution In 2011, Aous Aslan was commander of the 40th Tank Brigade under the Fourth Division at the rank of brigadier general. His forces reportedly participated in the attacks against the two cities that showed resilience and resistance to the Assad regime in Damascus countryside: Mouadamiya. Mouadamiya, in particular, received the worst assault by the Fourth Division and Air Force Intelligence. Security forces surrounded the town and blockaded it for two weeks, and then invaded it using heavy military equipment and tanks. The operation resulted in the arrest of about 2,000 of the citys residents. The city was then stormed another time in March 2013, and during this operation about 2,000 civilians were killed, including more than 60 women and 100 children. More than 3,000 people were wounded, including a large number who received permanent disabilities. Aous Aslan bears responsibility (along with Major General Jamal Younes and Brigadier General Jawdat al-Safi and Maher al-Assad, who was leader of the 42nd Tank Corps) for the massacres committed at that time. A report by the Human Rights Watch organization published on 15/12/2011 under the title, By All Means Necessary! Individual and Command Responsibility for Crimes against Humanity in Syria , reported the practices of the regime forces under Aslans command, who imposed a long siege on Mouadamiya which led its residents to eat tree leaves and whatever else they could find, while his forces used snipers to shoot all those who tried to leave or enter. A massacre was also carried out in the city on 1/8/2012 which killed 86 people. They carried out another massacre in September 2012, in which about 80 people were killed, as well as what is known as the Great Daraya Massacre in August 2012, which killed more than 700 people, including children, women, and entire families. The Fourth Divisions men also had a major role in displacing and killing residents of the al-Qaboun district, which was surrounded and then invaded with heavy equipment in July 2011, with about 1,500 district residents arrested. The same degree of violence was committed anew in another operation in 2012, where the neighborhood witnessed indiscriminate bombardment by the Fourth Divisions tanks, with the campaign lasting about five days and leading to the displacement of more than 80 percent of its people, the razing of a segment, as well as at least 100 deaths and the arrests of hundreds all in addition to the theft, looting and the total destruction of the districts industry and infrastructure. The 40th Tank Brigade led by General Aslan reportedly committed more attacks in July 2012, when its fighters stormed the quarter of Nahr Aysha, in Southern Damascus, after shelling it with tank shells and heavy machine guns. The shelling killed and wounded a large number of district residents. But this was not it, the 40th Tank Brigade under the command of Aous Aslan also layed a vital role in breaking into other major cities: Daraa, Banyas, and al-Zabadani, leaving thousands of casualties among civilians. Moreover, it took part in attacking Barzeh and Tishreen, two suburbs of Damascus, as well as cities such as Harasta and Saqba, and the suburbs of Qadisiya, al-Hema, and Wadi Barada, in Damascus countryside at the beginning of 2017. As a result of his major role in these horrific violations against civilians, Major General Aous Aslan has been subject to American , European and British sanctions. As a reward, the Assad regime has promoted Aslan to be deputy commander of the Fourth Division in 2015, to continue his operations in various areas in which the divisions units were deployed. At the end of 2016, he was then appointed commander of the Second Corps. He enjoys major support from Russia. It was rumored that Bashar al-Assad wanted to remove him from the Corps command, but Russia ordered that he be returned immediately all of which occurred in light of rumors that Russia was preparing Major General Aslan to succeed Bashar al-Assad. Assad replacement? In April 2017, a swift rumor stormed into the Syrian media and social media which said that Russia is preparing General Aous Aslan to be Assad replacement in an upcoming political solution. The rumor spread quickly when a controversial opposition figure published on his Facebook page information he said he acquired about a Russian plan to choose Aous Aslan as the leader of the transition in Syria. The story added that the Russians officials have conveyed this option to their American counterparts. The regime indirectly responded to this rumor by a Lebanese journalist who denied the story in pro-Assad Al-Deyar Newspaper, describing the story as a mere hoax, that wanted to creat a misunderstanding between Assad and his entourage. One thing is certain though. No transition started and no one replaced Assad. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Syrian Observer. Get ready, everyone! A new gaming phone will be coming to town soon and it is from ASUS. No, it is not another ROG phone, but rather, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2, which will be unveiled in Indonesia on the 11th of December. The company claims that the phone is a gaming phone but it does not seem likely that it will be running on the same software that the ASUS ROG gaming phone utilizes. It is reported that the smartphone might be out in two variants, which are 4GB RAM with 64GB/128GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. Its tech specs seem impressive so far as it would likely sport an octa-core 14nm Snapdragon 660 AIE processor which is definitely a step up from the current ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1. In addition, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M2) could have a FHD+ 6 inch, IPS LCD display. The camera setup looks very interesting as it might sport a triple camera setup which features a 13MP sensor for its primary camera. Software-wise, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 will be running on Android 9 Pie. While this is all exciting, make sure to take note that some info are just mere speculations so take it with a grain of salt! So far no news on the price has been revealed yet nor has any news on a Malaysia release date either. So make sure to stay tuned to TechNave.com to be the first to know! Credit: Aurora Flight Sciences Aurora Flight Sciences is readying a debut flight next year of its solar-powered unmanned aircraft. The debut will deliver special gifts for research and monitoring efforts. This is all about Odysseus, with a 74m (243-ft) wingspan and zero-emissions advantage. The solar-powered, autonomous aircraft is described as a "pseudo-satellite," or HAPS, which stands for high altitude pseudo satellite. This effort to send up Odysseus has been under way for years, decades. "The inspiration for Odysseus started with the Daedalus Project that ultimately set records in distance and for human-powered flight in 1988 with a 72-mile flight between the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini," said a company news release. "The project was organized and led by Aurora President and CEO John Langford and other MIT colleagues who later founded Aurora. Daedalus' records still stand today." (The company is now a Boeing company, headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. They have production plants in Bridgeport, West Virginia and Columbus, Mississippi. R&D centers are in Massachusetts, Ohio, California and Switzerland.) Tom Clancy, the company CTO, said it is designed to fly "almost indefinitely" only on the power that it gets from the sun. The Engineer discussed this. Odysseus is designed to operate in the stratosphere where there is continual exposure to sunlight during the day. That allows them to harvest enough solar energy to operate around the clock. Nonetheless, although able to stay in the air indefinitely, "missions are likely to last months at a time." As for materials, there are solar cells on the top surfaces of the wings and fuselage. CompositesWorld reported that the structure of the aircraft was built "from trusses made of carbon fiber. Coverings are made from DuPont's (Wilmington, DE, US) Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film, which provides UV resistance." How might Odysseus help the scientific community? Simply put, it will convey climate and weather observations Interesting Engineering quoted Langford. He said it was "now a real solution to advancing the important research around climate change and other atmospheric chemistry problems." The company news release mentioned its ability to conduct weather and storm monitoring during peak seasons. Prof. James Anderson, whose area is atmospheric chemistry at Harvard, spoke in a video about the potential in climate research. Odysseus staying in one location, monitoring over longer periods of time, can deliver information on several fronts. These would include determining ice volume and ice flow; determining soil moistureimportant measurements, important issues. Interesting Engineering said Odysseus was "highly adaptable and reconfigurable." It can continue to be repositioned and reprogrammed according to mission requirements or even technology advancements. At a fraction of the cost of a satellite, said the company news release, "It can receive payload and hardware options and can be quickly customized, re-tasked, and re-located as missions evolve." Graham Warwick, covering technology for Aviation Week, said the Odysseus was in ground testing. Its first flight is scheduled for Spring 2019, said reports. Rich Haridy, New Atlas, brought out some points about HAPS in general. "HAPS are designed to occupy that sweet spot between conventional UAVs and traditional satellites," he said. "In theory, these completely autonomous aircraft will be able to fly for an indefinite period of time, powered by solar energy and traveling at altitudes of about 20 km (12 mi), above clouds, jet streams and winds in general, and commercial airliners." Explore further Zephyr S drone may be satellite contender as Airbus sets endurance record 2018 Science X Network Law enforcement agencies confiscated P17.9 billion worth of counterfeit items, including P15.5 billion worth of contraband cigarettes in the first three quarters, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said Monday. IPOPhl director-general Josephine Santiago said the confiscated illicit products were the highest ever and exceeded the previous record haul of P13.3 billion in the whole of 2014. The items were seized by different agencies under the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights. Data showed the recent haul also represented an 840-percent increase from what authorities seized in the first three quarters of 2017. More than the amount of seizure this year, what we want is for the public to know that these are fake items and that it is legally wrong to patronize such. The staggering amount of seized cigarettes must have been due to the additional taxes slapped on these products, Santiago said. Most cigarettes carried the brand Mighty, which became a serious concern for Mighty Corp.s new owner Japan Tobacco Philippines. JTC said it was losing an average of P12.6 billion yearly from the sales of fake Mighty cigarettes. About 50,000 to 60,000 fake cigarette sticks were being sold monthly, it said. IPOPhl deputy director general Teodoro Pascua said the about five variants of fake Mighty cigarettes had been confiscated, so far.Similar to the Finance Departments observation, the increase in seizures of counterfeit cigarettes may have been due to the increase in the prices of cigarettes in the marketplace, as well as more proactive efforts against the spread of counterfeit goods, he said. The first substantial take of cigarettes and cigarette production paraphernalia was in February when P5 billion worth of cigarettes were seized in a single operation. Another P1.8 billion worth of fake items were seized in May. In August, about P8 billion worth of fake and smuggled cigarettes were confiscated in a warehouse in Quezon City. IPOPhl warned that with the approaching Christmas season, more fake goods might enter the country and the total value of confiscated items could balloon to about P20 billion. Next to cigarettes, the NCIPR seized counterfeit pharmaceutical and personal care products worth P1.2 billion; optical media products worth, P490 million; handbag and wallets, P450 million; footwear P82.8 million; apparel and accessories, P15.5 million, food, P2.9 million; watches and jewelry, P1.8 million; and other items, P32.2 million. The National Telecommunications Commission on Monday confirmed Mislatel Consortium, led by Udenna Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy and China Telecommunications, as the third major telecom player. The NTC en banc, in a three-page order, confirmed the status of the new major player in favor of Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company Inc. and partners Udenna Corp., Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., and China Telecommunications Corp. in accordance with the Section 7.6 of Memorandum Circular 09-09-2018 and Section 9.8 of the Invitation to Participate. It gave the Mislatel Group 90 days to submit the necessary documents, including the roll-out plan and performance security. Mislatel was also required to secure a certificate of public convenience and necessity and radio frequency after the 90-day period. The NTC will assign the frequencies 700 megahertz, 850 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2010 MHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.3 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 10.5 GHz to the new major player. If they could not accomplish in 90 days, they will be disqualified, Department of Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio told reporters. Rio said he expected Mislatel to operate commercially by mid-2019. Better telecommunications services for Filipinos will only succeed if all our stakeholdersnational government, LGUs, civil society groups, and even private industries, and even our competitorswill work with us to achieve the common goals of better, cheaper, and more widely available telecommunications. In fact, even telco players that did not win the bid or decided not to bid, such as PT&T, Converge, etc. can partner with us and we can use their existing telecommunications facilities for a faster roll-out, Mislatel Consortium spokesperson Adel Tamano said. Furthermore, we emphasize our long-standing view that in order to make this venture a success, we will make other players, such as the regional telecommunications companies, cable operators, and broadband providers, our partners. This will create jobs and business opportunities that will not only improve the telecommunications sector but will boost the economy as a whole. We aim to be a positive force in the telecommunications industry and for the country as a whole, Tamano said. Mislatel Consortium committed to improved the countrys telecommunications capability within five years, by increasing basic internet speed to 55 mbps and covering more than 80 percent of the countrys population.The consortium, during the bid evaluation, got a commitment rate of 456.84 out of 500 points and offered a P25.7-billion performance bond, if it failed to deliver its promises to provide faster telecommunications and internet services in five years. Mislatel committed to invest P257 billion over a five-year period, including P150 billion in its first year of operations. The group committed to provide 27 megabits per second of internet speed in its first year, and 55 mbps in five years. The company plans to cover 84 percent of the population in five years and 34 percent in its first year of operation. Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. failed to submit a certification of technical capability from the NTC, while Singsons Sear Telecom was disqualified for not submitting the participation security of P700 million. PT&T asked the Supreme Court to overturn a decision of the selection committee of the NTC to disqualify the company from the bidding. PT&T filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court assailing the acts of the NTC and the committee in the selection of the third telco that would challenge the duopoly of PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom. A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression. President Rodrigo Duterte has tasked all government agencies to take an active role in his administrations campaign against illegal drugs, stressing that it has evolved into a national security problem.Issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Nov. 12, Memorandum Circular 53 orders all government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and state universities and colleges to immediately mobilize their assets and take an active role in the governments anti-illegal drugs campaign, in accordance with their respective mandates. It is the policy of the State to pursue an effective campaign against trafficking and use of dangerous drugs through an integrated system of planning, implementation, and enforcement of anti-illegal drug abuse policies, programs, and projects, the circular read. According to the order, the drug menace in the country continues to degrade the moral fiber of society, undermining the rule of law and has evolved as a national security problem. The circular also cited laws and previous issuances of the President in relation to strengthen the Duterte administrations centerpiece program, including Executive Order 66 which institutionalized the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy.The PADS, which was signed by the President last month, outlines the balanced efforts of the government to strengthen its campaign against prohibited drugs and their precursors, and contribute to international efforts to counter the worldwide illegal drug problem. Duterte has designated the Dangerous Drugs Board as the lead agency to lead the implementation of PADS. The President also directed government agencies, including state-run corporations, colleges, and universities to formulate and submit to the DDB their respective operational plans to participate with the implementation of PADS. The EO also directs all government entities and local government units to implement a drug-free workplace program and authorized drug testing among its officials and personnel. In his third State of the Nation Address on July 24, Duterte has vowed a relentless and chilling war on drugs.a Senators warned Monday against a possible serious peace and order problem and rampant atrocities and abuse in the country with the plan of the Philippine National Police to expand the Community Mobilization Project into an Alsa Masa-like network to help combat crimes in the country. It could be a very dangerous move especially if it spins out of control, said Senator Panfilo Lacson, former police chief. Going by what transpired in the pastusing that same tactic against the insurgents in Davao City and elsewhere in northern Mindanao where the Kuratong Baleleng of Octavio Parojinog was utilized by the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], bordering even on vigilantism, he said. Without a well-planned, and structured exit program, it resulted on their choice of crime as the next career, he pointed out. He said if the PNP would adopt the same method without seriously considering the lessons of the past, the country could face a serious peace and order problem.Senator Francis Pangilinan called on the PNP to seriously reconsider its plan of reviving Alsa Masa as it might be a recipe for rampant atrocities and abuse. Alsa Masa in the 1980s became notorious for rampant violations of human rights, widespread atrocities and abuse all in the name of anti-communism and law and order, he said. Pangilinan said he was afraid this would give the corrupt and abusive policemen more teeth to rape, to kill and to commit crime against unarmed citizens. Your browser does not support the audio element. A Vietnamese mother who thought her daughter had died at birth has been on a decades-long journey to find the girl after learning that she is still alive. Nguyen Thi Nhung, 53, gave birth to her firstborn daughter in 1986 at the age of 21. The baby girl needed intensive care after birth, and the hospital later announced that she did not make it. Nhungs husband, worried that she would be shocked upon hearing the news, hid it from her and asked the hospital to take care of their daughters funeral. As the mother eventually learned of the heartbreaking news her husband had tried to hide, the young couple moved to a new house a month later, hoping it would make it easier for them to move on after the agonizing experience. Two years had passed before Nhung returned to the same hospital for a medical checkup. That was when she learned from a nurse, who asked the mom normal catch-up questions, that her daughter had never died. The hospital confirmed that Nhungs daughter was one of the two babies who were born on the same date, who both had the same name and required intensive care. The baby who died was the other one, while the hospitals efforts to inform Nhungs family about the confusion were in vain as she had moved to a new address, doctors claimed. Nhungs daughter was taken in by an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City in 1986, and adopted by French parents in 1988, the same year when she revisited the hospital and knew that her baby is alive. When Nhung eventually embarked on her journey to find her daughter, the girl was already in France. It was our fault, Nhung told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in early November, as her 30-year search for the daughter still comes to no end. We were young and so shocked by the news that our daughter had died that we didnt think it through. Its been 32 years, so she must be a grown lady now, she said. Having never seen her daughters face, Nhung can only guess what she may look like today by looking at her nieces. She has also traveled to France, where every person she encountered on the streets reminded Nhung of her daughter, even though she never knew what the girl really looked like. I kept looking and looking, and suddenly every girl I saw became my daughter, Nhung said. I just hope that my daughter is aware of her Vietnamese roots and takes part in activities of the Vietnamese community in France. And I hope that she knows theres a Vietnamese mother waiting for her somewhere across the ocean. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday arrived in the central city of Da Nang, his first stop in a three-day state visit to Vietnam. The November 18-20 trip was made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong. This is the first-ever Vietnam visit of Kovind, as well as his maiden trip to Asia since taking office in July 2017. Upon his arrival in Da Nang, the Indian president held talks with Truong Quang Nghia, the city's Party chief, during which they discussed the cooperation between the central Vietnamese hub and other localities in India, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Da Nang has over the years received many delegations from Indian cities, associations and naval vessels, whereas India's goverment, through through the Indian Embassy in Vietnam, has offered scholarships in various fields to city officials. Da Nang's exports to India topped US$1.5 million in the Jan-Sep period, up nine percent from a year earlier, according to the Vietnam News Agency. As of September 2018, Indian had registered two projects in the city with a total investment of $13.5 million. On Monday morning, Kovind paid a visit to the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture before leaving for the neighboring province of Quang Nam to tour the world cultural heritage site My Son. He left Quang Nam for Hanoi by noon the same day to officially commence his state visit in the Vietnamese capital, where he will have talks with President Trong and other Vietnamese leaders. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Hanoi on Sunday, commencing his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The visit comes as the two countries are scheduled to celebrate the Vietnam Year in Russia and Russia Year in Vietnam during the 2019-20 period, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on fundamental principles of Vietnam Russia friendship in 2019 and the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2020. Medvedev's trip aims to continue stepping up bilateral ties across politics, economy-trade, national defense-security, science-technology, education-training, culture-tourism, and locality-to-locality exchange, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam and Russia signed a joint statement on strategic partnership in March 2001, followed by a July 2012 joint statement on further strengthening bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam Russia political ties with high trust have been incessantly strengthened over the past years, with exchange of high-level visits creating a strong foundation to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Russia rose to US$3.55 billion last year, from $2.2 billion in 2015. The Vietnam Russia Business Council was set up to facilitate bilateral trade and investment. The two countries recognized each other as market economies in 2007. Russia is Vietnam's 23rd-biggest foreign investor with 116 projects worth a total of $990 billion, mostly in oil and gas, manufacturing, mining, transportation, telecommunications, and aquaculture, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The Southeast Asian country currently has 22 investment projects collectively worth nearly $3 billion in Russia. Russia remains among the top ten sources of foreign tourists in Vietnam, with last year's arrivals topping 570,000. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Politics -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev began his two-day official visit to Vietnam on Sunday at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, a visit that takes place at a time when the two countries are stepping up preparations to mark 70 years of diplomatic ties in 2020. -- Da Nang Party chief Truong Quang Nghia on Sunday had a meeting with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, who is on a state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong. -- Vietnam and New Zealand on Sunday agreed to actively coordinate in realizing an Action Program for the 2017-20 period during a meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Raymond Peters within the framework of the APEC Economic Leaders Week in Papua New Guinea. Society -- Rescuers are still working in heavy rains to recover the bodies of those buried in a deadly landslide in the south-central city of Nha Trang on Sunday that killed nine people and left four missing. -- Vietnams lawmaking National Assembly is expected to cast a vote to pass a revised law on corruption prevention this week as the legislature enters the final week of its sixth plenum, running from October 22 to November 20. -- A ship carrying 26 metric tons of hydrochloric acid (HCl) sank in the Dong Nai River in southern Vietnam on Sunday as authorities are racing to recover the strongly acidic chemical from the vessel before any leakage. Business -- Though some Vietnamese fruit exporters have resorted to labeling their grapefruits and durians as Thai fruits for export to China, sales of the fruits have dropped significantly due to tightened control from Chinese authorities. -- Vietnamese carmaker VinFast, owned by conglomerate Vingroup, is set to simultaneously launch three car models and one electric scooter model at a two-day event in Hanoi on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the company announcing it will start taking orders from November 26. Lifestyle -- Vietnamese film Nguoi vo ba (The Third Wife) by director Nguyen Phuong Anh has won Best Film and the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award at the 2018 Kolkata International Film Festival in India, it was announced at an awards ceremony on Sunday. Sports -- Head coach of Myanmars national football team Antoine Hey said on Sunday his team are ready to face Vietnam in a home match on Tuesday after snatching two important wins against Cambodia and Laos in the group stage of the 2018 AFF Championship. Nearly 300 in-patients at Bach Mai Hospital had their hair cut or washed free right on Saturday, as part of a patient-welfare activity that takes place every three months at the major infirmary in Hanoi. The gratis service was given right in a meeting hall of Bach Mai, which averagely has 5,000-7,000 in-patients every day. Many people who received the care looked quite happy as it was difficult for their hair to be trimmed or shampooed in the hospital and their disease prevented them from walking to a nearby salon. Some had not washed their hair for around a month. Patients and family members are seen on a free haircut day at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, November 17, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre The hospitals service started six months ago, when local barbers and hairdressers offered a chance for patient hair care. The activity is to help patients feel happier so that they can recover more rapidly from illness, said Pham Thi Bich Man, head of the infirmarys social welfare arm. The service, provided every quarter, also was expected to draw the patients attention to personal hygiene because a dirty body increased the risk of bacterial infection, she added. Patients have their hair trimmed at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, November 17, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A barber cuts a three-year-old boys hair at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, November 17, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Hanoi police have suggested the prosecution of a local man who broke into an apartment, threatening the owner at gunpoint to rob her of a huge amount of cash, at a condo complex in the capital last month. Police requested that Nguyen Tuan Viet, 32, be prosecuted for stealing assets, officers said as they concluded investigation into the case on Sunday. The incident took place on October 2 at Golden Westlake, a luxury apartment building in Hanois Ha Dong District. On that morning, Viet, who worked as a car driver for a local bank, impersonated as an electrician and asked a dweller on the blocks 23th floor to bring her shoes inside so that he could do repair work. After she had opened the door, Viet stepped in and locked it before pointing what law enforcement concluded was a plastic gun at the flat owner. As Viet told the woman that he was being hired to kill her entire family at $25,000, she started to beg for mercy. He then asked her to hand him money in exchange, forcing the woman to open the safe and stuffed VND1 billion ($43,000) worth of cash into a bag. Viet even pretended to call his accomplice on the phone, before running away with the digital video recorder he removed from the apartments CCTV. The 32-year-old was arrested by police two days later. Viet confessed he made the wrongdoing because he ran up massive debts, adding that he had thrown the recorder into a river, together with a bag in which he by mistake put the VND200 million ($8,600) from the illegal act. The police have so far retrieved VND750 million ($32,250). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The US Navy charged two Virginia Beach-based Navy SEALs and two Marines in the 2017 strangulation death of U.S. Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar. The Navy accused the suspects of strangling Melgar in a chokehold after breaking into his room while he was sleeping and restraining him with duct tape they acquired from Marine quarters. The four service members, whose names were not released, were charged Tuesday with felony murder in Melgar's death at age 34, and were also charged with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, hazing and burglary. If the charges result in conviction, they could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Melgar, who was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group in Mali, West Africa, to counter terrorism, and served two tours in Afghanistan, was found dead on June 4, 2017, in embassy housing, in the Malian capital, as first reported by The New York Times. In May, his name was inscribed on the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg, NC. Admiral Charles Rock, commander of Norfolk-based Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, decided to move forward with charges after he obtained a Naval Criminal Investigative Service report into Melgar's death.A preliminary hearing on the charges is set for Dec. 10 at Naval Station Norfolk. A US Special Operations Command spokesperson said the charges should not tarnish the reputation of U.S. Special Operators worldwide. "We will not allow allegations or substantiated incidents of misconduct erode decades of honorable accomplishments by the members of U.S. Special Operations Command," Captain Jason Salata said. "If these allegations of misconduct are substantiated, they represent a violation of the trust and standards required of all service members." (UPI) ****************** Colonel Lang asked me to write something about this. Naturally I have strong feelings concerning this incident, but finding the right words was difficult. I am enraged by the murder of one of my Special Forces brethren. I am viscerally disgusted by the behavior of the SEALs and Marine Raiders. Although not convicted, they have continued to lie through their teeth as each preceding lie is exposed. They marked themselves as men void of all truth. That alone should be cause for stripping them of all rank, honors and privileges. They should each receive a BCD after a stint in the brig. If convicted of murder, they should hang literally. Why were these men in Bamako in the first place? This was an intelligence collection mission in support of US, French and Malian operations targeting AQIM terrorists in Mali. They were probably conducting military source operations (MSO), formerly called low level source operations (LLSO). This has long been an inherent capability of Special Forces. Advanced HUMINT training for Green Berets has increased dramatically as our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ramped up. Seems the SEALs of DEVGRU (formerly ST6) and Marine Raiders of MARSOC didnt want to be left out. I see no logic in this. These commandos are not suited for HUMINT controlled collection operations. They should stick to kicking in doors and killing bad guys. This abomination in Bamako proves that. Since the initial reporting of this murder back in June 2017, stories circulated about the reason for the assault. The SEALs were skimming intelligence contingency funds, money meant to pay sources. Thats a mark of death among case officers. Its a crime of unlimited opportunities. The only defense is the integrity and discipline of the practitioners. SSG Melgar reportedly called the SEALs on their transgressions and was prepared to report their crimes. That the SEALs may have committed a murder to cover up their crimes of theft and breach of trust is especially enraging. At least one report I read said SSG Melgar also confronted the SEALs about their poor fieldcraft or tradecraft. The special operations ethos doesnt lend itself to running agents. That requires the finesse, patience and humility more common to my Special Forces brethren. My experiences with the SEALs of DEVGRU did not leave me overly impressed. I and a couple of former Det Berlin Green Berets noted that their fieldcraft was shit when they werent assaulting an objective or swimming in the surf. I dont know if this was a trait of the DEVGRU SEALs or all SEALs. I had a former Viet Nam era SEAL as one of my RECONDO instructors in Hawaii. He was indistinguishable from my former MACV-SOG instructors. Quiet professionals, the lot of them. Maybe its generational. I thank God I had the humility and patience to learn from that generation. DOL TTG https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/11/15/Navy-charges-4-in-2017-Green-Beret-death/1941542307484/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/seals-marines-charged-with-green-beret-logan-melgars-murder LANGUAGE DEFENSE. Filipino language professors gather Monday to defend Filipino courses in college, at a press forum organized by Tanggol Wika sponsored by UP Dilimans Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas and Sentro ng Wikang Filipino at University Hotel UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City. In photo is national artist for Music Dr. Ramon Santos. Manny Palmero Educators on Monday maintained the exclusion of Filipino, Panitikan and the Constitution as required subjects in college will do no good for our culture.At a media conference at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Vladimeir Gonzales, a UP professor from the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, said with the Supreme Courts lifting of a temporary restraining order affirming a memorandum of the Commission on Higher Education to remove Filipino, Panitikan and Constitution in the general education curriculum, the [high] court is killing our [mother] language and literature. On Nov 26, we will be filing our motion for reconsideration, he told the Manila Standard. The Temporary Restraining Order dated April 21, 2015 issued in G.R. No. 217451 is hereby lifted, the Supreme Courts Oct. 9 unanimous en banc decision read. In a related development: In the Senate, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Commission on Higher Education to reexamine its move to remove Filipino, Panitikan (literature), and Constitution from the college level, saying removing these subjects endangered Filipino culture and identity. She noted that we need our language in all levels of education, adding I can understand some of the reasons for suggesting their removal, but I believe that in the long run, the loss of these subjects at the college level will be detrimental. The opposition senator said that Filipino, as the national language, should be preserved not only as a tool for work but also as a means of discourse, cultural expression and a language for advanced research into our culture. Many observers have noted that the Filipino being used is, in fact, Tagalog, which should only be the basis of the national languagea scenario which has angered and disappointed other major regional language experts. In the 94-page ponencia, Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa, in an en banc, declared K-12 [program] constitutional and lifted the TRO against CHEDs Memorandum Order 20 excluding Filipino and Pantikan as core courses in college. The Supreme Court also excluded the Constitution subject. Advocates, however, said the removal of Filipino from the curriculum in college violated Section 6, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution. Under the provision, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system. Gonzales raised concern that the high courts decision could result in the loss of jobs for Filipino teachers and professors, who were asked three years ago to take a leave to study or teach high school students in the meantime.A syllabus was even crafted for the return of the teachers to teach the Filipino subject, he said. Gonzales was joined by representatives of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines, UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino-Diliman and Alyansa ng mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wika during the conference. According to Gonzales, their groups had requested a dialogue with CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera III, also a UP professor, next week. I believe Dr. De Vera will listen to us, he said. Several senators and other lawmakers, as well as the media, support our advocacy. As a whole, we are expecting a positive response from CHED, he added. She said the Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the order of CHED to remove the mandatory Filipino subjects in the college curriculum. The high court previously blocked the CHED order through a temporary restraining order. Some advocacy groups have also warned that the removal of the subjects would result in the loss of work for thousands of Filipino teachers. Media reports say that CHED will wait for the SCs final decision before implementing the removal. I ask the Commission on Higher Education to seriously reconsider and review its decision because our language shapes our reality. And I believe that it is possible for the Filipino to become globally competitive without sacrificing our skill in our own language, Hontiveros said. Senator Paolo Aquino questioned the Supreme Courts decision excluding Panitikan and Filipino as core subjects in college, saying we should strengthen our Filipino identity and appreciation for our national language. Aquino said it was in his college years that he became more aware of the countrys needs, and he emphasized that Filipino literature could help deepen the youths love and appreciation for the struggles, revolutions, and victories of fellow Filipinos. On Wednesday SBS begins a new travel series Alex Polizzi Secret Italy This is a 4 part series fronted by hotelier and presenter of the UK series The Hotel Inspector. Alex Polizzi embarks on a voyage of discovery back to her roots, taking in the colourful regions of Italy, from the cities and lakes of the North, to the unmistakeably Mediterranean South. Alexs journey will see her revisiting some of her fondest memories, from her honeymoon tour, to the humble hillside village that her grandfather came from and Rome, the city that she lived in during her twenties. Along the way she will also uncover some of Italys hidden treasures, discovering regions that she knows little about, meeting unique characters and immersing herself in the culture of this great country. Episode One: The first leg of Alexs journey takes in some of the secrets that the North of Italy conceals. Venice is a city that Alex has been to at least fourty times, but this is a trip like never before, visiting a prison with a difference and a brush with some memories of her grandmother. From Venice, Alex will spend time in a hidden gem nestled among the Lombard Alps, before rounding up her Northern adventure in achingly cool Milan, Italys fashion capital and the place where Alex gets up close and personal with Maria Callas fabulous stage costumes. Thursday, 22 November at 7.30pm on SBS. Fairfax Media shareholders have voted in favour of Nines proposed takeover of the publishing company, which includes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Domain and a majority share in Macquarie Media. 81.49% of shareholders approved plans for the two companies to merge despite a last minute attempt by former Domain chief executive Antony Catalano to stop the deal proceeding. The vote comes two weeks after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it would not object the merger. At the time, the ACCC said the deal would not significantly lessen competition in terms of advertising opportunities, or the creation and provision of news and non-news content. Proxies voted 94.2% for the scheme arrangement, representing 66% of shareholders. Nine welcomes the result of the Fairfax Scheme vote as an endorsement of the opportunities this merger presents for both companies shareholders, our collective staff and for our clients and partners. We are now working very hard to realise the cost synergies and explore revenue opportunities that will enable us to continue to invest in great Australian content and journalism. Nine CEO Hugh Marks said, This is great news and a sign of confidence in the opportunities this merger presents. The next important date is Tuesday, November 27 when the Federal Court will make a final decision on the merger. If the court approves the proposal, the first day of operation is expected to be December 10. Under the proposed deal, Nine will acquire a 51.1% stake in Fairfax Media, with the Fairfax Media brand to be absorbed. Outside of the print mastheads Fairfax Media is known for, and the broadcasting arm of Nine, the combined entity will own businesses such as Stan, Domain, Pedestrian and CarAdvice. It will also have a majority share of Macquarie Media. Fairfax Media would cease to trade on the ASX after nearly 180 years as a publishing company. There are reports WIN Corporation owner Bruce Gordon is also expected to move quickly to become the largest shareholder in the merged company. Source: Mumbrella, AdNews Former SBS managing director Michael Ebeid has weighed in on the management saga at ABC, suggesting the entire board should consider resigning and accusing Justin Milne & Michelle Guthrie of not understanding public broadcasting. Ebeid, who had 7 years leading SBS before departing in October, has told Fairfax Media The entire board needs to look carefully at the role that they played. It looks to me like theyre all responsible. They should probably individually consider whether they should also step down. The former managing director also said he never experienced the political pressure the Coalition government exerted on the ABC during his time at SBS. While it was necessary to be cautious about the governments reaction to stories, that did not mean self-censorship. You just need to be ready and willing to defend it and fight for the position of the independent public broadcaster, as opposed to self-censoring in case the government doesnt like it. I would never have self-censored, he told Fairfax. I dont think from a journalistic and content perspective the feelings of the government should be at the forefront of ones mind. It does matter, but you shouldnt change your behaviour for it. Ebeid also said Michelle Guthries ambitions to reach 100% of Australians, and the pursuit of more populist programming, were not what public broadcasting is about, he added. This comes despite SBS copping criticism from commercial networks about their own titles including The Handmaids Tale, The Good Fight and Vikings. The comments come on the day that ABC is unveiling their Content Launch for 2019 in the hope of putting a positive message across about the public broadcaster. Yesterday ABC was very upbeat about its 2019 slate including the coverage it will be giving to an election year. But it wont include the return of The Chaser. On social media yesterday The Chaser team said, ABC in 2019: Another thing thats not coming back a Chaser election show. First time since 2001 that the ABC has declined to fund it. Perhaps Sky News provides enough satire nowadays? In the past weve had The Hamster Decides and Yes We Canberra! which have helped bring some levity to heavy campaigns. If they arent careful the team may be snaffled up by another broadcaster. They would surely bring in bumper ratings. Update: Were surprised by Mr Firths comments as The Chaser didnt pitch an election special to the ABC for next year and advised us it was already in discussions with a commercial network, a spokesman told Fairfax. Harrow, Mystery Road and Picnic at Hanging Rock were amongst winners at the Screen Music Awards in Sydney last night. The event, staged jointly by APRA AMCOS and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers) was held at the City Recital Hall in Sydney hosted by Denise Scott. Composer Matteo Zingales won 2 awards with Harrow as Best Television Theme and sharing Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie with Antony Partos for Mystery Road. Producer and Director Robert Connolly (pictured right) was honoured with the Distinguished Services to Australian Screen Award, as determined by APRA Board of Directors. Composer Nigel Westlake (pictured left), said, You would be hard pressed to find another individual who has given voice to the artistry of so many Australian composers, a man who has nurtured our community and provided the resources for our local talent to shine and realise their craft so thoroughly and with absolute integrity. The opportunity to work with Rob on Paper Planes was a highlight of my career. He is a filmmaker of the utmost integrity, a storyteller of immense facility, and has always believed in the power of cinema as a force for good. Caitlin Yeo won the Feature Film category for The Butterfly Tree. TV and related categories: Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award Robert Connolly Best Television Theme Title Harrow Composed by Matteo Zingales Published by Sonar Music Best Music for a Television Series or Serial Title Picnic at Hanging Rock Composed by Cezary Skubiszewski and Jan Skubiszewski Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie Title Mystery Road Composed by Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales Published by Sonar Music Best Music for a Documentary Title A Stargazers Guide to the Cosmos Composed by Sean Tinnion Best Original Song Composed for the Screen Title Now I Know from Pulse Composed by Oscar Joe Gross Published by ABC Music Publishing Best Music for Childrens Television Title The Deep: The Missing Composed by Nerida Tyson-Chew Most Performed Screen Composer Australia** Composers Dinesh Wicks and Adam Gock Most Performed Screen Composer Overseas** Composer Neil Sutherland **Determined by statistical analysis Nine has announced its coverage plans for the Victorian State Election this Saturday, led by Tony Jones and Alicia Loxley. Our broadcast will commence at 5.00pm, giving viewers the most up-to-date information and analysis of voting as polling booths across Victoria close. Nine will deliver the first results of how Victorians have voted in an exclusive Galaxy election-day poll. At 6.00pm, Peter Hitchener will present a special Nine News bulletin, with reporters stationed in crucial electorates across the state. Following Nine News, Jones and Loxley will continue to bring viewers the most comprehensive reporting and assessment of the days results. Leading Nines powerhouse panel are Nine News Chief Political Editor, Chris Uhlmann, and State Political Reporter, Andrew Lund. Walkley Award-winning Uhlmann is a leader of the Canberra press gallery, who won worldwide recognition and praise for his television analysis of the dysfunction of President Trump, while Lund is a veteran of the Victorian political scene who has been on the hustings throughout the campaign. Joining them on the panel is top-rating broadcaster, 3AWs Neil Mitchell. Chatting to hundreds of Victorians every month, no one knows better than Mitchell the issues that most affect everyday people. Rounding out the panel will be Minister for Police, Labors Lisa Neville, and Shadow Treasurer, Liberals Michael OBrien. Brett McLeod will present updates from our Megawall, which will take the pulse of the electorate, crunch the numbers, and track viewer feedback through social media. Using Nines state-of-the-art election system, we will also be able to calculate preference flows and swings, and make winning projections for every seat in Victoria. With Melbournes population recently soaring past five million, population growth, infrastructure, public transport and roads are key election issues, determining how Victorians will vote. Nines cameras and team of experts will span the length and breadth of the state to bring viewers extensive coverage from the seats that matter most on election day. From 6pm Saturday, November 24, on Nine (Vic). Few medicines are free from side effects but some 'wonder drugs' are deemed effective enough to warrant use, despite major concerns linking them to increased risk of disease. There are plenty of conspiracy theories surrounding artificial water fluoridation, figures can be manipulated and misinterpreted but the facts are there for all to see. Natural fluoride fundamental in growing strong enamel Natural fluoride is present as the teeth are first forming and is fundamental in growing strong enamel, a lack of fluoride at this stage may cause damage that can never be repaired. Research by the NHS found that by the age of five nearly two-thirds of children living in certain areas of the UK had at least one rotten tooth. Children drinking fluoridated water, however, suffered 15 per cent less tooth decay than those living in non-fluoridated areas. Fluoride is present in all water sources around the world and was first artificially added in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In a later study children born after the introduction of water fluoridation were found to suffer 60 per cent less dental caries. It has since been adopted by every state in the USA and is available to 66 per cent of Americans, over 200 million people. In some parts of the UK, the natural fluoride in the water supply matches their legal limit of artificial fluoride, one part per million. The process of adding fluoride was introduced in the UK in 1964 and now 10 per cent of the population drink optimally fluoridated water. According to the CDC, it is one of the most important health achievements of the 20th century. 98 per cent of European nations voted to ban artificial water fluoridation Artificial fluoride is added to public drinking water in the form of calcium fluoride which is also found in pesticides and is known to be toxic to humans. In fact, a 300mg tube of toothpaste can be lethal to a small child. The lethal dose of calcium fluoride is 50 times smaller than that of naturally occurring fluoride. Lobbyists cite the increased risk of osteoporosis and dental fluorosis, a poisoning of the body's enzymes, and 'mass medication' without consent. Many of the theories surrounding the topic are outlandish and largely unfounded, yet the arguments gain momentum and go unanswered. Studies suggest exposure to fluoride may be detrimental to children There is evidence to suggest high levels of fluoride, whether natural or artificial, is linked to lower IQ in children. Scientists researching the effects on children in Tianjin, China stated that "our study suggests a potential connection between dental fluorosis and a loss of excellent intelligence". However, other factors such as schooling, parental education and socio-economic standing were not taken into account. Water fluoridation clearly isn't a cure-all but perhaps clearer guidelines, explanations and choice would stop something that is in the best interests for public health in impoverished areas becoming something to fear. By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) - BHP on Monday said it had signed an agreement with Australia's tax authorities to settle a long-running dispute over the global miner's operations in Singapore. As part of the deal, the world's largest miner is paying a total of about A$529 million ($386.43 million) in additional taxes on income for 2003 to 2018, BHP said in a statement, adding that it had already paid A$328 million of that. The settlement removes a thorn from the side of BHP which alongside fellow miner Rio Tinto was accused of not paying its fair share of tax as governments cracked down on multinationals in the wake of the global financial crisis. Both companies denied the accusations. Tax authorities had been in dispute with both firms over the amount of Australian tax payable from sales of Australian commodities to their Singapore marketing businesses. "It's good to resolve, no admission of liability but small in the overall scheme for BHP," said Rohan Walsh, a Melbourne-based investment manager for Karara Capital. BHP had threatened court action after the Australian government earlier demanded it pay $767 million in back taxes and penalties. "This is an important agreement and we are pleased to resolve this longstanding matter," BHP CFO Peter Beaven said. Additionally, BHP will raise its stake in BHP Billiton Marketing AG, which is the main company conducting the miner's Singapore marketing business, to 100 percent from 58 percent. The change in ownership will make all profits made in Singapore from Australian assets owned by BHP fully subject to Australian tax, the miner added. "This is a landmark and precedential development in the execution of our marketing hubs strategy, and sends a strong signal to other industry participants," the Australian Tax Office (ATO) said in a statement. "Given the importance of mining and natural resources to the Australian economy, it is critical that exporters of Australian commodities, whether iron ore, coal, gas or other commodities, pay the correct tax in Australia on their profits." Story continues A spokesman for Rio Tinto said that its discussions with the ATO were ongoing and otherwise declined to comment. "(The deal) fully resolves the longstanding dispute ... with no admission of tax avoidance by BHP, and provides certainty in relation to the future taxation treatment," BHP said. (Reporting by Melanie Burton and Sonali Paul in Melbourne and ditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Joseph Radford) HISTORIC VISIT. Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim (seated, 2nd from right) poses for a group photo with Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. (seated, middle), along with other AFP and MILF officials during a visit to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. PNA Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim said his visit to the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday highlighted the strong partnership between the two institutions.Today, I am truly honored to join our partners in peace, from the highest leadership of the AFP down to the lowest ranking elements of this institution to reciprocate the visit of your Chief-of-Staff, General Carlito Galvez Jr., when he visited Camp Darapanan last Oct. 6, 2018, Murad said in his speech. This visit is a concrete manifestation not only of the solid partnership of our institutions but a testament to the enduring friendship built upon the solid foundation of our mutual commitment to work for peace. Meanwhile, 21 days before he retires Galvez wants to be a peace consultant in a bid to oversee the ongoing peace talks with the MILF. Galvez applied for the peace advocate portfolio at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process during Murads visit to Camp Aguinaldo. I already conveyed my interest with OPAPP and I told Secretary Dureza that I can be some sort of consultant, so he accepted my request, Galvez told reporters. Murad said words could not express his gratitude and those of his people for being honored at the AFP headquarters, considering he left school to fight the very same institution who now honored him and his party. More than four decades ago, I walked out of a university without completing my engineering degree. Many of my Bangsamoro colleagues did the same, and since then I have avoided military installations and camps, Murad said.And to be very candid, during those war years, I had thought only of destroying or neutralizing military camps and I never imagined during those dark days that I would one day step inside a military camp and be feted with this exceptional honor by what used to be our adversary. But Murad said MILF never considered the AFP or any soldier as their enemy and emphasized that their enemies were oppression and injustice. This is the teaching of Islam and this is what we have always adhered to in the Code of Conduct of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, Murad said. In pursuit, however, of our struggle for the right to self-determination of our people, we saw the AFP as the instrument of the injustices committed against our people such as the loss of our homeland, discrimination and prejudices, massacres as well as the denial of our freedom to practice our religion. Murad said this was very true during the martial law years under the Marcos regime. The resort to an armed struggle was a last and difficult option from what we viewed then was a genocidal war being pursued by the Marcos regime against our people, Murad said. But he was quick to point out that the AFP started its gradual transformation during the 1986 EDSA Revolution where the military refused to heed the order to kill or maim the people it had sworn to defend and protect. Eurogroup President Mario Centeno gives a statement prior to a Euro zone finance ministers meeting to discuss reforms of the monetary union in Brussels, Belgium November 19, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Vidal By Jan Strupczewski and Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Franco-German proposal for a euro zone budget could be a "breakthrough" for a euro zone reform package next month, but more work on it is needed, the chairman of euro zone finance ministers said as Italy voiced reservations about the plan. France and Germany agreed on Friday to back a joint euro zone budget focused on financing investment and reforms that help euro zone economies converge. But some officials see that focus also as its weakness, because it does not stress the stabilisation role for the budget which some countries would like to see in the form of unemployment insurance or a rainy-day fund. But all EU finance ministers except Britain, which is due to leave the bloc next March, welcomed the proposal on Monday as an important contribution to the package to be agreed in December to strengthen the euro zone's resilience to crises. "Further work will certainly be needed on the design of possible instruments for competitiveness, convergence and stabilisation," Mario Centeno, who chaired the meeting, told a news conference. He earlier called it a "breakthrough". Under the joint proposal, the euro zone budget would be available only to those members of the currency bloc that abide by EU rules which limit budget deficits and debt. That irked Italy, which is at loggerheads with the European Commission and euro zone finance ministers about its fiscal plans in the 2019 draft budget that was rejected by the EU for breaking the rules. "If, as it seems, it (the plan) damages Italy, it will never have our support," Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters in Milan. INVESTMENT Under the proposal of France and Germany, the euro zone's two biggest economies, the budget's main role is to foster convergence and support reforms "in particular by co-financing growth-enhancing public expenditures such as investments, research and development, innovation and human capital". Story continues The investment role of the budget is just one of many that have been under consideration and partially addresses the need to support capital expenditure which is usually the first victim of a downturn or an economic crisis. But officials said more talks were likely on other functions, including bridge loans or reinsurance for national unemployment plans. The proposed management of the budget is a compromise between calls for it to be run only by euro zone governments and the European Commission's proposal to make it part of the wider European Union budget, managed by the Commission. Paris and Berlin are proposing to put the pool of money, which would come from dedicated taxes and individual national contributions, under a system of shared management where governments would prepare short-term investment plans and the Commission would approve them. The proposal leaves the controversial issue of the size of the budget for EU leaders to decide. (Reporting By Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Gareth Jones and Philip Blenkinsop) FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005./File Photo By Osamu Tsukimori and Jane Chung TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Refiners in Japan and South Korea are looking to resume Iranian oil imports from January after receiving waivers from U.S. sanctions on Tehran, sources familiar with the matter said. The unexpected resurgence in Iranian oil imports due to the waivers has helped push spot prices for Middle East crude and condensate to their lowest in more than a year. The United States in November granted exemptions to eight countries, allowing them to import some Iranian crude for another 180 days. Japan and South Korea were among the top five buyers of Iranian crude and condensate before they stopped imports in the third quarter ahead of the sanctions. South Korean refiners are set to hold their Iranian oil imports at zero until the end of the year, and they may resume shipments in late January or early February as buyers are in talks with Iran to sign new contracts, industry sources said. "They are seeking to get the best price and are in talks with Iran," said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Most tankers are booked until December, so South Korea may load Iran oil shipments in January at the earliest, he said. It takes about 25 days for oil shipments from Iran to arrive at South Korea. Iran also has the option of selling oil from storage in Dalian, China, which would shorten delivery time. Last week, a South Korean delegation was in Iran to negotiate for 2019 supplies of mainly South Pars condensate. "There are some issues to be cleared like payment. We are not able to buy it at the moment and are not rushing," a second source said. "Iran is also trying not to sell it cheaper. We ... won't import Iran oil until perhaps after January." The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. JAPAN Fuji Oil Co <5017.T>, one of Japan's top Iranian oil buyers, plans to resume Iran crude liftings from January as well, and is also looking to buy condensate. Story continues Fuji Oil was considering whether to sign a new contract for Iranian crude, its top executive said last week, adding that oil from Iran is competitively priced against rival grades. Japan's largest refiner, JXTG Holdings <5020.T>, said earlier this month it may resume Iranian oil loadings from December. But while Japanese buyers are likely to buy Iranian oil through February loadings, they may not take the crude from March onwards, as they wait for the government to extend sovereign ship insurance into the new financial year that starts on April 1, industry sources familiar with the matter said. Started in 2012 to counter sanctions on Iranian oil, Japan's sovereign insurance scheme covers any shortfalls from Protection & Indemnity (P&I) insurance for ships carrying crude from Iran to Japan. The Japanese government has declined to give information on the volumes of Iranian imports that would be allowed under the 180-day exemption period. Some sources said the sanctions waiver may allow Japan to buy around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil. That marks a significant reduction for buyers that took about 165,000 bpd of Iranian oil in January-September. Japan joined South Korea in temporarily halting Iranian oil loading around mid-September. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO, Jane Chung in SEOUL and Florence Tan in SINGAPORE; Writing by Florence Tan; Editing by Tom Hogue) APEC 2018 After an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea failed to deliver a final joint statement of agreement, Australia says China and the United States must resolve their differences. Australian PM Scott Morrison says Pacific leaders also delivered the warring Chinese and US factions a very clear message to get on with business. The summit deteriorated - despite the signing of many deals - following a pointed speech from US Vice President Mike Pence that accused China of 'predatory' economic behaviour in the region. Following an historically ill-tempered APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Australia says the Pacific can still get along even if China and the United States can't. Despite the 21 Nation bloc failing to produce a joint communique for the first time in its 25 year history, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Pacific leaders also delivered the warring Chinese and US factions a very clear message to get on with business, according to The Guardian. Following a pointed speech from US Vice President Mike Pence that accused China of "predatory" economic behaviour in the region, an irate Chinese delegation stonewalled the US push to add passages to the communique on trade reforms that clearly targeted China. Rather than dwelling on the fact that, for the first time in APEC history, leaders failed to put pen to paper on a communique, the Australian prime minister said the APEC community was still a "family" and progress had been made. (These differences) we are dealing with are difficult, Morrison said from the deck of one of the Australian Navy destroyers sent to dock in Port Moresby for the duration of the summit. "We've got to stop kidding ourselves everyone is going to agree all the time. I mean what family does that happen in?" Decked out in naval attire on HMAS Adelaide, Morrison acknowledged the bitter dispute between China and the US, but insisted that the APEC summit had been a success. Story continues "We're all still committed to stronger trading outcomes because we understand that here in the APEC family we've been able to reduce tariffs, we've been able to increase the level and the size of our economies and that's all welcome," he said. The reference to tariffs - imposed on some key imports into the US upon many countries by the current US administration - will not have been missed by both China and its antagonist as Canberra continues to navigate the treacherous waters between its key military ally and biggest trading partner, as many APEC nations must do. But the blemish on the summit's reputation as a friendly meeting of like-minded leaders was clear for all to see and Morrison acknowledged that the region needed, and expected, resolution through further dialogue. I can say very clearly that the other economies around the table here, and nationss that sat around the East Asia Summit, it has been made very clear to both the United States and China that we want to see these issues resolved," he said. One winner from the weekend was PNG Prime Minister Peter ONeill, who not only drew rich new deals - 14 alone from China - but also praise from Morrison for his handling of the summit and in particular the testing closing hours. Instead of the traditional communique, Morrison said that O'Neill would draw up the final statement as host. The chair will issue a statement, Morrison said, lauding O'Neill's decision as courageous. I thought that took a lot of courage." "If the major powers here are not going to agree, we shouldnt be pretending that they do, and we shouldnt be trying to smooth that over for the sake of a communique, and we should call it out. Morrison told reporters that the meeting was "a very successful APEC," concluding a myriad of agreements. For its part, Australia is focusing anew on the Pacific after once again being caught between its strongest ally and its biggest trading partner. The Australian decision to develop the Lombrum naval base at Manus Island, was backed late last week by Pence, amid a push by the traditional allies to secure access to key infrastructure and block China from a strategic toehold. The prime minister tried to play down growing concerns that the US and China are in fact drifting further away from any kind of economic rapprochement to put an end to a trade war costing hundreds of billions of dollars. Morrison said the issues would be raised again by both leaders at the G20 meeting in Argentina scheduled for the ned opf November. "People have got to understand when there is not an agreement, that just means the dialogue has got to continue," he said. US President Donald Trump had recently been talking up his personal admiration for Xi and tweeted of his optimism of an outcome heading into Buenos Aires. But while Trump and his Chinese counterpart are destined to finally discuss their war face to face at the G-20 in Argentina, hopes are a little dimmer that the two might be able to seek some way out of their confrontation. It is a trade war in which Xi has warned their will "be no winners." NOW WATCH: Here's how perfectly rectangular icebergs are formed See Also: Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has made clear a no-deal Brexit will deliver customs and regulatory checks on the island of Ireland. She stressed that, while the UK Government is committed to working to avoid a hard border, World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules are very clear and checks would need to be carried out on consignments passing between two customs territories on a contemporaneous basis. The Conservative MP also suggested that UK and EU commitments outlined in last Decembers joint report on maintaining the Common Travel Area an agreement which allows free movement for UK and Irish citizens in Britain and Ireland would also be thrown into doubt in a no-deal scenario. Ms Bradley, who pitched the merits of the draft Brexit deal to business leaders in Belfast on Monday, said the reports undertakings to protect the Single Electricity Market (SEM) and ensure certain citizens rights are upheld post-Brexit would also fall by the wayside if the UK crashes out. They are agreed as part of the withdrawal agreement, that is not something that is agreed in a no-deal situation, she said. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Victoria Jones/PA) During the business briefing, Ms Bradley was asked to react to comments from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that a border would be inevitable in a no-deal scenario. The Secretary of State was challenged on the apparent contrast between Mr Varadkars statement and the UK Governments oft-stated position that it is committed to ensuring no hard border post-Brexit. In response, she urged the audience to familiarise themselves with WTO rules on the need for checks to happen. After the event, she elaborated: WTO rules means that there has to be a requirement that checks are carried out, that tariffs are paid, that customs declarations have to be completed now, how that is done will be matter for us to negotiate and consider, but the fact is the WTO is very clear that if there is two separate customs territories, checks have to be able to be carried out on a contemporaneous basis on consignments passing between the two customs territories. Story continues We will do, as the UK Government, everything we can to avoid there being a hard border on the island of Ireland we do not want to see there being physical infrastructure at the border and we will try to facilitate that in any way we can. But the WTO rules are clear tariffs will apply, checks will be required that is what the WTO says. Despite the DUPs trenchant opposition to the Governments plan, Ms Bradley did not mention the name of the party once during her appearance at Belfast Met College not in her speech, during a question-and-answer session with business leaders or a later press conference. Despite being pressed, she repeatedly insisted that she did not want to single out one political party, instead urging all MPs to get behind the deal. She insisted the draft agreement protects the precious Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and warned it is the only option on the table. Be under no illusion the EU wont start negotiations all over again, she said. Since the draft text was unveiled a range of business and agricultural bodies in Northern Ireland have come out in support of Theresa Mays proposals, including the influential Ulster Farmers Union (UFU). But the DUP has insisted it is not isolated on the issue, pointing out that all main unionist parties are opposed to the deal, on the basis, they claim, that it undermines the integrity of the UK. Ms Bradley said she was disappointed by the coverage of the issue. During the question and answer exchanges, Stephen Kelly, the chief executive of campaign group Manufacturing Northern Ireland, told her that business leaders in the region had found their voice on Brexit. (PA Graphics) The business community found its voice last week, collectively we have encouraged all to look at this document, consider the implications of not supporting this document and unite to ensure that these discussions can continue and we dont crash out without a deal, he said. Some have interpreted that as an attack on a particular party, an attack on a particular part of the community. What would you say to the business community here to encourage them to keep having that voice, to be confident behind this agreement and to work with all the parties to ensure the best interests of Northern Ireland are looked after? Ms Bradley replied: Its disappointing some of the coverage that there has been since the deal, in that it has somehow been portrayed as an attack on any one party or politician. I want to be clear I am not standing here saying that those politicians who have a difference of opinion with me on this matter are anything other than acting in what they consider to be the best interests of their constituents and they are absolutely entitled to have a different view from me. As I say, this is a balance of risks and opportunities and, in my view, this is the best deal for the whole United Kingdom and that is why I am standing in front of you today saying please get behind it and support it. Nigel Dodds assessment comes after almost a week of political chaos at Westminster over the draft deal. Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds said his partys opposition to Theresa Mays withdrawal treaty has been vindicated. The Prime Minister has faced significant political turbulence and widespread criticism since unveiling her draft withdrawal deal for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union last week. A number of Cabinet ministers resigned in protest, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, and there has been talk of a no confidence vote in Mrs May. The Prime Minister hit back at her Tory rivals on Sunday, warning that a change of leadership would not make it easier to get a deal past Parliament or the EU. However, the criticism is also coming from outside the Conservative Party. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has claimed his party could get a better deal, while Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed her MPs would vote against the deal when it goes before Parliament. There are doubts whether Mrs Mays accord will attract enough votes to be passed by the House of Commons. The backstop is not perfect & neither is the withdrawal agreement. There is no such thing as a good Brexit after all .@MaryLouMcDonald speaking in todays .@irish_newshttps://t.co/h9H5DFBsuo pic.twitter.com/4dcr8bpW5q Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 17, 2018 On Saturday, Sinn Fein President Mary-Lou McDonald ruled out the possibility of her partys seven MPs making the historic move of taking their seats at Westminster to back the deal. Mr Dodds said the damning criticism spelt out how dangerous this withdrawal agreement is. Story continues These are exactly the reasons why Northern Ireland unionism stands united in opposition to this draft Withdrawal Agreement, he said. This deal would place a trade border in the Irish Sea, subject us to EU rules without any power to influence or change them and binds us to the EU with no unilateral ability to leave. Indeed, Northern Ireland is part of the EU customs union not the UKs. Even Jeremy Corbyn gets it, although nationalists and republicans here are desperate for him to stop saying it. Mr Dodds added: I understand why some people fear a no deal scenario. But the choice is between this very bad deal and the right deal. With MPs on all sides of the House pointing to the dangers for the Union of the Withdrawal Agreement, it is clear that it is time to work for a better deal which does not undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom. Two late goals saw the Netherlands clinch a dramatic 2-2 draw against already-relegated Germany on Monday and book their place in the Nations League semi-finals at the expense of world champions France. Germany looked to be cruising to victory thanks to early goals by Timo Werner and Leroy Sane, until Quincy Promes scored the Netherlands' first goal on 85 minutes, followed six minutes later by captain Virgil Van Dijk. The point in Gelsenkirchen was enough to send Holland into the Nations League semis as Group One winners, with world champions France dropping into second. The Dutch will meet Switzerland, England and hosts Portugal in the brand-new tournament's final stage next June. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) The Duke of Sussex is to make a solo trip to Zambia next week. Harrys pregnant wife the Duchess of Sussex will remain at home as the Queens grandson carries out a two-day official visit to the Commonwealth country in southern Africa. The trip from November 26-27, at the request of the Foreign Office, will see Harry visit Burma Barracks to attend an event commemorating First and Second World War Zambian veterans. The Duke of Sussex will visit Zambia on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th November, at the request of the Foreign Office pic.twitter.com/wETN3n2CD3 Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 19, 2018 Harry will meet veterans and hear about their time serving in the Zambian military, speak with widows of veterans and see a special photographic exhibition about the African soldiers who fought in World War One. The duke is expected to speak at a special reception to celebrate UK-Zambia relations at the British High Commissioners Residence. Harry will also attend an event for The Queens Commonwealth Trust, of which he is president, and visit Circus Zambia, which helps young people from vulnerable backgrounds in Lusaka with life skills. Our President, Prince Harry, passionately believes in the power of young people to craft a better future for all: You are the most optimistic, connected generation the world has ever known. #YoungLeadership pic.twitter.com/bjxcmyREvC Queen's CW Trust (@queenscomtrust) April 21, 2018 He will then give a speech after meeting youngsters who have been helped by Circus Zambia. Story continues Harry will also listen to a presentation from members of the alumnae network of the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), which tackles poverty and inequality in sub-Saharan Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women. Meghan and Harry at a womens empowerment reception as they backed a campaign to get some of the worlds poorest girls into education during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chris Jackson/PA) The duke will also visit BongoHive, Zambias first technology and innovation hub, and join a board meeting for African Parks, of which he is president, during his short stay. By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt discussed the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, the conflict in Yemen and other issues in meetings with Iranian authorities in Tehran on Monday, Iranian state media reported. Hunt's office also said that during the trip - his first to Iran as foreign minister - he would press Iran on its human rights record and call for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. Iranian media made no mention of this. U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in May and Washington has reimposed sanctions on Iran to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile programmes, further curb its nuclear work and limit its support for proxy militias from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen. Other signatories of the deal - the European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China - have been trying to salvage it. Iran has warned it could scrap the accord if the EU fails to preserve its economic benefits from U.S. pressure. "The Europeans should accelerate their efforts to save the deal...We are ready for all scenarios, including a return to pre-deal era," the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, told Hunt, Iranian state television reported. Hunt said Britain was committed to the nuclear deal and discussed European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. SPEEDING UP Hunt and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also discussed the need to accelerate efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has been battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for nearly four years. Story continues "This is a part of the world which is frankly a tinderbox and so many things can go wrong here. And Iran is one of the big players and we are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen, that's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told reporters, according to BBC. In comments before the meetings, Hunt also mentioned Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested in April 2016 in Tehran as she headed back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit. "We have the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other internationals here, who are in prison and shouldn't be, we want to get them home. So, there is lots to talk about," Hunt said. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was convicted of plotting to overthrow Irans clerical establishment, a charge denied by her family and the Foundation, a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News. There was no immediate mention of any Iranian response regarding to her case. (The refiled story drops state tv attribution in headline). (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan in LONDON; Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Angus MacSwan) FILE PHOTO: Italy's far right leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini attends a a news conference with French far right leader Marine Le Pen in Rome, Italy October 8, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File Photo ROME (Reuters) - Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday that plans for euro zone reform due to be presented by France and Germany are unlikely to get Italy's backing. "If, as it seems, it (the plan) damages Italy, it will never have our support," Salvini told reporters in Milan. France and Germany will lay out plans on Monday for a limited joint euro zone budget focused, for now, solely on financing investment, French Finance Ministry sources have said. Italy is at loggerheads with the European Commission and many euro zone governments over Rome's expansionary 2019 budget which the Commission has rejected, saying it fails to bring down the deficit as required by EU rules. (Reporting by Sara Rossi, writing by Gavin Jones) "Where there is a sturdy and reliable horse in the picture, there is surely no need to bring in a pony." Panay Electric Co. Inc. (PECO) is one of the grandest old ladies of Iloilo business. A 95-year-old corporate veteran, PECO is now fighting for its life. Its current franchise will expire in January 2019, and it applied in 2017 for the franchises renewal. However, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted against a renewal, citing complaints from some of PECOs customers and some Iloilo officials. Waiting in the wings, ready to take over from PECO, is More Minerals Corporation, a mining company owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. Recently, Mr. Razon made an offer to the government for the development of the part of Iloilo City and one other Iloilo port. Seen against the offer, Mr. Razons interest in Iloilo Citys power generation and distribution business is easy to understand. With More Minerals public relations (PR) apparatus in full cry, PECO has clearly become an underdog. It does not have a PR apparatus to promote and defend its cause, which is the renewal of a franchise to continue providing service to a population that it has served continuously, through a world war and other national vicissitudes, for almost a century. What is the case against PECO made of? A major newspaper columnist wrote recently about complaints from Iloilo City households over monthly bills that rose by 1,000 percent and about mounting consumer complaints against the firms service record. That is the sum total of the case: alleged over-billing and alleged bad service record. In this regard it is pertinent, nay necessary, to point out that utilities like power companies are vulnerable to complaints relating to billing and service record. Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is forever at the receiving end of complaints of that nature. But do they necessarily lead to the non-renewal of an expiring franchise and the grant of a franchisein overwhelming fashionto another company? If that were the case, Meralcos franchise would have been non-renewed long ago. Or are power companies like Meralco and the Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) of the politically powerful Aboitiz family too big for the Representatives to take on? The newspaper columnist I cited above ended his piece with this statement: The (family that owns PECO) thinks (the coming elections are a factor), noting that they were not big donors to politicians, unlike their rival. And what is the case in favor of PECOs application for a renewal of its franchise?First, the issue of alleged overbilling, which appears to be the most contentious. The recordincluding its testimony at the Senate hearingsshows that PECO has attributed the alleged overbilling to its new metering system, which, it explained, has computed its customers bills so as to reflect uncollected and unbilled consumption. Havent Meralcos customers received similar explanations from this countrys largest power distribution company? Yet, Meralcos franchise has never been in real danger of non-renewal. To refute the charge of bad service, PECO cited before the two chambers of Congress the commendations it has repeatedly received from the Department of Energy (DOE) for its exemplary management. The latest was for 2015; thats only three years ago. I am not aware that DOE goes around commending companies without sufficient basis. PECOs oppositors have adverted to the 2014 Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) order directing PECO to refund P631 million worth of overbillings to its customers. But alleged overbillings are a matter, at worst, of computation; they do not amount to totally bad corporate performance. Last but not least, PECO has stressed that managing a power distribution company requires not only know-how but also, perhaps more important, experience. The choice facing Iloilo City residents is one between a DOE-commended company with 95 years of experience and a company with absolutely no power-industry experience. Where there is a sturdy and reliable horse in the picture, there is surely no need to bring in a pony. The negative arguments that have been attributed to PECO are all remediable; they can, and should, be addressed. But lack of experience is not remediable. A company either has operational experience or it doesnt. More Minerals Corporation clearly doesnt. The matter of PECOs franchise renewal must not be settled on the basis of discontent on the part of a minority of that companys customers. Nor should it be settled on the basis of political factors. It needs to be settled on the only basis that will truly serve the interest of Iloilo City power consumers economic rationality. A no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Scotland, according to David Mundell. The Scottish Secretary said he would not view such a scenario as being acceptable for the country. Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plans were last week signed off by her Cabinet, although several members subsequently resigned, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Mr Mundell branded Mr Raab a carpetbagger whose resignation was about manoeuvring and leadership. Conservative MP Ross Thomson urged Mr Mundell to join other senior Conservatives in quitting the Cabinet, telling him no unionist could support the proposals. However, the Secretary of State for Scotland indicated that despite reservations about the deal, it is still better than current alternatives. He told BBC Scotland: Im supporting the deal because I believe a no-deal outcome would be catastrophic for Scotland. I believe it would be a fundamental threat to the continuation of the United Kingdom and therefore in the round you have to weigh up all the issues. These are difficult and complex judgments but Im not prepared to countenance a no-deal outcome for Scotland. Everyone is clear its not a perfect deal. Its not as bad a deal as characterised. It contains many positive elements in relation to the rights of EU citizens. Going forward, it contains this hugely important prospect for Scottish businesses for being able to trade in the EU without tariffs, without quotas thats the number one thing that businesses have said that they want. Nicola Sturgeon says SNP MPs will vote against Theresa Mays draft EU withdrawal agreement (Peter Byrne/PA) First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said SNP MPs in Westminster will vote against the deal when it is put forward in the House of Commons. Mr Mundell suggested the reasons for doing so are linked to campaigning for a second Scottish independence referendum. He said: Thats why Nicola Sturgeon is so keen on it, thats why shes mandating her MPs to vote for a no-deal Brexit, because she understands that the chaos and disruption that a no-deal Brexit would bring would be the best recruiting base for her independence referendum. Story continues SNP MSP Tom Arthur suggested Mr Mundell was refusing to put Scotlands interests ahead of the interests of his party. He said: David Mundell makes himself look and sound more ridiculous with every day that passes. First he indicated he would resign if Northern Ireland was given special treatment, then he reportedly voiced concerns about the proposed deal while in Cabinet and now he has admitted Theresa Mays plan will leave Scotland worse off. But still he clings to office, without a shred of principle or credibility. It seems there is literally nothing that can happen that would lead David Mundell to put Scotlands interests before the Tory partys interests. He is quite clearly the Cabinets man in Scotland rather than Scotlands man in the Cabinet and his position is now utterly untenable. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called Mr Mundells comments unconvincing and insisted there must be another vote on Brexit. He said: The Scottish Secretary cant bring himself to say the Prime Ministers deal will make life better for people in Scotland and thats because it wont. Tearing ourselves out of Europe will hit every single Scottish household. People across the country watched the chaos of last week unfold and Conservative divisions deepen. Nobody is fooled by David Mundells unconvincing claim that this is the only way forward. Those who favour a peoples vote now make up the biggest cohesive bloc in British politics. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets demanding the chance to avoid a big Brexit blackhole. Tory arrogance has taken us this far. People deserve better than to be marched into a terrible deal that will hurt their finances. The Brexit decision needs to go back to the people. Scottish Labour MP Lesley Laird said: Theresa May once believed that no deal was better than a bad deal. Now David Mundell is saying the exact opposite yet sees no conflict with his position in Cabinet. To back this bad deal as the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit is to accept a false choice. Instead of leadership from Theresa Mays government we are getting brinkmanship. Parliament must be given a meaningful vote on the half-baked mess that Theresa May has brought back from Brussels and when, as appears likely, it is voted down, it is Parliament that must set out the next steps towards delivering a deal which delivers on the promises made to voters at the outset. She added: It was embarrassing to hear Mr Mundell unable to make any positive case for supporting Theresa Mays deal this morning. It is clear the majority of his Scottish Tory colleagues are also unconvinced. They should all now finally stand up for Scotland and reject this broken deal. Scotland deserves better than Tory ministers and MPs who slavishly put party first and the people second. Mr Mundell must resign if he is to retain even a scrap of credibility on this. Nine suspected migrants - thought to be from Iran - have been picked up after landing near Folkestone Harbour in an inflatable boat. Local media reported that they were found clambering up rocks. Police said they were alerted just before 7am over concerns for people in a boat off the Dover coast. The Border Force responded and apprehended the group, with a Home Office spokeswoman saying they will be "processed in line with the immigration rules". There have been a number of similar incidents over the last week. On Friday, seven people - also believed to be Iranians - were picked up at Samphire Hoe near Dover after arriving in an inflatable boat with a small engine. Three more boats were intercepted off Kent on Wednesday morning and afternoon, with a total of 24 people picked up - including a toddler. On Tuesday, 14 men and three minors - all Iranian - were stopped at Dover harbour after trying to get into the UK on a fishing boat. The boat was reportedly stolen from from Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. Later on Tuesday, Dover police found seven men in a lorry arriving from Calais. The Home Office said three had claimed to be Iranian, while four said they were from Iraq. A spokeswoman said: "We are alert to the risk posed by people attempting to reach the UK illegally via small boats. "This year we have increased the number of coastal patrol vessels and, in light of recent events, have stepped up deployments along the South-East coast. "We continue to work closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to tackle people smuggling at source. "Nobody should put their life at risk attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK across the Channel. Thankfully, this route to the UK remains relatively rare." At least five people were killed and a number of others wounded, police in Haiti reported, after thousands took to the streets to protest a corruption scandal in the countrys capital, Port-au-Prince, on Sunday, November 18. The protests were largely peaceful until the end, the Miami Herald reported, when protesters and armed gangs exchanged gunfire with police in some parts of the capital. Some unconfirmed local reports said six people in total had died, citing the events organizers. Haiti police reported: a lot of rocks are being thrown in the direction of the police, as protesters arrived in front of the National Palace. Two former prime ministers and former government officials were accused of embezzlement, abuse of authority and forgery stemming from the use of funds in a Venezuelan oil loan program, in a report published by the countrys Senate in August. The protesters demanded prosecution of the officials involved. Some called for President Jovenel Moise to resign, chanting Down with Moise! Credit: Jake Johnston via Storyful People protest against the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, Britain, October 26 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson Thomson Reuters By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview that aired on Sunday the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was "very vicious" but that he wants to stick with Saudi Arabia as a close ally in the Middle East. Under pressure to punish Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi's death inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, Trump questioned the alleged role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is known as MbS and is the kingdom's de facto ruler. "He told me that he had nothing to do with it," Trump said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday", adding that "many people" also said the crown prince had no knowledge of the killing. The interview was taped on Friday, hours before government sources said the CIA had briefed the Trump administration on the murder and its belief that MbS ordered it. Trump said on Saturday that the CIA assessment was "very premature" and in the interview that aired on Sunday he said it may never be possible to know who ordered Khashoggi's murder. "Well, will anybody really know?" he said. "He did have certainly people that were reasonably close to him and close to him that were probably involved ... But at the same time we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Trump faces intense pressure from senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers to take tougher action against Saudi Arabia. Some have said the United States should suspend arms sales to the kingdom and drop his support for MbS, but Trump has so far resisted that pressure. The U.S. government on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but the sanctions did not target the Saudi government. Saudi Arabia is a major oil supplier and a close ally of the United States in countering Iranian power in the Middle East. Story continues Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said on Sunday he had no doubt about MbS' involvement in ordering the murder of Khashoggi. "They are an important ally but when it comes to the crown prince, he's irrational, he's unhinged and I think he's done a lot of damage to the relationship (between) the United States and Saudi Arabia. And I have no intention of working with him ever again," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Trump said his administration has a taped recording related to the Khashoggi murder, provided by the Turkish government, but that he has not listened to it and does not want to. "I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it," he said. "It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) See Also: Russias President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have marked the completion of a key phase of TurkStream, a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul, Mr Erdogan announced the offshore part of TurkStreams two parallel lines two kilometres deep in the Black Sea had been finished and said the final leg of the historic project had been reached. The lines are expected to supply Russian gas to Turkey and European markets through Turkish territories. Together, the two 578-mile underwater lines, along with the Russian and Turkish onshore pipes, will carry 31.5 billion cubic metres (1.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually. We are witnessing a very important event that is a clear demonstration of a partnership and cooperation between our countries in dealing with the most complex and ambitious projects, Mr Putin said. He added: The implementation of projects like this one is a good example of an ability to stand up for ones own national interests. The remarks appear to be referring to the Kremlins long-standing position that some European nations are giving up lucrative deals with Russia under pressure from the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Mikhail Klimentyev/AP) Turkey relies on imports for its energy needs and Russia is its top supplier for natural gas. It bought nearly 29 billion cubic metres last year. That gas is currently transported through another line under the Black Sea, called Blue Stream, and the onshore West Line through Ukraine, which is mired in conflict with Russia. The presidents of Russia and Turkey took part in a ceremony marking the completion of TurkStream gas pipelines offshore section https://t.co/DSipW7CwOO pic.twitter.com/rdMJkrI93S President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) November 19, 2018 Turkey will be able to fulfil its own as well as European countries natural gas demands without being exposed to transit risks, Mr Erdogan said, as he announced that TurkStream would begin operations in 2019. Story continues Ukraines struggling economy relies on fees it receives for transporting Russian gas. Russia has threatened to stop using Ukrainian pipelines for transit but has not made any decisions to bypass Ukraine as a transit point altogether. Turkey and Russia have warmed in the last two years after Mr Erdogan apologised for the downing of a Russian fighter jet along the border with Syria in 2015 that soured relations. Their increasing cooperation in energy and trade as well as Ankaras pledge to buy a Russian surface-to-air missile defence system has worried the Western allies of Turkey, a Nato member. Mr Erdogan said the two countries aimed for long-term cooperation and their relationship was not dictated by other countries demands or impositions. With Mr Erdogan and Mr Putins instructions, the last part of the offshore pipe was laid on live broadcast, reaching Turkish shores at Kiyikoy near Istanbul. houthis yemen AP Photo/Hani Mohammed Yemens Houthi rebel group said on Monday it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. The move from the Houthis came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemens main port city Hodeidah, which has become a focal point in the bloody war. "(The decision) came to support the UN envoy, to show good faith and support the peace efforts," the group said in a statement. The group added it was ready for a broader ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace." DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemens Houthi movement said on Monday it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. International pressure has mounted on Yemens warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemens main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. After our contacts with the U.N. envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes ... We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year in Sweden to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. READ MORE: Who's fighting who in Yemen, where conflict and political rivalry have engulfed the country for nearly a century Yemens parties have given firm assurances they are committed to attending peace talks to be convened shortly, Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council on Friday, and pledged to escort the Houthi delegation from Sanaa if needed. Story continues The Iranian-aligned group which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years added it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition wants peace. (The decision) came to support the U.N. envoy, to show good faith and support the peace efforts, the statement said. Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have said they support U.N.-led peace talks. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition, which entered Yemens war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. The Houthis last July unilaterally halted attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts, after Saudi Arabia suspended temporarily oil exports through a strategic Red Sea channel following attacks on crude tankers. Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed U.N. efforts. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of U.S.-based Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early last month. NOW WATCH: The true story behind Boston gangster Whitey Bulger See Also: Albert del Rosario (left) and President Xi Jinping (right) Excellency, In recalling our bilateral meeting years ago in Beijing, please allow me to extend to you our warm welcome to the Philippines.Your visit underscores the future of the relationship between the Philippines and China. Our peoples have had centuries-old ties that predate the advent of the West in Asia. Today, as Asia surges forward as one of the most economically dynamic regions, we hope to look forward to a closer cooperation by building on the foundations of our long standing traditional friendship. China has contributed vastly to the Asian economic miracle in the 21st century. Under the domestic development policies pursued by Beijing, China has lifted more millions out of poverty in a shortest span of time than any other country. China has more than matched this spectacular feat with its rapid economic growth. Today, China is admired as the workshop of the world. Tomorrow it will earn greater accolades as a mighty factory of the new global economy driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the instrument of Artificial Intelligence. Embracing globalization has brought China unimaginable dividends, making it virtually the second-largest economy in the world. Now China is stepping out to contribute even more. The Belt and Road initiative is a major investment that proposes to draw the world even closer together in shared prosperity. Perhaps, now is the most auspicious moment in the history of our region. Anticipating that we can all build a future together, we sincerely hope that Beijing will pursue the wise path of moderation, reason, and fairness with China taking into full account the legitimate national interest of its neighbors. Nowhere is this more true than in disputes over the seas that connect our region into a vibrant whole. We all have an equal stake in the safety, security and freedoms of the waters that surround us. This should be the animating spirit for all of us as we settle down to manage such challenges.Clearly, it is more crucial now than ever that all members of the global community should strive together to preserve a rules-based international order. Given its stature and power, Your Excellency, it is imperative that China play its proper role in adhering to the rule of law to preserve stability, security and peace in the world so that we may all continue to pursue our aspirations for development and progress. China would possess, moreover, an incredible opportunity to stand as a champion of principle, fairness and inclusiveness in disputes and disagreements in the world. We Filipinos look forward to the success of your visit to our country. Much is invested in terms of hope in what the Philippines and China, as sovereign equals, can achieve together. Respectfully yours, Two University of North Georgia (UNG) alumni were among 17 inductees to the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 3. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin Randaulph Mixon '75 and retired Air Force Lt. Col. George Robert Partridge were part of the sixth class of inductees. UNG alumni account for 11 of the 100 inductees since the Hall of Fame was established in 2013. After serving as the UNG Corps of Cadets' brigade commander as a senior, Mixon served 36 years on active duty and had numerous combat deployments. His career included command positions from platoon to theater level, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, and 75th Ranger Regiment. His final two assignments were as commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, including deployments for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Task Force Lightning and Multi-National Division North in Iraq and as commanding general of United States Army Pacific. Mixon joins his father, retired Command Sgt. Maj. William Tracy Mixon, who was inducted posthumously in the 2014 class. Mixon serves on the UNG Foundation Board of Trustees and as a member of the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies Advisory Board. Partridge completed two years as a cadet at UNG before enlisting in the Air Force in 1952, eventually retiring with 33 years of service and 5,000 hours of military flying time in aircraft from the 0-1 Bird Dog to the F-100 Super Sabre. While serving in Vietnam in 1965 as a forward air traffic controller on the ground with the 1st Infantry Division, "his unit was attacked by an overwhelming enemy force. Disregarding his own safety, he exposed himself to hostile fire to better observe the enemy's location and to effectively direct tactical air support," according to his Hall of Fame biography. "Although wounded, he continued to coordinate the needed firepower, thus saving the unit from being overrun." Later that year Partridge was cited again for providing fire support defense to protect his unit from a Viet Cong attack. Partridge's combat awards are the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star. He wrote the book "My Story And I'm Sticking to It I Think!" about his life, including his time at UNG and serving in the military. "These two men are among the finest military alumni we have ever produced. Both men had a tremendous impact on their fellow classmates and went on to serve with great honor in their respective services," said retired Col. James T. Palmer, commandant of the Corps of Cadets at UNG. "Lt. Gen. Mixon and Lt. Col. Partridge are superb role models for our current cadets. On behalf of the Corps of Cadets, we congratulate both inductees." The induction was held at St. Luke Ministry Center in Columbus, Georgia. More than 30 UNG alumni from the classes of 1954 to 2018 were on hand to celebrate with Mixon and Partridge.Hall of Fame nominees must have ties to Georgia and qualify in one of three categories: valor for heroic action in combat; outstanding achievement while in service; or significant local, state or national contributions after leaving active duty. For more information, visit the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame website. The Mexico Border Wall is rearing its head again and President Donald Trump threatens to shut down the federal government unless Congress agrees to fund the wall. The wall was a promise he made when he campaigned for the White House and work on it is suffering bottlenecks because of inadequate funds. The arrival of migrants at the border is aggravating the situation and posing security-related problems. He dropped hints that he would be prepared to shut down the government next month. Daily Mail UK reports that Donald Trump wants Congress to make available funding to the extent of $5 billion to build the wall. During his election campaign, he said that Mexico would bear the cost of the 2,000-mile structure. That does not appear to be happening and Trump has now realized that the cost will finally have to be borne by U.S. taxpayers. Donald Trump says it will be a 'good time' to shut down the federal government if Congress doesn't give him the $5 billion he's asked for to build the Mexico border wall https://t.co/0OupYAWLp4 The_News_DIVA (@The_News_DIVA) November 18, 2018 New spending bill required According to Daily Mail UK, funding for Homeland Security and other agencies will run out on December 7. Hence, finalizing a new spending bill is necessary to avoid a partial government shutdown. President Donald Trump feels the Democrats might agree to the funding. In his opinion: if they don't come to their senses, we will continue to win elections. He went on to add that the military troops positioned at the U.S. border will continue to remain and act as a deterrent for migrants who are arriving in caravans through Mexico. Donald Trump is determined to have the wall CNN reports that President Donald Trump is worried about border security because of the approaching cavalcade of migrants arriving in caravans from Mexico. Discuss this news on Eunomia Funds are important in order to strengthen the US-Mexico border wall but it is not forthcoming. Congress passed a spending bill in September, but there was no provision in it for the border wall. Subsequently, Congress passed a shorter-term spending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies, until December 7. The President praised the work of the military force assigned to the borders in Texas, Arizona, and California. He said they have built "great fences" and are reinforcing border-crossing points with barbed wire. They are supposed to stay there until December 15 but could remain beyond that date. However, once they finish their task of putting up the barbed wire fence, there could be new tasks assigned. Trump views the caravans as a major threat because he believes there are unwanted elements among the illegal immigrants from Mexico and their entry into the U.S. will jeopardize security. The gun debate in America has always been a heated one, especially after a mass shooting occurs such as the most recent one that took place at Thousand Oaks. On one side the gun control advocates demand measures such as enhanced background checks and bans on assault weapons to diminish the possibility of high casualty shootings reoccurring. On the other side, 2nd Amendment advocates wonder why law-abiding gun owners should bear the brunt of such laws when, in their view, they do not work. Now, with the Democratic Party due to take over the House next year, common sense gun control is back on the agenda. The proposal to buy back or even confiscate assault rifles such as the AR-15 is getting pushback, with some even suggesting that such an attempt would be met with armed resistance. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, is having none of it. Nuke em! Nuke em! Nuke em! Swalwell, in a twitter exchange, offered a stark threat to anyone who might resist a gun confiscation scheme, according to Fox News. And it would be a short war my friend. The government has nukes. Too many of them. But theyre legit. Im sure if we talked we could find common ground to protect our families and communities. Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 16, 2018 The statement has, as it were, blown up in Swalwells face. Many people on social media and the traditional media have expressed astonishment that a sitting member of Congress would threaten the American people with a nuclear strike if they resist having their firearms taken away. Traditionally, threats of nuclear annihilation have been reserved for communist tyrants such as Kim Jong-un and the Iranian mullahs. Discuss this news on Eunomia The fallout of Swalwells threat has been epic Swalwell has tried to walk back his threat by suggesting that he was just being sarcastic. However, the subject of nuclear war against an American insurgency may not be a fit topic for levity. People still remember the terror of the Cold War, when one single miscalculation might have meant the end of humankind. The question also arises over whether American servicemen would obey an order to drop a nuclear device on, say, Dallas or Atlanta or wherever gun owners live. Nuclear weapons have not been seriously contemplated for wars against foreign insurgencies, such as Vietnam or, more recently, Iraq and Afghanistan. Swalwell, whether he knows it or not, has given the NRA, still smarting from the recent midterm elections, a talking point it can use until the end of time. Gun control advocates, who like to think of themselves as sensible, can now be painted as crazy people on the level of General Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove. A government that would even joke about nuking its own people needs to be limited in what it can do. The 2nd Amendment is a crucial part of that limitation. "The result is a handsome coffee table book that combines family narrative with historical tidbits." It was a gathering of the creme of Spanish-Filipino society, as the prominent Ortigas family celebrated with relatives and friends the launch of the biography of businessman and philanthropist Francisco Paquito Ortigas Jr. The event, held Nov. 10 at the Edsa Shangri-La hotel, was hosted by Ortigas son Fernando Nando Ortigas. Some years back he had commissioned multi-awarded writer, my good friend Alfred Krip Yuson, to write the book, entitled Lineage, Vision, and Empire: Don Francisco Paquito Ortigas Jr. Yuson delved into the Ortigas family archives for his material. Though he was not able to interview the subject, who passed away in 2003, at 96 years of age, Yuson reconstructed the latters thoughts through the many writings he left behinddiary entries, correspondence, poetryand through interviews he conducted with Nando Ortigas and other family members. The result is a handsome coffee table book that combines family narrative with historical tidbits. Copious photographs from various points in Don Paquitos life amply enliven the text and help the reader place the subject in historical context. The book design, admirably executed by Orland S. Punzalan, provides a visual feast. Among those present at the event were Yuson, the Singapore-based Punzalan, his son Sir Lancelot Punzalan, actor Jaime Fabregas, Nena (a warm and vibrant personality and friend of the Ortigases), Philippines Graphic literary editor Alma Anonas-Carpio, Business World columnist Albert Gamboa, and many others from the business and film realms. Former DILG secretary Raffy Alunan was also there and gave a short speech. Nando Ortigas, it will be recalled, financed the production of historical films Heneral Luna and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral. He referred to this in his short but heartfelt opening remarks at the launch adding, We are not making this [the bio] into a movie. So please read the book.Lineage, Vision, and Empire is getting a wider reach soon. The Ortigas Foundation will be giving copies of the book to public libraries across the country, upon request of the librarian on official letterhead. Don Paquitos parents were Don Francisco Paco Ortigas Sr. and Dona Julia Vargas de Ortigas. Like his father, Don Paquito was a lawyer and businessmanarticulate and savvy. He kept up a lively correspondence with a wide range of contacts all over the country and the world. Some of the most interesting letters he wrote are reprinted and explained in Yusons biography. Of all Don Paquitos writing, I was most touched by his My Last Prayer, among the last entries in his journal. It goes: And when my time comes to change my residence from this earth to heaven (I hope and pray for), this is the prayer Id like to recite My Last Prayer. / O God, when in my hour of death, I am unconscious or my thoughts are confused, this will be my dying prayer:/ I thank Thee for a life of usefulness, For love of wife and children; Forgive me / I forgive those who have wounded me / Forgive them, Lord. / Take care of my family; Take care of my country, I pray for humanity, especially the poor, Take me into Thy kingdom. Amen. Almost everyone, I told my children, will think of their family and loved ones on their deathbeds, and wish for their protection and well-being. But how many people will use their last moments to pray for their country, for humanity, for the poor? How many will even care? Don Paquito was such an individual. May his life of work, charity, and love of country serve as an example for the rest of us. At the very least, nobody can accuse President Rodrigo Duterte of being afflicted with FOMOthe Fear of Missing Out. The 73-year-old President was reported to have missed four of 11 meetings and a gala dinner at a regional summit last week and over the weekend. His spokesmen said he had been taking power naps. Mr. Duterte himself later expressed surprise at peoples reaction to his absences: Whats wrong with my nap? he asked. In his stead, he fielded his trade secretary to join other Southeast Asian heads of state in the traditional photo session. In fact, it was a bonus that Mr. Duterte stayed on after he had said he wanted to head back home earlier. It is likely he did not feel well, even as his spokesmen said he merely lacked sleep. Or it could be he could not contain his disdain of and discomfort at such formal, high-level gatherings. An official told foreign media that Mr. Duterte feels constrained by formalities and finds them unproductive and a slight waste of time. His applauding loyalists chalk it up as Mr. Duterte being true to his maverick, honest self. Others, however, are not as merciful. Before seeking the post, he should have known that being president entailed hobnobbing with his foreign counterparts. He should appreciate the value of visiting and being visited. And if he were indeed feeling sick, why even leave the country to begin with?Then again, this is the kind of leader a plurality of Filipinos did bargain for. No surprise there, really. It seems too much to expect him to change at this late stage. Mr. Dutertes absences in the meetings likely caused us nothing but a few raised eyebrows and questions from other leaders, especially those who compared him to Malaysias nonagenarian leader Mahathir Mohamad who felt duty-bound to be present in all sessions. In the end, what will matter is not how often Mr. Duterte appeared in pictures or made small talk with his counterparts, but whether he helped forge genuine cooperation and meaningful dialogue among other countries in the region. At any rate, we dont expect the President will be wanting to take a nap today, when he welcomes his Chinese counterpart and dear friend. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) has recently indicated that the 2018-vintage global wine production is "back to normal" in size ( Global wine harvest bounces back ).However, a year ago the OIV reported that the 2017 global wine production had fallen to its lowest level since the beginning of the 1960s. This decrease was the result of the inclement weather that extensively damaged vineyards in the worlds largest production area, western Europe (containing the world's three biggest producers: Italy, France and Spain).As always, I wanted a picture of what it looks like to have "the lowest production for 60 years". Is this decrease only a little bit lower than the past few decades or a lot lower? A graph would obviously answer this for me. However, finding this graph turned out to be much more difficult that I thought. I expected that somewhere there would be a graph of annual global wine production, stretching back for decades, but I turned out to be badly wrong.The trusty Statistical Compendium presents the production data averaged across each decade, only (this was graphed on the AAWE Facebook page after I started writing this post); and the OIV online data go back only to 1995. At least the FAO online data go back to 1961, although it is measured in tonnes of grape must not liters of wine.Eventually, Kym Anderson (of the University of Adelaide) kindly pointed out to me that the spreadsheet associated with thedoes actually have the annual data, all the way back to 1860. So, here is the graph that I have been looking for, with global wine production shown vertically (a hectoliter is 100 liters for comparison, a dozen standard bottles of wine is 9 liters), and time proceeding horizontally. The pink line shows the 2017 production level compared to recent decades.Obviously, there was a slow increase in production until World War II, with a big dip in production during the war itself. In contrast, there was a dip for only one year during World War I, although that year (1915) had the lowest production after 1863. After the second war, there was a rapid increase in production until 1980, followed by a decline until 1990. Production has remained steady since then.As far as the 2017 production is concerned, all production levels prior to 1962 were lower (ie. 55 years earlier). However, both 1991 and 2002 came close to the 2017 level.This result differs somewhat from the OIV reports, which originally agreed with this but then changed their previous low year to 1957 (eg. World wine output falls to 60-year low ). However, the OIV values are an average of 5 million hectoliters greater than the values shown here.This graph leads to the obvious question about wine consumption. After all, we have been told for several decades about a so-called "wine lake" caused by world-wide over-production. Indeed, in the past the EU paid to have excess wine converted to spirits, and more recently it has been paying grape-growers to pull up vines, especially in southern France. The government of South Australia tried the same vine-pull tactic back in the late 1980s.Here is the graph that compares consumption with production, as recorded in thespreadsheet.This shows that consumption kept close pace with production until 1963, although the relevant consumption is usually the year (or two) after production (since the wines do not appear on the shelves until then).After 1963, production has almost always exceeded consumption. This is the origin of the wine lake indeed, in some years production far exceeded consumption. Both consumption and production dipped towards the end of last century, which is when the various governments started to address over-production. Since then, consumption has slowly increased again, although production has continued to exceed consumption. However, the two levels were very close in both 2012 and 2017.Supply and demand caused concern in 2013, when it was reported by Morgan Stanley that "an excess of 600 million unit cases (almost one quarter of global consumption) in 2004, [was] reduced to just 1 million unit cases in 2012." At that time, it was suggested that "there's little indication that world production can keep pace with the oenophilic hordes."The production levels of 20132016 eased this situation. However, the low production in 2017 has once again led to reports of a sharp decline in French wine inventories by Joan Harvey Colorado has been a purple state so long that the last time the Democrats had all down ballot State offices, the State House, and State Senate was in 1936. Were a cowboy state. On the map were a sea of red with a tiny blue area to the east of the Continental Divide, plus the tiny population of Aspen. But those small urban and suburban areas have more and more people, and increasingly those people have a voice. And this time that voice has brought us a gay Jewish Democrat as governor, as well as a Democratic attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer. Democrats will control the State House and State Senate. Were so damn Blue were almost cobalt. How did we do it? Can it be duplicated on a national level? Its national news that we elected the nations first openly gay governor. But we also elected Colorados first African American congressman and hes only 34. We elected the first transgender state rep. We elected more Latinxs to the state legislature. We elected the first Democratic woman to the position of secretary of state and she beat the incumbent in a seat that hasnt been held by a Democrat since the Eisenhower years. All five of the female candidates in competitive districts for State Senate won handily. And for Congress, Democrat Jason Crow aced the previously unbeatable Republican incumbent Mike Coffman, who had won the previous five terms. Trump blamed Coffman for not embracing him, but in actuality it was Crows ability to tie Coffman to Trump that helped Crow win. Maybe its marijuana. Coloradans are so relaxed they just couldnt work up a rage against a small raggedy caravan of women and children hundreds of miles away. But clearly, the real reason for the great Blue success is Trump. Coloradans woke up after the 2016 election so horrified, so shocked, by the policies and lying and boorishness of the new president, that for once the Bernie people and the Hillary people and the people who could care less about voting all knew they had to do something. People whod never been in politics before began forming resistance groups and talking among themselves. Resistance can sound radical, but many of the main players involved live in nice suburbs and have young children and standard jobs and wouldnt look out of place in a Republican gathering. Most of them were neither hardcore Bernie supporters nor part of the entrenched establishment. The difference was that they had values that went beyond self-interest, as well as a deep concern for the future, especially the future of their children. Women in conservative districts who voted for Hillary, but were too shy to be open about their support for her, were shy no more. At first different resistance groups formed without much coordination, but fragmentation was short lived. Success was due to of a kaleidoscope of factors, one of which was how quickly the resistance, with a passionate, angry, grassroots membership, became extremely well organized,. Groups were helped by the Indivisible Guide, written by some former progressive congressional staffers aware of the effectiveness of the Tea Partys tactics. In Colorado two groups in particular were fundamentalIndivisible Front Range Resistance (IFRR) and Colorado Resistance. Katie Farnan, a librarian with children aged two and four, is one of the heads of IFRR. A keenly intelligent and gentle person, she tells me she was motivated by rage. In early January 2017 she and one other IFRR founder showed up to protest at Senator Cory Gardners office, and got coverage on the Rachel Maddow Show, the first national coverage of an Indivisible group. In a couple of days membership jumped from 400 to 2000. Throughout 2017 Farnan posted daily actions on the IFRR Facebook page with specific instructions about calling, rallying, writing, marching, and knocking on doors. In other aspects IFRR is relatively unstructured, and Farnan learned that trying to silence dissent within the group only worked to maintain the status quo and those traditionally in power. Realizing that many marginalized communities did not have access to congressional offices, and that you cant advocate for justice in a closed room, she also helped organize many extremely effective public actions: for example, when Mike Pence came to Denver, 100 women showed up dressed as handmaids, and when Senator Cory Gardner refused to have town halls, IFRR created Cardboard Cory, a life-sized cutout (there were actually 9 of them) who, unlike his missing-in-action real counterpart, showed up at every event and brought an enormous amount of attention to Gardners failings as senator. In 2018, the defensive energy of resisting turned toward the positive energy of winning the election, with Farnan questioning the now 4000 members every week about what they were doing to get out the vote. Many members of IFRR and other resistance groups went door to door in flippable districts, as Farnan herself did, often carrying her youngest child along. Others wrote thousands of postcards and made thousands of phone calls. Meanwhile Colorado Resistance created the Colorado Resistance Manual, cowritten by Steve Fenberg, a progressive state senator frustrated by how Republicans in the Senate shut down civil debate and conversation on any bill they didnt like. To turn the Senate around, Fenberg focused on vulnerable districtsthere were only 17 seats up for election, and it was relatively clear, using data on voter turnout and demographic changes, which districts to work on. Much of the focus was on the suburbs where the Trump narrative was very unpopular. The Resistance Manual explained why state races are so importantone factor is that state legislatures control the redistricting process, allowing Republicans to gerrymander elections in their favor. Beyond this, the manual was a step-by-step guide on how to target state representatives, fundraise for the most strategic districts, get volunteer support, and activate people in blue parts of the state to help swing the red parts. Key races were identified and groups formed to support the Democratic candidates even before the candidates had declared. A good example of a newly energized activist working with both groups is Tim Howard, an investment banker, not previously involved in politics. The Trump victory was particularly upsetting to him because he has three young daughters. He also knew it was important to elect women. He read about Cambridge Analytica and realized he too had plenty of expertise in marketing and analytics. A number of people told Howard that he should stick to only one campaign, but he ignored their advice, working instead for many candidates, especially for a group of women who came to be known as the Fab Five, all running for competitive State Senate seats, and all of whom, in the end, won their seats by double digits. They each had a compelling story and put forward pragmatic programs rather than focusing on ideology. Howard put in effort every day to assist them, using his own money, holding fundraiser after fundraiser, examining the underlying voters for targeting purposes, and working with candidates and other members of the resistance groups on how to message. He attributes the wins to several factors: great candidates, intelligent selection of which seats could be won, fundraising that began even before the candidates declared, the willingness of the Colorado Democratic Party (which already had a structure in place) to coordinate with the energy and numbers of the resistance, and soft money contributions to add to the war chests. Money for these races from liberal-leaning groups and small donations beat the spending by the oil and gas industry, the Koch brothers, and Republicans, something which had never happened before (although overall in this election much more money was still spent in Colorado on Republican issues). Early identification of key seats, as well as established bank accounts, allowed Democratic contenders to compete right out of the gate. Take one candidate, Tammy Story, for example. In 2014 she ran for State House but lost by only a few hundred votes, with lots of attack ads against her. This time, the first fundraiser for her run for the State Senate was held an astounding 15 months before the election. By the end of the campaign she had raised an unheard of $500,000, mostly from small donations, all of it transparent. The most any State Senate candidate had raised before was $275,000. Her messaging was focused on education, transportation, and the environment rather than gun control and womens reproductive rights. And it probably helped that the incumbent, Tim Neville, opposed programs that promoted renewable energy, supported criminalizing abortion as a Class 1 felony, and supported replacing public education funding with vouchers for private schools. The candidates also stood by one another, and even went door to door for each other. There was a spirit of cooperation, which I attribute to this movement being so strongly female. Morgan Carroll, a fiery veteran of the State House and Senate, and elected chair of the Colorado Democratic Party in March 2017, was wise enough to listen to people organizing outside of the party structure. In turn the Party helped lend structure and political know-how to the energy, new ideas, and numbers of the Resistance groups. Overall turnout in Colorado for the midterms was the second highest in the country. It also helped that there was an excellent candidate at the top of the ticket, though at the beginning some werent sure a gay Jewish man could carry the state. But Jared Polis was already well known, extremely popular in his district, and a successful entrepreneur, and, without hiding his sexual orientation, he managed to give off a kind of independent cowboy vibe. It didnt hurt that hes tall, sociable, an experienced politician, and most of all, that he had almost unlimited funds. He was open about being gay (there is a photo of him and his husband in a Gay Pride parade wearing t-shirts that say Take That Mike Pence), but he didnt make an issue of it, and so came across as straightforward, an independent thinker, not beholden to anyone, the kind of guy youd want to have a beer and actual intelligent conversation with. And, as some gay friends remarked, hes a terrible dresser, which probably didnt hurt. Polis volunteers going house to house left flyers describing the qualities of the down-ballot Democratic candidates, knowing that in past elections people who voted for a Democratic governor often voted for Republican secretaries of state or attorneys general. Briefly now, back to marijuana. For years Polis has been outspoken in his support for legalization, including recreational sale and use. He even hired a cannabis outreach director, and messaged employees in the cannabis industry, a group not known for going to the polls. It was another demonstration of Poliss bold kind of cowboy quality that Coloradans like. Even Republicans dont want to lose their legal weed. Cooperation was also a theme among different soft money organizations. Labor groups worked with environmental groups. The Colorado Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood played big roles, as did Eric Holders National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group called Coloradans for Fairness, and dozens more. New Era Colorado, started by Senator Fenberg, worked on getting young people to vote: turnout rate for young voters 18 to 24 years old was 45 percent, an 11-point increase from 2014. And what was really astounding were the number of unaffiliated voters who votedmore than either Democrats or Republicans. More women voted overall than men. Finally, Colorado has a very good voting system, ranked number 2 in the nation for ease of voting, after Oregon. One can vote by mail and track the ballot every step of the way. Although we have had Republican secretaries of state for decades, theyve decently refrained from blocking voters rights. Where the incumbent Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams blew it was in enthusiastically giving voters information to the short-lived and generally reviled Voter Fraud Commission headed by Kris Kobach (who also just lost his bid for reelection). Had Williams not done this (as well as using public funds for some fancy Western duds), he might have had more chance for reelection. Instead Coloradans went for Jena Griswold, a 34-year-old voter rights attorney who focused on more transparency in campaign finance and making voting more accessible. Griswold was not only the first Democratic woman elected to serve as Colorados secretary of state, but also the first Democrat elected to the position since Eisenhowers time. Post election, no one is resting. The national Indivisible organization has just come out with a new guide http://indivisible.org that has already been featured on Rachel Maddow. This time theyre playing offense. People should take heed: their advice for implementing their strategy locally has worked brilliantly here. Resistance groups are already organized to hold the newly elected officials accountable to progressive values. Katie Farnan of IFRR wrote a letter celebrating the wins, but reminding officials that it was the time and effort the resistance groups put in that got them elected. Her letter demands of the officials that they, among other things, Protect and expand state (and federal) voting rights. Work swiftly and proactively to reunite immigrant families, and protect our communities from ICE overreach. Implement wide and aggressive measures to combat climate change Reform our local, state, and federal criminal justice systemsfrom policing to courtsthat disproportionately put families of color at risk Address the gun violence epidemic through legislation. State Senator Fenberg, just elected Senate majority leader, stresses that what is important now is day-to-day governing in terms of what voters want; progressives will not be able to have all their demands met. So I guess we still are kind of purple. But Fenberg also stresses that finally the big issues frustrating voters will now be addressed. Things like oil and gas reform, increasing renewables, and banning gay conversion therapy, as well as more difficult issues like lower health care costs and free full-day kindergarten. With this huge a win, it is no wonder Coloradans are energized and thinking about ways to make this national. As the rally chant goes, This is what Democracy looks like. Now that theyve had such great success, there is talk of taking what worked here to the rest of the country, and, if nothing else, giving the Senate another Democrat in 2020. People strategized, worked like mad, and won the jackpot. Of course each state is different, but the closeness of so many races in so many states makes a change from red to blue seem quite possible. Every candidate that Tim Howard supported won, including five women running for State Senate, as well as Brianna Titone, Colorados first transgender state representative, and the new secretary of state and attorney general. Howard has had success in the financial world; politics was new ground for him, but he put his skills to great use, and went in for the win. He and others like him arent sitting back; the adrenaline is high, and theyre ready to take on the nation. California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) commemorated its 20th anniversary by adding 14 varieties of dishes, along with the return of six trademark pizzas at Shangri-La Mall, in Mandaluyong last Nov 15. The new menu is only available at Philippine CPK branches and will be available to the public starting Nov. 26 or the first week of December. "Sa Philippines lang siya mayroon," COO of CPK, Rodel Gomez said. CPK Marketing Manager Roberto Vallar added that the new menu aims to stir the excitement of regular customers. "We have a lot of regular customers of course at CPK. So I'm sure they want to try something new," Vallar said. "We are reintroducing the most popular pizzas of the past 20 years," Vallar added. "The old pizza favorites we're bringing back, with of course the nostalgia aspect of it." The six trademark pizzas, which some go as far back in 1998, are the Roast Duck Pizza, Tuna Melt Pizza, Wild Mushroom Pizza, Cheese Burger Pizza, Mango Tandoori Pizza, Rustica Crispy Thin Crust Pizza.The new menu offers 14 new dishes that comprise five pizzas, two pastas, two salads, three varieties of rice, and two desserts. The five new pizzas are Spicy Chorizo Pizza, White Clam Pizza, Chicken Fajita Pizza, Tricolore crispy thin crust pizza, and the Tropicale Quorn Regular Hand-Tossed Pizza, while the two new kinds of pasta are the Chicken Tequila Fettucine and Cajun-spiced Jambalaya pasta. Two new salads are California Harvest Salad, and the Golden Pear Salad, while the three foreign-flavored rice are Thai Calamari Rice, Salisbury Steak Rice, and the Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Rice. The two new desserts are Banoffee Pie and the Nutella Cheesecake. CPK plans to make the new menu available until May or June next year, with the most popular dish that can capture the public's taste remaining. "We're keeping it on the menu until we roll out the new menu until May or June next year, and the popular ones will definitely remain," Vallar said. by Samia Altaf Actors come to each role in a new film bearing the stamp of their old ones so they are richer and more interesting in the new incarnationthe whole more than the sum of the parts. Just last week one saw Nargis as the innocent and naive mountain girl pining away for the love of the shehri babu, and today she is the femme fatale, all hell and brimstone, plotting the downfall of her rival. Or, as Mother India, upholding principles of honesty and justice, shooting her favorite son dead for raping a village girl. Most of the time the female protagonists in our local films were uneducated but good, pious women seemingly knowing little of the worlds evil. They existed in a limited space, physically and mentally circumscribed by a patriarchal society, sheltered and protected by their men and dependent on them for validation. They could cook up a storm, look after the household, sweep and clean, tend to animals and sick husbands, all in a day, without getting tired or complaining. But they remained submissive women who suffered silently and deferred endlessly to their husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and society. What would people say? What would make the family lose face? The family honor was always tied to a womans behavior, to her desires, and no one was allowed to forget that. Conforming to those norms secured women a place in the community, credibility and status, and the more they suffered and sacrificed themselves the more they were lauded as role models. Such lessons were not lost on young girls and boys and went a long way in shaping expectations for their futures and standards of acceptable behavior. Professional or educated women were rarely seen in the pictures. If one did appear, it was in a side role: a nurse holding the heros head as he lay dying while professing undying love for his estranged wife; or a secretary in a large business-house, in the clutches of a lecherous co-worker or a more lecherous boss, waiting to be rescued by a knight in shining armor to be carried off to wifely bliss; or a nightclub dancer forced into the profession by circumstancesa consumptive father, a long-suffering mother or a brilliant younger brother desperately in need of schooling. Unhappy in her job, she too was waiting to be rescued, to be assigned her true role of wife and mother, thereby leading everyonethe father, the mother, and the brother to live happily ever after. How that would come about was never clear but clearly understood. Rarely was a woman allowed to step out of the normative role to display personal agency and act to fulfill private desires which, of course, always got her into deep trouble and led to no good for all. She might be the warden of a girls hostel or a doctor perched behind an imposing desk, stiff-backed, head held high, wearing an elegant colorful outfit, looking quite content, speaking with authority, giving orders, and expecting to be obeyed. Shed care two hoots for romance or a rescue, refuse to be budged from her place, and deny the keys of daddys safe to her debauched, entitled brothers. But even then, the subtext was clearthese were dry, sterile, infertile women, foolish and misguided, who were acting thus only because motherhood and wifehood was denied them and they would soon meet their comeuppance. The characters usually repented in the endthe plot stayed true to societys norms. English films were different. They showed women who were smart and ambitious and manipulative, if necessary, in pursuit of personal goals all while being smartly dressed with hair in place. Doris Day was the shining star of that kind of womanhoodslim, statuesque, and blue-eyed which got her extra points in our colonial minds. In Pillow Talk she was an interior decorator who gave the womanizing hero played by Rock Hudsonthe handsome heart throb of millions of women and men tooas good as she got. In The Man Who Knew Too Much she was a loving and supportive wife but still had a presence of her own. She fought, successfully, to get her husband out of the clutches of his new wife, in Move Over Darling. Then there was the sexy Gina Lollobrigida who manipulated the two leading men in Trapeze to clamber her way to the top. Profoundly affected as I was by each picture I saw, there was one film that changed my life completely. That was Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor in the role of the brave and beautiful queen. I saw the picture in the fancy Bambino Cinema in Karachi where we went by overnight train from Sialkot to spend the summer. Getting to screen Cleopatra was a coup for Bambino, showcasing its top-of-the-line stereoscopic sound system and 3D visuals. Poor Lalazar, despite its curvy marble staircase, could not dream of coming close. At the time Bambino was owned by Mr. Hakim Ali Zardari who later came to fame and much fortune when his son, Asif, married the young and beautiful Benazir Bhutto, the up-and-coming star in Pakistans political landscape. Benazir, the frail Oxford-educated David stood up to the Goliath of the military dictator Zia ul Haq who had ousted and hung her father, Zulfiqar. Benazir would go on to become Prime Minister at age 37, be elected to that office twice, and assassinated campaigning the third time leaving Asif Zardari, of dubious morals and cheesy grin, the most powerful and richest man in the country. But at the time Cleopatra was screened the Zardaris were regular folks who owned and ran a cinema that was among the best in the countrya far better thing than what they got into subsequently while letting Bambino go to seed. It was there, in that heady summer of 1964, while the Beatles sang, I wanna hold your hand, a summer of self-discovery in many other ways as wellthere was a dark-haired neighbor with an Elvis-like curl to his lip and we took to sitting under the guava tree in the somnolent afternoons to read Illustrated Classics, at least that was the intentthat I saw Elizabeth Taylor as the queen insouciantly wearing diaphanous gowns and wrapping all the high and mighty of Rome and Egypt around her little finger. Just the house-sized bill-board outside Bambino, showing Ms. Taylors marble thighs, as big as a tree-trunks, peeping through her gown, was enough to knock anyone senseless. Then one saw the Queenin costume after costume, nifty sexy outfits each more spectacular than the last, kohl-lined eyes, exquisite jewels, and a bevy of slavesseducing generals right and left while fighting wars and undertaking major policy decisions. Way to go! That was it! That was what the thing to do. How difficult could that be? I loved the fact that when Cleopatra rolled out of the carpet she employed to sneak into Caesars room, she had her high-heeled sandals secure, her hair in place, and not even a carpet hair in her eye. And later, when Caesar comes visiting, she invites in the general half-clad in her house clothes. Instead of reaching for outer-wear or an extra covering as I was taught to dospreading the dupatta to guard my breasts (non-existent at the time), the practice of good Muslim girls in presence of outsidersCleopatra takes off whatever little she is wearing exposing those legendry thighs in 3-D cinemascope glory, steps into the bath tub, and calmly talks foreign policy with the armor-plated General sitting on a stool bedside her. (By the time I saw the movie twenty years later, Rex Harrison had acquired fame as the acerbic Henry Higgins and I half expected Caesar to break into a frustrated why cant a woman be more like a man, the song from My Fair Lady.) It was quite understandable why Mark Antony would be so besotted by her though a pity for a general to be reduced to such a sorry state. He did not stand a chance before her seductive powers backed up by barges of solid gold and Egypts wealth. Awesome. I swear she sent me subliminal messages as I sat dumbstruck in that darkened hall. That was who I was going to be when I grew up. I was going to wear exquisite clothes, get funky hair styles, seduce generals, fight wars, dismiss senators, party on ships of gold, have faithful slaves to massage and bathe me, their hearts full of unending and undying love. I did think though that getting her children killed and herself bitten by a snake was quite unnecessary. Surely, given her smarts, she could have found a way around that and not spoil the whole thing. But who was I to make heavy judgments from my small world. I cried bitter tears at her death for my ambition was real and true though I had no intention to be bitten by a snake. Part of the will still lingers somewhere refusing to be beaten down by an ordinary life lived ordinarily. I am glad I had the good sense not to tell my mother and grandmother about my ambitions. What did the pictures do for me? Though at the time one did not know or seek them actively, the pictures conveyed lessons in history or, more accurately, the versions of history popular with the mainstream filmmakers; they gave lessons in politics and spelled out the cultural norms of acceptable behavior. On the one hand they shaped the landscape of our lives, and suggested, subliminally, how it ought to be populated. There were heroes and villains, brave men, self-sacrificing women, long-suffering wives, deferential sisters, authoritarian fathers, a system that was stacked against the honest and the good but in which truth triumphed in the end with hard work, honesty, grit, and the blessings of Allah. Yet, they also showed glimpses of other lives and visions of other possibilities where one could articulate desires and shape ones own world and, in turn, be shaped by it. What has survived of this over time? Not the glamour of stars, the sentimental dialogue, the latest fashions in dancethe twist or the cha chathe musicrock-and-roll with Elvis and then the incomparable Beatlesthe clothesbell-bottoms and flappers, slinky saris with choli blousesthe hair stylesbeehive and bouffantall of which we lapped up greedily. Not the gyrating with abandon to the heady tunes behind closed doors and having our adolescent beehives undone before we even stepped out of the house by Baiji, my determined grandmother whomay her censors soul rest in heavenhad eyes in the back of her head that, unlike the myopic ones in front, had 20/20 vision for the many attempts at sneaking past her back as she sat on the prayer rug, supposedly concentrating on the hereafter. These impressions, though formative, were temporary and lasted only through adolescence. What stayed was the possibility of other worlds and other lives that I lived in imagination enriching my obscure, rigidly structured existence in an end-of-the-world Sialkotthe subversive inkling that there could be more than what was around me. This lesson I learned through osmosis in spite of reinforcement to the contrary by the environment, especially by Baiji and the other women of the extended household who let no opportunity go by to delineate, explain, and justify proper behavior and prescribe appropriate desires for a good Muslim girl in a good middle-class family in the newly-emerged Islamic Republic of Pakistan. En espanol | For some family caregivers, the holidays can be a joyful time when spirits are lighter. It feels good to care for loved ones and enjoy time together, celebrating with family traditions. But for many the holidays also bring added stress an already busy caregiver finds theres even more to do during the holidays. Somethings gotta give! Its OK to give yourself a bit of a break this year. Here are some tips to help you make it through the holiday season with more joy and less stress. 1. Focus on what is most meaningful As much as wed like to create the perfect holiday experience, remember that perfection is not the goal of the holidays meaning and joy are. There are many factors we cant control when it comes to our loved ones health and abilities, so adjust your view of a successful holiday. Talk about prioritizing the holiday activities that hold the deepest meaning. Focus on what feels necessary to produce a holiday feeling and create good memories. 2. Simplify your holiday activities If going all out for the holidays will push you over the edge this year, remember that it doesnt have to be all or nothing. If you cant put out all of your decorations, choose a few items that are most significant. You might ask a friend to decorate, or pay someone to do so; you can always rearrange decorations once they are out. If going to all religious services feels like too much, choose one service that means the most. If sending greeting cards is too time-consuming, try sending e-greetings. Many family caregivers also adjust the location of celebrations or postpone holiday travel to accommodate loved ones in their care. 3. Start new traditions Instead of focusing on losses and what you and/or your loved ones arent able to do this year, try doing something new. If your care recipient has trouble getting around, drive through a holiday light display or watch a holiday concert on TV. If you can't make it to a holiday gathering, have a video chat. Are your loved ones unable to participate in decorating this year? Invite a friend over to help, with your loved ones nearby to watch and cheer you on. Start a home holiday movie night tradition or watch old home movies so everyone can participate. Rural health care will be focus of Presentation's new strategic plan Pojoaque Pueblo maintains it lost nearly $9 million in revenue because state government took action against vendors doing business with the pueblos casinos during a protracted legal fight over Pojoaques gambling compact with the state. Starting as an old compact expired in 2015, the pueblo fought in court against signing a new agreement providing the state with an increased share of slot machine revenues. While proceedings in that dispute continued, the pueblo filed another court action that said vendors like gambling machine suppliers received letters from the state threatening penalties if the vendors continued to work with Pojoaque. The state maintained the pueblo was operating casinos illegally without a compact. In February 2017, a federal judge sided with the administration of Gov. Susana Martinez and ruled that the state could in fact go after the vendors for doing business with Pojoaques gambling operations because federal Indian gaming law requires a compact with the state. At that point, the Pueblos revenue declined precipitously, says a court filing in Pojoaques latest court battle with state government. This caused vendors to cease certain business with the Pueblo, including pulling the most profitable gaming machines off the Pueblos gaming floor, causing the Pueblo to incur direct and consequential losses in net revenue approximating $8.84 million. In August 2017, Pojoaque finally signed the same state gaming compact that other tribes had previously agreed to. The capitulation came after a federal appeals court refused to reconsider its earlier ruling that Pojoaque had to negotiate a new compact with the state instead of with the federal government. The new compact increased the states share of net win from tribal slots from 8 percent to 9 percent, with higher rates over the next two decades. Pojoaque also had wanted to lower its minimum age for gambling, and lift restrictions that ban serving alcohol in gambling areas and prohibit cashing paryoll, Social Security and welfare checks at its casinos. Pojoaque and the state now continue to fight over another issue involving big bucks what should happen to money that the pueblo deposited in a trust account over two years in lieu of providing the state with a share of slot machine revenue while the compact dispute was resolved in court. In 2015, then-U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez agreed to allow Pojoaque to continue its gaming operations without a compact while the litigation played out, on condition that the pueblo set aside the slot revenue it would have paid to the state under the old compact that expired that year. In March, the federal government seized the accumulated trust money $10.1 million. Those dollars are proceeds of illegal gambling that took place between the expiration of the old compact in 2015 and the pueblo signing a new one in 2017, said the forfeiture complaint filed by current U.S. Attorney John Anderson. Pojoaque says the money should be distributed for the pueblo to use for the general welfare of its people and to promote economic development a position that, if upheld, would mean that Pojoaque essentially achieved a two-year pass on making revenue-sharing payments to the state during the compact litigation. The Martinez administration, the winner so far in the series of court fights with Pojoaque, has steadfastly argued that Pojoaque wants to play by a different set of rules than other New Mexico tribes. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Some 3,000 cows shuffle every day through the carousel milking barn at Dale and Susie Jones dairy farm at Veguita in central New Mexico. The cows line up from dawn to dusk to take their turn in the merry-go-round-like milking machine, with 65 animals at a time standing side-by-side in narrow stalls with sucking pumps attached to their udders. As the rotary turns, the pumps continuously siphon all the milk through a cooler, and from there to massive holding tanks for loading onto trucks and delivery to processing plants. When one cows udder is drained, the pumps automatically drop off and the cow backs out of the stall as another one steps in to take her turn. Farm hands standing below the stalls attach pumps to the new cows bulging udder. Like clockwork, the milking machine continues its steady circular rotation as cows shuffle on and off with little, if any, encouragement from humans. Its state-of-the-art technology that the Joneses installed 14 years ago on their third-generation farm just east of Bernardo, which the couple runs with Dales father, Ron. Despite the operations 21st Century efficiency, the Jones expect to barely break even this year, thanks to chronically-low milk prices. Were losing money every month, said Dale during a recent tour of the carousel barn. Were not even breaking even now. The Jones need at least $16.50 per 100 pounds of milk to make any profit, but today theyre earning about $14.50, with few prospects for improvement in the short term. And thats got the Jones worried about the future for their three teenage and young-adult children. We have three kids, and theyve all shown interest in continuing in the family business, Susie said. But we just dont know what that looks like now. Its the same story at farms across New Mexico and most dairy producing states throughout the U.S. Like the Joneses, about 98 percent of all dairy farms nationwide are still family-owned and operated. But extreme price volatility that began with the recession in 2008 has made most operations highly unpredictable and increasingly difficult to maintain. There have been a few up years over the past decade, particularly in 2014 when prices hit $23.50 per 100 pounds. But most years have seen much lower prices, and the past two years have taken an especially hard toll on farmers in New Mexico and elsewhere. Global oversupply is keeping prices down, directly impacting domestic producers who export more than 15 percent of all dairy products to other countries. President Donald Trumps hardline trade negotiations have led to newly imposed tariffs on all dairy products sent to China and 25 percent tariffs on cheese exported to Mexico. Broadly speaking, the global market is in oversupply, and its not helping domestic dairy producers, said Peter Vitaliano, chief economist with the National Milk Producers Federation. We were looking at some price improvement earlier this year, but the new tariffs set that back. Prices are expected to rise going into 2019, but its a slow recovery ahead. The stress is pushing many long-time family operators to exit the industry, selling off their cows and assets handed down over generations. The number of dairy farms nationwide has dropped by about 56 percent since 2000, from about 90,000 to about 40,000, said Robert Hagevoort, a dairy specialist with New Mexico State Universitys Cooperative Extension Service. Were seeing a lot of consolidation throughout the U.S., especially in the Midwest and in New Mexico, Hagevoort said. Everyone is eating up their reserves. Theyre either on the brink or in a really tough situation. Thats hard on New Mexico, where the dairy industry accounts for about 40 percent of all income from agricultural production. It directly employs about 3,400 people. Cash receipts from local milk production dropped by $600 million since 2014, from $1.8 billion that year to $1.2 billion in 2017, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The number of dairy farms in New Mexico has fallen by about 23 percent since 2000, from 185 then to 142 now, said Beverly Idsinga, executive director for Dairy Producers of New Mexico. If the dairy industry went out of business, it would impact a lot more than the producers, Idsinga said. Dairy is critical to the New Mexico economy. The state is No. 9 nationwide in milk production, and No. 5 in cheese, with a half-dozen plants making a variety of cheeses and other products like dry powdered milk and whey. That includes Southwest Cheese in Clovis, the largest cheese plant in North America, plus Leprino Foods in Roswell, the worlds largest mozzarella producer. Apart from low milk prices, high costs for feed, which account for about 60 percent of expenses, are also squeezing producers. And veterinarian services, modern nutrition and genetics programs to improve herd reproduction and milk quality, plus rising labor costs are all taking their toll. Theres a real shortage of labor, Idsinga said. Starting wages used to be $10 per hour, but now its upwards of $15. Despite the challenges, local producers are faring better than in other places. New Mexico has the nations largest average herd size with 2,088 cows, helping buffer low milk prices somewhat through increased production. Efforts to improve efficiency have also helped. Cows in New Mexico are generally producing more through good management, including improved nutrition and breeding technologies, Hagevoort said. Producers are looking at every angle to be more efficient. For the Joneses, that included the installation of their carousel milking barn plus a major push to grow their own feed rather than buy from other producers. They now cultivate corn, alfalfa, winter wheat and more on 3,000 acres of land, up from about 600 acres six years ago. But efficiency only goes so far, and as long as prices stay low, producers face a constant struggle to get by, said Charlie DeGroot, who manages 4,600 cows with his father at Three Amigos Dairy in Dexter, southeast of Roswell. Its been a real wash since 2009, with prices up and down, DeGroot said. Our last banner year was 2014, but with prices so low now, weve put two-thirds of our profits from that year back into the operation. Everyone is turning to credit to survive. In previous decades, prices were more predictable. But global trade and competition has made the industry much more volatile, DeGroot said. In the past, producers knew that over a 10-year period, youd have maybe seven prosperous years and three money losers and if you were prudent with your finances, youd weather the down periods, DeGroot said. Now, the problem is the industry isnt just cyclical, its chaotic and unpredictable. For now, many producers are expecting the recent renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement among the U.S., Mexico and Canada to at least moderately stabilize markets and prices. And most are hoping for a successful conclusion to U.S. trade disputes to bring more predictability to the world market. I still think the future is bright, Hagevoort said. Milk prices may be down now, but once we get the trade barriers and tariffs taken care of, the U.S. can compete well in fair and open international markets, especially New Mexico with its quality products. I still see lots of opportunity in the future. EDINBURG, Texas A man who disappeared on the last day of his 2008 murder trial has been captured in Mexico and returned to Texas, authorities said. Hidalgo County prosecutors said in a news release Friday that 35-year-old Oscar Davila Rodriguez was returned to the U.S. Wednesday. The statement didnt include details about how or where he was captured. The tireless work of dedicated law enforcement on both sides of the border ensured that justice was served, Criminal District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. said in the news release. Oscar Davila Rodriguez was free on $100,000 bond during his murder trial in the 2005 killing of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, Nydia Maldonado. Authorities say he broke into her home in McAllen, stabbed her multiple times and strangled her. Though Rodriguez failed to appear for the last day of his trial, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The trial was in Edinburg, which is about 15 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. Assistant District Attorney Michelle Puig, who served as lead prosecutor on the case, said Rodriguez capture will bring closure to Maldonados family. Justice will finally be served and will give peace to Nydia and all those who loved her, Puig said. The 2008 trial was the second time Rodriguez was found guilty of killing Maldonado. Rodriguez, who was free on bond throughout his first trial because he had no criminal record, was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He remained free when a judge threw out that murder conviction because a witness mentioned a polygraph test that was supposed to have been barred from evidence. Outgoing Republican Gov. Susana Martinez credits the New Mexico True brand for record-breaking tourism during her first seven years in office. Now Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, is pledging to build on the brand the Martinez administration created, and that bodes well for our states economy. As governor, Ill grow and diversify our economy, and the expansion of the New Mexico True brand will be a key part of our economic strategy, Lujan Grisham told The Associated Press last week. In a world where political leaders frequently and automatically shelve initiatives started by their predecessors particularly a predecessor from a different party its refreshing that Lujan Grisham recognizes the value of the New Mexico True brand and is planning on keeping it. Its also a heartening bit of normalcy that Martinez and Lujan Grisham have promised to work together to ensure a smooth transition. According to AP, New Mexico has spent $60 million since 2012 on the brand, which is a big investment. Tourism, meanwhile, generated $6.6 billion for our state economy in 2017, a 3.2 percent increase over 2016. The New Mexico True campaign has featured everything from families kayaking to people making pottery. The campaign has also promoted New Mexico tourist attractions like White Sands National Monument and Taos Pueblo on billboards and commercials in Texas, Arizona, New York and Illinois. Owners of local businesses that rely on tourism were breathing a sigh of relief after Lujan Grisham said she plans to keep the brand. The private sector has spent millions of dollars to promote New Mexico True because it works, George Brooks, executive director of the trade organization Ski New Mexico, told AP. So Im glad the new governor is looking to keep it. The whole thing strikes a chord with people. Yes it does. We commend Lujan Grisham for keeping an open mind on initiatives launched by Gov. Martinez, with an eye on keeping whats working. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. LAS CRUCES At age 16, Diego Langevin says he has time to consider career and college options as far as a career path. On a recent Wednesday, Langevin was among 150 students from three high schools in the Gadsden Independent School District who spent a day on the New Mexico State University campus for a symposium on careers in science and technology. NMSU is a designated Hispanic-serving institution. STEM the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics was the direction he said held the most promise. Thats where were heading. Machines are here to stay, computers are here to stay, he said. At the Latinos on Fast Track STEM symposium, a joint program of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the U.S. Army, students were presented with personal stories and information about career paths in rapidly developing technological fields. Technology is the fastest-growing industry in the country, the foundations innovation and tech manager, Alberto Avalos, said during a lunch break on Wednesday. It intersects with any type of industry, from health care to finance. For the past 15 years, Latinos on Fast Track has presented programs encouraging Latino and Latina youth to plan ahead for success in diverse career fields. From the foundations standpoint, Avalos said alerting young people to these possibilities and steering them toward mentors is essential to make sure the Latino community participates in society not only as consumers, but creators. Encouraging female representation in research and tech as well, two of the four speakers addressing students during the afternoon session were women, including Rosa Banuelos, who grew up in Hatch and now works for Spaceport America. The end of a beautiful summer afternoon came with a slam, a scream, then the shock of seeing the small boy lying motionless next to a crumpled red bike on the asphalt in a quiet Northeast Heights neighborhood where things like that dont happen. He was a sweet boy, they all said of Christopher Greathouse, who was 12 on that June 15 afternoon. He is 12 now always. Albuquerque police at the time said the driver of the SUV that struck and killed Christopher on Los Arboles at Moon was likely not at fault. Alcohol was not a factor. She was not the one with the stop sign. That never sat right with Christophers mother, who said the SUV appeared to come out of nowhere fast. His brother Stanley, riding near him, had seen the whole thing, she said. On Nov. 10, on a graveled corner at the intersection where Christopher died, a white bike with a small license plate bearing his name was dedicated to his memory. Friends and family and the members of the Duke City Wheelmen, who have installed 35 similar memorial bikes across the state, placed red flowers in the spokes and solar lights in the ground. Ghost bikes, as they are called, mark the spot where a cyclist took his or her last breath. They are a reminder of the tragedy that can happen in an instant when the road is not shared or attention wanders. They are descansos with wheels, memorials with gears, frozen in white paint and rebar dug into the earth. Lately, however, some ghost bikes have not been so eternal, pilfered and vandalized by those who dare to disturb the symbol of remembrance for a loved one gone. Since October, three bikes have been tampered with or removed and those are only the ones Duke City Wheelmen president Jennifer Buntz knows about. Last month, a bike near Wyoming and Copper NE in honor of Benny Benavidez went missing. Witnesses say a homeless man feverishly jostled the bike from its moorings, then tried to ride away with it, despite their yelling at him to stop. The bike was later recovered in a nearby field, its chain broken. Last week, a ghost bike on Edith and Hannett NE dedicated to the memory of Gabriel Garcia disappeared. A few days ago, someone apparently tried to steal a ghost bike memorializing Jose Ruiz on N.M. 528 but only managed to get it partly freed from the anchor stake. My inclination is to think that the bikes might be stolen by people who dont understand why the ghost bike is there, Buntz said. We had a bike taken from one spot and placed at a different spot because the person thought that second spot was more dangerous for bikes. He didnt understand that the location is the spot where someone died. Also, she said, some people may think the bikes are rideable. They arent. They have no brakes, no tires, no gears, and some of the wheels are welded, she said. Damage or theft of other ghost bikes has in the past seemed more targeted, more personal, the damage done close to the anniversaries of the cyclists deaths. So it seems a good time to remind you all that theft or destruction of ghost bikes is illegal, recognized as they are as descansos, which are protected by state law. A first offense is a petty misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail or a $500 fine; subsequent offenses are misdemeanors, punishable by up to 364 days in jail or a $1,000 fine. Besides, its just mean. These bikes represent somebodys loved one, Buntz said. These are memorials for somebody who meant something to a group of people who put this bike up for them, so please respect that, not just because its the law but because somebody died there. Pamela Wilson, Christophers mom, said it breaks her heart to hear of other ghost bikes that have been tampered with. Its sad, she said. These bikes are meant for peoples loved ones who passed away. They have meaning. My son loved riding his bike. He paid for it himself with money he earned doing odd jobs in the neighborhood. The ghost bike that now honors him had been Stanleys, his brother, she said. Stanley gave up his bike and painted it white for his brother, she said. Maybe when people see it they will think of that. They will have more awareness to slow down, watch for kids on bicycles and adults. Too many are dying. This Saturday, the Wheelmen are expected to install another ghost bike, this one for Gregory Martinez, who was just 7 when he was struck and killed while riding his bike on April 8, 1994. Think about him when you pass it. Honor him, respect it and, please, let it be. Learn more Contact Duke City Wheelmen about ghost bikes or to donate: Contact Duke City Wheelmen about ghost bikes or to donate: www.dukecitywheelmen.org UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal From replacing entire schools to making sure others comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements to library equipment. Those are among Albuquerque Public Schools capital master plan priorities. And during a special, mail-in election in February, voters within the school district boundaries will be asked to approve revenue streams to get roughly $1.2 billion worth of work done over six years. In 2022, voters will also be asked to approve $200 million in bonds from the same list of projects to complete the plan. When voters check their mailboxes early next year, they can expect a combined ballot from APS and the city of Albuquerque. For the school district, the ballot will ask if they are for or against two tax questions and one bond question. On the ballot The ballot approved at a Nov. 7 Board of Education meeting on a 6-1 vote, with member Peggy Muller-Aragon voting against first asks voters to approve the Public School Capital Improvements Act Tax question. That would renew a mill levy that is about to expire. Since the mill levy has been in place for about six years, property owners would not see an uptick in taxes. Rather, it would keep the tax at the same amount: $2 per each $1,000 of net taxable value of property, according to the ballot. If voters reject the levy, the property tax would expire. The second question, The Public School Buildings Act Tax Question, tackles a proposed property tax increase that would last six years. If voters approve the tax questions, APS rate would go up 19 percent, from 10.45 to 12.45. As a result, residents could expect their combined property taxes to go up an average of 4.7 percent. For a homeowner with a home valued at $220,000 with a $73,333 net taxable value the property tax would increase an estimated $147 a year from about $766 to about $913, according to APS. Kizito Wijenje, executive director of APS capital master plan, said if voters dont approve this property tax increase, the rate would stay the same. It would be a loss of an extra $103 million in extra anticipated revenue, he said. Lastly, residents will decide if APS can issue up to $200 million of general obligation bonds. The total special election revenue would go entirely toward APS capital master plan priorities while adhering to boundaries imposed on the money per law, Wijenje said. Design and construction About half of the money would go toward traditional capital expenditures like building design and construction. Based on an independent technical review and internal need, APS identified 11 new projects that require improvements, ranging from an entire school replacement to new classrooms and offices. For instance, Van Buren Middle School has been identified for school replacement a total projected budget cost of $33.84 million whereas La Mesa Elementary School needs about $16 million for renovations and classroom replacements. The technical review also targeted 23 projects that voters approved funding for in 2016. But some of the projects were only approved for design funding and now need construction money; others need more money than expected for the project. Scott Elder, APS chief operations officer, told the school board that increased construction and material costs and labor shortages are upping projects price tags. APS also lost a year of project time a few years ago after the school district faced a lawsuit over how it conducted a previous election. A judge at the time halted any new revenue from going to the school district, resulting in ongoing and pending projects either being put on hold or not starting at all, Wijenje said. Arroyo Del Oso Elementary Schools new building would cost the most out of APS 23 ongoing projects with a total budget of $27 million. APS is not opening any new schools but plans to rebuild 28 existing schools. There comes a point where you just cant pour more money into a car. You just have to replace it, Elder said. Same thing with a building. Design and construction costs, including the 11 new projects and 23 ongoing projects, would total about $553 million. APS also aims to set aside more than $11 million in an Americans with Disabilities Act compliance fund to make sure schools are up to par. Charter schools would be given their own chunk of the money brought in from the special election, as well. Elder said $106.5 million is projected to be set aside and divided among state and APS-authorized charter schools operating within the APS district. He said charters get to decide within legislative limitations what the money would be spent on based on their schools needs. Equipment and technology The district would also use some of the money for certain equipment and technology expenses. Roughly $49 million is needed for instructional support and equipment things like school furniture and classroom equipment. The cost comes to about $18.5 million for everything from tubas to beakers. That fund would go toward physical education, library, science, music, as well as fine arts and vocational equipment. Elder said each school would get a percentage of the funding. We dont pick one project over the other, he said. Everybody gets some, usually based on student population. And $150 million would go toward technology. Elder said that money would pay for interactive whiteboards, classroom computers, iPads and Chromebooks. The chief operations officer said that fund provides materials kids need to learn in the 21st century. They call it the digital divide, and there are children that because of their circumstances just dont have access at home to the same level of technology that other kids do, Elder said. But at school we can balance that. Other appropriations About $63 million is on the priority list for things like moving portable classrooms and acquiring property. Elder said a $9 million property appropriation would be mostly for APS West Side expansion. As we continue to grow on the West Side and there are more subdivisions put in, we have to look at the possibility of placing schools out there, he said. So, we have to have funds to acquire property for those. Also included in that $63 million are district contingencies for emergencies and cost overruns. Elder used the roof at Cibola High School as an example. We had planned to replace it in this bond election, but it degraded faster than expected. We had to replace it, and it couldnt wait, he said. In its entirety, the capital master plan priorities represent more than $1 billion worth of work the district has planned about $68 million would come from past election revenue but if voters dont approve the ballot questions, Elder said the district doesnt know what projects would be put off. Elder said that some things have to come first, like fire protection, but he said the district would have to revisit the priorities after the election if voters dont vote yes on the ballot questions. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the very violent, very vicious killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it, Trump said in the interview with Fox News Sunday. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. On Saturday, Trump said his administration will be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday. He said the report will include who did it. It was unclear if the report would be made public. American intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, according to a U.S. official familiar with the assessment. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Others familiar with the case caution that while its likely the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played. Trump noted to Fox News Sunday that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Will anybody really know? Trump asked. At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good. A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no smoking gun linking the crown prince to the killing. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that its hard to imagine that the crown prince didnt know about the killing, but he said, I dont know that we absolutely know that yet. He said that Congress will await the Trump administrations report in the next two days and that the U.S. will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabias strategic role in the Middle East. For his part, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a wrecking ball in the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Grahams concerned, the South Carolina Republican told NBCs Meet the Press. I have no intention of working with him ever again, said Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Intelligence officials have been providing information to Trump for weeks about the death, and he was briefed again by phone Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call but said the president has confidence in the CIA. The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable, the State Department said in a statement. Recent reports indicating that the U.S. government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. The statement added: The U.S. government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Before his call on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. Were going to have to find out what they have to say. That echoed remarks by national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates the crown prince. Germanys foreign minister on Monday said Berlin had banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europes border-free Schengen zone because they are believed to be connected to Khashoggis killing. Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels on Monday that Germany issued the ban for the 26-nation zone in close coordination with France, which is part of the Schengen area, and Britain, which is not. He said the 18 Saudis are allegedly connected to this crime but gave no further information and didnt release their names. Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups. But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonize the Saudi rulers. Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda. But members of Congress are pushing Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration this past week penalized 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but American lawmakers have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures. Turkish and Saudi authorities say Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents. SANTA FE, N.M. The capital city in the state with the largest percentage of Hispanic residents in the United States is shelving a plan to review its contentious monuments. Aides to Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber said last week he is not focusing on a proposal to re-examine monuments connected to the citys bloody past, The Santa Fe New Mexican reports . Some of the monuments, like a statue of Spanish conquistador Don Diego de Vargas, have drawn criticism from some advocates. They view de Vargas a someone who violently subjugated Native Americans. The monuments have been compared to Confederate memorials in the southern states of the U.S. Former Mayor Javier Gonzales asked city officials to draft a list of possible controversial monuments. City employees compiled a list of 61 murals, plaques, sculptures, monuments, structures and displays that met the criteria for inclusion. But there has been no movement on what to do next since Webber took office. Its not something (Mayor Alan Webber) has reviewed since taking office, and it isnt something he is focused on, city spokesman Matt Ross said Thursday in a text message. The underlying goal is to find ways to bring the community together, and Mayor Webber has made that a priority in his own way through initiatives like the Southside Summer, the ($20 million bond issue) that invests in citywide priorities, and others. The dissonance over some of the citys more controversial monuments may be something Webber has to deal with at some point. A Ten Commandments monument, for example, continues to sit in front of a fire station in Ashbaugh Park. At the beginning of the year, a nonprofit organization in Madison, Wisconsin called for its removal, saying the 6-foot (1.8-meter)-tall granite tablet is inappropriate and unconstitutional. Organizers of a dramatization depicting de Vargas reoccupation of the city retired the event this year after two consecutive years of protests. And an obelisk on the Santa Fe Plaza dedicated to the heroes who have fallen in the various battles with the savage Indians in the territory of New Mexico still stands today, though the word savage was chipped out in 1974 by an unidentified man. ___ Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com HOUSTON A judge has ordered the U.S. government not to enforce a ban on asylum for people who cross the southern border illegally, another court setback for the Trump administrations efforts to impose new immigration restrictions without congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar agreed Monday with legal groups that immediately sued after President Donald Trump issued a Nov. 9 proclamation saying anyone who crossed the southern border between official ports of entry would be ineligible for asylum. The administration argued that caravans of migrants approaching the southern border made the new restrictions immediately necessary. Whatever the scope of the Presidents authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden, said Tigar, a nominee of former President Barack Obama. Trump stopped family separations at the border earlier this year after a global outcry, but it was a federal judge who ruled the administration had to reunify the families. Another judge rejected the administrations request to try to detain migrant families in long-term facilities. Mondays ruling remains in effect for one month, barring an appeal. In limiting asylum, Trump used the same powers he used to impose a travel ban the third try was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court. A joint statement by Homeland Security and the Justice Department said the Supreme Court had already shown the president had the legal right to restrict asylum. Our asylum system is broken, and it is being abused by tens of thousands of meritless claims every year, the departments said. We look forward to continuing to defend the Executive Branchs legitimate and well-reasoned exercise of its authority to address the crisis at our southern border. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, speaking at a San Diego news conference, called the ruling dangerous and expressed confidence it would be overturned on appeal. Trump on Tuesday criticized the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would likely receive any appeal of Tigars order and has already ruled against the administration in several immigration cases. Trump called the circuit a disgrace and its judges very unfair. Whether asylum seekers would try now to enter between official ports of entry was unclear. One immigrant waiting at the official border crossing vowed to stay in line regardless of the ruling. Ive always taken the correct path, and Im not going to do something illegal now, said Byron Torrez, 28, of Nicaragua. Torrez said he fled Nicaragua after someone threw acid at him during a government protest. He said he did not travel with any of the caravans. I think it is good that the court did this because a lot of people cross illegally, not to break the law, but because they believe you have to get to the U.S. first before requesting asylum, he said. The regulations were put in place in part to stop what the government says are loopholes that allow thousands of people to avoid deportation. DHS estimates around 70,000 people a year claim asylum after crossing illegally. But illegal crossings overall are well below historical highs from previous decades. Tigars ruling notes that federal law says someone may seek asylum if they have arrived in the United States, whether or not at a designated port of arrival. Individuals are entitled to asylum if they cross between ports of entry, said Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which sued the government alongside the American Civil Liberties Union. It couldnt be clearer. Around 3,000 people from the first of the caravans have arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, across the border from San Diego, California. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that it closed off northbound traffic for several hours at the San Ysidro crossing to install movable, wire-topped barriers after reports that some migrants were planning to rush through the lanes but none did. As of Monday, DHS said it had referred 107 people to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services people who had sought asylum between official crossings since Trumps order went into effect. Officials didnt say whether those peoples cases were still progressing through other, more difficult avenues left to them after the proclamation. Administration officials said the asylum law changes were meant to funnel migrants through official border crossings for speedy rulings instead of having them try to evade such crossings on the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border. But many border crossings such as San Ysidro already have extensive wait times. People are often forced to wait in shelters or outdoor camps on the Mexican side, sometimes for weeks. ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said that some people seeking asylum cross between official ports because theyre in real danger, either in their countries of origin or in Mexico. We dont condone people entering between ports of entry, but Congress has made the decision that if they do, they still need to be allowed to apply for asylum, he said. The U.S. military has deployed 5,800 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Another 2,100 National Guard troops have also been deployed since April as part of a separate mission. They are not allowed to detain illegal crossers. ___ Associated Press journalists Julie Watson in Tijuana, Mexico, and Jill Colvin and Colleen Long in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. The Taipei seminary currently has ten seminarians. Evangelisation is important to overcome the lethargy that prevails among Christians in a society taken hostage by secularisation and the desire for wealth and affluence. The goal must be to make young people discover the person of Jesus Christ. Fr Etienne Frecon, a priest with the Foreign Missions of Paris, speaks about his experience. Taipei (AsiaNews/EdA) The Church in Taiwan shows signs of true vitality, this according to Fr Etienne Frecon, a member of the Foreign Missions of Paris (Missions etrangeres de Paris). On the island since 2012, he gives as an example National Youth Day, which is celebrated every year in August. For Fr Etienne, the China-Vatican agreement signed last September has been a source of fear on the island for it could lead to the breaking of diplomatic relations between Taiwan (Republic of China) and the Vatican. In his view, a new missionary push is needed in a secularised society that has been taken hostage by the race for profit. What follows is an edited version of the interview he gave to Eglises dAsie (EdA), translated by AsiaNews. How did Taiwanese Catholics react the new agreement between Beijing and the Holy See? Taiwan accompanies the Church in China, especially through translations and training ... Many Chinese priests and nuns come to Taiwan to learn, and a number of people from the mainland come for ideas. However, the Taiwanese are looking at the rapprochement between Beijing and the Vatican with real anguish, because they are afraid of being abandoned by Rome. Today, Taiwan has diplomatic relations with the Vatican, even though its diplomatic representative is a charge daffaires and no longer a nuncio. [. . .] But whatever happens, I think the Church in Taiwan will continue to help the Church on the mainland, even if they are two very different realities. In Taiwan, we are very free, everything is possible. How is the Church in Taiwan? There are real signs of vitality. There are young people who are really motivated, who live off the Gospel and who want to be missionaries. For example, in August, like every year, we had National Youth Day, and this year, the event was driven by the momentum created by Asian Youth Day in Indonesia. Organisers decided for something international and invited several Asian countries to come and take part in the meeting. [. . .] In my old parish, several young people have founded a group whose goal is to evangelise among young people. They organise many activities inside and outside of schools to attract non-Christian youth and share their faith with them. Of course, there are also signs of dullness, since some communities are very small and often inward looking, with many rules and rituals. Thus, sometimes dynamism and missionary spirit are lacking. We swing a little between these two tendencies, but the missionary field is open wide. You will take over the Taipei Seminary ... Indeed! It is an inter-diocesan seminary for the whole island, run by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Taiwan, with ten seminarians. We are a team of four priests from four different countries. I am French. There is a Taiwanese, a Korean and a Chinese from the mainland who spent twenty years in Freiburg. We had no new vocation this autumn. But ten seminarians for 300,000 Christians is quite significant, not so bad. A third of them come from the Diocese of Hualien, the indigenous diocese founded by Bishop Verineux, of the Foreign Missions of Paris. The others are Han, i.e. Chinese. Vocations come either from traditional Catholic families who have been Catholic for two or three generations, or from converts who became Catholic in their late teens or early twenties, before entering the seminary a few years later. In this seminary, we have a structure that works. Courses are taught at the Faculty of Theology, but I think there is a great effort to give a missionary impetus to the training of priests, so that it is contagious and challenging for young Taiwanese. This could breathe new life into Christian communities that are small and often old, in need of pastors who can lead them out of their comfort zone. Finally, since we are talking about vocations, I think that, as the person in charge of vocations for Taiwan, it is really a matter of working with those who deal with young people in the different dioceses of the island so that the latter can discover the relationship to Christ. A real dynamism can come from this, which, for some, could lead to the seminary. Is there a tendency towards secularization? Yes, I think Taiwan's dullness is also due to that. The Catholic Church developed a lot starting in the 1950s after the arrival of Chiang Kai-shek. Since then, she has experienced real growth, with numbers going from 10,000 to about 300,000. There have been many conversions among indigenous Taiwanese and ethnic Chinese because with Chiang Kai-shek came bishops, priests and missionaries. Thus, the Church has truly progressed. This has also coincided with the islands economic boom, a period during which many converted. But today we find ourselves with quite old communities because there has not been much renewal. Economic development and the resulting well-being have slowly led Christians to eschew religious practice. Thus at present, evangelisation and missionary work depend heavily on the newly baptised who have experienced a true conversion when they discovered the figure of Christ. Converts are the ones on which we can rely for evangelisation in parishes. In fact, in Taiwan, we live well, caught in a kind of dynamic routine around work and the many demands of society, but we do not take the time to develop our spiritual life. And without a spiritual life, it is difficult to hear the call of the Lord. In fact, we live in a highly secularised society despite the presence of Taoism with its rituals, and to a lesser extent, Buddhism. The race for profit and wealth prevails ... So being Christian and entering the seminary are major gestures. There is a lot of work to do in terms of accompaniment and discernment in order to develop spiritual life in a context that is not very conducive to it. Kuwait has expressed hope that next month summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to be held in Riyadh would help put an end to the ongoing diplomatic crisis that has plagued the grouping since June 2017. Kuwaits deputy foreign minister, Khalid al-Jarallah, said the summit will be an opportunity to end the diplomatic rift, reported state-owned news agency, KUNA. This summit is a glimpse of hope to revive the efforts of containing the long-standing gulf dispute, al-Jarallah said. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain in addition to Egypt, known as the quartet, severed ties with Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism and close relations with Iran. The boycotting countries also have imposed a sea/air/ground blockade on Qatar. Doha slammed the accusations saying that they were fabricated and part of a smear campaign. Kuwait has sought to mediate the crisis, but to no avail. The Gulf country hosted last year the GCC summit but the conference ended as soon as it was opened after both conflicting sides sent low-key profile officials instead of heads of state. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Ten staffers at the Chico Enterprise-Record have lost their homes in the Camp Fire disaster. The newspaper's editor, David Little, says the staff feels "really helpless," but they are helping by informing the community. Papers are being delivered to evacuation centers and other locations. Here is a national story distributed by CNN with an interview with editor David Little. Here is David Little's tweet in response to the story. Bahrain has placed with American aerospace manufacturer an order for the acquisition of 12 AH-1Z Viper helicopters for a total cost hitting $912 million. The deal was signed at Bahrain International Airshow, which ended over the weekend. The first batch of the military aircraft is to be delivered by end of 2022. The announcement was made by air vice-marshal Shaikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Al-Khalifa, the commander of Bahrains royal air force, at a press conference held on the sidelines of the Airshow. The deal came on the heels of a move by the US Senate, which killed efforts to block the sale of $300 million worth military arsenal to the Gulf country. A draft to block the deal was tabled by lawmakers opposed to the intervention in Yemen of the Saudi-led international coalition, including Bahrain. Anti-Saudi-led coalition group led by Sen. Rand Paul suffered a defeat after 77 other house members thwarted their efforts noting that Bahrain is a key ally in the region and is host to the US Navys Fifth Fleet used to protect American interests and fighting off Irans destabilization actions. CHICO, Calif. - Many Magalia residents want to return to their homes. They have been made aware, some of them, that their homes still are standing. They have been told their power has been restored, but still, they are evacuees. Action News Now reporter Jafet Serrato asked USFS public information officer Brian Ramsey why the people from Magalia are still not being allowed to go back home. Ramsey said it is still too hazardous up there on the ridge. He insists the hazards are being evaluated to make sure people will be safe when they are allowed back home. Listen to the video to hear more. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Here are photos from CAL FIRE Butte Unit showing Sunday's Camp Fire Search & Rescue operation. At the request of the Butte County Sheriff Department, multiple California Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Forces and US&R Human Remains Detection Canine Search Teams are being deployed from across California to assist law enforcement with the search for, and recovery of, victims missing in Paradise and other towns devastated by the deadly Camp Fire disaster. Among the specialized resources responding to aid in the search are four California Regional US&R Task Forces, each consisting of 29 members from local government fire departments, three local/state/national US&R Task Forces (each consisting of 35 members from California fire departments) and ten Urban Search & Rescue Human Remains Detection Canine Teams. During the deployment, California US&R resources will use their specialized human and canine skills to assist in the search for missing victims in nearly 13,000 residential, commercial and public buildings that burned in the fast-moving fire. Since 1992, California-based State/National US&R Task Forces have been deployed to a long list of other state, national, and even international disasters including 2017s Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, 1992 Hurricane Iniki (Hawaii), the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, Hurricane Katrina, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami catastrophe, last years earthquake disaster near Mexico City, and the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. CHICO, Calif. - One of the largest phone carriers in the United States is making it easier to donate to the Red Cross during the Camp Fire devastation, by simply sending a text message. People can donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting the word CAWILDFIRE to 90999, and it will be charged on your next phone bill. T-Mobile has deployed numerous trucks in the Chico community to allow those displaced to charge their cellphones, receive devices for free and get a hot spot for the internet. Action News Now spoke to Rich Garwood, vice president of southwestern T-Mobile for California, and he says his company is very supportive to everyone affected by the Camp Fire. If you would like to know if a T-Mobile truck will be arriving around your area in Chico, click here. Sixty-five per cent of all money spent on advertising in digital media in 2019 will be traded programmatically, according to Zeniths Programmatic Marketing Forecasts. Advertisers will spend US$84 billion programmatically next year, up from US$70 billion in 2018, which represents 62 per cent of digital media expenditure. Zenith predicts that in 2020 advertisers will spend US$98 billion on programmatic advertising, representing 68 per cent of their expenditure on digital media advertising. By digital media we mean all forms of paid-for advertising within online content, including online video and social media, but excluding paid search and classified advertising. The breadth of ad formats available through programmatic trading is improving, with more mobile, video and audio formats coming online all the time, though brands and agencies need to do more to push publishers to improve the quality of their inventory, which needs at minimum to be safe and viewable. Growth in programmatic advertising is slowing as it cements its position as the most important method of digital trading. Zenith estimates that programmatic ad spend will grow 24 per cent in 2018, down from 32 per cent growth in 2017, and forecast 19 per cent growth in 2019, followed by 17 per cent growth in 2020. In dollar terms, the biggest programmatic market is the US, where Zenith expects US$40.6 billion to be spent programmatically in 2018 58 per cent of the total. China is in a distant second place, spending US$7.9 billion on programmatic advertising this year, followed by the UK, with US$5.6 billion of programmatic ad spend. The US is also the market that has most embraced programmatic advertising, trading 83 per cent of all digital media programmatically this year. Canada is in second place, trading 82 per cent of digital media programmatically, followed by the UK, with 76 per cent, and Denmark, with 75 per cent. By 2020, programmatic advertising will account for more than 80 per cent of digital media in all four markets. Canada will have almost completed the transition to pure programmatic trading, spending 99 per cent of digital media programmatically that year. Zenith expects all markets to follow Canada and use programmatic trading for all digital media transactions eventually. According to the study, its only a matter of time before programmatic trading becomes the default method of trading for all media. However, the transition is taking slightly longer than expected last year Zenith had forecast that 64 per cent of digital media would be programmatic in 2018, and 67 per cent would be programmatic in 2019, so it has pulled back both forecasts by two percentage points. The introduction of privacy legislation such as the EUs GDPR has had some chilling effect by making certain data previously used in programmatic transactions unavailable, and making other data more costly to process. But it is believed that the main reason for the slowdown in spending on programmatic media is that advertisers are investing more in infrastructure and data to make their programmatic activity more effective. To make the most of their programmatic campaigns, advertisers have to reorganise internally to give programmatic trading the high-level support and understanding it needs. Agencies can only extract maximum effectiveness from their programmatic strategy in a proper partnership with their clients. And a programmatic strategy can only ever be as effective as the data used to execute it. Programmatic trading improves efficiency and effectiveness, and is gaining a dominant share of digital media transactions, said Benoit Cacheux, Zeniths Global Head of Digital and Innovation. The scale of operational restructuring to make the most of it is both extensive and expensive, though, and advertisers are spending more carefully while they invest in infrastructure and data and review the quality of media. All programmatic advertisers need a strategy for acquiring the best and most comprehensive data available, and to treat this data as a vital corporate asset. The most valuable data is first-party data, either explicitly provided by consumers or gained by tracking their activity on owned websites. It is also becoming more common to use second-party data, by forming data sharing partnerships, between for example brands and online retailers. Third-party data is widely available but does not give advertisers a competitive advantage, since all advertising can use it to target the same segments. Advertisers should continually vet and interrogate third-party data to ensure they are truly adding incremental reach. By combining all this data with their own CRM systems, advertisers can model consumer behaviour, and the more advanced are using machine learning to predict it. Data and new technology is enabling brands to move from tracking cookies to communicating with individuals. Technology is making programmatic advertising work harder for brands, said Jonathan Barnard, Zeniths Head of Forecasting and Director of Global Intelligence. Artificial intelligence promises to unlock new understanding of customers as people, as well as improving the optimisation of the trading process. In this world of Always On consumer, marketers are custom tailoring their marketing communication. The objective is not only to smoothen customer experience but also to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. And that too in this era of continuous partial attention. While we might still have divergent views on what is the first screen in consumers media interactions, one cannot deny that at the time consumer is engaged with mobile, it is always the first screen. Marketers are increasingly accepting this fact. Vasuta Agarwal, VP & GM - India and South Asia, InMobi, expresses, Mobile has become the primary screen for consumers in India with an average of 4.5 hours spent every day. It is also the most personalised screen always in the palm of a users hand, and so has the most potential for delivering the right message to the right consumer in a very personalised and customised way. Brands are overcoming the challenge of spray and pray with mobile. With proliferation of mobile devices, while demographics are still an important part of consideration set, preferences among individual consumers are becoming equally important. Effort, therefore, is on creating as detailed pictures of individual customers as possible so that highly personalised communication can be delivered. Kaizad Pardiwalla, President & Chief Operating Officer - The 120 Media Collective, expresses, With mobile (digital) there is an opportunity to micro target and hence the messaging can be highly targeted. This allows us to contextualize messaging to micro-segments, thereby dramatically increasing brand relevance, empathy and creative efficacy. This, in turn, makes mobile perfect platform for marketing communication that does not only blend with the content but can be delivered in the right context. Harshil Karia, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Schbang, opines, This is the true power of Mobile. It is through an integration of content-based delivery and context-based delivery that mobile wins. He further elaborates, Content because if I am watching a piece of content about building cake recipes, an ad that talks to me about cake recipes as a part of the context or atleast fits my consumer profile is necessary. Further, context-based delivery is more about location. Hitting the consumer when he/ she is at a mall or basis the weather in his/ her city and hyper personalising an offer linked to that is when advertising becomes far more effective. While measurement of mobile media, still is a grey area, its accurate delivery based on in-depth analysis is uncontested. Even the consumer preferences, that tradition media, found difficult to gauge, can now be identified. Rohan Mehta, CEO, Social Kinnect, expresses, Targeting consumers based on location, language or interest is quite easy on mobile phones. One can study the consumer preferences to see what kind of apps they use or their frequent searches or the regular websites they use and can design their campaign accordingly to convey the right message to the target audience. Marketers have today accepted the power of mobile marketing, research and analyses of consumers mobile behaviour and purchase pattern too have come to the fore. This data helps in remarketing to the consumer, as Rohan opines, With more and more companies gathering data well and linking it with past purchase, remarketing the right ad to the right consumer at the right time is what mobile is becoming about. What perhaps is most critical is for communication to be captivating. If creative does not get consumers attention, he/she is not going to pause fast speed scrolling and pay attention to the ad. Shradha Agarwal, COO, Grapes Digital, explains, Attention span of a user has dropped to mili seconds today. If your creative is not attractive or delivering the right message, it will become a problem. She adds, To capture his attention, you need to deliver the message he is looking for basis his behaviour and contextuality. Thats where programmatic and remarketing also becomes useful. Interestingly, despite its advantages, cluttered mobile space might not only be a put off for the consumer, but also quickly turn ads into blind spots. Hence, right message to right consumer at the right time is the key. Agrees Prasad Shejale, Co-Founder and CEO, Logicserve Digital, With the growing usage of mobile devices and the multi-screen consumption patterns and of course the competition amongst brands to reach the audiences, it is but obvious that brands need to deliver their message correctly to the right user at a right time. We deliberate on this at The Mobile Media Summit 2018. Be there to gain new learnings and also, to express yourself. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Maine Coalition for Vaccine Choice November 19, 2018 Mail@MaineVaxChoice.org , 207-200-8469 Rep. Ralph Tucker Introduces Bill to Violate Mainers Right to Informed Consent in Vaccination, and Deprive Some Maine Children of their Right to an Education Brunswick, Maine - Representative Ralph Tucker (D-Brunswick) has announced the submission of his bill to the Maine Legislature to restrict and remove the rights of parents to exercise their religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions for school entry in Maine. The bill will bar some children from Maine schools, denying their right to a public education. He expects significant support from the now Democratic majority in the House, Senate and from Governor-elect Janet Mills. Tucker said concerning the as of yet unreleased bill that, eliminating or limiting non-medical exemptions for school-required vaccines will be one of his top priorities with Mills in office. Ive already submitted a bill, Tucker said. I think vaccines are very important, and Im going to push this issue as hard as I can. Mills said she agrees with Tucker and others but is not completely familiar with the legislation he is proposing. As it did when these attempts were made in 2015, The Maine Coalition for Vaccine Choice (MCVC) is organizing at the grassroots level to maintain the 1st Amendment rights of families to practice their religion, the rights of children to an education, the rights of families to adhere to their conscience without coercion, and the internationally established human right to informed consent in medicine. MCVC consists of over 1200 Maine families for whom choice in what goes into their bodies is important, and health care professionals such as nurses, physicians, and pharmacists who are vaccine risk aware. Many members have children who have suffered a serious adverse vaccine reaction that was either denied or left untreated by their health care provider. For years parents, lead by mothers, have attempted to address the serious safety concerns and policy problems in the Maine Immunization Program, including the lack of education that Maine pediatricians receive on federal guidelines for vaccine safety and vaccine injury. Unfortunately efforts have been met repeatedly with stonewalling by the Maine DHHS and the Maine medical industry, who offer only bad faith responses ranging from apathy to contempt, if they respond at all, said Ginger Taylor, M.S., the Coalition's Director. Mothers educated on Vaccine Manufacturer and Federal DHHS information on vaccine injury, that their own doctors have never seen, are tired of being treated by their pediatricians as if they are stupid and crazy. Why should such women want to do business with an industry that engages in the gaslighting of women as a matter of policy? It appears that this paternalistic effort will again be to throw their children out of school, rather than fixing the broken vaccine program, or even holding ONE public meeting to hear and address parental concerns. Please join the Maine Coalition for Vaccine Choice today, and register for our mailing list, to be informed on how you can work to improve vaccine safety policy in Maine, to protect your right to bodily integrity, to choose the medical products that you and your children will take, and to end the bullying of parents that is taking place in Maine pediatricians offices. END The Yemeni Houthi rebels fighting forces of President Mansour Hadi and the Saudi-led military intervention in the poorest Arab country have announced the suspension of missile attacks on the Saudi Arabia after the coalition also halted its assault on the key port city of Hodeidah at the UN demand. After our contacts with the UN envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes We announce our initiative to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. The statement came following mounting pressure by UN Envoy Martin Griffiths to the war-torn country, on warring sides to cease confrontations and give a chance to renewed peace talks. Saudi Arabia and its allies, backed by western countries, late last week, ordered their forces to suspend the takeover of the Hodeidah port near the Red Sea still held by the Iran-aligned rebels. The rebels had in the past launched hundreds of missile and drone attacks mainly on Saudi Arabia to fight back the coalition that entered the war in 2015 on the side of exiled President Hadi. The Houthis still control capital Sanaa and large swathes of northern Yemen. The conflict is in its fourth year and has caused over 10,000 deaths most victims being civilians. The conflict described by the UN as the worlds worst humanitarian catastrophe has brought the country to edge of starvation with 14 million of citizens at risk. Griffiths Friday told the UN Security Council the opposed parties have given firm assurances they are committed to attending peace talks to be convened shortly. The UN envoy hopes to convene talks in Sweden before the end of the year to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government, reports say. The UN diplomat is trying to snatch new talks from the two sides after a September-planned round of peace talks collapsed following the rebels failure to show up at the summit. The Saudi-led coalition is also under increased pressure from its western allies mainly from the US to end the intervention and pull out, in the wake of the killing of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Jamal Khashoggi was known as a staunch critic of Saudi Crown Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) who leads the coalition. The US Central Investigation Agency (CIA), after listening to a tape provide by Turkish authorities, believes MbS is linked to the murder. Turkish authorities believe someone at the highest levels of the Saudi leadership gave orders for what they described as premediated killing. 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. Legislator Ismail Nasreddin has announced plans to submit a bill to Egypt's parliament that would remove religious affiliation from national ID cards. The move paves the way for a civil state that respects the values of citizenship, Egyptian media quoted Nasreddin as saying. While the national charter recognizes the three "heavenly religions" and guarantees freedom of belief and worship for all citizens, Article 2 of the constitution declares Islam the official religion and states that "the principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source of legislation." The time is ripe for elimination of all forms of religious discrimination, Nasreddin said, adding that he took a cue for his action from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's comments on citizenship rights at the recent World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh. Painting an idealistic picture of religious tolerance and diversity, Sisi told the youth participants that "every citizen has the right to worship as he or she pleases and the right not to worship at all." Yet the reality is vastly different: In Egypt's majority Muslim conservative society, atheism is a longstanding taboo, and "minority Christians face unprecedented levels of persecution," according to The Guardian. Those who dare express their lack of faith in public risk prosecution and arrest under Egypt's blasphemy law, in place since 1982. The law stipulates that a person can be imprisoned for up to five years if he or she defames or disrespects one of the three monotheistic religions; harms national unity; or uses religion to promote extremist ideas with the intention of sowing discord in society. Lawmaker Amr Hamroush sought to outlaw atheism in late December of last year, proposing a bill to that effect to parliament. This was part of a wider fear-mongering campaign by politicians, the media and religious leaders. Rights campaigners warned that the draft law "risks heightening discrimination against the nonreligious." But Hamroush insisted the bill was necessary to counter what he described as "a dangerous trend that threatens the fabric of our society." While the bill has yet to be signed into law, it sent a chilling message to nonbelievers. Atheists are not the only group that is being targeted for their nonconformist ideas, which some Egyptian media outlets and religious clerics have criticized as "inappropriate" and "destructive." Coptic Christians estimated at 10% of the population also have their own grievances and have come under repeated attack in recent years. In the latest assault on the religious minority, eight people were killed and at least a dozen others injured on Nov. 2 when gunmen opened fire on a bus transporting worshippers from a remote desert monastery to the southern province of Minya. The violence, later claimed by Egypt's Islamic State affiliate, is reminiscent of a similar assault on Christian pilgrims that took place in the same spot in May 2017. Nasreddin's proposed bill came on the heels of the latest deadly violence and was seen by skeptics as an attempt by the state to appease angry Christians who accuse the government of failing to protect them. "The state has no interest in pushing this forward," Samuel Tadros, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, told Al-Monitor, in reference to the draft law. "Even if it does pass, it would be symbolic, as it is easy to tell a person's religion by his or her name, even if the religion box is deleted." Christians in Egypt often name their children after Christian saints and traditionally have a cross or other religious symbols tattooed on their wrist to assert their religious identity. Humanists, who have repeatedly called for the "divisive'' and "discriminatory" religious demarcation on ID cards to be scrapped, welcomed the bill but are skeptical about the likelihood of its endorsement. "Over the past several years, there have been several discussions about removing religion from ID cards, but they have all come to a dead end," Timothy Kaldas, a nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, told Al-Monitor. "If the bill is signed into law and that's a big if at the moment it is definitely welcome." Nasreddin's proposition is not the first attempt by a lawmaker to have religion dropped from ID cards. In 2016, a similar proposal from legislator Alaa Abdul Moneim was shelved after it met with stiff resistance from conservatives in the House of Representatives. Members of the Salafi Nour Party slammed the bill, arguing that it contradicts Article 2 of the constitution and warning that such an amendment could pave the way for interfaith marriages between Christian men and Muslim women, which are forbidden by Sharia. Islam allows Muslim men to marry women of other Abrahamic faiths but does not permit Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men. While Al-Azhar, Islam's highest authority, shares these concerns, it considers the removal of religion from IDs more of a security than a religious matter, Mostafa Abdel Gawad, head of Al-Azhar's Media Department, told Al-Monitor. If the bill is endorsed by parliament, it would be referred to Al-Azhar for review. It would be up to Al-Azhar's Committee of Ulama, comprised of senior Al-Azhar scholars, to ultimately decide if the legislation conforms with Sharia. Skeptics like Bahey Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, dismissed the bill as "cosmetic," saying "it is an attempt by the state to whitewash institutionalized discrimination against Christians." "The discrimination faced by Coptic Christians is not because their religion is mentioned on their ID cards, it is because they are Christians," he told Al-Monitor. He cited examples of unjust policies that fuel sectarian violence, like the legal restrictions on the building and restoration of churches and how Christians are denied high-level positions in government, the military and security agencies. A church construction law, approved by parliament in 2016, fell short of a much anticipated unified houses of worship that critics say would have put Muslims and Christians on equal legal footing in terms of the governing of mosques and churches. Instead, the law has been decried by critics as "sectarian" and "prejudiced." The legislation makes it mandatory to get approval from governors to build or renovate a church and stipulates that the size of a church must be proportional to the number of Christians in the area. No such restrictions are in place for the building of mosques. "The legal difficulties of building houses of worship for Christians are a pretext for acts of vigilante violence against the Coptic Christian community, particularly in rural areas," said Kaldas. "The state's tendency to try and resolve these issues at traditional arbitration gatherings as opposed to legal trials for the perpetrators, creates an environment of impunity that encourages more people to commit acts of violence against the Coptic Christian community," he said. Unless such serious issues of discrimination are addressed, the bill on its own can do little to alleviate the flagrant injustices against Coptic Christians, contend the analysts. "Fighting faith-based discrimination will need a lot more than taking religion off ID cards," said Mina Thabet, director of the minorities program at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. "It is, however, a first step in the right direction. The legislation would send a message discouraging further discrimination, at least at the societal level. It would also benefit followers of non-Abrahamic faiths such as Baha'is, who face serious challenges as a result of not fitting into the officially imposed categories of religious affiliation." GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Palestinians celebrated the sudden resignation Nov. 14 of hawkish Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, launching spontaneous marches in the Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas official said Liberman's departure could speed up efforts to reach a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel through Egyptian, Qatari and UN mediation. Liberman resigned a day after Israel and Palestinian armed factions reached a cease-fire agreement, even as an especially fierce and deadly cross-border exchange was taking place, with Palestinian rockets and mortar shells bombarding southern Israel, and Israeli airstrikes punishing Gaza. That exchange followed one on Nov. 11, when Hamas detected a special Israeli force trying to carry out a secret mission in eastern Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the cease-fire, but Liberman saw it as conceding to terrorists. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told Al-Monitor that Libermans resignation was the result of the Israeli armys many defeats during armed confrontations with Palestinian factions in recent months. Liberman's departure could bode well for truce talks, Zahar said, but Hamas warned that whoever replaces Liberman will face the same fate if he even thinks of carrying out a military assault on the Gaza Strip. There's always that possibility, he said: Our battle with them is long and will not end with a couple of rounds of military clashes." As for Liberman's replacement, another hawk is demanding the position. Naftali Bennett, Israeli education minister and leader of the nationalist Jewish HaBayit HaYehudi party, said that unless he gets the job, he will use his party's influence against Netanyahu. The two men were scheduled to meet Nov. 16. Having anticipated Liberman's resignation and its potential consequences, Netanyahu had previously consulted with Israeli parties to try to save his government from falling apart. When Liberman left his Cabinet position, he took his Yisrael Beitenu party with him en masse, and many observers think his political ambitions contributed to his resignation. Ahmad Tibi, an Arab member of Israel's parliament, told Al-Monitor that Libermans resignation could indeed accelerate the collapse of the Israeli government coalition. An opinion poll conducted for Israels Channel 2 and published Nov. 14 revealed that hours after Liberman's resignation, respondents said if elections were held that day, Liberman's party would win seven seats; previous polls had showed it would only get five seats. Elections are expected to be held in March. Netanyahu seems to have reason to worry. The opinion poll also showed that 74% of the surveyed Israeli public wasn't satisfied with Netanyahus performance in the latest round of escalation. About 49% believed Hamas won that round; only 14% said Israel won. Because of the public's perception that the Israeli political and military leaderships are weak, Palestinians fear Israel might take military action to counter that belief. In addition, Israelis are still taking to the streets at night in southern Israel to protest the deterioration of the security situation, while the media and several parties continue to criticize the Israeli government. Military expert and retired Palestinian Gen. Yusuf al-Sharqawi told Al-Monitor that Israel might just be postponing a military strike against the Gaza Strip until it can analyze the Israeli armys recent failures, particularly the muddled secret mission in Khan Yunis. A military source in the Palestinian factions joint operations room told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that factions have been on alert in anticipation of any sudden Israeli strike. The leadership of the joint operations room is regularly meeting to assess the military and field conditions, he said. The source warned that Palestinian factions still have many tricks up their sleeves that could catch the Israeli army off-guard in any future round of escalation. The failure of Israel's deterrent power against Palestinian factions is of great concern to Israel's political and military leadership, despite the limited range of rockets used by the factions during the recent escalation. The human and material losses caused by the attack were large, raising doubts in Israel about the effectiveness of the Iron Dome defense system, which intercepted only 100 of the 460 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Hisham al-Maghari, a security expert and dean of Al-Awda University College in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that negotiations have a better chance of producing a long-term truce than a military escalation, especially given the results of the recent round of fighting. Israel may now believe that defeating Palestinian factions in Gaza has become a hard task, he said, especially with the resignation of Liberman, who was considered one of the most determined opponents of a truce. Israelis may fear they could suffer major losses. This may be why the Israeli government is reluctant to agree to military action in Gaza, particularly since it has no real objectives. Amid a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, and despite Hamas Nov. 2 announcement that efforts to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip had yielded results, a strange security incident shook up the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip the evening of Nov. 11. Palestinian gunmen fought seven Israeli soldiers who had infiltrated the Gaza Strip in a car. The clash resulted in the death of seven Hamas fighters, including Nour Baraka, the commander of the Khan Yunis branch of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas military wing), and a senior Israeli officer. The real mission of the Israeli infiltrating force is unknown, but many speculations emerged. Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot said Nov. 12 that a special Israeli force had carried out an operation of great importance to Israel's security. However, al-Qassam Brigades announced the same day that it had foiled an Israeli plan aimed at striking Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the situation escalated militarily between Palestinians and Israel. Between Nov. 12-13, more than 460 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope, killing an Israeli and injuring 55 others. The Israeli Air Force fired missiles at 160 targets in Gaza, killing seven Palestinians and injuring dozens. The two sides reached a cease-fire Nov. 13, sponsored by Egypt. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced his resignation Nov. 14, saying his government failed to have a stronger response against Hamas in Gaza. Ibrahim Habib, a professor of national security at the Management and Politics Academy in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, Regardless of the objectives of the Israeli mission, it is clearly part of the secret confrontation between Hamas and Israel, and it could be difficult for Hamas to thwart Israeli security plans. Habib added, The movement has a unique security system, but it suffers from weaknesses, as Israelis can still infiltrate [the Gaza Strip] from the eastern border and the western coast. Israeli security operations are carried out with the help of spies inside Gaza, and Israel will press on [with] these operations even after reaching a truce with Hamas. Palestinians and Israelis sought to find out the purpose behind the Israeli mission in Gaza. Israeli military correspondents reported that the soldiers had entered Gaza to assassinate or kidnap a Hamas official in charge of the tunnel network. Other Israelis believe the goal was to obtain critical intelligence needed by Israel if it were to sign a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. Hezbollah-affiliated al-Mayadeen channel reported Nov. 12 that the Israeli force's objective was to abduct Marwan Issa, the No. 2 man in al-Qassam Brigades. Issa is at the top of Israel's wanted list due to his important and pivotal role in planning armed operations against it. Maj. Gen. Wasef Erekat, a Palestinian military expert and former PLO artillery commander, told Al-Monitor, The serious intelligence failure of the Israeli forces exposed them to the Palestinian resistance. This incident is new evidence of the psychological battle between Palestinians and Israelis. Despite Hamas' modest security capabilities, it can use its friends and allies in the region, who provide it with some advanced security capabilities, to detect and exploit Israel's security weaknesses. It seems unlikely that the Israeli forces infiltrated Gaza for assassination purposes, since this does not require taking the exceptional risk of dispatching a special force in the middle of the Strip. Israel would only need to launch an airstrike to not endanger its soldiers on the ground. However, Israel's desire to know the secrets of Hamas tunnels would be worth sending soldiers into the heart of Gaza to kidnap one of the movements officials, interrogate him and learn more about the tunnels. This way, Israel could be fully aware of all the details should it decide to carry out an attack against Hamas in Gaza. Iyad al-Bozm, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, Confronting any Israeli security action in Gaza requires us to confront spies, and we have managed to weaken them by arresting and prosecuting them because we believe the security information they are feeding Israel is quite dangerous. He added, However, discovering the Israeli forces in Khan Yunis and all the military chaos it created will force the Israeli intelligence services to think twice now before carrying out similar missions. We are constantly having to deal with Israel infiltrating our security, be it amid escalation or during truce talks. Hamas did not publicly reveal the steps taken to confront the secret Israeli operations or avoid them in the future, but it seems the movement is escalating security measures by tightening controls along borders and monitoring those who enter Israel for medical treatment, work or visit. The Khan Yunis incident was not unprecedented. In May, al-Qassam Brigades discovered that explosives had been placed inside a telephone booth used by the group to make secret contacts. When a team of engineers went to the booth to dismantle the explosives, the bomb went off and six of them were killed. Also in May, Hamas tracked down spies who had killed its military commander, Mazen Fuqaha, in March in Gaza City. Al-Monitor visited the area of the Nov. 11 clash in eastern Khan Yunis and saw how the Israeli Air Force provided a secure route for the withdrawal of the Israeli force so it would not be captured by Hamas. The scene of the clash revealed the intensity of the Israeli airstrikes on targets close to the routes the Israeli soldiers took. The Israeli Air Force flew at low altitudes and in large numbers, completely destroying the vehicle that the Israeli soldiers drove, along with all possible evidence that could indicate the purpose of the mission. A Hamas official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The movement takes security precautions based on the assumption that Israeli intelligence does not stop trying to penetrate our internal front in Gaza, either to collect intelligence or to carry out field missions. All cadres, no matter their ranking, are instructed not to be lenient or negligent in working procedures and in moving from one place to another. In addition, security services in Gaza are equipped to thwart any Israeli special forces infiltrating Gaza, even at the height of the security calm. Hamas is expected to be more vigilant with its security following the Khan Yunis incident. Fighters were able to detect the Israeli force this time, but no one knows if other special forces were able to infiltrate Gaza in the past. Meanwhile, this incident will not necessarily stop Israel from sending more soldiers to carry out sensitive security missions, putting both sides on constant alert, even if a truce was reached Nov. 13. BAGHDAD The Iraqi parliament lifted the freeze on the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Nov. 10, over two weeks after provincial elections were scheduled to be held. Now, the fate of the provincial councils is once again at the center of debate in Iraq. Parliament formed a commission on May 12 to investigate suspicions of fraud in the general elections. The IHECs work was frozen and placed under the tutelage of the judiciary. Provincial elections were scheduled for Oct. 22 but were postponed for many reasons. IHEC chairman Maan al-Hitawi mentioned a few, stressing that the IHEC requires a bit a time following what happened in the parliamentary elections. We need to issue new cards for voters and purchase new equipment to replace those that were burned in the IHEC warehouses in Rusafa in Baghdad. However, parliament did not officially postpone elections, and no date has been set for them, although the four-year mandate of the current provincial councils ended in June 2017. Thus, the extension of the provincial councils is unconstitutional. There is no constitutional loophole that would allow parliament to regulate the work of these councils, but parliament is in the process of amending the election law to set a new election date. In this context, the IHEC announced Nov. 13 that Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was willing to cooperate and provide what is necessary for the success of the upcoming provincial elections and set a new date. Meanwhile, parliament noted that it received a request from 52 parliamentarians to amend the law on provincial elections. IHEC spokesman Karim al-Tamimi told Al-Monitor, The IHEC has already begun to discuss the mechanisms of issuing the voter cards and updating the voter lists in preparation for the elections, noting that the competent committees and departments have submitted their plans for said elections. Tamimi added, The IHEC is in contact with the relevant committees in parliament to agree on the new date in virtue of the election law, which will be issued by parliament in the coming period. Mansour al-Mareed, a parliamentarian for al-Nasr Alliance, told Al-Monitor, There is a possibility of setting the date for provincial elections in the next six months, in order to give the IHEC the time it needs to finish all technical and logistical preparations and organize the elections successfully. Mareed added, Parliament will discuss the amendment of the electoral law in order to set a new date by referring to the IHEC since it has resumed its work and is waiting on allocations from the budget for 2019. For his part, parliamentarian for the Kurdistan Democratic Party Hendrin Doski told al-Ray Nov. 12 that the majority of parliamentarians agree on the proposal to abolish provincial councils and are determined to act on it. He noted that the one thing preventing an end to provincial councils is the lack of consensus on the implementation of this decision. This proposal will be discussed in coming parliament sessions so a final decision can be taken, he said. The government is obliged to implement this proposal if it was approved unanimously by parliament. Abolishing provincial councils seems unlikely since they are constitutional councils, as stipulated by the Iraqi Constitution of 2005. Amending the constitution seems impossible given the major disagreements over most of its articles, especially on the disputed areas between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In addition, the mechanisms of amendment are complicated and political circles are not willing to provoke further conflicts now. However, in light of demands to reduce state expenditures and address chronic slack in public institutions, parliament was able to amend the law on provinces in the KRG and abolish district councils in May. It also reduced the number of provincial council members in an implicit recognition of the failure of these councils to achieve decentralization stipulated by the constitution, as well as to underline their inability to achieve the expected development of them in various areas since their powers contradict with the federal authorities. Perhaps this is due to the country's administrative experience, which did not exist before 2003. It could also be the result of the many political and security crises plaguing the Iraqi regime in general. The most appropriate solution to this crisis may be a partial amendment to the constitution that includes abolishing provincial councils only, with the direct election of governors by citizens, leaving other issues to be amended later on. The Jewish Ethiopian community in Israel has been struggling with different forms of discrimination in the years since they arrived in the country. They are fighting for their spiritual and religious leaders (the kessim) to be recognized by the Israeli religious establishment to formalize their status as part of the system of religious services in Israel. The kessim achieved another victory last week, when a government subcommittee recommended that the kessim be permitted to perform holiday ceremonies and burial and purity rites and administer synagogues. Nevertheless, they still have a long way to go for full religious authority, such as the right to conduct weddings. The Ethiopian Jewish clergy served as the religious and spiritual leaders of the Ethiopian Jewish community for centuries. They were responsible for the unique ways in which the community observed Jewish religious law as it appears in the Torah. When the Ethiopian Jewish community immigrated to Israel (mainly in the 1980s and 1990s), they discovered that the countrys rabbinic establishment would not recognize the religious authority of the kessim. After years of struggle and angry demonstrations by Ethiopian immigrants in 2015, a ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was established to advance the communitys integration into Israeli society. This February, the committee decided to formalize the status of the kessim. Netanyahu said, This community has a special status precisely because it kept this heritage even in complete isolation. I find this moving and close to my heart. Therefore, this is a historic undertaking." After the February decision, the government created a subcommittee to outline instructions and recommendations for the implementation of the decision. The subcommittee recommends the establishment of schools to train the next generation of kessim and the creation of official positions for them within various religious councils. In the first stage, 28 kessim will be employed full time in key religious councils. They will apparently have the authority to provide religious services to the population at large, and not just the Ethiopian community. The process will conclude with the recognition of another 30 kessim, who currently serve as unofficial religious leaders of various Ethiopian communities in Israel. The exclusive authority to appoint new kessim will be granted to the meluksa, or supreme religious authority of the Ethiopian Jewish community. Furthermore, the state will fund a project to document in writing all of the kessim's religious knowledge, which has been passed down orally from one generation to the next for 2,500 years. Gadi Yavarkan, who heads the group struggling for recognition of the kessim, told Al-Monitor that the state had corrected a historic injustice. Nevertheless, he added, it is important to remember that this is simply the restoration of our ancient rights. He said that the committees recommendations come to respect and appreciate the traditions of Israel and the religious authority of the kessim, who ensured the survival of the Torah and the traditions of Israel since Temple times. Despite Yavarkans optimistic remarks, the committees recommendations do not include allowing the kessim to conduct weddings and divorces and other Jewish rituals pertaining to marital status. This is one issue on which the rabbinate refuses to concede. It insists that these rituals can only be performed by rabbis who were ordained by its own institutions. About six years ago, Rabbi Sharon Shalom published From Sinai to Ethiopia, the first compendium of religious law for the Ethiopian Jewish community. Shalom, who received official ordination from the Chief Rabbinate, told Al-Monitor that just as Jewish customs in Israel take the customs of other Jewish immigrant communities into consideration, Ethiopian Jewry should also be allowed to follow the customs that they brought with them from their country of origin. He went on to say that the rabbinical establishment in Israel is dominated by ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews, and all the other communities are forced to dance to their tune. The rabbinate turned against him following the publication of his book, and he was summoned for a hearing before the Ethiopian communitys religious court. As a result, he says, the rabbinate will not allow him to perform weddings and other religious rituals even though he was ordained to do so and bears certification as a rabbi. Ayano Perda Senbato is one of the most prominent activists on behalf of the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel. In a conversation with Al-Monitor, he said that until the kessim receive full recognition of their authority, including the right to conduct marriages, he considers the committees recommendations meaningless. He said that all that really happened was the technical formalization of the way kessim and rabbis are appointed to the Ethiopian Jewish community, based on regulations announced by the prime minister in February of this year. As such, the role of the kess will be meaningless, since they are not being granted the full authority of religious and spiritual leaders like they had in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the committees recommendations have set the process of recognizing other Jewish denominations into motion, even though their customs, rules and traditions may differ from the norms of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, which dominates Israels religious establishment. Other Jewish denominations, such as Conservative and Reform Judaism, are caught in constant conflict with the religious establishment and can only dream of receiving the recognition that Ethiopian kessim now enjoy. One leader of the Conservative community told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that it may be time for his community to learn from the Ethiopian Jews and to block roads like they did. Maybe then we will gain recognition, he said, adding that the measures taken on behalf of the Ethiopian community were simply intended to ensure that they vote for the Likud and ultra-Orthodox Shas in the next election. Regardless, official recognition of the religious leadership of Israels Ethiopian Jewish community has corrected a longstanding injustice that has been in place since the community first began to immigrate en masse to the country. Yet the real test will be whether they are granted full, practical authority to administer and manage religious ceremonies for Ethiopian immigrants. The resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has destabilized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, and one cannot exclude now the possibility of early elections. But whether Netanyahu calls for snap elections or holds them as scheduled on November 2019, the important fight has already begun: What will these elections really be about, what major debate will become the key issue that brings voters to the polls? Netanyahu will try to get people to forget about all the corruption scandals and go back to focusing on the Iranian threat that is so near and dear to him. The question is whether he will succeed in forcing this convenient agenda item into the political arena, or the opposition parties manage to raise the issues that are really important to them. One thing is clear. The issue that led to these elections will not end up being the bone of contention between the two blocs. By the time the election is held, people will have a hard time remembering what shocked so much the political system. The Nov. 14 resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman did not cause any major rift in Israeli society. He had enjoyed this honorable title, but didnt do much with it. Neither he nor his ministry were really in charge of Israels defense policy. It is no wonder then that during his time in the most prestigious position in the Israeli government after the prime minister, he not only failed to increase his popularity but even lost some of the limited support he had before he took the post. I can never forget the discussion I had with former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert right after his election victory in 2006. Amir Peretz, who headed the Labor Party, expressed his willingness to join Olmerts coalition, but demanded in return that he be given the Finance Ministry so that he could influence the distribution of funds in a more equitable manner. As leader of Meretz, I recommended to Olmert that he consider Peretz request favorably. Olmert responded with a firm no. He told me that the Finance Ministry was too important to him, and that he wanted to put one of his own people in charge, instead of someone whose economic worldview was so different from his own. Instead, Labor was offered the defense portfolio. Olmert told me that he would do exactly what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had done before him regarding the Defense Ministry. Although Sharon had appointed Labor member Binyamin Ben Eliezer as his defense minister back in 2001, he paid little attention to anything Ben Eliezer actually said and communicated directly with the heads of the various security departments instead. Netanyahu did the exact same thing when he appointed Liberman as his defense minister after firing Moshe Yaalon (who, as a former chief of staff, was harder to circumvent). Netanyahu made an unpopular decision when he convinced the members of his cabinet to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza without first trying to deliver a debilitating blow to Hamas. But the way that he presented his decision as one between another round of violence that would leave both sides at the same starting point and a cease-fire and containment of Hamass heavy bombardment of the countrys southern settlements was misleading. The only reason Netanyahu was faced with this dilemma in the first place was because he had no interest in involving the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in any of his Gaza maneuvering. To a large degree, he was continuing what Sharon had done previously in Israels 2005 unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Its in his interest to disassociate himself from the principle reached between Israel and the PLO, by which a common solution would be found for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. His (Netanyahu's) goal was to separate Gaza from the West Bank, so he had no interest in engaging the legitimate Palestinian leadership in dialogue over Gazas fate. As soon as he took that option off the table, he was left with just two choices, and he picked the one that made the most sense. That should hardly earn him a round of applause. It can only be hoped that the parties to the left of the Likud are not tempted to turn Gaza into the main issue of the next election campaign. Instead of passing Netanyahu on the right, they should leave that to HaBayit HaYehudi chair Naftali Bennett. He will make the same promise as Liberman that if he gets enough votes, he will be the next defense minister and will obliterate Hamas once and for all. Efforts by the left to out-right the right would lack credibility. Voters who want to throw their support behind right-wing positions prefer to go straight to the source: the right-wing parties themselves. Each party left of the Likud has its own distinct emphases, so the chances of forming a coalition of center-left parties to run together in 2019 tends toward zero. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they should abandon efforts to find some common denominator, which would turn the election into a kind of referendum on all the most critical issues on Israels agenda. One such issue is corruption. Scandals of unprecedented severity have come to light in the last two years. The most serious of them is the submarine scandal, in which the police have recommended the indictment of several people who are very close to Netanyahu. Meanwhile, the police have also recommended that Netanyahu himself be indicted for bribery in other cases. Netanyahu will do everything he can to avoid addressing this point, mainly by claiming that he still hasnt been indicted by the attorney generals office. In this sense, a snap election could be more convenient for him, since there is little chance that the indictment will be served before the election. It therefore remains for the opposition parties to keep the corruption issue high on the agenda. They must not ignore the fact that the prime minister, who also happens to be the Likuds candidate, is contesting the election with a cloud hanging over him like no other candidate in the past. The slogan Stop the corruption! will be more relevant in the next election campaign than ever before. The other contentious issue is Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state. Given that there is an almost equal number of Jews and Arabs in the land west of the Jordan River, the Zionist oppositions election promise must be that it will set the borders separating Israel and the Palestinians in the next term, if not sooner (similar to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabins promise in 1992 that he would reach an agreement with the Palestinians in six to nine months, or Ehud Baraks promise in 1999 that he would leave Lebanon within a year, whether with an agreement or unilaterally). If the opposition parties agree to focus on these two issues while preserving for themselves the right to act independently on other important issues such as religion and state and human rights, the upcoming election campaign could offer a real alternative to right-wing rule, and people in the opposition would come out and fight for the countrys very soul. CASABLANCA, Morocco Following a heated plenary session Nov. 16 in the Moroccan House of Representatives, the 2019 finance bill passed 189-83 in a vote marked by the absence of several ministers of government. On Nov. 6, two days ahead of the Government Council meeting, the Moroccan government had not yet defined the public entities and enterprises concerned by the privatization program set out in the 2019 finance bill. When contacted by Al-Monitor, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, minister of industry, trade, investment and economy, was unable to provide further information. The Ministry of Economy and Finance will propose the assets to be divested and we will give our opinion. We do not play any role at the moment, Elalamy told Al-Monitor. Two days later, on Nov. 8, the Government Council identified two companies as being partially or fully privatized in accordance with the bill: La Mamounia Hotel, recently voted the best hotel in Africa by readers of Conde Nast Traveler, and the Tahaddart power plant, which produces one-tenth of Morocco's total energy consumption. This raises the question whether privatization is a strategic dimension in the state policy or whether it is a way to quickly dispose of public property aimed only at filling the budget deficit. The amount at stake for these privatizations is not negligible. Minister of Economy and Finance, Mohamed Benchaaboun, newly appointed by King Mohammed VI, seeks privatization proceeds of up to 5 billion dirhams ($524 million) earmarked for the state budget. This would curb the state budget deficit from the initially forecasted 3.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 3.3%. The objective, according to Benchaaboun, who presented the finance bill during a news conference Oct. 22, is to modernize the national economy, increase the level of foreign direct investment, improve governance and boost the capital market. Moroccan economists, on the other hand, see a purely financial motivation, aimed to fill the holes in an economy undermined by years of deficits. While the Tahaddart power plant has accumulated net results of several hundred million dirhams and is particularly attractive to investors, this is not the case with La Mamounia, as the hotel has reported substantial losses over the course of several years. According to Najib Akesbi, economist and professor at the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Sciences in Rabat, this raises the inevitable question of how the valuation will be done before privatization. When you are desperate for money, you are not in a position to negotiate, he told Al-Monitor. The Moroccan budget deficit has grown over the last decade, despite donations from Gulf countries and loans from international institutions. This will make further loans increasingly difficult, said Fouad Abdelmoumni, economist and secretary-general of Transparency Maroc. Morocco's public debt now stands at 82% of GDP and the economys growth rate is low. The state will not be able to take out debts in a sustainable manner, he told Al-Monitor. With the dwindling gifts from the Gulf countries, it will be difficult to reduce the budget deficit in the future. For Akesbi, the privatization program in the new bill is a warning sign, heralding a future financial crisis. The structure of the state budget does not allow it to cover its expenses. Specifically the tax policy which should be the main source of financing for a country like Morocco does not fulfill its role. It suffers from unjustified exemptions and tax benefits for certain categories. As a result the state is obliged to sell its assets to fill the gaps, he said. In 1993, privatization of the public sector commenced. By 2006, 114 companies were privatized, yielding a total revenue to the state of 103 billion dirhams (around $11 billion). Ironically, this amount is equivalent to the cumulative dividends paid by the only telephone operator, Itissalat Al Maghrib (Maroc Telecom), to its shareholders since the beginning of its privatization process in 2001. This illustrates how the state can miss out on the opportunities of exploiting the economic potential and profitability of public companies. What we are seeing here is the government playing the privatization card without even evaluating its effects in the past, Akesbi noted. When asked if he believes the companies to be fairly valued ahead of privatization, Akesbi said, Clearly not. Several examples demonstrate that Morocco values its assets poorly before their disposal. This is the case of Samir refinery, for example, which was sold far below its actual value less than $400 million in 1997. According to Abdelmoumni, there are many reasons for the government to sell shares in public companies at prices below their value. Specifically, he pointed to the fact that the Moroccan state is under heavy budgetary pressure. The state has no choice but to make decisions that will provide short-term solutions. It is forced to liquidate its assets, no matter the price. It is a predicament that prevents Morocco from proceeding to the necessary restructuring of these public companies to benefit from their dividends. These companies would not reap the profits until years from now, he explained. For Akesbi, the upgrading of state-owned enterprises is not realistic. He said, The public sector is defined on the basis of political criteria. It is not conditioned by the logic of profitability, efficiency and wealth growth. This is the case for the high-speed rail project by the Moroccan National Railways Office, for example a project that will never be profitable as it has a political dimension. The railway project was signed between Morocco and France following an official visit by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Morocco in 2007, after the failure of negotiations between Paris and Rabat over the kingdom's acquisition of French Rafale fighter jets. The start of the projects works stirred protests demanding the cancellation of this rail project not needed by Morocco. The government objective that privatizations would aim to increase the level of foreign direct investments is sought to improve Morocco's international competitiveness and supply the Moroccan stock with currency. An ambitious goal, of which Akesbi is skeptical. Foreign investors generally make sure to render their investments profitable within 2 to 3 years after the acquisition of the assets. After that, they would resort to bank loans from local commercial banks. This was the case with CEO of Samir refinery Mohammed al Amoudi, who not only ruined the refinery industry in Morocco but led Moroccan banks into a huge financial chasm, he said. Addressing this concern, Elalamy said, No distinction will be made between Moroccan and foreign investors in terms of future privatizations. One question remains, however. Will La Mamounia Hotel and Tahaddart power plant follow Samir refinerys suit when the state disposes of its shares in these two companies? RAMALLAH, West Bank Stories about al-Badawi olive tree, the oldest olive tree in Palestine, emerge with every olive season, as people debate its age and how long it can live. The tree is located in the village of al-Walaja, 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Bethlehem, and extends over roughly 250 square meters (2.7 square feet), is 12 meters (39 feet) high and has a trunk that measures 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter. Despite the lack of accurate scientific information about its age, both the owner and guardian of the tree and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture estimate that it is 4,000-5,000 years old. News articles and academic papers often describe it as the oldest olive tree in Palestine and one of the oldest in the world. In 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture appointed Salah Abu Ali, who is the owner of the land where the tree is located, as the guardian of the tree. Abu Ali calls it the Mother of all Olive Trees and compares it to a queen surrounded by soldiers, because it is surrounded by smaller olive trees. Abu Ali told Al-Monitor that the tree was named after Ahmad al-Badawi, a 13th-century Sufi imam who is said to have spent many hours sitting in the shade of the tree. Some refer to it as the tree of our master Ahmad al-Badawi. Every morning, Abu Ali, who lives in al-Walaja village, makes his way to the farm where the tree is located, about 500 meters (0.3 mile) from his house. He admits that he has grown fond of the tree over the last nine years. It has become part of my life. I am proud to guard and fertilize it and clean its soil. I welcome tourists and students who come to visit it and offer them coffee, he said. The tree has become one of the most prominent landmarks in the city of Bethlehem and Palestine." Abu Ali said that the monthly salary of 1,500 Israeli shekels ($406) he receives is low, but that he is proud of guarding this national treasure and he would not quit the job. Some years this tree has produced 600 kilograms [1,323 pounds] of olive oil. This year, however, it only produced 250 kilograms [551 pounds, due to lack of rain], he said. According to Abu Ali, the tree has been part of many social rites over the years. Locals say that Sufis performed their rituals in its shade. Before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, it was also a place where religious vows were performed, babies were circumcised and food distributed to the poor. There is a superstition whereby locals collect seven olive leaves of the tree believing that these leaves would ward off envy. Oil extracted from the leaves is also said to cure diseases. This is why the residents of the village would help pick olives in the harvest season. However, many of these practices have disappeared over time. This harvest season, which kicked off Oct. 12, the olive pickings relied solely on Abu Ali and a few others who helped him out. Abu Ali said the tree has become a popular tourist attraction as the residents of Bethlehem and the West Bank visit it and spend time in its shade. Foreign tourists also visit the tree and some organize spring festivals around it. According to researcher and novelist Osama al-Issa, al-Badawi olive tree faces several challenges. The most crucial one is the drought, which caused the nearby Ein al-Juweizah spring to dry up. Spring rains provide water, but the artesian wells that the Israeli authorities have dug in the area cause the groundwater to flow into them. Issa told Al-Monitor, The Ein al-Juweizah spring used to be the main water source for the tree. The spring is connected to a nearby tunnel discovered in the 19th century. It is one of the largest water tunnels in rural Palestine; it is 220 meters long and is estimated to be 3,000 years old. It used to provide water to the area, but this is no longer the case. The exact age of the tree is unknown. Ramez Obaid, director of the Olive Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, told Al-Monitor that the ministry wants to bring in a team of international experts who would carry out research and analysis to determine the exact age of the tree. Al-Badawi tree of the Nabali Baladi variety is one of the oldest olive trees in Palestine, but we do not have accurate information about its age. Although the tree is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, no official scientific research has been conducted, Obaid said. He added, We are trying to provide the necessary funding to implement the project and determine the real age of the tree, and this research will take a long time. The olive tree is alive and its cells are renewable, so the technique needed to determine its age would be different than that used to determine the age of fossils." The Palestinian Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, has been preparing a file on al-Badawi olive tree for submission to UNESCO, to have it included on the World Heritage List. Amani al-Junaidi, the director of the National Heritage Register at the Ministry of Culture, told Al-Monitor that the file they are working on focuses on the social, cultural, economic, technical and popular customs that is, the intangible heritage surrounding the tree. It will also include the olive tree culture of Palestine, in agriculture, in the arts and in popular culture, such as songs and proverbs. Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units, aiming to cement a presence in the country's government and security institutions, has persuaded incumbent Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to ensure salaries for its fighters. The PMU is a coalition of mostly Shiite armed groups in Iraq, many of them close to Iran, that fought the Islamic State alongside Iraqi forces. PMU leaders sent requests Nov. 6 to Abdul Mahdi, complaining about budget allocations for the PMU. That same day, Abdul Mahdis government decided to place PMU salaries on the same scale as those of Iraq's police and armed forces. With that, the PMU achieved not only a structured pay plan, but an acknowledgement of its standing with the new government. The PMU hadn't been so successful during the mandate of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, with whom it had a history of tense relations and salary disputes. Abadi dismissed PMU leader Faleh al-Fayadh on Aug. 30, before Fayadh's term ended. But an Iraqi administrative court suspended Abadi's decision after the PMU lobbied for Fayadh's return. With their successful bid to procure financial guarantees, PMU political forces within the Fatah Alliance are now seeking more political gains in the new government by securing the interior minister position for Fayadh. Fayadh has Iran's backing and is Abdul Mahdi's choice, but influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has vetoed his selection. Abdul Hadi Saadawi, a parliament member from the State of Law Coalition, told Al-Monitor, The PMU factions gain of financial privileges and full salaries for the fighters in the 2019 draft budget indicates that they hold more political power with Abdul Mahdi. The latter heralded his mandate with a meeting with PMU leaders and voiced support for them. Saadawi added, The stance of the new prime minister in supporting the PMU is reasonable in the political equation. The PMU will topple the [prime minister] if he tries to weaken them or jeopardize them. Abdul Mahdi is well aware of the need to avoid angering the factions and ensuring good ties with them to continue his electoral mandate and make it successful. Firas Zwein, an economic affairs specialist at the Justice Ministry, told Al-Monitor that two factors helped settle the issue of the PMUs financial allocations: "Abdul Mahdis need for the PMUs weight in completing the cabinet, [thereby] ensuring its continuity and [the PMU's] support for its decisions; and public calls, especially from Shiites, to be fair to fighters who defended the country, most of whom hail from the center and south, where protests are occurring over a lack of services. However, the prime minister might face a particularly large hurdle, Zwein said. "[His] talk about seeking financial sources to ensure the full salaries of the PMU fighters indicates a lack of sustainable funding sources. It is true oil prices have increased, but oil is a volatile asset that cannot be trusted. For now, the government has apparently succeeded in overcoming the funding obstacle. PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi told Al-Monitor, "[Abdul Mahdi] decided to allocate funds from the emergency budget to pay the salaries of PMU members until the process is regulated permanently. This is the way salaries of the army, police and security institution members are paid, and consequently the PMU, which has officially become part of these institutions. He told Al-Monitor, The PMU supports Abdul Mahdis government because he was fair to the fighters and granted them their rights, unlike the previous government. The PMU and its political forces are supporting the government in return, and have no intention of seeing it fail. Hanin al-Qado, a member of the Fatah Alliance, also believes Abdul Mahdi's decision holds political meaning because it [makes] the PMU an official security element." He added, "The US and its allies in the region are not comfortable with this move because they consider the PMU factions sectarian and affiliated with Iran." Qado described the decision to ensure the PMU salaries as of Jan. 1 as a form of autonomy and rejection of any foreign meddling or regional pressure. The United States might have unwittingly helped Abdul Mahdi and PMU leaders reach a consensus. The US State Department recently tweeted that Iran "must respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government and permit the disarming, demobilization, and reintegration of Shia militias. The tweet stirred angry criticism from Iraq's Foreign Ministry, which issued a statement Nov. 3 rejecting "interference in Iraqs internal affairs, especially domestic security reform. A spokesperson for the PMU faction Asaeb Ahl al-Haq said, Washington and others attempts to stir strife between the factions and the PMU will only strengthen the trust between the PMU, the government and the other political forces. Abdul Mahdi will be able to complete his cabinet, especially as the PMU factions are ready to fight terrorism on the borders and enhance internal security if the prime minister asks them to. Abdul Mahdi will then be able to allocate time to manage other crises in the country. Qatar on Nov. 1 praised US President Donald Trumps advocacy for a cease-fire in Yemen and called for new UN peace talks to end the Yemen war. In an official statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry described US calls for peace in Yemen as an encouraging step toward a political solution and an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people. Although this statement is consistent with Qatars official rhetoric on Yemen since Doha was expelled from the Saudi-led military coalition in June 2017, allies of embattled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have criticized the Qatari Foreign Ministrys remarks. Adnan al-Audani, the head of the Information and Culture Department of the Hadi-aligned Islah Party, released a statement that condemned Qatar for its support of Houthi rebels and accused Doha of backing Irans expansionist ambitions in the Middle East. While Audani is just the latest in a long line of officials and analysts to describe Qatar as a state ally of the Houthis, Dohas position on Yemen is much more nuanced than these allegations suggest. Since the Houthis first emerged as a political force in 2004, Qatar has capitalized on political instability in Yemen to bolster its influence over the countrys internal affairs. Qatars power projection capacity in Yemen was revealed when it mediated a resolution to six months of hostilities between Houthi rebels and Yemeni government forces in June 2008 and actively supported the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in February 2012. Although Qatar officially sidelined its independent ambitions in Yemen after it normalized relations with its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rivals in November 2014, Dohas desire for increased influence in Yemen has resurfaced in recent months. To facilitate the Yemen conflicts transition to a peace settlement and increase Dohas leverage in Yemen, Qatar has actively obstructed the Saudi-led coalitions military activities by balancing close relations with Houthi and Islah factions. Since the inception of the Saudi-led blockade against Qatar last June, Doha has been accused of providing material and moral support to Houthi rebels. The first example of Qatars alleged financial support for the Houthis was revealed in August 2017 when Egyptian media outlet Egypt Today claimed that Qatar donated $1 million in aid for reconstruction purposes to Saada, which was diverted to Houthi forces. Qatars subsequent provisions of $20 million in humanitarian assistance to rebel-held regions of Yemen in April 2018 caused additional controversy, as the Houthis have been accused of illicitly using revenues from their occupation of Hodeidah to fund military operations. While allegations of Qatari financial assistance to Houthi rebels are admittedly based on circumstantial evidence, Dohas critics in the Arab world have stridently condemned Qatari state media coverage of Houthi military activities. Abdulsalam Mohammed, chairman of the Abaad Studies Research Center, told Al-Monitor that Qatari media outlets have ignored the retreat of Houthi forces from western Hodeidah and try to divert attention to Yemens humanitarian crisis when Houthi forces are weak. Mohammed stated that this coverage is aimed at pressuring the Saudi-led coalition to implement a cease-fire in Yemen, as this outcome would allow the Houthis to upgrade their positions in Hodeidah and restart the war from a position of strength. Allegations of Qatari financial assistance to the Houthis and Dohas sympathetic media coverage of Houthi forces in Hodeidah have led to the proliferation of anti-Qatar conspiracy theories across the Arab world. Yemeni political analyst Najib Ghallab spread alarm about a Qatar-Houthi alliance, as he alleged in July 2017 that Qatar has colluded with Iran to save the Houthis from defeat, and gave 10,000 Qatari riyals to each freed Houthi prisoner who occupied Sanaa in 2014. Five months later, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accused Qatar of mediating on behalf of the Houthis after the organization broke ties with Saleh on Dec. 3, 2017. To defend itself from allegations of improper cooperation between Qatar and the Houthis, Doha has made extensive use of plausible deniability in its official statements pertaining to this issue. Qatars Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah stated in July 2017 that Doha joined the Arab coalition to defend Saudi Arabias borders and did not provide assistance to individual Yemeni factions. Policymakers in Doha also stridently condemned the May 3 arrest of Qatari national Mohsen Saleh Saadoun al-Karbi by Yemeni police forces for allegedly funneling military assistance to the Houthis via Oman. Qatars vigorous denials of support for Houthi expansion have fallen on deaf ears in much of the Arab world but are positively received by some Islah factions in southern Yemen. Qatar established a robust alliance with the Islah movement during the 2011-12 Yemen protests, as Doha sought to replace Salehs authoritarian regime with an Islamist government. Qatars alliance with Islah persisted at a semi-official level until December 2017, when Islah party chairman Mohammed al-Yidoumi thawed the groups relationship with the UAE and attempted to detach the Islah rank and file from Qatars clutches. In spite of Yidoumis efforts, some Islah members in southern Yemen remained loyal to Qatar and continued to undercut the UAEs power projection ambitions in the region. Summer Ahmed, a political analyst who works closely with the Southern Movement, told Al-Monitor that Qatar continues to fund Islah religious clerics and aid organizations who view Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakul Karman as their figurehead. According to Ahmed, these clerics and organizations are willing to publicly reveal their sponsorship from Qatar in spite of Islahs pro-Saudi orientation and have participated in military campaigns in southern Yemen alongside extremist networks like al-Qaeda. The Southern Transitional Council has also linked Qatar-backed Islah factions to acts of violence, like the wave of drive-by shootings and roadside bomb blasts that rocked Aden in July. While these allegations have been dismissed by pro-Qatar voices as a product of the Southern Movements pro-UAE orientation, public expressions of solidarity with Qatar amongst prominent Islah members in Taiz, like Mohammed al-Maqrami, suggests that the organization maintains residual ties with Doha. Although Qatar has been accused by its GCC rivals of destabilizing Yemen, Dohas alignments with Houthi and Islah rebels are carefully calibrated, as Qatar wants to stymie the Saudi-led coalitions military campaign without derailing prospects of a Yemeni peace settlement. The GCC coalitions decision to implement a temporary cease-fire in Hodeidah could allow Qatar to reap the rewards of its balancing strategy, and reassert itself as a major stakeholder in Yemen in the months to come. An unannounced policy by the Saudi government has made millions of Palestinians unable to travel to Saudi Arabia for the hajj, umrah (the non-mandatory, lesser pilgrimage) or work. Over the past two months, Saudi consular officials have informed Jordanian travel agencies servicing hajj and umrah tourism that the kingdom will no longer accept visa applications for individuals with temporary travel documents. The decision affects hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in Jerusalem, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan who have temporary passports but no national identification numbers. Al-Monitor viewed text messages from Saudi consular officials based in Amman, Jordan, to travel agents instructing them not to submit applications from persons with temporary documents. Saudi officials in Amman have refused comment on the issue to the media. Kamal Abu Diab, secretary of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents, told Al-Monitor that he had been told by the Saudis to inform all travel agents not to submit applications from individuals who are not full citizens of an Arab country and who do not have a legitimate national ID number. We informed the Ministry of Islamic Waqf and the Foreign Ministry, which have been working hard to resolve this problem, Abu Diab said, adding that the ban affects some 200 travel agencies that have worked with Palestinians in Jordan, Jerusalem and Israel. Yahya Abu Amor owns Al-Tawasol, a Jerash-based company that provides services to members of the large community of Palestinians of Gaza origin who live in that district north of Amman. There are 160,000 Palestinians holding Jordanian passports without a national ID whom we work with, said Abu Amor, who also noted that some 5,000 Palestinians from Jordan typically took part in the hajj and umrah annually, but no longer can. Just after the hajj season was over in August, we were told not to include any person without a national ID in the umrah season, which began Oct. 15. The umrah season normally begins at the end of the hajj season. In 2018, the hajj ended Aug. 21, with the celebration of Eid al-Adha. A Jerusalem resident who requested anonymity for fear of retribution told Al-Monitor that after six rounds of interviews with a leading French company, he had landed a senior-level position in Saudi Arabia in March. He was able to work there for a while, but since September, he has been unable to obtain a visa to return to Saudi Arabia because he has a temporary Jordanian passport without a national ID number. He said there are thousands of Jerusalemites like him, stuck in a legal limbo waiting for a change in policy to allow them to return to their jobs. The Jordanian government has shifted into high gear to try to resolve the problem. A high-level delegation from the Islamic Waqf and Foreign ministries flew to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 4 for talks, said Jordan's waqf minister, Abdel Naser Abu Basel, but the matter remains unresolved. Jordan has since stepped up its protest by going public about the issue. Eye on Jerusalem, a weekly program on Jordan TV, dedicated its Nov. 12 broadcast to the Saudi policy. Appearing on the show, Yehia Sud, head of the Palestinian Affairs Committee in the Jordanian parliament, said the Saudi decision affects nearly 4 million Palestinians and questioned the political motivation behind the decisions. He said that by denying Palestinians visas, the Saudis were pushing those in Jerusalem to apply for Israeli citizenship and for Palestinian refugees in Jordan to be permanently settled in the Hashemite kingdom. Appearing on the same program, Talab Abu Arar, an Israeli Knesset member from the predominantly Arab Joint List, said the policy takes Palestinian citizens of Israel back to the time when their religious rights were denied. He said that between 1948 and 1978, they were not allowed to travel to perform the hajj. In coordination with Saudi Arabia and after obtaining approval from the Arab League, Jordan's King Hussein provided Muslims of Israel with temporary passports in 1978, Abu Arar said. Nearly 2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel were thus able to make the hajj or umrah that year. Abu Arar, who belongs to the Islamic Movement in Israel, said he believes the decision aims at forcing Israeli Muslims to fly directly from Ben Gurion International Airport to Saudi Arabia using their Israeli passports rather than traveling by land and using temporary Jordanian passports. Haaretz had reported in July 2017 on the idea of Muslims in Israel traveling directly to Saudi Arabia by plane from Ben Gurion. Information about the current Saudi visa ban began to trickle out in late August, shortly after the end of the hajj season. Meanwhile, Israeli Transport Minister Israel Katz on Sept. 11 applauded what he called the initiative of US President Donald Trump regarding the issue of Palestinian refugees. Trump ended US funding for the UN agency aiding Palestinian refugees. Katz said the Palestinian refugee problem in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq would be good to disappear from the world. Muhammad Kheir Musa, a Palestinian columnist, wrote on the Arabi21 website that the cancellation of visas is part of Trump's ultimate deal, with help from Saudi Arabia. Americans and Israelis have publicly spoken about their hopes that the Saudis can provide help in any future peace deal with Palestinians. This is a crime against those who want to practice hajj and umrah, a crime against Mecca and Medina, a crime against Palestine and a crime against Palestinian refugees, Musa wrote Sept. 21. The unilateral decision of the Saudi government must be addressed both bilaterally between Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as multilaterally, within the context of the Arab League, to resolve pan-Arab issues, especially those that deal with Palestine. CAIRO Egypts Arab Contractors is currently conducting a feasibility study on the Stiegler's Gorge hydroelectric power station on the Rufiji River in Tanzania after head of Arab Contractors Mohsen Salah announced Oct. 22 that the company had been awarded the design and construction contract of the power station. Egypt is taking part in the project as part of its plan to support development in the Nile riparian states, and the Tanzanian government deems it as one of the most important national power generation projects. Presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said that the companys official announcement came after a telephone call Oct. 21 between Tanzanian President John Magufuli and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. During the call, Magufuli invited Sisi to lay the foundation stone of the Tanzanian dam and supervise the dam similarly to any national project in Egypt. Sisi, according to Radi, said the project will serve as a model of cooperation between African countries. The Stieglers Gorge dam is located on the 600-kilometer-long (373-mile) Rufiji River, which entirely lies within Tanzania. It is expected to generate 2,100 megawatt (MW) and will be of great benefit to Tanzania's energy sector, which currently produces 1,357 MW and covers only 32.8% of the needs of 57.3 million people living in Tanzania. On May 22, the Tanzanian parliament discussed the negative effects of the dam on the environment and an official in the Tanzanian vice president's office threatened anyone who opposes the dam with time in prison. Abbas Sharaki, a professor of water resources and geology at Cairo University's Institute of African Studies and Research, told Al-Monitor, Egypts participation in infrastructure projects in the Nile upstream states such as the Stiegler dam in Tanzania will have a positive impact on Egyptian interests in such states. Not only will it maintain water security in the headwaters of the Nile River but it will also create new horizons for Egyptian investments and new markets for Egyptian products. He said, The Egyptian presence in the Nile upstream states can be translated into a number of strategic projects capable of boosting Egyptian interests and helping the country benefit from huge water resources for the cultivation of rainfed crops. Due to water scarcity, Egypt has been failing to expand the cultivation of crops such as rice." Tanzania is an important Nile upstream state. It is one of the main countries bordering Lake Victoria, which provides the Nile with about 15% of its annual supply. It also has abundant water resources exceeding 110 million cubic meters (3,885 cubic feet) of renewable surface water and groundwater per year. Water cooperation with Tanzania paves the way for projects that would increase the Nile Rivers water supply and raise Egypt's share of this supply, Sharaki added. In 2010, tension between Egypt and the Nile upstream states mounted after the latter signed the Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework, also known as the Entebbe Agreement. Egypt rejected the agreement at the time due to three controversial issues. First, the agreement failed to recognize Egypt's historical rights and shares in the Nile River. Second, it stipulated that decisions shall be approved by a majority rather than unanimity, and this is a matter of concern for Egypt, which believes such an item could be used against it, being a downstream state. Third, the agreement failed to recognize the condition of prior notice before the construction of any projects along the river. While Tanzania was the first signatory to the agreement on May 14, 2010, Cairo decided to freeze its membership in the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) in June 2010, in protest against the agreement. NBI is an intergovernmental partnership of 10 Nile Basin countries, and the agreement has been discussed under its umbrella, hence Egypts decision to freeze its membership therein. The Tanzanian parliament finalized on March 26, 2015, the ratification of the agreement but solutions regarding Egypts freeze are yet to be found. The tough stances voiced by the Nile upstream states against Egyptian interests in the Nile Basin have always been justified by official reports, whereby Egypt gets the lion's share of the rivers water supply 55.5 billion cubic meters (1,960 cubic feet) annually. Such reports also suggest that Egypt opposes any projects aimed at exploiting the river and developing upstream states. There is currently an ongoing debate over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam due to Ethiopias unilateral decision to embark on its construction without notifying Egypt in advance. An Egyptian diplomatic official familiar with the Nile water issue told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, We have put forth several initiatives aimed at solving the existing differences over the Entebbe Agreement and facilitating Egypt's return to the NBI, but negotiations remain complicated at the two technical and legal levels. He said, The Egyptian companys participation in the construction of such a paramount dam in Tanzania is a strong message that reflects Egypt's support for upstream countries based on the principle of mutual interests and the no-harm rule. It also aims to oppose allegations whereby Egypt is not interested in the development of the Nile riparian states or is exploiting the Nile resources alone." Ahmed Bahaa, the head of the Nile Water Sector at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, told Al-Monitor, Egypt has been involved in supporting the construction of dams in the Nile riparian states since the 1940s in the context of joint understandings and based on the prior notice rule. For example, Egypt has contributed financially and technically to the establishment of the Owen Falls Dam in Uganda in 1953. Accordingly, a permanent Egyptian irrigation mission was sent that year to the Owen Falls area to oversee the operation of the dam and Lake Victorias water flow. This mission is still there to date. Bahaa added, There are also joint projects with South Sudan to build the Wau hydroelectric power generation project, as well as other dam projects aimed at exploiting rainwater in Uganda and Tanzania." Cairo is required to embark on intensive diplomatic actions while aiming for a political dialogue that would complement the Arab Contractors' role in building the Stiegler Dam in Tanzania and would positively impact Egyptian interests in the Nile Basin. Such a dialogue would be aimed at ensuring that Tanzania and other upstream states adopt positions that favor Egypts return to the NBI and the resolution of legal and institutional disputes regarding the Nile River water management. ANKARA Turkey and Russia marked the completion of a natural gas pipeline under the Black Sea with a short ceremony in Istanbul Monday attended by their presidents. TurkStream is a historic project and we put in a lot of effort to realize it, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said of the twin pipelines that run 930 kilometers (580 miles) from the Russian port of Anapa to the coastal village of Kiyikoy in northwest Turkey. When the onshore work is completed by the end of next year, the pipelines will deliver 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. At a time when US President Donald Trump is scolding European countries for their dependency on Russian energy, Turkey has no qualms about increasing its purchase of natural gas from its big neighbor to the north. Countries decisions on how to obtain natural gas according to their circumstances must be respected, Erdogan said in a clear reference to Trump. Pressure, which violates sovereign rights and prevents states from serving their citizens, will benefit no one. Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told the audience in the Istanbul Congress Center that the one pipeline will deliver 15.75 billion cubic meters for Turkeys own consumption. The other will deliver an equal amount to customers in the Balkans and further afield. The gas coming from the first pipeline can provide for the consumption of 15 million houses per year, Donmez said. We used to get gas via Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. Sometimes we had technical problems on the way but now, with the new pipeline, the distance will be shorter and we do not expect to have any technical difficulties with the supply, the minister added. After making short speeches in which they complimented each other, Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin stood together on the auditorium stage and spoke via video link to the Turkish and Russian chief engineers in the control room where the pipelines come ashore in Kiyikoy. The next stage of the project is to build the overland pipelines to Luleburgaz, a town 65 kilometers (41 miles) to the southwest. In Luleburgaz, the Turkish pipeline will be connected to the national grid, while the other pipeline will proceed either west to Greece or northwest to Bulgaria. The route of the extension has not yet been determined, and it is the decision of the Russian corporate supplier Gazprom. On Monday, Putin said that after Luleburgaz, the second pipeline would go to east and southern Europe. Donmez said Turkey would earn transit fees from the second pipeline. Putin announced that Russia would build TurkStream after a summit in Ankara in 2014. Gazprom began construction in May last year. The project followed years of tension between Moscow and Kiev over supplies of natural gas to western Europe via Ukraine. Russian supplies amounted to 51.8% of Turkeys total imports of natural gas in 2017, according to the official Anadolu Agency. It is unclear as to how much this percentage will rise when the first TurkStream pipeline comes online as it will replace an existing pipeline. Separately on Monday, a pro-Erdogan columnist in the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper published another purported account, captured by Turkish intelligence, of what happened to Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul Oct. 2. Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government who went into exile last year, had gone to the consulate to collect a document necessary for his pending marriage to a Turkish woman. He was never seen again. After 18 days of denial, the Riyadh government admitted that Khashoggi had been killed in what it described as a botched operation intended to bring him back to Saudi Arabia. The columnist, Abdulkadir Selvi, said a recording of Khashoggis interrogation revealed his interlocutors had demanded that he send a message to his son Salah in Saudi Arabia. Selvi claimed the interrogators told Khashoggi to send the message, otherwise we will take you to Saudi Arabia. Selvi did not reveal how he came to know the contents of the recording, but he is known for his extensive government contacts. He speculated the interrogators wanted Salah Khashoggi to receive a message because they planned to kill his father and they wanted his family to believe that Jamal had not been harmed in the consulate. Khashoggi refused to send the message in an exchange that became a shouting match. His interrogators put a bag over his head and strangled him, Selvi wrote. Numerous accounts of what Turkish intelligence recorded in the consulate have been published. Turkey says it has given copies or transcripts of the recordings to several Western governments, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany. But it has not released any recordings to the media. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said Turkey would release the whole file once its prosecutors had finished their investigation. In large part because of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011, today there are 3,585,738 Syrians in Turkey, according to official numbers. As a result of the war, Kurds and Turkmens sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. All Syrian ethnic groups flowed into Turkey save for Syrian Armenians. This attracted the attention of journalist Serdar Korucu, who has been doing research into refugee communities along the border. Korucu told Al-Monitor last week that when he saw there were practically no Armenians among the refugees, he told himself, This cant just be because of the low ratio of Armenians to the overall Syrian population. There has to be another reason. While looking into the issue, he met a Syrian Armenian in Turkey and asked her, When Turkey is so close, why are Syrian Armenians not coming there? She told him, Yes, Turkeys border is very close, but in real life it is too remote from us. Korucu attributes the distance separating the two peoples as what is often referred to in Turkey as the 1915 incidents," or the Armenian Genocide by Armenians. Syrian Armenians were the ones who fled to Aleppo from Anatolia about 100 years ago. Their genocide memories are so fresh they decided not to come to Turkey, Korucu said. The memories of genocide caused Armenians to opt for more difficult and dangerous travels instead of going to Turkey, he said, adding that some went to Lebanon, some to Armenia and those who could traveled to Western countries. Korucu spoke with 22 Syrian Armenians, 21 of whom had settled in Armenia. Korucu published the interviews in a book, whose title could be translated as Those Absent from Aleppo. Manuel Khesisyan of Aleppo told him, I was born in Aleppo. My father was born while escaping the genocide. My mother was also born in Aleppo. We constantly listened to their sagas of the genocide. We know what our father and grandfather told us. One and a half million Armenians were killed. There is our Maras [in southeast Turkey]. Our grandchildren should know that we had our homeland and we were expelled from it. All those who spoke with him had memories similar to Khesisyan's. They all had listened to the memories and testimonies of their grandparents who were deported from Anatolia in 1915, about the life-risking travel they underwent to arrive in Syria, how they lost so many people during their escape and how they then established their lives in Aleppo. Referring to the raging war in Syria, Korucu said that 100 years after the genocide, this community received another hard blow. Saghik Rastgelenian, now in Yerevan, Armenia, spoke of the chain of disasters he had to cope with. He told Korucu, As Armenians our lives are full of adventures and tragedies as if this is our destiny. I used to participate in April 24 observances [Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day]. They were very painful. But that pain reminds us that we are also strong. Lena Shamliyanise Serdar spoke with Korucu in Yerevan and told him, This ongoing Syrian war is our second genocide. My grandfather lived through the first genocide when they escaped to Syria from Urfa in 1915. Shamliyanise tried to explain to Korucu why she spoke of a second genocide: The debate on genocide in Syria was not the massacres targeting Armenians but Yazidis. Until they were saved by the Kurdish YPG [People's Protection Units] what Yazidis suffered under the IS [Islamic State] was labeled as genocide by the research commission set up by UN Human Rights Council. Why do some Aleppo Armenians call their experiences genocide after they have become families settled in Aleppo? That is the trauma of the original genocide. Armenians had the same experience during the Sept. 6-7, 1955, Istanbul pogrom. Istanbul Armenians lived through this pogrom, which actually targeted the Istanbul Greeks, but they believed they were facing a new genocide. Could the possible life-or-death choice of avoiding Turkey while trying to escape death in Syria be just the product of memory? Korucu said other factors are also involved, saying, Syrian Armenians think that if they come to Turkey they will be mistreated because they are Armenians. One of them I spoke with in Yerevan said, When they ask my identity in Turkey, I give different answers. Instead of saying I am a Syrian or an Armenian, I respond, depending on my mood, I am Lebanese or I am Bulgarian. There is no resentment of Lebanese in Turkey because they are not coming to stay. But Syrians have bad image. I was trying to avoid that. There is only one unnamed interviewee in the book, a Syrian Catholic Armenian who chose to stay in Turkey; Korucu said she represents the mindset and prevailing mood of Syrian Armenians. I have been working with refugees since 2013. I interviewed hundreds of them in Turkey but never encountered the hesitation, the tension I saw in this Armenian woman I spoke with at Antakya, Korucu said. State officials on Monday announced the next round of environmental enhancement projects to receive funding related to the 2010 BP oil spill. With the new projects, Alabama has funded 32 restoration efforts or land purchases. The state has spent $195 million of the $356 million allotted to it through a $2.54 billion settlement granted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Louisiana received the lions share of the settlement, at $1.2 billion, with the other Gulf states receiving equal portions. For years, Alabama lagged about $100 million behind other states in allocating money toward restoration projects. Officials in the Bentley administration privately blamed the governor, saying he refused to put the money toward restoration in the hope that federal officials would spend federal money on Alabamas environment instead. It was unclear what Bentleys strategy was, in that this particular funding stream can only be used for the environment, not pet projects like the hotel that Bentley championed. The former governor finally began to loosen the purse springs on the NFWF funding as his sex scandal spun out of control, but even then state still lagged far behind other Gulf states in spending BP money on the environment. Flash forward to a few years of the Ivey Administration, and Alabama has now spent more money on restoration projects than any state except Louisiana. The new projects include additional funding for artificial reef construction and habitat enhancement, wetland creation in multiple locations on both sides of Mobile Bay, the restoration of Deer Rivers declining marshes (which were mostly destroyed by the creation of the Theodore Industrial Canal), fisheries monitoring and enhancement, and continued restoration of the Lightning Point area around Bayou La Batre. Several of these projects are slated for the priority conservation areas highlighted by AL.com in 2015 in the How the Secrets Were Spilled project. Perhaps the most important and long sought of the new projects includes the purchase and restoration of 236 acres of marsh along the Fort Morgan peninsula. That land includes an area known as the Three Rivers parcel. The area is also known as the fan, due to the marsh areas resemblance to a Victorian era hand held fan. This marsh features numerous bayous that cut through hundreds of acres of saltmarsh. Due to the proximity to the mouth of the bay and the Gulf, it remains a particularly vibrant and diverse marsh. It is also critically important to migrating birds. Here are descriptions of the new projects provided by the state: Alabama 2018 Projects Include: Alabama Artificial Reef and Habitat Enhancement Plan Phase II $22.5 million This project will build on phase I of the plan to construct and enhance artificial reef habitat in Alabamas coastal waters. Alabama's artificial reef system provides habitat for economically important reef fishes and provides a marine environment, allowing fish populations to flourish. Over time, subsidence, storm damage, and other factors have caused deterioration of many of the states existing artificial reefs. Phase II of the project aims to continue to increase connectivity between habitats used by fish in early and adult life through creation or enhancement of inshore, nearshore, and offshore reef habitats. Analysis of phase I response monitoring suggests increases in the abundance of red snapper on artificial reefs post deployment. Future analysis will include examination of responses in biomass, other species of interest, and the overall marine community. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Acquisition Three Rivers Parcel - $4.4 million This project will acquire and restore 236 acres of estuarine and forested shrub wetlands on Fort Morgan Peninsula. The parcel is within the acquisition boundary of the Little Point Clear Unit of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR), bordered on the east, west, and north by Bon Secour Bay. Following acquisition, the property will be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to become part of the BSNWR. Habitats within this unit consist of scrub/shrub, pine flatwoods, saltwater marsh, and tidal creeks, scattered with permanent and semi-permanent wetlands. Fort Morgan Peninsula is under significant and consistent threat of commercial and residential development that would result in loss of habitat and negatively impact living coastal and marine resources. Bon Secour River Headwater Restoration Phase I - $1.5 million This project will complete engineering and design plans for creating wetlands to treat urban runoff impacting downstream fisheries. The constructed wetlands will address nutrient, sediment and debris flow to improve habitat quality in the lower Bon Secour River and Bon Secour Bay, which historically has included south Alabamas most significant and productive shellfish habitats and nursery areas for juvenile finfish. This section of the Bon Secour River encompasses major headwaters and the main channel of the Bon Secour River immediately downstream from the City of Foley. Rapid development of the City over the past two decades has contributed signficant nutrient and sediment loading to the Bon Secour River and Bay, with adverse effects to downstream fisheries. Under the proposal, the City will acquire 94 acres of undeveloped property along the Bon Secour River to construct the stormwater wetlands. Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration: Engineering & Design $250,000 This project will fund the engineering and design of breakwaters to enhance, protect, and improve resiliency of marsh and oyster habitat adjacent to the Dauphin Island Causeway. Erosive forces, like tidal action, wave energy, and storms, provide a constant threat to the coastal habitats in this area. Productive wetland habitat has been lost along the Bay side of the Causeway, stimulating the Alabama Department of Transportation to install and rely upon riprap revetment to protect the low-lying transportation corridor. The goal of the project is to stabilize the shoreline along the Bay side of the Dauphin Island Causeway and to create/enhance aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats in the region. The project will serve as leverage for a companion proposal submitted to the National Coastal Resiliency Fund. Deer River Coastal Marsh Stabilization and Restoration Phase I - $750,000 This project will complete engineering & design plans to stabilize and restore the shoreline and intertidal salt marsh at the mouth of Deer River, adjacent to the Theodore Industrial Canal and Mobile Bay. Intertidal marsh at the mouth of Deer River has experienced significant deterioration and loss of natural function due to erosion from heavy storms, tides, and ship wakes. In the past two decades, approximately nine acres of productive intertidal marshland and shoreline have been lost. These habitats buffer wave energy and storm surges, protecting the shoreline as well as neighboring upland and wetland habitats, preserving the long-term sustainability of the ecological services they provide. Once designed and constructed, this project will stabilize and enhance up to 5,600 feet of shoreline on Mobile Bay necessary to protect and enhance over 275 acres of existing priority coastal saltmarsh, along with the potential to create additional marsh habitat. Lightning Point Restoration Project Phase II $16.5 million This project is the construction phase of a GEBF-funded engineering and design project to construct approximately 28 acres of coastal marsh and 1.5 miles of breakwaters at the mouth of the Bayou La Batre River. Restoration activities will also help protect the newly acquired 127 acres of coastal habitat in the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust program and City of Bayou La Batre. Over time, the breakwaters are expected to develop into reefs that provide habitat for fish and shellfish. Consisting of more than 2 miles of nearly contiguous undeveloped waterfront, the project area provides a critical interface between land and water. These conservation lands are comprised of coastal marshes, upland buffers, and intertidal habitats that serve as nursery habitat for coastal finfish and shellfish. The area is also home to many threatened and endangered species, including the West Indian manatee and Gulf sturgeon. Multifacted Fisheries and Ecosystem Monitoring in Alabamas Marine Water and the Gulf of Mexico $2.4 million This project will expand the temporal and spatial coverage for monitoring the long-term sustainability and recovery of marine resources into its fifth and final year. Alabamas Marine Resources Division will work collaboratively with Florida and Mississippi state resource agencies, the University of South Alabama, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to continue to implement standardized fishery independent and dependent surveys for broad scale data. Data from fishery independent studies will provide rates and indices of population level parameters for future stock assessments. Fishery dependent work will include blue crab and recreational finfish data collection. Restoration of the North Side of Dauphin Island Phase I - $329,000 The activity outside the front door of an Alabama polling place on Election Day can be annoying, and sometimes intimidating. The state, unlike most of its contemporaries in the South, allows electioneering a mere 30 feet from the entrance doors outside a polling place. And because of a tighter campaign free zone, its not uncommon to see small gatherings and tailgates hosted by political candidates taking place in nearby parking lots as voting is in full tilt. Those days could be coming to an end. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, in an interview last week with AL.com, said he believes the states 30-foot requirement for electioneering needs to be reconsidered. We have one of the most liberal laws in the nation at 30 feet, said Merrill. We think that needs to be addressed. Alabamas law is much more laxed than in most Southern states, where 100-foot distances are required in Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas and Arkansas. Mississippi has a 150-foot restriction, while South Carolinas distance is 200 feet. Louisiana has the most stringent in the South, at a whopping 600 feet. Only Missouri has a more lenient restriction on electioneering, where pollsters can creep to a mere 25-feet from the entrance doors of polling places. Its unclear how far Alabama would consider a new buffer. The 100-feet rule has been in place for most states since the U.S. Supreme Court last ruled on campaign free zones during elections in 1992. These types of buffer laws raise important questions about the constitutional speech rights of candidates and their supporters, in addition to the public safety interest of voters and election officials, said David Hughes, a political science professor at Auburn University in Montgomery. Said Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama: It is an interesting dilemma because it requires balancing the right to free speech with the right to vote without being harassed or intimidated. As the political climate becomes more contentious, I suspect some people are legitimately concerned about being left alone. Campaign-free bubbles The Supreme Court case in 1992, which upheld Tennessees 100-foot campaign free zone, is viewed as one of the few cases in the U.S. in which a law limiting free speech survived strict legal scrutiny. Most states have a campaign-free bubble of 100 to 200 feet, said Joshua Douglas, a professor of law at the University of Kentucky and author of the forthcoming book, Vote for US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting. He added, The courts have struck down campaign-free zones that are larger. Indeed, one of the more recent examples is in Kentucky where a federal appeals court struck down the states 300-foot buffer in 2015. The court called Kentuckys 300-foot prohibition too broad, prompting state election officials to approve an emergency regulation that year for a new 100-foot limit. Hughes said there have been some changes in law since 1992, that has led constitutional scholars to question whether the Supreme Court would rule in support of a 100-foot campaign-free buffer zone today. The Supreme Court, in June, took up another free speech case at polling places involving campaign attire. In a 7-2 ruling, the high court struck down a Minnesota law that prohibited campaign-related T-shirts, buttons and wearable political messages in polling places. That issues surfaced in Alabama on November 6, when reports out of Mountain Brook indicated that voters were told to either cover up or remove the campaign memorabilia they were wearing into polling places. Merrill intervened and instructed poll watchers not to prohibit anyone from voting because of the clothing they had on. You cannot go there and vote and loiter and stick around the polling places, said Merrill. But people can wear what they want to wear. If you want to wear Reagan/Bush 84, you can. Hughes said he doesnt believe the Supreme Courts ruling this summer will affect electioneering outside the polling places, saying that Minnesotas 100-foot campaign-free buffer zone was not under review by the court. Low priority Democrats, who are angling for election reforms during the 2019 legislative session, call changes to the 30-foot ban a low priority. My concern is we are focusing our attention on things that are not necessarily a major impediment to voting, said Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, the current Alabama House Minority Leader. There are more important issues that we should be focusing our attention on to make the process easier and more effective than it already is. Daniels said that logistically, expanding the buffer zone to 100 feet could cause problems outside some of the existing polling places. I understand that in some precincts that if you do 100 feet, they will be in the streets or across it, said Daniels. I just dont think this is our No. 1 priority. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said he could see changes in the 30-foot buffer as a legislative bargaining chip. If there was a way we could (negotiate) on the no excuse absentee balloting or moving the ball closer to early voting and compromise on the distance away from a polling place, then that would be a great starting point, England said. Merrill has said he opposes early voting, though he has said he would support eliminating provisions in Alabama law that require a voter to provide an excuse as to why they are voting absentee. England said there are a lot of organizations participating on Election Day who value the closer proximity to the polling places. Others view it as a last-ditch effort to campaign before a voter arrives into the polling place. People feel that the closer they are, the better the opportunity they have to influence a final decision, England said. Controversial Florida election official Brenda Snipes, a native of Talladega, Alabama, has resigned. NBC 6 in Miami reported Snipes submitted her resignation as the Broward County supervisors of elections. She had served in the role since 2003. Snipes has been heavily criticized for her handling of Broward Countys recount in the midterm elections. Her office recently submitted results of a machine recount two minutes past the deadline and lost more than 2,000 ballots in the 2018 midterms that saw challenges over the election of Florida Gov. Rick Scott to the U.S. Senate and Ron DeSantis as Governor. Both are Republicans. President Trump had earlier questioned Snipes handling of the midterms. The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night Trump said in a tweet. Snipes had previously faced allegations of election misconduct in 2004 and 2016, NBC 6 reported. Cliff Sims, the Alabama conservative blogger turned Trump official, will receive at least a $1 million advance for penning a narrative on his time in the White House, according to reports about the book. Simss 140,000 word-book, Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Published through St. Martins Press, it is expected to be complete in January. Sims is the founder of the Alabama-based conservative political blog Yellowhammer News. He took a leave of absence in 2016 to assist with Trumps presidential campaign and was later named Assistant to the President and Assistant Communications Director for White House Message Strategy. He left the White House in May, reportedly to join the State Department, though that job never materialized. According to a report in the New York Times, Sims kept detailed notes on his time in the White House. In its description of the book, St. Martins Press said it will provide the first honest insiders account of the Trump administration. After standing at Donald Trumps side on Election Night, Cliff Sims joined him in the West Wing as Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Message Strategy, the description reads. He soon found himself pulled into the Presidents inner circle as a confidante, an errand boy, an advisor, a punching bag, and a friend. Sometimes all in the same conversation. The description goes on to say Sims witnessed first-hand the infighting and leaking, the anger, joy, and recriminations, in the Trump White House and helped the president craft his enemies list, knowing who was loyal and who was not. And he took notes. Hundreds of pages of notes. In real-time, it added. Sims is the latest Trump staffer to write about their time in the White House. Former aides Sean Spicer and Omarosa Manigault Newman have previously penned works. Onis Trey Glenn III has resigned from his position as Region 4 Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after being indicted on ethics charges in Alabama. Glenn submitted a letter of resignation dated Nov. 18 to acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, citing his intention to resign as a result of what he called unfounded charges levied against me that I must and will fight. Stepping down now, I hope removes any distraction from you and all the great people who work at EPA as you carry out the Agencys mission, Glenn wrote in the resignation letter, which was provided to AL.com. I intend to focus on my family, fight these unfounded accusations and ultimately clear my name, Glenn wrote. The full letter is embedded below. Glenn was appointed by Pres. Donald Trump to head Region 4 of the EPA in 2017, overseeing the eight-state Southeast region that includes Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. Wheelers chief of staff, Ryan Jackson, informed EPA Region 4 employees Monday that Mary Walker, who had been deputy regional administrator, will be the acting Region 4 administrator, The Washington Post reports. Before working at EPA, Glenn had been head of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and worked as an environmental consultant in Alabama. His indictment last week dealt with work he performed before he was appointed to EPA as a consultant with Scott Phillips, a former member of the Alabama Environmental Management Commission. Glenn and Phillips worked through a company they ran together as consultants to oppose the addition of a Superfund site in north Birmingham to the EPAs National Priorities List, a collection of the most polluted sites in the country. Earlier this year, a Drummond Company executive and an attorney working for the company were convicted of bribery and other charges related to their efforts to oppose the listing, and to oppose efforts to expand the 35th Avenue site into new areas. Glenn and Phillips both testified during that trial and court exhibits detailed their work as consultants for the defendants. Phillips was a member of the Alabama Environmental Management Commission at that time, while Glenn was a private consultant and registered lobbyist. Glenn and Phillips are charged with multiple violations of Alabamas Ethics Act, including soliciting a thing of value from a principal, lobbyist or subordinate, and receiving money in addition that received in ones official capacity. *This story will be updated. Twelve years after their son died in a traffic accident caused by a driver who apparently fell asleep, Chuck and Shelia Faulkner are trying to raise awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving. Wendall G. Williams, 28, was a passenger in a vehicle that ran into a pole at a railroad crossing in Covington County on Nov. 19, 2006. The Faulkners are now working to reduce the risk that other families encounter the same tragedy. Today, they came to the Alabama State House for a press conference in recognition of 3rd Annual Drowsy Driving Awareness Day, so designated by a resolution sponsored by state Sen. Jimmy Holley, R-Elba, in 2016. The Faulkners were joined by two state troopers who talked about the dangers of driving while drowsy and a representative from the advocacy group Victims of Crime and Leniency. The Faulkners say there should be a provision in Alabama law imposing consequences on drivers who fall asleep at the wheel and hurt someone else. Vehicle crashes involving drowsy driving caused an average of 824 fatalities each year from 2011 through 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Arkansas and New Jersey have adopted laws that can hold drivers criminally responsible if they cause a fatality after being without sleep for 24 hours, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Shelia Faulkner said Alabama should have a similar law. Alabama State Trooper Brock Gwaltney said drivers should recognize the signs that they need to stop or take a break, including yawning or blinking, difficulty in remembering the past few miles they have driven, missing an exit and drifting from lane to lane. Wendall Williams, who died Nov. 19, 2006 in an accident caused by drowsy driving. At the press conference, Shelia Faulkner read a letter her son wrote to her on Mothers Day in 2004. She said her crusade to fight drowsy driving was not just on behalf of Wendall. Its been a long 12 years, she said. A Georgia mayor has confirmed that a retired police officer was one of two people killed after a helicopter crashed into Lake Mitchell in Chilton County. David Hall, of the Columbus Police Department, was piloting the helicopter that was part of a metro narcotics task force. The task force includes both Georgia and Alabama law enforcement agencies. The crash happened on Friday at Cargile Creek on Lake Mitchell. After a two-day search for the helicopter and the passengers, the Chilton County coroners office said two bodies were recovered Sunday afternoon. Divers had to stop searching efforts on Saturday night due to strong currents, but the search resumed on Sunday morning. Coroner J. Aaron Ellison said the second passenger was a 22-year-old male. The Coroners office is not releasing the second victims name at the request of the family. Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson mourned Halls death on Twitter. Hall, who was 53, joined the Columbus police force in 1990 and served for 28 years. Despite his retirement, Tomlinson said Hall still served the city with his piloting skills. Authorities said the helicopter was heading to Clanton for maintenance. He was beloved and respected by his fellow officers and by all who knew him, Tomlinson said. Tomlinson did not release the name of the second victim, but expressed her condolences to both families who were affected by the crash. Our hearts go out to those who are suffering with this loss, she tweeted. The Lord heals the brokenhearted. Alabama steel producers appear to be winners so far in the Trump administrations trade fights, and the states farmers and automakers worry theyll be among the hardest hit. On Monday, representatives of all three sectors sat at the same table to share their perspectives. "I will candidly say that I'm troubled by what I perceive to be the growing trade war," said U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who convened a field roundtable of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in Mobile to discuss the impacts of tariffs and trade policy. "What is our line? What is our line between free trade and fair trade?" Jones had invited a broad group of panelists to air their concerns about tariffs. They included representatives of two steelmakers, the states' four auto producers, farmers and other industry. Their range of concerns was equally broad: Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum have benefited domestic manufacturers, but one side effect has been rising costs for their customers, including auto manufacturers. Meanwhile, retaliatory tariffs imposed by China have left farmers in the lurch, with soybean farmers in particular facing lower demand and low prices. U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, right, gestures during a panel discussion of tariffs and other trade policy issues in Mobile on Nov. 19, 2018. Facing him are, from left, Brent Sansing, plant manager for U.S. Steel in Fairfield, Ala.; David Fernandes, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama; Robert Burns, vice president for Human Resources & Administration for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama; and Baldwin County farmer Daniel Penry. These tariffs directly affect our way of life, said Daniel Penry, a Baldwin County farmer. Our business is a national security issue as well. When we get a government subsidy or whatever it is ... It dont hurt the steel people. This thing is just all of a sudden, overnight, boom were in the crapper. "We need steel in this country to fight the wars and make whatever we need to protect ourselves," said Penry, "but good luck eating it." The US-MCA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, the successor to NAFTA, hasn't yet been ratified and companies are still working out what it means to them. Meanwhile automakers are worried that a Department of Commerce investigation could result in heavy tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, potentially wrecking international supply chains for even domestically produced cars. Mike Lee, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel's mill in Decatur, and Brent Sansing, plant manager for U.S. Steel's Fairfield Works tubular production, were unequivocal in the view that Trump tariffs have righted longstanding imbalances in steel production. "Our industry has endured years of unfair trade" as foreign producers were allowed to dump steel on the American market at unfair prices, said Lee. There were some efforts to level the playing field, he said, but "this endless game of Whack-a-Mole threatened to undermine the entire U.S. steel industry and our nation's national security until this administration recognized a more comprehensive approach was needed. The president got it right." "In 2015 the difficult decision was made to permanently shut down the Fairfield blast furnace," Sansing said of the harm unfair trade had done to U.S. Steel's Birmingham-area operations. "For the first time since 1907, the melting and making of raw steel went completely cold in Fairfield Construction of an electric arc furnace was placed on hold. In tubular operations alone, over 2,000 employees were laid off and over 50 percent of our tubular facilities were closed. This is the context in which President Trump's action should be measured." Lee and Sansing said that tariffs were bringing steel prices back to fair-market levels. This, they said, didn't just mean more profits: It meant steelmakers could commit to hiring new workers and to capital investments that would mean more jobs and a more competitive industry in the future. Under international law, tariffs generally are not allowed except when justified on national security grounds. While Lee and Sansing were happy to say that a healthy steel industry was essential to national security, auto-industry representatives said they were appalled that the administration might imply, with a future round of tariffs, that their companies were a threat. "Now we hear about import tariffs on vehicles and auto parts and the idea that our imports are a national security threat. Personally that's very frustrating," said David Fernandes, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama. "the idea that 137,000 hard-working Americans in our facilities, our supplier network, and at our dealers across the country could be considered a national threat? That's impossible." Fernandes said the proposed tariffs on imported cars and parts was essentially a tax and that if it's applied, "The bottom line is, prices will go up. For example, our Camry, prices will go up by $1,800. Potentially our Tundra prices will go up by $2,800. That's just passing the cost to the customer." Later in the discussion, Lee said he didn't think steelmakers were to blame for potential price hikes of that magnitude. Throwing out ballpark numbers, he said that if an auto requires $1,000 of steel and tariffs or tariff-related price increases push that up 25 percent, "the additional cost of steel is $250, on a $40,000 vehicle. Yes, that is not zero. But that doesn't seem like an insurmountable, incredible of money that will tailspin an industry. I'm a steel guy. Maybe it will Maybe you guys can help me with that." Fernandes said automakers were worried about the "compound effect" of higher costs driven by steel tariffs, plus changes to NAFTA that aren't yet fully understood, plus the proposed tariffs on auto imports. Sansing reiterated that steel producers feel the tariffs right longstanding wrongs. "How can a company overseas produce [steel pipe] and ship all the way across the ocean and import into Texas cheaper that I can produce it right here in Birmingham?" he said. "That was the reality of what we were doing." "It's been a long time since we've seen a level playing field," he said. "Folks here at the table are concerned about what might happen to their business. I can tell you what has happened to our business." But Sansing said regardless of how they might differ on specific trade issues, steelmakers don't see automakers as the opposition. "These people are my customer base. They're an important customer of United States Steel. We want to do everything to support them." "What I hear from them is the same thing that U.S. steel [believes]," he told Jones. "Instability in the market kills us. Not knowing what's going to come next year or the year after. Because we have a long term-investment, just like making automobiles is a long-term process with a lot of investment." Long-term uncertainty was indeed a concern for auto-industry representatives. "The ongoing trade dispute with China is a top concern because China is our largest export market," said Rick Clementz, general counsel for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. Robert Burns, vice president for Human Resources and Administration at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, said proposed auto tariffs would take a sledgehammer to international supply chains that have taken years or even decades to develop. "It is impossible to change the supply lines overnight," he said. "Right now we don't know what the rules are," said Allyson Edwards, assistant division manager for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. "So we have uncertainty. Uncertainty means we're not going to make decisions right now. We're holding off. And all of our supply chains, our pipelines take years to develop, and take years to change. And right now we just don't know. To say that we're all a national threat, I just don't get it." Steelmakers and automakers alike expressed concern that a trade war could help provoke a general economic downturn. "It continues to spook everybody," said Fernandes. "There's no sight of when this thing ends." There does seem to be little hope of rapid resolution. Ratifying the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement could take months, and it's not clear how the arrival of a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will affect the process. It also may be well into 2019 before the Department of Commerce includes its investigation into possible auto tariffs. Jones, meanwhile, said he's sponsoring legislation to shift some of the authority on tariffs, empowering the Department of Defense to decide when a national security interest justifies trade action. Administrations on both sides of the aisle have been kind of fast and loose on this national security issues over the years, and were looking to change that, he said. This is an opinion column. Matt Hart is out at the Alabama attorney generals office. Its hard to believe. Hard, in some ways, to believe it took this long. Because Alabamas most celebrated corruption fighter reached critical mass. Of powerful people who wanted him gone. Politicians feared him, and dirty politicians hated him like Al Capone hated Eliot Ness. His own bosses often felt trapped by him, because for every case he made in their name, he made them feel just a little uncomfortable, or out of control, or perhaps inadequate. Talking to you, Attorney General Steve Marshall. Because pointing Hart toward corruption was like setting a fire. Oh, hed get the job done, but theres no telling who might get flamed. Hed burn his own house to the ground with his boss inside if thats what it took. Which was why he is reviled by the powerful. And why he is admired by those who simply want someone in authority to give two hoots about Alabamas corruption problem. Hard to believe the Matt Hart era is over. As a state prosecutor and a federal prosecutor and a state prosecutor again he made a big name for himself making big cases. He led a team that prosecuted several Jefferson County Commissioners and assorted legislators and bureaucrats in the two-year college system. He helped prosecute Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and many, many more. Then-attorney general Luther Strange hired Hart in 2011 after campaigning on a promise of cleaning up Montgomery. I tried to warn Strange then: You better really, really mean it. Because Hart couldnt turn it off. He went after Republicans and Democrats, the powerful and the lowly. Hart prosecuted former House Speaker Mike Hubbard by force of will, making enemies of Alabamas most powerful lawyers and its richest people, several of whom were embarrassed in the indictment. Give Strange credit, he let Hart do his job, even when it got uncomfortable. Which is apparently something Marshall was not willing to do. But anyone who watched Alabama government in recent years saw this coming. They saw it when Marshall took tens of thousands in contributions from the company owned by Alabamas richest man Jimmy Rane who invested in a Hubbard business. They saw it when Rane, who made no bones about his contempt for Hart, gave hundreds of thousands to Gov. Kay Ivey and was appointed to lead her inaugural committee. He even lent his Great Southern Wood airplane for her campaign use. Gov. Kay Ivey boards a Great Southern Wood plane during the last days of the campaign. They saw it when Marshall took campaign contributions from Hubbard investors, witnesses and supporters, and they saw it when Marshall looked down as Alabama politicians tried to chip away at the very ethics law that put people like Hubbard in court. I dont know exactly what happened this week to force Matt Hart out of his job as head of the special prosecutions unit. Hart declined to comment, and Marshall did not respond personally to the question. His office issued a vanilla statement that said The Attorney General accepted Mr. Harts resignation today and thanked him for his service to the State. It is the policy of this office to refrain from comment about personnel matters, so we will have no further statement. But it was no shock. I predicted in April Marshall would show Hart the door as soon as he was re-elected. He was re-elected less than two weeks ago. It doesnt take an investigation to figure it out. The time was right. Marshall has four years to live it down before he comes back up for election. Hes banking that Alabama will forget. Theres the rub, though. Because the best way to make Alabama forget Matt Hart is to continue the work he specialized in: Holding powerful people to account. Now, I guess, well see what kind of AG Steve Marshall really is. John Archibald, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is a columnist for Reckon by AL.com. His column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com. A 28-unit townhouse development will be constructed along Birminghams Rotary Trail, H2 Real Estate announced today. Avenue A Townhouses is a joint venture between H2 Real Estate and The Dobbins Group, a Birmingham-based real estate investment firm. The development will include two-to-three-bedroom units, all with attached private garages. Listing price for the townhouses will range from $439,900 to $779,900. All homes will have private rooftop decks, and some will have optional elevators. Marked by a 46-foot-tall sign, which reads: Rotary Trail in the Magic City, the Rotary Trail is a nearly half-mile, concrete walkway that connects downtown with Southside Birmingham. The townhouses will be constructed along First Avenue South near the end of the walkway, where it connects with the Jones Valley Trail. While demand for inventory downtown continues to rise, the variety of options available tends to target one type of buyer, said Lynlee Hughes, a real estate agent with H2 Real Estate. Introducing this luxury offering to the market with its size, location and hard to find amenities like private garages and rooftop deck space will attract empty nesters and buyers looking for spacious downtown living without losing the comforts offered in the suburbs. Nequette Architecture, an award-winning design firm specializing in high-end residential planning will serve as the architects and interior designers on the project. They are most recently known for their downtown project, The Thomas Lofts on 2nd Avenue North. This will be Nequettes fifth community development with H2 Real Estate. Avenue A Townhomes will bring a new type of urban living and diversity of product choice to Birmingham, Nequette said. The design strong, simple, masonry buildings with urban flat roofs and lots of glass plays off of the industrial influence in Birmingham. This announcement comes as work is completing on a mural project at the Avenue A site along the Rotary Trail and First Avenue South. The mural, which is being painted by artist Andy Jordan, is a collaboration of four local artists designs. The townhouses are expected to be complete by late 2019. An ongoing crackdown aimed at stopping contraband being brought into Alabama prisons led to the arrests of three people at one state lockup on Saturday. The Alabama Department of Corrections on Monday announced the separate arrests of Emily Giles, 22, Randy Mallory, 33, and Anitra Johnson, 36. Officials said law enforcement agents with the Alabama Department of Corrections Investigations and Intelligence Division made the arrests at a security checkpoint during visitation at the Bullock Correctional Facility in Union Springs on Saturday. Giles, of Porterdale, Ga., was arrested when a K9 unit detected and found a package containing a controlled substance inside the vehicle in which she was a passenger. Giles admitted to having the package and was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Mallory, of Birmingham, Birmingham was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance after agents found marijuana and crack cocaine in his possession during an inspection of the vehicle he was driving. Agents also seized a handgun found inside a vehicle when the driver of the vehicle could not provide a permit. Johnson, also of Birmingham, is facing charges of felony possession of a firearm. Johnson was convicted of forgery in 2011 and received a two-year prison sentence. Giles and Mallory were taken to the Bullock County Jail. A warrant for Johnsons arrest is pending. Authorities said the ADOC has increased staffing of its Investigations and Intelligence Division in a move to deter, detect and prevent contraband from coming into state correctional facilities. In 2018, agents have made 61 arrests for crimes ranging from smuggling contraband cell phones to drug trafficking. Anyone with information relating to prison crimes can contact the Investigations and Intelligence Division at 855-WE-R-ADOC. Authorities have released the name of a man shot to death in southwest Birmingham Sunday night. The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Rafael Cortez Robinson. He was 31. He got a long with everybody, said close friend Ebony, who asked that her last name not be used. Thats why this is such a shock. Birmingham police were dispatched at 9:10 p.m. to a report of a shooting in the 1600 block of Fulton Avenue. They arrived at the location to find Robinson lying near a curb. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 9:29 p.m. Birmingham police have not announced any arrests in the case and the cause of the shooting is still under investigation. Robinson grew up in the citys Evergreen Bottoms and was the father of a 6-year-old daughter. He loved his daughter a lot, Ebony said. He was very involved in her life. Shes in disbelief, she said, but shes going to be OK. Robinson, she said, was a generous man. He was very loving, very giving, she said. Robinsons death is the 97th homicide in Birmingham so far in 2018. Of those, six have been ruled justifiable and therefore the Birmingham Police Department will not include those in its year-end tally. There have been 142 homicides in all of Jefferson County, including the 97 in Birmingham. If anyone has any information about the homicide, please contact detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. An inmate at an Alabama prison was stabbed to death Sunday. Alabama Department of Corrections officials on Monday identified the victim as James Lewis Kennedy. He was 39. The stabbing happened during a 9 a.m. altercation at Elmore Correctional Facility in Elmore County. Prison officials have identified 29-year-old Patrick Dean Smith as a suspect. The circumstances that led to the stabbing remain under investigation. Kennedy was serving a life sentence for a 2004 first-degree burglary and attempted murder conviction in Henry County. Smith is serving a life sentence for a 2012 second-degree assault conviction in Mobile County. Smith will be charged with murder. An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead in her Leeds home Monday morning. St. Clair County sheriffs officials identified the woman as Barbara Posey. She was 36. Central Dispatch received a call from a concerned citizen about 7:30 a.m. Assistant Sheriff Billy Murray said the caller reported a possible shooting at 252 Trails End Road in Leeds. Posey was found dead inside the residence. St. Clair County investigators, Moody police and Jacksonville State Forensics are on scene now. Investigators are working the scene processing evidence and interviewing potential witnesses at this time. This story will be updated as more information is released. Its been more than five years since a 73-year old woman was found dead in her Tuscaloosa home and authorities on Monday announced a substantial increase in the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Kate Ragsdale, a retired University of Alabama librarian, was found murdered Feb. 24, 2013 at her home in The Highlands neighborhood. Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Gary Hood said there is now a $20,000 reward posted, in addition to a $5,000 reward already in place from the governors office. They did not immediately say who is offering the new reward but have scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. which will include Sheriff Ron Abernathy, Chief Steve Anderson and District Attorney Hays Webb. Hood said members of the Highlands community are also expected to be in attendance. We hope these rewards will motivate someone to come forward with that information and it will assist investigators with solving this case, Hood said. Ragsdale was found dead in her house near the eastern entrance of the community by a neighbor about 5 p.m. that Sunday. Authorities at the time said they didnt know if Ragsdale was targeted but said they believed she was killed by an intruder. Several newspapers had gathered at the front of the house at the time the neighbor went to check on her and investigators said they believed she had been dead several days. The medical examiner who conducted an autopsy determined the cause of death to be "sharp force injury," but further details on the victim's wounds and weapons used have not been released. In the years that followed, investigators have followed up on hundreds of leads and interviewed hundreds of people, including neighbors and construction workers doing work nearby at the time. Investigators have also discussed the case with Charles Dorsey, a retired FBI Agent and former criminal profiler. According to Dorsey's initial analysis of the crime, it is "likely that the offender was young in age and lived in close proximity to the Ragsdale residence" and probable that the offender walked to and from the scene. The profile also indicates that the person was familiar with the location and appears to exhibit an "extreme lack of criminal sophistication." Ragsdale was appointed planning officer with the university's library administration in 1987 and oversaw several construction and renovation projects. She also served on various committees of the Alabama Library Association. She received the UA Library Leadership Board's Faculty Award in 2004 and the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award from the UA School of Library and Information Studies. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-752-STOP or 205-752- 7867. Tangier, Morocco A forest in a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Tangier, a tourist town in Moroccos northeast, acts as a last stop for African migrants before they attempt the perilous journey into Europe. Here, they sleep on discarded, stained mattresses, cook a meal a day using firewood and wash their clothes from rainwater collected in metal cans. However, with no roof over their heads, there is no place to hide from the rain. In the middle of all this, Amale ponders his next move, sitting on a log. He is almost 4,500km from home, but fewer than 25km from Spain, which was his dream destination when he left Sierra Leone a year ago. There are more than 20 other African migrants taking shelter in the forest with him. Some of them are excited to be so close to Europe. Others, after hearing about the risks associated with crossing the Mediterranean, are re-evaluating their options. More than 2,000 migrants have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year. The risk, along with the lack of money and fear of the authorities, forced Amale to change his mind. Its too dangerous. Ive already spent more than eight million leones ($930) and more than 12 months on this trip. I want to go home, Amale told Al Jazeera. Nature is not the migrants only nemesis. The police routinely raid the forest and take them to the south of the country, where they beg on the streets to save up just about enough to return to this forest. Once they are back under the trees, the migrants start saving again. This time for a spot on the boat that will take them to Spain. November 19 marks World Toilet Day and aims to raise awareness about health problems caused by poor sanitation. A UN-recognised event, World Toilet Day on November 19, aims to raise awareness about poor sanitation and defecation in the open. An estimated 2.3 billion people worldwide are without toilets to safely dispose of their waste. Al Jazeera looks at the impact caused by the lack of access to sanitation facilities. Open defecation is most widespread in countries that also have the highest number of deaths for children aged five and under, as well as the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty, and large disparities in wealth. A World Health Organization study in 2012 calculated that for every $1 invested in sanitation, there was a return of $5.50 in lower healthcare costs, greater productivity, and fewer premature deaths. The ceasefire in Gaza has destabilised Netanyahus government, yet he has no other choice but to commit to it. It was supposed to be a routine intelligence undercover operation whereby the Israeli agents would infiltrate into enemy territory, carry out the mission, and leave without being detected. It had been done before, many times. In fact, over the past two years, Israel had been successful in carrying out two high-profile covert operations, assassinating Hamas drone expert Mohammed al-Zawari in Tunisia in December 2016 and engineer and scholar Fadi al-Batsh in Malaysia in April 2018. But the Israeli intelligence operation on November 11 in Gaza did not go according to plan. Hamas intercepted it in its early stages, attacking the Israeli commandoes and pursuing them as they tried to flee the strip under the cover of heavy bombardment by Israeli jets. Seven Palestinians were killed in the botched operation, including a prominent al-Qassam Brigades commander, Nour Baraka, and one Israeli officer an unnamed lieutenant colonel. Hamas responded by firing hundreds of rockets into Israel, some intercepted by the Iron Dome, others landing in civilian areas, killing one Israeli civilian and injuring dozens of others. Its military wing went as far as targeting an Israeli military bus with a Kornet rocket, a Russian anti-tank guided missile; it was the first time it had used such weapons since the 2014 Gaza war. The Israeli government also launched days-long air raids on Gaza, bombing civilian buildings and killing five Palestinians, but it could not repair the political damage that had been done. Hamas was victorious. A video of the Kornet attack was widely circulated in Arab and Israeli media; Palestinians in Gaza started saying the Kornet defeated the cabinet. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had little space for manoeuvre: he was forced to settle for a ceasefire with Gaza armed groups, which prompted Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman to resign and plunged his government into a major political crisis. This time, provoking a new conflict in Gaza in order to take attention away from the domestic political mess he has made is not an option for Netanyahu. He is cornered by a resurgent Hamas and his own geopolitical game in the Middle East, so he needs to keep Gaza quiet. A stronger Hamas The Israeli government has insisted that the November 11 operation was not supposed to be an assassination mission, but has not provided further details. Analysts have argued that it was an intelligence gathering operation which was not meant to trigger a new war. Regardless of what Netanyahu wanted to achieve, the only outcome of the botched operation was a win for Hamas. It not only proved the capabilities of its own intelligence which managed to uncover the Israeli plot early on but also demonstrated the weaknesses of the Israeli intelligence apparatus, which, while able to carry out complex operations abroad, is ironically failing in neighbouring Gaza. This was not the first time that an intelligence operation had gone terribly wrong under Netanyahus watch. In 1997, he signed off on an assassination attempt against Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who at that time was residing in Jordan. After the two Israeli agents, who were supposed to inject him with poison, were caught and beaten up by Meshaals bodyguard, a major diplomatic crisis erupted between Israel and Jordan, forcing the Israeli intelligence to hand in the antidote. Although Netanyahu was cleared of any wrongdoing in a subsequent domestic investigation, the botched operation contributed to his massive defeat in the general elections two years later. The assassination attempt in 1997 was a win for Hamas, and so was the November 11 failed operation. It has allowed the resistance movement to consolidate its political gains domestically and internationally and demonstrate its military strength. It has also made evident the fact that Israels decade-old blockade of Gaza has done little to weaken Hamas or the resolve of the Palestinian people to resist. Keeping two million people in the biggest open-air prison in the world for more than 10 years is not an effective pacifying tool. With a stronger Hamas and a population determined to resist, another war in Gaza would be an even greater disaster for the Israeli government and Netanyahu is well-aware of that. Therefore, after a few days of air attacks on the strip, he had to seek a ceasefire. The Iran problem There was also another reason why the Israeli prime minister risked the collapse of his government to maintain calm with Gaza: Iran. Netanyahus top regional priority is countering Iran and its allies with whatever means possible. Keeping Gaza conflict-free allows him to curb Iranian influence in the strip and focus his attention on his larger project of confronting Iran in the rest of the Middle East. The Israeli prime minister is seeking to solidify an anti-Iran front in the Middle East by establishing an alliance with the Arab Gulf states mainly Saudi Arabia and the United States and pursuing what has come to be known as the ultimate deal. This deal envisions forcing some form of territorial solution for the Palestinian issue onto the Palestinian leadership and full normalisation of relations with Arab states, with the aim of isolating Iran even further in the region. Over the past few months, Netanyahu has upped the ante on normalisation efforts, paying a visit last month to Oman, which traditionally had enjoyed good relations with Iran. The latest Gaza ceasefire should be seen within this context. Over the past year, Egypt under US patronage has made extensive efforts to broker a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel as part of the ultimate deal. Calming down the situation after the recent escalation was meant to salvage the progress Cairo had made in that direction. Netanyahu is also eager to keep Gaza quiet because he is feeling increasingly anxious about countering Iranian presence in Israels immediate neighbourhood Syria and Lebanon. The downing of a Russian military plane over Syria in September complicated relations with Russia, which until then had allowed the Israeli Air Force to target Iranian facilities at will. As a result, Russian-Israeli military coordination in Syria is no longer and while Israel still does occasional air attacks, Russia is no longer making it easy for its fighter jets. The Israeli government is also increasingly wary of Irans presence in Lebanon, which could strengthen the military capabilities of Hezbollah. Although Israel scored another gain against Iran when the US re-imposed sanctions on Iranian oil earlier this month, it has also suffered a major setback in the aftermath of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The uncertainty surrounding the fate of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seen as seriously committed to normalisation with Israel has worried Netanyahu. This has further motivated him to seek some form of a settlement with Hamas. In this sense, Israel will continue to search for a long-term truce with Hamas as long as the project of confronting Iran remains on the table. For this reason, another full-fledged conflict in Gaza in the near future is unlikely. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Having gotten rid of international sanctions, the Eritrean regime is unlikely to change its repressive ways at home. On November 14, the United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed to lift the sanctions it had imposed on Eritrea with Resolution 1907. The measure, which included an international arms embargo, travel bans and the freezing of assets of high-profile Eritrean officials, had been in effect since 2009, when the UN accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups in Somalia something the regime in Asmara always denied. East African nations and the international community welcomed the UNSCs decision, which came on the back of a landmark peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia. While the withdrawal of sanctions is a major diplomatic win for Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, it is unlikely to change much for ordinary Eritreans. In fact, the regime continues to maintain its own form of crippling sanctions on the general population, limiting its rights and freedoms. And there are no serious signs that these sanctions are going anywhere. Domestic sanctions People living in Eritrea have long known that the lifting of the UN sanctions would not improve their lot much, despite the fact that the Eritrean regime regularly used them as a justification for some of its failures. Likewise, the much celebrated Ethiopian-Eritrean deal also failed to bring major change to the lives of ordinary Eritreans. Months after it was concluded, the mandatory military service is still in place and civilians are still required to work as guards of official institutions as a form of national service. In fact, military drills and re-armament of civilians have intensified in recent days. The crippling economic policies of the regime are also likely to remain in place. Import and export businesses were banned in 2003 and construction was outlawed in 2006. The movement of goods and labour was severely restricted and Eritrean nationals were banned from withdrawing more than $300 a month from their saving accounts. These extreme measures crippled the countrys business sector and scared away investors. This, in addition to a massive brain drain caused by the regimes repressive policies, stripped the nation of its most talented and entrepreneurial people. As a result of these policies and regardless of the UN sanctions, Eritrean nationals who had the potential to invest and develop businesses relocated to other African countries and non-Eritreans simply did not see the country as a safe investment environment. The peace deal and rapprochement with Ethiopia also has not done much for the handful of remaining Eritrean businesses so far. In fact, the normalisation led to an informal Ethiopian business invasion. Ethiopians are now able to enter the country and freely sell their goods in the streets of Eritrea, participating in the open market without paying any taxes or being required to acquire expensive licenses. Even for their daily bread, Eritreans are now dependent on Ethiopian producers. As a result of this highly unbalanced and unfair trade arrangement, no Eritrean business managed to thrive following the rapprochement with Ethiopia. In this context, probably the only economic sphere that could benefit from the lifting of the UN sections would be mining. But the proceeds from that industry are also unlikely to trickle down to ordinary Eritreans as the regime keeps tight control on mining contracts and profits. An emboldened Afwerki Some experts have expressed hopes that the peace deal with Ethiopia and now the lifting of the UN sanctions could usher in changes in the domestic affairs of the country. The absence of a conflict with Ethiopia and some form of international rehabilitation seemingly leave the Eritrean regime no excuse to continue its repressive militarisation of society. But these major diplomatic developments could also have the opposite effect. They could encourage President Afwerki to continue ruling the country with an iron fist and even embolden to tighten his grip on power even more. After all, none of these diplomatic breakthroughs came in exchange for concessions on human rights or internal political reforms. For the last two decades, being a pariah in the eyes of the international community, Afwerki was relying on his loyal military commanders to help him hold on to power. However, he has now secured a powerful and widely popular ally in the face of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. With Ahmed on his side and increasing international backing, he no longer feels the need to consult even his most trusted commanders when making decisions. He is now signing treaties and deciding the faith of a nation of over 5 million single-handedly. Since the peace deal, Afwerki visited Ethiopia three times and Ahmed came to Eritrea twice. The two leaders met twice more once in the UAE and once in Saudi Arabia to receive awards. However, the results of these meetings, just like the details of the peace deal between the two countries, have never been shared with the Eritrean people. Afwerki had always prioritised regional politics over domestic affairs and so far nothing appears to have changed. It looks like he is still more concerned over his own international standing and regional ambitions than improving the lot of his people at home. He still has old scores to settle in Ethiopia, especially with the old guard of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF). It is not unlikely that Afwerki played an indirect role in the recent arrests of former top TPLF officials. Thus, the rapprochement with Ethiopia has provided the Eritrean leader with the opportunity to pursue his regional grand ambitions at the expense of the Eritrean people. The last weeks decision by the UN will likely allow him to make himself more acceptable in the eyes of the international community and come one step closer to becoming an influential and internationally accepted regional actor. In light of all this, Eritreans have little reason to celebrate the lifting of the sanctions that will likely benefit no one other than Afwerki himself. What the Eritrean people really need the UN to do is pressure the Eritrean regime to lift the devastating sanctions it has imposed on its own people. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. About 200 listings for houses in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank will be removed in the coming days. Global online rental marketplace Airbnb says it will remove its listings in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a move that comes after years of pressure from Palestinian and human rights groups. The decision on Monday will lead to about 200 listings being removed from the popular accommodation website, which allows home-owners to rent out rooms, apartments and houses to people. We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians, a statement on the Airbnb website said. The removal of the listings will take place in the coming days, a spokesperson for Airbnb told the Reuters news agency. {articleGUID} The company said it came to the conclusion based on an internal framework used to judge how it handles listings in occupied territories around the world. US law permits companies like Airbnb to engage in business in these territories. At the same time, many in the global community have stated that companies should not do business here because they believe companies should not profit on lands where people have been displaced, the statement said. Others believe that companies should not withdraw business operations from these areas, it added. We know that people will disagree with this decision and appreciate their perspective. This is a controversial issue. Human Rights Watchs director for Israel and the Palestinian territories, Omar Shakir, said Airbnbs decision was a welcome step. Companies like Booking.com should follow suit, he wrote on Twitter. Illegal under international law All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. {articleGUID} The Airbnb listings in the West Bank have long been criticised by the Palestinian community and human rights activists. In 2016, it came under fire for listing dozens of rooms and apartments in West Bank settlements as being in Israel rather than Palestinian Territories At the time, Husam Zomlot, the ambassador-at-large for Palestine, told Al Jazeera Airbnb was promoting stolen property and land. In a scathing 2016 report, Human Rights Watch said companies that operate within or in coordination with Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories benefit from and contribute to an unlawful system that violates the rights of Palestinians. Settlement expansion, which has surged under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has long been viewed as a major roadblock to a viable Palestinian state. Israeli settlements are considered a violation of international law and major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians want for their future state including occupied East Jerusalem. Some 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Many in this Arizona border town want armed vigilantes, whove vowed to round up undocumented migrants, to leave. Nearly a decade ago, residents of Arivaca, Arizona, knew little about the gun-toting vigilantes patrolling the nearby borderlands hugging the US-Mexico frontier. Storming up and down the border armed with military-grade weapons, the Minutemen American Defense militia captured and bound immigrants, intimidated and threatened them and sometimes forced them back into Mexican territory. Locals say the militiamen rarely interacted with the townspeople in Arivaca, a small unincorporated community situated around 17 kilometres from the border and home to hundreds of residents. But on May 30, 2009, three rogue Minutemen Jason Bush, Shawna Forde and Albert Gaxiola changed everything. Convinced a home in Arivaca was a stash house for a Mexican drug cartel, they stormed the residence and unleashed a hail of bullets. {articleGUID} As Raul Flores slumped dead on the couch, his nine-year-old daughter Brisenia begged for her life. The attackers shot her in the face as her mother pretended to be dead on the floor nearby. A court later sentenced Bush and Forde to death and sent Gaxiola to prison for life, while Arivaca was left to mourn the dead. We were totally blindsided, recalled Clara Godfrey, who has lived in the area for much of her life. After the murder, she explained, most of the groups scattered like cucarachas. Playing GI Joe Over time, however, vigilante groups gradually rebuilt their presence in the area. And in recent months, as US President Donald Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric hit a fever pitch ahead of the midterm elections, armed groups have flooded the area, setting up camp on Arivacas dusty outskirts. The owner of Utah Gun Exchange, a group that dismisses the militia label, cruises through Arivaca in a BearCat armoured vehicle; another armed outfit, Arizona Border Recon, carries out armed patrols near the border, 11 miles from Arivaca. Outraged by their return to Arivaca, Godfrey and other town residents have called on the armed groups to leave. Last month, Godfrey placed a lawn sign militia with a large black circle and a dash through the word in her front yard. They look like what theyre doing: playing GI Joe, she told Al Jazeera by telephone. Members of the Arizona Border Recon search for immigrants at the US-Mexico border near Arivaca, Arizona in 2016 [John Moore/Getty Images] In recent months, Arivaca residents have held town meetings to decide how to handle the situation, floating ideas such as lobbying Facebook to shutter accounts belonging to the groups and their members, according to the Arizona Daily Star. I dont want to live in fear that one of my kids is going to be the next Brisenia, Eli Buchanan said at one such meeting in September, the local paper reported. At campaign rallies and on Twitter, Trump repeatedly took aim at a US-bound caravan of Central American refugees and migrants, describing it as an invasion and claiming without evidence that criminals and unknown Middle Easterners were embedded in the group. {articleGUID} Meanwhile, vigilante border militia groups have also increased their operations elsewhere in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, taking to social media to call on volunteers to join them. The number of militiamen currently active in the region is unclear, but planning documents published by Newsweek on November 1 estimate that 200 individuals are active on the southwest border. The frontier looms large The southern border with Mexico has long loomed large in the minds of the American right, and vigilante patrols stretch back decades. On October 27, 1977, David Duke, then-Grand Dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), held a press conference to announce plans to deploy members to the border in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to detain undocumented immigrants seeking to enter the country. The Klansmen drove up and down the frontier in a handful of towns. On the sides of the vehicles hung cheap signs that read Klan Border Watch. Government border agencies and politicians roundly condemned the Klansmen, denying Dukes claims to have cooperated with authorities. David Duke, then-leader of the Ku Klux Klan, patrols the California-Mexico border for immigrants in a Klan Border Watch vehicle [Getty Images] In the 1980s, militia groups started to pop up in various parts of the country, but the 1990s saw a sharp surge in such groups. Throughout George W Bushs (2001-2009) and Barack Obamas (2009-2017) presidencies, several militia groups turned their tunnel-vision focus on the borderlands, packing up their weapons and heading south to carry out patrols and supposedly reinforce border guards. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of militia groups operating in the US on the border and elsewhere grew from 22 to 41, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an Alabama-based hate monitor. {articleGUID} Kathleen Belew, a researcher and author of Bring the War Home, explained that various components of the far right have been focused on the southern border for most of the 20th century, directly linking vigilante border patrols to overtly white power activism. Today, with the lines between Trumps rhetoric and militia talking points blurring, Belew said, Immigration and opposition to immigration have worked as a sort of bridge issue between very far-right and radical groups and more mainstream politics. At odds with locals As the US-bound caravan, whose participants plan to apply for asylum at an official port, crept at a snails pace towards the US, Trump deployed thousands of soldiers to the southern border. Fueled by dizzying conspiracy theories, anti-immigrant hoaxes and a steady stream of misinformation from the White House, militia groups also flocked to the borderlands in recent weeks, answering what they interpreted as a call to action. In Arivaca, residents and immigration advocates accuse Veterans on Patrol, Utah Gun Exchange and militia groups of harassment, intimidation and violent threats. Tim Foley, founder of Arizona Border Recon, also denied his group was a militia, although court documents suggest he has a long history of involvement in militia outfits, the Arizona Daily Star reported. They dont want to know me. So thats fine, Foley told the Arivaca local paper. I dont want to know them if theyre going to be that ignorant and dont want to sit down to an open dialogue. Members of the Arizona Border Recon prepare to search for immigrants on the US-Mexico border near Arivaca, Arizona in 2016 [John Moore/Getty Images] In a video posted on YouTube on November 2, Veterans on Patrols Michael Meyer, a non-veteran vigilante who goes by the moniker Arthur Lewis, accused aid workers from Humane Borders of aiding child traffickers. Before arriving in Arivaca in September, Meyer and his group spent much of the summer spreading a conspiracy theory based on unfounded claims of a child sex-trafficking ring in the Tucson-area desert. The claims, dismissed by the Tucson police, were picked up and disseminated online by Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers militia, the SPLC reported in July. {articleGUID} In a recent Facebook post, Meyer called on people to join them for border operations because the caravan is coming fast. We live in an ugly time right now; this is like Pizzagate, Godfrey said, referring to the debunked conspiracy theory that alleged Democratic Party officials were linked to a child sex ring operating in several Washington, DC, restaurants. In December 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch fired three shots from an AR-15 into the Comet Ping Pong pizza parlour. The attack did not injure anyone. We fear for our children, Godfrey concluded. Top image courtesy of 3TV/CBS 5 of Arizonas Family media group. Today, the country is effectively a one-party dictatorship with the opposition party scattered across the world. Phnom Penh, Cambodia In June 2017, Cambodias pro-democracy opposition party made unprecedented gains in the local commune elections, casting serious doubt on Prime Minister Hun Sens ability to extend his 33-year rule in the following years national election. There was a spirit of optimism when Kem Sokhas Cambodia National Rescue Party prepared to take on Hun Sen at the ballot box. Decades of political violence seemed to be at an end and democracy, first attempted in 1993, was within Cambodias grasp. On November 16, 2017, however, the CNRP was forcibly dissolved on spurious allegations of attempted revolution, leaving politicians, analysts and journalists across the world no choice but to declare Cambodias democracy officially dead. Today, the country is effectively a one-party dictatorship with the opposition party scattered across the world, only spoken about in whispers in Cambodia. Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party occupies all 125 seats in the National Assembly. Kem Sokha is under house arrest for unfounded charges of treason. Other CNRP leaders such as cofounder Sam Rainsy and Sokhas daughter, Kem Monovithya, live abroad to avoid a similar fate. Their supporters live in a state of constant fear. The transition to full-blown authoritarianism was strongly condemned internationally, with the US and European Union threatening to impose sanctions if democracy is not restored. The EU is considering revoking a preferential trade deal with Cambodia, a move that would cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars. At the top of the Wests list of demands: the unconditional release of Kem Sokha and the reinstatement of the CNRP. {articleGUID} No future Lee Morgenbesser, an expert on authoritarian regimes, said the CNRP has no future under Hun Sen, who has repeatedly declared the party cannot be resurrected. For a brief moment, the CNRP showed ordinary citizens that there was a political party fighting for the emergence of democracy in Cambodia, he said in a recent email. In a forthcoming paper titled Cambodias Transition to Hegemonic Authoritarianism, Morgenbesser explains how the recent crackdown was unprecedented and fundamentally changed the nature of Cambodias political landscape. New constitutional amendments declare that political parties must place the country and nations interests first, a vague requirement that would give the Cambodian government broad authority to accuse opposition parties of being unconstitutional. Other amendments gave the politically biased Supreme Court the authority to dissolve any political party. Not only were these laws used to destroy the CNRP, but they also ensure that nothing like the CNRP can ever challenge Hun Sen again. A few civil society groups and autonomous media organisations might be allowed to operate, and a few political opponents might be allowed to participate, but none will be permitted to threaten the CPPs newfound hegemony, Morgenbesser wrote in the article. Cautiously hopeful The CNRP was originally formed by the merging of two distinct opposition parties led by Rainsy and Sokha, respectively. After Sokhas arrest, the party quickly splintered along these old alliances. The deputy leaders did not appear to have a contingency plan and there were frequent spats between Rainsy supporters and Sokha supporters. Just this month, tensions flared again when Rainsy offered to make a wager with Hun Sen on when Sokha would be released. Sokhas camp blasted the stunt, calling it immoral and indecent. In spite of this, the CNRPs exiled leaders on both sides still believe the fractured party can return. I am cautiously hopeful that we will regain our space in the country in the near future, said Sokhas daughter Monovithya, who has been campaigning for international action against Hun Sens regime since her fathers arrest. Meanwhile, Rainsy said the partys dissolution vindicated the CNRP, proving it is the legitimate representative of the people. Hun Sen had actually no choice but to dissolve the CNRP in order to remain in power because he knew he would lose any real election, Rainsy claimed. While it might be a stretch to say CNRP definitively would have won a fair election, it was clearly a risk Hun Sen wasnt willing to take. Hun Sen could dissolve the CNRP on paper but not in the hearts and minds of the people, Rainsy said. While its true that more than three million supporters didnt simply disappear, so far they havent been a significant presence during the crackdown. Nobody protested when the CNRP was dissolved and only a handful gathered when Sokha was brought to court in Phnom Penh. Heng Ratha, a former member of the CNRPs provincial working group in Siem Reap, said he wishes the partys leadership had remained in Cambodia to lead resistance efforts. For my own opinion, I dont think it was so necessary for the CNRP leaders to leave the country like [vice-president Mu] Sochua and Rainsy. They should return to Cambodia to confront and find a solution with [CNRP] members and supporters, he said. International pressure While Rainsy has correctly pointed out that returning carries the risk of arrest or even assassination, doing so would force Hun Sen to make a difficult decision, something he has not yet had to do. If Rainsy returned, Hun Sen would have two choices. Either arrest another high profile, popular politician, inviting unrest and increased international pressure, or allow him to assume a leadership position in any resistance movement. For Hun Sen, forcing influential dissidents abroad is the best-case scenario. {articleGUID} To their credit, the leaders in exile have had significant success in appealing to the international community for pressure and sanctions. Other CNRP activists, like the outspoken Kong Mas in Svay Rieng, say they support the decisions the party leaders have made and believe they did everything they could. While the CNRP could have been more prepared or made better decisions during the crisis, judging them too harshly would be akin to victim blaming they were put in a position they never should have had to deal with in the first place. There were many dialogues between the CNRP and the ruling party, but Hun Sen always violated the agreements, Mas said. Mas sees the revocation of the EU trade deal as the best chance for change, predicting that almost a million garment workers will lose their jobs. That circumstance will make a lot of people angry and people will gather and protest against the government to solve the problem, he said. Supporters of Kem Sokha, leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), protest during his bail hearing in September [Samrang Pring/Reuters] Others are not so optimistic. Than Sorith in Kampong Cham agrees the CNRP leadership acted appropriately but doesnt see a future for the party. I dont think the CNRP can return to political activity, he said, adding he doesnt believe people will protest even if the trade deal is cancelled. While its unlikely the CNRP will return, Morgenbesser does see change on the horizon, noting that demographic trends do not favour the ruling party. Citing deep grievances concerning corruption, inequality, land grabbing, and development, Morgenbesser warns that Hun Sen has added another problem to his list: undermining expectations for democracy among Cambodian youth. Sar Kheng says UN-backed war crimes court has no need to prosecute anyone beyond the Khmer Rouge senior leadership. Cambodia has reiterated it intends to end the work of the UN-backed tribunal that last week convicted the last two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said the tribunals work had been completed and there would be no more prosecutions for acts committed when the Khmer Rouge was in power from 1975 to 1979. An estimated 1.7 million people, about one-quarter of Cambodias population, died after the Maoist-inspired regime took control of the country in what became known as the Killing Fields. Sar Kheng cited the terms under which the tribunal, staffed jointly by Cambodian and international prosecutors and judges, had been established, limiting its targets to senior leaders. The rules also allow prosecuting those most responsible for carrying out atrocities. Sar Kheng spoke Saturday at a government ceremony in a northern province of Cambodia and his remarks were reported on Sunday. On Friday, the tribunal sentenced 92-year-old Nuon Chea, the right-hand man to the regimes late leader Pol Pot, and 87-year-old Khieu Samphan, the Khmer Rouges head of state, to life in prison on charges of genocide against ethnic Vietnamese and Cham Muslims. The two are already serving life sentences after being found guilty of crimes against humanity in an earlier trial. In nine years of hearings and at a cost exceeding $300m, the tribunal has convicted only one other defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, who was head of the Khmer Rouge prison system and ran the Tuol Sleng torture centre in Phnom Penh. Cases of four more suspects, middle-ranking members of the Khmer Rouge, had already been processed for prosecution but have been scuttled or stalled. Without the cooperation of the Cambodian members of the tribunal, no cases can go forward. No more investigations Long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen has repeatedly declared there would be no more prosecutions, claiming they could cause unrest. Hun Sen himself was a mid-level commander with the Khmer Rouge before defecting while the group was still in power, and several senior members of his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party share similar backgrounds. He helped cement his political control by making alliances with other former Khmer Rouge commanders. In his remarks, Sar Kheng, who is also the countrys interior minister, sought to reassure former Khmer Rouge members they would not face prosecution. Because there are some former Khmer Rouge officers living in this area, I would like to clarify that there will be no more investigations taking place [against lower-ranking Khmer Rouge members], so you dont have to worry, he said. He acknowledged even without more prosecutions, the tribunal still had to hear the appeals expected to be lodged by Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, but aside from that task, its work was finished. Authorities in Xinjiangs Hami city say those who turn themselves in and confess to crimes will be treated leniently. A city in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region has ordered people who are poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism, in contact with overseas terror groups or behaving in a conservative Islamic manner, to turn themselves in. Those who surrender to authorities within 30 days and confess to their crimes will be treated leniently and might avoid punishment, Hamis official social media account said. Beijing has in recent months faced an outcry from activists, academics and foreign governments over mass arrests and strict surveillance of the Muslim Uighur and other ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang. China rejects the criticism saying it protects the religion and culture of minorities and the security measures are needed to combat the influence of extremist groups that incite violence in the region. All individuals involved in terrorist crimes and poisoned by the three evil forces are urged to surrender themselves to the judicial organs within 30 days and to confess and hand over the facts of your crime, said the Hami city notice. Focus on Muslims The message said actions ranging from being in contact with overseas terror groups to conservative Islamic behaviour should prompt individuals to surrender themselves. Advocating that people live their lives in accordance with the Quran, stopping other people from watching television, or banning alcohol, smoking and dancing at weddings are listed as behaviours that should warrant informing the authorities. The list also included openly destroying, rejecting or thwarting the government identification system, as well as rejecting housing provided by the state. Those who turn themselves in within 30 days will be treated leniently. And if the information provides a significant clue, they might avoid all punishments, the notice said. In August, a United Nations human rights panel said it had received many credible reports that one million or more Uighurs and other minorities are being held in what resembled a massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy in Xinjiang. China says it is not enforcing arbitrary detention and political re-education. Aside from the mass arrests, rights groups also say the Chinese government has significantly raised limitations on everyday religious observances in the region. Last month, the capital Urumqi launched a campaign against halal products, such as food and toothpaste, which are produced according to Islamic law, to prevent what it sees as the incursion of Islam into secular life. Since 2012, over 46 million women in the worlds lowest income countries got access to contraception, new report says. Almost 46 million women and girls in the worlds lowest-income countries have gained access to contraception over the past six years, a new progress report from Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) has said. Currently, 317 million women and girls have access to contraceptives in the 69 lowest-income countries, according to FP2020, a global organisation that was formed in 2012 after a summit on family planning in London. Al Jazeera spoke to Beth Schlachter, FP2020s executive director, about how contraception empowers women and societies, which countries are doing better than expected, and what the main challenges are in the efforts to raise awareness. The interview below has been slightly edited for clarity and brevity. Al Jazeera: What is FP2020, and what are its goals? Beth Schlachter: Family Planning 2020 was started in 2012. We wanted to bring the focus back on issues around family planning and contraception because we felt it had slipped from the development agenda. Our goal by 2020 is to reach an additional 120 million women and girls who want to use contraceptives but dont have access to these services or products and to improve the health systems in general. We focused specifically on the 69 lowest-income countries in the world to reach these 120 million women. Al Jazeera: How do you plan to achieve your goal? Schlachter: The core of our work consists of partnerships with those 69 countries, and then focusing on what the country itself sets as goals in a way that would allow other development partners and donors to align behind, and partner with, them to achieve their goal. When a country makes its own commitments about what it wants to achieve, we work with them to analyse on how they can get there. {articleGUID} Many countries make commitments like raising their budget, giving an amount or percentage for that increase. Others give a number of people they want to reach, or something very specific like access to condoms. Our help is very practical, and a lot of education goes with it. Al Jazeera: What have the results been over the past six years? Schlachter: There are 317 million women and girls who have access to contraceptives in those 69 countries, which is about 46 million people more than in 2012 when we started this project. Thats 30 percent more than our prediction if we hadnt started this partnership. We realise this means that were off-track to reach our goal of reaching 120 million women by 2020, and we recognise that. Our current projections show that well get there around 2025. The fact that women should have autonomy over their bodies is something that is still an issue in a lot of places Beth Schlachter, FamilyPlanning2020 Al Jazeera: Why is contraception and family planning in general so important? Schlachter: The number of children in a family has a lot of impact on other goals not only for the family but a country as a whole. We want girls to stay in school and be educated. When women are educated and enter the workforce, every community and every society has a much better chance of raising their economic prospect. It empowers people to control every aspect of their life. For example, in Afghanistan, where there are really high numbers of child marriage, there is a higher chance these girls will stay in school, even if theyre married young, when they have access to contraception. Al Jazeera: What are some of the countries that have made significant progress over the past few years? Schlachter: Some of the biggest progress has been in Rwanda and Burkina Faso, two countries that have set goals and striven to achieve them. In these countries, weve seen a big increase in the different number of products available for women, and thats important because women want and need different products as they grow older. Another country that has seen a lot of growth is Afghanistan, which is a very complex environment to work in. {articleGUID} Now, 1.2 million women are using modern contraception, and thats almost a third more than what we saw in 2012. Al Jazeera: What are some of the main problems youve encountered, and which countries specifically have been hard to work in? Schlachter: There are still big social, cultural, religious and familial barriers that is a global phenomenon. The fact that women should have autonomy over their bodies is something that is still an issue in a lot of places. It is also hard to make it clear that this is not something that is just about women, it is also about men. In a healthy relationship, both sides should have an open conversation about if, when and how many kids they want. A country that has been really hard to achieve anything is Nigeria, especially the northeastern Lake Chad region. There, women sometimes have five, six, seven kids, and that is not a realistic way of solving the issues these people have. {articleGUID} The Nigerian government has had real issues with reaching people in this area, and in the coming decades, this will lead to significant problems if something is not done. Al Jazeera: What is an important part of this issue that you think should not be forgotten? Schlachter: Its really important to focus on large humanitarian crises like in Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya women that have fled from Myanmar now live. A lot of these women were sexually violated when they fled and are now traumatised because of that. I want to credit the Bangladesh government because they are doing the best they can to help these women. {articleGUID} What this issue highlights is that women dont stop being pregnant simply because theyre on the move. Its really important that we consider the health needs of these women, especially in vulnerable situations like this. And, overall, what I think is most important is that we want to show girls and women in these countries that they have more value than just being a mother. We want to show them that they can be teachers or scientists. This is when societies can grow, when women are offered the opportunity the same opportunity as men. At least 40 arrested since late October, with repression extending to human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch says. Egyptian authorities have arrested at least 40 human rights advocates, lawyers and political activists within the last 30 days and held them in undisclosed locations, Human Rights Watch has said. Many of those arrested were people who provided humanitarian and legal support to families of political detainees, HRW said, calling on the government to reveal their whereabouts. The Egyptian security agencies repression now extends to disappearing those brave men and women who have been trying to protect the disappeared, said Michael Page, HRW deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa region. The government apparently wants to quash what remains of Egyptian civil society. The rights group spoke with a lawyer and three activists who had been in direct touch with the families of those arrested. One source told HRW that as many as 80 people had been arrested, but the rights group said it could verify only 40 names. Sources told HRW that some of the detainees were close to the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, an independent human rights group which, it said, has come under fire from pro-government media in recent months. Also arrested was Hoda Abdel Moneim, a 60-year-old lawyer and former member of the official National Council for Human Rights. One of her family members said that authorities blindfolded Moneim, put her in a police car, and drove her to an undisclosed location. Authorities also arrested Aisha Khairat al-Shater, the daughter of a former Muslim Brotherhood leader currently in detention, along with her husband, lawyer Mohammed Abu Horayra. HRW called on Egyptian authorities to immediately reveal all the detainees whereabouts, release all of those arrested solely for exercising their rights, and bring any others swiftly before a judge to review their detention. Repeated violations Since 2013, human rights groups have issued numerous reports criticising the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sisi led the 2013 military overthrow of Egypts first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Thousands of people who share the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has since been declared a terrorist organisation, as well as secular and left-wing activists, have been jailed by the Sisi government since 2013. Sisis supporters, however, say his tough security policy is needed to ensure stability as Egypt recovers from years of political chaos and economic decline. Sisi won a second term last March in what critics called a sham election. He secured more than 97 percent votes. The presidential elections featured only one other candidate Moussa Mustafa Moussa an ardent Sisi supporter who had once formed a campaign group called: Supporters of President el-Sisis nomination for a second term. All other serious opposition contenders halted their campaigns citing intimidation and arrest. Kuwaits deputy foreign minister says the summit offers a ray of hope in reviving efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute. All member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Qatar, are expected to attend its next summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, according to Kuwaits Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah. I am optimistic that the level of representation is expected to be high and reflects the keenness of GCC leaders to maintain this pioneering experience, the minister said in press statements carried by Kuwaiti news agency KUNA. Jarallah said the summit, scheduled to be held in December, offers a ray of hope in reviving efforts to resolve more than one-year-old Gulf dispute. All six attended last years GCC Summit in Kuwait as well, so nothing necessarily new here. Keys will be what level of representation, what goes on the agenda, and how the reps interact during the sessions. https://t.co/qX49yKka7e Kristian Ulrichsen (@Dr_Ulrichsen) November 19, 2018 Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and Saudi-led bloc, which imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the country last year. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, along with non-GCC member Egypt, cut off all diplomatic relations with Qatar. The four nations accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and extremism allegations that Doha has repeatedly denied, calling the boycott a challenge to its sovereignty. The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six countries in the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Gulf crisis Earlier this month, Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said he regretted the continuation of conflict with other Arab states, but added that the crises will pass. {articleGUID} The United States, a GCC ally, has tried to mediate in the Gulf dispute, which it sees as a risk in its efforts to contain regional power Iran. Qatar is home to the largest US airbase in the Middle East. But Saudi Arabia and the UAE have repeatedly said that resolving the dispute was not a top priority for them. The diplomatic crisis over Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggis assassination, however, has put Riyadh in the dock. Under pressure over Khashoggi killing, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) last month praised Qatars economy in a rare conciliatory remark. Arab NATO The US push to counter Iranian threat has remained a top priority for the blockading nations led by Saudi Arabia, but Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Iran. Earlier this year, Qatars Defence Minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah said that Doha maintains friendly relations with everyone. We are responsible for the supply of [an enormous amount] of the worlds energy. We have to have a smooth flow of energy, and that means we have to eliminate having enemies, he said, referring to the countrys oilfield shared with Iran. In October, Bahrains Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said a planned Gulf security alliance, expected to include Egypt, will be formed by next year. Khalifa said the proposed Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) an initiative pushed by US President Donald Trump to confront Iran will help the Gulf remain a pillar of stability. MESA has been called an Arab NATO by White House officials. Thousands of demonstrators demand trial over alleged misuse of $3.8bn in public funds from Venezuelan oil programme. Six people have been killed and at least five others wounded during anti-corruption protests across Haiti, according to police, as anger grows over the disappearance of billions of dollars linked to a public finance programme. Thousands of Haitians marched in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the country on Sunday calling for a probe into the spending of $3.8bn Haiti received from Venezuela as part of an oil assistance programme. President Jovenel Moise called for dialogue with opposition groups that are seeking his resignation for failing to investigate corruption. Clashes with police erupted on Sunday after protesters blocked streets and set fire to tires. Four people were wounded in clashes in San Marcos, northeast of the capital, and dozens were arrested, police said. There were also reports of clashes in smaller protests across the country. {articleGUID} Police said they deployed more than 3,000 officers in the capital, the city of Cap-Haitien and smaller cities and towns. Tensions have been running high in the Latin American nation since an investigation by Haitis Senate revealed alleged embezzlement by at least 14 former government officials in former president Michel Martellys administration. The senates report, which was published in August, has accused two former prime ministers and former government officials of abuse of authority and forgery stemming from the use of funds in the Venezuelan-sponsored Petrocaribe programme. No one has been charged yet. Tired of the system The demonstrators demanded a trial of officials involved in the alleged misuse of public funds. The Haitians are tired of the system. They want the system to change, and reverse, and (for) the benefit of the community, Samuel Louis, a protester, said. This is the very reason why, today, they chose to invade the street, he told the Associated Press news agency. Starting in 2005, Venezuela offered discounted crude oil with lenient repayment terms to countries around Central America and the Caribbean. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from the Petrocaribe fund, which gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government Moise has said that his administration would investigate the allegations of embezzlement and hold all those responsible accountable. As part of a purge linked to the corruption scandal, two top government officials and 15 advisers were removed from office last month. But on Sunday, demonstrators reiterated their demand for answers into the missing funds, as they marched with banners reading: Where is the Petrocaribe money? We ask for the Petrocaribe trial, said Adrien Jean, a protester. Second, the departure of accused (President) Jovenel Moise. Haiti is the poorest Latin American country, with almost 60 percent of its population living below the national poverty line of $2.41 a day, according to the World Bank. The impoverished country, which remains extremely vulnerable to natural hazards, is still rebuilding from the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. PM hits back at false assertions by US president, who accused Islamabad of not doing a damn thing for Washington. Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan has said US President Donald Trump needs to inform himself about historical facts after Trump alleged that Islamabad did not adequately support the Washington-led war on terror. In a series of statements on Twitter on Monday, Khan listed ways in which Pakistan assisted the US and was impacted by the war, saying the record needs to be put straight on Mr Trumps tirade against Pakistan. The comments came a day after Trump defended his decision to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of taking money while allowing former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to hide in the South Asian country. Khan reacted sharply, recalling the Pakistani lives lost during the war on terror, before appearing to suggest the United States should look closer to home to find those responsible for the continued strength of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn. Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak[istan] decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over $123bn was lost to the economy. US aid was a minuscule $20bn, Khan posted on Twitter. Khan said the US has made Pakistan a scapegoat for its failures in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are stronger than at any point since the 2001 US-led invasion. Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than ever before. Khan also highlighted how the war devastated Pakistans tribal areas and uprooted millions of Pakistanis from their homes. He said the country continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications to the US. Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices? he said. Trumps false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Uncomfortable allies In an interview with Fox News that aired on Sunday, Trump said Pakistan dont do a damn thing for the US, and once again blamed Pakistan for allegedly sheltering bin Laden. He was living in Pakistan, were supporting Pakistan, were giving them $1.3bn a year, which we dont give them any more. By the way, I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us, he said. {articleGUID} Shortly after Khans comments on Monday, Trump took to Twitter again to slam Pakistan. We paid Pakistan billions of dollars and they never told us he was living there. Fools! We no longer pay Pakistan the billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Trump posted. Bin Laden was found to be hiding in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he was killed in a raid by US Navy Seals in 2011. .We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Relations between the two allies have nosedived since Trump took office last year, mainly because of a clash of interests in war-torn Afghanistan. Washington accuses Islamabad of providing safe havens to the powerful Haqqani network, which is blamed for numerous attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan in recent years. Pakistan denies the allegations. Both sides scramble to finalise a parallel political declaration to set out a plan for post-Brexit negotiations. European governments get their own say on Brexit this week as they debate future ties with London in the run-up to Sundays summit to sign Britains divorce papers. Ministers from the other 27 European Union member states are in Brussels on Monday at the start of what Prime Minister Theresa May calls an intense week of negotiations. The British leader has said she will be in the city herself later in the week to meet the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for last-minute talks. Neither May nor European leaders are keen to reopen the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement that was grudgingly approved by the British cabinet last week. But both sides are scrambling to finalise a parallel political declaration that will set out a plan for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties. The focus this week will be on the future relationship, May told Sky News. We wont agree the leaving part until weve got what we want in the future relationship because these two go together. Fleshed out Specifically, London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible how to get to a free trade agreement before the end of a 21-month post-Brexit transition. {articleGUID} Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market as it did as a member state after Brexit on March 29 next year. European negotiators plan to publish their version of the statement on future relations on Tuesday after their ambassadors met over the weekend. On Sunday, according to diplomatic sources, the document was fleshed out from just six pages to about 20 as more details were agreed. They also discussed an EU proposal that the draft withdrawal agreement be amended to extend the post-Brexit transition to the end of 2022. No decision was taken on this, however, and members are wary of re-opening the document and allowing British hardliners to restart a debate on its terms. European Council President Donald Tusk is going ahead with plans to bring May and her fellow leaders together on November 25 to sign the deal. Vote down? While the EU 27 and their negotiator, Michel Barnier, have remained publicly united through the 17-month negotiation, Britains political camps are at war. Whether or not May wins an improved future partnership offer this week, she still has to get the withdrawal deal itself past the Westminster parliament. Hardline Conservative Brexiteers and Mays Northern Irish unionist allies have pledged to vote down the treaty despite the threat of a calamitous no-deal Brexit. And the opposition Labour Party, scenting a chance to topple Mays government, has also warned that its members will not support her deal. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett says he will not resign, averting the prospect of early elections in Israel. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett has said he will keep his party in government, making an early election less likely. In a dramatic press conference on Monday, Bennett, who heads the far-right, pro-settler Jewish Home party, slammed the record of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but stopped short of resigning. Something bad is happening to us from within, said Bennett. For quite a few years, including the last decade of the government headed by Netanyahu, that the state of Israel stopped winning. I tell the prime minister here: we are withdrawing right now all of our political demands and will stand to help you in this great mission of getting Israel to win again, he said. If the government would really start leading toward the right path, acting like a real right-wing government, its worth trying, he added. The ball is in the prime ministers court. Bennett had last week threatened to withdraw from the coalition to protest a ceasefire in Gaza agreed between Israel and Hamas-led factions on Tuesday. U-turn Reporting from Jerusalem, Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker said that Bennetts announcement will likely postpone the prospect of early elections temporarily, given the slender one-seat majority of Netanyahus governing coalition. Many people had expected Bennett to announce his resignation on Monday, rather than criticise Netanyahu, she added. He criticised, extensively, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Dekker. Particularly how he dealt with the issue with the Palestinians, whether it came to prisoner exchanges, or how he handled the Gaza border protests, how he handled Hamas, how he hadnt yet demolished Khan al-Ahmar, the village in the occupied West Bank. But after all that criticism, he said, well, I am going to remain in government. He doesnt want to be seen as the one to bring down the right-wing government. Also, of course, it would have been handing a massive political victory to Hamas, in the aftermath of that ceasefire. First with the resignation of the defence minister and then with the potential fall of the government, she said. Last week, Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked had threatened to withdraw from the government coalition if Bennett wasnt named defence minister, in the wake of Avigdor Liebermans resignation. Netanyahu subsequently said he would take on the defence portfolio himself. In a televised address on Sunday, the prime minister said there is no place for politics or personal considerations when it comes to Israels security. He also urged his coalition partners not to bring down the government, saying holding snap elections now would be irresponsible as Israel is in one of our most complex periods in terms of security. Following the address, Jewish Home described the government as nominally right-wing and accused it of being weak on security issues in a statement. Netanyahus meeting on Sunday with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, a key coalition partner who has also pushed for early elections, was seen as a last attempt to prevent the collapse of the coalition which currently has a one-seat majority in parliament but ended with no conclusion. Many viewed Netanyahus speech, in which he denounced those threatening to resign, to be the start of the election campaign. San Salvador, El Salvador Ignoring the ongoing protests in Mexico against the migrants wanting to enter the United States, new caravans of Central Americans continue to head towards the US border. In the latest, nearly 250 Salvadorans gathered in the early morning hours on Sunday at San Salvadors Monument to Divine Savior of the World to form a caravan of Salvadoran migrants to set out to the US. Poverty is a great problem here, Oscar Solis told Al Jazeera as the caravan started its journey. The rich can live here, but the poor must go to other countries to find opportunity, he said. The poor have always been marginalised here. Solis, a 54-year-old who worked for 35 years in construction, travelled from his hometown Ahuachapan to San Salvador and arrived at the plaza at 4:00am local time to join the caravan. He made the decision to leave the country just last week. Sundays caravan is the fourth to leave El Salvador since October 28. The previous groups have greatly varied in size. They were inspired by a large exodus of Hondurans and other Central Americans who set foot for the US earlier in October. Thousands from that caravan, which has now been dubbed the Central American exodus, arrived in the Mexican border town of Tijuana in smaller groups last week and over the weekend. The Salvadorans who left on Sunday hope to follow a similar route north. This is the best option we have, Jonatan Alvarado, a 45-year-old from San Marcos, El Salvador, told Al Jazeera. There is more security and more confidence than going alone, he said. If a small group goes there are a lot of problems that can occur in route to the United States. This is the fourth attempt Alvarado is making to go to the US. He was part of a Salvadoran caravan that left on October 28 and was forced to return to El Salvador a few days after the group entered Mexico. He said he did not want to be detained while going through the asylum process in Mexico. Caravans arent new Sundays caravan is being accompanied by the United Nations migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM has been dedicated to protecting the rights of migrants as they travel to the US. {articleGUID} Migration in caravans is not new, but recently they have emerged in greater numbers and volume, Salvador Gutierrez, the head of the IOM in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, told Al Jazeera. This poses a major challenge for all state actors who are called to ensure the life, integrity, dignity and rights of the Salvadoran population. The migrants and refugees travelling on Sunday each paid the fare to travel on local buses routes to reach the border quicker than previous caravans, which had travelled largely on foot. Along the way, Salvadoran police and immigration officials stopped the buses carrying the migrants to check documents. Salvadoran migrants wait in a bus to leave San Salvador for the countrys border with Guatemala [Jeff Abbott/Al Jazeera] Immigration officials warned the migrants of the dangers they may face in Mexico. We cannot restrict their right to migrate, as migration is a universal right, Aquiles Magana, the executive secretary of the National Council for the Protection and Development of Migrant People, told Al Jazeera. Rather, the council worked with international non-governmental organisations to build awareness of the threats that lay ahead en route to the US and handed out maps to migrants that listed locations of the various migrant houses run by the Catholic Church along the route. We are informing the people that threats are real, Magana told Al Jazeera. Disappearance, kidnapping, and prostitution [are real threats.] Maganas statement to Al Jazeera echoes President Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMLN. {articleGUID} Migration is a human right, therefore the rights of migrants must be respected, Sanchez Ceren said during a recent visit to Cuba. We are opposed to Donald Trumps vision and policy on migration. Salvadoran migrants are an important population; they help the United States economy. Many of them are entrepreneurs. Migration helps the development of the United States. Trump has used the recent caravans as a way to drum up support for his zero tolerance immigration policy. The administration has deployed thousands of US troops to the border and implemented asylum restrictions, which rights groups point out violate international and US laws. El Salvador has made attempts to lower the number of migrants seeking to leave the country through expanded social programmes, especially in healthcare and education. But 31 percent of the population continues to live in poverty, according to World Bank data from 2016. Not one politician has risen up to tell us that we should not go, Solis told Al Jazeera. I am going because I want to work. The United States is not the big thing, rather that I have work in a country that supports me, and gives me dignity in my work. Here I [do] not work anything. UN mission in Mali tries to bring aid despite al-Qaeda attacks MINUSMA is intended to keep the peace but is stepping in to fill the gap left by other aid organisations while being increasingly targeted by al-Qaeda. Car giant to sack chairman facing accusations of under-reporting his income and misuse of company funds; shares plunge. Carlos Ghosn, the chairman of Nissan and one of the worlds most powerful motor industry bosses, has been arrested in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct. Tokyo prosectutors confirmed on Tuesday that Ghosn was under arrest, after reporting income of 4.9 billion yen ($51.5 million) over five years when his actual income for that period had been nearly 10 billion yen. Japanese media first reported that the Brazilian-born executive had been held on Monday. A towering figure in the car industry, Ghosn is credited with turning around several major manufacturers, and currently leads an alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. Nissans shares plunged 6 percent in early trade in Tokyo, as investors responded to Ghosns arrest. Nissan, Renault boards to meet Nissans board is set to meet on Thursday, when it is expected to agree to sack Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, who is also reportedly under arrest, the companys CEO Hiroto Saikawa said at a press conference on Monday. In an earlier statement, Nissan said it had been investigating Ghosn and Kelly for months, after receiving a report from a whistleblower. The Japanese car giant has since uncovered misconduct going back several years, the statement said. {articleGUID} The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosns compensation, it said. Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. The company said it had provided information to Japanese prosecutors and would recommend that the board of directors promptly remove Ghosn from his positions. Later on Monday, Renault said its board would be meeting shortly to discuss the situation surrounding Ghosn, who serves as the companys chief executive. Mitsubishi also released a statement on Monday, saying the company would propose removing Ghosn as chairman. Renault is one of Frances most iconic companies and a large employer [File: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters] France extremely vigilant on Renault stability News of Ghosns reported arrest broke on Monday evening when Asahi Shimbun newspaper said he was being questioned by prosecutors and was likely to face arrest. Japanese media later said Nissans headquarters in the city of Yokohama were being raided by Tokyo prosecutors. Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, said the news has already affected the markets. Theres no doubt that shockwaves are reverberating around the global motor industry. In fact, here in Paris we saw shares in Renault plunge more than 12 percent to opening trade on Monday, she said. {articleGUID} On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris would remain extremely vigilant about the fate of Renault and its alliance with Nissan after Ghosns reported arrest. Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, at the start of a two-day state visit to Belgium, Macron said: It is too early to comment on the facts. But he went on to add that the French state, as a Renault shareholder, will be extremely vigilant to the stability of the alliance and the group. Macron said his government would give all its support to employees of Renault, one of Frances major companies. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France remained strongly committed to promoting the Nissan-Renault alliance and would respect presumption of innocence in Ghosns case. The key question for us is to ensure the stability of Renault and of the alliance between Renault and Nissan and so I am working on that with all the parties, he told reporters in Belgium, adding that the French government would meet representatives from Nissan in the coming days. There is no concern over the stability or the future of Renault, Le Maire said. Major figure One of the mostly highly-paid corporate bosses in Japan, Ghosn began his career at French tyre manufacturer Michelin in 1976, before moving on to Renault in 1996 where his cost-slashing measures earned him the nickname Le Cost Killer. He was parachuted into Nissan and began a huge corporate overhaul when Renault acquired the then-ailing Japanese manufacturer in 1990. Credited with saving Nissan from bankruptcy through a series of hardnosed measures, including closing plants and restructuring, Ghosn is a household name in Japan, where he is one of few high-profile foreign executives. In 2016, he also took charge at Mitsubishi after Nissan threw the car manufacturer a lifeline following a mileage-cheating scandalthat hammered sales. {articleGUID} He really shook those companies up. He slashed jobs to maintain profit, so hes really seen as something of an icon in the motoring industry, said Al Jazeeras Butler. If he is asked to stand down as chairman of Nissan, it will be a huge blow to him and his reputation. Ghosn is regarded as the glue which holds the alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi together and questions have been raised in the past about how his eventual departure might affect the group. However, he has also faced opposition, including over his pay. Bloomberg reported Ghosn took home some $6.5m from Nissan in the most recent fiscal year, in addition to $8.5m from Renault and about $2m from Mitsubishi. His compensation package from Renault prompted a spat with shareholders and criticism from Macron, when he served as Frances economy minister. Death toll rises to 81 as rescuers ramp up efforts to locate 870 missing before expected adverse weather hits. The search for remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfires has taken on new urgency as rain in the forecast could complicate those efforts, while also bringing relief to firefighters on the front lines. Hundreds of rescue workers sifted through charred rubble on Tuesday, searching for signs of the nearly 870 people listed as missing, almost two weeks after flames roared through the town of Paradise and surrounding communities. The death toll from the wildfires in northern California has risen to 81 after two more bodies were found on Tuesday, a state report said, while thousands have been left homeless from the deadliest blaze to hit the US state. The Camp Fire, which has burned nearly 616 square kilometres and destroyed around 13,000 homes since erupting on November 8, is 75 percent contained. Sheriff Kory Honea said it was within the realm of possibility that officials would never know the exact death toll from the fires. As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I dont know if thats possible, Honea said. US President Donald Trump said its like total devastation on a visit to Paradise [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] Rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the flames, but raising the risk of floods and mudslides that will swell the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders. As much as 15cm of rain is expected to fall over several days starting early on Wednesday around the town of Paradise, a community of nearly 27,000 people, many of them retirees, that was largely obliterated by the Camp Fire. The task is arduous, said Rick Crawford of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. And the possibility exists that some people may never be found. US President Donald Trump surveyed the remains of Paradise during a visit on Saturday. He also assessed the damage from another fire further south in Malibu, where three people died. Rise from the ashes On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, We will rise from the ashes. People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first firefighters, rescuers and search teams: We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now. Paul Stavish, who retired three months ago from a Silicon Valley computer job and moved to Paradise, placed a battery-powered votive candle on the altar as a woman played piano and sang Amazing Grace. More than 50 people gathered at the memorial for the victims of the wildfires in Chico, California [Noah Berger/AP Photo] Stavish, his wife and three dogs managed to escape the fire, but their home is gone. He said he was thinking of the dead and also mourning the tight-knit community. This is not just a few houses getting burned, he said. The whole town is gone. Rain is forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 32 kilometres per hour sustained winds and 64km/h gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. Focus turns to health Reporting from a shelter in Chico, Al Jazeeras Kristen Saloomey said that community volunteers were assisting with short-term relief efforts for evacuees. An army of volunteers has come together to help with the influx of tens of thousands of evacuees, said Saloomey. In addition to shelter, they are providing food and clothing, not to mention medical assistance from local doctors and nurses. Some of the displaced who have moved to shelters have suffered from an outbreak of norovirus and other intestinal problems, she added, noting that about 30 people had to be moved into isolation in one shelter to prevent the disease from spreading. I was sick and vomiting for three or four days. Vomiting, diarrhoea, the whole nine yards, said Dorothy Melton, who was staying at the shelter. Refugees from the fire were also likely to suffer from mental health issues, according to Dr David Sprenger, a psychiatrist at the shelter. He told Al Jazeera that he suspected there would be a lot of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It may not be full-blown PTSD, but it may be just folks with nightmares, maybe a lot of sadness, irritability, people with trouble sleeping. Thats really common after this type of disaster, he said. Russia to increase military presence in Central African Republic With an arms embargo in place on the Central African Republic, Russia is ready to send military trainers to the country. Emory seniors (left to right) Leigh Schlecht, Lamar Greene, Camila Reed-Guevara and Namrata Verghese were selected as finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship. Emory Photo/Video Four Emory students reached the final stage of competition for the 2019 Rhodes Scholarship, the largest cohort of Rhodes finalists for the university in at least 30 years. Emory College seniors Lamar Greene, Camila Reed-Guevara, Leigh Schlecht and Namrata Verghese were among 221 Americans selected for Rhodes finalist interviews held Nov. 16-17 in cities around the country. Only 32 were selected to represent the United States as Rhodes Scholars. Emory has had a total of 20 Rhodes Scholars, including 2018 winner Chelsea Jackson. The Rhodes Scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated extraordinary accomplishment and leadership. Im thrilled that four Emory undergraduates were selected as finalists for this honor, says Emory President Claire E. Sterk. They have made tremendous contributions already to our Emory community. The four finalists came from all corners of Emory College, representing its liberal arts excellence across disciplines as varied as human health for Greene, philosophy and the classics for Reed-Guevara, comparative literature and interdisciplinary studies for Schlecht and creative writing and psychology/linguistics for Verghese. These students model the ideals of a liberal arts and sciences education fueled by creativity and discovery. They represent the very best of what students can achieve at Emory University, says Michael A. Elliott, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences. We are extremely proud of them and I look forward to seeing the impact they will have on the world." Lamar Greene Greene, of Richmond, Virginia, entered Emory as a Gates Millennium Scholar and immediately became involved on campus and in the community in efforts to reduce health care disparities. He was named a 2018 Harry S. Truman Scholar for his leadership with the Emory Office of Health Promotion (OHP), including leading a campaign on HIV prevention. My work at OHP has been influential in my thinking and learning the research methods that support my focus on maternal and adolescent health disparities and the role of early intervention to challenge those gaps, he says. His volunteer work has included serving on the student advisory board of the Center for the Study of Human Health and as a member of the centers news team. Greene expanded his efforts in the community by working with Emorys Resource and Insurance Navigation Group, where he helped low-income patients at Grady Memorial Hospital secure insurance, This fall, he presented his research on student health including information about binge drinking, relationship violence and food insecurity to Campus Life executive leadership. Greene is also conducting independent research on racial differences in maternal morbidity under the guidance Emory epidemiologist of Carol Hogue at the Rollins School of Public Health. He plans on a career in community-based health and is considering a doctoral degree in public health, to eventually promote health equity on the state and national level. Camila Reed-Guevara Reed-Guevara, of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow whose commitment to education has guided her research and informed her activism alike. She has chosen to study the classics because she sees ancient philosophy as the framework for ethical behavior today. She founded the undergraduate classics journal, Tesserae, and serves as both president and editor-in-chief. This past summer, a grant from the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry and Halle Institute funded her independent research to document the graves of Roman slaves in Italy. My professors at Emory have been unparalleled in their level of support and encouragement, Reed-Guevara says. The support of my brilliant peers, especially in Mellon Mays, has also made me feel confident in my work. Reed-Guevara is now at work on an independent translation of Seneca the Youngers writings that the inherent humanity of Roman slaves was reason enough for equal access education. She applies such ethical reasoning to her volunteer work with the Atlanta Urban Debate League and a debate program in a Georgia prison. It also justifies her efforts with Freedom University, an Atlanta school that offers free, college-level instruction to undocumented students. Education in the modern world is still about equality and access, says Reed-Guevara, who plans a career as a professor. I hope to become a public scholar who can translate that academic aspects of that research into political advocacy in the world. Leigh Schlecht A Robert W. Woodruff Scholar from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Schlechts original intention to become an author has shifted to editorially promoting the work of other authors, especially writers of color. Her commitment to exploring the connections between visual art, narrative and social change and to understanding the social and historical context in which a piece was written developed after she immersed herself in the collections of Emorys Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library and joined the IDEAS Fellowship, which encourages thinking across and between disciplines. Schlecht has since conducted research in art history at Emory and in theories of text at Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. She also serves as president of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, as a student investigator on the Emory College Honor Council and copy editor for the Emory Wheel. Her interest in examining diverse perspectives developed from her work as the editorial intern at the Guggenheim Museum and during graduate-level coursework in Latin American literature during a semester of study at the University of Havana in Cuba. She is now conducting independent research on how white student enrollment affects the course dynamic in African American studies classes. Emorys support and space to challenge my own perspective has been invaluable to my ability to approach the question of art with a variety of theories, perspective and methodologies, Schlecht says. Following her studies, Schlecht plans a career as an editor for a trade publisher in order to bring more diverse authors and perspectives to the reading public. Namrata Verghese A Robert W. Woodruff Scholar who has lived in India, England and the U.S, Verghese has worked across four Emory departments English, creative writing, psychology and linguistics to tackle questions of identity, narrative and power. Drawn to Emory for its stellar creative writing program, Verghese found a niche in Emory psychologist Robyn Fivushs Family Narratives Lab. As a research assistant, she coded more than 1,000 narratives of autobiographical reminiscing. She has since developed an honors thesis centered on the narratives of sexual trauma, with a particular focus on the stories of women of color. Verghese has complemented her work in psychology with research and graduate-level courses in English. This semester, she collaborated with English professor Deepika Bahri, a prominent postcolonialist, to design an Interdisciplinary Studies course intended to complicate our assumptions about the Indian woman. The work from both disciplines informs her current writing project, a novel that plays with ideas of epigenetics and inherited trauma through the postcolonial lens. My work is necessarily interdisciplinary, and Emorys liberal arts focus has encouraged me to be brave in plotting my lifes trajectory, says Verghese, whose poems, essays and short stories have appeared in several literary journals and whose short story collection, Hyphenated, is forthcoming next year from Speaking Tiger Books. My classes and research have equipped me with the language to articulate and deconstruct concepts Ive grappled with my entire life from who is the subject and who is the other, to who gets to write our stories, she says. Verghese is a leader in several areas on campus, including as an IDEAS Fellow and as co-editor-in-chief of The Emory Globe. She is co-founder of Model Minority, a multimedia Asian-American identity magazine. Off-campus, she has interned for U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington State, at the Carter Center in Atlanta and, last summer, with Google. Verghese plans to work as a literary scholar, fiction writer and South Asian advocate because, as she explains, ultimately, we change the world with stories both the ones we tell, and the ones we dont. Two-day Astana conference to begin on November 28 with participation of guarantor countries and Syrian delegations. Russia, Turkey and Iran are set to hold a next round of talks on Syria on November 28 and 29 in the Kazakh capital Astana, according to Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov. Delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition are also expected to attend, Abdrakhmanov was quoted as saying by Russias Tass news agency on Monday. He also said that the United Nations and Jordan were invited as observers. The November talks will be the 11th conference organised by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, including nine held in Astana. The biggest achievement of the trio is the creation of de-escalation zones, which they claim to have reduced the level of violence in the country. The last Moscow-led conference in the Astana format took place in Russias southern city of Sochi in July. Russias new game in Syria Syrias war has killed more than 360,000 people since it started in 2011 with the police crackdown on anti-government protests. The Syrian government has regained control over the majority of the countrys territory since the Russian military intervened in 2015, backing President Bashar al-Assads government. On Saturday, the regime recaptured a volcanic plateau in the south of Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group after weeks of fighting. State news agency SANA reported that pro-government forces had made a great advance in Tulul al-Safa and were combing the area for any remaining ISIL fighters. The development leaves ISIL in the Deir Az Zor pocket, although it also has a presence in the vast Badia desert stretching across the country to the border with Iraq. Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz has addressed the kingdoms Shura Council but refrained from mentioning the case of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a highly anticipated address to the council, the 82-year-old monarch on Monday lauded his countrys judiciary and public prosecution for carrying out their duty in the service of justice, without directly invoking the killing of the Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi a critic of the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS was killed in the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Last week, Saudi prosecutors announced they would push for the death penalty for five suspects in connection with the murder of Khashoggi. The kings speech came as members of the US Congress renewed their calls to condemn the kingdom following a reported assessment by the CIA that MBS personally ordered Khashoggis murder. Standing by his son Elsewhere in the short speech, the king reiterated his support for the United Nations efforts to end the war in Yemen, where his country has been leading a massive air campaign against Houthi rebels and said that the Palestinian issue was a top priority for the kingdom. {articleGUID} King Salman said that Riyadh supported a political solution in Syria, ensuring the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, and called on the international community to halt Irans nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. In regards to the crown prince, King Salman said he has been directed to focus on developing human capabilities and preparing the new generation for future jobs. Commenting on the televised address, Marwan Kaballan, director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, said that the king appeared to indirectly mention the murdered journalists case in his speech. I think he wants the whole world to know that he is standing by his son [MBS]. That was clear in two aspects; the economic one, when he talked about the private sector and somehow was referring to the 2030 vision of the crown prince, and when he ended his speech by talking about his trust in the judicial system, Kaballan told Al Jazeera. He was trying to bring back the Saudi foreign policies to where it was traditionally; reiterating the traditional Saudi policy on Palestine. He talked about Yemen, saying that Saudi Arabia is seeking a political solution to the Yemen conflict He talked about Syria and the Syrian refugees. He talked about his countrys role in maintaining stability in the oil market, Kaballan said. International pressure The kings speech came shortly after Germanys Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced that Berlin has banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europes border-free Schengen zone because of their alleged connection to Khashoggis killing. Maas told reporters in Brussels on Monday that Germany issued the ban for the 26-nation zone in close coordination with France, which is part of the Schengen area, and Britain, which is not. As before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it, he said. The German measure preceded renewed calls by the US Congress to the administration of US President Donald Trump to condemn the kingdom following a reported assessment by the CIA that the crown prince personally ordered the murder of Khashoggi. {articleGUID} It is certainly testing the position that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, said Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, and a frequent critic of Trump. The president needs to listen to what our intelligence community has to say. But Trump has refused to listen to the audio tapes of the murder because the content is too graphic. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it, he told Fox News Sunday. Trump, who considers Saudis vital allies in his Middle East policy, has been buying time on the issue as more evidence piles up in the case. Crown prince a destructive force Meanwhile, divisions at the top of the US Republican party are deepening over the murder of the Saudi journalist. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, called the Saudi crown prince unhinged in an interview with NBC News on Sunday. They are an important ally, but when it comes to the crown prince, he is irrational, he is unhinged, and I think he has done a lot of damage to the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and I have no intention of working with him ever again, Graham said on Sundays Meet The Press. I am going to do whatever I can to place blame where I believe it lies: I am going to put it at the feet of the crown prince who has been a destructive force in the Mideast [Middle East]. If he is going to be the face of Saudi Arabia going forward, I think the kingdom will have a hard time on the world stage. While the US has imposed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials, others in Congress are pushing for much tougher punishment. We need to punish who ordered this. Whos in charge and really the only thing they understand over there is strength, said Republican Senator Rand Paul. I think they will see sanctions as weakness on the part of the president, and if the president wants to act strongly he should cut off the arms sale, he told CBSs Face The Nation show. Three Democratic senators filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Donald Trump of illegally appointing Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general, saying the president violated the US Constitution and denied the Senate its right to approve the nomination. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Senator Mazie Hirono, is the most high-profile litigation so far to be brought challenging Whitakers appointment. Americans prize a system of checks and balances, which President Trumps dictatorial appointment betrays, Blumenthal said in a statement. Whitaker took over supervision of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russias role in the 2016 US election after Trump appointed him on November 7 as the chief US law enforcement official to replace Jeff Sessions, who the president removed. Sessions had recused himself from the probe, handing the responsibility to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker in the past criticised the scope of Muellers probe and brought up the possibility of undermining it by slashing the special counsels funding. The attorney general of Maryland last week brought a similar legal challenge, saying Trump violated the so-called Appointments Clause of the US Constitution because the job of attorney general is a principal officer who must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. A hearing on Marylands legal challenge is slated for December 19. {articleGUID} A challenge to Whitakers appointment was also made as part of a Supreme Court case on gun rights. Last week, the Justice Department issued a 20-page legal opinion declaring that Trumps appointment of Whitaker was lawful under a 1998 law called the Federal Vacancies Reform Act even though he was not a Senate-confirmed official. Many legal experts have disagreed with the departments view. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. The families of three US soldiers killed by a guard at a military base in Jordan two years ago say their recently-filed lawsuit against the kingdom is the only way to expose the truth behind their relatives deaths. In the complaint, which was submitted on Friday to a federal court in Washington, DC, the families accuse Jordan of being complicit in a terrorist act and seek unspecified damages over the wrongful death of their loved ones. The three special forces soldiers Staff Sergeant Matthew Lewellen, 27; Staff Sergeant Kevin McEnroe, 30; and Staff Sergeant James Moriarty, 27 were part of a CIA programme training members of Syrian opposition groups in Jordan. On November 4, 2016, they were shot at close range by Maarik al-Tawaiha, a sergeant in the Jordanian Air Force, when their convoy was stopped at the gate of the King Faisal base in southern Jordan after a training mission nearby. Al-Tawaiha, who was named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison by a Jordanian military court. The Jordanian sergeant had pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he opened fire because he believed the US troops were posing a threat after failing to stop their vehicle as they approached the gate. According to publicly available documents in regards to the case, neither the FBI, which investigated the incident, nor the Jordanian government was able to establish a motive for the killing. The families have decided to file a lawsuit because it is the only way to get the truth, James R Moriarty, father of the slain 27-year-old soldier, told Al Jazeera on Monday. He added that there is no reason why the FBI still withholds information about the case and refuses to share with the families. Alleged Jordan cover-up The lawsuit alleges that Jordan was engaged in a cover-up in the killing of the soldiers because of its multiple conflicting statements in the hours, days and months that followed the shooting. These statements, the complaint says, showed that Amman was complicit in a terrorist act against legally protected US citizens on Jordanian soil. Maarik al-Tawaiha [Courtesy of Al-Tawaiha family/Al Jazeera] An initial statement carried by Jordans state media after the shooting claimed that the US soldiers had violated protocol and refused to obey orders upon entering the base, triggering the shooting from al-Tawaiha who shot them in accordance with internationally recognised rules of engagement. There were also claims that the soldiers had consumed alcohol and that the killing was precipitated by some kind of loud noise or a shot that was heard in the vicinity. Amid growing pressure, these statements were later retracted and the Jordanian government released a six-minute video of the incident that contradicted the previous version of events and officially apologised to the families. Jordanian sources who were present at the hospital where the US soldiers were taken after the shooting told Al Jazeera that laboratory tests showed no presence of alcohol in their blood. False narrative Moriarty, the father, insisted that there was Jordanian complicity in the incident, asking: Why about 10 Jordanian soldiers who were present at the gate at the time of the shooting did not try to help my son who laid wounded on the ground? Brian McEnroe, the father of Kevin McEnroe, also told Al Jazeera on Monday: The bottom line is that Jordan started a false narrative from the day the shooting happened and continued to lie for four months after the incident trying not to blame the shooter and saying he was acting properly and it was clear he did not. Jumana Ghunaimat, a spokesperson for the Jordanian government, did not respond to calls and messages requesting comments for this report. Khalil Atieh, the longest-serving member of the Jordanian parliament, rejected the claims against Jordan in the lawsuit. Jordan has never aided and abetted terrorism, on the contrary, Jordan stands at the forefront in the war against terrorism in this region, Atieh told Al Jazeera, adding that his country has paid a heavy price because of our stance against terrorism and for its alliance with the US against terrorism. Referring to al-Tawaihas case, Atieh said, The shooter was tried, convicted and sentenced in Jordanian court and everyone should respect the integrity of the Jordanian justice system. Jordan, a close ally of the United States, receives $1.7bn in economic and military aid a year from Washington. Three US soldiers were killed at the entrance of the base [US Army] Scapegoat Speaking to Al Jazeera, a relative of al-Tawaiha who wished to remain anonymous said the convicted Jordanian soldier was made a scapegoat to cover up the responsibility of certain government officials. The relative did not name the officials he was referring to. We pressed government officials in a meeting with them last year to publicly release the entire video of the incident but they refused, the relative claimed. He added that the officials, in refusing to release more information, said that there were things they should not see or know about. Sayel Abu Tayeh, a former member of Jordans armed forces and a close relative of al-Tawaiha said he still believes the convicted sergeant is innocent, claiming that there is more information to this case than what has been publicly released. We dont accept or agree to the killing of any American citizen, he told Al Jazeera. On the contrary, we are sorry that Americans were killed. The responsibility of their killing, however, lies elsewhere. A former senior Jordanian military officer familiar with the case, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, argued that Jordan has only itself to blame in this case because its officials did not tell the truth in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and did not respect the people who died on its soil. Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports Several government ministers have pressured the British prime minister to make changes to the withdrawal agreement. British Prime Minister Theresa May has sought to rally support for her unpopular draft Brexit deal, stating that the agreement means Britain will be fully in control of immigration. Speaking to business leaders in London on Monday, May said that immigration to the United Kingdom would be based on skills and experience, while citizens from the European Union would not have preferential treatment. Once weve left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here, May said. It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Since reaching a deal over the terms of Britains withdrawal from the EU last week, Mays government has been in crisis, with attacks on the deal coming from all sides. Several ministers, including her Brexit minister, have resigned over the terms of the agreement while dissenting MPs within her own party have sought to trigger a leadership challenge. May has vowed to fight on, warning rebellious MPs that removing her from office would not make Brexit easier. Amid pressure from hardline Brexiters, including members of her cabinet, to make last-minute changes to the deal, May said that it has been agreed in full. The Conservative Party rebels believe the deal leaves Britain in indefinite subjugation to Brussels and also places Northern Ireland in a separate regulatory regime to the rest of the UK. The dissenting ministers say they want to ensure that the UK does not become trapped in a permanent customs union arrangement with the bloc. The prime minister also said that the post-Brexit transition phase must end by the time the UK holds elections in 2022. I think it is important that in delivering for the British people we are out of the implementation period before the next general election, she said. The EUs Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Monday that the union was yet to decide on any extension to the envisaged transition process. Speaking in Brussels after meeting with EU ministers, Barnier said the Brexit deal is fair and balanced and that the 27 EU nations fully support the withdrawal agreement. In particular, the member states support the draft withdrawal agreement. The EU side will still have to decide the internal process for agreeing to extend the transition period, he said. The transition period is currently due to expire at the end of 2020. The UK would have to make appropriate contributions to EU coffers if it were to stay in the blocs customs union and single market beyond the transition period, Barnier said. He declined to comment on remarks by diplomats that final end date of December 31, 2022, was being discussed by negotiators. London and Brussels are still negotiating the outline text of a future relationship once the transition period is over, with talks expected to progress this week. Detentions took place over alleged links to philanthropist Kavala, accused of seeking to overthrow constitutional order. A court in Turkey has jailed an Istanbul academic pending trial following raids on professors and activists deemed to have links to an imprisoned prominent financier of civil society activities. The United States and the European Union had expressed concern over Fridays detentions, which targeted academics and activists said to have ties to philanthropist and businessman Osman Kavala. Turkish prosecutors had issued arrest warrants for 20 people, with 14 suspects rounded up in the raids. Twelve of the suspects were released after giving testimony to police, while one was still being questioned, according to state media. {articleGUID} However, Yigit Aksakoglu, a staff member of Istanbuls private Bilgi University who specialises in education research, was remanded in custody before trial, Turkish media reported. Those released included prominent mathematician Betul Tanbay of Bogazici University and Turgut Tarhanli, professor of law and human rights at Bilgi University. Kavala is the chairman of the Anadolu Kultur (Anatolian Culture) foundation, which aims to overcome differences within Turkish society through culture and arts and has sought to reach out to neighbouring Armenia. All suspects, including those released, remain accused of creating chaos and mayhem and seeking to overthrow the government in 2013 anti-government protests triggered by the planned development of Istanbuls central Gezi Park. Kavala worked closely with foreign missions on civil society projects and his jailing has alarmed Turkeys Western allies. {articleGUID} US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Washington was very concerned by the detentions and urged Turkey to release all those held arbitrarily. EU foreign affairs spokesperson Maja Kocijancic described the detentions as alarming, adding that the widespread pressure on civil society representatives exists in the country. Kavala, who is regularly likened by pro-government Turkish media to liberal US billionaire George Soros, was arrested on October 18, 2017. He was remanded in custody on accusations of seeking to overthrow the constitutional order. Pressure has mounted on warring parties to end war that killed thousands and pushed the country to the brink of famine. A senior leader from Yemens Houthi rebels says his group will halt all rocket and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is ready to institute a ceasefire if the Saudi-UAE alliance battling his movement is prepared to do the same. We are willing to freeze and stop military operations on all fronts to reach a just and honourable peace if they really want peace for the Yemeni people, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the groups Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement on Twitter. Al-Houthi called on the groups forces to refrain from carrying out attacks and said that, in a gesture of goodwill, the movement would halt all missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their Yemeni allies. {articleGUID} We announce our initiative and call on the official Yemeni [Houthi] authorities to stop firing missiles and unmanned aircraft at the US-Saudi aggression countries and their allies in Yemen to drop any justification for their continued aggression or siege, he added. International pressure has mounted on Yemens warring parties to end the war, which has killed more than 56,000 people, according to a recent estimate, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. On Monday, the United Kingdom is expected to present a draft resolution to the Security Council to address the conflict. We want to prove to the world that we want peace Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, member of the Houthis' political bureau Major relief for Yemenis UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths has been trying to broker peace talks and is expected to travel to Sanaa this week and meet with the groups leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. He will also travel to Hodeidah to discuss plans for the United Nations to take control of the citys port and oversee the arrival of aid deliveries and supplies. The rebel-held port is the main entry point for humanitarian aid and goods and before the war, it accounted for 70 to 80 percent of the nations vital imports. Last week, pro-government forces suspended an offensive to retake the port following days of incessant air raids. Griffiths said the warring sides had given him firm assurances they were committed to attending peace talks, which are expected to be held in Sweden before the end of the year. Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have said they support UN-led peace talks. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said the Houthi announcement was a big deal for the millions of Yemenis staring at famine. The Houthis said they made this decision following a request from Griffiths. It will come as a major relief for the hundreds of thousands of civilians still trapped in Hodeidah who have been bracing themselves for further conflict. Deadly air raids The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in retaliation for the thousands of air raids they have carried out on Yemen since they entered the war in March 2015. The conflict in Yemen began nearly a year earlier when the Yemeni government slashed fuel subsidies in the summer of 2014, prompting massive protests in Sanaa. The Houthis seized on the opportunity and marched south from their stronghold of Saada province to the capital, where they toppled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government. Accusing the Houthis of being Iranian proxies, the alliance launched a massive aerial campaign aimed at rolling back their advances. Since then, the alliance has carried out more than 18,000 air raids, with nearly a third hitting civilian targets such as schools, markets and hospitals, according to the Yemen Data Project, an independent watchdog. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis political bureau, said the group wanted to prove to the world that it wants peace. When Saudi Arabia started its aggression against Yemen [in March 2015] we did not respond for 40 days. We wanted to show who is doing what. We wanted to make sure that Saudi Arabia cannot find justifications if we respond. Todays step aims to once again clarify our position. We also announced that we are ready to stop all operations at all fronts to show the world who is doing what and to give peace a chance. We want to prove to the world that we want peace. Yemens government to take part in planned UN talks after Houthis say they will freeze attacks on Saudi-led coalition. Yemens internationally-recognised government has announced it will take part in proposed peace talks in Sweden, hours after a senior Houthi leader said the rebels will halt drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies. The moves on Monday came amid a renewed push by UN envoy Martin Griffiths to get Yemens warring parties around the negotiating table. Yemens foreign ministry said it has informed Griffiths of its decision to send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution, according to the government-run Saba news agency. Earlier in the day, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, announced the groups readiness to suspend and halt all military operations provided that the Saudi-UAE alliance battling his movement is prepared to do the same. The decision was based on discussions with Griffiths to show good faith and support peace efforts, he said in a statement on Twitter. The rebel group, which has been battling the Riyadh-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi for nearly four years, also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-UAE-led coalition wants peace. The war in Yemen already one of the worlds most impoverished countries has killed more than 56,000 people, according to a recent estimate, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Turning point? Griffiths welcomed the Houthi announcement in a Twitter post and called on all parties continue to show restraint to create a conducive environment for convening the consultations. The envoy is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He is expected this week to visit the capital, Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since September 2014, to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden. No date has yet been set for the negotiations. Griffiths previously said he has received firm assurances from Houthis and the government that they will attend the talks, which were initially scheduled to take place in November but has been pushed back to late December. Saudi Arabias King Salman on Monday reiterated the kingdoms support for UN efforts to end the war. Also on Monday, Britian presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an immediate truce in the battleground port city of Hodeidah, according to the AFP news agency. {articleGUID} The text set a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said it was now apparent that the parties in Yemens conflict are inching closer and closer to peace negotiations. But whether that will result in what the UN is looking for some sort of transitional government and a peaceful Yemen is something else, he said. Our correspondent added that despite the Houthi decision to halt drone and missile attacks, its fighters were continuing to clash with government forces around Hodeidah. Tired of this war Yemenis cautiously welcomed Mondays developments. We pray that this will be the real beginning of peace in Yemen, we are all tired of this war, said Mona Ibrahim, a teacher in Sanaa, told the Reuters news agency. We just want to live like other humans, Mohammed al-Ahdal, a resident of Hodeidah, said. Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a Sanaa-based political analyst, however, was sceptical. What the Houthis want is for it to look like they are giving a chance to the Saudis to prove they really want peace in Yemen, he told Al Jazeera. I dont think the Saudis will accept it because many times the Houthis have offered similar peace plans, but the Saudis did not accept them. However, Bessma Momani, professor of political science at University of Waterloo, said the pressure was rising on Riyadh and Washington to end the war in Yemen because of the international outcry over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdoms consulate in Istanbul, as well as the US Democrats winning control of the countrys House of Representatives. Now the stars are aligned geopolitically, she told Al Jazeera. An important piece is the American attention from the public, from the new Democrats coming into the House, and increased criticism generated post-Jamal Khashoggi, she said. There is also battle fatigue on the ground on both sides. Hopefully, they realise this is a stalemate there is no winning this war, its just sheer utter suffering of the Yemeni people, she said. Meanwhile, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on Monday that Houthi forces fired overnight a ballistic missile on Saudi-backed forces in the desert of Midi, bordering Saudi Arabia. The Houthi defence ministry said while it supported halting missile launches it also reserved the right to respond to attacks. 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 Global warming is settled science, according to Barack Obama, Al Gore, and the rest of the progressive smart set in Washington, DC. Their only solution is more government taxes, regulations, mandates all throttling the American engine of innovation and commerce. Regardless of what we see on a daily basis, including record setting snowfalls, their assertion of catastrophic global warming is what we must believe. Much like Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, or the Easter bunny, global warming is a fantasy created by leftists to gain control over the levers of power, not only within nations, but on a world wide scale. A warming planet is such an apocalyptic event that no single nation can effectively stop the planets imminent demise; instead, treaties, accords, and the United Nations are needed to control all nations. With unelected and unaccountable power-hungry bureaucrats in charge. The modern environmental movement reminds me of the golden ring in Lord of the Rings, One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. The magical ring of climate change hysteria to rule the world and drive it into darkness. As fall is transitioning into winter, its time to take a look around us and answer the question posed by the climate warriors, Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes? What do our eyes tell us? Lets start in Texas, still warm over the hotly contested Beto-Ted slugfest. One of the few states not counting and recounting ballots in an effort to create the desired result, Texas had early snow. As reported by one of the Houston news stations, Its official. According to the National Weather Service, that Houston has recorded its earliest snowfall ever observed -- and not just by a day or two but by 10 days! Note the words ever observed. (KHOU 11) Also from the news article, For the second year in a row, we beat both New York City and Boston for the earliest observed snowfall. Help me here. When typically warm locations are colder than normal, how exactly does that support global warming, rather than global cooling? Speaking of New York, the Big Apple was a bit cooler than expected despite excitement over electing a young female version of Bernie Sanders to the House of Representatives. Several days ago, New York City was hit with an early snow storm, At Central Park, there were 6.4 inches of snow as of 5 a.m. Friday the biggest one-day November snowfall in at least 136 years. That was about the time cars were invented. The snow lead to gridlock, abandoned cars, closed bridges, and Mayor Bill de Blasio and the rest of the city were, Caught off guard. Of course they were surprised. The planet is warming, not cooling, and who in their right mind would expect a major snow storm in mid-November? If only Mayor de Blasio could ban snow as he wants to ban guns. Not only New York but the entire Eastern US was slammed with snow. An Accuweather meteorologist noted, It is one of the earliest big November storms ever. No climate change explanation was offered. Here in Colorado, global warming allowed ski resorts to open earlier than normal. This headline might be an inconvenient truth for Al Gore and other climate warriors, Colorado ski areas to open early for 2018-19 season. How can this be? The early openings come as more than 4 feet of natural snow fell last week and cold temperatures helped with snowmaking conditions. Just four years earlier, a New York Times op-ed asked, The End of Snow? pining over Colorado ski mountains turning brown and dry. The writer offered up the typical solution, Nothing besides a national policy shift on how we create and consume energy will keep our mountains white in the winter and slow global warming to a safe level. National policy means big government to the rescue. The writer was quite certain as well, This is no longer a scientific debate. It is scientific fact. Once upon a time it was also scientific fact that the earth was flat, that the sun revolved around the earth, and that bloodletting was the optimal treatment for most diseases. Perhaps the closed minded climate warriors should entertain another possibility, that the climate is indeed changing, but not in the way they are assuming. Data from NASA suggests its global cooling, not warming that we should be concerned about. As reported by Aaron Brown in Real Clear Markets, Would it surprise you to learn the greatest global two-year cooling event of the last century just occurred? From February 2016 to February 2018 (the latest month available) global average temperatures dropped 0.56C. Another NASA scientist put it this way. Humanity is facing a long, cold winter which could see temperatures across the planet plunge to depressing lows. Thats the warning from a Nasa scientist who fears sunspot activity on the surface of our star has dropped so low that it could herald the arrival of a uniquely grim mini Ice Age. So which is it? Global warming or cooling? Will the answer be based on observations and science or a political agenda? Are climate models being subject to the scientific method and appropriate scrutiny? Or are the models being jiggered to reach predetermined conclusions? Much like the vote counts in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Of course the climate is changing. It always has and always will. The planet has a long history of cooling with ice ages, and eventual warming, melting the mile thick ice that once covered the upper Midwest. Even in 1972, the most trusted man in America, Walter Cronkite, was concerned about climate change. But it was cooling, not warming, that worried him. On September 11, 1972, Cronkite cited scientists predictions that there was a new ice age coming. He called that prediction from British scientist Hubert Lamb a bit of bad news. Scientists and politicians do themselves and the world a disservice by allowing political agendas to trump good science. Its OK to say I dont know when it comes to predicting climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate changes position is, The climate system is a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible. Yet climate warriors are quite certain, despite the uncertainty, tolerating no questions or dissent, threating imprisonment for any who disagree. And they continue to look foolish, losing any remaining credibility when in the face of a warming planet, we actually see record setting snow and cold. Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. For the American Left, gun control has always been nothing more than a statist impulse in search of a reason to justify it. And there have always been reasons theyve offered as to why the government should prohibit Americans from owning this type of gun or that one. Today, the talk tends to be about the AR-15, and the reason that is most commonly parroted tends to be along these lines, this one offered in a tweet by Max Boot: There is no reason why any civilian should own an assault weapon. And gun prohibition and buyback much more effective than a ban on further sale. Boot tweeted this in support of the courageous and principled stand taken by Democrat House Representative Eric Swalwell of California, who is championing the idea of an Australia-style buyback of assault weapons such as the AR-15. Colt AR-15 A3 Tactical Carbine ( Source Gun control advocates are tactically referring to this proposed effort as a buyback for the same reason restauranteurs call the Patagonian toothfish a Chilean sea bass on their menus. A government buyback of guns may sound much more palatable for the American public than a forcible government confiscation of firearms, but it doesnt change the nature of the thing. The actual choice for Americans, under Swalwells proposal, would be to sell their guns to the government, surrender them with no recompense, or have the government forcibly confiscate them, with offenders facing prosecution or violence at the hands of government agents. This is, of course, not a choice at all, but it presents the veneer of choice, meant to hide the constitutional rights that would be stolen from American citizens. But whats most amazing about all of this is the ease with which the confiscation of heretofore-legal firearms from millions of Americans is being proposed in open forums today. It is, after all, impossibly illogical to conclude that such an action by the federal government would not be in direct violation of the Second Amendment. The closest thing we can find to evidence suggesting that such a mass confiscation of assault weapons would be constitutional is offered by Swalwell in his op ed in USA Today. He observes that the late Antonin Scalia wrote, in the Heller decision of 2008, that the right to gun ownership is not unlimited. So, his logic goes, because the right is not unlimited, it must mean that its at least arguable that confiscation of military-style weapons by the federal government might be allowable, even though confiscation is the most egregious form of infringement upon firearm ownership, which the Second Amendment strictly prohibits. After all, [o]ur courts havent found a constitutional right to have assault weapons, anyway, he writes. Except thats not exactly true. Insofar as Swalwell uses military-style weapons and assault weapons interchangeably to specifically reference the AR-15, one could easily argue that the courts have found a constitutionally protected right for Americans to own them. In fact, it was the Supreme Courts rationale in upholding Americas very first sweeping federal gun regulation in 1939. It might strike many Americans as odd that the first challenge to the first sweeping gun control regulation didnt occur until 1939. Thats because for the majority of American history, no federal gun control legislation, imposed against all Americans, ever existed. Regulations upon firearms had been imposed by the various states, applying only within their respective dominions, since almost immediately after the founding of America, thats true. But the notion of a federal gun law is a relatively new concept. The first wide federal gun regulation did not occur until 1934 with the National Firearms Act (NFA), and like most contraventions of constitutional principles, political subterfuge was the key to passing it. Though it is clear that the 1934 Act was meant to limit Americans ability to purchase certain dangerous firearms, and it was clearly a response to rampant Depression-era gangster violence, that was not the legal rationale for the law. A federal law limiting gun ownership, though obviously the Acts purpose, was still believed to be entirely at odds with the Second Amendment. It was offered as legally acceptable not because the federal government had a right infringe upon Americans ownership of guns, but because the federal government had a broad, seemingly illimitable ability to tax. The Act was justified as a mechanism for federal revenue (and if youve studied New Deal legislation for more than five minutes, you should know that nearly every new federal regulation imposed in the Depression era was justified as a revenue mechanism for the government). It didnt ban the Thompson machine gun outright, you see, because that could easily be construed to have run afoul of the Second Amendment. It simply levied a tax equal to its market value, doubling its cost and thereby making it less accessible, requiring that you had fingerprints to own one, permission from local law enforcement, etc. Because there were duties to be paid to the federal government by owners of this specific type of property, the government saw itself within its rights to regulate these weapons as a matter of ensuring the lawful collection of revenue. It was circumvention of the Second Amendment, and nothing more. But the law did, in fact, meet a challenge in United States v. Miller in 1939. The subject of that case was not a Tommy gun, but an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, which had a barrel shorter than eighteen inches (and therefore in violation of the new law), and was illegally carried across state lines. The finding of the Court is most interesting when you compare it to Swalwells claim that our courts havent found a constitutional right for military-style weapons. The central premise of the ruling was simple, and summed up nicely here: In the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a "shotgun having a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length" at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. Certainly it is not within judicial notice that this weapon is any part of the ordinary military equipment, or that its use could contribute to the common defense. The very first broad federal gun law was eventually justified by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the weapon in question for the specific case had no reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia. In other words, a sawed-off shotgun wasnt military-style enough to be constitutionally protected by the Second Amendment. In the words of the Courts opinion. However, the AR-15, due to its light weight, mild recoil, heavy payload potential in terms of ammunition, accuracy, and ready availability among citizens makes it the prime example of a weapon which might have usefulness in a militia comprised of citizens, should it ever be needed. There can be no logical rebuttal to that claim. Miller was a bad decision, Ill admit. It was a bad decision because it suggests that the protections of the Second Amendment apply only to the subject of the militia preface, rather than the more substantive declaration that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. What has happened since 1939 is the danger of the slippery slope in federal gun regulation made practical and unquestionably real, and of which we should now be supremely aware. It was the inch that the federal government needed to steal miles of Americans liberty, as it later had become the inherited wisdom of Americans that declaring what guns should and shouldnt be regulated was within the scope of the federal governments power. But furthermore, beyond the previous points, Scalias Heller opinion didnt necessarily abrogate the Miller decision entirely. It merely eliminated the specificity about only weapons useful in a militia being legally protected, expanding the understood constitutional protections of the Second Amendment to include weapons used for individual self-defense. There is absolutely no reason to believe that criminals will relinquish their military-style weapons with the advent of a new gun confiscation law. Undoubtedly, many criminals now own military-style weapons which were provided to them by the Obama administration in the scandal known as Fast and Furious. Those guns, and millions of others like them, will still exist, irrespective of any new gun law. As Ive noted before, it is naive and foolish to assume that issuing new gun-regulations upon the law-abiding will serve to regulate the lawless among us. So, not only is the AR-15 suitable for the purposes of a well-regulated militia, but they are suitable weapons for individuals self-defense against criminals who have, and will have, irrespective of new gun prohibitions, such weapons. According to both the Miller and Heller rulings, there is ample evidence to conclude that Supreme Court precedent does, indeed, protect the ownership of such weapons as the AR-15. But that will not stop gun control advocates from seeking to diminish the protections of the Second Amendment in new and radical ways like Swalwells proposed buyback in the future. Because, again, gun control advocates are driven by a statist impulse toward government control, and they will continue to be in search of a reason to act upon it. William Sullivan blogs at Political Palaver and can be followed on Twitter. A 181 year old rule that bans the wearing of hats on the House floor may be overturned by Democrats looking to accommodate the religious practices of a newly elected female Muslim member. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wears a headscarf for religious reasons. Democrats want to relax the rule to allow for religious headwear, including the hijab and the Jewish kippah. New York Daily News: Public servants working for the Peoples House should reflect the faces of America, reads the proposal, titled Restore Inclusion & Diversity. The Democratic rules package will provide an opportunity for all Americans to be included in this great institution. The current rules, implemented in 1837, insist that every member shall remain uncovered during the sessions of the House. The newly elected members of the 116th Congress is the most diverse class in history, including the first Muslim women, the first Native American women and the first African American women from several states. Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 29, is also the youngest women to enter Congress. It used to be common courtesy to remove your hat when you entered a building. But that's not the issue here. The issue is accommodating the religious practices of one member. If every single Muslim woman in the world wore a hijab or covered their heads in public, Democrats might have a case. But this effort to change the rules is not about religious observance but rather a cultural practice of some Muslims. Isn't the fact that Ms. Oman is in the congress in the first place enough evidence of "diversity" for Democrats? I guess not. What's at stake here is not the accommodation factor but the simple recognition that we are a secular republic. Religion has a place in America. That's a given. But that place does not include the floor of the people's house. This is such a simple concept. But Democrats are eager to show how "tolerant" they are and are willing to violate the spirit of the Constitution in order to virtue signal to the rest of us their superior moral sense. There are a million ways to show how tolerant you are without accommodating the beliefs of one, female member. Democracy has failed in Georgia, said Stacey Abrams in what hardly could be called a concession speech after a ballot recount confirmed that the Republican candidate, Brian Kemp, had defeated her in Georgias gubernatorial contest. Of course, democracy did not fail in Georgia. The voters made their voices heard at the ballot box, and Ms. Abrams did not like what she heard. The late Israeli historian J. L. Talmon called such behavior totalitarian democracy or messianic democracy, which found its origins in the French Revolution when the extremists arrogated to themselves the unfettered right to interpret the will of the people. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about this when he observed that those who made the French Revolution always spoke in the name of the people, without in the least having bothered to consult them. Talmons theme was that in totalitarian democracy there exists a general will, an abstraction that is known to elites who divine what the people really want and assume the right to speak in the name of the people. In totalitarian democracy, the elite are not the peoples representatives but their messiahs. Abrams stands squarely in the long pantheon of those who claimed not only to understand the will of the people but also to embody it. This pantheon includes the French Revolutions Robespierre, Italys Benito Mussolini, Argentinas Juan Peron, and Lenin, among others. The emergence of such a twisted view of democracy is the greatest internal threat to the unity of the nation. It is seen in the brutal arrogance of those who think that Donald Trump won the presidency of the United States because of Russian bots on Facebook or the flawed nature of the Electoral College. Has a Facebook posting ever changed an opinion? Had Hillary Clinton won the presidency would the Electoral College have come under the derision of her perpetual and insufferable whining about losing the presidential contest to everything from a flawed system to Russian bots to the intimidation of the female vote by the dominant patriarchy? The answer, of course, is obvious. Like Hillary Clinton, Stacey Abrams arrogantly and unabashedly knows that she is the embodiment of the general will even when the people have spoken otherwise. Georgians and the rest of America should breathe a long sigh of relief that Stacey Abrams lost. Her philosophy of the electoral process is not that of liberal democracy where the people select their representatives. Her philosophy is that of an arrogant elite that stand ready to speak in the name of the people without having to consult them. Democracy has not failed Georgia. Stacey Abrams and those like her who refuse to hear the voice of the electorate have failed America. The sinew of our democracy can only be stretched so far into the oblivion represented by her totalitarian mindset. Huge protests engulfed Tijuana over the weekend over the migrant caravan. They were loud, noisy, politically incorrect, and based on the photos that ran in the Mexican press, very large, at least a thousand participants. Tijuana, unlike a lot of the rest of Mexico, has a civil society culture, featuring everything from charity groups, to art museum lovers, to beach cleanup crews, to neighborhood watch groups, and well, the latter got busy and organized those protests. Here's a screengrab showing the size of the activity from Reforma, a top Mexican news organization. It's subscription-only, but I was able to view the vivid and image-packed video one time here: Based on what's seen there in Mexican newspapers and video sites, those unexpected protests from Tijuana's residents have got to be making Mexico's rulers nervous. Because up until now, Mexico City's cynical game has always been to allow migration as a "pressure valve" to rid itself of undesirables by dumping them off to Uncle Sam, and then benefitting handsomely from their remittances. They don't benefit as much from Central American migrants as they do from Mexican migrants (who have tapered off in numbers), which is why they sometimes try to reinforce their southern border, but in general, they haven't done much about it. The idea has always been to just let them through and let Uncle Sam deal it. With the migrant caravan, they have even enabled the operation at many points in the journey, just to keep the migrants moving away from their immediate vicinity to make it north. There's one problem: The Tijuana people feel dumped on. The migrant caravan may be a fun way to tweak Uncle Sam for Mexico City, but to Mexico's locals, who bear the burden of them in a country with a lot of problems of its own, that is playing with dynamite. Mexico City has long held contempt for its huge northwestern city, Tijuana. To them, Tijuaneros are just 'carne asada' people -- tacky, cowboyish, Americanized, and only there because they must be some kind of criminals. Border culture is always a little rougher, but NAFTA and the maquiladoras nevertheless have made Tijuana the wealthiest part of Mexico. Illegal migration is something that these days comes from the south, which is why Tijuana is not at all happy about being overrun by the migrant caravan, with the prospect of them camping out for six months. And now the protests are being directed at the government by these angry Tijuana residents, which is Mexico City's worst nightmare. That's because these protests can only get worse and spread to other matters. You can see the nervousness in the Tijuana mayor's statements, saying he's asked Mexico City for increased resources to deal with the migrants, who are expected to wait in line at a U.S. port of entry to file their asylum claims for about six months and in the meantime, are camping out like this. And six months of waiting for angry, unemployed, uneducated and military-aged young men is likely a very big potential cause for unrest, too. The migrants were essentially told the streets were paved with gold in America and they'd be able to enter the U.S. instantly, an offer of course that was too good to be true, but promised with abandon by the caravan organizers to get their political mission off the ground through the power of numbers. The migrants are going to be disappointed and feel cheated. And you can bet there is going to be some discontent taken out on Tijuana from those quarters over the next weeks, particularly since they've already shown contempt for the city as it is, one of the things that triggered the Tijuana resident protest. Via Google Translate, here is what El Financiero, a top newpaper in Mexico City reported: Hundreds of residents of the border city of Tijuana went to the streets on Sunday to protest the massive arrival of Central American migrants who hope to seek asylum in the United States. With flags and banners and shouting slogans demanded the departure of the members of the movement from the country accusing them of generating insecurity and violating Mexican laws. "They are invaders! They are armed! Get out of the country," they shouted as they crowded into an emblematic city roundabout. The protest also involved some residents of the nearby US city of San Diego, California. Thousands of migrants who have arrived in Tijuana have saturated the shelters, and many more sleep in the streets. Local authorities have asked for federal support to give them humanitarian aid and the services they need during their asylum process to the United States, which could take months. "We can not allow the disorder that arose from how they entered the country, we are not anti-migrants, we want them to adhere to the legal regulations of Mexico," said Ernesto Gonzalez, of the organization Prioridad a los Mexicanos. "We want three things simply: that they ask for asylum or order their legal stay in Mexico, if not, that they be deported immediately, be sealed to the southern border and that they begin to address these issues as national security," he explained. El Financiero also reports that Mexican authorities are increasing security barriers at the northern border: In as much, authorities of Mexico and the United States increased the measures of security in the border. Since Saturday, large iron barricades were observed on the side of Tijuana in some of the vehicular lanes of the port of entry to San Ysidro, considered the busiest crossing in the world. On the San Ysidro side, large portions of barbed wire were also placed on top of the steel wall that separates the two countries. At the Mexican border, it is unusual to close ports of entry to the United States. Local authorities estimate that since Monday they have reached both Tijuana and another neighboring border city, Mexicali, about 6,000 Central American migrants, many of them accompanied by their children. It's obvious they want this to stop. And if you take one more look at the Mexican newspapers, it will be pretty obvious why. Here is a screengrab of Reforma's offering of today's news videos: Mexico has internal refugees of its own, in its south, and Reforma reports that they are being forgotten. That can only increase anger at the caravan migrants, who are an artificial, whipped-up construct, and getting attention and resources from the Mexico City government. And they aren't the only ones - here is a screengrab of all of today's front page videos from Reforma: They are loaded with refugee issues - there are the Guatamalan volcano victims, recent hurricane refugees and the 7,000 protesting families who are listed as 'damnificados' or victims. There is a water resources issue in the corner of the spread. There are the Guerrero and other southern state refugees listed in the photo above. Can you see why the migrant caravan, with its loud demands for resources and instant immigration gratification - with these people foreigners who pushed themselves in - generates such anger? Mexico City, you have a problem. Images credit: La Reforma video screengrabs When youre big, theres always somebody ready to lend you money. Just ask WeWork. In recent weeks, venture capital fund SoftBank has invested billions (with a b) in WeWork, which provides office space. CNN reports that the real-estate company is now valued at $42 billion following the investment, according to a spokesperson for the company. It was valued at $20 billion when SoftBank invested $4.4 billion last year. Now, keep in mind that venture capitalists arent like John D. Rockefeller walking around handing out dimes. They arent simply passing out bushels of cash. The money they give out gives them stock in the companies they invest in and, usually, a seat on the companys board. If you have a million-dollar idea, such as Uber for whatever, venture capital can make it happen. It can make you rich, and make the investors richer. Big ideas get big funding. But in the real world, small businesses are where the action is. A 2015 study showed that 99 percent of employer C corps had fewer than 500 workers. These small businesses make up almost half of private sector payrolls. So: suppose you run a pizzeria in a small city. You wouldnt be able to get Masayoshi Son of SoftBank out of his limo to have lunch with you, let along get him to pour money into your eatery. But thats okay, because youre doing fine. Youre not rich, but youre making an honest living. Until: your pizza oven breaks a few days before youre going to host the Little League awards banquet. You probably dont have enough cash on hand to buy a new one. No big institutional investor is going to show up to help you. And time isnt on your side. You cant afford to give up the banquet, or the chance to win the kids and their parents as repeat customers. How can you get the oven working in time? The answer may be a merchant cash advance. This business model is venture capital on a small scale. The merchant cash advance provider comes up with the cash the small business needs, usually just a few thousand dollars, but sometimes even more than that. Its not a loan in the traditional sense, with piles of paperwork. Instead, its more of a cash advance, with the business itself serving as collateral, just as a home serves as collateral in a HELOC. The borrower pays the money back from future receipts. So when the Little League pays him, he begins to pay back the advance. This type of exchange can create a win-win where everybody gets what they need. The restaurant gets cash to stay afloat, and the lender becomes heavily invested in seeing the restaurant succeed. After all, if the pizzeria goes bankrupt, the lender will never make its money back. Of course, theres a price to pay for such an emergency infusion of cash. Small-business owners understand this, and enter such agreements with cash advance providers with their eyes open. Its more expensive than a traditional loan would be. But thats because of the convenience and immediacy of the need for cash. To stay with the example of the pizzeria, consider if the owner tried to get a traditional bank loan to fix the oven. Now, a bank might be willing to lend the money, or it might not. Getting the loan would require a lot of hassle and a lot of time, though. And now that all the banks in the country seem to be branches of a few national chains, the restaurant owner probably doesnt know anyone at the bank who could speed the process. He could miss the big payoff of the banquet hes been counting on, and end up with no bank loan and out of business entirely. Merchant cash advances arent right for every business, just as SoftBank isnt right for every business. However, both have important roles to play in financing our nations growth. Venture capital for small business must remain a key part of the American economy. Mark Anthony is a former Silicon Valley Executive with Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR). Mark is now the host of the nationally syndicated radio show called The Patriot and The Preacher Show. Find out more at patriotandpreachershow.com. Hitler sure had some grand ideasfrom mass murdering Jews and conquering Europe, to rebuilding Berlin and draining the Mediterranean sea. Even when generally showing off how great Nazi Germany was, the Fuhrer and his generals liked to do things in style. They even built what would have been the worlds biggest hotel, but the project had to be called off because there were more pressing matters at hand, such as invading France. In the 1930s, France constructed a series of massive fortification and obstacles called the Maginot Line to protect the country against invasion from the east. These fortifications were some of the strongest in existence at the time with deep underground bunkers, state-of-the-art retractable turrets, infantry shelters, barricades, artillery and anti-tank gun emplacements and so on. Nothing the German Wehrmacht had in their armory was capable of penetrating this formidable defense. So Hitler went to munitions maker Krupp for a solution. Adolf Hitler (second from right) and Albert Speer (right) inspecting the 800 mm Gustav railway gun in the year 1943. Krupp engineer Erich Muller calculated that to punch through seven meters of reinforced concrete or one full meter of steel armor plate, they would require a gun with massive dimensions. The gun should have an internal diameter of more than 80 cm, and length of more than 30 meters if it were to fire shells weighing 7 tons each from a distance of more than 40 kilometers, beyond the range of French artillery. The gun itself would weight over 1,300 tons and would have to be moved on sets of railways tracks. When these figures were presented to Hitler, he approved them and forging of the enormous weapon began in 1937. In a little more than two years, the super gun was ready. Alfried Krupp personally took Hitler to the Rugenwalde Proving Ground in early 1941 to watch the guns test firing. Alfried Krupp named the gun Schwerer Gustav, or Heavy Gustav, after his father Gustav Krupp. Schwerer Gustav was an absolute monster of a weapon. Because it was so large and heavy the gun couldnt be moved as a whole. Instead, the gun was broken down into several pieces and transported in 25 freight cars to the place of deployment, where it was assembled in placea task that required 250 men nearly three days to complete. The laying of tracks and digging embankments itself involved weeks of work and required 2,500 to 4,000 men working round the clock to accomplish. Assembling the gun took a massive effort. Here the barrel is being lowered into the carrier using two gantry cranes. Multiple tracks resembling a station junction had to be laid wherever the gun was deployed. Schwerer Gustav moved on a set of parallel tracks which limited its mobility. In addition, the gun barrel could only aim vertically. Horizontal aiming was locked along the direction of the tracks. This required the tracks to be laid in a curve so that whenever the horizontal aiming needed to be changed, the entire gun was moved along the curved tracks. Despite the tremendous firing power, Schwerer Gustav had no means of protecting itself. This was provided by two Flak battalions that guarded the gun from possible aerial assault. Related: The 890 mm caliber Tsar Canon For all the time and money spent on building the gun, it saw little action in the battlefield and absolutely none against the French for which it was originally envisioned. Germany had already invaded France in 1940, before the gun was ready. They did it by simply going around the Maginot Line rendering the complicated set of defenses useless. Schwerer Gustav was instead deployed on the Eastern Front at Sevastopol in Russia during its siege in 1942. It took 4,000 men five weeks to get the gun ready for firing. In the next four weeks, Gustav fired 48 rounds knocking out distant forts and destroying an undersea ammunition magazine located 30 meters under the sea with at least 10 meters of concrete protection. The gun was then moved near Leningrad but the attack was cancelled. The Gustav being loaded for firing. It took 20 to 45 minutes to reload the gun and prepare it for firing. Krupp built another gun with the same dimensions. This one was named Dora, after the companys chief engineer's wife. Dora was set up west of Stalingrad in mid-August 1942, but hurriedly withdrawn in September to avoid capture. When the Germans began their long retreat back home they took Dora and Gustav with them. In 1945, with defeat imminent, the Germans blew up both Dora and Gustav to prevent the invading Allied forces from capturing them intact, thus ending the story of the great Nazi superguns. In terms of caliber, Gustav and Dora were surpassed by only two other gunsthe British Mallet's Mortar (made in 1857) and the American Little David (made during the Second World War) both of which are 914 mm. But only Gustav saw action in the battlefield. It remains the biggest gun ever deployed in wara record thats likely to hold for eternity, as modern missiles and precision bombing has rendered the need for big guns such as Gustav and David useless. Allied soldiers pose in front of a captured projectile used by Gustav. A US soldier measuring the barrel of what remains of the Gustav gun after it was blown up by the Germans. A shell of the Gustav gun at the United States Army Ordnance Museum. Photo credit: Mark Pellegrini/Wikimedia A series of fourteen monumental bronze sculptures chronicling the gestation of a fetus inside a womb, from conception to birth, is one of the most daring sculptures ever to be commissioned and installed in a region thats historically known for his archaic laws and the suppression of women. Titled The Miraculous Journey, the sculptures sit outside the Sidra Medical Centre dedicated to women and children that opened this week in Doha, Qatar. The sculptures were originally installed in 2013 but was quickly covered from public view following an outcry on social media. It was unveiled recently for the hospitals official inauguration. Damien Hirst, the creator of The Miraculous Journey, is no stranger to controversy. His 20-meter-tall bronze figure of a naked pregnant woman drew uproar when it was installed in the quiet seaside town of Ilfracombe in north Devon, England. Regarding The Miraculous Journey, Hirst acknowledges that the set is controversial, especially since its the first naked sculpture in the Middle East. Its very brave, he told Doha News. Hirst might sound like he is patting himself in the back, but he actually is praising the Qatar Museum Authority and Qatar Foundation that commissioned the sculpture. To have something like this is less daring than having a lot of nudity, Sheikha al Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairwoman of the Qatar Museums Authority told the New York Times back in 2013. There is a verse in the Koran about the miracle of birth. It is not against our culture or our religion. We are not expecting everyone to like them. We are not expecting everyone to understand them. This is why they are there to actually create this element of debate, this element of thinking, said Layla Ibrahim Bacha, an art specialist at the government-supported Qatar Foundation. We believe it reflects very much the mission of Sidra, taking care of the healthcare of woman and babies, said Bacha. I think its perfect for the location, as you can see a lot of people are taking pictures, I think its becoming iconic. The Miraculous Journey will be the centerpiece of some 65 pieces of artwork placed throughout the hospital, some made by high-profile international names and artists from across the Arab world, including Qatar. A list of many new languages that are coming to Google Assistant leaked online earlier today, having been obtained from the latest beta version of the apps APK file modified by XDA Developers. The majority of the new languages are Asian, though several western ones are also coming soon, including Polish, as per the same source. The full list can be seen in the gallery below, though there are currently no indications of when exactly Google might push out the new functionality on a global level. The companys established product practices suggest it will first be looking to beta-test the languages before opting for a worldwide launch but no reports of such testing already being live have yet emerged. Background: First introduced as a timed exclusive of the original Pixel flagships in late 2016, Google Assistant launched globally at Mobile World Congress in early 2017. This years edition of the Barcelona, Spain-based trade show saw Google expand the digital companions capabilities to several new languages, bringing its list of supported languages to 15. Around the same time, Alphabets subsidiary announced plans to have its artificial intelligence service support 30 languages by the end of this year but hasnt provided many details on the matter until now. The latest findings suggest the next language wave will be largely focused on Asia, though its presently unclear whether that strategy will continue in the long term. In the west, Google Assistant is already compatible with many of the most popular languages English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Russian, etc. What many consider to be the worlds most intelligent voice assistant also already supports Korean and Japanese and while Google now appears to be ramping up its focus on Asia, it isnt expected to start supporting Chinese anytime soon, primarily due to the fact that almost every single one of its services is blocked in the Far Eastern country. It remains to be seen whether the incoming Google Assistant languages will be compatible with the tools bilingual capabilities that are presently heavily limited and only work with half a dozen languages English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese. Advertisement Impact: The continuation of Googles efforts to add more languages to Google Assistants support list indicates the firm is still looking for growth opportunities in the segment, in addition to pursuing ways in which it could make interactions with its AI tools more natural. Given how the company already vowed to have its AI service support over 30 languages by the end of the year, the newly discovered ones are bound to be officially announced in a matter of weeks, assuming the technology juggernaut is sticking with its original timeline. Though the company often beta-tests new mobile functionalities on its Pixel devices, it isnt expected to do so this time around seeing how its first-party series of Android flagships is a rare sight in Asia and the majority of the new languages are targeting Asian markets. The incoming additions should span all versions of Google Assistant, including those for Android smartphones, tablets, Wear OS wearables, and smart speakers. Rumors and speculation around a leaked Lite variation of Googles Pixel 3 flagship developed under the codename Sargo have continued this week with the release of photos purported to have been shot using the device by Russian tech blog Rozetked. The samples seem to have been shot in Ukraine, with at least two photos appearing to highlight the Lutheran St. Pauls Cathedral in Odessa. Each also bears a striking resemblance, in terms of quality, to what one might expect from the recently announced Pixel-branded premium devices. That includes at least one image where lighting, background blurring, and zoom were are reportedly enhanced via the companys trademark Portrait Mode. Yet another of the images appears to have been taken from the base of the building, using Googles Ai-enhanced Super Res Zoom feature. Background: As to the device itself, the images are said to have been taken using the very same Pixel 3 Lite that was leaked in images just last week. That implies the sensors in use here are the very same as those found on the more pricey Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets Google launched at its annual Made by Google event in October. That would mean these were taken with a 12-megapixel snapper with a f/1.8 aperture and a 1.4-micron pixel size. Aside from that hardware detail, the Pixel 3 Lite is reportedly packed with a Snapdragon 670 SoC backed up by 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage and no microSD card slot. Powering that is a 2,915mAh battery with Quick Charge 4+. The display, meanwhile, is said to be set at 5.56-inches, with a 2220 x 1080 resolution and a pixel density of 444 ppi. That will, speculatively, run at right around $400 to $500 in price and is expected to be announced in the first half of next year. These are not, of course, the first images or details to have leaked regarding a budget or mid-range variation on Googles Pixel 3 family of devices. However, there are plenty of discrepancies between reports and it isnt immediately clear whether any of them is accurate. Whats more, there are problems with the images of the devices themselves, if not the newly released photos supposedly taken using that handset. Most suspect is that the Google emblem on the lower portion of the rear of that device in those shots did not look entirely legitimate. It was shown to effectively be a circle with a piece missing instead of a full G. From a design perspective, there were also plenty of details that seemed to match up with the prospects that the device in question might be an unannounced Pixel handset as well, in those apparent leaks. A dual-tone white back plate was used with a glossy section at the top housing a single camera with a dual-tone flash while the fingerprint scanner was placed just below that in the center. The curves and rounded edges also seem to align with the language used by the search giant. Advertisement Impact: Having said that, there is no way to verify, as of this writing, whether any of the speculation or leaked information is correct. These images do look just about as crisp and detailed as might be expected from a budget device that, at least in the camera department, neglected to remember that it was actually a budget device. If it does plan to launch something like this smartphone, Google could be holding off on revealing it as a surprise for its I/O 2019 event. However, it doesnt necessarily make a lot of sense for Google to have not launched a new mid-range phone alongside its other handsets at its own dedicated yearly hardware event. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Lynk & Co, a car brand spawned from the relationship between China's Geely and Sweden's Volvo, joins the car exhibiting fest in Guangzhou by showcasing the Lynk & Co 01, 02 and 03 that have been released by far. It is reported that the automaker plans to roll out a total of 10 new models by 2020. The ten new models to be released will cover a wide range from the sub-compact segment to the large-sized segment to meet consumers diversified demands. Up until now, dealers who submitted franchise applications have already exceeded 2,000. A total of 185 outlets have been put into operation and 113 outlets are under construction. In the future, Lynk & Co's presence will extend to around 220 cities in China, even penetrating into the so-called third or fourth-tier cities. Moreover, the Lynk & Co branded vehicles are to be manufactured in Europe in the future and will join the 2019 WTCC (World Touring Car Cup) in Morocco as a contestant. At the Auto Guangzhou 2018, the automaker handed over the 80,000th Lynk & Co 01 car with a special ceremony. The Lynk & Co brand gained a sales volume of 15,207 units in October, up by 2.2% compared with the previous month. The sales of the Lynk & Co 01, 02 and 03 were 8,476 units, 5,766 units and 965 units respectively. For the first ten months, the brand's YTD sales amounted to 102,308 units in total. Huawei has finalized the core research and development aspects of its foldable smartphone project and has already pitched the device to wireless carriers in South Korea, local media reports. The network operators are understood to have been surprised by the development as the industry expected Huawei to present a prototype, not a pitch for a finalized device. A Huawei official confirmed the move but declined to comment on the specifics of the companys first foldable handset with 5G capabilities. Unofficially, the gadget is said to be using a bendable display from Chinese panel manufacturer BOE. When folded, the screen is reportedly some five inches in size and goes up to eight inches when folded out. Those dimensions are larger than the expected size of Samsungs bendable handset that the South Korean company teased earlier this month the Galaxy-branded device is said to be a 4.6-inch affair when folded and have a 7.3-inch screen in its unfolded state. Huawei, Samsungs largest rival next to Apple, will be officially announcing its first bendable Android handset at the next iteration of Mobile World Congress which is kicking off in late February in Barcelona, Spain, industry sources claim. The device is hence expected to become available for purchase by mid-2019, though it likely wont be retailed globally, especially given how 5G will be one of its main selling points and the next generation of wireless connectivity wont have any significant coverage prior to 2020. Background: The main reason why Huawei first pitched its unconventional gadget to carriers is South Korea is closely related to the fact that the Far Eastern country is among the leading economies in terms of 5G R&D and may end up being the first to achieve large-scale 5G coverage, according to numerous analyst forecasts and Seouls own recent statements on its wireless ambitions. That may not be enough for the local industry to embrace the companys proposal as the Korean government is currently pondering the idea of banning the firm from participating in its 5G rollouts outright due to national security reasons. The Shenzhen-based company, also the worlds largest manufacturer of telecom equipment, argued there are no reasons for its 5G hardware to be rejected by South Korea last month, maintaining it never gave the local government any reason to believe its infrastructure is a national security risk. Still, with mounting pressure from Seouls allies such as the U.S. and Australia, both of whom already essentially banned Huawei from their 5G projects, the country may still follow suit. Advertisement The current state of affairs suggests Huawei has little chance of competing with other 5G phone makers on equal grounds, at least in South Korea, which may be a large part of the reason why its doubling down on its innovation efforts and also wants to deliver its first 5G handset in the form of a foldable device. That product strategy has already been outlined by the companys rotating Chairman Ken Hu in September at this years edition of the World Economic Forum. However, the official didnt clarify whether the device in question will also be the firms first-ever bendable device, which remains a possibility seeing how previous reports suggested Huawei is pursuing several foldable form factors and may end up commercializing more than one. The Chinese company has been working on a bendable Android smartphone for over a year now, according to previous claims from industry insiders. It even considered releasing a two-screen device akin to the ZTE Axon M around the time that booklet-like gadget was released in 2017 but ended up deciding against the idea as it wanted to refine the concept before offering it to consumers, company officials said earlier this year. Samsung is positioned to be Huaweis only rival in the early foldable phone space as all other manufacturers are said to be significantly behind the two companies in their efforts to commercialize such devices. The Seoul-based technology juggernaut already unveiled its Infinity Flex display earlier this month and is expected to implement it into a consumer-grade product that will be announced in the first quarter of 2019, most likely at the next iteration of MWC. Both Samsung and Huaweis seminal foldable gadgets are expected to be priced at well above $1,000 due to their high manufacturing costs. That state of affairs will likely see the two devices advertised exclusively to tech enthusiasts, with industry analysts remaining divided on how soon could such gadgets enter the mainstream price bracket. Huaweis first foldable device may resemble the Mate 20 X, an Android flagship the company announced last month, describing it as a phablet designed for high-end mobile gaming experiences. That theory is largely based on the fact that Huawei consumer business chief Richard Yu recently related the release of the Mate 20 X as a crucial step on the firms road toward the release of its first foldable device. The handset in question is one of the largest ones ever released, featuring a 7.2-inch screen. The Mate 20 X connection is not the only recent occasion on which foldable handsets were related to mobile gaming. Several months back, industry insiders claimed Samsung will be advertising its first bendable Android smartphone to gamers as well, speculating how that demographic may be willing to commit extra money to such innovative technologies due to their established tendency to spend more on handsets in general. Advertisement Impact: Huaweis latest innovation efforts in the mobile segment may not result in the worlds first foldable handset but will likely lead to the first bendable phone with 5G capabilities. Even as Samsung is positioned to be the pioneer in the segment, Huawei may give it a run for its money with a more value-oriented device, or at least one that will have it beat on the connectivity front. While foldable handsets are unlikely to achieve mainstream success in the immediate future, the industrys growing focus on such gadgets indicates that the bendable form factor isnt just coming soon but will be here to stay. The only question that remains is how soon will manufacturers be able to deliver foldable handsets Android and otherwise at a relatively affordable price point. Motorola, according to a report by XDA Developers, is working on a new flagship smartphone that will be released sometime in 2019. Unlike the last high-end smartphone from the company, the upcoming one is said to come powered by an unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 processor, which itself could be announced next month. The report further adds that the high-end device, codenamed Odin, includes 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage while currently being in its development phase and may launch with increased RAM and storage capacities to keep pace with the competition. Citing its sources, the publication informs that the handset will come preloaded with Android 9 Pie and it may also support the Moto Mods, which can later enable 5G connectivity for the North Americans. The alleged Motorola Odin flagship smartphone will reportedly support an upcoming 5G Moto Mod that will likely be using the Snapdragon X50 modem. The Moto Z3, announced earlier this year, is a Verizon-exclusive device and its follow-up is also expected to remain exclusive to the carrier, although Motorola could also bring an unlocked variant to retail alongside the locked one. The Lenovo-owned company is also reported to be working on the software support to enable under-display fingerprint scanners, however, it is still not clear if Odin will feature the advanced biometric sensor or not. Having said that, XDAs sources are optimistic that the under-display fingerprint sensor is being developed for Odin itself as Motorola is unlikely to debut the technology with any of its upcoming mid-range devices. Motorolas last flagship smartphone, the Moto Z3, was announced in August this year but it failed to receive a great deal of fanfare mainly because it used a yesteryear Snapdragon 835 chipset even though the company compensated for it with a modest pricing and made it 5G-upgradable using a Moto Mod. The OEM has largely been absent from the flagship space for a while now and it appears to have felt the heat from emerging smartphone makers like OnePlus. The upcoming Motorola Odin will hopefully mend the situation as it will be better equipped to face the competition with the top-end processor from Qualcomm and support for 5G connectivity using a mod, if the report turns out to be true. Microsoft has announced that Skype calling is now available on Amazon Alexa devices. With the new feature, owners of Alexa-powered smart speakers may now call their loved ones, either through audio or video, using voice commands. To start taking advantage of this functionality, users must first open the Amazon Alexa app and proceed to the communications section of the app settings. In this section, users will find the settings for the Skype app where the user will sign in the same Microsoft account that they use on the service. The tech firm is also advising users to update their Skype apps to version 8.34 or newer for the best possible calling experience on Alexa devices. After the user has linked their Skype accounts with Amazon Alexa, users only need to mention the name of the person they want to call, as long as that person is already on their contacts list. Meanwhile, if the person they are calling is not yet on their contact list, people may read the phone number of the person to Alexa. Moreover, when the person receives a call, the Amazon Alexa device will play the Skype ringtone, and it will then mention the name of the contact that initiated the call. Aside from offering voice and video calling, people may also use Skype to call landline and mobile phone numbers, and for the first two months after the user links their account with Amazon Alexa, Skype is offering 100 minutes of free calls to phone numbers in 34 different countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, and the United Kingdom. Right now, this feature is rolling out to seven countries across the globe, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, India, Australia, and New Zealand, although Skype has promised that it will deploy the functionality to other countries in the near future. Furthermore, users must own a compatible Alexa device to take advantage of the feature. Among the supported devices include the first and second-generation versions of the Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, and Amazon Show, as well as the Echo Spot and the second and the third-generation editions of the Amazon Dot. Advertisement Background: Microsoft already announced during Amazons recent hardware event last September that it would bring over Skype to Amazon Alexa devices, although at that time, the tech firm did not provide a specific date for the rollout of the new feature. This service takes advantage of the voice and video calling support that Amazon added to its Alexa devices some time ago. This development also marks the next step for the collaboration between the two tech giants, with Microsoft previously integrating Alexa into its Xbox consoles, and Microsoft previously stated that it will continue working with Amazon to enable more intelligent communications between users. Impact: The rollout of Skype support to Amazon Alexa devices are mutually beneficial to the two tech giants. Microsoft gains access to users who regularly use their Alexa devices to make calls while they are home, while Amazon will benefit from the additional features that Skype brings over to its products. For consumers, especially for Skype users, this new feature gives them more options on where they could make calls through their preferred service. This article is also available in Spanish Este articulo tambien esta disponible en espanol A member of the Anglican Consultative Council from the Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America the Anglican Church in Central America Jeroham Melendez, comments on last months Latin American and Caribbean Partnership Gathering at Trinity Church, Wall Street. Trinity Church Wall Streets Latin American and Caribbean Partnership Gathering 2018 took place last month. The meeting gathered more than 130 people in delegations from more than 20 countries in the region and also included representatives from the US, Canada, Portugal, and Spain. The purpose of these meetings is to share experiences, projects, and examples that allow the churches of the region to support their mission work through the development of leadership and financial capacity. This is one of the priorities of Trinity Church Wall Street and it explains very well the core values that drive its mission, and that in the words of its Rector, Dr William Lupfer, are an interpretation of our baptismal covenant in a broader language with which diverse sectors can be identified and join our mission work, because in this way we can transform our faith in action in our neighbourhoods and in the world. An example of this was the opportunity for the attendees to stand in solidarity with the Brazilian delegation who closely followed the political electoral process that was taking place concurrently with the event and that included multiple very emotional prayer spaces. A similar case occurred with the Central Americans and the caravan of Honduran migrants heading to the US. This allows us to reaffirm our faith, In Christ, there are no barriers These types of meetings give us the opportunity to know about the experiences, the successes, and challenges that we face when we develop missionary work in different realities of the Anglican Communion, but above all to refine our hearing to hear the voice of God that calls us to maintain a living and real relationship with him, because the biggest challenge starts with each individual and that was reminded by a sister in one of the presentations, when she stated the phrase of Jaroslav Pelikan: Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Posted on: October 8, 2018 4:56 PM Pakistans Supreme Court has heard the final appeal of a Christian mother-of-five who was sentenced to death for blasphemy her crime was to drink from a water fountain used by Muslims. The conviction and sentence handed down to Asia Bibi has led to international condemnation of the countrys much-abused blasphemy laws. In 2016, members of the Anglican Consultative Council, meeting in Lusaka, said it stands in solidarity and prayer with Asia Bibi and asked that her case be re-investigated and that she be honourably acquitted. They also expressed their solidarity and prayer with other victims of the Pakistans blasphemy law. Bibi has been held in custody since June 2009 after her co-workers said that by drinking water meant for Muslims she had made it ritually unclean. In November 2010 she was sentenced to death and has had numerous appeals postponed. Hardline Islamists in Pakistan have campaigned against her release. In January 2011, Salman Taseer, a governor of Punjab, said that Bibi was innocent and called for a review of Pakistans blasphemy laws. In response, he was shot and killed by his own bodyguard. Two months later Shahbaz Bhatti, the countrys Minority Affairs Minister, was ambushed and killed by gunmen near his Islamabad home. He had previously told reporters that he would campaign for Bibis release. After years of delays and adjournments, a tribunal of three Supreme Court judges, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, and supported by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, today heard her final appeal. They have come to a decision, but it has been reserved, said Mehwish Bhatti, an officer with the British-Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), said from the court house. The Chief Justice has banned media interference but all the journalists are talking about this. Earlier they took my mobile [phone] for almost two hours after I tried to take a picture of the court house. The entrance of high profile people was from the other side, so nobody could see them. Last week, Bibis husband, Ashiq Masih, spoke at an event organised by Aid to the Church in Need at the Catholic Chaplaincy of Lancaster University in north-west England, alongside the couples eldest daughter Eisham. She is psychologically, physically and spiritually strong, having a very strong faith, Masih told BPCAs Chairman Wilson Chowdhry. She is ready and willing to die for Christ Chowdhry commented: 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. These charges have been proven false time and again and it is 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. We hope this time she will be completely exonerated and these this wrongful conviction will finally be overturned as this is her last chance to be heard at court. Many churches in Lahore held a day of prayer and fasting. All around Pakistan and even many parts of the world, the sense of anticipation . . . regarding Asia Bibis final appeal hearing are now at fever pitch, BPCA Outreach Officer Leighton Medley said ahead of todays hearing. There is a sense here in Pakistan that once again, battle lines are being drawn: the battle between those who support hatred and intolerance and those who fight for peace and justice. There is no doubt, that . . . you will be able to cut the atmosphere with a knife. There will be protests on both sides and you can bet there will be trouble ahead." He added: We must have faith that God can intervene in this situation and this mountain will be removed, it is very much like going into the lions den. "It truly is D-Day for Asia, this is the final countdown and we will soon know whether the extremists win or lose. And whether there will be peace and justice in Pakistan or just more hatred, prejudice and intolerance which sadly has come to typify Pakistan today. Pakistans blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal scores. The death sentence has never been carried out; but at least 20 people have been murdered in prison after being convicted. Posted on: November 19, 2018 5:32 PM The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the leader of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, have issued an urgent appeal to all politicians to find fair and sustainable solutions for the future coexistence of the UK and the EU. The Church leaders made their plea in a joint statement at a time when the British government and the European Commission are finalising a deal to revoke the UKs membership of the European Union. In their statement, the two Church leaders point out that the relationship between the Church of England and the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland goes back over many centuries long before the European Union. Bishop Heinrich, Landesbischof of the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria) was elected Chair of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) the national umbrella body for the 20 regional Lutheran, Reformed and United regional churches in Germany in November 2015. He visited Lambeth Palace, the London offices and official residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury, for two days last week, during which the Church leaders issued their joint statement. Europe is changing but the Church of God remains constant in its witness, they said. The deep commitment that we have to one another is not based on our common membership of the European Union but on our membership of the body of Christ. We witness the rise of populism and the emergence of extremist political parties which are being successful at the ballot box. Some of the old certainties are not so certain any more. European relationships are changing, not least as a result of Brexit [Britains decision to withdraw from the EU]. We do not know what will happen and what the relationship between the UK and EU will look like after 29 March 2019. However, what we do know is that the relationship between the Church of England and the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland goes back over many centuries long before the European Union. As churches, we urgently appeal to all politicians to find fair and sustainable solutions for the future coexistence of the UK and the EU. United in Christ we are drawn together in hope, faith and love, and those things which divide us are of much lesser importance. In their statement, they point to recent commemorations including the centenary of the First World War Armistice and the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht as historic events of immense importance pointing to the dangers of extremism, the peril of division and the disaster of conflict. And they looked ahead, too, the Volkstrauertag, the annual commemoration in Germany of those who have died in armed conflicts, which took place yesterday (Sunday). Our two nations have a history of war between us but also a history of the search for lasting peace, they said. As some politicians and political forces seek to drive a wedge between people so it is all the more important that the churches continue to strive for reconciliation and to speak out prophetically for a Europe where the values of human rights and human dignity are central, based in the great Christian traditions of our two countries when at their best. As religious leaders, united in our commitment to see a flourishing Europe committed to the common good and respecting the dignity of every human being, of all faiths and none, made in the image of God and the object of Gods love in Jesus Christ, we call on our Governments not to lose sight of the urgent task of safeguarding our created world and its people. Our world requires a better future than one based in hatred and division. It is the task of the church to bear witness to the love of God, across borders as sisters and brothers in Christ. The Church of England and the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland have been working to strengthen their ties for a number of years, and in 1991 signed the Meissen Agreement to formalise their links. Through parish and diocesan links, theological and educational exchanges we are able to see one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, united in our common baptism, the Church leaders said. If political and economic relationships are strained, it is the duty of Christians to work for unity and understanding and to build bridges between nations and cultures for the good of humanity, in the service of Jesus Christ. Posted on: November 19, 2018 10:58 AM The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, has welcomed a British government decision to bring forward restrictions on fixed-odd betting terminals (FOBTs). The machines, popular in betting shops on Britains High Streets, currently allow a maximum stake of 100 every 20 seconds. Earlier this year the government announced that they were reducing the maximum stake to 2.00. That had been expected to take effect next April, but in the annual budget speech, finance minister Philip Hammond said that the change wouldnt take place until next October. Now, the government have said that the reduction would, after all, take effect next April. The culture minister Tracey Crouch, who supported the reduction, resigned from the government following the delay. It fell to her successor, Jeremy Wright, to make the u-turn announcement in a written statement. After a thorough consultation with interested parties, including charities, campaigners and the gambling industry, across government we reached a decision to make this significant change in October 2019, he said. The Government has been clear that protecting vulnerable people is the prime concern, but that as a responsible government it is also right to take the needs of those employed by the gambling industry into account and provide time for an orderly transition. Parliament has, however, been clear that they want this change to be made sooner. The Government has listened and will now implement the reduction in April 2019. He added: the Government will continue to take action to protect vulnerable people, including strengthening protections around gaming machines, online gambling, gambling advertising and treatment for problem gambling. Welcoming the announcement, Bishop Alan said: It is good to see common sense and strong moral purpose trumping the financial interests of the gambling industry. These machines have caused untold misery to thousands of people and have been linked with people taking their own lives due to gambling addiction. He added: I want to take this opportunity to praise the actions of the former . . . Minister, Tracey Crouch, and all the other MPs, peers and campaigners who have fought for this decision. Philip Hammond [Britains finance minister] has done the right thing and I look forward to working with him on all the other gambling issues that need to be dealt with in the future. Bishop Alan is now working with others to bring about restrictions to gambling-related adverts in the UK. Posted on: November 19, 2018 3:47 PM Officials say that almost 1,000 people are still missing as the death toll from a wildfire in northern California dubbed the Camp Fire hits 77. Meanwhile, Episcopalians in the US west-coast State say that they are gathering strength and resilience through an outpouring of love and concern from across the Episcopal Church. Yesterday (Sunday), officials said that the Camp Fire was 65 per cent contained after spreading across 150,000 acres. Elsewhere in California, the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles was said to be 91 per cent contained after spreading across 96,000 acres. Three people were killed in that fire. Amongst the buildings destroyed in the blazes the deadliest in Californias history was the home of the Revd Ann Sullivan, of St Nicholas Church in Paradise. The Church itself is said to be relatively untouched; and Sullivan was making plans to retrieve computers and sacred items from the building. The parish administrator and I will have office space at St Johns Church in Chico as recovery efforts continue, Sullivan told the Episcopal News Service. She was also trying to connect displaced parishioners with St Johns members who had opened their homes to fire victims. Everyone I know who lived in Paradise lost their home, Sullivan said. St Johns, some 14 miles away in Chico, has become a hub for recovery activity and is ready to shelter the displaced, if necessary, according to its Rector, Richard Yale, who expressed amazement that St Nicholas Church sustained only superficial damage. It was right there, in the heart of what was burning, and its still here, he said. for the rest of the city of 26,000: Paradise is gone. Theres no infrastructure left. Most lost their homes. Those who didnt lose their homes now have homes in an uninhabitable city, so there are all levels of needs here, pastoral needs, financial needs, ongoing needs. Episcopal Relief & Development Partners in Response and Resilience team is partnering with the dioceses of Los Angeles and Northern California to provide emergency support. Assessment is ongoing as the fires are not fully contained yet, Lura Steele, program officer for the US Disaster Program at Episcopal Relief & Development, said in a statement on the agencys website. We will continue to work with our local partners to respond to the needs of those affected, she said. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] The special Oman National Day activities come as part of Abu Dhabi Airports focus on ensuring a seamless passenger experience and customer happiness. The Capitals airport also indulged travelers arriving from Oman on the day with various offers and surprise gifts through its concessionaires and partners. Lucky passengers were greeted at the luggage belt by Abu Dhabi Duty Free mascot, the famous Dhabian camel, who handed out a 1 night stay hotel voucher at one of Millenniums 4 properties in Muscat, Oman. Bryan Thompson, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: Our celebrations today are a reflection of the deep ties and close connections between the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman. We are proud to be in a position to provide our Omani neighbors with special welcome to Abu Dhabi with our own unique brand of Arabian hospitality. From the moment they touch down, we hope that each and every one of our Omani travelers will feel at home in Abu Dhabi, and we look forward to celebrating more National Days with them over the coming years, Thompson added. When it returns to DWC, Dubai Airshow site the show is predicted to boast 1300 exhibitors and attract up to 87,000 aerospace professionals across its five day run. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently forecast the Middle East will see an extra 290 million air passengers on routes to, from and within the region by 2037. In addition, research by Capgemini found that, as of March 2017, 62% of aerospace and defence companies had a smart manufacturing initiative. As a result of both this growth and high-tech advancements, emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence and blockchain are having increasing effects on all areas of the aerospace supply chain. Dubai Airshow 2019 will have an increased focused on sector specific conferences and pavilions, reflecting these growing industry areas and bringing together experts and key stakeholders in order to share knowledge and help drive growth. These include Smart Manufacturing, Space, Cargo Connect, Airport Solutions Dubai and Global Air Traffic Management (GATM). Each will include a conference and a dedicated pavilion on the show floor. The conferences will run for one or two days each and take place throughout the Dubai Airshow. As in previous years, the Dubai Airshow 2019 has attracted new exhibitors from around the globe, including DEPO from Pakistan, INETEC from Croatia and Pattonair from the UK, among others. This is in addition to returning exhibitors from all sectors of the industry, ensuring that the show remains at the forefront of aerospace in the region and beyond. Recent announcements have demonstrated the UAE Governments commitment to aerospace and technological advancements as a key pillar of the countrys development, including Dubai Airports Engineering Projects (DAEP) plans for Al Maktoum International to become a 'cosmic super-port' handling hypersonic and space aircraft in the future; and the goal of having 25 per cent of Dubais buildings 3D printed by 2030. The Dubai Airshow is a must attend event in the aerospace calendar, say Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of show organisers Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East. With the interest we have seen from new exhibitors plus the incredible growth in emerging technologies represented at the show, I am confident the 2019 edition will be bigger than previous years. The Dubai Airshow takes place 17-21 November 2019 at DWC, Dubai Airshow Site Nearly 200 Belgian troops are scheduled to start their service in Estonia beginning of next year, as part of the NATO Battle Group stationed at Tapa. Belgian Piranha IIICs (Picture source: Belgian MoD) According to the Estonian Minister of Defence Juri Luik, the decision taken by the Belgian Government to send troops to Estonia shows that small countries can equally contribute to NATOs security. As small nations we understand each others security concerns well, since our security as a whole depends on the strength of NATO, Luik said. Belgian troops will arrive in Estonia from Lithuania with a motorised road march through the three Baltic states. The troops will make stops along the way to introduce their activities and equipment to the public. Belgian air defence teams have participated on a regular basis in the spring large-scale training exercises carried out in Estonia, with Belgian fighter aircraft having also participated in the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. The troops arriving are equipped with the infantry fighting vehicles and anti-tank Spike guided missiles, 120mm mortars, as well as engineering and combat support units. As part of the NATO Battle Group stationed at Tapa, the Belgian troops will take over duties from the Danes, with the first service members set to arrive in December. In spring, the troops will take part in the large-scale training exercise Spring Storm. The NATO Battle Group is part of a broader Alliance deterrence, and is stationed in Estonia based on the joint decision adopted by the Allies at the NATO's Warsaw Summit. As is the case with other Allied troops, the Belgian troops will also be stationed in Estonia to strengthen NATOs security and prevent any possible aggression. Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleh Hladkovsky and Head of the Ukroboronprom State Concern Pavlo Bukin have signed an agreement with Turkey for the purchase of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, according to the website ukrinform.net. Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle at IDEF defense exhibition in Turkey, May 2017. (Picture source Army Recognition) An agreement was signed during the visit of the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Turkey at the beginning of November 2018. The negotiations for the purchase of Tukish-made UAVs were started two years ago. During this period, representatives of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry were in Turkey to perform technical and trial tests of the Bayraktar TB2. The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium altitude and long-range (MALE) tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system manufactured by the Turkish Company Baykar Makina. The first units of the Bayraktar TB2 will be purchased by Ukraine to Baykar Makina, but in the future, the UAV could be produced in Ukraine. The first flight of the Bayraktar TB2 was performed in June 2009, and the production began in December 2011, after a first contract with the Turkish army. The first acceptance tests of the UAV were conducted in November 2014 and six UAVs were delivered to the Turkish Land Forces by 2014. The Bayraktar TB2 has a monocoque design including an inverse v-tail structure and engine located at the rear of the fuselage. It has a range of more than 150km and can fly at a maximum altitude of 22,500ft. It has a maximum speed of 70kt and endurance of more than 20 hours. The Bayraktar TB2 can be armed with long-range anti-tank missile under the wings. Bayraktar TB2 successfully demonstrated firing of ROKETSAN MAM-L Smart Micro Munition with 100% precision in December 2015. 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. An ordinance raising the age to 21 to legally purchase cigarettes or tobacco products is on the horizon in Snowmass Village. Jennifer Batrouney QC has been elected as the president of the Australian Bar Association (ABA) for the 2018-19 year. The new president is a respected silk, specialising in revenue and charity law. She is the fourth female president in the history of the ABA, which was founded in 1963 and represents Australias 6,000 barristers. She is the immediate past president of the Victorian Bar and the Tax Bar Association, as well as a former president of Australian Women Lawyers. During my term as president, I will continue to promote the high-quality specialist advocacy and advisory services provided by Australias barristers both here and overseas, Batrouney said in a statement. A well-known Texas pilot who gave numerous rides to veterans in his P-51 Pecos Bill was killed along with a passenger when the warbird crashed into an apartment building parking lot in Fredericksburg, Texas, on Saturday. Cowden Ward Jr. and the unidentified passenger, believed to be a Second World War B-17 pilot, were taking part in a reenactment flight organized by the National Museum of the Pacific War when the accident occurred. No one on the ground was hurt but several cars were destroyed and a parking shelter damaged. Tributes for Ward are pouring in from the warbird community. Ward founded the Pecos Bill P-51 Freedom Flyers with a mission and a passion to honor Veterans with flights in his beloved P-51 Pecos Bill, according to a Facebook post from the organization. Over the years he did just that, honoring hundreds of our nations veterans including a large number of WWII veterans. Ward owned a real estate business in Austin. Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating. Local media quote witnesses as saying they heard the aircrafts engine sputtering before the crash. Most pilots have heard warnings about the timeliness (or lack thereof) of Nexrad radar. Better expressed as latency, the weather you see on your tablet, smartphone or multi-function display from providers like SXM or the FAAs ADS-B could already be 15-20 minutes out of date. It cant be said enough: What you see on your Nexrad display is better described as a historical record and has little to do with whats happening right now. Less often discussedor warned aboutare the radar gaps, the places where there is only a partial picture. At best, the conclusions we draw when viewing weather radar where gaps exist can be misleading. At worst, theyre completely wrong. (And weather radar isnt our only concern: depending on where we fly, ATC radar often has gaps in its coverage, especially at personal-airplane altitudes.) Essentially these radar gapsespecially the weather-radar kindare what we might call known unknowns, and pilots would do well to be very wary of them. The good news is they are somewhat predictable if you know what to look for. Different Radars Weather radar provides the best overall weather picture nearest its station. But as the distance from the station increases, the weather picture will increasingly show only what is happening at high-altitude, and it can totally miss what is happening near ground level. I have seen frog-strangling downpour cells at ground level when the radar shows an area of light precipitation, because that is what the radar sees in the higher part of the cloud. Its important to remember ATC radar coverage is slightly different than weather radar, but has similar limitations. There are gaps. In certain parts of the country you will hear the words, Radar coverage lost. Youll be given a 1200 squawk and a pat on the back if youre VFR, maybe with the next ATC frequency. If youre IFR, you may also hear something like you are entering an area of poor radar and radio coverage. If we lose contact, change to the next frequency 132.4 in 40 miles and report over the VOR. Understand The Gaps Radar beams (and radio signals) generally travel in a straight, line-of-sight path, so the information available from radar waves is limited by what they can see. The top three issues causing radar information gaps are: 1) the distance between radars (typically ~215 miles/345 km in the western U.S.); 2) mountains and other terrain blocking radar beams; and 3) the Earths curvature, which limits the ability of long-range radar to observe the lowest parts of the atmosphere, that which is at less than 10,000 feet and distances greater than 108 miles/175 km. There is a bigger problem that the gaps compound, which is that the planet is round. The farther the weather, or your aircraft, is from a radar dome, the more the Earth has curved away from the beam, so the more limited will be the radar coverage. The best and only weather picture will be of the mid- and upper atmosphere. The problem for pilots is that most of the precipitation or hazardous weather we encounter and are concerned with occurs in the lowest three kilometers (~10,000 feet). If you are in a coverage gap and a significant distance from a radar dome, that is precisely the atmosphere unreported by radar. But Nobody Told Me Just as for ignorance of the law, ignorance of aviation weather is no excuse. The law is that pilots shall obtain all available information regarding current and forecast weather prior to departing for a flight, and looking at radar is part of that information. In reality, any two pilots looking at the same Nexrad radar display might see a slightly different picture of what the weather actually is. One of them will think the radar returns show where the precipitation is and is not. The other may be more aware of the limitations of the radar weather products, or has reason to be skeptical, perhaps from tribal knowledge or from reading this article. Whatever the reasoning, especially in gap areas, it is a good idea to take any radar picture with a substantial amount of salt. On the fine spring day that I write this, the weather forecast for my days flightBoise, Idaho, to Burns, Ore.includes the possibility of afternoon showers and thundershowers that could cause brief marginal VFR conditions in the forecast area. The TAF for my destination implies the same, stating scattered showers in the vicinity of the airport. Looking at the radar, I can see manageable patches of precipitation between my location in Boise and my destination, with most of the patches nearer to Boise and appearing to dissipate to the west. One reasonable interpretation would be that the bulk of the system has already moved, from west to east, leaving my destination in the clear. In actuality, I found the same patchy distribution of scattered showers from Boise to Burns, even though the zones of rain I could see out the window were not on my iPad Nexrad weather plot. And when I arrived, I had to dodge and weave through the same types of scattered precipitation that was around Boise. Sure, the radar looked clear, but that was due to the low height of the rain clouds and the gap in the radar coverage, not a gap in the weather. Tribal Knowledge Fortunately for me, it wasnt a big surprise. I knew that Burns, like my hometown airport of Salmon, Idaho, is in a weather radar blind spot. But I didnt find this knowledge on my own, nor from some aviation product, nor from a weather briefer. Instead, it came to me by word-of-mouth from another pilot who trained me on the route and others who know and fly in the area. This tribal knowledge has been confirmed and reconfirmed by what I have seen out the window, but for some reason, tribal knowledge does not make it into many weather lessons. Pilots should be aware that the places where the radars vision starts to become blurry, the known unknowns, are not clearly depicted. They may show weather pictures that are typically better than what you find in reality. Terrain adds a double whammy because the same terrain that causes radar blockage is often a cause of the weather itself. When there is terrain, the area of low radar confidence has elevated importance. Not only might you find unforeseen weather, you might also find some granite. Who Cares? The U.S. weather radar network now known as Nexrad is mostly built around the need to predict the kind of severe weather pilots dont want to fly in (i.e., thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, etc.). Most of the U.S. has weather radar coverage, but not all. For example, there is a significant weather radar gap over central North Carolina. Areas around Charlotte and Greensboro are sometimes in peril from surprise tornadoes that have spawned off the radar. There are also significant dead zones in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and a big chunk of eastern Texas. The mountainous west, of course, has more gaps than a buck-toothed mule. The motivation for a 2009 report on the feasibility of new technologies to fill coverage gaps in national weather radar network were tornado and coastal storm-induced injuries, fatalities and economic losses in the states of Wyoming in 2005, and Washington in 2007. In 2012, a significant tornado in North Carolina didnt show up because the rotation was below the radar limitation of 8500 feet AGL. A major coastal storm near Oregon in 2017 swept inland (under the radar), giving the appearance of a gap in the system that in reality was just a gap in the radar. The concern here is for pilots and the significant gaps below 10,000 feet, where most weather and personal aircraft concentrate. Yes, most of the U.S. has radar coverage by both ATC and weather radar, though not all of it. And yes, if you climb to the flight levels, generally you will be found by ATC and the precipitation above 18,000 will likely show up. But in the radar gaps, especially below 10,0000 feet, it is all too easy for a pilot looking to find a gap between weather systems to head into an opening that actually isnt there. Image: Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Fabrice Kunzi. ATC Radar, Too Although it is a slightly different issue, ATC radar (and radio) coverage also has similar spottiness and coverage limitations due to interference of terrain with line-of-sight broadcast. Just as the terrain and opportunity to encounter interesting weather rises, radar and radio coverage begins falling. There are a lot of benefits to staying in radio contact, like flight-following for VFR pilots and remaining in contact with center for IFR pilots. On a typical jaunt through the mountains, I will be below radar coverage but still in radio range. When you run out of the range of one antenna and into the range of the next one, you get a frequency handoff from one frequency to the next because they are about to lose you. Pay attention because if you get it wrong, there is a very limited time to return to the old frequency to pick up the change again. To receive and be heard, your aircraft must broadcast more or less in the line-of-sight of an ATC antenna. VHF radio waves have the same line-of-sight limitations as radar waves (they are basically the same electromagnetic phenomena, but at different frequency ranges that are subject to slightly different bending and reflection. The locations of radio gaps are not necessarily the same as the gaps in ATC radar coverage. Radio antennas are also cheaper to install than radar systems so it isnt nearly as expensive to maintain radio coverage across the entire conterminous U.S. Caveat Emptor If at all possible, forearm yourself with knowledge of where the gaps are. Acknowledge that there are unknown unknowns, areas of ignorance. Dont assume you have a complete picture when you are flying into gappy radar coverage. Because of the region I fly, I know the areas where there are gaps in radar or where I could be misled by a radar picture. I am not likely to be flying when storms are particularly strong, but I know better than to assume that two zones of red precip separated by a nice area of light green is a real gap. Wind Farms, Too The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes the image below thusly: The imageis a zoomed 0.5 degree elevation Reflectivity product from the Ft Drum, NY NEXRAD. There is a large wind farm nearby with turbines oriented from due north through southeast of the radar. The turbines are close enough (within 18 km) to cause spurious multipath scattering that extends well beyond the wind farm and contaminates data at multiple scanning elevation angles. Image: Andrew J. Oldaker Our modern Nexrad (Next-Generation Weather Radar) system is still based on radar, a technology that came into its own during World War II. It was first operated as a network to observe weather by the National Weather Service and, as technological improvements allowed, was followed by Weather Surveillance Radars and, most recently, Weather Surveillance Radars Doppler, also known as Nexrad. Nexrad is a joint effort of the National Weather Service, Air Force Weather Agency and the FAA. Nexrad installations currently comprise 160 sites throughout the U.S. and a few overseas locations. Mike Hart flies his Piper J3 Cub and Cessna 180 when hes not schlepping people and their gear. Hes also the Idaho State Liaison for the Recreational Aviation Foundation. This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue ofAviation Safetymagazine. For more great content like this,subscribe toAviation Safety! Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones has conceded to Republican incumbent Rep. Will Hurd in the hotly contested race for Texas' 23rd congressional district, reports the Dallas Morning News. Why it matters: The district is majority Hispanic and stretches for hundreds of miles along the U.S.-Mexico border, making it a microcosm of Texas' shifting demographics. Democrats made it a primary target in the midterms and it was one of Axios' 8 for 2018 but Jones fell about 1,000 votes short. In her concession statement, she said, "Our campaign was based on the belief that everyone is equal equally deserving to be heard at the ballot box and served in our communities. We worked hard to make this a reality, understanding this is the only path toward the more perfect union that our founders envisioned." California and Finland are not places that typically come up in the same sentence. However, their management of forests is now front and center in a debate sparked by President Trump's response to California's devastating wildfires. The background: During a tour of the wildfire damage in Paradise, California, on Saturday, President Donald Trump touted the virtues of Finland's "raking" of the forest floor to clear it of flammable material, thereby averting wildfires like those California has seen over the past 13 months. Trump said: "I was with the president of Finland and he said: We have, much different, we are a forest nation. He called it a forest nation. And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they dont have any problem." In response, Finland's president, Sauli Niinisto, clarified that while he recently discussed forest management with Trump, raking did not come up. Why it matters: If policymakers misdiagnose the causes of more extreme wildfires, then California's woes will not lessen in the near future. There's evidence that points to California's Mediterranean climate, as well as human-caused climate change, as the main drivers of long-term wildfire risk there neither of which would be improved by "raking." Details: There are stark differences in climate between California, which experiences an intense wet season followed by a long dry season, and Finland, which receives abundant precipitation all year with a harsh Arctic winter. Small parts of Finland even contain permanently frozen soil, known as permafrost. Wildfires can still be a problem in Scandinavia. Notably, Finland escaped the damaging fires that Sweden experienced in the summer of 2018 in the midst of a highly anomalous heat wave there. Finland's forest management practices are not a panacea and don't center around raking. Rather, they consist of some of the same tactics used in the U.S., including setting controlled burns, thinning forests, and clearing brush and trees from around communities to create a buffer between human settlements and the forest. But, but, but: California, which is about 30,000 square miles larger than Finland, is a rapidly warming state that is seeing its wildfire season stretch into 11 months of the year. Even with the most aggressive land management policies, wildfires will still affect the state in coming decades, thanks in part to climate change. This summer, California had its hottest month in state history, along with the largest fire the state has ever recorded. The state's five warmest January-through-October periods which includes the summer and fall wildfire seasons have occurred in the past five years. The biggest climate change-related impact is the increased dryness of vegetation, which can lead to extreme wildfire behavior. Instead of raking, California Gov. Jerry Brown cited multiple factors, including climate, as reasons for his state's predicament, according to the L.A. Times: "So its not one thing. Its people. Its how people live, its where they live, and its the changing climate. ... And the truth is were going to have more difficulties. Things are not going to get better. Theyre going to get more challenging because of the continuing alteration in the climate lack of moisture, early snowmelt and faster winds, the whole thing." Go deeper: President Trump has never wanted to make a big deal out of the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA reportedly has concluded was ordered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Behind the scenes: Trump has privately called the assassination "really bad," but immediately adds that other countries America deals with, including China, do "a lot of bad things," according to sources with direct knowledge. Trump has also privately told associates he thinks it's ridiculous that people are making so much of the Saudi murder of one man, given the brutal practices of countries like China. President Xi Jinping has detained more than one million Uighurs in internment camps because of their religion. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have spoken out against these camps, but Trump has shied away from publicly condemning this and other Chinese human rights atrocities. Trump has also wondered aloud to aides why America should take a side in the Khashoggi fight, as the journalist was not a U.S. citizen and the murder didn't happen here. Khashoggi was an American resident and wrote for the Washington Post. His murder, which took place in NATO member Turkey, has sparked worldwide outrage and focused attention on the Trump administration's cozy relationship with the Saudis. Senior Trump administration officials, including State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, say the U.S. government has reached no final conclusion on who should bear responsibility for Khashoggis killing. What's next: "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Trump whether MBS lied to him. "I don't know. You know, who can really know?" Trump replied. "But I can say this, he's got many people now that say he had no knowledge." Trump's key quote to Wallace: "You saw we put on very heavy sanctions... on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But at the same time we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Wallace then asked Trump whether he'd listened to the tape that recorded the murder. The exchange is revealing, especially given Trump still stands by the Saudis: TRUMP: "We have the tape, I don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape." WALLACE: "Why don't you want to hear it, sir?" TRUMP: "Because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it. There's no reason for me to hear it. In fact I said to the people should I? They said, you really shouldn't, there's no reason. I know exactly I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." WALLACE: "And what happened?" TRUMP: "It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." The bottom line: Unless there is a recording of MBS directly ordering the hit, every sign is that Trump will cast doubt over the CIA's reported findings "who can really know?" and get back to business with the Saudis. President Trump has never wanted to make a big deal out of the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA reportedly has concluded was ordered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Behind the scenes: Trump has privately called the assassination "really bad," but immediately adds that other countries America deals with, including China, do "a lot of bad things," according to sources with direct knowledge. Trump has also privately told associates he thinks it's ridiculous that people are making so much of the Saudi murder of one man, given the brutal practices of countries like China. President Xi Jinping has detained more than one million Uighurs in internment camps because of their religion. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have spoken out against these camps, but Trump has shied away from publicly condemning this and other Chinese human rights atrocities. Trump has also wondered aloud to aides why America should take a side in the Khashoggi fight, as the journalist was not a U.S. citizen and the murder didn't happen here. Khashoggi was an American resident and wrote for the Washington Post. His murder has sparked worldwide outrage and focused attention on the Trump administration's cozy relationship with the Saudis. Senior Trump administration officials, including State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, say the U.S. government has reached no final conclusion on who should bear responsibility for Khashoggis killing. What's next: "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Trump whether MBS lied to him. "I don't know. You know, who can really know?" Trump replied. "But I can say this, he's got many people now that say he had no knowledge." Trump's key quote to Wallace: "You saw we put on very heavy sanctions... on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But at the same time we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Wallace then asked Trump whether he'd listened to the tape that recorded the murder. The exchange is revealing, especially given Trump still stands by the Saudis: TRUMP: "We have the tape, I don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape." WALLACE: "Why don't you want to hear it, sir?" TRUMP: "Because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it. There's no reason for me to hear it. In fact I said to the people should I? They said, you really shouldn't, there's no reason. I know exactly I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." WALLACE: "And what happened?" TRUMP: "It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." The bottom line: Unless there is a recording of MBS directly ordering the hit, every sign is that Trump will cast doubt over the CIA's reported findings "who can really know?" and get back to business with the Saudis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will take over as defense minister after Avigdor Lieberman, the official who previously held the position, resigned over his opposition to a cease-fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza, reports AP. The big picture: All members of Lieberman's party quit Netanyahu's government coalition after his resignation, leaving the prime minister with a one-seat majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Netanyahu rejected calls from the remaining coalition partners to hold early elections, claiming it would be a distraction during "a sensitive time" for Israel's security, per AP. Any decision on whether an early election takes place or not will likely have an impact on the White House's decision to roll out its peace plan for the region as Axios contributor Barak Ravid reported. Israel is expected to withdraw from the UN Global Compact on Migration after requests from the U.S. and Hungary, Israeli officials tell me. Why it matters: The Trump administration is leading international opposition to the compact, claiming it harms sovereignty and legitimizes illegal migration. Israeli diplomats were actively involved in the drafting of the international document over the past two years, but once Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu realized the U.S. was against it, he decided to withdraw. How it happened: After the final draft of the compact was tabled last July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the leading anti-immigration voice in Europe, visited Israel. Israeli officials say Orban requested that Israel withdraw. They say Netanyahu had not even been aware of the issue, which was dealt with by Israel's Foreign Ministry. Hungary is one of Israel's staunchest allies in the EU. After Orban's request, diplomats from the EU, Germany and the U.K. who support the compact came to the Israelis with the opposite message. Germany and the U.K. who support the compact came to the Israelis with the opposite message. In September, during the meeting of the UN General Assembly, Trump criticized the international compact and said the U.S. wouldn't join. Israeli officials said Israeli diplomats spoke to Trump administration officials after the speech and asked if they wanted Israel to withdraw too. Trump criticized the international compact and said the U.S. wouldn't join. Israeli officials said Israeli diplomats spoke to Trump administration officials after the speech and asked if they wanted Israel to withdraw too. The message from the Trump administration was that the U.S. would be pleased if Israel were to pull out. A few days after Trump's speech, Netanyahu met in New York with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who also asked Netanyahu to withdraw. In the last few weeks, several countries including allies of Israel in the EU like the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria announced their withdrawal from the compact. Israeli officials said that strengthened those in the Israeli government who thought Israel should not be part of the deal. Netanyahu was asked today about the issue and said Israel is coordinated with the Trump administration and will act accordingly. "We are not in favor of the Global Compact on Migration in principal and probably we will not be part of it." Netanyahu What's next: Israel will not be sending any representatives to a conference to ratify the agreement, due to take place in Marrakech on Dec. 10, the Israeli officials say. Oil companies active in the Permian Basin are jointly pledging $100 million over several years toward education, infrastructure, housing needs and workforce training in the region at the epicenter of the U.S. production boom. Why it matters: The weekend announcement from the Permian Strategic Partnership is a recognition that the oil surge is also creating problems in the region. The influx of workers and development has strained local roads, public services and caused housing shortages in the part of Texas and New Mexico that's now producing roughly 3.6 million barrels per day and climbing. By the numbers: This Reuters piece on the effort has some snapshots of the region's problems amid the boom, including... Drug charges in Midland, Texas, doubled between 2012 and 2016. Traffic accidents in Ector County jumped 29% last year. Who they are: The group of over a dozen companies includes Chevron, Shell and the Exxon unit XTO Energy, as well as large independent producers like Anadarko and Pioneer Natural Resources, and drilling services giants Halliburton and Schlumberger. What's next: The group says it's opening an office and announcing leaders and staff in coming months and convening meetings with local stakeholders. They want to aid, not duplicate, the work of governments and civic groups. President Trump doubled down on his criticism of past administrations, military leadership and the nation of Pakistan for not capturing or killing Osama bin Laden sooner in a series of Monday morning tweets. "Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools! We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING!" The big picture: Trump made waves yesterday in an interview with "Fox News Sunday" after he blasted retired Navy Adm. William McRaven, who organized the bin Laden raid, when asked about McRaven's criticisms of his rhetoric toward the media. And cutting foreign aid to Pakistan due to its continued support of the Taliban has been a strategic goal for the Trump administration, having slashed a total of $800 million already this year. A senior leader for Yemen's Houthi Shiite rebels said Monday that the group will cease rocket fire into Saudi Arabia, claiming to be "ready to freeze and stop military operations on all fronts in order to achieve peace," reports AP. Why it matters: The Houthi leader said he had ordered the cessation of rocket and drone attacks at the request of UN special envoy Martin Griffiths a positive first step in the path to ending Yemen's deadly 3-year civil war. The Houthi Defense Ministry did say, however, that it would reserve the right to respond to attacks from the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition, having launched a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia overnight in response to an attempted border incursion, according to AP. A diplomatic row between Armenia and Belarus intensified over the weekend after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian condemned Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for questioning Yerevans role in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at a meeting with an Azerbaijani official. Pashinian also hit out at Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev who has openly backed Lukashenkos efforts to install a new, Belarusian secretary general of the Russian-led defense alliance. The previous CSTO head, Yuri Khachaturov of Armenia, was forced to resign earlier this month after being controversially charged by Armenian law-enforcement authorities in connection with a 2008 crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan. Khachaturov was appointed as secretary general in 2017 after Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed that their representatives will take turns to run the CSTO. His three-year tenure was due to expire in 2020. The Armenian government is seeking to install another Armenian secretary general who would serve until 2020. Lukashenko and Nazarbayev objected to that, however, at a November 8 summit of the CSTO held in the Kazakh capital Astana. They demanded that a representative of Belarus be named as new head of the CSTO. The CSTO leaders said they will again try to reach consensus on the issue at another summit slated for December 6. Lukashenko made a point of publicly reaffirming his position at a November 12 meeting with a senior diplomat from Azerbaijan, Armenias arch-foe which is not a member of the CSTO. Lukashenkos comments raised eyebrows in Yerevan. Local politicians and commentators believe he deliberately made them at a meeting with Azerbaijans ambassador in Minsk in order to add insult to injury. It would be the same situation if I invited the ambassador of a foreign country not affiliated with the CSTO and brief them on a [CSTO] meeting held in closed session, Pashinian told reporters late on Friday. If the meeting is held behind the closed doors it means that its a confidential discussion among allies. And Im surprised that a person who has been head of state for 30 or I dont know how many years can do such a thing, he said. I will certainly demand explanations from the president of Belarus and not only Belarus, he added, referring to Kazakhstans Nazarbayev. Official Minsk scoffed at the criticism on Saturday. A spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Pashinian seems to regard himself as an international prosecutor empowered to punish and pardon foreign leaders. Apparently Mr. Pashinian has not yet realized that the rules of so-called street politics are not acceptable in international politics, the spokesman said in a scathing reference to the fact that the Armenian premier came to power in May in a wave of street protests organized by him. Pashinian also said that he discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call earlier on Friday. At the Astana summit, Putin reportedly proposed a compromise solution that would see the CSTOs acting secretary general, Russias Valery Semerikov, retain his position until 2020. Moscow reacted angrily when the Armenian authorities moved to arrest Khachaturov as well as former President Robert Kocharian in July. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the criminal proceedings as politically motivated. And a Kremlin official said the criminal case against the then CSTO secretary general has dealt a colossal blow to the image of the whole organization. Lukashenko already sparked a bitter diplomatic row with Yerevan in early 2017 after ordering his law-enforcement agencies to arrest and hand over to Azerbaijan a Russian-Israeli blogger who had repeatedly visited Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijans permission. The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned the move and implicitly branded Belarus a dictatorship. Senior Armenian lawmakers launched even more scathing attacks on Lukashenko at the time. The autocratic Belarusian leader, in power since 1994, makes no his secret of his warm rapport with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The latter began an official visit to Minsk on Monday. Belarus has been a major supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan. Those include Belarusian-made Polonez missiles that have a firing range of 200 kilometers. The Azerbaijani military apparently acquired them early this year. By Kamila Aliyeva AzerNewss interview with Saleh Jelassi, the Regional Director of the Islamic Development Bank Group Regional Hub Turkey. Question: Could you please shed light on any projects (details) currently being implemented in Azerbaijan by Islamic Development Bank? What is the current volume of IsDB investments in Azerbaijan? Answer: At the outset, please allow me to present a very brief background. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group maintains a Regional Hub in Turkey, which in addition to serving Turkey, also oversees and coordinates the IsDB Group operations in its Member Countries such as Albania and Azerbaijan as well as Muslim Communities in Non-Member Countries within Europe. IsDB Groups cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan is growing ever stronger since it joined the IsDB on 4 July 1992. Currently, IsDB Group has an overall portfolio of about $1.1 billion in the country comprising $947 million financing by IsDB, $52 million of trade financing by ITFC (International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation which is IsDB Groups international trade financing arm) and $130 million of ICD/UIF financing. ICD (the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector) is IsDB Groups private sector development arm. IsDBs Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR) development portfolio in Azerbaijan consists of 35 operations with approvals of $945 million (excluding cancelled operations) which includes 31 completed operations worth $676 million and 2 active projects (4 operations) worth $266 million. The largest portion of IsDB development operations in Azerbaijan is in the Energy Sector (53 percent), followed by Water & Sanitation (27 percent) and Agriculture (13 percent). In line with IsDB Groups overarching emphasis on supporting Economic and Social Infrastructure in its Member Countries, IsDB is currently providing support to Azerbaijans National Water Supply and Sanitation Program in Six Regions through a Project worth $200 million. This project aims to provide clean and safe drinking water and sewerage connections to more than 320,000 inhabitants (including refugees and internally displaced people) in the six regions by constructing new water and wastewater treatment plants and installation of new water distribution networks and sewerage collection systems. IsDB is also implementing an Integrated Rural Development Project with an approved amount of $66 million to support reduction in rural poverty in Agdash, Yevlakh, Sheki and Oghuz regions through increased food security and enhanced income earning opportunities for small farmers. The Project is assisting the farmers in achieving better productivity and profitability as well as environmental sustainability from both irrigated and rainfed crop production and livestock. In January 2017, the IsDB also signed a Technical Assistance Grant Agreement with Azerbaijan for development of legal and regulatory framework for Islamic Finance which marks a key milestone for the development of Islamic Finance sector in the country. Our private sector arm, ICD has also recently finalized a Technical Assistance to the Port of Baku for preparation of a Feasibility Study to construct a Grain Terminal. Let me also mention some of IsDB Groups key success stories in Azerbaijan. An important and impactful completed project funded by IsDB in Azerbaijan Republic is the 780 MW environment-friendly Janub Power Plant Project which has replaced the Shirvan Power Plant, an indispensable element for the countrys sustainable electricity production. Similarly, IsDB has also supported a Waste-to-Energy Project in Baku through construction of a solid waste treatment plant in Balakhani, which has had a significant impact on Bakus ecology and environment. The Baku Waste-to-Energy Project contributes not only to incineration of 500,000 tons of solid waste per year but also generates 37 MW of renewable energy. IsDB has also provided support to improve living conditions and livelihood of refugees and IDPs in various regions of Azerbaijan through construction of physical and social infrastructure in two projects. Q: What are the future perspectives of Banks cooperation with Azerbaijan? A: In line with our business model that focuses on supporting better integration of Member Countries into Global Value Chains through innovation, partnerships and Islamic Finance, IsDB Group aspires to position itself as a strong reliable partner of Azerbaijan to contribute to further enhancing its competitiveness. The country is already the 35th most competitive country in the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018 while it ranks 25th among 190 in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business rankings for 2019. All this signifies that the ongoing cooperation between IsDB Group and the Republic of Azerbaijan can be enhanced to further support its growing competitiveness. Moreover, the country holds great potential for sharing its experience with other 57 Member Countries of the IsDB Group, all of them also members of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). We believe Azerbaijan Republic has a very thriving private sector whose further engagement with IsDB Groups private sector development arms, ICD and ITFC can lead to a more mutually beneficial cooperation to support investments and income and employment generation. Q: How do you assess the reforms implemented by Azerbaijani government in the sphere of business development in the country? A: The reforms carried out to support business development are impressive. The countrys leap in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business ranking from 57 in 2018 to 25 in 2019 affirms the positive impact of the reforms in the sphere of business development. We are confident that such reforms would surely contribute to enabling a dynamic private sector to drive growth through business expansion and new ventures. Additionally, provision of infrastructure for energy and transport links as well as labor market reforms will provide a further boost in business confidence to increase investment. IsDB believes that these reforms are also critical in the broader context of diversifying the economy and strengthening the non-oil sectors. In line with the IsDB Group mission and vision and IsDB Group Presidents 5 Year Program (P5P), the Bank is striving to become a Bank of development and developers for supporting socio-economic development and would continue to support initiatives that strengthen the role of the countrys private sector particularly through our private sector arms. Q: How do you assess the signing of Convention on Caspian Sea Legal Status in terms of benefits it brings to Trans-Caspian pipeline project? A: Supporting economic infrastructure and connectivity are major pillars of the IsDB Groups Ten Year Strategy and we believe that the Trans-Caspian pipeline project will potentially play a highly significant role in strengthening cooperation between two major Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank, i.e., Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Such a project also has the potential to facilitate growth and development in two key regions in the Caucuses and Central Asia. Q: Would you be interested in investing in this project? A: As mentioned before, engendering partnerships is a key element of IsDB Groups new business model. The IsDB Group Regional Hub Turkey is accordingly mandated to act as a catalyst and facilitate realization of projects in accordance with the development plans of its assigned Member Countries. The Hub has already facilitated implementation of numerous programs of the Bank Group for development of the energy sector and is also ready to explore possible support for the Trans-Caspian pipeline project if the Republic of Azerbaijan and other stakeholders decide to approach the IsDB Group as a potential partner. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov The assembly production of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2019, Khanlar Fatiyev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant, told reporters on November 19. The statement was made ahead of the 11th meeting of the Belarusian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission. Khanlar Fatiyev noted that the construction of a plant for the assembly of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey is at the final stage. The sides plan to start the first assembly there before the end of the first quarter of next year, he added. It is planned to produce up to 5,000 units of tractors at the factory in Turkey. The design capacity that will be implemented at the first stage makes up to 2,500. During the meeting of the commission, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy said that the creation of assembly production of Belarusian-Azerbaijani tractors in Turkey will bring the cooperation between the two countries to a new level. Its successful implementation will open way for new initiatives on joint development of the regional market. The deputy prime minister noted that Belarus attaches great importance to expanding cooperation in the field of industrial and agricultural cooperation, the work of the Ganja Automobile Plant for the assembly of tractors, combine harvesters, MAZ equipment and the production of other industrial products. Azerbaijan and Belarus have jointly created the branch of agricultural engineering, he added. Rusy described cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan in the field of transport and logistics, the petrochemical industry, pharmaceuticals as promising. He expressed readiness for further steps to create a modern production of anticancer drugs in Azerbaijan. This is not only an economic but also a social project. The Belarussian official believes that the parties will promptly establish communication so that next year they will receive products at this enterprise. Azerbaijani First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov noted the need to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. "The achieved level of turnover does not correspond to potential of two countries. The established friendly relations are important," Eyyubov stated. Following the meeting of the intergovernmental commission, seven documents were signed, three of which concern cooperation with the Ganja Automobile Plant. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1993, but cooperation in the economic sphere has been developing dynamically over the past decade. Belarus mainly exports to Azerbaijan the production of machinery, woodworking, tires, foodstuff, medicine, household appliances, dishes and other goods, meanwhile Azerbaijan exports to Belarus the products made of aluminum, products of petrochemistry, engineering and agriculture. A store of Belarusian goods is expected to open in Ganja, the second biggest city of Azerbaijan, while similar sale points are already operational in the capital city Baku. Moreover, Azerbaijan and Belarus had plans to supply tractors to Turkey. The Minsk Tractor Works (MTW) OJSC signed a new contract with Ganja Automobile Plant in Azerbaijan on September 22, 2017, for a supply of tractors to Azerbaijan along with an additional protocol on jointly entering the Turkish market. Azerbaijans first ever Trade House was opened in Belarusian capital Minsk on May 26, 2017. The trade between the two countries increased 3.3 times compared with the same period last year and amounted to $ 331.5 million in January-September 2018. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijan and Georgia maintain high-level relations in all spheres, especially in economic field. Two countries have already taken initiatives for global projects in the region together for a long time. Close bilateral ties play a key role in the development of regional cooperation. Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev met with a delegation led by Georgian Finance Minister Ivane Matchavariani visiting Azerbaijan on November 17. Speaking about the important role of foreign trade in cooperation with Georgia, which is a strategic partner of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev stressed the recent developments in economic relations. "This year trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia amounted to $ 450 million in January-September, while exports increased by 8 percent. In 1995-2018, Georgia invested $ 93.8 million in Azerbaijani economy and Azerbaijan invested $ 3 billion in Georgia. Since 2012, Azerbaijan is in the first place in terms of investments in Georgia. More than 300 Georgian companies registered in Azerbaijan, about 650 Azerbaijani investment companies, especially SOCAR, operate successfully in Georgia", he said. He highlighted that the energy sector is one of the main directions of the bilateral cooperation, and emphasized that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Southern Gas Corridor projects are very successful examples of this cooperation. As regard to cooperation in the field of transport and transit, Mustafayev underlined the special importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, recalling the presentation of Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor held in China earlier this year. Speaking about the development of bilateral cooperation, the Georgian finance minister noted that with the participation of Azerbaijan and Georgia, another presentation on Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor would be important from the point of view of promoting transport and transit potential of the region. Matchavariani stressed Georgias interest in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, transport, agriculture, tourism and other fields, and appreciated SOCAR's activity in Georgia. During the meeting, organization of a business forum within the next meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia was also discussed, as well as, other issues of mutual interest. Bilateral diplomatic relations between Baku and Tbilisi are manifested in the various fields since 1992. The two countries broadly cooperate in regional energy development, transportation and economic partnership projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC), Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway (BTK), the TRACECA, and the BSEC. Azerbaijan ranks fourth among Georgia's biggest trade partners, after Turkey, Russia and China. Georgian exports to Azerbaijan include cement, locomotives and other railway vehicles, mineral and chemical fertilizers, mineral waters, strong drinks, glass and glass wares, and pharmaceuticals, among other things. Azerbaijani mainly exports to Georgia oil and petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, plastic, cement, anhydrite and gypsum binders. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz "Azerbaijan Airlines" Closed Joint-Stock Company announces an open tender consisting of 1 lot for the purchase of special motor vehicles - autosisternes, intended for the transportation of aviation fuel. Lot-1: purchase of special motor vehicles - autosisternes, intended for the transportation of aviation fuel Participants are encouraged to submit Tender Bids for above mentioned lots in Azerbaijani, in sealed, signed double envelopes, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "on State Procurement". Bidders shall take into consideration all tax and duties and destination transportation costs in their tender proposals. The bidders shall have the necessary technical and financial capacity to fulfill the contract. Bidders with a potential opportunity will receive a package of basic conditions at the address: Azerbaijan AirlinesCJSC, Baku, Bina settlement, Heydar Aliyev International Airport after transferring the participation fee to the following settlement account of the customer in the amount of 3,300 manat for the lot: Azerbaijan Airlines Closed Joint-Stock Company , Z 1044, Baku, Bina settlement, Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Tax ID number: 9900000831, Bank Silk Way Open Joint Stock Company, c/a:Z70NABZ 01350100000000020944, Bank ID:507473, Tax ID number:9900006241, SWIFT BIK:ZL Z 22, s/a: Z15ZL38050001000000000000; Participation fee is non-refundable. Bidders must submit the following documents to participate at the tender: - written application to participate in the tender; - a reference on the bidders experience in conducting similar works; - bank document on payment of participation fee; - bank certificate on financial position of the bidder in the last one year; - copy of document reflect the full name and legal status of the bidder ( charter, Certificate of State Registration or extract from registry, Tax ID number ) as well as bank requisites; - a document confirming the authority of the person authorized to sign the tender proposal and the procurement contract; - validity period of the tender proposal (shall be valid at least 30 (thirty) banking days after the date of opening of the envelopes); - 4% (four per cent) of the proposal shall be valid for a bank guarantee (valid at least 60 (sixty) banking days after the date of opening the envelope); - bid prices for the whole order; Bidders shall submit the above-mentioned documents (except tender proposal and bank guarantee) to participate in the tender until 18:00, December 06, 2018 and tender proposal and bank guarantee in sealed, signed with double envelopes at 18:00, December 17, 2018 to Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Bina settlement, AZ 1044, Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. Bidding proposals will be opened on December 18, 2018 at 11:00, at the address AZ 1044, Baku, Bina settlement, Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Envelopes submitted later than indicated time will be returned without opening. The competent representative of the bidder may participate in the envelope opening procedure. Please contact the person below to obtain additional information about the tender. Contact person: Ali Abasov Phone number: 497-26-00 (extension number 22-67; 29-46) By Laman Ismayilova Baku Museum Center hosted an opening of the exhibition of famous Portuguese artist Carlos Mota "Found and findings". Addressing the event, charge d'affaires of Portugal in Azerbaijan Jorge Fonseca stressed that he was extremely happy to organize such an event in Baku. He spoke about Motas awards and achievements, as well as expressed hope that the exhibition would attract the attention of Baku residents, Report.az informed. In his turn, the artist himself said that he is in Baku for the first time and very happy to organize an exhibition in such a wonderful city. The works of the artist Carlos Mota combine multiple interpretations. His canvases are inspired by various emotions and glorify the freedom of imagination. The most interesting fact is that the artist's art works are painted with juices of natural vegetables and fruits, like original watercolors. Carlos Mota, born in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, graduated in Interior Architecture at CAD - Centre des Arts Decoratifs and Painting at Ecole des Arts D'lxelles in Brussels, Belgium. He currently lives and works in Lisbon. His work has been showcased in both public and private collections in various countries, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Mexico, U.S., Canada and Brazil. Morever, he was the rst contemporary Portuguese and foreign artist to be invited to have a piece in the permanent private collection of the Federal Presidency of Brazil at the Planalto Palace. His career years of 1993-2002 were brought to life in a lm called "Soul Adventures" ("Aventuras do Espirito") by director Teresa Tome and broadcast on several Portuguese TV channels. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova A literary evening dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the eminent poet Mikayil Mushfig will be held at Heydar Aliyev Palace on December 21. The event is co-organized by Heydar Aliyev Palace Mdniyyt TV, Trend Life reported. The price of tickets is 10-50 AZN ($ 5-29). Tickets can be purchased at all city ticket offices, shopping centers, Ganjlik Mall and 28 Mall, ASAN Service Centers and online via www.iticket.az website. For more information, please contact: (012) 441-21-31, (050) 332-36-30. Mikayil Mushfig is the author of many poems in praise of love and beauty. He started his professional career as a school teacher. While being involved in teaching, he began writing poems. His first poem Bir Gun ("The Day") was published in the Ganj fahla newspaper in Baku in 1926. At about this time, he adopted the pen name Mushfig (Perso-Arabic for "tender-hearted"). Poems occupy a large place in the work of Mushfig. The most famous of his poems are "Gaya", "My Friend", "Among the Drilling", "Shepherd", "Uncle Jabi", etc. In his poems, Mushfig glorified the work of industrial workers and peasants and lauded the construction of industrial enterprises in Baku and other cities. His poetry reveals the inner world of people and socio-cultural issues. When Stalin and Mir Jafar Baghirov decreed that traditional Azerbaijani musical instruments, including the tar, were to be banned, he wrote a poem in response titled "Sing Tar, Sing". The popularity of his poem convinced the authorities to rescind the tar ban. However, Mikayil Mushfig was arrested and executed by Soviet authorities at the age of 30 during the Stalinist purges in the USSR. He was arrested in 1937, and executed in 1939 in the Bayil prison near Baku. Despite his short life, he left a significant mark in Azerbaijani literature. Media partners of the event are Azernews.az.Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Anar Huseynzade's personal exhibition titled "Absheron's Fairy Tale" has opened in Luxembourg The event was co-organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Kingdom of Belgium and Luxembourg as well as Karabagh Azerbaijani Cultural Association, Azertag reported. Azerbaijani ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Iskandarov informed visitors about the culture and art of Azerbaijan. It was stressed that Huseynzade began to engage in painting art in associations for pupils. He graduated from the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts. Huseynzade's works are exhibited in different countries of the world and stored in private collections. The first personal exhibition of the artist was organized in 2014. His work "Ancient City" was presented to the "Azerbaijan Room", which was created in 2007 in the Swiss department of the United Nations by First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva. The main purpose of the artist's creativity is to go beyond the predetermined boundaries and frames, to create a unique space with the help of colors. His works are presented in the languages of Absheron, Baku, Icherisheher, as well as portraits of ordinary people and philosophical themes. The personal exhibitions of the artist are held at the Council of Europe, Vienna. In addition, Huseynzade participated in art festivals in Germany, Switzerland, England, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Moldova. President of the Culture Association of Luxembourg Lea Linster stressed that the main activity of the Center is to promote Azerbaijani culture. She stressed that the Center is interested in holding exhibitions of other Azerbaijani artists. In his speech, Huseynzade noted that the Absheron Peninsula occupies an important place in his art. He also thanked the Karabagh Azerbaijani Cultural Association for its support. Participants of the event visited the exhibition of the Azerbaijani artist and shared their impressions about the works exhibited. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova The 9th START International Festival of Short Films was held in Baku on November 14-17. The festival took place in the framework of the events held in accordance with the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "On the 120th anniversary of the Azerbaijani cinema". The project aims to review and discuss films, identify the best of them, familiarize local specialists with international practice and new trends in cinema. The festival "START" creates an opportunity to establish links between local directors and their foreign colleagues. Speaking at the ceremony, the festival director Fehruz Shamiyev noted that the festival featured a screening and competition of short (up to 35 minutes) films by young directors. About 490 short films from 45 countries were presented at the festival. The Organizing Committee admitted 100 films from 30 countries to take part in the contest, Trend Life reported. About 72 films (41 - feature films, 15 - documentaries, 11 - animation, 5 - experimental) were included in the international competition program and 28 films (17 feature films, 8 - documentary, 3 - animation) - in the national program. The works included in the international competition program of the festival were evaluated by members of the international jury consisting of five people - Ayaz Salayev (Azerbaijan), Gulbara Tolomushova (Kyrgyzstan), Cambuzia Partovi (Iran), Tobias Buchner (Germany) and Zahra Badalbeyli (Azerbaijan). Four films won the festival's main prize "Golden Pomegranate". The film "The Land" of Turkish director Onur Yagiza won in the nominations "Best Feature Film", "True Love" by Iranian director Iman Behruzi was named best in the nomination "Best Documentary Film", the film "Flooding" of German director Jonathan Schweng won in the nomination "Best Animated Film", while the film "The Land" of Turkish director Alijan Durbash won the nomination "Best Experimental Film". Five Azerbaijani films competed for the prize at the festival. "Son" directed by Parviz Gulmammadov became the winner in the nomination "Best Feature Film", "The Man" by Emin Ali won in the nomination "Best Documentary", the film "One Second," directed by Orkhan Adigozalov was named best in the nomination "Best Director", the film "Sonar" by Farid Kerimi got the prize in nomination "Best Screenplay", while the film "Memory" by director Elvin Ahmadoglu won in the nomination "Best Cameraman". The winners were awarded prizes. The festival was held by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, SINEMA Young Filmmakers Center with the assistance of the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, Producers Guild of Azerbaijan, Nizami Cinema Center and CinemaPlus. Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan has met with the World Bank's Mission on Diagnosis of Social Protection and Occupation. Deputy Minister Metin Kerimli informed about "Employment Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2019-2030" approved this year, Trend reported. He pointed out that the new Employment Strategy will enable to take the next important steps in the development of human capital, employment and decent work in our country. The purpose of this visit was also to get information on supply and demand in the labor market and consultations to obtain information on the factors that determine the needs of the labor market in the private sector in the country, said Country Manager from World Bank in Azerbaijan Navid Hassan Naqvi and Program Manager Lire Ersado. At the meeting, the parties discussed the outcomes of the preparation of a document on diagnostic study of workplaces and employment in Azerbaijan, technical support for the preparation of the country's new employment strategy and cooperation in other areas. The purpose of the new employment strategy is to ensure the transition of employment policy from extensive to an intensive phase, to increase the employment level of the population, to provide full employment, to support decent work and increasing labor productivity. Main directions of the strategy involve implementation of employment-oriented economic development policy; improvement of the regulatory framework and institutional framework within the labor market regulation; development of labor force skills and improvement of labor standards; improvement of social dialogue and prevent informal labor relations, development of the labor market monitoring and forecasting system and etc. According to statistics on the employment strategy, the share of employed population in the population at the age of 15 and above was 62.9 percent in 2017, 32.7 percent of the economically active population had primary vocational, secondary and higher education. The high share of women and youth among the unemployed is one of the main problems observed in the labor market "Strategic Road Map on Vocational Education and Training Development in the Republic of Azerbaijan" was adopted to improve vocational education system based on the requirements of the labor market, as well as the State of the Vocational Education under the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Agency was created. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Illegal visits by some European MPs to the occupied Azerbaijani territories are not a personal initiative, Aydin Guliyev, political expert and editor-in-chief of the Baki Khabar newspaper, told Trend. New facts prove that these visits are an integral part of an international criminal network, he said. The facts show that some well-known members of the PACE and the European Parliament carry out a mission to support separatist tendencies in various countries by all means, they encourage activities aimed at violating the territorial integrity of states and carry out this crime under the direct instruction of the Armenian mafia, he noted. This was once again confirmed by Albanias including Cypriot MEP Eleni Theocharous in the list of undesirable persons for criminal activities against the constitutional norms of that country, he said. Earlier, Theocharous was included in the list of undesirable persons for constant unlawful visits to Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia and a criminal case was initiated against her. The biography of this person includes facts of legal prosecution by Ukraine for supporting ethnic separatism. The expert said all this testifies that Theocharous receives all possible support from the Armenian mafia. The close cooperation between Theocharous and Kaspar Karampetyan, a Greek by origin, who is an active lobbyist of the Armenian separatism against Azerbaijan, gives reason to draw very serious conclusions, the expert noted. Karampetyans financing illegal visits of all European MPs, including Theocharous, to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, brings clarity to many issues," the expert said. In this context, the investigation materials of the German special services in connection with the Armenian mafia in that country are of particular interest, he noted. These materials provide interesting information on the close cooperation of the Armenian mafia with the MPs of the German Bundestag, who made an illegal visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, with Albert Weiler, the founder of the German-Armenian Forum, as well as with Armenias envoy in Germany. Guliyev said that the Armenian mafia supports all centers of separatism in Europe and organizes visits to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. The worst thing is that this symbiosis of political mafia, behind which Armenia stands, is already getting roots in such international structures as PACE and the European Parliament, he noted. The illegal visits to Nagorno-Karabakh by some representatives of Europe and their attempts to recognize the separatist regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories can be explained only by the above-mentioned ties. He noted that it is time to investigate the fact that European political entities have fallen under the influence of the Karampetyan-Theocharous group. This is an important issue from the point of view of universal peace, security and well-being in Europe, Guliyev added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in the Republic of Belarus for an official visit. A guard of honor was lined up for the head of state at Minsk National Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries. President Ilham Aliyev was met by Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusyi and other officials. *** As part of his official visit to Belarus, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited a monument to the victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945 in Victory Square in Minsk. A guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani president in the square. President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the monument. The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Belarus were played. The guard of honor marched in front of the head of state to the accompaniment of the military march. *** President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who is on an official visit to Belarus, has familiarized himself with Azerbaijans trading house in Minsk. The head of state was informed of the conditions created in the trading house. Azerbaijans trading house was opened in Minsk in May 2017. The trading house is created to support the promotion of Azerbaijani goods under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in Belarus, and engage in marketing research, participation in exhibitions and other activities related to the promotion of Azerbaijani goods. The permanent exhibition at the trading house features various types of products manufactured by 30 Azerbaijani companies. ASAN and ABAD stands are also presented to visitors here. The exhibition also features the stand of the representation of IT company Caspel which operates in five countries apart from Azerbaijan. After viewing the conditions created here, the head of state wished Azerbaijans trading house success. *** An official welcome ceremony has been held for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Minsk. A ceremonial guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani president at the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko welcomed President Aliyev. State anthems of Azerbaijan and Belarus were played. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Aliyev. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor. President Aliyev saluted Belarus soldiers. State and government representatives of Belarus were introduced to President Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Lukashenko. Then, the guard of honor marched in front of the presidents. The presidents posed for official photos. President Aliyev then viewed the photos of the renovated historical monuments, including the churches, castles and other monuments in Minsk, as well as in other cities during Alexander Lukashenko's presidency after the Republic of Belarus restored its independence. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The idea of Turkic unity, for a long time viewed as a mere fantasy and considered by most venerable political thinkers as the preserve of those fancying themselves to be the spiritual descendants of early 20th century Turanist ideologues, is now too serious a project to be sneered at. By Trend The Emergency Medicine Center of Bishkek was presented with new ambulances, 24.kg reports. According to the Vice Mayor of the capital Asel Kulambaeva, the city administration plans to purchase 6-7 new ambulances annually. The life of each citizen depends on the work of the ambulance. It is very important how quickly the team will reach a patient, what kind of qualified assistance will be provided, she noted. New cars will be distributed for servicing newly built quarters of Bishkek. The head physician of the Center for Emergency Medicine, Iskender Shayakhmetov, expressed the hope that six new cars would improve the provision of emergency care. Our service is socially oriented, we provide assistance around the clock and free of charge to all residents of the city, he stressed. In addition to the Emergency Medicine Center, the citys infant-feeding center also received two cars. One car was granted to the social service of Bishkek. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkey, Russia and Iran will hold the next round of talks on Syria on Nov. 28-29 in Kazakhstan, Kazakh foreign minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on Monday, Daily Sabah reported. Delegations of the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition are also set to attend, Abdrakhmanov told reporters. Officials from the U.N. and Jordan will take part in talks as observers. The Astana peace process was launched by Russia, Iran, and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana in January 2017 to bring all warring parties in the Syrian conflict to the table to find a political solution as a complementary part of the U.N. sponsored peace talks in Geneva. Last year, the three guarantor countries agreed to establish de-escalation zones in the northern province of Idlib and parts of neighboring Latakia, Hama and Aleppo. The partial cease-fire, however, was short-lived. Regime forces backed by Russia and Iran re-conquered three of the zones through heavy bombardments. Idlib remained as the last stronghold of the opposition with dozens of opposition groups squeezed into northwestern Syria's Idlib. As the Bashar Assad regime was preparing for a full-scale operation in the province of Idlib in late August and September, Turkey and Russia stepped in reaching an agreement on Sept. 17 to prevent a humanitarian disaster. The deal, known as the Sochi agreement, set up a demilitarized zone of 15-20 kilometers between the opposition forces and the regime forces. The deal also saw the evacuation of all heavy weapons and all radical groups from the zone, while moderate opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas where they are already present. Accordingly, Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to ward off renewed fighting and ensure the compliance to the deal. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi has expressed concerns over the EU failure to operate the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) on trades with Iran. Three European countries of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (aka nuclear deal) must fulfill their obligations and speed up the creation of this mechanism [SPV], Trend reporter quoted Ghasemi as saying during a press conference Nov. 19. The European Union has proposed to create a financial mechanism by Nov. 5 to aid Irans transactions for its gas and oil exports to avoid the re-imposed US sanctions. However, reportedly, the new plan has faced setbacks and disagreement among the European countries. Unfortunately, for some reasons the progress has been slowed down and we expect the three European countries in 1+4, who demand the JCPOA to continue, to stay committed to their obligations that were made after the US pulled out of the deal, Ghasemi added. If necessary, we will not depend on Europe and use all of our strength, Ghasemi said referring to the EU delay in running the SPV for financial transactions with Iran. We had hoped to get this system in a short time in practice we have not witnessed Europeans work in a proper pace, he added. If we reach an undesirable point where remaining in the JPCOA or any other commitment causes loss, we would defiantly decide to avoid damages. Ghasemi also ruled out the rumors of Foreign Minister Javad Zarifs resignation. Zarif is to host foreign delegates and continues his work, and these rumors are calculated and aim to weaken the foreign minister, he said. The British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to visit Iran for the first time on Monday. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkey will reach record levels in tourism,the country's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy said, Turkish media reported on Nov. 19. The minister noted that by the end of 2018, Turkey will be visited by over 40 million tourists. Presently, Turkey's tourism sector is actively developing, he said, adding that in 2019 tourism figures will be even higher than in 2018. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey had earlier noted that 5,425,845 tourists visited Turkey in September 2018, which is 15.64 percent more than in the same period of 2017. Some 589,754 tourists from Germany, 317,748 - from the UK, 308,066 - from Bulgaria and 195,850 tourists from Georgia visited Turkey in September 2018. During the above-mentioned period, 1,899,103 tourists, accounting for 39.62 percent of the total number of tourists, visited the Turkish province of Antalya. In September 2018, 1,235,301 tourists, accounting for 25.77 percent of the total number of tourists, visited Istanbul. As of January-September 2018, 31,815,952 tourists visited Turkey, which is 22.08 percent more than in January-September 2017. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Russia is a strategic, economic and political ally of Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the Turkish Stream's offshore section in Istanbul on Nov. 19, Turkish media reported. Erdogan noted that Turkeys relations with Russia were not established on any other parties' order and these relations will not be damaged because of other forces. Erdogan stressed that relations between Turkey and Russia will develop in all sectors. "Today, Ankara and Moscow are implementing such important projects as the Turkish Stream and the construction of Akkuyu NPP," Erdogan said. Today, the opening ceremony of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, with the participation of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, took place in Istanbul. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Fatih Donmez and the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. Russia's Gazprom began construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in May 2017. The section runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the Turkish coast. Its length is 930 kilometers. Further, the land transit (second) branch with the length of 180 kilometers will be laid to Turkey's borders with neighboring countries. The first branch is designed for the Turkish market, while the second for gas supply to the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe. The capacity of each branch is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas supply is planned to start at the end of 2019. In late May 2018, Gazprom and the Turkish government signed a protocol on the land section of the transit branch of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline to supply Russian gas to European consumers. The construction of the offshore section of the gas pipeline was carried out by South Stream Transport B.V. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The opening of the Turkish Stream is a significant event for Turkey and Russia, Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said during the opening ceremony of the Turkish Stream's offshore section in Istanbul on Nov. 19, Turkish media reported. The minister noted that the project is important for ensuring Turkey's energy security. Today, the opening ceremony of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, with the participation of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, took place in Istanbul. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Fatih Donmez and the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. Today, after the opening ceremony of the offshore section, the Turkish and Russian presidents will hold a bilateral meeting, during which they will discuss the development of economic relations between the two countries, as well as the settlement of the Syrian crisis. Russia's Gazprom began construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in May 2017. The section runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the Turkish coast. Its length is 930 kilometers. Further, the land transit (second) branch with the length of 180 kilometers will be laid to Turkey's borders with neighboring countries. The first branch is designed for the Turkish market, while the second for gas supply to the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe. The capacity of each branch is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas supply is planned to start at the end of 2019. In late May 2018, Gazprom and the Turkish government signed a protocol on the land section of the transit branch of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline to supply Russian gas to European consumers. The construction of the offshore section of the gas pipeline was carried out by South Stream Transport B.V. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Melbourne, Australia, November 19, 2018 / B3C newswire / -- Bionic Vision Technologies Pty Ltd (BVT) today announced medical researchers had successfully restored a sense of vision in four blind people with its bionic eye as part of a clinical trial in Melbourne. Researchers said they were very pleased with the progress of all four patients who have had a sense of sight restored. All four have a degenerative genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes loss of vision. Principal investigator Associate Professor Penny Allen made the announcement to the annual Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Scientific meeting in Adelaide. An earlier study of three patients established the safety of a prototype but restricted use to the lab. The new study uses a permanent device that can be used every day. Assoc Prof Penny Allen, of the Centre for Eye Research Australia and head of the Vitreoretinal Unit at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, said, We have completed surgeries on four patients to implant the device and the team is very pleased with their progress. All four patients have had a sense of sight restored and are in the process of learning how to use the bionic eye for mobility and other activities. Each of the patients has returned home after surgery and are working with the clinical and research team to learn to use the device and incorporate it into their everyday lives. We believe the Australian bionic eye being tested has advantages over international competitors, including a superior surgical approach, stability of the device and unique vision processing software that aims to improve the patients experience. At the moment, we are focused on patients who have vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, an inherited genetic condition. Based on our results so far, we know that our approach is safer and less invasive, and the patients have all made impressive progress with mobility and activities of daily living, Assoc Prof Allen said. Chairman of Retina Australia, Leighton Boyd said, We welcome developments like this which potentially provide support and independence to the many people and families affected by this genetic condition. The ability to regain a sense of sight will make a positive difference to the lives of people diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Retinitis Pigmentosa is a debilitating genetic disorder that leads to loss of vision. It affects about one in every 4,000 people, affecting 1.5 million people worldwide. It is the leading cause of inherited blindness. There is currently no cure. How the Bionic Vision Technologies (BVT) Pty Ltd bionic eye works The BVT developed bionic eye consists of implanted and body worn components. The patient wears glasses with a small video camera mounted on the side. The live feed from the camera is processed and transmitted via an implanted microchip to an electrode array placed in a naturally occurring pocket behind the retina, called the suprachoroidal space. The electrodes stimulate remaining cells in the retina, to generate spots of light that give a patient a sense of vision. About Bionic Vision Technologies Pty Ltd (BVT) Bionic Vision Technologies Pty Ltd (BVT) is an Australian medical device company that aims to preserve and restore a sense of vision by developing a range of best in class technologies to address degenerative retinal conditions. BVT is commercialising the technologies developed by Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), a consortium of leading universities and research institutes funded by the Australian Research Council from 2010 to 31 December 2016. In April 2017, BVT received A$23.6 million from Hong Kong-based State Path Capital and China Huarong International Holdings. The funds enabled BVT to accelerate development and clinical studies. Consortium members collaborating on the trial include the Bionics Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia, CSIROs Data 61, the University of Melbourne, and The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. BVT will seek further capital to complete regulatory trials and technology development. Contacts Contact Andrew Geddes for story images Assoc Professor Penny Allen is available for interview. While the clinical trial is still underway patient identity cannot be disclosed. Australia - CityPR Tim Allerton / Andrew Geddes T: +02 9267 4511 M: +04 0867 7734 Rest of the world - Instinctif Partners Sue Charles / Gemma Harris This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: + 44 20 7866 7860 M: +44 7968 726 585 / +44 7828 617 901 Posted by Sabine Duntze, B3C Group GmbH and shared through Newronic Contributing columnist Justin Salters writes on politics and current events; the views expressed are his own. His column appears on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Reach him on Twitter @justinsalters or email him your thoughts: justin@justinsalters.com. UPDATE: On Monday, a spokesperson for Pabst provided the following statement via email: "Since 1844, Pabst has been offering authentic, great tasting and affordable beers to all Americans. From our flagship brand, Pabst Blue Ribbon, to our local legends, which include Rainier, Lone Star, Old Style, Stag, Stroh, Natty Boh, Olympia, and others these iconic brands all have rich histories and deep roots in communities across the country. We are deeply disappointed that MillerCoors, the U.S. subsidiary of multinational brewing conglomerate Molson Coors, has willfully breached our 19-year agreement in an effort to stomp out the competition. Even though MillerCoors' market power is much larger than Pabst's, we will not allow this industry bully to push us around. We are confident that the court will see MillerCoors' fabricated "capacity" concerns for what they are: a thinly veiled, bad faith attempt to unlawfully hurt a competitor." ________________________________________________________________ Life isn't all beer and skittles. We may soon bid adieu to a Texas icon as the future of Lone Star Beer doesn't look bright, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Pabst Brewing Company, which owns "The National Beer of Texas," could end up on the losing end of a legal dispute with MillerCoors, leaving us all with a tear in our last Lone Star Beer. What's the battle of the two beer brands about? MillerCoors is under contract to brew all of Pabst's labels through 2020, and it is not looking to renew. That means it could be curtains for Lone Star, plus fellow Texas brewing company Pearl and the 19 other Pabst-owned beer brands, from Old Milwaukee to Colt 45 Malt Liquor. A court trial over the dispute, happening now, is expected to run through November. Trial woes: Pabst says MillerCoors is trying to put it out of business Lone Star Brewing Company launched in 1940 when Kansas-based Muehlebach Brewing Company purchased a San Antonio brewery from the Champion Brewing Company. In the 1940s, Lone Star Brewing parted ways with Muehlebach. It was purchased and sold three times, including to two out-of-state companies, before Pabst bought it in 1999. Eventually, Lone Star Beer achieved iconic status as big as the state it's named after, even being featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta. The fight is on (video): MillerCoors and Pabst Are in a Courtroom Brewing Battle Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Texas health officials are warning parents to avoid giving infants honey because it may lead to botulism, a rare illness caused by toxins. Texas Department of State Health Services announced Friday that four babies were hospitalized in the past few months because of the illness. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Ford-owned premium car brand Lincoln will annually launch a new domestically-produced model in China for three consecutive years staring from 2019, said Mao Jingbo, president of Lincoln Asia Pacific and China when she was interviewed by local media. She stated that Lincoln's first China-made model will be an all-new SUV model and the mass-produced Aviator, which is set to be unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show later this month, will be introduced by Changan Ford and hit the market at the end of 2019. To meet Chinese consumers demands, the automaker will make the locally-produced models adjusted in exterior, interior and powertrains. According to a governmental file, Changan Ford was approved to locally produce the first Lincoln branded PV (passenger vehicle) model code-named U611 at its car plant in Hangzhou with an annual capacity of 30,000 units. The U611 will be a 3-row 7-seat SUV model powered by a 3.0L GTDI engine, which is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the new model is said to have a PHEV version carrying a 3.0L GTDI engine to accommodate China's new energy vehicle policy. The other two locally-produced models might be the next-generation Lincoln MKZ and MKC, who will have longer wheelbases over the existing models to satisfy Chinese consumers' needs for larger space. Beth Israel Deaconess HospitalNeedham (Mass.) held its annual gala Nov. 3 to raise money for its soon-to-open Outpatient Clinical Center. Here's what you should know: 1. The hospital plans to open its Outpatient Clinical Center in spring 2019. The center will offer cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology and orthopedics services among others. 2. The gala raised $780,000 to benefit the center. 3. The hospital broke ground on the center in December 2017. 4. The center will be 37,000 square feet. Muncie-based Central Indiana Orthopedics broke ground on a medical office building in Fishers, Ind., which will house a surgery center and clinic, Commercial Property Executive reports. Here's what you should know: 1. The building will be the first development in the 37-acre MedTech Park campus in Fisher. 2. Central Indiana Orthopedics announced the development in 2016. 3. Central Indiana Orthopedics President Nimu Surtani said, "The MedTech Park vision is to attract a critical mass of innovative medical service providers and ultimately be a regional destination for those in need of expert care." Bryn Mawr (Pa.) Hospital, part of Philadelphia-based Main Line Health, reportedly charged a couple $63 for olive oil to help turn their baby who was in breech in-utero, according to The Inquirer. Elana Baurer and her husband, Drew Kotler, MD, have received several medical bills since giving birth to their first child in August. However, the couple told The Inquirer one of the charges they were surprised to find was a $63 bill for olive oil. The couple visited the hospital a few weeks prior to their expected due date to try and turn their baby, which had been curled feet-down in-utero. The couple said a midwife recommended Ms. Baurer undergo an external cephalic to turn the baby and give birth without undergoing a cesarean section. During the visit, a Bryn Mawr physician drizzled sweet oil, a derivative of olive oil, as a topical lubricant on Ms. Baurer's stomach to reduce friction and try to manually rotate the baby. Joseph Gobern, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Main Line Health, told The Inquirer the couple's physician used a 1-ounce, single-use bottle of "hospital-grade" sweet oil. The lubricant is also available over the counter, and The Inquirer discovered a 4-ounce bottle retails for $3.94 on Amazon. Ms. Baurer said the oil was itemized on a hospital statement, but in the explanation of benefits from her insurance plan, it was lumped into a $2,060 charge for "miscellaneous services" related to the external cephalic version. "I thought [the sweet oil charge] was just comical, and emblematic of what's wrong with our healthcare system. It feels like it's fraudulent to price-gouge, but it's also unclear how much insurance paid for it," Dr. Kolter told the publication. The couple said they plan to pay the bill. However, the procedure was not successful and Ms. Baurer ultimately ended up undergoing a C-section to deliver the baby. To access the full report, click here. Hospitals across the nation are embracing the next generation of health IT solutions. However, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for the successful application of these new tools. As emerging technologies become more widespread, healthcare leaders must work to identify health IT strategies tailored to address their organization's specific needs. On the third day of a three-day Becker's Virtual Health IT Summit sponsored by Lenovo Health and Intel and held Nov. 6-8, two healthcare leaders Bruce Metz, PhD, vice president and CIO at Farmington-based UConn Health, and Chuck Podesta, CIO at Orange, Calif.-based UC Irvine Health discussed how their organizations are staying innovative. To learn how a technology partner can help healthcare organizations reach their goals, Lenovo Health's Wyatt Yelverton offered commentary on the company's approach to designing new healthcare IT solutions. UConn Health's innovation challenge? How to prioritize ideas "Innovation is integral to UConn Health's DNA," Dr. Metz said. "We don't have a shortage of ideas Our challenge is how do we prioritize ideas," he added. As the leading health system in Connecticut, UConn Health led the state in an ehealth initiative involving telemedicine. The program was widely successful, Dr. Metz said. Among the 500 to 600 econsults conducted within two years, the health system noted a significant reduction in the time it took patients to access care, an increase in patient and provider satisfaction, and a reduction in emergency room visits from chronically-ill patients. Dr. Metz said when building a health IT-supported care improvement initiative, it is imperative to start with a strong foundation. Often, this is an extension of the EHR through mobile devices or industry standard application programming interfaces or software mechanisms. But just as important as the technology, he added, is the support teams behind it. "If the foundation is done right centered around the EHR that incremental investment should be manageable for most organizations," Dr. Metz said. "But it is really making sure the 24/7 support comes along with it [That] human element becomes critical." Dr. Metz shared his No. 1 piece of advice for other health systems looking to deploy a successful technology program: Focus on the interplay of the people, the organization's culture and the overall strategy, as well as the tech platform itself. Most importantly, the project's objective should align with the organization's overall goal. "It is very easy to be tempted to boil the ocean. Once you stimulate interest and engagement in members of an organization, you come back with a number of ideas and you can't do all of them [Instead,] prioritize [ideas] by aligning objectives of the project with organizational goals," Dr. Metz advised. Why UC Irvine teamed up with UC San Diego to stay innovative Mr. Podesta explained that UC Irvine Health, which is part of the broader University of California system, collaborates closely with the other five organizations in the system. When the collaboration first began, he realized a key challenge: UC Irvine was the only facility of the five not on an Epic EHR. Rather than opting for Epic's foundational model, UC Irvine used a scorecarding process to evaluate the builds at the other four facilities, and it ultimately chose to partner with UC San Diego. The main reason UC Irvine identified UC San Diego as the ideal partner was because the two were similar in size. In this way, the two systems could partner and co-exist, rather than one absorb the other. Through this partnership, UC Irvine Health not only saved nearly $35 million, but realized other opportunities for additional savings and ways to accomplish more goals including driving innovation with fewer resources. The partners decided to combine their IT departments in a joint purchase services model where the two purchase project managers from each organization share management and split the costs down the middle. This enables both hospitals to pursue additional technology projects that remain sustainable and are able to scale. Overall, Mr. Podesta said the two project savings are in the range of $10 to $15 million annually. "The future is bright for us because now it is kind of a one plus one equals four from a math perspective on what we are doing, and from a cost perspective, one plus one equals 0.5. We've kind of hit both those markers and are pretty excited about it," Mr. Podesta said. How a technology partner like Lenovo Health can help At the forefront of the health technology sector, Mr. Yelverton understands technology is rapidly evolving, particularly from a mobility standpoint. Much of these changes in the tech landscape are driven by increasing and changing consumer demands, as patients begin to play a more active role in their care. "Mobility is a huge point of focus, especially with respect to how we can embrace this concept of value delivery, how we are able to engage patients, how we are able to keep them and be able to simultaneously improve lines of business, revenue opportunities and the overall market opportunity," Mr. Yelverton said. This means that the next generation of technology has to be flexible and applicable, Mr. Yelverton said. Patients want to be able to use the same technologies that they use in their daily lives. Lenovo is helping hospitals keep up with these changes by designing products tailored to the specific needs of an organization and its physicians, Mr. Yelverton said. He added that this individualization is made possible by open communication with hospitals. In other words, Lenovo is in sync with the providers, so it's able to anticipate their needs rather than build its products in a vacuum. To stay innovative, hospitals must think outside of the box when it comes to technology strategies. The right technology partner can reduce or even eliminate any barriers to success. To access the webinar recording, click here. To learn more about Lenovo Health, click here. To keep its second headquarters under wraps, Amazon assigned code names to the 20 finalist cities, according to The Wall Street Journal. Here are four things to know: 1. Amazon recently crowned two locations as the next home of Amazon's second headquarters: Crystal City, Va., and New York City. 2. As the e-commerce giant worked to finalize its second headquarters, it wanted to maintain secrecy. As soon as the 20 finalist cities were selected, it assigned each location a code name. 3. New York City's winning proposal was named Project Clancy, Crystal City's proposal was named Project Cooper, Maryland's bid was named Project Duke and Indianapolis' proposal was named Hazel. "We were like, whose daughter is this, whose grandmother?" Maureen Kraus, chief economic development officer at the Indy Chamber, which spearheaded the Indianapolis region's bid, told the WSJ. 4. It turns out, the finalist cities were named after dogs of Amazon employees. It makes sense, as Amazon employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work. Author Jamie Sams filed a lawsuit against Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, N.M., alleging the hospital and one of its physicians violated her "do not resuscitate" directive during a 2016 visit, among other complaints, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Here are three things to know: 1. Ms. Sams was previously diagnosed with Dercum's disease, a condition that produces painful tumors all over the body. She went to Christus St. Vincent on Feb. 5, 2016, for pain control and was prescribed Dilaudid through an IV "despite the fact that [Ms. Sams] had advised emergency room staff that she was allergic to this medication," according to the lawsuit, obtained by the Albuquerque Journal. 2. While she was in the hospital, Ms. Sams experienced an allergic reaction to the medication, which caused her to go into cardiac arrest. She was later revived by ER staff despite signing a "double DNR" form, the report states. "As a result of being revived, [Ms. Sams] continues to experience severe pain, disability and limitations and further, will incur extensive expenses throughout the remainder of her life," the lawsuit states. "Defendants had notice ... that [Ms. Sams] had signed the DNR. Plaintiff Sams was wearing a purple bracelet issued by the hospital and labeled 'DNR.'" 3. A Christus spokesperson told the Albuquerque Journal the physician in charge of Ms. Sams' care works for a provider service contracted to work in the hospital's ER. The spokesperson told the publication he could not comment on the pending lawsuit. To access the full report, click here. A former Cleveland Clinic spinoff executive on Nov. 16 pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and making false statements in an attempt to defraud the health system, cleveland.com reports. Here are five things to know: 1. Wisam Rizk, 43, pleaded guilty to the charges Nov. 16. Mr. Rizk served as the chief technology officer of Interactive Visual Health Records, a company formed by Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the health system's commercialization arm. 2. Federal prosecutors allege Mr. Rizk and an associate concocted a scheme to defraud Cleveland Clinic by having IVHR contract with a shell company to get paid for services the shell company never intended to provide, the report states. Instead, a second international company was paid less to provide those services, and Mr. Rizk pocketed the difference, which amounted to approximately $2.7 million. 3. When police questioned Mr. Rizk about the scheme, he allegedly lied about his involvement. The health system fired Mr. Rizk and his associate upon discovering the fraud scheme. Mr. Rizk was arrested last year. His associate pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements to the FBI in October 2017 and will likely face between 41 and 51 months in federal prison, the report states. 4. Mr. Rizk, an Austrian citizen, agreed to deportation after his sentencing, which is scheduled to take place March 13, 2019. He also agreed to a schedule to pay a restitution of $75,000 during the next several months, and forfeit the $75,000 he paid to be released from jail on bond, which will also go toward restitution. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop 26 other charges of wire fraud. 5. While prosecutors and Mr. Rizk and his lawyer have yet to agree on a sentencing range, Mr. Rizk faces more than five years in federal prison. The exact amount of restitution is also undecided, the report states. To access the full report, click here. Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Cleveland Clinic for comment and will update the report as more information becomes available. Arlington, Texas-based Sundance Behavioral Healthcare System was indicted on charges of violating the Texas Mental Health Code by holding four patients involuntarily and illegally, according to the Star-Telegram. The corporation, known as SAS Healthcare, runs behavioral health hospitals in North Texas. It is accused of knowingly violating the state's mental health code by detaining two patients longer than the statutory maximum of 48 hours. Facilities must have a court order of protective custody to detain a patient longer without their consent. The indictment also alleges SAS Healthcare refused to let two voluntary patients leave the facility despite the patients repeatedly saying they wanted to leave. If found guilty of the violations, the corporation faces up to a $100,000 fine for each of the 33 days the offenses were allegedly committed amounting to $3.3 million. SAS Healthcare executives did not immediately return a message from the Star-Telegram. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Author sues New Mexico hospital for violating 'do not resuscitate' order Ex-exec of Cleveland Clinic spinoff admits to defrauding system CHS settles lawsuit against ex-CEO of Indiana hospital Bristol-Myers Squibb will lay off 69 employees from its Tampa, Fla.-based facility Jan. 31, according to The Tampa Bay Business Journal. The move comes just four years after the company opened an office in Tampa, bringing about 600 jobs ot the area. "The decision is consistent with the evolution of the company's operating model announced in October 2016 to focus resources behind its highest priorities, accelerate its pipeline and simplify infrastructure," Sarah Koenig, a spokesperson for Bristol-Myers told The Tampa Bay Business Journal. Affected employees were notified Nov. 14. They will receive a severance package and will be considered for open positions. Kaleo, a Virginia pharmaceutical company, raised the price of its opioid antidote by more than 600 percent in 2016 to "capitalize on the opportunity" as the nationwide epidemic worsened, according to a report released by a subcommittee chaired by Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman cited by Cleveland.com. But Kaleo claims it's never turned an annual profit on the drug. The hefty price hike of Evzio by Kaleo increased costs to taxpayers by more than $142 million in the last four years, according to Cleveland.com. "The fact that one company dramatically raised the price of its naloxone drug and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in increased drug costs, all during a national opioid crisis, no less, is simply outrageous," Mr. Portman told Cleveland.com. Kaleo raised the prices on the recommendation of drug industry consultant Todd Smith, according to the report. Although the drugmaker said its production cost for the drug is $174 per unit, Mr. Smith proposed raising the price of the drug in 2016 from $575 per unit to $3,750 per unit and later, up to $4,100. To ensure the drug would continue to be covered by government insurance programs, despite the price hike, the company's salesforce allegedly focused on making sure physicians signed paperwork that determined Evzio to be medically necessary, the report claims. "Kaleo's more than 600 percent price increase of Evzio not only exploits a country in the middle of an opioid crisis, but also American taxpayers who fund government-run healthcare programs designed to be a safety net for our country's elderly and most vulnerable," the report said, according to Cleveland.com. The report recommends CMS review its policies to prevent drug companies from influencing physician prescribing habits. In addition, it calls on Congress to mandate a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions to curb addiction rates. Kaleo said it gives away a lot of the opioid antidote to first responders and it has "never turned an annual profit on the sale of Evzio. Patients, not profits, have driven our actions." Fifteen to 20 people fleeing the California Camp Fire have become ill with norovirus while staying at Chico, Calif.-based Neighborhood Church, according to The Sacramento Bee. Lab tests from California Butte County Public Health Department have confirmed the evacuees have norovirus, Lisa Almaguer, spokesperson for the department, told The Sacramento Bee. Fire evacuees staying at the South Oroville, Calif.-based Church of the Nazarene shelter have also shown symptoms of norovirus, but have not received lab testing for confirmation. About 166 people are staying at the facility. About 170 people are staying at the Chico shelter, Diane Shoen, shelter manager at the American Red Cross, told The Sacramento Bee. Several residents indicated they heard of one or more evacuees quarantined due to health issues. One resident said he saw a resident "puking into a toilet." Shelter workers indicated they have started taking sanitation steps by quarantining sick people in different rooms and giving out hand sanitizer. More articles on clinical leadership and infection control: Consumer Reports urges USDA to name turkey brands in salmonella outbreak as Thanksgiving nears Missouri nurse facilitates 6-person kidney donation chain 11th child dies in New Jersey adenovirus outbreak North Carolina is experiencing the state's largest chickenpox outbreak since 1995, when the vaccine against the virus became widely available, reports The Washington Post. The outbreak hit Asheville (N.C.) Waldorf School, which comprises children in preschool school to sixth grade. The private school first reported about a dozen chickenpox cases in early November, which quickly spiked to 36 infections as of Nov. 16, according to the Asheville Citizen Times. The publication said Asheville Waldorf has one of the state's highest religious exemption rates for vaccinations. During the 2017-18 school year, 19 of 28 kindergarteners enrolled at the school had a religious exemption for at least one required vaccination, according to state HHS data cited by Citizen Times. In addition, 110 of the school's 152 students did not receive the chickenpox vaccine. "The school follows immunization requirements put in place by the state board of education, but also recognizes that a parent's decision to immunize their children happens before they enter school," the school said in a statement to Blue Ridge Public Radio. Jennifer Mullendore, MD, medical director of Buncombe County, N.C., highlighted the importance of vaccinating children in a press release cited by The Washington Post. "We want to be clear: Vaccination is the best protection from chickenpox," she said. Former orthopedic surgeon, member of the U.S. House of Representatives and secretary of HHS under President Donald Trump, Tom Price, MD, will now join Georgia Governor-elect Brian Kemp's transition team, according to the Washington Examiner. Dr. Price is expected to advise Gov.-elect Kemp on healthcare policy, as well as lend his expertise on who should join the governor's office. Before joining the Trump administration in 2017, Dr. Price spent six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives battling against "wasteful government spending," according to the report. Dr. Price voted to repeal the ACA while in Congress. More articles on healthcare: Hoag Orthopedic Institute study finds 84% of postoperative opioids go unused after common procedure 2019 Medicare fee schedule rule possibly misvalued THA/TKA codes: 4 insights Drs. Basil Besh, Emily Monroe & more: 11 orthopedic surgeons making headlines Orthopedic and spine surgery is headed to the outpatient setting. However, surgeons must ensure their patients receive high quality care to return home within 24 hours of surgery, if possible without opioids. The CMS 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs includes a new code for non-opioid pain management drugs. CMS will now make separate payments for non-opioid pain management drugs for ASCs. The only HCPCS code falling into this category is Exparel, from Pacira Pharmaceuticals, which will now receive separate payment when used in the ASC. To learn more about the new CMS rule as well as hear from ASC owners, administrators and leaders in ASC billing and coding on their experiences with Exparel, register for this webinar. Here are three important Q&As about enhanced recover after surgery, and four more on trends in multimodal solutions for orthopedic and spine pain management. ERAS ERAS 101: The recovery protocols transforming outpatient spine surgery To remain successful, ambulatory surgery centers and spine practices must work to improve patient satisfaction and educate consumers on the benefits of outpatient spine surgery. Michael Wang, MD, a neurosurgeon at the University of Miami Health System, believes these organizations can use Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols to reduce procedure costs, shorten recovery time and standardize clinical outcomes, which will ultimately improve patient satisfaction and help facilitate spine surgery's shift to the outpatient setting. How to optimize orthopedic surgery patients for ERAS: 6 Qs with Dr. Daniel Hoeffel Daniel Hoeffel, MD, is a private practice orthopedic surgeon based in St. Paul, Minn. At the Becker's ASC 25th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs on Oct. 18, 2018 in Chicago, Dr. Hoeffel gave a presentation titled "Optimizing the Orthopedic Patient for ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery): Importance of Pathway & Partnership" sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies. During the presentation, Dr. Hoeffel, a consultant for DePuy Synthes, discussed how ERAS protocols for orthopedic and total joint replacement patients can improve patient care. He examined the philosophy behind ERAS and how new technology and industry partners such as the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies can help orthopedic surgeons meet their patient recovery and outcome goals. Dr. Adam Blomberg on pain management, recovery protocols and opioids Envision Physician Services' National Education Director of Anesthesiology Adam Blomberg, MD, FASA, spoke to Becker's ASC Review about enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, opioids and the future of pain control. Multimodal pain management Multimodal pain management: 4 questions with Dr. Asokumar Buvanendran In recent years, multimodal pain management has become a routine part of surgical care, as pain management specialists incorporate regional nerve blocks, oral medications and intraoperative methods to safely produce effective analgesia. Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, professor of anesthesiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' committee on pain medicine, spoke with Becker's ASC Review about how a multimodal approach can improve pain management while also reducing risk of opioid dependence. The latest pain management trends in spine care In this article, six spine surgeons discussed the big trends in pain management, including non-opioid solutions. What spine surgeons can do to fight the opioid crisis In this article, seven spine surgeons discuss the physician's role in improving the opioid crisis and key alternatives to pain management for post-surgical patients as well as chronic back pain sufferers. Pain management in the ambulatory setting Key thoughts on a multimodal approach for TJR procedures Surgery centers will need strong pain management protocols in place to successfully perform total joint procedures on an outpatient basis. Keith Long, MD, associate chairman in the anesthesia department of anesthesia at Winchester (Mass.) Hospital and medical director of Winchester Hospital's ASC, discusses the benefits of a multimodal approach and the importance of this approach for outpatient total joints procedures. Even if you're willing to hand over as much as 195 per head for some tasty turkey - or 95 for a child under 12 - you could already be far too late to reserve a table Mouth-watering dinners at eye-watering prices are all the rage this Christmas, with families forking out up to 600 for a festive lunch for four - and that doesn't even include drinks. Indeed, it has become so popular to pay for someone else to dish out the main meal on December 25 that many high-end establishments have been sold out for months. So even if you're willing to hand over as much as 195 per head for some tasty turkey - or 95 for a child under 12 - you could already be far too late to reserve a table. The majestic Merchant Hotel in Belfast, which boasts two restaurant venues for Christmas lunch, was fully booked by September, while the remaining places at the Culloden's Mitre eatery near Holywood were snapped up last week. Research conducted by the Belfast Telegraph also found there's no availability at popular hotels in Londonderry, Dundonald, Larne, Newcastle and Ballygally - with most reservations made "months ago". There are still a smattering of tables left in establishments in Ballymena, Templepatrick, Carrickfergus, Lisburn and Enniskillen but they're filling up fast - and it's not even December. Tables at The Merchant's Great Room Restaurant, where the bill for a "sumptuous six-course Christmas lunch" for a family-of-four is 580, have all been taken since the beginning of September. For 195 per adult and 95 per child you'll enjoy a Champagne reception followed by starter, mulled wine sorbet, main course, dessert and cheese, finishing off with mince pies and petits fours. Around the corner in Bert's Jazz Bar, also fully booked, patrons will be sampling a "mouth-watering" six-course Christmas offering priced at 125 per person on December 25. An "exquisite traditional Christmas Day five-course luncheon" at the Mitre Restaurant in the plush Culloden costs 175 a head for adults and children over 12, while younger kids (aged 4-11) will set you back a mere 95 each. That's all booked up but there are some places left in the Co Down hotel's Stuart Suite which costs a little less, at 140 per adult and 90 for each child under 12. Christmas Day luncheon at the Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, costs 69 per adult and 30 for children aged between four and 12 - but bah humbug, there's no room at the inn. At the Everglades in Londonderry, the Grand Buffet five-course lunch comes in at 99 per adult and 50 for the under-12s, although it has been fully booked since October. And there are no tables remaining either at the Stormont Hotel in Dundonald, where a grand buffet lunch comprising five courses costs 350 for a family-of-four if both children are under 12 - 110 per adult and 65 a child. A five-course Christmas carvery at the Belfast Loughshore Hotel in Carrickfergus is 80 for adults and 30 for children aged three to 12, and there is still availability. You'll also find space at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick, where adults can dine for 76, while children aged between 12 and 15 pay 35. But there's no room at the Curran Court Hotel, Larne, where adults can eat for 74.99 and children under 12 dine for 34.95, while the under fives pay 9.95. Also booked up "for quite a while" is Ballygally Castle on the Antrim coast, where a buffet costs adults 100 and children under 12 are charged 60. Tables still remain, however, at the Premier Inn, Lisburn, where it costs adults 43.99 and children 15.99. At Leighinmohr House Hotel, Ballymena, a five-course carvery meal comes in at 79.95 for adults and 29.95 for children - though there are only a couple of spaces left. But you can't have a standalone Christmas dinner at the Manor House Country Hotel in Enniskillen - it doesn't offer Christmas dinner to non-residents but prices sit at 65 per adult and 40 per child. Bono is one of the founders of the Rise social impact investment fund Coffee shop multi-millionaire Bryan Meehan has emerged as a backer of the $2bn (1.8bn) Rise social impact investment fund. It was founded by U2 frontman Bono last year alongside Canadian eBay billionaire Jeff Skoll and US private equity mogul Bill McGlashan. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Dubliner Meehan confirmed he had invested an undisclosed sum in the fund. He added that he was a big admirer of Bono and also former US presidential candidate Al Gore for having founded investment funds that aim to help solve the world's biggest social and environmental problems. The serial entrepreneur, who remains chief executive of coffee shop chain Blue Bottle Coffee, is no stranger to impact investing. Earlier this year he backed Wefarm, which is a text messaging and online network for farmers in east Africa to share information. Frank Field MP in Westminster, London, after resigning from the Labour party over the anti-Semitism crisis. The pensions watchdog is facing questions from MPs after the sale of i newspaper owner Johnston Press put its pensioners at risk of cuts. Frank Field, the chairman of the Work and Pensions Committee, has written to The Pensions Regulator to ask if protections are in place to prevent pension schemes being dumped on the taxpayer-backed Pension Protection Fund (PPF). It comes after the publisher, which has a stable of regional titles including The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post, was bought out of administration by creditors through newly formed company JPIMedia over the weekend. Jobs across the companys titles have been safeguarded by the deal, but an assessment period has been triggered for the employees on the defined-benefit pension scheme, meaning it could be bailed out by the PPF. It is difficult to understand why it is possible for JPIMedia to acquire the business, no doubt in the expectation of generating a profit from it, but without taking any responsibility for its pension schemeFrank Field If the scheme is rescued by the official lifeboat, former employees could face cuts to their retirement incomes. In a letter to Lesley Titcomb, outgoing chief executive of TPR, Mr Field asked for an explanation of why it was not possible to find a solution that would have avoided the pension scheme entering the PPF. It is difficult to understand why it is possible for JPIMedia to acquire the business, no doubt in the expectation of generating a profit from it, but without taking any responsibility for its pension scheme. Mr Field, who is an independent MP after resigning from the Labour Party earlier this year, has previously taken business leaders to task over pension funds. The veteran MPs most notable campaign was fought against retail tycoon Sir Philip Green over the collapse of BHS. A spokesperson for TPR said: Together with the Pension Protection Fund, we will be working with the administrators to understand the circumstances surrounding the sale and its implications for the Johnston Press Pension Plan and its members at this challenging time. Our role at this stage is to assess the terms of the sale of the business to ensure the pension scheme has been treated appropriately. We continue to work closely with the scheme trustee and the PPF. Johnston Presss largest shareholder Custos Group has already expressed concern over the deal, accusing the publishers board of acting out of self-interest. It said: Their actions today, ensuring their own jobs are safe, but sacrificing the pensions of their loyal staff, many of whom will no doubt also lose their jobs under the new ownership of a US hedge fund, is simply a disgrace and a vulgar display of the worst elements of capitalism. Custos Group has threatened legal action over the pre-pack administration. New statement from Custos regarding the PRE-PACK. Custos will sue both the Board of Directors and also JPIMEDIA LTD that acquired the shares in JP. BOD have effectively stolen Johnston Press. Clear breach of fiduciary duties. I will announce updates regularly on my twitter pic.twitter.com/efOHm28kZU Christen Ager-Hanssen (@agerhanssen) November 18, 2018 Jeremy Wright, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, faced emergency questions from MPs in the Commons on Monday over the sale of the titles. At this challenging time for print journalism, we are working hard to ensure its sustainability, he said, referencing the Cairncross Review into the future of the UK press. His Labour counterpart Tom Watson said tech oligopolies were partly to blame for the erosion of print media, and accused the Government of not acting quickly enough. Whilst ministers prevaricate and hold open sessions, the tech oligopolies have consolidated their advantage, he said. Instant access: There is an abundance of coffee shops across this island these days No, no, no! There is no such thing as too many coffee outlets! An Bord Bia is surely in error by announcing that coffee shops in city centres in Ireland have reached "saturation point". Other "quick-serve" restaurants, maybe. Fast food has never been a culinary adornment. But coffee is the emblem and epitome of civilisation. Among the greatest social improvements in the course of my lifetime has been the proliferation of great coffee. A barista, to me, is a person of higher calling than a barrister. I came back from two years in France as a young woman appalled by the poor quality of coffee that was prevalent in Ireland (and Britain). Instant often masquerading as proper coffee - ugh! I have heard it said that the two ugliest words in the English language are 'bridging loan'. For my 20-year-old, know-it-all self, the most unwelcome phrase was, 'Do you mind instant?'. Yes, I do mind instant coffee, if you please. The coffee drinker must have the real thing. And now the real thing is everywhere - authentic coffee gurgling out of real espresso machines up and down the land. You can get as fine a cup of coffee now in Tullamore - where I happened on a lovely coffee house last year - as you can in Montparnasse. I realised that Northern Ireland was on a totally new phase of social development when I bought a skinny latte in Belfast city centre, down by the Lagan, on a Sunday. The peace process would hold. Mind you, not all coffee - even real coffee - is equal. You have to find the exact level of taste for yourself. I find Starbucks' coffee too bitter, and I'm not mad about international cafe chains (though you have to give them a round of applause for reviving the great tradition of the coffee house). A successful group of coffee providers - such as Insomnia, which has a very strong following - will inevitably proliferate. I found my ideal cup of coffee thus: when I read that the Colombian farmers were forced into harvesting cocaine because, at this particular point, coffee sales were down, I thought I'd support them by drinking Colombian coffee. It's ambrosia! It's rich and strong, but never bitter. The central American coffees are generally delicious, notably Guatamalan and Costa Rican. Maybe now we should start helping the Brazilian economy - flailing economies can slide into dictatorships - similarly. Frank Sinatra did a great song about it: "They've Got an Awful lot of Coffee in Brazil" ("A politician's daughter was discovered drinking water/And was fined a great big 50-dollar bill!"). True, people can get faddish and fussy about coffee. It's one thing disdaining the bland taste of instant, but it's another insisting on grinding the beans yourself in a hand-turned moulin and using only the original 1933 Bialetti Moka coffee-maker (The writer Mary McCarthy would only drink coffee from beans ground by hand, insisting that electrical grinding destroyed the innate flavour) . But I stand by the classic Moka coffee-maker - the one you put on the stove and it percolates the coffee up through its own funnel. The announcement, recently, that Bialetti may go bankrupt and needs 68m to keep producing the irreplaceable Mokas was dismaying. Can't someone start a crowdfund to save the Moka? The coffee house has a great tradition of sociability: from its introduction into western Europe, from Turkey in the 1600s, it brought an interchange of news, gossip, financial tips (the London Stock Exchange was started in a coffee house) and the demand for beautiful china. It was, alas, in the 18th century superseded by the pub and the tavern, which became much more profitable both for trade and taxes. It's another sign of civilisation, surely, that good pubs are now selling good coffee. For the reformed drinker, coffee is a life-saver, as well as a treat. And if you're looking for a caffeine high, try two double espressos followed by a can of Coca Cola. Numerous medical studies have shown that coffee is excellent for health. Keeps the old brain ticking over, too. Yes, it's addictive, I know, but what harm? Nobody is going to go home and beat up their spouse and sprogs because they had an extra shot of coffee. We understand Bord Bia's point about saturation of the market - staff shortages loom and any market can be overloaded with supply. But it's still the case that the coffee shop is the harbinger of harmony, pleasure and the interchange of culture and ideas. Well, it usually was. The ubiquitous use of the electronic media - be it tablet, iPhone, or laptop computer - in coffee shops has somewhat diminished the flow of brilliant conversation. We must hope that eventually people will tire of staring at their screens and, perhaps stimulated by enough pure Colombian, will return to social intercourse once again. However, it's evident that in life you can't have everything. And sometimes you can't even have two good things at once. With the rise of the coffee culture has come, it seems, a certain decline in the quality of tea. A dunked tea-bag in a tepid plastic cup has replaced the warming communal tea-pot, where real tea was correctly brewed and poured. If there are too many coffee shops, that's the time to start on a revival of the tea-house. Awarded the MBE in 2011 for her contribution to community relations in Northern Ireland, Dr Katy Radford has spent a lifetime working to build relationships across the divide and to champion the marginalised. She's project manager at the Institute for Conflict Research and works with a raft of other organisations including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Commission for Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition. Brilliant, eloquent and passionate about the arts which she uses in her work, she pays tribute here to the parents who encouraged her love of music and performance. But behind what she describes as a "privileged middle-class upbringing" is another more harrowing story - the experience of her Jewish mother who fled the Nazis as a child, and lost half of her family in Hitler's concentration camps. Katy talks about her pride in her Jewish heritage and in her Northern Ireland identity. And she decries what she sees as the "biggest tragedy" facing so many of the young people with whom she works: "I think that our mental health provision is appalling. Absolutely appalling." Q. Where did you grow up? A. In south Belfast and I was very, very south Belfast orientated. I went to school in south Belfast and that was the centre of my world. I was one of those people who thought there'd be dragons when you went past Carlisle Circus; that you'd drop off the edge of the world. Now that I live in the shadow of Cave Hill, in the comfort of the shadow of Cave Hill, I see Belfast in a very different light than I did back then. I grew up in the 1960s and the 1970s in a Belfast that was a very different Belfast to what it is now. My mother, Inge, was a social worker, a probation officer. She worked in the Royal Victoria Hospital. My father Colin was a French academic. He was the dean of the Arts Faculty at Queen's University. So I had a very privileged, middle-class upbringing. They gave to me a love of dance and music and theatre at a very young age. My parents encouraged me, pointed me to engage with the arts whether that was in performance or attending things. My father used to walk me down every Friday to the School of Music in Donegall Pass. We used to go to choir in there before we joined the Youth Orchestra. I remember the week after Bloody Friday going in for music. We talked together and all of us just wanted to sing together. So many people talked about the experiences of that day. We all came from very different backgrounds, from very different communities but for all of us it was about music making. For me, music making is connecting with one another through the arts. We came away, I suppose, healing. Years later, now I'm in my 50s, seeing how those systems like the School of Music maintained relationships and built relationships across community divides really fires me up. From what's seen as the traditional Irish canon and within what's perceived to be the unionist style of music making, they're both amazing. Amazing discipline, amazing cross-community music making. And that was a really big part of my childhood growing up. Getting a fish and chip - there was a chippie just over from the School of Music, walking back home up Botanic Avenue ... was one of the most fundamental memories of my childhood of a troubled Northern Ireland. And I think that those initiatives still today provide an amazing space for young people to be in harmony with one another. Q. Where did your mother Inge come from originally? A. My mother was a child refugee who came on kinder-transport. She came first to the Isle of Man which is equidistant between Ireland and Britain. Then she lived half her life in England and the second half of her life here in Northern Ireland. She ended up living in a property which overlooked the same property where all the children who'd been brought on kinder-transport to Northern Ireland had ended up living, in Millisle. It was only after she'd been living there quite a few years that she became aware of that story and realised that some of the children that she'd travelled with would have lived in that same place, experienced that same landscape. She came from Vienna. She lost five brothers and her mother in a concentration camp. She was reunited many, many years later with two sisters who went to the United States and two brothers in Israel. And my generation now, we would now be very close. We have made a commitment to each other that we will stay in touch with one another in the extended family, attend family celebrations and so on. I get a great kick out of my kids travelling and being with their cousins and learning from each other. Q. Your mother was a brilliant role model, wasn't she? A. Yes. One of the things that I'm proudest of about my mother was that when the Syrian refugees started to come here and there was a massive rally that Amnesty organised in Belfast, she came in to town - the sky was opening, it was lashing down that day - she came in on one of those Zimmer frame walkers on the bus in order to be able to get there. And she was saying: "I'm a very lucky refugee. And we need to do this for other people." And you know that typifies the childhood that she gave me. There's an expression in Judaism - a mitzvah. A mitzvah is a duty, an obligation. But it's also a privilege. A mitzvah is something you have to do but it's your privilege to do it. If, say, I visit someone who is unwell, it's not that I have to do it, it's a benefit to me that I do that thing. Q. Growing up in Belfast, did you have a strong sense of your Jewish identity? A. I didn't attend synagogue as a child. There's an Orthodox community in Northern Ireland and I didn't grow up in an Orthodox community. I got a sense of my Jewish identity from travelling - from about the age of 15 I started to visit my family very regularly in Israel. So I learnt about religion and ritual from them in a much more liberal way. I grew up in a Reform community - the first rabbi I had was a woman. I went away from Northern Ireland when I was in my teens and when I returned in my 30s, I had a very different understanding of what a Jewish community was about. But my mother had always encouraged me to connect to the Jewish culture. The Jewish culture and heritage was around the home but the ritual wasn't. I grew up with a very pronounced sense of Jewish identity but not of the religious observance. We were always aware of heritage. We were always aware of the family narrative. My father's stepmother was also Jewish so it was something that was not alien to me in any way. Being Jewish is not something that stops me from enjoying or participating in other people's religious observance whereas for people who are Orthodox that may be more awkward or challenging. I'm very proud of the heritage that my children have. Q. How many children do you have? A. I have two daughters and two sons. My youngest is 17 and my oldest is 26. My partner and I have been together a long time, in sickness and in health - that's the way I put it. But I've never married. I have enough Tupperware. Q. You left Northern Ireland in your late teens? A. I went to London when I was about 17 and came back when I was 31. I had a range of different careers. I worked in the motion picture industry for many years starting off with the British Film Institute. I had a real love for the range of experiences that London brought during the Seventies and Eighties. It was a very different culture. I still have a home there that my children enjoy. I came back to Belfast to go to university. I stopped working in the Institute when I started having a family and I returned to Northern Ireland to continue that family and to do a PhD. I did a French degree at Queen's and then a PhD in Ethnomusicology/Social Anthropology straight after. It was at the time of Drumcree and I spent some time working with women who were connected to that in various shapes and forms. Because women and because loyalist culture at that time was not something that was particularly high on the policy agenda, it was something that I really wanted to look at. And it kind of took me into the role that I now have on the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition. After the PhD and a brief stint with Save the Children, I came to work in the Institute for Conflict Research which is the independent organisation that specialises in training, mediation and research and is based in north Belfast in the interface between Tiger's Bay and the New Lodge. We're involved in a number of programmes where we use the methodology of the arts to support people wanting to transition communities. We also work in partnership with a range of other organisations. Q. Much of your work is with young people. Do you think enough is being done in terms of the crisis in mental illness among the young? A. For me the biggest tragedy of the experiences of young people in Northern Ireland is around their mental health and well-being. I think young people have a hard enough struggle just being young. But when you're in a community that is steeped in a legacy of conflict, of mistrust, of division and where criminal activity has enabled the thriving of those who, very often bearing arms, manipulate the young through drug misuse or whatever from a very early age... I think we've got a very, very big problem on our hands. If you go round some of the clubs in Belfast now you'll find very many underage young people in risky situations. I think it's great that young people are able to go out now and party in a way that I couldn't do in the Sixties and Seventies. But I also think we need to be really, really careful about who is enabling that and for what purposes. There are so many links in a small community between young people and the coercive control of those who want to do harm and want to benefit for their own ends. When I look at young people in north, south, east and west of the region that we live in and think about the amount of self-harm and suicide and think of the myriad form it takes... I think that our mental health provision is appalling. Absolutely appalling. Is that only because of underfunding? I don't think it is. I think there are other issues we need to look at in terms of much broader holistic services to young people. And yes, very much, also our attitude towards mental health. Q. Do you think social media is an aggravating factor? A. I don't use social media myself to the extent that I should do as a professional person. I don't want to bump into my children - or put it like this, my children don't want me to bump into them in that environment. I accept it's an absolutely crucial part of how society is developing. It's just not my priority at the moment. But I think that there is a problem where young people are sharing challenging situations online. If you see that somebody who has taken their own life is suddenly being talked about as a hero on social media and you're feeling vulnerable or isolated or not connected... can you imagine how that could impact? We need to look at how all that could be managed better. Q. Is Brexit going to contribute more to division here? A. I think that disease in any sense and uncertainty in any sense is not ever helpful. And when that's led top-down, sometimes it can mean that people respond in a way that they feel things are being done to them and don't respond as positively as perhaps they might do. I can't call what will happen about Brexit or people's response to it. I hope it doesn't do benefit to those who are around the fringes of criminality because that's what worries me. People make money in voids. People make money at the fringes of society, at the borders and the edges of society. One thing I do think is it's certainly going to change the demographic again. And Northern Ireland has had, and is continuing to have, a very visible change in demographic. It's wonderful when you look at all the changes that have come with that change. But there is a lot of uncertainty around as well - for growing communities, for new communities. If you look at the change in numbers in the census in 2011 to what it's going to be in 2021, that is just going to be such an interesting wake-up call I think for all service providers, whether statuary services or people providing things within the private sector. Q. Do you feel local people are more welcoming of that new diversity than their politicians? A. I think it depends on the area that you're in. I think there are some people who have got a way to go in terms of thinking about the thing that we like to see ourselves famous for, which is our welcome. I think there are challenges when people conflate ethnic identity with ethnic-political identity, when they look at people's religion and make that a marker. And I'm not just thinking about Northern Ireland here and religion and how that can equate with different sectarian stuff. It's really important that we think about that and that we have open conversations. Q. The Jewish community, once thriving here, is much smaller and still suffers anti-Semitism ... A. It's a tiny, tiny community now. It has retained its uniqueness because of its commitment to Orthodoxy but that has meant that it hasn't been easy for those who have a less rigorous upbringing or a less rigorous understanding of what it means to be Jewish. And consequently many people have chosen to either move from the area to a place where it's easier to access services or have chosen to marry out and then, because they're not part of the Orthodox system don't find it easy to come under the rubric. It's a small community. It's a beautiful resource in north Belfast. And yes, there has been some degree of challenge that we've faced with people not understanding the importance of welcome. But we have had a lot of support from PSNI and from neighbours in terms of looking broadly at the concerns we have as a community. Q. In Northern Ireland do you feel that people's views on the Middle East have fuelled anti-Semitism? A. I think global politics impact on our own generosity of spirit and our own commitment to others. And that can impact locally in a way that people may not anticipate having negative consequences. Q. Are you hopeful for the future of the Jewish community here? A. I set up a small arts organisation called Jews Schmooze in 2008. We continue to put on productions, performances, exhibitions which raise awareness of Jewish culture, heritage and the arts. I'm hopeful, because of the number of people we take through the synagogue who are interested in the history and culture. We're really pleased that we've got somewhere in the region of four or five thousand visitors each year to come to explore and understand those things. So that's great and when local festivals say, "Can we use you as a venue for something?" and they're thoughtful and considerate in terms of the programming that they wish to do, and understanding some of the parameters around it, we're really heartened by that. What's challenging is when we reach out to other communities which are less ready and less able to connect with us. So we have swings and roundabouts and still a way to go. We're not funded by any government department unlike many minority communities here so that everything we do is on a voluntary basis. And the Jewish community here is getting older. It's also a little bit disheartening if you think that, well, that's the nature of the situation if others leave. I had a fabulous rabbi here for my daughter's bat mitzvah. He left because his growing family could not live the sort of Jewish life that they would have wished to lead because it was such a small community. And that to me was a great sadness because he brought, within an Orthodox context, a real freshness and an understanding of what those who came from a Reform or liberal background needed. And that generosity of give and take is something which is very hard to find sometimes. Q. You got your MBE in 2011. That must have been a proud moment? A. I was so proud of it. But because of the politicalisation of the honours system, just as we have the politicalisation of the poppy, it became one of those things that I didn't talk about when I first heard it. I just needed to take it in and think about what the implications for that would be. There are all those appalling assumptions that are made about people. I am very proud of the MBE. You know, you give into the community what you can. I wasn't born in Northern Ireland, we moved here when I was very small so I'm not ever going to be eligible for Irish citizenship despite what it says in the Good Friday Agreement. I consider myself to be from Northern Ireland. The Irish and UK governments consider me to be from the place where I was born which means I can never be Northern Irish. Yet I've spent my life, my entire personal and professional life describing myself as someone who's from Northern Ireland. My children who were born in Northern Ireland can call their own identity as Irish or British. But for other children who were born in England but like me were educated here and spent time from the age of three here, they will always be ineligible for Northern Ireland status. And that for me is one of the missing links for people who've committed their lives, their professional lives, their integrity and their taxes to this part of the world. Whether or not I have a Northern Ireland stamp on my passport, because you can't have one, I will always be Northern Irish. Karen Bradley will tell business leaders today that the country faces a choice between backing Theresa May's draft deal or going "back to square one on Brexit". The Secretary of State will use a keynote speech in Belfast to ramp up pressure on the DUP who have called for the proposals to be scrapped. On Friday, the Confederation of British Industry NI, Federation of Small Businesses NI, Institute of Directors NI and NI Chamber of Commerce threw their weight behind the Prime Minister's plan, claiming it "provides some much-needed clarity that local businesses have been calling for". The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has called for the DUP to consider voting for the draft plan, claiming a no-deal Brexit would be "absolutely disastrous" for the farming and agri-food sector here. But DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson rejected claims his party was isolated, saying its position was supported by businesses and farmers worried at being cut off from markets in Great Britain. Due to address business leaders on the 20th anniversary of the Northern Ireland Act, Mrs Bradley will say that the Government has agreed in principle the terms for "a smooth and orderly exit from the EU and the broad terms of our future relationship". She will tell them: "The agreement preserves the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom, upholds the Belfast Agreement, and ensures people and businesses that rely on an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland can continue living their lives and operating as they do now. "The country now faces a choice, between this deal, the only workable deal that fulfils the will of the referendum, or back to square one on Brexit." Mrs Bradley will say that the draft deal "delivers for the businesses and people of Northern Ireland" and the UK, providing a "close and productive future relationship with the EU" and making it possible to "sign and implement ambitious free trade deals around the world, while maintaining zero tariffs and zero quotas with one of our most important trading partners". The Secretary of State will claim that the deal will "deliver in full on the result of the referendum" and "will see the UK take back control of our borders, our laws and our money". "And it is a deal that will see us uphold in full our commitments to the people and businesses of Northern Ireland: protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its parts, including the principle of consent, citizenship rights and human rights provisions; avoiding a hard border and preserving North-South cooperation and funding; preserving the Common Travel Area and reciprocal rights for UK and Irish nationals; and, of course, maintaining the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom." Referring to the Stormont stalemate, Mrs Bradley will say that she is "doing everything I can to restore the institutions". She will add that the Northern Ireland Act led to "relative peace" and "certainty on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland," creating prosperity that has been at "the forefront of our mind during the Brexit negotiations and is reflected in the deal we have reached". Yesterday, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec) and CBI NI Joint Business Council issued a fresh statement in which they broadly welcomed the Withdrawal Agreement, saying it would "protect the all-island economy". CBI NI Director Angela McGowan said: "Companies across Northern Ireland simply could not cope with a no-deal Brexit. "Such a scenario would risk jobs, investment and living standards. If ratified, this Withdrawal Agreement should provide a degree of certainty to the business community that Northern Ireland's economy will ultimately be protected". Ibec director of policy Fergal O'Brien said "swift ratification is vital". But Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said it is "certainly not" the position that the DUP is risking alienating its key supporters, such as business leaders and the UFU, by opposing the draft Brexit deal. "That's certainly not the feedback we're getting this weekend. We've had a lot of support from people who recognise that this deal has the potential to separate us from our business market in Great Britain. "It's not something that many business people or farmers believe is in the best economic interests of Northern Ireland," he said. "We are clear that this proposed deal breaches a red line for us in that it has the potential to create a border in the Irish Sea and to separate us increasingly from our biggest single market. We believe that will be damaging to the agri-food sector and to the economy in Northern Ireland, so whilst we respect the opinions of the business representatives and of the UFU we disagree with their conclusion and in so doing we know we have the support of many business people and farmers in Northern Ireland who share our concern about this deal." He described the "idea that the DUP stands alone" in its opposition to the Brexit deal on the table as "nonsense". "The UUP, the TUV, all oppose this deal," he said. "How many votes did the UFU get at the last general election? "The idea that the DUP stands alone in this is nonsense, there isn't a single unionist party so far that has backed this deal, and I have spoken to farmers and business people in my constituency over the weekend who support the stance of the DUP." Mr Donaldson also revealed that the DUP is "inclined to support" the Finance Bill - the legislation which passes the Budget into law - despite suggestions that his party could withhold its backing to pressurise Prime Minister Theresa May into changing the draft Brexit deal. "We will of course listen to the debate very carefully and consider any amendments that are brought forward, but in principle the Finance Bill is part of our confidence and supply agreement and as such we would be inclined to support the bill," he said. "The Finance Bill delivers significant enhancements for expenditure and public services in Northern Ireland, and we need to take that into account." Regarding the DUP's support for Theresa May and the confidence and supply agreement which sees the party prop up the Tory government in the Commons, he added: "The question as to who leads the Conservative Party is a question for that party, not for the DUP. The confidence and supply agreement is with the Conservative Party, not with the Prime Minister, and as such we will continue to work with the government and the focus is on the Brexit deal and on the forthcoming vote in the House of Commons, and after that we will of course reflect on the implications for our future cooperation." DUP colleague, Nigel Dodds MP, said "Northern Ireland unionism stands united" and that it was "time to work for a better deal which does not undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom". Meanwhile, TUV leader Jim Allister accused those supporting the government of "lackey syndrome" and hit out at the UFU. "How the UFU in particular could join this chorus of embracing the break-up of the UK single market, on which they depend, is beyond rationalisation," he said. "I'm greatly disappointed that the UFU has abandoned the settled will of most farmers that they wish to leave the EU in all its parts." Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey has said the DUP has failed to protect the Union - and must shoulder the blame for the Brexit backstop crisis. Speaking at the annual dinner of the East Antrim Ulster Unionist Association in Whitehead on Saturday, Party Chairman, Lord Empey said: The proposals published by the Prime Minister for our future relationship with the EU confirm what most of us feared, that Northern Ireland will, if this agreement proceeds, effectively have a 'special status' within the EU but be different from the rest of the UK in the long term. Read More An analysis of the backstop proposal published last December, spelled out that this would happen, as it was riddled with contradictions and elevated the so called Irish border problem to a far greater extent that was warranted. Last year the DUP told us that they had great influence with the Government. Arlene Foster said 'Unionism has never had so much influence in Parliament'. Nigel Dodds said 'Today, it is the DUP that stands at the heart of government, not in Northern Ireland, but across the United Kingdom.' Fast forward to Thursday and the House of Commons. What did Nigel reveal there? I quote from Hansard:- 'I stand here today and take the Prime Minister through the list of promises and pledges she made to this House and to us privately, about the future of Northern Ireland in the future relationship with the EU, but I fear it would be a waste of time, since she clearly does not listen.' As Robin Swann said at the weekend, they were asleep at the wheel and so puffed up with their own self-importance that they made a strategic blunder of unprecedented proportions by allowing the backstop to go unchallenged last year. The primary function of any unionist is to protect the Union. In this the DUP have failed terribly. They have nobody else to blame for the mess this time its down to them and them alone for failing to protect Northern Ireland's interests. But DUP deputy leader MP Nigel Dodds said his partys stance and opposition to Theresa Mays withdrawal treaty has been vindicated. Mr Dodds said the damning criticism spelt out how dangerous this withdrawal agreement is. These are exactly the reasons why Northern Ireland unionism stands united in opposition to this draft Withdrawal Agreement, he said. This deal would place a trade border in the Irish Sea, subject us to EU rules without any power to influence or change them and binds us to the EU with no unilateral ability to leave. Indeed, Northern Ireland is part of the EU customs union not the UKs. Even Jeremy Corbyn gets it, although nationalists and republicans here are desperate for him to stop saying it. Mr Dodds added: I understand why some people fear a no deal scenario. But the choice is between this very bad deal and the right deal. With MPs on all sides of the House pointing to the dangers for the Union of the Withdrawal Agreement, it is clear that it is time to work for a better deal which does not undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom. DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson also rejected claims his party was isolated, saying its position was supported by businesses and farmers worried at being cut off from markets in Great Britain. He said it is "certainly not" the position that the DUP is risking alienating its key supporters, such as business leaders and the UFU, by opposing the draft Brexit deal. "That's certainly not the feedback we're getting this weekend. We've had a lot of support from people who recognise that this deal has the potential to separate us from our business market in Great Britain. "It's not something that many business people or farmers believe is in the best economic interests of Northern Ireland," he said. "We are clear that this proposed deal breaches a red line for us in that it has the potential to create a border in the Irish Sea and to separate us increasingly from our biggest single market. We believe that will be damaging to the agri-food sector and to the economy in Northern Ireland, so whilst we respect the opinions of the business representatives and of the UFU we disagree with their conclusion and in so doing we know we have the support of many business people and farmers in Northern Ireland who share our concern about this deal." He described the "idea that the DUP stands alone" in its opposition to the Brexit deal on the table as "nonsense". "The UUP, the TUV, all oppose this deal," he said. "How many votes did the UFU get at the last general election? "The idea that the DUP stands alone in this is nonsense, there isn't a single unionist party so far that has backed this deal, and I have spoken to farmers and business people in my constituency over the weekend who support the stance of the DUP." Mr Donaldson also revealed that the DUP is "inclined to support" the Finance Bill - the legislation which passes the Budget into law - despite suggestions that his party could withhold its backing to pressurise Prime Minister Theresa May into changing the draft Brexit deal. "We will of course listen to the debate very carefully and consider any amendments that are brought forward, but in principle the Finance Bill is part of our confidence and supply agreement and as such we would be inclined to support the bill," he said. "The Finance Bill delivers significant enhancements for expenditure and public services in Northern Ireland, and we need to take that into account." Regarding the DUP's support for Theresa May and the confidence and supply agreement which sees the party prop up the Tory government in the Commons, he added: "The question as to who leads the Conservative Party is a question for that party, not for the DUP. The confidence and supply agreement is with the Conservative Party, not with the Prime Minister, and as such we will continue to work with the government and the focus is on the Brexit deal and on the forthcoming vote in the House of Commons, and after that we will of course reflect on the implications for our future cooperation." DUP colleague, Nigel Dodds MP, said "Northern Ireland unionism stands united" and that it was "time to work for a better deal which does not undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom". Meanwhile, TUV leader Jim Allister accused those supporting the government of "lackey syndrome" and hit out at the UFU. "How the UFU in particular could join this chorus of embracing the break-up of the UK single market, on which they depend, is beyond rationalisation," he said. "I'm greatly disappointed that the UFU has abandoned the settled will of most farmers that they wish to leave the EU in all its parts." Theresa May took a swipe at Tory rivals threatening to unseat her as party leader as she warned the next seven days would be "critical" to achieving a successful Brexit. The Prime Minister warned that a change of leadership would not make it easier to get a deal past parliament or the EU, after furious Brexiteer backbenchers started moves to oust her. It came as the BBC reported that the European Commission has proposed December 31, 2022 as the ultimate end date for any extension to the post-Brexit transition period. Mrs May told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday that as far as she knew the threshold of 48 letters of no confidence needed to start a leadership battle had yet to be reached. In a message to those plotting her downfall, including members of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs, she said she had not considered quitting. She added: "A change of leadership at this point isn't going to make the negotiations any easier and it isn't going to change the parliamentary arithmetic. What it will do is bring in a degree of uncertainty. That is uncertainty for people and their jobs. "What it will do is mean that it is a risk that we delay the negotiations and that is a risk that Brexit gets delayed or frustrated." Mrs May's interview came after former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, whose resignation last week was a key point in one of her most brutal weeks as Prime Minister, suggested she had failed to stand up to a bullying European Union. There were also continuing reports of a plan by senior Cabinet ministers who remain in Government to try to alter the withdrawal agreement at the eleventh hour. Asked about this, Mrs May said: "There is indeed more negotiation taking place and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." Mr Raab told the BBC's Marr show that he supported the Prime Minister, but not her deal, adding: "I want her to get this right." But he also confirmed he had been speaking "intensively" with Andrea Leadsom and other ministers, looking to change her deal. He said: "I only resigned on Thursday morning so I can't say I have had extensive conversations. But I am willing to talk and be as constructive as I can." He warned MPs against submitting no confidence letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, saying: "It's a total distraction from what we need to do, we need to get Brexit over the line, we need to support our Prime Minister. "I have got huge respect for her, I wrote that in my resignation letter, it is not flim-flam. "I have worked very closely with her on Brexit and I think there is still the opportunity to get this right, support the Prime Minister - but she must also listen and change course on Brexit." Asked if she had considered stepping down, Mrs May said: "No, I haven't. Of course it has been a tough week, actually these negotiations have been tough right from the start, but they were always going to get even more difficult right toward the end when we are coming to that conclusion." She added that the next seven days "are going to be critical", and said she would be travelling back to Brussels to talk with key figures including Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, ahead of an emergency European Council summit on November 25. Responding to Mrs May's interview, a source in the ERG said: "We have negotiated in good faith with the iceberg and cannot break our commitments to it." Sir Graham told BBC Radio 5 Live that not even his wife knows how many letters he has received from other Conservative MPs. He told Pienaar's Politics: "Victoria does not know, nor do the two vice-chairmen of the 1922 Committee or the other officers." Last night, the BBC reported that the transition period, during which the UK would not be part of the EU but would abide by its rules, could be extended until the end of 2022. Currently, it is expected to end at the end of 2020. While that would mean two extra years to negotiate withdrawal, Brexiteers are likely to be angered that the UK would still be subject to EU rules without any representation in EU decision-making. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said no to any renegotiation with the UK over the withdrawal agreement. Mr Varadkar told RTE "we've always had an open ear, open door" to requests from London, and said he would keep an open mind towards any proposals made in regard to the future political relationship declaration. But pressed on the 585-page deal, he said: "No. That's been agreed already by the UK government and by negotiators." He also said the Republic is not contemplating a hard border if the draft withdrawal deal is rejected. The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has hit back at criticism over its support of the draft agreement reached on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Responding to criticism from TUV leader Jim Allister, UFU president Ivor Ferguson said: "As with any large industry, there are wide ranging views within our membership. "During the EU referendum, the UFU didnt take an official position but following the result we got down to the business trying to secure the best Brexit deal for agriculture. As always, our focus is securing the best future possible for our family-run farms in Northern Ireland. "We are a democratic organisation and we represent around 11,500 family farms. It is unrealistic to expect that all our members will agree 100 per cent on everything, all of the time. "The UFU has argued that a no deal Brexit would have a devastating impact on farmers in Northern Ireland. This has been supported by a number of independent reports from AFBI, LMC, and more. "No deal has been considered extensively within the UFUs internal committee structure and has consistently been found to be the worst of all possible options. The position was confirmed again at our Executive meeting in October." Also, we have always called for a solution that allowed NI farmers unfettered access to the GB market, while at the same time allowing the long-standing trading relationship between NI and ROI to continue." TUV leader Jim Allister has said he is "greatly disappointed" at the UFU's backing of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The UFU, which represents farmers across Northern Ireland, earlier warned that a no-deal Brexit would be "absolutely disastrous" for local farming and agri-food sector. The Confederation of British Industry NI, Federation of Small Businesses NI, Institute of Directors NI and NI Chamber of Commerce have all backed the deal. However, TUV leader Jim Allister has expressed amazement in particular at the UFU's support for the agreement. He said: Id like to put down the anti-Brexit euphoria for Mrs Mays deal from business interests as naivety, but when you see the usual suspects headed up by the CBI line up as government supplicants you soon recognise the lackey syndrome. How the UFU in particular could join this chorus of embracing the break-up of the UK single market on which they depend is beyond rationalisation. "Urging MPs to vote for an Irish Sea regulatory border is madness, as well as accepting NI as part of the EUs custom territory. Have they forgotten the business supply chain is a two way process and, therefore, rushing to impede GB/NI trade is as dangerous as it is absurd. Im greatly disappointed that the UFU has abandoned the settled will of most farmers that they wish to leave the EU in all its parts." Unionists have expressed anger that the deal would see Northern Ireland aligned with EU rules and remain part of the single market with checks on some goods coming in from the UK to Northern Ireland, if the BRexit backstop is implemented. Mr Allister added: "Now is a time for anyone who values the prosperity which the UK Union has brought us to recognise that at this seminal moment to endorse Mrs Mays plan is to endorse the break-up of the UK. "I do not believe such accords with the desires of Ulster farmers. Pity it seems to be the vision of their union. 446 schools are projected to be in the red in 2018 (Ian West/PA) Nearly half of all schools in Northern Ireland are in budget deficit, new figures have revealed. The BBC reports that 446 schools are projected to be in the red in 2018, with 352 of these schools seeing their deficits get bigger since 2017/18. This year, for the first time, the Education Authority has placed schools in Northern Ireland into a number of categories, depending on their budgetary situation. There are 87 schools in the most serious category with deficit of more than 5% of their total yearly budget. Some 130 schools have increasing deficits of more than 5% but are judged to be sustainable by the EA. As a result of the worrying figures, the EA will appoint specialist staff to work with each of those 227 schools on their budget. The EA has previously stated Northern Ireland schools were projected to overspend their budgets by around 33m in 2018/19 financial year, with the Northern Ireland Audit Office warning that school budgets have reduced by 10% in real terms over the past five years. A number of head teachers in Norther Ireland have also said they cannot afford to send teachers to training that would help pupils with speech and language problems. Expand Close Maghaberry Primary School principal Graham Gault / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maghaberry Primary School principal Graham Gault Graham Gault, principal of Maghaberry Primary School, told the Northern Ireland Affairs committee last month that parents were donating toilet rolls to his school because of funding constraints. A spokesperson for the EA told the BBC it recognised schools were facing "unprecedented pressures. "Many school leaders have told us of the intolerable strain that the deteriorating financial position has placed upon them," the spokesperson added. "EA will continue to advocate for additional funding for schools and services to support schools, children and young people." Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has made clear a no-deal Brexit will deliver customs and regulatory checks on the island of Ireland. She stressed that, while the UK Government is committed to working to avoid a hard border, World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules are very clear and checks would need to be carried out on consignments passing between two customs territories on a contemporaneous basis. The Conservative MP also suggested that UK and EU commitments outlined in last Decembers joint report on maintaining the Common Travel Area an agreement which allows free movement for UK and Irish citizens in Britain and Ireland would also be thrown into doubt in a no-deal scenario. Ms Bradley, who pitched the merits of the draft Brexit deal to business leaders in Belfast on Monday, said the reports undertakings to protect the Single Electricity Market (SEM) and ensure certain citizens rights are upheld post-Brexit would also fall by the wayside if the UK crashes out. They are agreed as part of the withdrawal agreement, that is not something that is agreed in a no-deal situation, she said. Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Victoria Jones/PA) During the business briefing, Ms Bradley was asked to react to comments from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that a border would be inevitable in a no-deal scenario. The Secretary of State was challenged on the apparent contrast between Mr Varadkars statement and the UK Governments oft-stated position that it is committed to ensuring no hard border post-Brexit. In response, she urged the audience to familiarise themselves with WTO rules on the need for checks to happen. After the event, she elaborated: WTO rules means that there has to be a requirement that checks are carried out, that tariffs are paid, that customs declarations have to be completed now, how that is done will be matter for us to negotiate and consider, but the fact is the WTO is very clear that if there is two separate customs territories, checks have to be able to be carried out on a contemporaneous basis on consignments passing between the two customs territories. We will do, as the UK Government, everything we can to avoid there being a hard border on the island of Ireland we do not want to see there being physical infrastructure at the border and we will try to facilitate that in any way we can. But the WTO rules are clear tariffs will apply, checks will be required that is what the WTO says. Be under no illusion - the EU won't start negotiations all over againKaren Bradley Despite the DUPs trenchant opposition to the Governments plan, Ms Bradley did not mention the name of the party once during her appearance at Belfast Met College not in her speech, during a question-and-answer session with business leaders or a later press conference. Despite being pressed, she repeatedly insisted that she did not want to single out one political party, instead urging all MPs to get behind the deal. She insisted the draft agreement protects the precious Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and warned it is the only option on the table. Be under no illusion the EU wont start negotiations all over again, she said. Since the draft text was unveiled a range of business and agricultural bodies in Northern Ireland have come out in support of Theresa Mays proposals, including the influential Ulster Farmers Union (UFU). But the DUP has insisted it is not isolated on the issue, pointing out that all main unionist parties are opposed to the deal, on the basis, they claim, that it undermines the integrity of the UK. Ms Bradley said she was disappointed by the coverage of the issue. During the question and answer exchanges, Stephen Kelly, the chief executive of campaign group Manufacturing Northern Ireland, told her that business leaders in the region had found their voice on Brexit. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The business community found its voice last week, collectively we have encouraged all to look at this document, consider the implications of not supporting this document and unite to ensure that these discussions can continue and we dont crash out without a deal, he said. Some have interpreted that as an attack on a particular party, an attack on a particular part of the community. What would you say to the business community here to encourage them to keep having that voice, to be confident behind this agreement and to work with all the parties to ensure the best interests of Northern Ireland are looked after? Ms Bradley replied: Its disappointing some of the coverage that there has been since the deal, in that it has somehow been portrayed as an attack on any one party or politician. I want to be clear I am not standing here saying that those politicians who have a difference of opinion with me on this matter are anything other than acting in what they consider to be the best interests of their constituents and they are absolutely entitled to have a different view from me. As I say, this is a balance of risks and opportunities and, in my view, this is the best deal for the whole United Kingdom and that is why I am standing in front of you today saying please get behind it and support it. Irelands deputy premier has said people are wrong to underestimate British Prime Minister Theresa May when it comes to her ability to get the draft Brexit agreement through the House of Commons. Simon Coveney said Mrs May was offering people a stark choice between a managed, sensible Brexit, one which protected both EU and British interests, and a chaotic scenario of a no deal. Mr Coveney told RTE News: People have underestimated Theresa May over and over again. I think theyre wrong to. I think she is a very steely, determined person. I think she has got a good deal for Britain, for the United Kingdom as a whole I should say, and she has followed through also on her commitments to Ireland and the EU. Good meeting today with @MichelBarnier + @HMcEntee . Strong consensus across EU 27 that Withdrawal Agreement represents a balanced+fair compromise between UK+EU interests. Negotiators now trying to finalise a positive Political Declaration on Future Relationship. pic.twitter.com/pB5VFIYZuG Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) November 19, 2018 The Tanaiste made his comments following a meeting with EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee. They were in Brussels on Monday to discuss the draft agreement ahead of the special summit of European leaders on Sunday. The indications are that Mrs May will fail to get the draft deal through the House of Commons next month. Mr Barnier described the deal as fair and balanced, saying: It takes into account the UK positions. In particular, we have found a compromise to avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Both parties want to avoid using the backstop, Mr Barnier said. Mrs May is expected to travel to Brussels this week to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In a tweet, Mr Coveney said there had been strong consensus across the 27 EU member states that the withdrawal agreement represented a balance and fair compromise between UK and EU interests. Expand Close Mr Coveney was joined by Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Coveney was joined by Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee (PA) Negotiators now trying to finalise a positive political declaration on future relationship, he wrote. Earlier on Monday Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the sooner the deal was done, the sooner negotiators could move forward and start discussing the future arrangement. Speaking in Dublin Mr Varadkar said: The intention would be extending the transition period, and activating the backstop would never be necessary and wont be necessary if we can successfully negotiate a future relationship, so the sooner we can have this deal sealed, and the sooner we can get on to talking about that future relationship the better I think. While in Brussels, Mr Coveney attended a meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers to discuss Iran, Yemen, Central Asia and Ukraine, as well as security and defence. He said ministers had an exchange of views on Iran and had reaffirmed support for the Iran nuclear deal. The EUs relations with Central Asia were discussed ahead of an EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting which is scheduled to take place on November 23. Mr Coveney said: This is a region of growing importance and we discussed how the EU can take forward our partnership with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The ministers also had an exchange on Bosnia and Herzegovina following recent elections there. Mr Coveney said Ireland was strongly supportive of the perspective of EU membership being an agent for the promotion of reform and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Balkan region. He added that the appalling situation in Yemen was also discussed and he called on all parties to the conflict to respect international human rights and humanitarian law. The draft Brexit deal presents a false choice as a legal backstop is not needed to maintain a free flowing Irish border, Arlene Foster has insisted. The DUP leader pointed to remarks by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that he was not contemplating a hard border in the event of a no-deal Brexit as evidence the issue was only ever a negotiating tactic by the European Union. The Taoiseachs comments that the Irish government is not contemplating a hard border in the event the Withdrawal Agreement is rejected by Parliament underlines why a focus on the backstop was only ever a negotiating tactic by the European Union, said Ms Foster. We have been told that the backstop is only necessary to prevent such a hard border, but these comments make it clear that the EUs insistence on a backstop was not aimed at this. The European Unions focus on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic has only ever been a negotiating tactic to secure its own aims in the negotiations. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The comments also further underscore how the inclusion of a border down the Irish Sea within the current Withdrawal Agreement is not only unacceptable, but is also unnecessary. The Withdrawal Agreement was based on the false choice that an internal UK border was the only way to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Ms Foster and party colleagues are angry at the deals proposed backstop the trading system that would operate on the island in the absence of a broader UK/EU deal claiming the proposal for Northern Ireland to adhere to a different regulatory framework than Great Britain would undermine the United Kingdom. While Mr Varadkar said on Sunday he was not contemplating a hard border in the event of a crash Brexit, on Friday he said one would be very difficult to avoid in a no-deal scenario. Met with reps from Northern Ireland parties earlier to discuss the latest developments in the #Brexit negotiations. The draft Withdrawal agreement includes important assurances re the Good Friday Agreement & the need for continued close relations among all parts of these islands. pic.twitter.com/VNRZxKaUAK Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 15, 2018 In a no-deal scenario it would be very difficult to avoid a hard border because of the obvious fact that, as Ireland remaining part of the European Union, we would no doubt be asked to implement European law, he said. Also the United Kingdom having left the European Union would seek to join the World Trade Organisation. They would have to implement WTO rules so those hard Brexiteers who say that somehow just through political will you can avoid a hard border that doesnt make sense. He added: The only way we can avoid a hard border is by an agreement. In her latest statement on the controversial backstop issue, Ms Foster said: The agreement that has been put on the table is clearly not a good deal and no-one should be forced into accepting another false choice. This really bad deal would lock us into the EU with no way out. We would be trapped. Those attempting to sell the current deal are using the threat of no-deal as the only other option. I appreciate the concerns people have about a no deal but this should not be a binary choice. It is absolutely clear that it is time to work for a better deal. The monument dedicated to Polish airmen who served in NI A memorial dedicated to Polish airmen who were stationed in Co Down during the Second World War has been unveiled. The sculpture, funded by the Northern Ireland War Memorial organisation and other donors, is now permanently on display in Court Square, Newtownards. The Polish ambassador to the UK joined local politicians and the daughters of two Polish airmen who remained in Ards after the war to pay their respects. The memorial pays tribute to the airmen based here, but also to those who fought alongside the RAF in the Battle of Britain in 1940. Two squadrons, No 315 "Deblinski" and No 303 "Warsaw-Kosciuszko", were based in Ballyhalbert early in the war. There was a two-minute silence after the Last Post played while the flags of Poland and the RAF were lowered next to the cenotaph. Vanda Henderson's father remained in Ards after his military service. "My father originated from the eastern part of Poland that was handed over to Stalin post-war," she said. "So it was difficult for him to get back home obviously because he was in the Polish Air Force and had fought against the Russians and the Nazis. "They would have either put him in prison or would have shot him, so he stayed here. "It was good he stayed, because he met my mother and of course we're now here." She said she would have loved her father to have been alive to witness the unveiling. "This hasn't been recognised now, until 70 years later and I just wish they could've been here to see it. At least it's here now." North Down MP Lady Sylvia Hermon said she was moved by the ceremony. "It was really very nice to be invited," she said. "It's a beautiful memorial, beautifully carved, beautifully worded and very symbolic." A world-renowned chef from Co Antrim has said women in the restaurant industry are more likely to be sexually harassed by customers than in the kitchen. Clare Smyth, who was recently named the best female chef in the world, has two Michelin stars at her Core restaurant in Notting Hill and catered for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at their wedding reception. Despite the popular image of a macho culture in restaurant kitchens, she said it was often male customers that acted inappropriately. "We see a lot of things," she said at the Harper's Bazaar Summit in London. "When you work front of house and you've got middle-aged men who have had a few drinks... the stuff that gets said is absolutely disgusting". On one occasion the Bushmills woman was even forced to ban a regular customer for harassment. "The young lady didn't want to say anything because she felt it was her job, and that made me really angry," she said. "I refuse to accept anything like that at all in my workplace." She also took issue with the patronising attitude from some maitre d's towards young women working front of house. "A lot of sexism is there and not actually from people in the kitchen." Despite accepting her award for best female chef in Spain last year, Clare (40) said it should no longer be necessary to have different categories for men and women. Before scaling the heights of the culinary world, she said it was her upbringing on a Northern Ireland farm that prepared her for the hard graft involved. "It gave me a good work ethic, being a farmer," she said earlier this month. "You work all the time, you don't stop. When you were lambing sheep, you worked all night, and you worked 365 days of the year. That work ethic, I grew up with. Hospitality is difficult for some people, but for me, it wasn't - I was already used to it." The next challenge for Clare is as a judge on the upcoming Netflix series The Final Table, which is available from tomorrow. A global competition, the programme sees 12 pairs of chefs attempt to master a range of international cuisine. Each episode sees contestants battle to avoid being eliminated by each country's appointed "greatest" chef. Far from feeling nerves, Clare said her open-plan restaurant set-up meant she was used to being "on show" for her customers. "I always felt I had a lot to prove," she said ahead of her Netflix debut. "I always knew what I wanted to achieve and so I was harder on myself. Maybe I was sometimes unnecessarily hard on myself." On the subject of success, she added: "I've worked very hard, it's not just happened overnight. "I don't pinch myself and think, 'I'm lucky'. I think, 'I left home at 16 to become a chef and I worked for it' and we've got a long way to go." A pregnant Limavady mother whose unborn daughter has a fatal foetal abnormality has hit out at the lack of information and options being offered to prospective parents after a devastating diagnosis. Erin O'Hara and her partner Jamie McCormick (23) were told at the 20-week scan that their baby girl, whom they have already named Freya, has a condition called anencephaly - the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp - and cannot survive outside the womb. Despite being told there is no chance of survival and that abortion is an option, Erin told the Belfast Telegraph last month that she will continue with the pregnancy, and has vowed to help raise public awareness of the untreatable condition. Her difficult decision has attracted a huge number of supportive messages from across the world. Last week, the 24-year-old clerical officer, who is 29 weeks pregnant today, held a baby shower for Freya which raised 4,000 for charity. Afterwards, she told this newspaper she believes parents must be informed of all their options when they are given such tragic news. "When we were given our diagnosis we were told on at least four occasions that we could have a termination - but there was a lot less information about the perinatal care that was available to us and that's something I can't get over," she said. "I do feel that if other mothers knew what care was out there, maybe it would make a difference. "The doctors say, 'A lot of women in this situation would opt for a termination'. But if everyone's rallying for choice then they should know what options they have to choose from." She added: "At least we now know more about what memories we can make about Freya, and keepsakes. At the time of diagnosis I think it's very important to be given all of your options. "I knew from the get-go that a termination wasn't an option for me, but there's only so much you could do and say to us unless you're really trained for that. "A proper support mechanism needs to be in place for anyone going through the same thing as us. You need to be told everything at the time of diagnosis as opposed to being sent home to think about it having been given basically no information at all." Erin says she's grateful for the unstinting support of her mother, Winifred, who told her: "We will love this little baby no matter what." Anencephaly is a fatal birth defect which occurs when the unborn baby's neural tube doesn't form properly. Erin desperately wants to carry Freya to full term but she has a condition called polyhydramnios, a build-up of fluid in the amniotic sac, and she said that means she could experience a premature labour. Still, she's taking things "day by day" and she said Freya's baby shower "definitely lifted my spirits" as well as raising vital funds for a worthy cause. Around 60 people attended the event in the Limavady bar Granny Annie's. "It was mostly friends and family but a lot of people popped in," Erin said. "We had a bucket on the way in to the baby shower so people could just throw in money. We had a raffle as well. We had so much to raffle, such as vouchers, because so many people had given us stuff." Most of the money will go to Every Life Counts, a support network for families whose unborn child is diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormalities, but 1,500 is for Precious Life and there will be some for another support group, Shine. "I'm feeling a bit better about myself since we had the baby shower," Erin said. "We've managed to raise money and awareness and we had a really good time doing it so we've actually managed to make light of such a dark situation. "We're happy with that. It doesn't take away the pain or frustration but the fact that we've been able to do that is really good for our moods. It's just so good to give something back." Erin has back pain at present and is "having difficulty getting around" but she's been bolstered by the messages of support she's been getting from all corners of the globe. "It's lovely that so many people have contacted us," she said. "The response has been unbelievable. People are following my story across the world - from as far away as America and Australia. There's a lot of people reaching out who have experienced the same thing that Jamie and I are going through." An Assembly member has called for the Department of Justice to ensure that prisoners who go on-the-run "pay a price" after a convicted murderer was returned to custody. Police arrested Maghaberry Prison inmate Samuel McKinley in the greater Belfast area yesterday morning three days after he absconded while on unsupervised day release. However, it is not the first time the 57-year-old from the Shankill area of the city, failed to report back to prison. Ulster Unionist politician Doug Beattie said the latest in a series of similar incidents will leave many members of the public "wondering what is going on" within the justice system. "People who show contempt for the system need to pay a price for that," he commented. "Anyone who absconds needs to face serious consequences and the system needs to respond to public concerns and demonstrate that it understands what punishment, deterrence and public safety really mean," he added. McKinley is currently serving a life sentence for stabbing his friend Robin Stoddart to death during a drinking session in Southampton in 1996. Mr Beattie said the incident is a further "embarrassment" for prison chiefs who came under fire in September for allowing five murderers to stroll around Newcastle following a walk in the Mournes. They were accompanied by two wardens in civilian garb and returned to custody. That same month notorious child killer John Clifford, who sexually assaulted his eight-year-old niece before strangling her, failed to return to Maghaberry after being on day release. He was arrested a week later in Newry. Only last month James Donegan (30) taunted police on social media while he remained unlawfully at large after being granted three hours compassionate bail by a court. Former justice minister Claire Sugden said the purpose of day release is mutually beneficial to the community and offenders because it minimises the risk of re-offending. However, the independent East Londonderry MLA also said the process needs to be "strengthened" to avoid giving rise to public safety concerns. "What worries me is that absconding indicates that certain behaviours and attitudes have not changed - but I'm not sure what the answer is," she said. "Maybe electronic tagging would stop it, but then you are punishing the vast majority of prisoners who will never break the rules." Ms Sugden voiced concern over the "very small number" of inmates who choose to "cut off their noses to spite their face" which she said raises profound questions. "Evidence suggests some prisoners can't cope with being released because they miss the social structure of prison where they get three meals a day - what does that say about our society?" A spokesperson for the Prison Service said the largely successful pre-release testing scheme is a vital component of preparing inmates for release as there are no "life means life" prisoners here. "This is a challenging programme during which individual prisoners are subject to ongoing risk assessments and review," they said. "However a small number will fail the test and will demonstrate to us and the Parole Commissioners that they are not ready for release at that time." Maureen Newman with her cat Leo, who was shot and lost an eye A pet owner who launched a legal bid for compensation on behalf of her pedigree cat - which lost an eye in a brutal gun attack - has lost her legal case. Maureen Newman - whose Maine Coon feline Leo was shot in the face last September - brought her case to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal Panel last month. At the time the Belfast Telegraph revealed that it was the first time the panel, which rules on compensation payments in cases of criminal injury, was believed to have considered a case of this kind involving a domestic pet. The Maghera woman - who previously disclosed that she had undergone counselling for the trauma of Leo's ordeal - said the panel's decision had left her feeling deeply disappointed and upset. "This is no justice whatsoever," she said. "I'm annoyed and aggrieved at the decision, it's not their fault. They just thought it was a cat and that was that. She continued: "I didn't care about the money but in this case, my pedigree cat, my pet, is of no relevance to the courts." Ms Newman - who had previously estimated the cost of Leo's veterinary treatment at 3,000-4,000 - stressed that it was indicative of how animal cruelty is not taken seriously enough in Northern Ireland. She had previously spoken of the emotional impact of the attack, which took place at the back of her property as Leo walked along a wall. The cat, whose full name is Leo Aston Martin Teca Newman, needed extensive surgery and not only lost his right eye, but also lost part of a paw and had injuries to his left ear. Shotgun pellet remnants also had to be removed from the cat's body. The pet owner said: "It is clear that the judicial system in this country as of yet does not recognise wilful cruelty to animals and does not consider its wider consequences and impact on owners. What will it take for this to change? There's no support out there for animal owners who have been through experiences like the one I have." Adding that she hasn't ruled out seeking further legal advice privately, she continued: "My cat has no voice, pets have no voices. We have to speak for them." In response, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service (NICTS) said it does not comment on the outcome of individual cases ruled on by the panel. Meanwhile, Victim Support NI - which Ms Newman said helped her to bring her case forward - confirmed that the appeal panel is the final part of the public process in criminal compensation cases. "Anything further is beyond the remit of our service," it said. The organisation added that as its services are confidential, it could not comment on Ms Newman's case specifically. However, it explained in a statement that it provides "appropriate support and information to all victims of crime in Northern Ireland". Victim Support NI also outlined that the first stage for its service users involves the submission of an application to Compensation Services, which will then make its decision. "If the application is turned down, victims can ask for the decision to be reviewed," it added. "If their claim is again turned down at review stage, they are entitled to ask for an appeal. "Our specially trained staff can help victims with all of these stages." It added: "If an award is granted, the victim receives that in totality, as we do not take any fees." Not a single child abuser in Northern Ireland has been convicted on evidence provided by so-called 'paedophile hunters', the PSNI has said. Detective Inspector Pamela Colville was speaking as she welcomed the jailing of a 25-year-old Co Armagh man for attacking a male in a confrontation streamed live on Facebook. Caolan Murray was handed a seven-month jail sentence along with a three-year restraining order after he was convicted at Craigavon Magistrates Court of assault, having a crossbow and disorderly behaviour. DI Colville, a senior investigating officer with the PSNI's Public Protection Branch, said yesterday: "To date there have been no prosecutions regarding any evidence captured by any of these online child sexual abuse activist groups. "However, as this case demonstrates, there have been occasions when criminal behaviour has taken place as a consequence of their activities. "I and my colleagues in the Public Protection Branch want to bring those who commit offences of child abuse to court and to justice. "We are totally committed to doing that, but it is work that must be carried out within the law." She added: "We continue to ask that online child sexual abuse activist groups do not make arrangements to meet individuals or share that information online. "Instead, they should bring any information they have to police." Previous court hearings had been told how the self-styled 'paedo hunter', described by a judge as "self-appointed enforcers of the law," confronted a man who lived near him. Along with a handful of others involved in a so-called sting, Murray, from Mark Court in Lurgan, streamed the entire incident live online on February 18 this year. Following that incident, Murray confronted the same man four days later on February 22 when he went to the man's home address "armed with a crossbow". The court heard how in that incident, also streamed live on Facebook, Murray identified the victim's home and cars which belonged to the man's family, adding that because of a "commotion" at the house, police were quickly at the scene. "The 'target' was punched in the face, receiving injuries," said the lawyer. He added that police took statements from a number of witnesses who said they saw Murray with a crossbow. A lawyer for the Public Prosecution Service revealed that police enquiries also established that Murray "was already in a dispute" with the so-called target - who is an openly gay man. He said police believe there is an element of "homophobia" in the background. "He has a large following on Facebook," the lawyer continued. He told the court that when he was arrested, Murray told his mother to post that fact on social media. Following a short trial last Wednesday, Murray was convicted of common assault, disorderly behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon, namely the crossbow. "As a result, we have been forced to advise global posts, including the United States Postal Service, that we are unable to accept incoming items until further notice", it said in an email. The blow suffered by Canada Post will go beyond the millions of dollars, its reputation will also be hit and a time when the volume of traditional mail is in decline and competitors are gaining ground as they target the lucrative parcel business that is growing. The union wants concrete proposals for dealing with an escalating number of work injuries at Canada Post - and not processes created to punt worker safety concerns down the road, said Palecek. "The backlogs are also extending to worldwide mail and parcels entering the country", Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton said in an email. "This applies not only to us, but all worldwide postal operators", the Royal Mail added. "After a year at the bargaining table, it looks like Canada Post is ready to start negotiating", Palecek said in an interview. The Canada Post strike has been ongoing for several weeks now, and it's been causing complete chaos in Canada. CUPW began rotating strikes across the country that have shut down postal operations in over 200 communities, hoping to pressure Canada Post into agreeing to contract demands, including better job security, reduced workloads and stronger health and safety measures. Canada Post said recent major shutdowns of parcel processing in Toronto and Vancouver have created a backlog of almost 500 tractor-trailer loads of parcels and packages that need to be sorted - 375 trailers in Toronto and 120 as of Thursday morning in Vancouver. Ebay called on the Canadian federal government Wednesday to put an end to the Canada Post contract dispute yesterday, stating that action was particularly important with Black Friday and Cyber Monday looming and warned of the effects it may have on Canadian businesses. Not only will global shipments potentially take a long time to reach you, but Black Friday and Christmas shipments may not even make it to Canadians in time for the holidays. The union says that this most recent deal has made positive strides, but is far from what the postal workers would like to see. Earlier this week, eBay called on the government to legislate an end to the dispute in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events tied to American Thanksgiving that begin November 23. 'Under the direction of Rustioni, this was a stately and measured performance of this truly "great" symphony, which finally burst into life in the finale' (stock photo) The Ulster Orchestra, under the baton of the distinguished young conductor Daniele Rustioni, continued its successful 2018-19 season with music by Busoni, Mozart and Schubert in a well-filled Ulster Hall. The overture Lustspiel by Ferruccio Busoni set the tone for the evening with its exuberant tunefulness, but the centre piece was Mozart's Violin Concerto No 3, played by the highly talented Francesca Dego, who happens to be the partner of Daniele Rustioni. Their joint interpretation captured the essence of yet another Mozart masterpiece, with the soloist giving a most sensitive performance of the blissful Adagio, which is one of those classical pieces most people recognize, but are sometimes not sure where it comes from. The second half was taken up by Schubert's Ninth Symphony, known as "The Great", which the Ulster Orchestra already performed this year at the end of its lunchtime series in early summer. Under the direction of Rustioni, this was a stately and measured performance of this truly "great" symphony, which finally burst into life in the finale. Schubert was never a composer to waste a good tune and he repeated the main theme all the way to its triumphant climax, to sustained and deserved applause. The Ulster Orchestra is looking for a new principal conductor, and Maestro Rustioni, on his third visit to Belfast, has certainly made his mark. Sinn Fein has voiced concern that the Government is withholding legacy inquest funding in Northern Ireland as a way of punishing the party for the Stormont deadlock. Party president Mary Lou McDonald said the money must also not be used to entice parties back to the negotiating table. Ms McDonald branded the failure to release 10 million for historic coroners probes as an utter disgrace as she and party colleagues attended the second week of the inquests into the shooting of 10 people in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast in 1971. Sinn Fein deputy leader @moneillsf has again written to the British Secretary of State Karen Bradley requesting that the funding for legacy inquests is released immediately. There can be no more delays, families have waited too long. #TimeForTruth pic.twitter.com/9zGwPiFx6l Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 19, 2018 While the Ballymurphy probe is now under way at Belfast Coroners Court after years of delay, others remain jammed in an under-pressure system. In 2016, Northern Irelands Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, proposed that a specialist unit be set up that could deal with the cases within five years. However, politicians have so far failed to agree to stump up the 10 million needed to fund the process. The issue has become caught up in the wider political deadlock at Stormont. The DUP has insisted it will only back the release of the funds as part of a wider package of mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the conflict. The party believes that as many of the inquests touch on alleged state involvement in historic killings, to only fund those probes would result in a disproportionate focus on the conflict. The UK Government has previously claimed it will only release the funding if a formal request came from both the DUP and Sinn Fein. Earlier this year, a judge in Belfast ruled that DUP leader Arlene Fosters decision to block funding by not agreeing to request the funds was unlawful and flawed. A month earlier, Sinn Fein claimed the Government had committed to release the cash as part of an ill-fated draft deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. Expand Close The victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre (Ballymurphy Massacre Committee/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre (Ballymurphy Massacre Committee/PA) After Mondays hearing in the Ballymurphy case, Ms McDonald and other senior party figures called for the money to be released without delay. We regard it as a matter of utter disgrace that families, that survivors have been left for decades without the basic democratic entitlement of an inquest, she said. We regard as a disgrace that Mrs [Theresa] May and her Government continues to withhold funding for legacy inquests. We have said to her, to [Northern Ireland Secretary] Karen Bradley and we say again that no leader, nobody who claims any regard for the upholding of the law or the value of democracy could stand over such a situation where families are left for decades without the right of an inquest. This shouldnt be regarded as a punishment to political parties for not reaching agreement or indeed as an enticement back around the negotiating table these are basic, fundamental rights and if Mrs May, the British Prime Minister, considers herself to be a democrat, to have any interest in upholding the rule of law and democratic values then she will immediately move to release that funding with absolutely no strings attached no preconditions. The Ballymurphy shootings took place as the Army moved in to republican strongholds to arrest IRA suspects after the introduction by the Stormont administration of the controversial policy of internment without trial. Soldiers have long been held responsible for the Ballymurphy killings between August 9 and 11 1971, but the accepted narrative became clouded earlier this year when former members of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force came forward to claim their organisation was also involved. Ms McDonald praised the Ballymurphy families as heroes. I believe and I very much hope that this process will tell the truth, will tell the world the full truth about all their loved ones that were lost, that were taken from them, she said. That history will record that these people were innocent, that these people were not, as conveniently depicted, gunmen and gunwomen they were citizens with full rights who had a right to enjoy their full lives and that right was taken in murderous fashion by the British Army. We regard them [the families] as heroes of truth telling, heroes of justice, heroes not just of nationalist Ireland but Irish people everywhere who know that suffering was felt, who know that wrong was done, who know that your loved ones names were blackened deliberately. We hope now and stand with you now on your final lap of your journey to truth. 'Earlier this month, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said proceedings were at an advanced stage and new legal advice was expected "in the coming weeks"' (stock photo) No decision will be made until next year on whether to charge soldiers over Bloody Sunday, it's been reported. The Sunday Telegraph said a "well-placed source" had told the newspaper there was no chance of this happening until 2019. A soldier known as Sergeant O, who can't be named for legal reasons, also told the paper of the "agony" at the latest delay. An announcement had been expected at the end of last year and again during the summer. Earlier this month, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said proceedings were at an advanced stage and new legal advice was expected "in the coming weeks". In January 1972, 13 people died when paratroopers opened fire on civil rights marchers in Londonderry, with a 14th victim dying later. Police launched a murder investigation after the Saville inquiry of 2010 concluded all those killed or injured were innocent. It was concluded that 18 soldiers could be charged, with the files passed to the PPS in 2016. "It's agony. It's disgraceful, I will be 77 very soon and it just keeps dragging on," said Sergeant O. He had been waiting for news since he was formally interviewed under caution by police in April 2016. The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has urged members of Fine Gael to be careful with their words when it comes to Brexit. Robin Swann sounded the warning as he addressed a side event at the party's annual conference in Dublin. He said while relations between the two parts of the island have improved in the last two decades, Brexit has caused a strain, adding that some comments by Fine Gael members recently have been received like a "poke in the eye" by unionists. Mr Swann said he wants to see relations improve - but that means being honest with each other. "Good neighbours must be honest with each other, and that means speaking up when you think the other has overstepped the mark," he said. Irish Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and Business Minister Heather Humphreys were in the audience for his address. Former SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell, ex-Alliance Party leader John Cushnahan, Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken and former Ulster Unionist MP Danny Kinahan were also present. On Brexit, Mr Swann said his party wants to see the "best deal possible for the UK, and with that Northern Ireland". He added that while the Irish Government said it wants to see a deal that protects Northern Ireland too, it has "not felt like we were working to achieve the same objective". He said: "To be honest, comments from members of this party sometimes were delivered like a poke in the eye to unionists. "Our party has been clear that we do not want to see the reintroduction of physical structures at the border on the island of Ireland. But we did not see the same understanding from your government for our concerns about a hard border in the Irish Sea and problems that created for us both as unionists and as an economy which relies heavily on our place in the United Kingdom's single market. "The reality is that the geography of these islands means we rely heavily on each other." Theresa Mays minority government pact appeared on shaky ground after several DUP MPs voted in support of a Labour Budget amendment. The Prime Minister struck a confidence and supply arrangement with the 10 DUP MPs, secured with a controversial 1 billion funding deal for Northern Ireland, after she lost her majority following the snap election in June 2017. But eight MPs opted to support a Labour amendment to the Finance (No. 3) Bill, according to the division list. Labours new clause two aimed to force the Government to review the impact of increases to the personal allowance on child poverty and equality. House of Commons votes 292 to 287 to reject New Clause 2 to the #FinanceBill pic.twitter.com/sm4TtCJGST UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) November 19, 2018 This meant the Government only defeated the proposal by 292 votes to 287, majority five. The DUP had already abstained on the opening two votes at the Bills committee stage, and also did not vote during the fourth division of the day. Tensions between the two parties have increased in recent weeks over Brexit. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said in a statement outside the Commons: We no longer have a functioning government. With Brexit only a few months away something has got to give. The Government was later forced to make a concession after several Tory MPs, including former minister Jo Johnson, signed a Brexit-linked amendment moved by Labours Chuka Umunna. Mr Umunnas amendment sought to force the Government to publish economic forecasts to allow the impact of the EU withdrawal agreement, remaining in the EU and leaving with no deal to be compared. Treasury minister Robert Jenrick confirmed the Government will provide economic modelling of three Brexit scenarios compared to the status quo. He told MPs: Im happy to confirm the baseline for this comparison will be the status quo that is todays institutional arrangements with the EU. He added: I can confirm this analysis will bring together evidence from across Government, external stakeholders and a range of analytical tools. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The analysis will consider the long-term costs and benefits of moving to new trading relationships with the EU and with the rest of the world. The analysis will consider a modelled no-deal scenario or World Trade Organisation terms a modelled analysis of a free trade agreement scenario, and a modelled analysis of the Governments proposed deal. Mr Umunna, in a statement issued outside the chamber by the Peoples Vote campaign, said: The Government was planning to con the British people. Just last week, the PM admitted a Peoples Vote was a realistic outcome of this whole sorry mess. As more and more people see the widening gap between what was promised and what this draft Brexit deal actually delivers the support for a #PeoplesVote will grow ever stronger. /3 ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) November 19, 2018 It is vital at this crucial time for our country that MPs and the public know the full facts about the cost of Brexit and how it compares to the deal we already have inside the EU. Shadow economic secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the concession, but told MPs: I think, reflecting the parliamentary arithmetic, Im not sure they did it voluntarily until they saw the names on the order paper. He added: Transparency about the consequences of different types of Brexit arrangements has got to be a good thing, and the country and all of us in this House should be as well-informed as possible in that situation so its extremely pleasing to see the Government concede on this point. Former rail minister Jo Johnson, speaking in support of Mr Umunnas amendment, said the concession was a case of better late than never. He added: If weve learnt anything from the chaos of the last 30 months, it is that facts are sacred. This is a debate which has been characterised by falsehoods and misinformation from day one. Its extraordinary that weve now had to force the Government at this relatively late stage to publish vital information necessary for an informed public debate. Given that the reality of Brexit has proved to be so far from what was once promised during the campaign, the democratic thing to do is not just accept amendment 14 but to publish the like for like economic analysis that shows how costly Brexit will be, the democratic thing to do is also to give the public a final say about whether they really want to proceed on this hopeless basis, he added. One person was taken to hospital after the incident An emergency rescue operation swung into action yesterday on the North Coast after a female tourist and her husband became trapped after falling 25ft into a ravine. The Coastguard, Fire and Rescue Service and NI Ambulance personnel rushed to the scene near Layde Church outside Cushendall shortly after 4pm yesterday. The Coastguard team involved in the difficult two-hour operation included cliff rescue specialists from Ballycastle, Larne and Coleraine. With daylight almost gone, fire crews from Cushendall, Ballymena and Carnlough were also called in to the incident. It is understood the tourist initially fell about 10 feet down a grassy slope, but then suffered another fall of around 15 feet. Her husband entered the ravine to help her, but he too got into difficulties. A third member of their party then raised the alarm. Rope rescue equipment was set up and the Coastguard rescue teams brought the woman back up and handed her over to the ambulance crew for assessment and treatment, according to Fire Service group commander Archie McKay. A Coastguard spokesman said the woman had suffered injuries to her face and hands, and had been taken to Antrim Area Hospital for treatment. Connor Lawson, senior maritime operations officer with HM Coastguard at Belfast Coastguard Operations Centre, said: "This was a particularly tricky rescue and shows just why our Coastguard rescue teams have to be trained in rope rescue." Arlene Foster has pointed to comments by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as proof a hard border on the island of Ireland was only ever a negotiating tool, and never a realistic possibility. In a statement on Monday evening, the DUP leader said the Taoiseach's comments that the Irish government was not contemplating a hard border in the event of the current proposed withdrawal agreement falling through is evidence it was only ever a "negotiating tactic by the European Union". She also said Northern Ireland "would be trapped" if the withdrawal deal goes through in its current form. Mrs Foster's comments come amid growing pressure on the party from Northern Ireland's business community to rethink its position on the proposed deal. On Friday influential farming and business organisations voiced their support for it. Appearing on RTE's The Week in Politics programme on Sunday, Mr Varadkar said his government was not contemplating a hard border on the island of Ireland in the event of a rejection of the draft Brexit withdrawal deal. "We have been told that the backstop is only necessary to prevent such a hard border, but these comments make it clear that the EUs insistence on a backstop was not aimed at this," said Mrs Foster. Read More "The European Unions focus on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic has only ever been a negotiating tactic to secure its own aims in the negotiations." Mrs Foster added that the comments from the Taoiseach "further underscore" how a border down the Irish Sea under the current deal was "not only unacceptable, but it is also unnecessary". "This really bad deal would lock us into the EU with no way out. We would be trapped," she added. "Those attempting to sell the current deal are using the threat of no deal as the only other option. I appreciate the concerns people have about a no deal but this should not be a binary choice. It is absolutely clear that it is time to work for a better deal. On Friday, Mr Varadkar warned against unpicking the current withdrawal deal and said signing up to the agreement was the only way of avoiding a hard border. In Belfast on Monday, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley was speaking to business leaders in the province about the benefits of the proposed deal. Mrs Bradley said a no-deal Brexit would mean the return of customs and regulatory checks on the island of Ireland with World Trade Organisation rules meaning it was "very clear" checks would be required. She also suggested the future of the Common Travel Area would become uncertain in the event of a no-deal Brexit. On Monday Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald hit out at Arlene Foster over her party's position on the current Brexit deal. Mary Lou McDonald insisted it was time for grown-up politics and to act to protect the island of Irelands economy from a no-deal Brexit. In a scathing assessment of the DUP position, Ms McDonald said internal wrangles within the party should not be allowed to drive Ireland over the cliff. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre), Minister for Children Katherine Zappone (right) and junior minister for higher education Mary Mitchell OConnor play with children at the launch of the First 5 government initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) The Taoiseach along with the Minister for Children has launched a new strategy to support children and their parents. The 10-year plan comes just days after Mr Varadkar spoke at his partys Ard Fheis, saying Fine Gael could look proudly to its record and the many steps we have taken to build a state that cares, and in particular one that cares for families. The comment drew considerable criticism from commentators who cited the current number of children living in consistent poverty in Ireland as being an estimated 138,000, according to Barnardos, whose outgoing chief executive levelled criticism at the Government for the number just two months ago. Great to launch this exciting strategy for our under 5s today! Well done to @KZapponeTD . Delighted to make a new friend as well! #First5 pic.twitter.com/dFwuMzpWbh Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) November 19, 2018 Speaking at the launch of the First 5 programme, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone said she was concerned about the statistics, but was confident her initiative would go towards remedying the problem. Of course I am deeply concerned about the number of children experiencing poverty and are hungry, she said. Were making commitments to mitigate the impact of poverty, were going to offer meals in preschools and primary schools, hot meals in the middle of the day, the Government have also worked with me to increase subsidies for families with children to get childcare and those who earn the least get the most subsidy, that will make the greatest difference. The strategy commits to a maximum of 14 weeks paid parental leave by 2021 for working parents, in addition to maternity and paternity leave. Delighted to join a number of my colleagues and lots of little people to launch First 5, our new 10 yr plan for early childhood, being led by Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone. Not often I get to start my day with a bit of Lego... pic.twitter.com/qlPxB1lzgh Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 19, 2018 A Fianna Fail bill, which would have allowed mothers to share their maternity leave with their partners was debated in the Dail last week, and was roundly rejected by the Government. Minister Zappone said on Monday that their First 5 program was the initiative the Government was concentrating on, and did not say whether she agreed with the bill. I think in general its really important we increase maternity, paternity, and paid leave, and effectively the Government has a plan to do that, she said. Its incorporated in this national early years strategy, and thats the programme that were on. The strategy was jointly launched by the Taoiseach, Minister Zappone, Minister for Health Simon Harris and Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills Mary Mitchell OConnor. Expand Close Minister for Health Simon Harris plays with a child at the launch of the First 5 initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Minister for Health Simon Harris plays with a child at the launch of the First 5 initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) Minister Harris also announced plans to develop a dedicated child health workforce, focused initially in areas of high population density and disadvantage. This would, Minister Harris said, increase the capacity of the HSE to provide health promotion and prevention and early intervention services for the benefit all babies and young children. Additional measures include reform of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) system, new measures to promote positive health behaviours and the mental health of children, expanded access to free and subsidised ELC, extensions to the Warmth and Well-Being and Warmer Homes schemes and the introduction of a meals programme. Universal baby boxes will also be piloted after much success in Scotland and Scandinavia. The research urged improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure (PA) About 115,000 cases of heart and circulatory disease could be prevented over the next 10 years if diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure is improved, research has found. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said England currently lags behind a number of other countries such as Canada, the US and Sweden in preventing, diagnosing and treating heart conditions that lead to heart attacks and stroke. The charity calculated the figures by matching Canadas rates for diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure over the next decade, which could lead to an extra 11,500 heart attacks, strokes and other cases of heart and circulatory disease being prevented each year. It warned progress in reducing early deaths from heart and circulatory diseases has stalled in recent years. High obesity rates are driving an increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes, while there are millions of people living with undiagnosed high blood pressure and raised cholesterol, which could all result in a resurgence of heart attacks and strokes, reversing the gains that have been made. An estimated 13.7 million adults in England have high blood pressure, with around 5.7 million of them undiagnosed. People with high blood pressure are up to three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Its new five-point action plan for the NHS Turning Back the Tide on Heart and Circulatory Diseases highlights that a higher uptake of cardiac rehabilitation among patients in England could lead to nearly 20,000 fewer deaths, and 50,000 fewer hospital admissions, over the next 10 years. It also emphasises the benefits to the health service of improved treatment and care of heart failure patients. Unless we radically change our approach... thousands of lives could be lost prematurely.Simon Gillespie, British Heart Foundation The charity is urging NHS England to provide better access to cutting edge treatments, a refreshed approach to rehabilitation services, and full exploitation of technology and data science in tackling heart and circulatory disease. It also calls for increased action from Government, industry and others to address big population-level issues such as poor air quality, obesity and smoking that impact on heath. Jayne Reynolds, 45, from York, was working as a home care assistant in 2014 when she started to get a twinge of pain in her chest, which became progressively worse during the day. She said: I rang the out-of-hours doctor, and explained what had happened that day. Within five minutes of explaining my symptoms there was an ambulance outside. When they examined me they found that my blood pressure had gone through the roof. I was quite sweaty too, so they wanted me to undergo further tests. Later on, the doctor in A&E came in and said Im afraid you cant go home you have just had a heart attack. I felt like the life drained out of me, I was only 41, and I was healthy, with a job I didnt know where this had come from. She subsequently had a further heart attack and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery, and can no longer work because of pain caused by unstable angina. BHF chief executive Simon Gillespie said: For too long our health system has been responding to life-threatening heart attacks or strokes, rather than detecting and managing the causes. Unless we radically change our approach, progress made in recent years could reverse the gains made over recent decades, and thousands of lives could be lost prematurely. Of course, similar comments were made in anticipation of the events in India and Korea. Over the last few years, Formula 1 has been attempting to expand its reach to nations that don't have a traditionally strong circuit racing culture, with the likes of Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Bahrain, Russia and Azerbaijan bagging a spot on the calendar. He further went on to say that while connecting to cities where there are a lot of people is probably a good thing, it is not necessarily so when going to countries where they don't know so much about Formula One. India hosted three grands prix at the Buddh International circuit south of the capital New Delhi from 2011-13. "We've got a lot of real racing history in England, Germany, Italy and now in the States it is starting to grow", Hamilton said. "First off, India is one of the most attractive places in the world", he wrote in an Instagram story. The Briton, in an interview to the BBC, said, "I've been to Vietnam before, and it is handsome". Five-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton felt "conflicted" to race in a "poor" country like India and said that the huge amount of money could have been spent on building homes and schools rather than on a Formula One track. Vettel's chances of securing a fifth World title came to naught at the Mexico Grand Prix when a P4 on the day for Lewis Hamilton handed the Brit an unassailable lead in the standings. "I think on the whole, he has come to this battle willing to take risks, willing to give it his all and we're part of that". British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, who is often hailed as the greatest racer of his generation, took a subtle dig at India while speaking to BBC after the announcement of the Vietnam Grand Prix. "Other dreams. I always wanted to meet Ayrton Senna but never got to do that.' Hamilton has plenty of other passions away from the racing track - one of them being space". My reference was that a Grand Prix there felt odd to drive past homeless people and then arrive in an huge area where money was not an issue. Several of them pointed out the growing popularity of motorsports in India and the huge fan base that he has in the country. "However, I have met some incredible Indian fans", Hamilton added. F1 owners Liberty Media have agreed a "multi-year" deal with Vietnam, which becomes the 22nd country to host a grand prix. France a past racing traditional has also stopped hosting the sport on its soil. Amber Rudd has dismissed a UN special report on extreme poverty in the UK in a combative return to front-line politics. Ms Rudd, who returned to the Commons as Work and Pensions Secretary after Esther McVey quit in a row over the Brexit deal, accused UN special rapporteur Philip Alston of being extraordinarily political after he published a preliminary report condemning the Governments attitude towards poverty. Mr Alston, who published his findings on Friday after a 12-day tour of the UK, accused ministers of being in a state of denial over the extent of poverty in the Britain. The preliminary findings from my investigation into #poverty in the #UK are now online. The government has a lot of work to do. https://t.co/qRVIslPrfy pic.twitter.com/9gp4Brux8x Philip Alston (@PhilipGAlston) November 16, 2018 He wrote: The UK Governments policies and drastic cuts to social support are entrenching high levels of poverty and inflicting unnecessary misery in one of the richest countries in the world. Austerity could easily have spared the poor, if the political will had existed to do so. Ms Rudd, in her first statement from the despatch box since being sacked from the Home Office over the Windrush scandal, said she was disappointed with the reports language and said the author has discredited his own findings. The comments came after a number of pleas from MPs to halt the rollout of Universal Credit. Shadow work and pensions secretary Margaret Greenwood said: Thus far, the Government has been determined to press ahead with the next phase of the roll-out despite clear warnings from over 80 organisations working with disabled people wholl be affected. Many people could fall out of the social security system altogether and be at risk of destitution. So will the new Secretary of State end the Government state of denial and scrap the managed migration regulations and stop the roll-out of Universal Credit. Ms Rudd responded: I have the seen the report, I read it over the weekend and I must say I was disappointed to say the least by the extraordinarily political nature of the language, we on this side of the House will always engage with professionals, with experts with NGOs. We are not so proud that we dont think we can learn as we try to adjust Universal Credit for the benefit of everybody but that sort of language was wholly inappropriate and actually discredited a lot of what he was saying. SNP work and pension spokesman Neil Gray added: This new Secretary of State wields significant power, more than any of her five predecessors have done in the last three years by virtue of the fact of the Prime Ministers precarious position. Will she use that power now to listen to those expert charities halt Universal Credit until its fixed? Ms Rudd responded: I wouldnt want to overstate what the gentleman calls my power but I am certainly going to be listening very carefully. Part of the benefit of the Universal Credit roll-out is going to be making sure that we get the expert guidance from the people who have been working in this field for many years and we will certainly be doing that. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address the economic forum in Dundee (Jane Barlow/PA) Nicola Sturgeon will reiterate her call for the UK to remain part of the single market and customs union when she addresses an economic forum later. Scotlands First Minister will tell the event in Dundee that Brexit in any form is likely to reduce economic growth. She is expected to tell delegates that leaving the single market will do immense damage to jobs and living standards in Scotland. Ms Sturgeon will say: The UK Governments refusal to even consider the Scottish Governments detailed plan to keep Scotland in the single market, while accepting a differentiated solution for Northern Ireland, which we support, potentially puts Scotland at a competitive disadvantage. But, perhaps worst of all, it leaves everybody completely uncertain about the shape of our long-term relationship with the EU. The seven-page political declaration on the future contains little more than vague aspirations and platitudes. But while we can expect more pages forthcoming on some aspects of the future relationship, there will be no concrete reassurances. The Scottish governments National Economic Forum is a regular event attended by ministers and senior figures from business, the public sector and trade unions to discuss how best to grow Scotlands economy. If the UK Government insists on leaving the EU, then it should remain in the single market and customs unionFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon She will say: Put bluntly, long-term economic uncertainty is hard-wired into the Prime Ministers withdrawal deal. If the UK Government insists on leaving the EU, then it should remain in the single market and customs union. That is the solution which respects the outcome of the referendum, mitigates the worst economic consequences of Brexit and largely resolves the Irish border issue. If Brexit goes ahead, in any form, it is likely to reduce economic growth. But that doesnt devalue our wider efforts to support business, in fact it makes those efforts all the more important. On Sunday Ms Sturgeon said SNP MPs will vote against the Prime Ministers EU withdrawal plan. She told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show the draft agreement lacked clarity on the UKs future relationship with the EU, and the Commons was going to be asked to endorse a blindfold Brexit. Outlining what she said were potential alternatives, Ms Sturgeon said: If the House of Commons says we want to go down the road of single market and customs union membership, we want more time to take this back to the people of the UK in another vote, we need an extension of Article 50, if there is a clear change of direction, then I believe the EU 27 would be prepared to look at that. But that means those who dont want this deal coming together. Those who dont think the Prime Ministers deal is the right way to go have now a responsibility to come together and coalesce around an alternative. I will seek to have discussions this week with other parties to get us into that position. She also said she was keen to talk to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and whoever else in the House of Commons when she visits London in the coming days. Theresa May will wake up on Monday morning to face the toughest week of her leadership since the last one. If she was expecting some respite from the brutal world of Westminster politics she is likely to be very much mistaken. With Tory MPs and even allegedly ministers plotting her downfall and the abandonment of her withdrawal agreement, the next few days could be very hairy indeed. Heres what will, and what could, happen in the next week: -No confidence? Mrs Mays internal party opponents need to convince 48 MPs, 15% of the parliamentary party, to send letters of no confidence to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady to force a vote on her leadership. Expand Close 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady (Rick Findler/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady (Rick Findler/PA) He has either received them, is close to receiving them, or is nowhere near close to receiving them, depending on who you believe. Only Sir Graham knows for sure and he has not even confided in his own wife. New leader? No. If there is a confidence vote and if Mrs May does not win it the subsequent leadership election, which she could not contest, would take up to 12 weeks to run. Resignation watch A group of Cabinet ministers who declined to follow Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and work and pensions secretary Esther McVey out of Government in protest last week are said to be conspiring to force the Prime Minister to seek last minute changes to her withdrawal agreement. Today, I have resigned as Brexit Secretary. I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU. Here is my letter to the PM explaining my reasons, and my enduring respect for her. pic.twitter.com/tf5CUZnnUz Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) November 15, 2018 Given it has taken two years to hammer out an agreement and that the EU has said it is their final offer, their delayed departures could be more likely. That could alter the timing and quantity of any no confidence letters hurtling towards Sir Grahams office. European Council With the Cabinet, reluctantly in places, giving the green light to Britains Brexit blueprint, it cleared the way for the special Brexit summit in Brussels on Sunday. The November 25 event will see Leaders of the remaining 27 EU states asked to put their stamp on the document, and the agreement will then be sent for ratification to both the Westminster Parliament and the European Parliament. Brussels to-and-fro Before the November summit date, an agreement will also have to be reached on the political declaration, published on Wednesday, on future relations which is currently an outline and due to become a full future framework. Delighted to accept role at DExEU. We now need to keep up the momentum to finalise the Withdrawal Agreement & outline political declaration & deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK. Looking forward to working with a talented team of ministers & officials to do just that. https://t.co/3KSUI0Xe2I Steve Barclay (@SteveBarclay) November 16, 2018 Mrs May revealed that she is to visit Brussels this week for talks with senior figures including Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission. But first Ministers from the EU27 ministers will meet for the General Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday to discuss the draft Brexit agreement. Closer to home Mrs May will chair a meeting of her new look Cabinet on Tuesday, the first to be held after the departure of Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and work and pensions secretary Esther McVey. It will be a welcome back for new DWP boss Amber Rudd and Stephen Barclay, who steps into the Brexit firing line albeit in a reduced, domestic capacity. Sparks could fly Mrs May will face Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday. It could mean some tough questions from both the opposition and within her own ranks. Urgent checks are being made on up to 3,000 foreign doctors after it was revealed a fake psychiatrist was allowed to practise for 22 years with no qualification. Zholia Alemi claimed she had a primary medical qualification when she first registered in the UK in 1995. In reality, her claim to have a degree from the University of Auckland in New Zealand was fraudulent. Alemi was later jailed for fraud in October this year after she took advantage of an elderly patient, changing her will to make herself a beneficiary. The General Medical Council (GMC) has apologised for inadequate checks made in the 1990s and for any risk arising to patients as a result. Alemis deception has now triggered an urgent investigation and checks on the licences of potentially thousands of other doctors. While working as a consultant psychiatrist for a dementia service in West Cumbria, Alemi exploited her relationship with her vulnerable victim, even applying for power of attorney in her name. She denied charges of fraud and theft but was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Our processes are far stronger now, with rigorous testing in place to ensure those joining the register are fit to work in the UK Our processes are far stronger now, with rigorous testing in place to ensure those joining the register are fit to work in the UKCharlie Massey, GMC Alemis contract of employment with Cumbria NHS Trust was terminated after her initial arrest in 2016 and she was interim suspended in June 2017 by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. After her sentencing an officer from Cumbria Police described her crimes as abhorrent. In a statement, the GMC said that Alemi joined the medical register in the UK under a section of the Medical Act which has not been in force since 2003. It allowed graduates of medical schools in certain Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand, to obtain registration on the basis of their qualification, without having to sit and pass the standard two-part assessment of their medical knowledge and skills the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board exam (PLAB). These documents were not subject to the rigorous checks that exist today, the GMC has now admitted. The records of up to 3,000 still licensed doctors who registered via the same route are now being urgently reviewed. Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said: These are serious issues and we are investigating them urgently. It is extremely concerning that a person used a fraudulent qualification to join the register and we are working to understand how this happened. We have brought this to the attention of police and other agencies, including NHS England, so that they may also take any necessary action to support patients and answer any questions they may have. Our processes are far stronger now, with rigorous testing in place to ensure those joining the register are fit to work in the UK. It is clear that in this case the steps taken in the 1990s were inadequate and we apologise for any risk arising to patients as a result. We are confident that, 23 years on, our systems are robust and would identify any fraudulent attempt to join the medical register. Patients deserve good care from appropriately qualified professionals and place a great deal of trust in doctors. To exploit that trust and the respected name of the profession is abhorrent. A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: As the organisation responsible for regulating doctors, we expect the GMC to investigate how this criminal was able to register as a doctor and put measures in place to make sure it cant happen again. Two friends have been jailed for their roles in a 77 million hack on the TalkTalk website. Matthew Hanley, 23, and Connor Allsopp, 21, both from Tamworth in Staffordshire, admitted charges relating to the massive data breach of customers details in 2015. At the Old Bailey on Monday, Judge Anuja Dhir QC jailed Hanley for 12 months and Allsopp for eight months. She said it was a tragedy to find two individuals of such extraordinary talent in the dock. Given the scale of the attack, the number of people whose confidential information was stolen and then passed on to others, Im sure that your actions caused misery and distress to many thousands of the customers of TalkTalkJudge Anuja Dhir She told the pair: You were both involved in a significant, sophisticated systematic hack attack in a computer system used by TalkTalk. The prosecution accept that neither of you exposed the vulnerability in their systems, others started it, but you at different times joined in. The attack led to you and others gaining access to TalkTalks clients confidential information. The total loss to TalkTalk as a result of this overall attack is estimated to be 77 million but the loss does not end there. Given the scale of the attack, the number of people whose confidential information was stolen and then passed on to others, Im sure that your actions caused misery and distress to many thousands of the customers of TalkTalk. Your actions, the actions of others, resulted in the then-CEO of TalkTalk being subjected to repeated attempts to blackmail her for money. You were not personally involved in making those attempts but your actions helped facilitate it. The court heard how TalkTalk spotted latency issues on its website early on October 21 2015 and launched an investigation. Later that day, then-chief executive Dido Harding was subjected to repeated attempt to blackmail her, with demands for Bitcoins in exchange for stolen data. Expand Close Dido Harding was threatened with blackmail (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dido Harding was threatened with blackmail (PA) TalkTalk reported the cyber attacks to police and the National Crime Agency and the next day made public statements to alert customers. Investigations revealed details relating to 156,959 accounts were accessed, and of these, 15,656 had their bank account and sort code numbers accessed. An analysis by BAE Systems suggested there may have been up to 10 attackers. Hanley, was described as a determined and dedicated hacker. He admitted hacking TalkTalk and sharing banking and other details of more than 8,000 customers to Allsopp and an online user. The fourth charge, under the Computer Misuse Act, related to obtaining a number of computer files including names and passwords for server systems belonging to Nasa, handed to Hanley by a Skype contact as a little present. Allsopp admitted supplying a file of TalkTalk customers details to an online user for fraud, as well as files for hacking. Investigating officer, Detective Constable Rob Burrows from the Met Polices Falcon Cyber Crime Unit, said: Hanley thought he was clever covering his tracks, concealing and destroying evidence on his computers. However the extensive investigation, specialist skills and technical expertise utilised by our team led to the identification of these two virtual offenders bringing them into the real world. This secured overwhelming digital evidence leading to the guilty pleas and sentencing today. Our investigation proves regardless of the efforts and techniques deployed by cyber criminals to conceal their identities and activities, they will leave a trace and will be identified, pursued and prosecuted. The Duke of Sussex is to visit Zambia (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Duke of Sussex is to make a solo trip to Zambia next week. Harrys pregnant wife the Duchess of Sussex will remain at home as the Queens grandson carries out a two-day official visit to the Commonwealth country in southern Africa. The trip from November 26-27, at the request of the Foreign Office, will see Harry visit Burma Barracks to attend an event commemorating First and Second World War Zambian veterans. The Duke of Sussex will visit Zambia on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th November, at the request of the Foreign Office pic.twitter.com/wETN3n2CD3 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) November 19, 2018 Harry will meet veterans and hear about their time serving in the Zambian military, speak with widows of veterans and see a special photographic exhibition about the African soldiers who fought in World War One. The duke is expected to speak at a special reception to celebrate UK-Zambia relations at the British High Commissioners Residence. Harry will also attend an event for The Queens Commonwealth Trust, of which he is president, and visit Circus Zambia, which helps young people from vulnerable backgrounds in Lusaka with life skills. Our President, Prince Harry, passionately believes in the power of young people to craft a better future for all: You are the most optimistic, connected generation the world has ever known. #YoungLeadership pic.twitter.com/bjxcmyREvC The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (@queenscomtrust) April 21, 2018 He will then give a speech after meeting youngsters who have been helped by Circus Zambia. Harry will also listen to a presentation from members of the alumnae network of the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), which tackles poverty and inequality in sub-Saharan Africa through the education of girls and the empowerment of young women. The duke will also visit BongoHive, Zambias first technology and innovation hub, and join a board meeting for African Parks, of which he is president, during his short stay. A man has been arrested in connection with a suspicious fatal fire. Emergency services were called to the property in St Catherines Square in Perth at around 9.45pm on Sunday. Two appliances attended the incident, with a spokesman for the force describing the blaze as substantial. Police Scotland can confirm that a 36 year old man has been arrested in connection with a fire at St Catherine's Square in Perth yesterday. Enquiries are continuing. pic.twitter.com/2JnuWJSYEl Perth & Kinross Police (@PerthKinPolice) November 19, 2018 People were evacuated from the building and one man was treated by paramedics at the scene but died. No-one else was injured. Police Scotland has now announced a 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets with staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee (NHS Tayside/PA) A major trauma centre to treat the most seriously injured patients in the east of Scotland has been opened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Based at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, the centre will provide specialist care and rehabilitation to help improve patient recovery. It is the second centre to open as part of the Scottish Trauma Network, which consists of four major trauma centres located across the country. The first centre opened last month in Aberdeen, with centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh due to open in 2019. On a tour of the centre, Ms Sturgeon spoke to representatives from the Scottish Ambulance Service before meeting healthcare staff and former trauma patients. The First Minister said: The Scottish Trauma Network will help our most severely injured patients and ensure patients have the best chance of a speedy recovery from their injuries. The new centre will help those in major trauma get access to better care and rehabilitation support by specialist staff, which together will save lives and give life back. Expand Close The First Minister spoke with staff and patients at Ninewells Hospital as she opened the trauma centre (Callum Moffat/Daily Record) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The First Minister spoke with staff and patients at Ninewells Hospital as she opened the trauma centre (Callum Moffat/Daily Record) Clinical lead for major trauma, Dr Michael Johnston, said: The major trauma service is about creating a dedicated speciality team around the patient. This begins at the roadside and continues until the patient arrives at the major trauma centre, where the assembled hospital-based trauma team is ready to receive them, right up until the patient is discharged. This collaborative way of working ensures that treatment is brought forward at the correct time and crucially making sure that rehabilitation starts very early in the patients pathway of care. We know that this way of working does produce better outcomes for seriously injured patients. Martin McKechnie, of Scottish Trauma Network, said: Major trauma often results in life-threatening and life-changing injuries. The network has been working in collaboration with NHS boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service to improve and optimise the health and well-being of the seriously injured. The opening of this major trauma centre in Dundee, the second of four major trauma centres for Scotland, is an exciting milestone and highlights the ongoing work of the Scottish Trauma Network. Debbie Crosbie, who has been appointed chief executive of TSB (PA) New TSB boss Debbie Crosbie is set to become one of the very few female chief executives of a British bank when she takes up her post next year. Ms Crosbie spent over 20 years at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, where she held several senior positions, most recently as chief operating officer. She was also acting chief executive in the first half of 2015, when she led the perpetration for Clydesdales demerger from its parent, National Australia Bank, to form CYBG. She managed the migration of two million customers to the new entity, experience which will be valued by beleaguered TSB, which is still recovering from an IT meltdown earlier this year. According to John Cronin, financial analyst at brokerage firm Goodbody, Ms Crosbie can help with the integration of TSBs new digital platform after the challenger bank extricated itself from its former owner Lloyds platform. Crosbie has spent over 20 years at CYBG and was instrumental in the development of the banks new operating platform post-IPO as well as the migration of two million customers across to it from CYBGs pre-existing archaic under-invested platform. Pretty useful experience in the context of TSBs own migration issues it must be said which, we understand, are not yet fully resolved, Mr Cronin said. If her appointment is approved, she will be one of the only women chief executives of a UK lender. Last year, she was invited to provide evidence to Parliaments inquiry into Women in the Workplace and in 2015 she became the first female executive to sign Scottish banknotes. She is also vice chair of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in Scotland. Ms Crosbie studied industrial relations at the University of Strathclyde, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a member of the Glasgow Economic Leadership Forum. She lives in Scotland with her husband and teenage daughter. I would like to say that now when we are witnessing one of the most hard periods in terms of security, we can not topple the government and hold an early election. Netanyahu's coalition was thrown into crisis Wednesday when Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned over a controversial Gaza ceasefire deal, sparking speculation over whether early elections were now inevitable. A week ago, Israel and Hamas were on the brink of a large-scale conflict after Hamas fired more than 400 rockets and mortars at Israel, while the IDF retaliated by sending its warplanes to bomb around a hundred sites in Gaza. The departure of Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party leaves the coalition with a one-seat majority in the 120-member parliament. "We remember well what happened when sources from within the coalition caused the government's dissolution in 1992 and 1999, leading to the Oslo disaster and the disaster of the Second Intifada", Netanyahu argued, during a government meeting on Sunday. Netanyahu's office told the network in response to the report that the prime minister's sole concern vis-a-vis the United States peace plan is Israel's security. "We remember well what happened when elements inside the coalitions took down Likud governments in 1992 and in 1999", he said, noting the past two elections in which the Labor Party came to power. "The security of the country is above political considerations", Netanyahu said while insisting that calling elections now would be "irresponsible". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd from right) meets at his Jerusalem office with the ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer (right); White House adviser Jared Kushner (center); US Ambassador David Friedman (second left); and special envoy Jason Greenblatt, on June 22, 2018. He also spoke of his military experience and said he could not publicly explain in detail the sensitive security moves now being taken by Israel. "If (Netanyahu) pulls a rabbit out of his hat, we'll see", the finance minister, whose centre-right Kulanu party holds 10 seats, told Israeli television Saturday. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, has already threatened to bring down the government if he is not appointed defense minister. "Meanwhile, I don't see a rabbit or a hat". Both Lieberman and Bennett compete with Netanyahu's Likud for right-wing voters and have spoken in favour of harsh Israeli military action against Gaza's dominant Hamas Islamists. Bennett is one of Netanyahu's main right-wing rivals. "The two agreed to meet later in the week". The crisis was set into motion with Lieberman's resignation over the ceasefire, which he labelled "capitulating to terror". There has always been speculation that the premier may call elections before they are due, particularly with police having recommended charges against him in two corruption probes. But Netanyahu would want to make such a move at the most advantageous time and likely not with public attention focused on the Gaza ceasefire. A cancer sufferer who was stuck on an island in the Indian Ocean has died despite efforts to return home to Scotland for treatment. The health of Jon Paul McAllister, 38, deteriorated rapidly while on holiday with his partner, Craig Park. They had gone on to South Africa, Madagascar and the Seychelles to celebrate the end of Mr McAllisters chemotherapy treatment and their January engagement. After falling ill, he was stuck at a medical facility on the French island Reunion, unable to take a commercial flight back to Scotland. We were so close to getting JP homeJustGiving post A JustGiving page set up to try to raise funds for treatment and travel has now announced Mr McAllister died with Mr Park by his side. The post said: Jon Paul fought so hard against this awful illness for nine long months and now hes at peace. He was a legend that will live on forever in our memories and in our hearts. We were so close to getting JP home. A medical repatriation service had been organised to fly him home on Saturday before his health rapidly deteriorated. Unfortunately, this was a non-refundable cost. Jon Paul and all his loved ones have been completely overwhelmed and touched by the generosity and support of everyone and cannot thank you all enough. We are now doing everything we can to bring JP home for that Scottish send-off he deserves. Any further donations to help with this and the vast medical costs that have unfortunately been incurred, would be greatly appreciated by us all. The fundraiser had reached more than 25,000 on Monday. Their target had been to reach 35,000 to pay for overseas treatment and an air ambulance flight home. The full costs of hospital treatment are not covered, despite Reunion being a part of France. A no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for Scotland, according to David Mundell. The Scottish Secretary said he would not view such a scenario as being acceptable for the country. Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plans were last week signed off by her Cabinet, although several members subsequently resigned, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Mr Mundell branded Mr Raab a carpetbagger whose resignation was about manoeuvring and leadership. Conservative MP Ross Thomson urged Mr Mundell to join other senior Conservatives in quitting the Cabinet, telling him no unionist could support the proposals. I believe it would be a fundamental threat to the continuation of the United KingdomDavid Mundell However, the Secretary of State for Scotland indicated that despite reservations about the deal, it is still better than current alternatives. He told BBC Scotland: Im supporting the deal because I believe a no-deal outcome would be catastrophic for Scotland. I believe it would be a fundamental threat to the continuation of the United Kingdom and therefore in the round you have to weigh up all the issues. These are difficult and complex judgments but Im not prepared to countenance a no-deal outcome for Scotland. Everyone is clear its not a perfect deal. Its not as bad a deal as characterised. It contains many positive elements in relation to the rights of EU citizens. Going forward, it contains this hugely important prospect for Scottish businesses for being able to trade in the EU without tariffs, without quotas thats the number one thing that businesses have said that they want. Expand Close Nicola Sturgeon says SNP MPs will vote against Theresa Mays draft EU withdrawal agreement (Peter Byrne/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nicola Sturgeon says SNP MPs will vote against Theresa Mays draft EU withdrawal agreement (Peter Byrne/PA) First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said SNP MPs in Westminster will vote against the deal when it is put forward in the House of Commons. Mr Mundell suggested the reasons for doing so are linked to campaigning for a second Scottish independence referendum. He said: Thats why Nicola Sturgeon is so keen on it, thats why shes mandating her MPs to vote for a no-deal Brexit, because she understands that the chaos and disruption that a no-deal Brexit would bring would be the best recruiting base for her independence referendum. SNP MSP Tom Arthur suggested Mr Mundell was refusing to put Scotlands interests ahead of the interests of his party. He said: David Mundell makes himself look and sound more ridiculous with every day that passes. First he indicated he would resign if Northern Ireland was given special treatment, then he reportedly voiced concerns about the proposed deal while in Cabinet and now he has admitted Theresa Mays plan will leave Scotland worse off. But still he clings to office, without a shred of principle or credibility. It seems there is literally nothing that can happen that would lead David Mundell to put Scotlands interests before the Tory partys interests. He is quite clearly the Cabinets man in Scotland rather than Scotlands man in the Cabinet and his position is now utterly untenable. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called Mr Mundells comments unconvincing and insisted there must be another vote on Brexit. He said: The Scottish Secretary cant bring himself to say the Prime Ministers deal will make life better for people in Scotland and thats because it wont. Tearing ourselves out of Europe will hit every single Scottish household. People across the country watched the chaos of last week unfold and Conservative divisions deepen. Nobody is fooled by David Mundells unconvincing claim that this is the only way forward. Those who favour a peoples vote now make up the biggest cohesive bloc in British politics. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets demanding the chance to avoid a big Brexit blackhole. Tory arrogance has taken us this far. People deserve better than to be marched into a terrible deal that will hurt their finances. The Brexit decision needs to go back to the people. Scottish Labour MP Lesley Laird said: Theresa May once believed that no deal was better than a bad deal. Now David Mundell is saying the exact opposite yet sees no conflict with his position in Cabinet. To back this bad deal as the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit is to accept a false choice. Instead of leadership from Theresa Mays government we are getting brinkmanship. Parliament must be given a meaningful vote on the half-baked mess that Theresa May has brought back from Brussels and when, as appears likely, it is voted down, it is Parliament that must set out the next steps towards delivering a deal which delivers on the promises made to voters at the outset. She added: It was embarrassing to hear Mr Mundell unable to make any positive case for supporting Theresa Mays deal this morning. It is clear the majority of his Scottish Tory colleagues are also unconvinced. They should all now finally stand up for Scotland and reject this broken deal. Scotland deserves better than Tory ministers and MPs who slavishly put party first and the people second. Mr Mundell must resign if he is to retain even a scrap of credibility on this. A senior Conservative backbencher has accused ministers of allowing British Government policy to be dictated by a Pakistani mob by failing to offer asylum to Christian woman Asia Bibi. Tom Tugendhat demanded to see evaluations of a programme designed to support public confidence in the rule of law in Pakistan, which is funded by more than 9 million a year of British taxpayers money. The Tory MP told Theresa Mays effective deputy David Lidington he was deeply concerned that the UK may be throwing good money after bad by continuing to fund the Pakistani legal system in the light of the persecution of Ms Bibi. The Christian woman was held for eight years under a death sentence for supposed blasphemy after she drank from the same well as Muslim co-workers, before her conviction was reversed by the Pakistani Supreme Court last month. Large crowds have taken to the streets in Pakistan to protest against the courts decision. What are @FCOHumanRights if they dont include #AsiaBibi? @CommonsForeign is clear this innocent Christian woman is facing oppression because of her faith. Im asking ministers about her freedom of conscience again today in #JCNSS https://t.co/mwBShUFsDp Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) November 19, 2018 Grilling Mr Lidington at a session of the parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, Mr Tugendhat warned that by continuing to fund the programme, the UK was allowing its policy on human rights to be held hostage. What we are dealing with here is a situation in which the policy of the UK Government is being decided by a Pakistani mob, said the Tonbridge & Malling MP, who also chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Mr Tugendhat said there could be few more deserving beneficiaries of the right to asylum than Ms Bibi and her family, who have so far been unable to leave Pakistan. But he told the committee the Foreign Offices senior civil servant had suggested that she may not be offered sanctuary by Britain because of the security implications for Pakistan and the UK. That does raise some serious questions about our policy as a country and what we are willing to stand up for, said Mr Tugendhat. Releasing evaluations of the value for money of the Rule of Law in Pakistan Programme would allow MPs to scrutinise whether UK Government personnel and resources were being used as a means of holding our own policy hostage or indeed as leverage for a Pakistani mob, he said. The programme is funded in 2018/19 by 9.32 million of overseas aid and an undisclosed amount of other UK money, said Mr Tugendhat. While he supported the goal of building the capability of the Pakistani judicial institutions, he said: It is the results I am seeing which leave me deeply concerned. There comes a point where we must ask ourselves is the money we are putting in good money after bad, or is it making a difference? When you look at the way we have handled other abuses of minorities by other countries, where we have withheld funding or closed programmes, this does raise some serious questions about our very significant assistance to the Government of Pakistan and the current governments seeming tolerance of extremist violence and propaganda against human rights. Mr Lidington said he shared the MPs horror and outrage at the treatment of Ms Bibi. But he said: I would deny the proposition that the UK policy is being determined by a mob in Pakistan. We do have a law which requires each asylum case to be assessed on its merits. I know the Home Secretary is determined that, should this case come before him, he would have that dealt with in the same way on its merits. Mr Lidington said that there were international conversations going on about how to help Ms Bibi and her family live in safety, but declined to give further details. He said he would seek advice on whether to release the evaluation report. Mr Lidington said that all relevant information would be taken into account when deciding on future aid funding to Pakistan. The Bibi case highlighted the difficulty Pakistan faces with the tolerance for extremist views among parts of its officialdom as well as the general population, he told the committee. Jim Jones Jr, the adopted black son of the Rev Jim Jones, speaks to a service for the 40th Jonestown anniversary at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland (Tim Reiterman/AP) Ceremonies at a California cemetery marked the mass murders and suicides 40 years ago of 900 Americans orchestrated by the Reverend Jim Jones at a jungle settlement in Guyana, South America. The remains of more than 400 Jonestown victims are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Jones adopted son Jim Jones Jr and other former Peoples Temple members conducted a service on Sunday at granite slabs bearing names of all 918 who died in Guyana on November 18 1978. Expand Close File photo shows the Peoples Temple compound, after bodies were removed, in Jonestown, Guyana (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp File photo shows the Peoples Temple compound, after bodies were removed, in Jonestown, Guyana (AP) Minister Jynona Norwood, who lost 27 relatives, separately unveiled a portable memorial wall to honour more than 300 children and other victims. She left off the names of Jones and those she says assisted him. Both memorials list California Congressman Leo Ryan, three journalists and a church defector killed by temple gunmen at an airstrip. US president Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the very violent, very vicious killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Trump, in an interview that aired on Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the October 2 killing of Mr Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it, Mr Trump said in the interview with Fox News Sunday. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. On Saturday, Mr Trump said his administration will be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday. He said the report will include who did it. It was unclear if the report would be made public. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it.Donald Trump A US official says intelligence agencies have concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. Others familiar with the case say questions remain about what role he played. Saudi officials deny the crown prince was involved. Expand Close The members of Arab-Turkish Media Association and friends hold posters as they attend funeral prayers in absentia for Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (Emrah Gurel/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The members of Arab-Turkish Media Association and friends hold posters as they attend funeral prayers in absentia for Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (Emrah Gurel/AP) Mr Trump noted to Fox News Sunday that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Will anybody really know? Mr Trump asked. At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good. A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no smoking gun linking the crown prince to the killing. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that its hard to imagine that the crown prince did not know about the killing, but he said, I dont know that we absolutely know that yet. He said that Congress will await the Trump administrations report in the next two days and that the US will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabias strategic role in the Middle East. Expand Close A video image of Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, is played during an event to remember the reporter (J Scott Applewhite/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A video image of Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, is played during an event to remember the reporter (J Scott Applewhite/AP) For his part, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a wrecking ball in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Grahams concerned, the South Carolina Republican told NBCs Meet The Press. I have no intention of working with him ever again, said Mr Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Intelligence officials have been providing information to Mr Trump for weeks about the death, and he was briefed again by phone Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California. The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountableUS State Department White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call but said the president has confidence in the CIA. The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable, the State Department said in a statement. Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi. The statement added: The US government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Before his call on Air Force One, Mr Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. Were going to have to find out what they have to say. That echoed remarks by national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates the crown prince. Mr Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups. But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonise the Saudi rulers. Mr Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda. But members of Congress are pushing Mr Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration this past week penalised 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but American politicians have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures. Turkish and Saudi authorities say Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have accepted the official White House Christmas tree that will go on display to anchor the holiday season at the executive mansion. The 19ft Fraser fir was cut from a farm owned by Larry Smith of Newland, North Carolina, and delivered to the front door of the White House on a green wagon hitched to a pair of horses, as strains of O Christmas Tree wafted through the cool air. Holding hands, the Trumps spent about a minute walking around the wagon and inspecting the tree, with the president nodding in apparent approval at one point and patting the rear end of one of the horses at another point. President Trump and the First Lady Participate in the White House Christmas Tree Delivery https://t.co/O6Nr8k1mnu The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) November 19, 2018 After greeting Mr Smith they went back inside the White House, and made no public comments. The fir will go up in the Blue Room, where every year it becomes the centrepiece of Christmas at the White House. A massive chandelier hanging in the oval-shaped room is removed to accommodate the tree, which is trimmed slightly and anchored to the ceiling for stability. The trees arrival ushers in a month of holiday festivities at the White House and its environs. On Tuesday, Mr Trump plans to participate in another seasonal rite: pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey. A pair of birds named Peas and Carrots are the candidates for this years act of presidential mercy. Meet your candidates: "Peas" and "Carrots" will be here at the White House TOMORROWand one will receive the title of National Thanksgiving Turkey. pic.twitter.com/r53GM6Gxr2 The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) November 19, 2018 The president is also expected to help light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse later this month. After the pardons, the first family will head to Florida to keep their tradition of spending Thanksgiving at Mr Trumps estate in Palm Beach. While the family is away from the White House, an army of volunteer decorators, florists and others from across the country will work throughout the holiday weekend to transform the 132-room mansion for Christmas. White House kitchens will go into overdrive preparing the food and desserts that will be gobbled up at dozens of parties and receptions the Trumps will host in December before they head back to Florida to celebrate Christmas and ring in the new year. Mrs Trump is expected to unveil the holiday decor after the family returns from Thanksgiving in Florida. The neighbours are having an almighty row," wrote Gene Kerrigan in yesterday's Sunday Independent. "Screaming, slamming doors and punching walls. One side says the other is stone-cold mad. The other threatens to burn the house down if they don't get their way." He went on, however, to point out that Irish sniggering at the problems of the Brits was rather tunnel-visioned, since "if they burn their house down, we're in big, big trouble." And that in any case, those who voted leave had excellent reasons for voting against the establishment. Significantly, there were other voices in that newspaper pointing out why it might have been and still would be sound strategy for the Irish government to help the UK get a good deal rather than following the ruthlessly, punitive agenda of Brussels. In London we've certainly had a week of high-wire drama and things are unlikely to get calmer for some time to come, so it's not a bad time to think about how as a society we should be addressing such a monumental crisis. We might start by agreeing that being abusive to those on the other side of the argument is not a good idea. Last Thursday in Westminster, Policy Exchange, which is widely regarded as the United Kingdom's leading think-tank, launched a new project called the Civility Hub with the help of a report called "An Age of Incivility: Understanding the new Politics". Arlene Foster came along and we compared notes on some recent tweets we'd received. I'd had one hoping I would soon be dispatched to a crematorium with plenty of gas since an old fossil took some burning. She had just referred to the police one that hoped she would be blown up in Enniskillen. The panel was chaired by the always civil Trevor Phillips, from a West Indian immigrant family, who has enraged the left of his party by being a courageous challenger of fashionable pieties not least in his campaigns for free speech and integration rather than multiculturalism. Also speaking up for honest but rancour-free debate were Emily Benn, granddaughter of the left-wing icon Tony Benn, who has been vilified on social media because of her condemnation of the bullying and anti-Semitism that is disfiguring the party in which she was brought up, and Nicky Morgan and Jacob Rees-Mogg from the Remain and Leave wing of the Tory Party, who both begged their colleagues to temper their passion about their beliefs with kindness and rationality. The report listed 12 of the most prominent manifestations of contemporary incivility in public life. It would be a sobering exercise for speech-makers, anonymous briefers and users of social media to use this as a checklist when considering their own contributions to public debate. Are they guilty of any of these? Misogyny and homophobia Racism and Islamophobia Anti-Semitism Gross personal invective Ascribing malign motives to opponents Describing enemies as Nazis Dehumanisation Accusations of treachery/betrayal Denouncing 'uncle Toms' and 'native informants' Conspiracy theory Hatred of the mainstream press Intimations and/or threats of violence. I'd add one more: misandry, which is hatred of men. In 1859, in "On Liberty", John Stuart Mill discussed the issue of free speech and condemned everyone on any side of an argument who displayed dishonesty, malignity, bigotry or intolerance or accused an opponent of these vices just because they had another point of view. What he recommended was "giving merited honour to every one, whatever opinion he may hold, who has calmness to see and honesty to state what his opponents and their opinions really are, exaggerating nothing to their discredit, keeping nothing back which tells, or can be supposed to tell, in their favour. "This is the real morality of public discussion." That'll be the day. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Last Sunday as I stood in Enniskillen on a bright November morning at the Centenary of Armistice Day events, as I watched the young army cadets, I was reminded of the young men from every county in Ireland who made the ultimate sacrifice 100 years ago. This was a period of enormous suffering and tragic loss of life when unionists and nationalists set aside their differences to share a common endeavour, bravery and sacrifice. Inspired by different motivations, they shared the harsh uncertainties of war and the enduring hope of safe return to their loved ones. They may have come from differing political backgrounds and viewpoints but regardless of their differences they served and died together and deserve to be remembered together. It was lovely to meet neighbours and friends coming together to commemorate our shared history. Enniskillen will always be a very poignant ceremony for those of us who live in the border region. The memories and images of the horrific Enniskillen bombing are never far from our mind and as I stood in front of the War Memorial, the images of murder and mayhem flashed into my head. Thankfully, we have travelled a long journey from those dark days. It is very clear through commemorations there is more to unite rather than divide us and we must continue to acknowledge and celebrate the unique relationship between the people of this island. I grew up in an Ireland where Protestants lived alongside their Catholic neighbours in relative harmony, but we were always mindful that we were part of a minority tradition who in difficult times kept our heads down and remained silent for fear of bringing trouble or unwanted attention to our community. Ireland is now a very changed country to the Ireland I grew up in. This is due in no small part to our entry into the European Economic Community on 1st January 1973. Membership of the EU has brought huge benefits to Ireland. We moved from being an insular and inward-looking country on the periphery of Europe to become an open and outward-looking country at the heart of Europe that respects and values diversity. Deeply rooted in a southern border county, I am very happy and proud to live in a country that respects my heritage and values the contribution of the Protestant community to the economic and social wellbeing of society. Our community has grown in confidence and is proud of the role it plays in a modern and forward-looking Ireland where I can truthfully say that Protestants are treated with dignity and respect. The benefits of an invisible border with Northern Ireland allow us to traverse north and south freely and without hindrance. Brexit presents us with many challenges and we are now heading into a new situation where the mutually beneficial arrangement we have is thrown into question. Whatever the final outcome, one thing is certain: we are facing a prolonged period of transformation and leaders from all communities and political persuasions will need to work together to protect and build peace in its deepest sense. I understand why members of the unionist community in the north might be feeling vulnerable and isolated at this crucial stage in the Brexit negotiations. I also understand why they want to ensure that whatever is done to avoid a hard border will not affect the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the UK. As a member of the Irish Government, I can honestly say that unionists should not feel threatened or fear a hidden agenda. We have the utmost respect for the cultural identity of each and every citizen on our islands and the constitutional status of that citizenship. I can categorically state that we respect the territorial integrity of Northern Ireland and we respect the integrity of unionists as UK citizens. I want to reassure unionists that our only ambition in the negotiations, through the EU Taskforce, has been to ensure that we can continue to live in harmony and that people can go about their normal lives and business as before. Furthermore, unionists have the assurance of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that Northern Ireland will remain part of the United Kingdom for as long as a majority so wish. There is a unique and deep-rooted relationship between the people of our two islands. We are inescapably interdependent when it comes to trade not to mention history, geography and heritage; and on the island of Ireland, we have a shared border region, albeit across two separate jurisdictions. I genuinely believe that the agreement reached by UK and EU negotiators in recent days represents the best of both worlds for Northern Ireland. Peace in Northern Ireland is a unique example of the power that comes from trust, cooperation, and friendship across national borders. Our shared region has made progress that we never imagined possible in the last 20 years and, as we enter this new period of uncertainty, we must do everything in our ability to protect and strengthen our hard-won peace. Never has that trust, cooperation and friendship been more important and I look forward to developing stronger links and working even closer with my neighbours and friends across the border so that together we can ensure economic prosperity for our shared region and island. Heather Humphreys is Irish Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation The draft Withdrawal Agreement is now on the Cabinet's table and thus far has ended the Ministerial careers of Esther McVey, former Work & Pensions Secretary, and Dominic Raab, the erstwhile Brexit Secretary. Just four months into the post, Raab has gone walkies, just like his immediate predecessor, David Davies. Theresa May's decision to put 'Leavers' into the Brexit post was/is governed by both the need to strike a balance between Leavers and Remainers within the Cabinet and accord tangible recognition to the EU referendum result, even though they turned out to be ill-fated (and wholly misguided) appointments, as was Boris Johnson's. Raab's replacement, Stephen Barclay, is another 'Leaver' but his brief differs from that of his predecessors. He is tasked with leading the domestic preparedness for the UK's departure, a lesser but significant role, while the ongoing negotiations with the EU, crucially over a future trade agreement, will be undertaken by Number 10, ie the Prime Minister. One glimmer of light in the twilight currently enveloping Mrs May is that by replacing McVey with Amber Rudd, a loyalist and a Remainer, she has slightly tilted numerical support for her deal in Cabinet. One swallow, however, does not make for a summer for the PM. Ardent Brexiteers remain in Ministerial post seeking to alter the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) from within. The cabal of Liam Fox, Andrea Leadsom, Penny Mordaunt, Chris Grayling and Michael Gove are eminently capable of making mischief from within the tent, or indeed by deciding to leave it by resigning. All are stubbornly deaf to the EU's insistence that the WA is as good as it gets. If they remain in their posts, their opportunity will lie in the trade negotiations that are yet to get under way and which, as they evolve, could yet unravel some of the provisions in the WA. But, as the PM has underlined, no agreement is possible that fails to include a NI backstop, a cornerstone of the WA that has incensed the DUP. In rejecting what it sees as a betrayal by Mrs May, the DUP has cemented its reputation as the party that likes to say 'No'. What is especially diverting about its stance is that it is now untethered from many civic bodies, notably those in the manufacturing, farming, agri-business and small business sectors. They can see a distinct economic and trading advantage by way of the WA for NI that trumps the bogus argument that the proposed beneficial arrangements for our wee country threaten the Union's constitutional integrity, ie an irresistible drift towards a united Ireland. There is nothing in the WA that threatens the break-up of the Union: leaving the EU in and of itself serves that function, especially if it is accomplished by means of a No-Deal Brexit, the option favoured by the more swivel-eyed loons and suicidal lemmings within the Brexit camp. Indeed, the SNP and, for that matter, Plaid Cymru, crave the WA's special provisions for NI, wanting them extended to Scotland and Wales. Protecting NI's economy via the WA and a future trading arrangement (though each falls short of the benefits of continuing EU membership) would aid, not undermine, the Unionist cause. And, lest we forget, whatever the final shape of Brexit, the principle of consent about NI's constitutional future will remain intact. However, we live in a state of considerable uncertainty. First, Mrs May's future hangs in the balance, pending a possible vote of no confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party. If such a challenge materialises, I suspect she would win, if only for a combination of largely negative reasons. Her opponents within the party are themselves divided, bereft of an agreed alternative deal and, by triggering a possible six-week leadership campaign, would risk transforming a difficult situation into an impossible one. While she may yet survive such a challenge, she could be seriously wounded in the process, unable to avoid a coup de grace when the meaningful vote on the WA is held next month. If it is defeated, the pressure to resign would probably be irresistible. Then what? Well, Mrs May has outlined three possible alternatives: her deal, no deal or no Brexit. The latter option is now gaining traction in the form of either a new referendum or a General Election. For Remainers the former seems preferable, despite its obvious risks. What would the question be on the ballot paper? A binary choice: her deal or Remain? A triple choice: her deal, Remain or no deal? Or, a revised deal, no deal or Remain? Even if that matter can be resolved, it would take months to hold a referendum, not least because it would first have to be legislated for at Westminster. One other complication could be a decision on the electorate: should it include 16 and 17-year-olds, as was the case in Scotland at the independence referendum, or only those 18 and over, two million of whom have joined the Electoral Register since 2016? The option of a General Election is no less fraught. Under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliament Act, which established that General Elections must be held every five years (the next is due in 2022), it requires either a vote of no confidence in the sitting Government or the support of two-thirds of MPs to trigger an earlier election. If, however, a vote of no confidence was successful, given that currently we have a minority Government, the Labour Party would have 14 days in which to try to form a Government that commands the confidence of the House. If it fails to do so, then a General Election will follow. Whichever of those options materialises - a referendum or a General Election - each would threaten the UK's departure from the EU on March 29 next year and thereby imperil the current WA. Would the EU in such circumstances put the deal on hold? Probably, in part in the hope that a Remain-leaning party would be successful, or at least one that included in its manifesto a pledge to hold a fresh referendum. In either circumstance, whither the DUP? The current uncertainty is already a threat to the confidence and supply agreement. If Mrs May does survive, however unlikely that may seem, the DUP has made it clear that its arrangement with the Conservative Party will end. The current Government could then only limp on, relying on DUP support on a case-by-case basis. An early test of the DUP's tactics will appear this week, when a series of votes will be held on the recent Budget: will it support or oppose the Government, or abstain? Incidentally, if it does unilaterally withdraw from the confidence and supply deal, then it forfeits the remaining chunk of the 1bn integral to the arrangement - almost 600m: what will the voters of NI make of that? On Saturday the DUP holds its annual conference and, not least because of the RHI scandal, an already beleaguered Arlene Foster has much to explain. Her political fate looks as fragile as Mrs May's. THE innocent man whose gas-fired boiler house was used by dim-witted New IRA members to store a deadly weapons haul says he is living in fear. In his only interview, Kevin 'Kebo' O'Reilly told Sunday Life of how he had been arrested by anti-terror cops but freed after they quickly realised he had no connection to the arms. Speaking from the doorstep of his west Belfast home where the dissident rifles and pipe bombs were found, the 35-year-old said: "My head is all over the place. "I've never been in trouble with the cops in my life. I've never committed a crime, I don't even have a criminal record." Last Monday night the New IRA stashed two AK-47s, two sawn-off shotguns, a rifle fitted with a silencer, three pipe bombs and 100 rounds of ammo on top of a boiler at the rear of Mr O'Reilly's Rodney Drive home. They were later discovered after heat from the system set off the bullets. They ricocheted around the outhouse causing a blaze to which firefighters were called. Police later said Mr O'Reilly had been "exploited" by the New IRA, a claim he was reluctant to expand upon yesterday. He added: "The cops arrested me and took me away, but I wasn't mistreated or anything. "I was let go because they realised I had done nothing wrong." Describing the past week as a "nightmare", Mr O'Reilly told Sunday Life: "It's been very frightening. I just want to get on with my life. Anyone who you speak to will tell you I've nothing to do with any of this s***." Mr O'Reilly's neighbours reported him running up Rodney Drive in a state of panic last Wednesday night shouting, "Help, my house is on fire". They contacted firefighters who discovered the weapons haul and called in the bomb squad. The arms found at the back of Mr O'Reilly's home have put a huge dent in the arsenal of the New IRA, which has had five AK-47s seized by the PSNI in recent years. In 2013 the group smuggled six of the rifles into Belfast, with only one now still under its control. Cops first recovered two of the AK-47s following a botched attack on a police patrol passing the Ardoyne area of north Belfast. The gunmen dropped the weapons after opening fire on a PSNI Landrover. Last December a third AK-47 was found in bushes at the car park of Belfast Zoo on the Antrim Road. Police believe it was to be used to kill officers performing a weekly check at the disused Glengormley PSNI station which is nearby. Another two of the New IRA's AK-47s have now been found after the boiler house fire at Kevin O'Reilly's home last Wednesday. Detectives believe the guns, bombs and ammo were moved to the outbuilding around 9:30pm last Monday night. They are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in an alleyway at the rear of the property. Republican sources last night pointed the finger at a prominent dissident republican who lives nearby in the St James' area as the man who hid the weapons in the boiler house. Security insiders believe the guns were not to be used in an imminent attack because of the large scale of the find. They reckon that dissidents suspected the previous location of the arms, thought to be in the Bog Meadows nature reserve, had been disturbed and they were moved to Rodney Drive as a precaution. A senior detective told Sunday Life: "If there had been just two AK-47s found it would be a good indicator that an attack was imminent. "But this was an entire weapons haul, which probably accounts for most of the New IRA's arms in Belfast." According to both republican and security sources, the New IRA in Belfast is led by ex-Provo prisoner Risteard O'Murchu (Richard Murphy, below), who is a former member of the national executive of its Saoradh political wing. Two months ago he complained in the media about how he and his 14-year-old son were stopped and searched by cops under the Terrorism Act. O'Murchu replaced the New IRA's previous Belfast leader when he was charged with offences and bailed wearing an electronic tag that monitors his movements. The AK-47s found by police in Rodney Drive had been used in two previous murder bids. The first was in November 2015 when a gunman fired on an unmarked PSNI patrol car on Rosnareen Avenue in west Belfast. The second attack in January 2017 resulted in a police officer being shot three times in the arm. The New IRA opened up on him as he used a service station on the Crumlin Road, with stray bullets narrowly missing children and striking sweetie jars. The senior cop investigating last Wednesday's weapons find, detective superintendent John McVea, said: "It beggars belief that anyone would store items as volatile as bombs and bullets in a hot environment. "This is simply reckless, it is stupid and it shows total disregard for the safety of local residents. "Anyone with an ounce of sense would have known that live ammunition and pipe bombs mixed with heat is a recipe for carnage." Mr McVea revealed the occupant of the house - Mr O'Reilly - who he did not name, was unaware of what had been placed on top of his boiler and had been "exploited" by the New IRA. The detective explained that a neighbour first reported the fire, with the occupant of the house then also calling the emergency services to alert them to the blaze. Thanksgiving Day is known for the mammoth amount of food served at dinner. The turkey alone could feed a dozen people, but add in the mountains of mashed potatoes, piles of rolls, massive dishes of casseroles, the boat of gravy and the endless pie, and there is no wonder that people feel as if they have gained 10 pounds by the end of the meal. Some people do not mind binging for one day, but not everyone wants to erase months of hard work in a single afternoon. So how can you avoid gaining weight on Thanksgiving Day? Wear Tight Clothing to Dinner Eat a Protein and Fiber-Heavy Breakfast Cook With Health in Mind Skip the Skin and Butter Workout the Morning of or After Dinner Get a Good Nights Sleep Limit Your Alcohol Intake Eat Slowly Many people base whether or not they need to lose weight on how their clothes fit. If you want to make sure you do not overeat, wear tight fitting clothing to dinner. You will become uncomfortable more quickly in tighter clothing, and you will be less likely to keep eating once your jeans become too tight at the waist.Given that they know they are going to eat a huge dinner, many people skip breakfast on Thanksgiving Day. This is a terrible mistake if you want to avoid gaining weight from the holiday meal. Skipping meals early in the day will make you far hungrier in the evening and much more likely to both overeat and more likely to focus on eating unhealthy things such as an extra slice of pie or more rolls. Instead, have a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein. This will keep you feeling full until later in the day so you will not be starving by dinner.If you are the one hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you will have an easier time avoiding the things that are most likely to cause your weight to climb the scale. When you are cooking, small changes can make a huge difference in health without sacrificing much or any taste. For example, limit the amount of cream you put in the potatoes or substitute evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. Saute vegetables in olive oil instead of butter, and scrape the fat off the top of the gravy before serving it. These little changes will go a long way.Even if you are not the one cooking the turkey, you can still make your own portion a little healthier at Thanksgiving dinner. Cut the skin off of your slices of turkey in order to make a big difference with a tiny action. The skin of the turkey may be delicious, but it is absolutely packed with fat and calories. Similarly, limit the amount of butter you add to your rolls or skip it entirely. Most people serve rolls at Thanksgiving that are already melt-in-your-mouth rich. Still, people insist on slathering them with as much butter as will fit on the bread. Either skip the butter entirely or make a tablespoon of it last the entire dinner. You will actually be able to taste the rolls for a change, and your waistline will thank you as well.When it comes to weight maintenance it really is calories in and calories out.As such, if you know you are going to eat a huge meal for dinner, get a good workout in on Thanksgiving morning. Focus on calorie busting exercises and fat burning routines. If you know you will not be able to make it to the gym that morning, be sure to go the morning after Thanksgiving. Your best bet, of course, is to do both, but that is not always possible with family members in town or travel schedules. So, make sure you get at least one workout in around the meal of the year.Sleep really does influence every part of your day, and your eating habits are no exception. If you do not get enough sleep the night before, you are more likely to overeat at Thanksgiving dinner and snack during the day. You will not register as quickly that you are full and will end up feeling like you are one bad move away from looking like that viral picture of the python who tried eating an alligator. A lack of sleep will also make you less likely to make healthy choices. When you are tired, you have less willpower to refuse that second slice of pie, and you are more likely to crave high-calorie foods such as fat and sugar. None of this is good for fitting into your jeans.Alcohol is all but guaranteed to make you do something stupid. People across the world agree on that fact. Sometimes, that something stupid is your eating choices. When you drink, you are less likely to make healthy choices because your willpower is lower.Even if you do manage to hang in there, however, alcohol itself is not a good idea if you are watching your waistline. Alcohol is filled with calories, and a single glass of dry wine often contains more calories than a candy bar. Sweeter wines like champagne will be even higher in both sugar and calories. If you want to avoid blowing up like a balloon, either limit yourself to a single glass of wine or stick to water entirely.Your stomach fills up before your brain does. This is irritating, but it is true. It takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. If you are eating quickly, you will pound down a lot of food in those 20 minutes and then spend the following two hours groaning about how you ate too much. In order to avoid that, eat slowly. There is no need to scarf down your meal as fast as you can. There is more than enough food for everyone, so eat slowly and savor the taste. You will likely enjoy the meal more and be happier in the aftermath.Avoiding weight gain over Thanksgiving does not have to involve complete abstinence from your favorite foods or refusing to touch the pumpkin pie. It only requires a little bit of self-control and some common sense. So enjoy the meal of the year, just a little more sensibly than usual. If someone were to ask you to make a list of all of the people that hurt you, you can probably write out a long list of those who have caused you pain. These may be family members, friends, coworkers, even a friend from church. So many friendships have been shattered because of cruel words and actions that have left those who have been hurt feeling betrayed. You never forget the hurt or the pain someone has caused you. Those feelings run deep. So how does God want us to respond to people who hurt us? Its important to remember that you may not be in control of how a person treats you, but you are in control of how you respond to those situations. Here are seven ways people misuse people and what you can do. Respond, Dont React Shutterstock.com We are all reactions waiting to happen. When a person hurts or misuses you, you may feel compelled to quickly respond but the best thing you can do is pause. Sometimes, just waiting will add needed perspective. By responding and not just reacting, you are exerting control over your behavior. If a person is misusing you, you should also create personal limits. This is part of reclaiming your personal power. You have the right to define what your limits are and insist that they be respected. Putting misuse into perspective doesnt mean you will be immune from being hurt by someone but it does mean that youll be better equipped to handle the hurt. Another thing to do is listen to your gut reaction. This is usually a good indicator of what you really think and feel. It may also be God trying to tell you how to best respond to the situation. Turn to the Bible lightstock.com The word abuse is used to describe the mistreatment or misuse of anything. The Bible regards abuse as sin because we are called to love one another (Kohn 13:34). Abuse disregards others and is the opposite of this command. An abuser desires to satisfy his natural selfishness regardless of the consequences to himself or others. There are a number of verses in Scripture that strongly condemn taking advantage or abusing others. Abuse doesnt always point to extreme forms of anger and violence. Some abuse can be subtle. Emotional abuse can be difficult to detect because there is no observable evidence of the abuse but that doesnt mean the effects are any less painful. Only Jesus can heal the wounds left by abuse. The Bible tells us, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Practice Forgiveness Shutterstock.com The Bible calls us to forgive others, including our enemies and also to speak the truth in love. The phrase forgive and forget is not found in the Bible. However, there are numerous verses commanding us to forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32 says, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. A Christian who is unwilling to forgive others will find his fellowship with God hindered and can reap bitterness. Luke 6:27-36 also speaks to this issue. In some areas of Christian life we struggle to find out how God wants us to respond, but thats not the case here. Gods instructions are detailed. Jesus said, But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28). In the following verses, Jesus gives several specific examples of how to treat those who have hurt you, and He concludes with, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). The ultimate standard is set here. Apply Godly Wisdom to the Relationships Youre In Shutterstock.com Its important that we apply godly wisdom to all relationships were in. There are times when we will allow ourselves to endure unnecessary pain in relationships because we believe its our duty or because it brings us to a place of meekness that honors Christ. While God instructs us to take up our cross and follow Christ, its important to discern what God is really telling us through the pain were experiencing. The closer you become with the Scripture, the more God will speak to you about the relationships youre in. He may be calling you to realign some relationships. You may be around people who negatively influence your life. Painful words and violent tempers can create traps in your life that God may not be calling you to be part of. When you seek God more when it comes to your relationships, you may also begin giving less of yourself to people addicted to gossip and slander because being in that space is not only not uplifting, but also doesnt reflect Christ. Limit the Influence of People Who Are Hurting You Unsplash If someone is misusing you, you have to start decreasing their influence in your life. In these circumstances where you begin to limit the influence of the person thats hurting you, it doesnt mean that you will no longer love, forgive or pray for that person. It just means that you no longer allow them to take up so much space in your life. We know from Scripture that we are not our own, so regardless of how much we might love someone, including those who have hurt us, we must shift our interaction with them because our Lord tells us to. When we know that we are not our own, we also recognize that things will show up in our lives that are completely outside of our control. God calls us to forgive. As believers, we can choose whether we will hold grudges or practice grace, but if we are truly following Him, the choice has already been made. This can be tough, so God provides some balance with verses like 2 Corinthians 12:10 which says, Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distressed, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christs sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Pray For Them Shutterstock.com One of the best things we can do for those who hurt us is pray for them. Many times we are not in a place to force the other person to stop their hurtful behavior. We also rarely have the power to change them, but we do have the power to change our response to the person. God simply tells us to pray for them. If youre wondering what you should pray about, the answer is simple. Pray that God will help you to love this person. Pray that God will help you to see the good things He wants you to do for this person. Pray that God will bless this person. Whats so great about these prayers is that they focus your attention on God. Instead of being consumed with the hurt, you focus on God, the One who can heal the hurt, and give you the power to respond in a radically new way. Use Biblical Figures as Examples Shutterstock.com We can learn a great deal on how to deal with people who misuse us from the Bible. One great example is examining King Davids story. King David demonstrates this many times in the Psalms he wrote, speaking of the betrayal of friends and enemies calling on God to punish them. When David was fleeing for his life because his son Absalom was leading a rebellion, a man named Shimei came out and cursed David and threw stones at him. When one of Davids generals asked permission to take off his head, David responded, leave Shimei alone, perhaps God has told him to curse me (2 Samuel 16:5-4). This is a powerful response in such a difficult time. David protects himself from sinning by trusting God and assuming that Gods plan is beyond his understanding. God wants us to trust Him regarding our relationships with others. Ask yourself if the relationships youre in really reflect God. Our best relationships are the ones that have Jesus at the center of them. Its very possible that if a person is always hurting or misusing you, Jesus is not at the center of your relationship with them and thats not healthy for your physical, emotional, mental or spiritual well-being. If God is not present in the relationship youre in, it may be time to reevaluate the relationship or at least change the way you interact with each other. The authentic website of Prothom Alo (left) is shown next to another cell phone displaying an imposter site, Nov. 19, 2018. Several websites that spread fake content and masquerade as online portals of genuine news organizations have cropped up in Bangladesh in the past few days, alarming media executives who say these could mislead voters ahead of next months general election. Imposter versions of popular news sites such as the Bengali language service of BBC News and the Bangladeshi daily newspaper Prothom Alo have appeared online since Friday. Some bear uncanny resemblances to the real sites, but contain discrepancies such as fictitious headlines replacing genuine ones or spelling mistakes in the websites addresses that give them away, according to news industry insiders. The hackers who created the clones of real news sites have broken the law, the nations information and telecommunications minister told BenarNews on Monday. I have come to know about it. I have also visited some fake websites. No doubt, this is a crime, Minister Mustafa Jabbar said. The victims can seek remedy from the court under the Intellectual Property Rights Act and the Digital Security Act. Dhaka Tribune, a sister company of the Bangla Tribune, said in an editorial that most of the fake news promoted on the doctored websites was directed sharply against the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). With elections fast approaching, there is genuine hope among Bangladeshis that this time there will be no boycotts and that we will all be able to vote in a truly participatory election, the Tribune editorial said. It is for this reason that recent reports of fake news websites infiltrating into our cyberspace are particularly concerning. The editorial was referring to BNPs boycott of the last general election, in 2014, but the party has announced it will contest the next national polls coming up on Dec. 30. The false news websites used domain names strikingly similar to the addresses of the popular news portals, copying mastheads and most of the portals contents. A false version of the Bangla Tribune, seen by BenarNews editors from Washington and Dhaka, had the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) banglatriibune.com misspelled with an extra i. The danger here is two-fold: The first is that by doing so they will give their fake news the imprimatur of credibility and the second is that, as people learn to distrust their news, they will start to distrust news from the legitimate sites they are masquerading as, the Tribune editorial said, underscoring that attempts to clone legitimate sites could lead to a loss of confidence in the nations press. BDFactCheck.com, the first Bangla-language website created to spot fake news, was among the sites attacked by hackers, said its creator and CEO, Zahed Arman. With rumors increasing and circulating as the campaign season begins to heat up, fake news creators may create confusion among the voters, he told Benar. The daily Prothom Alo, in a report on Saturday, said a screenshot of its fake newspaper front page went viral on social media. The spelling of the fake website is similar to that of ours, with a slight difference, it said. Prothom Alos website was also cloned with a misspelled web address: prothomaalo.com. Over the weekend, BBC Bangla also reported that its portal had been cloned by unknown individuals or entities. Our website is bbcbangla.com. They only added a hyphen to our URL to clone the site, it said. Journalists and media analysts have expressed concern over the false sites. Ali R. Razi, an assistant journalism professor at Chittagong University, warned that false news sites passing off as real ones could proliferate in the run-up to the polls. The country may face serious danger any time, Razi told BenarNews. Vested quarters may create anarchy by circulating false stories ahead of the election. We can block them Jabbar, the information and telecommunications minister, said affected parties should file criminal complaints. We are a must-go to for action voluntarily, if anything happens that would hamper national security. But we have no opportunity to try anybody if allegations are not filed, he said. If the court orders it, we can block the false websites, he said, suggesting that newspapers and online news portals that have victimized could seek remedy under Bangladeshs controversial Digital Security Act. You will not get any easy remedy if a case is not filed under the Digital Security Act or under the Intellectual Property Rights Act, he told BenarNews. The journalists were criticizing me for passing the law in the parliament, he said, now they should understand how helpless they can be in the absence of the law. Asia-Pacific members of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters pledge to become messengers of peace during their four-day meeting in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, Nov. 19, 2018. Community radio broadcasters from Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere in the region pledged Monday to give voice to marginalized communities and work together to create programming to counter extremism, sectarian violence and fake news. Asia-Pacific members of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) from 11 nations upheld a collective commitment to support establishing community radios in conflict areas as a means of peace building and reconciliation, as they wrapped a four-day meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They also agreed to create spaces on the airwaves for indigenous peoples, refugees, displaced people, the stateless, the trafficked and diverse and marginalised voices, the group said in a statement. The decision by community radio operators to serve as messengers of peace was timely given that religious issues often lie at the heart of conflicts in their communities, according to Sinam M. Sutarno, chairman of the Indonesian Community Radio Network. Our current challenge is religion-based identity politics and we must counter it with moderate (religious) interpretations, and adopt a humanist, local cultural approach that calls for acceptance of differences, Sinam told reporters. Counternarratives Rofahan, an Indonesian community radio activist at his pesantren (Islamic boarding school), expressed concern during the conference about the emergence of community radios that broadcast intolerant sermons, which, he said, could lead to radicalism among listeners. He said he and other pesantren radio activists tried to offer counternarratives by broadcasting sermons with messages of tolerance. But there lies the difficulty, when we are dealing with something that is based on religion, it becomes very sensitive, so we must be careful not to create new conflicts, he said. Rofahan said he realized that the issue of radicalism and intolerance was a sensitive topic in relation to religion. Even a small issue will be brought to the realm of religion, he said. Charlie Saceda, emergency media and communication coordinator of PECOJON, a Philippine-based peace journalism network, said media outlets in the Philippines often grappled with misinformation as more and more people fall prey to fake news on social media. In the Philippines we have free Facebook but it is only limited to seeing posts. So, its hard to verify fake news because you have to pay to access the links, he said. Community radio stations need to reach larger audiences, Saceda said. If your community radio is very powerful, it can reach other communities. Community radios can remind people not to react to fake news right away and instead find out what really happened, he said. Meanwhile, in Japan, community radio stations invited their listeners to send messages of encouragement to victims of bullying, many of whom are migrants, said Kim Chiaki from FM YY in Kobe, Japan. He said community broadcasters focused on providing motivations to the victims, rather than trying to confront bullying head-on. This culture of bullying is very difficult to eliminate, so we choose to encourage those who are bullied so that they can rise up and so that people can accept differences, Kim said, through an interpreter. Issue of radicalism Budi Hermanto, an activist on the Indonesian Community Radio Network (JRKI), said that radicalism had only emerged recently as a topic among community radio broadcasters. Before, community radio activists often talked about or campaigned for tolerance, but did not actually discuss radicalism, Budi said. Budi said he believed none of JRKI members was spreading intolerance and radicalism in their programming. But its true that some community radio stations that are not part of the JRKI network broadcast intolerant sermons, Budi said. In their statement at the end of the meeting, participants also said they would continue to develop programs to support disaster planning, mitigation, response and recovery. They also committed to zero tolerance to violence against women in their radio stations, networks and communities, and to developing programming that addresses violence against minorities. The meeting, which ended Monday, was attended by community radio broadcasters and media practitioners from Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and East Timor. Philippine soldiers check ammunition during a military offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the southern province of Maguindanao, Feb. 28, 2015. Updated at 11:32 p.m. ET on 2018-11-19 Philippine security forces killed two suspected Filipino militants Monday following a gunfight that took place after the duo who were believed to be supporters of the Islamic State (IS) tried to sneak past a security checkpoint in the restive south, officials said. The suspects were aboard a private vehicle but refused to stop when security forces flagged them for a routine inspection near Tacurong city, said Chief Superintendent Eliseo Rasco, the regional police commander. The suspects opened fire on officers manning said checkpoint. This prompted the joint security forces to chase them until suspects were cornered and a firefight ensued between the operating team and the suspects, which resulted to their instantaneous death, Rasco said. Police recovered an improvised bomb, a pistol, assorted ammunition and cellphone components that investigators said could be used to produce a home-made explosive, blasting caps and a black IS flag. We received information that a homemade bomb was about to be transported within our areas. Thus, all police and military counterparts were alerted, Rasco said. Rasco said the unidentified slain militants could be members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group from the 10,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014 to end its decades-long insurgency. President Rodrigo Duterte, however, signed a law in July that aims to give the Muslims an expanded autonomy in the south, subject to a plebiscite. The BIFF, which has pledged allegiance to the IS, has vowed to continue with the separatist fight in Mindanao island, the southern third of this majority Catholic country. Regional military spokesman Capt. Arvin Encinas said that after the incident in Tacurong, suspected militants detonated two homemade bombs they planted in the nearby towns of Ampatuan and Datu Hoffer in Maguindanao province, leaving a soldier injured. No one was hurt in the first blast in Ampatuan. After 20 minutes, another explosion occurred, wounding a soldier among the team conducting routine patrol in Datu Hoffer, he said. In August, two separate bomb attacks left two dead and dozens wounded in Isulan town. The region has been under tight military rule since last year, when IS-linked extremists seized the city of Marawi for five months, leaving 1,200 people dead, most of them militants. In July, a suicide bomb attack claimed by IS also left 11 people dead on southern Basilan island, also in Mindanao. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader Murad Ebrahim smiles as the Philippine militarys chief of staff, Gen. Carlito Galvez, offers him a flower during his visit at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Nov. 19, 2018. [Luis Liwanag/BenarNews] The gunbattle in Tacurong occurred hours before MILF leader Ibrahim Murad visited the armed forces main camp in Manila on Monday, marking the first time that the former guerrilla commander set foot in a military base. More than four decades ago, I walked out of university without completing my engineering degree, Murad told reporters. Many Bangsamoro (Muslim) colleagues did the same. Since then, I have avoided military installations and camps. During those times of war, I have thought only of destroying or neutralizing military camps. I never imagined during those dark days that I will, one day, step inside a military camp and be feted with this honor by what used to be our adversary, Murad told reporters. I came, I saw, I found friends and I made peace, he said. I had sentiments while I was walking along the Camp's premises and I felt that this is a signal from Allah that we are already in the final stage of our struggle. Under the peace deal, the MILF agreed to help the military go after IS-linked groups in the south. It has formed a special unit that fights alongside the army in the jungles and swamps of the south. Luis Liwanag in Manila contributed to this report. Updated to add a photo of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader Murad Ebrahim's historic visit at the Philippine military's headquarters. The company is also focusing on securing intellectual property (IP) and ramping up and filing of specialty products. Aurobindo Pharma is looking to launch first set of oncology, respiratory, complex injectables and topical products in the US in the next three years as part of plans to build a robust specialty products portfolio. The company is also planning to launch first set of biosimilars and vaccines in growth markets during this time, Aurobindo Pharma said in an investor presentation. The growth markets for the company include Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Ukraine, South Africa, East Africa, Myanmar, Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Sharing the medium-term road map (from 2019-2021), the company said it will focus on launching "first set of oncology, respiratory, complex injectables, topical products and ADF products in the US." The company is also focussing on securing intellectual property (IP) and ramping up and filing of specialty products, it said, reported PTI. For the long term, from 2022 onwards, Aurobind Pharma plans "launch of inhalers, transdermals, biosimilars, and branded (both Rx and OTC) products in advanced markets," the presentation said. The company is also looking to work on biologic licence applications (BLAs), it added. Hands (upper limbs) are being donated to 31 year old male from Tamil Nadu and the transplant will be conducted at JIPMER, Pondicherry In order to harvest hands for Karnatakas first hand donation, Bangalore based Narayana Health City collaborated with JIPMER. The patient, a 22 year old male from Anekal, was working at a retail store. He met with an accident while driving a two wheeler. The patient was brought to Narayana Health City on 15th November and was declared brain dead on 18 November 2018.Father of the patient consented to donate his Heart / Heart Valves, Lungs, Kidneys, Liver, Eyes / Cornea and hand. The heart is being donated to 18 year old girl, a student from Madhya Pradesh who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy and the only treatment that could have saved her life was heart transplant. She has been listed with Jeevasarthakathe since June 2018. The liver is being given to a 67 year old male, a retired central government employee, hailing from Bangalore. He was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the only treatment to save his life was liver transplant. He has been listed with Jeevasarthakathe since August 2018. One of the kidney is being donated at Narayana Health City and the second kidney is being sent to Apollo, Mysore. Kidney patient at Narayana Health City is a 42 year old male, hailing from Bangalore and has been suffering from end stage renal disease since 2014. He has been listed with Jeevasarthakathe since 2015. Hands (upper limbs) are being donated to 31 year old male from Tamil Nadu and the transplant will be conducted at JIPMER, Pondicherry. The patient lost his hands due to crush injury. Team of doctors conducting the multi organ transplant include Dr. Sanjay Kumar Goja Director and Clinical Lead, Senior Consultant and Head of Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Dr. Bagirath Raghuraman, MD, DM (Cardiology), Dr. Julius Punnen, Heart & Lung Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Ashely DCruz & Dr Sanjay Rao in Kidney Transplant team. Morocco and Senegal have expressed their strong determination to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the Triple S Initiative (Sustainability, Stability and Security) in Africa. The two countries shared willingness was voiced lately at a meeting held in Addis Ababa by Head of Moroccan Govt Saad Eddine El Othmani and Senegalese Minister for African Integration Mbagnick Ndiaye on the sideline of the 11th extraordinary summit of the African Union. The two officials stressed the need to set up mechanisms and mobilize all necessary international resources to ensure the success of the 3S initiative, which seeks to create 2 million jobs and rehabilitate 10 million hectares in Africa by 2025. The Triple S Initiative is an inter-governmental action launched by Morocco and Senegal to address the root causes of instability in Africa, migration and conflict related to the degradation of natural resources. The bold, innovative and ambitious solutions envisioned by the 3S Initiative have been widely acknowledged and welcomed by the international community. The initiative offers alternatives to forced migration and radicalization by creating jobs for young people, women and migrants through the restoration of degraded lands. Alarmed by the dangerous effects of climate change especially on fragile and unstable communities, African governments meeting at the Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh (Morocco) agreed on practical measures to set the region on a path towards security, stability and sustainability. The African countries joining the initiative will receive help to create green jobs and to promote investment opportunities by migrants themselves as the African continent boasts huge untapped potential. However, climate change, population growth and increasing economic uncertainty put many African countries under immense pressure with land degradation, desertification and drought undermining lives, peace and stability in the continent. Everything About International Men's Day 2018 Pulse oi-Syeda Farah Noor International Men's Day is marked every year on the 19th of November, and it is celebrated worldwide to put a spotlight on men who make a positive difference in society, and it is also celebrated to raise awareness of issues and problems that men face on a global scale. The 2017 International Men's Day theme was to 'celebrate men and boys in all their diversity' and this year the subject is "Positive Male Role Models." International Men's Day was started in November 1999 by Jerome Teelucksingh PhD. Most Read: 17 Funny And Interesting Facts About Men Check out more details and facts about this day's significance... Those Who Are Looking Forward To Celebrating The Day Can Roll The Drums! So men out there need to roll the drums out this day and celebrate the day as people are still not aware of this day or know the history behind it. So, what are you waiting for? Ladies, do make your man feel special on this day, and men, of course, need to be proud of themselves as you read about the origin and history about this day! International Mens Day Started On International Men's Day Started On 19th November. The date is said to coincide with the birth date of the father of Dr Jerome Teelucksingh. He was a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago who had relaunched International Men's Day in the year 1999. The Day Is Still Not Popular Even though the day's existence has been there since the past two decades globally, there are many individuals out there who are not aware of it. The Aim Of Celebrating This Day The main aim of celebrating International Men's Day is to mark the positive male role models and also to raise awareness of men's issues and problems. Various topics like mental health, toxic masculinity and even the prevalence of male suicide are discussed on this day. Studies Reveal Men Are Also Weak! According to various researchers, it was found that men are three times more likely than women to take their own lives! Discussing these facts is quite important after all since men do not display their emotions easily. The Day Also Coincides With Movember The International Men's Day coincides with Movember every year. Movember is the month where the focus on raising money for men's health is on top of the list. The International Men's day involves men growing their facial hair to promote awareness about their mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and also topics related to testicular cancer. Most Read: 10 Bizarre Facts About Your Man This Years Theme The "Positive Male Role Models" theme this year is to encourage men to teach the boys in their lives about the values, character and also the responsibilities of being a man. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION Canada NewsWire OTTAWA, Nov. 19, 2018 The 2018 Canadian Cannabis Survey provides a snapshot of Canadians' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to cannabis before the law changed OTTAWA, Nov. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - The old approach to cannabis did not work. It let criminals and organized crime profit, while failing to keep cannabis out of the hands of Canadian youth. In many cases, it has been easier for our kids to buy cannabis than cigarettes. To address these issues, on October 17, the Government of Canada legalized and strictly regulated access to cannabis. To track Canadians' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards cannabis, the Government of Canada is examining how usage changes from year to year. Standardized and comparable data are needed to evaluate the impact of the new cannabis legislation and to develop policy and program initiatives, including public education and awareness activities. Between May and July 2018, Health Canada asked almost 13,000 Canadians about their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to cannabis, including their cannabis use and driving behaviours after consuming cannabis. Results from the 2018 Canadian Cannabis Survey released today provide a snapshot of Canadians' views and habits related to cannabis several months before the Cannabis Act came into force: The Canadian Cannabis Survey contributes to the foundation of information needed to measure and monitor the impacts of the Government's cannabis legislation. It also complements previously collected data on the prevalence of cannabis use in the general population. These survey results reinforce the Government of Canada's continued public education efforts on the facts around cannabis, as well as on drug-impaired driving, to support Canadians in making informed decisions on cannabis use. The Canadian Cannabis Survey was designed to seek a greater number of respondents who use cannabis in order to obtain more detailed information on cannabis use in Canada, such as frequency of use and methods of consumption. As such, it is important to note that the Canadian Cannabis Survey is not a general population survey and its results are not representative of the Canadian population. Quotes"The Canadian Cannabis Survey provides us with valuable data to monitor the impact of legalizing, regulating and restricting access to cannabis. Information on the habits and behaviours of Canadians in relation to cannabis reinforces the importance of public education." The Honourable Ginette Petitpas TaylorMinister of Health "It is encouraging to see that a greater number of Canadians understand that cannabis use has significant health effects, such as impairing your ability to drive. 81% of all survey respondents believed that cannabis use affects driving, up from 75% in 2017. The Government has a zero tolerance approach to impaired driving. Public education and awareness activities will ensure that Canadians understand that driving while impaired by cannabis is a criminal offence."The Honourable Bill BlairMinister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction "Public safety has been at the forefront of our approach to cannabis from the start. Drug-impaired driving has been illegal in Canada since 1925, yet it has been on the rise for the past several years. Driving while impaired by cannabis or any other drug is dangerous and is a serious criminal offence. The Canadian Cannabis Survey is a valuable tool to understand the public's views and how we can ensure a culture of responsible use. Our message is simple: don't drive high."The Honourable Ralph GoodaleMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Associated LinksCanadian Cannabis Survey 2018 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS) Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS) Canada.ca/Cannabis SOURCE Health Canada Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock Co.,Ltd (Sokon) is ready to acquire 50% stake in Dongfeng Sokon held by Dongfeng Motor Corporation by issuing RMB4.83 billion worth of shares to Dongfeng Motor Corporation at the expense of 26.01% stake offered to the latter, according to Sokon's announcement released on November 16. A total of 332 million shares with the value of RMB14.54 per share will be issued to Dongfeng Motor Corporation. Once the transaction is completed, the Wuhan-based auto group will become Sokon's second largest shareholder. Dongfeng Sokon, a 50:50 joint venture between Sokon and Dongfeng Motor Corporation, has two major car brandsFengguang and Sokon, focusing on R&D and manufacturing of SUVs, MPVs and mini cars. Last year, the company saw its annual sales grow 6.65% year on year to around 402 thousand units. By the end of the third quarter this year, the company has delivered over 3.5 million vehicles since it was founded. The joint venture's profit performances were impressive in recent years as well. In 2016 and 2017, it earned revenues of RMB14.742 billion and RMB19.343 billion respectively and gained net profits of RMB253 million and RMB764 million with respective tremendous year-on-year leap of 500.72% and 201.95%. Dongfeng Sokon said its unaudited financial revenues and net profit from January to September reached RMB12.436 billion and RMB584 million. In Egypt, at least 40 rights workers, activists and lawyers have been rounded up by authorities since late October and are being held in undisclosed location, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Many of those arrested were people who provided humanitarian and legal support to families of political detainees, the international rights group said in a statement on Sunday. The New York-based group is calling on Egyptian authorities to immediately reveal all the detainees whereabouts, release all of those arrested solely for exercising their rights. It also called on officials in the North African nation to bring any other detainees swiftly before a judge to review their detention. As many as 80 people had been detained in the wave of arrests, but the rights group said it could only verify 40 names. HRW statement comes a day after Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decree establishing the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights, headed by Egypts Foreign Minister. The Egyptian Cabinets spokesman Nader Saad said that the committee will deal with Egypts human rights file, and respond to any allegations raised regarding human rights in Egypt. It is also interested in forming a unified Egyptian vision expressed in international and regional forums, and following up the implementation of the action plans that support and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. During a meeting in New York on September 25, UN secretary General Guterres and President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest, including developments in Africa and the Middle East region, but not a word on press freedom and human right abuse. Canada NewsWire VANCOUVER, Nov. 19, 2018 VANCOUVER, Nov. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - TSX VENTURE COMPANIES BLACK ISLE RESOURCES CORPORATION ("BIT")BULLETIN TYPE: DelistBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at the close of business on Friday, November 30, 2018, the common shares will be delisted from TSX Venture Exchange at the request of the Company. ________________________________________ CANADA COAL INC. ("CCK")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at the opening, Wednesday, November 21 2018, the securities of Canada Coal Inc. (the "Company") will resume trading. Further to Exchange Bulletins dated July 27, 2018, a news release was issued on October 18, 2018, announcing that the Company will not be proceeding with its proposed transaction. The transaction contemplated would have constituted a Reverse Takover as defined under Exchange Policy 5.2. ____________________________ CANADIAN SPIRIT RESOURCES INC. ("SPI.RT")BULLETIN TYPE: Rights Expiry-DelistBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at the opening Tuesday, November 27, 2018, the Rights of the Company will trade for cash. The Rights expire November 30, 2018 and will therefore be delisted at the close of business November 30, 2018. TRADE DATES November 27, 2018 - TO SETTLE - November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 - TO SETTLE - November 29, 2018 November 29, 2018 - TO SETTLE - November 30, 2018 November 30, 2018 - TO SETTLE - November 30, 2018 The above is in compliance with Trading Rule C.2.18 Expiry Date:Trading in the rights shall be for cash for the three trading days preceding the expiry date and also on expiry date. On the expiry date, trading shall cease at 12 o'clock noon E.T. and no transactions shall take place thereafter except with permission of the Exchange. ________________________________________ REBEL CAPITAL 2.0 CORP. ("RBZ.P")BULLETIN TYPE: New Listing-CPC-Shares, HaltBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company This Capital Pool Company's ('CPC') Prospectus dated August 21, 2018 has been filed with and accepted by TSX Venture Exchange and the British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario Securities Commission effective August 24, 2018, pursuant to the provisions of the relevant Securities Act and Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System in Alberta (the 'Instrument'). The common shares of the Company will be listed on TSX Venture Exchange on the effective date stated below. The Company will complete its initial distribution of securities to the public on November 21, 2018. The gross proceeds to be received by the Company for the public offering will be $200,000 (2,000,000 common shares at $0.10 per share). Commence Date: At the opening November 21, 2018, the common shares will be listed and immediately halted from trading on TSX Venture Exchange. The closing of the public offering is scheduled to occur on November 21, 2018. A further notice will be published upon the confirmation of closing and the trading halt will be lifted. Corporate Jurisdiction: British Columbia Capitalization: unlimited common shares with no par value of which 4,013,329 common shares will be issued and outstanding on completion of the initial public offering Escrowed Shares: 2,013,329 common shares Transfer Agent: TSX Trust Company Trading Symbol: RBZ.P CUSIP Number: 75617D 10 8 Agent: Mackie Research Capital Corporation Agent's Warrants: 200,000 non-transferable warrants. Each warrant to purchase one share at $0.10 per share for 24 months. For further information, please refer to the Company's Prospectus dated August 21, 2018. Company Contact: Doug Bachman Company Address: 23 Lorne Crescent, St Albert, AB, T8N 3R5 Company Phone Number: 587-597-1493 ________________________________________ RISETECH CAPITAL CORP. ("RTCC.P")BULLETIN TYPE: New Listing-CPC-Shares, HaltBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company This Capital Pool Company's ('CPC') Prospectus dated September 28, 2018 has been filed with and accepted by TSX Venture Exchange and the British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commission effective October 1, 2018, pursuant to the provisions of the relevant Securities Act and Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System in Alberta (the 'Instrument'). The common shares of the Company will be listed on TSX Venture Exchange on the effective date stated below. The Company will complete its initial distribution of securities to the public on November 21, 2018. The gross proceeds to be received by the Company for the public offering will be $200,000 (2,000,000 common shares at $0.10 per share) Commence Date: At the opening Wednesday, November 21, 2018, the common shares will be listed and immediately halted from trading on TSX Venture Exchange. The closing of the public offering is scheduled to occur on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. A further notice will be published upon the confirmation of closing and the trading halt will be lifted. Corporate Jurisdiction: British Columbia Capitalization: unlimited common shares with no par value of which 12,000,000 common shares will be issued and outstanding on completion of the initial public offering Escrowed Shares: 10,000,000 common shares Transfer Agent: TSX Trust Company Trading Symbol: RTCC.P CUSIP Number: 76762J 10 6 Agent: PI Financial Corp. Agent's Warrants: 100,000 non-transferable warrants. Each warrant to purchase one share at $0.10 per share for 24 months. For further information, please refer to the Company's Prospectus dated September 28, 2018. Company Contact: Manny Padda Company Address: c/o Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, 550 Burrard Street, Suite 2900, Vancouver, BC V6C 0A3 Company Phone Number: 778-838-6264 Company Email Address: [email protected] ________________________________________ TSX Venture Exchange Bulletins TSX VENTURE COMPANIES ALBA MINERALS LTD. ("AA")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Disposition AgreementBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a Mining Property Purchase Agreement dated May 28, 2018 between Noram Ventures Inc. ("Noram") its wholly-owned subsidiary, Green Energy Inc. (collectively, the "Purchasers") and the Company whereby the Purchasers can buy back a 25% interest in the Clayton Valley Property located in Nevada and San Bernardino County, California. In consideration, the Company will receive $400,000 and 3,800,000 common shares of Noram. ________________________________________ ATON RESOURCES INC. ("AAN")BULLETIN TYPE: Shares for BonusesBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the Company's proposal to issue 18,181,818 bonus warrants to the following insider at an exercise price of $0.055 per share for 12 months in consideration of US$1,000,000 loan advanced to the Company. Shares Warrants Ou Moonrider N/A 18,181,818 ________________________________________ AURORA SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES INC. ("ACU")BULLETIN TYPE: Correction, Private Placement-Non-BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company CORRECTION: Further to the TSX Venture Exchange Bulletin dated November 16, 2018, the Bulletin should have read as follows: Number of Shares: 35,765,384 shares Placee Warrants were not issued in relation to this private placement. ________________________________________ DECADE RESOURCES LTD. ("DEC")BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-BrokeredBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced September 18, 2018 and November 5, 2018: Number of Shares: 4,246,229 shares Purchase Price: $0.065 per share Warrants: 4,246,229 share purchase warrants to purchase 4,246,229 shares Warrant Exercise Price: $0.08 for a two year period Number of Placees: 17 placees Insider / Pro Group Participation: Name Insider=Y / ProGroup=P # of Shares Edward Kruchkowski Y 307,692 Pursuant to Corporate Finance Policy 4.1, Section 1.11(d), the Company must issue a news release announcing the closing of the private placement and setting out the expiry dates of the hold period(s). The Company must also issue a news release if the private placement does not close promptly. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term. ________________________________________ GT GOLD CORP. ("GTT")BULLETIN TYPE: HaltBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at 9.24 a.m. PST, November 19, 2018, trading in the shares of the Company was halted at the request of the Company, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules. ________________________________________ INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES CORP ("GENE")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a Share Purchase Agreement dated July 17, 20188 between the Company and 0989561 B.C. Ltd (known as "Canandia Bioceuticals") whereby the Company has acquired all of the outstanding shares of Canandia Bioceuticals. Consideration is $100,000 cash and up to 14,482,560 shares as follows: CASH SHARES WORK EXPENDITURES $100,000 up to 14,482,560 $10,000,000 ________________________________________ SEARCHLIGHT RESOURCES INC. ("SRCH")BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase AgreementBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a Property Purchase Agreement between the Company and New Moon Minerals Corporation whereby the Company has amended the original Mineral Property Option Agreement where the Company will earn a 51% interest in the Bootleg Lake Property located in Saskatchewan. Consideration is 1,425,000 common shares. ________________________________________ POWERBAND SOLUTIONS INC. ("PBX")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at 7.15 a.m. PST, November 19, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made. ________________________________________ RADISSON MINING RESOURCES INC. ("RDS")BULLETIN TYPE: Resume TradingBULLETIN DATE: November 19, 2018TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at 7.00 a.m. PST, November 19, 2018, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made. ________________________________________ SOURCE TSX Venture Exchange Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images Amazon is coming! Amazon is coming! and New Yorkers are welcoming their robot overlords with clenched fists and a nasty snarl. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, newly empowered members of the Democratic legislature in Albany, the just-elected congressional representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are all competing to see who can heap more scorn on the deal. The reactions come in various shades of negativity: shock at the size of the gift that the city and the Empire State are bestowing on an imperial company; contempt for the companys warehouse-labor policies; anger about Amazons extortionate campaign to pit cities against each other; rage that Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who never agree on anything, got together to fill a secret loot bag for Jeff Bezos; fear that Queens real estate prices will launch into the stratosphere; anxiety that the move will flood the area with more people and money than it can comfortably absorb. Theres an apocalyptic tone to some of these complaints, a lurking sense that Amazon will scrub away whats left to love about New York and send it into a death spiral of affluence. Its important to separate the deal, which stinks, from the long-term effects, which dont. At bottom, this is not a fight over taxes, but a debate over what Amazon represents for our metropolitan future. And if you think that one company can single-handedly own, save, or ravage the city, then you underestimate New York. Opponents are wise to suspect that Amazons lawyers out-negotiated ours and walked out of the meeting rooms exchanging glances of incredulous glee. The process was secretive and sleazy because our democratic leaders dont trust our democratic process. Theres a reason for that. Most projects this big have to wade through years decades! of lawsuits, hearings, meetings, votes, more lawsuits, appeals, renegotiations, and yet more lawsuits, all of which can dramatically increase costs, kill good ideas, and turn bad ones worse. Democracy is a messy potholed road, but its what weve got, and Amazon should not get squired into the city through a separate VIP entrance. The numbers are big. Amazon plans to spend $3.7 billion to build 4 to 8 million square feet of office space the equivalent of One World Trade Center two or three times over for 25,000 workers in ten years, and possibly another 15,000 in the following five years. The state will kick in up to $505 million toward construction and forgo $1.2 billion in taxes. The city is ponying up another $1.3 billion in incentives, mostly in the form of tax breaks that apply to any company (not just Amazon) that moves jobs into the five boroughs. Faced with these immensities, opponents zeroed in on tiny, more comprehensible piece of the deal, and got it wrong anyway. Taxpayers would be buying Jeff Bezos a helipad!, some outlets trumpeted, and City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer picked up the tune. Nonsense: The state and city agreed to help secure permissions if possible for a helipad in Long Island City, but Amazon is footing the bill. What does New York get out of the deal? Cuomo and de Blasio rely on a report they commissioned, which claims Amazons presence will pump $186 billion into the state economy over the next 25 years, generating $13.5 billion in new city taxes and slightly more for the state. Its hard to know whether business in the city would have grown by that much anyway, without the need for $3 billion worth of giveaways. Lots of companies (including Google) come here for the same reason that Amazon was always going to choose a prosperous city and jilt the struggling ones: because thats where CEOs and employees alike want to be. The agreement does bring some concrete benefits. Although politicians like Ocasio-Cortez and Van Bramer complain that the deal will siphon money away from Long Island Citys urgent needs for better schools, parks, and transportation, it actually creates a fund to provide exactly those benefits. Amazon and the city have also pledged to start a fund to train high-school students and NYCHA residents, among others, for jobs in tech. By all means, lets agitate for more. Claw back some of that cash, make the company pay for a school or two. Renege on the damn helipad. But lets not flush the baby. Setting aside the costs and the exchange of perks and goodies, many opponents hate the idea of Amazons presence at all. Theres a nativist ring to that rejection. Some look at the phrase 25,000 jobs and they see a caravan of entitled, overeducated outsiders arriving on the islands shores with their obnoxious fistfuls of money. They will (goes the theory) bring their suburban cultures with them, have children who will need to be educated, and demand new things to spend their earnings on. They will take over, driving up rents and crowding the subways. Others fear the opposite of a zero-sum game: endless development. The newcomers will, they believe, cause the Queens skyline to sprout more office towers and apartment buildings to become more Manhattan-like. Of course that will happen; it has been happening for 20 years. As a new Municipal Art Society report points out, when the Bloomberg administration rezoned the area in 2001, it anticipated 300 more apartments, totaling 300,000 square feet of living space. We got 10,000 new apartments, adding up to 8.7 million square feet. Amazons employees will need yet more housing, which developers will build, and thanks to a zoning provision that Mayor de Blasio pushed through, a significant portion of it will be affordable (though probably not affordable enough). New York cant simply hang up a No Vacancy sign. Its true that here, even more dramatically than most everywhere else, economic vibrancy is an engine of inequality. Prosperity brings gentrification and changes a neighborhoods racial and demographic mix. But the essence of New York is churn: People move in and out all the time. Besides, would it improve the social fabric if Amazon capped pay at a $75,000? Or if it brought fewer jobs? If it didnt come at all? Excluding successful businesses does not seem like a winning strategy. This is New York, the worlds great city of commerce: We dont tell anyone to get out of town. Amazons arrival confirms once again that were in the middle of an accelerating cycle of economic self-reinventions. New York evolved from a mercantile city in the 18th century to an industrial metropolis in the 19th and a financial center in the 20th. Each of these metamorphoses was beneficial and traumatic at the same time. The sugar trade that fueled the citys early growth depended on a supply of black slaves working and dying in the Caribbean cane fields. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 turned the city into a trade and shipping node, showering it in wealth. But if you were a Queens farmer, it meant that the market for your wheat and barley vanished overnight. More recently, the parks, greenways, and luxury towers that have reshaped the waterfront sprouted on land scorched by deindustrialization. There is no growth without pain. The best way to hedge against these spasms is to avoid relying on any one sector. After 9/11, when banks and investment firms threatened to flee, Mayor Bloomberg lured Goldman Sachs back to lower Manhattan with, yes, $1 billion in tax breaks if it would build a new headquarters there. But Bloomberg also saw that the city needed to diversify its economy specifically, to build up health care, education, and tech. Cornell Tech built a campus on Roosevelt Island partly because of its proximity to Long Island City, one of the few neighborhoods that still had space for a fast-growing industry to put down roots. Tech should be in the city. When Apple built itself a giant suburban fortress, urbanists rightly chastised the company for locking in car-dependence and sprawl. Amazon is doing the opposite, embedding itself in the boroughs fabric, making it possible for many employees to walk or bike or take public transit to work. (The helipad is a different story.) Opponents are worried about the strain a big new cluster of office buildings will place on public transit, but, as my colleague Josh Barro has pointed out, creating a class of employees who commute from Manhattan to Queens, instead of the other way around, can help redistribute the subways loads. We should, in any case, be far more worried that the citys transit woes will cause companies to give up on New York: If Amazon had concluded that the MTA will never get its act together or its employees to work on time, that would be an excellent reason to panic. Amazon is a monopolistic behemoth that has infiltrated every corner of our lives, from books to television drama to vacuum-cleaner bags. It could have turned a midsized city into a company town, but instead its moving to a place it cant monopolize. By coming to Queens, the company can only prepare a niche for itself in the urban ecosystem, and then collaborate and compete. New York could survive without Amazon, and it can damn well survive with it. Mark Zuckerberg told some staffers at Facebook earlier this year that the company was at war. Photo: Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images Everything at Facebook is definitely fine and nobody, least of all CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is worried at all. Because when things are fine and you are not worried the logical thing to do is to put 50 of your most-trusted staffers in a room and declare that your company is at war. From the Wall Street Journal: Mark Zuckerberg gathered roughly 50 of his top lieutenants earlier this year and told them that Facebook Inc. was at war and he planned to lead the company accordingly. During times of peace, executives can move more slowly and ensure that everybody is on board with key decisions, he said during the June meeting, according to people familiar with the remarks. But with Facebook under siege from lawmakers, investors and angry users, he needed to act more decisively, the people said. Zuckerbergs announcement, along with other behavior, the Journal also reports, has led to increased clashes with COO Sheryl Sandberg, who reportedly feared for her job after Zuckerberg was displeased with the way Facebook handled itself in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. He also reportedly clashed with Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, who left the company in September citing a search for new creative projects. Brian Acton and Jan Koum, the co-founders of WhatsApp, left amid what were apparently similarly tense relations with Zuckerberg. The Journals piece comes on the heels of another deeply reported piece from the New York Times earlier this month, which detailed the chaos and dysfunction Facebook has been operating under internally for months. The piece noted that Facebook had hired Definers Public Affairs, a Republican political-consulting firm, to conduct campaign-style opposition research, a.k.a. publishing and widely sharing news pieces that made Facebooks critics look bad. The piece, unsurprisingly, immediately garnered a hell of a lot of bad press for Facebook. During a meeting at Facebook with staff on Friday, a source told the Journal that Zuckerberg called this bullshit. Elliot Schrage, Facebooks former head of global policy and communications who remains at the company, said at this meeting that Facebook should expect more, similarly bad press in the coming weeks. Which might be the most accurate thing anybody working for Facebook has said in a very long time. President Trump, being interviewed by Chris Wallace. Photo: Fox News The conservative movement has long dismissed the value of neutral expertise environmental scientists, arms control analysts, budget forecasters, or any other meddlesome nerds who question the simple verities of right-wing politics as biased. Conservative media is built on this insight, constructing an alternate information ecosystem, in which only conservative sources can be trusted. Donald Trump, an avid consumer of conservative media, has taken this style to its next step. Trump insists he is the sole arbiter of truth. Anybody who questions Trump is by definition biased. By his circular logic, any attempt to question Trump is inherently false, since the act of challenging Trump reveals the source to be dishonest. Reporters can try to chase the lies down one by one, but they always lead back into this same logical cul-de-sac. It is obviously impossible to disprove an epistemology that begins and ends with the assumption that Trump is always right. But Chris Wallace, in his interview on Fox News Sunday, did an unusually clever and persistent job of drawing out the absurdity of Trumps systemic lies. 1. Wallace begins the interview by referencing several news reports about Trumps recent anger over his partys midterm election defeat and a subsequent debacle in Paris. Trumps answer is that all the stories about this are false because they do not quote Trump: WALLACE: Well get in to all the details later but how dark is your mood? TRUMP: Its very light, its fake news. Its disgusting fake news. I read a front page here in the Washington Post, they never even called me, nobody ever calls me. Obviously, if Trump is in a dark and angry mood, and numerous administration sources tell this to the press, Trump himself is not going to confirm it on the record. Equally obvious, administration sources are not going to give their names on the record when telling unflattering details to reporters. But, as he has done many times before, Trump lays out his view that only statements by Trump himself have any value. 2. Wallace brings up a court case in which a federal judge ruled against the White House for denying a press pass to CNNs Jim Acosta. Like most non-Acosta journalists, Wallace holds no special brief for Acosta. His concern is the establishment of a precedent that allows the president to decide which reporters can attend news briefings at the White House. What are your rules going to be? he asks. What is it that youre saying this is over the line and you Trump answers, I will say this, look, nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do and if I think somebodys acting out of sorts, I will leave, Ill say thank you very much, everybody, I appreciate you coming and Ill leave. And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is thats acting up. So Trumps response is that the standards by which reporters have the right to attend briefings will be set by Americas greatest First Amendment champion, Donald Trump. 3. In his most probing exchange, Wallace notes that every president has objected to his depiction in the media, but only Trump has called critical media the enemy of the people. Trump appears to engage with the premise, but then reverses himself completely. Wallace suggests that Trumps definition of fake news is often news you dont like. Here is Trumps reply: TRUMP: No, its not no. No, I dont mind getting bad news if Im wrong. If I do something wrong, like, for instance, the cemetery. I was not allowed to go because of the Secret Service. Because they expected to take a helicopter WALLACE: Okay. TRUMP: They had zero visibility. They said, sir, we are totally unequipped for you to go. In addition to that, the cemetery was far too far away from Air Force One, which is sort of like a control center where you had to be near. Not one paper that I saw wrote it that way. They said I stayed out of it because of the rain. And yet, the following day, I made a speech at the American cemetery. WALLACE: I understand. TRUMP: It was pouring. It wasnt even really raining the first day but the fog was tremendous. Okay? Trump begins his response by stating that he does not dispute critical coverage if it happens to be true. (I dont mind getting bad news if Im wrong.) But then, instead of citing an example of him being wrong, he cites an example of him being right and being lied about by the fake news. In other words, Trump is happy to accept bad news when he is wrong, its just that he is never wrong. 4. Wallace attempts to bolster his position by citing an unimpeachable authority William McRaven, the esteemed military commander who led the raid that captured Osama bin Laden: WALLACE: Bill McRaven, Retired Admiral, Navy Seal, 37 years, former head of U.S. Special Operations TRUMP: Hillary Clinton fan. WALLACE: Special Operation TRUMP: Excuse me, Hillary Clinton fan. WALLACE: Who led the operations, commanded the operations that took down Saddam Hussein and that killed Osama bin Laden, says that your sentiment is the greatest threat to democracy in his life. TRUMP: Okay, hes a Hilary Clinton backer and an Obama backer and frankly WALLACE: Hes a Navy SEAL TRUMP: Would it have been nicer if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldnt it been nice? Living think of this, living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan and what I guess in what they considered a nice mansion, I dont know, Ive seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. Trump has two responses. The second is that McRaven is a failure because he did not capture bin Laden sooner than he did. Everybody knew where bin Laden was located, and only a total loser would take years to track him down. Trumps first response is to label McRaven a Hillary Clinton fan. In fact, McRaven did not endorse Clinton (or any candidate) in 2016. Shortly after Trumps election, he did publicly criticize Trumps attacks on the news media, like Wallace says. By Trumps logic, this renders him a Trump opponent, and thus a Hillary Clinton fan, and thus untrustworthy. 5. Wallace again suggests that perhaps a president is not perfectly suited to determine what coverage of his administration is fair and what is not. Trump changes the question from whether a president can judge the press fairly to whether Trump can judge the press fairly. His answer, of course, is that he can: TRUMP: Im totally in favor of the media, Im totally in favor of free press, got to be fair press. When its fake WALLACE: But the President gets (ph) to decide whats fair and whats not. TRUMP: I can tell whats fair and whats not and so can my people and so can a lot of other people. 6. Wallace tries again to depersonalize the question, by invoking a president who is not Trump complaining about the media: WALLACE: Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time but he never said we were the enemy of the people. TRUMP: Well, no, he didnt talk about the news, he didnt talk about anything. Im only saying it very differently than anyones ever said it before, Im saying fake news, false reporting, dishonest reporting of which there is a lot, and I know it. See, I know it because Im a subject of it, a lot of people dont know but when I explain it to them, they understand it. The beginning of the answer is total gibberish. Obama didnt talk about the news, he didnt talk about anything what does that even mean? He lands on the point in the next sentence: I know it. Trump knows what real news is, and what fake news is. This is a power that belongs to no president but Trump himself. I have the Macbook, which is really small its thinner than the average issue of the New Yorker. Its incredibly basic and weighs less than my TRX and goes everywhere with me. Ive also left it twice at security at JFK and have somehow managed to retrieve it, thank God. The last time I was in Paris, and I got to my hotel, and I opened the computer and there were all these pictures, and Id thought, What the hell? I dont remember downloading these. It turned out the computer belonged to the worlds living authority on Frida Kahlo, and shed traveled to London to arrange the Frida Kahlo show at the Victoria and Albert Museum. So I mailed her the laptop and my assistant managed to recover mine at JFK. Thats the second time Ive left it at security. Theyre getting to know me there. I do back up my computer, but I was worried because there were maybe 15 to 20 pages that werent backed up of the memoir Im writing. My assistants saved my ass a couple times. Every year for the past 25 years, 86-year-old Pam Jenkins has been gathering gifts together for Operation Christmas Child to give to children in need. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Every year for the past 25 years, 86-year-old Pam Jenkins has been gathering gifts together for Operation Christmas Child to give to children in need. Jenkins, who lives in Shoal Lake, said that she first started helping out because she wanted to give back. "Im a Christmas person, and I just love the idea of giving to children who dont have anything," she said. The Manitoban used to escape the bitter cold of the winter months in Arizona, and it was there that she listened to a couple from Alberta give a presentation on the gift boxes. "The lady was talking about how they had distributed these boxes, and the children, you know, they sort of lived on a dump because thats the way it is for some," she said. "And the lady said, they were so well behaved, they just lined up and she said we had to break the boxes open just to have enough to go around," she said. "So, I thought, why dont I give more?" And, so it began. Ever since the shoeboxes started, Jenkins has been a volunteer, donating at least two boxes every year to the cause. Operation Christmas Child, put on my Samaritans Purse, was created to help children in the developing world, by filling shoe boxes with various items, including toys and school supplies. The boxes have been delivered to more than 157 million children in more than 130 countries, Samaritans Purse website said. In 2017, Canadians contributed 615,120 boxes. This year, Jenkins volunteered to fill three shoeboxes full of items, she said. "They like you to put in some personal products, so I always give a hand towel, a facecloth, a toothbrush and a bar of soap," she said. One year she supplied flip flops for the summertime, but this year, her other gifts have all taken on a winter theme, with hats and mittens. "Wherever I see something (I pick it up for the box)," she said. She purchased items for three different age groups. "For the older group, it was grey with red and white in the hat, and a pair of socks," she said. "For the middle-aged group, I gave some Canada mitts along with it, and I think it was grey with red toque, and then for the little one, it was a plain light grey toque and then I had two pair of little mitts that went with it." During her involvement over the past 25 years, the number of people who need assistance has grown, she said. School supplies are always needed, including paper, pencils and crayons. "Theres so many more countries involved, you know, that need the help," she said. Although she never knows where her items end up going, she said, "theyre always appreciated wherever (they end up)." People who are interested in learning more or donating to the cause should get involved, she said. "Just give from the heart, everyone that can afford to should try to get in on it because its such a worthwhile thing to make a child happy." "It makes you feel so good," Jenkins said. "As long as Im able, Im going to do this." mverge@brandonsun.com Twitter: @Melverge5 Canada Post workers in Brandon and across the country were still without a contract Sunday after their union rejected a time-sensitive offer from the Crown corporation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/11/2018 (1101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Canada Post workers in Brandon and across the country were still without a contract Sunday after their union rejected a time-sensitive offer from the Crown corporation. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is now asking the federal government to appoint a mediator in its contract negotiations with Canada Post. The strikes are now into their fourth week as the busy Black Friday shopping spree looms. Brandon workers took part in rotating strikes at the end of October. The union on Saturday submitted a counter-offer to Canada Post, Todd Jarema, CUPWs education and organization officer for the Prairie region, said Sunday. So far, Jarema said, the corporation has not responded to the counter-offer. "Theres far too many issues... that are around health and safety, equal pay for all hours worked," he said. "Those things are still on the table." Canada Post, in a statement Sunday, would only say "we are now determining next steps." The corporation tabled an offer to CUPW on Nov. 14. The offer expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. In a news release issued Saturday, Canada Post said it is "working hard to minimize the service impact to Canadians, but the unions strikes continue to cause unprecedented backlogs in our delivery network. As a result, customers could see delays of several days." The corporation noted mail and parcels will not be delivered or picked up in impacted areas while the union continues its strike activity. The Brandon Sun received a copy of the four-year offer last week. It is worth approximately $650 million, according to Canada Post, and would include a two per cent pay increase each year, new job security for rural and suburban employees, a $10-million health and safety fund and a new proposal for overtime, job security and a move to one uniform for all delivery employees. It includes a signing bonus of up to $1,000. The corporation has approximately 42,000 urban employees and 8,000 rural and suburban carriers. brobertson@brandonsun.com, with files from Michael Lee Twitter: @BudRobertson4 Bandon company Acorn Water has ambitious plans for its water testing service, writes Trish Dromey. Tapping into growing concerns about water quality and water contamination, Bandon company Acorn Water has ambitious growth plans for a new water testing service launched this year. Its H2Olabcheck targets householders and farmers as well as commercial customers. It sells kits online and conducts testing and provides customers with a report which can be downloaded from its website. Our aim is to make water testing quick and easy, said chief technology officer William Holland. At present, all the testing is being done at our laboratory in Bandon but we are planning to build up a network of partner laboratories so that we can develop sales in Ireland and also in the UK, he said. Acorn Water, set up by Williams parents Bill and Eileen Holland, has been manufacturing water treatment chemicals for supply to industry and water utilities for over 20 years. Conducting water quality testing was always a small part of the business, but in 2013 William and his brother Aidan saw an opportunity to scale it up, establish a new brand, and develop sales nationally and internationally. The market for water testing is being driven by concerns about water contamination and also by compliance requirements. We are now selling to food producers, care homes, hotels, factories, and farmers who need to comply with water quality regulations and we also have a high number of sales to homeowners In 2013, the Holland brothers designed new test kits in six categories, covering drinking water, river and lake water, aquarium water, wastewater, and industrial process water. The next step was the building of a 50 sq metre water quality and innovation lab, which was completed last year, at a cost of 250,000. Operating H2Olabcheck as a division of Acorn Water, the Holland brothers contracted a developer to work on the technology for the new venture. This involved the development of a bespoke cloud-based sample management system as well as a payment system which can be used with partner laboratories. The Hollands believe that H2Olabcheck is the first service anywhere to provide online water test results. Mr Holland says that one of the key selling points for the service is that it explains the test results in laymans terms to the customer. We have a traffic light system green for satisfactory, orange for an alert, and red for a fail, he said. Since the new website went live in January this year, Mr Holland says they have more than doubled sales of test kits on last year and that the biggest growth has been in drinking water test kits which sell to both households and businesses. A lead test kit costs 40, a bacterial test costs 56 while a full water quality test costs 140, he said, adding that costs go up to 420 for a carcinogen check for water where contamination or pollution is suspected. Now that the technology and the website have been tested and validated, he says the next step for H2Olabcheck will be to develop a network of partner laboratory companies. Discussions have already started with laboratories in Ireland and he expects the company to have brought two or three labs onboard by the end of the year. In 2019, we expect to be ready to develop partnerships in the UK and possibly in Europe by the end of the year. Our aim is to have a network of in excess of 200 labs by 2023, he explains. The creation of H2Olabcheck has meant Acorn Water is looking to hire more staff. It currently employs 10 people. Acorn Water chief executive Aidan Holland says the company is currently recruiting with a view to doubling the workforce over the next 12 months. We are looking for people in the areas of development, content creation, environmental science, and international marketing, finance, and sales, he said. Supported by Enterprise Ireland which recently provided it with an Innovation Voucher, H2Olabcheck has been shortlisted for a Spider Award in the Best Tech Start Up category. A High Court dispute between two craft beer-brewing firms has been settled Whiplash Beer Limited had brought proceedings against The Dublin Lager Company Limited, trading as Larkins Brewing Company. The two companies operate out of a shared facility at Renmore Business Park, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, which is owned by the defendant. Last month Whiplash secured a temporary injunction against the Dublin Lager Company claiming the defendant company had prevented one of Whiplash's owners and director's Mr Alex Laws from entering the premises. It claimed that Mr Lawes, an award-winning brewer, needed access to the premises and his absence has created uncertainty over the business. The injunction, which was granted on an ex-parte basis, prevented the defendant firm from interfering with Whiplash's business, it was claimed. The order also prevented the defendant from stopping anyone from Whiplash, represented in court by Rory Kennedy Bl, entering into the shared premises. The defendant company denied any wrongdoing and through its counsel Eugene Gleeson SC sought to have the injunction lifted. An application for the injunction to remain in place until the case had been resolved was due to be heard by the court. Following a recommendation by Mr Justice David Barniville the sides agreed that the matter should go to mediation. When the case returned before the court today Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds was told by Rory Kennedy Bl for Whiplash the mediation had resulted in a settlement, and the case could be struck out. No details of the settlement were given in open court. The taxation of multinational companies continues to generate headlines. For various reasons the focus is on US technology companies and, within that group, the primary focus is on companies that have consumer brands. People interact with Apple, Facebook, and Google on a daily basis and it seems much easier to generate a media headline with various claims about their tax structures. However, there are many more companies whose name doesnt match a well-known consumer brand, such as those providing business-to-business services and those in the pharmaceutical sector. They surely hope the current tax focus stays on the big-brand companies. A look at the list of companies which have been put under the spotlight by the European Commission illustrates this: Amazon, Apple, Engie, Fiat, IKEA, McDonalds, Starbucks. It now seems that Facebook will be added to the list. Bar the French energy company, Engie, the pattern is clear. Thats not to say there arent legitimate reasons to look at the tax affairs of these companies, but it does look like a skewed list. And even with all the attention put on them, it is not clear that a full picture of their tax affairs is put on display. For example, in the seven years since 2012 Apple has paid $75bn (65.7bn) in corporate income taxes. That is around 17% of the companys pre-tax profits over the period. In its most recent annual financial statement published earlier this month, the company set out the additional $37bn of tax it will pay on profits earned up to 2017 as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by the US Congress late last year. This will bring the effective cash tax rate on Apples profits to almost 25%. This is not to say that this is the right amount of tax but it is a long, long way from the 0.05% rate that the European Commission claims the company is paying. In fact, if the commissions 13bn finding is upheld by the courts it might not even add 1c to the companys tax bill; it could merely transfer the payments from the US to Ireland. The evidence of the $100bn of tax payments that the company sets out in its accounts rarely makes it into the public discourse. And part of this gets to the heart of much of the political bellyaching about the taxation of these companies: European politicians dont necessarily want these companies to pay more tax. They just want more of the tax paid in their countries. By far the lions share of the $100bn of tax set out in the above is for Apple, and the further $12bn to $15bn that the company will pay each year if it maintains its current level of profits, is paid to the US. That Apple pays the bulk of its tax in the US should not really be a surprise. It is a US company and most of the activities that generate its profits are located in the US. Selling phones is not a high-profit activity. Designing, producing and branding a phone that people want to buy, is. The current system attributes the taxing right to the country where the profit-making activities are located. Several European countries are arguing that more tax should be paid to the country where the customers are located. An EU-wide digital sales tax is one initiative in this direction being pushed by countries such as France. For these countries, it is attractive as their existing tax base isnt reduced, even from local companies with lots of foreign sales, but they get a new revenue stream from companies whose main operations, and tax payments, are located elsewhere. There is no doubt that the approach to taxing cross-border profits set up in the 1920s has not kept pace with economic developments and the rulebook needs to be updated for the digital age. However, the outcome will hopefully be a bit more nuanced than a revenue grab from some of the bigger countries.n UCC economist Seamus Coffey is also the chair of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. The Brexit concerns of Northern Ireland are of far more consequence than mere trade and industry. They are about how communities deeply scarred by the Troubles can continue to co-exist peacefully. The North was at an enormous disadvantage during the Brexit negotiations by not having a functioning Stormont assembly and not having a working Northern executive. Both of the other devolved governments, of Scotland and Wales, had their say in the negotiations. The clear indication of what the concerns of the Northern executive would have been is set out in a letter of August 14, 2016. The letter was from the then first minister, Arlene Foster, and the then deputy first minister, the late Martin McGuinness, to the UK prime minister, Theresa May. In the letter, they identified five matters of particular significance for Northern Ireland, following the Brexit referendum outcome. How does last weeks withdrawal agreement measure up to those items? The border was the first issue, the letter noting the difficult issues relating to the border throughout our history and the peace process. The first and deputy first minister said that the border should not become an impediment to the movement of people, goods and services, or, for that matter, to become a catalyst for illegal activity. That priority has been more or less reflected in the withdrawal agreement, certainly for as long as the UK remains within the EUs rules during the transition phase. The backstop, which takes effect after the transition phase, in the absence of any better arrangement, would largely meet the same objective, were it to be implemented. The second area identified was the maintenance of ease of trade with EU member states and the retention of access to labour. This point is not as well addressed. Within the backstop, there is provision for Northern business to obtain licences to export directly to EU markets as if still trading within the single market, but there is an element of bureaucracy. Retaining access to labour could be even more problematic, as the unfettered movement of EU nationals crossing borders for work will no longer be possible. The common-travel-area arrangements between Ireland and the UK will continue to apply, and Irish citizens in the North will be treated as EU citizens The third priority was energy supply. The issue seems to have been well-addressed, for example with the maintenance of the Single Electricity Market on the island of Ireland. The fourth area was funding. Both Mr McGuinness and Ms Foster identified that EU funds coming into Northern Ireland would dry up following Brexit. Replacing those funds would now seem to have become a matter of brokerage between Belfast and Westminster. Lastly, agri-food, including fisheries, was seen as being uniquely vulnerable, both to the loss of EU funding and to potential tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. The backstop protects agri-food, but excludes free trade in fish, though, within the proposed framework for the future relationship between the UK and the EU, a settlement on fishing rights and trade in associated products is prioritised. The withdrawal agreement, as published last week, satisfies many of the concerns of the then first and deputy first ministers. Now, we do not have a functioning Northern executive. However, had this withdrawal agreement been concluded within a few weeks of August 2016, it might have been hard for the then Northern executive to dismiss it out of hand. Brian Keegan is director of public policy and taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland The extraordinary Brexit events in London this past week have already had an impact across the Irish Sea. Witness the sharp downturn in share values and a plunge in the value of sterling. There will be more days like this, to redirect that old Van Morrison tune. Despite the political and financial turbulence in the wake of the Brexit referendum vote, almost two and a half years ago, the economy here has remained remarkably resilient, but we must guard against complacency. What we could be witnessing is the calm before the storm. Irish retailing has traditionally served as a bellwether for the economy. On the surface, everything appears to be in good order. In contrast to the UK, where spending in bricks-and-mortar stores is contracting, the picture here is one of modest buoyancy, with annual growth in spend of around 3.5%. The Irish commercial property market has performed remarkably, in terms of returns for investors, since 2012 when the economy bottomed-out with valuations rebounding by over 90%. According to a report, issued in March, by Goodbody, investors pumped 3bn into shopping centres in the Republic over the preceding two years. This is real money. Prime retail rents have, at the same time, been boosted by a near lack of new supply since 2009. This has meant that supply and demand have stayed in balance. Following a period of sustained rises, prime retail rents have been stable, this year, except in Dundrum Town Centre, where its troubled co-owner, the giant commercial UK landlord, Hammerson, is looking to Ireland to make up some of the ground lost in Britain. Across the water, a real retail bloodbath has been underway, in recent times: Big names, like Debenhams, Bhs, House of Fraser, and Toys R Us, are either retrenching or completely disappearing. There are now a huge number of empty UK shops and this could double within a decade, leaving the sector with a 20% vacancy rate. The share prices of leading, commercial-property stock market firms have fared poorly. The late businessman Tony Ryan used to say that you only find out who is naked when the tide is out. This principle certainly applies in todays Britain, where big retailing names, such as Philip Green, have shipped enormous reputational damage. The British financial journalist Patrick Hosking posed this question: Who can we trust to say that the high street emperors have no clothes? Mr Hosking was quoting a banker friend, who has concluded that property experts are taking a far-too-sunny view of retail asset valuations. The share markets are sending their own pointed message. The average discount to net assets of the big, listed commercial vehicles is now more than one-third. It has risen dramatically the average discount over the past 15 years was just over 4%. The problem is that the people making the valuations are conflicted, as they rely on the asset owners for other work. They do not wish to be bearers of bad news. Property agents tend to look on the bright side of life; cheeriness is deeply embedded in their DNA. Besides, we have seen this before, with the auditors and their assessment of a roll call of duff companies, and, above all, with the rating agencies in the run-up to the economic crash. No-one wanted to be the guy who called it as they saw it. Doubts have also been raised by academics about the quality of the analytics in property valuations. There has been much academic research over the decades. The conclusion is that commercial valuation reports over-relied on historical market performance, while depending on a limited use of comparables. A lack of independent market analysis posed a threat to the integrity of such reports, in the bankers view. His views are all the more relevant in the light of the online selling revolution that is now overtaking retailing. Retailing in Ireland is in a relatively sweet place, but, behind a well-dressed shop front, problems lurk. A sharp downturn could expose flaws in some investment rationale, while accelerating the move of many sellers out of Irish subprime properties. Tenants paying high leases in large shopping centres could also come under huge pressure, reviving calls for an overhaul in commercial tenancy laws. Property analysts and investors tend to focus on a narrow part of the market prime real estate located on main streets from Grafton Street to Patrick St, and including our top shopping centres, such as Dundrum. But a large majority of retailers ply their trade well away from those locations. Optimistic analysts argue that much non-prime property may be undervalued, given the lack of bank funding for retail properties of this kind. However, Thomas Burke, director of business group Retail Ireland, says that, in the past, retail has closely tracked domestic demand. This year, the core economy is growing at around 4%, yet retailing is lagging. Evidence of this is the inroads being made by offshore online companies. Mr Burke also cites a trend among consumers away from the purchase of goods and towards seeking out services in the form of experiences. This implies that the performance of the retail and wider leisure property markets could also begin to diverge. A failure to grasp this could lead to distortions across a range of areas. Government central and local may be placing too many bets on the continued sustainability of retailers, when it comes to revenue raising. Put simply, the retailer donkey could be struggling to carry his load, whether in the form of commercial rates, insurance, local charges or wages. A no-deal Brexit, or some other, unwanted external event, could derail growth, boosting the number of closures in retail. Poor analysis of retail trends and performance could also hit the industry surrounding selling pensions and investments. Over-optimistic projections could be encouraging companies to make large investments in new retail capacity, which may turn out to be unjustified and, indeed, dilutive of returns across the broader sector. The funds could be relying on income flows from retail sources that may not be there to quite the same extent in the long-term. The disruptive impact of online providers could hit the size of those pension cheques down the line. Valuation analytics may not be a sexy sounding subject, but if people get it wrong again, as they did a decade ago, many of us could end up with less to spend on the little luxuries of life in our sunset years. By Liam Heylin A man caught with a tick-list in his van and 12,000 worth of cannabis in kennels at the back of his home claimed he was dealing dog nuts feed and using all of the illegal drugs himself. Ray Kelleher, of 25 OConnor Park, Macroom, Co Cork, was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the last two years suspended on charges of having cannabis herb and cannabis resin for sale or supply at his home on March 24, 2016. Mahon Corkery, barrister, said Kelleher had done a volte-face in terms of overall changes to his lifestyle, that he now had a full-time job and was no longer associating with antisocial peers. Judge Sean O Donnabhain said some element of a custodial sentence had to be imposed on Kelleher as he previously got an entirely suspended sentence for having 8,000 worth of cannabis for sale in October 2010. Garda Catherine McCarthy testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that gardai obtained a warrant to search Kellehers home on March 24, 2016. At the back of the property, in four kennels, various amounts of cannabis and herb were found. Kelleher volunteered that the drugs were there once gardai presented themselves. There was 1,000 worth of resin and 12,000 worth of cannabis herb. A tick-list was found in his van. He claimed that the drugs were for his own personal use, for treating back pain, and the explanation for the list was that he was dealing dog nuts, said Garda McCarthy. Asked if she believed this, Garda McCarthy replied: Absolutely not. Mr Corkery said Kelleher had an addiction to cannabis but was now clear of that as a result of rehabilitation. Garda McCarthy said she did not believe Kelleher had an addiction to drugs. Judge O Donnabhain said that this latter evidence was not what was most worrying in the case. He said Kellehers biggest problem was his previous suspended sentence for drug dealing and then getting caught doing the same thing again. By Gordon Deegan A family archive of Elizabeth OKelly, who donated her 30m fortune to five Irish charities, has been described as a treasure trove of information on the fascinating and deeply private woman. Earlier this month it emerged that Ms OKelly donated 30m to five charities: the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation, the Irish Society for Autism, the RNLI, and the Irish Kidney Association. Ms OKelly died in her 93rd year in December 2016 and archivist at Maynooth University Library, Roisin Berry, confirmed that the executors of Ms OKellys estate donated her family archive to the library in September. Ms Berry described Ms OKelly as a fascinating and deeply private woman and said the archive will provide a treasure trove for researchers. The archive, across eight boxes, contains diaries, photos, letters, travel journals, sketchbooks, legal documents, financial material, and postcards. The material includes a wedding day photo of 21-year-old Ms OKelly and her husband, Major John William OKelly, who was 41 years her senior. The archive also contains a heartrending sketch of Elizabeth when she was a toddler, by her mother, Alice Marie Sykes. Ms Berry said that the donation has provided us with the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating life of this enigmatic woman. She said: Elizabeth valued her privacy but the archive allows us to get a glimpse of some of the people and places that meant something to her. What is fascinating about Elizabeth is her courage, to live her life according to her own rules, and her extraordinary generosity in her dealings with others. Elizabeth was a deeply private woman who avoided the limelight at all costs. She captured the imagination of Irish people because of her incredibly generous actions but also because of this desire to remain hidden and unknown, said Ms Berry. The archive will shed new light on this fascinating woman, her early tragic life and the loved ones that she lost, and how this shaped her into the exceptionally thoughtful woman that she became. Her great love of family, friends, and home shines through in each document, as does her respect for the past and preserving her family heritage. The Elizabeth OKelly Archive captures the very essence of this enigmatic figure, said Ms Berry. Official Ireland cannot be allowed to start 2019 with a fresh slate in relation to the cervical smear scandal with the HSE still needing to make massive efforts to rebuild trust and to make concrete change in medical care, according to one of the women impacted by the controversy. Carol Murray, 33, from Midleton, Co Cork received a false smear test result in 2010. She was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer seven years ago but is now cancer free following chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Ms Murray has been holding regular rallies in her hometown in order to keep the issue to the forefront of the media and to express solidarity with other women in her position. She says that women like her and bereaved families who have lost loved ones to cervical cancer are still looking for accountability. "We would all love to be in a job where if you make a mistake nothing is going to happen. We mustn't (let official Ireland forget). "I think that is what the whole Government and the HSE are hoping for. They are hoping that it is going to go away. They are delaying this, that and the other. "It is six months on and what has happened? The HSE are doing all these different tactics to delay us and it is just like a hamster wheel." Ms Murray told the Opinion Line on Cork's 96FM that re-establishing trust in the HSE is still possible if the onus is placed on transparency. Honesty, openness, is a great start to build that trust. Time does build back up trust. If they owned more of the mistakes, if they were open and honest it would make us realise they are doing the right thing. Carol, who held a rally in Midleton on Saturday, said she pulled back from rallying for a period. However, she stresses that it is "even harder to sit back and not do anything." "When I go out to speak it gives me a feeling that I am doing something. That I am not giving up. That I am not lying down. I am not going to let them think that I am going to forget about this. " She adds that persons impacted by the cervical cancer controversy are tired of having to hear updates from journalists. "We literally have to find out from the support group we are in from journalists. Anything important that has happened we are finding out through journalists. We are finding out through news headlines. "I know it is a big group. Everyone can't be individually rung and told this information but at the same time but it is a bit of common decency and respect that they should show. It can be done." Meanwhile, Women's Lives Matter will be hosting an indoor rally/vigil with speeches at St Peter's Cork on November 30th at 7.30pm. Organisers say the event will continue to highlight the issues whilst remembering women who have lost their lives from cervical cancer. More information can be obtained here. A Cork priest serving on mission in South Sudan has described in chilling detail how a Jesuit friend and colleague was murdered by gunmen in country last week. Kenyan native, Fr Victor-Luke Odhiambo, who had studied in Dublin, was shot dead in his compound last Thursday. "Fr Luke was killed by unknown assailants in the St Peter Claver Jesuit community at 2am, stated the Irish Jesuit Missions. He was Principal of the Mazzolari Teachers College and a former headmaster in Jesuit schools. He had strong links to Ireland, having studied philosophy in Milltown Park, Dublin, from 1980-1982. Fr Lukes compound is situated about 600km from Maban, where Cork priest Fr Tony ORiordan is Director of the Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS). The gunmen showed little mercy, said ORiordan, speaking from Maban. Fr Luke was unwinding after a long day when he was 'shot dead'," added ORiordan, a native of Kilmichael. The motive behind the killing is unknown nor are the killers known, he said. South Sudan is in the grip of a five-year bloody civil war and famine. Hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled the conflict live in camps in Maban, the most northern tip of the country. We are all very saddened by this violent and senseless death of a friend and dedicated member of our team in South Sudan, he said. We are a small team of Jesuits here in South Sudan, so it affects us all...but most especially those of his community who were in the house and heard the shots that killed him. ORiordan said Fr Luke had been very committed to his missionary work. ORiordans compound in Maban was attacked last August by a violent mob. ORiordan continues to pray for peace. He said he hoped Lukes killing can be one of the last violent and senseless deaths in a country where thousands have died in five years of war. The Irish Jesuit Missions stated Fr Luke gave his life and blood in the service of education and peace. Despite the bloodshed in Cueibet, Maban is presently calm, ORiordan said. I am safe and well, he added. The attack on his compound forced the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to suspend all but critical activities to safeguard its staff. A violent mob including gunmen stormed the area and burned down a language learning centre. A programme of rebuilding the centre is continuing. At the time, around 500 humanitarian workers, were evacuated, however, Fr ORiordan has remained to continue to help provide education and steer humanitarian aid towards the refugee camps. Payments of more than 20m have been approved by the High Court out of the Insurance Compensation Fund to meet a 35% shortfall in awards concerning motorists insured by the collapsed Maltese-based insurer, Setanta Insurance. The payment orders were sought by the State Claims Agency and were granted today by the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly. They relate to 1,268 eligible claims and will involve total payments of 20,647,966, representing an additional 35% of monies due. The application arose from the collapse in 2014 of Setanta which, at the date of liquidation, had about 75,000 policy-holders. In court documents, Ciaran Breen, director of the SCA, said eligible claims by Setanta policy-holders can be divided into claims caused as a result of an accident, known as first-party claims, and claims by third parties against Setanta's policies. This was the fourth High Court application since 2016 for approvals of payments out of the Fund concerning Setanta, he said. The court had previously sanctioned payment out of the ICF of 65% due under Setanta policies. Mr Breen said the Insurance Acts had previously capped payments out of the fund at 65% of the sum claimed, or 825,000, whichever is less, but the Insurance Amendment Act 2018 had modified the statutory cap in some respects. While limitations still applied to first-party claims, the limitations which previously applied to third-party claims and third-party legal costs do not apply, he outlined. Various audits of Setanta's claims files had been carried out and reports prepared and the liquidator of Setanta had said it was likely he will be in a position to meet less than 22% of the insurance claims, he said. This application was seeking court approval for the payment out of the ICF of sums representing 35% of the eligible claims approved, he said. The claims included claims against Setanta policy-holders or legal fees associated with such claims, he said. Certain own damage claims are still subject to the statutory cap of 65%, he said. This application also incorporated some 133,084 due to the Department of Special Protection in respect of recoverable benefits. The judge made orders approving separate payments out of the Fund some 3.5m; 4.13m and 13.05m. On foot of those orders, the SCA will make the payments due to the affected persons or their solicitors. The ICF liability arose following a Supreme Court ruling last year in which it was found the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland, which compensates victims of uninsured driving, would not be liable for 100% of the Setanta awards. In seeking the orders today, Andrew Walker BL, for the SCA, said the application was under the Insurance Act 2018 in circumstances where the SCA is operating the Fund on behalf of the Central Bank. Update 6.11pm: The Republic of Ireland fan found dead in Copenhagen has been named. Drogheda United posted a tweet naming him as David Clerkin. Drogheda United would like to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of David Clerkin who passed away yesterday in Copenhagen. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis Drogheda United F.C. (@DroghedaUnited) November 19, 2018 Their tweet said: "Drogheda United would like to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of David Clerkin who passed away yesterday in Copenhagen. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis." A minute's silence will be held before tonight's match between Ireland and Denmark for him. He had travelled there for the match and was found in the city's harbour yesterday morning. The 30-year-old was later pronounced dead in hospital, but it is not thought to be suspicious. The FAI says the Irish players will wear black armbands to pay tribute to the supporter and the Minister for Sport, Shane Ross, has said his thoughts are with the man's family and that his death puts sport into perspective. Earlier: FAI 'deeply saddened' after Irish fan, 30, dies in Denmark The FAI has said they are "deeply saddened" to learn of an Irish fan who died in Copenhagen on Sunday. The 30-year-old was confirmed dead after being found in water at Havnegade in the Danish capital. The organisation says it has expressed condolences to the man's family and said that Ireland players will wear black armbands in respect of the fan during tonight's Nations League clash with Denmark. They added that: "An official request has been submitted to UEFA, by the FAI, to hold a minutes silence before kick-off in tonight's game in Aarhus." The Football Association of Ireland is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of a Republic of Ireland supporter in Denmark. Full Statement: https://t.co/UyIsCJ5otI #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/AE99OiXvoW FAIreland (@FAIreland) November 19, 2018 The statement in full reads: The Football Association of Ireland is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of a Republic of Ireland supporter in Denmark. The FAI has expressed its condolences to the family of the supporter, who passed away in Copenhagen, ahead of the UEFA Nations League game between Denmark and Ireland. An official request has been submitted to UEFA, by the FAI, to hold a minutes silence before kick-off in tonight's game in Aarhus. The Ireland players will wear black armbands in respect of the supporter. The FAI continues to work with An Garda Siochana and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the matter. Earlier: Irish man, 30, dies after being found in water in Denmark An Irish man has died after being found in water at Havnegade, in Copenhagen, Denmark. A spokesperson for Copenhagen Police confirmed that the man, 30, was found on Sunday morning and said the incident is not being treated as suspicious. Copenhagen Police confirmed on their Twitter page that there was "a lifeless man in the water". They added that the man was found at around 10.30am yesterday and he was brought to hospital after being rescued. The police force later stated that he was identified as a tourist and that police were "working to determine the course of events". A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cannot comment on the details of individuals cases, however, we can confirm we are providing consular assistance to the family of an individual in Copenhagen." Media reports suggest the man had travelled to Copenhagen for Ireland's Nations League clash with Denmark this evening. By Elaine Loughlin, Political Correspondent Update 1.38pm: The Government has attacked "mystic" Micheal Martin claiming he can read the minds of Fine Gael Ministers but refuses to provide any clarity on confidence and supply himself. Both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris hit out at the Fianna Fail leader calling on him to "get on with it" and agree to a new deal to keep the Government in place until the summer of 2020. Their criticism came after Mr Martin took a swipe at Fine Gael, claiming that the Taoiseach is coming under pressure from some of his ministers to call a General Election. timg]MichealMartinCloseUp_large.jpg[/timg] "The view is that some of his ministers have been pushing him to angle for an election for the last three of four months. The word is that Simon Harris wants to get out of Health, Eoghan Murphy wants to get out of Housing because they are not making any progress there. "The only people who have introduced an aura of instability about the Government is the Taoiseach and his Ministers," Mr Martin told RTE's Sean O'Rourke programme. He accused Fine Gael of having a "self absorbed" and "juvenile" approach to talks which is "beggars belief". Responding, Mr Varadkar said his political opponent "seems to know the mind of Minister Murphy and Minister Harris but does anyone know his mind?" "Rather than reading the minds of Minister Murphy and Minister Harris perhaps he might share with us his own mind and his own thought on this," said Mr Varadkar. Mr Harris added that is is now "time to actually get on with it and extend confidence and supply so we can bring political certainty to Ireland". Taking aim at Mr Martin, the Minister said: I didn't hear Mystic Micheal's comments but just to be very clear his party actually ran out of the Department of Health when he was Minister for Health, left Mary Harney sitting in the Department of Health and the Fianna Fail mantra was 'don't touch it, don't come anywhere near it'. Earlier: Fine Gael's 'megaphone diplomacy' does not work with Fianna Fail, Martin says Update 11.18am: Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin says that Fine Gael needs to learn that megaphone diplomacy does not work with Micheal Martin and with Fianna Fail. Making disparaging comments in public is not going to set the pace, he told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke show when asked about Taoiseach Leo Varadkars comments at the weekend. Mr Varadkar had criticised Fianna Fail for its approach to the confidence and supply review, accusing the main Opposition party of dragging the talks out. It was a silly comment, said Mr Martin. Nothing more, nothing less. There was not a lot of substance. It is straying away from the substantive issue. The Fianna Fail leader said that he had written to the Taoiseach a month ago (and has not yet had a response), urging Mr Varadkar to agree not to bring down the government until a Brexit deal has been agreed. It was a genuine and generous offer. However, he felt that Fine Gael views such offers through their own self-absorbed prism. Were giving the government stability to negotiate Brexit and support for three Budgets. Contrast that with the mayhem across the water. Fine Gael thinks we should sign on the dotted line, that everything is going swimmingly. Its not. Mr Martin said there is no danger to the government. The only people who are talking about a threat are the Taoiseach and some of his Ministers. Its juvenile. He said that the word is out that both Simon Harris and Eoghan Murphy want to leave their respective portfolios because they are not happy with progress. Mr Martin acknowledged that some members of his party are impatient about the discussions with Fine Gael and want more emphasis on issues such as housing and health. Thats a healthy thing. The Taoiseach was more concerned about tax cuts than issues such a health, housing or climate change. He had not made them a priority in his speech at the ard fheis, added Mr Martin. Prior to the last general election Enda Kenny had made promises about a 4billion tax package (USC), but as soon as the election was over, it was abandoned. There should be a health warning about any Fine Gael promises. Fine Gael are interested in only one thing and thats reducing tax. There is no magic pot that they can magic 3bn out of. Mr Martin accused the Taoiseach of attacking everyones policies. You have to have a healthy scepticism about Fine Gael policies. Were interested in getting things done. The manner in which Fine Gael is approaching these talks (confidence and supply agreement renegotiation) leaves a lot to be desired. This megaphone diplomacy. A Limerick man has been jailed for 17 years after he raped a 13-year-old girl in a graveyard and continued a sexual relationship with her having manipulated her and isolated her from her friends. Patrick O'Dea (51), also known as Whacker, of Pike Avenue, Limerick, pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court to charges of sexual assault and rape on dates in 1994 and 1995. Leona O'Callaghan waived her right to anonymity so O'Dea could be named in reporting the case. Ms O'Callaghan addressed O'Dea as she read her victim impact statement in court. She said O'Dea was the first man who told her he loved her and said that he manipulated her into believing the disgusting things you did to me, you did out of love. This forever messed with my mind and your warped version of love equals pain remained in my life long after you left it, Ms O'Callaghan said. Speaking of the first time he forced sex on her, Ms O'Callaghan said after using my small innocent body to satisfy your own needs you sent me home bleeding, sore, confused, ashamed, traumatised and sworn to secrecy. She spoke of sitting in a basin of ice in her attic bedroom to help with the swelling and immense pain I was in. The memory of silently sitting in that basin of blood-stained ice wondering if the bleeding would ever stop was one of the hardest memories you gave me. Ms O'Callaghan said. She said the worst damage O'Dea did to her was not to her body but to her mind. In order to get me to a place where I would keep your dirty secrets you isolated me from the people I loved and got inside my mind in a way I still don't full understand. You alienated me from my friends telling me that they were all saying nasty things about me when my back was turned. Rapist Patrick O'Dea Today I peel off that mask of a life only me and you know about. My voice may tremble but I stand here revealing our secrets that you had me carry and that I hated myself for. When it comes to self-hatred this is where most of the damage you did to me hurt me. You weren't just there in a dark scary graveyard invading my body you were also there in the mirror when I looked at myself I hated myself and the dirty person that you made me feel I was that nobody cared about, Ms O'Callaghan said. She spoke of suicide attempts and how she had harmed herself over the years. You were there in my mind every time I took a blade to my body to hurt and cut myself hundreds of times to punish myself for the horrible person I became. You were there in my mind on the three occasions I slit my wrists and took tablet after tablet to try to die and finally let all this be over. One of those times was in the graveyard where you raped me for the first time. I wanted all the pain to end where the pain began. My sister found me eight hours later overdosed with slit wrists still in that graveyard praying for God to just take me and take the pain I was in. You were there in my thoughts a year later when I jumped into the river, my body being torn by undercurrents and over currents as I tried to drown myself along with the memories you had embedded in my brain. I wrote you a letter that day just before I jumped to say you win and I give up. Ms O'Callaghan also spoke of how the abuse caused her problems in her later relationships with her partners and her children. You were there in my mind when I thought saying no to anything sexual wasn't even an option whether I wanted it or not. You were there between the sheets when my skin often crawled when my husband tried to touch me, be intimate or make love to me. When I did manage to overcome this and try to be a normal woman and be intimate you were there the following day when I felt like a dirty slut and felt unjustified anger against my husband. I often wonder what kind of mother I would be and what kind of childhood my kids would have had if you had not raped, molested and manipulated me. My kids would have had a better life if you hadn't messed my mind up. If it wasn't for you I would have been a better mum a better wife a better daughter sister and friend. Instead, I am often the messed up broken person that you made me and there are still more days than not that I hate who I am. Ms O'Callaghan spoke of how she feels she can now move on. The real me is warm and caring but you made me a fighter, you gave me anger and hatred and sadness and fear and isolation and shame and guilt and loneliness. Today I give this back as it belongs with you. It is only in the past two years that I have learned that ending the pain is possible without ending my life. That there is possibly a way of putting all this behind me. A way of handing you back the guilt, the shame, the secrets, the self hatred and distrust that should never have been mine to carry. Finally Ms O'Callaghan turned to O'Dea while reading the last few paragraphs of her victim impact statement. Whacker I stand here today and reluctantly give you your last bit of power by admitting that yes you did manage to tear me down and impact my life more than any other person I've ever known. However I do not just stand here as a victim, I stand as a survivor who is strong, kind and trying their very best to begin a life you held back from me for many years. I have three amazing kids that I see every day I'm proud that despite you I survived the childhood trauma at your hand. I got 515 points in my leaving cert, worked hard, set up my own businesses and I remain an honest, loving person with integrity. I'm becoming the mother my kids deserve to have and my future is looking brighter. "So in a nut shell, despite standing here with my heart on my sleeve and admitting the affect you have had on me, let me be clear, you did not win. Leona OCallaghan (right, 37) hugs consent protester Stacie Ellen Murphy outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin today after Patrick ODea (51) of Pike Avenue, Limerick, was sentenced to 17 years for Leona O'Callaghan's rape and sexual assault on dates in 1994 and 1995. ODea pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial. Photo: Laura Hutton/Collins Photo Agency Evidence During evidence the court heard that following the first incident of rape, Ms O'Callaghan sat on a basin of ice in her bedroom to help stop the bleeding and swelling. O'Dea met with her a few days later and pulled her away from her friends. He complained that she had gotten blood on his jacket and he said he had to get it dry cleaned. Ms O'Callaghan later recalled that he told her she had bled because she was a virgin and he promised it would not hurt as much the next time. He told her her virginity was a wall and that the bleeding had been breaking down the wall. O'Dea has 42 previous convictions including a 15 year sentence for multiple rape and sexual assaults of one girl over a six year period between 1998 and 2004. Today Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy imposed a sentence of 18 and a half years on O'Dea. She suspended the last 18 months in recognition of his the plea of guilty and his willingness to take part in a psychological assessment. This assessment places O'Dea at an above average risk of sexual reoffending and states that he has no real insight into the damage caused by his above crimes. Ms Justice Murphy suspended the 18 months on condition O'Dea engage with the Building Better Lives sex offender treatment programme. She imposed a post release supervision order on O'Dea of three years. The judge said that O'Dea isolated and manipulated the victim. She said his abuse of her has done enormous damage to her psyche. Garda Barry Manton told Garnet Orange SC, prosecuting that O'Dea came into contact with Ms O'Callaghan while she was hanging out with her older sister and that girl's friends in the Garryowen area of Limerick. Ms O'Callaghan later told gardai that O'Dea latched himself onto the group and started to focus on her, giving her special attention. He first sexually assaulted her at a local waste ground where he touched her breasts after kissing her. He told her he had wanted to touch them for a long time. O'Dea sexually abused Ms O'Callaghan in a similar way again before he began to worry that they may be seen together and suggested instead they meet in a local graveyard. Gda Manton said in Halloween 1994 he asked her to perform oral sex on him. She tried to do it but she stopped and refused to do it again. O'Dea stormed off. He then raped her in the graveyard, after putting his coat under a tree and telling her to lie down on it. He said he was going to ride the arse off her. She tried to get back up but he got hold of her hands and she continued to say she didn't want to. O'Dea told her to pee and wash straight away. She was frightened when she saw the bleeding, which was when he got the basin of ice. O'Dea had sex with her again. On one occasion her sister became aware they were meeting so he suggested they meet at a shed at the back of his mother's home. He had sex with her there after laying her down on a mattress. Gda Manton said in 1996 O'Dea told Ms O'Callaghan he wanted to see what it was like to have sex in a bed. He then had sex with her in his bedroom while his mother was in the sitting room. The was the final incident. Gda Manton said Ms O'Callaghan told a teacher what was going on and her parents were contacted. O'Dea has 42 previous convictions including a 15 year sentence for multiple rape and sexual assaults of two complainants over a six year period between 1998 and 2004. Paddy McGrath SC, defending, asked Ms Justice Murphy to accept his client's plea of guilty as an indication of his remorse, an acceptance of his wrong doing. He said it is O'Dea's opinion that he was neither physically or emotionally abusive to the victim but accepts that his behaviour was wholly inappropriate and exploitative. Mr McGrath said his client grew up in Limerick city and was always small in stature possibly due to malnourishment. Its time for politicians to listen to the business community about Brexit says the Northern Ireland regional director of the Confederation of British Industry. Angela McGowan told RTEs Morning Ireland that the business community has a better understanding of what is happening with regard to Brexit and its impact. Theresa Mays draft deal will provide a much-needed withdrawal period, we cannot be at the cliff edge, we couldnt cope. The deal brings the business community back from a no deal Brexit. A no-deal scenario doesnt work for any business. Ms McGowan said that businesses in Northern Ireland want an open path to frictionless trade. The DUP has not been in contact with the CBI, she added. Its time for politicians to listen to the business community who have a much better understanding of what is happening. Weve been saying this for the last two years and four months. The CBI would prefer for the whole of the UK to stay in the Common Market, she said. Unfortunately thats not on the table. The only show in town is the withdrawal deal. Under no circumstances should we have no deal. Ms McGowan pointed out that the CBI has conducted extensive research across the UK in 23 sectors, 21 of which want to be aligned to the EU. Companies will always adhere to the highest standards. A 24-year-old man has been charged with the murder of David Daithi Douglas who was shot dead in Dublin two years ago. Gareth Brophy, who is currently of no fixed abode but from Dublins south inner city, told gardai Sorry for his loss, if that means anything when he was charged. Douglas, 55, from Killala Road, in Cabra in north Dublin was fatally wounded in a shooting outside his wifes shop on Bridgefoot Street in Dublin on the afternoon of July 1, 2016. He was the ninth person to die in the Hutch-Kinahan feud. Mr Brophy was remanded in custody after he appeared before Judge Dermot Simms at Dublin District Court this morning charged with the murder of Mr Douglas. Evidence was given by Detective Garda Nall Godfrey. He told the court the accused was arrested at the Barn House public house in Dolphins Barn, Dublin 8 at 11.58pm yesterday. He was taken to Kevin Street station and charged there at 2.54am this morning. Detective Garda Godfrey said he cautioned Mr Brophy that he did not have to say anything and anything he did say may be given in evidence. In reply to the charge, Mr Brophy said, Sorry for his loss if that means anything, Detective Garda Godfrey said. The court heard the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the accused was to be returned for trial and he could also be sent forward for sentence on a signed plea should that arise. Defence solicitor Jenny McGeever furnished the court with a statement of her clients means. Noting there was no garda objection, Judge Simms granted legal aid and remanded the accused in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Dressed in a grey hooded jumper, blue jeans and black runners, Mr Brophy stood smiling with his arms folded throughout the brief hearing. During the proceedings, he spoke quietly to his legal team but has not yet indicated how he will plead. As he was led out of the courtroom, he blew a kiss to family members in the public gallery saying, Go on I love yous. By Declan Brennan and Brion Hoban A teacher in a Dublin mosque who displayed an unhealthy interest in a six-year-old girl he went on to molest has received a partially suspended sentence. Abdur Rashid (aged 50) was convicted last January by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a single count of sexual assault at the mosque on a date in December 2015. The former Leitrim resident, later of Blessington Court, Dublin, had denied the charge. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Rashid to 18 months imprisonment but suspended the final four months for a period of one year providing he follow the direction of the Probation Services and keep the peace and be of good behaviour upon his release. Garda Paul Griffin told Pieter LeVert BL, prosecuting, that the child's mother was picking her up from the school when she noticed something was wrong. The child told her mother her teacher had touched her genital area. The woman confronted Rashid immediately and he indicated he had been teaching the girl wudu, an Islamic ritual procedure for washing parts of the body. The court heard that after his arrest the married father told gardai that he had held the girl in his lap and kissed her like he would kiss his own daughter. He denied kissing her with his tongue and denied sexually molesting her. He claimed because her reading performance was very good he lifted her up to kiss her but she slipped in his hands and he ended up holding her by the thighs. Asked if he had lost his senses at the time and acted on impulse he told gardai I can't say. A victim impact report from the girl's mother stated the victim was diagnosed with anxiety after the attack. This caused her to suffer stomach pains which were so severe they caused her to cry. She had nightmares about her teacher coming to take her away and was afraid to go to school for a time after the assault. Damien Colgan SC, defending, said the Bangladesh national had previously lived in Carrick-on-Shannon before moving to Dublin where he worked as a chef. The court heard that a psychological report stated that Rashid currently meets the diagnostic criteria for Schziophrenia and delusional disorder and is psychologically vulnerable. A further psychiatric report indicated that, at present, he is not suffering from a psychiatric illness. Judge Codd said Rashid had displayed an unhealthy interest in the child before the assault. She said the man was guilty of a gross exploitation of the innocence of a very young child. She said this was an aggravating factor in the case along with the age of the victim, the emotional and psychological effects on her and the abuse of the teacher/student relationship. Judge Codd said the mitigating factors in the case were the fact that Rashid was psychologically vulnerable, his lack of previous convictions, his having a wife and family, and that his being a Bangladesh national may make his imprisonment more difficult. She commended the child and her mother for their courage in giving evidence during the trial. She backdated the sentence to January 30, of this year when he first went into custody. A serial sex offender who attacked three women in the space of eleven days after meeting them through the Tinder dating app will be sentenced for two of the attacks next month. Patrick Nevin (37) attacked the women during their first meeting after they had being texting each other on Tinder and over the mobile phone. In texts sent before meeting up one victim told Nevin that she was not interested in meeting for a one night stand or a hook up. Nevin agreed but after driving her to a secluded spot he raped her. Reading from her own victim impact statement the mother of one told the Central Criminal Court that she feels tainted, dirty and stupid for meeting up with Nevin. She said that her life has changed since what is the worst night of my life. When I signed up to Tinder it was to look for a potential relationship. I wasn't aware I was meeting a monster. He said OK when I messaged saying I wasn't looking for sex. I assumed he was OK with just going for a drive and a chat. He 100% abused that trust and just used me like a piece of dirt. Last July Nevin pleaded guilty to rape of this woman at Bellewstown, Co Meath on July 12, 2014, and to sexual assault of a second woman at an unknown place in Co Meath on July 16, 2014. The father-of-two was due to stand trial on that occasion but changed his pleas to guilty following a legal ruling, which would allow the prosecution to introduce evidence from other women describing attacks by Nevin on a first date. Today the victim of the rape told the court: To say I was terrified is an understatement. After he raped me I was convinced he was going to leave me for dead in that area beside an old graveyard. I had images running through my head of how he was going to kill me. He had the strength. The victim impact statement of the other woman was handed into court but not read out, apart from excerpts read out by lawyers for Nevin. Nevin's attack on her was recorded by his phone and he can be heard getting angry and telling her to get out and walk home if she didn't have sex with him. Sergeant Selina Proudfoot said the number of times the victim said no to Nevin during the 44-minute long ordeal was notable. The former UCD student and computer programmer was separately convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last December (2017) of sexually assaulting a third woman, a Brazilian student, after driving her to the UCD campus in south Dublin on July 23, 2014. He had denied the offence and he is to be sentenced for this only this coming Friday. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Nevin in continuing custody for sentence on December 17 next. Formerly of Meadowlands Court, Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire and Dundalk, Co Louth, Nevin has a previous conviction for assault on a former partner in 2001. The court heard that he battered the woman's two dogs to death before punching and kicking the woman in a prolonged assault which only ended when he finally fell asleep. He was jailed for seven years for this attack and released in 2007. In April 2012 he was given a suspended four-year sentence for a firearms conviction. Gda Buckley said that in April 2010 Nevin had committed a minor traffic infringement and then failed to stop. During a garda pursuit that followed, he threw a stun gun from the car. He was still serving this suspended sentence when he committed the sex attacks in July 2014. In all of the Tinder attacks, Nevin would convince the women to meet with him for a drive and he would pick them up at their home in a blue BMW. The court heard the women were fearful after the attack because Nevin knew where they lived. Lawyers for Nevin asked the court to consider in mitigation his guilty plea and said this plea was of comfort to the victims. Paddy McGrath SC, defending, said the plea was an expression of Nevin's remorse. The plea came after the defence lost a legal battle to prevent evidence of similar type first date attacks by Nevin being heard by the jury. Mr McGrath also said Nevin had written letters of apology to the victims. He said that his client was a relatively young man and asked the court to leave him some light at end of the tunnel. Two brothers of Irishman Sean Cox, who suffered life-changing injuries, following an attack at a Liverpool match earlier this year, have thanked the citys people for their unbelievable support. Sean and his brother Martin Cox were heading to the Anfield stadium for the Reds Champions League semi-final tie against Roma when they were attacked by away supporters in April. The father of three was left with injuries that required him to be placed into an induced coma, he was subsequently transferred to a Dublin hospital and is now being cared for at Dun Laoghaire Rehabilitation Hospital. But still needing long-term treatment which could span years, a Gofundme.com page was set up in order to provide support for Cox and his family, raising almost 400,000 so far. Donations have come from Roma and their chairman Jim Pallotta, Jurgen Klopp, Peter Moore, Michael Edwards, Christian Purslow, David Meyler and Seamus Coleman. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo as they returned to Liverpool over the weekend to receive a 60,000 (67,000) cheque, Martin and Peter Cox said the support for their family has, been massive Peter said: The support has been massive, absolutely massive.When you are down and you see what the people of Liverpool are doing for you.The bucket collection that day, seeing the clips of Liverpool people, women, men, children, taking their own time out in the cold for my brother, its unbelievable. The generosity is overwhelming, it really is and we cant thank them enough. Martin explained that his brothers condition is gradually getting better, but added that it had been very tough for their family, describing the attack as surreal, horrific and life changing. Liverpool players last May holding a banner supporting Sean. He added that Sean was recently able to pick up a cup by himself unaided for the first time, and that he is working his way back to eating properly. Their time in hospital alongside him has been, understandably, very difficult, and particularly while he was initially being treated in the Walton Centre in Liverpool. But Martin said that small gestures from those in Liverpool including taxi drivers who drove them back to their hotel and refused a fare helped them through. "One minute you are down walking to the match with your brother, a Champions League semi-final. Then in the space of 12 seconds your life is changed completely. It's like a sliding doors moment. Walking up, arm in arm, we couldn't wait to get into the ground - a Champions League semi-final, the biggest game of the season. And the next minute we are in an ambulance being rushed to the Walton Centre. It was surreal, horrific, life changing. The first month he spent in the Walton Centre and we were travelling over to see him, taxi drivers, just ordinary people, were giving their fares, he recalled. They were going out for a nights work on a Monday or a Tuesday when things are quiet and they would pick us up from the hospital and bring us back to the hotel. They would say sorry for asking, are you related to the guy who was attacked?. We would say yes and they would say its OK, you dont have to give us the fare. We would be like come on, this is your living. Its the little things like that. Its true what they say, Youll Never Walk Alone. The people of Liverpool have proved that. Donations can be made to gofundme.com/SupportSeanCox. After unsuccessful talks lasting more than two years and being restricted to home crowds of 57,000, the Hammers opted to take the matter to the High Court and announced on Monday they have reached an agreement with landlord E20. The club say the new arrangement means that, subject to regulatory permissions, they will be able to sell up to 60,000 tickets for their games as soon as possible and leaves scope to expand up to 66,000 seats for future matches. Apple chief executive Tim Cook argued in an interview with Axios that aired on HBO Sunday that the tech industry's approach to privacy reflects a failure of the free market, and that government regulation is "inevitable" in the face of missteps by platforms such as Google and Facebook. Cook said that he was no fan of regulation, and that he prefers markets to operate unimpeded. But Silicon Valley needs to get with the program, he said. Apple chief executive Tim Cook is expecting more stringent regulation of the technology industry. Credit:AP "We have to admit when the free market is not working," Cook said, "and it hasn't worked here. I think it's inevitable that there will be some level of regulation. I think Congress and the administration at some point will pass something." The interview marks the latest attempt by Cook to distance his company from other tech giants as they increasingly come under scrutiny for their role in spreading misinformation and hate speech and losing control over customer data. If Albus Lumen designer Marina Afonina wins her category at the Australian Fashion Laureate, you have to wonder if there will be enough room in her trophy cabinet. First came the BT Emerging Fashion Designer Award in March, then a highly praised show at Fashion Week. Next, she was the sole Australian to qualify for the final of the annual Woolmark Prize and, now, she is up for best emerging designer at Tuesday's ceremony. Fashion Laureate finalist Marina Afonina, right, with one of her designs being worn by model Charlotte Coquelin. Credit:Steven Siewert But the Russian-born, Sydney-based designer seems unfazed by it all. She is focusing on her Woolmark final entry (no spoilers, just that the collection "aesthetically stays true to [her] brand") and, although she is considering an international show (perhaps Paris) next year, she sees no rush. "I could make Albus Lumen bigger and larger if I wanted to, but I don't really want to go there yet," Afonina says. "It's baby steps." Some of these kids cant speak, are not mobile, they sit in a cot, they have 20 seizures a day and they die when theyre 12. So, absolutely devastating neuro-developmental disorders, he says. The researchers take skin cells from the children, turn them into pluripotent stem cells that can form almost any tissue in the body, then direct them to become neurons. Through a microscope you can clearly see the slender bodies of those brain cells afloat in a watery matrix. Hook them up to electrodes and you get something mind-bending. These guys are talking to each other - the computer shows spikes of electrical activity as the neurons fire. Steven Petrou gives a lecture in May on his work with minibrains and the Genetic Epilepsy Team Australia. Credit:Facebook But for the kids Petrou is trying to help, the chatter is out of whack. Some have a mutation in a gene called SCN2A that controls the passage of sodium in and out of the neuron. This is a gain of function of excitation, so this channel works too hard and produces epilepsy, says Petrou. Replicating that glitch in a dish has allowed the researchers to tailor a treatment right there on the bench; Petrou is on the verge of announcing a clinical trial of a gene therapy to treat one variant of the disorder. And it wont just aim to stop the seizures. The idea with precision medicine in this application is if you can fix the fundamental disorder far enough back in the pathological chain, you should fix all the problems," says Petrou. If the treatment works, these kids could be spared the intellectual disability and movement disorders that go hand-in-glove with constant seizures. From Down syndrome to Alzheimer's disease Organoid research is also making its mark at the other end of life. Professor Ernst Wolvetang at the University of Queensland (UQ) is making brain organoids with skin cells from people with Down syndrome who, tragically, have a much higher risk of Alzheimers disease. A 34-day-old brain organoid section. Credit:Courtesy of Mariana Oksdath Mansilla, Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide But that also means their organoids are an exceptional model to examine the illness, which is the most common form of dementia. Im still amazed and surprised by how many cell types we can find in these still relatively primitive organoids. All the major cell types that you expect in the brain are there, says Wolvetang. That faithful rendering has led to a major discovery. Traditional thinking is that smudge-like amyloid plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimers cause a second change called tau tangles, which look a bit like musical crotchet notes. The tau tangles kill the brain cells. Wolvetangs team used gene editing to stop plaques forming in the organoids. What they found next has upended the Alzheimers orthodoxy. PET scan results from a study on brain function in Alzheimer's disease at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. Credit:AP The plaques are normalised but the tau pathology is still there suggesting that ... the plaques are not driving that pathology directly. Which is kind of heretical but, you know, thats how it is, says Wolvetang, with a chuckle. The upshot is that Wolvetang is going after tau, testing a drug in the organoids to stop it in its tracks. So does the drug, which he cant name for commercial reasons, do the trick? The initial data suggest that it does, says Wolvetang. A light in a rat's eye The next step is to test it in mice, but to understand how Wolvetang will do that you need a brief lesson in some recent, slightly disturbing science. Wolvetangs organoids grow to the size of a small pea - around five millimetres - in about 160 days. After that they begin to rot from the inside out. Its because the minibrain has to suck nutrients and oxygen from the fluid in the dish which can only penetrate so far. Thats why the race is on to get blood vessels into organoids. In April, a team led by Fred "Rusty" Gage at the Salk Institute announced they had done just that. They grafted a human brain organoid into a mouse brain. The mouse blood vessels penetrated the organoid and the nerve cells of each intertwined and relayed messages. It sounds creepy, but the ick factor ratchets up when you consider related research published in the last northern winter in the US. Boris Karloff, left, and Colin Clive in a scene from the 1931 classic film Frankenstein. Credit:Universal Studios/AP Scientists implanted human brain organoids into the visual centre of a rat brain. When they shone a light in the rats eye, the human brain cells fired. Mary Shelley would be impressed. Horror scenarios notwithstanding, Wolvetang is following suit, grafting his organoids into mice to test, among others, if the tau drug is best given by mouth or nose and to see if it crosses the blood-brain barrier. But there might be another way to get vessels into minibrains, one that could free the organoid to grow bigger than a mouses skull, essential if were ever to have a full-size brain on a bench. There is a push to grow artificial blood vessels in organoids, and Wolvetang has skin in that game. Together with UQ bioengineer Justin Cooper-White, he is using primitive endothelial cells to urge vessels forth into the organoid. So, are vessels invading the minibrain? It is not super-ready yet, but it seems to be going that way, yes, says Wolvetang. Which raises the question of just how big it can get. I think it would be able to be at least two to three times bigger, says Wolvetang. It is scalable, so we dont know exactly where the limit is. It is a game where size matters. As Cambridge-based organoid pioneer Dr Madeline Lancaster explained in a recent talk, novel medical treatments often fall off the clinical trial cliff they might work in mice, but when you trial them in people they either dont work or have toxic side-effects. Stem cell-derived neurons from a four-year-old child with a mutation in the SCN2A gene causing epileptic encephalopathy. Credit:Courtesy of Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Hence the need for a faithful model that will approach the magnitude of the roughly 86 billion neurons in our own noggins. But it is also about structure, and here the cerebral organoid is Janus-faced. On the one hand, it can spectacularly mimic human brain anatomy, such as the six layers of the cortex, the regions responsible for thought, speech and movement. On the other hand its architecture can be like a Salvador Dali dreamscape, with six or seven hemispheres, two cerebellums and three retinas. It is a structure, says Lancaster, much like the childhood nerve cell tumour neuroblastoma. That fact lends a certain irony to the work of Dr Guillermo Gomez at the Centre for Cancer Biology in Adelaide, who is deploying organoids to combat the devastating brain cancer glioblastoma. An image showing GBM (Glioblastoma multiforme) tumour cells (red) in a healthy brain organoid (green). Credit:Courtesy of Mariana Oksdath Mansilla, Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide There is no cure, says Gomez of the cancer, whose five-year survival rate is 4.6 per cent. With the five-year survival rate during the last 30 years, you see a flat curve. No changes. No progress, he says. Gomez is aiming to shift that trend. He takes samples of glioblastoma, removed when the patient has surgery for the tumour, then regrows the cancer in a brain organoid made from healthy stem cells. The goal is to test drugs that might halt the tumours spread while leaving the healthy brain tissue intact. It is precision medicine writ large. Each person is different ... diseases are also very different. It is very hard to put everyone in the same bag. That is why we cannot give the same drug to every patient, says Gomez. The research starts in the patient and is aimed to be used in the same patient. 'Our organoids are dreaming' The hope of stunning medical breakthroughs aside, there is something unsettling about the fact that when these scientists go home at night, the organoids sit quietly in their wells firing away. Its a point that hasnt escaped Wolvetang. Our organoids are dreaming. Of course they are not dreaming like we do, but they have what we call autogenic activity. They are firing by themselves, which makes you wonder why they are talking to each other, he says. As that chatter gets more complex we will, according to US neuroscientist Christof Koch, be faced with a very thorny question: Is this thing in pain? It is the kind of question UNSW philosopher Professor Susan Dodds ponders for a living. Her response in this case is, however, sceptical. Even fully developed adult brain tissue does not itself feel pain, says Dodds. She is referring to the glaring fact that, once neurosurgeons have cut through the skull, they can operate on the brain while a person is wide awake because it doesnt have pain receptors. Affinity, a massive, interactive light sculpture representing neurons in the brain is seen on the forecourt of the Arts Centre in Melbourne in 2015. The sculpture was commissioned by Alzheimer's Australia. Credit:Wayne Taylor Of course, direct electrical stimulation of the brain in the right spot can trigger sensations, including pleasure. And, although pain is complex, researchers have recently identified an ouch zone. So, could a zap to the right spot in the organoid cause pain? When you experience pain, you require a brain that is able to process it as suffering, says Dodds. The big question is do the brain organoids have consciousness, and I dont think we have any evidence of consciousness whatsoever with these things. What we do have, says Dodds, are patterns of activity that we might compare with the wriggling of a roundworm, well short of anything that could qualify as a conscious self. She also points to another reason why a sentient organoid is a very big ask. In order for it to have sentience it needs to be integrated with some kind of external experience ... we would normally think that sentience requires some kind of organ of sense, she says. And organoids, of course, dont come equipped with ears, eyes, nose, tongue or curious exploring fingers. Yet. The question of consciousness An experiment posted on preprint website bioRxiv in June shows just how fast the field is moving. A team led by Lancaster connected a human brain organoid to a mouse spinal cord with attached muscles. By stimulating the organoid they created an impulse that made the muscle contract. Its hard not to think of Dr Frankenstein yelling Its alive as his monsters fingers twitch in the 1931 horror movie. The point being that with an outgoing motor pathway established, the possibility for an incoming sensory pathway would seem to be closer. I asked Lancaster about that via email. I do think it might be feasible to provide sensory input of some sort, says Lancaster, with some caveats. Sentience is much more than just input and output, she says, adding that you need complex neuron types, chemical messengers such as dopamine, and an organised flow of information over the network. A cockroach has all of the above, but we wouldnt consider it to have advanced cognition ... and its generally accepted that in addition to sentience our advanced cognition is what makes us human, says Lancaster. Stem cells shown through a microscope in a research lab at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in San Francisco in 2010. Credit:Bloomberg Adding to the imbroglio, even if a minibrain could get conscious, how would you ever know? After all, you cant ask it if it is awake. As it happens, a technique is being refined to objectively measure consciousness. In a recent book, Italian neuroscientist Marcello Massimini describes a procedure, which he first published in 2013, that stimulates the brain from outside the skull and measures the brainwave response. Massimini has calibrated it on people with varying degrees of impaired consciousness, from sleep to severe brain trauma. As consciousness drops, brainwaves become less complex. Last year he modified the technique to work with ferret brain slices kept alive in a solution (clearly the human calibrations dont apply). I asked him via email whether that technique could, in principle, work in organoids. Yes, it could be used, said Massimini, adding that The aim is clearly to explore the mechanisms of complexity rather than inferring consciousness. Complexity is something of a buzzword in organoid research. Recent Australian research upped the stakes by 3D-printing brain tissue, bringing a replica brain on a bench into tantalising - if very distant - focus. "I think that education is important, but what's even more important is making sure that we try and do something about climate change," Nia said of her motivations for participating in the Parliament House protest. "There are ways that we can do that, by helping create new models of electric cars and not adding to the greenhouse gas levels. It really is just small things that we can do in our community, which can make a big difference." Iolo, 11, hoped the protest would pressure politicians into fast-tracking the transition to a 100 per cent renewable energy market. "We just really want to try and get the message out that there is a future and we want it to be a great future," Iolo said. "We want lots of green, not just a world of rising seas and tornadoes." The siblings' involvement in the protest has the blessing of their mother, Shilo Preston-Stanley, who said peaceful protest was an important means for young people to communicate their concerns. Jarryd Hayne must report to police three times a week, refrain from entering the Newcastle area and post $20,000 surety to meet strict bail conditions imposed by police, after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault against a 26-year-old woman. The embattled rugby league star spent more than nine hours at Ryde local police station on Monday evening, when he handed himself into police over the alleged sexual assault that took place at a home in the Hunter region on the NRL grand final night in September. Hayne finally emerged from the police station in the early hours of Tuesday morning, accompanied by his manager Wayne Beavis, having been charged with aggravated sexual assault by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad. With a grey jumper slung around his shoulders, Hayne made no comment to a waiting media pack as he was picked up by a dark silver vehicle. Pedestrians who pound the pavement in inner Sydney could face a shorter wait to cross the road under a push to ease crowding at busy intersections and make it safer to walk around the city. Faced with a growing number of residents and visitors traversing the city on foot, the City of Sydney is urging the NSW government to introduce a raft of measures that would boost pedestrian access. Pedestrians in Sydney's city centre complete about 1.15 million walking trips per day. Credit:Peter Braig Councillors unanimously supported a motion in September that called for action to reduce pedestrian delays and ease congestion on footpaths across the city. In a letter to NSW Roads Minister Melinda Pavey, lord mayor Clover Moore pushed for the roads authority to install red-light cameras at all intersections across the city's pedestrian-heavy core. When Queenslands new youth mental health facility opens in early 2020, the state will finally have the mental health facilities it needs, its former chief psychiatrist told reporters on Monday afternoon. However, that will be six years after the previous LNP government closed the Barrett Adolescent Centre at Wacol in January 2014. Mental health advocate Katherine Moodie at the launch of the replacement Barrett Adolescent Centre which was closed in January 2014. Credit:Tony Moore Until it closed, the Barrett Adolescent Centre was Queenslands only mental health facility for adolescents that offered a live-in facility. Construction of its purpose-built replacement $27 million mental health facility for adolescents at Prince Charles Hospital finally began on Monday afternoon, 11 months after it was promised work would start. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- After Japanese media reported that Nissan Motors Chairman Carlos Ghosn violated Japanese financial law, the automaker confirmed that it has been investigating over the past several months on the chairman and Representative Director Greg Kelly. Nissan said that the investigation showed that the two executives have been reporting less compensation amounts than the actual amounts for many years. Besides, the automaker has also uncovered other serious misconduct of Ghosn, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. Hiroto Saikawa, Nissans Chief Executive Officer will propose to the Nissan Board of Directors to promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as Chairman and Representative Director. In 1996, Renault recruited Ghosn as executive vice president. After Renault purchased a 36.8% stake in Nissan, Ghosn joined Nissan as its chief operating officer (COO) in June 1999 and became its president in June, 2000. Ghosn became the Japanese automakers CEO in the following year. As the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s board meets today to thrash out the many differences it has with the government, one of the key points of contention is the government's alleged demand for transfer of Rs 3.6 lakh crore of the central bank's reserves to itself. Even as the reports of demand for transfer of additional reserves has created a lot of buzz with opposition parties blaming the government of playing with the independence of autonomous institutions like RBI, a section of economists have a slightly less rhetorical view on the issue. While the former chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramaniam had said in the last year's Economic Survey report that the RBI is already exceptionally highly capitalised and there is no particular reason why this extra capital should be kept with the RBI. "In fact, it is one of the most highly capitalised central banks in the world. So, it would seem to be more productive to redeploy some of this capital in other ways," he had said. He was of the view that the excess capital could be used in several good ways -- for recapitalising the banks and extinguishing debt to demonstrate that the government is serious about a strong public sector fiscal position. He was, though, not in favour of using it for meeting expenses as he says "the uses to which this is should be of a balance sheet nature". Arvind Virmani, the former CEA, also says that the demand for higher share of current profits to be paid as dividends to the government is a legitimate demand. However, he says it would be a gross fiscal irresponsibility to convert legacy accumulated reserves into dividends for use for current expenditures. However, he feels the use of excess reserves to write off past loans from RBI to the government would help clean up the balance sheets of the RBI and the government. "This would be completely consistent with the government's approach to the two balance sheets and would have a positive effect on markets," he says. The former deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia says while there are two views on the reserve issue with someone like Arvind Subramaniam saying that this can be done, the bottom line frankly is that nowhere in the world transfer of funds from central banks is treated as genuine way of modifying the fiscal deficit. An economist from a rating agency, who refused to be quoted, said that a key question which remains unanswered is who should decide if the RBI has sufficient reserves. "Should the government decide this or should the RBI," He asks. However, he is of the opinion that both the government and the RBI should avoid public spat over the issue as there is a report from YH Malegam Committee on the issue and they should consult him and his report to arrive at a consensus. A 21 year old Greenvale man has been arrested on terrorism charges. Credit:Channel Nine A deadly attack plotted by a terror cell and designed to kill as many as possible in Melbourne has been foiled, police say, after raids in the city's north this morning. Three men, including two brothers, were arrested in Dallas, Campbellfield and Greenvale when authorities raided their homes at 3am on Tuesday. Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the plot was inspired by Islamic State and although police have been investigating the men since March last year, their communication increased in the past week following the Bourke Street attack and trial of James Gargasoulas. In the last few days, they had tried to obtain at least one .22 semi-automatic rifle, police allege. I went to Pellegrinis for lunch with my brother. We had granita, pasta, apple strudel and coffee as weve been doing for the past four decades. We sat in the kitchen at the big wooden table opposite the cast iron stove and warm, welcoming chefs in masterful control of the steaming pots of authentic Italian fare. RIP: Sisto Malaspina at Pellegrini's. The table was full of guests in twos and threes, strangers brought together by their love of this place and of one special man. The stools in the front room were occupied with a rotation of customers, all wanting and needing to be present to pay tribute to a giant of a man, inexorably linked to their memories of this iconic Melbourne cafe. Sisto as many will remember him Credit:Joe Armao Sisto Malaspina was not behind the counter pumping out coffees or slabs of cake, nor was he at his corner of the bar with his long black and newspaper. His absence was palpable, his beaming smile looking down on us from a photo on the wall. The aching chasm left was filled with hugs, care and love. A Mandurah man charged with raping a woman in a daylight attack at the University of Western Australia has pleaded not guilty. The University of Western Australia. Credit:Bohdan Warchomij Wayne Christ Adeline, 22, appeared at Perth Magistrates Court last week charged with six counts of sexual penetration without consent and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. Police allege the incident occurred at 8.30am in a UWA toilet block near Mounts Bay Road, Crawley. As a part of their investigation, police had released a CCTV image of a man leaving the toilet block, which was in an area of the university cordoned off at the time of the alleged attack. The states only alternative to prison for people with disabilities who have been charged with crimes, but not convicted, is housing only two people and has housed only three in as many years, despite costing $4.5 million a year to run. The former state government opened the $8.5 million Bennett Brook facility in Caversham in 2015 for people aged 16 and over who had charges laid against them but were deemed mentally unfit to enter a plea. Bennett Brook is WA's only declared place and alternative to prison for people with a disability who are charged but not convicted of an offence. Credit:Department of Communities Previously the only options were releasing them into the community, or sending people with intellectual disabilities to prison for crimes they might be innocent of. The former state government built it with a capacity and anticipated need of up to 10 at a time. It had originally planned to build two centres before dropping that to one. Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. Loading The UK is yet to set out the details of its post-Brexit migration policy. Freedom of movement for EU nationals will continue until the end of the post-Brexit transition period: currently set for December 2020, but to be potentially extended until 2022 or beyond. Brexit campaigners in 2016 called for a genuine Australian-style points system, which they said would apply the same rules to EU and non-EU migrants. The UKs then-Labour government introduced what it called an Australian-style points-based system for non-European workers and students in 2008, though the system has been criticised for being points-based in name only, and in fact relying on employer sponsorship. There has also been a monthly cap on Tier 2 skilled worker visas, which was hit every month in 2018 until September when doctors and nurses were removed from the cap. But the cap is not the only problem for UK companies who wish to employ Australians, said Elizabeth Ames, executive director of the Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce. Companies involved in both the Australian and UK markets (say) greater mobility and visa flexibility is one of their top priorities when thinking about a post-Brexit relationship between the two countries, Ames said. Especially for SMEs and startups the costs involved in visa sponsorship are prohibitive and can create difficulties for Australian companies looking to expand into the UK market but bring some of their existing staff with them. Loading Tier 2 visa applicants need to be employed by a licensed sponsor company, which must prove to the government the applicant can do the job they are hiring for. Applicants must also be paid at least 30,000pa ($52,000) in their new job, have 945 ($1600) in their bank account for three months in a row, provide a criminal record certificate, detail their travel history for the last five years, and pay more than $1000 in fees and a yearly healthcare surcharge. In addition to this, some professionals, such as doctors, cannot have their credentials automatically recognised and need to go through an expensive and time-consuming re-registration process, Ames said. Mutual recognition of qualifications could be achieved relatively quickly and easily and can be done outside of a formal Free Trade Agreement. Loading One Australian engineer working in the UK oil and gas industry, who asked not to be named, said there was a big advantage for Australians who had UK passports through their parents, or could get an ancestry visa through their grandparents. But she said she found it quite straightforward and relatively easy to get a visa because she was sponsored by a big company with a lot of experience in sponsoring Australians. Engineers in general are always sought after and wanted, and a lot of UK companies quite like to employ Australians and New Zealanders, she said. There is normally a big demand for engineers across all industry engineering sectors, thanks to big projects in rail, wind energy and infrastructure. But the current system meant it was a lot easier to get a job with a big company than in small or medium enterprises. And it was also easier for young people who could come on youth mobility visas and job hunt in person its always harder to get a job if youre not in the country, she said. Another issue she found was that if you came through company sponsorship it can be quite hard to change jobs. The UK governments Migration Advisory Committee issued a report in September outlining its recommendations for a new UK migration system. Dubai: Yemens Houthi movement said on Monday it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemens main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "After our contacts with the UN envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes ... We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. Thats not because theres anything particularly unique about the tech industry. Its just that, after all these years, Americans have discovered that its an industry just like any other, intent on protecting its bottom line regardless of the cost. For years Amazon workers, in the US and elsewhere, have struggled with low wages and difficult working conditions. Facebook, it turns out, has been working to discredit its critics while doing little to stem the tide of fake accounts spreading misinformation. Twitter continues to provide a platform for white nationalists and rarely responds effectively to complaints of harassment and threats. Loading Now people are demanding action. Under intense pressure from activists and politicians like Bernie Sanders, Amazon last month raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour, pledging to lobby Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to match (the current federal minimum is $7.25). That decision was made not because Amazon is inherently good - for years it has failed to offer a living wage - but because it faced public protest, bad press, and potential regulation. Facebook and Twitter have not fared as well, in part because their companies are more firmly wed to the notion that they can do no wrong. That has been a more difficult fiction to maintain in the wake of the 2016 election, when hacking social media and hacking democracy seemed to be one and the same. That social media served as an important portal of Russian interference has led Americans to view those companies more suspiciously (even as they maintain their regular use of the sites). Politicians have taken note of this public discomfort, and in one of the few bipartisan moments of the past several years, both Republicans and Democrats have focused attention on Facebook in particular (just this autumn, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks founder, had to testify before Congress). Calls for regulating Google, Facebook, and Twitter have been mounting on both the left and the right in recent months. Miami: Florida's turbulent midterm election has finally finished after a statewide recount confirmed Republican Governor Rick Scott as the state's next senator on Sunday. After a gruelling 12-day recount, the Democratic opponent Senator Bill Nelson accepted defeat, trailing, by 10,033 votes out of more than 8.1 million cast. "Now the campaign truly is behind us, and that's where we need to leave it," Scott, who attended orientation on Capitol Hill last week, said in a statement on Sunday. "We must do what Americans have always done: come together for the good of our state and our country." Florida Governor Rick Scott has finally been given the nod as the state's next senator, ousting the Democratic incumbent. Credit:AP His Senate victory was a relief not only to Scott but also to national Republican leaders who had feared that their supporters' morale would plummet if, on the heels of a fairly dismal Election Day for the party, an apparent victory turned into one more loss. Latest News Parents and children divided when to leave the nest, Bankwest reveals The competitive market continues to leave many adult children homebound AFG signs deal with Open Banking platform Frollo New partnership could see loan application times slashed for the broker channel Banks and financial institutions who commit criminal misconduct could face further prosecution thanks to additional funding from the government. An additional $51.5million has been provided to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) and the Federal Court of Australia. The Australian Securities and Investment Commissions (ASIC) was given extra funding from the government earlier this year allowing for increased enforcement activity. This increased activity is expected to give rise to more prosecutions by the CDPP and more civil corporate misconduct cases before the Federal Court, including cases highlighted by the royal commission. As part of this, the latest funding will see $41.6m provided to the CDPP over eight years, to consider more prosecutions put forward by ASIC and hire additional prosecutors to manage the increased caseload. It will also allow the CDPP to prosecute cases faster. A further $9.9m will also be provided to the Federal Court of Australia over four years to fund the appointment of additional resources including two new judges to support civil cases. The appointments will enable the Federal Court to accommodate an increase in disputes with financial institutions as well as civil claims resulting from ASICs increased enforcement activity. The government has also asked the Attorney-Generals Department (AGD) to conduct a review of whether the Federal Courts criminal jurisdiction should be expanded to include corporate crime. Any criminal prosecutions for misconduct by banks and other financial institutions are currently heard in state courts and hence have to compete with state cases for resources and scheduling. The creation of an additional criminal jurisdiction in the Federal Court would allow these prosecutions to be prioritised and penalties for breaches of the law to be handed out faster. The AGD will consult with relevant stakeholders including the states in undertaking the review and provide its report to the government in January next year. Also, the government will establish a Committee of Regulatory Enforcement Strategy chaired by the AGD and comprising representatives from the relevant agencies that regulate the financial services sector. These agencies will meet on a regular basis to discuss enforcement matters in the sector and provide feedback to the government on regulatory and civil enforcement policy. Latest News Parents and children divided when to leave the nest, Bankwest reveals The competitive market continues to leave many adult children homebound AFG signs deal with Open Banking platform Frollo New partnership could see loan application times slashed for the broker channel The first major bank CEO to face the latest and final round of public hearings at the Royal Commission has expressed his view for flat fee broker remuneration. Commonwealth Banks CEO Matt Comyn spent yesterday (19 November) in front of counsel assisting Rowena Orr QC, discussing many of the issues which came about in commissioner Kenneth Haynes interim report. During the hearing Comyn said he supported a flat fee for service remuneration model for brokers and regulation change over trail commission. He also said he had been in talks as far back as April 2017 considering making the change for CBA, but in the week before feared a first mover disadvantage if no one else made the same move. Comyn was quizzed on research he had put forward to both the Sedgewick review and ASICs review into broker remuneration and said that brokers were sensitive to where the commission structure is set. This was due to the findings of one report which suggested that broker flows to lenders increased with higher broker commissions. According to this evidence, one lender gained a 5.9% market share when they offered a limited time commission increase and then lost 5.1% when it stopped. Orr went on to ask Comyn about emails sent to former CEO Ian Narev, where Comyn had suggested a fee for service model as seen in the Netherlands. He said it would work the same in Australia, where to level the playing field and preserve mortgage brokers, banks would also need to offer a fee to customers for the execution of a mortgage. He said, I think it would put a material disadvantage to the brokers if customers paid a broker but they didn't have to pay a similar amount to a financial institution. I think that would create a distortion. Comyn said CBA had been looking at moving to a flat fee model back in April 2017, but was concerned other institutions would not follow. He said, We were struggling or grappling with how to implement, and I'm sure we will return to it, we felt there was a genuine first mover disadvantage. We didn't think it would be replicated, absent regulatory intervention. Therefore, we didn't think we would improve customer outcomes because, effectively, no one else would change their model. We would just originate fewer loans through that channel. Confirming Comyns stance on the broker remuneration model Orr said, So you would like to change to a flat fee model? Comyn said, I can certainly see advantages in that model, yes. I would add that that view would not be supported by other participants in the industry but my personal... Interrupting, Orr said, I am asking you about your view, Mr Comyn? Comyn replied, Yes, that is my view. Orr said, You would prefer to move to that sort of model? To which Comyn said, Yes, I would. Looking specifically at trail commission, Orr asked Comyn about the services brokers continue to provide after the loan is complete if that was the argument for trail. Commissioner Hayen interjected and asked if there were any ongoing services supplied by a mortgage broker. Comyn replied, I think they would be limited, Commissioner. When asked if that meant limited or none, Comyn said, Much closer to none. When Orr asked Comyn if he thought trail commissions needed regulatory change, he said Yes. The emails to Narev also discussed how much revenue the broker would lose on an average loan. The broker revenue on an average loan at the time of the email written was $6627 and would be expected to reduce to $2310, in line with the acceptable band for the price of financial advice. Britain ruled India for about 200 years, a period that was marred with extreme poverty and famine. India's wealth depleted in these two centuries. Renowned economist Utsa Patnaik, who has done a research on the fiscal relations between Colonial India and Britain, has tried to answer a question many Indians are likely to be interested to know -- how much money did Britishers take away from India? Patnaik, in her essay published in Columbia University Press recently, said Britain drained out over $45 trillion from India, which to date has hampered the country's ability to come out of poverty. Patnaik said the scars of colonisation remain despite Britain leaving India over 70 years ago. "Between 1765 and 1938, the drain amounted to 9.2 trillion pounds ($45 trillion), taking India's export surplus earnings as the measure, and compounding it at a 5 per cent rate of interest," Patnaik said during an interview with Mint. Renowned economist Utsa Patnaik She added Indians were never given due credit for their precious resources like gold and forex earnings, which all went to feed the people of the British country. As per Utsa's research, the country's per capita income was almost steady during the period from 1900 to 1945-46. In 1900-02, India's per capita income was Rs 196.1, while it was just Rs 201.9 in 1945-46, a year before India got its independence. During this period, the per capita income rose to maximum Rs 223.8 in 1930-32. All this happened when "India registered the second largest export surplus earnings in the world for three decades before 1929," she told the daily. As per Utsa, every year the Britishers siphoned off resources equivalent to 26-36 per cent of the Central government's budget. This would have made a huge difference in India's journey towards being a 'developed' nation. The economist believes if these international earnings had remained in India, the country would have been much ahead in terms of proper healthcare and social welfare indicators. Also read: UK MP calls idea of building Statue of Unity 'nonsense', says Britain should not give aid to India Putting forward some shocking figures, Patnaik said while people of India died due to malnutrition and several other diseases just like "flies", the Britishers kept taking away hard-earned money of poor Indians. "...Indian expectation of life at birth was just 22 years in 1911," said Utsa. She said Britain exported foodgrains and imposed high taxes, which spread famine in India and reduced its purchasing power. As per the economist, per capita annual consumption of food, which was 200 kg in 1900, went down to 137kg during World War II in 1946. She said India's position at the time of independence was dismal on all social factors. Before Utsa, Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor, in his book Inglorious Empire, had also called British prime minister Winston Churchill, who is considered as a great wartime leader and protector of freedom of speech, one of "the worst genocidal dictators". "This is a man the British would have us hail as an apostle of freedom and democracy when he has as much blood on his hands as some of the worst genocidal dictators of the 20th century," he said during an interview broadcast with ABC. Edited by Manoj Sharma Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Its screen time! A team of professional video gamers opened up a pop-up shop on Atlantic Avenue where experienced nerds can pay by the hour to dominate noobs on top-of-the-line gaming equipment, according to the groups game-player-in-chief. Were offering the opportunity to have a really truly premium gaming experience over here on some of the nicest computers in the world, said Ben Nichol. Nichol, who die-hard gamers may recognize for streaming his gaming exploits as Mr. Bitter on Youtube, now spearheads events and business development for pro-gaming squad New York Excelsior, which set up the temporary NYXL play space between Nevins Street and Third Avenue that features 34 top-of-the-line HP Omen gaming desktop computers, which at roughly $3,000 a piece, are each roughly equivalent in value to a well-maintained 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. Local gamers can swing by the Excelsior pop-up on Fridays and weekends through Dec. 23, where they can rent a computer for $10 per hour, or $5 for students. The machines are loaded with popular multiplayer games such as Overwatch, Rocket League, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and League of Legends. The space is also equipped with Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles, as well as with retro machines including Nintendo 64, and its creators will host tournaments and such game-related events as cosplay parties throughout its run, Nichol said. The pop-up also sells apparel, including jackets, shirts, hats, and even jewelry from brands such as Undefeated and Starter, as well as rare merch made by Excelsiors in-house swag guru, Collette Gangemi who bears no relation to deceased former Bay Ridge Councilman John Gangemi, and said that the store will offer no more than 300 units of any given item. Everything is super limited edition, she said. The New York Excelsior squad is an eight-man team of South Korean gamers that represents New York City in a newly formed professional league that plays the first-person, team-based shooting game Overwatch, which kicked off its inaugural season earlier this year. The city club made short work of its competition in regular season play from January through June, racking up a stellar 346 record, but a rival group from Philadelphia knocked the hometown players out of the competition in a crushing semifinals defeat in July, according to Nichol, who said the loss prevented Excelsior from competing for the leagues top prize during the finals at the Barclays Center later that month. That was a major drag, he said. We really wanted to play in front of a hometown crowd. The New York gamers, however, are actually based on the West Coast, because Overwatchs regular-league play took place at an arena in California, Nichol said. But the teams owner, real-estate firm Sterling Equities which created the club in 2017, and also owns the New York Mets is looking to open a hometown gaming venue, according to Nichol, who said the odds are good that facility will come to the County of Kings as soon as 2020. Its quite likely it will be based in Brooklyn, he said. Get your game on at NYXL [472 Atlantic Ave. between Nevins Street and Third Avenue in Boerum Hill, www.nyxlshop.splashthat.com] Open Fri from 2 pm to 12 am, Sat from 12 pm to 12 am, and Sun from 12 pm to 8 pm through Dec. 23. 20 member delegation to visit China ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) delegation including secretary general Arshad Daad leaves for China on seven day visit on Monday. According to details, the 20 member delegation has left for China on invitation of Communist Party. The delegation is expected to meet high level officials during their seven-day visit. They will also review Chinas achievement to eliminate poverty and corruption. On October 1, PTI chairman Imran Khan appointed veteran party member Arshad Daad to the post of secretary general. Previously, Daad has served the party as the additional secretary general after Jahangir Tareens resignation in the aftermath of the Supreme Courts December 15, 2017 verdict disqualifying him from holding public office. 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 In March 2016, when the health care unit was hived off into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens AG, investors were worried about the role of the listed Indian company: Was it only a facilitator to nurture businesses, only to sell them to its parent later? The question resurfaced in February this year, when Siemens India's mobility business was being hived off. Multiple restructuring measures left investors confused. "It is becoming tough ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The has questioned the manner in which cases of serious nature like rape, molestation and economic fraud were being referred for mediation by trial courts. Justice R K Gauba said it was questionable as to whether in cases of serious or heinous crimes, the parties should approach it seeking to quash criminal proceedings against them on the grounds that they have arrived at a settlement. The issue of quashing of FIRs on the ground of settlement arose in two separate matters. While one involved allegations of rape, unnatural sex, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation, the other was relaying to allegations of cheating and fraud with a private bank. In given facts and circumstances, it is questionable as to whether in cases of this nature, this court should be called upon to exercise inherent power under Section 482 CrPC and, if the answer to this were to be in the negative, it is also questionable as to whether such cases should at all be referred by the criminal courts to the process of mediation and, even further, as to whether the court annexed mediation centres should be entertaining matters of above nature for such 'negotiations', particularly when the process of mediation is supervised, or overseen, by judicial officers or persons trained in law, Justice Gauba said. The court, which has dismissed the plea to quash criminal proceedings relating to rape allegations, said the issue persists as to whether it was advisable for those concerned with legal process to take or permit recourse to mediation, in the teeth of law, as settled by the Supreme Court which would inhibit the inherent power under Section 482 CrPC to be availed to quash such criminal proceedings in serious or heinous crimes including those reflecting 'mental depravity', as indeed, economic offences involving 'financial well-being of the State' or financial or banking institutions, affecting the public at large by 'financial or economic fraud'. The pleas in both the cases were opposed by the counsel for the state. In the case relating to economic fraud, the FIR was lodged on the complaint of against five persons in 2003 and early this year, the accused and the bank had told the trial court that there were chances of settlement after which the matter was referred to mediation centre. In July this year, the trial court was informed that the parties have arrived at a settlement in which the accused persons paid Rs 1.2 million to the bank. The accused approached the high court seeking quashing of the FIR after the bank had said that on realisation of the money, it would not want to further proceed with the cases on their merits. The high court said the fact that 15 years have passed by and the case was still at the pre-trial stage was a matter of concern. The court said the bank was in the service of public at large and deals with public money and it required inquiry as to the justifications with which the bank would agree to participate in such process of negotiated settlement in cases involving serious criminal breach of trust and cheating. It directed that an authorised representative of the bank, who had participated in the mediation process, shall remain present in the court and explain his authorisation for such purposes. It also asked the state to file a status report in the four cases registered in relation to the fraud and explain the reasons for delay in their adjudication as even after 15 years of filing of charge sheet, charges have not been framed. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi is directed to send a report as to what have been the reasons for the delay in the progress of the cases after filing of the charge sheet in December 2003, the high court said, adding scrupulous compliance shall be made by all concerned and no default shall be acceptable. The on Monday asked the to hear Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit's plea challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on November 21. "We had always raised the issue that there is no valid sanction before the court had taken cognizance. So, that issue is pending before the High Court. Now, we had requested the High Court that till this issue is decided the trial court should defer framing charges," Neela Gokhale, counsel for Colonel Purohit, told ANI. "But, the High Court had refused to grant such prayer. Against this, we had come to the Now, the top court has requested the High Court to decide at the earliest issue regarding charges and sanction for prosecution of Colonel Purohit. So, in all probability and in reference of the order of the Supreme Court, the High Court will surely hear the issue of sanction raised by us in the appeal first before the trial proceeds," Gokhale added. Earlier, a Special Court had commenced a trial against Colonel Purohit and six other accused in the 2008 case, which took place near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra and claimed six lives. Meanwhile, the Special NIA court has asked the registrar to submit a copy of photographs and videos of incidents to Colonel Purohit. Pakistan dont do anything for us: Trump Pakistan dont do anything for us: TrumpISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administrations decision to pull hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country doesnt do a damn thing for us. In an exclusive interview to Fox News, the US president also charged Pakistan for helping Osama bin Laden hide in the country. You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I dont know, Ive seen nicer, Trump said, referring to bin Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad. The compound was demolished shortly after United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces in a daring late-night helicopter raid killed bin Laden there in 2011. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there, he said. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year. [bin Laden] lived in Pakistan, were supporting Pakistan, were giving them $1.3 billion a year -which we dont give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us, he added. In the wide-ranging interview, Trump revealed that former president Obama had offered him some important guidance in the White House shortly after his 2016 election. I think North Koreas been very tough because you know we were very close. When I took that over President Obama right in those two chairs, we sat and talked and he said thats by far the biggest problem that this country has, Trump said. And I think we had real decision as to which way to go on North Korea and certainly at least so far Im very happy with the way we went. Addressing national security matters, Trump said that he has been briefed on the audio recording of journalist Jamal Khashoggis apparent murder in Turkey, but said he hasnt listened to it, calling it a suffering tape that he was advised not to hear. You saw we put on very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia, Trump said. But at the same time we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple. The Board, which manages the hill shrine, has cited lack of basic amenities among other things as the reason for seeking more time from the top court. The announcement on the TDB's move came amid mounting tension against the backdrop of the stand-off over entry of women in the 10-50 age group, traditionally barred at the shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, a celibate. Pilgrims had said there was lack of adequate toilet facilities, causing immense difficulties especially to women, and rest rooms after the floods in August that had destroyed the infrastructure. The top court had earlier refused to stay its verdict while agreeing to hear in open court a batch of petitions seeking review of its September 28 verdict by which it had lifted the ban on entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination. Since 1889, Le Grand K, a sleek cylinder of platinum-iridium metal, has ruled from its underground vault in Paris. An absolute monarch, it was the very definition of one kilogram of mass. Scientists from around the world made pilgrimages to it, bringing along their national kilogram standards to weigh in comparison. The mother ship is never wrong, said Robert Vocke Jr., a chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (N.I.S.T.) in Gaithersburg, MD. No longer. Friday, in a small conference center located just steps from the Palace of Versailles, ... India will go ahead with the construction of much-required strategic roads and permanent integrated buildings along the in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim as part of a critical infrastructure project worth Rs 250 billion. The crucial decision, approved by the High Level Empowered Committee (HLEC) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, is slated to be taken up by the (CCS) shortly, along with other border-related projects in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The decision to fast-track the construction of roads and other critical infrastructure on the Chinese border assumes significance as it is happening at a time when India is looking to fend off the dragon's threat on its north-eastern border. The final blueprint envisages construction of 19 roads, 29 permanent integrated buildings and other critical infrastructure along the in Arunachal and Sikkim. The critical infrastructure will come up in a mountainous and rugged terrain, a challenging task for the executing agency. The job also involves the construction of two-metre wide roads, sources in the government said. Some issues involving forest and wildlife clearance and land acquisition have been resolved now and the project will soon be executed at a faster pace, the sources added. Besides, the executing agency will also take up fencing and road construction work along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. There will also be 18 coastal border outposts in Gujarat to strengthen the vigil along the coastline. Prime Minister Monday set an ambitious target of India breaking into top 50 nations on the World Bank's ranking and said efforts are on to nearly double the size of country's to $5 trillion. In his opening remarks at a meeting called on ranking with the Indian industry, Modi said the era of policy paralysis has ended and his government was giving policy-based governance that has helped catapult the country from 142nd rank among 190 nations on the World Bank's ranking in 2014 to 77th position this year. Reforms will continue and procedures would be further eased to make it easier for companies to do business in the country, he said adding efforts are on to increase the size of the to $5 trillion. India was ranked 142nd among 190 nations when the Narendra Modi's government took office in 2014. At that time, the country was battling perceptions of excess red-tape and policy paralysis, Modi said. Four years of reform pushed up India's rank to 100th in World Bank's 'Doing Business' 2018 report. It was 130th in 2017 when India was ranked lower than Iran and Uganda. In its annual 'Doing Business' 2019 report, India secured 77th position. New Zealand tops the list, followed by Singapore, Denmark and Hong Kong. The United States is placed at 8th and China ranked 46th. Neighbouring Pakistan is placed at 136. India has improved its ranking by 53 positions in the last two years and 65 places in four years since 2014. The ranks 190 countries based on 10 parameters, including starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. On Monday, the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) board is expected to take up several issues on which sharp differences exist between the government and the central bank. Three are reportedly of critical importance. First, the liquidity crunch facing the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). Second, the slowdown in credit to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). And third, whether the RBI is holding on to excess capital on its balance sheet. Addressing liquidity concerns Since the implosion of IL&FS, there have been concerns that with liquidity drying up, as buyers of commercial papers (CPs) had turned cautious, NBFCs would have a tough time rolling over the debt obligations. November was believed to be a particularly crucial month as Rs 1.03 trillion of NBFC debt (excluding debt of relatively safer entities such as Nabard, NHB, LIC housing) was set to mature. But, two weeks later, there is an uneasy calm. In the first fortnight of November, NBFCs were able to issue CPs worth Rs 1.03 trillion as against debt of Rs 726.8 billion that was set to mature during this period, data accessed by Business Standard shows. A look at the day-wise yield to maturity (weighted average) of CPs issued during this period suggests little evidence of systemic stress. To be fair, there are outliers. Granular data shows that yields of some NBFCs have touched north of 10 per cent. But, NBFCs have been able to either roll over or retire their debt. This raises questions - Who is buying? And has normalcy been restored in the market? It is possible that financial institutions such as SBI and LIC have stepped in to calm the market, market participants said. Mutual Fund houses may have also helped rollover debt as a default could have had a cascading effect, they added. Higher securtisation transactions may have also helped meet repayment obligations. According to Crisil Ratings, securitisation volumes had touched Rs 180 billion in October. And while data for November isnt available yet, the volumes are robust, experts told Business Standard. ALSO READ: RBI may blink on PCA, not on NBFC window in today's board meeting The situation may have improved, but it is early to say if the worst is behind us. Rs 720 billion of NBFC set is maturing between November 19 and 30. A single default could have huge ramifications, experts said. It is important to note that these liquidity concerns also have a bearing on credit flow to MSMEs. Data from Transunion Cibil shows that the share of NBFCs in total credit to MSMEs has jumped from 8.4 per cent in June 2016 to 11.3 per cent in June 2018, implying that liquidity issues could have a direct impact on credit flow to MSMEs. The other area of disagreement revolves around RBIs PCA framework. Of the 21 public sector banks in India, 11 are currently under PCA, which the government believes has disrupted credit flow to MSMEs. The fundamental question is whether the RBI should tweak its PCA framework? Should it allow banks under PCA to lend to MSMEs or should some banks be allowed to exit? And will this improve credit flow to MSMEs? Now, the quarterly results show that while the financial position of some PCA banks has improved, it remains precarious. In absolute terms, gross NPAs of these banks appear to have peaked in March 2018. But as their loan book has shrunk, their GNPA ratio (as percentage of advances) has worsened, rising from 20.45 per cent in Q4FY18 to 21.01 per cent in Q2FY19, CARE Ratings data shows. On the other hand, the provision coverage ratio of these banks has improved over the period. But while their cumulative losses have declined, only Bank of Maharashtra, OBC and Corporation Bank reported profits in Q2FY19. Of these, OBC and Corporation Bank are in better shape. These banks have a higher capital adequacy ratio, have higher provision coverage ratios and have registered a decline in their absolute GNPAs. However, their net NPAs remain high at 10 and 11.65 per cent, respectively, well above the first PCA risk threshold level of 6 per cent. At this stage, it is difficult to know for sure if bringing these banks out of PCA or easing their lending restrictions will help improve credit flow to MSMEs. Data accessed by Business Standard shows that 10 of the 12 banks (including a private sector bank) under PCA had already achieved the priority sector lending sub-target of 7.5 per cent to the micro sector as of March 31, 2018. Besides, the direction of credit also needs to be factored in. At the aggregate level, bank credit to micro and small enterprises (MSEs) has risen from Rs 7.2 trillion in April 2014 to Rs 9.9 trillion in September 2018, shows RBI data. But much of this growth has been directed towards MSEs in the services sector, which has surged from Rs 3.7 trillion to Rs 6.3 trillion over this period. By comparison, credit to MSEs, medium- and large-sized industrial firms has barely registered a rise over this period. ALSO READ: RBI board meeting on Monday; may reach common ground on some key issues This raises the question if bank credit to industry is almost the same as it was four years ago, will tweaking the PCA framework improve credit flow to MSMEs? Economic capital framework The board is also likely to discuss RBIs economic capital framework to determine if the level of reserves it holds is excessive or not. Now, RBIs currency and gold revaluation reserves stood at Rs 6.9 trillion at the end of June 2018, up Rs 1.6 trillion from last year, benefitting from the rupees depreciation. While some have argued that this reserve should be excluded from RBIs capital calculations as it is an unrealised gain, one should point out that losses on this account are charged from the contingency fund. (With inputs from Abhishek Waghmare) The ultimate aim of Ease of Doing Business reforms is to achieve Ease of Living for citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a meeting with India Inc in the national capital on Monday. He also said the next target was to take the country into the top 50 for doing business. Our aim is not only to improve Ease of Doing Business but also improve Ease of Living for every citizen, said Modi. In the World Banks latest Ease of Doing Business ranks, India jumped 23 spots to 77. Last year, it had jumped 30 spots. The meeting on Monday at the Prime ... Former chief minister and his two family members, IAS-turned-politician O P Choudhry and Sarguja's former royal T S Singhdeo -- there are many high-profile candidates whose fate would be sealed on Tuesday in the second phase of polling in this tribal-dominated state. Election campaign ended last evening for the remaining 72 seats of the Chhattisgarh Assembly and the places where voting will take place include Kawardha, the home district of Chief Minister Singh is a registered voter in Kawardha, but contests polls from Rajnandgaon, where voting took place in the first phase of polls for 18 seats on November 12. "We are expecting a pro-incumbency vote in the second phase also and people will come out in huge numbers this time also to vote for the BJP. We will definitely be coming back to power for the record fourth time in a row," Singh told PTI Monday. While Singh has been the chief minister for 15 years in the state's 18-year history, traditionally the main challenger for the BJP has been the However, there is a third force in the elections this time in form of former chief minister Ajit Jogi's alliance with Dalit leader Entire Jogi family, except his son, Amit Jogi, are contesting the crucial Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh and they say their main aim is to ensure the defeat of both the BJP and the in the state. is contesting from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi from Konta and his daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi from Akaltara on BSP ticket. Jogi's new political outfit, Janata Chhattisgarh is contesting polls in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. Apart from them, the fate of 10 ministers is also at stake in the second phase of polling including that of Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur South), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur) and Rajesh Munat (Raipur West) among others. There is an interesting parallel between and OP Choudhry as both quit coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to enter politics. Besides, both quit from the plum post of district collector to foray into the electoral politics. Jogi was the collector of Indore when he had resigned from the services to join Congress. He was later given berth in the Rajya Sabha and later became the first chief minister of the newly carved Chhattisgarh state in 2000. Jogi was chief minister till 2003 when the Congress lost power to the BJP. Choudhry was also serving on the powerful post of Raipur collector when he decided to jump into rough and tumble of electoral politics by joining the BJP. The saffron party has fielded him from Kharasia seat where he is pitted against Umesh Patel, son of slain Congress leader Nand Kumar Patel. Nand Kumar Patel was killed in the Jiramghati Naxal attack along with other Congress leaders. Besides prominent Congress leader and a probable chief ministerial candidate from Congress Charan Das Mahant is contesting from Sakti in Janjgir-Champa district. The state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Patan seat in Durg district. In 2013 Assembly polls, BJP had won 49 seats, Congress 39, BSP got one and an independent candidate won from one seat. In the first phase of polling for 18 constituencies including in 12 naxal-affected seats, the total voter turnout was 76.28 per cent and political pundits are expecting the voting to be high in the second phase also. In 2013, the total turnout for all 90 seats was 74.65 per cent. Pakistan-UAE to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sunday resolved to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties, besides fostering cooperation to deal with transnational organized crime, including money laundering, drug trafficking and human trafficking. Bilateral relations were discussed in meetings between UAE leadership and Prime Minister Imran Khan who paid a day-long visit to the Emirates at the invitation of Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of UAE Armed Forces, according to a Foreign Office statement. On his arrival at the Presidential Palace, Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the prime minister and accorded a ceremonial reception which was followed by delegation-level talks. In Dubai, the prime minister was received by Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. The prime minister also visited Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Martyrs Memorial where he paid homage to Emirati heroes who had sacrificed their lives in the service of nation. In the delegation-level talks with Crown Prince Sheikh Muhmmad bin Zayed, the two sides focused on all areas of bilateral, regional, and global interest. Expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of relations, the two leaders agreed to take immediate measures to further elevate their historic partnership. They expressed satisfaction over the fruitful outcome of the recent visit of a high-level UAE economic delegation to Pakistan and reiterated their resolve to transform the existing special relations into a strategic long-term economic partnership by adopting a direct, transparent and time-bound approach. The two sides agreed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate cooperation and partnership in areas encompassing trade, investment, economic development, energy, infrastructure and agriculture with a view to accrue early dividends from the economic partnership. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Zayed decided to hold the next Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission to be co-chaired by the respective foreign ministers in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. They further reaffirmed their commitment to hold the senior officials bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries and fast track finalization of pending agreements at the earliest. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence and security cooperation and resolved to explore further collaboration in the areas of training, joint exercises and defence production. They noted that a key element of partnership between the two countries was the complete identity of views on regional and global importance. They reiterated their strong belief that only by espousing the principles of tolerance, inclusivity, non-interference and focusing on a people centric development agenda the region could attain sustainable peace and stability. They strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and expressed their resolve to work closely to root out the scourge. The crown prince recognized the efforts and unparalleled sacrifices made by Pakistan to eliminate terrorism and extremism. Prime Minister Imran Khan briefed the UAE leadership about his governments people-centric reform agenda, including the steps being taken to eliminate corruption and promote transparency, and accountability at all levels of government. He reiterated Pakistans readiness to actively participate in Expo 2020 and extend full support to the UAE in making the mega event a great success. Forget the old American campaign slogan of a chicken in every pot, or the Indian politicians common pledge to put rice in every bowl. Here in the state of Chhattisgarh, the chief minister, Raman Singh, has promised a smartphone in every home - and he is using the government-issued devices to reach voters as he campaigns in legislative elections that conclude on Tuesday. Chain Sahu, a mother of two who cooks at a school on the outskirts of Mr. Singhs district in Rajnandgaon, said her free phone rang last Sunday, just before her village voted. The caller, who ... Kumar, who divides his time between doing social work and driving, said that while he isnt into politics big time, he strongly feels that Madhya Pradesh state elections are being fought on an even keel this time around. Till very recently, Congress was hardly seen in any election, but this time, they are working and their party cadres are visible on the ground. However, candidate familiarity remains a big issue, mainly in ... 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 Seeking a new lease of life after a severe drubbing it got in the last Lok Sabha polls and later in its home state Uttar Pradesh, Dalit leader Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is keen to make its presence felt in Madhya Pradesh and its strategy is to capitalise on its strength in areas on border of the two states. The BSP, which was a key force to reckon with in Uttar Pradesh till a few years ago and had even started making big inroads in the national politics, wants to be seen in Madhya Pradesh as an alternative to the and the BJP, who have always been in a direct fight for power in the state. While the BJP has been in power for 15 continuous years in this vast state with 230 assembly seats and a voter base of over five crore people, its main challenger has always been the Congress, which used to rule the state before being ousted by the saffron party in 2003. However, the BSP over the years has made its presence felt in the areas adjoining the border with Uttar Pradesh, namely Bundelkhand, Chambal and Vindhya regions that are dominated by people from the SC, ST and OBC classes. With an aim to reach "Bhopal via Bundelkhand" eventually, the BSP's objective for this election is to play the role of a kingmaker, the party leaders said. Atar Singh Rao, the BSP's Madhya Pradesh unit coordinator, said the party is contesting on all 230 seats but its election strategy is focused on being a kingmaker in Madhya Pradesh. "BSP has strong base in Bundelkhand, Chambal and Vindhya regions, but in this election, our party will expand its base in the entire state," he said. In last two assembly elections, the BSP emerged as the third largest party in terms of vote percentage and number of winning candidates. It secured 8.9 per cent votes and seven seats in 2008, but its tally fell to four seats and 6.29 per cent votes in 2013. So far, the party has been getting electoral success from Chambal (Morena and Gwalior districts) and Vindhya regions (Satna and Rewa districts). Rao, a BSP MLC from Uttar Pradesh, said there is a huge anti-incumbency wave against 15 years rule of BJP in Madhya Pradesh and voters are also angry at what he called an "anti-poor attitude of Congress" in Madhya Pradesh. He alleged that the BJP and the are two sides of the same coin and therefore voters are looking for a better option. "The BSP is emerging as a natural alternative in this election," Rao claimed, The party claims it has fielded strong candidates on all seats of Sagar, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna districts of the Bundelkhand region; Gwalior, Morena, Datia, Bhind and Shivpuri districts of Chambal region; and Satna and Rewa districts of the Vindhya region. In Bundelkhand region, some leaders claim there is a "silent mutual understanding" with Samajwadi Party (SP), keeping in mind the caste-based social equations to prevent polarisation of votes in favour of BJP. While a formal alliance could not be reached between the Congress, SP and BSP for these assembly elections, the political pundits feel the BJP remains the common rival for all three and therefore a 'mutual understanding' has been reached regarding candidates in the Bundelkhand, Vindhya and Chambal areas. Samajwadi Party's Madhya Pradesh unit in-charge Anand Bhadauria serious efforts need to be made for a possible alliance between the SP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh to ensure the BJP's defeat in the 2019 general elections. "For some reasons, the Congress, SP and BSP were not able to do an alliance in Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, but it is also true that the BJP is the common rival for all of us," he said. Keeping in mind the social and political equations, the three parties have selected suitable candidates who can defeat the BJP at their own level, Bhadauria said. Both the SP and the BSP have strong base in Uttar Pradesh and therefore the areas on the UP border of Madhya Pradesh are important to them. In Chhattisgarh, the BSP has tied up with the party of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, who has already proposed Mayawati as the next prime ministerial candidate. Jogi is the alliance's chief ministerial candidate for Chhattisgarh, where the BJP has been in power for 15 years just like Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh together account for 40 Lok Sabha seats, including 15 reserved for SC/ST candidates. In UP, where Mayawati remains a strong force despite the drubbing her party got in recent polls, there are 80 Lok Sabha seats, including 17 reserved for SC. The BSP also has some presence in Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar. Mayawati served as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister for three brief periods, first being in 1995, before a full five-year tenure during 2007-2012. However, her last term was also marked with allegations of corruption. Besides, she has had three terms each in Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BSP did not get a single seat but it was the third largest party in terms of vote share (over 4 per cent with nearly 2.3 crore voters). The party candidates came second on as many as 34 seats, while its vote share in Uttar Pradesh was nearly 20 per cent. The BSP had won 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 elections. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly, the BSP had got 206 out of 403 assembly seats in 2007, but the tally plunged to 80 in 2012 and even deeper to just 19 in 2017. Ever since the first gleaming towers sprang out of the desert, Dubai has gotten used to rapid change. Its no stranger to boom-and-bust. Whats happening now is different: a slow bleed. The citys iconic builders are plowing ahead. Cranes are everywhere. But no one is sure wholl occupy all that new retail and office space. Already, Dubais malls are noticeably less full of stores and restaurants than they once were. Expatriates, the lifeblood of the economy, have started to pack up and go home or at least talk about it, as the cost of living and doing ... Nine leaders of Hong Kong's 2014 civil disobedience "Occupy Central" movement go on trial on Monday at a time when the Chinese-ruled financial hub's civil liberties are coming under increasing strain. The nine leaders include law professor Benny Tai, 54, sociologist Chan Kin-man, 59, and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, 74, who face three charges related to public nuisance, including conspiracy and incitement, during street protests which brought much of the former British colony's Central business district to a halt. This case could be the most consequential against ... PTI govt to fulfil all promises they have made with ppl: Fawad Chaudhry JHELUM: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Sunday said equal distribution of resources was crucial to make the country a welfare state and the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTI government would fulfil all the promises which the party had made with the people at the hustings. Addressing a public gathering in Fatehpur, the minister said the PTI government would provide all basic facilities to the masses as per the partys election manifesto. Lamenting over the attitude of previous governments, he said the common people were deprived of basic health and education facilities in the country while the children of former rulers used to study abroad and get medical treatment there. Schoolchildren in Pakistan, he said, did not have chairs to sit in classrooms with no English teachers, but those of the former rulers were studying in London. The rich even went abroad for treatment of minor diseases, he added. The minister said the farmers and common people of Jhelum and Domeli, which had historical significance, were struggling for their basic rights. Provision of clean drinking water and employment opportunities were their due rights like those of the main cities. The previous governments instead of giving priority to the basic issues, spent huge amounts on unnecessary projects like Orange Train and Metro Bus services, he added. Fawad said the people of Jhelum contributed billions of rupees to the national exchequer each year but the city was not getting its due right in development and welfare projects. He said funds of Rs 1,500 billion had been given to Balochistan in the past but there was not even a single well-equipped hospital in the province. Its people had to go to cities of other provinces to get treatment, he added. The minister said the attitude of opposition parties was not serious as they walked out of parliament over the governments demand of accountability into corrupt practices committed during the last 10 years. They (opposition) claim that democracy is in danger when we stress for accountability into corruption of billions of rupees, he added. The government, he said, would ensure accountability into embezzlement of billions of rupees the money that actually belonged to the people of the country. Those having bikes before starting their political career are now owners of precious vehicles and they will be held accountable, he added. The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan had always talked to strengthen the local government system in the country so that the public money could be spent for the welfare of common people and on improving the infrastructure at the grassroots level. Fawad said the government was committed to introducing such a local government system where the public funds would be utilized for the welfare and betterment of the masses. It was the governments responsibility to take steps for the uplift of remote areas, which was only possible through a vibrant local government system, he added. Member of the National Assembly Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf, members of the Punjab Assembly Raja Yawar Kamal and Sameera Javed, and notables of the area, including Raja Muhammad Munawer, were also present on the occasion. They briefed the minister about the issues being faced by the people of the area. Forgive me, I may have missed something. There has of course been a lot to take in over the last few days. But, despite what the latest former Brexit secretary believes, it seems to me that the Brexit withdrawal agreement delivers almost exactly what the UK voted for in June 2016. The reasons 17.4m people voted to leave the EU were multiple, complex and, in part, contradictory. But it is beyond doubt that a desire to control immigration was the most important reason. The evidence in this regard is overwhelming. There is of course a need to understand why immigration became such an ... Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Monday for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan's French partner Renault and his departure will raise questions about the future of the alliance. Nissan said an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower, had revealed that Ghosn engaged in wrongdoing, including personal use of company money and under-reporting for ... on Monday hit back at United States President for his outburst against the South-Asian nation for helping Osama bin Laden, who had taken refuge there and "doing nothing for" the US. In a series of tweets, Khan clarified that Pakistan had no role in the September 2001 attack on New York's World Trade Centre and highlighted the cost his country had to pay in terms of soldier casualties and economic damage in the ensuing war in Afghanistan. He also asked the US to assess their failure in tackling terrorism instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat. ALSO READ: Imran Khan meets Abu Dhabi crown prince amid reports of UAE package "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn.," Khan tweeted. "3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" Khan said in a separate tweet. "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," Khan added. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said that Pakistan doesn't do "a damn thing for us," and defended his administration's decision to pull hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country. Earlier on Monday, Trump continued his tirade against Pakistan through his Twitter account. "Of course we should have captured long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools! We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That's ENDING!" Trump tweeted. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are a bit alike, and that presents a danger to the global order. The American and Chinese leaders are both impetuous, authoritarian and overconfident nationalists, and each appears to underestimate the other sides capacity to inflict pain. This dangerous symmetry leaves the two sides hurtling toward each other. The 10 per cent tariffs already imposed in the trade war are scheduled to rise to 25 per cent in January, but theres also a broader confrontation emerging. Trump and Xi may well be able to reach a ceasefire in their ... In the uncertain years after Maos death, long before China became an industrial juggernaut, before the Communist Party went on a winning streak that would reshape the world, a group of economics students gathered at a mountain retreat outside Shanghai. There, in the bamboo forests of Moganshan, the young scholars grappled with a pressing question: How could China catch up with the West? It was the autumn of 1984, and on the other side of the world, Ronald Reagan was promising morning again in America. China, meanwhile, was just recovering from decades of ... SC to establish JIT for 2014 Model Town incident The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered the formation of a larger bench to establish a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the 2014 Model Town incident. Bisma Amjad, a woman affected by the incident, had filed a petition requesting to constitution a new JIT to probe the killings of killings of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers in the incident . The larger bench, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and three other SC judges, will also include representatives from other provinces, and will begin hearing the case from December 5. PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri who was present in court today said that since the indictment of former IG Sukhera, the case has "gone to zero". Qadri requested the formation of another JIT to re-investigate the case. The lawyer for Shahbaz Sharif and others, Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, said that time is required for preparation. On Saturday, the SC, while hearing the case in the Lahore registry, had issued notices to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and 137 others nominated in a case lodged by PAT regarding the 2014 Model Town incident. On June 17, 2014, 14 people were killed and 100 others injured after police launched an assault on PAT supporters gathered outside the residence of Qadri in Model Town, Lahore. The Dubai Cassation Court on Monday sanctioned the extradition of British businessman Christian James Michel to India, where he is wanted over charges of money laundering, bribery and fraud in connection with the Rs 3700 crore AgustaWestland chopper case. The 54-year-old Briton had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him by the Indian authorities, Gulf News reported. Abdul Aziz Abdullah, the presiding judge of the United Arab Emirates' apex court's upheld the extradition decision, which was earlier sanctioned by an appellate court. The Indian authorities had requested Dubai Public Prosecution for Michel's extradition in February 2017, following which he was arrested by Dubai Police The Briton's legal counsel argued that India's extradition request was not legitimate and that it bypassed due legal procedures. "The extradition request was lodged by India's Ministry of External Affairs and it should have been lodged by the Indian Home Ministry," Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim Bin Suwaidan argued in the Cassation Court, challenging the extradition request. "As per the Criminal Extradition Accord signed between the UAE and India, the Indian Home Ministry is the authority that should have lodged the request," Gulf News quoted Bin Siwaisan, the lawyer, as saying. Bin Suwaidan further challenged the legal grounds of the extradition request's approval, by saying it was a direct violation of Article 8 of the Criminal Extradition Accord. "My client has a company based in Dubai. In the extradition papers, the accusations that were alleged to have been committed, purported that my client's company was used to launder money. If that's true, then he shouldn't be tried for those alleged accusations in India. He should be tried here before the UAE courts due to jurisdictional purposes. Hence, the Appeal Court should have rejected the request," Bin Suwaidan said. The case was first heard in July when Michel refuted all allegations against him. The Dubai Appeal Court then approved India's request to extradite the British businessman on September 2. Bin Suwaidan stated that the extradition request was quashed by courts in Switzerland and Italy, adding that the charges against his client were "politically motivated." "The Indian authorities want my client's custody in connection with the case known as 'Agusta-Westland helicopter bribery case' involving the purchase of 12 helicopters. Indian authorities have named Michel as an alleged middleman who routed bribes allegedly paid by Anglo-Italian company Agusta-Westland to Indian politicians and officials. Back then, my client worked as an advisor and specialised expert and not an employee with an administrative position. He had no control over bank accounts or financial transactions," the lawyer said. "After the deal was sealed, a group of specialists and technical experts received the helicopters through government bodies with the knowledge of the Ministry of Defence and the Indian government. After the deal, several political developments took place in India. My client's name was falsely and unfoundedly brought up in this case to coerce him to testify against former politicians as part of political rivalry in India," he added. "The motives behind associating my client to this case are obviously political. The Italian judicial authorities had acquitted the company of any of the Indian accusations and subsequently, Michel was cleared as well in 2014. Moreover, the extradition request rotates around an incident that happened in 2009 and should be dismissed due to time lapse," Bin Suwaidan stated. Michel's extradition process will be initiated following clearance from the UAE Minister of Justice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor and comedian Amy Schumer is back at work after her recent hospitalisation. The 37-year-old comedienne, who recently announced her pregnancy, was admitted to a hospital in Texas on account of hyperemesis gravidarum, or severe nausea, occurring during pregnancy, reported E! Online. The 'I Feel Pretty' actor had canceled a couple of comedy shows scheduled in Dallas and Austin, Texas last week due to her condition. On Saturday, she returned to the stage and performed a comedy show at the New Jersey Performing Art Center's 2,800-seat theater Prudential Hall. Following her show, she wrote on her official Instagram account, "Thanks for bringing me back to life Newark (something no one else has ever said)." The event was supposed to take place in September but was later rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict for Schumer. The star will perform shows in cities including New York City, Oakland, Seattle, Phoenix, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Chicago through November and December. Last month, Schumer had announced that she was expecting her first child with husband Chris Fischer, eight months after the couple got hitched during a surprise ceremony in Malibu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Activist Varavara Rao, who was recently arrested for his alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, has been hospitalised. Rao, who was arrested at the end of his house arrest on Saturday, was taken to Sassoon Hospital after he complained of difficulty in breathing. A Sessions Court in Pune, on Sunday, had sent the activist to police custody till November 26 in connection with the violence that broke out in January this year during an event organised to commemorate 200 years of the Bhima Koregaon battle. Apart from Rao, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, and activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Gautam Navlakha were also detained on August 28 from various cities for their alleged involvement in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an apparent reference to Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that one of the senior Congress leaders is not being allowed to campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in the state as the party fears that people will recall the failure of their tenure if Singh campaigns. Earlier, Singh had said that "his party loses votes if he campaigns." Addressing a rally here on Sunday, the Prime Minister said, "One of the senior Congress leaders is not being allowed to campaign during these elections. The reason is that the Congress fears that if he campaigns, the party will lose as people will recall what the fate of Madhya Pradesh was during the time they were in power." The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of playing divisive and said, "Congress neither has any policy, intention, nor a leader... its leader is confused. Let the naamdar (apparently Congress chief Rahul Gandhi) write down on a piece of paper how many zeroes are there in Rs. 23,000 crore. He will get confused." He further asserted that these elections are not about who would win or who won't win but about rejecting the "negative forces who have always focused on the 'divide and rule' approach." Talking about the development work in Indore city, the Prime Minister announced that as part of the Smart City project, Rs. 23,000 crore will be spent on development of seven cities in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh including Indore over five years. He added, "In last two years, the foreign tourists' influx has increased." Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28 to elect 230 members of the legislative assembly. The results will be declared on December 11. The single-phase election in the state is seen as a direct political battle between the BJP and the Congress. While Chouhan is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term as chief minister, the Congress is looking to regain power after 2003. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday releases Rs 1,000 crore for relief and restoration works being undertaken in the areas affected by cyclone Gaja in the state. The Chief Minister will distribute the financial assistance to farmers, coconut growers and others in person on Tuesday, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced through his Twitter handle. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin has also announced Rs one crore financial assistance for the relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone Gaja hit areas in eight districts of the state. He also declared that his party members of the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Assembly will donate their one month's salary for the relief and rehabilitation works. The disaster has so far claimed 11 lives, apart from causing huge damage to properties. Kerala government on Friday also announced to provide Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the people killed in the disaster, Rs 1 lakh to those injured severely and Rs 25,000 to the people who have suffered minor injuries. Cyclone Gaja crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam last week and unleashed mayhem in several districts of the state including Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germany has banned the entry of the 18 Saudi Arabian nationals linked with the murder of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Europe's border-free Schengen zone, an area comprising 26 nations which have abolished the use of passports and other border-control measures. In an interaction with the media here, Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas informed that Germany had imposed the ban on the Saudi nationals for the area in coordination with France and Britain, reported Al Jazeera. France is part of the Schengen area, while Britain is not. "As before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it," Maas said, referring to the 18 Saudi nationals as "allegedly connected to this crime." He further declined to disclose the names of the Saudi nationals owing to German privacy protection laws. Meanwhile, investigation in the case is underway and US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that an intelligence report on the murder of the Saudi journalist would be out "over the next two days." US officials believe and have repeatedly stated that there was Saudi Crown Prince's hand behind the murder of The Washington Post columnist. The Trump administration also recently slapped sanctions on 17 Saudi nationals, for their alleged involvement in Khashoggi's killing. On October 2, Khashoggi was reported missing after he stepped into Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect paperwork that would allow him to get married to his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Investigators are yet to find his body. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) THE NATIONAL Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has urged all supporters of the party to ignore any move by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to come back to power since they have nothing good to offer the nation. According to Nana B, as he is affectionately called, the NDC members boast of toilets and community health planning service (CHPS) compounds as their only social interventions. He said this to teeming supporters of the NPP party after a health walk at Techiman on Saturday. The health walk was organised by the First Vice Chairman of the party in the Brong Ahafo Region, Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC. Addressing the supporters at the Methodist Park after the walk through some principal streets of Techiman, the national youth organizer said the NPP government under President Akufo-Addo had implemented good policies and programmes that would improve the lives of Ghanaians. He said the NDC under the leadership of John Mahama could only mention toilets and CHPS compounds as their social intervention polices even though they tout themselves as social democrats. According to him, all social intervention policies and programmes being enjoyed by the people were introduced by the NPP. He did mention Free Maternal Care, School Feeding Programme, LEAP, NaBCo and the almighty Free SHS, among others. He assured the people that the 2019 budget presented to Parliament has good plans to create jobs to meet their aspirations. Addressing the crowd, the Regional Chairman, Thomas Adu-Appiah, was happy the party is still vibrant in the region. He wondered: What couldnt Mahama do in all the positions he has held so far? He has been an assemblyman, deputy minister, minister, Member of Parliament, Member of ECOWAS Parliament, vice president and finally president. What else does he want to come back to do in four years time? He called for unity among members and asked them to eschew suspicion and backbiting. On his part, Abronye DC said the NDC used IMF conditionality as an excuse to starve the people of employment, but with Nana Addo, more nurses and teachers have been employed. He praise the government for introducing NaBCo and gave an assurance that more people would be employed beginning from next January. He accused the NDC of mismanaging the economy when it was in power. Also, he lauded the 2019 budget. Government is going to strengthen the grassroots starting from polling stations and constituency executives with resources so that you can do effective campaign for victory in 2020, he declared. Other speakers were Regional Secretary, Kofi Owusu Boateng, MCE for Techiman, Alex Donyina and former MP for the area, Prof Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, while attending the official language conference of the northern region here on Monday, said Hindi is a language of the common people across the country. The Central government officials from Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand participated in the conference that was organized by the Department of Official Languages. Rijiju said Hindi was the language as crores of people around the country think and express their ideas in this language. He added that Hindi was not only the language of freedom struggle but is also the language of social interactions. Rijiju, who was the chief guest on the occasion, also gave away awards to winners of various Central government offices, banks, PSUs and Town Official Language Implementation Committees (TOLICs) situated in various regions, which work towards the implementation and promotion of the Official Language Policy of the Central government. Joint Secretary, Department of Official Language, Bipin Behari, said that his department is working towards developing new technologies such as Kanthasth Mobile Version and Memory based translation tools to further promote the official language. Chaman Lal Gupta, vice president of the Indian Institute of Higher Education, Shimla, who also addressed the conference, said that the new generation should learn and use Hindi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said that India is one of Vietnam's top trading partners and the two countries have seen a major jump in bilateral trade and investment relations. President Kovind made this remark while addressing Indian diaspora here at an event organised as part of his state visit to the country. Expressing delight over his visit to Vietnam, President Kovind outlined the deep ties shared by the two countries saying, "India-Vietnam friendship is civili-zational. Our relations have been exceptionally warm and cordial. Our people have stood by each other during most difficult times. Our founding fathers -- Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh -- have guided us on a shared path. I have come here to deepen those enduring ties." He also thanked the government of Vietnam for providing him with a special opportunity to address the Vietnamese Assembly. Invoking shared Buddhist history of the two countries and touching upon how monks have actively promoted relations between the two countries since ancient times, the President said: "The Buddhist Sangha is an important institution promoting friendship between our two countries. Through them, we have nurtured our ties with compassion, kindness and blessings of Lord Buddha. Monks and merchants brought Indian culture, philosophy and religion to the shores of Vietnam. Buddhism, Hinduism, Brahmi script and Sanskrit language soon, thereafter, took roots in this country." Lauding Vietnam's achievements, President Kovind said that the country has made huge socio-economic advances. "Sustained high levels of economic growth, combined with vision and foresight of its leadership, has seen rapid progress and prosperity. Per capita GDP in this country has gone up from less than US Dollars 100 in 1990 to over US Dollars 2500 today making a huge difference in the lives of ordinary citizens," he said. The President also emphasised that agricultural growth has been a key driver of this remarkable feat and India feels privileged to have contributed to Vietnam's agricultural revolution and food security. Outlining India's growth rate of 8.2 per cent, President Kovind further remarked that India is today the fastest growing economy in the world and is making steady progress towards becoming a 5 trillion economy. He touched upon Goods and Services Tax by calling it a path-breaking reform. He mentioned how policy measures helped India in jumping 65 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business list in the last four years. President Kovind highlighted 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and MUDRA as the socio-economic programmes aimed towards women empowerment. He praised the contribution of the Indian community in Vietnam in promoting bilateral ties and appreciated their hard work and dedication. He also credited common sensibilities of the citizens of the two countries for the popularity of the Indian television serials and films. Highlighting the increasing efficiency of Indian embassies spread across the word, President Kovind said: "There is new and vibrant connect between us and our Diaspora today. To serve them better, we have strengthened our embassies to provide round the clock service, so that no one in need is left un-attended. We have reached out to those in dire need, from Yemen to Venezuela, caught in the violence, crisis or natural disasters. And not just to Indians alone, but to people of over 50 other countries." President Kovind and the First Lady Savita Kovind reached here earlier in the day. The President is currently on a tour to Vietnam and Australia. He will be in Vietnam till November 21 and engage in various bilateral talks. He will depart for Sydney, Australia, the same evening marking a maiden visit of an Indian President to the island continent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stirring a fresh controversy, posters showing India's map without Jammu and Kashmir were put up on the campus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). However, these were removed soon after coming to the notice of the administration. As per the details given by the AMU administration, the posters were made by the drama society for an anti-partition drama, which was supposed to take place in the university premises. "As soon as the teacher-in-charge got the information, the university ensured that the posters were removed and the drama was postponed," AMU public relations officer (PRO) Shafey Kidwai told ANI. Even though the screening of the drama was called off due to the controversy, Shafey said that it would be staged later. "The banners have nothing to do with the country's politics," he clarified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 12-day long joint military exercise between India and the United States known as 'Vajra Prahar' commenced in Jaipur on Monday. A contingent of the United States Pacific Commander arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on November 18 for undertaking Joint training with the Indian Special Forces. The US contingent comprises of one officer and 10 other ranks from the Special Forces Group, informed Rajasthan Defence PRO Lt Col Sombhit Ghosh. The United States Special Forces will carry out rigorous joint training in semi-desert and rural terrain to enhance the interoperability of the two armed forces and further the military to military co-operation. The contingents will train on different aspects including hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and combat firing. Lastly, the Special Forces will undertake a three-day outdoor exercise to validate their practices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind said India and Vietnam "made significant achievement no doubt, but a lot more is waiting to happen." The President made these remarks while addressing the Vietnam-India Business Forum in Hanoi during his state visit to the Asian country. Congratulating the people and government of Vietnam for their 'stupendous success' in building the country's economy, President Kovind said, "Vietnam has seen spectacular economic growth in the last two decades. This has allowed reduction of the poverty rate from over 70% in the 1990s to less than 10% now. The increase in per capita GDP of Vietnam from less than US Dollars 100 in 1990 to over US Dollars 2500 today is a remarkable achievement with very few parallels in the developing " Accompanied by a delegation, consisting of several ministerial officials, President Kovind, and the first lady Savita Kovind arrived in Vietnam on Sunday on a three-day visit, with an aim to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. India is one among the top ten trading partners of Vietnam. The economic and commercial cooperation between the two Asian countries has seen a renewed thrust especially after several high-level visits by leaders of the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vietnam in September 2016, followed by Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc to India in January 2018, and former President Tran Dai Quang's visit to India in March, this year, has given special impetus to business and strategic linkages between the two countries. Leaders of both the countries have set a trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020. As per Indian data, bilateral trade between Vietnam and India is about USD12.8 billion registering an increase of 27 per cent. "Vietnam and India business partnership speaks for itself. With matching growth and lucrative business prospects on both sides, there is little convincing to be done," said President Kovind, adding that "Indian growth presents opportunities for two-way engagement in financial services, IT, digital economy, hydro-carbons, defence, renewable energy, mining, health-care, tourism and civil aviation sectors. We want Vietnam to collaborate with us in our flagship programmes - Make in India, Clean India, Start-up India, and Digital India." President Kovind also highlighted the importance of the energy sector and said that India is willing to partner with the South East Asian country. "There are significant opportunities in the oil and gas, power, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. In India, we have set a target to reach solar and wind energy generation capacity of 175 Gigawatt by 2022. With their global and cutting edge-expertise and experience, Indian renewable majors are ready to partner Vietnam," asserted President Kovind. According to Vietnam's General Department of Customs, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam jump by about 50 per cent in this first half of this year alone. The positive bilateral trade has been because of Vietnamese exports in 2018, which was around USD 3.92 billion. From January to June, Vietnam imported USD 2.44 billion worth of goods from India, which surged to 9.2 per cent over the same period last year, with cotton taking the lead at USD 320 million, up 44 per cent. Both India and Vietnam are members of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, under which mechanisms have been set up to facilitate trade between the two countries. Vietnam is the eighth largest export destination for Indian products in the and second largest in the ASEAN region. It is also the fourth largest trading partner of India among ASEAN countries after Indonesia, Singapore. "There is a large scope for increasing trade and investment especially in certain Indian products including pharmaceuticals, seafood, agricultural products, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, infrastructure and energy cooperation," said Ashok Malik, Press Secretary to the President of India. India's investments in Vietnam calculate to almost USD1.66 billion. India has 93 projects in Vietnam with a total investment of about USD 1 billion, while Vietnam has three investment projects in India with a total investment of USD 23.6 million. Meanwhile, Hanoi, by many estimates is pitched to be the fastest growing city in the in terms of GDP from 2008 to 2022. Economic and trade ties between the two nations go back to the second century of the Hindu Kingdom of Cham or Champa. That relationship got a further thrust with India's Look East and Act East policy. The Indo-Vietnam Joint Business Council which was established in 1993 has also been working to stimulate trade ties between the two countries. "We are on track to achieve our target of 15 billion US dollars bilateral trade by the year 2020. Vietnam is a very important trading partner of India in ASEAN and India is now among the top ten trading partners of Vietnam," President Kovind added. The India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project is being looked upon with great interest in Asia. The highway, at present, is under construction. It is a part of India's Look East Policy and therefore will connect Moreh in Manipur with Thailand's Mae Sot via Myanmar. There is also a plan in the works to extend the 3,200 route from India to Vietnam via Cambodia and Laos and name it the East-West Economic Corridor. By some estimates the corridor will generate annually, an estimated USD70 billion in incremental GDP and 20 million in incremental aggregate employment by 2025. Saying that the two Asian countries are on a path to achieve the target of 15 billion US dollars bilateral trade by the year 2020, the Indian leader laid out a roadmap for the future of India-Vietnam relationship. "We must encourage our start-up sectors and innovation-based industry to leverage each other. The Indian start-up eco-system ranks third globally. This year has been particularly successful for us, with over 1200 tech-startups taking wings. We must also learn from each other on how to improve productivity; how to approach the Fourth Industrial Revolution; how to promote innovation and entrepreneurship; and not the least, how to leverage technology for governance," said India's Head of State. President Kovind will conclude his three-day visit to Vietnam on Tuesday, following which he will begin the second leg of his visit to Australia, where he will hold talks in Melbourne and Sydney. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With just a few days left for Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conducted a high-level meeting in the state on late Monday night to chalk out the strategy for the ensuing polls. BJP president Amit Shah, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, party's General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and other leaders attended the meeting that took place at the party's office in Bhopal. The 230-Madhya Pradesh Assembly will go to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will be held on December 11. Chouhan, who has been serving as the chief minister of the state since 2005, is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term. The Assembly election in the state is seen as a direct political battle between the BJP and the Congress. While Chouhan is eyeing to secure his fourth consecutive term as the chief minister of the state, the Congress party is looking to regain power after 2003. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi has cornered the Nitish Kumar government accusing it of hiding absconding ex-social welfare minister Manju Verma. "Manju Verma must be found out. The government has kept her hidden. The Supreme Court had reprimanded the Bihar government twice on the issue but there is no effect. She should be traced," she said on Monday. Verma was suspended from the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on November 15. She had resigned as a minister in August this year after her husband Chandrashekhar Verma's name surfaced for allegedly having links with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case. Subsequent to recovery of ammunition from her house during a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid in connection with the case, Manju Verma has been absconding. A non-bailable warrant has been issued against her earlier this month. On November 12, the Supreme Court rapped the Bihar Police for its failure in arresting Verma. Apart from speaking on the Manju Verma case, Rabri also spoke on the feud brewing in her family. Taking up a question about her son Tej Pratap's expected date to return to Patna, the former chief minister said: "He is my son, he would come to me. It is not that he is some enemy." She confirmed that she had a talk with him during a visit to Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will meet with Republic of Korea Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon in Washington on Tuesday. The two officials will discuss measures to further strengthen close coordination on efforts to achieve the goal of fully verified denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. "Special Representative Biegun and Special Representative Lee will discuss ongoing diplomatic efforts, sustained implementation of UN sanctions, and inter-Korean cooperation," read the press note from the U.S. Department of State. Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's had visited Pyongyang and held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on laying the groundwork for the second summit between the latter and Trump and resuming the stalled denuclearisation talks between the two countries. While Pyongyang, on the one hand, repeatedly asserted that it has taken various steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme in exchange for a possible sanctions relief, the US, on the other hand, has reiterated that it will not lift the sanctions unless North Korea achieves "complete and fully verifiable denuclearisation". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and sought her support for the opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The meeting took place at the Secretariat here. Banerjee and Naidu gave a clarion call to oust BJP from power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019. The two leaders also discussed fresh dates for the meeting of all opposition parties. Earlier the meeting was slated for November 22 but was cancelled due to Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram. Talking to media persons, Naidu said that the meeting would take place before the Winter Session of Parliament, which will commence from December 11. The Winter Session will conclude on January 8, 2019. Naidu said that under the current regime all institutions are facing a serious threat. "Be it CBI, ED, RBI or CAG, in this government every institution is under immense pressure. We have to come forward to protect democracy and institutions," said Naidu. He said that demonetization was a big farce and growth in the country had reached stagnation. He also took on the Central government for the increase in fuel prices and unemployment. Naidu bemoaned, "There is an all-prevailing atmosphere of intolerance towards minorities." Naidu said that he was in touch with BSP chief Mayawati and all those who stand in opposition to the BJP. West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, on her part, too reiterated that opposition should collectively strive to throw the BJP out of power in 2019. She gave her consent for the all- opposition party meeting before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament. She brushed aside the question about the leader of the opposition unity, saying that all leaders are the face of opposition. For the last couple of months, Naidu has been vigorously reaching out to all big faces of opposition including the regional titans to bring them on a common platform so as to take on the NDA in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Naidu has already met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other regional leaders like Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah for strengthening the opposition unity. He recently met CPM leader Sitaram Yechury too. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Company, located in Macedonia is looking for sunflower husk pellets supplier, able to deliver the product to Macedonia on FCA terms. All details are negotiable. Delhi's Patiala House Court on Monday altered the date of Subramanian Swamy's cross-examination in the Herald case from January 8 to Januart 11. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader had filed the case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and others. Swamy, in his complaint, alleged that both Sonia, Rahul and others misused party funds to buy a firm that published the Herald newspaper The recording of Swamy's statement as a complainant-witness concluded recently. Veteran Congress party leader Motilal Vora, who is mentioned in the complaint, told the court that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused by tweeting. The court is likely to pronounce an order on Vora's complaint seeking directions to restrain Swamy from posting derogatory tweets regarding the case. In his complaint, Swamy also claimed that the Congress party president and others committed fraud worth Rs 16 billion by acquiring a public limited company Associated Journals Limited (AJL), through their private company, Young Indian. Swamy had also claimed that through this fraud, the mother-son duo and others had got the publication rights of the Herald newspaper, besides real estate properties. He alleged that the acquired properties, which were given by the government only for the purposes of publishing newspapers, were used for running a passport office. Terming them as 'political vendetta', the Congress party leaders have denied the charges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday said in the Parliamentary that a no-confidence motion in the House should be held electronically or a division by name in order to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the island nation. The Daily Mirror Sri Lanka quoted him saying that it was a system acceptable to the general public and the international community at large and that a voice vote was not transparent although Standing Orders provided for it. The President also requested all political parties to strike a compromise and act with some understanding. To avoid further clashes that could not disrupt the Parliament sessions any further, Sirisena also asked all the parties not to bring huge crowds along with them to hold protests near the Parliament. At an all-party meeting held on Monday, before the beginning of the Parliament session, the President said that a vote on voice cannot be considered appropriate when it comes to an important matter like changing a government, the Colombo Page reported. Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri chaired the session on Monday at 1 pm, which ended within 10 minutes. The United National Party of Sri Lanka took to Twitter on Monday evening, saying, "Once again the UPFA members refused to show their numbers through a vote by name. The illegal Prime Minister and the government are clinging onto power by refusing to allow Parliament to conduct its business." On Friday [November 16], the Parliamentary sessions were marred by violence for the third consecutive day with the ministers forcibly occupying the Speaker's chair and delaying the day's business. The Sri Lankan President on Sunday also called for an all-party meeting at his office. But the meeting concluded without arriving at any solution to the ongoing Parliamentary crisis in the country. The political turmoil in Sri Lanka turned topsy-turvy when Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated in the Parliament during a 'No-confidence' motion on November 15. The no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa was passed after 122 members voted against him in the 225-member House. In an unusual turn of events, the Parliament became a virtual war-zone, when the legislators got into fistfights, hurled objects at each other and even tried to attack Speaker Karu Jayasuriya following Rajapaksa's loss in the trust vote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the occasion of World Toilet Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India takes pride at the remarkable speed with which sanitation cover has been enhanced in the country. "Today, on World Toilet Day, we reiterate our commitment towards enhancing cleanliness and sanitation facilities across the nation. We in India take pride at the remarkable speed with which sanitation cover has increased in the last four years," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage, Prime Minister Modi, in 2014, launched the Swachh Bharat Mission, which is aimed to achieve a clean India by 2019, as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, which will be celebrated next year. Till date, 8, 86, 83,102 toilets have been built across India since the mission started. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal, on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted his tribute for Gandhi. He wrote, " Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary." Other senior Congress leaders along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari and former President Pranab Mukherjee were also present at Shakti Sthal to pay respects to the first lady Prime Minister of the country. Born on November 19, 1917, to India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru, she served as prime minister for three terms lasting almost 16 years. She was the second longest serving Prime Minister and was well known for path-breaking economic and social reforms, including nationalisation of banks. She also abolished privy purses of the erstwhile princely states. Indira Gandhi, who was hailed as one of the tallest world leaders, was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards at her residence on Akbar Road on October 31, 1984. This came after Operation Bluestar was executed at Amritsar's Golden Temple, wherein Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to confront Sikh separatists who had taken shelter at the holy shrine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Central Board on Monday decided to constitute a Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) of the Central bank to examine the framework for banks under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA). The decision was taken after the RBI's Central Board meeting here on Monday, which discussed the Basel regulatory capital framework, a restructuring scheme for stressed Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), bank health under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and the Economic Capital Framework (ECF). As per a press statement released by the Central bank after the meeting, the Board decided to constitute an expert committee to examine the ECF, the membership and terms of reference of which will be jointly determined by the Government of India and the RBI. In another major decision, the Board also advised that the RBI should consider a scheme for the restructuring of stressed standard assets of MSME borrowers with aggregate credit facilities of up to Rs 250 million, subject to such conditions as are necessary for ensuring financial stability. The Board, while deciding to retain the capital to risk asset ratio (CRAR) at 9 per cent, agreed to extend the transition period for implementing the last tranche of 0.625 per cent under the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), by one year, that is, up to March 31, 2020. Amid some media reports stating that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning after an alleged rift with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Finance Ministry on October 31 had clarified that the government holds "extensive consultations with the RBI from time to time." The Finance Ministry, in its statement on that day, had said that autonomy of the Central bank, within the framework of the RBI Act, is an essential and accepted governance requirement. It further asserted that both the government and the Central bank, in their functioning, have to be guided by public interest and the requirements of the Indian economy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "When nature call, we need a toilet," said Priyanka Yadav, a resident from Rewari, who wrote a letter to the concerned administration, urging them to build toilets for women at public places in the city. Priyanka told ANI that recently when she went to Punjabi market in Rewari along with her friend for shopping, she looked for a women toilet but did not find any. After asking the shopkeepers about the toilet in the area, she got stunned to know that there was no toilet for women. She has also written to the Chief Minister Office (CMO) in Chandigarh urging them to direct the administration to build toilets for women at public places. "I also wrote to the CMO Chandigarh. The CMO has directed Commissioner and Nagar Parishad's Executive Officer to submit a report regarding the same. Also, the existing toilets are occupied by anti-social elements," Priyanka said. Another resident of Rewari said that new toilets were built in the area but was captured by men. "New toilets were built a few times back but was captured by men who are involved in drinking alcohol and drugs activities. Hence, it is not safe to go in there. Around eight toilets for women exist here but are locked," she added. Reacting on the matter, Rewari's Executive Officer Nagar Parishad Manoj Yadav assured that tenders have been passed and the work will begin soon. "We have done the estimation and tenders have been passed. Work will begin soon. Wherever we are building toilets, we are building for women as well as men," he said. World Toilet Day is marked on November 19 to recognise the action taken to tackle the global sanitation crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The all-party meeting called by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday ended with no solution for the ongoing political crisis in the island nation. The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and representatives of his party as well as the unconstitutionally ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was joined by the representatives of the United Front (UNF) along with representatives of other political parties, reported Colombo Page. Former cabinet minister and United Party (UNP) parliamentarian Harsha de Silva said that the meeting concluded with no breakthrough as Sirisena suggested that the minority government headed by Rajapska continues to hold the office. "They want to drag impasse along giving lame excuses of procedure," Colombo Page quoted de Silva as saying. Sirisena and the members of the minority government have maintained their stance that the two no-confidence motions passed in Parliament against Rajapaksa did not follow proper procedure. tumbled into a constitutional crisis after President Sirisena ousted then-Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and named Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. Sirisena further suspended the country's Parliamentary proceedings until November 16. However, on November 5, the Sri Lankan President announced to reconvene the Parliament on November 14, amid rising demands by legislators of the state to end the political crisis in the island nation as soon as possible. On November 14, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed a no-confidence motion against the government of Rajapaksa. Following which the Parliament on November 15 witnessed a huge ruckus as members got into fistfights, hurled objects at each and even tried to attack Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. An Asian economic summit, which was being held in Papua New Guinea, ended on Sunday without a joint statement because of US-China differences over trade. Attributing the information to "a source within the meeting", CNN reported that all the 21 members at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit were in agreement, except China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that disagreements over trade impeded the signing of a joint statement. "There are differing visions on particular elements," CNN quoted Trudeau as saying. This is the first time that the summit of global leaders ended without a joint statement ever since the forum was established in Australia in 1989. Observers say US-China acrimony, which has seen them enacting tariffs on each others' billions of dollars worth of goods, overshadowed the summit. CNN said, "according to a US official involved in the negotiations" China could have been concerned about a specific line about unfair trade practices. The official said the most "problematic" line for the Chinese was, "We agree to fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices." The escalating trade war between the two countries, especially after the imposition of 10 per cent tariffs on Chinese products amounting to USD 250 billion, was one of the major reasons behind the discord at the summit, reports emerged on Saturday. Beijing's further retaliation with tariffs worth USD 60 billion on American goods further threatened new waves of tariffs in the near future. Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence, who attended the summit said, "China has taken advantage of the United States for many, many years and those days are over." In an interview to The Washington Post last week, Pence stated that if China wants to avoid a cold-war situation anytime soon in the future then it needs to make massive policy changes in its economic, military and political activities as demanded by the States. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in coordination with the United Nations Security Council's Libya Sanctions Committee on Monday imposed financial sanctions on Libyan militia leader Salah Badi. "In accordance with the UN listing, which the United States, United Kingdom, and France co-sponsored, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Badi pursuant to Executive Order 13726. Consequently, all of Badi's assets within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with him," read the press release from the US Department of Treasury. The sanctions require all the UN members to freeze Badi's assets as well as impose a travel ban. The comes after Badi ordered action against rival militias aligned with the Government of National Accord, exacerbating instability in Tripoli in August 2014. Since 2014, Badi has played a critical role in undermining Libyan peace, security, and stability. In addition, forces under Badi's command have used Grad rockets in highly populated areas, causing indiscriminate destruction and casualties, including emergency responders and ambulance workers. The US also stated that the sanctions are a concrete and forceful action in response to those who undermine Libya's peace, security, or stability. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind, who is on a three-day official visit to Vietnam, was on Monday left delighted as a group of students from the India Studies Centre, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi performed 'Sabarmati Ke Sant,' a song dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The President also tweeted out a video of "soulful rendition" of the song performed by the students saying, "Delighted to hear a soulful rendition of "Sabarmati Ke Sant" by Vietnamese students during the Indian community reception. Mahatma Gandhi's message of non-violence continues to inspire millions across the world!" Earlier in the day spouses of Embassy Staff and students of the University of Vietnam performed the iconic, "Ye Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge" from the Hindi blockbuster movie "Sholay" in the presence of President Kovind. This is President Kovind's first visit to an ASEAN country since he assumed office in 2017. In his address to the Vietnam-India Business forum, President Kovind lauded Vietnam for their stupendous success in building its economy. "Vietnam has seen spectacular economic growth in the last two decades. This has allowed reduction of the poverty rate from over 70 per cent in the 1990s to less than 10 per cent now. The increase in per capita GDP of Vietnam from less than US Dollars 100 in 1990 to over US Dollars 2500 today is a remarkable achievement with very few parallels in the developing world," he said. The President also said that Vietnam plays a crucial role as India's trading partner in the ASEAN and urged Vietnamese and Indian businesses to partner each other for trade and investment, and technology collaboration. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About the theme of this year's meeting "Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future", the leaders also recognized that there are some technology disruptions within the region, so it is necessary to take measures on jobs, education and training, O'Neill said. Trudeau's office said the two expressed a consensus about the need for reforms to the World Trade Organization, a group Trump dislikes. The Trump administration has levelled tariffs on US$250 billion in goods from China, over complaints of deep state subsidies for businesses and intellectual property theft. But at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Port Moresby on Sunday, Morrison played down suggestions relations in the Pacific were fractured. "History has shown that confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, will produce no winners", he said. Reforms to the world's trade referee are on the agenda for this APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea, the poorest member of APEC that received millions in financial help from China and Australia to put on the summit. Australia will work with China in developing the Pacific but Scott Morrison warns projects can not leave small nations with "unsustainable" debts. The tit-for-tat speeches on the first day of the APEC leaders summit, bringing together 21 countries that account for 60 per cent of the world's economy, framed different visions for the world as Pence looked to make allies like Canada pick sides in the battle for world influence. OPPO Teases to Launch its First R-series Smartphone in India The A7 also features the following sensors: accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope and proximity sensor. The Oppo R17 Pro is fuelled by a 3,700mAh battery that is powered by Oppo's proprietary Super VOOC technology. Raiders beat Cardinals with late field goal Carr had completed 71.5 percent of his passes and thrown 10 touchdowns, along with eight interceptions, entering play Sunday. In a season that has been riddled with disappointment, this Raiders team actually stepped up against the Cardinals. Presidente de Nissan sera arrestado por supuesta evasion fiscal La accion de Renault , maximo accionista de Nissan , esta bajando un 5% en Bolsa tras conocerse esta informacion. El grupo lo envio despues como primer ejecutivo de Nissan , tambien con el objetivo de estabilizar la firma. "The solution to perceived unfair trade practices is more likely to be found around the negotiating table than it is in re-building a tariff wall", he said. His speech was a clear reference to the escalating trade war between the United States and China, along with the general protectionism of US President Donald Trump. Morrison noted that the countries who ratified the agreement were "leaving the door open for others to come join, which we would welcome". "They (China) are looking at creating long-term deals and guarantees with these smaller countries to extend their own commercial, military and hegemonic interest", said Shuvaloy Majumdar with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a former Conservative government policy adviser. Yuen Pau Woo, an expert on the issues facing the Asia-Pacific region. "It creates rivalry and tension and is generally not favourable to the promotion of economic growth, peace and security in the Asia-Pacific, which is still a very volatile part of the world". APEC members the U.S. and China have become embroiled in a trade war which experts warn could be catastrophic for the global economy, with the world's top two powers going head to head. Sunday marks the last day of Trudeau's 10-day trek across Europe and Asia. Headline indices of the Australian share market closed lower on Monday, 19 November 2018, weighed by following the mixed cues from Wall Street on Friday, uncertainty over headway in Sino-US trade relations and the US Federal Reserve's comments on slowing global growth. At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index dropped 36.89 points, or 0.64%, at 5,693.66 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index declined 36.44 points, or 0.63%, to 5,786.39 points. Risk sentiments largely subdued amid worries about U. S.-China trade tensions resurfaced following the weekend's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC summit where leaders failed to agree on a post-summit communiqufor the first time in history. Shares of energy companies declined as concerns over a demand slowdown weighing on sentiment. Sector heavyweight Woodside Petroleum dipped 1.4%, while Santos fell 1.1%. Shares of banks and financials were lower, with ANZ Banking, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac were down in a range of 0.4% to 0.8%. Medibank Private dropped 6.14% after surfacing from a trading halt on Monday sparked by the loss of a large Australian Defence Force contract. Shares in Medibank, which was government-owned until its 2014 privatisation, were halted on Monday after the ADF told the insurer it would not extend its current arrangement with Medibank's Garrison Health Services past June next year. CURRENCY: Australian Dollar was up against greenback and other major currencies on Monday. The Australian dollar was quoted at 73.06 US cents, from 72.68 US cents cents on Friday; 82.40 Japanese yen, from 82.39; 64.1 euro cents, from 64.09; 56.98 British pence, from 56.81; and 106.75 NZ cents, from 106.40. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr Reddy's Laboratories announced that the audit of its formulations Srikakulum plant (SEZ) Unit II, Andhra Pradesh by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), completed on 16 November 2018 with zero observations. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018. Tata Investment Corporation announced that its board approved a proposal to buyback upto 45 lakh equity shares of the company for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs 450 crore, being 8.17% of the total paid-up equity share capital, at Rs 1,000 per share. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018. Power Grid Corporation of India said that its board approved increasing shareholding limit of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from 30% to 35% of paid up equity share capital of the company. The current FPIs/FIIs holding in Power Grid is about 24%. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018. Infosys announced that it has completed the formation of a joint venture with Temasek, the global investment company headquartered in Singapore. Through this joint venture, Infosys will be a partner to Temasek in its digital transformation journey and further strengthen its footprint in South East Asia. The joint venture will provide Temasek and its other clients with solutions in advanced technologies including cloud, data and analytics, cybersecurity, digital experiences and AI. Additionally, employees of this joint venture will be able to access Infosys' world class education and training capabilities, to advance their technological skills. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018. SRF announced that the unit in Viralimalai, Tamil Nadu of the technical textiles business (engaged in manufacture of belting fabrics) of the company has been damaged by Cyclone Gaja. The company said it has adequate insurance cover for the said unit. Adequate steps are being taken to restore normalcy and further updates in this regard will be communicated in due course. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018. Deepak Nitrite will be in focus. With reference to news item captioned, 'IT department raids on Vadodara based Deepak Nitrite Limited', the company clarified after market hours on Friday, 16 November 2018, that there has been search operations carried on by the income tax department at the company premise. The company shall inform the stock exchange about all events, information which are required to be disclosed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $300 million Loan Agreement to support lending by India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL). Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed the loan agreement on behalf of Government of India said that the Project will enhance availability of long-term finance for PPP projects, improve operational capacity of IIFCL, and expand the portfolio of infrastructure financing instruments available to IIFCL. He further said that the loan is expected to compliment Government's infrastructure building efforts. Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission who signed the agreement for ADB, said that ADB funding is expected to fund at least 13 sub-projects through IIFCL, involving roads and renewable power generation, under the last tranche. The Project supports the renewed effort of the Government of India in accelerating infrastructure growth through increased Private Sector investment. The Project is relevant and responsive to the constraints to bank based infrastructure financing, fiscal space creation, and repercussions on GDP growth. The $300 million ADB loan is expected to help catalyze the financial closing of $2.4 billion in investments. In addition, the attached technical assistance will support IIFCL capacity development and will focus on IIFCL's financial management and social and environmental safeguards. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) office in Afghanistan said on Monday that about 3.7 million Afghan children have no access to school due to insecurity and poverty in the country. "An estimated 3.7 million children are out-of-school in Afghanistan with 60 percent of them girls," Ahmad Jan Nawzadi, an official at the UNICEF office in Kabul, told reporters in a ceremony to observe the World Children Day which falls on November 20. Celebrating the World Children's Day in Kabul, UNICEF officials expressed concerns over the situation of Afghan children, their poor access to school, child labour and recruitment of child soldiers, reports Xinhua news agency. In conflict-hit Afghanistan, many parents, mostly in the countryside, are reluctant to send their girls to school due to security concerns and cultural barriers. However, around nine million Afghan children, some 40 percent of them girls, are attending school regularly. As armed groups including Taliban and Islamic State (IS) outfits are active, hundreds of schools have reportedly remained closed, mostly in the countryside. "To pave the way for access of children to school, UNICEF and the Afghan government have established over 5,000 community-based schools in rural areas, where 176,000 students can study there," Nawzadi said. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sixty-nine pilgrims, who were arrested late Sunday night from Sabarimala temple after they defied prohibitory orders, were remanded to judicial custody by a court here on Monday. All arrestees, who were kept at the Maniar Police Camp in Pathanamthitta district, were produced in the court that remanded them to 14-day judicial custody. However, before taking them to the court, the police released one person who was below 18 years of age. Consequent to Sunday's arrest, angry Hindu activists on Monday took to streets, raised slogans and held prayer sessions in front of police stations across the state. Union Minister K.J. Alphons also criticised the state government for the action. As the news about arrests spread in Thiruvanathapuram, protesters assembled near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's residence and shouted slogans. The situation grew tense late Sunday when over 200 pilgrims did not vacate the temple premise even after 10 p.m, as ordered by the state administration, and stayed put singing Lord Ayyappa hymns and chants. As they continued despite repeated requests from the police, action was initiated to forcefully evict the premises. This led to their arrests in a post-midnight action. Alphons on Monday reacted sharply to the arrests, and told the media in Nilackal, before heading to the shrine: "I fail to understand why the Kerala Police has clamped prohibitory orders. This is not the way things should be handled. Sabarimala pilgrims are not extremists. You can't use force in this place." Kerala Minister for Devaswoms (temples) Kadakampally Surendran, reacting sharply to the allegations said it was not pilgrims but Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) goons who had taken over the Lord Ayyappa shrine, and backed the police action. "He (Alphons) should not have said things without knowing facts," Surendran said. Alphons who was headed to the hill temple said he would inspect how the state has utilised the Rs 100-crore relief fund from the Centre. "I will go around the temple town to make sure how the funds have been used." Surendran said: "It's true that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for various projects in Sabarimala and the deadline for implementing it ends in July 2019. "But the unprecedented floods saw close to Rs 19 crore of work in progress in projects getting washed away in September. "What happened in the temple premises last night was a takeover by the RSS goons. The police pleaded with them to return as it's against the law to remain there. It was only after they refused to move that the police acted." After going around the place, Alphons said the state government has failed miserably in setting up the basic infrastructure. "Toilets are placed five feet above the ground and it appears one needs a lift to reach the toilet," said Alphons. State BJP president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai told the media that a judicial probe must be conducted into what happened last night at Sabarimala, as this is the first time in the history of the temple that there has been police action against pilgrims. Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala told the media that it is most unfortunate that pilgrims are held in police custody, and demanded that the state government release them at the earliest. Superintendent of Police Prathish Kumar told reporters that the arrests were made after the protesters despite being asked to disperse once the temple closes at 10 p.m did not move out. Right-wing activists held protests on Monday across the state. Security has been heightened for Vijayan, who was shown black flags by angry youth activists of the BJP in Kozhikode where he was in connection with some official engagements. The Sabarimala temple doors opened on November 17 for two months. The temple town has witnessed protests by Hindu groups since September 28 when the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged between 10 and 50. The apex court on November 13 refused to stay that verdict. While the Kerala government is trying hard to see that the apex court verdict is implemented, the BJP-RSS, other pro-Hindutva forces and the Congress-led UDF are up in arms against violation of the temple tradition. --IANS sg/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Commandant was killed and four others were injured in an accidental explosion on Monday at a border outpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said. The incident happened after a grenade exploded accidentally at Manguchak border outpost. "Assistant commandant, Zabber Singh was killed while four others, including two inspectors and two sub-inspectors, were injured," the official said. "The injured troopers have been shifted to hospital for treatment," sources said. --IANS sq/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday directed all the Heads of Departments (HoDs) of the Delhi government to make redressal of public grievances a "top priority" and that no complaint should be left unresolved. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief's instruction came as he chaired a review meeting on the functioning of the Public Grievance Monitoring System (PGMS) with the Heads of Departments (HoDs) and officers of all the Delhi government departments. "Since the government stands committed towards public welfare, it is important that individual grievances of residents of Delhi are duly addressed within the specified time limit given by each department," Kejriwal said. He asserted that it has to be the topmost priority of all HoDs and secretaries to ensure that no grievance remains unattended. Kejriwal told the officials that he will now hold meetings with the HoDs and secretaries twice a month - 15th and the last working day of the month - to personally review the PGMS functioning. "Priority of the government and its officers has to be towards the public and their grievances cannot be left unresolved at any cost," he said adding that the next review meeting will be held on December 17. --IANS sd/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced criticism following his "smutty" remarks about actress Pamela Anderson, after she asked him to help Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Anderson had urged Scott Morrison to bring Assange to Australia. Rejecting her plea, Morrison said he had "plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort out the issue with Pamela". Several politicians backed the actress slamming the politician saying it was high time men stopped using a woman's sexuality and appearance to denigrate her political arguments. A government minister defended his comment though as being "light-hearted", the BBC reported. Morrison has not yet responded to Anderson's criticism. Assange, an Australian citizen, claimed asylum in Ecuador's London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations -- a case that has since been dropped. He has remained in the embassy over fears of extradition to the US. Last week, US media reported officials were preparing charges against him. Earlier in November, Anderson who is a former "Baywatch" star and long-time advocate for Assange, called on the Australian government to help him. "Get Julian his passport back and take him back home to Australian and be proud of him, and throw him a parade when he gets home," she told Australia's 60 Minutes programme. Morrison's comments came soon afterwards on a radio programme. He reiterated his government's position that it would not intervene in Assange case, the BBC said. On Sunday, Anderson wrote in an open letter: "You trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion." Several Australian politicians backed her criticism of Morrison's language, even if some disputed her views on the Assange case. Labor Senator Kristina Keneally tweeted: "It's high time men, including @ScottMorrisonMP, stopped using a woman's sexuality and appearance to denigrate her political arguments." Independent Senator Derryn Hinch added that Morrison "really should not have said it". Another minister, Steve Ciobo, told the media: "I suspect it was a statement that was said in a light-hearted way". --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal BJP leadership on Monday held several rallies across the state to protest against the attack on the party's state president Dilip Ghosh's convoy allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers a day ago. Rallies were held in south Kolkata's Behala, Mominpore, Howrah district's Kulgachia, Bankura district's Barjora, North 24 Pargana's Uluberia among other places. Activists of the saffron outfit marched on the streets with banners and placards condemning the attack on the party leader's convoy in Hoogly district's Dunkuni on his way back from a rally on Sunday evening. Some agitators resorted to a rail blockade in some stations under the south-eastern railway. Issuing a stern warning to the Trinamool Congress for the attack, Ghosh said the party does not need "Facebook revolutionaries" but leaders who can counter atrocities of the state ruling party on the ground. "There are a few people in our party who fight on Facebook. BJP does not need the Facebook revolutionaries. We need those who can bring the real revolution," Ghosh said in a public rally on Monday. "Those who are scared can stay at home. We will hand over the responsibility to someone else. We do not need cowards in our party. They can never bring any change. I am the state party president for three years, so I know who all have the courage to fight from the front. Those who are not worthy will be grabbed by the neck and thrown away," he added. Five vehicles in Ghosh's convoy was allegedly attacked and damaged by the Trinamool Congress supporters on Sunday when they were coming back from a rally in Mashat in the district. According to the saffron outfit, several party workers and leader Joy Banerjee were injured in the incident. --IANS mgr/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has finished shooting for the tenth season of the quiz based reality show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" ("KBC"). Amitabh on Monday morning tweeted: " 'KBC' finale done. End of this season. It is 10 seasons of 'KBC'... its 18 years of 'KBC' from year 2000. For me 716 episodes of 'KBC', 855 hours over 9 seasons additionally about 3-4 hours of work over each episode and another 4-5 hours of prep on each episode." "Kaun Banega Crorepati" is based on the British programme "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Nine seasons have been hosted by Amitabh. Only season three was taken over by superstar Shah Rukh Khan. On the silver screen, the 76-year-old star currently has two films - "Badla" and "Brahmastra" - in his kitty. --IANS dc/nv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Honda officially launched a strategic planning of new energy brand dubbed Seeing the future at the 2018 Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition. Meanwhile, the automaker showcased a product lineup including the ENVIX concept, the INSPIRE, the 2019 CR-V, the XR-V, the UR-V and so on. It was the first public appearance for the ENVIX concept at the auto show. As the second new model after Dongfeng Hondas brand upgrade, the ENVIX is designed to offer pleasant driving experience with spaciousness and comfort to consumers. It is expected that the new strategic model is going to hit the market in the first half of 2019. The INSPIRE flagship model that went on sale at the end of October also attracted much attention by virtue of its masculine front face, spiffy side profile, dynamic fastback car roof as well as powerful rear end. With an elegant interior, the vehicle is fitted with such human-friendly amenities as large leather-covered seats, automatic dual-temperature air conditioner, sliding panoramic sunroof and multifunctional leather-covered steering wheel, etc. The newly-launched seeing future NEV strategy says that Dongfeng Honda will possess over 10 electrified models over the next five years. The first BEV model, jointly developed by Dongfeng Honda and Honda Motor China Technology Co., Ltd, will make its premiere next year. The Canada Post strike has been ongoing for several weeks now, and it's been causing complete chaos in Canada. Businesses will slowly move away to more reliable private parcel delivery services rather than get shafted by Canada Post every other year or month. The union wants concrete proposals for dealing with an escalating number of work injuries at Canada Post - and not processes created to punt worker safety concerns down the road, said Palecek. CUPW national president Mike Palecek wouldn't say whether tentative deals could be reached by then, but said the union would not be held to an arbitrary deadline. Agency spokesman Jon Hamilton said the fund is "not a committee" but a way for the company and union to work together to identify ways to make the workplace safer. Canada Post put forth a time-limited offer to postal workers November 14 that includes pay increases of two per cent a year as well as a signing bonus of up to $1,000 and the establishment of a $10 million health and safety fund. Steve Carell Teases 'The Office' Reboot During 'SNL' Monologue Ellie Kemper , who played Erin Hannon and is the star of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt , was up first and told him, in regards to The Office reboot, "I need that money". Despidieron al conductor que reto a Laura Zapata al #ThaliaChallenge Luego, la actriz se retiro del estudio pese a que los conductores intentaron detenerla. A traves de redes sociales, Adrian informo que la empresa lo despidio. Browns considering Condoleezza Rice for head-coaching job Bush is being eyed by Browns brass for an interview to become head coach, according to an eye-popping ESPN report Sunday . Rice has also been rumored as a potential candidate for NFL Commissioner, should that job open up. The Royal Mail in England has said that it is halting shipments to Canada because of the strike, according to The Huffington Post. Until an agreement has been reached between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the future of your holiday gifts and deliveries is uncertain. Since late October, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has been setting up rotating strikes across the nation to disrupt mail delivery, albeit temporarily. The Crown corporation's main sorting plants in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal normally process about a million parcels daily. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned his government will take unspecified action to end the rotating strikes if there is no significant progress in the negotiations. CUPW said the latest proposals made positive steps, but not enough to put an end to walkouts, which rotated Friday through most of Manitoba, as well as communities in Ontario, B.C., Alberta and New Brunswick. "But we can not go back to work at the busiest time of the year without fixing the issues that keep us injured and overworked". Not only will worldwide shipments potentially take a long time to reach you, but Black Friday and Christmas shipments may not even make it to Canadians in time for the holidays. Rome, Nov 20 (IANS/AKI) Britain's ambassador to Italy, Jill Morris, on Tuesday will brief Italian MPs on the prospects for students, university researchers and Italian cultural organisations ahead of her country's planned withdrawal from the European Union next year, the parliament said in a statement. The address by Morris -- to members of the lower house of parliament's foreign affairs and culture committees -- will be streamed live from the parliament's website, the statement said. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019. --IANS/AKI vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is auditing the impact of the controversial demonetisation on the Indian economy and may complete its report on it before the budget session of Parliament early next year. However, sources said since it will not be a full-fledged Budget Session with 2019 being an election year, it is not clear if the government will table the report in Parliament. Last week, 60 retired bureaucrats had written to the CAG, alleging that the report on demonetisation was being "deliberately" delayed to not "embarrass" the Central government till next year's Lok Sabha elections. Calling it an "unconscionable and unwarranted delay", they said there was no sight of the audit report on demonetisation promised by the previous CAG Shashi Kant Sharma over 20 months ago. Sources in the CAG office said that while it was outside the ambit of the CAG to audit the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or even the public sector banks, it was looking at issues which had a bearing on demonetisation and on the impact that arose out of the disruptive action, executed on November 8, 2016. "We don't audit RBI. That is out of the ambit of the audit. We don't have a mandate to audit RBI or even the public sector banks. Issues which have a bearing on demonetisation, those are being looked at and that comes in the report which is usually tabled in the Budget Session," a source said. He said the findings will be a part of Report Number 1, which is always presented in the Budget Session. "But there is no full-fledged Budget Session this time. We will send it when the report is due. Whether they (the government) lay it (on the table) or not, that is a different thing," the source said. Former CAG Shashi Kant Sharma had told the media in March last year that while demonetisation, per se, was a banking and money supply issue outside the CAG's audit jurisdiction, but it was well within its rights to seek audit of the fiscal impact of demonetisation, especially its impact on tax revenues. He said the audit report would cover linkages of demonetisation with the public exchequer, expenditure on printing of notes, RBI dividend to the Consolidated Fund, and the huge amount of data generated by banks and the Income-Tax Department in the wake of demonetisation. "It is more than 20 months since the previous CAG made the above statement but there is no sight of the promised audit report on demonetisation," the former bureaucrats told the CAG in their letter. "An impression is gaining ground that the CAG is deliberately delaying its audit reports on Demonetisation and the Rafale deal till after the May 2019 elections so as not to embarrass the present government," they said. They added that the CAG's failure to present the audit reports on demonetisation and the Rafale deal in time may be seen as a partisan action and may create a crisis of credibility for the institution. "In the past, the CAG has been criticised for nitpicking and focusing on trivial issues on the one hand, and for audit over-reach on the other. But there was never any occasion to accuse the CAG of being influenced by the Government of India or having to remind it about the timely performance of its Constitutional duties," they said in the letter. Apart from the audit report on demonetisation, the report on Goods and Services Tax is also due during the Budget Session. --IANS vv/vsc/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A case has been registered here against four Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) professors under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, an official said on Monday. The case has been filed by Subrahmanyam Saderla, an assistant professor of the Aerospace Department, against four of his colleagues -- professors Ishan Sharma, Sanjay Mittal, Rajeev Shekhar and Chandrashekhar Upadhyaya -- accusing them of making casteist comments. The Board of Governors has already found the quartet guilty of mocking, mental torture and intimidation. In his complaint, Saderla alleged that he had applied for a job in July 2017 and was given his appointment letter on December 28, 2017 after clearance by external experts. He joined IIT-K as assistant professor this January 1, he told the police in his complaint. He went on to allege that during a symposium on January 4, Sanjay Mittal made a derogatory comment on him after which his appointment was questioned. He had thereafter made a complaint to the state SC/ST Commission which was heard on April 10 and orders were issued against the four professors. The accused professors however went to the High Court where the obtained a stay. --IANS md/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev next year, the Centre has decided to undertake a series of commemorative activities across India and abroad. The decision was taken at the third National Implementation Committee (NIC) meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on November 8 in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma, Governor of Punjab V.P. Singh Badnore, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology S.S. Ahluwalia, and Punjab's Minister of Tourism Navjot Singh Sidhu, said a Home Ministry statement on Monday. The NIC, constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary next year, earlier had two other meetings under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State for Culture as members. "It was decided that the event will be commemorated through a series of activities commencing in November 2018 (November 23, the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak) throughout the country and across the globe," said the statement. A commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Department of Posts, it said. Sultanpur Lodhi, where Guru Nanak spent much of his life, will be developed as a heritage city, also incorporating Pind Babe Nanak Da, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with the Punjab government. The Union Ministry of Railways will upgrade Sultanpur Lodhi railway station with modern amenities. A national institute of Inter Faith Studies will be set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Punjab for which the state government will provide land free of cost. The Ministry of Electronics and IT will install a high-powered telescope in India for the devotees to view Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. A Chair on Guru Nanak Dev will be set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in one University each in the UK and Canada. An international seminar on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev will be organised in New Delhi by the Union Ministry of Culture. States and Union Territories will also be requested to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in a befitting manner. The Ministry of Culture will work with the state governments for this. The Indian Missions abroad shall organise a series of activities as part of the celebrations. The Ministry of Railways will run a train passing through places associated with Guru Nanak Dev. "Religious activities like kirtan, Katha, prabhat pheri and langar will be organised throughout the year both at national and international level," said the statement, adding that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) -- an organization in India responsible for the management of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh and union territory of Chandigarh -- will draw a calendar of activities and execute it. Educational activities such as seminars, workshops and lectures shall be organised throughout the country by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in association with SGPC. Doordarshan will arrange live telecast of programmes on Guru Nanak and the Gurbani. The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretariats will be requested to consider telecasting the same on Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. Publication of Gurbani in different Indian languages will be done by the National Book Trust. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) will be requested to translate and publish an anthology of Guru Nanak's writings in world languages. --IANS rak/shs/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatnatyam exponent Geeta Chandran on World Toilet Day on Monday announced an educational campaign she will undertake on responsible toilet use, followed by a dance tribute to her first guru. The event was attended by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The campaign, announced at the Kamani Auditorium here, will aim at "changing the way we approach and use toilets". "For the 40 years that Geeta has been a dancer, she has been travelling all over India. She finds it extremely demeaning, that no matter where you go -- in a flight or train, a school, a community centre -- we as a nation just do not know how to use toilets. "We are building toilets, there are first-generation toilet users in millions, but nobody is focussing on teaching how to use a toilet," Chandran's husband and UN National Information Officer for India and Bhutan, Rajiv Chandran told IANS. The dancer, also a 2007 Padma Shri recipient, dismisses that a classical dancer can only talk of "love and shringara", her husband said, adding they too can raise issues like hygiene and toilet training. Chandran's war cry? "Everyone has the right to a clean toilet, but the person coming after you also has the right to a clean toilet." It's a construct of right and duty, he said. How will the campaign play out? "She's going to be writing and talking about it across media, cultural institutions, wherever she goes. She's going to utilise her physical presence and the social media. In every performance and lecture, Geeta's going to begin by saying that this is the new thing to start. "There is going on be on-ground activity as well. We'll talk to police stations, post offices, the places which have a national presence. We're going to have them begin talking about the toilet culture that's it not dirty but essential, and has to be a place of dignity," Chandran said. The announcement was followed by an hour-long solo dance tribute -- "Swarna" -- to her first Bharatanatyam guru Swarna Saraswathy, who taught Chandran since she was five. Speaking at the event about Chandran's performance, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Today's the occasion for me to gently request the creative community of India, all those who've been part of the guru-shishya parampara, to bring out the contribution of your late gurus, whose dedication makes India a centre of profound creativity." --IANS sj/pgh/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Opposition Congress and NGOs will join a rally here on Tuesday to demand ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's resignation, an organiser of the march said on Monday. "The march will be held on Tuesday. Social activist Rajan Ghate, who is on an indefinite hunger-strike, will lead the march to Parrikar's residence in Dona Paula. The march will be attended by Goa NGOs, leading individuals and some political parties, including the Congress," organiser Aires Rodrigues, a city lawyer, told the media. State Congress President Girish Chodankar confirmed his participation. Ghate has been on a hunger strike for the past four days at the Panaji city square, demanding that Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and has been unable to attend office for several months now, resigns from the post and hands over charge. Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi for nearly nine months. He returned from New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 14 and has not moved out of his private residence for any official event since. Apart from the Opposition, which has been demanding his resignation for several months now, cabinet ministers from the ruling alliance conceded on Saturday that Parrikar's absence from office had brought the state administration to a standstill. --IANS maya/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With growing air pollution and increase in number of people with pulmonary problems, the demand for portable oxygen cans is increasing in India, says a company which manufactures cans and light weight oxygen cylinders. Delhi Cryogenic Products Pvt Ltd, which is manufacturing the products under the brand name OXY99, on Monday announced its foray into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad-based Bluewater Alkaline Solutions will distribute the products manufactured with technology from Italian health major ING L&A Boschi in both the Telugu states. The portable oxygen can, weighing just 120 grams and can be used for 150 inhalations with shelf life of two years, will be available at medical stores across Telangana by the end of next month. The company plans to roll out distribution in Andhra Pradesh next year. Priced at Rs 650, it can be used by people suffering from asthma or other respiratory disorders, breathlessness, tiredness, headaches, mental and physical stress, wheezing and coughing, said Kalisetti Naidu, CMD, Bluewater Alkaline Solutions. The company also manufactures 75 litres to 1,700 litres oxygen cylinders with price ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 27,000. Shiv Sharma, Zonal Manager, Delhi Cryogenic, said the company was selling 150,000 products a month in 12 states across India. He said 50,000 products were being sold in Ladakh alone. The company has 50,000 cans per day capacity and this can be increased to 150,000 per day to meet the growing demand. Launched early last year, Delhi Cryogenic claims to be the only firm in India to manufacture portable oxygen cans and cylinders made of aluminium in India. --IANS ms/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three AIADMK party members serving life sentence in the Dharmapuri bus burning case were released on Monday to mark the birth centenary of party founder M.G. Ramachandras (MGR). Reacting to this, DMK President M.K. Stalin questioned why the state government has not pressed for the release of seven prisoners who are in jail for the past 27 years convicted in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The three convicts -- Muniapan, Nedunchezhian and Ravindran -- burnt a bus in which the students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore were travelling while protesting against the conviction of then party leader late J. Jayalalithaa in a corruption case in 2000. Three young girl students -- Hemalatha, Kokilavani and Gayathri -- were burnt to death in the bus while other students escaped. The three accused were awarded death penalty but the apex court in a review petition commuted that to life sentence two years ago. The three were released on Monday after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit cleared the AIADMK government recommendation for their premature release. To mark the birth centenary of MGR, the state government has recommended the release of 1,800 life convicts who have been jailed for 10 years. Stalin said the AIADMK government is not urging Purohit seriously to release the seven persons convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. --IANS vj/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google may shut down its Google News service in the European Union (EU) if a proposed "link tax" for using news stories comes into force in member countries, The Guardian reported. According to the new copyright directive, adopted by the European Parliament on September 12, tech giants must pay for work of artists and journalists which they use. To put the rule changes into effect, individual member countries would have to draft local laws. Google is deeply concerned about the current proposals, which are designed to compensate struggling news publishers if snippets of their articles appear in search results, Richard Gingras, the search engine's Vice President of News told the Guardian. The future of Google News could depend on whether the EU was willing to alter the phrasing of the legislation, he said. "We can't make a decision until we see the final language," he was quoted as saying. This is not the first time an attempt is being made to charge Google for links. In 2014, Spain passed a law requiring aggregation sites to pay for news links. Google then decided to close down the service for Spanish consumers. Traditional outlets tend to blame Google for sucking up much of the advertising revenue which used to prop up print newspapers, the Guardian reported. But many news websites also depend on the service to drive traffic to their websites. Google News is not directly a profit-making business for the company, while it does encourage users to spend more time on the company's websites, Gingras said, adding that the search giant does not put any advertising in Google News. --IANS gb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Making an indirect reference to the ongoing US-China trade war that poses a "big challenge" to the multilateral trade system, India on Monday reiterated its call to reform the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ensure its relevance in the changed global scenario. Addressing a conference here organised by industry chamber Ficci, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the ongoing discussions to reform the WTO must include both old as well as new issues so as to prepare a "forward-looking agenda" for the multilateral body. "To ensure that there no repeat of the Buenos Aires (WTO ministerial in December 2017) failure it had been decided to draw up a new agenda for the WTO," Prabhu said. "Since then much water has flown under the WTO bridge, so to speak, and the organisation faces unprecedented challenges." Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump launched a trade war against China by imposing tariffs on around half of its imports into America and has threatened to deepen the conflict and target all of its imports. Prabhu said that there were current challenges to global trade, the impact of which would have serious implications for the world economy and individual nations. "Today, we must agree that without WTO, we will have a problem because we need global trade. We must make sure that WTO remains intact... It has to change and change for the better," he said. The Minister said that India was in discussions with other member countries and an agenda was being prepared which would be forward looking, agreeable to all nations and include substantive issues. "We cannot forget the issues that have been put on the table with an agreement of all the countries and those issues also need to be taken into account. So, we cannot forget the so-called old issues. "At the same time, we cannot just forget inclusion of new issues. So, we must find out a proper substantive agenda which will be encompassing all these important elements," he said. At the Buenos Aires ministerial, which failed to reach an agreement due to the US intransigence on food stockholding, India continued to press for the reduction of farm subsidies by developed countries and resisted inclusion of new issues on the negotiating table. "The WTO processes - which include rules and practices - have to improve. In the last few months, I have spoken to ministers from over 100 countries and discussed how to prepare a new agenda for the WTO," Prabhu said. In September, senior officials of the G-20 nations, meeting in Argentina, reached a consensus on an initiative to reform the WTO. China and the European Union, among others, have insisted for several months on the need to start discussions on reforming the WTO, to avoid a chaotic situation in the international political and economic system. --IANS bc/ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It has a large American population and some 3,000 Haitians settled in the city, just south of San Diego, in 2016 after failing to cross the USA border. According to the United Nations, among the migrants were around 2,300 children. Across the border, almost 6,000 troops deployed by Donald Trump have been busy erecting concrete barriers and razor-wire fences to deter what the U.S. president has described as an 'invasion'. The migrants are mostly fleeing poverty and unrest in Central America's "Northern Triangle" - El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, where brutal gang violence has fueled some of the highest murder rates in the world. 'We don't want you. The Mexican interior ministry says there are now around 8,000 migrants crossing the country in several caravans. On Thursday, migrants who registered six weeks ago were getting their names called. Hector Beltran Leyva muere de un infarto, informa la Segob Hector fue el segundo al mando y asumio el liderazgo de cartel despues de la muerte de su hermano Alfredo en 2009. Luego de ser atendido en el area de urgencias, los doctores reportaron su deceso. Nine-Fairfax deal to proceed after shareholders vote for takeover Now that the ACCC and shareholder approval have been received, the two businesses will await court approval. AdNews understands the meeting will go ahead and that shareholders are supportive of the deal with Nine. Britain's Royal Mail halts shipments due to Canada Post labour dispute The Crown corporation's main sorting plants in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal normally process about a million parcels daily. The Canada Post strike has been ongoing for several weeks now , and it's been causing complete chaos in Canada. The main caravan began its journey on October 13 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. But after traveling more than a month to get here, they have been met with protests by some residents, and xenophobic comments from Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum, who said the "horde" of migrants had arrived "with an aggressive, obscene plan". With shelters already at capacity, authorities in Tijuana opened a gymnasium to house about 1,000 people and can expand to house 3,000. In the coming days, officials believe as many as 5,000 could seek asylum and entry into the United States. However, official border crossings will probably only let them through in a trickle. Even if they endure the long wait to cross at such posts, less than 10 percent of asylum requests are granted, the United States government says. The European Commission urged the U.S. not to deport migrants to their respective homelands, where they face life threat. 'Every country in the world has every right to protect its borders and every country in the world has the obligation to do so in full respect of human rights, ' said European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova. President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday called for more cooperation between India and Vietnam in the areas of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT. "Agriculture has been a key sector of our cooperation involving trade, investment and training," Kovind said while addressing the Vietnam-India Business Forum here. "We feel privileged to have supported the Vietnamese agricultural revolution through the establishment of Cuu Long Rice Research Institute," he said. Stating that Vietnam is a huge agricultural economy with agro-marine-forestry exports surpassing $35 billion last year, Kovind said that agricultural products already occupy over 45 per cent of India-Vietnam bilateral trade. "Agro-processing, agro-chemicals, farm machinery, bio-technology and high-tech farming hold immense potential for bilateral cooperation," he said. "Indian industry can also learn from Vietnam's success in crops such as coffee, pepper, cashew, fruits and vegetables." The President also said that the Indian pharmaceuticals industry, the third largest in terms of volume and the world's largest provider of generic drugs, can partner Vietnam in providing quality health-care, medicines and medical devices for the public health system at an affordable cost. "Indian pharmaceutical companies are also looking at domestic production opportunities in Vietnam," Kovind said. He pointed out that both India and Vietnam are leading players in the textile industry. "We must cooperate further to facilitate integration of value chains," Kovind said. He also highlighted significant opportunities between the two sides in the oil and gas, power, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. Stating that the Indian IT services, including digital economy and fin-tech sector have much to offer to Vietnamese growth, Kovind said start-up sectors and innovation based industry must be encouraged to leverage each other. "We must also learn from each other on how to improve productivity; how to approach the Fourth Industrial Revolution; how to promote innovation and entrepreneurship; and not the least, how to leverage technology for governance," he stated. Vietnam is a key partner country of India in Southeast Asia and served as New Delhi's coordinator country with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc till July this year India and Vietnam have set a bilateral trade target of $15 billion by 2020. Later, Kovind also addressed an Indian community reception during which he invited members of the community to attend next year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the External Affairs Ministry-organised conclave of the Indian diaspora. --IANS ab/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian-origin professor in Kansas City in USA's Missouri state compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a newspaper has reported. The Kansas City Star daily in a report on Sunday said that it had found that over professor Ashim Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, his students hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. The claims were made by nearly a dozen of Mitra's former students. Mitra has denied the allegations. Kamesh Kuchimanchi, a former student, told the newspaper that he considered his life at UMKC as "nothing more than modern slavery". "Slavery" to Kuchimanchi meant bailing putrid water from Mitra's basement after a flood and serving food at the professor's Indian cultural celebrations off campus. The students' complaints were corroborated by Mitra's former colleagues, who told the daily that they saw the students performing menial tasks off campus or heard their complaints. A few colleagues repeatedly told the professor his actions were improper, yet nothing changed. According to allegations in pending litigation, the University not only knew about Mitra's behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because he was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. A student who earned her doctorate at the UMKC pharmacy school in 2013 told The Star that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. One of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, also from India, has sued Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court - one in 2016 and one in 2018. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. The 10th Indo-Russian joint military exercises started in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The 10-day drill includes company sized contingents of the 5th Army of Russia and a mechanized infantry battalion of the Indian Army. It is taking place at the Babina military station, an official said. Major General P.S. Minhas, General Officer Commanding, White Tiger Division, and Major General Tsekov Oleg Mussovich, Commander Eastern Military Districts from Russia, reviewed the opening ceremony. There was a fly past of Army Aviation helicopters which carried the national flags of both the countries. "The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning to enhance inter-operability of the two armies in peace keeping environment under the aegis of the UN," an official said. The exercise also covers building tactical level operations in a counter-insurgency environment in semi-urban terrain. --IANS md/ahm/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infosys Foundation, Skoda Auto India, University of Rajasthan and Madras Christian College are among 1,775 entities issued show-cause notice under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act for their failure to submit annual income and expenditure statements on foreign fundings, officials said on Tuesday. The Union Home Ministry issued the notice on November 16 after these entities failed to file returns for up to six consecutive financial years from 2011-12 to 2016-17 despite reminders. In its notice, the Ministry said these entities or associations have not submitted online their income and expenditure statements, receipts, payment account details and balance sheets. The Ministry warned that if they fail to submit the returns for the said period by December 1, 2018, "appropriate action" will be taken under the FCRA. Apart from Infosys, Skoda Auto India, University of Rajasthan, Madras Christian College, the entities and associations served the notice include the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, Mumbai; Loyola College Society, Vijayawada; Guru Harkrishan Education Society, Chandigarh; and Allahabad Agricultural Institute. The National Association for the Blind, Gujarat; Vivekananda Seva Sadan, West Bengal; Bombay Memons' Education Society; Rajiv Gandhi Social Service Centre, Madurai; Jawahar Sarvodya Vikas Samiti, Nalanda, Bihar; Indira Mahila Bikash Samiti, Odisha; Nehru Yuva Sankalp Sansthan, Rajasthan; and Jain Vishva Bharati Institute, a deemed university located at Nagaur in Rajasthan are among those served the notice. Young Men's Christian Association, Kutch, Gujarat; Midas Trust, Mumbai; Mewat Educational and Development Society, Haryana; North East Institute of Fashion Technology, Guwahati; and Jamia Islamia Ashraf Ul Ullom Arabic Education Public Charitable Trust, Visakhapatnam were also served the shjow-cause notice. The FCRA provides that associations registered under the Act shall submit electronically online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statements, receipts and payment accounts, balance sheets etc., for every financial year within nine months of the closure of the financial year. The associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a NIL return for that financial year within the aforesaid period. Earlier, a similar notice was served on April 24, 2018 to these associations advising them to submit annual report or accounts of the missing years electronically online immediately. "...the said associations are hereby directed to explain within a period of 15 days from the date of issue of this show-cause notice as to why appropriate action under the FCRA may not be initiated against them," the notice read. --IANS rak/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even as the Punjab Police maintained that some leads were being investigated, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the grenade attack on a religious congregation of the Nirankari sect was a clear case of terrorism and there was no religious connection to it. "It is a clear case of terrorism. This has been carried out to create panic. There is no religious link to it," Amarinder, who visited the grenade attack spot at Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Adliwal village near Rajasansi, told the media. Three persons were killed and 20 injured when two motorcycle-borne youths threw a grenade at a Nirankari congregation about 15 km from Amritsar. All victims were sect followers from nearby villages who had gathered for the weekly Sunday religious meeting. The Chief Minister visited the injured in the hospital here and announced a government job to next of the kin of the three people killed in Sunday's grenade attack. Amarinder had earlier on Monday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh to anyone giving information regarding the two youths who carried out Sunday's grenade attack on the Nirankari prayer meeting. The Punjab Police, which has remained clueless for the last over 24 hours regarding who carried out the attack, has formed several teams to investigate the grenade attack. CCTV footage of places near the blast was being scanned to know more about the two masked attackers. Forensic teams and a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached the spot late on Sunday to investigate the attack. Inspector General (Border Range) S.P.S. Parmar told the media on Monday that the probe would look at all angles and police teams were trying to trace the culprits. The attack at the compound located in the rural belt, around three kilometres from the Guru Ram Das Jee Amritsar International Airport, created panic. Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora, who rushed to the spot on Sunday along with senior officers, admitted that it was a "terror act". The Punjab Police has drawn flak for intelligence failure regarding the attack despite the border state being on high alert since November 14 over reported movement of six to seven terrorists in the state. Eyewitnesses told the police that two youths on a motorcycle, with their faces covered, forced their entry into the sect compound by pointing a pistol at a woman volunteer at the gate. There were around 200 followers in the compound at the time. Amarinder Singh, who on Sunday directed the police to immediately enhance security arrangements at all sensitive places, terming it "the first such indiscriminate attack on innocent people in recent past", said that the "possibility of involvement of ISI-based Khalistani/ Kashmiri terror groups can't be ruled out". The Nirankari sect, with headquarters in Delhi, has millions of followers across the country and abroad. In the last few months, Khalistani and Kashmiri activists have been trying to foment trouble in Punjab, which shares a 553-km barbed wire-fenced international border with Pakistan. The state police, along with its Jammu and Kashmir counterpart, had busted two modules of Kashmiri students who were studying in institutions in Punjab and having links to terrorist outfits in troubled Kashmir. The Maqsudan Police Station was targeted by Kashmiri terrorists on September 14 with hand grenades though no one was injured in the attack. Posters of Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Mussa had mysteriously appeared in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Friday saying that he had been seen in Punjab.The Chief Minister said 15 terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months, including those with Kashmiri terror links. --IANS js/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday said that the Jana Sena will contest the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana. Jana Sena, which is not contesting next month's Assembly elections, will field candidates for the Lok Sabha elections next year. Pawan said the Jana Sena could not contest the Assembly polls as they have been advanced. He said had the elections been held as per the original schedule, the party could have fielded its candidates. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government dissolved the Assembly in September, eight months before the expiry of its term. The elections to the 119-member Assembly are scheduled to be held on December 7. Pawan said a meeting of the party leaders was held on the Telangana elections and it was unanimously decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls in the state. The popular actor had earlier announced that the Jana Sena will contest the elections in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. --IANS ms/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will hold talks with agitating sugarcane farmers on their demands for a higher minimum support price and settling dues from state-run and private mills, said an official on Monday. "Kumaraswamy has called for a meeting with sugarcane farmers, mill owners and officials at the state secretariat on Tuesday to discuss their demands and problems, said the official from the chief minister's office in a statement here. The meeting has been convened a day after hundreds of farmers, including their womenfolk on Sunday staged protests at Belagavi against the state government's alleged indifference over ensuring minimum support price (MSP) for their cane and settling their dues from mill owners. The Chief Minister also advised the farmers staging the protest in the city on Monday to have patience and sought time to address their demands, including loan waiver, higher MSP for sugarcane and supply of seeds and fertilizers for the rabi crop. "I appeal to the farmers to be patient as the government is committed to find solutions to their problems. I held meetings with officials and stakeholders on demands of sugarcane growers. I have directed the district deputy commissioners to resolve their issues," said the statement citing the Chief Minister. Though debt waiver was not a solution to the farmers' woes, Kumaraswamy said the state government was working hard to waive off farm loans taken from cooperative, scheduled and state-run banks. "I hope the waiver will enable the farmers to seek fresh loans for the next crop. The loan waiver will begin soon as the process is at the final stage," said the chief minister. Claiming that the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government was pro-farmer, Kumaraswamy said a permanent solution was being worked out to ensure that farmers would not have to protest or resort to an agitation. "I have been always on the side of farmers and don't have bias against those from the northern or southern regions of the state. All are equal and same for me. Terming the police action against protesting farmers at Belagavi on Sunday when they barged into the premises of the district secretariat, Kumaraswamy said in a democracy everyone had the right to protest but not break the law. "As the loan waiver amount is about Rs 48,000 crore, we need time and workforce to verify each account. I want farmers to be patient and not be desperate," added the Chief Minister. --IANS bha-fb/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday said the southern state was open defecation free in its rural areas. "Earlier statistics showed that only half or one-third of the rural households had individual toilets, but presently, all the 70.2 lakh rural households in the state have been provided with individual toilets, thereby reducing open defecation," Kumaraswamy said at a state government's event here. The state's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has built 45 lakh toilets in about five years, said Kumaraswamy at the event held to mark the World Toilet Day in Bengaluru. The United Nations observes World Toilet Day each year globally to tackle the sanitation crisis. The 45 lakh toilets were built since 2013 across Karnataka's 6,022 local bodies (gram panchayats) in all the 176 taluks (sub-districts) of the state's 30 districts, an official statement said. "While the central government has been pushing for "Swacch Bharat" Mission (Clean India Mission) to make the country open defecation free, Karnataka has executed it ahead of time," Kumaraswamy claimed. The state had aimed to become open defecation free by 2018, a year ahead of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary in 2019, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said on the occasion. Cleanliness and sanitation have a positive impact on the lives of people in the state, said Rural Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. "All sections of the society must contribute to making the state a model by staying open defecation free. It will have a strong, positive impact on the lives of women and children," Gowda said. --IANS bha/ahm/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter-in-law is richer than his son K. T. Rama Rao, a minister in his cabinet. Rama Rao and his wife have total assets of over Rs 41 crore, according to the affidavit submitted by him to the election authorities on Monday while filing the nomination for next month's Assembly election. While K. Shailima owns assets worth Rs 36.68 crore, her husband is only worth Rs 4.93 crore. Their daughter K. Alekhya has a bank balance of Rs 19.59 lakh. Rama Rao, considered number two in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government, holds key portfolios including industries, information technology and municipal administration. Like his father, he showed himself as an 'agriculturist'. The profession of Shailima was shown as 'business'. K.T.R., popularly known as Rama Rao, owns an Innova car worth Rs 26.88 lakh. While filing his nomination last week, the TRS chief had declared assets of over Rs 22 crore but claimed that he owns no vehicle. According to KTR's affidavit, he had an income of Rs 74.42 lakh including Rs 59.85 lakh agriculture income during 2017-18. His wife had an income of Rs 3.79 crore including Rs 24.65 lakh from agriculture. She also earned Rs 79.65 lakh profit from a partnership firm. Shailima has movable assets of Rs 27.70 crore while the movable assets of her husband were only Rs 3.63 crore. She has equity shares worth over Rs 18 crore in Telangana Publications Private Limited besides investments in other firms. The couple owns agriculture and non-agriculture lands in Medak, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad and Karimnagar districts, all valued at over Rs 10 crore. Interestingly, Shailima has liabilities of Rs 27.39 crore while KTR has Rs 33.28 lakh liabilities. The couple has given a loan of over Rs 1 crore to KCR. KTR also declared in the affidavit that he along with seven others were convicted by a railway court in Secunderabad in 2016 in a case registered during the Telangana movement. However, no punishment was imposed by the court, which extended the benefit under Probation of Offenders Act and released him after an admonition. The TRS leader also provided details of 16 other criminal cases pending against him. All the cases were booked during the agitation for statehood to Telangana. --IANS ms/ahm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pune police are likely to question senior Congressman and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh whose name had come up in the ongoing probe into the Koregaon-Bhima case almost three months ago, officials said here on Monday. "We may call or question him in connection with the matter, but there is no time-frame decided yet," Joint Police Commissioner Shivajirao Bodkhe told IANS. Singh's reference is in connection with a telephone number - said to belong to the Congress leader - found in one of the letters seized from the alleged Maoist sympathisers arrested by the police in the past few months. The Congress leader's name was raised nearly three months ago with some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders like spokesperson Sambit Patra also referring to it. "We have found a letter with some phone numbers these are being investigated," Deputy Commissioner of Police Suhas Bavche said, without elaborating. Singh had expressed his readiness to face any probe in early September and said: "If that is so, then I should be arrested right away." In the latest instance, the Maharashtra Congress has taken strong umbrage to the allegations and efforts by the Maharashtra Police to drag Singh into the matter. "Are the Pune police trying to help BJP in the Madhya Pradesh elections? Even after being pulled up in the Supreme Court why does the (Pune) police keep rushing to the media? We see this happening," said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant sharply. The letter, dated September 25, 2017, has been submitted before the Special Court as part of the evidence proving the links between the arrested activists and Maoist leaders of various outlawed groups like the CPI-Maoist. --IANS qn/ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile A three-way contest is in the offing as Chhattisgarh goes for the second and concluding phase of Assembly polls on Tuesday for 72 seats spread across 19 districts, with the ruling BJP wrestling it out with the opposition Congress and the Ajit Jogi-Mayawati-led alliance emerging as a formidable third front. A total of 1,079 candidates are in the fray, and both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contesting all the 72 seats. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is in the fray for 25 seats and its ally and former Chief Minister Jogi's Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) is vying in 46 seats. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded candidates in 66 constituencies. Polling will be held from 8 a.m to 5 p.m in all 72 seats where an electorate of over 1.5 crore, including over 77 lakh male and over 76 lakh female voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. There are nearly 1,000 voters from the third gender. Elaborate security arrangements including use of helicopters and drone have been put in place for the polls to take place at over 19,000 polling booths and over a lakh security personnel have been deployed. For the Maoist-affected Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Jashpur and Balrampur districts, extra security arrangements have been made. Carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, the state where the BJP is in power since 2003, is witnessing a three-way poll battle for the first time. Jogi -- who ruled the state for the first three years as a Congress Chief Minister, later floated his own outfit and aligned with the BSP and the CPI -- is perceived to impact the poll battle where the vote share difference between the BJP and the Congress was less than one per cent in 2013. In 2013, the BJP with 41.04 per cent vote share had own 49 seat, while the Congress won 38 seats with a vote share of 40.29 per cent in the 90-member Assembly. Among the prominent faces in fray in the last phase are state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel (Patan), Leader of Opposition in the Assembly T.S. Singh Deo (Ambikapur) and former Union Minister Charandas Mahant (Shakti). For the BJP, the list includes state ministers Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur City South), Rajesh Munat (Raipur City West), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur), Prem Prakash Pandey (Bhilai Nagar), Dayaldas Baghel (Nawagarh) and state party president Dharamlal Kaushik (Bilha). For the alliance, Jogi is in the fray from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi is contesting from Kota, while his daughter-in-law Richa Jogi is a BSP nominee from the Akaltara seat. The high-decibel poll campaign which ended on Sunday, saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Chief Minister Raman Singh and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath raising the pitch for the party. For the Congress, which looking to unseat the BJP, President Rahul Gandhi led from the front targeting Modi and the Raman Singh government over corruption and agrarian distress. Besides flaying Modi for demonetisation, Gandhi also dared the Prime Minister to speak up over the Rafale deal which the Congress calls to be India's "biggest defence scam". The BJP's campaign centered around attacking the Congress over dynasty politics, with the Nehru-Gandhi family being the focal point of both Modi and Shah's attack. The first phase of election in 18 constituencies across eight Maoist-affected districts of the state took place on November 12 and saw a 76.28 per cent voting despite the rebels threatening people to stay away from the poll process. The results will be declared on December 11. --IANS and/nir (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.) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi were among those who paid tributes to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday. "Nation remembers her vision and administrative skills," Naidu tweeted. Modi added: "Tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhiji." Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi offered floral tributes to the country's first woman Prime Minister at the Shakti Sthal memorial here. "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave Indira Gandhi," Rahul tweeted about his grandmother. Congress leader Anand Sharma said: "A grateful nation recalls her historic contribution in building a strong and self-reliant India and her martyrdom. Her memory shall continue to inspire generations to follow." Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said: "Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration." Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav called her the "great iron lady". "She was a brave, strong and visionary lady who never bowed down before enemies of our country. She will always be remembered for her great contribution in building India," he said. Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. She was Prime Minister for 16 years over two spells. --IANS rak/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday called for a pledge to eradicate the menace of open defecation on the occasion of World Toilet Day. "On #WorldToiletDay, let us pledge to eradicate the menace of open defecation. Our State's flagship programme, #MissionNirmalBangla, has been very successful. As of May, 2018, 11 districts, 33,261 Villages, 2,621 Gram Panchayats and 255 Blocks in the State have become #ODF," she said in a tweet. World Toilet Day is being observed on November 19, inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. According to the United Nations, around 60 per cent of the global population - 4.5 billion people - either have no toilet at home or one that doesn't safely manage excreta and 862 million people worldwide still practice open defecation. --IANS bdc/ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday asked some Ministers and senior officials to resign if they are not concerned about people's welfare. Biren Singh was visibly angry as only a handful of Ministers, MLAs and officials were present at an Quami Ekta function held at the banquet hall of 1 Manipur Rifles in Imphal. The spacious hall was empty except for some elected members and officials. Biren Singh said that the government had started giving due respect to all those little known and unsung heroes who had done so many things for the country. He said that some Nagas from Manipur had been sent on exile to Kalapani along with prince Kullachandra of Manipur during British occupation. He also recalled the leadership of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was born on this day, in maintaining the country's integrity and her role in "Operation Blue Star" to flush out Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in 1984. --IANS il/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that one must not fall prey to the argument that India's development requires a restriction on the freedoms of its people and a concept of nationhood which demands a contrived unity rather than embrace the reality of India's diversity. "The framers of India's Constitution were wise men and women in articulating a concept of citizenship which transcended, but did not seek suppression of, India's diversity," Singh said after he was conferred with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. "The more narrowly we seek to define our identity the less capacity we will have in dealing with a globalizing world outside our borders," he said. "The exponential growth of social media has undermined state authority but in the hands of a predatory state it can also become an instrument to undermine the fundamental freedoms that citizens aspire to," he warned. Singh rued that at the end of the Cold War, representative democracy and free markets seemed to emerge as the unassailable hallmarks of the new age, but within a generation, democracies were being "seduced by new authoritarianisms" while the votaries of free markets have become "its worst offenders". Globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for developing countries. India's own recent history is an example. But globalization may generate uneven levels of prosperity. To deal with inequality, the answer is not to try and reverse globalization but to use public policy to spread its benefits more evenly, he said. "The failure to deal with inequality is a failure of public policy, not the inherent consequence of globalization," Singh, a noted economist and a former RBI Governor, argued. He said that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) needed to be a "more powerful multilateral institution and the upholder of a rule-based order". He said it was becoming increasingly evident that regional trading arrangements were not delivering the benefits they were expected to. If Asia is to sustain its remarkable trajectory of growth and dynamism, "acknowledging and learning to manage its emerging multipolarity will be the key". "If not, peace will inevitably be the casualty and so would development," he said. --IANS mak/shs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proposed meeting of the Congress and other opposition parties on November 22 to discuss formation of a joint front against BJP-led NDA has been postponed, sources said on Monday. The meeting, to be attended by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and leaders of other parties, was also expected to discuss a common programme for the proposed front. Naidu, who has taken the lead in uniting the opposition parties has met several leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda, DMK chief M.K. Stalin, Aam Admi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, among others. Naidu is also likely to meet Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday in Kolkata to invite her to join the proposed non-BJP front. --IANS bns/ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Donald Trump claimed that Pakistan "does not do anything" for the US, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari reminded the President about the human losses incurred by Islamabad over the years. "The loss of Pakistani lives in the US War on Terror, the free space for (CIA contractor) Raymond Davis and other operatives, the illegal killings by drone attacks - the list is endless," Mazari tweeted. "Once again history shows appeasement does not work." Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Trump defended his administration's decision at the start of 2018 to axe "military aid" to Pakistan by linking it to the slain Taliban chief Osama bin Laden who was killed in Pakistan in 2011, Dawn news reported. "We give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year... (bin Laden) lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year - which we don't give them any more, by the way. I ended it because they don't do anything for us," the President said. Mazari called "Trump's tirade against Pakistan" a lesson for those Pakistani leaders "who kept appeasing the US especially after 9/11". "Whether China or Iran, US policies of containment and isolation do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests," the Minister said. Mazari accused Trump of suffering "from perpetual historic amnesia". Relations between the US and Pakistan, which began to strain in 2011, reached a new low in January when Trump suspended American security assistance to Islamabad over the alleged presence of Afghan militant groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Islamabad has rejected the charge as incorrect. The Inter-Services Public Relations has said that that the Coalition Support Fund received from the US was reimbursement of money spent for operations in support of the coalition in Afghanistan. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday alleged the Modi government and the Manohar Lal Khattar government are endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an incomplete Expressway in Haryana without any testing by engineers. In a series of tweets, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Modi should order an inquiry. "PM Modi and CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway," he said. Surjewala demanded to know why "no testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD(Commercial Operation Day)", had been done. He said the third party consultant had refused to give 'completion certificate' and "even HSIIDC (Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp) refused to own responsibility for mishap" He asked if Modi and Khattar were "risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator". Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Haryana. --IANS nks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Haryana, saying it will help in reducing vehicular pollution in the national capital. The 136.65-km long six-lane Expressway, which will provide an alternative route to vehicles to go towards Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, will help in easing traffic flow, especially of heavy vehicles, through Delhi. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Expressway would lead to more development of the National Capital Region (NCR). He said the 83-km Kundli-Manesar section was completed four months ahead of the revised deadline. The 53-km Palwal-Manesar section was inaugurated in April 2016. Modi dedicated the KMP Expressway, also called as Western Peripheral Expressway, to people from Sultanpur village in Gurugram district. "Our government has undertaken the massive expansion of highways and railways in the country to bring more development. Everyday, 27 km of highways are being made," Modi said while addressing a gathering on the occasion. Taking a dig at the previous government, Modi said the BJP governments (in the Centre and states) were determined to get work executed and completed compared to earlier when projects would just linger on. "Work was going on on this (KMP) Expressway for 12 years. You should have got this Expressway 8-9 years back. It was to be used during the (2010) New Delhi Commonwealth Games. This shows the work culture of the previous government which encouraged delays and wastage of public money," Modi said. "Had this Expressway been completed on time, the traffic mechanism in Delhi would have been something else. With the completion of this Expressway, heavy vehicles can avoid entering Delhi. This will help in reducing pollution in Delhi. This Expressways speed up the economy, environment, ease of living and ease of travelling," Modi said. The Expressway, built at a cost of Rs 6,434 crore including land acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore and construction done at a cost of Rs 3,646 crore, was originally to be completed by 2009-end but got mired in controversies and litigation. Its initial cost was Rs 1,915 crore. It was rescheduled to be completed by February 19, 2019, but has been completed before the fixed date. It passes through five districts in Haryana: Sonipat, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Mewat and Palwal. The Expressway would connect four major national highways -- Delhi-Ambala-Amritsar, Delhi-Agra-Varanasi-Dankuni, Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Delhi-Hisar-Fazilka-India-Pakistan border. It was expected to significantly reduce the traffic from north Indian states to central, western and southern parts and vice versa. The Haryana government has announced plans to develop five new cities over an area of 50,000 hectares on each side of the KMP Expressway. For the convenience and safety of commuters, trauma centre and police patrolling vehicle have been deputed. After every 14 km, one ambulance and one recovery van with a helpline number have been stationed for speedy response in case of accidents or emergencies. The Expressway has been developed as a green corridor, the spokesman added. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Ballabhgarh Metro and laid the foundation stone for the Haryana Vishwakarma Skill University in Palwal. The Ballabhgarh Metro link will connect the 3.2-km long Escorts Mujesar-Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabhgarh) section with the Kashmere Gate-Escorts Mujesar from village Sultanpur. It will be known as the Violet Line. Ballabhgarh has become the fourth city in Haryana to get Metro connectivity after Gurugram, Faridabad and Bahadurgarh. --IANS js/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday expressed concern over the issue of unemployability among fresh graduates in the country, saying that nothing less than a complete re-engineering of the system can fix the problem. Addressing the students and faculty members here at the 95th annual convocation of Delhi University, he said the demographic dividend that we possess in the form of young people below the age of 35, who constitute 65 per cent of the total population, can turn into a "demographic challenge" if we fail to exploit the youths' potential. "... it is a matter of grave concern to us that the rise in the number of educational institutions has not led to corresponding improvement in the quality of granted in this country. We do produce a large number of graduates and other degree holders but how many of them are well rounded, employable individuals capable of critical, rational thinking?," Naidu said in his speech. "There is a need to re-imagine and re-engineer our entire system, top-down and bottom-up. There has to be a change in the curriculum, teaching methodology, examination system, technology tools used and research," he added. The Vice President also criticised the 'one-size-fits-all' approach in the way education is imparted in the country and advocated for development of the "unique qualities" of students and encouraging them to think independently. Stressing the need for "equity in higher education", Naidu urged the private players to step up and "find ways to cross-subsidise the education for the poor and the needy". "We should also take special care when it comes to providing barrier-free access to education to our differently-abled youngsters," he added. He also lamented the decline in original research. "For a country as vast and as diverse as India, facing problems ranging from poverty to environmental degradation, innovation is not a luxury but an urgent necessity." --IANS vn/shs/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just like the US in 2008, a perfect storm is building in China, and it may hit world markets soon. The overbuilding, cash-flow challenges and lack of demand in China all combine for an eventual major financial disaster. Credit-worthiness was no longer relevant in the US and the volume of subprime loans exploded. The government had inserted itself in the mortgage business. Like most government initiatives, their plans were doomed. Americans lacking the ability to pay for mortgages were provided mortgages at teaser rates that when fully adjusted would never be paid. This ultimately climaxed in 2008 with the subprime crisis that sent shock waves around the world and put financial markets in a tailspin. Another financial meltdown is in the works this time in China Over the past few decades, China opened its borders and corporations around the world fled to China due to its cheap capital and meager payroll costs. As a result, Chinas economy exploded. Again, from Falling Eagle, Rising Tigers The Chinese were relentless in their efforts to obtain Western technology and grow their economy. They set up trade barriers and manipulated their currency in ways that helped China. The US was at a disadvantage in trade resulting in massive deficits into the billions. Along comes the Trump Administration, the first administration to address Chinas unfair trade advantage. These efforts by the Trump team to bring China to the table to address trade inequalities involving the US may result in slowing down the China economy. The timing of these barriers is not good for China as there are more pressing issues that must be addressed. President Trump is a shrewd negotiator and he obviously believes now is the time to encourage China to make changes to their trade barriers with the US. China may have no choice but to go with what the US offers to keep its economy afloat. The more pressing issues for China surround real estate, in a manner similar to the US in 2008. As China grew, it invested in its infrastructure and in addition it invested in large housing projects throughout the country. These efforts helped bolster Chinas already fast growing economy. There simply are not enough people in the area where these massive complexes were built that make enough money to afford living in these communities. It appears that the Chinese communists misunderstanding of supply and demand may be their downfall. The amount of debt related to Chinas over development is massive. The total amount is unknown with not reported by local communities and banks being over $6 trillion: The total amount is unknown with S&P estimating the amountby local communities and banks being over $6 trillion: China may be sitting on a hidden debt pile of as much as 40 trillion yuan ($6 trillion), concealed off-balance-sheet by the countrys local governments, according to research from S&P Global Ratings. Many local governments in China raise debt and hold it off their balance sheet, in order to avoid lending limits imposed by central authorities. S&P says that this is a growing problem within the country, and that the amount of debt held this way has likely ballooned in recent years. Chinas financial crash may make the 2008 crash in the US look small. The implications will no doubt impact the entire world. The Centre on Monday said it would not bail out cash-strapped Jet Airways, stating that it's the responsibility of the management to implement policies to ensure financial stability and a smooth functioning of the airline. According to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, the government looks at sector-specific issues in the current deregulated policy environment. Prabhu was answering questions on a possible bailout package for the private airline at the launch event of the upgraded version of "AirSewa 2.0 web portal and mobile app" here. ALSO READ: Jet Airways pilots threaten not to do additional duties over salary delay Civil Aviation Secretary R. N. Choubey said the airline wanted some time to pay charges levied by airport operators. Choubey said the issue had to be sorted out between the airline and airport operators and that the ministry has no role in such commercial deliberations. Currently, the airline is facing financial troubles due to an increase in jet fuel prices, a weaker rupee, and low fares. On November 16, Tata Sons, the holding company of the firms, said discussions on acquiring a stake in the financially-troubled airline were at a preliminary stage. On Air India's financial woes, Choubey said the airline was being given support from "time to time". He further said that the airline's performance was being monitored. Last month in Hyderabad, the secretary had said that a revival package for the debt-ridden national carrier had nearly been finalised and that the government was providing all support to to ensure that it remained a viable entity. On August 7, Parliament had approved the gross additional expenditure of Rs 9.8 billion for equity infusion into the heavily indebted airline. The Central government had invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) on March 28 this year for disinvestment of Air India, including the national carrier's shareholding interest in Express Ltd and SATS. But, it received no response till May 31, the closing day. Despite the lack of buyer interest, the government stated that it was still committed to the idea of Air India's strategic divestment. Actor Akshay Kumar, who is known for featuring in socially relevant films, feels that there is no point in making documentary films on social issues as most of the time people don't react to those films. The actor featured in "Toilet - Ek Prem Katha" which talked about the issue of open defecation in India, when asked him what kind of reaction he received after making the film, he said: "I personally believe that there is no point making documentary films on social issues." "I am sorry to say that but I have seen it often that nobody reacts to documentary films in villages," Akshay said while speaking at the panel discussion titled as 'Universal access to sanitation' as a brand ambassador of Harpic on World Toilet Day here on Monday. "People like to see commercial and entertaining films so filmmakers should make entertaining films and they should subtlety give their desired message through it," he added. "I think I am very lucky because I have the opportunity to do commercial cinema and give them the message in a very different way. I am proud to say that my film 'Toilet- Ek Prem Katha' has been shown in every village." The actor also urged the government to show his another film "Pad Man" in villages to create awareness about menstrual hygiene among people. "I would also urge the government to show my another film 'Pad Man' in rural areas because menstrual hygiene is the biggest taboo in our country," the actor said. Akshay next will be seen in science fiction film "2.0" along with megastar Rajinikanth. It is directed by S. Shankar, co-written by B. Jeyamohan, and produced by A. Subaskaran. The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on November 29, 2018. --IANS iv/vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake an official visit to Malaysia from November 20, his first to the country since assuming his post in August. Imran Khan is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to review existing relations and cooperation as well as identify new areas for future collaboration between the two countries, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "The visit underlines the significance and importance Malaysia attaches to its relationship with Pakistan. It will also be an opportunity for both leaders to exchange views on a range of global and regional issues of common concern," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Both leaders will also witness the signing of an agreement on partial abolition of visa between their governments. Malaysia and Pakistan enjoy substantial and long standing bilateral relations in the field of education, tourism, defence cooperation and technical assistance, according to the statement. In 2017, total bilateral trade was recorded at $1.34 billion. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of an arrested Indian fisherman, who died in a Karachi jail, is expected to be sent back to India on November 29, an activist said on Monday. Nanubhai Kanabhai Solanki, 45, who was arrested in November 2017 by the Maritime Security Agency of Pakistan for allegedly straying into Pakistani territorial waters, was ailing for some time before his death on September 20. "Solanki hailed from Una tehsil of Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. His body was kept at Edhi Foundation's morgue in Karachi for couple of months. It is expected to be sent back to India to his family on November 29," Pakistan India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy activist Jatin Desai told IANS. Besides, another 460 Indian fishermen continue to languish in Pakistani jails for years, as against 90 Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails, he said. "Both countries need to work out a mechanism through which - if someone dies in the custody of the other country - his body should be immediately returned to his country. The sad reality is it takes minimum one month for this process. In Solanki's case, it took over two months," Desai added. He said both countries must immediately revive the India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners comprising retired judges of higher judiciary on both sides. "The last meeting was held in October 2013 in India. India has already nominated four retired judges but Pakistan has yet to announce its nominees. We hope it will be done soon and a meeting will be held in Pakistan as the last meeting was in India," Desai said. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Peruvian President Alan Garcia, who is under probe for graft, has sought political asylum in Uruguay, Peru's Foreign Ministry has said. Uruguayan Ambassador Carlos Alejandro Barros on Sunday notified Lima that Garcia approached the embassy here late on Saturday requesting asylum, the ministry statement said. Garcia has been barred by the court from leaving the country for 18 months as a probe is on into the charges that he took millions of dollars from Brazilian firm Odebrecht to secure them a lucrative public works contract in 2006-2011. Garcia, who has been living in Spain for a number of years, returned to Peru on November 15 for questioning, Efe news reported. Odebrecht having reached a settlement in December 2016 with the US Justice Department has been cooperating with prosecutors in the affected countries to bring corrupt officials to justice. Its executive Carlos Nostre said the firm paid up to $24 million to secure the Lima Metro's Line 1's contract during Garcia's presidency. Garcia claimed prosecution actions were politically motivated. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Controversy has broken out at China's Golden Horse Awards after a winner expressed hope for Taiwan's independence one day causing a row over the island states political status. The 55th annual awards -- dubbed the "Chinese Oscars" -- were held here in the Taiwanese capital on Saturday, the BBC reported. Fu Yue, who won the best documentary award, said in her acceptance speech that she hoped Taiwan would be recognised as "independent". Fu, whose documentary "Our Youth in Taiwan" was about the island's 2014 Sunflower Movement, said: "I hope one day our country will be recognised and treated as a truly independent entity. This is my biggest wish as a Taiwanese." Her words appeared to spark opposition from mainland Chinese stars, with former Best Actor winner Tu Men saying he was honoured to present an award in "China, Taiwan" a phrase many Taiwanese object to. He added "the two sides were like a close family". On Sunday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen waded into the controversy with "Taiwan never accepted the phrase 'China, Taiwan', and never would, because Taiwan is Taiwan", the BBC reported. "I am proud of yesterday's Golden Horse Awards, that highlights the differences between Taiwan and mainland China, because of our freedom and diversity, and this is why this is a place where artistic creations can be free," she added in a Facebook post. Taiwan's status is sensitive. The island has been self-ruling since 1949 but China regards it as a breakaway province that it would reunite with one day. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a rare feat, doctors at the KIMS Hospitals here saved a 39 year-old man by conducting an open kidney surgery to remove a large stone of the size of a potato. The stone, measuring eight centimetres, occupied almost the entire left kidney, resulting in its reduced functioning at only 18 percent. Considering the size of the stone, doctors had to go for open surgery on the patient, said a statement from the hospital. The patient, a farmer from Karimnagar, had come to KIMS Hospitals with complaints of pain in the left flank for 15 days. Upon investigation, Neil N Trivedi, Consultant Urologist, and his team found that the patient had a large stone in the left kidney due to which his kidney was poorly functioning. "Usually with such a large size stone, the kidney function would have been damaged. But to our surprise this patient had partially preserved renal function and therefore we planned to remove the stone. We planned for Anatrophic Nephrolithotomy - a surgery in which the kidney is completely split to remove the stone as a whole and then kidney was re-sutured. The patient recovered well and has been discharged with normal renal parameters." said Trivedi. According to doctors, this was a case of silent kidney stones. Unlike regular pain and other symptoms involved in regular kidney stones, silent stones never show any sign or symptoms until the kidney function is typically affected. --IANS ms/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami to take stock of the situation after the state was hit by cyclone Gaja killing 45 people. "Spoke to the Chief Minister and inquired about the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families. People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state," tweeted the President, who is on a week-long visit to Vietnam and Australia. Speaking to reporters at Salem, about 350 km from Chennai, Palaniswami on Sunday said that 45 persons had died in the cyclone and 117,624 houses damaged. He added that 88,102 hectare of crop and 39,938 electricity poles were damaged in the cyclone. Gaja, which crossed Tamil Nadu's coastal districts Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on Friday, left a trail of destruction affecting Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts. --IANS rak/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Russian President was received by his Turkish counterpart on Monday to officially inaugurate the TurkStream undersea natural gas pipeline which is expected to bring Russian gas through the Black Sea to Turkey and on to Europe from next year. Vladimir Putin joined Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a ceremony at the Istanbul Congress Centre to mark the completion of the offshore section of the pipeline, reports Efe news. "We plan to transfer at least half of the natural gas transported through here to Europe," Erdogan asserted in a speech at the ceremony, adding it would carry 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. TurkStream is to give Russia a way to export gas to southern and eastern Europe that avoids going through Ukraine as Moscow has accused the pro-western government in Kiev of stealing natural gas destined for the European Union. However, Putin seemed to downplay the Ukrainian factor in his remarks Monday, saying: "This is not a project contrary to the interests of third countries, it is to strengthen bilateral relations. It is to improve the conditions of economic collaboration between our two countries, it is beneficial for Turkey." Moscow has told the EU that it must link its gas pipelines with the Greek-Turkish border to connect to the new pipeline, effectively ruling out gas transit through Ukrainian territory. The Turkish route was born after Moscow cancelled the South Stream gas pipeline project in 2014, which was to supply Russian gas under the Black Sea through Bulgaria and on to central Europe. Instead, Turkstream's offshore section will connect to the European part of Turkey, about 40 km south of the Bulgarian border. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil-rich Qatar is keen to know about India's expertise in providing security to oil and gas installations and wants its industrial security force personnel to be trained at CISF facilities in India. The interest was expressed after a five-member delegation of Qatar's Interior Ministry on Monday met Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Director General Rajesh Ranjan here at the paramilitary force's headquarters in south Delhi's Lodi Road area. The delegation, led by Col. Khalifa Mohammad A Al Atiyya, Director, General Directorate of Industrial Security, Qatar, said they want to get their personnel trained at the CISF academy NISA in Hyderabad. "The Qatari delegation was keen to know on security of oil and gas installations in India. Director, General Directorate of Industrial Security, Qatar intended to get their officials trained at the CISF academy," said a CISF statement. A meeting of senior CISF officers led by Additional Director General A.K. Pateria and Qatar delegation was also held during the day. "During the meeting, an understanding with respect to mutual co-operation on use of technology, indigenous experience, best practices used by each other, incident response and management system, inter agency co-ordination, training and skills up-gradation, terrorism, public dealing and abroad deployment were discussed," said the statement. A presentation on CISF showcasing its diverse and multi-faceted role in various sectors was also shown to the delegation accompanied by Rohit Vadhwana, Under Secretary (Gulf), Ministry of External Affairs. The delegation expressed their gratitude for sharing of useful information and appreciated the role being played by CISF in guarding the critical and sensitive infrastructures of the country. --IANS rak/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The image of Indian Air Force (IAF) will not be dented due to the controversy regarding the Rafale fighter jets deal, said Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, the deputy chief of IAF. He said this here on Monday while interacting with the media and added that the people can differentiate between chaff and grain. Nambiar interacted with the media over the proposed visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to present the coveted President's standard to 118 Helicopter Unit and colours to the Air Defence College at Guwahati Air Force Station on November 29. "My fellow citizens can differentiate between chaff and grain. The place of armed forces in India is very sacred," he said. The opposition Congress has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in a debate over the details of the Rafale fighter jets deal signed with the French government. Detailing on the IAF's infrastructure development in the region, Nambiar said that the Force has operationalised six Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Arunachal Pradesh. These facilities will be used by civilians. These ALGs include Mechuka, Tuting, Passighat, Ziro, Aalo and Walong. "We are yet to operationalise the Vijaynagar ALG, for there is some road connectivity issue. Operationalisation of these ALGs will come as a major boost to tourism." --IANS ah/pgh/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a meeting here to review the national security situation in the aftermath of Sunday's grenade attack in Amritsar that killed three persons. The Minister met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Kumar Dhasmana and other senior Ministry officials, a day after assuring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of "strong action" against those responsible for the attack. Over a dozen people suffered injuries when two masked motorcycle-borne attackers threw a grenade at a prayer meeting at the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Adliwal village in Rajasansi area. --IANS rak/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has told MPs to call for another no-confidence vote on the government, after he rejected last week's no-confidence vote as unconstitutional, the President's Office said on Monday. According to a statement, following the all-party meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the President on Sunday evening, Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote was taken by name or conducted through an electronic vote, reports Xinhua news agency. Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Prime Minister appointed by Sirisena, and sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also attended the meeting. On November 16, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that a second no-confidence motion called against the government had been passed in Parliament with a majority, despite it being taken amid violence and under heavy police presence. However, the government rejected the vote as invalid, saying the Speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since October 26 when Sirisena surprisingly dissolved his cabinet, sacked Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapakse to the post along with a new caretaker government. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Monday announced sops for Amethi, the parliamentary constituency of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Targeting the Congress leader, she said he was bluffing all along, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wrong-doings while he himself could not ring in development in his own parliamentary constituency. Cheered by a large gathering at the Jawahar Navodaya school campus, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, asked while Gandhi can become the president of his party because it is run by one family, one clan, but how can he dream of becoming the Prime Minister of India. The Union Minister also targeted the Gandhi scion for "not being able to see development" and charged him of being blinded by hatred. Throughout the nation, the Congress President is abusing the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and the Prime Minister, she said while pointing out how in the last 15 years of Rahul Gandhi being the MP, it was for the first time on Monday that a "Rozgar Mela" was being organised in Amethi to give jobs to the unemployed youth. During the event, she inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs 77 crore. Speaking on the occasion, Maurya also targeted the Congress President and said he is trying to drag BJP leaders in the Rafale deal while there is nothing even as cases of graft against his brother-in-law are tumbling out. The Deputy Chief Minister also announced sanctioning of Rs 136 crore for roads and bridges while state Power Minister Srikant Sharma announced power projects worth Rs 448 crore in the constituency. "In one year, we have made 123 Anganwadi centres in Amethi and to beat our development agenda, Rahul Gandhi is distributing banana saplings here," Irani said in jest. --IANS md/pgh/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's political turmoil continued into its third week on Monday, with the government and the former ruling United National Alliance (UNA) quarrelling with each other. The government reiterated that it would continue in governance while the former ruling UNA said it would not recognize the government and called for financial cuts. Parliament proceedings began on Monday afternoon but lasted only for 10 minutes and was adjourned till November 23 by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who held an All Party Conference in his Parliament Chamber before the proceedings began, did not attend the session on Monday. Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and a supporter of Prime Minister Mahinda Rakapakse, told journalists that they urged Speaker Jayasuriya to recognize the government as the No Confidence Motions which had been conducted last week in parliament had been unlawful. Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, who is a part of the United National Alliance, told journalists that in the All Party Conference held in Parliament, legislators proposed to call for a vote on the trust vote against the government again, this time by name or an electronic voting system but this was turned down by the "purported government". He said a motion to halt the funds distributed to the Prime Minister had been submitted, which would be debated and voted in Parliament on November 29. Hakeem further said that several measures to protest against the "purported government" would be carried out in the coming days. Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena thanked all party leaders and legislators for adopting a "peaceful and consensual course of action at the Parliament," following his meeting with all the party leaders on Sunday evening. At the party leaders meeting, Sirisena had urged legislators to call for a No Confidence vote on the government again after he rejected the vote which was held in Parliament of Friday saying it was unconstitutional. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil after Sirisena on October 26 surprisingly sacked his cabinet and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump said that he plans to visit American troops in war zones. His remark on Sunday comes after he received widespread criticism for not visiting an American burial ground outside Paris earlier this month and Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, reports CNN. "Well, I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned," Trump told Fox News when asked in an interview why he has not gone to war zones to see US troops and missed the cemetery visits. "We don't want to talk about it because of obviously because of security reasons and everything else. "I've had an unbelievable busy schedule and I will be doing it," Trump said, adding that he doesn't think "anybody's been more with the military than I have, as a President". Past presidents visited troops in war zones at various points during their presidencies. Former President Barack Obama visited troops in Iraq a little over two months into his administration, and Afghanistan after being in office for just over a year. Former President George W. Bush visited Iraq about eight months after the start of the war there. Trump also acknowledged in the Fox News interview that he should have gone to Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day on November 11. "I should have done that. I was extremely busy on calls for the country. We did a lot of calling as you know," he said. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, said that President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent "the greatest threat to democracy". McRaven's remarks on Sunday cams hours after the President dismissed him as a "Hillary Clinton backer" in a Fox News interview. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else," McRaven told CNN on Sunday night. "I am a fan of President (Barack) Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven said. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands." In the Fox News interview, Trump dismissed McRaven and slammed the military for having not killed bin Laden sooner. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, Trump has "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police arrested two criminals after an overnight gun battle in Ghaziabad. Crime Branch officials and police personnel from Sihani Gate were on patrol on Sunday night. When the police initiated vehicular checking, two men fled. When the police gave them a chase, they opened fire. The police retaliated, wounding the two. A police constable also sustained bullet injuries in the encounter. He was admitted to the Kailash Hospital where he was stated to be out of danger. The two criminals, taken to state-run MMG Hospital, identified themselves as Suraj and Ranvir. They two were stated to be out of danger, Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said. A screening of their police record showed that over a dozen criminal cases of dacoity, loot and murder were registered against them in Sonipat in Haryana and Baghpat and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. --IANS sps/shs/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lending his support to gender equality, actor Akshay Kumar said that strong women make stronger countries. Akshay along with a bevy of Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Rekha, Zeenat Aman, Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt, gathered on Sunday night to attend the 3rd Lux Golden Rose Awards to extend their support to the United Nations' campaign #HeForShe. Talking on the subject, Akshay said: "When women are strong, families become strong and countries stronger. I am happy to be a part of a family which has many strong women like my mother, my wife, my sister and my mother-in-law." The campaign celebrates the contribution of women to society. Talking about the role of female actors in the industry, Shah Rukh said: "These women have contributed to making me a better human." Gen-next stars like Taapsee Pannu, Nushrat Bharucha, Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Rakulpreet Singh, Ada Sharma too were present at the event. Janhvi, daughter of producer Boney Kapoor and late veteran actress Sridevi, bagged the Lux Golden Rose Emerging Beauty Of The Year. She said the award was "encouraging". "My parents have always maintained that a good artiste is a reflection of a good and honest person and I hope to prove myself by doing exactly that," she added. Veteran actress and politician Hema Malini bagged the Lux Golden Rose Iconic Beauty Over The Decades award. The star-studded evening became much entertaining when Kareena performed on stage on the super hit tracks of her male co-stars like Shah Rukh, Salman Khan and her actor-husband Saif Ali Khan. Kareena also won the award of Lux Golden Rose Confident Beauty Of The Year alongside Shikha Talsania and Swara Bhasker. Others who were seen shaking a leg at the gala were Varun Dhawan, who paid a tribute to his co-stars like Taapsee and Alia; and Madhuri, who enthralled the audience by dancing on tracks like "Dream girl", "Laila main laila" and "Yeh mera dil". --IANS aru/dc/sim/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reaching out to top industrialists and businessmen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government is working towards making India a $5 trillion economy and for this the country will have to continue scaling up the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business (EODB) ranking. "Now our target is to get India into the $5 trillion club in the shortest possible time. For this, we have to improve all areas of the economy," he said addressing them at his residence here while launching the "Ease of Doing Business Grand Challenge". Currently, India is a $2.5 trillion economy. Modi said the government is working on an industrial policy that takes into account the changing economic scenario and will be aligned to the aspirations of the new industrialists in New India. "We will have to keep the changes in mind. Manufacturing and services sectors are now complementary to each other with both adding value to the other. New techniques, artificial intelligence and information technology is now an essential part of the ecosystem," he said. Modi said the industrial policy will give importance to EoDB in which India has climbed up 65 ranks from 142 to 77 in the last four years. He said the Centre is working continuously with the state governments on EoDB ushering in cooperative, competitive federalism. "Now we all have to work together to get into the top 50 rank. In days to come, I will hold review meetings with different departments as decisions rolled out by December will get reflected in the EoDB rankings of next year," he said. Modi said business, trade and industry are an essential part of the country as the country needs growth, infrastructure, jobs and increase in per capita income. He said the government is putting stress on "policy driven governance and predictable transparent policies". The Prime Minister said the government is not only working to improve its business-friendly ranking but also towards giving a quality life to the common citizens. "World Bank's ranking is decided only on some parameters but the government's strategy of reform, perform and transform is much wider than that. We are working to improve the ease of living for common citizens, traders and small industrialists. "The country is continuously working on reforms to make people's life simple and easy. India's rank is rising or has already risen in the several evaluations done by either IMF, Moody's, World Economic Forum or UNCTAD," he said. The objective of the Grand Challenge is to invite innovative ideas based on artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data analytics, block chain and other cutting-edge technology to reform government processes. --IANS mgu/vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 2200 illegal shops in the historical areas of Karachi were demolished as part of a massive anti-encroachment drive launched by the civic authorities. Accused of ignoring the encroachments on government land for years, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was forced to take action following directions from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The drive brought about a radical change in the landscape of the city with the most notable transformation being visible in the historically significant Empress market, built in 1884 during British rule to commemorate Queen Victoria. Situated in the bustling Saddar belt, which was once the epicentre of commercial and trade activities in Karachi, the market saw the construction of several illegal shops over the years. The activity went unchecked and further spread to other old areas of the city with the authorities averse to taking any action due to the ethnic divide in the city, which has only grown in the last three decades. However, with the apex court stepping in, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said illegal shops and stalls were being razed to the ground without any discrimination. "It doesn't matter who owns the shops or stalls. When we (MQM) were in power and tried to do something we were accused of targeting the other ethnic communities in Karachi," Akhtar said. "Our next challenge is to clear the encroachments along the tracks of Pakistan Railway in Karachi as the government is keen to resume the Karachi Circular Service," he added. The KMC officials said as many as 1500 shops and stalls were demolished around the Empress market last week. "Today we have razed 350 illegally-built shops in Aram Bagh furniture market and 450 shops near the Light House area with the help of heavy machinery," Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Saifur Rehman said. "This drive will continue in all areas of Karachi which has seen a rapid increase in encroachments and illegal occupation of government land," he said. "These people had encroached upon land... We had 175 shops registered with the KMC Land Department (but) they increased it to 350 illegally," Rehman said further. The shop owners, meanwhile, accused the KMC of rendering people jobless. All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir claimed as many as 800 shops were demolished in Aram Bagh and Lighthouse areas rendering at least one member of around 2,000 families jobless. Mir also said that the shopkeepers whose shops were demolished were doing business in the market for the last 50 years. "How did the KMC Land department take rent from them all these years," he questioned. The shopkeepers affected by the drive held a protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club on Monday calling for allocation of alternative spaces for conducting business. Meanwhile, some heritage experts have expressed concern over the government's plan to carry out beautification of the Empress market and its surrounding structures. "They shouldn't do anything with these historical places without input from historians, heritage consultants and urban planners," Marvi Mazhar a heritage consultant and architect said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir government Monday evacuated over 250 people and 80 vehicles stuck in Zojila pass on Srinagar-Leh National Highway after a fresh spell of heavy snowfall. The government managed to evacuate all the vehicles and passengers after a massive rescue operation launched at wee hours on Monday. Officials said rescue teams of state police assisted by the personnel of the Border Roads Organisation's premier wing BEACON, having the responsibility of developing road network in the entire state and known and life line of J&K. The rescue operation started at 2.30 am, a J&K police spokesperson said. After strenuous efforts, the rescue teams managed to safely evacuate all the 250 stranded passengers and 82 vehicles which included 70 trucks, four buses and eight light motor vehicles, he said. All the vehicles and passengers were shifted to Sonamarg by rescue teams, he added. The spokesman asked the drivers commuting on Srinagar-Leh national highway to use chains on their vehicles before undertaking the journey. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Customs officials have arrested a 45-year-old man at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country foreign currency worth nearly Rs 96 lakh, an official statement said on Monday. The accused was intercepted on Saturday when he was proceeding to board a flight to Dubai, it said. "A detailed baggage and personal search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of USD 58,400 and Euro 65,100 equivalent to Rs 96.2 lakh which the passenger had concealed in the falls of sarees (being carried by him)," the customs department said in the statement. The forex has been seized and the accused arrested, it said. The accused had smuggled foreign currency amounting to Rs 80 lakh during his past two visits adopting the same modus operandi, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have arrested six students from a prestigious private all-boys Catholic school in Toronto and charged them with sexual assault related to a video that was posted on the internet. Toronto Police Inspector Dominic Sinopoli said Monday the students from St. Michael's College been charged with assault, gang sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon. Sinopoli says police first became aware of the assault and video through the media and he says the school failed to notify police immediately. Police are investigating at least three other assaults related to hazing incidents. Those arrested are young offenders and cannot be named. St. Michael's expelled eight students and suspended another in connection with at least two incidents that allegedly took place on campus and were captured on video. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nine persons, including a juvenile, were held for allegedly killing a 57-year-old doctor in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri area, police said Monday. The accused were identified as Rizwan alias Rizu, Vishal Rawat alias Bunty, Sandhya Rawat, Raju Rawat, Afroz, residents of Bhalswa Dairy, Rizwan alias Nasty, Ammar, Riyasat and a juvenile compounder, residents of Jahangirpuri, they added. On November 12, a 57-year-old doctor Mukim Ahmad Iqbal was strangled to death, officials said, adding that the doctor was robbed off more than Rs 5 lakh to 6 lakh in cash and jewelery worth another Rs 5 lakh to 6 lakh. The crime took place when his daughter, a school teacher, left home at around 7.30 am, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Aslam Khan said. On Friday, Vishal Rawat was arrested. He confessed to the crime and shed light on the conspiracy, police said. Ammar and the juvenile compounder played the role of informers, while Nasty, Rijju and Vishal executed the robbery-cum-killing at the doctor's residence, the DCP said. After killing Iqbal, the trio distributed the booty among themselves and handed over some of it to their parents and acquaintances for safe custody. The trio were arrested when they were about to leave for Shimla and Kashmir, Khan said. During interrogation, they disclosed the names of all the persons involved in the crime. The DCP said Rs 5,50,000 cash and 70 per cent of the stolen jewellery had been recovered as yet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan opium producers were hit hard by the worst drought in living memory this year and excessive supply, with output and prices falling sharply as the area under poppy cultivation shrank, an annual survey said Monday. In sharp contrast to a bumper 2017, the value of opium -- a key source of funding for the Taliban -- as it left poppy-growing farms fell 56 per cent to USD 604 million, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said. Potential opium production from this year's harvest dropped 29 per cent to 6,400 tons -- partially reversing last year's 87 per cent increase -- as cultivation shrank by 20 per cent and yields fell. The sharp drop in area under cultivation to 263,000 hectares (650,000 acres) was still the second-highest level since systemic opium poppy monitoring began in 1994, according to the Afghanistan Opium Survey, jointly compiled by the UNODC and the Afghan counter-narcotics ministry. Crops failed on a "major scale" across northern and western Afghanistan due to the dry spell, the report said. Nearly 70 per cent of poppy cultivation was in the militant stronghold of southern Afghanistan. The Taliban has long profited from poppies by taxing farmers and traffickers, and running their own drug-making factories that turn raw opium into morphine or heroin for export. Despite falling prices, which the report said was due to the high level of supply in the market, the lack of alternative cash crops has left many Afghan farmers hooked on growing opium poppies. "Opium poppy has become a crucial component of the Afghan economy that secures the livelihoods of many Afghans who engage in cultivation, work on poppy fields or partake in the illicit drug trade," the report said. Opium poppy weeding and harvesting alone provided up to 354,000 full-time jobs in 2017 in rural areas, it added. Agricultural advances, including the use of solar-powered irrigation systems, fertilisers and pesticides, also may have made opium production viable even "under unfavourable natural conditions and falling prices". Afghan-led efforts to eradicate opium poppies failed to make much of a dent in the illicit industry, with only 406 hectares cleared in four provinces, compared with 750 hectares in 14 provinces last year. Only 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces are considered poppy free, unchanged from 2017. International donors have spent billions of dollars on counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan over the past decade, including efforts to encourage farmers to switch to other cash crops such as saffron. But those efforts have shown little results. Addiction levels have also risen sharply -- from almost nothing under the 1996-2001 Taliban regime -- giving rise to a new generation of addicts since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three AIADMK men, serving life sentence for setting ablaze a bus in Dharmapuri that killed three girls of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 2000, were released prematurely from the Vellore Central Prison Monday. A Nedunchezhian, G Ravindran and C Muniappan were released from the Central Prison around noon, a top official told PTI. The state government prematurely released the convicts in commemmoration of the birth centenary celebrations (2017-18) of former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, also AIADMK founder. In connection with the birth centenary celebrations, Chief Minister K Palaniswami had announced in December 2017 that his government would take steps for the premature release of life convicts. The release contemplated was for those who had served upto ten years of imprisonment on "humanitarian grounds within the framwork of law and prison rules," he said. Guidelines were subsequently framed by the government for conisdering the cases of life convicts for their premature release under Article 161 of the Constitution. Separate government orders were issued for prematurely releasing the trio. The orders said each of them had completed 10 years of actual imprisonment as on February 25, 2018. The government has accepted the prison department's proposal for their release, the orders said. The Inspector General of Prisons' proposal for their release was based on the recommendation of two committees set up for the premature release of life convicts, it said. "In exercise of the powers conferred under Art 161 of the Constitution, the Governor of Tamil Nadu hereby remits the unexpired portion of sentence of imprisonment for life," the separate but identical orders said on the release of the trio. The government order mandated furnishing of bonds "as per usual terms and conditions," for the beneficiaries of the government's premature release. A Sessions Court in Salem had convicted the three men to death in 2007 and the Madras High Court had the same year confirmed the death sentence. While the Supreme Court had upheld the High Court order in 2010, it had stayed the execution of the sentence in 2011 and in March 2016, the top court had commuted the death sentence to life term. Soon after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was convicted in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case on February 2, 2000 for allegedly flouting norms to favour a hotel at Kodaikanal, AIADMK workers held protests and a mob torched a varsity bus the same day in Dharmapuri. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment in that case. Three students, Kokilavani, Gayathri and Hemalatha died in the blaze amid commotion while 44 other students and two college lecturers managed to escape. Scores of life convicts have already been released from prisons across the state in connection with the centenary celebrations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 150 air traffic controllers (ATCs) Monday staged a sit-in at their regional office here to protest the alleged physical assault on some of their colleagues at the AAI colony by local goons Sunday night. An association of the ATCs alleged that a few of its members were beaten up badly. One of the controllers was seriously injured and had to be admitted to a nearby private hospital, the ATC Guild said. The Guild has also demanded deployment of CISF personnel besides installation of CCTVs at the Airports Authority of India Colony near the airport here following the "shocking" incident. Later, the regional office-bearers of the ATC Guild (India) held a meeting with the AA's western region executive director and sought action on their demands. "The AAI headquarters has instructed the regional executive director to form a committee and prepare an action plan to fulfil our demand by Tuesday," an ATC source said. "It is known to all that residents of AAI colony have been subjected to many cases of theft, burglary and manhandling in the past by these ruffians staying outside and using the premises of AAI colony for commuting and playing," ATC Guild (India) Secretary (western region) Santosh Patel said in a letter to the AAI regional executive director. In the letter, the Guild also alleged that despite repeated requests to take up this perennial issue "seriously" and work on the suggested measures, safety and security of the residents have not been strengthened to prevent such incidents. "In view of the above, the ATC Guild demands the deployment of CISF personnel at the AAI colony in Mumbai, construction of wall between E-line road and outside slum as well installation of CCTV cameras at the earliest," it said. Besides raising these demands, ATCs are also planning to wear black badges in protest against the physical attack on their colleagues, ATC sources said. If concrete action is not taken in the next two days, the Guild will stage a large scale demonstration Thursday, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The magisterial probe ordered by Punjab government into the Amritsar train accident in which 60 people died has recorded statements of more than 150 people, including railway officials and Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the chief guest at the Dussehra event. "The report is complete and it will be submitted on Tuesday to the Punjab Home Secretary N S Kalsi," said Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner B Purushartha, who was appointed special executive magistrate by the government to probe the October 19 accident. He said statements of more than 150 people including railway officials and eyewitnesses were recorded. Statements of Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, and the Dussehra event organiser Saurabh Madan were also recorded. Navjot Singh Sidhu has submitted his statement in writing, Purushartha said. Opposition Akali Dal has rejected the institution of the magisterial probe and sought registration of case against Navjot Kaur Sidhu and the event organizer. Sixty people were mowed down by a passing train while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy in Amritsar as they could not see the train approaching them. The railways had initially refused to order a probe, saying it was a case of trespassing and not negligence by its officials or the loco-pilot. But two weeks after the accident it said the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety will probe the tragedy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vegetables sourced from various districts of Assam have been directly exported to the markets of UAE including its capital Dubai, for the first time from the northeast, an official release said Monday. The first consignment of around 810 kg of vegetables including pointed gourd, green seem, black seem, turnip, cucumber, brinjal, lemon etc. were sent by an Air India cargo plane. "For the first time in the history of northeastern region, this facility has been started having direct export mode via air cargo," Airports Authority of India (NER) Regional Executive Director D K Kamra said in a release. The Customs-EDI (electronic data interchange) clearance has been done at the Guwahati Airport, it said. The facility is available round-the-clock at the cargo station, it added. Sonar Bangla, a Kolkata-based export company, and a local exporter Kiega Exim Private Limited, Guwahati collaborated to send the consignment, it said. In October this year, flat beans, brinjal and radish sourced from Assam were sent to London and Doha through Guwahati Airport Air Cargo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a scathing attack on the previous Congress government over the delayed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway project, saying it is a "case study" of how public money is wasted. Without naming the Congress-led UPA dispensation, Modi blamed it for the slow pace of development of infrastructure projects across the country. He inaugurated the 83-km stretch of KMP, also known as western peripheral expressway, and the Rs 580-crore 3.2-km elevated stretch of the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro through video-conferencing from Sultanpur village in this district. The metro corridor linking the Kashmere Gate station in New Delhi with Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad was planned for expansion up to Ballabhgarh, an industrial hub. The prime minister also laid the foundation stone of the Rs 989-crore Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in Palwal district over 82.5 acres of land. The BJP government in Haryana has blamed the previous Congress dispensation for stalling and causing delays in the KMP project, which led to three-fold cost escalation. Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of the projects, Modi said, "The way work was done on this (KMP) project is a case study of how public money is wasted, how injustice is done with people. "When this project started, it was estimated that Rs 1,200 crore would be spent on it. After years of delay, the cost escalated more than three-fold". He said the KMP and metro rail-link projects will improve connectivity in the region and the skill university will help empower the youth. "Today's occasion is to remember two pictures one of the present time, when a work is taken up with determination and is accomplished, which is reflective of the work culture of the BJP governments. The second picture duly reminds us of how work was done during the previous government," Modi said. "That picture reminds us that the work on this expressway had been going on for 12 years. That picture reminds us that expressway project should have been completed and dedicated to people 8-9 years ago, but it did not happen. The way previous regimes functioned it took 12 years for this expressway to get completed," he said. He said the KMP project was to be used during the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010. "But what they (previous regime) did to Commonwealth Games (in an apparent reference to CWG scam), the same story became true for this expressway," he said. Modi said after the NDA government came to power in 2014, the Centre and the Haryana government engaged regularly to ensure the project is completed soon. "Sochiye atkane, latkane aur bhatkane waali sanskriti nein Haryana ka, yahan ki janta ka, purey Delhi-NCR ka, kitna bada nuksan kiya hai (Think, how much loss the culture of creating obstacles, delaying and misguiding has caused to Haryana, the people, entire Delhi-NCR," he said. "Had the work on this peripheral expressway been completed on time, the traffic situation in Delhi would have been something else," he said. He said the completion of the projects were a step towards "all-round development of Haryana". He said his government has spent more than Rs 3 lakh crore on developing 33,000 km of highways. "We have developed more highways in four years than what previous government had built in their first seven to seven-and-a-half years of their rule. Reiterating that BJP governments work with an aim of "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas", he said their work were now visible in party-ruled states including Haryana. Batting for a clean environment, Modi said metro projects should be developed as they help in reducing air pollution. He cited examples of electric cars and expansion of electric rail lines. Government is also emphasising on fully utilising water resources, he said, adding more than 100 waterways were coming up. "Constructing highways, metro rail, developing waterways, helps develop a complete ecosystem, which benefits transports, construction, manufacturing and services sector," he said. Modi praised Haryana, saying it is one of the leading states in terms of exports and in running central government programmes. "The success of 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' and 'Khelo India' campaigns were the biggest example of this." He also recalled the sacrifices of soldiers from Haryana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The attack on Nirankari Bhawan here is a case of "terrorism", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Monday and hinted at the involvement of Pakistan in the blast, in which three people were killed and over 20 injured. After visiting the attack site along with his senior ministers, the chief minister said certain "leads" have been found which are being pursued aggressively and assured that culprits would soon be arrested. The chief minister has also announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anyone providing information on those involved in the blast. "The grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan seemed to carry Pakistan's signature, with initial investigations indicating that the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory," Amarinder said. He said the police had recovered similar HG-84 grenades from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating a high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across the border. Prima facie, this appears to be an "act of terror" by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, said the chief minister, adding his government has taken serious note of the incident and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also helping in the investigations. Three persons including a preacher were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on Sunday. The attack took place inside the Nirankari Bhawan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi, an incident which the police are treating as a 'terrorist act'. The chief minister flew in from Chandigarh along with his cabinet colleague and Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar to take stock of the situation. Blaming the Amrinder-government for the attack, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the chief minister of "hobnobbing with radicals who are hell-bent" on fomenting trouble in the state. "I squarely blame Captain Amarinder Singh for the terror activity, as there is a conspiracy of supporting radicals and encouraging radicals. Today, he is responsible for what happened in Amritsar. The chief minister has hobnobbed with those forces which are hell-bent on fomenting trouble in Punjab," Badal told reporters. A NIA team visited the blast site Sunday night along with explosive experts and held discussions with the top brass of the Punjab Police. Responding to a query, Amarinder said the attack could not be equated with the Nirankari conflict in 1978 as that was a religious matter and the Adliwal incident was purely a case of terrorism. Violence between the Sant Nirankari Mission and traditional Sikhs on April 13, 1978 at Amritsar had left 13 dead, and sparked the subsequent wave of terrorism in the state. Sunday's incident had no religious overtones, as per initial investigations, the chief minister asserted. In response to another question, he said the state was already on high alert, with strict checking going on around landmark buildings and other vital public installations and infrastructure. Police 'nakas' (posts) have been set up in all districts and patrol parties have also been deployed in search of suspicious objects/activities, he said. The chief minister said the district and police administration have been directed to explore the possibility of installing CCTV cameras at all strategic points. Amarinder, who visited the hospital to meet the injured, announced jobs for the kin of those killed in the attack and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, in addition to their free treatment. "The Sant Nirankari Mandal promises to stand by all the affected brothers and sisters in the incident in every possible way. A team of Executive Committee Members of Sant Nirankari Mandal is visiting the families of deceased and injured devotees in Amritsar," the Sant Nirankari Mission said in a statement. According to initial police reports, masked attackers, armed with pistols, had forced their way into the Bhawan after taking the civil guards hostage at gun point. They had lobbed the grenade into the prayer room. Earlier, on his arrival, the chief minister was briefed by Home Secretary NS Kalsi, DGP Suresh Arora, IG Amritsar Surinder Pal Parmar and DC Amritsar Kamaldeep Sangh, who updated him on the progress of the investigations so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Australian government has cautioned Indian nationals who want to live permanently in Australia against organised contrived marriage scams targeting South Asians. The warning came after Australian Border Force (ABF) shut down a contrived marriages syndicate operating out of Sydney, with a 32-year-old Indian national facing court over his alleged role as the main facilitator. Four Australian citizens too are facing charges of convincing individuals to fraudulently marry non-citizens seeking to obtain permanent residency, the Australian High Commission here said in a release titled 'warning about fake marriage scams'. It said the long running operation by the ABF also resulted in 164 foreign nationals having their applications for a "partner visa" refused after they were linked to the syndicate. None of the participants in this scam obtained permanent residency. Some of these clients paid significant amounts of money, for no immigration outcome, it added. "While contrived marriages are not unique to any one nationality, this particular syndicate was attempting to illegally facilitate fake marriages with non-citizens in the South Asian community," the High Commission said. Australia is one of the most popular destinations for Indians looking for greener pastures. The High Commission said these types of scams generally target vulnerable young Australian women, many of whom come from disadvantaged and low socio-economic backgrounds. ABF Acting Investigations Commander, Clinton Sims, said the syndicates undermine the integrity of Australia's visa programme and exploit desperate individuals "Many of the women involved in these scams have suffered a history of substance abuse, family violence and financial hardship, and are lured in with promises of substantial payments," Commander Sims was quoted as saying in the release. "Protecting the integrity of the visa system is an operational priority for the ABF and anyone found to be involved in, or facilitating sham marriages should expect to be investigated and face criminal prosecution. Registered agents and marriage celebrants also face losing their registration," Sims added. The High Commission said the department of Home Affairs has a range of measures in place to ensure the integrity of the "partner visa programe". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn is under arrest in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct and faces being fired this week, the firm said Monday, in a stunning fall from grace for one of the world's best-known businessmen. Ghosn's arrest and his likely dismissal from Nissan, and possibly Mitsubishi and Renault, sent shockwaves through the auto industry, where he is a towering figure credited with turning around several major manufacturers and leads an alliance of the three automakers. Nissan's board will meet Thursday to decide his fate, and Mitsubishi said it would propose he be dismissed as chairman "promptly." Renault said its board would meet "shortly", after Ghosn was detained over allegations including underreporting his income. At a hastily organised press conference, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa expressed "despair," but also suggested that Ghosn had accrued too much power and eluded proper oversight. "Too much authority was given to one person in terms of governance," he told reporters at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama. "I have to say that this is a dark side of the Ghosn era which lasted for a long time." The of Ghosn's downfall emerged unexpectedly on Monday evening, with local media first reporting he was being questioned by prosecutors and that Nissan's headquarters was being raided. Shortly afterwards, Nissan said in a statement that it had been investigating Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly for months after a whistleblower report. "These two gentleman are arrested this evening, that's what I understand," Saikawa said at the press conference. He said the company had uncovered years of financial misconduct including underreporting of income and inappropriate personal use of company assets. Saikawa gave few details about the nature of the improprieties, including refusing to confirm reports that Ghosn underreported his income by 5 billion yen, or around USD 44 million, over five years from 2011. He said an ongoing investigation limited what details could be shared, and refused to be drawn on whether other people were involved, saying only: "These two gentlemen are the masterminds, that is definite." of Ghosn's arrest caused Renault shares to plummet more than 12 per cent in Paris. The reports emerged after the trading day was over in Tokyo. And the apparent disintegration of Ghosn's career raised questions about the alliance of the three car companies, which the Brazil-born executive was often believed to be holding together personally. Saikawa insisted "the partnership among the three entities will not be affected by this event," but he was unable to give details on how Renault and Mitsubishi planned to respond, or who might succeed Ghosn. French President Emmanuel Macron warned Paris would be "extremely vigilant" about the stability of Renault and the three-firm alliance after Ghosn's arrest. France owns a 15 percent stake in Renault. Ghosn's arrest will "rock the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as he is the keystone of the alliance," said Satoru Takada, an analyst at TIW, a Tokyo-based research and consulting firm. "He is the man of charisma for the alliance. It is likely to have a negative impact on its brand image," he told AFP. "It's the future of the alliance that seems in play, because the thing holding it together seemed to be Ghosn himself," said Daniel Larrouturou, a senior executive at investment firm Diamant Bleu Gestion. The arrest is an astonishing reversal of fortune for Ghosn, often feted for his success at turning around failing companies with hard-nosed tactics that earned him the nickname "Le Cost Killer" in France. Renault came to the rescue of the then-ailing Japanese automaker Nissan in 1999 and parachuted in Ghosn, who set about slashing costs and jobs in a huge corporate overhaul. In 2016, Ghosn also took charge at troubled Mitsubishi after Nissan threw it a lifeline, buying a one-third stake for about USD 2.2 billion as it wrestled with a mileage-cheating scandal that hammered sales. He is credited with saving Nissan from bankruptcy through measures including closing plants and restructuring, and he has instant name recognition in Japan, where he is a rare high-profile foreign executive. But he has also faced opposition, including over his pay, with his compensation package at Renault prompting a spat with shareholders and criticism from France's then-economy minister Emmanuel Macron. Saikawa said he was still thinking through whether Ghosn was "a charismatic figure or a tyrant." "But looking at the facts he has done what not many other people could have done," he added, referring to Ghosn's overhauls of companies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday lauded the Indian community in Vietnam for playing an important role in promoting bilateral ties and asked them to avail the new opportunities and possibilities to connect, collaborate and grow with India, which is on a transformative journey. "I encourage you to join us in this journey, as knowledge partners, as investors and as cultural ambassadors," President Kovind said at an Indian Community Reception here. He said the Indian government has undertaken path breaking economic reforms including the introduction of Goods and Services Tax that has realised the long-held dream of making India into 'One Nation, One Tax, One Market'. "Our policy measures have seen us jump 65 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business in the last four years," Kovind said as he invited them to visit India to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Varanasi scheduled for January 21-23. He also hailed India-Vietnam friendship and said, "Our people have stood by each other during most difficult times. Our founding fathers - Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh have guided us on a shared path." The president praised the Buddhist Sangha for promoting friendship between the two countries, saying "through them we have nurtured our ties with compassion, kindness and blessings of Lord Buddha. The Buddhist monks were as active in promoting our relations in ancient times as they are today." Noting that monks and merchants brought Indian culture, philosophy and religion to the shores of Vietnam, he said as a friend and partner, India takes immense pride in Vietnam's spectacular achievements. "Today, Vietnam is a star among the emerging markets and is highly integrated with the global economy. Like India, it is a young demography, and like us, making every effort to meet the aspirations of its young people," he said. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the two sides had decided to elevate their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, he said. "Cooperation in defence industry, hydrocarbons, energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and healthcare were identified to enhance collaboration. Our intent has translated into concrete results. I am happy to learn that today, India is one of Vietnam's top trading partners and we have seen a major jump in our bilateral trade and investment relations," he added. Kovind said India and Vietnam share similar opportunities and challenges and they "must come together with pride and purpose and help each other grow and prosper. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi Monday asked Chief Minister V Narayanasamy to withdraw his 'standing order' cancelling a circular of the Finance Secretary on expenditure management, saying it was not in conformity with the Union Territories Act. A day after the order was issued, Bedi in a press statement here said the circular of the Finance Secretary was well within the four corners of the statutory rules and cannot, therefore, be overridden by a standing order of the Chief Minister. The circular issued in August had restricted delegation of the financial powers to subordinate authorities to contingent and miscellaneous expenditures only. Apparrently irked by the order, Narayanasamy had Sunday issued the standing order, describing the restriction as "mischievous and grossly illegal and saying it was issued 'without approval of the Chief Minister who is in-charge of the Finance portfolio.' He had termedthe circular as 'null and void'. Bedi, who has been at loggerheads with the Congress government over various issues, said the standing order was 'not in conformity with the Government of Union Territories Act 1963 and the rules governing regulation of finances of the administration'. Also, she said the Finance Secretary has clarified that the standing order cannot be implemented. The Lt Governor further said the rules and orders of the Central government regulating financial procedures were applicable to departments and offices of the Puducherry government. (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 Monday said that entire Bihar should be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) before state's foundation day on March 22 next year. The target has been set to declare the entire country ODF by October 2, 2019. The entire Bihar should be declared ODF before 'Bihar Diwas' i.e. March 22, 2019. Eleven districts of the state have already been declared as ODF, Modi said while addressing a function on World Toilet Day here in the state capital. Giving the slogan "Sonch badaliye, Shauchalay chaliye", Modi appealed to people to change their mindset vis-a-vis using toilet. Only 22 per cent households had toilets in 2014 which has increased to 82.40 per cent in past four years, he said adding that more than 86 lakh toilets have been built in 82.40 per cent of households in four years. Bihar is the first state in the country which is giving Rs 12,000 from its state budget to APL (Above Poverty Line) families for constructing toilets, Modi said. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate, around three lakh children would be saved from diarrhoea if the entire country is made ODF, he added. Modi, who is also state's finance minister, remembered Mahatma Gandhi who gave slogan for cleanliness and sanitation 100 years ago and had said that the issue of cleanliness and sanitation was much more important than the political freedom for him. Veteran socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia had asked the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1953 that he (Lohia) would stop opposing him (Nehru) if he (Nehru) would construct toilets in all the towns and villages, Modi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a Bill to give land rights to enclave dwellers in north Bengal, ending an era of uncertain future of the people residing in those enclaves. Bangladesh and India had exchanged a total of 162 enclaves on Aug 1, 2015, ending one of the world's most complex border disputes that had lingered for seven decades since Independence. Moved by the Minister of State for Land and Land Reforms Chandrima Bhattacharya, the West Bengal Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was passed in the House unopposed. Speaking in support of the Bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said this "historic Bill" would help the enclave dwellers to get full-fledged status as citizens of India, along with all civic amenities and citizenship rights. The Bill will help in the distribution of land-right documents to the people of the enclaves in the border district of Cooch Behar, the chief minister said, adding that the state government was working hard to give beneficiaries their due. In Cooch Behar, 111 Indian enclaves, spread across 17,160 acres, became a part of Bangladesh territory and 51 Bangladesh enclaves, comprising 7,110 acres, joined India. The enclave residents were allowed to either reside at their present location or move to the other country. Around 37,334 people residing in the enclaves in the Indian side refused to go to Bangladesh, whereas 922 enclave dwellers, who were in the Bangladesh side, preferred to be in India, Banerjee said. With the exchange of enclaves, following an agreement between the two countries with the consent of West Bengal, the enclave dwellers deserve their rights as the citizens of India, she said. The state government already spent over Rs 100 crore for the housing of the enclave dwellers, Banerjee said, adding that the government, which have received Rs 579 crore from the Centre, still has a due of Rs 426 crore. However, the state government needs to spent more from its own exchequer. The process will result in creation of 13 new 'mouzas' (administrative district), while the rest of the area would be amalgamated with the existing 31 'mouzas', the bill said. Plot-to-plot verification has already been undertaken to ascertain the ownership status of the land to the dwellers, who now reside on khas land. Describing how her government helped settle the long-pending issue, Banerjee criticised the way genuine citizens were being harassed in Assam. Those, who have come to India till March 1971, are all Indian citizens, "but a particular political party" was playing on the issue, forcing the genuine citizens even to commit suicide, she said. The update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a massive exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam, excluded over 40 lakh people from the draft list published on July 30, creating a huge political controversy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling BJD members protested in the Odisha Assembly Monday the Centre's decision of changing the funding pattern of post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Caste students. As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, the members of the ruling party stood up and protested the revision of the post-matric scholarship fund for the SC students by the Centre. The opposition Congress members also rushed to the well of the House demanding a discussion on felling of large number of trees for setting up a brewery in Dhenkanal district. Unable to run the proceedings, the Speaker P K Amat adjourned the House till 3 pm. After the House was adjourned, the BJD members sat on dharna near Mahatma Gandhi statue protesting the Centre's decision and dubbed the BJP-led NDA government as "anti-dalit and anti-tribal". The ruling party members showed a letter written by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawar Chand Gehlot. Patnaik, in a letter on November 17, had said that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was providing 90 per cent, while the state government contributed the remaining 10 per cent of the actual expenditure on providing post-matric scholarship to SC students. Accordingly, during 2016-17, the Central share was Rs 215.80 crore while the state share was Rs 22.48 crore. However, from 2017-18 onwards, the Ministry has revised the liability of the state government towards post-matric scholarship wherein the state government has to bear 80 per cent of the total expenditure. During 2017-18, the state government had to provide Rs 238.28 crore while the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment allocated a meagre Rs 35.12 crore. During 2018-19, the state government has to provide Rs 238.28 crore, while the Central share is projected to be Rs 49.39 crore. "Such an abrupt change in the funding pattern by the Ministry has given a severe jolt to the post-matric scholarship programme for the SC and ST students," the chief minister said in the letter. Patnaik has sought the personal intervention of the Union Minister to reconsider the matter and restore the funding pattern of 90:10 for smooth implementation of the post-matric scholarship programme for Scheduled Caste students. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress outside the House, however, alleged that the ruling party members deliberately stopped the House in order to avoid a discussion on the issue of felling of trees. BJP member Pradip Purohit said that there was no need to disrupt proceeding of the Assembly over a matter relating to Central funding. "The BJD MPs could have raised the matter in the Lok Sabha. But, they deliberately raised this issue to avoid a discussion," Purohit said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra BJP MLA Anil Gote Monday said he will not go ahead with its decision to quit the assembly and also the party after holding a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here. On November 12, Gote had said he will resign from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as well as the BJP to protest against what he called induction of "criminals" into the saffron outfit. The MLA from Dhule in North Maharashtra said he has now agreed not to tender his resignation on two conditions. "I have decided to change my mind after meeting with the chief minister. I have laid down two conditions before him - the BJP should not induct criminals into the party and the upcoming Dhule Municipal Corporation polls should be fought (by the party) under my leadership," Gote said. Gote said Fadnavis asked him to meet Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve and state party organisation secretary to sort out the issues raised by him. "The CM has assured me that I will have right to select candidates for the Dhule civic polls," he said. The legislator had won the 2009 assembly election from Dhule as an Independent and joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 state polls. He was earlier arrested in connection with the multi- crore stamp paper scam and is now out on bail. In the past, the legislator had denied any involvement in the scam, which was spread over several states, including Maharashtra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A large number of and workers protested outside the official residence of Chief Minister late Sunday night against the detention of over 30 persons at Temple. The members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had gathered in front of Cliff House-- Vijayan's official residence at Nanthancode in Thiruvananthapuram. Simultaneous protests were also held at various places across the state in Aranmula, Kochi, Kollam, Alapuzha, Ranni, Thodupuzha, Kaladi, Malappuram and Idukki among others. To further intensify their stir against "police high handedness", a daylong state-wide agitation will be held on Monday by Yuvamorcha, the youth wing of the BJP, its chief said. "We have organised state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state," Yuvamorcha state president Prakash Babu told PTI. The protesters were taken into preventive custody Sunday night at the Temple after fresh protests broke out at Nadapanthal area in Sannidhanam where hundreds of devotees agitated against the police restrictions. Even though there were unconfirmed reports that the detained protesters were taken to Maniyar police camp in Pathanamthitta district, officials at Pamba Police Station, which is around 3.5 km downhill, denied any knowledge. On the second day of the two month-long pilgrimage season, the devotees had gathered at the covered pathway to the temple when they were asked to leave Sannidhanam. Due to the early incidents of violence at the hill-top shrine, the police had imposed strict restrictions for devotees at Sannidhanam, including not allowing them to stay back at night. Superintendent of Police (special officer) Pratheesh Kumar said people were detained for violating Section 144 that prohibits assembly of more than four people at a spot. "Section 144 had been declared in the area. We had asked them to disperse after the Harivarasanam but most of them refused," the SP said, adding that the police was not against the devotees who wished to offer prayers. "Those who have to offer 'neyyabhishekam' (anointing deity with ghee) can stay back. They can recite prayers also. We are not against it. The police will assist those who want to offer prayers," he said. Police sources claimed they had information that the protesters might create trouble at Sannidhanam and therefore, precautions were taken accordingly. Rajesh, one of the protesters, said, "We are devotees and we started reciting prayers but the police did not allow us, saying Section 144 (prohibitory orders) has been imposed." He said he did not mind getting arrested for reciting prayers at Sannidhanam. Four people died in a fire at an illegal workshop in a congested central Delhi area Monday after one of the workers, a heavily-built man, got stuck at the exit door while escaping and blocked the route for others, firefighters said. Among the deceased was 55-year-old man, who was eagerly preparing for his daughter's wedding and he had even shopped for her big day, relatives said. Police said the owner of the house, Ajay Khurana (45), was arrested and a case under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) registered. They said the workshop was being run illegally in a residential area. The police said six workers were ironing clothes on the first floor of the building. The fire broke out when Ajit (23) was putting a white solvent in a spraying machine and it accidently spilled on the floor, police said. "The affected area was nearly 22 square yards. The fire was reported on the first floor where reportedly work of ironing clothes used to be done," a senior North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) official said. The firefighters said dousing the fire was a challenge as the lanes leading to the house were narrow and the fire tenders could not enter the congested area. An officer from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said they had to take the hose pipes atop the terraces of adjacent houses to douse the blaze. DFS officials said the fire broke out at 12.23 pm in Karol Bagh's Beadonpura area. The DFS had received a call about a blaze at a house but when firefighters reached the spot, they found that the first floor of the building housed an illegal workshop where the victims were involved in laundering clothes, an official said. He said the victims were about to steam-iron clothes and were putting the solvent used for laundering in a container when it spilled on the floor and came in contact with the steam iron, triggering the fire. A heavily-built man, who was sitting near the door, tried to escape but got stuck. He blocked the route for others who were inside the building, the officer added. The deceased were identified as Bagan Prasad (55), Ram (40), Aarti (20) and Asha (40), police said. Ajit sustained minor injuries and was undergoing treatment at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, they added. He claimed that he was packing materials when the fire broke out. "I was busy packing material when the fire broke out. There were six others present, including three, who pressed clothes. I rushed to the gate and somehow managed to escape," Ajit said. Two blaze tenders brought the fire under control by 12.50 pm, the officer said. According to fire department officials, the unit was was being run illegally in a small house. "The area where the workshop was running is a residential area but people are running small factories which are hazardous. The lanes are so narrow that the firetenders also could not enter for rescue operations," said an officer. According to a relative of Bagan Prasahad, the father of six had booked the tickets to visit his family in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria. "He was eagerly waiting to visit his family and was supposed to leave for his hometown on December 2 on Vaishali Express. He had fixed his daughter Nandini's marriage and had even shopped for her big day," the relative, Mohan Lal, said. Prasahad was the sole breadwinner of his family, said his relatives. The father of another deceased, Aarti, got to know about the fire from the firm's official. "I had come to Karol Bagh to pay instalments for a property that I bought sometime ago in Faridabad. Just then I got a call from a lady official from the firm saying my daughter was unwell. "I rushed to the factory but police officials were not letting me inside. I could see ambulances and bodies being shifted. I was in shock," Inderpal said. He said he did not have money to even go to the hospital. "A media person at the spot gave me Rs 200 and I rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital," he added. Aarti had been working as a supervisor for about a year and she lived in an accommodation provided by the company. "Since we stay in DDA flat Vivek Vihar, it was difficult for my daughter to commute. For the last four to five months, she was living at an accommodation provided by the company." Aarti has three sisters and a brother. "My daughter was very hardworking. I asked her to get married but she refused saying that she wanted to stand on her feet first," Inderpal said. A local resident, Parmanad Jaluthria, 43, claimed that when he got about the fire, he went to the spot and pulled out three people out from the factory. The 700 square feet five-storey building was built 25 to 30 years ago and had only one exit. On the first floor, there was a pressing workshop and on other floors, there were other small factories, Jaluthria said. In the workshop, which is shut on Sundays, the workers used to clean, press and pack suits and other kidswear, he added. Incidentally, according to a fresh survey undertaken by the NDMC after a collapse of a building in the Sawan Park area in Keshavpuram Zone, five buildings in Karol Bagh Zone of the NDMC were found to be dangerous. The previous tally for Karol Bagh Zone was four, as per the pre-monsoon survey. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four people died in a fire at an illegal workshop in a congested central Delhi area Monday after one of the workers, a heavily-built man, got stuck at the exit door while escaping and blocked the route for others, firefighters said. Among the deceased was 55-year-old man, who was eagerly preparing for his daughter's wedding and he had even shopped for her big day, relatives said. Police said the owner of the house, Ajay Khurana (45), was arrested and a case under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) registered. They said the workshop was being run illegally in a residential area. The police said six workers were ironing clothes on the first floor of the building. The fire broke out when Ajit, 23, was putting a white solvent in a spraying machine and it accidently spilled on the floor, the police said. The firefighters said dousing the fire was a challenge as the lanes leading to the house were narrow and the fire tenders could not enter the congested area. An officer from the Delhi Fire Service said they had to take the hose pipes atop the terraces of adjacent houses to douse the blaze. DFS officials said the fire broke out at 12.23 pm in Karol Bagh's Beadonpura area. The DFS had received a call about a blaze at a house but when firefighters reached the spot, they found that the first floor of the building housed an illegal workshop where the victims were involved in laundering clothes, said an official. He said the victims were about to steam-iron clothes and were putting the solvent used for laundering in a container when it spilled on the floor and came in contact with the steam iron, triggering the fire. A heavily-built man, who was sitting near the door, tried to escape but got stuck. He blocked the route for others who were inside the building, the officer added. The deceased were identified as Bagan Prasad (55), Ram (40), Aarti (20) and Asha (40), police said. Ajit sustained minor injuries and was undergoing treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, they added. He claimed that he was packing material when the fire broke out. "I was busy packing material when the fire broke out. There were six others present, including three, who pressed clothes. I rushed to the gate and somehow managed to escape," Ajit said. Two blaze tenders brought the fire under control by 12.50 pm, the officer said. According to fire department officials, the unit was was being run illegally in a small house. "The area where the workshop was running is a residential area but people are running small factories which are hazardous. The lanes are so narrow that the firetenders also could not enter for rescue operations," said an officer. According to a relative of Bagan Prasahad, the father of six had booked the tickets to visit his family in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria. "He was eagerly waiting to visit his family and was supposed to leave for his hometown on December 2 on Vaishali Express. He had fixed his daughter Nandini's marriage and had even shopped for her big day," the relative, Mohan Lal, said. Prasahad was the sole breadwinner of his family, said his relatives. The father of another deceased, Aarti, got to know about the fire from the firm's official. "I had come to Karol Bagh to pay instalments for a property that I bought sometime ago in Faridabad. Just then I got a call from a lady official from the firm saying my daughter was unwell. "I rushed to the factory but police officials were not letting me inside. I could see ambulances and bodies being shifted. I was in shock," Inderpal said. He said he did not have money to even go to the hospital. "A media person at the spot gave me Rs 200 and I rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital," he added. Aarti had been working as a supervisor for about a year and she lived in an accommodation provided by the company. "Since we stay in DDA flat Vivek Vihar, it was difficult for my daughter to commute. For the last four to five months, she was living at an accommodation provided by the company." Aarti has three sisters and a brother. "My daughter was very hardworking. I asked her to get married but she refused saying that she wanted to stand on her feet first," Inderpal said. A local resident, Parmanad Jaluthria, 43, claimed that when he got about the fire, he went to the spot and pulled out three people out from the factory. The 700 square feet five-storey building was built 25 to 30 years ago and had only one exit. On the first floor, there was a pressing workshop and on other floors, there were other small factories, Jaluthria said. In the workshop, which is shut on Sundays, the workers used to clean, press and pack suits and other kidswear, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bluewater Alkaline Solutions, a city-based pulmonology solutions provider Monday said it has launched portable oxygen cans OXY99 for the first time in India. Italian health major ING L and A Boschi manufactured the handy can weighing just 120 grams which can be used for 150 inhalations with shelf life of two years, Kalisetti Naidu, CMD of Bluewater alkaline solutions said in a press release. Besides the 120 grams can, the company is also manufacturing 75 litres to 1,700 litres light weight easy to carry oxygen cylinders certified by Indian pharmacopoeia, he added. These cans are useful for patients with asthma or other respiratory disorders, breathlessness, tiredness and fatigue and wheezing and coughing among others, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An alleged bovine smuggler was detained Monday under Public Safety Act (PSA) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said. Mohammad Amin, a resident of Badhoon village, has been booked and detained under PSA on the orders of district magistrate, senior superintendent of police, Rajouri, Yougal Manhas said. "Amin was found involved in bovine smuggling and thus threatening the peaceful atmosphere forcing authorities to detain him under the PSA," he said. The SSP said Amin was accused in four separate FIRs registered in Rajouri Police Station since last year. "A dossier for his detention was submitted to the district magistrate, who in turn issued the order which was implemented today," Manhas said. Amin has been lodged in Central Jail Kot Bhalwal in Jammu. He is the second bovine smuggler detained under PSA in the district in the last week. On November 14, Khadam Hussain of Behrote village of Thanamandi had been detained for his repeated involvement in cases of bovine smuggling in the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks about the nuclear deal and freeing UK nationals held in Iranian jails. Iran has been abiding by the terms of its nuclear deal with global powers, the latest report from the UN atomic watchdog indicated last week, days after fresh US sanctions hit the country. US President Donald Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear programme and introducing several rounds of unilateral sanctions. Hunt's visit is the first by a Western foreign minister since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said, in a statement issued in London. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does," he said. "But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks on European efforts to maintain relief from nuclear-related sanctions. Hunt will also discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and the ongoing cases of detained British-Iranian dual nationals. One notable case is that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition. "More than anything, we must see those innocent British-Iranian dual nationals imprisoned in Iran returned to their families in Britain," he said. "I have just heard too many heartbreaking stories from families who have been forced to endure a terrible separation." "So I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage."On Yemen, Hunt will stress concerns at reports that Iran has supplied ballistic missiles and weapons to the Huthi rebels, his ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The internecine feud in the CBI turned murkier Monday with a senior officer M K Sinha dragging the names of NSA Ajit Doval, union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss. K V Chowdhury did not respond to queries when his reaction was sought while Doval, the National Security Advisor, was not immediately available for comments. An official in the minister's office said he was not aware of the matter. Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, the CBI's number 2, and important cases like the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi, made a litany of sensational allegations in his petition before the Supreme Court that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur. Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Sinha, informed a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that his client has "got some shocking revelations" in his petition and sought urgent listing and hearing Tuesday along with the plea of CBI Director Alok Verma. "Nothing shocks us," the bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, shot back, as it ruled out urgent hearing and asked Fernandes to be present in the court when it will hear Verma's plea challenging the government's decision to divest him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha claimed that as a result of his transfer to Nagpur he has been taken out of the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. "The transfer is arbitrary, motivated and malafide, and was made solely with the purpose and intent to victimise the officer as the investigation revealed cogent evidence against certain powerful persons," he alleged. In his 34-page petition, Sinha, a 2000 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, alleged that the CBI director briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana. "Subsequently on the same night, it was informed that the NSA has informed Rakesh Asthana about registration of the FIR. It was informed that Rakesh Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested," the petition said. Sinha, while supporting the affidavit of Deputy Superintendent of Police officer A K Bassi, who has also been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, claimed Bassi favoured immediate search of public servants involved in the bribery case(relating to Asthana) but the "Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same." The CBI booked Asthana on allegations of receiving bribe from an accused Manoj Prasad probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Sinha said during interrogation of a middleman Manoj Prasad, who was arrested in the bribery case allegedly involving Asthana, the names of Doval and Samant Kumar Goel, Special Director of India's external intelligence agency (R&AW) cropped up. "As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, his father, retired as Joint Secretary, and has close acquaintance with Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI HQ and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with Doval," Sinha said, adding Manoj claimed. Sinha said Manoj "taunted" the CBI officers and asked him to "stay in limits". He said on October 20, searches were conducted at the residence and the office of Devender Kumar, DySP, CBI who was investigating the Moin Qureshi case. The reason for the searches was based on certain inputs provided by Special Unit, based on legal interception. "While the search was on, a phone call was received from Director CBI instructing to stop the search. At that time, the applicant (Sinha) was sitting in the BSF&C office and asked the Director, to which the Director replied that this instruction has come from NSA Shri Doval," Sinha alleged. Sinha, in his plea, also alleged that Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who is the complainant in the case against Asthana, told during interrogation that sometime in the first fortnight of June 2018, a few crores of rupees was paid to Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, at present Minister of State for coal. "As per Sana, Harbhai had intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of Minister of personnel...to whom apparently, the Director CBI reports to. "The money was paid through one Vipul of Ahmedabad. These facts were disclosed to me by Sana on October 20 in the forenoon," Sinha said in his petition. Sinha, presently the DIG (Head of Branch) in CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch at Nagpur, also claimed Sana said that he met the Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdhary along with one Gorantla Ramesh somewhere in Delhi and they discussed Moin Qureshi's case. "As per Sana, subsequently, Chowdhary called Asthana to his residence and made inquiries. Asthana informed to the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but the same is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosure made by Sana," he said. Sinha also alleged that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra had contacted Sana while the proceedings were going on in the CVC against Alok Verma. Chandra rejected as fake the allegation. PTI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Coast Guard Monday said it has issued notice to the master of a cargo ship to clean up the oil spill off the coast here caused by a rupture in a hose of the vessel, failing which action will be taken as per law. Spillage of Fuel Furnace Oil occured early Sunday when 'MT Coral Stars,' an oil tanker vessel was offloading it through a 'flexible hose' in Kamarajar port, at Ennore near here. The notice, issued Sunday, tasked the ship master and the vessel's charterer -Atlantic Shipping Pvt Ltd- to clean up the spilled oil, undertake containment measures and recover the leaked oil that threatened the coastal area. "Take all other necessary action to keep the environment clean as it was prevailing before the incident....take action to prevent further spillage of oil into the sea," the notice said. Also, the Coast Guard asked the charterer and the ship master to take action to remove oil from the damaged tanks by transfer. Non-compliance of the instructions will entail Coast Guard to take action, the notice made available to the media by the Defence Public Relations office here said. The Coast Guard said it was empowered under the provisions of the Indian Merchant Shipping Act 1958 to issue notice and take action for non-compliance. It said initial assessment revealed that the port had taken a few measures to contain the oil spill. However, the "ship and her agents have not yet taken suitable measures to remove the spill of approximately one tonne of fuel furnace oil." The oil spill ocuured when hose from the berth side got ruptured and Coast Guard had deployed two of its vessels to assess the damage. Preliminary estimates of the port had pegged the spillage as less than two tonne, and the authorities had said that the recovery of the spilled oil was on with the use of skimmers and absorbent pads. This is the second oil spill off Chennai since last year. An oil spill had occurred on January 28, 2017 when two cargo ships collided in the Bay of Bengal near the Ennore Port. Nearly 5,700 people representing various agencies took part in the clean up operation for nearly a month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N on Monday announced postponement of a November 22 opposition conclave in Delhi to chalk out details of the proposed anti-BJP front. Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart here, Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced very soon. Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, and CAG are under "severe pressure". Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had on Friday withdrawn the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states. "We wanted to meet on November 22 earlier because of the elections... We wanted to make it before Parliament (winter) session. "Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation," the chief said, adding the fresh date for the meeting will be decided very soon. China on Monday angrily dismissed as "rumours" the reports of its officials allegedly barging into the office the foreign minister of Papua New Guinea on the side-lines of the APEC summit and questioned the ability of the US to deliver USD 60 billion projects to rival its BRI. According to media reports from Papua New Guinea (PNG), which hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, four Chinese officials barged into the office of PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato on Sunday after being denied a meeting, following which police was stationed outside his office. The senior Chinese officials wanted to meet the minister to discuss the wording of the APEC final communique, US television network ABC reported. When they were repeatedly denied a meeting, they pushed their way into Pato's office, calling out to the Minister for two minutes of his time, the report said. This followed US and China differences over references over the reforms relating to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the APEC joint statement which was finally not issued. "Do you think this is possible? The Chinese diplomats can burst into the office of the PNG foreign minister. Do you think it is possible?" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing on Monday while answering questions about the drama in PNG. "The so-called bursting into the office of PNG Foreign Minister is rumour spread by the people with ulterior motives. China has clarified this," he said. Any attempt to disturb the ties between PNG and China are doomed to fail, Geng said. He also took a dig at the remarks of US Vice President Mike Pence that US plans to spend USD 60 billion in infrastructure projects as a rival bid against the China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying some people are concerned whether the US can deliver on its promise. In his speech, Pence said US President Donald Trump had promised to give the nations of the Indo-Pacific regions a better option to support infrastructure projects by "reforming our development finance institutions". "And today the United States has more than doubled our financing capacity to USD 60 billion," he said at the APEC summit on Friday. "And this year, we have provided more foreign military financing to the Indo-Pacific than the previous three years combined," he said. Reacting Pence's remarks, Geng said "no matter with what motive the US made such a promise... That is a good thing. We also noted that some people are concerned whether the US can deliver on its promise." "We hope that that concern will not become reality and the people and the international community will certainly follow closely how the US will deliver on its promise," he said. Pence in his combative address to the APEC summit on Friday said China's BRI is saddling developing countries with loans they can't afford. "Know that the US offers a better option. We don't drown our partners in a sea of debt, we don't coerce, compromise your independence. We do not offer constricting belt or a one-way road," Pence said, which drew angry reaction from China saying that no country ended up in debt because of the BRI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan Monday asked the BJP to announce at the earliest the seat-sharing deal for Lok Sabha polls among the NDA partners in Bihar and also criticised sulking RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha over his recent comments. Paswan met BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who is his party's in-charge for the state, and told PTI later that seat-sharing talks among the BJP, Janata Dal (United), and his party have been positive. He told Yadav the BJP should make an announcement regarding the division of seats among these three National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties at the earliest, he said. In a sign of Kushwaha's isolation within the NDA, Paswan disapproved of his recent outbursts, which have been aimed at Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and also the ultimatum given to the BJP that it should make an announcement regarding the seat-sharing arrangement by November 30. "Such talks only weaken the alliance. He (Kushwaha) also said that he would now talk to no one except Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This amounts to shutting doors for talks. This is not good," the LJP parliamentary board chief said. With BJP president Amit Shah busy in the state poll campaign, NDA sources said a final announcement on the share of seats of all Bihar allies could be made after the assembly elections are over. Shah had earlier announced that the JD(U) and his party would contest an equal number of seats in Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha. With the prospect of Kushwaha remaining in the NDA looking increasingly grim, NDA sources said the LJP may get to contest six seats, while the BJP and the JD(U) get 17 seats each. Sources said the there was a proposal earlier that LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan be sent to the Rajya Sabha and his party fight four Lok Sabha seats. However, the question mark over the continuation of Kushwaha means that there may be reconfiguration of arithmetic of seats among the NDA partners. The BJP, LJP and RLSP, which fought the 2014 polls together, had won 22, six and three seats respectively. The JD(U), which fought against the NDA, had won only two seats and joined the ruling alliance in 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An exhibition of the latest technology and equipments related to the construction sector is being organised here by an Indian industry body. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Nepal, is organising CII ConMac 2018 between November 22 and 24 at Sallah ghari Open Ground, Bhaktapur here, an official statement said. More than 150 exhibitors from India and other countries will showcase their products and ideas during the three-day international exhibition. The event is expected to attract over 10,000 business visitors from across the country. With the participation of India government, CII ConMac 2018 - An Excon Show will be the largest focused platform for the Construction Equipment Industry to showcase their technology and equipment for the accelerated growth of the infrastructure sector in Nepal, it said. As Nepal is facing a large shortage of skilled manpower, this exhibition aims to assist and empower contractors by providing them with the latest in technology and capacity enhancement within the construction sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttrakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday expressed grief at the death of a CRPF head constable while fighting militants in Jammu & Kashmir's Pulwama district. Chandrika Prasad hailed from Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district of the state. He was killed after the militants hurled grenades at a newly set-up camp in Pulwama on Sunday. Condoling the death of Prasad in a message, Rawat prayed for peace to the departed soul and extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family. He said the state government will provide all possible help to the family of the slain soldier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday appealed to all political parties, religious and social organisations to set aside "petty considerations" to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in a "befitting manner". Amarinder Singh urged the 'sant samaj' (the fraternity of seers) to come forward in prevailing upon the leaders of these parties and organisations to ensure their participation for commemoration of the historic event. He also urged SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal to join hands with the state government to make the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev a "grand success". The chief minister solicited cooperation from all organisations in the development of the historical town of Sultanpur Lodhi associated with the first Sikh Guru as holy city. "The life and philosophy of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the common heritage of Punjab and therefore all the political/religious parties/groups/individuals should sink their political differences and come together to disseminate the message of the first Guru," Amarinder Singh was quoted as saying in an official release. Addressing representatives of the 'sant samaj' during the executive committee meeting of 550th Prakash Purab celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev here, the chief minister stressed that politics should be kept out of pious and religious occasions. Welcoming the inputs provided by various 'sant samaj' heads to celebrate this momentous event with religious fervour and gaiety, Amarinder Singh sought their whole-hearted support and cooperation to make this event memorable. The chief minister said, "We are all blessed to have got the opportunity to celebrate this historic and sacred occasion during our lifetime." The government has made a sincere effort to ensure that this mega event is observed in a befitting manner, he said, urging all organisations to cut across party lines to celebrate the momentous occasion in the spirit it deserves. Amarinder Singh said that all out efforts were being made to elicit maximum participation of people from all walks of life to disseminate the ideology and teachings of Guru across the globe. The chief minister said that the life and philosophy of first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev were the common heritage of Punjab and therefore all the political/religious parties/groups/individuals should sink their difference and come together on a common platform to celebrate the occasion in unison. He implored the 'sant samaj' to coordinate with the executive committee on regular basis with their suggestions to fine-tune the programmes so as to propagate Guru Nanak's rich legacy of universal brotherhood, amity, love, compassion and harmony in the world. On the occasion, Amarinder Singh also released the logo of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The logo was designed by Tulsi Devi, a post-graduate student of Government Arts College, Chandigarh, who was honoured by the chief minister with a cash award of Rs 21,000. Responding to the concern shown by the members of the 'sant samaj', Amarinder Singh promised to bring all the culprits involved in desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and other holy scriptures to book. He said that Special Investigation Team formed by the state government was on the job and all perpetrators of such heinous crime would be punished as per the law of the land. He assured the 'sant samaj' that ongoing investigations in these cases would be brought to their logical conclusion. Earlier, Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi emphasised the need to formulate a sub-committee of 'sant samaj' to coordinate with the Executive Committee of state government for the commemoration of this historic event in a meaningful and result-oriented manner. He also requested the chief minister to make optimum use of the occasion to disseminate the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev in every nook and corner of the world. Cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Vijay Inder Singla, PPCC President Sunil Jakhar were with the chief minister when the SGPC president called on him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has directed its officials to complete civic works of the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial being built at Dandi in Gujarat by the end of this year. In his letter to Union Cultural Secretary Arun Goel, CPWD Director General Prabhakar Singh sought early release of funds to the agency so that there is no "bottleneck" in progress of works. The memorial, which commemorates the historic Dandi March of 1930 against the salt tax, is expected to open for the public by January. According to the CPWD, a constituent of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the memorial works are in its final stage. Singh requested the cultural ministry to take up the issue of operation and maintenance with the state government once civil works are completed, besides development of surrounding areas since the memorial complex of 15 acre in isolation would not project "desired level of attraction". The memorial project of the Union Culture Ministry is advised by a High Level Dandi Memorial Committee (HLDMC), designed, coordinated and implemented by IIT Bombay in association with an international design team. "I have directed all concerned of CPWD and the contractor to ensure completion of the work by December 31, 2018," the CPWD DG said in the letter. Prabhakar wrote to the Union cultural secretary after he had on October 25 visited the site of National Salt Satyagraha Memorial. It will have life-size statues of Mahatma Gandhi and around 80 associates who completed the march in 1930. The project's Master Plan's stated that the Memorial is at the site where Gandhi and his fellow marchers picked up salt from the sea beach to "break the Salt Law imposed by the British India". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- Deakin University, Australia, hosted conference on Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks in India - ICAN 2018 from November 16-18, 2018. The conference delved into various aspects of Indian Cinema and how its reception, consumption, collaboration and distribution have changed over the years. It will also elaborate on Australia-India bilateral association in Cinema. The conference was organised in collaboration with Delhi Metropolitan Educations' School of Media, Noida. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713572/Deakin_University_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786776/Dignitaries_ICAN_2_16_November.jpg )The conference was led by Australia-based India Cinema scholar - Dr Vikrant Kishore, Course Director - Film, Television & Animation and Senior Lecturer in Screen and Design at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. Australian Film Scholar and Deakin academic- Professor Sean Redmond was the keynote speaker at the Conference. Professor Matthew Allen, Head of School, School of Creative Arts and Communication, Deakin University, stated, "ICAN reflects Deakin's long-standing commitment towards shaping meaningful relationships with Indian Universities, Institutes and Colleges. Our aim has been to increase research-oriented dialogue between Australia and India and this conference will provide a good opportunity for scholars, industry experts and students in the field of Film, Television and Animation to present their work and continue to develop this mutually beneficial dialogue." Adding to this, Ms Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice-President (Global) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, shared that the event marks beginning of a new chapter in Deakin University's in-country collaboration with academia in India. This unique collaboration will bring about India's rich and diverse cinematic heritage and Deakin's expertise in contemporary culture and newest technologies. Ms Pawha also announced Deakin University's prestigious one 100%* scholarship for a PhD student from India to pursue any course in Communication and Creative Arts. The conference explored various aspects of Indian Cinema and the Bollywood 'brand' on how its reception and consumption, collaboration and distribution have changed over the years, especially post 2000s. Dr Ambrish Saxena, Conference Advisor, ICAN 2018 and Dean, DME Media School, Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME), Noida, says, "International Conference on Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks - ICAN 2018 is focused on enriching understanding and experience about Indian Cinema, particularly Bollywood. The collaboration between Deakin University, Melbourne and Delhi Metropolitan Education, Noida (Delhi NCR) will open new doors for academic proximity between Australia and India in this subject area." Dr Vikrant Kishore expressed his happiness to see this conference taking place in New Delhi, India in partnership with a local media institute and said, "Given the changing global environment in the field of media, especially due to the new emerging disruptors that has changed the film going experience, it is important to study the production, consumption, reception, distribution and publicity mode of Indian films. I am pleased to see a variety of papers being presented at the conference; from critical analysis of films in relation to society, economics and politics, interrogating various genres, music, song-dance sequences, action, choreography, camerawork, unseen scne and editing, to exploring representations of women, the downtrodden and marginalized and other alternate aspects. Through this conference, we aim to build a network of Australian Indian film scholars and practitioners with the optimism to work together and collaborate on research and practice-based projects." The conference is first-of-its-kind to be organised by an Australian University in collaboration with an Indian Institute. More than 70 papers were presented; special workshops were also conducted by Deakin faculty members - Mr John Cumming and Dr Vikrant Kishore. It also witnessed participation from more than 15 different Indian media schools/Universities. Dr Susmita Bala, Conference Convener, ICAN 2018 and Head, DME Media School, expressed that, "ICAN 2018 is all about discussing and analysing Indian Cinema especially in the context of its post-2000 global reach, signifying the popularity of Hindi films overseas. Indian Diaspora has been instrumental in popularising Bollywood film and culture in Australia and it is good to see some exciting work on Indian Cinema happening there. Organizing this conference with Deakin University is of great significance to Delhi Metropolitan Education, Noida." The ICAN conference opened on 16 November 2018 with a reception dinner at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi; conference paper presentations, and workshops took place from 17 to 18 November 2018 at Nelson Mandela Auditorium of Delhi Metropolitan Education's campus in Noida. About Deakin University: Established in 1974, Deakin University successfully combines excellence in teaching, research and effective partnerships with industry and government to deliver high quality courses and undertake research that makes a difference to the domestic and international communities it serves. Deakin's South Asia operations commenced in 1994 at New Delhi, India, making it one of the first overseas education provider to set operations in this region. Here, Deakin engages with the government, industry and the academia to share its vibrant culture of education and research. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Monday demanded an independent probe into the corruption allegations made by a CBI DIG in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, saying they have raised questions on the functioning of Prime Minister's Office and the Modi Government. The party also said it would raise the issue in Parliament. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the DIG Manoj Kumar Sinha in his affidavit has named union minister Haribhai Parthivbhai Chaudhary, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. K V Chowdhury did not respond to queries when his reaction was sought while Doval, the National Security Advisor, was not immediately available for comments. An official in the minister's office said he was not aware of the matter. Surjewala asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if his slogan of "na khaaoonga, na khaane doonga" (will neither do nor allow anyone to do corruption) has now changed into "sab khane walaon ko bachaoonga, aankh moondte dekhta jaoonga" (will save all the corrupt, will watch with shut eyes). "Who are those helping the corrupt. Are those helping the corrupt sitting in the Prime Minister's Office," he asked. "When IB, RAW and CBI's credibility is at stake, as it has been put at stake by words of this affidavit and when CVC responsible for investigating the entire matter, his own judgment and conduct is under a cloud, then democracy is in peril and Constitution is in danger," he told reporters. "We definitely believe and we will appeal to the Court to conduct a separate investigation, if possible, otherwise we will go to the court of people. In democracy like ours, the final defender of peoples' right as also holding accountability of the Government is Parliament and we will go to Parliament," the Congress leader said. The internecine feud in the CBI turned murkier Monday with a senior officer M K Sinha dragging the names of NSA Ajit Doval, union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss Alok Verma. Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, the CBI's number 2, and important cases like the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi, made a litany of allegations in his petition before the Supreme Court that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pushed by the agitation by sugarcane farmers, Karnataka Congress' farmers wing has written to party leaders who own sugar factories to clear the ryots' dues. Farmers in Belagavi and other northern districts have been protesting for the last few days demanding clearance of their pending arrears by sugar factories for the cane suppliedand announcement of purchase price for sugarcane for thecurrent season as had been done in neighbouring Maharashtra. The President of the state congress' Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress, Sachin Meega, shot off aletter to party leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi, Satish Jarkiholi,Shrimant Patil, S R Patil, S S Mallikarjun, Anand Nyamagouda and S S Malagam. "Farmers have supplied sugarcane they have grown to your factories and money has got be deposited to them, but as the money given was lesser than what was fixed, farmers are indistress and are agitating across the state," Meega said in his letter. He said, in this backdrop, the farmers' wing of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress requests the owners to pay the farmers their due, despite financial difficulties. "We are aware that you face several constraints, including financial difficulties in running sugar factories, but at this point in time as protecting the interest of farmers being the priority, I request you to pay farmers their due," he added. Driving trucks with sugarcane, a group of farmers Sunday had 'gatecrashed' into "Suvarna Vidhana Soudha", the legislature complex in northern district of Belagavi. They were protesting Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's reportedcancellation of his scheduled visit to meet ryots agitating over payments due from sugar mills. Kumaraswamy has now convened a meeting of farmers and sugar factory owners at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru Tuesday to discuss on the issue and find a way out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily Monday said his party would return to power in Chhattisgarh after a gap of 15 years, riding on a "strong anti-incumbency" wave. He also claimed that the Congress would increase its tally from 12 to 15 of the 18 seats in the Naxal-hit areas of the state. "We are definitely returning to power in Chhattisgarh after a gap of 15 years, because there is a very strong anti-incumbency wave against the Raman Singh and Narendra Modi governments in the state and at the Centre," the former Union minister told PTI here. The Congress would win 50 to 55 of the 90 Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, he said, adding, "I will not be surprised if we win even more (seats)." In the 2013 Chhattisgarh polls, the Congress had won 12 seats in the Naxal-hit areas, Moily said. "The problems of unemployment, law and order and security of jobs have contributed to a strong anti-incumbency wave against the Raman Singh government (in Chhattisgarh)," he added. As many as 37,000 women in Chhattisgarh were reported missing, which reflected the worst law-and-order situation in the state, the former Karnataka chief minister alleged. He claimed that most government jobs in the state were outsourced and that Chhattisgarh was next only to Tripura in terms of unemployment in the country. Contrary to Chief Minister Raman Singh's claim of Chhattisgarh being the first state to provide 150 days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), in reality, Moily said, the state government gave work for only 47 days. During the Congress rule, the poverty ratio was 37 per cent in the state and now, it had shot up to 47 per cent during the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rule, Moily, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, claimed. He alleged that adding to Singh's "misrule", the people of Chhattisgarh were also unhappy with the BJP-led central government for giving false assurances, the latest being giving Rs one crore loans in 59 minutes to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). "I attended a bankers' meeting recently, where I asked the bankers whether they had received any circular on Rs one crore MSME loans. They said, no. This is only an election stunt," Moily said. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had also failed to fulfil the promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of every citizen in the fight against black money, the Congress leader said. "During the Congress rule, as much as Rs 36,000 crore (black money) were brought back. These people (BJP) are silent today," he said, alleging that the Centre had not taken a single step to bring back black money. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India - Marxist Leninist (Liberation), a prominent anti-NDA party in Bihar, on Monday cautioned the opposition Grand Alliance in the state against joining hands with "weathercocks in the NDA" - an obvious reference to sulking RLSP chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha. CPI(ML) Liberation national secretary general Deepankar Bhattacharya made the remark while talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a party rally. "It is important to defeat the anti-people Narendra Modi government at the Centre. But it is equally important to remember that this aim should not lead to a scramble for short-sighted alliances", Bhattacharya said. "We need to look only at the recent past. In the name of defeating the BJP, a massive and formidable coalition was formed. Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister for another term and within no time switched sides and joined the NDA headed by the very BJP he had fought against", he said. "Today we can again see some weathercocks in the NDA eager to strike the best possible deal for themselves. These are the elements which cause harm to the fight against BJP's fascist and communal politics", he added. He, however, refrained from mentioning the RLSP or Kushwaha by name. Kumar, who also heads the JD(U), had walked out of the Grand Alliance which comprised - besides his party - the RJD and the Congress following corruption cases against his then deputy Tejashwi Yadav. At present the Grand Alliance comprises, besides RJD and Congress, the Hindustani Awam Morcha of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi who left the NDA and joined the Grand Alliance earlier this year. All the Grand Alliance constituents have been extending an invitation to Kushwaha, who has alleged that the number of seats being offered to it by the NDA for the Lok Sabha was "not respectable" and given an ultimatum for resolving the thorny issue by November 30. The Left parties, including the CPI(ML) Liberation which at present has the largest presence in Bihar among the communist outfits, is expected to have an electoral understanding with the Grand Alliance in the Lok Sabha polls. At the rally, Bhattacharya along with other senior CPI(ML) leaders like state secretary Kunal, former MP Rameshwar Prasad and senior leader Ram Jatan Sharma attacked the Narendra Modi government for having "returned to issues like Ram temple, giving up talks about development". "We must fight resolutely to build an India as per the dreams and ideals of Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar and thwart Modi's designs", they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A CRPF jawan Monday allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with the service rifle of a colleague in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Raipur district, police said. Constable Rajiv Kumar Singh (37), belonging to the 148th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, shot himself with his colleague's AK-47 rifle at around 12:20 pm in the premises of Kabir Nagar police station, an official told PTI. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where authorities declared him dead on arrival, the official said. Singh, a native of Jamunipur village of Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district, was on poll duty in the state where the second phase of voting will be held on Tuesday. A case has been registered and a probe was underway to find out the reason why Singh took this step, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Relief operations gathered pace in cyclone 'Gaja'-hit districts of Tamil Nadu Monday even as sporadic protests by the affected people demanding quick assistance continued in various places for the second day. Chief Minister K Palaniswami took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting here and announced an immediate cash assistance totalling Rs 8,800 to each families sheltered in relief camps besides, 10 kg rice and four litres of kerosene. He also said compensation would be given to farmers and fishermen and directed allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief and rehabilitation works. In a statement later, Palaniswami said the toll in the cyclone has risen to 46, while a total of 2, 51,674 people were staying in relief camps. He said Rs 5,000 would be given as immediate livelihood support to each family lodged in cyclone centres, to those who lost their homes and fishermen who lost their boats in the cyclone that crossed the coast near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district on Friday, causing devastation in several districts. Besides, Rs 3,800 per family would be given for buying clothes and utensils, he said. In addition, people whose huts were completely damaged will be provided with Rs 10,000 assistance while partially damaged houses will get Rs 4,100. The state will also seek central funds considering the extent of the damage, he said adding he would visit the affected areas Tuesday. Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Palaniswami and enquired about the situation. Reports received here painted a grim picture of the affected districts where the farm sector had taken a severe hit as crops in large swathe of lands had been damaged and nearly two lakh trees, including coconut and plantain, uprooted, leaving the farmers in acute distress. Life was limping back to normalcy in urban areas with electricity being restored gradually, the reports said. Several ministers were deputed to the affected districts to oversee and speed up relief operations. Over 1.31 lakh people had been accommodated in relief camps in the badly-hit Nagapattinam district which was visited Monday by five ministers, including P Thangamani (Electricity) and S P Velumani as part of efforts to speed up relief and restoration works. Protests were held by residents in parts of Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts, demanding early restoration of power and drinking water supply. Facing flak over alleged tardy relief measures, the state government Monday said people should not think that only such protests would solve their problems and asserted it was working to reach out to all. Palaniswami held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues, including deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, and senior IAS officials here. He said coconut farmers will get a compensation of Rs 2.64 lakh per hectare while for paddy crops it will be Rs 13,500 per hectare. The cyclone which crossed the coast with a speed of up to 120 kmph has left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land. It caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in the state and Karaikal in Puducherry. Palaniswami said Dindigul, Sivaganga, Tiruchirappalli, Cuddalore, Karur and Theni were also affected. Meanwhile, principal opposition DMK announced contribution of one month's salary of its MPs and MLAs towards cyclone relief activities besides Rs one crore from the DMK Trust for the purpose. Amid the continuing protests, Revenue Minister R B Udayakumar said the government was reaching out to all concerned and that people should not think that only agitations will draw its attention to their issues. He claimed people with 'anti-social mentality' were behind such protests and asked the public to shun them. On Sunday, irate people in Kotthamangalam village in Puthukottai district had gone on a rampage, setting ablaze government vehicles and clashed with police,protesting alleged failure of officials to provide them relief. Electricity Minister Thangamani said the department had suffered significant losses in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Puthukottai and Thiruvarur districts. Over 98,000 electric poles and 846 transformers have been severely damaged and nearly 15,000 workers were enaged in restoration works, he said. Power supply was being restored on a 'war-footing' and additional manpower had been sought from neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, he told reporters in Nagapattinam. Supply had been restored in town areas and for hospitals, he added. The Health Ministry said that over 1,700 medical camps have been held and about 1.06 lakh people screened as part of preventive measures in affected areas. Drinking water was being chlorinated to prevent outbreak of any epidemic even as private water tankers were also being monitored, a department release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Relief operations gathered pace in cyclone 'Gaja'-hit districts of Tamil Nadu Monday even as sporadic protests by the affected people demanding quick assistance continued in various places for the second day. Chief Minister K Palaniswami took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting here attended by his cabinet colleagues and officials in the aftermath of the cyclone that crossed the state coast near Vedaranyam on Friday, causing devastation in six coastal districts and claiming 45 lives. President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Palaniswami and enquired about the situation. Reports received here painted a grim picture of the affected districts where the farm sector had taken a severe hit as crops in large swathe of lands had been damaged and nearly two lakh trees, including coconut and plantain, uprooted, leaving the farmers in acute distress. Life was limping back to normalcy in urban areas with electricity being restored gradually, the reports said. Several ministers were deputed to the affected districts to oversee and speed up relief operations. Over 1.31 lakh people had been accommodated in relief camps in the badly-hit Nagapattinam district which was visited Monday by five ministers, including P Thangamani (Electricity) and S P Velumani as part of efforts to speed up relief and restoration works. Protests were held by residents in parts of Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts, demanding early restoration of power and drinking water supply. Facing flak over alleged tardy relief measures, the state government Monday said people should not think that only such protests would solve their problems and asserted it was working to reach out to all. President Kovind wrote on his official Twitter handle that he spoke with the chief minister and enquired about the situation in the aftermath of the cyclone. "Spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and enquired about the situation in the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families," he said. "People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state. #PresidentKovind," he added. Palaniswami held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues, including deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, and senior IAS officials here. A brief official release said the chief minister took stock of the ongoing relief activities, besides discussing the further steps to be taken by the government. The cyclone which crossed the coast with a speed of up to 120 kmph has left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land. It caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry. Principal opposition DMK announced contribution of one month's salary of its MPs and MLAs towards cyclone relief activities besides Rs one crore from the DMK Trust for the purpose. Amid the continuing protests, Revenue Minister R B Udayakumar said the government was reaching out to all concerned and that people should not think that only agitations will draw its attention to their issues. "Drinking water is provided (in the affected areas) and power is being given through gensets, even as we have adequate stocks in ration shops," he told reporters here. He claimed people with 'anti-social mentality' were behind such protests and asked the public to shun them. On Sunday, irate people in Kotthamangalam village in Puthukottai district had gone on a rampage, setting ablaze several government vehicles and clashed with the police, protesting alleged failure of officials to provide them relief. Meanwhile, Electricity Minister Thangamani said the department had suffered significant losses in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Puthukottai and Thiruvarur districts. Over 98,000 electric poles and 846 transformers have been severely damaged and nearly 15,000 workers were enaged in restoration works, he said. Power supply was being restored on a 'war-footing' and additional manpower had been sought from neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, he told reporters in Nagapattinam. Supply had been restored in town areas and for hospitals, he added. The Health Ministry said that over 1,700 medical camps have been held and about 1.06 lakh people screened as part of preventive measures in affected areas. Drinking water was being chlorinated to prevent outbreak of any epidemic even as private water tankers were also being monitored, a department release said. Defogging operations and spraying of disinfectants were also being carried out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Monday urged students to debate, discuss and dissent but not "disrupt", even as he questioned the events held to observe the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Patriotism and nationalism were the need of the hour, the vice president said. He added that patriotism did not mean garlanding Bharat Mata and saying "Bharat Mata ki Jai" but it meant celebrating one's countrymen and not discriminating against anyone on the basis of caste and religion. Speaking at the 95th convocation of the Delhi University, Naidu made a reference to a controversial event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2016 to protest against Afzal Guru's hanging, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. "We must also care for the unity and integrity of the country...Some people debate -- I have freedom, I will do this, I will do that. I will celebrate this man, Afzal Guru. We have no problems in celebrating anybody, but if you want to celebrate someone who wants to destroy Parliament, someone who wants to attack the Constitution, is it a celebration?," Naidu asked the gathering. Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairman, stressed that for a successful democracy, rules and regulations were important. "Dissent is agreeable but not disintegration. You have no right to attack the integrity of the country. Debate, discuss, dissent, not disrupt. This applies to parliamentarians also. I tell the House (Rajya Sabha) to discuss, debate and decide. Do not disrupt. Be constructive, not destructive. Unite, not divide," he said. The vice president added that he had always heard a lot about the Delhi University and wanted to study there when he was young, but due to some circumstances, he could not. "Since childhood, I had read and heard a lot about DU. I had a wish to study in DU but that wish could not come true. My father passed away when I was at an early age. My family members did not want to send me far away. "But I got an opportunity to become the chancellor of the university where I wanted to study," Naidu told the students, who broke into an applause. He also expressed happiness at the fact that "women comprise a good percentage of the student population in the University of Delhi". It was important that young women, particularly those belonging to marginal sections, gained an increased access to the portals of colleges and universities, Naidu said, adding that women's empowerment through education would have a positive impact on the society and on the future generations. India today stood at the cusp of an incredible demographic dividend, he said, adding that 65 per cent of its population was below 35 years of age. "But this prospective demographic dividend can rapidly mutate into a demographic challenge if we do not educate and skill this vast youth population appropriately, if we are unable to exploit their immense potential efficiently. The responsibility to mould these young people into productive, enlightened citizens lies with universities such as this one (DU). India's aim is inclusive and sustainable development," the vice president said. The path to reach this goal had to be paved by the enterprising, intelligent and resourceful youth of the country, who were well educated and capable of leading the country forward, he added. Naidu expressed concern that the number of educational institutions had not led to a corresponding improvement in the quality of education imparted in the country. "We do produce a large number of graduates and other degree holders, but how many of them are well-rounded, employable individuals, capable of critical, rational thinking? How many of them are equipped enough to deal with the kind of fast-paced changes that are happening in the world around? "There is a need to re-imagine and re-engineer our entire education system, top-down and bottom-up. There has to be a change in the curriculum, teaching methodology, examination system, technology tools used and research," Naidu asserted. Our current system of education failed to recognise the innate potential that existed within each student and nurture and develop these unique qualities and capabilities, he said. "This 'one-size-fits-all' approach got us so far, but will not take us any further. We have to encourage our young people to be curious, to ask questions and to think independently. We cannot keep forcing the same syllabus on a student who excels in science and a student who is a savant in music," the vice president added. It was also a cause of concern that very little original research was coming out of India, he said. For a country as vast and diverse as India facing problems ranging from poverty to environmental degradation, innovation was not a luxury but an urgent necessity, the vice president said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) During the past two decades, Delhi's air quality was the "most deadly" in 2016 as it reduced the of a resident by more than 10 years, a new study said Monday, asserting that the capital was the second among 50 most polluted areas of the country. is today the world's second most-polluted country, trailing only Nepal, it said and pointed out that loss of was the highest in Asia, exceeding six years in many parts of and According to air quality life index and accompanying report produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), globally particulate pollution reduces average by 1.8 years, making it the greatest global threat to human health. "By comparison, first-hand cigarette smoke leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.6 years," it said. "The impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, twice that of alcohol and drug use, three times that of unsafe water, five times that of HIV/AIDS, and more than 25 times that of conflict and terrorism," it said. The study pointed out that over the past two decades, the concentration of fine particulates increased by 69 per cent on an average across India, reducing the life expectancy of a typical Indian citizen by 4.3 years compared to 2.2 years in 1998. It said concentrations of particulate pollution in India's northern states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and the Capital Territory of are "substantially higher" and the impact on life expectancy exceeds six years. It said pollution is the "single greatest threat" to human health globally, with its effect on life expectancy exceeding that of devastating communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioral killers like cigarette smoking, and even war. Seventy-five per cent of the global or 5.5 billion people, live in areas where particulate pollution exceeds the WHO guideline. "The AQLI reveals that and China, which make up 36 per cent of the world's population, account for 73 per cent of all years of life lost due to particulate pollution," it said. The study said particulate pollution is "so severe that it shortens the average Indian's life expectancy by more than four years relative to what it would be if WHO air quality guidelines were met". Among the 50 most-polluted areas in the country, was second to Bulandshahr. In Delhi, the PM 2.5 concentration (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was 114 g/m3 in 2016 which is 1.6 times more than 70 g/m3 in 1998, the study said. In Bulandshahr, the PM 2.5 concentration was 124 g/m3 in 2016, which is 1.6 times more than 70 g/m3 in 1998, it said. Delhi's reduced the life expectancy by more than 10 years of a typical resident in 2016 in a span of 18 years between 1998-2016, the study said. "In 1998, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and already suffered from particulate concentrations that exceeded WHO safe levels by factors of 3 to 6 and reduced life expectancy of residents there by between 2 and 5 years," the study said. "Over the ensuing two decades, pollution in these regions increased to as much as 10 times the WHO safe limit in the case of Uttar Pradesh, where levels now reduce life expectancy by 8.6 years," it said. The AQLI is based on a pair of peer-reviewed studies that quantify the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to particulate pollution and life expectancy. The results from these studies are then combined with hyper-localized, global particulate matter measurements, yielding unprecedented insight into the true cost of in communities around the world. In 2016, the added life-years from compliance with the WHO guideline would raise the average life expectancy at birth from 69 to 73 years a larger gain than from eliminating unsafe water and poor sanitation, perhaps the second-greatest environmental health risk in the country, it said. Some residents of the still lose up to a year of life from pollution, it pointed out. "Around the world today, people are breathing air that represents a serious risk to their health. "But the way this risk is communicated is very often opaque and confusing, translating air pollution concentrations into colours, like red, brown, orange, and green. What those colours mean for people's wellbeing has always been unclear," said Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Professor in Economics and director of EPIC. Greenstone also noted, "My colleagues and I developed the AQLI, where the 'L' stands for 'life' to address these shortcomings. It takes particulate air pollution concentrations and converts them into perhaps the most important metric that exists life expectancy. Delhi University filed a police complaint Monday in connection with the alleged fake degree submitted by ABVP's Ankiv Baisoya, who recently resigned as the DUSU president a day after his admission was cancelled by the varsity. Speaking at the 95th convocation of the varsity, DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi had said the university has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. "We have been able to make the process of admission transparent by the distinctive efforts of those who are at the helm of affairs. Although some cases of malpractices have come to our notice, we have the process of accountability in place and a strong resolve to take corrective measures and we would not like any delinquent in the admission process to go scot-free," Tyagi said. According to a senior police officer, a complaint was received from the varsity authorities on Monday and an FIR is likely to be registered soon. According to the complaint filed by KTS Sarao, head of department of Buddhist Studies, Baisoya had appeared in the entrance examination conducted nationally by the varsity for admission in the masters course. "After qualifying this examination, Baisoya took admission in MA Buddhist Studies, Part I, and submitted six mark sheets of six semesters of Bachelor of Arts degree from Thiruvalluvar University. The basic quali?cation for admission to MA (Buddhist Studies) is a Bachelor's degree from any recognised university," Sarao said in the complaint. In a written response to a request from the undersigned for verification of these mark sheets, the controller of examinations of Thiruvalluvar University has written that each of these mark sheets submitted by Baisoya is not genuine. It is a fake certi?cate", the complaint said. "On the basis of veri?cation report received from Controller of Examinations Thiruvalluvar University, admission of Baisoya was cancelled on November 14, Sarao said. Baisoya, who was elected the DUSU president in September, resigned from his post last Thursday after the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad reportedly asked him to do so. He has also been suspended from the students' outfit till an inquiry is complete into the allegations. While the ABVP said the decision was taken to maintain the "genuineness" of the DUSU, the move drew criticism from the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India and Left-backed All India Students' Association, which claimed it was done under pressure ahead of the Delhi High Court hearing on November 20. In a Facebook post, Baisoya said he was resigning from the post of DUSU president because he respected the mandate of the Delhi University students, who voted for him. NSUI leader Sunny Chillar has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside Baisoya's election, alleging that according to reports the registrar of Thiruvalluvar University "unambiguously and unequivocally" declared Baisoya's certificate to be "fake and forged". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Dubai court on Monday ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, according to a media report. Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, the Khaleej Times reported. Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the paper said. On Monday, Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case," the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubai's highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a "violation" of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower court's ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow "the proper procedures" when requesting the extradition, the paper said. "The request should have been filed by India's Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs," Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was "flawed" since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. "Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed," he argued. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. With Dubai's top court upholding the lower court's decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions, the paper said. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became 'wanted' on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. Citing a source, the paper said Michel's extradition request had previously been closed administratively here as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation sometime back for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received ?EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. Michel denies the charges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top Dubai court Monday upheld a lower court's order to consider the possibility of extraditing British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, according to media reports. Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Dubai Court of Cassation dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the Appellate Court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities. Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the Khaleej Times reported. However, there was no immediate official confirmation about the court's ruling in New Delhi. On Monday, Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case," the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubai's highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a "violation" of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower court's ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow "the proper procedures" when requesting the extradition, the paper said. "The request should have been filed by India's Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs," Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was "flawed" since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. "Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed," he argued. The presiding judge dismissed Michel's appeal and accepted that of Dubai prosecutors and upheld the appeal court's order to approve the extradition, the Gulf reported. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. With Dubai's top court upholding the lower court's decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions, the Khaleej Times said. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became 'wanted' on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. Citing a source, the paper said Michel's extradition request had previously been closed administratively here as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation in 2017 for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received ?EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. Michel denies the charges. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Engineer.ai, a human-assisted artificial intelligence platform, Monday said it has secured USD 29.5 million (about Rs 210 crore) funding led by Lakestar and Jungle Ventures with participation from Softbank's DeepCore. The funds will be utilised for strengthening engineering operations and customer acquisition, Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder and Chief Wizard of Engineer.ai, said. Engineer.ai was created so that everyone can build an idea without learning to code, he added. "The capital comes at a time of rapid growth and will propel the platform into the mainstream, allowing 'Builder' to open the door for entire categories of companies that could not consider it before," he said. Launched in June 2018, Engineer.ai has already attracted hundreds of customers across many geographies. Its 'Builder' solution allows people -- even those without technical skills -- to get customised apps built for Android, iOS and other platforms. Asia Pacific region mainly India, MENA, South East Asia including China are key focus areas for Engineer.ai to expand their presence into, building a stronger base for all 'Builder' offerings, the company said. Engineer.ai has bootstrapped to USD 24 million in revenue. The company is set to cross the USD 100 million revenue mark before the end of 2020. It has a presence globally includes offices in Los Angeles, London, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Tokyo. The company's headcount is currently at 150 spread across India, US and the UK. By June 2019, this is expected to go up to 300. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malaysia Should Do A Lehman Brothers On Goldman Sachs M. Bakri Musa www.bakrimusa.com Malaysia should sue Goldman Sachs (GS), the investment bank associated with 1MDB, to recover not only the US$600 million it had charged the company (and thus Malaysia), but also the associated financial loss from the ensuing criminal activities at 1MDB. Malaysia should go beyond restitutive remedies and seek punitive damages so as to teach those bankers a lesson to never again collude or be complicit with Third World kleptocrats in robbing the worlds poor. In short, inflict a Lehman Brothers on Goldman Sachs through a lawsuit. Malaysia would be doing the world a great favor by exposing the weaknesses and inadequacies of the current regulations and oversight agencies, both international and domestic. These agencies are impotent in curbing corrupt and illicit cross-border money flows because they are too beholden to the industry to effect any meaningful reforms despite the many attempts. A successful lawsuit would be a far more effective remedy than any legislation or international treaty. Former Wall Street executives are key players in current and previous American Administrations, Democrat as well as Republican. They are so used to calling the shots, quite apart from the hold their industry has on those agencies through powerful and lucrative lobbying. Malaysia would have no difficulty finding a lawyer even on a contingency basis. This 1MDB mess could prove to be the most lucrative bonanza for American lawyers. GS is a deep-pocketed defendant. Already a few of the key players have pleaded guilty. By way of background, Lehman Brothers was an old white-shoe Wall Street firm forced into bankruptcy in 2008 for its overexposure in the subprime spiral. The companys leaders then considered themselves the new Masters of the Universe, the same hubris afflicting GS personnel in their dealings with corrupt Najib. Lehman was the most necessary and very effective lesson on Wall Street for the 2008 economic crisis that nearly took down Western capitalism. A decade later that sting has been forgotten. Wall Street needs to be taught that lesson again, and very forcefully too. And Malaysia is destined to be that strict teacher. Mahathir should not shy away from this unique and awesome responsibility. The worlds poor would thank him for that. I sniffed this 1MDB skunk long before it hit the headlines in Malaysia. When a senior Bank Negara official was in America on a private visit, I showed him articles in leading American financial publications of the unusually attractive returns on the 1MDB bonds managed by GS, with rates in excess of 300 basis points of what I was paying for my unsecured line of credit at my local California bank. This was during the post-2008 recession when money was dirt cheap. Surely sovereign Malaysia was a better credit risk than me! What stunned me was this officials non-reaction. He knew nothing about it. Surely such mega deals should have been the talk at Bank Negaras water coolers. Meanwhile, the American press was featuring how a Malaysian boy related to Najib was making a splash in Hollywood and the local ultra-luxury real estate market. Nobody questioned how Najibs stepson, whose father was but a retired junior army officer, acquired all that wealth. My suspicion deepened with firsthand knowledge of the super-lavish and gaudy shopping habits of Najib and his spouse on their frequent visits to America. Then there was the extraordinary effort by the co-producers of the Oscar-winning film The Wolf Of Wall Street to excise Reza Azizs name off the credit list at the Academy Awards ceremony even though he had provided the films critical financing. Then on July 2016, Americas DOJ came down with its civil asset forfeiture lawsuits. Despite all that, the tipping point occurred not in the major financial Western capitals or the courts in the West, rather in simple Malay kampungs. At the May 9, 2018 election, those seemingly unsophisticated villagers booted Najib and his gang of plunderers out. With that, the rotten durian split; the stink was no longer containable. Since then Najib, his wife, and no fewer than half a dozen of his ministers have been criminally indicted. More coming! America followed her civil suits with criminal indictments. Malaysia too should follow Americas example and initiate civil suits against Najib and the others, attaching their assets. Najib would have little need for those palatial mansions and ultra-luxury condos; likewise his wife and stepson. Their room and board would be provided for by the state for a very long time. dedak-fed enablers have to be exposed, put behind bars, and with Malaysia recovering the loot. Najibs elaborate corrupt schemes, obscene greed, and-fed enablers have to be exposed, put behind bars, and with Malaysia recovering the loot. European governments started to thrash out a plan for close ties with post-Brexit Britain on Monday in the last week before they gather to sign their divorce papers. Ministers from the other 27 EU members met in Brussels at the start of what Prime Minister Theresa May calls "an intense week of negotiations" ahead of Sunday's summit "A painful week in European is starting," Austrian minister for Europe Gernot Blumel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters. "We have the divorce papers on the table. 45 years of difficult marriage are coming to an end." The British leader has said she will be in the city herself this week to see the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for last-ditch talks. Neither May nor European leaders are keen to reopen the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement that was grudgingly approved by the British cabinet last week. But both sides are scrambling to finalise a parallel political declaration that will set out a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties. "Now that there is a concept withdrawal agreement we think that it is satisfying, it's workable, and we will invest our energy now in the political agreement," Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said. London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible a route to a free trade agreement, in part to shore up support in a British parliament that may yet reject the deal. Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market as it did as a member state after Brexit on March 29 next year. European negotiators plan to publish their version of the statement on future relations on Tuesday. On Sunday, according to diplomatic sources, EU ambassadors fleshed out the document from just over six pages to around 20 as more details were agreed. They also discussed an EU proposal that the draft withdrawal agreement be amended to extend the planned 21-month post-Brexit transition by two years to the end of 2022. No decision was taken on this, however, and members are wary of re-opening the document and allowing British hardliners to restart a debate on its terms. Ministers arriving at Monday's meeting would not be drawn on this. "It's still open," Blok said. Blumel said March 29 is set as Brexit day and the withdrawal will be approved as is on Sunday, while the political declaration would seek "as close a relationship as possible." In the meantime, EU Council president Donald Tusk is going ahead with plans to bring May and her fellow leaders together on November 25 to sign the deal. "We now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us," May will tell British business leaders on Monday, according to Downing Street. "During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship," she was to say. "And I am confident that we can strike a deal at the council that I can take back to the House of Commons." While the EU 27 and their negotiator, Michel Barnier, have remained publicly united through the 17-month negotiation -- Britain's political camps are at war. Whether or not May wins an improved future partnership offer this week, she still has to get the withdrawal deal itself past parliament. Conservative hardliners and May's Northern Irish unionist allies have pledged to vote down the treaty despite the threat of a calamitous no-deal Brexit. And the opposition Labour Party, scenting a chance to topple May's government, has also warned that its members will not support her deal. After making what they see as an offer that respects Britain's desire to leave but preserves the integrity of the Union, EU officials are surprised by the furious debate. Publicly, they refuse to intervene in Britain's affairs, but privately they insist both sides "exhausted their margin to manoeuvre" in the divorce negotiation. "Of course both sides have to pass parliament. It goes for the UK but it also goes for the Europeans," Blok said. "So this political declaration really lays the foundation of our future relationship, it has to be ambitious," he added. Some member states were annoyed that their rights to fish in British waters were not guaranteed in the withdrawal deal and have been left to future talks. And Spain also has concerns about the future status of Gibraltar, the British territory on its southern coast, a diplomatic source said. But grumbles remained behind closed doors because, in the words of one European diplomat, the ambassadors agreed "not to pour oil into the British fire." And of the divorce deal, Belgium's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said: "Here it will survive. We are waiting for the same situation in London, but here in Brussels it will survive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European ministers signed off Britain's draft divorce deal on Monday as they launched an intense final week of negotiations on future cross-Channel ties. Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the Union's Austrian rotating presidency said the negotiated text would be presented to EU leaders at a signing summit on Sunday. "The first, difficult step is done," said Austrian minister for Europe Gernot Blumel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, after the ministers met. Meanwhile, detailed discussions continue on a parallel political statement setting out the bloc's ambitions for future relations with post-Brexit Britain -- and on a possible extension to the transition period. Britain will leave the Union on March 29 next year, but remain within its single market for a further 21 months as negotiators seek a deal to avoid a potential breakdown in trade between the key economic partners. If no deal remains in sight within this period, Britain can request a one-off extension. Barnier has suggested that this should expire at the end of 2022, but he admitted that the other 27 member states have yet to sign off on this date. "I think that during this week we'll have a definitive proposition for this date. The decision will be made jointly between the United Kingdom and the 27," Barnier said. Neither European member states, who want to protect access to their single market by non-member Britain, nor hardline British Brexiteers, who fear being trapped in a bloc where they don't make the rules, want an endless transition. Barnier stressed it was Prime Minister Theresa May's government that had requested the extension option and that he had agreed to it to reassure nervous businesses, but warned: "It can't be indefinite. It needs to be decided." Meanwhile, preparations for Sunday's summit, where May and her 27 colleagues will sign the withdrawal agreement, continue apace. "A painful week in European is starting," Blomel said. "We have the divorce papers on the table. Forty-five years of difficult marriage are coming to an end." May has said she will be in the city herself this week to see the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for last-ditch talks on the future relationship. "Now that there is a concept withdrawal agreement we think that it is satisfying, it's workable, and we will invest our energy now in the political agreement," Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said. London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible a route to a free trade agreement, in part to shore up support in a British parliament that may yet reject the deal. Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market as it did as a member state after Brexit on March 29 next year. European negotiators plan to publish their version of the statement on future relations on Tuesday. On Sunday, according to diplomatic sources, EU ambassadors fleshed out the document from just over six pages to around 20 as more details were agreed. "We now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us," May will tell British business leaders on Monday, according to Downing Street. "And I am confident that we can strike a deal at the council that I can take back to the House of Commons." While the EU 27 have remained publicly united through the 17-month negotiation, Britain's political camps are fighting a bitter civil war. Conservative hardliners and May's Northern Irish unionist allies have pledged to vote down the treaty despite the threat of a calamitous no-deal Brexit. And the opposition Labour Party, scenting a chance to topple May's government, has also warned that its members will not support her deal. EU officials are surprised by the furious debate and mostly refuse to intervene, but French minister for Europe Nathalie Loiseau said both sides had "exhausted their margin to manoeuvre". Blok said it was imperative that the political statement "lays the foundation of our future relationship, it has to be ambitious". Some member states were annoyed that their rights to fish in British waters were not guaranteed in the withdrawal deal and have been left to future talks. And Spain also has concerns about the future status of Gibraltar, the British territory on its southern coast. But Europe's grumbles have stayed largely in the background, with EU ambassadors agreeing "not to pour oil into the British fire," a diplomat said. Belgium's Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said of the deal: "Here, it will survive. We are waiting for the same situation in London, but here in Brussels it will survive. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- EuroKids believes in teaching the child the importance of caring and sharing. To inculcate this very spirit of care towards the society in the young minds, EuroKids Pre-Schools across the country celebrated the joy of giving with Daan Utsav, a 'festival of philanthropy' held at a big scale, with infectious enthusiasm. Over 36,000 children from 550 EuroKids Pre-School centres participated in the festival of giving. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459122/PRNE_EuroKids_Logo.jpg ) EuroKids believes that a strong sense of community develops sound character and civic responsibility. Community consciousness creates concern for others and equal rights and also hones personal responsibility. To bring that alive and to keep the consciousness throbbing, EuroKids engages in several community initiatives. EuroKids reached out to 301 NGOs during the Daan Utsav (2nd to 8th Oct) and gave away goods worth a whopping Rs. 53 Lakhs. The festival accepts contributions of all kinds - be it time, money, goods or skills - to someone less privileged. The donation from EuroKids included essentials such as clothes and blankets and food items which were distributed by the children of EuroKids Pre-Schools who in turn have learnt the virtue of giving at an early age. The children also distributed 25,500 sandwiches, and 11,000 thank you cards as a heart-warming gesture to the community helpers, the backbone of the Swachh Bharat Abhyaan, who help keep the world around a clean and better place. The donations to the needy also included stationery and stationery-related items. The value of sharing is best sown at a young age - for it continues to reward the giver for a lifetime. An opportunity like Daan Utsav proved to be ideal to teach the future citizens the significance of sharing and goodness of giving. The Daan Utsav was a welcome initiative, and EuroKids looks forward to participating in more meaningful social activities going forward. About EuroKids EuroKids is one of the leading networks of Pre-K in the country which specializes in early childhood It has been Reinventing in this sphere with its unique Child First ideology. Launched in 2001, EuroKids has raised the bar for Pre-School education in the country with its innovative approach of offering an integrated curriculum that initiates the holistic development of a child from an early age. EuroKids has a child-centric approach towards ensuring that development, safety and engagement needs of a child are met in a home like environment, which helps the child to Play, Learn, Grow and imbibe essential life skills. The emphasis on the child's well-being and development in close coordination with parents makes EuroKids the Child's Second Home. EuroKids has 1000+ Pre-Schools in over 350+ cities and towns in India. The EuroKids franchise model has won over 23 awards, which are testimony to the unique training methodology coupled with NextGen advantages and the Edge360 degree support in building the franchise business. EuroKids has created more than 1000 entrepreneurs, with 80 per cent of the franchise partners being women. To find more, click http://www.eurokidsindia.com. Source: EuroKids International Pvt. Ltd. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Principal economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyal Monday said the country cannot have 'Hotel California' approach towards banks under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, where the exit mechanism for these lenders is undefined. The Reserve Bank of India's PCA framework, which intends to nurse financially weak banks back to health, restricts lending and expansion of lenders. Out of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework at present. "We cannot have a 'Hotel California' approach to PCA banks that you can check out anytime but you cannot leave. We have to have a plan on how these institutions will come out of PCA," Sanyal said referring to the Hotel California song by America's famous band Eagles. The song talks about a person who reaches mystical Hotel California, from where the person is able to check out but unable to exit. Speaking at the third annual event of Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India (Fedai) here, he said the ultimate aim should be to make sure that credit flow reaches the bottom of the system. "Because there is no point in having this highly capitalised central bank and highly capitalised banking system, none of which supports the financial requirements lower ring of economy," he added. The banks currently under the PCA framework are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Messaging platform WhatsApp Monday held a training session for community leaders in partnership with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Jaipur, as it looks to tackle the menace of fake ahead of elections in Rajasthan. The effort is part of WhatsApp and DEF's joint initiative -- announced in August -- to undertake workshops in over 10 states to educate subscribers on using the messaging platform responsibly and help curb the "epidemic of misinformation" in the country, WhatsApp said in a statement. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held on December 7. The Facebook-owned company has gone into overdrive after it faced severe criticism from the government over circulation of fake on its platform that incited multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country earlier this year. The focus areas of these workshops are "key election states and those plagued with instances of provoked-violence as a result of misinformation earlier this year", the social media giant said in its statement. WhatsApp and DEF have already conducted training sessions in poll-bound states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, it said. Similarly, they will conduct the sessions in some other key states such as West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and Jharkhand by March 2019, the statement noted. The Delhi-based DEF is a not-for-profit social enterprise that empowers people at the edge of information, including marginalised and underserved communities. "WhatsApp is proud to have played a part in helping millions of people in Rajasthan to freely connect with their loved ones anywhere in the world. These trainings are part of our strategy to help people stay safe and limit the spread of harmful rumours this election season," WhatsApp Public Policy Manager Ben Supple said. With the general elections slated to be held next year in India, the government is taking a tough stance on use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to stop the spread of misinformation. The government had warned WhatsApp that it would treat the messaging platform as abettor of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place. WhatsApp, which has been slapped with two notices to check the spread of fake news, has taken a series of measures, including restricting the number of forwards and added 'forward' label to help users identify such messages. It is also in the process of establishing a local corporate entity and appointing a head for its India operations. Detailing out the proceedings of the workshop at Jaipur, WhatsApp said the event included training session that encouraged WhatsApp users to see themselves as 'agents of change'. Over 120 participants were trained on how to spot false and differentiate between rumours and opinions. Subsequent steps to tackle instances of false news and tips to stay safe on WhatsApp were also shared. The curriculum further delved into how users can contact fact-checking organisations like Altnews and Boom Live to accurately verify information when they are in doubt. The training was provided to local government administrations, law enforcement authorities, college students, NGOs and other community leaders. "While the problem of misinformation is not restricted to rural areas alone, it is the rural population that majorly lacks access to alternative news sources for sake of verification," Osama Manzar, founder-director of DEF, said. He added that education is the only solution to this problem, and when users are taught some basic verification techniques, there is a ripple effect that can potentially fight misinformation. Given the nature of private messaging, where 90 per cent of the messages sent are between two people and group sizes are strictly limited, WhatsApp has been focussing on educating and empowering users and proactively tackling abuse. Recently, WhatsApp had also announced the recipients of its research awards -- announced in July -- that aimed to find possible ways to address the challenge of misinformation. The company said it had received about 600 proposals. Each of the selected 20 research teams will receive up to USD 50,000 for their projects that will attempt to examine various aspects, including the role of WhatsApp in everyday political conversations in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of farmers from across the state Monday staged a protest here on a host of issues andset a fortnight long deadline for the government to fulfil their demands, including complete loan waiver. Farmers' have given the government a memorandum containing about 40 demands, and have expressed hope that the Chief Minister and his cabinet would look in to it and take an appropriate decision. Their charter of demands include full loan waiver, minimum support price for crops and relief measures for drought hit areas. Farmers also expressed anguish over Chief Minister Kumaraswamy's reported comments against a woman farmer from Belagavi on Sunday, and sought an apology. Agitating farmers who had threatened to lay a siege to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, were stopped by the police at the Freedom Park. Despite farmers' demand that Kumaraswamy should meet and hear them, the government sent co-operation minister BandeppaKashempur to talk to agitating ryots. "Government has said they will call us for meeting todiscuss on our issues. We have demanded that government fulfil its promises and look into our demands, we have given 15 days deadline, if nothing happens we will start our agitation again from village level," farmer leaders said. Kashempur said several groups of farmers fromacross the state have submitted a memorandum to the government on about 39 issues, and the government would look into it. The government would try and respond to all their demands positively, he said. "I will speak to the chief minister and will call farmers' leaders for a meeting with himon host of issues like drought, situation in flood hit Kodagu, among others, at the earliest," the minister said. Farmers also demanded that Kashempur should convey tothe chief minister their demand seeking Kumaraswamy's apology for hiscomments against agitating sugarcane farmers and a womanfarmer from Belagavi. Driving trucks with sugarcane, a group of farmers on Sunday had 'gatecrashed' into "Suvarna Vidhana Soudha", the legislature complex in northern district of Belagavi. They were protesting Kumaraswamy's reported cancellation of his visit to meet royts agitating over payments due from sugar mills. In a strong reaction, Kumaraswamy had described those who barged into the legislature complex as "goondas" and accused them of defaming the entire farming community. Kumaraswamy's remarks against a woman farmer while questioning her 'silence' in the last four years on the arrears issue and her farming background, had evoked sharp reaction from her. Kumaraswamy has now convened a meeting of sugarcane farmers and sugar factory owners at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss the issue and find a way out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Assam minister and senior Congress leader Chandan Kumar Sarkar died on Monday following a cardiac arrest at Bongaigaon, family sources said. Sarkar was 65 and is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter. Sarkar suffered a cardiac arrest Monday morning and was immediately rushed to a local hospital where he passed away. Sarkar was elected to the legislative assembly thrice-1991, 2001 and 2011- from Abhayapuri South constituency and served as the irrigation minister in the third term of the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Ripun Bora expressed shock at Sarkar's death and offered his deepest condolences to the bereaved family. "I had held a meeting on the forthcoming panchayat elections only three days ago where he was present and had spoken to him even yesterday. It is a big loss for the Congress and during the bad times of the party, it was he along with Bhumidhar Barman who had played a pivotal role in maintaining the party's unity," Bora added. An APCC delegation, led by Bora, has left for Bongaigaon to attend the last rites of the former minister. Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also condoled Sarkar's death and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former DMK MP S R Jayadurai was briefly detained at the airport here after five rounds of live bullets were found in his baggage while on his way to Chennai, police said Monday. Jayadurai, detained for questioning Sunday night after officials found the bullets, said he was having arms licence and had carried the bullets by mistake, they said. He showed a copy of the licence, but officials sought the original as per rules. He left for Chennai Monday morning after producing the original licence, police said. According to rules, an air passenger can carry licenced revolver or pistol and ammunition in checked-in baggage after declaring them and producing valid licence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Consul General of France in Kolkata, Virginie Corteval, made a day-long visit to Chandannagar, a former French colony, as part of an effort to shape the people-to-people contact between France and Bengal. As a tourist, she had visited the town, 35 km from here, about 20 years ago. In a statement issued Sunday, Corteval said she took great pride in announcing that "we are formalising our relationship and institutionalising our partnership, working as collaborators between the government, private sector and civil society." During the day-long trip to the place on Saturday, the diplomat also dropped in at some Jagaddhatri Puja pandals and learnt about their themes. The Jagaddhatri Puja is a major festival of the heritage town that attracts crowds from all over West Bengal. She thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her commitment to develop "river tourism along the river Hooghly." The diplomat referred to the 'Bonjour India' initiative of France and said the restoration and reuse of the Registry office building in Chandernagore has given impetus to a proposal to revitalise and redevelop the entire Strand area of the town. Chandannagar, formerly spelt as Chandernagore, situated on the banks of the Hooghly, became a French colony in 1673 when France wanted to set up a trading post. The French lost the town to the British in 1757 and regained control of it in 1816. It remained a French territory in India till 1950. "We are very grateful to the Government of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Minister of Tourism Goutam Deb, Minister of State for information and Culture Indranil Sen..." for their endeavour to widen this initiative to not just restoring buildings but creating livelihood opportunities and economic development for the people of this town, the consul general said in the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesters angry over high fuel prices blocked access to fuel depots and stopped traffic on major roads on Monday with the government refusing to back down on fuel taxes after a weekend of demonstrations across France. One person was accidentally killed and more than 400 people injured during the "yellow vest" protests which began Saturday with nearly 300,000 participants nationwide. Early Monday, dozens of barricades were still being manned on motorways and roundabouts, far fewer than the more than 2,000 sites on Saturday. Around 200 trucks were backed up along a road leading to a fuel depot in the western city of Rennes, where some protesters had camped out overnight, an AFP reporter said. Others continued to camp out in supermarket parking lots. "The movement is not exceptional... and obviously isn't as big as on Saturday," Laurent Nunez, junior interior minister, told CNews, adding that police would continue to intervene to ensure major roads are not blocked. But further large-scale protests are already being planned. A call by a member of the rightwing Debout La France (Stand Up France) party for protesters to descend on Paris on Saturday and "block" the city has been viewed over 165,000 times on Facebook. Another Facebook page calling for a mass rally on Saturday in Paris "because there is where the government is!!!" had also garnered widespread interest. The government has warned that the anarchic nature of the roadblocks threatens the safety of both demonstrators and drivers. A 63-year-old demonstrator was run down Saturday by a panicked motorist at a roadblock in the eastern Savoie region. A handful of skirmishes were also reported on Sunday night, including in the northern port city of Calais where an Australian truck driver and a British motorist were detained after trying to force their way through a barricade. The grassroots movement emerged on social media last month over a surge in fuel prices this year, in particular for diesel, which many blame on taxes implemented in recent years as part of France's anti-pollution fight. It quickly snowballed into a broader protest over stagnant spending power under President Emmanuel Macron. "I earn 500 euros ($570) a month -- how do you expect me to live on that? With what I earn I can only allow myself one meal a day," said Jean-Luc, a 57-year-old protesting in Calais. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Sunday night that the government had heard the anger, but that it would maintain the fuel taxes, which are set to increase again in January. Last week the government unveiled a 500 million euro package of measures to help low-income households, including energy subsidies and higher scrappage bonuses for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. But even some lawmakers in Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party are urging the government to do more to help ease fuel and energy costs as winter approaches. "We need to maintain environmental taxes, (Philippe) is right to reiterate this, but we also need more measures to assist the French, especially the middle classes and the less well off," LREM lawmaker Matthieu Orphelin told RFI radio on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the new definition of kilogramme coming into effect from May 20 next year globally, the government said Monday it would develop a prototype of 1 kg in next three years at a cost of Rs 60 crore. The new scientific standard of kg will help in accurate measurement benefitting immensely sectors like pharma, a top official said. Last week, the world's standard definitions of kilogramme, the ampere, the kelvin and the mole have been changed, after representatives from 60 countries voted to redefine the International System of Units (SI) for weight, current, temperature and amount of chemical substance. The definition has been changed after 130 years. "From one kg artefact was kept in France, now one kilogramme will be measured in scientific physical constant," Consumer Affairs Secretary A K Srivastava told reporters here. He said the new standard of kilogramme will lead to accurate measurement, helping pharma sector in defining the doses of medication. "Right doses of medicine is very important to treat a disease. An overdose and underdose of medicine will not give desired result and could be harmful". At present, the International Prototype of the Kilogramme (IPK) is made of 90 per cent platinum and 10 per cent iridium, and is a cylinder of 39 mm each of diameter and height. It is kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in France. Now, this will be replaced by the Planck constant (h), the fundamental constant of quantum physics. While the stability of the IPK could only be confirmed by comparisons with identical copies, a difficult and potentially inaccurate process, the Planck constant is ready for use everywhere and always. "In the recent General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), we have demonstrated prototype of 1 gram," National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Director D K Aswal said. He said the NPL, in association with the Consumer Affairs Ministry, would develop 1kg prototype in India. The US, the UK, Canada and Germany have successfully developed Kibble balance for 1 kg. Kibble balance is a self-calibrating electromechanical balance and provides the measurement of mass, traceable in terms of electrical parameters and linking of macroscopic mass to the Planck constant. Srivastava said the SI unit system would finally be a truly universal system, free of any human artifacts. He said the proposal to develop prototype of one kg in India is at budget formulation stage and it would take 3-4 years to develop Asked whether the 1 kg weight will change with the new definition, Aswal said there could be a difference of 10-100 micro gram either side, which is negligible for the normal trade but crucial in sectors like pharma, biotechnology and scientific research. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government will look at spectrum requirement of the police department on priority basis and would make the allotment process simpler, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said Monday. "Radio-spectrum is one of the key requirement of police organisations. They are one of the old customers of the radio spectrum. The requirement of police organisation from the Ministry of Communications shall be prioritised," Sinha said at All India Heads of Police Communications Conference. The minister said the police require most reliable and economical and state of the art model of communications for homeland security purposes. "The process of spectrum allocation will be made simpler," Sinha said. The minister said that the police are required to modernise their communication equipment and buy in fact better than the technology carried by common people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre will set up a first-of-its-kind institute of Inter-Faith Studies in Punjab to promote brotherhood and diversity as part of the year-long activities to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Union minister Mahesh Sharma said Monday. The activities will begin from November 23 and go on for a year, the Union Culture minister said, adding the decision was taken at a meeting of the National Implementation Committee (NIC) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier this month. The government will also develop Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is believed to have spent most of his life. The area will be developed as a heritage city incorporating 'Pind Babe Nanak Da'. A high powered telescope will be installed in Indian territory to view Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan where the first Sikh guru spent his last days, Sharma said. "We will set up an institute for inter-faith studies in Punjab on the lines of the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji who preached the qualities of brotherhood, diversity and the concept of unity in diversity. This will be the first-of-its-kind centre in the country," he said. He said the government will engage experts and form committees to oversee and finalise the concept of this institute. "We will also work closely with the Ministry of Human Resource Development. A detailed project report is yet to be finalised," Sharma said at a press briefing. The year-long event will also include religious activities like kirtan, katha, prabhat pheri, langar and educational activities such as seminars, workshops and lectures. The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, which is the apex religious body of the Sikhs, will be the knowledge partner for the event, he said. Chairs in the name of Guru Nanak will be set up in the UK and Canada. An international seminar will also be organised in Delhi. Commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released by the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Posts. "On November 23, when we begin the commemorations in Sultanpur Lodhi, we are expecting three to four lakh pilgrims to attend the event. Through the telescope pilgrims on the Indian border will be able to see Kartarpur Sahib across the border in Pakistan. "We will also run a train specially for this occasion which will pas through places associated with Guru Nanak ji," Sharma said, adding the Sultanpur Lodhi Railway Station will be upgraded. Television channels Doordarshan, Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV will live telecast programmes on Guru Nanak and Gurubani, his teachings will be published in different Indian and world languages. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday said initial investigations suggested the grenade used in the attack on Nirankari Bhavan was similar to the ones manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory. Three persons including a preacher were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on Sunday. The attack took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi, an incident which the police are treating as a 'terrorist act'. "The grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhavan seemed to carry Pakistan's signature, with initial investigations indicating that the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory," Amarinder said. The chief minister has announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anyone providing information on those involved in the blast that left three persons dead, officials said. Information can be provided on the Punjab Police helpline - 181, they said, adding the identity of the informer will be kept a secret. Amarinder flew in from Chandigarh along with his cabinet colleague and Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar to take stock of the situation. He said the police had recovered similar HG-84 grenades from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating a high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across the border. Prima facie, this appears to be an act of terror by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, said the chief minister, adding his government had taken serious note of the incident and was aggressively pursuing all angles of investigation. The culprits would soon be arrested, Amarinder promised, while talking to media after visiting the site of the attack. He said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also helping in the investigations and certain leads had been unearthed. A NIA team visited the blast site Sunday night along with their investigators and explosive experts and held discussions with the top brass of the Punjab Police. Responding to a query, Amarinder said the attack could not be equated with the Nirankari conflict in 1978 as that was a religious matter and the Adliwal incident was purely a case of terrorism. Violence between the Sant Nirankari Mission and traditional Sikhs on April 13, 1978 at Amritsar had left 13 dead, and sparked the subsequent wave of terrorism in the state. Sunday's incident had no religious overtones, as per initial investigations, said the chief minister. In response to a question, the CM said the state was already on high alert, with strict checking going on around landmark buildings and other vital public installations and infrastructure. Police nakas had been set up in all districts and patrol parties were moving around in search of suspicious objects/activities, he said. The chief minister said the district and police administration have been directed to explore the possibility of installing CCTV cameras at all strategic points. Amarinder, who visited the hospital to meet the injured, announced jobs for the kin of those killed in the attack and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, in addition to their free treatment. Accompanied by top police and administrative officials, the chief minister went around the site of the attack and examined the spot from where the grenade was lobbed by two men. The men, armed with a pistol and their faces covered, had forced their way into the Bhawan after taking the civil guards hostage at gun point. They had lobbed the grenade into the prayer room, killing three and injuring 20. Earlier, on his arrival, the chief minister was briefed by Home Secretary NS Kalsi, DGP Suresh Arora, IG Amritsar Surinder Pal Parmar and DC Amritsar Kamaldeep Sangh, who updated him on the progress of the investigations so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The anti-profiteering authority has dismissed charges against Fabindia Overseas of not passing on price reduction benefits to consumers post the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The complaint filed with standing committee under GST in February had said that Fabindia Overseas Pvt Ltd, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad had not passed on to the consumers the benefit of reduction in the rate of tax on two items -- Bathing Bar and Instant Drink Powder 50 gm. The applicant had accused the company of not reducing the price of the products despite reduction in tax rate from 27 per cent in the earlier excise and service tax regime to 18 per cent under the GST from July 1, 2017. The Directorate General of Anti-Profiteering (DGAP) during its investigation has found that the actual pre-GST tax rate on the products was not 27 per cent (12.5 per cent excise duty + 14.5 per cent VAT). The tax rate in the pre-GST regime for bathing bar sold by the company was 14.5 per cent and the same for Instant drink powder was 16.5 per cent. The GST rate for these products have been set at 18 per cent with effect from July 1, 2017. The DGAP has also found that the reduction in the base prices of these products by the company was more than the additional input tax credit (ITC) availed, and hence the allegation of profiteering is not established. "Based on the above facts, it is clear that the Respondent has not contravened the provisions of Section 171 (1) of the CGST Act, 2017 and hence there is no merit in the applications filed by the Applicant No 1 and the same are accordingly dismissed," the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) said in its order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Construction of an airstrip for emergency landing between Datrana and Jawanpar villages on Limbdi-Khambhaliya national highway near Dwarka has started, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Monday. The Minister of state for Road Transport and Highways said there were plans to set up 11 such emergency landing airstrips on national highways across seven states for timely relief during natural disasters or any such untoward event. "A five kilometre stretch between Datrana and Jawanpur villages on Limbdi-Khambhaliya national highway near Dwarka is being developed as an emergency landing airstrip. The project is a part of the construction of 11 such airstrips identified by the Defence ministry, Indian Air Force and the Roads and Transport ministry," he informed reporters Monday in Gandhinagar. "In times of emergencies, when roads and rail routes are disrupted, and when it is necessary to provide relief urgently, airstrips are crucial. In floods, cyclone or earthquakes, this airstrip will be very helpful to provide immediate relief," he said. "Initially, 29 highways were identified for building such airstrips, but after the feasibility study in the first phase, 11 national highway routes were finalised. Two other highways where such strips will be constructed are under state government control," Mandaviya said. He said these airstrips will have a standard design, comprising four parking slots for aircraft, one air traffic control and 60-meter wide cement concrete road. "It will have gates on both the sides. When we need to convert the highway into a runway, gates will be closed," he said. Apart from the airstrip in Gujarat, two each in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir and one each in West Bengal and Odisha have been finalised, he informed. In October last year, the IAF had operated Jaguars, Mirage 2000s and Sukhoi-30 jets and a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft on a 3 km stretch of the six-lane Agra-Lucknow Expressway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court Monday quashed an FIR filed on a complaint by BJP leader and former minister Eknath Khadse against anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania. A division bench of Justices T V Nalawade and V V Kankanwadi allowed a petition filed by Damania, seeking to quash the FIR registered against her on charges of criminal conspiracy and trespassing. Khadse had earlier this year filed two complaints at the Muktainagar police station in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, alleging that Damania used fake documents to frame him under corruption charges. In the First Information Reports (FIRs), Khadse claimed that Damania had paid money to a woman to trespass into his house and office premises in Muktainagar and plant documents in a bid to frame him. The former minister had also alleged that Damania submitted false affidavits in a public interest litigation filed against him by her in the Bombay High Court in December 2016. Khadse further alleged that Damania had misled the high court by furnishing "false proofs". Police had subsequently booked Damania under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections for "trespassing, criminal conspiracy and abetment to an offence". The Aurangabad bench of the high court had in September this year quashed one of the FIRs. Damania, in her plea seeking quashing of the other FIR, claimed that the woman had in fact approached her and offered money to withdraw the cases and litigations filed by the activist against Khadse and other politicians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court Monday disposed of a Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking quashing of the Centre's groundwater quality report that declined to pin the blame only on Sterlite's copper unit, now closed, for pollution, saying that the state may challenge it as per law. A division bench comprising justices M M Sundresh and Krishnan Ramasamy said it was not inclined to get into the merits of the case or express any opinion. Earlier, it recorded Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan's submission that as per Article 131 of the Constitution, the report could be challenged only in the Supreme Court. The bench disposed of the petition noting "it is for the state to accept or disregard the report. We do not want to go into the merits of the case and express any opinion. It is open to the state to question the report in the manner known to law. Disposed of." The petition was filed by the state government in September, seeking to quash the "Ground Water Quality Report of the Central Ground Water Board". The state government had months ago rejected the Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Tuticorin in the backdrop of the Sterlite controversy, saying it was "absolutely vague" and seemed to support the Vedanta Ltd unit which was "totally unwarranted". The copper unit was ordered to be closed permanently by the state government on grounds of pollution after a protest by locals against the plant turned violent in May. Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan had written to the Union Water Resources secretary, saying that the state was "perturbed" that the report had been commissioned without intimating the state or other authorities like the State Pollution Control Board. The circumstances under which the Ministry of Water Resources had asked the CGWB to carry out a water quality assessment in that area was "lacking in bonafides," the state government had said. The main opposition DMK had also lashed out at the report, saying it "angered' the people of the state. Later, the government had approached the high court. "The report released by the board is incorrect and unwarranted at this stage. It shows clear malafide intention of the board in supporting the case of the Sterlite Industry," the principal secretary of state Environment and Forest department had said in the petition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister H DKumaraswamy Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of misleading the country by claiming that the state government was issuing warrants and arresting farmers in debt. The chief minister he did not expect such a comment. "Yesterday, in his election speech in Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister had commented that the Karnataka government isissuing warrants and arresting farmers against whom debts arepending. I did not expect such a comment from the Prime Minister. By saying this, he has misled the country," he told reporters here. On the contrary, Kumaraswamy alleged, the Modi government was issuing warrants with the help of the central government-controlled institutions. The Prime Minister had alleged that the Congress had madefalse promises to farmers during Karnataka elections, but even after a year, the promise remains unfulfilled. "Instead, the (Karnataka) government is issuing warrants and arresting farmers against whom debts are pending," he hadsaid. Terming the ongoing agitation by farmers over the minimum support price (MSP) forsugarcane in the state as needless, Kumaraswamy alleged that the BJP is supporting it. Hitting out at state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy said he need not learn anything from the BJP leader who, as the chief minister, had ordered police firing on farmers who were protesting shortage offertilizers in 2008. A farmer was killed in the firing then at Haveri in North Karnataka. Kumaraswamy said there was no need for the farmers to continue protests as he has been taking steps to alleviate their problems. He said his father H D Deve Gowda and his family members have never taken stern action as Yeddyurappa. "I have not asked the police to open fire at the protesting farmers as Yeddyurappa did, and shall never do it. I have given free hand for them to protest. I shall also give them space for protest even at the state secretariat," he said. He alleged that Yeddyurappa had not done any good for the farmers during his rule. "Such being the case, I want to ask agitating farmers on the necessity for continuing their gitation," he said. "If the farmers have some grievances, they can come withdetails and the government would take steps to pay their arrears after examination," he added. Reacting to his controversial remarks on a woman farmer, Kumaraswamy clarified that he did not make such a comment todisrespect her. "What I meant was, "why have you woken up to that situation now? Were you sleeping?' I would never disrespect a woman. These are not farmers who are agitating but these are sponsored protests," he said. Kumaraswamy had said, "How can I be held responsible for some company not paying proper prices for sugarcane four years ago? What is the connection between me and this issue? Where were you sleeping four years ago?" This sparked criticism by BJP, which slammed Kumaraswamy on its twitter handle by calling him an "opportunist" chief minister who would never respect citizens. "Asking a women where she was sleeping for last 4 yearsclearly shows the individuality of Kumaraswamy. This is beyondapologising, this is a shame & insult to women of the state," BJP tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday said a low pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal could intensify into a depression in the next 24 hours and bring heavy rainfall in the region. The Regional Weather Office, meanwhile, advised fishermen against venturing into the sea in the southwest Bay of Bengal area on November 20 and 21. The low pressure area on Sunday has moved westwards and lay as a well-marked low pressure area over central parts of south Bay of Bengal on Monday, a bulletin from IMD said. "It is likely to move westwards and intensify into a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours," the bulletin said. As a result, heavy rainfall is likely in most places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with heavy rain at a few places with isolated very heavy rainfall on November 20, it said. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, south Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and isolated heavy falls over Kerala has been forecast. Deputy Director General of Meteorology S Balachandran told reporters here that fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea in southwest Bay of Bengal and along the Tamil Nadu coast on Tuesday and Wednesday. Several districts suffered damage as cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast last Friday between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam. It left behind a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land and also claimed 45 lives. The cyclone had caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur appealed to youths on Monday to stay away from drugs and make their life worthwhile. He said drugs of any kind lead to destruction of life and to curb this menace, the state government has undertaken various campaigns. These campaigns would help in fighting against drugs in order to save the youth from this social vice, the chief minister said. Thakur was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the mini secretariat building constructed at a cost of Rs. 6.77 crore at Sangrah in Sirmaur district. He said a meeting of chief ministers of four states was held in Chandigarh to chalk out the joint strategy to fight against drug abuse. Thakur said Rs 183 crore was being spent under various projects for the improvement of roads in Renuka constituency so as to provide better facilities to the people. He said the mini secretariat would ensure various services under one roof. The chief minister said his government has introduced 30 new schemes in the budget and implementation of these schemes has already been started to ensure better facilities at the doorsteps of people of rural areas. He said that development was a continuous process and the state government had "created a history" by getting sanctioned developmental projects worth Rs 9,000 crore for the state during the tenure of "only 10 months" which would further intensify the pace of development in the state. Earlier, the chief minister laid the foundation stone of a double-lane bridge constructed at the cost of Rs. 14.27 crore over the Renuka Ji Giri river at Nahan-Dadahu-Haripurdhar road. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rajeev Bindal, MLAs Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Suresh Kashyap and Vinay Kumar, Agriculture Marketing Board vice chairman Baldev Bhandari, State Civil Supplies Corporation vice chairman Baldev Tomar, SC/ST Corporation former vice chairman Balbir Chauhan, BJP Mandal President Pratap Tomar, Sirmour Deputy Commissioner Lalit Jain, SP Rohit Malpani were among the dignitaries were present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Odisha Assembly on Monday was adjourned for the day as the opposition Congress created a ruckus demanding clarity on reports that the CBI had entered the State Secretariat recently. The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress as soon as the house reassembled at 3 pm. Quoting a newspaper report, Mishra said that the central agency had entered into the state Secretariat and probed into "something". "We want a clarification from the state government on the authenticity of the newspaper report. Whether the CBI had come to the secretariat and for what purpose. This House should know the reason behind CBI's entry into the secretariat," Mishra said. The Congress leader also appealed the Speaker P K Amat to give a ruling to the government for making a statement on the matter in the House. As the speaker did not issue any ruling, the Congress members led by its chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati rushed to well of the House and demanded a clarification from the state government. Unable to run the House, Amat adjourned it first for 30 minutes till 3.41 pm and later till Tuesday morning. Earlier, Mishra also raised the issue of ruling BJD members allegedly "terrorising" the farmers who have been holding agitations elsewhere after being denied permission in the state capital. Mishra said, the BJD district president of Kendrapara has been accused of threatning the farmers who are agitating in Pattamundai in a peaceful manner. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP and Congress also came down heavily on the ruling BJD government for disrupting the proceeding of the House during the question hour in the day. Criticising the adjournment of the House, leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the Speaker had accepted an adjournment motion proposal of the Congress to discuss the felling of trees in Jhinkaragadi forest on November 17. But the state government, fearing a backlash, deliberately adjourned the House which had enough time to discuss the issue, Mishra said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Monday accused the BJP-led central government of endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an "incomplete" expressway in Haryana for quick publicity during elections. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an inquiry and get the KMP Expressway completed first. "PM Modi and CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway today. "Will Modi-Khattar duo answer - No testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD (Commercial Operation Day); 3rd party consultant has refused to give 'completion certificate' and even HSIIDC refused to own responsibility for any mishap. "Are you risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator by Rs 26 crore a month. Modiji, you should cancel the inauguration, order an enquiry and get the KMP completed," he said in a series of tweets. Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway and blamed the previous Congress government in Haryana for the delay in its completion. Earlier this year, the Manesar-to-Palwal stretch of the KMP Expressway, the entire length of which is 135.65 km, was opened for the public, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on the occasion. The length of the Kundli-Manesar stretch of the expressway is over 83 km. This stretch will have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, thus helping in reducing pollution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government is likely to sign an agreement with early next year for cooperation in space technology, a Bahraini minister has said. In February next year, the Gulf nation, hopefully, will sign a pact with Indian space agency for training and purposes, Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications, Bahrain, said. "The national science and space agency (Bahrain) and will sign an MoU. It has been approved by the government and is in its final stage. And hopefully, I will be in shortly, maybe in the next air show in February to sign the MoU," the minister, who also holds the space portfolio, said. The agreement will be mainly for training purposes and both countries will cooperate on and technology, he added. "It is just a starting point. The government will send some Bahrainis to be trained in from January for eight weeks...to study how they can design and build satellites, Mohammed said. is also looking to forge closer economic ties with India to attract investment and tech companies. "We are in continuous discussion with the private sector, CII and Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) which is the government agency to promote Bahrain and attract foreign direct investment, and India is one of the important markets for EDB. It has an office there. There will be a delegation there in December, the minister said. He further said India is an important market and it will become one of the superpowers in terms of economy. On investment from India, he said: "I believe Indian companies are becoming bigger, they are expanding outside of India and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries offer them the best opportunity." "We are more focussing on technology and knowledge-based industry and services." India is an important business partner for Bahrain, and the kingdom is keen to further strengthen the relations with the private sector in India. Trade relationship between the two countries also prompted many Indians to set up their businesses there. "Located at the heart of the Middle East, Bahrain is the natural gateway to the Gulf region, with strong, efficient and cost-effective pan-GCC transport links and direct access to the region's largest market," Bahraini officials said. As many as 8.8 crore toilets have been built in rural area in India and the country is "well on track" to achieve the open defecation-free (ODF) status by October next year, an official said Monday. Secretary, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer, made the remarks at an event held here to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi, which also coincided with the World Toilet Day. "Since the inception of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the rural sanitation coverage of India has increased significantly, from 39 per cent in October 2014 to over 96 per cent today. Over 8.8 crore household toilets have been built by rural Indians under the mission. As a result, 26 states and Union Territories, 530 districts, and 5.2 lakh villages have declared themselves free from open defecation," he said. He also said the number of people practising open defecation in rural India has gone down from "550 million in October 2014, to less than 200 million today through the progress made under the Swachh Bharat Mission. "As we celebrate the World Toilet Day today, I am very happy to share that India is well on track to achieve ODF status by October 2, 2019, which would be the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi," he said. A clean and ODF India would be a rightful tribute to Gandhi next year. "From now onwards and after October 2, 2019, our aim would be to sustain the status we would achieve, and to move to ODF-plus initiatives, such as the solid and liquid waste management, including waste-to-wealth initiatives like Gobardhan scheme," the secretary said. The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by the government on October 2, 2014. "A clean India would be an apt tribute to Gandhiji, and to quote him -- 'An ideal Indian village will be so constructed as to lend itself to perfect sanitation'," Iyer said. On the sidelines of the event, Iyer said, "A couple of programmes were held to mark the World Toilet Day today. I, along with the NITI Aayog CEO, went to a village in Firozpur in Uttar Pradesh and emptied a pit for a toilet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A prominent Indian-origin professor in the US has been accused of exploiting his students as servants and compelling them to do his personal work, an American daily has claimed. Ashim Mitra, a longtime pharmacy professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, made his students tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away, the Kansas City Star reported. According to the paper, over Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a charge dismissed by him. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events, it said quoting nearly a dozen former students of Mitra. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the daily that he considered his life at UMKC "nothing more than modern slavery. He alleged that Mitra exploited cultural kinship with students from India. When Kuchimanchi once told Mitra he wouldn't be a servant, he threatened to kick me out of the university and force me to lose my visa and lose everything. That was his ammo. Either fall in line or you would be thrown out. You didn't want to be in that situation where you have to go back home empty-handed." One of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, who is also from India, is suing Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court one in 2016 and one in 2018, the report said. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. According to allegations in pending litigation, the university not only knew about Mitra's behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because Mitra was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. Court documents obtained by the daily show that after one colleague filed a formal complaint, the university investigated, but the probe involved talking to only one student. In a statement to the daily through his attorney, Mitra said, Over the years, I have invited graduate students to my home where they have done work related to their courses of study, and at times eaten meals prepared by my wife. I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies." I do not understand the suggestion that anyone was concerned with their visas being at risk. I have worked with over 60 graduate students attending UMKC on F1 (study) visas, and I am not aware of any of those students having their visa status challenged or revoked, he said. Another former student told the daily that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. They were so afraid of not graduating, said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear that Mitra could undermine her career. She said students complained to one another privately. Because he had the prestige, he could influence people. He could make things happen. For that reason, they were reluctant to come forward. So were most of Mitra's pharmacy school colleagues," she was quoted as saying by the daily. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A BJP MLA Monday demanded a probe into a letter seized by the Pune police which refers to a mobile number purportedly belonging to senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Earlier in the day, a Pune police official said the letter in question had been made part of the charge sheet against activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by the Pune police in connection with the case following which these activists were arrested, the official added. Speaking to reporters Monday, Kandivali East MLA Atul Bhatkalkar said he met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded a detailed inquiry into the issue. Bhatkalkar said he had asked the CM to ensure the inquiry was completed before the end of the winter session of the state legislature on November 30. Congress' spokesperson Sachin Sawant, however, hit out at the BJP and alleged the Pune police was helping the ruling party with an eye on the Madhya Pradesh polls scheduled for November 28. Singh is a senior leader of the Congress from MP and has been a former chief minister there. "The allegation against Digvijay SIngh is an attempt to malign the Congress ahead of the MP polls. The Pune police has lost credibility and even the Supreme Court had questioned it over its officials talking to the media on investigations," Sawant said. Sawant said the police was not probing Sambhaji Bhide and Miling Ekhbote, both accused of being involved the violence post the Elgar Parishad in Pune on December 31 last year. Bhide and Ekbote have continually refuted the allegations. Sawant charged the BJP with diverting attention from "fundamentalism" by using the term "urban Maoists" for political purposes. A Pune police official, earlier in the day, had also clarified that the number in the seized letter is available on the website of the Indian National Congress as well. Digvijay Singh had denied the allegations when they first surfaced and had dared the government to arrest him. Talking to reporters in Satna in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, Singh had said, "If I am guilty, I challenge the Centre and the state government to arrest me. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has expressed grief over the demise of former chief secretary of the state Iqbal Khanday who passed away aged 63 in Srinagar on Monday after battling cancer. The Governor in his condolence message described Khanday as an able administrator who worked with dedication for public welfare. He prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family in its hour of grief. A condolence meeting was convened in the civil secretariat here to mourn Khanday's demise. Adviser to Governor K Vijay Kumar, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, administrative secretaries and other senior officers attended the condolence meeting. Kumar remembered Khanday for his administrative acumen and dynamism. "Our heart goes out to the family members of Iqbal Khanday Sahab, who in the later part of his life went through a personal tragedy of losing his son to an unfortunate road accident," he said. Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said Khanday has made an everlasting and indelible impression on the state administration. "His prompt decision-making, decisiveness in resolution of issues, clinical commentary on the files and immaculate get-up have been the hallmark of his service career," the chief secretary observed. "On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues, I express heartfelt condolences to the family. We pray for the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss," he said in his condolence message. A 1978-batch IAS officer, Khanday took premature retirement from service just few months before his superannuation in 2015. He is survived by wife, judge Kaneez Fatima, and daughter Sehar Iqbal. He had served on various key positions before being appointed as the chief secretary in February, 2013. The meeting observed that Khanday would be remembered for his prompt decision making and artistic abilities for evolving solutions to ticklish issues. A two-minute silence was also observed as a mark of respect to the departed soul. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das Monday asked police to improve efficiency since the nature of crime is changing due to technological advancement. While addressing the inaugural session of the 8th Women Police National Conference here, Das said security forces are facing new challenges everyday. "We have to take the challenges as opportunities. Make your police personnel efficient in every way," Das said. "There is immense potential for development in every region in Jharkhand. We have strength, possibility and chance. If we take the women of our state along, then nothing can stop us from being a developed state," an official release quoted Das as saying. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly elected Jammu Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta Monday spelled out his plans to make the winter capital a 'smart city' through a multi-sectoral treatment. He said the ailing town needed a multi-pronged approach with regard to anti-encroachment movement, beautification, better sanitation and completion of development projects. "We will make Jammu city which is ailing in several sectors, a healthy city for the people. Apart from a healthy city, our aim and focus will also be on converting it into a clean and green city," Gupta told PTI in an interview. Jammu is facing massive encroachment of its state and forest lands apart from haphazard constructions, lack of good drainage systems and poor sanitation. "We also have to make this city healthy. The city is facing the onslaught of dengue and other respiratory and water borne diseases. Children are falling ill," the mayor said. Talking about his strategy to improve sanitation facilities in the winter capital, the BJP leader said the focus will be on construction of more toilets, better drainage setup and garbage disposal mechanisms as well as ensuring the city is totally polythene-free. On the problem of encroachments, he said the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) will bring traders and other stakeholders on the table. "I am myself a trader. We will visit all market places and city areas and bring all trader associations, corporates and other representatives on board for creating a society-based movement to remove encroachments," the Jammu mayor said, adding a confrontational approach will not be adopted to address the issue. The Jammu and Kashmir government had in the state assembly said 1,510 acres of land had been encroached upon in the city, as it admitted that the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) was yet to demarcate 6,818 acres of land meant for developmental purpose. Gupta also emphasised on beautification of the city by carving out attractive river banks, city parks, painting walls with heritage sites and beautifying heritage old city, Mubarak Mandi Dogra monuments, broadening roads and artificial lakes. "Brisk plantation and ornamentation of Jammu city with flower pots will be taken up at various places. Besides, two auto rickshaws will be deployed in every ward, which will stay on the move to remove debris from the city," the newly elected mayor said. "Most importantly, all these initiatives will have a timeline," he said. Jammu Deputy Mayor Purnima Sharma said review meetings of all these projects have already started. The BJP had swept the JMC polls, winning 43 of the 75 wards. Flagging shortage of staff like sweepers as a "major obstacle", Gupta added he will take up the issue with authorities concerned and ensure that all vacant posts were filled up. "If the need arises, we will re-employee retired persons who are fit to work," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Janasena party of Telugu actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan Monday said it was difficult for it to contest the assembly polls in Telangana, being held ahead of schedule, as the party has been formed only recently. A meeting of party leaders unanimously decided to contest Lok Sabha elections in the state, Janasena said in a release. Noting that the party intended to stand by the Telangana people, the release said Janasena would gear up for the contest in Lok Sabha polls in the state. Pawan Kalyan, younger brother of mega star Chiranjeevi, is a top-ranking Telugu film hero. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained Monday ahead of the second phase of the ongoing panchayat elections in the state. Malik was taken into custody from the JKLF headquarters in Abi Guzar area of the city here, a JKLF spokesman said. The police raided JKLF office this afternoon and took Malik into custody, he said. He said the JKLF chairman was detained in connection with the so-called panchayat elections. The second phase of the nine-phase polls is being conducted Tuesday. Malik and other separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have called for a boycott of the polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph has called upon laywers to help the downtrodden and helpless people. Inaugurating the Jharkhand Para Legal Volunteers Workshop here on Sunday, Joseph told the lawyers about their responsibility and called upon them to maintain the brotherhood concept of the Constitution. Joseph asked the lawyers to talk to the downtrodden and helpless people and provide them legal help. The Supreme court judge also handed over cheques ranging between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3 lakh as compensation to 25 victims under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sexual abuses belonging to three districts - Dhanbad, Giridih and Dumka. Over 300 para legal volunteers of all the 24 districts of the state are attending the workshop which is being organised by the Dhanbad District Legal Services Authority. Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Aniruddha Bose, and high court judges, Justice D N Patel, Justice A C Mishra were also present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kalyan MP Srikant Shinde was on Monday arrested along with scores of Shiv Sena activists for allegedly throwing black ink on chief conservator of forests in his office here, the police said. Police said Sena activists had taken out a morcha on the office of the CCF over burning of trees planted by the MP in Mangrul village by unidentified miscreants, a police official said. He said the Sainiks entered the office of CCF Rajendra Kadam andthrew ink, ashes and other dirt in his office and vandalised it. A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They were later released on bail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Monday alleged that some government employees in the state harboured a "secret affection" for the BJP and warned them to be ready to face his "wrath" when his party comes to power. Addressing his first rally in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's assembly constituency, Nath said in Hindi: "Kamal Nath ki chakki chalti hai der sey par bahut bareek peesti hai (Kamal Nath's wrath is slow but very furious)." The Congress leader, who is seen as one of the front-runners to be his party's chief ministerial candidate, alleged that some government officials were biased in favour of the BJP that was ruling the state for 15 years. Such government servants do not sport the badge of the saffron party but "secretly keep it in their pockets," Nath said. He also cautioned police officials in the same breath, saying they should "respect the uniforms they wore." "Remember you have taken an oath. All officials should remember that there will 12th (December 12) after the 11th (December 11).""Yaad rakhna, 11 ke baad 12 bhee aata hai," he said in Hindi, referring to the December 11 vote-counting day when results for 230 assembly seats would be known. Elections would be held on November 28 for the state assembly, where the BJP has ruled for the last 15 years. The Congress stalwart, a nine-term Member of Parliament from Chhindwara, was holding a public rally in support of the Congress candidate from Budhni, Arun Yadav, who is also the party's former state president. Nath urged voters to give a "chance" to him and Yadav instead of chief minister Chouhan this time. "I will consider Budhni a part of Chhindwara and will usher development here with the help of Arun Yadav. We will create history in Budhni," he said at his last rally of the day. The former union minister also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan, saying how will they clean Narmada and Ganga rivers that they have promised to do when they did not have "clean intentions". "They instead cleaned the banks," Nath said referring to alleged multi-core bank scams that has come out in public in recent times including by defaulter businessmen like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya. He urged local voters to dislodge Chouhan from the seat, saying it will usher the way to progress for them and also across the state. Nath alleged that Madhya Pradesh has become "number-one in unemployment, corruption, rape and sand mining" under Chouhan's rule. "For 15 years, you have suffered a government of loot and lies. It's time to change this," he said. Nath talked about the development work he did in his parliamentary constituency of Chhindwara and asked Chouhan how many people had got scholarships or health care facilities in Budhani. Before taking a helicopter to the state capital Bhopal, about 140 kms from here, the Congress leader alleged that Prime Minister Modi's flagship schemes like Start Up India, Make in India and Digital India have all failed in this area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will go to Sonipat on Wednesday to give ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of BSF jawan Narender Singh, who was brutally killed by Pakistan forces on the IB near Jammu in September. It came days after the AAP government approved a proposal to amend a rule on giving ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the kin of slain security personnel to include those who have settled in the national capital after joining service. Aam Aadmi Party's Haryana convener Naveen Jaihind said, "The chief minister will go to Sonipat on November 21 to give ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the kin of slain BSF jawan Narender Singh." In September 21, Kejriwal had also visited the native village of Singh, who was brutally killed by Pakistani troopers along the International Border (IB) near Jammu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday warned that he will come down hard on those responsible for violence inside the House on November 16 amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country. "The speaker informed the party leaders that he had already called for a report on the ugly and illegal behaviour such as bringing in weapons to the chamber, chilli powder attacks, causing damage to public property, exchange of fisticuffs and other breaches of discipline," said a statement by the speaker. On November 16, Sri Lanka's Parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. The speaker refuted allegations that unauthorised persons had entered the public galleries on that day. Each parliamentarian had been allowed visitors and their details were provided to the House, he said. Jayasuriya had called the police into the House as lawmakers were seen breaking furniture to attack the police while there were video images of some MPs carrying sharp objects and an MP was seen throwing chilli powder mixed with water at the policemen. The violence had left some lawmakers injured. Political parties in Sri Lanka agreed on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs amid a power struggle set off by President Maithripala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove Ranil Wickeremesinghe as prime minister last month. Jayasuriya said party leaders have been already told to name the members to the select committee and inform the secretary general of Parliament. Parliament, which was convened on Monday for a third floor test against disputed prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was adjourned just 10 minutes after its opening as lawmakers could not decide on the members of the committee. The decision to form the select committee came a day after an all-party meeting called by Sirisena to resolve the political crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when Sirisena suddenly announced on October 26 that he had sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered a snap election. But the Supreme Court last Tuesday overturned the president's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted preparations for snap polls set for January 5. The select committee is to be appointed to carry out parliamentary business such as the appointment of other committees. There were counter arguments from both sides on the issue. Jayasuriya has faced the wrath of the disputed government of Rajapaksa for his bold action to summon Parliament and request a floor test to prove the majority of Rajapaksa whose appointment has been dubbed as unconstitutional. Ousted premier Wickremesinghe still maintains he is the lawful prime minister of the country. Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe's United National Party moved a motion in Parliament against Rajapaksa's appointed secretary. "He has no power to use public money as he had been illegally appointed. We want a debate on that," Ravi Karunanayake, a UNP legislator, said. Jayasuriya said the motion would be taken up on November 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Political parties in Sri Lanka decided on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs following amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe last month. The decision came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when President Sirisena suddenly announced on October 26 that he had sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned President Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on January 5. The House till now has passed two no-confidence motions against Rajapaksa and his government by a voice vote. The House was convened Monday morning to conduct a third floor test. Ten minutes later, the House was adjourned till November 23. When the House was convened, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the party leaders who met in earlier in the day resolved that a select committee would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary business. The leaders from Wickremesinghe's United National Front, Tamil National Alliance and the JVP or the People's Liberation Front discussed the proposal by Sirisena made at the all party meeting to have a floor test by name or electronic vote for the third motion of no trust against Rajapaksa. Mano Ganesan, one of the leaders who attended the meeting, said the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA of Sirisena and Rajapaksa) "flatly refused and backtracked" on the proposal. During Monday's session, Dinesh Gunawardena on behalf of the disputed government of Rajapaksa asked the deputy speaker that since they were the government they should have the majority in the select committee. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake argued that since the Rajapaksa government had not proved their majority the select committee should have a majority of members from the group that commands majority. Monday's session was conducted peacefully. Last week Sri Lanka's parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. On Monday, the public and VIP gallery were shut for diplomats on a request by Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The security was also tightened to prevent any incident, officials said. Last week, the apex court issued a temporary order against Sirisena's sacking of parliament with hearing of the case fixed for early December. After the temporary order, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya reconvened parliament the sittings of which had been suspended by Sirisena till November 14. Jayasuriya's decision not to recognise Rajapaksa as the prime minister until a floor test is held has angered Sirisena. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan lawmakers have submitted a motion to Parliament seeking the suspension of state funds allocated to disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has lost two no-confidence motions. Ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party Parliamentarian Navin Dissanayake said that six United National Front MPs handed over the motion to be debated in Parliament, the Colombo Gazette reported Monday. They are of the opinion that state funds of the "illegitimate Prime Minister" should be suspended forthwith, the paper said. The motion is to be placed in the order paper and debated and a vote taken on the November 29, it added. The Parliament, which was convened Monday for a third floor test against Rajapaksa, was adjourned just 10 minutes after its opening. The public and VIP galleries were shut for diplomats on a request by Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance. The security was also tightened to prevent any incident, officials said. Sri Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since President Maithripapala Sirisena abruptly sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Rajapaksa in his place on October 26. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned President Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on January 5. Monday's session was conducted peacefully. The House was adjourned till November 23 ten minutes after its opening. Last week, Sri Lanka's parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior CBI officer M K Sinha Monday alleged in the Supreme Court that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra conveyed a message offering government's "full protection" to businessman Sathish Babu Sana, complainant in the bribery case involving CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, a claim dismissed as "fake" by the bureaucrat. Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, the CBI's number 2, and important cases like the Punjab National Bank(PNB) scam involving Nirav Modi, made the allegation in his petition that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur. He has alleged that Sana had contacted Chandra, who was then in London, and the law secretary had conveyed to him the message of Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha that the government was willing to protect him (Sana) in CBI cases. Sana, besides being a complainant in the bribery case against Asthana, is also a key witness in the other corruption case against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. He claimed that Sana's office was repeatedly approached by Andhra Pradesh Cadre IAS officer, Rekha Rani, claiming that the union law secretary wanted to talk to Sana. When contacted, Chandra told PTI," In fact, if you see, I have not spoken or taken any dictation from Cabinet Secretary. That is number one. Number two: I have not been to London. Three: I do not know either of these persons , not at all. And here is no question of my taking a message. This is all fake. If there is any other Suresh Chandra I do not know". Sinha, who was part of the investigation team probing Asthana's role in an alleged corruption case involving Qureshi, claimed that while the proceedings were going on against CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma before the Central Vigilance Comission, Chandra waded into the issue. Sinha said that on November 8,2018, the office of Sana was repeatedly approached by one Rekha Rani, IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh Cadre, claiming that the Union Law Secretary, who is in London, wants to speak to Sana and the London number of the law secretary was communicated. Sana spoke to him on Whatsapp on the evening of November 8, 2018, he further claimed. Sinha claimed that Chandra told Sana that he was in London for some work related to Nirav Modi case and that he was trying to contact him for last 4 to 5 days in order to convey message of Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha that the union government will offer full protection to him. After the CVC report was submitted in the apex court, Sinha claimed that Chandra once again inquired with Rekha Rani on November 13 and asked her about the presence of Sana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A letter containing what police claimed was the phone number of senior Congress leader has been made part of the charge sheet against 10 activists arrested for alleged links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, a senior official said Monday. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by the Pune police in connection with the case following which these activists were arrested, he said. The Pune police recently filed its charge sheet against five activists - Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, who were arrested in June. The letter in question, dated September 25, 2017, is addressed to Surendra (who police claim is Surendra Gadling) by one comrade Prakash, the official said. A portion of the letter reads, "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. State forces will be soft against students which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of as per police)". A senior police official said the number in the letter is also available on the website of the Indian Congress. A senior official associated with the probe said the letter had been made part of the charge sheet and is under investigation. Asked if Singh would be summoned for questioning, Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Suhas Bavche said several numbers had cropped up in the letters seized during the raids and the ownership of these numbers and their roles in the case are being probed. "If someone's role is established, whatever is needed to be done as part of the investigation, will be done," Bavche said. Shivaji Bodakhe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) informed that, as of now, no notice had been issued to any one. had denied the allegations when they first surfaced and had dared the government to arrest him. Talking to reporters in Satna in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, Singh had said, "If I am guilty, I challenge the Centre and the state government to arrest me." The other activists arrested in the case are Telugu poet Varavar Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj. While Gautam Navlakha has been booked, he not taken into police custody as yet. The prosecution had Sunday told court that charges related to "sedition and waging war against the state" had been added against all the accused arrested for links in connection with the Elgar Parishad. Government pleader Ujjwala Pawar had told court Sunday that sections 124 (A) (sedition), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war) and 121 (A) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been added to the charge sheet. The Elgar Parishad was held on December 31, 2017 in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon Bhima battle in which East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, defeated the Peshwa army. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress in Maharashtra Monday demanded the Maratha community be given reservation in jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a separate category for the purpose. On the first day of the winter session of the state legislature here, the Congress raised the demand for reservation for the Dhangar (Shepherd) community and Muslims even as it termed "ambiguous" the government's stand on the Maratha quota. "The government's stand on the Maratha quota is ambiguous. The Marathas, Dhangars and Muslims are feeling betrayed by the government's stand," Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told reporters on the premises of legislature complex. Earlier in the day, the legislative assembly and council were adjourned for the day after paying tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died in Delhi in August this year. Before the start of the proceedings in Lower House, the Opposition membersstaged a proteston the steps of Vidhan Bhavan demanding free electricity for farmers affected by drought. They also raised the issues of "poor implementation" of the farm loan waiver, which was announced by the state government last year, and demanded separate quotas for Muslims and the Dhangar community. The Maharashtra government Sunday announced the Maratha community will be granted quota under a new category called 'Socially and Educationally Backward Class' (SEBC) as per the recommendation of the State Backward Class Commission. The government is yet to decide the quantum of reservation, though the Marathas are seeking 16 per cent quota. "The assurance of chief minister Devendra Fadnavison accepting the recommendation of the State Backward Class Commission(SBCC) and providing reservation to Marathas under the SEBC categoryis not enough," said Vikhe Patil. He said the state government should have created a sub-category under the OBCgrouping without hurting their existing reservation and provided 16 per cent quota to Marathas. "The Maratha community had organised 58 peaceful protest marches for the quota demand. Nearly 40 people became martyrs for the cause. Still the community has not got justice," alleged the Congress leader. He contended that the Maratha community would not get benefit ofreservation in administrative service in the Central government, as they are not classified under the OBC group. "Marathas won't even be able to contestgram panchayat elections (due to their classification under SEBC). The government has also not announced the exact quantum of Maratha quota. This means the intentions of the government are not clear," said the leader of opposition. He said the Opposition is willing to support the government on the issue of reservation, but the ruling dispensation lacked will power to implement quota. Vikhe Patil also accused the chief minister of taking a "U-turn" on the issue of granting reservation to the Dhangar community under Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. "Before the assembly elections in 2014, the BJP had promised that the Dhangar community would be granted quota in the first Cabinet meeting itself of the new government. "However, the CM is now saying that granting quota to the community falls under the jurisdiction of the Central government," he said. Vikhe Patil also said the erstwhile Congress government had given 5 per cent reservation to Muslims, which was upheld by the High Court. "The government is silent onreservations for Muslims and Lingayats. The government's stand on social reservations is highly suspicious," he said. Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena members also shouted slogans on the Vidhan Bhavanpremises demanding reservation for the Marathas under OBC category. As soon as the Assembly proceedings began, the Opposition members demanded that they be allowed to speak on various issues. Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade rejected Vikhe-Patil's request to speak on an adjournment notice. "Today, we have to take up the condolence motion so there will be no adjournment notices," he said. In a break from convention, Mumbai is hosting the winter session of the state legislature for the first time since 1961. The winter session has traditionally been held in Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra. For the first time in several decades, the monsoon session of the state legislature was held in Nagpur this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To clear the rush of passengers travelling to Allahabad during the period of Mahakumbh next year, railways have decided to extend the window for buying unreserved tickets to 15 days from the current three days on the railway ticketing app. This facility is only available to travel to 12 stations in Allahabad. In a circular, railways have said that it was anticipating a huge rush during the event and to release some of the pressure from mela stations, it has decided to enhance the period of purchase of "reverse" tickets during the event. "If a passengers purchases an unreserved return ticket through UTS app from any station on Indian railways for journey to any one of the 12 stations in Allahabad region serving the Mahakumbh Mela, the return ticket shall be allowed to be booked up to 15 days in advance excluding the date of journey," it said. This means that if a passenger at Nagpur wishes to purchase ticket to any station in Allahabad mela area and back, he can purchase the same 15 days in advance. No refund shall, however be allowed on such return tickets. This facility will however be allowed for tickets purchased on or after January 11, 2019 up to March 2019. Passengers can purchase unreserved tickets through the UTS app three days in advance (excluding the day of journey) for journey of 200 km and above. The 12 stations where this facility can be availed are - Allahabad Junction, Allahabad City, Naini, Subderganj, Rambag, Prayag Ghat, Daraganj, Phaphumau, Jhusi, Vindhyachal, Chheoki and back. Railways have made massive plans for the event. Projects worth more than Rs 700 crore are underway at Allahabad in preparation for the mela which will begin on January 15, 2019. Four big enclosures to house about 10,000 pilgrims are under construction at Allahabad Junction. These enclosures will have vending stalls, water booths, ticket counters, LCD TVs and public address systems. 46 works costing more than Rs 700 crore are slated to be completed by this month end. It will also operate nine Special Tourist Package Trains from different zones during Kumbh Mela. The national transporter will build new skywalks, platforms, foot overbridges and road over bridges for the festival which is expected to see lakhs of people congregating the city. It has also planned to operate five special trains for transporting 5000 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas attendees from Allahabad to New Delhi. These trains would be completely AC-IInd Class and will have facilities equivalent to the latest rakes of 'Humsafar' express. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city of Varanasi in January 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to hear on November 21 a plea of Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon bast case, that he was being prosecuted for terror charges under the stringent UAPA without any valid sanction. The apex court had, on April 20 this year, granted Purohit the liberty to raise the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute him under the Unlawful Aactivities (Prevention) Act before the trial court at the time of framing of charges. However, the trial court had rejected Purohit's plea on sanction and had framed charges against him. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Purohit, old a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday that the trial court had framed charges against him without properly considering his plea that there was no valid sanction to prosecute him. The bench, also comprising justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, asked the High Court to deal with Purohit's plea on November 21. "The issue raised in the present petitions is being considered by the High Court of Bombay on November 21. "In view of the same, we do not consider it necessary to entertain the special leave petitions, and instead request the High Court to hear and decide the matter on the date fixed. The special leave petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the apex court noted in the order. Purohit, in his fresh plea, has referred to the earlier apex court order by which the trial court was asked to deal with the claim of Purohit that he was being prosecuted under penal laws including the UAPA without any sanction from the authorities. The plea also alleged that the charges have been framed against Purohit and others by the special court which had commenced the trial without dealing with his plea on sanction. The apex court, while granting bail to Purohit on August 21, 2017, had also said the issue of grant of prosecution sanction could be raised at the time of framing of charges. Earlier, a special court had, on October 30, framed terror charges against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, setting the stage for their trial which commenced on November 2. It had said that the organisation named Abhinav Bharat was formed by the accused with the common object to "spread terrorism" and had framed charges of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other offences. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The special court had framed charges against all the seven accused under relevant sections of the stringent UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Apart from Purohit and Sadhvi, the other accused are - Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. The accused were charged under sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA. Under the IPC, they were charged under sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups). If convicted under these sections, the maximum punishment can be life imprisonment or death. The accused were also charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act. The Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra police, which probed the case, had initially charged Thakur, Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre, Rakesh Dhawade, Ajay Rahirkar, Samir Kulkarni, Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Pravin Mutalik and Ramchandra Kalsangra. Thakur and Purohit were arrested the same year along with nine others for the blast conspiracy. On August 21, last year, the apex court had granted bail to Purohit, who had been languishing in jail for almost nine years for his alleged role in the case, observing there were contradictions in the charge sheets filed by different investigating agencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The is likely to take up for hearing a bunch of petitions on the issue of reservation in on Wednesday. Several petitions were filed in 2014 and 2015 after the then Congress-NCP government granted 16 per cent quota in government jobs and education to the community. In November 2014, in an interim order, a division bench of the Bombay HC had stayed the then government's decision. While some of the petitions opposed the government's decision, two petitions had sought immediate implementation of the quota. Vinod Patil, one of the petitioners, mentioned the matter Monday before a division bench headed by Justice BP Dharmadhikari, seeking an urgent hearing. Justice Dharmadhikari said he will hear the petitions on Wednesday. The community had held protests across the state earlier this year demanding quota in jobs and educational institutions. On Sunday, the government approved reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for members of the community. The state's approval followed the recommendations by the State Backward Class Commission. While hearing Patil's petition, the court had, however, in August this year directed the commission to submit a report on the progress in its research on whether the community deserved such reservation. Patil has now sought that the commission's recommendations made to the state be submitted before the court. He has also urged the court to direct the state to implement the quota for the Maratha community in a time-bound manner. Marvel comics superheroes Ant-Man and the Wasp would face serious challenges breathing when they shrink to insect sizes, say scientists who have developed devices that could make life easier for the fictional characters. The Ant-Man and the Wasp -- eponymous stars of the 2018 film -- possess the ability to temporarily shrink down to the size of insects, while retaining the mass and strength of their normal human bodies. However, scientists from Virginia Tech in the US suggest the bug-sized Ant-Man and the Wasp would face serious challenges, including oxygen deprivation. They have developed microfluidic devices inspired by insect respiratory systems in which the flow rate and direction of flow through individual channels in the device can be controlled without the use of valves. The work could reduce the actuation machinery needed for microfluidic devices used in many different scientific fields, and make them more portable and cost-efficient. "Applying that perspective to Ant-Man and the Wasp seemed like a straightforward thing to do," said graduate student Max Mikel-Stites of Virginia Tech. In their analysis, the researchers determined that the atmospheric density experienced by the bug-sized heroes is reduced to a level nearly identical to that of Mt Everest's "death zone," where there is not enough oxygen for a human to breathe. "While the actual atmospheric density is the same for an insect and a human, the subjective atmospheric density experienced by a human who shrinks to insect size changes," Mikel-Stites said. "For example, a normal-sized person taking a deep breath can expect to inhale some number of oxygen molecules. However, when that person is shrunk down to the size of an ant, despite still needing the same number of oxygen molecules, far fewer are available in a single breath of air," he said. The "death zone" begins for a normal-sized human about 8,000 metres above sea level. The shrunken superheroes, the researchers calculated, would feel like they were at an altitude of 7,998 metres, and that would make for a serious -- if not deadly -- case of altitude sickness. "For someone not acclimated, symptoms of altitude sickness range from headache and dizziness to the buildup of fluid in the lungs and brain, and possibly death," Mikel-Stites said. "This occurs in part because people may respond by trying to breathe more rapidly, to increase their oxygen intake, and because the body is attempting to function with less oxygen than it normally does," he said. That is not the extent of Ant-Man's and the Wasp's problems, the team found. Based on a relationship known as Kleiber's law, which correlates the metabolic rate of an animal to its size, the researchers found that the metabolic rates per unit mass of the superheroes at bug size would increase by approximately two orders of magnitude -- as would their oxygen demands. According to Mikel-Stites, the use of microfluidic components such as Knudsen pumps (which are driven by temperature gradients) and microscale gas compressors, could be embedded into the helmets of Ant-Man and the Wasp to help them breathe at the microscale. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Disney is set to release "Mary Poppins Returns" in India on January 4. The new sequel to Disney's 1964 film "Mary Poppins" has Emily Blunt stepping into the shoes of veteran actor Julie Andrews as the prim and proper nanny with magical skills. The film, directed by Rob Marshall, is based in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the original was set. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack's (Lin-Manuel Miranda) help, brings joy and wonder back into their home. The director said he feels honoured to be approached by Disney to direct the sequel. "This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen. "'Mary Poppins' was the first film I saw as a child and it opened my mind up to movies and to the love of musicals and adventure and fantasy in film. But this film isn't just for children... It's for the child in all of us," Marshall said in a statement. Ben Whishaw stars as Michael Banks and Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks - the eldest children of the Banks family. The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. Van Dyke is the only actor from the original to return, portraying the son of one of his original characters. The film is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca and Marc Platt. The screenplay is by David Magee based on "The Mary Poppins Stories" by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Raising concerns over the "meagre salaries" paid to cook-cum-helpers working under the centrally sponsored 'Mid Day Meal' scheme, CPI national secretary D Raja called it a matter of national shame and demanded their pay be hiked. Addressing a rally of Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme workers organised by eight different trade union bodies at Jantar Mantar here, Raja said there are about 26 lakhs MDM workers at the grass root level and 98 per cent of this work force are women. The scheme was launched on August 15, 1995, and covered under the National Security Act, 2013. "It is a matter of national shame that the Mid Day Meal workers are paid only Rs 1,000 per month and that too for only ten months a year," Raja said. The objective of the scheme was to boost universalisation of education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance and improving the nutrition levels of students. In 2001, the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for the government to provide cooked meal to all children in primary schools. "Working around six to eight hours a day including in the preparation, actual cooking and distribution of foods, cleaning the vessels and premises etc, they are not even recognised as workers and not paid minimum wages," he alleged. The demands of All India Federation of Mid Day Meal Workers included minimum wages of Rs 18,000 per month, implementation of the recommendation of 45th and 46th Indian Labour Conference, to give them 'worker' status, ensuring social security and recognise the mid day meal workers as the fourth grade employees among others. On Monday, a six-member delegation led by D Raja, the Rajya Sabha MP, met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and handed over a memorandum with demands of mid day meal workers to him. According to the delegation, the Finance minister responded positively and promised them of an increase in monthly wage of the MDM workers at the earliest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission in Madhya Pradesh has registered a case of poll code violation against two workers of the ABVP for "mobilising" girl students of a university without its permission to attend the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shahdol last week, a top officer said Monday. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and participates in joint activities with BJP's official youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) VL Kantha Rao told reporters that the EC took cognisance of a complaint as well as media reports while registering the case. "The EC had received a complaint and also came across media reports that some college students attended the PM's rally in Shahdol on Friday. After examining the complaint, it was found that these girl students were mobilised by two Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers," Kantha Rao said. He said, "It was found that these students were brought to the election rally without permission of the university concerned. A case of violation of the model code of conduct has been registered against the two workers of the ABVP". The CEO also said the Election Commission (EC) is examining a complaint filed by the Congress about the alleged violation of poll code during the Chhindwara rally (also in Madhya Pradesh) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. The Congress had said they filed a complaint with the EC about the "doctored and edited" video of state Congress president and Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath, which was referred to by the PM in his speech. "Have you seen the video of the MP Congress chief? He has said winnability of a candidate was the most important factor for him, rather than whether he was corrupt, a goon or facing criminal cases," the PM had told the gathering. Responding to a query, Kantha Rao said three cases have been filed so far in connection with school students attending political rallies in Madhya Pradesh in the run-up to November 28 elections. "These cases were registered during the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," he said. Meanwhile, in charge of Madhya Pradesh Congress' Election Affairs Wing JP Dhanopia said the complaint of poll code violation during the Shahdol rally of the PM was actually filed by the Congress. "We had filed a complaint with the EC stating that the students of a university attended the prime minister's rally wearing uniform. The BJP brought students from some educational institutions to attend the election rally since the gathering was small in size," he said claiming that the EC acted on the Congress's complaint. Meanwhile, Kantha Rao said web-casting will be carried out at 17,000 booths that have been classified as "sensitive" on the day of polling in Madhya Pradesh. He said paramilitary forces would be deployed at these booths. Informing about the EC's action to curb illicit liquor in the run-up to polls, Kantha Rao said about 4.5 lakh litres of illegal liquor has been seized so far from various parts of the state. He also said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat held a meeting with Madhya Pradesh officials earlier Monday. "The CEC held a meeting with election officials about the redressal of complaints. We have so far received 8,000 complaints and about 7,500 of them have been redressed," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Both Mumbai and Karnataka will be eyeing their first victory of this Ranji Trophy season when the two sides clash here from Tuesday in their Elite Group A match. Mumbai drew the first game of this season against Railways in New Delhi, but more importantly they earned three crucial points as they took the first innings lead. Same was the case with Karnataka, who grabbed three points after settling for a draw with Vidarbha at Nagpur after taking the first innings lead. Mumbai, led by pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, have a strong batting line-up, despite the absence of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane or Prithvi Shaw, who are all on the national duty. For Mumbai, a lot will depend on how their crisis man Siddesh Lad performs. Lad has been eyeing a national berth for a long while now and another good outing will only build his case. Other regulars - Akhil Herwadkar, Surya Kumar Yadav, Jay Bitsa and experienced wicket-keeper and former skipper Aditya Tare - will have to play their roles to perfection. Tare roared back to form with a 100 against Railways and would be keen to add more runs under his belt. Even Shivam Dube is also scoring runs and Mumbai would be hoping that he gets another big knock tomorrow. On the bowling front, Kulkarni has the support of pacer Tushar Deshpande, besides spinners Karsh Kothari and Shams Mulani. If both the spinners play, then medium-pacer Aakash Parkar is likely to sit out. Karnataka, led by Vinay Kumar, also has strong players and they would also be keen to beat Mumbai on their home turf. Matches between these two competitive sides have produced memorable moments in the past and another humdinger is expected. Presently on the points table, Mumbai and Karnataka are in the eighth and ninth spots respectively, and a win would be handy for both the sides. In the other matches of the Elite Group A starting Tuesday, Chhattisgarh take on Railways in Raipur, Gujarat clash with Saurashtra in Nadiad, while hosts Vidarbha will play against Baroda in Nagpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here Monday rejected the bail pleas of two suspended officials of the Bihar Social Welfare department who are currently facing trial in the shelter home sex scandal case. Special POCSO judge R P Tiwari dismissed the bail applications of Ravi Raushan and Rosy Rani both of whom had formerly been posted here as assistant directors of the district child protection unit. Raushan was arrested in July by the Muzaffarpur Police which was then investigating the scandal that involved the now-sealed shelter home situated in the Sahu Road locality. Rani was held in September by the CBI, which took over the probe in the high-profile scandal. More than a dozen people arrested in connection with the case, including prime accused Brajesh Thakur, who is lodged in a Patiala jail, deposed before the court through video conferencing. Rani and Raushan are lodged at the Beur Central Jail in Patna. Others are at Muzaffarpur jail. Thakur, who headed the NGO which ran the shelter home for minor girls, was sent to the Punjab district following a direction by the Supreme Court. Recently, the district administration had also issued an order to demolish the building which housed the shelter home since it was found that the structure was constructed illegally. The Muzaffarpur scandal had come to light after a report of a social audit conducted by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences flagged social abuse of many of the inmates at the shelter home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP said Monday that TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu is making futile attempts to build an alliance of opposition parties as many of them are resisting his efforts to grab a central role for himself and to project Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the leader of such a grouping. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimhra Rao also took a dig at Naidu after he announced in Kolkata, following a meeting with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, that a planned conclave of opposition parties for November 22 has been postponed. The meeting will eventually be shelved given the competing interests of the proposed partners and Congress's negative image, he said in a statement. "Whatever may be Naidu's political compulsions for his desperate actions, there is no credible alternative leader or party to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the BJP in national today. Naidu is making futile attempts at alliance building," the Rajya Sabha member said. The postponement of the opposition meet is a severe setback to "desperate and spirited efforts of Naidu, who is Andhra Pradesh chief minister, to cobble up a "United Corrupt Alliance" with many potential partners resisting his attempts to grab a central role for himself and projecting Gandhi as a leader of the alliance, Rao said. Naidu met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and asserted that all parties opposing the BJP were united in their endeavour "to save the nation" and will chalk out a strategy to take on the saffron party ahead of the winter session of Parliament. He told reporters that the November 22 conclave of opposition parties which was to be held in Delhi has been postponed due to ongoing assembly elections and a fresh date for the meeting will be announced soon. Rao said Naidu's potential partners may be wary of him as he has made "multiple opportunistic U-turns" in the recent past. In April last year, Naidu had hailed Modi's leadership in glorious terms and mooted in an NDA alliance meeting that Modi be made the NDA's PM candidate again in 2019, Rao claimed. "Naidu is seen in Andhra Pradesh as a U-turn CM running a very corrupt government. People of Andhra see Naidu's somersault as a political ploy to blame the BJP for his failures," he alleged. Despite his frantic efforts, neither Naidu can save the Congress from a "Congress-mukt Bharat" (Congress-free India) nor his own party from "TDP-mukt Andhra Pradesh", Rao claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Naming any street and park or erecting a statue "won't be a real tribute" to Mahatma Gandhi, but following his ideals to make a strong, equitable and discrimination-free India would be a true homage to him, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said Monday. Addressing a function hosted here by business body FICCI to mark 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, Naidu extolled him has one of the greatest revolutionaries and said his teaching and preaching are "eternal" with a sense of "universal appeal". "Naming a street or a park or erecting a statue or wearing a cap or having his name alone is not the real tribute. Have some name, but we should follow his ideals, the value he stood for and follow them. That should be the real homage to the Mahatma," Naidu said. Gandhiji understood the inalienable love of mankind and knew no discrimination between countrymen and foreigners. Naidu said that Gandhi believed in equality and relentlessly spoke of women empowerment. The Mahatma himself was influenced by iconic women like Annie Besant and Sarojini Naidu in his life, he said, and urged policy makers of India to place gender equality and women's empowerment at the centre of the development agenda. "We should imbibe the values of Gandhiji and work together towards a society where people won't be discriminated on the basis of caste, creed, colour, religion or region. That will be the true tribute to the Mahatma on his 150th anniversary," he said. The vice president also urged the people to work towards uplifting the poor and bringing development in the rural India, which he said Gandhiji considered the place of real India. "Gandhi was an ardent believer in the principle of self-reliance. He constantly spoke about 'swadeshi'. He yearned to build self-sufficient 'adarsh villages'. He said that the soul of India rested in its villages. It is time we honour his wishes," he said. "Uplifting of the poorest, most deprived groups of people, the 'Antoyodya' was a mission close to the Mahatma's heart.... He struggled against injustice by practicing justice, he struggled against violence non-violently, he opposed discrimination by embracing one and all," Naidu said. Gandhiji's principles of liberty, dignity and equality are not limited by space and time. They have universal applicability and timeless value. He was one of the greatest revolutionaries the world has ever seen, only his revolutions were bloodless and peaceful, he added. On the issue of corruption, Naidu said that world should arrive at a consensus in refusing shelter to economic fugitives and create a framework for extradition treaties and exchange of information on black money. As the event coincided with the World Toilet Day, Naidu also touched upon the Swachh Bharat mission of the Centre. "Gandhiji firmly believed that cleanliness was next to godliness. He felt that sanitation was as important as political freedom. Today, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has become a mass movement," Naidu said. "Let us all strive together to realise Gandhiji's dreams and usher in a 'Ram Rajya' where all are equal and there is no discrimination of any kind," he said, adding, "let us rededidcate ourselves to the cause of the nation". Naidu also visited an exhibition on Gandhi's life put up in the foyer of the venue, Ambedkar International Centre here, and urged the organisers to host more such events. Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer; Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman V K Saxena; Rajashree Birla, philanthropist and Chairperson of the FICCI - Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence; and Sudarshan Iyengar, former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapeeth also addressed the gathering, which included industry leaders and school children. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A naxal "deputy commander" was Monday gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district, police said. The gun-battle took place this afternoon in the forest of Pandupara village when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-naxal operation, Special Director General (anti-naxal operation) D M Awasthi told PTI. The squad of DRG, the state police's counter- insurgency force, had launched the operation towards Sirsetti and Muler villages, located around 500km from the capital Raipur, Sunday night, he said. When the patrolling team was cordoning off forest near Panudpara Monday, it came under fire from a group of naxals that led to the gunfight. After a brief exchange of fire, naxals fled into the core forest area, the senior police officer added. During a search of the spot, the troops recovered the body of a rebel who was identified as Chinga, a "deputy commander" of the Kerlapal area committee of Maoists, Awasthi said. Further details were awaited as the search operation was still underway in the region, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh Monday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to act against him in the Elgar Parishad case. His comments came after the Pune police said a letter seized in connection with the Elgar Parishad probe mentioned his mobile number. Singh said "thousands of people know that mobile number" which was in the "public domain" through the Rajya Sabha portal, adding he had stopped using it four years ago. "If Digvijay Singh is involved in any anti-national activity, then Modiji, Rajnathji and Fadnavisji are free to take action. Show the courage to take action," Singh said. Meanwhile, Pune joint commissioner of police Shivaji Bodkhe said," As of now, the Pune police are not investigating any case against any politician". "The focus now is on the arrested activists and activities of the banned organisation," the police official said Monday evening. Earlier Monday, a Pune police official had said the letter in question was made part of the charge-sheet against the activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The letter was seized during nationwide raids by the Pune police in connection with the case, following which the activists were arrested, the official said. "The phone number they are talking about has been in the public domain through the Rajya Sabha portal. Thousands of people know that number. I stopped using it around four years ago," Singh told reporters in Bhopal. He claimed that the BJP and RSS were afraid of him and vitiating the atmosphere against him. "I have neither feared them, nor will I be scared of them," he said. "Earlier too, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) had termed me anti-national. I had surrendered before the Madhya Pradesh police, which gave me in writing that it had no proof against me, nor was there any case registered against me," Singh said. The letter in question, dated September 25, 2017, is written by an alleged Naxal operative. A portion of the letter reads: "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. The state forces will be soft against students, which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of Digvijay Singh according to the police)". Pune police Monday said "several numbers" were found in letters seized during the raids, adding they were being probed. No one has been summoned so far for questioning in this connection, a Pune police official said. The Elgar Parishad was held on December 31, 2017 in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon-Bhima battle, in which the East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, had defeated the Peshwa army. Police said the conclave had led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district the next day, following which a probe to uncover Maoist links was launched. The probe led to the arrest of 10 activists in June and August. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Swedish Academy, which has awarded the Nobel Literature Prize since 1901, said Monday it would expand its prize jury to include outsiders for the first time following a scandal that forced it to postpone this year's award. The venerable institution has been in crisis mode since November 2017, after a deep rift emerged among Academy members about how to manage its longstanding ties to a Frenchman accused -- and now convicted -- of rape. For the first time in 70 years, the Academy postponed this year's literature prize by a year while it attempts to sort out its problems. On Monday, the Academy said in a brief statement that its Nobel Prize committee -- usually made up of five members who recommend a laureate to the rest of the Academy -- would in 2019 and 2020 also include "five external experts", including critics, publishers and authors ranging in age from 27 to 73. The Academy's permanent secretary, Anders Olsson, told agency TT the two-year appointment was "temporary". The chairman of the Nobel Foundation, which manages the finances and adminstration of the Nobel prizes, admitted to daily Dagens Nyheter that it had forced the Academy to take in independent outsiders. The Foundation has long been critical of the Academy's handling of the crisis. The scandal erupted during the #MeToo campaign in November 2017, when 18 women claimed to have been raped, sexually assaulted or harassed by Jean-Claude Arnault, who is married to Academy member Katarina Frostenson. The Frenchman ran the Forum club, which he founded in 1989 as a meeting place for the cultural elite and which was popular among aspiring young authors hoping to make contact with publishers and writers. The Swedish Academy funded his club for years. Arnault's accusers claim the Academy was aware of his behaviour but ensured that "a culture of silence" reigned in cultural circles. Arnault, 72, was found guilty in October of raping a young woman in 2011 and sentenced to two years in prison. He has appealed the conviction, and that verdict is due on December 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday ordered a cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into its dam fund as it concluded a suo motu case initiated following media reports that the Katas Raj temple pond - considered sacred by Hindus - was drying out due to industrial activity in the area. An apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, ordered DG Khan Cement company to deposit Rs 8 crore for using water and Rs 2 crore for misleading the court, the Express Tribune reported. The Katas Raj temple complex in Chakwal district of Punjab is considered sacred by Hindus and cement companies in the area were held responsible for drilling boreholes and utilising groundwater, which eventually led to a drop in sub-ground level water and drying up of a sacred pond present at the temple site, the paper said. Hearing the case at the apex court's Lahore registry, the bench also prohibited the cement companies DG Khan Cement and Bestway Cement from extracting groundwater and admonished the DG Khan Cement firm for stating that the water being used was stored rainwater, the paper said. On November 15, the court formed an inspection committee to probe the veracity of claims by the cement factories. In Monday's hearing, the committee submitted its report to the bench. Locals blamed the cement plants, which, they said, drilled a number of water-bores in the vicinity of the temple, to draw water for their industrial production. Chief Justice Nisar said that DG Cement claimed to have stored rainwater, but this was a lie since they had actually obtained groundwater, Dawn reported. During an earlier hearing, Justice Nisar had observed that the cement factories caused damage to the environment by using up the area's water as well as causing air pollution. "The people who are not doing anything for water are not sincere with this country; those taking no measures for water (provision) are enemies of this country," he said. He said factory owners must have used influence to get permission to establish cement factories in the area. He also admonished a former secretary industries, Khalid Sherdil, "for giving away everything for free", at which the official responded that a no-objection certificate was not a requirement when the factories were established. Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the Katas Raj temple complex originally housed a cluster of seven ancient temples, along with a Buddhist stupa and the home of a warrior - built between 6th and 13th century. The name 'Katas' is derived from Kataksha, a Sanskrit word meaning 'tearful eyes'. According to legend, the pond was formed after Lord Shiva wept upon the death of his wife Sati. Hindu pilgrims from around the world visit the Katas Raj temple during the Maha Shivratri festival and bathe in the 'sacred pond'. Some believe the water holds healing powers. BJP leader L K Advani during his trip to Pakistan in 2005 also visited Katas Raj and inaugurated conservation work being carried out by the government of Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday ordered a cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into its dam fund for using underground water that lead to rapid drying up of the 'sacred pond' at the Katas Raj temple complex - considered sacred by Hindus. The apex court started suo motu proceeding in November last year after media reported that extensive exploitation of underground water by cement factories located near the historic Katas Raj temple in Chakwal district of Punjab was drying up the 'sacred pond'. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar already had banned the use of underground water by cement factories to save the pond. While in its hearing on Friday, the court also ordered authorities to refill the pond even by using water tankers. Concluding the case on Monday, the court ordered DG Khan Cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into the Supreme Court Dam Fund, including Rs 8 crore as payment for water utilised and Rs 2 crore penalty for misleading the court. The chief justice has set up a fund to collect money for crowd-funding construction of two big dams in Pakistan. The Katas Raj temple complex in Chakwal district of Punjab is considered sacred by Hindus and cement companies in the area were held responsible for drilling boreholes and utilising groundwater, which eventually led to a drop in sub-ground level water and drying up of a sacred pond present at the temple site. On November 15, the court formed an inspection committee to probe the veracity of claims by the cement factories. In Monday's hearing, the committee submitted its report to the bench. The cement factory had told the court that it was using stored rainwater but it was not true, according to report by a probe committee. Locals blamed the cement plants, which, they said, drilled a number of water-bores in the vicinity of the temple, to draw water for their industrial production. Chief Justice Nisar said that DG Cement claimed to have stored rainwater, but this was a lie since they had actually obtained groundwater. During an earlier hearing, Justice Nisar had observed that the cement factories caused damage to the by using up the area's water as well as causing air pollution. "The people who are not doing anything for water are not sincere with this country; those taking no measures for water (provision) are enemies of this country," he said. The chief judge during earlier proceedings also pulled up the government official including a former secretary of industries for allowing the factory to operate and causing damage to Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the Katas Raj temple complex originally housed a cluster of seven ancient temples, along with a Buddhist stupa and the home of a warrior - built between 6th and 13th century. The name 'Katas' is derived from Kataksha, a Sanskrit word meaning 'tearful eyes'. According to legend, the pond was formed after Lord Shiva wept upon the death of his wife Sati. Hindu pilgrims from around the world visit the Katas Raj temple during the Maha Shivratri festival and bathe in the 'sacred pond'. Some believe the water holds healing powers. BJP leader L K Advani during his trip to Pakistan in 2005 also visited Katas Raj and inaugurated conservation work being carried out by the government of Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jana Sena Party of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan Monday decided not to contest the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana and said it would fight the Lok Sabha polls next year instead. The issue was discussed with all leaders of the party, and it has been decided to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls from now itself, Kalayan said. "Had the assembly elections been held as per schedule (in April 2019), the Jana Sena would have surely jumped into the fray. Since the assembly polls have been advanced, we are not geared up for the contest. "It's really difficult for a fledgling party like ours," Kalyan said. Filing of nominations for the Telangana Assembly election ended Monday. The YSR Congress had earlier announced it would stay away from the Telangana polls since its complete focus was on the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh, its actual base. The YSRC, however, said it would gear up for the 2024 assembly elections in Telangana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the electoral fray for the second time from his family bastion, royal family scion of Raghogarh -- Jaivardhan Singh -- feels it helps to have a political lineage but his aim is to "prove and establish" himself so that people vote for him as an individual and not because of being son of the former chief minister Digvijay Singh. The 32-year-old politician, educated at the Columbia University in New York and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in New Delhi, said he has been doing a rigorous work in his assembly constituency ever since his win in 2013 assembly elections. Jaivardhan had his first battle at the hustings by a margin of over 58,000 votes. "Initially, it definitely has a few advantages if you are coming from a background where your father, your uncle all stood from the seat (Raghogarh). There is a lot of work that has been done by them which makes people loyal to you in a way. "Of course, in the first election in 2013 it was a big advantage for me. But after that I knew that uphill task begins now because the comparison starts (with his elders who won the seat)," Jaivardhan told PTI during his poll campaign in Goklaya village. He said rather than feeling good about the fact that his father was the CM of the state for 10 years, he had to work harder as people tend to make comparisons between the work done by his father and by him. "I am aware that people will always compare but I don't let that worry me because I focus on my work. People here and our family share a very personal relationship that has gone on for generations. I try and make that my base for all the work that I do," he said, while tying the 12th 'saafa' (headgear) presented to him by the locals as he visited one village after the other. It is a tradition here that people present an untied 'saafa' cloth to the members of the royal family or to those whom they respect when they come at their door, an aide of the Doon School educated MLA explained. Jaivardhan said his father campaigned for him when he first got the ticket in 2013 and then he publicly declared that henceforth he should get elected on his own merit. "People should vote for Jaivardhan Singh and not for Digvijay Singh's son. He helped me make one-to-one link with the voters. I am thankful to him for giving that space to me," he said. Asked whether he sees himself as the state's chief minister one day, Jaivardhan, "I think that's too big an aim to have at the moment...I am more content in the position that I hold currently." "I want to prove myself. I must prove myself by winning multiple elections. I must prove myself by building my constituency which can be showcased. I must be able to build a name of my own. I can be taken as someone whose name is held across the state," he said. The Congress leader said his main work for now was to work for the party and make sure that the party is strong at grassroot level. His constituency has remained with the royal family and the Congress since 1977. Apart from Digvijay Singh, popularly known as 'Diggy Raja', his brother Lakshman Singh and other Congress candidates have held the seat at various times. The young politician said he very well understands the importance of these elections and therefore, apart from ensuring his own victory, he wants that the Congress comes back to power in the state. "First challenge for us is to bring the party back into power. We have seen 15 years of the BJP rule here and the way we see it is that the state currently needs a change. What I am seeing on the ground this time is that compared to five years ago, there is a big wave in favour of the Congress and in favour of change," he said. From this seat, the BJP has given ticket to 49-year-old Bhupendra Singh Raghuvanshi, a local who had lost by a slender margin of 6,300 votes against Congress' Mool Singh in 2008. Voting for all 230 assembly seats of the state will take place on November 28 and the counting is scheduled for December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sukhbir Badal asks Kejriwal to tell if he had implemented a single promise he was making in Punjab and Delhi Observe historic days of great personalities in schools to make children aware of their lives: Pargat Singh Randeep Nabha demands 5 lakh metric tonne urea till December 15 from Union Government Rajasthan chief said Monday the Assembly election in the state is a fight between the ideologies of his party and the After filing his nomination from the Tonk assembly seat, Pilot said the would not only win the election in Tonk, but also the entire state with a sizable margin. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has deceived the people and its report card is in front of the people. There is resentment among the people and they are waiting to vote for the Congress, the state president said. It is an important election and there is a wave for the Congress across the state, he added. Pilot's rival candidate, Yoonus Khan, who is the only Muslim candidate pitted in the election by the saffron party, also filed his nomination on Monday. "I would not like to comment on caste and religion. I have seen tension on Sachin Pilot's face. We both have come to Tonk for the first time as election nominees," Khan said, adding that he had always accepted his party's decision and was ready to work for the party anywhere in the country. Khan said he had done various developmental works in Tonk district as a public works department minister in the last five years and the development would remain the issue for him and his party in the upcoming election. Earlier in the day, the released its fifth list of six candidates, fielding Khan against Pilot in the Muslim-dominated Tonk Assembly constituency by replacing sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta. After the Congress fielded Pilot in Tonk, the did brainstorming and replaced Mehta, who figured in the first list issued last week. Khan is a sitting MLA from Deedwana constituency of Nagaur district and his name was kept reserved by the party till the last moment. The state will go to polls on December 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other political leaders paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary Monday. "Tributes to India's former prime minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary," Modi tweeted. Former president Pranab Mukherjee, former vice president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, paid floral tributes to her at Shakti Sthal in the national capital. Rahul Gandhi tweeted a picture of Indira Gandhi and quoted her, saying, "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave. Indira Gandhi". Rich tributes were paid to the former prime minister at a function in the central hall of Parliament, where leaders cutting across party lines were present. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel and other Parliamentarians were present at the function. A booklet containing her profile was presented to the dignitaries who attended the function. It was brought out in Hindi and English by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Sonia Gandhi also released a book on her and her love for environment at the Indira Gandhi memorial. A large number of people paid tributes to the former prime minister at her residence and office, where she was gunned down by her bodyguards 34 years ago. Later in the evening, Manmohan Singh was awarded the Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development at a function at the Jawahar Bhawan. She was remembered fondly by many dignitaries on the occasion. Congress leader from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the contribution of Indira Gandhi towards nation-building was "immense". "Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt Indira Gandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation-building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration," Gehlot tweeted. Paying her respects to the former prime minister, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the nation should work together to keep the diversity of the country intact. "Homage to Indira Gandhi Ji, former prime minister of India, on her birth anniversary. National Integration Week begins today. As she did so whole-heartedly, let's work together to keep the spirit of 'unity in diversity' alive," she tweeted. Congress leader Ashok Chavan also tweeted his homage to the former prime minister. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala quoted Indira Gandhi, saying her contribution towards building the country cannot be forgotten. "I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud. My humble homage to Smt. Indira Gandhi who lived and died in the service of the nation. Her immense contribution in nation building and preserving the unity & integrity of the nation shall always be remembered," he tweeted. Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India', was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday set an ambitious target of India breaking into top 50 nations on the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking and said efforts are on to nearly double the size of country's economy to USD 5 trillion. In his opening remarks at a meeting called on ease of doing business ranking with the Indian industry, Modi said the era of policy paralysis has ended and his government was giving policy-based governance that has helped catapult the country from 142nd rank among 190 nations on the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking in 2014 to 77th position this year. Reforms will continue and procedures would be further eased to make it easier for companies to do business in the country, he said adding efforts are on to increase the size of the economy to USD 5 trillion. Modi said it is an outcome of India's consistent reforms trajectory that the country's position is getting credence globally and is being recognised by international bodies like the IMF, World Economic Forum and UNCTAD. "All these institutions are confident and hopeful of our future due to the pace of our reforms. Amid the persistent efforts in the country, now our effort is to take India to the 5 trillion dollar club as soon as possible. To achieve this goal we will have to improve every sector of the economy," the prime minister said. The prime minister recalled that when he had first articulated his vision for India to break into the top 50 in ease of doing business ranking in the years to come, it was greeted with scepticism. A great improvement is now visible in just four years, Modi said adding that the central and state governments have both worked together towards improving the ease of doing business ranking, in the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism. The prime minister further said it is necessary to reduce human intervention in processes and increase the use of modern and digital technologies. Advocating a work culture based on modern technologies, he said it will further promote policy driven governance. A Working Group tasked to develop a road map towards achieving a five trillion dollar economy by 2025 has prepared its report. The group was constituted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with participation from government and industry. India is one of the fastest growing major economies and is currently ranked as the world's sixth largest economy. Projections of growth, over the medium term, remain encouraging and optimistic for India. The prime minister said all efforts are on to improve India's ranking in the World Bank's Doing Business Report among the top 50 nations. India was ranked 142nd among 190 nations when the Narendra Modi's government took office in 2014. At that time, the country was battling perceptions of excess red-tape and policy paralysis, Modi said. Four years of reform pushed up India's rank to 100th in the World Bank's 'Doing Business' 2018 report. It was 130th in 2017 when India was ranked lower than Iran and Uganda. In its annual 'Doing Business' 2019 report, India secured 77th position. New Zealand tops the list, followed by Singapore, Denmark and Hong Kong. The United States is placed at 8th and China ranked 46th. Neighbouring Pakistan is placed at 136. India has improved its ranking by 53 positions in the last two years and 65 places in four years since 2014. The World Bank ranks 190 countries based on 10 parameters, including starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. The prime minister further said the government was working on new a industrial policy to blend realities with progress. "A policy which can understand the industry...this policy will be in line with the vision of a new India," he said. Modi also highlighted a host of reforms like the GST undertaken during the NDA government. Modi also launched the Ease of Doing Business Grand Challenge. The objective of this challenge is to invite innovative ideas based on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain and other cutting edge technologies to reform government processes. The platform for the Grand Challenge is the Startup India Portal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World sport powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah said he was "temporarily" stepping aside from his International Olympic Committee duties on Monday after he was charged with forgery in Switzerland. The Kuwaiti, one of the most influential figures in international sport, said he "strenuously denies any wrongdoing", calling the allegations "maliciously motivated by political factions within Kuwait". Sheikh Ahmad said he would stop his work with the IOC until he had been investigated by the body's ethics commission. "Sheikh Ahmad has today decided to step aside temporarily from his roles and responsibilities as an IOC member and chairman of Olympic Solidarity Commission, pending the outcome of an IOC Ethics Commission hearing," said a statement from his office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a four-day Australia tour from November 21, in the first ever state visit by an Indian president to the country, during which he will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties with top Australian leaders. Kovind is currently in Vietnam as part of his two-nation tour. He will arrive Sydney from Hanoi. The President will visit Sydney and Melbourne on an invitation from Governor General Peter Cosgrove, according to a statement issued by the High Commission of India, Canberra. A ceremonial welcome for the President will be held in Sydney. It will be followed by talks between Kovind and Cosgrove, the statement said. During his visit, the President will also meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Both the leaders will jointly unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Parramatta in New South Wales as a part of the ongoing 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Gandhiji. Kovind will also address the Australian Financial Review Business summit and will also grace the annual dinner of the Australia-India Business Council (AIBC). The bilateral trade between the two nations stands at USD 19.7 billion. On Friday, Kovind will visit Melbourne and meet Victoria's Governor Linda Dessau, who will host a banquet lunch in his honour. The President will also address students at the University of Melbourne and will attend a special lecture on Australia and India as knowledge partners. Australia has a large Indian student population of 70,000. The President will also address Indian diaspora in Australia during his visit. The President will be accompanied by Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde, parliamentarians Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and Heena Vijaykumar Gavit and other senior officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind Monday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and inquired about the situation in the state in the aftermath of cyclone 'Gaja', which has so far claimed 45 lives. In a tweet, the president said the people and the Government of India were "standing by those in distress" in Tamil Nadu. "Spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and inquired about the situation in the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families. People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state. #PresidentKovind," he said on his official Twitter handle. Cyclone Gaja, which crossed Tamil Nadu coast last Friday between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam, has claimed 45 lives and left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land. The cyclone has caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday reacted sharply to President Donald Trump's latest tirade against Islamabad for not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US, instead of making Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its failures in Afghanistan, should find out why the Taliban has emerged stronger than before. Khan's tweets came a day after President Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan," Khan, said in a series of tweets defending his country's record in the US-led war on terror. He said that Pakistan decided to "participate in the US War on Terror" although no Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. "Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over USD 123 billion was lost," he said, of which "US 'aid' was a miniscule USD 20bn", Khan said. "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 Nato troops, plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly USD 1 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," he suggested. In addition to economic losses, the prime minister highlighted the impact of the US war on Pakistan's tribal areas. "Our tribal areas were devastated and millions of people were uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted the lives of ordinary Pakistanis," he said. "Pakistan continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications...)," he added. "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" he asked. Earlier, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari attacked President Trump's criticism of Islamabad's dubious role in the war against terrorism. She said the US President "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Prime Minister Khan, said Trump's latest criticism of Pakistan should be a "lesson" to those Pakistani leaders who "appeased" America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. "Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do 'a damn thing' for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT (war on terrorism); the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc," she tweeted. "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," Mazari said. In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said: "@realDonaldTrump suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox on Sunday said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer."The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Monday reacted angrily to Donald Trump's latest tirade against it for not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US President "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari's terse remarks came a day after President Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, said Trump's latest criticism of Pakistan should be a "lesson" to those Pakistani leaders who "appeased" America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. "Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do 'a damn thing' for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT (war on terrorism); the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc," she tweeted. "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," Mazari said. In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said: "@realDonaldTrump suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" Former foreign minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan continues to "pay in blood" for what it did for the USA and described the bilateral ties as a "relationship of betrayals & sanctions.""We continue to pay in blood for what we did for USA from Beda Ber to fighting wars wich weren't ours. Reinvented our religion to suit US interests, destroyed our tolerant ethos, replaced it with bigotry & intolerance. A relationship of betrayals & sanctions," Asif tweeted. Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox on Sunday said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The principal of a government primary school here was killed Monday after the boundary wall on the premises collapse on her, police said. Sharda Singh (55), the principal of government primary school Kasarwal in Sahjanwa block, was killed when the boundary wall near her collapsed, they said. She was rushed to hospital where she died during treatment. "The principal died during treatment in BRD Medical college and prima facie, the reason behind her death is school boundary collapse," Sahjanwa SHO Satya Prakash Singh said. He said no one had made any complaint regarding the incident till then and the post-mortem report was awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German prosecutors asked a court Monday to sentence a man accused of an April 2017 bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus to life in prison. Defendant Sergej Wenergold committed almost 30 attempted murders by attacking the bus with three improvised bombs as it left the team's hotel, lead prosecutor Carsten Dombert said. He also faces charges of causing an explosion and two counts of causing serious injury, with judges expected to deliver their verdict next week. The Russian-born German citizen has admitted to placing the bombs, but claims he did not aim to kill anyone -- each contained up to a kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of a hydrogen peroxide mixture and dozens of metal bolts. Prosecutors say he in fact aimed to kill as many players as possible, hoping to profit financially after buying so-called put options -- essentially a bet on the club's share price falling. Wenergold left letters supposed to hint at an Islamist terrorist background at the scene, as well as far left or far right extremist groups. But police eventually joined the dots after realising that the trained electrician had stayed in the same hotel as the Dortmund players on the eve of their Champions' League match against Monaco. Hidden in a hedge, the explosives were badly positioned and in the end succeeded only in breaking Spanish defender Marc Bartra's wrist and damaging a police officer's hearing. Several Dortmund players including Bartra gave emotional testimony during the trial about the trauma they suffered during the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of people Monday staged a protest outside the Haryana Bhawan here, demanding an apology from state Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his controversial remark on rape incidents. According to a statement, activists of All India Democratic Women's Association, All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan, Democratic Youth Federation of India and Students' Federation of India staged the protest. "We demand that either Khattar apologies to the women of India through the media or resign from the post immediately to save the honour of women of India," it read. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had Sunday condemned Khattar's controversial remark on rape incidents, and raised the issue of their security in that state. At a function in Kalka town of Panchkula district on Friday, Khattar had said, "The incidents of rape have not increased... Rapes used to take place in the past and happens even today. (Only) the concern (over such incidents) has increased. "The biggest concern is that in 80 to 90 per cent of rape and eve-teasing cases, the accused and the victim know each other. In many cases, they know each other for a long time and, on one day, when there is an argument... an FIR is lodged, saying: 'He has raped me'," Khattar had said. However, Khattar had on Sunday said his statement had been twisted and that the issue should not be politicised. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public sentiment on the Ayodhya issue should be respected and a Ram temple should be built in the town, a senior Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister said Monday. Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, the state religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, Muslim waqf and Haj minister, said the construction of the temple would restore the "glorious history" of Ayodhya, with lakhs of tourists visiting the place. "Whether it is the government or any other institution (in the country), everyone must respect the public sentiment. And, the public sentiment, which is prevailing across the country, wants that the construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya must begin at the earliest," Chaudhary told PTI in an interview here. Claiming that the entire world was keeping a watch over the developments, Chaudhary affirmed the country "owes its identity to Lord Ram". "As soon as a grand Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, it will restore the glorious history of Ayodhya. Subsequently, lakhs of tourists will visit the place and it will eventually give a boost to tourism in the temple town," he said. The minister said the aim of the recently-organised 'Deepotsav' in Ayodhya was to send a message across the globe that "people should learn a lesson from the life of the Maryada Purushottam, who made India a global superpower". "Lord Ram is a personality, which is incomparable -- be it as a son or a warrior. Lord Ram is our role model... It was due to Lord Ram that India became a global superpower," Chaudhary said. The minister claimed that during the Mughal rule, British rule and even after decades of Independence, no attention was paid for the development of Ayodhya. "It was only after Yogi Adityanath became the UP chief minister that attention was paid for the beautification of Ayodhya and to enhance its grandeur. In the last 100 years, no work was done for development of Ayodhya and it was virtually left to its own fate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yemen's internationally-recognised government Monday said it will take part in proposed peace talks, hours after a high-ranking Yemeni rebel official urged his leadership to freeze military operations. The moves come ahead of a visit in the next few days to the war-torn country by UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who is once again trying to get all sides around the negotiating table. "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," Yemen's foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba agency. Earlier Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Huthi rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that he wanted his group to announce "readiness to suspend and halt all military operations" and stop firing missiles on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, which is backing the Yemeni government, also lent its support to new talks. The Iran-backed Huthi rebels have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa since capturing it in late 2014. They also still hold the key port of Hodeida on the Red Sea in what has become a brutal almost four-year war, which has pushed millions of Yemenis to the brink of starvation. The rebels have also fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has since 2015 has led a military coalition to restore to power President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi called on "all (Huthi) official Yemeni sides to issue directives to end launching missiles and drones against aggression countries" which would "deprive them of any reason to continue their aggression and siege." Griffiths is expected to visit the Yemeni capital of Sanaa this week to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden. No date has yet been set for the negotiations. On Monday Saudi King Salman told the Shura Council, his country's top advisory body, "our support for Yemen was not an option but a duty... to help the Yemeni people confront the Iran-backed militias". He also threw his weight behind a "political solution" and a "comprehensive national dialogue" in Yemen. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi is head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee but is not their ultimate decision-maker -- that power lies with supreme leader Abdulmalek al-Huthi. Griffiths said both the Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels have shown a "renewed commitment" to reaching a political solution. Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Huthis have failed. In September, the rebels refused to fly to Geneva for UN-hosted talks. But on Friday Griffiths offered to travel with the Huthis to Sweden "if that's what is needed". The rebels, whose delegates were trapped in Oman for three months after previous talks collapsed in 2016, had accused the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded fighters. The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, met UN officials on Sunday evening, according to the rebels' Saba agency. It quoted him as saying that the UN and the international community should "adopt the political path to stop the bloodshed". Britain is set to present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on Monday to address the crisis, its ambassador said Friday. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran for the first time to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told British television after the talks. Fighting in Yemen intensified at the start of November as the coalition renewed an offensive aimed at seizing Hodeida, whose port serves as entry point for nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid. But pro-government forces announced a pause in their offensive last week as international pressure grew for a ceasefire. An AFP correspondent in Hodeida said Monday the city remained calm, although the rebel-run Al-Masirah TV said the coalition had carried out seven air strikes in the surrounding province and one inside Hodeida city. The rebels also reported fresh clashes in a battle front near Sanaa on Monday, Al-Masirah said. The World Health Organisation says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher. The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation, sparking what the UN has labelled the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have marked the completion of a key phase of TurkStream, a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul, Erdogan announced the offshore part of TurkStream's two parallel lines two kilometers deep in the Black Sea had been finished and said the final leg of the "historic project" had been reached. The lines are expected to supply Russian gas to Turkey and European markets through Turkish territories. Together, the two 930-kilometer (578-mile) lines under the Black Sea, along with the Russian and Turkish onshore pipes, will carry 31.5 billion cubic meters (1.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually. "We are witnessing a very important event that is a clear demonstration of a partnership and cooperation between our countries in dealing with the most complex and ambitious projects," Putin said. Erdogan said the two countries aimed for long-term cooperation and their relationship was not dictated by "other countries' impositions." "The implementation of projects like this one is a good example of an ability to stand up for one's own national interests," Putin added. The remarks appear to be referring to the Kremlin's long-standing position that some European nations are giving up lucrative deals with Russia under pressure from the United States. Turkey relies on imports for its energy needs and Russia is its top supplier for natural gas. It bought 28 billion cubic meters last year. That gas is currently transported through another line under the Black Sea and the onshore West Line through Ukraine, which is mired in conflict with Russia. "Turkey will be able to fulfill its own as well as European countries' natural gas demands without being exposed to transit risks," Erdogan said, as he announced that TurkStream would begin operations in 2019. Ukraine's struggling economy relies on fees it receives for transporting Russian gas. Russia has threatened to stop using Ukrainian pipelines for transit but has not made any decisions to stop using Ukraine as a transit point altogether. Turkey and Russia have warmed in the last two years after Erdogan apologised for downing a Russian fighter jet along the border with Syria 2015 that soured relations. Their increasing cooperation in energy and trade as well as Turkey's pledge to buy a Russian surface-to-air missile defence system has worried NATO-member Turkey's Western allies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Vladimir Putin denied any Russian involvement when US Vice President Mike Pence asked last week about meddling in the 2016 election, the Kremlin's spokesman said. Dmitry Peskov told Russian television that Pence had "started the conversation with this subject" in a 10-minute talk with Putin on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Singapore. "The Americans are constantly repeating election interference as a mantra," Peskov said on a Sunday night talk show on Russian state television. "The Russian side... also repeat as a mantra: 'Why don't you understand us, how can we explain to you once again that the Russian state has nothing to do and can have nothing to do with interference in internal affairs or electoral processes'," he said. "This, by the way, was also said to Pence," Peskov said. "We presume that all of Putin's words will be passed on to the head of the American state." Russia has been accused of manipulating the 2016 US presidential vote through a vast propaganda campaign in favour of Trump. US investigators are currently probing alleged collusion between Russian agents and Trump's election campaign. Trump has always denied any such links and was heavily criticised at home for failing to publicly confront Putin over election interference at a conference that followed talks in Helsinki in July. Putin and Trump are expected to meet during the G20 summit in Argentina late this month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If the BJP is wooing the electorate in the Congress citadel of Amethi through frequent visits by its Union minister Smriti Irani, local MP Rahul Gandhi has kept his promise to local farmers, sending Israeli banana saplings for them. "The local farmers had met their MP during his last visit and talked about scope of cultivating bananas in the area after which the party president has sent 40,000 banana saplings for them," Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi told PTI. These saplings of G-9 variety have been brought here from Israel and are said to be high yielding, Awasthi said, adding that the responsibility of their distribution among the farmers has been given to the head of 'Khetihar Mazdoor Congress' , Anil Shukla. "This is not the first time that the local MP has taken care of the needs of the electorate whom he considers as his family," Awasthi said. The distribution of these saplings, which commenced on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary, would continue till December 9, the birthday of Sonia Gandhi. "This variety of bananas will help the farmers double their income as it is low cost and high-yielding variety," he said. Rahul Gandhi is at the receiving end of BJP leaders, who accuse him of not doing enough for his constituency which they claim still lacks proper infrastructure and facilities despite it being represented by the Gandhi family since long. Despite losing the 2014 Lok Sabha election to Gandhi, Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani has been working overtime to ensure that she wrests the seat from the Congress in 2019. Irani is said to have sent 10,000 saris for women in Amethi this year. "Had there been real concern, she could have brought the schemes of her ministry in the past over four years...This concern at election time indicates at other motives," Awasthi stressed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) president and his counterpart would be in poll-bound Mizoram on Tuesday to boost their parties chance in the November 28 election. sources said Monday that Shah would arrive at the Lengpui airport near Aizawl and visit southernmost Mizoram's Lawngtlai, Myanmar-border Champhai and Assam border Vairengte by helicopter where he would address public rallies. He would come to Aizawl from Vairengte and release the BJP's manifesto/vision document for the state before leaving for Delhi. leaders said Monday that would land at the Lengpui airport by a special flight from where he would go to Champhai to address an election rally and return to Aizawl to address a public meeting later. Police said that security was beefed up in view of the visit of the two leaders who are both classified as 'Z-plus category'. Election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled for November 28. Mizoram is the only state where is in power in the North-East at present and hence its great challenge for the party to defend its fort. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With various saffron outfits upping their ante on the Ram temple issue in Ayodhya, the Uttar Pradesh opposition parties Monday dubbed their activities as a BJP's "political gimmick" before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls aimed at exploiting the peoples' "sentiments" in its favour. "The BJP is once again playing the Ram temple card to exploit the sentiments of people in its favour before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It is a political gimmick as the BJP does not have any development agenda and has decided to rely on an issue which is subjudice," Samajwadi Party leader and MLC Rajpal Kashyap told PTI. He said the state government has "nothing to its credit in over one year and eight months of its rule". "Except for renaming and relaunching projects started by the previous SP regime, the BJP government has done nothing on the ground and the people are well aware of it," he said, adding that raking up the Ram temple issue and renaming cities will not work this time and the BJP is "bound to taste defeat". "In the bye-elections, the BJP had to face humiliating defeats in the constituencies of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Gorakhpur) and Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya (Phulpur). It's enough to show public sentiments," he said. Congress spokesperson Mukesh Singh Chauhan too endorsed the SP leader's views. He said, "The BJP's prime agenda is to divide the society and take political mileage out of it. Raking up the Ram temple issue and promoting its outfits for the same is the BJP's strategy to win the 2019 polls." "Our party believes in secularism and we will counter any attempt to spread communalism," he said. After the VHP's high-powered committee demanded last month a law to build the Ram temple and VHP leaders appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the Parliament route, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat too endorsed their statements. On Diwali, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya and his Cabinet ministers, including Shrikant Sharma, made statements for building Ram temple, as a result of which the issue has hotted up once again. Besides announcing a medical college that would be named after Lord Ram's father in the epic Ramayana, Raja Dashrath, the CM has also proposed to build an airport in Ayodhya after Lord Ram. The pro-Ram temple activities intensified in Ayodhya after the VHP decided to hold a 'dharma sansad' there on November 25 with the saffron outfit expecting a crowd of over one lakh people. Besides Ayodhya, similar 'dharma sansads' have been proposed to be held in Bengaluru and Nagpur. It will be followed by a 'dharma sabha' in New Delhi on December 9. VHP senior leader Champat Rai had recently reviewed the arrangements for the 'dharma sansad' in Ayodhya. RSS leaders also held a meeting at Karsewakpuram and is supporting VHP's 'dharma sansad' programme. The BJP too is ensuring its success. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackrey is also visiting Ayodhya on November 24 and will pay obeisance to Ram Lalla, a senior Shiv Sena leader said. BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi said, "We welcome leaders of all political hues in Ayodhya. This government has imposed no restriction on darshan of Ram Lalla. The law and order situation in the state is very good and those found disturbing communal peace will be severely dealt with," he said. "Ram temple issue is associated with the sentiments of people," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifty five-year-old Bagan Prasahad, who was among the victims in the central Delhi fire tragedy on Monday, was eagerly preparing for his daughter's wedding and had been shopping for her big day, relatives said. Four people died in the fire at an illegal workshop in a congested central Delhi locality after one of the workers, a heavily-built man, got stuck at the exit door while escaping and blocked the route for others, firefighters said. Prasahad had booked tickets to visit his family in Deoria, in Uttar Pradesh. "He was eagerly waiting to visit his family in Deoria. He was supposed to leave for his hometown on December 2 via the Vaishali Express. He had fixed his daughter Nandini's marriage and had even shopped for her big day," Mohan Lal, relative and roommate of the deceased, said. Inderpal, father of another deceased, Aarti, got to know about the fire from an official of the firm. "I had come to Karol Bagh to pay instalments for a property that I bought sometime ago in Faridabad. Just then I got a call from a lady official from the firm saying my daughter was unwell," he said. "I rushed to the factory to enquire. But police officials were not letting me in. I could see ambulances and bodies being shifted. I was shocked and nervous," Inderpal said. He said he did not even have the money to go to the hospital. "A media person at the spot gave me Rs 200 and I rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital," he added. Aarti has been working in the company as a supervisor for nearly a year now and she used to live in an accommodation provided by the company. "Since we stay in DDA flat Vivek Vihar, it was difficult for my daughter to commute. For the last four to five months, Aarti was living at an accommodation provided by the company," Inderpal continued. Aarti has three sisters and a brother. "My girl was very hardworking. I insisted her to get married but she refused, saying she wants to stand on her feet first and fulfil her dreams," the bereaved father said. Mohan Lal said Prasahad and he left for work at 10 am as any other day. "One of our friends, Kapoor Chand, visited us. We had tea together and left for work at 10 am. I never imagined that it would turn out to be our last meeting. I just can't believe that Prasahad is no more," he added. Prasahad used to earn around Rs 16,000 per month and had been working in the company for nearly 30 years. He started with just Rs 400 per month, Lal added. He was the sole bread-winner of his family and his six children stare at a future of despair after his death in the Karol Bagh fire, one of his relatives said. Prasahad's cousin Umesh said he received a call regarding the incident and reached the spot. "After reaching the workshop, initially, nobody was ready to tell me the condition of my cousin. However, police said that he had been shifted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Later, I got a call saying he passed away," he said. Prasahad is survived by his 90-year-old mother, wife and six children, including a mute son. Three of his daughters are married while his son is unemployed. "He was planning to meet his family next month at his daughter's wedding as the workshop employees get two months' holiday every year," the cousin added. Prasahad's relatives were also informed. Some of them will be reaching Delhi by Tuesday, he said. The fire broke out at around 12.23 pm. Parmanand Jaluthria (43), a local, said he heard cries of women from inside the workshop and saw dense smoke emanating from it. "The 700 square feet five-storey building was built around 25 to 30 years ago. It has only one exit gate. On the first floor, the pressing workshop was placed while on other floors, there were other small factories," Jaluthria said. The market used to be closed on Mondays but the workshop takes its weekly off on Sundays. Inside, workers used to clean, iron and pack suits and other kids' wears, Jaluthria added. The building was inside a very narrow lane where even a four wheeler cannot enter properly. The fire broke out at the backside of the first floor, Jaluthria said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two bike-borne men barged into a gas agency office in Shahibabad and looted its staffer of Rs 3 lakh at gunpoint Monday, police said. The incident took place in the morning at a Bharatgas agency office near Bhopura. The duo held the staffer, Ravi, at gunpoint and looted Rs 3 lakh in cash and fled the spot, Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Upender Agarwal said. He said the unmasked accused were identified through CCTV footage gathered from the area. Meanwhile, the district police administration has sought help from police officials in neighbouring cities in states of Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan to obtain details of active criminals in the 30-40 age bracket. Locals gathered at the gas company office to express anguish over the incident. The Jewellers association has asked police to crack the Rs 2 crore loot case and arrest the accused till November 20, failing which, they said, the bullion traders association of western Uttar Pradesh will down the shutters in protest. Last week, five masked men laced with arms looted a jewelery store of Rs 2 crore at gunpoint in Shyam Park area. The showroom was located next to the Sahibabad police station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANNAPOLIS, Md. The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Sioux City (LCS 11) the nations sixth Freedom-variant littoral combat ship at the U.S. Naval Academy Nov. 17, Lockheed Martin said in a release. We are confident that LCS 11 will be what the Navy needs, when the fleet needs it, said Joe DePietro, vice president, Small Combatants and Ship Systems, Lockheed Martin. We remain focused on delivering these ships as quickly as possible with increasing capability and lethality. These ships will have a long lifespan, and were working with the Navy to make LCS even stronger and more resilient. The Freedom-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals. LCS 11 is equipped to support surface warfare. LCS continues to increase in capability. This year, LCS 5 and 7 completed Longbow Hellfire missile testing, LCS 9 completed Rolling Airframe Missile testing and LCS 5 and 9 participated in Fleet Weeks around the United States. The Freedom-variant LCS is designed to integrate modular weapons, as well as manned and unmanned vehicles to deliver critical warfighting capability to the fleet in mine counter measures, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. LCS is our most effective fleet asset to counter asymmetric small craft threats, said Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations. This ship and the ships like her are going to complicate any adversarys operating picture. Youre going to need to keep track of Sioux City when shes at sea, because if you dont, shes going to make you pay for that. There are seven ships in various stages of production and test at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, where the Freedom-variant LCS is built. The next Freedom-variant in the class is LCS 13, the future USS Wichita, slated for commissioning in Mayport, Florida, in January. LCS 19 is scheduled for christening on Dec. 15. Two thousand men and women crafted this ship from flat steel to the capable and agile surface combatant being commissioned. The men and women who sail this ship have an enormous responsibility in protecting our nation and allies, and we consider it a privilege to support these missions, said Jan Allman, president and CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. I am confident that when called upon, the USS Sioux City will always prevail. In a strong reprimand, the Kerala High Court expressed its displeasure Monday over the manner in which Ayyappa devotees were dealt with by the police at the "Sannidhanam" of the Sabarimala temple. More than 30 protesters were taken into preventive custody Sunday night after fresh protests broke out at the "Nadapanthal" area of the Sannidhanam (temple complex), where hundreds of devotees agitated against police restrictions. A division bench, comprising justices P R Ramachandra Menon and N Anil Kumar, questioned the alleged police excesses and asked under what authority did the police prevent the devotees from entering the Sabarimala Sannidhanam. The court warned that stringent action would be taken against police officials if such incidents were repeated. The bench also directed the Home Ministry to implead itself in the case as a respondent. Even though the advocate general (AG) informed the court that the police had initiated action against those who had violated section 144, CrPC that prohibited the assembly of more than four persons at a spot, the court expressed its displeasure over the manner in which the devotees were dealt with. Considering a batch of pleas related to various issues concerning Sabarimala, the court orally directed that the devotees who had taken tickets for the "Neyyabhishekam" (ghee offering) rituals should be allowed to stay back at the Sannidhanam and perform the ritual the next morning. The genuine devotees should be allowed to offer prayers, the court said. The court sought to know who allowed the police to disturb the devotees resting at the Sannidhanam by pouring water on the floor. It sought the details of the police officials deployed at the Sannidhanam and their experience in Sabarimala pilgrim management. It directed the director general of police (DGP) to inform it about the restrictions imposed at the hill shrine. The bench observed that no restrictions could be imposed on children, women, elderly people and the physically challenged at the Nadapanthal (the enclosure leading to the 18 holy steps to the temple). Even though the AG said security measures were taken according to the directive of the Centre, the court said the state was also responsible in the matter. The AG claimed that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Hindu Aikyavedi activists were behind the "issues" created at the Nadapanthal Sunday night. The court deferred the matter to Friday, while directing the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine, to inform it about the number of pilgrims who could be accommodated at the Nadapanthal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam Monday hit out at the Kerala government for turning the Sabarimala temple complex into a "war zone" and treating the pilgrims like "dacoits". "They have imposed Section 144 (prohibitory orders). The pilgrims are being treated like dacoits. Where is the basic infrastructure...this is pathetic," the minister, who arrived here to take stock of the facilities at the hill shrine, told reporters. "The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims," he said. Restrictions have been imposed at the temple complex following protests by activists of the BJP, RSS and right-wing outfits over the state government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court order allowing the entry of women of all ages into the shrine. "The state government must take responsibility...The Union Tourism ministry had given Rs 100 crore...They have not spent even a rupee..," Kannanthanam said. The Union minister visited Nilackal, the base camp, Pamba and Sannidhanam Monday morning, hours after police removed around 200-odd people who had gathered at the temple complex late Sunday night. They held "nama japam" (chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa) protest against the police restrictions. The police had also taken into custody 68 protestors Sunday night. The CPI(M)-led LDF government is making life difficult for all the pilgrims coming here, the minister said. "This is like the Stalin era of the Soviet Union," he said. "Sabarimala is one of the biggest pilgrims centre in the country. Here, everyone lives peacefully. This government is determined to ensure that people do not have the right to their belief," the minister said. Pointing out that there was no basic facilities at Pamba, he said there were no toilets and all the three sheds at Nilackal are waterlogged. "What is the intention of the government? They want to make sure the pilgrims are not provided with basic facilities. What is happening with law and order? Section 144? Is this a democracy?" Kannanthanam said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister K J Alphons Monday slammed the government for turning the Temple complex into a "war zone" and lack of facilities at the shrine even as police detained 68 people from the complex in the early hours for holding protests. Protests are being held across against the detention of the 68 persons even as the demanded a judicial probe into the police action. The sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Ayyappa Temple opened Monday morning with very few devotees turning up early. Police sources told PTI that 68 persons had been taken into preventive custody from the temple complex and brought to the Manniyar camp early this morning.Their details are being verified and their arrests have not been recorded yet. Alphons, who arrived at Nilackal, the base camp, Monday morning, told reporters, "The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims." "What was the need to declare Section 144 at Sabarimala," he asked. The minister said there was lack of basic facilities at the temple complex. The union government had provided Rs 100 crore for putting up various facilities at Sabarimala, he said. The minister's visit comes hours after the late night developments in when hundred-odd devotees held protests while chanting "nama japam" (chanting in the name of Lord Ayyappa) on Sunday. The protest by devotees at the 'sannidhanam,' on the second day of the two-month long pilgrim season, resulted in police taking into custody 68 persons early Monday morning, the first such incident witnessed at This had also led to protests across the state, including in front of the official residence of Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram. Those taken into custody have been brought to the Manniyar police camp and leaders led by Shobha Surendran are holding "nama japam" protest in front of the camp. Hindu Aikya Vedi President, K P Sasikala, who is on her way to the shrine with her family members in connection with the "chorunnu ceremony" (rice feeding) of her grandsons, was served notice by Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra at Nilackal this morning, asking her not to remain at the 'sannidhanam' beyond six hours. The KSRTC bus in which Sasikala was travelling with family members was stopped and the notice served by police personnel. Chandra later told reporters that Sasikala has promised to return and gave an assurance that she was not going to the temple for creating any trouble. "Our aim is not to trouble anyone. We want devotees not to stay back at the sannidhanam, but come back. This will enable devotees to worship peacefully," the officer said. Sasikala was taken into preventive custody from near the temple premises two days ago for flouting police regulations and had been released after being produced before the Magistrate. Describing the arrests as "cruel", state unit President, P S Sreedharan Pillai, said the party wants a judicial probe into it. The pilgrims were peacefully protesting at 'sannidhanam' against the lack of facilities and stringent restrictions imposed by the police at the temple complex. Devotees chanting 'nama japam' had gathered at the covered pathway to the temple and had refused to disperse even after the shrine closed at 11 pm. Since prohibitory orders had been imposed, police informed them that they should leave and cannot stay back. Police sources said they had information that the protesters might create trouble at 'Sannidhanam' and they had take precautionary measures accordingly. : Activists of the BJP, Yuva Morcha and other right-wing outfits Monday stepped up protests across Kerala against the late night police crackdown at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple complex and the subsequent detention of 69 people. In a strong reprimand, the Kerala High Court expressed its displeasure over the manner in which Ayyappa devotees were dealt with by the police at the "Sannidhanam" (temple complex). Given the tense situation, there was a dip in arrivals at the shrine which is visited by lakhs of pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage season. As a war of words erupted over the police action, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintained that those who had been arrested were not Ayyappa devotees, but RSS workers camping at Sannidhanam (temple complex). Asserting that his government was with the devotees, Vijayan said it was being targeted for trying to implement the Supreme Court order permitting entry of all women into the shrine. Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, on a visit to Nilackal, Pamba and Sannidhanam to take stock of the various facilities at the hill shrine, lashed out at the state goverment, saying the temple complex had been turned into a "war zone" and devotees were being treated as "dacoits". Citing lack of basic amenities, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its September 28 verdict allowing women of all age groups to pray at the hill shrine. The TDB move came amid the stand-off over entry of women in the 10-50 age group, traditionally barred at the shrine. The day also saw three young women expressing their desire to visit the holy shrine, but in a "friendly atmosphere". Reshma Nishant and Anila from Kannur district and Dhanya from Kollam district said they had been observing the "vritham" (the mandatory austerities for visiting Sabarimala) for visiting the shrine. Since the September 28 top court verdict, no women in the 10-50 age group has succeeded in offering prayers at the shrine, where the deity is "Naishtika Brahmachari" (perennial celebate). About a dozen women, including social activist, Trupti Desai, had made futile efforts to go to Sabarimala. A division bench of the Kerala High court, comprising Justices P R Ramachandra Menon and N Anil Kumar, reprimanded police for acting against the devotees and warned of stringent action if such incidents were repeated. Sixty-nine people, picked up from the temple complex early Monday and subsequently arrested, were produced before a court here this evening and remanded to 14 days judicial custody. The men, who had participated in the "nama japam" (clapping and chanting the name of Ayyappa) protest were detained late last night from the temple complex after they refused to vacate the "nadapandal" (pathway leading to the shrine) despite repeated pleas by the police. Protesting the police action, activists of the BJP, its youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and other right-wing outfits Monday escalated their protests across Kerala. Meanwhile, five Yuva Morcha activists waved party flags and two of them tried to jump in front of the chief minister's convoy Monday morning. Two of them have been arrested, Kozhikode district police chief S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar told PTI. The activists also took out a march to the state secretariat in Thirvananthapuram. Slamming the RSS, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged the RSS had launched "Khalistan model" agitation in Sabarimala to take control of the shrine. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the government was trying to "brand" Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists. Declaring an "open agitation" against the state government over the issue, he said a UDF delegation, comprising coalition leaders, would violate the prohibitory order clamped in Sabarimala Tuesday, if the state government did not withdraw it BJP state unit chief P S Sreedharan Pillai demanded a judicial probe into the police action. As the shrine opened on the third day of the "Mandala Makkaravillaku" pilgrimage season, there was a steep fall in the arrival of devotees, especially from Kerala. According to police sources, so far around 60,000 devotees have visited the shrine since it opened on Friday evening for the 64-day annual pilgrimage season. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A respected South African minister and anti-graft campaigner on Monday warned an official probe into widespread state corruption risks being subverted by those who illicitly enriched themselves. Pravin Gordhan, the minister of state-owned companies, issued the warning as he gave evidence to a judge-led inquiry into alleged corruption that tainted former president Jacob Zuma's time in office. The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which previously backed Gordhan, protested outside the Johannesburg-based inquiry accusing him of being "corrupt", an "enabler" of corruption and Zuma's "biggest defender". "Those who have engaged... in malfeasances, (will) engage in the of distraction," said Gordhan. Gordhan was finance minister before he was abruptly fired by Zuma in March 2017. He estimated that around 100 billion rand (USD 7 billion) may have been stolen through corrupt government tenders. He said he was "an unwitting member of an executive... which was lied to, manipulated and abused for the benefit of a few families". "We allowed a climate of impunity in respect of crime and corruption to emerge." The inquiry, which opened in August, is probing allegations 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, a wealthy Indian migrant business family at the heart of the scandal. The country's anti-corruption ombudsman said in a report the Guptas held such sway that they chose some of Zuma's cabinet ministers and they are accused of fraudulently profiting from vast government contracts. "It impacted severely on the economic growth of the country," said Gordhan. He will continue testifying on Tuesday. Another former finance minister, Nhlanhla Nene, last month gave damning testimony accusing Zuma of pushing policies to benefit the Guptas. Zuma himself has denied any improper relationship with the Guptas and rejects accusations of graft. President Cyril Ramaphosa faces an electoral test at polls next year as public support has waned for his ruling African National Congress. The party has ruled since Nelson Mandela came to power in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule. Zuma, 76, has been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to an arms deal from before he became president but has applied to have the charges thrown out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi King Salman heaped praise on the kingdom's judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst international crises. The public prosecutor last week exonerated powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered the assassination. The prosecutor called for the death penalty against five men as it announced indictments against 11 people and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. "The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution and the performance of the job entrusted to them," the king said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory body. The 82-year-old monarch did not directly address the murder of The Washington Post columnist in his speech. US President Donald Trump, who has praised Saudi Arabia as a "truly spectacular ally", has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the Central Intelligence Agency's reported assessment that he was behind the killing. Saudi Arabia -- which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings -- has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom "by means of persuasion", but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime, including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing. In a sign of further international pressure, Germany on Monday said it will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of a Dalmia Bharat Group firm challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order allowing rival UltraTech Cement to acquire debt-ridden Binani Cement. A bench of justices R F Nariman and Navin Sinha upheld the NCLAT's last week order which had allowed the Aditya Birla group firm to acquire Binani Cement by approving its revised Rs 7,950.34 crore bid over an offer by Rajputana Properties. The bench said there was no infirmity in the NCLAT's order. The NCLAT had approved UltraTech's resolution plan for Binani and rejected the resolution plan submitted by Dalmia Bharat's Rajputana Properties by terming it "discriminatory" and "unbalanced". The top court's order came on a plea by Rajputana Properties against the NCLAT order. In its order, the NCLAT had observed that the plan submitted by Rajputana discriminated between "equally situated" financial creditors and did not balance other stakeholders such as the operational creditors of Binani Cement. Rajputana Properties had moved the appellate tribunal against the May 2 order of Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) that allowed the Resolution Professional and Committee of Creditors (CoC) of Binani to consider UltraTech's revised offer while affording Rajputana an opportunity to revise its resolution plan. The CoC had earlier approved Rajputana's Rs 6,932.4-crore bid, but the decision was changed once UltraTech revised its offer. The NCLAT had observed that the amended offer of UltraTech Cement has got 100 per cent voting from the CoC and added that the intent of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was maximisation of the value of assets. "We approve the revised resolution plan submitted by UltraTech Cement which shall be binding on the corporate debtor (Binani Cement) and its employees, members, creditors, guarantors and other stakeholders involved in the Resolution Plan," the NCLAT order had said. The operational creditors of Binani, represented by Dhaval Vussonji, hailed the apex court order saying it has upheld the NCLAT's order "which emphasises that the corporate insolvency resolution process must maximise value for stake holders and there should not be any discrimination amongst creditors who are at least similarly placed." The NCLAT had also dismissed the plea of promoters of Binani Industries for termination of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process after settling the dues with lenders under section 12 A of the IBC, saying that the application did not have the requisite 90 per cent voting share of the CoC. "Binani Industries cannot take advantage of Section 12A nor can be allowed to settle the matter," the NCLAT had said. UltraTech is the leading cement manufacturer of the country with an installed capacity of 96.5 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of grey cement. It is already merging the cement business of BK Birla Group company Century Textiles and Industries, which has a capacity of 11.4 MTPA. In its 44-page-long order, the NCLAT had observed that financial creditors such as "Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company, IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Bank of India and State Bank of India have been provided with 100 per cent of their verified claim" but the resolution applicant Rajputana Properties has given "lesser percentage to Export-Import Bank of India 72.59 per cent and State Bank of India-Hong Kong 10 per cent". On the other hand, the resolution plan submitted by UltraTech allows "maximization of assets of the Corporate Debtor (Binani Cement) while some amount of working capital has been infused (Rs 350 crores) and all the financial creditors and the Operational Creditors have been paid 100 per cent of dues except the related parties," the NCLAT order had said. The CoC had also asked Rajputana Properties to revise its offer of Rs 6932.4 crore. UltraTech Cement's revised offer was Rs 7,950.34 crore, against its earlier bid of Rs 7,200 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Volunteers in white coveralls, hard hats and masks poked through ash and debris, searching for the remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfire before rains that are forecast for this week complicate their efforts. While the predicted downpour could help tamp down the blazes that have killed 76 people so far, they also could wash away telltale fragments of bone, or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste that would frustrate the search. A team of 10 volunteers went from burned house to burned house Sunday in the devastated town of Paradise, accompanied by a cadaver dog with a bell on its collar that jingled in the grim landscape. The members of the team scrutinized the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange '0'' near the house. Up to 400 people were involved in the overall search and recovery effort. Robert Panak, a volunteer on a different team from Napa County, spent the morning searching homes, but didn't find any remains. Asked whether the job was tough, the 50-year-old said, "I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure." He said his approach was to try to picture the house before it burned and think about where people might have hidden. Nearly 1,300 names are on a list of people who are unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County, authorities said late Saturday. They stressed that the long roster does not mean they believe all those on the list are missing. Sheriff Kory Honea pleaded with evacuees to review the list of those reported as unreachable by family and friends and to call the department if those people are known to be safe. Deputies have located hundreds of people to date, but the overall number keeps growing because they are adding more names, including those from the chaotic early hours of the disaster, Honea said. "As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don't know if that's possible," he said. Honea said it was within the "realm of possibility" that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze. Hundreds of search and recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes when they receive tips that someone might have died there. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, "door-to-door" and "car-to-car" search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, who is helping oversee the search and rescue effort. The search area is huge, Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked. The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and-rescue personnel, he said. The remains of five more people were found Saturday, including four in Paradise and one in nearby Concow, bringing the number of dead to 76. President Donald Trump toured the area Saturday, joined by California's outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats who have traded sharp barbs with the Republican administration. Trump also visited Southern California, where firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that tore through communities west of Los Angeles from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. "We've never seen anything like this in California; we've never seen anything like this yet. It's like total devastation," Trump said as he stood amid the ruins of Paradise and pledged the full support of the federal government. Soon after the fire began, Trump blamed state officials for poor forest management and threatened to cut off federal funding. "He's got our back," outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "There have been some back and forth between California leaders and the president," Brown said. "But in the face of tragedy, people tend to rise above some of their lesser propensities. So I think we're on a good path." He also suggested California's severe wildfires will make believers of even the most ardent climate change skeptics "in less than five years," and that those living near forests might need to build underground shelters to protect them from fires. Rain was forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 20 mph sustained winds and 40 mph gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. Northern California's Camp Fire has destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and torched 233 square miles (603 square kilometers). It was 55 percent contained. Honea expressed hope that Trump's visit would help with recovery, saying the tour by the Republican president and California's Democratic leaders "signals a spirit of cooperation here that ultimately benefit this community and get us on a path toward recovery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sohrabuddin Sheikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2005 with the "dual motive of political and monetary gains", the chief investigating officer (CIO) in the case told a special court here Monday. CIO Amitabh Thakur also told the court that he had not found any material evidence to show who the political beneficiaries were. Sheikh, a suspected gangster with terror links, was shot dead on November 26, 2005 while he was in custody of the Gujarat Police in an alleged fake encounter. His wife Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed in a similar manner within a few days. Sheikh's aide Tulsi Prajapati was allegedly killed in a staged encounter by the Gujarat and the Rajasthan Police in December 2006. "It is correct to say that as per the charge sheet filed in the case, there was a dual motive in the alleged encounter of Sohrabudin Sheikh. One was political and another was monetary," CIO Thakur told special court judge S J Sharma. "I have not found any material evidence to show the persons who were political beneficiaries," he added. Thakur further said there was no material showing if any of the accused facing the trial in the case got benefited "politically or monetarily" from the alleged killing. Of the 38 people charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), 15 people, including senior IPS officers D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh MN, and then minister of state for home in Gujarat Amit Shah were discharged by the court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spain warned Monday it could yet derail the Brexit deal agreed between London and Brussels if it does not guarantee Madrid's veto over Gibraltar's future status. Madrid has a long-standing claim on Gibraltar, which was ceded to the British crown in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, that predates the Brexit negotiations. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is due to sign a treaty with European Union leaders to leave the bloc on Sunday, if Spain does not stand in the way. But Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell warned on Monday after a meeting of EU ministers that the draft deal does not spell out how Gibraltar should be handled. He said the text does not make it clear that future negotiations on ties between Brussels and post-Brexit Britain are separate from the Gibraltar issue. "Future negotiations on Gibraltar are separate negotiations. And that is what needs to be made clear," Borrell said. "Until it is clear ... we will not be able to give our agreement", he warned. According to Article 184 of the draft divorce deal, "the EU and the United Kingdom shall make every effort, in good faith and with full respect for their respective legal systems, to adopt the measures necessary to negotiate rapidly the agreements governing their future relationship." These agreements will be negotiated between Brexit day on March 29 and December 2020 -- extendable once -- and will enter into force at the end of the period. But Spain wants to retain what it sees as its right to negotiate the future on Gibraltar with Britain on a bilateral basis, giving it an effective veto. Although the legal service of the EU Council has tried to reassure Spain that the text does not preclude this, Madrid is seeking further clarification. "Until we have the future declaration and we know what it says, whether we agree or not, we are not going to approve the withdrawal agreement either," Borrell said. Over the weekend, European diplomats said they did not expect Spain's concerns to derail the agreement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. Teledyne Microwave Solutions (TMS), a business unit of the Teledyne Defense Electronics Group and its parent company, Teledyne Technologies, has been awarded a $7.5 million sole-source contract from the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Weapon Systems Support in Philadelphia, the company said in a Nov. 15 release. The contract is for the repair of Traveling Wave Tubes (TWTs) used on the ALQ-99 system in support of the EA-18G Growler aircraft. Teledyne, a long-time world leader in the design and production of advanced TWTs, has supported the ALQ-99 system and its associated aircraft since the 1970s. Teledynes engineering innovations in TWT technology continue to be deployed today to meet the stringent requirements of the U.S. Navy and other military purposes. Execution of this firm-fixed-price contract award will be performed at Teledynes 160,000-square-foot production facility in Rancho Cordova, California. TMS is expected to complete the contract work by November 2021. TMS manufactures a broad range of TWT technologies and applications for use in diverse markets. Teledyne TWTs are found on nearly all major electronic warfare, radar, and communication platforms of the U.S. and its allies throughout the world. Our various product lines also include TWTs used for instrumentation, satellite communications, and other mission critical applications. Spain's Catholic Church wants to "eradicate" cases of sexual abuse of minors within the church and not cover them up, the president of the Spanish bishops' conference said Monday. As in other countries, Spain's Catholic hierarchy is under pressure from local scandals and cases elsewhere that have seen critics accusing it of dragging its feet in delivering a response to abuse allegations. "The Church openly recognises cases of abuse of different nature and has taken the firm decision to eradicate them," Cardinal Ricardo Blazquez Perez of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops' conference told a gathering of bishops in Madrid. "Abuse should not be covered up nor should it be met with the wrong answer," he added. In his address, the cardinal also cited the conclusions of a month-long meeting, or synod of Church leaders from around the world held last month in Rome saying: "Confronting the issue of abuse in all its aspects...could be an opportunity for a historical reform." Last week Father Jose Maria Gil Tamayo, the Spanish bishops' conference secretary-general, said the Spanish Church had maintained a "complicit silence" regarding abuse cases within a wider context of "inaction by all of Spanish society", according to local media reports. Spain's Catholic Church last month set up a commission charged with creating new rules to prevent child sexual abuse. The commission will also prepare for an unprecedented meeting of the heads of the national Catholic bishops' conferences from around which Pope Francis has scheduled for February at the Vatican. Top-selling Spanish daily newspaper El Pais reported last month that Spain's Catholic hierarchy silenced for decades the majority of cases of sexual abuse of minors within the church which it was aware of. The paper also published several accounts from people who said they had suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two books by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offering insights into the human condition will hit the stands next week, announced Westland Publications on Monday. The books, titled "The Bhagavad Gita" and "Upanishad: Ishavasya, Kena, Katha, Yogasara", told in a "simple" narrative are replete with humorous anecdotes for the better understanding of the contemporary audience, said the publishers. While 'The Bhagavad Gita' is a compilation of series of talks by the spiritual guru on one of the most famous scriptures on the philosophy of life, 'Upanishad', according to the publishers, has Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conversing with the readers and explaining the four upanishads -- Ishavasya, Kena, Katha, Yogasara -- with "such simplicity and wit that their esoteric truth becomes self-evident, like living reality". "Gurudev's knowledge has touched millions of lives across the globe. We are sure that through this partnership with Westland, we will be able to reach out to many more readers. He makes even the most complex of the scriptures come alive for a common man. "Whether you are seeking all of life's answers or just looking for a meaningful read, these books will appeal to all," Prasana Prabhu, Trustee, Sri Sri Publications Trust, said. A much revered spiritual leader universally, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is also founder of Art of Living Foundation, a volunteer-based NGO providing social support to the people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday blamed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for the grenade attack in Amritsar, accusing him of hobnobbing with radicals who are "hell-bent" on fomenting trouble in the state. "I squarely blame Captain Amarinder Singh for the terror activity, as there is a conspiracy of supporting radicals and encouraging radicals. Today, he is responsible for what happened in Amritsar," Sukhbir told reporters here. "The CM has hobnobbed with those forces which are hell-bent on fomenting trouble in Punjab," the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief said. Three persons were killed and over 20 injured when two motorcycle-borne men threw grenade in a prayer hall at the Nirankari Bhavan near Rajasansi on Sunday, an incident which the police are treating as a "terrorist act". "The tragic attack is a direct fallout of the chief minister's policy to support radicals and use them to marginalise the mainstream moderate Akalis," Sukhbir said "Now, again, Punjab is being pushed into bloodshed," he said, alleging that even the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission on sacrilege cases was used to divert attention from the "abject failures" of the Congress government. "Now, after (the) Amritsar incident, people and even Congress leaders are questioning the patronage extended by Capt. Amarinder to radicals. Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu is now blaming Sikh radical Baljit Singh Daduwal for yesterday's tragedy and even talking about the crore of rupees collected by him. "Why was Bittu silent when we gave proof of the dinner-meeting invitation extended to Daduwal by Amarinder and even details of the Rs 18 crore collected by him?" Sukhbir asked. Alleging that the state government had completely failed in maintaining the law-and-order situation, Sukhbir said former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had even written a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, stating that Amarinder could not run the government. The Punjab chief minister said Monday initial investigations suggested the grenade used in the attack at the Nirankari Bhawan was similar to the ones manufactured by the Pakistani Army ordnance factory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sulking UP Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar Monday fired a fresh salvo at the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government, accusing it of denying funds to open schools for 'divyaangjan' (specially-abled people) in the state. Rajbhar's fresh attack at the BJP comes a day after he challenged the ruling party to dump him for daring "to call a spade a spade". Rajbhar, who heads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party - an ally of the BJP in UP, said in a tweet, "In Uttar Pradesh, there are 16 'divyaang' schools in 75 districts. In the state, there are 1.5 crore 'divyaang' people. Now, how will they study in these 16 schools?" "If we speak up in this regard, it is said that we are speaking against them in revolt," he said. In another tweet, Rajbhar said, "Keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Ram Mandir issue is being fanned. Through Kumbh, branding of the Lok Sabha elections is being done. In Kumbh thousands of crores of rupees are being spent, but when I seek budget for Divyaangjan Empowerment Department, there is no budget." When contacted, UP's Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal told PTI, "The question should be asked to honourable chief minister. I am a minister who is equivalent to him (Rajbhar). Hence, it will not be appropriate for me to comment on a person who is equivalent to me."Rajbhar is a Cabinet minister holding the portfolio of Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment in the council of ministers headed by Adityanath. Hitting back at the BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief, a disgruntled Rajbhar had challenged Sunday his NDA ally to dump him for daring "to call a spade a spade". "Why are you unnecessarily carrying us? If you have the courage, dump us. The government has no time for welfare activities for backward people," SBSP chief said in the wake UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey's comment that "Rajbhar is a necessary evil" and that comments made by the SBSP chief "should not be taken seriously". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan cleanliness campaign was the focus at the World Toilet Summit held here Monday. The event was held by the World Toilet Organization, a global non-profit body, which aims to provide sustainable and affordable sanitation solutions to eradicate open defecation practises in the world. The summit theme was "Can the world be open defecation free by 2030", a release said. In a video message to the gathering, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state has become 100 per cent open defecation free, 55 per cent of which was covered after his government came to power in 2014. The World Health Organization estimates that about 2.3 billion people in the world do not have access to clean, safe and reliable toilets, the release said. This number is 732 million in India, it added. Jack Sim, founder of World Toilet Organization, said, "We believe in the necessity of a comprehensive behavioural change strategy to focus on bringing the change in the mindset of people". He said the organisation was committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, said there has been a major transformation in India due to the cleanliness campaign. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 17-year-old female driver spent at least seven hours in surgery Monday, after fracturing her spine in a horrifying crash at the Formula Three Macau Grand Prix. The German racer Sophia Floersch hurtled into marshals and photographers after flying off the track on Sunday. "She was admitted for surgery at 10am (0200 GMT) and it is still ongoing," a press spokesman for Macau's health authority told AFP late on Monday afternoon. Dramatic footage captured gasps from the crowd as the Van Amersfoort Racing driver's car flew through the air in and into safety netting at the Guia Circuit's Lisboa bend, a sharp right-hander. Running 16th, she lost control in a contact down the straight, launched off a kerb and bounced off Tsuboi's TOM's Racing car. A medical report sent to AFP said Floersch was admitted to the emergency room of a Macau hospital with a spinal fracture in a stable condition. Floersch later reassured her fans on Twitter Sunday evening. "Just wanted to let everybody know that I am fine but will be going into surgery tomorrow morning," she said. "Thanks to everybody for the supporting messages." Japanese driver Sho Tsuboi, two photographers and a marshal were also taken to hospital for treatment. The marshal suffered a broken jaw, while another victim had abdominal pain from a lacerated liver, according to the medical reports by the Macau Grand Prix sent to AFP. "I hope everybody's OK after this crash, I wish them the best recovery," said European champion Mick Schumacher, the son of stricken F1 legend Michael, according to the Post. Nineteen-year-old Briton Dan Ticktum of Red Bull Junior Team won the race on the fabled Macau street circuit, which has been graced by F1 greats such as Schumacher senior and Ayrton Senna. At least three people have died on the Macau Grand Prix circuit. British rider Daniel Hegarty died last year after hitting a barrier at Fishermen's Bend during the Macau Grand Prix's feature motorcycle race. In 2012 Portugal's Luis Carreira and Hong Kong's Phillip Yau were killed within two days of each other during the Macau Grand Prix. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alia Bhatt might be in for her professional success and her relationship with Ranbir Kapoor but the actor says people will have to "keep waiting" as there is still time before she ties the knot. Recently, Bollywood couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh got hitched in a private ceremony in Italy. Reports suggest Priyanka Chopra is set to tie the knot with her fiance Nick Jonas in Jodhpur on December 1. When asked about Priyanka's wedding, Alia told reporters, "I am very happy and excited. I am very excited to see PC in her wedding attire. I am very fond of her and I have a lot of love and warmth for her. "I wish she has a beautiful wedding and I am sure she will make for a beautiful bride and she should have a beautiful life." The "Raazi" actor was asked about her marriage plans, to which she replied, "Keep waiting. There's time for that." Alia was speaking at the Lux Golden Rose Award, Sunday night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's attacks on the media represent the "greatest threat" to democracy, the retired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein, has said. William McRaven's remarks on Sunday came after Trump derided the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer". Trump also suggested that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump told Fox "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," McRaven said. McRaven oversaw the May 2011 covert raid of the US Navy Seals which killed former Al-Qaeda leader bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. He also supervised the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his 37 years in the US military. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven told CNN, referring to remarks he made about Trump last year. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands," he said. Trump coined the term 'Fake News' during his presidential campaign, targeting media houses and has been repeatedly using it for "biased" coverage. The term is now popularly related to news one does not agree with. He has also announced the 'Fake News Awards' for the "very corrupt and dishonest" press for "bad reporting". McRaven's comments escalated a war of words that began last year when McRaven called Trump's description of the news media as the "enemy of the people" the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, the US President "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell pointed out on Twitter that McRaven's forces had nothing to do with locating bin Laden. Morrell said it was the CIA that did the "finding" and McRaven's forces that did the "getting", moving out within days of receiving the order. The president's remarks about McRaven came amid broader questions about Trump's relationship with military matters. During a recent trip to France, the president did not attend a ceremony commemorating the centenary of World War I because of the rain, with the White House saying his helicopter couldn't fly in the inclement weather and a motorcade would have caused too much traffic. Trump also has been criticised by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. He, however, said he was planning to visit the two countries. "I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of - obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said in an interview. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two members of the dreaded 'Bawariya' gang were injured Monday during an encounter with police in Rajnagar Extension here even as a constable was hurt in the exchange of gunfire, police said. Based on a tip-off, Sihani gate police and crime branch cordoned off the area and started checking vehicles and persons, they said. During the checking, police tried to intercept some persons moving suspiciously. However, the suspects opened fire at the police team when asked to stop, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police Upender Agarwal said the team opened fire in retaliation. He said a police constable Ravi suffered injuries during the exchange of gunfire. The two suspects were shot in the leg. However, three of their accomplices managed to flee the spot, the SSP said. The injured Bawariya members were identified as Monu and Suraj. They confessed to crimes such as dacoity, murders in Sonipat, Faridabad, Bulandshahar, Noida and Ghaziabad districts. The three injured, including the constable, were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two licensed pistols were also recovered from the accused's possession, police said, adding that the duo admitted that they are active members of the Bawariya gang. Three members of the gang who are still at large will be arrested soon, SSP Agarwal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's counter-terrorism police officers on Monday launched a new 60-second security plan as part of a "Protect and Prepare" campaign for retail stores on the country's high streets, which will be flooded with shoppers in the lead up to Christmas. The aim of the 60-second checklist for staff in shops would be to prevent widespread panic during reports of a marauding terror attack, when rumours of terrorists on the loose spread like wildfire on social media platforms. It involves staff ensuring they have a clear understanding about who is in charge of emergency plans, know when it is appropriate to evacuate a store and when it is best to order a lockdown and tell shoppers to stay put. They will also be asked to familiarise themselves with all the best places to hide in the shop in the event of a marauding terrorist attack. "As people are enjoying the festive season, they will see a visible security presence with police patrols and additional security in crowded places, said Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth, the UK's National Coordinator for the Protect and Prepare campaign. "Unpredictable deployments across the UK will also provide an additional layer of protection, with specially-trained uniformed and plain clothes officers working to deter, detect and disrupt hostile reconnaissance and encourage the public and businesses to be their extra eyes and ears and report anything that doesn't feel right," he said. Aldworth made specific reference to an incident last year on London's famous shopping hub of Oxford Street, when a fight at a Tube station caused panic when people believed that a terrorist attack had occurred. In the rush to keep themselves safe, some people suffered serious injuries and businesses were severely disrupted. It later emerged to be a false alarm, which multiplied with social media posts. He said: By working alongside those businesses, we have learnt from that experience and I believe that our 60-second check will better prepare us to deal with something similar in the future. "I want staff working in crowded places to know who is appointed to make decisions on the shop floor, how to enter and exit a building in an emergency, how to lock down or where to hide if needs be." Britain's terror threat level remains at "severe", which means an attack is highly likely, after five terror attacks over last year. Scotland Yard and intelligence officials have previously confirmed that at least 17 plots were foiled since March 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an article written for Public Discourse, Samuel Gregg. Actons director of research, reviews Julian Jacksons recent book about General Charles de Gaulle. The book clearly communicates the idea that de Gaulles conception of France as a nation had a very specific character. De Gaulle is a historical biography, not a commentary on present-day debates concerning globalization or nationalism. Its difficult, however, not to reflect on these matters when reading this book, writes Gregg, given the central place accorded by de Gaulle to the nation when approaching topics ranging from economic questions to foreign policy. Gregg describes how de Gaulle was a man constantly entrenched in conflict, even from birth. He grew up around the time of the Dreyfus Affair, a political scandal that caused extreme division in France. Gregg also notes how Jackson describes de Gaulle as being at the center of two civil wars that tore the French nation asunder. One of which was the 1940 split between those who opted for Petain and Vichy France and those who chose de Gaulle and Free France. The other was the Algerian War that emerged in 1954. The Algerian War revealed a conflict in both France and in de Gaulle himself. Gregg writes, As the Algerian rebels fought for independence, the conflict assumed the character of an internal clash among Frenchmen, which spiraled into violence. At first, de Gaulle favored the Algerian rebels cause, then he changed his mind and insisted on maintaining Frances colonial empire. Gregg attributes de Gaulles shift in opinion to the nations pivotal place in de Gaulles thought. De Gaulles concern about nation further manifested in his worries about the domination of Germany during the rise of Nazism and the Bretton Woods Agreement, which effectively made the US dollar the worlds reserve currency and gave the US much advantage over France and other countries. As much as de Gaulle loved France, he was very aware of its brokenness as a nation. He came up with two ways to restore his country. First, Gregg notes, he sought to project a vision of France as stronger than it really was, a tactic used to elevate France in the worlds eyes and in the eyes of its own people. The second approach involved de Gaulle drawing on a range of historical and cultural sources to provide France with a regime of ordered liberty that would stabilize the countrys longstanding political fractures. Gregg notes how Jackson refers to the constitutional regime of the Fifth Republic as his most lasting achievement. While its 1958 constitution has been amended several times, notes Gregg, France remains very much de Gaulles regime. De Gaulle contributed extensively to Frances constitution and the presidency. But de Gaulles constitutional order also managed to achieve something that had eluded Napoleon, writes Gregg. It integrated the monarchical principle associated with the ancien regime into the republican framework bequeathed by the Revolution. Jackson describes the effect as reconciling the left to authority and the right to democracy. Although a man with many flaws, de Gaulles effects on political theory are hard to ignore. Gregg ends by noting, in an age when supranational technocrats, utopian globalists, leftists contemptuous of patriotism, and tribal populists seem locked in relentless struggle with each other, we need such individuals more than ever. Read the full article here. Featured image: Gnotype [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons Libyan militia leader Salah Badi was placed on the US sanctions blacklist Monday, days after the United Nations Security Council placed global restrictions on doing business with the Islamist commander. In the wake of fractious international talks last week aimed at stabilizing the violence-torn country, the US State Department said Badi was being sanctioned because he had worked to undermine Libya's government and stability since 2014. Badi is a senior commander of the armed Al-Sumud front and the Fajr Libya brigade, both of which have challenged the shaky UN-backed coalition Government of National Accord. "In August 2018, Badi ordered action against rival militias aligned with the Government of National Accord, exacerbating instability in Tripoli," the State Department said in a statement. "In addition, forces under Badi's command have used Grad rockets in highly populated areas, causing indiscriminate destruction and casualties, including emergency responders and ambulance workers." During September, according to the US Treasury, which administers sanctions, Badi's rebel fighters ignored UN calls to join a cease fire and continued attacking rival militias. The UN Security Council placed Badi on its sanctions list on Friday in response to a proposal by France. That came after key Libyan power brokers attended a contentious international effort to create the foundations for peace last week in Palermo, Italy. But various Libyan factional leaders refused to meet with rivals and international sponsors of the talks themselves could not agree on how to proceed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alleging irregularities in the voters' list for the just-concluded civic body polls in Uttarakhand, the ruling BJP Monday demanded a high level probe and asked the state election commission to punish officials responsible. "We demand a high level probe into the irregularities in the voters' list," Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt said in a statement, adding that officials and employees responsible should be identified and punished. Alleging that names of a large number of eligible voters, including BJP supporters, were missing from the list, Bhatt said the matter was serious and called for a high level probe. Drawing the attention of the state election commissioner to the alleged irregularities, the BJP leader said many people could not exercise their right to vote. In some instances, names were wrongly printed in the list, while in others, names of ineligible voters figured, Bhatt said. "It is not acceptable. BJP has suffered due to these irregularities. 2019 Lok Sabha polls are approaching. More caution should be maintained regarding the voters' list," he said. Urban local body polls were held in Uttarakhand on Sunday with nearly 70 per cent of the electorate casting their votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Women can be just as resilient as men in undertaking arduous physical activity with appropriate training and preparation, a study has found. Researchers showed that women who underwent extreme physical training and completed a transantarctic expedition did not show any more negative health effects than would be expected in men. It has been reported that the female reproductive system and stress responses are more sensitive to the negative effects of extreme physical activity. There is some evidence that arduous physical activity can suppress normal female reproductive hormone activity, impair bone strength and elevate stress hormone levels to a greater extent than in men. However, the reasons underlying these reported gender differences in response to extreme endurance exercise remain poorly understood. Robert Gifford and colleagues from the University of Edinburgh in the UK examined the effects of extreme exercise on hormone levels and the health of six women participating in the first all-female transantarctic expedition. The researchers monitored several markers of their health before and after the successful expedition. These included indicators of stress, reproductive and metabolic hormone levels, body weight and bone strength. The findings indicated not only that markers of reproductive function and bone strength were preserved, but that some markers showed evidence of delayed, exercise-related benefit to their physical fitness two weeks after the expedition. "Our findings contain some potentially myth-busting data on the impact of extreme physical activity on women. We have shown that with appropriate training and preparation, many of the previously reported negative health effects can be avoided," said Gifford. Although the team consisted of just six women and it was not possible to account for confounding factors such as age or ethnicity, these findings do suggest adherence to a comprehensive training schedule may have mitigated any negative health effects, researchers said. The team now plan to further investigate how different types of activities can contribute to negative effects on stress and energy balance caused by physical exertion, which may help in the generation of transferrable strategies that prevent them in future. "These findings could have important relevance for men and women in arduous or stressful employment, where there is concern that they are damaging their health. If an appropriate training and nutritional regime is followed, their health may be protected," said Gifford. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World powers traded accusations of hypocrisy in bitter clashes on Monday over the global toxic weapons watchdog's new ability to attribute blame for attacks like those in Syria and Salisbury. The United States and Britain went head-to-head with Russia, China and Syria over the boosted powers that members agreed to give the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in June. At a tense meeting in The Hague, Moscow and Beijing were accused of trying to stall the watchdog's new role indefinitely by proposing that the changes be subjected to "open ended" scrutiny before going live. US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said Russia's claims that the OPCW's new powers were illegitimate were "pungent hypocrisy", and warned against allowing a "new era of chemical weapons use to take hold". "What have they done for the last few years but to connive with their Syrian ally to bury the truth of what has happened in Syria, along with the dead killed by the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," Ward said. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, Salisbury comes along." The West pushed through the new powers after a string of chemical attacks in Syria, as well as a nerve agent attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury in March. Britain accused Russia of carrying out the attack using a Soviet-era chemical called Novichok and the West has since imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow. British envoy to the OPCW Peter Wilson called any attempt to limit the watchdog's power to attribute blame for chemical attacks "unacceptable". But Russia's envoy Alexander Shulgin hit back, saying that Western claims of chemical weapons use by Damascus and Moscow were a "scam" and "out and out lies". He added that Russia had a "principled position regarding the illegitimacy" of the new investigative powers, adding that they "infringe on the properties of the UN Security Council", where Russia has a veto. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad meanwhile launched a fierce broadside at the US and Britain. "You have taught people to use chemical weapons, you have used chemical weapons in the first two world wars. The Syrian government has never used chemical weapons," he said. "Where is your morality? This is sheer hypocrisy and sheer lies, I wish to use such undiplomatic language." The meeting is also the first since the expulsion of four Russians accused by Dutch authorities in October of trying to hack into the OPCW's computer system, using electronic equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby hotel. At the time the organisation was investigating the attack on Skripal as well as a major chemical attack in Syria. The OPCW says the two-week meeting of the 193 member countries is meant to "discuss the future of the organisation". New OPCW director-general Fernando Arias warned in his opening address on Monday that the "international norm against the use of chemical weapons has come under strain". "Their repeated use poses a challenge that must be met with strong and unified resolve," he added. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the OPCW is responsible for upholding the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention to end the use of all toxic arms. So far it says it has overseen the destruction of 96.5 per cent of the world's chemical arms stocks. But in recent years it has seen its role expand to cover the investigation of a wave of chemicals attacks in the Syrian civil war, as well as the Salisbury attack and the 2017 killing in Malaysia of a half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A "very small but very strong" investigative team will start work early next year with a mandate to go back and try to attribute blame for all chemical attacks in Syria since 2013, Arias said. The watchdog will also be able to point the finger for future attacks anywhere in the world, so long as it is asked to by the country on whose territory where the incident happened. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Poor countries around the world are facing a dangerous shortage of toilets that puts millions of live at risk, according to campaigners marking World Toilet Day by urging governments and businesses to invest more in sanitation. The toilet crisis is most severe in parts of Africa and Asia facing extreme poverty and seeing a population boom. One in five primary schools and one in eight secondary schools globally do not have any toilets, the group WaterAid said in a new report to mark the UN-designated toilet day, observed on Monday, as part of efforts to end the global sanitation crisis. An estimated 4.5 billion people across the world lack access to proper sanitation, said the report. Some 2.5 billion among them do not have adequate toilets, according to UN figures. The lack of toilets forces many to defecate in the open in the streets, in the bushes and by rivers and other water sources. Among the development goals set by the UN in 2015 is a target to ensure everyone has access to a safe toilet by 2030. But campaigners warn this goal will be hard to meet if governments and businesses do not put more money into the sanitation economy. Sanitation is "the business of the decade," said Cheryl Hicks, chief executive of the Geneva-based business group Toilet Board Coalition. She told The Associated Press that the group is urging commercial investment to help reduce toilet shortages in countries where governments cannot afford such infrastructure. "Half the world needs toilets. They don't have them because the infrastructure is too expensive for governments," she said. African countries are among the neediest. The new report by WaterAid cites an estimated 344 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who lack a toilet at home, leaving them vulnerable to diarrhea and other water-borne infections. In the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, one of 101 countries surveyed by WaterAid, eight in 10 schools there lack adequate toilet facilities. The same study reported that 93 percent of households in the East African nation of Ethiopia lack a decent toilet. Joel Ssimbwa, an entrepreneur who has put up two low-cost facilities in impoverished parts of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, said he launched his business in 2016 after several times he needed to ease himself but had "nowhere to go." In September 2007 a Ugandan lawmaker told reporters he was "badly off" and helpless after being photographed urinating against a wall outside the Ministry of Finance in Kampala. He was later charged and fined, despite protesting the lack of sanitation facilities nearby. There are fewer than 20 free public toilets in Kampala, a city of over 3 million people. Toilets in buildings across the city are often kept under lock and key, apparently to ward off unwelcome users. Ssimbwa acknowledged that the Shs300 (8 cents) he charges may still be unaffordable to many, the reason he is working on a business model that would allow his clients to pay a uniform monthly fee instead of having to pay each time they check in. "It is a drop in the ocean, but it creates awareness" of what the government and others must do, he said, talking about his services. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Special measures are being taken to avoid untoward incidents as hundreds of passengers travel on the roof of trains to reach Junagadh to participate in the Girnar Parikrama pilgrimage, a Western Railway official said Monday. The area is in the jurisdiction of WR's Bhavnagar Division. The five-day parikrama, in which pilgrims cover a distance of 36 kilometres walking around Mount Girnar, located in Junagadh district, began last week. With several of these routes towards Junagadh serviced by metre-gauge trains, passengers have been seen climbing on to their roofs to get to the area, said officials. A large posse of Railway Protection Force personnel had been posted, train speeds had been curtailed and special buses had deployed to avoid untoward incidents, a WR official from Bhavnagar division said. "RPF is escorting trains coming towards Junagadh from Amreli, Dilwara, Veraval, and Gondal and other routes. We have identified main stations like Amreli, Diwara, Visavadar and have deployed personnel there. We are asking pilgrims not to travel on the roofs of trains," said Trupti Gupte, Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Bhavnagar division of Western Railway. She added that railways had also provided buses from Una, Dilwara and other places to lessen the rush in trains. "We have issued caution order for trains to move at lower speeds. We have also called RPF from Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad divisions," she said, adding that the crowd of devotees is likely to increase as the festival progresses. A Railway official said there were reports that two to three people had fallen off the roof of a metre-gauge train between Junagadh and Visavadar on Saturday, adding that no such incident was reported on Sunday and Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Practising yoga can improve people's attitude towards their own bodies, potentially preventing adverse consequences of body dissatisfaction such as eating disorders and poor mental health. For the study published in the journal Body Image, researchers interviewed 46 young adults who practiced yoga at least 30 minutes a week, on average, over the past year. "The results of this study give great insight into the small tweaks instructors and studios can employ to improve the positive impact of yoga on people with poor body image," said Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, a professor at the University of Minnesota in the US. About 82 per cent of participants of the study expressed that yoga has a positive impact on their body image, while 28 per cent found that the influence of yoga can also be negative. However, all but one of the respondents who indicated that yoga can have a negative impact on their body image also discussed its positive impact. People who felt that yoga harmed their self-image mainly said it was due to comparing themselves to the physical appearance or performance of others in class. To support improved body image, researchers recommend that instructors and studios adjust language to encourage participants to be grateful for their bodies and what they can do. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Teis Jensen and Jacob Gronholt-PedersenCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The whistleblower who revealed alleged money laundering involving Danske Bank said on Monday that a major European lender helped process up to $150 billion in suspicious payments and two U.S. banks were also involved. Payments totalling 200 billion euros ($228.5 billion) made through Danske Bank's tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015 have sparked inquiries in Denmark, Estonia, Britain and the United States in a growing global scandal.Howard Wilkinson, the head of Danske Bank's trading unit in the Baltics from 2007 to ... By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair MacdonaldBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Monday the draft Brexit deal reached with London was "fair and balanced", as the bloc haggled with Britain over any extension to the envisaged transition period.Barnier told a news conference after briefing the 27 national EU ministers that they generally approved of the draft divorce agreement reached last week, and that a blank in the document on the end date for a possible extension of the status-quo transition period should be resolved for a summit on Sunday."The ... By Jan Strupczewski and Francesco GuarascioBRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Franco-German proposal for a euro zone budget could be a "breakthrough" for a euro zone reform package next month, but more work on it is needed, the chairman of euro zone finance ministers said as Italy voiced reservations about the plan.France and Germany agreed on Friday to back a joint euro zone budget focused on financing investment and reforms that help euro zone economies converge. But some officials see that focus also as its weakness, because it does not stress the stabilisation role for the budget which some countries ... BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers discussed on Monday ways to make sovereign debt restructuring easier and more predictable as they seek to put together a package of reforms for December to integrate the single currency area more closely.The ministers broadly supported the introduction of "single-limb" Collective Action Clauses (CACs) in euro zone bonds, which would allow for a single restructuring decision to encompass all bonds. Existing CACs require separate restructuring for separate types of bonds issued by the government.The change would make debt restructuring easier ... By Jan Strupczewski and Francesco GuarascioBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Franco-German proposal of a euro zone budget could represent a "breakthrough" for reaching a deal on a euro zone reform package next month, said the chairman of the zone's finance ministers, though Italy quickly distanced itself from the plan.France and Germany agreed on Friday to back a joint euro zone budget focused on financing investment and reforms that help euro zone economies converge. All EU finance ministers except Britain, which is due to leave the bloc next March, will discuss the proposal on Monday as part of a ... By Alwyn Scott(Reuters) - General Electric Co named new leaders for its ailing power business on Monday, appointing Scott Strazik as CEO for gas power and bringing longtime GE executive John Rice back from retirement in an advisory role.The changes come as new GE Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp tries to quickly reduce heavy debt and restore profits at the 126-year-old, Boston-based conglomerate, and highlights the problems with GE's power division."One of my top priorities is positioning our businesses to win, starting with GE Power," Culp said in a statement.GE stock was down slightly at ... ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar said on Monday he would invest $90 billion annually in infrastructure over the next 5 years if he wins presidential elections in 2019.Abubakar made the commitment in his manifesto for the February 2019 race, where he will seek to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari. (Reporting by Paul Carsten; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday that the country was planning to sign a partnership agreement with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and that it would be discussed at OPEC's Dec. 6 meeting. (Reporting by Olesya Astakhova; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Reuters) - Danske Bank is embroiled in a money laundering scandal that has triggered criminal investigations, forced out its CEO and chairman and rattled investors in Denmark's largest bank.An internal investigation, published in September, charted how 200 billion euro ($229 billion) flowed through Danske Bank's tiny Estonian branch from clients registered or incorporated in countries including Russia and Britain between 2007 and 2015.Danske Bank said many of the payments were suspicious.The following timeline summarises developments, some of which were highlighted in an 87-page report by ... The terse townhall at online fashion retailer Jabong's Gurgaon headquarters on Friday spelt out the arrival of pink slip season in the company. Myntra's CEO Ananth Narayanan reportedly informed the gathering that about 250 jobs - or over 40% of Jabong's total workforce - would be lost courtesy a restructuring exercise, where all operations including technology and corporate functions like HR will get combined with that of Myntra. The latter had acquired Jabong in July 2016 but they had hitherto operated as separate platforms. The buzz is that Jabong is also likely to move base to Bengaluru. But there could be more bad news in the offing. A source in the know told The Economic Times that Flipkart's fashion unit Myntra could sack another 200 staff at Jabong in the next three months. On Friday, Myntra had said in a statement that it had been steadily streamlining processes with Jabong since the takeover, which had resulted in revenue growth and an improvement in the customer experience. "Myntra and Jabong will now fully integrate all the remaining functions including technology, marketing, category, revenue, finance and creative teams," a company spokesperson told the daily. "To remain the leader in fashion ecommerce in India, we have to find ways to operate more effectively and innovate more quickly," the person added, but did not respond on the issue of whether more jobs will be eliminated. The past week has been a rollercoaster ride at the Flipkart Group following its cofounder Binny Bansal's sudden exit. On Tuesday, in its statement announcing Bansal's resignation, Walmart had outlined a significant change in the group. "Going forward, Kalyan Krishnamurthy will continue to be the CEO of Flipkart, which will now include Myntra and Jabong, continuing to operate as separate platforms within the Flipkart business," read the statement. Then came news of the merging of functions with Myntra, but even after that the Bengaluru company had reiterated that they were keen to keep business under Jabong brand as well. Edited by Sushmita Agarwal Reliance Industries (RIL), which pipped Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become the most-valued company in terms of market capitalisation on Friday, is reportedly now planning to boost its oil-refining capacity by about 50%. This development comes against the backdrop of mushrooming energy demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects India's energy demand to more than double by 2040, making it the single-largest source of global growth. In fact, we are the world's fastest-growing major oil-consuming nation. Citing people in the know, Bloomberg reported that the billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led oil-to-telecom conglomerate has begun discussions with global refinery process licencors and equipment vendors for a new refining train at the Jamnagar complex, the world's biggest refining complex. The proposed plant will be able to process as much as 30 million tons of crude a year, said the sources, adding that given the size envisaged by the company, the project may cost $10 billion. Ambani's moves signal his intent to cement RIL's dominance in the country amid increasing competition. For instance, Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) signed agreements to invest in a proposed 60-million ton refinery complex on India's west coast while Russia's Rosneft PJSC and partners acquired the country's second-largest private oil processor. Meanwhile, Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell are also expanding into fuel retailing in India. Shell has restarted retailing gasoline and diesel in the country, while Total partnered the Adani Group to set up liquefied natural gas import terminals and fuel retailing business. The report added that RIL is looking to process the dirtiest and heaviest crude and may focus on producing feedstock for petrochemicals. According to the sources, the expansion plan is still under discussion and a feasibility report is likely to be prepared by the end of next year, once the recently-expanded petrochemicals capacities stabilise. RIL is expected to make the final investment decision with an aim to start work only in 2020. This is actually the second time in this decade that RIL has considered expanding its refining capacity. In 2013-14 it had sought environment approval for the same, but the company shelved the plan, choosing to focus on increasing downstream chemicals capacities and building its telecom business instead. Things seem more likely to go to plan this time round, given RIL's robust second quarter numbers for this fiscal, driven by its petrochemicals business, and the anticipated domestic demand for fuel. The IEA predicts that India and the Middle East will be bigger oil consumers than the European Union by 2030, driven mainly by diesel for trucks and petrochemicals feedstock. Edited by Sushmita Agarwal Former Union minister Arun Shourie Sunday said ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a "great sense of remorse" for imposing Emergency, but the situation today is "graver" than it was in 1975-77. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's juggernaut could be stopped in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if the entire Opposition unites and follows the principle of one candidate against the BJP in every seat. The journalist-turned-politician was addressing a session on 'Danger within the Judicial System' at Tata Literature Festival here. "In 1975 (Emergency) there was much better-defined opponent. Today there is widespread opponent. I can tell you this, the difference between Gandhi and Narendra Modi is that Gandhi had a great sense of remorse about what she had done," he said. "Today, there is no remorse. In Gandhi's case I feel, in spite of the fact that she put 1,75,000 people in jail, there was a sense of limit...isse aage nahi jana hai (not beyond this point). But today there is no sense of limit," he added. The Emergency lasted for 19 months, but today there is much more sustained and relentless assault at undermining institutions, Shourie said. "..so I feel the situation now is much graver than it was in 1975," he added. Shourie asserted that opposition unity is key to defeating Modi in 2019. "After all, Modi at the peak of his popularity (in 2014).. how many votes he got? Only 31 per cent. So if the opposition unites, it starts with 69 per cent of the votes," he said. "In any case, the BJP has no presence in the states where regional parties are strong. We should think of the Congress and support the Congress in those places where it is a dominant regional party," he said. He added that if the leaders of the other parties don't agree on the principle of one candidate against a BJP candidate, then people should be approached to teach them a lesson for splitting opposition votes. A former minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, Shourie said people should look within themselves to bring change. "If we're not prepared to do anything, situation will be the way it is," he said. He claimed all institutions are under assault, especially during the last four years, and have been destroyed by the "termite" inside them. "Institutions in India, I fear, are hollow," he said. The Reliance Industries stock closed higher today amid a report the Mukesh Ambani-owned conglomerate was considering a plan to raise its oil refining capacity by about half. The stock rose up to 2.12% higher to 1151.40 level on the BSE. The large cap stock has been gaining for the last three days and has risen 4.92% during the period. It closed 1.96% or 22.10 points higher on the BSE. The stock has gained 26.16% during the last one year and risen 24.61% since the beginning of this year. 26 of 36 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or 'outperform', five "hold", one "underperform" and four "sell", according to analysts' recommendations tracked by Reuters. The stock is trading above its 50 day and 200-day moving average of 1103.66 and 1095.83. The conglomerate is holding discussions with global refinery process licensors and equipment vendors for the new refining plant at the Jamnagar complex, which may cost $10 billion to the company, a Bloomberg report said. The plant would be able to process as much as 30 million tonne of crude a year, according to the report. On Friday, the Reliance Industries (RIL) stock surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in market capitalisation rising over 2% intra day in trade. The RIL stock rose 2.78% or 29 points to 1,126 on the BSE. On the other hand, the TCS stock was trading merely 0.72% higher at 1879 level. Reliance Industries'market capitalisation rose to Rs 7,14,668 crore beating TCS' market cap which stood at Rs 7,06,574 crore on the BSE. Reliance Industries is engaged in refining, including manufacturing of refined petroleum products, and petrochemicals, including manufacturing of basic chemicals, fertilizers and nitrogen compounds, plastic and synthetic rubber in primary forms. The company's segments include refining, petrochemicals, oil and gas, organized retail and others. The others segment includes textile, special economic zone (SEZ) development, telecom or broadband business and media. Meanwhile, the Sensex closed 317 points higher at 35,774 level. The Nifty too gained 81 points or 0.76% to 10,763 level. Specifically, GOC Food Processing Export Company won an order to export 350 containers of cucumber and chili with the total value of US$4.2 million. Coconut milk of Ben Tre Import Export Company has been chosen to be one of 200 creative new products highlighted at Idea Supermarket area of the show. Other Vietnamese businesses have signed a slew of order contracts from American firms to supply farm produce and processed products such as cocoa, milk, aloe vera juice water and fresh coconut milk with the total value of $1 billion. Many others have received requirements from large US firms to send them samples to consider cooperation ability in the upcoming time. By AI VAN Translated by Hai Mien The Sensex and Nifty were trading in the green amid an ongoing board meeting of the RBI where the apex bank and the government are expected to reach a common ground over issues ranging from MSME credit to the central bank's reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. While the Sensex rose 102 points higher at 35,559 level, the Nifty gained 20 points to 10,702 level. In early trade too, the Sensex opened 190 points higher at 35647 compared to its previous close of 35457 points. The Nifty too rose 49 points to 10,731 level. Also read: NBFC liquidity to remain a thorny issue in RBI board meeting One of the key issues is addressing the liquidity shortage hampering the Non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). The shortage could cause the credit markets to collapse putting the broader economy at risk. These NBFCs are now demanding a special liquidity window to tide over their mismatches. Ideally, the NBFCs should sell their assets to banks or other strong entities to generate liquidity. If this option is fully exercised, only then there is a need to open a special RBI window. The NBFC stocks were trading mixed amid the ongoing meeting. PNB Housing Finance was trading 0.89% lower, Indiabulls Housing Finance dipped 2.32%, Dewan Housing Finance rose 2.86%, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services fell by 0.74 per cent, Ujjivan Financial Services declined 0.22 per cent and Shriram Transport Finance softened by 0.85 per cent on the BSE. Shares of Bajaj Finance were trading lower by 0.80%. Edelweiss Financial Services was trading 0.95% higher, JM Financial rose 1.45% and IIFL Holdings gained 2.07%. Stocks of NBFC companies have led the market lower since hitting their all time highs in August end. On August 29, the Sensex and Nifty reached their lifetime highs of 38,989 and 11,760 respectively. Since then, the Sensex has fallen 8.71% and Nifty is down 8.93% till date partly due to NBFC stocks taking a hit as IL&FS crisis led to shortage of liquidity among these firms. Discussions are also expected between the government and the RBI related to restrictions on the public sector banks brought under prompt corrective action (PCA). There are close to a dozen public sector banks that are under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA), which means they cannot lend money to the industry. There is no doubt that the government has to commit more capital to make these banks healthy, but RBI can also lift some of the discretionary restrictions, like those on credit and operations. The RBI can easily allow banks with improved performance to start lending to good MSMEs. The RBI has placed 11 public sector banks and one private lender under its prompt corrective action list. While stocks of PCA banks such as IDBI Bank (0.16%), UCO Bank (3.63%), Central Bank of India (0.80%), Indian Overseas Bank (0.67%) , Dena Bank (2.42%), Indian Overseas Bank (0.67%), Bank of Maharashtra (3.95%) United Bank of India (1.51%) Allahabad Bank (0.92%) gained, the losers in the PCA list were Bank of India (0.74%), Oriental Bank of Commerce (1.36%), Dhanlaxmi Bank (1.84%). Meanwhile, YES Bank (6.17%) , Tata Motors (2.68% )and Vedanta were the top Sensex losers. ONGC, Bharti Airtel and Adani Ports were the top Sensex losers falling over 1% each. Lucknow, Nov 17 (PTI) Army chief General Bipin Rawat visited Central Command headquarters and 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre (11 GRRC) here, a defence official said Saturday.In a statement, a defence PRO said, "The chief of Army staff was briefed by Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, on various operational and administrative aspects. "General Rawat expressed satisfaction on the efforts being made toensure capability enhancement and operational effectiveness ofthe forces and development of infrastructure in the centralsector," he said. The Army chief conveyed his appreciation to the Surya Command for achieving a high degree of operational preparedness. During his visit on Friday and Saturday, he also attended Welfare Association meet held at 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre, he said. PTI NAV DPB (Eds: Adding Rahul's quotes from Surguja rally) Koriya/Surguja (CG), Nov 17 (PTI) Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Saturday promised to waive farm loans in Chhattisgarh within 10 days of assuming power in the state and said the money for it would come from "the likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Anil Ambani". Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation ahead of the second and final phase of the state polls, Gandhi alleged Modi made honest people suffer in 2016, but spared the rich. Addressing a poll rally in Koriya district, he alleged Modi had waived loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of a few rich people, but not those of the poor farmers. "As soon as the Congress forms the government here, Modiji, you count 10 days. The Congress will waive the loans of each farmer in Chhattisgarh within 10 days," Gandhi said. He said BJP leaders had questioned the UPA government about the source of money for loan waiver. "Modiji, the money for loan waiver for Chhattisgarh's farmers will come from the likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Anil Ambani...We will take their money and implement the loan waiver," he claimed. "Liquor baron Mallya fled the country with Rs 10,000 crore of the banks, while Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi fled with Rs 35,000 crore," he alleged Addressing a rally in Ambikapur, the prime minister had Friday claimed the Congress was "worried" because he took away all the money its "minions and friends" had stashed under their beds and in sacks in one stroke. Gandhi reiterated his charge the PM helped industrialist Anil Ambani get Rs 30,000 crore in the "Rafale scam". He said Modi "robbed the poor and the honest" through notes ban. "Modiji had said he would fight against black money. He had (recently) said those who had stashed money in their houses and or kept it hidden under pillows were thieves and that he had taken action against them. "I want to tell you (people) that you have not committed any theft. The person who has committed a theft is Narendra Modi. He made honest people stand in queues," Gandhi claimed. He said the Congress had always delivered on its promises, unlike the BJP. "The intention of the Congress is very clear. It never makes false promises. In fact, you can listen to my speeches of the last 15 years. I never made false promises. Whatever I promised, I fulfilled it," Gandhi said. He said the previous UPA government had brought in measures like the tribal bill, MNREGA and land acquisition bill. "On the contrary, Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh did not fulfil the promises they had made to farmers," the Congress MP said. "In the last four-and-a-half years, Modiji has waived loans worth Rs 3.50 lakh crore of a few rich people, but he has not spoken about farm loan waiver. Similarly, Raman Singh has snatched the bonus of the farmers," Gandhi alleged. He accused the prime minister of remaining "silent" on the "corruption charges" against Singh and claimed that the names of Singh and his wife had surfaced in the alleged Rs 36,000-crore civil supply scam. The CM denied the allegations."A Rs 5,000-crore chit fund scam was also perpetrated in the state. His (Singh's) son Abhishek Singh was named in the Panama Papers scandal, but no action was taken in any of these cases," Gandhi claimed. Gandhi alleged that Modi was not acting against Abhishek Singh in the Panama Papers case. "This, at a time when Pakistan has jailed its former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after his name cropped up in the Panama Papers," he said.Gandhi alleged the Raman Singh government has created two Chhattisgarh. "One belongs to the rich and the industrialists wearing suit-boot, while the other belongs to the common men, women, farmers and labourers. We do not want two Chhattisgarh but one, where everybody gets justice," he said. The final phase of polling for 72 seats will be held in Chhattisgarh on November 20. The first phase for 18 seats was held on November 12. The results will be announced on December 11. Addressing another rally in Darima village in Surguja district, Gandhi attacked Modi over his 2014 poll promise to bring back black money which was stashed abroad. "When will the money allegedly stashed in a foreign bank by Chhattisgarh chief minister's son be brought back? Modiji had vowed to fight against black money," he claimed. Abhishek Singh, the sitting BHP MP from Rajnandgaon constituency in Chhattisgarh, has denied the Congress' allegations as "baseless and politically motivated". Alleging Raman Singh's involvement in the "civil supply scam", Gandhi said, "It was mentioned in a diary recovered earlier that money was given to CM madam and Dr Sahab. Modi ji should tell who is this CM madam?" "It was referred to the wife of the chief minister with whom you (Modi) had shared stage and the Dr Sahab was referred to Raman Singh with whom you had given a speech from the same stage," he alleged. Gandhi said the entire country was questioning the prime minister's "honesty" over the "Rafale scam" and appealed to Modi to "break his silence" on the deal and Ambani. He said, "The Congress would develop Chhattisgarh not only as an agricultural centre of the country but of the entire world. Agriculture produce like fruits and vegetables will not only be sold in the country but will be exported." The Congress chief claimed the real objectives of notes ban were to convert black money into white and write off loans of corporates, after snatching the money from the poor. PTI TKP ENM NSK AAR By K J M Varma Beijing, Nov 18 (PTI) Top officials from China and the US will hold talks in Buenos Aires over the trade deadlock between the two giant economies, ahead of the meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. China and the US are currently locked in an ongoing trade war as each country has introduced tariffs on goods traded between each other. Trump has promised to fix China's "longtime abuse of the broken international system and unfair practices".Trump, who is demanding China to cut down USD 375 billion trade deficit, has imposed tariffs on USD 250 billion Chinese exports and threatened to impose tariffs on the remaining USD 265 billion. Trump and Xi plan to meet in Buenos Aires on the side-lines of G20 meeting on December 1.Previously, the Chinese vice premier and Xi's confidant Liu He was planning to fly to Washington for talks with the US delegation led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.The plan had been adjusted after "work-level discussions" between Beijing and Washington, Hong Kong based South China Morning Post quoted a Chinese official sources as saying. "The latest plan is that the trade negotiation teams of the two countries will meet in Buenos Aires," the report quoted him as saying. The change in the plan was partly intended to ensure the talks would have a more direct effect on the meeting between Xi and Donald Trump during the G20 summit, the report said. The change, if confirmed, suggests that stakes will be raised for the leaders meeting with more weighty matters likely to be on the agenda. It will also mark for the first time that bilateral trade negotiations between the world's two biggest economies have taken place in a third-party country, the report said. The progress of the scheduled trade talks will have a direct effect on the meeting between Xi and Trump. The Post had previously reported that the two state leaders will meet for a dinner on December 1 immediately after the end of the G20 meeting at Trump's invitation. PTI KJV RUP RUPRUP Severely admonishing the RBI and the PMO, the Central Information Commission has again directed them to disclose the list of wilful defaulters and Raghuram Rajan's letter on bad loans. In an exhaustive 66-page order, the panel pulled up the Prime Minister's Office for not complying with its directive to disclose the letter from former RBI Governor Rajan on bad loans. Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said, "If there is any objection based on any exception, the PMO should have pleaded such provision and justify their denial." He said the PMO refused to comply with the direction of disclosure of action on Rajan's letter on "grounds which are not legal, which is unfortunate". Acharyulu was hearing the plea of one Sandeep Singh who had sought details of bank loan defaulters. The commission had earlier issued a show cause notice to RBI Governor Urijit Patel for "dishonouring" a Supreme Court judgment and CIC directive on disclosure of the list of wilful defaulters. The PMO has a "moral, constitutional and political duty" to tell the citizens of India as to who are the defaulters and what action has been taken to recover the huge loans advanced to them by banks, from out of taxpayer's money, he said. The commissioner said several categories of information were declared by the RBI as not disclosable as part of their disclosure policy' and the RBI calls the exceptional clauses under the RTI Act as enabling' provisions. "It is against the RTI Act, the collective intention of Parliament, affront to democracy, reflecting disrespect to the Supreme Court's directions in RBI v Jayantilal N Mistry case. The RBI has a strong legal team with experienced legal experts and meritorious graduates from National Law Schools, yet has audacity to openly defy RTI Act, CIC directions and judgment of the Supreme Court," he said. He said as per law, in each RTI request, the CPIO and First Appealing Authority (FAA) of the RBI need to justify the denial under exceptions prescribed under sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act. "But any public authority cannot declare that it will never give such information as declared by the RBI. Exceptional provisions under the RTI Act cannot straight away enable a public authority to deny in advance," he said. ALSO READ: RBI board meeting: NBFC liquidity to remain a thorny issue Acharyulu said in spite of the Supreme Court's direction that Section 22 of the RTI Act would override the RBI Act and other Acts, the RBI again quoted those Acts and declared that it would not give information. "The RBI has totally ignored the provisions of the RTI Act," he said. This non-disclosure in the name of disclosure' policy is also in contradiction of various office memorandum and guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel and Training under the RTI Act, he said. "If the RBI does not respect the SC orders and denies the citizens right to information, it will result in perpetuation of financial regime of secrecy that is potential enough to facilitate financial frauds and allow fraudulent rich and influential business persons to flee the country, as witnessed in recent times," Acharyulu said. He again directed the PMO to disclose the names of the defaulters, action taken for recovery of loans in response to Rajan's letter and the policy, if any, about recovery from defaulters including high-profile ones. Acharyulu also urged parliamentary committees such as Public Accounts Committee, Committee on Finance and Committee on Estimates to deliberate the issues raised in this case as they are also seized of such matters. "The commission directs the office of this CIC to present the copy of this order to concerned officers of Parliament who are responsible for placing such papers before respective committees within one week from the date of issue of this order," he said. He rejected the submission of the representative from the PMO who had informed the CIC that the RTI application in this particular case had been filed by the applicant with the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGEAT), and no copy of the said RTI was received in the PMO from either the applicant or on transfer from any other public authority. Acharyulu said, "The PMO contended that as the original RTI application, first and second appeals were not filed with the PMO, the direction to provide information was not maintainable and hence the compliance question does not arise." "The commission cannot agree with this kind of attempt to deny the substantive part of information access by unreasonable procedural interpretations without any legal basis. There is no provision in the RTI Act that prevents the Information Commission from directing any public authority to provide information if that is possibly available with them," he said. He said information pertaining to the identities of loan defaulters and action taken against them is an issue of larger public interest. "The stand taken by the PMO, in this case, will not serve any public interest, and compel the citizen to start his effort ab initio, by filing an RTI request with PMO, treating as a separate, unconnected public authority and reach the ultimate level at the CIC or up to the Supreme Court, if the government prefers to litigate with the citizen and ultimately it has to give that information. "This was not the intention of Parliament in passing the RTI Act, 2005 that aimed at creating a practical regime and not procedural tangles to delay and deny the access to public information," he said. ALSO READ: RBI meeting: Govt plans to make its board nominees more powerful JSW Steel plans to pump in over Rs 5,000 crore to strengthen its downstream manufacturing capacity and is also keen to pursue stressed downstream assets that will come up for bidding in the next round. JSW Steel, which announced a capex investment programme of nearly Rs 45,000 crore to expand its capacities in Karnataka and Maharastra, is planning to invest over Rs 5,000 crore to strengthen its downstream manufacturing capabilities, company's Joint MD Seshagiri Rao told PTI. This will enable the company to re-orient its product mix and focus on high-value special steel products and customisation, he said. "As part of its effort to ramp up downstream capabilities, JSW Steel will also pursue stressed downstream steel assets that will come up for bidding in the next round," he added. "The next set of assets is either downstream or very small capacities. So, if it makes sense to our downstream integration strategy. We will evaluate the asset and pursue," Rao said. The investment in downstream capabilities by JSW Steel is aimed at capitalising the incremental demand expected to be generated across sectors for specialised steel. While 300 million tonnes (MT) of steel consumption is expected to come in, the steel intensity across applications is coming down. "This is where the demand for very high-value steel products is rising. Circular economy is becoming very active," Rao said. Jayant Acharya, Director Commercial - Marketing and Strategy, JSW Steel, said, the company will "reduce focus in commodity space and enter into alloy steel and special steel space to make the business more sustainable in the long term. Our aim is to look at more and more de-competitive business segment as a key indicator of focusing more on special steel categories". As part of its long-term play, the company is deprioritising its focus on commodity steel space. According to Rao, while overall capacity of JSW Steel will grow by 40 per cent over the next three years, the downstream capacity will increase by 60 per cent, colour coated capacity will go up by 140 per cent and tinplate capacity will increase six-fold. The company expects special steel products to contribute 40 per cent of its future volumes while customisation products will add the rest 60 per cent. "We are not going to produce commodity. Basis our very customised steel portfolio and high-end value-added product mix, the business will become less volatile," Rao said. JSW Steel believes that it is unperturbed about new competition from global steel players. "We think there is enough space for growth and healthy competition is good. If you look at competition earlier, certain companies which were stressed were at times forced to sell materials at lower prices to generate cash flows whereas with healthy competitors that problem will be eliminated to some extent," Acharya said. The company said that it sees the Indian steel landscape becoming more mature from a competition perspective. "We see our growth potential with respect to India across short, medium and long-term. I don't think we need to worry about the competitive landscape," he added. While a debate is going on whether the RBI should do more to ease credit to MSMEs, banking officials said the central bank had provided special training to nearly 11,000 officers at various commercial banks on lending to micro, small and medium enterprises. This training has been provided to officers working at nearly 3,000 bank branches covering all districts in India through more than 2,000 special workshops in the last three years, the officials said. These are mostly specialised bank branches catering to the MSME sector where this multi-level training has been provided, covering branch managers, senior officers and even faculty members of staff colleges who can further pass on the training to the bank employees. Most importantly, the training exercise was executed in consultation with the government, including with the active involvement of the MSME ministry and the RBI's objective has been to create a conducive environment to help these small entrepreneurs and companies avail easy and faster credit, officials said. The officers have also been provided special kits to help their banks extend more credit to MSMEs, while they have also been trained on behavioural issues to deal with such borrowers with utmost care, they added. The RBI's central board will meet on Monday where the government nominees and some independent members are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team on various issues including norms for the MSME credit. The RBI is, however, of the view that its policies are very much in favour of easier credit to MSMEs and it has always been making efforts to make further relaxations for such borrowers, sources said. The main concern of the central bank is about some big corporates misusing the NPA relaxations for 'ever-greening' of their loans, they said. The RBI team, comprising of the governor and his four deputies, on its central board is banking on support from a few independent directors, who are of the view that a large majority of banks, including those facing 'prompt corrective actions', have achieved the mandatory priority sector lending targets for micro-enterprises. Also, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) lending has been exempted from most of the restrictions, including those relating to the stressed assets, and several steps have been taken by the RBI to ease credit flow to this sector and to ensure their faster 'formalisation' to bring them on board the new GST regime that will help them further in availing the loans, they said. While much has been written about differences between the RBI and the government, sources said the facts and the data show there are hardly any significant issues that are being faced by MSMEs due to policy or regulatory matters. They cited several steps taken in the recent past by the RBI, in consultation with the government, for facilitating easier access and availability of credit to the MSME sector, including the 'Resolution of Stressed Assets-Revised Framework (RSA-RF)' of February 12, 2018. This framework has been carefully calibrated to exclude loans availed by MSME units up to Rs 25 crore from its purview, which nearly covers the entire spectrum of the MSME borrowers. Besides, this remains in line with the earlier government policy for the benefit of MSMEs. The average outstanding loan size of the MSMEs being 2.7 lakh, 26 lakh and 92 lakhs respectively, almost all the MSME loans are out of the purview of the February 12 circular, while the earlier 'specially carved out' rectification process for the MSMS sector remains in force that remains borrower-driven. The officials also pointed at the inclusion of a separate sub-target of 7.5 per cent under Priority Sector Lending for the micro sector and said the target had been achieved by most banks, including those facing 'prompt corrective action'. Now, this target has also been made mandatory for foreign banks with 20 or more branches in India. Besides, caps have been removed on loans to MSMEs to encourage banks to go beyond the earlier limits in such lending. To ensure timely availability of funds to the MSME sector, the RBI has also facilitated the setting up of Electronic Bill Factoring Exchanges in the country. These exchanges provide for swift discounting of MSME bills and help MSMEs raise funds without delay. The Non-Performing Assets norms have also been relaxed for the MSME sector to help them cope up with challenges following implementation of new reforms, officials said. To ensure formalisation of MSMEs, exposure of banks and NBFCs to the GST. Impressed by Air India's services, cine star Shah Rukh Khan Sunday said "unofficially and unabashedly" he wants to declare himself as the ambassador of the national carrier. Responding to the star's appreciation, Air India said it is humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'. Debt-laden Air India is working on ways to turn around its fortunes and there have been instances of the airline facing flak from customers for poor services. Against this backdrop, the airline also said the star's words of appreciation are encouraging. Shah Rukh Khan, who is also known as 'King Khan', took an Air India flight from New York to Mumbai. He landed in Mumbai on Sunday, according to an airline official. "Unofficially & Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of @airindia...," Khan said in a tweet. "Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm & beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai...," he said. Air India tweeted saying it is always a pleasure for 'Maharaja' to serve 'King Khan'. "The Air India family is so happy to see your kind words of appreciation which are so encouraging for us. We are truly humbled when 'King Khan' is the brand ambassador for 'Maharaja'," the airline said. Among others, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha retweeted Khan's tweet about Air India. At present, there is no official brand ambassador of Air India. Irish government bond yield spreads over Germany were near their widest level since late May as worries over the economic impact of a messy Brexit hurt demand for the country's debt. British Prime Minister Theresa May last week disclosed a draft agreement on leaving the European Union that met with strong opposition from within her party, could spark a confidence vote in her leadership and increases the chances of a "no deal" Brexit. Britain is one of Ireland's biggest trading partners, and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a key issue in Brexit talks. The turmoil in the UK has caused Irish government bond yield spreads to widen. "A no-deal Brexit could have an adverse impact on Ireland's economic picture, which would impact risk assets and have some effect on government bonds as well," said Commerzbank rates strategist Rainer Guntermann. "It could affect the country in general, it could impact the budget position, the deficit position, and generally weigh on risk assets as well." While government bonds are generally not considered risky assets, euro zone government debt -- especially lower-rated debt -- often tends to perform differently, since individual countries don't have control over printing money. So while British Gilt yields dropped on the reaction to the contentious Brexit proposal, Irish yields increased, with 10-year yields hitting a one-month high of 104.5 percent on Friday. On Monday, Irish yields were more or less unchanged and the spread between Irish and German 10-year bond yields was at 63 basis points, close to a 5 1/2-month high of 65.5 basis points hit on Friday. German bonds have been the subject of flight-to-safety demand, thereby increasing a lot of spreads across the euro zone, but Ireland's underperformance stands out. For example, the Irish 10-year bond yield spread over its closest peer, Belgium, also reached its widest level since late May on Friday at 23.5 bps and was at 21 bps in early trade on Monday. Better-rated yields were a touch higher on the day, with German 10-year yields, the benchmark for the region, 1.5 bps higher at 0.385 percent. Italian government bond yields were unchanged going into a week in which the EU is expected to respond to Italy's revised budget proposals. Three officials close to the process told Reuters last week the European Commission will take the first step next week to discipline Italy over its defiant spending plans. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Dublins Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) today announces that it has invested 200,000 in its innovative new CoConnect initiative. The programme, a home-away-from-home for businesses and their employees, will build connections between the GEC and the 120 enterprise hubs across the island of Ireland. The purpose of the initiative is to enrich the start-up ecosystem throughout the country by promoting more engagement and collaboration between regions. Through CoConnect, start-ups and scale-ups based in participating enterprise hubs can avail of co-working space in the GEC, while GEC-based companies can benefit from co-working space in connected enterprise hubs. For example, somebody established in a Kerry enterprise hub can base themselves at the GEC in Dublin and vice-versa. In addition, companies who engage with the programme through their own enterprise hub will have access to the GECs award-winning University Programme. This initiative enables start-ups to collaborate with Irish and international MBA and PhD students who can research and solve their most pressing business challenges. This year, the GEC was named as the Worlds Top Business Incubator, Collaborating with University at the UBI Awards. Entrepreneurs can also develop invaluable connections through the GECs entrepreneurial network and start-up community. In the last six months the GEC has piloted the programme and already partnered with more than 40 enterprise hubs as part of the CoConnect pilot initiative. Commenting on the initiative, Manager at Guinness Enterprise Centre, Eamonn Sayers said, "The GEC is Irelands home for Entrepreneurs and CoConnect will create links between entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors, mentors and influencers nationwide, enabling start-ups to scale and succeed. Tapping into the GECs extensive entrepreneurial network can make all the difference to a start-up and CoConnect will ultimately provide more support for business ideas from every corner of Ireland." Partnership Programme Manager at Guinness Enterprise Centre, Julianne OLeary added, "Through my meetings with various enterprise hub managers around the country, the initiative has received a warm reception. CoConnect will work to further enrich the fertile start-up environment in Ireland by encouraging knowledge sharing and networking between start-ups." Source: www.businessworld.ie The Philippines is inviting bids for rice import and some Vietnamese firms are expected to win the bids, he added. Rice export has enjoyed year on year increase in both volume and value with continuous bid winning in the Asian markets. The number of government contracts has reduced and commercial contracts has been on the rise. According to Mr. Le Thanh Hai, deputy head of the Export Import Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for the last three years, Vietnams rice export market has expanded from 60 to 150 nations and territories including Latin America and the Middle East. Rice export has been systematic with policies making long advance towards liberalization and gradually suiting international regulations. Vietnamese rice export price has maintained high for many years. Sometimes this year, it is US$5-10 a ton higher than Thai rice of the same variety. The high price has not affected export volume and increased local rice price to benefit farmers. However, the Export Import Department said that rice export has been strongly impacted from the Chinese market since early this year. For instance, the export status of three large rice export firms has been temporarily halted and China has recently lifted the tariff on some rice varieties from 5 percent to 50 percent. Fortunately, businesses have found new markets with high quality standards, proving that Vietnam has not depended on a single market and been able to adapt to policy changes from import nations. By CAO PHONG Translated by Hai Mien British politicians are engaged in a high-stakes game of risk over Brexit which could lead to an accidental no deal, the head of Britain's main business lobby, the CBI, said on Monday. "While other countries are forging a competitive future, our nerve center here, Westminster, seems to be living in its own narrow world," said Director-General Carolyn Fairbairn. "It seems to be playing a high-stakes game of risk, where the outcome could be an accidental no-deal. Surely, surely, we can do better than this." The comments came at the CBI's annual conference, at which Prime Minister Theresa May will also speak, attempting to convince businesses to back the draft Brexit agreement she has reached with Brussels. CBI President John Allan said the deal was imperfect, but a step forward because the political turmoil - and the risk that Britain could leave the bloc without any formal deal - was already damaging investment into the economy. "Companies in this room would be the first to say that it is not perfect, but it opens a route to a long-term trade arrangement, it unlocks the transition period the very least that companies need to prepare for Brexit," he said. "More important even than either of those, is that it avoids the nightmare scenarios a no-deal departure, which would be a wrecking ball for our economy." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill (right) talks to reporters as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Christopher Hawkins listens during a media conference at the end of the APEC forum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Sunday. Photo: VCG Debt associated with Chinese projects overseas was once again in the spotlight this weekend, with the U.S. warning countries about the supposed strings attached to such projects and the new president of the Maldives implying he would pivot his indebted country away from Beijing and toward New Delhi. Chinas Foreign Ministry responded to concerns Sunday, with a spokesperson saying, No developing country has ever run into debt problems as a result of working with China, and that Cooperation with China has been widely welcomed by the governments and people of developing countries. The annual meeting of the 21 countries that form the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group failed to put out a joint statement for the first time in its history at its meeting this weekend, with reports suggesting tensions between the U.S. and China were to blame. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence took a direct swipe at China during a speech on Friday, telling attendees they should not accept foreign debt that could compromise your independence, and that U.S. support is a better option. We dont coerce, corrupt, or compromise your independence, ... and we dont offer a constricting belt or a one-way road, Pence said. The remarks were a clear reference to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to develop infrastructure abroad with the support of Chinese companies and financing. This year has seen a backlash against Chinese lending associated with the Belt and Road, particularly in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives, due to the hefty debt that recipient countries can be saddled with, with Chinese loans now often accused of forming a debt trap. Yet more bad news came for Beijing a day before, when Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn in as the new president of the Maldives. Solih said at his inauguration Saturday that his country had been looted by his predecessor, who had been close to China, with his transition team saying that the countrys debts to China stood at around $1.5 billion, about a quarter of the countrys gross domestic product. Solih has previously criticized Chinese colonialism, and the government suggested it would move much closer to New Delhi in a joint statement. (Indian) Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi attending the swearing-in of President Solih signals proactiveness on Indias part, after becoming worried over the increasing deals Maldives was signing with China under the previous dispensation, said Sriparna Pathak, an assistant professor of political science at Nowgong College in India. However, while Maldives may make attempts to deal with the debt trap it is in with China, completely negating trade with China is impossible. China currently accounts for the Maldives largest import bill an estimated $320 million in 2016. But China also contributes to the Maldives coffers as the largest supplier of tourists to its luxury resorts, she added. There was a bright spot for Chinese foreign policy over the weekend, with the Pacific island nation of Tonga officially signing up to the Belt and Road, Reuters reported. Yet this too appears to be colored by debt issues, as the country received an extension on the payment of $115 million in debts, Reuters said. Securing assets Chinese lending provides capital for much-needed infrastructure development, Moodys wrote in a report on Chinas lending to sub-Saharan African countries last week, noting that the region has an annual gap of between $67.5 billion to $107.5 billion in the financing it needs and the financing it receives. However, it also noted that repaying these debts could prove particularly tough for indebted nations such as Angola and the Republic of Congo over the next decade. While there is evidence of some willingness of Chinese lenders to renegotiate loans, Chinas response to SSA sovereigns that face liquidity pressure is not uniform or transparent, it added. Rather than seeing Chinese loans being a debt trap, Chinese overseas financing is largely motivated by a a mixture of incompetence and wanting to secure strategic assets, said Christopher Balding, an expert in Chinas economy and an associate professor at Fulbright University Vietnam. If you look at a lot of Chinese investment in China, a lot of projects have little to no planning done, with poor research, due diligence, but are done to do something with the expectation that they will come and now we have shiny new infrastructure. I think that is a lot of what is happening elsewhere, but now China expects to get paid back on time, whereas in China they just roll the debt forever. Securing strategic assets such as oil and gas supplies and the metals needed to support the development of its domestic advanced industries is also another key concern, Balding said. If you look at their foreign investment, it matches things like the industries or strategic needs Beijing says they need, whether it is commodities or what industries they want to export. Most places have no use whatsoever for high-speed rail, but they are being sold because that is what Beijing wants to export. Angola is the major Africa debtor because they have oil. Go down the list, there is a very clear strategic reason. Beijing also uses leniency with its debts as a means to garner foreign support abroad, a recent report by AidData said, noting that China announced a $90 million debt-forgiveness package for Cambodia after the latter used its position as chair of the 2016 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit to block a joint statement critical of Chinas actions in the South China Sea. This does not amount to loans being used to deliberately ensnare countries in debt, however, as unpaid loans are fundamentally a major headache for Beijing, said Matt Ferchen, a specialist in Chinas political-economic relations at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, in a recent piece. Citing Chinas relationship with the troubled regime in Venezuela as an example, China has given more than $60 billion in loans to the country since 2007, which fed into the Venezuelan governments own disastrous appetite for unsustainable and unaccountable debt. While Venezuela is an important source of oil for China, the countrys volatility has helped to raise the price of Chinas own oil imports and disrupted its oil shipments, Ferchen said. Rather than simply being about trapping countries in debt, recouping what it has lent is a huge problem for China, Balding said, as it would be difficult turning loans into aid or concessional loans, at a discount from ordinary rates. For (Beijing) to start writing any significant part of this off is going to be a huge problem, not to mention the enormous political cost it would carry, he added. Contact reporter Ke Dawei (daweike@caixin.com) Vice Principal Dr. Le Dinh Kha said that the schools effort was rewarded as it received the accreditation under ABET for two programs Mechanical Engineering Technology and Electrical-Electronics Engineering Technology. Students of the two program will receive comprehensive training of knowledge, skill, and attitude to meet the high demand of labor market. Besides, they will take part in academic activities. With globally accredited degree, students will have more employment opportunity in multinational companies. Before, the HCMC University of Technology also received ABET-accredited two programs. Cao Thang Technical College, formally called Asian Engineering School, was one of the first vocational schools in Southern Vietnam. The school was established on February 20, 1906 in accordance with the decision from the Governor General of Indochina. The school changed its name to Cao Thang Technical School in July 1956. The school upgraded to Cao Thang Technical College on October 19, 2004. The school has had a great honor to be the place where two Vietnams Presidents Ho Chi Minh President Ton Duc Thang studied in the 1910s when they were young. By THANH MINH - Translated by UYEN PHUONG news, latest-news Commercial property owners are avoiding objecting to massive rates rises imposed by the ACT government, fearing it could lead to even most costly legal proceedings before the territory's Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Fewer than 15 per cent of the owners of 311 commercial properties across the city hit with massive rates increases due to a government revaluation in January last year have objected to their bills. It was revealed during Legislative Assembly committee hearings last week some commercial property owners had been hit with increases up to 79 per cent in their annual rates bills from July last year, as a result of the government's revaluations of their properties in 2016. The hearing followed an Assembly committee urging the government earlier this year to completely overhaul its rates and land tax system, after similar rate rises hit unit owners across Canberra last year. Owners of properties in Phillip, particularly car dealerships along Melrose Drive, were the hardest hit, while properties in Braddon, Civic, Turner and Fyshwick were also affected. Despite objections to valuations being the first option for owners to potentially reduce their rates bills, figures from the ACT Revenue Office show just 48 of the 311 owners affected had actually objected to the increases since they came into effect in July 2017. The figures show 11 of 75 affected property owners in Braddon objected in the past two fiscal years; 13 out of 80 owners in Civic objected; three of 48 owners in Fyshwick and 19 out of 108 owners in Phillip objected in the same period. ACT Property Council executive director Adina Cirson said some commercial property owners had told the council they wouldn't bother objecting to a valuation as they were concerned it would not result in a reduction, and they could be forced into appealing any decision to the tribunal. She said if an owner had to appeal a decision on the objection to the tribunal, they could be looking at a legal bill in the realm of $80,000 to $100,000, which meant owners would likely get no real financial benefit out of an appeal. Ms Cirson said the council was also working on approaching the government to create an intermediate step between an objection and legal proceedings, such as greater use of mediation, in an effort to find a better balance for all parties. She said while owners of commercial property in Sydney or Melbourne had experienced significant rent rises in recent years, in Canberra owners were facing rate rises that were regularly exceeding any potential increase in rents or leases. Ms Cirson said while the council had supported the government's tax reforms, which are abolishing stamp duty over 20 years, owners were concerned any benefit was being soaked up by increasing rates and taxes. "The government has so far effectively capped the stamp duty abolition at $1.5 million, but these days you'd struggle to find an inner city house worth less than that, compared to a commercial property," she said. Ms Cirson said while rates had risen significantly in the past six years since tax reform began, rents for commercial properties had not, and the territory's gross lease system (compared with a net system in NSW) meant owners could not pass on the costs to lease holders. "Ultimately, this means for commercial owners it's really become a disincentive to invest in new commercial property, upgrade existing buildings or contribute to upgrades of the public realm of properties or improve the sustainability of their properties," she said. "We're really saying it's now six years into this tax reform and it's really time to have a look at where this is headed and have some transparency around what's been proposed and what's actually happening. "Theres no simple answer, but right now all eyes are on the ACT from around the country on how our tax reform is progressing, and I'm being told by commercial agents people are already looking seriously at places like Queanbeyan for industrial or commercial land." While the government would not reconsider the changes to valuations as a whole, a spokeswoman for Chief Minister Andrew Barr said if property owners could provide alternative, accredited valuations, it could be provided to the revenue office as part of an objection. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/6cece937-7c0f-46f7-b28e-b087cf70a124/r0_274_5383_3315_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg The new service will be operational with seven flights per week. Travel time will be 4 hours 30 minutes. The new air route is the seventh from Korea to Vietnam operated by Jeju Air, including Incheon-Da Nang, Pusan Da Nang, Muan-Da Nang, Seoul-Nha Trang, Incheon Hanoi, and Seoul - Ho Chi Minh City. Yang Seong-jin, a public relations director for the group said Da Nang is a destination that attracts a large number of Korean visitors. Jeju Airs routes to Vietnam are just behind the largest markets, Japan and China. The carrier has increased its number of seats from 150,000 in 2015 to 450,000 in 2017. As of October, 2018, the airline provided 720,000 seats. Besides opening the new route, the South Korean low-cost airline will also increase the number of flights between the two nations, according to Jeju Airs representative. South Korea is Vietnam's biggest foreign investor. The bilateral trade turnover between two sides has sharply increased for recent years, reached US$45 billion in 2016, US$63.9 billion in 2017 and expected to achieve US$100 billion by 2020. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, around 2.4 million South Korean visitors arrived in Vietnam in 2017. The country received 303,410 tourists from Korea in this October and 2.86 million in the first ten months of this year, up 48 percent from the same period last year. The budget airline also plans to open 63 routes connecting South Korea and 42 Asia Pacific cities. By HA ANH Translated by Kim Khanh Step 1 Log on to the BEL official website. Step 2 Hover over the Careers tab on the home page. Step 3 Select Recruitment - Advertisements. Step 4 The list of vacancies will be displayed on the screen. Step 5 Click on the detailed advertisement link against Selection of Short Term Apprentices. Step 6 The detailed advertisement will open. Read the details carefully. Step 7 Attend the walk-in interview at the given location. Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Child Development Project Officer. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. The selection of candidates will be through a written test and an interview. Selected candidates can earn up to industry standards. The last date to apply for this government job is 22 November 2018. GPSC Recruitment 2018: 134 Medical Professionals Wanted BPSC Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Child Development Project Officer Organisation Bihar Public Service Commission Educational Qualification Graduate degree in any field Experience Desirable Job Location Bihar Salary Scale Not mentioned Industry Civil services Application Start Date November 22, 2018 Application End Date December 5, 2018 NIMHANS Recruitment 2018 For Junior Research Fellows How To Apply For BPSC Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for BPSC Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the BPSC official website. Step 2: Against the relevant post, click on the application link. Step 3: The application instructions will be displayed on the screen. Read them carefully. Step 4: Click on the application link once it is active. Step 5: The application form will open. Enter your details in the fields provided. Step 6: Submit your details. Step 7: Take a printout of the application form and send it to BPSC. BPSC Recruitment 2018 Application Process And Mailing Address Superscribe on the envelope, "Application for the post of Child Development Project Officer" and send it to Combined Secretary-cum-Exam Controller Bihar Public Service Commission 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (Bailey Road) Patna 800001. Follow the link - http://www.bpsc.bih.nic.in/Advt/59-2017-Online-Advt-CDPO-(Main)-Comp-Exam.pdf to read the detailed official notification. Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this Thursday, April 19, 2018, file photo, former New York City Mayor and United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael Bloomberg speaks at World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, in Washington. Bloomberg is donating $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. Bloomberg and the Baltimore university said Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, that the gift is the largest ever to any education institution in the U.S. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Sunday he's donating $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, to boost financial aid for low- and middle-income students. The Baltimore university said the contribution the largest ever to any education institution in the U.S. will allow Johns Hopkins to eliminate student loans in financial aid packages starting next fall. The university will instead offer scholarships that don't have to be repaid. University President Ronald Daniels said Bloomberg's contribution will also let the institution permanently commit to "need-blind admissions," or the principle of admitting the highest-achieving students, regardless of their ability to pay for their education. "Hopkins has received a gift that is unprecedented and transformative," he said in a statement, noting the prestigious school was founded in 1876 by a $7 million gift from Baltimore merchant Johns Hopkins that was, similarly, the largest gift of its kind at the time. By way of comparison, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Gates Millennium Scholars program in 1999 with a $1 billion commitment over 20 years. The Chronicle of Higher Education listed it as the largest private donation to a higher-education institution in the U.S. earlier this month. Bloomberg said he expects the money will allow Hopkins to offer more generous scholarships and ease the debt burden for graduates. "America is at its best when we reward people based on the quality of their work, not the size of their pocketbook," he said in a statement. "Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity." The 76-year-old founder of the global finances services and media company, Bloomberg L.P., is among the world's richest people. He graduated from Hopkins in 1964, served as New York mayor from 2002 to 2013 and has for years weighed running for president including in 2020. Photo: The Canadian Press President Donald Trump answers questions from members of the media as he leaves the White House, Saturday Nov. 17, 2018, in Washington, en route to see fire damage in California. President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the "very violent, very vicious" killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said in the interview with "Fox News Sunday." ''I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." On Saturday, Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." He said the report will include "who did it." It was unclear if the report would be made public. American intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, according to a U.S. official familiar with the assessment. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Others familiar with the case caution that while it's likely the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played. Trump noted to "Fox News Sunday" that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. "Will anybody really know?" Trump asked. "At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no "smoking gun" linking the crown prince to the killing. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that "it's hard to imagine" that the crown prince didn't know about the killing, but he said, "I don't know that we absolutely know that yet." Alanna Kelly UPDATE: 5:20 p.m. Families coming and going from a Kelowna Sikh temple were forced to look at racist graffiti on the side of the temple Monday. Vice President of Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society says they think the black spray paint was done on Sunday at about 7 p.m. We are really shocked, this is a first to happen here, said Jadvinder Singh Nijjer. We love everyone, our Religion is that somebody hates us but we love him too. A priest who was the first arrived at the temple on Monday morning noticed the vandalism. Nijjer said the front gate is locked every night at 8 p.m. so he believes someone spray painted the graffiti before the gate was closed. Coun. Mohini Singh said when she saw the vandalism she was sad. I am very, very disappointed and you know it doesnt even make any sense to tell you the truth, said Singh. Everyone is shaken up and sad, according to Nijjer. It is ignorant, it is stupidity, there is no room for something like that in Kelowna, said Singh. Police have opened an investigation into the vandalism and security footage from the building will be reviewed tonight in hopes of identifying the culprits. We'd like to give a message to that person to not do anything wrong in the community and go peaceful, said Nijjer. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them. ORIGINAL: 1:45 p.m. Racist graffiti has been sprayed on a Sikh temple in Kelowna. The president of the Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society said Monday he is saddened that such racist hate exists in this city. We are sad to see this in this city we love, said Tarsem Goraya. Derogatory words were spray painted on the side of the building some time over the weekend, and remained there on Monday. Coun. Mohini Singh said the incident is disappointing and sad. "There is no room for this in Kelowna," she said. Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society has been in Kelowna for more than 40 years, and Goraya says they respect everyone. 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. Nov. 10, 2018, the 243rd anniversary of Captain Samuel Nicholas appointing Robert Mullan chief Marine Recruiter at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. Then Veterans Day, but Elvis and I were on the patch. He, having gotten a little too close to some schmuck's bullet and on the walking wounded list, assisting me since he isnt able to run and dig and snort and bark and otherwise wreck havoc on the local wild critter population with the rest of the pack. The Patch no, none of those. We call this Yonder Mountain White, horseradish, fresh, straight out of the ground. Since its impossible to find anything but that sissified stuff in a jar locally we decided to grow our own, imported, the kind that will clear ones sinuses for weeks just by taking a whiff, and probably a reason the Germanic and Slavic peoples talk funny. So there we were, Elvis and me, preparing an expansion bed with horseradish on one end and garlic on the other while the girls, Priscilla and Nanners, lounged in the sun as girls are wont to do. The Sparkmeister and Chewbacca guarded walnuts laying on the ground so the squirrels wouldnt get them. While dragging a load of grass clippings from the big field for mulch on The Patch and around the blueberry bushes, Im cheap not green, a cigar held gently in my nicotine stained fingers because there wasnt any chew, I ruminated, mentally not oro-gastronomically, about our society these past few years and an old song flashed across my little pea brain. Silver wings shining in the sunlight Roaring engines headed somewhere in flight They're taking you away, leaving me lonely Silver wings slowly fading out of sight. The Hag penned these words back in 1968 or '69 about a lover leaving on one of those new fangled-ish passenger jet aeroplanes, about the time Madman Muntz' 4-track tape cartridges popularity was being overtaken by Bill Lear's, of Lear Jet Corporation fame, 8-track system. It was a different time. Our world was a different place, a place where anyone could walk all the way to the boarding area at any airport in this, the greatest nation ever to grace the face of Planet Terra these United States of America. It wasn't unusual, back in the day, to see a young man in uniform taking off to who-knows-where, probably in defense of the rest of us and more likely than not accompanied by friends and loved ones lusting to spend a last few minutes together before an extended separation perhaps not to come home whole or at all as another of Hags works, When Billy Overcame His Size.We celebrate our Veterans with Veterans' Day. Those who make the ultimate sacrifice we memorialize on their special day too. But we seem to forget some others who also sacrifice for the rest of us. They have names like Melissa and Jane and Tori, Danielle, Dawn, Brenda, Annie, Sherry, Terri, Jenny, Thelma, Louise, and Debbie Jean Peggy Sue. We might see them at work wearing heels and a suit, welders' togs, a nurse's uniform, hazmat gear, or khakis and loafers packing a briefcase, a sample kit, shoving nitrogen bottles on a truck, or twirling a flyswatter to remind the men in the office who's really T-H-E Boss. They may be stay-at-home moms home-schooling their children, or the primary caretaker of a family member because, well, because it's their job, not one for an outsider. They may have grown up in the big city, Atlanta or Boston or Seattle or Los Angeles or Houston, or Small Town America little burgs with names like Haw River, Lizard Lick, Burgaw, The Ware Place, Fawnskin, Broken Bow, Toponas, Galena, Bald Knob, Rosebud, or Hell (a real town in Michigan). They tend the home fires while their mates are away and quietly answer the question asked by little Tommy or Suzzi, Why does my daddy (or mommy these days) have to go away when the other kids' don't? A casual observer would probably never be able to tell the difference between these unsung heroes and any other American family. But those other families have never stood on a pier or in an airport, sometimes a bus or train station, with a loved one, each trying to be strong for the other. So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me Hold me like you'll never let me go' Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane Don't know when I'll be back again Oh babe, I hate to go. But John Denver most certainly isnt Mary Travers, nor could he ever do harmonies as I dig Rock and Roll music I could really get it on in that scene.They aren't alone. They're joined by a myriad of others who get up and go to work every day, asking little but to be left alone to do what they do best, to live their lives the way they see fit, to enjoy the fruits of their labors. And the efforts of all the other men and women who refuse to allow themselves to succumb to the allure of a government check, choosing instead to stand on their own. Theyre the forgotten ones, aren't they.Forgotten ones those who give the most ask the least, going about their daily business quietly, raising their families, only to have government bureaucrats come along and take what theyve worked hard to earn, with the force of a government gun, to give it to those whose major claim to fame is breathing in good air to exhale carbon dioxide and other noxious gases that drive the greenies nuts or themselves.The screamers who wouldnt hit a lick in a pie factory, claiming a right to what others have earned because theyre entitled, dont you know. How often do we hear if I only had a job, yet when a job is presented, a job theyre qualified to perform, some dont even make it through a pay period, sometimes not even an entire first day on the job, before going back home to those government checks, funding for which comes from the pockets of those who work and earn their own way. Its easier to suckle from those cute little bottles, the udders dangled before them by some elected officials and appointed functionaries udders filled with the milk of those who get up and go to work every day. Lately weve heard a lot about the hordes of, properly designated, illegal aliens violating our nations borders and flaunting, at the very least, our immigration laws. Politicians, both Democrats and those my second favorite politician refers to as those Republican Weenies, and others with a vested interest in ever more illegal alien insurgents, attempt to direct our foci to their plight and away from the simple facts these illegal aliens begin their stay breaking our immigration laws, bring with them their diseases, illiteracy, poverty, and refusal to assimilate into our society. Its recently come to light these United States of America, the greatest nation ever to grace the face of Planet Terra, spent almost a Trillion dollars in 2017 ($685.957 Billion thats admitted to, just for NATO) not only for our own defense, but the defense of nations and governments who hate us, including so-called allies who turn right around and violate joint resolutions to sanction governments that dont play nice with others. We support other nations who hate us. We support our own citizens who hate us too our system of government, our nation in general, and most especially those citizens who pick up the tab for their hatred. They call us deplorable, the dregs of society, and any number of other despicable names theyve weaponized in their attempts to shame us into submitting to their demands these courageous individuals who cover their faces while attacking old men and women, women, children, those who cannot defend themselves, then blame the victims for their violence. All the while those whove volunteered to be in positions supposedly to ensure the safety and civility of our society instead are more concerned with grabbing ever more power and resources from those theyre charged to defend the forgotten ones, those who pay the freight for others fun times.And sheepdogs continue guarding their flocks, as is their charge. Its in their DNA. There is no choice. Theirs is to search out, engage, and destroy the enemies of this, the greatest nation ever to grace the face of Planet Terra, these United States of America, wherever they may be. Some guard our borders. Some, as first responders, ensure our safety and protect our property here at home.When the time comes their loved ones will stand on the tarmac, pier, sometimes in a bus or train station, hoping for the best, fearing the worst, often not saying much so they wont break down in tears, except for those like a young Marines little brother who was overheard asking Are you scared going off to war? to which the Marine replied Its my job, what I volunteered for and have been trained to do. It takes special people, a special class, to stand in the background, asking little but sacrificing greatly in their own right often forgotten by the rest of us.But its Thanksgiving, with Christmas close behind. Perhaps those forgotten ones will be remembered this time of year.Because those silver wings will always be... slowly fading out of sight. Royce Burrage, Jr. Royce@Officially Chapped.org Pool that may have been part of old Holiday Inn in 1968 - photo by John Shearer This part of Rodeway Inn likely old Holiday Inn where Richard Nixon rested - photo by John Shearer As he addressed the crowd, he spoke about the failed policies of a recent administration domestically and in foreign affairs, and talked enthusiastically about a group he referred to as the forgotten Americans. Although this could have been part of the theme of a President Donald Trump rally anytime since his 2016 presidential campaign, it was actually part of then-presidential candidate Richard Nixons 1968 campaign visit to Chattanooga. On Sept. 27, 1968, in the heat of a close campaign between him and Democrat and Vice President Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota as well as strong support for George Wallace -- Mr. Nixon stopped at Memorial Auditorium and other local places. It was a visit that seemed to have created more local excitement and desire to cheer loudly than any other visit by a future or current president to Chattanooga over the last half century until President Trumps visit to the UTC Arena on Nov. 4. As evidence, not only did 5,000 people jam the inside of Memorial Auditorium that day in 1968, but another 5,000 also gathered outside to see him briefly and listen to his talk on speakers. In 1968, basically no one knew he would have flaws that would eventually result in his resigning from the presidency in 1974 following his handling of the Watergate burglary and cover-up scandal. The large number of conservatives in Chattanooga only saw him as a viable candidate who eloquently promoted issues they believed in, and who was a lot better to them than the liberal Mr. Humphrey or the upstart or long shot Mr. Wallace. Due to the similarity of enthusiasm apparent at both the Nixon visit and the 2018 Trump one among their supporters, and since it was exactly 50 years ago this fall, I thought it might be neat to go back and look at that 1968 visit. Mr. Nixon and his wife, Pat, as well as his support staff and members of the media, flew into Lovell Field in Chattanooga about 11 a.m. that Friday on two United Air Lines jets. After greeting those who had come to the airport, including local Republicans, he gave a brief interview with members of the media collectively as about 20 Secret Service agents watched. With a state police helicopter flying above, Mr. Nixon and a caravan of cars and Greyhound buses went first to Chickamauga Dam, where he and Mrs. Nixon were given a 30-minute tour of the powerhouse facility by TVA director Aubrey Wagner. It was then on to Memorial Auditorium, where some had arrived as early as 6:30 a.m. to see him. Those who arrived after 11:30 a.m. had to stay outside, but local Republican organizers had anticipated this and had installed speakers outside. As Chattanooga News-Free Press reporter Buddy Houts described the downtown scene, Upon his arrival, overflow crowds were lining both sides of the street in front of and behind the building. Mr. Nixon stopped before entering the auditorium, got out and stood on the rear of the car to address the crowd briefly. Once inside, Mr. Nixon noticed all the young people helping with the campaign and in attendance and contrasted them sharply with the hippies and others who had started appearing as protesters in America in the last couple of years or so. These are the forgotten Americans, he said, according to News-Free Press reporter Bob Poe. Now they are being heard and seen in the right way. Talking about the administration of President Lyndon Johnson and his predecessor, the late John Kennedy, he also said in his 25-minute address that the country had struggled domestically and abroad. For example, with the Vietnam War continuing to heat up, he said it had not been fought properly. The present administration has made a sport of the war in Vietnam, he said. We have failed to recognize the character of the war . by not using our military might. Regarding the policies at home, he criticized the social problems of Washington, D.C., and blamed it on the Democratic administration, too. Washington, D.C., is the crime capital of the nation, he said. When we see this in the nations capital, we should have new leadership. He also praised TVA and said he would not sell the public utility as president, saying the prospects for its future growth were virtually unlimited. After his talk, a band played and he shook hands with several people, including some Nixonette girls and other teenagers. Young people seemed to be more a part of this campaign than some campaigns of more recent years. Among the numerous signs in the auditorium, one banner hanging in the balcony said with rhythm, Chattanooga Choo-Choo carries Pat and Dick to Washington, D.C. Track 29. On Time. Will arrive 1-20-69. After his address, the presidential candidate was taken to the Holiday Inn Southeast at 6712 Ringgold Road for a short press conference, a brief rest, and a shower and a shave. Mrs. Nixon also held a press conference for four women reporters. Chattanooga writer Marianne Ozmer, who was among the four, wrote that the campaigning couple had met when they were in a small play production. Ms. Ozmer added that three attributes impressed her about Mrs. Nixon, a former schoolteacher, during the interview: her firm handshake, the warmth and ease of her ready smile, and her direct gaze. She also said Mrs. Nixon did not offer canned answers, but seriously considered the questioner, the question and the answer. While the Nixons were at the motel right next to Interstate 75, the security helicopter also landed on the lawn and remained there. The motel then operated by Innkeeper S.B. Micheletta -- was located at the corner of the I-75 and Ringgold Road exchange across from where the new Chick-fil-A sits today. A Rodeway Inn and a Quality Inn & Suites now sit at the site along with a swimming pool, and it looks like at least parts of these buildings might have dated to Mr. Nixons visit, although they may have been updated since then. An adjacent LaQuinta Inn closer to the interstate was apparently built later. When the president left to arrive back at the nearby Lovell Field airport about 4 p.m. on that day in 1968, some network cameramen who were riding in convertibles were still shooting film of him. At the airport, he stopped for a few minutes to thank the local leaders and then soon climbed in his plane and left for Key Biscayne via Miami for a weekend break from the campaign. As N-FP writer Mr. Houts, who had been following him all day, wrote, With a smile and a wave, he boarded the big jet and the door closed, marking an end to a hectic day for all Chattanooga newsmen. When the election was held about five weeks later on Nov. 5, Mr. Nixon won with 301 electoral votes, to Sen. Humphreys 191 and to Gov. Wallaces 46, which included winning five Southern states. However, the election was not assuredly given to Mr. Nixon until well into the next morning after breakfast time. Despite Mr. Nixons rally in Chattanooga that had been described as drawing a larger crowd than had Mr. Wallaces a few weeks before under tighter security, Gov. Wallace actually won more of the Hamilton County vote. The county results were 32,080 who voted for Gov. Wallace of the independent and white Southern-supported American party, 29,302 for Mr. Nixon and 23,441 for Sen. Humphrey. President Nixon did carry the state of Tennessee. This election had come after the tragic assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April and Democratic presidential frontrunner Sen. Robert Kennedy in June, as well as after the anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic national convention in Chicago. So it was quite memorable. I can remember being at Bright School as a third-grader and hearing the news at school that Mr. Nixon had won after the tabulations had finally been determined. I remember the News-Free Press that afternoon had some large banner headline that said something like Nixon Victorious. Chattanoogans who voted for Mr. Nixon could take pride in having enthusiastically supported him at the rally. I remember my father, Dr. Wayne Shearer, said he had left his optometric office that day probably around lunchtime and excitedly recounted standing just a few feet away as Mr. Nixon got out of his automobile and greeted those outside before going in to make his speech. Unfortunately for Mr. Nixon, he would later be brought down by the Watergate scandal that would be considered one of the worst to ever hit a presidential administration. That would cause his 1968 Chattanooga visit to not be brought up much over the years with any glowing or bragging memories by Chattanoogans. But on that Friday 50 years ago, Chattanooga area supporters of Mr. Nixon were about as excited as people had ever been locally toward a visiting president or presidential candidate at least until a man named Donald Trump came to town in 2018. Jcshearer2@comcast.net Dr. John Medina returns to Baylor on Jan. 15 as the keynote speaker for the annual Parent Alliance Speaker's Series. The free lecture takes place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Baylor's alumni chapel and is open to the public. Parents, educators, researchers in the science community, and others who work with kids will all benefit from this free public lecture. Review for Dr. John Medina: A developmental molecular biologist, researcher, professor and the author of 10 books, Dr. Medina's New York Times bestseller, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving at Work, Home and School, is celebrated as the standard handbook on understanding the brain and optimizing its performance. Parents, educators, and others in the community enjoyed insights from his newest book, Attack of the Teenage Brain! Understanding and Supporting the Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner. Dr. Medina's focus is on the genes behind brain development and psychiatric conditions. He has spent most of his professional life as an analytical research consultant, working primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries on research related to mental health. He also consults with hospitals and healthcare facilities on designing brain-healthy environments that reduce staff stress and improve patient outcomes. Recently, he expanded his interest in how the brain interacts with environments to office spaces, teaming up with award-winning architecture firm NBBJ. Dr. Medina is an affiliate professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is also the founding director of the Talaris Research Institute studying how infants encode and process information at the cognitive, cellular and molecular level. He is also the author of Brain Rules for Baby and Brain Rules for Aging Well. Governor Bill Haslam, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Caymas Boats LLC officials announced on Monday that the boat manufacturing company will establish operations in Ashland City. Caymas Boats plans to invest $30.3 million and create approximately 280 jobs during the next five years. Caymas Boats is a new company founded by Nashville-based marine executive Earl Bentz, who has a successful record of building boat companies in Tennessee. Beginning in 2019, Caymas Boats will manufacture a new line of premium fiberglass saltwater and freshwater fishing boats in Ashland City. In Tennessee, we take pride in the fact that we have a skilled workforce that still makes things, Governor Haslam said. Id like to thank Earl Bentz for his decision to establish a new boat manufacturing business in Ashland City. The creation of more than 280 quality job opportunities for Tennesseans will provide a tremendous boost for Cheatham Countys residents and the local economy. By investing private capital and creating jobs, successful entrepreneurs like Earl Bentz are one reason for Tennessees strong economy, Commissioner Rolfe said. Caymas Boats $30.3 million investment underscores all the advantages Tennessee offers businesses most importantly, our skilled workforce. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Caymas Boats in Middle Tennessee. Caymas Boats plans to renovate and upgrade two existing buildings on Highway 12 in Ashland City. The company anticipates that boat production will begin in February 2019. Caymas Boats models will be versatile for fishing and other recreational activities. All of us at Caymas Boats are thrilled to bring fiberglass boatbuilding back home to Ashland City, Mr. Bentz said. Im especially proud that many area craftsmen who formerly built Stratos, Javelin and Triton boats have already signed onto the Caymas workforce. These loyal and highly skilled men and women already have decades of boatbuilding expertise, assuring that Caymas boats will lead the marine industry in quality and innovation. The new Caymas Boats plant will initially manufacture saltwater bay boats up to 27 feet in length, and fiberglass bass boats up to 21 feet long. The company will add additional models in the future. Local officials and the Tennessee Valley Authority applauded Bentz and Caymas Boats for investing in Tennessee. It is a true homecoming for Earl Bentz and a history making day for Cheatham County to open Caymas Boats in our industrial park, Cheatham County Mayor Kerry McCarver said. Today, we celebrate the announcement that Caymas Boats will bring more good paying, skilled jobs to Cheatham County. This investment should make it clear across the state that Cheatham County is open for business. Since 1996, Earl Bentz and his team have made Cheatham County and Ashland City partners, Ashland City Mayor Rick Johnson said. Today, that partnership continues and Ashland City greatly benefits with 280 jobs and more for the community. TVA and Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation congratulate Caymas Boats LLC. On its decision to locate operations in Cheatham County, said TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley. Helping to attract and retain jobs is fundamental to TVAs mission of service and we are proud to partner with Cheatham County Joint Economic and Community Development Board, Cheatham County, Ashland City and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission. Ashland City and Cheatham County are represented in the Tennessee General Assembly by Senator Kerry Roberts (R Springfield) and Rep. Mary Littleton (R Dickson) in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee State Museums first new exhibition since its grand opening will be Between the Layers: Art and Story in Tennessee Quilts. Slated to open Feb. 8, 2019, and run through May 27, 2019, with quilts selected from the Museums vast collection, the show will highlight Tennessees quilt artistry and the stories embedded in those quilts, across more than two centuries and all three grand divisions of the state.One of those stories is Rebecah Fosters 1808 Eagle Quilt.While little may be known about its creators life, the quilt she crafted reveals plenty about her, and the time and environment in which she lived. Foster signed and dated her striking workthe earliest known written date on a Tennessee quilt. The decoration expresses enthusiastic loyalty during a time when U.S. relations with England were strained working up to the War of 1812. The central eagle is a common element in early 1800s decoration. Part of the United States Coat of Arms, it has been updated here to feature 17 stars for the number of states in 1808, instead of the usual 13. Around the eagle are oval frames finely embroidered with the names of the states. Each encloses a patriotic verse.Producing the quilt was an opportunity for Foster not only to show fervor for her country, but also to express her creativity and show off many talents expected of an educated Tennessee frontier womanamong them needle skills, spinning, and weaving. She follows design fashions of her time, and enhances her quilt with virtuoso applique, embroidery and complex quilting. Although the blue printed fabric would have been an imported purchase, the white linen appears to be handspun and handwoven, possibly by Foster herself. Considering that it was made more than two centuries ago, the Eagle Quilt has survived in amazingly good condition, indicating that it was used very little and treasured by generations for both its message and its remarkable artistry.Individually crafted quilts are more than just a traditional way to brighten beds and decorate homes, says Candace Adelson, Tennessee State Museum senior curator of fashion and textiles. They can also be important outlets for artistic expression. Composed of layers, both physical and metaphorical, a quilt may further hold a wealth of storiesprivate stories, economic or political stories, stories of changing tastes, and stories and emotions created by the quilts themselves in the memories of we who experience them.Other quilts and stories highlighted in Between the Layers: Art and Story in Tennessee Quilts include: 'Baptism of Godlessness tearing up America': Megachurch Pastor Carter Conlon in 'It's Time to Pray' Christian Post Contributor | 19 November, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Megachurch Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church in New York City is warning that a "baptism of godlessness" is tearing apart America. With drug use, violence and hopelessness increasing in the nation as Jesus Christ is driven out of the public space, he told The Christian Post in a phone interview on Tuesday that prayer to God is the only thing that can save the nation. Conlon, who pastors the interdenominational Times Square Church in New York, which sees over 10,000 people in attendance of over 100 different nationalities, is a best-selling author and preacher that has led hundreds of thousands to the Gospel message around the world. His latest book, It's Time To Pray: God's Power Changes Everything, released last week, describes the many different areas that people need to pray to God for, and serves in part as an autobiography of his spiritual journey. He told CP that the book is being released now because America has reached a dangerous level of divisiveness that only prayer can solve. "The founding fathers of this nation believed in God. Much of the Constitution and the laws of the country were based on a Judeo-Christian worldview," he said. He argued that while America has often faced divisive times, today "we are seeing an absolute baptism of godlessness." "It's terrifying because it's tearing apart the very fabric of our society. Our only hope to not end up in a division that can't be healed, is a returning to and an understanding that we are, and were, a nation under God. That's our hope," he added. He said that such a godlessness is "happening in all of our institutions, it's happening in our schools, it's happening in our government, our homes. There seems to be a concentrated effort in the last generation in particular to drive the knowledge of Christ out of the public market place, out of our grade schools, high schools, colleges, the conscience of the public." "It's a distressing moment, because we are seeing the end result: opium addiction in our major cities, it's getting into a critical level. A break down of law and order; an incivility in our political arena; and we're seeing the country divided on racial lines, sociological viewpoints," he continued. "It's getting to a point where it's turning violent. This is where a nation that knew God, but rejected Him, tends to always go. This is the moment we are now in, and it is a fearful moment for the nation if we don't turn back to God." Conlon explained that he wrote It's Time To Pray because he wanted people to understand how God works. "It starts with the early beginnings of coming to Christ when I was 24, the mistakes I made, from the vantage point of having almost nothing to offer the kingdom of God, to heading into Africa and preaching to half a million people, and seeing thousands come to Christ," he highlighted some of the key developments in his life that are described in the book. "It has been an incredible journey, and I am hoping that as people read it, every person, no matter where they are in life, will close each chapter and think: 'God, if you can do that for that man, if you're still doing those things in our day, then I'm going to begin to pray and ask you [to come] into my life.'" It's Time To Pray offers advice for how people can pray for some of the most important things in this world, such as for salvation. Conlon said that he came to Christ by reading the Bible and understanding that Jesus "died in my place so that I can be forgiven." He said that he understood other important things as well, however. "To come to Christ means a new lifestyle, it means turning away from an old way of living, old practices which the Bible calls sin, and turning to the way of God," the author noted, adding that it also means giving God the rights to one's entire life and future. Conlon warned that his concern is that people in America "are coming to what they think is salvation, but there's no repentance. There's no understanding that an old way of living has to be put away, there's no real yearning for the way and the will of God, there's no real understanding of taking up one's personal cross and following Christ." He argued that too many people are only concerned about their own happiness and pursuit of joy, and are not really living for the benefit of others. "Which is of course the essence of the Christian life, it is living for the sake of other people," he pointed out. The Times Square Church leader positioned that in the last 30 years or so, a theological shift in American churches has focused on following the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, echoing the Declaration of Independence. He said that while that persuit may be a good thing for a nation, the problem is when it gets mixed into the theology of a professing church, turning the concept of coming to Christ into "about my life, my liberty, and the pursuit of my happiness." Such a focus often replaces things such as sacrifice, suffering for others, going to the missions field, and obedience to God, he warned. "We have ended up with an extremely weak Christian testimony in a very militant nation that is moving in a direction away from God," Conlon said. Obedience to God includes loving one's neighbor, even when people have been hurt and it is hard to do so, he pointed out. The pastor explained that Christians, as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Forgiveness, need to be able to forgive. "Jesus Himself said, 'If you think you love God but hate your brother, you are a liar. The truth is not in you.' If that doesn't shake an unforgiving person to the core, I'm not sure what would," he said. Unforgiveness leaves many Christians in a place of torment, lacking peace, he observed. "If we won't forgive, what kind of ambassador are we?" he asked. As It's Time To Pray declares, prayer can also achieve impossible dreams and feats. Read more about godlessness on The Christian Post. Bible students escape Myanmar army: Not fed for days, suffering health, psychological problems Christian Post Contributor | 19 November, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov A pastor has revealed that 17 Bible students managed to escape an ethnic minority army in Myanmar, but they have not been fed for days and are suffering health problems. A pastor identified as Rev. Lazarus, general secretary of the Lahu Baptist Convention in Kyaing Tong, told UCAnews.com that the 17 male students fled the United Wa State Army in the Wa hills near Myanmar's border with China in groups of two or three, with the last arriving to safety on Monday. "Some them did not have food for several days. Some are suffering health problems and some now have psychological problems," the pastor said. "They can't go back to their homes in the Wa hills, so we are arranging them to continue attending Bible school elsewhere," he added. Twenty-four Christians who were forcefully recruited by the army remain at the Wa headquarters, including 20 females. The Bible students were taken earlier this year from Mong Pawk township, where 52 churches were shut down and over 90 Christian leaders were arrested, part of the region's crackdown on Christianity. The UWSA has declared that only local churches built between 1989 and 1992 are legal, and has banned the teaching of religion in schools. "We are concerned for the remaining students, especially the women, and we are continuing to call for their release through different channels," Rev. Lazarus said. Lazarus told Radio Free Asia at the end of October that UWSA has cut off areas and made travel in the region impossible. "[W]e will hold a prayer ceremony on Oct. 7," the church leader said at the time. "We have about 400 followers, and we'll pray for the quick release of our brethren who have been taken away." Christians have also been targeted with false forced conversion charges, Morning Star News reported. Local Christian leader Keng Tung said that "Wa officials instructed Christians in Mong Pauk not even to worship at home these days." "So some Christian members dare not to live in Mong Pauk any longer," he added. "They came to stay in Keng Tung town as they are fearful." Hundreds of believers have also been forced to sign papers vowing to limit their faith and not pray in churches. The UWSA, which grew out of the Communist Party of Burma, agreed to release 100 Wa Christians in October after they agreed to follow such regulations. U Nyi Rang, the militia's spokesperson, insisted at the time that the measures are being taken in the fight against extremism. "We want stability and rule of law in our area, so extremists may be arrested. Such measures are necessary, as we are preparing to celebrate the 30th Peace Festival on April 17 next year and no extremism is allowed," he said, referring to the 30th anniversary of the USWA cease-fire with the Myanmar government. Read more about Myanmar on The Christian Post. Catholic priest burned to death, over 40 killed in Central African Republic carnage Christian Post Contributor | 19 November, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Two priests, one of whom was burned to death, and dozens of Christians were slaughtered during clashes last week in the Central African Republic. One of the attacks happened on Thursday at a Catholic mission in Alindao, with over 20,000 refugees that were being sheltered being forced to flee, according to Reuters. "We have counted 42 bodies so far, but we are still searching for others. The camp has been burnt to the ground and people fled into the bush and to other IDP (internally displaced person) camps in the city," Alindao lawmaker Etienne Godenaha said. AFP reported that one of the casualties was a priest who was burned to death, though his name was not immediately provided. Father Mathieu Bondobo, the vicar-general of the main cathedral in the capital Bangui, confirmed, "We found his charred body." The violence, according to AFP, was sparked by Christian militiamen killing Muslims on Thursday, which prompted revenge attacks, including a church being burned. The U.N., whose base was also attacked, said that the armed group carrying out the attacks is called Siriri, which was apparently created by Fulani cattle herders, many of whom are Muslim. The Vatican confirmed that at least two priests were killed in the clashes, according to comments by Pope Francis on Sunday. "With sorrow I learned of the massacre that took place two days ago in a camp for displaced people in the Central African Republic, in which two priests were also killed," Francis said on Sunday St. Peter's Square during the Angelus Prayer. "Let us pray for the dead and for the wounded and let us pray that the violence will cease in that beloved country that is in great need of peace." Najat Rochdi, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the CAR, condemned the violence in Alindao, which is seen as a stronghold for Muslim militia. At least two U.N. soldiers and a humanitarian aid worker were killed in recent months. "This vicious cycle of repeated attacks against civilians is unacceptable. Civilians want security, peace and a future," Rochdi said. CAR has seen such cycles of violence repeat themselves since a 2013 civil war erupted when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew President Francois Bozize, a Christian. Read more about CAR on The Christian Post. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is being sued after demanding that a Christian organization permit atheists or other non-Christians to lead their Bible studies in order to be recognized on campus. While the school officials declined to comment on the situation, the Alliance Defending Freedom stated that: The university refused to grant Ratio Christi registered status because it only allows those who share and personally hold beliefs consistent with the groups mission to serve as its leaders. As a Christian apologetics organization, Ratio Christi seeks to defend the Christian faith and explain how the Bible applies to various current cultural, ethical, and political issues. Any student can attend its events. Any student of any faith can become a member of Ratio Christi, as long as he supports the groups purpose. But Ratio Christi requires that those who lead the Christian organization must share its religious beliefs. As a result, the university has denied it registered status, limiting its access to funding, meeting and event space, and administrative support, said the legal team. The lawsuit disputes the schools belief that it can refuse registered status to groups if they choose leaders that agree with the groups religious outlooks. Additionally, it notes other biased actions by the school against the Christian group, including that non-religious groups are allowed to select members who support their purposes. And the university allows fraternities that admit only men and sororities that admit only women to continue as registered student organizations, in contradiction to the universitys policy against discriminating based on sex.' Director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, said that regardless of claiming inclusiveness and diversity as its core values, the University of Colorado is failing to foster real diversity of thought and is, instead, discriminating against a Christian group based on its beliefs. Todays university students will be tomorrows legislators, judges, university presidents, and voters, but at the University of Colorado, students are learning the wrong message: that government can dictate who can lead certain student groups, he stated. Its vital that public universities model the First Amendment values they are supposed to be teaching to students. According to WorldNetDaily, the filing is on behalf of Ratio Christi, Brian Blevins, Kayla Callender, Joshua Stoll and Emily Danis. The filing discloses: The First Amendment dictates that the marketplace of ideas on a public university cannot prefer some viewpoints and cannot exile or denigrate others. It dictates that the government cannot force a religious organization to appoint as a leader someone who does not share that organizations beliefs or to accept as a member someone who does not support its mission. Nor can the government force citizens to choose between exercising their constitutional rights on the one hand and participating in government-run programs on the other. Once school officials declined to register Christi because this religious organization seeks to ensure that its leaders share its beliefs and that its members support its mission, the bias became evident. The case alleges that, through its practices, the school is supporting anti-Christian groups over Christian groups. This action is premised on the United States Constitution and concerns denial of plaintiffs fundamental and clearly established rights under the First Amendment. The complaint alleges that the school is requiring its students to pay activities fees while wrongfully depriving them of their use. Photo courtesy: Alexis Brown/Unsplash Bakers Fined $135,000 for Refusing to Make Gay Wedding Cake Appeal to Supreme Court Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Oregon bakery couple that was fined $135,000 for not baking a custom cake for a lesbian wedding have appealed their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The owners of Sweetcakes by Melissa in Gresham asked the nation's high court on Monday to deem the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries' decision to fine them for declining to bake a cake for the wedding of Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer unconstitutional. The fine, which the agency justified on grounds of the state's nondiscrimination law, effectively forced Aaron and Melissa Klein to close their bakery. In their quest to overturn the agency's decision, the Kleins have received the help of the First Liberty Institute and Boyden Gray & Associates. "Free Americans should not be compelled by the government to create a message that conflicts with their deepest convictions," Ambassador C. Boyden Gray said in a statement. The appeal to the high court explains that the Kleins served all customers regardless of their sexual orientation but could not create a custom wedding cake for a marriage that they felt violated their religious convictions. The document points out that the Kleins even sold a wedding cake to Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman two years before they got married when they were looking for a cake to celebrate the marriage of Cryer's mother to a man. But when Cryer and her mother came to Sweetcakes by Melissa for a wedding cake tasting in 2013, Aaron Klein told them that they could not create a cake for a wedding with two brides because of their religious beliefs. After Cryer and her mother left the store, the appeal explains that the mother returned to confront Aaron Klein about his religious beliefs on marriage. The mother admitted that she used to hold the same beliefs about marriage but that "truth had changed" and that she believed the Bible was silent on same-sex marriage. "After she finished, Aaron expressed religious disagreement and quoted a Bible verse in support of his position," the court document reads. "As BOLI found, Aaron quoted a verse from the Book of Leviticus: 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.' Rachel's mother ended the conversation, returned to her car, and told Rachel (inaccurately) that Aaron had called her 'an abomination.'" Although the lesbian couple commissioned a wedding cake at another bakery a few days later, the couple filed a discrimination complaint with BOLI. BOLI ruled that the Kleins violated the state's accommodations statute that bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The agency also issued an order for the Kleins to "cease and desist" from communicating their beliefs that their faith requires them to refuse baking a cake for a same-sex wedding. The Kleins appealed the BOLI order to the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2016. The court upheld the BOLI order but reversed the gag order. The Kleins also appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court but that appeal was denied in June. "Freedom of speech has always included the freedom not to speak the government's message," said Kelly Shackelford, CEO of First Liberty Institute, a national legal group aiding the Kleins in the case. "This case can clarify whether speech is truly free if it is government mandated." This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop, who faced similar backlash from the state government over his decision not to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. In a 7-2 decision, the high court ruled that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission violated Phillips' Free Exercise rights under the First Amendment. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that "[s]tates cannot punish protected speech because some group finds it offensive, hurtful, stigmatic, unreasonable, or undignified." However, observers have noted the ruling's scope was narrow as the court called out the commission's hostility toward Phillips' faith. Phillips now again faces punishment from the state government over his refusal to bake a cake for a transgender-themed cake. Catholic priest burned to death, over 40 killed in Central African Republic carnage Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two priests, one of whom was burned to death, and dozens of Christians were slaughtered during clashes last week in the Central African Republic. One of the attacks happened on Thursday at a Catholic mission in Alindao, with over 20,000 refugees that were being sheltered being forced to flee, according to Reuters. We have counted 42 bodies so far, but we are still searching for others. The camp has been burnt to the ground and people fled into the bush and to other IDP (internally displaced person) camps in the city, Alindao lawmaker Etienne Godenaha said. AFP reported that one of the casualties was a priest who was burned to death, though his name was not immediately provided. Father Mathieu Bondobo, the vicar-general of the main cathedral in the capital Bangui, confirmed, "We found his charred body." The violence, according to AFP, was sparked by Christian militiamen killing Muslims on Thursday, which prompted revenge attacks, including a church being burned. The U.N., whose base was also attacked, said that the armed group carrying out the attacks is called Siriri, which was apparently created by Fulani cattle herders, many of whom are Muslim. The Vatican confirmed that at least two priests were killed in the clashes, according to comments by Pope Francis on Sunday. With sorrow I learned of the massacre that took place two days ago in a camp for displaced people in the Central African Republic, in which two priests were also killed, Francis said on Sunday St. Peters Square during the Angelus Prayer. Let us pray for the dead and for the wounded and let us pray that the violence will cease in that beloved country that is in great need of peace." Najat Rochdi, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the CAR, condemned the violence in Alindao, which is seen as a stronghold for Muslim militia. At least two U.N. soldiers and a humanitarian aid worker were killed in recent months. "This vicious cycle of repeated attacks against civilians is unacceptable. Civilians want security, peace and a future," Rochdi said. CAR has seen such cycles of violence repeat themselves since a 2013 civil war erupted when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew President Francois Bozize, a Christian. In July, Father Firmin Gbagoua, the vicar general of Bambari Diocese, was shot dead while he was eating dinner. Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need noted at the time that the clergyman was killed at close range by militia calling themselves the Union for Peace in the CAR. "We strongly call on the government and MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic) to coordinate their efforts so that those responsible for these murders will be arrested and brought to justice," sated the Central African Bishops' Conference then. "Who does all this violence against the Catholic Church of Central Africa benefit?" they asked. China Trying to 'Rewrite the Bible,' Force Churches to Sing Communist Anthems Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment WASHINGTON The Chinese government is supervising a five-year plan to make Christianity more compatible with socialism in which there will be a "rewrite" of the Bible, a prominent religious freedom activist has told Congress. The Rev. Bob Fu, a former Chinese house church leader who immigrated to the United States in 1997 and founded the persecution watchdog organization China Aid, provided great detail during a House hearing Thursday about a plan enacted by leading state-sanctioned denominations in China to "Sincize" Christianity. As China's crackdown on religion has seen many house churches demolished and thousands of crosses removed from churches nationwide, Fu warned upfront that what is happening right now in China represents the highest degree of persecution for independent faith groups the country has seen in decades. "Religious freedom in China has really reached to the worst level that has not been seen since the beginning of the Cultural Revolution by Chairman Mao [Zedong] in the 1960s," he told members of the House Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. At the center of this new level of persecution is China's new regulation on religious affairs that was released last year but enacted on Feb. 1. According to Fu, the revision of the religious regulations are to actively guide religion to "adapt to socialist society." In a written testimony, Fu said that under the new regulations religious activity sites will "accept the guidance, supervision, and inspection of relevant departments of the local people's government regarding the management of personnel, finances, assets, accounting, security, fire protection, protection of relics, health and disease prevent and so forth." Fu said that in order to comply with the new religious regulations, the Three Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Christian Council (China's state-sanctioned Protestant bodies) have developed a five-year plan on "promoting the Sinicization of Christianity." He explained that the CCC and TSPM held a seminary last July for preliminary discussion about the five-year plan. He added that the plan outline was finalized at a meeting this March. The plan proposes "cultivating and implementing the socialist core values." The plan will be supervised by the national religious affairs bureau and "every province, autonomous region and municipality's TSPM and CCC seminaries and churches will cooperate with it." One way in which they plan to Sinicize Christianity, Fu said, is by "retranslating" the Old Testament and providing new commentary to the New Testament to make socialist ideals and Chinese culture seem more divine. "The plan made it clear that 'Sinicization of Christianity' means to change 'Christianity in China' into 'Chinese Christianity,'" he explained. [The plan] emphasized that 'the heart and soul of Christianity's Sinicization is to Sincize the Christian theology,' and even proposing to 're-translate the Bible or re-write biblical commentaries.'" According to its latest outline, Fu said, a retranslation would be a summary of the Old Testament with some Buddhist scripture and Confucian teachings and new commentary for the New Testament. "There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism," Fu told The Christian Post after the hearing. "The Old Testament will be messed up. The New Testament will have new commentaries to interpret it." Fu added that the five-year plan advocates for "incorporating the Chinese elements into church worship services, hymns and songs, clergy attire, and the architectural style of church buildings." "This includes 'editing and publishing worship songs with Chinese characteristics and promoting the Sinicization of worship music,' using uniquely Chinese art forms, such as Chinese painting, calligraphy, inscription, and paper-cutting to express the Christian faith,'" he said. "[It's also] encouraging churches to blend in style with Chinese architecture to local architectural style." Fu said that while over 4,000 to 6,000 crosses of state-sanctioned churches have been torn down, churches that have crucifixes on the inside must "put up pictures of Chairman Mao and Chairman Xi [Jinping] on both sides of the cross." "In the beginning of every church worship service, the choir of the church has to sing a few communist revolutionary songs praising the communist party before they can sing the worship songs," he detailed. There have been reports that state officials have gone door-to-door trying to get Christians to sign a statement renouncing their Christian faith. "For first time since cultural revolution, the communist party is now implementing a policy to mandate the Chinese faithful citizens to sign a form to renounce their faith," he said. "We have produced documentation showing [government officials] going door-to-door to force believers to sign a prepared form claiming that these believers were misled by evangelists into believing Christianity. Now, after a few weeks of self-examination and political studies, they have realized they made a mistake. This has not happened in the past." In some provinces, they have even banned children from going to church. Fu said there is also a plan to shut down about two-thirds of the state-sanctioned churches in China in an effort to merge them. State officials have also urged 20,000 house churches to close and join state-sanctioned churches, according to Fu. Although leaders at these state-sanctioned churches and denominations have already been approved by the government, Fu said clergy have been forced to go through another round of examination to ensure their loyalty is to party before God. "The first criteria they have to pass is whether they can publicly pledge they will [uphold] the party's words and the party's path. These slogans are being hanged around the church, even in many Catholic churches, on the walls and on the doors. On the entrance door, it says, 'Listen to the words of the party, follow the path of the party.' How can you have a real independent faith as believers? As Christian believers, we are taught to obey the command of the Lord and listen to the command of the Lord. Essentially, the communist party wants to impose themselves as the Lord over the church." Fu told CP that according to the former chairman of the TSPM, they believe the "doctrine of justification of faith by Jesus Christ is too narrow." "He is promoting justification by love in doing good deeds. He essentially said that God is very inclusive so these communist party heroes he listed are doing so many good deeds and they should be accepted into Heaven by our God," he explained. "It is kind of a universalist doctrine." Hundreds of Christian leaders in China signed onto a statement this month condemning the new regulations, the increased persecution and control the party is taking over the churches. "[W]e believe and are obligated to teach all believers that all true churches in China that belong to Christ must hold to the principle of the separation of church and state and must proclaim Christ as the sole head of the church," the statement reads. "We declare that in matters of external conduct, churches are willing to accept lawful oversight by civil administration or other government departments as other social organizations do. But under no circumstances will we lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled by the government, to register with the religious administration department, or to accept any kind of affiliation. We also will not accept any 'ban' or 'fine' imposed on our churches due to our faith. For the sake of the Gospel, we are prepared to bear all losses even the loss of our freedom and our lives." Rep. Chris. Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House of Representatives' global human rights subcommittee, said Thursday that the crackdown should result in a tougher China policy. "Xi Jinping talks about realizing the 'China Dream.' But when Bibles are burned, when a simple prayer over a meal in public maybe an illegal religious gathering, and when over a million Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims are interned in 'reeducation camps' and forced to renounce their faith, that dream is a nightmare," he said. "Taking a hammer and sickle to the cross or jailing a million Uyghur Muslims will only ensure a tougher China policy, one with widespread, bipartisan and even global support. Activists have called on the United State government to label China as a "country of particular concern," a State Department designation that carries with it the potential for additional sanctions. Optimism was expressed during the hearing that the State Department could be on the verge of designating China as a country of particular concern. At its Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in July, the State Department released a formal statement condemning China for its religious freedom violations. However, the statement was only signed by three other nations. China's 'Ultimate Goal Is to Eliminate All Religion,' Priest Warns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Roman Catholic priest has warned that China's ultimate goal is "eliminate all religion," urging the Vatican to reconsider a major deal with the Communist government. Father Paul of Hebei province, as the priest was identified by International Christian Concern, was responding to discussions about how Chinese Catholics should feel about the deal, when he said that the current Chinese regime's "ultimate goal is to eliminate all religion." As evidence, Paul pointed to the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs that were implemented in February, and have seen church closures, congregants being detained, Bibles burned, and students being forced to sign documents renouncing their faith. Other religious minorities, including Muslims, have also faced widespread crackdowns, including detentions at so-called "re-educational" camps. Paul's warnings, which came in response to a recent Religious Affairs Committee seminar, also pushed back against government officials who are demanding that Catholics regulate their religious activities to protect government interests. The controversial Vatican deal in question refers to allowing the Chinese government to select its own bishop candidates. The Holy See announced in September that it had reached a provisional agreement in order to end seven decades of conflict with China. While supporters of the move have said it would lead to improved relations between the church and China, activists and other Christians have insisted that the Vatican shouldn't be legitimizing the atheistic regime. "CSW is deeply concerned about the timing of this provisional agreement between the Chinese government and the Vatican," said Christian Solidarity Worldwide's East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers last month. "While we understand some of the motivations behind the Vatican's effort toward an agreement, there are significant concerns about the implications for freedom of religion or belief in China." China Aid President Bob Fu added that while the Vatican's search for cooperation with China is understandable, the deal would serve as "nothing but a betrayal of both the millions of suffering persecuted Christians in China and the global Catholic Church." "This could be a repeat of the 1940s Hitler's Germany, when the German state church consented to the persecution and slaughtered millions of Jews. Ironically, how can the Vatican respond with a good clear conscience for this appeasement deal while the CCP just launched a secret war vowing the wipe out of underground Catholics and Protestants?" Fu warned. Pope Francis has vowed to take full responsibility for the move, however, and even said that he received a "sign from God" in the form of a message backing the deal. "The Chinese faithful wrote and the signature of this writ was from a bishop, let's say it this way, of the traditional Catholic Church and from a bishop of the patriotic Church, together and faithful, both of them. For me, it was a sign from God," Francis said at the end of September. Still, the Roman Catholic leader admitted that "both sides [will] lose something." "I think of the resistance, the Catholics who have suffered. It's true. And they will suffer. Always, in an agreement, there is suffering. They have a great faith," he said. Note: This article is part of the Principles Project, a list of principles, axioms, and beliefs that undergird a Christian view of economics, liberty, and virtue. Click here to read the introduction and other posts in this series. The Principle: #10B Because it interferes with economic liberty, occupational licensing is almost always unjust and unnecessary. The Definitions: This principle has two key terms that need to be clearly defined: Economic liberty The freedom to secure and protect ones labor, resources, and private property and to otherwise pursue human flourishing within the economic realm without unjust intervention from a government or economic authority. Occupational licensing A form of government regulation requiring a license to pursue a particular profession or vocation for compensation. (Source) The Explanation: There are numerous forms of crony capitalism, but one of the subtlest and most damaging to the economically vulnerable are occupational licensing laws. For millions of Americans, occupational licensing continues to serve as a barrier to work and self-sufficiency. Some forms of occupational licensing are, of course, necessary to protect public safety. For instance, if someone were to perform an appendectomy on your child youd want a pediatric surgeon who was licensed to practice medicine. But oftentimes, occupational licensing is merely a way to use the power of the government to reduce competition. Occupational licensing is one of the most oft-overlooked forms of cronyism and protectionism. Take, for example, the case of Jestina Clayton. Clayton grew up in a village in Sierra Leone where every girl learns traditional African hair-braiding. When she was 22, Clayton moved to Centerville, Utah and found a niche market among a small group of Utah parents who had adopted African children but didnt know how to style their hair. When she began advertising her services, though, she was shut down because she didnt have a cosmetology license. Getting such a license would require nearly two years of school and $16,000 in tuition. What made the states licensing requirement particularly unreasonable was that none of the training had anything to do with braiding hair. A federal judge eventually ruled that Utahs requirement that Clayton get a cosmetology license to braid hair was unconstitutional and invalid because the regulations were irrelevant to her profession. But for millions of other Americans, occupational licensing continues to serve as a barrier to earning a living using their God-given skills. Occupational licensing laws harm workers, as well as consumers who purchase services from professionals that require licensure, says Tyler Bonin. This harm is disproportionately placed on economically disadvantaged populations. Thus, when examining the effects of excessive occupational licensing in the U.S., it becomes apparent that these laws present an undue burden on ones right to livelihood. As Bonin notes, the number of occupations requiring licensure from state governments rose by nearly 25 percent between the early 1950s and the year 2008: Governments usually cite licensure requirements as necessary to protect the health and welfare of its citizens, as well as for providing increased consumer protection. The types of licensure requirements vary from state to state and today cover a myriad of professions. Everything from dentists and doctors, to interior designers and florists, require licensure in many states. The disparity in license requirements hampers professional mobility across state lines, as well. In fact, the very existence of wide-ranging professional requirements among the states speaks to the capricious nature of licensing boards. Licensure requirements have thus served as a cartel, or a form of professional protectionism. Imagine if Ruth had said Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters (Ruth 2:7) and was told that she needed a license from the city of Bethlehem to work as a gleaner. Or imagine if Paul had been told that to make tents in Corinth (Acts 18:3) hed need an occupational license from the Roman government. Even the backwards and oppressive governments in ancient times would have found such barriers to honest labor to be unwarranted. Why then do we tolerate such limitations on economic liberty that are unjust, unnecessary, and harmful to the working poor? Christian churches facing ultimatum in China's Sichuan: Join Communist network or be shut down Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Four Christian churches in Chinas Sichuan province have been given an ultimatum and told they must join the official Communist government network or be shut down. ChinaAid, which monitors the persecution of believers, reported on what it called a massive crackdown on unregistered churches in the southwestern province, explaining that the final warnings have recently been sent to the pastors, asking them to make a decision. A few churches pastors, who I have connections with, already received the governments final warning, requiring that they should make a decision within two weeks: either join Three-Self Churches or be disbanded, said one local area Christian, who wasnt named. The four churches in particular that need to decide whether to join the state-run Three-Self Churches or cease existing are Shangxi Church in Guangyuan, Guiyi Church in Mianyang, Xinguang Church and Joshua Church in Chengdu. The churches have in the past been told that their worship venues are illegitimate and that the worship services they put together are illegal. The churches say they have been continuously harassed by police officers and local security authorities, who have been trying to prevent them from holding services. Back in September, ChinaAid's Bob Fu told a House hearing in Washington, D.C., that the state-sanctioned denominations in China are looking to "Sincize" Christianity. "The heart and soul of Christianity's Sinicization is to Sincize the Christian theology," he said, noting that the government will even re-translate the Bible or re-write biblical commentaries." "There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism," the ChinaAid founder told The Christian Post after the hearing. "The Old Testament will be messed up. The New Testament will have new commentaries to interpret it." Fu said that the plan includes "incorporating the Chinese elements into church worship services, hymns and songs, clergy attire, and the architectural style of church buildings." "This includes 'editing and publishing worship songs with Chinese characteristics and promoting the Sinicization of worship music,' using uniquely Chinese art forms, such as Chinese painting, calligraphy, inscription, and paper-cutting to express the Christian faith,'" described to CP. "[It's also] encouraging churches to blend in style with Chinese architecture to local architectural style." Over the past few months, Christian activists have posted video clips of Communist officials burning copies of the Bible in Henan and cutting down crosses from church rooftops. Authorities also began forcing Christian students to sign papers where they reject their faith, or else be faced with losing welfare benefits and being expelled from school. "The international community should be alarmed and outraged for this blatant violation of freedom of religion and belief," Fu urged. Christian Photographer Can't Be Forced to Work Gay Weddings, Wis. Court Rules Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Wisconsin court has ruled that evangelical Christian photographer Amy Lawson is exempt from a local ordinance in Madison that would have forced her to work gay weddings, because she does not have a physical storefront. Alliance Defending Freedom, which earlier in August said that it was expecting the court to issue such a preliminary injunction in the case, revealed that Dane County Circuit Court issued the order on Wednesday, confirming that Lawson is not subject to a city and state "sexual orientation" and "political affiliation" ordinance. ADF Digital Content Specialist Sarah Kramer noted that Lawson's lack of a physical storefront has made her exempt from the ordinance. "That means she has the freedom to use her talents to promote and celebrate events that are consistent with her beliefs and to decline to use her talents to promote and celebrate events that are not," Kramer stated. "This is an important victory for anyone who values artistic freedom! And creative professionals without a storefront in Madison and all throughout Wisconsin can breathe a sigh of relief. They still have the freedom to make decisions about which ideas they will use their artistic expression to promote." Lawson, 25, said in a statement in 2016 on her website that she could not work same-sex weddings because it goes against her beliefs. The photographer later removed the statement after reading up on how Christian business owners can face crippling fines for refusing to serve same-sex weddings. Lawson took a proactive step and filed a pre-enforcement challenge to the laws, at the same time halting her business until a court order was issued on the case. "Amy is happy to take photographs of anyone; she simply objects to being forced to participate in events, or promote messages or causes, that she can't support," ADF Senior Counsel Jonathan Scruggs said at the time. "Photography and writing are quintessential examples of protected artistic expression and free speech." Scruggs said in a separate statement on Wednesday that government officials need to allow professionals in the city and the state to make their own decisions on which ideas they promote. "The court's orders bring this case to a close, and we are pleased that Amy and many other artists in Madison and throughout the state can pursue their work without fear of government censorship," he said. ADF noted that Lawson is now free to return to taking wedding photos and promoting her beliefs on her blog. The legal group said that it is still working on a variety of other religious freedom cases that concern anti-discrimination laws, however. "The government should never have the power to tell creative professionals what they must promote with their talents and speech," Kramer stated. Islamic extremist who killed 82-Y-O Christian doctor sentenced to death in Egypt Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An ISIS sympathizer charged in the fatal stabbing of an 82-year-old Christian doctor in Cairo, Egypt, has been sentenced to death as the government seeks to crack down on Islamic extremism in the country. According to reports, the killing took place in September 2017, when the 40-year-old man posed as a patient seeking the services of the 82-year-old Christian doctor. The unidentified man then stabbed the doctor to death as soon as he entered the examination room. The man also stabbed the doctors assistant when she attempted to stop the attack. She survived. Prosecutors said that the attacker had embraced the ideology of the Islamic State, which has carried out a slew of attacks on Egypts Coptic Christian community. The local affiliate of the group has reportedly targeted Coptic Christians in retaliation for its support of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has cracked down on Muslim groups in recent years. Still, the government has faced criticism for failing to protect Copts, who make up the majority of the countrys roughly 9 million Christians, from escalating violence. Amnesty International notes that instead of prosecuting those behind such violent attacks, authorities have continued to rely on state-sponsored reconciliation agreements, which have led to the forcible eviction of Coptic Christians from areas where they are under threat. Ive seen a lot of Christians from different classes become disillusioned with the government and with Sisi, Timothy E. Kaldas, an analyst with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, told The New York Times. Life has gotten more difficult, and security has not been delivered. Earlier this month, the militant group claimed responsibility for an ambush on two buses which left at least seven Coptic Christians dead and 16 others wounded. The two buses were carrying pilgrims to the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor, 85 miles south of Cairo, in Egypts Western Desert. Amid widespread outrage, Egypt said its forces killed 19 militants responsible for the attack. Also in November, a man forced his way into a church and attacked two Christians with a sharp tool while shouting Islamic slogans. While police claimed the man carried out the violent attack because of mental health problems and drug use, local believers called the explanation a clear attempt to hide the Islamic extremism prevalent across Egypt. In December 2017, a gunman killed 11 people in an attack on St. Menas Church in Helwan, just weeks after the Coptic community had marked the anniversary of a suicide bombing that killed 29 and injured 47 at St. Peter and St. Pauls Church. Egypt is ranked 17th on Open Doors' 2018 World Watch List of countries where it's most difficult to be a Christian. In a country where 90 percent of the population is Muslim, Egyptian Christians have been treated as second-class citizens since the advent of Islam in the region, says Open Doors. The rise of radical Islamist groups has only exacerbated Egyptian Christian persecution, affecting believers in their villages, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Kim Davis may enter ministry after losing election: 'It's where the Lord is leading her,' says lawyer Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Kim Davis, the Kentucky official jailed for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, may go into the ministry after losing her re-election as Rowan county clerk, her lawyer has revealed. During a recent appearance on the conservative radio program "Crosstalk," Mat Staver, who also co-authored a book with Davis, said he has spoken with the former Kentucky county clerk "quite a bit" through the summer and believes her future lies in ministry. "Frankly, I think what she's going to do and where she's been wanting to go is in some form of ministry," Staver said. "And so I think that's where the Lord is leading her at this time." In 2015, Davis made national headlines when she cited her Christian beliefs as the reason for her refusal to sign marriage licenses for gay couples. She was subsequently jailed for five days for defying a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to all legally eligible couples. While praised for the decision by many in the Christian arena, Davis received much backlash from the LGBT community and national media. Last week, she lost during midterms to Democratic challenger Elwood Caudill by about 600 votes. The 53-year-old had taken over the job from her mother, who served as the county's clerk for 37 years. "She is someone who loves her job and wants to serve the people," Staver said. "And so she spent her waking hours, really, working on her job. And people in the community did her campaigning for her." Earlier this year, Davis told The Christian Post that she's still receiving hate for her decision, especially as the media continues to paint an "unfair picture" of her. "The only mean or negative thing I ever said to a same-sex couple who wanted a marriage license was 'no,'" she said. "Instantly, the mainstream media painted an unfair picture of me as a terrible person and most of the time, they didn't even talk to me." "I get emails and you can usually tell by the header if it's going to be a good email or a bad email," she said. "If it's bad, I put it into a 'hate file' because I don't want to feed that fire or frenzy because I want to remain positive and I want positive things in my life." But amid all the attention she has received over the last few years both positive and negative God's grace has remained "strong and prevalent." "His presence was there every single day," she said. "I would still go into work whistling and singing with a smile on my face, because I knew He was by my side even amid all the media frenzy. I had such peace, because I knew God's grace is sufficient." Although controversial, Davis said she hopes her story encourages others to stand up for their beliefs and understand that God is able to redeem even the worst of sinners. "The main thing that I would suggest to a millennial or any other Christian that is unsure of how to stand up for their beliefs is, mean what you say, say what you mean, and say it with love," she said. "And remember, God is able, and God will use you for His glory." "You have to trust him," she continued. "If you never step out in faith, your faith never grows. I want to be an encouragement to those who have a sordid past like I have, that when you're sold out to God, there's no limit to what He can do in you and through you." Ohio church collects 100,000 Thanksgiving meals for needy, 60,000 pounds of food for South Africa Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church in Ohio has gathered more than 100,000 meals for the needy for the local area and also about 60,000 pounds of food for people in South Africa. This was the 22nd year that the multisite Crossroads Church collected food on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The food is being distributed to local partners this week, said Joseph Jones, director of Events at Crossroads. He explained that there will be two shipping containers that will head to our South African partners for arrival in the next couple of months. While the event has been fairly consistent through the years, Jones told CP that this year Crossroads made a more concerted effort to include food pantries. We have targeted local food pantries a bit more aggressively than in years past, he explained. Aside from the 100,000-plus meals and 60,000 pounds of food we'll send to partners in South Africa, we did collect and distribute 16,302 food items to local pantries specifically to feed students. Launched in 1996 as Crossroads Community Church of Hyde Park, Crossroads has since grown to include several campuses in Ohio and Kentucky. So where is Crossroads going? Only God really knows. But our short history has shown us that it's a journey of creating something that hasn't yet been seen, saying things that aren't being said and trusting God to do something truly meaningful in and through a bunch of imperfect people, states their website. Crossroads Church is by no means the only church doing charity work around the time of Thanksgiving. A group of churches in Texas are planning to observe an annual charitable cause known as Bless Friday. Were here to help connect individuals, groups and churches to the service opportunities that can transform our communities and our hearts, notes its website. If you dont find an activity on our website in which you can participate, please allow the Spirit to lead you and your family and friends to a need in your community. Prison reform bill has strong bipartisan support; Will a few Republicans block it? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A prison reform bill has strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate, and the support of President Donald Trump, but a few Republicans could be blocking the measure. "There's 80 votes for this. It's the most-important bipartisan piece of legislation in the Congress today," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." A version of the bill, the FIRST STEP Act, passed in May in the U.S. House, 360-59. The Senate version adds sentencing reform to the mix. A number of Christian groups have backed the legislation, including the National Association of Evangelicals, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Prison Fellowship and the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. On Aug. 1, a group of about 20 black pastors met with Trump in the White House to encourage him to back the bill. Despite the super-majority support in both houses, the bill may not pass this year during Congress' lame duck session. The bill's most outspoken opponent is Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. In a Thursday USA Today op-ed, Cotton accused the legislation of being a "misguided effort to let serious felons out of prison" and of going "soft on some of the worst crimes." Citing an unnamed senator quoted in Politico, Meet the Press host Chuck Todd noted Cotton is rumored to have the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Do you believe the majority leader is trying to quietly kill this bill in the lame-duck?" Todd asked Graham. "No, not really," Graham answered. "Because Tom Cotton's had this view from day one." Yet, by the end of Graham's answer, he urged President Trump to call McConnell to demand he bring the bill to the floor for a vote. "And I'm urging Mitch McConnell, put this bill on the floor. If you put it on the floor, we'll get 80 votes. We'll get most Republicans and almost all Democrats. And let's do it before the end of the year. And the president's behind it. So Mr. President, pick up the phone and call the Republican leadership of the House and the Senate and say, 'We still run this place.' Bring this bill to the floor. Senator Cotton can have his say. And we'll vote him down," he said. Todd then asked for clarification: "You believe the president is going to have to start lobbying Mitch McConnell?" "Yes," Graham answered. After again urging Trump to call McConnell, Graham added, "The Republicans are the problem here, not the Democrats." The FIRST STEP Act contains a number of measures aimed at turning prisons into centers for rehabilitation, rather than simply for punishing and locking up prisoners. The sentencing reforms that were added into the Senate version would reduce sentences for some non-violent and first time drug offenders, and reduce mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenders. These reforms are aimed at reducing racial disparities in prison sentences. What was the capital of Israel in the Old Testament? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While Jerusalem is most often talked about as the "eternal" capital of Israel, a claim at the center of bitterly contested modern geopolitics, the history is much more complicated. "Everywhere you put a shovel in the ground in Jerusalem, you will find Jewish roots and connecting to Bible stories," Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat told NPR in a December 2017 interview. For Jews the importance of Jerusalem dates back to around 1050 B.C. when King David conquered the city and his son, Solomon, would build upon what he started, raising the Temple on the Mount, a project that Roman client King Herod would finish many years later. That temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and what's left of the ruins is the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, and is the holiest site in Judaism. Today, the Temple Mount and surrounding area is arguably the most disputed piece of real estate on Earth. Presently, the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, sits atop the Mount. Yet according to biblical history, Shechem was the first capital in the Kingdom of Israel, followed by Tirzah. Several key events in the Great Story of Scripture occurred in Shechem. Shechem, which means "shoulder" in Hebrew, first appears in Genesis 12 where it is recounted that Abram, before he became Abraham, arrived at the "oak of Moreh" at Shechem and built an altar; it was here where God promised him and his descendants the land of Canaan. Following the settlement of the Israelites in Canaan after they were liberated from enslavement in Egypt, Shechem was also where Joshua gathered the Israelites and asked them to choose between serving the God who had delivered them from Egyptian bondage, or the pagan deities their ancestors had worshiped. The Israelites chose to serve the God of the Bible, a choice Joshua recorded in the Book of the Law of God, and he then erected a memorial stone "under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord," as is described in Joshua 21. After King Solomon's death, "all Israel" came to Shechem for the installation of Solomon's son Rehoboam. But when Rehoboam refused to ease the burden of forced labor his father had imposed on the northern tribes, the meeting ended as the ten northern tribes seceded. Shechem was ultimately established as the capital under the new breakaway Kingdom of Israel. "Although Jeroboam had been appointed to be king of Israel by the prophet Ahijah, the biblical writers indicate that he lost his blessing when he decided not to encourage pilgrimages to Jerusalem's temple, but instead established rival centers of worship at Bethel and Dan," the New World Encyclopedia notes. The kings of Israel soon moved the capital farther north to Tirzah. Shechem would eventually become an important Samaritan city and is the location of Jacob's Well, which, as is described in the Gospel of John, Jesus famously met and interacted with a Samaritan woman, something that was forbidden in that culture. Where to go right now: Christmas in York, the postcard-perfect city in England Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Yorks rich history, charming cityscape and festive atmosphere makes this city in the north of England the perfect destination for a Christmas getaway. I experienced York at Christmastime last week, when the lord mayor illuminated the official Christmas tree in St. Helens Square as several hundred cheerful onlookers celebrated the occasion. St. Nicholas Fair along Parliament Street is the citys main holiday market. Here you will find around 100 purveyors housed in charming wooden chalets selling everything from local crafts, knitwear and Yorkshire fayre to deliciously good mulled wine and hot cider. Surrounding the market are streets with countless shops, both local and big British retailers. Most of them are open late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings through December 23. If you go Start your journey at the iconic York Minster. If you are lucky your visit is around the two upcoming Christmas carol concerts on the nights of December 13 and 14. Not only is the minster one of the great Gothic cathedrals in all of Christendom, but it purportedly stands on the site where Constantine the Great, who declared Christianity the official religion of the Rome, was proclaimed emperor in the year 306. If you like churches then you picked the right city, as many of Yorks 45 historic churches survive. One of the best is Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, a so-called redundant church. While no longer an active house of worship, it has a magnificent interior that includes box pews and fine examples of stained glass. A stroll through the Shambles takes one back through time as the cobblestone street little more than a narrow lane weaves through timer-framed buildings that have changed little since the medieval era. There are also several even narrower streets and alleys, known locally as snickelways, to explore. And for the best views of the cityscape walk the old walls, which have existed in some form or another since Yorks founding by the Romans in the year 71. I stayed at the Mount Royale Hotel & Spa, which is located about 15 minutes, by foot, from the minster. The 3-star hotel has friendly staff and clean rooms. Oxos, the hotel restaurant, is surprisingly good and the menu includes both nightly specials and a comprehensive wine list. I left the restaurant at the Dean Court Hotel very disappointed in the lunch I ordered. It just wasnt worth the price. The Ivy, located in St. Helens Square only feet from the Christmas tree, was a much better experience, despite being a chain. Getting to York from London is easy if you fly into Heathrow. Just take one of Grand Central Railways frequent train services from Kings Cross Station to York. The journey takes about two hours. Alternatively, you can fly to nearby Leeds Bradford Airport from major U.S. airports on Delta and its partner airline KLM via a connection in Amsterdam. Spires and Crosses, a travel column exclusive to The Christian Post, is published every week. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Those advocating legal restrictions on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) are hoping for a boost from a new movie, Boy Erased, intended to dramatize problems with what they call conversion therapy. SOCE can included religious or secular counseling or therapy (referred to by critics and the media as conversion therapy) intended to help people with unwanted same-sex attractions to overcome those feelings. The movie is based on a 2016 memoir with the same title by Garrard Conley. Conley was a 19-year-old Arkansas college student in 2004, when he voluntarily attended a 2-week group program offered by Love in Action (LIA), a Memphis ex-gay ministry. Some testimony given in favor of state therapy bans has either been proven false or is highly suspect. In Conleys more factual account, though, there is no electric shock treatment or other aversion therapy horror stories. What the book and movie feature instead is lots of talking and writing. This makes them, frankly, rather boring. LIA and its director John Smid approached homosexuality using an addiction model, borrowing methods from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). For example, one exercise drawn directly from AA was the Moral Inventoryan effort to account in writing for past sins. Such a technique hardly constitutes torture, or even stirring drama. Thats not to say there are no traumatic events in Boy Erasedbut most of them predate Conleys time at LIA. The worst thing that happened to Conley was being raped by a fellow male college student. The rapist then confessed to having done the same thing to a younger teen in the youth group at his church. Conley told a pastor at his Presbyterian college about the latter crimeand was told to stay quiet because there was nothing to be done. However, he told no onenot the pastor, his parents, nor Love in Action counselorsabout the assault he had suffered, even after the rapist outed him as gay to his parents. By re-framing his story, Conley could have put an important male twist on the #MeToo movement. Conley had strained relations with his father and an unusually close relationships with his mothera pattern common among men with same-sex attractions. The climax of both the book and the movie was an exercise in which Conley was instructed to sit across from an empty chair and imagine your father sitting across from you and you saying everything youve always wanted to tell him but couldnt. Conley refused and walked out, never to return. Conley seems convinced that the family dynamics theory did not apply to him, because his parents were not actually abusive, and because he loves them. However, there can be a deficit in meeting the developmental need for warm, non-sexual affection from the same-sex parent, even in the absence of any overt abuse. Critics of SOCE, including Conley, assert that such counseling instills a sense of shame over the clients homosexuality. In reality, one of the primary goals of such therapy is to overcome the shame that clients already feel. Actual quotations Conley shares from LIAs handbook and other materials communicate this: Ive learned that I am loved and accepted . . . I have worth. I am intelligent, funny, caring and strong. The filmmakers spiced up the film with completely fabricated scenes. The most dramaticand most outrageous for its absurdityis one in which an uncooperative LIA client is literally, physically beaten with a Bible. In 2005, a year after Conley left Love in Action, the ministry was subjected to a storm of controversy after a teenager named Zach Stark complained on social media about his parents sending him to LIA. This incident was a key source of the myth that America is dotted with gay conversion therapy camps. The controversy took a toll on Smid and on the ministry. In 2008, Smid resigned; he has since returned to living as a homosexual and married a man in 2014. (LIA, under new leadership and with a completely new ministry model, changed its name to Restoration Path in 2012.) The therapy bans enacted in fourteen states so far apply only to licensed mental health providers and only to clients who are minors. Californias AB 2943, withdrawn by its sponsor in August, would have applied to any SOCE provider or program that charges a fee, even religious and unlicensed ones, and to clients of any age. Such legislation, however, raises serious constitutional questions. The story in Conleys book, and its fictionalized film version, represent only one anecdote about sexual orientation change efforts. The claim that SOCE in general has been shown to be ineffective and harmful is not supported by the scientific research. Boy Erased is not particularly entertaining, and not at all informative for making policy regarding sexual orientation change efforts. This piece is adapted from the FRC Blog. Peter Sprigg is Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. Chris Watts sentencing: Mother prays God will have mercy on man who killed her daughter and grandchildren The Colorado man convicted of killing his wife and two daughters heard heartbreaking testimonies from his victims' family as he was sentenced to life in prison for their deaths. Chris Watts was found guilty of murdering Shanann Watts and their daughters Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. He was also found guilty of the unlawful killing of an unborn child as Shannan Watts was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death in August. Watts had initially claimed that his family had gone missing and even made appeals in the media for their safe return. However, he changed his story when their bodies were discovered three days later and claimed that he had killed his wife in a fit of rage after seeing her smother Celeste. Shanann Watt's family was in court for the sentencing on Monday, where they told Watts of their grief in moving impact statements. Her father Frank Rzucek said Chris Watts had 'carried them out like trash'. 'I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them. And they also trusted you,' he said, before adding, 'You disgust me.' Her mother Sandra Rzucek said she was praying for healing for her family after their ordeal. She also said she was praying for Chris Watts, whom she said she had loved 'like a son'. 'We trusted you,' she said. 'Your faithful wife trusted you. Your children adored you. 'I didn't want death for you because that's not my right,' she added. 'Your life is between you and God and I pray that he has mercy for you.' She said the family would 'never get over' the deaths of their daughter and grandchildren. 'I am still struggling to understand how and why this tragedy occurred. I may never be able to understand and accept it, but I pray for peace and healing for all of us,' she said. 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. Christian couple close down wedding magazine over same-sex beliefs The Christian owners of a wedding magazine in Australia have made the decision to close it down after facing backlash for refusing to feature same-sex couples. Luke and Carla Burrell, publishers of White magazine, said they had experienced a 'a flood of judgement' over their views on same-sex marriage, which became legal in Australia last year. 'White Magazine has always been a secular publication, but as its publishers, we are Christian,' they wrote in their 'farewell' statement. 'We have no agenda but to love. We have no desire to create a social, political or legal war, which only divides people further and does more damage than good. To us, our faith is anchored in love without judgement. Recently we've experienced a flood of judgement.' The couple claimed they were the victims of a targeted campaign by people who objected to their view and said advertisers had abandoned them to the point where the magazine was no longer economically viable. They said couples who had featured in the magazine had been the subject of online abuse. The Burrells were also critical of the lack of freedom of belief around the issue of same-sex marriage and said there should be space to ask questions. 'Instead of allowing us the space to work through our thoughts and feelings, or being willing to engage in brave conversations to really hear each other's stories, some have just blindly demanded that we pick a side. We're not about sides, we're about love, patience and kindness,' they said. The publication faced criticism earlier this year when a former contributor said they were not accepting photo shoots of gay weddings. Photographer Lara Hotz, who is in a same-sex marriage, accused the magazine of working with members of the LGBT community while refusing to represent them, something she said she was 'extremely hurt' by. 'It appears they are happy to take money, content and photographs from LGBTQI advertisers and contributors, but are yet to support and represent us in the same way as heterosexual couples are represented in the magazine,' she said. The Burrells went on in their statement to say that it was clear to them they would not be able to operate the magazine in the way they wanted to. They concluded with a plea to society to allow different views. 'We hope that one day soon our society can learn to accept people's differences and different points of view and love each other no matter what. That's where real positive change begins,' they said. Health expert calls for ban on alcohol advertising in winter An alcohol and drug rehabilitation expert is calling for a ban on alcohol advertising in winter over fears that the dreary weather will make people more inclined towards excessive drinking. Dr Peter McCann, medical advisor to Castle Craig Hospital, a rehabilitation clinic in the Scottish Borders, said there was evidence of a 'devastating' link between exposure to sunlight, temperatures and alcohol consumption, the Herald Scotland newspaper reports. He said lawmakers should 'strongly' consider changing advertising regulations to impose greater restrictions on alcohol-related adverts during the winter months. In addition to tougher advertising regulations, he also suggested stricter laws on alcohol pricing. Dr McCann is one of the contributors to a new report by researchers in Pittsburgh, US, that established a link between the climate and rates of binge drinking and liver disease. The study looked at data on 193 countries from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation, and found that those who drank more heavily tended to live in colder climates with less sunlight. 'We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, has a strong influence on how much alcohol we consume,' said Dr McCann. 'Furthermore this weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease - cirrhosis - which can ultimately end in liver failure and death.' Senior author Ramon Bataller, associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre, added: 'This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis.' The call came on the same day as health experts gathered for a WHO summit in Edinburgh on alcohol consumption across Europe. The summit heard how minimum pricing introduced in Russia in 2010 has significantly reduced alcohol-related harm, although it is still too early to gauge the impact of similar measures rolled out in Scotland recently. Piers Morgan defends being biologically male and masculine on International Men's Day Piers Morgan has used International Men's Day on Monday to defend maleness and masculinity against what he sees as an attack by radical feminists. Writing in the Daily Mail, the Good Morning Britain host accused radical feminists of 'gleefully' hijacking the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements 'to serve their own man-hating purpose', and of turning the concept of masculinity into 'the most controversial, detestable word in the English lexicon'. 'But I fully accept that women have historically been treated unfairly in terms of equality, and that many women continue to be treated unfairly,' he wrote. 'I also fully accept that women have been subjected to far more harassment, sexual abuse and domestic violence than men. That is where the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have performed a valuable public service in highlighting and exposing genuinely bad, unacceptable and in some cases criminal behaviour. 'In fact, I don't know any of my male friends who wouldn't agree with that. 'However, what I refuse to accept is that all masculinity is therefore now automatically a bad thing or that being a man is suddenly something to be ashamed about. 'Nor do I believe that most women actually want the kind of neutered, emasculated, papoose-clad, permanently apologising doormats that radical feminists are trying to make us become. He also took a swipe at transgender activists who argue that gender is not defined by a person's biology at birth, claiming that defending maleness and biological gender identity were nowadays enough to attract 'all manner of global shame and ridicule'. 'I am a man,' he wrote. 'Yes, on International Men's Day 2018, I am hereby identifying as the biological sex that I was born to. 'This alone is enough to risk making me a social pariah these days, but that's not even the worst of it. 'I'm a man who's actually proud of being a man, and who also likes being MASCULINE.' Morgan, a Catholic, said that in addition to radical feminists, there was the 'scourge of pathetic male virtue-signallers that urge them on.' As an example, he said one of the responses to his tweet defending masculinity on International Men's Day came from a man who told him to die. 'Most people reacted in the way I would react if someone else had tweeted that by laughing,' he said. 'Others weren't so amused, bombarding me with hateful abuse about my supposed "toxic masculinity".' Happy #InternationalMensDay! Stay strong lads, were not illegal - yet. This and female celebrities stripping off, he said, were two examples of the 'hypocrisy' of modern feminism. 'The likes of Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski have both built hugely lucrative careers out of stripping off in the supposed name of 'feminist empowerment',' he said. 'When in fact what they're really doing is selling nudity and sex. 'I have no problem with that - just don't pretend it benefits any other woman or is anything that Emmeline Pankhurst and her Suffragettes would have ever done. 'They were too busy risking their lives to win women the right to vote, than to have time to writhe naked in spaghetti and ludicrously claim they were doing so to liberate womankind.' It's the second time in one day that Morgan hit out at female celebrities taking their clothes off in the name of feminism. In a separate piece for the newspaper, he attacked pop group Little Mix's nude photo shoot promoting their latest single, 'Strip'. In the photo, the girls pose naked insults like 'ugly', 'fat' and 'stupid' scrawled across their skin. The pop group intended the photo as a body-positive statement to encourage other girls, but Morgan branded it a 'cynical attempt to sell records' and mocked it with his own photo in which he photoshopped his head onto a muscular man's body covered in insults he says he has received, including 'arrogant' and 'patronising'. World cannot ignore plight of migrants, says Pope Pope Francis criticized rising wealth inequality and the treatment of migrants on Sunday, saying the world should not ignore those "tossed by the waves of life". "Injustice is the perverse root of poverty," Francis said at a Mass marking the Roman Catholic Church's annual World Day of the Poor. "The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich." Francis also reiterated his support for migrants saying that people must pay attention to "all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future". His remarks came as hundreds of migrants from a caravan of Central Americans were stalled at the U.S.-Mexico border after being denied entry to the United States, although Francis made no direct reference to the situation in the United States. A report this year by Oxfam said 3.7 billion people, or half of the global population, saw no increase in their wealth in 2017, while 82 percent of the wealth generated last year went to the richest one percent of the global population. Pope Francis plans to visit Morocco in March next year, a two-day trip that is likely to highlight the plight of migrants, given the kingdom's role as a transit route for Africans looking to migrate to Europe. The Vatican announced the trip on Tuesday, saying the Pope had accepted an invitation from King Mohammed VI and would visit the north African country on March 30 and 31, stopping in Rabat and Casablanca. It gave no more details. The Pope told Reuters in an exclusive interview this year that Europe needed to focus on education and investment in Africa if it wanted to stem the flow of migrants. As Italy closes its ports to most African asylum-seekers, more are entering Spain with the majority coming via Morocco. Morocco is a destination in itself and has granted 56,000 residency permits to foreigners, mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa, since it reformed its migration policy in 2013. Why Annabels was a place you never wanted to leave For five decades Annabels has been the playground of the rich and famous, attracting Hollywood legends, rock stars, fashion icons and even royalty. As its decor is offered at auction on 20 November, we look back on the clubs rich history In 1963, a nightclub opened in the basement of No. 44 Berkeley Square. It was launched by Mark Birley, a young entrepreneur who decided to name it after his wife, Lady Annabel. Within months, Londons glitterati could be seen tripping back up the steps into the cold grey morning, after having spent the night dancing at the high altar of London society, the expressive voice of Ray Charles or Ella Fitzgerald still ringing in their ears. The interior of Annabels, which opened in 1963 in the basement of No. 44 Berkeley Square. Photo: Christian Voigt The Sixties was the decade in which two worlds collided suddenly hairdressers were as famous as duchesses, and everyone wanted to date a Beatle. At its centre was Annabels a byword for glamorous sophistication. It was an extraordinary time to be in London, said Anna Wintour, editor of American Vogue, in Ridley Scotts documentary about Annabels, A String of Naked Lightbulbs. The stories about the club are legion: George Harrison was once refused entry for not wearing a tie, and instead got to spend his New Years Eve at a Lyons Tea Room with Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Peter Blond, a lifelong friend of Mark Birley, once asked if it was true that the Beatles were turned away from because they werent wearing ties. Birley replied, No, absolutely not. That is complete rubbish; its because they werent wearing shoes! That said, the designer Patrick Cox, Eric Clapton and conservationist Damian Aspinall are just three of the many others to have fallen foul of of the clubs strict dress code over the years. Christian Voigts photograph of the Buddha Room at Annabels, featuring the legendary bodhisattva Those who did dress to impress, however, got to mingle in one of the many womb-red rooms designed by Nina Campbell and ornamented with Birleys art collection. The duo were masters of illusion, creating a world of eclectic splendour that mixed the old world with the contemporary. Caricatures by H.M. Bateman and sketches by John Stanton Ward jostled with theatrical Jazz Age posters and costume designs by Leon Bakst from the Ballet Russes. Modern British works by Glyn Philpot, William Orpen and Alfred Munnings, meanwhile, were a reminder of the intellectual inheritance of Mark Birleys painter father, Sir Oswald Birley. The lighting was warm, the furnishings velvet and the staff discreet, but not so discreet as to inhibit the clubs notoriety. Reports of bad behaviour regularly leaked out, to be duly recorded in the press and enjoyed by the British public over breakfast. In 2007 Birley sold Annabels to the British businessman Richard Caring, and the legendary haunt has now left the basement premises. Its famed decor is being offered at auction at Christies in London on 20 November, with estimates ranging from 50 to 120,000. According to Christies UK Chairman Orlando Rock, Each and every lot is sure to evoke memories and excite those who want to celebrate the unique atmosphere, laughter and friendships that Annabels represents. Pavel Tchelitchew (1898-1957), Two costume designs for dancing girls, 1920. 18 x 11 in (45.7 x 30 cm). Estimate: 10,000-15,000. This lot is offered in Annabel's on 20 November 2018 at Christies in London Highlights among the 250-plus lots include an Annabels table for eight (estimate: 1,000-1,500), comprising eight dining chairs with the quintessential red and green upholstery, a circular restaurant table and eight elegant place settings, including wine glasses, plates, cutlery, tablecloth, napkins, salt and pepper pots and a toast rack; iconic designs by two of Frances master poster artists, Paul Colin and A.M. Cassandre; one of Glyn Philpots final portraits of Henry Thomas (estimate: 80,000-120,000); and a striking Portrait of a Lady by Augustus John (estimate: 20,000-30,000) One of the main draws, however, will be the much-loved bodhisattva, which for more than 50 years has been a beatific presence in the Buddha Room, presiding over the affairs of royalty, fashion icons, recording stars and Hollywood greats among them Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Diana Ross, Bryan Ferry, Jack Nicholson, Elizabeth Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Moss, and the Queen, no less. Sign up today Christie's Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe courtesy of Sanhua Texas Technology Center Sanhua, a China-based building, home and automotive HVAC manufacturer, has opened the Sanhua Texas Technology Center research and development facility in north Houston to serve North American clients. The center, at 252 Fallbrook Drive, will employ 20 to 25 people and is starting with a $10 million investment in "the greater Houston economy," a new release stated. READ MORE: Covestro to invest $1.7b to expand Baytown chemical plant "Houston was chosen following an exhaustive search of possible U.S. locations," Sanhua North America president CY Zheng said in a statement. "We based this decision on the hospitality of the state and local government, the availability of a large pool of skilled local talent to fill our specialized staffing needs and the great transportation network here including the world-class international airport." READ MORE: Manufacturing workers receive training at San Jacinto College Houston is among the finalists for Sanhua's North America headquarters. 5 1 of 5 courtesy of Joe V's Smart Shop Show More Show Less 2 of 5 courtesy of Joe V's Smart Shop Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 courtesy of Joe V's Smart Shop Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Discount grocer Joe V's Smart Shop will open a Pasadena location Dec. 12. A division of H-E-B, Joe V's Smart Shop offers cut meats, produce, baked goods, organic selections and other grocery items. The stores offer H-E-B and Central Market brands. READ MORE: Stratus secures land for H-E-B-anchored development in New Caney "The entire premise of the brand is to save the customer as much money as we possibly can," H-E-B senior vice president Armando Perez said. "The goal of Joe V's Smart shop is to have the best prices on groceries for customers that shop that format." The 61,00-square-foot store at 42013 Red Bluff will employ 150 people. There are currently eight Houston-area locations with 1,320 employees. READ MORE: For Houstonians, grocery store loyalty brings out strong feelings Launched in 2010, Joe V's Smart Shop provides consumers "healthy food choices" at a discount, Perez said. The company was motivated to open the Pasadena location after repeated requests from customers on Facebook. It is the first Joe V's Smart Shop in the southeast Houston area. Perez said the Pasadena location is also the second whose store layout will feature a tortilleria a tortilla-making department. The customer response, he said, has been good at the one other location with a tortilleria, which most large-format H-E-B stores in Houston also have. Seventeen energy companies operating in West Texas' booming Permian Basin said they're pledging more than $100 million to help improve roads, schools, health care, housing and workforce training. The mostly rural region in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico was upended by the oil-drilling resurgence in Permian shale in the last couple of years, and the community services and housing supplies were woefully unprepared for the influx of new people. The Permian Strategic Partnership, which was formed earlier this year, has quickly grown from a handful of companies to 17 and counting. The list includes Big Oil players Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, as well as a bevy of Houston producers such as Occidental Petroleum, EOG Resources, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Apache Corp., and major services providers such as Schlumberger and Halliburton. RELATED: Companies, needing Permian workers, find West Texas a hard sell The partnership announced its new pledge to serve as seed money for public-private partnerships to help support the necessary growth. After all, the energy companies struggle to operate on dilapidated roads in cities without the necessary housing, health care and schools to accommodate their employees. For most of this year the Midland-Odessa region has represented the nation's hottest housing market, according to the National Association of Realtors, beating out coastal tech centers like San Francisco and Boston. The companies announced the initiative Monday in a letter published in the Midland Reporter-Telegram, a sister paper of the Houston Chronicle. "A once-in-a-generation opportunity has brought us together for a common purpose to strengthen the communities where we live and work," the partnership said in the announcement. SHALE: Wolfcamp play has been key driver in Permian's growing production The plan is, in the coming months, for the partnership to open an office and hire staff to help lead the effort. Early next year, the companies will launch a series of community meetings to invite citizen input and recruit volunteers. "This will be a long-term process," the announcement stated. "Building new roads, recruiting new doctors and teachers, and developing new neighborhoods will require years of work, substantial resources and sustained cooperation among many entities. But we share a sense of urgency with our communities to find both interim and long-term solutions." The companies argued that the Permian shale boom is nothing short of remarkable and that then the Permian alone will soon produce the most oil in the world after Russia and Saudi Arabia. The Permian already accounts for almost one-third of the United States' record-high oil production. The announcement also argued that even though oil and gas is cyclical -- indeed, oil prices are down more than 25 percent in the last 45 days -- that technological and efficiency gains are ensuring that the Permian will keep thriving even during downturns for the foreseeable future. The 2018 holiday gift guide from Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop landed this week in all its turmeric and activated charcoal-infused glory, ready to right your chakras, align your energies and purify your toxins, and the internet quickly rose to the occasion of soundly mocking it. As in years past, the gift guide did not disappoint. It truly has everything. Rolling papers made with 24 karat gold? Check! A crystal-of-the-month box? You bet! A 10-day detox box that costs $195 and does not come with any food? Yes, there's all that and then some more crystals (including one you can massage your face with!). ALSO: Things you hate yourself for spending money on in San Francisco Other notable entries this year include a rose quartz-embellished reusable straw, $68 ("An everyday essential"), a 100 percent electric yacht, and a literal Spanish village (caption: "For when it takes a village"), priced at $172,910, which compared with California real estate prices honestly seems almost reasonable. "Don't procrastinate Iberian townships don't last long," reads the guide's intro copy. Like a fitness accessory straight out of the late Roman Empire, there's also a $100 white marble dumbbell (description: "It's chic. It's design-forward. It's a dumbbell"). WEIRD: I got naked in a sensory deprivation tank in the Marina "It's so over the top absurd that I think people accept it into their lives as theatre," writer Rachel Syme wrote of the gift guide on Twitter. There are some colorful suggestions in the kids and teens section as well, including a toy salad, night at the Eloise suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York, and boarding school in the Netherlands, perhaps for the ungrateful stepchild in your life. "Happy to report that goop's gift guide has in no way been impacted by social or political pressure and includes this $38 baby crown," wrote Twitter user @robotafterbirth. But it's not all fun and crystals: The guide also dispenses some relationship advice in the form of its suggestion of a couple's tattoo session, captioned: "The couple that gets inked together stays together" (Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande would like a word with you, Goop). Maybe take that one with a grain of Peruvian Pink Salt ($15 for 2 oz). Luckily, that's in the gift guide, too. Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter Houston: love it or leave it. Looking for a reason either way? This list can help you decide. What are some of the pros and cons to moving to Houston? While the city is home to one the largest life sciences destinations in the world and a culturally diverse population, there's also the weather (from the heat and humidity to hurricanes) and public transportation system to consider, according to World According To Briggs. Getty Images How do you put a price on the happiness of your very best friend? You take a survey, of course. The folks over at the Saint Leo University Polling Institute conducted a survey recently, in which they asked 698 people how much they plan to spend on presents for their pets this year. And the answer among pet owners figured out to an average of $237.37. Computer science jobs are the number one source of all new wages in the United States, but only a small percentage of college graduates study computer science. With the help a $1.7 million grant over the next five years, teachHOUSTON, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics STEM teacher preparation program at the University of Houston, will train and educate the next generation of computer science teachers. The award is part of an $8 million dollar Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant from the Department of Education. Our goal is to build a computer science teacher pipeline and increase the number of females and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, said Paige Evans, teachHOUSTON clinical professor and principal investigator. Students need to be exposed to STEM in middle and high schools, even elementary school. Evans, along with Jaspal Subhlok, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Laura Harlow, an instructional assistant professor with teachHOUSTON, will work with educators across four regions to prepare 240 new STEM teachers over five years. Approximately 60 of those will be trained at UH to address the shortage of STEM educators in the Houston area. The strategy is to target current computer science majors, people who want a career change or those already working in the industry who are interested in teaching. According to employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computing jobs make up 58 percent of all projected new jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). That translates to more than half a million open jobs available nationwide. The downside? Only 8 percent of STEM graduates study computer science and women and minorities make up a fraction of that. I am hoping this program will attract a disproportionate number of female and minority students, said Subhlok, who has seen rapid enrollment growth in a new Computer Science 101 course at UH to introduce computing to students with diverse backgrounds and interests. As part of the program, Harlow is developing a Principles of Computer Science course designed to expose pre-service teachers to methods of teaching computer science as well as integrating computer science into their math and science classrooms. The course will teach computer science through inquiry, the goal of all teachHOUSTON courses. High school students need teachers who are passionate about computer science, Harlow added. With teachHOUSTON, you will get the skills to be successful in the classroom. TeachHouston will receive an initial grant of $906,000 for the first three years and is eligible to apply for a two-year extension for the remainder of the funds. The program starts in fall 2019. Other institutes involved in this effort include the University of North Texas, University of Texas, Louisiana State University and the American Institutes for research. Houston-based master limited partnership Natural Resource Partners LP has entered into a $205 million deal to sell its construction aggregates business to a Florida-based investment firm. Natural Resource Partners, which trades under New York Stock Exchange symbol NRP, announced on Monday that it has agreed to sell VantaCore Partners LLC to Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sun Capital Partners Inc. The $205 million deal is expected to close by the end of the year and marks the departure of Natural Resource Partners from the construction aggregates business, which includes the mining, processing and sale of sand, gravel, crushed stone and other construction materials. Founded in 2006, VantaCore has acquired seven companies over the past 12 years that supply construction materials to customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. "The sale of our construction aggregates business segment will enable NRP to substantially accelerate the delevering and deisking of our capital structure and represents an exit from this business," NRP Chief Operating Office Craig Nunez. Credit Suisse Securities is acting as financial advisor to NRP while Vinson & Elkins LLP is acting as legal advisor. Natural Resource Partners owns interests in coal, aggregates and industrial minerals across the United States. A large percentage of the company's revenues are generated from royalties and other passive income. The company also owns an equity investment in Ciner Wyoming, a trona/soda ash operation. The Houston-based company reported making $28.5 million of net income on $95 million of revenue during the third quarter. Oil prices slid to near $55 a barrel as the dollar strengthened and Russia equivocated on whether it would commit to more production cuts with its OPEC allies. Futures in New York fell as much as 2.4 percent, reversing earlier gains, as worries about international growth led to a surge for the greenback. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, meanwhile, said producers need to "better understand both the current conditions and the winter outlook" before agreeing to slash supplies. "The statements from Russia have turned the market's attention back to worries about slowing demand growth and excess supply and that's why we're under pressure," said Gene McGillian, senior analyst and broker at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. "It looks as if some of the bear pressure in the market has taken hold again." RIG COUNT: Eagle Ford triggers small rig count jump Russia's wait-and-see approach threatened to open up a gap with Saudi Arabia, its partner in orchestrating suppliers to stabilize crude prices in recent years. The Saudis said earlier this month that producers may have to cut as much as 1 million barrels a day to resuscitate a market that's fallen into bear territory. U.S. benchmark crude notched its sixth straight week of losses last week. OPEC ministers are scheduled to meet in Vienna on Dec. 6, with allies from outside the group joining talks the next day. In Moscow on Monday, Novak said he wants them to "make a balanced decision, and so far there are no criteria for it." "It appears that the market takes a production cut for granted," PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga wrote in a report. "We'll see if it is right after the next OPEC meeting on Dec. 6. It is not unreasonable to anticipate stable prices until then." PREVIOUSLY: Oil rises, paring sixth weekly loss on expectation of OPEC curbs West Texas Intermediate for December delivery, which expires Monday, declined 63 cents to $55.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:19 a.m. local time. Total volume traded was 21 percent above the 100-day average. The more active January contract fell 61 cents to $56.07. Brent for January settlement slid 90 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $65.86 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange, and traded at a $9.85 premium to WTI for the same month. With rising trade tensions threatening the economy in emerging markets, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose as much as 0.2 percent on Monday. That diminishes the appeal of dollar-denominated commodities like crude, further pressuring prices. --With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima, Sharon Cho, Alex Longley and Samuel Robinson. AP Denver-based QEP Resources said Monday it will sell its Haynesville shale assets in northwestern Louisiana for $735 million to a private equity-backed firm out of Dallas. QEP Resources is pivoting to focus exclusively on West Texas' booming Permian Basin. Less than two weeks ago, QEP agreed to sell its Williston Basin acreage in North Dakota and Montana for $1.7 billion as it unloads all of its assets outside of the Permian. A judge on Monday tentatively set a March deadline to decide on the reburial of 95 human remains discovered at a Fort Bend ISD construction site putting the district's plans in limbo. It had sought to move the remains to nearby Old Imperial Farm Cemetery. "I'm not going to give that permission until I'm convinced we've given a good try for all who are concerned to achieve the goals they'd like to see achieved," said Fort Bend District Judge James H. Shoemake during a court hearing Monday morning in Richmond. Shoemake said that he would like to see more community input before coming to a conclusion on whether the human remains should be moved. He said an agreement could be reached tentatively by March about the reburial of the African-American remains believed to be a part of the state's convict-leasing system set up after the Civil War. In the system, prisoners were contracted out to perform cheap labor across the state of Texas. The school district announced the discovery in April. "I think we can work together and get to something that's helpful and meaningful to everybody that's involved," said Shoemake. The judge's action is the latest wrinkle to the ongoing saga of the human remains. The issue first drew national attention after the discovery of the remains was publicized in April by the Houston Chronicle and the other news outlets. 'A HARD LIFE': New details emerge about remains found at Fort Bend ISD construction site Shoemake's ruling comes after a task force was formed by the city of Sugar Land to make decisions about the reburial. A majority of that panel voted last month against moving the remains and keeping the 95 bodies at the school district site. But the school district petitioned court to move the human remains. Some task force members have said that keeping the remains at the school district property would be more respectful than moving them. "I find it difficult to go through these processes when it comes to our ancestors," said Swatara Olushola, who was a task force member. "It seems like we always have to wind up begging and asking permission, especially from people who aren't even descendants. I do acknowledge the great step that was taken here today and I am grateful for having a judge who was willing to listen objectively." Veronica Sopher, chief communications officer for FBISD, said the ruling may affect the ongoing construction timeline of the James Reese Career and Technical Center. The center, which would offer junior and senior high school level courses in a variety of career fields for students, is set to open next fall. "We will have to revisit the construction timeline, but our sole focus is to educate students and educate the community," said Sopher after the hearing. "So, this is going to be another learning opportunity for all of us." At HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend ISD finds historic cemetery near construction site Sugar Land city council members disagreed with the task force vote and also recommended last month the human remains be buried at the city's Old Imperial Farm Cemetery. After the city council meeting last month, the city announced it was dismantling the task force created in August and moving control of the remains to Fort Bend ISD, which in turn has created an advisory committee. That committee is scheduled hold its first meeting next month. "With the interment work resolved and the remainder of the work focusing on education and memorialization, it made the most sense for the school district to take the lead on that effort," said Doug Adolph, city of Sugar Land spokesman. After the hearing, Kofi Taharka of the National Black United Front said he was happy with the the judge's decision. "The judge today listened to reason," said Taharka. "He invited the community up to give their input. If it was just left to the lawyers, a rushed decision would've been made." The school district has cited concern over whether it can legally turn the construction site into a perpetual care cemetery, which is why they recommended the remains be reburied at Old Imperial Farm Cemetery. Jason Burdine, Fort Bend ISD board president, reiterated that message when he spoke during the October city council meeting. He also noted the historical connection to Old Imperial Farm Cemetery, which is believed to hold other bodies from the convict-leasing system. "Respect comes in many forms and we understand that some of the members of the task force prefer to re-inter the bodies at the James Reese Center on the Fort Bend ISD site," said Burdine. "However, as a public school district we are charged with educating children and the feasibility of becoming a perpetual care organization is beyond our expertise and our means." Reginald Moore, a community activist who has advocated tirelessly for the 95 remains, said after the hearing he was pleased with the judge's decision. "We got hope. We got progress. I believe the bodies will at the end of the day be interred properly and left at the Ford Bend site," said Moore after the court hearing. NATIVE TEXAN: At Battle of Medina, hundreds died but we don't know where One of the armed robbers believed responsible for gunning down a northwest Houston convenience store clerk has been apprehended and charged with murder, officials said. Jose Bonilla-Ortiz, 18, was arrested Saturday morning at his apartment about two miles north of the Metro Food Mart where he is accused of killing an employee, Houston police Detective Jason Fay confirmed. Fay cited the help of tipsters for identifying the teen after surveillance footage showed two hoodie-wearing robbers responsible for killing Bangladeshi-immigrant Faruk Bhuiya. A second man seen on video during the Nov. 10 holdup in the 1600 block of Witte Road has not been caught. He was not identified. DIFFICULT TIMES: Armed robberies take a tragic toll on Houston families Bhuiyas grief-stricken widow gasped during a phone call Sunday night after learning that a teenager was arrested in her husbands death. She shared her sympathy to the mother of the teen being held on the murder charge. I feel bad for this boys mother. His life is ruined. Ruined for nothing, absolutely nothing, Phyllis Bhuiya told the Houston Chronicle. I wish I could hug that boys mother. She believes her husband would have wanted her to forgive his killer and she does. But Bhuiya wants the court of law to take its course should the suspect be convicted of killing the clerk. I want him punished for what he did. He didnt just take my husband. He took someones son, someones stepfather, she said. He wasnt just my husband. He was a lot of things to a lot of people. Bonilla-Ortiz, who has no prior criminal history in Harris County, is slated to appear in court Monday morning. He is being held on a $250,000 bond. Meanwhile, jail records show Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Bonilla-Ortiz because he is not believed to be a U.S. citizen. He was deported in 2016, according to prosecutors. It was not immediately clear where he is from. Officials at ICE did not respond to a request for comment. Bhuiya was the second store clerk to be gunned down during a robbery this month. Hafeez Qureshi, a father of five, was shot to death at Sonny's on Dairy Ashford the day before he planned on retiring. He was 66. More than 75 women packed a room at Tonys restaurant Tuesday to hear business advice from Alice Weiser - the handwriting analyst who evaluated the ransom note found after the death of Jon Benet Ramsey. Weiser, speaking at a Womens Excellence in Business Luncheon at the Upper Kirby restaurant, explained to the women how she had discovered her career in handwriting analysist at the early of 16 years old and then built her career up. The graphoanalysist was invited to speak at the restaurant as part of a four-part event series by members of Houston West Chamber of Commerce. The luncheons are open to men, women, members and nonmembers and bring together business professionals and community leaders to connect, network and share advice, said Liz Lara Carreno, outreach coordinator for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Houston Community College. Its about creating that environment for women to network, not just have lunch but really begin to exchange in, hey how can I do business with you, with your product, with your service? And really push, so that they can start doing business with each other, Carreno said. The particular women I invited to this event, I know there is an audience for their product or their service, Carreno added. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Houston Community College helps business owners receive the tools they need to develop strategic and customized growth plans that will take your business to the next level, according to HCC news release. More than 640 businesses in more than 40 industries have graduated by the program, which is grant funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, Carreno said. They dont look for startups. They look for businesses in growth mode, she said. We have medical doctors, (Certified Public Accountants), sitting next to electricians and construction workers, sitting next to bakers and eyelash makers. But she also had some advice for business owners. It doesnt matter what gender you are, Carreno said. The bottom line is knowing whether you going to deliver or not. Not whether youre team ovary. Thats one of the things that we instill in them. When it gets down to competition, it doesnt matter. Business is business. Thats one of the things we want to drive home. The Womens Excellence in Business Luncheons are an extension of the West Houston Chambers Women Driving Business series and will feature four parts. The next three events will take place next year on Wednesday, Jan. 23, March 20 and May 22. The cost for non-member is $70. Members pay $60. michelle.iracheta@chron.com Reality TV star and makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and her significant other Travis Scott hit Houston over the weekend for Scott's Astroworld Festival. While the couple was in Houston, they made time in their busy schedules for more than just the Fest. Grownups aren't the only ones with style. That's what a group of fashionable Houston kids proved for the recent opening of Neiman Marcus Galleria's new children's department on the store's third floor. The children donned designer favorites, from Milly to Dolce & Gabbana. The young models were so stylish that their parents were wishing the looks came in their sizes. (They probably do.) After the show, the children and parents snapped up copies of the new "Ava and the Prince" children's book about a pair of rescue boxers. (The book's author Joy Sewing and designer Susan Barber were on hand to autograph books.) ICYMI: Chronicle writer pens children's book about rescue pups Kids and dogs. The perfect holiday pairing. In the crowd: Sneha and Nick Merchant, Dr. Yasmine Haddad, Rania and Ramy Mankarious, Donae and Rob Chramosta, Dr. Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Debbie Festari, Patricia Sewing, Edith King, Staci Pearsall, Jessica Pearsall, Lisa Otey, Tammy Tran Nguyen, Rachel Contreras, Karina Barbieri, David Barber, Tyler Barber and Travis Barber, and Pamela Brownsberger. NOTE: Neiman Marcus' Windows of Life with the Houston SPCA officially opens on Friday through the holidays. For 30 years, the holiday widows have showcased a variety of animals needing forever homes. (It's where I adopted my female boxer, Ava, five years ago.) Chandler Scott is making history for Katy High School. The senior is headed to the University Interscholastic League Congressional Debate contest Jan. 7-9 in Austin. He is the first UIL Congressional Debate qualifier in the history of the high school, according to school officials. Making history for his high school doesnt put any extra pressure on him, though. Rather Chandler said, I feel a lot of pride and accomplishment at this special opportunity to compete. Congressional Debate re-creates a legislative assembly where students draft bills and resolutions which are the subject of debate by them and their student competitors who work toward passing laws. Other students representing the Katy ISD as state qualifiers in the Region 4 Student Congress 6A debate competition are Olga Briceno of Seven Lakes High School and Clarisse Manuel of Katy Taylor High School. They are among a total of 16 students who are Region 4 Student Congress state qualifiers. Krista Nix-Buckner, who has taught debate at Katy High School since 2013, said Chandler advanced to the final rounds of UIL last year and she has high hopes for him this year. Hes coming from one of the most competitive congressional areas in the whole country, she said. Houston is an incredibly competitive area. I think Chandler has a good shot at it. Im really excited. Chandlers role will be one of a mock legislator. He called Congressional Debate a unique event at which elaborate ideas on certain topics are thoroughly debated. Preparation is pretty rigorous, he added, describing it as almost at the university-level type of research of ideas and world issues. I constantly search all news sources to learn new things about the world, said Chandler. The competition rates highly not only those who speak their positions well but also those who are knowledgeable about their topics and have the background to rebut their critics during debate. Nix-Buckner said Chandler has a smooth, quality delivery when he speaks. The quality of analysis and research and argumentation within the speech, also is very important she said. Nix-Buckner, who has served as a judge in Texas Forensic Association debate competitions, said some people make the same arguments over and over again. Unique and insightful arguments distinguish Chandler, said Nix-Buckner. He has strong knowledge of foreign and domestic policy, she said. That allows him to have the kind of insight on topics a lot of students just lack. Once a student establishes basic skills in public speaking, said Nix-Buckner, Content research is really critical to success. She explained that mock legislators are questioned by their peers and judges after their presentations. Youre not just asking questions but answering them in a masterful way. In a debate situation, if someone presses the presenter hard for a claim made, the presenter needs to provide evidence to back up what theyre saying. Before debate, Chandler said he was a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) person. Through debate and the opportunity it has presented, Chandler said hes shaped his world view as a young adult and adult to fight for values that he holds dear like democracy and citizen participation. After high school, he plans to major in business/economics in college, earn a pre-law certification and become a business or international lawyer. Family history plays a role. He explained his mother Homa Barakzoy-Scott was a refugee from Afghanistan who came to America in 1984 with only the clothes on their back to build a life for him and his older sister. Its really a unique situation and really a unique history. Its shaped the way I think of international politics. He talked of atrocities committed in Afghanistan by international actors and said its given him a world view where he continuously proposes legislation targeting injustice in education domestically or in crises happening around the world ie Yemen and Somalia. Its very important that I have that history, said Chandler who added he encourages fellow debaters to think of the world and to grow their knowledge of what must be changed and the injustices that must be stopped. The diverse student community he found himself in at Katy Junior High also allowed him to learn different political ideas, too, he added. Preparation for competition is a combination of classroom instruction and out-of-class practice, said Nix-Buckner. And before the three-hour competitive round of Congressional Debate begins, students meet and develop relationships with other schools students to make connections and establish themselves in the debate community. Chandler does more than debate. His extracurricular activities include National Honor Society, Interact Club and volunteering in the community. He also works 15 to 20 hours per week at Chick-fil-A. Nix-Buckner said, Chandler never has a down minute. Hes prepping for a tournament or doing volunteer service hours. I know no matter whats going on, Chandlers got something hes working on. With his part-time job, he also helps his mom, said Nix-Buckner, covering the cost of his vehicle and using money for debate-related material. karen.zurawski@chron.com Before the end of the year, Katy officials are expected to announce the name of the hotel expected to be the flagship of the citys extensive new Boardwalk District. The district, located next to Katy Mills Mall, will be a mixed-use development with retail shopping, a convention center and residences. A 90-acre lake originally envisioned as a retention pond for the mall and nearby neighborhoods will be a major feature of the project. Its been there 20 years and its absolutely beautiful, said Kayce Reina, Katys Director of Marketing. Initially we were just going to build a park and put some trails around it. Speaking with Katy city administrator Byron Hebert to the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, Reina said the new hotel and conference center will incorporate the lake as part of its design. COMMUNITY BACKLASH: Katy residents turn out to protest proposed cell tower Were really excited. Its going to offer something unique, Reina said. Were finalizing some really big steps on this. In addition to the Boardwalk District, Reina and Hebert also briefed chamber members on the continuing development of Katys downtown area around the city hall. Hebert said they recently discovered a city map from 1904. That map showed there was a public plaza that our old city hall sits on. Were building that back into a plaza, Hebert said. The former city council chambers will be gutted and turned into a convention center while another building, once a fire station and later a town library, will be converted into a new visitors center for Katy. The downtown water tower, featuring a giant Katy High School logo, will remain in place but it will no longer be used for storage, officials said. The area around the now purely decorative water tower will allow designers to create a walking plaza in the downtown area, which generally shut downs at night. "DESPICABLE POLITICAL THUGGERY:" Katy ISD names current deputy as acting superintendent When the doors close, everybody goes home. We want to create an environment that draws people back to the city, Reina said. We really want a gathering place downtown. The downtown demolition work is expected to start in the new couple of weeks with construction of the public plaza area kicking off after the first of the year, Reina said. Were doing a lot of great things downtown, Hebert said. mike.glenn@chron.com The Supreme Court last week turned down an appeal from a British woman sentenced to die for a Harris County murder-kidnapping, moving the case one step closer to a possible execution date. Linda Carty was sent to death row in 2001 after she was convicted of masterminding a plot to murder her 20-year-old neighbor and steal the woman's baby in order to save her own common-law marriage. In the years since the killing of Joana Rodriguez, Carty has consistently professed her innocence, insisting she was railroaded by prosecutors who failed to turn over evidence and coerced witnesses to win a conviction. Yet the nation's highest court has now turned down her most recent appeal without comment, refusing to review the argument that the combination of bad lawyering and "egregious prosecutorial misconduct" was enough to make a difference in the outcome of the case. READ MORE: Judge rejects appeal from British woman on Texas death row The now 60-year-old had lived in the Houston area for more than a decade at the time of the slaying, but was born on St. Kitts. At the time, the Caribbean island was a British protectorate, so Carty holds British citizenship - a fact that's brought her case celebrity attention, spawned a documentary film and landed her on the front pages of papers in the U.K. During her 2002 trial, prosecutors argued that the former schoolteacher and erstwhile DEA informant had directed three men to storm the victims' apartment, steal $1,000 and kidnap the mother and her 3-day-old child at gunpoint. Afterward, authorities found Rodriguez asphyxiated, bound and gagged, in the trunk of a car linked to Carty. Using witness statement, phone records and evidence from cars at the crime scene, Harris County prosecutors persuaded a jury to find her guilty and vote for a death sentence. For the past 16 years, the now-grandmother has been fighting her conviction. Carty's trial was handled by a famously overworked lawyer who never won a death penalty trial, and a federal appeals court decided some of his work on the case was "objectively unreasonable." But, the court said, it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome - even though it was a "close case." READ MORE: Woman given death sentence in kidnap case Later, a Texas state court decided that prosecutors had failed to hand over potentially exculpatory evidence and neglected to reveal information that could have called into question some of the witnesses who testified against her. But, again, the court said it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome and wasn't enough to overcome the evidence against her. Now in the latest Supreme Court appeal, Carty's current counsel - a team from Baker Botts led by Michael Goldberg - argued that those things combined would be enough to sway a jury to a different verdict. And, they said, courts have offered different opinions as to how and when the legal system should handle "cumulative error" claims alleging different types of Constitutional violations all at once. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a group of criminal justice experts including Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu, and the United Kingdom all filed briefs supporting Carty's appeal. Now, after the Supreme Court's rejection, Goldberg says he plans to file another appeal. In the days after Lamar High School student DeLindsey Mack was shot dead outside of the River Oaks campus, possibly at the hands of a gang, his family scoured his social media accounts. There they found images of the 18-year-old on Instagram portraying to be gang member, a false persona that seems to have contributed to his death, the teen's father and others said Monday. It wasnt even an alternative life; it was an alternative persona where he presented himself to be something that anybody who knew him, knew he was not, said Pastor D.Z. Cofield, the familys spokesman and pastor of Good Hope Mission. Instead, he was what one family member called a "bedroom gangster, Cofield said, hiding a secret within the pixels of his smart phone. BATTLE: "There's a gang war going on right now in Houston," says police chief The teen cultivated that persona unbeknownst to his parents, his father, father Dwight D. Mack said at a news conference at Good Hope Mission in Houston's South Side on Monday. Mack said he and his wife only discovered their son's Instagram account and its contents after the shooting. "If you don't get into your kids' social media pages, you'll be where I am," he said. "It's sad that someone can create a persona on social media to make someone hate them that bad." Cofield and Mack impressed on that message on Monday, encouraging parents to get their kids off social media if possible, or at least knowing what platforms they use and what content they're posting. "Were literally putting technological guns in the hands of our children when we give them access to the entire world and they dont have the maturity to handle it," Cofield said. "Social media may not be your thing, but you better make it your thing, because thats the way and thats the world your child lives in," he said later in the news conference. Cofield and Mack both said that the 18-year-old was leaving school for the day last Tuesday when he was approached by three young men near the campus, police said. The gunman responsible for slaying the teen shot at him on the sidewalk, then stood over him and fired more shots, Houston police Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner said during a news conference after the shooting. Meanwhile, a family friend was waiting for the teen outside the school to take him home, Cofield said. Gang activity might have been involved, and the shooting appeared to be targeted, Finner said. Houston police declined to comment Monday when asked about the family's claims, citing an ongoing investigation. No arrests have been reported in the case. Editorial at HoustonChronicle.com: American carnage strikes Lamar High School Seeing the nature of the violence prompted the teen's family to look into his social media accounts. On his Instagram page in particular, he portrayed himself as a gang member and had commented on some gang-related posts, Cofield said. The teen had also direct messaged some people, saying things along the lines of "Who do you think you are," and, "I'm not scared of you." In one of the teen's posts, he held cash and a gun likely borrowed from his father, who owns several businesses -- implying that he was involved in illegal activity, Cofield said. Cofield didn't deny that gang activity might have been a factor in the shooting, but said the teen only portrayed himself as a gang member and wasn't in a gang. By all other accounts, the younger Mack was like every other kid in his daily life a "big talker," but not a gangster, according to the pastor. "He was just a soft kid who wanted to be hard, knows a lot of hard people, growing up in the inner city," Cofield said. "But in terms of those relationships being a part of his life and shaping his character, that wasn't the type of kid De'Lindsey was." The teen was new to Lamar High School this year. Before that, he briefly attended Yates High School before his mother pulled him out to be homeschooled for the following two years. Cofield said the teen was bullied and picked on at Yates. He had good manners and was respectful; he participated in youth ministry at Good Hope; and he was barely unmonitored he would get dropped off and picked up at school by a family member or family friend every day, then usually taken to his dad's shop, Cofield said. In the minutes before he was shot, De'Lindsey Mack called his mother to ask her to fix him something special to eat, Cofield said. How people are portraying him -- and how he portrayed himself -- doesn't match with the boy his family knew, his father said. "It doesnt matter what anybody thinks," the elder Mack said. "I know and I have faith in God that hes with his eternal father now." NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. When seniors at the Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School in Pasadena ISD receive diplomas in the spring, something will be different. This time, instead of listing the name of one of the districts five traditional high schools, the diplomas will bear the name of the Lewis campus, Principal Steven Fleming said. Trustees unanimously voted Sept. 25 to recognize that campus as a school of accountability, which will help students gain easier acceptance to college and universities and qualify for scholarships, Fleming said. The status will remove a confusing paper trail that might hamper job searches, Fleming said. The achievement was something administrators had intended for the school since it opened in 2014. The school, 1348 Genoa Red Bluff Road, is an application-based school of choice for students in grades 9-12 that focuses on career readiness. Enrollment is 1,400. Fleming said before the change, students faced bureaucratic obstacles to advancing after high school. A student would apply to a college or university, he said of a Lewis graduate who was zoned to Pasadena High School but did not attend there. When that college or university received the transcript, it would say Pasadena High School, but show all course work completed at CTHS and show a diploma awarded by Pasadena High School. It was very confusing to colleges, universities and employers. All state, federal and private test scores as well as official transcripts were issued by the campus to which students were zoned, not by the Lewis center. Fleming said the staff at CTHS would routinely write letters on behalf students to colleges or employers, which was a time-consuming challenge. Sometimes students wouldnt even be eligible to apply for scholarships because of documentation discrepancies, he said. More Information For more information on the Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School or how to apply, go to www.cthsweb.com or apply.cthsweb.com. See More Collapse With the change, students at the technical school will now be recognized for academic achievements such as class ranking, including salutatorian and valedictorian awards, which can help college admittance. Previously, students at CTHS were ranked based on grade-point averages against students at home campuses they didnt actually attend, such as the 4,000-student Dobie High School, Fleming said. Its a much more level playing field, he said of the new statuss effect on the technical high schools students. It just helps level up the opportunities for all kids. The Lewis school is the only campus in Pasadena ISD that provides every student the opportunity to obtain technical and skilled trades certifications upon or even before graduation, said Tanya Hagar, executive director of career and technical education. While all Pasadena ISD high schools offer some technical or career-oriented classes, the Lewis school provides more career path options for students. There are 20 different pathways at the Career and Technical High School, she said. All of them lead to one certification; many of them lead to multiple certifications. Programs at the campus include: Maritime and port operations, automotive collision repair, automotive technology, welding, construction technology, heating, ventilation and air conditioning/electrical technology, dental assistant, pharmacy technician, emergency medical technician, veterinary assistant, cosmetology, criminal justice and child guidance. Students take college courses through a partnership with San Jacinto Community College during their junior and senior years and graduate with a welding certification from San Jac, Hagar said. Within a couple years of high school, theyre making six figures, she said. But students aiming for a four-year degree can thrive at the school, too, Fleming said. We make sure that every student here is college-, career- or military-ready, Fleming said. All Pasadena ISD students can apply to attend the Lewis center once they enter the eighth, ninth or 10th grade, but space is limited and competitive and some students may be denied, he said. He said the school received approximately 800 to 1,000 applications for the freshman class last year for only 400 spots and that the number of applications have only increased year over year. Hagar said that during the 2017-18 school year, 735 certifications were earned with a graduating class that numbered in the 300s. Some of those certifications were earned by sophomore and junior students before they reached their senior year, she said. Students often start working in jobs or internships while in school within their career focus to gain experience, make contacts and earn more than entry-level jobs provide, she said. For example, pharmacy technician students can begin working in pharmacies with the certification earned in high school, allowing them to attend college classes and earn money. Students still receive core instruction in mathematics, English and language arts, science and social studies including some elective courses and take advance placement course or dual-credit courses applicable to colleges. The application period for for the incoming freshman Class of 2023 ends Jan. 11. Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo are officially in the McDonald's national spotlight, and they are lovin' it. Nearly four months ago, Maravilla and Toledo noticed their go-to McDonald's in Pearland was lacking some diversity, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. The two sneakily hung their own makeshift ad posters in the McDonald's off Broadway and Main Streets in July and shortly thereafter went viral, later landing them on the Ellen show. Now, they are in the largest fast-food chain in the nation's latest promotional ad. NASA has chosen Jezero Crater as the landing site for its upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission after a five year search, during which every available detail of more than 60 candidate locations on the Red Planet was scrutinized and debated by the mission team and the planetary science community. The rover mission is scheduled to launch in July 2020 as NASA's next step in exploration of the Red Planet. It will not only seek signs of ancient habitable conditions - and past microbial life -- but the rover also will collect rock and soil samples and store them in a cache on the planet's surface. NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) are studying future mission concepts to retrieve the samples and return them to Earth, so this landing site sets the stage for the next decade of Mars exploration. "The landing site in Jezero Crater offers geologically rich terrain, with landforms reaching as far back as 3.6 billion years old, that could potentially answer important questions in planetary evolution and astrobiology," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Getting samples from this unique area will revolutionize how we think about Mars and its ability to harbor life." Jezero Crater is located on the western edge of Isidis Planitia, a giant impact basin just north of the Martian equator. Western Isidis presents some of the oldest and most scientifically interesting landscapes Mars has to offer. Mission scientists believe the 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer) crater, once home to an ancient river delta, could have collected and preserved ancient organic molecules and other potential signs of microbial life from the water and sediments that flowed into the crater billions of years ago. Jezero Crater's ancient lake-delta system offers many promising sampling targets of at least five different kinds of rock, including clays and carbonates that have high potential to preserve signatures of past life. In addition, the material carried into the delta from a large watershed may contain a wide variety of minerals from inside and outside the crater. The geologic diversity that makes Jezero so appealing to Mars 2020 scientists also makes it a challenge for the team's entry, descent and landing (EDL) engineers. Along with the massive nearby river delta and small crater impacts, the site contains numerous boulders and rocks to the east, cliffs to the west, and depressions filled with aeolian bedforms (wind-derived ripples in sand that could trap a rover) in several locations. "The Mars community has long coveted the scientific value of sites such as Jezero Crater, and a previous mission contemplated going there, but the challenges with safely landing were considered prohibitive," said Ken Farley, project scientist for Mars 2020 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "But what was once out of reach is now conceivable, thanks to the 2020 engineering team and advances in Mars entry, descent and landing technologies." When the landing site search began, mission engineers already had refined the landing system such that they were able to reduce the Mars 2020 landing zone to an area 50 percent smaller than that for the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover at Gale Crater in 2012. This allowed the science community to consider more challenging landing sites. The sites of greatest scientific interest led NASA to add a new capability called Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN). TRN will enable the "sky crane" descent stage, the rocket-powered system that carries the rover down to the surface, to avoid hazardous areas. The site selection is dependent upon extensive analyses and verification testing of the TRN capability. A final report will be presented to an independent review board and NASA Headquarters in the fall of 2019. "Nothing has been more difficult in robotic planetary exploration than landing on Mars," said Zurbuchen. "The Mars 2020 engineering team has done a tremendous amount of work to prepare us for this decision. The team will continue their work to truly understand the TRN system and the risks involved, and we will review the findings independently to reassure we have maximized our chances for success." Selecting a landing site this early allows the rover drivers and science operations team to optimize their plans for exploring Jezero Crater once the rover is safely on the ground. Using data from NASA's fleet of Mars orbiters, they will map the terrain in greater detail and identify regions of interest - places with the most interesting geological features, for example - where Mars 2020 could collect the best science samples. The Mars 2020 Project at JPL manages rover development for SMD. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management. Mars 2020 will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information on Mars 2020, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mars2020 More information about NASA's exploration of Mars is available online at: https://www.nasa.gov/mars Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. We can't seem to find the page you are looking for. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link. Some Texas firefighters will miss Thanksgiving this year because of the deadly wildfires in California, which have destroyed swaths of land in three counties and left at least 80 people dead, according to CBS News. Texas firefighters recently joined hundreds from around the county to assist with the blazes. Despite the likelihood of missing Turkey Day, they appear to be making the best of a bad situation, assisting with community outreach efforts, eating with people whose homes have been saved and joining with other Texas task forces, according to their Facebook pages. RELATED: Texas fire departments deploy crews to help battle California wildfires Firefighters from North Montgomery County, Bryan, Schertz, Dallas and San Antonio are among the state agencies who have shared photos from the deployment on social media. Most photos include wreckage along the firefighters' path, as well as several hot spots in the hilly terrain. The firefighters have been deployed to one of two large wildfires: The Camp fire in Butte County and the Woolsey fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The Camp fire has been the most deadly with 77 confirmed fatalities across 151,000 burned acres and 12,794 destroyed structures, CBS News reported. The Woolsey fire has left at least three people dead across 96,949 acres and 1,500 destroyed structures. View the gallery above to see what Texas firefighters have been dealing with. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message The 1997 Breeders Crown Aged Mare Pace winner, Extreme Velocity passed away on Friday, Nov. 16 at Ruddick Stables in Scipio, IN where she was living out her retirement from racing and breeding. Extreme Velocity, known affectionately as EV, was bred and raised by Kenneth "Dave" Stohler and Merrill Stohler of Markleville, IN. Shortly after the mare began her racing career, the brothers adopted the stable name StohlerBrosHarnHorses, Inc. A daughter of Camtastic from their Nardins Grand Slam mare Hasty Grand Slam, Extreme Velocity gave the Stohlers many experiences they will never forget. The Stohler Brothers, along with their wives Sheralyn and Sharon, traveled to nearly every racing venue of their prized mare. Being closely involved throughout her career, trainer Trent Stohler (son of Dave and Sheralyn) said his family realized she was a once in a lifetime horse for the Hoosier family. She was also key in establishing his career to help get him to the level he is today, as the people he would meet changed his life and career. Unraced at two, the potential the Stohlers had seen in the filly began to blossom when she started her racing career at age three. She was only beaten once during her three-year-old campaign and, as an aged mare, Extreme Velocity continued her winning ways. Her racing career entered a new level in the aged events as she began competing against the best mares in the country. In 1997, at age four, she won the Breeders Crown for aged mare pacers at the Meadowlands in a time of 1:50.3 against the top aged female pacers. She was honoured in a winner's circle ceremony at Hoosier Park the week following her Breeders Crown victory. The following year, she proved she was still a top mare when she won both the Milton Stake and the Roses Are Red in Canada in the fall. After winning, Hall of Fame Driver John Campbell said "when Extreme Velocity is on her game, she is a great filly." Over the course of her career, Extreme Velocity made 79 starts, with statistics of 40-10-14 and earnings of $856,070. She was named Indiana Pacer of the Year on three occasions. Extreme Velocity also proved to be a successful broodmare for the Stohler Family, with her offspring earning $1,256,180 to date. Among her foals are Continual Velocity p,3,1:54; 4,1:50.2f ($558,980), Real Velocity p,4,1:51.1 ($378,323), and the ill-fated Ultimate Velocity p,3,1:53; 4,1:51.1 ($254,373). Her final foal, EVs Finale, is a 2016 colt by Well Said. Like his mother, he was turned out at age two to mature. The ability he showed on the track has his connections looking forward to next year. When retired from racing, Trent Stohler shared a few comments on the bittersweet move to EV becoming a broodmare. "Having a superstar in your stable is a lot like riding an emotional roller coaster," Stohler said. "Joy and excitement are not the only feelings you experience. You get a pretty good dose of concern, anger, fear and the occasional ulcer. I feel very much honored that she let me be associated with her." Extreme Velocity was laid to rest at the head of the stretch along the training track at Ruddick Stables. In the next field, her grandson, by JK Endofanera from Viva Velocity, is being raised. (With files from Hoosier Hoofprints) Texas is sending two new members to Congress who are military veterans, contributing to the largest freshman class of former soldiers on Capitol Hill since 2010. Nationwide, 17 newly elected members of the U.S. House are veterans, assuring that Congress will begin 2019 with at least 78 veterans -- one more than the number currently serving in the House. We have just elected to Congress a record number of new Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, while witnessing the largest influx ever of women veterans, said Seth Lynn, founder of Veterans Campaign, which helps recruit and prepare former soldiers to run for office. The list of veterans includes Houston Republican Dan Crenshaw, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Plano Republican Van Taylor, a retired Marine who fought in Iraq. They will be among six veterans representing Texas in Congress. The state has 6 veterans in Congress now, but two of them -- Ted Poe, R-Atascocita, and Sam Johnson, R-Plano are retiring. Crenshaw is replacing Poe in the 2nd Congressional District, while Taylor is replacing Johnson in the 3rd District. For most of the last 20 years, the number of military veterans has been on the decline in Congress. Even Texas, which has 15 active-duty military bases and 1.6 million veterans, has seen its number of veteran u.s. representatives decline from 16 in 1971 to 6 today. Nationally, 72 percent of House members were veterans in 1971. Today, just 18 percent are . The decline in veterans has prompted former soldiers to become more aggressive in trying to convince more of their former service colleagues to run for office. Nearly 200 veterans ran for Congress this year. Currently, veteran representation in Congress is at a record low and young veterans often face high barriers to entry due to the rising costs to run for office, said Rye Barcott, a Marine Corp veteran and co-founder of With Honor, a Washington D.C. group that works to get more veterans in Congress. I am encouraged to see this surge of fellow veterans who are answering the call to serve our country again. Several military veterans running for Congress came up short in Texas, including Air Force veteran MJ Hegar and Army veteran Joseph Kopser. The two Democats both came within a few percentage points of pulling off big upsets in central Texas districts. Crenshaw, 34, will be the only Navy SEAL veteran in Congress. Another SEAL, U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Virginia, lost his re-election bid. Crenshaw nearly died on a battlefield in Afghanistan six years ago after a roadside bomb killed his Afghan interpreter. Crenshaw said that at first he couldnt see at all. He credits his doctors with pulling off a miracle to keep him alive and restore vision in his left eye. Lynn said veterans not only bring first-hand knowledge on military issues, but they have historically been more aggressive in challenging presidents, regardless of party, on national defense issues. According to With Honor, the surge in military veterans can help cut down on partisanship in Washington. That group says veterans are more likely than non-veteran politicians to work with their colleagues across the aisle. Veterans from Texas in Congress include U.S. Reps Brian Babin, R-Woodville; Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land; Louie Gohmert R-Tyler, and Michael Conaway, R-Midland. Gohmert and Conaway served in the Army, Babin in the Air Force, and Olson in the Navy. Crenshaw gained national attention for a recent appearance on NBCs Saturday Night Live. In a previous show, comedian Pete Davidson had made fun of Crenshaw and his eye patch, evoking complaints from both Democrats and Republicans that the gibe was in poor taste. Appearing on a subsequent SNL, Crenshaw accepted Davidsons apology and took playful jabs at the comic. Yup, Sheryl Sandberg yelled at me. It was the day after I briefed Facebooks Board of Directors on an unprecedented and troubling finding on our platform. Combing through billions of accounts, my colleagues and I had discovered a web of fake personae that we could confidently tie to Russia. I told the board the difficult truth: I had no confidence that wed found out everything the Russians were up to, and it was quite possible that things would get worse before we built the teams and invented the technology necessary to stop it. Sandberg - as reported in this past weeks New York Times investigation - felt blindsided by this. (She later apologized.) At the time, technology companies were so enamored with the utility of our own products and so focused on sophisticated attacks from U.S. adversaries such as Russia and China that we overlooked less advanced but still effective propaganda operations. After the election, and having provided our detailed findings to the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller III, Facebook stuck to a public-communications strategy of minimization and denial. It was finally jettisoned in early 2018, but the damage to trust has been massive and will take years to repair. To be clear, no one at the company ever told me not to examine Russian activity, nor did anyone attempt to lie about our findings, but Facebook should have responded to these threats much earlier and handled disclosure in a more transparent manner. Yet Facebooks shortcomings do not stand alone. The massive U.S. intelligence community failed to provide actionable intelligence on Russias information-warfare goals and capabilities before the election and offered a dearth of assistance afterward. Technology companies can build tools and teams to look inward on their products, but they will never have true geostrategic insight or ability to penetrate hostile countries. This relationship has greatly improved in 2018, mostly due to the initiative of hardworking intelligence professionals. Our elected officials, however, can claim little credit. Lawmakers public grandstanding at investigative hearings stands in stark contrast to their failure to establish facts, effectively oversee the executive branch and provide for the common defense. We must also remember that in the summer of 2016, every major media outlet rewarded the hackers of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) with thousands of collective stories drawn from the stolen emails of prominent Democrats. The sad truth is that blocking Russian propaganda would have required Facebook to ban stories from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and cable news - not to mention this very paper. Since the election of Donald Trump, print and television news organizations have staffed up and provided a critical service to Americans, but they have never adequately grappled with their culpability in empowering Russias election interference. It is time for us to come together to protect our society from future information operations. While it appears Russia and other U.S. adversaries sat out the 2018 midterms, our good fortune is unlikely to extend through a contentious Democratic presidential primary season and raucous 2020 election. First, Congress needs to codify standards around political advertising. The current rules restricting the use of powerful online advertising platforms have been adopted voluntarily and by only a handful of companies. Congress needs to update Nixon-era laws to require transparency and limit the ability of all players, including legitimate domestic actors, to micro-target tiny segments of the population with divisive political narratives. It would be great to see Facebook, Google and Twitter propose helpful additions to legislation instead of quietly opposing it. Second, we need to draw a thoughtful line between the responsibilities of government and the large technology companies. The latter group will always need to act in a quasi-governmental manner, making judgments on political speech and operating teams in parallel to the U.S. intelligence community, but we need more clarity on how these companies make decisions and what powers we want to reserve to our duly elected government. Many areas of cybersecurity demand cooperation between government and corporations, and our allies in France and Germany provide models of how competent defensive cybersecurity responsibility can be built in a democracy. While many of the individual reporters I have spoken to are now warier of manipulation, it is unclear whether the U.S. media would handle the strategic release of stolen emails any differently today. This might be a fundamental vulnerability in the free press, but it would be reassuring to see leading newsrooms publish their standards on how they might cover newsworthy data leaks without amplifying the messages of the United States enemies. Finally, U.S. citizens must adjust to a media environment in which several dozen gatekeepers no longer control what is newsworthy. While the platforms that bring hundreds of new media outlets to your phone need to improve protections against abuse, in a free society we will always be vulnerable to the injection of narratives from the enemies of democracy, both foreign and domestic. The last line of defense will always be citizens who are willing to question what they see and hear, even when it means questioning our own beliefs. Stamos is a Hoover fellow and adjunct professor at Stanford University. He served as the chief security officer at Facebook until August. input file 20181119WPBLOOM___WASHPOST__russia-comment.xml Popular Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry category one of four pathways to province for Express Entry candidates Nova Scotia Express Entry category reopens for new applications Popular Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry category one of four pathways to province for Express Entry candidates Nova Scotia Express Entry category reopens for new applications Popular Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry category one of four pathways to province for Express Entry candidates Nova Scotia Express Entry category reopens for new applications Popular Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry category one of four pathways to province for Express Entry candidates Stephen Smith Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Nova Scotia briefly reopened one of its most popular Express Entry-linked immigration categories for up to 225 new applicants on November 17. Known as Category B of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Stream, it is one of four immigration pathways that allow the Atlantic Canada province to nominate candidates in the federal governments Express Entry system for Canadian permanent residence. The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for Canadas three federal high skilled economic immigration programs the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class. Category B is popular with Express Entry candidates because it does not require a job offer or Canadian work experience in order to apply. It also does not require a minimum Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) score, which is used to determine a candidates rank in the Express Entry pool. With the 600 CRS points that come with a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia, an approved application under Category B effectively guarantees Express Entry candidates an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence regardless of their original ranking score. Express Entry candidates must have work experience in one of Nova Scotias 11 opportunity occupations, among other criteria, in order to be eligible for this immigration category. The November 17 opening was typical of the competitive intake process for Category B, which operates on a first-come, first-served basis. This means Nova Scotia accepts applications in the order they are submitted until the intake quota is met, which usually occurs within a matter of hours. The November 17 intake period was no exception to this rule, lasting less than two hours. This was on par with previous intakes for Category B, the most recent of which occurred on April 28, 2018, for 350 applications and also ended just hours after it opened. To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment. Nova Scotias Express Entry options Nova Scotia uses a variety of approaches when it comes to identifying and inviting eligible Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. While Category B uses a first-come, first-served approach to applications, Nova Scotias Labour Market Priorities Stream allows the Nova Scotia Nominee Program to search the Express Entry pool and invite eligible candidates with work experience in targeted occupations. The Labour Market Priorities Stream was unveiled August 2 and issued its first and only invitations to date on August 8 to Express Entry candidates with work experience as early childhood educators and assistants. The Nova Scotia Nominee Program says the occupations targeted through its Labour Market Priorities Stream reflect current labour market needs and could change as those needs evolve. Nova Scotias other Express Entry options are Category A of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Stream and the Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry Stream. Unlike Category B, Category A remains open year-round to applications from Express Entry candidates with an eligible full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer. The Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry Stream is also open year-round and welcomes applications from Express Entry candidates with at least one year of work experience in Nova Scotia in a high-skilled occupation. To be considered under any of Nova Scotias Express Entry-linked streams, the first required step is to create a profile in the Express Entry system. To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment today. 2018 CICNews All Rights Reserved Increasingly, these same companies, many of whom could be your customers, are extending their decarbonization efforts and impact by turning to their supply chains. As part of their procurement process, many require suppliers to complete sustainability surveys that assess a vendors commitment to renewable energy, energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This year, Lisa Jackson, Apples VP of energy policy and sustainability, revealed Apples goal to have all of its suppliers commit to being 100 percent renewable energy powered. In support of this initiative and our own 50 percent renewable energy global target, Akamai partnered with Apple on two renewable energy projects. Data Center Companies This unrelenting trend is not isolated to corporate America. Investors are taking note of companies risk exposures to the impacts of climate change, and how those risks are being managed. Earlier this year, Larry Fink, the CEO of Blackrock, the largest investment firm, sent a letter to the worlds CEOs, advising them to focus on long term, sustainable growth that includes addressing climate change. Annually, thousands of companies publicly disclose their energy and climate change metrics and management strategies to the investor-led CDP, at the request of investors and respondents customers, representing over $100 trillion in assets under management and purchasing power. As Akamais senior director of environmental sustainability since 2008, Ive observed this evolution first hand, and have leveraged it to inspire our own renewable energy and carbon reduction program. Akamai, a leading cloud platform provider with an extensive network of 250,000 servers residing in thousands of data centers in more than 150 countries, was one of the Internet companies targeted in Greenpeaces 2011 report. In 2015, I proposed that Akamai should provide a renewable energy-powered, low-carbon network as a feature of our services that our customers would value. My evidence was that 25 percent of our annual revenue was derived from customers with 100 percent renewable energy goals, with more signing up every week; and that having our own goal would be a competitive differentiator. After developing a procurement strategy Akamais executive team and Board approved a goal that by 2020 we would lower our greenhouse gas emissions below 2015 levels by procuring renewable energy for 50 percent our global network operations, including our outsourced data centers. To date, weve signed three virtual power purchase agreements for new wind and solar projects in Texas, Virginia and Illinois that, when operational, will provide 23 percent of our global network load. We are also working with our colocation data center partners. In 2017, their renewable energy procurement in Europe, the U.S., Japan and Hong Kong, contributed 11 percent. We expect the electricity grids to kick in 15-20 percent clean energy by 2020; and we are looking to invest in a project in Europe to get us well past our goal before the close of the decade. And then well figure out how to get to 100 percent, even for our servers in Antarctica. If youre a data center service provider and you dont have a renewable energy strategy, your competitors are ahead of you. If you run corporate data centers, these facilities are likely responsible for a large fraction of your companys carbon footprint, and your customers and investors are expecting you to be managing that with a decarbonization strategy that includes renewable energy. If this is all new to you, youre not alone and theres lots of help. You just need to decide to get started. My guidance would be to do what I did to speed you up the learning curve, and attend the upcoming information-packed BRC Buyers Bootcamp, December 4-6. Small Steps: Improved NY Times Language on Target of Hamas Rockets | Main | More Hypocrisy and Anti-Semitism From Linda Sarsour November 19, 2018 New Yorker's Ostensible Accuracy on Gaza Fisherman Nov. 20 Update: New Yorker Corrects on Gaza Fisherman's Death After severely tripping up in its Gaza coverage earlier this year, The New Yorker -- a publication ostensibly "known for its high standards" in fact-checking -- once again failed to deliver accurate coverage. In his Nov. 15 "Daily Comment," Bernard Avishai wrote ("The Ceasefire in Gaza: A Turning Point for Hamas and Netanyahu"): Yet it is anything but clear that the ceasefire will hold: during the agreements first hours, Israeli naval forces reportedly killed a young Gazan fisherman, ostensibly for sailing past the six-mile limit. (Emphasis added.) Yet, according to both the Israeli military and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, Nawaf Ahmed Mohammed al-Attar was shot dead while on the beach. According to the Israeli military, he was shot dead for approaching the security fence. According to the Gaza fishermen's union, he was shot dead while he was working on the beach. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, on the other hand, he was in the water 100 meters off from the shore -- well within the six nautical mile fishing zone -- a claim contradicted by both the IDF and the Gaza Health Ministry. (There are 1,852 meters in a nautical mile.) The Associated Press reported the day of the incident ("The Latest: Group says strikes damaged dozens of Gaza homes"): 4:40 p.m. The Israeli military says a Gaza fisherman was killed by Israeli fire in northern Gaza Strip was illegally advancing toward the security fence dividing Gaza and Israel. The military said in a statement that the army shot him Wednesday in adherence with military protocol for anyone approaching the fence at that range. The fishermen's union says the 20-year-old man was working on the beach near the land-maritime fence separating Gaza from Israel when he was shot in the stomach. According to the Times of Israel: A Gaza man was shot dead by Israeli troops Wednesday after approaching the security fence on the Israeli border, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry, as tensions persisted after a ceasefire Tuesday ended some of the heaviest fighting in years. The Israeli military confirmed that soldiers opened fire as a group of Palestinian men were spotted walking toward the border fence in the northern Gaza Strip, near the Israeli community of Kibbutz Zikim. According to media reports, the suspect was shot as he continued approaching the fence despite warning shots being fired. . . Palestinian media outlets reported that al-Attar had been killed at sea something the IDF denied. CAMERA has contacted The New Yorker to request a clarification. Stay tuned for an update. Posted by TS at November 19, 2018 05:45 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment The Manitoba Standardbred industry took some time this past Saturday night (Nov. 17) to honour some of its top horses and horsepeople for their 2018 campaigns of racing. The 2018 Manitoba Harness Racing Industry Awards took place in Miami and notable names from the provincial scene secured some year-end accolades once again. The awards ceremony was preceded by a cocktail hour and dinner. The organizations annual meeting was also conducted on Saturday. The list of award winners from the evening appears below. Horseperson of the Year Arthur Rey Trainer of the Year Trevor Williams Horse of the Year Blue Eyed Cowboy Aged Mare of the Year Honey Booboolina Owner of the Year Wanda Howlett Driver of the Year Don Howlett Manitoba-Bred of the Year Dontchase Justpace Top Driver (30 Starts and Under) Darryl Mason Top Trainer (30 Stars and Under) Paula Mason Two-Year-Old Colt Heartland Banysbro Two-Year-Old Filly Birds I View Three-Year-Old Colt Good Eye Hawkeye Three-Year-Old Filly Dontchase Justpace Manitoba-Bred Aged Gelding Cor Dees Rocket Claimer of the Year Witch Doctor See Me Go Award of Sportsmanship Kevin Hildebrandt Rookie of the Year Kevin Hildebrandt Ron Waples Award for Industry Building Val Isman and Merle Bryce Standardbred Canada Owner of the Year Award Dean Rey Alcohol Research UK has rebranded as Alcohol Change UK following its merger with Alcohol Concern last year. The two charities completed the merger in April 2017, with the assets, undertakings and staff of Alcohol Concern, the charity which launched Dry January, transferring to Alcohol Research UK. Alcohol Change UK paid about 25,000 to agency Offthetopofmyhead for the rebrand, which the charitys chief executive Richard Piper said was a great deal. Piper told Civil Society News there is a crisis in the funding of alcohol treatment and that his charitys role is to provide an independent, credible, trusted voice to push for more funding. The charity will not provide treatments to individuals itself but Piper says it will work with commissioners and treatment providers to encourage good practice. Fundraising Alcohol Change UKs initial financial priority is to balance its books, as it recorded an income of 900,000 and an expenditure of 1.6m in the year to March 2018. One way it is looking to do this is by starting to fundraise, which Piper said is a big shift for the charity. The charity has not yet hired any fundraising staff but Piper said it will look to recruit after finalising a new financial plan with the board in March next year. He said: At the moment, we are utterly dependent on income from investments. "What we are going to be doing is using those investments, firstly to invest in our new strategy and our new programmes, secondly to continue to generate income, thirdly to invest in fundraising and use that to develop a more diverse series of fundraising streams. Strategy Alcohol Change UK has published a new strategy on a new website today, which says the five main changes it wants to help create are: improved knowledge, better policies and regulation, shifted cultural norms, improved drinking behaviours, more and better support and treatment. Piper said the charity has had 10 strategic impacts approved by the board, which it is now turning into a work programme, but these are yet to be made public until the charitys financial plan has been approved. The charity, which has 14 members of staff, moved to a single premises in Kings Cross last year, which has just been repainted with Alcohol Changes new brand colours. Charities and other civil society organisations must make radical changes and behave differently to ensure they are fit for the challenges of the future, or risk becoming irrelevant, a two-year study has concluded. Civil Society Futures, an independent inquiry led by Julia Unwin, has today published its final report, The Story of Our Times: shifting power, bridging divides, transforming society, which says fundamental changes to how charities and other civil society actors operate are needed to ensure there is more accountability to beneficiaries. The report outlines major changes which need to happen in four areas: Power: power needs to be shifted so that everyone is involved in decision-making power needs to be shifted so that everyone is involved in decision-making Accountability: organisations must be more accountable to communities they serve organisations must be more accountable to communities they serve Connection : civil society must build broader and deeper connections within and between communities : civil society must build broader and deeper connections within and between communities Trust: organisations need to put effort into building and earning trust and ensure they are behaving in line with their values The report uses the acronym PACT to describe the process of change in these four areas, which it says needs to occur. Unwin, chair of the inquiry, told Civil Society News: We found very deep and concerning division within civil society, mirroring the divisions in wider society. She said established organisations were increasingly being challenged but it is important for the whole sector to come together. We believe civil society is at its best when it works as one movement, she said. Civil society now has the opportunity to help rebuild the social fabric. The inquiry says those working in civil society must do more to shift power, be more accountable to beneficiaries, strengthen community relations and build trust, a process which it describes using the acronym PACT. During the course of the its inquiry organisers heard from over 3,000 through a mixture of conferences and events, workshops, interviews and meetings. Not fit for purpose Society is facing a raft of technological, political and economic challenges and civil society should be at the heart of helping people to design, control and own the things they care about the report says. It says civil society needs to up its game to be able to provide this support. We know that civil society is not yet fit for this purpose," the report says. "It lacks confidence, skills and credibility and there are far too many examples of charities and institutions being part of the problem. It adds that there are concerns that organisations have lost their connection with the people they are there to serve and become too focussed on protecting reputations and income streams. A strong, renewed, re-energised civil society is urgently needed The report calls on civil society to adapt to the rapidly changing world. Collectively we must transform ourselves - or risk becoming irrelevant," it says. "The big message from the many hundreds of discussions we have held and submissions we have received is that the big role for civil society in the coming years is to generate radical and creative shift that puts power in the hands of people and communities, preventing an us and them future, connecting us better and humanising the way we do things. This is why the inquiry has put forward the idea of a PACT to articulate shared aspirations for us all to commit to. It describes the PACT as a map and expects all organisations to use it differently. It suggests using the PACT to benchmark progress, integrate it with organisational strategy, develop a version tailored for your organisation, review governance and HR processes and create measures for trust and mistrust. Accountability For too long weve focused on accountability to funders and to government, the report says. Its time to focus on accountability to the communities and people we exist to serve. It says that up until now there has been too much box-ticking without organisations really being held to account. There is a lack of collective accountability in our systems, and cultures of silence have persisted," it says. "Some in civil society knew of abuse at Oxfam and elsewhere, and others knew that Kids Company would fail: there is a culture of silence and this undermines shared accountability. Under the PACT, the report says, civil society organisations will be accountable first and foremost to the people, communities and causes we exist to serve - where necessary, standing up to funders and government. It suggests that civil society organisations form more collaborative relationships with local authorities and that new types of unions might be needed to represent the modern workforce. Organisations must also be willing to be held to account and that they recognise our responsibility to future generations and act accordingly. Leadership needs to change Speaking to Civil Society News, Unwin said that civil society leaders need to think differently about their roles and that behaviours need to change. The thing that makes civil society different is accountability to the community and the next generation of people we are here to serve, she said. We believe that leadership at all levels needs renewing. This is not unique to civil society everybody is having to address different forms of leadership. But this doesnt meant that the existing governance structures need a radical overhaul, just the behaviours of those involved. We didnt find that existing governance forms were problematic, she says, but that the focus needs to be on accountability to beneficiaries. At our best in times of change Unwin is optimistic that the sector can rise to the challenges ahead. The challenges today and in the next decade will be very different from the ones that many of us have grown up with, she said. It is terribly important that civil society rises to the challenge of a very fast changing society. Throughout history, she said civil society is always at its best when there is change and it is bringing people together. She added that in the course of the inquiry they found that civil society is everywhere. And that local authorities and public services are hugely depend on civil society. We must rise to the challenge Karl Wilding, policy director at NCVO, says the report should challenge charities to think about how to evolve. Charities have come a long way from the old Victorian model of alms-giving, he says. Nowadays charities are often the way people come together to voice their concerns, support those around them, or share their time or talents. But like so many other institutions theres further we can go on accountability and responsiveness if we are to remain relevant in a changing world. This report is important food for thought. Our challenge now is to make sure that we keep changing. His comments were echoed by Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund, who said: Charities and community organisations are the lifeblood of associational life and we are privileged to support them with our funding. She added that the inquirys findings are a all to action to all of us - charities, funders and policy makers to rise to the challenges of today and tomorrow to enable people and communities to flourish. Baroness Stowell, chair of the Charity Commission, said: The Charity Commissions new five-year strategy is all about our shared ambition of maximising the benefit of charity to society and the collective responsibility we share with the charities we regulate for making that happen. So Im delighted that the Civil Society Futures report has been published now and that it provides charities and other civil society organisations a clear picture of what people are looking for and a framework for how to respond. We will certainly be considering its findings and hope that all those involved in charities - large and small - do the same. The report sets out a lot which is important and relevant to all elements of civil society around the themes of power, accountability, connection and trust. Paul Streets, chief executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, said: Civil society has always responded in times of greatest need, recognising that neither the market nor the state can do it alone. But as the inquiry has found, too many people in communities across the country feel left behind by a politics, economy and society that is not working for them. We agree with the inquiry that we, therefore, need a civil society that shifts power, revolutionises accountability, builds real, meaningful connections and invests in building trust. Many of the small and local charities we partner with across the country already embody the characteristics that the report calls for, building connections and shifting power to people and communities day in day out. The report also recognises, however, that civil society does not operate in a vacuum and that the effect of austerity, shrinking local authority budgets and increasing market pressures have had a major impact on its ability to make positive change. Whilst civil society should seek to be the master of its own fate, unless we see a clear and consistent change in the wider environment and in particular in the level, distribution and commissioning of public funding it will be very hard to achieve the thriving civil society that we need. It is therefore vital that the calls in this inquiry are heard, reflected and acted on, not just across civil society but in Whitehall and town halls up and down the country. A social media campaign urging charities to share stories thanking supporters and showing them the difference they have made has been trending on Twitter this morning. The campaign was launched last month by NCVO, CharityComms, the Small Charities Coalition, FSI, the Institute of Fundrasing and Acevo. It urges charities to highlight their achievements using the hashtag #YouMadeItHappen throughout today. There have been thousands of tweets so far. Here are some of the ways charities are sharing their stories. Thanks to you, we've been able to open our helpline for longer on evenings and weekends. Grace from our helpline team tells us how #YouMadeItHappen #YouMadeItHappenDay pic.twitter.com/LUW49Benmi Epilepsy Action (@epilepsyaction) November 19, 2018 You've made a huge difference in the past year alone, to 5,400 households in England who now have a home, Lives have been changed because you thought to take action, so we want to say THANK YOU, because #YouMadeItHappen pic.twitter.com/5rfXayF3TG Shelter (@Shelter) November 19, 2018 Over 3m families reached each year with 5m+ books and resources Over 10,000 children who are vulnerable or in care in our #LetterboxClub Over 650,000 families getting Bookstart Baby packs and over 600,000 getting Bookstart Treasure#YouMadeItHappen and we are so grateful pic.twitter.com/r3aP6n0Nx5 BookTrust (@Booktrust) November 19, 2018 Thank you to @trustforlondon for funding our London campaign, through which child poverty reduction is now a named priority in the Mayors Vision for a Diverse and Inclusive Society. #YouMadeItHappen pic.twitter.com/YssoO8OET9 Child Poverty Action (@CPAGUK) November 19, 2018 #HandsOnLondon ran their 8th #WrapUpLondon campaign this month. Over 17,000 coats were donated. The campaign is run by volunteers who collect, sort & distribute coats to vulnerable Londoners through charity partners. None of it would work without #HandsOnHeroes #YouMadeItHappen pic.twitter.com/KP3dmf0zDG Hands On London (@WrapUpLondon) November 19, 2018 Theres nothing more humbling than the generosity of the British people. Thanks to you sharing your time and talent, and donating your money, charities everywhere can amazing stuff. So, a big thank you from all of us who work for a charity! #YouMadeItHappen pic.twitter.com/7jnIGHvQ60 Karl Wilding (@karlwilding) November 19, 2018 https://twitter.com/MindCharity/status/1064443919017144320 Its been almost a year since the launch of WikiTribune, the crowdsourced news site created by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia. If you havent heard of WikiTribune, youre not aloneit hasnt made a big splash outside hardcore digital-media circles. But its an ambitious project, one that was designed to democratize the news as a Wikipedia-style portal where anyone could contribute to and edit news stories. In a world where many media companies still behave as though their job is to deliver content to a waiting audience, and feedback or input from readers is generally kept to a minimum, Wales was trying to create something radically different. For example, victims of the recent California fires might go on and edit information about the fires themselves. So might members of the Fire Department. And professional journalists would help them do it. But earlier this month, WikiTribune hit a roadblock. In October, it laid off its entire team of about a dozen professional journalists, part of what the site described as a pivot back towards a community-driven approach. This sparked some concern among WikiTribune fans: had Wales given up on his vision of a crowdsourced news site run in partnership with journalists? ICYMI: Does the Assange indictment pose a threat to journalism? Wales tells CJR he hasnt given up, and that the layoffs were part of a strategy to make the site more user driven. But he admits WikiTribune has also used up most of the money it raised from a crowdfunding campaign and a group of investors, including a $100,000 matching grant from the CUNY-based News Integrity Initiative and $500,000 from Googles Digital News Initiative. (For the time being, Wales is funding the project himself.) And he acknowledges some early mistakes, including some of the same kinds of errors made in Wikipedias early days. In Wales view, the original design of the site worked against it. Its structure, including restrictions on who could publish news, seemed to give would-be contributors the impression they were second-class citizens of the servicethat their job was to submit content that would then be fixed up by professional journalists. That wasnt the intention at all, he says. Thats not the wiki way. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Wales says he faced similar issues in structuring Nupedia, the predecessor to Wikipedia, and pitching it to potential users. Nupedia was top down and very controlled, he says. It was a seven-stage process just to get anything published, and so it was very polished, but the process was far too intimidating. I basically made all these same mistakes with WikiTribuneI should have known better. The changes to the site are designed to make it even more obvious that users are encouraged to contribute, Wales says. In a sense, the Wikipedia founders vision of the future takes for granted that the revolution brought by the internetthe reality that anyone anywhere can report on events and contribute, something that used to be called citizen journalism in the early days of the webis not something to be opposed or restricted, but embraced. In a blog post published just after the layoffs and co-authored by Orit Kopel, co-founder of WikiTribune and CEO of the Jimmy Wales Foundation, Wales told members he is still finding vestiges of the clearly wrong perception that the journalists are above the community, supervising their work. What we are doing is inverting completely how people normally think about communities and journaliststhe community is not here to merely help the journalists. Rather the journalists will be here to work for the community. ICYMI: Meditations on Axioss smart brevity longform The implication, in some of these public comments, is that the professional journalists who were laid off by WikiTribune were somehow not on board with the community-oriented focus of the site (though Wales says he doesnt believe that). In an answer to a users question on the site, the WikiTribune founder mentioned what he calls the hubris of professional journalists, who do an absolutely miserable job of maintaining a neutral point of view. Like its sister site Wikipedia, the WikiTribune encourages a policy of adopting a neutral point of view, or describing events rather than making value judgments. This isnt quite like a journalistic notion of objectivity, but its close. There are many excellent journalists who do live up to ideals of neutralityor at least try to, Wales wrote, while being employed by publications which are increasingly not interested in paying for that kind of journalism. Several of the staff who were let go say they were committed to those goals and were working hard to be helpful to users, right up until they were laid off, which for many came as a surprise. None would go on the record with CJR, but two said they were frustrated by some of the comments following their departure, saying they had tried hard to work with the community and didnt see the structure as a failure up. Another former employee said that, without the journalists, WikiTribune is effectively dead. While Wales says its fair to say that WikiTribune hasnt been wildly successful, he remains a strong believer in the idea that journalists and community members alike can play an important role in the overall process of crowdsourcing news. I cant guarantee this is going to be a raging success, but I have passionately pursued all the things weve promised to pursue and I will continue to do so, he says. Is it possible that news just isnt a great fit for the wiki model where anyone can contribute? Thats a legitimate questionis it suitable? Wales says. Clearly there are certain types of news that are very difficult to do in a community setting, if you have to go somewhere to report and so on, but there are other things that are quite straightforward. People can do desk research, but they cant drop everything and pursue the story for four days or be on the scene the way a reporter can. So were still exploring what are the things that work. ICYMI: The mystery of Tucker Carlson So are more people using the site and contributing to the news since the most recent design changes? Wales says yes, although he wouldnt provide specific numbers. The main metrics are participation, thats fundamental, he says. And the number of people editing things is up this month and up considerably from our redesign. Wales says he is still going through the site looking for language that might be intimidating. For example, he says he has made multiple changes to the introductory post on How to write a piece of journalism for WikiTribune. (The changes can be seen on the pieces history page, which keeps track of every edit). Among other things, Wales removed references to things like getting your copy out faster, which is something traditional journalists think about, but not relevant to a wiki approach to the news, he says. Over the past couple of weeks, hundreds of people with WikiTribune accounts got emails telling them their accounts had been upgraded and that they could publish without having to have their contributions approved by an editor. In a note to those users, Wales wrote: This is part of a strategic shift to put community forward more than ever before. This is an experiment. Please be careful with it. By default, I trust you. By default, the community trusts you. But you can lose that trust if you dont do the right things. WikiTribune has also opened up a chat forum using the discussion app Discord. For what its worth, one of the journalists who was laid off says he agrees with the latest changes. In a blog post on Medium, Charles Turner wrote: Features from staff reporters, including a few impressive exclusives, were often the most viewed and well-received articles on the platform. But they also routinely received the least amount of collaboration. Community members might occasionally edit for grammar, or offer feedback, but ultimately shied away from jumping into the copy in any substantive way. Critics might use the layoffs of professional journalistic staff as an excuse to say the collaborative model behind WikiTribune is broken or can never work, Turner wrote, but they shouldnt. While Im sad to leave WikiTribune, I still believe the audience can collaborate in the journalistic process. ICYMI: Whats at stake in the CNN suit against the White House? Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. On Friday, the seemingly endless scandal over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi dissident writer killed in his countrys Istanbul consulate early last month, took another twist. The Washington Post, where Khashoggi worked as an opinion columnist, reported the CIAs conclusion that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) personally ordered Khashoggis killing. The paper wrote that the CIA had high confidence in its finding despite weeks of Saudi official denialdenial that has been aided and abetted by President Trump. The scoop renewed calls for Trump to take strong action against MBS and the broader Saudi regime. Two especially strong calls came from Republican senators yesterday. Rand Paul told CBSs Margaret Brennan that the evidence of MBSs involvement was overwhelming and pushed for a halt to USSaudi arms deals. Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham told MSNBCs Chuck Todd that it was impossible for me to believe that MBS didnt sanction the murder. Hes irrational. Hes unhinged, Graham said. I have no intention of working with him ever again. ICYMI: Jamal Khashoggi, feared murdered, on press freedom in Saudi Arabia It nonetheless looks likely that the US government will continue to treat MBS with kid gloves. According to the Post, the CIA still sees him as a good technocrat likely to retain both his status as heir apparent and the outsize power he has brought to the role. Over the weekend, Trump himself doubled down on the same, awkward line hes taken since Khashoggis killing came to lightmixing non-committal remarks about taking a look at at MBSs role with broader praise for the USSaudi relationship. He told reporters the kingdom remains a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development. And in an extraordinary interview with Fox Newss Chris Wallace that aired last night, Trump admitted he hasnt listened to an audio recording of Khashoggis murder that Turkish officials passed to the US. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape, Trump said. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it. Despite promising that a very full report on the Khashoggi affair will wrap today or tomorrow, its hard to imagine Trump turning on MBS whatever new evidence it might contain. The crown princes dismal long-term record on free expression has never been a secret, and MBSs denials that he ordered Khashoggis killing have always looked implausible given its heavy-handed, pre-planned extent. In the court of global public opinion, however, MBS has been irreparably weakened. The enlightened reformer of so much old coverage is goneerased by a heavily critical news cycle that, well into its second month, continues to link MBS to a gratuitously brutal crime, and furnish excellent, overdue reporting on other aspects of his power, particularly the deadly war he is prosecuting in Yemen. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Khashoggis murder is clearly no cause for triumphalism: an innocent man is dead, MBS has so far escaped hard consequences, and the arms sales fueling a humanitarian catastrophe look almost certain to continue. But sustained US media scrutiny of MBS and Saudi Arabia is, in its own small way, a victory. When I spoke with Khashoggi in March, he told me he supported some of MBSs reform program, but that a franker conversation was needed, particularly around MBSs crackdown on dissent. Tragically, it took Khashoggis murder for that wish to come true. Below, more on the ongoing Khashoggi story: Willful ignorance: The New York Timess Mark Landler spells out why Trump is sticking by MBS. The presidents remarks on Fox News yesterday, Landler writes, were a vivid illustration of how deeply Mr. Trump has invested in the 33-year-old heir, who has become the fulcrum of the administrations strategy in the Middle Eastfrom Iran to the Israeli-Palestinian peace processas well as a prolific shopper for American military weapons, even if most of those contracts have not paid off yet. The New York Timess Mark Landler spells out why Trump is sticking by MBS. The presidents remarks on Fox News yesterday, Landler writes, were a vivid illustration of how deeply Mr. Trump has invested in the 33-year-old heir, who has become the fulcrum of the administrations strategy in the Middle Eastfrom Iran to the Israeli-Palestinian peace processas well as a prolific shopper for American military weapons, even if most of those contracts have not paid off yet. Sanctions, and fallout: Last week, the US did levy sanctions against 17 Saudis it said were implicated in Khashoggis murder, including senior officials close to MBS. On Friday, a key architect of those sanctions, White House official Kirsten Fontenrose, resigned. Fontenrose may have annoyed foreign policy officials by pushing for a tougher response to the killing, the Times reports. Last week, the US did levy sanctions against 17 Saudis it said were implicated in Khashoggis murder, including senior officials close to MBS. On Friday, a key architect of those sanctions, White House official Kirsten Fontenrose, resigned. Fontenrose may have annoyed foreign policy officials by pushing for a tougher response to the killing, the Times reports. A methodical, systematic investigation: Writing for CJR earlier this month, Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, called on the United Nations to launch an independent inquiry into Khashoggis killing, warning that Turkey, which has its own dire record on press freedom, cannot be trusted to investigate alone. Writing for CJR earlier this month, Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, called on the United Nations to launch an independent inquiry into Khashoggis killing, warning that Turkey, which has its own dire record on press freedom, cannot be trusted to investigate alone. Solidarity act: Fox Newss Wallace pushed Trump hard on his anti-media attacks in the interview that aired yesterday, telling the president he is seen around the world as a beacon for repression. When Trump said he didnt view Wallace as an enemy of the people, Wallace replied, Were all together When you call CNN, The New York Times were in solidarity. Other notable stories: As wildfire continues to ravage Northern California, David Little, editor of the Chico Enterprise-Record, criticized the national news medias response in an interview with CNNs Brian Stelter. I felt a little frustration yesterday, all the national media was here, and it was just for the presidential visit, Little said. I just wish the focus was more on the recovery and less on the politics. ICYMI, CJRs Amanda Darrach has interviews with Little; two other Enterprise-Record staffers; and Rick Silva, the editor of a different local paper, the Paradise Post. On Friday, Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered the Trump administration temporarily reinstate Jim Acostas press pass on Fifth Amendment grounds, but did not address the First Amendment underpinnings of the case. The White House continued to play hardball over the weekend, telling Acosta his pass will be revoked again once the court order expires, and promising a new code of conduct for reporters. Further hearings are expected in the next few weeks. The fallout from Wednesdays stunning Times expose of behind-the-scenes skulduggery at Facebook continues. On a Friday call with employees worldwide, Mark Zuckerberg aggressively defended the company, calling the Times investigation completely unfair, and pledging to fire employees who leak to media outlets. In a Saturday op-ed in the Post, Alex Stamos, Facebooks former security chief, confirmed key elements of the Timess reporting about top executives reaction to Russian interference on the platform, but also implicated the intelligence services and news media in the spread of the problem. And yesterday, the Timess Jim Rutenberg wrote that the warning signs about Facebook were all there in the 2010 film The Social Network. The Posts Eli Saslow has this must-read story about Christopher Blair, a liberal who runs a satirical right-wing fake news website, and Shirley Chapian, a reader who thinks the content is real and shares it on Facebook. Blair, who makes up to $15,000 a month in ad revenue, started the site to engage directly with people who spread false or extremist stories and prove those stories were wrong, Saslow writes. What Blair wasnt sure he had ever done was change a single persons mind. The people he fooled often came back to the page, and he continued to feed them the kind of viral content that boosted his readership and his bank account. A much-mooted merger between CBS and Viacom could be closed within months, the New York Posts Alexandra Steigrad reports (a third partner, the video-game publisher Take-Two Interactive, could yet make it a three-way deal). Former CBS boss Les Moonves strongly opposed the merger, but his September resignation following allegations of sexual misconduct has cleared a path forward. For CJR, Lyz Lenz looks at a new format for Axios: smart brevity longform. Despite the Axios language, it all seems a fairly standard online media project: SEO-optimized articles, with lots of links to other pages on the site. The kind that anyone who has worked as a proletariat cog in the machinations of content churn knows very wellthe SEO chum bucket of clickbait, Lenz writes. After it published, Lenz tweeted that Axios CEO Jim Vandehei phoned her and called the piece dopey. And Thrillist food writer Kevin Alexander reflects on crowning, then killing, the best burger joint in America. Apparently, after my story came out, crowds of people started coming in the restaurant, people in from out of town, or from the suburbs, basically just non-regulars, Alexander writes of Stanichs in Portland, Oregon. As staff struggled to handle the increased demand, angry customers had no problem going on Yelp or Facebook and denouncing the restaurant and saying that the burgers were bad. ICYMI: Meditations on Axioss smart brevity longform Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Former Marlins Pitcher Gets 4 Years for Insurance Fraud A pitcher on the Florida Marlins team that won the 2003 World Series has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for taking part in an insurance scam. The Palm Beach Post reports Justin Wayne and his brother, Hawkeye Wayne, also paid $3.8 million in reimbursement Thursday after pleading guilty to health care fraud. Hawkeye Wayne received a five-year sentence. They dont have to report to prison until March and their sentences could be reduced after they testify against the scams alleged ringleaders. The brothers owned a testing lab. Prosecutors say a drug treatment center brought them patients urine samples for unneeded testing. They billed insurance companies and then kicked back part of the proceeds. The Hawaii native went to Stanford University and pitched for the Marlins from 2002 to 2004, posting a 5-8 record and a 6.13 ERA. New York Clinic Owner, Doctor, and Attorney Arrested for No-Fault Medical Insurance Fraud Scheme New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a 61-count indictment charging David Safir, of Brooklyn; Dr. Alexander Haselkorn, of Franklin Lakes, NJ; Roberta Haselkorn, of Franklin Lakes, NJ; attorney Nadezdha Ursulova, of Brooklyn; and Theron Grinage, a.k.a. Timothy Russell, of Brooklyn for their alleged participation in an auto insurance fraud scheme that cheated no-fault insurance carriers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Code-named Operation Dr. Know, a joint investigation by the Attorney Generals Auto Insurance Fraud Unit and the New York City Department of Investigation revealed that Safir, aided by his co-conspirators, allegedly illegally incorporated and operated Brooklyn-based clinic Jamaica Wellness, P.C., encouraged patients to fabricate and exaggerate their injuries, and submitted fraudulent claims to insurance carriers for treatment provided and prescribed by unlicensed individuals. As we allege, the defendants illegally operated a medical clinic and took advantage of car accident victims in order to line their own pockets, said Attorney General Underwood. New York City Department of Investigations Commissioner Mark G. Peters said, This investigation exposes how one scheme resulted in a spectrum of fraudulent conduct, including money laundering, grand larceny and the unauthorized practice of medicine, according to the charges. In New York State, a person injured in a motor vehicle accident is automatically covered by the Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Insurance Reparations Act, commonly referred to as the no-fault law. No-fault insurance provides for payments for all medical expenses to persons injured in automobile accidents, up to a total of $50,000 per person, when such services are deemed medically necessary and provided by a duly licensed medical professional. Under New York State Law, only a medical clinic owned and controlled by a licensed medical professional can bill for no-fault reimbursement. According to the Attorney Generals indictment filed in Kings County Supreme Court and statements made by prosecutors at arraignment, between July 2016 and July 2017, David Safir, who is not a licensed physician, allegedly unlawfully owned and controlled Brooklyn-based medical clinic Jamaica Wellness Medical P.C. Safir allegedly directed treatment protocol for motor vehicle accident (MVA) victims, encouraged MVA victims to fabricate or exaggerate their injuries, and paid runners, including co-defendant Theron Grinage, to solicit MVA victims to the clinic. To entice unsuspecting victims, Grinage allegedly misrepresented to MVA victims that he was an attorney. Prosecutors further allege that attorney Nadezhda Ursulova, Esq. aided Safir in illegally incorporating Jamaica Wellness by engaging in a sham transfer of clinic ownership from one incapacitated medical doctor to another. Co-defendant Dr. Alexander Haselkorn was an owner of the clinic in name only and allegedly did not actually treat patients at the clinic. Instead, patients were allegedly diagnosed and referred for thousands of dollars of treatment, diagnostic testing, and medical supplies by Dr. Haselkorns wife, Roberta Haselkorn, who is not a licensed medical provider. Ursulova also allegedly concealed Safirs illegal ownership and Alexander Haselkorns incapacity from insurance companies. Between July 2016 and July 2017, Safir and his co-conspirators allegedly fraudulently obtained over $1 million through their operation of Jamaica Wellness. To further conceal his illegal ownership of the clinic, Safir allegedly cashed over $380,000 in checks payable to Jamaica Wellness at a Brooklyn-based check-casher in a one-year period. The Attorney Generals 61-count indictment, unsealed in Kings County Supreme Court, charges various defendants with Money Laundering in the Second Degree (a class C felony), Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree (a class D felony), Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class D felony), Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (a class E felony), Unauthorized Practice of a Profession (a class E felony), Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (a class E felony), Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a class E felony), and Practicing or Appearing as Attorney-at-Law without being admitted and registered (a class A misdemeanor). If convicted of the top counts charged, David Safir faces up to 5 to 15 years in prison. The Haselkorns, Ursulova, and Grinage each face up to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison. David Safir and Theron Grinage were arraigned on November 13, 2018. Dr. Alexander Haselkorn, Roberta Haselkorn, and Nadezhda Ursulova were arraigned today in Kings County Supreme Court. The Honorable Judge Danny Chun set bail in the amount of $1 million bond or $250,000 cash for defendant Safir; $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash for defendant Ursulova; $15,000 bond or $7,500 cash for defendants Dr. Alexander Haselkorn and Roberta Haselkorn; and $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash for defendant Grinage. The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The Attorney General thanks the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York City Police Departments Internal Affairs Bureau, the New York State Department of Financial Services, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and insurance carriers Met Life & Home, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Amica Mutual for their assistance in this matter. Human activity is making hurricanes worse, according to a pair of studies published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Climate change increased rainfall from 5 percent to 10 percent in hurricanes Katrina (2005), Irma (2017) and Maria (2017), wrote two researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The other study, by scientists from Princeton University and the University of Iowa, finds that Houstons urban footprint increased the odds of extreme flooding seen during Hurricane Harvey (2017) by about 21 times. Hurricanes are expected to grow only more intense and drop more precipitation in a warmer, wetter climate, even if they may also occur less frequently in the future. The conventional focus on the damage hurricanes cause cities has obscured, until this new paper about Harveys effects on Houston, that urban asphalt and buildings cause atmospheric drag and friction that can change storms for the worse. Hurricanes are difficult to study. The swirling weather systems occur just a few dozen times annually, and the satellites capable of tracking them have been aloft less than 40 years. Air temperature, in contrast, is far simpler to examine. Nearly continuous measurements from all over the world date back more than a century. Berkeley researchers Christina Patricola and Michael Wehner identified for the first time long-projected jumps in hurricane rainfall attributable to global warming. Loath to make blanket statements, the pair stipulate that additional cases are needed before making a general conclusion for all such storms. Under the bleakest warming scenario, hurricane rainfall could eventually rise by up to 30 percent. The study also brought researchers closer to solving a meteorological mystery. Physicists have known since the middle of the 19th century that as air warms, theres a predictable increase in the amount of moisture it can holdabout 7 percent per degree Celsius. However, abnormally rainy storms such as Hurricane Harvey dump far more water than expected. The reason, Patricola and Wehner write, may be that the structure of storms is changing along with the increase in atmospheric moisture. Hurricanes appear to be dumping more water than they should, because they are concentrating rainfall more tightly in the center, draining precipitation from the edges. The pair did not find an increase in storm intensity in the data to go along with the increase in storm rainfall. (Storm intensity refers to high wind speed and low air pressure at sea level.) Previous studies have suggested that this expected increase in cyclone intensity may be masked by aerosol pollution, a byproduct of industrial activity. Unlike greenhouse gases, aerosols have a temporary cooling effect on the atmosphere. That effect may be canceling out the longer-term warming effect of carbon dioxide and other gases, dampening the expected intensification of storms, according to Tom Knutson, a research meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Houston study, meanwhile, takes a comprehensive view of how the city itself contributed to Hurricane Harveys peculiar staying power. The storm parked itself above the U.S.s fourth most populous city in August 2017 and delivered about 1.3 meters of rainfall. Deploying the same major weather model used in the Berkeley study, researchers basically reran Harvey over southeast Texas in two otherwise-identical worlds: one with Houston and one with cropland covering the same area. The goal, according to Gabrielle Villarini, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa, was to determine whether the city itself affected Harveys rainfall. The answer was a resounding yes. The citys hard surfaces and buildings added friction to the storm as it whirled overhead, and the heat associated with urbanization and urban land-use change may lead to the destabilization of the atmosphere, enhancing rainfall over the eastern side of Houston, the authors wrote. The study is important because it asks a question thats received too little scholarly attention, said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at MIT: namely, how hard surfaces and tall buildings create friction and slow stormsthereby increasing the opportunity for rain to fall on population centers. This paper represents a real advance in our understanding of hurricane impacts on urban areas, he said. The findings have important implications for urban planning. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. In a major new effort to curb smoking, a top U.S. health official pledged Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and tighten rules governing the sale of most flavored versions of electronic cigarettes. The proposed restrictions were aimed mainly at reducing smoking in kids: About half of teens who smoke cigarettes choose menthols, and flavored e-cigarettes have been blamed for a recent increase in teen vaping rates. I will not allow a generation of children to become addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes, Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement. Health advocates say a menthol ban would have greater impact on the health of Americans, but it would probably take years to put in place. The changes for e-cigarettes could kick in within a few months. Battery-powered e-cigarettes are more popular among teens than regular smokes and are considered safer. But many versions contain potentially addictive nicotine, and health officials believe they set kids who try them on a path toward regular cigarettes. Gottlieb called for additional steps to prevent the marketing of e-cigarettes directly to kids and online sales to minors. He also proposed beefing up measures to ensure that convenience stores and some other retailers do not sell e-cigarettes in kid-friendly flavors such as cherry and vanilla. They could still be sold in vape shops or other businesses that do not admit minors. Smoking is the nations leading cause of preventable illness, causing more than 480,000 deaths each year. The FDA currently bans sales of e-cigarettes and tobacco products to those under 18. In 2009, the government banned a number of kid-friendly flavorings in cigarettes. But after an aggressive lobbying effort by tobacco companies, menthol was exempted. Gottliebs proposal for e-cigarette flavorings also exempts menthol. He said menthol e-cigarettes may be an option for adults who turn to vaping products to quit regular cigarettes, and he decided not to push for an end to menthol flavoring in vaping products. Smoking has been declining for more than five decades. Some 42 percent of U.S. adults smoked in the early 1960s. Last year, the rate was down to 14 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts credit anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette taxes and smoking bans for most of the decline in the adult rate. But some say adult smokers switching to e-cigarettes have also helped in recent years. The cigarette smoking rate is even lower among high school students about 9 percent, according to the latest figures. But e-cigarette use jumped 78 percent this year among U.S. high school kids and 48 percent among middle school kids, Gottlieb said. He cited a survey this past spring of more than 20,000 middle and high school students. About 21 percent of high schoolers said they had vaped recently, and 5 percent of middle schoolers said they had. Some experts attribute the jump to newer versions of e-cigarettes, like those by Juul Labs Inc. of San Francisco. These products resemble computer flash drives, can be recharged in USB ports and can be used discreetly. The increase in e-cigarette popularity (among kids) is almost certainly not a function of flavors. All the flavors were out there already, said Kenneth Warner, a University of Michigan emeritus public health professor who is a leading authority on smoking and health. The FDA has taken earlier steps to investigate the marketing of e-cigarettes by Juul and other companies. Getting out ahead of the FDA announcement, Juul on Tuesday stopped filling store orders for mango, fruit, creme and cucumber pods and will resume sales only to retailers that scan IDs and take other steps to verify a buyer is at least 21. The company said Juul will continue to sell menthol and mint at stores, and sell all flavors through its website. Health advocates generally applauded the e-cigarette plans, but some said they did not go far enough. Some called for a complete ban of flavorings, for example, and a more aggressive regulation of e-cigarettes that have come on the market in the last two years. The proposed sales restrictions on e-cigarettes are a step forward, but by themselves are not enough to stem the youth e-cigarette epidemic, said Robin Koval, chief executive of the Truth Initiative, an advocacy group that runs anti-tobacco ads. Gottlieb acknowledged that he could have taken more aggressive steps, but I dont want to foreclose opportunities for currently addicted adult smokers to access e-cigarettes as they try to quit regular smokes. He also said he hopes e-cigarette companies work to restrict kids from buying their products. If current efforts do not succeed, hes willing to take more steps later, he said. Menthol cigarettes, which contain a minty compound that reduces the harshness of smoke and suppresses coughing, were widely marketed starting in the 1950s and 1960s. Roughly a third of the cigarettes sold today are menthols, according to some estimates. The e-cigarette measures will probably face little opposition, but Gottlieb has guts to pursue a menthol prohibition because it will draw political and legal fire from the tobacco industry and its supporters, Warner said. An official with Altria Group Inc., one of the big tobacco companies, said a total ban on menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars would be an extreme measure not supported by the science and evidence. Murray Garnick, Altrias general counsel, said the company expects that establishing product standards on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will be a multi-year, deliberative process. (The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The introduction of new bills slows down during years when legislators tend to be more concerned with reelection. Thats why 2018 was such a surprise, according to Matthew Smith, director of Government Affairs and general counsel for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. On the state level, there was 116 new pieces of fraud-related legislation introduced, resulting in 33 new laws, he said. There may still be a slight chance of a couple more slipping in before the ball drops in Times Square on New Years Eve, Smith added. Patient brokering laws were passed in Arizona, Illinois, Utah and West Virginia. Workers compensation reform continued to be a hot button issue this year with legislation passed in Arkansas, California and Illinois. Alabama passed a roofing contractor licensing law. When you look at the potential for hurricanes, tornadoes, that face those types of states, we are very much supporting those types of laws that protect against the storm chaser-type of frauds, Smith said. Iowa passed a new law allowing insurers the ability to pursue restitution from fraudsters. Smith said CAIF continues to partner with Honda North America to protect American consumers on fraudulent airbags. Thats a fraud that we dont read about or hear about too often, but the state of Rhode Island and its Speaker Pro Temp, Brian Patrick Kennedy, shepherded a law through there that passed and was signed by the governor, said Smith. When an airbag is replaced after an accident with a knock off there is considerable danger to the vehicles driver and passengers. The tragedy of that fraud is the consumer doesnt know theyve been defrauded until the next accident when, literally, their life is at risk as they hit or fly through the windshield because their airbag did not properly deploy, Smith said. Laws Governing Cyber, Data Privacy Two of the most significant laws, he said, came out of South Carolina and California. This year, South Carolina became the first state in the nation to adopt the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) cyber security law. Smith expects many other states will either follow suit or create similar legislation for the protection of consumers rights of privacy and data usage. The model bill is very comprehensive, Smith said. For example, it requires every insurance company to designate a person or a vendor responsible for their cyber security programs. It also requires written policies and procedures to be in place on the use of data, and when there are data breaches. He offered an example to highlight the impact to insurers. If a claims person so much as loses a laptop ora smart device that has non-public personal data of an insured or a claimant, that is now unaccounted for because that device has been lost or stolen, it is mandatory to report that to the state DOI, and they have the right to investigate it and, under certain circumstances if there are blatant violations, fine or take licensing action over data breaches and the loss of personal information, he said. A law regulating California residents privacy was speedily passed into law this year. The California Privacy Law applies to insurers and all other businesses in the state and has very severe restrictions on the use of private data, Smith explained. Were looking at it from the standpoint of what impact it might or might not have on an insurers ability to even report fraud. We think were all right there, but were partnering with others to look to make certain that it does not infringe on the ability to report insurance fraud under the Privacy Act. Several amendments to the law are expected before it becomes effective on January 1, 2020. Michigan Fraud Authority The fraud community was taken by surprise when, in September, then outgoing Governor Rick Snyder issued an executive order creating a state insurance fraud authority. Smith said its something that had been in the works for years, but continually stalled. We at the Coalition have tried for years to work with the Legislature in Michigan, because the state desperately, in our opinion, needed an auto fraud authority, especially when you have that type of a personal injury protection (PIP) system and the frauds, abuses, and scams occurring in Michigan, he said. Unfortunately, the bills always failed, not because the legislators were not in favor of a fraud unit, but because it was always joined at the hip with PIP reforms and there could never be a consensus on that. The scope of the fraud authority is much broader than just auto insurance, Smith said. Withouta law on the books, future governors could decide to do away with it, and theres also no funding for it. he said. It doesnt have a funding structure or mechanism underneath it because it was created by Executive Order. So, one of our priorities wed love to have it yet this year or in 2019 is to work with the Legislature to take what the governor created by Executive Order, a free-standing insurance fraud authority, but created now with an actual Legislative structure and with a funding mechanism to make certain that its permanent. Ohio Law Declines to Follow ALI Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance Because the American Law Institutes revised Restatement on Liability Insurance creates new theories of recovery and new areas of law that states may not have, there is concern it will be relied on as if it is the law. The problem with this is, although the American Law Institute publications, the Restatements, are not laws in and of themselves, they are probably the most cited authority on issues like liability insurance by judges in issuing decisions and by attorneys in submitting briefs to courts addressing those issues. So, theres grave concern that the ALI Restatement, as they adopted it now, changes dramatically the world of insurance law, said Smith. A new Ohio law, passed in July, says state courts dont have to follow the new version. It remains to be seen if other states will follow suit. Designers overestimated the strength of a critical section of a Florida International University pedestrian bridge that collapsed, killing six people, and they underestimated the load on that same section, federal investigators reported Thursday. Cracks that were observed in the bridge before it collapsed were consistent with those design errors, their report says. However, the investigation continues, and the National Transportation Safety Board did not blame those errors for the March 15 collapse in the two-page investigative update. The agency is expected to finish its investigation into the cause of the catastrophe next year. Experts from the Federal Highway Administration reviewed the construction plans and design calculations for the 174-foot-long (53-meter-long) span intended to link Florida International University with the neighboring city of Sweetwater. They determined that the design underestimated the structural load on the north end of the bridge while overestimating the strength of that same critical section. The cracking documented in the weeks before the collapse was consistent with the identified errors, the report said. Photographs of those cracks previously released by the NTSB showed that they grew significantly larger after the prefabricated bridge was moved from a casting yard and set into place over a busy highway and a canal. The investigation continues to examine the design, review, and construction processes as well as the actions taken once the cracking was observed, the report said. The report also said concrete and steel samples from the bridge met the minimum requirements specified in the projects plans. Two days before the collapse, an engineer with the design firm, FIGG Bridge Group, left a voicemail for Florida Department of Transportation officials to report cracking had been found at one end of the concrete span, but the company did not think it was a safety issue. State officials did not hear the voicemail until after the collapse. University officials said DOT officials had been included in a meeting to discuss the cracking hours before the collapse. FIGG released a statement saying the company is still working with the NTSB and that no probable cause conclusion should be drawn from the update. Representatives for the university and Munilla Construction Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. The university had celebrated the bridge, scheduled to open in 2019, for its accelerated construction method that was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimize traffic disruption. When the bridge fell, construction was behind schedule and millions over budget, partly due to a key change in the design and placement of a support tower at its north end, according to documents The Associated Press obtained through a public records request. Bridge engineers who reviewed photographs of the collapse for the AP said it was ill-advised to move the tower after completing the initial design, but more analysis was needed before it could be known whether this caused the collapse. Last month, a federal judge blocked the release of public records related to the bridge collapse. U.S. Judge William Stafford ruled that the National Transportation Safety Board exercised its valid federal regulatory authority in keeping the documents about the Florida International University bridge disaster confidential from the media. Staffords decision overrules a state court judge who said in August that the documents are public records under Florida law and cannot be withheld. The Florida Department of Transportation agency had argued that the documents couldnt be made public due to an ongoing federal investigation into the March 15 collapse. The Miami Herald sued the state department after it refused to release the documents, citing orders from the NTSB. Contractors that worked on the bridge near a Florida university that collapsed, killing six people, have been fined more than $86,000 for workplace violations. The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the fines for seven safety violations related to the March 15 collapse. OSHA said the contractors didnt provide adequate safeguards despite serious cracks that had developed on the bridge. Five motorists and one worker were killed when the bridge fell onto a busy roadway near Florida International University. OSHA cited five companies for $86,658 in fines. The companies can contest the findings. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. soared Friday after Californias top utility regulator said his agency will help the company deal with potentially crippling liability costs from wildfires. Stock prices soared 36 percent in midday trading after plunging 60 percent and losing $15 billion in valuation in the week following the Northern California wildfire that is the nations deadliest in a century. No cause has been determined, but speculation has centered on PG&E, which reported an outage around the time and place the fire ignited. Late Thursday, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker sought to calm financial markets by indicating support for the continued viability of PG&E and other publicly traded utilities. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Picker said his agency will soon implement a provision in a new state law that makes it easier for utilities to pass costs for past wildfires to their customers. He said additional legislation may be needed to ensure that provision applies to this years fires. They have to be financially healthy to be able to provide those goods and services that ratepayers need, he told the Chronicle. If they cant borrow money, if they have liquidity problems and they cant do vegetation management, thats a problem. Thats not good policy, to really let them get financially unstable. He also said he will widen an investigation of PG&Es safety culture, which started following the regulators investigation of a 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people. Even with Fridays rebound, PG&E shares were trading about 50 percent lower than they were when the fire broke out. Moodys and S&P downgraded the credit ratings for the utility and its parent company late Thursday and warned that further downgrades were possible. Another downgrade would likely drop their debt below investment grade, making it significantly harder and costlier for the company to raise money to operate its sprawling network. PG&E drew down its lines of credit on Tuesday, borrowing $3.3 billion in an unusual move that suggests the company is concerned about maintaining access to capital markets, Moodys reported. Its unclear whether the Legislature and incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom will have the appetite to offer more help for PG&E after last years legislation was blasted as a bailout. The fires are still burning, bodies are still being recovered. As a state right now we are focused on supporting the victims and the recovery of these communities, said Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat who wrote the most recent legislation. The facts arent in about the cause of these fires and its too soon to speculate about future legislation. Lynsey Paulo, a spokeswoman for PG&E, welcomed Pickers comments. Access to affordable capital is critical to carrying out safety measures and meeting Californias bold clean energy goals, she said in a statement. Recently passed legislation recognized the importance of financially healthy utilities to California electric customers and implementing it quickly is important to achieve that goal. The company was hit with a second lawsuit from fire victims on Friday. Kirk Trostle, the former police chief of Chico and Oroville near the fire, and his wife, retired school principal Patty Garrison, accuse the company of mismanaging its power lines. A PG&E spokesman said the company is aware of the lawsuit and safety is its highest priority. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Euclid man was shot and killed early Monday outside an East Cleveland gas station, authorities said. Roger Ashley, 38, was found shot outside the Mobile Gas on Euclid Avenue at Shaw Avenue, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. East Cleveland police officers were investigating a report of a shooting just before 1:45 a.m. when they found an unresponsive man whod been shot once, police said. East Cleveland firefighters were called to the scene before he was pronounced dead. Detectives have not offered any additional information about the shooting. To comment on this story, visit Mondays crime and courts comments page. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio Disgraced former Cuyahoga County Judge Lance Mason was formally charged Monday in connection with crashing his SUV into a police cruiser after stabbing his estranged wife to death. Mason, 51, is charged with felonious assault in the crash. Mason and the officer injured in the crash remain hospitalized, Shaker Heights Police Commander John Cole said. Shaker Heights Municipal Judge K.J. Montgomery noted in court records that she would set a first court appearance after learning more about Masons physical and mental health. Mason was arrested shortly after the crash in connection with the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Aisha Fraser Mason, a sixth-grade teacher at Shaker Heights Woodbury Elementary School. He has not been formally charged in connection with Fraser Masons death. Shaker Heights police previously said Mason was arrested in connection with the death. Court filings say Mason was fleeing the scene of a homicide when he hit the officers cruiser. Shaker Heights police officer Adam Flynt drove to the home and blocked off the center of the road, leaving enough room for a car to pass him, according to court records. Flynt stood outside his cruiser, then reached back inside to grab equipment. The officer put one knee on the drivers seat, when Mason sped from the driveway about 50 feet away in his black 2015 Audi SUV, court records say. Mason crashed the SUV directly into Flynt and his cruiser, court records say. Mason would have been able to see Flynt standing outside his cruiser at the time, according to court records. Flynts lower legs were pinned between he vehicles. He was taken to an area hospital with leg and rib injuries, court records say. Mason got out of his SUV and ran back into his home, where he was arrested, court records say. Mason served nine months of a two-year prison sentence after a 2014 attack on his wife that left her with a broke orbital bone that required reconstructive surgery. That attack happened in front of their two daughters. Shaker Heights police acknowledge Masons arrest in Fraser Masons death but have so far provided no other information. Shaker Heights Police Chief Jeff DeMuth declined to provide more information when questioned by a reporter at the police department on Monday. Mason killed Fraser Mason, 45, about 9:30 a.m. Saturday at his home on Chagrin Boulevard near Normandy Road, according to police and three sources. She was found dead in the driveway, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said. Mason sped from the home and crashed into a Shaker Heights police cruiser about two houses away, sending Flynt to the hospital with injuries to his rib and leg. Mason was also taken to an area hospital after the crash. Both Mason and Flynt remained hospitalized as of Monday morning, police said. Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are assisting Shaker Heights police in the investigation. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jacksons administration hired Mason after his release from prison to work as a minority business development director, a $45,000-per-year job. Jackson fired Mason after his arrest on Saturday. Mason also published an online self-help book, More than Conquerors: 9 Winning Strategies To Living A Life Without Limitations, and wrote a blog about how prison changed him for the better and made him a better father to his two daughters. He blamed the media on his blog for questioning why he was hired by Jackson after the attack on his wife. In addition to serving a 9 months prison term, Lance endured multiple media attacks, some calling for his firing 3 years after the assault, reads a statement on Masons blog, titled battlethru.com. Since the assault, Lance has battled on a long and painful road of remorse, recovery, rehabilitation, and restoration. Lance has tirelessly fought in the courts to be active in his childrens lives. Mason punched Fraser Mason 20 times in August 2014 and slammed her head against the dashboard of his car five times. The couples children were in the back of the car. Mason, who previously served in the state legislature, was a sitting Cuyahoga County judge when the attack took place. Mason drove home after the attack. A family member reported to Cleveland police that he might try to kill himself, but Mason surrendered. Officers searching his home at the time found smoke grenades, semi-automatic rifles, a sword, a bulletproof vest and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition. Mason pleaded guilty to felonious assault and domestic violence and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was granted judicial release nine months later. Part of his petition for early release included a letter to Fraser Mason in which he apologized, asked for her forgiveness and said he deeply regretted what happened. Mason wrote that he failed as a husband, father, and a man, and promised that once he realized he was broken he became a better father and man, the letter said. My responsibility was to love and protect you, Masons letter said. Instead of loving, protecting and providing for you and our daughters, I have provided a terrible example, and exposed you to rage and violence. Fraser Mason, who needed reconstructive surgery on her face, filed for divorce two days after the incident. The divorce case was still pending at the time of her death. Fraser Mason also won a $150,000 judgement in a civil case after suing her ex-husband for damages after the attack. The former judge was barred by law from ever being a judge again. His law license was suspended indefinitely in December 2017. Correction: The post is updated to reflect the stabbing happened at Masons Shaker Heights home, not Fraser Masons. Court records show that the address of the stabbing was Masons home. Shaker Heights police as of 12:30 p.m. Monday have not answered questions seeking clarification. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio Disgraced former Cuyahoga County Judge and former Cleveland employee Lance Mason stabbed his wife to death in the driveway of his home, then walked inside and told his sister that he killed her, according to the 911 call from the incident. Masons sister called 911 after hearing Mason attacking his wife, Aisha Fraser Mason, in the driveway. She told 911 dispatchers she was inside with the couples two daughters, ages 11 and 8 and could hear Fraser Mason screaming. He stabbed her and he said shes dead, Masons sister told dispatchers. There is blood everywhere, the sister added as the 51-year-old former judge walked into the home. The daughters came be heard screaming and crying in the background of the call. The cries continued on and off throughout the 9-minute recording. Mason, a state lawmaker before he became a common pleas judge, could be heard in the background saying: Im so sorry. Masons sister tried to keep informing the dispatchers of what was happening while consoling the young girls. I know baby. Im so sorry, she told the girls. His sister told police he came back into the home, paced in the kitchen and sat with her in the living room as Shaker Heights police surrounded the home. Fraser Mason was found dead in the driveway of suspected stab wounds, according to Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner records. Her autopsy was not completed as of 2 p.m. Monday. Mason jumped in his SUV and rammed into a Shaker Heights police cruiser. The impact hurt officer Adam Flynt who was hospitalized after the crash. He ran back into the home and waited until officers went inside and arrested him. The former judge, who got a job with the city of Cleveland after his truncated sentence, was charged Monday with felonious assault in connection with the crash with the police cruiser, according to court records. Mason has not been charged in connection with the death, but court records identify him as the suspect in the stabbing. Shaker Heights police as of 2 p.m. Monday have not released information about the case, save for a two-sentence press release saying Fraser Mason died and Mason had been taken into custody. Shaker Heights police Chief Jeffrey DeMuth refused to speak with a reporter about the incident Monday. Police later said in a statement that more charges are expected to be filed against Mason, but did not release more information on the case. Both Mason and Flynt remain hospitalized. Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are assisting Shaker Heights police in the investigation. Fraser Mason, 45, was a beloved sixth-grade teacher at Woodbury Elementary School in Shaker Heights. Mason served nine months of a two-year prison sentence after a 2014 attack on Fraser Mason that left her with a broken orbital bone that required reconstructive surgery. That attack happened in front of their two daughters. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jacksons administration hired Mason after his release from prison to work as a minority business development director, a $45,000-per-year job. Jackson fired Mason after his arrest on Saturday. Mason published an online self-help book about how his prison stint changed him for the better and made him a better father to his two children. CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga County officials on Monday named Chief Deputy George Taylor as the interim director of the troubled jail, where six inmates have died over four months. Taylor replaces Jail Director Ken Mills, who abruptly resigned last week ahead of an expected report by the U.S. Marshals Service about how the jail is run. The report was sought by County Executive Armond Budish because of the inmate deaths. Unlike his predecessor, Taylor has a history of working in corrections, and years of experience in the criminal justice system. He will make $125,000 a year, up from the $119,600 he made as chief deputy. Taylor joined the Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Department in April 2016 after serving a year as the director of public safety and justice services. In that position, he oversaw emergency management, emergency communications, services for witnesses and victims, among other duties. Prior to his employment with the county, Taylor had a career with the Toledo police department, where he was assigned to several areas of command related to investigations, internal affairs and other duties. When he retired from Toledo, he became assistant chief of Westerville police. Taylors history also includes more than three years in corrections. He was a corrections officer in Lucas County and worked on a medical floor with a focus on mental health. Mills had no corrections experience prior to being hired by Budish in 2014 to oversee the countys jails. A county spokeswoman refused to say why Mills resigned. The change in jail leadership comes as the U.S. Marshals Service completes its jail review and as the FBI is looking into possible civil rights violations at the jail. Six inmates died from June 22 to Oct. 2, including three by suicide. The sixth death prompted Cleveland Municipal Judge Michael Nelson to announce that he would no longer send non-violent offenders to jail because it was unsafe. And earlier this month, all 34 Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judges issued a letter that accused Budishs jail administration of being indifferent to dangerous conditions at the jail. The letter, written by Administrative Judge John J. Russo, said the judges can no longer rely on the word of jail administrators, who have promised that changes are being made to improve conditions at the jail. The same day, the five Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judges who oversee the countys mental-health docket wrote a letter to MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros alerting him to jail inmates failing to receive proper mental health care and medication. MetroHealth oversees most healthcare in the jail, while the county employs jail nurses. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Virginia pharmaceutical company raised the price of its opioid overdose reversal drug by more than 600 percent in 2016 as a way to "capitalize on the opportunity," says a report released Sunday by an investigative subcommittee chaired by Ohio GOP Sen. Rob. Portman. The report from Portman's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said actions by the Richmond drug company, kaleo, to push up the price of its nalaxone drug, EVZIO, increased costs to taxpayers by more than $142 million in the last four years even though less expensive versions of naloxone were available. "Naloxone is a critically important overdose reversal drug that our first responders have used to save tens of thousands of lives," said a statement from Portman about the report, whose details were first aired on CBS' "60 Minutes." "The fact that one company dramatically raised the price of its naloxone drug and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in increased drug costs, all during a national opioid crisis, no less, is simply outrageous," Portman continued, pledging his subcommittee will "continue its efforts to protect taxpayers from drug manufacturers that are exploiting loopholes in the Medicare and Medicaid system in order to profit from a national opioid crisis." The report from Portman's subcommittee says kaleo raised its prices on the recommendation of drug industry consultant Todd Smith, who drastically raised prices at other firms that hired him. The company paid Smith and his partner more than $10.2 million for their work. The distribution model that Smith proposed raised the price of the drug by more than 600 percent by 2016, from $575 per unit to $3,750 and then to $4,100, the report said, even though the company said its production cost for the drug is $174 per unit. To make sure the drug would be covered by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, the company's sales force focused on making sure doctors' offices signed necessary paperwork that said that EVZIO was medically necessary, the report said. Its model relied on patients with insurance coverage to subsidize patients without coverage, the report said. Kaleo said insurance covers around 26 percent of EVZIO prescriptions for commercial patients and the company gives away the remaining 74 percent of the drug. Sales of the drug climbed after the price increase. While the company said its new model focused on patients covered by commercial health insurance, most of its initial revenues were from Medicare and Medicaid, which paid excess costs of $142 million for the drug even though less costly medicines were available, the report said. "Kaleo's more than 600 percent price increase of EVZIO not only exploits a country in the middle of an opioid crisis, but also American taxpayers who fund government-run health care programs designed to be a safety net for our country's elderly and most vulnerable," the report said. The company says it gives away a high proportion of the EVZIO it makes, and it is working with "insurers, policymakers and government officials, to provide EVZIO at a lower cost while ensuring patients and their loved ones have access to this life-saving drug." "We believe two facts are critical to the EVZIO story," said a statement from kaleo. "First, we have received voluntary reports from recipients of donated product that EVZIO has saved more than 5,500 lives since we launched the product in 2014. Second, we have never turned an annual profit on the sale of EVZIO. Patients, not profits, have driven our actions." The report from Portman recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services review its policies to keep drug companies from inappropriately influencing prescribing, and that Congress should mandate a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions because addiction risks increase with longer use. PENINSULA, Ohio The latest Cuyahoga River cleanup project targets a tributary so small that it doesnt appear on most maps. But the restoration of Stanford Run in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is vital to the rivers health, nevertheless, according to parks and government officials who announced approval of a $425,000 rescue job this week. Historically, Stanford Run has flowed from beyond the national parks eastern boundary into the Cuyahoga River north of Peninsula, a short distance from the Boston Mills Ski Area. But over the years, Stanford Run has become increasingly clogged with sediment, rerouting the creek and blocking it from flowing into the river. The unwanted dam has caused flooding on area roads and water to pool and stagnate, destroying healthy stream indicators such as salamanders and native vegetation, said Pamela Barnes, a national parks spokeswoman. As we work on these tributaries we contribute to the better health of the Cuyahoga River, Barnes said. When a stream is diverted, like Sanford Run, it cant act as it should, absorbing storm water and flowing into the Cuyahoga. The restoration project will involve digging up the old, undersized concrete culvert that currently is buried under piles of soil and water, and replacing it with a larger, precast concrete culvert. The expanded creek bed will restore the Stanford Run to its original path, flowing beneath the Towpath Trail and emptying the clean water into the river, said Russ Brandenburg, a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, based in Cleveland. After heavy-duty earthmoving and culvert construction are completed, the national park will revegetate the area with native grasses and wildflowers. Attempts will be made to save as many trees as possible in the area, Brandenburg said. Funding for the nearly half-million dollar project was obtained by the Army Corps of Engineers from the U.S. EPA. The source of the money is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a $300 million pool provided to 16 federal organizations to target the worst ecological threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem. The contractor for the project is the Ryba Marine Construction Co., of Cheboygan, Michigan, and the work is expected to be completed by next October. WINDHAM, Ohio William Schmitt Jr. was a happy man on election night. The Ohio towns of Windham, Dayton, Oregon, Norwood and Fremont passed ballot measures designed to defang local laws on the possession of small amounts of marijuana. But those who might partake should not celebrate just yet. Police departments around the state said they could render the new laws toothless. The ordinances affect possession of up to 200 grams of marijuana, about a half-pound. The ordinances require the municipal or mayors court judge to reduce the fine and penalties for possession to zero. Schmitt said he hopes since the fine would be zero that police would not bother enforcing the law. But some departments say they can continue charging people with possession. The ballot issue only matters if police charge under the village or city law. Like police all over the state, we can still charge people with possession, well just do it under the state law, said Windham Police Chief Eric Breiding. The fine is the same ($150) plus court costs, but now the village wont get the money, the state will. Either way, we make very few arrests for it anyway. State law says possession of less than 100 grams of marijuana is a minor misdemeanor punishable by a $150 fine with no jail time. However, possession of 100 to 200 grams is considered a misdemeanor and punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. Possession of more than 200 grams in Ohio is a felony. Windham officials and the municipal court judge who handles Windham cases declined numerous calls for comment. Windham, in Portage County, is 50 miles southeast of Cleveland. Kevin T. Poland, the Portage County Municipal Court judge for the Kent area, called the ordinance a publicity stunt, and said he would hear cases filed under state law. Schmitts group argues that would be illegal. The matter may have to be settled by a higher court. The Sensible Movement Coalition is ready to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court if police bring charges under state law, said Chad Thompson, 42, of Toledo, group member and author of the ballot proposals. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that local ordinances should be followed unless they conflict with state law, he said. In this case, the ordinances do not conflict with state law since they do not maintain that marijuana is legal, they merely address the penalties. There are cases in the state where the courts upheld cases where communities invoked harsher penalties for marijuana. If the penalties can be changed to be harsher, we believe they can also be changed to be lower, since the concept of change has been accepted. If anyone is charged with a state level violation for possession of a small amount of marijuana. . . we will fight it, Thompson said. I think its pretty clear how the people of Ohio feel about this, said Schmitt, 45, of Bellaire. We have not gotten that state law challenged, but we will. We are looking for a good case where local law should have been used but state law was used instead. Residents in Windham and four other communities voted to reduce penalties for marijuana possession to zero, but police said they could still prosecute under state law if they wish. Schmitt started his statewide campaign after he was cited for possession of a small amount of marijuana in Garrettsville in Portage County, en route to a concert in Nelson Ledges. He said they will push to get the issue on the ballot in Amherst, Akron and elsewhere. The measure failed in Garrettsville this month. Schmitt said the movement is gaining momentum. Since 2015, similar ordinances have passed in Toledo, Newark, Athens, Roseville, Logan and Bellaire. John Pardee, 57, of Oberlin, is gathering signatures to put the issue on the May ballot in Amherst. Even a conviction in municipal court could have serious consequences for people, Pardee said. It might affect their drivers license or keep them out of Section 8 housing. Its important to change the law. Toledo was the first Ohio city to remove penalties for marijuana possession in 2015. Toledo Police Lt. Kevan Toney said officers are told by their superiors to use discretion when considering charges for small amounts of pot, but to keep in mind the vote of the residents. Like all big cities, we have a lot of crime, Toney said. We have a lot more serious crimes than simple possession of marijuana to worry about. If any possession charge is made, and I doubt very much that many will, it would be filed under the state statute. We would usually just confiscate it and toss it away. There is practical reason for Toledos actions. Toledo Court Administrator Lisa Falgiano explained that the city pays to jail people charged under city code. If someone is cited under the state code, the state pays. She said it may be a moot point anyway since police very rarely arrest anyone for simple possession. Norwood, a Cincinnati suburb, voted to pass the marijuana reform ordinance in the November election. Tim Gary, assistant law director for the city, said the law should take effect when the election is certified later this month. He said he expects municipal judges to follow the zero punishment ordinance, but believed that police could file under the state statute. A Newark vote downgraded possession of marijuana to a minor misdemeanor last year. We never arrest for it anyway, said Newark Det. Jarrod Conley. Its not something we worry about. Were more concerned with opioids. We could use it (minor misdemeanor charges) as a tool. If we see someone leaving a known drug house and he has some marijuana on him, we could press him for information.'' Proponents say the successful medical marijuana ballot issue statewide last year demonstrates Ohio residents want marijuana reform. We will continue to put our issue on the ballot all over the state until officials get the message and do what people want and end the marijuana prohibition, Schmitt said. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Shaker Heights school district will close all buildings Monday and Tuesday and offer grief counseling after the slaying of sixth-grade teacher Aisha Fraser Mason. Fraser Mason, who taught at Woodbury Elementary, was fatally stabbed Saturday at her estranged husbands Shaker Heights home. Her estranged husband, former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason, has been arrested in connection with her death, police said. Monday and Tuesday were supposed to be professional learning days for Shaker Heights teachers, but the school district cancelled those to give the teachers time to grieve. Shaker Heights Schools are providing grief counseling and support for all district students and their families Monday and Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Woodbury Elementary School and Mercer Elementary School. Counseling is available on Monday morning and Tuesday morning for all district staff. Shaker Recreation Department Fun Days at Woodbury will be operating on a normal schedule, the school district said. Anyone with questions should call Woodbury at 216-295-4150 or Mercer at 216-295-4070. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at Woodbury. The Shaker Heights Teachers' Association also set up a gofundme.com account to support Aishas family. Correction: The post is updated to reflect the stabbing happened at Masons Shaker Heights home, not Fraser Masons. Court records show that the address of the stabbing was Masons home. Shaker Heights police as of 12:30 p.m. Monday have not answered questions seeking clarification. OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- There's a reason why teenage angst is a household description for youthful behavior. While Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports anxiety disorders affect 25.1 percent of children between 13 and 18 years old, research reveals untreated children are at higher risk for reduced academic performance, missed important social experiences and increased substance abuse. In an effort to raise awareness around anxiety in children and adolescents, the Olmsted Falls PTA Council and Olmsted Falls City Schools are showing independent film "Angst" to the community. The free screenings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27 and Dec. 3 at the Olmsted Falls High School Auditorium. Following the movie will be a panel discussion consisting of a community mental health provider and a parent, as well as a teacher, principal and counselor from each Olmsted Falls City Schools building. "We all have anxiety; however, when it begins to interfere with our quality of life, we need to talk about it," said Olmsted Falls PTA Council Inclusion and Diversity Chair Heather Hetchler, who has two students in the district. "What brings anxiety to one child may not bring it to another. As a PTA, we are hearing more about concerns about the emotional and social development of our kids." "Angst" includes interviews with kids, teens, educators, experts and parents, as well as 28-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps. The documentary boasts a mission to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. Olmsted Falls City School District Superintendent Jim Lloyd said he was in favor of screening the movie. "Anxiety knows no racial or ethnic boundary," Lloyd said. "It impacts the rich and the poor. When the ability to effectively deal with it becomes a problem, it has significant repercussions. This is an issue that many students deal with. The district wants to support them, their families and those that interact with them. "As stated in the film, our society sees medical issues below the neck differently compared to those that happen above the neck. We wanted to join the conversation that has already been started." So far the entire Olmsted Falls City Schools family has viewed the film. This includes everyone from Board of Education members to bus drivers and lunch aides. "One of the things with our PTA is helping each child reach their potential," Hetchler said. "We believe that kids who are struggling with anxiety don't leave that at home when they come to school. They bring it on the bus, into the classroom and in the lunchroom. "It's important for not only parents and caregivers to understand how anxiety presents itself, but it's also important for the staff to know." The screening of "Angst" actually marks the beginning of the Olmsted Falls PTA Council's four-part speaker series. The second night is scheduled for early 2019 and will cover social media. "We want to address the needs that parents are bringing to us," Hetchler said. "So by putting on programming that addresses the needs we're hearing about over and over again, we believe we can provide tools that will help parents and caregivers help their kids." COLUMBUS, Ohio - State lawmakers and Ohio Attorney General-elect Dave Yost announced Monday afternoon a new bill that could help counties with prosecution and public defense costs in capital murder cases. The bill, which is still being drafted, comes after the arrests of four people in the Pike County murder case, in which eight members of the Rhoden family were shot, execution-style, in their homes in 2016. Last week, prosecutors announced the arrests and charges against four members of the Wagner family, who had lived in the area at the time of the murders. Authorities have been mum on details of the case, but Ohio Attorney General and Gov.-elect Mike DeWine said a child custody dispute may have been at play, and there was an undercurrent of drugs." Yost, the Republican state auditor who will be sworn in as attorney general in early January, estimates the Pike County prosecution will run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Four public defenders will be needed, he said. We dont know whether the jury will be sequestered," he said. "We may have four juries that may need to be sequestered I dont know how many days it will take to try the case. If we have to change the venue, that may cost extra as well. How the bill would work: Prosecutors in counties of any size would jointly submit an application to the state with the local public defenders office with an estimate of how much a capital murder trial with numerous defendants would cost. The idea that both offices submit the application together is seen as a check-and-balance on state resources. The Ohio Controlling Board, a panel made up of representatives of the governors office and legislature, would review the costs and determine whether -- and how much -- to fund them. The money would come from the General Revenue Fund. If trial costs exceed estimates, or if prosecutors and public defendants have appeals, they can return to the Controlling Board with additional requests, Yost said. Although large population counties could theoretically request money, Yost said that most likely small counties with low revenues would get money -- and honestly, a county could go 50 years without these cases, he said. At one point, the Pike County murder prosecution was estimated to cost 10 to 20 percent of the rural countys entire budget. No small county (should have) to choose between basic services and seeking justice in a complex case, Yost said. Ohio Senate Pro Tempore Bob Peterson, a Republican from Washington Court House, and Rep. Shane Wilkins, a Republican whose district includes Pike County, are working on the bill. CLEVELAND, Ohio An influential eastern Ohio Republican leader says he has deleted an inartful image hed published to his Facebook page that said the ongoing California wildfire was Gods punishment to Liberal California. Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman Dave Johnson said in a telephone interview that the post, which he published on Sunday after reading a news article and deleted later that day, reflected his belief that Democrats have mismanaged California. But, he said that he didnt mean to offend anyone. Look, thats a meme. And its how I feel about liberals, but did I mean that God is going to punish everyone who lives in California? No. Its a figure of speech, and I probably shouldnt have done it. But I did, and it doesnt change how I feel about whats happened in California, Johnson said. He later added: Now to the extent that that meme would have offended or hurt someone in California, yes, thats not the intent, and I dont think thats what it says. But you know, its in the eyes of the beholder, and so if it offended anyone that had a loss of life, then Im sorry. That was not my intent, and anybody who knows me knows better. The fire has killed at least 77 people, according to media reports. It has destroyed more than 10,500 homes while burning 234 square miles. A Los Angeles Times report has tied the fire to a malfunctioning power line. Johnson is an influential member of the Ohio Republican Partys central committee. He owns the Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton, a regular stop for politicians running for office in Ohio, and served as a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention. His post prompted a swift backlash from Democrats, including Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras, another county chairman from the Mahoning Valley with a statewide profile. In a news release published to his county partys Facebook page on Monday, Betras called on Johnson to resign over the post. Johnson owes the victims, their families, and the heroes who fought the fire and participated in rescue efforts an apology, Betras wrote in a post published to the Mahoning County Democrats Facebook page. In addition, I think his demented comments disqualify him from holding positions of public trust. He should, therefore, immediately resign from all the public positions he holds, which includes his party leadership and positions with the Columbiana County Board of Elections and the board for the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. For Immediate Release Monday, November 19, 2018 Contact: MCDP Chair David Betras MCDP Chair David Betras: Johnson post... Posted by Mahoning County Democrats on Monday, November 19, 2018 In an interview, Betras called Johnsons post beyond the pale, and called on other Republicans to denounce it. If you want to have a discussion about environmental policies, thats fine, but if you say this is Gods wrath coming down because youre a liberal and people are dying I dont know where were at as a country then, he said. A spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment. But Johnson called Betras post a Democrat stunt. He said the backlash stoked by Betras and others has driven people to send profane messages to his businesses and family members. It will eventually die out," he said. Theyre trying to make an issue out of it because they got their butts kicked in this election cycle. WASHINGTON -- The historically diverse, historically female freshman class of the 116th Congress arrived in Washington this week for orientation. And already, as if starring in the Netflix buddy flick you didnt even know you were craving, they appear to have become best friends. "Squad," wrote Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, captioning an Instagram photo in which she posed with Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib - her fellow newly elected U.S. congresswomen, all grinning around a conference room table. "#DreamTeam in Congress," wrote Tlaib, of Michigan, on a different photo of the same group. "We did not come to play," wrote Omar, of Minnesota, on an image of her sitting beside Pressley at an informational session. The posts exude gratefulness and camaraderie; these women seem never to miss an opportunity to lift each other up or highlight each others' accomplishments. "I am inspired by the incredible work she has done for her community," wrote Sharice Davids of Kansas, one of the first two Native American women to join Congress, as she stood with her arm around Deb Haaland of New Mexico, the other one. Their affection for one another seems earnest, and these photos have inspired daydreams bordering on fan fiction. Online, hundreds of supporters have speculated what it would be like to go to coffee or to a sleepover with this particular group of elected officials. Others - not fans - have met the posts with an eyeroll, calling them juvenile or not befitting the dignity of the office. But categorizing the posts as merely giggly "squad goals" is missing a deeper point, I think. There's sophisticated work going into the messaging. These social media posts aren't just about female friendship; they're about the behind-the-scenes strategies women in mostly male workplaces have always employed to get stuff done. Female White House staffers in the Obama administration, for example, popularized a meeting strategy they'd dubbed "amplification." Tired of men ignoring their ideas - or worse, claiming them as their own - they decided to reiterate the good ideas voiced by other women in the room and made sure the female creator received proper credit. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, whose "Lean In" simultaneously empowered and exhausted millions of readers, regularly encourages women to negotiate "communally." Women advocating for their own success are perceived as bossy or self-involved, Sandberg says, and so they should instead argue that their success will benefit the greater good. And numerous studies have found that women tend to thrive more in collaborative working environments than combative ones. Baked into every one of these strategies is a common notion: that women do better when their success is sneaky. Or self-deprecating. When they emphatically thank everyone who pushed them from behind, and everyone who paved the road ahead. When they - as multiple newly elected female representatives did this week - pose gratefully in front of a portrait of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress. Compare this with Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who on Wednesday was elected House minority leader. McCarthy also has an Instagram account, with nearly 30,000 followers. A longtime public servant, he often posts pictures of himself meeting with constituents. But the image he chose to feature on election night was of himself, alone, under a giant banner: "Kevin McCarthy: Protecting our freedoms." Perhaps it's unfair to compare the Instagram prowess of younger digital natives with the photo choices of a 53-year-old. The point is that different messages work better for different groups of people. Both can be effective. Both can be great. But I sense that female politicians positioning themselves as individualistic, heroic protectors wouldn't go over so well. Why do I sense that? It's happening already. You might have seen headlines about Ocasio-Cortez - the midterm's biggest breakout star, who ousted a 10-term incumbent in the New York primary - joining activists in protest at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office. Immediately pundits, both armchair and television, portrayed this as a catfight or rebellion: Ocasio-Cortez was immature and showboating; Pelosi, D-Calif., the presumptive speaker of the House, wasn't a strong enough leader to keep her people under control. But what Ocasio-Cortez actually told assembled activists was far from combative: "Should Leader Pelosi become the next speaker of the House, we need to tell her that we've got her back in showing and pursuing the most progressive energy agenda that this country has ever seen." She spoke of her "admiration" for the veteran politician and praised Pelosi's "civic engagement." The young women who have come to Congress have come to elevate, praise and admire one another. Not because they're immature fangirls but because this coalition-building is their best hope for success in what remains, at its core, another mostly male workplace. I keep thinking about an exchange recounted by the New York Times a few days ago, in which congresswoman-elect Deb Haaland ran into a male Republican congressman in the elevator. "I'm sure we'll be at each others' throats eventually," he told her. "I don't think so," she replied, apparently surprised. It didnt sound like someone ready to fight to win. It was the response of someone whod rather find a more productive path than fighting. Monica Hesse is a columnist for The Washington Posts Style section and author of American Fire. PARMA, Ohio -- There's no doubt Chelsey Kovar loves Parma. Not only did the All of Her Design owner successfully create the inaugural Best of Parma contest earlier this year, but the longtime resident is now turning her attention to the city's annual participation in the national Small Business Saturday initiative. "It means so much to me to shop local, whether it is buying my groceries, getting my morning coffee or picking out gifts for the holidays," said Kovar, a 2005 Parma Senior High School graduate. "A national initiative encouraging shopping locally is a catalyst for people to discover hidden gems in their neighborhoods while strengthening their city's economy. Shopping small makes such a huge impact on not only that business, but for your community as a whole." Kovar said there's even an important networking element added to the event as well. "Small Business Saturday not only brings out new shoppers, but brings local businesses together that make connections in the community," said All of Her Design Creative and Art Director Kovar. "I'm proud that a lot of my clients are local to Northeast Ohio, and we've been able to connect and support each other. "I'm excited for this year's Small Business Saturday. Seeing the movement growing, I hope that shoppers continue to support local shops for their needs well after the holiday season and begin to incorporate shopping small into their everyday routines." This holiday season marks the sixth year for Parma's Small Business Saturday efforts, which Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter refers to as a low-cost, high-impact program between City Hall and the Parma Area Chamber of Commerce. "I know that a healthy small business marketplace is also key to a city's economic success." DeGeeter said. Parma's print shop makes signs that read "Support small business, shop small here." Each council member distributes signs to businesses in their ward. "Small businesses are the foundation and backbone of the community," Ward 2 Councilwoman Debbie Lime said. "You need the big business and small business in every community. "Celebrating small business Saturday is always a pleasure and awesome experience. The businesses are always appreciative." Disaster coordination authorities have asked thousands in ten communities to evacuate and go to safe areas as Fuego Volcano in Guatemala starts spewing lava, just months after the volcano erupted killing 194 people and leaving a further 234 missing. Thousands of people have been urged to evacuate after an increased eruption of Guatemalas 12,300ft Fuego volcano. Dramatic pictures show glowing lava spewing from the summit of the volcano located in the south-central part of the country. Disaster coordination authorities have asked ten communities to evacuate and go to safe areas. This morning, David de Leon, spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, said monitoring of the volcanos activity yesterday showed the intensity of the eruption was being maintained. It comes just months after a previous eruption of the Volcano of Fire killed 194 people and left 234 missing. However, aid groups helping badly hit areas insist the true number of those still unaccounted for after the disaster in June runs in to the thousands. At the time, searing flows of lava, ash and rock mixed with water and debris gushed down the volcanos flanks, blocking roads and burning homes. Fast-moving pyroclastic flows overtook people in homes and streets with temperatures reaching as high as 700C (1,300F), and hot ash and volcanic gases that can cause rapid asphyxiation. The volcano, one of the most active in Central America, spewed more ash and lava in October, prompting warnings for nearby communities. Fuego has been erupting since 2002, and was continuously active in 2017. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or become a Patron on Patreon / donate through Paypal. Please and thank you Daily Mail Thousands are urged to evacuate as erupting 12,300-foot Volcano of Fire spews lava in Guatemala Student Joins International Delegates To Help Create Positive Social Change November 19, 2018 Carnegie Mellon University Australia student Zaidul Alam is using his skills and expertise to help young people learn more about the technology industry. His volunteer efforts led him to be the first CMU-A delegate to the University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Thailand earlier this fall. The symposium, run by the Humanitarian Affairs Asia and the United Nations Development Program, brings together young people to network and hear from world leaders who are making a difference through their leadership and innovative ideas. More than 1,000 delegates from 87 countries participated Aug. 1-7 at The United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The mission of the gathering was to empower university students and facilitate youth who are passionate about positive social change. "Attending the University Scholars Leadership Symposium enabled me to network with other students who have the same passion and commitment to make the world a better place to live for everyone," Alam said. A part-time student in the Master of Science in Information Technology program and a systems analyst for the South Australian Public Sector, Alam volunteers with STEMSEL Club Adelaide, which encourages early secondary school students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math as well as social entrepreneurship. He also mentors young graduates in the South Australian public sector. "Education, particularly focused on technology, is the key to building a sustainable world," Alam said. While in Bangkok, Alam participated in service activities, such as taking refugee children for their first-ever trip to a zoo. Other delegate projects included repainting the Suroutmaijaroen School in rural Thailand; collecting weeds and rubbish from local rivers; teaching English to elementary school students; and working on projects to improve education, reduce child abuse and care for the elderly in Thailand slums. The symposium also included sessions and panels designed to build contemporary leadership skills with a global perspective. The student leaders were asked to consider ways they might lead and design change to address the suffering, hardship and poverty in many parts of the world. Former UN Security Council President Kishore Mahbubani delivered the keynote at the symposium. "It was an outstanding event and one I hope other CMU-A students might consider in future years," Alam said. "While I was the first CMU-A student to attend the symposium, I hope I'm not the last." Since 2006, Carnegie Mellon Australia has graduated nearly 500 students in information technology and public policy and management. The program, which is located in Adelaide, South Australia, is part of CMU's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and has attracted students from 26 countries. Eric Schmidt joined Google as CEO in 2001 and led the tech company for the next decade as the company grew from a start-up to a corporate behemoth, whose parent company, Alphabet, now has a market cap of over $740 billion. Very early hiring strategies largely involved hiring co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin's friends from Stanford University. "They were super smart, somewhat disorganized kinds of people," Schmidt told Tyler Cowen on the "Conversations with Tyler" podcast. But as the company grew, hiring strategies evolved. "The recruiting started off as informal, but it ultimately became very, very structured," Schmidt said. There were fumbles along the way. "We did all sorts of things [wrong]. My favorite example is that we would interview people to death," Schmidt told Cowen. "We interviewed this one gentleman 16 times, and we couldn't decide." How can leaders motivate others to increase #productivity? @ericschmidt explains on this episode of #CowenConvos #Google That was way too many interviews, of course. "So I picked a random number, which was half, and I said, 'We should have a max of eight,'" Schmidt recalled. "We've since done a statistical analysis," said Schmidt, who is now a technical adviser to Alphabet, "and the answer today is four to five interviews." In selecting candidates to consider, Google didn't look for prior related experience, Schmidt said. "We were famously focused on the school you went to and your GPA and not your experience. This caused all sorts of consternation, but it produced people who were both young in a sense of inexperienced in business," Schmidt said. "It produced people that were aggressive and ignorant of what they were doing, so they didn't know what they were doing, but they could make mistakes." Google needed a team that was willing to change direction nimbly. "Our argument was that, in a fast-growing company, we need people who can pivot around whatever the new challenge is, and we weren't convinced that the people who had experience since this was a new field that that experience would allow them to pivot into the new problems," Schmidt said. And hiring from elite schools was a way of piggybacking on the work admissions departments had already done, Schmidt said. "In our model of the world, the fact that top universities had sorted through these people was a pretty good piece of data for us to understand whether we should spend," Schmidt said. "It was a good selection process." But Google has updated its hiring strategies. "Today, we are not quite as snooty as we were back then," Schmidt said. "But in the early days, we were quite rigorous about this." Yet Google (like other Silicon Valley tech companies) still seems to have trouble diversifying its largely white male workforce. Also in the first years of Google, Page and Brin didn't believe there was a need for managers. "They hired a bunch of managers, and then they decided they didn't like the managers, so they got rid of all the managers," Schmidt told Cowen. "This is called 'the disorg.'" Page and Brin thought management got in the way of work being done. (Eventually managers were again brought in.) Apple CEO Tim Cook didn't name names when he spoke out against the privacy practices of big tech companies during a keynote speech in Brussels last month. But he didn't have to. "We shouldn't sugarcoat the consequences. This is surveillance. And these stockpiles of personal data serve only to enrich the companies that collect them," Cook said in the Oct. 24 speech. "This should make us very uncomfortable. It should unsettle us." Those comments were primarily directed at Facebook and Google, the two biggest tech companies that make most of their money from advertising based on user data. Both of those companies have battled a public reckoning over their user privacy practices over the last few years, and that reckoning is far from over. But that hasn't stopped Apple from working with the companies it disagrees with. Facebook's and Google's apps are available in Apple's app store, for example, and Apple accepts billions of dollars a year from Google so Google can be the default search engine in the Safari web browser. Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman speaks in Riyadh. Bandar Algalour | Saudi Kingdom Council | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Amid international uproar over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, some members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are agitating to prevent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from becoming king, three sources close to the royal court said. Dozens of princes and cousins from powerful branches of the Al Saud family want to see a change in the line of succession but would not act while King Salman the crown prince's 82-year-old father is still alive, the sources said. They recognize that the king is unlikely to turn against his favorite son, known in the West as MbS. Rather, they are discussing the possibility with other family members that after the king's death, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, 76, a younger full brother of King Salman and uncle of the crown prince, could take the throne, according to the sources. Prince Ahmed, King Salman's only surviving full brother, would have the support of family members, the security apparatus and some Western powers, one of the Saudi sources said. Prince Ahmed returned to Riyadh in October after 2-1/2 months abroad. During the trip, he appeared to criticize the Saudi leadership while responding to protesters outside a London residence chanting for the downfall of the Al Saud dynasty. He was one of only three people on the Allegiance Council, made up of the ruling family's senior members, who opposed MbS becoming crown prince in 2017, two Saudi sources said at the time. Neither Prince Ahmed nor his representatives could be reached for comment. Officials in Riyadh did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters for comment on succession issues. The House of Saud is made up of hundreds of princes. Unlike typical European monarchies, there is no automatic succession from father to eldest son. Instead the kingdoms tribal traditions dictate that the king and senior family members from each branch select the heir they consider fittest to lead. Senior U.S. officials have indicated to Saudi advisers in recent weeks that they would support Prince Ahmed, who was deputy interior minister for nearly 40 years, as a potential successor, according to Saudi sources with direct knowledge of the consultations. These Saudi sources said they were confident that Prince Ahmed would not change or reverse any of the social or economic reforms enacted by MbS, would honor existing military procurement contracts and would restore the unity of the family. One senior U.S. official said the White House is in no hurry to distance itself from the crown prince despite pressure from lawmakers and the CIAs assessment that MbS ordered Khashoggis murder, though that could change once Trump gets a definitive report on the killing from the intelligence community. The official also said the White House saw it as noteworthy that King Salman seemed to stand by his son in a speech in Riyadh on Monday and made no direct reference to Khashoggi's killing, except to praise the Saudi public prosecutor. The White House declined to comment. The Saudi sources said U.S. officials had cooled on MbS not only because of his suspected role in the murder of Khashoggi. They are also rankled because the crown prince recently urged the Saudi defense ministry to explore alternative weapons supplies from Russia, the sources said. In a letter dated May 15, seen by Reuters, the crown prince requested that the defence ministry "focus on purchasing weapon systems and equipment in the most pressing fields" and get training on them, including the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. Neither the Russian defence ministry nor officials in Riyadh immediately responded to Reuters requests for comment. U.S. ROLE KEY The brutal killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the crown prince, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month has drawn global condemnation, including from many politicians and officials in the United States, a key Saudi ally. The CIA believes the crown prince ordered the killing, according to U.S. sources familiar with the assessment. Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has said the crown prince knew nothing of the killing. The international uproar has piled pressure on a royal court already divided over 33-year-old Prince Mohammed's rapid rise to power. Since his ascension, the prince has gained popular support with high-profile social and economic reforms including ending a ban on women driving and opening cinemas in the conservative kingdom. His reforms have been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, a purge of top royals and businessmen on corruption charges, and a costly war in Yemen. He has also marginalized senior members of the royal family and consolidated control over Saudis security and intelligence agencies. He first ousted then-powerful crown prince and interior minister Mohammed bin Nayef (MbN), 59, in June 2017. Then he removed Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, 65, son of the late King Abdullah, as head of the National Guard and detained him as part of an anti-corruption campaign. Some 30 other princes were also arrested, mistreated, humiliated and stripped of their wealth, even as MbS splashed out on palaces, a $500 million yacht, and set a new record in the international art market with the purchase of a painting by Italian Renaissance engineer and painter Leonardo Da Vinci. The entire House of Saud has emerged weakened as a result. According to one well-placed Saudi source, many princes from senior circles in the family believe a change in the line of succession "would not provoke any resistance from the security or intelligence bodies he controls" because of their loyalty to the wider family. "They (the security apparatus) will follow any consensus reached by the family." Officials in Riyadh did not respond to a request for comment. The United States, a key ally in economic and security terms, is likely to be a determining factor in how matters unfold in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi sources and diplomats say. President Donald Trump on Saturday called the CIA assessment that MbS ordered Khashoggi's killing "very premature" but "possible", and said he would receive a complete report on the case on Tuesday. Trump and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner have cultivated deep personal relationships with the crown prince. One Saudi insider said MbS feels he still has their support and is willing to "roll some heads to appease the U.S." But Trump and top administration officials have said Saudi officials should be held to account for any involvement in Khashoggis death and have imposed sanctions on 17 Saudis for their alleged role including one of MbS's closest aides. U.S. lawmakers are meanwhile pushing legislation to punish Riyadh for the killing, and both Republican and Democratic senators have urged Trump to get tough on the crown prince. King Salman, 82, is aware of the consequences of a major clash with the United States and the possibility that Congress could try to freeze Saudi assets. Those who have met the king recently say he appeared to be in denial about the role of MbS in what happened, believing there to be a conspiracy against the kingdom. But they added that he looked burdened and worried. ALLEGIANCE COUNCIL BY THE NUMBERS IN THE NEWS TODAY Republican Rick Scott appears to have defeated Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in Florida, according to NBC News, after the state finished a sloppy recount marked by voter fraud accusations and conspiracy theories. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is donating $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, amid speculation of a 2020 run. The university said that the gift is the largest ever to any education institution in the U.S. (AP) Rain in the forecast could complicate search efforts for remains of victims of the devastating Northern California wildfire, which has killed at least 77 people. Up to 400 people fanned out yesterday to search the ash and rubble. (USA Today) The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, NBC News reported. NBC News was unable to confirm the agency's description of its confidence level. Nissan said that its Chairman Carlos Ghosn is under investigation after he allegedly violated Japanese financial law. In a release today the firm said it has also been cooperating with the Japanese Public Prosecutor's Office. (CNBC) Germany and other EU states told Britain today their draft Brexit agreement could not be renegoitated. British Prime Minister Theresa May is battling at home to keep the deal alive and push it through the British Parliament. (Reuters) Walgreens (WBA) and CVS (CVS) were sued by the state of Florida, which accuses the nation's two biggest drugstore chains of not taking precautions to stop illegal sales of opioids. (AP) The Wall Street Journal reported Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's new aggressive approach is causing unprecedented turmoil at the company, driving out several key executives and creating tensions with COO Sheryl Sandberg. According a new poll, Americans have rising concerns with Silicon Valley's most popular products and a growing majority wants big social media companies regulated. It's also a rare topic that could unite Congress. (Axios) STOCKS TO WATCH PG&E Corp. (PCG) reported a second power outage on the morning of November 8, the day the deadly Camp Fire started in Northern California. The news came in a report filed with the California Public Utilities Commission. The company said it is cooperating with any investigations, with officials currently probing whether the utility's equipment caused the fire. Boeing (BA) issued a statement saying it continually incorporates lessons learned from various incidents into its recommended procedures and airworthiness directives. The statement comes as investigators look into how Boeing responded to earlier warnings about malfunctioning flight control sensors like the one thought to be responsible in last month's crash of a Lion Air jet. General Electric (GE) was warned by a consultant this past summer of corruption allegations against business partners in Iraq, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Kimberly-Clark (KMB) has called off the sale of its European tissue business, according to the Financial Times, after offers came in below the company's $1.2 billion target price. Big Lots (BIG) was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at Piper Jaffray, which said the discount retailer should be helped by a strong tax refund season in early 2019. A merger between CBS (CBS) and Viacom (VIAB) could be announced in the next three to six months, according to the New York Post, with sources also saying a combination with Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) is possible. Strauss Zelnick is the CEO of the videogame maker as well as the CBS interim chairman. Spotify (SPOT) and Pandora (P) are increasingly turning to podcasts to boost profits, according to the Wall Street Journal. WATERCOOLER Arconic could announce a deal on a leveraged buyout by mid-December, sources tell CNBC. The aluminum products maker has been mulling offers, and the sources tell CNBC a deal is likely in a few weeks. Apollo Global Management reportedly offered $11 billion last month, while another bidding group including the buyout giants Blackstone, Carlyle and Onex have also been exploring a bid. Arconic was spun out of Alcoa in 2016 and said earlier this year that it would begin a strategy and portfolio review. Activist hedge fund Elliott Management has been pushing the company to explore a sale. Elliott is expected to roll its equity in the company into the buyout, the sources told CNBC. If a deal does come to fruition, it could be the largest leveraged buyout since the big buyout boom that preceded the financial crisis. In Brussels, Brexit talks have shifted toward one clear direction: the future relationship. Ministers for European affairs met on Monday morning to discuss the political text that will serve as a guideline to the talks that will begin after the U.K. leaves the EU in March these negotiations will be mainly targeted at securing new trade arrangements between both sides. The so-called political declaration is due to be published Tuesday and then reviewed by the different EU capitals before Thursday. The 27 European leaders and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May are then due to sign off this political deal on Sunday, when they meet in Brussels. "We are at a decisive moment in this process, no one should lose sight of the progress that's been achieved in Brussels and in London," Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, told reporters in Brussels on Monday. "This is now our focus: the (political) declaration will open the door to a negotiation on an ambitious economic and strategic partnership in the future, once the U.K. has left," Barnier said, making it clear that the transition period which is currently causing a political storm in Westminster is not the same as the future relationship. The transition period refers to the time after March 29, when the U.K. leaves the EU, and is set to last at least until 2020. During that time, the U.K. and the EU will negotiate the second phase of the Brexit process, which includes their future trade links. One of China's biggest financial conglomerates announced its first venture into continental Europe on Monday. Ping An Insurance Group's Global Voyager Investment Fund is leading the latest funding round worth 41.5 million euros ($47 million) for Finleap, a Berlin-based financial technology (fintech) company. Finleap provides technology to build digital solutions in Europe's banking, insurance and asset management industries. "There's just a tremendous amount of work that remains to be done in Europe," said Donald Lacey, managing director and chief operating officer of Ping An Global Voyager, on CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe." Ping An is a Shenzhen-based financial services group with more than 182 million customers worldwide. The company's Global Voyager Investment Fund was launched in 2017 with $1 billion in seed capital to invest in fintech and digital health start-ups. "We try always to put money to work where we have a significant conviction that some way, somehow by virtue of proximity to Ping An, we're going to be adding a lot of value to a partner company," Lacey said. The fund's investment in Finleap represents its first foray into the continental European market, after inking some deals in the U.K. Lacey added he sees big opportunity in Europe's "immense" financial services industry, which he said needs the help of start-ups like Finleap to innovate. "The ability of legacy financial institutions to innovate in a meaningful way is absolutely hampered by their legacy technology systems, their legacy issues," he said. Comedian Steve Carell, hosting NBC's "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, trolled President Donald Trump and Amazon's plan to split its new headquarters between New York City and Northern Virginia. The 56-year-old Carell portrayed Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in a sketch, saying some people have speculated whether the e-commerce giant was taking shots at the president by building one of the new headquarters facilities in Trump's hometown of Queens, New York, and another in his current residence outside Washington, D.C. "Thereby overshadowing, or humiliating him," Carell's Bezos said. "Sure, he attacked 'me' repeatedly on Twitter, but 'I' chose our new locations because they were ideal for growing business, not just to make Donald Trump think about how 'I'm' literally 100 times richer than he is," Carell as Bezos said. Neither the White House nor Amazon was available to immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Carell's bit. Trump has repeatedly attacked Amazon, saying without evidence, that package deliveries by the U.S. Postal Service for Amazon were costing the agency money. The president also has been critical of Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. Amazon has said it chose two locations rather than one to better attract top talent. Facebook's stock would rise if Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg resigned or was ousted, CNBC's Jim Cramer contended on Monday. Cramer was discussing a new report in The Wall Street Journal, which described Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg as causing "unprecedented turmoil" at the social network amid scrutiny over its Cambridge Analytica scandal and subsequent public disclosures. Zuckerberg has placed blame on Sandberg for Facebook's problems, according to the Journal report, and Sandberg has wondered whether her job was in jeopardy. Asked on "Squawk on the Street" whether Sandberg leaving would be good or bad for Facebook, Cramer responded by saying the "stock goes up." Facebook did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Cramer's remarks. Shares of Facebook closed on Friday, March 16, at about $185 per share, a day before the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. About a week later, Facebook hit a then-intraday low of around $149 per share, which represented a 19 percent decline. Under scrutiny over data privacy from Washington and Wall Street, Facebook clawed its way to an all-time high of about $218 per share in late July. But since then and including the damage from the overall stock market plunge in October Facebook dropped 36 percent as of Friday's close of about $139 per share. The stock was under further pressure at Monday's open. Cramer, whose charitable trust owns shares of Facebook, has called out Zuckerberg and Sandberg for being notably silent for days after reports on March 17 of the massive Cambridge Analytica data harvesting. On CNBC Monday, Cramer said Facebook "is obviously" in disarray. "Does anyone say it's humming?" the "Mad Money" host asked. "They can't get a hold of the narrative. It's bad." Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., right, and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, left, speaks to media about the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 28, 2018. Carolyn Kaster | AP Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitaker's appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Donald Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitution's Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitaker's appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a "sufficiently senior pay level." "President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation's top law enforcement official," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called 'constitutional nobody' and thwarting every senator's constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitaker's appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The state of Maryland also made a similar court filing last week in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over the Affordable Care Act. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. Technology, automation, disruption. They're the words of the moment and they all seem to suggest one thing: The future jobs market is far from certain. Estimates from the World Economic Forum predict that over the next four years, 75 million jobs will be displaced and 133 million new ones created globally as a result of technological developments. One place that's set to feel that shift more than most is Southeast Asia. To keep up with the pace of change, the region will try to transition from agricultural jobs to service-led roles in a few years something that's taken most advanced economies decades to do. That transition could result in the displacement of 28 million full-time equivalent jobs within the region's six leading economies in next decade, according to a new report from research firm Oxford Economics and U.S. tech company Cisco. That number equates to roughly 10 percent of the total working population of those countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. To be sure, the shift will lead to the emergence of new careers in growing industries. But it will also cause net job losses of 6.6 million as workers lack the necessary skills to move to different roles, the study found. The challenge and opportunity then, will be to figure out which jobs are expected to hold weight in the future and the skills required to secure them. CNBC Make It spoke to Cisco's president for Southeast Asia, Naveen Menon, to find out. General Electric named retired executive John Rice on Monday as chairman of the conglomerate's struggling gas power business. GE said during its third quarter earnings that it would divide the power division into two units: GE Gas Power and GE Power Portfolio. Rice will serve as chairman of the former. The company also announced on Monday that Scott Strazik, president of GE's power services business, will serve as CEO of GE Gas Power. At the same time, GE Power CEO Russell Stokes will shift to become CEO of the reorganized GE Power Portfolio. The latter unit includes GE's steam, electric grid, nuclear and power conversion businesses. "One of my top priorities is positioning our businesses to win, starting with GE Power," GE Chairman and CEO Larry Culp said in a statement. Rice retired at the end of 2017 after 39 years at GE. He faces a steep challenge in his return to GE, as the company's business of selling turbines to gas and coal-fired power plants has been suffering in recent years. GE also took a $22 billion noncash charge in the third-quarter related to acquisitions made in the power business. "I look forward to working with John as he returns to GE and Scott and Russell in their new roles," Culp said. Shares of GE fell 2.2 percent in trading Monday, closing at $7.84 a share. How an army of Torrance-area pet lovers came together to find Mr. Pickles, the wayward cat A bird's eye view of commercial and residential buildings stand as seen from a skyscraper during construction development in Central Jakarta. Southeast Asia's internet economy is predicted to exceed $240 billion by 2025 as affordable mobile internet drives rapid growth in sectors such as e-commerce and ride-hailing, according to a new study released by Google and Singapore's Temasek Holdings on Monday. That's $40 billion more than a previous estimate the companies made in 2016. The study focused on six Southeast Asian countries Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines across four main areas: ride-hailing, e-commerce, online media and online travel. Within those areas, the report added new sectors such as online food delivery, music subscriptions and video on demand. By the end of 2018, the region's internet economy is predicted to be about $72 billion, up 37 percent from a year earlier, as measured by gross merchandise value a key industry metric measuring total dollar value of merchandise sold online. Indonesia has the largest and fastest-growing internet economy in Southeast Asia, and is predicted to grow to $100 billion by 2025 and account for 40 percent of the region's spending, according to the report. Affordable mobile data and improvements in connectivity has led to more internet users in Southeast Asia; more than 90 percent of them are accessing the world wide web through their smartphones, the report said. The six countries studied in the report have around 350 million internet users today compared to only 260 million in 2015, making Southeast Asia among the fastest growing internet regions in the world. "We're adding about 3 million net new internet users every single month. They're accessing the internet almost entirely through a mobile device," Rajan Anandan, vice president for India and Southeast Asia at Google, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. He explained that for the average user in Southeast Asia, their first point of connection to the world wide web is through mobile internet unlike in the West, where people mostly first connected to the internet through fixed connections from their homes, likely on their desktops. In recent years, mobile internet has also become more affordable as the price per gigabyte of data has dropped by nearly 50 percent over the last two to three years, according to Anandan. Justin McCurry, a father of three based in Raleigh, North Carolina, quit his engineering job in 2013 and retired at age 33. His wife, Kaisorn, joined him in early retirement in 2016 at age 38. "Neither of us ever reached a six-figure salary, with my salary topping out at $69,000 and [Kaisorn's] at $74,000," Justin writes on his blog, Root of Good, which explains how they built a seven-figure portfolio in 10 years to retire early. They aim to spend $40,000 a year, or $3,333 per month, but, since their portfolio has gone up quite a bit in the past couple of years, they're going to start "giving ourselves permission to spend $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 more than that if we find something worthwhile to spend it on," Justin tells CNBC Make It. The McCurrys have spent $22,335 over the first 10 months of 2018. Their most expensive month has been June, when they spent $3,554, slightly above their target. That month, they prepaid $1,136 on their water and electricity bills and spent $858 on home insurance for the year and car insurance for six months. Some months, they'll spend significantly less, like September 2018, when they spent just $1,342. Their biggest two categories of spending that month were food they spent $596 on groceries and travel, which set them back $494. Ultimately, flexibility is key in early retirement: "You may have to spend less if the markets go down. Or, you may be able to spend more than what you originally budgeted for," says Justin. "As long as you're OK cutting back on some of the wants if your portfolio goes down, then you can still cover your needs without worrying about depleting your assets prematurely." They worked strategically for years in order to get to a comfortable financial place. By tracking their expenses and living frugally in Raleigh, "every year we saved more than half of our income," Justin says. At their peak, earnings-wise, they made a combined $138,000 and saved up to 70 percent of it. They didn't just save, either: They put their money to work. "We consistently pumped our savings into 401(k)'s, IRA's, HSA's, 529's, and regular brokerage accounts," Justin writes. "These investments grew enormously over roughly 10 years and made us financially independent today." You can see a detailed breakdown of how their money grew from $64,000 in 2004 to $1.3 million in 2014 on their blog. Grocery giant Kroger announced Monday that Monroe, Ohio, a suburb outside of Cincinnati, will be the home of its first Ocado customer fulfillment center. Last May, Kroger struck a deal with British online grocer Ocado to bolster its delivery business with the construction of about 20 robotically operated warehouses, as it continues to battle Amazon. Kroger is based out of Cincinnati. Kroger is investing $55 million to build this first location, which is set to measure 335,000 square feet and generate more than 400 new jobs. These "sheds" typically take about two years to open. "Kroger is joining with the best partners in the world to co-innovate and leverage technology to redefine the customer experience," Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO, said in a statement Monday. "We are incredibly excited to partner with Ocado to transform the industry and deliver on our Restock Kroger vision to serve America through food inspiration and uplift. This Kroger shed, powered by Ocado, will accelerate our ability to provide customers with anything, anytime and anywhere." Ocado has previously worked with Morrisons in Britain, Casino in France, Sobeys in Canada and ICA Group in Sweden to build these automated warehouses. Shares of Kroger were up by about a percent Monday. L Brands shares fell 4 percent postmarket Monday after the company said it would slash its annual dividend in half to $1.20. The company, known for its brands Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, beat profit expectations. L Brands reported adjusted earnings of 16 cents a share versus a Refinitiv estimate of 15 cents. It also reported $2.77 billion for the third quarter, in line with the preliminary sales figures it released on Nov. 8. It also raised its full-year earnings outlook, saying it now expects earnings between $2.60 a share to $2.80 a share. The company had previously forecast full-year earnings between $2.45 a share and $2.70 a share. L Brands said stores open more than a year saw sales rise 4 percent year over year, also in line with the preliminary results it released earlier this month. WATCH: Here's how Target is making a comeback U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, in the Rayburn building. Rep. Maxine Waters hopes to make changes to the House Financial Services Committee that could have implications for one of President Donald Trump's favorite lenders, Axios reported late Sunday. However, the possible tweaks to the panel that the outlet described may not affect German institution Deutsche Bank which Waters has promised to look at more closely due to its relationship with Trump. When her party takes control of the House in January, the California Democrat will likely lead the House Financial Services Committee. Aside from her goal of probing Deutsche Bank, she has also pledged to fight White House efforts to roll back bank regulations. With a majority, Democrats will gain subpoena power. Axios reported that the potential committee changes would put oversight of "international financial institutions" within the Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee and get rid of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee. Waters is among the Democrats who have asked Deutsche Bank for information about its loans to Trump and his family, including whether they were guaranteed by the Russian government. Regulators have ordered the firm to take steps to curb money laundering. Yet, the "international financial institutions" category applies to institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named told CNBC. Those currently fall under the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee's jurisdiction. Mitsubishi will propose removing embattled executive Carlos Ghosn from its board of directors, the company said Monday. Ghosn, who is chairman and CEO of the strategic alliance among French automaker Renault and Japanese carmakers Nissan and Mitsubishi, was arrested Monday in Tokyo on charges of making misleading financial statements to regulators, Mitsubishi said Monday. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa held a press conference earlier on Monday saying Nissan would seek Ghosn's removal from his roles at Nissan. Nissan said a whistleblower alerted the company to several instances of alleged misconduct on Ghosn's part, including underreporting compensation to regulators and personal misuse of company money. In addition to being chairman and CEO of the alliance, the chairman of Nissan, and a board member at Mitsubishi, Ghosn is also the CEO of Renault. Ghosn began spearheading the alliance between Renault and Nissan in the late 1990s. Many industry veterans were skeptical that an alliance between a French car company and a Japanese carmaker would ever work. But the initiative was successful, and the two were joined by Mitsubishi in 2016. Here is the full statement from Mitsubishi: The designs for a commercial production tidal turbine have been unveiled by U.K.-based firm Orbital Marine Power, which claims it will be the "most powerful tidal generating platform in the world" when launched. In an announcement Friday, Orbital Marine Power said it planned to deploy its Orbital O2 2MW turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre, in Orkney, in 2020. The Orbital O2 will use a 73-meter-long "floating superstructure" to support two 1 megawatt (MW) turbines on each side and will have rotor diameters of 20 meters. The device is set to have a nameplate power output which refers to the maximum amount of power the turbine can produce of 2 MW at tidal current speeds of 2.5 meters per second. Formerly called Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd., Orbital Marine Power launched its SR2000 turbine in 2016. During its initial 12-month test program, the SR2000 generated more than 3 gigawatt hours of electricity. "The Orbital O2 is a low-cost solution for future commercial projects and builds on the features which made the SR2000 an industry breakthrough," Andrew Scott, Orbital Marine Power's CEO, said in a statement. "This optimized turbine will unlock tidal markets around the world at a competitive price point and provide regulators and investors with a new, predictable renewable energy option," Scott added. The European Commission, the legislative arm of the EU, has described "ocean energy" as being both abundant and renewable. Ocean energy could potentially contribute around 10 percent of the European Union's power demand by 2050, according to the Commission. The U.K.'s draft Brexit deal, causing such upset among the British political establishment, is not perfect but the country must avoid crashing out of the EU without a deal, the president of the influential Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Monday. "(The draft Brexit deal) is not perfect, we all know that," John Allen told an annual conference of the CBI in London, "but we're trying to reach a deal that respects the referendum result but limits the damage to our economy." "It opens a route to a long-term trade relationship," he said, and avoids what he called "the nightmare scenario of a no-deal departure which would be a wrecking ball for our economy." Opening the CBI's annual conference on Monday, Allen said the conference was taking place at a time when the political environment in the U.K. was changing "hour by hour." Allen's comments come after a dramatic week in U.K. politics. Last week, it was announced that the U.K. and European Union had reached a draft agreement on Brexit. Since then, the U.K.'s Prime Minister Theresa May has been trying to prevent an outright mutiny from both pro-Brexit ministers among her Cabinet (senior lawmakers) and the wider Conservative Party. There are many among both that don't like the deal and say it keeps the U.K. tied to Europe economically and politically, although so far a vote of no-confidence and leadership challenge has not been announced. The draft withdrawal agreement, which runs to 585 pages, envisages the U.K. and EU agreeing a trade deal by the end of 2020, during a 21-month transition period after Brexit takes place in March 2019. If there is no trade agreement in this transition period (which could be extended), then a "backstop" could kick in. This would essentially mean that the U.K. stays within a temporary EU-U.K. "single customs territory" for a limited (but unspecified) amount of time. The "backstop" is designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland, which no one wants to see but the concept has proved very controversial in Parliament with both Brexiteers and Remainers opposing the deal as it stands. That does not bode well for May being able to get a majority of Parliament to approve the draft deal when a vote is held, likely to be in December. Over the last few days, the prime minister has staunchly defended the draft agreement and insisted that it was not the finished product. Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, May said any change of leadership would only delay Brexit. Also speaking at the CBI conference, its Director-General Carolyn Fairbairn said that while Westminster was engulfed by Brexit, money was flooding out of U.K. businesses, damaging productivity and the wider economy. She said she had heard from hundreds of British firms that now was not a time to go backwards, although she said the draft deal on offer was "significantly" better than a no-deal Brexit. "Business would have liked more certainty about frictionless trade in the future but the crucial thing it does is take that cliff-edge away, it takes that no-deal (scenario) away. It isn't perfect but it is a compromise and this is a time when we have to compromise," she said. WASHINGTON Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Pentagon sent nearly 52,000 pounds of roasted turkey to American troops stationed on the U.S. border with Mexico and around the world. In all, the Departments' Defense Logistics Agency delivered more than 300,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food, like ham and sweet potatoes, to service members throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and on the southwestern border. This year service members received: 9,738 whole turkeys 51,234 pounds of roasted turkey 74,036 pounds of beef 21,758 pounds of ham 67,860 pounds of shrimp 16,284 pounds of sweet potatoes 81,360 pies 19,284 cakes 7,836 gallons of eggnog "Many of America's military men and women are away from home this Thanksgiving, making sacrifices to secure our freedom and to protect our southern border," said Army Brig. Gen. Mark Simerly, who oversees the massive logistical operation on behalf of the Defense Department. Nissan said its Chairman Carlos Ghosn has been placed under arrest after he allegedly violated Japanese financial law. The auto giant said in an earlier statement Monday that "over many years" Ghosn and board director, Greg Kelly, had been under-reporting compensation amounts to the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report. Nissan added that, in regards to Ghosn, "numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets." The company said Ghosn had also made inappropriate investments. In a press conference Monday, Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa, said both men had been arrested and this Thursday he would propose to the Nissan Board of Directors to remove them from their roles. The chief executive revealed that a whistle-blower had passed information to Nissan's auditors who then began a wider investigation. The evidence was then passed to Japan's public prosecutor. Saikawa said both Ghosn and Kelly clearly "masterminded" the allegations of misconduct but refused to say how many more people could be involved. He said that due to the secrecy of the operation, most other top executives at the firm had only learned of Ghosn's wrongdoing in the last few hours and that only "a few" people knew about the investigation. Facing the press alone, the chief executive added that he felt the mistake had come after allowing a concentration of power in one individual. Saikawa said the misconduct went on for "a long period" and it looked like Kelly had been allowed to take control of internal operations, as he had the direct backing of Ghosn. By Delana Isles SLOWER than expected construction sector and emerging market growths will negatively impact the gross domestic product (GDP) of the TCI for the fiscal year 2018-2019. This is according to Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson during the presentation on the economy in the House of Assembly two Mondays ago. The GDP projection was submitted by the Statistics Department, which indicated that the real GDP projection of 3.2 percent for 2018 has been revised downwards slightly to 2.6 percent, a 0.6 percentage point below what was earlier forecasted. "This revision takes into consideration the slow pace in the execution of the forecasted public and private sector construction projects for this year. "This revised growth rate is also in line with emerging market growth rates, Premier Cartwright Robinson stated. However, the economy remains stable and future projections show signs of continuous positive growth as projects that are currently in the pipeline materialise, providing spin-offs going forward for the construction sector and the tourism sector. In spite of this slight change, the premier said that growth is expected in the construction sector as construction activity is expected to increase by about 10 percent in 2018 and even further in 2019. The premier said that this will be propelled by foreign direct investment in large-scale tourism related and other projects, which will be complemented by increased public sector spending on capital works as the Government find ways of ensuring that the capital budget is executed. "It is important to note here that the execution of the capital programme is improving and a number of large scale capital projects are now at the contract awarding stage. This increase in activity will also be boosted by projects funded from the TCIG and Carnival Infrastructure Fund. "The Statistics Department has however indicated that we must always be mindful that these are projections and actual growth will also depend on the strength of the US economy and the commitment of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to find ways of diversifying the economy, therefore making it less reliant on the tourism sector, Premier Cartwright Robinson stated. Meanwhile, preliminary indications by the Tourist Board are that stay-over arrivals into the territory increased by about 10 percent during the first six months of the fiscal year when compared with the same period last year. Cruise ship passenger arrivals for the first half of fiscal year increased by 17.7 percent over the same period in 2017. The value of imports increased by 24 percent for the first half of the fiscal year. This increase is led by the increase in construction material. "If I was to summarise the performance of our local economy, I would say that despite all of the challenges we experienced as a country since last September, we have done well, but we must work together to ensure that all which is forecasted going forward is passed on to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She added that this is why the Government has mandated that a country poverty assessment is undertaken during the second half of the fiscal year, for which preliminary work has already begun. The assessment is a joint effort between the Department of Statistics, Social Welfare Department, Epidemiology Unit and SPPD. The premier said that a paper has already been taken to Cabinet to establish the National Assessment Team (NAT) which will be meeting within the next few weeks, if they have not met already. She said that the instruments are being drafted and the different components will start to be executed shortly. "It is important for me to encourage the people to partake in this exercise as the instruments are designed to not only give poverty results, but it also speaks to disaster resilience, it speaks to labour and gender and how our people are living. She added that the cost of living assessment, which she has spoken of previously, will be undertaken as a part of this exercise. "My Government will therefore now get a better understanding of the conditions under which our people are living and will therefore be able to put programmes in place to ensure that all of our people can benefit from the economic growth of the TCI. International economy Turning her attention to the international and regional economy, the premier stated that it is important that they take a look at what is happening in the region and the world as this also allows the TCI to make an assessment about its own local economy and projections for future economic performances for the economy. According to the IMF in its October publication on global prospects and policies, global growth is projected at 3.7 percent in 2018 and 2019. This, she said, is 0.2 percentage point below what was forecasted in the April 2018 forecast. Growth in the emerging markets and developing economies is expected to remain steady at 4.7 percent in 2018-2019 and should rise modestly over the medium term. While growth in the advanced economies is projected to increase by 2.4 percent in 2018 which is marginally faster than 2017, and is expected to expand by 2.1 percent in 2019. "In the USA, our major trading partner, growth is now expected to peak at 2.9 percent in 2018 and soften to 2.5 percent in 2019. The premier added that forecasted growth for 2019 is 0.2 percentage point down from the IMF April 2018 forecast and can be attributed to the recently introduced trade measures in the USA. As the fiscal stimulus begins to unwind, growth is expected to drop to 1.8 percent in 2020. The Canadian economy, on the other hand, is expected to grow in 2018 at a rate of 2.1 percent and 2.0 percent in 2020. In the United Kingdom, growth is projected to slow to 1.4 percent in 2018 and 1.5 percent in 2019. In the overall Euro area which includes the UK, growth is projected at two percent in 2018 and should gradually slow further to 1.9 percent in 2019. In the emerging and developing economies, growth is expected to remain steady at 4.7 percent in 2018-2019, and to rise modestly over the medium term. China and India are expected to grow at 7.3 and 6.6 percent respectively. All of these growth rates are lower than in the recent past, she added. Meanwhile, according to the IMF, growth in the Caribbean is forecasted at 4.4 percent in 2018 and 3.7 percent in 2019. S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile launchers are seen during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia on May 09, 2018. WASHINGTON The Russian S-400 missile system costs a fraction of rival platforms made by U.S. companies, one of the major reasons several countries are interested in dealing with the Kremlin despite the potential for blowback. Russia's S-400, a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system, costs approximately $500 million, whereas a Patriot Pac-2 battery costs $1 billion and a THAAD battery rings in at about $3 billion, according to people with first-hand knowledge of a U.S. intelligence assessment. Lockheed Martin makes the THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, system, while Raytheon makes the Patriot system. Nearly 13 countries have expressed interest in buying Russia's S-400, a move that could trigger potential U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which President Donald Trump signed in August 2017. In September, the U.S. slapped sanctions on China for buying fighter jets and missiles from Russia. However, the U.S. could grant sanction waivers. Russian arms are generally considered less expensive than American weapons, in large part because they come without extensive maintenance support. "When foreign militaries buy American, above and beyond the purchase, they are buying a partnership with the U.S. military," Andrew Hunter, director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNBC. "And that plus the maintenance and technical assistance is a big part of the cost difference." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article. The S-400 system, the successor to the S-200 and S-300 missile systems, made its debut on the world stage in 2007. Compared with U.S. systems, the Russian-made S-400 is capable of engaging a wider array of targets, at longer ranges and against multiple threats simultaneously. In terms of capability, one source noted that while there is no perfect weapon, the S-400 eclipses even THAAD, America's missile defense crown jewel. When asked why nations seek to buy the S-400 instead of America's Patriot or THAAD systems, one of the people with knowledge of the intelligence report explained that foreign militaries aren't willing to stick with the cumbersome process of buying weapons from the U.S. government. "Many of these countries do not want to wait for U.S. regulatory hurdles," said a source with first-hand knowledge of the assessment. "The S-400 has less export restrictions and the Kremlin is willing to expedite sales by skipping over any regulatory hurdles." China, India and Turkey have already signed purchase agreements with the Kremlin. China, which is embroiled in a trade battle with the U.S., is in the middle of receiving its final shipment of the S-400 system. India, the top buyer of Russian arms, signed a deal with Moscow for the S-400 last month. Turkey, a NATO ally, is slated to receive its S-400 next year and is expected to have the system ready for use by 2020. WATCH: Russia may have anti-satellite weapon that will be battle-ready by 2022 Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: PG&E PG&E reported a second power outage on the morning of November 8, the day the deadly Camp Fire started in Northern California. The news came in a report filed with the California Public Utilities Commission. The company said it is cooperating with any investigations, with officials currently probing whether the utility's equipment caused the fire. Boeing Boeing issued a statement saying it continually incorporates lessons learned from various incidents into its recommended procedures and airworthiness directives. The statement comes as investigators look into how Boeing responded to earlier warnings about malfunctioning flight control sensors like the one thought to be responsible in last month's crash of a Lion Air jet. Blackstone Technology company Colfax will buy DJO Global from private-equity funds managed by Blackstone for $3.15 billion in cash. DJO specializes in orthopedic devices, services, and software. Cimarex Energy The oil and gas company will buy Resolute Energy for $35 per share in cash and stock, or about $1.6 billion including assumed debt. That represents a roughly 15 percent premium over Resolute's Friday closing price. General Electric GE was warned by a consultant this past summer of corruption allegations against business partners in Iraq, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Apple Apple is cutting production for the newest iPhone models, according to sources quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The paper said the decision to offer more models has also made it difficult for suppliers to predict how many components they will need. JD.com The China-based e-commerce giant reported a mixed quarter, beating analysts' estimates on the bottom line but seeing its revenue fall short. The company's shares have fallen by more than 40 percent this year on concerns of weakening growth. Walgreens, CVS Health Walgreens and CVS were sued by the state of Florida, which accuses the nation's two biggest drugstore chains of not taking precautions to stop illegal sales of opioids. Kimberly-Clark The consumer products giant has called off the sale of its European tissue business, according to the Financial Times, after offers came in below Kimberly-Clark's $1.2 billion target price. Big Lots Big Lots was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at Piper Jaffray, which said the discount retailer should be helped by a strong tax refund season in early 2019. Booking Holdings The stock was upgraded to "outperform" from "market perform" at Wells Fargo, which cites a number of factors for the travel services company including valuation. Spotify, Pandora The music streaming services are increasingly turning to podcasts to boost profits, according to The Wall Street Journal. TD Ameritrade The online brokerage firm's shares were upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" at UBS, which thinks the shares are attractive due to marketplace misperceptions. UBS said risks related to a late bull market cycle are overstated. "I think that these problems are big," Benioff said on the "Revolution" special. "I think that they are multistakeholder. I don't think it's just about technology. I think it's also about government. It's gonna be also about other key stakeholders including consumers that everybody's gonna really have to come together to understand where we're going in a society." Benioff has been a vocal critic of his peers, most recently opposing CEOs including Jack Dorsey of Square and Twitter by favoring a tax on businesses including Salesforce intended to help mitigate San Francisco's homelessness. During the interview, Benioff said his peers are responsible for the problems that have resulted from actions their companies have taken. "They're 100 percent responsible for the disasters that they're creating, not just for their brand but in society itself because they just won't say, 'We're gonna make sure trust is our highest value,'" Benioff said, adding that the proof was in the fact that executives, employees and customers were "walking out" of these companies. "And that's gonna continue to happen if they don't change their values." Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Stores along the Bangla road near the Patong Beach in Phuket on October 12, 2018. Thailand's economy surprisingly stalled in the third quarter, as exports and tourism softened, and the state planning agency showed less optimism on growth for all of 2018. Gross domestic product showed no growth in the third quarter from the second, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said. That was the worse result since the first quarter of 2014, when the economy shrank 0.4 percent, and compared with a Reuters poll forecast of 0.6 percent growth. All the economists polled expected some growth. On an annual basis, third-quarter expansion was 3.3 percent, compared with the poll's 4.2 percent projection, and the second quarter's 4.6 percent. The planning agency on Monday downgraded its 2018 GDP growth forecast to 4.2 percent instead of the previous 4.2-4.7 percent range. It now expects exports to rise 7.2 percent this year, rather than 10.0 percent. For 2019, it expects GDP growth of 3.5-4.5 percent Capital Economics said Thai growth "is unlikely to rebound much over the coming year." Its forecast for 2019 is 3.5 percent. Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which is heavily reliant on external demand, earlier this year saw a pick-up in growth, although exports have slowed and tourism took a hit after a boat accident in July killed 47 Chinese visitors. Thailand's exports to China, its second-biggest market, slumped 14 percent in September on-year. The draft Brexit deal on offer "unashamedly" puts the U.K.'s economic success above all else, the U.K.'s prime minister told business leaders at the annual Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on Monday. "There is one paramount issue facing our economy at the moment," May told the conference in London, referring to a crucial moment in Brexit negotiations. "We now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us," she said, ahead of the special European Council on Brexit this coming weekend. "What we've agreed puts our future economic success first," she said, saying there would be zero tariffs between the U.K. and Europe and an "ambitious customs arrangement" as part of a future trade relationship. While the U.K.'s relationship with the EU was changing, its geography was not, she said, adding that "Europe will always be our nearest goods market." "The deal we will secure with the EU has securing jobs and prosperity at its heart," she added. May's appearance at the annual conference of U.K. business leaders comes amid turbulent times at Westminister. Over the last week, we've seen the announcement of a draft withdrawal agreement (in plain English, a draft Brexit deal) between the U.K. and European Union followed by a pronounced rebellion from both Brexiteers and Remainers in the U.K. Parliament that both don't like the deal. A majority of Parliament has to approve the draft deal but as it stands, that's looking unlikely given the amount of opposition it has faced these last few days. May has more immediate problems, however, in that she could face a potential vote of no-confidence if a requisite number of her Conservative Party signal that they no longer believe she can lead with authority. Introducing the prime minister, John Allen, the president of the CBI, said May had carried out Brexit negotiations with "resilience" and "grit." May concluded that her job was to get the best Brexit deal with the EU. "Parliament must then examine it and act on what is in the country's best interest," she said. "It was never going to be easy or straightforward and the final stage was always going to be the toughest," but, she added, she was determined to deliver the deal. Markets have been tethered to every new trade headline crossing the wires in the past week, but relief could be on its way. The outcome of an upcoming meeting at the G-20 on Dec. 1 could give a bounce to markets twisted up in the back-and-forth, said professor Stephen Roach, Yale University senior fellow and former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman. "Both President Trump and President Xi of China would like to walk away from this upcoming meeting in Buenos Aires after the G-20 with something constructive to indicate progress," Roach said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." What that outcome might be is still in question, said Roach, noting it could be an agreement to further negotiations or a promise from China to buy more U.S. products, such as soybeans. Any hint of progress would send markets higher, he predicted. Beyond that, the thornier issues including alleged intellectual property theft and state-backed competitive policies could be a sticking point for both parties for some time to come, he said. "The idea of a little breathing space, buying some time, is a reasonable expectation to hope for but I think the big tough issues are still going to be big and tough in 2019 and 2020 and that's going to be much tougher to untangle," Roach said. The thought of an easy win for the U.S. is also debatable, said Roach. The Trump administration has reasoned that the U.S. is winning the trade war given its strong GDP and low unemployment, while the Chinese stock market has cratered and growth has slowed. "That's a myopic perspective. I think that our strength is more short term and we have long-term issues to address because of our saving and deficit issues that remain to be tackled," explained Roach. "It remains to be seen as to whether or not this is really the moment for us to strike and push China into a negotiating corner." Trump said Friday that China had expressed a willingness to secure a trade deal, but he was still holding out for a "reciprocal" agreement. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet at the Nov. 30-Dec. 1 G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. Asia-Pacific leaders failed to agree on a communique at a summit in Papua New Guinea on Sunday for the first time in their history as deep divisions between the United States and China over trade and investment stymied cooperation. Competition between the United States and China over the Pacific was also thrown into focus with the U.S. and its Western allies launching a coordinated response to Beijing's Belt and Road program. "You know the two big giants in the room," Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said at a closing news conference, when asked which of the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group could not agree. O'Neill, who was chairman of the meeting, said the sticking point was over whether mention of the World Trade Organization and its possible reform should be in the Leaders' Declaration. "APEC has got no charter over World Trade Organization, that is a fact. Those matters can be raised at the World Trade Organization." The multilateral trade order that APEC was established in 1989 to protect is crumbling as Chinese assertiveness in the Pacific and U.S. tariffs strain relations in the region and divide loyalties. A Leaders' Declaration has been issued after every annual APEC leaders' meeting since the first in 1993, the group's website shows. O'Neill said that as APEC host, he would release a Chairman's Statement, though it was not clear when. U.S. President Donald Trump did not attend the meeting and nor did his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence attended instead of Trump. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived to great fanfare on Thursday and was feted by PNG officials. He stoked Western concern on Friday when he met Pacific island leaders to pitch his Belt and Road initiative. The United States and its allies, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, countered on Sunday with a $1.7 billion plan to deliver reliable electricity and the internet to PNG. Investors and world leaders alike will be glued to the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina, hoping for clues to what's next. "One gets the sense that he's (Trump) going to be a bit tougher with China" compared with Mexico and Canada, said Paul Gruenwald, chief economist at S&P Global Ratings. The G-20 meeting of the world's developed economies takes place in Buenos Aires from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. Trump criticized Mexico and Canada for months, claiming they took advantage of U.S. companies through trade, but the three countries reached a new trilateral deal at the end of September to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The approach to China has been different. Trump has repeatedly attacked the country for stealing intellectual property, creating barriers to American companies that try to operate in China, and for the massive trade imbalance between the two countries. I'm not particularly optimistic about a walk-back in trade tensions in the next six months. Hannah Anderson global market strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management Differences between the world's two biggest economies were on full display at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit over the weekend, resulting in the group's failure to agree on a joint communique for the first time in its history. Gruenwald said he's not surprised there were no new developments between the U.S. and China at the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea. He called the G-20 "a better forum" to discuss such issues. "I really think the big action's going to be in Argentina in a couple of weeks, so let's see what happens," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday, adding that "no one really knows" what will come out of the meeting. In Buenos Aires, the two presidents are expected to meet each other with trade high on their agenda. Tensions between the two countries have dominated economic headlines this year, with both sides imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products. The trade fight has resulted in the International Monetary Fund downgrading its global growth outlook for this year and next. American banking group Citi said some of its biggest clients have made plans to shift elements of their supply chains to circumvent those additional tariffs, because they expect negotiations between the U.S. and China to last more than a year. Worries that U.S.-China tensions could impede growth have also rattled global markets. Hannah Anderson, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, advises investors to prepare for the rift between the two economic giants to drag on. "I'm not particularly optimistic about a walk-back in trade tensions in the next six months," Anderson told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "If there is an agreement or if there are some positive headlines out of G-20, it's much more likely that it's an effort to cool tensions and a symbolic statement of intent, rather than actual substantive change in resolving the trade tensions between the two countries," she said. WATCH: How do tariffs work? Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt speaks during the annual Conservative Party Conference on September 30, 2018 in Birmingham, England. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks with the Iranian government on issues including the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, his office said in a statement. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, and earlier this month the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors. Hunt's office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and would stress that the UK is committed to the nuclear deal as long as Iran sticks to its terms. He will also discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. "We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt will also discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, his office said, and press Iran on its human rights record, calling for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," he said. The U.K.'s wealthiest man, Jim Ratcliffe, could soon hold a larger influence over North Sea oil, with his company in exclusive negotiations with ConocoPhillips for its British assets. ConocoPhillips confirmed to CNBC via email Monday that it was in talks with Ineos about the purchase of its assets, excluding the Teesside Oil Terminal and its London Commercial Trading organization. The company declined to comment further on the negotiations. According to reports from the BBC, the assets that could be taken over by Ineos include a 6.5 percent stake in the Clair field, which lies 46 miles west of the Shetland Islands and has a reported 7 billion barrels of oil in place. The assets ConocoPhillips is putting up for sale are reported to be worth up to $3 billion. Ineos CEO Ratcliffe topped 2018's Sunday Times Rich List, an annual ranking of the U.K.'s wealthiest people. The newspaper reported the tycoon to be worth more than 21 billion ($27 billion) when it published the list in May. Ratcliffe owns Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, and his firm has already acquired a number of North Sea gas fields. BP bought a 16.5 percent stake in the Clair oil field in July, giving the oil giant a 45 percent hold over the field. That stake was also purchased from ConocoPhillips. A spokesperson for Ineos was not available for comment when contacted by CNBC. By Olivia Rose MAJOR roadworks in Grand Turk have been delayed following the vandalism of critical construction equipment last week. According to Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson vandals sabotaged the hydraulic lines on asphalt paving equipment. The machinery was contracted by the Government for the critical upgrades in the southern district of the island. In a brief release issued on Thursday (November 8) speaking in the capacity of Acting Minister of Infrastructure, Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson condemned the spiteful act. She said: "We are extremely disappointed that this would be done and I am urging those responsible to refrain from acts of this nature that does more harm and no good. "We are seeking to carry out important, long overdue roadworks in some areas that have never had paved roads. "This will only enhance the islands appearance and pave the way for other opportunities on an island that is receiving nearly one million tourists per year. The premier reminded residents of the consequences these actions will have on the islands development. "This of course is paving the way for the critical projects that will come under the infrastructure account and under the Governments capital programme. "We crave your partnership in order to deliver on the long awaited and much needed works for the nations capital and to make life better for all. "I can say that the representative for GT South and Minister of Health, Hon. Astwood is most disappointed and like me is appealing to anyone who may know anything to assist the police with their investigations. "But above all, we appeal to the person or persons responsible, we are urging that you refrain from doing so. She added that some of the equipment has now been repaired for use. Member of Parliament for Grand Turk South Hon. Edwin Astwood, who lobbied hard to bring the project to fruition, expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent events. Astwood said he believes the act was politically driven and the equipment was deliberately damaged to further impede the work. He urged residents to assist the police with any information that might be useful to their investigation. The project, which encountered several bureaucratic hiccups, got underway in September after contractors met to discuss which electrical poles will have to be moved, location of water pipes and service lines, traffic flow and other technical issues. The scope of road work includes grading, tarring and paving of main and internal roads and infrastructure which was budgeted for since 2017. This will see the construction of roads throughout Palm Grove, North and South Backsalina areas and upgrade works to the drainage channels along with scarifying of existing roadways. Since it is the first time many of these community roads will be paved, residents were elated for the long overdue works to begin. Island Drilling was awarded the contract and has since been working with the commuting public to facilitate access through the course of the project. In the interest of safety, appropriate traffic management measures, such as flag man and appropriate signage, were implemented to direct and assist vehicle users for the duration of the project. Treasury yields fell on Monday after the release of weaker-than-forecast housing data while concerns over global trade plagued investors. The benchmark 10-year note yield slipped to 3.054 percent while the short-term two-year yield dipped to 2.775 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Homebuilder sentiment dropped to its lowest level since August 2016 this month amid rising mortgage rates and unrelenting price growth. "Builder sentiment is now joining the reality that housing has been slowing all year after hanging in pretty well this year," said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group, in a note. "As the most interest rate sensitive area of the economy outside of auto's, a moderation in housing was to be expected but what we're seeing is just how sensitive the economy is to modest changes in interest rates that are historically low," he said. The rise in bond prices also comes as U.S. stocks sold off, adding to their steep losses from last week. President Donald Trump points at CNN's Jim Acosta and accuses him of "fake news" while taking questions during a news conference following Tuesday's midterm congressional elections at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 7, 2018. The White House on Monday dropped its effort to revoke CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential, while implementing new restrictions on journalists covering President Donald Trump and other White House officials. "This afternoon we have notified Jim Acosta and CNN that his hard pass has been restored," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement to reporters. "We have also notified him of certain rules that will govern White House press conferences going forward." Failing to abide by the new rules could lead to reporters losing their press passes, according to Sanders' statement. "We have created these rules with a degree of regret," she said. CNN, in a tweet from the network's communications team, announced Monday that it would drop its lawsuit against Trump, Sanders, chief of staff John Kelly and other Trump administration officials. CNN PR tweet Monday's development marked the latest dramatic twist in a fight that erupted earlier this month between President Donald Trump's administration and Acosta's employers. On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly ruled in favor CNN's request for a temporary restraining order that rescinded the White House's decision to yank Acosta's hard pass, which gave him access to the White House grounds. The order lasts for 14 days, multiple outlets reported. Hours after that ruling, Sanders and communications chief Bill Shine sent Acosta a letter saying the Trump administration had come to a "preliminary decision" to once again revoke his press pass once the temporary court order expires. They gave Acosta the option to "contest" that initial decision, however, before they came to a "final determination." In a response Sunday, a lawyer for CNN rejected what it called the White House's "attempt to provide retroactive due process," and warned that it will seek to depose the defendants, who include Trump, "on their intentions and their conduct" unless the administration halts its action against Acosta. Shine and Sanders had cited Acosta's "conduct" at a presidential news conference a week earlier on Nov. 7. "The President is aware of this preliminary decision and concurs," Shine and Sanders wrote. At that presser, where Trump declared victory after the midterm elections, Acosta had disputed the president's use of the word "invasion" to describe a caravan of Central American migrants traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border. The exchange grew more heated as Acosta continued to ask follow-up questions, prompting a White House intern to try and grab the microphone from the reporter, who initially refused to let go of it. Later that day, Acosta announced that he had been barred from the White House grounds by the Secret Service. In the lawsuit, CNN had argued that Acosta's rights under the First and Fifth amendments to the Constitution had been violated. The White House countered that it had "broad discretion" to remove Acosta's pass, and highlighted his "decision to engage in conduct that disrupts press events and impedes other reporters from asking questions" in its argument. At the Friday hearing, Kelly granted CNN's request for a temporary restraining order, ruling that the White House had indeed violated Acosta's due process rights. The new rules press conference rules are as follows: 1. A journalist called upon to ask a question will ask a single question and then will yield the floor to other journalists; 2. At the discretion of the President or other White House official taking questions, a follow-up question or questions may be permitted; and where a follow up has been allowed and asked, the questioner will then yield the floor; 3. "Yielding the floor" includes, when applicable, physically surrendering the microphone to White House staff for use by the next questioner; 4. Failure to abide by any of rules 1-3 may result in suspension or revocation of the journalist's hard pass. Sanders had teased the new requirements after Judge Kelly's ruling Friday. "There must be decorum at the White House," she said at the time. In their letter to Acosta sent Friday evening, Sanders and Shine said, "We had not previously thought that a set of formal rules for journalists' behavior at press conferences was necessary." They listed "basic, commonsense practices" for journalists to follow, such as asking a single question and then yielding the floor unless a follow-up is permitted by the president or other White House staff. They wrote that their preliminary decision would become "final" unless Acosta responded by 5 p.m. Sunday to contest the action, in which case they would issue a "final determination" by Monday at 3 p.m. A lawyer for CNN responded in an email to Justice Department lawyers Sunday, "To say the least, the letter is a disappointing response to the court's decision and our attempts to resolve the matter amicably." CNN's response added that "unless you can confirm to our satisfaction that no action will be taken against Mr. Acosta, we will seek expedited discovery, including depositions, from all defendants on their intentions and their conduct." In an attached letter, CNN's lawyer rejected that there are tacit rules of conduct for White House reporters, and noted that other journalists at the Nov. 7 event had asked follow-up questions to Trump "without consequence." Trump, in an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace that aired in part on Friday, said of the ruling that "It's not a big deal and if he misbehaves, we'll throw him out or we'll stop the news conference." WATCH: Trump's fight against 'fake news' has been a boon for media companies The oil market has largely shrugged off the killing last month of Washington Post columnist Jamal Kashoggi by Saudi agents. However, a new CIA assessment that reportedly links the slaying to the kingdom's crown prince could soon change that, according to a commodities strategist and former CIA analyst. The assessment concludes that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing, according to the Washington Post and NBC News. The CIA is expected to present its report to President Donald Trump by Tuesday, just two weeks before major oil producers including OPEC and Russia meet in Vienna, Austria. The group has been coordinating oil policy since last year, and the members are now considering a fresh round of production cuts after a sharp pullback in the oil market. New supply caps would boost oil prices and prevent financial pain in countries dependent on fossil fuel revenue, including Saudi Arabia. The kingdom expects to its crude shipments to drop by 500,000 barrels per day in December, and its energy minister recently said OPEC and its allies may cut output by about 1 million bpd next year. But Trump, a populist focused on filling Americans' pocketbooks, opposes the output cuts because he wants prices to fall at U.S. gas stations. @realDonaldTrump: Hopefully, Saudi Arabia and OPEC will not be cutting oil production. Oil prices should be much lower based on supply! Despite reportedly being shown evidence that links Khashoggi's death to Prince Mohammed, Trump continues to cast doubt on the royal's role in the slaying. The Trump administration is closely aligned with Prince Mohammed, and the president wants to preserve billions of dollars in potential arms sales to the Saudis. Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement chant slogans during a rally to mark two years of the military intervention by the Saudi-led coalition, in the capital Sanaa on March 26, 2017. Yemen's Houthi movement said on Monday it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemen's main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "After our contacts with the U.N. envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes ... We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year in Sweden to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. Yemen's parties have given "firm assurances" they are committed to attending peace talks to be convened shortly, Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council on Friday, and pledged to escort the Houthi delegation from Sanaa if needed. The Iranian-aligned group which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years added it was ready for a broader ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace." "(The decision) came to support the U.N. envoy, to show good faith and support the peace efforts," the statement said. Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have said they support U.N.-led peace talks. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition, which entered Yemen's war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people though it says it does not target civilians. The Houthis last July unilaterally halted attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts, after Saudi Arabia suspended temporarily oil exports through a strategic Red Sea channel following attacks on crude tankers. Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed U.N. efforts. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of U.S.-based Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early last month. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form THE SUPREME court has appointed Joseph Connolly to administer the affairs of Hallmark Trust after Mastercard suspended its services with the company. The news was confirmed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) last week, which indicated that the Mastercard branded credit cards, secured and unsecured, were suspended. The Hallmark Compass prepaid cards remain operational but additional funds cannot be added to them. Effective November 2, Connolly was appointed by the Supreme Court as administrator of Hallmark Trust. As administrator, Connolly will assume control of the management of Hallmark with the objective of protecting the interest of all stakeholders such as cardholders, trust beneficiaries, creditors and shareholders. Connolly is a chartered accountant, with over 30 years experience with one of the top five audit firms in the world. He has undertaken various roles as administrator of financial institutions during his career, the FSC said this past week. The commission added it has full confidence in Connollys ability to adequately administer Hallmark operations. Connolly can be contacted via Hallmark at telephone number (649) 941-5191 or email at [email protected] The FSC further advised that Hallmark remains a licensed financial institution under the regulatory authority of the Financial Services Commission. Possible takeover Meanwhile, earlier this week, leading lending agency Global Capital announced that it has an interest in taking over Hallmark Trust operations. Reports from reliable sources at the money lending company also disclosed that Global Capital has a keen interest in acquiring Hallmarks key assets. Since coming into the market back in 2015 the Global Capital has become TCIs most responsive lender, operating on the premise of "helping people help themselves. CEO of Global Capital, Victor Lowe, in a statement, revealed that the companys formation in the TCI market came as a result of what was an underserved and unbanked client base, in addition to customers who would otherwise not meet the traditional banks criteria. "In just three short years, our product offering has been extended to thousands of Turks and Caicos Islanders and residents, but there is still a long way to go in reaching everyone who need our assistance. "Our portfolio has evolved from the traditional payroll deduction facilities into making capital available to medium size businesses, contractors and homeowners. He noted that among some of its partnerships with the local community, is that of the companys partnership with the Government on its Christmas loan programme to civil servants. The CEO noted that the company has also been extremely responsive to the needs of its clients following the 2017 hurricanes and as part of its marketing strategy, designed special programmes to align with local events and special occasions and that they are constantly looking for new ways to offer the wider TCI communities greater access to financial services. "So yes, we are open to looking at the acquisition of Hallmarks key assets. With the upcoming holidays fast approaching, we are working aggressively to provide the most efficient and responsive service to customers who desperately need our assistance. "The acquisition of Hallmarks key assets by Global Capital would be an ideal opportunity for the company, since the synergies of product offering would give Global Capital the expanded footprint in the marketplace that it continues to serve, Lowe said. Last week there was a piece of good news for the Government that you might have missed: Annual housing supply in England amounted to 222,190 net additional dwellings in 2017-18, up two per cent on 2016- 17. So that hits the (pretty arbitrary) target of 200,000 a year, set by Brandon Lewis when he was Housing Minister in 2015, to get to a million more homes by 2020. These are new homes. But not all are built from scratch some are converted from buildings that had been used for something else: The 222,190 net additions in 2017-18 resulted from 195,290 new build homes, 29,720 gains from change of use between non-domestic and residential, 4,550 from conversions between houses and flats and 680 other gains (caravans, houseboats etc.), offset by 8,050 demolitions. On the other hand, various claims have been put out that we need more than 200,000 extra homes a year. When Sajid Javid was the Communities and Local Government Secretary, in 2016, he said: Even if the number of people coming to live in this country falls, well have to build at least 220,000 homes a year for the next decade just to keep up with population growth. 220,000 new homes every year, just to stand still. To maintain the status quo. A year ago he said: If were going to do more than just stand still, if were going to make serious inroads into tackling this nations housing crisis, were going to have to build at least 300,000 homes a year. The National Housing Federation has given a figure of 340,000 a year. The Labour Partys Lyons Review gave us a figure of 243,000. Last years Conservative Manifesto said: We will meet our 2015 commitment to deliver a million homes by the end of 2020 and we will deliver half a million more by the end of 2022. It all has a bit of a whiff of central planning about it, doesnt it? The Government doesnt produce figures for how many new dishwashers or pairs of trousers we need each year. Then again the market is allowed to operate in those areas. If the state was building the housing units in the spirit of Harold Macmillan or the dishwashers or trousers, then such targets might have some relevance. As it is, such plans are pretty much cheerful guesses. The other problem is that suppose meeting need means increasing supply to an extent that house prices do not increase in real terms. Would that be fine and dandy? No. It would simply mean the status quo was maintained. Millions unable to get on the housing ladder. Millions in overcrowding. Millions paying extortionate rent in the private sector, or caught in shoddy accommodation in the public sector. Paralysis restricting people from being able to move. So that is not fine and dandy unless you are Jeremy Corbyn seeking to gather in the votes of those angry with the current arrangements. What is needed is a sufficient supply of new housing to allow a steady and substantial fall in house prices over a period of several years. That would require bold action: to make it much easier to win planning permission (provided the new homes are attractive); and releasing a huge amount of surplus state land for development. Of course, the amount of new housing is not the only figure to keep track of. Within that total, the share of tenure can also vary. The Dwelling Stock Estimates for last year showed the owner occupied dwelling stock increased by 262,000 and the private rented stock decreased by 46,000. The social and affordable rented stock increased by 3,000 dwellings and the other public sector stock decreased by 1,000 dwellings. That meant that homeownership did go up albeit by only half a per cent. It rose from 62.4 per cent to 62.9 per cent. The problem is that it meant the private rented sector was diminished. Tinkering around with schemes such as Help to Buy and clobbering the buy to let market will tilt things a bit towards those buying to become owner occupiers. What is really needed is to have more homes becoming available rather than fiddling around assisting or penalising one group of buyers over another. Its not all doom. There is an important increase in supply which these figures dont capture: Many existing properties are being extended to provide extra bedrooms. Walk along terraced streets in London and it wont be long before you see builders at work. This could allow for greater scope for the old fashioned arrangement of taking in lodgers especially if the Government had the sense to increase the Rent a Room tax relief. The upshot is that overall the housing situation is stable perhaps it is getting very slightly better. The hitch is that that is another way of saying it is still pretty dire for many people. What is the Government going to do about it? One strategy would be to compete with the Labour Party for the number of units the state will build. That would be flawed as a strategy. Nobody believes that the taxpayer would be able to fund building on the scale required. Even if it was viable to borrow the hundreds of billions, past experience is that they would be pretty awful places to live. Apart from these practical points there is also a political and philosophical difficulty such a contest of who is most socialist would inevitably be won by the Labour. The other strategy, more in keeping with Conservative principles, would be to allow the housing market to function to release land from the Governments grasp and lift the restrictions. So far the Government is making a token pursuit of both strategies. But not doing enough to make much of a difference. Six years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories. Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts. Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters. To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented. Health and Care Professions Council Chair of Council We are seeking to appoint a Chair of Council. You will have experience of providing strong non-executive leadership and be able to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in all of the HCPCs activities. You will act as an ambassador for the HCPC, influencing and building effective relationships internally and externally with a range of senior level stakeholders, inspiring confidence in the organisation and promoting the organisations central commitment to public protection. The Chair of Council appointment is open to both Lay and Registrant candidates. The HCPC is committed to equality of opportunity and actively guards against unfair discrimination on any grounds (including sexual orientation, religion or beliefs, race, sex, age or disability). We are a UK-wide regulator and encourage applicants from all countries of the UK. Time: Three days per week approx. Remuneration: 65,000 annual allowance. Closes: 19 November Sheffield City Region Chair The Sheffield City Region (SCR) comprises the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Mayoral Combined Authority. Covering nine local authority districts, the City Region is home to 1.8 million residents with an annual economic output of over 34bn and over 68,000 businesses. We are a core part of the Northern Powerhouse and a key driver of economic growth within the North. We are an enterprising and business-focused City Region with a reputation for delivery. Our strong private public partnership is founded on good governance and collaboration. Together, we are building a thriving, super-connected and successful economy. Our ambitious vision to develop a Global Innovation Corridor as an incubator of industry and talent, is firmly rooted in our strengths in advanced manufacturing and engineering. Raising the profile of the Global Innovation Corridor is a key priority for the LEP. Time: 4-5 days per month. Remuneration: Reasonable expenses. Closes: 23 November Security Vetting Appeals Panel Chair The Security Vetting Appeals Panel is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) with advisory functions, sponsored by the Cabinet Office, established in July 1997. It hears appeals against the refusal or withdrawal of national security vetting clearance and is available to all those in the public and private sectors and in the Armed Forces who have exhausted internal appeal processes and remain dissatisfied with the outcome. The Panel is a quasi-judicial body and comprises a Chair, a Deputy Chair and eight lay Members. Due to the nature of the Panels work, the Chair and Deputy Chair positions require them to have current or recent senior judicial experience (usually at High Court or Appeal Court level). The Panel conducts hearings and makes non-binding recommendations to Heads of Organisations (or equivalent). Cases are normally heard by a panel of three, consisting of the Chair or Deputy Chair supported by two lay Members. The Panel is supported by a small Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. Time: 15-20 days per annum. Remuneration: 240 per diem plus travel and subsistence. Closes: 25 November Met Office Non-Executive Directors The Met Office employs around 1900 people in sites across the UK and overseas. It operates as a Trading Fund, meaning that, whilst it is sponsored by HM Government, it self-funds through the services it provides to its diverse client base. The Met Office steering Board has a vital role in advising and supporting the Chief Executive and the Executive Team to deliver the organisations strategic priorities and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively for their delivery. The Board reviews the management and performance of the Met Office and ensures high standards of corporate governance are maintained As a Non-Executive Director (NED) on the Met Office Board, you will have an important and demanding role and will provide a valuable external perspective to the organisation. This includes providing influence and access to networks which the organisation would otherwise not have. Time: 27 days per annum. Remuneration: 15,000 per annum. Closes: 26 November Office of Tax Simplification Chair We are looking for a motivated individual to Chair the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS). This role offers a unique opportunity to participate in tax policy-making at the heart of government. The Chair will lead the OTS boards bimonthly meetings and the Offices engagement with HM Treasury ministers. The OTS board is responsible for shaping the strategy and priorities of the OTS, deciding on proposals for potential reviews to put forward to the Chancellor and agreeing key recommendations in the reviews. The Chair will also represent the OTS at public engagements and can be requested to present evidence on the Offices work to Parliamentary Committees. The recommended candidate for the Chair role will require approval by the Chancellor of the Exchequer before the appointment can be confirmed and will be subject to a post-appointment hearing held by the Treasury Select Committee. Time: Up to two days per month. Remuneration: 400 per diem. Closes: 27 November British Library Board Members In 2023, the British Library will mark its 50th anniversary as the national library of the United Kingdom and, in Living Knowledge (published in 2015), the Library has set out an ambitious vision for growth, innovation and development as that landmark date approaches. Major developments under way include projects to digitise and make globally available its most important historic collections; to refresh and transform its service to researchers, online and on-site; to widen its reach and presence for people across the UK, including new partnerships with public libraries; to extend and enhance its Grade 1-listed building in St Pancras, London, as part of a major development partnership; and over the longer term to renew and improve its 43-acre campus at Boston Spa in Yorkshire, where the majority of the collection is now held Members of the Board have corporate responsibility for ensuring that the British Library complies with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds. Time: 1-2 days per month, four-year term. Remuneration: 9130 per annum. Closes: 03 December Committee on Fuel Poverty Member The Committee on Fuel Poverty (CFP) advises the Government on the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing fuel poverty to help keep UK residents warm and improve energy efficiency in their homes. It also persuades greater co-ordination across organisations working to reduce fuel poverty in the UK The responsibilities of the new Members will include monitoring and reporting on progress towards the Governments 2030 fuel poverty target and interim milestones, supporting and challenging the Government on its delivery approach, and encouraging a partnership approach between and within Government and stakeholders in tackling fuel poverty. Time: Two days per month. Remuneration: 8400 per annum plus reasonable travel and subsistence. Closes: 06 December Nicky Morgan is Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, a former Education Secretary, and MP for Loughborough. You Remainers need to compromise said my mother, a committed Leave voter to me last year. I have I replied My compromise is that Ive accepted that were leaving the EU. And, so far, I have. The Government has, rightly in my view, taken the decision that we need to negotiate an enduring relationship with the EU in the same way that we have relationships with all sorts of countries and trading blocs around the world. But, as I must have said 50 times last week, every negotiation involves a compromise. Ceasing to be an EU member required the negotiation of a withdrawal agreement and the draft agreement we finally saw last week is the result of many months of tortuous negotiations. These are not 585 pages dashed off in a hurry. For many of us who voted and campaigned to Remain in the EU, the draft agreement is a crystallisation of the reality of leaving the EU, and our acceptance of that fact. Its a tangible document which MPs need to decide whether to approve or not. But if the arch-Brexiteers bring down the agreement (let alone, in an act of pure self-indulgence, bring down the Prime Minister) then they are likely to find that this acceptance of the result and the compromises needed for many of us to get there is over. That is what the Prime Minister meant when she said that No Brexit is a very real danger if the draft agreement is rejected by Parliament. Already there are many Remain campaigners who do not accept the result. We saw 700,000 of them on the streets of London last month. I dont believe there is yet a majority for that view in the Commons, but there could be and there are plenty of MPs who want to test out parliamentary opinion on a second vote. I believe the majority in the Commons is actually, as Ken Clarke said this week, for continued membership of the Single Market and a customs union with the EU. If the arch Brexiteers dont want to find out how many MPs support that position, then the agreement on the table is the best way for them to secure Brexit and this should be allowed to see this through. The result of the referendum is already under severe strain thanks to the investigations into the conduct of the Vote Leave campaign and Arron Banks. One of the main arguments made to me is that result should not stand because of those factors and the mistruths told on the side of a bus and via social media. So far, Im clear that, as a democrat, I think that the result stands because many people voted Leave without any regard to those messages. I can think of many people I know who would have voted Leave at any point in the last few decades if given half the chance. But if the arch-Brexiteers keep ruling out the Withdrawal Agreement (often before theyd even read it), or open up a leadership contest for the position of leader of our Party at a time when the country most needs continuity of leadership, then I think they will find they get the exact opposite. Over the last few days, my conversations with Party members and constituents have provided overwhelming support for the Prime Minister should be supported, and no deal is ever going to be perfect. This one should be voted on by the Commons. For the sake of our collective sanity, I am willing to keep making the arguments that the 2016 result stands, that we dont want to re-run the last 29 months in a new referendum, that we need to move on from this unedifying period both in our Party and in UK politics and that this deal on the table, however imperfect, is infinitely more preferable than a no deal situation. But if we dont want to bring the Government down, and see a hard left government in place instead, then those on the other side of the Brexit argument need to accept the need for compromise too. Weve had over 20 years now of extreme Eurosceptics undermining Conservative Party leaders. The last three Tory Prime Ministers have been brought down over Europe. The definition of insanity is said to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Lets try not to repeat every mistake of the past at this moment of national importance. So shameless are her about-turns, so broken some of her promises, that it is tempting to conclude that Theresa May has no consistent Brexit policy at all. As the details of the 585-page Withdrawal Agreement begin to become clear (it has taken us the best part of a week to read it, and we have consequently withheld judgement on its contents until now), we question this widely-believed, frequently-proclaimed view. The agreement plus the slender, seven-page Political Declaration reveals two main policy aims, unwavering since May became Prime Minister and began the Brexit negotiations, and shaped by the reflexes of two great departments of state. First is the Treasurys conviction that the bird in the hand of, say, cars and aerospace is worth those in the bush of, for example, GM foods or AI. The former industries want frictionless trade to keep their just-in-time supply chains going as at present and, if a knock-on effect is that the technologies of the future must stay chained to EU regulation, then so be it. In a sense, one can scarcely blame the department for prioritising the jobs of today over those of tomorrow (though these will be no less real). We are all tempted to prize what we have above what we might have. The Withdrawal Agreement shows up the biggest winner in Cabinet from the present policy: Philip Hammond. Second is the Home Offices desire, furthered by having one of its graduates in place as Prime Minister, that immigration must be controlled and reduced. We agree wholeheartedly. Take no notice of those who claim that the referendum result had nothing much to do with voter desire to reduce migration, a coalition of people big enough to include some Leavers. Research suggests otherwise, as does common sense. It may well be that, if this deal passes through Parliament (which we doubt), control of EU immigration is honoured more in the breach than the observance, and that access to Britain for EU workers and migrants is traded off against access to the EU for our goods and services. None the less, transition must come to an end sooner or later and, when it does, freedom of movement will come to an end. Whatever else one may say of the deal, this is a remarkable negotiating achievement. Buttressed by the referendum result, May has done what David Cameron failed to do (destroying his renegotiation in the attempt) and what we, frankly, thought she wouldnt be able to do namely, prise one of the EUs four freedoms apart from the others. So much, too, for the Remain experts and eggheads who claimed that this wouldnt happen because the EU is a rules-based organisation. A big slice of the EU Commission will hate this part of the deal. They will fear that the Salvinis and Kurzs and Orbans of the EU27 will see Mays big win as a precedent, and they may well be right. What migration is to some in the Commission, so fish will be to some of the 27. Again, it may well be that, if the deal somehow makes it through Parliament, access to our waters for EU boats is bargained off against access to the EUs markets for our goods. If or when it does, the positions of David Mundell and Ruth Davidson look untenable. Fishermen from all parts of the UK want their waters back, and any future concessions on EU access to them could scarcely come at a worse time for Scottish Conservatives, bang in the run-up to Scottish Parliamentary elections. None the less, the anger among the 27 that more has not been squeezed out of May on fishing is real. The deal isnt universally popular on the EU as well as the UK side of the table. All this should give pause for reflection. A dominant narrative in our culture is that British politicians are useless one shared by some on the right, especially at the crossover point where the Conservative and UKIP activists meet, and some on the left, notably in the Remain coalition for which belief that the Government has bungled the negotiation has become an article of faith. On the contrary, the deal shows, as its outlines come into view, that the Prime Minister has got much of what she wanted including on money. It is true that the bill will come to even more than 40 billion or so if transition is extended, which it may well be. But the principle has been agreed. The set date at which any new transition will end must soon be declared. After that, our money will stay at home. A Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be able to tip all of it into the bottomless pit of the NHS if he so desired. These wins, in turn, have implications for an even bigger meme: that Britain is a washed-up, failing country. Rather, Mays wins are a sign of the power that drove them: that of the third biggest economy in the EU (second by some measurements), which its other members and the Commission are ultimately wary of antagonising, with formidable armed forces at least compared to most of our neighbours and strength in depth when it comes to employment, the arts, innovation, sport, top-flight universities and global soft power. But there is a catch. The aims that we describe, namely trade with minimum friction and control of EU migration, are not Mays public aims. They overlap with them, but are not identical. She speaks of bringing back control of our borders, money, and laws the core demand of Vote Leaves victorious campaign. When it comes to the last, her deal stands on slippery ground. The price that the Prime Minister has paid for her gains is membership of a customs union underpinned by a backstop. Again, she has pulled off a negotiating win in so doing. The Northern Ireland backstop should never have been in last Decembers joint report. It was basically an aspect of the future relationship our terms of trade with our EU neighbours rather than of EU withdrawal. Up to a point, May has turned the backstop on its head, so to speak, extending it to the whole UK and getting it written into the Withdrawal Agreement (though, as we will see, matters arent quite that simple, and what this new backstop means is fiercely disputed). None the less, membership of a customs union would spit in the face of the logic of Brexit. It would blight the opportunity to strike meaningful free trade deals worldwide. And in so doing, as Greg Hands explained in a superlative piece on this site, it would deliver the worst of all worlds. The example of Turkey shows a frightening asymmetry, he wrote. When the EU implements a trade agreement, Turkey must open up its markets to the third-party exporter, but better access for Turkish exporter to the third country doesnt happenunless Turkey separately negotiates it. As he argued, membership of a customs union means that the EU would control our trade policy our tariff and quota policy in particular and thus hold the fate of many domestic industries, such as steel and ceramics, in its hands. It would also determine our trade preferences for the developing world. This is unsustainable. The Government claims that this fear is misplaced because, sooner or later, we will be out of the backstop, even if transition is extended. The EU, it says, dislikes the backstop as much as we do. We dislike it because it would keep us in this customs union, and because the alignment with EU laws and norms which it would bring with it is greater than we want, and would ultimately be ruled upon by the ECJ. The EU dislikes it, Ministers say, because the proposed alignment with those norms and laws is less than it would like, and because it would give us tariff-free, quota-free access to their markets as part of the deal (these Ministers are shy of adding that this arrangement would suit the EU because it runs a trade surplus with us). But while the EU may have reason to dislike any backstop, the story of this negotiation so far is that it dislikes one less than it dislikes a fully-fledged free trade deal. After all, the backstop would lock us into a customs union, with higher alignment to the EUs laws and norms than we desire. And it is temporary only in the sense that it is intended to be tso. When May suggested otherwise yesterday, she was playing fast and loose with the facts. We will have no unilateral right to quit the backstop if we sign up to it. She also compared it to an insurance policy. But it would be an odd sort of insurance policy which pays out each year in perpetuity. And while the EU would lose leverage, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, because the alignment it would sign up to is lower than it would like, so we would, too by committing to pay the 40 billion or so as part of that agreement. In short, we run the risk of being stuck in the backstop for good, with the EU refusing us permission to leave it. This was at the heart of last weeks Cabinet row, of Dominic Raab and Esther McVeys resignations, of Michael Goves agonising and which now dominates the manoeuvres and backpedalling of the so-called Gang of Five. True, Parliament is sovereign, and can do what it likes. It could tear up a solemn commitment to the backstop enshrined in treaty. But that would come with a very heavy cost to our international reputation and trustworthiness as a business partner. We would be set to pay a penalty of lost investment, wealth and jobs. Then there is a further twist. We wrote earlier that what this new proposed UK-wide backstop would deliver is fiercely disputed. It has been compared to a swimming pool, with a shallow end and a deep end. Northern Ireland would be in the latter, bound not only to the new customs union but to many Single Market rules. Great Britain would be in the former, signed up to fewer of them. The core of the matter currently being debated, in relation to the new UK-wide backstop, is whether the original backstop to the backstop the old Northern Ireland-only one survives, buried away deep in the agreement. Open Europe believes that it may. It writes in its assessment that Article 6, Annex 2 of the Protocol states that the EU may impose tariffs or other restrictions on the movement of goods into or out of its customs territory in cases of non-compliance by the United Kingdomwhere it considers this necessary to protect the integrity of the single market. This implies that there could be certain circumstances in which the EU could demand East-West checks for customs purposes. Overall there is ambiguity and disagreement about the interpretation of some key passages, a fact reinforced by conversations with officials close to the drafting. What it would mean for Northern Ireland, uniquely within the UK, to be in the same customs territory as the EU is being argued back and forth among the experts. But there can no doubt that, were the backstop itself to drop away, Northern Ireland would none the less be bound to Single Market rules from which the rest of the UK would be free. And also to the consequences of being in the EUs customs territory. And all without having the democratic representation to help shape those customs territory and Single Market rules. Some say, rightly, that Northern Ireland is already very different from Great Britain, with its particular devolution settlement and, say, abortion laws. But these differences exist within a United Kingdom framework, for all the north-south co-ordinating bodies set out under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. This agreement proposes a fundamental shift, preserving Northern Ireland, to some degree, in the EU legislative order if the rest of the UK drops out of it. This has grave implications not only for the province but for Scotland. The SNP will argue that Northern Ireland has Single Market and Customs Union advantages denied to Scotland by English Tories. The agreement could thus put rocket boosters under the SNPs independence campaign. We offer our assessment of the agreement of the deal with humility. We admit to not having studied parts of it, such as the controversial sections concerning defence and security co-operation. We remind our readers that bits of it are so dense as to have launched a thousand quarrels among the experts. Perhaps comfort can be drawn from the knowledge that all will become clear sooner or later: whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. All in all, it seems to us that the Prime Minister, in signing up to this agreement, has achieved a series of tactical wins, some of no small order, wrapped in a larger strategic defeat. That band of dissenting Cabinet Ministers, large enough to encompass such senior ones and former Remainers as Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, are right to believe that the proposed backstop provision threatens to leave us trapped permanently within a high alignment customs union, and that it thus fails to pass the test of taking back control of our laws. That is also the significance of the late change in the Political Declaration, made without his knowledge, that drove Dominic Raab to resign. Furthermore, the agreement would clearly push Northern Ireland from the UKs ambit towards the EUs and a united Ireland. Much has been written about the nationalist and republican reaction to Brexit. What would the unionist and loyalist reaction to this partition be? Either way, the implications for Scotland are baleful. No Unionist should vote for this agreement. There are alternatives. May has spurned two. The first is the Canada-type deal about which David Davis writes on this site today. Had the Prime Minister not turned, in proposing Chequers, against the mutual recognition model she had pushed only a few months earlier at Lancaster House, it might be government policy now. The second is the Nick Boles Norway-to-Canada scheme. We believe it is problematic, but worth exploring. Downing Street has deliberately spurned the chance to do so. Neither is negotiatable, do you say? To which the answer comes back: but this agreement doesnt seem to be passable. Those partisans who claim there are no alternatives are like a man who murders another. And then says not only that he didnt do it, but that his victim was never alive in the first place. Conservative MPs face a scabrous choice between the short-term problem of the EU rejecting, or at least publicly rebuffing, the managed No Deal Deal, complete with a two year transition that would end in the run-up to the next election, that some Cabinet Ministers are now floating; or the medium-term peril of the country being trapped in a high aligment customs union which it has no unilateral right to leave, together with a clear and present danger to our precious union. Our judgement is that the threats of the second outweigh those of the first. We have all been taken to this pass by the third main element of Mays policy. She may once have believed that No Deal is better than a Bad Deal. But she clearly no longer does so. By failing to prepare for No Deal adequately, she has prepared a gun to hold to her Partys head, and to Parliaments: its my deal or even greater disruption than would otherwise be the case. She is stoking the very chaos against which she warns. 100% Website trobarefeina.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Asp. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 215073 bytes (210.03 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-24, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The last chapter 11 filing that Reilly's paper discusses is that of Crosier Fathers and Brothers in Minnesota in June 2017. Since then, one more archdiocese filed chapter 11 -- San Juan at the end of August 2018. The Archdiocese of Agana (in Guam) also announced that it expects to file by January 2019. Like other dioceses, Agana's stated need to file stems from its struggles with more than 180 sexual abuse claims. But the Archdiocese of San Juan's case presents a couple unique issues. A few weeks ago, Marie Reilly (Penn State Law, University Park) posted to SSRN a new paper, Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy , which details the outcomes of the eighteen chapter 11 cases filed by Catholic dioceses and religious institutes since 2004. The paper discusses some of the issues that I have blogged about individually over the past few years -- of note, RFRA and fraudulent conveyances, as well as the long-running Minneapolis and Saint Paul diocese case that ended in a settlement agreement which increased payout to sexual abuse claimants by $50 million from the debtor's original proposed plan. The paper also includes a succinct overview of how canon law, business organizational law, and property law interact in these cases. In short, if you are looking for a primer on broader issues that might emerge in future chapter 11 cases filed by dioceses, or simply interested in how a few area of law converge in these cases, this paper is worth a read. First, the Archdiocese of San Juan stated that it filed because of a legal battle over unpaid teacher pensions. Prior to the filing, the archdiocese was ordered to pay $4.7 million to teachers. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court then authorized the seizure of all of the church's assets, including bank accounts, equipment, and real estate. This left the archdiocese with essentially no money to operate. Its filing marks the first filing of a Catholic diocese or religious institutes not stemming from sexual abuse claims. Second, immediately upon filing, the archdiocese faced a motion filed by the pensioners that it was ineligible to file bankruptcy. The basis of their motion was that the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico has held that churches in Puerto Rico are not separate legal persons. The pensioners thus argued that the Archdiocese of San Juan is not an independent entity, but rather, a part of the Catholic Church. As such, it is the Catholic Church that held title to all of the assets the archdiocese listed in its petition, and the correct debtor is the Catholic Church of Puerto Rico. Relying on the same Puerto Rico Supreme Court case about the legal personhood of churches in Puerto Rico, the bankruptcy judge -- Judge Edward Godoy -- held that the Archdiocese of San Juan is the same "jurisdistic personality" as the Catholic Church of Puerto Rico. But, importantly, that fact did not render the archdiocese's filing erroneous. Rather, Judge Godoy held that the chapter 11 filing "benefits and protects" all of the assets held by the Catholic Church of Puerto Rico. Stated differently, the filing gave the bankruptcy court jurisdiction over all of the Catholic Church of Puerto Rico's assets and liabilities. And the case continues. As of now, the parties still are working through typical first day motions, including the debtor's post-petition financing request. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46256296 Finns have been baffled by US President Donald Trump's comments praising the country for managing its vast forests by raking. HER Majestys Prison in Grand Turk has its problems but the situation is not as "drastic and dire as claimed, according to the home affairs minister. In a statement to press, Hon. Vaden Williams, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication, hit back at a recent damning report from the TCI Human Rights Commission. The report released last week, which followed an inspection of the penal facility, said it was "not fit for human habitation and should be condemned. Commission director Sabrina Green claimed it breaches several UN standards and inmates have been "dehumanised by poor living conditions leaving little room for rehabilitation. In response, Williams said there can be no denying that problems exist at the prison "as is the case at penal institutions worldwide. However, he questioned the motive behind the commissions report and said it contained several exaggerations and inaccuracies. "As a Government, we do not take any matters at the prison lightly, he wrote in a lengthy statement on Thursday (November 15). "This is precisely why we feel that it was highly reckless, improper and sensational for the Human Rights Commission to call for the prison to be condemned, especially without any facts or logic to substantiate such a recommendation. "Such knee-jerk and emotional reaction only serves to create unnecessary panic locally, while at the same time painting an unwarranted and ugly picture of our country in the international community. He said that while there is room for improvement the situation is "honestly not as drastic and dire as the Human Rights Commission has stated. "My ministry and my Government therefore finds it patently puzzling that officials from the Human Rights Commission would visit the prison with ulterior motives, and then proceed to launch a strong and scathing attack on the institution without at all seeking to engage the government of the day in dialogue about the Commissions findings and concerns. He stressed that the ministry has yet to receive any report from the TCI Human Rights Commission. The minister added that the commissions "disingenuous approach undermines its role, functioning, impartiality and independence. A work in progress Williams stressed that some of the issues raised have existed for many years and were either neglected or under-funded by previous administrations. "I therefore want to give the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and beyond, the absolute assurance that we are committed to penal reform and continuous upgrades at the prison. He said that since assuming office in December 2016, the Government has been systematically working to address the "myriad of issues that existed and those that have surfaced. "It remains a work in progress, he wrote. In this financial year, $1 million has been allocated to renovation and reconstruction of the yellow wing, following the destruction during hurricanes Irma and Maria. "Over the past two years we also boosted manpower resources at the prison with trained personnel from the UK, Williams said. "In collaboration with the management of the prison, we are continuously reviewing and diligently working to improve aspects of operations at the prison that have been identified. However, he insisted that these corrective initiatives are highly sensitive and cannot all be made public "because of internal and national security implications. The minister said that the TCI has its own "peculiar set of circumstances and the prison has various forms of rehabilitation that have proven beneficial to inmates. "It is therefore most unfortunate that the Human Rights Commission would seek to distort the truth and exaggerate conditions at the workshop, the prison farm and in the computer room, all of which have been doing exceptionally well for many prisoners and also to the benefit of the public. He went on to reveal that Cabinet has approved an alternative sentencing bill that will be tabled in the House of Assembly at its next sitting. This will include a probation and rehabilitation unit, and provisions for the recruitment for new staff were provided this financial year. "This will of course add new dimensions to sentencing options and how inmates are reintegrated into our small society and will also contain a wide range of progressive penal reform measures, he said. "While criticisms are always welcome, hidden agendas and panic attacks do very little to instill confidence in the nation building exercise which should be a common and resolute goal, he concluded. Commission report On October 17, members of the TCI Human Rights Commission visited the prison in Grand Turk and conducted a review. Sabrina Green, Director of the TCI Human Rights Commission, released a lengthy statement exposing the appalling state of the facility on November 7. The commission found that the penal facility appeared to be clean and tidy on the outside and conditions seemed to have improved over the past few years. However, these improvements were "on the surface with underlying and more significant issues going unaddressed by the Government. Many cells have no hygiene facilities, the report said, some have no working toilets and in cells with working toilets they have no seats. "The prison is largely open to the elements and when there is stormy weather the wind and rain enter through the bars on the windows and saturate the mattresses in the cells. "On a normal day, the various insects such as sand flies and mosquitoes enter the cells leading to the inmates hanging sheets to reduce the pests. These sheets then create a fire hazard putting the lives of both inmates and staff at risk. "There are holes in the floors in the shower areas and standing water providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Recently a young man was hospitalised as the result of a stabbing at the prison, and earlier this year there were several reports of violence against prison officers. "This is what happens when people are dehumanised, when they are not treated like human beings, they cease to see others as human beings, Green said. Hurtigruten announced it will power its ships with liquified biogas (LBG), fossil-free, renewable fuel produced from dead fish and other organic waste. This follows on previous announcements on using both LNG and battery power. "What other see as a problem, we see as a resource and a solution. By introducing biogas as fuel for cruise ships, Hurtigruten will be the first cruise company to power ships with fossile-free fuel," said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam. Renewable biogas is a clean source of energy, considered the most eco-friendly fuel currently available, the company said. Biogas is already used as fuel in small parts of the transport sector, especially in buses. Northern Europe and Norway, which has large fishery and forestry sectors that produces a steady volume of organic waste, has a unique opportunity to become world leader in biogas production. By 2021, Hurtigruten plans to operate at least six of its ships on a combination of biogas, LNG and large battery packs. "While competitors are running on cheap, polluting heavy fuel oil, our ships will literally be powered by nature. Biogas is the greenest fuel in shipping, and will be a huge advantage for the environment. We would love other cruise companies to follow," added Skjeldam. Hurtigruten is currently building three hybrid powered expedition cruise ships at Norways Kleven Yard. MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fridtjof Nansen and the third, unnamed sister, will be delivered in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The company said it expects to invest more than $850 million in building the worlds greenest cruise line. "This is just the beginning. Hurtigruten is the worlds largest expedition cruise line, that comes with a responsibility. Sustainability will be a key driver for the new era of shipping and the travel industry. Hurtigrutens unmatched investments in green technology and innovation sets a new standard for the whole industry to follow. Our ultimate goal is to operate our ships completely emission free," noted Skjeldam. Three Carnival Australia ships chartered to support the APEC Summit saluted host nation Papua New Guinea in style as the first of the ships sailed from Port Moresby. P&O Cruises flagship Pacific Explorer and Pacific Jewel and Princess Cruises Sea Princess each sounded their horns seven times to achieve the equivalent of a 21-gun salute that echoed across the city and beyond as the Sea Princess departed port, Carnival said, in a statement. Captain Tony Ruggero on Sea Princess, Captain Roger Bilton on Pacific Explorer and Captain Alan Nixon on Pacific Jewel were behind the whistles. The three ships were on charter for the APEC conference, providing accommodation for Pacific leaders, delegates and international media along with providing conferencing facilities. The Pacific Explorer was the venue for the high profile APEC CEO Summit which was addressed by national leaders including President Xi Jinping of China, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The successful hosting of APEC 2018 was a truly defining event for Papua New Guinea, which it is hoped will leave a legacy of economic growth for its people especially the young for whom this will be crucial, said Carnival Australia Chairman Ann Sherry. Carnival Australia and our P&O and Princess ships were proud to play a part in PNG and Port Moresbys success in hosting an event that put PNG in the international spotlight. The Pacific Explorer will depart from Port Moresby on Tuesday and the Pacific Jewel sails on Wednesday. The Celebrity Edge has officially arrived at the new home at Port Everglades Terminal 25 (T25) in Hollywood, Fla. following her trans-Atlantic crossing. Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Richard D. Fain, said: The arrival of Celebrity Edge today book-ends a major chapter in the growth of Celebrity Cruises. Its the culmination of years of dreaming, designing and dedication to bring this magnificent ship to life. A new era is truly upon us. President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, added: The completion of her first-ever transatlantic crossing and arrival at T25 marks such a historic moment for Celebrity Cruises. This has been more than four years in the making. The collaboration and effort between teams across the world all comes together in this incredible moment. I can think of no better place to be than with Captain Costas and the crew of Celebrity Edge knowing that we are sailing into the future, literally and figuratively, with this beautiful ship. More than 1,400 crew members waved to a sea of shoreside colleagues who gathered to welcome the ship and her crew to their new home at an exclusive welcome event hosted at the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, according to a statement. After the arrival of Celebrity Edge at T25, Lutoff-Perlo and Fain then hosted a grand opening ceremony in the new terminal, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony. As bike and scooter sharing programs continue to pop up in cities nationwide, the University of Bridgeport has brought the commuting trend to the Park City. The university has unveiled 75 new e-scooters on campus to expand its on- and off-campus commuting options for students and the city. Todays students have technology as a reflex, said George Estrada, vice president for facilities. Its no longer something that is a challenge. UB has in past years offered its students different means of transportation, including bus passes, and the college is now moving into ride-sharing apps. The university is also a Zipcar site, which allows students to borrow a docked car through an app. Much like its Zipcar program, students can access the e-scooters through the Bird app. They only need to have a valid license and a credit or debit card to sign up. Scooters are available to go wherever the riders want within its given energy level, which lasts roughly 15 miles. Available scooters can be located at any of the campus 15 docks, or nests, through the in-app map. Riders need only scan the device and get moving. The cost to activate the Bird is $1, and the fee per minute is 20 cents. Now the Bird dovetails into that as the third leg to that stool and gives a whole new dimension to commuting, Estrada said. I think that this fits in well with the universitys commuter community. The scooters arent exclusive to UB students residents in the community can also access the Bird scooters at the school. It becomes a pretty good alternative for doing a commute, Estrada said. Its also the freedom. Youre riding on a scooter similar to being on a bike just being out in the fresh air enjoying a ride. Its something I think will continue to grow with the campus community and beyond. UB is the first site in Connecticut to feature the Bird scooters, though Estrada said the Los Angles-based company has been in discussion with other universities and cities to add more sites. In a relatively brief time, Bird Ride has skyrocketed in the bustling ride sharing market, reportedly reaching a $2 billion valuation in a matter of months. It joined companies like Lime Bike, which has a presence in New Haven and is being considered by officials throughout Fairfield County, including Bridgeport and Norwalk. Though Stamford doesnt have a public bike-sharing program, buildings at the Harbor Point development have one of their own. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com By Olivia Rose WIDESPREAD public concern over the rocketing crime rate has prompted members of parliament to speak out about the troubling epidemic. The recent hike in gun related crime across the territory has seen MPs debating causes and solutions while bemoaning the spinoff effects in the latest House of Assembly meeting. Speaking in the House on Monday, October 29, Leader of the Opposition Hon. Washington Misick expressed his concern over the involvement of many youths in criminal activities. He said: "These Islands have tremendous possibility and I would appeal to us to start thinking outside of the box, thinking differently, not to follow the script of other countries. "I believe we can save our youth and we can convert this country into a beacon on the hill that is something the rest of the Caribbean and small nations in particular ought to be proud of. Misick added that reprimanding youths for bad behaviour is not enough. "I think we all have a responsibility not to be against anything but to be for something, in the words of Mother Theresa. "Sometimes when we come here and we speak against things like we speak against violence and appeal to the young people, sometimes it comes as blaming them and criticising them when it fact what we really need to do is to build a stronger safety net and stop them from falling through. Misick stressed that a systematic change which promotes safe and healthy environments and behaviours, would reduce the likelihood or frequency of violent crime. "Sometimes we have to leave the concrete and appeal to that aspect of our souls because that is where everything emanates. "Because it is touching every family now and every home and we really do need to cast ourselves in a mentoring position if we are going to be delivering a country to the next generation which we can be proud of, the leader of the Opposition added. Over the past three months nine murders and a string of robberies were recorded in the territory. However, crime statistics for the first six months of the year to end-September 2018 showed that overall crime had fallen by 30 percent compared to the previous year. Robberies and incidents involving firearms were down by 42 percent and 68 percent respectively although the number of murders had risen from three to seven for the same period. Other MPs echoed similar sentiments during the contributions segment in the House, including Governors appointed member, Hon. Temard Butterfield. He appealed to the religious community, leaders and the general public to give ex-offenders, especially those who are trying to rebuild their lives, a second chance. "I believe that the programmes that we have in place right now, not knocking them to say they are not effective, but we need to revisit them to ensure that they are carrying out or doing the right things that we established it for. "I am saying this in particular towards our juveniles. I do not believe we are paying keen attention to them and we are not paying keen attention to those who have left prison and are now trying to fit into their communities. He noted that many of the current programmes aimed at reintegrating ex-offenders back into society are ineffective. "Its important that we pay keen attention to our young people, Butterfield said. Also weighing in on the effects of crime and the need for youths to learn better conflict resolution was MP for the Bight, Porsha Stubbs-Smith. She said: "The gun violence in the Turks and Caicos is really beginning to give me a sore tummy and I just want to appeal to some young people who hopefully are listening. "Back in our day it used to be stones and sticks, and I dont even want to resort to that but for those persons who are imposing it upon you, walk away from it and report it. "Dont take it up, it ends lives, it destroys families and I just want to appeal to them this morning that that is not the way to go. There is always a better way to work out a conflict. Recently the Department of Youth hosted a symposium aimed at breaking the cycle of gun violence especially among young men in the TCI. The conference which came on the heels of a sudden rise in violent crime which claimed the lives of several young men, zeroed in on the root causes, contributing factors and solutions to the troubling epidemic. The national psychosocial, economic, community, family, employment and other issues that contribute to the escalation of violence in society were highlighted. By Delana Isles BUDGETED compliance collections for the first half of 2018-2019 for the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB) was $750,000 with actual collections being $873,409 - some $123,409 above the budgeted amount. This was disclosed recently by Premier Sharlene Cartwright during a presentation in the House of Assembly on the status and performance of statutory bodies and the economy of the TCI. In their efforts to increase compliance even more, there will be closer collaboration and engagement of the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) compliance team with the National Insurance Board (NIB), the premier said. The two teams are already working together in an effort to strengthen and create synergies between the two agencies. She said it is anticipated that increased field efforts and targeted interventions to reduce delinquencies as well as collect outstanding contributions across the territory will continue. Meanwhile, the Treatment Abroad Programme (TAP) managed by the NHIB on behalf of the Ministry of Health had 728 overseas referrals in the first and second quarters of 2018-2019, down from 765 referrals in the same period for 2017-2018. This included 119 emergency referrals down from 138 in the same period for financial year 2017-2018. In the period under report, there were 61 air ambulances, 19 charters and 657 transfers on commercial flights. "We have also noted significant activity under the TAP related to cardiology transfers which is 170, ophthalmology 175, oncology 36, neurosurgery 44 and vascular surgery 53. On average, 80 percent of transferred persons were Turks and Caicos Islanders, she said. She added that stakeholder engagements are ongoing as they relate to TAP, which has been drafted and is undergoing final reviews. The Claims Department continues to focus on increased audits, provider visits and verifications of both local and overseas provider claims to ensure compliance with the expectations of the NHIB. The capability will be enhanced with the recruitment of a verification officer that is currently underway. The provider list is under review to ensure adequate coverage for all specialty areas. Increased focus remains on reviewing provider contracts to gain the greatest value for money while improving the quality of care. In relation to TAP, the premier said that there will be an expansion of the provider network to include hospitals in Florida to treat select and complex cases that outstrip the resources available in the current network which consists primarily of regional providers. She said that hospitals already identified to provide services include - Broward Health, Holy Cross, Cleveland Clinic, and Childrens Hospital of Tampa. Board members The premier reported that the new three-member executive management team is in place with the new members - chief executive officer, medical director and chief financial officer - assuming office during the second quarter. This period also saw changes in the composition of the board of directors with four new board members included a new chairman and deputy chairman being recruited. She added that the NHIB will continue organisational restructuring in key areas as evidenced by the ongoing recruitment and recent employment of key personnel at the executive and operational levels. These personnel include a new executive management team and ongoing recruitment for posts such as human resource officer, legal officer, compliance manager, compliance officer, nurse case managers, claims verification officer and public relations officer. She noted that the NHIP remains committed to developing public relations, marketing and promotions activities using social media and targeting the TCI population. Greater emphasis will be placed on acquiring customer feedback on the degree of satisfaction with services provided by the NHIP to inform NHIP response and the dissemination of key information about benefits, safeguards, rights and obligations of beneficiaries. Recruitment efforts are underway to hire a public relations and marketing officer to spearhead these initiatives, the premier said. She added that this position is anticipated to be filled during the third quarter of 2018-2019. Meanwhile, a capital budget of $352,500 was approved for NHIB for the 2018-2019. These funds, the premier said, will be used to enhance NHIB resources with retrofitted offices to accommodate the new hires, upgrade the information technology infrastructure and web portal as well as obtain a new vehicle to allow compliance officers to visit delinquent clients. In addition, some of this capital budget will go towards enhancing the pharmaceutical software. The NHIB continues to partner with TCIG in ensuring greater oversight of the Project Agreement with InterHealth Canada/TCI Hospital as well as work with the MOH, the wider TCI community, and all stakeholders in areas such as health promotion and prevention and support of primary healthcare renewal in the TCI. Premier Cartwright Robinson stated that the NHIB will continue to identify and review areas of specialised care that can be incorporated into the existing services within the TCI to reduce the number of people who travel overseas for such services and in so doing increase efficiency. She said the focus during 2018 and 2019 is on areas of cardiology and ophthalmology, which have consistently been identified as areas that require increased on island services due to the epidemiological profile of the TCI population and the financial and social cost incurred. She noted that the draft pharmaceutical policy has been prepared in response to the pharmaceutical review completed in consultation with various stakeholders and is currently being reviewed by the national pharmacist at the Ministry of Health. She stated that ongoing collaboration between NHIP and the national pharmacist will continue to focus on the drug formulary as will acquisition and piloting of new software to manage and enhance efficiency and cost effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. NHIB actuarial review The premier also reported that the presentation of the findings of actuarial review of the NHIB took place and is in the process of being finalised, pending access to/receipt of critical data from TCI Hospital. The NHIP has submitted this request on behalf of the actuaries to InterHealth Canada via the Ministry of Health. She stated that the final actuarial review document is expected to provide information on the financial sustainability of the plan and will inform key decisions and the way forward for NHIB. The national audit office, through the procurement office, sent out an invitation to tender for the audit of the TCI NHIB for the period FY2015-2016 to FY 2017-2018. Only one audit firm, KPMG, made a bid for the service, the premier said. After negotiations, KPMG was appointed on behalf of the auditor general to conduct the audits of NHIP for the three-year period FY 2015-2016 to FY 2017-2018 at a cost of $161,250 per annum with the three audits to be done concurrently. Presently the financial statements and relevant schedules for the three periods are being prepared, which will then be provided to KPMG so the audit can commence. This is expected to start in the third quarter of 2018-2019. After 13 days, a reporting error and late recount the close state Senate race in the 33rd District ended Monday with a victory by Democrat Norm Needleman, according to Senate Democrats. The recount found that Needleman, first selectman of Essex, defeated Republican Melissa Ziobron, a state representative from East Haddam, by 83 votes, said Adam Joseph, communications director for Senate Democrats, who had attorneys in towns where recounts took place. Im glad its over and I hope this count stands; I dont think my nerves could take another count, Needleman said Monday afternoon. I am very excited for the opportunity to serve the 33rd District as I was a week and half ago. Needlemans win gives Democrats 23 of 36 state Senate seats. The 33rd Senate District includes East Hampton, Deep River, Colchester, East Haddam, Essex, Lyme, Westbrook and Old Saybrook. It is now represented by Sen. Art Linares, R-Westbrook, who did not seek re-election because he ran for state treasurer, but lost in the August primary. John Heiser of the Essex Registrar of Voters office told the CT Mirror the wrong totals were submitted to the Secretary of the States office on election night. The initial returns results they shared had Needleman leading Ziobron by 303 votes. The new tally put the race within the margin in which a recount is required by Connecticut law. Needleman, who self-funded his campaign, outspent Ziobron four to one, spending about $475,000 on his election bid, including a massive television commercial blitz, according to campaign finance filings. Ziobron, a three-term state representative, said on Twitter Monday afternoon, Our journey has come to an end. Losing by 85 votes after being outspent four to one is an amazing feat. Needleman has served as Essex first selectman for four terms after holding many other positions in town government. He is the chief executive officer of Tower Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company in Essex, that employs over 150 people. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson South Korea To Triple Investment In Blockchain The South Korean government has agreed to invest $35 million in next years budget to develop blockchain technology and industry related to distributed ledger technology (DLT) South Koreas government has held a meeting on industry related to DLT and blockchain technology with the participation of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Democratic Party of Korea, and others. The Vice Minister of Health and Welfare announced during the meeting that the ministries agreed to increase the budget for the next year by three times, approximately to $35 million. This year, the Ministry of Science and ICT received 72 blockchain project applications from 41 institutions, and selected six final projects for their development in the public sector. For 2019, the Ministry is set to double the number of selected projects to 12, with three to four private-led blockchain projects as well. The Ministry of Information and Communication will be responsible for providing technical, verificational, and consulting services for the blockchain startups for the next year, Korea Economic Daily reports. The second vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT noted that everyone agrees that the blockchain is a technology that will change the future. Previously, a sub-organisation of the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA), had already made an announcement about the government's plans to spend about $9 million to spread blockchain projects throughout public and private sectors, Back in October, South Koreas Financial Services Commission (FSC), the national watchdog, warned that investing in crypto-currency funds could violate the countrys Capital Markets Act. CoinTelegraph: You Might Also Read: Cybersecurity + Blockchain = Big Progress: Blockchain Can Improve Manufacturing: FOLLOWING months of informal partnerships, the Royal TCI Police Force has formalised its collaboration with the Miami Beach Police Force. The move came during a recent trip to the US city by RTCIPFs Commissioner of Police James Smith during the week of November 5. During that visit, the commissioner met with fellow Chief of Police Daniel Oats of the Miami Beach Police and the two signed a Letter of agreement which formally enables officers from both forces to collaborate and provide mutual assistance. Just days after the official signing, officers from the Miami Beach Police Force travelled to the TCI to provide local officers with necessary training in the use of Axons Taser. The US force has also donated a prisoner transport vehicle which will arrive in the territory soon. Plans are also well advanced to deliver further training to first and second level supervisors with a programme designed by Miami Beach trainers in consultation with local staff. Collaboration has also begun on forensic capability and additional training in this ever-developing field. Speaking on the official partnership Commissioner Smith said: "This is a great step forward, building on existing partnerships here and abroad that will help ensure officers in Turks and Caicos gain access to top quality training and equipment. "I am grateful to Chief Oats and his top team for their commitment to this initiative, especially Major Wayne Jones from Miami Beach and of course Mr Jimmy Morales, the city manager for agreeing to this significant partnership. "This is the beginning of what I hope will be an enduring relationship which will benefit both police departments and of course the citizens we serve. All-Star volleyball match to showcase top players in area The 35th Johnstown Area vs. Somerset Area All-Star Volleyball Match will be contested Wednesday at Somerset High School. "Thanks but No Thanks-giving," an event hosted by the Native American Student Union, in partnership with the Duck Nest and UO Counseling Center, will take place at the Duck Nest on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. (Courtesy of the University of Oregon Counseling Center) OVER the past week, Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson and members of her Cabinet travelled to neighbouring Caribbean island Jamaica to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. On November 8, Premier Cartwright Robinson paid a courtesy call on prime minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness. The premier and Holness exchanged their opinions on various issues including ways to further strengthen bilateral relationship and economic cooperation, cultural exchanges between Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Later on that day, the premier and Hon. Karen Malcolm, Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services, met with The Heart Trust/National Training Agency in Kingston, Jamaica. The organisation provides access to training, competence assessment and certification to all working age citizens and offer career development and employment facilitation services island-wide. The Turks and Caicos Islands Government will be partnering with the agency to implement a similar programme to ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders are engaged and empowered, deliver workforce training and certification, facilitate adult learners with literacy and numeracy skills, while creating more opportunities for advancement and national service. The intention of the partnership is to ensure that no TCI youth is left behind. The House of Lords is one of our least loved institutions which is saying something. Our sometimes comatose second chamber is dominated by mostly white, elderly men who havent had to go to the bother of having their names on a ballot paper. So there was an instant outcry when these unelected oldies voted last Thursday to spare one of their number, Lord Lester, who had been found guilty of sexual harassment. By 101 votes to 78, the Lords rejected the four-year suspension recommended for the 82-year-old peer. Detractors The Lords Committee for Privileges and Conduct had earlier judged that Lord Lester had groped Jasvinder Sanghera 11 years ago, and later offered to make her a baroness if she had sex with him. He allegedly threatened reprisals if she refused, which she did. Miss Sanghera is an energetic campaigner against forced marriage who has been awarded the CBE. Lord Lester is a distinguished Leftish lawyer who was an architect of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act. His detractors suggest he can take himself too seriously, but until now no one had accused him of having wandering hands. There was an instant outcry when these unelected oldies voted last Thursday to spare one of their number, Lord Lester, who had been found guilty of sexual harassment Many will see this vote as another example of male Establishment figures closing ranks to defend their sexist ways. Having declared herself re-victimised by Lord Lesters reprieve, Miss Sanghera described her case as the Lords Kavanaugh moment. This was a reference to U.S. judge Brett Kavanaugh, confirmed to the Supreme Court last month despite being the subject of sexual assault allegations. Feminists and supporters of the #MeToo movement erupted in anger, as they are doing now Lord Lester has avoided being suspended from Parliament. Are they right? Is this another stitch-up, with self-interested old boobies either assuming one of their number couldnt possibly grope a defenceless woman or privately not caring overmuch if he did? I think it unlikely. This seems to me another instance of the failure of investigating authorities in this instance, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, the Lords Commissioner for Standards to undertake a copper-bottomed inquiry before publicly circulating highly damaging accusations. What was really at stake here wasnt whether or not to kick Lord Lester out of the Lords for four years. Some of us might view such a sentence as a release, and at his age even he cant have regarded it as an intolerable deprivation. No, the issue concerned his good name and reputation. Was this apparently virtuous champion of human rights in fact a sex pest? More fundamentally still, was he a liar, since he has vigorously denied Jasvinder Sangheras charges, which were upheld by Scott-Moncrieff and the Committee for Privileges and Conduct? Serious stuff. It is therefore unfortunate that Scott-Moncrieff should effectively have acted as judge and jury over her nine-month investigation. Crucially, Lord Lester was denied the opportunity to cross-examine Miss Sanghera. Nor did anyone else do so. And when Lord Lester unearthed information that appeared to call into question Miss Sangheras recollection of dates, Scott-Moncrieff advised the Lords conduct committee to disregard it. In particular, Lord Lester found paperwork which appeared to show that on a morning in January 2007, when according to Miss Sangheras account he was accompanying her to St Pancras station in London having just groped her in his home, he was on his way in the opposite direction to Gatwick airport. There are other anomalies, which neednt detain us. The point is that evidence that would have been weighed in a court of law was not considered by Scott-Moncrieff, a human rights lawyer and former president of the Law Society. Miss Sanghera is an energetic campaigner against forced marriage who has been awarded the CBE It is not acceptable, in so serious a case, for the Lords conduct committee and Lucy Scott-Moncrieff to conclude breezily that the allegations of sexual harassment, corrupt inducement and threat of retaliation were more likely than not to be true. Doubtless some peers who voted in Lord Lesters favour were bigoted old duffers who couldnt imagine a fellow could do such things to a woman. But others were surely influenced by the conviction that justice had not been done. They were right. The irony, though, is that Lord Lester was not the sole victim. Miss Sanghera has also been denied justice. She has inevitably been left with the smear that she cooked up false allegations. And yet, on the face of it, some of her evidence is persuasive enough, including as it does corroboration from witnesses that she gave them a contemporaneous account of the charges of harassment. Threatened There are some oddities. For example, in 2007, shortly after the alleged groping, and again in 2009, she inscribed books to Lord Lester in fond and respectful terms. Why would she have done this if he had harassed and threatened her? Lord Lester is a distinguished Leftish lawyer who was an architect of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act On the other side of the ledger, she is an upstanding woman who has devoted her life to good causes. Why would such a person confect stories liable to ruin an innocent man? All this only emphasises how thoroughly unsatisfactory a process this has been, and how vital it is that allegations of this sort be fairly examined before guilt is declared. Unfortunately, the authorities dont always show such good sense. We should remember the polices pursuit of former home secretary Leon Brittan (who died before he could clear his name) and Field Marshal Lord Bramall, whose house was raided when his wife, who had dementia, was upstairs. Both these cases were reportedly based on information supplied by an alleged fantasist known as Nick, who now faces trial. He was also believed to be the source of allegations against former prime minister Ted Heath, which led to a police officer standing outside the Tory leaders former home appealing for witnesses. Respectable I dont of course suggest the case against Lord Lester was based on such threadbare allegations. For all her faults in this matter, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff is a diligent and capable lawyer. And, as I have said, Miss Sanghera is a highly respectable complainant. But whenever grave charges of this sort are brought against a public figure, it is imperative that the suspects be afforded proper justice. I dont believe Lord Lester has been. Either the Lords should reform its procedures or it should put cases like this in the hands of an independent body which can be trusted to be even-handed and exhaustive. As it is, all parties have emerged from this saga with their reputations damaged. The Lords will be accused of shielding one of its own, and its Commissioner for Standards of having conducted a defective inquiry. Lord Lester, said by his wife to have suddenly turned into an old man, and reportedly in ill health, will remain under suspicion in some minds. Yet he seemingly has no means of establishing his innocence. Meanwhile, Jasvinder Sanghera will be championed by some as another woman victimised by the male sex, while others will wonder how the accusations she levelled could possibly be true. All in all, its a terrific mess that leaves everyone unhappy. The Lords Committee for Privileges and Conduct is supposed to be looking at the matter again, but I shant be holding my breath. Many single women are still searching for their soulmate. But according to Jana Hocking, being single can actually be a good thing. After struggling to find 'the one', the former Bachelor producer, from Sydney, has revealed why she's choosing to stay 'stress-free' single than be in a relationship. Former Bachelor producer Jana Hocking (pictured) has opened up about why she's choosing to live a single life over a relationship 'In a world that constantly reminds us to match up or die alone, one can feel a little (a lot) of pressure to find "the one",' she wrote on her blog High Heels and Hangovers. 'But have you ever felt the sheer delight after a relationship has gone rapidly south and to a screaming halt of just pure pleasure. 'That sigh of relief when you realise that no longer do you have to worry about where "said relationship" was going, when he was going to text next, or whether you truly were a good match. 'It's done, it's over, and you finally have your weekends back. The anxiety and pressure that comes with a new relationship can dissolve into the pages of your panic-stricken diary and you can start a fresh chapter.' The 30-year-old radio producer explained she has dated both the 'bad boy' and a 'sweet guy' but things haven't worked out for her. 'So what do you do when you know your type is rotten, but you're unsure you can change. You reside to the fact that relationships just aren't your thing and respond with a life of happiness,' she said. 'My weekends are spent sleeping in, long brunches with girlfriends and cocktail filled nights that involve flirting and banter.' Jana said she has dated both the 'bad boy' and a 'sweet guy' but things haven't worked out She also found that it was hard juggling a relationship and her job that involves a morning alarm clock set for 3.30am. 'So, what is the secret? How do you find your perfect match? One that you may actually want to keep around?' she asked. 'Is it so crazy to choose to live a fun single life that involves the occasional sexually-fulfilling fling? I believe it may actually marry up the best of both worlds. 'A life that allows me to focus on my career, a healthy social life and the occasional romp-in-the-hay. 'Just because we are brought up to believe the fairytales that life doesn't truly begin until youve found your significant other, do we really have to follow that rule?' And according to science, Jana said living a single life can actually be 'incredibly good for your mental mindset'. She also found that it was hard juggling a relationship and her job that involves a morning alarm clock set for 3.30am She mentioned psychologist Bella DePaulo, from the University of California Santa Barbara, who found the beliefs that single people are 'miserable and lonely' and 'want nothing more than to become un-single are just myths'. 'It turns out single people work out more, know themselves better, have better friendships and aren't afraid to be alone,' Jana said. She said she realised the best stories in her life have involved being single. 'When I look back at the good times it's involved the small triumphs in life like scoring my dream job, travelling overseas by myself for the first time, starting a podcast. These are the things that give me my kicks. That get me up in the morning,' she said. 'Don't get me wrong. The thrill of a text from a guy I like is certainly a jolly good feeling, but until it resonates into a long-lasting relationship, why can't I be perfectly fulfilled with what I have now. Me, myself and I? 'Singletons are not people we should pity, but people we should celebrate, or at the very least accept with a big warm hug and an invitation to a bloody good night out.' Many Australian households swear by the benefits of adding a dash of fabric softener to the weekly wash for laundry that's extra soft and sweet-smelling. However, according to a new report by CHOICE, there are some products that are less effective than plain water or vinegar. The consumer watchdog revealed the results of its survey after testing a range of top-selling brands. These were ranked on absorption, softness and cost per wash. Surprisingly, its best performing product, one which offers a whopping 40 washes for a one litre bottle, is priced at a very affordable $3.80. Soften Concentrate Fabric Softener Ocean Fresh, priced at $3.80, topped the list of best rating products with a score of 71 per cent Topping the list of the consumer advocate's recommended products is Soften Concentrate Fabric Softener Ocean Fresh. The fabric softener is priced at $3.80 and was rated an overall score of 71 per cent. When it comes to softness, an all-important concern, the product was afforded a score of 86 per cent. Its absorption score was 53 per cent while cost per wash was averaged out at 15 cents per load. Soften Fabric Conditioner Sunny, priced at $2.99 (pictured left) was rated the second most effective product while Comfort Hypoallergenic Pure Fabric Conditioner, priced at $6.99 (pictured right) was rated third Coming in at second place was the Soften Fabric Conditioner Sunny Glow with a rating of 69 per cent. The product, priced at $2.99, scored higher than the top-rated product with a 90 per cent softness rating. However, its absorption score was just 38 per cent. Cost per wash averaged out to 15 cents per load. Taking the third position of top-selling products was Comfort Hypoallergenic Pure Fabric Conditioner, priced at $6.99. The product holds a 65 per cent rating overall. Its softness score is ranked at 84 per cent and its absorption score is 38 per cent. This product averaged out to a very affordable 4 cents per load. CHOICE awarded Cornwells White Vinegar, priced at $4.10, an overall rating of 50 per cent for its effectiveness as a fabric softener CHOICE also revealed which products held ratings of 50 per cent and lower and those which performed little better than water. Cornwells White Vinegar, priced at $4.10, was awarded an overall score of 50 per cent. It holds a softness score of 24 per cent and an absorption rating of 90 per cent. Average cost per load is 3 cents. Fluffy Summer Breeze Fabric Conditioner, priced at $5.00 was given an overall rating of 49 per cent. Its softness score is ranked at 57 per cent and absorption score is 38 per cent. The product averages out to a cost of 5 cents per load. Fluffy Summer Breeze Fabric Conditioner, priced at $5.00 (pictured left) was afforded a rating of 49 cent as was Fluffy Summer Breeze Fabric Conditioner Concentrate, priced at $1.80 (pictured right) Surprisingly the report found only using water rated an overall score of 48 per cent. It holds an absorption score of 87 per cent, while its softness score of 22 per cent compares with white vinegar. The lowest position on the list was held by Fluffy Summer Breeze Fabric Conditioner Concentrate, priced at $1.80. The product was afforded a rating of 48 per cent overall. It holds a softness score of 59 per cent and an absorption rating of 31 per cent. Cost per wash averages out at 9 cents a load. While many believe there's no method behind when a partner cheats for the first time, new research has found that there is a 'peak time' for adultery. A recent Australian survey of 1,000 people who admitted to an affair found that 6.45pm on a Friday evening is the time cheating is most likely to occur. It was also found that 'a social night with co-workers' was the most common excuse given as to why they wouldn't be home on time. While many believe there's no method behind when a partner cheats for the first time, new research has found that there is a 'peak time' for adultery: 6.45pm (stock image) 'Cheats are creatures of habit,' Illicit Encounters spokesperson Christian Grant told Women's Health. Mr Grant said that if your partner regularly goes out with work colleagues on a Friday night, you'd be well within your rights to be suspicious. Those who do cheat on a Friday are also more likely to plan a romantic Saturday night date with their partner to make up for it. 'The Saturday night date is partly due to guilt over the Friday night liaison,' he added. The results also found that those engaged in an extra-marital tryst saw their affair partner an average of two times a week. Additionally, 64 per cent of respondents said they preferred a regular routine as opposed to random encounters as a way of throwing their partner off the scent. 'Having a regular routine means that cheats can stick to the same script when being asked about their whereabouts making it less likely their affair is rumbled,' the spokesperson said. Additionally, 64 per cent of respondents said they preferred a regular routine as opposed to random encounters as a way of throwing their partner off the scent A new survey by dating service Ashley Madison has also revealed some enlightening information about those who cheat. More than half of the women who took part in the questionnaire said being upfront about what they needed made cheating easy because people were receptive to honestly. Another factor which helped, according to 43 per cent of respondents, was being 'mentally ready' - a state of mind the survey explained allowed those considering an extra-marital liaison to make a conscious choice. Reasons why cheaters find it easier to start an affair Reason: Female: Male: I am open about what I need and people are receptive to that 52 per cent 22 per cent I'm mentally ready to have an afffair 43 per cent 30 per cent There are lots of people open to being in an affair 39 per cent 48 per cent I have lots of time to meet with my affair partner(s) 13 per cent 8 per cent Source: Ashley Madison Advertisement 'Looking at the numbers, we can see females have success when they're open about what they want, and when we look at men seeking affairs, it's clear they find that cheating is easier when people are open and honest,' said sex and relationship therapist, Dr. Tammy Nelson. 'Of course, being open and honest with their spouse about their wants and needs seems like it would be a priority, but it's not always easy to communicate in a marriage. 'So opening up to someone who is going through similar stress at home or talking openly with someone about what you truly desire might be a factor in sharing honestly with a potential affair partner - maybe it's the pressure itself that takes some of the pressure off.' Reproduction and fertility is a topic of discussion that many are less informed about than they would care to admit. Playground rumours and old wives' tales about sex often prevail well into adulthood, particularly regarding when women are likely to fall pregnant in any given month. In Australia, it is estimated that one in every six couples will struggle to conceive, leading a growing number of people to seek fertility treatment. Dr Sonya Jessup, a fertility expert based in New South Wales, recently sat down with Kidspot to debunk a host of the most enduring myths about getting pregnant (and not). Dr Sonya Jessup recently debunked a slew of commonly believed myths surrounding sex and pregnancy, including the impact of age, food and the contraceptive pill (stock image) 'YOUR AGE DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE' With an increasing number of celebrities like Rachel Weisz, Janet Jackson and Brigitte Nielsen announcing pregnancies well into their forties and even fifties, some women may believe age truly is just a number when it comes to conceiving. But Dr Jessup warns that despite the A-list trend, science dictates that most women in their forties are unlikely to become pregnant because they simply don't ovulate high quality eggs as frequently as their 20-something year old counterparts. The medic revealed on average, women aged between 40 and 43 will product just one egg per year that has the potential to create life. Trying for children from your late 20s into your 30s increases your chances of conceiving naturally and also offers a greater success rate with IVF. But even if you fall into this age bracket, Dr Jessup said many lifestyle factors can affect your ability to conceive. Maintaining a healthy weight, drinking in moderation and not smoking all improve fertility. From the male perspective, Dr Jessup explained fertility starts to decline from age 40 to 45 when sperm quality decreases. 'BEING ON THE PILL TOO LONG MAKES IT HARDER TO CONCEIVE' According to Dr Jessup, this widely held belief is 'absolutely not true'. 'Depending on the birth control you used before trying to conceive, the rate your cycle regulates my vary, but not by much,' she said. In the vast majority of cases, your cycle should return to normal almost straight away after coming off the contraceptive pill and you should expect to ovulate within a few weeks. Studies have shown within one year of stopping the pill, 80 per cent of women actively trying to become pregnant do so successfully. Studies have shown within one year of stopping the pill, 80 per cent of women actively trying to become pregnant do so successfully 'YOU NEED TO ORGASM TO GET PREGNANT' Despite childhood gossip that 'you need to orgasm in order to conceive', Dr Jessup said it has nothing to do with getting pregnant. 'While an orgasm contracts the uterus, which helps sperm travel faster toward the Fallopian tubes whether conception actually occurs is not dependent on orgasm,' she said. Similarly, the position you have sex in is not related to an increased likelihood of pregnancy. Likewise the use of lubricants does not make it 'easier for sperm to slip inside', as some myths report. Dr Jessup said most lubricants change the pH and acidic balance of the vagina, which can actually prevent or at least reduce the chances of a pregnancy occurring. Sex positions do not increase or decrease the likelihood of becoming pregnant; likewise, having an orgasm does not enhance your chances of conceiving (stock image) 'HAVING SEX ON THE DAY OF OVULATION IS THE OPTIMUM TIME' With an ever-increasing number of ovulation trackers coming to market, many people mistakenly believe having sex the day you ovulate is the key to conception. According to Dr Jessup, having sex the day prior to ovulation gives you the greatest chance of becoming pregnant. The second highest chance is two days before, because the sperm can fertilise an egg for up to 72 hours inside the female body. 'FOOD CAN'T HELP ME GET PREGNANT' While some dismiss natural remedies in favour of modern medicine, Dr Jessup said it is scientifically proven that certain foods stimulate the fertile environment and also promote healthy embryo and foetal development inside the womb. Foods such as fresh grapefruit juice, sauerkraut, soybeans or soy milk and oranges all contain rich quantities of polyamides and isoflavones which both play an important role in fertility. Recent studies show consuming between 20mg and 40mg of soy a day doubled pregnancy rates. With two new nephews in the family, Christmas is set to be an exciting time in the Middleton household and now youngest sibling James has opened up about what the festive season with Kate and Pippa is really like. In an interview on German TV channel, Leute Heute, the entrepreneur described how Christmas is all about family and gives the Middletons a chance to 'regroup'. His comments suggest that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may once again skip Christmas at Sandringham with with Queen in favour of spending 25th December at the Middleton home in Berkshire. Describing the warm reception guests can expect to receive at Michael and Caroles 4.7million mansion in Bucklebury, Berkshire, James, 31, said: 'I welcome people into our family home. I want it to feel like it's their home. 'There'll be turkey, champagne and some wine. For me it's all about family. It's one where we can all regroup.' Kate and Pippa's younger brother James has opened up about looking forward to champagne and turkey with the family in an interview with German TV channel Leute Heute The Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother James Matthews, pictured at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in Germany earlier this month, has revealed he is looking forward to Christmas as it's all about 'family' Prince Louis, pictured in his mother's arms on his christening day in July, will be celebrating his first Christmas this year, alongside his parents and brother and sister Charlotte and George This year will be the first Christmas for his sister Pippa's newborn baby Arthur, who arrived in October, and Kate's son Prince Louis who was born in May. In 2016, William and Kate broke with tradition by spending the festive season with the Middletons rather than joining the Queen at Sandringham. At the time experts said the decision was made to put the needs of George and Charlotte, who were then three and 18 months, first and give them a more relaxed experience rather than the formality of Sandringham. This will be the second year in a row that Meghan, 37, has joined her in-laws for Christmas after she made her debut as Prince Harry's newly-engaged fiancee last year. James sat down for a rare TV interview on German TV channel Leute Heute while attending the GQ Awards in Berlin William and Kate celebrated Christmas at Sandringham last year alongside Meghan Markle for the first time, but will they skip the festivities in favour of the Middletons this year? On the guest list? Meghan's mother Doria, pictured with her daughter at Cliveden House Hotel the night before the royal wedding May, has reportedly received an invite to Sandringham Widespread speculation suggests she will also be joined this year by her mother Doria Ragland, 62, who lives alone in Windsor Hills, Los Angeles. Speaking to Vanity Fair, a royal source said the invitation to Sandringham was offered partly because the Queen was so 'impressed' by Ms Ragland at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle in May. An invitation for Doria would break with royal precedent as even the Middleton family has not been invited to stay at the Norfolk estate. The Duchess of Cambridge's family has joined the royals at church on Christmas morning but they have stayed at nearby Anmer Hall rather than Sandringham itself. James said that at Christmas, his role is welcoming family and friends to the Middleton's home and making them feel like they belong Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews, pictured at Princess Eugenie's wedding days before the birth of their son Arthur, will be enjoying their first Christmas as parents Other possible first time attendees include newlywed Jack Brooksbank, who tied the knot with the Queen's granddaughter Princess Eugenie, 28, last month. Christmas at Sandringham is run like a military operation with everything from guests' arrival time to when they eat breakfast, walk the dogs, sit down to lunch and retire to bed strictly timetabled. Even lunch on Christmas Day is pencilled in for just 50 minutes. The Queen and Prince Philip are already in residence when the first junior Royals arrive before 9am on Christmas Eve, many driving themselves through Sandringhams imposing gates. More senior members follow shortly afterwards. The Queen, pictured attending Christmas Day service at Sandringham in December 2017, is usually joined by a host of relatives for the festivities Over the next three days, they experience a deeply traditional Christmas, but one that the Royals have uniquely personalised, including cheap and cheerful gifts given on Christmas Eve and a liking for charades at which the Queen a superb mimic always shines. Female family members can't expect to travel light with multiple outfits needed including evening gowns, day dresses, smart suits and casuals. The Duchess of Cambridge previously revealed that On Christmas Day alone, she would have to change outfits five times. The heartbroken family of a teenager who met Harry and Meghan during their royal tour in New Zealand have revealed that she has lost her battle with cancer. Eva McGauley, 19 - who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was just 16 - met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at a private reception at Government House in Wellington at the end of last month. The teenager's family revealed on her Instagram page that she had sadly lost her battle with cancer on Sunday morning while surrounded by her loved ones. Eva documented her battle with nasopharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer, on her Instagram page, Eva's Wish. Eva McGauley, 19 - who met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Wellington last month (above, with Eva's mother) - has died after her battle with cancer Announcing the news of Eva's death, her family wrote in a statement on her Instagram page: 'We are heartbroken to tell you all that Eva left us yesterday morning. It was very fast and peaceful and she was surrounded by her loved ones. 'Thank you so much to all of you who have followed Eva's journey and supported her dreams.' After meeting Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, Eva shared a number of snaps of her with the royal couple, excitedly posting: 'I have had the most amazing morning! I am so honoured and thankful to have been invited to Government House to meet with Meghan and Harry this morning!!! 'They are such kind down to earth people who were really interested in the work EvasWish does.' Eva, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was just 16, documented her battle with the disease on her Instagram page Eva described meeting Harry and Meghan as one of the 'most memorable and wonderful moments' of her life, after posting photographs of her and her mother meeting Harry and Meghan at Goverment House, Wellington She added: '[I}t was one of the most memorable and wonderful moments of my life. Thank you so much to everyone who made this happen'. Eva revealed how she had shown Meghan, who is known for her feminist beliefs, a book entitled 200 Women, which featured the teenager. She posted: 'When I met with the Duke and Duchess yesterday I gave her a copy of the @200women book that I am honoured to be a part of. 'It's full of stories about inspirational women who are changing the world so who better to give it to than this very inspirational lady? I hope you enjoy reading it Meghan' Following her cancer diagnosis in 2015, Eva went through months of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and doctors at one point thought she was in remission. Eva's family revealed on her Instagram page that the teenager had died on Sunday morning Posting on Eva's Instagram page (above), her family said they had been left heartbroken by the teenager's death But they later revised their diagnosis, with the teenager explaining: 'Then three weeks later they said they had got it wrong...and actually showed that [the cancer] was terminal. Eva explained how knowing her illness is terminal increased her desire to make a positive change in the world. She wrote on her Give A Little fundraising platform: 'When you know your days are numbered, it really makes it clear what matters to you. 'Sure, I could pin my hopes on meeting my favorite actress, or travelling the world,' she wrote on her Give A Little fundraising platform. 'But what I really want is to make a positive difference that will still be helping people's lives after I am gone to give more in life than that I have taken.' Eva launched a campaign to end sexual violence, after seeing several of her friends cope with the aftermath of the abuse. A pair of die-hard JK Rowling fans made sure their wedding was magical in every way with a Harry Potter themed celebration. Niamah Haddow, 24, and Michael Sidwell, 26, originally from Wales but now living in Australia, knew the moment they got engaged their special day would be in-keeping with their love of the wizarding world. Police officer Niamah wed Michael with a ring that had been embedded in the pages of a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with the officiate holding their favourite tale during the ceremony in Adelaide. And nothing was left without its sprinkling of magic, from the bridesmaids holding broomsticks instead of bouquets, to the groom's Gryffindor tie, a real owl and their aisle covered with pages from their favourite Potter books. JK Rowling fans Niamah Haddow, 24, and Michael Sidwell, 26, originally from Wales but now living in Australia, had a Harry Potter themed celebration complete with the officiate holding their favourite tale Police officer Niamah, whose house and even pets take after the famous franchise, wed Michael with A Harry Potter themed cake The couple wed on October 13 at the Bridge Water Mill in Adelaide, which Niamah said reminded them of 'the Weasley house'. Speaking about their special day, Niamah said: 'The whole day was like stepping into Universal Studios, it was like we were in our own world. 'Everything was Harry Potter. We had pages of the book down the aisle and signs directing people to places in the Potter world. 'My ring holder was the half blood prince book on the 'unbreakable vow 'page. 'My bridesmaids had broomsticks as their bouquet and my bouquet was made out the book pages as were the groomsmens flowers in their pockets. 'Michael's tie was also a Gryffindor bow.' The bride, groom and the bridesmaids posed with wands and flags from the famous houses in the background for the special day And nothing was left without its sprinkling of magic, from the bridesmaids holding broomsticks instead of bouquets Aside from the eye catching decorations the couple, who met five years ago at Worcester University, even sprinkled magic into their vows and music. Niamah, 24, said: 'Our vows were all Harry Potter related as was our music. 'I had a platform 9/34 wall and had letters inside. 'There were signs in the girls and boys bathroom saying 'troll', 'Moaning Myrtle' and 'Ministry of Magic this way' I had signs everywhere.' The couple wed on October 13 at the Bridge Water Mill in Adelaide, which Niamah said reminded them of 'the Weasley house' The tables were decorated in true Hogwarts House style, along with candles, pages from the book and flags from the houses The couple even had a ring embedded in the pages of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book The groom even sported a Gryffindor tie, along with his navy school uniform themed suit The couple even paid homage to Hogwarts with floating candles, which fill the Great Hall in the school for wizards. Niamah added: 'Each wedding table was a different subject at Hogwarts, I had floating candles, I had a cake which was all Harry Potter and a sweet cart that was Honey Dukes. 'We even had a real owl,' she added of the special day. A real owl even graced the fun wedding with its presence on the Harry Potter themed special day The bridesmaids held broomsticks instead of bouquets on the special day, ensuring they kept the bride's train clean Everything was wizard-themed even the social media notice which boasted the hashtag #marriedmuggles Niamah Haddow and Michael Sidwell, whose house and even pets take after the J.K Rowling franchise, knew the moment they got engaged their special day would be just as in-keeping, with their love of the wizarding world Niamah said herself and Michael, 26, had expressed their love of all things Potter the moment they met. She said: 'Because of our ages we have always grown up with it. 'When we first met we expressed our love for it and our first proper date ended up being at the Harry Potter studios in Watford.' 'We got engaged on the bridge of Stratford upon Avon, it's a magical place with lots of Harry Potter and witch related things all around.' Their Harry Potter themed cake featured everything from the Hogwarts train to the golden Snitch The tables were decorated with pages from the book, along with broomsticks and candles on the special day Elsewhere a table was decorated with an owl cage and sweet signposts of the special day Tables had decorations which included wands and chocolates shaped like golden snitches Even the bathrooms had an edge, with a sign saying 'Ministry of Magic' this way And their own house is just as Potter mad. Niamah said: 'Our whole house is Harry Potter themed. 'All our pets were named after Harry Potter characters, our dog is called Albus and we had a cat called Dobby.' The super-fans said even their loved ones, who know of their J.K Rowling obsession, were even a bit taken aback by their themed day. Even the bar was in line with a wizarding theme, and named 'The Three Broomsticks', at the Harry Potter themed wedding The broomsticks were adorned with a special wedding touch in the form of red roses, at the Harry Potter themed wedding Meanwhile the table plan had a clever touch, with the signpost saying 'this sorting hat will sort you to your tables' Niamah added: 'We had a moment before everyone walked into the reception room where nobody had seen the decoration. 'And it was just Michael and I and we practiced our first dance, and for that moment it was just taking in the day. 'I think when everyone saw the decorations they knew it was coming because they know how we are both big fans! 'But I think we went above and beyond I don't think they ever expected it to be this much!' The super-fans said even their loved ones, who know of their J.K Rowling obsession, were even a bit taken aback by their themed day Advertisement The Monaco royals have gathered for the annual National Day celebrations in Monte-Carlo on Monday. Leading the way was Prince Albert II who was dressed in full military regalia accompanied by his wife Princess Charlene of Monaco. Joining their parents on the balcony of the royal palace were three-yea-old twins Jacques and Gabriella of Monaco. Gabriella appeared to have already perfected her royal wave, waving to spectators down below while her proud mother Charlene looked on. And it seemed that the parents had come armed with toys for the little ones to keep them entertained with Prince Jacques spotted holding an action figure while his sister held a Sylvanian Family cat. The former Olympic swimmer, who married Prince Albert in 2011 after meeting him some 11 years earlier at a swimming meet in Monaco, looked typically chic in a monochrome ensemble today. The 40-year-old paired her black midi skirt with a statement structured coat on which she wore the French flower of remembrance - the cornflower. Three-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella joined their parents Prince Albert and Princess Charlene on the balcony of the palace of Monte Carlo for National Day celebrations Princess Charlene thanked crowds for their support, left. Right, Beatrice Casiraghi looked her glamorous best in a fawn coloured dress and an extravagant fascinator as she cradled her son Stefano on the balcony Curious Stefano appeared to be on his best behaviour as he enjoyed the parade on the streets below Princess Charlene of Monaco has joined other members of the royal family for the annual National Day celebrations Monte Carlo The mother-of-two kept the remainder of her accessories relatively muted in the form of knee high black boots and an elegant felt hat in the same shade. Her iconic icy-blonde crop was coiffed to perfection as she stood alongside Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Princess Caroline of Hanover as the celebrations got under way. Watching from the balcony of the royal palace was Caroline's children Pierre Casiragh who could be seen holding his son Stefano Casiraghi and stood alongside his nephew Sacha Casiraghi who observed the military parade below. The National Day of Monaco, also known as the Sovereign Prince's Day, is celebrated every year on November 19. A caring Charlene could be seen ruffling the hair of her son Jacques as they enjoyed the parade below A cheeky Gabriella could be seen playing with a rather deflated balloon much to the amusement of her twin brother Leading the way was Prince Albert II who was dressed in full military regalia for the occasion which falls on November 19 each year since he ascended the throne Princess Stephanie of Monaco looked festive in a bright red dress coat (left) while Charlene looked typically chic in a monochrome ensemble The annual holiday takes place on the same day as Prince Albert of Monaco ascended to the throne. The date of the National Day was traditionally determined by the reigning Prince. The previous Princes often chose the day of the saint they were named after. However, when Prince Albert II ascended the throne he ended this tradition by choosing the same day as his father Prince Rainier III. National day is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning. The people of Monaco may celebrate by waving the Monegasque flag. Watching from the balcony of the royal palace was Caroline's children Pierre Casiragh who could be seen holding his son Stefano Casiraghi and stood alongside his nephew Sacha Casiraghi Also spotted on the balcony was Tatiana Casiraghi alongside husband (far left) to watch the parade below and Princess Stephanie's daughter Camille Gottileb who looked sophisticated in tweed The Principality guard took part in the parade ahead of the ceremonies marking the National Day On Saturday, Charlene joined husband Albert, 60, to attend a charitable gift giving event in aid of the Monaco Red Cross. The couple spent time chatting to visitors, shaking their hands and hearing stories about their lives. The Red Cross is a charity clearly close to the royal's hearts, with the couple hosting a gala ball in aid of the charity each July. Proud Andrea could be seen showing his nephew Stefano the sights of the Amry Parade while Beatrice cradled their second child who was born in May Andrea and his wife Tatiana chatted to their daughter India who looked pretty in a velvet navy party dress Prince Albert could be seen saluting the guard as part of the annual tradition which he chose to hold on the same day his father Prince Rainier III had National day is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning. The people of Monaco may celebrate by waving the Monegasque flag Charlene and Albert have recently returned from Paris which they visited for the centenary of WWI last week alongside other world leaders. President Trump and his wife Melania were among those at the international ceremony for the Centenary of the WWI Armistice at the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. The evening before the cohort descended on the Orsay Museum in Paris for an official dinner marking commemorations for Armistice Day. The Monaco couple's twins, three-year-old Gabriella and Jacques, also enjoyed a playdate at the home of President Macron and his wife Brigitte before returning home. Princess Caroline of Hanover (seen right) looked elegant in a blue tweed coat and a trilby hat with a lace trim Princess Caroline appeared to be in good spirits as she leaned over the balcony to give a wave to the spectators below Princess Beatrice took an Uber as she touched down in LA - after it emerged she is dating multi-millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Beatrice, 30, used the taxi app as she landed in the US, while looking chic in a black bomber jacket and a 190 pleated midi skirt by Misha Nonoo, previously also worn by the Duchess of Sussex. She finished off her look with a white T-shirt and a pair of navy embellished slipper shoes, along with a black leather rucksack. Wearing her brunette locks down in loose waves, the royal showed off her glowing complexion minimal make-up looked. Princess Beatrice took an Uber as she touched down in LA - after it emerged she is dating multi-millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Beatrice is understood to have been dating Edoardo, 34, (above at his home in Kensington, west London) for two months, and has already introduced him to her parents Beatrice looked in very high spirits as she arrived in LA on Friday, flashing a wide smile at cameras. Along with her rucksack, she was seen landing with a 295 carry-on bag by Away, personalised with a 'B' sticker from the brand. It was revealed at the weekend that Prince Andrew's eldest daughter has a new boyfriend Edoardo, 34. She is said to have already introduced the divorced father-of-one to her parents, with friends saying they could be engaged very soon. Beatrice, 30, was all smiles as she touched down in LA, after it was revealed she is dating multi-millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She was seen landing with a 295 carry-on bag by Away, personalised with a 'B' sticker from the brand (right) The royal finished off her look with a black leather rucksack. She is pictured getting into her Uber after landing at Los Angeles International Airport Beatrice introduced Edoardo as her boyfriend at an exclusive party last week thrown by Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal. The royal is understood to have been dating the property tycoon, who has a two-year-old son from a previous relationship, for two months, enjoying a string of dates before even going on holiday together. The pair share the same circle of friends and were introduced to each other through a mutual acquaintance. A friend told the Sun: 'They've been on holiday together and Beatrice introduced him to Fergie and her dad. Things are moving very quickly and it wouldn't surprise anyone if they got engaged within a short period of time. 'They could even be tying the knot in 2019 - it's already been discussed by her friends. Everyone is thrilled that Bea is so happy and in such a good place right now.' The couple are believed to have started dating a month before Princess Eugenie's wedding in October, where Beatrice acted as maid-of-honour. Brigitte Macron had a fashion face-off with Belgium's Queen Mathilde yesterday as the two women met in Brussels. The fashion heavyweights are accompanying their husbands, French President Emmanuel Macron and King Philippe, during a two-day state visit which will see them take in the sights of the Belgian capital. Last night the royal hosts welcomed the Presidential party to a lavish state banquet, where the couples exchanged toasts to each other. Earlier France's First Lady, 65, pulled out all the stops in a sharply-tailored grey coat and 2,610 Louis Vuitton tote as she touched down at the Royal Palace on Monday. Defying the gloomy winter weather, she completed her outfit with a grey polo-neck dress, leather gloves and her signature towering stilettos. Belgium's Queen Mathilde (left) and French President's wife Brigitte Macron welcome guests for a state dinner at the Royal Palace in Laeken, Belgium Philippe of Belgium (right) and Mathilde of Belgium line up with President Macron for photographs Macron (left) toasts to Belgium's King Philippe during the opulent state dinner in the royal palace Macron delivers a stirring speech on relations between the two countries as Belgium's royal couple listens in Brigitte's glamorous host, 45, wore a vibrant red A-line frock featuring an elegant belted waist, matching headband, and classic beige accessories. The Belgian royals greeted their guests on a plush red carpet, with the French President planting a kiss on Mathilde's hand. The two couples posed for formal group photos on a pop-up podium in the Rue Brederode before heading into the palace. The imposing eighteenth-century building is the Belgian royals' official palace, despite the family of six spending most of their time in the Royal Palace of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels. The Macrons also met with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and his partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien, before attending a meeting at Egmont Palace. King Philippe of Belgium (left) toasts to French President's wife Brigitte Macron during the state dinner Macron toasts to Belgium's Queen Mathilde as the state function at the royal palace got underway The Belgian royal family of six spend most of their time in the Royal Palace of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels where they greeted the Macrons on Monday evening First ladies of fashion! Queen Mathilde of Belgium, left, pulls out all the stops to welcome French First Lady Brigitte Macron, right, to Brussels on Monday. The two women are supporting their husbands on an official two-day state visit ahead of an EU summit Enchante! The Belgian royals greeted their guests on an impromptu red carpet, with the French President planting a kiss on Mathilde's hand (pictured) Inside the Grande Galerie at Brussels' Royal Palace this morning, the two couples posed for a group shot (pictured L-R Queen Mathilde of Belgium, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Philippe of Belgium, French First Lady Brigitte Macron) Meet the Belgians! After touching down in Brussels on Monday, the Macrons met Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, left, and his partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien, second left Mother-of-four Mathilde was joined by husband of 19 years King Philippe, 58, who ascended the throne following the abdication of his father, King Albert II, on 21 July 2013. They are parents to Princess Elisabeth, 17, Prince Gabriel, 15, Prince Emmanuel, 13, Princess Eleonore, 10 - with the eldest recently starting boarding school in Wales. Belgium's royal couple recently returned from a flying visit to the UK, where they joined the Prince of Wales for his 70th birthday celebrations at Buckingham Palace. Mathilde, a former speech therapist with a psychology degree, has a somewhat conservative approach to fashion, favouring long hemlines, block colours and sensible silhouettes. By contrast Brigitte, a former teacher, has expensive taste and has a penchant for designer labels - her favourite being Louis Vuitton. Fashion face off! Brigitte's glamorous host, Mathilde (second right) wore a vibrant red A-line frock featuring an elegant belted waist, matching headband, and classic beige accessories Mathilde (pictured with Philippe in Brussels this morning) has a somewhat conservative approach to fashion, favouring long hemlines, block colours and sensible silhouettes France's First Lady Brigitte Macron (left) pulled out all the stops in a sharply-tailored grey coat and 2,610 Louis Vuitton tote as she arrived at the Royal Palace on Monday Welcome to Belgium! The two couples posed for a series of formal photos on a podium in the Rue Brederode before heading into the palace (pictured) to kick off the state visit France's First Lady has been spotted sitting on the front row at the luxury label's fashion shows, as well as at Christian Dior. She also has a penchant for Revival (favouring their ankle boots), Gianvito Rossi shoes, wears an Hermes watch and owns a 1,000 Moncler jacket. Belgium's last visit from a French head of state was made by President Georges Pompidou in 1971. This week's visit, which comes just days before an EU summit next weekend, will focus on deepening the relationship between the two countries. They will also visit the district of Molenbeek, home of IS-inspired jihadists who carried out the notorious 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130. King Philippe, right, welcomes the French President in Brussels on Monday. This week's visit, which comes just days before an EU summit next weekend, will focus on deepening the relationship between the two countries Fans have declared McDonald's Christmas advert to be the 'best one so far' - branding it 'emotional' and 'very festive'. The fast food chain's campaign this year tells the story of how Father Christmas goes from house to house on Christmas Eve - without finding any treats for his reindeer. Father Christmas then decides to make a quick stop at McDonald's - picking up bags of carrots to refuel his delighted reindeer. The campaign finishes with the slogan 'Are you #ReindeerReady?' as families are encouraged to pick up their 'Reindeer Treats'. McDonald's Christmas advert this years sees Father Christmas feeling sorry for his reindeer as nobody has left carrots out for them Social media users have quickly taken to Twitter to comment on the McDonald's ad - with many suggesting that it's better than this year's offering from John Lewis. One fan posted: 'I think it's safe to say @McDonalds have the best Christmas advert this year by far'. Another commented: '@McDOnald's that is the best advert this #Christmas! Propert emotional #ReindeerReady' Meanwhile, another added: 'Well the McDonald's Christmas advert is sooo much better than the John Lewis (sorry, Elton John) one! It's all about the Christmas Spirit'. Father Christmas then decides to make a quick stop at McDonald's in order to pick up some treats for his reindeer The McDonald's campaign sees Santa picking up 'Reindeer Treats', or brags of carrots, in order to re-fuel his reindeer Social media users have quickly taken to Twitter to comment on McDonald's 'very festive' advert - with many saying it's their favourite this year It comes after department store John Lewis unveiled their hotly-anticipated Christmas advert last Thusday. This year's advert telling the story of Sir Elton John's rise to fame and fortune from humble beginnings, showing how the gift of a piano at Christmas when he was four helped change his life. However, the campaign divided viewers, with some fans disappointed that cuddly stars such as Montie the penguin and Moz the monster have been jettisoned for a celebrity-endorsed campaign. One wrote: ''Is it just me disappointed with #JohnLewisChristmasAd nothing xmasy at all.. that could of been about his bloody birthday'. Another added: 'So the #JohnLewisChristmasAd this Year is just a trailer for the new Elton John film right?' The McDonald's advert sees Father Christmas going house to house, eating mince pies that have been left out for them However, his reindeer are seen looking sad as nobody has remembered to leave out any treats for them as well Other Twitter users suggested the McDonald's one was even better than the hotly-anticipated John Lewis one Meanwhile, Waitrose has mocked John Lewis' campaign in its latest festive offering this Christmas. It sees a young girl encouraging her family to gather round the TV to watch the ad - only for her parents to grab hold of the remote control and press fast-forward. The teen looks perplexed, but the reason for the rushed viewing soon becomes apparent - a Waitrose dark chocolate and orange 'stollen wreath' waiting to be eaten. As the family tuck into their stollen, the father takes another swipe at Waitrose's sister company John Lewis - remarking that he 'preferred the one with the penguin'. This year's Christmas advert season was kick-started by Currys PC World and Argos, who were the first retailers to launch their festive campaigns at the start of the month. Others quickly followed including M&S, Aldi, and Iceland - whose campaign about palm oil was deemed too political to be shown on TV. Advertisement Unique: US Navy woman Jordan Jones has revealed how she spends her free time dressing up as a giant cartoon husky A US Navy woman has revealed how she spends her free time masquerading as a giant husky dog in a handcrafted fursuit in order to entertain her 23.6K Instagram followers - but she insists the quirky extra curricular activity isn't a sexual fetish for her. US Navy aircrew survival equipmentman, Jordan Jones, 21, from Henryville, Indiana, first discovered the furry fandom when she was 18 after seeing a group of people dressed in fursuits in public and loved the idea. However, when she learned that the suits cost anywhere between $3,000 to $5,200 to buy, she put her dream of joining the fandom on hold. Then, last year Jordan was browsing Instagram and discovered the fursuits again; this time she decided she would make her own and spent just $400 on materials to make her suit, which then took a month-and-a-half of handcrafting to complete. Incredible pictures show Jordan as her doggy alter-ego, Aurora Bloom, meeting Bumblebee from the Transformers franchise, on the beach, and hanging out with young children at a Halloween party. For Jordan who is currently stationed in California, the best thing about the furry fandom is the positivity and people it has connected her with whilst offering her an escape from her hectic life through being able to portray her character. Whilst for some, the hobby might be a sexual fetish, Jordan doesn't partake in this aspect of the fandom, with her husband, Bailey, completely supportive of her pastime. 'I saw a group of fursuiters in public once and I loved them. After that I researched more on where to buy one, and found they are around three to five thousand dollars. Being only 18 at the time I couldn't afford one and dropped the idea for a few years,' said Jordan. 'Last winter, I came across fursuits on Instagram and from there it started again and it's when I decided I was going to make my very own. Transformation: The 21-year-old first discovered the world of furry fandom on Instagram when she was just 18, and soon came up with the idea for her fluffy alter ego, Aurora Bloom (right) Fun: Jordan, who is married, insists that her hobby has nothing to do with fulfilling a sexual fantasy, despite that being the case for a number of people who partake in the furry lifestyle 'I personally spent about $400 on the materials to make my suit, but since I made it myself the cost is much cheaper than if I were to buy it from another suit maker. 'Fursuit making is a very difficult and time-consuming task, since every custom suit is tailored to the persons exact measurements and their custom characters. One like mine will usually run at about three to five thousand dollars. 'Being a furry has honestly changed my life in almost every aspect, definitely for the better. I've gotten back into art and my creativity is at its peak. 'I love the people the most. I've met so many sweet and caring individuals and made some amazing friends in just the short time I've been a part of it. I am grateful for all of my followers that enjoy my content as well. 'I love bringing new photos to them and spreading positivity.' The furry fandom is a subculture interested in animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Man and... furry? The furry enthusiast says her husband, Bailey, who is in the US Army, is fully supportive of her lifestyle, even though he does not partake himself Crafty: Jordan actually made her fursuit herself at home, after discovering that buying the suits can cost over $5,000 Making friends: 'I've met so many sweet and caring individuals and made some amazing friends in just the short time I've been a part of it,' Jordan says of her time spent as husky dog Aurora Bloom Bye, haters: Although she has faced some criticism and negativity online, Jordan says that the response to her furry character in real life has been nothing but positive Examples of these attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs and wearing clothes. Jordan set up her Instagram account to share her furry adventures and now has close to 24,000 followers on the social media site. Her hobby is no secret from her Navy colleagues, with Jordan even dressing up as Aurora for a recent Halloween event to entertain the children. 'My husband isn't a furry at all but supports me in every aspect of it. Everyone at my work does know about it too. They think it's cool. 'I've actually worn my suit to a Halloween event we had at work to entertain the kids. 'I get all kinds of reactions. Almost always positive. Kids come up to me for high fives, hugs and photos. Even adults ask for pictures with me. Some people are shy as well. Online fame: Jordan set up her Instagram account to share her furry adventures and now has 23.6K followers on the social media site Different path: 'The message I'd like to convey is that not all furries are only interested in the sexual fetish side of the fandom,' Jordan says of the lifestyle Getting out there: Jordan attends conventions and events as Aurora Bloom Helping hand: Jordan is open about her hobby with her Navy colleagues, and recently dressed up as Aurora to attend a family Halloween party of one of her co-workers 'I've yet to have any negative experience with the public yet. Anyone who is hateful towards me I usually ignore, especially online. It just fuels negativity. 'Most people who criticise or try to shame me aren't fully educated on the fandom. Kill them with kindness. 'The message I'd like to convey is that not all furries are only interested in the sexual fetish side of the fandom. 'This is the stereotypical thought when people think of furries. Just like every community, there are many who partake in the sexual aspect, but many do not. 'There is nothing wrong with being interested in that side of the fandom, and nobody should shame them for this either. It's just not for me personally. 'Most just enjoy acting like a giant animal and portraying their characters.' Queen Letizia of Spain looked perfectly polished as she joined husband King Felipe at an event in Madrid on Monday. The 46-year-old donned a flattering belted tweed dress as she arrived at the Prado Museum for an event celebrating the institution's bicentenary. Wrapping up against the chilly autumn weather, Letizia added a tailored camel coat which fell just below the knee. Perfectly polished: Queen Letizia of Spain donned a flattering belted tweed dress as she arrived at the Prado Museum for an event celebrating the institution's bicentenary Classic cuts: Letizia added a tailored camel coat which fell just below the knee for the outing She finished the look with point toe pumps and a matching clutch in a warm russet leather. Letizia and Felipe, 50, were on hand to mark the first bicentenary event at the museum, which celebrates the milestone next year. The museum houses artwork by painters like Velazquez, Rubens, Goya, El Bosco and El Greco. Letizia, who shares daughters Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11, with Felipe, has had a typically busy month of royal engagements. Celebrations: Letizia and Felipe, 50, pictured centre, were on hand to mark the first bicentenary event at the museum ahead of the milestone next year Last week the royal couple carried out an official visit to Peru, where their stops included visiting social initiatives. The Spanish royals touched down in Lima last Monday, where they were greeted by Peru's President Martin Vizcarra and First Lady Maribel Diaz. The couple were welcomed at the Government Palace in Lima with a Guard of Honour after arriving in Lima. Sleek and stylish: Letizia wore her brunette locks in a sharp down do and kept her make-up to a minimum Peru's Foreign Office explained how the Spanish royals were visiting the country at the invitation of President Vizcarra. In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'The presence of Their Majesties in Peru has particular significance, as it helps strengthen the solid friendship with Spain and renew deep historic-cultural, economic, and cooperation ties binding the two nations'. The visit to Peru comes after Felipe travelled to France at the weekend for Remembrance Day commemorations without Letizia. Two brothers have revealed that they were shunned by their family after both coming out as transgender just one year apart. Dairy Queen manager, Hunter Myles Wilburn, 21, from Georgia, was a 17-year-old girl when he began to identify as male after years of struggling with gender dysphoria. But despite his friends being supportive when he came out on Facebook in 2016, his family didn't take it so well. The only members of his family that supported him was his youngest brother Taylor and his other brother and chef, Karson Wyatt Inkly, 18, who was also going through similar struggles in secret. Side by side: Hunter Myles Wilburn (right), 21, and Karson Wyatt Inkly (left), 18, are both transgender and came out to their family within the same year Back then: The brothers, who are pictured as sisters before their transition, say they have faced negativity and criticism from their close family as a result of coming out Support: Both brothers say that they find their greatest source of support in one another, and Karson, left, is able to get advice about transitioning from Hunter, right Karson then came out to his family and friends in 2017, and is due to begin taking testosterone in January 2019, while Hunter began taking testosterone in October of this year. Their journeys have helped each other get through their body insecurities and Karson has had a lot of support from his girlfriend, Harmony, since he came out as transgender. 'I have to try and avoid using public restrooms because I am judged no matter which restroom I use. We're human and we have feelings too,' Hunter said. 'I first started identifying as male during my junior year of high school where I came out to a close friend. She was and still is very supportive. 'I was nervous about coming out to others, but slowly I did and every time I told someone new it took so much weight off my shoulders. 'I struggle with dysphoria a lot; mainly with my chest and my voice. I did hide it from my family for the longest time and I hated the way it made me feel. 'My mom supports me somewhat, but again my siblings Taylor and Karson are my biggest supporters. Then and now: Hunter, pictured right in the left photo, and left in the right, came out in 2016, after he started identifying as male when he was 17 Moving on: The older sibling, left, began taking testosterone in October of this year Family ties: The brothers, pictured left before transitioning, say that the only support they have received from within their family has come from their youngest sibling, Tyler (not pictured) Strong: Karson, right, says he has been identifying as male since he was 14 'I just made a long post on Facebook telling everyone; the majority of people responded positively but my mom didn't like it one bit.' Hunter's big reveal was followed by Karson's own journey as transgender. While his transition is still fresh, Karson explains how he has now fully embraced his journey along with his brother. 'At the age of fourteen, I began to feel more comfortable identifying as a man but was still very confused about it all, it wasn't until I was sixteen that I realized that I was transgender,' Karson said. 'I began closing myself off from everyone and refused to make friends. I don't have anyone in my family that is supportive. My main supporters are my girlfriend, Harmony, and my best friend and brother, Myles (Hunter). 'Since my family didn't accept my transition, I had to hide my true self until I was eighteen-years-old. At age sixteen, I told my brother Myles and my girlfriend Harmony. Looking ahead: Hunter, pictured as a young girl before his transition, gives himself a testosterone shot every Wednesday, and says it is his favorite day Going public: 'I just made a long post on Facebook telling everyone; the majority of people responded positively but my mom didn't like it one bit,' Hunter revealed Moving on: 'My next step is having surgery,' Hunter has revealed 'At the age of seventeen, I told my aunt and when I was eighteen, I came out publicly. When I came out to my brother and girlfriend they were accepting. 'But when I came out to my aunt she was not accepting and acted as if I hadn't told her anything at all. When I came out publicly, I was kicked out of my parents' house at the beginning of this year in February.' Despite the fallout from coming out to their family, Hunter and Karson say they have never felt more like themselves since the reveal. 'Now, that I've started my transition I feel so much better mentally. Beforehand I really couldn't stand the way I looked because it wasn't the way I saw myself,' Hunter said. 'I was always the "tomboy" growing up, but it was much more than that; growing up my mom always said that our cat was really a dog trapped in a cat's body and in the fifth grade I told my classmates that I was really a boy trapped in a girl's body. 'I recently just started testosterone. Every Wednesday I give myself my shot and that's my favorite day of the week.' Finding himself: 'At the age of fourteen, I began to feel more comfortable identifying as a man but was still very confused about it all,' Karson says of his transition Happy: Karson says that he hated the way he looked before coming out as transgender and embracing his male identity By his side: The teenager has a girlfriend, Harmony (right), who he has been with since before he came out as transgender Heartwarming: Karson says Harmony has been fully supportive of his transition Karson explains how he has felt since coming out. 'Before coming out, it felt as if there was a weight on my shoulders. I never wanted to look at myself in a mirror and hated the way my body felt and looked,' Karson said. 'While I haven't yet started my transition yet, I feel I am truly becoming who I am and no longer having to hide my true self. The hardest part is being patient to see results.' Hunter explains his new-found confidence. 'It has made me more confident in myself and I feel like I'm slowly becoming the person I've always been,' Hunter said. 'I'm slowly learning to love myself and it hasn't really affected my relationships. My family doesn't like it, but I finally stopped worrying about how they feel about it and I'm just focusing on myself and how I feel. 'The hardest part was just the starting process. Living in Tennessee is very hard due to being in what's classified as the 'bible belt' it was very hard finding resources to help me. 'My next step is having top surgery. I'm actually very interested in this surgeon located in Texas.' Priyanka Chopra's makeup artist has her best wedding beauty tips ahead of the star's nuptials to Nick Jonas, while also opening up about the inspiration behind the actress' look for Meghan's royal ceremony. Pati Dubroff, who is currently based in Los Angeles, California, has worked with a slew of A-list celebrities including Eva Mendes, Margot Robbie and Amanda Seyfried. But she is always a consistent go-to for Priyanka, 36, who hired the woman to fly out for the royal wedding in May. In an interview with Refinery29, Pati revealed how she comes up with beauty looks for her clients when they're attending prominent events. Stunning: Priyanka Chopra, 36, consistently hires makeup artist Pati Dubroff to create her stunning beauty looks, including the one for the royal wedding in May Beautiful: Pati said they decided on a pop of color for the eyelids and lips to match the lavender dress Priyanka wore at the wedding 'If anyone's face can handle color, it's Priyanka,' Pati said of the actress, who is due to tie the knot with fiance Nick Jonas before the end of the year. 'She definitely likes to play when it comes to her makeup.' Cheers! 'If anyone's face can handle color, it's Priyanka,' Pati, who has also worked with Eva Mendes and Margot Robbie, said When working with an actress for an event, Pati said she likes to have a few weeks to prepare with pictures of the anticipated outfit so she can create mood boards for the makeup look. Priyanka decided to wear a custom Vivienne Westwood dress in lavender with a matching fascinator to the royal wedding in May where she attended as a close friend to Meghan Markle, 37. The wedding gave Pati an opportunity to play with color on Priyanka by incorporating a stunning purple shade onto her eyelids and lips. 'When appropriate, we'll go there, like for the royal wedding,' Pati said. 'Since the ceremony was during the day, I used this pretty orchid shade on her eyes. 'The way I applied it made it appear a bit more soft and muted, but very feminine and floral, so her makeup wasn't just this boring, natural look.' Pati praised the Quantico actress' full lips and expressive eyes, making it easy for her to create stunning makeup looks that draw anyone in. 'You can't not play with her lips and eyes,' she said. 'If I only play up the lips, her eyes are so naturally expressive they're a focal point even if it's just a clear gloss on the lid.' Incredible: Pati likes to create mood boards around the outfit, like Priyanka's Met Gala look, when deciding what to do for makeup Gorgeous: She decided to create customized gold glitter for the event so Priyanka's eyelids would match her headpiece Expressive: Pati, who also worked with Priyanka for the Emmys (pictured), praised the actress for her expressive eyes and lips For the Met Gala at the beginning of May, Priyanka chose a Ralph Lauren burgundy dress fitted with a gold headpiece to match the 'Heavenly Bodies' theme for the event. This inspired Pati to customize eye shadow glitter that would further accent the gold in the headpiece. 'I was really inspired by these images I'd seen of a statue of this unidentified, ancient goddess,' Pati said. 'It was completely gold, but kind of cracked and weathered because it was this old, but beautiful, relic. Not long now! Priyanka and Nick Jonas are due to tie the knot before the end of the year 'I loved how imperfect and lived-in the texture of the gold was. That same sheen of tonal gold is what I wanted everywhere for Priyanka, from her eyes to her collarbone.' Pati knew what Priyanka was wearing weeks in advance, like with most other events, so she had time to plan what look would properly accent the outfit. Visions of lightning and sandstorms is what drew her to specific gold colors for the eyelids. But there is one feature on Priyanka that Pati will always let the actress do on her own: her eyebrows. 'I've learned a lot from her, about her face and her brows, by just watching,' Pati said. 'She's really the only person I can think of that is masterful with her own features.' It is unclear if Pati will be there for Priyanka on her big day when marrying Nick Jonas, 26. But she did have advice for how women can best incorporate makeup into their overall look. 'If you're not the kind of woman who typically wears a lot of makeup, suddenly showing up to the wedding in a full face of it might look ridiculous and not like yourself,' she said. 'Someone who does prefer minimal makeup should only step it up a little, for the sake of photographs and videos...Remember: It doesn't have to be heavy-duty to work.' Prince Harry will enjoy a two-day tour to Zambia without pregnant Meghan - in another overseas trip this autumn. The Duke of Sussex, 34, will arrive in the African country on November 26 for his visit, which is at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He will also attend a board meeting for African Parks, a non-profit organistion of which he is President. Harry and Meghan, 37, attended a private Kensington Palace dinner for the conservation NGO, which manages national parks and protected areas, last week. Kensington Palace announced details of the trip today, which comes less than a month after the Duke and Duchess returned to the UK after their overseas tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. Prince Harry (pictured with Meghan in New Zealand) will enjoy a two-day tour to Zambia without pregnant Meghan - in another overseas trip this autumn On arriving in Zambia, Harry will attend a reception to celebrate UK-Zambia relations, where he will meet representatives from British businesses working in Zambia as well as young people and key figures working in the conservation sector. The following day, he will visit Burma Barracks to attend an event commemorating WWI and WWII Zambian veterans, before being shown round a special photographic exhibition about the African soldiers of WWI. The Duke will then attend an event for The Queens Commonwealth Trust, followed by a visit Circus Zambia, an organisation that helps young people from vulnerable backgrounds. Harry's final engagement in Zambia will be a visit to BongoHive, the countrys first technology and innovation hub. Harry and Meghan, 37, attended a private Kensington Palace dinner for African Parks, a conservation NGO, last week (above) The tour will follow Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall's visit to Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria earlier this month. Harry also paid a private visit to Lesotho in June, in connection with his work with Sentebale. The Duke and Duchess have had a busy schedule since returning to the UK following their first major overseas tour last month. They attended a number of engagements at the Remembrance Day commemorations last weekend, as well as Charles' 70th birthday dinner at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The pair also attended an unannounced mental health workshop on Thursday, followed by the Royal Foundation dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Harry and Meghan are also attending the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium tonight. The Duke and Duchess have had a busy schedule since returning to the UK following their first major overseas tour last month, including attending Remembrance Day commemorations (above) Elizabeth Smart and her husband have welcomed a baby girl named Olivia. The 30-year-old, who was famously kidnapped from a bedroom she shared with her younger sister in 2002, shared a post on Instagram today announcing that she had given birth to baby number three. 'So happy to welcome Olivia to our family!' she captioned a hospital snap of herself, Olivia, and husband Matthew Gilmour. Growing family! Elizabeth Smart and her husband have welcomed a new baby girl Happy moment: The 30-year-old shared a post on Instagram today announcing that she had given birth to a girl named Olivia Elizabeth beamed in the close-up photo as her newest little one slept on her chest. She and Matthew live in Park City, Utah and have two other children, two-year-old Chloe and ten-month-old James. 'My children have brought so much happiness and joy,' she told People in September. 'To me, theyre the very definition of love.' Still, given her own traumatic history, the mother-of-three admitted she may be a bit more worrisome than other mothers. 'Theres a part of me thats always thinking, "Are the windows shut? Where is she at? Who is by her? Can I see her?" I dont want to let Chloe out of my sight,' she said. 'I will never regret being there for my children, watching them, making sure theyll be okay. But I might regret not being there for them.' Smart first announced on Instagram that she was expecting baby number three back in June, posting a picture of her sonogram. While she hadn't spoken much more about her pregnancy since, she has been quite busy advocating for other victims of kidnapping and sexual abuse. Big siblings! She and her husband Matthew Gilmoru live in Park City, Utah and have two other children, two-year-old Chloe and ten-month-old James 'My children have brought so much happiness and joy,' she said Traumatic past: Smart was famously kidnapped from her bedroom in 2002 and held for nine months in captivity The birth announcement comes just two months after one of her kidnappers, Wanda Barzee, was released from Draper Prison in Utah on September 19. The 72-year-old and her husband Brian Mitchell kidnapped Smart from her bedroom in 2002, holding her captive for nine months in the woods where Mitchell raped her daily. Smart was saved when a stranger saw the trio walking on a public street and called police. But while Mitchell will spend the rest of his life behind bars, Barzee was released two months ago after being in jail since 2003. She was previously scheduled to be released in 2024. In June, Smart begged for Barzee not to be granted parole and said she was still a danger to society. Speaking on CBS This Morning, she said her kidnapper fell short on her court-ordered apology, which was part of her plea deal. Positive outlook: 'I never asked to be kidnapped,' she said on Instagram recently. 'But had I not been kidnapped and raped, I wouldnt understand what it is to be a victim/survivor' Family fun: She and her two little ones recently celebrated Halloween 'But it was just a very brief, "I'm sorry for what I've done, the end," kind of thing,' Smart said. 'I don't think you can just kidnap a 14-year-old girl and, you know, not only sit by her while she's being raped but encourage the rapist to continue... Then just at the end of it say, "I'm sorry," and really mean it.' While Smart said she did not get a sense from Barzee that her captor was remorseful, she herself has forgiven her. 'I don't feel that I could have moved forward in my life had I still been holding on to hate and anger inside me, because that would still be taking up a percentage of my soul,' she explained. 'And that means that, you know, I wouldn't be able to love my own children 100 per cent, love my husband 100 per cent, because a part of me would still be taken up with anger.' When the decision was made for Barzee's release, Smart said it was 'incomprehensible'. In a statement, she said she was 'surprised and disappointed' to learn that her captor will be freed after failing to undergo mental health evaluations and failing to attend her own parole hearing in June. Free: One of her kidnappers, Wanda Barzee, 72, walked free from prison in September (pictured on April 8, 2016, in Utah State Prison) Awful: Smart appeared on CBS This Morning to talk about her reaction to Barzee's release Barzee will most likely live alone in a private residence. The conditions of her probation require her to enter a mental health treatment program, check in with her probation officer every month, register as a sex offender, and submit to DNA collection, but she does not have to wear a GPS monitor. Monster: Brian David Mitchell, Barzee's husband who raped Smart daily while holding her in captivity, is pictured in his 2004 mugshot Just before Barzee's release, Smart shared a picture of herself as a child just before her kidnapping, and in the caption reacted to the news that Barzee was getting out. 'The past few days could certainly be described as shocking,' she wrote. 'I find this news greatly disturbing and incomprehensible. In my efforts to learn more it seems there are no viable legal options open to me at this time. So it is now that I ask those that have the power, and her family to start proceedings to have her be civilly committed. 'To my knowledge she has neither complied with medication or treatment and as some one who has experienced first hand just how depraved she truly is, I believe her to be a threat and a danger not just to myself but to the community, any vulnerable person. 'I am very concerned and precautions have been taken however I refuse to live in fear. I have spent the last 15 years rebuilding and moving forward with my life, having a family, and pursuing my goals. I lived in absolute fear and terror for nine months, no matter the outcome I will not do so again. Just a little girl: Smart said she is 'very concerned' about Barzee's release after the woman helped her husband kidnap her and rape her daily In June, she'd reflected more on the feelings she had after getting rescued. 'It is so easy to focus on all the negative things that happen and to feel that everything is unfair and should not have happened to you. 'Well I think youre right. Too many things happen that you dont deserve, and are unfair. But even though bad things happen they often lead to knowledge, compassion, understanding, empathy, love, healing, and change. 'In my book all those things are good. Out of great darkness light often shines through. I see that in my own life. Perhaps the only way for me to be where I am today was by going through everything that I did. 'I never asked to be kidnapped, and nor would I ever want it to happen again to me or anyone else,' she wrote. 'But had I not been kidnapped and raped, I wouldnt understand what it is to be a victim/survivor, I would naively think that the victims would have some responsibility over what happened to them, I would have built barriers between what happened to them and what could never happen to me. 'There would be so much I wouldnt know or understand. Looking back I can honestly say it was the worst experience I have ever dealt with and I hope no one ever goes through it again but I am also grateful it happened to me for what it has taught me and allowed me to be a part of, and for making me into the person I am today.' The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared delighted to be reunited with the cast of Hamilton tonight as they prepared to watch the actors perform for the third time. Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, beamed as they greeted stage stars Jamael Westman and Rachel John in the line-up before the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium, clearly pleased to see the familiar faces. The Duchess smiled and said 'thank you' as the two cast members congratulated her pregnancy, before they had to make their excuses and dash off as they were set to perform first. Harry and Meghan, who are expecting their first child together next spring, have left little doubt about their love for the hit musical, having already watched it twice on the West End in the last ten months. The Duchess of Sussex shook hands with two of the cast members of Hamilton who congratulated her on her pregnancy before rushing to the stage to perform at the Royal Variety Meghan took time to speak with the two cast members from the hit musical, they chatted animatedly to the Duchess who was dressed in a sparkling 895 top and flowing 850 black maxi skirt by London-based designer Safiyaa The performers congratulated the Duchess on her pregnancy which she kindly thanked them for as they chatted about going on stage at the London Palladium Prince Harry grinned broadly as he leaned over to greet a Hamilton cast member who he appeared to recognise from months earlier when he and Meghan attended a charity performance of the musical The couple first watched the musical, which originated on Broadway before transferring to London, on an unofficial theatre date in February before attending a special charity performance with its creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, in August. Meghan is also believed to have watched the show in New York with best friend Priyanka Chopra. Pregnant Meghan, 37, donned a sparkling 895 top and flowing 850 black maxi skirt by London-based designer Safiyaa as she joined husband Prince Harry, 34, for the annual event at the London Palladium. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their way down the line-up greeting familiar faces from Hamilton who had already met the royal couple earlier this year Hamilton has enjoyed resounding success in the UK, with Meghan going along with Harry to see the show both in February and August She smiled as she spoke to Westman and John in the theatre foyer, having previously met the pair on stage at a charity performance just three months ago. The special performance in August was held to benefit Prince Harry's charity Sentebale, which works with children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa. Meghan showed off her fashion prowess and her toned legs in a 327 tuxedo dress by Canadian label Judith and Charles and Paul Andrew pumps for the occasion back in summer. Back in August Harry and Meghan visited the theatre for the special charity performance of Hamilton in August which was held to benefit Prince Harry's charity Sentebale Meghan showed off her toned legs in a 327 dress by Canadian label Judith and Charles and Paul Andrew pumps for the occasion, while her husband Harry, 34, looked smart in a suit and tie The royal couple were introduced to the show's award-winning creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda (pictured right), and his wife Vanessa Nadal before the group took their seats in the theatre's Royal Circle The couple were introduced to the show's award-winning creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and his wife Vanessa Nadal before the group took their seats in the theatre's Royal Circle. Prince Harry then took to the stage with the cast where he burst into song himself with a rendition of You'll Be Back - sung by the character of his ancestor George III in the musical. Their unofficial visit earlier this year was documented by members of an excited Hamilton who eagerly posted about it on Twitter. Hip hop musical Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sung the National Anthem as they took their seats in the box ahead of the evening's show The radiant royal beamed as she was greeted by seven-year-old Darcie-Rae Moyse, of Berkshire, who presented her with a beautiful posy of winter blooms Once inside the Duchess met performers, including Take That's Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen Pregnant Meghan dons a striking floral ensemble by London-based designer Safiyaa for the Royal Variety Performance The Duke and Duchess of Sussex showcased their glamorous black tie ensembles as they pulled up outside the theatre The couple were introduced to the show's award-winning creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and his wife Vanessa Nadal before the group took their seats in the theatre's Royal Circle. It opened to rave reviews in Broadway, winning Miranda a slew of awards, before transferring to London earlier this year. Ironically, the show pokes fun at one of Prince Harry's distant relatives, King George III, who is cast as a comical and out-of-touch character. The Duchess of Sussex looked every inch the Hollywood star as she arrived for her Royal Variety Performance debut on Monday night. Pregnant Meghan, 37, opted for a 895 sequin top and a 850 maxi skirt by Safiyaa - a London-based designer she first wore in Fiji last month - as she joined husband Prince Harry, 34, for the glittering charity event at the London Palladium. The radiant royal, who is expecting her first child next spring, brought even more sparkle to her look with a glittery black and gold clutch and 7,000 diamond earrings from Canadian jewellery brand Birks. Glittering: Pregnant Meghan, 37, opted for a 895 sequin top and a 850 maxi skirt by Safiyaa - a London-based designer she first wore in Fiji last month - as she joined husband Prince Harry, 34, for the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on Monday night Blooming: The dazzling bustier top with an asymmetric overlay peplum skimmed over her blooming baby bump. She paired the piece with a flattering black maxi skirt by the deisgner Meghan was greeted in the theatre foyer by seven-year-old Darcie-Rae Moyse, of Berkshire, who presented her with a beautiful posy of winter blooms, before she made her way inside to meet the acts including Take That. For the occasion, Meghan donned a dazzling bustier top with an asymmetric overlay peplum that skimmed over her blooming baby bump. The top, covered in a bicolour leaf sequin, had a simple black strap added to give the mother-to-be more support during the high-profile outing. All-out glamour: The top, covered in a bicolour leaf sequin, had a simple black strap added to give the mother-to-be more support during the high-profile outing, pictured Royal support: Meghan wore a full length cape blue dress by London-based designer Safiyaa at black tie reception on the first night of her royal tour in Fiji last month, pictured She teamed the piece with a fitted black skirt, also from the designer. The high-waisted maxi was cut to flatter the Duchess' figure and featured a slight train. Meghan wore a full length cape blue dress by the designer at black tie reception on the first night of her royal tour in Fiji last month. The spectacular 1,095 outfit, by German-born designer Daniela Karnuts, was made in the same shade of blue as the Fijian flag. Duchess' diamonds: The radiant royal, who is expecting her first child next spring, brought even more sparkle to her look with 7,000 diamond earrings from Canadian brand Birks Firm favourites: Meghan has worn the accessories on a number of occasions, including on a two-day visit to Ireland in July, pictured Adding to the drama of tonight's look, Meghan plumped for a pair of 726 black high heeled pumps by go-to shoe brand Aquazzura. She also carried a glittering black clutch that look strikingly similar to the Stella McCartney worn to a charity performance of Hamilton with Prince Harry in August. The Duchess also recycled another part of her look: her 7,000 Snowstorm earrings by Birks, which she has worn on a number of previous occasions. The 2.15ct diamond earrings are crafted in 18kt white gold and add sparkle to any outfit. Evening bag: The duchess completed the look with a glittering clutch, although the designer is unknown Repeat appearance: It looks strikingly similar to one used by the designer for a charity performance of hit musical Hamilton in London in August As the couple made their way down the line-up, both seemed delighted to meet the cast of Hamilton again, a few months after seeing the show on stage for the second time. The cast members congratulated Meghan on her pregnancy. 'Thank you,' the Duchess smiled. The Royal Variety Performance a mixture of music, dance, singing and comedy - is held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity (RVC), of which The Queen is Patron. Christmas is just around the corner making it the perfect time to celebrate the fun-filled festive occasion with a bottle of your favourite bubbles. The Veuve Monsigny Champagne Premier Cru NV (pictured) is priced at just $25 But rather than splashing some serious cash, German supermarket chain Aldi has just revealed its selling a top drop, one that costs a mere $25. The Veuve Monsigny Champagne Premier Cru NV hails from the Champagne region in France. Sparkling wine can only be called champagne if its grapes are grown in this particular part of France. As well as being genuine Champagne, this bottle of wine also holds the prestigious ranking of Premier Cru - a title bestowed upon just 43 villages in the wine-making province. Making this inexpensive bottle of bubbly an even more attractive buy, is that is also an Australian award winner. In 2015, the Veuve Monsigny Champagne Premier Cru NV was awarded a trophy for best sparkling wine and Top 100 Blue Gold. Christmas is just around the corner making it the perfect time to celebrate the occasion with a bottle of your favourite bubbles. The Blackstone Paddock Limited Release chardonnay 2017 won a prize for the best chardonnay in Western Australia The bargain bottle of Champagne is described as having a 'subtle brioche and pear citrus notes' and a 'seductively elegant palate'. And it's also noted for also being 'fresh and full with loads of finesse and style'. It would seem Aldi is romping home in the affordable wine stakes, after news last week an incredibly cheap drop won a distinguished award, beating out other wines more than five times the price. The Blackstone Paddock Limited Release chardonnay 2017, which sells for $14.99 at the supermarket, won at the Western Australia Wine Show. The contender had competition from the likes of Vasse Felix Heytesbury, which is $85 a bottle, Flametree SRS Wallcliffe, Xanadu Stevens Road and Deep Woods Estate SV, all taking part. The show is the biggest competition for WA wines and this year there were 834 entrants. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it was only natural that millennials would be accused of ruining one of the holiday's traditions. On Thursday, Bloomberg got in the holiday spirit by charging an entire generation with ruining the 'big turkey' industry. In this case, the outlet picked slightly less inflammatory wording than 'killing,' saying millennials are 'disrupting Thanksgiving with their tiny turkeys'. How dare they! Last week Bloomberg published an article accusing millennials, those age 22 to 37, of 'disrupting' the big turkey industry Charges: The piece said the generation is choosing smaller birds for various reasons, including reducing waste Chill guys: Twitter users found the concept funny and accused the outlet of searching for another thing to blame millennials for Wording: Some noticed that they avoided saying millennials 'killed' big turkeys According to Bloomberg, the giant turkey industry is facing changes thanks to millennials those born between 1981 and 1996, who are 22 to 37 years old. 'Tiny turkeys will increasingly grace Thanksgiving tables next week, thanks to the millennial generations ongoing campaign to remake American gastronomy,' the article reads. The site says that whereas generations before them would cook giant birds of up to 30lbs for the holiday, millennials are opting for smaller fowl for the table like Butterball's 6lb Li'l Buttervalls due to a variety of factors. Some, they say, are realizing it's 'not natural' to grow a turkey up to 30lbs, and requires the use of hormones. Others are simply trying to cut down one waste (about 200 million pounds of turkey is thrown out every year during the week of Thanksgiving), cooking for smaller families, or mixing it up with quail or squab. Too funny: Some found the whole concept absurd and loved the headline Some made fun of the millennial-shaming with their own millennial jokes Changes: The site says that whereas generations before them would cook giant birds of up to 30lbs for the holiday, millennials are opting for smaller fowl for the table And many social media users think the change is a good thing. 'ALERT: MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING TURKEY SIZES BY HAVING APPROPRIATE PORTION CONTROL,' wrote one. 'I think smaller birds just taste better,' wrote another. Quite a few also took aim at Bloomberg for trying too hard to attack millennials for a changing world. 'Seriously people, find a better narrative. This is dumb,' wrote one. 'Is disrupting the new killing?' asked another. 'I was just thinking we were overdue for another millennial shaming story,' tweeted a third. But many just seemed to find the whole idea funny, with one tweeting: 'I like to imagine this scene as millennials showing up to dinner with tiny turkeys on leashes.' The real deal: Some millennials, they say, are realizing it's 'not natural' to grow a turkey up to 30lbs, and requires the use of hormones Ha! This man joked that if people want big turkeys, they should be blaming the fact that none are lifting weights A good thing! Some pointed out why smaller turkeys are a positive change A big reason: One of the major motivators for the change is a desire to cut down on waste Wrote another: '*slowly strokes small pet turkey on lap* muahahahAHAHAAAA.' Imagined yet another: 'I feel so #blessed & #grateful for my micro-turkey this year I literally cant even-Millennials, apparently.' 'It's f***ing crazy that people are blaming millennials for turkeys being smaller even though I've NEVER seen even ONE turkey at the gym,' one man joked. The conversation surrounding millennials and turkey size comes the same Thanksgiving week that millennial social media users are pranking their mothers by asking them how to cook a 25lb turkey in the microwave. Dubbed the #TurkeyChallenge, the trend has mostly young women texting their moms for the absurd advice and sitting back while their mothers react with horror, confusion, and annoyance. What a question: As part of the #TurkeyChallenge, people are asking their parent show to cook a 25lb turkey in the microwave Take the hint: Jenna Barnes' mom suggested that she try using a cooking bag to make the turkey in an oven Helpful! Another person named Linda revealed that her mother called and gave her the phone number to all of the Boston Markets in her 15-mile radius 'You're scaring me': Carter Koontz admitted that her participation in the challenge resulted in her mom questioning her 'entire parenthood' Good plan: One wise grandmother told her granddaughter to go by a turkey at Publix A young woman named Jenna Barnes explained that her mother 'kept her real thoughts to herself' until she confessed that it was all a joke. 'I have never cooked a turkey in the microwaves. I don't trust that,' she told her. 'My easy way is in a turkey cooking bag made by Reyolds. Called oven bags.' Jenna's mom also pointed out that 'a 25-pound turkey would not even fit in the microwave.' Another person named Linda revealed that her mother called and gave her the phone numbers for all of the Boston Markets in her 15-mile radius. To pull off the prank, many of the people told their parents that they were in charge of the turkey for their Friendsgiving dinners ahead of the holiday. Carter Koontz admitted that her participation in the challenge resulted in her mom questioning her 'entire parenthood.' 'Okay Blondie. You're scaring me. You would never microwave a turkey!!' her mom responded to the question. 'Where did I go wrong? With Christmas fast approaching, McDonald's has put some new seasonal items on sale to get customers into the spirit - but not all their products have inspired a festive feeling in fast food fans. As part of its UK Christmas menu, the chain has introduced an indulgent Millionaire's Latte; a biscuit-flavoured milky coffee with a swirl of chocolate cream on top - but some diners claim to have been served versions far removed from the appetising image seen in adverts. Several Twitter users have shared snaps of drinks - priced at 1.99 for a medium of 2.29 for a large - that look decidedly less appealing, featuring greyish liquid and, in some cases, no chocolate cream in evidence. Many disappointed diners tweeted that it was a case of 'expectations versus reality'. McDonald's Millionaire's Latte costs 1.99 for a medium sized drink and 2.29 for a large. It is meant to biscuit flavoured with a swirl of chocolate cream and looks very festive in the promotional pictures (pictured) 'Expectation versus reality!': Twitter users have been sharing snaps of what their drinks really look like (pictured), including @Laura_Liverbird from Liverpool The adverts show the drink with a crown of delicious-looking chocolate cream that's been drizzled in caramel sauce. McDonald's description of the drink on its website reads: 'A large shot of delicious Arabica bean espresso, blended with a caramel biscuit flavour syrup and steamed organic milk from UK dairies. 'Topped with a swirl of chocolate cream and a caramel drizzle.' However, shoppers are finding that the drink looks much less festive than they were lead to believe. 'Thought I'd try it!': @StaticVeins, who is based in the UK, posted a snap of their drink on Twitter, which looked like sludge 'Bog standard coffee!': @NickiYarnall, from Birmingham, was disatisfied with her drink, which she said didn't look like the promotional photo put out by McDonald's @Laura_Liverbird, from Liverpool, shared a picture of her drink and the McDonald's promo snaps to reveal the difference. Her cup had an unfortunate-looking grey liquid inside and no cream on top. She tweeted: 'Hey @McDonaldsUK, I bought one of your 'Millionaire Latte's' yesterday. Expectation vs Reality.' @NickiYarnall, from Birmingham, said her drink was a 'bog standard' coffee and shared a picture of a biege beverage in a McDonald's cup. Twitter user @KerryLIrvine , from Leicester also wasn't impressed with her latte, which was in an unsightly shade of beige (pictured) 'False advertising!': @chloeellen_ from Essex said she was expecting something very different in her Millionaire's Latte (right) after seeing the promotional images She tweeted: 'I decided to succumb to the Millionaires Latte... @McDonalds get it bloody right! Pictured below right, promotion photo from website, below left, my bog standard coffee I found lurking under the lid when i got home!' @StaticVeins posted a picture of their Millionaire's Latte looking brown and sludgy, also comparing it to what they'd seen advertised. They posted: 'Thought I'd try the new McDonald's Millionaire's Latte. Expectation vs. reality.' 'I got this disaster!': @sammygrant1986, from Dundee, asked if her drink was a 'joke' because of how different it looked to the advertisements 'Half a cup and no cream!': Twitter user @jeanettekay8, who is from the UK, said half of her drink (pictured) was missing @KerryLIrvine, from Leicester, also tweet her disappointment at her indulgent latte, which she reported 'didn't even have cream on it'. A spokesperson for McDonald's told FEMAIL: 'As with any cream on top of a hot drink, if left for a period of time, our swirl of chocolate cream and a caramel drizzle will blend into the latte. 'Most of our customers are loving it too much to leave it that long, but if it does melt then you'll still get all of the great flavours, just combined with your drink instead of on top.' Prince Harry has today called for HIV testing to be seen as 'completely normal' in a specially recorded message. The Duke of Sussex said people should not be ashamed or embarrassed about taking a test for the lethal virus. Instead, he said being tested for HIV should be treated in the same way as people protect against 'viruses like cold and flu'. In the two-minute video message, the young royal can be seen wearing a red ribbon in solidarity with all those living with HIV. The Duke of Sussex said people should not be ashamed or embarrassed about taking a test for the lethal virus Prince Harry (pictured with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex) took a HIV test live on Facebook two years ago as he follows in his mother's footsteps in raising awareness of HIV He said: 'Taking an HIV test is something to be proud of - not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. 'As much as you protect yourself at this time of year from illnesses and viruses like cold and flu, you can also protect your health by taking an HIV test.' Prince Harry, who two years ago took a HIV test live on Facebook, is following in his late mother's footsteps by raising awareness of HIV. Princess Diana famously helped reduce the stigma of AIDS sufferers in April 1987 when she shook hands with a gay man dying of the disease. Back in the eighties, when the picture was taken at the London Middlesex Hospital, having AIDS was considered a death sentence'. Figures estimate nearly 37million adults and children across the world have the lethal virus including at least 100,000 in the UK. The Duke of Sussex (pictured on November 8 at a remembrance service) said: 'We won't bring an end to the HIV until testing is seen as completely normal and accessible for everyone' HIV progressively damages crucial cells in the immune system, weakening the body's ability to fight infections. Left untreated, this leads to AIDS the collective name for a series of deadly infections which the weakened immune system cannot tackle. WHAT IS HIV? HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an incurable sexually-transmitted disease that attacks the immune system. If untreated, it completely destroys the immune system. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE IT? HIV has killed about 35 million people since the 1980s. Approximately 37million people in the world currently have it. WHAT IS IT? HIV is a virus that damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the ability to fight infections and disease. Without treatment, HIV can turn into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), which is a syndrome (or, a set of symptoms) not a virus. In layman's terms, AIDS has been referred to as 'late-stage HIV'. A person has AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infections. AIDS cannot be transmitted from one person to another; HIV can. WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS? Those diagnosed with HIV need to be on medication for life to prevent it turning into AIDS, which is often fatal. A decade ago, people who were HIV positive were given a shorter life expectancy because the medication, suppressing the immune system, made patients highly vulnerable to fatal infections. Today, HIV drugs are much more sophisticated. They allow for people who are HIV positive to live as long as anyone else in good health. They can also suppress the viral load to such an extent that it is undetectable and untransmittable, meaning it's possible to have intimate relationships without passing it on. Advertisement HIV and sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust commended the Duke's support in tackling HIV stigma and normalising testing. But the charity said there needs to be greater focus on tackling 'worryingly high rates of undiagnosed and late-stage HIV'. Around one in eight people living with HIV are undiagnosed and unaware they have the virus, according to figures. While more than four in 10 of those newly diagnosed in 2017 were already at a late stage, meaning damage to the immune system had already begun. Regular testing and early diagnosis are key, with late diagnosis associated with a 10-fold increased risk of short-term mortality. The Duke said there is 'something to celebrate', with a 28 per cent drop in new HIV diagnoses over the last two years. But in his video message, recorded to mark this year's National HIV Testing Week, he also warned 'this is no time for complacency'. The Duke said: 'We won't bring an end to the HIV until testing is seen as completely normal and accessible for everyone.' Prince Harry has long advocated for the importance of HIV testing both in the UK and around the world. When he tested for HIV live on Facebook two years ago, there was a five-fold increase in orders for HIV tests from Terrence Higgins Trust. Speaking in the video message, he added: 'There is still too much stigma, which is stopping so many of us from getting a simple, quick and easy test. 'Two years ago, I took a test and the whole process was actually really easy; the result came back within just a few minutes. 'It's simple - by getting tested you are helping stop the HIV epidemic in its tracks. You are helping to save lives.' The Duke added: 'We can be the generation to finally bring an end to HIV.' Prince Harry has long advocated for the importance of HIV testing both in the UK and around the world. When he tested for HIV live on Facebook two years ago, there was a five-fold increase in orders for HIV tests from Terrence Higgins Trust Ian Green, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'We're thrilled to have the Duke's continued support for tackling HIV stigma and normalising testing.' 'As HRH says, we protect ourselves from cold and flu at this time of year - so let's protect ourselves against HIV by getting tested and knowing our status.' Public Health England (PHE) chief executive, Duncan Selbie, said: 'HIV testing and treatment is free and available to all. 'You can take a test in your own home or at sexual health services, GPs, healthcare and community settings nationwide.' A revolutionary smart mug can detect when a person needs to drink more, saving thousands of older adults from the dangers of dehydration. The mug uses sophisticated technology to detect when it hasnt been drunk from for a while. Called Droplet, it uses shining lights and recorded messages to encourage users to drink when the sensor in its base detects the liquid has remained at a constant level for a certain amount of time. Initial research at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton showed the mug encouraged 63 per cent of patients to drink an extra 500ml of fluid a day. Scroll down for video The droplet hydration mug (pictured) uses sophisticated technology to detect when it hasnt been drunk from for a while The mug is part of a kit, below, that includes a tumbler, smart base and plastic lid with a straw hole. 45, droplet-hydration.com Hearing loud noises at night increases your risk of nasty stomach ulcers by a fifth, according to a new study. Scientists from Seoul National University studied 460,000 sleepers and found that those exposed to noise at night were 20 per cent more likely to develop an ulcer than those sleeping in quieter conditions. They also found that the louder the noise, the greater was the risk of developing ulcers. The researchers suggest that night-time exposure to environmental noise triggers an increase in stress hormones in the brain, which sends signals to the stomach to increase the production of gastric acid, causing the ulcer to form. Health workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had to be evacuated from their hotel after it was hit by a shell in a nearby armed rebel attack on Friday. Some 16 World Health Organization staff were taken out of the city of Beni, where they are trying to fight an Ebola outbreak which has so far killed 214 people. Efforts to control the epidemic had to be toned down on Saturday because of the attack, with vaccinations and peacekeeping suspended, but work resumed on Sunday. The organisation's director general said he heard 'heavy gunfire' over the phone, and a shell hit the workers' hotel but didn't explode. Violence is common in the central African country and has made it difficult to stop the Ebola outbreak earlier in the week eight United Nations peacekeepers and 12 local soldiers died in an ambush. At least 366 people have caught Ebola since the outbreak began at the beginning of August, and experts last week warned it may not be over for another six months. At least 214 people have died in the DRC's current Ebola outbreak and 366 people have caught the virus, which is highly contagious and incurable Hundreds of health workers are stationed around the city of Beni in Democratic Republic of the Congo to try and contain a deadly Ebola outbreak (pictured, health workers at the Doctors Without Borders treatment centre in Butembo) People thought to have Ebola are quarantined in medical treatment centres like the one, pictured, run by Doctors Without Borders in the city of Bunia, 200km from Beni WHO staff showed 'distress' after the attack on Friday night in Beni where the outbreak started so they were evacuated to the nearby city of Goma. Efforts to contain the disease were toned down on Saturday and no vaccinations were given, but work resumed as normal yesterday. Rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces militia had attacked a camp used by the UN, just 'a few metres' from a hotel where Ebola workers are staying, but nobody was injured. Around 200 staff are based in the area, 16 of whom were evacuated to be given counselling and rest after the ordeal. The WHO's director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was informed by a phone call while the attack was still happening, Stat News reported. 'They called me immediately and the gunfire was very close to them,' he said. And Dr Ghebreyesus added the medical workers have asked for more protection from the UN: 'Theyre putting more troops and maximizing the protection. 'So we will use all the means we have to protect all humanitarian workers there,' he added. The violence in the region has made the Ebola outbreak the 10th in the DRC since the disease was discovered there in the 1970s particularly difficult to control. Armed groups have kidnapped and killed people trying to treat the sick, and ongoing conflict has made locals suspicious of official health workers. Dr Ghebreyesus added: 'We honour the memory of those who have died battling this outbreak, and deplore the continuing threats on the security of those still working to end it.' Another factor making it harder to combat the outbreak is the widespread use of pop-up unofficial medical centres. People are seeking help in makeshift clinics, some of which are just rooms in people's houses which don't have running water and reuse needles. 'Those facilities, we believe, are one of the major drivers of transmission,' said Peter Salama, the WHO's emergency response chief. Ebola causes a fever and severe weakness pictured, health workers carry a patient through an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on November 3 Health workers must be covered from head to toe at all times because Ebola spreads through contact with infected people pictured, medics carry a bible to a patient in Butembo 'Probably more than 50 per cent of cases in Beni have been driven from these tradi-modern health care facilities, and the fact that hygiene and injection practices in these areas are relatively unsafe.' Experts realised the way the disease was spreading had changed in October, when unprecedented numbers of children started becoming infected. Health workers found these were children being treated for malaria in the unofficial health centres they believe people are confusing the two diseases because early symptoms, including fever, weakness and vomiting, are the same. HAS THE DRC HAD AN EBOLA OUTBREAK BEFORE? DRC escaped the brutal Ebola pandemic that began in 2014, which was finally declared over in January 2016 - but it was struck by a smaller outbreak last year. Four DRC residents died from the virus in 2017. The outbreak lasted just 42 days and international aid teams were praised for their prompt responses. The new outbreak is the DRCs tenth since the discovery of Ebola in the country in 1976, named after the river. The outbreak earlier this summer was its ninth. Health experts credit an awareness of the disease among the population and local medical staff's experience treating for past successes containing its spread. DRCs vast, remote geography also gives it an advantage, as outbreaks are often localised and relatively easy to isolate. Advertisement Officials in the country last week said they have never seen such a devastating outbreak. 'No other epidemic in the world has been as complex as the one we are currently experiencing,' said Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga, the DRC's health minister. Having started on August 1, it is the 10th outbreak in the country since the disease, which causes extreme fever, bleeding and diarrhoea, was first discovered 42 years ago. 'This epidemic remains dangerous and unpredictable, and we must not let our guard down,' said Dr Kalenga. 'We must continue to pursue a very dynamic response that requires permanent readjustments and real ownership at the community level.' He added: 'Since their arrival in the region, the response teams have faced threats, physical assaults, repeated destruction of their equipment, and kidnapping. 'Two of our colleagues in the Rapid Response Medical Unit even lost their lives in an attack.' Dr Kalenga said teams responding to the outbreak are violently attacked, on average, three to four times a week. In October, militants killed 11 civilians and a soldier in Beni, a city with a population of around 230,000 people where the outbreak is thought to have started. Despite facing resistance from people who don't want health workers treating them, the government has managed to vaccinate more than 27,000 people. Those who are known to have come into contact with others who had the disease have been targeted by the vaccination programme. Of the 366 people thought to have been infected with Ebola during the DRC's outbreak, 319 of those have been confirmed pictured, medical workers at the Doctors Without Borders treatment centre in Butembo help a patient whose illness has not been confirmed An unusually high number of children have been infected in this outbreak, officials say pictured, a worker carries a swaddled four-day-old baby thought to have caught the virus Unusually, children are being badly affected because they're catching the virus while in medical clinics for other reasons, experts say. Jessica Illunga, a spokesperson for the health ministry in DRC said in October: 'There is an abnormally high number of children who have contracted and died of Ebola in Beni. 'Normally, in every Ebola epidemic, children are not as affected.' Dr Peter Salama, emergency response chief at the World Health Organization (WHO), last month warned the current Ebola outbreak would only get worse. The combination of rebel violence and pre-election unrest is creating a 'perfect storm' for an even worse epidemic, he said. This is the moment a profoundly deaf baby hears her mother's voice for the first time. One-year-old Sienna Ashton, from Melbourne, Australia, was born with hearing disabilities in both ears in November 2017. And, although her parents, Latham and Melanie Ashton, feared she'd never enjoy full auditory health - including the ability to speak properly, a recent cochlear implant transformed the youngster's world. Footage of the transformation shows her amazement as she listens to her mum, 28, speak after being fitted with a hearing aid. She can also be heard uttering her first word: 'mum'. 'Miracle': Melanie Ashton with daughter Sienna, who was born with severe hearing difficulties 'It was very emotional. I burst into tears, ' says Mrs Ashton, who captured the moment on camera. 'Wed been afraid she would never speak, and Id see other mums' little ones hitting those milestones and wonder if thatd ever happen for Sienna. 'Now we know shes going to grow up just fine, and have a fulfilled life, with so much support around her.' Now, the couple are sharing their story to give other parents hope and show them that they are not alone. 'After diagnosis, its very normal to have a period of grieving, but I want other parents to know that help is out there,' Mrs Ashton said. 'It can be very isolating, and you feel as if other people dont understand but they really do. 'I share a lot of Siennas journey online because its nothing to be ashamed of, and through that, Ive received messages from all over the world from total strangers. 'Its comforting to know there are people who know how this feels.' Impaired: Sienna (pictured left) at the test which confirmed her condition and (right) after her game-changing cochlear implant, which enabled her to hear and speak Life-changing: Father Latham Ashton (right) pictured with Melanie and their daughter Diagnosis: An MRI scan showed she has enlarged vestibular aqueducts - narrow, bony canals that travel from the inner ear to the skull - which is thought to be linked to her hearing loss The 'miracle' moment comes exactly one year after Sienna failed a routine hearing test at around 12 hours old. Doctors said it could be the result of simple fluid build-up in the ear canal. But when, a week later, she failed a second test, alarm bells began to ring. 'The hospital took it really seriously,' said Mrs Ashton. 'They gave us all this information about what to do if your child has hearing loss, then we were referred for further tests.' Next came a tortuous wait as doctors investigated further, until Sienna was diagnosed at four-weeks-old with sensorineural hearing loss - a permanent condition resulting from inner ear or nerve damage. An MRI scan also showed she has enlarged vestibular aqueducts - narrow, bony canals that travel from the inner ear to the skull - which is thought to be linked to her hearing loss. 'She is profoundly deaf in her left ear, and moderately to severely impaired in her right,' explained Mrs Ashton. Latham and I both unknowingly carried a gene that we passed on to her. It was a very bittersweet moment. We know now this was nobodys fault, but it was difficult hearing about this gene wed had no idea we had. Melanie Ashton 'It was heartbreaking to hear. We had no idea if shed ever even heard our voices, and couldnt help but think of what life would be like and all the challenges shed face growing up. 'Id been really sick throughout the pregnancy, so couldnt help worrying that this was all down to something I had done wrong.' Right away, doctors sprang into action, putting together a plan to give Sienna the best chance of being able to hear and speak as well as possible in the future. While medics worked relentlessly behind the scenes, Mrs Ashton remained tormented by the idea of her little girl living in a silent world, unable to hear her mothers voice. Fortunately, everything changed for the better just before Sienna turned two months old, when she was fitted with hearing aids in both ears. After switching them on, Mrs Ashton grabbed her camera, recording the very moment her baby heard the world around her for the first time. 'Its a subtle reaction, but you can see something has changed. Shes just taking it all in,' she said. 'At one point, she started to get a little upset, so I soothed her and thats when I knew, without a doubt, she could hear me. Concerned: Mr Aston and his wife were naturally concerned about their daughter's future Progress: Still profoundly deaf in her left ear, her parents have taught her sign language to help her communicate 'If we have any more children, there is a chance we will pass it to them also, but seeing Sienna and what an amazing character she has makes us less afraid of this,' the couple say 'I was just reacting to her, telling her, Hi bubba, over and over, so she could get used to me.' Since then, Sienna has used her hearing aids every day. Still profoundly deaf in her left ear, her parents began to teach her sign language to help her communicate, in case she never learned to talk. Meanwhile, in August 2017, they received test results confirming that Siennas condition was genetic. Mrs Ashton said: 'Latham and I both unknowingly carried a gene that we passed on to her. It was a very bittersweet moment. We know now this was nobodys fault, but it was difficult hearing about this gene wed had no idea we had. 'If we have any more children, there is a chance we will pass it to them also, but seeing Sienna and what an amazing character she has makes us less afraid of this. 'There are discussions to be had, but we know the steps to take now, and how much support is out there.' Frankincense may become an important treatment for arthritis. That's according to researchers from the University of Alabama, who believe the biblical resin - which is extracted from Africa's boswellia trees - can halt inflammation. Data suggests it works by attaching or 'docking' onto proteins that cause pain and effectively blocking them. The finding could help pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs to combat the condition, which affects more than 10 million people in the UK. Age-old: Frankincense is a common type of essential oil and has long been used as an alternative treatment for wounds and skin infections Professor Will Setzer, who led the study which was published in the journal Medicines, said: 'We have identified some important inflammation-related molecular targets in humans that boswellia compounds can block. 'It's not clear why the trees make these compounds - it's probably to protect themselves from insect or fungal attack. It obviously works because the trees are still there. 'The biggest problem is making modifications to these natural compounds to make them more effective and bio-available for humans. 'Boswellia is not water soluble so it's difficult to get it into the bloodstream.' Cambridge Nutraceuticals, a biotech company, has now developed a new boswellia product called Cool Joints+ which they believe overcomes this problem by using a patented process that combines boswellia with soy lethicin. Natural remedy: The biblical resin, extracted from Africa's boswellia trees - can halt swelling WHAT IS ARTHRITIS? Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. In the UK, more than 10 million people have arthritis or other, similar conditions that affect the joints. The two most common versions of it are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. Osteoarthritis affects nearly 9 million people. It initially affects the smooth cartilage lining of the joint. This makes movement more difficult than usual, leading to pain and stiffness. In the UK, rheumatoid arthritis affects more than 400,000 people. It often starts when a person is between 40 and 50 years old. Women are 3 times more likely to be affected than men. Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are two different conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body's immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling. SOURCE: NHS Direct Advertisement Dr Miriam Ferrer, a molecular biologist from Cambridge Nutraceuticals, said: 'The lethicin enhances the active ingredients of boswellia in the stomach so it reaches optimal levels both in the plasma and the tissues. 'We have shown that this component allows the boswellia to get to where it needs to go to produce the anti-inflammatory effect, and at the right amounts, which is very exciting. 'More studies are ongoing, but we are very pleased with the results we have achieved so far.' Other specialists are similarly positive about the prospects for new boswellia-based medications. Ali Mobasheri, professor of musculo-skeletal physiology at Surrey University, said: 'Boswellia does block the release of proteins that worsen joint deterioration in osteoarthritis. 'Its different mechanism of action may be effective whether other conventional treatments such as paracetamol, seem not to work.' Four years ago an analysis of 49 studies of herbal treatments for osteoarthritis involving almost 6,000 people, also concluded the ancient remedy of frankincense was one of the ones that worked. The analysis by the respected Cochrane organisation, a global scientific network that reviews health research, said there was 'moderate-quality evidence for trends of [boswellia] benefits that warrant further investigation.' It said the risk of side effects from boswellia was low. There could be hundreds of genes which make people more likely to kill themselves and the trait is believed to run in the family, a study has found. Scientists have discovered four genetic changes which are more common among people who have killed themselves. And they say there are more than 200 others which are worth doing more research into to find out whether they have links to suicide. The researchers hope being able to identify people who are naturally more at risk of taking their own lives will help them target mental help to the right places. Scientists have found four genetic changes which happen more often in people who go on to kill themselves than in other people, and they believe 207 more genes may be linked to suicide Researchers from the University of Utah made the discovery by looking at the DNA of 1,300 people who had killed themselves in the state. They found changes to certain genes named SP110, AGBL2, SUCLA2 and APH1B were found more often in people who had killed themselves than in other people. As well as those four genes, there are another 207 which 'warrant further analysis,' the researchers said. Scientists have already suggested suicidal tendencies can run in the family, but it has proved harder to pinpoint the exact genetic changes triggering them. Finding those genes and the people who have a higher genetic risk could help mental health services intervene more effectively. 'Clearly genetics is only one part of risk when it comes to suicide,' said the study's lead author, Dr Hilary Coon. LGBTQ TEENAGERS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO KILL THEMSELVES LGBT adolescents are more likely than other kids their age to try to kill themselves, research revealed in October. Children and teens who identify as sexual minorities face unique risks of bullying, discrimination and mental health issues in the US and abroad. Data pooled from 35 earlier studies show that sexual minority youth were more than three times as likely to attempt suicide as heterosexual peers, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics. The analysis involved a total of nearly 2.4 million heterosexual youth and 113,468 sexual minority youth, aged 12 to 20, from 10 countries. Transgender adolescents were 5.87 times more likely, gay and lesbian adolescents were 3.71 times more likely and bisexual youth were 3.69 times more likely than heterosexual peers to attempt suicide. 'I think that a difficulty in self-acceptance and social stigmatization might be keys for understanding such elevation in the risk of self-threatening behaviors,' said the study's lead author, Dr Ester di Giacomo from the University of Milano-Bicocca. Advertisement 'But we are hoping these discoveries will lead us to highly susceptible individuals so we can develop better interventions to help them circumvent this risk.' Of the genes involved, one of them APH1B is believed to be linked to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a possible link between the brain disease and suicide risk. The DNA samples used were taken from distant relatives in 43 different families over nine generations in Utah. This, the researchers said, meant they could examine people with similar DNA but different surroundings so two members might have very similar genetics but not both be affected by the same events in the family, for example. As well as the four genes identified in the study, 18 of the genes out of the 207 picked out by the researchers have already been linked to a person's risk of suicide in past studies. And 15 of them have been linked to inflammatory health conditions, meaning there could be a link between those and suicide risk. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 44,000 people a year. And in the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death for males aged between five and 49, and women aged five to 34 years old. 'Past studies of families and twins informed us that there is significant genetic risk associated with suicide,' said Dr Douglas Gray, a senior author on the paper. 'Genes are like blueprints. The first step is to find the genes that increase risk. Identifying specific genes may lead to new treatments for those who suffer.' Dr Coon added: 'We think these results are just the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to search for additional gene changes that lead to risk.' The research was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. This comes after the head of the NHS said last month social media companies should be forced to pay a 'mental health levy' to help address problems linked to sites like Facebook and Instagram. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, argues a financial contribution from social media sites would help to 'stem the tide of mental ill health' in the UK. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. People should drink no more than one alcoholic drink a day to avoid booze-related diseases, health official claims. Professor Jurgen Rehm, adviser to the World Health Organization, stresses there is no safe level of alcohol consumption but one drink is considered 'low risk'. He argued 29 per cent of all alcohol-attributable deaths in the EU are from cancers. Professor Rehm believes minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol is serious 'ammunition' against related diseases, and should be introduced throughout the UK and Europe. People should drink no more than one alcoholic drink, health official claims (stock) Professor Rehm stressed people should consume no more than one unit of alcohol a day and hit out at past Government guidelines that suggested there is a level of 'safe' drinking. 'There is no safe drinking. Low-risk [drinking] in the UK would be one drink a day,' he said. Responding to his comments, Dr Eric Carlin, director of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), said: 'SHAAP strongly support the UK CMOs' guidance which is no more than 14 units per week, before health is likely to be harmed. 'However, it is true to say that no level of alcohol is risk free, especially in relation to cancer risks.' Alcohol has been linked to the onset of seven different types of cancers, including breast, bowel and mouth. These are thought to occur due to alcohol being converted into the toxic chemical acetaldehyde in our bodies, which can damage DNA and prevent cells from repairing themselves. A spokesman for the Alcohol Information Partnership, a group funded by eight alcoholic beverage producers that aims to promote balanced debate about drinking, said: 'The UK has one of the lowest recommended levels of alcohol consumption at 14 units a week. 'That reduction was made relatively recently so it would be surprising and potentially confusing if the guidelines were to be changed again. 'Most people in the UK drink moderately - in fact, recent statistics show a decline in binge drinking, particularly among young people. 'Where there are problems with harmful drinking, we think targeted interventions are often much more effective than blanket measures.' The Scottish Government policy to set a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol finally came into force in May after years of delays due to a legal challenge (Andrew Milligan/PA) The Scottish Government policy to set a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol finally came into force in May after years of delays due to a legal challenge. It is estimated the move could save around 392 lives in the first five years. Scotland has a particularly bad alcohol problem, with 22 people dying from booze-specific deaths and 697 people being taken to hospital every week. Figures presented at a joint meeting on alcohol and health in Edinburgh, led by the WHO and the Alcohol Policy Network in Europe, demonstrate the continent continues to have the highest level of alcohol consumption in the world. Every day, around 800 people in the EU, Norway and Switzerland die from alcohol-related causes and there have been 'no significant changes' in consumption levels since 2010. Professor Rehm, a senior director at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, said a drop in alcohol-related deaths in Europe from 301,000 in 2010 to 291,000 in 2016 is hardly a big success. He also pointed to 'huge problems' with drinking among young people in Europe, particularly noting the widespread prevalence of binge-drinking. 'The big ammunition is using price policy, like taxation and things like that,' Professor Rehm said. Asked about the likely impact of MUP in Scotland, he told reporters: 'Very clearly minimum unit pricing is going to have a significant impact.' He pointed to the 'pretty great success' of similar pricing restrictions in countries such as Russia, saying it reduces consumption both among binge drinkers and those with an alcohol dependency. Drink-related accidents, injuries, violence and public disorder will also go down with increases of minimum pricing, he added. Asked whether he would like to see every country in Europe introduce that policy, he said: 'Obviously from a public health perspective, yes, we would like not only minimum pricing policies, we would like minimum pricing policies which are relatively high. 'Price in Europe has been the least used policy measure of all the policy measures.' Echoing that sentiment for the rest of the UK, he claimed the country paints a 'unique picture' when it comes to alcohol, noting problems with binge drinking and higher levels of consumption among women. 'What should play a role here would be minimum pricing in all parts of the UK,' he argued. Dr Joao Breda, head of the WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, said MUP is a policy that 'protects the vulnerable'. 'Issues like using price, they are very strong and very important ammunition that should be considered by all countries and it's one of the measures that countries use less,' he said. Professor Rehm suggested bars and restaurants should change the serving sizes of alcohol and reduce the booze content of drinks. He added tests have shown people cannot tell the difference between a beer with 5 per cent alcohol and one of 3.5 per cent. This comes after research released earlier this year suggested alcohol sales in England would fall by 38 per cent from 35 billion to 22 billion a year if everyone kept to the recommended 14 units a week. A quarter of drinkers fail to stick to the Government's guidance of no more than 14 units a week, a study found today. Alcohol deaths in America have soared in the past 10 years - particularly among women, a new report reveals. The rate of alcohol-related deaths rocketed 35 percent between 2007 and 2017. It shot up 67 percent for women alone. The data from the University of Washington, first reported by USA Today, comes a year after federal data showed a sharp rise in binge-drinking among women and elderly people. However, the researchers say that, since so much attention has been consumed by the devastating toll of opioids on the US, the rise in alcohol fatalities has swelled under the radar, out of the spotlight of concern. Researchers at the University of Washington say so much attention has been consumed by the devastating toll of opioids on the US that the rise in alcohol fatalities has been ignored 'The story is that no one has noticed this,' says Max Griswold of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), set up at the University of Washington by Bill and Melinda Gates, told USA Today. 'It hasn't really been researched before.' The IHME data was part of a far-reaching report looking at death rates, causes of death, birth rates, fertility and more on a global scale. This study zoomed in on US figures, showing a particularly concerning trend among women. As with many sharp shifts in lifestyle habits, it's difficult to identify one driving factor, but with something as widely acceptable - encouraged, even - as alcohol, it's more plain. Once, alcohol was taboo for women. Now, that's not the case - but biology hasn't changed, and (generally) alcohol can still pack a bigger punch for a woman's body than a man's. 'It's gone from being taboo for women to drink at all to being expected in some settings, professional groups - even to drink to intoxication,' Deidra Roach, MD, medical project officer of the NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery Research, told WebMd. But, she added: 'Women are generally smaller than men and have less total body water and more total body fat. Blood alcohol level rises more quickly and stay elevated longer in women, so the harmful effects of alcohol, even if a man and woman drink same amount, will show up sooner in the women.' Alcohol can cause deaths in many ways. It can cause liver disease, cancer, accidents, life-threatening digestive issues. According to the new IHME report, alcohol death rates are highest in Washington, DC, Georgia and Albama. The latter two are not wholly surprising - the South has historically high rates of alcohol use and abuse, smoking, obesity, and low rates of health insurance, meaning many do not have doctors advising how to live a healthier lifestyle. Poverty is higher, too, which drives up drinking rates. But the sharpest rises in alcohol deaths have been seen in other parts of the country, particularly the North and North West. Just last week the task force that advises US doctors on standards strengthened its advice on alcohol screening: they said doctors should screen all patients for unhealthy alcohol consumption, and to counsel those that seem to have a problem. 'In the United States, 1 in 6 patients reports having discussed alcohol with their physician; rates in Europe are similarly low,' Angela Bazzi and Dr Richard Saitz, of Boston University School of Public Health, wrote in an editorial for JAMA which accompanied the new guidelines. They add that there is scores of evidence showing a conversation with a doctor can have a significant impact on a person's habits. In terms of how to intervene, the task force recommended scheduling a few counseling sessions, amounting to a total of less than two hours. They said the counseling could be done in person, or even online. 'The societal context must change,' Bazzi and Staitz wrote. THE PATIENT At 17 I was diagnosed with choroideremia, a genetic disease where the cells in the retina, at the back of the eye, slowly die. My sight had gradually worsened since I was found to be short-sighted at the age of 11 and now I was being told this disease could leave me blind by the time I was 40. The news was devastating. There was no treatment, but my doctor said medical research was moving along, so there could be hope in the future. In the meantime, I tried to live a normal life, wearing ever-stronger glasses. Patient: Philip Ainsworth's sight was blighted by choroideremia from a young age As predicted, my night vision worsened first, so I always took a torch after dark. My peripheral vision reduced too, meaning I looked at life through a very small hole I couldnt see people unless they were right in front of me. I used magnifying glasses to read and each year Id see my optician for a check-up. Then seven years ago, I read an article in Good Health about how gene therapy could save the sight of those with choroideremia. I showed it to my GP and a few weeks later I had an appointment with Professor Robert MacLaren, who was leading the trial. He told me the therapy involved temporarily detaching the retina and injecting healthy genes into the surviving retina cells to reboot them. Although it would not restore my sight, it should save what vision I had left. I underwent lots of eye tests over the next three years, and when there was funding for the UK trial, I was one of 14 taking part. In the trial, only one eye is treated normally the worst; the other eye is used to gauge how well the treatment has worked. But as my vision was so poor in my worst eye, they decided it would be more beneficial to treat my best eye, the left. I was the first in the world to have my best eye treated. Shock: 'My sight had gradually worsened since I was found to be short-sighted at the age of 11 and now I was being told this disease could leave me blind by the time I was 40,' he says I had the operation under general anaesthetic, and after a night in hospital, I had more vision tests. On the eye test chart, I could read two fewer lines than before the surgery which was to be expected as my retina hadnt healed. In the next week, as my eye recovered, all the colours looked more vivid. It was as if the brightness control on the television had been turned up. A month later, I could read one more line on the chart than before the surgery which was fantastic. The sight in my treated eye has slightly improved in the three years since. The other continues to deteriorate I now see just two dots of light in it. The jab has allowed me to enjoy retirement. Im still able to travel with my wife Rhiannon, enjoy time with my daughters, read, watch TV and learn languages. Im so grateful. THE CONSULTANT Professor Robert MacLaren is a consultant ophthalmologist at Oxford Eye Hospital. Usually presenting in boys in late childhood, choroideremia causes permanent blindness. First night vision is lost, then peripheral vision. By age 40, sight is extremely poor. It affects one in 50,000. This inherited disease is caused by a missing gene known as REP1 protein, which is crucial for the functioning of the cells that line the retina the thin layer of tissue stimulated by light which is converted into brain signals, allowing us to see. The absence of REP1 means these cells gradually die. Did you know? Usually presenting in boys in late childhood, choroideremia causes permanent blindness. First night vision is lost, then peripheral vision. But now there is some hope for serious eye conditions, including, potentially, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), although the treatment might take a slightly different form. For choroideremia, we use a single injection of billions of missing genes to reboot the retina cells. Its delicate surgery, in an area about 1mm square and can take two hours. I make an incision through the white of the eye and use a needle to remove the jelly-like substance that gives the eyeball its shape, called the vitreous. I then detach the retina by injecting fluid under it, using a needle thinner than a human hair. This slightly lifts the retina. Its into this space that the genes will be injected. The missing REP1 gene is put into a virus solution. Purified so it is harmless, the virus works like a Trojan horse by infecting the retinal cells, and activating them with the REP1. WHAT ARE THE RISKS? The main risk is damage to the retina during the procedure. There is a low risk of infection. The eye is ideal for gene therapy as a relatively small area needs treating and its fairly accessible, says Professor Andrew Lotery, a consultant ophthalmologist at Southampton General Hospital. Gene therapy holds a lot of promise, especially in the early stages of the disease where there will be less damage to the retina. But the cost is high [thousands of pounds] and would need to reduce in order to be viable. Advertisement I position the needle using a microscope, and once the solution has been delivered, we close the incision. The bubble under the retina dissipates, so it settles back into position. Because the retina has been detached, the patients vision might be worse at first. One week after surgery, we expect sight to be as it was before the operation and by the following week, it may have improved. We monitor the patient for two years and only then know if it has been a success. The gene therapy is designed to slow sight loss to the point where patients can live a normal life. The results of the trial involving Philip and 13 others were published recently in the journal Nature Medicine. All but two experienced improvements to their vision. Im involved with two more trials for choroideremia one of which treats 100 patients from across Europe and North America. If it proves successful, we hope to gain regulatory approval. I have no doubt that, in future, we will treat AMD, the most common cause of permanent blindness in the UK. In theory, any genetic eye condition could be treated using gene therapy. Another 16 children have contracted the rare polio-like disease, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) - bringing the total number of confirmed cases this year to 109 across 29 states, the CDC has revealed. Another 167 children are showing tell-tale symptoms of the mysterious illness which has emerged as a major public health threat every other year since 2014. It seems to be caused by a combination of viruses but this year, the third time AFM has surged, the CDC is still struggling to identify exactly how and why it takes hold. As such, the agency today formed a task force designed to investigate the driving forces and possible treatments of AFM, and to establish what post-AFM life looks like for sufferers. This year, 90 children have confirmed cases of the polio-like disease AFM, the CDC said Tuesday - but it is not counting the deaths of Carter Roberts, five (pictured), and another child earlier this year following their 2016 contractions of the disease 'I want to reaffirm to parents, patients, and our Nation CDC's commitment to this serious medical condition,' said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD. 'This Task Force will ensure that the full capacity of the scientific community is engaged and working together to provide important answers and solutions to actively detect, more effectively treat, and ultimately prevent AFM and its consequences.' AFM is not new, but cases have been on the rise since 2014. Though the condition remains very rare - affecting only one in a million people in the United States - CDC director Dr Robert Redfield, who took the job in March this year, says it is the agency's top priority. Scientists are investigating a number of causes, including viruses, environmental toxins and genetic disorders. In previous outbreaks, a virus called EV-D68 was implicated in the development of AFM. 'We know that EV-D68 - as well as other enteroviruses - can cause limb weakness, but we don't know what's triggering AFM in these patients,' said Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases last week. 'We want to take advantage of all of [our] resources to figure out what is causing AFM.' She said that the presence of pathogens in the spinal fluid is among the best indicators of AFM - but that doesn't mean the pathogens are the cause, per se. 'It could be one of the viruses we've detected, or it could a virus we haven't detectred, or it could be that [viruses are] kicking off another process' - such as an autoimmune disease or response - 'that is triggering AFM,' Dr Messonnier said. It's unlikely that the disease is transmissible from human to human, and some children recover from their paralysis, though others never do. Earlier today, the parents of two children who died of AFM earlier this year after their 2016 diagnoses told CNN they were outraged that that the CDC was not 'counting' their children's deaths. Hours later, several reporters on the CDC telebriefing reiterated questions about deaths this year to Dr Messonnier. The CDC has confirmed 386 cases since an outbreak in Colorado in August 2014, almost all of them in children The CDC says it is investigating 167 cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Of that number, 109 cases have been confirmed in 29 states, including five-year-old Elizabeth Storrie (pictured) from Willow Park, Texas She said that no deaths had occurred linked to the 2018 outbreak. But she did acknowledge that'we have not been following every single AFM patient' diagnosed in previous years,' she said. 'It's a gap in our understanding. We don't understand the long-term effects' but now she says the agency intends to 'follow-up with patients that have gotten [AFM] in previous years.' The average age of those affected is four years old and more than 90 percent of cases overall are in children under 18. The condition, caused by a viral infection, appears to start off as a common cold, before progressing to paralysis. Ominously, data show there seems to be a spike in cases every two years, which has also left the agency baffled. 'CDC's been working very hard on this, since 2014, to try to understand causation and etiology,' Dr Redfield said in the interview, which will be aired on Tuesday. 'As we sit here today, we don't have understanding of the cause. We are, you know, continuing to strengthen our efforts, working in partnership with state and territorial health departments, and academic experts to try to figure this out.' AFM affects the nervous system and most resembles the polio virus. Health officials have determined it is caused by a virus, but have been unable to pinpoint an exact cause. Orville Young, four (pictured), of Minnesota, was likely the earliest confirmed case in the state WHAT IS AFM? AFM is a rare, but serious condition that affects the nervous system. Specifically it attacks the area of the spinal cord called gray matter, which causes the body's muscles and reflexes to weaken. Symptoms often develop after a viral infection, such as enterovirus or West Nile virus, but often no clear cause is found. Patients start off having flu-like symptoms including sneezing and coughing. This slowly turns into muscle weakness, difficulty moving the eyes and then polio-like symptoms including facial drooping and difficulty swallowing. 'If [AFM affects gray matter] lower in the spinal cord [paralysis will] be more in the legs and if it's higher up, it'll be more in the arms,' Dr Fernando Acosta, a pediatric neurologist at Cook Children's Medical Center, in Fort Worth, Texas, told Daily Mail Online in an interview last week. 'Or if it's closer to the neck, they can't move head, neck and shoulders. We had one case of that and that was just awful.' In the most severe cases, respiratory failure can occur when the muscles that support breathing become weak. In rare cases, AFM can cause neurological complications that could lead to death. 'It's a pretty dramatic disease; children have a sudden onset of weakness,' said Dr Messonier. No specific treatment is available for AFM and interventions are generally recommended on a case-by-case basis. Children with weakness in their arms or legs may attend physical or occupational therapy. The average age of those affected is four years and more than 90 percent of cases are in children aged 18 and younger. Among them is Julia Payne, two (pictured) from Chicago, Illinois However, physicians admit they are unaware of the long-term outcomes for those with AFM. WHO HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY AFM? The CDC does not track AFM in terms of its prevalence, but rather in outbreaks. The agency has confirmed 386 cases since an outbreak in Colorado in August 2014, almost all of them in children. The CDC confirmed 33 AFM cases in 2017, 149 cases in 2016, 22 cases in 2015, and 120 cases in August to December 2014. Of the 62 cases diagnosed this year, it known that 24 have been in three states: 10 in Illinois, eight in Texas and six in Minnesota. 'We have not been able to find the cause of the majority of AFM cases...and we're frustrated that we haven't been able to identify the cause of illness,' Dr Messonnier told reporters in a media call last week. The states Daily Mail Online is currently aware of with confirmed cases includes: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. A press officer for the CDC told Daily Mail Online last week that the agency would not be naming the additional states where cases have been confirmed due to 'privacy issues'. While the pattern of AFM most resembles an infectious disease, much remains unknown about the condition. Among the children infected is two-year-old Julia Payne from Chicago. She remained in the pediatric intensive care unit at Lurie Children's Hospital for weeks on a respirator and using a feeding tube because she was unable to swallow. She has since been discharged and transferred to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a rehabilitation center where she will face several weeks of physical therapy to regain strength and movement. In Minnesota, four-year-old Orville Young was likely the earliest confirmed case in the state, according to the Star Tribune. Orville has been in physical therapy for the last month-and-a-half. His mobility and gait have not returned to normal, but his legs are mostly functional now. His right arm, thus far, is still paralyzed. Fortunately many make a full or nearly full recovery of their movement as did five-year-old Elizabeth Storrie of Willow Park, Texas. She spent a month at Cook Children's Hospital, in Fort Worth, on IV fluids and a feeding tube until her condition improved. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POLIO? AFM has been called a polio-like illness due to its resemblance to the viral infection that impacted hundreds of thousands, particularly between the late 1940s and early 1950s. The CDC even states on its website that symptoms 'have been most similar to complications of infection with certain viruses, including poliovirus, non-polio enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and West Nile virus'. Poliovirus is not the cause of any of the cases, but some cases have been linked to the enteroviruses EV-A71 and EV-D68, both of which are distant relatives of polio. Some cases have also been linked to rhinovirus. 'I'm not old enough to have seen a case of polio during my time in practice, but my colleagues who have say [AFM] is similar to what they saw back then,' Dr Acosta said. 'Is this a variant? Potentially, but we don't know.' In 1957, the US government approved the polio vaccine. After a nationwide campaign to get children immunized began, the numbers began falling drastically and, in 1979, polio was declared to be eradicated in the US. This year, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where cases of wild poliovirus have been confirmed - largely due to poor sanitation and low levels of vaccination coverage. However, global eradication is now at risk due to vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in five countries in Africa this year. Health experts say that this could result in silent transmission of both polio and AFM, because both can lead to paralysis if left undetected. Anti-vaxxers have blamed childhood polio vaccines for the outbreak, despite physicians saying there is no evidence to suggest this is the case. 'There is no evidence vaccines are causing this,' said Dr Acosta. 'And if we identify the agent that is causing it, the next step would be to develop a vaccine. It's the same reason, we developed flu vaccines - to lessen the burden of disease. 'The reason why you see lower rates of polio, whooping cough and other diseases is because we have vaccines that have made them very rare.' HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF? The CDC advises getting vaccinated against Poliovirus and West Nile Virus due to both being potential causes of AFM. Health experts say this does not simply mean just staying up-to-date with vaccinations, but also minimizing exposure to mosquitoes. Additionally, you can use warm water and soap to avoid getting sick and spreading germs. 'It's a one-in-million chance to get this so it's extremely unlikely your child will get this,' said Dr Acosta. 'Even if they have sudden onset of weakness, AFM is unlikely to have caused it. It's more likely to be a stroke. However, if your child develops it, bring them in and this gives them the best chance of survival.' Britain's best known fund manager Neil Woodford has denied being involved in a conspiracy to 'injure' infrastructure company Stobart Group. Woodford, founder of Woodford Investment Management, told the High Court on Monday that he was 'shocked' at allegations made by Stobart Group bosses. He told Judge Jonathan Russen that allegations he conspired with Stobart's former chief executive Andrew Tinkler were 'completely unfounded'. Neil Woodford has denied being involved in a conspiracy to 'injure' infrastructure company Stobart Group. Bosses at the Stobart Group, which began life when founder Eddie Stobart went into business as an agricultural contractor in Cumbria in the 1960s, have sued Tinkler over claims he conspired with other businessmen to harm the company's interests. There is also a dispute over money spent on air travel, and Stobart bosses have requested a judge rule that Tinkler was lawfully dismissed. Tinkler, who was chief executive between 2007 and 2017 denies any wrongdoing, saying he was removed from his post unfairly, and has counter-claimed. In a written witness statement given to the judge Woodford said: 'I am shocked to see that Stobart has chosen to make allegations that I was a party to a 'conspiracy' to use 'unlawful means' to 'injure the company'. 'Those allegations are untrue and there is no evidential basis for them.' He added that he had managed funds invested in Stobart for more than 10 years. 'Why I would want to 'injure' Stobart, in which I have chosen to invest my investors' funds, is never explained, as is the allegation that I conspired with Andrew Tinkler to pursue his interests over those of Stobart.' 'I owe duties to the funds I manage, and it is in the best interests of these funds for Stobart to be as successful as possible.' Woodford said. Woodford said he had 'consistently held the belief' that retaining Tinkler on the Stobart board was in the company's best interests and those of investment funds he managed. He added that in his view, Tinkler was the 'entrepreneurial brains' behind Stobart and a 'value creator'. The trial continues. TSB has poached a top female banker for its vacant chief executive post as it battles to recover from an IT meltdown that left its reputation in tatters. Debbie Crosbie will take over in the new year after Paul Pester resigned in September. He was ousted after the April disaster which locked as many as 1.9m customers out of their accounts. In charge: Debbie Crosbie will take over in the new year after Paul Pester resigned in September JUST TEN WEEKS MATERNITY LEAVE When Debbie Crosbie isn't wading through mountains of memos, she likes to immerse herself in a romantic novel. And after getting through the Financial Times in the morning, she sometimes affords herself a quick flick through Hello! magazine. In an industry where bosses are often telling us how well-read they are, this is a woman who possibly doesn't take herself too seriously. Warm and engaging, Crosbie's been known to deal with customer complaints by phoning them personally. Doubtless this is part of what brought her to the attention of the board of TSB, many of whose account holders are still frothing at the gills from its recent IT meltdown. Born in Glasgow, her father was an engineer, mother a care worker. She studied business at Strathclyde University before moving to the City as a trainee at Prudential. She moved to Clydesdale Bank as a project manager in 1997. Married to a small business owner, she returned to work just ten weeks after giving birth to their now teenage daughter, and spent four years on a three-day week. As a sign of how valued she was, it was the first time the bank had granted an executive such an arrangement. It will make Crosbie, 48, the most powerful woman in British banking with an empire covering 4.2m customers and 60 billion of deposits and lending. The appointment follows fears that TSB was struggling to find a chief executive. Senior finance figures, including former Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia, had turned down the role. Crosbie is chief operating officer at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group (CYBG), where she has long been seen as a safe pair of hands and became the first woman to have her signature on a Scottish banknote. The married mother of one will face the daunting task of rebuilding TSB's shattered reputation after it squandered its image as a caring alternative to the major High Street banks. Cleaning up the mess after the bank's botched computer system upgrade has already cost 250m, with the bill expected to rise in the final quarter of this year. Crosbie must also walk a political tightrope with the bank's Spanish owner Sabadell amid speculation it sees TSB as a liability and could even put it up for sale, with possible bidders including Crosbie's current employer. TSB would not say what Crosbie who will commute to the bank's London headquarters from her home in Edinburgh will be paid, but her fixed pay is expected to be slightly higher than Pester's at more than 1m, with bonuses on top worth hundreds of thousands of pounds more. She is also expected to get a lump sum to compensate her for the loss of up to 1.1m-worth of CYBG shares which had been coming her way under various bonus schemes. TSB chairman Richard Meddings said the bank had considered more than 30 possible candidates and interviewed six. He said that 'in an impressive field' Crosbie stood out. Sabadell is thought to have hoped that the IT upgrade at TSB would be a success and be a launch pad from which it could buy more banks in Britain. But the failure means that dream is all but dead, and market watchers believe Sabadell might cut its losses in the UK. Meanwhile Meddings who insisted that Sabadell remains committed to TSB said that the bank will be bidding for a slice of a 775m state-backed fund to increase competition in business banking. He added that the lender could still pocket some of this cash despite the damage the IT catastrophe had inflicted on its credibility. He said: 'All I can do is control what I can control, which is simply to make sure we submit a very good bid.' A white woman has been caught on tape calling the police on a black family as they set up for a barbecue at a park in Oakland, California. The unidentified woman in the viral video claims that the family were using a charcoal grill instead of a non-charcoal grill in one of Lake Merritt's designated grilling zones. A bystander named Michelle Snider, noticed the commotion and confronted the woman for 'harassing' the family, camera in hand, to record the 25-minute verbal altercation. The April 29 video is one of many that have surfaced on the internet recently, showing white people calling the police on black people for doing everyday activities such as sitting in Starbucks, participating in a college tour, and taking a nap in a campus lounge. An unidentified white woman was recorded calling the police on a black family for grilling at the park at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California A bystander named Michelle Snider, noticed the commotion and confronted the woman for 'harassing' the family, camera in hand, to record the 25-minute verbal altercation In the video, Snider asks behind the camera: 'Why are you so bent out of shape over them being here?' The woman replies: 'Because it causes extra money from our city to do things when children get injured because of improperly disposed coals.' Police responded to the incident after the woman's call but did not issue any citations. However, authorities questioned the family for one hour, according to Oakland Council member Lynette Gibson McElhaney. McElhaney told the Huffington Post: 'In a city that needs significant policing services, we can't have those precious expensive resources squandered in a frivolous way.' She added: 'Police are not a private security for any white person that's offended by the presence of black folks in our public spaces.' The video has nearly half a million views and comments praise Snider's recording as a good Samaritan. The woman claimed the family were using a charcoal grill in a non-charcoal zone The April 29 incident comes after recent videos have emerged of white people calling the police on black people for doing everyday activities The woman began to cry when police arrived claiming the woman recording was harassing her The woman walked away to meet police at a convenience store. As Snider followed her with the camera, the woman began to cry and told the officer she was being harassed. The officers spoke to both parties and diffused the situation without giving the family a fine. Lake Merritt has six designated barbecue zones, three of which permit charcoal grills and three for 'non-charcoal portable grills'. The family were using the incorrect grill for the area they were in, however it is not illegal to do so. 'We will do our part to lean into the conversation thoughtfully and [make sure] that the activities of black people aren't being overly policed,' McElhaney said. Also In April, two black men were arrested while waiting for a potential business partner in Starbucks while another man was denied bathroom use and had the police called on him. In response, the franchise announced on Thursday it is changing its bathroom policy after the two videos went viral igniting a racial firestorm. Another racial incident came last month when two Native American boys had the police called on them while touring CSU Fort Collins campus. A white woman in the group called the police because she said they were acting 'quiet', wearing t-shirts with 'demons' on them and just did not belong. A Sydney father-of-three is facing life in jail after being charged over an alleged record cocaine bust buried in a shipment concealed as 'bananas'. Mohammed Ayoubi was arrested by Australian Federal Police as he allegedly waited for the arrival of a boat from New Zealand, which authorities said was carrying 190kg of cocaine, which has a street value of more than $50 million. Police said Ayoubi, 40, from Alfords Point, in the city's south, had expected the shipment of drugs to arrive from New Zealand, the final leg of its three-month international journey. But unbeknown to him the shipment had been intercepted by New Zealand border officials the day before, and replaced with a fake substance, before being sent on its way to Sydney. As Ayoubi allegedly awaited the arrival of five large duffle bags containing 57kg of cocaine, police arrested him and charged him for his role in the alleged organised crime syndicate. Scroll down for video Mohammed Ayoubi (left, with wife Shianna) was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers in Sydney's CBD last week while allegedly awaiting the arrival of 57 kilograms of cocaine which was part of a shipment of 190kg of the illegal drug The father-of-three was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of drugs. If convicted Ayoubi (far right, with his family), 40, could face a maximum penalty of life in prison Before his arrest last week Ayoubi and his wife Shianna regularly showed off a fancy lifestyle on social media. Ayoubi's Facebook page is littered with photos of the couple posing together while at masquerade balls or dressed up for a day out at 'The Everest' races. Mrs Ayoubi also often shared pictures of the couple out and about with their kids. It is not suggested she was involved or knew of the alleged drug syndicate. The couple's shocked neighbours told Daily Mail Australia they were amazed to hear about Ayoubi's alleged involvement in the drug syndicate. 'I saw the police car there the other day but had no idea what was going on,' one of their neighbours said. 'I'd see them often and they would wave as they were going out of their driveway. 'They were always nice, he was a family man... it's incredible.' Ayoubi was once praised in a newsletter at his children's school for his volunteer work in the canteen. Blocks of cocaine (pictured) were discovered by New Zealand customs authorities allegedly hidden in large duffle bags and loaded on a ship headed for Australia last week Before his arrest last week Ayoubi and his wife Shianna regularly showed off a fancy lifestyle on social media, including trips to The Everest race day at Randwick Racecourse (right) 'He was a family man and not the kind of man you'd expect to be involved in this,' a neighbour of the Ayoubi's told Daily Mail Australia AFP authorities last week revealed the 190kg haul began its journey to Australia at a port in Panama, South America, on August 4. The shipment, which was listed as carrying 'bananas', took two weeks to travel across the South Pacific Ocean before arriving in Auckland, NZ, on August 20. But it wasn't until November 14, close to three months later, just as the ship prepared to head to Sydney, that Australian authorities shared information about a local crime gang with their NZ counterparts. The Australian-bound ship was then checked again and the drugs allegedly found. A day later - after raids in Alfords Point and Willey Park - Ayoubi presented himself to police and was charged. The 57kgs of cocaine that was allegedly heading for Australia was part of a bigger haul of more than 190kgs of the drug - a record for New Zealand customs AFP acting Commander Kirsty Schofield said the investigation was another example of the AFP partnering with other countries to combat international drug syndicates. 'We will continue to work closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to combat transnational crime and bring charges against those in this evil trade,' Act Comm Schofield said. 'This investigation demonstrates the power of intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation in striking at the heart of globally-connected criminal syndicates impacting Australia.' Ayoubi faced Central Local Court last Thursday and was refused bail, he is next due to appear in the same court on Wednesday, January 16, 2019. E-cigarette companies are going to greater lengths to target children by selling nicotine liquids in packaging that mirrors McDonald's milkshakes, MailOnline can reveal. The sale of liquids, aimed at young people, is part of a growing problem health chiefs are trying to combat with teenagers getting hooked on nicotine despite never smoking. Packaging of vaping products, costing as little as 1, include brightly-coloured labels on flavours such as 'gummy bear' and 'cotton candy'. One of the worst examples is 'McVape', which comes in mango and pineapple and strawberry flavours. The 11.49 bottles are sold in packaging to make them look like milkshakes from the fast food giant. MailOnline tracked down company boss Peter Walker, 34, who has been flooding the UK market with the bottles that even feature the 'I'm vapin' it' slogan and the McDonald's 'golden arches' logo. E-cigarette companies are going to greater lengths to target kids by selling nicotine liquids packaging that mirrors McDonald's milkshakes Businessmen Peter Walker, 34, (pictured) has been flooding the UK market with bottles that even feature the 'I'm vapin' it' slogan and the McDonald's 'golden arches' logo Mr Walker has sold the addictive, sugary flavoured vape liquids with colourful packaging that appeals to teenagers from his parents' 69,000 terraced home in Ferryhill, Co. Durham McVapes have been illicitly sold in the UK by Second Vape Ltd from Mr Walker's parents' 69,000 terraced home in Ferryhill, Co. Durham. The e-liquids are not on the approved list of products held by the Government's Medical and Healthcare products agency. Only flavours and packaging approved by the MEHA can be sold in the UK. Mr Walker sold McVape to a MailOnline reporter, who entered a fake date of birth on his website. When asked if the McVapes packaging is targeted at children, the businessman replied: 'Yes, that branding is a bit naughty.' He added: 'But I have to say that the health benefits in helping people stop smoking outweigh the bad points. 'We don't sell to under 18s. Some of these products might appeal to teenagers but if they are under age they cannot buy it from us. Meanwhile Juul, one of the world's biggest vaping companies, has attacked the sale of e-cigarettes with flavours that appeal to children, saying it would never sell flavours such as 'gummy bear' or 'cotton candy' which are 'clearly' targeted at kids. Among Mr Walker's range are bottles that look like Haribo sweet packets, blueberry jam flavour, cookies and Sours based on Sourz sweet fizzy drinks. Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) has called for the products to be banned. She told Mail Online: 'I'd warn anyone who sees McVapes for sale not to buy them as they're not on the list of notified products and that means that there's no guarantee they meet the necessary standards and they shouldn't be on sale in the UK. 'I'm concerned as well that whoever's selling them may well not be checking that they're not selling to under 18s which is also illegal. Sales need to be stopped and now.' With the increasing popularity of vaping, products on sale in the UK must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The Government agency's website lists all the hundreds of liquids that can be sold, but McVapes is not among them. The MEHA website also contains a comprehensive list of products that have been withdrawn from sale and almost all have names that are based around sweet flavours, such as juicy fruit and vanilla custard. When asked by a MailOnline reporter if the McVapes packaging is targeted at children Mr Walker replied: 'Yes, that branding is a bit naughty.' But he said vapes help people quit smoking These unregulated, illicit vape liquids being sold through Mr Walker's Second Vape company appeal to teenagers and Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, urged for them to be recalled Some nine million people still smoke in the UK despite a big rise in e-cigarette use. In 2012, there were 700,000 vapers in the UK whereas now that figure is closing in on 3m. Market research group Euromonitor estimates that the number of adults who vape will reach almost 55 million by 2021. Teenagers who vape are six times more likely to take up smoking than those who have never tried it, scientists have warned. Those who experiment with e-cigarettes are at higher risk of smoking within two years than those who have never tried the device, a study in the US found. The investigation, which looked at the smoking habits of 18-year-olds, added weight to the argument electronic cigarettes can act as a gateway to tobacco products for teenagers. The US, Japan and the UK are the world's biggest markets with vapers in the three countries spending a combined equivalent of 14bn on smokeless tobacco and vaping products in 2016. One British firm - not responsible for specifically targeting children - reported 6.9m pre-tax profit for year to March 2017 up from 6m in the previous 12 months. Its sales rose to 71m from 59m in the previous year. The industry's claim that vaping brings benefits to health - especially in young people - is hotly disputed. Those who are attracted to colourful packaging like this and experiment with e-cigarettes are at higher risk of smoking within two years than those who have never tried it, studies found Mr Walker, who sells thousands of McVapes, added: 'We don't sell to under 18s. Some of these products might appeal to teenagers but if they are under age they cannot buy it from us.' In the US the Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to require strict limits on the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes, including age verification controls for online sales. The move is an attempt to curb what health experts in the US are calling 'an epidemic of underage vaping' with FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb vowing: 'What I can't tolerate is another year of this level of growth.' Last month researchers from Duke University in North Carolina found that flavourings react with vaping liquids to create dangerous compounds that can trigger severe irritation when inhaled. Dr Sven-Eric Jordt, a senior author of the study, said: 'These individual ingredients are combining to form more complex chemicals that are not disclosed to the user. 'When inhaled, these compounds will persist in the body for some time, activating irritant pathways. 'Over time, this mild irritation could cause an inflammatory response.' A spokesman for McDonalds declined to comment. Advertisement China is building the world's longest double-deck suspension bridge. The Yangsigang Bridge boasts a single span of 1,700 metres (5,577 feet) over the Yangtze River and will cost a whopping eight billion yuan (900 million) to construct. The bridge's span is 221 metres (725 feet) shorter than that of Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. But the Japanese bridge, which crosses the busy Akashi Strait, only has one level. The news comes less than a month after China opened the world's longest sea-crossing bridge at 34 miles, linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai. Scroll down for video A 1,000-tonne steel beam is lifted to be installed at the construction site of the Yangsigang Bridge in China last Thursday The enormous bridge over the Yangtze River will be the world's longest double-deck suspension bridge when it's complete The enormous Yangsigang Bridge is expected to complete next October. It will have six lanes on the upper deck, six lanes on the lower deck as well as a cycle lane and a pedestrian footpath at either side, reported Xinhua News Agency. A suspension bridge is a bridge using overhead cables to support its roadway. Its span refers to the distance between two towers which the cables are attached to. The Yangsigang Bridge's span is 50 metres (164 feet) longer than that of single-deck Xihoumen Bridge, the world's current second longest suspension bridge which is also in China. It's also 420 metres (1,378 feet) longer than the span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Each of the bridge's 49 beams measures 36 meters (118 feet) long, 32.5 meters (107 feet) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) tall The Yangsigang Bridge's span is 221 metres (725 feet) shorter than that of Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (pictured), the longest suspension bridge in the world. But the Japanese bridge, which crosses the busy Akashi Strait, only has one deck The new bridge's span is 50 metres (164 feet) longer than that of single-deck Xihoumen Bridge (pictured), the world's current second longest suspension bridge which is situated in the Zhoushan Archipelago in eastern China's Zhejiang Province In comparison, the span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (pictured) is 420 metres (1,378 feet) shorter The bridge is situated in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province which has more than 10 million residents. The bustling city already has nine bridges built across China's longest river Yangtze, which flows across its centre. The main structure of the Yangsigang bridge deck comprises 49 colossal steel beams - each weighing 1,000 tonnes, the equivalent to 185 Asian elephants. Liang Xianwei, a leading engineer from the bridge's construction team, told Xinhua that a special crane had to be designed in order to lift the massive beams, each of which measures 36 meters (118 feet) long, 32.5 meters (107 feet) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) tall. The beams will be shipped to the construction site by boat before being lifted by the crane. The first beam was installed on the bridge deck last Thursday, and the rest 48 are expected to be fixed by the end of this year. Xu Gongyi, chief engineer of the Yangsigang bridge, explained why he hadn't designed any piers to support the bridge from underneath in a previous interview with Xinhua. According to Mr Xu, the shipping lanes under the bridge are busy and there is an irrigation dam nearby, therefore any piers would affect the traffic and the water currents which will in turn impact the traffic and the dam. Each of the bridge's 49 colossal steel beams is first shipped to the construction site by boat, then lifted by a special crane The Yangsigang Bridge will be the 10th bridge across the Yangtze River in Wuhan (file photo), the capital of Hubei Province On October 24, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, officially opened to traffic in southern China. The gargantuan project consists of a 22.9-kilometre-long (14.2-mile-long) oversea bridge and a 6.7-kilometre-long (4.2-mile-long) undersea tunnel, which is connected to the bridge by two artificial islands. Stretching across 55 kilometres (34 miles), the bridge is 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) longer than the width of the English Channel from Dover in the United Kingdom to Calais in France. The structure is the sixth longest bridge on earth. Chinese officials expect the bridge to be in use for 120 years and say it will boost businesses by cutting travel time by 60 per cent. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, officially opened to traffic last month Horlick also found time to pose for a cheeky photo with the reptile, beer in hand A farmer has been dubbed a hero among his mates after casually rescuing a venomous snake on a remote beach. Queensland resident Jack Hornick, 20, was on a recent fishing holiday at Fraser Island when he stumbled across the deadly sea snake. Unlike many others, who would have kept a safe distance, Hornick decided to rescue the reptile. Australian farmer Jack Hornick (pictured) with a deadly sea snake he spotted on the sand at a Fraser Island beach - he picked up the reptile by the tail before throwing it back in the ocean The Dalby based farmer picked the snake up by its tail while clutching a beer in his other hand and posed for a photo before releasing his new 'mate' back into the ocean. Mr Hornick said he was unaware what species the snake was, but his 'intentions were good.' His primary aim was to save the snake from potentially being flattened by nearby cars. 'We were driving down the beach to go fishing and we saw him (snake) up on the sand, so we pulled up, took a photo and threw it back in the water,' Hornick told the Courier Mail. Jack Hornick (pictured right) was a hero among his mates recently after casually rescuing a venomous snake at a remote beach on Fraser Island Gold Coast snake catcher Tony Harrison said the outcome could have been deadly for Hornick, given the species is incredibly venomous. 'Never try and touch a snake, especially if you are on the grog,' he said. 'The alcohol will tamper your treatment.' Mr Harrison added it was lucky the sea snake was in a placid state on the sand. 'They are like a slug on valium out of water,' he said. Advertisement Festivalgoers might be feeling a little worse for wear on Monday morning as they scrub the remaining glitter from their bodies and strip free of their bold attire after a long night of revelry. Thousands of people, many dressed in lace outfits, bikinis or crystals, let loose for the final day of the Strawberry Fields festival on Sunday. Festivities continued as the sun began to set at Tocumwal, just minutes from the banks of the Murray River. The group, well prepared for the scorching weather in their scantily clad outfits, partied late into the evening. The festival is held over three days, and featured dance music, art installations and globally-inspired food carts. Cheers: As the sun began to set, one woman draped herself in a feather boa, with her friend grabbed a silk scarf to keep a little warmer Black is always in fashion: One woman wrapped leather straps around her legs while her friend used a fishnet bodysuit to cover her black bikini This angel is not in disguise: This woman channeled her inner Victoria's Secret fashion show model with bright red wings Performance ready: A woman wearing a burlesque-inspired outfit dripping with pearls, featuring a bedazzled bra, feather boa and choker waits for her friends All rugged up: As the scorching temperatures began to cool this, woman reached for her woolen cardigan that matched her colourful pompom covered bra perfectly Circus performers roamed the campground, though they would have been hard to spot in the crowd of colourful attendees. Many wore skimpy swimsuits in fluorescent colours with massive boots to help them navigate the harsh terrain. Sparkles were a popular theme, with many revellers choosing to adorn their skin with stick-on jewels. One woman took the theme to a new level by covering herself in a metallic silver pantsuit with risque cutouts, while a couple were seen donning glitter rabbit masks. The greatest show-woman: Circus performers roamed the campground, though they would have been hard to spot in the crowd of colourful attendees The brighter the better: Many wore skimpy swimsuits in fluorescent colours with massive boots to help them navigate the harsh terrain There's always a silver lining: Festivalgoers wanted to standout among the crowd by covering themselves in as much sparkle as possible Steady on cowboy! A woman in a sequinned cowboy hat has a moment of passion in the middle of the festival with a man as he clutches his drink Chains for days: While many women opted for bikini tops, several wore chains and straps as accessories Hanging by a thread: Three friends chose to cover themselves with little more than strands, some made of leather and others of wool, as they prepared for a weekend of dancing and art The sun was out at the festival so naturally, many chose to lose a few layers. This woman decided to pair a hot pink bodysuit with fishnet gloves A woman in a pink and black bikini strikes a pose with her water bottle Some covered their skimpy outfits with flowers, others preserved their modesty in colourful pieces of Lycra, and some wore nothing at all. One man was seen walking through the Wildlands in nothing but a pair of shoes and a propeller hat, while a woman elsewhere inside the festival smiled in an outfit designed more to highlight her genitals than cover them. Girls, perhaps thinking of Instagram limitations, wore nipple pasties to cover one part of their body, and may opted for a matching bikini bottom to complete the outfit. The pasties came in all shapes and sizes. While one woman opted for something nude to sit under her costume, others wore coloured crosses or in one case, used alien heads to preserve their modesty. This woman paired her pink wig with a pink fannypack, which she belted over a strappy black swimsuit. Her thigh-high fishnet stockings were a final touch Most attendees wore bright colours, with one woman opting for rainbow nipple pasties shaped like hearts, and a man dressing up his hobby horse in a striped bow tie and bright feather bow tie One attendee went for an all-blue theme, even weaving blue strands into their dreadlocks. To keep cool, he held a fan made of blue and white material Flower power: One woman added a floral touch to her skimpy outfit by coating it in colourful, fake flowers Spotted! One woman paired black chaps with her risque leopard print swimsuit. Leopard was one of the more common patterns seen at the festival, and a woman straight behind her can also be seen strutting her stuff in the animal print Dressing up and getting down: Friends were happy to show off their costumes during the day, while other groups were more focused on busting a move Spiky and shiny: A pair at the festival wore matching thigh strap garters, complete with metal studs, while another dressed completely differently to one another, but kept to an alien vibe One of the more conservative costumes was seen on a man walking through the campground with a friend. He was dressed in an open, leopard-print shirt and tiger-print leggings. When the weather got too hot, festival-goers jumped in the river for relief, propping themselves up on inflatables. Sun-safety was still the first thing on everyone's mind, and those relaxing in the water were seen in all manner of hats. One woman wore a hot pink, glittery, plastic top hat, while a man rocked a police hat and his friend wore a captain's hat. The festival was held from November 15 to 18, with most attendees camping on site. Locals make up a large portion of the crowd every year, though in the 2016 census the town population was only 2,682. Taking a break: One woman, dressed in a sheer, bright yellow, lace dress was seen lying back on a tree trunk as she explained something to her friend in metallic blue bikini bottoms Pink was the colour of choice for these women. They dressed from head to toe in the blush tones, complete with furry pink nipple covers Festival performers were seen roving through the festival, but with all of the colourful costumes and big personalities, it was hard to tell who was who Spooky: While one woman covered her top half in what appeared to be a fishnet jumper, her friend went for a full alien theme, which included angled-eye sunglasses and alien-head nipple pasties. As a guide, she held an alien-shaped backpack Mermaid queens: Whether on dusty terrain or ankle-deep in river water, many of the women who attended Strawberry Fields this weekend aimed for a mermaid look, using sequinned pants and seashell nipple pasties to do it Safety first: One woman wore many bright pink straps of seat belt material buckled around her body. She completed the look with a pink wig Races ready? Perhaps feeling fancy in her lace bodysuit, one woman held up a red feather fan like it was a fascinator Feeling floaty: One group chose to hang out in the river as the heat became unbearable. Most of them practiced sun safety, with one woman using a glittery pink hat to keep the rays off her face 'Let's bounce': One couple decided to attend the festival in matching bunny costumes, putting on an eye-catching display as the sun bounced off their metallic pants Whats in a name? A lot, apparently. Members of the panel that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progressbetter known as the Nations Report Cardon Saturday approved small but significant changes to the tests description of what constitutes advanced, proficient, and basic performance. From now on, theyll be preceded by the word NAEP, as in NAEP advanced, NAEP proficient, and NAEP basic, and references to performance in a grade will be stricken and replaced with performance on the NAEP assessment. The impetus behind these revisions is to improve public understanding about what NAEPs achievement levels mean; educators, parents, and the media often misunderstand NAEP proficiency to mean grade-level work, when its generally considered somewhat more difficult than that. The rewording may seem awfully minor to the uninitiated. But theres a deeper subtext behind the changes, and thats why this is worth noting. For nearly 30 years, some advocates have criticized the NAEP proficient bar as too high and therefore misleading for the public, and this latest go-around has opened up that debate once again. In the public comments that accompanied this change, some commenters urged the board to overhaul the achievement level system entirely and others commended the National Assessment Governing Board for sticking to its guns. A History of Achievement Levels To fully appreciate this wording change, you need a little history lesson first. NAEP originally put the achievement levels and descriptors into place around 1990. Before that, the exam results were reported as a big list of scale scores, and there was no attempt to translate them for the lay person. This was obviously difficult for most people to engage with, a problem because at that time people were hungry for more school-performance information. A Nation At Risk, the report that sounded a national alarm over education, had come out just seven years earlier, and the first push of reform efforts were well underway. The creation of the achievement levels was quite controversial. Both the wording of the achievement level descriptions, and also the technical standards setting itselfthe process of setting the cutoff points for basic, proficient, and advanced performancecreated a lot of consternation and were variously attacked and defended. While never universally embraced, the achievement levels eventually gained currency through the 1990s and became a keystone of NAEPespecially among the media (cough) which naturally found reporting the results using achievement levels to be easier for readers than reporting out scale scores. Then we come to 2002 and the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act. Under that law, every state had to develop its own tests and cutoff scores and passing levels. Many of them chose to use the word proficient in their own systems. Im pretty sure you know what Im going to say next: People began to get all of these terms, tests, and policies hopelessly confused. Sometimes, people who confuse NAEP with grade-level performance are making innocent mistakes, and sometimes theyre doing it to make an advocacy argument . (Read this story for background on all the depressing ways people tend to misuse NAEP results ). In any case, from the beginning some edu-folks have argued that the NAEP proficient bar is really more aspirational than realistic. They say its actively misleading parents and the public and warping education policy unproductively. The group currently leading this charge is the Superintendents Roundtable, which has pointed to the fact that even top-performing countries would have many students not considered proficient under NAEPs current levels. The Roundtable has lobbied for NAGB to describe the proficient level on NAEP as extremely demanding and the basic level as roughly analogous to grade level. Studies of NAEP and state tests find that NAEPs idea of proficiency does tend to be higher than the states'but states have narrowed this gap significantly in recent years. New Questions Ahead? That brings us to the current action. The change approved by NAGB at its Nov. 17 meeting is actually part of a larger document laying out its policy for examining and reviewing the cutoff scores for the achievement levels. (The board is required to do this by federal law.) NAGB wanted to refresh the document to reflect technical evolution in standards setting. That document was out for public comment, and from the 70-plus responses that came back, it was clear that some observers are worried that the door could now be open for the board to lower the bar, while others think doing so would paint a better picture of student achievement. To its credit, the board also hosted a panel discussion with various perspectives on this topic. Marc Tucker, who has long studied workforce preparedness, for example, said he thought NAEP proficiency should be aligned to the level of work students need to succeed in the first year of community collegea lower threshold than the current one. On the other hand, David Driscoll, a former Massachusetts superintendent, attributed that states work to align its expectations to NAEP as a factor in its improved student performance. But lets make one thing really clear: There are no current proposals to change NAEP standards. While the board will begin revising its reading and math test frameworks over the next few years, the boards intent is to maintain the tests current cut scores and the preserve the trend line, said Andrew Ho, a testing expert at Harvard University and the chair of NAGBs committee on standards, design, and methodology. The board could do more to try to make the achievement levels easier for the public to understand what proficient performance looks like, beyond the somewhat verbose definition it currently uses, he said. The most common question we get asked is, What does proficient mean? and the answer is this paragraph. But the paragraph is somehow deeply unsatisfying, Ho noted in remarks to the board. Its also overwhelming and intimidating and dense. And that, it appears, is what NAEP will try to do: contextualize the test scores better, possibly by examining the landscape of other tests or perhaps student work samples. To conclude, Ill leave you with a sampling of the public comments that accompanied NAGBs draft. The Council of the Great City Schools: For decades ... NAEP has been, and should remain, the standard for these terms. Application of these terms from assessment-to-assessment have been made relative to NAEP definitionseven if they have not been faithfully applied. Changing the terminology suggests that NAEP should no longer be the standard upon which we understand student achievement. The Education Trust: If the revision of the Achievement Level Policy results in lower expectations for what it means to be proficient or advanced without solid justification for these changes, it could harm students across the country, with the highest risks for students who are already underserved in our schools. AASA, The School Superintendents Association: The original achievement levels were developed in a rushed process, and resulted in levels that continue to confuse educators, citizens, and policymakers. The levels have been described as wishful thinking more than reasonable or common sense, and the latest research linking NAEPs benchmarks to international assessments reveals that the majority of students in most nations cannot clear NAEPs proficiency bar. The Superintendents Roundtable: In the Roundtables judgement, the modifications are in no way responsive to the major criticisms that have been leveled at the NAEP benchmarks over the years. To retreat behind the claim that the proficient benchmark is an aspirational standard is deceptive and evasive. Emily Maurek, teacher: Americas children have been made out to be failing when they score below Proficient, when in reality the passing mark is out of reach and always will be. The National Center for Education Statistics has clearly stated that proficient is not synonymous with grade level performance. But when a metric is so clearly misused, misunderstood, and abused, it is clearly time for an immediate restructuring. That time is now. Jack Jennings, former congressional aide and Center on Education Policy president: Those levels, instead, have led to confusion in the news media and among teachers, parents, and the general public. It appears that very high aspirations ruled their development, instead of realistic conclusions based on sound data. More than 70 people a day are getting caught ripping off Australia's welfare system by falsely claiming to be single in order to receive higher payments. Over 26,000 dole bludgers have been given $61 million more than they were entitled to get after failing to report their relationships to Centrelink in the past year. The average debt oed by Australians claiming to be single was $2,343 in 2017-19, up from $1,986 the previous year, The Daily Telegraph reports. More than 70 Centrelink bludging couples are caught rorting the system every day by lying about their relationship and pretending to be single (stock image) The government has increased audits to catch out bludgers, combining the Australian Federal Police and Human Services Department's teams to catch people out. They are targeting trouble areas around Australia where there is a higher risk of suspected welfare fraud. Officials have hit the streets to speak to people in the communities, letting people dob in their neighbours who are taking advantage of the system. The new measures have seen the government claim back more than $2billion since the crackdown began in 2016. In one major case, a 76-year-old Victorian woman was last month sentenced to almost three years in prison after being convicted of fraudulently claiming $287,000 in benefits, claiming to be single while in a relationship with a man who was worth millions. Human Services Minister Michael Keenan warned anyone thinking of defrauding welfare that they will face serious consequences. Human Services Minister Michael Keenan (pictured) warned anyone thinking of defrauding welfare that they will face serious consequences, 'you could up with a criminal record, or worse, in jail' he said 'You are stealing directly from pockets of Australian taxpayers You also need to know that if we catch you, you will be made to pay the money back and you could also end up with a criminal record, or worse, in jail.' he said. He added that the audits had increased five-fold under the Coalition to ensure the cheats were caught. Failing to report a relationship status is one of the leading causes of welfare debts alongside people incorrectly reporting their income. A mystery 'Santa Clause' brought some festive cheer to Walmart shoppers in Vermont by paying for their layaway items. The unidentified man paid off the entire lot of layaway goods that customers had ordered at a store in Derby, near the Canadian border, for Christmas. Shopper Julie Gates from Eden Mills went to pick up a package on Thursday. While in line, she overheard the mystery do-gooder talking to another man and couldnt believe what she was hearing. Julie Gates (left) pictured with husband Daniel (right) said she was stunned when a mystery man told her he would pay for all of her layaway items at a Walmart store in Vermont Julie took one image of the altruistic man from behind as he did not wish to be identified She told WCAX-TV: He came up to the man in front of me and said Either I am going to pay for it now or I am going to pay for it later', observed Gates. The man then turned to her and asked if she was paying for an item on layaway. He said why don't you run and get what you want now and come back here, said Gates . She was skeptical, but she was in the store to putt items on layaway for her family for Christmas. 'So I came back and he was standing there waiting. There was no one left'. Gates added: 'He paid for everything. This can't be, who can afford to pay for everyone layaway? And he said 'Santa Clause can'. 'I get goosebumps thinking that, that is the true magic of Christmas, that's the Christmas spirit walking among us'. The trolley load of Christmas gifts she left with which were bought by the mystery do-gooder Julie posted about the man's goodwill gesture on Thursday as she got most of her presents Shoppers were stunned at the altruistic move by the mystery man, as some had layway purchases worth up to $900 Brownington resident Sandra Cortez told WCAX-TV he thought it was a rumor. But she learned it was real when she went to the store to find her items paid off. On Saturday the layaway storage room was filled floor to ceiling with items, which were all paid for by the mystery man. 'It was kind of like surreal when they said no balance due, then it was really a reality', said Tammy Desautels from North Troy who had her things paid for. Walmart would not say how much the mystery shopper spent or how many people went home with free gifts. The man visited the Walmart store on Thursday and some shoppers branded him 'mystery Santa Claus' Julie Gates took a photo of him walking away, as the man didn't want to be named. 'There were people ahead of me who were getting eight, nine, hundred dollar layaways', said Gates. Desautels said her financial situation has been tough since her husband broke his foot and could not work. She said gifts are now one less thing to worry about going into the cold winter months. 'Really have a feeling that there is hope for mankind or whatever. There's still good people out there,' said Desautels. On Saturday, recipients said they were still in shock. I want to thank him, said Cortez. Canadian scientists have identified microscopic creatures so unlike any other living thing on earth that they have had to create an entirely new branch on the evolutionary tree of life for them. A group from Dalhousie University made the discovery by chance during a hike along the Bluff Wilderness Trail in Nova Scotia two years ago, after they decided to gather random samples of dirt and analyze its microscopic elements when they got back to the lab. What they found was hemimastigotes - a type of single-celled microorganism. The Dalhousie found two species of hemimastigotes; the previously discovered Spironema and a brand new species they named Hemimastix kukwesjijk meaning 'rapacious hairy ogre' in the Mi'kmaq First Nations people of Nova Scotia langauge. While the science community has been aware of hemimastigotes for the past century, they have rarely been studied and are little understood. But this new research found hemimastigote behaving in surprising ways. Once they were revived in the lab the creatures developed hairs, referred to as flagella. While other flagella move in coordinated waves, the hair on these microbes moved independently both to compel the organisation and to grasp prey. Canada researchers discovered a new hemimastigote organism two years ago Scientist found that, unlike bacteria and archaea, hemimastigotes had complex cells with organelles mini-organs, much like animals, plants, fungi and amoebas. In fact, the hemimastigotes were so different from any other creature on earth, they appear to have split from a shared ancestor on the evolutionary chain at least a billion years ago. 'This discovery literally redraws our branch of the 'Tree of Life' at one of its deepest points,' explained Alastair Simpson, the lead author of the study and biology professor at Dalhousie, told Gizmodo in a statement. 'It opens a new door to understanding the evolution of complex cellsand their ancient originsback well before animals and plants emerged on Earth.' Graduate Yana Eglit, who co-authored a study published this week inNature, said hemimastigotes are considered 'a tantalizing mystery' to microbiologists, CBC.ca reports. They they found Spironema and the previously unknown Hemimastix kukwesjijk Dalhousie University group came across species during a hike in Nova Scotia Their study looked at the way Spironema paired with the previously unknown Hemimastix kukwesjijk. Eglit added water to the sample of dirt in the labraoty to revive the microscopic creatures. Three weeks later she found a pistachio-shaped figure with hairs, referred to as flagella. 'It's as if these cells never really learned that they have many flagella,' Eglit laughed about their movement. Talking about how 'it presumably sucks its cytoplasm out', Eglit shared how the hemimastix shoots extrusomes (harpoons) to attack prey - such as aquatic microbe diatom's relative Spumella in order to grasp it with flagella and lead it to its capitulum (mouth). After seeing this behavior Eglit was able to feed it and replicate it so other scientists could have a chance to study it. The findings claimed that the 'rare' hemimastigotes are in fact so unique that they qualify to form its own 'supra-kingdom'. They they found Spironema and the previously unknown Hemimastix kukwesjijk Graduate Yana Eglit (center glasses, green top), postdoctoral researcher Laura Eme (center with scarf) and graduate student Gordon Lax, and Alastair Simpson (second from right, blue shirt) co-authored a study published this week in Nature 'It really shows how much more there is out there,' she added. Dalhousie biology professor Alastair Simpson, Eglit's supervisor and co-author of the new study spoke about how ancestors of the newly-discovered microbes can't be traced back until a billion years ago. It's still 500 million years before the first animals. 'They represent a major branch that we didn't know we were missing,' Simpson said. 'There's nothing we know that's closely related to them.' He added as they prepare for a complete genetic analysis: 'It'll be the one time in my lifetime that we find this sort of thing.' A young male mountain lion dubbed P-74 (above) has not been accounted for in the Southern California mountains which have been ravaged by wildfire The National Park Service says all but one of 13 mountain lions being tracked in Southern California mountains have been accounted for following a devastating wildfire. As of Friday, the only missing mountain lion was one dubbed P-74, a young male born last year. In addition, all four bobcats that the agency monitors via GPS have been located in the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles. The 151-square-mile Woolsey fire has charred a huge swath national park land that's home to the big cats and popular among hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The blaze was 88 percent contained on Sunday and more evacuation orders have been lifted. The Woolsey Fire destroyed 20,000 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The fire has destroyed more than 80 percent of the land. It has burned through the native chaparral and coastal sage scrub. The area now looks like 'scorched earth' and a 'moonscape,' the National Park Service said. Many of the mountain lions are monitored with radio collars that they wear. These collars transmit a GPS signal, enabling park officials to track their location. While the mountain lions appear to have gotten lucky, the bobcats have not been as fortunate. The Woolsey Fire destroyed 20,000 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area. A helicopter fights fire in Southern California last week In addition, all four bobcats (one of which is seen above) that the agency monitors via GPS have been located in the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles Their entire habitat has been destroyed, though there is good news. The NPS said that all four bobcats that were being tracked are moving and alive. In Northern California, authorities sifted through the charred wreckage of the state's deadliest ever wildfire on Sunday, searching for any signs of the 1,276 people now listed as missing after the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. The remains of 76 people have been recovered so far, 63 of whom have been tentatively identified pending DNA confirmation. Early on Sunday the blaze, which ignited on Nov. 8, was 60 percent contained, officials said, up from 55 percent Saturday. Rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the blazes but raising the risk of floods and mudslides, adding to the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders. On Saturday, two forensic anthropologists for the University of Nevada, Reno, were helping firefighters sort through the wreckage at a mobile home park for senior citizens in Paradise. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to consider the impact that exposure to Agent Orange has had on the children of those who served in the Vietnam War. According to a report published Thursday a component found in the odorless herbicide used to destroy tall crops in hiding places in fields and rice paddies could have caused the likes of hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in descendants of US military. The statement declares that while numerous studies have been done on women in regards to how the dioxin component may have had an effect on health, 'there are relatively few studies on the health effects of paternal chemical exposures on their descendants, and none address Vietnam veterans specifically'. A warning sign stands in a field contaminated with dioxin near Danang airport, during a ceremony marking the start of a project to clean up dioxin left over from the Vietnam War (pictured 2012) Angelica Caye Kuhn (right, with her veteran father David LeRoy, center) was in pain for days and, after several tests, she was diagnosed with Spina Bifida, a spinal cord defect common in children of male Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange After the final Congressional mandated review, Update 11, was done since The Agent Orange Act of 1991 passed, scientists have now suggested the focus be on soldiers. The study from the private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine, looked at scientific literature from September 30, 2014 and December, 2017. It's estimated that 20 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed between 1962 and 1971. It was used in US military posts in the US, Canada, and Southeast Asia. However it's not clear exactly how many American military members served; it ranges between 2.6 million and 4.3 million people. The findings suggested there was sufficient evidence of a positive association between exposure to the toxic chemical and hypertension. It was previously classified as 'limited or suggestive' in earlier studies sponsored by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Vietnam veteran David LeRoy (pictured) served in 1969 until 1970 in areas that were the most heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. Years later would later be diagnosed with several heart conditions and diabetes all related to Agent Orange exposure The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine stated they couldn't rule out biases and chance however so did now draw a firm conclusion. The high blood pressure illness however was the highest self-reported from those who had the most chance of exposure to dioxin and other dangerous chemicals. MGUS - a precursor to multiple myeloma was linked to at least one of the toxic substances in Agent Orange. The frontrunner to a rare form of blood cancer was more prevalent in those exposed to the pesticide. Scientists were unable to upgrade findings for the Type 2 diabetes from 'limited or suggestive' to sufficient. 'Both newly and previously reviewed studies consistently show a relationship between well-characterized exposures to dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals and measures of diabetes health outcomes in diverse cohorts, including Vietnam veteran populations,'the news statement read. 'The risk factors for diabetes, such as age, obesity, and family history of the disease, were controlled for in the analyses of most studies reviewed. 'However, some members of the committee believed that the lack of exposure specificity and the potential for residual uncontrolled confounding influences complicated attribution of the outcome to the chemicals of interest.' Any links to glioblastoma multiforme (and other brain cancers) remained inadequate or insufficient. USAF UC 123K plane spraying delta area with dioxin-tainted herbicide/defoliant Agent Orange, in Vietnam war defensive measure The committee also asked for investigators to 'examine existing databases on myeloid diseases to determine whether there are data available that would allow for an evaluation of myeloproliferative neoplasms. The condition where the body makes too many red or white blood cells is just one of many conditions that could possibly be associated with being exposed to Agent Orange. C0123s used by the Air Force have been taken out of service but men and women who returned from Vietnam are now able to receive medical compensation. Spinda Bifida has been recognized as a related illness. It's something Angelica Caye Kuhn, daughter of 1969-1970 Vietnam veteran David LeRoy has suffered with for two decades. Her dad suffered heart conditions and diabetes. 'I am a hostage and a prisoner,' she wrote in an email to ABC News. 'Imprisoned by my handicap. All because of a KNOWN toxic chemical that was dumped on my unsuspecting father and millions of other unsuspecting members of our military, who have/are paying with their lives and the lives of their children!!!' Betty Mekdeci, the executive director of Birth Defect Research for Children, a Florida-based non-profit says it has also caused issues with ovaries, endocrine, learning and attention deficit disorders. Herbicides, including Agent Orange, had been stored at this former airstrip and highly contaminated by dioxin. Although being relocated from directly on top of the hot spot by the Vietnamese government in the late 90s, local residents still live as close as 500 meters away from A Luoi in Central Vietnam A Vietnamese soldier stands next to a hazardous warning sign by a runway at Bien Hoa air base, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, as US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visits the former US air base on October 17, 2018 Her organization has collected data from nearly 10,000 veterans, 2,000 children of Vietnam veterans and 300 grandchildren of veterans. Many of the medical conditions that have stayed in the maternal system for around 20 years aren't physical. She said about assisting children instead of studying them: 'We don't have ten years to look at these things. These kids are having problems right now and we need to get on it right now not ten years from now.' Vietnam and the United States finished the cleanup of dioxin contamination at Danang airport caused by the transport and storage of the herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War earlier this month. The 30 hectares (74 acres) of land cleansed of the toxic chemical were handed over to Vietnam at a ceremony where Vice Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh praised the US government's involvement in the cleanup. 'It is proof that we are opening a future of good cooperation between the governments of Vietnam and the United States,' Vinh said. 'Today marks the day that Danang airport is no longer known as a dioxin hotspot, the day that Danang people can be assured that their health will not be destroyed by chemicals left over from the war.' A map of the Bien Hoa air base, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, a former storage site for Agent Orange, which is blamed for birth defects and cancers among a million Vietnamese US Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink called the joint cleanup a significant milestone in the expanding partnership between the two countries. 'This project truly is a hallmark of our countries' shared vision to be honest about the past, deal responsibly with remaining legacy issues and turn a point of contention into one of collaboration,' he said. Kritenbrink said working together on the issues of the past 'builds strategic trust and enables us to further strengthen our forward-looking partnership that advances shared interests and strong people-to-people ties.' Dioxin stays in the soil and in the sediment at the bottom of lakes and rivers for generations. It can enter the food supply through the fat of fish and other animals. Vietnam says as many as 4 million of its citizens were exposed to the herbicide and as many as 3 million have suffered illnesses caused by it - including the children of people who were exposed during the war. The US government says the actual number of people affected is much lower and that Vietnamese are too quick to blame Agent Orange for birth defects that can be caused by malnutrition or other factors. The U.S. Agency for International Development will soon begin a soil restoration project at the base that is estimated to take several years and cost $390 million. A desperate search is underway for a pregnant woman who disappeared after an upsetting ultrasound. Sonam Shelar, 26, was last seen at her home on Cashmere Avenue, in Wellington, on New Zealand's north island, on Saturday at 8.30am. Her husband, Sagar Shelar, told The New Zealand Herald on Monday he and his wife, who are expecting their first child, had visited a hospital for an ultrasound a couple of days prior to her disappearance. Sonam Shelar, 26, was last seen on Cashmere Avenue, Khandallah, Wellington, on New Zealand's north island on Saturday at 8.30am Mr Shelar said the appointment upset his wife. Doctors said they could not tell the sex of the child, worrying Mrs Shelar, who has always dreamed of having a baby boy, her husband told the publication. 'As soon as we got in the car she was crying and so upset because she wanted a boy.' Mr Shelar said the last time he saw his wife she was in bed as he left for work. When he went to call her during his break at 11am, Mr Shelar said her phone had been turned off. He returned home at 1pm and she was nowhere to be seen. The door to their rental property was unlocked and the keys were still in the house. Sonam Shelar (pictured) is five months pregnant and has not been seen since Saturday morning. She was at home in bed when her husband had left for work She is believed to have left the home with $20 cash and her two cellphones. 'I am scared and have been looking everywhere. I haven't got any clue where she is. I haven't slept or eaten. I have just been crying and thinking about her,' Mr Shelar said. Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee said police had stepped up their search. 'We have concerns for her safety and need people to keep an eye out for her. It's been cold overnight and we, like her family are worried for her safety.' Ms Shelar was wearing a brown jacket with fur on the hood and white, black and orange trainers. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has met with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif today to demand the release of a British mother. Mr Hunt is using his first trip to the country to lobby Irans leaders about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe over her two-year imprisonment on dubious spying charges. He was welcomed into the capital Tehran by Mr Javad Zarif who shook his hand as they arrived at the meeting to discuss Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) talks to Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (2-R) in Tehran, Iran Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has met with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to demand the release of a British mother He was welcomed into the capital Tehran by Mr Javad Zarif who shook his hand as they arrived at the meeting to discuss Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe Mr Hunt intended to tell his Iranian counterpart that the aid worker, who has joint British and Iranian citizenship, should be reunited with her husband Richard and their four-year-old daughter Gabriella. Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Hunt said using innocent people to gain political leverage was unacceptable. He added: We must see those innocent British-Iranian dual nationals imprisoned in Iran returned to their families in Britain. I have heard too many heartbreaking stories from families who have been forced to endure a terrible separation. Mr Hunt is using his first trip to the country to lobby Irans leaders about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe over her two-year imprisonment on dubious spying charges (pictured with her daughter Gabriella Mr Hunt intended to tell his Iranian counterpart that the aid worker, who has joint British and Iranian citizenship, should be reunited with her husband Richard and their four-year-old daughter Gabriella So I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the countrys leaders putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage. At least two other British-Iranians are thought to be in prison in Iran. Businessman Kamal Foroughi, 79, was arrested in 2011 and convicted of espionage and alcohol possession charges. And in March this year, Iran said it had sentenced an unidentified agent of Englands intelligence service to six years in jail. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes family has previously been highly critical of the Governments approach, with ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson coming in for particular criticism over his handling of the case. But they have welcomed a recent escalation in attempts to pressure Tehran. Mr Hunt (left) will tell counterparts the aid worker, who has joint British and Iranian citizenship, should be reunited with her husband Richard (right) Mr Hunt is expected to explicitly raise her plight during meetings with Irans foreign minister Javad Zarif and other high-ranking officials. His diplomatic push comes after Theresa May used a meeting with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani at the UN general assembly in September to call for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release. Mr Hunt also used the New York conference to press his counterpart for a swift resolution. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 40, a manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation charity, was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was about to board a flight back to London after visiting family. She was sentenced to five years in prison for plotting to overthrow the Iranian regime, which she strenuously denies. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison for plotting to overthrow the Iranian regime, which she strenuously denies (pictured: Richard Ratcliffe in 2017) She was reunited with Gabriella, who is living with her grandparents in Tehran, during a three-day temporary release in August. After being forced back to jail, she has suffered health problems and panic attacks. Her husband, who has campaigned tirelessly for her release, says the detention is having a worsening effect. In a letter to the Iranian authorities, he said: She wished she had never been released. She said she felt like one of the radical Islamists captives as though she had been paraded on the balcony then hidden back away. During his visit, the first by a Western foreign minister since the US pulled out of a nuclear deal, Mr Hunt will call for Iran to end destabilising activity in the Middle East. The UK has expressed alarm at Donald Trumps decision to re-impose sanctions. Mr Hunt said: The nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces. Five of the Queen's protection soldiers have been arrested after a late-night brawl in a kebab shop near Windsor Castle, it has been claimed. The scrap involving drunken Coldstream Guards is said to have taken place at Ramsey's Grill last Friday while the Queen was at her nearby residence. The soldiers were allegedly caught up in a fight involving at least eight people before several men were reportedly seen hurrying back to Victoria Barracks where the soldiers are based. The soldiers were caught on CCTV after the kebab shop brawl at 1.30am just yards from Windsor Castle A source told The Sun that no-one knew what the fracas was about, saying: 'The five lads were on the smash. 'They left a pub and on the way home went to a kebab house where there was an altercation with these blokes. 'Three got nicked there and then, and two more later on in the barracks. It just kicked off.' The scrap involving drunken Coldstream Guards is said to have taken place at Ramsey's Grill, pictured on the right of the street, last Friday while the Queen was at her nearby residence The kebab shop's owner said the fighting had 'quickly escalated' and spilled out on to the street. Police said five men aged 21, 22, 23, 26 and 27 were arrested and then released as the investigation continued. The Army reportedly confirmed that five of the soldiers had been arrested after an 'incident' near Windsor Castle. Earlier this year it was reported that a Coldstream Guardsman who was the first to wear a turban during Trooping the Colour was under investigation for alleged drugs misuse. The 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, in their red tunics and bearskins, greeted U.S. President Donald Trump when he visited Windsor Castle to meet the Queen in July (pictured) Charanpreet Singh Lall, 22, was allegedly one of three soldiers who allegedly failed a random drugs test at Windsors Victoria Barracks. The 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, in their red tunics and bearskins, greeted U.S. President Donald Trump when he visited Windsor Castle to meet the Queen in July. The Band of the Coldstream Guards and the Band of the Grenadier Guards played the U.S. national anthem when Mr Trump and his wife arrived. Coldstream Guards, nicknamed 'Lilywhites,' were formed in the English Civil War when Oliver Cromwell gave Colonel George Monck permission to have his own regiment. After Cromwell's death, Monck supported the monarchy and on January 1, 1660, crossed the River Tweed into England at the village of Coldstream and began a five-week march to London. Britain is at the mercy of Russian hackers who are plotting cyber attacks that could bring the country to its knees, politicians have warned. There are ten attacks happening every day, with many aiming to paralyse areas such as the NHS, the national grid and even Parliament. And there is a consistent rise in [Russias] appetite for attack on these sectors, according to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. Such is the severity of the problem that the committee is now calling for a designated cyber security minister. It said the UK needed a minister who, as in a war situation, has the exclusive task of assembling the resources... and executing the measures needed to defend against the threat. The Government is utterly failing to respond to the cyber arms race, the committee heard. In a report, the group said ministers had a wholly inadequate grip on the danger hostile nations posed to our critical national infrastructure (CNI). The past year has seen cyber attacks on the health, telecommunications, energy and Government sectors. The head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, told MPs and peers in the committee that Russia has already established a foothold [in the UKs internet infrastructure], an intrusion that you can use for ongoing espionage purposes or can develop as the potential for a hostile, disruptive and destructive act in the future. He also warned that Russia has begun to diversify its targets to include softer power democratic institutions. But it is not just Russia that poses a major threat, Britain is ill-prepared to fend off computer hacking attacks from other nations such as North Korea, China and Iran. Organised crime groups are also thought to be behind the regular attacks on UK institutions State sponsored hackers are branching out from stealing secrets and intellectual property theft and starting to explore offensive cyber capabilities to damage, disrupt or destroy the systems or networks of their adversaries, according to the Cabinet Office. Organised crime groups are also becoming as sophisticated and dangerous as nation states in their cyber capabilities and it has never been so easy and cheap to launch a catastrophic attack, the report suggests. In the last two years there have been 1,000 significant cyber attacks around ten a week. Not all of these have targeted the UKs CNI, but some such as the May 2017 WannaCry attack which crippled the NHS, have had a devastating impact. Despite the escalating threat, Britain has not adequately protected such infrastructure from attack and there is no silver bullet to solve the wicked problem, the committee concluded. It found that too many networks are still insecure and the operating systems in some areas such as electricity substations and transportation control rooms were often old, vulnerable to attack and difficult to fix. Steve Unger, former chief technology officer at the communications regulator Ofcom, told the committee: Together with Government we need to find a way of upping our game in this area in what is ultimately an arms race, but doing so in a way that is still deliverable. Yesterday a Government spokesman said: Ensuring our critical national infrastructure is secure and resilient against cyber attacks is a priority for the Government, which is why we are investing 1.9billion to improve our cyber capabilities. Attacks getting through Almost a third of hospitals were crippled in Britains worst ever cyber attack in May last year. The WannaCry malware, thought to be from North Korea, infected computers at 81 health trusts. A ransom was demanded to decrypt each computer. Nearly 20,000 operations and appointments were cancelled and five A&Es were shut down Last November it was confirmed state-backed Russian hackers had infiltrated Britains power grid in an unsuccessful plot to plunge the nation into darkness A ceremony was held at the California cemetery that holds the unclaimed and unidentified remains of 400 Jonestown victims on Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of the horrific massacre that shocked the globe. Dozens of survivors and family members gathered at the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland to pay their respects to the 918 victims of the mass suicide and murder that unfolded on November 18, 1978 in Guyana, South America orchestrated by Peoples Temple cult leader Reverend Jim Jones. The names of all the victims are inscribed on giant granite slabs at the cemetery with the message: 'In memory of the victims of the Jonestown tragedy'. Jim Jones Jr, the adopted black son of the Reverend Jim Jones, spoke at a service at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland California on Sunday for the 40th Jonestown anniversary Dozens of survivors, family and friends gathered at the gravesite that lists the name of all 918 Jonestown victims and holds the remains of 400 victims. Erica Harden, of Sacramento, California points to the names of her six relatives who died in the devastating mass suicide and murder on November 18, 1978 in Guyana, South America Jim Jones Jr pictured in October pointing to the names of his family members at the Jonestown memorial in Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California Speaking at the ceremony on Sunday Jones Jr said: 'Its not the death, its the loss of potential that these people had to want to change the world. They were manipulated by Jim Jones. Im the first one to say it, Im his son. But at the same time, their goal was to change the world' Jones' adopted son Jim Jones Jr and other Peoples Temple members conducted a service on the somber anniversary date on Sunday. On November 19, 1978, 918 members of the Peoples Temple living in Guyana, South America were killed by drinking a cyanide-laced drink, after they were instructed to do so by cult leader Rev. Jim Jones (above) 'Forty years, thats two generations, two lifetimes. This is not a day that were celebrating peoples death, were celebrating life. Every one of these people who have relatives who survived, they made a choice,' Jones Jr said according to the East Bay Times. He spoke bluntly on his father's leadership of the cult. 'Here's the facts: It was a horrific event. But its not the death, its the loss of potential that these people had to want to change the world. They were manipulated by Jim Jones. Im the first one to say it, Im his son. But at the same time, their goal was to change the world. So the tolerance was miscued, their blind loyalty was miscued,' he said. Jon Cobb, who called Jim Jones his adopted father, also spoke at the ceremony. 'I was born into the Peoples Temple all my life, from in Indiana in 1960, and I was there until the end in 1978. I lost 11 family members,' Cobb said. 'Every time that weve been up here, weve noticed that different tourists are up here from just all over. As people get a better understanding of it, more than just the craziness of Jim Jones and the mass murder-suicides at the end, the interest has grown in what drew people there and what happened day to day to sustain that group. This memorial is fitting for everyone to have a place to see,' he added. A vat that contained a drink laced with deadly cyanide sits on a sidewalk at Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana in November 1978. The bodies of followers that drank the poison are strewn around the commune A total of 918 people died at the Guyana, South American mission post. The aftermath of the massacre pictured above Dozens of survivors, friends, and relatives gathered at the Oakland cemetery on Sunday to remember their loved ones lost in the 1978 massacre Survivors, family and friends gathered to the cemetery to find the names of their loved ones and honor their lives taken too soon. Minister Jynona Norwood, who lost 27 relatives in the mass suicide, separately unveiled a portable memorial wall to honor more than 300 children and other victims. She notably left off the names of Jones and those she says assisted him. People's Temple member Janet Shular, who managed to escape the group with her husband and her adopted children months before the church traveled to Guyana paid her respects at the cemetery on Sunday. 'Im feeling great exuberance over what I am able to observe the power of love encourages people to keep going beyond all reasonable levels of expectation, we rise above tragedy, pain, sadness and sorrow,' she said. Both memorials list California Congressman Leo Ryan, three newsmen and a church defector killed by temple gunmen at an airstrip. On that fateful day U.S. Rep Leo Ryan and our others were killed by members of the Peoples Temple after they landed on a nearby airstrip. What followed was horrific mass suicide and massacre where cult members drank cyanide-spiked drink. The shocking massacre brought international attention to the church and it was the largest loss of American civilian life in a deliberate act until the 9/11 terror attacks. Family, friends, and fans gathered in front of a Utah police station to protest the fatal shooting of a local rapper, who was found with two bullet holes in his back. Numerous questions surrounding the death of Cody Belgard, who performed under the name See Smoke, remain unanswered by the Salt Lake City Police Department. Authorities claim that, on the night of November 9, Belgard, 30, and his girlfriend were confronted by officers in the parking lot of a strip mall. The officers had been 'notified about' a car in the parking lot that appeared to match a vehicle that fled police the previous week. Scroll down for video Cody Belgard, 30, (pictured) was shot dead by police on November 9. He was found with two bullet holes in his back Family, friends, and fans gathered in front of a Utah police station on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of the local rapper Salt Lake City police claim that Belgard was 'uncooperative' during the confrontation. 'He rammed a police car and hit two other vehicles in the parking lot, and attempted to hit officers. He then fled the scene with officers in pursuit,' the police report reads. Officers later found Belgard in a residential neighborhood and said they again 'contacted the suspect'. 'He was again non-compliant and due to his actions shots were fired,' the report states. Belgard was found face-down, with two bullet holes in his back. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he died from his injuries. Nomi Armijo believes that Belgard, who was her brother's best friend, was trying to go to their house just moments before he was shot. Authorities claimed that, on the night of his death, Belgard rammed a police car with a vehicle and, when later confronted by police, was 'uncooperative'. Pictured is the residential neighborhood where he was shot Authorities said that Belgard was 'again non-compliant and due to his actions shots were fired' Armijo was outside her home, inside a parked car with her boyfriend and sleeping child, when she saw Belgard coming toward the house. An officer then slowly approached in a K-9 truck and Belgard turned and went to the backyard, Armijo told the Salt Lake City Tribune. Armijo said the officer then blocked her car, got out, and ordered her to roll down the window. 'We said no because we got scared,' Armijo recalled. 'He was like, "Just roll it down!" He yelled at us. I was looking straight, and my boyfriend told me he had the gun pointing at us. He said, "Stay in the car, don't move.'" The officer went back to his truck and Armijo saw another cop car drive past and speed around the corner. The sirens weren't on and the lights weren't flashing. Then, she heard the gunshots. Belgard's family said police wouldn't let them see the rapper's body for days after he was killed. They also have yet to release any body camera footage 'How do you have an altercation with somebody when their back is turned? It makes no sense,' Sena Belgard, Cody's sister, (pictured) told the crowd at Saturday's protest 'I instantly knew that it was Cody,' Armijo said. Armijo believes that Belgard had gone through both her and a neighbor's backyard and then ended up on a different street a block away when the officer shot him. She said he was not armed. 'Police did not come back and get a witness statement from me or nothing,' she added. 'It was weird.' Armijo said Belgard had appeared to arrive at her house on foot that night, and that she had not see him or his girlfriend in possession of a car previously. She said he was also not with his girlfriend when he was shot. Belgard's girlfriend had actually called Armijo's family that night after the shooting to ask if they had seen him. Sena (pictured with Belgard) said she has asked investigators if Cody had a weapon, but they have refused to answer Sena (pictured with Belgard) said she wants her brother to be remembered for the soft-spoken and sensitive artist that he was Belgard's family said police wouldn't let them see the rapper's body for days after he was killed. They also have yet to release any body camera footage. 'How do you have an altercation with somebody when their back is turned? It makes no sense,' Sena Belgard, Cody's sister, told the crowd at Saturday's protest. 'Nobody, not even a police officer, has the right to take somebody's life if their own life is not in danger, and I know for a fact that whoever shot my brother, his life was not in danger.' 'He just wasn't violent. He didn't ever want to hurt anything.' Sena said she has asked investigators if Cody had a weapon, but they have refused to answer. 'He doesn't own any weapons. I don't even know if Cody knew how to use a gun, honestly,' she said. About 50 people gathered in front of the Rose Park Police Station around 1pm on Saturday, holding 'Justice for Cody' signs in the rain. Belgard's family and friends were joined by members from Utah Against Police Brutality and the Rose Park Brown Berets, who helped plan the rally. Authorities said they plan to release video footage from the shooting in the next week. The West Valley City Police Department is also investigating Belgard's death. Meanwhile, Sena said she wants her brother to be remembered for the soft-spoken and sensitive artist that he was. 'He's a big guy, and a lot of guys would try to be violent with him,' she said. 'He would tell me, "I don't understand. I don't want to fight anybody.' Gareth Horan, 47, of Bacup, Lancashire led police on a high-speed chase A drunk children's entertainer drove through a police roadblock at a fatal accident before driving at high speed for two miles on the wrong side of a dual carriageway. Gareth Horan, 47, of Bacup, Lancashire was almost three times above the legal drink limit when the black Ford Fiesta he was driving approached the scene of a fatal accident on the A56 at around 11.40pm on September 8 this year, Burnley Crown Court heard. Prosecuting, Emma Keyhoe said that officers were coning off the dual carriageway after the fatal collision, which had happened minutes earlier close to the Woolpack island at Bent Gate, near Rawtenstall, Lancs. She said: 'An officer reported that Horan's Fiesta squeezed between the cones and drove towards him causing him to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. 'The officer waved his arms and shouted for the car to stop but the defendant accelerated away.' The court was shown video footage from a police vehicle on the correct side of the dual carriageway which pursued Horan as he drove at speed on the wrong side of the carriageway. Dashcam footage shows his car travelling at high speed on the wrong side of the dual carriageway The footage shows at least eight vehicles heading towards Manchester having to avoid Horan's car as he travelled for more than two miles on the wrong side of the Haslingden bypass. The dash cam footage shows the police car travelling at speeds of up to 112mph as they pursued Horan. At the Rising Bridge services roundabout Horan is seen to drive the wrong way around the roundabout before stopping and being arrested by the officers. The court heard that Horan works as a children's DJ for the firm kidsdj.co.uk. Their website describes him as their 'Mr Energetic'. It adds: 'Superhero DJ Gareth is a non-stop, enthusiastic party host who never stops dancing and entertaining. He mastered his trade in holiday camps and never disappoints.' Horan had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving and a second of driving with excess alcohol. Horan was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and a five-year driving ban Police said he was three times over the legal drink-driving limit when he was stopped earlier this year The court heard that he had received a six month driving ban in 2017 for totting up too many penalty points but had no previous criminal convictions. Defending Horan, Joe Boyd said the incident was 'a complete one-off'. He said his client had turned to drink due to stress and that he accepted his driving was 'quite appalling'. Recorder Alistair Webster QC said: 'This is a very bad case of dangerous driving. 'You put a number of lives at risk, including your own. 'Looking at the footage I estimate you drove at least two miles at high speed and narrowly avoided head on collisions with at least eight vehicles travelling in the correct carriageway.' He sentenced Horan to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was banned from driving for five years. It might seem obvious to anyone who has given birth. Now scientists agree: When it comes to extreme physical activity, women can be just as resilient as men. A study found that women who trekked across the Antarctic showed no more negative health effects than would be expected in men. Dr Robert Gifford and colleagues from Edinburgh University and the Royal Centre for Defence examined the effects of extreme exercise on hormone levels and the health of the Ice Maiden team (pictured) Scientists say the findings should serve to bust the myth that men are the tougher sex. It has been suggested that the female reproductive system and stress responses are more sensitive to the negative effects of extreme physical activity. Scientists say there is some evidence that arduous physical activity can suppress normal female reproductive hormone activity, impair bone strength and elevate stress hormone levels to a greater extent than in men. But tests on the first all-female team to cross the Antarctic showed that these can be avoided with the right preparation and training. The Ice Maiden team were all serving in the British Army or Army Reserve when in January they followed in the footsteps of Felicity Astons record-breaking solo Antarctic crossing in 2012. They endured 62 days on the ice, travelling 1,050 miles while battling temperatures as low as 40C (40F) and pulling sledges weighing up to 13 stone. Dr Robert Gifford and colleagues from Edinburgh University and the Royal Centre for Defence examined the effects of extreme exercise on hormone levels and the health of the six women. The researchers monitored several markers of their health before and after the successful expedition including indicators of stress, reproductive and metabolic hormone levels, body weight and bone strength. The findings indicated not only that markers of reproductive function and bone strength were preserved, but that some markers showed evidence of delayed, exercise-related benefit to their physical fitness two weeks after the expedition. The study, presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Glasgow, is the first to suggest that women are not more susceptible to the negative effects of physical exertion. Dr Gifford said: Our findings contain some potentially myth-busting data on the impact of extreme physical activity on women. We have shown that with appropriate training and preparation, many of the previously reported negative health effects can be avoided. The limitations of the study included the small sample size of only six women, of similar age and ethnicity. Brussels is set to offer Theresa May a two-year extension to remaining fully inside the single market in order to ensure a smooth Brexit, it emerged last night. The proposal was made by EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier as he met member states while thrashing out the final details of the withdrawal deal. It would give Britain the option of remaining in the single market and customs union until the end of 2022. This would allow negotiators nearly four years to strike a future trade deal and avoid need for the Irish backstop but would infuriate Brexiteers, as it would mean continued freedom of movement and paying membership fees of up to 10billion a year. EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier has proposed the UK be given a two-year extension to remaining fully inside the single market in order to ensure a smooth Brexit Mrs May has said she may ask for an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, which currently ends in December 2020, but only for a few months. According to one diplomat at yesterdays meeting, member states voiced their approval to extend until December 2022 to give people and businesses certainty. The diplomat said: You have to provide as much clarity because businesses and people are affected in their everyday lives. As it stands, the transition period will begin on March 30 after leaving and last until December 2020. The UK will be able to extend it in July 2020 if a trade deal is unlikely by the end of that year. But the length of time has not yet been tied down and is the only piece of the agreed divorce deal left blank. The withdrawal agreement states the transition period could be extended up to 31 December 20XX, with a date to be agreed and inserted before Sundays summit. The diplomat added: Michel Barnier proposed December 2022 and the member states were OK with that. The British have not proposed anything as far as we know. Mrs May has also said she may ask for an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, which currently ends in December 2020 Britains other option in July 2020 would be to switch to the so-called Irish backstop at the end of that year, which would mean leaving the single market but entering into a joint customs union which the UK could not unilaterally pull out of. This would last until a trade deal is done which prevents a border emerging in Ireland. Spain is also said to have raised concerns at yesterdays meeting with Mr Barnier about the scope of the withdrawal agreement in relation to Gibraltar. It comes ahead of todays meeting of member states foreign ministers in Brussels to sign off on the deal. Over the weekend negotiators were also thrashing out the final details of the political declaration on the parameters of the future relationship. That document will now expand to around 20 pages from the original six published last week. Both sides are expected to publish a final version of the text tomorrow. The developments came as Brussels top eurocrat, Martin Selmayr, hit back at accusations from former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab that he wanted to punish Britain by losing Northern Ireland. Mr Selmayr, the EU Commissions secretary-general, said: Mr Raab and I never met. This may explain why he does not say the truth. The European Commission is working day and night to help ensure an orderly Brexit. Meanwhile, a key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated warnings that the Brexit deal cannot be renegotiated. We do not see space for further negotiation, said Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the German parliaments foreign affairs committee. The media whirlwind that has engulfed Bourke Street hero Michael Rogers has taken its toll on the 46-year old, who has gone into hiding. Rogers became a worldwide sensation after video of him bravely pushing a shopping trolley into terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali during his murderous rampage went viral. Donna Stolzenberg, from the National Homeless Collective, who created a fundraising page for the 'Trolley Man', said Rogers hopes to avoid the media spotlight and enter rehab. Michael Rogers is chased by reporters on being released from custody on Sunday The fundraiser reached almost $145,000 on the weekend. While Rogers told Daily Mail Australia he had managed to stay off his drug of choice - heroin - he said he needed to get clean from 'from everything'. Ms Stolzenberg said Rogers planed to enter a rehab centre to hopefully kick all of his bad habits. 'We certainly need to make sure we find the best place to suit Michael in his current situation,' Ms Stolzenberg said. 'With rehab you are there with many like-minded people and we don't want to set him up to fail.' Rogers appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Sunday charged with two counts each of burglary and theft and one count of committing an indictable offence while on bail. On Friday, the 46-year-old told Daily Mail Australia the alleged offences took place before his deeds on Bourke St and he had surrendered freely. Rogers has made no secret of his tough life on the streets, which has seen him serve jail time for a variety of dishonesty offences. While Rogers has been open to the public until now, Ms Stolzenberg said it was time for him to concentrate on getting well. 'We're asking him not to (talk to media) anymore because it's actually causing him a lot of anxiety for him and the focus at the moment is getting him to comply with the bail conditions and just focus on moving forward,' she said. Donna Stolzenberg (left) from the National Homeless Collective escorts Rogers from court Rogers has today entered the Court Integrated Assessment Program, which provides accused persons with access to services and support to reduce rates of re-offending. The program is a requirement of his strict bail conditions, which also forbids him from entering the CBD. Ms Stolzenberg said the exclusion from the city and court program would help Rogers stay out of trouble. 'We don't want him to go backwards ... The ban is for his own good. For anyone in this situation, we can't help them if we keep giving them the same opportunities to fail,' she said. Rogers had only been free from jail for five weeks when he heroically took on the terrorist, who was shot dead by police. Police shoot dead terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali on Bourke Street Michael Rogers tried to help police by pushing a trolley at the terrorist during his rampage 'When they come out of prison they are straight back into the same environment and if we also do what we've always done we're always going to get what we've always got, so part of it is to change the environment. It's not because he's a danger or a threat,' Ms Stolzenberg said. Talking to Daily Mail Australia last week, Rogers admitted he faced a real challenge to turn his life around. 'I've truly got no friends. I've got a lot of bad associates, but no good friends,' he said. 'It's not going to be "bang" tomorrow and I'm not going to do anything and I'm not going to do this and I'm not going to do that.' 'But with support... I wanna be a good guy. Take things as they come. I'm not going to go out of my way to do anything too much different but I just want to be a good guy.' Ms Stolzenberg said Rogers had been in and out of jail since he was a young boy and said it should not come as a shock to anyone if he did not fully reform this time around. 'It may be all the difference he needs. It may not, but either way we'll make sure that we are still there for him and if it doesn't work we'll try something new,' she said. Meanwhile, Rogers has found stable accommodation after spending more than a month in a commission home with now power. Broadcaster Alan Jones has slammed Australia's security agencies for failing to prevent Melbourne's Bourke Street terrorist attack despite receiving billions from taxpayers. Somali-born terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, 30, went on a Friday afternoon stabbing rampage in the city 10 days ago, after crashing a Holden Rodeo ute filled with gas cylinders. The knife attack killed cafe owner Sisto Malaspina, whose state funeral is being held on Tuesday. Returning from extended sick leave, Jones slammed Australia's key national security agencies for failing to prevent the atrocity committed by a radicalised Muslim. 'Nonetheless, this bloke was on a watch list and obviously no one was watching,' the Sydney 2GB broadcaster told his listeners on Monday morning. 'Then we spent millions of dollars on security. Something's wrong somewhere.' The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was allocated $555.9 million in the 2018/19 federal budget to employ 1,898 staff while the Australian Federal Police was given $1.485 billion - totalling more than $2 billion for both agencies in one year. Somali-born terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, 30, went on a Friday afternoon stabbing rampage in the city 10 days ago He did this after crashing a Holden Rodeo ute (pictured) filling with gas cylinders Jones, Sydney's top-rating breakfast radio broadcaster, conceded a hardline Muslim leader from the Salafist Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah Association had a 'very valid point'. Sheikh Mohammed Omran, the spiritual leader of the Hume Islamic Youth Centre at Coolaroo in Melbourne's north which terrorist Shire Ali attended, last week blamed Australia's security agencies for failing to stop the attack by a man on a watch list. 'Now this bloke is the boss of the Islamic Youth Centre, this Mohammad Omran, and he has a bit of a track record this fella but nonetheless he made the point that we've spent billions of dollars on security services and what's the end result?,' Jones said. 'Crazy people in the street. Alan Jones (pictured), Sydney's top-rating breakfast radio broadcaster, conceded a hardline Muslim leader had a point 'The bloke was on a watch list so what do they do? Nothing. I think that's a very valid point amidst all the criticism of the emir and the Muslim leader, it's a valid point.' Last week, ASIO denied the existence of the supposed watch list. Instead, it confirmed individuals deemed a potential threat to national security were monitored by ASIO or the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, part of the agency that worked with state police and the AFP. In 2015, Shire Ali's passport was revoked, amid fears he was planning to fly to Syria to fight for Islamic State. It is understood ASIO was tracking his movements due to his behaviour and links with terror suspects but wasn't under constant physical or electronic surveillance on November 9 when he carried out the deadly attack, that saw one man killed and two others stabbed. A woman is accused of trying to cash a bad check before leading cops on a high-speed chase on Tuesday, authorities said. Rose Lynn Becker, 35, of Jasper, faces felony charges after Coweta County deputies responded to a call from the Delta Community Credit Union in North Georgia. An employee at the credit union had called police and reported that Becker was attempting to cash a fraudulent check, the sheriffs office confirmed. Rose Lynn Becker, 35, faces felony charges after leading police on a high speed chase Dramatic video footage shows police pursuing her in a high-speed chase before performing a PIT maneuver to stop her car and then arresting her at gunpoint. Deputies allegedly chased Beckers black Toyota Camry onto Highway 34 East. Deputies said she ran a red light, turned south onto Lora Smith Road and reached more than 70 miles per hour as they passed through two school zones around 3.30pm. Those school zones belonged to Arnall Middle and White Oak Elementary. She is accused of driving up to 90 mph during the chase. Deputies performed a PIT maneuver on Lower Fayetteville Road near Fischer Road, the sheriffs office said. The maneuver is a Pursuit Intervention Technique, PIT, aimed at forcing a fleeing car to abruptly turn sideways and stop. The sheriffs office confirmed that deputies found cocaine in her vehicle. Police footage shows them pursuing Becker as she drives 90 mph on Highway 34 East Police and a local sheriff then performed a PIT maneuver to stop Becker's car and catch her Police then approach the car armed with guns as they apprehend the suspect for a number of felonies She also allegedly tried to consume bags of white powder once she was taken to the sheriffs office for questioning. NBC News reported that she was also in possession of some quantity of marijuana. Becker faces charges of identity fraud, forgery, narcotics possession, felony fleeing, speeding in a school zone, reckless conduct, going inside a guard line with drugs, suspended license, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane. Police handcuff the woman who was found with several bags of cocaine some of which she had tried to swallow before being arrested Police handcuff the woman and take her to hospital before taking her to Coweta County Jail She remains in the Coweta County Jail without bond. Becker apparently had trouble controlling her vehicle at the speeds she was hitting; at one point she veered off the road and sideswiped some trees, NBC News reported. She was first taken to a local hospital for a checkup and was then taken to Coweta County Jail where she is being held without bond. A stunned nine-year-old boy discovered three guns at an open house inspection on Saturday. The curious youngster made the frightening discovery in an unlocked safe underneath a sink at a home in Melbourne's north-east. Victoria Police confirmed they attended a house in Eltham following the unusual find. The house (pictured) in Melbourne suburb Eltham, where a curious nine-year-old boy found three guns hidden in a safe The Eltham house currently on the market (pictured) where a nine-year-old boy found three guns at a open inspection The firearms were surrendered to police. House hunter Alex Porqueddu, who was inspecting the property, said the child was shocked when he realised what he had found. 'He was the first to pull them out, he told me straight away,' he told the Herald Sun. 'He's played computer games and all that but sort of seeing it (guns) for the first time in real life, he was a bit shocked.' Three guns were found hidden in a safe at an open house inspection by a nine-year-old boy on Saturday in Melbourne (stock image) Mr Porqueddu said the house appeared to be previously owned by a gun enthusiast. Tom Kurtschenko, a director at Jellis Craig Eltham Real Estate, acknowledged the situation on Saturday was 'fairly odd.' 'As soon as it was alerted to us, precautions were taken to make sure it was safe for everyone and the police were called straight away,' he said. Islamic State jihadists in Nigeria pose a growing threat to the security of Britain, the Defence Secretary has warned. British troops are training local forces in a push to crush a wave of terror in the region which could spread to Europe. There are fears that, if left to fester, Islamic extremists in Africa could establish a caliphate across the region, as IS did in parts of Iraq and Syria, and plot attacks on the West. Following fears of Islamic extremism in Africa Gavin Williamson has visited British troops deployed on a counter-terror training mission in Nigerias north-eastern Borno state The threat in ravaged north-eastern Nigeria comes from Boko Haram and splinter group Islamic State In West Africa, which has pledged allegiance to IS. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has visited British troops deployed on a counter-terror training mission in Nigerias north-eastern Borno state, where Boko Haram control swathes of territory. Speaking from a military base, Mr Williamson said: When we look at it more broadly, when we look at the greater threat, organisations such as Boko Haram or Daesh [the Arabic acronym for IS] do not respect international borders. Pictured: Residents gather to mourn and bury the dead loved ones following multiple attacks by Boko Haram Islamists at Dalori on November 1 We see that as a potential and growing threat to the United Kingdom. By dealing with the threat here in Nigeria, it keeps the streets of Britain safe as well. In 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno. It is believed more than 100 are still being held. A man has admitted beating his father to death and dumping his body in an abandoned mine. Nathan Missen, 28, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday to murdering his father Mark, an engineer. Two campers discovered Mr Missen's body in a mine near Whroo, north of Melbourne, March 12. Nathan Missen (pictured) faced the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday and pleaded guilty to murdering his father, Mark He is believed to have been murdered at his home in Victoria between January 25 and February 2. Missen bashed his father before ordering the elderly man to 'stop making noises', the court heard, according to Nine News. The 28-year-old then stomped on his father's head as he lay injured and gasping for air. He also tied a belt around Mr Missen's head. Unable to find anyone to help him move his father's body, Missen drove 50km to the abandoned Balaclava Hill mine and dumped his remains. Missen and his girlfriend then reportedly raided his belongings, selling what they could on Gumtree. The 28-year-old's lawyer told the court the father and son had a contentious relationship and claimed both suffered from a mental impairment. The National Trust is at the centre of a bitter row over plans to shoot wild boar living in the grounds of one of Britains most beautiful stately homes. A family of the creatures has made its home on the Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire, with some of the sows believed to be pregnant. After receiving complaints, the conservation body decided to hire marksmen to shoot the boar to the horror of animal-loving locals and conservationists. Critics say that eradicating the creatures undermines efforts to restore native species to the UK, one of the Trusts stated goals. Under threat: One of the wild boar at Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire. Some of the sows at the stately home are believed to be pregnant But the Trust said the animals were intimidating locals and putting visitors to the site at risk. Boar while shy are formidable animals: fully grown, an adult male weighs around 23 stone, can run at up to 30mph, and has razor-sharp tusks. The species is the direct ancestor to most species of pig farmed in the UK. It is not known how many boar live on the 2,650-acre estate which features an 18th century Palladian mansion. The estates Temple of Apollo and Palladian Bridge featured in the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley. After receiving complaints, the National Trust decided to hire marksmen to shoot the boar to the horror of animal-loving locals and conservationists (pictured: Stourhead Estate) Ben Goldsmith, the financier and environmentalist, tweeted of his disappointment about the cull plan. I adore the National Trust which is at the forefront of restoring nature in Britain, so I am disappointed to learn of the Trusts plan to exterminate the handful of native wild boar living on its richly forested Stourhead estate, he wrote. Of course wild boar, like deer, need managing in the absence of predators, but to fully eradicate them one of the rarest mammals in this country flies in the face of everything we know about the importance of putting our broken ecosystems back together. Environmental campaigner Matt Mellen, 38, from Frome, Somerset, said he was strongly against the proposed cull. People like to get upset about things like rhinos going extinct but here in the UK, on our own doorstep, weve wiped out all our big animals, he said. Ben Goldsmith (pictured), the financier and environmentalist, tweeted of his disappointment about the cull plan There used to be wolves and bear and lynx but theres isnt any habitat because weve cut all the trees down. But Fred Nicholls, 66, a local farmer, said he saw boar regularly in the woods bordering his property and supported the cull. You cant have them about, he said. They cause too much damage and they are a danger to the public. They root the ground up. If you get them out in the fields or on your lawn and they start rooting they can do a lot of damage. A spokesman for the National Trust said deciding to cull the animals had been difficult. We only made this decision after considering the alternatives and after consulting with Natural England, he added. Unfortunately, there are some instances where humane control is necessary for instance where there are safety concerns for our visitors, staff or volunteers; or to protect other species or habitats. We never take this decision lightly. Any cull of wild boar will be carried out by an experienced and licensed marksman. This contrasts with its opposition to culling of badgers on its land to stop tuberculosis in cattle, despite it being government policy. Sightings of wild boar are becoming more common. After being hunted to extinction around the 13th century, the species has re-established itself in the wild over the past 40 years after some farmed boar escaped, and others were released. An Australian father nearly died after a sore throat he picked up on a flight home quickly deteriorated into a deadly bacterial infection that will end with his limbs being amputated. Jason Miller, 48 - known to his family and friends as Buddy - was admitted to hospital on October 31, four days after his symptoms began, and within an hour he was fighting for his life. His situation worsened so rapidly, Buddy's family brought his seven-year-old daughter Jhayda into the hospital to 'say goodbye to daddy'. On Wednesday 31st October, Jason Miller, 48 - known to his family and friends as Buddy - was admitted to hospital and within an hour he was fighting for his life 'We were told multiple times he has a less than 10 per cent chance of survival,' Kate Munn Jason's sister-in-law told Daily Mail Australia. 'Not just once or twice. Many times we were told he might not make it through the next few hours.' Mr Miller - Manly ferry operator in Sydney - had been put in a coma, diagnosed with a bacterial infection from both streptococcus and aerococcus that caused toxic shock syndrome and severe septic shock. On advice from doctors that his heart would soon give out, the family also called in a priest to give him his last rites. His situation worsened so rapidly, Buddy's family brought his seven-year-old daughter Jhayda (pictured, right) into the hospital to 'say goodbye to daddy' 'We were told multiple times he has a less than 10 per cent chance of survival,' Kate Munn Jason's sister-in-law told Daily Mail Australia. 'Not just once or twice. Many times we were told he might not make it through the next few hours.' But Buddy's fighting spirit came out in full force and to the surprise of doctors, nurses and his family, five days later he woke up. Buddy's family have set up a Go Fund Me page to help fund his journey to recovery, calling it a 'true miracle' he's survived so far. 'His road to recovery will be long and hard. He will need physiotherapy, a wheelchair, prosthetics, etc,' they wrote. 'He needs your help to face the many agonising months and years ahead.' Doctors have now confirmed Buddy will have to have his hands and both feet amputated in a bid to stop the infection from spreading. 'A true miracle': Buddy's fighting spirit came out in full force and to the surprise of doctors, nurses and his family, five days later he woke up Doctors have now confirmed Buddy will have to have his hands and both feet amputated in a bid to stop the infection from spreading The question that still remains is how much of each limb he will lose, but doctors won't be able to confirm this until they get to the operating theatre. 'He's very pragmatic. At this stage he's accepted that he will be a quadruple amputee,' Ms Munn said. 'He's just looking ahead to see how he might be able to function.' Buddy's vast and extremely close family have so far raised more than $21,000, with money coming from friends and the community, as well as those who don't know Buddy but have been touched by his story. 'Buddy you sound like you're a top bloke and it makes me sad you've had to go through this,' one person wrote. 'I'm glad you beat the odds and will live to see your daughter grow up. What a fighter you are.' Buddy and his daughter also have a particularly poignant saying which has left the little girl extremely happy to still her father - 'We're not scared, we're Millers!' And that's something Ms Munn has echoed, calling him 'the eternal optimist'. 'It's a reminder of how fragile life is,' she said. 'You can make a choice to fall in the face of adversity or to rise, and he was only ever going to rise, that's just how he operates.' Ms Munn said Buddy and his daughter also have a particularly poignant saying which has left the little girl extremely happy to still her father - 'We're not scared, we're Millers!' The road to recovery for Buddy is still a long one as the family weighs up where they may have to live and Buddy's eventual capacity to work, but they remain positive. 'He's the same man with the same personality,' Ms Munn said. 'It's outstanding.' A homeless man who was taken in by a friendly barber has returned to thank him for providing shelter, food and work during the lowest point of his life. In 2015, Vinnie was homeless and living in a park south of Brisbane when he met local barber Nicky Pati, 38, who owns Spasifik Cutsin Slacks Creek. Rather than turning a blind eye, Mr Pati sat down and chatted with Vinnie after spotting him laying on the grass. Barber Nicky Pati, 38, said he was shocked after a homeless man, Vinnie, he picked up three years ago moved on with his life and came back to thank the man who gave him a second chance 'I used to go there after work and bring him some food and just chill,' Mr Pati told the Courier Mail. One night, Mr Pati said he saw police crowd Vinnie and threaten to arrest him. Thinking quickly on his feet, Mr Pati told the officers he was there to 'pick him up' and took Vinnie to his barber shop. Mr Pati has recently created a project named Barber Talk where he offers free hair cuts to the homeless For six months in 2016, Mr Pati let Vinnie live at his store and perform odd jobs. The barber said Vinnie moved out afterward, but would still drop by with small gifts to show his gratitude before ultimately losing touch two years ago. Two months ago, Mr Pati said he was stunned when an unrecognisable Vinnie walked through his front doors. 'He came in to say thank you,' Mr Pati told the Courier Mail. The hairdresser said he was happy to see Vinnie had turned his life around. 'He showed me his car, he had some nice clothes on. He's got a job and a house now,' he said. Mr Pati (right) is pictured with professional boxer Anthony Mundine (left) Barber Nicky Pati, 38, works at a local hairdresser in Slacks Creek, 24km south of Brisbane People have taken to social media to praise Mr Pati for taking a chance on Vinnie. 'I give this bloke more respect for what he is doing than a celeb who just shells out the money for status,' one man said. 'This is what it's about. Starting a business to benefit yourself as well as the community. There should be more of this around! Much respect,' another said. Mr Pati has since created a new project named Barber Talk, where he offers free hair cuts to the homeless. BBC bosses have defended their decision to blur the cleavage of a woman who appeared in a documentary about fake news. The BBC Africa programme muzzed the chest of an interviewee called Glamour Pam, a social media star in Kenya. The decision was taken to avoid causing offence in conservative African countries where the documentary would be aired, the Guardian reported. One internal email reportedly said the that 'the decision to deal with Pam's cleavage was made at senior editorial level' in the BBC's African arm. 'The decision was made because of sensitivity thresholds with one of the partners for our She Word programme,' a producer said. Many African countries showed the programme before their watershed, the BBC said. The film-makers had planned to get round the issue by showing her only in wide shots and not zoom in on her chest. But a few scenes showed Glamour Pam closer up and producers decided the blurring was needed to avoid causing offence. The documentary aired on BBC Africa's She Word programme which aims to 'explore the life experiences of women in today's Africa'. It has been uploaded to the BBC's YouTube channel, including the muzzing of Glamour Pam's chest. The documentary features Kenyan social media star Glamour Pam (right), but BBC bosses decided to blur her cleavage to avoid causing offence in conservative African countries Glamour Pam (pictured) starred in the documentary which BBC bosses said went out before the watershed in many African countries where it was aired One staff member compared the BBC's decision-making to W1A, the corporation's self-parodying sitcom. Glamour Pam took part in the programme to explore her attitude to Instagram and social media. The advert for the programme said: 'From Insta-face to jeeps and bling to full-on faking it, millennials in Africa are living on 'likes' as the social media world expands, sometimes going to extreme lengths to clock up the clicks. 'Using the Instagram look, the content, the followers and the tech to transform her online profile, we challenge one Kenyan student, a 21 year old social media "virgin", to go from private to public, and see if she can fake it - in just five days.' It is part of the corporation's Beyond Fake News project aiming to explain the spread of disinformation around the globe. Free sex changes are being offered to British staff at a major American bank. Goldman Sachs has made the offer to its London workers as it seeks to shake off suggestions that the company has an old boys club atmosphere. The move was announced by vice chairman Richard Gnodde, who said the offer would be added to Goldmans employee benefits plan. Goldman Sachs has made the offer to its London workers, including its Fleet Street offices, above, as it seeks to shake off suggestions that the company has an old boys club atmosphere It means employees will be able to claim hormone therapy or sex change surgery on their work health insurance. Women will also be able to receive IVF treatment, according to The Sunday Telegraph. In another move aimed at encouraging women to stay at the firm, Goldman previously said it would ship working mothers breast milk home if they were posted overseas. The bank, once branded a great vampire squid for its grip on the worlds banking system, has been offering sex change surgery to American staff for a decade. The move was announced by the bank's vice chairman Richard Gnodde, who said the offer would be added to Goldmans employee benefits plan. Goldman Sachs has made the offer to its London workers It employs about 6,000 in the UK. But figures show a 72 per cent gap between bonuses paid to men and women in Europe, owing to a lack of women in top jobs. Lloyds Banking Group was the first UK firm to offer sex change surgery as an employee benefit in 2016. Family members are continuing to frantically search for a teenage boy who was swept into the sea while fishing three days ago. On Saturday, Jack Macnicol was fishing with friends and family off rocks near Raglan, on the west coast of New Zealand's north island, when a wave crashed against the shore. A second later, the 17-year-old disappeared. Jack Macnicol (pictured) had been fishing off rocks near Raglan, on the west coast of New Zealand's north island, when a wave crashed against the shore The spot where Jack Macnicol (pictured) was fishing with friends is known to be dangerous His group of friends and family immediately began to scour the rocks and the water, but he could not be found. The spot, known as Ruapuke Rock, is notorious. The rough seas in the area can be unforgiving. 'You only have to go out there and look at that rock to realise that once you're in the water it is difficult to climb back out again,' Waikato police search and rescue Sergeant Vince Ranger told Stuff. Lifeguards, the coastguard and helicopters have been used in the search, but large tides were hindering their effort. Devastated family and friends are rallying to find the 'wonderful young man', a family spokesman told the New Zealand Herald. 'Come on cuzzy. Make it back to your family. Be strong little brother. Please be safe somewhere. Let the ocean spare you. You still have to come up here so I can take you out in my new boat. Love you man,' a friend posted on Facebook. Business chiefs will today warn Tory plotters they are putting a 'wrecking ball' to the economy by failing to back Theresa May's Brexit plan. The CBI said firms are 'watching on with horror' at the antics in Westminster. Tesco chief John Allan, the CBI's president, will today attack MPs for creating turmoil that is 'damaging our country now'. He will tell them: 'Listen to the businesses in your constituencies and everyone who depends upon them.' Business chiefs will warn Tory plotters they are putting a 'wrecking ball' to the economy by failing to back Theresa May's Brexit plan as CBI said firms are 'watching on with horror' at the antics in Westminster As the Prime Minister's opponents hope to mount a fresh bid to oust her, yesterday she warned them a change of leadership would bring uncertainty that would threaten jobs and jeopardise Brexit. In other developments: Mrs May will today face down her Cabinet critics who want her to re-open talks with Brussels, saying the deal has already been 'agreed in full'; She will attempt to get on the front foot by explaining how her deal delivers an end to free movement that means EU nationals wanting to come to Britain will no longer be able to 'jump the queue'; The chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs revealed the rebels hoping to unseat Mrs May have still not reached the 48 letters required to trigger a confidence vote; Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab attempted to burnish his leadership credentials by distancing himself from Boris Johnson, setting up a potential battle between the pair for the Brexiteer vote; In other developments former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab attempted to burnish his leadership credentials by distancing himself from Boris Johnson Tory whips urged disgruntled MPs to keep backing the Government in this week's votes on the Finance Bill; Brussels is set to offer Mrs May a two-year extension to the Brexit transition, which could mean continued freedom of movement and extra payments of 10billion a year; Jeremy Corbyn admitted he had not even read the Prime Minister's entire 585-page deal and said he did not know how he would vote in a second referendum; Nicola Sturgeon revealed she is planning talks with the Labour leader to derail Brexit. While Jeremy Corbyn admitted he had not even read the Prime Minister's entire 585-page deal She also said she will reveal demands for another Scottish independence vote 'in the not-too-distant future'; A key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated warnings that Britain will not be able to renegotiate the Brexit deal on the table. At the CBI's annual conference in east London today, Mr Allan will urge MPs to get behind Mrs May's Brexit deal to boost the economy. He will say: 'While companies in this room would be the first to say that it is not perfect, it does open a route to a long-term trade arrangement and unlocks transition the very least that companies need to prepare for Brexit. 'Most importantly, it avoids the wrecking ball that would be a no-deal departure.' Mr Allan will list examples of lost investment which have resulted from uncertainty over Brexit. He will say: 'This turmoil is damaging our country now. In the past few days alone, I've heard of a life sciences firm in the North West that has cut almost all investment in the UK putting it instead in Germany and China. 'I've heard a Northern Irish tech firm has stopped winning contracts because their aerospace customers are worried about Brexit. 'Eighty per cent of firms have already cut or postponed investment because of the risk of a no-deal exit. 'So our message to the politicians is this listen to the businesses in your constituencies and everyone who depends upon them.' His comments come after CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn yesterday warned that firms had 'watched on with a degree of horror that there is just so little sense of consensus' in Westminster. Miss Fairbairn, whose CBI campaigned for Remain ahead of the referendum, told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday the Brexit deal was 'not perfect, it is a compromise'. But she added that most importantly, it would 'take no deal off the table'. Her comments were echoed by the UK Chamber of Shipping, which yesterday said Mrs May's critics needed to 'put up or shut up'. Chief executive Bob Sanguinetti said: 'We have now run out of time their dissent requires them to put forward a clear, unambiguous and workable alternative immediately.' Jim Carrey has branded Donald Trump a melanoma and incredibly dangerous and he attacked other republican politicians at a talk in Los Angeles today. The Dumb and Dumber actor, 56, railed against POTUS, Mitch McConnell and other Republican politicians during a panel discussion about his artwork at Vulture Fest. Earlier this year Carrey began sharing his paintings on Twitter, which are mostly unflattering images of right-wing political figures and President Trump and his family. Jim Carrey (left) branded Donald Trump (right) a melanoma and incredibly dangerous and he attacked other republican politician at a talk in Los Angeles today A Carrey painting shows Trump dressed in a fuzzy blue robe and ready to dig into a bowl with two scoops of ice cream plus whipped cream and cherries on top In his latest comments, the Bruce Almighty star called Trump incredibly dangerous, [and] a threat to homeland security. He added: 'These are not people you can deal with. You cannot be bipartisan with a criminal. 'A rapist needs to be removed, not negotiated with. These people are raping our system, they're destroying it right in front of us. 'This corrupt Republican congress that was...These people have to be removed from our system because they're bad for us. 'Trump is a melanoma, and anybody that covers for him, including Sarah Sanders, is putting makeup on it. 'It shows that there's a deeper problem in this country, and that problem is greed'. Carrey posted several of his caricatures over the weekend, including one of Trump with Defense Secretary James Mathis' face superimposed on a dog that POTUS is holding in his lap. In March, Carrey unveiled a portrait depicting Donald Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz He also painted this image of Trump resembling a baby in a highchair having a tantrum In one portrait, Trump's two sons are seen being gorged to death on the tusks of an elephant, appearing to criticize their much publicized hobby of hunting The image contained the caption: Has Mad Dog Mattis become Lapdog Mattis? Are the brave men and women of our military now being used as extras in an expensive PR stunt...paid for by YOU? 'Its just one of the many ways Toolius Ceasar disgraced himself and our soldiers this Veterans Day. Carrey also discussed several of his other paintings, including one of Mike Pence where he is staring intensely at a fly on the back of his hand in the picture , along with the caption 'Psycho Mike-O'. He also spoke of another one where Donald Trump crucifying Jesus and a Halloween drawing of Donald Trump as a cyclops. It is not the first time Carrey has taken a swipe at the Trump administration and Trumps cronies. In one portrait, Trump's two sons are seen being gorged to death on the tusks of an elephant. Carrey has also painted unflattering pictures of Sarah Sanders (left) and Ivanka Trump (right) Carrey painted a picture of Mike Pence where he is staring intensely at a fly on the back of his hand in the picture, along with the caption 'Psycho Mike-O' Carrey's painting shows the two men, one brunette and one blonde, wearing matching hunting gear, with rifles slung around their shoulders. The portrait is simply captioned with the hashtag #TeamElephant. In July Carrey revealed a portrait of Trump in bed with Daniels, painting the pair splayed naked on a bed with a presidential seal covering their modesty. The Bruce Almighty actor entitled his piece 'Fifty Shades of Decay'. Carrey has attacked not only Trump with his paintings, but his cabinet members as well. Last month Carrey tweeted an unflattering portrait of Trump's Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Jim Carrey and Jerry Saltz speak onstage during 'Jim Carrey In Conversation with Jerry Saltz' during Vulture Festival on Sunday In the piece an angry Sanders, 35, is pictured with her cheeks flush and her brow furrowed. Although he did not name her he captioned his piece saying: 'This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!' In May, the actor painted a gruesome picture of the former mayor of New York City depicting him looking extremely red-faced to the caption: 'Ghouliani: Finally, a face we can trust!' His Twitter feed is filled with political paintings that often mock Trump, his cabinet, and Putin. In a 2017 documentary I Needed Color, Carrey revealed his passion for painting and art which he used as a crux to 'heal a broken heart'. A circus performer allegedly had threesomes with two teenage students while on training camps, a court has been told. Dylan Ehrenburg, 44, of Windsor, faces 23 child sex offences amid allegations he carried out a sordid sexual affair with a 15 and 17-year old student. The trapeze artist strongly denies the claims and is facing a jury trial at the County Court of Victoria. Dylan Ehrenburg is accused in court of doing unspeakable acts on a 15 and 17-year-old student A court heard that Dylan Ehrenburg is accused of carrying on a relationship with two students Most of the charges relate to having sex with a child under 16 and having sex with a child under his care. If found guilty, Ehrenburg faces time behind bars. The court heard Ehrenburg met each of the girls while acting as head instructor of Flying Trapeze Australia - a circus school for aspiring young performers. But police allege the talented performer got a little too close to his impressionable young students and went on to commit acts of depravity too obscene to be fully reported. Ehrenburg was aged 35 when he allegedly began grooming his 'enthusiastic' students. Police claim Ehrenburg knew exactly how old the girls were, but decided to carry out his fantasies all the same. Dylan Ehrenburg leaves the County Court of Victoria with his wife Dylan Ehrenburg covers his face as he leaves the County Court of Victoria with his wife In opening the prosecution case, Crown prosecutor Carlin Grant said Ehrenburg flirted with the girls and provided massages during training sessions in Box Hill. One witness claimed they saw Ehrenburg eat a grape off the then 15-year old's stomach. The court was told other witnesses claim they heard Ehrenburg make lewd comments about the girls' behinds. But according to police in January 2010, Ehrenburg allegedly took his antics up a notch and got the girls drunk while on a picnic on a beach near Rye. Weeks later he is alleged to have taken the girls to his trailer and after the 17-year old left he pounced, the court heard. Mr Grant told the jury Ehrenburg had sex with the girl repeatedly over the next couple of days - claiming her virginity. He also hurt her, with the girl later telling police she was not expecting the circus performer to do what he did. She cried and he later apologised, she said. But it would not be the last time Ehrenburg would allegedly perform the painful act. The court heard that he allegedly struck again while the girl washed dishes at his Melbourne apartment and later on the bonnet of his car while on a rock climbing trip to Mount Macedon. 'He was really into it,' the girl told police. According to the prosecutor, she accused Ehrenburg of having sex with her in an alley outside Melbourne Central shopping complex. The court was told that Ehrenburg even had sex with the girl after picking her up from school and later gave her sex toys for her birthday. It was on a so-called rock climbing trip to the Grampians where Ehrenburg allegedly took his depravity to new levels. The court was told Ehrenburg got the girls wine and insisted they all slept in the same tent. Mr Grant told the court he encouraged the girls to have sex together and then got involved himself. The elder girl was allegedly so drunk she later vomited in the tent. The court was also told that he allegedly had sex with her during another threesome and again after picking her up from school. The girls reported their allegations to police in 2015. Ehrenburg has always strenuously denied the claims. Dylan Ehrenburg is a trapeze instructor accused by police of having sex with two students Dylan Ehrenburg was on top of the world until allegations emerged that he had allegedly had sexual relationships with two teenage students His barrister Sharon Lacy said the case against Ehrenburg would rely on the girls' 'credibility and reliability of their evidence'. She questioned whether the girls, who were close friends, were telling the truth and cast speculation on the 'trapeze community' and their collective interests. 'He says it's not true ... he denies everything, everytime,' she said. 'It did not occur. They're a fabrication.' The trial continues. Toyah Cordingley's mother has made a desperate plea for people to come forward with information that could help catch her daughter's killer The grieving mother of Toyah Cordingley, who was senselessly murdered in the sand dunes of a beach in far north Queensland last month, has revealed the pain that has crippled her family over the last four weeks. 'Life for us will never, ever be the same,' Vanessa Gardiner said. Mrs Gardiner said her daughter had been full of life from the day she was born, and that the young girl had immediately become the centre of her world. That world shattered on October 21, though, when Mrs Gardiner got word Ms Cordingley's boyfriend had reported her missing. She, her son Jack, and Ms Cordingley's father, Troy, headed out to the beach, searching tirelessly with small torches until light finally broke about 5.30am, she said. 'Eventually, I found Toyah's dog Indi, and we kept searching until my phone battery started to go flat, and Jack walked me back to the car.' When Mrs Gardiner and her son returned home with the dog, they were met by police and SES volunteers. Jack took a uniformed officer back to where Indi had been found, but shortly after the pair arrived, tragedy struck. 'Troy had discovered Toyah not long after Jack arrived with the officer,' Mrs Gardiner said. 'It was a truly a heartbreaking moment... the days that followed did not feel real to us.' Ms Cordingley (pictured) was murdered in the sand dune area at Wangetti Beach in far north Queensland on October 21 The family began to make funeral arrangements, as friends poured in with kind wishes and meals to fill the fridge. Mrs Gardiner said as the family struggled to come to terms with the great horror that had befallen them, and that they were even unable to eat. 'Our sleeps were short and we didn't eat much,' she said. 'At times, our emotions were numb, other times we were a mess. 'It was an emotional rollercoaster of grief, hate, anger, and nothingness, feeling hollow, guilt, not knowing how to feel.' In the weeks following the young woman's tragic death, Queensland police have received hundreds of calls to Crime Stoppers from people trying to help bring Ms Cordingley's killer to justice. Her mother, Vanessa Gardiner (right) and step-father Darren 'Snake' Gardiner (left), looked devastated as Mrs Gardiner recalled the traumatic moment she learned her daughter was dead On Monday, police asked for anyone who has had an interaction with an 'inappropriate or aggressive' man on Queensland's far northern beaches to call CrimeStoppers to talk about their experience. Ms Cordingley was killed in what police have called a 'sexually motivated' crime, as she walked her dog Indi along the beach at Wangetti on October 21. The animal activist and pharmacy worker was reported missing that night and her father Troy found her body, with 'visible and violent' injuries, the next morning. On Monday, nearly a month on from the senseless killing, Detective Inspector Sonia Smith reached out to females who have visited the area between the far northern beaches of Cairns and Cardwell in the past two years. 'We'd like to speak to females approached in a secluded or beach area by any males who have acted inappropriately, aggressively or made them feel uncomfortable in the past two years,' Detective Inspector Sonia Smith said. Ms Cordingley, 24, was brutally murdered on October 21, and her body was found in the sand dunes by her father Troy (right) the next morning The pharmacy worker had been walking her boyfriend's dog Jersey along the sand when she was attacked. The dog was found unharmed and tied up nearby Detective Inspector Sonia Smith (pictured) said police were looking for females approached in 'secluded or beach areas' by 'inappropriate, aggressive males' Det Insp Smith declined to say if she meant men who had sexually harassed women, telling reporters she wanted to leave the definition broad in order to get more responses. Police conducted multiple searches in the northern beaches area over the weekend as they continued to follow up on hundreds of CrimeStoppers calls with tips that could help to find the young woman's killer. Ms Smith said a 'number of items' had been found, but was unable to provide more detail. Officers are now asking anyone who was in the Lake Placid area in Caravonica on October 21 from 4.30-5.30pm to get in contact if they saw anything out of place. They are also requesting dashcam footage from anyone travelling in that area and heading north. Det Insp Smith thanked the community for their undying support, noting locals had started decorating their cars with bumper stickers featuring the CrimeStoppers number, taken part in walks along the beach to find evidence, and had not wavered in their hope of getting justice for the beloved pharmacy worker. Mrs Gardiner finished off her statement with a final, desperate plea. 'If there is anyone who is holding back or knows something about this, no matter how small the information may be, we plead with you to come forward to bring us closer to finding who and why anyone would do this to our Toyah,' she said. 'You can help our broken family by bringing hope and justice for Toyahs senseless death. 'Life for us will never, ever be the same.' Wangetti and Cairns locals have vowed to bring Ms Cordingley's killer to justice, and have taken part in beach walks and more recently printed thousands of bumper stickers to encourage people to take any information they have to Crime Stoppers One in three Australians fear they won't be able to retire by the time they hit the age of 65, a study has found. The study, which was conducted by Compare the Market, found that confidence in retirement changed dramatically with age, with Australians aged 45 to 54 most concerned about their ability to retire at 65. However, millennials were found to be confident in their stride towards their golden years. A study conducted by The Financial Consciousness Index found that confidence in retirement changed dramatically with age with Aussies aged 45 to 54 year olds most concerned about their ability to retire at 65 (stock image) The study, commissioned by Compare The Market, found that Gen Xers were feeling the most pressure to build up their nest eggs as retirement approached. General manger of banking at Compare The Market Rod Attrill revealed he wasn't surprised by the alarming numbers, stating the fact that superannuation was only made mandatory in the early 90s could be a significant factor for Gen Xers. 'It's no surprise that some Gen Xers worry that their savings look a little slim' he said in a statement. 'Especially when we're told we each need $545,000 in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement,' he added. However, Millennials were found to be incredibly confident in their stride towards their golden years (stock image) 'The Age Pension age is increasing over the next five years from 65 to 67 years of age, putting Aussies under further pressure to improve their funding options if they want to enjoy any sort of an 'early' retirement.' Mr Attrill said. The vision of a care-free retirement appears to becoming increasingly unclear, as only 13 per cent of respondents said they felt in complete control over their retirement outcomes. A total of 17 per cent said they would likely have to dip into their superannuation if they were suddenly unemployed or if they were unable to earn an income for more than three months. In an even more worrying statistic, 27 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women revealed they had no superannuation set aside at all. Mr Attrill conceded how imperative it is for Australians to plan ahead and urged anyone without superannuation to apply immediately. The study tested 3,000 individuals around Australia to uncover their ability, willingness and sophistication to make a change to improve their financial well-being. Boris Johnson has labelled Theresa May's Brexit deal an 'appalling sell-out' saying it would leave Britain facing 'colonial rule by foreign powers and courts'. The former Foreign Secretary ramped up the pressure on the PM after a chaotic week at Westminster by saying the deal was 'betraying Leavers and Remainers alike.' Unveiling a 'six-point plan' to 'get us out of this hole' Mr Johnson called for scrapping the Irish backstop, refusing to pay some of the 39billion divorce bill and seeking a 'SuperCanada' trade deal with Brussels. However Mr Johnson, writing in his weekly column in the Telegraph, did not add his name to the list of MPs demanding a confidence vote in Mrs May as party leader. Boris Johnson (pictured on Thursday) has labelled Theresa May's Brexit deal an 'appalling sell-out' saying it would leave Britain facing 'colonial rule by foreign powers and courts' Boris Johnson dined with his father Stanley in the exclusive Boisdale of Belgravia restaurant on Thursday night where they spoke to Nigel Farage, who was said to be dining there with someone else Boris Johnson's six point plan to earn a better Brexit 1 Jettison decision for European Court of Justice to have jurisdiction over the UK/EU withdrawal agreement. 2 Scrap the Northern Ireland backstop. Instead, both sides should simply commit to avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland and find the solution later. 3 Appoint a 'No Deal' minister who will 'accelerate our preparations to exit on World Trade Organisation terms' 4 Pursue a free-trade deal on Super-Canada lines. 5 Withhold at least half of the 39 billion until that deal has been agreed. 6 Insist that our Government finally gets behind Brexit, with 'enthusiasm and belief - all of which have been woefully lacking'. Advertisement The former Foreign Secretary said the agreement could not be improved in the next stage of talks with the EU but needed to be scrapped immediately. He said: 'We are preparing to take colonial rule by foreign powers and courts. We are handing over colossal sums of money for nothing. 'We are giving up the hope of new free-trade deals. We are giving up the right to vary our laws. 'We are betraying Leavers and Remainers alike: we are poised to abandon any UK influence in Brussels, yet we are signally failing to take back control.' In his six-point plan he called for taking the better parts of the deal including the rights of citizens; scrapping the Irish backstop; and preparing to exit on WTO terms. He also called for a declaration that the UK would seek a 'SuperCanada' deal with Brussels, demanded the withholding of at least half of the 39billion bill, and asked for the Government to 'show some enthusiasm' for Brexit. Mr Johnson joined former Brexit Secretary David Davis in resigning from the Cabinet over Mrs May's Brexit plans in July this year. The PM has faced a week of intense pressure from Brexiteers since the publication of her 585-page withdrawal agreement with Brussels last Wednesday. A stormy five-hour Cabinet meeting was followed by a series of resignations while Tory backbenchers launched the plot to oust her. A group of five Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, environment secretary Michael Gove and three others - are to push for changes to Mrs Mays Brexit deal Who has sent letters of no confidence in May? Letters of no confidence in Theresa May are confidential - but some of her strongest critics have gone public. If 48 letters are sent a vote is called. This is who has definitely sent a letter: Jacob Rees-Mogg , North East Somerset, Jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk Steve Baker , Wycombe, steve.baker.mp@parliament.uk Sheryll Murray , South East Cornwall, sheryll.murray.mp@parliament.uk Anne-Marie Morris , Newton Abbott, annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk Lee Rowley , North East Derbyshire, lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk Henry Smith , Crawley, henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk Simon Clarke , Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, simon.clarke.mp@parliament.uk Peter Bone , Wellingborough, bonep@parliament.uk James Duddridge , Rochford and Southend East, james@jamesduddridge.com Philip Davies , Shipley, daviesp@parliament.uk Andrea Jenkyns , Morley and Outwood, andrea.jenkyns.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Bridgen , North West Leicestershire, andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk Nadine Dorries , Mid Bedfordshire, dorriesn@parliament.uk Laurence Robertson , Tewkesbury, robertsonl@parliament.uk Martin Vickers , Cleethorpes, martin.vickers.mp@parliament.uk Ben Bradley , Mansfield, ben.bradley.mp@parliament.uk Adam Holloway , Gravesham, hollowaya@parliament.uk John Whittingdale , Maldon, john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk Maria Caulfield , Lewes, maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk Mark Francois , Rayleigh and Wickford, mark.francois.mp@parliament.uk David Jones , Clwyd West, david.jones@parliament.uk Marcus Fysh , Yeovil, marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk Chris Green , Bolton West, chris.green.mp@parliament.uk Zac Goldsmith , Richmond Park, zac@zacgoldsmith.com Bill Cash , Stone, cashw@parliament.uk Philip Hollobone , Kettering, philip.hollobone.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Lewer, Northampton South, andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk Crispin Blunt , Reigate, crispinbluntmp@parliament.uk Owen Paterson , Shropshire Patersono@parliament.uk Advertisement Mrs May has vowed to fight on and the rebels do not yet have the 48 letters required to force a confidence motion in the Conservative party. However she faces a struggle to get her deal through the House of Commons, where her DUP allies are not certain to back her Government. A defeat in Parliament, which is expected to vote next month, could lead to a no-deal exit or a new general election. Meanwhile the so-called 'Gang of Five' Brexiteers in her Cabinet, including Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, are demanding changes to the deal. She went on the attack against the gang of Five on Monday, using a speech to say that the withdrawal agreement has been 'agreed in full'. She insisted she has won a 'good' deal for Britain and is determined to deliver it. The Prime Minister mounted another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels despite the rising threat of a no-confidence vote by her own MPs. In a speech to business leaders, she said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. 'The agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfils the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum,' she said. 'Let no one be in any doubt. I am determined to deliver it.' Mrs May also urged the public to listen to businesses highlighting the threat to the economy from crashing out of the bloc, saying that such firms were 'providing your jobs that ensure that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family'. EU foreign ministers underlined the choice facing Parliament as they arrived at a meeting in Brussels today, warning the package on the table is the 'best there is'. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the arrangements that had been painstakingly put together over nearly two years are 'fair and balanced' and the UK will be left in 'full control'. Meanwhile, senior Tory figures have tried to head off a mutiny by MPs, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher. Tory ex-leader Lord Howard also urged rebels to hold off, saying that while he personally opposes the Brexit deal it should be put to Parliament. Addressing the CBI annual conference in London, the Prime Minister said the priority in this 'intense week of negotiations' is to 'hammer out' the framework of the future trade deal. She told delegates that her agreement will create a level playing field on immigration that means EU nationals will no longer be able to 'jump the queue'. 'Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people... once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here,' she said. Pros and cons of Theresa May's divisive Brexit pact The positives... Strong trade ties Downing Street pointed to zero tariffs and quotas on trade. One senior official said the UK would be 'the only major advanced economy' which has that relationship with the European Union. Staying in close alignment to EU rules was the price for reducing any damage to trade from 'friction' at the border and protecting industries which rely on swift movement of parts, such as car manufacturers. End to free movement A key demand for many who voted Leave, and something Mrs May would not compromise on. Future immigration rules to come in when transition ends in 2020 were not included in these negotiations, so the UK has flexibility to set its own after that point. The EU will push for preferential treatment in return for a better trade deal. Both sides have agreed to visa-free travel for business and tourism. Strong security Mrs May hailed a deal on security co-operation 'beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country'. Agreement has been reached on exchanging passenger names, DNA, fingerprints, and car registration data, as well as 'swift and effective' arrangements for extraditing criminals to justice on both sides. Control of fishing The PM held firm on fishing rights, which are seen as totemic for many Brexiteers, in the face of furious demands from EU member states such as France and Netherlands for access to UK waters. The UK will regain control over its own waters, and can allocate a higher share of rights to domestic fishermen. In the next phase of the talks, the EU will call for continued access in return for access to its markets, where the British industry exports about 75 per cent of its haul. ... and the negatives Northern Ireland backstop To avoid a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic if there's no deal after the transition period, a so-called backstop will come into force. In the backstop, the whole of the UK would stay in the EU customs union, which would prevent damage to trade. But the province alone will have to align with single market rules on goods, and there will be new checks on trade across the Irish Sea, prompting the DUP to claim that Northern Ireland had been 'sold out'. Dominic Raab who quit as Brexit Secretary yesterday said this was a 'very real threat to the integrity of the UK'. Exit clause A panel made up of two representatives from each side and an independent arbiter will rule on whether the UK can end the backstop. However, this is far from enough to satisfy Brexiteers, who fear the UK could be 'trapped' in the EU. It means the UK can't just walk away from the EU whenever it wants. European Court of Justice If the backstop is activated, European judges will have a say over how its customs code, technical regulations, VAT and excise, agriculture and the environment, single electricity market and state aid apply in the province. But Downing Street insists direct jurisdiction of the ECJ over Britain will end. Longer exit The deal paves the way for a smooth transition out of the EU, and avoids a no deal cliff edge. But a period that was expected to last until the end of 2020 could now be extended, meaning more money for EU coffers. Advertisement A draft Brexit deal is agreed but what happens next? How WILL Theresa May persuade Parliament to back it (and save her job)? Emergency EU Summit, Brussels, Sunday November 25 What will happen? If the divorce package is agreed between the two sides, it will need to be signed off by EU leaders. EU council president Donald Tusk will convene a summit where formal approval will be given by EU leaders. This is expected sometime between November 22 and 25. Will the whole deal be agreed? The Brexit deal is due to come in two parts - a formal divorce treaty and a political declaration on what the final trade deal might look like. The second part may not be finished until a regular EU summit due on December 13-14 - it depends whether or not it is published today. Assuming the negotiations have reached an agreement and Mrs May travels to Brussels with her Cabinet's support, this stage should be a formality. What if there is no agreement? If EU leaders do not sign off on the deal at this stage, no deal becomes highly likely - there is just no time left to negotiate a wholly new deal. The crucial dates on Theresa May's path to securing a Brexit deal November 25: Emergency EU summit. EU Leaders will meet to sign off on the deal December: Vote in Parliament. Theresa May needs to win support for the deal from a majority of MPs March 29, 2019: Exit Day. Britain leaves the EU and enters a 'transition period' either governed by a deal or under WTO rules if no deal is reached. Negotiations turn to securing a final agreement between the EU and Britain December 2020: The transition period ends. A trade deal comes into effect. If there isn't one, the Irish border 'backstop' plan could be triggered. Advertisement The so-called 'meaningful vote' in the UK Parliament, December 2018 What will happen: A debate, probably over more than one day, will be held in the House of Commons on terms of the deal. It will end with a vote on whether or not MPs accept the deal. More than one vote might happen if MPs are allowed to table amendments. The vote is only happening after MPs forced the Government to accept a 'meaningful vote' in Parliament on the terms of the deal. What happens if May wins? If the meaningful vote is passed, there will be a series of further votes as the withdrawal treaty is written into British law. It will be a huge political victory for the Prime Minister and probably secure her version of Brexit. How can she win? The Prime Minister needs a simple majority of the House of Commons - excluding the Speakers, Sinn Fein and Tellers this means 318 votes. She can rely on around 150 members of the Government and maybe another 80 Tory MPs - getting her to about 230 votes - leaving her almost 90 votes short. Mrs May is likely to get the backing of some Labour MPs - but probably no more than 45 at the most. This mean she can only win the vote if she can squeeze the Brexiteer rebels down from up to 80 votes and get the 10 DUP MPs in line. What happens if she loses? This is possibly the most dangerous stage of all. The Prime Minister will have to stake her political credibility on winning a vote and losing it would be politically devastating. Brexiteers do not want to sign off the divorce bill without a satisfactory trade deal and Remainers are reluctant to vote for a blind Brexit. She could go back to Brussels to ask for new concessions before a second vote but many think she would have to resign quickly. Ratification in the EU, February 2019 What will happen? After the meaningful vote in the UK, the EU will have to ratify the agreement. The European Parliament must also vote in favour of the deal. It has a representative in the talks, Guy Verhofstadt, who has repeatedly warned the deal must serve the EU's interests. Will it be agreed? In practice, once the leaders of the 27 member states have agreed a deal, ratification on the EU side should be assured. If the deal has passed the Commons and she is still in office, this should not be dangerous for the Prime Minister. Exit day, March 29, 2019 What will happen? At 11pm on March 29, 2019, Britain will cease to be a member of the European Union, two years after triggering Article 50 and almost three years after the referendum. Exit happens at 11pm because it must happen on EU time. If the transition deal is in place, little will change immediately - people will travel in the same way as today and goods will cross the border normally. But Britain's MEPs will no longer sit in the European Parliament and British ministers will no longer take part in EU meetings. Negotiations will continue to turn the political agreement on the future partnership into legal text that will eventually become a second treaty. Both sides will build new customs and immigration controls in line with what this says. Transition ends, December 2020 What will happen? The UK's position will undergo a more dramatic change at the end of December 2020, when the 'standstill' transition is due to finish. If the negotiations on a future trade deal are complete, that could come into force. But if they are still not complete the Irish border 'backstop' plan could be triggered. Under current thinking, that means the UK staying in the EU customs union and more regulatory checks between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. Eurosceptics fear this arrangement will prevent the country striking trade deals elsewhere, and could effectively last for ever, as Brussels will have no incentive to negotiate a replacement deal. A man has been fined $500 after he called Prime Minister Scott Morrison a 'muppet'. Mr Morrison was at the Bathurst 1000 Supercars event in the New South Wales central west on October 7 when Allan Maccaul started yelling expletives at him. Maccaul, 26, from Berriedale in Hobart's north, had approached Mr Morrison as he was shaking hands and posing for photographs, the Western Advocate reported. 'You're a f***ing muppet, you're a f***ing muppet,' Maccaul said to Mr Morrison. Scroll down for video A man has been fined $500 after he called Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) a 'f***ing muppet' at the Bathurst 1000 Officers from the Protection Operations Unit, who were accompanying Mr Morrison at the time, went up to Maccaul and cautioned him about his offensive language. 'That's the premier [sic], he's a f***ing muppet,' Maccaul responded. Maccaul was arrested and had his bag searched, where police found cannabis leaf inside a small plastic container. Police also uncovered five tabs of LSD wrapped inside a small piece of foil. Mr Morrison (pictured at the Bathurst 1000 in October) was approached by Allan Maccaul as he was shaking hands with members of the public and posing for photographs Maccaul was convicted and fined $500 for behaving in an offensive manner and convicted and fined a total of $800 for two counts of possess a prohibited drug. He was not in court when the fines were dished out. The ruling comes less than a year after a judge ruled it is legal to call former Prime Minister Tony Abbott a 'c***'. A New South Wales court ruled that 75-year-old Danny Lim's sign, which read 'Tony You C**t', was not offensive because it was 'essential political comment' and the word 'c***' was 'prevalent in everyday language'. A woman has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after she was mauled by her own dog. Paramedics and police were called to the Salisbury North home, in Adelaide's north, after the 55-year-old was attacked at 8am on Monday. The woman was bleeding from severe head and arm injuries as she was loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The dog - a Bull Mastiff cross - was put down a short time later at the owner's request. An Adelaide woman (left) was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after she was mauled by her own dog (right) She remains in a serious condition. Officers from Salisbury Council arrived on scene a short time later to seize the dog. Neighbours described the vicious attack as 'horrific', adding they often saw the dog roaming the area. 'It's scary, it could have been anyone around here, yeah I hope she is alright,' neighbour 'Deb' told 9News. Another neighbour said she had been scared to go outside when she saw the dog running around. Donald Trump added insult to his handling of the California wildfires Saturday after wrongly referring to the name of a town ruined by the blazes as 'Pleasure', during a news conference. The President fumbled the name twice, even remarking: 'What we saw at Pleasure what a name, right now,' when addressing the devastation during a tour of the Northern California area that's in fact called Paradise. 'What we saw. We just left Pleasure ' he began before several people chimed in to correct the 72-year-old. Donald Trump called the California town Pleasure instead of Paradise twice before being corrected Trump flippantly continued before finally getting it right, sating: 'Or Paradise' Trump had joined Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom for the somber outing. Despite more than 1,276 people still unaccounted for in the Camp Fire - which has burned over 149,500 acres in Northern California - and at least 77 people being been killed, Trump didn't seem particularly apologetic about messing up. CBS News reported how he flippantly continued as if nothing had happened before finally getting it right: 'Or Paradise. And what we just saw at Paradise is just it's just not acceptable.' Trump had joined Governor Jerry Brown (pictured) for the somber outing The president had previously threatened to pull money when the wildfires were at their most rampant phase POTUS had earlier hinted at his concern for tragic infernos in the state as he spoke about how the burning to ashes of an entire town was a bigger deal than media images could show. Speaking for those watching from busy cities in the United States he said: 'You're watching from New York or you're watching from Washington DC and you don't really see the gravity of it.' Pantomiming a sign for a television, he continued: 'I mean, as big as they look on the tube, you don't see what's really going on until you come here.' In Southern California's Woolsey Fire at least three people have died. The president also visited devastated Malibu but declined to comment on whether climate change specifically was behind the wildfires. He said the burning to ashes of an entire town was a bigger deal than media images could show President Donald Trump visits the charred wreckage of Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park He said there were 'a lot of factors' after telling Fox News Sunday in an interview recorded Friday: 'Maybe it contributes a little bit. The big problem we have is management.' Seemingly placing the blame once more he insensitively said about seeing firefighters clearing dried brush: 'This should have been all raked out.' His trip to the Golden state came after he had controversially blamed mismanagement of the forests and threatened to pull money when the wildfires were at their most rampant phase. 'There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,' he wrote on Twitter November 10. 'Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!' Governor Brown (right) said Saturday the economic damage was 'tens of billions' The governor said Trump now 'has signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding' Governor Brown said Saturday the economic damage was 'tens of billions'. He added that Trump had changed his tune after previously sparking anxiety with his power to halt funds that could significantly help. 'The president not only has signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding, but he said and pledged very specifically to continue to help us, that he's got our back,' Brown said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday. 'And I thought that was a very positive thing.' The mother of a high school student who suffered burns to her leg during a chemistry class experiment is suing the school district and four of its employees for $2.25million. Karen Green, a resident of Locust Gap, Pennsylvania, filed suit against Mount Carmel Area School District, which she accuses of negligence. The lawsuit names the district, Superintendent Bernard Stellar, Principal Lisa Varano, chemistry teacher Tammy Michaels, and school nurse Leanne Ryan, according to PennLive.com. Greens daughter, a student at Mount Carmel Area High School, and another student were injured on August 30 during a routine chemistry experiment. Scroll down for video The mother of a high school student who suffered burns to her leg during a chemistry class experiment is suing the school district and four of its employees. Pictured above is the leg of the daughter of Karen Green of Locust Gap, Pennsylvania On August 30, Green's daughter was one of two students who suffered injuries during a chemistry experiment gone awry at Mount Carmel Area High School The lawsuit alleges that the school ignored guidelines issued by national organizations to avoid using methanol-based flame tests in open laboratory desks. The school is accused of failing to take the proper precautions that would have shielded students from the accident. The two students were rushed to hospital and treated for moderate injuries, according to WNEP-TV. The teacher, Michaels, was also injured in the accident and was treated at hospital. Stellar told WNEP-TV that the teacher indicated that all safety protocols were followed for the demonstration. Parents were immediately contacted, and they arrived at the school to accompany their children to the hospital. Tammy Michaels, the chemistry teacher who allegedly conducted the experiment, was also injured and treated at a local hospital. She is named in the lawsuit Also named are Superintendent Bernard Stellar (left) and Principal Lisa Varano (right) According to court documents, Michaels, who was wearing goggles, tried to light methanol that had been poured into a container. When the methanol failed to ignite, she allegedly poured in more methanol. The second attempt to ignite caused an explosion, court documents allege. The force of the blast then caused the container to top onto its side, the lawsuit states. The flaming methanol then rolled out of the container and onto the young girls leg as well as her desk, which was in the front row of the room. Both the girls leg and the desk caught on fire, it is alleged. Leanne Ryan, the school nurse, is also named in the lawsuit, which alleges that the girl waited in pain for 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive As the girl tried to get away from the burning desk, she fell to the floor crying in pain, according to the lawsuit. Other students then rushed to her aid. The lawsuit alleges that the fire blanket was still inside a shipping container and could not be removed while the classroom shower had not been working for two years. The girls leg was extinguished, though it is unclear how. She was then taken to the nurses office. The lawsuit alleges that the girl waited for 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. During that time, she was in great pain, the court documents claim. She received treatment at Lehigh Valley Hospital regional burn center in Allentown for second-degree burns. As a result of the accident, the girl is permanently scarred. The lawsuit alleges that she also suffers from post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, mental anguish, and humiliation. Green says she only learned of her daughters accident through a neighbor because the school did not have up-to-date emergency contact information. The lawsuit seeks $150,000 for each of the five counts of abuse negligence, conscience-shocking behavior, and deliberate indifference to the girls rights to bodily integrity and physical safety. A woman has been sexually assaulted in a McDonald's bathroom. The 37-year-old customer was in the bathrooms at the fast food chain's restaurant in Rasmussen, south west of Townsville, at 4.45pm on Sunday when she was attacked. She was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Police are now searching for an Aboriginal man believed to be about 165cm tall. He was wearing a black shirt and is thought to be aged between 30 and 40 years old. The 37-year-old customer was in the bathrooms at the fast food chain's restaurant in Rasmussen, south west of Townsville, at 4.45pm on Sunday when she was attacked The man, who was last seen fleeing the scene, is not believed to know the woman. Detective Inspector Chris Lawson, from Queensland Police, told the Townsville Bulletin it was a 'horrendous attack'. 'It was the sort of attack you dont want to see in our community, and its the sort of attack we are not prepared to accept within our community.' Chipotle is reconsidering its controversial decision to fire one of its restaurant managers for telling a group of black customers they had to prove they could pay before ordering, after a series of tweets emerged showing the alleged victims boasting about 'dining and dashing'. Masaud Ali, 21, claimed he'd been a target of racism after he was refused service at the restaurant in St Paul, Minnesota, unless he paid first, with the manager telling him it was because 'you never have money when you come in here.' 'Can a group of young well established African American get a bite to eat after a long workout session. @ChipotleTweets??' he wrote in a tweet alongside a video of the confrontation, on Friday. The post sparked a furious backlash against the manager and Chipotle, who fired the employee the following day. But it appears the fast food chain may have been to quick to act after old tweets of Ali's emerged where he talks about 'dining and dashing' - the illegal practice of ordering food and running out before paying for it. Chipotle may rehire it's manager (right) who was fired after telling a group of young black men at a Chipotle in St Paul, Minnesota (left) they cannot order until they prove they have money to pay A series of tweets have since emerged showing the alleged victims boasting about 'dining and dashing' 'Dine and dash is forever interesting,' Ali wrote in another since-deleted tweet from July 2015 'Aye man i think chopotle catchin up to us fam. should we change locations and yoooooo what should we do about the other thang,' read a since-deleted post on Ali's account from 2016. 'Dine and dash is forever interesting,' Ali wrote in another since-deleted tweet from July 2015. Another post from March 2015 read: 'if you a real ass n***a we [gonna go to] Applebees [sic] and eat as much a we can and tip the nice lady 20cents and walk the f**k out.' On Sunday, Chipotle conceded they may have acted too hastily in firing the St Pauls branch manager. 'Our actions were based on the facts known to us immediately after the incident, including video footage, social media posts and conversations with the customer, manager, and our employees,' Chipotle Chief Communications Officer Laurie Schalow told Fox News on Sunday. 'We now have additional information which needs to be investigated further. We want to do the right thing, so after further investigation we will re-train and re-hire if the facts warrant it.' The manager, whose name on Instagram is D0mMarie, shared a petition titled 'Help Chipotle Manager Get Job Back' on social media in the wake of the incident. The petition appears to have been created by someone who heard her story and felt sorry for her. 'Cant thank you enough for the kind words, positive vibes, prayers and warm thoughts,' she wrote in a post on Sunday. Chipotle says the manager was fired and that staff has gone through re-training to prevent a similar situation from occurring. Additionally, the company said the manager had mistaken the guests for another group of men who had come in and not been able to pay for their food The manager shared a petition titled 'Help Chipotle Manager Get Job Back' on social media and wrote on Instagram: 'Cant thank you enough for the kind words, positive vibes, prayers and warm thoughts' Ali insisted yesterday that he was targeted because of his race. 'It sounded really racist - the way she said it was racist,' Ali told the Star Tribune on Friday. 'She asked for proof of income as if I'm getting a loan.' He said he was also disappointed that none of the other employees who were on duty spoke up. Video of the confrontation has been seen millions of times since it was posted Friday. On Saturday, the chain released a statement saying 'what happened here is not how our employees should treat our customer'. 'We don't ask customers to pay for their meals prior to making them in our restaurants. The manager should have made their food and withheld giving it to them until they paid for it,' Chipotle told the Star Tribune in a statement, explaining its policy. Past tweets seem to imply that the man who posted the video, Masaud Ali, is guilty of dining and dashing in the past 'Regardless, this is not how we treat our customers and as a result, the manager has been terminated and the restaurant is being retrained to ensure something like this doesn't happen again.' Chipotle confirmed they are still investigating the incident, including assessment of Ali's numerous tweets that seemed to imply that he had eaten at establishments before without paying. In one he discussed stealing Tabasco bottles from Chipotle and in another it read: 'Guys we're borrowing food... that's it. And if the lady tries to stop you at the door don't hesitate to truck the sh*t out of that b***h.' Ali has since deleted all of these posts. Ali, who records show is on probation for theft, did not reply to a request from the Miami Herald. Investigative journalists re-examining the kidnapping of Trudie Adams have revealed that years before her disappearance multiple teenagers from the area were abducted and raped by two men. Ms Adams was 18 when she vanished in 1978 after hitchhiking home from a dance at Newport Surf Club - but her body has never been found. No-one has ever been charged over disappearance. ABC's Unravel podcast, which has been investigating the suspected murder case, has delved deep into the dark world of Sydney's Northern Beaches in the 1970s. ABC's Unravel podcast has been attempting to find answers to the mysterious disappearance of Trudie Adams (pictured) 40 years ago Ms Adams (pictured) was 18 when she vanished in 1978 after hitchhiking home from a dance at Newport Surf Club Ms Adams had been hitchhiking home from a dance at Newport Surf Club, but her body was never found and no one was ever charged In the final episode of ABC's Unravel podcast, journalists reveal the main suspect in Trudie Adams' case had been identified by rape victims as their attacker In the final episode of the series, it was revealed 14 teenage girls had been abducted and raped at gunpoint in the same area Ms Adams was last seen. Two men, wearing fake beards or sometimes wigs, preyed on girls in Avalon and Newport between 1971 and 1978. Each victim was taken to an isolated spot in the bush and forced to strip off their clothes. They were then repeatedly sexually assaulted and photographed. The men threatened to kill the girls if they told anyone. Neville Tween, who was also known as John Anderson, was identified as one of the attackers by some of the victims. The convicted drug dealer and sex offender was the prime suspect in the Adams case, but was not questioned by police until 2009. He denied having anything to do with Trudie's disappearance. Tween was behind bars for sexually assaulting a young male drug dealer when he died in 2013. Two men, wearing fake beards or sometimes wigs, preyed on girls in Avalon and Newport between 1971 and 1978, abducting them at gunpoint before raping them (pictured is Trudie) The governor of a northern Mexico state where a North Carolina man was slain last month said the alleged perpetrator will pay dearly for the crime. Chihuahua state Govornor Javier Corral said Sunday that Patrick Braxton-Andrew is believed to have been killed by a drug trafficker named Jose Noriel Portillo Gil, known as El Chueco while walking in the Copper Canyons. Corral said federal police are on the hunt for Portillo Gil, who is part of the Sinaloa Cartel. Chihuahua state Govornor Javier Corral (left) said the criminals who killed Patrick Braxton-Andrew (right) will pay dearly for what they have done The teacher is believed to have been killed by a drug trafficker linked to the powerful Sinaloa cartel, which was previously run by El Chapo, pictured above Corral said the 34-year-old Spanish teacher's body had been buried, and then exhumed and left in the open by his assailants. More than a hundred police and volunteers combed the area for clues after Braxton-Andrew disappeared on October 28. Corral said sharing the news with the family broke his heart. Patrick Braxton-Andrew, 34, was last seen by hotel staff in Urique a former mining village in Mexico's Chihuahua state, on October 28. His family reported him missing when he didn't show up in Mexico City to meet his younger brother on October 30 after spending a few days hiking in Chihuahua's Copper Canyon. They set up a base in Mexico City and have been working with local and US authorities to find him since then But on Thursday, they revealed that the state government has informed them he was killed by a criminal organization. In a post on a Facebook page devoted to finding Braxton-Andrew, they said: 'It is with great sadness that we announce that Patrick died on October 28th at the hands of a criminal organization that operates in the area where he was traveling. He planned the trip around Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations which run from October 31 until November 2 His family said that Braxton-Andrew, who taught Spanish at a school in Mooresville, North Carolina, 'died doing what he loved - traveling and meeting people' His family paid tribute to him, saying he 'died doing what he loved - traveling and meeting people' 'The search continues to recover his body so we can bring him back home.' It added that 'authorities are searching for those responsible to bring them to justice.' The family added that Braxton-Andrew, who taught Spanish at a school in Mooresville, North Carolina, 'died doing what he loved - traveling and meeting people.' They added: 'Join us in celebrating his life as he would want us to do. We will always remember Patrick and his joy for life. We love you PBA.' Portillo Gil is linked to the powerful Sinaloa cartel, whose boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is currently on trial in New York. Guzman is accused of smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the United States over 25 years and faces life in prison if found guilty. Corral said federal police are on the hunt for the suspected killer Portillo Gil He was last seen by hotel staff in Urique a former mining village in Mexico's Chihuahua state, on October 28 Portillo Gil runs the cartel's business in the region around Urique, according to Mexican media reports. His gang holds control over the towns of Mesa de Arturo, Bahuichivo, Cerocahui and San Rafael, the majority indigenous cities whose residents have been displaced by the narco wars. He was thought to have been killed in April last year, but resurfaces when he and his accomplices attacked the State Security Commission in Urique. Mexican officials have not elaborated about how Braxton-Andrew crossed paths with drug traffickers or why he was killed. While the druglord is behind bars, his sons Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar (pictured right) and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar (pictured left) have been running the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico in his absence His family told the Charlotte Observer that he had been planning his trip to Mexico for months. He planned the trip around the country's Day of the Dead celebrations which run from October 31 until November 2. But a break in his school schedule meant he had a few extra days of travel before then so he flew from North Carolina to Mexico on October 24. Braxton-Andrew planned to take a ride on 'El Chepe,' a tourist-friendly train ride that passes through Copper Canyon, before heading to Mexico City. His family said eight people had planned to join Braxton-Andrew for the Day of the Dead celebrations and he had also thrown out invitations for anyone who wanted to join him on 'El Chepe.' He had traveled extensively across Latin America and was as prepared as anyone to travel solo there, his family said. This is the horrifying moment a little girl's fingers get stuck inside a moving escalator. The footage, uploaded to Facebook, shows the trapped toddler scream in pain at a shopping centre in Manila in the Philippines on November 11. The video captures the desperate moment her mother and security try to pry her fingers out of the machinery. Blood can be seen on her hand as her cries get louder and she wriggles in pain. Meanwhile, her mother holds her hand and tries to distract her with a pink balloon. Shopping centre security managed to stop the escalator and freed the girl within two minutes of her being trapped, before whisking her off to hospital. It's believed the girl became caught when she fell over between the bottom platform and the last step as she was holding hands with her mother, GMA News reports. The girl was rushed to hospital but miraculously only suffered minor skin injuries to several of her fingers. The horrifying video captures the toddler screaming in pain as her fingers can be clearly seen caught between in the metal Security managed to pry her out after around two minutes and rushed her to the hospital The incident comes just months after a similar terrifying accident occurred at a shopping centre in south-west China. In footage captured by the centre's CCTV, a unsupervised toddler is seen laying flat on his stomach as his hand is clearly caught within the metal-grated steps on the escalator. It turned out at least two fingers were stuck inside the yellow plate with shopkeepers discovering the young boy before rushing to turn the machine off. After firefighters were alerted to the scene, they had to unscrew the comb plate and take it with them to the hospital in order to free his fingers. Troubled Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes has handed in her resignation just hours after her office finally submitted the recounted votes following a number of high profile blunders - most notably - the loss of more than two thousand ballots. Her resignation will reportedly be effective from early January, meaning her replacement will be appointed by Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis. Snipes', 75, career 15-year career as elections supervisor has been dogged by accusations of incompetence, bias, legal disputes and botched elections. Broward County was one of four counties that became infamous during the 2000 presidential recount in Florida. Snipes then came under fire again this year after the county missed the Thursday deadline - by two minutes - in reporting results in the contested Senate race, which Republican Rick Scott ended up winning. Broward County elections supervisor Brenda Snipes has handed in her resignation just hours after her office finally submitted the recounted votes with 52 minutes to spare on Sunday Snipes has come under fire for her management of the recount Broward struggled with its infamy again when officials revealed on Saturday that 2,040 ballots had been either misplaced, misfiled or mixed in with another stack. Snipes, who is black, said afterward racism was 'probably' a factor in the backlash against her. When asked specifically if she believed her heritage could be playing a part in the hostile response she declined to elaborate but told the Guardian, 'Probably. Probably'. On Sunday, the county finally got organized and submitted its recounted vote totals in Florida's governor, Senate, and state agriculture commissioner races, to the secretary of state's office with 52 minutes to spare. Its neighboring Palm Beach County got its votes in a mere one second before the noon deadline. Snipes declined to comment on speculation that Gov.-elect DeSantis may remove her from office following the errors by her Broward County Office. 'Bye guys!' was all she said with a smile as she left. Election ballot baskets sit on the floor at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center in Palm Beach Republican Mike Caruso (C) hugs his adviser at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center in Palm Beach, Florida A few hours later, sources close to Snipes confirmed she had handed in her notice. Burnadette Norris-Weeks, an attorney who works as counsel to the Supervisor of Elections Office, said an early draft of Snipes' letter explained she wanted to leave to spend more time with her family. The letter was reportedly sent to Tallahassee earlier in the day. Snipes has not yet commented on her resignation. Florida has been on pins and needles since the Nov. 6 election day as the entire state under went a recount for three races. Results were due to the secretary of state by noon. Snipes came under fire when it was revealed Broward misplaced two thousand ballots Volunteers in Palm Beach County look at ballots; the county submitted its totals with one second to spare On Friday, election workers in all 67 counties began recounting by hand about 93,000 ballots that were not recorded by voting machines. But Florida's beleaguered Broward County has made yet another election blunder after it was revealed that officials accidentally mixed in ballots from the Senate race into the recount for state's Commissioner of Agriculture . Early on Saturday, the recount of 22,000 ballots came to an abrupt stop when officials noticed volunteers had mixed 47 manila envelopes from Friday's Senate recount in with those to be hand counted for the commissioner race, Fox News reported. 'It appears there may have been some ballots from yesterday mixed in with the ones for today,' Broward Canvassing Board Judge Deborah Carpenter-Toye said. 'We have been trying to determine what could have caused the drop. What we believe is that in the recount area ... I believe those ballots were probably mixed in with another stack,' Snipes told the elections Canvassing Board on Saturday. Volunteers look at ballots during a hand recount in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday 'The ballots are in the building. The ballots are in this building. There would be nowhere else for them to be. But they are misfiled in this building.' Snipes, 75, has served as elections chief in the county for 15 years. But this month's recount saw calls for her head. After she could not - or would not - say how many ballots remained to be counted during the recount process, along with failing to give regular updates to the state every 45 minutes as required by law, she was sued by Scott's Senate campaign and the National Republican Senate Committee. The new governor could remove her from office - then-Gov. Jeb Bush removed her predecessor in 2002 after voting problems in the county - or Snipes could be voted out when she's on the ballot again in 2020. Despite the chaos, Broward county officials did prevail and get their results reported. In addition to Scott winning the Senate race, Republican DeSantis defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum in the governor's contest and Nikki Fried was the lone Democratic victory with her win in the state agriculture commissioner's race. Florida's election woes became national news in 2000 as the presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore ended up in the Supreme Court amid a heated recount battle in the Sunshine state. Palm Beach county's butterfly ballot and hanging chads became hot topics of debate on the national news. Bush eventually prevailed. High debt levels have forced more than a million Australian home owners into mortgage stress with more than 60,000 risking loan default, latest research shows. Research firm Digital Finance Analytics released the shocking figures after analysing 52,000 household surveys, Reserve Bank and regulator data along with information from lenders and aggregators. At the end of October there were 1,008,520 households experiencing some form of mortgage stress, Digital Finance Analytics said on its online blog. High debt levels have forced more than a million Australian home owners into mortgage stress, Berwick in Victoria came in at number five on a list of the most at risk mortgage postcodes Toowoomba in Queensland came in at number four on the list Of those, 22,222 were suffering severe stress while 61,078 were risking default. New South Wales homeowners were suffering most acutely with 13,779 suffering severe mortgage stress, ahead of second placed Victoria on 4944. Households are considered to be stressed when net income (or cash flow) does not cover ongoing costs. Martin North, founder of Digital Finance Analytics, said if homeowners get into difficulty banks had a legal obligation under hardship provisions to help. This can take the form of restructuring the loan or encouraging them to sell. 'For some, they might find themselves in negative equity where their home price falls below the value of the mortgage outstanding,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Then the bank must decide whether to force a sale or wait till it recovers.' Because Australia has full-recourse loans, if the bank sells a house for less money than the mortgage owing on it, the homeowner still has to pay it back. The northern Perth suburb of Tapping was at number two on the list Digital Finance Analytics mortgage stress chart on a state-by-state basis, courtesy of Digital Finance Analytics. Victoria has the most stressed households but the stress is more severe in NSW - as Melbourne is believed to lag Sydney by a year in growth trends Top five postcodes with largest numbers of households in mortgage stress 1) New South Wales, postcode 2170 - the area around Liverpool in Sydney's southwest - has 7732 households in stress and 116 risking default 2) Western Australia postcode 6065 - around the northern Perth suburb of Tapping - has 7409 in stress and 298 risking default 3) New South Wales, postcode 2560 - the area around Campbelltown, in the southwest suburbs of Sydney - with a total of 6781 households in stress and 110 risking default 4) Queensland, postcode 4350 - the area around Toowoomba - has 6437 households in stress and 256 risking default 5) Victoria, postcode 3806 - around the Melbourne suburbs of Berwick and Harkaway - with 5,267 households in stress and 143 risking default Figures courtesy of Digital Finance Analytics Advertisement This is different to the United States where homeowners with no-recourse loans simply posted back the keys to lenders in what became known as 'jingle mail' in the depths of the 2009 sub-prime mortgage crisis. Mr North said many people in Australia were sitting on mortgages bigger than they could afford and that they would find it difficult to refinance. 'If you're trying to refinance now, you're going to find it very tough,' he said. 'A lot of people get rejected. Around 41 per cent of loan applications are being rejected compared with five per cent a year ago, so there's been a huge change.' North said as credit gets tighter, home prices slide, which is why they are falling now. He also said the tightening cycle would continue with regulatory reforms resulting from the Banking Royal Commission to be implemented in future. Housing Industry Association acting principle economist Geordan Murray sounded a note of comfort, saying the levels of mortgage arrears across Australia remained low. 'People pay housing costs ahead of other expenses so they may be cutting back on other expenses elsewhere when they find themselves in difficulty,' he told Daily Mail Australia. A disgraced judge allegedly stabbed his estranged wife to death, just two years after he was released from prison after beating her in front of their children. Former Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason, 51, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of 45-year-old Aisha Fraser Mason. Officers arrived at Aisha's home in Shaker Heights around 9.30am on Saturday after receiving a report of a domestic dispute. Disgraced former Ohio judge Lance Mason allegedly stabbed his estranged wife to death, two years after he was released from prison after beating her in front of their children Mason, 51, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of 45-year-old Aisha Fraser Mason Mason tried to flee the murder scene in a back Audi SUV but stuck a police SUV. Both he and another officer were injured and hospitalized, according to Cleveland.com. Aisha's horrific death comes just two years after Mason served nine months in prison for beating her in a moving car while their daughters were in the backseat. Mason tried to flee the murder scene in a back Audi SUV but stuck a police SUV. Both he and another officer were injured and hospitalized Mason punched Aisha 20 times, including several times in the face, bit and choked her, and slammed her head against the dashboard of his car five times. The beating was so severe that he broke Aisha's orbital bone and she needed reconstructive plastic surgery on her face. Aisha called 911 during the beating and said Mason had thrown her from their SUV and that she feared he would hurt their daughters. A member of Mason's family called police around the same time and said she feared he was going to commit suicide. Mason, a former Ohio state senator, surrendered to police that same day and admitted he had weapons in his bedroom and attic. Police confiscated two semi-automatic rifles, including one with a scope, two shotguns, a 50-shell shotgun belt, two handguns, and a sword. They also found 2,300 live rounds of various calibers, 500 shotgun slugs, four canisters of smoke grenades, a bulletproof vest, and a Jaguar knife. Mason pleaded guilty to felonious assault and domestic violence and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was granted judicial release nine months later. Aisha's horrific death comes just two years after Mason served nine months in prison after he punched her 20 times and slammed her head against the dashboard of his car five times The prosecutor of Mason's case said it was an example of how sometimes 'good people make bad decisions'. The court administrator claimed he had 'no history of violence or desire to hurt anyone'. Mason petitioned for an early release, including a letter to Aisha in which he apologized and asked for her forgiveness. 'My responsibility was to love and protect you,' the letter read. 'Instead of loving, protecting and providing for you and our daughters, I have provided a terrible example, and exposed you to rage and violence.' Aisha filed for divorce two days after the attack, citing gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty. The divorce case was still pending at the time of her murder. Mason (pictured in his 2014 mugshot), a former Ohio state senator, surrendered to police that same day and admitted he had weapons in his bedroom and attic She also won a $150,000 judgement in a civil case after she sued Mason for damages in the attack. Mason was barred by law from ever being a judge again, but Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson hired him as a minority business development director after he was released from prison. Aisha, a sixth-grade teacher, worked at Shaker Heights School for 16 years As of Saturday, Mason had been fired. 'I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms Aisha Fraser, especially to her children,' Jackson said in a statement. Aisha, a sixth-grade teacher, worked at Shaker Heights School for 16 years. The Shaker Heights Teachers' Association have organized a candlelight vigil for Aisha and set up a GoFundMe for her two daughters, aged eight and 11. 'She touched so many of our childrens lives and will be deeply missed,' Superintendent Stephen Wilkins said in a statement. 'Her loss is unexpected and the impact of this news on our entire school community is unimaginable and profound.' The mother and father who were arrested after their baby girl was found dead on a Gold Coast beach are homeless and have been living in parks with their daughter, it has been revealed. Emergency services were called to Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, about 12.30am on Monday after a member of the public found the infant unresponsive. Paramedics desperately tried to revive the little girl, believed to be about nine months old, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her parents, a 48-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, have been arrested over the death, which police are treating as 'unnatural'. A little girl was found dead on a Gold Coast beach in the early hours of Monday, with police working to determine her cause of death The couple are believed to be homeless, and were living in parks near the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. An investigation is underway to officially determine her cause of death but there are reports she had been in the water at some point prior to being found on the sand. 'The body was located on the edge of the surf, so clearly it had been in water, I don't know how long for,' Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said. 'It's a very tragic event. It's a very sad situation.' The girl's body was discovered by a member of the public, who was not believed to be a Schoolie. Teenagers flock to the Gold Coast from mid-December to mark the end of their high school education but police have confirmed the infant's death is not connected to Schoolies. Several youngsters were near the scene when the baby's body was found. One mother said her daughter was devastated when she found out what had happened. Paramedics had desperately tried to revive the little girl but she was pronounced dead at the scene Emergency services were called to the scene at Surfers Paradise about 12.30am on Monday A resident said they saw an ambulance and heard screaming on the beach. 'But with the Schoolies around at the moment there's lots of screaming going on, it's impossible to say whether it was harmless fun or not,' the resident said. Detective Inspector Hogan said there were no visible signs of injury on the girl but the police investigation was still in its early stages. The pair were located by police at Broadbeach, about five kilometres away, on Monday morning. No charges have been laid. The Homicide squad are leading the investigation with the help of New South Wales police as the couple had 'some movement' between the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads. Detective Inspector Marc Hogan (pictured) told media: 'It's a very tragic event. It's a very sad situation' Police have established a crime scene along the section of Surfers Paradise beach (pictured) where the little girl was found dead The little girl was found by the member of the public less than a kilometre from where thousands of school leavers were celebrating Schoolies parties. Police are checking CCTV footage from around the area as part of their investigations. Anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444. A truck driver has been charged after he allegedly took prescription drugs and smashed his vehicle into a car, killing a mother and her 12-year-old son. Ryan Kenny, 31, was charged with 15 offences, including two counts of dangerous driving causing death, at the Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Monday. Mother Amanda Gwynne, 37, and her son Harrison, 12, were killed when their car collided with Kenny's truck on the Murray Valley Highway in Brimin, 300km north of Melbourne, on November 2. A truck driver has been charged after he allegedly took prescription drugs and smashed his vehicle into another, killing a mother (pictured) and her 12-year-old son Ms Gwynne's husband Paul Kilmister, 44, (pictured top right), their son Morgan, 2, (centre) and eight-month-old Austin (pictured bottom right), were rushed to hospital after the collision Ms Gwynne's husband Paul Kilmister, 44, and their son Morgan, 2, and eight-month-old Austin, were rushed to hospital after the collision. While the two children have been discharged from the Royal Children's hospital, their father Mr Kilmister, who was in an induced coma, is still being treated for severe injuries. Truckie Kenny has also been charged with driving while exceeding the prescribed concentration of drugs. Mother Amanda Gwynne (pictured), 37, and her son Harrison, 12, were killed on November 2 Police have not confirmed what drugs they allege he was taking at the time, Fairfax media reports. Kenny has been remanded in custody and will stand before the court in March. Police said Kenny's truck was travelling east when it collided with the Kilmister's car late on the Friday night. Outside of court, Ms Gwynne's brother gave a touching statement about his late sister. He said: 'My sister was a really devoted mum. She absolutely loved her family, husband and her boys. 'She invested every moment of her life into supporting them and making them to be amazing young men.' Ms Gwynne's brother (pictured, left) gave a touching statement about his late sister outside court. 'My sister was a really devoted mum. She absolutely loved her family, husband and her boys,' he said Paul Kilmister's mother said: 'You couldn't get a more loving couple. Family was just all it is.' Friends of the family have taken to social media to pay tribute to the mother and her son. 'We are so deeply sorry for your loss and are thinking of you all,' one woman said. A classmate of Harrison said: 'You'll be greatly missed at school Harrison! Thinking of you Felix buddy during this time and covering you and your family in prayer.' Ms Gwynne's eldest son, Felix, 14, was not in the car during the crash. A Go Fund Me page has raised more than $27,000 for the family. Kiernan (pictured) was well known in the international kayaking community A treacherous river in Nepal has claimed the life of Australian kayaker, Adrian Kiernan, 31. Mr Kiernan, from Tasmania, was kayaking on the Humla Karnali River in Nepal's Himalayan region, on November 15, when conditions turned dangerous. Louis Bissonette, Mr Kiernan's kayaking companion, wrote on Facebook: 'We were all having the time of our life until the river drastically decided to put an end to it'. The Humla Karnali, at 240 kilometres long, has long stretches of white water and is well-known for its difficulty. According to ABC News the 'exact circumstances of Kiernan's death are not known at this stage'. Adrian Kiernan, pictured with his girlfriend, Cory Flear (right), was described by friends as a man who 'lived life to the fullest' Adrian Kiernan (pictured) died kayaking the dangerous white water rapids of Humla Karnali in Nepal ABC News has also reported that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said it was 'providing consular assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, to the family and friends of an Australian man who died in Nepal'. The death of Kiernan, who owned Tasmanian adventure tour company, Franklin River Rafting, has shocked the worldwide kayaking community, many of whom took to Facebook to express their condolences. Jakub Sedivy wrote: 'Dude, you had been such an inspiration to many' and described Kiernan as 'Always fun, always motivated'. Bissonette wrote: 'We will remember you as a humble and dedicated human being. A man who lived life to the fullest'. According to Tasmania's The Mercury, Kiernan, had travelled the world pursuing his passion, and had kayaked in numerous countries including Russia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. A heavily-tattooed man is on the run from police, though they suspect some of his ink may give him away. Reuben Riddell's mugshot was posted on social media on Monday after a warrant for his arrest was issued by New Zealand's Northland Police Department. He is accused of breaching his bail conditions. But officers said the 28-year-old will not be able to dodge police for long. A heavily-tattooed man (pictured) is on the run from New Zealand Police after breaching bail conditions One defining feature could make him easily noticeable to the public - thick black tattoos across his mouth and neck. A tattoo that reads 'blood' stretches from Riddell's chin to his nostrils. Under that, a demonic clown is tattooed on his throat, with a teardrop and star tagged next to his right eye and a musical note next to his left. Even more tattoos can be seen under the grey hooded jumper Riddell wore for his mugshot. Police say the 28-year-old breached court release conditions and are concerned he'll link up with connections in Auckland. Reuben Riddell (pictured) was clean-shaved an unmarked in this 2014 mugshot An unmarked mugshot of the man was released in 2014, showing a clean-shaven Riddell posing for a camera. Back then, the 24-year-old had escaped custody from the Waitakere District Court after being remanded on burglary charges. Police at the time considered him dangerous and urged the public not to approach him. A Melbourne man living in Vietnam posted a chilling message on social media that he might be 'leaving in a body bag', just months before he died of a drug overdose. The body of Luke Benjamin Brudenell Dowse, 42, was found by local authorities in the Billabong Hostel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 14. Cambodian authorities also found a syringe next to his body and concluded he died after 'excessive drug use' caused him to have a cardiac arrest. Melbourne man Luke Benjamin Brudenell Dowse, 42, posted a chilling message on social media that he might be 'leaving in a body bag', just months before he died of a drug overdose in Cambodia They also recovered his emergency passport, a Commonwealth Bank ATM card, a handbag, a backpack, some clothes and a range of different currency from Thailand, the UK, the US, Vietnam and Laos. After a physical examination, Mr Dowse's body was taken to a local Russian hospital to be stored. Mr Dowse is originally from Wandong, Victoria, but had been living in Vientiane, Laos. Mr Dowse's body was found by local authorities in the Billabong Hostel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 14 Cambodian authorities found a syringe next to Mr Dowse's (pictured, left) body and concluded he died after 'excessive drug use' caused him to have a cardiac arrest He posted a rambling Facebook status on August 16 this year mentioning Hope Rehab, which may have been referring to the rehabilitation centre in Southern Thailand. 'Why have Hope rehab censored my recommendation post. Of course I recommend them. NEXT,' he wrote. 'Join me. I predict I'll be leaving in handcuffs a body bag...or here's HOPING HAPPY.' Earlier in July, Mr Dowse posted an equally incoherent message about his upcoming trip to Cambodia, saying 'Cambodia can be very rewarding if you go for the right reason'. Other posts on Mr Dowse's Facebook timeline indicate that he has a daughter although this is unconfirmed. They also recovered his emergency passport, a Commonwealth Bank ATM card, a handbag, a backpack, some clothes and a range of different currency from Thailand, the UK, the US, Vietnam and Laos A couple has miraculously survived after their light airplane crashed into the outback on Monday. Emergency services were called to Menindee, in far west New South Wales, at 8.30am following reports a light aircraft had crashed. A man and woman, both aged 45, were treated at the scene. The light airplane (pictured) after it crashed in Menindee on Monday morning - miraculously the couple on board survived The light airplane (pictured) following the incident in Menindee - both travellers on board miraculously survived They were then transported to a nearby hospital in a serious but stable condition. Officers from Barrier Police District attended the scene and commenced an investigation. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau were also notified of the incident. A brutal bar fight has left a man with a severe slash on his hand and a woman with stab wounds to her arms and legs. Emergency services were called to the bar on Macquarie Street, in Liverpool, NSW, just after 1.30am on Sunday, November 11. On Monday, police have released CCTV footage of four women they believe can help with the investigation. On Monday, police have released CCTV footage (pictured) of four women they believe can help with the investigation Emergency services were called to the bar on Macquarie Street, in Liverpool, NSW, just after 1.30am on Sunday, November 11 During the fight, a 24-year-old woman's arms and legs were slashed and stabbed. A 30-year-old man suffered severe cut to a finger on his right his hand. They were both taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment. Officers from Liverpool Police Area Command attended and spoke with a number of witnesses. Anyone who recognises the people from the CCTV footage has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers. A man in Pennsylvania is facing charges after he allegedly caused a puppy to die by stomping on its head and later punched an officer in the face. Richard Jukes Jr, 25, was arrested Tuesday night after officers with the Altoona Police Department responded to a call concerning an injured animal at his home. When officers arrived, they found a one and a half month old chihuahua puppy 'with a severe head injury inside the residence', officials with the police department wrote on Facebook. Richard Jukes Jr (above) stomped on a puppy's head and caused it to die before punching an officer in the face when quizzed about the incident Stacey Friday (left) and Stephanie Obssuth (right) were arrested and charged with three counts each of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and nine counts of animal cruelty 'It was later discovered that Jukes Jr stomped on the puppys head causing severe trauma and ultimately killing the dog,' the department explained. When officers attempted to ask Jukes Jr about the alleged incident, he then punched an Altoona Police Department officer in the face. The Chihuahua puppy named Popcorn that was wrapped in a hooded sweatshirt and severely injured when police arrived. After it was taken for emergency veterinarian care, police discovered the puppy, which died Wednesday, was so infested with fleas that its gums were white from blood loss. Police said fleas were 'swarming' all over the puppys body, face and snout. They said because of the circumstances behind the dogs injury, a city detective was called in to investigate. The Pennsylvania man has since been charged with 'Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Obstruction of Justice, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Disorderly Conduct'. When officers attempted to ask Jukes Jr (pictured) about the alleged incident, he then punched an Altoona Police Department officer in the face He is being held at the Blair County Prison on a $75,000 cash bail. Two women at the house were also arrested and charged, according to officials. Stacy Frida, 28, and Stephanie Obssuth, 30, have been charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and nine counts of animal cruelty. Eight other animals, three dogs and five cats, were found at the home before they were removed by the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society. The child welfare charges relate to the three children all under the age of 10 who were found living in the 'flea-infested residence' as well, officials said. While police were at the home, one of the children allegedly walked up to Altoona police Detective corporal Terry Merritts and said: We have a lot of fleas in here. They crawl all over me, and sometimes they bite. Eight other animals, three dogs and five cats, were found at the home before they were removed by the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society Police shared a Facebook post on the distressing case and described the house as 'flea infested' Police said Friday immediately yelled at the child and told the 9-year-old to shut up, Altoona Mirror reported. Friday then ordered the 9-year-old and 4-year-old to: 'Keep (their) f*****g mouths shut while the cops are here', Merritts noted in the charges. Merritts pointed out that the childrens statements were not necessary as the deplorable living conditions and the poor physical conditions of the animals spoke for themselves. Friday remains in jail in lieu of 10 percent of $40,000 while Obssuth is free on a unsecured $30,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 28 at Central Court. Advertisement Californians who are still recovering from the devastating wildfires must now brace for the possibility of mudslides. With heavy rain forecast on Wednesday in Los Angeles, experts are already warning that rockslides and mudslides are a possibility. Rain is also forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 20 mph (32 kph) sustained winds and 40 mph (64 kph) gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. It could also hamper efforts to find some of the hundreds of people who remain missing since the Woolsey fire and Camp fire took hold two weeks ago. There are now 80 confirmed deaths and the names of 1,000 people remain on a missing list from the wildfires. Authorities have urged caution with reporting the number of missing, however. Many people whose names are still on the list have been found safe and well. With the rain scheduled, search teams sped up their efforts to find those less fortunate in the debris over the weekend. Rescue teams comb the debris of the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, to find any victims. The search for the hundreds of people who are still missing is ongoing Rain and wind is due to batter the state on Wednesday, making it impossible for search teams to continue their efforts The NWS is warning against the possibility of rockslides and mudslides Up to 400 people fanned out Sunday to search the ash and rubble where homes once stood before flames roared through the Sierra foothills town of Paradise and surrounding communities, killing at least 77 people in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. Wearing white coveralls, hard hats and masks, teams of volunteers and search and rescue crews poked through the smoky debris for fragments of bone before rains can wash them away or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste. The so-called Camp Fire has destroyed more than 10,500 homes. A team of 10 volunteers, accompanied by a cadaver dog, went from house to house in the charred landscape. They scrutinized the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange '0'' near the house and moved on. Robert Panak, a volunteer on a team from Napa County, said he tried to picture the house before it burned and think where people might have hidden. His morning search was fruitless, but he wasn't deterred. 'I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure,' Panak said. A volunteer member of an El Dorado County search and rescue team photographs the orange spray paint that marks the ruins of a home to show that no human remains were found at the location in Paradise, California, on Sunday Sheriff's deputies recover the bodies of Camp fire victims at the Holly Hills Mobile Estates residence in Paradise on November 14 Sheriff Kory Honea said it was within the 'realm of possibility' that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze. He also questioned whether the search for remains could be completed by midweek when rain is forecast. 'As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don't know if that's possible,' Honea said. About 1,000 names remain on a list of people unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of San Francisco, authorities said. Authorities don't believe all those on the list are missing and the roster dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they weren't missing. On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, 'We will rise from the ashes.' People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first firefighters, rescuers and search teams: 'We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now.' Paul Stavish, who retired three months ago from a Silicon Valley computer job and moved to Paradise, placed a battery-powered votive candle on the altar as a woman played piano and sang 'Amazing Grace.' Volunteer members of an El Dorado County search and rescue team search the ruins of a home, looking for human remains, in Paradise, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, following a Northern California wildfire. (AP Photo/Sudhin Thanawala) President Donald Trump, from left, FEMA Administrator Brock Long, California Gov. Jerry Brown, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and Paradise Mayor Jody Jones tour the Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park during Trump's visit of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 Stavish, his wife and three dogs managed to escape the fire, but the house is gone. He said he was thinking of the dead and also mourning the warm, tight-knit community. 'This is not just a few houses getting burned,' he said. 'The whole town is gone.' Hundreds of search and recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes where they received tips that someone might have died. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, 'door-to-door' and 'car-to-car' search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, who is helping oversee the search and rescue effort. The search area is huge, Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked. The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and- rescue personnel, he said. 'Here we're looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic in how we do your searches,' he said Friday. The death count only grew by one Sunday and firefighters managed to expand containment to 65 percent of the 234 square mile (606 sq. kilometers) burn zone. Advertisement Dozens of volunteers are continuing to search for remains through the rubble and ash that now make up the city of Paradise, which was completely wiped out by California's devastating Camp Fire. The death toll for the Camp Fire now stands at 77, with nearly 1,300 people still on the missing list. The blaze is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California's history, and its fourth-deadliest natural disaster. Volunteers are working hard to finish their search before upcoming showers. While the predicted downpours could help tamp down blazes, they may also wash away telltale fragments of bone, or turn loose, dry ash into a thick paste that would frustrate and complicate the search. A team of 10 volunteers went from burned house to burned house Sunday in the devastated town of Paradise, accompanied by a cadaver dog with a bell on its collar that jingled in the grim landscape. Dozens of volunteers are continuing to search for remains through the rubble and ash that now make up the city of Paradise, which was completely wiped out by California's devastating Camp Fire. Paradise is seen here on Thursday The death toll for the Camp Fire now stands at 77, with nearly 1,300 people remaining on the missing list. The blaze is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California's history, and its fourth-deadliest natural disaster Volunteers are working hard to finish their search before upcoming showers, which could complicate their efforts even while helping fight the flames Paradise could receive up to 5 inches of rain this week, and the Bay Area will see around 1 to 2 inches. The two storms, expected to hit Tuesday and Friday, will drastically improve air quality in cities where residents have been forced to wear masks or avoid going outside all together. Air quality in the Bay Area has been classified as unhealthy to very unhealthy, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency's air quality index. The air has been so bad that classes were shut at UC Berkeley and UC Davis. But expected winds will help push out the smoke and bring fresh rainfall on Tuesday. 'It won't be an instantaneous clearing, but it will gradually clear as the winds pick up,' National Weather Service meteorologist Steven Anderson told the San Francisco Chronicle. Arecovery dog searches for human remains in Paradise on Friday. Dozens of bodies have been recovered in the city so far A sheriff's deputy looks for human remains at a home burned in the Camp fire in Magalia, near Paradise, on Thursday Sheriff's deputies recover the bodies of multiple Camp fire victims at the Holly Hills Mobile Estates residence in Paradise 'By Wednesday, when the main rain comes through, any remaining particulates in the air should be gone by then.' But the wind gusts, which could reach 40 mph, may also make it hard for fire crews to fight against the flames. The showers will also ground aircraft that have been aiding efforts. Cal Fire officials also worry that the rain could cause mudslides. The Camp Fire has destroyed 10,500 homes and torn through 150,000 acres - about the size of Chicago - since it first ignited more than a week ago. About 15,500 structures are still threatened by the blaze, which is only 65 percent contained. Up to 400 people are currently involved in the overall search and recover effort. Over the weekend they could be seen scrutinizing Paradise's rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris. Kimberly Spainhower hugs her daughter Chloe, 13, while her husband Ryan Spainhower searches through the ashes of their burned home in Paradise on Saturday Sen Kamala Harris meets with first responders and firefighters while surveying the damage at Paradise on Sunday A sheriff deputy holds a box of bone fragments that were found at a home destroyed by the Camp Fire on Friday They focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange '0' near the house. Sheriff Kory Honea pleaded with evacuees to review the list of those reported as unreachable by family and friends and to call the department if those people are known to be safe. Deputies have located hundreds of people to date, but the overall number keeps growing because they are adding more names, including those from the chaotic early hours of the disaster, Honea said. 'As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don't know if that's possible,' he said. Honea said it was within the 'realm of possibility' that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze. Hundreds of search and recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes when they receive tips that someone might have died there. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, 'door-to-door' and 'car-to-car' search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, who is helping oversee the search and rescue effort. Mourners pray during a vigil for Camp Fire victims that was held on Sunday in Chico, California. Around half of those at the vigil had lost their home Paradise Town Manager Lauren Gill cries during a vigil for Camp Fire victims on Sunday at the First Christian Church of Chico The search area is huge, Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked. The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and- rescue personnel. 'Here we're looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic in how we do your searches,' he said. The remains of five more people were found Saturday, including four in Paradise and one in nearby Concow, bringing the number of dead to 77. Among them was Lolene Rios, 56, had relocated to Paradise with her husband Rick, 69, after they lost their home to another fire in Concow in the 1990s. The retired couple, like many in the town, only found out about the blaze when it was too late. Rick went on the roof of the couple's home when he saw their neighbor's house on fire, hoping he could still save their house by taking out any spot fires. Rios went to the basement as she began gathering the family's dogs. In moments, the house was up in flames. Rick was rescued by firefighters who pulled him off the roof. He is now recovering in the hospital with severe burns on his hands and face. Mourners carry electronic candles during a vigil for Camp Fire victims on at the First Christian Church of Chico Gov-elect Gavin Newsom, FEMA Director Brock Long, President Donald Trump, Paradise mayor Jody Jones and Gov Jerry Brown tour the Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park, during Trump's visit of the Camp Fire in Paradise on Saturday 'My dad is in a lot of pain,' Maria Rios said. 'He keeps saying, "I have no skin, no skin". As soon as he heard my voice, he broke down. He kept saying, "Everything is gone. Everything is gone."' President Donald Trump toured Paradise on Saturday, joined by California's outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats who have traded sharp barbs with the Republican administration. Trump also visited Southern California, where firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that tore through communities west of Los Angeles from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. 'We've never seen anything like this in California, we've never seen anything like this yet. It's like total devastation,' Trump said as he stood amid the ruins of Paradise - which he twice incorrectly called 'Pleasure' - and pledged the full support of the federal government. Soon after the fire began, Trump received widespread criticism after he blamed state officials for poor forest management and threatened to cut off federal funding. Arianne Harvey holds her dog TJ near a truck still on fire from the Camp Fire in Paradise last week. Harvey was living in an RV near where her family's home was destroyed by the fire Honea expressed hope that Trump's visit would help with recovery, saying the tour by the Republican president and California's Democratic leaders 'signals a spirit of cooperation here that ultimately benefit this community and get us on a path toward recovery'. On Sunday afternoon, around 100 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read 'We will rise from the ashes'. People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first responders: 'We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now.' At one point, congregants were asked to stand if they had lost their homes. Half of the people inside the church stood up. An elderly man has died after he was hit by a truck on the way to buy his newborn granddaughter a gift. The man, believed to be in his 80s, was attempting to cross a busy road in Granville, Sydney's west, when the accident occurred at about 11.15am on Monday morning. The truck was travelling on Woodville Road, near the intersection of William Street. An elderly man has died after he was hit by a truck on the way to buy his newborn granddaughter a gift Neighbours said the grandfather was on his way to Westfield Paramatta when he attempted to cross the busy road to reach the bus stop near his house, the Daily Telegraph reported. A woman, who did not wish to share her name, said she saw the elderly man's daughter-in-law being restrained while she screeched. 'They were saying ''he's gone, he's gone'',' she said. Resident Umah Pathmanathan said: 'It's such a tragedy. So sad to see him go and in front of his family.' Another neighbour Robin Pollack said the man was frail but still able to get around on his own. 'I saw him a week ago shuffle across the road to catch my bus,' she said. The man, believed to be in his 80s, was attempting to cross a busy road in Granville, Sydney's west, when the accident occurred at about 11.15am on Monday morning Neighbours said the grandfather was on his way to Westfield Paramatta when he attempted to cross the busy road to reach the bus stop near his house The driver of the truck stopped after the crash and spoke with police at the scene. Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash and urge anyone with information or dash cam footage of the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. It is understood police are following an enquiry of self-harm. For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14. Rugby league star Jarryd Hayne has been arrested over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman on Grand Final night. The 30-year-old turned himself in at Ryde Police Station in Sydney's northwest at 4pm on Monday. He was arrested by the New South Wales Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad and was interviewed by officers. Hayne allegedly met and had sex with the woman in the Hunter region after meeting her on social media. Rugby league star Jarryd Hayne (pictured) has been arrested after a woman made allegations of sexual assault against him after they'd been in touch on social media Hayne allegedly met and had sex with the woman in the Hunter region on the night of the NRL grand final after meeting on social media New South Wales Police has confirmed a 30-year-old man was arrested on Monday afternoon. 'Detectives from the child abuse and sex crimes squad arrested a 30 year old man at Ryde police station just after 4pm and no further information is available at this time,' a spokesman said. The woman claimed she and Hayne were having consensual sex but she 'withdrew her consent'. She allegedly she suffered injuries during the sexual encounter with Hayne - which required medical treatment - and has photos to back-up her story. The New South Wales Sex Crimes Squad is investigating the alleged assault, which the woman claims occurred on September 30. The woman originally made a complaint to the NRL's Integrity Unit, which referred her to police. If charged with sexual assault Hayne will face up to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty for the offence. Over the weekend, Hayne hired Salim Mehajer's former lawyer Ramy Qutami as police investigated the fresh claims. Hayne faces civil legal action in the US over claims he raped a woman during his time at the San Francisco 49ers NFL team in 2015. Police declined to charge Hayne after investigating the allegations, and the woman lodged a civil suit. Just after 4pm on Monday, the 30-year-old turned himself in at Ryde Police Station in Sydney's northwest and was arrested WHO IS JARRYD HAYNE? The 30-year-old father of one grew up in housing commission at Minto in Sydney's south-west. Jarryd Hayne is a professional rugby league footballer who most recently played for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL. Hayne made his NRL debut with the Parramatta Eels at 18 years of age. He has also played American football, running out of the San Francisco 49ers in late 2015, and rugby union sevens at the highest levels. Advertisement He is yet to comment on the latest unsubstantiated sexual assault allegations, and his family on the NSW Central Coast told 9 News 'there'll be no comment'. Hayne's manager Wayne Beavis and former Parramatta Eels teammates have not spoken to him since news of the allegations first broke on Thursday night. Hayne, a two-time Dally M Medallist, is one of the biggest names in the NRL and had a magical run to help the Eels to the 2009 grand final. He has played 11 Tests for Australia, 23 State of Origins for NSW and scored 121 tries in 214 NRL games. He also created headlines when he left the Eels to play in the NFL, running out for the San Francisco 49ers in late 2015. Advertisement Thousands of people have been urged to evacuate after an increased eruption of Guatemala's 12,300ft 'Volcano of Fire'. Dramatic pictures show glowing lava spewing from the summit of the volcano, located among the departments of Escuintla, Chimaltenango and Sacatepequez in the south-central part of the country. Disaster coordination authorities have asked ten communities to evacuate and go to safe areas. This morning, David de Leon, spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, said monitoring of the volcano's activity yesterday showed the intensity of the eruption was being maintained. It comes just months after a previous eruption of the 'Volcan de Fuego' killed 194 people and left 234 missing. Thousands have been urged to evacuate after an increased eruption of Guatemala's 12,300ft 'Volcano of Fire'. Images captured overnight show huge amounts of lava and ash spewing out Dramatic pictures show lava spewing from the volcano, located among the departments of Escuintla, Chimaltenango and Sacatepequez in the south-central part of the country The Volcan de Fuego, which translates to 'volcano of fire', is known to be one of Central America's most active. Ash was seen billowing from its summit last week (pictured) However, aid groups helping badly hit areas insist the true number of those still unaccounted for after the disaster in June runs in to the thousands. At the time, searing flows of lava, ash and rock mixed with water and debris gushed down the volcano's flanks, blocking roads and burning homes. Fast-moving pyroclastic flows overtook people in homes and streets with temperatures reaching as high as 700C (1,300F), and hot ash and volcanic gases that can cause rapid asphyxiation. The volcano, one of the most active in Central America, spewed more ash and lava in October, prompting warnings for nearby communities. Fuego has been erupting since 2002, and was continuously active in 2017. The volcano, one of the most active in Central America, spewed more ash and lava in October, prompting warnings for nearby communities. It is pictured overnight as lava spewed form the summit sparking safety fears for those living nearby The Volcan de Fuego, or Volcano of Fire, spews hot molten lava from its crater in Antigua, Guatemala, early on Monday Explosion: The 12,300ft Volcan de Fuego has been erupting since 2002, and was continuously active in 2017 Spectacular photographs show the eruption overnight at Guatemala's Volcano of Fire. Officials are warning thousands to flee from surrounding areas Long lens cameras were used to capture these images from Alotenango, a municipality in Sacatepequez department, southwest of Guatemala City Soldiers are beginning to install concertina wire and fencing along a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas as Donald Trump prepares for the migrant 'invasion' from Central America. Around 100 or so American troops from the 19th Engineer Battalion, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky have started to work on the fence for three days. The soldiers are in Laredo, a busy border town overlooking a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas, carrying out controversial orders from President Donald Trump. He sent about 5,800 troops to the border to forestall the arrival of large groups of Central American migrants traveling through Mexico and towards the US. Soldiers are beginning to install concertina wire and fencing along a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas as Donald Trump prepares for the migrant 'invasion' from Central America Soldiers (pictured) unloading a truck full of barbed and concertina-wire work to be deployed in a public park in Laredo, Texas This move was decried by critics as a costly political stunt to galvanize supporters ahead of midterm elections earlier this month. Before the election Trump called the matter a national emergency and warned that so-called migrant caravans were an 'invasion' with 'some very bad thugs and gang members'. So far at least, the most visible aspect of Trump's deployment is the fence, a visible deterrent and physical obstacle to migrants, designed to corral would-be asylum seekers towards organized points of entry into the US. Over the weekend, Lieutenant Alan Koepnick's platoon could be seen stringing concertina wire, which is built to snag clothing, along one edge of a quiet riverside park near downtown Laredo. As families walked dogs, grilled sausages and relaxed, the soldiers mounted the wire, occasionally ripping their camouflaged uniforms on its metal barbs. Koepnick said some Laredo residents had voiced disquiet about the fencing and the presence of US troops. 'But there's also been a lot of support, people coming in, vets shaking our hands, bringing us cakes, water, things like that,' Koepnick told AFP. About 100 yards (meters) behind him, a group of people on the Mexican side of the river could be seen standing on the bank. The soldiers are in Laredo carrying out controversial orders from President Donald Trump A tractor shovels dirt as US authorities fill the Tijuana River with mounds and concertina wire, at the border line between Mexico and the United States US authorities fill the Tijuana River with sand mounds and concertina wire, at the border line between Mexico and the United States 'You'll see people across the river cursing at us in Spanish, throwing bottles at us. But on this side it's more positive,' Koepnick said. He and his soldiers were unarmed, but a group of armed military police officers stood by to provide 'force protection'. Under US law, the military is not allowed to conduct domestic law enforcement in most cases, so soldiers here will not have any direct interactions with migrants. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (left) has hit back at critics who say the Pentagon should not be doing Trump's (right) political bidding, saying 'we don't do stunts' Trump created a media whirlwind by sounding the alarm about the migrant caravans before the November 6 elections. He has mainly stopped raising it since, though last week he praised the military's work. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has hit back at critics who say the Pentagon should not be doing Trump's political bidding, saying 'we don't do stunts.' He visited troops on the border last week and reiterated that their job in the short term was to assist under-resourced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and put up physical obstacles. But 'longer term, it's somewhat to be determined,' he said. Demonstrators clash during a protest against migrants from Central America in Tijuana, Mexico today Riot police hold their shields during a protest against migrants who are part of a caravan of thousands traveling en route to the United States After some rank-and-file troops grumbled about the purpose of the mission to US media last week, they are now under strict instructions not to voice personal opinions to the press. Several soldiers AFP spoke to said their time on the border provided valuable real-world training, albeit without the risks of combat. 'We have a very large group of brand-new soldiers and it's really good for them," Corporal Samuel Fletcher said, citing a chance for the green troops "to do real work and put their skills to use'. A casual crook didn't even bother to put on shoes before carrying out a raid on a jewellery store in Melbourne. CCTV footage shows two thieves, one wearing fluffy slippers and pyjamas, smash their way into Jafari Jewellery store at 2.30am on Monday. The pair made off a haul of expensive earrings and pearl necklaces. Investigators said the thieves fled south along Burke Road in a dark-coloured sedan, possibly a Holden Cruze. Scroll down for video Two masked thieves, armed with a hammer and fluffy slippers, have broken into a Melbourne jewellery story, making off with a haul of earrings and pearl necklaces One man wearing a white hoodie, grey cap, black pants with a white Adidas logo down one side (pictured), is believed to be able to assist with police enquiries Police are searching for a man who was wearing a white hoodie, grey cap, black pants with a white Adidas logo down one side. He was also wearing black runners and a white mask covering his face. Officers have also released a partial image of a vehicle and the second suspect, believed to be a female, who was wearing white fluffy slippers and checked pants. One of the offenders is seen in the footage pulling black sheets off display cabinets. It's the second burglary for the store this year, with a huge amount of jewellery stolen during a raid on May 18, theHerald Sun reported. No charges have been laid over the May robbery. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The thieves used a hammer to smash their way into the Jafari Jewellery store in Malvern East about 2.30am on Monday, fleeing with a large quantity of jewellery Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman allegedly paid the former president of Mexico at least $6million in hush money, a former accountant from his cartel has claimed. Jesus Zambada is expected to reveal this week during Guzman's Brooklyn trial that former President Enrique Pena Nieto accepted millions from the notorious drug lord. The former Sinaloa Cartel accountant said one of his activities was to 'corrupt authorities', and the country's very own president was no different. Nieto has denied taking the bribes, according to the New York Post. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman allegedly paid the former president of Mexico at least $6million in hush money, a former accountant from his cartel has claimed Jesus Zambada is expected to reveal this week during Guzman's Brooklyn trial that President Enrique Pena Nieto (pictured) accepted millions from the notorious drug lord Zambada, brother of the cartel's co-head Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who remains at large, has been on the witness stand for Guzman's federal trial. On Thursday he revealed he doled out huge bribes to Mexican prosecutors, police, military, and even the International Criminal Police Organization to ensure smooth operations for the cartel. Zambada, brother of the cartel's co-head Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, has been on the witness stand for Guzman's federal trial. He is pictured here in 2008 'The bribes for officials in Mexico City were about $300,000 per month,' the 57-year-old said. He said that Guzman once directed him to give $100,000, along with a hug, to General Gilberto Toledano, who was in charge of the state of Guerrero. 'I was going to import cocaine from Colombia through the state of Guerrero...and El Chapo told me "Go and meet General Toledano, he's my friend, and give him $100,000 from me,''' Zambada recalled. Zambada also revealed how Guzman took great pleasure in the horrendous murder of one of his longtime rivals. According to Zambada, in 2005, Guzman relished in the details surrounding the 2002 killing of Ramon Arellano Felix in Mazatlan, Mexico. The Tijuana Cartel leader had been a longtime rival, so when he was killed it was said that Guzman had asserted 'that if anything had ever given him pleasure it was to have killed Ramon Arellano.' Former Sinaloa Cartel accountant Jesus Zambada claims Joaquin ' El Chapo ' Guzman (left) had crooked cops kill his long-time rival Ramon Arellano Felix (right) 'Ramon had killed many of Chapo's friends,' Zambada said, according to the New York Post. 'He was very dangerous.' Zambada claimed that his older brother allegedly had informed him of the details surrounding the killing. Zambada (pictured) claimed his brother - Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada - told him that Guzman had crooked cops shoot the man in the neck Attempts on Arellano's life were said to have dated back to 1992. At the time, hitmen shot up a popular nightclub in Puerto Vallarta in an effort to kill him and his brother, Benjamin Arellano Felix. Arellano was said to have been hit in the gang war shootout and it was reported that he died in his car. But according to Zambada, Guzman had the man surrounded by crooked cops and the man was shot while he tried to run to a hotel for safety. 'They had him stopped with the police, but he didn't stop, he tried to get away,' he added. 'They shot him, they put a bullet in his neck. He fell down dead.' It wasn't exactly clear if Arellano was killed by crooked cops or by a hitmen as a Spanish translator was used in the case. Zambada had also admitted to driving Guzman to a Mexico City safe house after his boss busted out of prison in 2001. During that trip, they had a paid police escort. On Wednesday, Zambada had identified Guzman in the courtroom and told jurors he 'was one of the most powerful drug traffickers in Mexico.' Zambada had also admitted to driving Chapo to a Mexico City safe house after his boss busted out of prison in 2001. During that trip, they had a paid police escort (a sketch of Guzman in court on Tuesday) The witness described how the cartel made massive profits by smuggling tons of cocaine into the United States. Zambada - who is still in US custody - was the first of several cooperators expected to give jurors an inside look at a cartel with a legendary lust for drugs, cash, and violence. The defense, which says Guzman is being framed, has described cooperating witnesses like Zambada as liars seeking to reduce their own sentences. Despite his diminutive stature and nickname that means 'Shorty' in Spanish, Guzman was once a larger-than-life kingpin both feared and admired in Mexico. The defense has sought to counter that reputation by portraying him as lesser figure in a drug gang. During his opening statement this week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Feels, left, gestured to Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, second from right, sitting next to his attorney Eduardo Balarezo Emma Coronel, the beauty queen wife of "El Chapo", arrives for his trial in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday On Wednesday, federal prosecutors gave jurors a video tour of a sophisticated tunnel between Mexico and an Arizona warehouse that they said was used to speed drug deliveries to America. The warehouse was just two blocks from a US Customs office in the border city of Douglas. Brought to the US almost 22 months ago, Guzman is accused of smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the United States over 25 years and faces life in prison if found guilty. His lawyers argue he has been scapegoated by Mexico's 'corrupt' government and the US Drug Enforcement Agency, and that the cartel's true chief was Ismael Zambada. This is the moment a suicide bomber ignored police warning shots at a checkpoint in Chechnya before blowing herself up. Karina Spiridonova is seen dressed in black and wearing a hijab walking alone towards armed officers in the capital, Grozny. Police say the 'radicalised woman' - revealed today as the daughter of a pro-Vladimir Putin local politician in the Urals - then detonated her suspected suicide belt. Newly released video shows the explosion which killed the 25-year-old. The blast over the weekend did not cause casualties among police at the checkpoint. Police are seeking to understand her motives and possible accomplices amid claims she may have been 'brainwashed' by ISIS-backing militants. She left a scrawled message to Allah saying 'forgive me' 21 times before killing herself. Footage captures the moment suicide bomber Karina Spiridonova ignored police warning shots at a checkpoint in Chechnya before blowing herself up Spiridonova is seen dressed in black and wearing a hijab walking alone towards armed officers in the capital, Grozny. Police say the 'radicalised woman' - revealed today as the daughter of a pro-Vladimir Putin local politician in the Urals - then detonated her suspected suicide belt Newly released video shows the explosion which killed the 25-year-old. The blast over the weekend did not cause casualties among police at the checkpoint Pictures showed her mutilated body at the scene of the explosion. 'Seeing her strange behaviour, officers on duty told her to stop and show her ID,' said Chechen acting interior minister Alti Alaudinov. 'Instead of meeting the demand, the woman ran towards the checkpoint.' Footage appears to show her walking not running, giving police marksmen time to get in position. It is unclear how many shots were fired by police before she 'detonated her suicide belt'. 'The police officers noticed her wearing a suicide belt and at that moment they fired a warning shot,' he said. 'The young woman blew herself up.' Spiridonova (pictured) once wore short dresses and enjoyed parties. She wanted to be a teacher but became strongly religious after coming under the influence of a radical imam - also meeting a mysterious man who she married two years ago, say reports She left a scrawled message (pictured) to Allah saying 'forgive me' 21 times before killing herself Earlier Spiridonova had been a talented volleyball player whose mother Elena Yumanova, 44, is a PE teacher and activist in pro-Putin United Russia party Earlier Spiridonova had been a talented volleyball player whose mother Elena Yumanova, 44, is a PE teacher and activist in pro-Putin United Russia party. Spiridonova once wore short dresses and enjoyed parties. She wanted to be a teacher but became strongly religious after coming under the influence of a radical imam - also meeting a mysterious man who she married two years ago, say reports. She moved away from her home region which is 1,500 miles north east of where she died in the apparent terrorist attack. Sergey Grinin, the chairman of pro-government Civil Security organisation warned that ISIS recruiters are preying on 'immature' young people 'who can be zombified and whose life instincts are manipulated'. It is likely someone was 'orchestrating Karina's actions', he said. 'All suicide bombers are being followed and watched. Even if they decide to give up, somebody will push the button for them.' A law enforcement official said Russia was seeking 'possible organisers and accomplices as well as the circumstances behind the incident'. Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim region ravaged by two wars since the fall of the Soviet Union. Strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov - backed by Putin - claims to have restored order in the oil-rich Trans-Caucasus territory. A young Indigenous activist who admitted to assaulting four police officers over a period of a few months has claimed she's the victim of ' colonial oppression'. Leilani Clarke has been arrested in the last 12 months for assaulting police, kneeing a police officer in the groin, and spitting at police and paramedics. The 20-year-old spoke to KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O on October 23, and said her court appearances were nothing more than 'colonial propaganda.' A young Indigenous activist who admitted to assaulting four police officers over a period of a few months has claimed she's the victim of oppression Leilani Clarke walked free from Downing Centre Local Court earlier this month without so much as a conviction after her fourth offence of assaulting police this year She also admitted she could not recall details of the offending because she had been drinking alcohol. Clarke, who was given a good behaviour bond on November 2, told the radio hosts that 'definitely alcohol doesn't benefit me' and said she had changed and grown up. She also said she was seeing a psychiatrist and taking 'anti-psyhco' drugs. Aboriginal kids are going to be taken off their parents again. Adoption parents, the majority are white, she told Kyle and Jackie. When Kyle Sandilands questioned her about the topic of Australia Day, Clarke replied 'What does Australia Day even mean?' 'If it holds some significance to Australian society, that is colonial postmodernism. I don't even call myself Australian.' Clarke's most recent run-in with police occurred when was caught stealing a butter chicken curry from a 7-Eleven store in Marrickville, Sydney's inner west, on June 26. Clarke faced court over her charges on November 2nd and plead guilty to assaulting a police officer for the fourth time this year. In another instance Clarke (pictured) spat at another police officer and assaulted a paramedic who had been trying to take her to hospital Talking to KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O, the 20-year-old admitted that she doesn't recall most of her offending due to alcohol (pictured together) The environmentalist walked free following the assault, with the magistrate describing her as a 'wonderful' young person with a bright future. The 20-year-old was put on a 10-month good behaviour bond without a recorded conviction. Clarke explained that on the night of the incident, both her and her cousin had been drinking before entering the 7-Eleven store. 'I actually de-escalated that situation, but my cousin punched the store owner after supposedly we were trying to steal butter chicken,' Clarke said. When police arrived to the store and arrested the pair, Clarke said an officer 'unnecessarily' took her away from her group and into an alleyway. She said she had to remove her jewellery before getting into the police car, but the officer forcefully took it off her. 'He was clearly trying to antagonise me and stuff and I'm asking him politely to get out of my face and stuff and I must've just snapped in the moment. And I will admit that I did revert to aggressiveness,' the young environmentalist said. In another run-in with the law in March, Clarke spat at a police officer and assaulted a paramedic who had been trying to take her to hospital. Clarke (pictured) was caught stealing a chicken curry from a 7-Eleven store in Marrickville Clarke (pictured) explained that on the night of the incident, both her and her cousin had been drinking TIMELINE OF LEILANI CLARKE'S OFFENCES January 27: Clarke was arrested for spitting on security and assaulting police. She pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court and was fined $1,200. March 18: Arrested for assaulting a police officer and spitting at a paramedic. May 30: Pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting police in the execution of their duty and common assault. June 26: Clarke was arrested for kneeing a police officer in the groin. June 28: Clarke spat on a police officer after they attended a domestic disturbance. September 27: Pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer in the execution of duty and resisting arrest in the execution of duty, and was given a 12-month bond. November 2: Clarke walked free from Downing Centre Local Court on a good behaviour bond. Advertisement Prior to the ambulance arriving, the 20-year-old said she had fallen unconscious on a street after heavily drinking. She claimed she was cooperative with police when they found her, but has little recollection of what happened. When the paramedics tried to strap Clarke to the stretcher, she said she began to freak out. Police said the young woman screamed: 'F**k you white dogs. I'm smart not dumb. I got three more degrees than you'll ever have.' 'I was just drunk and I obviously have learnt my lesson, I've had a bit of alcohol education and all that stuff,' she said. Police last encountered Clarke when they attended reports of a domestic disturbance in Forest Lodge, in the city's inner-west, in the early hours of June 28. Clarke said she is aware that alcohol is a defining factor behind her actions, as well as her mental illness, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD is a psychological disorder thought to occur as a result of repetitive, prolonged trauma involving sustained abuse or abandonment. Clarke has previously claimed on her Instagram account that she suffers from 'transgenerational trauma' She has previously claimed on her Instagram account that she suffers from 'transgenerational trauma' - a theoretical condition passed down through generations of people due to the trauma affecting DNA. Despite this, the young Indigenous activist acknowledges her actions were wrong. 'I knew I did wrong,' Clarke told the KIIS FM hosts. A psychotherapist has described the heartbreaking experience of treating a transgender patient who 'regretted losing his penis'. Bob Wither says the reason he is so concerned about the increasing numbers of people being referred to clinics with gender dysphoria is one man he treated 25 years ago. He told Good Morning Britain: 'The reason why I'm so concerned is... the very first person I saw 25 years ago had been living as a woman for nine years and had fully transitioned. 'At which point she realised it had been a big mistake. Sorry I know it's breakfast television, but he'd lost his penis, it was really a deep tragedy for him. 'He was very suicidal and very depressed. He recovered, But he really wish he'd had psychoanalysis before he surgically transitioned. That's why I'm so passionate about this.' Mr Wither was on Monday morning's programme with India Willoughby, 51, a transgender journalist who claims the 'uproar' over increasing numbers of people identifying as trans is only so big because the issue is 'relatively new'. The debate came after the Mail on Sunday revealed 17 children at one single British school are in the process of changing gender. Teachers at the school claimed the majority of the youngsters are autistic, which has raised concerns about the vulnerability of children who start changing gender at a young age. Host Piers Morgan asked how it could 'possibly be right' that 17 children at one school could claim to be the wrong gender. Bob Wither was on Monday morning's Good Morning Britain with India Willoughby, 51, a transgender journalist (pictured), who claims the 'uproar' over increasing numbers of people identifying as trans is only so big because the issue is 'relatively new' Ms Willoughby, who made history as a the first transgender woman to front an all-female talk show on Loose Women, replied: 'One per cent of the world's population is trans. 'So across 10 school years that would be those 17 pupils - in that context it isn't that many. The only uproar here is that it's a relatively new thing.' She attacked Mr Wither's example of his patient that regretted transitioning by saying: 'The case you cite, I would argue that the vast majority of people who transition are extremely happy. 'We have been treating this condition extremely well for 50 years now. 'The first sex change took place before the first heart transplant - doctors understand it. Bob Wither (pictured on Good Morning Britain today) says the reason he is so concerned about the increasing numbers of people being referred to clinics with gender dysphoria is one man he treated 25 years ago 'We have something called the World Health Organisation (WHO) and they all agree, there's a consensus of opinion here. 'I have a young son and from three or four I was aware that something was wrong. We know who we are, it's not a problem.' But Mr Wither stressed society needs to prioritize child protection. He said: 'I think that get overlooked and we should have that conversation together. 'How can we best prevent people having unnecessary surgery? 'And can we agree that if anybody transitions and ends up regretting it, they have lost their fertility, their sex life is very likely to be seriously impaired...' But Ms Willoughby claimed she felt as if 'she is on trial for being trans'. She added: 'When we talk about being transgender, issues get conflated. Pictured: Good Morning Britain hosts Kate Garraway, Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (left to right) spoke to Mr Wither (far right) and Ms Willoughby (second right) this morning 'Sometimes it's a sex offender and suddenly everyone who's trans is a sex offender. 'This time it's autism - the two are not automatically linked. 'Gay people used to be treated as if they had an illness that needed treatment - this is the same thing but with autism.' One UK teacher spoke out over the weekend to say she believes some vulnerable autistic children are being 'tricked' into becoming transgender by other pupils. She claimed young girls at her school who had changed gender are grooming others to do the same. Recently a man born as a woman told his story of regret over his gender swap. Lee Harries, 60, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (pictured today left) was born Debbie Karemer (pictured as a woman right) but underwent gender reassignment surgery at the age of 44 Lee Harries, 60, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was born Debbie Karemer but underwent gender reassignment surgery at the age of 44. After years of struggling with his sexual identity, he had his breasts, uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, before doctors made a prosthetic penis for him. But years later he said: 'I'm not meant to be a bloke' and believes he is not transgender. Mr Harries, who married his partner Alan before he transitioned, has undergone counselling, where experts have told him he has PTSD as a result of being sexually assaulted by his father. A heroic school bus driver passed through a fiery 'Armageddon' landscape when he evacuated children and teachers as the Californian wildfires engulfed Paradise, in Butte County. Smoke smoke billowed through the windows as Kevin McKay, 41, tore his shirt into rags and doused them with water for the children to breathe through, on November 8. McKay as well as the teachers from Ponderosa Elementary School on board thought seriously about fleeing the vehicle, CNN reported, but he bravely drove them on to safety. Scroll down for video Kevin McKay, 41, kept his nerve as his school bus filled with smoke and he drove 22 terrified children and their teachers to safety Kevin McKay (left) sits with one of the children he saved in the harrowing bus journey Photographs taken by Mary Ludwig from inside the school bus show the chaos outside as people try to get out of town Another picture taken by the schoolteacher shows the forest ablaze adjacent to the road Teacher Mary Ludwig and bus driver Kevin McKay embrace; she said he was 'the bus driver from heaven' after he got them out of Ponderosa Elementary School Mary Ludwig, 50, told the broadcaster, 'the sky was really menacing.' 'It was very scary. It felt like Armageddon.' The bus driver told CNN, 'It just kind of looked like we'd be headed into Mordor,' like the fiery world of the evil Sauron from The Lord of the Rings. Family members had already collected many of the children from the school as the fire spread throughout northern California, but another 22 children still remained to be saved. McKay's family were already out of the area as he remained dedicated to his bus driving job, which he had only taken three months ago. Smoke was filling the lungs of the children as McKay persevered on the gridlocked roads, walled with fire. One child reported feeling unwell, CNN said, and that is when McKay started making rags with the help of teachers to allow them to breathe more safely. As they made their way, McKay instructed his passengers to grab first aid kits, to look at the emergency exits and prepare for the worst. Ludwig said he was 'the bus driver from heaven.' Kevin McKay sits with the children he saved and teacher Mary Ludwig who praised him as a hero Firefighters work to stop the flames from spreading through an apartment complex, close to the school in Paradise, California The Camp Fire continues to rage and is the deadliest in the state's history, with 76 dead and 1,200 missing. Nearly 12,000 homes and buildings, including most of the town of Paradise, were incinerated hours after the blaze erupted, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has said. Thousands of additional structures are still threatened by the Camp Hill fire, and as many as 50,000 people were under evacuation orders at the height of the blaze. But the blaze isn't over and the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the region over the weekend as high winds fanned the flames. Fire crews in the area have been bolstered to help prevent the fire from gaining traction. A mother-of-two has revealed how she saved her young child's life during a monkey attack after the primate made its way into their flat in southern Brazil. Julia Balardim, 21 months, suffered horrific bites from the howler monkey, exposing a part of her skull, and needed emergency plastic surgery following the attack last week. The howler monkey made its way into the family's flat in Curitiba, in the southern state of Parana, Brazil, by opening the balcony door - most likely on the hunt for food. Scroll down for video Attacked: Julia Balardim, 21 months, was attacked by a howler monkey in the family's home in southern Brazil, suffering horrific bites which exposed a part of her skull Julia and her older sister Luisa, seven, had been watching television in the front room while their mother Luciana, 27, was in the kitchen, when the monkey came in through the glass door and attacked. The monkey leaped on top of Julia, who was sat in a high chair, and launched a ferocious attack on the baby, biting a chunk out of her head. Mrs Balardim struggled to wrench the ape off her younger daughter as it fought back inflicting deep scratches on her arm that needed stitches. Her husband Fernando Balardim, 29, who was not at home when the incident happened, said: 'My wife fought with all her strength to get the monkey off (Julia) but he wouldn't let go and got back on top of her. 'She then grabbed hold of the creature by the fur and pulled him off. His claws scratched into her before she was able to throw him out of the window and slam the balcony doors so he couldn't get back in. Hero mother: Luciana Balardim, 27, pictured with husband Fernando, 29, and daughters Julia and Luisa, seven, pulled the monkey off her toddler daughter Breaking and entering: The howler monkey opened the balcony door and went into the flat, most likely looking for food Return of the monkey: Video footage shows the same howler monkey returning to the flat a week after it broke in and attacked the toddler 'The monkey left two deep wounds at the top of our daughter's head. 'It bit down into her skull exposing the bone underneath and left another deep scratch in her face. 'If (Luciana) hadn't acted quickly, the monkey could have killed our child,' said the traumatised dad. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: DEADLY ATTACKS BY MONKEYS IN INDIA The attack on little Julia Balardim in Brazil took place at the same time as two deadly monkey incidents in a city in India. On the same day Julia was hurt, a 12-day-old baby was snatched from his mother's arms in Agra - home to the Taj Mahal. A group of monkeys entered the victim's house and one of them snatched the baby from his mother who was breastfeeding him, and ran away with the baby, police said. The monkey bit the infant's head before being chased off by locals, and the baby bled to death before reaching hospital. The following day, a 59-year-old woman was attacked by monkeys while relieving herself in a field in Agra. She was taken to hospital but died as a result of her injuries. Advertisement Next door neighbour Rosi Raqsa who called the ambulance said: 'The screams of terror from the family were horrendous. The mum and her daughter were covered in blood with the baby's head cut open. I realised what had happened when I saw the monkey running away.' The condominium is located next to a tropical forest. Residents said the powerful ape appeared in the area two months ago and many had been worried about a possible attack. Apartment supervisor, Ed Dimas said: 'We alerted the environmental agencies when the howler monkey first appeared close to the buildings. 'We've been waiting on them to remove the animal from the area but they failed to respond to our concerns despite our warnings this could happened.' Video released on Friday, after the near-fatal attack, shows the primate returning to the scene. It circles the area, brazenly climbing along a balcony and uses its strong prehensile tail to support its body weight as it hangs from the railings. It's filmed trying to break into an apartment by prising apart protective screens and forcing open patio windows. The caretaker said all the residents are terrified another attack could happen and they are keeping young children and small pets indoors. The Environmental Institute of Parana (IAP) denied tardiness and said responsibility for tracking a wild animal in an urban environment usually rests with the local authority. In a statement it said: 'Environmental police are normally focused on the prevention and control of environmental crimes, through operations and the handling of complaints of animal abuse. 'The IAP advises, in cases where a wild animal appears close to urban dwellings and presents a risk, that residents in the buildings nearby hire a qualified professional (environmental consultant or biologist) to remove the animal.' Scene of the crime: The block of flats where the family lives is located on the edge of a tropical forest where the howler monkey had been spotted before the attack Residents said the powerful howler monkey appeared in the area two months ago and many had been worried about a possible attack According to the IAP, the appearance of wildlife in built-up areas is largely due to deforestation and the creatures returning to a habitat that was once their territory. Their presence is further exacerbated by people who feed them, causing the animals to stay in the location in search of food. Following the incident environmental officers notified residents on Saturday, that a joint operation with the local authority will start Monday to capture and relocate the howler monkey, so named because of its distinctive booming call, to another region of the forest. Until then, locals have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, not to venture close to the stretch of forest that borders the residential area and to stop feeding the creature. The attack has left the young family shaken. Mr Balardim revealed his wife and the eldest daughter are still too traumatised to return home. 'We're now trying to deal with the psychological consequences and the nightmares,' he said. 'My family are staying with relatives because they are afraid the monkey will come back. My eldest daughter saw a brown dog the other day and started screaming saying it was the monkey.' He added that Julia is recovering well but she is still under medical care after undergoing plastic surgery at the Trabalhador Hospital to repair the wound. 'She is being closely monitored because she suffered a serious bite from a wild animal. There is a whole protocol of medical care that needs to be done before she can be discharged,' he explained. This is the shocking moment a reckless driver cartwheeled his car into the side of a new police station after he struck a curb in Illinois. Footage of the crash, filmed on CCTV, captured the black Volkswagen GTI as it travelled around a corner at a 'high rate of speed.' Sam O. Kerlin, from Georgia, then appeared to lose control of his car, skidding across the tarmac before mounting a pavement. Sam O. Kerlin appeared to lose control of black Volkswagen GTI outside police station in Arlington Heights, Illinois The Volkswagen then collided with two benches and a cement wall to the side of the newly constructed Arlington Heights Police Department. It flipped onto its back before crashing into the building at high speed - sending loose paper flying into the air. Gerald Mourning, of Arlington Heights Police Department, confirmed the motorist was travelling at around 104mph when he lost control of his car on November 11. The force also said it believed Mr Kerlin, 44, was under the influence of cocaine and possibly prescription drugs during the incident. The motorist was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the crash but police confirmed his condition has since improved. The car spun across the tarmac before cartwheeling across a half-wall near the new station Police said the motorist was travelling at around 104mph at the time and was allegedly under the influence of cocaine and possibly other prescription drugs at the time He was charged with reckless driving, speeding over 35 mph above the limit, driving under the influence of drugs and improper lane usage upon his release from hospital, NBC Chicago reported. Mr Mourning said in a statement: 'None of the sources of evidence suggested the collision was a purposeful act and was, instead, clearly a result of the recklessness of the driver. 'In addition to the reckless speeds involved in the incident, impairment, by way of drugs, was also a factor to the crash. 'The investigation revealed evidence linking cocaine and, possibly, prescription drugs to the event.' The car and the building, which was in its final stages of construction, both suffered 'substantial damages' in the collision. Mr Kerlin is due to appear at court in Rolling Meadows, Illinois on January 7. Advertisement Theresa May today insisted Britain will be able to strike trade deals around the world and that the transition deal will end before the 2022 General Election and she issued a rallying cry to business to back her Brexit deal. The PM hailed her divorce agreement as a 'good' deal which would finally let the country regain control of its borders, laws and money. Facing down her mutinous MPs, she mounted another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels despite the threat of a no-confidence vote by her own backbenchers. In a well-received speech to business leaders, she said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. She said: 'The agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfills the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum. Let no one be in any doubt. I am determined to deliver it.' And she scrambled to play down Michel Barnier's proposal that the transition period could be extended by another two years to the end of 2022 - a move which would fuel Brexiteer fury. She said: 'My view is that I don't want that to come into place', adding that it was important for the UK to be out of the transition by the next general election. The defiant PM also rebuffed Brexiteer claims that her deal would stop the UK from being able to strike free trade deals with out countries - insisting the Britain would be able to. Mrs May also urged the public to listen to businesses highlighting the threat to the economy from crashing out of the bloc, saying that such firms were 'providing your jobs that ensure that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family'. Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, the premier made clear that there is no prospect of reopening the divorce talks - saying the task now was to finalise the future trade framework. The tough stance came as mutinous Tory MPs pleaded with colleagues to write letters of no-confidence to the powerful 1922 committee - amid signs they are still struggling to reach the 48 needed to force a full vote. Some politicians are thought to have been put off after sensing strong resistance in their constituency parties over the weekend. Senior Conservatives have also appealed for them to hold fire, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher. Tory ex-leader Lord Howard said that while he personally opposes the Brexit deal it should be put to Parliament. The PM went on the offensive in a speech to the CBI today (pictured) saying her Brexit deal is the best thing for the country Michael Gove (pictured leaving his London home this morning) eased the pressure on Mrs May last week by making clear he will not resign MPs in the European Research Group - which is led by Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured in Westminster today) - have joined efforts to oust Mrs May, although it is split on the issue EU foreign ministers underlined the choice facing Parliament as they arrived at a meeting in Brussels today, warning the package on the table is the 'best there is'. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the arrangements that had been painstakingly put together over nearly two years are 'fair and balanced' and the UK will be left in 'full control'. In another day of high-drama in the Brexit battle: Tory Eurosceptics say they expect a no-confidence vote to be triggered within days, as more MPs submit letters to be sent to 1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady. David Davis says he believed the figure is over 40 and could be 'teetering on the brink' of the 48 threshold needed to force a vote. Mr Davis bizarrely quoted the Spice Girls as he said Mrs May should 'stop right now'. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom and Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt are said to be still considering resigning rather than endorsing the Brexit deal - although the idea of a 'Gang of Five' ministers fighting against her appears to have receded. Business Secretary Greg Clark confirmed the transition period could be extended for up to two years in order to smooth the process of leaving the EU. But Mrs May insisted she believed it must finish in time for the next general election in May 2022. Mrs May today said the divorce arrangements have already been 'agreed in full' as she insists her settlement is a 'good one for the UK'. Addressing the CBI annual conference in London, the Prime Minister said the priority in this 'intense week of negotiations' is to 'hammer out' the framework of the future trade deal. Who has sent letters of no confidence in May? Letters of no confidence in Theresa May are confidential - but some of her strongest critics have gone public. If 48 letters are sent a vote is called. This is who has definitely sent a letter: Jacob Rees-Mogg , North East Somerset, Jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk Steve Baker , Wycombe, steve.baker.mp@parliament.uk Sheryll Murray , South East Cornwall, sheryll.murray.mp@parliament.uk Anne-Marie Morris , Newton Abbott, annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk Lee Rowley , North East Derbyshire, lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk Henry Smith , Crawley, henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk Simon Clarke , Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, simon.clarke.mp@parliament.uk Peter Bone , Wellingborough, bonep@parliament.uk James Duddridge , Rochford and Southend East, james@jamesduddridge.com Philip Davies , Shipley, daviesp@parliament.uk Andrea Jenkyns , Morley and Outwood, andrea.jenkyns.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Bridgen , North West Leicestershire, andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk Nadine Dorries , Mid Bedfordshire, dorriesn@parliament.uk Laurence Robertson , Tewkesbury, robertsonl@parliament.uk Martin Vickers , Cleethorpes, martin.vickers.mp@parliament.uk Ben Bradley , Mansfield, ben.bradley.mp@parliament.uk Adam Holloway , Gravesham, hollowaya@parliament.uk John Whittingdale , Maldon, john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk Maria Caulfield , Lewes, maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk Mark Francois , Rayleigh and Wickford, mark.francois.mp@parliament.uk David Jones , Clwyd West, david.jones@parliament.uk Marcus Fysh , Yeovil, marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk Chris Green , Bolton West, chris.green.mp@parliament.uk Zac Goldsmith , Richmond Park, zac@zacgoldsmith.com Bill Cash , Stone, cashw@parliament.uk Philip Hollobone , Kettering, philip.hollobone.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Lewer, Northampton South, andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk Crispin Blunt , Reigate, crispinbluntmp@parliament.uk Owen Paterson , Shropshire Patersono@parliament.uk Advertisement She told delegates that her agreement will create a level playing field on immigration that means EU nationals will no longer be able to 'jump the queue'. 'Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people... once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here,' she said. 'It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. 'Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. 'Not only will this deliver on the verdict of the referendum, it should lead to greater opportunity for young people in this country to access training and skilled employment.' The stark message about the options facing Parliament was underlined by EU ministers as they arrived at a Brussels meeting today. Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, said: 'Boris Johnson once said 'Britain is leaving the EU, It is not leaving Europe'. 'I think the challenge now is for these Brexit dogmatists to show whether that is true. 'I think Theresa May deserves praise for her position. 'No deal is better than a bad deal' has disappeared. 'Any deal is better than no deal' is now the slogan. That is right. 'This deal that is now on the table is the best there is. There is no better deal for this crazy Brexit.' As Conservative MPs upped their efforts to for a no-confidence vote, David Davis said he believed over 40 letters have been submitted to Sir Graham, and the numbers 'seem to be teetering close to getting over the 48'. He also said Mrs May will be the 'first person' to find out if he submits a letter. Backbencher Anne Marie Morris said there was 'no question' the threshold of 48 letters would be reached this week. She told BBC Breakfast that Mrs May 'has had one of the most difficult jobs', something she respects her for, but that the Prime Minister is 'not going to deliver Brexit'. Asked who would deliver for the country if Mrs May is removed, she added: 'There are lots of new very bright, able people in the party. 'My experience is if you name these people, it is always the kiss of death... I think it would be somebody new, somebody from the 2010 or 2015 intake. 'I don't think it will be, dare I say, one of the old guard... I believe people, the general public, want somebody new who is not in a way tainted by all the debate, and the debacle and behaviour of the last few years.' Fellow MP Simon Clarke told the BBC that colleagues needed to 'search their consciences' and write letters. 'It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks,' he said. But Tory former leader Lord Howard said although he was against the deal, a vote of confidence would be a distraction, telling the Today programme: 'I don't think that Members of Parliament should be distracted in the next few weeks by a confidence motion, or a leadership contest which might follow that. 'They should be concentrating on the document and its implications.' Mr Mitchell said the party would sustain huge damage if was seen to 'hunt down' the PM in the same way it did Thatcher in 1990. Scottish Conservative Andrew Bowie said he had found activists and members of the public were behind the PM. 'I don't get the 'Tory MPs go to their associations, they will have heard that they need to get rid of the PM and the deal'... Nothing could be further from the truth in my case!' he said. What Theresa May told the CBI about... Immigration Once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here. It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. Jobs The outline future framework agrees to the creation of a comprehensive free trade area with the EU, our biggest and nearest goods market. Zero tariffs, no fees, charges or restrictions across all goods sectors, with an ambitious customs arrangement that respects both sides legal orders... The deal proposed will work for all (businesses) and sustain the livelihoods they provide to working people across the UK. Transition period We have agreed a transition period, to avoid a cliff-edge for business and to provide the certainty you need to invest. The choice facing MPs My job is to get the best deal. Parliament must then examine it and do what is in the national interest. Advertisement 'Everyone I've spoken to, assoc Chairman, members, ordinary members of the public, supporting the PM.' Mrs May yesterday took a swipe at Tory rivals threatening to unseat her as party leader, warning that she was not 'going to be distracted' from the 'important job of making sure we do get that good final deal for this country'. She argued that a change of leadership would not make it easier to get a deal past Parliament, but would instead create economic instability and put jobs at risk. In a message to those plotting her downfall, including members of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, she said she had not considered quitting. She told Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'A change of leadership at this point isn't going to make the negotiations any easier and it isn't going to change the parliamentary arithmetic. 'What it will do is bring in a degree of uncertainty. That is uncertainty for people and their jobs. 'What it will do is mean that it is a risk that we delay the negotiations and that is a risk that Brexit gets delayed or frustrated.' Asked if she had considered stepping down, Mrs May said: 'No, I haven't. Of course it has been a tough week actually these negotiations have been tough right from the start but they were always going to get even more difficult right toward the end when we are coming to that conclusion.' She added that the next seven days 'are going to be critical', and said she would be travelling back to Brussels to talk with key figures including European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of an emergency European Council summit on Sunday. A group of five Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers Commons leader Mrs Leadsom, environment secretary Mr Gove, international development secretary Penny Mordaunt, transport secretary Chris Grayling and international trade secretary Liam Fox had been expected to gather this morning for breakfast to discuss how to push for changes to Mrs May's Brexit deal. However, the meeting is thought to have been dropped. Dr Fox wrote a supportive article in the Telegraph today urging MPs to get behind the PM. Mrs Leadsom is still on 'resignation watch' as she wrestles with whether she can support the deal. Meanwhile, Business Secretary Mr Clark has fuelled speculation that the transition period could be extended beyond the mooted end date of December 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement contains a blank date for when the implementation period could be pushed to if the UK decides to do that rather than enter the Irish border 'backstop' arrangements. How CBI delegates reacted to May's plans CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn told the event in east London: 'It is a compromise. But it is hard-won progress.' Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) national chairman Mike Cherry said: 'One in five small employers rely on staff from the EU. More than one in three say finding the right staff is currently holding back growth. 'If they're lumbered with complex paperwork and a surcharge to bring in EU staff post-Brexit, that will cause a significant drag on the billions they contribute to the economy each year.' Danny Mortimer, NHS Employers chief executive, warned the planned changes could cut off the supply of nurses. 'We know we need to increase the number of UK trained health professionals, especially nurses,' he said. Brexit-supporting businessman Roger Kendrick told Mrs May: 'Think again about the economics of the whole thing.' Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'We are encouraged to see the Prime Minister talking about the importance of maintaining frictionless trade for goods after 29 March. However, the current uncertainty is a concern for consumers and retailers alike. Advertisement Mr Barnier has suggested that the transition could finish at the end of 2022. Mr Clark said: 'It would be at our request, and that would be a maximum period. 'But it would be for this purpose; it would be if the negotiations are making good progress but haven't quite been finalised, to have the option - and it would be an option for us, if there is value in having the option - rather than going in for a temporary period into the backstop, and having a second change, to have the option, if we wanted, if the UK wanted, to extend the transition.' Karen Bradley, one of Mrs May's closest Cabinet allies, yesterday said the country faced a choice between what she termed 'the only workable deal that fulfils the will of the referendum', or 'back to square one on Brexit'. The Northern Ireland secretary added: 'Clearly, this is a deal that has involved some difficult choices at times, and an element of compromise. 'That is an unavoidable fact of negotiations and I accept not everybody is going to agree with every point of detail or choice that we have made. 'But it is fundamentally a deal which is in the national interest. It is a deal that will protect jobs, our national security and the integrity of our precious United Kingdom.' Ms Mordaunt insisted she was working for the 'best deal possible' today amid claims the Brexiteer wing of the Cabinet could still quit. The group of Leavers - that also includes Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Mrs Leadsom, Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling - are thought likely to hold talks before Cabinet tomorrow. They opted to stay in Cabinet last week insisting it was the only way to get Brexit back on track. Ms Mordaunt swerved questions about whether she was still considering her position as she left home today. She told Sky News: 'I'll be working with the whole of the Cabinet to get the best deal possible for the United Kingdom.' Mr Gove said today the 'Prime Minister is doing a very good job' and said she had his 'full support' when asked if he would resign without changes. How Brexiteers would get rid of Theresa May Brexiteers have attempted a coup against Theresa May in fury at her draft deal with the EU - but they will have to navigate Tory rules to force her out. The Prime Minister insisted she plans to 'see this through' to make clear to the rebels she will not quit voluntarily. This is how the Tory Party rules work: What is the mechanism for removing the Tory leader? Tory Party rules allow the MPs to force a vote of no confidence in their leader. How is that triggered? A vote is in the hands of the chairman of the Tory Party's backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. A vote of no confidence must be held if 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to the chairman. Currently that threshold is 48 MPs. Letters are confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public. This means only Sir Graham knows how many letters there are. This possible delay could give Mrs May a 'grace period' where she knows a contest is imminent but not yet public knowledge. How is a vote announced? There are few fixed rules but Sir Graham is likely to inform Downing Street or the Chief Whip and then make a public announcement. Sir Graham is likely to check with the MPs who have sent him a letter before making an announcement in case any of them want to withdraw. This will happen secretly. How will the vote happen? After it is announced, a vote will happen quickly, with Tory MPs invited to cast a secret ballot in a Commons committee room. Voting will be open for one day and Sir Graham will announce the result at the end. What needs to happen for Theresa May to win? Officially, Mrs May only needs to win a simple majority of Tory MPs - currently that is 158 MPs. Politically, winning by one would be devastating. If more than 100 MPs vote against her, most observers think she would be finished. What happens if she loses? Mrs May is sacked as Tory leader and Sir Graham will announce a leadership contest. She cannot stand in the contest. She will probably stay on as Prime Minister until a replacement is elected but have no political power or authority to do anything. What happens next? In a Tory leadership contest, any MP can stand with a proposer and seconder. Tory MPs vote several times a week on the candidates with the last place candidate being removed from the race at each ballot. When there are only two candidates remaining, a run off is held among all Tory members in the country. How long will it take? The first phase depends on how many candidates there are. A large field could mean a fortnight or more of regular ballots. In the past, the second round has taken anywhere from four to 12 twelve weeks - but some think a vote of Tory members could be finished in just a week. Advertisement Who could replace Theresa May? As the PM admits she will have to quit soon, these are some of the leading contenders to take over Theresa May won her Tory confidence vote after promising not to lead the party into the 2022 general election. These are some of the leading contenders to replace her: Boris Johnson - 7/2 How did they vote on Brexit? Led the Vote Leave campaign alongside Michael Gove. What is their view now? Hard line Brexiteer demanding a clean break from Brussels. The former foreign secretary is violently opposed to Theresa May's Chequers plan and a leading voice demanding a Canada-style trade deal. What are their chances? Mr Johnson's biggest challenge could be navigating the Tory leadership rules. He may be confident of winning a run-off among Tory members but must first be selected as one of the top two candidates by Conservative MPs. Now rated as favourite by the bookies, Boris Johnson's (pictured leaving parliament last night) biggest challenge will be navigating the Tory leadership rules Dominic Raab - 9/2 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave, with a second tier role campaigning for Vote Leave. What is their view now? Mr Raab was installed as Brexit Secretary to deliver the Chequers plan but sensationally resigned last month saying the deal was not good enough. What are their chances? His resignation from the Cabinet put rocket boosters under Mr Raab's chances, fuelling his popularity among the hardline Brexiteers. May struggle to overcome bigger beasts and better known figures. Newly installed as Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab (pictured on Tuesday) is trying to negotiate Theresa May's Brexit deal Sajid Javid - 5/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain but kept a low profile in the referendum. What is their view now? Pro delivering Brexit and sceptical of the soft Brexit options. What are their chances? Probably the leading candidate from inside the Cabinet after his dramatic promotion to Home Secretary. Mr Javid has set himself apart from Mrs May on a series of policies, notably immigration. Sajid Javid (pictured leaving the Houses of Parliament this evening) is probably the leading candidate from inside the Cabinet after his dramatic promotion to Home Secretary Michael Gove - 7/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave What is their view now? He has said Theresa May's Chequers blueprint for Brexit is the 'right one for now'. But he recently suggested a future prime minister could alter the UK-EU relationship if they desired. What are their chances? He came third in the first round of voting in 2016, trailing behind ultimate winner Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. Mr Gove has said it is 'extremely unlikely' that he would stand again. But he popular in the party and is seen as an ideas man and a reformer by many, and he could change his mind if Theresa May is shown the door. Michael Gove appeared to rule himself out of the race in recent days, but he ran last time and is popular among many in the party. He is pictured outside the Houses of Parliament today Jeremy Hunt - 7/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. What is their view now? The Foreign Secretary claims the EU Commission's 'arrogance' has made him a Brexiteer. What are their chances? Another top contender inside Cabinet, Mr Hunt's stock rose during his record-breaking stint at the Department of Health and won a major promotion to the Foreign Office after Mr Johnson's resignation. Widely seen as a safe pair of hands which could be an advantage if the contest comes suddenly. Jeremy Hunt's stock rose during his record-breaking stint at the Department of Health and won a major promotion to the Foreign Office after Mr Johnson's resignation David Davis - 10/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and a supporter of scrapping Mrs May's plan and pursuing a Canada-style trade deal with the EU. What are their chances? The favoured choice of many hard Brexiteers. Seen as a safer pair of hands than Mr Johnson and across the detail of the current negotiation after two years as Brexit Secretary. He could be promoted a caretaker to see through Brexit before standing down. Unlikely to be the choice of Remain supporters inside the Tory Party - and has been rejected by the Tory membership before, in the 2005 race against David Cameron. David Davis (pictured outside the Houses of Parliament today) is seen as a safer pair of hands than Mr Johnson and across the detail of the current negotiation after two years as Brexit Secretary Amber Rudd - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. Represented Britain Stronger in Europe in the TV debates. What is their view now? Strongly remain and supportive of a second referendum - particularly given a choice between that and no deal. What are their chances? Popular among Conservative MPs as the voice of Cameron-style Toryism, Ms Rudd is still seen as a contender despite resigning amid the Windrush scandal - and she was boosted further by her return to Cabinet as Work and Pensions Secretary on Friday night. She is badly hampered by having a tiny majority in her Hastings constituency and would not be able to unite the Tory party in a sudden contest over the Brexit negotiation. Popular among Conservative MPs as the voice of Cameron-style Toryism, Amber Rudd (pictured leaving parliament this evening) is still seen as a contender despite resigning amid the Windrush scandal Jacob Rees-Mogg - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and recently branded Theresa May's Brexit U-turn a 'humiliation' which has left her deal 'defeated'. What are their chances? As chair of the European Research Group (ERG) bloc of Tory Eurosceptics he has been urging MPs to replace Mrs May for weeks. Pro-Brexit supporter, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, walks through members of the media and anit-brexit demonstrators as he walks near to the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday Penny Mordaunt - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and subject of persistent rumour she could be the next to quit Cabinet over Mrs May's Brexit deal. What are their chances? Possible dark horse in the contest, Ms Mordaunt is not well known to the public but is seen as a contender in Westminster. Known to harbour deep concerns about Mrs May's Brexit deal, but has stopped short of resigning from Cabinet. Possible dark horse in the contest, Penny Mordaunt (pictured in Downing Street) is not well known to the public but is seen as a contender in Westminster Andrea Leadsom - 16/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Ms Leadsom said in late November that she was backing the withdrawal agreement struck with Brussels because it 'delivered' on the referendum result. What are their chances? Leader of the Commons since June, Andrea Leadsom found herself at the centre of controversy in the 2016 leadership campaign when comments she made were interpreted as a claim that she would be a better PM than Mrs May because she was a mother. Asked recently whether Mrs May was the right person to be leading the country, she said she is 'at the moment'. Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, arrives at Downing Street on Thursday last week Gavin Williamson - 33/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. What is their view now? Mr Williamson tweeted today: 'The Prime Minister has my full support. She works relentlessly hard for our country and is the best person to make sure we leave the EU on 29 March and continue to deliver our domestic agenda.' What are their chances? He backed Remain in the referendum and pledged his support for Mrs May in the 2016 leadership contest but has since been mentioned as a potential future Tory leader. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is a 33/1 outsider according to the best odds by bookies this evening Advertisement Families are being warned to check their washing machines as thousands of homes across the country could be at risk of catching fire. The original recall for faulty Samsung Top Loading Washing Machines was first announced in 2013, but ACCC Product Safety says there are still 16,000 machines in homes across Australia. Faulty Samsung washing machines sold between 2010 and 2013 have been the subject of repeated safety warnings since 2013 as they pose a serious fire risk. Australians are being warned to check their washing machines as thousands of homes across the country could be at risk of catching fire The original recall for faulty Samsung Top Loading Washing Machines was first announced in 2013, but ACCC Product Safety says there are still 16,000 homes at risk The problem machines are prone to overheating and catching fire, as moisture comes into contact with electrical connectors. The ACCC have urged families to check the model names, which can be found on the back of the washing machine. If consumers own one of the affected models, they are entitled to a replacement or a refund. Samsung recommend owners of the washing machine immediately stop using it and turn off the appliance at the power point. In 2015, a Western Sydney couple were victim to the faulty machine when their top loader overheated and caught fire. Faulty Samsung washing machines sold between 2010 and 2013 have been the subject of repeated safety warnings since 2013 The ABC reported Lena Connaughton and her husband checked their machine when the recall warning was issued but wasn't able to determine whether theirs was affected as they couldn't find a label. Ms Connaughton then put on a load of washing and the machine quickly caught alight and began to produce smoke. 'There was no flames, it was just like clouds and clouds of black smoke. So I closed the door, so that kind of prevented it from flames occurring,' she said. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Samsung for comment. Murderer Paris Green will be escorted from jail in Scotland to a hospital in Brighton A transgender murderer serving a life sentence will be allowed to have gender reassignment surgery on the NHS. Paris Green is set to be escorted on a 1,000-mile round-trip from jail in Scotland to a hospital in Brighton a move that has been described by prison guards as a security nightmare. The surgery and Greens two-week recovery will be under 24-hour guard costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. Green was born Peter Laing but has identified as a woman since 2011. She was jailed in 2013 for the murder helped by two accomplices of Robert Shankland, 45. The victim was tortured, sexually assaulted and battered to death after being lured to Greens flat. Prison sources last week confirmed the 27-year-old will be the first serving prisoner in Scotland to undergo the operation, which is set to go ahead within weeks. Green was born Peter Laing but has identified as a woman since 2011. Green was jailed in 2013 for the murder of Robert Shankland, 45 (right), who was tortured, sexually assaulted and battered to death after being lured to Greens flat A spokesman for the Prison Officers Association Scotland said: We dont make the rules, we dont comment on them and dont decide who goes to jail or when they get out. But one experienced officer said: Most of the people Ive discussed this matter with think its outrageous. You can murder someone brutally but while you are in prison you are entitled to everything you ask for, no matter the burden on a stretched system, because it might breach your human rights to say no. What about the rights of the victim and his family? Another said: Has anyone asked the nursing staff who will look after her if they are happy to care for a murderer? This is not a life-saving operation, it is not vital to keep Green healthy. I dont have any problem with people changing sex as long as theyre part of the wider community and havent done anyone any harm. Green was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years in jail. She began her sentence at Cornton Vale womens jail but was moved after reports that she was having sex with female prisoners in her cell. She is currently in a womens wing at HMP Edinburgh. According to NHS Scotland, male to female genital reassignment surgery is undertaken in Brighton. The surgery will be performed at Nuffield private hospital in Brighton because Scottish hospitals lack the resources to carry out gender reassignment operations. In Greens case, the NHS will meet the 20,000 cost of the operation and a stay of several days in a private room, along with the cost of further surgery if recommended. Most patients have a second operation to augment their breasts, while a procedure to shave the Adams apple is also considered fairly routine. Green (left) was convicted along with Kevin McDonagh (centre) and Dean Smith (right) in 2013 The TransUnite organisation says the total cost can be anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000. The NHS contribution normally would not exceed 60,000 per patient. A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) source said: If the NHS specialists say full sex-change surgery is necessary for a prisoners physical or mental wellbeing after years of taking hormones and living as a woman, the only debate would be about how best to manage it. An SPS spokesman said: If a request is made by the NHS for surgery for one of the prisoners it is treating, we would not and could not stand in the way. The Scottish Government would not comment on the case, saying it was a matter for the SPS and the NHS. The Scottish Prison Service has been contacted for comment but declined to 'comment on individual prisoners' when asked how and why the taxpayers' money will be spent on Green's surgery and aftercare. A pro-Taiwan independence filmmaker's acceptance speech at the 'Chinese Oscars' has ignited controversy over the status of Taiwan. Director Fu Yue, who won Best Documentary for her film Our Youth in Taiwan at the 55th Golden Horse Awards on Saturday, said in her speech that her 'biggest hope' as a Taiwanese was for 'our country to be recognised as an independent entity'. The 36-year-old director's speech at the ceremony in Taipei was quickly censored and cut off on television and live-stream platforms in mainland China, according to local media. Taiwanese director Fu Yue (left) delivers a speech next to producer Hong Ting Yi after she won Best Documentary for her film 'Our Youth in Taiwan' at the 55th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan on Saturday. Her speech ignited controversy at the ceremony and on social media Taiwan's director Yue Fu (right) poses backstage after winning Best Documentary for her movie 'Our Youth in Taiwan' at the 55th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei Taiwan, an island of 23 million people off China's south-east coast, is self-governed and has a democratically elected leadership, but China claims the island as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to ensure unification. The question of Taiwanese independence is one of Beijing's most sensitive political concerns. The controversial speech instantly created a sharp political divide between film stars and directors at the annual glitzy show, while net users in China were quick to criticise the filmmaker. Mainland actor Tu Men, while presenting an award, referred to Taiwan as 'China Taiwan'. Oscar award-winning director Ang Lee told reporters after the show that everyone was allowed to say what they wanted to say on stage. However, he added: 'We hope that art can be art, and that no political issues will interfere with it because art is very pure.' Leading Chinese actress Gong Li, chair of the jury, declined to to stand on stage with Lee to present the Best Feature Film award, reportedly to due the pro-independence comment. Tsai herself weighed into the debate on Sunday saying that Taiwan had never accepted being called 'China Taiwan'. 'We can't accept this term. Taiwan is just Taiwan,' she said on Facebook A screengrab from Fu Yue's movie, Our Youth in Taiwan. It is a film about a 2014 student protest movement on the island. Fu stood by her speech in a follow-up Facebook post on Sunday Many Chinese celebrities reportedly did not attend the after-ceremony party and left Taiwan early. Tensions between China and Taiwan have grown since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen took power in 2016. Taiwan is now preparing for local elections on Saturday, seen as a bellwether for the ruling party's performance in the 2020 presidential race. Tsai herself weighed into the debate on Sunday saying that Taiwan had never accepted being called 'China Taiwan'. 'We can't accept this term. Taiwan is just Taiwan,' she said on Facebook, adding she was 'proud' of the awards ceremony which 'highlighted that Taiwan was different from China, that being in our freedom and diversity'. 'Taiwan is a democratic and open society,' she said. 'No one here will be silenced or disappeared because they have different views. We have no sensitive words that will be censored online.' Alongside local elections on Saturday, Taiwan will also be voting on whether the island should compete as 'Taiwan' and not 'Chinese Taipei' in the 2020 Games in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee has rejected the name-change plan and warned that Taiwan could lose its right to compete. Oscar award-winning director Ang Lee told reporters after the show that everyone was allowed to say what they wanted to say on stage Leading Chinese actress Gong Li, chair of the jury, declined to to stand on stage with Lee to present the Best Feature Film award, reportedly to due the pro-independence comment Social media users also left close to 20,000 comments on Fu's Facebook account after the show, with some criticising her support for Taiwan independence while others praised it. Some said she should not have politicised the ceremony. Facebook is blocked in mainland China and can only be accessed through software that circumvents government filters known as the Great Firewall. Fu stood by her speech in a follow-up post on Sunday, explaining that she did not make the statement 'on the spur of the moment' or 'at the behest of the Democratic Progressive Party's Government'. 'We can't avoid topics like this by saying "politics are politics, art is art", because what I said at the awards ceremony is related to the theme in my film. I must speak for my work,' she wrote. Our Youth in Taiwan follows a young Taiwanese man and a young mainland Chinese woman at the centre of student movements in Taiwan in 2014. Chinese actor Tu Men and Hong Kong actress Kara Hui Ying-hung presenting an award at the ceremony. Tu stressed he was honoured to be a presenter at the ceremony in 'Taiwan, China' 'China cannot be reduced even just a tiny bit,' Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing wrote on her Twitter-like Weibo account, alongside a map of Chinese territory, including Taiwan Flags in support of the referendum on whether the island should participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the name 'Taiwan' rather than 'Chinese Taipei' shown at a rally in July In a separate statement on Monday, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party said the criticism of Fu was an attempt at 'election interference from outside forces'. The Golden Horse Awards was one of the most discussed topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform on Sunday, with a number of mainland stars also posting supportive posts about China's claims over Taiwan. Among them was A-list Chinese movie star Fan Bingbing, who earlier this year vanished for months from public view sparking widespread rumours about her whereabouts. She was fined for tax evasion last month and in her apology said her achievements were inseparable from the Communist Party. Her Weibo post was her first since she issued her apology last month. 'China cannot be reduced even just a tiny bit,' she wrote, alongside a map of Chinese territory, including Taiwan. A Brexiteer coup against Theresa May appeared to have stalled today - as leading Tory rebel Steve Baker admitted some MPs have lied about backing the coup. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said those seeking to oust the Prime Minister risked causing 'the most appalling chaos' and damaging any chance of prosperity after Brexit. 'Seeking to remove her risks the most appalling chaos that could be immensely damaging to our national reputation, but also destabilising and potentially stopping us getting through to the other side of Brexit,' he said. 'That is why when people think about this, people will realise that backing her is the right thing to do.' Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (left), pictured on a visit to Iran on Monday, slammed those seeking to depose Mrs May Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (pictured today with Lord Trimble Tory peer Lord Lilley and Conservative MP Owen Paterson) led a Brexiteer delegation to No10 where he pleaded with the PM to tear up her divorce deal and go back to the negotiating table 'It is incredibly challenging,' he said of the Prime Minister's current task. 'Somehow she has to find a way of navigating the shoals of Brexit in a way that allows us to have national closure on the issue and move on and deal with all the other issues we face.' It came as ex Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith led a Brexiteer delegation to No10 where he pleaded with the PM to tear up her divorce deal and go back to the negotiating table. He was joined by Lord Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland, Tory peer Lord Lilley and Conservative MP Owen Paterson. They urged the PM to abandon the Irish backstop plan to keep the UK tied to the EU customs union, and instead use technology to keep the border soft instead. It came amid growing signs the Tory Brexit coup is fizzling out amid bitter recriminations among Eurosecptic MPs. Just 26 Tory MPs have publicly said they have sent their letters of no confidence in - far short of the 48 needed to trigger the ballot. The Tory Brexit delegation (meeting with David Trimble, Ian Duncan Smith and Owen Patterson leaving Downing Street in London) met he PM came amid growing signs the Tory Brexit coup is fizzling out amid bitter recriminations among Eurosecptic MPs Still 'eight letters short: Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg is pictured in Westminster today amid claims his coup attempt is foundering. Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell today warned the rebels against 'hunting' Mrs May down like Margaret Thatcher. And the Brexiteer organiser-in-chief Mr Baker accused Tory MPs of lying over their intention to send letters in. Mr Baker told The Sun: 'If everyone does what they've told me, the line will be crossed by a big margin on Monday evening' 'However, it has become very very clear that not everyone does what they've said they're going to do.' He added: 'Conservative members of parliament who have decided that the only way to change the policy is to change the leader must have the courage and integrity to write the letter themselves. Simply telling me they're going to obviously isn't good enough.' A source close to the gang of four said the meeting was 'constructive' while Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'The PM meets with colleagues all the time.' Meanwhile, Westminster echoed to silence from Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee who must call a vote if 48 letters are sent to him. The plotters are believed to be at least eight short of the trigger despite ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg going public with his putsch over the PM's Brexit deal last week. ERG sources insisted it was a question of 'when not if' the threshold is met. But a senior Tory MP told MailOnline: 'Jacob is going to have a lot of egg on his face. If they cannot even get 48 names together it shows they are not the force people thought. 'They are a total shambles.' Another MP warned the ERG: 'For 5 weeks we have been told the letters are in yet still they fall short. 'If it's taken this long to get to 48 the chances of reaching the required 158 to depose the PM are receding fast.' Who has sent letters of no confidence in May? Letters of no confidence in Theresa May are confidential - but some of her strongest critics have gone public. If 48 letters are sent a vote is called. This is who has definitely sent a letter: Jacob Rees-Mogg , North East Somerset, Jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk Steve Baker , Wycombe, steve.baker.mp@parliament.uk Sheryll Murray , South East Cornwall, sheryll.murray.mp@parliament.uk Anne-Marie Morris , Newton Abbott, annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk Lee Rowley , North East Derbyshire, lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk Henry Smith , Crawley, henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk Simon Clarke , Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, simon.clarke.mp@parliament.uk Peter Bone , Wellingborough, bonep@parliament.uk James Duddridge , Rochford and Southend East, james@jamesduddridge.com Philip Davies , Shipley, daviesp@parliament.uk Andrea Jenkyns , Morley and Outwood, andrea.jenkyns.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Bridgen , North West Leicestershire, andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk Nadine Dorries , Mid Bedfordshire, dorriesn@parliament.uk Laurence Robertson , Tewkesbury, robertsonl@parliament.uk Martin Vickers , Cleethorpes, martin.vickers.mp@parliament.uk Ben Bradley , Mansfield, ben.bradley.mp@parliament.uk Adam Holloway , Gravesham, hollowaya@parliament.uk John Whittingdale , Maldon, john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk Maria Caulfield , Lewes, maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk Mark Francois , Rayleigh and Wickford, mark.francois.mp@parliament.uk David Jones , Clwyd West, david.jones@parliament.uk Marcus Fysh , Yeovil, marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk Chris Green , Bolton West, chris.green.mp@parliament.uk Zac Goldsmith , Richmond Park, zac@zacgoldsmith.com Bill Cash , Stone, cashw@parliament.uk Philip Hollobone , Kettering, philip.hollobone.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Lewer, Northampton South, andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk Crispin Blunt , Reigate, crispinbluntmp@parliament.uk Owen Paterson , Shropshire Patersono@parliament.uk Advertisement Simon Clarke - who is among the 26 Tory MPs to have gone public with demands for a vote of no confidence - earlier urged Conservatives to help oust the PM claiming she is 'on the rocks'. The PM is facing a titanic political battle to cling on to power, and former chief whip Andrew Mitchell today urged the rebels to back off from the ledge, warning them against 'hunting' Mrs May down like Margaret Thatcher. Issuing his rallying call, Clarke urged wavering colleagues to help trigger a leadership challenge. 'It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks,' he said. 'This is absolutely the day at which we stand at the bar of history on this,' Simon Clarke told the BBC, adding 'this day must be the point at which ... action is taken'. He added that MPs should 'search their conscience' and submit a letter to the 1922 Committee. Mrs Thatcher's 11 and a half years in power came crashing down in 1990 when she was abruptly ousted from office in a coup triggered by Michael Heseltine, who mounted a leadership challenged against her. She was not ousted in the first round, but her Cabinet ministers ended up wielding the knife going in one by one to urge her to go resign. Advice Mrs Thatcher ultimately took. And today's rebel MPs believe they are close to landing their own killer blow. Former Brexit secretary David Davis insisted the coup was 'teetering close to getting over the 48' but dodged questions over whether he had joined the revolt. But doubts about the level of support for the revolt have already been raised by the length of time it is taking - with most observers believing the plotters are eight letters short. Despite leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg dramatically announcing he was joining the calls last week, Sir Graham said yesterday that he had not received enough. There are signs of growing nerves among the rebels as constituency associations urge their MPs not to torpedo the package. Senior Eurosceptics have also admitted that some of their colleagues do not seem to be telling them the truth about whether they have written letters. Meanwhile, Tory figures have tried to head off the mutiny, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher. Mrs May will vow defiance today as she faces down restive Cabinet ministers and MPs. She is facing a nail-biting next 48 hours to see if the Tory Brexiteer coup against her gains momentum or falls flat. Sir Graham is the only Conservative who knows how many MPs have sent their letters in, and the number is shrouded in such secrecy he has not even told his wife Victoria what it is. He also revealed that some MPs lie and pretend to send their no confidence letters in when they have not - although he did not say if this applied to the rebels trying to oust Mrs May. And despite the bitter Tory civil war in Westminster, he predicted that Mrs May would win a no confidence vote if one is held against her. Speaking on the North West edition of the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, he predicted Mrs May will not be easily toppled. 'Leadership challenge' to May has chilling echoes of the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher was evicted from Downing Street after 11 and a half years when she failed to win enough support from her MPs. Michael Heseltine launched a leadership challenge against her in November 1990. While the PM won the first round, a critical mass of her MPs voted against her - prompting her Cabinet to warn she no longer had the political strength to carry on. The 28th anniversary of the fatal second ballot comes tomorrow - November 20. Today's rebel MPs believe they are close to landing their own killer blow in the same way. If they secure a confidence vote, they are likely to insist 100 votes against the PM should be enough to finish her. Advertisement He said: 'It would be a simple majority, it would be very likely that the Prime Minister would win such a vote and if she did then there would be a 12-month period where this could not happen again, which would be a huge relief for me because people would have to stop asking me questions about numbers of letters for at least 12 months.' Confirming he had not reached the crucial 48 number, he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'If a threshold were to be reached I would have to consult with the leader of the party the Prime Minister.' Pressed on if this would have to happen immediately, he added: 'The whole thing is written with the intention that it should be an expeditious process. 'I think one of the crazy things which has taken hold over the last few weeks is that people in the media and elsewhere suggesting this is something that would go on for weeks. 'If it were to happen it ought to be a test of opinion very quickly in order to clear the air and get it out the way quickly.' He said claims he would sit on the letters and wait to hold a vote are 'slightly offensive'. Sir Graham said has not written a letter of no confidence himself and has 'no intention to do so'. The Tory MP for Altrincham and Sale West said Britain is entering the 'end game' of a crucial negotiation and it is not the right time for the Tory Party and Government to be 'plunged into uncertainty'. Mr Mitchell told the Times: 'If these letters succeed in triggering a challenge then the party will turn in on itself and that is not a good place for the Conservatives let alone the country. 'It will end making us look like we're hunting the prime minister down as happened with Margaret Thatcher. 'It will do the party untold damage in the eyes of the public.' But he criticised the PM's Brexit divorce deal, branding it 'tricky' and said he is 'not happy' about the backstop plans warning it could leave Britain trapped in the EU customs union forever. The Prime Minister is mounting another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels despite the rising threat of a no-confidence vote by her own MPs. Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, Mrs May will make clear that there is no prospect of reopening the talks. After many days of fevered speculation, Sir Graham Brady (pictured yesterday on the BBC), chairman of the 1922 committee which represents Tory MPs, said yesterday he has still not received enough letters to trigger a confidence vote in Theresa May Championing the cause of the poor, Pope Francis on Sunday lamented that 'the wealthy few' enjoy what, 'in justice, belongs to all' and said Christians cannot remain indifferent to the growing cries of the exploited and the needy, including migrants. Francis invited about 6,000 poor people as well as some of the volunteers who helped them to the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica where he celebrated Mass on a day the Catholic Church dedicates to the needy. Later, he sat down with 1,500 of the needy for a lunch of lasagna, chicken, mashed potatoes and tiramisu in a Vatican auditorium. Pope Francis uncovers a dish of lasagna during a lunch with the poor at the Vatican In his homily, Francis said 'we Christians cannot stand with arms folded in indifference or with arms outstretched in helplessness' about those in need. He cited the 'stifled cry' of the unborn, of starving children, 'of young people more used to the explosion of bombs than happy shouts at the playground.' He also drew attention to the plight of abandoned elderly, the friendless and 'the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal.' Pope Francis eats lunch with the poor after celebrating the Mass marking the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of the Poor, at Paul VI Hall at the Vatican Pope Francis waves to faithful during the Angelus noon prayer he delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square Francis said the poor were weeping 'while the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all. Injustice is the perverse root of poverty.' 'The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but every day heard less,' he said. That cry is 'drowned out by the din on the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich,' the pontiff said. Last week, doctors, nurses and other health workers volunteered their time to offer medical assistance to the homeless and other need from morning till night in St. Peter's Square. Pope Francis celebrates a Mass for the World Day of the Poor in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican ope Francis celebrates a Mass for the World Day of the Poor in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican The initiative reflects the Francis' determination that the Vatican promote by way of example priorities for rank-and-file faithful. Francis said during Mass Sunday that 'it is important for all of us to live our faith in contact with those in need.' Later, in remarks to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square, Francis spoke of the futility of making riches one's goal. He noted that with at the end of each life 'the power of money and of economic means with which we presume with presumptuousness to buy everything and everyone won't be able to be used anymore.' A woman recognised her grandfather in Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old after spotting his nose in archive footage. Jenny Pateman from Canvey Island was left in 'complete shock' when she saw Thomas Frayne marching in the First World War documentary. Having only known him as a bed-ridden elderly man, she rewound the footage and paused it to double-check, The Times reports. Jenny Pateman recognised Thomas Frayne (circled) when she spotted his 'distinctive' nose in the footage above The film uses footage from the Imperial War Museum to depict life in the trenches. Clips have been slowed down and colourised by The Lord of the Rings director. Jackson previously said he wanted to help the descendants of those who fought to understand what they went through in the war. Mrs Pateman said she was 'gobsmacked' when she realised it was her grandfather (right) in the clip But Mrs Pateman, 55, spotted her grandfather in footage that had not been slowed down and was still black and white. She was just eight years old when her grandfather died at the age of 77. 'I was gobsmacked. It brought tears to my eyes, seeing him as a young man and walking along,' she said. 'He got gassed at the Somme and never fully recovered. I only ever knew him as a man in bed.' But Mrs Patemen said she knew it was him when she spied a 'distinctive nose' that she had seen in photographs, adding: 'My brother is the spitting image of him.' Mr Frayne joined the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1915 before attaining the rank of corporal and joining the Machine Gun Corps. He earned the Military Medal in 1916 when he showed 'great coolness and devotion to duty' fetching ammunition under a 'heavy enemy barrage'. He became a sergeant in the York and Lancaster Regiment, where he also progressed to 2nd lieutenant. Mrs Pateman was so moved by the 'harrowing' colourised footage of bloodied corpses in the trenches that she stopped watching. She said that the black and white clips she had been used to looked historical, but the immediacy of the colour footage disturbed her. The gas damage to her grandfather's lungs continued to worsen into his old age before he died and Mrs Pateman remembers taking trips from Essex to Yorkshire to visit him with her parents. Advertisement Britain is set to be hit by a mini 'Beast from East' this week as cold air from Scandinavia sends temperatures plummeting. Wintry showers will batter parts of the UK over the next couple of days bringing an end to the unseasonably warm conditions this November. The mild southerly winds are being replaced by bitter air from northern and eastern Europe with daytime temperatures dropping to around 5C (41F), and the mercury falling to -5C (23F) in some areas overnight. But forecasters warn that it could feel even colder because of the wind chill. They have not ruled out the chance of sleet, ice and some light snowfall in parts of the country - and there could even be thundersnow. Umbrellas were up in York this morning as temperatures plummet across the UK from today with wintry showers expected to hit most areas over the next couple of days A walker makes the most of the blue winter skies along the Dorset coast at Arne yesterday before the temperatures drop from today Frost was seen in the Highlands of Scotland this morning. Temperatures are set to plummet to 5C this week Weather maps for the UK for today (left) and Tuesday (right) show large swathes of cold air blowing in from the east Steven Keates, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'It's going to be colder than what we've been used to, obviously, considering it's been balmy and mild as a whole. 'There's going to be a day by day cooling off, with each day getting cooler than the previous. 'There will be some cloud and showers, but the biting wind will make it feel even colder than it is, particularly in the east. 'West is best in terms of the weather this week. There could be some snowfall in the more mountainous areas, the peaks, but we shouldn't expect too much disruption.' Met Office graphics showing wintry showers hitting much of the UK tomorrow (left) as temperatures plummet to 5C, and the conditions on Wednesday, right, as temperatures hover around 6C From London to Newcastle an easterly Scandinavian chill will bring temperatures of just six or seven degrees nationwide with most of the country experiencing wintry showers tomorrow Britain experienced its last bit of winter sunshine yesterday (Pictured: Corfe Castle in Dorset) before temperatures plummet and Scandinavian winds bring a bitter cold snap Atmosphere instability and thundersnow Thunder and lightning are more usually associated with warmer climates but under certain conditions they can occur in cold ones too. Thundersnow starts out like a summer thunderstorm - the sun heats the ground and pushes masses of warm, moist air upward, creating unstable air columns. As it rises, the moisture condenses to form clouds, which are jostled by internal turbulence. Lightning is caused by this rubbing of the clouds against each other - thunder is the sound of lightning but as sound moves more slowly than light we hear it later. The tricky part for thundersnow is creating that atmospheric instability in the winter. When it is cold, and particularly in air conducive to snowfall, the lower atmosphere is dry, cold and very stable. For thundersnow to occur there needs to be a precise set of circumstances - the air layer closer to the ground has to be warmer than the layers above, but still cold enough to create snow. When this happens warm air rises, snow falls and thunder, lightning and snow all occur at the same time. Advertisement Meanwhile the Met Office said thundersnow was 'not out of the question tomorrow'. Forecasters said some thunder is likely in the heavy showers, mainly in the South and South East during the morning, but also across central and south-western England into Wales later on. The greatest chance of seeing some sleet and snow will be over the higher ground of Wales, the Pennines, and Scotland, but some brief sleet is possible to lower levels in the South East in any heavier showers. And although the areas where the country is most likely to see thunder do not fully coincide with where sleet or snow is likely, the Met Office said some parts 'could see some heavy showers bringing a bit of both for a time'. Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst added: 'It is noticeable colder today after the balmy weekend and the period of mild weather. 'Over the next 24 hours most of the country will be hit by a mixture of scattered wintry showers. 'We will have highs of 10C today, 8C tomorrow and 9C on Wednesday before the easterly winds start to be replaced by more south easterly winds, cutting off the colder weather. 'By then, temperatures will be back to around average at around 10C for this time of year. ' Last week Britain basked in an Indian summer with temperatures nudging 18C, higher than Madrid (16C) and Milan (14C). The hottest November day recorded in the UK was 22.4C (72.3F) in Trawsgoed, near Aberystwyth in mid-Wales, on November 1, 2015. Jayme Closs, 13, vanished last month after her parents, Denise and James Closs, were shot and killed Hunters have been asked to keep an eye out for 'suspicious' clothing and weapons that may lead to finding missing teenager Jayme Closs. Jayme, 13, vanished last month after her parents, Denise and James Closs, were shot and killed inside their Winsconsin home. Sheriffs have requested that hunters are on the lookout for clothing and weapons as hunting season begins in the area, reports Fox News. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald insisted that their search for Jayme is still a top priority for their local department and officials nationwide. He wrote on Facebook: 'As hunting season opens on Sat, we ask that hunters report anything suspicious such as clothing, weapons or anything you think it just not right on your property.(sic) 'Also remind everyone to have a safe hunt and good luck to all the hunters.' Authorities arrived at Jayme's home on October 15, four minutes after receiving a cryptic call from her mother Denise Closs's cell phone. Hunters have been asked to keep an eye out for 'suspicious' clothing and weapons that may lead to finding the missing teenager They found the bodies of Denise and James and realised that Jayme was nowhere to be found, citing that she had possibly been abducted. Fitzgerald told Fox at the time: 'No one talked on that call and we don't know who made it. We heard voices but we can't make out what was said. 'We do believe Jayme was home at the time the call was made.' Since then police have looked into hundreds of tips, but currently have no suspects or sightings and little evidence to go on. The bodies of Denise, 46, and James Closs, 56, were found shot dead in their Wisconsin two weeks ago Fitzgerald said on Thursday that the team are following up on leads and watching CCTV from the area as well as reviewing all digital evidence. He added that they are partnering with the FBI and DCI agents nearby and across the U.S. A $50,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to Jayme. About 80 surveillance videos were collected initially from businesses and other locations, according to Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald. Cops responded to a 911 call at the Closs family home (pictured) on October 15 and found the door kicked in and James and Denise shot dead and their daughter no where in sight Earlier this month the FBI expanded the perimeter of surveillance video collection beyond the county as they search for clues in Jayme's disappearance and was analyzing the video at its Milwaukee office, Fitzgerald said. Authorities said investigators are searching for two cars - a red or orange Dodge Challenger and a black Ford Edge or black Acura MDX - that may have been near the Closs family's home on the night of the attack. Although deputies responded to the 911 call within four minutes, Fitzgerald said all the squad cars came from the same direction, making a timely getaway possible. Investigators were searching for two cars - a red or orange Dodge Challenger and a black Ford Edge - that may have been near the Closs family's home on the night of the attack 'You can back out of your driveway in a minute and still be two minutes ahead of us,' he said. 'There's lots of roads to turn on to be out of the area quickly.' Squad car dashcam video was also reviewed for possible leads. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald insisted that their search for Jayme is still a top priority The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation used a specially-trained dog to sniff out electronic devices at the Closs home, but none of the devices that were found have yielded any clues, including the three cellphones that belonged to Jayme and her parents, Fitzgerald said. 'There was nothing out of the ordinary, no boyfriends, nothing on there that points us in any direction,' he said. Investigators have interviewed current and former employees who worked with the parents, including workers who lost their jobs in the past year at the Jennie-O Turkey Store in Barron, a rural community about 80 miles northeast of Minneapolis. 'Everyone has been looked at,' the sheriff said. Denise Closs' brother, Steve Naiberg, said the family is hoping that evidence that leads to Jayme's safe return will eventually emerge. 'Something's got to give, there has to be something left somewhere,' he told KSTP-TV this week. 'I know this whole area is in shock because never has the family fathomed they would deal with something like this, but this community hasn't either,' Naiberg said. When the hunter took the shot he thought he had claimed a buck with colossal antlers, but he discovered there were two heads. Bob Long from Marshall County, Kentucky, found the stag he had just killed with another head tangled in its antlers. The other head was caught in the antlers of the stag and he had been wandering around with it for days. Sergeant Tony Dunker of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife told USA Today the decaying head belonged to a deer who had been dead for weeks after doing battle with his foe. Bob Long from Marshall County shot a deer with another dead buck tangled in its antlers in, Marshall County, Kentucky Courtesy of KFVS During the rutting season, stags will lock horns and Sgt. Dunker believes they may have been sparring for females. On their Facebook post of the photo, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife wrote: 'Bob Long saw big antlers when he took aim at his buck at a distance, but what he found upon recovery was astounding. 'It's unclear exactly what circumstances led up to this buck's carrying around another set of antlers and part of a decomposing carcass. Regardless, it was truly a rare harvest.' Local residents had seen the live deer wandering around with the grim trophy attached to its head in the days before Long made his shot. Had the deer not been shot he would have had a good chance of survival, as his antlers would have dropped off; an annual process for deer. Earlier this year the MailOnline reported a remarkably similar story, as a stag was pictured on a North Dakotan trial with another attached to its antlers. Jim Brown captured the image in December 21 last year, with a decaptitated buck dangling from the antlers of his rival It was not thought that the buck ripped the head of its partner from its body, but that it somehow came across a beheaded carcass and got tangled up. The buck was spotted in December by Jim Brown and stayed in the area for a while before leaving. It was looking skinny and unhealthy at the time, and experts believed it was being hindered by the weight of the other head. Ultra-Orthodox passengers caused uproar on two flights from New York to Israel because they were worried they would still be in the air as Jewish Shabbat commenced, it has emerged. One El Al service from JFK diverted to Athens, Greece, amid angry scenes among those who feared they would be mid-flight at the start of the Jewish holy day, witnesses say. Pilots on a second El Al flight considered diverting to Rome for similar reasons before continuing to Israel. Both flights had been delayed for hours on Thursday because of stormy weather on the US East Coast. Religious Jews observe Shabbat every week, beginning at nightfall on Friday and lasting until nightfall on Saturday. They refrain from travelling in cars or planes on Shabbat, apart from in life-threatening medical or security situations. Witnesses said some passengers feared they would not arrive in Israel until after the start of the 25-hour observance - despite reportedly being assured by crew that they would arrive on time. Ultra-Orthodox passengers caused uproar on two flights from New York to Israel because they were worried they would still be in the air as Jewish Shabbat commenced. Pictures have emerged purportedly showing a commotion on board one of the El Al jets Pilots on another New York to Israel service are said to have considered diverting to Rome amid on board protests but continued to Ben Gurion, south of Tel Aviv, as planned because of a medical condition affecting a female passenger. Footage and pictures on social media purportedly shows the commotion on board one of the flights. According to the Times of Israel, the uproar on one plane resulted in the flight diverting to Athens where ultra-Orthodox passengers got off to observe Shabbat before continuing to Israel. One irate passenger, Roni Meital, wrote on Facebook: 'After 24 hours to reach Israel, I am broken, broken mainly because of the lack of respect of people who are observant, who observe tradition and Shabbat, who took this issue a step too far. She said that during the flight she 'heard screaming and saw a flight attendant crying after she was hit, pushed, amid threats they would break open the door to the cockpit.' Both El Al flights to Israel were delayed on Thursday because of stormy weather on the US East Coast Meital added: 'I found myself standing and protecting flight attendants who were crying and who just wanted to catch their breath after the behaviour toward them,' she wrote. In a statement, El Al said: 'The extreme weather in New York caused cancellations and delays of takeoffs for hundreds of flights for airlines, including El Al flights on Thursday evening. 'Despite the many cancelled flights we succeeded in getting flight 002 out of New York for our passengers, with a stop in Athens. El Al made sure passengers had a flight that same day that continued to Israel. El Al said it was in contact with those who disembarked in Athens and that they would travel to Israel after Shabbat ended. 'We apologize for any discomfort caused to our customers, but as said we preferred to have the flight leave New York the same day. 'It should be emphasized the company does not tolerate violence toward the [flight] crew and we will determinedly and without compromise act in accordance with the law against any passenger whom a complaint is filed against, as we have done so far,' the statement added. A seven-year-old schoolboy has launched a boycott of the plastic toys in McDonald's Happy Meals to help save 'the beautiful fish in the beautiful sea' and some of his classmates are already rallying to the cause. William Weir, from Rugby, Warwickshire, told his mother Carrie, 41, he wanted to write to the US food giant after she told him how bad the toys were for the planet. After mentioning his pledge to teachers and friends at Dunchurch Infant School, William was invited to read his letter to 170 pupils during assembly. William Weir, from Rugby, Warwickshire, (left, in a recent undated photo) told his mother Carrie, 41, he wanted to write a letter (right) to the US food giant after she told him how bad the toys were for the planet An undated photo of a Happy Meal with its accompanying plastic toy. A total of 1.2billion Happy Meals (inset) are sold across the world every year - meaning there are more plastic toys in the world than the population of humans, which stood at 7.53 billion in 2017 The youngster's articulate and thoughtful comments prompted McDonald's to invite him and his sister Francesca, four, to a feedback group to get their thoughts on the restaurant chain's environmental impact. Mrs Weir and her husband Neil, 49, filmed a heart-warming video of their son explaining why he wrote the letter. The family are calling on others to join them in taking a stand against the toys, which they believe are just 'plastic rubbish' and usually go unused by most children. Mrs Weir said: 'He sat at the table to write it. I helped him construct it but it is all his writing and all his thoughts. 'I said I would send it to McDonald's and share it on some sites online to see if it made any difference. 'He was quite excited about this and went into school to tell everyone about it. Everyone thought it was really good, even the teachers. 'I asked him if anyone asked him why he feels this way, what he would say. He said well I am seven and I would like to live until I'm 57 and have children. And I would like for there to still be a planet for those children.' The youngster's articulate and thoughtful comments prompted McDonald's to invite him and his sister Francesca, four, to a feedback group. Undated photo of the siblings together Mrs Weir said other parents at William's school had started to ask not to have the toys after hearing about his letter. 'I think if lots of children did what William and Francesca are doing then McDonald's would get rid of the plastic in the Happy Meals,' she said. 'That is how things change these days. Things change because of public perception.' Happy Meals had previously been William and Francesca's go-to choice at McDonald's but last week Mrs Weir noticed their plastic toys remained untouched. William's letter to McDonald's Dear McDonalds, I am 7. I also like Happy Meals. I am concerned with the impact plastic has on the planet, therefore I would like you to rethink the Happy Meal toys. My sister and I will not be eating Happy Meals that include plastic toys any more. Thank you, William Weir And Francesca Weir (aged 4) Advertisement So she decided to explain how damaging the toys are for the environment and suggested they no longer buy them if they didn't want to play with them. Mrs Weir believes children only like the idea of the toys and in reality wouldn't miss them if they were no longer included, or were not made from plastic. 'The toys often don't work,' she said. 'The kids might look at them for 30 seconds but that would be it. 'Kids only like the idea of them, but then they realise they are plastic rubbish and they don't matter. There is not any use or value to them at all. 'McDonald's could choose to say that if you choose not to have the toy, then 50p from every Happy Meal you buy without the toy will go towards cleaning up the oceans.' Ian Dewes, executive headteacher at Dunchurch Infant School and Nursery, was so impressed by the way William spoke to the school that he believes he could have a future as a politician. 'William came in with his letter and explained, very articulately considering his age, what he'd written and the reasons behind it,' he said. 'Clearly he's very well-informed about environmental matters. 'I spoke to William and asked him if he would like to speak to the children in assembly about it. 'Speaking in assembly itself is a fairly daunting thing to do in front of 170 children, but he was very happy to do that. It was quite statesman-like really - he's perhaps a budding politician.' William is pictured with his father, Neil, mother, Carrie, and sister Francesca, on a family holiday in Paris. Photo undated A McDonald's spokesperson said: 'We really appreciate William and Francesca getting in contact. 'We would like to assure them that the reduction and use of plastics is a hugely important issue for our business. 'We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and we can, and want to, be part of the solution - for example with our move from recyclable plastic straws to paper ones. 'Happy Meal toys provide fun for children and families playing in our restaurants, but also provide many more fun filled hours at home for a long time too.' A fisherman has said sharks in Queensland are hungry and in 'plague proportions', as he warns of more attacks this summer. Master fisherman John Reid from the Sunshine Coast has called for a shark cull after a spate of recent attacks along Australia's coastline. It comes after a boy, 17, was attacked by sharks while spearfishing in the Northern Territory on Sunday. A 4.6 metre great white shark was also caught a few hundred metres from Sydney's popular Maroubra Beach on Monday. Mr Reid said the number of sharks lurking in Queensland waters have scared him off going swimming this summer. A recent spate of shark attacks has scared master fisherman John Reid (pictured) from entering the water for a swim this summer 'They're in plague proportions and they're hungry,' Mr Reid told A Current Affair. 'If we don't do anything about it there will be more people taken by sharks.' The program showed that recent entries in Mr Reid's logbook are filled with shark sightings. A kayaker was knocked out of his kayak in nearby Caloundra by what was believed to be a four-metre tiger shark last week. On the same day, a young family swimming in the shallow water on Bribie Island north of Brisbane when they noticed a small tiger shark lurking nearby, which led authorities to close the beach. Mr Reid says he wrote to the Queensland Government earlier this year to warn them of the dangers of the shark plague but was met with 'utter silence'. You're most likely to be attacked in northern NSW, where Lee Jonsson (pictured) was recently mauled on the leg at Ballina's Shelly Beach Three people have been attacked in Cid Harbour in the Whitsundays in the state's north since September, one fatally. Melbourne doctor Daniel Christidis became the latest fatality when he was attacked in the harbour earlier this month. The Queensland Government has since put $250,000 towards scientific research into shark prevalence and behaviour in Cid Harbour, which remains a no-swim zone. Mr Reid says the government needs to do more to control the predators. 'I know what a shark can do to you. Someone has blood on their hands,' he said. A small tiger shark (pictured) lurking in shallow waters off Bribie Island north of Brisbane forced the closure of the beach last week, where a young family were swimming His calls for a shark cull were echoed by Queensland-based federal MP and former minister Keith Pitt, who said the state government has been 'warned over and over again' about the plague proportions of sharks. 'What is wrong with a common sense decision to control shark numbers in Queensland,' Mr Pitt said. Mr Reid wrote to the Queensland Government earlier this year to warn them about an increase of shark attacks but was met with 'utter silence' But you're most likely to be bitten by a shark across the border in northern New South Wales, where there have been more shark attacks in the last 20 years than anywhere else in the Australia, according to Shark Research Institute 1990-2016 statistics. Byron Bay topped the list with 12 attacks, which included two deaths, followed by nearby Ballina with six. Surfer Lee Jonsson drove himself to hospital after he was attacked on the leg by a 2.6 metre great white shark at Ballina's Shelly Beach earlier this month. It was the same beach where Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara died in 2015. Queensland-based federal MP Keith Pitt (pictured) also wants to see a shark cull Melbourne doctor Daniel Christidis (pictured) was taking part in a sailing adventure around the Whitsundays when was killed by a shark in Cid Harbour earlier this month. It was the third shark attack within weeks An American rapper told women to show their naked breasts at a popular music festival before body shaming them in front of the crowd. YG was performing at the Spilt Milk festival in Canberra on Saturday when he stopped mid-act and started chanting 'show your t***ies'. Young women said they felt pressured to take their shirts off so the performance would continue. Festivalgoers took to social media to share their outrage over the incident, with many saying they were sorry they wasted their money on tickets. Scroll down for video American rapper YG (pictured) has sparked outrage after he stopped performing and demanded female fans expose themselves at his Canberra event Festivalgoers (pictured) have taken to social media to slam the performance, with some feeling like they wasted their money on tickets Olivia Tartaro travelled three hours to Canberra from Wollongong to enjoy the event, but said she wished she had spent her time seeing another act. 'When he started he had a big crowd and he was getting everyone excited,' the 22-year-old told Daily Mail Australia. 'Then he started and it was really pumping.' Ms Tartaro said YG then started asking women in the crowd to flash their breasts and stopped his set. 'He was saying he wouldn't continue until he saw t***ies, and when some girl finally showed them to him he insulted her saying she had mozzie bites for boobs,' Ms Tartaro said. The Compton-born rapper then got dragged away from the stage, which is when much of the crowd left to see other acts. 'It was so gross and so annoying because he'd just sing one verse, then stop and ask to see some t***ies, and then start another song,' the 22-year-old said. Ms Tartaro said her boyfriend was especially unimpressed with the performance as he was a big fan of the American rapper. 'I wish we spent our time seeing someone else, to be honest, and it sucks that we pay big money for sh*t artists,' Ms Tartaro said. Olivia Tartaro travelled three hours to Canberra from Wollongong to enjoy the event, but felt that she should've spent her time seeing another act According to another festivalgoer on Twitter, YG allegedly chanted 'for an entire minute' to a woman sitting on someone's shoulders. 'After he finally got his request, he then criticised women's body parts in front of a huge festival crowd,' she wrote. Taylor Jackson posted to to Spilt Milk's official Facebook page, saying the set was the worst she'd seen in her entire life. 'Can't believe that you are continuing to promote that piece of garbage,' she wrote. 'If his total lack of 'performance' wasn't enough, when he stops his set to berate woman to 'show their t***ies' and chant it until girls felt the need to expose themselves so he would continue his set was DISGUSTING. 'I am embarrassed that I had to watch this happen, not to mention how so many other people felt having to experience that. The worst set I have seen in my life.' According to another festivalgoer on Twitter, YG allegedly chanted 'for an entire minute' to a woman who was sitting on someone's shoulders The rapper is being heavily criticised following his performance and behaviour at Spilt Milk music festival over the weekend Spilt Milk released a statement after being flooded with complaints online. 'The comments made by YG on stage were not ok,' organisers wrote. 'When this behaviour goes unchallenged, we are part of the problem, not the solution. We thank the courageous people who have voiced their feelings, so this disrespectful and predatory behaviour is exposed for what it is. 'We apologise that our stage was used in this manner and for not becoming aware sooner. YG's comments in no way reflect the values of Spilt Milk and contradict our goals of a safe and inclusive space for all attendees. We can not, and will never, control an artist's performance, but we will continue to focus our bookings on forward thinking artists that share our values. 'To anyone who takes part in this discussion, please consider that many people experience this and other types of predatory behaviour daily. Take the time to listen, learn and be part of the change. If you do not take part respectfully your comments will be deleted.' This isn't the first time YG has made headlines for this behaviour; he asked female fans to take their tops off at an all-ages Brisbane show in 2017. After being informed by a security guard that the show was an all-ages and a 13+ gig, the 27-year-old rap star realised his gaffe and told the crowd: 'Oh s**t, y'all are underage, I can't f**k with y'all.' He quickly added that they should go to school on Monday, saying: 'Y'all take your a** to school and s**t.' A female Chinese novelist has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail for writing and distributing books containing explicit descriptions of gay male sex, state-run media said Monday, a punishment that drew criticism for its severity. The author, surnamed Liu and goes by the pen name 'Tianyi', attracted the scrutiny of authorities after one of her homoerotic novels 'Gongzhan' - translating to 'Occupy' - went viral last year, according to the Global Times tabloid. The book, sold on Chinese online shopping platform Taobao, detailed the sexual relationship between a teacher and his male student. Between last November and May this year, authorities apprehended Liu and three other people, who were involved in the publishing process of the book (pictured in boxes) Participants hold a rainbow flag as they take part in the annual pride parade at Victoria park in Hong Kong on Saturday. In recent weeks, Beijing has cracked down on 'illegal' publications Liu also distributed 7,000 'pornographic' books, most related to homosexuality, which garnered 'illegal profits' of 150,000 yuan (16,850), according to Wuhu city police cited by The Global Times. She has filed an appeal, according to local media. Between last November and May this year, authorities apprehended Liu and three other people, who were involved in the publishing process of the book. Tianyi's sentencing in eastern Anhui province on October 31 has drawn a wave of criticism on Twitter-like Weibo, where many people noted that the punishment was treated like other crimes such as rape. According to Chinese criminal law, rapists are charged with three to 10 year prison sentences. The cover of the homoerotic novel, 'Gongzhan'. The title translates to 'Occupy' in Chinese Between last November and May this year, authorities apprehended Liu and three other people, who were involved in the publishing process of the book Many critics cited a case in Yunnan province, where an official was sentenced to five years in jail for abducting and raping a four-year-old girl, which ignited a public outcry. His sentence was later increased to eight years. 'We don't deny her crime - it's just that we don't accept this kind of unreasonable judgement,' wrote one Weibo user, whose post garnered more than 5,000 likes and 1,000 reposts. Homoerotic novels are not uncommon in China and are easily accessible via different websites, but those who earn 50,000 yuan (5,600) or more in producing or disseminating 'obscene' material are subject to Chinese criminal law. Gay romance stories are popular in China too - in fact, there is a term in Chinese for women who are fans of gay love stories, or 'funu'. But in recent weeks, Beijing has cracked down on 'illegal' publications, a broadly defined category that includes pornography, as well as work that 'endangers national unity' and 'disturbs social order'. A participant attends the annual Pride Parade In Hong Kong on Saturday. Homoerotic novels are not uncommon in China and are easily accessible via different websites China is raising its reward to encourage citizens to report pornographic content (file photo) Last week, government regulators increased the amount of cash rewards Chinese citizens can earn for reporting 'illegal' publications to authorities - an upper limit of 600,000 yuan (67,400). What counts as 'illegal' content in China is broadly defined, but includes work that 'endangers national unity', 'leaks state secrets', and 'disturbs social order' - umbrella terms that are also sometimes used when authorities punish or silence Chinese dissidents and rights campaigners. The Cyberspace Administration of China said last Monday it had 'cleaned up' 9,800 accounts on Chinese social media platforms which it accused of spreading 'politically harmful' information and rumours. Gay-themed films struggle to make it into movie theatres, same-sex relationships are banned from television screens and gay content is forbidden on online streaming platforms. China classified homosexuality as a crime until 1997 and a mental illness until 2001, but conservative attitudes and discrimination remain widespread. A British mum left her four children behind when she flew to the US to marry a prisoner who has 'hatred' tattooed on his forehead. Becci Brennan, 29, fell in love with former gang member Travis Thompson after connecting on writeaprisoner.com, a website that links single women to inmates. Ms Brennan has flown to California to visit Thompson several times in the past year despite her only source of income being benefits and child support, a friend told The Sun. But now, she has married Thompson, 32, who is serving a jail term of almost eight years for gun and drug offences at Mule Creek State Prison in California. Becci Brennan flew to California to marry former gang member Travis Thompson (pictured together) Brennan left her three daughters and son at home in Stanwell, Surrey, to wed Thompson in Oregon, California, on Friday, The Mirror reports. She then took to Facebook to share pictures of the pair together. 'Today I married my inmate lol!' Ms Brennan, who has now changed her surname on Facebook to Thompson, wrote alongside the pictures. 'Started off as a penpal journey and now husband and wife. Super happy right now.' She added: 'I know it's crazy. The whole thing is crazy but I don't regret it.' Ms Brennan has promised her friends that she'll have an 'actual wedding when he is out,' according to The Sun. She met Thompson on writeaprisoner.com, a website that links single women to inmates He is due to be released in 2023. She also told pals that she can spend a night with Thompson in the New Year when she returns to California. Ms Brennan, who split from the father of her children five years ago, has been messaging Thompson for more than a year. According to pictures on Facebook, he has sent her children birthday cards during that period. He described himself as 'passionate, optimistic and loving' on his Write A Prisoner profile, which has since been deleted. He claimed he was looking for 'someone that I couldn't imagine living my life without.' Thompson was jailed for seven years and eight months in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges including possession of a firearm, according to The Sun. He had also been sentenced to two years and four months for possession of a controlled substance in 2012. Thompson is serving a jail term of almost eight years for gun and drug offences at Mule Creek State Prison (pictured) in California He was jailed for 100 days in 2007 after pleading no contest to burglary, court records show. Thompson is serving his sentence at Mule Creek State Prison, which has previously housed criminal cult leader Charles Manson. The prison became the only California state prison exclusively for Sensitive Needs Yards (SNY) inmates in 2005. SNY inmates are separated from the general prison population for their own safety. Many are informants, gang dropouts, sex offenders and former police officers. Apple boss Tim Cook has revealed that he believes new regulations for the tech industry are 'inevitable' following the Facebook privacy scandal. Cook's comments come as rival Facebook faces mounting political pressure as the debate surrounding regulation rumbles on. During an interview that was aired on HBO yesterday, Cook admitted that although he isn't a 'big fan' of regulation the free market is no longer working. He said: 'This is not a matter of privacy versus profits, or privacy versus technical innovation. That's a false choice. 'Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of regulation. Apple boss Tim Cook has revealed that he believes new regulations for the tech industry are 'inevitable' following the Facebook privacy scandal (Cook at an Apple event in October) 'I'm a big believer in the free market. But we have to admit when the free market is not working. And it hasn't worked here. He added that he believes that at some point Congress will pass a bill on a new form of regulation for the industry. Before the interview was aired, Facebook grappled to contain the controversy surrounding the social media site following Russian interference and the data leak to Cambridge Analytica, as they were accused of dishonourable tactics. Part of these tactics, first reported by the New York Times, was allegedly collaborating with Republican consultancy Definers to tarnish Facebook's rivals on it's behalf. Cook's comments come as rival Facebook faces mounting political pressure as the debate surrounding regulation rumbles on (pictured Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg) These claims included posting articles suggesting that both Apple and Google carried out 'unsavoury business practices'. One of these smear articles called Cook a hypocrite for slamming Facebook for its privacy agenda. Facebook has slashed claims that it paid the consultancy to issue negative articles about its competitors and has since ended its contract with them. According to Definers their Apple work was financed by another technology company other than Facebook, reported the NYT Network. Cook said that he believes that at some point Congress will pass a bill on a new form of regulation for the industry (file photo) Another claim made about Facebook is that bosses told their employees to scrap their iPhones in favour of Andriod devices, however they argued that this is because Andriod has the largest operating system. During the interview with the Axios website Cook was asked to explain why Apple received an estimated fee of billions of dollars per annum to be their phone's default search engine. Cook was quick to defend the choice and urged that Google's search engine was the best while drawing attention to what they have managed to do with the controls including private web browsing. Over the last two years U.S. politicians have been debating the best way to regulate the technology industry on topics such as privacy and political advertising. The companies they are debating on have slowly come to terms with the federal privacy legislation, in an apparent bid to deter from the strict rules of California. Hoping to prove their new transparency some have also backed the Honest Ads Act, which covers political advertisement on social media. Cook previously targeted Facebook following the data leak revaluations, suggesting that Apple could massively profit from 'monetising' their customers. However he added that their customer is not their product and they have not elected to do that. Facebook claimed on Thursday that Cook has 'constantly criticised our business model. Following the latest allegations against Facebook Democratic senators said they were 'gravely concerned' Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, Chris Coons and Richard Blumenthal said in a statement: 'Both elected officials and the general public have rightfully questioned whether Facebook is capable of regulating its own conduct.' An Ikea store in Italy has drawn praise for opening its doors to stray dogs to keep them warm and dry during the winter months. The shop's staff in Catania, Italy, have even pampered and fed the dogs, with some of the lucky canines going on to be adopted by staff. A video shared on Facebook shows a couple of the dogs happily lounging between the store's furniture displays. Noah Romley posted this image to Instagram saying this stray knows how to 'live its best life' It was shared by Martine Taccia who said she was 'amazed' by the gesture. 'A good initiative to shelter the strays while it's raining outside,' she wrote in Italian on her Facebook post. 'My reaction was pure amazement, It's not a common thing,' she added, speaking to animal website, The Dodo. This pooch, grooming itself, perched itself at the bottom of the store's Christmas tree A Facebook video shows a couple of the dogs happily lounging between displays The shop's staff in Catania, Italy have even pampered, fed and adopted some of the dogs Her video of the adorable dogs is now approaching one million views on Facebook alone. Other people have taken to the internet to share their praise for Ikea, who are no strangers to animal welfare. In 2014, the retailer partnered up with animal welfare groups in a project called 'Home For Hope'. A woman lies on a display bed and pampers a lucky pooch on the carpet next to her As part of the initiative, standing displays of dogs were placed among the store's furniture to attract potential adopters. Ikea outlets that took part in the campaign included those in the United States and Singapore, most Ikea stores in the UK have a strict no dogs policy unless it is an assistance dog. Ms Beppe Liotta, a customer in the store, told The Dodo of the make-shift dog hostel: 'I felt great happiness at seeing dogs crouched in the exhibition space at the entrance of the Ikea.' Another user commented: 'What an absolutely fantastic thing to do! Showing such compassion to these poor creatures is a fine example to us all.' Viewers who missed Peter Jackson's First World War masterpiece 'They Shall Not Grow Old' today begged the BBC to put it back on iPlayer after it was deleted after just seven days. The documentary about the horrors of the Great War, first broadcast on Remembrance Sunday, has been called the 'must watch' TV highlight of the year. But it was only on BBC iPlayer for a week until midnight last night - not the 30 days for the majority of TV shows and films - with many saying it was 'too important to be taken down so soon'. Mr Jackson's moving epic, created by colourising footage from the Imperial War Museums archive, was even co-produced by BBC Films but it can no longer be seen online. Fans are today asking the BBC to reverse its decision - but the corporation has said a 'rights issues' forced them to delete it last night and it has failed to give any more detail. Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old has been called a masterpiece but the decision only to have it on iPlayer for a week has caused major disquiet The film took four years to make and transformed black and white footage kept by the Imperial War Museum to colour There is growing anger over the decision not to have the documentary available for all to see for more than a week The BBC has only responded to people online and is blaming a 'rights issue' for the seven day limit In one tweet to an upset licence fee payer the BBC said: 'They Shall Not Grow Old is expiring tonight due to rights reasons. We hope you understand, and we do hope you got a chance to see it'. A spokesman declined to comment further. Although They Shall Not Grow Old is no longer on iPlayer it is being shown in selected UK cinemas until the end of the year. There are plans for the film to come out on DVD and Blu-Ray - with Amazon taking pre-orders for 10 and 15 respectively - but no release date has yet been set. Viewer Gabi Gutteridge asked the BBC: 'Is there any way that you can keep They Shall Not Grow Old available for longer (indeed forever?) as it's too important a piece of work to be taken down so soon. So moving.' Lorna Branton tweeted shortly after midnight last night: 'Stayed up far too late to watch They Shall Not Grow Old only minutes before it disappeared from iPlayer. She added: 'It should be available for longer than a week.' Another viewer, called Claire, tweeted to the BBC this morning: 'Have you removed They Shall Not Grow Old? I hadn't finished watching it!' And Mimi Walsh said: 'Why has this programme only been made available on iPlayer for seven days, particularly as it's a BBC Films co-production? 'It should be one year. It is, at times, very distressing and a very hard watch. The colourisation and occasional sound bring it "alive". Bravo, Peter Jackson.' Other said the programme had been on iPlayer for 'far too short a timeframe' and that it was a 'shame this is only available for a week - it should be a fixture'. A further viewer said: Apparently They Shall Not Grow Old will only be available on iPlayer for a week! Really? A week! If anything deserves an extended life on iPlayer it is this documentary which exemplifies the BBCs Reithian values. The majority of programmes or films are kept on BBC iPlayer for licence fee payers to watch for up to 30 days. The BBC's own films and TV shows can be kept online for up to a year - but some movies, usually big budget Hollywood productions, are not made available on iPlayer at all. BBC One showed David Brent: Life on the Road on Saturday night - another BBC Films production - but this has been made available on iPlayer for the normal 30-day period - not the week agreed for They Shall Not Grow Old. There are growing calls for the BBC to reverse its decision and make the film available again Sir Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old brings to life a scene from the battlefield of the Great War with men on horses They Shall Not Grow Old was watched by an average of 2.1million viewers and a peak of 2.4million when it was broadcast on BBC Two on Remembrance Sunday. But it is likely millions more have watched on iPlayer with many scrambling to watch it before it expired last night. It is going to be shown in UK schools going forward. MailOnline has also approached Mr Jackson's production company WingNut Films for comment. Peter Jackson revealed last week he would not be here today had his grandfather William not been shot in the war. The soldier, who fought alongside JRR Tolkien during the First World War, was so badly injured during the conflict he was able to return to Britain. This meant he was able to get married to Jacksons grandmother Harriet in 1917 and have five sons. If that German machine gunner hadnt hit my grandfather on that day, I wouldnt be alive now, the New Zealand director said. Its weird. I wish I knew who he was. I would buy his family a bottle of Schnapps. Jackson, 57, who spent four years restoring 100 hours of footage to create the acclaimed war documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, had a lifelong interest in the First World War due to his family history. His grandfather joined the 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers in 1910 and went on to fight at Tsingtao, Gallipoli, the Somme, Passchendaele and Cambrai. Jackson never met the former sergeant - one of the first British soldiers to go into combat in 1914 - as he died in 1940 at the age of 51. Stills from They Shall Not Grow Old by Peter Jackson show soldiers examining weapons on the battlefield of the First World War The Lord of the Rings director spent hours turning black and white war images into coloured footage that looks as if it was shot today The DVD is available for pre-order but it is not yet known when it will be released But he heard stories about the man who won a Distinguished Conduct Medal at Gallipoli, which is kept in a brass tin, stamped with the head of Queen Mary. In fact, it was down to his grandfather, who fought with the Anzacs at Gallipoli, that his father, also William, emigrated to New Zealand on the Atlantis on after World War II. The director, whose Lord of the Rings trilogy grossed more than 1.8 billion, created the film using original footage from the Imperial War Museum's film archive and audio from BBC archives, all given for free. He colourised the footage, converted it to 3D and transformed it with modern production techniques. He said: I wanted to reach through the fog of time and pull these men into the modern world. So they can regain their humanity once more - rather than be seen only as Charlie Chaplin-type figures in the vintage archive film. By using our computing power to erase the technical limitations of 100-year-old cinema, we can see and hear the Great War as they experienced it. Jackson also said he is hoping people will come forward to tell him who the men featured in the 90-minute documentary are. Ive been looking at the faces in this movie for two or three years now and with so many of them I wonder, Whats their name? Where did they come from? Did they survive the war? Was their life good? Were they happy?, he told The Times. I hope that people who do see this film, especially after its on TV, I hope they come forward and say: Yes, that was my grandfather And Id like to encourage them to do so. If you recognise anyone of your family, please make yourself known, put your hand up and say so. Because if we could start to put names to these people, then that would be fantastic. A New York captain allegedly threatened to 'kill' his juniors as he faces fresh calls to step down amid a bullying scandal. Captain Kenneth S. Noonan was recorded making the shocking statement while he was serving as a commander at the 123 Precinct on Staten Island in April 2017. He is to be promoted to deputy inspector this week despite backlash from colleagues. In the audio recording obtained by the New York Post, Noonan allegedly says during a supervisors meeting: 'The old culture of the one-two-three precinct is dead - is dead. And anyone who wants to cling to that culture, I'm going to kill at this point, OK?' Captain Kenneth S. Noonan of 123rd Precinct, Staten Island, who is set to be promoted this week despite bullying allegations he threatened to 'kill' underlings He continues, 'People will either acclimate, or I'll kill them.' The NYPD sergeants union protested outside the the station over the weekend, according to the New York paper. One unnamed cop told the New York Post: 'He makes his bones on us and then treats us like dirt. 'He likes picking on new guys because they don't know what a crap cop he was.' Noonan has been criticized for his belligerent pushing of quotas. NYPD's 123rd Precinct where protesters gathered on the weekend with trucks bearing slogans opposed to Noonan The unnamed officer continued: 'Guy kissed a** to get up the cop ladder. He's essentially a paper cop, a phony.' The NYPD refused to comment as trucks bearing slogans against Noonan were parked outside the station. But the head of Noonan's union reportedly defended him, saying he had expressed 'frustration' over a lack of 'discipline.' Noonan has made no comment. Tyrone Patrick - who claimed he ran Sale Moor housing estate in Greater Manchester - is accused of stabbing Michael Grimshaw to death after threatening his fiancee A thug who claimed he 'ran' a Manchester housing estate stabbed a bridegroom-to-be to death after threatening his fiancee, a court has heard. Tyrone Patrick launched the knife attack on Michael Grimshaw after his wife-to-be Michelle Pook went to the aid of a vulnerable neighbour in Sale, a jury were told. Civil engineer Mr Grimshaw, 34, suffered a 12cm knife wound that penetrated his lung and died in hospital on July 20 last year. Patrick jumped up and down after the attack and said: 'That's what happens - this is my estate, I run it,' the court heard. The 33 year old denies murder. Manchester Crown Court heard Patrick - who has four gold chips on his top front teeth - had gatecrashed a party on the Sale Moor housing estate, before being kicked out by the homeowner for snorting cocaine. He was then seen in an argument with a neighbour, known as 'Jibz', of victim Mr Grimshaw and his partner Ms Pook. Ms Pook went out to see if the neighbour needed help and was branded a 'slag' by one of Patrick's friends, and told to 'f*** off' prosecutors say. Michael Grimshaw was knifed outside the home he shared with fiancee Michelle Pook When Mr Grimshaw came out he was stabbed in the neck and collapsed, the court heard. Prosecutor Rob Hall told the jury: 'Tyrone Patrick saw himself as something of a major player in the area and he carried a knife on him just in case anybody needed reminded who was the boss. 'On the night in question, a combination of Tyrone Patrick taking cocaine and drinking alcohol and Michael Grimshaw challenging him, resulted in the defendant using a knife with devastating consequences.' Civil engineer Mr Grimshaw came out of the house after hearing his fiancee being abused and was stabbed moments later The prosecutor continued: 'Tyrone Patrick asked Jibz for a cigarette and he responded that he didn't have one. Michelle Pook heard that and told the three to leave him alone. Tyrone Patrick then told her to 'f*** off' and that, sadly, was the trigger that led to what followed. 'The comment was heard by Michael Grimshaw who challenged him on how he spoke to Michelle Pook. When challenged about his comment, the defendant, rather than backing down, invited Michael Grimshaw to a fight. 'At this point, Tyrone Patrick and Michael Grimshaw were in reaching distance of each other. The defendant quickly produced a knife and, with it in his hand, he quickly stabbed Michael Grimshaw in the neck. It entered at a depth of 12cm. 'Such was the speed of that stab, Michael Grimshaw could do nothing to prevent it from happening.' Describing the incident in a statement, Ms Pook said: 'Mike came out and said 'what are you saying?' but one of the males replied 'get back into your f***ing house'. Mike went out into the street and I came out and stood behind him. 'One of the shorter males stood in front of Mike and threw a punch. Then I heard one of the males say 'get the knife out', but before anything else could happen, I turned to see blood coming out of Michael's neck. It happened so quickly, I never saw a knife in anybody's hand. 'I don't remember much after that. As soon as I saw the blood, I started screaming. Michael shouted 'call an ambulance', so I did. He was on the floor with his eyes open, but there was nothing there.' The attack happened on this street on the Sale Moor housing estate in July last year Witness Craig Churchill, 28, said: 'Michael went outside with his hands up in the air like he was surrendering. He didn't want to fight them. He wasn't being aggressive, he just wanted to find out what was going on and why were they picking on a woman. 'But Tyrone had his hands under his top to look like he was going to draw something. I thought he was just trying to intimidate Michael, just trying to scare him. It looked like they were starting to scrap. Tyrone had his arms up and he swung for Micheal. A witness said Mr Grimshaw was not being aggressive at the time he was stabbed 'Michael looked like he was going to do the same. He looked like he was either going to throw a punch or he was covering his face. I didn't see a reaction at first from Michael, but then, a couple of seconds later, I saw him stumble back.' 'Tyrone then stepped back and said 'that's what happens, this is my estate, I run it.' He was happy, he was jumping up and down like he had done himself proud. He showed absolutely no concern for Michael.' 'I remember Michelle screaming. Michael came towards me holding his nose saying 'call and ambulance'. Then I realised it wasn't his nose, it was actually his neck. I could see that he had a hole in his neck and there was blood coming out - it was like a tap. He took about four or five steps towards me and he collapsed.' 'I tried chasing them down the road, but I only got a couple of houses up and I realised that I couldn't catch them.' Referring to the attack Mr Churchill said: 'It was just uncalled for, no reason for it at all. Michael was charming and he would do anything for anyone.' Patrick, from Stretford, was arrested two months after the murder. In interview, he denied stabbing Mr Grimshaw but declined to comment further saying he was 'scared for the safety of his family.' He denies murder. The trial continues. A New Jersey landlord who refused to rent to a black mother, telling her it was a 'n***er free zone,' has been charged with discrimination. John Graham's vile text message exchange with the complainant was launched after she contacted him when she saw the advert on Craigslist, on February 2 2017. The Paramus Daily Voice reported an investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was launched after Graham wrote a slew of racist messages. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC, which judged John Graham should be charged with discrimination The mother asked, 'Do you have any pictures for the two-bedroom apartment?' And Graham replied, 'No thank you. Do not make the cut.' When asked why, he wrote: 'N***er free zone. White power white power.' The mom then replied, 'Learn how to wash your a** you racist.' And Graham replied, 'Ill have my slave clean it for me.' She had called a few days before and decided to text instead after he hung up and refused to answer. Graham owns three properties and ended up renting the property for $1,450 per month to others, just two weeks after his exchange with the black woman. HUD issued an order last month, saying: 'The Secretary of HUD, through the office of the General Counsel, hereby charges Respondent with engaging in discriminatory housing practices.' The case will now be sent before a judge who can order punitive damages to be awarded to the complainant. The British government has been criticised for not offering asylum to a Christian Pakistani woman freed from death row after her blasphemy conviction was overturned. Asia Bibi, 53, who was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed in 2010, has gone into hiding following her release, due to the threats against her and her family's life. Experts say Ms Bibi and her husband and children will need to leave Pakistan for their own safety, but so far no formal offers of asylum have been made - despite calls for the UK to step up to the plate. Controversial: Asia Bibi, 53, was sentenced to death in 2010, after being accused of insulting Islam during an argument over a water bowl with a group of Muslim women in Punjab The British Pakistani Christian Association (BCPA) called the refusal to offer her asylum - a decision allegedly taken out of fear for the safety of the staff at the UK consulate in Islamabad - 'shocking'. Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of The BPCA which is running a petition calling on the UK and the US to stop foreign aid to Pakistan, said: 'Britain has historically had a quick response to come to the aid of those suffering human rights abuses. 'But a Christian mother of five who has been exonerated from her blasphemy conviction has not been offered asylum. 'Asia Bibi bravely held strong to her faith and convictions despite knowing simply converting to Islam could have set her free.' A week after being freed from jail, Ms Bibi remains in limbo, with negotiations apparently under way to allow her to leave the country despite objections from Islamist hardliners demanding her execution. Since the Supreme Court overturned Bibi's conviction last month, Pakistan has been rattled by violent protests from Islamists calling for her beheading, for mutiny in the armed forces and for the murder of the country's top judges. During last week's Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May pledged to protect Ms Bibi, but stopped short of offering her and her family asylum in the UK United on Bibi: Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have both pushed for Ms Bibi to be granted asylum in the UK Blasphemy is a massively inflammatory issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and Prophet Mohammed can lead to lynchings and murders. During last week's Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May pledged to protect Ms Bibi, but stopped short of offering her and her family asylum in the UK. The delay in offering asylum to Ms Bibi and her family was cited by Conservative Party vice-chairman Rehman Chisti as one of the two reasons for his resignation on Thursday. Chishti, MP for Gillingham and Rainham in Kent, said he was 'very disappointed by the lack of leadership shown by the Government' to do the 'morally right thing'. Other senior UK politicians who have called for Ms Bibi to be offered asylum include former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who branded Britain's reluctance to offer asylum to Mrs Bibi 'an act of shameful cowardice'. As the UK drags its heels, talks are under way with Canada to secure a safe future there for Mrs Bibi and her husband and their children. France and Italy are both believed to be on the brink of making an official offer too. Rumours are rife in Pakistan that Ms Bibi has already left the country, with fake reports claiming she met with Pope Francis in the Vatican. Islamist supporters of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal protesting against Mrs Bibi's release in Pakistan's most populous city, Karachi on November 8 Ashiq Masih (left), Asia Bibi's husband (left) with their daughters Esha (centre) and Esham (right) at their residence in Lahore on October 31, 2014 The Pakistani government has repeatedly stated that Bibi is being held in a secure location in Pakistan after being released from a prison in central Multan last week, though her exact whereabouts are unknown. Last week, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reiterated the government's position, saying: 'We have clarified earlier and we clarify it again. She has not gone abroad. She is here. There is no controversy.' Ms Bibi, a mother-of-five, is not being allowed to leave the country as her case is subjected to a final review. The review was prompted by a petition filed by the hardline Islamist Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party - a petition allowed as part of an agreement between the TLP and the Pakistani government to halt days of violent protests which followed her successful appeal. The petition essentially checks to see if any procedural or clerical errors were made by the court during its final ruling. If there were not, then the decision will stand. The chances of the apex court's acquittal being overturned are slim, according to Bibi's lawyer. The TLP has vowed to return to the streets if Ms Bibi leaves the country. Ms Bibi's case outraged Christians worldwide and has been a source of division within Pakistan, where two politicians who sought to help her were assassinated, including Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was shot by his own bodyguard. Happier times: Asia Bibi is seen with her two youngest children Eisham, left, and her sister Esha, right, who has learning difficulties - now aged 18 and 17 The allegations against Ms Bibi date back to 2009, when she was working in a field near her home village in Sheikhupura, Punjab and was asked to fetch water. The Muslim women she was labouring with objected, saying that as a non-Muslim Ms Bibi was unfit to drink from the same water bowl as them. Ms Bibi would later say that the women insulted her religion, to which she responded: 'I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Mohammed ever do to save mankind?' This prompted the Muslim women to go to a local imam and accuse Ms Bibi of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed. Before Ms Bibi could be arrested on any official charges, a violent mob descended on their family home, and beat Ms Bibi up in front of her children. The abuse was so violent, police were called to the scene, but after rescuing the mother-of-five, they arrested her and threw her in jail - and a year later she was convicted of blasphemy. Blasphemy is a charge so sensitive in Pakistan that anyone even accused of insulting Islam risks a violent and bloody death at the hands of vigilantes. The charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of death under legislation that rights groups say is routinely abused by religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores. The law does not define what blasphemy constitutes, and evidence is often not reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offence. Despite this, calls for reform of the blasphemy law have regularly been met with violence and rejected. Bradlei Binns has been attacked and verbally abused since he began secondary school An autistic schoolboy is being bullied and attacked because of the blue-tinted glasses that help him see. Bradlei Binns, 11, from Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, has been attacked and verbally abused since he began secondary school in September, due to his Asperger's syndrome. He also has his Irlens syndrome - a visual processing disorder - which means Bradlei must always wear blue-tinted glasses, which help him process what he sees. But the glasses have been the target of several spiteful social media messages from people calling Bradlei ugly and asking 'why he doesn't kill himself'. And the abuse took a step up last Friday, when Bradlei was followed home by a fellow pupil, who dealt several blows to Bradlei's ribs and head. Bradlei's mother Leigh Binns, a town councillor for Stonehouse said police are now investigating it as a hate crime, because Bradlie was targeted due to his Aspergers. The mother-of-three, 40, said the incident started with the boy following Bradlei and then pulling at his bag. She said: 'Brad told him to stop and the next thing he knew, this boy had him on the floor.' The assault took place at around 3.10pm last Friday in the Oldends area of Stonehouse, as Bradlei was about halfway home from Maidenhill School. And Mrs Binns said that several people drove past the assault without stopping to help - until a van driver yelled at the bully and scared him off, and offered Bradlei a ride home. Bradlei pictured with his mother Leigh Binns, who says the police are now investigating the latest attack on her son as a hate crime Mrs Binns said: 'It's a bit upsetting that other people drove past without helping. I understand it was scary but anything could have happened to Brad.' And the mother, who is also a Scout leader at Bradlei's Scouts group, added: 'He has been bullied since the first week of school. 'The first time was on Snapchat with children telling him how ugly he was and asking why he doesn't kill himself. 'He's been attacked in school corridors and he got a burst nose from being punched. Bradlei Binns, pictured with his brother and sister, has been picked on because of his Asperger's and his blue tinted glasses, his mother says 'People are constantly hitting him and telling him he is worthless. He doesn't want to go out.' She added that Bradlei has to wear blue-tinted glasses for his Irlen syndrome, which help him to process visual information - and that these make him a target for bullies. Abusive social media messages sent to Bradlei include 'you will never be anything more than ugly' and 'you can put gel in your hair but you will always be ugly'. What is Irlen Syndrome? Irlen syndrome, also referred to as Meares-Irlen Syndrome, Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome and Visual Stress is a perceptual processing disorder. It is not an optical problem, but it is a problem with the brain's ability to process individual information. It is a condition that tends to run in families. It can affect academic and work performance, behaviour, attention, the ability to sit still, and concentration. Source: Irlen.com Advertisement Mrs Binns says Bradlei has stopped going on social media because of the abuse, adding: 'That's the sort of thing that keeps kids awake at night.' He is regularly being called an offensive term for someone with disabilities, his mum says. 'We are still living in the dark ages when you have kids going round calling each other s******s.' She said Bradlei is very shaken up following the assault, which has left him with aching ribs and a lump on the side of his head. But he has been cheered up by two friends visiting to ask if he is OK and give him some sweets. And she said Maidenhill School has been 'brilliant and very supportive' in dealing with the bullying incidents, which the school has said they will begin to investigate today. Mrs Binns described her son, who wishes to work in the media one day, as 'amazing', and that he he enjoys scout activities and helping the community by picking up litter. A Gloucestershire police spokesman confirmed the incident was reported to the force. Advertisement These incredible images show two stallions locked in a dramatic battle. Samantha Couper, 28, a geophysicist, snapped the horses as they fought viciously on a field in Utah. Her photographs show a white stallion and its chestnut rival rearing up on their hind legs as they go head to head. Couper's split-second photography captured the stallions' manes blowing as the pair lash out with their front legs. A white stallion was captured locked in a fierce battle with a chestnut rival on a field in Utah in the United States Samantha Couper, 28, a geophysicist, snapped the horses as the white stallion grabbed its chestnut rival's mane with its teeth The white stallion is seen grabbing the chestnut horse by his mane and biting its neck. Couper described the fight as 'aggressive' and said missing patches of fur can be seen on the chestnut stallion. 'It was aggressive to say the least,' she said. 'You can even see missing patches of fur and red skin on the chestnut stallion in a few photos.' She also said she was intrigued about the lives of these two stallions. 'What was the history of these two stallions? Was this their first fight?' she said. 'If not, did their interactions begin as play when they were foals and develop as they matured?' Her photographs show a white stallion and its chestnut rival rearing up on their hind legs as they go head to head Couper described the fight as 'aggressive' and said missing patches of fur can be seen on the chestnut stallion 'It was aggressive to say the least,' she said. 'You can even see missing patches of fur and red skin on the chestnut stallion in a few photos' Bekezela Bhebe is accused of faking his own death to cash in on a 400,000 life insurance policy. He denies the charge A woman pretended her husband was dead to claim 400,000 on his life insurance, a court has heard. Bekezela Bhebhe, 52, faked his own death between 1 August and 30 September 2016, it is claimed. Zimbabwean Bhebe appeared at City of London Magistrates Court where he denied one count of fraud by false representation. His South African wife Thulile Bhebhe, 49, admitted the same charge at the hearing. Prosecutor Julian Pozimski told magistrates: 'This is a case involving the provision of a life insurance policy of 397, 153.' He said that, if found guilty, Mr Bhebe, could get up to five years in prison and so the case should be heard at a Crown Court. Bhebhe's South African wife admitted fraud and will be sentenced at a later date Magistrate Colin Bateman-Jones told the couple: 'The question of Mr Bhebhe's guilt will be a matter for a trial.' Bekezela Bhebhe, of Hayes, Middlesex, will appear at Inner London Crown Court on December 13. Thulile Bhebhe, of the same address, will be sentenced after her husband's trial has concluded. The couple were released on unconditional bail. Advertisement At first glance, these images might look like a celebration of Halloween - but they actually show a Thanksgiving tradition was popular more than a century ago. Decades before trick-or-treating became a popular Halloween custom,Thanksgiving celebrations saw mostly poor children parade through the streets in costume wearing painted faces or donning unsettling masks to beg adults for money, candy or fruit. The now forgotten custom of 'Thanksgiving Masking' was practised by both children and adults in cities all over the country in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was especially popular in New York City where so many boys and girls dressed as beggars that Thanksgiving Day took on a nickname - Ragamuffin Day. 'Parades of ragamuffins sometimes called 'fantastics' because of the costumes can be dated at least to 1891,' historian Carmen Nigro told NPR. These historical images, taken in New York City circa 1910 to 1915, show children dressed up like adults. Some have their faces painted and others have donned frightening masks. A band of children taking part in the tradition of Thanksgiving Masking are pictured in costume, with some wearing masks In the late 19th and early 20th century, Thanksgiving celebrations saw mostly poor children parade through the streets in costume wearing painted faces or unsettling masks Tom Baber, who was formerly the Library of Congress' teacher in residence, researched the tradition. 'Often, when we think of Thanksgiving, we think of traditions customs passed down from generation to generation, grandparent or parent to child,' he wrote in a post on the Library of Congress website. 'Traditions seem everlasting, but primary sources can show how Thanksgiving traditions change over time. 'Take, for instance, the tradition of the Thanksgiving Maskers in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century.' He explained how news articles from the time revealed 'layers to the tradition.' 'One article details that it was common for boys to dress as girls and girls as boys, asking adults on the street for money, candy, or fruit,' he wrote. 'Another article shares that not reciprocating may have resulted in a child blowing a horn in your ear or hitting you with a flour-filled sack.' The tradition saw children dressed as adults or boys dressed as girls or vice versa parading through the streets on Thanksgiving Day It was especially popular in New York City, where so many boys and girls dressed as beggars that Thanksgiving Day took on a nickname - Ragamuffin Day The now forgotten custom of 'Thanksgiving Masking' was practiced by both children and adults in cities all over the country in the late 19th and early 20th century One article from The River Press in November 1911 reports the custom is thought to have originated with New York's foreign-born population One article from the era noted that adults who didn't hand over money might get a child blowing a horn in their ear or find themselves hit with a flour-filled sack Revelers dressed as 'Fausts, Filipinos, Mephistos, Boers, Uncle Sams, John Bulls, Harlequins, bandits, sailors, soldiers in khaki suits,' the New York Times observed in 1899 Revelers dressed as 'Fausts, Filipinos, Mephistos, Boers, Uncle Sams, John Bulls, Harlequins, bandits, sailors, soldiers in khaki suits,' the New York Times observed in 1899. Other articles present the tradition as disruptive rather than festive. He added: 'Reports have children numbering in the thousands with varying accounts of the origin of the tradition.' Although the origins of the tradition are unclear, one article from The River Press in November 1911 reports it is thought to have originated with New York's foreign-born population. 'The custom is believed to have been originated by the foreign born population of the big city, who, while they have no Thanksgiving in their own lands, make use of other holidays for carnival masquerades and seized upon Thanksgiving for that purpose after coming to America,' the article reports. So many people took part in the Thanksgiving Masking festivities that the Los Angeles Times reported in 1927 that Thanksgiving was 'the busiest time of the year for the manufacturers of and dealers in masks and false faces.' It added: 'The fantastical costume parades and the old custom of making and dressing up for amusement on Thanksgiving day keep up from year to year in many parts of the country, so that the quantity of false faces sold at this season is enormous.' So many people took part in the Thanksgiving Masking festivities that the Los Angeles Times reported in 1927 that Thanksgiving was 'the busiest time of the year for the manufacturers of and dealers in masks and false faces' Some thought the custom of 'dressing in old clothes, many sizes too large, painting their faces or putting on masks' was 'here to stay' A New York Tribune article on November 21, 1909, dated the tradition back to about 1870. 'Those of you who have always lived in New York do not think of this Thanksgiving game of ragamuffin as a strange custom, but the strangers coming to our city are greatly surprised, and ask what it means,' Reverend James M. Farrar is quoted as saying. Farrar thought the custom of 'dressing in old clothes, many sizes too large, painting their faces or putting on masks' was 'here to stay.' But by 1930, some New Yorkers were ready to move on, according to a post on New York Public Library's website. In 1937, organizations like the Madison Square Boys Club were having Thanksgiving parades in a bid 'to discourage the Thanksgiving ragamuffins.' By 1940, that parade had grown in size to more than 400 children and sported the slogan: 'American boys do not beg.' In the 1950s, the popularity of Ragamuffin parades waned as they were overshadowed by the a much larger event - the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Young children are seen dressed in costumes for Thanksgiving Masking - with one on the right donning an unsettling mask A young boy is seen carrying a turkey home for Thanksgiving. Turkey, pork, apples, figs and mince pies were traditionally eaten for Thanksgiving at the time Michael Gove and Liam Fox endorsed the Prime Minister's Brexit plans today prompting speculation the so-called 'gang of five' Leave ministers are splitting. The Environment Secretary said Theresa May was doing a 'good job' while the Trade Secretary said the PM deserved support in her fight for a deal with Brussels. Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt emerged today to insist she was still working inside government for the 'best deal possible'. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling are yet to make clear their position on the deal. All five decided to stay in the Cabinet last week despite a massive Brexiteer revolt and Mrs Leadsom is understood to be fighting for them to present a united front. The Commons leader has convened a series of meetings dubbed the 'pizza club' ahead of previous Cabinet meetings. But a proposed breakfast meeting today never happened and no further talks are currently planned before tomorrow's Cabinet - despite this being the final week of negotiations on the proposed EU-UK trade deal outline. Michael Gove (pictured leaving home today) said the 'Prime Minister is doing a very good job' and said she had his 'full support' when asked if he would resign without changes The focus is on the final days of the negotiations about the future trade deal, due to be finalised by an emergency EU summit on Sunday. Mr Gove said today the 'Prime Minister is doing a very good job' and said she had his 'full support' when asked if he would resign without changes. He told TV crews: 'I think it is important they give the Prime Minister all the support they can to ensure she concludes a deal in the best interests of Britain.' Dr Fox struck a firmly loyal tone writing in the Telegraph today. He said: 'The Cabinet gave collective agreement to proceed to the next stage of negotiation. 'Mrs May has handled a difficult situation with enormous patience, great dignity and resilience. The so-called 'gang of five' all opted to stay in Cabinet last week despite a massive Brexiteer revolt over Theresa May's draft deal 'I know she will always act in what she believes to be the national interest. She has acknowledged that, like many of us, she has reservations about some of the issues but it is, after all, a negotiation. 'She deserves no less than our support to make her case to the EU and bring it back to Parliament for approval.' Ms Mordaunt swerved questions about whether she was still considering her position as she left home today. She told Sky News: 'I'll be working with the whole of the Cabinet to get the best deal possible for the United Kingdom.' The Prime Minister is mounting another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels today despite the rising threat of a no-confidence vote by her own MPs. Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, Mrs May will make clear that there is no prospect of reopening the talks. EU foreign ministers underlined the message as they arrived at a meeting in Brussels today, warning the package on the table is the 'best there is'. Meanwhile, senior Tory figures have tried to head off a mutiny by MPs, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher. Tory ex-leader Lord Howard also urged rebels to hold off, saying that while he personally opposes the Brexit deal it should be put to Parliament. Tory Eurosceptics say they expect a no-confidence vote to be triggered within days, as more MPs submit letters to be sent to 1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady within days. Mrs May has also been under pressure from a 'Gang of Five' ministers, led by Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom, who have been calling for modifications to the Northern Ireland backstop. Mrs Leadsom and Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt are said to be still considering resigning rather than endorsing the deal. But Mrs May will today say the arrangements have already been 'agreed in full' as she insists her settlement is a 'good one for the UK'. David Davis (pictured on ITV's Peston Show last month) today bizarrely quoted the Spice Girls as he urged Theresa May to ditch her hugely controversial Brexit plan, which he said would leave Britain trapped in the EU David Davis today bizarrely quoted the Spice Girls as he urged Theresa May to ditch her hugely controversial Brexit plan, which he said would leave Britain trapped in the EU. The Ex Brexit Secretary urged the beleaguered Prime Minister to heed the words of the 1990's girl band, saying: 'It really is time to stop right now, and say thank you very much.' Mr Davis - who has become an arch critic of the PM since quitting her Cabinet in fury in the summer over the talks with the EU - said her divorce deal has gone down 'like a lead balloon'. In a furious broadside at her plan on the ConservativeHome website, he blasted: 'This is not the Brexit they voted for. This proposal would keep the UK permanently trapped in EU institutions and under EU domination. 'This is not taking back control of borders, laws and money, which 17.4 million people voted for.' He urged the PM to go tear up her plan, go back to the negotiating table in Brussels, and get a Canada-style free trade deal instead. And in a fiery swipe at Mrs May, he said: 'What we need now is leadership and the courage and confidence to deliver for the UK.' He said Tory MPs and members have 'huge concerns' about the PM's deal and said ties with the EU should be cut so Britain can become a 'self-governing, free-trading nation. And picking up his Spice Girls analogy again, he said: 'Then we can stop being 'always on the run', look beyond Brexit and provide the 'human touch' by focusing on issues like housing, education, health and crime that matter so much in the lives of families up and down our country.' His fiery attack comes as Mrs May is facing another crunch week in Westminster as she battles to cling on in No10 amid a Tory Brexiteer coup to oust her. David Davis quoted from the Spice Girls (pictured) hit single Stop - but his choice of band risks backfiring as band member Geri Horner backed Theresa May in an interview last week and urged the country to unite behind her But Mr Davis' decision to quote the Spice Girls in his blistering attack risks backfiring as Geri Horner (formerly Halliwell) last week backed the PM in the Brexit talks. In an interview to promote their new tour, Horner said Mrs May is not in an 'easy position' and called for the country to support her. Defiant May says she has won a good Brexit deal Theresa May today insisted she has won a 'good' deal for Britain and is determined to deliver it - as she faced down rebel Cabinet ministers and Tory MPs. The Prime Minister mounted another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels despite the rising threat of a no-confidence vote by her own MPs. In a speech to business leaders, she said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. 'The agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfils the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum,' she said. 'Let no one be in any doubt. I am determined to deliver it.' Mrs May also urged the public to listen to businesses highlighting the threat to the economy from crashing out of the bloc, saying that such firms were 'providing your jobs that ensure that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family'. Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, the premier made clear that there is no prospect of reopening the divorce talks - saying the task now was to finalise the future trade framework. Hailing her deal, she said it means 'getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people... once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here.' Advertisement She told The Sun: 'Britain, come together whatever it is, come together and sort our solutions out together, that's the most important thing. 'We don't have to agree on politics, it's bigger than that. You can just support a woman doing the best she can and that's it.' The PM is desperately scrambling to drum up support for her Brexit deal after a barrage of attacks from all sides who have branded it a rubbish deal which does not deliver on the referendum. Mrs May spoke at the CBI conference in London this morning as she urged business chiefs to back her deal, insisting it protects jobs and the economy. The defiant PM said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. She said the priority in this 'intense week of negotiations' is to 'hammer out' the framework of the future trade deal. She told delegates that her agreement will create a level playing field on immigration that means EU nationals will no longer be able to 'jump the queue'. 'Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people... once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here,' she said. 'It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. 'Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. 'Not only will this deliver on the verdict of the referendum, it should lead to greater opportunity for young people in this country to access training and skilled employment.' But she faces a nail-biting few days in Westminster to see if Tory rebels manage to get the 48 letters needed to force a confidence vote in the PM. If they reach the all-important threshold, then they could topple her from office and start the firing gun on what could be a bitter and protracted leadership battle. The girlfriend of a man fitted with a 50,000 bionic penis has described their 'magical' first sexual encounter. Andrew Wardle, 46, has a one-in-20million health condition called bladder exstrophy, which means he was born with no penis, one testicle and his bladder outside his body. He suffered years of torment at school and turned to drugs in a bid to forget his health battle at the age of 18. But in 2012 he and his long-term girlfriend Fedra were thrown a lifeline by doctors who built him a new bladder - and a new penis. It wasn't until June this year that the couple were given the go ahead to have sex. Appearing on This Morning, Fedra described being able to have sex with Andrew as 'the cherry on top' of their relationship. Andrew Wardle, 46 (pictured left on This Morning today) and his girlfriend Fedra (pictured right) have finally had sex after years of waiting for him to be given a penis by surgeons She said: 'We got there. We built it in a different way, in an old school way, in a sense. 'He's my best friend, my partner in crime and we got there in just under six years.' The couple were going to go away to Amsterdam for their big night, but decided that would put too much pressure on the pair of them and stayed at home instead. Fedra added: 'It was really natural, it only lasted around 30 minutes. I was really nervous not to cause any pain, which is usually the other way around, isn't it. 'It was just really magical, because we know it so well, that was just the cherry on the top. It was just lovely to make the next step and open that door, but it wasn't forced. 'It was a bit cheesy to go Amsterdam, we're not that kind of people. 'I'm not that kind of woman who puts a bow on herself and sits on the bed.' Appearing on This Morning, Fedra (pictured on a trip to Amsterdam for Andrew's birthday this year) described being able to have sex with him as 'the cherry on top' of their relationship A diagram shows how Andrew underwent the third stage of his 50,000 phalloplasty or penile implant at University College London's Hospital in June this year Andrew, of Manchester, admitted it will take 'around two years' for his brain to create feelings of pleasure from a part of his body that has caused him years of physical and mental distress. He told hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes: 'It's still not quite there yet. 'They say it will take about two years to link [his penis with pleasure]. 'When I used to think of it as a child, it's just bullying, pure physical pain, mental pain. 'So to link it with pleasure I think it's near impossible, but I will get there.' The pair suffered a further delay to building their new sexual relationship when Andrew fell seriously ill after they went to Amsterdam for his birthday a few months later in September. Unconscious for five days, he initially thought he had pancreatic cancer before being told his liver was damaged, he was suffering gall stones and pancreatitis and he would have to have his gall bladder removed. He told MailOnline previously: 'I've never been through pain like that in my life and I've been through some pain. I was terrified that I would be dead within the year. Andrew, of Manchester (pictured on This Morning today) admitted it will take 'around two years' for his brain to create feelings of pleasure from a part of his body that has caused him years of physical and mental distress 'Although I now know I'm not going to die, it still feels ironic that I am unable to have sex as I have to be really careful not to raise my stress levels. 'Fedra and I are really keen to have children but obviously we've had to put that on hold until after the operations.' Asked on This Morning what it was like growing up with his condition, he said: 'It was horrendous. You link it with hospitals and operations. 'When you get to 12 or 13 you think, 'oh this is going to be bad,' and I was right, it was. 'When I was 18, I just hit the drugs and things got really bad. 'But it's fantastic what they've done at Harley Street and Westmoreland Street [hospitals]. It's mind boggling.' Surgeons in London used skin from Andrew's arm and took nerves from his back and other places in his body to give his bionic penis sensation. He had a 'three-week erection' after the surgery was finally completed, so all the new skin could be properly stretched. Andrew is pictured in hospital in September after he fell seriously ill just a few months after having sex for the first time. The health scare was unrelated to his bionic penis But afterwards surgeons gave him the green light to be intimate with his partner. Asked what the operations have done for his mental health, he replied: 'I can see a future now. 'That's why I used to take drugs, I couldn't see a future.' The couple say they will think about having children next year and will adopt if they can't conceive naturally. Andrew added: 'We're looking at that next year. I didn't want to put pressure on me or Fedra. If not, we will just adopt.' The 46-year-old said he wanted to document his journey in the media with TV appearances and newspaper articles to help others like him. He said: 'It helps a lot of people as well. People are going through it at Great Ormond Street at the moment. All they want to know is will it be okay. 'When I was born it was 1973, there wasn't the surgery then, but now there is. I do it to tell them 'your kids are going to be okay.' Urologist Dan Wood, of University College London Hospital, built Andrew a new bladder while David Ralph, a fellow urologist and specialist in genital reconstruction, created his penis. He had his first operation to remove his urostomy bag his urine had been diverted into a specially-converted stoma in February 2014. He now has a Mitrofanoff or catheter to enable him to go to the lavatory. Then, in November 2015, Mr Ralph operated on Andrew, building the penis from the skin, muscles and nerves in his left arm and the vein in his right leg. He had his third operation last December, when Mr Ralph inserted the reservoir component of his penile implant into his abdomen and capped it off. He and his team also sculpted the head of his penis. Then, in June, he was back on the operating table for two hours to have his phalloplasty completed. A moped gang armed with Samurai swords, a sledgehammer and an axe rammed a stolen car into a high-end jewellery store before stabbing a heroic passer-by when he tried to stop them, a court heard. Miguel St Martin, 21, Harry Doyle, 18, Reece Salmon, 22, and Alfie Warry, 21, are all accused of carrying out raids at Boodles jewellery store and Yves Saint Laurent in Mayfair. Builder Petar Dimov, who was working at a site opposite Boodles in London, ran across the road to intervene before he was set upon by the gang, jurors heard. Mr Dimov was slashed across the knees with a sword and stabbed in the back, leaving him with a permanent limp and battling a lung infection. A video grab of the inside of the jewellery store Boodles shows terrified staff fleeing as the car crashes into the shop Miguel St Martin, 21, Harry Doyle, 18, Reece Salmon, 22, and Alfie Warry, 21, are all accused of being part of the gang Miguel St Martin was the 'mastermind' behind the raids which took place at Boodles on March 26 this year and Yves Saint Laurent on April 24, Blackfriars Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Michael Shaw told the court five gang members dressed in black and crash helmets first targeted Boodles in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge. Armed with a deadly arsenal of weapons including axes, hammers and Samurai swords, they allegedly arrived on mopeds and with a stolen Land Rover. He said they attempted to use the Land Rover to smash into the side of the store before using a sledge hammer when that failed. Mr Dimov, who moved to Britain from Bulgaria 15 years ago, said he noticed the gang 'slowly' approach the shop on mopeds with covered number plates, before the Land Rover ploughed into the building on a busy Monday morning. He told jurors how he grappled with one gang member outside Boodles before the others piled in, slashing him with a sword and an axe. The gang rammed a stolen car into a luxury jewellery store before stabbing a have-a-go hero who tried to stop them This CCTV footage shows the moment a moped gang used a stolen car to attempt to smash into the luxury jewellery store Boodles Jurors heard he has been left with regular pain, blood circulation problems and a lung infection caused by the stab wound. In a statement Mr Dimov added: 'I can feel the wound in my back constantly. When I sit and lie down it is painful. 'For me this whole incident has affected me very deeply psychologically. It is far, far worse than the physical injuries. 'I am a big and physically strong man. I can deal with the pain and the physical discomfort but I am deeply troubled by the emotional aspects of this attack. 'I have no one to talk to about what happened to me. My wife is very upset [by it], so I don't want to talk to her about how I am feeling or what this incident has done to me as I don't want her to worry.' He also said he is now nervous of groups of young men and has anxiety brought on by the sound of mopeds and motorbikes. His statement added: 'I am very paranoid since the attack. I get up in the night and check the doors and windows to make sure they are locked. I really could have been seriously injured especially to be attacked with swords and axes. I feel lucky to still be alive.' Miguel St Martin was the 'mastermind' behind the raids which took place at Boodles on March 26 this year and Yves St Laurent on April 24, Blackfriars Crown Court heard CCTV from inside the store shows the gang looting Yves Saint Laurent in London's West End The robbers fled empty handed after they set off a burglar alarm which emits a smoke cloud. Mr Shaw said: 'Having attacked Mr Dimov they jumped back on their motorbikes leaving the Land Rover abandoned and rode back to Islington from where they all originate.' The prosecutor said they then attacked Yves Saint Laurent further down Sloane Street some 28 days later. He said: 'When the store was shut, two mopeds with four men on them, all dressed in black, arrived and smashed their way into the store. They stripped the store of about 85,000 of hand bags.' Jurors saw footage from the inside of the store which showed two men lifting the shutters before going inside and looting bags. The men abandoned their clothing and crash helmets in a Clerkenwell office block undergoing refurbishment but a mobile phone was left in a pocket of one pair of trousers. Mr Shaw said: 'It's the major mistake that this gang made. They left behind a burner Nokia mobile phone, stored in it was four numbers. 'It had been activated on the Saturday before it was used. The first number was for Mr Warry, the second number was for Mr St Martin and the third number was for a mini-cab driver.' Police contacted the company that supplied the top-up the phones and traced the payment back to a Co-op store in King's Cross. Mr Shaw added: 'Police got the store's footage from Saturday night and approaching the counter, topping up that mobile phone found dumped, was Mr St Martin. And he was topping up not just his phone but the four other numbers stored in it.' Jurors heard cell site and phone company evidence linked the four phones together during the weekend before and on the day of the attempted robbery. They stripped the Yves Saint Laurent store of about 85,000 of handbags Footage from inside Boodles shows shoppers flee in panic as the car crashes into the side Other members of the north London gang are still to be brought to justice, the court heard. Salmon and St Martin deny conspiring to rob Boodles in March, while Warry is accused of attacking Yves Saint Laurent on April 24. Doyle admits his involvement in conspiracy to rob the jewellers on March 26 but denies a count of wounding with intent against Mr Dimov. Henry Histon, 18, admitted his involvement in the Boodles and Yves Saint Laurent raids and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to rob Boodles. Some handbags were thrown into a large red duffle sack similar to that used by postmen. Mr Shaw said: 'CCTV identifies Mr Warry. Both those offences are planned in that we say it's the same gang carrying them out.' St Martin, Warry and Histon are then all seen on CCTV at a hotel in King's Cross that Mr St Martin was living in, said the prosecutor. A red duffle bag similar to that seen on the footage is seen on hotel CCTV being taken in and out of the hotel before being put into the boot of a Ford Focus that pulls up outside. CCTV allegedly then shows St Martin and two other men go into a local McDonalds. St Martin is also said to have gone on a robbery spree in King's Cross in between the two attacks. The court heard he donned a face mask used to filter out pollution and got onto his bicycle before stealing phones from members of the public on the street. Two stolen mobile phones were later found in his hotel room, the court heard, as well as two YSL handbags, worth 4,500 and 5,000 respectively. The defendant is said to have jumped out of a second floor window when police came to arrest him and tried to hide an iPhone in the airing cupboard in a lower floor room. The trial continues. A 33-year-old British woman has allegedly been sexually assaulted by a local man while on holiday on the Greek island of Corfu. Her report last Monday sparked a manhunt across the island, after which a 46-year-old man was arrested this weekend. The man in police custody has a criminal history, including two convictions of rape, Greek media reports. A 46-year-old Greek man was arrested in connection with the alleged rape of the 33-year-old British woman on the island of Corfu (stock image) The British woman told police she was sexually assaulted after accepting a ride home from the 46-year-old local man. They had both been drinking in a bar on the island, however it is not known if they had any contact during the evening. The 46-year-old has rejected the woman's claims, telling police the pair had consensual sex. This follows the jailing of a Pakistani national who attacked a British expat couple in their home in the village of Kato Korakiana, in Corfu. According to the victim, she had been drinking in the same bar as the alleged assailant, and she claims he raped her after she accepted his offer of a ride home (stock image) The 30-year-old Pakistani man had previously been in a relationship with the British woman, and had stormed the house in a jealous rage. The assailant stabbed the 49-year-old British man three times in the chest and groin with a kitchen knife The male victim was able to crawl to a neighbour's house and call for help, while the attacker assaulted his ex-girlfriend, raping her and later abandoning her on the street, according to court documents. Both victims were hospitalised with serious injuries. The assailant, who had been working as part-time staff at a local bar, was charged with attempted homicide, however the court found that the attack was not pre-planned and sentenced him to 19 months in jail. As billionaire business mogul who has dated some of the world's most beautiful women, James Packer is not exactly an underachiever. But despite fame and fortune Packer always felt immense pressure to succeed and had a fraught relationship with father Kerry. Former Labor Senator and one of Kerry Packer's closest friends, Graham Richardson, said Packer was relentlessly tough on his only son. Friends of James Packer (left) say the billionaire's father Kerry (right) was hard on him his life came with enormous pressure to succeed a fraught relationship with his father The billionaire business mogul appears to live a luxurious life, dating models and actresses and was once engaged to Mariah Carey (left) while directing multi-billion deals around the world 'I think he was always trying to be Kerry and he shouldn't have been, because he's not Kerry,' he told A Current Affair. 'I think that by doing so he placed way too much pressure on himself and it came down to how much money he was worth.' Richardson said the pair had a far from average father-son relationship. He also recounted a series of instances where he remembered Kerry Packer being hard on his son in front of others. 'He chose quite often to do it in front of others. I saw it myself three or four times, which wasn't overly pleasant,' he recalled. Packer (left) was determined to cast off the shadow of his late father (right) and build an empire of his own, his mates have revealed News Corp journalist Damon Kitney, the author of the recent biography, The Price of Fortune The Untold Story of Being James Packer, also spoke of Kerry's influence over his son. He said that while Kerry could have been too hard on James he also acknowledged that he 'probably didn't realise the impact he was having.' Packer has publicly battled anxiety and depression, became involved in Scientology and developed a close friendship with Tom Cruise and Hollywood legend Warren Beatty. Scandals marred his jet-set lifestyle, from a deal that saw him under scrutiny based on his political ties in Israel to a legal quagmire in China when officials from Crown Resorts, where he served as director, were detained in relation to illegal gambling charges. Scandals marred Packer's jet-set lifestyle, from a deal that saw him under scrutiny based on his political ties in Israel to a legal quagmire in China Even his Tinseltown dreams were tainted with the $100 million collapse of his production company RatPac with Hollywood producer Brett Ratner. Troubled Packer turned to old friend Warren Beatty, and spent years living in the Hollywood star's guest house, eventually calling him 'Dad'. Packer counts numerous household names among his friends from Robert de Niro to Leonardo DiCaprio and Mariah Carey (left) Packer counts numerous household names among his friends from Robert de Niro to Leonardo DiCaprio and since his youth was firmly entrenched in the celebrity set. Beatty acted as a mentor to the young Packer, letting him live in the guesthouse of his sprawling Hollywood compound and driving him to psychiatrist offices in LA. Struggling to battle his demon, Packer resigned as director of Crown Resorts in March 2018 for the second time in two and a half years. The company lost an estimated $2.5billion earlier this year following a retreat in Macau, possibly the most high-profile of blows to the enterprise, given the allegations thrown at more than a dozen executives 19 of Crown's staff, including the head of international VIP business Jason O'Connor, had been detained in China after allegations of illegal gambling practices. Despite this, Kitney told ACA the billionaire was now in 'a much better place' mentally and things appear to be on the upswing for the father-of-three. A beluga whale first spotted in the River Thames two months ago remains in the area after several sightings last week. The whale, which has been nicknamed Benny, is believed to be in the waters off Gravesend in Kent. Belugas are normally found in the cold northern waters of the Arctic. A 100m exclusion zone has been put in place around the whale by the Port London Authority and any boats which get too close to the mammal face a fine. Benny the Beluga (pictured on September 26 in the Thames) has been spotted several times in the last week Martin Garside, from the Port of London Authority, told Sky News 'as far as we know the whale is still in the Gravesend area'. Benny the Beluga was first spotted on September 25 by birdwatchers on the Essex side of the river. But the whale later made a circle across the Thames to feed on the Kent side. Since then dozens of animal lovers have flocked to the coast to catch a glimpse of the rare animal. Mr Garside said: 'It's not the right place for him or her. I want him to swim home. The temperature of the water is not correct and the species of fish it's consuming is not what it's used to.' Experts have come up with a plan that will involve scooping the whale out of the water in a 'wet sling' before it is flown to Klettsvik Bay sea sanctuary. Here Benny is pictured with the RNLI keeping watch on September 26 HOW CAN A BELUGA WHALE SURVIVE IN THAMES? Beluga whales normally live in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters around Russia, Alaska, Canada, West Greenland, and Svalbard. The whales are often found feeding in estuaries, but not usually as far south as the Thames. Rob Deaville, who is from London's Institute of Zoology, said Benny could happily live in the Thames provided he eats enough food. The whale must consume around 2 per cent of its body weight per day in order to get the nutrients it needs. Deaville told the Guardian: 'As a species, they can cope quite happily in estuarine environments. 'But it is in a busy shipping lane and there lots of media helicopters overflying it at the moment. We are trying to discourage that and leave it to its own devices. The down draft from helicopters can also cause risks of stranding.' The whale expert suggested waters warmed by climate change may have thrown the animal's navigation off. Advertisement 'I feel uncomfortable as it's not what nature intended - he should be swimming in the Arctic with other belugas,' Mr Garside added. Last month MailOnline reported that Benny could be airlifted from the Thames and flown 1,150 miles to Iceland in an audacious Free Willy-style rescue mission. Experts have come up with a plan that will involve scooping the whale out of the water in a 'wet sling' before it is flown to Klettsvik Bay sea sanctuary. It is feared that the whale's health will start to deteriorate as the water begins to warm if it is still in the Thames next year. Marine biologist Chris Parsons said: 'Maybe it'll be OK over winter, but if there's another summer heatwave, that will not be great for it. The water is too warm. 'And there are concerns about pollution and disease.' The potential rescue mission is reminiscent of the story of killer whale Keiko, the star of the Free Willy film. After spending several years in captivity at aquariums, Keiko was transferred from America to Iceland but failed to adapt to the wild and died. Tony Thurmond, a Democratic state assembly member backed heavily by the states teachers union, declared victory in a written statement to local media over the weekend in Californias hotly contested state superintendent race. After a week-long count of absentee ballots in which Thurmond was ahead by thousand votes of Marshall Tuck, a former charter school executive. Tuck conceded in an e-mail to his supporters. The race became the most expensive superintendent race in Californias history with candidates spending a combined $53 million. Many in the state saw the race as a proxy war between the states charter sector, which backed Tuck, and its influential teachers union. I want to thank the voters of California for electing me to serve the 6 million students of California, said Thurmond, according to local media reports . I intend to be a champion of public schools and a Superintendent for all California students. Tuck, who also lost the 2014 state superintendent race by a few thousand votes, conceded in an e-mail to many of his supporters over the weekend, according to local news reports. As you can imagine, the disappointment has crept in there in a pretty big way more recently as it was becoming clear to me that I wasnt going to get a job that I wanted and that I thought I would be really good at, Tuck said in his e-mail. Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics. A member of a hospital's medical staff has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning patients. It is not clear if the woman involved is a doctor, nurse or healthcare assistant but she works at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital, where it is understood she had been employed at the hospital for at least four years. She has been suspended following her arrest on suspicion of administering any poison or noxious thing with the intent to injure and ill treatment or wilful neglect. She has been bailed to December 6. A health professional from Victoria Hospital in Blackpool (pictured) has been suspended after her arrest over alleged poisonings Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust contacted Lancashire Police on November 8 after concerns were raised about the care provided to some patients. The allegations relate to the alleged mistreatment and neglect of patients on the stroke unit in November 2018. The force's Det Chief Insp Jill Johnston said: 'This arrest is part of an on-going investigation into allegations of mistreatment of patients by a healthcare professional at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. 'The inquiry is complicated and we have a team of specialist detectives working on this case who are also offering support to those families who have had loved ones identified as potentially being involved. 'Our priority and the priority of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is to ensure the safety of patients. We are working closely with the Trust as part of the investigation.' Trust chief executive Wendy Swift said: 'A healthcare professional has been suspended following allegations of mistreatment against patients on the Stroke Unit. 'We take all allegations of this type extremely seriously and when the concerns were raised we immediately contacted the police. 'The Trust is working with the police and co-operating fully with their investigation. 'We would like to reassure all our patients that all necessary actions are being taken. 'The hospital remains a safe and caring environment for patients and the provision of services will continue as usual.' BVH is the main hospital for Blackpool and Lancashire's Fylde Coast and the leading hospital for heart surgery in the region. Last month it was revealed hundreds of cancer patients had been transferred away from BVH into a private hospital instead - in a bid to beat cancer targets. Some 300 people waiting for various minor procedures were moved to the seaside town's Spire Hospital to help the local NHS trust meet its urgent GP referral and 62-day targets. While in September experts at BVH were fighting to stop a monkeypox epidemic after one of their workers caught the virus while treating another infected patient. The mother-of-one medic, 40 - the UK's third confirmed virus-stricken victim - was moved to an isolation unit at Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle. The medic's builder husband, 50, from Fleetwood, Lancs, was also feared to have contracted the deadly disease after his face broke out in spots. Monkeypox has no cure or vaccine but is similar to smallpox, and has swept through Nigeria killing around one in 10 infected victims. But afterwards the medic's terrified colleagues at BVH were being given smallpox vaccine in the faint hope it will help if they too have been infected. There are also fears a 'significant' number of unwitting patients at BVH may also have come into contact with the medic and also given the virus. The infected medic blamed 'pathetically small' NHS gloves for failing to protect her while changing another monkeypox victim's bedding. She told friends: 'The gloves were too short to cover my arms and left my skin exposed while changing the bed. I think that's how I got infected. 'They told us we weren't at risk - but that's obviously nonsense. I'm terrified about what may happen to me and my family.' Dr Nick Phin, of the National Infection Service at Public Health England (PHE), said of the BVH case: 'This healthcare worker cared for the patient before a diagnosis of monkeypox was made. 'We have been actively monitoring contacts to detect anyone presenting with an illness so they can be assessed. 'It is therefore not wholly unexpected that a case has been identified.' Monkeypox was first recorded in the UK on September 7th in a Nigerian national staying at a naval base in Cornwall. The patient was transferred to the expert infectious disease unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London the following day. A second person was struck down with the virus at BVH on September 11th and sent for treatment at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Marie Thompson, the trust's director of nursing, said of their monkeypox incident: 'We have been working within the guidance of PHE. 'All the staff have been traced and put in active surveillance and we have seen it is working.' Advertisement The brutal side of nature reared its ugly head when two nomadic lions wreaked havoc in an all female pride, killing a mother's three young cubs before she and an accomplice were able to ward them off. The ugly scenes took place in Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya. It is believed that the mother lion mated with one of the invading lions to distract it from destroying a cub that she thought was alive in the thicket. When she realised the chances of survival for the cub was slim, she attacked - producing her sharp claws and delivering a series of blows to the invading beast. This lioness clearly had little affection for a nomadic lion suitor that killed her cubs - giving him a bruising uppercut to the jaw Pictures show her using her strong legs to deliver huge kicks to the body of the predator and slashing his skin with her razor-sharp claws. She also plunges her teeth into him as she, and another member of the all-female pride chase him off in the Kicheche Camps area of the region. A photographer and guide who captured the incredible images said that the pride of lionesses usually have two strong males who protect the, but they were elsewhere courting a new female. The guide for Exodus Travels - who leads photography safaris - Paul Goldstein, explained: 'The Motorogi pride has two resident males: big and powerful brutes who would probably have seen off these two intruders but they were upwind mating with a new female and missed this invasion. The lion part of a predator duo who had invaded the pride of lionesses and their cubs. The males had killed and eaten this lioness's three cubs 'These two boys stormed the female's Bastille and killed and ate the girl's three tiny cubs. The females then fought tenaciously with them, trying to drive them away but eventually failing. The mother of the cubs clearly thought one might still be alive and holed up in the thicket, so initiated a mating ritual to try to distract the male (Half-tail).' Paul added that an invading male would normally immediately start mating once the cubs are destroyed, adding that the early stages of mating are particularly violent, but that he had 'never seen a reaction like this.' The female, probably still grieving and knowing the chance of survival for any of her cubs was small, fought off the male post mating with a vigorous and vicious right cross Anthony Joshua would have approved of and then lashed out with both gargantuan paws. The male, already scarred from earlier bouts only just cleared the savage claws. However, they did carry on mating. 'The noise was fearsome, a sobering but also graphic example of how these animals live with very different parameters to our own,' Paul added. The female, in a desperate attempt to ward off the invading male, delivers a huge kick to his gut with her strong hind leg 'The mother of the cubs clearly thought one might still be alive and holed up in the thicket, so initiated a mating ritual to try to distract the male,' said the photographer who captured the amazing pictures The backward force of the mother's kick sends the lion flying backwards as his long mane flies forward The female, probably still grieving and knowing the chance of survival for any of her cubs was small, fought off the male post mating The lion was joined by another member from her all-female pride to chase the nomadic male away. But the damage was done Michel Barnier boosted Theresa May today by saying Britain will get 'full control' after Brexit - but the transition could last an extra two years. The EU chief negotiator sought to shore up the PM by praising the package - painstakingly thrashed out over nearly two years - as 'fair and balanced'. But he also risked fuelling the growing Tory revolt against Mrs May by suggesting the so-called implementation period could run until the end of 2022 - and the UK will have to pay more. Mrs May tried to play down the issue of the transition extension today, saying she did not believe there were any circumstances when it would run beyond the next general election scheduled for May 2022. EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier has proposed the UK be given a two-year extension to remaining fully inside the single market in order to ensure a smooth Brexit Under the terms of the draft divorce agreement, the transition is due to last until December 31 2021, but may be extended once only if it proves impossible to complete a full deal on future relations by that date, as an alternative to activating the so-called 'backstop' arrangements to keep the Irish border open. The text of the agreement states that the period may be extended to '20XX' and it remains unclear whether this will be amended to show a fixed maximum date. Mr Barnier has mooted the final date could be the end of 2022 - allowing negotiators nearly four years to strike a future trade deal. But such a move would infuriate Brexiteers, as it would mean continued freedom of movement and paying membership fees of up to 10billion a year. Mrs May has said she may ask for an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, which currently ends in December 2020, but only for a 'few months'. At a press conference in Brussels today, Mr Barnier said he had briefed EU ministers on the terms of the 'fair and balanced deal' struck at negotiator-level with Britain. He said: 'It takes into account UK positions, in particular we have formed a compromise to avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. 'Both sides want to avoid being in the backstop.' Mr Barnier said the EU still needed to agree its own internal processes for triggering an extended transition period but insisted the focus this week was on the future framework talks. He said: 'Discussions are ongoing today with UK negotiators. This is now our focus. 'It will open the door to negotiate an ambitious economic and strategic partnership in future. 'For the future relationship, both the UK and EU will have full control of their own legal rule making. 'This is essential on our side for the integrity of the single market. It is essential for the UK in terms of taking back control.' Mr Barnier said he did not know how much the UK would have to pay into Brussels coffers for the extra transition - although current annual contributions are around 10billion. Asked at the CBI conference today about the idea of extending the transition, Mrs May said: 'From my point of view, I think it is important in delivering for the British people that we are out of the implementation period before the next general election.' According to one diplomat at yesterday's meeting, member states voiced their approval to extend until December 2022 to give 'people and businesses certainty'. The diplomat said: 'You have to provide as much clarity because businesses and people are affected in their everyday lives.' Mrs May has also said she may ask for an extension to the post-Brexit transition period, which currently ends in December 2020 As it stands, the transition period will begin on March 30 after leaving and last until December 2020. The UK will be able to extend it in July 2020 if a trade deal is unlikely by the end of that year. But the length of time has not yet been tied down and is the only piece of the agreed divorce deal left blank. The withdrawal agreement states the transition period could be extended 'up to 31 December 20XX', with a date to be agreed and inserted before Sunday's summit. The diplomat added: 'Michel Barnier proposed December 2022 and the member states were OK with that. 'The British have not proposed anything as far as we know.' Britain's other option in July 2020 would be to switch to the so-called Irish backstop at the end of that year, which would mean leaving the single market but entering into a joint customs union which the UK could not unilaterally pull out of. This would last until a trade deal is done which prevents a border emerging in Ireland. Spain is also said to have raised concerns at yesterday's meeting with Mr Barnier about the scope of the withdrawal agreement in relation to Gibraltar. A reward has been offered to catch a suspected hunter filmed taunting an injured baboon and telling it to 'stop complaining' as it gasped for air. Footage captured in South Africa shows an unidentified man grinning and laughing as he held the badly bleeding animal up by the arm. At one point he asked 'does it hurt?' with the male baboon suffering from what appears to be a head injury. The clip has sparked outrage with South Africa's biggest animal welfare group offering a R10,000 (550) reward for information leading to the arrest of the 'animal abuser'. A reward has been offered to catch a suspected hunter filmed taunting an injured baboon and telling it to 'stop complaining' as it gasped for air It is not yet clear how the animal came to be injured, where exactly the footage was captured or what happened to the baboon after the clip ended. But the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) today accused the man of 'tormenting the poor victim and prolonging his suffering'. In an earlier social media post, it had said: 'It would appear that the injuries sustained were as a result of a hunt/killing attempt. In the video the baboon is still alive and is gasping for air and bleeding. Footage captured in South Africa shows an unidentified man grinning and laughing as he held the badly bleeding animal up by the arm 'The man is holding the baboon upright by the arm and saying to the baboon that he should "stop complaining" and ask the baboon "does it hurt?".' The video prompted anger online, with one Twitter user saying: 'He has to be found and pay for what he did.' Another wrote: 'I cant stand watching this horrific scene.' The NSPCA said in a statement today: 'We are now offering a R10,000 reward for information that leads to the successful arrest of this individual. 'The NSPCA fully intends to charge him with animal cruelty under the Animals Protection Act as this behaviour is beyond cruel. We ask all our supporters to share this post far and wide. 'We would like to sincerely thank everyone who donated to help us raise this reward - your assistance helps us get justice for abused animals.' An Oxford don is locked in a 1.25million High Court battle after his doctor mother fell for a female barrister half her age and cut him out of her will before she died. Professor Christopher Gosden, director of the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford University, says Jean Weddell, a distinguished physician in her own right, had 'resolved' to leave him her Edwardian home in Kennington, south London. But instead she fell in love with Wendy Cook, a lawyer 37 years her junior, and tore up her will from a decade earlier. The couple formed a civil partnership in 2007 and by the time Ms Weddell died in 2013, aged 84, she left nothing to her son, who she gave away for adoption when he was a child. Professor Gosden also says he later discovered that his mother's home - now worth 1.25million - had been sold without his knowledge in 2010 - and he is now suing the lawyers who set up the family trust, claiming they failed to spot a loophole. Professor Christopher Gosden (left), director of the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford University, says his late mother Jean Weddell (right) promised him her 1.25m London home he claims was sold without his knowledge Wendy Cook (right) in her civil partnership to Dr Jean Weddell Instead Ms Weddell gifted much of her estate to her partner, documents lodged at London's High Court reveal. Jean Weddell fell in love with barrister Wendy Cook (pictured) and she has been gifted the majority of her civil partner's estate When she died three years later, there was just 5,000 left in her estate, he claims. Professor Gosden, who was given up for adoption by his mother in the 1950s and moved to Australia, has now launched a High Court fight. He claims that a trust scheme his mother set up in 2003 to minimise inheritance tax ought to have protected the house, or the money from its sale, and delivered it to him and his family. Ms Weddell, who died in 2013 aged 84, lived an extraordinary life, enrolling as one of the first female students at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in 1947. She enjoyed a glittering international career, helping set up a children's hospital in Korea following the end of the war there in the 1950s, then spending time in Jordan, treating youngsters with tuberculosis. She went on to do research work in the field of controlling epidemics, carried out groundbreaking work with stroke patients and toured the world stage as a lecturer for the World Health Organisation. Ms Weddell, who was also a dedicated church bell ringer, gave birth to her son Christopher just before she left for Korea but gave him up for adoption. He was taken to live in Australia by his new family, but returned to the UK and 'reestablished a relationship with his mother' in 1987, the High Court writ states. This 1.25m London house in Kennington, (pictured) was sold in 2010 and Professor Gosden said a loophole was exploited to make it happen Professor Gosden himself went on to become one of the UK's top archaeologists. He has served as curator of the Pitt-Rivers Museum, and is currently Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford University and a trustee of the British Museum. In the writ, Professor Gosden says his mother had left him and his wife Jane Kaye - also an Oxford professor, in the field of health law and policy - her whole estate by a will she made in 2003. Professor Gosden says he and his wife Jane Kaye (pictured) has been due to inherit the estate when the will was initially written in 2003 At the same time, she set up an 'estate protection scheme', putting her London home into a trust which promised to deliver the property, or the money from its sale, into the hands of her son and his family in a tax efficient manner. Professor Gosden and Professor Kaye were appointed trustees of the scheme, along with Ms Weddell. But by 2010 she had made a new will, leaving much of her wealth to Wendy Cook. And her son discovered after she died that her house in Denny Crescent, Kennington, south London - now worth 1.25m - had been sold by his mother in 2010 without her telling him. When the value of her estate was revealed after her death, Professor Gosden was told it amounted to less than 5,000. He and his wife are now suing solicitors who he says were responsible for drawing up the trust agreement, claiming they bungled by leaving a loophole which allowed his mother to sell her house without his knowledge. The professor claims that the lawyers ought to have advised him to take the 'protective step' of registering a restriction on the sale of the house with the Land Registry, so that his mother could not dispose of it without him and his wife being informed. But the solicitors deny being at fault, and say the Professor should have sued his own mother if he was unhappy. Katherine McQuail, for the solicitors, says in their defence to the claim: 'The claimants' remedy for any step taken by Ms Weddell in breach of contract or in breach of trust was to sue her for such breach.' It was not the lawyers' role to advise Ms Weddell on the advantages, or disadvantages, of the trust and they had not acted for, or advised, Professor Gosden and his family 'in any capacity,' argues the barrister. The solicitors also deny that the objective of the trust was to 'achieve a transfer of the property' to Professor Gosden and his family. They acted neither negligently, nor in breach of contract, and could have taken no steps that would have prevented Ms Weddell dealing with her own propery as she wished, says Ms McQuail. The case came before the High Court last week for a pre-trial review. The full trial is set to last four days and will commence later this year. There is no claim against Ms Cook, who is not a party to the legal action. A naked man wearing just a pair of socks was discovered floating in the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island. The NYPD Harbor Unit discovered the white man in his 50s about a mile from the Verezzano-Narrows Bridge, close to Front Street in Clifton. Staten Island Advance reported that 911 were called when a pedestrian saw the body face-down and unresponsive in the freezing waters at around 10am on Sunday. Font Street close to where the body was found, with the Verezzano-Narrows bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island in the distance Officers are working hard to identify the man which is made harder by his lack of clothing, not having a wallet or documentation on his person. For now they can only rely on techniques such as checking dental and fingerprint records. Just over two weeks ago a woman was hauled from the same stretch of water just two-and-a-half miles upstream. Just over two weeks ago police were called to a floating body near 58th street Pier in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on Thursday, November 1 at 8.15am The female was pulled out at the 58th Street Pier in Sunset Park, Brooklyn after she was spotted by a passenger aboard a ferry. Water temperatures around New York are around 50F at this time of year. An American groom whose brother and three friends died rafting on his Costa Rica bachelor party trip last month has spoken out about their deaths for the first time. Ernesto Sierra, Jorge Caso, Sergio Lorenzo and Andres Denis, all died after their raft flipped over on the Naranjo river shortly after 3pm on October 20. They were all aged between 25 and 35 and were in Costa Rica celebrating Lorenzo's brother Luis Beltran's bachelor party with 10 other men. On Monday, Beltran, who lives in Miami, told ABC News that the trip turned 'upside down' when they died. 'It was supposed to be just an amazing time and within five minutes - it was literally two or three days of nothing but great memories and within five minutes, literally everything just turned upside down,' he said. All of the men were special to him, he added. Scroll down for video Miami groom Luis Beltran spoke on Monday about losing his brother and three friends in a rafting accident during his bachelor party last month Ernesto Sierra (left) and Andres Denis (right), two of the four American men killed in a white water rafting accident in Costa Rica on Saturday afternoon Father-of-four Sergio Lopez (left) who was the groom's brother. Jorge Castro (right) were among the four who died 'These weren't random people or friend of a friend, these people were specifically chosen because they all played a part in my life,' he said. 'I've lost a brother but, I've said it to these guys. I've lost four brothers, all these guys,' he said, his voice trailing off. The men died when their rafts capsized on the swollen river. Everyone in the group was tossed into the water and had to cling on to rocks to survive. Local guide Kevin Thompson Reid was also killed. The tour guide company has not been named. It is being investigated by local police and the men's families are appealing to the Costa Rican ministry of tourism to put firmer regulations in place to stop other accidents from happening. On the day of their accident, there had been heavy rain and wind but the guides said it was safe to go ahead. Within minutes of them taking to the water, all three of the rafts were upside down and the men were being 'ricocheted' between the rocks. 'I thought I was having a heart attack. I was lifeless. I couldn't move my arms, my legs, my knees,' one of the survivors recalled on Monday. The survivors spoke on Good Morning America on Monday about the trip. They urged other tourists to do research before booking a rafting trip overseas The men also shared new photographs and videos that were taken in the minutes before four members of the group died The men had gone hiking and ATV'ing in the days before the accident on the river Another said they all went into 'survivor mode'. 'I was just trying to grab hold of a rock,' that man said. One of the men was next to Andre Denis in the water. Initially, Denis was able to climb back onto the raft but he was swept away when it flipped a second time. That man told on Monday how he watched him go underwater for a final time then never saw him again. 'Andy was next to me and I helped him on the raft while I was in the water, he was on the raft. 'It flipped again and I never saw him again,' he said. He then had to phone his long-term girlfriend to tell him that her partner had died. She did not believe him at first, he said, and he had to explain that he 'didn't have the facts.' 'Do you know how difficult it was for me to speak to Andy's soon-to-be fiancee?' he said. It took rescue teams five hours to recover all of the men's bodies because of the treacherous conditions. Beltran urged anyone who was considering a similar trip to research it beforehand, saying: 'When you go on vacation, subconsciously you put your guard down because you want to have a good time. 'You don't think anything bad is going to happen. The men were part of a group of 14 who were in Costa Rica for Luis Beltran's bachelor party. Their full group is pictured before the tragedy. The groom survived 'Do your research, ask every question. How has the river been lately? How is the company?', he said, urging others to take caution. Their trip was delayed an hour by rain and wind, but they were confident it would be safe when they got in the water. Within minutes, all three rafts capsized in the overpowering currents. Most of the men grabbed on to rocks to stop themselves from being carried away but the four who drowned could not fight strongly enough against the water. Lorenzo, the groom's brother, was a father-of-four. Local Kevin Thompson Reid (pictured) also died The others were young men who were about to embark on jobs after recently graduating from college, according to their relatives. On a GoFundMe page set up by the group, they described fighting for their lives as the waters carried them out of their rafts. 'When we first arrived, it was windy and raining, and the professional tour guides advised that we wait a bit before going out on the water. 'Less than an hour later, we got the okay to head out, and the 14 of us separated onto 3 different rafts. 'Within five minutes of being out on the river, all three rafts capsized, and everyone ended up in the water. 'Everyone struggled to get back on the rafts, with some efforts being successful, but ultimately the rafts continued to capsize due to the immense current. 'Within minutes, all of us were careening down the river with life jackets and helmets just trying to stabilize and find something to hold on to. 'Throughout the dangerous ride down the river, all of us struggled to stay above water, swallowing lots of it on the way down as our bodies ricocheted against the rocks in the water while struggling to survive. Survivors are pictured after the men capsized. All 14 of them ended up in the water. The ten who survived clung to rocks to stop themselves from being dragged away. It took rescue teams five hours to find the victims' bodies 'Most of us were ultimately able to grab hold of rocks or barriers in or around the water and await the rescue teams to get to us. Unfortunately, not all of us were so lucky,' the description said. The rafting company involved has not been named but local police were seen raiding its offices in Quespos on Sunday. At the time of the accident, there was a warning in place for possible flooding. Costa Rica's president Carlos Alvarado Quesada expressed his sympathies for the victims' families on Twitter. The police investigation into the accident continues. A painting found buried under a tree in Romania and thought to be a Pablo Picasso stolen from a Dutch museum six years ago has been found to be a fake. The copy of Picasso's Tete d'Arlequin had been hidden in a village in Greci, Eastern Romania as part of a PR stunt by a Belgian threatre company to promote their new show about an art forgery scam artist. The Romanian novelist who travelled for days to dig up the painting after receiving an anonymous tip, has today spoken of her anger at being used for a cruel PR trick Tricked: Mira Feticu, who has written a book about the 2012 theft of Picasso's Tete d'Arlequin, holds up the drawing which she dug up from under a tree in Romania The famous Picasso artwork was stolen from the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam in 2012 together with six other paintings by Monet, Matisse and Gauguin. The thieves were eventually arrested in Romania, although the stolen paintings have never found. Writer Mira Feticu published a book about the theft in 2015, and says she received an anonymous letter ten days ago in which a detailed instruction was written explaining that the Picasso artwork was buried next to a tree. Together with Dutch journalist Frank Westerman, the pair travelled to the village of Greci in the Romanian county of Tulcea, and dug up what they thought was the lost Picasso. The real deal: Pablo Picasso's artwork Tete d'Arlequin which was stolen in 2012 Overjoyed, they immediately passed on to the Dutch Embassy in Bucharest. Ms Feticu said: 'We did not want to walk around for too long with the painting.' Experts however immediately doubted the authenticity of the Picasso pastel drawing. Peter van Beveren, the former curator of the exhibition of which the Picasso drawing was part, said that there were 'too many discrepancies'. He said: 'The stripes, the colours, the details, it is not correct. On the basis of what I see I think it is a forgery. A good one though.' Two Belgian theatre makers have now admitted that they planted the fake Picasso painting in Romania and contacted Ms Feticu as part of a PR stunt. They say they carried out the elaborate prank to promote their new show 'True Copy', which is dedicated to the infamous Dutch forger Geert Jan Jansen whose forgeries flooded art galleries across Europe until he was caught in 1994. Art hunt: Ms Feticu, pictured arriving at the site, said an anonymous tip led her to a picture buried under a tree in eastern Romania PR stunt: Mr Feticu holding the anonymous letter she received about the location of the Picasso artwork, which turned out to be a PR stunt by a Belgian theatre company Stolen: The empty space where Henri Matisse' painting 'La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune' was hanging, right, is seen next to a painting by Maurice Denis at Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam Ms Feticu has voiced her upset about being deceived by the Belgian theatre company, in particular as she and Mr Westerman travelled for days to find the fake painting. She said: 'It is a bizarre story! They want to sit down with us to say sorry, but I don't know if I can do that. I first have to control my anger.' 'Pranks have their limits. We flew with the two of us to Romania, dug up an artwork, did not sleep for two nights, I have cried, laughed, sat for hours with the police, it is unbelievable. 'When I read their email with their notice that it was all a stunt I became angry.' Romania's Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism said Sunday it was examining the circumstances of the discovery. On Monday, it declined to comment further. Romania's National History Museum curator Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu told The Associated Press: '(even) if it is a forgery it needs to be scientifically dismantled.' The head of the CBI today backed Theresa May's controversial deal - and warned squabbling MPs they could tip Britain into an 'accidental no deal' if they vote it down. Carolyn Fairbairn said the divorce package is a 'compromise' but provides the certainty businesses desperately crave and carves a path towards a good free trade deal. And she warned that Brexiteer and Remainer MPs who have vowed to vote it down risk plunging the country over the no deal 'cliff edge' which would cost jobs. The CBI's support is a vital boost for Mrs May, whose beleaguered deal has been hammered by all sides in Parliament and looks set to be rejected by MPs. The PM is facing a crunch few days in Westminster as Tory Brexit rebels try to topple her as leader and tear up her Brexit blueprint. CBI boss Carolyn Fairbairn (pictured at their conference in London today) hailed the deal as providing the certainty businesses desperately crave and carving a path towards a good free trade deal She received some desperately-needed support from Ms Fairbairn, who told the CBI conference in London this morning that businesses should back the deal. She said: 'Investment is flooding out of the right areas like skills and tech, and into areas which do absolutely nothing to help our productivity. 'Some of it is leaving our country altogether. While other countries are forging a competitive future, Westminster seems to be living in its own narrow world, in which extreme positions are being allowed to dominate. 'The result is a high-stakes game of risk, where the outcome could be an accidental no-deal. Surely, we can do better than this. 'The Prime Minister's agreement is not perfect. It is a compromise. But it is hard-won progress.' Businessman booed at CBI or slamming May's deal is partner of Brexiteer Tory MP A businessman booed at the CBI conference this morning for slamming Theresa May's divorce deal is the ex partner of a Tory Brexit MP. Roger Kendrick ambushed the PM in her Q&A at this morning's conference in London - springing up to his feet to attack her plan. He said her deal would hamper the UK's ability to strike trade deals with countries outside the EU. And he urged the PM to tear up her plan and 'think again about the economics of the whole thing'. His controversial comments sparked boos in the hall. And today it emerged that he is the partner of Anne Marie Morris - one of the MPs who has sent in a letter of no confidence in Mrs May. Mr Kendrick told The Daily Telegraph he will not vote Conservative again while she is in charge. 'She has bottled it,' he said. Advertisement And in an interview with the BBC's Daily Politics Show, she warned businesses are quaking at the prospect that Britain could crash out without a deal in just four months. She said: 'The fact is that we are at the stage now where progress really matters, going backwards should not be an option. 'The fact that we will pull back from the cliff edge and not face no deal is a massive thing for business, hugely important for jobs, and we are saying that loud and clear and we are encouraging our members to do the same. 'It is not perfect, but we are in the world of needing compromises here. 'We are four months away from leaving. 'We as business would have liked more certaintybut here we are with this option of no deal staring us in the face. 'This gives us breathing space, the future economic relationship can still be frictionless that is what we must be working towards. 'And now is the time for compromise now is not the time for going backwards or we could tip our country into an accidental no deal.' She hit back at hardline Remainers and Brexiteers who are urging the PM to tear up her plan and return to the negotiating table. Ardent Remainers are pressing for a closer Norway-style deal, or a second referendum which could see Britain stay in the EU. While Brexiteers want more ties severed with the bloc and are calling for a looser, Canada-style arrangement. But Ms Fairbairn said the paths to these much-touted alternatives are 'so unclear' and said that businesses 'shouldn't be in the place of gambling with jobs'. She added: 'This deal gives progress, l think it is an agreement of sorts, a deal of sorts, and it gives us the transition which businesses crave. 'Hard choices but this is an option we should be focusing on.' The PM went on the offensive in a speech to the CBI today (pictured) saying her Brexit deal is the best thing for the country Her support came after a defiant PM addressed the CBI conference in London this morning to launch a robust defence of her deal and urge the country to back it. She said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. 'The agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfills the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum,' she said. 'Let no one be in any doubt. I am determined to deliver it.' Mrs May also urged the public to listen to businesses highlighting the threat to the economy from crashing out of the bloc, saying that such firms were 'providing your jobs that ensure that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family'. Pictured: Mr Atay's daughter Sophie in 2009 with mother Karine. She sadly died the year after this picture was taken A mother accused of murdering her husband has denied the charge and faces a trial by jury next year. Helena Karine Atay, 42, is charged with killing Atakan Atay, 45, who was found with stab wounds at their home in Gateshead on October 18 2018. They were the parents of Sophie Atay, a toddler who died at the age of two after a fight with Neuroblastoma despite Simon Cowell donating 100,000 for treatment in America. Atay has appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, via a video link from HMP Low Newton and pleaded not guilty to an offence of murder. She wore a purple jumper and had her hair tied back in a pony tail. Judge Paul Sloan QC said a trial, which may last up to two weeks, will start on April 8 next year. Judge Sloan told Atay: 'I am going to adjourn your case to a further case management hearing, which will be listed on January 25. Helena Karine Atay has denied the murder of Atakan Atay, 45, who was found dead at his home. Mr Atay's two-year-old daughter Sophie (pictured, with Mr Atay) died from a rare form of cancer in 2010 Me Atay was found with stab wounds at his home in Gateshead. Forensics officers are pictured at the scene after his death 'You will be linked into court on that date, as you have been today. Pending the next hearing on January 25, you will be remanded in custody.' Sophie captured the hearts of the nation including Simon Cowell - who donated 100,000 to her when she was diagnosed with a severe form of the disease in 2009. The cash was part of a fundraising drive launched to send her to New York for life saving treatment but the family was left devastated when she lost her race against time and passed away the following year. Simon Cowell made a 100,000 donation to help the toddler Emergency services raced to the home in Bitley but Mr Atay was pronounced dead a short time later. Mr Atay had owned a shop close to his home named Sophie's Store as well as being the owner and landlord of a property which was used as a Turkish restaurant. A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said at the time of his death: 'He lost his daughter about eight years ago, she died of a rare form of cancer. 'She was only two-years-old when she died. It's terrible. He had three children all together. 'He was lovely. He was really well respected and he had time for everyone. He was hard working and really supported the town. 'I finished work late last night. It was about 11.40pm when I got home. There were rows of police cars.' Mark Moodie, 47, who lived next door to Atakan and his family, said: 'I knew nothing until I heard the police knocking on the door telling me there was an incident. Then all hell broke loose. There was armed police. 'One thing about these houses are that the doors are pretty damn thick. I didn't hear a thing.' Mr Atay owned a convenience shop in Birtley, Tyne and Wear, named after his tragic daughter Mr Moodie, an industrial lighting engineer, added: 'I've known them for about ten years. It's shocking really. I shared a drink with the bloke last Saturday. He's a lovely fellow.' A man who works at the restaurant, called A'la Turka, said: 'It is just shocking. He's a well respected person. 'The boss at the restaurant used to go to Istanbul to visit Atakan's family. He sees everybody because of the shop he has. 'I see him every day taking his kids to school. He's a nice guy. He's been living here over 20 years. 'He's got one son and one daughter. The son is about eight but the daughter, I've never seen her. But I know he's got a daughter because he's told me. I think his wife's family are from Birtley, he's lived there a long time.' In a statement, the owner of the restaurant, Halil Olmez, paid tribute to the Atay family and thanked the people who had called into the restaurant offering their condolences. ` 'Mr Atay was a great friend to me long before he became my landlord,' he said. 'I will be travelling with the family to take Atakan back to Turkey for his funeral.' A woman told the second inquest into the tragic death of Annette Mason that she heard a man admitting to killing the teen. Kylie Nothdurft told the Coroner's Court that she was at a barbecue with Alan MacQueen just a few weeks after the 15-year-old was killed. She heard him say that he had killed Mason, but she was too frightened to tell the first inquest into Annette's death in 1991 because MacQueen was in attendance. Annette was found bludgeoned to death in her bed in Toowoomba, south-east Queensland, in November 1989. Victim Annette Mason's sister Linda Mason (left) and father Mick Mason (right) during a media conference outside the Brisbane Coroner's Court in Brisbane on Monday Annette Mason's death nearly 30 years ago is being re-investigated in a desperate search for justice 'Alan said "I killed her" and people said "Who did you kill?" and he said Annette Mason and I remember that as clear as day,' Ms Nothdurft said on Monday. 'He just kept yelling that he didn't mean to do it.' Ms Northdurft also said a fight broke out between Mr McQueen and another man at the barbecue, the Brisbane Times reported. Annette suffered massive head injuries before she died and was possibly hit across the face with a piece of wood. Despite police investigations and a coronial inquiry, no one has ever been charged with her murder. The inquest into her death was reopened on Monday, 29 years after Miss Mason's body was found in the front bedroom of her family house. Miss Masons's sister Linda is expected to sit in on the entire inquiry, which will run for three weeks. Coroner Terry Ryan will examine when, where and how she died. He will also try to determine if anyone should be charged with Miss Mason's murder or manslaughter. Annette Mason (pictured) was found dead in the front bedroom of her family home nearly 30 years ago Miss Mason (pictured) was bludgeoned to death in her family's Toowoomba home in November 1989, but no one was ever charged with her murder Miss Mason (pictured right with her sister Linda, left) suffered massive head injuries after she was bashed across the face, possibly with a piece of wood Solicitor Leanne McDonald grew up in Toowoomba and is representing the family for free during the inquest. Ms McDonald said Miss Mason's murder had a big impact on the local community. 'Toowoomba was tarnished and the murderer was out there walking the streets,' she said in a statement. 'What hurts the most for the Mason family is that 29 years later that person who robbed Annette of her life is still free. Justice hasn't been served.' Ms McDonald said they were determined to ensure someone was charged this time around. 'Annette was last seen at 3.30am catching a taxi after a night out with friends,' she said. Linda (pictured) is expected to sit in on the entire inquiry, which will run for three weeks 'What hurts the most for the Mason family is that 29 years later that person who robbed Annette of her life is still free. Justice hasn't been served,' said solicitor Leanne McDonald who is representing the family 'We are confident that there are people out there who know more and the Mason family deserves to hear that truth.' A total of 25 witnesses gave evidence during the initial inquest but the coroner at the time found there was insufficient evidence to establish the identity of Miss Mason's killer. The inquest was closed subject to 'reopening at any stage should further evidence become available'. Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath instructed the coroner to reopen the inquest in 2016. Ms D'Ath said it was 'in the interests of justice' that the circumstances surrounding Miss Mason's death be re-examined. 'I met with the Mason family in relation to this case earlier this year, and since that time my department has been in regular contact with them,' she said at the time. A suspected illegal immigrant has been charged in the murder of a convenience store clerk during an armed robbery in Houston, authorities say. Jose Bonilla-Ortiz, 18, was arrested on Saturday morning at an apartment about two miles north of the Metro Food Mart where he is accused of gunning down Bangladeshi immigrant Faruk Bhuiya, 48. Surveillance footage shows two armed robbers wearing hoodies waking into the store in northwest Houston around 9pm on November 10. They briefly look around the shop before passing out of the frame, at which point they allegedly shot and killed Bhuiya. Houston police Detective Jason Fay said tipsters helped identify Bonilla-Ortiz in the video, while the other man has not been identified or arrested. Suspected undocumented immigrant Jose Bonilla-Ortiz, 18, was arrested Saturday for the murder of Bangladeshi immigrant Faruk Bhuiya at a shop in Houston on November 10. Surveillance video allegedly shows Bonilla-Ortiz and another hooded man entering the store The two men are seen looking around the Metro Food Mart at around 9pm local time It is unclear which of the two men hooded men is Bonilla-Ortiz. The second suspect has not been identified or apprehended as of Monday, according to Houston detectives This undated photo shows victim Faruk Bhuiya and his wife Phyllis inside the store were his was shot. The couple had been married for two years and lived directly behind the shop Bonilla-Ortiz's bond is set at $250,000 and he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. The 18-year-old has no prior criminal history in Harris County, but jail records show Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Bonilla-Ortiz because he is not believed to be a US citizen. He was deported from the country in 2016, prosecutors say. It was not immediately clear where he is originally from. Phyllis Bhuiya said of her husband (pictured): 'He took someone's son, someone's stepfather,' she said. 'He wasn't just my husband. He was a lot of things to a lot of people' On the phone with the Houston Chronicle on Sunday evening, Bhuiya's grieving widow gasped when she learned that a teenager was arrested in her husband's death. She also expressed sympathy for the mother her sympathy to the mother of the teen being held on the murder charge. 'I feel bad for this boy's mother. His life is ruined. Ruined for nothing, absolutely nothing,' Phyllis Bhuiya told the Chronicle. 'I wish I could hug that boy's mother.' The widow said she believes her husband would have wanted her to forgive his killer, and she does. However, she wants justice to be served should Bonilla-Ortiz be convicted of murder in court. 'I want him punished for what he did. He didn't just take my husband. He took someone's son, someone's stepfather,' she said. 'He wasn't just my husband. He was a lot of things to a lot of people.' Bhuiya and his wife lived in a home directly behind the convenience store and had been married for less than two years, according to ABC13. The community held a vigil for the slain shopkeeper on Sunday night. The American woman who plunged from the top of a Caribbean cruise ship last week has been identified as 52-year-old Almarosa Tenorio. Tenorio, who was traveling from Florida to Aruba on the Royal Princess, died on Tuesday after she was allegedly choked, pushed off the 16th deck and severed her leg during an altercation with a muscular man. She landed on a lifeboat nine floors below. Her brother, Tony Rodriguez, identified his sister as the victim on Sunday, according to ABC Action News. Tenorio, who worked as a teacher in Spanish Fort, Alabama, was described as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart.' 'Her passion was teaching and working with children. She had a vivacious personality with a smile that would light up a room. We are sad that she was taken from us at such a young age. She will be missed by all that knew her,' Rodriguez said in a statement. Tenorio was vacationing, reportedly with her husband, and lived with her son, who is a student at the University of Alabama. The American woman who plunged from the top of a Caribbean cruise ship last week has been identified as 52-year-old Almarosa Tenorio, of Alabama Tenorio was identified by her brother, who described his sister as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart.' She was reported to have lived with her son, a student at the University of Alabama The victim plunged to her death after she was reportedly seen fighting with a muscular man on the Lido deck on the 16th floor, around 10.30pm last Tuesday. She fell from the deck at 4am, landing on deck 7 on Lifeboat 2 The FBI and Aruban authorities are currently investigating Tenorio's death, which has been ruled 'unnatural.' A man believed to be Tenorio's husband was hauled off the ship and questioned by authorities, but is not considered a suspect, despite witness accounts that the pair were seen having a volatile altercation, according to Aruba newspaper Diario. Horrified passengers said the woman's leg was torn off in the fall, creating a gruesome scene with glass everywhere. The Royal Princess had embarked on an eight-day cruise around the Caribbean on November 9 and returned to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday. Passenger Logan Tignor described the horrifying incident on a video call with CBS News, saying: 'It's surreal and I'm kind of traumatized for it. I never would expect that it would happen on vacation.' Photos from the scene obtained by DailyMail.com show yellow tape cordoning off the area around and below the lifeboat. Earlier this week a spokeswoman for Aruban prosecutors confirmed to DailyMail.com that the man taken off the boat was the woman's partner and that the woman's death is being treated as 'unnatural'. Tenorio's death has been ruled unnatural and authorities are awaiting autopsy results. She was last seen The woman crashed down onto a lifeboat and her leg was severed, according to horrified passengers, who said the scene was gruesome with glass everywhere She was described in a statement from her brother as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart,' and a 'passion' for teaching Local investigators have performed an autopsy to establish how the woman died. The FBI is also carrying out its own investigation. The name of the victim and the man taken off the boat have not been released. No arrests have been made yet. A source aboard the ship told DailyMail.com: 'We are sailing the southern Caribbean. It's the ship that [British TV station] ITV used for their show ''The Cruise''. It was two passengers they had a row in the casino that night.' 'The gossip on board is rife. We were all woken at 4.30am by a security alert by the captain. We will be at sea for two days from today heading to Fort Lauderdale.' A second source added: 'We can literally see the lifeboat from our room. Blood and broken glass all over it. Another passenger said: 'We are on this ship too. Ten police officers came aboard. The announcement was a criminal investigation was to be conducted before we are given clearance. Two couples were asked repeatedly to go to customer relations.' A man was hauled off a cruise ship after a woman was allegedly choked and pushed off a balcony, severing her leg after the couple reportedly had a volatile altercation during a Caribbean getaway. Pictured is the section of the ship which has been closed off by police. Circled are the police lines used to cordon off the crime scene The man, described as being muscular, allegedly strangled the woman before tossing her from the ship's 16th deck. Aruba investigators (pictured) are now performing an autopsy to establish if the woman was choked to death or died from the fall The Royal Princess is pictured arriving at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday The fight reportedly began at the ship's casino, on the Lido deck on the 16th floor, around 10.30pm. The woman plummeted from the deck at 4am, landing on deck 7 on Lifeboat 2. Passenger Logan Tignor described the horrifying incident on a video call with CBS News, saying: 'It's surreal and I'm kind of traumatized for it. I never would expect that it would happen on vacation' Princess Cruises said in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'Princess Cruises can confirm that a 52-year-old American female guest passed away early yesterday morning aboard Royal Princess as the ship was enroute to Aruba. 'It was reported to the local authorities who met and boarded the ship upon arrival. The cause of death is not yet known at this time. 'We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincere condolences to the family and those affected.' Princess Royal departed Aruba at 10pm on Wednesday night, heading towards Kralendijk, Bonaire. The massive cruise ship has a guest capacity of 3,600 at double occupancy. At its launch in Southampton, England in 2013, the ship was christened by the Duchess of Cambridge, who became the vessel's 'godmother'. Mexican drug boss Hector Manuel Beltran Leyva, who was once one of Mexico's most-wanted men, has died after suffering a heart attack in prison. The 56-year-old was transported from prison to a hospital in Toluca, Mexico late Sunday after complaining of chest pains and going into cardiac arrest. Beltran Leyva received the necessary medical attention and prison and hospital personnel did everything in their capacity to revive him, the Mexican Interior Ministry said. The drug boss, nicknamed 'The H', had been incarcerated since March 2016 in Federal Prison Number 1, a maximum security facility in central Altiplano. Mexican drug boss Hector Manuel Beltran Leyva, who was once one of Mexico's most-wanted men, died late Sunday after suffering a heart attack in prison. He is pictured in 2014 following his arrest He was facing federal prosecution for various crimes. His capture in 2014 near a town where he had posed as an art and real estate dealer was seen as a major victory for Mexican authorities in their decade-long war against drug gangs. Beltran Leyva, who was arrested in San Miguel de Allende - a colonial city favored by U.S. retirees, had eluded an extradition request from the United States. The family-run Beltran Leyva cartel was once a leading player in Mexican drug trafficking, with control of the U.S. border region in Sonora. The snaring of the Beltran Leyva cartel's boss dealt a serious blow to a drug gang named after a group of brothers who became infamous for the bloody turf war waged with their former ally, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. His capture in 2014 near a town where he had posed as an art and real estate dealer was seen as a major victory for Mexican authorities in their decade-long war against drug gangs In 2008, a federation dominated by the Sinaloa Cartel, which included the Beltran Leyva organization, broke apart, sparking one of the bloodiest episodes of Mexican cartel infighting. Brothers Alfredo and Carlos were arrested, while Arturo was killed by security forces. Beltran Leyva's wife Clara Laborin Archuleta was arrested in 2016 after taking over cartel operations and trying to reassert control in the Pacific Coast resort of Acapulco. Splinter groups have subjected Acapulco to unrelenting waves of violence and extortions. Sinaloa Cartel leader and infamous escape artist Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, who is currently on trial at a federal court in Brooklyn, is suspected of having provided intelligence that led to the arrest of Alfredo. A pensioner's six-inch-tall Yorkshire Terrier Albert has been freed from death row after being locked up as a dangerous dog for biting a postie - even though he only has four teeth. Ann Anderson, 77, was distraught when two police officers and a sergeant arrived at her door to 'arrest' the six-year-old pooch in August, after he nipped the female postal worker while she was delivering the mail. The grandmother was hauled before magistrates on Friday to defend her tiny terrier, who has spent the last three months sitting in the dog pound awaiting his fate, which could have included being put down. Ann Anderson, 77, (left) was distraught when two police officers and a sergeant arrived at her door to 'arrest' the six-year-old pooch (right) in August. Photos undated Albert was already in the dog house for biting a neighbour last April in Epson, Surrey, after which police put him under a control order forcing him to always be on a lead and wear a muzzle when in public. Addressing the court, Mrs Anderson admitted to being in charge of a dangerous dog and magistrates upheld the original order. The pensioner wept in the court when she heard the ruling, because she feared Albert was going to be put down. 'I have been lost without him - he means the world to me,' she said. 'The little dog just liked to sit with me and just watch everything go by. I have missed him day and night, I haven't slept or eaten properly.' She was threatened with arrest back in July when police came to seize the six-inch-tall terrier following the complaint. Mrs Anderson, who has lived alone since her husband died more than 30 years ago, had initially refused to hand over Albert, her companion of the last three years, after he was captured on CCTV taking the letters. The grandmother was hauled before magistrates on Friday to defend her tiny terrier, (pictured) who has spent the last three months sitting in the dog pound awaiting his fate. Undated photo On August 24, Ann was at home when two police officers and a sergeant arrived on her doorstep and demanded she hand over her beloved companion, after it was claimed she broke her dog control measures put in place after the incident in April. Prosecuting, Darren Matravers said: 'Police were called after the dog was seen out the front of Mrs Anderson's house. 'The dog was seen approaching the postwoman before biting the letters out of her hand. I am asking the court to make a control order.' Defending, Pamela Rose told the court: 'There are so many positive testimonies for Albert - he is harmless and pretty toothless. The past three months have been very trying for Mrs Anderson. 'It is clear that these months have been a penalty in itself - she had experienced heartache and stress. This is the worst kind of sentence that any court could have imposed. 'Mrs Anderson now has a criminal conviction in relation to this. The court should not have to deal with such minor offences at all.' A petition to save Albert had reached almost 65,000 signatures online. Magistrate Ann Terry said: 'We will make a court order in the same way as the previous police order. 'That will be put in place as a control order which is effective from today. The court order can be taken to the police station and the dog can be retrieved.' Mrs Anderson was also fined 100 and ordered to pay an extra 85 in court costs. Speaking outside court, she said: 'How much time and public money has this whole thing wasted? I am just glad to have my Albert back, I would have gone to prison instead of him. 'Arthur has had a difficult life, he has had two previous owners and I saved him and nursed him back to health.' A plaque which appears to pay tribute to dead Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has appeared on a bench in east London. The bronze plaque, which has been fixed on a bench in Wanstead, reads: 'In loving memory of Saddam Hussein, 1937 - 2006.' The dates match the birth and death dates of the former president of Iraq. Hussein was hanged after he was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal. A plaque has appeared on a bench in east London which appears to pay tribute to dead Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The bronze plaque, which appeared on a bench in Wanstead, reads: 'In loving memory of Saddam Hussein, 1937 - 2006.' The dates match the birth and death dates of the former president of Iraq The former President of Iraq wielded power for 23 years before he was deposed during a 2003 invasion by an international coalition, which included British and American soldiers. The memorial bench came to the attention of locals this morning after it was posted on the S*** London Facebook page, a satirical site which pokes fun at unusual goings-on in the capital, and where it has garnered more than 1,000 likes and 100 comments. There appeared to be some confusion as to whether the bench was dedicated to the memory of a local with the same name, or if the plaque has been put in place by a prankster. One member of the group commented: 'Same years of life too, coincidence? I hope so. Unfortunate one though if it is and of it isn't it shouldn't be allowed but I hope it is and that it's a decent chap being remembered and not the dictator.' The former President of Iraq wielded power for 23 years before he was deposed during a 2003 invasion by an international coalition, which included British and American soldiers Another said: 'Thought it was just an innocent chap with a common name till I googled the dates!' Others decided to treat the plaque as a prank. One member of the group wrote: '...Loving Father, Brutal Dictator...' and another commented: 'Did you know that Saddam loved Wanstead and was often seen feeding the pigeons with Rumsfeld before they fell out? They both had a favourite Bush.' Another member added: 'I have fond memories of him singing karaoke in the Cuckfield,' and 'I often used to see him in the Larder looking disparagingly at the craft ale selection.' Wanstead Community Hub claims the screws holding the plaque in place are anti-theft ones which cannot be removed without using a special tool. A Redbridge Council spokesman said: 'We didn't give permission for this to be put up and it has been removed.' King Salman of Saudi Arabia has heaped praise on the kingdom's justice system today, in his first public remarks since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month. The 82-year-old royal said he was 'proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution', which as recently as last week exonerated his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder. The killing of the regime critical journalist at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul tipped Saudi Arabia into one of its worst international crises, but despite this there was no mention of the murder in the King's speech. King Salman heaped praise on his judiciary after the public prosecutor exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of any involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi Instead, King Salman focused on issues such as the war in Yemen, security for Palestinians, stability in the oil market, countering rival Iran and job creation for Saudis. 'The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution,' the king said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory body. 'We ensure that this country will never deviate from implementing God's law and... serving justice,' the 82-year-old added. The king voiced support for his favored son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying that the 32-year-old heir to the throne is focused on developing the capabilities of Saudi youth. The prince oversees all major levers of power in the kingdom, ranging from security to the economy. 'The country is working tirelessly to create more jobs and training for Saudi youth,' Salman said. 'The crown prince, chairman of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development, has focused on developing human capabilities and preparing the new generation for future jobs.' Murdered: Journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2 Did he or didn't he: Many, allegedly also including the CIA, have pointed the finger at the Gulf kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman In his speech King Salman also the international community to take action against Iran, accusing Tehran of 'sponsoring terrorism and creating chaos. 'The Iranian regime has always intervened in the internal affairs of other countries, sponsored terrorism, created chaos and devastation in many countries in the region,' the 82-year-old monarch said. 'The international community has to work to put an end to the Iranian nuclear programme and stop its activities that threaten security and stability.' The king said Riyadh supported U.N. efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has been battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for nearly four years to restore the internationally-recognised government. 'Our standing by Yemen was not an option but a duty to support the Yemeni people in confronting the aggression of Iranian-backed militias,' he said. US President Donald Trump, who has praised Saudi Arabia as a 'truly spectacular ally', has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the the CIA's reported assessment that he was behind the killing. Saudi Arabia - which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings - has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom 'by means of persuasion', but killed him instead in a rogue operation. Saudi Arabia has called for the death penalty against five men, announced indictments against 11 people and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. Final moments: Khashoggi is pictured arriving at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, the day he was killed The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime, including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing. Yesterday, Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar said Khashoggi's killers may have taken the journalist's body parts out of Turkey in a suitcase. 'One probability is that they left the country three to four hours after committing the murder,' Akar was quoted as saying by CNN Turk. 'They may have taken out Khashoggi's dismembered corpse inside luggage without facing problems due to their diplomatic immunity.' Turkish officials have also called for an investigation into whether the body was dissolved in acid. Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 12 (pictured), was one of the 72 people that died in the Grenfell Tower fire in June last year A 12-year-old girl trapped in Grenfell Tower as it went up in flames begged a 999 operator to 'hurry up' before she perished in the blaze. Jessica Urbano Ramirez was on the phone to London Fire Brigade control room officer Sarah Russell for an hour before the line went silent. The schoolgirl fled her flat on the 20th floor of the 24-storey north Kensington tower block and tried in vain to seek refuge higher up. She was later identified as one of the 72 who died in the inferno. Ms Russell, who had been in the job nine months when the fire broke out on June 14 last year, said she wished she had been given more than just one day of fire survival guidance training. Details of Jessica's heartbreaking 999 call emerged in a 70-page document read out at the public inquiry into the fire in central London today. Complaining of smoke and fire below, Jessica repeatedly asked Ms Russell: 'Please can you hurry up?' At one point, Ms Russell, who had been in the job for about nine months by the time of the fire, said: 'They are hurrying up. Is there another room you can go into?' Jessica replied: 'No, can you hurry up please? I'm begging you.' Ms Russell told her: 'They are, they're right below you. But you need to keep yourself safe.' Giving evidence, the officer admitted she had no information that firefighters were on their way, but said she was trying to reassure the youngster. Counsel to the inquiry Richard Millett QC asked her: 'Did it occur to you that you had not yet assessed the security of the escape route and telling her that the crews were coming up, without having solid information to back that up, meant that you might be lulling her into a false sense of security?' Ms Russell said: 'At the time, no. It was based on what I would expect to happen, what should happen. 'It was more about comforting her and trying to get her through that situation and get the information (from her).' The schoolgirl, 12, was on the phone to London Fire Brigade control room officer Sarah Russell (pictured giving evidence at the Grenfell Tower fire public inquiry in London today) for an hour before the line went silent on June 14 Ms Russell said she would have liked to have had more experience in dealing with fire survival guidance (FSG) calls prior to the fire, having had just one day of FSG training eight or nine months earlier. She also said it would have been helpful to have a more experienced control room officer sitting next to her. In a written statement Ms Russell said she was glad she had stayed on the call 'even if it was only to offer her a little support'. 'After about an hour I could not get anymore response from her - only rasping sounds, then nothing,' she said. 'I stayed on the line a little while longer with my hand hovered over the call termination button. 'I was torn as what best to do. I eventually ended the call when the line fell silent. Reflecting on that call, I felt completely helpless. 'When people are pleading with you, saying they do not want to die and I cannot physically do anything to help them; it is very hard.' Jessica fled her flat on the 20th floor of the 24-storey north Kensington tower block (pictured left) and tried in vain to seek refuge higher up. She was later identified as one of the 72 who died in the inferno (missing person poster right) The information that Jessica had fled to a higher floor was not passed on to fire crews on the ground, who searched her flat but found no trace of the youngster. Ms Russell said that, not long after the call ended, she became aware the advice to callers had been changed from 'stay-put' to attempt to evacuate. But a transcript of another call showed she was still offering a 'choice' following the change of advice, the inquiry heard. 'I was making them aware that they needed to leave and how, but if you send them out into the fire and smoke it could potentially be sending them out to a death where if they waited they may have been rescued,' Ms Russell said. She added that had she known some callers did not have working automatic door closers her advice may have been different. 'I probably would have emphasised more at the start, knowing that they didn't have as much time as what you think they would, to leave rather than wait for rescue,' she said. After the emergency services broke the devastating news of her death, Jessica's family paid tribute to their 'little angel'. In a statement to police at the time, they said: 'We have received probably the hardest news any parents will ever have had to bear, over the past weeks we have been in a state of confusion and limbo. 'Now that she has been formally identified we feel totally crushed. Jessica's devastated father Romero and mother Adriana (pictured after news of her death was confirmed in London last year) have described her as a 'little angel' 'Nothing will ever bring our little girl back, and we are angry that this should ever have happened to our little angel. 'We will not rest until we get justice for her and for the many other lives lost as a result of this crime. 'We will only feel justice has been served when the highest possible charges are applied to culpable individuals. We entrust this task to the authorities in the hope that we will not be let down.' They added: 'Our little girl was loving, kind-hearted and caring. She brought joy to everyone who met her and her laugh was contagious. 'Jessica will leave a lasting legacy in the hearts of her family and friends and the many many people who didn't know her personally but have come to know her since that night of June 14. 'Her light will shine bright and will light our individual paths as we start to move forward into coming to terms with our loss and heartbreak.' A man who allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl in a public toilet was previously caught with a 'rape kit', court documents reveal. Anthony Sampieri, 54, was allegedly found with his pants down in the bathroom of a dance studio in Kogarah, south Sydney, on Thursday night with a young girl. Sampieri is a known sex offender and was on parole for the rape of a 60-year-old woman when the alleged attack on the girl took place. Police investigating the 2012 rape searched Sampieri's home, where they found a list of names of women aged between 23 and 83. Anthony Sampieri, 54, who was on parole when he allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-own girl in Sydney's south (pictured) was previously caught with a 'rape kit', court documents reveal Next to the women's names were comments such as 'very young' and 'older', the Daily Telegraph reported. On October 6, 2012, Sampieri rang one woman at about 8.30pm and told her how he would assault her. Another woman heard 'grunting and groaning' when she answered a phone call from him. Police also found a 'rape kit' in the bedroom which included gaffer tape, cable ties, nylon rope and a roll of wire. Officers also found pornographic DVDs and magazines. Court documents reveal Sampieri had been ringing women in the lead-up to the aggravated sexual assault on October 22, 2012, during an alleged 'ice-binge'. Reports indicate the evidence was passed from Wollongong police to detectives investigating the Kogarah dance studio assault. The convicted sex offender was arrested for raping a 60-year-old woman in the Illawarra region, New South Wales, in 2012 (pictured: toilet where the seven-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted) At the District Court in 2013, Sampieri pleaded guilty to raping the woman at his Wollongong home. He lured her to his home before ordering her to strip, wielding a knife and saying: 'Now we'll have some fun.' Police have made an application at Kogarah Court to take a fresh DNA sample from Sampieri, and the matter will be heard on Tuesday. Sampieri remains in hospital under police guard and is yet to be charged. Sampieri had spent three years incarcerated for the 2012 rape and was granted parole in September 2017. The State Parole Authority revoked the parole within hours of Thursday's arrest, launching calls for a review of the NSW early release program. Lisandro Leal, 38, was arrested on November 7 after the girl told police that he had started abusing her when she was 11 A Dallas man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old 25 times over the course of three years and fathering her baby boy. Lisandro Leal, 38, was arrested on November 7 after the girl told police that he had started abusing her when she was 11. She said he was the father of her son who is now six-months-old. Dallas Morning News reports that he confessed to raping her after being taken into custody. He is being held on a charge of continual sexual abuse of a minor in addition to being held by ICE which says he is an illegal immigrant. Leal was also charged for an outstanding DUI which is said to have happened in 2009. He remains in Dallas County Jail on a $53,000 bond. Leal, (pictured with a different child), allegedly confessed to the abuse once in custody According to his Facebook page, Leal works as a chef at Dive Coastal Cuisine, a restaurant in Dallas. He is seen posing in photographs with a young boy but it remains unclear if the child is his son. It is unclear how long he has been in the United States. His relationship to the girl has also not been described in detail. A 65-year-old inmate was killed after a bust up with prison guards in Illinois left him with 15 broken ribs in May. Larry Earvin died from blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen, the death certificate from Clinton County in southern Illinois said. He sustained 15 rib fractures and two dozen or more abrasions, hemorrhages and lacerations. Larry Earvin, 65, sustained 15 rib fractures and two dozen or more abrasions, hemorrhages and lacerations Surgery to remove a portion of his bowel appears to have followed the injury, the autopsy stated. The FBI is investigating the May 17 incident at the prison in Mount Sterling, about 250 miles southwest of Chicago. Illinois Department of Corrections declined to disclose details of what was described as an 'altercation with correctional staff.' At least four Western Illinois employees were placed on administrative leave with pay on May 22, according to documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act. The men were correctional sergeant Willie Hedden, 40, of Mount Sterling; correctional lieutenants Benjamin Burnett, 33, of Winchester, and Blake Haubrich, 30, of Quincy and correctional officer Alex Banta, 27, also of Quincy. Earvin was airlifted to a regional hospital after the incident but died six weeks later from the brutal injuries. Illinois Department of Corrections in Mount Sterling, about 250 miles southwest of Chicago Dr. Gershom Norfleet, the St. Louis forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, recorded that at the time of his death Earvin was suffering from pneumonia and that a portion of his colon had been removed surgically and a bag installed for waste removal. In Earvin's system were morphine and Hydrocodone for the severe pain he was in. The inmate from Mississippi was jailed for six years in 2015 for theft of merchandise under $300 in Cook County, Illinois. His rap sheet included a seven-year stretch in 2004 for aggravated arson and previous convictions for theft and burglary dating to 1984. Earvin's family have not made contact with the media. The corrections department initially said it didn't have any documents related to the incident. It denied a first request for records in July, but after an appeal to the attorney general's public access counselor, the department responded that it had turned everything in its possession over to the FBI, and denied having copies of its own investigative reports. It later acknowledged it had found copies. The counselor ruled last week that the department had not fully complied with the Freedom of Information Act. Donna Rice Hughes, the model who many believe killed Gary Hart's chances of becoming president when it was revealed the two were having an affair, is back in the spotlight with the release of The Front Runner. The film stars Jackman as Gary Hart, the lawyer and Kansas senator who was the front-runner in the 1988 Democratic primary until reports of that extramarital affair with Rice began to circulate. Those reports were accompanied by a now infamous picture of Hart that showed Rice sitting on his lap while he wore a shirt that said 'Monkey Business Crew.' What people did not know however was that Rice was also working as a pharmaceutical salesperson at that time and an accomplished college graduate who was much more than a pretty face. And in a interview with the People, the 60-year-old grandmother and Trump-supporter explains that the 'unhealthy choices' she made in her 'prodigal 20s' were the result of a date rape that occurred right after college. Rice did not give any more details about that assault, but did previously writer in an essay last year: 'I survived childhood sexual abuse and a date rape at age 22.' Scroll down for video Her story: Donna Rice Hughes (above in 2011) is speaking out ahead of the release of The Front Runner, which details her affair with presidential hopeful Gary Hart Mayday: Hart, played by Hugh Jackman in the film, dropped out of the race soon after photos emerged of Rice sitting on his lap while he wore a Monkey Business shirt (above) Bathing beauty: The former University of South Carolina cheerleader was 29 when she began dating Hart, then 54, and said she had no idea he was married at the time (Rice above in her 20s) Divine connection: Rice (above with Pope Francis) regained her strength through faith and in 1992 launched Enough is Enough, which aims is to make the Internet safer for families and children Rice, who has been married to husband Jack Hughes for 25 years, said that she had no idea that Hart was still with his wife or making a bid for the White House when she agreed to a date with the politician. 'I would've never gone out with him had I known,' she explained. The relationship between Hart and the former University of South Carolina cheerleader quickly progressed, with a group trip to the Bahamas and later a weekend at Hart's DC townhouse. It was The Miami Herald that broke the story after following Rice from Miami to DC on an anonymous tip claiming that she would be spending the weekend at Hart's townhouse. Donna and husband Jack Hughes on their wedding day in the early 90s (above) That turned out to be true, and it was later revealed that the pair had met in Aspen just five months earlier at a party Rice was attending with her then-boyfriend, Don Henley. 'I was blindsided and thrown into the media feeding frenzy,' said Rice. 'I couldn't go home and I felt I was put on trial.' She then added: 'The media fixated on me for the next 18 months. My reputation was destroyed worldwide. I hit rock bottom.' Rice and Hart both denied having a sexual relationship, but the scandal only grew when The National Enquirer ran a photo of the pair in the Bahamas that showed Rice sitting on Hart's lap. The two had been out on a yacht earlier in the day and Hart was wearing one of the shirts he got onboard which said: 'Monkey Business Crew.' It was when The Washington Post informed Hart that a story detailing his relationship with a woman while he was separated from his wife was set to run in the paper that he made the decision to end his campaign. Hart dropped out of the race only to rejoin a few months later, but ultimately lost the nomination to Michael Dukakis. Rice said that she later learned it was two of her close friends who outed her, with one tipping off the Herald that she was going to DC and the other selling her photo to the Enquirer. Jackman stars as Gary Hart (above) in The Front Runner Slide me Hart's long-suffering wife Lee (right in 1987) is played by Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (left) Slide me Hart's daughter Andrea (right in 1987) is played by Kaitlyn Dever (left) Slide me Hart's campaign manager and good friend Bill Dixon (left in 1987) i splayed by JK Simmons (right) In the wake of the scandal, Rice disappeared from the public eye, reemerging in 1992 when she launched the non-profit lobbying group Enough Is Enough, which aims is to make the Internet safer for families and children. Rice said that she had low expectations when she went to a screening of the film in August, but was pleasantly surprised after watching the movie. 'It's been 31 years,' she told People. 'But as a 60-year-old grandmother watching it on film now, I was moved with great compassion for the 29-year-old person that was me.' Reitman is also credited as a co-writer on the project alongside Hillary Clinton's former press secretary Jay Carson and Matt Bai. The screenplay was adapted from Bais 2014 book All the Truth Is Out. That book took a look at how the tabloid media managed to infiltrate politics for the first time in the United States through the lense of Hart's campaign and the impact it had on those around him. As a result, there are a number of fascinating and juicy details that the film will be able to explore, meaning that Jackman is not the only actor who could be up for awards consideration in the film. Vera Farmiga, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in Reitman's 2009 film Up In the Air, plays Lee in the film. Lee was one of the first political spouses to endure the intense media spotlight after being cuckqueaned, a decade before Hillary Clinton stood by her husband's side on the national stage amidst reports of infidelity and affairs. Hart's campaign manager Bill Dixon meanwhile is played by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons. It was Dixon who was Hart's biggest champion throughout the scandal, believing that the presidential hopeful had too much integrity for rumors of an affair to cause any problems in the race and all but ignoring the media reports. And in what could turn out to be a breakthrough performance, Sara Paxton is the model and campaign aide whose relationship with Hart led to his downfall. Paxton, 29, has been working in the industry for the past two decades, most notably in the horror films The Last House on the Left and The Innkeepers as well as the much publicized but quickly cancelled series The Beautiful Life alongside Mischa Barton. Rice eventually regained her strength through faith she explained, turning down lucrative offers along the way like $1 million to pose in Playboy. 'I chose not to exploit the situation,' she said. 'I wanted to take the high road. My prayer was to make my paint count for something.' The woman accused of conspiring with her boyfriend and a homeless veteran to run a $400,000 GoFundMe scam has released secret audio recordings that she claims prove her innocence. Katelyn McClure, 28, is charged in the scheme alongside her ex-boyfriend Mark D'Amico, 39, and 34-year-old Johnny Bobbitt, the homeless man they actually met at a Philadelphia casino. McClure's lawyer has proclaimed that she was herself duped, however, releasing secret recordings. The recordings were made on September 2, after Bobbitt sued the couple, claiming they were raiding his funds and throwing the scheme into jeopardy. 'You started the whole f**king thing, you did everything. I had no part in any of this and I'm the one f**king taking the fall,' McClure is heard saying in the audio released to Good Morning America, which could not be independently verified. Bobbit (left) was arrested Wednesday while McClure and D'Amico surrendered the same day. McClure's attorney released a 'secret recording' on Monday claiming it shows her innocence They became part of a viral sensation when Bobbitt, 34, (left) was shown on camera purportedly spending his last $20 to buy gas for McClure (right). The new recording reveals D'Amico calling McClure a 'stupid b***h' for fearing they'd get arrested Transcript of Katelyn McClure's secret recording she claims proves her innocence McClure: You started the whole f**king thing, you did everything. I had no part in any of this and I'm the one f**king taking the fall **** D'Amico: You don't go to jail for lying on TV, you dumb b***h. McClure: You heard what he said, if this turns into a criminal thing D'Amico: You don't go to jail for lying on TV. McClure: But who made me lie on TV? D'Amico: Who cares? **** D'Amico: How much did you spend in Cali? $2,500? [unintelligible] $3,700? So just right there is $40,000, now you wanna talk about everything else? You act like you didn't spend a dollar. Stop it. McClure: I'm not acting like that. D'Amico: Just stop it. Just stop it. McClure: I never said that I didn't spend a dollar. Advertisement In November 2017, McClure and D'Amico created the GoFundMe campaign supposedly to benefit Bobbitt, who they claimed was living under a bridge and had spent his last $20 to help McClure when she ran out of gas. McClure shot video supposedly of the moment Bobbitt bought her the gas, and went on to do numerous television interviews peddling the fake story, until all three were arrested last week. McClure's attorney James Gerrow told GMA that D'Amico was 'calling the shots' in the alleged scheme. 'People have to understand that this was an abusive relationship. Mr. D'Amico was the one behind this and he was the one calling all the shots,' Gerrow said. 'She didn't understand or appreciate that this may very well be a crime,' the attorney said. In the secret audio, D'Amico is heard telling McClure: 'You don't go to jail for lying on TV, you dumb b***h.' 'You heard what he said, if this turns into a criminal thing,' McClure responds. D'Amico repeats: 'You don't go to jail for lying on TV.' 'But who made me lie on TV?' the girlfriend says. D'Amico replies: 'Who cares?' At another point in the recording, D'Amico is heard lambasting McClure as anything but innocent: 'How much did you spend in Cali? $2,500? [unintelligible] $3,700? So just right there is $40,000, now you wanna talk about everything else? You act like you didn't spend a dollar.' McClure responds: 'I never said that I didn't spend a dollar.' McClure (left) claimed homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt (right) helped her when she ran out of gas. But prosecutors say she and D'Amico actually met him at a Philadelphia casino The scam came crashing down last week, when New Jersey prosecutors announced that McClure, D'Amico and Bobbitt had all been charged with second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. 'Less than an hour after the GoFundMe campaign went live, McClure, in a text exchange with a friend, stated that the story about Bobbitt assisting her was 'completely made up',' Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina told a press conference. The couple claimed to be setting up the GoFundMe page for Bobbitt (left) 'I had to make something up to make people feel bad,' McClure said in a text - one of 60,000 reviewed by prosecutors - to a friend. In one text exchange in March 2018, McClure worried that she and D'Amico had less than $10,000 remaining, but D'Amico wasn't concerned as he believed they'd make more money off a book deal for a titled pitched as No Good Deed, Coffina said. Coffina added: 'She did not run out of gas on an I-95 off-ramp, and he did not spend his last $20 to help her.' The prosecutor added: 'D'Amico, McClure and Bobbitt conspired to fabricate and promote a feel-good story that would compel donors to contribute to their cause.' A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said they would be seeking jail sentences 'of some length' which could be between five and 10 years. Bobbitt was arrested Wednesday night by US marshals in Philadelphia and remained in custody Thursday on probation detainers and a $50,000 bond. A message was left with a previous attorney of Bobbitt's. D'Amico, 39, and McClure surrendered to authorities Wednesday night and were released on bond. Katelyn McClure and her boyfriend Mark D'Amico have split since they got in trouble for the crowdfunding scam. McClure has now turned against her ex and claims he duped her into being involved in the scheme On Friday, McClure's lawyer revealed that she had split with D'Amico. 'They are not living together anymore and she's not taking his calls,' attorney James Gerrow told Fox 29. Asked whether McClure believes D'Amico betrayed her, the lawyer said there was 'no question about that'. Gerrow said McClure tried twice to meet with law enforcement to stop the scam and when she tried to halt the fundraising, GoFundMe did not allow it. 'Kate was being used by both Mr. D'Amico and Mr. Bobbitt and because D'Amico knew she was a very kind person also a bit naive they set up,' Gerrow said. He added about her reluctance to reveal the scam after they appeared on the likes of Good Morning America speaking about the Good Samaritan and promoting their crowdfunding page: 'What she was concerned about is people will stop giving to causes like this because at her core, she wanted to help this man.' It all went wrong for the trio when Bobbitt filed a civil case against the couple, which has been put on hold until December while an investigation into potential criminal proceedings related to the raised money plays out, DailyMailTV learned. Then authorities believed something was amiss in the story Bobbitt told them The couple have shared photos on social media of themselves taking a helicopter ride and a trip to Disney during luxury vacations to Las Vegas and LA. The trio also posed for pictures with another woman in New York In the civil suit, Bobbitt says they used the account as a 'personal piggy bank' to 'fund a lifestyle they could not otherwise afford'. It led to authorities searching the couple's home in September and finding lavish belongings. The couple have shared photos on social media of themselves taking a helicopter ride and a trip to Disney during luxury vacations to Las Vegas and LA. They also posted pictures of shopping sprees and front-row seats at a Broadway show. The homeless veteran sued the couple who he said hadn't given him all the money they should have They insisted that they had done nothing wrong and had not spent a single dollar on themselves. D'Amico, 39, did admit to spending $500 from the fundraising campaign at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, though he insists he paid it all back with his winnings. D'Amico had previously said the couple believed Bobbitt shouldn't get the money until he was clean and would spend it responsibly, while the couple have shared photos on social media of themselves taking a helicopter ride and a trip to Disney during luxury vacations to Las Vegas and LA. He told The Philadelphia Inquirer in September: 'Giving him all that money, it's never going to happen. I'll burn it in front of him.' But the entire story - including Bobbitt's innocence - was a complete lie a prosecutor said Thursday. They realized something was amiss among the details which hinted at Bobbitt's involvement. GoFundMe plans to reimburse the 14,000 donors, who contributed $403,000 to the November 2017 campaign, the prosecutor said. He said the money donated to the homeless man, Bobbitt, would be refunded to people who saw the story and contributed to him through the GoFundMe page. Originally aiming for just $10,000, the money was supposed to be spent on a home and a truck for Bobbitt, as well as a trust and retirement fund. 'The entire campaign was predicated on a lie,' the prosecutor Coffina said. 'It was fictitious and illegal and there are consequences.' Prosecutors released a detailed timeline of the case, including when they concocted the story (October 2017), the amount of money transferred from GoFundMe to their personal bank accounts, and the the trips they went on with the cash A two-year-old girl from Texas has died and her caregiver has been arrested after police say the woman repeatedly hit the toddler with a belt and burned her buttocks as punishment for wetting herself. Aniyah Darnell was pronounced dead at Medical City Arlington after police found her lifeless body at the Las Lomas Apartments at 1am on Saturday. An autopsy will determine the cause of death. Shamonica Page, 34, was taken into custody and admitted she repeatedly struck Aniyah because she had become frustrated with the girl soiling her clothes and wanted to 'teach her a lesson', according to a police affidavit. Scroll down for video Shamonica Page, 34, (left) has been charged with felony injury to a child in the death of two-year-old Aniyah Darnell, who had been in her care since August Police responded to this address in Arlington, Texas, Saturday and found the toddler unresponsive and suffering from a severe burn on her buttocks Page also told investigators she didn't seek medical help for the severe burn on the child's backside, which was weeks old, and instead opted for 'home remedies,' reported CBS DFW. Even though the child was injured, the affidavit stated, Page continued striking Aniyah as punishment with her hand or the belt. Police also arrested 38-year-old Dereck Roberson, who they say was present during the commission of the crime She told police she had been caring for Aniyah since August for the girl's biological mother, who apparently was unable to care for her daughter. Page's precise relationship to Aniyah is unclear. Page is charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony. Police also arrested 38-year-old Dereck Roberson, who they say was present during the commission of the crime, reported Fox 4. He was booked into jail on a count of injury to a child by omission, a third-degree felony. The charges against the pair could be upgraded depending on the outcome of Aniyah's autopsy, police said. Two other children in the apartment have been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services. A two-year-old boy has been recovered in a healthy condition and taken into care following the death of a baby girl, found on a Gold Coast beach. The baby's mother, 23, and father, 48, are homeless and had been living in parks with their daughter, it has been revealed. Emergency services were called to Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, about 12.30am on Monday after a member of the public found the infant unresponsive on the beach. Paramedics desperately tried to revive the little girl, believed to be about nine months old, but she was pronounced dead at the scene and police are treating the death as 'unnatural'. Police have established a crime scene along the section of Surfers Paradise beach (pictured) where the little girl was found dead A little girl was found dead on a Gold Coast beach in the early hours of Monday, with police working to determine her cause of death The couple are believed to be homeless, and were living in parks near the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. An investigation is underway to officially determine her cause of death but there are reports she had been in the water at some point prior to being found on the sand. 'The body was located on the edge of the surf, so clearly it had been in water, I don't know how long for,' Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said. 'It's a very tragic event. It's a very sad situation.' The girl's body was discovered by a member of the public, who was not believed to be a Schoolie. Teenagers flock to the Gold Coast from mid-December to mark the end of their high school education but police have confirmed the infant's death is not connected to Schoolies. Several youngsters were near the scene when the baby's body was found. One mother said her daughter was devastated when she found out what had happened. Paramedics had desperately tried to revive the little girl but she was pronounced dead at the scene Emergency services were called to the scene at Surfers Paradise about 12.30am on Monday A resident said they saw an ambulance and heard screaming on the beach. 'But with the Schoolies around at the moment there's lots of screaming going on, it's impossible to say whether it was harmless fun or not,' the resident said. Detective Inspector Hogan said there were no visible signs of injury on the girl but the police investigation was still in its early stages. The pair were located by police at Broadbeach, about five kilometres away, on Monday morning. No charges have been laid. The Homicide squad are leading the investigation with the help of New South Wales police as the couple had 'some movement' between the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads. Detective Inspector Marc Hogan (pictured) told media: 'It's a very tragic event. It's a very sad situation' The little girl was found by the member of the public less than a kilometre from where thousands of school leavers were celebrating Schoolies parties. Police are checking CCTV footage from around the area as part of their investigations. Anyone with information is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444. An 106-year-old grandmother was brutally beaten to death inside her home in Brazil. Antonia Conceicao da Silva was alone in her house in Feira Nova, a city with a population of 8,500, when someone cut her metal roofing open and climbed down through a gaping hole. According to reports from the Military Police, the grandmother was sleeping on her living room couch while her grandson was out at a party. Her fragile body was then dragged around the home in search of valuables during the home invasion. But only $8 was stolen from her purse before the suspected killer fled the house, cops said. Antonia Conceicao da Silva turned 106-year-old in October. She was brutally beaten to death during a robbery inside her home in Brazil early Saturday morning News outlet Amazonas1 reported da Silva's face had been completely disfigured during the senseless robbery. Da Silva's lifeless body was eventually discovered laying in a pool of her own blood when her grandson returned home. Police reports also revealed da Silva's body also showed signs of strangulation. Cops are still trying to determine the number of suspects. A lead investigator told G1 that the murder may have only been carried out by one person. 'It seems that it was only one person who killed her because during the crime scene investigation we found only one footprint of blood on the wall of the house,' Fagno Vieira said. Police investigators in the northeastern Brazilian city of Feira Nova found large amounts of blood splattered throughout the home The suspect who cowardly murdered a 106-year-old grandmother in Brazil early Saturday cut a gaping hole in the metal roof before climbing down 'On the day of her death there was a party and because we believed that this individual knew about the vulnerability of the victim, [the suspect] took advantage of the moment that many people were at the party and that she was alone to commit the crime.' Da Silva, who was affectionately known as Antonia do Padre, was beloved throughout Feira Nova. She had just turned 106 in October. During this year's Mother's Day celebration, da Silva was the focal point of segment recorded by a local outlet in which she revealed the key to being alive at her age. 'The secret is to have peace in this life and health within the body,' she said. Veto threat: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez today. Madrid has threatened to veto Theresa May's Brexit deal on Sunday over its provisions for Gibraltar Spain has threatened to block the Brexit deal if it does not get a veto over how any future trade deal applies to Gibraltar. The threat could derail the draft agreement reached between Brussels and London and is another headache for Theresa May as she tries to quell revolt at home. Madrid refuses to accept The Rock is a part of Britain despite the fact it has been an overseas territory since 1713. Downing Street insisted today the deal would apply to the 'whole UK family' including Gibraltar and other overseas territories. The divorce deal sets up a new UK-Spanish oversight committee to manage ties across the border after Brexit. But Spain is demanding a specific opt out on any trade deal be added to the part of the divorce committing the EU to negotiate it. The divorce deal is supposed to be locked and not due to be reopened before Sunday's summit. Speaking in Brussels today, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said: 'The negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU do not apply to Gibraltar... future negotiations on Gibraltar are separate negotiation.' 'And that is what must be made clear. 'Until we have the future declaration and we know what it says, whether we agree or not, we are also not going to approve the withdrawal agreement.' Gibraltar's first minister Fabian Picardo said it was 'no surprise' to see Spain raising the Rock again at the last minute. He said: 'The language of vetos and exclusions should be the language of the past. 'It has no place in the modern Europe of today at a time when when the United Kingdom and Gibraltar are trying to build a positive future relationship with the EU.' Spain has threatened to block the Brexit deal if it does not get a veto over how any future trade deal applies to Gibraltar (pictured) EU leaders will be asked to approve the divorce deal at a special summit on Sunday, assuming Mrs May has not been ousted by her own party before then. Gibraltar is due to leave the European Union along with the United Kingdom in March, although 96 percent of its population voted in the 2016 referendum to remain in the bloc. Spain has frequently tried to use Gibraltar as a negotiating chip in the Brexit talks but has not so far used its veto in the negotiations. The draft Brexit deal sets up a new cooperation framework between Britain and Spain to oversee the Rock. A six-part clause creates three UK-Spanish committees to supervise cross-border workers, smuggling, environmental protection, law enforcement and border control. An overarching committee of UK-EU officials means Brussels gets an oversight role on the new arrangement. An EU diplomat said the issue could go as far as the Sunday summit of all EU leaders aimed at rubber-stamping the Brexit deal, where other outstanding points are fishing and a limit on any extension of a post-Brexit transition phase. Noting how Spain was obliged to accept British positions on Gibraltar when it was negotiating its 1986 accession to the bloc, a decade after Britain had joined, a senior EU official said London now had to accept that "the tables have turned". Harrowing footage shows an alleged knifeman moments before he was shot and left critically wounded after reportedly attacking police in Denmark. The 24-year-old man was shot after he lunged at a patrol officer with a knife near a bus on Karen Blixen's Boulevard in Brabrand, a suburb of Aarhus, at around 1pm on Monday, police said. He remains in a critical condition. It was not immediately clear how many times the man was shot. The night before the incident, the man had visited the Grimhoj Mosque for the first time, according to Danish news reports. A 24-year-old man was critically injured after being shot by police in Brabrand on Monday The man remains in critical condition after he reportedly attacked an officer with a knife. Pictured, paramedics at the scene after the shooting East Jutland Police said they have a large presence in the area as the incident in Brabrand in Aarhus is investigated Danish broadcaster Danmarks Radio said he had attended a prayer last night before returning with a knife the following day. Attendees at the mosque then alerted the police, noticing that he seemed to be disturbed, Danish media said. East Jutland Police said they have a large presence in the area as the incident is investigated. In an update on Twitter, the force said the Independent Police Appeals Authority is now investigating the officer-involved shooting. In a statement, the police prosecutor's office said it had launched a probe and sent investigators to the site. The office added that it would like to speak to witnesses or anyone who may have information on the case. The man was shot after attacking a patrol with a knife in Aarhus, in Demark, on Monday, local reports say The Independent Police Appeals Authority is now investigating the officer-involved shooting The police prosecutor's office said it had launched a probe and sent investigators to the site The man was shot after he lunged at a patrol officer with a knife near a bus on Karen Blixen's Boulevard in Brabrand, a suburb of Aarhus, reports say. Pictured, the scene after the shooting A shopping centre in south-west China has been operating a merry-go-round with real horses chained to the rotating structure, drawing accusations of animal cruelty. Videos and photos of the modified amusement park ride emerged showing four ponies being strapped to large metal frames and trotting in circles while carrying children and teenagers. The attraction was installed at the Shuangliu Wanda Plaza in Chengdu, Sichuan province in September and charges up to 50 yuan (5.60) per four-minute ride. A shopping centre in south-west China has been operating a merry-go-round with real horses chained to the rotating structure, drawing accusations of animal cruelty Video of the modified amusement park ride emerged showing four ponies being strapped to large metal frames and trotting in circles while carrying children Each horse walks on the carousel for four hours every day, according to Hongxing News Each horse walks on the carousel for four hours every day, according to Chengdu Business Daily. The operator, Wuhan-based Shangma Equestrian Club, told reporters that trainers are always on site and the activity gives the horses their daily exercise. A sign promoting the ride reads: 'Different from traditional wooden horses, you can really experience the fun on horseback and let your child indulge. Let you and your child be brave.' A manger, identified by the surname Wang, told Beijing News that the ride does not constitutes animal cruelty. The incident saw the operator heavily criticised on social media, where net users accuse the equestrian club of animal abuse. The operator said the ride does not constitute animal cruelty The operator, Wuhan-based Shangma Equestrian Club, told reporters that trainers are always on site and the activity gives the horses their daily exercise The attraction was installed at the Shuangliu Wanda Plaza in Chengdu, Sichuan province in September and charges up to 50 yuan (5.60) per four-minute ride 'If we don't tie up the horses, how do we control it and ensure people's safety?' he said. 'This location is not a pasture, we can't let the horses run wild.' The incident saw the operator heavily criticised on social media, where net users accuse the equestrian club of animal abuse. 'Do not try to justify animal abuse. You are making money out of mistreating animals,' one top-rated comment read on Weibo. 'This is totally different from horseback riding,' one user said. 'The horse is not forced to walk round and round for hours every day.' 'If you want to ride a horse, you can go to a professional riding stable,' another said. 'The horse is not a toy. This is too inhuman.' Contrary to a traditional merry-go-round with wooden horses (pictured), the modified ride in Sichuan, China is powered by real ponies that are strapped to the mechanism 'Horses should be walked while willingly following their trainers' commands. This makes sure their joints remain in a relaxed state,' said Zhou Bo, a manager at Tian Xiao Equestrian. However, some wildlife authorities said the carousel is legal and the horses are not being mistreated. 'There is no law against using animals for amusement rides, said Zhou Ming, head of a wildlife rescue centre in Chengdu. This is not the first time live animals were used to power funfair rides. Similarly in 2014, three ponies were chained to a merry-go-round ride at a night market in Taiwan. Geoffrey Hutton from Basildon (pictured) is accused of murdering the debt collector when she came to his house An ex-civil servant stabbed a female debt collector to death then bought drugs and searched for porn moments after she vanished, a court heard today. Mother-of-three Tina Cantello, 49, died as result of 30 stab wounds to her left chest and neck between June 7 and June 10 this year - she died as a result of 30 stab wounds to her left chest and neck. Geoffrey Hutton, 38, from Basildon, Essex, is accused of murdering her between June 7 and June 10. Ms Cantello was found in a bedroom at the former Ministry of Justice employee's house and was naked apart from her bra, with her underwear 'wrapped around her right ankle', jurors were told. He denied one count of murder and spoke only to confirm his name at Snaresbrook Crown Court as he wore a grey suit with blue shirt and tie. Ms Cantello to meet Hutton at his home as she had many times before - with the pair sharing a 'perfectly amicable relationship', prosecutor Simon Spence told the court. More than 20 members of Ms Cantello's family packed out the public gallery for the start of the trial, which is expected to last two weeks. The debt collector (pictured) died after she was stabbed 30 times and was found at the home of Mr Hutton in Essex Along with the jury of four men and eight women, they heard how Ms Cantello left for work at 5pm on June 8 and had been due home for dinner at 7.30pm, but never arrived and was later reported missing to the police. Mr Spence said enquiries and the movement of her car led officers to the defendant's address, adding: 'Some 24 hours later, when the police went in, they found him covered in blood. 'They found Tina's dead body upstairs and she was largely naked. She had been stabbed numerous times.' Mr Spence said a post-mortem examination showed she had 17 abrasions, as well as the 30 stab wounds which had caused damage to both Ms Cantello's lungs, the aorta and left ventricle of her heart. 'This has led to the collapse of the left lung and significant blood loss, both internally and externally,' he added. 'According to Dr Swift, the nature of the injuries is such that she would have rapidly become unconscious and died within minutes of the start of the attack.' Ms Cantello (pictured) had arranged to go to the house and reportedly had a previously cordial relationship with Mr Hutton Ms Cantello was a debt enforcement officer for Provident Financial, a company which specialises in small loans and would, as part of her role, visit customers' homes to collect small sums of cash. She was equipped with an iPhone to arrange meetings and would record conversations during collections on the device. During the prosecution opening, Mr Spence said Hutton had been 'looking to obtain drugs and left his house 20 mins after Tina Cantello had arrived'. With blood and urine samples later showing he had taken 'a significant amount of cocaine' and some cannabis, he said Hutton was described by a witness ahead of purchasing the drugs, as 'drenched, like he had stood in the shower with his clothes on'. At around 6.25pm and 6.29pm, Hutton had also accessed a website called adult works, which offers pornography or the services of an escort, Mr Spence said. Hutton, who is deaf and being assisted in the trial with a tablet showing a live transcript of proceedings, mostly kept his head down looking at the screen. Mr Spence said Hutton told police officers another unknown man had killed Ms Cantello in his house, before making him injure himself and forcing him to drink bleach. He added: 'There is significant evidence linking this defendant to the killing of Tina Cantello or very little, if any, forensic evidence of the presence of a third person in the house.' The trial continues. Fiona Onasanya arriving this morning at the Old Bailey where she is due to give evidence A Labour MP accused of plotting with her brother to dodge a speeding ticket told a court how she failed to manage the thousands of emails flooding in after she was elected. Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya, 35, was allegedly clocked doing 41mph in a 30mph zone on The Causeway in Thorney, Cambridgeshire, shortly after 10pm on 24 July 2017. She is said to have plotted with her brother Festus, 33, to avoid prosecution for the offence by repeatedly lying to police when they reached out for information and naming a Russian man, Aleks Antipow, as the nominated driver on the paperwork when the camera was triggered. Onasanya took to the witness box at the Old Bailey today where she described being overwhelmed by the step up to Houses of Parliament from her role on the county council. She described her change in job from being a county councillor to an MP as more of a 'leap than a step.' Jurors heard she studied at the University of Hertfordshire before enrolling in law school and eventually qualifying as a commercial property solicitor. She held that role until shortly before her election to Parliament in June last year. Describing how she came to make the transition into politics, she recalled the secretary for the Cambridge Labour Party approaching her table after overhearing Ms Onasanya and a friend discussing the 2011 London Riots. A still taken from a speeding camera, of Labour MP Fiona Onasanya's Nissan Micra being caught speeding on July 24 last year 'I became interested because I wanted to show them what was wrong in politics,' she added. 'So, I looked into it more thoroughly from there.' Ms Onasanya told jurors how she unsuccessfully ran as a local councillor in 2012 before topping the polls at her second attempt a year later. Adopting the mantra that you 'need to live among the people you are representing to adequately represent them', she quit her job managing a corporate team of lawyers for another in Peterborough. She recounted how she ended up putting herself forward as the Labour Party's candidate in the general election after hearing that the incumbent would not be standing again. Ms Onasanya later ousted former Conservative MP Stewart Jackson by taking the seat with a majority of 607 votes. Asked by her barrister, Christine Agnew QC, about the 'step up' from her role on the county council, she said: 'It was massive. 'It was more of a leap than a step.' Ms Agnew continued: 'Did it fit in with your expectation of what the leap, or the step, might be?' The MP replied: 'I didn't have any expectations because I didn't have any idea what it would be like.' Festus Onasanya (pictured) also used a similar 'method' involving fake driver details, when he was caught speeding on June 17 and August 23 last year She added: 'It's a little bit like being asked if you can swim and you say 'Yes, I can swim' but then you get thrown into the ocean.' Ms Onasanya told the court her first visit to Westminster was 'a little bit like a fresher's fair' at university. She was not given an office until September, two months after the alleged offence, and having to spend her first visit picking up her laptop, security pass and other essentials. Within weeks she was appointed to a select committee and became a parliamentary private secretary to the shadow defence secretary. But those positions were relinquished when Onasanya was promoted to the whip's office overseeing, amongst other things, party discipline in January this year. Jurors heard last week how one of Onasanya's staffers recalled seeing 5,000 unanswered emails sitting in her inbox. Describing the deluge of correspondence, she said: 'It's like if you switch your phone off for maybe a month and then turn it on and all the messages come through one after the other.' She agreed that there was 'no system' in place to handle the flood and conceded that some 'extremely important' messages may have gone overlooked as a result. 'When I turned on the laptop and went into my inbox it started off with about 50 emails,' Onasanya continued. 'I thought that was not too bad. Then it went from 50 to 70 to 100, 700. 'I had over 2,000, and that was me starting.' Onasanya's musician brother Festus has admitted three similar allegations of perverting the course of justice, the court has heard. Prosecutor David Jeremy QC told jurors Festus was slapped with six penalty points for failing to identify the driver and hit with a further three for speeding all in July 2017. He had earlier been banned for a year after being caught with excess alcohol back in June 2008. Ms Onasanya told jurors she did not know about the convictions at the time she was alleged to have committed an offence last summer. Onasanya later told jurors how she would leave her car in Cambridge and spend four days a week in Westminster. Her brother Festus, mother and others would sometimes drive her Nissan Micra, before it was written off following an accident, she said. Explaining why singer Festus would borrow her car when he had his own, she said: 'His car was often off-road having repairs and things done to it so he would use my vehicle.' Onasanya would sometimes let someone else drive her, she said: 'Because of the nature of my work, sometimes because of a health condition I would be quite tired so I would be a passenger and also so I could get in with work if someone else was driving.' Prosecutor David Jeremy QC previously accused the MP of 'lying persistently and deliberately' in a co-ordinated scheme with her brother to avoid prosecution. The court also heard that, on February 3 last year, Fiona Onasanya had correctly filled out an NIP for triggering another camera a month earlier. She kept a clean licence and avoided points by going on a speed awareness course. A police investigation allegedly found that her two mobile phones were in the area of the traffic camera around the time it was activated on July 24. Onasnaya recalled receiving a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) letter relating to speeding on July 24. She told jurors she had assumed she was at Parliament that day and left the letter for whoever was driving to complete. 'I jumped down to the date which was 24.7.17. I looked at my calendar on my phone and looked at what day the 24th was. I then folded back the letter put it back in the envelope, phoned my mum to say I've got a speeding something or other that's come through. 'I then left it at my mum's house. There's an area in the living room where we leave post for one another if it needs attention. 'I made the assumption at the time that I would have been in Parliament because it was a Monday and then I left it with the relevant person who would have known who the driver was.' She said she intended whoever was driving her car that day to complete the form, unaware it was her responsibility as the registered keeper. But when she later received a letter saying the Russian no longer lived at that address, she spoke to her brother. 'When I spoke to him, I can't remember exactly, but paraphrasing him, he said it was sorted out,' she told jurors. The MP went on to tell jurors that she suffered a relapse of multiple sclerosis in September last year. She said: 'I probably was not in the best head space. I've just been told I had got an incurable degenerative disease.' The MP, from Peterborough, denies one count of perverting the course of justice. The trial continues. A horrifying video shows the moment a road rage brawl turned deadly after one man shot dead another outside a Las Vegas convenience store. Anthony Blount, 41, died at a local hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest on November 12. According to officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Blount and another man were in a vehicle driving down Maryland Parkway and were approaching a green light at Bonanza Road. In the video, two suspects are seen going into the convenience store as the victim and another friend pull into the parking lot The victim (bottom right) got out of his car and fought one of the suspects Two men were jaywalking across the street and the victim slowed down and had a verbal argument with them. Police said the men continued walking across the street and into the parking lot of the convenience store. Blount pulled his car into the parking lot behind the two suspects, and as they were about to walk into the store, the victim got out of his car and he and the two suspects fought. After the brief fist fight, one suspect pulled out a gun and shot Blount in the chest. Both suspects fled the scene on foot. Police responded to the convenience store around 8.11pm after reports of a man being shot. After the brief fist fight, one suspect (right) pulled out a gun and shot Blount in the chest. Both suspects fled the scene on foot Anthony Blount (pictured), 41, was rushed to the University Medical Center where he died a short time later. No one else was injured during the shooting First responders rushed Blount to the University Medical Center where he died a short time later. No one else was injured during the shooting. The suspects were described as black males between age 18 and 22 and are both 5'6' to 5'8' tall. One suspect was last seen wearing a grey sweater and black pants and the other was last seen wearing a black jacket and a white tee shirt. Police are searching for the two suspects and anyone with further information are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555. A mystery hedge trimmer has struck twice in a week overnight in a village amid fears of an 'escalating neighbourly dispute'. Lincolnshire Police have deployed extra patrols to Sudbrooke in an attempt to catch whoever cut the border hedge 'during the hours of darkness'. Officers have slammed the 'very bizarre' incidents which took place on a leafy road in the village, which has an average house value of 290,000. The hedge was trimmed during the night on this road in the Lincolnshire village of Sudbrooke The force said someone had cut a 'large circular hole' in the private hedge in the village that backs onto woodland, located five miles north east of Lincoln. PSCO Jacqueline Parker, from the Nettleham policing team, said: 'Cutting someone's hedge without permission is unacceptable behaviour. 'It is only courteous to speak to the owner about the problem that you have and to not take the matter into your own hands.' Local authority West Lindsey District Council imposes no restrictions on hedge height, but can intervene in any row over the feature obstructing light. Some social media users complained that the response from police was over the top The circumstances of the hedge trimming could make it an offence - for example if it falls under criminal damage or trespass, or even destroying a wild bird's nest. Cutting someone's hedge without permission is unacceptable behaviour PSCO Jacqueline Parker A police spokesman told MailOnline: 'The resident is clearly concerned about this. Hedge cutting on private land should only be done only with the permission of the owner. 'It may well be a civil matter, but there are certain circumstances that could mean the act constitutes a criminal offence. 'Either way it is not worth upsetting a neighbour and risking an ongoing dispute.' Some Facebook users complained that the police response was over the top, while another said: 'Wish someone would come and chop mine - inbox me for my address.' * Do you know the mystery hedge trimmer? Email: mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk * Scott Morrison has vowed to cut the number of immigrants coming into Australia - saying population growth needs to be managed. 'Australians in our biggest cities are concerned about population. They are saying enough, enough, enough,' the Prime Minister said in a speech in Sydney on Monday. 'The roads are clogged, the buses and trains are full. The schools are taking no more enrollments.' 'The roads are clogged, the buses and trains are full. The schools are taking no more enrolments,' Mr Morrison said of immigration in Australia Scott Morrison has vowed to cut the number of immigrants coming into Australia 'We have become, especially in Sydney and Melbourne, a victim of our success.' Over the last decade migration has accounted for over half of the population growth in the nation at 58 per cent. The Prime Minister predicted his changes would cause a shift in direction of immigration policy and lower the annual immigration target from the national cap of 190,000. His new direction would involve talking to State leaders and forming immigration targets on a regional basis, rather than having a national immigration cap. The PM defended immigration in general, saying the benefits include a growing workforce, increased opportunities for Australian businesses and workers, and that immigrants contribute to the economy rather than draw from welfare. 'I believe that we need a new discussion with the States and territories and local governments about how we manage and plan for our changing population,' Mr Morrison said. 'The old model of a single national number determine by Canberra is no longer fit for purpose.' 'Further to this I am writing to the Premiers and chief ministers inviting them to contribute to a national strategy and framework on population and putting this on the table for out next COAG meeting on 12 December.' Passengers on board a flight from Beijing to Poland were asked to fund the repairs on a fault so that the plane could take off. There were around 250 passengers on the LOT Polish Airlines flight when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner suffered a hydraulic pump fault, according to local media. They were asked to foot the bill after the mechanic who had been employed to fix the pump demanded that he would only take cash as payment. The leak was first noticed by crew members during after after-flight checks when it landed at Beijing Capital International Airport on November 11. Passengers on board a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Beijing to Poland were asked to fund the repairs on a fault so that the plane could take off It was due to fly back to Warsaw Chopin Airport the next day, however passengers were reportedly asked to pay for a replacement pump before it could get off the ground. LOT Polish Airlines spokesman Adrian Kubicki said: 'An employee at the Boeing warehouse in Beijing refused to accept a bank transfer and insisted on cash.' He claimed that crew from the flight managed to scrape together around 2,500 RMB (280 GBP) from passengers on the plane for repairs, which are believed to have taken around 10 hours. Kubicki added: 'There are no circumstances that justify asking money from passengers.' There were around 250 passengers on the LOT Polish Airlines flight when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner suffered a hydraulic pump fault Daniel Golebiowski, who was one of the passengers on the flight, said: 'He asked several people, he took 400 RMB (45 GBP) from just us.' The outraged passenger added: 'We are at the international airport. I cannot believe that transactions take place here in cash under the table with the mechanic standing next to the plane. Incredible!' After the plane landed in Warsaw, Kubicki told outraged passengers: 'I know that you encountered an unusual situation today, for which I would like to apologise for from the bottom of my heart. 'Believe it nor not, but there was a situation with a warehouse employee in Beijing who refused all methods of payment other than cash which led to the confusion. 'Nevertheless, I am grateful to him and that the flight returned safely to Warsaw.' According to local media, the borrowed money was immediately returned to the passengers once they landed in Warsaw along with flight vouchers. Passengers are able to claim 600 EUR (534 GBP) in compensation for the lengthy delay. According to the LOT spokesman, disciplinary measures will be taken against the employee who collected the cash from passengers. A businessman and former partner of one of Theresa May's biggest Tory critics was jeered at the CBI conference this morning as he urged her to rip up her Brexit plan. Roger Kendrick confronted Mrs May after she had given a defiant speech at the conference defending her deal and urging business to rally behind her. Springing to his feet to ask a question, Mr Kendrick said the controversial deal would keep Britain 'locked' into EU regulations and unable to strike global trade deals. He urged her to ignore the support of the CBI - who he branded the 'Confederation of European Industry' - tear up her plan, and return to the negotiating table. His comments were met with jeers from the shocked audience at the conference in London today, where business chiefs had broadly backed the PM's deal. Mr Kendrick is the former partner of Anne Marie Morris - one of the Tory Brexit rebels who have sent a letter of no confidence in to oust Mrs May. But Ms Morris told MailOnline that they broke up nearly a year ago and she had 'no idea' he was going to ask the question. Roger Kendrick (pictured at the CBI conference in Londontoday) confronted Mrs May after she had given a defiant speech at the conference defending her deal and urging business to rally behind her. Theresa May (pictured today at the CBI conference) hit back at his remarks - insisting her Brexit deal delivers on the historic referendum while safeguarding jobs Mr Kendrick is the former partner of Anne Marie Morris (file pic) - one of the Tory Brexit rebels who have sent a letter of no confidence in to oust Theresa May The awkward showdown came as Mrs May desperately tried to drum up support for her controversial deal by selling it to business chiefs in a defiant speech. She said the blueprint will allow the UK to regain control of immigration - while keeping ties with the EU strong and protecting jobs. 'The agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfils the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum,' she said. 'Let no one be in any doubt. I am determined to deliver it.' Who has sent letters of no confidence in May? Letters of no confidence in Theresa May are confidential - but some of her strongest critics have gone public. If 48 letters are sent a vote is called. This is who has definitely sent a letter: Jacob Rees-Mogg , North East Somerset, Jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk Steve Baker , Wycombe, steve.baker.mp@parliament.uk Sheryll Murray , South East Cornwall, sheryll.murray.mp@parliament.uk Anne-Marie Morris , Newton Abbott, annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk Lee Rowley , North East Derbyshire, lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk Henry Smith , Crawley, henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk Simon Clarke , Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, simon.clarke.mp@parliament.uk Peter Bone , Wellingborough, bonep@parliament.uk James Duddridge , Rochford and Southend East, james@jamesduddridge.com Philip Davies , Shipley, daviesp@parliament.uk Andrea Jenkyns , Morley and Outwood, andrea.jenkyns.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Bridgen , North West Leicestershire, andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk Nadine Dorries , Mid Bedfordshire, dorriesn@parliament.uk Laurence Robertson , Tewkesbury, robertsonl@parliament.uk Martin Vickers , Cleethorpes, martin.vickers.mp@parliament.uk Ben Bradley , Mansfield, ben.bradley.mp@parliament.uk Adam Holloway , Gravesham, hollowaya@parliament.uk John Whittingdale , Maldon, john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk Maria Caulfield , Lewes, maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk Mark Francois , Rayleigh and Wickford, mark.francois.mp@parliament.uk David Jones , Clwyd West, david.jones@parliament.uk Marcus Fysh , Yeovil, marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk Chris Green , Bolton West, chris.green.mp@parliament.uk Zac Goldsmith , Richmond Park, zac@zacgoldsmith.com Bill Cash , Stone, cashw@parliament.uk Philip Hollobone , Kettering, philip.hollobone.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Lewer, Northampton South, andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk Crispin Blunt , Reigate, crispinbluntmp@parliament.uk Owen Paterson , Shropshire Patersono@parliament.uk Advertisement Mrs May also urged the public to listen to businesses highlighting the threat to the economy from crashing out of the bloc, saying that such firms were 'providing your jobs that ensure that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family'. Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, the premier made clear that there is no prospect of reopening the divorce talks - saying the task now was to finalise the future trade framework. The tough stance came as mutinous Tory MPs pleaded with colleagues to write letters of no-confidence to the powerful 1922 committee - amid signs they are still struggling to reach the 48 needed to force a full vote. Some politicians are thought to have been put off after sensing strong resistance in their constituency parties over the weekend. Senior Conservatives have also appealed for them to hold fire, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher. Tory ex-leader Lord Howard said that while he personally opposes the Brexit deal it should be put to Parliament. Mr Kendrick lashed the Brexit divorce deal when he was called to ask a question after the PM's speech, saying it would leave Britain locked into EU institutions and unable to strike trade deals globally. He said: 'Prime Minister, on Sunday you proposed to sign a withdrawal agreement, and that agreement is going to lock us into the EU regulations on a permanent basis unless the EU agrees otherwise. 'Now this is to ensure we have frictionless trade with the EU, which is about 43 per cent of our goods trade, and we lose 95billion a year on that deal. 'Whereas the alternative is a rapidly growing market outside the EU where we have huge opportunities. 'But those opportunities will be lost if you sign that agreement and you lock us into the EU regulatory framework. 'Because the EU has made it absolutely clear they don't want us to be more competitive, and that means we can't improve our productivity and that means we can't improve our prosperity. 'Can I ask you to think again about the economics of the whole thing rather than listening to the petitions of the CBI, which is really the Confederation of European Industry.' His comments were met with shocked gasps and some jeers from the audience of 1,500 business leaders. Mrs May - who is in the political battle of her life to cling on in No10 and get her Brexit deal through an overwhelmingly hostile Parliament - hit back at his remarks. She insisted 'the portrayal that you have given of what has been agreed is a little inaccurate'. And she added: 'It makes sense for us to continue having a good trading relationship with the European Union ... but also have the freedom, which we will have, to sign those trade deals around the rest of the world.' But Mr Kendrick remained unconvinced, telling the The Daily Telegraph he will not vote Conservative again while Mrs May is in charge. CBI boss Carolyn Fairbairn (pictured at their conference in London today) hailed the deal as providing the certainty businesses desperately crave and carving a path towards a good free trade deal 'She has bottled it,' he said. Ms Morris is one of the 25 Tory MPs who have publicly declared they have sent letters of no confidence in Mrs May in as part of a bid to oust her. Tory Brexiteers launched their coup last week with their ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg declaring that he had lost confidence in the PM and calling for her to stand aside so that a true believer in Brexit can take the helm. Speaking to MailOnline today, Ms Morris said she is still confident that the 48 letters needed to trigger a confidence vote in the PM will land. She said the chances are 'extremely high' adding: 'It is a question of when, not if.' Asked when she thinks the crucial threshold will be reached, she said: 'Some time this week.' Mrs May today said the divorce arrangements have already been 'agreed in full' as she insists her settlement is a 'good one for the UK'. Addressing the CBI annual conference in London, the Prime Minister said the priority in this 'intense week of negotiations' is to 'hammer out' the framework of the future trade deal. What Theresa May told the CBI about... Immigration Once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here. It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. Jobs The outline future framework agrees to the creation of a comprehensive free trade area with the EU, our biggest and nearest goods market. Zero tariffs, no fees, charges or restrictions across all goods sectors, with an ambitious customs arrangement that respects both sides legal orders... The deal proposed will work for all (businesses) and sustain the livelihoods they provide to working people across the UK. Transition period We have agreed a transition period, to avoid a cliff-edge for business and to provide the certainty you need to invest. The choice facing MPs My job is to get the best deal. Parliament must then examine it and do what is in the national interest. Advertisement She told delegates that her agreement will create a level playing field on immigration that means EU nationals will no longer be able to 'jump the queue'. 'Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people... once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here,' she said. 'It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. 'Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. 'Not only will this deliver on the verdict of the referendum, it should lead to greater opportunity for young people in this country to access training and skilled employment.' It comes amid signs the 'gang of five' Cabinet Brexiteers who formed a pact to try to force the PM to change her Brexit divorce deal could be splitting. The ministers - Andrea Leadsom, Michael, Gove, Chris Grayling, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox - had all been meeting to coordinate how they on pile pressure on the PM. They wanted her to renegotiate the hugely controversial backstop so Britain would withdraw from the customs union unilaterally and without the PM's permission. But Mrs May has insisted that the 500-plus divorce deal is not being renegotiated and that the final ten days of talks will focus on the future trade deal. While Mr Gove and Dr Fox today endorsed the Prime Minister's Brexit plans, although Mrs Leadsom and Mr Grayling are yet to make clear their position on the deal. All five decided to stay in the Cabinet last week despite a massive Brexiteer revolt and Mrs Leadsom is understood to be fighting for them to present a united front. The Commons leader has convened a series of meetings dubbed the 'pizza club' ahead of previous Cabinet meetings. But a proposed breakfast meeting today never happened and no further talks are currently planned before tomorrow's Cabinet - despite this being the final week of negotiations on the proposed EU-UK trade deal outline. And the stark message about the options facing Parliament was underlined by EU ministers as they arrived at a Brussels meeting today. Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, said: 'Boris Johnson once said 'Britain is leaving the EU, It is not leaving Europe'. 'I think the challenge now is for these Brexit dogmatists to show whether that is true. 'I think Theresa May deserves praise for her position. 'No deal is better than a bad deal' has disappeared. 'Any deal is better than no deal' is now the slogan. That is right. 'This deal that is now on the table is the best there is. There is no better deal for this crazy Brexit.' As Conservative MPs upped their efforts to for a no-confidence vote, David Davis said he believed over 40 letters have been submitted to Sir Graham, and the numbers 'seem to be teetering close to getting over the 48'. He also said Mrs May will be the 'first person' to find out if he submits a letter. How Brexiteers would get rid of Theresa May Brexiteers have attempted a coup against Theresa May in fury at her draft deal with the EU - but they will have to navigate Tory rules to force her out. The Prime Minister insisted she plans to 'see this through' to make clear to the rebels she will not quit voluntarily. This is how the Tory Party rules work: What is the mechanism for removing the Tory leader? Tory Party rules allow the MPs to force a vote of no confidence in their leader. How is that triggered? A vote is in the hands of the chairman of the Tory Party's backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. A vote of no confidence must be held if 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to the chairman. Currently that threshold is 48 MPs. Letters are confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public. This means only Sir Graham knows how many letters there are. This possible delay could give Mrs May a 'grace period' where she knows a contest is imminent but not yet public knowledge. How is a vote announced? There are few fixed rules but Sir Graham is likely to inform Downing Street or the Chief Whip and then make a public announcement. Sir Graham is likely to check with the MPs who have sent him a letter before making an announcement in case any of them want to withdraw. This will happen secretly. How will the vote happen? After it is announced, a vote will happen quickly, with Tory MPs invited to cast a secret ballot in a Commons committee room. Voting will be open for one day and Sir Graham will announce the result at the end. What needs to happen for Theresa May to win? Officially, Mrs May only needs to win a simple majority of Tory MPs - currently that is 158 MPs. Politically, winning by one would be devastating. If more than 100 MPs vote against her, most observers think she would be finished. What happens if she loses? Mrs May is sacked as Tory leader and Sir Graham will announce a leadership contest. She cannot stand in the contest. She will probably stay on as Prime Minister until a replacement is elected but have no political power or authority to do anything. What happens next? In a Tory leadership contest, any MP can stand with a proposer and seconder. Tory MPs vote several times a week on the candidates with the last place candidate being removed from the race at each ballot. When there are only two candidates remaining, a run off is held among all Tory members in the country. How long will it take? The first phase depends on how many candidates there are. A large field could mean a fortnight or more of regular ballots. In the past, the second round has taken anywhere from four to 12 twelve weeks - but some think a vote of Tory members could be finished in just a week. Advertisement Who could replace Theresa May? As the PM admits she will have to quit soon, these are some of the leading contenders to take over Theresa May won her Tory confidence vote after promising not to lead the party into the 2022 general election. These are some of the leading contenders to replace her: Boris Johnson - 7/2 How did they vote on Brexit? Led the Vote Leave campaign alongside Michael Gove. What is their view now? Hard line Brexiteer demanding a clean break from Brussels. The former foreign secretary is violently opposed to Theresa May's Chequers plan and a leading voice demanding a Canada-style trade deal. What are their chances? Mr Johnson's biggest challenge could be navigating the Tory leadership rules. He may be confident of winning a run-off among Tory members but must first be selected as one of the top two candidates by Conservative MPs. Now rated as favourite by the bookies, Boris Johnson's (pictured leaving parliament last night) biggest challenge will be navigating the Tory leadership rules Dominic Raab - 9/2 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave, with a second tier role campaigning for Vote Leave. What is their view now? Mr Raab was installed as Brexit Secretary to deliver the Chequers plan but sensationally resigned last month saying the deal was not good enough. What are their chances? His resignation from the Cabinet put rocket boosters under Mr Raab's chances, fuelling his popularity among the hardline Brexiteers. May struggle to overcome bigger beasts and better known figures. Newly installed as Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab (pictured on Tuesday) is trying to negotiate Theresa May's Brexit deal Sajid Javid - 5/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain but kept a low profile in the referendum. What is their view now? Pro delivering Brexit and sceptical of the soft Brexit options. What are their chances? Probably the leading candidate from inside the Cabinet after his dramatic promotion to Home Secretary. Mr Javid has set himself apart from Mrs May on a series of policies, notably immigration. Sajid Javid (pictured leaving the Houses of Parliament this evening) is probably the leading candidate from inside the Cabinet after his dramatic promotion to Home Secretary Michael Gove - 7/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave What is their view now? He has said Theresa May's Chequers blueprint for Brexit is the 'right one for now'. But he recently suggested a future prime minister could alter the UK-EU relationship if they desired. What are their chances? He came third in the first round of voting in 2016, trailing behind ultimate winner Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. Mr Gove has said it is 'extremely unlikely' that he would stand again. But he popular in the party and is seen as an ideas man and a reformer by many, and he could change his mind if Theresa May is shown the door. Michael Gove appeared to rule himself out of the race in recent days, but he ran last time and is popular among many in the party. He is pictured outside the Houses of Parliament today Jeremy Hunt - 7/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. What is their view now? The Foreign Secretary claims the EU Commission's 'arrogance' has made him a Brexiteer. What are their chances? Another top contender inside Cabinet, Mr Hunt's stock rose during his record-breaking stint at the Department of Health and won a major promotion to the Foreign Office after Mr Johnson's resignation. Widely seen as a safe pair of hands which could be an advantage if the contest comes suddenly. Jeremy Hunt's stock rose during his record-breaking stint at the Department of Health and won a major promotion to the Foreign Office after Mr Johnson's resignation David Davis - 10/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and a supporter of scrapping Mrs May's plan and pursuing a Canada-style trade deal with the EU. What are their chances? The favoured choice of many hard Brexiteers. Seen as a safer pair of hands than Mr Johnson and across the detail of the current negotiation after two years as Brexit Secretary. He could be promoted a caretaker to see through Brexit before standing down. Unlikely to be the choice of Remain supporters inside the Tory Party - and has been rejected by the Tory membership before, in the 2005 race against David Cameron. David Davis (pictured outside the Houses of Parliament today) is seen as a safer pair of hands than Mr Johnson and across the detail of the current negotiation after two years as Brexit Secretary Amber Rudd - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. Represented Britain Stronger in Europe in the TV debates. What is their view now? Strongly remain and supportive of a second referendum - particularly given a choice between that and no deal. What are their chances? Popular among Conservative MPs as the voice of Cameron-style Toryism, Ms Rudd is still seen as a contender despite resigning amid the Windrush scandal - and she was boosted further by her return to Cabinet as Work and Pensions Secretary on Friday night. She is badly hampered by having a tiny majority in her Hastings constituency and would not be able to unite the Tory party in a sudden contest over the Brexit negotiation. Popular among Conservative MPs as the voice of Cameron-style Toryism, Amber Rudd (pictured leaving parliament this evening) is still seen as a contender despite resigning amid the Windrush scandal Jacob Rees-Mogg - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and recently branded Theresa May's Brexit U-turn a 'humiliation' which has left her deal 'defeated'. What are their chances? As chair of the European Research Group (ERG) bloc of Tory Eurosceptics he has been urging MPs to replace Mrs May for weeks. Pro-Brexit supporter, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, walks through members of the media and anit-brexit demonstrators as he walks near to the Houses of Parliament in London yesterday Penny Mordaunt - 14/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Leave and subject of persistent rumour she could be the next to quit Cabinet over Mrs May's Brexit deal. What are their chances? Possible dark horse in the contest, Ms Mordaunt is not well known to the public but is seen as a contender in Westminster. Known to harbour deep concerns about Mrs May's Brexit deal, but has stopped short of resigning from Cabinet. Possible dark horse in the contest, Penny Mordaunt (pictured in Downing Street) is not well known to the public but is seen as a contender in Westminster Andrea Leadsom - 16/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Leave. What is their view now? Ms Leadsom said in late November that she was backing the withdrawal agreement struck with Brussels because it 'delivered' on the referendum result. What are their chances? Leader of the Commons since June, Andrea Leadsom found herself at the centre of controversy in the 2016 leadership campaign when comments she made were interpreted as a claim that she would be a better PM than Mrs May because she was a mother. Asked recently whether Mrs May was the right person to be leading the country, she said she is 'at the moment'. Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, arrives at Downing Street on Thursday last week Gavin Williamson - 33/1 How did they vote on Brexit? Remain. What is their view now? Mr Williamson tweeted today: 'The Prime Minister has my full support. She works relentlessly hard for our country and is the best person to make sure we leave the EU on 29 March and continue to deliver our domestic agenda.' What are their chances? He backed Remain in the referendum and pledged his support for Mrs May in the 2016 leadership contest but has since been mentioned as a potential future Tory leader. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is a 33/1 outsider according to the best odds by bookies this evening Advertisement A two-year-old girl was taken from her sleeping mother's arms before being brutally raped and dumped near some train tracks in a shocking incident in New Delhi this weekend. The homeless mother and toddler had been sleeping by a footpath in northern New Delhi when the mother suddenly woke in the early hours of Saturday to find that her child was gone. She was able to locate her daughter at a hospital in the centre of the Indian capital, where she had been brought after being found unconscious and bleeding by the tracks near Old Delhi Railway Station. The two-year-old girl was found unconscious and bleeding by the tracks near Old Delhi Railway Station, pictured, on Saturday morning, having been brutally sexually assaulted A 24-year-old man, reportedly a homeless drug addict, could be arrested by police on Sunday. After identifying a suspect on CCTV, local police monitored Hindu and Sikh temples which offers food to the homeless, and the man could be arrested, NDTV reports. The suspect had previously been arrested in connection with a theft, police said. Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal, visited the victim in hospital, and later tweeted: '1.5 year old homeless girl brutally raped in Delhi. 'Met her in hospital & can't describe her condition. 'Her beggar mom is inconsolable. Her cries ring in my head. 'Thru my Anshan, law 4 death 2 rapist created but till date no rapist given death in Delhi! No fear amongst criminals.' Ohio University freshman Collin Wiant, 18, died on November 11 after a night of drinking at a house affiliated with the Sigma Pi Epsilon fraternity An Ohio University freshman died last week after he was found unresponsive at a fraternity-affiliated apartment after a night of drinking. A 911 call from the Epsilon chapter of Sigma Pi fraternity at Ohio University, reveals that the caller told dispatchers that 18-year-old freshman Collin Wiant had 'drank a little too much'. Wiant, of Dublin, Ohio, had been in and out of consciousness prior to passing out and was intoxicated and unresponsive by the time EMS arrived just before 3am last Monday. 'It's 45 Mill St. We'll carry him out. He's pretty in and out...' the caller told dispatchers in audio obtained by campus paper The Post. The dispatcher then advised the caller to not carry Wiant outside due to cold temperatures and to wait for first responders. Wiant was rushed to OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital in Athens where he was pronounced dead. Wiant, a freshman and recent pledge of Sigma Pi Epsilon was at 45 Mills St (above), an unofficial annex of the fraternity, when cops received a 911 call saying he 'drank a little too much' and was 'in and out' of consciousness' Wiant was rushed to OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital in Athens where he was pronounced dead. Wiant pictured second left with family He was a first-year student and a recent pledge of the fraternity. The building he was in was an unofficial annex of the Sigma Pi Epsilon fraternity. Athens Police are now investigating the cause of Wiant's death working with the Athens County Coroner's Office. The school has been in touch with Wiant's family. A funeral was held on Friday at the Rutherford-Corgin Funeral Home in Ohio and on Saturday a mass was held near the campus to honor Wiant's life. A longtime friend of Wiant said he was a friendly and popular boy. 'He was friends with everybody. And he could have been really mean to me, but he chose to be very nice. And he always was,' Haley Keller said to ABC. She added that the fraternities on Mill Street, where Wiant was discovered, are notorious for their excessive partying and drinking. Following the devastating incident, the university has shut down the Sigma Pi Epsilon fraternity. 911 call prior to Collin Wiant's death Dispatcher: Athens City Police Caller: Hey, so I just got connected with your um so were at 45 Mill Street and one of my friends is just...I mean hes pretty unresp I think he drank a little too much tonight. Dispatcher: OK, is he responsive? Caller: Um he was, and then hes like kind of laid back and ... passed out. Dispatcher: OK, is he still breathing? Caller: Yes. Dispatcher: OK, Ill send them down that way. Caller: I mean he Dispatcher: Is it there an apartment number? Caller: Um, its 45 Mill St. Well carry him out. Hes pretty in and out, so like Dispatcher: Well lets not carry him out yet. Its really cold outside and the squad takes a little bit, so lets just leave him there and Ill send a officer down and the squads headed that way too. Caller: All right, sounds good. Dispatcher: All right, thanks. Caller: All right, bye. Advertisement Following the devastating incident, the university has shut down the Sigma Pi Epsilon fraternity. Wiant's funeral card pictured above The Athens Police Department has launched an investigation into his death. Wiant's funeral card pictured above Martha Compton, the director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility (CSSR), issued a cease and desist letter addressed to the fraternity chapter president. In the letter she said the university 'has received information which alleges that (the fraternity) has engaged in conduct that puts the health and safety of (its) members at risk' and broke the student code of conduct. CSSR also initiated an investigation into accusations that the fraternity engages in dangerous conduct. The national organization released a statement on Wednesday sharing their condolences. 'Sigma Pi Fraternity was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of a new member of Epsilon Chapter at Ohio University after EMTs responded Monday to a 911 medical emergency call at an off-campus residence. We send our prayers and condolences to his family and the entire OU community,' the statement said. A Trump activist who infuriated Michael Avenatti after his company boasted on Twitter it was responsible for the domestic violence allegations against the attorney has told DailyMailTV: 'It was just a joke'. Avenatti was arrested on Wednesday last week after an unidentified woman filed a criminal complaint against him in Los Angeles. When the news broke, Surefire Intelligence, a firm derided as a vehicle for right-wing conspiracy theories including allegations of sexual misconduct by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, tweeted: Surefire Intelligence strikes again. The comment could easily have been lost in the Twitter storm precipitated by the arrest of Stormy Daniels' attorney, who has been considering a run for president in 2020. Michael Avenatti claimed that his domestic violence arrest was a set up from the same people who are being investigated by the FBI for an alleged smear campaign against Robert Mueller Jacob Wohl, an avid Trump supporter who set up Surefire, told DailyMail.com that the tweet was just a joke and he was not responsible But Avenatti took the bait, tweeting in response: First Mueller and now me. When we are fully exonerated I am coming for you Jacob Wohl aka Surefire. Avenattis comment, seeming to suggest he had been set up by the intelligence firm run by former hedge fund manager Jacob Wohl, deepened the controversy around his arrest at his luxury rented apartment on the edge of Beverly Hills. Avenatti doubled down on his claim of a set up by Wohl, later telling TMZ outside a restaurant: 'I'm looking forward to the truth coming out... I'm gonna be proven innocent, I'm gonna be exonerated, we're gonna move forward, adding while pointing his finger at the camera: 'Jacob if you're watching I'm coming for you, if I was Jacob I would not be sleeping well at night.' But Wohl, an avid Trump supporter who set up Surefire after being barred from the National Futures Association and fined by the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2016 for failing to cooperate amid allegations he defrauded traders, told DailyMailTV that the tweet was just a joke and he was not responsible. The tweet was sent out in jest, it was a silly tweet. And he doesnt actually believe that Surefire Intelligence or I had anything to do with his arrest, said Wohl. What hes trying to do is to place blame on to me.' The 20-year-old said he was surprised by the reaction to his firms tweet last week. It was just a joke. I didnt even send the tweet, one of my business partners did. And I told him, I said great tweet. Little did I know that it would set off this press storm and he [Avenatti] would glom onto it like that. Just hours after DailyMail.com posted its story, Avenatti tweeted again: 'Jacob: I'm not laughing and neither is Mueller. Whatever you do, don't go and destoy further evidence. Yes, we already know.' Seemingly boosting Avenatti's claims are the fact that Surefire's official Twitter account tweeted shortly after news of his arrest broke on Wednesday 'First Mueller and now me,' Avenatti tweeted on Thursday morning, a day after he was arrested for allegedly leaving a woman's face covered in bruises Just hours after DailyMail.com posted its story, Avenatti tweeted again: 'Jacob: I'm not laughing and neither is Mueller. Whatever you do, don't go and destoy further evidence. Yes, we already know' He knows I had nothing to do with it. He knows that Surefire had nothing to do with it.' Avenatti did not respond when asked if he had evidence of Wohl or Surefires involvement, but labelled the felony domestic violence allegations against him bogus. After being booked at a Los Angeles police station on Wednesday evening, Avenatti told reporters: I have never struck a woman, I never will strike a woman. 'I have been an advocate for women's rights my entire career and I will continue to be an advocate.' 'I am not going to be intimidated from stopping what I am doing. 'I am a father to two beautiful smart daughters, I would never disrespect them by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman. I am looking forward to a full investigation at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.' Wohl and his firm were accused of plotting to frame Mueller for sexual misconduct last month after two women claimed to have been offered money by the company to make false statements against the Justice official. Reporters received emails from a woman claiming to be called Lorraine Parsons, alleging that a man with a British accent who worked for Surefire Intelligence asked her to make a false statement that she had been sexually assaulted by Mueller when they worked together in 1974 The emails, which remain unverified, claimed that Surefire offered to pay off $54,000 of her debts in exchange. A second woman, Jennifer Taub, forwarded emails she said were from Surefire offering to pay her to discuss 'past encounters' with Mueller, to the Special Counsels office. The alleged plot is currently being investigated by the FBI. The latest incident was first reported by TMZ to be between Avenatti and his estranged wife, Lisa Storey-Avenatti. But the attorneys wife later released a statement saying she had not seen Avenatti in months, and that he would never be violent to a woman. The company, first made headlines when a woman named Lorraine Parsons said it asked her to falsely claim she had been sexually assaulted by Mueller 'I have known Michael Avenatti for over 26 years we met when he was 21 years old and we were married for 13 years,' she tweeted after his arrest. 'Michael has ALWAYS been a kind loving father to our two daughters and husband to me. He has NEVER been abusive to me or anyone else. He is a good man.' TMZ reported that a woman was seen running out of Avenattis apartment on Tuesday and screaming into her cell phone while wearing sunglasses to conceal the alleged bruises on her face. 'I can't believe you did this to me,' she reportedly yelled into the phone. Security guards then led the woman back inside the building, the website claimed. Five minutes later, Avenatti showed up and ran into the building, chasing after her. 'She hit me first, Polar night has begun in the northernmost U.S. city of Utqiagvik, Alaska, which now faces 65 days of darkness. Utqiagvik, formerly named Barrow, saw only 64 minutes of sunlight on Sunday, and following sunset at 1.44pm local time will not see the sun again until January 23, 2019 at 1.04pm. The city of about 4,000 residents is 320 miles above the Arctic Circle, north of which all latitudes experience some length of polar night. On Sunday, the sun rose in Utqiagvik at 12.40pm and set at 1.44pm. 12.39pm: A view of Utqiagvik as the sun rises for the last time for 65 days on Sunday 2pm: Street lights come on after the sun set at 1.44pm on Sunday in Utqiagvik, Alaska 5pm: The city was fully plunged in darkness by 5pm and will not see the sun until January 23 Some residents of the city gathered to 'celebrate' the final sunset of 2018 by watching 30 Days Of Night, the 2007 film that depicts Barrow, as it was then known, being overrun by vampires during polar night. Residents said that cloudy conditions prevented them from seeing a true sunset when the sun went down, but that didn't dampen their spirit for marking the occasion. 'Celebrating the beginning of Polar Night at 1:44pm (sunset) with good friends, great food, and lots of laughs at a Hollywood film where, on Polar Night, vampires take over our little town,' resident Kirsten Alburg wrote on Instagram. 'We haven't seen the sun in 4 days, and another cloudy day today kept us from waving goodbye, but this fun snow mound photo-op proved that it's spirit is still with us! Here's to another dark and wonderful winter at the top,' she said in a caption to a group photo. Utqiagvik residents are seen 'celebrating' the beginning of polar night with a group photo taken outside on Sunday during the final bit of daylight for 65 days Utqiagvik, a city of about 4,000 residents, is the northernmost city in the US Polar night begins at the North Pole on the Autumnal Equinox and spreads south to the Arctic Circle until the Winter Solstice, when it begins to retreat back north. Temperatures in Utqiagvik plunge during polar night, dropping to average highs of -5 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months. Overnight temperatures can drop to -10 to -20 degrees in winter. Despite the fact that it experiences polar night, Utqiagvik won't be in complete darkness. Civil twilight will provide enough illumination to see objects outside for between three to six hours a day in the city. During civil twilight, the sun is within six degrees below the horizon. The ex-partner of a father-of-two who was tortured to death by a sadistic cult that forced him to eat one of his own testicles has told of her agony at not being able to save him. Vulnerable Jimmy Prout suffered months of abuse at the hands of a group led by wheelchair bound Zahid Zaman, before his body was discovered in wasteland just yards from his home in North Shields, North Tyneside. Mr Prout, 45, was subjected to savage beatings by the gang over a number of months, as they knocked his teeth out with a hammer and chisel and also forced him to have sex with a dog. Chilling CCTV footage shows Mr Prout in the days before he was murdered, looking gaunt and frail as he is dragged along a street by his killers. Mandy Carter is interviewed for Cults, Taboos and Twisted Faith UK and tells of her disbelief at why Jimmy Prout (right) was never able to escape the clutches of the group Now his ex partner of 14 years has spoken of the horrors that Mr Prout was subjected to during his final few months alive, and how she hopes his killers will die in jail. Ms Carter is interviewed for Cults, Taboos and Twisted Faith UK on Crime and Investigation tonight, telling of her disbelief at why Mr Prout was never able to escape the clutches of the group before he was killed. Ms Carter, who split with Mr Prout before he was brainwashed, said she regrets ever leaving him. She tells the programme: 'I thought Jimmy hated fighting, if somebody went towards him to have a go at him, he would run. Mr Prout, pictured before he was indoctrinated into the cult that eventually took his life Ms Carter told the programme how she regrets ever leaving Mr Prout, whose body was found on wasteland near his home 'I can't understand, why didn't he run? Why didn't he leave? 'He was so scared to leave. 'I wish I could have heard his voice again. To say that I was sorry. I shouldn't have left him.' Mr Prout thought the group were his friends, but it developed into a 'cultish dimension' led by Zaman. Zaman was a regular at charity events with and he once even refused a reward for returning a lost dog to its owner. But in reality he was a cult leader who manipulated vulnerable people who he could control. In what was dubbed the North Shields Death Cult by the local press, Zaman coerced three women: Ann Corbett, Myra Wood and Kay Rayworth into moving into his home. He met Mr Prout in a soup kitchen for the homeless, and also moved him into his home which is when the abuse began. Jurors during his trial heard how Zaman, who was described as 'vengeful' and 'controlling' was determined to get his own back after he thought Mr Prout had been involved in a theft against him. Shocking CCTV, pictured, showed Mr Prout being dragged along the streets by members of the group From late 2015 until his body was discovered in February 2016, he was subjected to a catalogue of horrific abuse. Mr Prout was also posting pictures of his injuries on his own Facebook account at the time, with words such as 'My bodie hurt' and 'My sholder hurts'. After he died, his body was dumped on wasteland where it began to decompose and was partly eaten by animals. The group then allegedly set about covering their tracks as well as fleecing his bank account, asking people if they had seen Mr Prout as they pretended to look for him. The jury were shown CCTV images, often taken from cameras Zaman had on his house, of the worsening condition of Mr Prout as the assaults continued. Zahid Zaman was convicted of murder at Newcastle Crown Court last year. He was jailed for a minimum of 33 years Footage from October 18 2015 shows him walking and jogging. But the next clip, from February 5 2016, showed him staggering along, before slumping on a fence. Ms Carter added: 'They were showing Jimmy on CCTV cameras. 'That wasn't the Jimmy I knew. The way he was walking, dragging him.' She continued: 'The Jimmy I knew he was clean, tidy, he was smartly dressed. 'But by this time he was scruffy, and I'm looking at him saying, that's not Jimmy. 'They knew he was vulnerable, they knew he was homeless. I'm think why didn't he walk away?' Mr Prout showing his missing teeth that had been knocked out with a hammer and chisel Zaman was convicted of murder alongside Ann Corbett at Newcastle Crown Court. He was jailed for a minimum of 33 years in July last year. Corbett must serve 27. Myra Wood and Kay Rayworth were cleared of murder but convicted of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult. Wood was sentenced to nine years in jail. Rayworth was handed a 12 year sentence. Ms Carter added: 'They should die in jail. 'The perpetrator of the cult put his head down and didn't even look at the judge because he knew what he had done. 'It was despicable. He knew the evil that he had done to him.' Ann Corbett, pictured, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison Paul Greany QC, who was prosecutor at the trial, tells the programme: 'This was a single individual, who had gathered around him a number of vulnerable people who was exercising complete control over their lives. 'He decided where they lived, what they did, even where they ate. 'The kind of cultish behaviour that this case revealed often occurs totally under the radar. 'The public were outraged by the brutal and barbaric way in which Jimmy had been treated by the people he thought were his friends. 'He wasn't just beaten with fists and feet, it wasn't just that weapons were taken to him on a regular basis, but he was also subject to terrible tortures, tortures of the type that hadn't been seen since the Dark Ages. 'All of us involved in the case were affected by what we knew Jimmy had been through. Cults, Taboos and Twisted Faith UK is on tonight at 9pm on Crime and Investigation. Italy is threatening to block precious Leonardo da Vinci paintings from being sent to join his famous Mona Lisa at the Louvre for an upcoming exhibition. Junior culture minister Lucia Bergonzoni, of the far-right League, said she wants to renegotiate a deal made last year for the Italian state to loan all of its Da Vinci paintings to the 2019 exhibition. She told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the terms of an agreement signed by previous culture minister Dario Franceschini were 'unbelievable'. Italy is threatening to block precious Leonardo da Vinci paintings being sent to join his famous Mona Lisa at the Louvre (pictured) for an upcoming exhibition 'Leonardo is Italian, he only died in France,' Bergonzoni said of the Renaissance master, who was born in Italy in 1452 and died in France in 1519. 'To give the Louvre all these paintings would put Italy on the margins of a major cultural event.' She added: 'We need to discuss everything again. Where museums' autonomy is concerned, national interest cannot come second. The French cannot have everything.' Italy's junior culture minister Lucia Bergonzoni (pictured), of the far-right League, said she wants to renegotiate the deal Bergonzoni added to The Telegraph that the agreement was 'one of the biggest, most shameful acts of the previous government with regard to cultural heritage.' 'How could any Italians be in favour of giving over these da Vinci works without asking for something equally important to display in this anniversary year?' she said. 'Leonardo was Italian, after all. Why don't they loan us the Mona Lisa?' The Franco-Italian accord also provides for the Louvre to loan works by another Renaissance master, Raphael, to Rome's Scuderi del Quirinale museum for a 2020 exhibition to mark 500 years since his death. But Bergonzoni said: 'Most of Raphael's works are already in Italy. 'What's more, Paris says that only 'movable' paintings can come to us, without specifying which ones.' Martin Kemp, emeritus professor in the history of art at Oxford University, told The Times: 'Whenever Leonardo is involved it always gets political'. 'When it comes to the loan or works, argy bargy, back scratching and horse trading is normal, but this kind of obstructionism is different.' One of the paintings that Italy would lend to France as part of the deal is Leda and the Swan (pictured) Italy's threat to spoil the upcoming exhibition - which Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez hopes will display ' the maximum number of Leonardo works' - comes amid an ongoing feud between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini. Tensions between the neighbours have risen as Rome has accused Paris of hypocrisy by refusing to take in a fair share of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have reached Italy by boat since 2014. Salvini, who heads the far-right League party, has engaged in an open war of words with Macron that was sparked by Italy's decision to close its ports to charity rescue boats in the Mediterranean. It comes amid an ongoing feud between French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini (right) Meanwhile, Macron has denounced Salvini's anti-immigrant policies, telling reporters in August that he represented the "main opponent" in Europe to nationalists like Salvini. Macron has also accused Salvini of "cynicism and irresponsibility" in June. Last month, Salvini claimed growing support in the EU for his hardline immigration policies as he called for Macron to stop "insulting" him over the issue. "I don't understand why Macron accuses me of racism or egotism because today all the ministers around the table agreed that economic migrants can't be welcomed in Europe," Salvini said. The two leaders are positioning themselves ahead of European parliament elections next year, with hardliners like Salvini in one corner and Macron and other centrists endorsing deeper EU integration in the other. Donald Trump expanded on a riff about Osama bin Laden Monday morning, saying it's former President Bill Clinton's fault that it took so long to catch the terrorist. Trump had been harangued since an interview with 'Fox News Sunday' aired in which he ridiculed the United States for allowing bin Laden to live in a 'nice mansion in Pakistan' he says that 'everybody' knew about yet took no action. He said it would 'have been nice' if the authorities captured the terrorist faster. Trump took the argument further on in a Monday morning tweet writing: 'Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot.' President Donald Trump criticized U.S. Navy Seals on Sunday for not killing 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden much earlier than they did Trump took the argument further on in a Monday morning tweet, writing: 'Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did' The president levied the claims after retired Navy Admiral Bill McRaven, who headed the Seal unit in charge of the raid on the 9/11 mastermind, attacked Trump for undermining the media. Trump branded McRaven a Hillary Clinton fan and a Barack Obama backer in the Fox interview in response to a question about the retired admiral that was posed by host Chris Wallace. At the White House on Monday morning, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway deflected a question from DailyMail.com about the president's suggestion that his predecessors dropped the ball. 'I haven't had that conversation with him,' she said. She insisted that Trump has immense 'respect for the military and the veterans' and told reporters: 'We're very happy that Osama bin Laden is obviously in the trash heap of history. It's been seven years since he was captured.' Shortly after the on-camera exchange, the president blamed former President Bill Clinton in a tweet for failing to prevent bin Laden's act of terror. He also claimed that he'd personally identified bin Laden as a terror threat in a tome he published in 2000, 'The America We Deserve,' when he was considering a run for president. His claim immediately came under scrutiny from The Washington Post's fact-checker. The sitting U.S. president had also pointed the finger at Pakistan, where bin Laden was living in Abbottabad at the time of the U.S. military raid on compound housing the terrorist.'Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!' Trump said The president complained bin Laden got to live in a nice mansion in Pakistan Trump had claimed on several occasions in 2015 that he 'predicted' the rise of bin Laden and terrorism broadly. 'I wrote in the book [in] 2000 two years before the World Trade Center came down I talked to you about Osama bin Laden, you better take him out, Trump in a South Carolina speech said. 'And now people are seeing that, theyre saying, "You know, Trump predicted Osama bin Laden" which actually is true.' No, it's not, the Washington Post said. The president's book, published in January of 2000, makes one reference to bin Laden. 'One day were told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later its on to a new enemy and new crisis,' Trump wrote in a single paragraph. The Washington Post pointed to its fact-check on Trump in 2015 as it took on his latest claims on Monday. Trump had also blamed Clinton for failing to take out the al Qaeda and 9/11 mastermind faster in the past, including at a 2016 rally when he was campaigning for the Oval Office. 'And actually, Bill Clinton had their sights on him and then didnt pull the trigger,' Trump claimed at a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rally. 'If they pulled the trigger youd probably have the World Trade Center the way it used to be. And by the way, most importantly, with all the thousands of lives that have been lost and affected so gravely. So we have to be smart.' Clinton admitted as he left office that he 'nearly got him' but stepped back from the operation. 'I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him. And so I didn't do it,' he said. In his latest charge, the sitting U.S. president had also pointed the finger at Pakistan, where bin Laden was living in Abbottabad at the time of the U.S. military raid on compound housing the terrorist. 'Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!' Trump said. 'We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another,' he said in a follow-on message. 'They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING!' The president levied the claims after retired Navy Admiral Bill McRaven, who headed the Seal unit in charge of the raid on the 9/11 mastermind, attacked Trump for undermining the media The most recent litigation of the bin Laden saga started with McRaven, an ex-Navy Seal commander, who blasted had Trump's attacks on the media as the 'greatest threat to democracy' in his lifetime earlier this year. McRaven wrote in a Washington Post op-ed in August that Trump has 'embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.' His criticism of Trump came up in the Fox interview, Wallace pressed Trump on whether his harsh rhetoric on the media was hurting the country and pointed out that people like McRaven 'say that your sentiment is the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime' in the interview that aired on Sunday morning. 'Hillary Clinton fan,' Trump said of the retired admiral. 'Excuse me, Hillary Clinton fan.' The president added: 'He's a Hilary Clinton, uh, backer and an Obama-backer.' 'Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice? Trump asked. 'You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. He continued, 'But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they don't tell him.' Wallace noted at the end of the pre-taped interview that McRaven has not endorsed in any presidential race. In response to Trump's remarks, McRaven also told CNN: 'I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. 'I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times. 'I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime,' he told the network. 'When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands.' After Trump tweeted that about bin Laden on Monday and blamed Clinton, ex-CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance the White House revoked earlier this year over his public disputes with Trump, lashed out in a tweet at the commander in chief. 'You constantly remind us how substantively shallow & dishonest you are on so many fronts, which is why we are in such dangerous times. You would need an extremely tall ladder to get anywhere near the level of intellect, competence & integrity of Bill McRaven & your predecessors,' he said. The president said it would have been 'nice' if the Navy Seals had been sent into kill bin Laden instead of letting him live in a 'nice' mansion in Pakistan (Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in this May 5, 2011) Trump's remarks also prompted criticism from Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who served with McRaven in Europe and Iraq. 'I'd use one word. And that's "disgusting," ' Hertling said on CNN when asked about his thoughts on Trump's criticism of McRaven. 'You know everyone knows Bill McRaven as being the guy that led the bin Laden raid.' He added, 'I know him as the guy as the joint special operations commander in Iraq, and there were multiple missions where this guy placed himself in danger, led soldiers in some of the most challenging situations you can imagine.' Hertling said that someone 'that holds an office that's supposed to represent all people and who says he supports the military, to just dismiss this great American hero as a guy who was a Hillary Clinton lover, which is patently not true, is just really disgusting.' Wallace had asked if he'd give the Seals credit for taking out the terrorist leader. 'They took him down,' Trump said and added, 'Look, there's news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us.' Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, by U.S. special forces. He had reportedly been living in the fortified compound less than a mile from Pakistan's Military Academy for years, raising questions on whether or not Pakistani officials had any knowledge of his whereabouts. Pakistan denied any knowledge he was there. Bin Laden reportedly didn't use the internet or cell phones in a bid to keep his presence a secret. Bin Laden had reportedly been living in the fortified compound less than a mile from Pakistan's Military Academy for years, raising questions on whether or not Pakistani officials had any knowledge of his whereabouts. Pakistan denied any knowledge he was there Wallace had been pressing Trump on his feud with various media outlets. The president has been a frequent critic of CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and others. He's called them the 'fake media' and said reporters for the outlets are 'enemies of the people.' 'Sir, leaders in authoritarian countries like Russia, China, Venezuela, now repress the media using your words,' Wallace said. Trump replied, 'I can't talk for other people, I can only talk for me.' 'But you're seen around the world as a beacon for repression,' Wallace said. 'The news about me is largely phony,' Trump said in response. 'It's false. Even sometimes they'll say, uh, "Sources say." There is no source, in many cases.' Amber Rudd has dismissed a UN special report on extreme poverty in the UK in a combative return to front-line politics. Ms Rudd, who returned to the Commons as Work and Pensions Secretary after Esther McVey quit in a row over the Brexit deal, accused UN special rapporteur Philip Alston of being 'extraordinarily political' after he published a preliminary report condemning the Government's attitude towards poverty. Mr Alston, who published his findings on Friday after a 12-day tour of the UK, accused ministers of being 'in a state of denial' over the extent of poverty in the Britain. Scroll down for video Amber Rudd acknowledged there are 'problems' with Universal Credit and pledged to improve the welfare reform project on Monday Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, published a damning report on the UK's attitude towards poverty on Friday He wrote: 'The UK Government's policies and drastic cuts to social support are entrenching high levels of poverty and inflicting unnecessary misery in one of the richest countries in the world. 'Austerity could easily have spared the poor, if the political will had existed to do so.' Ms Rudd, in her first statement from the despatch box since being sacked from the Home Office over the Windrush scandal, said she was 'disappointed' with the reports language and said the author has 'discredited' his own findings. The comments came after a number of pleas from MPs to halt the rollout of Universal Credit. Shadow work and pensions secretary Margaret Greenwood said: 'Thus far, the Government has been determined to press ahead with the next phase of the roll-out despite clear warnings from over 80 organisations working with disabled people who'll be affected. Many people could fall out of the social security system altogether and be at risk of destitution. 'So will the new Secretary of State end the Government state of denial and scrap the managed migration regulations and stop the roll-out of Universal Credit.' Ms Rudd responded: 'I have the seen the report, I read it over the weekend and I must say I was disappointed to say the least by the extraordinarily political nature of the language, we on this side of the House will always engage with professionals, with experts with NGOs. Amber Rudd returned to the cabinet as Work and Pensions secretary last week after previously being ousted from the Home Office over the Windrush Scandal 'We are not so proud that we don't think we can learn as we try to adjust Universal Credit for the benefit of everybody but that sort of language was wholly inappropriate and actually discredited a lot of what he was saying.' SNP work and pension spokesman Neil Gray added: 'This new Secretary of State wields significant power, more than any of her five predecessors have done in the last three years by virtue of the fact of the Prime Minister's precarious position. 'Will she use that power now to listen to those expert charities halt Universal Credit until its fixed?' Ms Rudd responded: 'I wouldn't want to overstate what the gentleman calls my power but I am certainly going to be listening very carefully. 'Part of the benefit of the Universal Credit roll-out is going to be making sure that we get the expert guidance from the people who have been working in this field for many years and we will certainly be doing that.' Several Canadian diplomats who suffered mysterious brain injuries in Cuba say they have been abandoned by their own government and have faced an ongoing battle to have their conditions recognized. In an interview with Canada's Globe and Mail, the anonymous diplomats have spoken out for the first time since they were forced to leave Havana last year after falling ill. A dozen staff from the Canadian embassy and some of their family members started experiencing symptoms in April 2017. It occurred soon after U.S. diplomats described hearing strange sounds before they developed symptoms. They include severe nosebleeds, ringing in their ears, headaches, nausea and dizziness. The Canadians, including eight adults and four children, returned home sporadically between June 2017 and this past summer. Some say they are still suffering from brain injury symptoms that have left them unable to work. Several Canadian diplomats who suffered mysterious brain injuries in Cuba say they have been abandoned by their own government and have faced an ongoing battle to have their conditions treated and recognized Diplomats say they have struggled with the Canadian government for several months for them to have their condition recognized. Neurologists eventually found they were all suffering from brain injuries that have been likened to concussions. The diplomats and their families were only allowed to travel to Philadelphia to undergo testing in April this year. The U.S. had set up a specialized team at a Philadelphia laboratory to carry out tests on the injured American diplomats. The Canadian diplomats have accused their government of not placing enough priority on them. 'We all love our jobs. We want to represent our country, and we know there is hardship involved in doing that, we know there is a price to pay,' one diplomat told the Globe and Mail. 'But we did not expect to be abandoned, or more precisely, sacrificed that's how we're feeling now.' Some say they have been left $10,000 to $15,000 out of pocket for travel expenses related to the medical tests. They have been told they will be reimbursed. A diplomat said that while the government has devoted resources to investigating the incident, not enough has been patient-orientated. The late Cuban President Fidel Castro is pictured greeting the now Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in 2000 at his father's funeral in Montreal, Canada U.S. diplomats at the Havana embassy (pictured above) described hearing strange sounds before they too developed symptoms linked to brain injuries The diplomat said while they would have preferred not to speak out publicly, it was a duty of care issue that they say they government is not properly addressing. Unlike the U.S., which has spoken out publicly about the their injured diplomats, the Canadian embassy staff believe their government is staying quiet for trade and political reasons. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under fire after the death of Fidel Castro for hailing him as 'larger than life' and a 'legendary revolutionary and orator'. Trudeau praised the former Cuban president in a tribute that focused on his family's close ties to Castro and made no mention of his history of ruthless suppression. 'Duty of care has consistently been trumped by Government of Canada efforts to contain and limit information on this story,' some of the diplomats said. One also said: 'They are afraid of upsetting Cuba because of Canada's bid for a UN Security Council seat.' 'We understand foreign policy is not always about transparency. We get that everything doesn't need to be in the public because that may not suit our national interests or the interests of the situation - we get that,' a diplomat said. 'But not when it comes to the detriment of our family, our health and our safety. That is where we have to draw the line. It's not acceptable to be the sacrificed sheep. That's just not an acceptable solution.' A spokeswoman for Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the department was 'deeply troubled' by the health problems and was leading an investigation to explore all possible causes. 'We know that this has been a harrowing experience for the affected diplomats and their loved ones and they have our unwavering support,' the spokesman said. 'We will continue to do all we can to provide advice and support to them under these difficult circumstances.' The department said it has been fully devoted to assisting the injured diplomats following a change in approach in April this year. Late last year, President Donald Trump said he believed Havana was responsible for 24 U.S. diplomats being injured. The U.S. expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from Washington recalled more than half the U.S. diplomatic personnel from Havana in October last year. Washington officials initially raised the possibility that sonic weapons were used to harm the diplomats, but Cuban investigators denied such weapons could even have been used by third parties without affecting the health of others or attracting attention. A drone pilot was cuffed as he tried to retrieve his downed gadget after crashing it into Barclays' New York headquarters. Steven Funes, 27, was flying the craft from his hotel over the packed streets near Times Square. The New York Post reported it crashed into the eighth floor balcony of the Barclays bank building at around 4.30pm on Sunday. Barclays' New York headquarters on 7th Avenue, just a few hundred yards from bustling Times Square Legislation around the world has been playing catch-up with the advanced technology accessible to consumers for as little as $25. Security found the gadget and when Funes went to collect it they apprehended him. The Virginian was given a ticket for navigation in and over the city, the New York paper said. The Barclays building did not suffer any damage. Flying drones is only allowed in a few open areas in the city - it is strictly prohibited in Manhattan. Legislation around the world has been playing catch-up with the advanced technology accessible to consumers for as little as $25. The White House reporters' group whose annual '#nerdprom' galas usually feature comedians roasting presidents and their top aides said Monday that it has invited a historian to speak at its 2019 dinner, interrupting a tradition that reached its climax in April with a ferocious on-stage takedown of White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. But President Donald Trump shouldn't expect an apolitical lecture from Ron Chernow, the author whose Alexander Hamilton biography was the inspiration for Lin Manuel-Miranda's hip-hop musical about America's first treasury secretary. A week before the Republican National Convention in 2016, Chernow made a videotaped anti-Trump statement pleading for Americans not to elect Trump, and submitted it to a Facebook page created by filmmaker Ken Burns and author David McCullough. 'For the first time in my life I'm actually afraid that we Americans can forget who we are as a people, and succumb to historical amnesia. And make no mistake about it: When the past is scrubbed clean and American history becomes a blank slate, Donald Trump or any other demagogue can come along and write upon it whatever the hell he wants,' he warned. 'And that disturbs me most of all. Please, please, please folks, don't let it happen here.' Historian Ron Chernow will be the headliner at the 2019 White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington; the respected author begged voters in 2016 to 'please, please, please' reject Donald Trump The annual event has become an all-out slugfest of jokes at the president's expense, but Chernow is expected to be more dignified than comedians who have been speakers in past years The April 2018 performer, comedian Michelle Wolf, made the White House Correspondents' Asociation president 'uncomfortable' with an act that slammed White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders as dishonest, an 'Uncle Tom' figure for white women, and akin to Aunt Lydia from 'The Handmaid's Tale' Chernow, though, will likely deliver his criticism at a far lower temperature than past dinner headliners including the spring 2018 guest Michelle Wolf, who famously likened Sanders to a villain from 'The Handmaid's Tale' while she was seated a few years away, stone-faced. 'I have to say I'm a little starstruck, I loved you as Aunt Lydia,' Wolf told Sanders during the April 28 event. 'I like Sarah,' she added minutes later, 'I think she's really resourceful. She burns facts and uses the ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies.' Wolf also jabbed Sanders as a disappointment to white women. 'I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders,' she began. 'Is it Sarah Sanders? Is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Is it Cousin Huckabee? Is it Aunt Huckabee Sanders?' 'What's "Uncle Tom," but for white women who disappoint other white women?' Wolf erupted at the WHCA for what seemed like an acknowledgment that her April 2018 routine was the death-knell for comedians at the annual dinner Chernow warned against Trump's disrupting influence on history, saying on camera in 2016: 'When the past is scrubbed clean and American history becomes a blank slate, Donald Trump or any other demagogue can come along and write upon it whatever the hell he wants' Bloomberg White House correspondent Margaret Talev, following the correspondents association's tradition, chose Wolf to speak. Talev said after Wolf's routine proved divisive that her jokes did not reflect the views of the press corps. 'The association by tradition does not preview or censor the entertainers remarks, Talev said. 'Some of them made me uncomfortable and did not embody the spirit of the night.' This year's president, SiriusXM broadcaster Olivier Knox, told DailyMail.com on Monday that he picked Chernow. 'Im delighted that Ron will share his lively, deeply researched perspectives on American politics and history at the 2019 White House Correspondents Dinner,' Knox said in a statement. Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired Lin Manuel-Miranda (pictured) to write an award-winning Broadway musical about the founding father's life The 2017 performer was Hasan Minhaj (left), who called Trump 'King Joffrey' and branded Steve Bannon a 'Nazi'; the last speaker during the Obama years was Larry Wilmore (right), who raised eyebrows by affectionately calling the president 'my n***er' onstage 'As we celebrate the importance of a free and independent news media to the health of the republic, I look forward to hearing Ron place this unusual moment in the context of American history.' Chernow also framed his speech as a defense of the First Amendment, and mad no mention of his anti-Trump advocacy during the 2016 campaign. 'Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics. My major worry these days is that we Americans will forget who we are as a people and historians should serve as our chief custodians in preserving that rich storehouse of memory.' 'While I have never been mistaken for a stand-up comedian, I promise that my history lesson won't be dry,' he said.' President Trump hasn't attended either of the two WHCA dinners since he took office. The 2017 event featured comedian Hasan Minhaj. Minhaj called Trump 'King Joffrey,' a reference to a sadistic and insane boy-king from the 'Game of Thrones' series, and made a play on words to declare that then-presidential strategist Steve Bannon was a 'Nazi.' He also claimed that Trump 'didnt show up because [he] doesnt care about free speech.' Trump held a competing event that night, a political rally in Pennsylvania timed to coincide with the end of his first 100 days as president. Two 'extraordinarily talented' hackers have been jailed for their roles in a 77million TalkTalk cyber attack which hit 157,000 accounts and led to firm's chief executive getting blackmail demands Matthew Hanley, 23, broke into the site in 2015 and passed on stolen customer details to his 21-year-old friend Connor Allsopp, who then handed this on to another online user for fraud. Judge Anuja Dhir QC, sitting at the Old Bailey, jailed Hanley for 12 months and Allsopp for eight months. Matthew Hanley, 23, left, broke into the TalkTalk site in 2015. He passed on the stolen details of more than 8,000 customers to his friend Connor Allsopp, right, who then handed this on to another online user for fraud TalkTalk was fined a record 400,000 for security failings which allowed the data to be accessed 'with ease' in one of the biggest data breaches in history. Judge Dhir said it was a tragedy to find 'two individuals of such extraordinary talent' in the dock. She told the pair, both from Tamworth in Staffordshire: 'You were both involved in a significant, sophisticated systematic hack attack in a computer system used by TalkTalk. 'The prosecution accept that neither of you exposed the vulnerability in their systems, others started it, but you at different times joined in. Matthew Hanley, 23, left, with Connor Allsopp, right, who are both seen outside the Old Bailey today. Investigations revealed 157,000 accounts containing sensitive data were affected 'The attack led to you and others gaining access to TalkTalk's clients' confidential information. The total loss to TalkTalk as a result of this overall attack is estimated to be 77 million but the loss does not end there. 'Given the scale of the attack, the number of people whose confidential information was stolen and then passed on to others, I'm sure that your actions caused misery and distress to many thousands of the customers of TalkTalk. 'Your actions, the actions of others, resulted in the then-CEO of TalkTalk being subjected to repeated attempts to blackmail her for money. You were not personally involved in making those attempts but your actions helped facilitate it.' The court heard how TalkTalk spotted 'latency issues' on its website early on October 21 2015 and launched an investigation. Judge Anuja Dhir QC, sitting at the Old Bailey, jailed Hanley for 12 months and Allsopp for eight months. Pictured: An undated photo of the TalkTalk logo Later that day, then-chief executive Dido Harding was subjected to repeated attempt to blackmail her, with demands for Bitcoins in exchange for stolen data, which included customers' names, email addresses, mobile numbers, home addresses and dates of birth. It is believed that 1,707 tables with 439,365,020 rows of data - 1,662,367 of which contained sensitive data - were taken by the hackers. TalkTalk reported the cyber-attacks to police and the National Crime Agency and the next day made public statements to alert customers. Investigations revealed 157,000 accounts containing sensitive data were affected. Of these, 15,656 had their bank account and sort code numbers accessed. An analysis by BAE Systems suggested there may have been up to 10 attackers. Peter Ratliff, prosecuting, described Hanley as a 'determined and dedicated hacker'. Following the hack the then-chief executive Dido Harding was subjected to repeated blackmail attempts. Photo undated 'The total loss to TalkTalk as a result of the attack, as estimated by TalkTalk's Chief Financial Officer, is 77million,' he said. 'Matthew Hanley was, up until his arrest on 31 October 2015, a determined and dedicated hacker. 'He was entirely aware of the risks he was taking and the illegality of what he was doing. Hanley admitted hacking TalkTalk and sharing banking and other details of more than 8,000 customers to Allsopp and an online user known as Reign. The fourth charge, under the Computer Misuse Act, related to obtaining a number of computer files including names and passwords for server systems belonging to Nasa, handed to Hanley by a Skype contact as a 'little present'. Allsopp admitted supplying a file of TalkTalk customers' details to an online user for fraud, as well as files for hacking. The laptop which Allsopp was using at the time of the offences has never been recovered. He claims it was destroyed in a house fire. In one of his Hanley's online conversations with a user called 'Simplyediting', he boasted: 'I'm dumping the TalkTalk ISP database haha'. 'Dumping' means exporting hacked information to a file on the hacker's device. When officers came to Hanley's house to arrest him he was in bed, and told them: 'I know who did it. It wasn't the 15-year-old kid. They used his servers but it wasn't him'. Darron Whitehead, defending Hanley, said he was not instrumental in the exposure of Talk Talk's vulnerability. 'Somebody else did that. He (Hanley) became aware of that and joined the party,' he said. Mr Whitehead said Hanley dropped out of school at 15. He called him 'socially inept and unable to leave the house'. A tiny Italian town set up a trial speed camera resulting in an unbelievable 58,568 speeding offences recorded in just two weeks. The figure is made all the more staggering when compared to the measely population of the town, just 120 - making the amount of speeding tickets over 488 times its population. Acquetico is in the north west of Italy in the region of Liguria, closer to the city of Nice in France than it is to any major Italian city. The amount of offences is nearly 500 times the number of Acquetico's population The mayor, Alessandro Alessandri set up the pilot speed camera in September after dozens of the town's 120 people complained about speeding. A speeding car passed every few minutes on average in the 50km/h (31mph) zone. One offender even reached a staggering 135km/h (84mph), made all the more shocking as the camera was set up on the town's main pedestrian crossing. The town is also mainly comprised of older residents who use the crossing where dozens of cars were clocked at twice the speed limit. Acquetico is in the north west of Italy in the region of Liguria, close to the French border Mayor Alessandri said to Italy's Ansa news agency: 'It's really madness, considering that we have inhabitants who regularly move within the village and cross the road.' The state highway runs through the town. The top 20 speeders also roared through the town in broad daylight. 'A pedestrian risks being hit by a speeding car at 135km/h, maybe at 4pm on an ordinary afternoon,' the Mayor's office stated. The mayor, Alessandro Alessandri, set up the pilot speed camera in September and will keep it It is a strategic road with links to France and it's also popular with motorcyclists, all adding to the maelstrom of problems the small town is dealing with. Mr Alessandri told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that with three main routes connecting the neighbouring Piedmont region to Italy's northern coast, the route through his town remains the favoured option for those looking to avoid speed bumps, speed radar, or tolls. This has prompted him to make the pilot a permanent feature. 'We hope that these speed gauges can be an effective deterrent to motorists and that they can benefit the citizens of Acquetico, because you do not want to make cash with the fines, but it is necessary to protect people's safety,' he told Ansa. A tiny pup who got stuck in a pipe for a day after chasing a rabbit is reunited with its owner in heartwarming footage. The miniature long-haired dachshund, Khaleesi, got stuck around four-and-half feet down the pipe in a park in Secaucus, New Jersey. The sausage dog was lodged in a vertical position in the six foot pipe. Miniature long-haired dachshund, Khaleesi, was freed from the pipe (left) and handed to her grateful owner (right) by rescue workers In the heartwarming footage Khaleesi is handed to her owner and can be seen wagging her tail. As the relieved woman holds the sausage dog to her chest she starts to cry and a happy Khaleesi tries to lick the woman's face. Rescue workers can be heard clapping in the background and saying 'good job' as the little dog is reunited with her grateful owners. Her owner, Emilio Ramos, told WNBC he traced the dog using a transmitter collar and could hear her barking and crying. 'Once I got near, I started hearing her bark,' he told the broadcaster. 'After a while, that bark turned into a crying noise.' The small dog (left and right) had been chasing a rabbit in a park in Secaucus, New Jersey, before she got stuck in a pipe. Rescue efforts began on Friday but had to abandoned overnight Rescue efforts began on Friday evening but had to abandoned as night fell. He told WNBC it was 'heartbreaking' to have to leave her there and they returned first thing the next day. They were joined by firefighters and a crowd including the mayor, police and members of the local animal welfare authority. Three Democratic senators have filed a lawsuit challenging the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. The complaint was filed Monday by Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. It argues that the appointment of Whitaker violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. The complaint asks a judge to declare the appointment unconstitutional and to prevent him from serving as head of the Justice Department. Whitaker was chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Donald Trump on Nov. 7. In the spotlight: Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, whose appointment by Donald Trump three Senate Democrats are asking to have declared unconstitutional by a judge Separately, the Justice Department on Monday defended Trump's naming Whitaker as acting attorney general without Senate confirmation, saying the appointment was legal based on 'centuries of practice and precedent.' Responding to a petition to the Supreme Court to declare Whitaker's appointment illegal, department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said it is consistent with laws governing presidential appointments of top-level officials and 'comports with... actions of US presidents, both Republican and Democrat.' Kupec's statement following rising questions over whether Trump's choice of Whitaker violated federal law, because Whitaker has not gone through the confirmation process required for cabinet officials and especially Justice Department chiefs. Trump named the former prosecutor and television commentator to be acting attorney general on November 7 after forcing attorney general Jeff Sessions to resign. Many analysts believe Whitaker was chosen to protect Trump from the Russia collusion investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who will now be under Whitaker's control. Sessions had recused himself from overseeing the Russia probe, handing the responsibility to Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein. Normally Rosenstein, who has gone through Senate confirmation, would have been made acting attorney general until a new nominee could be vetted. Late Friday lawyers petitioning the Supreme Court to review their client's lawsuit against the Justice Department -- a case originally known as Michaels v. Sessions -- asked the high court to rule on whether Whitaker can legally stand for the department in the case. They said that his questionable appointment could destabilize any federal court case in the country, and said Rosenstein instead should represent the department. 'This is the extraordinary case in which the identity of the successor is both contested and has important implications for the administration of justice nationally,' they wrote. 'Because Whitaker's appointment does not satisfy the Appointments Clause, it is unlawful, and he cannot serve as Acting Attorney General,' they said. It was the second challenge in one week to Whitaker's appointment. Last Tuesday the state of Maryland asked a federal judge to block Whitaker from acting on behalf of the department in an ongoing court case on health care policy, likewise arguing that he had not been approved by the Senate. 'President Trump's brazen attempt to flout the law and constitution in bypassing Deputy US Attorney General Rosenstein in favor of a partisan and unqualified staffer cannot stand,' Maryland state Attorney General Brian Frosh said. An air ambulance on its way to pick up a patient crashed in Bismarck, North Dakota, Sunday night killing all three people on board, after possibly breaking up in midair. The twin-engine Bismarck Air Medical airplane took off at around 10.30pm and went down a short time later in a snowy field about 20 miles northwest of Bismarck. Air traffic control officials lost contact with the plane about 11pm, county spokeswoman Maxine Herr said. The wreckage of a twin-engine Bismarck Air Medical airplane that crashed late Sunday, killing all three on board, is seen resting in a field about 20 miles northwest of Bismarck, North Dakota Debris from the plane crash is pictured scattered in a snowy pasture near Mandan, North Dakota, Monday CHI St. Alexius Health and Bismarck Air Medical said in a joint statement that the pilot, a paramedic and a registered nurse had been heading to Williston to collect a patient when they were killed. The victims have not been named pending the notification of their families. 'It is a sad day here for both of our organizations,' Kurt Schley, president of CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck, and Dan Schaefer, operations chief for Bismarck Air Medical and Metro Area Ambulance Operations, said. 'We are grieving for the family members of those who were on board.' The Morton County Sheriff's Office, Civil Air Patrol and Air Force Rescue Coordination Center based at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida located the crash scene around 2am Monday using radar and cellphone technology, Herr said. An analysis by the Air Force team indicated the plane might have broken up at about 14,000 feet, and 'that corresponded with what they found on the ground,' said Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Sean Johnson, chief of staff for missions. He said he didn't want to speculate on the cause, which he said could be 'any number of things.' The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating. FAA records show that the Cessna 441 turboprop was built in 1982. Bismarck Air Medical is listed as the registered owner. The Cessna 441 turboprop (similar to one pictured above) was built in 1982 and was operated by Bismarck Air Medical The plane went down in a pasture outside Mandan, about 20 miles northwest of Bismarck National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Schild said there was no hazardous weather in the area at the time, just light snow, though Johnson said there was the potential for fog or haze. Gov. Doug Burgum issued a statement Monday on behalf of himself and first lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum expressing condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims. 'We are deeply saddened by the news of last night's airplane crash that claimed the lives of the pilot, a paramedic and a registered nurse - individuals who dedicated their lives to saving the lives of others," he said. "We are forever grateful for their service.' Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican from North Dakota, also tweeted that he was deeply saddened to learn of the crash near Mandan. 'Those on board were committed to serving others and providing life-saving medical care. We extend our condolences to their families and loved ones,' Hoeven stated. A Pakistani man has been jailed for 19 years for raping his British ex-girlfriend and stabbing her new partner, also from Britain. The 33-year-old British woman was attacked while on holiday on the Greek island of Corfu. Her report last Monday sparked a manhunt across the island, after which a 46-year-old man was arrested this weekend. The man has a criminal history, including two convictions of rape, Greek media reports. A 46-year-old Greek man was arrested in connection with the alleged rape of the 33-year-old British woman on the island of Corfu (stock image) The British woman told police she was sexually assaulted after accepting a ride home from the 46-year-old local man. They had both been drinking in a bar on the island, however it is not known if they had any contact during the evening. The 46-year-old has rejected the woman's claims, telling police the pair had consensual sex. This follows the jailing of a Pakistani national who attacked a British expat couple in their home in the village of Kato Korakiana, in Corfu. According to the victim, she had been drinking in the same bar as the alleged assailant, and she claims he raped her after she accepted his offer of a ride home (stock image) The 30-year-old Pakistani man had previously been in a relationship with the British woman, and had stormed the house in a jealous rage. The assailant stabbed the 49-year-old British man three times in the chest and groin with a kitchen knife The male victim was able to crawl to a neighbour's house and call for help, while the attacker assaulted his ex-girlfriend, raping her and later abandoning her on the street, according to court documents. Both victims were hospitalised with serious injuries. The assailant, who had been working as part-time staff at a local bar, was charged with attempted homicide, however the court found that the attack was not pre-planned and sentenced him to 19 months in jail. Footage has emerged of two men giving Nazi salutes outside a talk by Steve Bannon at Oxford University. Mr Bannon, Donald Trump's former chief strategist, spoke at the university's famous debating chamber, prompting critics and supporters to stage opposing demonstrations outside. Footage filmed of the protests shows two men raising their arms in Heil Hitler-style salutes as activists exchange insults. Police have launched an investigation into the video to determine whether any hate crime laws have been broken. A video filmed outside Oxford University shows two men doing Nazi salutes during opposing protests over Steve Bannon's speech Bannon made a controversial appearance at the Oxford Union last week, prompting street protests Oxford student Mahsa Alimardani claimed the two men were standing with those supporting Bannon's speech at the university. She said: 'Regardless of what their motivation was, it was sickening to see the Nazi salute at Oxford. 'It's sad to see this city I associate with the highest intellectual pursuits to be harbouring this behaviour. 'At the time I thought they were there to support Bannon's presence at the union, but after seeing another video posted from another vantage, they might have just been attention seeking, as they were dancing. 'I was too disgusted by the sad state of that crowd to stick around, so I left shortly after watching a few of their Nazi salutes.' Another witness, Dana Naomy Mills, said: 'Those thugs kept taunting the protesters throughout, with no police intervention. 'I am the granddaughter of a German Jewish woman who escaped Germany in the 1930s, and I am still horrified and mortified by what has happened. 'This needs to be tackled head on, and questions should be asked about how the Union and police enabled the events of Friday to unfold the way they did, and what are they doing to follow up.' Witness Mahsa Alimardani said it was 'sickening' to see the behaviour in the university city Protesters clashed with police outside the event in the city last Friday afternoon Police and protestors clashed outside the university building where Bannon spoke on Friday afternoon. Anti-fascist demonstrators chanted 'Say it loud, say it clear, Bannon is not welcome here' and body-slammed into officers protecting the entrances. The former White House Chief Strategist, who has faced accusations of stirring up racial tensions, used his talk to defend his efforts to spread a 'nationalist populist movement' across Europe. Commenting on the video, a Thames Valley Police spokesman said: 'Officers will review the video to establish if any offences have occurred.' The parents of Monica Lewinsky have spoken out for the first time about their daughter and her brief affair with former president Bill Clinton. Dr Bernard Lewinsky and his wife Marcia said on the second episode of the new A&E docuseries The Clinton Affair that they were thrilled when their daughter got an internship at the White House. 'I'm an immigrant from El Salvador and it was awesome and unbelievable that she would be working at the White House,' said her father, the son of German Jews who fled to Central America during World War II. That internship soon spiraled out of control when Lewinsky was discovered to be having an affair with the president, and the FBI forced her to help in the investigation into Clinton. Lewinsky reveals they did this by threatening to prosecute her mother, breaking down in tears as she recalls how Kenneth Starr's team and federal agents said both women were facing 27 years in prison for lying about the affair. Scroll down for videos She's got the look: Monica Lewinsky and her parents opened up about her affair with Bill Clinton in the A&E docuseries The Clinton Affair on Sunday night (Lewinsky above after changing into a sage suit to get Clinton's attention in 1995) Maternal unit: Monica's mother (left) recalled her daughter's earlier days in the second episode, while sharing some photos of the girl's childhood (Monica's father Dr Bernard Lewinsky on right) Family ties: 'I'm an immigrant from El Salvador and it was awesome and unbelievable that she would be working at the White House,' said her father Dr Bernard Lewinsky (Monica with her parents Bernard and Marcia as well as her brother Michael) Aggressive tactics: Lewinsky reveals that the FBI got her to flip and help the agency gather intel on Clinton by threatening to put her mother in jail (Monica with her mother and brother Michael) I kept asking could I call my mom, they kept saying no,' recalled Lewinsky of the 12-hour interrogation inside a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton. 'You're 24, you don't need to call your mommy, you need to make a decision about what to do.' Lewinsky was unflappable at that point however, and told the men: 'Well you should learn I am leaning towards not cooperating.' That is when the men made the decision to threaten not only her, but also her family. 'And then he said, "Well, you should know, we're also thinking about prosecuting your mom for the things you said she did on the tape,"' said Lewinsky, breaking down in tears. Lewinsky then informed the men that she had to call someone, either her mother or a lawyer, before she would make this decision to wear a wire and have her calls tapped by the FBI. The men eventually gave in to Lewinsky's demands, and she said she went to a pay phone and called her mother in the local mall. Lewinsky said her mother attempted to get her to calm down and breathe, before finally coming to realize the situation her daughter was in at the time. 'FBI ... have me ... I'm in a hotel,' recalled Lewinsky of her words to her mother. Monica's mother recalled her daughter's earlier days in the second episode, while sharing some photos of the girl's childhood. 'Monica was a beautiful and very, very smart little girl,' said her mother Marcia. 'But stubborn. Really stubborn. Dr Lewinsky added: 'She was very gregarious, friendly, you know when she was in the room.' And he said of the moment he learned about her internship: 'I was so proud of her and she was so happy about it.' Baby girl: Her mother Marcia described her as a 'beautiful and very, very smart little girl,' who was also 'really stubborn' (Monica as a child above) Speaking out: Lewinsky also detailed the events that led to her decision to confide in Linda Tripp, the woman who would eventually alert the special prosecutor Lewinsky also detailed the events that led to her decision to confide in Linda Tripp, the woman who would eventually alert the special prosecutor to the fact that Clinton was having an affair with a former intern. It all started when members of Clinton's staff decided to move Lewinsky out of her post working for Legislative Affairs at The White House and transfer her to the Pentagon amid growing concerns over how close she had become with the president. Lewinsky suggested that this was all done with the knowledge of her paramour, who she describes as 'crestfallen.' The two had been seeing one another daily and enjoying weekly trysts prior to that Lewinsky had revealed, but the move to a new job and building changed all that in an instant. Lewinsky would instead be forced to wait until the middle of the night for Clinton to call, but she said that he had promised to move her back to a White House position after the election. At that point the pair had been carrying on their affair for five months, and a number of staff members had begun to take notice of how often Lewinsky was around the president and Oval Office. It was an optics problem however said staffers, with no one explicitly stating that they believed the intern was having an affair with the president. The job shift also came while Clinton was in the middle of his reelection campaign, meaning that he was not in touch with Lewinsky for days or even weeks at a time. 'I had this nagging insecurity that maybe he just did all these things these last six months cause he wanted to keep me quiet during the election,' explained Lewinsky. 'How stupid am I that I believed this, that I bought this. I felt so deflated and so desperate. And those were the conditions along with some other things that led to me confiding in Linda Tripp.' Lewinsky described her mindset at the time by saying she 'had naively invested in his promise,' but that was shattered when the election came and went without the offer of a White House job. Tight unit: Lewinsky broke down in tears when recalling the moment that she was told both she and her mother were looking at 27 years in prison for lying (Monoica and Marcia above circa 1996) Chatty: 'She was very gregarious, friendly, you know when she was in the room,' said Dr lewinsky of his daughter (above at her graduation) Over her head: Lewinsky said after being detained by the FBI her mother attempted to get her to calm down and breathe, before finally coming to realize the situation her daughter was in at the time The relationship began on November 14, 1995, in the middle of the government shutdown when Lewinsky had been called in to help with the phones. On that date there had been a surprise party for one of Clinton's staffers, and at one point Lewinsky realized her thong was exposed while Clinton was near her in the room. Lewinsky opted to keep her thong out as Clinton walked by, and a short while later when she walked by his office, Clinton smiled at her and motioned for her to come into the room. She soon admitted to Clinton that she had a 'crush' on him, and not long after the two were kissing in the dark room. 'I don't talk about this very often and I still don't feel comfortable talking about it. It's one of those things where it's not as if it didn't register with me that he was the president. Obviously it did,' explained Lewinsky. 'But I think in one way the moment we were actually in the back office for the first time the truth is I think it meant more to me the someone who other people desired, desired me.' She continued: 'However wrong it was, however misguided, for who I was at that time, at 22 years old, it was how I felt.' Lewinsky went back to her desk after that first kiss and was then asked to return to the study later, when the two became more intimate. It was the start of a relationship that would find the two meeting in secret once a week for almost two years. Lewinsky also opened up about the grief and fear she felt when she was told that she would have to cooperate with the FBI investigation of Clinton. 'In order to cooperate and avoid charges and I would have to make monitored phone calls which they would listen in to and record and I might have to wear a wire and go see people in person,' revealed Lewinsky. Tears: Lewinsky considered jumping out of a window at the Ritz Carlton in January 1998 when the FBI told her she would need to become an informant (above in The Clinton Affair) Gifts: She was called to the office with the promise of presents, and Clinton gifted her a hat pin and copy of Walt Whitman's Leave of Grass (Clinton and Lewinsky in 1997 just before their bathroom rendezvous) Apologize: Lewinsky also penned an essay for Vanity Fair revealing that she wished Clinton felt the need to apologize for the fallout from their relationship (Clinton above in 1998 denying the affair) It was too much for Lewinsky, who says that after a few hours she began to think about commiting suicide. Twenty years later, it still causes her to break down in tears. 'The ground completely crumbled in that moment. I felt so much guilt. And I felt terrified,' she revealed in the interview. An FBI agent involved in the case acknowledged this, saying that Lewinsky was 'alternating between being hysterical, being angry, being abusive.' 'They imagined that I would have flipped really easily. They had no plan in place for what would happen if i said no,' said Lewinsky. That then gave way to thoughts of ending her own life. 'There was a point for me somewhere within these first several hours where I would be hysterically crying and then I would just shut down,' she recalled. 'And in the shut down period I just remember looking out the window and thinking the only way to fix this is to kill myself.' Lewinsky, who up until that point had managed to hold back her tears, then burst out sobbing. 'I just felt terrible ... and I was scared ... and I was mortified,' she said while trying to regain her composure. This all played out at the Ritz Carlton in January 1998, with the Office of the Independent Counsel getting Linda Tripp to set up a meeting with Lewinsky. She was then taken to a room and held by prosecutors until that night. Lewinsky admitted that the thing that made this so difficult for her was the fact that she was still in love with Clinton and she stood her ground, until they threatened her mother. Mark Zuckerberg blamed his long-serving COO Sheryl Sandberg for the fallout surrounding the Cambridge Analytica scandal which rocked Facebook earlier this year and sparked consumer fears over whether or not they could trust the company, it has been claimed. The Wall Street Journal cites several unnamed sources who claim Zuckerberg blamed Sandberg for her handling of the scandal. Sandberg, who joined Facebook from Google in 2008, was entrusted with heading up the company's Communications strategies. According to the sources, Zuckerberg did not respond well to how she handled the breach which involved Cambridge Analytica, a firm which helped shape the Trump campaign and has been linked to Brexit, buying the data of 51million Facebook users without them knowing about it. It took Zuckerberg five days to respond to the scandal when it erupted in March this year. He and Sandberg issued coordinated statements saying they regretted it but which stopped short of apologizing for it. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg blamed COO Sheryl Sandberg for the PR disaster which encircled the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March, according to sources, and left her fearing for her job According to the Journal, Sandberg feared for her job afterwards and told friends she thought Zuckerberg might fire her over it. In recent months, he has taken on a more combative leadership approach which is reminiscent of how he behaved in the company's infancy, the insiders claim. The mantra he has returned to, they say, is 'move fast break things'. 'The change in attitude is down to his feelings that Facebook is 'at war' with the media which, the sources say, is who Zuckerberg blames for his scandal-ridden year. In the last year, Zuckerberg's opinions have driven the co-founders of Facebook-acquired apps including Instagram and What's App out of the company. There has also been rising speculation over the company's role in the spread of fake news and questions over the integrity of its business after it emerged they were, inadvertently or not, misrepresenting the number of video views to advertisers. In the last week, it has faced questions over its use of Definers Public Affairs, a conservative opposition-research firm which Facebook hired before Sandberg testified before Senators about the company's practices earlier this year. Zuckerberg is also at odds with Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom who left Facebook earlier this year after a difference of opinion over where to take the app. There were specific fears over users' privacy and whether or not their location should be available to Facebook What's App co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton also left the company over concerns surrounding privacy Facebook's stock continues to struggle and is a long way from its July 2018 maximum Facebook declined to comment on the claims when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday. Instead, its spokesperson repeated comments Zuckerberg made on Thursday during a press call where he praised her by saying: 'Overall, Sheryl is doing great work for the company. 'Shes been a very important partner to me and will continue to be. Shes leading a lot of the efforts to improve our systems. 'Were making a lot of progress, and a lot of that is because of the work that shes doing.' In March, Zuckerberg tried to play down the scandal by saying that while he Cambridge Analytica had been able to access the data, the rules which allowed it to were no longer in place. It was however of little consolation to the 51milion people whose data had already been harvested by the company. Drug dealing brothers who were caught on camera shooting a gang rival dead in broad daylight have been jailed for life. Anib Khan, 23, and older brother Harras, 25, murdered Taimoor Zaheer, 20, after a gangland feud in Birmingham dramatically escalated. The brothers, who ran a drug dealing operation in Sandwell, got into a row with Mr Zaheer on May 21, Birmingham Crown Court heard. It is believed the pair were attempting to exert control over their illegal business in the Handsworth area - and had also previously harassed their victim's girlfriend. The following day, on May 22, the brothers were getting into their car when they saw Mr Zaheer with two friends in his Vauxhall Vectra. The killer brothers were heard shouting 'What you gonna do?' at him in the street. Scroll down for video Taimoor Zaheer, 20, was lured to his death by two brothers who shot him through the window of his car Anib Khan (left) and Harras Khan (right) were attempting to intimidate their victim before Anib shot him dead in Birmingham Harras Khan was caught on CCTV getting out of the Audi and pulling a shotgun from a van which he gave to his brother The brothers piled back into the black Audi after shooting Taimoor dead in the car park and leaving him there Killer Anib Khan was seen on CCTV inside the black Audi before he got out and shot his victim. He then tried to go on the run but police caught him Footage showed them gesturing to Mr Zaheer him to follow them as they drove their black Audi away from outside their home. The two cars were driven to nearby Maxwell Avenue, where Harras unlocked a parked van and pulled out a shotgun despite them being in full view of CCTV. The brothers then shouted at Mr Zaheer: 'Do you want it?' before Harras handed the gun to his brother, telling him: 'Blast him, do it.' Anib then fired at Mr Zaheer at point-blank range through the open window before fleeing with his brother. Mr Zaheer died at the scene while shooting, Anib tried to flee to Amsterdam but was arrested by police at Dover as he tried to leave the country by ferry. He was picked out on an ID parade, and was found guilty of murder. He had previously admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Harras, who was arrested in Cheshire, was found guilty of the same charges. Anib's girlfriend Nahima Begum, 24, who drove him to Dover, was found guilty of assisting an offender. Nahima Begum attempted to help her boyfriend Anib flee the country after he was involved in the killing of Taimoor Zaheer Taimoor Zaheer, 20, was lured to his death in Handsworth in what it has been alleged was a drugs turf war Taimoor Zaheer, 20, had previously rowed with the brothers but a court in Birmingham said he had not feared for his life at that point Detective Inspector Paul Joyce, of West Midlands Police, said: 'This was an appalling act of violence. 'A shotgun brandished and fired in a residential street in broad daylight, resulting in the death of a man. 'Thankfully, we were able to build up a picture of what had happened thanks to extensive CCTV coverage of the area, and were able to circulate Khan's details, which meant he wasn't able to flee the country as planned. 'We might never know exactly why Taimoor Zaheer was killed, but we hope we have managed to give his family some sense of justice now that his killers are behind bars for many years to come.' Christopher Watts was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for murdering his pregnant wife and their children at an emotional court hearing where he was eviscerated by his in-laws, forgiven by his own parents and where he finally said sorry for the unthinkable killings. Watts, 33, appeared in court in Greeley, Colorado, on Monday morning to learn his fate. He accepted a plea deal earlier this month to avoid facing the death penalty. He was given three life sentences without parole for the murders of his 34-year-old wife Shanann, their daughters Bella, four, and Celeste, three, and for killing his wife's unborn baby son, Nico. It was the first time prosecutors confirmed his motive: to begin a new life with his girlfriend who he had been seeing for two months before he carried out the murders. Watts killed his wife and children on August 13 in the early hours of the morning. Afterwards, he dumped Bella and Celeste in crude oil tanks and Shanann in a shallow grave. Their bodies were found on August 16 after Watts went on television pretending not to know what had happened to his family. Before a judge handed down his sentence on Monday, Watts listened to his father-in-law and brother-in-law deliver blistering statements about him. They dubbed him an 'evil monster' and asked why he 'slaughtered' his family who worshiped him. New details also emerged about how he killed them. Shanann was strangled and the two girls were smothered. All three were wearing t-shirts and underwear at the time and that is how they were discovered three days later. Their autopsies had been under seal but were released on Monday. Watts was filmed on neighbors' surveillance cameras 'carrying them out like trash' and loading them into his truck to be taken to the oil field where he worked/ He did not speak at the hearing but an attorney said for him: 'Mr Watts has asked us to share this morning that he is devastated by all of this and although he understands that words are hollow at this point, he is sincerely sorry for all of this.' Scroll down for video Watts, 33, appeared in court in Colorado on Monday and was sentenced to life in prison. He is shown in hiding his face as his father-in-law read a heartbreaking and angry statement to the court He killed his wife Shanann, 34, and their daughters Bella and Celeste, aged four and three, in August after an 'emotional' conversation with Shanann at their home FATHER-IN-LAW'S STATEMENT Frank Rzucek, Shanann's father, speaks at his son-in-law's sentencing hearing on Monday What I would like to say to the court is that Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Nico were loving and caring people. They loved life and they loved being around people who loved them. They always had good times. This is the first time they went to the beach this year and they loved it. God only knows what happened that night. Life will never be the same without Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Nico. They had all their lives to live. They were taken by a heartless one. This is the heartless one, the evil monster who dare take the lives of my daughter Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Nico. I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them. They also trusted you.The heartless monster and then you take them out like trash. You disgust me. They were loving and caring people. You may have taken their bodies from me but you will never take the love they had from me. They loved us more than you will ever know because you don't know what love is. If you did, you would not have killed them, you monster. You thought you would get away with this. I don't know how, the cameras don't lie. You carried them out like trash out of the house. Yes, I seen the video tape. You buried my daughter Shanann and Nico in a shallow grave and then you put Bella and Celeste in huge containers with crude oil, you heartless monster. You have to live wit this vision every day of your life and I hope you see that every time you close your eyes at night. You have no heart or feeling or love. Let me tell you something, I will think of them every day of my life. Prison is too good for you. This is hard to say but may God have mercy on your soul. I hope you enjoy your new life, it's nothing like the one you had out here. May the courts have no mercy on you. I have heard people say that you aren't a monster. No you're not. You're an evil monster. I love you Shanann, Bella, Celeste and Cico. One other thing - Shanann says she is super excited for justice today. Advertisement Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke described for the first time how Watts attacked his wife on August 13 after she returned in the early hours of the morning from a business trip. He had been having an affair and she was desperate for their marriage to survive. He strangled her calmly, Rourke said, and had no defensive wounds afterwards. 'We know that this was not done in a an uncontrolled, vengeful manner as he described. 'If that were the case you would expect to see vicious, horrible bruising about her neck, shoulders and face. 'You would expect to see the bone in her neck broken. You would expect to see some kind of defensive wounds on his body. 'None of those were present. The only injuries that were present on Shanann's body were one set of finger bruising to the right of her neck,' Rourke said. Rourke went on to describe how Bella, four, fought for her life while her father smothered her. 'They both died from smothering....imagine the horror in Bella's mind as her father took her last breaths. Bella (right) bit her tongue several times as her father smothered her to death. Neither Celeste or her mother had such injuries SHANANN, 34, STRANGLED TO DEATH AND BURIED IN A SHALLOW GRAVE WITH HER UNBORN BABY Watts strangled his wife with his bare hands, prosecutors said. He did it calmly and suffered no defensive wounds in the process. When her body was found in a shallow grave in the field three days later, she was wearing a purple t-shirt, blue underwear, a black bra and had paper bags around each of her hands. She had a nose piercing. There was no obvious sign of trauma to her except from finger marks on her neck from where she had been strangled. By the time her body was found three days after she was murdered, it had slightly decomposed. Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed. As a result of her organs shutting down, she suffered uterine prolapse which is when the uterus slips down and protrudes either from or falls out of the vagina. The fetus she was carrying was found next to her. The medical examiner described it as a 'degraded portion of tissue which is unfortunately covered in sandy debris from the gravesite'. They examined it and determined it was the baby boy she was carrying and planned to call Nico. His foot was just 0.2 inches long, he was just four inches long and he was still attached to the umbilical chord. Advertisement 'Bella fought back for her life. The connective tissue between the lip and her gum had about an inch and a half laceration. 'She bit her tongue multiple times before she died. She fought back for her life as her father smothered her. 'Celeste had no such injuries. 'In fact she had no external injuries at all but according to the medical examiner, she was smothered none the less,' Rourke said. He then loaded their bodies into his truck and drove to the field where he pushed Bella and Celeste through eight-inch holes which led to separate crude oil tanks. Bella's body was scratched as she was shoved through the hole, Rourke said, and a piece of her blonde hair was found on the door. Watts then stayed at the work site and behaved normally as co-workers showed up for the day. Later, when they were all reported missing, he said they were all asleep when he left for work that morning. 'I trusted you to take care of them, not to kill them. Watts' father-in-law Frank Rzucek His motive for killing them, Rourke said, was to start a new life with his mistress Nichol Kessinger. 'He had a desire for a fresh start. 'To begin a relationship with a new love that overpowered all decency and feelings for his wife, his daughters and unborn son. 'While Shanann texted the defendant over and over again in the days leading up to her death, he secreted photos of his girlfriend into his phone and texted her at all hours of the night. 'While Shanann sent him self-help and counseling books, he was searching the internet for secluded vacation spots to take his new love and was researching jewelry. 'Even the morning after he killed them and disposed of their bodies, he made several phone calls. 'One was to the school where the girls were supposed to start, telling the school that the girls were being un-enrolled. Shanann's parents weep as they listen to prosecutors describing how Watts killed her and their granddaughters BELLA, FOUR, AND CELESTE, THREE: SMOTHERED THEN DUMPED IN SEPARATE OIL TANKS IN THEIR PAJAMAS Prosecutors did not share details of the order in which Watts killed his relatives at the hearing on Monday. The only one of the victims who fought back was Bella, Watts' four-year-old daughter who bit her own tongue several times as he smothered her to death. It is not known what he used to smother the girls or where in the house he did it. He still will not share details of the murders and has never made a full confession. Bella was wearing a pink pajama top which had hearts and butterflies on it with a pair of underwear. She was likely asleep when her father killed her. Celeste, four, was also smothered but showed none of the injuries her older sister did which suggests she was unaware of what was happening. Bella, left, fought for her life and bit her tongue several times as her father smothered her After murdering them both, Watts took them to the field where he buried their mother. He then went in search of separate oil tanks to dispose of their little bodies in. The trap door which opened up to the tanks was only eight inches in diameter. It was so small, he had to push their bodies through it. Bella, who was bigger, suffered scratches on her buttocks as her father pushed her through. Sickeningly, he told authorities once he was caught that he thought there was not as much oil in her tanker because of the 'splashing' sound he heard when he dumped her in it. Celeste, who was affectionately referred to as CeCe, was wearing a pink and black t-shirt and a diaper. Both of the girls were retrieved from the tankers by emergency workers who had to wear hazmat suits to get them. Advertisement 'He contacted a realtor to start discussing selling his house and he texted with his girlfriend about their future. 'None of this answers why. If he was so happy [with his girlfriend], get a divorce! 'You don't annihilate your family and throw them away like garbage,' Rourke said. None of this answers why...get a divorce! You don't annihilate your family and throw them away like garbage Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke At Monday's hearing, Shanann's father Frank Rzucek labeled him an 'evil monster'. 'I trusted you to take care of them, not to kill them. You dont know what love is. Because if you did you would not have killed them. 'You monster. You thought you would get away with this. 'You carried them out of the house like trash. You buried my daughter Shannan and Nico in a shallow grave and then you put Bella and CeCe in containers of crude oil,' he said, fighting tears as he read his statement. Her brother also spoke and asked him repeatedly why his wife and children 'weren't enough' for him. 'You went from being my brother, my sister's protector, one of the most loved people in my family, to someone I will spend the rest of my life trying to understand... 'Did you really think you would get away with this? Did you really think that this was your best option? 'To throw away your family like they were garbage? They deserve better and you know it. Sandra Rzucek, Shanann's mother, also gave a statement. She said she hoped God would have mercy on his soul Sadnra Rzucek cries as she returns to her seat after reading her victim impact statement Shanann's brother Frank Jr. stood beside the district attorney as he read his statement aloud 'I hope you spend the rest of your life staring at the ceiling every night being haunted by what you've done. 'None of us deserved this,' he said, adding that he had to listen to his parents cry themselves to sleep every night because of him. Shanann's mother Sandra also spoke. She fought tears as she told him that she prayed God would have mercy on his soul and spoke nostalgically about her granddaughters. 'I know god will put the evil people where they need to be. 'I didn't want death for you because that's not my right. Your life is between you and God and I pray that he has mercy for you Shanann's mother Sandra 'God makes no mistakes in who he puts in your life. Marriage is about love, trust, friendship and unity. 'We marry for sickness and health, till death do us part. Our daughter Shanann loved you with all of her heart. Your daughters loved you to the moon and back. Shanann's family was her world. 'She put the crown on your head but unfortunately, the day that you took their life, God removed that crown. 'We loved you like a son. We trusted you. Your faithful wife trusted you. Your children adored you. 'And they also trusted you. Your daughter Bella Marie sang a song proudly. I don't know if you got to see it, but it was 'Daddy you're my hero.' 'I have no idea who gave you the right to take their lives. But I know God and is mighty angels were there at that moment to bring them home to paradise. 'God gives us free will. Not only did you take your family of four, you took your own life. 'I want the world to know that our daughter and her children were so loved by us. Chris' mother Cindy Watts broke down after reading a heartbreaking statement where she said she would always love him but did not understand why he killed his family. He cried when she spoke but not when his in-laws did Watts' mother Cindy and father Ronnie said they had forgiven him and would not abandon him. They were allowed to speak as victims because they are the girls' grandparents 'I didn't want death for you because that's not my right. 'Your life is between you and God and I pray that he has mercy for you,' she said. Watts' parents also spoke and used the opportunity to apologize for participating in media interviews earlier this month where they suggested that it was Shanann who killed the girls and not their son. 'As your mother, Chris, I have always loved you. I still do. Cindy Watts Cindy Watts, his mother, said tearfully: 'My name is Cindy Watts. 'I am the grandmother of two beautiful granddaughters and I am the mother of Christopher Watts. 'To my son Christopher. I have known you since the day you were born into this world. 'I've watched you grow from a quiet and sweet, curious child, who Bella reminded me so much of, to a young man who worked hard in sports and later in mechanics to achieve your goals. 'You were a good friend, father, brother and son. We have loved you from the beginning and we still love you now. 'This might be hard for some to understand how I can sit here under these circumstances and tell you all that we are heartbroken. Although we can't imagine what could have led us to this day, we love you. 'Maybe you can't believe it either. As the lord said, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 'As your mother, Chris, I have always loved you. I still do. Watts is led into the courtroom on Monday to be sentenced for the murders of his wife and children 'I hate what has happened but we will remain faithful as your family just as God remains faithful because of his unconditional love. 'We love you and we forgive you son.' His father added: 'We still don't have all the answers and I hope one day you can help us. 'I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Prosecutors said Watts was motivated by a desire to start a new love with his mistress Nichole Kessinger (pictured). He told her he was getting a divorce 'I forgive you and we will never abandon you.' Judge Marcelo Kopcow spoke briefly at the end of the hearing. He said: 'This is perhaps the most inhumane and vicious crime I have handled out the thousands of cases I have seen.' 'Words that come to mind are this is a senseless crime and the viciousness of the crime, equally aggravating int his court's determination is the despicable act of disposing of the bodies in the manner in which they were in this case,' he said. For days after he killed them, Watts pretended not to know what had happened to them and made shifty appearances on national television. He was all-the-while texting his girlfriend and researching places for them to take a vacation to, prosecutors said. After they were discovered, Watts told police that it was Shanann who strangled the girls after he told her he was leaving her. His parents urged him not to take the plea deal and last week spoke out against Shanann, claiming the pair had an abusive marriage. Their attorney walked back that claim in court on Monday and insisted that they had been misinformed. Carl Bernstein renewed his war on Donald Trump on Sunday, suggesting that news outlets should stop airing live coverage of the president's press conferences and other interactions with reporters because the events are 'overwhelmed by his dishonesty and lying.' Bernstein, 74, is one-half of the reporting duo who broke the 1972 Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon. He said on CNN that it would be appropriate to 'edit' the president's words into news stories instead of broadcasting his events unfiltered and immediately. 'We need to say, "Here's the story," not just give him a microphone when we know that his methodology is to engage and manipulate us on the basis of lying, propaganda and agitprop,' he said on the 'Reliable Sources' program. The reporting veteran became a presidential target in August after former Trump attorney Michael Cohen's lawyer admitted giving Bernstein and other CNN reporters bad information about the president's legal exposure from an infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein said Sunday that cable news networks should think about whether to air President Donald Trump's press conferences in real-time Trump, according to Bernstein, is subjecting TV audiences to so many lies that news editors andf producers should become filters, airing only what they decide is newsworthy and archiving the rest of the video footage for curious Internet surfers 'Reliable Sources' host Brian Stelter, the network's chief media reporter, agreed with Bernstein on Sunday that Trump 'is the leader and spreading lies and misinformation.' Speaking about the president's comments at the scene of wildfires in California, Stelter declared: 'He's rambling on in a nonsensical, unhinged way and I'm not sure we should broadcast it on television anymore.' Bernstein claimed that Trump 'lies in a way that no other president in our history has.' 'We need to start thinking of a different way to cover his press conferences and briefings. For instance, I don't think we should be taking them live all the time, and just pasting them up on the air, because they're basically propagandist exercises,' he suggested. 'Maybe we should be there, edit, decide as reporters what is news and after the press conference or briefing is over, then go with that story with clips, rather than treating the briefing or press conference as a campaign event, which they really are, and which we did in the campaign as well.' Bernstein said cable news networks like CNN should archive the video of press conferences on their website as a matter of public record, 'but we need to start editing.' Bernstein, who appeared on CNN's 'Reliable Sources' program, became a presidential target in August after a source recanted information in a July anti-Trump story CNN and MSNBC, and occasionally the Fox News Channel, have chosen not to broadcast some of Trump's campaign-season political rallies this year. But press conferences tend to be must-see events, and the networks generally avoid pre-empting them with regular programming. Trump's frequent interactions with reporters in the Oval Office and on the South Lawn of the White House, too, usually bump whatever the three cable news networks have on the air as soon as satelittes can feed video signals to them. The president lashed out at Bernstein by name on August 29, calling him a 'sloppy' reporter who 'thinks like a degenerate fool, making up story after story.' That followed an admission from Lanny Davis, the attorney for Michael Cohen, that a story written by Bernstein and two other CNN journalists was based on false information he provided them about the president and his son, Donald Trump Jr. Davis is a longtime Bill and Hillary Clinton legal adviser. He had disclosed that Cohen was telling friends the president knew about the much-discussed 2016 Trump Tower meeting in advance, and that he was prepared to tell Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team at the Justice Department. Bernstein and his co-authors framed their July 27 story as a strategic disaster for Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., who convened the meeting with a group that included a Kremlin-connected lawyer. The story described Cohen as a man ready to spill his guts to the feds. Lanny Davis (pictured), whose client is former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, told Bernstein and his CNN co-authors one of whom is a former Obama political appointee that the president knew in advance about an infamous Trump Tower meeting that included a Russian lawyer; David later recanted, making Bernstein and CNN easy pickings for the president The president lasked out publicly at Bernstein in August, calling him 'sloppy' after Davis disavowed what he had said earlier; Bernstein has on at least five separate occasions pronounced Trump's scandals 'worse than Watergate' Trump Jr. has maintained that the meeting was expected to produce opposition-research about Hillary Clinton. He has claimed the attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, detoured instead into a conversation about a U.S. law that punished Russian officials for human rights offenses, and about Moscow's retaliation in the form of limiting Americans' ability to adopt Russian children. Presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner was present at the meeting, along with then-campaign manager Paul Manafort, who now faces decades in prison for unrelated financial crimes. The president has denied knowing anything about the meeting ahead of time. The CNN story appeared to show otherwise, at a time when Cohen was feeling pressure from federal investigators to cooperate with a broader probe into Trump's 2016 campaign operations. Bernstein and his co-authors wrote that they contacted Davis, but he decliend to comment. In fact, Davis was a source for the story. He recanted weeks later, blaming himself for not being clearer about what he knew and insisting none of it was CNN's fault. It's unclear how central Davis' information was to the story: It remains, unchanged, on CNN's website, suggesting the reporters may have had other corroborating sources. One of Bernstein's co-authors in the story was Jim Sciutto, CNN's chief national security correspondent. Sciutto was until 2013 a political appointee in the Obama administration, serving as senior adviser to the U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke. Bernstein said on August 22, just days before Davis walked away from the information he had provided CNN, that the Cohen and Manafort cases are collectively 'worse than Watergate.' He used the same words in another CNN interview to describe Trump's legal vulnerabilities on August 3, a few days after the compromised story originally ran, and also on July 26 and January 29 and December 5, 2017. The U.S. Navy SEAL who shot Osama bin Laden pushed back at PresidentDonald Trump after the president called his superior a Hillary Clinton 'fan' saying the mission to take out the nation's top terror target was 'bipartisan.' Robert O'Neill, who was part of the SEAL TEAM 6 night-time raid that killed bin Laden and wrote in his book about firing the final shots, responded after Trump dismissed Navy Admiral Bill McRaven, who ran special operations command during the raid, as a 'Clinton backer' and an 'Obama backer.' Trump also complained that bin Laden hadn't been taken out 'sooner' and inaccurately suggested he had called for doing so. McRaven didn't endorse Clinton in 2016 and has responded that he is a 'fan' of both President Obama and President George W. Bush for upholding the 'dignity of the office.' 'The mission to get bin Laden was bipartisan,' O'Neill tweeted Monday. 'We all wanted to get him as soon as we could.' O'Neill's tweet was taken as immediate pushback against President Donald Trump's comments 'The mission to get bin Laden was bipartisan,' Navy SEAL O'Neill tweeted Monday. 'We all wanted to get him as soon as we could' O'Neill, who shot Osama bin Laden, said the SEALs who raided his compound, wanted to get there 'as soon as we could' O'Neill also backed up McRaven in an earlier tweet, writing: 'ADM McRaven was born to lead this mission. Ill follow him anywhere. If only people heard the real speech he gave the Team.... ' Trump, in an interview with 'Fox News Sunday,' dismissed McRaven's criticism of his own attacks on the press as the 'enemy of the American people.' Host Chris Wallace tried to ask Trump about McRaven's comment that his press attacks were the 'greatest threat to democracy' in his lifetime. 'Hillary Clinton fan,' Trump interjected... 'He's a Hilary Clinton, uh, backer and an Obama-backer,' he labeled the retired admiral. 'Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?' Trump said. Then he vented about bin Laden's living conditions despite a global manhunt. O'Neill wrote about his military exploits in his book Retired Admiral Bill McRaven did not endorse anyone in the 2016 presidential race Trump took the argument further on in a Monday morning tweet, writing: 'Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did' The president said it would have been 'nice' if the Navy Seals had been sent into kill bin Laden instead of letting him live in a 'nice' mansion in Pakistan (Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in this May 5, 2011) 'You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they don't tell him,' Trump said. McRaven told CNN after the interview aired: 'I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times.' He continued: 'I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime. 'When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands.' Trump doubled down on his criticisms after a blowup over his comments to Fox. 'Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot,' Trump wrote. Trump has claimed on several occasions in 2015 that he 'predicted' the rise of bin Laden and terrorism broadly, that isn't born out by the text of his 2000 book that he references, which makes a single reference to bin Laden. 'One day were told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later its on to a new enemy and new crisis,' Trump wrote at the time. The Washington Post pointed to its fact-check on Trump in 2015 as it took on his latest claims on Monday. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump held hands as they welcomed the White House Christmas tree that arrived Monday afternoon. The first couple walked around the horse-drawn carriage to see the giant fir tree that will be displayed in the Blue Room of the White House. The president gave one of the Clydesdale horses a pat on the butt as they checked out the tree. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump held hands as they examined the White House Christmas tree President Trump pats one of the Clydesdale horses on the butt Melania Trump wore a $3,995 red plaid cape from Michael Kors The giant fir tree that will be displayed in the Blue Room of the White House The first couple was dressed festively for the occasion: Trump wore a suit with a red tie while Melania Trump wore a $3,995 red plaid cape from Michael Kors over black pants and a top with her signature heels. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Washington D.C. and there was a festive atmosphere in the air with the Marine band playing holiday music as the tree arrived and the horses wearing bells that jingled as they trotted up the driveway to the front door of the White House. First son Barron Trump, who was present for last year's tree arrival, was no where to be seen this year. The Smith Family of Mountain Top Fraser Fir farm presented the tree to the first couple. President Trump and Melania Trump spoke to gathered guests that included theSmith Family; Rep. Virginia Foxx, who represents the district the tree came from' and State Senator Deanna Ballard, whose district in North Carolina housed the tree. The tree was grown in North Carolina, which is the state that has provided the most White House Christmas trees at 13. Firs have also been the most popular trees with 51 having done Christmas duty. Larry Smith told The Charlotte Observer that he had almost abandoned the 19 1/2-foot-tall Fraser fir that will decorate 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 'It hadn't been trimmed the last couple of years,' he said. 'I'd basically abandoned it.' He recalled that when White House chief usher Timothy Harleth and superintendent of grounds Dale Haney visited his tree farm in September, that he thought they would choose another one. But he said: 'They just loved the natural look to it.' Smith won the 2018 Grand Champion designation at the National Christmas Tree Association's Christmas Tree Contest, which gave him the honor of providing the tree. It was his fifth try. There was a festive atmosphere in the air with the Marine band playing holiday music as the tree arrived The first couple held hands as they welcomed the tree The first Christmas tree in the White House was in 1889 during President Benjamin Harrison's administration The horses wore bells that jingled as they arrived at the White House The tree is the 19 1/2-foot-tall Fraser fir President Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with guests The National Christmas Tree Association has held a national competition since 1966 to select the 'official tree' for the White House Blue Room. To qualify, growers must first win their state or regional competitions. Being named National Grand Champion is a major achievement, according to the White House Historical Association. 'It's like winning the Super Bowl,' Smith told the Observer of having his tree selected. The first Christmas tree in the White House was placed in the second floor Yellow Oval Room in 1889 during President Benjamin Harrison's administration. It was decorated with candles, and toys for the Harrison grandchildren, according to the White House Historical Association. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted guests The first couple came out of the front door of the White House to welcome the tree Melania wore Christian Louboutin boots with her designer jacket Monday's tree arrival kicks off the holiday season at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Monday's tree arrival kicks off the holiday season at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The White House will be decorated for Christmas over the Thanksgiving holidays. On Tuesday the president will pardon a turkey and next Monday Trump will light the National Christmas Tree that sits on the Ellipse of the National Mall. An adventurous biker showed off his skills by riding down slides and doing tricks on his BMX after he sneaked into an empty water park. The footage was recorded at the Aquavelis Water Park in Torre del Mar, Spain and shared on YouTube by OlaBMX. In the video the biker can be seen riding around the perimeter of the park and scouting out the big slides inside. Scroll down for video OlaBMX (pictured) shared footage of him riding through an empty water park in Spain The biker paused at the top of the tall red slide and flipped his handlebars on the way down He says: 'The employees there will leave in 30 minutes. So we'll wait for 30 minutes.' Making the most of time, the biker then shows off some of his skills riding ramps and metal bars before going back to the car park and preparing to ride in the water park. He then says: 'I've been scouting through this hole in the fence for about ten minutes, and I don't see anyone. I believe the coast is clear.' The man throws his BMX over the fence before scaling it himself and pushing the bike towards the tall red slide. He climbs several flights of stairs and peers over the edge, anticipating the ride. Seconds after pushing off down the slide, the biker spins his handlebars and effortlessly appears to flip onto another slide next to the red one. He throws his bike over the water park's gate and climbs over it himself to get inside Next he takes on a blue slide and starts by riding along the edge before gliding through the curves. Luckily the biker keeps control and manages to stop his bike before it falls into the water pool waiting at the bottom. He then heads towards an empty pool but falls as he jumps into it. Quickly getting back up, the biker rides along the edge and spins his handlebars again as he flips in the air. After this last trick he rides towards the exit and explains to the camera that he thinks the park may have been abandoned all along. OlaBMX goes into the park twice and says he can see workers on the second trip around Many of the pools at the Aquavelis Water Park in Torre del Mar, Spain, appeared to be empty He says: 'It was so beaten up and abandoned. Maybe the people that are still inside of there were just there to clean things up. Kind of interesting.' Deciding to check it out again, the man goes back in and rides over gravel, stairs and the slides. After this second time around the park the man throws his bike over a fence and climbs out. He says 'It was a little pointless to go back in a second time. There's people in their cleaning out' and rides away down the street Rep. Will Hurd, one of few Republican critics of President Donald Trump in Congress, narrowly won his re-election bid Monday in a sprawling Texas district that has been a perennial battleground. Democratic challenger Gina Ortiz Jones conceded Monday, nearly two weeks after Election Day, ending what had been one of the few remaining unresolved races of the 2018 midterm elections. It now leaves only four congressional elections nationally where The Associated Press has not declared a winner, in some cases because officials are still counting votes. Jones was trailing Hurd by about 1,100 votes in the 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso. Democrats had intensified efforts to flip the seat this year after Hillary Clinton carried the district in 2016. Victor: Will Hurd is returning to Congress after waiting almost two weeks for votes to be counted in the race for the 23rd Congressional District in Texas. His challenger Gina Ortiz Jones conceded Monday STILL TO DECLARE Three House seats are still hanging in the balance Monday. They are: New Mexico, 2nd District: Republican incumbent Yvette Herrell is fighting Democrat Xochitl Torres Small Utah, 4th District: Republican incumbent Mia Love is fighting Democrat Ben McAdams Georgia, 7th District: Republican incumbent Rob Woodall is fighting Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux Advertisement But Hurd has proved durable in a district that he has now narrowly won for a third consecutive time. The former CIA officer criticism of Trump included this summer, when he accused the president of 'standing idle on the world stage' and being manipulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'While we came up short this time, we ran a race of which we can be proud,' Jones said in a statement. 'I remain committed to serving my community and country, and I wish Will Hurd the courage to fight for TX-23 in the way in which our district deserves.' Jones, an Air Force veteran, was aiming to make history as Texas' first openly gay and Filipina-American member of Congress. Last week, she had attended orientation in Washington for new members of Congress and had asked a judge to extend a deadline to correct provisional ballots. But she conceded after election results were canvassed in recent days. Hurd, who has previously already declared victory, thanked Jones in a statement and said he would need everyone's help whether they voted for him or not. Democrats flipped two Republican-held districts in Texas this month, one in Dallas and another in Houston. Two men and two women have been found shot dead execution-style in the basement of a house being renovated in Philadelphia, authorities say. A family member called police on Monday morning after arriving at the home to find the front door ajar. Officers who arrived to perform a welfare check found the four victims in the basement, each with a single bullet to the head. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said it appeared that the victims had been 'led' into the basement. 'Sadly, all four of these individuals were executed,' Ross said. A neighbor claimed to have heard three or four bangs on Sunday night, which were likely the gunshots that killed the victims. Two men and two women, all in their 20s and 30s, were found shot dead execution style in the basement of a home in Philadelphia on Monday morning. The home is pictured center Two victims were a 31-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman. The others are described as a man approximately 20-30 years old and a woman approximately 30-40 years old. Ross said the two men are believed to be cousins who were living in the home while it was being renovated. No names have been released as of Monday afternoon, and it doesn't appear that any suspects have been identified. As the president contemplated the fate of his Homeland Security secretary on Monday, the Cabinet official received a vote of confidence from one of his top aides. Asked about Kirstjen Nielsen, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said it's up to the president 'and the president alone' to decide what happens. 'I hope so, I think so, but that's up to the president and to her,' she said. As the president contemplated the fate of his Homeland Security secretary on Monday, the Cabinet official received a vote of confidence from one of his top aides 'I'm very glad to see the president say that he respects her, and you know she's very smart and he respects her and she's doing a great job,' Conway told reporters. The president also wouldn't guarantee that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly or protege Nielsen would have jobs in his administration in an interview that aired on Sunday. Their positions came up in the interview after days of speculation that he could fire one or both of them. He said of Nielsen: 'I like her a lot. I respect her a lot. Shes very smart. I want her to get much tougher and well see what happens there. But I want to be extremely tough.' Trump told 'Fox News Sunday' there's a 'chance's she would stay in her job but repeated prior claims that he wanted her to be much tougher on border security and immigration. Asked about Kirstjen Nielsen, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said it's up to the president 'and the president alone' to decide what happens. 'I hope so, I think so, but that's up to the president and to her,' she said The president also wouldn't say if Kelly would remain chief of staff through the 2020 election - an assertion he has made in the past. 'We get along well. There are certain things I love what he does. And there are certain things that I dont like that he does - that arent his strength,' he said. He added: 'Hes doing an excellent job in many ways. There are a couple of things where its just not his strength. Its not his fault, its not his strength.' Yet when pressed the president declined to say what Kelly was failing to do. 'John, at some point, is going to want to move on. John will move on,' Trump said. He added: 'Look, I have three or four or five positions that Im thinking about. Of that, maybe its going to end up being two. Maybe, but I want to - I need flexibility.' At the White House on Monday, Conway mocked the press for chasing the story, despite the president's own comments. The senior Trump aide said that the border is a 'vexing situation' but said it's mostly Congress' fault that immigration problems haven't been fixed. Of the possible firings, she said, 'It didn't happen. I think General Kelly's still here, chief of staff, I mean eventually you'll be right, because six years from now the president will leave, too, and you'll say, I knew it. I knew he was going to leave office.' Kelly is thought to be on the chopping block because he feuded with first lady Melania Trump over staff promotions. Facing Trump's ire at the same time is Nielsen, whom the president believes is too slow to implement his tough-on-illegal-immigrants border control policies. Kelly was Nielsen's mentor made her his chief of staff when he ran DHS, before moving to the West Wing where he brought her along before securing her appointment to his old job. His likely replacement is, Nick Ayers a young and politically astute operator with a reputation for successfully guiding Pence as both a loyal soldier and a hopeful successor with a mind of his own. Trump said in an interview Wednesday with The Daily Caller, 'I will be making a decision on Homeland shortly. 'I have not made decisions yet. I will be making changes on various things,' he stated. Cleveland police have released body cam footage of an officer who was arrested after he was found slumped at the wheel of a vehicle with a loaded weapon during a stakeout. East Cleveland detective Joseph Marche was arrested and convicted for being intoxicated while on the job in December 2017. Authorities said they had to break out two windows of the unmarked city vehicle to arrest Marche. Cleveland police have released the body cam footage of an officer who was arrested after he was found slumped at the wheel of a vehicle with a loaded weapon during a stakeout East Cleveland detective Joseph Marche was arrested and convicted for being intoxicated while on the job in December 2017 Authorities said they had to break out two windows of the unmarked city vehicle to arrest Marche During the arrest, they found a loaded automatic weapon in the vehicle. In two videos, officers are seen approaching the vehicle and shining a flashlight as they order him to 'open the window'. One officer smashes in the back passenger window and tries to unlock the driver's door from the inside. 'I can't reach [the lock],' the officer says before walking over to the passenger's side and smashing the front window in. 'Stop now,' one officer tells Marche, who continuously tried to drive off with the car in park. The officers are then able to unlock the vehicle's doors and get a smiling Marche into handcuffs. A second video shows the moment the officers bring Marche into a booking room where he was fingerprinted. East Cleveland Police Commander Scott Gardner said Marche was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Bratenahl court, and was given a 30 day suspension without pay, according to News 5. A second video shows the moment the officers bring Marche into the booking room East Cleveland Police Commander Scott Gardner said Marche was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Bratenahl court, and was given a 30 day suspension without pay According to Gardner, Marche had been on prescription medication for two shoulder injuries at the time and misjudged the effect the combination of the medication and alcohol would have on him According to Gardner, Marche had been on prescription medication for two shoulder injuries at the time and misjudged the effect the combination of the medication and alcohol would have on him. Marche's drivers license was also suspended, but he had work driving privileges. Gardner said Marche has an outstanding work record and had no prior convictions. 'There is nobody that's going to condone the behavior of Detective Marche,' Gardner told the station. 'Our department wants full transparency, and we welcome residents to give us feedback.' 'He accepted full responsibility, it was an error in judgment, and like I said, nobody feels worse that Joe Marche.' An 18-year-old salon customer said she was 'beauty shamed' by workers on WhatsApp, One member of 'The Best Salon Team' group posted a picture of Mia Capeling wearing make up with the caption: 'One of our clients - not being rude or horrible but WTF.' Another member of the group, which appeared to include staff members from Salon 2000 in Washington, Tyne and Wear, responded by posing a laughing emoji. Mia Capeling was mocked in a WhatsApp group called 'The Best Salon Team', which appeared to include staff members from Salon 2000 Mia, a mother of one, was left close to tears by the cruel comments in the group and a Facebook post she made slamming the remarks has gone viral. Mia, who likened the comments to playground bullying she received as a child, said: 'I'm quite a strong individual but what if they were making comments to a 15-year-old customer getting their prom make-up done? 'If someone had anxiety this could have shattered their confidence.' The salon's Facebook page is no longer online after a post from Mia slamming the business's cruel actions went viral. In it, she shared a snap of the offending post with the caption: 'Must be super fun working at Salon 2000 - such a lovely professional business that would never do anything to upset their customers. 'Can anyone recommend a new salon?' After receiving screengrabs of the thread, Mia contacted staff for an explanation. She said staff defended the comments, stating they were just mocking her make-up - and not Mia personally. But Mia fumed: 'People should at least have the confidence to say this stuff to people's faces rather than behind their backs. 'I was so shocked by what they said, I couldn't believe a business would be so unprofessional. 'And I just don't get why it is me. I've been a few times, so they know me, but not since June so I'm not exactly a regular.' Mia is refusing to delete her post until she is offered a 'meaningful apology' over the comments. Mia, a mother of one, was left in tears by the post and is demanding an apology She added: 'I want some real action taken. I work in retail, and if I did this, I'd get a disciplinary, so I want to use the post to raise awareness over what's happened. 'Their apology felt very generic and I feel they were not ashamed of what was said. 'If they were confident then they would have said it to my face.' Mia claims she has been overwhelmed with supportive messages, with friends hitting out at the 'disgusting' comments. Others praised 'gorgeous' Mia's appearance, claiming her make-up was 'on point'. Sonia Fletcher posted: 'Having been a hairdresser for 32 years I credit myself with extreme confidentiality between my clients and I. This really should never of happened.' However, others criticised trolls for targeting the salon's staff with online abuse, even those who posted no comments. 'I don't think it is fair that everyone is slating other staff members,' one person posted. Salon 2000 has been approached by MailOnline for comment. A California National Guardsman has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle three Mexican nationals into the US in exchange for cash. Private First Class Edward Acosta-Avila and another US citizen were pulled over near the Otay Mesa border crossing outside San Diego at 4pm on November 10. When US Customers and Border Protection agents inspected Acosta-Avila's Honda Accord, they found three Mexican migrants hiding under a blanket in the backseat. California National Guardsman Pfc Edward Acosta-Avila and another US citizen were arrested on November 10 at the Otay Mesa border cross in California during their attempt to smuggle three Mexican nationals into the US (stock image) Acosta-Avila, who at the time was in the process of being discharged from the National Guard for going AWOL, told federal authorities that he and his friend were planning to split $400 for sneaking the illegal migrants into the US, reported USA Today. But when questioned by the agents, the Mexican nationals told them they had agreed to pay $6,000-$7,000 each for the border crossing. Acosta-Avila and his alleged accomplice have been charged with transportation of certain aliens for financial gain. In response to an email seeking comment about Acosta-Avila, a National Guard spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Monday of the suspect: 'he was in a civilian status, not on orders, and had not attended scheduled drills in several months.' The three undocumented migrants are being held as witnesses in the human smuggling case and will later face standard deportation proceedings, reported Army Times. Acosta-Avila was reportedly not part of the 7,000 active-duty troops who have been deployed by President Donald Trump to the US-Mexico border in anticipation of the arrival of multiple caravans of migrants from Central America. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman allegedly sparked a turf war with another Mexican cartel when he had a rival leader's brother killed 14 years ago because he refused to shake his hand. Guzman met with Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes, the brother of the Juarez cartel leader, back in 2004 but felt disrespected when he wouldn't shake his hand at the end, a key informant told the jury at his trial on Monday. It is the latest development in El Chapo's bombshell trial that has just entered its second week in federal court in Brooklyn. 'When [Rodolfo] left, Chapo gave him his hand and said, 'See you later, friend,' and Rodolfo just left him standing there with his hand extended,' Jesus 'El Rey' Zambada - a long-time Guzman associate - told the jurors, according to the New York Post. Zambada, who is the brother of the Sinaloa cartel's co-head Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, has been testifying at Guzman's trial for several days. Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman allegedly sparked a turf war with another Mexican cartel when he had a rival leader's brother killed 14 years ago because he refused to shake his hand He said his brother told him immediately after the meeting that 'mi compa Chapo is very upset'. Zambada claims his brother told him that Guzman was going to have Fuentes killed because he 'couldn't take Rodolfo anymore'. He testified that after Fuentes was killed later that year, Juarez cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes had Guzman's brother, Arturo Guzman Loera, murdered in revenge. The two killings then led to a turf war between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels. Zambada, who worked for the cartel from 1987 until his arrest in 2008, had earlier told the court that Guzman paid huge bribes to Mexican prosecutors, police, military and even Interpol to ensure smooth operations for his Sinaloa cartel. He detailed the eye-watering costs of protecting cocaine shipments that originated in Colombia and traveled to the U.S. via Mexico - with payments amounting to $300,000 per month in Mexico City alone. Guzman met with Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes (above), the brother of the Juarez cartel leader, back in 2004 but felt disrespected when he wouldn't shake his hand at the end, a key informant told the jury at his trial on Monday After Fuentes was killed in 2004, his own brother Juarez cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, (pictured above) had Guzman's brother murdered in revenge Zambada told the court that as the head of the organization's operations in the capital city, he personally paid bribes to the attorney general's office, the federal highway police that also operates bridges and airports, federal, state and local police forces, and 'Interpol, as well'. 'The bribes for officials in Mexico City were about $300,000 per month,' the 57-year-old said, wearing a blue prison suit with an orange shirt. Jesus 'El Rey' Zambada (pictured above), who is the brother of the Sinaloa cartel's co-head Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, has been testifying at Guzman's trial for several days Zambada added he once paid a $100,000 bribe to General Gilberto Toledano, in charge of the state of Guerrero, at Guzman's request. 'I was going to import cocaine from Colombia through the state of Guerrero... and El Chapo told me, 'Go and meet General Toledano, he's my friend, and give him $100,000 from me',' Zambada said. He also recounted violent turf wars, describing how his brother, who remains on the run, had partnered with El Chapo and the Sinaloa cartel after working for another gang in the Tijuana border zone - triggering brutal infighting between the two clans. Among the killings he mentioned was an infamous 1992 gun battle in a seaside disco in the resort town Puerto Vallarta that left six dead but which failed to take out the head hitman of the rival gang, Ramon Arellano Felix. And in 1993, a cardinal, Juan Jesus Posadas, was murdered after he had the misfortune of going to the airport in the same brand of car as El Chapo -- and was therefore mistakenly targeted by the Tijuana group. According to Zambada, El Chapo finally murdered the leader of Tijuana's hired gunmen in 2002, and he confided years later: 'If there is one thing that makes me want to live, it is to have killed Ramon Arellano Felix.' Guzman, 61, is currently on trial in Brooklyn after being accused of smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the U.S. over 25 years and faces life in prison if found guilty. A mugger in Brazil did not prove to be so tough after all when he tried stealing a cell phone from a woman. Magdeel da Silva, 18, was screaming in tears once Sabrina Leites, 22, placed him in an arm-bar while they laid on the street pavement awaiting authorities to arrive. Da Silva could be heard crying into submission yelling 'no more, no more' while Leites gave herself a thumbs up at one point during the viral cell phone video. Leites, who has been practicing jiu-jitsu for four years, was standing outside her family home in Manaus, Brazil last Tuesday afternoon and was opening a gate to enter her sister's bedroom when da Silva and another accomplice suddenly pulled up on a motorcycle and demanded her cell phone. An aspiring flight attendant from Brazil took matters into her own hands and prevented a cell phone thief from escaping by placing an arm-bar on him for almost 20 minutes before cops arrived to make the arrest Magdeel da Silva was placed into an arm-lock and could be heard crying for help after he and an accomplice tried stealing a cell phone from a woman in Brazil Leites, who is studying to be a flight attendant and holds a white belt in the mixed martial arts sport, decided to defend herself since four cell phones had already been stolen in prior home invasions, according to Brazilian news outlet D24AM. Da Silva's unidentified cohort managed to escape on the motorcycle and da Silva himself tried to make a run for it as well. Leites' neighbor saw the mugging attempt and ran the teenage criminal over with his car. The young woman then used one of the most common jiu-jitsu techniques to keep da Silva from escaping the scene, keeping it steady for 20 minutes until the cops arrived. 'When you have the technique you know how to act in a situation of immobilization because all this is a technique of immobilization,' Leites said. Despite utilizing her acquired mixed martial arts training to fend off the attack - she told news outlet G1 she tossed the phone inside the home - Leites understood the dangers behind her decision to go up against two dangerous men. Sabrina Leites put all of the lessons she's learned in the four years she has been practicing jiu-jitsu when two men tried to rob her cell phone as she stood outside her home 'They just got scared by saying 'pass the phone'. I saw that they had nothing, so I reacted,' Leites said. 'If they were armed, I would have never reacted.' Da Silva was arrested and charged with attempted robbery. The Harris County Sheriffs Office in Houston, Texas, has released video of a teenager shooting two cops with an air-powered pellet gun before they shot him dead. Jose Luis Centeno Jr. was killed by cops on Halloween afternoon after he led Houston police officers on a high-speed chase. A video released on Monday morning showed the moment Centeno Jr. sped by a school bus which was unloading kids and never came to a full stop. Jose Luis Centeno Jr. was recorded reaching into his car, pulling out air-powered pellet gun and shooting at two Houston cops before they returned fire A pair of Houston cops were trying to get a 17-year-old high school senior to surrender himself on October 31 before they were forced to respond with deadly gun fire A secondary video recording made public by the sheriffs office captures the moment the fugitive teen digs out his weapon and fires at the police officers. The cops, who were waiting at a red light inside their cruiser, made a quick u-turn and chased Centeno Jr., who was senior at Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas. Centeno Jr. led the police officers into a gas station and later sped by another school bus, which had pulled over on the side of the road as a safety measure while the cop car continued its pursuit. Police released two videos on Monday after a teenager boy was killed by gunfire after he shot at two cops with a pellet gun in Houston. The Harris County Sheriff's Office is still investigating The 17-year-old, who was registered driving as fast as 70mph as rush hour traffic was starting to set in, drove into the opposite lane while the driver of a pickup truck froze in the middle of the road. Cops kept chase as Centeno Jr. led them into a busy road before he made an u-turn and drove right into a ditch. The nearly 10-minute chase ended with both parties exchanging fire shortly before 4pm. Julio Centerno Jr. drives by a pickup truck and topped 70 MPH as he led a cop cruiser on a high-speed chase The cop cruisers camera show both cops trying to get Centeno Jr. to exit the vehicle as they drew their service weapons out. Another video clip shows the teen exchanging words with the cops before he reaches down to grab the pellet gun and fires at the policemen. The Harris County Sheriffs Office is still investigating the shooting in which Centeno Jr. used a 1911 replica carbon dioxide canister-powered pellet gun. The American Automobile Association has issued a warning holiday travel could be even more of a headache than usual this year as a record number of people hit the road and take to the skies. AAA has predicted that 54.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from their homes this Thanksgiving, the highest number recorded in more than a dozen years and nearly a five percent higher than last year. Travel times in America's most congested cities including Boston, San Francisco and New York City could see delays of up to four hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. The American Automobile Association and analytics company INRIX have predicted the worst times to hit the road for Thanksgiving festivities this week in America's most congested cities Analytics company INRIX predicts that the best days to travel will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, between when people are arriving and departing their Thanksgiving festivities. In most cities, the worst delays will occur between 5.30pm and 7pm on Tuesday. While some 48.5 million people are expected to travel by car, another 4.7 million will travel by airplane, a five percent increase from last year. MOST POPULAR HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS 2018 Orlando, Florida New York, New York Anaheim, California Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Las Vegas, Nevada Cancun, Mexico Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Honolulu, Hawaii Washington, DC Miami, Florida Advertisement Airports in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are expected to have the worst delays, which could surpass an hour and a half. Security lines across the country are expected to be the most crowded on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to INRIX, this year's travelers paid an average ticket price of $478 round trip, with prices peaking at more than $500 on Tuesday and Wednesday. The most popular holiday destinations this year are Orlando, New York City and Anaheim, while Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Miami and the Dallas/Fort Worth area all gained popularity over last year. In a press release chock full of information ahead of the holidays, AAA Travel senior vice president Bill Sutherland said: 'Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth. 'This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.' The chart above shows anticipated traffic en route to America's busiest airports this week A student union president who sparked fury when she threatened to paint over an historic war mural has resigned from her role. Emily Dawes caused fury when she tweeted the Rothenstein Mural at Southampton University should be 'taken down' because it contained only white men, 'even if I have to paint over it myself'. The 21-year-old, whose family live in Virginia in the US, was put on leave until further notice after her incendiary tweets. It was believed she was returning to the 20,000-plus role the day after Remembrance Sunday, but today she said it would be her last day in the job. She said: 'After careful consideration I've decided that it's best if I step down from my role. 'I sincerely apologise for the offence and disrespect caused by my earlier comments, which were misinformed. I acted impulsively and as such fully accept how careless and hurtful my words were. 'I've had a wonderful time as President and am sad to be leaving. All my thanks go to everyone who has supported me throughout my Presidency, and I wish the team and the Union all the best.' Emily Dawes, the student union president who tweeted that a war mural should be taken down or painted over, returned to work the day after Remembrance Sunday Her comments were aimed at this mural in the university's Senate Room. It shows the awarding of a degree to an unknown soldier and was painted in memory of students and staff who died in the First World War Dawes apologised after this tweet on October 24 led to her being criticised by students, staff and veterans Students are campaigning for her to resign from the role following the offensive tweets Miss Dawes has stepped down from her role. Both she and the Students' Union have apologised for her comments after she was accused of abusing the free speech the soldiers fought and died to protect Emily Dawes, 21, said she was sorry for the offence she caused and that she was 'impulsive' The mural she complained about shows an unknown soldier receiving a degree and was painted in memory of students and teachers who did not return from the First World War. Two petitions have been launched by students calling for Miss Dawes to resign, with one receiving over 21,000 signatures. Third year history student Dan Lake, who started the change.org petition for Miss Dawes to step down from her position, said she needed to be held accountable for her tweet which was 'not representative' of students. He said: 'Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but she used a twitter account for work which is supposed to be representative of the students. What she said is not representative of us at all. 'The university runs associations with naval squadrons and the armed forces, and people who study here have family that served. 'It's a mural for people who left university to fight and didn't come back.' Activist Dawes has family in the US but came to Southampton, UK to study physics She tweeted a picture of the mural, saying 'f*** yes' the mural should be 'covered up' Mr Lake said the student union is hoping people 'will just forget about it'. He added: 'Emily Dawes needs to be held accountable. I wasn't expecting the petition to get loads of signatures - maybe a hundred, but it blew up and got shared everywhere.' Today, members of the Student Union refused to comment on Miss Dawes' return. What is the Rothenstein Mural in Southampton? The Rothenstein Mural was painted in 1916 by Sir William Rothenstein, former principal of the Royal College of Art. It shows a procession of academics and the conferring of a degree on an 'unknown soldier' undergraduate by the then Chancellor of Cambridge University. It was presented to the Southampton in 1959 by the artist's son and features many noted academics from the time, including Vice-Chancellors and Chancellors, and the then-Poet Laureate Robert Bridges. The mural was installed in the Senate Room in in 2014 as part of a commemoration of the centenary of the start of the war. Advertisement Dawes enjoyed a privileged education at the $6,500 (6,000) a term Northwood College for Girls in north London. She has take part in activism since graduating in from High School in the US three years ago, joining the SlutWalk rally in Washington DC in 2015, aimed to prevent violence against women, an hour's drive from her family's six- bedroom home. After coming to Britain to study physics on the south coast, she took a year out of her studies to be Students' Union president, where salaries for sabbatical officers start at $25,000 (20,000). But in the build up to Remembrance Sunday, she took aim at the Rothenstein Mural, which was painted in 1916 'as a memorial to members of the British universities serving in the Great War'. 'It depicts an academic procession and the conferring of a degree on an unknown soldier,' according to the university. She tweeted: 'Mark my words - we're taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself.' She had earlier tweeted a picture of the wall, with the expletive-ridden message: 'ONE OF THE WOMEN JUST SAID 'it's nearly armistice day so are we covering up this tapestry??' AND HOLY S***. F*** YES. GRL PWR #sotonsenatelive'. Dawes has styled herself as an activist, posting pictures online of her at a series of protests It was presented to the university by the son of its artist, Sir William Rothenstein, in 1959 and appears on the wall of the university's senate room in this building on campus After her comments were criticised by the student union, the university and armed forces veterans, Dawes apologised. She released a statement saying: 'Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to apologize for the offense and upset I have caused with what I have said. 'I never meant to the disrespect to anyone past, present and future. 'I had no intention of the tweet being taken literally, and upon reflection have realised how inappropriate it was. 'My intention was to promote strong, female leadership and not the eradication and disrespect of history. I do not believe that to make progress in the future, we should look to raise the past.' An Tso Sun, 18, was ordered deported on Monday in Philadelphia A Taiwanese exchange student accused of threatening to 'shoot up' his high school near Philadelphia has been spared additional time in prison but will be deported. An-Tso Sun, 18, was ordered deported on Monday by a federal judge who cited his youth and strong family support from father Sun Peng, an actor and assistant film director, and mother Di Ying, an actress. At the hearing, An-Tso Sun apologized for the 'trouble' he had caused his parents, the United States, and his native country - but the judge interjected. 'The word is not "trouble" for what you've brought to your family,' U.S. District Judge Nitza Quinones-Alejandro said, according to Philly.com. 'You have brought them shame, which is an even higher offense.' Sun has been in custody since March after local school authorities were alerted that he talked about a May 1 shooting at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School. The $8,850-a-year private Catholic school is in Upper Darby, about seven miles west of Philadelphia. Actress Di Ying (left) and actor and assistant film director Sun Peng (right) walk from the federal courthouse in Philadelphia after a judge ordered their son deported The judge cited An- Tso Sun's strong family support from his parents in ordering his release. He threatened to 'shoot up' a private Catholic school in March Sun Peng and Di Ying walk from the federal courthouse in Philadelphia on Monday The student called the talk a joke, but authorities found more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, as well as weapons, in the home of his host family. The hearing on Monday was a sentencing for Sun's August guilty plea to a federal weapons charge. He previously pleaded guilty to state terroristic threat charges and was sentenced to four to 23 months. Judge Quinones-Alejandro declined a prosecution request to sentence him to two or more years in prison for the firearms charge but ordered his deportation. He agreed to the deportation as part of a plea agreement. The deportation process is expected to take about six weeks. His mother Di Ying is best known for her roles in the 1992 film Dou hua nu and 2018's Gatao 2: The New King. His father Sun Peng is best known for His Matrimony (1985), Tai Bao de wu ge peng you (1989) and Zao an Beijing (2003). Sun Peng (left) is best known for His Matrimony (1985), Tai Bao de wu ge peng you (1989) and Zao an Beijing (2003). Di Ying (right) is best known for her roles in the 1992 film Dou Hua Nu and 2018's Gatao 2: The New King Journalists from both the local area and overseas mobbed the Philadelphia courthouse on Monday as the two Taiwanese movie starts arrived to support their son Though the case has gone little noticed in the U.S., it has driven sensational coverage in Taiwan, where reporters have tracked the parents' every move as they put their careers on hold to focus on their son's defense. There have even been reports that the couple put homes worth millions of dollars on the market to fund Sun's defense. In March, police found a military-style ballistic vest, ammunition clip pouches, a high-powered crossbow and live ammunition in Sun's bedroom in Lansdowne, Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. A search of his school-issued iPad indicated searches on how to buy an AK-47 or an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, police said. At the time of Sun's arrest, his lawyer Enrique Latoison told DailyMail.com that his arrest was a misunderstanding and that he was 'joking' when he made the comment to the other student. 'He is no kind of a threat to anyone. He did not plan on shooting or killing anyone. He thought he was making a joke when he said, "Don't come to school on May 1, just kidding." In March, police found a military-style ballistic vest, ammunition clip pouches, a high-powered crossbow and live ammunition in Sun's bedroom 'That's what he said but he is not from here, he is not American, so his ability to joke and understand the cultural norms of America... he doesn't have the same social skills as others,' Latoison said. He would not reveal whether it was Sun's family in Taiwan or his host family in the US who hired him but said both families were happy he was working on his behalf. Sun had been in the US for five months when he was arrested. His lawyer said that all of the pieces of equipment found under his bed were part of a Halloween costume that he wore in October. None of the items are illegal on their own but when combined, police said they painted a worrying picture. 'Thats a lot of stuff. I have a lot of concern over it. When you add it all together, we believe that he was planning something horrible,' Upper Darby police superintendent Mike Chitwood said on Wednesday. The teenager's lawyer said he had hopes of joining a US law enforcement agency before his arrest. Sun was an exchange student at Bonner Prendergast Catholic High School, an $8,850-a-year high school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania He said he had been recently accepted into college to study criminal justice but that now has been thrust into uncertainty. The school said it was grateful to the student who came forward to report Sun's comment. 'Archdiocesan schools take the safety and security of every student, teacher, and staff member very seriously. 'Thankfully, no one was harmed. Incidents such as this demonstrate the importance of all members of the school community working together to maintain a safe environment. 'Parents have been asked to speak to their children and remind them that they should always report any suspicious activity immediately. 'They have also been encouraged to contact police if they have information that will be helpful to the ongoing investigation,' spokesman Kenneth Gavin said in a statement. Cliff Sims, a former aide in President Donald Trump's communication shop, has written a tell-all book about his time in the administration. The memoir, called 'Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House,' is set to be published January 29th and is billed as 'first honest insider's account of the Trump Administration.' 'I suspect that posterity will look back on this bizarre time in history like we were living on the pages of a Dickens novel,' Sims writes in his author's note, which was obtained by The New York Times. Cliff Sims, far left, Director of White House Message Strategy, stands with Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to President Donald Trump, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer at the White House in June 2017 Sims' book will be published January 29th and is billed as 'first honest insider's account of the Trump Administration' 'Lincoln famously had his Team of Rivals. Trump had his Team of Vipers. We served. We fought. We brought our egos. We brought our personal agendas and vendettas. We were ruthless. And some of us, I assume, were good people.' He adds: 'I was there. This is what I saw. And, unlike the many leakers in the White House, I have put my name on it.' Sims, a former campaign aide who joined the White House team, left his job in May and was not well-liked in the press shop, according to Politico. But his book isn't simply about slamming his former colleagues, sources tell the news site, but is also self-critical about his role in the administration and its environment. He received a seven-figure offer for his tome, according to Axios, after a bidding war among publishes. He kept such detailed notes that he completed the 140,000-word manuscript in just two months. And he modeled his book on George Stephanopoulos' tell-all memoir 'All Too Human,' his account of working in Bill Clinton's White House. The former aide, who founded the conservative Alabama political blog Yellowhammer News, served in the White House 500 days. A summary of his book notes he will offer insight from former and current White House officials, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, former senior adviser Steve Bannon, and senior counselor Kellyanne Conway. Cliff Sims seen to the right of President Trump on election night 2016 Cliff Sims, seen to the right of President Trump, on Election Night 'He soon found himself pulled into the President's inner circle as a confidante, an errand boy, an advisor, a punching bag, and a friend. Sometimes all in the same conversation,' the book's summary states. Sims 'even helped Trump craft his enemies list, knowing who was loyal and who was not,' the summary notes, adding: 'And he took notes. Hundreds of pages of notes. In real-time.' His insider account follows tomes from journalists Michael Wolff's 'Fire & Fury' and Bob Woodward's 'Fear' and insider accounts from former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman's book 'Unhinged' and former press secretary Sean Spicer's book 'The Briefing.' Twenty-six students and one adult staff member from a South Florida high school have been hospitalized, including some who had seizures, after possible exposure to an unknown substance. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials say students began feeling ill Monday after the student body attended a morning Thanksgiving prayer in the gymnasium at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan told the Sun Sentinel. After returning to their classes, some students at the private Roman Catholic school experienced seizures, others had nosebleeds or shortness of breath and some passed out. Twenty-six students and one adult staff member at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were hospitalized with mystery illnesses on Monday. Pictured: A student is transported to an ambulance as the private Catholic school was put on lockdown Gollan said the students affected students were different ages, different grades, in different classrooms and from varying social circles. Because of the variety of victims, officials have been able to rule out a possible prank or drug-induced sickness. 'It was too many students and too widespread,' Gollan said. Paramedics, ambulances and a hazardous materials team were dispatched to the school after the first 911 call was made at 11.30am. Overhead news coverage showed students who appeared to be conscious being loaded into ambulances. The school was put on lockdown while the hazmat crew swept the campus, monitoring for gas leaks and taking swabs to test for over 5,000 chemical compounds, all of which came back negative. 'There was nothing found in any of the hazmat sweeps,' Gollan said. 'There is no rhyme or reason at this time. We really dont know. Its very, very weird.' By afternoon, all of those who were hospitalized were stable and feeling better, Gollan reported. 'They are all improving and their blood work came back negative.' A hazardous materials crew swept the campus but did not find any dangerous substances The Fort Lauderdale Police tweeted that the area of concern was isolated, and there was no need for parents to pick up their children. Parents also got a prerecorded call from the school, which has over 1,000 students, about the incident shortly after emergency personnel arrived. One parent, Alena Atonelli, immediately called her son, who reported that he had a headache and felt lightheaded but was okay. 'Im just nervous because if its a leak why do they still have the kids in school?' Antonelli told the Sun Sentinel. 'Its nerve-wracking.' The cause of the sudden illnesses is still under investigation. Ali Almanasfi, 28, was believed to have been killed in Syria back in 2013 A west London bricklayer thought to have been killed while fighting for ISIS in Syria has been outed as one of the death cult's most famous executioners. Ali Almanasfi, 28, who was assumed dead after an ambush by Syrian government forces back in 2013, is still alive and living in the war-torn country - according to his family. Scores of his friends and relatives also told ITV News that the Almanasfi was the man responsible for a brutal execution tape released by the Islamic State in 2014. In the propaganda clip filmed in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, the masked killer can be seen firing his pistol into the head of a hostage, before shooting his dying body more than a dozen times. The clip is notable for being the first ever in a series of gory propaganda beheadings released by ISIS and is thought to be the first killing by a British citizen during the Syrian conflict. Almanasfi's relatives said they have 'little doubt' he was the man responsible for the first ever execution video released by ISIS in 2014 (pictured) The footage was posted online in the spring of 2014 by a group of British fighters in Syria called Rayat al Tawheed, or 'Banner of God' an affiliate of Islamic State group. A year before the clip was released, Almanasfi was reported dead by Syrian state TV after government forces discovered his passport in a jihadi vehicle after an ambush six years ago. But the former trainee bricklayer from west London is thought to have survived the attack and is now married with children in Syria - according to his brother. Almanasfi had his British citizenship revoked by the Home Office last year, a move which his brother says means he will 'die there'. 'To him, England's history now, so the passport's not going to make any difference to him,' said Almanasfi's brother. Syrian authorities released pictures of the shot-out car he was rumoured to have died in back in 2013 'He knows he's going to live there and die there. Maybe now or twenty, thirty years' time.' Almanasfi was said to have fallen in with Mohammed Emwazi and Alexe Kotey, who would later become members of the ISIS execution gang known as The Beatles, after being jailed for a violent assault. His relatives said he became fanatical about joining ISIS shortly after the war in Syria began, and after his release from prison went to fight in the conflict. 'He actually texted me off his English number saying: "Love you, bro. Take care, see you soon". I understood straight away that meant "I'm going".' Almanasfi's brother added. Government officials refused to officially identify Almanasfi as the man in the video, although sources in Syria and the UK told ITV News they have 'little doubt'. Sarah Haffner, 42, became one of a long line of parents in North London to rent a local secret house so she could ensure places at an outstanding primary school Katie Harris admits she was ready for a fight. Removing her wedding and engagement rings, the 43-year-old marketing executive tucked them in her handbag and marched up the steps of her local council headquarters in Derby. Thankfully, this respectable mother-of-two was not preparing for a physical brawl. The removal of her rings was all part of an elaborate ruse. For although Katie was and still is happily married to John, a sales director whos also 43, she was prepared to say that her marriage was on the rocks. How else would she explain why she and her two boys, then aged 11 and eight, lived at an entirely different address to her husband: an address that just happened to be in the catchment area of the school of her dreams? I was shaking with nerves and sweating when I went into that meeting, but I was ready for a fight, says Katie. When John and I realised we lived only four doors outside the catchment area of the school we wanted our children to go to, we were gutted. So we came up with a plan. 'We borrowed 50,000 from my mum and took out another mortgage on a small terrace house for 106,000 a few streets away, within the catchment area. Wed spend one or two nights a week there, practically camping out on the floor and ordering takeaway food. But I was always terrified of being found out, especially before my eldest got his place at the school. Once he was in, I relaxed a little, but when the council picked up on the fact that we were using a new address, I was asked to prove that we lived there. Wed bought the place legitimately, so I had all the documentation bills, mortgage details, council tax but at the last minute, I decided to take my rings off just in case they questioned why John and I owned two homes. I was going to lie and say my marriage had failed and we were living apart. As it turned out, the documents were proof enough. I knew I was bending the rules and people would say I was stealing a place from another child, but the truth is, I didnt give a stuff. I wanted my children in that school and, Im sorry, but nothing was going to stop me. Illegal? No. Although a local authority can withdraw a school place if they suspect that the parents have acted fraudulently (there were 284 cases in 2016). But unethical? Absolutely. After all, Katie and John had used their money and education to cheat the system and possibly deny a completely legitimate application. But this middle-class school fraud is rife. Almost a third of professional parents admit they know someone who has used dubious means to get their children into a better school, according to a recent report from The Sutton Trust, an educational charity which works to combat educational inequality. Katie Harris lived four doors away from the catchment area of a good school, so she took out a 106,000 mortgage on a new house to secure a placement (stock image) Whether its the notorious tactic of suddenly attending church to get a place in a religious school, or the flagrant renting of a second home in the middle of a catchment area, parents are using a variety of tactics to beat the system. And who can blame them? As parents scrambled to meet the October deadline for applying for secondary places, research suggests the competition is higher than ever. One in six children will miss out on their first choice due to a surge in applications, and as the competition becomes fierce, dirty tactics are inevitable. Parents from all backgrounds and walks of life want to do the best for their children, says Sir Peter Lampl, founder of The Sutton Trust. Those with money, education and confidence are more able to give their children the best possible chance of succeeding. Middle-class and professional parents gain an advantage for their children at every turn. Katie and John, who have been together for 15 years, certainly went the extra mile or as it turned out 435ft to secure a place at their favoured secondary school. They know feelings run high on the subject, and even with both boys settled into the school, they are still paranoid about them being kicked out. Consequently, we agreed not to reveal their real names. When we moved into the area, we werent thinking about schools as we hadnt had children, says Katie. But it was such a popular school that the catchment area was small. I could see the street we needed to be living on to get into the school. Id heard horror stories about the other potential school, such as the classrooms having panic buttons, and I didnt want my boys being a part of that. We thought about sending them to private school but thats 10,000 a year in fees alone each. Buying the other house crucified us financially because it meant two lots of council tax, two lots of bills, and two lots of cupboards to fill in case anyone checked whether we were living there. Sarah Haffner, who rented a local 'secret' house to secure school slots, said: Its happening all over the place. We know of people who have used grandparents addresses or moved from miles away to get into a school' I knew that if the council found out, my boys would have lost their places. Id ring my solicitor, saying: Im terrified were going to get caught out, but hed reassure me because we legally owned it. Both children have been in the school for a few years now, so Ive just sold the terrace house to my sister, who is going to do the same thing for her children. My hairdresser has done something similar as well. Sarah Haffner, 42 and a fundraiser, can empathise. She became one of a long line of parents in North London to rent a local secret house so she could ensure places at an outstanding primary school for her sons, now 11 and eight. Around 18 months before we had to apply, we realised we had only a 50/50 chance of our eldest getting into the school we wanted, even though it was only 0.2 miles away, she says. Friends told us about a house that was often rented out for a year or so at a time to parents who wanted to get their children into the school. It was an open secret among parents in the know. Im a bit strait-laced and didnt want to do anything underhand, but we went to see it anyway. It was bigger than our family home but a bit of a wreck. The owners clearly hadnt done anything to it for years because they hadnt needed to. Parents were clamouring to rent it. Some friends said we were nuts, but we decided to go for it. On the morning the tenants gave notice, I walked into the estate agent with a cheque for a months deposit. We rented out our own house to help pay the rent and negotiated a break clause in the two-year contract, knowing we probably wouldnt be there that length of time. Devotion: Sarah moved to a catchment area to get her boys, above, into their chosen school It cost us, but it was cheaper than sending the boys to private school. The school is so popular that we were interviewed at our new home about the application. But our son got in and we were delighted. It was definitely worth it. We lived there for a year, but then my husband lost his job and we decided to move back to our old house. But not before Id called the school and checked that it was OK to do so without risking our sons place. They said it was fine to move. Funnily enough, the people who had been renting our house then moved into the secret house as they also had young children. Its happening all over the place. We know of people who have used grandparents addresses or moved from miles away to get into a school. I know people will criticise us for what we did, but Im a big believer in creating opportunities for yourself and your children. We were in a position to be resourceful and so we made it happen. According to a report last month, analysis of birth data by The Good Schools Guide found applications this year will be up around 25,000 on last year. A baby boom fuelled by immigration a decade ago has meant a total of 607,000 pupils are expected to be vying for a place at a secondary school. Meanwhile, the report by 192.com said homes in a good catchment area are worth 38 per cent more than those outside the area. One of those who cheated the system is Gemma Daniels, 33, who lives in Tameside, Greater Manchester, but used her in-laws address to get her five-year-old son into the school of her choice last year. Sarah said: I know people will criticise us for what we did, but Im a big believer in creating opportunities for yourself and your children. We were in a position to be resourceful and so we made it happen Although there is a good school near our home, we didnt want him to go there because it was a bit rough, says Gemma. We knew of another school near my mother-in-law, which is lovely. Its a religious school and, while were not religious at all, its got an outstanding Ofsted report, a lovely community feel and my niece goes there, too. Its at least an hour away on public transport from where we live, but I was determined to get him into that school. When it came to application time Gemma, who works in human resources, used her mother-in-laws address in Stockport because her house is well within the catchment area. I asked her if she minded, and she was fine with it, says Gemma. When we got the news to say hed secured a place at the school, we were thrilled, but at the same time I was terrified I would be found out. I knew it was wrong, but you take these risks for your children, dont you? Wed been using the GP and the dentist in that area for over a year anyway in preparation for any questions about living locally but no one found out. At first, when I didnt know anyone at the school gate, Id be vague about where we lived and would just say: Oh, I live up the road. I was terrified of someone grassing me up. I also felt bad for my son. He found it really confusing when anyone asked him where he lived, and hed tell them, only for me to jump in saying: No you dont, you live in Stockport. But by this point we didnt want to risk being kicked out. My son had started at the school and we loved it. The only awkward moment was when we went to a birthday party near our real house and one of the mothers from school was there. She said: You havent just walked here, have you? knowing that the school was miles away. I had to say that wed just moved house. I do feel guilty because the school is oversubscribed and every child deserves the best education. But a couple of the other mums Ive confided in have all said they would do the same. Every parent wants the best for their child when it comes to education and if that means being vague with the truth, then so be it. But where will it end? As cheating and lying become the norm among those with the know-how to do it, what will happen to those left behind? Surely there must be a fairer system for all? This is happening everywhere and we call it the escalating arms race of education, says Dr Lee Elliot Major, CEO of The Sutton Trust and author of Social Mobility And Its Enemies. One of the proposals we suggest to combat this problem is the use of lotteries when it comes to school applications. When you have a number of children who all fulfil the criteria for an oversubscribed school, every child could then have a fair chance. Another suggestion is a banding system, by which every child takes a test, then the school takes children from a mixed range of results maybe the top 25 per cent, the bottom 25 per cent and the rest in between. If something isnt done, then all the best schools will be made up of the middle-classes, which isnt helpful for social mobility, and children who come from poorer backgrounds will lose out. Some names have been changed. Video footage has emerged of two teenagers standing dangerously close to the edge of a high-rise apartment during Schoolies week. The video shows the moment a young man opens a window in his room and teeters on what appears to be the window sill of the multi-storey balcony on the Gold Coast in Queensland. He is accompanied by a teenage woman who can be seen with her arms stretched wide. Scroll down for video Video footage (pictured) has emerged of a young man standing dangerously close to the edge of a high-rise apartment during Schoolies week Schoolies refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having a week-long holiday following the end of their final exams. The teenagers mainly flock to the Gold Coast and Byron Bay (file image of the Gold Coast) The couple are just two of thousands of high school graduates who flocked to the Gold Coast this week to celebrate the end of their final exams. The incident comes after an elevator carrying 14 Schoolies revellers also partying in Queensland plummeted eight floors after a reported malfunction. Video footage shows the moment the group of teens became trapped in the lift, 9 News reported. Balcony safety during Schoolies Dangerous behaviour on balconies can lead to eviction and even police arrests. The Queensland Government has issued some tips on balcony safety to keep young people safe during their Schoolies week. Dont sit on, lean over, climb or hang off the side of balconies. Accidents happen you could slip and fall Never room hop from balcony to balcony. One wrong move could prove fatal Avoid overcrowding. Take it inside or head down to the beach party Dont throw objects Schoolies is a very busy time and there may be people walking below. Objects thrown or dropped from a height can become dangerous projectiles when they reach the ground Source: QLD Government Three female revellers are seen standing on their balcony during this year's Schoolies on a Gold Coast high-rise apartment Advertisement With a maximum limit of seven people, the overcrowded lift's brakes failed, causing it to free-fall from the apartment building's eighth floor to the basement. The lift was overcrowded by at least six people. Rescue crews took more than an hour to free the teenagers from the broken lift so they could continue their second night of celebrations. The incident comes after an elevator carrying 14 Schoolies plummeted eight floors after a reported malfunction on the Gold Coast (pictured) Leo Tenorio, 51, was on an eight-day Royal Princess cruise in Aruba with wife Almarosa when she fell off the top deck and died The air industry exec husband of cruise plunge mom Almarosa Tenorio has returned to the US after assisting Aruban authorities on his 'own free will', their daughter has told DailyMail.com. Tenorio was on an eight-day Royal Princess cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her 51-year-old husband Leo, a senior manager for aircraft manufacturer Airbus, when she fell to her death. Officials in the Caribbean Island of Aruba say he is not a suspect despite reports Almarosa, a grandmother and teacher, was seen arguing with a 'muscular man' before plunging from the 16th deck. According to Aruban newspaper Diario, Leo Tenorio was taken off the ship for questioning but DailyMail.com has learned he has since returned to the US after cooperating with investigators. The couple's devastated children Tim and Andrea are standing by their father amid an ongoing inquiry by both Aruban authorities and the FBI. Andrea, 32, confirmed her father was 'never arrested' and went to see investigators voluntarily. She said he was never considered a suspect in the mystery plunge which happened early last Tuesday as the ship approached Aruba. The couple's daughter, Andrea (pictured second from right with her parents and husband) says her father (far left) was 'never arrested' and is now back in the US after assisting Aruban authorities on his 'own free will' Almarosa Tenorio was identified as the victim by her brother Tony. She was last seen arguing with a 'muscular man' before falling to her death 'We don't have any information about anything. We are waiting for the full report by the FBI. We are both close to our parents and are in shock,' she told DailyMail.com. A close friend of 27-year-old Tim, a trainee teacher and cancer survivor, said he was in contact with his father and was also not blaming him. 'Tim talked with his dad in Aruba. He was never a suspect. Tim doesn't think it was his fault.' Sarah-Beth Hewett told DailyMail.com. Both Tim and Andrea, who has a one-year-old girl called Aly, have posted tribute photos of their mom on social media. The family are based just outside of Mobile, Alabama where Leo is head of cabin vendor management for Airbus, which has an assembly plant in the city. Hewett said Tim was following in the footsteps of his mom by studying to be a teacher at the University of Alabama. 'Tim's mother was an amazing woman. She encouraged him, she inspired him to become a teacher,' she said. 'He talked about quitting school because of what's happened but I convinced him that she would have wanted him to carry on. 'Tim is also cancer survivor. He recently celebrated being cancer free for a year. 'I'm a single mom going through school and he helps and inspires me also. He sends me a bible verse every day. The couple's devastated children Tim (pictured far right) and Andrea are standing by their father (far left) amid an ongoing inquiry by both Aruban authorities and the FBI Tenorio was identified by her brother, who described his sister as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart.' She was reported to have lived with her son (pictured left) a student at the University of Alabama 'He's a just a wonderful person and my heart goes out to him and all his family. He loves his family so much. 'His mom and dad were together, they were good. It's just a very tough situation.' When reached by telephone, Leo Tenorio declined to talk about the incident. He told DailyMail.com: 'I'm not going to comment on this right now.' A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Almarosa's family cover the costs of repatriating her body to her native California and a funeral service. Donations can be made by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/an-unthinkable-tragedy. Almarosa Tenorio died on Tuesday after she was allegedly choked, pushed off the 16th deck and severed her leg during an altercation with a muscular man. She landed on a lifeboat nine floors below. Her brother, Tony Rodriguez, identified his sister as the victim on Sunday, according to ABC Action News. Tenorio, who worked as a teacher in Spanish Fort, Alabama, was described as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart.' 'Her passion was teaching and working with children. She had a vivacious personality with a smile that would light up a room. We are sad that she was taken from us at such a young age. She will be missed by all that knew her,' Rodriguez said in a statement. Tenorio was vacationing, reportedly with her husband, and lived with her son, who is a student at the University of Alabama. The victim plunged to her death after she was reportedly seen fighting with a muscular man on the Lido deck on the 16th floor, around 10.30pm last Tuesday. She fell from the deck at 4am, landing on deck 7 on Lifeboat 2 The FBI and Aruban authorities are currently investigating Tenorio's death, which has been ruled 'unnatural.' A man believed to be Tenorio's husband was hauled off the ship and questioned by authorities, but is not considered a suspect, despite witness accounts that the pair were seen having a volatile altercation, according to Aruba newspaper Diario. Horrified passengers said the woman's leg was torn off in the fall, creating a gruesome scene with glass everywhere. The Royal Princess had embarked on an eight-day cruise around the Caribbean on November 9 and returned to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday. Passenger Logan Tignor described the horrifying incident on a video call with CBS News, saying: 'It's surreal and I'm kind of traumatized for it. I never would expect that it would happen on vacation.' Photos from the scene obtained by DailyMail.com show yellow tape cordoning off the area around and below the lifeboat. Earlier this week a spokeswoman for Aruban prosecutors confirmed to DailyMail.com that the man taken off the boat was the woman's partner and that the woman's death is being treated as 'unnatural'. Tenorio's death has been ruled unnatural and authorities are awaiting autopsy results. She was last seen The woman crashed down onto a lifeboat and her leg was severed, according to horrified passengers, who said the scene was gruesome with glass everywhere She was described in a statement from her brother as a 'loving daughter, sister, mom and grandmother with a good heart,' and a 'passion' for teaching Local investigators have performed an autopsy to establish how the woman died. The FBI is also carrying out its own investigation. A source aboard the ship told DailyMail.com: 'We are sailing the southern Caribbean. It's the ship that [British TV station] ITV used for their show ''The Cruise''. It was two passengers they had a row in the casino that night.' 'The gossip on board is rife. We were all woken at 4.30am by a security alert by the captain. We will be at sea for two days from today heading to Fort Lauderdale.' A second source added: 'We can literally see the lifeboat from our room. Blood and broken glass all over it. Another passenger said: 'We are on this ship too. Ten police officers came aboard. The announcement was a criminal investigation was to be conducted before we are given clearance. Two couples were asked repeatedly to go to customer relations.' A man was hauled off a cruise ship after a woman was allegedly choked and pushed off a balcony, severing her leg after the couple reportedly had a volatile altercation during a Caribbean getaway. Pictured is the section of the ship which has been closed off by police. Circled are the police lines used to cordon off the crime scene The man, described as being muscular, allegedly strangled the woman before tossing her from the ship's 16th deck. Aruba investigators (pictured) are now performing an autopsy to establish if the woman was choked to death or died from the fall The Royal Princess is pictured arriving at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday The fight reportedly began at the ship's casino, on the Lido deck on the 16th floor, around 10.30pm. The woman plummeted from the deck at 4am, landing on deck 7 on Lifeboat 2. Princess Cruises said in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'Princess Cruises can confirm that a 52-year-old American female guest passed away early yesterday morning aboard Royal Princess as the ship was enroute to Aruba. 'It was reported to the local authorities who met and boarded the ship upon arrival. The cause of death is not yet known at this time. 'We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincere condolences to the family and those affected.' Princess Royal departed Aruba at 10pm on Wednesday night, heading towards Kralendijk, Bonaire. The massive cruise ship has a guest capacity of 3,600 at double occupancy. At its launch in Southampton, England in 2013, the ship was christened by the Duchess of Cambridge, who became the vessel's 'godmother'. 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. Three 'ISIS-inspired' men have been charged with terrorism crimes after allegedly plotting a massacre on the streets of Melbourne. The three men, arrested in the city's north-west on Tuesday after four raids, are of Turkish background and were allegedly trying to get hold of a semi-automatic rifle. Police claim the trio, who may have attended the same Islamic centre as the Bourke Street attacker, wanted to 'kill a maximum amount of people as possible' in a crowded place. Hanifi Halis, 21, from Greenvale, was one of three men arrested for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on the streets of Melbourne His home in Greenvale was one of the houses raided by police on Tuesday morning Police appeared to have cut into the rollerdoor to gain access to the house when they stormed in The men arrested were Hanifi Halis, 21, from Greenvale, Ertunc Eriklioglu, 30, from Dallas and Samed Eriklioglu, 26, from Campbellfield. Officers also raided a home in Coolaroo. All three were hours later charged with one count each of act in preparation for, or planning of terrorist acts and will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, the AFP said. The arrests come just 11 days after ISIS-inspired knifeman Hassan Khalif Shire Ali stabbed three, killing one, on Melbourne's Bourke Street. The funeral for his victim, cafe owner Sisto Malaspina, takes place on Tuesday morning. Police raided four properties in Melbourne's north-west on Tuesday morning as part of a joint counter-terrorism operation The raids were part of Operation Donabate, which involved Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and other agencies Three men were taken into custody following the police raids for allegedly plotting a massacre on the streets of Melbourne. Pictured, police outside a home which was raided A woman believed to be the wife of Ertunc Eriklioglu said she knew nothing of the alleged plot. 'Go and ask him yourself,' she told a media pack perched outside her door. 'I'm not okay. I don't know (what happened). Go and ask him.' A young woman draped head-to-toe in a black niqab lashed out at media as she visited the Dallas property. 'You guys are cockroaches,' she said. Police made the woman move her car from outside the home three times as she continued to block other residents and workmen inside the block of units. It is understood the woman knew absolutely nothing about the planned attack and has co-operated fully with police. Neighbours of the family said they were shocked about the early morning raid on the young family's home, where police appeared to have smashed their way in through a window. Neighbours of the family said they were shocked about the early morning raid on the Ertunc Eriklioglu's home in Dallas Police appeared to have smashed their way in through a window in the property Broken glass lay under windows of the house where police smashed their way inside Other broken windows in the house in Dallas, Melbourne, where police appeared to have entered One neighbour said they noticed a change in the woman's husband about a year ago when he and a group of friends stopped visiting the nearby mosque and stared praying in his garage. 'He keeps to himself. He doesn't speak to any of us. We thought it was strange that he was praying in the garage,' she said. She and other neighbours thought the practice unusual, but never suspected he was involved in a terrorist plot. The neighbour said her friend was 'distraught' over the allegations against her husband. 'I would suspect she doesn't know anything about it because I'm friends with her - our kids play together and I never suspected any of this,' she said. A young woman draped head-to-toe in a black niqab lashed out at media as she visited the Dallas property 'You guys are cockroaches,' she said as she entered the home of Ertunc Eriklioglu Police seize bags of evidence from inside the home after morning raids and arrests Other bags of evidence were taken out of the house by plain-clothed officers A neighbour said she noticed a dramatic change in the household about a year ago 'They were not like this before. They were not like this at all. Before he used to talk with us,' the neighbour said The neighbour said she noticed a dramatic change in the household about a year ago. 'They were not like this before. They were not like this at all. Before he used to talk with us,' she said. Two of the men arrested on Tuesday are family members and all three have had their Australian passports cancelled this year. Officers arrested the men following an extensive eight-month investigation, with the trio said to have been 'energised' in the days after the Bourke Street attack. Another home in Coolaroo was also raided by police along with those of the alleged terrorists A police cra sits outside the Coolaroo house on Tuesday. It was not known what connection this home had to the suspects The men were allegedly planning to massacre dozens in a crowded place in Melbourne, although police said a specific location was never finalised. 'There was a view towards a crowded place, a place where maximum people would be attending, to be able, to kill, we allege, as a maximum amount of people as possible,' Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. 'I believe, over more recent days, attempts have been made to source a 0.22 semi-automatic rifle to assist with the carrying out of that terrorism event. 'Fortunately, this is an event we've been able to deal with in relation to our counter-terrorism operation and therefore have been in a position to intercept it prior to it being completed.' A number of heavily-armed officers swarmed the four properties on Tuesday morning Police have stressed there is no ongoing threat to the community but residents are being urged to report any suspicious activity to authorities One of the men had his Australian passport cancelled in January, another had his cancelled in March and the third in October. Two have no criminal history. Police have stressed there is no ongoing threat to the community but residents are being urged to report any suspicious activity to authorities. 'Victoria Police would like to reassure the community that the threat has been contained and there is no ongoing threat,' Victoria Police said in a statement. The trio are expected to face court later on Tuesday, where they will face charges which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Heavily armed counter terror officers aimed guns at five people in London as they marched them out of a block of flats in a dramatic raid, today. Firearms officers in stab-proof vests had their faces covered as they stormed homes in St Matthew Street on the Peabody Estate in Westminster at around 3pm. Five people, four men and one woman, were arrested on suspicion of kidnap during the raids in central London. A man was brought out form the flats on St Matthew Street in Westminster, central London Stunned residents looked on as some of the most highly trained officers in London raided homes on the estate The operation was carried out by counter-terrorism specialist firearms officers, some of the most highly trained in the country, but Scotland Yard stressed the investigation was not terror-related. No shots were fired during the arrests although officers carried guns including pistols and what appeared to be the semi-automatic SIG MCX. Officers wore stab-proof vests and had their faces covered as they ran into the flats and executed warrants The officers surrounded the buildings in the flats in Westminster. Police said the arrests were not terror related Katarina Moller (pictured), 24, was making her first run in a jet dragster when she crashed Thursday night A jet dragster driver who died in a crash in Florida last week was killed by debris that struck her helmet during her first run in a racing category that saw her reach speeds up to 200mph. Katarina 'Kat' Moller, 24, was making her first run of an exhibition event in a jet dragster when she crashed at the Sebring International Raceway on Thursday night. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the district's medical examiner has not issued a final autopsy report, but a preliminary investigation 'determined that a piece of debris impacted Moller's helmet, which is what caused her death'. During the first of two scheduled exhibition runs, Mollers dragster drifted from the left lane towards the center line, police said in a statement. As it crossed the center line during the run, the dragster struck a timing device located between lanes at the drag racing finish line. Police said a parachute was observed to have deployed at or around this same time. 'As the dragster continued down the track, it drifted further right, scraping the right side retaining barrier wall before coming to rest after a low-speed impact with a tire barrier near Turn One on the race track,' police said. Scroll down for videos The Highlands County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the district's medical examiner has not issued a final autopsy report, but a preliminary investigation 'determined that a piece of debris impacted Moller's (left) helmet, which is what caused her death' The car she was driving was red, white and blue and contained an engine that burned through 25 gallons of fuel for every quarter of a mile Track safety officials and Emergency Medical personnel immediately responded to the crash site, where Moller was pronounced dead. Moller had been racing since Easter of 2006 - graduating from junior drag racing, sportsman cars, dragsters and eventually to jet dragsters. Jet dragsters are capable of reaching speeds of over 200mph. At the time of the crash, she had been driving for the all-women 'American Dream' racing team under the Larsen Motorsports group. Just before the crash, Moller posted a video showing herself at the racetrack. 'Kat has been a part of our racing family for five years and we cannot begin to express our sorrow,' said Chris Larsen, CEO of Larsen Motorsports. Wayne Estes, president and general manager of Sebring International Raceway, added: 'We knew Kat well and were big fans of her personality and her driving skill. (SIR) and the entire racing community are heartbroken.' During the first of two scheduled exhibition runs, Mollers dragster drifted from the left lane towards the center line, police said in a statement. As it crossed the center line during the run, the dragster struck a timing device located between lanes at the drag racing finish line Just before the crash, Moller posted a video showing herself at the racetrack Moller was an accomplished figure skater and gymnast by the time she got her start at the Bradenton Motorsports Park. She also had a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Florida. When she was 19, she competed in the Jet Dragster division of the International Hot Rod Association. 'People want to know why I want to make fire, because most people run away from it,' Larsen said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. 'I don't have this strange fascination with heat or fire. But I have a fascination with power. And the fire makes power. Most people think I'm totally crazy. Most people think my car is a ticking time bomb ready to go off.' According to the Larsen Motorsports Facebook page, Moller's family thanked people for their thoughts and prayers in remembering the popular driver. Moller was driving a jet dragster at the time of her death. A jet dragster is equipped with an engine that burns through 25 gallons of fuel every quarter of a mile. These same engines are used in small aircraft. The EUs desire for a European army that would rival Nato is an absolutely crazy idea that would undermine peace and security, the Defence Secretary has warned. Gavin Williamsons comments come after French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a true European army. He also criticised both countries for not spending 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence, a Nato guideline. The EUs desire for a European army that would rival Nato is an absolutely crazy idea that would undermine peace and security, the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson has warned. Speaking about the prospect of a European army, he told the Daily Mail: You can absolutely rest assured that Britain will never become part of a European army on my watch. It is an absolutely crazy idea. Nato has delivered European security for the last 70 years and we should feel very proud of it. Should we undermine that by forming a separate military force? Absolutely not. To begin discussing a new EU army is dangerous and undermines the security that Nato underwrites. He added: Before Europe starts seriously planning its own army it should adequately fund the military that has protected its borders from aggression for 70 years. Two per cent of GDP should not be beyond the wit of those who have accumulated great wealth through the protection of Nato, primarily under the leadership of the US and UK. This year, France spent around 1.8 per cent of GDP on defence and Germany 1.2 per cent. Britain is one of only five of Natos 29 member countries to spend at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for European allies to spend more. Mr Williamsons comments come after French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a true European army. Mr Williamson said: The reality of a European army is one that will be a magnificent political idea for our continental friends but will merely exist on paper. Britain does not support the idea of a European army. We have always been consistent we must not undermine sovereignty over military forces. I believe it is a folly to create new institutions that compete with Nato. Mrs Merkel last week told the European Parliament in Strasbourg: The times when we could rely on others are past. This means that we as Europeans now have to really take our fate fully into our own hands if we want to defend our community. We have to work on a vision of one day creating a real, true European army. Earlier, Mr Macron angered Mr Trump by suggesting a European army was needed to protect France from aggression from America, China and Russia. The French president said: We wont protect Europe if we dont decide to have a true European army. We have to have a Europe that can defend itself alone and without only relying on the US. We should protect ourselves when it comes to China, Russia and even the US. In response, Mr Trump said in a tweet before a meeting between the pair: Very insulting. Perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of Nato, which the US subsidises greatly! He also tweeted: Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the US, China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along. Pay for Nato or not! The 60-year-old victim of a man accused of sexually assaulting a child at a dance studio has demanded he spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty. Anthony Sampieri, 54, allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl in the bathroom of a dance school in Kogarah, south Sydney, last week. He allegedly stabbed a father who tried to intervene, before a dentist who worked nearby heard the commotion and punched the convicted rapist in the head. Sampieri is a known sex offender and was on parole for the rape of a woman when the alleged attack on the seven-year-old took place. The woman, who spoke confidentially with the Daily Telegraph, said she had hoped Sampieri would never be released from jail, and was terrified when she received notice of his impending release in 2017. Anthony Sampieri, 54, who was on parole when he allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-own girl in Sydney's south (pictured) was previously caught with a 'rape kit', court documents reveal Sampieri allegedly stabbed a father who tried to intervene, before a dentist who worked nearby heard the commotion and punched the convicted rapist in the head 'I was told he'd been refused parole once because he wouldn't toe the line,' she said. He was denied parole in 2016 for failing to complete a sex offender rehabilitation course, but was released in September 2017. The woman, who is based in the Illawarra region, said if Sampieri is found guilty of attacking the young girl police should 'lock him away for good'. 'No little girl should have to go through that,' she said. The woman's demand comes as New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian vowed to find out why Sampieri was released on parole. The woman's demand comes as New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian vowed to find out why Sampieri was released on parole Anthony Sampieri, 54, allegedly sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl in the bathroom of a dance school (pictured) in Kogarah, south Sydney, last week NSW Opposition leader Michael Daley also chimed in on the prisoner's early release, saying he hoped it had nothing to do with lack of funding. When Sampieri was arrested for the 2012 assault, police discovered a 'rape kit' at his home, court documents reveal. The 'rape kit', which was discovered in a bedroom, included gaffer tape, cable ties, nylon rope and a roll of wire. Officers also found pornographic DVDs and magazines. A list of names of women aged between 23 and 83 was discovered at the home. Next to the women's names were comments such as 'very young' and 'older', the publication reported. The convicted sex offender was arrested for raping a 60-year-old woman in the Illawarra region, New South Wales, in 2012 (pictured: toilet where seven-year-old was allegedly assaulted) On October 6, 2012, Sampieri rang one woman at about 8.30pm and told her how he would assault her. Another woman heard 'grunting and groaning' when she answered a phone call from Sampieri. Court documents reveal Sampieri rang several women in the lead-up to the aggravated sexual assault on October 22, 2012, during an alleged 'ice-binge'. At the District Court in 2013, Sampieri pleaded guilty to raping the woman at his Wollongong home. He lured her to his home before ordering her to strip, wielding a knife and telling her: 'Now we'll have some fun.' Court documents revealed Sampieri had been ringing women in the lead up to the aggravated sexual assault on October 22, 2012, amid an 'ice-binge' (pictured: Dance studio where alleged attack on a seven-year-old girl occurred) Sampieri spent five years incarcerated for the 2012 rape and was granted parole in September 2017. The State Parole Authority revoked his parole within hours of Thursday's arrest, launching calls for a review of NSW's early release program. Reports indicate evidence from Wollongong police has been passed onto detectives investigating the Kogarah dance studio assault. Sampieri remains in hospital under police guard and is yet to be charged over the recent alleged attack. Democrat Stacey Abrams, who lost out on the chance to become the first female black governor in the nation this week, says she's not quitting politics. Abrams told CNN that she's going to spend the next year as as a private citizen but intends to seek office again, despite losing this year to Republican Brian Kemp and deriding Georgia's electoral process. 'I'm not sure for what, and I am not exactly certain when. I need to take a nap. But once I do, I'm planning to get back into the ring,' Abrams said on 'State of the Union' on Sunday morning. She wished her former rival 'success' but refused to say the process wasn't 'tainted' or that her loss was fair. Democrat Stacey Abrams, who lost out on the chance to become the first female black governor in the nation this week, says she's not quitting politics The Associated Press called the race for Kemp on Sunday afternoon as the state officially certified its results from the Nov. 6 election. Abrams conceded Kemp was the legal victor but refused to call him the legitimate winner. The race has been a nail biter from the start as polls showed the two contenders running neck and neck. Both sides poured money and star power into the contest, which was plagued by allegations of voter fraud. Kemp narrowly avoided a runoff contest, beating Abrams by 54,723 votes out of more than 3.9 million cast. He had to get more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff and barely did so, coming in with 50.22 percent in the final tally. Georgia officially declared Republican Brian Kemp the winner of the Georgia governor's race over Democrat Stacey Abrams on Sunday President Trump immediately took credit for Kemp's win in the state he campaigned in The race became an all-star battle with both sides bringing in the political might to help the candidates close the deal in the final days leading up to the election. Abrams had Oprah Winfrey, former President Barack Obama, and Will Ferrell campaigning for her. Kemp had President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence hold events. Trump took credit for Kemp's win in an interview that aired Sunday but had been taped on Friday, before the Georgia Republican had legally been declared the winner. 'I won against President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama in a great state called Georgia for the governor. And it was all stacked against Brian and I was the one that went for Brian and Brian won,' he said in the interview that aired on Fox News. It was unclear what he meant by the Michelle Obama reference as the former first lady who's on a book tour did not campaign for Abrams. Abrams on Sunday conceded Kemp was the legal winner but said she would not call him the legitimate winner on CNN's flagship Sunday morning program. She told Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union' that she thought there was deliberate interference in the election, saying 'it began eight years ago with the systematic disenfranchisement of more than a million voters. It continued with the underfunding and disinvestment in polling places, in training and in the management of the county delivery of services. And I think it had its pinnacle in this race.' 'So yes, there was a deliberate and intentional disinvestment and, I think, destruction of the administration of elections in the state of Georgia,' she noted. STAR POWER: President Trump campaigned for Brian Kemp two days before the election Former President Obama campaigned for Stacey Abrams that same weekend Oprah Winfrey (left) campaigned for Stacey Abrams but Michelle Obama (right) did not Voting rights was a huge issue in the race, especially after Kemp - in his role as secretary of state - launched an investigation into the state's Democratic Party two days before the election. Kemp claimed the Democratic Party of Georgia attempted to hack the state's voter registration system yet has provided no evidence to support the charge. The secretary of state's office is refusing to supply any details, as well, and the Democratic Party is denying the unverified allegation. 'I will never deny the legal imprimatur that says he is in this position, and I pray for his success,' Abrams said Sunday on CNN. 'But will I say that this election was not tainted, was not a disinvestment and a disenfranchisement of thousands of voters? I will not say that.' One of John Worboys victims today revealed she has been accused of being in Uber's pocket after praising the decision to keep the black cab rapist behind bars for at least two more years. Carrie Symonds, now 30, was a 19-year-old student when she was picked up from a Fulham bus stop after a night out and drugged by the black cab rapist. Last night she spoke of her relief that her attacker will not be freed - but today she revealed her cry for 'justice' led to a slew of online abuse. Miss Symonds, a former Tory aide, was targeted by trolls overnight, including some claiming to be from the black cab trade Worboys so disgraced. She said: 'For all those on my timeline telling me that Im obviously on the payroll of Uber and thats my only reason for helping keep John Worboys in prison: What planet are you on???' Carrie Symonds, now 30, (pictured) has praised the decision to keep John Worboys behind bars and that he 'still poses a real danger to women' Miss Symonds today she revealed her cry for 'justice' led to a slew of online abuse The Parole Board panel that blocked Worboys' release yesterday said he is at risk of re-offending because the 61-year-old wants to 'control women' and still has 'a belief that rape is acceptable'. Yet in December last year another panel horrified Britain by rubber-stamping his release they accepted his own claim that he no longer posed a risk to women. Miss Symonds said: This is an incredible relief. It was the most horrendous shock to be informed earlier this year that Worboys was to be released much sooner than expected, with absolutely no good reason. Myself and other victims of Worboys were sure then, as we are now, that he still poses a real danger to women. Miss Symonds, now 30, added: The Parole Board and the justice system let us down very badly but today us victims who fought to keep him behind bars have been vindicated. This is the right decision. She also praised Daily Mail readers who helped raise almost 70,000 via an online campaign to fund the legal challenge. She added: This victory probably wouldnt have happened without readers of the Mail. Miss Symonds bravely agreed to waive her anonymity to describe the horror of her 2007 ordeal. Worboys approached her in his cab at a bus stop in Fulham, West London, following a night out with friends. The predator offered to take her home to Surrey even though she had just 5. He claimed it was his final pick-up of the night and that she lived on his way home. He insisted she drank a glass of champagne with him, telling her he had had a big win at a casino earlier in the evening and wanted someone to celebrate with. She agreed, but poured the contents of the glass onto the cab floor when he wasnt looking. Worboys then got out to go to the toilet, and was gone for ten minutes as he waited for the drugs in the champagne to kick in. When he returned he convinced her to down a shot of vodka. Miss Symonds, who now works in ocean conservation, said: After I drank the vodka, I can hardly remember a thing. I dont remember if he got back into the front of the cab straightaway or not. When I finally arrived home, my mother remembers I fell through the door, barely able to walk, like a rag doll. Six months later, I opened a newspaper and read that a black taxi driver had been arrested, accused of raping women having pretended to win money at a casino, giving his passengers spiked champagne. I froze. All the blood left my cheeks. I knew it was him. Ms Symonds said the Parole Board's decision not to release black cab rapist John Worboys (pictured right and left being escorted to court left) is 'an incredible relief' Miss Symonds went to the police claiming she may have been drugged and assaulted and was one of 14 witnesses whose testimony was presented in court at Worboyss trial in 2009. Welcoming the Parole Boards decision to refuse to release Worboys, she added yesterday: I strongly believe Worboys poses a real danger to us all. It could so easily be your mother, your wife, your sister, your daughter, your friend. I feel I would know if Worboys had raped me that night. Id have flashbacks or there would have been horrendous tell-tale signs when I woke the next day. But I will never truly know for sure what happened after he drugged me. Many girls had similar experiences but many were raped and know they were raped. Their lives have been blighted by it. We cant let that happen again. Black cab rapist to stay behind bars for two more years as CPS consider new sex assault and drugging allegations against him John Worboys will remain in prison for at least two more years as police revealed he could also be charged with new sexual offences. Worboys, 61, was convicted in 2009 of attacking 12 women but detectives believe he may have targeted more than 200 others in London and the Bournemouth area. Yet in January this year a parole board horrified Britain by rubber-stamping his release after it emerged they accepted his own claim that he no longer posed a risk to women. In March the release direction was quashed by the High Court who found his 'no risk' claims had 'not been probed to any extent, if at all'. A reassessment of his case was completed and the dangerous sex offender was told 'he is not suitable for release', with the report claiming he has 'a belief that rape is acceptable'. Worboys used his cab (pictured) to attack a dozen women after offering them free or cheap lifts home - but may have targeted up to 200 more victims, police have said The sexual predator had a 'rape kit' in his cab and would convince victims to share a glass of wine or Champagne with him to celebrate a bogus lottery win. But he would spike the drink with sleeping pills and abused them while they lay unconscious in the back seat. Timeline: How rapist John Worboys was caught and almost got released 2002 to 2008: 12 women - many with limited memory of what happened - are drugged and sexually attacked 2007: John Worboys arrested but released because police teams were overstretched and some doubted a black cab driver could be responsible February 2008: John Worboys is arrested by police. March 2009: John Worboys convicted of one rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted assault and 12 drugging charges. His sentence is indeterminate but must be at least eight years in jail 2010: Met Police admit they have received 102 new complaints from 100 women since his trial and conviction. The CPS later defended its decision not to pursue more cases claiming majority 'did not pass the evidential test' 2015: Worboys loses first parole application. January 2018: It emerges that a panel of three Parole Board members had directed Worboys' release. March 28 2018: High Court overturns the decision and orders case be looked at again November 19: Worboys' parole application is rejected for another two years. Police says CPS has new file related to other alleged sex attacks. Advertisement A new 1,200-plus page dossier put together on Woyboys described him as still being a danger to women, according to the BBC. It listed risk factors as his 'sexual preoccupation, a sense of sexual entitlement, his attitudes towards women [including a need to have sexual contact with women and to control women] and a belief that rape is acceptable'. The dossier appears to be so damning that Worboys is not expected to appeal today's decision and will probably wait until 2020 to try again for release. It has now also emerged the former porn star may be charged with new offences and the CPS has been passed a file of evidence relating to new crimes allegedly committed between 1997 and 2007, including sexual assault and drugging with intent to commit a sexual offence. Revealing the outcome today, a Parole Board spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board gave a negative decision in the parole review of John Worboys following an paper hearing in October 2018. 'Under current legislation Mr Worboys will be eligible for a further review within two years. 'The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.' A summary of the decision said Worboys 'submitted that he had worked very hard to accept and understand his offending', the summary said. It added: 'However, the panel considered there to be a need to further understand risk factors and triggers to his offending.' Witnesses described 'positive behaviour' in custody since Worboys's last parole review, but they did not support release or progression to open conditions within their reports, the summary said. It concluded: 'After considering the circumstances of offending, the progress made while in custody, and the evidence presented within the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Worboys was suitable for release or progression to the open estate.' The Parole Board assesses whether serving prisoners in England and Wales are safe to be released into the community or moved to open conditions, considering around 25,000 cases a year. Known as the black cab rapist, he had been jailed indefinitely in 2009 with a minimum term of eight years after being convicted of 19 offences, including rape, sexual assault and drugging, committed against 12 victims. Worboys also paid 241,000 in compensation to 11 victims and he took along serial killer Levi Bellfield to help him negotiate during meetings with lawyers. Today the Parole Board, which has received more than 1,400 requests for details behind its decisions under a new scheme introduced following the John Worboys case, blocked his release. The sexual predator had a 'rape kit' in his cab (pictured) and would convince women to share a glass of wine or champagne with him, spiking the drink with sleeping pills, before abusing them while they lay unconscious in the back The Government came under pressure to open up the organisation's processes after it sparked huge controversy in January by ruling that Worboys was safe to be freed after around a decade behind bars. In 2010, Worboys first appealed his conviction, but it was thrown out by the Court of Appeal, as Lord Justice Moses labelled his offences as 'appalling'. Worboys, a former porn actor and stripper, attacked numerous women during a five-year period between 2002 and 2008. On several occasions he offered to drive a woman home for a fraction of the normal cost, or even for free, claiming that he lived in their direction. But once he had them secure in his taxi, the driver who occasionally used the name Paul or Tony - would put his plan into action. His constant theme was sex and often asked the women if they would perform sex acts for varying amounts of money, or exposed himself. How blundering parole board backed 'open and honest' Worboys over his victims In January the Parole Board caused uproar after agreeing to set free John Worboys. The decision caused even more fury after they refused to make public on what grounds they agreed his release. It was only three months later that the reasons were revealed during the case that stopped it. Lawyer for his victims, Phillippa Kaufmann QC, told the High Court the parole board accepted Worboys posed a reduced risk of reoffending because: Worboys had taken full responsibility for his offending He had undertaken treatment Former black cab driver had shown 'good insight' into his risk factors and triggers and how to manage them Worboys had been open and honest with professionals and was considered likely to remain compliant following his return to the community; The decision to free him was quashed by judges and his release was delayed by at least two years today. Today's panel listed risk factors associated with Worboys, including: Sexual preoccupation A sense of sexual entitlement His attitudes towards women [including a need to have sexual contact with women and to control women] A belief that rape is acceptable Alcohol misuse and problems with relationships Advertisement He took trophies from his victims, including a wristband from one and scribbled the names and addresses of several others in a notebook. During the seven week trial, victim after victim told how they felt safe with the middle-aged driver because they were stepping into a registered black London taxi. Most of the women were young professionals lawyers, insurance brokers, office workers or journalists. One victim was a new mother out celebrating for the first time with her friends. He offered the women cheap lifts home after nights out, telling them he had just won thousands on a bet and wanted to celebrate. To aid his scam, Worboys kept as much as 4,000 in cash stashed in a plastic bag which he showed his victims as evidence of his win. The rapist would convince the women to share a glass of wine or champagne with them, spiking the drinks with sleeping pills. The drugs left the women insensible and unable to protect themselves as he pounced on them in the back of the vehicle. Police also found a 'rape kit' in the back of his taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms, gloves and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs. Worboys, who called himself Terry the Minder, was jailed indefinitely in April 2009 with a minimum tariff of eight years. A report published after his conviction found there was a 'mindset' among police that the driver of a black cab was unlikely to be responsible for a sex attack. The paper by the Independent Police Complaints Commission discovered a catalogue of missed opportunities, errors of judgment and failures by Scotland Yard had left Worboys free to prey on women. Two of Worboys' victims would go on to win human rights cases in the High Court against the Metropolitan Police in 2014. The pair known as DSD and NBV claimed there had been serious failures in the investigation which led to Worboys to avoid detection and re-offend. Worboys is a former porn actor and stripper who called himself Terry the Minder (left). Shown right, the Hackney flat Worboys shared with his former wife Jean Clayton President Donald Trump showed a giant barbed wire fence at the U.S.-Mexico border and touted how there are 'no climbers anymore' under his administration after footage showed migrants scaling a section of the border wall. 'The Fake News is showing old footage of people climbing over our Ocean Area Fence. This is what it really looks like - no climbers anymore under our Administration!,' he tweeted Monday along with a photo of a massive barbed wire fence several feet high. Trump has been railing against a migrant caravan making its way from Central America toward the United States. President Trump said the 'Fake News' was showing old footage of people climbing over the Ocean Area Fence and posted a picture of rows of concertina wire covering the section that juts out into the Pacific Ocean His tweet comes as video footage and photos showed people scaling a border wall. Above, men were seen as recently as Sunday night climbing the border fence near the ocean at Playas de Tijuana in Mexico He made it a huge issue in the midterm elections, particularly as he campaigned for GOP Senate candidates running in states he won in 2016. Republicans were able to knock off four Democratic senators in these red states. The president's latest tweet comes after a Fox TV station in San Diego showed footage of people climbing the fence near Border Field State Park on the California/Mexico border after parts of the caravan arrived in Tijuana. And photos appeared of people climbing the fence and sitting on top of the wall. Several people who scaled the fence or crawled through openings ran back as Border Patrol agents approached, it was reported. That lead to Border officials adding razor wire to the top and bottom of the fence that divides San Diego from Tijuana, according to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman. Nearly 3,000 immigrants have made it to Tijuana, most of them from Honduras. Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum called their arrival an 'avalanche' the city is ill-prepared to handle, calculating that they will be in Tijuana for at least six months as they wait to file asylum claims, according to the Associated Press. Soldiers are installing concertina wire and fencing along a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas Trump has been railing against a migrant caravan making its way from Central America toward the United States U.S. border inspectors are processing about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana's main crossing to San Diego. An additional 1,500 migrants plan to reach the U.S. border area this week. In addition to the California border, soldiers are installing concertina wire and fencing along the border in southwest Texas. Around 100 or so American troops from the 19th Engineer Battalion, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky have started to work on the fence for three days. So far the most visible aspect of Trump's deployment of U.S. forces against a caravan of migrants coming from Central America is the fence, a visible deterrent and physical obstacle to migrants. Four people are dead, including an ER doctor and a police officer, after a gunman killed his ex-fiancee and two others at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on Monday. The 32-year-old gunman, identified by sources as Juan Lopez, and his ex-fiancee Dr Tamara O'Neal are among the dead. Chicago police officer Samuel Jimenez, 28, was also killed in the shooting. Jimenez, a married father-of-three, had only just completed his probationary period. The second woman who was shot by Lopez was a pharmaceutical technician at Mercy Hospital. Her name has not been released. O'Neal, an ER doctor at the hospital, was reporting for work when she was confronted by Lopez just before 3.30pm. Scroll down for video Juan Lopez has been identified as the shooter who gunned down his ex-fiancee and killed two other people, including a police officer, at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on Monday Dr Tamara O'Neal, an ER doctor, was killed by Lopez on her way to work at Mercy Hospital Chicago police officer Samuel Jimenez, 28, (pictured) was also killed in the shooting. Jimenez had only just completed his probationary period. He was a father of three Witnesses said Lopez shot O'Neal in the hospital parking lot before rushing inside and opening fire at others Lopez, 32, died inside the hospital after he was reportedly shot by a SWAT team officer The hospital was partially evacuated following reports of an active shooter and a stream of doctors in white coats and scrubs could be seen leaving Mercy Witnesses said Lopez targeted O'Neal in the parking lot, shooting her at least six times before going inside the hospital O'Neal and Lopez had reportedly planned to wed on October 27, but she called off the wedding in September. There was a 'verbal altercation' between O'Neal and Lopez in the parking lot, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson said during a press conference on Monday night. A third person, who Johnson said was friends with 'one of the individuals', then attempted to intervene. 'At that time, the male individual lifted up his shirt and displayed a handgun,' Johnson added. The acquaintance fled inside the hospital and 911 soon received a call of an assault taking place in the parking lot. Just seconds later, a second call came in. Shots had been fired. James Gray saw Lopez and O'Neal talking to one another in the parking lot when he suddenly pulled out a gun. 'The gentleman turned around and shot three times in the chest,' Gray told WLS. 'Once she fell to the ground, he turned around and shot her three more times'. After Lopez shot O'Neal again, he shot at a police car that began driving towards him and then entered the hospital. 'Officers observed him with a handgun,' Johnson said. 'He fired multiple shots before they could exit the squad car.' Officers did a 'methodical search' of the hospital (pictured is a SWAT team inside the hospital) After Lopez shot O'Neal again, he shot at a police car that began driving towards him and then entered the hospital Lopez shot a pharmaceutical assistant, who later died from her injuries, as well as Jimenez The cops gave chase and put out an officers need assistance call, which Jimenez and his partner responded to. 'When they pulled up, they heard the gunshots,' Johnson said. 'They did what the heroic officers always do, they ran towards the gunfire.' 'They weren't assigned to that particular call, but they went.' Lopez then shot the pharmaceutical assistant just as she was getting off an elevator. 'That poor woman got off an elevator,' Johnson said. 'She had nothing to do with nothing, and he shot her. Why?' Lopez also shot at a second police officer, but the bullet struck his holster and embedded into the gun. He was not injured. Gray said the scene inside the hospital was 'mass chaos'. 'Once he entered, he just started shooting at random,' Gray told NBC Chicago. 'It looked like he was turning and pointing at people at random.' Lopez had also shot at a second police officer, but the bullet struck his holster and embedded into the gun (pictured). He was not injured There was a massive police presence at Mercy Hospital after gunfire broke out on Monday Witness Hector Aditia was watching television in the hospital's waiting room when he saw Lopez shoot O'Neal. Aditia said Lopez reloaded twice, firing '32 bullets each' time, once he went inside the hospital. 'He was shooting like a maniac,' Aditia told the Chicago Tribune. 'And he obviously knows how to shoot because he was holding the gun with both hands.' 'I was trying to help out as much as I could.Get people out of the way of the windows. Because he could have easily just aimed at us too.' Lopez died inside the hospital after he was shot in the head by a SWAT team officer, according to CBS Chicago. Jimenez was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition and died hours later from his injuries. A procession from the hospital to Cook County Morgue will be held for Jimenez on Monday night. Employees and patients were put on Chicago Transit Authority buses (pictured) while police searched the hospital Emergency vehicles could still be seen outside Mercy Hospital hours after the shooting Police did a 'methodical search' of the hospital following the shooting and 15 ambulances arrived at the scene. A hospital employee said a notice came over Mercy's public address system telling everyone in the hospital to lock their doors. Nigary Thomspon, an employee of the hospital's family clinic, heard eight or nine shots. Employees and patients at the clinic locked the doors and hid in the back. 'I am scared as hell. I have never been so scared, I hear of shootings going on every day at people's workplaces but not where I work,' Thomspon told WLS. 'This was very close to me. That could have been us back there and if any bullets had pierced the wall we all would have been hurt.' The hospital was later 'partially evacuated' and people were put on Chicago Transit Authority buses while officers searched Mercy. 'They told us to run, so we did,' another employee added. A nearby high school and elementary school were also placed on temporary lockdowns. The shooting was officially declared over by the hospital at 4.40pm. A hospital employee said a notice came over Mercy's public address system telling everyone in the hospital to lock their doors during the active shooter situation Mercy Hospital wrote on Facebook that the Chicago Police Department had secured the hospital and that all patients were safe. Mayor Rahm Emanuel paid tribute to the victims during a press conference on Monday night as he spoke of the shooting. 'The city of Chicago lost a doctor, a pharmaceutical assistant, and a police officer,' he said. 'All going about their day, all doing what they love.' 'This tears at the soul of our city. It is the face and the consequence of evil.' 'I ask each of us to hold our children, our loved ones, closer, remember what is important in life, and that there are others who are part of our larger family who will have a tear and a hole that will never really heal, that will always have a scar.' Johnson called Jimenez and his fellow responding officers heroes. 'Those officers that responded today saved a lot of lives because this guy was just shooting,' he said. 'We just don't know how much damage he was prepared to do.' The 5,800 active duty troops the president dispatched to the border to confront the immigrant caravan are expected home by Christmas, according to the Pentagon. Senior officials announced the schedule even as members of the caravan continued to pile up in Tijuana, Mexico, undercutting the ability of the administration to proclaim a 'mission accomplished.' 'The bottom line is that our numbers will be commensurate with the capabilities that [Customs and Border Protection) is requesting,' said Army Col. Rob Manning, Stars and Stripes reported. Soldiers from the Kentucky-based 19th Engineer Battalion work in a public park in Laredo, Texas, where they are installing barbed and concertina-wire on November 17, 2018. The Pentagon is indicating that troops sent to the border will be home by Christmas, barring new orders The troops, who have been 'hardening' the border and laying down concertina wire, are expected to remain in place through Thanksgiving. The Pentagon sent the troops in the heat of the final days of the election, as President Donald Trump inveighed against an 'invasion' by an immigrant caravan that was then about 900 miles away in Mexico. The first wave of troops began laying down fencing and other materials in photo-ready actions on orders that originally ran through Dec. 15. Soldiers are beginning to install concertina wire and fencing along a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas as Donald Trump prepares for the migrant 'invasion' from Central America ROLLING THUNDER: Migrants receive donated clothing at a temporaty shelter near the U.S.-Mexico border on November 19, 2018 in Tijuana, Mexico. Parts of the migrant caravan have been arriving to Tijuana after traveling more than a month through Central America and Mexico to reach the U.S. border 'Our end date right now is 15 December, and I've got no indications from anybody that we'll go beyond that,' Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan told Politico. The deployment had been known as operation Faithful Patriot, but the military withdrew the name following some of the initial charges of political interference in the run-up to the elections, where Trump cast Democrats as favoring 'open borders' and warned of the dangers posed by the caravan. Soldiers (pictured) unloading a truck full of barbed and concertina-wire work to be deployed in a public park in Laredo, Texas Army Col. Richard Ball, 89th Military Police Brigade and Task Force Griffin commander, walks with James N. Mattis (R), Secretary of Defense, at Base Camp Donna, Texas, on November 14, 2018. - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on November 14, 2018, that the military operation to harden the US-Mexico frontier was clearly necessary The Pentagon deployed the troops on orders from President Trump, who warned during the campaign of an 'invasion' by the caravan of Central American migrants According to the report, the Pentagon nixed the idea of an armed border force to backup the Border Patrol. The military is wary of running afoul of the Posse Comitatus law that prohibits using they army for law enforcement activity. 'That is a law enforcement task, and the secretary of defense does not have the authority to approve that inside the homeland,' said Buchanan. Trump continued to talk up the deployment on Twitter Monday, sending out a photo of row-upon row of razor wire. 'The Fake News is showing old footage of people climbing over our Ocean Area Fence. This is what it really looks like - no climbers anymore under our Administration!' Trump wrote. The news of the timetable came on a day when an academic and two retired Army colonels, Gordon Adams, Lawrence B. Wilkerson, and Isaiah Wilson III, penned a scathing op-ed calling the deployment a 'stunt' that was a 'political misuse' of the military. 'The president used America's military forces not against any real threat but as toy soldiers, with the intent of manipulating a domestic midterm election outcome, a unprecedented use of the military by a sitting president,' they wrote in the New York Times. The U.S. closed the border at two pedestrian crossings at San Ysidro, California, Monday for hours for installation of new barriers following rumors caravan members may be planning to rush across. A pub crawl caused chaos in a quiet Norfolk town when a hazardous chemicals squad rushed in to inspect mysterious powder strewn across the streets. Fearing another chemical weapons attack like the one seen 185 miles away in Salisbury earlier this year, panicked residents called police to King's Lynn town centre on Saturday afternoon when they spotted mysterious white lines. Confusing the powder with cocaine - or chemicals - shoppers hurried away in a panic. However, after tests by an environmental protection team, it was found the mysterious substance was in fact cornflour. Police issued descriptions of a man on a bicycle and a woman 'in red' they were hunting down in connection with the bizarre white lines. However, after appeals on local news and social media, it later emerged they were completely innocent. Norfolk Hash House Harriers caused chaos when they laid down lines of white powder in Kings Lynn The lines were made of cornflour and were put on the streets to map out a route for visitors The Norfolk Hash House Harriers, a non-professional running club, came forward to say their members had in fact laid the lines as markers. They wanted to show the fun run route through the town's streets because they had invited 40 runners from Bicester, near Oxford, where were strangers to the area. One of the fun run organisers, Bob Green, said: 'It's a harmless social activity, but the problem in this era of social media and after Salisbury, the general public is much more aware of substances in the streets. 'We maybe need to communicate better with the police to avoid them sending out hazardous chemicals or other expensive emergency services.' As soon as he heard Tuesday Market Place had been cordoned off, he called police to inform them the flour was harmless and explain why it had been placed around town. The all-clear was given after an hour and the cordon was lifted, but the emergency response by police and the fire brigade cost hundreds of pounds and shopkeepers in the area were left counting the cost in lost trade. The harriers describe themselves as a social group, who meet at a different pub for a run each week. The fun run destination was the Stuart House Hotel, in Goodwins Road, and flour trails were left in a number of places including the market place, The Walks and South Quay to mark the five-mile route. The flour was lifted by the handful from a plastic shopping bad and scattered on the pavements by Dave Armes, landlord at the hotel, who has been taking part in 'hash runs' since the 1980s. He said today: 'We all apologise for any inconvenience caused.' The route where the lines were marked out snaked through the town centre and police were forced to close off the area The keep fit club in Kings Lynn were apologetic after the centre of the town was cordoned off on Saturday afternoon Referring to the expensively-manned major emergency and the town centre being sealed off, he said: 'That was completely over the top, it was a lot of fuss about nothing. 'But for those people who didn't know what it was, it was understandable' he admitted. 'I think it was really good that the public was being vigilant and reporting it, saying there's something unusual here.' A spokesman said 'hares' laid a trail, using ordinary kitchen flour, which the pack then had to follow. He said: 'The Hares resort to tactics designed to slow the front runners down and allow the back markers to catch up, so as to keep the group more or less together. 'These tactics include false trails and checks, where the flour trail stops and the front runners are expected to shout 'checking' while trying to find where it re-starts. A cry of 'on on' tells the rest of the pack that the trail has been found.' In March, former Soviet spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok which had left on the door of Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, Wiltshire. In June, Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley were exposed to the agent in nearby Amesbury. Ms Sturgess died the following month. Stacie Ellen Murphy walks on Grafton Street wearing only underwear A campaigner took to the streets of Dublin on Monday wearing nothing but lingerie and bodypaint for a protest about sexual consent. Stacie Ellen Murphy, 26, from Ballybough, Dublin was pictured striding down the streets of the Irish capital wearing nothing but her underwear and emblazoned with slogans like 'This is not consent!' and 'I'm not asking for it!' Ms Murphy's protest was staged to coincide with the sentencing of Patrick ODea, 51, who was jailed on Monday for 17 years for raping Leona OCallaghan, when she was 13, in a graveyard. O'Callaghan was seen hugging Murphy outside the courthouse after the verdict was delivered. Murphy later said: 'I listened to her [Ms O'Callaghan] giving interviews and walked over towards her. 'I asked her what she was doing and gave her a hug, telling her how brave she was. 'She actually started crying and I was in awe of the bravery. It was so emotional and so amazing.' Leona OCallaghan waived her right to anonymity so ODea could be named in reporting the case. Leona O'Callaghan appearing on 'This Morning' after waiving her right to anonymity during her trial Ms Murphys protest follows outrage last week after a defence barrister in a rape trial referred to the alleged teenage victims underwear. The case, in which the male accused was acquitted, was brought to wider attention on Tuesday when TD Ruth Coppinger held up a thong in the Dail chamber to highlight the outrage felt by sections of the public. It also sparked a popular social media campaign with women posting pictures of their underwear. Ms Murphy, 26, from Ballybough, Dublin, added: 'I want to get across that no clothing should ever be brought up in a rape court case.' After her protest outside the court, Ms Murphy walked up to Stephen's Green and gave a speech about consent. She said she received a lot of support. She said: 'It was amazing. It was a great response, people were coming up to me and giving me hugs. There was a girl crying.' The DUP refused to vote on the Finance Bill as a warning over May's plans for the Irish backstop. Leader Arlene Foster (pictured) also voiced frustration that her party had not been allowed to see a draft of the Brexit deal before it was debated by Cabinet The Democratic Unionist Party made its unhappiness with the Prime Ministers Brexit deal clear last night by abstaining from crunch votes on the Budget. It refused to vote on the Finance Bill as a warning to Theresa May over her plans for the Irish backstop. The move put the Government on notice that the DUP is edging closer to ripping up the confidence and supply agreement that allows the Conservatives to govern. The partys ten MPs prop up Mrs Mays minority administration through a formal deal that obliges them to vote for the Budget, the Queens Speech and Brexit legislation. But amid increasing rancour after Downing Street unveiled the withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of Britain leaving the EU, co-operation between the parties has come under threat. The DUP has said there is serious trouble with the deal, which risks leaving Northern Ireland on a different regulatory footing to the rest of the UK one of party leader Arlene Fosters blood red lines. A source told the BBC: Tory MPs need to realise that their jobs, their majorities, their careers depend on a good working relationship with the DUP and May doesnt appear to be listening. DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said Mrs May's deal with Brussels breached a "fundamental" assurance that Northern Ireland would not be separated constitutionally or economically from the rest of the UK. After the vote, he told Newsnight: '"We had to do something to show our displeasure." "She has broken all of those promises - to the people of the United Kingdom, to her own party and to the people of Northern Ireland." In an address at the Conference of British Industrys annual conference yesterday, Mrs May reminded her critics that peoples jobs were on the line if there is no Brexit deal While the Government won the votes on the Finance Bill, the DUPs failure to support it in the first two votes were a blow to Mrs Mays authority. The DUP is pessimistic that she will amend the Brexit deal in any significant way and sees it as driving a regulatory wedge between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Mrs Foster voiced her frustration last week that her party had not been allowed to see the draft of the deal before it was debated by Cabinet. In a string of other developments yesterday: Mrs May insisted Britain will be fully out of the EU before the next general election amid claims that Brexit could be delayed until the end of 2022; A Tory plot to topple the Prime Minister lost momentum amid Brexiteer infighting and splits. Senior Eurosceptics have failed to get the 48 letters needed for a confidence vote despite declaring yesterday was the moment of truth; Plans for five Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers to issue an ultimatum to Mrs May over her Brexit deal also fizzled out, with divisions over tactics; Spain yesterday threatened to block the Brexit deal after tabling 11th-hour demands about Gibraltar; Mrs May resisted pressure from France, Spain and the Netherlands to hand over access to UK fishing grounds as part of the final deal; Business leaders backed Mrs May, with Confederation of British Industry chief Carolyn Fairbairn warning that Tory plotters in the narrow world of Westminster were indulging in a high-stakes game of risk where the outcome could be an accidental no-deal. Mrs May is due to fly to Brussels this week for final talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on the deal. The talks are likely to concentrate on the framework for a future trade deal rather than the withdrawal agreement. Downing Street said yesterday the Prime Minister was, for example, looking to improve the provisions for security co-operation. In an address at the CBIs annual conference yesterday, Mrs May reminded her critics that peoples jobs were on the line if there is no Brexit deal. She said: We are not talking about political theory, but the reality of peoples lives and livelihoods. Jobs depend on us getting this right. What we have agreed unashamedly puts our future economic success, and the livelihoods of working families up and down this country, first. She added: Dont just listen to the politicians. Listen to what business is saying, listen to what business that is providing your jobs, and ensuring that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family, is saying. And business is saying we want a good deal with the EU. Salem's internationally known and famous Witch Lorelei Stathopoloulos uses dragon powder on a candle in her shop on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts The word 'witchcraft' has three main connotations: the practice of magic or sorcery; the beliefs associated with the Western witch-hunts of the 14th to the 18th century; and varieties of the modern movement called Wicca. Wicca was first publicized in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner who said the religion dated to an old witch cult that existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. Wicca is recognized as an official religion in the United States. It is a primarily Western movement of nature worship based on pre-Christian traditions. The Wiccan witch religion honors the 'Elements of Nature' - Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit - and their associated directions - North, East, South, West, Center - in 'sacred circles' where rituals are held. The Wiccan New Year of Samhain is considered a precursor to modern Halloween. Today it coincides with Halloween on October 31. Historically, it was a Celtic festival held on November 1 where the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to mankind. Modern witches say it is a time of year when the 'veil between the dead and the living is thin.' Source: Reuters Archaeologists have found tombs at a Bolivian quarry containing remains from more than 500 years ago. The remains, which were found about 12 miles (20km) from La Paz, belong to more than 100 individuals from an indigenous civilisation that formed part of the early Inca empire. They were buried with more than 30 vessels used by the Incas for performing death rites, according to an archaeologist involved in the excavation. The cemetery carved into limestone appears to have been built by the Pacajes people, whose cities were conquered by the Incas toward the end of the 15th century. Scroll down for video Archaeologists have found tombs at a Bolivian quarry containing remains from more than 500 years ago. The remains, which were found about 12 miles (20 kilometres) from La Paz, belong to more than 100 individuals from an indigenous civilisation From their ancient capital Cusco, the Incas controlled a vast empire called Tahuantinsuyo, which extended from the west of present-day Argentina to the south of Colombia. They ruled for more than two hundred years before being conquered by the invading Spanish in the 16th century. 'The vessels are whole and are Incan,' said Jedu Sagarnaga, an archaeology professor at Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz who led the investigation. The site near the modern-day town of Viacha also contained elongated skulls that may have been stretched to differentiate the social rank of individuals, he said. The Pacajes formed part of the Aymara kingdom and developed around the year 1200 after the decline of the Tiwanacu people in the Andean highlands. 'This finding reaffirms our identity and culture and shows that not only was there an influence from the Incas, but from other people as well,' said Julio Condori, an archaeologist who runs the Archaeological and Anthropological Research Centre in Tiwanacu and was not involved in the excavation. The site near the modern-day town of Viacha also contained elongated skulls (pictured) that may have been stretched to differentiate the social rank of individuals The cemetery carved into limestone appears to have been built by the Pacajes people, whose cities were conquered by the Incas toward the end of the 15th century Bolivian Minister of Culture Wilma Alanoca called it an 'unprecedented discovery.' The site was excavated months ago, but the findings were not made public until this week. Professor Sagarnaga said that in addition to the bones, the burial site held more than 150 decorative bronze objects. These included necklaces, bracelets, ornaments for women's hair, large broaches, and two horseshoe-shaped headbands used by nobles. 'These were personal favourites of the deceased, whereas the vessels were more for the community,' Professor Sagarnaga said. The archaeologist said the site had been looted in the past, but the tombs are interesting because they held the remains of men and women from different social strata. The remains were taken to an archaeological centre for further study and will eventually be returned to a museum in Viacha. Jedu Sadarnaga shows jewelry on Thursday from one of the tombs found at a Bolivian quarry near the capital of La Paz. Professor Sagarnaga said that in addition to the bones, the burial site held more than 150 decorative bronze objects Pictured is an elongated skull. The archaeologist said the site had been looted in the past, but the tombs are interesting because they held the remains of men and women from different social strata The remains were taken to an archaeological centre for further study and will eventually be returned to a museum in Viacha Earlier this year, researchers found that head-shaping practices may have provided a symbolic basis for the cooperation of elite groups during an era of intense conflict. Important members of the ancient Collagua group in Peru practiced head-shaping, and a stretched, elongated look became a status symbol for elite Collagua, researchers found. The Collagua, who lived in the Colca Valley of southeastern Peru, likely modified the heads of babies using bandages or special hats, in order to elongate their heads and create 'alien-shaped' skulls. Chemical analyses of bones found that women with elongated heads ate a wide range of foods. In addition, Collagua women with stretched skulls were found to have suffered far less skull damage from physical attacks than women who did not have similarly modified skulls. People who live in countries with less sunlight and lower temperatures drink more alcohol than those in warmer regions. A study found a link between average temperature and hours of sunlight and alcohol consumption. It also found that inhabitants of chillier, darker countries were more likely to resort to binge drinking, with Brits being revealed as one of the worst offenders for excessive consumption. Scroll down for video A Scottish doctor is now calling for restrictions in alcohol advertising during winter months. Dr McCann said: 'Advertising laws should be addressed with restrictions during winter months strongly considered' The research from the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre examined data from 193 countries and found evidence that climate was also linked to liver disease. Senior author Ramon Bataller, associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre, said: 'This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis.' Alcohol is a vasodilator, relaxing blood vessels and increasing the flow of warm blood to the skin. Drinking also is linked to depression, which tends to be more prevalent when sunlight is scarce. The study, published online in Hepatology, used data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation. Dr Peter McCann, medical adviser to Castle Craig Hospital, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic in the Scottish Borders, contributed to the report. He said: 'We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, has a strong influence on how much alcohol we consume. 'Furthermore this weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease cirrhosis which can ultimately end in liver failure and death.' Researchers say they have established a link between colder climates and heavier drinking. Alcohol is a vasodilator, relaxing blood vessels and increasing the flow of blood. Drinking also is linked to depression, which is more prevalent when sunlight is scarce Dr McCann added: 'Stricter laws on alcohol pricing are surely justified when we consider the devastating combined effect of low sunlight and cheaper alcohol on consumption. 'Advertising laws should be addressed with restrictions during winter months strongly considered.' Evidence of the climate link comes as the WHO presents new data on alcohol consumption in Europe at a summit in Edinburgh on Monday. It says levels remain high and that almost half of the adult male population are at risk of both short and long-term health and social problems due to harmful drinking patterns. Earlier this year, legislation on minimum pricing for alcohol came into force in Scotland in a bid to tackle problem drinking. Scientists are to start a project which could see new materials created in space with properties which are impossible to develop on Earth. The experiment will be carried out on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021, after receiving 1.3 million ($1.6 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency. It will take advantage of the micro-gravity environment to create alloys or medicines with properties that cannot be made on Earth. Scientists are to start a project which could see new materials created in space with properties which are impossible to develop on Earth (stock image) Marcello Lappa, who is leading the University of Strathclyde project, said: 'With these experiments we aim to investigate how, by shaking a complex fluid in microgravity conditions, we can create materials with structures that we cannot make on Earth. 'These experiments will lead to advanced contactless manipulation strategies for the assembly of new materials and alloys. 'They may even shed some new light on the mechanisms supporting the formation of asteroids and planets.' The team will investigate complex fluids, which can be formed by adding fine particles to a liquid. These mixtures can show peculiar properties for instance, yoghurt appears as a solid but behaves as a liquid once pressure is applied. When on Earth, gravity causes the dispersed particles to separate according to their weight with heavy particles sinking to create sediment and lighter particles floating to the top. EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SITS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts. The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen. ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology. The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan. So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit. There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'. Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time. NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface. Advertisement This can make the production of materials with specific structures and properties difficult to achieve. The researchers will study how the dispersed particles form highly-ordered structures which can be used to make new materials when in space. They will do this by vibrating and heating complex fluids, largely free from the influence of gravity. Engineers believe it could be a big step forward in the production of so-called unobtanium a notion of a material with amazing properties which does not exist on Earth. The experiment will involve using existing equipment on the ISS, with additional hardware built in the UK being launched into space in 2021. Virgin Orbit has successfully flown its 'Cosmic Girl' plane with a rocket strapped to the bottom for the first time. 'Cosmic Girl', a converted Boeing 747 aircraft, took to the skies above California with the satellite company's 70-foot-long (21 metres) 'LauncherOne' rocket attached. The flight marks the first time a 747 has carried a space rocket in its 70-year history, and is a big step for Virgin One as it targets its first space flight in early 2019. Virgin One, Virgin's satellite company, hopes to use Comic Girl and LauncherOne to carry small craft into Earth's orbit at a fraction of the normal cost. The satellites will deliver everything from internet access to data for weather prediction systems. Scroll down for video Virgin Orbit has successfully flown its 'Cosmic Girl' plane with a rocket strapped to the bottom (left wing in image) for the first time Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson said: 'Delighted to share that Virgin Orbits Cosmic Girl has completed a successful test flight with a rocket tucked under its wing for the first time. 'There are many challenges to overcome ahead, but the excellent data and performance in all aspects of this latest test flight is really encouraging. 'I'm looking forward to our first space shot in early 2019 and multiple trips to orbit in the year ahead.' Unlike rival rocket firms SpaceX, which is run by tech billionaire Elon Musk, and Blue Origin - overseen by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos - Virgin launches its rockets via plane. LauncherOne, which weighs the equivalent of 25 small family cars, has been described by the firm as 'an affordable dedicated ride to orbit for small satellites'. Virgin One plans to use a converted Virgin Atlantic plane that will fly to 30,000 ft (5.5 miles) with a LauncherOne rocket attached to the underside of one wing. 'Cosmic Girl', a converted Boeing 747 aircraft, took to the skies with the satellite company's 70-foot-long (21 metres) 'LauncherOne' rocket attached The flight marks the first time a 747 has carried a space rocket in its 70-year history, and is a big step for Virgin One as it targets its first space flight in early 2019 VIRGIN ORBIT LAUNCHERONE SPECS Destination: Earth's lower orbit Speed: 20 times the speed of sound Payload: Small satellites (660lb/300kg) Launch method: Modified Virgin Atlantic aircraft Flights begin: 2021 Weight: 57,000lb (25,800kg) Advertisement The 57,000lb (25,800kg) rocket will then engage its thrusters to reach orbit above the planet at 20 times the speed of sound. Once in orbit LauncherOne will deliver its payload - small craft weighing no more than a Harley Davidson motorcycle - into orbit. Virgin One has selected Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay as an ideal location to operate one of the first launches of its LauncherOne system. Satellites delivered by the system will beam everything from high-speed internet to remote regions to weather tracking data that helps scientists tackle climate change. Virgin One, Virgin's satellite company, hopes to use Comic Girl and LauncherOne to carry small satellites into Earth's orbit at a fraction of the normal cost LauncherOne (left wing), which weighs the equivalent of 25 small family cars, has been described by the firm as 'an affordable dedicated ride to orbit for small satellites' Virgin One plans to use a converted Virgin Atlantic plane that will fly to 30,000 ft (5.5 miles) with a LauncherOne rocket attached to the underside of one wing The company plans to conduct a number of test flights before embarking on commercial launches in 2021 at a cost of 6.6 million ($10 million) per flight. It reportedly has already secured deals with US the Department of Defence and the Italian satellite manufacturer Sitael, among other contractors. The company announced it had completed its first taxi test just last week. The company plans to conduct a number of test flights before embarking on commercial launches in 2021 at a cost of 6.6 million ($10 million) per flight Once in orbit LauncherOne will deliver its payload - small craft weighing no more than a Harley Davidson motorcycle - into orbit 'Cosmic Girl', a specially modified Boeing 747-400, completed the first ever high-speed taxi while equipped with LauncherOne. It reached speeds of 110 knots (125mph / 200kph) - fast enough to simulate an aborted takeoff. The company wrote on Twitter: 'Zoom, zoom, zoom, LauncherOne was on the move again this time for our very first high-speed taxi test. 'Not only did we ramp all the way up to more than 110 knots, we also used the day as an opportunity to load real flight software onto Launcher One for the first time.' 'Cosmic Girl', a specially modified Boeing 747-400 that carries, completed the first ever high-speed taxi while strapped to LauncherOne last week (pictured) The rocket has been described by the company as 'an affordable dedicated ride to orbit for small satellites'. It is be nearly 70 feet long and weighs 55,000lbs (25,800 kg) when carrying a full load of fuel and its payload The completed LauncherOne rocket is loaded onto a custom-built trailer in this image taken at Virgin Orbit's Long Beach, California rocket factory, pictured in July last year Climate change will make us more likely to wet the bed and trigger a plague of ticks, snakes and voles, research claims. A rise in 'devastating' droughts, floods, wildfires and other weather events caused by global warming will impact nature in a number of bizarre ways, the study shows. As emissions increase, society faces a much larger threat from climate change than previously thought, the team from University of Hawaii in Manoa said. Scroll down for video This map displays the cumulative number of climate hazards by 2100 under business as usual scenario. Areas of blue are at low risk of climate hazards while red shows a higher risk They analysed thousands of scientific papers on climate change, uncovering 467 different ways that greenhouse gases impact life on Earth. They include an increase in floods, drought, wildfires and hurricanes that the team projects will hit both rich and poor communities. Some of the stranger effects included changes to animal behaviour, including ticks, snails and snakes. Rising temperatures will likely alter the distribution of snails in China, pushing them into regions that were previously too cold for them to inhabit. Snakes and ticks are also heavily impacted by atmospheric temperatures, and countries with low numbers of the creatures could see a rise by 2100. In Sweden, an invasion of voles in 2007 was attributed to reduced snow cover after an unusually warm winter - similar plague could become more common. The team behind the new study said warmer temperatures may also cause people to wet the bed more. Previous research has shown that pregnant women exposed to heavy flooding gave birth to children who wet the bed more, and were aggressive toward other children. As emissions increase, society faces a much larger threat from climate change than previously thought, the team from University of Hawaii in Manoa said (stock image) The increasing exposure to the multitude of climate hazards will impact both rich and poor countries - especially in tropical coastal areas. In the year 2100, New York is expected to face up to four climate hazards, if greenhouse gas emissions are not mitigated. Sydney and Los Angeles will face three concurrent climate hazards, Mexico City will face four, and the Atlantic coast of Brazil will face five. The study was co-authored by 23 scientists, including several who are on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and they have released an interactive map of the threats. For example by 2095 the UK faces increased warming, rainfall and drought while suffering a deficit in fresh water. The paper concludes urgently: 'Overall, our analysis shows that ongoing climate change will pose a heightened threat to humanity that will be greatly aggravated if substantial and timely reductions of greenhouse gas emissions are not achieved.' Lead author Associate Professor Camilo Mora said: 'Greenhouse gas emissions pose a broad threat to humanity by simultaneously intensifying many hazards that have proven harmful in the past. 'Further, we predict that by 2100 the number of hazards occurring concurrently will increase, making it even more difficult for people to cope. 'The collision of cumulative climate hazards is not something on the horizon, it is already here. 'Last year, for instance, Florida recorded extreme drought, record high temperatures, over 100 wildfires, and the strongest ever recorded hurricane in its Panhandle: The category 4 Hurricane Michael. 'Likewise, California is currently experiencing ferocious wild fires and one of the longest droughts, plus extreme heatwaves this past summer.' Dawn Wright, ESRI Chief Scientist said: 'The study is a compelling review of how climate change is literally redrawing lines on the map, clearly showing the threats that our world faces at every level. 'The maps and data hammer home how much danger humanity truly faces, and the need for immediate action,' said Co-author Professor Jonathan Patz, from the University of Wisconsin's Global Health Institute said: 'Our health depends on multiple factors, from clean air and water, to safe food and shelter and more. 'So without a real systems approach to climate change impacts, we cannot adequately understand the full risks. 'If we only consider the most direct threats from climate change, for example heatwaves or severe storms, we inevitably will be blindsided by even larger threats that, in combination, can have even broader societal impacts.' Co-author Assistant Professor Daniele Spirandelli from the University of Hawaii said: 'The evidence of climate change impacting humanity is abundant, loud and clear. 'Clearly, the outstanding question is - how many wake-up calls will it take to wake up?' A prehistoric 'Swiss Army knife' used to spear, slice, scrape or dig has been discovered in China. The 170,000-year-old tool, known as a 'Levallois stone', is a sign of advanced tool-making and is considered the 'multi-tool' of the prehistoric world. Levallois stones have previously been found in East Africa, and are thought to have first appeared around 300,000 years ago. Scientists had thought that this level of sophisticated tool making didn't emerge in East Asia until 40,000 years ago, but the new find pushes this figure back by 130,000 years. Scroll down for video The tools (pictured), known as a 'Levallois stones', were a distinctive type of stone knapping developed by our ancient ancestors Levallois cores developed in Africa and Western Europe as far back as 300,000 years ago. However, until now, this technology was not believed to have emerged in East Asia until 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. Researchers believe people in Asia developed Levallois cores independently, according to the paper published in Nature. 'It used to be thought that Levallois cores came to China relatively recently with modern humans,' said author Ben Marwick, a University of Washington associate professor of anthropology. 'Our work reveals the complexity and adaptability of people there that is equivalent to elsewhere in the world. It shows the diversity of the human experience', he said. Levallois-shaped cores were efficient and durable, indispensable to a hunter-gatherer society in which a broken spear point could mean certain death at the claws or jaws of a predator. The cores were named for the Levallois-Perret suburb of Paris, where stone flakes were found in the 1800s. Featuring a distinctive faceted surface, created through a sequence of steps, Levallois flakes were versatile 'blanks,' used to spear, slice, scrape or dig. The knapping process represents a more sophisticated approach to tool manufacturing than the simpler, oval-shaped stones of earlier periods. The Levallois artifacts examined in this study were excavated from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in the 1960s and 1970s. The map shows where Levallois artifacts have been found. The oldest, dating to 337,000 years ago, have been found in Europe and Africa. The star on the map marks the site of Guanyindong Cave, where new research shows that this technology was used 80,000 to 170,000 years ago in Asia, much earlier than previously thought The researchers analyzed more than 2,200 artifacts in total. Researchers used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date the artifacts. OSL can establish age by determining when a sediment sample, down to a grain of sand, was last exposed to sunlight - and thus, how long an artefact may have been buried in layers of sediment. 'Dating for this site was challenging because it had been excavated 40 years ago, and the sediment profile was exposed to air and without protection', said Bo Li , an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Wollongong in Australia and one of the paper's corresponding authors. 'So trees, plants, animals, insects could disturb the stratigraphy, which may affect the dating results if conventional methods were used for dating. 'To solve this problem we used a new single-grain dating technique recently developed in our OSL lab at the University of Wollongong to date individual mineral grains in the sediment. WHEN DID HUMANS START USING TOOLS? It is hard for scientists to say precisely when humans started making tools because the more primitive remains look like a natural object rather than a human artefact. The oldest-known instruments are the Oldowan stone tools from Ethiopia, which date back about 2.6 million years. The Acheulean tool technology period - up to 1.76 million years ago - featured large stone hand axes made from flint and quartzite. Towards the end of this period, the tools became more refined and then followed the so-called Levallois technique, which saw the creation of scrapers, slicers, needled and flattened needles. About 50,000 years ago more refined and specialised flint tools were made and used by Neanderthals and it is believed it was at this stage tools were constructed out of bone. As human culture advanced, artefacts such as fish hooks, buttons and bone needles were used. Cut marks have found on animal bones that have been dated to be 3.4 million years old - around the time that a squat ape-like ancestor called Australopithecus afarensis - known as Lucy - roamed Africa. Advertisement 'Luckily we found residual sediment left over by the previous excavations, so that allowed us to take samples for dating.' In Africa and Europe these kinds of stone tools are often found at archaeological sites starting from 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. They are known as Mode III technology, part of a broad evolutionary sequence that was preceded by hand-axe technology (Mode II) and followed by blade tool technology (Mode IV). The independent emergence of the Levallois technique at different times and places in the world is not unique in terms of prehistoric innovations. Pyramid construction, for one, appeared in at least three separate societies: the Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Mayans. Boatbuilding began specific to geography and reliant on a community's available materials. And writing, of course, developed in various forms with distinct alphabets and characters. The Kentucky education chief has appealed to teachers across the state to stop sending him incredibly nasty and disrespecful messages over his proposal on charter schools. On Nov. 9, Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis said at a state charter school advisory council meeting that he would ask the state legislature to create a funding mechanism for charter schools . Kentucky passed a law allowing charter schools in 2017, but none have opened because they cannot currently receive state funding. Lewis has said that he wants per-pupil state dollars to follow students to public charter schools. Since then, Lewis has received furious emails from teachers, including some that contained personal attacks, he told the Kentucky Herald-Leader . Many teachers in the state have been staunchly opposed to charter schools, with some holding signs of protest during the spring walkouts. Critics of Lewis proposal to create a funding stream for charter schools say that traditional public schools would pay the price, since they would lose money as students leave but still have fixed costs, like electricity. In an email on Friday that went to every educator in Kentucky, Lewis urged teachers to stop and think about the example we are setting for our children. ... At the end of the day, the words we use to defend our beliefs are reflective of us as individuals, but can have unintended consequences when used in a destructive manner. He wrote that he has never before received such hateful and disrespectful emails ... from people who teach Kentucky children. Some of the emails were sent from teachers official district email addresses and included personal attacks on Lewis. One email, obtained by the Louisville Courier-Journal , included a homophobic comment and said Lewis would answer to the Lord one day and you know whats going to happen if you dont change your ways. Lewis forwarded that email to the teachers district superintendent, and the teacher was fired, the Courier-Journal reported. The teacher plans to contest her termination. This is the latest chapter in a contentious relationship between Kentucky teachers and state leaders. In the spring, Gov. Matt Bevin called teachers selfish and short-sighted for protesting controversial changes to the states underfunded pension system . After teachers walked out of their classrooms to protest the pension reform bill, Bevin said they were punish[ing] students and later guarantee[d] that children were sexually abused because they were left home alone during school closures. He later apologized for those remarks. Lewis was officially named the states education commissioner by the state board of education in October, after serving in the role on an interim basis since April. He replaced Stephen Pruitt, a former science teacher who resigned under pressure from the state board . Since Lewis took office, he has clashed with the state teachers union on several occasions, including over charter schools. Archaeologists have discovered 400-year-old artifacts that could point to the location of the first Thanksgiving in America an event that took place two years before the well-known celebration at Plymouth Rock. According to the team, the first Thanksgiving was not that held in 1621 by the pilgrims that arrived on the Mayflower, but hundreds of miles away in 1619, by a short-lived colony that set sail from England years earlier. Recent work at the Berkeley Plantation in Virginia has uncovered clues that hint at the site of this settlement on the banks of the James River, including clay tobacco pipes that show both Native American and English influence. Archaeologists have discovered 400-year-old artifacts that could point to the location of the first Thanksgiving in America an event that took place two years before the well-known celebration at Plymouth Rock (illustrated) Upon arriving to the New World on December 4, 1619, the community that came to be known as Berkeley Hundred were instructed to celebrate their arrival with prayer, and vowed to do so on the same date each year after, documents discovered in the late 19th century show. 'We ordain that this day of our ships arrival, at the place assigned for plantation, in the land of Virginia, shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God,' the settlers were instructed to say, according to National Geographic. But just three years later, the entire colony was wiped out during a Native American uprising. Now, researchers have found what could be evidence of their settlement. We are able to find numerous geophysical anomalies, as well as early 17th century artifacts, says Professor Mark Horton, from the University of Bristols Department of Anthropology and Archaeology. The most striking were clay tobacco pipes, of Native American manufacture, but closely following English designs, which have also been found in the earliest levels at Jamestown, founded in 1607,' Horton said. While not the smoking gun, these finds are highly suggestive of Indian and English occupation. Recent work at the Berkeley Plantation in Virginia has uncovered clues that hint at the site of this settlement on the banks of the James River, including clay tobacco pipes that show both Native American and English influence Upon arriving to the New World at the end of 1619, the community that came to be known as Berkeley Hundred celebrated their arrival at the James River site with prayer, and vowed to do so on the same date each year after The experts say George Thorp, who led the Berkeley colony, had plans to work with and educate the Native Americans. Thorp, however, was killed during the uprising in 1622. While the team does not expect to find much in the way of buildings, as all would have been built from timber, they say the discovery of the artifacts lines up with the expectations of the two groups existing in the area at the same time. The researchers also found a distillation still at the site, suggesting these colonists may have been the first to make corn-distilled liquor or Bourbon. The team used ground-penetrating radar to find the buried remains of the short-lived Berkeley colony WHO WERE THE BERKELEY HUNDRED? Researchers say a colony that set sail from England years before the Mayflower was the first to hold a Thanksgiving celebration in America. The colony, which came to be known as Berkeley Hundred, landed in Virginia near the James River. They were led by George Thorp, who had plans to work with and educate the Native Americans. Thorp, however, was killed during the uprising in 1622. Before then, the evidence suggests there was some degree of information exchange between the two. According to researchers excavating the site, clay pipes found there were 'of Native American manufacture, but closely following English designs.' Advertisement With further work at the site, the researchers are hoping to uncover more clues, including artifacts and even burials. In this 400th anniversary year, we hope that it will be possible to link across the Atlantic and discover the motives and ideals of the pioneers that sailed in search of new lives in the New World, Horton said. This is a dramatic story that took place in a dramatic time, said Dr Jim Horn, president of Jamestown Rediscovery. A sustained dig here could be incredible. Days of circling the parking lot looking for a space may be a thing of the past. A new service, called MyPark, aims to make finding a spot much easier by letting users reserve it beforehand. When a spot is reserved, MyPark 'automatically knows your there' and deploys a smartphone-controlled robot to make sure no one takes your place. Scroll down for video Days of circling the parking lot looking for a space may be a thing of the past. A new service, called MyPark, aims to make finding a spot much easier by letting users reserve it beforehand HOW DOES IT WORK? Download the MyPark app and make an account. Then, enter your destination and select a parking space from the map. Each spot costs a few dollars to reserve. After a spot is reserved and paid for, MyPark automatically deploys its robot device that will hold the space until you arrive. Once you get to your destination, tap 'Let me in' on the app and the robot collapses so that your car can drive over it. Users can book a spot for immediate use or up to six months in advance. Advertisement Several malls, airports and venues around the U.S. have already taken advantage of the technology in their parking lots. Each MyPark space has a small, collapsible robot that folds up when a spot has been reserved. Users download the app, make an account and enter their destination. From there, they'll be prompted to select a parking space from a map of the location's parking lot. Most of the spaces reserved by MyPark are located near the entrance to your destination, so it not only saves users the time of finding a spot, but also the hassle of a long walk. Users can either reserve a spot immediately before they arrive using the 'Park now' feature, or for sometime in the future, as the app lets users reserve a parking space up to six months in advance. Each reservation costs users a fee of about $1 to $3 for the first two hours and then additional charges for every additional hour after that. A black and yellow flag is situated on top of the robotic device, letting other drivers know that it's a MyPark spot. When users arrive at their reserved spot, they tap 'Let me in' on the MyPark app and the robot collapses into itself, so that the user can drive over it and park their car. 'What if you could park in a space closest to your destination, when you want? Convenient parking is often a challenge, so we created an app that makes parking easy,' MyPark's website explains. 'You can book in advance or right when you get to where you are going. 'Open the app, choose an area and you'll be parking like you own the place,' it continues. Users download the app, make an account and enter their destination. From there, they'll be prompted to select a parking space from a map of the location's parking lot When users arrive at their reserved spot, they tap 'Let me in' on the MyPark app and the robot collapses into itself, so that the user can drive over it and park their car The firm behind MyPark has secured deals with major US mall operators, such as Simon Property Group and the Mall of America, according to Axios. It has partnered with malls in New York, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota and other areas. Since its launch, MyPark has also rolled out a validation feature which lets merchants reimburse customers for using the service, likely in a bid to attract more people to their business. 'When you're done eating, for example, you just ask your waiter to validate your MyPark session,' Luis Mayendia, CEO of MyPark, told KARE 11 News. 'Then they input a code on your app and that automatically transfers...the session over to them. So you don't have to do anything else.' Star Wars fans will soon be able to pilot the Millennium Falcon and face off against the dark side in battle. Disney has revealed the names of two new major attractions inside its Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge lands that are set to open next year - one will be called Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run and the other, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. What's more, it has released two trailers for them, with the one for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance shot inside the actual attraction. Scroll down for videos In a new trailer Disney has revealed two of its major attractions inside its Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge lands Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, pictured, will allow guests to get behind the controls of the most famous ship in the movie franchise The two signature attractions of the 'lands' are now under construction and are due to open in Disneyland in California next summer and at Walt Disney World in Florida next autumn. On the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, Disney guests are able to go behind the controls of the most famous ship in the movie franchise in one of three unique flight crew roles. Meanwhile on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, guests are put in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order. The new trailer for this shows Stormtroopers patrolling corridors and the First Order coming under attack from the Resistance. It has also been announced that composer John Williams, creator of the classic 'Star Wars' themes, is writing new music for the 'Galaxy's Edge' attractions. Disney has also released a trailer for the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride, which was shot inside the actual attraction On Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, guests are put in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will feature a street market and food stalls where Star Wars fans can enjoy delicacies such as blue milk. Pictured is another image from the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance trailer It was previously revealed that Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also feature a street market and food stalls where Star Wars fans can enjoy delicacies such as blue milk. There will also be a replica Cantina bar run by character Oga Garra. Walt Disney Imagineering executive Scott Trowbridge, who is overseeing the project, previously said: 'Our intent is to make it feel as if you just walked into one of the movies. 'Bringing to life in the physical world gives us the opportunity to play with a whole bunch of things we've never done before... to really engage all of the senses. Pictures taken in September show the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land taking shape at Walt Disney World in Florida The images taken at Lake Buena Vista show spaceships and transmitter masts beginning to take shape alongside rocky landscapes The ambitious new Star Wars attractions are part of a $2billion (1.43billion) investment by Disney 'What does that street feel like? What does that animal smell like? What does blue milk taste like?' The ambitious new attraction is part of a $2billion (1.43billion) investment by Disney in its theme parks. Once completed, it will include approximately 10,000 tons of structural steel and 200,000 square feet of hand-carved rock work. Advertisement These sweeping photos certainly command attention. The stunning shots have been revealed as the winners of an international panoramic photography contest. Both professional and amateur photographers were invited to enter their best landscape shots for the Epson International Pano Awards 2018 in a bid to win more than $50,000 (38,000) in cash. And this year's competition received 4,937 entries from 1,251 photographers in 74 countries. The overall winner of the contest was Veselin Atanasov from Bulgaria, who impressed with his shot of the sun rising over a tree-lined hill in Tuscany. We were also very taken with the shot of lightning lashing the Grand Canyon, a diver in a Brazilian abyss and a haunting shot of fog drifting around a U.S swamp. Scroll down to sweep your eyes over some of the incredible panoramic pictures that caught the judges' eyes... Both professional and amateur photographers were invited to enter their best landscape shots for the Epson International Pano Awards 2018 in a bid to win more than $50,000 (38,000) in cash. The winner of the Epson 'digital art' prize was Colin Sillerud from the U.S, with this shot of lightning sparking over the Grand Canyon. The digital art award is aimed at 'rewarding excellence in modern digital post-processing' This panorama, captured by Colin Sillerud, shows a rainbow arching over the red rock of the Grand Canyon. It was entered into the amateur landscape category Kath Salier took this incredible shot of a humpback whale plunging vertically into the deep with a diver alongside it in the waters off Tonga (left). It was entered into the amateur landscape category. On the right is Prajit Ravindran's vertical panorama of the Milky Way dazzling above Utah. He entered it into the amateur landscape category Marcio Cabral took this sweeping underwater shot while diving in the Anhumas Abyss in Bonito, Brazil. The spot is popular with tourists thanks to its crystal-clear waters and fascinating limestone formations This haunting shot of fog rising around a ghostly swathe of trees was taken by David Thompson in the southern swamps of the U.S. It was entered into the open landscape category Miles Morgan trekked to the foothills of Mount Whitney in California to get this stormy image. It is the tallest peak in the U.S. state, topping out at 14,505 feet. It was entered into the open landscape category A view of Mount Ngauruhoe, which is New Zealand's newest and historically most active volcano. The sun-kissed shot was taken by Dylan Toh. It was entered into the open landscape category Dylan Toh found the perfect perch for a panoramic shot of Lake Oberon in Tasmania. It was entered into the open landscape category The overall winner of the 2018 open competition was Veselin Atanasov from Bulgaria. He said of his winning shot, seen above: 'I shot this picture during one spring morning in 2017 in Tuscany. I remember that I had a 70-200mm lens attached to my camera, and the scene in front of me required a wide-angle lens. The sun was quickly rising upward and I decided not to miss this moment while replacing a lens, so I shot the scene through the panorama of several frames from my hand without a tripod' Kelvin Yuen titled this eye-catching photo, taken in Taiwan, 'wave of cloud'. He entered it into the amateur category and scored first place The runner-up in the 2018 amateur competition was Peter Li from the UK with his shot of the blue whale skeleton at the Natural History Museum (left). Meanwhile, Mads Peter Iversen came second in the digital art category with his shot of the Northern Lights swirling over Lofoten in Norway (right) Carsten Bachmeyer's panoramic shot captures the stunning scenery around the Dolomites mountain range in north-eastern Italy. It was entered into the open landscape category This icy image was taken by Alessandro Cantarelli as he explored Iceland's frozen landscapes. It was entered into the amateur landscape category Shafts of light shine down into a cavern in Indonesia in this striking image taken by Gunarto Gunarto. It was entered into the amateur landscape category This dramatic shot of lightning crashing down over the Merewether Baths in Australia was captured by Brian Bornstein. It was entered into the 'built environment' category Albert Dros decided to capture colourful tulips carpeting fields in the Netherlands Javier De La Torre captured two locals fixing fishing nets while travelling through Vietnam. It was entered into the 'built environment' category Stefan Thalerfrom from Austria took this image of the snaking Maloja Pass mountain pass running through the Swiss Alps. It was entered into the 'built environment' category Jun Wang took this shot of the glistening blue waters of Peyto Lake in Banff National Park, Canada, while venturing outdoors in the darkness. It was entered in the amateur landscape category Yiu Kai Shinoda captured a thin shroud of fog hovering over the Macau Peninsula, with skyscrapers peeping through. It came second in the 'built environment' category This image, showing a horse rider in a mountain range in Indonesia, was taken by Ongko Sumarno. It was entered into the amateur landscape category The overall winner of the 2018 amateur competition was Nathaniel Merz from South Korea. He said of his winning shot, seen above: 'Ever since first exploring the mountains here in Korea I have fallen in love with the bonsai-like pine trees clinging to the rocky peaks. This particular tree was always one of my favourites for its tall, regal shape and the fact that it stood alone right on the edge of a cliff. While it is beautiful year round, it looks particularly beautiful covered in just the right amount of frost and snow like I was luckily able to capture [one] morning' Anastasia Woolmington from Australia took this photo while travelling in Japan. She said of the shot: 'Meoto Iwa or Wedded Rocks is a pair of sacred rocks in the sea off Futami in Japan. The two rocks are joined together in matrimony by a sacred Shinto straw rope called a shimenawa. The larger of the two rocks represents a husband, while the smaller rock represents the wife. Many couples from Japan travel there to ask for blessing for their marriage' Isabella Tabacchi took this starry night shot as she ventured out around the Monte Rosa hut in Zermatt, Switzerland This atmospheric shot was taken by Sandra Herber during a storm washing over Oklahoma in the U.S. It came third in the amateur landscape category A holiday resort has banned guests from using their mobile phones around one of its swimming pools. The Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali has a strict 'no calls, no texts and no social media' policy around its secluded river pool. The ban is in place from 9am to 5pm each day with guests instead told to store their devices in nearby lockers to create 'total tranquility'. The River Pool (pictured) at the Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali, where mobile phones are banned for much of the day According to the resort's website, the secluded relaxation area is a two-tiered river stone pool close to nearby luxury private villas. It says: 'The ethos of River Pool is to create a place of tranquility, where our guests can truly relax and be "in the moment". 'So during your time at River Pool (from 09:00-17:00) we promise there will be no calls, no text, no pictures, and no social media just you, River Pool and this moment!' A spokesman for the Ayana resort told Lonely Planet News: 'Our intention is to preserve who we are by valuing human connection and me-time.' To stave off boredom, guests can request old-fashioned board games such as chess and Jenga to play. But those who are desperate for an Instagram snap of the spectacular pool do have two windows of opportunity. There are two two-hour windows of opportunity for people wanting to snap an Instagram picture of the eye-catching pool (stock image) For two hours from the pool opening at 7am until 9am phones are permitted and they are again from 5pm to 7pm. Last week, it was reported that the Ibis hotel chain in Switzerland was offering guests the chance to hire an 'Instagram sitter'. The sitter post photos, stories and even replies to comments on behalf of guests who want a social media detox but want to keep their accounts updated. They went through a rocky patch earlier this year, but decided to give their marriage a second chance following his stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house. And Dan Osborne, 27, and Jacqueline Jossa, 25, have now revealed their union is 'better than ever' following their recent dream Dubai break, which they described as they honeymoon they never had. The couple - who raise children Ella, three, and four-month-old baby Mia, as well as Dan's son Teddy, four, from a previous relationship - spent some quality time together in a bid to get their spark back. Blissful: Dan Osborne, 27, and Jacqueline Jossa, 25, have revealed their union is 'better than ever' following their recent dream Dubai break The trip abroad was all the more special since they never had the time to celebrate their 2017 wedding due to Jacqueline's filming commitments with EastEnders at the time. Discussing the benefits of their getaway, Dan enthused: Our relationship is better now than its ever been. Since getting back together, it feels like were stronger and we appreciate each other so much more. 'In a way we have a lot to thank CBB for, because the time apart made us realise what we were both missing. Back together: They went through a rocky patch earlier this year, but decided to give their marriage a second chance following his stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house Romantic trip: The couple wanted to spend some quality time together and get their spark back, relaxing in style in Dubai 'Things between us are really good right now, it feels like were newlyweds again! Jacqueline added: This is very much a delayed honeymoon for us. Pick up a copy: Read the full story in this week's OK! Magazine The couple split while Jacqueline was pregnant with their second child together, Mia, but rekindled their love when the baby was born. The pair are looking forward to the future and believe this marks a 'fresh start' for them as a family. Jacqueline said: Our relationship went through a difficult patch this year but now were back on track and we wanted to do something to mark our fresh start. Former TOWIE star Dan explained: Being in the CBB house made me appreciate what we have and it made me realise how much I wanted things to work out between us. The lovebirds are determined to make more time for each other going forward - as well as focusing on their children. With Ella, Mia and Teddy to look after, its very hard for us to spend any quality time together. After everything thats gone on between us we really felt like we needed to get away and reconnect with each other', the ex soap star revealed. Dan said: Jacqueline is a great wife and a great mum so she deserves to be spoilt. Read the full story in this week's OK! Magazine - out today. Angelina Jolie got in some quality time with three of her youngest children on Sunday. The movie star was spotted out with Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox while they headed to lunch in Los Angeles. Even the family dog came along for the walk to a local restaurant, guided on a leash by Shiloh. Family time: Angelina Jolie was spotted out with her children Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox as they headed to lunch in Los Angeles on Sunday The 43-year-old's three teenage children, Maddox, 17, Pax, 14 and Zahara, 13, didn't appear to be with their siblings. Angelina looked joyful and was full of smiles under a wide-brimmed black hat and sunglasses as she strolled with her family. The two-time Oscar winner was dressed down in a chic pair of black jeans with pointy-toe flats and a simple white T-shirt. She tied a sweater around her slim hips. Leading the pack: Shiloh and the family pup walked ahead of the group as they went to grab a bite to eat Mommy's girl: Vivienne stuck close to her mom on their walk Smiles! The Oscar winner smiled broadly beneath a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses Shiloh led the pack in a pair of baggy khaki cargo shorts and an olive green jacket with black high top sneakers by Under Armour. Little sister Vivienne walked arm-in-arm with her mom. She was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and a red graphic T-shirt in the style of a Trix cereal box on the front. Her twin, Knox, rocked a pair of black Nike sweatpants and a graphic T-shirt. Back home: Angelina recently returned home from a UN trip to South Korea where she carved out some time to take Maddox to visit universities The little ones: Older siblings Maddox, Pax and Zahara didn't appear to be with their younger siblings on Sunday The doting mother recently got back from a trip abroad to South Korea on an official visit as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Special Envoy. There, Angelina set aside time to explore the country's institutions of higher learning with her eldest, Maddox. The pair were spotted on a university tour together. Custody woes: The Lara Croft star has been battling for custody of the six children whom she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt Facing off: The former couple will square off in court in just a few weeks over custody The Lara Croft star has been battling for custody of the six children whom she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt. In December, the former power couple are slated to duke it out in a Los Angeles courtroom. They were reported to have reached an interim custody agreement regarding their six children in late summer. Legal demands: Angelina is asking for full custody of their six children, while Brad wants shared custody Falling apart: The pair had reached an amicable interim custody agreement but negations recently broke down But negotiations appear to have broken down, and next month, the couple will ask a judge to rule on the custody battle. Angelina is asking for full custody, while her A-list ex wants a shared custody agreement. In addition, the judge will weigh in on dividing up their shared property, after it was revealed they had no prenup. They're devoted parents. So, naturally, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took daughter Luna, two, and six-month-old son Miles with them to Miami, Florida, where the crooner was due to perform on his A Legendary Christmas Tour. On Friday, the family dropped into the Frost Science Museum, which houses the science museum, planetarium and aquarium. Family fun time: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took daughter Luna, two, and six-month-old son Miles with them to Miami, Florida, where the crooner was due to perform And Luna seemed particularly interested in one exhibit pulling her 39-year-old dad over to look at it as mom Chrissy, 32, carried baby Miles. John was casually dressed in a black and white striped T-shirt with long-sleeves plus black pants and sneakers. His beautiful wife showed off her lovely legs in black shorts that she teamed with a sleeveless top and a black jacket with white piping The model-turned-cookbook author wore a small black purse across her body and smoothed her brunette tresses into a bun that she wore low on her neck. You have to see this: Two-year-old Luna pointed something out to her dad, 39, at the Frost Science Museum on Friday Interesting choice: The little girl looked as cute as a button in a white broderie anglaise dress with pink trimmings, while John watched and Chrissie stood behind them holding Miles Luna was cute as a button in a white broderie anglaise dress with pink frills around the arms and her curly hair styled in two buns high on her head. Her little brother wore a blue onesie over a dark blue T-shirt and light blue moccasin booties. After the science museum, John and Chrissy had some alone time without the children for dinner at the iconic, 100-year-old Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant. Daddy's girl: John hoisted his delightful daughter on to his shoulders at the museum, which also includes an aquarium and planetarium Mommy's boy: Luna's little brother wore a blue onesie over a dark blue T-shirt and light blue moccasin booties Pin-up girl: Chrissy showed off her lovely legs in black shorts that she teamed with a sleeveless top and a black jacket with white piping They also enjoyed a little retail therapy at The Webster, a three-story fashion boutique in an art deco building in Miami Beach. Chrissy was seen leaving the high-end store barefoot on the sidewalk in South Beach. On Thursday evening John kicked off his A Legendary Christmas Tour at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida in support of his first seasonal album. It's in the details: The cookbook author completed her ensemble with black fringed sandals as she pushed Miles in his stroller while John carried Luna on his shoulders Show and share: The couple stopped to admire the Marine Desert exhibit at the aquarium with little Luna He played The Filmore in Miami Beach on Saturday and is set to play 20 more dates before wrapping in San Diego, California on December 30. Meanwhile Chrissy, a well-known fan of the British Royal Family, told the Mail On Sunday that she is 'especially a fan of Meghan [Markle],' the Duchess of Sussex. 'I was on Deal Or No Deal with her and she was lovely,' she dished. Chrissy and Meghan, who is now expecting her first child with Prince Harry, were briefcase models on the NBC game show more than a decade ago. Date night: The couple were spotted out later that day without their children Seafood and eat it: John and Chrissy enjoyed dinner at Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant , the iconic 100-year-old eaterie Advertisement New photos show how close Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's $60 million Hidden Hills mansion came to danger in the Woolsey Fire. The jarring images of the close call comes after reports the couple hired a private squad of firefighters to protect the property amid the recent Southern California wildfires. The firefighters persistently dug ditches and hosed down the area amid the searing fires, TMZ reported last week. A close call: New aerial images show how Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's $60 million Hidden Hills mansion was in the line of the fire before their private fire crew were able to stop it reaching the home Perilous Pictures show just how close the mansion came to danger in the Woolsey Fire, as the area adjacent to the home was charred Smart: The couple (pictured in June) hired a private squad of firefighters to protect the property amid the recent Southern California wildfires, TMZ reported Overhead photos display a charred area surrounding the mansion, which was encroached by fire after authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of the region, according to the outlet. Neighbors of the reality TV queen, 38, and the Grammy-winning artist, 41, appreciated the efforts the couple made due to the layout of the area, the outlet reported. A fire to Kim and Kanye's home, which is situated paralleled to a field and at the end of a cul-de-sac, could have triggered further home fires. Kim kept her massive social media following in the loop amid the fires last week, at one point taking to Twitter to address the status of the home. So close: The photos show how the perimeter of the $60 million home was protected by firefighters Battle: The firefighters persistently dug ditches and hosed down the area amid the searing fires, saving the home and potentially others Watchful eye: Kim kept her massive social media following in the loop amid the fires last week, at one point taking to Twitter to address the status of the home Tragedy: Kim also shared a picture of the fire as she revealed the family had been forced to evacuate Enigmatic: On Friday, Kanye West appeared to hint at his plans to build an entire community resistant to future fires 'I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment,' she wrote on November 9. 'It doesn't seem like it is getting worse right now. I just pray the winds are in our favor. God is good. I'm just praying everyone is safe.' She continues: 'Fire Fighters, I love you and thank you for doing all that you can to keep us safe!' The couple evacuated their entire security team after reports the flames were encroaching on their home. Anthony Hopkins was also one of the lucky ones when it comes to the California wildfires - but just barely Kim showed her appreciation to those who fought the flames at the People's Choice Awards in Santa Monica last week. Kim said she and her family were dedicating the best reality show award they won for Keeping Up with the Kardashians star 'to all of the firefighters, police offers, and first responders' who put their lives on the line to extinguish the fires. 'As horrible as this has been, it's been amazing to see the spirit of everyone involved,' Kim said. 'So anything that we can do to help the many organizations - no form of help is too small. We must continue to reach out and help each other in these trying times.' Her husband Kanye also hinted at future efforts to preserve the neighborhood from fires. 'Building a fireproof community,' tweeted the 41-year-old enigmatically. Anthony Hopkins was also one of the lucky ones when it comes to the California wildfires - but just barely. New aerial images show that the deadly Woolsey fire only just missed the legendary Welsh actor's $4.8 million Malibu home. Hopkins' next-door-neighbor's home was completely leveled by the flames, which have killed three people and scorched through more than 98,000 acres in the last week. Even more incredibly, two lawn chairs overlooking the ocean can be seen still standing serenely in the middle of his backyard. Pierce Brosnan's $3.5million Malibu beach house also just barely came out unscathed from the fire, as seen by the scorched ground surrounding the property this week. As many as 250,000 people were ordered to evacuate when Woolsey Fire was at its peak. Actor Anthony Hopkins also came perilously close to losing his Malibu mansion in the blaze after his next-door-neighbor's home was completely leveled by the flames (pictured) The Kardashian clan, Simon Cowell, Will Smith and Martin Sheen were also among those who had to evacuate as Woolsey tore through the star-studded Malibu, Hidden Hills, and Calabasas areas The Kardashian clan, Simon Cowell, Will Smith, and Lady Gaga were just a few of the dozens of celebrities who had to evacuate. And Gerard Butler, Neil Young, and Camille Grammer Meyer were among those who lost their homes in the blaze. Large areas of Los Angeles still remain off-limits due to downed power lines, embers that could re-ignite, buckled roads, and lack of power and communications. In Northern California, authorities sifted through the charred wreckage of the state's deadliest ever wildfire on Sunday, searching for any signs of the 1,276 people now listed as missing after the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. The remains of 79 people have been recovered so far, 63 of whom have been tentatively identified pending DNA confirmation. Early on Sunday the blaze, which ignited on Nov. 8, was 60 percent contained, officials said, up from 55 percent Saturday. Rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the blazes but raising the risk of floods and mudslides, adding to the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders. On Saturday, two forensic anthropologists for the University of Nevada, Reno, were helping firefighters sort through the wreckage at a mobile home park for senior citizens in Paradise. Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter has revealed she is six months pregnant with her partner of three years, 41-year-old Paul. The Channel 4 soap favourite, 29, shared her baby news with OK! magazine this week and revealed that the couple are really, really happy. Speaking candidly about the joys of pregnancy, she explained: You just feel everything at once. Little arrival: Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter has revealed she is six months pregnant with her partner of three years, 41-year-old Paul Kirsty-Leigh added: With acting, you dont know when youre okay to be like: Lets take a year out and do this. Youre just prepared when it happens, and were so happy its happened for us now. Best known for her role as Leela Lomax in Hollyoaks, Kirsty-Leighs real life relationship is going a lot better than her characters, who was cheated on by her partner Louis Loveday. Talking about her relationship with Paul, she said: Something just clicks. If youre in a relationship and its not working then you find yourself having to try. With him, its just not like that. Expecting: Speaking candidly about the joys of pregnancy, she explained: You just feel everything at once. We make an effort but its not hard work its just so natural and effortless. I think thats when you know its love, because every day you wake up and youre happy. Paul added: I didnt believe in all that when you know, you know stuff until I met Kirsty. The couple even have weddings on the brain, although Kirsty-Leigh admits the pair havent made any plans as yet. She continued: We want the baby to be there, but Paul does get in these little love bubbles sometimes, saying: I just want to marry you now. Loved up: Talking about her relationship with Paul, she said: Something just clicks.' Her eager beau added he would love to head to the Scottish village of Gretna Green for their ceremony. During her candid interview, the actress also revealed that the Strictly Curse wouldnt prevent her from going on the BBC One hit show. She added: Ive never cheated on a partner and never would. I know they say its the Strictly curse but I think its absolute rubbish. You cant cheat on someone if you feel youre going to, then tell the person and just be honest. Read the full story in OK! - on sale now That's the photo and, as many have already noted, photos of people 'funnin' with cardboard Baracks led to punishments. But, as we pointed out last week , ". . . women are the canary in the coalmines. Hate and prejudice aimed at all women could never be aimed at any group of straight men without being called out. It is in navigating how much abuse it can get away with towards women that society sets down its markers for others. And week after week, that remains one of the biggest lessons of 2008." What's bugging me is his intention. He isn't putting his hand on her "chest," as most of the articles and conversations about the picture have euphemistically referred to it. Rather, his hand--cupped just so--is clearly intended to signal that hes groping her breast. And why? Surely, not to signal he finds her attractive. Au contraire. Its an act of deliberate humiliation. Of disempowerment. Of denigration. And it disgusts me. -- Dee Dee Myers, "Favreau's Sexist Photo Is No Laughing Matter" (Vanity Fair). No posts matching the query: "marie cocco". Show all posts Friday, November 16, 2018. Someone suffers, so we are told in a new book. [Citations are being added and I will be adding more later this evening.]For some reason, Michelle Obama's put her name to one. I was surprised when I read BECOMING that she'd put her name to it -- surprised anyone would. It's one plodding sentence after another. I asked a friend at Crown why they couldn't hire her a ghost writer with a gift for prose and was informed that what was supposed to be an inspiring and light read morphed quickly into something else because Michelle had "issues." Most of the ghost writer's work involved asking her for happy moments and spending forever trying to unearth a few. Michelle is not happy with her life now or in looking back.The book that they spent forever watering down might have made for an interesting read -- whether she named names and dished or not -- but I do understand their fear because, even watered down, this is not a book for a former First Lady of the United States to put her name to.Let's talk about First Lady, as a role, first. The current one is more or less doing a fine job. It's a ceremonial role, it's pure decoration. There are women who have held the role who've striven for more. Certainly, Eleanor Roosevelt expanded the role and the notion of what it could be. Rosalynn Carter deserves high praise for her term as First Lady in terms of expanding public notions of the role and pulling it into the 20th century. Hillary Diane Clinton showed up on the stage (Hillary Rodham Clinton was buried mid 1992 by the campaign) and was determined to reject the outdated notions for new ones and deserves praise for shattering so many expectations and stereotypes.But if someone wants to carry out the ceremonial role today, that's fine. Melanie Trump is carrying out that role in the same manner that Nancy Reagan did before her. If that's what they want, fine.I do think we need to expect equality, though. Meaning for all of Hillary's self-made claims of feminism, it was appalling (and we called her out in real time) that in her 2016 campaign (not in her 2008 campaign, which was a better campaign) she felt the need to repeatedly tell the public that, if elected, she would be president but her spouse (Bill) would not be First Lady under any name (First Dude, whatever). No, he would not be planning social dinners or . . . Who was going to do that? President Hillary Clinton. She can bomb Libya and select the food and the china it will be served on at a formal dinner all at the same time!First Lady is a ceremonial role. It's all opticals, visuals. Unless, according to Hillary, a man occupies the role, at which point, we have to rethink everything because, heaven forbid, a man is expected to do the work that a woman has had to do over and over for centuries in this country.That's sexist and it was sexist when Hillary was pimping it. It's appalling that the role that so many women have had to hold -- whether they wanted it or not -- would be changed, according to Hillary -- the minute a man held the role.Sexism.And the other issue there is the reality that, no, she cannot plan formal dinners and social engagements while carrying out the duties of president. And it's vile of her to suggest she can. Most women in the US already work endlessly -- many work a paid job outside the home and then turn around and do a shift in the home (caring for children or relatives, cleaning their homes, making meals, etc). For her to try to normalize those extra hours is appalling. She can go 'super woman' it if she wants but that's not helping any woman -- including herself.What was Michelle like as a First Lady.This might be why she is so hostile and touchy. She's a smart woman. She is someone with real skills and, yes, intelligence.But the 2008 campaign remade her. She writes of a meeting with David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett where they explain to her that she's not winning voters. She easily accepts their suggestion that she comes off too smart and works to publicly cut down her own smarts and independence. (To see what that led to, refer to Ava and my " TV: The endless non-news .")In 2008, until New Hampshire, I stayed out of it. Then I did come out for Hillary. (In New Hampshire, at one college appearance, a friend explained she had a debate by various proxies but the one representing Hillary had dropped out due to a scheduling conflict. This is all noted in real time. I tried to beg off but a friend was asking so I stood in as the Hillary voice in the debate. That's when I started moving towards Hillary and then came the sexist attacks and that really did it.) Michelle's "for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country . . ." was tone deaf considering that her husband was running for president. But otherwise the Michelle Obama presented to the public was inspiring and hugely popular.That she listened to Valerie and David and gutted herself is sad. That she's still furious about that is evident in the book -- despite herculean efforts on the part of the ghost writer.I understand the fury. What she was actually inspired. What she became embarrassed.Unless you were an empty headed, closeted lesbian, you didn't care for the makeover. It did attract that group of closeted lesbians that also go orgasmic over Beyonce's every move. Straight adult women don't behave that way -- not even over Denzel or Brad -- nor do most lesbians. But this sub group -- as creepy as Herbert on FAMILY GUY -- does. They are very vocal but they are a very tiny part of the lesbian community and even smaller subgroup of the general American population.As Michelle was reduced to an ornament, they found orgasmic nirvana.Others were sheepish and embarrassed to see a grown woman, with a law degree and two children, reduced to the status of fashion plate. We also grasped the reality that Michelle was not a fashion plate or a great beauty. On the latter, Crown grasps that which is why the cover photo for her book shows her with hand over her chin (the hand minimizes the chin which is one of her visual flaws). On the former, even when models were 'curvy' (what passed for it) with Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley, Michelle wouldn't have qualified as a model. That shouldn't be a shocker. She was in her forties. No one should have expected her to be a model. But that's what happens when you're reduced to ornament status. Equally true, modeling isn't just about a sleek, slim body. It's also about having a gift to wear clothes. Cher can wear a sophisticated outfit or a shocking one and carry it off because she can 'wear' clothes. It's a gift that a woman has or doesn't. (Men can have the gift as well but we're talking about women here.)Had Michelle been allowed to be Michelle, she could have been a ground breaking First Lady. She had the intelligence to be one, she had the skills and the experience to be one.Instead, they shoved her into a hole that very few women would ever fit in and it's clear that the fit did not work for Michelle. Reading the book, it's very, very clear.Does she deserve credit for anything that made it into her book? I'll praise her for not buying into the Russia conspiracy.Otherwise?I'd love to know what she really thinks of the "Whitey" rumor. It's briefly in the book. She's never said it and it's a rumor and? That's about it. Former CIA officer Larry Johnson spread that online in 2008. She doesn't mention ..him. Johnson did not claim to have seen the alleged tape. Johnson was told it existed and would be surfacing. When it didn't and Johnson grasped that he had been played, he outed the source feeding him the information: David Brock.Yes, of MEDIA MATTERS. Pure David and why no one should ever embrace him. He did that as a Republican -- not just with Anita Hill -- and, when we were stupid enough to let him come over to our side, he did it repeatedly. David Brock should be kicked to the curb. He puts lies into circulation intentionally. It's a shame Michelle didn't get to share that.In one of the most ridiculous passages, she allows that she was treated (in the 2008 campaign) in a sexist way (she was) and that she was seeing the sexist attacks on Hillary and really understood them. That last part is where it gets ridiculous.How awful that Hillary was being attacked in a sexist manner in 2008!But, know what, as someone who defended Hillary from sexist attacks in 2008, I remember them and I remember that a lot of people participated in them.A lot.Here's a photo we've noted here and at THIRD repeatedly, This is from Ava and my " Left in the Dust " in 2008:Michelle does recognize those men, right? It includes Barack's speech writer Jon Favreau. From THIRD, here's Dee Dee Myers writing about the grabbing:That sexism that Michelle is so appalled by in 2008? It came from Barack's campaign regularly. And, guess what, it also came from Barack himself.Periodically, the claw come out? Do you remember that statement?Maybe like Michelle, you don't.Funny though, Google doesn't want you to remember it.Search THIRD produces this:No posts at THIRD mention Marie. That's a lie. Good way to censor Google. A Google search of THIRD and Marie Cocco or her quoting Barack also turns up nothing.Why is Google burying that history? [.]Marie Cocco was the one who called him out in the MSM most loudly (Bonnie Erbe also deserves credit). Sometimes, Barack explained, periodically, when she's feeling blue, claws come out.If Michelle's wanting to suddenly talk about the sexism that Hillary experience in 2008, she needs to talk about the sexism her husband promoted.Or how about her own little bitchy remarks?"If you can't run your own house, you certainly can't . . ." Michelle knew what she was saying (see Ava and my " What If Feminists Were Swing Voters? ") and she said it. It was sexist. Hillary can't control Bill's sexual urges how can she control the White House! It's sexism and those are Michelle Obama's own words.Why are we writing about Michelle?Because the anger's there and, here's the news value, Crown says it's really going to surface in interviews -- what they can no longer censor. They point to the upcoming Oprah Winfrey interview where Oprah asks Michelle about Donald Trump and Michelle goes on about how he put her family at risk.Her family at risk? We don't have time to go into the history of the birther rumors.But her family at risk?They had -- and still have -- the Secret Service to protect them. What do the people in Iraq have?"Barack wanted to get US troops out of Iraq."She writes that. It's her entire Iraq output.He didn't get troops out of Iraq. He left with them still on the ground in Iraq (where they remain).Maybe a little less self-focus would help Michelle with her frustration? Maybe grasping that her family is protected but the Iraqi people are not would open her eyes to real horrors? The Deuce's Maggie Gyllenhaal stood out in a head-to-toe red ensemble to discuss her career with Variety's Actors on Actors at Goya Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday. The Oscar nominee - who turned 41 on Friday - wore a belted cardigan with matching pants and pumps selected by stylist Erin Walsh. Hairstylist Bryce Scarlett coiffed the native New Yorker's pixie cut while make-up artist Quinn Murphy brought out her baby blues. Seeing red: The Deuce's Maggie Gyllenhaal stood out in a head-to-toe red ensemble to discuss her career with Variety's Actors on Actors at Goya Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday UK fans can catch Maggie (born Margalit) as Lisa Spinelli, who becomes obsessed with her gifted student in The Kindergarten Teacher, when it finally hits theaters February 8. Gyllenhaal has two daughters - Ramona, 11; and Gloria, 6 - with her husband of nine years, The Looming Tower actor Peter Sarsgaard. The Golden Globe winner comes from a showbiz family - including Oscar-nominated screenwriter mother Naomi Achs, Emmy-nominated director father Stephen, and Oscar-nominated actor brother Jake. Maggie also likely chatted about producing and starring as Times Square sex worker Eileen 'Candy' Merrell in The Deuce, which was renewed for a third and final season on September 20. Scarlet fever! The Oscar nominee - who turned 41 on Friday - wore a belted cardigan with matching pants and pumps selected by stylist Erin Walsh Glam: Hairstylist Bryce Scarlett coiffed the native New Yorker's pixie cut while make-up artist Quinn Murphy brought out her baby blues Finally hits theaters February 8! UK fans can catch Maggie (born Margalit) as Lisa Spinelli, who becomes obsessed with her gifted student in The Kindergarten Teacher Showbiz family: Gyllenhaal has two daughters - Ramona, 11; and Gloria, 6 - with her husband of nine years, The Looming Tower actor Peter Sarsgaard (pictured November 6) Joining the ACLU activist for the interview was fellow Netflix star, Seven Seconds actress Regina King. The Ohio-born 47-year-old looked sophisticated in a black ruffled blouse, nineties retro blue-pleated pants, and black loafers selected by styling duo Wayman + Micah. Hairstylist Yvette Shelton braided the former child star's elaborate updo while make-up artist Latrice Johnson made sure she was ready for her close-up. Regina just scored her third Emmy win for her role as grieving mother Latrice Butler in the Jersey City-set miniseries involving a policeman shooting a teenage African-American boy. Renewed for season three! The Golden Globe winner also likely chatted about producing and starring as Times Square sex worker Eileen 'Candy' Merrell in The Deuce Interlacing fingers: Joining Maggie for the interview was fellow Netflix star, Seven Seconds actress Regina King Werk: The Ohio-born 47-year-old looked sophisticated in a black ruffled blouse, nineties retro blue-pleated pants, and black loafers selected by styling duo Wayman + Micah Plaited: Hairstylist Yvette Shelton braided the former child star's elaborate updo while make-up artist Latrice Johnson made sure she was ready for her close-up The Bachelorette couple Ali Oetjen and Taite Radley have wasted no time starting a family, according to a string of unconfirmed magazine reports. Woman's Day claimed on Monday that the Adelaide-based account manager, 32, displayed a 'hint of a bump' during a sighting in Sydney earlier this month. However, photos Ali has posted of herself on social media recently - which show her with a noticeably flat stomach - seem to disprove this pregnancy theory. Scroll down for video Is Ali Oetjen pregnant already? A string of unconfirmed magazine reports have claimed the Bachelorette has wasted no time starting a family. Pictured with boyfriend Taite Radley (left) While Ali did not confirm or deny the baby rumours, she did tell the publication that her new boyfriend 'would make an amazing father' one day. 'He would give [our kids] so much time and love,' she added. Ali also said she was hoping to have twins in the future, preferably 'one boy and one girl'. Jumping the gun? Woman's Day claimed on Monday that Ali, 32, displayed a 'hint of a bump' during a sighting in Sydney earlier this month. However, her recent Instagram posts appear to tell a different story Taite, 28, added that twins are a possibility for the couple due to his family history. Meanwhile, the reality TV lovebirds did little to quash baby rumours when speaking to NW magazine this week. The pair even discussed what names they will give their children in the future. Bubbly? Another recent Instagram video showed Ali drinking what appears to be a glass of champagne. This would suggest she is not, in fact, pregnant Ali said excitedly: 'I want two kids! I'd ideally like twins [and] I would like one to be called Heidi.' 'And then maybe "Tali" - a mix between Taite and Ali!' Taite added. Throughout the latest season of The Bachelorette, Taite expressed doubts about getting married and having children. But despite these misgivings, Ali 'took a risk' and chose him in favour of runner-up Todd King, who made it clear he wanted to start a family. Candice Swanepoel continued to be her own best advertising on Sunday for her new swimsuit line. The 30-year-old posted images to her Instagram Stories showing a black bikini from her new Tropic Of C swimwear collection. Candice had her long hair down while putting the backside on display in one snap just five months after welcoming her second son Ariel Swanepoel Nicoli. Swimsuit collection: Candice Swanepoel took to Instagram on Sunday to share more images from her new swimwear line Tropic Of C She also modeled the black-two piece while sitting and hiding her face with a large round black hat. Candice showed photographer Jerome Duran at work and gave him a nod with a hashtag for her nearly 13 million followers on Instagram. Jerome shot various looks for Tropic Of C at Amangiri, a remote hideaway tucked within Canyon Point, Utah. The South African model last week posted several images from her new collection on Instagram including a few in the same bikini. Remote shoot: The 30-year-old model gave a shout out to photographer Jerome Duran who shot the swimwear collection at Amangiri, a remote hideaway in Utah The siren also wore a two piece with a small triangle top and high-waist briefs. Her hair was slicked back, looking darker than usual, and she added large gold hoop earrings. Swanepoel was nicely tanned as sand dunes were seen behind her. Top model: Candice also took to Instagram last week as she modeled her own swimwear line Fit figure: The model welcomed her son son just five months ago The top goes for $80 and the low-rise bottom also was being sold for $80. Candice and model boyfriend Hermann Nicoli also have a two-year-old son Anaca. The Victoria's Secret Angel took to Instagram in January to announce that Tropic Of C was coming. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants co-stars Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera reunited 13 years after their hit movie debuted, at Vulture Fest. The actresses were both part of the Feminist AF panel at Vulture Fest, which was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood on Saturday and Sunday. Tamblyn and Ferrera were part of the panel that also included Roxanne Gay, Ada Limon and Carmen Maria Machado. Sisters reunited: The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants stars America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn reunited at Vulture Fest on Sunday Ferrera, 34, was pictured wearing a white blouse with small black dots, and maroon pants with white heels. Tamblyn, 35, was wearing a dark blue dress with white floral prints, along with some light turquoise boots. The actresses were seen embracing after the panel, when Tamblyn put on a pair of glasses and had her hair tied up in a bun. Vulture Fest panel: Tamblyn and Ferrera were part of the panel that also included Roxanne Gay, Ada Limon and Carmen Maria Machado On the red carpet: Ferrera made her feature film debut in 2002's Real Women Have Curves, just three years before she played Carmen in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants All smiles: Tamblyn, the daughter of actor Russ Tamblyn, had her breakout role in 2002's The Ring, before joining Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Blake Lively in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Ferrera made her feature film debut in 2002's Real Women Have Curves, just three years before she played Carmen in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Tamblyn, the daughter of actor Russ Tamblyn, had her breakout role in 2002's The Ring, before joining Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Blake Lively in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The movie was a modest success, earning $42 million worldwide from a $25 million budget. Vulture fest: The movie spawned a sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which brought all four of the main stars back Sister star: The sequel marked a slight improvement from the original, earning $44 million worldwide from a $27 million budget At the mic: Ferrera currently stars on the hit NBC sitcom Superstore, and she will return to voice Astrid in the DreamWorks Animation sequel How to Train Your Dragon 3 Busy actress: She also voices Astrid in the animated series Dragons: Race to the Edge. The movie spawned a sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which brought all four of the main stars back. The sequel marked a slight improvement from the original, earning $44 million worldwide from a $27 million budget. Ferrera currently stars on the hit NBC sitcom Superstore, and she will return to voice Astrid in the DreamWorks Animation sequel How to Train Your Dragon 3. She also voices Astrid in the animated series Dragons: Race to the Edge. Tamblyn has signed on for the new FX series Y, based on the hit graphic novel Y: The Last Man. Opposition: Jim Carrey was in full anti-Trump mode Rating: The Interrogation Of Tony Martin Talk about saving the best till last. Director Dave Naths superb verbatim reconstruction of a notorious police inquiry ended with a candid, off-hand encounter with an unrepentant killer. The Interrogation Of Tony Martin (C4) was brilliant from the opening shot. Steve Pemberton, an actor who can fix the camera with the disturbing gaze of a psychopath as though hes flicking a switch, played the Norfolk eccentric accused of murdering 16-year-old burglar Fred Barras with a shotgun during a break-in at his isolated home, Bleak House. All Pembertons lines, and those of the interviewing officers played by Daniel Mays and Stuart Graham, were directly from police transcripts. If you didnt know better, it could have been dialogue written by a master playwright. Steve Pemberton, above, an actor who can fix the camera with the disturbing gaze of a psychopath as though hes flicking a switch, played the Norfolk eccentric accused of murdering 16-year-old burglar Fred Barras with a shotgun during a break-in at his isolated home, Bleak House Pemberton captured the twin extremes of Martins personality his nervous evasions and twitchiness alternating with arrogant bombast. He switched between the two as rapidly as a broken lightbulb crackling on and off. The farmer felt certain that, in shooting an intruder in the dark, at night in his own home, hed done nothing wrong. A series of burglaries had driven him to desperate measures. But at the same time, he seemed to know instinctively that the law wouldnt exonerate him, and so he lied. The minimalist treatment meant we saw no reconstruction of the killing. Disjointed sounds a creaking floorboard, a shotgun blast supplied the only flashbacks. By the same token, there was no moralising voiceover, nobody telling us what to think. We watched the raw material and made up our own minds. DC Peters (Danny Mays), DS Newton (Stuart Graham) and Tony Martin (Steve Pemberton. Director Dave Naths superb verbatim reconstruction of a notorious police inquiry ended with a candid, off-hand encounter with an unrepentant killer Earlier this year, Labours former shadow chancellor Ed Balls touched on the same subject during his adventures in Americas Deep South, on BBC2s Travels In Trumpland. He was aghast to learn that, in Louisiana, shooting a trespasser dead is not only lawful but regarded as normal. Many Americans watching last nights drama would feel as baffled as Ed. Theyd say Martin killed in self-defence. Was he supposed to wait to be shot or knifed himself? Perhaps then his gravestone could proclaim: Yes, hes dead, but at least he didnt break the law. Martin was eventually cleared of murder, on appeal, but found guilty of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. In a coda, we saw the real Tony Martin return to Bleak House. Theres nothing diminished about me, he growled. Then he mimed how hed deal with a burglar again pointing his finger like a gun, and saying: Pow! A boast, or an admission of guilt? Once again, this exceptional programme was leaving us to decide. Rating: Doctor Who With the Tardis landing at the intergalactic internet warehouse Kerblam (not Kerblamazon, perish the thought), the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) launched an investigation of zero-hours contracts and corporate tax loopholes. Come on, were filing a complaint! she cried, marching into the head of personnels office, to report an abduction. It helped that the vanished worker was played by comic Lee Mack, and the fabulous Julie Hesmondhalgh was the weaselly HR boss, but all the starpower in the solar system couldnt save this script. Sensing something suspicious lurking behind the company's cheerful facade, the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz take on an undercover investigation at the Kerblam warehouse - a vast storage space that takes up an entire moon At least there was a happy ending. Were suspending all operations for a month pending review, declared Julie. Doctor Who is meant to inspire a love of learning. Perhaps thousands of children went to bed asking: Mummy, where can I find out more about employment rights? Bob Barker was rushed to the hospital for the second time in two months on Sunday. The former Price Is Right host, who's 94, was taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital by ambulance from his Hollywood Hills home suffering from severe back pain, TMZ reported. Barker's manager told the website that Barker is doing better following his hospitalization. TV icon: Bob Barker, 94, is reported to be doing better after being rushed to hospital from his Hollywood Hills home Sunday afternoon suffering from severe back pain It was back pain that saw the television legend transported to hospital on October 22. The pain stems from a fall he had in his home in 2017. In 2015, he split his head open after a fall during a morning walk near his home. Health issues: This past October 22, the former Price Is Right host was taken to hospital by paramedics, pictured, with back pain that stems from a fall at his home in 2017 Legend: Barker hosted The Price is Right from 1972 to 2007; he is pictured on the show in 2005 Barker is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history. He won 14 individual Emmy awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and 5 for producing. He became an animal rights activist and turned vegetarian in 1979. He proceeded then to sign off each episode of The Price Is Right with: 'This is Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population have your pets spayed or neutered.' He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1974. Barker married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jo Gideon in 1945. They remained together until her death in 1981, from lung cancer. The incredible highs and harrowing lows of her colourful life have been detailed with characteristic frankness in her new autobiography, the appropriately titled Brutally Honest. And in the latest candid excerpt to be serialised by The Sun, Spice Girl Mel B recalls how the pain of her beloved fathers death served as the catalyst for her eventual divorce from Stephen Belafonte. The 43-year olds toxic marriage to the American film producer was already crumbling when she visited dad Martin Brown on his deathbed in March 2017, three years after their last meeting in her native Leeds ended in a furious row. Opening up: And in the latest candid excerpt from her new autobiography Brutally Honest, Spice Girl Mel B recalls how the pain of her beloved father Martin's death served as the catalyst for her eventual divorce from Stephen Belafonte Despite all of that, I was still his daughter, the little girl he had adored more than life itself, she recalled. He might hate me, but I always knew that his love burned away underneath. In the end, it was my dad who gave me the strength to leave Stephen. After battling multiple myeloma cancer since 2012 Martin had been given just days to live, and Mel admits she made a frantic mercy dash from her home in Los Angeles to Leeds-Bradford Airport via London in order to be with her father during his final moments. Accompanied by daughter Phoenix Chi, 19 - her oldest child from a failed first marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar - younger sister Danielle and mother Andrea, the performer helped look after bedridden Martin, who was increasingly frail and had lost the ability to talk. All over: The 43-year olds toxic marriage to the American film producer was already crumbling when she visited dad Martin Brown on his deathbed in March 2017 But he managed to summon an ounce of strength after Mel told him she planned to end her disastrous marriage to Belafonte. I told him I was leaving Stephen and I felt his hand tighten slightly in mine, she recalled, before recounting the terrible moment her father passed away. I leaned over him. Dad. Youve had your hair cut and a shave. Youve got a fresh shirt on. We have prayed. We are ready. You are ready. But I cant start my divorce until you die. Helping hand: Accompanied by daughter Phoenix Chi (pictured) younger sister Danielle and mother Andrea, the performer helped look after bedridden Martin She added: His eyes opened for a second, we looked at each other, and there was a moment in which I felt every ounce of pain that had ever passed between us disappear. Then he took one last, very slow breath. Hes gone, I announced to the room. The moment proved to be as cathartic as it was emotional, with Mel immediately doing what her father had always wanted her to do by initiating her divorce. Opting to avoid Martins funeral, Mel returned to Los Angeles, where she rented a new house, hired a divorce lawyer, and filed a restraining order against her husband. The former couple finalised their divorce on December 15 2017. They've been happily married for eight years. And Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart were in perfect sync once again for the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The Star Wars legend, still rocking his new goatee, looked handsome as ever in a classic black tux and bow tie. Black and white: Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart were in perfect sync once again for the Governers Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night His wife matched his colors in a fab off-the-shoulder black and white dress, paired with black pumps. The semi-sheer gown teased glimpses of the Ally McBeal star's lithe frame, adorned as the soiree was with countless stars. The couple have been married for eight years but together for twice that, meeting and striking up a relationship at the Golden Globe Awards in January of 2002. They share a 17-year-old son, Liam Flockhart Ford, whom Calista adopted at birth in 2001. Dashing: The Star Wars legend, still rocking his new goatee, looked handsome as ever in a classic black tux and bow tie Gorgeous: His wife matched his colors in a fab off-the-shoulder black and white dress, paired with black pumps Beautiful: The semi-sheer gown teased glimpses of the Ally McBeal star's lithe frame, adorned as the soiree was with countless stars Long run: The couple have been married for eight years but together for twice that Ford has two children from each of his first two marriages He has two sons, Benjamin and Willard, with his first wife, Mary Marquardt, to whom he was married from 1964 until their divorce in 1979. With his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, whom he married in 1983 and separated from in 2001, he has two more children, Malcolm and Georgia. Ford is currently getting ready to return as the iconic archaeologist Indiana Jones in the long-awaited Indiana Jones 5. The action icon will reunite with director Steven Spielberg, but it will still be several years until this hits theaters. He is best known for his legendary hip-hop albums as well as sought-after fashion designs. But Kanye West's best role seems to be as a doting dad. West was seen carrying his five year old daughter North on his shoulders while visiting the California Science Center on Sunday. North seemed to be quite happy as her famous father walked along with her on his shoulders. Piggy back ride: Rapper Kanye West was seen carrying his five year old daughter North on his shoulders while visiting the California Science Center on Sunday Father and daughter: West carried his five year old daughter North, who wanted a piggyback ride while visiting the California Science Center on Sunday West, 41, was wearing a bright yellow zip-up jacket, khaki pants and green and black Yeezy shoes during his daddy-daughter museum date. North was seen wearing a pink ruffled dress with a matching teddy bear backpack, and she was all smiles while riding on her dad's shoulders. The father and daughter were both accompanied by a female friend. Kanye and North: West, 41, was wearing a bright yellow zip-up jacket, khaki pants and green and black Yeezy shoes during his daddy-daughter museum date Daughter piggy back: North was seen wearing a pink ruffled dress with a matching teddy bear backpack, and she was all smiles while riding on her dad's shoulders West and North's outing comes just days after the rapper donated $150,000 to the family of a black security guard killed by a white police officer in Chicago. Jemel Robinson was killed early Sunday morning, after apprehending a gunman outside of a Chicago bar, but the 26-year-old was killed by police, even though he was wearing a uniform that said security on it. West, a Chicago native, took to the GoFundMe page set up for Robinson, donating $15,000 10 times in a row. Museum date: West and North's outing comes just days after the rapper donated $150,000 to the family of a black security guard killed by a white police officer in Chicago Benevolent rapper: West took to the GoFundMe page set up for Robinson, donating $15,000 10 times in a row. The rapper and his family were able to return to their home in Hidden Hills recently, after having to evacuate due to the Woolsey Fire. New photos surfaced on Sunday that showed just how close the blaze came to destroying the Kardashian-West home The $60 million home was just a few feet away from the charred landscape where the Woolsey Fire burned. Back home: The rapper and his family were able to return to their home in Hidden Hills recently, after having to evacuate due to the Woolsey Fire Lucky family: New photos surfaced on Sunday that showed just how close the blaze came to destroying the Kardashian-West home West has already dropped two albums this year, Ye in June and Yahndi in September. He also released a new song with rapper Lil Pump called I Love It in September as well. West and his wife Kim Kardashian were spotted heading to a jewelry store over the weekend. Strained: West has already dropped two albums this year, Ye in June and Yahndi in September Carrying daughter: He also released a new song with rapper Lil Pump called I Love It in September as well They were pictured kissing in Sydney last month. And Joel Edgerton and Christine Centenera certainly aren't shying away from romance reports. The pair were pictured arriving at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Sunday, days after attending GQ magazine's Man of the Year awards in Sydney. They're inseparable! Joel Edgerton (centre) and Vogue Australia stylist Christine Centenera (left) arrive at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles days after debuting their romance at GQ awards Boy Erased star Joel, 44, looked relaxed with an overnight bag in one hand and various jackets in the other. He was casually dressed in khaki pants, a grey T-shirt, tan-coloured jacket and white sneakers. Vogue Australia fashion director Christine wore a daring black outfit consisting of a blouse with sheer back, cut-off shorts and quirky shoes. Checking in? Boy Erased star Joel, 44, looked relaxed as he carried an overnight bag in one hand and various jackets in the other With the help of a driver, the pair collected various items from a waiting car and transported them inside the hotel, which is a favourite among Hollywood's elite. Last week, Los Angeles-based Joel told The Daily Telegraph that he intends to spend more time in his native Australia. 'My focus next is about what I can make at home that I can celebrate two of my favourite things being at home and making stuff so that I am not always away,' he said. Making it official! Last week, Joel and Christine debuted their relationship at GQ Man of the Year Joel and Christine first sparked romance rumours in Sydney last month, when they were pictured in an intimate embrace. Earlier this year, Joel was rumoured to be dating his Red Sparrow co-star Jennifer Lawrence, 28. The Daily Telegraph claimed at the time the pair were spotted 'getting very cosy on the red carpet [at] the New York premiere for the spy film.' Main title: Joel was named GQ magazine's Man of the Year on Wednesday Joel was also once linked to models Dayana Reeves and Wanessa Milhomem. Prior to Joel, New York-based Christine was linked to fashion designer, Josh Goot, 38. The pair previously launched an e-commerce-only brand Wardrobe.NYC and explained their working relationship last December. 'We each have our strengths and so I think at the end of the day we complement each other, and the interest from investors has come from us combining our strengths,' Christine told Vogue Australia last year. Josh added: 'Christine was right when she said we bring very different things to the table, and it's finding the balance that really does inform the brand's feel. 'There's a lot of both of us in the brand. It's been a huge learning curve, but it's been a great year.' By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Following the 11th meeting of the Belarusian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, Belarusian Railways and the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC signed an agreement on mutually beneficial cooperation. Head of Belarusian Railway Vladimir Morozov said that the interaction of the railways of the two countries is of traditional nature and the new agreement was signed not only to formalize the existing cooperation, but also to give it a new impetus, BeLta reported. Morozov explained that this agreement creates the most comfortable, sustainable transport links between Belarus and Azerbaijan. "What is especially important is the development of the North-South corridor, the creation of conditions for the movement of goods from India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Belarus. The agreement involves the creation of working groups on tariff and technological spheres. Around 96 percent of goods in trade between two countries are moving by rail. We are interested in having as many of them as possible. This requires fair tariffs, good logistics services and rolling stock, as well as the efficient work of the two railway administrations. The lion's share of the transit corridor runs through the Russian Federation. We work with partners so that tariff and technology policies are agreed," he said. International Transport Corridor (ITC) "North-South" is a multimodal route for transporting passengers and goods from St. Petersburg (Russia) to the port of Mumbai (India). The idea of the North-South transport corridor appeared in 1993. However, only on September 12, 2000, Russia, Iran and India signed a corresponding agreement, which was ratified in 2002. Azerbaijan joined the project in 2005. The implementation of the idea has stalled due to Western sanctions against Iran. With the lifting of sanctions against Tehran in January 2016, the project again acquired its relevance. The length of the international transport corridor "North-South" is more than 7,000 kilometers. A significant part of the North-South corridor runs along the Russian railways, which, depending on the route, account for 33-53 percentage of the total length of the land part of the corridor. The INSTC in its southern part involves several routes for the passage of goods using rail transport: Trans-Caspian route implies using of the Russian sea ports of Astrakhan, Olya, Makhachkala and the ports of Iran - Bender-Enzeli, Nowshehr and Bender-Amirabad. The western branch of the corridor is a direct rail link through the Samur (Russia) -Yalama (Azerbaijan) border crossings with further access to the Iranian railway network via the Astara (Azerbaijan) - Astara border (Iran). The eastern branch of the corridor is a direct rail link through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with access to the Iranian railway network through the border crossings Sarakhs (Turkmenistan) - Sarakhs (Iran) and Akyaila (Turkmenistan) - Inche Burun (Iran). Currently, these routes are mainly destined for Russia's export cargo to Azerbaijan and Iran. The main advantage of the North-South corridor over other routes is a reduction of two or more times the distance of transportation, as well as a reduction in the cost of transporting containers compared to the cost of transportation along the sea route. Rasht-Astara (Iran) - Astara railway (Azerbaijan) has great importance for the project, which is the last link of the direct railway route along the western branch of the North-South. He's the multi-talented actor who won the coveted 2018 GQ Man of the Year award in Sydney last week. And on Sunday, Joel Edgerton cut a suave figure at the 10th annual Governors Awards in Hollywood. The 44-year-old looked handsome in a navy blue power suit for the occasion. Well-suited! Joel Edgerton, 44, cut a suave figure in a tailored navy ensemble at the Governors Awards in Hollywood on Sunday Joel teamed the look with a crisp white shirt and black dress shoes. The Boy Erased director accessorised further with a navy bow tie and white pocket square. Handsome: Joel teamed the look with a crisp white shirt and black dress shoes Details: Joel accessorised the look further with a navy bow tie Joel's red carpet appearance comes after he debuted his 'new girlfriend', Christine Centenera, at the GQ Man of the Year Awards in Sydney last Wednesday. The Sydney-born star and the Vogue Australia fashion director attended the event together at The Star in Pyrmont, where Joel was named GQ magazine's Man of the Year. Joel, who now bases himself in Los Angeles, told The Daily Telegraph last week, that he intends to spend more time in his native Australia. Off the market! Last Wednesday, Joel debuted his 'new girlfriend', Christine Centenera, at the GQ Man of the Year Awards in Sydney 'My focus next is about what I can make at home that I can celebrate two of my favourite things being at home and making stuff so that I am not always away,' he said. The pair first sparked romance rumours in Sydney last month, when they were pictured in an intimate embrace. Earlier this year, Joel was rumoured to be dating his Red Sparrow co-star Jennifer Lawrence, 28. He was also once linked to models Dayana Reeves and Wanessa Milhomem. Winner! The multi-talented actor won the coveted 2018 GQ Man of the Year award She could surely give the Oscar a run for its money. And on Sunday, Emily Blunt look statuesque in a gold, sequin gown while at the Governors Awards in Hollywood, California. The 35-year-old was joined by husband John Krasinski, who looked dapper in a classic tuxedo and bow tie. Glamorous: On Sunday, Emily Blunt, 35, look statuesque in a gold, sequin gown while at the Governors Awards in Hollywood, California Emily wore her blonde locks back in a low, coiled bun. The mother-of-two added drama to her pretty blue eyes with dark shadow and liner. Emily accessorized with elegant diamond rings and small stud earrings. Date night away from the kids: The Mary Poppins Returns star was joined by handsome husband John Krasinski, 39 Simple and chic: Emily wore her blonde locks back in a low, coiled bun Cute: At one point, Emily sweetly fixed her husband's bow tie The elegant evening was surely a special parents' night away for the couple. Emiily and John have been married since July 2010, and welcomed daughter Hazel in February 2014. In summer 2016, the husband-wife duo welcomed daughter Violet. Alone time: The elegant evening was surely a special parents' night away for the couple Their story: Emily and John have been married since July 2010, and welcomed daughter Hazel in February 2014 Emily can next be seen as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns. Then, the star will take the role of Lily Houghton in Jungle Cruise, a film based on a ride at Disneyland. John currently stars as Jack Ryan in the Amazon Prime series, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. She has already gotten rave reviews for her portrayal as Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, in the upcoming comedy-drama biopic Vice, that also stars Christian Bale. Amy Adams also deserves high praise for her fashion choices for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences Governors Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood. She was one of many A-list actors who hit the red carpet for the 10th annual event. Shining star: Amy Adams, 44, attended the Governors Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood The 44-year old actress stunned in a pink gown that had a heart embroidery etched near her heart. The elegant number flowed with ease off of her amazing figure and had stylish creases along both sides of the piece. The color looked to be a perfect match for her radiant skin tone and trademark ginger tresses, which were worn long with some added soft waves. Keeping an eye for detail, the designer also added a pink tie around the waist, and she carried a matching clutch purse. Stunning: The actress wore a pink gown by Schiaparelli that had a heart embroidery etched near her heart Elegant: The amazing number flowed with ease off of her amazing figure and had stylish creases along both sides of the piece Soaking it all in: The Vice star was all smiles as she strutted her stuff on the red carpet The untelevised Governors dinner gala is typically comprised of many Oscar hopefuls for the forthcoming awards season. Oftentimes highlights from the evening are included in the official Academy Awards broadcast. Amy's new film Vice, and it's star Christian Bale, already have a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding it weeks before it hits theaters in the US, according to Variety. In fact, the actress will receive the first of what could be many awards for her riveting performance as Mrs. Cheney when she gets presented with the Peter J. Owens Award for Acting at the San Francisco Film Festival December 3. Vice, which follows the political rise of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, is set to be released December 25 in the US. The 91st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 24, 2019. It's all in the details: The designer also added a pink tie around the waist, and Amy carried a matching clutch purse Coming all together: The color looked to be a perfect match for her radiant skin tone and trademark ginger tresses, which were worn long with some added soft waves Aside from the Oscar talk, Amy is also set to play the lead role in the upcoming thriller film The Woman In The Window, alongside stars Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Wyatt Russell, Bryan Tyree Henry and Anthony Mackie. She most recently received rave reviews for her gripping role in the dark psychological HBO series Sharp Objects this summer. Amy has won two Golden Globes, and has been nominated for five Academy Awards and six British Academy Film Awards. Some of her most heralded roles include the films Junebug (2005), Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012), American Hustle (2013) and Arrival (2016). Preview: The untelevised dinner gala is typically comprised of many Oscar hopefuls for the forthcoming awards season The Walking Dead hero Maggie was gone from the hit zombie show but still alive as it was revealed on Sunday's episode she left Hilltop to set up a new community. The episode titled Stradivarius revealed that Maggie was with a group of survivors with mysterious Georgie. The revelation was made as Michonne battled her new group through a herd of walkers toward Hilltop and Daryl left the woods with Carol after years of searching for Rick Grimes following the bridge explosion. New group: Michonne learned during Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead that Maggie had left Hilltop to set up a new community with Georgie 'We never found a body ...ever. After a while, it just got easier to stay out here,' Daryl said. The eighth episode of season nine started with Rosita out in the woods wounded after her escape from the first encounter with the Whisperers. Carol [Melissa McBride] and son Henry arrived at Daryl's [Norman Reedus] camp. She told Daryl that Henry [Matt Lintz] was going to Hilltop to apprentice as a smith and she had to go back to the Kingdom and wanted him to 'babysit' Henry. Body search: Daryl Dixon revealed that he had been searching for years for Rick Grimes who was presumed dead after the bridge explosion Road trip: Carol escorted her son Henry to Hilltop and picked up Daryl along the way No body: Daryl said that he searched for Rick Grimes and never found a body 'Nah, he's going to have to learn, just like everybody else, just like you and I did,' Daryl told her Michonne, Siddiq, and DJ traveled with Magna, Yumiko, Kelly, Connie and Luke to Hilltop. Yumiko told Michonne and Sadie about Bernie, a group member they had lost and remembered how he had annoyed Magna. Idealistic son: Carol was hoping that Daryl could serve as a mentor to her son Michonne was asked by Yumiko about Hilltop and she told her she had not been there in a while but that they needed to trust her. At Hilltop the community appears to have done well in the years after the suspected demise of Rick Grimes and Jesus [Tom Payne] was elected leader, a role he is not comfortable with. Jesus revealed that he took over the job when Maggie left. Good question: Yumiko [Eleanor Matsuura] quizzed Michonne about life at Hilltop Michonne and the group went to their camp to collect their belongings but found that the group of walkers had destroyed most things. She then decided to collect their weapons so the new group would not be armed on their arrival at Hilltop. They did not like her rules but decided to agree in return for a safe place to live. Wagon ride: Michonne escorted the newcomers to Hilltop after banishing them from Alexandria Jesus was then seen out on his horse and he was ambushed by Aaron [Ross Marquand]. The two had been meeting for fight training despite the issues between Alexandria and Hilltop. After the men sparred they saw a flare fired in the distance. Sparring session: Jesus and Aaron sparred together When they got to it they found injured Rosita, who told them Eugene was also injured and had been left in a nearby barn. She was too weak and could not remember where he was and with walkers almost on them they grabbed her and left. At Daryl's camp he cooked them snake for dinner and Carol cut his hair. Daryl said that he had been out in the wilderness looking for Rick, but had not found his body. Dinner time: Daryl cooked snake for dinner for Carol and Henry Henry did not understand why his mom thought he needed a chaperone, let alone 'this guy?' In the night Henry followed Daryl out into the woods but was soon caught out by Daryl. But Daryl also saw his pet dog, Dog, caught in a trap with walkers closing in on him. More walkers: The hunter noted that there were more walkers lately Daryl went to rescue Dog and told Henry to stay but after killing several walkers Daryl found himself in trouble until Henry arrived to help. Carol had watched the whole incident and later Daryl explained to Henry that the traps were used to keep walkers out but that there had been more than usual of late. Henry told Daryl his mom saw him as her best friend and that she missed him and worried about him. Best friend: Dog was a new companion for Daryl Daryl told him Carol knew how to find him but he said she should not have to. Michonne and her new group found shelter for the night but with everyone else asleep Michonne got up and drew her sword. She found Luke fixing something, possibly a weapon, and as he turned around Michonne cut in half his rare Stradivarius violin. Luke told her that he thought music would help humans survive the apocalypse. Music answer: Luke believed that music would human humans survive the zombie apocalypse Back at Hilltop Jesus revealed he had been communicating and training with Aaron. Tara told him he had to stop and she told him she would search for Eugene while he stayed and kept the community together as its leader. The next day Siddiq told Michonne that Maggie had left Hilltop and that Jesus was now in charge. New crew: Kelly, Connie, Luke and Yumiko were being taken to Hilltop by Siddiq Suddenly walkers attacked and Michonne agreed to let the new group have their weapons back. The group managed to fight off the walkers but recognized one of them as their friend Bernie. Magna broke down at the discovery so Michonne ended him. Arms control: Michonne gave the newcomers their weapons back and Connie got to work with a slingshot Nice aim: Kelly also showed off slingshot skills Tough moment: Magna recognized a walker as their friend Bernie Familiar face: Bernie shocked everyone when he appeared again as a zombie In mourning: Yumiko tried to console Magna about Bernie On the ride to Hilltop Siddiq told Michonne that Maggie had left with Georgie to start a new community. They then met two riders from Hilltop who were headed for Alexandria to tell them about Rosita. Michonne decided to carry on to Hilltop and went ahead of the group. Rugged life: Daryl was camping out on his own after Rick disappeared Daryl decided to go with Carol and Henry to Hilltop but when he got there Aaron asked him to help search for Eugene. He agreed and Jesus told Tara he had to go as well and she agreed to watch the community while he went. The episode ended with Daryl, Aron and Jesus riding out together to rescue Eugene. The Walking Dead will return next week for its mid-season finale titled Evolution. He's set to transform into MI6 agent Greville Wynne for his new role on Cold War thriller, Ironbark. And despite having portrayed multiple intelligent personas on screen, actor Benedict Cumberbatch believes he's one of 'the stupidest actors [he] knows'. In an interview with Stellar magazine on Sunday, the 42-year-old expressed that he's drawn to complex characters because they are 'so different' from him. 'I'm one of the stupidest actors I know': Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured) explained why he chooses to portray extremely intelligent people on screen during an interview with Stellar Magazine this week 'The great joy [of acting] is the transformation - moving away from what I know or who I am,' he candidly revealed. 'So perversely, I am probably one of the stupidest actors I know,' Benedict candidly added. 'I'm playing some of the smartest characters because I'm drawn to them. They are so different from me.' 'I'm playing some of the smartest characters because I'm drawn to them. They are so different from me' he told the publication But after being asked whether he'll take on a role representing someone 'completely daft' some day, Benedict said that he will. Despite this, he admitted he tends to gravitate towards extreme characters as they differ from his true personality. Among Benedict's 'intelligent' roles was The Imitation Game character Alan Turing, who was a mathematical genius. Legend: Among Benedict's 'intelligent' roles was The Imitation Game character Alan Turing, who was a mathematical genius. Impressive: He has also played journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate (pictured here), Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC film and Sherlock Holmes He has also played journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate, Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC film Hawking and Sherlock Holmes. The English actor first performed in Shakespearean productions before making his West End debut in Hedda Galber in 2005. Benedict is married to theater director Sophie Hunter, 40, and the pair share two sons together - Christopher, three and one-year-old Hal. Benedict's full interview features in the current issue of The Sunday Telegraph's Stellar magazine Couple: Benedict is married to theater director Sophie Hunter, 40, and the pair share two sons together - Christopher, three and one-year-old Hal She's a rising Hollywood star who was just named GQ magazine's Woman of the Year for her acting talent. And on Sunday, Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, 28, proved she's happy to take a fashion risk when she donned a gothic glam look at The Governors Awards. Striking a pose on the red carpet, the Great Gatsby star shot the awaiting press pack a sultry look as she stood by the media wall at the Dolby Theatre. Scroll down for video Making a statement! Elizabeth Debicki, 28, (above) has opted for a gothic glam look in an all black ensemble when she attended the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday For the event, Elizabeth donned a high-glam frock which draped around her bust and featured cut-outs which showed her taunt midriff. Giving her look plenty of drama, Elizabeth opted for an unusual make-up palette which included black eye make-up and dark eye shadow. The Paris-born actress proved isn't afraid of a bit of glam, as she added three sparkling diamond necklaces to complete her look. Avant-garde: The actress proved her fashion credential with the designer outfit, which featured draping around the bust and a cut out which flaunted her toned midriff Speaking to GQ Australia this month, the actress said: 'You'd be lying if you said you didn't want people to love you, affirm you, respect you, whatever you do.' Although she's said in the past that she does not deal well with acclaim, Elizabeth does like to hear she's done a good job at the end of a long day of shooting. 'If you finish the scene, they check the gate, and your director says, "That was good work. I'll see you tomorrow". That's all you really need,' she told the magazine. 'You'd be lying if you said you didn't want people to love you, affirm you': Elizabeth was candid while speaking to GQ magazine about life as an actress this month The young actress, who hails from Melbourne, is staunchly protective of her privacy, telling Vogue Australia recently: 'I've always been a private person.' The Man from U.N.C.L.E. actress added that she keeps her work and her life very much apart. 'I feel like the thing I want out in the world is my work and I've always believed, and it's the way I approach my work, that me and the work are separate,' she told the fashion magazine. A little encouragement: Although she's said in the past that she does not deal well with acclaim, Elizabeth does like to hear she's done a good job at the end of a long day of shooting Elizabeth added: 'I think that people with social media can blur it so beautifully, and I respect that, but it's not really how I am and I just want the work to speak and people to receive it the way they will without anything influencing it.' In the past, the Peter Rabbit star has also revealed that she does not use social media. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, she said: 'I also don't have social media or anything like that, which was a choice. NeNe Leakes supported her husband Gregg as he decided to reject chemotherapy for his cancer on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. Gregg, 64, made the emotional decision following colon cancer surgery after getting a string of tests done at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston with NeNe. The 50-year-old reality TV star said that her husband was hoping to avoid aggressive chemo all together and do holistic treatment. Treatment options: Gregg Leakes rejected chemotherapy with the support of his wife NeNe Leakes on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 'Chemo is not something that Gregg is thinking about doing at the moment. Obviously we hear all the reports of people doing chemo and being very sick,' said NeNe. 'So he feels like if there's any other options that can take, I'd rather take those options and let chemo sit on the back burner for now.' But oncologist Dr. Scott Kopetz recommended that Gregg have chemo because he was still at risk despite tests showing there was no evidence of cancer left in his body. 'I would use chemotherapy at this point to try to reduce that risk of the cancer coming back. What we do know is that chemotherapy can reduce that risk of cancer coming back by about half,' he told them. At risk: Dr. Scott Kopetz recommended that Gregg have chemo because he was still at risk despite tests showing there was no evidence of cancer left in his body Tough decision: Gregg wrestled with his decision and asked about alternative medicine Dr Kopetz told them that alternative medicines have not been found effective. 'Unfortunately there's nothing that we have that I can recommend in lieu of the chemotherapy that we know could help reduce that risk,' he said. 'I don't want to miss out on the big picture which is that this is something we can fight,' he added. Back burner: NeNe was willing to put chemo on the back burner Despite the medical recommendation, Gregg refused to change his mind. 'If the cancer was more active I would entertain chemo a lot quicker,' Gregg told Cynthia Bailey. 'I'm deciding to really take my life and use it as a mouthpiece for other people I just want to use my life in a way to help someone. Medical recommendation: The doctor urged chemo to reduce the risk of cancer returning 'So I can say I'm Gregg Leakes and I have cancer, but I will be a survivor.' NeNe told the cameras she and Gregg both agreed on not doing chemo. 'I'm very much on the same page as Gregg. I'm not sure I would do chemo. We've watched chemo destroy people so its not something that he is even interested in. Same page: NeNe said she was on the same page with Gregg 'Gregg is definitely on a rollercoaster. His emotions are all over the place. He cries, he's short patience, he's frustrated. I feel like because he is weak at this moment, he needs someone who is going to be strong, so I feel like I have to be his rock as he has been my rock for so many years.' Elsewhere, Porsha and Eva Marcille hit the gym to try and get themselves into shape. Porsha admitted her boyfriend's hotdog empire had helped her put on a few pounds. Working out: The episode started with Porsha Williams and Eva Marcille working out together She told Eva that things were moving quickly between she and Dennis, while Eva, 34, poked fun at Cynthia, 51, for being an older model than her. Kandi Burruss then spent time with Shamari DeVoe, who is one of the members of girl group Blaque and married to Ronnie DeVoe from New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. Shamari and Ronnie hit the studio to work on new music as she introduced her 11-month-old twin boys and family. New addition: Shamari DeVoe was a new addition to the Bravo show Old friends: Kandi has known Shamari for years Studio time: Ronnie DeVoe from New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe recorded his wife in the studio Twin boys: Shamari and Ronnie have 11-month-old twin boys Kandi then Facetimed with Porsha and later told the cameras that she and Porsha's boyfriend Dennis had mutual friends. 'I only know people he knows, we have mutual friends and so I just gotta shut up,' said Kandi mysteriously. The Housewives then got together to watch Shamari perform at an event. On stage: Shamari performed with her group at Atlanta Live Showing support: Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and NeNe showed support Kandi later threw more shade toward hot dog empire owner Dennis. 'He's a dog alright,' she told the cameras. Shamari's husband Ronnie then came over to the table and was critical of Kandi's show, which she did not appreciate. Dog talk: Kandi said that Porsha was dating a 'dog' 'What is happening here? Why are we bringing up my show when your group was opening up for me? Honey you need to give your advice to your wife right now. Put New Edition back together or something, don't come over here critiquing me,' said an annoyed Kandi. Kandi then talked with friends about Porsha's boyfriend and was warned to keep out of it, which she agreed with. But Kandi could not help discussing that Dennis had a reputation for buying women Rolex watches, as he had done with Porsha in Miami. Bad reputation: The reality star could not stop herself from talking trash about Porsha's boyfriend Dennis Her friend Jami, who once had a fight with Porsha, told her that Dennis had dated her friend for several years but they had split up when he began dating Porsha. Kandi said that Dennis had also been dating other women during the same time. 'He falls pretty quickly and he tattoos peoples names on him,' said Kandi as her friends said it was all part of his routine. RHOA will return next week on Bravo. After first breaking his silence about his ex-girlfriend Kim Porter's death, Diddy is continuing the mourning process by sharing more photos of his longtime love. Diddy, 49, who dated Porter on and off between 1994 and 2007, passed away Thursday at her Toluca Lake, California home after suffering cardiac arrest. 'Ill raise our family just like you taught me to. Love you forever!!!! I CANT BELIEVE THIS S**T!!!!!!,' Diddy said in a caption to a video on Instagram. Diddy in mourning: 'Ill raise our family just like you taught me to. Love you forever!!!! I CANT BELIEVE THIS S**T!!!!!!,' Diddy said in a caption to a video on Instagram. Diddy and Kim: Diddy, 49, who dated Porter on and off between 1994 and 2007, passed away Thursday at her Toluca Lake, California home after suffering cardiac arrest He also added another photo of Porter on Instagram, stating, 'Words cant explain FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!!! Infinity and BEYOND!!!!' The music mogul also took to his Instagram story, sharing even more photos of Porter, along with videos from a private memorial. Diddy and Porter had three kids together, Christian, 20, and twins Jesse and D'Lila, 11. Happy family: Diddy and Porter had three kids together, Christian, 20, and twins Jesse and D'Lila, 11 Tragic: Sean 'Diddy' Combs poured out his heart in an emotional Instagram post about his late ex Kim Porter on Sunday In an emotional post, Diddy poured out his heart to his late love earlier on Sunday. 'For the last three days Ive been trying to wake up out of this nightmare. But I havent,' Diddy wrote on Instagram. 'I dont know what Im going to do without you baby. I miss you so much. Today Im going to pay tribute to you, Im going to try and find the words to explain our unexplainable relationship,' he continued. Social media tribute: Diddy honored his late ex Kim Porter in a series of Instagram photos Nightmare: Diddy wrote that he has been trying to wake up from the nightmare of losing the mother of three of his children Shocking: Kim died suddenly on Thursday from cardiac arrest after suffering from a bout of pneumonia Happier times: A heart wrenching video of the couple together when Kim was pregnant accompanied the post Sudden: Prior to her passing sources said the 47-year-old had been having flu-like symptoms 'We were more than best friends, we were more than soulmates,' the Sean John creator penned on social media. 'WE WERE SOME OTHER S***!! And I miss you so much. ' 'Super Black Love,' he signed the post. On Sunday, Kim's son Quincy, 27, from her marriage to Al B. Sure!, posted a photo of himself with his mom and his two half-sisters Jessie and D'Lila and wrote on Instagram: 'I am broken...& the only thing that makes sense right now is that you were way too good for this silly world we live in. I love you so much MOMMY.' On Sunday, Kim's son Quincy, 27, from her marriage to Al B. Sure!, posted a photo of himself with his mom and his two half-sisters Jessie and D'Lila and wrote on Instagram: 'I am broken' 'We were more than best friends, we were more than soulmates,' Diddy wrote about Kim on Instagram Way back when: The model and the rapper dated on and off for 13 years Last week authorities arrived at the model's home around 11:30 am on Thursday after they received a call saying someone was in cardiac arrest. Sources reported that Kim has been suffering from the flu which turned into pneumonia. Kim's close friend, Kimora Lee Simmons, 43, was seen sobbing outside the house as the body was removed by the coroner. Simmons looked beside herself as she stood in the garage alongside other loved ones of Porter's. Together: The pair had three children together and two from previous relationships 'I dont know what Im going to do without you baby. I miss you so much,' Diddy said in a heartbreaking moment on social media Tributes: Celebrities like Rihanna flocked to social media to pen their own tributes to Kim Rocky road: During their relationship, things between the couple ran hot and cold 'Diddy is devastated and shocked:' a source told People after Porter's death hit the news Long lasting love: Over the years Kim and Diddy developed a strong bond and spent holidays together 'Their connection went beyond the fact they were co-parenting three kids... they genuinely had love and affection for each other:' a source told TMZ Porter and Combs started dating in 1994 and they were off and on for 13 years until they called it quits in 2007. Porter kicked Combs out of the house they shared and he went on to date Lopez for two years. Over time, they healed their relationship and were quite close when she passed away. Combs has been dating Cassie Ventura since 2015. Hard times: After Kim gave birth to their son, news broke that Diddy was dating Jennifer Lopez Choosing a neutral color is a safe, chic and glamorous choice. And both Felicity Jones and Saorise Ronan chose to radiate in white, as they stepped out at the Governors Awards in LA on Sunday. The ladies each gave their take on the floor-length gown, with Felicity choosing to bare her shoulders, and Saorise rocking a long sleeve turtleneck. Classic choice: Felicity Jones and Saorise Ronan chose to radiate in white, as they stepped out at the Governors Awards in LA on Sunday Felicity's satin gown featured a one-shoulder, black strap. The Aeronauts star wore her long, brown hair down and away from her face. The UK native highlighted her natural beauty with minimal make-up, and drew attention to her lips with a soft pink color. Color block: Felicity's satin gown featured a one-shoulder, black strap Keeping it simple :The Aeronauts star wore her long, brown hair down and away from her face Mary Queen of Scots star Saoirse kept warm in her long-sleeve, turtleneck sweater. The New York City native wore her blonde, medium length hair in waves and to one side. The Irish beauty highlighted her blue eyes with neutral shadow and a pink lip stain. Not cold: Mary Queen of Scots star Saoirse kept warm in her long-sleeve, turtleneck sweater Edgy: The New York City native wore her blonde, medium length hair in waves and to one side Fans can next sing Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex. She'll also star in The Aeronauts and Dragon Rider. Saoirse will next appear in two ionic roles, that of Jo March in Little Women, and Mary Stuart in Mary Queen of Scots. Brianna Randall rejected a marriage proposal from Roger Wakefield on Sunday's episode of Outlander as their relationship took an ugly downturn. The episode titled The False Bride opened in Inverness, Scotland in 1970 with Roger preparing to visit Brianna in Boston. Two hundred years earlier, Jamie Fraser and Brianna's mother Claire were preparing to leave his Auntie Jocasta over their decision to refuse to own slaves at her River Run plantation. Proposal rejected: Brianna Randall was ready to have sex with Roger Wakefield but not ready to marry him on Sunday's episode of Outlander Auntie Jocasta tried to guilt-trip Claire into convincing Jamie to stay saying she was holding him back. 'You know nothing about me or my husband,' Claire said as she stood firm in her resolve. Young Ian also declared his intent to stay in America and his new friend John Quincy Myers agreed to escort them in the wilderness. Myers after pointing Claire and Jamie in the right direction set off to trade with the Indians and Young Ian accepted his offer to join him. Perfect setting: Roger interrupted having sex with Bree to propose to her Taking off: Claire informed Jamie's Auntie Jocasta that they were leaving her plantation Claire began to wonder if she was perhaps holding Jamie back, but he assured her otherwise. Jamie said that he was happy to take care of her and didn't miss his wilder days. 'I would lay the world at your feet Claire, but I have nothing to give you,' Jamie said. World giver: Jamie told Claire that he would lay the world at her feet if he could Staying put: Young Ian decided that he was going to stay in America Friendly trader: John Quincy Myers befriended Young Ian Roger back in 1970 Boston exchanged a warm hug with Bree after finally seeing her again. They then embarked on a trip to North Carolina together for a Scottish festival where Roger was set to perform. Bree looked lovingly at Roger as they danced together at the festival. Big hug: Bree and Roger hug as they were united in Boston in 1970 Scottish festival: The couple headed to a Scottish festival in North Carolina Roger's singing performance at the festival impressed Bree and later that night they kissed goodnight. Bree then gifted Roger with moonshine and a book about Scottish settlers in colonial America and invited him for a drink. Things got steamy quickly as Bree tossed her top onto deer antlers on the wall. Getting steamy: Bree and Roger were about to get intimate before he decided to propose Roger interrupted their passion to gift Bree with a silver bracelet. 'I want this to be perfect,' Roger said. 'It is perfect,' Bree said. Silver bracelet: Roger proposed with a silver bracelet with loving inscriptions Bree at first admired the bracelet and its lovely inscription, but was shocked as Roger suddenly proposed. 'Roger, this is very fast,' she said. Roger said they could have a long engagement and wanted her at his side at the calling of the clans and started talking children. Long engagement: He told Bree that they could have a long engagement and started talking children 'Roger, stop. I'm not ready for this,' Bree said. He grew angry and rebuffed Bree after she kissed him. 'You don't want to marry me, but you'll f*** me,' Roger said. Too fast: Bree protested that Roger was moving too fast Bree scolded him but Roger said that if he only wanted her body, he could have had it plenty of times last summer. She prompty slapped Roger and called him a hypocrite for wanting her to be a virgin while he previously had sex with women. 'You're missing the point. The point is I didn't love them, I love you. ...But you don't love me,' he said. 'I didn't say that,' Bree protested. Fizzled out: Roger said some hurtful words at Bree as their romance fizzled out 'You didn't have to,' Roger responded as he walked out. Bree later sat next to Roger during the calling of the clans but said she couldn't marry him. Roger gave her an ultimatum and she returned his bracelet, but he insisted that she keep it. He then participated in the calling of the clans but Bree was gone when he looked in the stands after the burning of the stag. Stag burning: Bree took off during the stag burning Claire meanwhile got lost in a storm and found a skull at night with a gemstone buried with it. She thought she saw Jamie in a flash of lightning approaching but it turned out to be an Indian. He had the same gemstone hanging in a pendant around his neck and when he turned around revealed that he had been scalped. Indian approaching: Claire after getting lost at night in a storm was approached by an Indian Claire woke the next morning with her boots missing and grabbed the skull before following footsteps. The path lead Claire to a stream and to Jamie who had been searching for her and followed her footprints to the same spot. Claire revealed that she didn't walk in her boots to the stream. Head wound: The ghostly Indian turned around to reveal he had been scalped 'I saw an Indian or a ghost of an Indian,' Claire said. 'A ghost?,' said Jamie 'I found this skull, I think it's his,' Claire told Jamie. Boots gone: Claire explained to Jamie how the Indian used her boots to lead them to each other 'I think he used my boots to lead me, us, here,' she added. 'Well, I suppose we should be grateful to whatever spirit brought us back together,' Jamie said. Claire later discovered that the skull had a silver filling that had not yet been invented for another 100 years. Silver fillings: The skull had silver fillings that Claire noticed 'It's someone like me, someone who has traveled through time,' Claire said. 'Who are you?,' she asked while holding the skull. They later came across a strawberry patch and Jamie said the fruit was the emblem of the Fraser clan. Time traveler: Claire figured out that the skull belonged to a fellow time traveler 'This must be the most beautiful land I've ever seen,' Jamie declared as he pictured crops and animals. Jamie considered accepting the Governor's offer and Claire pledged her trust. 'Then this will be our home, and we'll call it Fraser's Ridge,' Jamie said as the episode ended. Outlander will return next week on Starz. Sweet fruit: The couple came across a strawberry patch that Jamie loved Beautiful land: Jamie declared that it was the most beautiful and that he ever saw By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who is on an official visit to Belarus, has familiarized himself with Azerbaijans trading house in Minsk. The head of state was informed of the conditions created in the trading house. Azerbaijans trading house was opened in Minsk in May 2017. The trading house is created to support the promotion of Azerbaijani goods under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in Belarus, and engage in marketing research, participation in exhibitions and other activities related to the promotion of Azerbaijani goods. The permanent exhibition at the trading house features various types of products manufactured by 30 Azerbaijani companies. ASAN and ABAD stands are also presented to visitors here. The exhibition also features the stand of the representation of IT company Caspel which operates in five countries apart from Azerbaijan. After viewing the conditions created here, the head of state wished Azerbaijans trading house success. She split with her long-term fiance of 10 years in March. And Alessandra Ambrosio appeared smitten as she stepped out with her new businessman boyfriend Nicolo Oddi on Sunday in California. The former Victoria's Secret model, 37, went low-key for the grocery run in Santa Monica in a striped blue and white dress. Going well: Alessandra Ambrosio looked smitten as she stepped out with new businessman boyfriend Nicolo Oddi to pick up some groceries in California on Sunday She showed off her model-worthy tanned legs in a pair of Chanel espadrilles and kept her jewellery to a minimum with under-stated rings and bangles. Alessandra wore her brunette locks loose and opted for natural make-up with her eyes clad in a pair of large-framed sunglasses. Businessman Nicolo Oddi, 37, followed his girlfriend's fashion in a casual pair of faded denim jeans and white t-shirt. Keeping it casual: The former Victoria's Secret model, 37, went low-key in a striped blue and white dress and showed off her model-worthy tanned legs in a pair of Chanel espadrilles He looked dapper as he wrapped up in a large printed jacket and suede boots and showcased his style in a pair of sunglasses. Alessandra and Nicolo's romance was first reported in August, five months after the announcement that her ten-year engagement to fashion mogul Jamie Mazur had come to an end. Mother-of-two Alessandra shares daughter Anja, nine, and son Noah, six, with her ex and she announced her retirement from Victoria's Secret in 2017 to spend more time with her children. The look of love: Alessandra Ambrosio looked to be going from strength-to-strength with businessman Nicolo Oddi (pictured in September) Looking good: The Brazilian bombshell hung up her Victoria's Secret stilettos in 2017 to spend more time with her children The exes went their separate ways for good after reports of their split first emerged in March this year. A source told Us Weekly at the time: 'They [have] been trying to keep their split on the down low... But Alessandra has been out and about ready to mingle and hasn't been taking Jamie to anything.' Her new flame Nicolo is the founder and CEO of Alanui, a knitwear fashion label based in Milan which he created with his sister Carlotta in 2016. Her performance as journalist Marie Colvin in the film A Private War proved she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to next year's awards season. And Rosamund Pike, 39, looked incredible when she arrived at the Governors Awards in LA on Sunday night, held at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Rosamund shimmered in a plunging Givenchy silver top complete with caped detail, while her costar Jamie Dornan, 36, wore a David Yurman suit. Glitter: Rosamund Pike wore a plunging silver caped top as she posed alongside her A Private War co-star Jamie Dornan at the Governors Awards in LA on Sunday night Co-stars: The pair posed with director Matthew Heineman, 34, (right) at the event held at the Hollywood & Highland Center The Gone Girl star paired her top with tailored black trousers and a wide silver belt and wore her long blonde tresses loose and tucked behind her ears. Always preened to perfection, Rosamund channelled Hollywood glamour in a gentle make-up look, pairing eyelash extensions with a subtle pink lipstick. Adding classy details to the sultry ensemble, the mother-of-two wore a pair of elegant stud earrings. The Governors Awards are seen as honorary Oscars that are handed out in recognition of lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry. Sparkly: Rosamund, (left) teamed her silver top with black trousers, while Jamie (right) oozed star quality in a David Yurman suit The 2018 honorees are producers and husband-and-wife Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, publicist Marvin Levy, composer Lalo Schifrin and actress Cicely Tyson. Rosamund stars as celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin in A Private War. The Sunday Times journalist and French photographer Remi Ochlik were both killed during a rocket strike in Syria in 2012. Marie was just 56. Acting prowess: Rosamund stars as celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin in A Private War, while Jamie plays Paul Conroy in the Matthew Heineman (right) directed flick Beauty: Always preened to perfection, Rosamund channelled Hollywood glamour in a gentle make-up look, pairing eyelash extensions with a subtle pink lipstick The film is based on an article about war correspondent Colvin, which was published in Vanity Fair magazine. Rosamund previously said she researched the role heavily, spending time with Colvin's close friends and watching videos of her. The talented star discussed struggling to detach herself from playing Colvin, 52, who was killed during a rocket strike in Syria in 2012. In an interview with The Sunday Times magazine, Rosamund said of her latest starring role: 'I have taken responsibility for this one. I care very much about it, about the whole thing. Finishing touches: Adding classy details to the sultry look, the mother-of-two wore a pair of elegant stud earrings 'I'd go into her mind until my heart started to race. Now I wear a version of Marie inside me.' A Private War was released in the US on November 16 and is due out February 1 in the UK. Meanwhile, Rosamund has been in a long-term relationship with British businessman and mathematical researcher Robie Uniacke, 57, since 2009. They share two sons, Solo, six, and Atom, who turns four on December 2. On the promo trail: Rosamund has been in Los Angeles promoting her movie, A Private War, in which she stars as celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin They fell in love as onscreen lovers while filming Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. And Rami Malek, 37, and Lucy Boynton, 24, looked very much in love as they cosied up to one another at the Governors Awards in LA on Sunday night. Lucy, who plays Freddie's former fiancee, Mary Austin, looked incredible wearing a red tiered dress by Rodarte for the event at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Power couple: Rami Malek cosied up to girlfriend Lucy Boynton as his Bohemian Rhapsody co-star wowed in a red tiered dress at Governors Awards in LA on Sunday night The top section of the dress was strapless and had a bodice-style complete with black embroidery. She completed the look with a pair of Roger Vivier shoes. Rami looked dapper wearing a smart Givenchy black suit with a polka dot shirt, with a Montblanc watch. He posed for pictures with his arm around Lucy, delighting fans of the movie who were enthralled by their onscreen chemistry. All the layers: Lucy, who played Freddie Mercury's former fiancee, Mary Austin in Bohemian Rhapsody, looked incredible wearing a red tiered dress by Rodarte for the event Smart: Rami wore a black suit and polka dot shirt by Givenchy for the outing Rami recently told the New Yorker that he has had the fake teeth he wore to play Freddie plated in gold as a souvenir. He said: 'Well, I had the teeth cast in gold. 'It is the most ostentatious thing I have probably ever done, and, in the spirit of Freddie, being as outlandish as I could, I said, "What would be more him than casting these in gold?"' He would be proud: Rami recently said that he has had the fake teeth he wore to play Freddie plated in gold as a souvenir Malek wore the fake teeth to mimic Freddie's iconic overbite and had to learn to sing and talk in them. In real life, Freddie famously decided not to have his teeth straightened as he didn't want to mess with his wide vocal range. Freddie's real name was Farokh Bulsara. He was born in Zanzibar and educated in India. The family had immigrated to England when he was a teenager. She has wowed audiences with her powerful performances in The Miseducation Of Cameron Post and supernatural horror Suspiria. And Chloe Grace Moretz was keen to make a splash off screen as she arrived in style at the Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on Sunday. The actress, 21, looked chic in a sleek black dress, featuring a plunging neckline and daring front slit. Elegant: Chloe Grace Moretz was keen to make a splash off screen as well, as she arrived in style at the Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on Sunday Chloe's dark ensemble had cut-out panels alongside her waist, while a strip of white fabric wrapped around one side to give her look a glamorous flair. The Kick Ass star boosted her height in a pair of chic heeled sandals, while she wore a pair of green earrings for an extra pop of colour. Her blonde locks fell over her shoulders in sleek waves, and she accentuated her pretty features by brushing on smokey eye nakeand a slick of nude lipstick. Dressed to impress: The actress, 21, looked chic in a sleek black dress, featuring a plunging neckline and daring front slit Chic: Chloe's dark ensemble had cut-out panels alongside her waist, while a strip of white fabric wrapped around one side to give her look a glamorous flair Stylish: Her blonde locks fell over her shoulders in a sleek waves, and she accentuated her pretty features by brushing on smokey eye make-up and a slick of nude lipstick It has been a busy few months for Chloe, who was promoting The Miseducation of Cameron Post over the summer. The film saw Chloe play a lesbian teenager whose guardians place her into gay conversion therapy during the 1990s. While promoting her new movie, the actress, who is one of five children and has two gay brothers, opened up about her close bond with her siblings Colin and Trevor. Talking to Gay Times, the actress revealed: 'The healthiest relationship that I've ever seen and grew up with was not that of my parents, it was that of my brother and his boyfriend who have been together still to this day for 11 years.' Busy bee: It has been a hectic few months for Chloe, who was promoting The Miseducation of Cameron Post over the summer Intriguing story: The film saw Chloe play a lesbian teenager whose guardians place her into gay conversion therapy during the 1990s Red carpet moment: The Kick Ass star boosted her height in a pair of chic heeled sandals, while she wore a pair of green earrings for an extra pop of colour Her most recent film sees her team up with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino for the horror remake Suspiria, which she stars in opposite Dakota Fanning and Tilda Swinton. The movie, based on Dario Argento's 1977 film of the same name, follows a woman as she discovers a nightmarish secret hidden within the walls of a famous German dance academy. Chloe plays Patricia Hingle, a student of the school who disappears after she reveals her suspicions that the dance academy is a witch coven, the day before the lead character Susie Bannion (Dakota) arrives. Dramatic: Chloe's most recent film sees her team up with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino for the horror remake Suspiria She never fails to dazzle both on the red carpet and in front of the camera. And Annabelle Wallis turned heads in a gorgeous white dress as she attended the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday night alongside designer friend Stella McCartney. The Peaky Blinders star, 33, looked the picture of perfection in a simple floor length gown with a plunging neckline. Ruling the red carpet: Annabelle Wallis attended the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday night alongside designer Stella McCartney The actress ensured she commanded attention from every angle as she showed off her glowing tan in the backless dress. Wearing her golden locks loose, Annabelle let her hair flow freely in a loose wave, stopping just past her shoulders. Looking every inch the Hollywood star, the blonde beauty added a touch of glamour to the look wearing a maroon lipstick. Stella, 47, looked effortlessly chic in a black strapless jumpsuit, teamed with a matching structured blazer. Black and white: The Peaky Blinders star, 33, looked the picture of perfection in a simple floor length gown with a plunging neckline, which showed off her glowing tan Gorgeous: Wearing her golden locks loose, Annabelle let her hair flow freely in a loose wave, stopping just past her shoulders The internationally-renowned fashion designer wore her dark locks scraped back from her face, while accessorising with dramatic drop earrings and pointed stiletto heels. The 64th annual awards show boasted an A-list guest list, with the likes of Sir Ian McKellan, Andrew Garfield and Ralph Fiennes showing up. Claire Foy, Idris Elba and Evgeny Lebedev, the paper's owner, were the main hosts of the ceremony, alongside fashionista Anna Wintour, whose father once edited the Evening Standard. Lebedev said: 'The Evening Standard Theatre Awards have recognised London's best theatre talent since 1955. A-list: The 64th annual awards show boasted an A-list guest list, with Annabelle and Stella mingling with the likes of Idris Elba 'London is unique in the range, vibrancy and global reach of its theatre. Every playwright, director and actor should be proud to contribute to such a proud heritage.' The National Theatre was expected to be heavily rewarded on the night, leading the way with 14 nods. Annabelle has recently confirmed her romance with Chris Pine, after they were first rumoured to be dating back in April. A source told US Weekly magazine at the time: 'They kept it casual for the beginning. Chris was very attentive and wooed her.' Star power: Annabelle rubbed shoulders with Ralph Fiennes and US Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour at the star-studded event The couple were pictured together for the first time later that month when they attended a dinner party in Malibu, California, but have remained under the radar ever since. A source divulged: 'Chris and Annabelle hardly separated throughout the evening and couldn't take their eyes off each other.' Annabelle was previously in a long-term relationship with Coldplay's Chris Martin, 41; the couple dated for two years before calling times on their romance in June 2017. The Tag actress has explained in the past that she prefers to keep her dating life private. Loved up: Annabelle has recently confirmed her romance with Chris Pine, after they were first rumoured to be dating back in April 'It becomes hard when you know about someone's personal life - it's just distracting. It's a whole other job in itself if you go down that road,' she said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in June 2017. 'I love the person I love, but it means so much to me that I like to keep it safe. I have nothing to hide. 'It's just that when you have people in your life that you care about, you get very protective of them, and it's not about you any more, it's about other people, and the ones you love are the ones you protect like a lioness.' Pine was most recently linked to actress Sofia Boutella, 36, and in the past has dated model Dominique Piek, Big Little Lies star Zoe Kravitz and actress Olivia Munn. Private life: The Peaky Blinders actress has explained in the past that she prefers to keep her dating life private Love Island star Dr. Alex George has returned to his job in A&E. The medic, 27, said it's 'good to be home' as he posted a sweet selfie with his NHS co-workers on his first day back in hospital on Monday morning. The TV personality briefly stepped away from the profession to appear on the ITV2 reality show this summer, and his now heading back to life on the ward five months later. 'Good to be home': Love Island star Dr. Alex George has returned to his job in A&E, posting a sweet selfie with his NHS co-workers on his first day back in hospital on Monday morning Posing in his scrubs as he grinned alongside a group of doctors and nurses, Alex wrote on his Instagram page: 'Good to be home'. Alex announced his return to medicine via his social media channels last week, writing: 'Love Island was the experience of a lifetime, but ever since I left the villa I've genuinely missed working for the NHS. 'That's why this week, I'm going back to A&E. I trained for years for the opportunity to help people, and I can't wait to get back to doing what I love.' On Instagram, he informed his 1.3million followers: 'I'll be using my platform to raise awareness around health issues among young people. 'Hopefully I'll be able to give you a bit of insight into what it's like on the front lines of the NHS. I hope you all continue this incredible journey with me. Here we go!' Back to work he goes: The medic, 27, briefly stepped away from the profession to appear on the ITV2 reality show this summer, and his now heading back to the ward five months later Back to reality: Alex announced his return to medicine via his social media channels last week Dr. Alex's announcement comes three months after it was reported that he was close to 'lined up for a regular slot' on This Morning, according to The Sun. Insiders told the publication that he was set to educate audiences on all things medical alongside the likes of Doctor Hilary Jones and Doctor Zoe William. The source claimed: 'Producers were impressed with Alex following his time on the show this week and were intrigued to hear him say how keen he was to pursue more TV work.' 'They believe it would be great to have a new face whose come from a show like Love Island and can appeal to a younger audience to give his insight on the medical world.' Announcement: He took to Twitter and Instagram to share the news They added: 'He talks really passionately about his profession and is a big star thanks to his summer in the villa but wants to use his newfound fame to educate the masses.' During an appearance on This Morning back in August, Dr. Alex said: 'I absolutely love my job and whilst I was away I started missing it in a lot of ways, and every now and again wed talk about medicine in the villa and Id love all that. 'I definitely want to go back to A&E once the time is right.' Upon hearing that each contestant could earn in the region of 5,000 per Instagram post which could equate to 750,000 a year, the Welsh medic admitted he would be passionate about bringing his expertise to the small screen and isn't interested in the reality star life. TV rumours: Dr. Alex's announcement comes three months after it was reported that he was close to 'lined up for a regular slot' on This Morning The reality star continued: 'All this kind of blows my mind, but for me, my interest is going back to A&E and what Id really love to do is be involved in medical education 'I think people of my age want to know more about the medical world but I don't know if its always as accessible, so I would love to do TV doctor work because I am passionate about my job and would love to make it accessible to all audiences.' His admission impressed show host Eamonn Holmes, who explained that they asked their viewers at home if he should give up his medical career. Eamonn said: 'Well people admire you thinking like that because we asked viewers asking if you should give up your job as a doctor and a become a full time reality star, and a massive 97 per cent said no!' During his stint on Love Island, Dr. Alex failed to make a spark with Samira Mighty, Megan Hanson Barton, Ellie Brown, Charlie Williams, Grace Wardle, Laura Crane and Alexandra Cane, subsequently leaving the show single. It's one of the biggest events of the year that celebrates Hindi cinema. And the great and good of the Bollywood world made a glamorous arrival at the Lux Golden Rose Awards in Mumbai, India, on Sunday evening. Aishwarya Rai, 45, put on a dazzling display as she stepped out onto the floral-themed red carpet in a red jewel-encrusted gown. Wow! Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai (pictured) dazzled in a red jewel-encrusted gown as she led the glamour at the Lux Golden Rose Awards in Mumbai, India, on Sunday evening The actress accentuated her stunning features with a glamorous palette of make-up. Styling her raven tresses into a sleek, straight style with a middle parting, the former Miss World kept her accessories to a minimum so that all attention was on her gown. Kareena Kapoor, 38, looked sensational in a two-tone pink dress, which had a unique collar and cut out panels that showed off her toned figure. The Indian actress styled her luscious locks into a glamorous up-do, and used black eyeliner and nude lipstick to give herself a fresh and natural look. Chic: Kareena Kapoor looked sensational in a two-tone pink gown, which had a unique collar and cut out panels Stunning: Alia Bhatt dazzled in her elegant white embroidered gown, which fit snugly on her frame and had a sweetheart neckline Glam: The Raazi star put on a stunning display as she styled her brunette tresses in a chic Marcel wave, and she highlighted her pretty features with light touches of make-up Pretty: Aishwara accentuated her stunning features with a glamorous palette of make-up Alia Bhatt, 25, dazzled in her elegant white embroidered gown, which fit snugly on her frame and featured a sweetheart neckline. The Raazi star put on a stunning display as she styled her brunette tresses in a chic Marcel wave, and she highlighted her pretty features with light touches of make-up. Karishma Kapoor, 44, joined her sister Kareena on the red carpet, and she looked chic in a gown that had a black velvet top and silver pleated skirt. Janhvi Kapoor, 21, looked ethereal in a puffy white gown, which was adorned with floral embroidery and had a plunging neckline. Supportive: Karishma Kapoor joined her sister Kareena on the red carpet, and she looked chic in a gown which had a black velvet top and silver pleated skirt Elegant: Chitrangada Singh looked stunning in a punk chiffon gown which had moon-shaped jewels attached to it for a dazzling touch Posing up a storm: Moroccan-Canadian dancer and actress Naura Fathi worked every angle on the red carpet Stylish: Naura complemented her white and gold striped gown with a pair of gold heels Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez, 33, was sure to set pulses racing in a white ruffled gown with a striking mullet hem. Kajol Devgn, 44, sparkled in her gold sequinned gown, which had a wrap front style design to highlight her curvaceous figure. Swara Bhaskar, 30, opted to go for the same theme, as she glittered in a black and gold floor-length dress that had an elegant print across the front. Angelic: Janhvi Kapoor looked ethereal in a puffy white gown, which was adorned with floral embroidery and had a plunging neckline Looking good: Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez was sure to set pulses racing in a white ruffled gown Legs for days: Jacqueline's dress had a mini skirt-style front to show off her toned legs Actress Rekha, 64, opted for more traditional look for the evening in a golden Sari, as she joined veteran star of Indian cinema Zeenat Aman, 67, on the red carpet. The third edition of the Lux Golden Rose Awards saw attendees extend their support to the UNs #HeForShe movement for equality by joining hands for the night. Alia Bhatt was named Lux Golden Rose Unstoppable Beauty Of The Year, and told the audience said: 'My childhood dream of becoming an actor came true because of a lot of special people, without whom I would not have been unstoppable.' Pretty in pink: Madhuri Dixit kept things simple in a striking pink ruched dress Making an entrance: Indian actress Taapsee Pannu was dressed to impress in her striking monochrome floral gown Glamorous: Kajol Devgn (left) sparkled in her gold sequinned gown, which had a wrap front style design, while Swara Bhaskar glittered in black and gold (right) Elegant: Swara's dress had an dazzling embroidered print across the front Hold on! Kareena asked Swara to stay close to her as she stood on the red carpet She shot to fame on Made In Chelsea and has since gone on to find success as a swimwear designer. And Kimberley Garner proved she was her own best advertisement as she showed off her incredible bikini body in a barely-there two-piece while soaking up the sun on Miami Beach in Florida on Thursday. The reality star, 28, wore a 120 monochrome string bikini from her own range, featuring a racy keyhole design to show off her very perky assets. Fun in the sun: Kimberley Garner showed off her incredible bikini body in a barely-there two-piece while soaking up the sun on Miami Beach in Florida on Thursday Ensuring all eyes were on her, the socialite showed off her long legs with the high-waisted string bottom which featured an 18 carat gold plated pendant. Kimberley shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of black cat-eye sunglasses, while she sported beach babe vibes leaving her blonde tresses loose and wet. Looking effortlessly cool, the swimwear designer accessorised with a pair of golden hoops while sipping on a cocktail and posing in the sea. Kimberley's number was the perfect choice to highlight her slim frame as she splashed around in the water while soaking up the Florida sunshine. Stunning: The reality star, 28, wore a 120 monochrome string bikini from her own range, featuring a racy keyhole design to show off her very perky assets Making a splash: Ensuring all eyes were on her, the socialite showed off her long legs with the high-waisted string bottom which featured an 18 carat gold plated pendant Her appearance at the beach comes after she shared her hopes of playing out a future relationship in the public eye, after choosing to keep her last romance private. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Kimberley mulled over her decision to keep her relationship away from the spotlight, revealing she actually thinks it would be 'very cool' to have a future husband and children with her in the public eye. She said: 'I think that it was really good, it was really nice to have a bit of privacy on that, but when I take it to the next step and when I decide to be with someone forever I will be more than happy to have them in the public eye. 'It would be really cool to have my husband and babies in the public eye,' she insisted, before adding: 'It was nice to have a bit of privacy with my ex, but in the future I wouldn't mind.' Effortless beauty: Looking effortlessly cool, the swimwear designer accessorised with a pair of golden hoops while sipping on a cocktail and posing in the sea Model good looks: Kimberley's chosen number was the perfect choice to highlight her model frame as she splashed around in the water Beach babe: Kimberley shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of black cat-eye sunglasses, while she sported beach babe vibes leaving her blonde tresses loose and wet Speaking of her split with her mystery man ex, Kimberley said: 'We broke up for a year and got back together for a few months and broke up again. 'He's still lovely and we're really good friends.' Kimberley shot to fame on the third series of Made In Chelsea back in 2012, where she was romantically linked to Richard Dinan and Spencer Matthews. The TV personality recently told MailOnline that after landing her first Hollywood role last year, she won't rule out another appearance on the big screen. Reality star: Kimberley shot to fame on the third series of Made In Chelsea back in 2012, where she was romantically linked to Richard Dinan and Spencer Matthews Life's a beach: Her appearance at the beach comes after she shared her hopes of playing out a future relationship in the public eye, after choosing to keep her last romance private Girl boss: 'I'm really interested in business and being a young female entrepreneur' Kimberley said in a recent interview with MailOnline 'Last year I had a breakup and got offered a part in the film, so I took it and went off the LA, and it was the first time I actually did any acting,' she explained. 'I want to focus really on my company and running the business, that's my passion but if stuff comes up along the way then obviously I'd love to do it. 'I was in Made in Chelsea eight years ago, but since then I've done my company which I loved. 'I also bought a property and did it up myself, I bought it, developed it, put it back on the market for twice what I bought it for. I'm really interested in business and being a young female entrepreneur.' Moving on: 'I was in Made in Chelsea eight years ago, but since then I've done my company which I loved' Kimberley told MailOnline Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan wished viewers a 'happy International Men's Day' on Monday's edition of the current affairs show - prompting him to launch into a rant about 'downtrodden' men. In turn, his co-anchor Susanna Reid snatched away his script and ripped it up, in protest. Piers said: 'Happy International Men's Day today, by the way. We do need a day! We are now the most downtrodden group of people in the world. Especially white middle-class men like me. We're an endangered species like rhinos! 'On International Men's Day, well done men! Stay strong under the onslaught. Don't worry, it's okay to be a man. It's not illegal - yet. 'Eventually it will be illegal and women will get what they really want, which is no men at all and then they'll be left with each other! And then they'll all fall out and that'll be it, the end of the planet. 'But hey, it's a great thing isn't it? The emasculation of men worldwide?' As he went on, Susanna rolled her eyes, ignoring Piers' ramblings, clearly used to them by now. Tearing up! GMB's Piers Morgan launched into a rant about 'the emasculation of men' on Monday, causing Susanna Reid to snatch away his script and rip it in protest Another day, another rant: As he went on, Susanna rolled her eyes, ignoring Piers' ramblings, clearly used to them by now 'This morning I'm disappointed, on International Men's Day I thought I'd get a warm welcome,' he continued. At this, a clip was shown of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, being greeted by women throwing petals at his feet, as he arrived on a red carpet. Susanna's response to this was to take Piers' script and tear it up. 'Is that what you what? On International Men's Day?' she said, mimicking the petal-throwing from the clip, scattering paper around Piers. Wind up: 'This morning I'm disappointed, on International Men's Day I thought I'd get a warm welcome,' Piers continued Letting rip: 'Is that what you what? On International Men's Day?' Susanna said, mimicking the petal-throwing from the clip, scattering paper around Piers 'I want a bit of fawning, yeah,' he answered. 'Yeah? That make you feel better? I've boosted your fragile ego and your sense of endangerment?' Susanna asked, continuing the rip. 'It would be nice if women reverted back to liking men for a day, and actually respecting men for a day,' came Piers' response. ''Not shrieking about toxic masculinity and radical feminism. If you actually just said, "men, thank you. Thank you for being men," for one damn day, stop squealing about how awful men are and just be nice to us!' 'We all like men, don't you worry,' his co-host snapped back. 'Or, for one damn day, stop squealing about how endangered you are and how one day it'll be illegal to be a man. It's a nonsense.' Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6AM on ITV. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is no stranger to being healthy. But the semi-retired wrestler, 46, shared a bizarre snap of his sushi laden cheat meal with his 121 million followers. Taking to Instagram on Monday he uploaded a snap with the caption: 'The cheat meal Sunday Sushi Train rolled on this past weekend with some power and a ton of that wooosabi [sic]'. Sunday Sushi Train: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson shared a bizarre snap of his sushi laden cheat meal with his 121 million Instagram followers on Monday 'Great new doc on Netflix about one of my fav country artists, the icon himself, Johnny Cash. I wear the black for the poor and beaten down.. livin in the hopeless, hungry side of town. [sic] 'If you aint eatin - then you aint cheatin. Enjoy your cheat meals my friends.' The picture featured over ninety sushi rolls and a mix of sashimi and plenty of dips. Instagram followers were quick to comment on the amount of food in the picture: How do you finish all that? The Rock's fans couldn't believe what he was eating to himself One asked: 'How on earth do you finish all that?!?!' With another fan wondering how many people Dwayne had ordered for: 'Na man... That's way too much sushi for one man... Even the rock [sic]'. The Jumanji star is no stranger to uploading pictures of food to his Instagram account and the 'Sunday Sushi Train' was first posted in July. Mr muscle: The semi-retired professional boxer often shares snaps of himself post-workout Down time: The Jumanji star is no stranger to uploading pictures of food to his Instagram account and the 'Sunday Sushi Train' was first posted in July (pictured in October) Dwayne looked to be enjoying a quiet night in after being spotted in the UK on Friday filming scenes for a new Fast and the Furious spin-off where he surprised fans with a visit to a gym in Doncaster. The movie star is set to reprise his role as Luke Hobbs in the upcoming spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, alongside Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, with the film also starring The Crown's Vanessa Kirby and Luther's Idris Elba. In October, Dwayne gave fans a first look of the movie as he shared a snap of him and Jason, staring each other down. 'We either gonna get along or we gonna get it on. F**k getting along (devil emoticon). Great first week of shooting our Fast & Furious spin-off, "HOBBS & SHAW" with my ace @jasonstatham. We're havin' a blast disrupting the norm to deliver something fresh, cool, fun and bad a** for the fans.' Back at it: Dwayne will be starring opposite Jason Statham in the upcoming spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, which follows the pair's unlikely alliance By Trend An official welcome ceremony has been held for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Minsk. A ceremonial guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani president at the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries. President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko welcomed President Aliyev. State anthems of Azerbaijan and Belarus were played. The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Aliyev. The presidents reviewed the guard of honor. President Aliyev saluted Belarus soldiers. State and government representatives of Belarus were introduced to President Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Lukashenko. Then, the guard of honor marched in front of the presidents. The presidents posed for official photos. President Aliyev then viewed the photos of the renovated historical monuments, including the churches, castles and other monuments in Minsk, as well as in other cities during Alexander Lukashenko's presidency after the Republic of Belarus restored its independence. It's just a few weeks until their they say 'I do' in Mexico. As as their big day approaches, Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough appeared glowing and relaxed during a lunch with friends. Stepping out to the upscale Catalina eatery in Sydney's Rose Bay on Monday, the soon-to-be-wed couple walked hand in hand, smiling as they entered the venue. Countdown to the wedding! A jovial Jasmine Yarbrough (left) donned a floral crop top for a festive lunch with fiance Karl Stefanovic (right) in Sydney's Rose Bay as their nuptials approach The 34-year-old looked fresh-faced, wearing minimal make up, as she beamed beside her fiance. She wore a flirty floral crop top with a bright, graphic bird of paradise design on a white background. The handkerchief cut of the garment added a high-fashion flair and flashed some skin at her midriff, as well as featuring one fine strap and an open back. All smiles! The 34-year-old looked fresh-faced, wearing minimal make up, as she beamed beside her fiance Happy as Larry: Stepping out to the upscale Catalina eatery in Sydney's Rose Bay on Monday, the soon to be wed couple walked hand in hand, smiling as they entered the venue She paired the top with black, wide-leg pants that created a retro silhouette. Large round sunglasses, pointed heels and a black and gold shoulder bag completed the ensemble. Karl looked formal in a navy blue suit, with one button fastened on the jacket, and a pale blue shirt beneath. Smooch: After lunch Jasmine, flashing her massive diamond engagement ring, embraced her friends on the stairs outside the restaurant with a kiss Fashionable: Jasmine wore a flirty floral crop top with a bright, graphic bird of paradise design on a white background Neat: Karl looked formal in a navy blue suit, with one button fastened on the jacket, and a pale blue shirt beneath After lunch, Jasmine, flashing her massive diamond engagement ring, embraced her friends on the stairs outside the restaurant with a kiss. The appearance comes after Karl revealed some candid details of what punters can expect from his upcoming wedding to his fashion designer beau. The Today Show host said that some Australian flair will remain at the nuptials, which take place in Los Cabos on December 8. Flirty; The handkerchief cut of Jasmine's top added a high-fashion flair and flashed some skin at her midriff, as well as featuring one fine strap and an open back 'I'm marrying a Queensland girl, there is going to be a few Queensland elements to the wedding. It's a really important thing for us,' he told The Courier-Mail. Karl also revealed that his biggest hope was that there was 'a lot of love' for him and Jasmine on their wedding day. 'There's going to be a lot of love in the room, and I think it will be a really nice opportunity to say "thanks and we're getting on with it",' he told the paper. She went under the knife for a breast reduction last month after telling her fans she 'doesn't want that kind of attention anymore'. And Holly Hagan showed off the results of her surgery after having her FF implants removed as she took to her Instagram page on Sunday, telling fans she feels 'much better' with her new DD cup size. The Geordie Shore star, 26, posed in a bright orange lace bodysuit as she headed out for a steak night at Rare in her hometown of Darlington, County Durham, with a male friend. New look: Holly Hagan showed off the results of her breast reduction surgery after having her FF implants removed as she took to her Instagram page on Sunday Alongside the snap, Holly thanked her surgeon for her new look, writing: 'Steak night.literally loving how much better my boobs feel thank you so much @elite surgical.' The reality star went under the knife in early October and joked on Twitter that her new catchphrase will be 'I'm dangerous, Im dirty and Ive got double Ds' after her 'I'm fake, Im flirty and Ive got double Fs' motto featured on the Geordie Shore intro. The TV personality said it was 'time for a 'new chapter' as she shared a picture of herself at the Elite Surgical clinic in a hospital gown with her surgeon Mr Hassan. She captioned it with: 'GOODBYE FFs you have brought me great joy and made me a lot of money over the years but its time for a new chapter. Bold: The Geordie Shore star, 26, posed in a bright orange lace bodysuit as she headed out for a steak night at Rare in her hometown of Darlington, County Durham, with a male friend Before: The reality TV personality told fans she feels 'much better' with her new DD cup size after going under the knife last month (pictured pre-surgery) Under the knife: Holly has openly thanked her surgeon, Mr Hassan from Elite Surgical in Birmingham, for her new look 'In the extremely capable hands of Mr Hassan @elitesurgical here in Birmingham ( . Y . ) #imfakeimflirtyandivegotdoublefs #gonebutneverforgotten.' Holly also went on to document her procedure on her Instagram stories as she shared an excited clip of herself dancing in a hospital gown, which she captioned with: 'Wooo new boob day.' The reality star is thought to have originally had her breast increased to a 32FF at the age of 18 but when she lost weight, they went down to a size 32DD. Speaking in an interview in 2016, Holly explained to Star magazine: 'I got them done during my glamour-modelling days and I feel I've put them to as good a use as possible. I don't really want that kind of attention any more.' 'New chapter': Holly announced on her Instagram last month that she was having her FF breast implants removed as it's time for a 'new chapter' New times: Holly joked: 'GOODBYE FFs you have brought me great joy and made me a lot of money over the years but its time for a new chapter.' She added: 'I want people to look at my face and not at my boobs when I'm talking to them. I want to dress nicely, rather than thinking I've got to cover up.' After her first operation, she had the implants replaced because they began to flip inside her and then she made the decision to be lifted. Now she wants them removed all together. Holly continued: 'They'll still be big compared to most women - it's just that the width and projection of them will be a lot smaller. I reckon they'll still look pretty good when I've got a bikini on.' The reality star previously spoke to MailOnline about the widely-discussed subject of Geordie Shore girls and their love of surgery. Candid: Holly also went on to document her procedure on her Instagram stories as she shared an excited clip of herself dancing in a hospital gown Surgery timeline: The reality star is thought to have originally had her breast increased to a 32FF at the age of 18 but when she lost weight, they went down to a size 32DD She said: It's each to their own with surgery. I've had two boob jobs but I think if you want to do something do it. 'Facially, yes I get Botox and the only reason is, is because when I cry on TV my eyebrows look like sperm. 'I've had my lips done three times. Make-up I like it because its like an art. I worry about Chloe because she's the type of person who sees us all getting things done and we're a lot older and Charlotte (Crosby) didn't get her nose done till she was 25. 'Obviously I got a boob job at 18. Luckily all the things in her face will dissolve but she's just had her nose done and I don't know if she needed it but hopefully when she's older she'll realise she didn't need all this work done.' Her sensational figure has long been a talking point among her fans. And Piers Morgan couldn't resist commenting on Holly Willoughby's 'sizzling' legs on Monday's installment of Good Morning Britain. After commending the This Morning host's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! debut, the outspoken star, 53, made a remark about her limbs after she dazzled viewers in a thigh-skimming playsuit. Hol lot of leg! Piers Morgan couldn't resist commenting on Holly Willoughby's 'sizzling' legs on Monday's installment of Good Morning Britain Piers quipped: 'If you're going to wear what she wore last night and show off her very long and very sizzling legs then it's probably a little too much to expect people not to comment on your long sizzling legs. 'It's kind of the deal; you show them off to get attention, people comment and that's how it works. 'There we are, lovely legs. Sorry.' As usual, Piers' suggestion that Holly was showing off her legs for attention proved unpopular with co-host Susanna Reid, who gave him a scathing look. Turning on the charm: After commending the This Morning host's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! debut, the outspoken star, 53, complimented her 'sizzling' legs Piers joked: 'Shoot me, what you going to do? Arrest me, fire me, what happens?' Susanna then quipped: 'Any of those things.' Insisting he meant no harm with his comment, Piers - who is friends with Holly's I'm a Celebrity co-host Declan Donnelly and her jungle predecessor Ant McPartlin - fired back: 'Do you think Holly cares? She wore what she wore last night deliberately so we'd all talk about her legs. 'I know Holly, I love Holly - she's got great legs. She's also a great presenter and has a great brain. You can be all of those things. It's not an offence.' Looking good! Holly rocked a thigh-skimming playsuit for her jungle debut on Sunday night And it seemed Twitter was on Piers' side as they praised the host for complimenting Holly's tanned legs. One wrote: 'Chill @susannareid100 soon not a single woman will be able to appreciate a comment on their looks because it offends feminists... me personally I like a compliment-@hollywills great legs Good job @piersmorgan is still on our screens the world is literally going mad ! #gmb.' Another concurred: '@piersmorgan Omg what is wrong with the world today I'm sure @hollywills Will be happy about your comments about her sizzling legs haha.' Bickering again! Piers joked: 'Shoot me, what you going to do? Arrest me, fire me, what happens?' Susanna then quipped: 'Any of those things.' In agreement: It seemed Twitter was on Piers' side as they praised the host for complimenting Holly's tanned legs '@piersmorgan I totally agree with Piers about making a comment about @hollywills legs, he is saying something nice ffs! Take the compliment for what it is, Im reckon Holly wouldnt be offended!' a third agreed. However, the host of course had his adversaries, with one tweeting: '@piersmorgan please stop talking about holly willoughbys legs - in australia at the moment its heating up, its much hotter than England. 'Also, its honestly not that big of a deal? plenty of women have legs, youve just decided to comment on hollys because of im a celeb.' (SIC) She's known for fronting the fashion segments on daytime stalwart This Morning. And Lisa Snowdon, 46, went back to her modelling roots as she showcased her hourglass curves in a very sexy bikini shot posted on her Instagram on Monday. The brunette beauty donned a tiny black string bikini from a Barbados beach with the caption 'Nearly 30 years on and Im still getting my kit off for the cameras #lovemyjob'. Still got it: Lisa Snowdon, 46, showed off her incredible body in a bikini on Instagram on Monday as she said '30 years on and I'm still getting my kit off for the camera' Going barefoot, the model and presenter teamed the two-piece with a knee length black kimono as she wore a giant smile. She styled her brunette tresses loose in a beachy wave. Back in August, the broadcaster showed off her sensational figure once again as she posed in another bikini on an exotic getaway. Gorgeous: Back in August, the broadcaster showed off her sensational figure once again as she posed in another bikini on an exotic getaway The star captioned the image with a defiant message, hitting back a bodyshamers. She wrote: 'I always get asked, if women over a certain age should still wear bikinis and I always say f*** yes! 'Us ladies can wear what the hell we want, whenever we want to wear it. 'No one should ever dictate whats acceptable, its down to us, as strong, gorgeous powerful, independent, and confident women to be in control of our bodies, what we put in it and what we choose to cover it with...' Throwback! Lisa said she loved that she's been 'getting her kit off on camera' for 30 years (pictured in 1995) Lisa's posting comes less than a month after she shared a 'painful and freaky' looking acupuncture session on her Instagram. She said: 'I really needed this today... been so busy, had no time for myself over the last month, my hormones have been all over the place, my sleep all messed up and as a consequence Ive felt so run down and got hit with another bl**dy cold. 'Now I know that it looks pretty freaky not to mention painful, a cross between and hedgehog and cats whiskers, but I promise you I wouldnt keep going back if it hurt, George [her boyfriend] even goes to see Sarah now as well as lots of my friends. Iconic: Lisa, who is known for looking amazing in a bikini, showed off her phenomenal body in 2016 in the iconic 'Jungle shower' during her appearance on I'm A Celeb 'The aftermath of the treatment is.... I do feel pretty wiped out now, its not always like that, depends on the treatment which is always different and tailor made to your needs, I also feel a little emotional, but I think its mostly an intense feeling of gratitude at having finally had some TLC from Sarah and knowing I really needed it. 'Im going to listen to my body, rest and chill tonight and eat yummy warm food to nourish my system, and tonight I pray for an epic night's sleep.' In a video shared to her Instagram page Lisa lay still and looked calm as a needle were inserted into her cheek. Flaunting: The TV presenter often shows off her killer curves on social media The TV presenter said she has been ill recently and thanked Mayfair cosmetic acupuncturist Sarah Bradden for helping her feel as right as rain. First treatment with Bradden can cost up to 225 with ongoing treatments priced during consultation. She added that she has recommended the procedure to her other half George [Smart] and that a lot of her friends are now fans. Idyllic: Lisa often gets the chance to travel for work and posts pictures from beautiful locations This is not the first time Lisa has shouted about acupuncture on social media. In the summer Lisa had hundreds of acupuncture needles inserted into her face after drinking her 'body weight in rose' on a trip to the US. Lisa described the anti-ageing needling treatment as her 'MOT for the body, mind and soul'. They are the top contenders to succeed Daniel Craig as the next James Bond. Yet Richard Madden and Idris Elba proved there certainly isn't any rivalry between them as they caught up at The 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London's Theatre Royal on Sunday afternoon. The Bodyguard actor, 32, and the Luther star, 46 - who co-starred in 2016 movie Bastille Day - looked pleased to be in one another's company as they put on an animated display after bumping into one another at the star-studded bash. They're Bonding! Bond contenders Richard Madden and Idris Elba proved there certainly isn't any rivalry between them as they caught up at The 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London's Theatre Royal on Sunday afternoon Idris even cupped Richard's face in his hands as they bonded at the bash, before the pair turned to pose for a series of snaps together. The sharp-suited duo each looked than worthy for the role of 007, with Richard sporting the suave secret agent's trademark black tuxedo and white shirt combination, while Idris went for a dapper three-piece Giorgio Armani suit. Richard has been tipped to replace current Bond Craig since impressing audiences with his portrayal of steely diplomatic protection officer David Budd in BBC drama Bodyguard. His bedroom antics with Home Secretary Julia Montague, played by Keeley Hawes, have also helped make him the bookies' favourite. Dressed the part: The sharp-suited duo each looked than worthy for the role of 007, with Richard sporting the suave secret agent's trademark black tuxedo and white shirt combination, while Idris went for a dapper three-piece Giorgio Armani suit However, Richard was reluctant to confirm or deny that he was 'in talks' for the popular 007 role when he appeared on America's KTLA 5. He admitted: 'It's really flattering. Although people make things up - but it is lovely to be involved in the conversation.' The interviewer cheekily attempted to pull the truth for him, and asked what was discussed when he sat down with the movie's executive producer Barbara Broccoli - which Richard denied ever happening. Co-stars: Richard and Idris struck up a friendship after starring alongside one another in 2016 movie Bastille Day Hot favourite: Richard has been tipped to replace current Bond Craig since impressing audiences with his portrayal of protection officer David Budd in BBC drama Bodyguard The quip came after heightened reports that the Scottish star is set to be approached about the role by Barbara, who has the final say on all Bond characters. A source said: 'It's seriously looking like he [Madden] is going to get the job. Not only is he on top of Barbara's list, but she is preparing to offer the role.' If confirmed, Richard's selection would end a year of speculation as to who will succeed screen star Daniel, 50. Idris, 46, was originally the frontrunner after his impressive performance in the TV series Luther, though there has also been speculation that a female could take over the iconic role. Speaking about the possibility of playing the iconic character earlier this year, Idris said: 'I think its more about, "We just want to have a black guy play James Bond" rather than, "Idris Elba, the actor, play James Bond." 'Thats the part Im like, "Ugh, come on."' Rachael Ostovich was badly beaten this weekend when in Honolulu, Hawaii. The 27-year-old UFC fighter had one of the bones in her face broken - an broken orbital bone - and is in bad condition with 'major injuries', according to a report from TMZ. On Monday morning she was released from the hospital. The attack happened at a very bad time: the brunette beauty was scheduled to fight Paige VanZant in January. Considering her serious injury, it is more than likely she will have to cancel the fight. According to her Instagram page, she wed to fighter Arnold Berdon, 27, in April 2016 and together they have daughter Ruby Rose. Tough time: Rachael Ostovich was badly beaten this weekend when in Honolulu, Hawaii Two piece: The 27-year-old UFC fighter had one of the bones in her face broken - an broken orbital bone - and is in bad condition with 'major injuries' in a hospital, according to a report from TMZ They are supposed to meet up at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn on January 19. The orbital bone is located around the eye socket. If it is fractured, it takes months to heal. The Honolulu police department spoke directly with the site. They revealed that a 'felony domestic violence investigation' is already underway. That means that the person who attacked her is likely someone she knows as it has been labeled 'domestic violence.' The bride and groom: According to her Instagram page, she wed to fighter Arnold Berdon, 27, in April 2016 Family portrait: And it also appears that together they are raising daughter Ruby Rose Halloween fun: They were also seen on Halloween as Egyptians royalty Hawaii is where the fighter was born and raised. There has yet to be an arrest made. And it is not known if the attacker is her husband Arnold, or another family member. Rachael is one of the most promising stars in the UFC; not only is she tough and a good fighter but she has the looks of a model. Close: The last photo she shared on Instagram with her husband was on November 10 when they attended a friend's wedding The athlete often posts sexy bikini photos on the beach, earning her 356K followers on Instagram. Her last post was a flashback bathing suit photo on the beach with the caption: 'Missin those summer days.' The fight with VanZant would have elevated her career greatly. No go? The attack happened at a very bad time: the brunette beauty was scheduled to fight Paige VanZant, right, in January. Considering her serious injury, it is more than likely she will have to cancel the fight Stats: Ostovich is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of UFC and weighs 125lbs Work it: Here she is seen in December 2017 in Las Vegas as she celebrates after her submission victory over Karine Gevorgyan of Armenia in their women's flyweight bout during the TUF Finale event inside Park Theater Ostovich is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of UFC and weighs 125lbs. Rachael began her career in 2010 when she was an amateur with the Mixed Martial Arts - in 2014 she went professional. She moved on to The Ultimate Fighter in August 2017 and four months later she joined The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale. She won the fight via armbar submission in the first round. Her last big fight was with Montana de la Rosa in July at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale. Love Island star Zara McDermott has revealed that she's finally quit her job as a civil servant, almost six months after she shot to fame on the popular reality show. And after being restricted from discussing politics, the 21-year-old has disclosed that she's a Brexit-supporting Tory, who counts Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and former Prime Minister David Cameron among her heroes. The Kent native, who is in a relationship with Adam Collard, made the revelation during an appearance on BBC's Brexit Blind Dates on the Victoria Derbyshire show, where she debated the pros and cons of Britain leaving the EU with Magid Magid. Scroll down for video Moving on: Zara McDermott has revealed that she's finally quit her job as a civil servant, almost six months after stepping away to appear on reality show Love Island Of her political heroes, she gushed: 'I worked under Amber Rudd. I kind of looked to her and I was like, "That's a really strong woman." She knows her stuff. She was a really good person to work under. Quite inspiring. 'And also, I really liked David Cameron as well. He really knew what he was doing... I felt a lot safer under his wing, if you know what I mean... I think he was a stronger candidate for a Prime Minister.' Speaking on the show, she said of her job, which she'd held since the age of 18: 'You have to be completely impartial, so I've chosen to resign. Do you know how weird it is to be able to talk about my political opinion? I've been holding it in for three years.' Government position: The Kent native had worked at London's House of Commons in the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Pictured in April 2016 And as she sat down with the 29-year-old Lord Mayor of Sheffield a Green Party councillor, who voted to remain in the EU Zara got straight into the business of sharing her views on why she felt it was right for Britain to leave Europe. Zara, who previously worked in the Department of Energy and Climate Change, told Magid: 'I'm quite conservative I always have been. I voted to leave... 'Did you know that the UK has to submit its annual budget for review to the EU Commission before it even tells its own people what it's going to be spending? 'Things like that, I think there are almost elements of control within the EU that we don't, perhaps, need to have.' Political heores: The reality star listed newly appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and former Prince Minister David Cameron among her political heroes PM: She argued that Prime Minister Theresa May was 'trying her best' with Brexit negotiations However, when Magid argued that Britain wanted 'all the rights [that come with being a part of Europe], but we don't the freedom of movement', and that Prime Minister Theresa May's government had made 'ridiculous' demands, she agreed. On whether she though Theresa May was doing a good job in her efforts to steer Britain out of the EU with the best deal possible, Zara said: 'She's trying her best, but if I'm completely honest, I think she went in very soft and it's kind of like for me. 'If you wanna leave, leave. If you wanna stay, stay. We can't sit in the middle... The fact of the matter is, you can't keep everyone happy in politics. You never will.' She rejected the idea of a People's Vote, where the public would take to the polls once again to decide on Britain's future in Europe, arguing: 'You can't just vote again until you get the result you want... Brexit Blind Date: Zara spoke discussed her political views with Lord Mayor of Sheffield Magid Magid during an appearance on the BBC's Brexit Blind Dates on the Victoria Derbyshire show 'I think that people would change their mind now [if they voted again]. And I agree, if there was another referendum it would come out remain. But you can't just say, do you know what, we're gonna go down this path. 'And then you start doing it, you go all this way and then you just go, "Should we do it still? Do you think we should still do it?" I just think then that all of that time would have been completely wasted. It's devaluing it, I think. It's devaluing the democracy.' Zara added that she felt many voters voted to leave Europe based on immigration, explaining: 'A lot of people voted leave, it was on immigration. And I think there's no integration. There's no, like, unity. And I do think that's a bit disappointing.' While she admitted to Magid that if she moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo she'd be drawn to people from Essex if she met them there, she continued: 'I always think, why can't we all be friends? Why can't we all get along, and why can't we respect each other's cultures and understand it?' Say it with flowers: The pair had been set up on a blind date to discuss their points of view, with single Magid optimistically arriving with a bunch of flowers for Zara Deep discussion: While he was disappointed to learn that Zara is in a relationship, he proceeded to discuss the pros and cons of Brexit with the impassioned reality star Somali-born Magid shared that he integrated into British society after arriving without knowing a word of English, but received complaints about his background when he rose to position of Lord Mayor. 'It's a real shame that it's like that,' conceded Zara. 'For me it's less about immigration and more about the fact that people can't keep coming in, taking advantage of things like the NHS and our healthcare system and then leaving, because it's unfair.' 'Cuts to things that are being absolutely taken advantage of, ie, the benefits system and the NHS... There are definitely people on benefits that don't need to be benefits,' she continued. 'But I think that a really good thing to be able to produce in the UK would be almost like a couponing system. To be able to really monitor that and just know that it's not going to waste. Points of view: While the pair held opposing political stances, they appeared to agree on several points made during their meal together 'Because I think that it is quite a risky thing to just give someone a lot of money and just be like, "Here's some money for you." If they're an addict, it won't feed their addiction. So I think that would be really beneficial.' When Magid branded such a proposal 'inhumane', and one that would strip benefits recipients of their freedom, she said: 'I completely agree. 'People want to get a luxury from time to time, and just because they're on benefits doesn't mean that they shouldn't be able to do that. 'But I think that there should be at least 50 to 60 per cent of it should be that. No system is ever going to be perfect. There are always going to be flaws in a system. But we should try and make it as best as we can.' Against: During the discussion, Zara shared that she was against another Brexit referendum A source close to Zara has told MailOnline that the reality star is thrilled at finally being able to engage her fans on political matters. 'Encouraging young people to be more engaged in politics is something Zara feels really passionate about,' revealed the pal. ''She loved working in the civil service and with the people there, however she had to remain completely impartial and wasnt able to discuss her views openly. She wanted to be able to talk freely about her views and help make young people have more understanding about the mechanics of politics and the importance of what government departments do.' Office: Magid encouraged Zara to one day stand for office but as a Green Party candidate It's famously the happiest place on earth. And it looks like Kelly Clarkson's two children would agree with that after she treated them to a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on Friday. A gleeful River Rose, four, was spotted pulling her mom towards the Dumbo ride. She's ready to go: River Rose gleefully pulled mom Kelly Clarkson, who was carrying her brother Remy, to the Dumbo ride when they went to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA on Friday With the 36-year-old The Voice judge carrying son Remy, two, they all jumped into one of the Dumbo carriages. Fans of Disney films will remember that Dumbo is a flying elephant, with the flight controlled by the passengers, making the ride particularly exciting for the youngsters. The family also reportedly enjoyed a spin on the more scary Thunder Mountain, so little Remy must have passed the 3ft 4ins height restriction. The American Idol winner shares her children with her talent agent husband of five years, Brandon Blackstock, the son of her manager Narvel Blackstock. Quite a handful: The 36-year-old The Voice judge looked relieved to have got her daughter, four, and son, two, safely aboard the flying elephant Kelly was casually dressed in a Black Watch tartan blouse and black pants. She smoothed her ash blonde hair back ito a pony tail and didn't appear to be wearing much in the way of make-up. River Rose was more colorfully dressed in a long sleeved, pink graphic T-shirt with the wore AWESOME in silver letters on the front, a silver princess skirt made of layers of frothy tulle, pink tights and pink bootees. Her brother was dressed in a long-sleeved graphic T-shirt in grey and blue with brown shorts and blue sneakers. Cuddling up: Kelly posted this gorgeous snap of her with River Rose and Remy backstage at The Voice on Wednesday captioned, 'Love when the kids come see me on set!' Kelly has been on The Voice in various capacities since 2005. But she is looking forward to adding a new challenge next year when she will host her own Kelly Clarkson Show on NBC that she and husband Brandon will also executive producer. Kelly was surprised when late night host Jimmy Fallon asked her about it in September. 'It's been leaked,' she said, adding, 'it's daytime, we're gonna be on right before Ellen.' Kelly dished that her touring band will be her house band on the show. Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine and five other gang members were indicted on racketeering and firearm charges in Manhattan federal court on Monday. The Brooklyn-based rapper, whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, was arraigned before US Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman alongside five other men affiliated in the New York City-based gang, Nine Trey. Aside from the rapper, his ex-manager, Kifano Jordan, aka Shotti has been charged. Faheem Walter, aka Crippy, Jamel Jones, aka, Mel Murda, Jensel Butler, aka Ish and Fuguan Lovick, aka Fu Banga, have also been charged. One other individual is currently in state custody, according to a press release by the US Department of Justice. He will be transferred to federal custody. Federal authorities say the rapper known as Tekashi 6ix9ine and five other gang members have been indicted on racketeering and firearm charges. The rapper is pictured in Manhattan Criminal Court in July 6ix9ine's former manager Kifano Jordan (pictured November 7 in Manhattan court) has also been charged in the gang-related crimes US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: 'As alleged in the indictment, this gang, which included platinum-selling rap artist Tekashi 6ix 9ine, wreaked havoc on New York City, engaging in brazen acts of violence. 'Showing reckless indifference to others safety, members of the gang were allegedly involved in robberies and shootings, including a shooting inside the crowded Barclays Center, and a shooting in which an innocent bystander was hit. 'Thanks to the extraordinary work of HSI, ATF, and the NYPD, the defendants will now face justice in federal court.' 6ix9ine was arrested by ATF agents in New York on Sunday night after a joint investigation was done by the ATF, NYPD, and Homeland Security, adds the site. He was denied bail on Monday. 6ix9ine was denied bail Monday. He now faces 25 to life in prison 6ix9ine has been among the most ascendant and controversial names in hip-hop in recent months The rapper has been among the most ascendant and controversial names in hip-hop in recent months. His debut album, Day69, is among the most downloaded records on iTunes. But he's had several run-ins with law enforcement. He recently pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Brooklyn Criminal Court in connection with a May traffic stop. Last week the rapper revealed in an Instagram clip that he had dismissed his entire staff, including his manager and booker. 'I fired everybody on my team,' the Gummo artist said in the clip, imploring his fans that he was not going to be performing live in the near future, even in cases where he might be advertised. He said: 'I don't got no manager, I got no booking agent, no PR, no publicist, I don't got nobody on my team - it's just me.' The arrests also come a month after Faheem was shot during an altercation with the rapper's record label. The rapper is seen as he arrived for an arraignment in an assault case in Houston, Texas, over the summer According to the press release, Nine Trey is a 'criminal enterprise involved in committing numerous acts of violence, including shootings, robberies, and assaults in and around Manhattan and Brooklyn. 'Members and associates of Nine Trey engaged in violence to retaliate against rival gangs, to promote the standing and reputation of Nine Trey, and to protect the gangs narcotics business. The group 'enriched themselves by committing robberies and selling drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, furanly fentanyl, MDMA, dibutylone, and marijuana.' 6ix9ine is currently facing 25 years to life in prison on six counts of the gang-related crimes. Paris Hilton has called it quits with her actor fiance Chris Zylka, best known for the TV series The Leftovers. The news was shared on Monday morning by JustJared. 'They broke up and called off their engagement earlier this month,' a source close to the 37-year-old reality star and 33-year-old actor told the site. 'Their relationship started to become off-kilter after about two years together.' It was added, 'Paris will be focusing on her brand like DJ-ing and fragrances while Chris will get back into acting and art, like his gallery pop-ups with Banksy during Art Basel,' the source added. Later People added that their friends are 'not surprised' as everyone felt the wedding was never going to happen anyway. Over: Paris Hilton has called it quits with her actor fiance Chris Zylka, best known for the TV series The Leftovers. Seen here on October 20 Smooch: They were last seen together in October 20 at the ProDNA launch party, held at Just Cavalli Cafe in Milan, Italy. She wore a long purple dress as she kissed Chris who looked dapper in a suit The People source added, 'They postponed the 11/11 date without a new date. No one is surprised by this at all. Paris got caught up in wanting a wedding ([siblings] Nicky and Barron Hilton are both married) and she just didnt think about the marriage part. It was never going to work with Chris.' A second source said it all came to a close 'a few weeks ago' after she 'realized it wasnt right for her.' The insider added, 'The relationship moved very fast. She is traveling the world for her skincare and perfume. She wishes him all the best and hopes they can remain friends.' TMZ added later, 'Paris realized Chris just wasn't the one, and things between them had moved too fast. Paris hopes the two can remain friends and wishes Zylka all the best.' Her last post on social media was shared on Sunday evening and spoke of pain: 'What made her strong was despite the million things that hurt her. She spoke of nothing but happiness.' DailyMail.com has reached out to her rep for comment. Loving looks: The last time she shared an image with him on social media was on September 29 when she wrote: 'He looked at her the way all girls wanted to be looked at' They were first linked as a couple in early 2017 and were soon inseparable, always holding hands and kissing on the red carpet. Zylka met her family and they all seemed to mesh well. He also went with her all over the globe as she fulfilled her DJ gigs. They became engaged in early 2018 when in Aspen when he gave her a $2m diamond engagement ring. So much hope: They became engaged in early 2018 when in Aspen and she spoke of a big wedding in the fall with her family including sister Nicky Hilton, mom Kathy Hilton and aunts Kyle and Kim Richards by her side She spoke of a big wedding on November 11 - 11/11 - with her family including sister Nicky Hilton, mom Kathy Hilton and aunts Kyle and Kim Richards by her side. The two were set to wed this fall but she moved the date to 2019 saying that she was too busy to plan a big wedding this year. They were last seen together in October 20 at the ProDNA launch party, held at Just Cavalli Cafe in Milan, Italy. She wore a long purple dress as Chris - who looked dapper in a suit - kissed her on the cheek. The bling was there: On November 9 when at her fragrance launch in Mexico, she had on his large diamond engagement ring Solo: Hilton did not appear to be with Zylka when she attended Mathew Morrison's Halloween party held at Peppermint in October dressed as a butterfly The last time she shared an image with him on social media was on September 29 when she wrote: 'He looked at her the way all girls wanted to be looked at.' Hilton did not appear to be with Zylka when she attended Mathew Morrison's Halloween party held at Peppermint in October dressed as a butterfly in late October. He tattoo'd her name on his arm On November 12 Paris was alone when she visited the community of San Gregorio that was affected by the earthquake, Xochimilco, Mexico. She donated $350,000 and gave away items from her home collection. Zylka seemed to think their union would last forever as he has a tattoo of her name on his arm in a Disney font. Hilton has been engaged before. In 2005 she was set to wed Paris Kasidokostas Latsis and from 2002 until 2003 she was engaged to model Jason Shaw. Paris has also dated Benji Madden (2008), Stavros Niarchose (2005 to 2006), Nick Carter (2003 to 2004), Joe Francis (2003), Rick Salomon (2000 to 2001) and Randy Spelling (1996 to 1999), among others. And she has been linked to Cristiano Ronaldo, Jared Leto, 50 Cent, DJ AM and Kid Rock. Her sister Nicky is wed James Rothschild in 2015 and together they have two children, Lily Grace and Teddy. Before that she was wed to Todd Meister in 2004 for a brief time. Over 800 people, including more than 200 leading government officials are expected to take part in the upcoming 5th International Trade Development Week in Abu Dhabi, UAE, a media report said. The annual conference, which is organised by the Ministry of Economy, will be launched by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, and attended by Mukhisa Kitoy, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),reported state news agency Wam. The conference will take place at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel on November 20 and 21 under the slogan, 'The Global Partnership to Combat Illegal Trade and Protect Intellectual Property Rights', to enhance the UAEs stature and promote international trade. It is also a global platform for exchanging ideas and exploring best international practices, to overcome challenges facing international trade and establish partnerships to eliminate illegal cross-border trade. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs, said that the UAE has a prominent regional and international economic reputation, and is a leading player in global trade, as it is a key regional trading partner and a strategic gateway for the exchange of goods and services. He added that the current edition of the conference aims to promote international action to counter the risks of illegal cross-border trade, and will witness a senior ministerial meeting that will address recent global developments in combating such practices, as well as discussions and seminars that will be attended by over 100 speakers. The conferences participants will include many regional and international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Crime Organisation, the International Customs Network, the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, the European Commission, the International Air Transport Association, IATA, the Transnational Anti-Illicit Trade Coalition, and the Global Free Zones, as well as speakers and experts from around the world. The past few months have seen them continually call it quits before getting back together, with last week's Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episode see him get into a hot tub with Angelina's friend, Lindsay A.K.A. 'Jewish Barbie'. And Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 32, has now apologized to Jen Harley, 31, and their seven-month-old daughter, Ariana Sky, for his 'cheating' scandal. Taking to social media he shared a heartfelt post - while also alluding to the fact that they had called it quits once and for all. Scroll down for video Regretful: Jersey Shore's Ronnie Ortiz-Magro apologized to his baby mama Jen Harley and daughter Ariana Sky for his 'cheating' scandal with 'Jewish Barbie' on Monday Ronnie took to the platform to 'apologize to his family' for what had happened with Jewish Barbie in last week's episode. 'I promise there's light at the end of the tunnel. I wouldn't do anything to hurt either of them. I love you both.' Ronnie's post comes after he took to Instagram Stories on Sunday to also share his remorse. Wrong move: Ronnie took to the platform to 'apologize to his family' for what had happened with Jewish Barbie in last week's episode 'Obviously the last episode has made it seem like I was into Jewish rag doll,' he said. 'It's edited to make it look worse. I was in a bad place in my life and my relationship and I acted out of anger & immature resentment.' He added that it was a mistake and encouraged viewers to wait until this week's episode to see that he had learned from his mistake. Went too far: Thursday's episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation saw Ronnie get a little too close to Angelina's friend Lindsay A.K.A. "Jewish Barbie" What would Jen say? The pair were seen getting into a hot tub together 'I want to lead by example for my daughter and how to be a real man and I need to lead how to be a good boyfriend/husband. I'm so sorry to @@tt_kittymeow @ariana_sky_magro,' he concluded. And while Sunday saw him refer to their status as still together, on Monday, the reality star shared a link that read otherwise. According to a Monday report from Us Weekly, the on-and-off duo are no longer together. Off again? They [Jen and Ronnie] 'have split after their very public fight,' reported Us on Monday They 'have split after their very public fight,' reported the publication. It's been an extremely turbulent few months for Jen and Ronnie, frequently taking to their social platforms to express their lovers spats. At one point, Jen accused the star of allegedly killing her dog. What really happened? It comes as the mom-of-two was also arrested for domestic battery in June after she allegedly dragged Ronnie with a car She's free: The domestic violence charges were dropped 'due to insufficient evidence' And, in a since-deleted post from last month, Ronnie accused Jen of neglecting her 12-year-old son from a previous relationship 'while she went to drink'. It comes as the mom-of-two was also arrested for domestic battery in June after she allegedly dragged Ronnie with a car. The domestic violence charges were dropped 'due to insufficient evidence'. Pride and joy: After their most recent domestic dispute, Jen vowed that she would 'never speak' to the father of her daughter again After their most recent domestic dispute, Jen vowed that she would 'never speak' to the father of her daughter again. But in an interesting turn of events, the two reunited to celebrate Jen's birthday together with pals on a boat at the end of October. And they looked cozy on social media on Thursday as they celebrated their 'new teeth' at a Beverly Hills dentist office. She is a successful television presenter, famed for her time on Blue Peter. And Helen Skelton, 35, showed off her enviable physique as she enjoyed some quality family time on an 'overdue' trip to Dubai on Sunday. The blonde beauty revealed her toned abs and trim waist in a polka-dot bikini as she delightedly jumped in the pool with her 19-month-old son, Ernie. Family time: Helen Skelton, 35, showed off her enviable physique in a polka dot bikini as she prepared to jump in the pool in Dubai with her 19-month-old son, Ernie The gorgeous presenter tied her golden locks up in a high bun and shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of darkened shade. Helen captioned the adorable picture: 'When you cover as much of the country as we do you come on holiday to move as little as possible. 'Ignore the bruised legs...and ivory glow. #holidays #overdue #familytime #wintersun #boys #makingmemories' Loved up: Helen later slipped into a string bikini as she sipped on a beer poolside as she sported a make-up free look with her hand around her rugby player beau Richie Myler She later slipped into a string bikini as she sipped on a beer poolside as she sported a make-up free look with her hand around her rugby player beau Richie Myler. The former Blue Peter presenter is quite the jet-setter, having spent the last few years in France before moving back to the UK earlier this year. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline as she supported the P&G and Sainsbury's #HelpUsHelpThem campaign last month, the Countryfile host admitted that since coming back home earlier this year she's found her latest challenge is striking the balance between motherhood and her busy career. The bubbly presenter made the move to Leeds with her brood in February after two years in Canet-Plage, near Perpignan, as her husband's contract with the Catalan Dragons came to an end and he began playing for Leeds Rhinos. Although closer to two sets of doting grandparents, Helen admitted that settling back into everyday live at home was harder than she thought as she forfeited a quieter life by the beach. Challenge: The Countryfile host admitted that since coming back home earlier this year she's found her latest challenge is striking the balance between motherhood and her busy career 'It would be a lie if I said I found it easy,' she said. 'Obviously we lived between a beach and a vineyard so that was nice. 'Our kids are so little, it was nice to be in a bubble. It taught me a lot about my priorities and what made me happy and what kept me sane.' 'Coming back it's hard to say no to stuff because you're getting pulled in different directions. It's been a totally different way of life.' And as she settles into the Northern city, Helen explained that her work load has increased now that she's out of her 'bubble' in France. The proud mother to sons; Ernie, three, and Louis, one, Helen admitted that she suffers parental guilt as her work demands grow and said learning to say 'no' has helped her prioritise the eternal 'juggle'. 'I've learned to say no,' she shared. 'I love my job and I'm so lucky that I love what I do. I really have to put my foot down and I have to say no and spend time with my kids. Family: She said: 'It would be a lie if I said I found it easy. Obviously we lived between a beach and a vineyard so that was nice' (Pictured with her husband Richie Myler, 28, and their two young sons, Ernie and Louis) 'I will do two or three days really long days then have the rest of the time with my kids. I tell all my mum friends and dad friends, as they're doing the same juggle, is you really got to make the most of that time. Adding: 'When I'm on my day off with my kids, I say don't call me, don't expect me to send you an email, don't expect me to do the dishes. 'I do think every working parent has a juggle and it's going to happen no matter what you do and embrace the guilt and get on with it. The big thing for me is that I reinforce that time.' Focus: She added: 'When I'm on my day off with my kids, I say don't call me, don't expect me to send you an email, don't expect me to do the dishes. I do think every working parent has a juggle and it's going to happen no matter what you do and embrace the guilt and get on with it' The TV star added that some things have to give to keep the day-to-day in order and said her way isn't right for everyone but works for her. She continued: 'People ask me about Botox and massages and I don't do any of that. My friend comes to mine and colours my hair when my kids are in bed. I'm not saying that's right but it's right for me. 'I've been asked to do some writing for parenting titles and I'm always nervous about that as I don't think my way is the right way, it's just the way that keep me happy and my kids happy.' She struggled to produce enough breastmilk to feed her baby girl, eventually switching to formula. Now Khloe Kardashian has opened up about her attempts to breastfeed, saying she felt the 'stress' she was under contributed to her struggles. 'I tried breast-feeding for weeks and weeks!' she wrote on Twitter. 'For me it was so painful but I also was not producing a lot of milk. So I had to pump every time she was napping. Not going to plan: Khloe Kardashian reveals stress over Tristan Thompson's cheating meant she couldn't breastfeed baby True; she is seen attempting to feed her baby while in hospital 'I guess due to stress my milk was not coming in. I tried and I just couldnt give her enough. So I had to go to formula.' The stress Khloe refers to was her boyfriend Tristan Thompson being unmasked as a serial cheater, just hours before she went into labour. When questioned about how she tried to solve her issues by a fan, she explained: 'Yes I tried literally EVERYTHING!! doctors came to check, I met with the lactation specialist, I did power pumping, I drink the tea, ate the cookies, did special massages etc. 'It just wasnt working for me. Once True started loosing weight bc of it. I had to give her formula.' Explanation: 'I tried breast-feeding for weeks and weeks!' she wrote on Twitter No regrets: Khloe said she was forced to give her daughter formula, but felt she had done everything she could to make breastfeeding work Khloe's Twitter commentary during Sunday night's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians included her defending her decision to have Tristan in the delivery room. She explained she had never ignored the cheating, but instead: 'When I started going into labor... I told Tristan what I wanted for the delivery room. I made it very clear that I was still disgusted by his actions but I wasnt going to let ANYTHING ruin this moment Ive been waiting for my ENTIRE life.' Explaining her decision, which raised the eyebrows of her sisters Kim and Kourtney, she said: 'Regardless of what Tristan did to me, I was never going to take that moment away from True or Tristan. She should not be punished for his actions. He is her father and they both deserve to love one another as deeply as They possibly can.' She later added that she did not regret her decision. 'A birth is not something you can "redo". Once you make that choice you can never get it back think big people.' Also on social media, a talkative Khloe defended her own relationship with Tristan, who split from his pregnant girlfriend Jordan Craig shortly before getting together with Khloe. She's thought about it: Khloe said she will 'deal with it' if Tristan cheats again A fan wrote: 'Making excuses for a filthy womaniser. He left his pregnant girlfriend to be with you and you think he wont leave you someday, 'I reflect, grow, excel I absolutely love it!' she wrote. 'Being alone is definitely not an issue for me personally. And if he does it again, then I will deal with that but those are my choices. 'Right or wrong they are mine. I appreciate the support, unsolicited opinions and love I get from you all. Im not excusing anyones behavior. I simply did what I felt was right for me in that moment. You are also unaware of the work we do behind the scenes to better ourselves or to hopefully better ourselves.' And she clarified: 'PS he never left ANYONE for me. I have said this before but as I have learned the truth isnt as exciting as a lie. So the lie is what gets traction. The truth seems to get buried and ignored. Either way, its all love and peace over here.' Moment of Truth: Khloe went into labor with Tristan and her family present Decisions: Khloe let Tristan join her at the birth, despite just learning he had cheated Kate Moss admits encroaching middle age and a growing maturity has helped her strike the healthy balance she lacked at the height of her modelling career. The Croydon born star, plucked from obscurity and pushed into the limelight after being discovered at the tender age of 14, has turned her back on the wild nights that epitomized her jetsetting youth... at least to a certain extent. 'Ive learned to take care of myself a bit more,' Kate, 44, tells the December/January edition of Harper's BAZAAR. 'I do yoga every day. I dont go out nearly as much. And I take care of my skin, which somehow has held up. Opening up: Kate Moss admits encroaching middle age and a growing maturity has helped her strike a healthy balance she lacked at the height of her modelling career 'The bad things I have done usually take their toll, and Ive been quite lucky in that respect, but you have to put in the work.' Kate's newfound stability is offset by a surprisingly relaxed approach to her appearance and beauty regime, with the star admitting she has no desire to be consumed by her image. 'I think it helps that I dont take myself too seriously,' she said. 'You dont want to be a slave to beauty. 'Dont get me wrong, I love beauty products more than everas you get older, you have more to hidebut Im not obsessed. Tasteful: The Croydon born star gave a rare insight into her personal life after taking part in a glamorous news shoot for the latest edition of Harper's BAZAAR 'Even when Im going out, I still find it hard to wear false eyelashes and stuff. Sometimes [makeup artist] Pat McGrath will be like, "Come on, darling, lets put a lash on you," but I would never put one on myself.' The supermodel spoke to the publication while posing for a glamorous new shoot, conducted by Norwegian fashion photographer Slve Sundsb. In the first of three shots, Kate looks stunning in a leopard print sweater and leggings from Dolce & Gabbana, offset by glittering Bulgari jewelry. Strike a pose: The supermodel collaborated with Norwegian fashion photographer Slve Sundsb on her latest shoot A second shot find the supermodel reclining in a tasteful evening dress from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, while a third captures her striking a coquettish pose in Salvatore Ferragamo dungarees. The shoot comes as Kate looks back at what has been a stellar modelling career, during which she rose to prominence with close friends Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. But while her success is equal to that of her peers, she admits it's hard to believe she was able to make a name for herself as a model. Old times: The shoot comes as Kate looks back at what has been a stellar modelling career, during which she rose to prominence with close friend Naomi Campbell (pictured in 1993) 'I never could compare myself to those girls,' she explained. 'I wasnt five foot eleven, I wasnt built like they were. I was always different, and thats why I got booked. 'For Lila [her 16-year-old daughter] and her friends, its hard because its all there on the phone, the Kardashian factor, its in their face much more than it was for us.' She added: 'Its instant inspiration but also instant judgment. But she has seen me, and Im not obsessed with myself, so hopefully that will rub off.' The latest issue of Harper's BAZAAR is available from Tuesday, November 20 2018. They've been married now for seven years. But Kelsey Grammer. 63, looked every bit as besotted with Kayte Walsh, 38, as the day they tied the knot back in 2011, when they were spotted out on Saturday evening. The couple enjoyed date night at celebrity haunt Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood. Peek-a-boo: Kelsey Grammer's beautiful wife Kayte Walsh, 38, flashed her cleavage as she and the 63-year-old enjoyed date night at Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood on Saturday The beautiful blonde showed off a glimpse of her cleavage in a baggy taupe dress with an intricate aquamarine pattern that she teamed with knee-high suede boots. The Frasier star looked casual in a grey zipped sweater that he wore over a black shirt and black pants, belted at the waist, plus shiny black leather loafers. Kayte, a former airline hostess who hails from the UK, is Kelsey's fourth wife. They share the actor's fifth, sixth and seventh children - Faith, six, Kelsey, four, and Auden, one. Casually dressed: The Frasier star wore a grey zipped sweater over a black shirt, black pants and shiny black loafers The actor also has daughters, Spencer, 34, and Greer, 26, with ex-wife Doreen Alderman and girlfriend Barrie Buckner. His two teenage children, Mason, 16, and Jude, 13, are shared with ex-wife Camille Grammer. The star recently revealed to Conan O'Brien on his latenight TBS show that Kayte's name is tattooed on his 'pubic region'. Taking care: The blonde beauty, who shares three children with Kelsey, made sure the wardrobe malfunction didn't happen again by holding her hand to her chest The actor explained that she sees it as a way of staking claim to his wedding tackle permanently. Meanwhile, the ever busy Kelsey has two film projects on the go. In thriller, Grand Isle, he plays a cop in the tale of a young father charged with murder trying to prove his innocence. The Space Between, which co-stars the late Michael Jackson's daughter Paris, 20, is about a young man struggling to make his way up in the music business. Advertisement She's given up home comforts for a stay in the Australian jungle as part of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. But EastEnders star Rita Simons, 41, is used to a life of luxury as she often offers fans a glimpse on Instagram of her beautiful home, which she shares with her husband of 12-years, hairdresser Theo Silveston, and their twin daughters, Maiya and Jaimee. Showcasing a lush London pad with a theme of subtle greys and dark tones, the home is full of trinkets from her days on the hit BBC One soap - including an Albert Square road sign, paying homage to where the long-standing show is set. The jungle: She's given up home comforts for a stay in the Australian jungle as part of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but EastEnders star Rita Simons (R), 41, is use to a life of luxury as she often offers fans a glimpse on Instagram of her home Rita, whose uncle is Apprentice billionaire Lord Alan Sugar, opted to decorate her walls in striped greys while filling her comfy home with crushed velvet sofas. Even the actor's dogs fit with her strict monochrome colour code, as cute pooch Archie has black fur and another little dog wears white. The glamorous abode is also filled with funky artwork, such as an adorable large canvas of a pug wearing a stylish Peaky Blinders styled cap, which sits on a grey brick-looking wall. EastEnders fan: Showcasing a lush pad with a theme of subtle greys and dark tones, the home is full of trinkets from her days on the hit BBC One soap - including an Albert Square road sign, paying homage to where the long-standing show is set Chill time: Rita, whose uncle is Apprentice billionaire Lord Alan Sugar, opted to decorate her walls in striped greys while filling her comfy home with crushed velvet sofas, with the odd fancy dress costume chucked in! Style: The glamorous abode is also filled with funky artwork, such as an adorable large canvas of a pug wearing a stylish Peaky Blinders styled cap, which sits on a grey brick-looking wall As expected in any award-winning actor's home, Rita has a shelf dedicated to showcasing her various gongs, including a prestigious National Television Award. Rita, who was tragically killed off as her EastEnders' character Roxy Mitchell almost two years ago, is reportedly hoping a stay in the Australian jungle will help with her insomnia and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), while also boosting her career options. A source told the Sun: 'Obviously it will be hard for Rita to live in the jungle with her health problems but she's hoping that some time away from her hectic lifestyle will help and that it will also provide a career boost and hopefully lead to her landing another big TV part.' Family home: She shares the property with her husband of 12-years, hairdresser Theo Silveston, and their twin daughters, Maiya and Jaimee Matching! Even the actors dogs fit with her strict monochrome colour code, as cute pooch Archie has black fur and another little dog wears white On point: Opting to lighten up her home, which features predominantly dark tones, the actress picked a light wood for her coffee table The Legally Blonde stage star started her time in the jungle by leaping 10,000ft out of the helicopter alongside her camp-mates, actor John Barrowman, 51, and Coronation Street's Sair Khan, 30. Rita could be set to earn between 80,000 and 100,000 for her stint on the show due to her previous recognition on the BBC soap. Meanwhile, Anne 'The Governess' Hegerty was in tears during the launch of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here on Sunday, as she threatened to quit the show just hours after entering camp. Comfy: Rita's family home appears to be spacious and a comfortable setting as it's decorate with calming candles Attacked! But the English actress' ornament's can't be saved from her children who decided to mess up her lovely statue The 60-year-old star of The Chase struggled to contain her emotions as she saw the brutal reality of living in Snake Rock. Fans were quick to share their sympathy for Anne as they took to Twitter to pledge their support, especially as the star has spoken candidly about her struggles with Asperger's syndrome. I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here continues on Monday 19th November at 9pm on ITV. Up up and away: Rita (right) looked fearless as she and The Vamps star James McVey prepared to jump out of a helicopter ahead of the show's launch on Sunday His longterm love Diane Kruger recently welcomed her first child with new boyfriend Norman Reedus. Now it seems Joshua Jackson has also moved on, with the actor's new love revealed as the two were pictured holding hands on a lunch date. The Dawson's Creek star, 40, looked besotted with up and coming actress Jodie Turner-Smith, 32, who stars in the show Nightflyers. Joshua Jackson's new love revealed: Actor pictured holding hands with girlfriend Jodie Turner-Smith in Los Angeles on Sunday Close: Obviously comfortable and relaxed in one another's company, they held hands and smiled and laughed as they talked animatedly The pair were pictured in Los Angeles on Sunday, where they went for coffee and looked around a few shops. Obviously comfortable and relaxed in one another's company, they held hands and smiled and laughed as they talked animatedly. Late on Sunday night, Turner-Smith seemed to tweet about her new man. Sharing a heart face emoji, she wrote: 'when he leaves and you are free to rub gobs of aloe on your face, because self-care is important and so is space and time alone.' Moved on: The pair were pictured in Los Angeles on Sunday, where they went for coffee and looked around a few shops In demand: Taylor-Smith was just announced as the star of the upcoming Universal picture Queen & Slim alongside Oscar-nominee Daniel Kaluuya Along with her new boyfriend, Turner-Smith has plenty on her plate career-wise to keep her busy. She was just cast as the star of the upcoming Universal picture Queen & Slim alongside Oscar-nominee Daniel Kaluuya. The film follows a couple who are stopped by the police, and looks at how the experience affects their lives, according to Variety. New scene: Jackson has previously complained about the stress of modern dating Film star: Turner-Smith has just been cast in a new Universal movie Writing about her man: Late on Sunday night, Turner-Smith seemed to tweet about Jackson She will also play supermodel Grace Jones in the Marvin Gaye biopic Sexual Healing alongside Jesse L Martin. Her other credits include The Last Ship for TNT, Mad Dogs for Amazon, and True Blood for HBO, and a number of independent films. Meanwhile Jackson has been linked to a string of women including TV host Alyssa Julya Smith, and model Shafia West, following the end of his ten-year relationship with Diane two years ago. Well traveled: The up and coming star has been to plenty of exotic locations Stunning: The actress has plenty of sultry Instagrams on her account Breaking out: Turner-Smith has a packed schedule for the next year The actor previously admitted he had found dating to be a struggle after splitting with Kruger, because the dating scene had changed drastically since he was last single. He said: 'Things have changed a little bit since last time I was single. Maybe it was there, but I don't remember it. I mean, everything's on your phone now, right? 'There's no more talking to people anymore. You talk to somebody and they're like, "Ugh! No, no, no, no, no! We don't do that anymore." So, yeah, it's been quite a big change.' Up and coming: With two new films slated for next year, we will be seeing more of Turner-Smith; she is pictured at events in December of last year and this July It's no secret that appearing on a reality show brings with it temporary fame and a boost of online notoriety. But celebrity talent Ben Grand has revealed the sad truth that many delusional D-listers believe they will become overnight superstars after appearing on reality shows such as Married At First Sight and The Bachelor. 'A lot of them have very warped ideas of what is possible,' the Queensland-based agent told TV Week Close Up on Tuesday. 'A lot of them have very warped ideas': Celebrity talent Ben Grand has revealed the sad truth that many delusional D-listers believe they will become overnight superstars after appearing on reality shows such as Married At First Sight and The Bachelor (Pictured: Married At First Sight stars Dean Wells and Ryan Gallagher) 'Some of them will come to me and say, 'Oh I'd really love to be the next Grant Denyer', or, 'I'd love to host Sunrise',' he explained. Ben, whose talent agency Stage Addiction represents the likes of The Bachelorette's Jarrod Woodgate, Love Island Australia's Eden Dally, and Married At First Sight stars Ryan Gallagher and Dean Wells, added: 'Anyone who's in the industry knows that taking on such a massive role immediately after being on a reality show isn't realistic.' While former reality stars including The Bachelorette's Sam Frost, Australian Idol's Jessica Mauboy and Big Brother's Chrissie Swan have become bona fide celebrities over the years, others have been left questioning why they bothered to court the limelight in the first place. 'Some of them will come to me and say, 'Oh I'd really love to be the next Grant Denyer', or, 'I'd love to host Sunrise',' he explained. (Pictured: The Bachelorette's Jarrod Woodgate) Look who's back! Nineties pop-star Melissa Tkautz, who is represented by Stage Addictions, recently enjoyed a return to the limelight by appearing in the Real Housewives of Sydney Back in July, Married At First Sight alum Clare Verall candidly told Daily Mail Australia that starring on the show in 2016 'was the worst decision she ever made'. The 34-year-old claimed she was turned down for five jobs after her time on the small-screen, specifically because she appeared on the program. In March, New Idea magazine reported that Married At First Sight's Dean Wells, 40, was also struggling to find sustainable work as a freelance creative director after his 'villainous' TV portrayal. Cashing in quickly? Many reality stars have made the most of their 15-minutes of fame by promoting products on Instagram. (Pictured left: The Bachelorette's Jake Ellis, right: Married At First Sight's Ryan Gallagher) What a coincidence! Reality stars-turned- social media sensations Eden Dally, who is known for his appearance on Love Island Australia (left), and Davey Lloyd, who appeared on The Bachelorette (right), are also represented by Stage Addiction 'He didn't exactly come across well on the show,' a friend told the magazine, alluding to his 'affair' with Davina Rankin and the infamous boys' night. The source added that Dean had taken to nightclub appearances and his rap career to pay his bills and keep his financials in check. The Bachelorette's David Witko was also left questioning why he signed up for the show after he was painted as a 'villain' character through clever editing. 'The producers just didn't want to show an ounce of niceness from my part,' he told Daily Mail Australia last year. Regrets: Back in July, Married At First Sight alum Clare Verall candidly told Daily Mail Australia that starring on the show in 2016 'was the worst decision she ever made' Roxy Jacenko raised eyebrows on Tuesday morning by joking about having an affair with Beau Ryan on The Kyle and Jackie O Show. During an interview segment, the 38-year-old publicist suggested that a fling with Beau, 33, would draw attention away from the former NRL star's flirty friendship with newly-single colleague Jackie 'O' Henderson. She even alluded to her own affair with property developer Nabil Gazal Jr. last year while her husband Oliver Curtis was in prison, as well as Beau's alleged extra-marital fling with Lauren Brant in 2015. 'Going off our track record it would probably be very believable!' On Tuesday, Roxy Jacenko (right) joked about having an AFFAIR with Beau Ryan (left) to divert attention from his flirty friendship with Jackie 'O' Henderson Beau, who was filling in for an unwell Kyle Sandilands for the second day in a row, joked that he and Roxy should stage a James Bond-themed photo shoot together after she bought herself a new Aston Martin. 'We go around the city, right? We spend the day filming content and really get this rumour mill going to take the heat off me and Jackie for a bit!' he said. 'With pleasure,' Roxy replied. 'I mean, going off our track record, it would probably be very believable!' Fake news! Beau and his newly-single KIIS FM colleague Jackie O have recently been the subject of false suggestions they are more than just friends. Jackie is pictured covering her face with embarrassment after Roxy's joke about extra-marital affairs At that moment, Beau burst into awkward laughter and Jackie concealed her face with embarrassment. The trio then swiftly segued into a discussion about the weather in a effort to move the conversation away from personal matters. Roxy has acknowledged that she cheated on her husband, former investment banker Oliver Curtis, while he was in prison for insider trading in 2017. She began an affair with Lebanese-Australian property developer Nabil Gazal Jr., who she had previously dated until 2010. Bad decisions: Roxy (right) has acknowledged that she cheated on her husband, former investment banker Oliver Curtis (left), while he was in prison for insider trading in 2017 The other man: She began an affair with Lebanese-Australian property developer Nabil Gazal Jr., who she had previously dated until 2010. Pictured: Nabil in May 2014 Back in 2015, Beau was accused of cheating on his wife Kara Ryan (nee Orrell) with former Hi-5 star Lauren Brant during a production of the stage show Aladdin and his Wondrous Lamp. He has never admitted to the 'affair', which was widely reported in the tabloids, however he did eventually issue a carefully-worded apology on the NRL Footy Show. In October of that year, he opened the program by saying he wanted to 'apologise to all of the people who have been hurt recently'. Allegations: In 2015, Beau was accused of cheating on his wife Kara (left) with former Hi-5 star Lauren Brant during a production of the stage show Aladdin and his Wondrous Lamp Meanwhile, Beau and his KIIS FM colleague Jackie O have recently been the subject of false suggestions they are more than just friends. After it was announced last month that Jackie had split with her husband-of-18-years Lee Henderson, a women's magazine claimed she had 'found comfort' in Beau. However, the 43-year-old mother-of-one refuted any suggestion that her relationship with Beau was anything but professional in a blistering on-air statement. 'It is completely false and those types of allegations are really hurtful to both families involved in this,' she fumed. They're two of the celeb world's biggest party hoppers. And Ashley James and Cressida Bonas both wowed in super chic dresses on Monday evening for the Walpole British Luxury Awards 2018, held at the English capital's upscale Dorchester Hotel. The 29-year-old ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry stunned as she arrived at the exclusive soiree in a mauve semi-sheer shift dress, which featured gold polka dots and a black fur-lined hem while ex Made In Chelsea star Ashley flaunted her figure in bronze bodycon. Stepping out in style: Cressida Bonas attended the Walpole British Luxury Awards 2018, held at London's upscale Dorchester Hotel on Monday evening Standing tall in suede rose-themed open-toed heels, Cressida, who sported Charlotte Tilbury make-up for the evening, wore her golden locks in soft waves, while she accessorised with gold hoop earrings. She rubbed shoulders with a host of well-heeled guests at the event, which was held to celebrate and reward brands and individuals for their outstanding work in the luxury sector both in Britain and abroad. Ashley looked incredible in her figure hugging strappy gold dress, which highlighted her svelte physique. Party dress: Ashley James looked incredible in her figure hugging strappy gold dress, which highlighted her svelte physique She added black heels to complement her halterneck dress and styled her short blonde locks into waves. A dusting of gold eyeshadow and bronzer matched her glittering outfit perfectly. Jason Isaacs presented awards across nine categories from a shortlist of brands which included Fortnum & Mason, Sunseeker, Boodles, Royal Ballet & Erdem, Roja Dove, Donmar Warehouse and Mulberry. Chic: The ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry wowed as she arrived at the exclusive soiree in a mauve semi-sheer shift dress, which featured gold polka dots and a black fur-lined hem Pose: She looked sensational on the night sporting Charlotte Tilbury make-up and posed with Mulberry's creative director Johnny Coca as she arrived at the bash Grand designs: The glam beauty was also seen cosying up to fashion designer Alice Temperley Behind the decks: Ashley struck a pose with superstar DJ Charlotte de Carle Over 350 luxury industry creatives, executives and influencers gathered to applaud Britain's longstanding luxury companies and emerging talent. Cressida shot to fame back in 2012, when she embarked on a romance with Prince Harry, after being introduced to him by his cousin Princess Eugenie. While it was widely speculated that the pair would tie the knot, they announced in 2014 that they had amicably gone their separate ways. Cold shoulder gown: Jodie Kiss turned heads in a colourful cloud-themed cold shoulder dress Strike a pose: Teaming her dress with a small leather handbag, the model posed up a storm Smart: She posed alongside designer Alice, who looked smart in a black hat and fitted blazer Tress-ed to impress: The model's golden locks rested about her shoulders in subtle waves Despite their split, Harry and Cressida have remained friendly, with the blonde beauty attending his wedding to Meghan Markle in May. One of Harry's other old flames, Chelsy Davy, was also seen among the group pf well-wishers when he tied the knot with the now Duchess of Sussex in Windsor. Cressida, who is in a relationship with Harry Wentworth-Stanley, looked nothing short of spectacular when she attended the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in an orange beaded gown on Sunday evening. Little black dress: Model Yasmin Le Bon wowed in a figure-hugging off-the-shoulder dress Effortlessly stylish: Fiona Barratt, left, and Emilia Wickstead, right, looked effortlessly stylish Complement: Natalie and Ian Livingstone complemented each other with their ensembles Lighter shade: Lady Kitty Spencer arrived in a lighter version of the gown worn Jodie Kidd She had her trim figure on full display in the pretty gown, which boasted an intricately beaded gold halterneck top and a matching orange tulle skirt. The actress' dress had a vintage feel thanks to the detailed lace hem, with two semi-sheer layers. Cressida finished her look by styling her glossy blonde tresses into classic curls to mimic some of the stage's greatest ever stars, highlighting her flawless complexion with a dramatic smoky eye and defined brows. True blue: Natalie Livingston wore a deeply plunging blue gown with silver strappy heels Classic style: Jason Isaacs, left, and Ewan Venters, right, opted to wear classic black tuxedos Amazing: On Sunday night, Cressida looked nothing short of beautiful in an orange beaded gown at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane Mace, an international consultancy and construction company, has appointed Paul Donaghy as head of cost consultancy in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Donaghy brings to Mace over 20 years experience in the commercial and contractual administration of major construction and engineering projects in Ireland, Mauritius and the Middle East. He joins Maces 80-strong cost consultancy team in Mena with a focus on expanding the business and continuing to deliver high quality cost consultancy services to clients across the region. Prior to starting his new role at Mace, Donaghy managed the contracts department at Meraas Developments, one of the largest developers in Dubai. Donaghy then continued to oversee the same contracts department within North25 Project Management. Donaghy holds a BSc in Construction Economics (Hons), an MSc in Pan-European Construction Management (Hons) and is currently completing an LLM in Construction Law & Arbitration. Mark Taylor, Maces regional director for Mena, said: Paul brings a unique perspective to Mace having worked within Meraas and North25, leading organisations, for more than six years. His understanding of a clients needs and his experience of working on such a breadth of different projects will be invaluable. I am sure that our cost consultancy business in Mena will continue to thrive under his leadership. Jason Millett, Maces chief operating officer for consultancy said: We are delighted to welcome Paul to our team in Dubai. He has worked on some of the regions most high profile projects and has first-hand experience of working at a high level within leading regional client organisations. Expanding our cost consultancy business is a strategic priority for Mace, and I look forward to working closely with Paul to deliver that ambition. TradeArabia News Service Charlize Theron is an A-list movie star with an Oscar under her belt. But the 43-year-old blonde bombshell - who is playing Megyn Kelly in a new movie - is also a doting mother to two kids: August and Jackson. On Saturday the ex of Sean Penn was seen taking the little ones to a movie at the Arc Light in Hollywood. Fun mommy: Charlize Theron took her two children to a movie in Hollywood on Saturday The kid films playing at the Arc Light at the moment are The Grinch and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Theron looked youthful in a yellow sweater and under a black leather motorcycle jacket. The Atomic Blonde actress added a long black skirt and white sandals. She was seen with her blonde locks swept up and pretty makeup on as she held on to a small paper cup. Her little ones: The cover girl was seen in the parking lot with August and Jackson That same day Theron was seen at the Variety's Actors on Actors event. She was joined by Dakota Johnson. The Tully star, 43, and 29-year-old Fifty Shades star, respectively, both dazzled on the red carpet as they arrived at the Goya Studios in Hollywood, California. Charlize rocked a charcoal blazer over a polka dot button down, which showcased her impeccable sense of style. Stylish: Theron and Dakota Johnson kicked off a new season of Variety's Actors on Actors on Saturday The Monster star teamed them with black palazzo pants, which reached all the way to the ground. Her trademark blonde bob was worn in a side parting which framed her stunning facial features. The South African-born beauty kept her make-up natural as she took the role of interviewer. Chat: She was joined by actor Michael B. Jordan She was chatting to Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan, who was in a grey two-piece suit. Dakota looked exceptionally elegant in a cappuccino-coloured midi-dress. The daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson kept it very simple, with minimal accessories as her outfit clung to her slender frame. Looking serious: Charlize rocked a charcoal blazer over a polka dot button down, which showcased her impeccable sense of style Hug it out: She was chatting to Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan, who was in a grey two-piece suit Beautiful: Her trademark blonde bob was worn in a side parting which framed her stunning facial features Meanwhile, Charlize has recently been busy transforming herself into disgraced talk show host Kelly for an upcoming flick about Roger Ailes. The film, Fair and Balanced, boasts an all-star cast that includes John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, Alice Eve as Ainsley Earhardt, Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil and Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch. Kelly gave private testimony about Ailes and the unwanted sexual advances he made to her and others that ultimately led to his 2016 resignation amid a sexual harassment scandal, less than a year before his 2017 death at 77. Sean Penn and family were recently evacuated from their Malibu home due to the extensive Woolsey Fires covering parts of Southern California. And the actor was seen returning to a hotel in Santa Monica, California with daughter Dylan Frances on Monday. The philanthropist, 58, and his model/actress daughter, 27, were on their way back from a shopping trip in the nearby neighborhood of Venice. Walking around: Sean Penn and daughter Dylan were seen out in Santa Monica on Monday. They were evacuated from their home in Malibu last week Sean was dressed casually, wearing a blue jacket over a navy tee and dark pants. His hair and beard were scruffy, not appearing like his priority at the time being. The The First actor also wore beachy thong sandals, though it was brisk outside. His model daughter, who is the offspring of Robin Wright, was dressed in casual cut-off Levi shorts and a small black cardigan. A bit cold for those? The The First actor also wore beachy thong sandals, though it was brisk outside Dressed down: His model daughter, who is the offspring of Robin Wright, was dressed in casual cut-off Levi shorts and a small black cardigan She tied her blonde hair into a messy bun and went makeup free. Dressing up the look just a bit, she added a chevron-quilted Chanel bag. Over the weekend Sean joined forces with several other celebs at a fundraiser hosted by Gerard Butler to raise money to rebuild the Malibu community. Neighbor: Though he tried to remain under the radar, Sean was snapped in an Instagram with Founder of LightWorkers and Malibu local Roma Downey Though he tried to remain under the radar, Sean was snapped in an Instagram with Founder of LightWorkers and Malibu local Roma Downey. 'With my Malibu neighbor Sean Penn tonight supporting @malibufoundation to help our Malibu community in the aftermath of the wildfires. Coming together as community to help each other,' she captioned the shot. The star is no stranger to charitable giving. Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization after 2010's earthquake on the island and has been deeply involved with the country's reconstruction since. On Sunday she was spotted enjoying time with boyfriend Wells Adams at a farmers market in Studio City. And one day later, Sarah Hyland was spotted leaving the gym following a workout session in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old actress covered up her flat midsection with a huge olive green duffel back as she sported a white crop top with pink leggings. As if the travel bag wasn't already enough she also lugged along a huge brown suede tote bag. Toned: Sarah Hyland was spotted leaving the gym following a workout session in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon Sarah donned spandex bottoms in a pink hue for her gym session, adding a long-sleeved white crop top with a wraparound cut. The Modern Family star hit the pavement in black and white sneakers while toting a camel suede handbag over one shoulder. Sarah also carried a second bag - a large olive colored duffel that perfectly coordinated with her headband. The TV star finished off the stylish workout look with hoop earrings and small framed sunglasses. Casual: The 27-year-old actress flaunted her flat midsection in a white crop top with pink leggings while toting two large bags Chic: Sarah donned spandex bottoms in a pink hue for her gym session, adding a long-sleeved white crop top with a wraparound cut Sarah pulled her brunette hair back into a messy bun with no makeup, opting to show off her gorgeous natural beauty. On Sunday, she was joined by boyfriend Wells Adams at a farmer's market in Studio City. Sarah looked chic in a gray button up maxi dress, which featured a v-neck and delicate buttons. Homeward bound: Sarah pulled her brunette hair back into a messy bun with no makeup, opting to show off her gorgeous natural beauty Close: On Sunday, she was joined by boyfriend Wells Adams at a farmer's market in Studio City The screen star added a silver and black belt to highlight her slim waist with a snakeskin patterned purse and black hat. Sarah styled the look with her signature hoop earrings and trendy sunglasses to round out the look. Wells kept it casual in a graphic T-shirt with jeans, adding sunglasses. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has hit out at Matthew Guy, implying the opposition leader was trading tragedy for votes in relation to the Bourke Street terror attack. Speaking in Clyde on Sunday, Mr Andrews confirmed he had shared a private coffee with staff at Pellegrini's Cafe on Thursday night, almost a week after much-loved owner Sisto Malaspina was stabbed to death. "There were hugs, a few tears as well - I didn't go down there with cameras because I don't think it is a campaign stop," Mr Andrews told reporters. Mr Andrews said he also met privately with the police officers involved in apprehending attacker and other victims slashed by Hassan Khalif Shire Ali. "That's what leadership is about - not taking advantage of tragedy or trading tragedy for votes," Mr Andrews said. "I'm very comfortable with the way I have discharged my duties, I wonder whether others might be able to say the same." Last Tuesday, Mr Guy and Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed their sympathies to staff at Pellegrini's. They were joined by a huge press pack including television cameras, reporters and photographers. After visiting the cafe, Mr Guy held a press conference and he thanked police for their quick response to the attack. "Enough is enough for our city, we will not accept whether it's terrorism or violent crime, that this is going to be the norm for a city of five million-plus people," he told reporters. Mr Morrison later denied he was politicising a tragedy - saying he was there to pay his respects. Mr Andrews and Mr Guy will face off in a "people's forum" on Wednesday, televised by Sky News. The NSW government has assured the public "teething problems" at its newly-opened Northern Beaches Hospital are being worked out. The public-private hospital at Frenchs Forest has been operating for more than two weeks but has come under scrutiny after media reports of staff and supply shortages. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard admitted private operator Healthscope had underestimated the amount of medical supplies needed at the hospital and was now going "all out" to make sure stock is available. He said another issue arose from staff members, who have come from Manly and Mona Vale hospitals, learning to work with each other. "There are obviously a variety of views but the doctors I am talking to ... are quite sure every day it's getting better and better in terms of the teamwork," Mr Hazzard told reporters at its official opening on Monday. Chairman of the hospital's medical advisory committee Stuart Pincott described the new 488-bed facility as "world class" and assured the public although it was in its infancy, the wellbeing and safety of patients has never been compromised. "We are experiencing an increase ... in the patients who are presenting to the emergency services department and this has created some problems in our roll out," Dr Pincott told reporters on Monday. "But, everything is being done safely and carefully." NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says although there have been some "teething problems," the $600 million hospital has already completed more than 600 surgeries. "From day one, this hospital has been functioning as though it has been around for a long time," Ms Berejiklian said alongside Mr Hazzard. "There have been some challenges early on that have been addressed." The crowd witnessed ritual sacrifice of a goat, followed by the deep ring of gongs signifying the beginning of ceremony "Darkness has fallen on the kingdom," the prime minister of the Abomey kingdom in southern Benin told the 300,000 people gathered to mark the death of traditional monarch Dah Dedjalagni Agoli-Agbo. The celebration at the weekend of the ancestral king's life is the beginning of at least six months of funeral rites, following his death and burial in July. The rest will continue in the privacy of the royal courtyard. "Tradition says that fever grips the kingdom for as long as the funeral is not held," said Dah Sodjo Kehnounhon, royal advisor and funeral organiser. "The death of the king plunges his kingdom into darkness. No celebration may take place until the king's ceremonies have ended." King Dah Dedjalagni Agoli-Agbo, a police officer by training had 41 wives The crowd witnessed ritual sacrifice of a goat, followed by the deep ring of gongs signifying the start of the ceremony. Dignitaries, princes and courtiers from the region, bare-chested and wearing loinclothes, sat crossed-legged in two long columns outside the palace. Government officials and royals from around the country also made the trip to Abomey, once the capital of the 400-year-old kingdom known as Dahomey, the former name of Benin. Agoli-Agbo's ascension to the throne of Dahomey in 1989 was disputed, with some not recognising his rule until 2010. A police officer by training who had 41 wives, his age was also argued but was said by his younger brother to have been 84. - Consult voodoo spirit Fa - The former kingdom of Dahomey had vied for control of the Gulf of Guinea region and was renowned for its fearsome women soldiers and rich from the slave trade. "Under the twelve kings who succeeded from 1625 to 1900, the kingdom established itself as one of the most powerful of the western coast of Africa," according to the UNESCO website. In the past, great numbers of people were sacrified to accompany the king into the spirit world, according to Oxford Reference, but not anymore. Government officials and royals from around the country also made the trip to Abomey, once the capital of the 400-year-old kingdom known as Dahomey, the former name of Benin In modern Benin the constitution does not recognise kings and other traditional chiefs. Their political power ended when King Behanzin was deported during the colonial struggle against France at the end of the 19th century. Still, they retain great influence on the city and their subjects, a testament to the power of tradition in the region, where voodoo is practised alongside Christianity and Islam. Agoli-Agbo, who had an immaculate royal pedigree, worked on the renovation of several palaces, turning them into tourist attractions in the small West African country. "He was a reformer king who felt that children should be interested in custom and culture," said Didier Samsom to AFP, one of the king's descendants. The king worked hard to "make the court more modern and dust off the tradition." When the ceremonies have ended, a successor to Agola-Agbo is due to be revealed to the public. But many fear the appointment will take longer than usual, since all the royal communities have to agree on the appointment of the new sovereign. "We could consult Fa -- the voodoo spirit -- if necessary," said the court minister. There is an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a peace deal to be done quickly between the Taliban and Afghan government US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Sunday he hoped the Taliban and Afghan government would strike a peace deal within five months -- even as the militants inflict record high casualties on security forces. Back in Kabul after a second round of regional meetings that are believed to have included the Taliban, Afghan-born Khalilzad said he remained "cautiously optimistic" for an end to the 17-year conflict. The former US ambassador to Kabul has been spearheading American efforts to convince the Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government. His appointment as US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation in September was followed weeks later by a meeting with the group's representatives in Qatar. But there are growing fears that any progress towards peace could be derailed by the April 20 presidential election, which is expected to be fiercely contested and marred by violence. "I remain cautiously optimistic," Khalilzad told Afghan media at a briefing. "I hope that the Taliban and other Afghans would use the (presidential) election as a deadline to achieve a peace agreement before then -- that would be my hope." "The Taliban are saying that they don't believe that they can succeed militarily ... I think there's an opportunity for reconciliation and peace." The US embassy in Kabul sent a recording of Khalilzad's remarks to foreign journalists based in Kabul, who had not been invited to attend the briefing. Khalilzad's comments come as the Taliban step up attacks on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces, which are suffering an unprecedented level of casualties. The death toll among Afghan soldiers and police is nearing 30,000 since the start of 2015, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged. In a recent report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) cited the NATO mission in Kabul as saying this summer's toll had been worse than ever for Afghan forces. Recent Taliban attacks on ethnic Hazara-dominated districts in the southeastern province of Ghazni have left hundreds dead, forced thousands of families to flee their homes, and raised fears of sectarian violence. Most Hazaras belong to the Shiite branch of Islam, while the Taliban are Sunni and largely ethnic Pashtuns. Khalilzad said he recognised the "complexity" of the conflict, but insisted: "I would like to make as much progress as possible as soon as possible". His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a deal to be done quickly. Washington is facing competition from Moscow, which this month hosted an international gathering on Afghanistan that was attended by the Taliban. Khalilzad called for the selection of negotiating teams to enable talks between the militants and Kabul to start. Buea has been hit several times by attacks allegedly carried out by separatist Anglophone groups A professor and staff member of the University of Buea in troubled western Cameroon have been kidnapped, a statement received by AFP on Sunday said. Charles Doumta, on the Health Sciences faculty, and George Ongey, who works for the research and cooperation office, were seized on Friday and November 10, respectively, the statement said without elaborating. "These acts are meant to intimidate, create fear and panic among staff and students and disrupt the smooth functioning of the academic year," Vice Chancellor Ngomo Horace Manga was quoted as saying in the statement, issued Saturday. The 12,000-student university is a historic centre of English-based learning in Cameroon, whose minority anglophone population is concentrated in the two western regions of Northwest and Southwest. A crisis erupted in 2016 over perceived discrimination at the hands of the francophone majority in areas such as education, the justice system and the economy of the West African country. Last year it developed into an armed conflict, with radicals declaring an independent state, the Republic of Ambazonia, which is not recognised internationally. They have attacked troops and police and torched other symbols of the central government in the former German colony, which was divided between Britain and France after World War I. Almost daily clashes now occur between security forces and separatists, who have organised themselves into scattered groups in the region's dense tropical forests. Early this month, armed men believed to be separatists abducted 90 students in Northwest Region, later freeing them in circumstances that remain unclear. Armed gangs are also operating in the troubled regions, taking advantage of the conflict to demand protection money from businesses and individuals. More than 200 troops and more than 500 civilians have died in regional fighting, according to non-governmental organisations. The conflict has also already displaced more than 437,000 people, UN data released in October showed. The Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons in The Hague faces difficult talks over a new investigative team that will start work next year to apportion blame for attacks in Syria Russia clashed bitterly with the West Monday as it tried to block the world chemical arms watchdog's new ability to attribute blame for attacks like those in Syria and Salisbury. Accusations of hypocrisy and lying erupted as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons debated how to move ahead with plans agreed in June to give the body new teeth. Backed by China and Iran, Russia called last-minute votes on the OPCW's budget and on setting up an "expert group" to scrutinise the OPCW's new role in pointing the finger for toxic weapons attacks. But the United States and Britain furiously accused them of trying to "turn back the clock of history", and said the work to attribute blame for attacks in Syria should start as planned early next year. The West pushed through the new powers after a string of chemical incidents in Syria, as well as a nerve agent attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury in March. Russian envoy Alexander Shulgin said Western claims of chemical weapons use by Damascus and Moscow were "out and out lies" and an excuse for "raining down missiles" on Syria. He said the June decision was "illegitimate" and went beyond the Chemical Weapons Convention, the 1997 agreement to rid the world of toxic arms, under which the OPCW was set up. - 'Where is your morality?' - Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad denied his country had ever used chemical weapons, in a fierce broadside at the western allies. "You have taught people to use chemical weapons, you have used chemical weapons in the first two world wars." he said."Where is your morality? This is sheer hypocrisy and sheer lies." US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said Russia's claims that the OPCW's new powers were illegitimate were "pungent hypocrisy", and warned against allowing a "new era of chemical weapons use to take hold". "What have they done for the last few years but to connive with their Syrian ally to bury the truth of what has happened in Syria, along with the dead killed by the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," Ward said. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, Salisbury comes along." Members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in June agreed to boost powers in pointing the finger for attacks Britain accused Russia of carrying out the Salisbury attack using a Soviet-era chemical called Novichok and the West has since imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow. British envoy to the OPCW Peter Wilson called any attempt to limit the watchdog's power to attribute blame for chemical attacks "unacceptable". French ambassador Philippe Lalliot meanwhile said the Russian plan "at best" would indefinitely postpone the attribution role "and that is something we cannot accept". Member countries will now vote on the watchdog's budget -- the first such vote in its history -- and on the plans for an "expert group" on Tuesday. The OPCW is meeting for two weeks. - 'Strong and unified resolve' - The meeting is also the first since the expulsion of four Russians accused by Dutch authorities in October of trying to hack into the OPCW's computer system, using electronic equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby hotel. At the time the organisation was investigating the attack on Skripal as well as a major chemical attack in Syria. The spying incident is not on this meeting's agenda, however. The OPCW says the two-week meeting of the 193 member countries is meant to "discuss the future of the organisation". New powers would also allow the OPCW to probe incidents like the Salisbury nerve agent attack on a Russian double agent New OPCW director-general Fernando Arias warned in his opening address on Monday that the "international norm against the use of chemical weapons has come under strain". "Their repeated use poses a challenge that must be met with strong and unified resolve," he added. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the OPCW says it has overseen the destruction of 96.5 percent of the world's chemical arms stocks. But in recent years it has seen its role expand to cover Syria and other attacks. Arias said in the run-up to the meeting that he aimed to have a "very small but strong" investigative team start work early next year on attributing blame for all attacks in Syria going back to 2013. 17:04 Huthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa and Hodeida in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia and its allies to intervene on the government's side the following year A high-ranking Huthi official has called for rebels to stop firing rockets and using attack drones in the conflict in Yemen, as a UN envoy prepares to travel to the country to prepare peace talks. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that his group wants "all official Yemeni parties" to demand a ceasefire. "We announce an initiative to call all official Yemeni parties to ask to end launching rockets and drones against aggression countries... in order to deprive them for any reason to continue their aggression and siege, along a readiness to freeze and stop all military operations on all fronts in order to reach peace," he wrote. His comments come after UN special envoy Martin Griffiths said on Friday that he plans to travel to rebel-held Sanaa in the coming week to finalise arrangements for peace talks to take place in Sweden soon. Griffiths -- whose efforts at kick-starting peace talks collapsed in September -- said both the Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels have shown a "renewed commitment" to work on a political solution and have given "firm assurances" that they will attend the talks. No date has yet been set. Ali al-Huthi said his call for an end to missile and drone attacks was aimed at "supporting the efforts of the (UN) envoy and proving our good intentions", adding that the move comes after "our contact with the UN enjoy and his request to stop launching missiles and drones". Thousands of people have died in the bloody conflict, and fighting intensified last week after clashes escalated in the Red Sea city of Hodeida, whose port serves as an entry point for nearly all of the country's commercial imports and humanitarian aid. The rebels seized the capital Sanaa and Hodeida in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia and its allies to intervene on the government's side the following year. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since then, according to the World Health Organization, in what the UN has called the worst humanitarian crisis. Rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high. A new innovation centre has been unveiled in Dubai, UAE, marking a revolution in the way food and beverage products are packaged and delivered to customers. The Innovation and Reliability Centre (IRC) at SIG Combibloc Obeikan (SIG CBOB), one of the worlds leading suppliers of carton packaging and filling machines for food and beverage, was officially opened in Dubai Silicon Oasis by Abdallah Obeikan, CEO of Obeikan Investment Group and Rolf Stangl, CEO of SIG. The IRC has been created for SIG CBOB customers to adapt to the seismic shift in the F&B production and consumption market, and the rapidly changing behaviour and expectations of consumers by delivering solutions which combine state of the art technology, connectivity and smart packs. Abdelghany Eladib, chief operating officer at SIG CBOB said: Our understanding of our customers needs goes beyond products and technology. We solve customer problems and offer new possibilities through an intelligent, holistic overview of their business needs. This ensures we consistently provide end-to-end solutions that add real value for our customers now and in the future. We have developed three segments that speak to the core challenges of our customers product innovation and differentiation; connected packs; and smart factory. This framework allows us to express who we are as a company today. And, more importantly, the value we bring to our customers and consumers, demonstrating our core capabilities and the solutions we provide, he added. A partnership with technology leader GE comes sharply into focus at the centre, providing some of the best solutions designed to optimise plant operations and increase efficiency. Customers visiting the IRC will be able to see the latest innovations in sustainable aseptic packaging such as a carton pack that can be heated and carried on the go, a carton pack that acts like a bottle, and the worlds first aseptic pack 100% linked to plant-based renewable material. The first of its kind in the world, the Reliability zone of the centre monitors and evaluates the performance of all SIG CBOBs lines across all clusters, enabling remote service. Martin Schmedes, Marketing & Strategy director MEA for SIG CBOB added: The creation of the IRC is in direct response to a range of key production demands, such as the leverage of connectivity between information technology and shop floor operations, the adaptation of production processes for each product, quickly and efficiently, and the optimisation of overall equipment effectiveness and the reduction of operational costs. Todays consumer operates in an on-demand culture and a heightened digitalised world. They are more enlightened and demanding than ever before when it comes to digital engagement and the traceability of the products they buy. Not to mention, they are increasingly buying goods online. We are helping our customers adapt to these changes and make a valuable difference to their consumers. The opening of the IRC coincides with SIG CBOBs participation in Gulfood Manufacturing, running until 8 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where visitors are able to see their differentiated product designs, smart filling plants and digitally interactive packs. The company is using the event to unpack the perfect package by combining state of the art technology, connectivity and smart solutions for their clients and ultimately, the consumer. Disruptive differentiation and value-adding solutions are helping food & beverage manufacturers to open up new opportunities for performing better and growing faster. TradeArabia News Service Masoud Karbasian addresses Iran's parliament on August 26, 2018, shortly before a vote which saw him impeached Iran's former economy minister, impeached less than three months ago, will head the national oil company as it works to evade renewed US sanctions, local media reported Monday. Masoud Karbasian, 67, was impeached by parliament on August 26 after only a year in the job, over his handling of the country's economic downturn. In a short statement run by the state-run Iran newspaper Monday, he vowed to "use four decades of experience... to overcome the sanctions crisis." Karbasian takes over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) at a crucial moment following the US oil embargo that was reimposed on November 5. Although he kept a very low profile during his tenure as economy minister, he was praised in the reformist Sazandegi newspaper on Monday for his "anti-corruption" stance -- particularly during an earlier stint as head of customs. But there was some confusion over his appointment, since he is in breach of a new law barring anyone over 60 -- the age of retirement -- from public office. Parliament passed the law in September, and it was used to remove outgoing NIOC head Ali Kardor, who is three years younger than Karbasian, according to several newspapers. The Iran daily said Karbasian's age was overlooked due to "sanctions and the gravity of sustaining oil sales". The US reimposed sanctions on Iran after deciding in May to abandon a landmark multi-lateral deal signed in 2015 over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. Temporary exemptions have been granted to several key customers of Iran's oil, including China and India. But Iranian authorities are seeking alternative and clandestine methods to keep oil flowing as Washington remains determined to eventually force its exports down to zero. The unaffiliated Haft-e Sobh newspaper described the new NIOC chief as "special agent: Masoud Karbasian". It said his appointment was approved by the Council for Special Economic Measures, set up during the previous sanctions period between 2010 and 2015, headed by President Hassan Rouhani, and whose decisions are taken in consultation with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Supporters of Mahinda Rajapakse (C) threw projectiles and chilli powder last week at their rivals in parliament Sri Lanka's parliament was adjourned after just five minutes on Monday after opening for the first time since MPs brawled and threw objects at each other last week. The island has been politically paralysed since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapakse. Rajapakse has lost two no-confidence votes and last week his supporters threw projectiles and chilli powder at their rivals and the speaker, deepening international concern. Monday's session was adjourned after five minutes as the 225-member assembly failed to agree on a committee to draw up the legislature's agenda. They were to meet again on Friday. Sirisena has also refused to accept the parliament's no-confidence votes. Wickremesinghe for his part has refused to leave the prime minister's official residence. The rival factions held talks with Sirisena on Sunday night in a bid to negotiate an end to the crisis, but it ended in failure, according to the two sides. After sacking Wickremesinghe last month, Sirisena initially suspended parliament and then dissolved it on November 9, calling snap elections for January 5. However these moves were suspended by the Supreme Court last Tuesday pending an investigation. The legislature reconvened the following day but degenerated into a punch-up. For 19 days, Sri Lanka had two claimants to the prime minister's post -- but on Thursday parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya held that he would recognise neither. Legislators on both sides say that with the administration at a standstill, key sectors such as tourism in the Indian Ocean island popular with visitors suffering badly. Armoured vehicles of the Yemeni pro-government forces are seen driving past destruction in an industrial district in the eastern outskirts of the embattled port city of Hodeida Efforts to end Yemen's devastating war picked up pace Monday as the government and rebels edged closer to peace talks and Britain led a push at the UN Security Council for an immediate truce. The moves came ahead of a visit in the next few days to the Arabian Peninsula country by UN envoy Martin Griffiths, once again trying to get all sides around the negotiating table. "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," Yemen's foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba news agency. Earlier, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Huthi rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that he wanted his group to announce "readiness to suspend and halt all military operations" and stop firing missiles on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition backing the Yemeni government, also lent its support to new talks. A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council Monday calls for an immediate truce in the battleground port city of Hodeida, according to the draft seen by AFP. However, fierce fighting broke out in the city late Monday between rebels and pro-government forces, according to military officials. The fighting was the worst since forces loyal to the government halted an offensive last week, and was concentrated in the eastern part of the city where rebels fired artillery. Pro-government forces responded while planes from the Saudi-led coalition launched 12 raids, the sources said. The text of the draft UN resolution, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-linked Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. It also calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month. - 'Renewed commitment' - The Huthis have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa since capturing it in late 2014. They also hold Hodeida, home to a key port on the Red Sea. The rebels have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has since 2015 led a military coalition to restore to power President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Residents of Sanaa, interviewed by AFP, welcomed the Huthi call to halt military operations. "This initiative is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength to prevent bloodshed and for life to go on," Mohammed al-Jouri said. Griffiths also hailed the rebel move, saying he "hopes that all parties continue to exercise restraint to create a conducive environment" for talks. The envoy will visit Sanaa Wednesday, a source in his office said. He is expected to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden, a date for which has not been set. On Monday, Saudi King Salman told the Shura Council, his country's top advisory body, that Riyadh also supported a "political solution" and a "comprehensive national dialogue" in Yemen. This file handout picture released on October 9, 2014 by the press office of the Yemeni Shiite Huthi group shows Abdulmalik al-Huthi, the group's leader Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Huthis have failed. Griffiths said he hoped the rivals would meet in Sweden "within the next few weeks" to seek "an appropriate formula for the involvement of Ansarullah (the Huthis' movement) and other political parties throughout Yemen in a government of unity". He told Sky News an agreement had been reached to ensure Huthi delegates could attend the talks without fear of being prevented from returning to Yemen, an obstacle that doomed peace talks slated to take place in Geneva in September. - 'Stop the bloodshed' - A Yemeni child plays in Sanaa's old city on November 13, 2018 The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, met UN officials late Sunday, and was quoted by the rebels' news agency as saying the UN and the international community should "adopt the political path to stop the bloodshed". British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told British television after the talks. Fighting in Yemen intensified at the start of November as the coalition renewed an offensive aimed at seizing Hodeida, whose port serves as entry point for nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid. Pro-government forces announced a pause in their offensive last week as international pressure grew for a ceasefire. But the coalition insisted Monday their operations were still ongoing, with spokesman Turki al-Maliki saying they were targeting rebel reinforcements even as he voiced support for the talks. A journalist looks at a destroyed warehouse in an industrial district in the eastern outskirts of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida on November 18, 2018, during the ongoing battle for control of the city between pro-government forces and Huthi rebels The rebel-run Al-Masirah TV said the coalition had carried out seven air strikes in the surrounding province and one inside Hodeida city. The rebels also reported fresh clashes in a battle front near Sanaa on Monday, Al-Masirah said. The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher. The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation. bur-mah-oh-ac/hc/dv/rsc/kaf Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul Germany will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday. Maas said the move was "coordinated very closely with" France and Britain and the broader EU as they seek more information in Khashoggi's death last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Berlin has "decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be connected with this deed, in the Schengen information system," Maas told reporters. "We are in close coordination on this issue within the European Union," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. "Over the weekend, we stated that we expected further steps to be taken to clarify the situation." The murder and Riyadh's explanations have angered its Western partners and raised tensions between United States and Saudi Arabia, a key oil supplier and US regional ally against Iran. The United States last week sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. The Schengen zone is composed of 22 EU nations and four non-EU countries. EU member Britain is not part of the passport-free zone, but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes. Maas said Berlin was following Britain's example last month to bar Saudi suspects in the Khashoggi murder, including revoking British visas for those who already have them. Maas did not rule out a decision by all EU member states to impose travel bans on Saudis linked to the murder and left open the possibility of further action. - Call to suspend arms sales - In October, Germany called for EU countries to follow its lead and suspend arms sales for the moment to Saudi Arabia, prompting a dismissive response from French President Emmanuel Macron. France is the kingdom's second-biggest customer after India. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, an audio recording proves that Khashoggi was deliberately killed and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. US sanctions earlier this month targeted several top aides to the crown prince by freezing assets under US jurisdiction and forbidding US companies from doing business with them. "We support the US action and are clear, we need to see proper accountability for those responsible," a British government spokesman told AFP. "Sanctions are implemented in concert with others. We are exploring with EU partners the potential for an EU global human rights sanctions regime, which could address such brutal human rights violations." Under sanctions pressure: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) The US Treasury placed a Russian-born South African man on its sanctions blacklist Monday for allegedly helping North Korea avoid an international embargo on its energy purchases. The Treasury said Vladlen Amtchentsev worked with Velmur Management Pte and Transatlantic Partners Pte to buy fuel oil and gasoil to ship to North Korea even though that was forbidden by US sanctions. The companies, which are also accused of laundering millions of dollars for Pyongyang, have already been placed on the US sanctions blacklist. The sanctions forbid Americans or American businesses from doing business with those named. Their property under US jurisdiction is also frozen. The US has used economic sanctions to step up pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. "North Korea depends upon the help of criminals and illicit actors to raise and transfer funds," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. "As part of our commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, Treasury will continue to enforce and implement sanctions against any actor that seeks to aid the regime's deceptive practices." Presidential candidate and former President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina waves to supporters as he arrives on stage during a campaign rally at the Colyseum stadium in Antananarivo, on November 3, 2018 The frontrunner in Madagascar's presidential race accused election officials of "manipulation" in compiling results that showed him short of the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round run-off vote. Former president Andry Rajoelina told a crowd of supporters in the capital Antananarivo that "everything had been done to prevent (him) from scoring more than 40 percent" in the November 7 first round. "They inflated the number of registered voters and gave votes for (me) to other candidates," he said, attacking supposed "vote manipulation" by the CENI election commission. Neither Rajoelina nor his arch-rival Marc Ravalomanana won the 50 percent of votes required for a first-round victory. Rajoelina was on 39.19 percent and Ravalomanana on 35.29 percent, according to final results from the election commission. The run-off is scheduled for December 19. All three leading candidates, of a total of 36, have alleged fraud and malpractice by election authorities, and the result will be subject to fierce legal battles. SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Two senior police officials have resigned in Chile after the discovery that officers destroyed video showing the shooting of a young indigenous man whose death set off large protests. Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said via Twitter on Sunday that destruction of the memory card from a monitoring camera was "unacceptable." He said Gen. Mauro Victoriano and Col. Ivan Contreras Figueroa and four members of special forces unit resigned. Thousands of people attended Saturday's funeral of 24-year-old Camilo Catrillanca, who was shot Wednesday. Police said they fired while pursuing people who stole three vehicles. Catrillanca's family said he was shot in the back while riding on a tractor. Indigenous activists accuse the government of using heavy-handed tactics against the Mapuches, some of whom have been agitating for greater land rights. Family and friends Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, hold an ancestral Mapuche rites ceremony next to his coffin in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Mapuche indigenous attend the funeral procession for Camilo Catrillanca, an indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony that followed ancestral Mapuche rites. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Family and friends Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, lower his coffin as they bury him in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Family and friends of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, hold an ancestral Mapuche rites funeral in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Family and friends of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, visit as they attend an ancestral Mapuche rites funeral in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Family and friends of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, hold an ancestral Mapuche rites funeral in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Family and friends of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, hold an ancestral Mapuche rites funeral in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Mapuche indigenous at the funeral procession for Mapuche indigenous youth Camilo Catrillanca protest as they pass the tractor he was driving when he was shot in the head as police chased unidentified car thieves, during an ancestral rites ceremony in Temuco, Chile, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) Mapuche leader Hector Llaitul holds up his staff next to the coffin of Camilo Catrillanca, an indigenous youth who was shot in the head when police were chasing unidentified car thieves, during his funeral in Temuco, Chile, Saturday Nov. 17, 2018. Indigenous representatives and leaders across the country attended the ceremony that followed ancestral Mapuche rites. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo) HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong protest leaders who went on trial Monday for spearheading pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 said their prosecution threatens the future of civil rights in the territory, where fears have grown of Beijing's growing influence. "What is on trial is not just the nine of us. What is on trial also is the high degree of autonomy and the rule of law that all Hong Kong people are entitled to," said defendant and University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai at a news conference following the first day of the trial. Tai, along with another professor and a pastor, were leaders of the "Occupy Central" campaign to press for free elections of Hong Kong's top leader. They are charged with conspiracy to commit a public disturbance and incitement to commit public nuisance. Protesters in what was also known as the umbrella movement laid siege to the government headquarters and paralyzed Hong Kong's financial district for 79 days but failed to win any concessions. Thousands staked out encampments on major thoroughfares. Several hundred were arrested. The other defendants - two current and one former lawmaker, two student leaders and a political activist - face charges of incitement to commit a public nuisance. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years. "All of us pleaded not guilty because we believe the charges are unreasonable, unconstitutional and unprecedented," said Chan Kin-man, a sociology professor who is described by prosecutors as Tai's co-conspirator. Occupy Central leaders, from right, Tanya Chan, Chan Kin Man, Benny Tai, Chu Yiu Ming and Lee Wing Tat shout slogans before entering a court in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Nine leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy movement stand trial. The co-founders of the "Occupy Central" campaign - legal Prof. Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming - are facing charges related to the planning and implementation of the campaign which became part of the large-scale pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests which were carried out 79 days between September and December 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) The defendants pumped their fists in the air and chanted "Shame to political prosecution!" before entering the West Kowloon courthouse. They were joined by more than 100 supporters, some raising the yellow umbrellas that came to represent the movement because demonstrators used them to defend themselves from police attacks. Three university students prosecuted in 2016 for their leadership roles in the protests received community service. But Hong Kong judges have since faced mounting pressure from Beijing to hand down heavier sentences to deter future protests. Some in the semi-autonomous Chinese city fear that central government meddling will erode judiciary independence, a bedrock value that undergirds the city's standing as a global business capital. The former British colony was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 under an agreement in which China promised it could retain its own laws, economic system and civil rights for 50 years. However, China's ruling Communist Party under authoritarian President Xi Jinping appears to be growing impatient with efforts by Hong Kong activists to promote greater democracy. The Hong Kong government recently banned a local political party that advocated the territory's independence from Beijing. Ranging in age from 30 to 74, the nine defendants span generations of Hong Kong citizens who have been agitating for full democracy. The trial is expected to last 20 days. Occupy Central leaders, from right, Chan Kin Man, Benny Tai, Chu Yiu Ming and Lee Wing Tat shout slogans before entering a court in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Nine leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy movement stand trial today. The co-founders of the "Occupy Central" campaign - legal Professor Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming - are facing charges related to the planning and implementation of the campaign which became part of the large-scale pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests which were carried out 79 days between September and December 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Occupy Central leaders, from right, Chan Kin Man, Benny Tai and Chu Yiu Ming shout slogans before entering a court in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Nine leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy movement stand trial today. The co-founders of the "Occupy Central" campaign - legal Professor Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming - are facing charges related to the planning and implementation of the campaign which became part of the large-scale pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests which were carried out 79 days between September and December 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Occupy Central leaders, from right, Shiu Ka Chun, Tanya Chan, Chan Kin Man, Benny Tai, Chu Yiu Ming and Lee Wing Tat shout slogans before entering a court in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Nine leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy movement stand trial today. The co-founders of the "Occupy Central" campaign - legal Professor Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming - are facing charges related to the planning and implementation of the campaign which became part of the large-scale pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests which were carried out 79 days between September and December 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Occupy Central leaders, from right, Chan Kin Man, Benny Tai and Chu Yiu Ming shout slogans before entering a court in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Nine leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy movement stand trial today. The co-founders of the "Occupy Central" campaign - legal Professor Benny Tai Yiu-Ting, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming - are facing charges related to the planning and implementation of the campaign which became part of the large-scale pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests which were carried out 79 days between September and December 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Six people were killed and at least five others were wounded Sunday during demonstrations across Haiti protesting allegations of embezzlement from a Venezuelan program that provided the country with subsidized oil, police said. President Jovenel Moise called for dialogue with opposition groups that are seeking his resignation for failing to investigate corruption. Thousands of Haitians marched Sunday to the National Palace in the capital, calling for a probe into the spending of $3.8 billion Haiti received as part of the regional Petrocaribe program. Clashes with police erupted after protesters blocked streets and set fire to tires. A Haitian Senate investigation has alleged embezzlement by at least 14 former officials in former President Michel Martelly's administration, but no one has been charged. There were reports of clashes in smaller protests across the country. Four people were wounded in clashes in San Marcos, northeast of the capital, and dozens were arrested, police said. A demonstrator holds a sign that reads in Creole "Revolution" as they demand to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Police said they deployed more than 3,000 officers in the capital, the city of Cap-Haitien and smaller cities and towns. Starting in 2005, Venezuela offered discounted crude with extremely lenient repayment terms to countries around Central American and the Caribbean. A demonstrator chants anti-government slogans during a protest demanding to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A national police officer stands near a police truck set on fire during an opposition protest demanding to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Men burn block a road with burning tires during an opposition protest demanding to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A demonstrator holds up a tire to burn during an opposition protest demanding to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A protester holds an old design of the Haitian flag during an opposition protest demanding to know how Petro Caribe funds have been used by the current and past administrations, on the sidelines of events marking the 215th anniversary of independence Battle of Vertieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from Venezuela's Petro Caribe fund, a 2005 pact that gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) CHICO, Calif. (AP) - It's been 12 days since Christina Taft started the frantic search for her mother Victoria, who refused to evacuate their Paradise home as flames neared, and six days since she gave authorities a cheek swab to identify remains that are likely her mother's. She still hasn't received confirmation that her mother is dead, and says she's been frustrated by what she feels is a lack of communication from Butte County officials. "They said they found remains, they didn't say her remains. They won't confirm it to me the whole time," Taft said Monday. With 77 people killed in California's deadliest wildfire in at least a century, there are still an astonishing 1,000 names on the list of missing. While it's down from nearly 1,300 the day before, it is inexact and incomplete, progress has been slow, and the many days of uncertainty are adding to the stress. More than a dozen people are marked as "unknowns," without first or last names. In some cases, names are listed twice or more times under different spellings. Others are confirmed dead, and their names simply haven't been taken off yet. Survivors and relatives of those caught in the fire in Northern California are using social media to get the word out: in some cases, to post that their loved ones were safe; in others, to plead for help. In this Nov. 15, 2018, photo, Troy Miller wipes his eyes as he walks beside a burned out car on his property in Concow, Calif. Miller said he tried to evacuate when the Camp Fire came roaring through the area, but had to turn back when the roads were blocked with debris and fire. A small group of residents who survived the deadly wildfire are defying evacuation orders and living in the burn zone. (AP Photo/John Locher) "Aunt Dorothy is still missing. There has been confusion going on at the Sheriffs office regarding her whereabouts because she was taken off the list," a man wrote on Facebook on Monday. "I have an uncle and two cousins that I have not been able to make contact with," one woman wrote on Facebook, with their names. "Any info would be appreciated." Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea has said he released the rough and incomplete list in hopes that people would contact authorities to say they are OK. He has called it "raw data" compiled from phone calls, emails and other reports. "We put the list out. It will fluctuate. It will go up. It will go down because this is in a state of flux," Honea said Monday. "My view on this has been that I would prefer to get the information out and start working to find who is unaccounted for and who is not. I would put progress over perfection." Officials have also culled reports from the earliest hours of the disaster, when fire knocked out mobile phone communications and thousands fled, some to safe shelter that was hundreds of miles away. Honea said his office was working with the Red Cross to account for people entering and leaving shelters. Evacuees are also helping authorities narrow the list, sometimes by chance. Robert James Miles, who lost his Paradise trailer in the blaze, was staying at a shelter in Chico where people posted names of those they hadn't heard from. Miles said he alerted a Red Cross worker Saturday that he recognized eight names on the board as friends he knew were OK. "Two of them were in the shelter," he said with a chuckle. Owen and Phyllis Suihkonen understand the chaos. Their family is scattered after they lost their home to the wildfire, as did their two adult children. Phyllis Suihkonen, 69, says she spotted the names of two friends on the list of unaccounted people, and doesn't know if they are safe. But her daughter has seen names of friends who are OK and called sheriff's officials to let them know. "I'm concerned," Phyllis said. "But like I said, there's been other friends' names on the list that have been accounted for and taken off." Meanwhile, those searching for bodies were in a race against the weather, as rain was forecast for Wednesday. The precipitation could help knock out the flames, but it could also hinder the search by washing away fragmentary remains and turning ash into a thick paste. The fire, which burned at least 234 square miles (606 square kilometers) and destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, reported was two-thirds contained on Monday. Alcatraz Island, San Francisco's cable cars, the Oakland Zoo and other San Francisco Bay Area area attractions were closed Monday because of smoke from the blaze some 180 miles (290 kilometers) away. Several San Francisco museums over the weekend offered free admission to give people something to do indoors. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said it is "way too early" to estimate the damage done by the wildfire. But for perspective, he said the fires that gutted 6,800 homes last year resulted in $12.6 billion in insured losses. "It's going to be a long and painful process," he said. ___ Har reported from San Francisco. ___ Associated Press journalists Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, California, and Paul Elias and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco also contributed to this report. Smoke and haze from wildfires hovers over Russian Hill Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) A ferryboat and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge are obscured due to smoke and haze from wildfires Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) This combination photo of satellite images provided by DigitalGlobe shows a neighborhood in the northern California town of Paradise before a wildfire on Sept. 10, 2018, left, and after the fire on Nov. 17, 2018. Desperate families posted photos and messages on social media and at shelters in hopes of finding missing loved ones, many of them elderly, nearly two weeks after the wildfire known as the Camp Fire. (DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company via AP) More than 9,500 buyers who are exclusively focused on natural and organic products are attending the ongoing Middle East Organic and Natural Expo, being held in Dubai, UAE. The three-day event, being held at the Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre, will conclude tomorrow (November 20). The organisers, Global Links Exhibitions, has announced the launch of the regions first bulk purchase website exclusively for natural and organic-based products, www.arabianorganics.com. Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment inaugurated the exhibition. He spent considerable time interacting with the exhibitors, said a statement from the organisers. A total of 13 country pavilions, as well as exhibitors who represent over 55 different countries will provide visitors a huge range of products across organic food and beverage, beauty and wellness, health and nutrition products as well as alternative medicines and therapy. The newly launched ArabianOrganics online wholesale portal is aimed at helping international and regional suppliers connect with buyers across the Middle East and North Africa. One of the challenges faced by buyers was unavailability of products in the region ready for immediate procurement. As a solution, the new portal now offers a complete fulfilment package, including local product certification, online payment, warehousing and last-mile delivery. Essentially it begins at lead generation and ends with delivery at the doorstep. Shinu Pillai, the events director at Global Links Exhibitions and organisers of the expo, said: We are always looking to provide our exhibitors and the overall organic and natural market with new ways to grow their business. While ArabianOrganics was initially available exclusively for exhibitors at the expo during the last show, the overwhelming response drove us to provide them the facility of Online 2 Offline platform as an ongoing service. It has also now been transformed to include non-exhibitors who are keen to enter the Middle East and African markets, Pillai added. The expo this year is expecting much higher footfall not just for business transactions, but is also because it is organising a focused conference on Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM), with professionals who will address topics such as holistic medicine, risks of self-medication, lifestyle management, etc, and a panel discussion on TACM progressing into the future. At the event, organisers have included workshops as well as other panel discussions which will highlight sustainability, the future of organic beauty, organic agriculture and food security, etc. In keeping with the exceptional services, the Middle East Organic and Natural Products Expo 2018 has a large number of VIP buyers who are provided with online pre-scheduled meetings to ensure that their visit is maximised. VIP buyers are assisted by dedicated buyer engagement teams who facilitate meetings with exhibitors of interest, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Electioneering is at full throttle across Bangladesh ahead of the December 30 general elections. The election-related activities assume greater significance this time due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas display of political astuteness in engaging her political adversaries into what is being described as 'dialogue'. Such adversaries include the Jatiya Oikya Manch a conglomerate of rightist parties and a more significant faction led by Gano Forum chief and former foreign minister under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Dr Kamal Hossain. It would be worth recalling that Hossain, a constitutional expert and Mujib-Hasina loyalist, floated a separate platform against Hasina just before the elections to take on the formidable Awami League. Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League are riding on the waves of optimism. (Credit: Reuters file) However, more surprising is Hossain's volte-face in consistently pressing for Begum Khaleda Zias release from prison and canvassing for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) participation in the elections as an ally. There were a slew of dialogues between Hasina and the Oikya Manchs delegates that started from November 1. They have locked horns mainly over the release of Khaleda. Simultaneously, former President of Bangladesh AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, a former BNP cadre, had initially allied with Hossain but parted ways as Chowdhury (of the erstwhile Bikalpa Dhara) distanced himself from the former on the grounds that Hossain was supporting the BNP that has partnered with the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). Chowdhury realised through straws in the wind that the BNP was a 'burden' and taking it along will be an electoral suicide. However, he too held a dialogue with Hasina. General HM Ershad of the Jatiya Party (JP) followed suit. Ershad, as of now, is with Hasina but talks with the Oikya Manch did not yield any results and things are in limbo and unlikely to show any tangible results. People gather with banners at the Suhrawardy Udyan for the maiden rally of opposition alliance called Jatiya Oikya front in Dhaka on November 6. (Credit: Reuters) Meanwhile, the Awami League's growing warmth towards Islamic fundamentalist Hefazat-e-Islam has raised eyebrows among a section of the liberals in Bangladesh. And such elements are not off the mark. Their argument is the same that Hefazat, perceived to be a diehard communal outfit with its hate actions in 2013 silencing liberals and abetting terror, perpetrated through hate crimes, has now tied up with the Awami League. Political analysts, however, reckon that this is political masterstroke by Hasina because of the following: activities of Hefazat in May 2013 had elements of violence. From there, the moderation that is now seen in Hefazat is a positive development. There are almost 1.4 million students studying in 14,000 Qawmi Madrasas in Bangladesh. Most of the students are very poor and many are orphans. By recognising the madrasas degree, the government has taken a very positive step in bringing these students into the formal employment circuit in the country. By coming close to Hefazat and conceding to its list of demands, The Awami League has tactically neutralised the Hefazat's communal aggression. The recognition of degrees is expected to enable the madrasa students to compete with students from the mainstream education stream for jobs both in public and private sectors. Also, keeping these huge number of poor students outside the formal job market would mitigate a great danger of these young people becoming radicalised. The banned extremist organisations would exploit the situation to the maximum possible extent. Further, mainstreaming the madrasa students would expose them to the wider society and to the enlightened world weaning them away from the medieval and antiquated thoughts. All this is fine, but Hasina should be hawkish in keeping an eye on Hefazat activities in the longer run. Fanatics, in the past, have always let down democratic governments. Be it the Taliban in Afghanistan or the latest misdeeds of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP). The TLP initally gave signals that it was all for Imran Khan. But in the infamous Asia bibi acquittal case, it held the government to ransom. Hence, in the context of Bangladesh too, caution is called for. Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia arrives at a court in Dhaka on August 10. (Credit: Reuters file) Hasina perhaps took a calculated risk in addressing a Hefazat gathering at Dhakas Suhrawardy Udyan openly engaged in bonhomie incurring the wrath of the minority and liberals who are opposed to or are victims of Hefazat-e-Islam. Hasina, on the other hand, appears confident to handle Hefazat keeping it on a tight leash. Meanwhile, last week Dhaka downtown areas saw violence allegedly sparked off by BNP leading to many injuries and a law and order situation cropping up. Under no circumstances, the BNP or its allies like Jamaat should be given any leeway to take to the streets and agitate. Thats exactly what they want. A little political space to exploit the situation to their advantage. After all, they have nothing to lose and violence will enable the BNP to stay politically afloat. By implication, they must be enjoying moral and logistical support from inimical quarters. That needs to be curbed. Electioneering, in the meantime, is picking up steam with colourful posters and poll speeches and film actors, sportspersons and other celebrities seeking to contest in large numbers. By and large, as of now, the Awami League and party leader Hasina are riding on the waves of optimism. This enthusiasm deserve careful restraint to ensure a decisive victory for the Awami League. And, that will be in the interest of India too. Also read: Why Bangladesh is witnessing hectic politicking ahead of coming elections It is Indian politicians worst nightmare: a deadlocked Lok Sabha in 2019. Could it happen? Yes. Can the BJP-led NDA scrape together the 272 seats it needs to win a second term? Or will the Opposition mahagathbandhan pull off a blinder and stitch together a workable majority? The Opposition grand alliance has a fatal flaw. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah summarised it recently in an interview: About (the) 2019 elections, I dont think anybody knows what the heck is going to happen. It is such a fluid situation. Is a mahagathbandhan going to happen? Who knows. What will Mayawati do in Uttar Pradesh? Will N Chandrababu Naidu succeed in rallying anti-BJP parties? He has become the cementing factor. Modi versus the rest: Will the Opposition mahagathbandhan pull off a blinder and stitch together a workable majority? (Credit: AP photo) When we make it look like we are all ganging up against Prime Minister Modi, we are actually playing to his advantage. It allows him to be victim. Its the biggest favour that we can do him. I dont think it helps our case when 14-16 of us sit together on a stage and then blast him. It would be much better strategically if we did this state-wise have an understanding in Uttar Pradesh, in West Bengal, in Andhra and Telangana instead of lining up on a stage. In my article on August 10, 2018, Id projected 228 seats for the BJP and 270 seats for the NDA. Three events have since altered the arithmetic: the ongoing Rafale case; the internecine CBI battle; and the increasing likelihood of the Congress winning two of the three big states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Assembly elections where the contest is largely a BJP-Congress binary. Defeat for the BJP in Rajasthan, and possibly Madhya Pradesh, will give the Congress momentum ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Cadre morale will rise. Fence-sitting allies will flock back to the Congress-led UPA. The BJP will feel the full force of anti-incumbency. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar will decide the BJPs fate. The SP-BSP-Congress alliance in UP could halve the BJPs 2014 tally of 71 seats (73 with ally Apna Dal). Possible defeats for the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will give the Congress momentum ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (Credit: PTI) In Maharashtra, if the Shiv Sena sticks to its promise to fight solo, the BJP could retain the 23 seats it won in 2014, but the intra-Hindutva fight will split the vote share in favour of the Congress-NCP alliance. Fighting together, the BJP-Shiv Sena in 2014 won a combined 41 out of the states 48 seats. That number could fall unless the BJP and Sena restore their pre-poll alliance (which they probably will in the interests of self-preservation). As Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said at a Nashik rally on November 3 in the presence of senior BJP leaders: We should make joint efforts to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJPs response on the issue has been inconsistent, but my party is firm on the issue. Let us have joint efforts to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Bihar presents the most fluid picture. The JD(U) has forced the BJP to give it 17 of the states 40 seats in a 50:50 deal despite winning just two seats in 2014 when it was not a BJP ally. The fifty-fifty partnership: The BJP-JD(U) alliance is likely to sweep the state despite the RJDs resurgence. The BJP-JD(U) alliance will probably sweep the state despite the RJDs resurgence but the BJP itself, compelled like the JD(U) to contest just 17 seats, could end up with little over half its 2014 tally of 22 seats. That will not help it bump up its numbers in a tight election. The RSS strong stand on building a Ram Mandir is an indication of how close the 2019 Lok Sabha election is likely to be. The Sangh has lakhs of cadres on the ground it knows which way the electoral wind is blowing. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths decision to build a Ram statue in Ayodhya is further indication of the BJPs growing anxiety over the electoral damage the SP-BSP-Congress alliance in UP could cause. More trouble Uttar Pradesh is not the BJPs only problem. The party could lose significant numbers of Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Haryana. In Punjab, it may draw a blank. Gujarat though will hold firm with minimal losses. Gains in the Northeast, West Bengal and Odisha will not be enough to compensate for seat losses in the north and west. So what does the math look like five months from election-day? The TMC, BSP, SP and TDP will form the bulk of the third front's Lok Sabha contribution. (Credit: PTI) My seat-wise, state-wise projection for the BJP: Cluster One: UP (32), Bihar (14), Maharashtra (26), Gujarat (24), Madhya Pradesh (21), Rajasthan (17), Karnataka (11), Chhattisgarh (5), Jharkhand (7). Total: 157 seats. Cluster Two: Odisha (11), West Bengal (7), Himachal Pradesh (4), Uttarakhand (5), Delhi (2), Haryana (2), Jammu & Kashmir (2), Goa (1), Punjab (0), seven northeastern states (19). Total: 53. Cluster Three: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana, along with the seven union territories, could add around 8 seats to the BJP total. The BJPs final tally: cluster one: 157; cluster two: 53; cluster three: 8. Total: 218 seats. Thats a small decrease from the projection of 228 seats in August 2018. Now to the NDA allies. Principally, these are the Shiv Sena and the JD(U). The others Akalis, LJP and smaller parties will add little to the NDA tally. The Sena is likely to fall from the 18 seats it won in 2014 to around 15 seats if it contests in alliance with the BJP, though much will depend on candidate selection. The Shiv Sena is likely to fall from the 18 seats it won in 2014 to around 15 seats if it contests in alliance with the BJP. (Credit: IndiaToday.in The JD(U), riding on a combined vote share with the BJP of over 50 per cent in Bihar and shepherded by its new national vice-president Prashant Kishor, will however be lucky to win 12 seats of the 17 it contests. Other allies, like the LJP, will add their bit to the overall non-BJP NDA tally in Bihar which will hover around 30 seats. Thus, NDA allies: Shiv Sena 15, JD(U) 12, others 5. Total: 32. The NDA total: BJP 218 + allies 32 = 250. Thats way short of a simple majority of 272 seats and reflects three factors: one, poor ally management by the BJP leadership over the past four and a half years; two, the likely impact of the Opposition mahagathbandhan, especially in UP; and three, anti-incumbency. Opposition woes How is the Opposition likely to fare? The Congress will nearly double its 2014 tally but the electoral arithmetic stops it at around 80 seats. Other UPA allies like the NCP will struggle. Only the DMK will contribute significantly. The likely UPA tally in 2019: 120-125. The Third Front now comes into play. Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Chandrababu Naidu may have state-level alliances with the Congress in West Bengal, UP and Andhra respectively, but along with the TRS, BJD and the Left, they could form an independent Third Front which will enter into a post-poll alliance with the UPA. How is the Opposition likely to fare? (Credit: PTI) How many seats will the Third Front garner? The TMC, BSP, SP and TDP will form the bulk of the Third Fronts Lok Sabha contribution while the more independent-minded TRS, BJD and Left will join in if circumstances are favourable, taking the TF tally to 125-130 seats. UPA+TF = 250. Thus we come to a 250:250 deadlock. The NDA has around 250 seats. The UPA and Third Front together also have 250 seats. That leaves 43 Independents and unattached small parties like the YSRCP to tilt the balance. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi begin their Lok Sabha campaigns in earnest in early 2019, Modis campaigning skills may change the arithmetic. For Modi, the gap for the NDA to breach 272 seats is potentially 22 seats. He will need all his personal chemistry to close that gap in the most pivotal Lok Sabha election in a generation. Also read: Why 2019 will see a 'khichdi' government, but cooked in Modis kitchen Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loons warning, that Asian nations may be forced to make a difficult choice between their ties with China and their relationship with the US, if tensions continue to grow between the two, is timely. Mr Lee made the comments on Wednesday at the end of the annual East Asia Summit that was held in the island-nation this year. Lees remarks are a timely reminder of the fluid geopolitical situation in the region, where China has important economic links with the region that was once closely linked to the US. The region is feeling the geopolitical pull of China that has already succeeded in building deep ties several of its members like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. At the same time, Beijing has disputes with the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. A balancing role: Modi with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. (Photo: Reuters) Strategic competition Trade tensions between the US and China have introduced their own dynamic into the situation, because many ASEAN nations have deep ties with China. Singapore, for example, is the biggest investor in China. Issues between the US and China are not likely to be worked out quickly. Even if they work out a ceasefire of sorts on the trade issue, they still have lots to quarrel about, ranging from Taiwan, the South China Sea and economic relations not related to tariffs. In fact, trade tensions are a manifestation of the strategic competition between the two countries. US steps to limit technology transfers to China through legislation, such as the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernisation Act (FIRRMA), will set the tone for the relationship regardless of trade deals. There are two big geopolitical players in contention here, that of the US and China. So we see a Chinese vision that is variously expressed as China in the middle, China Dream or sometimes as a community of common destiny which, some say, is derived from the Zhou dynasty model of tianxia or all under the heaven, where everyone lives harmoniously together under a good emperor. Then, there is the American and Japanese vision, first manifested as the pivot, now expressed as the idea of a Free and Open Asia Pacific. Please note that free and open are important qualifiers that confer the benign geographic concept with political context. This is layered upon older American hub and spoke alliances where the US has bilateral security treaties with Japan, South Korea, and Australia. One of its more recent iterations has been the Quadrilateral Dialogue or the Quad, involving India, Japan, US and Australia. Where does India figure in all this? (Reuters photo of Narendra Modi with Mike Pence) ASEAN stance But the ASEAN has insistently pushed its own security ideas. These are in emphasising the centrality of the ASEAN work through institutions created by the grouping such as the East Asia Summit, the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), Asean Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus format. Formally at least China, India, the US all agree with the concept of the centrality of the ASEAN. They are participants in the ASEANs mechanisms. However, the body itself is divided and has not taken any clear-cut stand either in support of the FOIP or to criticise Chinese activity in the South China Sea. ASEAN cannot stand still. It needs to continue to take steps that will make it an attractive investment destination. One step towards this is the removal of non-tariff barriers. And harmonising ASEANs approach toward services and labour mobility would cement the South-east Asian regional organisation, as well as taking political steps to hedge against longterm uncertainties such as the Sino-US competition, which is not going to go away soon. Issues between the US and China are not likely to be worked out quickly. (Reuters photo of Mike Pence with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang) Indias role Where does India figure in all this? ASEAN countries like Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia are happy to have India into a role of balancing China. That, indeed, is the logic of the American decision to not only christen the Asia-Pacific region as the Indo-Pacific, but also rename its Pacific Command as the Indo-Pacific Command. India has good ties with the ASEAN and last January, they were collectively the chief guests on Republic Day. India has also held exercises with its ASEAN neighbours since 1995. The 2018 iteration of this exercise, held in March 2018, had Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indo, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam. Separately, India has a coordinated patrol CORPAT with Indonesia and Thailand since 2002. India also has bilateral exercises SIMBEX with Singapore since 1994, and this year, India has begun bilateral exercises Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Despite all this, the reality of ASEAN is best brought out by the recently concluded East Asia summit where US Vice President Mike Pence rubbed shoulders with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its centrality to the Indo-Pacific is manifest. What is not clear is what it wants to do with this centrality. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also Read: Why US-China trade war wont work Never mind if I have retired from news reporting. Working as a reporter for many years, then taking up the role of a journalism teacher, has its own rewards. I have a formidable extended circle of professional friends and former colleagues, who trust me with vital information. I generally never reach out to them as most are bogged down by their sheer workload. But recently, I thought Id make an exception. It was because two survey reports were trending on social media the first published by The Washington Post, and the second by the BBC. Both had very curious results. The Washington Post in its survey report reached an apparent conclusion that hate crimes in India had spiked since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, and it was apparently Hindus who were the perpetrators. The BBC report reached a conclusion that nationalism was driving the spread of fake news in India. Both the reports were published and several media houses (national and international) picked up on them. Some of those further analytical reports came to the conclusion that the current political environment of the country (read: India under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party) is indirectly responsible for the spike in fake news and the rise in violence against minorities. The Washington Post report put this on the headline itself (screenshot 1), the BBC put it in the concluding point of its executive summary of the survey report (screenshot 2). This was The Washington Post's headline. (Photo: screenshot) While the BBC came to this conclusion (underlined). (Photo: screenshot) Combined with the social media push and the support these garnered from other media houses, the two reports quickly became a tool for an anti-BJP social media campaign by Opposition parties, including Congress influencers, who joined the chorus. Soon after, two journalists from right wing websites, Nupur Sharma (Editor, OpIndia) and Swati Goel Sharma (Senior Editor, Swarajya) examined the two pieces. In their analyses, both pointed out (Swati's report here and Nupurs here) the gaping holes in the narratives they could see. Both pointed out how data (sources, raw data, references, etc.) was apparently selectively chosen and cherry-picked to reach a particular conclusion. As a reader, my key takeaway from both Swati and Nupurs articles were the same it was simple to tweak any survey to suit a narrative against the BJP. The most important gaping hole in both the surveys here seemed the paucity and/or the opacity of the raw data. After the publication of these rebuttals, members from both the publications admitted in their social media chatter that data was selectively captured and none of the surveys may be considered exhaustive in nature. Some officials associated with the surveys also put forth on social media that their surveys were just indicative. Firstly, as we have said in the story launching the database, in the 'About' section of the database, and in tweets prominently, our database is not an exhaustive record of all religion-motivated hate crime in India. 1/n Fact Check India (@FactCheckIndia) November 3, 2018 You've made an amateur mistake here Nupur. This wasnt a survey, thus was ethnographic research. Please read the actual methodology of the report to understand what we actually did. If you're not sure how it works, happy to provide a briefing with our researchers. https://t.co/tpy2Iiczw9 Trushar Barot (@Trushar) November 15, 2018 I then remembered that there was another poll-survey done a few months ago by Reuters, which called India the most dangerous place for women because of rising sexual violence. It was debunked everywhere. But soon after, people were shocked to learn that this was in any case just a perception poll, not a statistical poll, and the number of respondents who took part in the survey on India was just 43. Yes, just after speaking to 43 people about India, the report concluded that our country is the most dangerous place for women. Now, intrigued by the perceptions that seemed to go into making perception polls, I decided to reach out to one of my acquaintances to find out exactly how such raw data could be collected. The person is a journalist who describes herself as a cog in the wheel working in a similar survey conducted by a reputed media house. I asked the person if she could tell me about raw data and the nature of the conversations in the newsroom while they were working on such India surveys. You have always wondered about the miniscule sample size of the surveys. But have you ever wondered who those people might be? she, in turn, asked me. My acquaintance chuckled as she continued: We all contributed to this database. The people interviewed were our own friends and family. Obviously, we had to go for people whose numbers were already there in our diaries. I was startled. Because once you consider that a raw sample size could itself be arranged, then a lot else falls into or, out of place. One man. Many perceptions. (Photo: PTI/file) Be it ethnographic research or qualitative research, all of these may be manipulated by carefully choosing whos responding to your questions. For example, consider a hypothetical situation you have seven friends who really despise Narendra Modi because they feel he is a Hindutva icon. Now, theres a survey happening in your office which will consider how the BJP government has performed under Modi. Without disclosing that you are well aware of their political disposition, you go ahead and include all their names as respondents to the research your company is conducting. You may choose whatever kind of questionnaire to present to them you know your friends will give answers that wont show PM Modi or the BJP in a very good light. To be perfectly candid, this is often how many small size sample surveys are fixed. It doesnt require an Einstein to tell you that this is the most commonly used technique by college-level students who wish to manage the outcomes of their research. Any experienced college teacher will tell you that to reach a particular conclusion in their research projects, the first thing a student does is ensure that he/she has the right kind of respondents. Tell me honestly, if you include 10 of your good acquaintances to take part in a survey, wont you know exactly what they are going to say? You, on your part, only have to ensure that the list of the respondents doesnt get out in the public domain. Once that list is safely locked away, you go around tom-tomming your conclusion. Thus, by cherry-picking your respondents, you can actually come out with a conclusion of our choice. This is the reason most companies have very strict standards of qualitative analysis on small sample sizes. Usually, the team doing the survey doesnt get to choose the respondents. Each and every respondent is profiled by the company to ensure that their responses actually reflect a qualitative analysis, not herd mentality. By cherry-picking your respondents, you can come out with any conclusion of our choice. (Photo for representation: Reuters) More importantly, the respondents should never be known to the interviewer or to anybody else in the company. In some cases, there are checks and balances to rule out respondents who would apparently have the same life philosophies. If these checks and balances are not applied, then the surveys dont have any relevance. I urge you now to think of recent survey reports again and check the parameters I have mentioned above. There is no way to ensure that respondents werent biased or cherry-picked to adhere to a set of responses. There is no way to rule out any bias unless the data of respondents is made public. And that is not going to happen. But there is a reason why a particular outcome to a survey becomes all-important so frequently. Want to know why? Do you think any left-liberal foreign publishing house will be interested in a survey if the outcome says that India has developed and progressed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi? There you have the answer! Also read: Madhya Pradesh Assembly election: How both BJP and Congress are trying to rein in the rebel candidates The two senior-most surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia get their just desserts The term Year Zero, applied to the takeover of Cambodia in April 1975 by the Khmer Rouge as the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea were known, is an analogy to Year One of the French Revolutionary Calendar. During the French Revolution, after the abolition of the monarchy, the National Convention instituted a new calendar and declared the beginning of the Year 1. The Khmer Rouge takeover of Phnom Penh was rapidly followed by a series of loony revolutionary de-industrialisation policies resulting in a death toll in the millions. On Friday, in Year 43, going by their demented, psychotic calendar, the two most senior surviving leaders of Cambodias brutal Khmer Rouge regime were found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in a historic ruling by an international tribunal officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Nuon Chea, former Brother Number 2 (to Pol Pots Brother Number 1) and Khieu Samphan, the former head of state, have been sentenced to life in prison. They become the first Khmer Rouge leaders to be held to account by an international court for a campaign of genocide against the Vietnamese and Cham minorities in Cambodia in the 1970s. The Khmer Rouge takeover was achieved by promising an agrarian utopia which was sought to be brought to fruition by forcibly emptying the cities to establish vast rural communes; this so-called radicalism which had its admirers in India too resulted in what has been termed as auto-genocide. Starvation, overwork and execution all contributed to this crime against humanity. The ECCC convictions covered the atrocities at Khmer Rouge established work camps where murder, deportation, enslavement, torture persecution on political, religious and racial grounds, enforced disappearances, forced marriages and rapes were common. There has been some commentary that in practical terms a life sentence for Nuon Chea, 92, and Khieu Samphan, 87, and both in very poor health, doesnt mean much. But the symbolism of the verdicts cannot be underestimated. For crimes of the nature and magnitude perpetuated by the Khmer Rouge need to be called out if humanity itself is to be protected. The sense of closure the verdicts have brought to the Cambodian people, especially those from the Cham minority, many of whom were in the makeshift court inside the prison complex where the two were being held, is real. Equally, the message being sent out is loud and clear whatever the ideological motivations, evil is evil. There are lessons to be learnt for all those who believe power still flows from the barrel of a gun. After an extensive tour of the State, the writers found that neither Narendra Modi nor Rahul Gandhi is likely to play more than a marginal role in influencing the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh election The door is ajar in Madhya Pradesh for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to exit and the Congress to enter the corridors of power in Bhopal. That is the impression we gathered after travelling about 2,500 kilometres, touching interior areas of all the regions, starting clockwise, from Malwa both north and south, Madhya Bharath-Bhopal, Chambal-Gwalior, Bundelkhand, Bagelkhand and Mahakoshal between last week of October and the first week of November. We met farmers, farm labour, young people from both urban and rural areas, government employees, traders, female farm workers as well as home makers, professionals such as doctors and lawyers, small businessmen, advocates, and students in campuses. In the process, inescapably, we also met persons who are affiliated to major political parties. We have chosen not to meet political leaders or opinion makers. We spoke to all these segments in all the regions of the State at length. The method was not about administering of a questionnaire to generate quantitative data and arrive at percentages of vote share and number or seats of each party. It was about gathering of qualitative data in contradistinction to quantitative data. The method adopted was to conduct a series of rather long conversations with individuals and small groups (not exceeding six members) to understand their socio-economic condition in order to grasp what issues were salient for them and how their life experiences in grappling with those issues was likely to influence their voting choices. It was to sniff the air, so to speak, and see which way the wind was blowing. The overwhelming sense that our team gathered was that not a single person among those we met was indifferent to the upcoming election. Theyre fully aware of the power they wield with their participation in it. Polling in this election, therefore, is likely to be on the higher side. Acute farm distress is evident from the conversations in the countryside. Bhavantar, a State Governments scheme to give price support to farmers is unlikely to yield any substantial dividends to the ruling party. Deep resentment against price rise across the State is palpable. Anger against demonetisation is likely to wound the ruling establishment in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Lack of employment opportunities has alienated the youth in both rural and urban areas. In Malwa especially, the upper castes are decidedly opting to desert the BJP because of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans 2016 mai ka lal remark on the SC/ST reservations issue. Many rural women said they would wait for their menfolk and other family members to tell them whom to vote. Or perhaps they did not want to reveal their minds to the strangers from Hyderabad. Significantly, Hindu-Muslim issues, Ram Mandir, the so-called Rafale and Vyapam scams did not find any resonance with the voters. Professionals did mention about the Narendra Modi Governments attempts to weaken the constitutional institutions. Words like badlaav and parivartan are spoken in high decibels across the State, more prominently in the countryside. People who claimed to have voted for the BJP last time said they wanted to shift to the Congress this time. However, Shivraj Singh Chouhan remains popular. Those who want to vote against the BJP, too, acknowledged his good work. He comes across as a much popular leader and more influential with the voter than Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Madhya Pradesh. However, the possibility of Shivraj fatigue neutralising the impact of his popularity and letting farm distress, price rise, unemployment and demonetisation effects to hurt the ruling party cannot be ruled out. There is still a significant chunk of undecided voters in the State. A good number of them are likely to go along with the tide that becomes evident nearer the polling day. The majority of the BJP voters said they would vote in its favour to reward Chief Miniter Chouhans work and not because of the Prime Minister. Those who preferred the Congress were unconcerned about the Chief Ministerial face of the party. They are prepared to take anyone who the Congress decides as the Chief Minister after the elections. Karyakartas of the saffron party, who participated in the conversations are assertive about the BJPs winning chances. The Congress workers, on the other hand, are meek and lack confidence about their partys victory. It is the common unattached public who are more emphatic about the Congress chances of forming the Government. Those who wanted the BJP to win, do not think that an anti-incumbency could cut so deep as to unseat the party. But theyre prepared to accept that the party will return with much reduced strength in the 230-strong House, and the partys candidates will win with reduced majorities in the constituencies. Even strong BJP supporters are not prepared to think that it will be an easy ride this time for the party. Political headwinds are strongly sensed by the BJP sympathisers and its cadre. The Congress argument, if it has one, is not yet part of the political conversation among voters. Chouhan is at an advantage on this score as his work is known and talked about. Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, as a campaigner, is yet to make an impression in the State. State Congress is organisationally an enfeebled entity as the party has been out of office for three consecutive terms. It is a divided house, unable to stitch together a narrative for the State or constituency, region specific variants of the campaign theme. The BJP is ahead on this score. The large number of conversations we had across the State in essence revealed that the Madhya Pradesh election is not a wrestling contest between an incumbent BJP and a challenger Congress. It is a spectacle of the two contenders with strong political headwinds in the form of anti-incumbency, farm distress, price rise, ill-effects of demonetisation, erosion of upper caste support, unemployment and consequent youth apathy, and, Shivraj fatigue. Neither Prime Minister Modi nor Congress president Rahul Gandhi are likely to play more than a marginal role in influencing the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh poll. The Congress, our conversations across the State reveal, stands to benefit from the failure of the BJP to contend with the headwinds. And the headwinds are strong at the moment in the State. (The authors are Managing Director and Executive Director respectively of RightFOLIO, a Hyderabad based Research and Policy Consultancy) The syncretic Islam traditionally practised in Bangladesh is being undermined as the country embarks on a Saudi-inspired mosque-building project Bangladesh, in an ironical move, is seeking the cooperation of Saudi Arabia to popularise model Islam amongst her population. The project will crystallise in the form of 560 model mosques across the country built with Saudi funds. Paradoxically, in 1971, Saudi Arabia along with other Arab nations, had strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh. Her war of liberation, actuated by Bangla nationalism, was perceived as anti-thetical to Islam. Even secular Turkey and progressive Egypt had chosen to side with Pakistan. Tajuddin Ahmad (1925-1975), the Prime Minister of the wartime provisional Government of Bangladesh based in Mujibnagar (district Meherpur), had a tough time convincing the Arab nations that the Pakistani armed forces were not fighting a battle of Islamic righteousness in Bangladesh. They were rather indulging in well-documented crimes of arson, loot, rape and murder. Ahmad had to remind the Arabs how they had once to fight for their own independence from the Turkish Ottoman Empire albeit Turks were also fellow Muslims. The professed aim of the model mosque project is to salvage Islam from the hands of radicals and militants. Prime Minister Hasina feels that Islam, a religion of peace, has been usurped by these extreme elements. But how to be sure that the religion is in its pristine and peaceful state in Saudi Arabia? After all, 15 of the 19 terrorist involved in the hijacking of airplanes used in 9/11 attacks were citizens of the kingdom. Being starry-eyed about the project, Hasina has put Bangladeshi Taka 8,722 crore from the public exchequer into the initiative, not having received Saudi funds as yet. But what model of Islam is expected from Saudi Arabia? The desert kingdom is infamous for exporting Wahabism, a rigid and intolerant variant of Islam, worldwide. In September 2015 it had offered Germany to build 200 mosques roughly one for each of the 100 refugees fleeing Syria. Susane Schroter, Director, Frankfurt Research Centre for Global Islam, estimates that Riyadh has invested at least 76 billion Euros ($86 billion) in the last 50 years of oil boom to promote Wahabism across the globe. So, Sheikh Hasina should not complain if she finds Bangladesh drifting towards gender segregation, Sharia penal code and prohibition on the public practice of other religions and traditions. Saudi Arabia could not be the model for Bangladesh, not merely because the former is a retrograde dynastic monarchy. The identity of the desert kingdom is defined merely through its religion. Islam historically originated in the territory of Saudi Arabia (formerly called Hejaz), thus the kingdom is to Islam what a shadow is to an object placed in the sun. But the same is not true of Bangladesh, which is placed in a different geographical, environmental and cultural zone. To make Bangladeshis more Muslim is surely to foment internal trouble. If, today, to believe Sheikh Hasina, Islam has gone into radical hands, the reason is not because any Government of Bangladesh deliberately promoted radical Islam. The reason is that every Government of Bangladesh has tried to infuse more and more Islam into Bangladeshi society. As a result, Bangladesh, by negating its foundational principles, is en route to becoming a mirror image of Pakistan. Ironically, the initiative was started by Bangabandhu Mujibar Rehman, the absentee founder of Bangladesh (he was a prisoner in Mianwali Jail in Pakistan through the months of the Liberation War). Rahman as the first President (later Prime Minister) of Bangladesh prohibited horse racing, gambling and sale of liquor in Bangladesh in deference to Islamic traditions. Thus, activities that were permitted in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan became haram in secular Bangladesh. The Pakistani Army, during the Liberation War, heavily damaged the ancient Ramna Kalibari, an iconic Dhaka structure; it also slaughtered most of its residents including the priest. It was expected that sovereign Bangladesh would prioritise rebuilding the temple as a symbol of its heritage and communal harmony. But to everybodys surprise, Mujibur Rahman got the damaged temple disestablished brick-by-brick in 1972. The huge cleared up space (along with the dismantled Race Course) was converted into a park viz Suhrawardy Uddyan named after Huseyn Shahid Suhrawardy, the architect of the Great Calcutta Killings (1946) who happened to be the mentor of Rahman during his early years in the Muslim League. What is distinctive about Bangladesh is its language, Bengali. It was consistently seen with suspicion by the Pakistan authorities. They saw it as an impediment to true Islam. The people of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) rebuffed attempts by Karachi to impose Urdu. The language agitation of February 21, 1952, that led to seven deaths in police firing, left an enduring legacy for Bangladesh. The UNESCO has honoured the date by recognising February 21 as International Mother Language Day. The Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 as against popular misconception in India was not prompted by the language issue. Yet the demolition of the Shaheed Minar (estd 1963) dedicated to the language martyrs of 1952 by the Pakistan Army during 1971 war created widespread hurt among Bengalis. It was rebuilt after the war and subsequently expanded it in 1983. It has attained the status of a pilgrimage centre in Bangladesh. So, why has the Bengali language been exalted to a cult status in Bangladesh? This is because they would be bereft of their cultural moorings to their soil without it. Their religion, Islam, connects them with Arabia, in a psychological sense but it also alienates them from their ancestry, history, culture and environment. Hasina should introspect. Why is only an emphasis on Islam needed for course correction in an already Muslim majority state? Successive Governments have promoted only Islam in Bangladesh, whether out of piety or political expediency, but the result is the deracination of a large section of the population dependent on Islamic curriculum. Until 1970, says Abul Barkat in his signal book, Political Economy of Madrasa Education in Bangladesh, there were 2,721 madrasas. But by 2008, their number had increased to 14,152. The net effect is that Bangladeshs foundational legacy is under threat. The model mosques project will only contribute to the deracination process. (The writer is an independent researcher based in New Delhi. The views expressed herein are his personal) The CBI may be a caged parrot but the step taken by Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal is certainly dramatic The question is why did Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu suddenly revoke the General Consent that all Indian States offer the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)? And this, a few weeks after the Telugu Desam supremo ordered the Andhra Pradesh Police not to give protection to either Enforcement Directorate or Income Tax Department officials during raids. While Naidus move also resulted in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following suit and that State, too, withdrawing its General Consent to the CBI under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, one wonders what purpose this will serve. Even at the height of the vilification campaign by the Centre against certain State leaders in the past, such a move has never been initiated. There is certainly a risk for the political capital accumulated by both leaders in taking this step because while the public at large might be simpatico to the view that the CBI is an extension of the Central Government, the fact that no State Government has taken such a step in the past will be used by the BJP to imply that regional leaders have something to hide. On the other hand, reports of the ruling dispensation in Delhi allegedly using the CBI to try and fix regional leaders also must be factored in. Additionally, in the case of Andhra Pradesh, was this decision taken after several raids recently exposed the financial underbelly of the political world in that State? Considering the ruling TDP is under pressure from both the YSR Congress and the BJP, Naidu tried to gain first-mover advantage by switching sides from Narendra Modi to Rahul Gandhi virtually overnight. Essentially, this was because the Central Government did not extend the financial support it had reportedly promised for Naidus new dream capital, Amravati. While there is no doubt that the Modi Government has spent money foolishly on some vanity projects, Naidus posh plans for Amravati were never going to be funded in the main by the Union of India even if he was part of the NDA. Naidu twigged and left. Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, while looking as strong as ever on the ground and confident of increasing its Lok Sabha seats tally even further in 2019, is facing an aggressive BJP looking to win a few more seats in the forthcoming General Election. With the Congress and Communists virtually disappearing from the political landscape of West Bengal, this two-way battle was always going to be one of raids and arrests which the Trinamool leader seems to have moved to prevent. Who said politics in India was fair? With the CBI itself in disarray on the BJPs watch and the two top officers of the agency fighting each other publicly, Naidu and Banerjee have gambled that by the time the CBI can regain its wits and mount a legal challenge to the decision it will become a fait accompli. However, it must be kept in mind that individuals always have legal remedies available to them if they feel they are being wrongfully prosecuted by the CBI. Yet, if the decision by two of the strongest State leaders in India today is such as they have taken, it implies a complete breakdown of trust in the Centre. The Supreme Court, which is dipping its hands into all manner of issues, is likely to come into play sooner rather than later. In the interim, it would help immensely if the CBI itself managed to get its act together and the Centre dispelled the suspicions of the States by reaching out and assuring them that the probe agencys neutrality would be maintained. As it is, all other police forces in India are highly politicised; if the CBI too heads that way as is it certainly seems to be, other Opposition-ruled States may soon follow Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. At the end of the day, though, if India has any pretence of being a robust, rule of law state, it needs police reforms desperately, starting with the CBI. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh suspected on Sunday Pakistan's ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri militants' role in the Amritsar terror attack that killed three persons and injured twenty others, and vowed that he would not let the "forces of terror" destroy the State's "hard-earned peace". "The possibility of involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terror groups could not be ruled out (in the Amritsar terror attack)," said Amarinder Singh in an official statement, adding the forensic teams have been rushed to the spot and "all angles were being investigated". The Chief Minister said his Government was "on the top of things" and would "get to the bottom of the incident" soon and ensure that the culprits are nabbed and brought to book. "Nobody will be allowed to get away with trying to disturb the peace and harmony of the state," he said. Three persons were killed and at least twenty others were injured when two motorcycle-borne miscreants hurled a grenade at a religious congregation of over 200 devotees inside a Nirankari Bhawan at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi area on Sunday, the police said earlier. In his statement, the chief minister said the preliminary investigations have revealed that two men - one of them with a flowing beard and both with their faces covered - forced their entry into the hall, brandishing a pistol. They detained the sewadar, lobbed the grenade into the prayer room and fled on a motorcycle on which they had come, he added. A worker of a right-wing Hindu outfit has been arrested in connection with the alleged attack on a CPM leader's son and his journalist daughter-in law during a shutdown called by the outfits in Kerala on Saturday, police said. Julius Nikithas and wife Saniyo Manomi, working with a leading Malayalam news channel, were attacked at Kuttiady as they were going to a hospital in a car to visit a patient. Police Sunday said that a worker of a right wing outfit has been arrested in connection with the attack and a search was on to nab nine others. Nikithas, son of party district secretary P Mohanan, suffered head injuries and Manomi was also injured. The couple have been admitted to the government medical college hospital here. The CPM had alleged that they were attacked by activists belonging to the Sangh Parivar. Right-wing Hindu outfits had observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kerala Saturday in protest against the "preventive detention" of Hindu Aikya Vedi state president P Sasikala, who was on a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. Sasikala was taken into preventive custody Saturday after she allegedly defied directions not to spend the night near the temple complex. Police had decided not to allow devotees enter the temple premises when it was closed for the night. Sasikala, who was on a fast at the Ranni police station, protesting her detention, was later produced before the sub-divisional magistrate, who is also the Thiruvalla Revenue Divisonal officer (RDO), and granted bail. The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development recently held a series of training programmes across the UAE in collaboration with Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, the educational arm of Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai mandated to develop the SME sector. The training programmes focused on information and communications technology (ICT), hospitality, and other vital sectors that promote entrepreneurship and SMEs as the backbone of the UAEs economy. Mouza Al Nasri, executive director of Entrepreneurship Development at Khalifa Fund, said: We will continue to implement various initiatives and events, including awareness campaigns and development programmes, for university and school students. In all these efforts, our aim is to build a promising future where SMEs are highly empowered. The Khalifa Fund also provides all kinds of support to innovative ideas, creative projects, and technological advancements. Our training courses in cooperation with Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy reflect the importance of solidarity and cooperation among various entities for young generation, Al Nasri said. We should always endeavor to raise the level of their administrative and technical competence by enriching their knowledge and experiences and cultivating their entrepreneurial skills, Al Nasri added. Ibtihal Al Naji, manager of Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, also stressed the importance of collaboration between the government and private sectors in promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among young people. Al Naji said: The training programmes we had in partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development were in line with the ongoing efforts to provide all support for entrepreneurship development in the country and establish the right environment for Emirati youth to pursue their projects, thus contributing to the growth of the local economy. Such training programmes and workshops are important to providing innovative mechanisms, tools and programs that will enable the youth to turn their creative ideas into a reality, Al Naji added. As part of the training programmes, Khalifa Fund held a workshop titled How to Start a Successful ICT Project in October at the Higher Colleges of Technology for Female Students in Ras Al Khaimah. More than 50 students attended the event and took part in the discussions on the importance of ICT. The event was highly successful, with the trainees giving the workshop a 92 per cent satisfaction rating. Another workshop under the same title was also held at the University of Sharjah in Khorfakkan, where more than 70 students giving the event a satisfaction rating of more than 94 per cent. The course, The Hospitality Industry between Local and Global Reach was held at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, with the participation of more than 80 students. It focused on the role of investments in supporting innovative ideas and solutions as well as ways to help entrepreneurs better understand brand building in the hospitality sector to bring their ambition from local to the global stage. The course also discussed government procedures, continuity and sustainability of projects, commercial franchises in the hospitality industry, and food trucks, among others. The attendees gave the course a satisfaction rating of over 96 per cent. Meanwhile, the Khalifa Fund is currently holding a specialised training programme titled Professional Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Management, which kicked off on November 5 and will run until December 16, with an expected number of 30 entrepreneurs attending the learning session. This specialized and intensive program was designed in collaboration with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management for entrepreneurs interested in opening their own food and beverages stores. The programme is teaching the basics of being involved in the food industry, design elements, best management practices, feasibility study, financial management, food cost, and business requirements. The programme aims to develop a professional work plan based on creative ideas and achieve them in a financially viable manner. It also consists of 17 lectures and a series of practical sessions, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Affidavit accuses NSA, Cabinet Secy, Law Secy, CVC, MoS of shielding Asthana from graft probe A day before the scheduled hearing on the fate of CBI Director Alok Vermas petition, agency DIG MK Sinha on Monday filed an explosive affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, Law Secretary Suresh Chandra, CVC KV Chowdary and RAWs Dubai Officer Samant Kumar Goel and Minister for State Haribhai Parthibahi Chowdhary for trying to save CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana from corruption charges. In his affidavit, the CBI DIG accused Doval of interfering in the bribery investigation against Asthana and preventing searches on the premises of suspects. Sinha, who was transferred while probing bribe charges against Asthana, also claimed that a Union Minister of State took a few crores to help a businessman under investigation. Challenging his transfer to Nagpur, Sinha said he possessed documents that will shock the court. However, rejecting his request for an urgent hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi shot back, Nothing shocks us. Sinha claimed after the Government sent Verma and Asthana on forced leave and transferred the entire team investigating charges against Asthana, he heard an officer telling things have been managed and everything is fine. In his affidavit, the CBI DIG also accused the Cabinet Secretary and the Law Secretary of even intervening to scuttle the CVCs probe which is monitored by the Supreme Court. Sinha also detailed the pressure he faced in arresting Manoj Prasad, who is co-accused with Asthana for allegedly accepting bribe from businessman Sana Satish Babu, associate of controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. On the morning of October 16, 2018, accused Manoj Prasad was intercepted at Delhi Airport on his arrival from Dubai and brought to the CBI Headquarters. During the first few hours of his arrival on CBI Headquarters, Manoj was garrulous and arrogant, both at the same time and in equal measure. He was interviewed by the applicant (DIG MK Sinha) and others. He tried his best to ward off the investigation by dropping names of high and mighty and mentioning his top contacts to create fear in our mind. As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, father of Manoj and Somesh, who retired as RAW Joint Secretary, has close acquaintance with the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to the CBI HQ as he expressed complete surprise and anger as to how the CBI could pick him up despite his close links with NSA Doval, said the CBI DIGs affidavit. He started bragging and claimed that his brother Somesh is very close to an officer in Dubai (name withheld) and to Samant Goel, presently RAW Special Secretary, and he can get us finished off/kicked out. Manoj taunted us that you people have no standing whatsoever and therefore should stay in limits and let him free. He claimed that recently his brother Somesh and Samant Goel helped the NSA on an important personal matter. He further claimed that India opted out of a contest from INTERPOL. said the affidavit filed by Sinha. Regarding genuineness of this claim of Manoj, no attempt was made to verify the claim regarding NSA Doval, said the affidavit filed by Sinha. He said later he found that Manoj Prasads information about India opting out from Interpol was factually correct. When the IO, AK Bassi, came to know that Samant Goel/ Somesh had stopped talking and were exchanging WhatsApp messages, he insisted that we need the cellphone sets of the public servants as the evidence is likely to be stored on the device and that search be conducted. The CBI Director did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same, said the affidavit. The CBI DIG in his affidavit also said that during interrogation they found that Manoj Prasad and brother Somesh Prasad were in regular touch with Rakesh Asthana and Somesh Goel. He said that there were several WhatsApp messages to prove this dubious links. The officer further said his team has records of conversation between Rakesh Asthana and Samant Goel, when Manoj Prasad was in their custody. The affidavit filed by Sinha brings to light the role of the Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha in protecting Astana. In the morning of October 17, 2018, a call came from the DCP of Special Cell of the Delhi Police on the mobile of Investigating Officer AK Bassi, DSP, CBI, who did not take the call. Later another Inspector of Special Cell called up and sought to know if Manoj has been arrested. Enquiries revealed that the query had originated from the Cabinet Secretariat. Further, the interesting part is how a Minister in the Modi Government intervened with the DoPT to protect Asthana. As per Sana, Shri Haribhai (Minister of State) had intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of the Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, to whom, apparently, the CBI Director reports to, said the CBI DIG. He also said that CVC Chowdhray also met Sana to save his relative from these issues. The officer said that the CVC and Asthana were also in touch during these days. Sathish Babu Sana also disclosed that he met CVC KV Chowdhary along with one Gorantla Ramesh (close relative of Chowdhary and owner of Delhi Public School Hyderabad, as per Sana) somewhere in Delhi (exact date and location was not informed) and that they discussed Moin Qureshis case. As per Sana, in the year 2011, Gorantla Ramesh sold some land and gave around Rs 4 crore out of the said sale consideration to Sana, in the same month, in which Sana had given Rs 50 Lakhs to Moin Qureshi. Therefore, Gorantla Ramesh was examined by CBI in the Moin Qureshis case. As per Sana, subsequently, CVC Chowdhary called Rakesh Asthana to his residence and made enquiries. Asthana informed the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but the same is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosure made by Sana On October 23, 2018, the applicant herein was informed by DIG/DD (SU) that someone spoke to Samant Goel (who was in Chandigarh at that time) and asked to help him to which Samant Goel replied things have been managed with the PMO and everything is fine. The same night the entire investigating team was shifted, said CBI DIG pointing a finger at the PMO. The CBI DIG also said that on November 8, Sana was advised by Law Secretary Suresh Chandra to save Asthana from the Supreme Court monitored CVC probe. He said that IAS officer Rekha Rani met Sana to contact the Law Secretary. The woman IAS officer was owner of Sanas office premises. According to Sana, Chandra told him that he was talking to him on behalf of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha. Sana spoke to him on WhatsApp on the evening of November 8. The Union Law Secretary, Suresh Chandra, said he was in London for some work related to the Nirav Modi case, that he was trying to contact him for last 4/5 days in order to convey message of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha that the Union Government will offer full protection to him, that there will be a drastic change on Tuesday (13th) and that he (Sana) should meet him (Suresh Chandra) on Wednesday(14th), the petition says. Responding to the allegation, the Law Secretary told media that the allegations were total baseless. This is all false. I never went to London, I dont know who Satish Sana or Rekha Rani is. It is complete fabrication, said Chandra. A top Dubai court on Monday ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by the Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case. Michel, 54, is currently in jail in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, PTI quoted Khaleej Times as having reported. Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed the bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, report said. On Monday, Michels lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. The judicial authorities there concluded that there was no criminal element in the case, the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubais highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a violation of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower courts ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow the proper procedures when requesting the extradition, the newspaper reported. The request should have been filed by Indias Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs, Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was flawed since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed, he argued. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower courts ruling. With Dubais top court upholding the lower courts decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure is executed in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions, the paper said. Michel, whose passport had been impounded by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became wanted on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation earlier this year for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the helicopter deal in favour of the firm in guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through criminal activity and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. Following allegations of corruption, India on January 1, 2014 scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanicas British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called on his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Monday as part of his effort to bring the Opposition parties on one platform to topple the BJP in the next years Lok Sabha polls. After the meeting, Mamata said everyone would be the face of a mahagathbandhan and they would fight together against the BJP to save the nation. Naidu said the proposed November 22 meeting of anti-BJP parties in Delhi had been postponed and it will now be held sometime before the Winter Session of Parliament beginning December 11. We wanted to meet on November 22 (but) because of elections we want to make it before Parliament (Winter) Session, said Naidu, adding those who were opposing the BJP will join and discuss (the future plans). We will chalk out a programme to move forward and take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation, he said. Incidentally Mamata had been among the earliest leaders to call for an Opposition unity through Federal Front against the BJP in which she floated the one against one theory according to which she said, the parties that are strong in a particular place should fight the BJP and the remaining parties should support them. Talking to the reporters after the meeting, the TDP chief said the BJP Government had crossed all the limits of intolerance towards the Opposition parties and the minorities and was using the Central agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax Department to harass and malign them. In fact these premier institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India and CAG, were under severe pressure from the Government to serve its interests, he said. The two leaders, who met in Kolkata for about an hour and a half, said majority anti-BJP parties have expressed their opinions to unite for the single-most important cause of ousting the BJP from power. Both leaders are in touch with their Opposition parties counterpart like Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, his son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conferences Farooq Abdullah, DMK chief MK Stalin and others. Meanwhile, the Bengal BJP on Monday staged road blockades in Kolkata and district headquarters protesting alleged attacks on State BJP president Dilip Ghosh and senior leader Joy Banerjee. The two leaders were attacked allegedly by Trinamool workers in Hooghly district while they were returning from a meeting. Blockades were staged at Midnapore, various places in Kolkata, Hooghly, Asansol and elsewhere, sources said. The Ghaziabad Police have arrested two criminals in an encounter on Sunday midnight. Police said the culprits identified as Suraj and Ranvir tried to flee the spot during the vehicles checking conducted jointly by crime branch and Sihani Gate police. The suspects opened fire at the police team after a team followed them. In retaliation, police also opened fire in which both sustained of bullet injuries, police said. A police constable also sustained bullet injuries in cross firing. He was admitted in nearby Kailash hospital and his condition is said to be stable. SP City Shlok Kumar said both were taken to the MMG Hospital and stable now. During screening it was found that they were involved in over dozen criminal cases of dacoity, loot and murder in different district of Sonipat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad. Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday demanded that the role of Sikh hardliner Baljit Singh Daduwal and others, who follow his ideology, should be probed in relation to the attack on a particular sects Bhawan at a village in Amritsar district. Offering condolences to those who have lost family members in the incident, Bittu called it an attempt to disturb peace in Punjab. Bittu was speaking to the media persons on the sidelines of a function in Ludhiana. The desecration of Guru Granth Sahib was also carried by people who do not want Punjab to flourish. Some Khalistan sympathisers like Baljit Singh Daduwal are doing petty politics over this sensitive issue and it is now a proven fact that he is getting funds for carrying out such dubious activities from abroad. The Congress government in Punjab is keeping a close watch on the activities of all such persons, said Bittu, grandson of former Chief Minister Beant Singh who was assassinated in 1995 by the militants. At the same time, Bittu said that no person would be allowed to disrupt peace and communal harmony of Punjab. Whosoever tries to do so would be dealt with strongly, he added. He said that the attack on the sects Bhawan is a cowardly act and strongly condemned it. He also appealed to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in wake of this incident and urged them not to panic and to remain calm. It is a reprehensible act of violence and we will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard earned peace, he said. Leaders of four organisations of the survivors of the Union Carbide disaster here on Monday charged Minister Vishwas Sarang of misusing funds meant for economic and social rehabilitation of the survivors. The organisations presented copies of documents obtained under right to information from the Department of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation that show that close to 60 % of the funds meant for providing employment to survivors and their children have been diverted to build drains, roads and parks. Likewise, documents show that almost one third of the funds meant for housing of residents in the vicinity of the Union Carbide factory is also being diverted for the same purpose. President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Rashida Bee said, In 2010, 104 Crores were allocated to provide jobs to 1 lakh Bhopal survivors and their children. After failing to provide employment to even one survivor in the last 8 years, the Minister is now spending more than 60 crore of the money meant for employment generation on public works that are routinely funded by taxpayers money. All of the 75 Crores that the Minister has taken away from the funds meant for survivors is being spent in his own constituency. Survivors of the Bhopal disaster are being robbed to pay for the Ministers vote gathering plans. To fuel the Ministers ambitions, the plan to provide safe housing to families living in the contaminated area next to the Union Carbide factory has been abandoned. said Nawab Khan, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha. Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action expressed concern about the complicity of the central government in the misutilisation and misappropriation of funds meant for Bhopal survivors. In 2014 we sent hard evidence of misappropriation of Rs 18 Crores meant for economic rehabilitation of survivors to the CBI and to the Ministry of Chemicals that had provided the funds. No action has been taken against the known culprits till date. Documents show that in March this year the Ministry of Chemicals approved diverting of funds meant for survivors after objecting to it for three years. Sounding the poll bugle, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Monday claimed that BJP would again form Government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi by winning 350 seats. Under the guidance of Narendra Modi, the BJP would win all the ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, said Manohar Lal while addressing Jan Vikas Rally at village Sultanpur in district Gurugram where Prime Minister inaugurated two projects and laid the foundation stone of one project. The Chief Minister said that five years back in 2013, Narendra Modi had called upon the people in Rewari for ensuring the victory of BJP in the 2014 parliamentary elections. With the blessing of the people, the BJP came to power. Now, he has again visited Haryana on the same day, i.e., November 19 which can be termed as start of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Manohar Lal. He said that PM Modi has fulfilled his promise of One Rank One Pension which he made to the people in Rewari. Manohar Lal said that this is PM Modis eleventh visit to Haryana and this has reflected his deep association with the people of the State. While describing Haryana as a State of Jawan, Kisan and Pehalwan, he thanked the Prime Miniser for giving one rank one pension for the ex-servicemen and giving significant rise in MSP to farmers. Nobody would have even thought that the Bajra would be sold at higher rates than wheat and farmers of south Haryana have been particularity benefited from this, he added. On the issue of employment, the Chief Minister further said that the present State Government has completed the backlog in Government jobs. 30,000 candidates have joined their place of postings. Apart from this, test for 18,000 posts of Group D has been conducted and the result would be declared within a month. The recruitment to the Group D posts had not been made in the last 15 years. 20,000 more jobs would be given to the youth soon, he said. Apart from this, 1.25 lakh jobs have been provided in the industrial sector and three lakh more jobs would be provided in this sector to the people in the state, he added. Manohar Lal said that Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, village Dudhola, Palwal would be first skill university of the country where wide range of courses would be offered to the youth to make them skilled so that they could get employment. While referring to the Ayushman Bharat-Health Protection Scheme, the Chief Minister said that there are 15.50 lakh families in the State which could get benefit of health cover of upto Rs five lakh. 50,000 have got themselves registered under the scheme and in two just months, 1500 beneficiaries have availed the benefit under the scheme. Now, the people need not take loan or mortgage their property for the medical treatment, he added. On the occasion, he described the Kudli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway as the lifeline for the people of Haryana. More industries would come up along the expressway. As the vehicles coming from other states would not be have to enter into Delhi, this will help NCR areas like Gurugram and Faridabad in reducing pollution, he said. He added that the State Government is developing Hisar Airport and looking forward for assistance of the Central Government for the same. Bhatnagar Prize awardee and noted nanotechnologist Professor T Pradeep from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras delivered a popular lecture at the HNB Garhwal Central University in Srinagar on the weekend. The lecture was on the subject of emerging trends in the atomically precise nanoparticles of noble metals. The lecture was organised by professor Geeta Joshi of the university under the banner of National Academy of Sciences, India-Uttarakhandchapter. Speaking on the occasion Pradeep elaborated upon the formation, characterisation, reactions and tremendous future applications of the cluster nanoparticles based on the pioneering work being carried out by his group at IIT Madras. He also informed the faculty members and students about the different directions in which useful research in this field may be carried out. Faculty members and students of the universitys physics, chemistry and biochemistry departments from the Birla and Pauri campuses, and National Institute of Technology attended the lecture and also participated in the interactive session on the occasion. BBMB bagged three awards Chandigarh: BBMB has created history by winning all first, second and third prizes in the category of subordinate offices for implementation of official language in "B" region. The first, second and third awards were attained by three chief engineer offices namely Chief Engineer, Bhakra Dam, Nangal, Chief Engineer Transmission System, Chandigarh and Chief Engineer System operation Chandigarh respectively. These awards were received by concerned Chief Engineers of BBMB on Monday from Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home affairs here. Rijiju also released second issue of BBMB House Journal "BBMB Samachar". HTET on Jan 5 and 6 Chandigarh: Haryana Board of School Education, Bhiwani will conduct Haryana Teachers Eligibility Test (HTET) on January 5 and 6, 2019. The information related to the examination is available on the official website of the Board www.bseh.org.in and http://htetonline.com. The interested candidates could apply online for HTET exam on websitehttp://htetonline.com from November 19 to 30. Before applying online, the candidates must read carefully the important guidelines given on information bulletin on the boards website to ensure their eligibility. After successful submission of online application and deposit of examination fees, the candidates would take print out of two copies of the confirmation page (center and candidate copy). PGIMER neurosurgeons publishes journal Chandigarh: Neurosurgeons of PGIMER namely Dr Dhandapani SS, Dr Apinder and others under Dr SK Gupta have published how their department has improved the outcome of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in "STROKE". This is a prestigious american journal with impact factor more than 6. SAH is a type of hemorrhagic stroke due to bleeding from ruptured aneurysms in brain. Dr Dhandapani and others have analyzed and showed that comprehensive care with streamlined protocols and other advances in their hospital services such as continuous monitoring could improve the surgical outcome of these patients. Their article in "STROKE" is the first such scientific paper from any developing country or possibly the largest single center data on time trends of SAH outcome in the world. Canara Bank Chandigarh Circle celebrates 113 Founders Day Chandigarh: Canara Bank, Chandigarh Circle under the leadership of Shabbir Hussain, General Manager celebrated 113 Founder's Day with the programme starting by remembering and expressing the gratitude to Banks founder, Late Ammembal Subba Rao Pai for his wisdom and ambition in establishing Canara Bank and contribution to the society. Canara Bank Chandigarh Circle with its jurisdiction over Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Chandigarh celebrated the Founders day with full zeal and enthusiasm. The circle organized various activities like distribution of sweaters at Govt. Sr. Secondary Girls School, Sohana, distribution of warm blankets at old age home, customer meets and CSR activities. British Council holds Study UK exhibition Chandigarh: The British Council, UK's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, is hosting a 'Study UK Exhibition' on Sunday, November 25. The Exhibition will provide information about the scholarship options available to the students including the recently announced 70 year scholarship for women in STEM. It will also be a platform to meet top UK universities under one roof. Alongside the event, there will be information on studying and living in the UK from representatives of UK institutions. The exhibition calls out to the interested students as well as their parents, giving them a platform to interact with the delegates from 6 UK institutions in India in order to answer all their questions regarding course choices, visas, applications, scholarships and more. Owning up the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, Shiv Sena has asked the Narendra Modi government to bring a legislation for the construction of a temple at Ram Janmabhoomi Complex as the issue has been pending in court for over two decades and now the people are losing patience. People today are talking about the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya. This would not have been possible had Shiv Sainiks not demolished the disputed mosque on December 6, 1992, Shiv Senas senior leader Sanjay Raut told media persons in Lucknow on Monday Raut said the Union government should bring a legislation for the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and the Shiv Sena would support it. Shiv Sena is committed to the construction of Ram temple. We have struggled for it. For us, Ram temple is not a jumla as the Shiv Sena believes that Ram temple is not a subject of courts but of public sentiment and national honour, the Shiv Sena leader said. When asked how the Modi government could get a legislation passed when it does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha, Raut said that as the National Democratic Alliance had a majority in the Lok Sabha, it should get the legislation passed from there and then it could be analysed what could be done in the Rajya Sabha. It is up to Modi to bring a legislation and then the Yogi Adityanath government will have to ensure proper construction of Ram temple without hurting the sentiments of any section of society, the Shiv Sena leader said but added that Ram temple should not be made an election issue. Recently, Raut had visited Ayodhya where he had held discussions with several leaders on the construction of Ram temple. I also had a meeting with the plaintiff from the Muslim side, Iqbal Ansari, and had a very cordial meeting with him, Raut said. The Shiv Sena leader said that his party chief Uddhav Thackeray would visit Ayodhya on November 24 and attend a programme at Lakshman Qila and also attend Saryu aarti. Uddhav would pay obeisance at Ram temple on November 25 and participate in a jan samvad at Gulab Bari. Thackeray was earlier scheduled to visit Ayodhya on November 25 but in view of the proposed dharma sabha of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, he preponed his visit. Later on Monday, Raut called on Governor Ram Naik at the Raj Bhawan. Nissan Motor Company chairman Carlos Ghosn has been arrested over claims of financial misconduct, the carmaker has said. Ghosn, a major figure in the car industry, will be sacked from the Japanese firm after a board meeting on Thursday, its chief executive said. He has been accused of "significant acts of misconduct", including under-reporting his pay package and personal use of company assets. The company said based on a whistleblower report, Nissan has been conducting an internal investigation over the past several months regarding misconduct involving Ghosn and representative director Greg Kelly. The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Ghosns compensation, a press release said. "Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed," it said. "Nissan has been providing information to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office and has been fully cooperating with their investigation. We will continue to do so," it added. As the misconduct uncovered through the internal investigation constitutes clear violations of the duty of care as directors, Nissans chief executive officer Hiroto Saikawa will propose to the Nissan board of directors to promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as chairman and representative director. Saikawa will also propose the removal of Kelly from his position as representative director, it said. As well as being chairman of Nissan, Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Renault and chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. In addition, he is chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors strategic alliance. "I feel despair, indignation and resentment," said Saikawa at a news conference. "As the details are disclosed I believe that people will feel the same way as I feel today," he added. Saikawa said he believed the misconduct "went on for a long period" and Nissan would now try to "stabilise the situation, and normalise day-to-day operations" for staff and business partners. According to Japanese media reports, which have not been confirmed, he under-reported an amount totalling 5 billion yen ($44 million) over a five-year period from 2011. - TradeArabia News Service Six different books aimed at giving one a deeper insight into disparate subjects were released recently From Gandhis friendship to critical theories on postcolonial Indian literature, the night was a rewarding one for readers and academicians. The Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Rashtrapati Nivas, Shimla, organised, The Fifth Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Lecture, which was delivered by Padma Shri professor Ramesh Chandra Shah, a noted poet, novelist and critic on the rehabilitation of sacred. Six books were launched during the lecture. In Gandhis Ark authored by Shashi Joshi, the focus was on Gandhis relationship with his Christian friends with whom he discussed religion and spirituality. The central theme of the book reveals his affinity to Catholic Christianity and openness to all the religious ideas, beliefs and practices while another book, Postcolonial Indian Literature Toward a Critical Framework by Satish C. Aikant takes a comprehensive view of Indian literatures from a postcolonial perspective. Mahesh Champaklals Bhasas Ramayan Plays From Page to Stage, meanwhile involved the analysis of the epic ascribed to Bhasa namely, Abhisheka Natakam and Pratima Natakam both in terms of language in theatre. It tries to establish the inter-relation between both, the dramatic text composed by the playwright and the performance text designed by the director for the production of the play. How the dramatic text is transformed into the performance text forms the subject of the book thus establishing the relation between text and performance. Dancing in the Sky of Consciousness authored by Aleksandra Wenta is an interdisciplinary attempt to look at various dimensions of aesthetics of power in medieval Cidambaram temple and beyond. It weaves its discourse around the figure of dancing Siva, to whom the temple was dedicated. Incidentally, the god is one of the most powerful icons in the history of world religions. The book tries to combine the fields of philosophy, history, aesthetics, performing arts, architecture, ritual and textual studies. The last two books included Urban Spaces in Modern India edited by Partho Dutta and Narayani Gupta and Modernity and Changing Social Fabric of Punjab and Haryana which is edited by Yogesh Snehi and Lallan S Baghel. In his lecture, professor Shah spoke about, The Indian tradition of Advaita Vedanta emphasises on Jivanmukti, the idea that moksha (freedom, liberation) is achievable in this life in contrast to Indian philosophies that emphasises on moksha after death. Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul whos a Buddhist scholar, was the moderator of the lecture and he summed it up when he said, We have to admit that modern science has changed the world but to get the inner freedom and peace of mind we have to maintain a fine balance between modern science and philosophy. This balance helps us in setting our minds free from the materialistic world. The philosophy of west and India tried to seek and explore the ultimate reality and same was also searched through the rule and principals of Physics. Knowing the complete truth is very important, for instance, one could have tremendous craving for cheese cake, but when youll see cheese from a microscope and youll see the bacteria in the cake your craving for the cake will go away. This is the result knowing the ultimate truth. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. 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- Maternal Fetal Medicine L.L.C., Brookwood Ancillary Holdings Inc., Brookwood Baptist Health 1 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 2 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 3 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Imaging LLC, Brookwood Center Development Corporation, Brookwood Development Inc., Brookwood Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Brookwood Garages L.L.C., Brookwood Health Services Inc., Brookwood Home Health LLC, Brookwood Occupational Health Clinic L.L.C., Brookwood Parking Associates Ltd., Brookwood Primary Care - Homewood L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Inverness L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Mountain Brook L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Oak Mountain L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Vestavia L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Cahaba Heights L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Hoover L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care The Narrows L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Network Care Inc., Brookwood Specialty Care - Endocrinology L.L.C., Brookwood Sports and Orthopedics L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Care L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Diagnostic Center LLC, C7 Technologies LLC, CGH Hospital Ltd., CHIC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CHN Holdings LLC, CHRISTUS Cabrini Surgery Center L.L.C., CHVI Tucson Holdings LLC, CML-Chicago Market Labs Inc., CRNAs of Michigan, CS/USP General Partner LLC, CS/USP Surgery Centers LP, California Joint & Spine LLC, Camp Creek Urgent Care L.L.C., Camp Lowell Surgery Center L.L.C., Captive Insurance Services Inc., Cardiology Physicians Associates L.L.C., Cardiology Physicians Corporation L.L.C., Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Associates L.L.C., Cardiovascular Clinical Excellence at Sierra Providence LLC, CareSpot of Austin LLC, CareSpot of Memphis LLC, CareSpot of Orlando/HSI Urgent Care LLC, Carmel Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Carondelet St. Marys-Northwest L.L.C., Cascade Spine Center LLC, Castle Rock Surgery Center LLC, Catawba-Piedmont Cardiothoracic Surgery L.L.C., Cedar Hill Primary Care L.L.C., Cedar Park Surgery Center L.L.P., Centennial ASC LLC, Center for Advanced Research Excellence L.L.C., Center for the Urban Child Inc., Central California Healthcare Holdings LLC, Central Carolina Physicians - Sandhills L.L.C., Central Carolina-IMA L.L.C., Central Jersey Surgery Center LLC, Central Texas Corridor Hospital Company LLC, Central Valley Quality Alliance LLC, Central Virginia Surgi-Center L.P., Centura Ventures Surgery Centers LLC, Centura/USP Colorado Springs Surgery Centers L.L.C., Chalon Living Inc., Chandler Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Endoscopic Surgery Center LLC, Chattanooga Pain Management Center LLC, Chesterfield Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Chesterfield Anesthesia Associates of Missouri LLC, Chico Surgery Center L.P., Childrens Hospital of Michigan Premier Network Inc., Citrus Heights ASC RE LLC, Clarkston ASC Partners LLC, Clarksville Surgery Center LLC, Coast Healthcare Management LLC, Coast Surgery Center L.P., Coastal Carolina Medical Center, Coastal Carolina Medical Center Inc., Coastal Carolina Physician Practices LLC, Coastal Carolina Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Coastal Endo LLC, Colorado GI Centers LLC, Commonwealth Continental Health Care Inc., Community Connection Health Plan Inc., Community Hospital LLC, Community Hospital of Los Gatos Inc., Conifer Care Continuum Solutions LLC, Conifer Ethics and Compliance Inc., Conifer Global Business Center Inc., Conifer Global Holdings Inc., Conifer Health Solutions LLC, Conifer Holdings Inc., Conifer Patient Communications LLC, Conifer Physician Services Holdings Inc., Conifer Physician Services Inc., Conifer Revenue Cycle Solutions LLC, Conifer Value-Based Care LLC, Conroe Surgery Center 2 LLC, Coral Gables Hospital Inc., Coral Ridge Outpatient Center LLC, Corpus Christi Surgicare Ltd., Covenant/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CreAtiv Management Company Inc., Creekwood Investors LLC, Creekwood Surgery Center L.P., Crown Point Surgery Center LLC, DH/USP SJOSC Investment Company L.L.C., DH/USP Sacramento Pain GP LLC, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Education & Research, DMC Harper University Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, DMC Imaging L.L.C., Dallas Surgical Partners LLC, DeTar/USP Surgery Center LLC, Delray Beach ASC LLC, Delray Medical Center Inc., Delray Medical Physician Services L.L.C., Denton Surgicare Partners Ltd., Denton Surgicare Real Estate Ltd., Denville Surgery Center LLC, Des Peres Physician Network LLC, Desert Cove MOB LLC, Desert Regional Medical Center Inc., Desert Ridge Outpatient Surgery LLC, Desoto Surgicare Partners Ltd., Destin ASC RE LLC, Destin Surgery Center LLC, Detroit Education & Research, DigitalMed Inc., Dignity/Abrazo Health Network LLC, Dignity/USP Folsom GP LLC, Dignity/USP Grass Valley GP LLC, Dignity/USP Las Vegas Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Metro Surgery Center LLC, Dignity/USP NorCal Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers II LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Redding GP LLC, Dignity/USP Roseville GP LLC, Dignity/USP/John Muir East Bay Surgery Centers LLC, Doctors Hospital of Manteca Inc., Doctors Medical Center Neurosciences Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center Orthopedics Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto Inc., Doctors Outpatient Center for Surgery LLC, Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center of Jupiter L.L.C., EPHC Inc., EPIC ASC LLC, East Atlanta Endoscopy Centers LLC, East Cobb Urgent Care LLC, East Cooper Coastal Family Physicians L.L.C., East Cooper Community Hospital Inc., East Cooper Hyperbarics L.L.C., East Cooper OB/GYN L.L.C., East Cooper Physician Network LLC, East Cooper Primary Care Physicians L.L.C., East Portland Surgery Center LLC, East West Surgery Center L.P., Eastgate Building Center L.L.C., Effingham Surgical Partners LLC, Einstein Montgomery Surgery Center LLC, Einstein/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., El Mirador Surgery Center L.L.C., El Paso Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy LLC, El Paso Day Surgery LLC, El Paso Urology Surgery Center Curie LLC, Emanate/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Emanuel Medical Center, Emerson Surgery Center LLC, Encinitas Endoscopy Center LLC, Endoscopy Center of Hackensack LLC, Endoscopy Center of South Sacramento LLC, Endoscopy Consultants LLC, European Surgical Partners Ltd., Eye Center of Nashville UAP LLC, Eye Surgery Center of Nashville LLC, FMC Medical Inc., FMCC Network Contracting L.L.C., FPN Frisco Physicians Network, FREH Real Estate L.L.C., FRS Imaging Services L.L.C., FSC Hospital LLC, FSH IT Services LP, First Choice Physician Partners, Flatirons Surgery Center LLC, Folsom Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Fort Bend Clinical Services Inc., Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate LP, Fort Worth Surgicare Partners Ltd., Foundation Bariatric Hospital of San Antonio LLC, Foundation San Antonio Borrower Sub LLC, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Fountain Valley Surgery Center LLC, Franklin Endo UAP LLC, Franklin Endoscopy Center LLC, Fresno Surgery Center L.P., Frisco Medical Center L.L.P., Frontenac Ambulatory Surgery & Spine Care Center L.P., Frye Regional Medical Center Inc., FryeCare Boone L.L.C., FryeCare Morganton L.L.C., FryeCare Physicians L.L.C., FryeCare Valdese L.L.C., FryeCare Watauga L.L.C., FryeCare Womens Services L.L.C., GCSA Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Gamma Surgery Center LLC, Gardendale Surgical Associates LLC, Garland Surgicare Partners Ltd., Gastric Health Institute L.L.C., Genesis ASC Partners LLC, Geneva Surgical Suites LLC, Georgia Endoscopy Center LLC, Georgia Gifts From Grace L.L.C., Georgia Musculoskeletal Network Inc., Georgia North Fulton Healthcare Associates L.L.C., Georgia Northside Ear Nose and Throat L.L.C., Georgia Physicians of Cardiology L.L.C., Georgia Spectrum Neurosurgical Specialists L.L.C., Georgia Spine Surgery Center LLC, Glen Echo Surgery Center LLC, Golden Ridge ASC LLC, Good Samaritan Medical Center Inc., Good Samaritan Surgery L.L.C., Grapevine Surgicare Partners Ltd., Grass Valley Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Graystone Family Healthcare - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Great Lakes Surgical Suites LLC, Greater Dallas Healthcare Enterprises, Greater Northwest Houston Enterprises, Greenville Physicians Surgery Center LLP, Greenwood ASC LLC, Greystone Internal Medicine - Brookwood L.L.C., Gulf Coast Community Hospital Inc., HCH Tucson Holdings LLC, HCN Emerus Management Sub LLC, HCN Emerus Texas LLC, HCN Laboratories Inc., HCN Physicians Inc., HCN Sunnyvale Holdings LLC, HCN Surgery Center Holdings Inc., HDMC Holdings L.L.C., HMA/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, HMH-USP Surgery Centers LLC, HMHP/USP Surgery Centers LLC, HNMC Inc., HNW GP Inc., HNW LP Inc., HPI Holdings LLC, HPI North LLC, HPI Physicians LLC, HSRM International Inc., HSS Palm Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, HSS/USP Surgery Center LLC, HUG Services Inc., HUMC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Hacienda Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Hagerstown Surgery Center LLC, Hardeeville Medical Group L.L.C., Hardeeville Primary Care L.L.C., Harlingen Physician Network Inc., Harper-Hutzel AHP Services Inc., Harvard Park Surgery Center LLC, Haymarket Surgery Center LLC, Hazelwood Endoscopy Center LLC, Health & Wellness Surgery Center L.P., Health Horizons of Kansas City Inc., Health Horizons of Murfreesboro Inc., Health Horizons/Piedmont Joint Venture LLC, Health Services CFMC Inc., Health Services HNMC Inc., Health Services Network Care Inc., Health Services Network Hospitals Inc., Health Services Network Texas Inc., HealthCorp Network Inc., Healthcare Compliance LLC, Healthcare Network Alabama Inc., Healthcare Network CFMC Inc., Healthcare Network DPH Inc., Healthcare Network Georgia Inc., Healthcare Network Holdings Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals (Dallas) Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals Inc., Healthcare Network Louisiana Inc., Healthcare Network Missouri Inc., Healthcare Network North Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network South Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network Tennessee Inc., Healthcare Network Texas Inc., Healthcare Partners Investments LLC, Healthmark Partners Inc., Healthpoint of North Carolina L.L.C., Heart and Vascular Institute of Michigan, Heritage Park Surgical Hospital LLC, Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hialeah Hospital Inc., Hialeah Real Properties Inc., Hickory Family Practice Associates - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Hill Country ASC Partners LLC, Hill Country Surgery Center LLC, Hilton Head Health System L.P., Hilton Head Regional Healthcare L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional OB/GYN Partners L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional Physician Network LLC, Hilton Head Regional Physician Network Georgia L.L.C., Hinsdale Surgical Center LLC, Hitchcock State Street Real Estate Inc., Holston Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Holy Cross Hospital Inc., Home Health Partners of San Antonio LLC, Hoover Doctors Group Inc., Hoover Land LLC, Horizon Ridge Surgery Center LLC, Hospital Development of West Phoenix Inc., Hospital RCM Services LLC, Hospital Underwriting Group Inc., Houston Northwest Partners Ltd., Houston PSC L.P., Houston Specialty Hospital Inc., Houston Sunrise Investors Inc., Hyde Park Surgery Center LLC, ICNU Rockford LLC, Imaging Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., InforMed Insurance Services LLC, Integris/USP Health Ventures LLC, International Health and Wellness Inc., Irving-Coppell Surgical Hospital L.L.P., JFK Memorial Hospital Inc., JFP UAP Sugarland LLC, Jackson Surgical Center LLC, Jacksonville Endoscopy Centers LLC, Journey Home Healthcare of San Antonio LLC, KHS Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, KHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Laguna Medical Systems Inc., Lake Endoscopy Center LLC, Lake Health Care Facilities Inc., Lake Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lake Surgical Hospital Slidell LLC, LakeFront Medical Associates LLC, Lakewood Regional Medical Center Inc., Lakewood Surgery Center LLC, Lancaster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lawrenceville Surgery Center L.L.C., Lebanon Endoscopy Center LLC, Legacy Warren Partners L.P., Legacy/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Leonardtown Surgery Center LLC, Liberty Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Lifemark Hospitals Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Florida Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Lone Star Endoscopy Center LLC, Longleaf Surgery Center LLC, Los Alamitos Medical Center Inc., Lubbock ASC Holding Co LLC, MASC Partners LLC, MCSH Real Estate Investors Ltd., MH Memorial City Surgery LLC, MH/USP Bay Area LLC, MH/USP Brazoria LLC, MH/USP Kingsland LLC, MH/USP Kingwood LLC, MH/USP Kirby LLC, MH/USP Main Street LLC, MH/USP North Freeway LLC, MH/USP North Houston LLC, MH/USP Richmond LLC, MH/USP Sugar Land LLC, MH/USP TMC Endoscopy LLC, MH/USP West Houston L.L.C., MH/USP Woodlands Parkway LLC, MSH Partners LLC, MSV Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MVH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MacNeal Management Services Inc., MacNeal Medical Records Inc., MacNeal Physicians Group LLC, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of San Luis Obispo Inc., Magnolia Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Manchester Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, Maple Lawn Surgery Center LLC, Marion Surgery Center LLC, Mary Immaculate Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mason Ridge Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mayfield Spine Surgery Center LLC, McLaren ASC of Flint LLC, Meadowcrest Hospital LLC, Medical House Staffing LLC, Medical Park Tower Surgery Center LLC, Medplex Outpatient Medical Centers Inc., Medplex Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Memorial Hermann Bay Area Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann Endoscopy & Surgery Center North Houston L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Endoscopy Center North Freeway LLC, Memorial Hermann Specialty Hospital Kingwood L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Surgical Hospital L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Brazoria LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Cypress LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Katy LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kingsland L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kirby LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Main Street LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Memorial City L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Northwest LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Pinecroft LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Preston Road Ltd., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Richmond LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Southwest L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Sugar Land LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Texas Medical Center LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Woodlands Parkway LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center The Woodlands LLP, Memorial Hermann Texas International Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann West Houston Surgery Center LLC, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers II L.P., Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers III LLP, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers IV LLP, Memorial Surgery Center LLC, Memphis Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., Memphis Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., Merced Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mercy/USP Health Ventures L.L.C., Metro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Metro Surgery Center LLC, MetroWest HomeCare & Hospice LLC, Metrocrest Surgery Center L.P., Metropolitan New Jersey LLC, Michigan ASC Partners L.L.C., Michigan Pioneer ACO LLC, Michigan Regional Imaging LLC, Mid Rivers Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mid State Endo UAP LLC, Mid-State Endoscopy Center LLC, Mid-TSC Development LP, Middle Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Midland Memorial/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Midland Texas Surgical Center LLC, Midwest Digestive Health Center LLC, Midwest Pharmacies Inc., Midwest Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Millennium Surgical Center LLC, Mobile Imaging Management LLC, Mobile Technology Management LLC, Modesto Radiology Imaging Inc., Monocacy Surgery Center LLC, Mountain Empire Surgery Center L.P., Munster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Murdock Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, NHSC Holdings LLC, NICH GP Holdings LLC, NKCH/USP Briarcliff GP LLC, NKCH/USP Liberty GP LLC, NKCH/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., NKCH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, NMC Lessor L.P., NMC Surgery Center L.P., NME Headquarters Inc., NME Properties Corp., NME Properties Inc., NME Property Holding Co. Inc., NME Psychiatric Hospitals Inc., NME Rehabilitation Properties Inc., NSCH GP Holdings LLC, NSCH/USP Desert Surgery Centers L.L.C., NUCH of Georgia L.L.C., NUCH of Massachusetts LLC, NUCH of Michigan Inc., NUCH of Texas, Nacogdoches ASC-LP Inc., Name of Entity, National ASC Inc., National Ancillary Inc., National Diagnostic Imaging Centers Inc., National HHC Inc., National Home Health Holdings Inc., National ICN Inc., National Imaging Center Holdings Inc., National Medical Services II Inc., National Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., National Surgery Center Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Inc., Network Management Associates Inc., New Dimensions LLC, New England Physician Performance Network LLC, New H Acute Inc., New Horizons Surgery Center LLC, New Medical Horizons II Ltd., New Mexico Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, New Salem ASC RE LLC, Newhope Imaging Center Inc., North Anaheim Surgery Center LLC, North Atlantic Surgical Suites LLC, North Campus Surgery Center LLC, North Carolina Community Family Medicine L.L.C., North Central Surgical Center L.L.P., North Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, North Fulton Cardiovascular Medicine L.L.C., North Fulton Hospitalist Group L.L.C., North Fulton Medical Center Inc., North Fulton Primary Care - Willeo Rd. L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Windward Parkway L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Wylie Bridge L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care Associates L.L.C., North Fulton Pulmonary Specialists L.L.C., North Fulton Womens Consultants L.L.C., North Garland Surgery Center L.L.P., North Haven Surgery Center LLC, North Miami Medical Center Ltd., North Shore Medical Billing Center L.L.C., North Shore Medical Center Inc., North Shore Same Day Surgery L.L.C., North Shore Surgical Suites LLC, North State Surgery Centers L.P., NorthPointe Surgical Suites LLC, NorthShore/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Northern Monmouth Regional Surgery Center L.L.C., Northridge ASC RE LLC, Northridge Surgery Center L.P., Northwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Georgia Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Regional ASC LLC, Northwest Regional Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgery Center LLP, Northwest Surgery Center Ltd., Novant Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Novant/UVA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, OCOMS Imaging LLC, OCOMS Professional Services LLC, OLOL/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Okatie Surgical Partners L.L.C., Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic and Multi-Specialty Surgery LLC, Old Tesson Surgery Center L.P., Olive Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Olive Branch Urgent Care #1 LLC, Ophthalmology Anesthesia Services LLC, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Orlando LLC, Optimum Spine Center LLC, OrNda Healthcorp, OrNda Hospital Corporation, Orlando Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., OrthoArizona Surgery Center Gilbert LLC, OrthoLink ASC Corporation, OrthoLink Physicians Corporation, OrthoLink Radiology Services Corporation, OrthoLink/ Georgia ASC Inc., OrthoLink/Baptist ASC LLC, OrthoLink/New Mexico ASC Inc., Orthopedic Associates of the Lowcountry L.L.C., Orthopedic South Surgical Partners LLC, Orthopedic and Surgical Specialty Company LLC, PAHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, PDN L.L.C., PHPS Inc., PHPS-CHM Acquisition Inc., PHS/USP Health Ventures LLC, PM CyFair Land Partners LLC, PMC Physician Network L.L.C., PPRE LLC, PSS Patient Solution Services LLC, Pacific Endo-Surgical Center L.P., Pacific Endoscopy and Surgery Center LLC, Pain Diagnostic and Treatment Center L.P., Paley Institute Global LLC, Palm Beach Gardens Community Hospital Inc., Palm Beach International Surgery Center LLC, Palm Valley Medical Center Campus Association, Palos Health Surgery Center LLC, Paramus Endoscopy LLC, Park Cities Surgery Center LLC, Park Plaza Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., ParkCreek ASC LLC, Parkway Recovery Care Center LLC, Parkwest Surgery Center L.P., Patient Partners LLC, Peak Gastroenterology ASC LLC, Pediatric Surgery Center Odessa LLC, Pediatric Surgery Centers LLC, Physician Performance Network L.L.C., Physician Performance Network of Arizona LLC, Physician Performance Network of Detroit, Physician Performance Network of South Carolina LLC, Physician Performance Network of Tucson LLC, Physicians Performance Network of Houston, Physicians Performance Network of North Texas, Physicians Surgery Center at Good Samaritan LLC, Physicians Surgery Center of Tempe LLC, Physicians Surgical Center of Ft. Worth LLP, Physicians Surgery Center of Chattanooga L.L.C., Physicians Surgery Center of Knoxville LLC, Piccard Surgery Center LLC, Piedmont ASC LLC, Piedmont Behavioral Medicine Associates LLC, Piedmont Cardiovascular Physicians L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina OB/GYN of York County L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina Vascular Surgery L.L.C., Piedmont East Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Piedmont Express Care at Sutton Road L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Rock Hill L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Tega Cay L.L.C., Piedmont General Surgery Associates L.L.C., Piedmont Internal Medicine at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Physician Network LLC, Piedmont Pulmonology L.L.C., Piedmont Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care and Industrial Health Centers Inc., Piedmont/Carolinas Radiation Therapy LLC, Placentia-Linda Hospital Inc., Pleasanton Diagnostic Imaging Inc., Point of Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Practice Partners Management L.P., Premier ACO Physicians Network LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Adult and Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Premier Endoscopy ASC LLC, Premier Health Plan Services Inc., Premier Medical Specialists L.L.C., Prince William Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Professional Anesthesia Services LLC, Professional Liability Insurance Company, Pros Temporary Staffing Inc., Providence/UCLA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Providence/USP Santa Clarita GP LLC, Providence/USP South Bay Surgery Centers L.L.C., Providence/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Pueblo Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, R.H.S.C. El Paso Inc., RE Plano Med Inc., RHC Parkway Inc., RLC LLC, Reading Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Reading Endoscopy Center LLC, Reagan Street Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Surgery Center LLC, Renaissance Surgery Center LLC, Republic Health Corporation of Rockwall County, Resolute Health Physicians Network Inc., Resolute Hospital Company LLC, Resurgens East Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Fayette Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Surgery Center LLC, Rheumatology Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Richmond ASC Leasing Company LLC, Rio Grande Valley Indigent Health Care Corporation, River North Same Day Surgery L.L.C., Riverside Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Rock Bridge Surgical Institute L.L.C., Rock Hill Surgery Center LLC, Rockwall Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.P., Rocky Mountain Endoscopy Centers LLC, Roseville Surgery Center L.P., Roswell Surgery Center L.L.C., SCNRE LLC, SFMP Inc., SFMPE - Crittenden L.L.C., SL-HLC Inc., SLH Physicians L.L.C., SLH Vista Inc., SLPA ACO LLC, SLUH Anesthesia Physicians L.L.C., SMSJ Imaging Company LLC, SMSJ Tucson Holdings LLC, SPC at the Star LLC, SRRMC Management Inc., SSI Holdings Inc., Sacramento Midtown Endoscopy Center LLC, Safety Harbor ASC Company LLC, Saint Agnes/Dignity/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Agnes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Francis Cardiology Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis Cardiovascular Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Medicare ACO LLC, Saint Francis Hospital Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Inc., Saint Francis Medical Partners East L.L.C., Saint Francis Medical Partners General Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis Quality Alliance LLC, Saint Francis Surgery Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Surgical Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis-Arkansas Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis-Bartlett Physician Network LLC, Saint Thomas Campus Surgicare L.P., Saint Thomas Surgery Center New Salem LLC, Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Baptist Plaza L.L.C., Saint Vincent Physician Services Inc., Salmon Surgery Center LLC, Same Day Management L.L.C., Same Day SC of Central NJ LLC, Same Day Surgery L.L.C., San Antonio Endoscopy L.P., San Fernando Valley Surgery Center L.P., San Gabriel Valley Surgical Center L.P., San Martin Surgery Center LLC, San Ramon ASC L. P., San Ramon Ambulatory Care LLC, San Ramon Network Joint Venture LLC, San Ramon Regional Medical Center LLC, San Ramon Surgery Center L.L.C., Santa Barbara Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Santa Clarita Surgery Center L.P., Savannah Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Schertz Surgery Center LLC, Scripps Encinitas Surgery Center LLC, Scripps/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Seaside Surgery Center LLC, Shands/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, Shelby Baptist Affinity LLC, Shelby Baptist Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Shore Outpatient Surgicenter L.L.C., Shoreline Real Estate Partnership LLP, Shoreline Surgery Center LLP, Shrewsbury Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Pacific Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Providence Health Network Inc., Sierra Providence Healthcare Enterprises, Sierra Vista Hospital Inc., Silicon Valley Outpatient Surgery Centers LLC, Silver Cross Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Sinai-Grace Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, Siouxland Surgery Center Limited Liability Partnership, Solantic Corporation, Solantic Development LLC, Solantic Holdings Corporation, Solantic of Jacksonville LLC, Solantic of Orlando LLC, Solantic/South Florida LLC, South Carolina East Cooper Surgical Specialists L.L.C., South Carolina Health Services Inc., South Carolina SeWee Family Medicine L.L.C., South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services L.P., South Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, South Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center LLC, South Fulton Health Care Centers Inc., SouthCare Physicians Group Neurology L.L.C., SouthCare Physicians Group Obstetrics & Gynecology L.L.C., Southeast Ohio Surgical Suites LLC, Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Southern States Physician Operations Inc., Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Southwest Childrens Hospital LLC, Southwest Endoscopy LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital Real Estate LLC, Southwestern Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Spalding Regional Medical Center Inc., Spalding Regional OB/GYN L.L.C., Spalding Regional Physician Services L.L.C., Specialty Surgery Center of Fort Worth L.P., Specialty Surgicenters Inc., Spinal Diagnostics and Treatment Centers L.L.C., Spine & Joint Physician Associates, Springfield Service Holding Corporation, St. Augustine Endoscopy Center LLC, St. Christophers Pediatric Urgent Care Center - Allentown L.L.C, St. Josephs Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Josephs Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, St. Josephs Surgery Center L.P., St. Louis Physician Alliance LLC, St. Louis Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Urology Center LLC, St. Lukes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, St. Marys Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, St. Marys Hospital Cardiovascular Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Levee Company LLC, St. Marys Medical Center Inc., St. Vincent Health/USP LLC, St. Vincent/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Stockton Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Subsidiaries of USPI Holding Company Inc., Suburban Endoscopy Center LLC, Summit View Surgery Center LLC, Sun View Imaging L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group I L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group II L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group IV L.L.C., SurgCenter Camelback LLC, SurgCenter Northeast LLC, SurgCenter Pinellas LLC, SurgCenter Tucson LLC, SurgCenter at Paradise Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Deer Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Glen Burnie LLC, SurgCenter of Palm Beach Gardens LLC, SurgCenter of Plano LLC, SurgCenter of Southern Maryland LLC, SurgCenter of St. Lucie LLC, SurgCenter of White Marsh LLC, Surgery Affiliate of El Paso LLC, Surgery Center at Mount Pleasant LLC, Surgery Center at University Park LLC, Surgery Center of Atlanta LLC, Surgery Center of Canfield LLC, Surgery Center of Columbia L.P., Surgery Center of Coral Gables LLC, Surgery Center of Okeechobee LLC, Surgery Center of Pembroke Pines L.L.C., Surgery Center of Peoria L.L.C., Surgery Center of Richardson Physician Partnership L.P., Surgery Center of Santa Barbara LLC, Surgery Center of Scottsdale LLC, Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate II L.L.C., Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate L.L.C., Surgery Centers of America II L.L.C., Surgery Centre of SW Florida LLC, Surgical & Bariatric Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Surgical Clinical Excellence at Desert Regional LLC, Surgical Elite of Avondale L.L.C., Surgical Health Partners LLC, Surgical Institute Management LLC, Surgical Institute of Reading LLC, Surgical Specialists at Princeton LLC, Surgicare of Miramar L.L.C., Surginet Inc., Surgis Inc., Surgis Management Services Inc., Surgis of Chico Inc., Surgis of Phoenix Inc., Surgis of Redding Inc., Surgis of Victoria Inc., Sutton Road Pediatrics L.L.C., Sylvan Grove Hospital Inc., TENN SM LLC, TFPS IV L.L.C., TH Healthcare Ltd., TH International Services Florida LLC, THV Park Cities LLC, THVG Arlington GP LLC, THVG Bariatric GP LLC, THVG Bariatric L.L.C., THVG Bedford GP LLC, THVG Bellaire GP LLC, THVG DSP GP LLC, THVG DeSoto GP LLC, THVG Denton GP LLC, THVG Fort Worth GP LLC, THVG Frisco GP LLC, THVG Garland GP LLC, THVG Grapevine GP LLC, THVG Irving-Coppell GP LLC, THVG Lewisville GP LLC, THVG North Garland GP LLC, THVG Park Cities/Trophy Club GP LLC, THVG Rockwall 2 GP LLC, THVG Valley View GP LLC, TLC ASC LLC, TMC Holding Company LLC, TOPS Specialty Hospital Ltd., TPG Hospital LLC, TPR Practice Management LLC, TPS VI of PA L.L.C., TRMC Holdings LLC, TSPE LLC, Tamarac Surgery Center LLC, Tempe New Day Surgery Center LP, Templeton Imaging Inc., Tenet Business Services Corporation, Tenet California Inc., Tenet Central Carolina Physicians Inc., Tenet EKG Inc., Tenet El Paso Ltd., Tenet Employment Inc., Tenet Finance Corp., Tenet Florida Inc., Tenet Florida Physician Services II L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services III L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services L.L.C., Tenet Fort Mill Inc., Tenet Global Business Center Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Bucks County L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Graduate L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Hahnemann L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Nacogdoches ASC GP Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Roxborough LLC, Tenet HealthSystem St. Christophers Hospital for Children L.L.C., Tenet Hilton Head Heart L.L.C., Tenet Hospitals Limited, Tenet Network Management Inc., Tenet Patient Safety Organization LLC, Tenet Physician Resources LLC, Tenet Physician Services - Hilton Head Inc., Tenet Rehab Piedmont Inc., Tenet Relocation Services L.L.C., Tenet SC East Cooper Hospitalists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Gastrointestinal Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Island Medical L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Lowcountry OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Mt. Pleasant OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet Unifour Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Tenet Ventures Inc., TenetCare Frisco Inc., Terre Haute Surgical Center LLC, Teton Outpatient Services LLC, Texan Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Texas Endoscopy Centers LLC, Texas Health Venture Arlington Hospital LLC, Texas Health Venture Baylor Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Carrollton LLC, Texas Health Venture Centennial LLC, Texas Health Venture Ennis LLC, Texas Health Venture Fort Worth L.L.C., Texas Health Venture Granbury LLC, Texas Health Venture Heritage Park LLC, Texas Health Venture Keller LLC, Texas Health Venture Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Venture Mansfield LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Endo LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Parkway LLC, Texas Health Venture Texas Spine LLC, Texas Health Ventures Group L.L.C., Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical in Sunnyvale, Texas Spine and Joint Hospital LLC, The 6300 West Roosevelt Partnership, The Ambulatory Surgical Center of St. Louis L.P., The Healthcare Insurance Corporation, The Healthcare Underwriting Company a Risk Retention Group, The Huron Corporation, The Outpatient Center LLC, The Southeastern Spine Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach LLC, The Surgery Center at Williamson LLC, The Tresanti Surgical Center LLC, Theda Oaks Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center LLC, Titan Health Corporation, Titan Health of Chattanooga Inc., Titan Health of Hershey Inc., Titan Health of Mount Laurel LLC, Titan Health of North Haven Inc., Titan Health of Pittsburgh Inc., Titan Health of Pleasant Hills Inc., Titan Health of Princeton Inc., Titan Health of Sacramento Inc., Titan Health of Saginaw Inc., Titan Health of Titusville Inc., Titan Health of West Penn Inc., Titan Health of Westminster Inc., Titan Management Corporation, Titusville Center for Surgical Excellence LLC, Toms River Surgery Center L.L.C., Total Joint Center of the Northland LLC, Tower Road Real Estate LLC, Tower/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Treasure Coast ASC LLC, Trophy Club Medical Center L.P., True Medical Weight Loss L.P., True Medical Wellness LP, True Results Georgia Inc., True Results HoldCo LLC, True Results Missouri LLC, Tucson Digestive Institute LLC, Tucson Hospital Holdings Inc., Tucson Physician Group Holdings LLC, Turlock Imaging Services LLC, Turlock Land Company LLC, Tuscan Surgery Center at Las Colinas LLC, Twin Cities Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Twin Cities Community Hospital Inc., UAP Las Colinas Endo LLC, UAP Lebanon Endo LLC, UAP Nashville Endoscopy LLC, UAP Scopes LLC, UAP of Arizona Inc., UAP of California Inc., UAP of Missouri Inc., UAP of New Jersey Inc., UAP of Oklahoma Inc., UAP of Tennessee Inc., UAP of Texas Inc., UCC Tucson Holdings LLC, UMC Surgery Center Lubbock LLC, UMC-USP Surgery Centers LLC, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, USP 12th Ave Real Estate Inc., USP Acquisition Corporation, USP Alexandria Inc., USP Assurance Company, USP Athens Inc., USP Atlanta Inc., USP Austin Inc., USP Bariatric LLC, USP Beaumont Inc., USP Bergen Inc., USP Bloomington Inc., USP Bridgeton Inc., USP Cedar Park Inc., USP Chesterfield Inc., USP Chicago Inc., USP Cincinnati Inc., USP Coast Inc., USP Columbia Inc., USP Connecticut Inc., USP Corpus Christi Inc., USP Creve Coeur Inc., USP Denver Inc., USP Des Peres Inc., USP Destin Inc., USP Domestic Holdings Inc., USP Effingham Inc., USP Encinitas Endoscopy Inc., USP Fenton Inc., USP Festus Inc., USP Florissant Inc., USP Fort Lauderdale Inc., USP Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate Inc., USP Fredericksburg Inc., USP Fresno Inc., USP Frontenac Inc., USP Gateway Inc., USP HMH Surgery Center at Shore LLC, USP Harbour View Inc., USP Houston Inc., USP Indiana Inc., USP International Holdings Inc., USP Jersey City Inc., USP Kansas City Inc., USP Knoxville Inc., USP Little Rock Inc., USP Long Island Inc., USP Louisiana Inc., USP Lubbock Inc., USP Maryland Inc., USP Mason Ridge Inc., USP Mattis Inc., USP Michigan Inc., USP Midland Inc., USP Midland Real Estate Inc., USP Midwest Inc., USP Mission Hills Inc., USP Montana Inc., USP Morris Inc., USP Mt. Vernon Inc., USP Nevada Holdings LLC, USP Nevada Inc., USP New Hampshire Inc., USP New Jersey Inc., USP Newport News Inc., USP North Carolina Inc., USP North Kansas City Inc., USP North Texas Inc., USP Northwest Arkansas Inc., USP OKC Inc., USP OKC Manager Inc., USP Office Parkway Inc., USP Ohio RE Inc., USP Oklahoma Inc., USP Olive Inc., USP Orlando Inc., USP Philadelphia Inc., USP Phoenix Inc., USP Portland Inc., USP Reading Inc., USP Richmond II Inc., USP Richmond Inc., USP Sacramento Inc., USP San Antonio Inc., USP Santa Barbara Surgery Centers Inc., USP Securities Corporation, USP Silver Cross Inc., USP Siouxland Inc., USP Somerset Inc., USP South Carolina Inc., USP Southlake RE Inc., USP St. Louis Inc., USP St. Louis Urology Inc., USP St. Peters Inc., USP Sunset Hills Inc., USP TJ STL Inc., USP Tennessee Inc., USP Texas Air L.L.C., USP Texas L.P., USP Torrance Inc., USP Tucson Inc., USP Turnersville Inc., USP Virginia Beach Inc., USP Washington Inc., USP Waxahachie Management L.L.C., USP Webster Groves Inc., USP West Covina Inc., USP Westwood Inc., USP Winter Park Inc., USP Wisconsin Inc., USP-HMH Surgery Center at Central Jersey LLC, USP/Carondelet Tucson Surgery Centers LLC, USP/SOS Joint Venture LLC, USPI Group Holdings Inc., USPI Holding Company Inc.1, USPI Holdings Inc., USPI Physician Strategy Group LLC, USPI San Diego Inc., USPI Stockton Inc., USPI Surgical Services Inc., Ulysses True Results NewCo LLC, Underwood Surgery Center LLC, United Anesthesia Partners Inc., United Real Estate Development Inc., United Real Estate Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners International, United Surgical Partners International Inc., Universal Medical Care Center L.L.C., University Surgery Center Ltd., University Surgical Partners of Dallas L.L.P., Upper Bay Surgery Center LLC, Upper Cumberland Physicians Surgery Center LLC, Urgent Care Centers of Arizona LLC, Utica ASC Partners LLC, Utica/USP Tulsa L.L.C., VB Brownsville LTACH LLC, VBOA ASC GP LLC, VBOA ASC Partners L.L.C., VHM Services Inc., VHS Acquisition Corporation, VHS Acquisition Partnership Number 1 L.P, VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 1 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 11 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 12 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 3 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 4 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 5 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 6 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 7 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 8 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 9 Inc., VHS Arizona Heart Institute Inc., VHS Brownsville Hospital Company LLC, VHS Chicago Market Procurement LLC, VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan Inc., VHS Detroit Businesses Inc., VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital Inc., VHS Detroit Ventures Inc., VHS Harlingen Hospital Company LLC, VHS Harper-Hutzel Hospital Inc., VHS Holding Company Inc., VHS Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Inc., VHS Imaging Centers Inc., VHS New England Holding Company I Inc., VHS Outpatient Clinics Inc., VHS Phoenix Health Plan Inc., VHS Physicians of Michigan, VHS Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Inc., VHS San Antonio Imaging Partners L.P., VHS San Antonio Partners LLC, VHS Sinai-Grace Hospital Inc., VHS University Laboratories Inc., VHS Valley Health System LLC, VHS Valley Holdings LLC, VHS Valley Management Company Inc., VHS West Suburban Medical Center Inc., VHS Westlake Hospital Inc., VHS of Anaheim Inc., VHS of Arrowhead Inc., VHS of Huntington Beach Inc., VHS of Illinois Inc., VHS of Michigan Inc., VHS of Michigan Staffing Inc., VHS of Orange County Inc., VHS of Phoenix Inc., VHS of South Phoenix Inc., Valley Baptist Lab Services LLC, Valley Baptist Physician Performance Network, Valley Baptist Realty Company LLC, Valley Baptist Wellness Center LLC, Valley Health Care Network, Vanguard ASC LLC, Vanguard Health Financial Company LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company I LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company II LLC, Vanguard Health Management Inc., Vanguard Health Systems, Vanguard Health Systems Inc., Vanguard Holding Company I Inc., Vanguard Holding Company II Inc., Vanguard Medical Specialists LLC, Vanguard Physician Services LLC, Ventana Surgical Center LLC, Veroscan Inc., Victoria Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Virtua-USP Princeton LLC, WHASA L.C., Walker Baptist Affinity LLC, Walker Street Imaging Care Inc., Warner Park Surgery Center LLC, Watermark Physician Services Inc., Webster Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Wellington Endo LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture I LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture II LLC, West Boca Health Services L.L.C., West Boca Medical Center Inc., West Boynton Urgent Care L.L.C., West Bozeman Surgery Center LLC, West Palm Healthcare Real Estate Inc., West Suburban Radiation Therapy Center LLC, Westgate Surgery Center LLC, Westlake Hospital LLC, Westlawn Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Centers LLC, White Fence Surgical Suites LLC, Willamette Spine Center Ambulatory Surgery LLC, Wilmington Endoscopy Center LLC, Wilshire Rental Corp., Winter Haven Ambulatory Surgical Center L.L.C., Wisconsin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Wymark Surgery Center LLC, and YNHHSC/USP Surgery Centers LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Aramark: 1ST & Fresh LLC, AIL Servicos Alimenticios e Participacoes Ltda., AIM Services Co. Ltd., AMP Limited Partnership, ARA Catering and Vending Services Limited, ARA Coffee Club Limited, ARA Coffee System Limited, ARA Food Services Limited, ARA Marketing Services Limited, ARA Offshore Services Limited, ARAMONT Company Ltd., Active Industrial Unif, Alcatraz Hospitality, AmeriPride Services, American Snack & Beverage LLC, Aramark (BVI) Limited, Aramark Airport Services Limited, Aramark American Food Services LLC, Aramark Asia Management LLC, Aramark Aviation Services Limited Partnership, Aramark B.V., Aramark Beverages Limited, Aramark Business & Industry LLC, Aramark Business Center LLC, Aramark Business Dining Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Business Facilities LLC, Aramark CCT Trustees Limited, Aramark Campus LLC, Aramark Canada Ltd., Aramark Canadian Investments Inc., Aramark Capital Asset Services LLC, Aramark Catering Limited, Aramark China Dining Services (Shanghai) Limited, Aramark China Holdings Limited, Aramark Chugach Alaska Services LLC, Aramark Cleaning S.A., Aramark Cleanroom Services (Puerto Rico) Inc., Aramark Cleanroom Services LLC, Aramark Co. Ltd., Aramark Colombia SAS, Aramark Concessions Services Joint Venture, Aramark Confection LLC, Aramark Construction Services Inc., Aramark Construction and Energy Services LLC, Aramark Consumer Discount Company, Aramark Correctional Services LLC, Aramark Defence Services Limited, Aramark Denmark ApS, Aramark Distribution Services Inc., Aramark Educational Group LLC, Aramark Educational Services LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Vermont Inc., Aramark Entertainment LLC, Aramark Entertainment Services (Canada) Inc., Aramark Executive Management Services USA Inc., Aramark FHC Business Services LLC, Aramark FHC Campus Services LLC, Aramark FHC Correctional Services LLC, Aramark FHC Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Kansas Inc., Aramark FHC LLC, Aramark FHC Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark FHC School Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Services LLC, Aramark FHC Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark FSM LLC, Aramark Facility Services LLC, Aramark Food Service LLC, Aramark Food Service of Texas LLC, Aramark Food and Support Services Group Inc., Aramark Global Group S.a.r.l., Aramark Global Inc., Aramark GmbH, Aramark Gulf Limited, Aramark Gulf Limited Catering Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services of the Virgin Islands Inc., Aramark Healthcare Technologies LLC, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH, Aramark Holdings GmbH & Co. KG, Aramark Holdings Ltd., Aramark Industrial Services LLC, Aramark Intermediate HoldCo Corporation, Aramark International Finance S.a.r.l., Aramark International Holdings S.a.r.l., Aramark Inversiones Latinoamericanas Limitada, Aramark Investments Limited, Aramark Ireland Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan LLC, Aramark KSA LLC, Aramark Kazakhstan Ltd., Aramark Lakewood Associates, Aramark Limited, Aramark Management GmbH, Aramark Management LLC, Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership, Aramark Manning Services UK Limited, Aramark Mexico Group, Aramark Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Support S.A.de C.V., Aramark Norway SA, Aramark Organizational Services LLC, Aramark Partnership Limited, Aramark Personnel Services, Aramark Peru S.A.C., Aramark Peru Servicios de Intermediacion SRL, Aramark Processing LLC, Aramark Property Services Limited, Aramark Qualified Opportunity Fund, Aramark Quebec Inc., Aramark RBI Inc., Aramark Rail Services LLC, Aramark Receivables LLC, Aramark Refreshment Group, Aramark Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark Refreshment Services of Tampa LLC, Aramark Regional Treasury Europe DAC, Aramark Remote Workplace Services Ltd., Aramark Restaurations GmbH, Aramark S&E/QCF Joint Venture, Aramark S.A., Aramark S.A. de C.V., Aramark S.R.O., Aramark SARL, Aramark SCM Inc., Aramark SM Management Services Inc., Aramark SMMS LLC, Aramark SMMS Real Estate LLC, Aramark School Catering Facility Ltd., Aramark Schools Facilities LLC, Aramark Schools LLC, Aramark Senior Living Services LLC, Aramark Senior Notes Company LLC, Aramark Service Industries (China) Co. Ltd., Aramark Services Inc., Aramark Services SA, Aramark Services of Kansas Inc., Aramark Services of Puerto Rico Inc., Aramark Servicios Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Aramark Servicios Integrales S.A., Aramark Servicios Mineros y Remotos Limitada, Aramark Servicios SRL, Aramark Servicios de Catering S.L., Aramark Servicos Alimenticos e Participacoes Ltda., Aramark Sports Facilities LLC, Aramark Sports LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Group LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Sub Investments Limited, Aramark Technical Services North Carolina Inc., Aramark Togwotee LLC, Aramark Trademark Services, Aramark Trustees Limited, Aramark U.S. Offshore Services LLC, Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group Inc., Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel LLC, Aramark Uniform Holding de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Uniform Manufacturing Company, Aramark Uniform Services (Canada) Ltd., Aramark Uniform Services (Matchpoint) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Rochester) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Supply Chain), Aramark Uniform Services (Syracuse) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Texas) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (West Adams) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services Japan Corporation, Aramark Venue Services Inc., Aramark WTC LLC, Aramark Workplace Solutions (UK) Ltd., Aramark Workplace Solutions Yonetim Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi, Aramark Worldwide Investments Limited, Aramark-Clarksville Club, Aramark-FINCO of Texas LLC, Aramark-Gourmet DPS LLC, Aramark-KWAME of St. Louis LLC, Aramark-SFS Healthcare J.V. L.L.C., Aramark/Dasko Restaurant and Catering Services S.A., Aramark/GM Concessions Joint Venture, Aramark/Giacometti Joint Venture, Aramark/Globetrotters LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-1 LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-2 LLC, Aramark/HF Company, Aramark/HMS LLC, Aramark/Hart Lyman Entertainment LLC, Aramark/Martin's Stadium Concession Services OPACY Joint Venture, Aramark/QHC LLC, Aramark/SFS Joint Venture, Avendra, Avendra Canada Inc., Avendra Gaming, Avendra Replenishment, Avoca, Avoca Handweavers Designs Limited, Avoca Handweavers Limited, Avoca Handweavers NI Limited, Avoca Handweavers Shops Limited, Avoca Handweavers UK Limited, Beijing Golden Collar Dining Ltd., Boompjes Hotel BV, Brand Coffee Service Inc., BuyEfficient, CDR Mantenimiento Integral S.A., Campbell Catering (Belfast) Ltd., Campbell Catering (N.I.) Ltd., Campbell Catering Holdings Limited, Campbell Catering Limited, Campbell Catering Ltd., Campbell Catering Services, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Co., Canyonlands Rafting Hospitality LLC, Catering Alliance Limited, Caterwise Food Services Limited, Central Multiservicios S.R.L., Central de Abastecimiento Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Multiservicios Limitada, Central de Restaurantes S.R.L., Centrapal S.R.L., Centro de Innovacion y Servicio S.A., Cliff House Hospitality, Comertel Educa SLU, Comertel Residencia SLU, Comertel SA, Complete Purchasing Services Inc., Corporate Coffee Systems LLC, Crater Lake Hospitality, D.G. Maren II Inc., Delicious on West Street LLC, Delsac VIII Inc., Distributor JV Limited, Dongguan Best Property Management Co., Doyon/Aramark Denali National Park Concessions Joint Venture, Effective Partnerships Limited, Filterfresh Coffee Service, Filterfresh Coffee Service LLC, Filterfresh Franchise Group LLC, Fine Host Holdings LLC, Food JV Limited, Freedom Ferry Services, GTB Gastro Team Bremen GmbH, Gestion de Alimentacion y Limpieza Colectivadades SLU, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Concessions LLC, Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, Glenrye Properties Services Limited, Golden Collar, Good Uncle Services, Gourmet Aramark Services LLC, Guaranty Energy Group 1981, HPSI Purchasing Services LLC, Harrison Conference Associates LLC, Harrison Conference Services of North Carolina LLC, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of New Jersey, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of Penn., Harry M. Stevens LLC, Hunters Catering Partnership Limited, Institutional Processing Services, Instituto ICS S.A., Inversiones Aramark Chile Limitada, Inversiones Centralcorp Limitada, Inversiones Palm Limitada, Inversiones en Aseo y Mantenimiento S.A, Irish Estates (Facilities Management) Limited, L&N Uniform Supply LLC, Lake Tahoe Cruises LLC, Landy Textile Rental Services LLC, Lifeworks Restaurant Group LLC, Lotus Facilities Management, MESA, Masterplan, Medical Equipment Solutions & Applications Sagl (MESA), Mill Mount Weavers Limited, Muir Woods Hospitality, MyAssistant Inc., New Aramark LLC, Nissho Linen, North Rim Hospitality, Old Time Coffee Co., Olympic Peninsula Hospitality LLC, Orange Support Services Limited, Overall Laundry Services Inc., Paradise Hornblower LLC, Pelican Procurement Services Limited, Philadelphia Ballpark Concessions Joint Venture, Prem Hospitality Limited, Premgroup Franchise Services Limited, Premier Management Company (Dublin) Limited, Premier Partnership (Catering) Limited, Quebec Linge Co., ReMedPar, Restaura Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, Rushmore Hospitality LLC, SeamlessWeb, Seguricorp Servicios S.A., South Rim Hospitality LLC, Spokesoft Technologies Limited, Stuart Cabeldu Catering Limited, Sun Office Service Inc., Tarrant County Concessions LLC, The Aramark Foundation, The Original Food Company Limited, Travel Systems LLC, Trinity Hospitality Services GmbH, Trinity Hospitality Services SARL, Trinity Purchasing N.V., Vector Environmental Services Limited, Vector Workplace and Facility Management Limited, Veris Plc, Veris Property Management Limited, Veris UK Limited, WearGuard, Wilderness River Adventures, and Yosemite Hospitality LLC. K+S Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a minerals company worldwide. It operates through Agriculture, Industry, Consumers, and Communities segments. The Agriculture segment offers soil fertilizers under the 60er Kali, KALISOP, Korn-Kali, Patentkali, ESTA Kieserit, and Magnesia-Kainit names; leaf fertilizers under the EPSO Top, EPSO Microtop, and EPSO Combitop names; fertigation fertilizers under the soluMOP, soluMAP, soluMKP, soluNOP, and soluSOP names; and animal nutrition products, such as lick blocks and feed for pets and livestock. The Industry segment provides potassium chloride, potassium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, sodium chloride, and smelting salts for chemical, consumer goods, and other industries; feed salt, animal feed, salt and mineral licks, and pond salt; salt, and the potassium and magnesium minerals; potassium and magnesium salts for pharmaceuticals; and water softeners, as well as offers waste disposal and underground recovery services. It also trades in various basic chemicals, including caustic soda, nitric acid, sodium carbonate, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. This segment offers its products under the Alasal, APISAL, AXAL PRO, NUTRIKS, NUTRIKS KaliSel, k-Drill, KaSa, Montanal, MORTON PUREX, MORTON STAR FLAKE DENTRIC SALT, and SOLSEL brand names. The Consumers segment provides salt products, including rock, sea, and evaporated salt under the SALDORO, CArAbos, Vatel, Morton Salt, Windsor Salt, Sal Lobos, and Biosal brands; and water softeners, dishwasher salts, and de-icing salts. The Communities segment offers de-icing salts for roads in cities and communities. The company was founded in 1889 and is based in Kassel, Germany. Read More 10 hours ago 3 Under-The-Radar Stocks to Buy Now Add These Under-The-Radar Stocks to Your Shopping List Now Given the recent weakness in many of the former market-leading stocks, it might make sense to start focusing on lesser-known names. After all, with so many different companies and sectors to choose from, theres always a bull market to be found somewhere. Read Article UAEs Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA) has launched the Sustainable Development Goals Centre of Excellence for the Arab Region (SDGCAR) in Abu Dhabi, a media report said. In collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), EDA will build the SDGCAR as a centre of training and research with a specific focus on regional challenges and solutions to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), reported Emirates news agency Wam. After a memorandum of understanding was signed between EDA and the SDSN Association, the establishment of SDGCAR was formally announced at a launch event. The occasion drew the participation of Abdulla Nasser Lootah, director general of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and vice chair of the UAE National Committee on SDGs; Bernardino Leon, EDA director general; and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, SDSN director. They were joined by Dr Salam Fayyad, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; Borge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum; and Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency and EDA Deputy Director General, for a panel discussion entitled Implementing the SDGs in the Arab Region and the Role of Diplomacy. On this occasion, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Chairwoman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, said, "Sustainable Development Goals represent important components of Vision 2021. Being host to the SDGCAR will add credence to the good work EDA already has conducted in the region and present EDA as the de facto choice when searching for research, training and knowledge on SDGs. It will also make valuable contributions towards the UAEs achievements of the SDGs." Among its first initiatives, the SDGCAR will support SDSN by being part of its extraordinary network of massive open online courses (MOOCs). In addition, the Centre will engage in various activities related to sustainable development diplomacy. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, said, "Being a part of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network gives the SDGCAR and EDA a powerful knowledge platform to leverage on to help achieve SDGs in this region. It provides a way to examine best practices that other areas have used, and also practices that they no longer use because they failed, so that the Sustainable Development Center of Excellence for the Arab Region need not head down those blind alleys and dead end streets. It means they are not in the fight alone and will be able to reach out to their sister Centers of Excellence across the globe should that need arise." He added, "I can think of no better home to a Sustainable Development Goals Center of Excellence for this region than the UAE due to its exemplary leadership. The Emirates Diplomatic Academy has already proven to be a powerful agent using all the tools at its disposal to educate and structure the talk around SDGs in a way that makes them accessible and understandable. We must continue to control the message in this manner to help the world understand that we must commit to the SDGs with the same verve and belief as the UAE." Bernardino Leon, director general of EDA, said, "The EDA is honoured to be the host of this prestigious regional platform. We will work hard, from day one, to make this Centre the go-to hub for training and research on region-specific challenges and solutions for achieving the SDGs." He added, "Hosting the SDGCAR in Abu Dhabi will further help strengthen the UAEs position as the regional champion for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Supporting sustainable development in the Arab region is also fully in line with the UAEs foreign policy priorities, including those in the area of foreign assistance and international cooperation." CNA Financial Corp. operates as an insurance holding company. Its products primarily include commercial property and casualty coverages, including surety. The company's services include risk management, information services and warranty and claims administration. The firm operates through Property & Casualty Operations and Outside Property & Casualty Operations. The Property & Casualty Operations comprises of three segments: Specialty, commercial and international. The Specialty segment provides professional, financial and specialty property and casualty products and services. The Commercial segment includes property and casualty coverages sold to small businesses and middle market entities and organizations primarily through an independent agency distribution system. The International segment underwrites property and casualty coverages. The Outside Property & Casualty Operations consists of two segments: Life & Group and Corporate & Other. The Life & Group segment includes the results of the individual and group long term care businesses that are in run-off. The Corporate & Other segment involves in the corporate expenses, including interest on corporate debt, and the results of Read More Enterprise Group, Inc. operates as an equipment rental and construction services company in Western Canada. The company primarily focuses on the specialty equipment rental and service business. The company rents trucks and heavy equipment, and flameless heating units; and provides oilfield infrastructure site services. It serves utility, energy, construction, and infrastructure industries. The company was formerly known as Enterprise Oilfield Group, Inc. and changed its name to Enterprise Group, Inc. in July 2012. Enterprise Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in St. Albert, Canada. Read More New Jersey Resources Corp. is a holding company. The firm provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. It operates through the following segments: New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Energy Services, NJR Midstream, and NJR Home Services. The New Jersey Natural Gas segment provides regulated retail natural gas service to residential and commercial customers in central and northern New Jersey. The NJR Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns and operates solar projects. The NJR Energy Services segment manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services in the U.S. and Canada. The NJR Midstream segment serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers. The NJR Home Services segment provides heating, ventilation and cooling service, sales and installation of appliances services to its customers, as well as solar installation projects, and is the primary contributor to home services. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wall, Read More The following companies are subsidiares of TransUnion: Accupost Corporation, AppLock Limited, Auditz, Autolocator (Pty) Ltd., Beheer en Beleggingsmaatchapij Stivaco B.V., CIFIN S.A.S, [email protected] plc, Callcredit Data Solutions Limited, Callcredit Information, Callcredit Lead Generation Limited, Callcredit Marketing Ltd., Callcredit Public Sector Limited, Callcredit Spain S.L.U, Centro de Informacion y Estudios Estrategicos Empresariales S.A., Centro de Operaciones Servicios de Informacion Estrategica S.A., CheckMend Ltd., Coactiva Limited, Collection Africa Ltd., Confirma Sistemas de Informacion S.L., Credit Bureau of Carmel & Pebble Beach Inc., Credit Information Services Limited, Credit Information Systems Company Limited, Credit Reference Bureau (Holdings) Limited, Credit Reference Bureau Africa (Pty) Ltd., Credit Reference Bureau Africa Ltd., Credit Reporting Services Limited, Credit Retriever LLC, Crivo, Crown Acquisition BidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition Consumer Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo. 2 Ltd., Crown Acquisition TopCo. Ltd., DMWSL 617 Ltd., DMWSL 618 Ltd., DMWSL 619 Ltd., DMWSL 620 Ltd., DataLink Services, Datalink Services Inc., Decision Systems Inc., DecisionMetrics Limited, Diversified Data Development Corporation, Drivers History Inc., Drivers History Information Sales LLC, FT Holdings Inc., FactorTrust, FactorTrust Inc., GMAP Japan KK, GMAP Marketing Consulting Shangahi Co. Ltd, Healthcare Payment Specialists, INSDEC LLC, IS Resources Inc., Immobilise.com Limited, L2C Inc., L2C Inc., Link Marketing Inc., Link2credit Inc., Moussoro Participacoes Ltda., RTech, RTech Healthcare Revenue Technologies Inc., Recipero, Recipero Inc., Recipero Limited, Regional Data Systems Limited, RentPort, Rubixis, Rubixis Inc., Rubixis Technologies Private Limited, STS Vail Beheeren Administracion S. DE. R.L. DE C.V., Servicios y Asesoria S CO BC SA de CV, Signal, Soluciones de Informatica de Centroamerica (SICE) S.A., Source USA Insurance Agency Inc., Tenant ID Limited, Title Insurance Services Corporation, Trans Union Central America S.A., Trans Union Chile S.A., Trans Union Content Solutions LLC, Trans Union Costa Rica S.A., Trans Union Guatemala S.A., Trans Union Honduras-Buro de Credito S.A., Trans Union International Inc., Trans Union LLC, Trans Union Nicaragua S.A., Trans Union Real Estate Services Inc., Trans Union Software Services Private Limited, Trans Union de Puerto Rico Inc., Trans Union of Canada Inc., TransUnion (Mauritius) Limited, TransUnion (Proprietary) Ltd., TransUnion Africa (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Analytic and Decision Services (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Asia Ltd., TransUnion Auto Information Solutions (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Baltics UAB, TransUnion Brasil Sistemas em Informatica Ltda., TransUnion CIBIL Limited, TransUnion Colombia Ltda., TransUnion Consumer Solutions LLC, TransUnion Credit Bureau (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Credit Bureau Namibia (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Data Solutions LLC, TransUnion Digital LLC, TransUnion El Salvador S.A. de C.V., TransUnion Exchange LLC, TransUnion Financing Corporation, TransUnion Global Holdings LLC, TransUnion Global Holdings LP, TransUnion Global Technology Center LLP, TransUnion Healthcare Inc., TransUnion Holding Cyprus Ltd., TransUnion ITC (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Information Group Limited, TransUnion Information Services Limited, TransUnion Information Solutions Inc., TransUnion Information Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., TransUnion Intelligence LLC, TransUnion Interactive Inc., TransUnion Intermediate Holdings Inc., TransUnion International Holdings LLC, TransUnion International UK Limited, TransUnion Kenya Limited, TransUnion Limited, TransUnion Ltd., TransUnion Marketing Solutions Inc., TransUnion Netherlands I B.V., TransUnion Netherlands II B.V., TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions Inc., TransUnion Reverse Exchange S de R.L. de C.V., TransUnion Risk Advisory Inc., TransUnion Risk and Alternative Data Solutions Inc., TransUnion Rwanda Limited, TransUnion S.A., TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion Chile SA, TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion S de R.L de C.V., TransUnion Teledata LLC, TransUnion UK Holdings Ltd., Tru Optik, TruSignal, TruSignal Inc., TrueLink, Trustev, Trustev Limited, Vail Holdings UK Ltd., Vail Systemen Groep B.V., Verifacts LLC, Visionary Systems Inc., Worthknowing Inc., eBureau, eBureau LLC, iovation Inc., iovation Ltd., and process benchmarking limited. CAE Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies simulation equipment and training solutions to defense and security markets, commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, and healthcare education and service providers worldwide. The company's Civil Aviation Training Solutions segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally-enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Its Defence and Security segment offers training and mission support solutions for defense forces across multi-domain operations, and for government organizations responsible for public safety. The company's Healthcare segment provides integrated education and training solutions, including surgical and imaging simulations, curriculum, audiovisual and centre management platforms, and patient simulators to healthcare students and clinical professionals. The company was formerly known as CAE Industries Ltd. and changed its name to CAE Inc. in June 1993. CAE Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Canada. Read More Saudi Aramco today honoured four local vendors for delivering quality goods, during a ceremony held in conjunction with the 2018 Saudi Aramco Quality Forum, organised under the theme Toward Quality Excellence. The event seeks to transform local manufacturers quality performance to be globally competitive by fostering a quality-focused culture within the local industry. It also helps foster healthy competition between local manufacturers and to increase Saudization within the manufacturing quality workforce, said an Aramco statement. The Local Manufacturers Quality Excellence Award honour highest quality performing local manufacturers supplying products to Saudi Aramco. The awarded companies include: ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Industrial Valves Manufacturer Future Pipe Industries Arabian International Company for Steel Structures Saudi Aramco acting executive head for engineering services, Motaz Al Mashouk, said: For decades, our local business partners successfully served our need to supply a substantial amount of materials and equipment that meet our specifications and demanding quality standards. These services helped us at Saudi Aramco to sustain one of the most reliable oil and gas facilities in the world and protect our valuable supply chain. Saudi Aramco acting chief engineer Jamil Al-Bagawi said: The 2018 Saudi Aramco Quality Forum and the quality excellence prizes awarded today to local vendors represent Saudi Aramcos commitment towards quality, safety and excellence, as well as the development of globally competitive local manufacturing industries. By stirring a healthy competition in the local manufacturing market, Saudi Aramco is enabling a quality-focused culture within the local industry in pursuit of quality excellence." - TradeArabia News Service L3 Technologies, Inc. provides aircraft sustainment, simulation and training, night vision and image intensification equipment, and security and detection systems used on military, homeland security, and commercial platforms in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems; Communications and Networked Systems (C&NS); and Electronic Systems. The company offers engineering, modernization and sustainment, space avionics and imaging payload, counter unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) mission, cyber and electronic warfare, special mission command and control, modeling and simulation, and life cycle support services for ISR, airborne sensor, warrior sensor, space and sensor, aircraft, and intelligence and mission systems, as well as for military aviation services and advanced programs. It also provides network and communication systems, secure communications products, radio frequency components, satellite communication terminals and space, microwave and telemetry products, and secure data links in various business areas, such as broadband communication, naval power, space and power, and maritime sensor systems, as well as in advanced communications. In addition, the company offers components, products, subsystems, and systems, as well as related services to military and commercial customers in various business areas, including commercial aviation solutions, precision engagement systems, link training and simulation, and security and detection systems. It serves the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense and its prime contractors, the U.S. Government intelligence agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, foreign governments, and commercial customers. The company was formerly known as L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to L3 Technologies, Inc. in December 2016. L3 Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Read More Planet, a new entity recently appointed by the UAEs Federal Tax Authority (FTA) will operate the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) at Dubai International (DXB), said a statement from Dubai Airports. This closely follows the recent announcement by the FTA, outlining conditions and procedures for tourists to claim their Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds when exiting the country. A Tax Free Tag, generated whilst shopping with the required passport or GCC ID, must be attached to the sales receipt upon purchase in-store. Prior to check-in the customer will then need to validate the Tax Free Tag and goods at one of the Planet validation points situated across DXBs three terminals. Upon successful validation, the tourist is offered a choice of refund via credit card or cash. Those customers who prefer a cash refund can have it processed at one of the Travelex outlets in the airports airside departure areas. TradeArabia News Service Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. engages in the management of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It operates through the following segments: Asset Management, Real Estate, Renewable Power, Infrastructure, Private Equity, Residential Development, and Corporate Activities. The Asset Management segment includes the management of its listed partnerships, private funds and public securities. The Real Estate segment is comprised of the ownership, operation and development of core office, core retail, LP investments and other properties. The Renewable Power segment encompasses the ownership, operation and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, storage and other power generating facilities. The Infrastructure segment consists of the ownership, operation and development of utilities, transport, energy, data infrastructure and sustainable resource assets. The Private Equity segment refers to the broad range of industries, and is mostly focused on business services, infrastructure services and industrials. The Residential Development segment represents homebuilding, condominium development and land development. The Corporate Activiti Read More Best Buy Co., Inc. engages in the provision of consumer technology products and services. It operates through two business segments: Domestic and International. The Domestic segment comprises of the operations in all states, districts, and territories of the U.S., operating under various brand names, including Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, and Pacific Sales. The International segment includes all operations outside the U.S. and its territories, which includes Canada, Europe, China, Mexico, and Turkey. It also markets its products under the brand names: Best Buy, bestbuy.com, Best Buy Direct, Best Buy Express, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, GreatCall, Magnolia and Pacific Kitchen and Home. The company was founded by Richard M. Schulze in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, MN. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of CIT Group: 1143986 Ontario Limited, 1244771 Ontario Limited, 3918041 Canada Inc., 544211 Alberta Ltd., 555565 Alberta Ltd., 555566 Alberta Ltd., Baliardo Limited, C.I.T. Leasing Corporation, C2 Aviation Capital LLC, CBG LJB 21 LLC, CCERU Finance LP, CFHE Funding Company LLC, CIT Aerospace (Australia) Pty Ltd, CIT Aerospace Asia Pte Ltd., CIT Aerospace Belgium Sprl, CIT Aerospace Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, CIT Aerospace Holdings (France) SAS, CIT Aerospace International, CIT Aerospace International (Aruba) A.V.V., CIT Aerospace International (Australia) Pty Ltd., CIT Aerospace International (Bermuda) Limited, CIT Aerospace International (France) Sarl, CIT Aerospace International Leasing II, CIT Aerospace LLC, CIT Aerospace Sweden AB, CIT Asset Management LLC, CIT Aviation Finance I (France) Sarl, CIT Aviation Finance I (Ireland) Limited, CIT Aviation Finance I (UK) Limited, CIT Aviation Finance I Ltd., CIT Aviation Finance II (France) Sarl, CIT Aviation Finance II (Ireland) Limited, CIT Aviation Finance II (UK) Limited, CIT Aviation Finance II Ltd., CIT Aviation Finance III Ltd., CIT Bank N.A., CIT CBK Funding Company LLC, CIT CBK Funding Inc., CIT CLO Holding Corporation, CIT CLO I Blocker Inc., CIT CLO I LLC, CIT CLO I Ltd., CIT Canada Finance LP, CIT Canada Finance ULC, CIT Capital Aviation (UK) Limited, CIT Capital Finance (UK) Limited (in liquidation), CIT Capital Securities LLC, CIT Capital USA Inc., CIT Cayman Coconut Palm Leasing Ltd., CIT Cayman Sandy Keys Leasing Ltd., CIT Communications Finance Corporation, CIT Credit Group USA Inc., CIT Equipment Finance (UK) Limited (in liquidation), CIT FSC Eighteen Ltd., CIT FSC Nineteen Ltd., CIT Finance & Leasing (Tianjin) Corporation, CIT Finance & Leasing Corporation, CIT Finance LLC, CIT Financial (Alberta) ULC / Services Financiers CIT (Alberta) ULC, CIT Financial (Barbados) SRL, CIT Financial (Hong Kong) Limited, CIT Financial II (Barbados) Srl, CIT Financial Ltd./Services Financiers CIT Ltee., CIT Financial USA Inc., CIT Funding (UK) Limited (in liquidation), CIT Funding Company LLC, CIT Funding LLC, CIT Funds LLC, CIT Group (Hungary) Financial Servicing Limited Liability Company "under voluntary dissolution", CIT Group (NFL) Limited (in liquidation), CIT Group (NJ) LLC, CIT Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd (In Members' Voluntary Liquidation), CIT Group (UK) Limited (in liquidation), CIT Group Finance (Ireland), CIT Group Holding (Germany) GmbH i.L., CIT Group Holdings (UK) Limited (in liquidation), CIT Group Holdings B.V., CIT Group Inc., CIT Group Italy Srl in liquidazione, CIT Group SF Holding Co. Inc., CIT Healthcare LLC, CIT Holdings (Barbados) SRL, CIT Holdings B.V., CIT Holdings Canada ULC, CIT Home Lending Securitization Company LLC, CIT Insurance Agency Inc., CIT Leasing (Bermuda) Ltd., CIT Leasing (Germany) GmbH i.L., CIT Lending Services Corporation, CIT Lending Services Corporation (Illinois), CIT Loan Corporation, CIT Malaysia One Inc., CIT Maritime Leasing LLC, CIT Mezzanine Partners of Canada Limited, CIT Millbury Inc., CIT Rail Holdings (Europe) SAS, CIT Rail LLC, CIT Railcar Funding Company LLC, CIT Small Business Lending Corporation, CIT Strategic Finance Inc., CIT TRS Funding B.V., CIT TRS Holdings B.V., CIT TRS Subsidiary B.V., CIT Technology Financing Services Inc., CIT Trade Finance Funding Company LLC, CIT Transportation Holdings B.V., CRE CT 21 OTHER LLC, CRE CT 27 OTHER LLC, CRE FFBC LLC, CRE LJ 21 OTHER LLC, CRE LJ 27 OTHER LLC, CRE LJ 4800 Riverside LLC, CRE LJ CA 2 LLC, CRE LJ CA LLC, CRE LJ CP ESCONDIDO LLC, CRE LJ TX LLC, Canadian Income Partners I Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners II Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners III Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners IV Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners V Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners VI Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners VII Limited Partnership, Canadian Income Partners VIII Limited Partnership, Capita Corporation, Capital Direct Group Inc., Centennial Aviation (Bermuda) 1 Ltd., Centennial Aviation (France) 1 SARL, Centennial Aviation (France) 2 SARL, Centennial Aviation (Ireland) 7 Limited, Direct Capital Corporation, Direct Capital Funding III Company LLC, Direct Capital Funding V LLC, Education Loan Servicing Corporation, Emerald Funding (Netherlands) C.V., Emerald Holdings C.V., Financial Freedom Acquisition LLC, IMV 11 PALM LLC, INDYMAC VENTURE LLC, Jessica Leasing Designated Activity Company, MEX CIT SERVICIOS S. de R.L. de C.V., Madeleine Leasing Designation Activity Company, Memphis Peaking Power LLC, Millennium Leasing Company I LLC, Millennium Leasing Company II LLC, NACCO (U.K.) Limited, NACCO GmbH, NACCO Rail Ireland Limited, NACCO S.A.S, Nacco Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Newcourt Financial Espana S.A., North Romeo Storage Corporation, ONEWEST VENTURES HOLDINGS LLC, OWB REO LLC, OneWest Bank N.A, OneWest Investments II LLC, OneWest Investments LLC, OneWest Resources LLC, PL Servicing LLC, Rita Leasing Designated Activity Company, The CIT GP Corporation III, The CIT Group Securitization Corporation II, The CIT Group/Business Credit Inc., The CIT Group/Commercial Services Inc., The CIT Group/Corporate Aviation Inc., The CIT Group/Equipment Financing Inc., The CIT Group/Equity Investments Inc., The Capita Corporation do Brasil Ltda, The Equipment Insurance Company, and Worrell Capital Limited. The following companies are subsidiares of Archer-Daniels-Midland: ADM (Shanghai) Management Co. LTD, ADM (Thailand) Ltd, ADM Ag Holdings Ltd, ADM Agri-Industries Company, ADM Agriculture Limited, ADM Agro Iberica S. L. U., ADM Agro Indust Latur and Vizag Pvt Ltd, ADM Agro Industries India Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries KOTA and AKOLA Pvt. Ltd., ADM Agro SRL, ADM Agroinvestimentos LTDA, ADM Alliance Nutrition of Puerto Rico LLC, ADM Americas S de RL, ADM Andina Peru SRL, ADM Antwerp NV, ADM Arkady Ireland Limited, ADM Asia-Pacific Trading Pte. Ltd., ADM Australia Holdings I PTY Limited, ADM Bio Science And Technology (Tianjin) Co Ltd, ADM Bioproductos SA DE CV, ADM CZERNIN SA, ADM Caribbean Inc, ADM Chile Comercial LTDA, ADM Clinton Bioprocessing Inc, ADM DO Brasil LTDA, ADM Direct Polska SP. ZO.O, ADM Dominican Holdings Inc., ADM Dominicana SA, ADM Edible Bean Specialties Inc, ADM Europe HoldCo SL, ADM European Holdings LLC, ADM European Management Holding GMBH, ADM Export Co, ADM Food Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ADM France, ADM Germany GmbH, ADM Grain River System Inc., ADM Hamburg Aktiengesesllschaft, ADM Holding (Thailand) LTD, ADM Holdings LLC, ADM Hungary Agro Trading LLC, ADM Industries Centers Ltd, ADM International Holdings Inc, ADM International SARL, ADM Interoceanic LTD, ADM Investments LTD, ADM Investor Services Inc, ADM Investor Services International LTD, ADM Ireland Receivables Company Limited, ADM Israel, ADM Japan Ltd, ADM MALBORK SA, ADM Mainz GMBH, ADM Medsofts Sarl, ADM Mexico Inc, ADM Mexico SA DE CV, ADM Milling Co, ADM Milling LTD, ADM New Zealand Limited, ADM Olomouc S.R.O., ADM Paraguay SRL, ADM Protexin Limited, ADM Pura Limited, ADM Receivables LLC, ADM Rice Inc, ADM Ringaskiddy Unlimited Company, ADM Romania Logistics SRL, ADM Romania Trading SRL, ADM Specialty Ingredients - Europe BV, ADM Spyck GMBH, ADM Szamotuly SP Z O.O, ADM Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., ADM Trading Co, ADM Transportation Company, ADM Trucking Inc, ADM Vietnam CO. LTD, ADM WILD Europe GmbH and Co. KG, ADM WILD Ingredients GmbH, ADM WILD Nauen GmbH, ADM WILD Valencia S.A., ADM Wild Netherlands BV, ADM Worldwide Holdings LP, ADMIS Holding Co Inc., ADMIS Hong Kong LTD, ADMIS Singapore Pte Limited, AOR, AT Holdings II Company, Agri Port Services Investments Ltd., Agri Port Services LLC, Agricolas Madagascar SARLU, Agrinational Insurance Co, Agriserve, Agrograin LTD, Alfrebro LLC, Alfred C Toepfer International Netherlands BV, Alimenta USA, American River Transportation Company LLC, Ameriseed, Amylum Bulgaria EAD, Amylum Nisasta Sanayi Ve Ticarek Anonim Sirketi, Archer Daniels Midland (UK) Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Asia Pacific Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Erith LTD, Archer Daniels Midland Europe BV, Archer Daniels Midland Europoort BV, Archer Daniels Midland Nederland BV, Archer Daniels Midland Singapore PTE LTD, Arinos Unlimited, Aston Foods & Food Ingredients, Balanceados Nova SA Balnova, Barbados Mills Limited, Bela Vista Bio Etanol Participacoes LTDA, Bern Aqua, BioPolis SL, Biopolis, Campa Sued GmbH & Co KG, Cattleman's Choice Loomix LLC, Chamtor, Ci ADM Colombia Ltda., Controladora ADM Sa De Cv, Crosswind Petfoods Inc., Daavision BV, Eaststarch, Eatem Corporation, Eatem Foods, Elstar Oils, English River Pellets Inc., Epicore Bionetworks INC, Epicore Networks (USA) INC, Erich Ziegler GmbH, Evialis France, Fasco Mills Co., Filozoo SRL, Florida Chemical, Florida Chemical Company LLC, GP Blanching Inc., Global Cocoa Holdings LTD, Golden Peanut Company LLC, Golden Peanut and Tree Nut Seed SA (PTY) LTD, Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts SA, Group Lysac, Guyomarc'h - VCN Company Limited, Guyomarc'h Vietnam CO LTD, HFR Shipping Company Ltd, HRA Shipping Company Ltd, HTI Shipping Company Ltd, Harvest Innovations, Hilltop Grain and Feed, Holding P and A Asia Company Limited, Hubei Meiweiyuan Biotechnology, Ilitchevskiy Maslo Extractionniy Zavod (IMEZ), Invivo NSA Asia PTE LTD, Invivo NSA Philippines Inc, Jamaica Flour Mills Limited, Julius Meijer-Alpharma BV, LLC ADM Ukraine, Liquid Feed Commodities, Malta Industries SA de CV, Malta-Texo De Mexico SA de CV, Master Mix of Trinidad LTD, Medsofts Investment Co, Medsofts L.L.C., Medsofts Trading Co, Mepla Comercio e Navegacao Ltda, NRG Inc, Naviera Chaco SRL, Neovia, Neovia Latina SL, Neovia Nutricao E Saude Animal LTDA, North Star Shipping S.R.L., P and A Marketing SA, PJSC ADM Illichivsk, PT Wirifa Sakti, Pancosma (Shanghai) Feed Additives CO LTD, Pancosma France SAS, Pancosma SA, Premiere Agri Technologies of Mexico Inc, Pura Foods LTD, Rodelle Inc., Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann, Sermix, Setna Nutricion SA, Societe Industrielle Des Oleagineux, Southern Cellulose Products Inc, Soy Investors LLC, Specialty Commodities, Specialty Commodities LLC, Sul Mineira Alimentos LTDA, SzSzV Kft, Toepfer International, Toepfer International Trading (Shanghai) Co. LTD., Vantage Corn Processors LLC, WILD Amazon Flavors Ltda, WILD Flavors, Wild Flavors Inc., Wild Flavors International GmbH, Wild Flavors Singapore Pte. Ltd., Wild Intermare GmbH, Wild Russia LLC, and Wisium SA (PTY) LTD. Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the leading travel and tourism event for inbound and outbound tourism professionals in the Middle East, has renewed its host hotel partnership with Emaar Hospitality Group. Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure subsidiary of global developer Emaar Properties, managing the hotel brands Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, and Rove Hotels, will continue to be the Official Hotel Partner for Arabian Travel Markets 2019 and 2020 events. The renowned hospitality group will officially accommodate a select number of key media and industry buyers attending the annual event in Dubai as well as host the Official ATM Welcome Party. Arabian Travel Market 2019 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, 2019. Nick Pilbeam, divisional director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: Arabian Travel Market is committed to the Middle East as a leading international travel and tourism destination and our partnership with Emaar Hospitality Group and its hotel brands represents an ideal opportunity to align one of the regions leading hospitality brands with our unique event platform. Properties of Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, and Rove Hotels, situated in some of Dubais most sought-after locations, will welcome the Hosted Buyers programme, which includes senior travel industry decision makers with direct purchasing responsibility, as well as selected international press. Commenting on the renewal of the partnership, Olivier Harnisch, chief executive officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: Arabian Travel Market is a significant platform that underlines the vibrant tourism and hospitality landscape of the UAE and the region. As Official Hotel Partner, we are committed to showcasing the exceptional breadth of hotels and resorts we have in Dubai as well as in other key markets across the world. We are expanding our footprint, with over 50 hotel projects, including 13 operational hotels. Through our partnership with ATM, we will offer guests a true experience of our hospitality standards. Danielle Curtis, ME exhibition director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, added: The host hotel programme is a pivotal element in the ongoing success of Arabian Travel Market, and the correlation between attracting quality buyers and delivering a quality host hotel experience has been a major factor in driving interest and guaranteeing the attendance of key travel industry players over the last 25 years. ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, including 2,545 exhibiting companies, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. - TradeArabia News Service Canadian Western Bank provides personal and business banking products and services primarily in Western Canada. The company offers current, savings, cash management, US dollar, and chequing accounts, as well as organization, strata solution/condo, general trust, and trust fund investment accounts. It also offers commercial lending and real estate, and equipment financing and leasing products; loans and mortgages; secured and unsecured lines of credit; registered retirement savings plan; consolidation, vehicle, and recreation vehicle loans; and credit cards. In addition, the company offers cash management services; life and disability insurance products; and ATM, mobile, and online banking services, as well cheque order services. Further, it provides investment products comprising guaranteed investment certificates, registered retirement income funds, tax-free savings accounts, registered education savings plans, and mutual funds, as well as personal and business planning services. Canadian Western Bank has a strategic partnership with Temenos AG to support small and medium sized enterprises with financial decision-making and enhancing their businesses. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Read More 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 Valley National Bancorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Lending; Commercial Lending; Investment Management; and Corporate and Other Adjustments. The Consumer Lending segment consists of residential mortgage loans, automobile loans and home equity loans, as well as wealth management and insurance services. The Commercial Lending segment includes the floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. The Investment Management segment refers to investments in various types of securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks. The Corporate and Other Adjustments segment represents the income and expense items not directly attributable to a specific segment. The company was founded on November 12, 1982 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Caltex Australia Limited engages in purchasing, refining, distributing, selling, and suppling petroleum products in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates through Convenience Retail, and Fuels and Infrastructure segments. The Convenience Retail segment sells fuels through a Caltex network of stores. The Fuels and Infrastructure segment wholesales fuels and lubricants; and manufactures fuels, including LPG, petrol, diesel, and jet fuels. This segment distributes its products through pipelines, terminals, depots, and owned and contracted transportation fleet. Caltex Australia Limited was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd.. Suburban Propane Partners LP engages in the business of liquefied petroleum gas business. It operates through the following business segments: Propane; Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels; Natural Gas and Electricity; and All Other. The Propane segment engages in natural gas processing and petroleum refining. It also used in residential and commercial applications, industrial applications and agriculture. The Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment refers to the marketing and distribution of fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline primarily to the northeast region of the United States. The Natural Gas and Electricity segment pertains to the generation, transmission, and distribution of natural gas and electricity among residential and small commercial customers. The All Other segment include the sale, installation and service of whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, and space heaters to the customer who uses propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses. The company was founded by Mark Anton in 1928 and is headquartered in Whippany, NJ. Read More There is not enough analysis data for Dividend 15 Split Corp. II. 5.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 4 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 1 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Dividend 15 Split Corp. II has received 80.00% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Dividend 15 Split Corp. II and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe DF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe DF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides meat products and snacks, deli products, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, salads and kettle products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, muffins, breads, pastas, and baking and sushi products, as well as processed meat products. It is also involved in the distribution of food products, including meat, seafood, and halal food products, as well as operation of retail/convenience store and concessionary, and provision of food and seafood processing services. The company operates under the brand names of Harvest Meats, Hempler's, Grimm's Fine Foods, Piller's, Freybe, Isernio's, Expresco, SJ Fine Foods, McSweeney's, Made Rite, Fletcher's, Deli Chef, Belmont Meats, Conte Foods, SK Food Group, Oven Pride, Hygaard, Quality Fast Foods, HQ Fine Foods, Creekside Custom Foods, Stuyver's Bread, Bread Garden Express, Audrey's Patisserie, Duso's, Gourmet Chef, Island City Baking, Skilcor, Leadbetter's, Mclean Meats, Buddy's Kitchen, Raybern's, Partner's Crackers, Shaw Bakers, Oberto, Concord Meats, Country Prime Meats, The Meat Factory, and Golden Valley Farms. It serves chains and large format retailers, independent and specialty retailers, foodservice operators, foodservice distributors, and other food manufacturers and food brokers. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. Read More Edgewell Personal Care Company is a manufacturer and marketer of personal care products in the wet shave, sun and skin care, feminine care and infant care categories. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had a portfolio of over 25 brands. It manages its business in four segments: Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, Feminine Care and All Other. Its Wet shave products are sold under the Schick, Wilkinson Sword, Edge, Skintimate, Shave Guard and Personna brand names. Its Sun and Skin Care products are sold under the Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Wet Ones and Playtex brand names and offers Wet Ones, portable hand wipes category, and Playtex household gloves, the branded household glove in the United States. Its Feminine Care segment markets its products under the Playtex, Stayfree, Carefree and o.b. brands and markets pads and liners. Its All Other segment includes infant care, pet care and miscellaneous other products. Read More Ralph Lauren Corp. engages in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products. The firm offers apparel, accessories, home furnishings, and other licensed product. It operates through the following segments: North America, Europe, and Asia. The North America segment consists of sales of Ralph Lauren branded apparel, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through the Company's wholesale and retail businesses in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Club Monaco. The Europe segment caters to sales of Ralph Lauren branded apparel, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through the Company's wholesale and retail businesses in Europe and the Middle East, excluding Club Monaco. The Asia segment covers the sales of Ralph Lauren branded apparel, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through the Company's wholesale and retail businesses in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The company was founded by Ralph Lauren in 1967 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Hyatt Hotels: CHANCELLOR STREET CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC., GLENDALE HOTEL PROPERTIES L.L.C., HT-SEATTLE HOLDINGS LLC, 1379919 ALBERTA INC., 319168 ONTARIO LIMITED, 3385434 CANADA INC., ADMINISTRACION DE PERSONAL ANDARES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., AIC HOLDING CO., AIRPORT PLAZA ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AIRPORT PLAZA HOTEL LLC, AIRPORT PLAZA OFFICE BUILDING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AMERISUITES FRANCHISING L.L.C., ARANCIA LIMITED, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS N.V., ASIA HOSPITALITY INC., ASIA HOSPITALITY INVESTORS B.V., ASIAN HOTEL N.V., ATRIUM HOTEL L.L.C., AUSTIN RESORT BEVERAGE LLC, AmeriSuites Hotel, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - AZERI, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - CAYMAN, BASTROP MARKETING L.L.C., BAY II INVESTOR INC., BELLEVUE ASSOCIATES, BH PLAZA LLC, BRE/AMERISUITES PROPERTIES L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC GP L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC PROPERTIES L.P., BURVAN HOTEL ASSOCIATES, CAL-HARBOR SO. PIER URBAN RENEWAL ASSOCIATES L.P., CELAYA RESORTS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES LLC, CHESAPEAKE RESORT LLC, CIUDAD DEL CARMEN DIAMANTE RESORT S. DE R.L. DE C.V, COAST BEACH L.L.C., COMPAGNIE HOTELIERE DE LAGON BLEU, CPM SEATTLE HOTELS L.L.C., CRW INVESTMENT LLC, CTR INTEREST HOLDCO INC., DALLAS REGENCY LLC, DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, DESARROLLADORA HOTELERA ACUEDUCTO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DH BEVERAGE LLC, DIAMANTE RESORT LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DISTRICT HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, EXHALE ENTERPRISES GIFT SERVICES COMPANY, EXHALE ENTERPRISES II L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES III INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES IV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES V L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES VIII INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES X INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV TCI LTD., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXI INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXIII INC., FAN PIER L.L.C., FAR EAST HOTELS INC., G.E.H. PROPERTIES LIMITED, GAINEY DRIVE ASSOCIATES, GALAXY AEROSPACE COMPANY LLC, GHE HOLDINGS LIMITED, GRAND HYATT BERLIN GMBH, GRAND HYATT DFW BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND HYATT SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., GRAND HYATT SF L.L.C., GRAND RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND TORONTO CORP., GRAND TORONTO VENTURE L.P., GREENWICH HOTEL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, H.E. ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. AUSTIN L.L.C., H.E. BERMUDA L.L.C., H.E. CAP CANA L.L.C., H.E. DRISKILL LLC, H.E. GRAND CYPRESS L.L.C., H.E. IRVINE L.L.C., H.E. KANSAS CITY L.L.C., H.E. LENOX L.L.C., H.E. NASHVILLE L.L.C., H.E. NEWPORT L.L.C., H.E. ORLANDO L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOTEL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC PARKING L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC RETAIL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA SANSOM L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND HC L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES HOLDING L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO I L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON OWNER L.L.C., HAPP INVESTOR LTD., HARBORSIDE HOTEL LLC, HARBORSIDE LAND LLC, HC PORTLAND JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HC ROYAL PALMS L.L.C., HCV CINCINNATI HOTEL L.L.C., HE ORLANDO HOTEL LLC, HGP (TRAVEL) LIMITED, HH NASHVILLE HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH NASHVILLE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH PORTLAND L.L.C., HHMA BURLINGTON BEVERAGE L.L.C., HI HOLDINGS (SWITZERLAND) GMBH, HI HOLDINGS BAJA B.V., HI HOLDINGS BRAZIL S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS CELAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS CIUDAD DEL CARMEN B.V., HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS-INDIA LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS GUADALAJARA B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP CABO B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP TIJUANA HOTEL B.V., HI HOLDINGS KYOTO CO., HI HOLDINGS LA PAZ B.V., HI HOLDINGS LATIN AMERICA B.V., HI HOLDINGS NETHERLANDS B.V., HI HOLDINGS PLAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS RIO S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS RIVIERA MAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS VIENNA S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS ZURICH S.A.R.L., HI HOTEL ADVISORY SERVICES GMBH, HI HOTEL INVESTORS CYPRUS LIMITED, HIHCL AMSTERDAM B.V., HIHCL HP AMSTERDAM AIRPORT B.V., HIHCL HR AMSTERDAM B.V., HILP HOTEL SERVICE PROVIDER LLC, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH & CO KG, HOTEL INVESTMENTS HOLDING CO LLC, HOTEL INVESTMENTS L.L.C., HOTEL INVESTORS I INC., HOTEL INVESTORS II INC., HOTEL PROJECT SYSTEMS PTE LTD, HOTEL SERVICES CIUDAD DEL CARMEN S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HOTELS CS CELAYA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HP ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK JV LLC, HP AUSTIN L.L.C., HP BEVERAGE DALLAS DFW AIRPORT LLC, HP BEVERAGE SUGAR LAND LLC, HP BOSTON HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE L.L.C., HP INDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, HP LAS VEGAS BEVERAGE L.L.C., HP M STREET L.L.C., HP ROUTE 46 TEXAS LLC, HP SAN FRANCISCO L.L.C., HP SAN JUAN L.L.C., HP TEN TEXAS LLC, HPHH ATLANTA L.L.C., HPHH DENVER L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE L.L.C., HQ CHESAPEAKE LLC, HR LOST PINES RESORT LLC, HR MC HOTEL COMPANY S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES II S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HRHC LLC, HT- WAILEA LLC, HT-AVENDRA GROUP HOLDINGS L.L.C., HT-AVENDRA L.L.C., HT-CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES INC., HT-CHESAPEAKE RESORT INC., HT-HOTEL EQUITIES INC., HT-HUNTINGTON BEACH INC., HT-JERSEY PIER INC., HT-JERSEY PIER L.P., HT-JERSEY PIER LLC, HT-LONG BEACH L.L.C., HT-MIAMI BEACH L.L.C., HT-PARK 57 INC., HT-SEATTLE LLC, HT-SIERRA L.L.C., HT-VANCOUVER INC., HTLB L.L.C., HTS - NS L.L.C., HTS - NY L.L.C., HTS-ASPEN L.L.C., HTS-BC INC., HTS-INVESTMENT L L.C., HTSF L.L.C., HTW BEVERAGE LLC, HY LONG BEACH HOTEL LLC, HYATT (BARBADOS) CORPORATION, HYATT (JAPAN) CO. LTD., HYATT (THAILAND) LIMITED, HYATT ARUBA N.V., HYATT ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRALIA HOTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRIA GMBH, HYATT BEACH FRONT N.V., HYATT BORNEO MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT BRITANNIA CORPORATION LTD., HYATT CC OFFICE CORP., HYATT CHAIN SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT CRYSTAL CITY LLC., HYATT CURACAO N.V., HYATT DISASTER RELIEF FUND, HYATT DO BRASIL PARTICIPACOES LTDA, HYATT EQUITIES L.L.C., HYATT FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT FRANCHISING CANADA CORP., HYATT FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT FRANCHISING LATIN AMERICA L.L.C., HYATT FULFILLMENT OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT GLOBAL SERVICES INC., HYATT GTLD L.L.C., HYATT HOC INC., HYATT HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED, HYATT HOSPITALITY SERVICES L.L.C., HYATT HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CONSULTANCY SERVICES ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF KANSAS, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF MARYLAND, HYATT HOTELS FOUNDATION, HYATT HOTELS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, HYATT HOTELS OF CANADA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF FLORIDA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF PUERTO RICO INC., HYATT HOUSE CANADA INC., HYATT HOUSE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT HOUSE HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY L.L.C., HYATT INDIA CONSULTANCY PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (ASIA) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (EUROPE AFRICA MIDDLE EAST) LLC, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - JAPAN LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - SOUTHWEST ASIA LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -SEA (PTE) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS CO., HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL MILAN L.L.C., HYATT INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES INC., HYATT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HYATT LACSA SERVICES INC., HYATT LOUISIANA L.L.C., HYATT MAINZ GMBH, HYATT MARKETING SERVICES INC., HYATT MARKETING SERVICES NIGERIA COMPANY LIMITED, HYATT MINNEAPOLIS LLC, HYATT MINORITY INVESTMENTS INC., HYATT MSS L.L.C., HYATT NORTH AMERICA MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYATT OF BAJA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HYATT OF CHINA LIMITED, HYATT OF FRANCE S.A.R.L., HYATT OF GUAM LIMITED, HYATT OF ITALY S.R.L., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF MACAU LIMITED, HYATT OF MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF PHILIPPINES LIMITED, HYATT PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS L.L.C., HYATT PLACE ANNE ARUNDEL BEVERAGE INC., HYATT PLACE CANADA CORPORATION, HYATT PLACE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT PLACE OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT REGENCY COLOGNE GMBH, HYATT REGENCY CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES CANADA INC., HYATT SERVICES CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT SERVICES GMBH, HYATT SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT SHARED SERVICE CENTER L.L.C., HYATT TRINIDAD LIMITED, HYCANADA INC., HYCARD INC., HYSTAR L.L.C., Hyatt Corporation, INFORMATION SERVICES LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL RESERVATIONS LIMITED, JOINT VENTURE ITALKYR CLOSED JOINT STOCK COMPANY, JUNIPER HOTELS PRIVATE LIMITED, KSA MANAGEMENT INC., KYOTO HOLDING CO., LHR-PARTNERS LTD., LORING PARK ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, LOST PINES BEVERAGE LLC, MACAE PARTNERS S.A.R.L., MAHIMA HOLDINGS PRIVATE LIMITED, MARION RESERVATION CENTER L.L.C., MEXICO CITY HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MILAN HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MIRAVAL ARIZONA GUARANTOR LLC, MIRAVAL GROUP LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA HOLDINGS LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA OPERATING CO. INC., MIRAVAL RESORT TUCSON LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS I LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS II LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS III LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS TRUST, MRG ATX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS II LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX INVESTMENT LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG ATX OPERATIONS LLC, MRG CRW HOLDINGS LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG CRW OPERATIONS LLC, MUNICH OPCO GMBH, Miraval Resort, OASIS LUXURY RENTALS INCORPORATED, PARIS HOTEL COMPANY B.V., PARK HYATT HAMBURG GMBH, PARK HYATT HOTEL GMBH, PARK HYATT WATER TOWER ASSOCIATES L.L.C., PH NEW YORK L.L.C., PHMC RESIDENCIAS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., POLK SMITH REGENCY LLC, PT HYATT INDONESIA, PVD INVESTMENT COMPANY S.A.R.L., Peabody Hotels & Resort, RCG PROPERTIES LLC, REGENCY BEVERAGE COMPANY LLC, REGENCY RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, RESERVATIONS CENTER L.L.C., RIO JV PARTNERS PARTICIPACOES LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS S.A.R.L., ROSEMONT PROJECT MANAGEMENT L.L.C., ROUTE 46 MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES CORP., RUNWAY HOLDING L.L.C., RUNWAY L.L.C., SAO PAULO INVESTMENT COMPANY INC., SAO PAULO INVESTORS LIMITED, SASIH, SDI EQUITIES INVESTOR L.L.C., SDI INC., SDI SECURITIES 11 LLC, SDI SECURITIES 6 LLC, SELECT HOTELS GROUP L.L.C., SELECT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., SEOUL MIRAMAR CORPORATION, SERVICIOS DE HOTELERIA SAN JOSE S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SERVICIOS HOTELEROS LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SETTLEMENT INVESTORS INC., SHG PUERTO RICO INC., SIERRA HEALTHSTYLES LLC, SJC DESARROLLOS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SKS CORP. N.V., SMC HOTELS B.V., SOROCABA PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA, SOROCABA PARTNERS S.A.R.L., STANHOPE L.L.C., STARHILL LORING PARK L.L.C., SUGAR LAND/HP LLC, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL COMPANY LIMITED, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, TIJUANA PARTNERS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., TR MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT LLC, TUCSON VILLAS HOLDINGS LLC, TUCSON VILLAS LLC, TWO SEAS HOLDINGS LIMITED, Two Roads Hospitality, WAILEA HOTEL & BEACH RESORT L.L.C., WAILEA HOTEL HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS L.L.C., WEST END RESIDENCES L.L.C., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY INC., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY OF ILLINOIS, ZURICH ESCHERWIESE HOTEL GMBH, and ZURICH HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V.. GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More 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 co[email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada. Read More Stantec Inc. provides professional consulting services in the area of infrastructure and facilities in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company provides consulting services in engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics. It also offers water, transportation, and public works; transportation planning and traffic engineering; and resource assessment, mine development, reclamation, hydrology, and geotechnical and infrastructure engineering services, as well as urban planning, traffic assessments and optimization, environmental impact assessments, and public consultation services. In addition, the company provides structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and hydraulics engineering services. It serves urban regeneration, infrastructure, education, public and private sector, tourism and leisure, and waste and water sectors, as well as office and commercial, residential, and retail and town centers. The company was formerly known as Stanley Technology Group Inc. and changed its name to Stantec Inc. in October 1998. Stantec Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Read More Tableau Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides business analytics software products. It offers Tableau Desktop, a self-service, powerful analytics product with data; Tableau Server, a business intelligence platform for organizations; Tableau Online, a hosted software-as-a-service version of Tableau Server; Tableau Prep, a data preparation product for combining, shaping, and cleaning data; and Tableau Public, a cloud-based platform for analyzing and sharing public data. In addition, it offers Visual Query Language (VizQL) for databases, which is a computer language for describing pictures of data, including graphs, charts, maps, time series, and tables of visualizations; Live Query Engine that interprets abstract queries generated by VizQL into syntax understandable by database systems; and Hyper, an in-memory data engine technology that helps customers to analyze a range of data sets by evaluating analytical queries directly in the transactional database. Further, the company provides support, maintenance, training, and professional services. It serves organizations in various industries, including business services, energy and telecommunications, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing and technology, media and entertainment, public sector, and education, as well as retail, consumer, and distribution industries. The company sells its products directly, as well as through indirect sales channels, such as technology vendors, resellers, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendor, and distributors in the United States, Canada, and internationally. Tableau Software, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Read More 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. Since then, MUB shares have increased by 1.4% and is now trading at $116.06. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of ITT: AIMCO Industries LLC, AcousticFab LLC, Allen Osborne Associates, Axtone, Axtone Bahntechink GmbH, Axtone GmbH, Axtone HSW sp. z.o.o., Axtone S.A., Axtone s.r.o., Blakers Pump Engineers, Bolton Insurance Co., Bolton International RE S.C.A., Bolton International S.C.A., Bombas Goulds S.A., Bombas Goulds de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bombas Goulds de Venezuela C.A., Bornemann Inc. (Canada), Bornemann S.A. DE C.V., C&I QSF LLC, C&K Components, Canberra Pumps do Brasil, Carbon Industries Inc., Computer & Equipment Leasing Corporation, DITTHA GmbH, Distribuidora Arbos C.A., Dolphin Technology, EP Industries Europe B.V., Edo, Electrofilm Manufacturing Company, Ellis K. Phelps & Co., Energy Machine Services, Enidine Kabashiki Gaisha (Enidine Company Limited (Japan)), EnviroTech LLC, Equipos Hidraulicos S.A., European Pump Services B.V., F.B. Leopold, FLOJET Corp., Flowtronex PSI, Godwin Pumps, Goulds Mexico Holdings LLC, Goulds Pumps (IPG) LLC, Goulds Pumps (N.Y.) Inc., Goulds Pumps (NY) Inc. (PERU BRANCH), Goulds Pumps (NY) Inc. (TAIWAN BRANCH), Goulds Pumps (PA) LLC, Goulds Pumps Administration Inc., Goulds Pumps Canada Inc., Goulds Pumps Co. Ltd., Goulds Pumps LLC, Goulds QSF LLC, Hartzell Aerospace, Hydro Air Industries, ITT (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ITT (China) Investment Co. Ltd. (SHANGHAI BRANCH), ITT (Shanghai) Fluid Technology Co. Ltd., ITT Aerospace Controls LLC, ITT Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITT Automotive Enterprises Inc., ITT Blakers PTY Ltd, ITT Blakers Unit Trust, ITT Bombas Goulds do Brasil Ltda., ITT Bornemann GmbH, ITT Bornemann-Goulds Pumps S.R.L., ITT C'treat LLC, ITT Cannon (Hong Kong) LTD, ITT Cannon (Hong Kong) LTD (TAIWAN BRANCH), ITT Cannon Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, ITT Cannon GmbH, ITT Cannon GmbH (DENMARK BRANCH), ITT Cannon Korea Ltd., ITT Cannon LLC, ITT Cannon LLC (DUBAI BRANCH), ITT Cannon Ltd., ITT Cannon Mexico Inc., ITT Cannon Veam Italia s.r.l., ITT Cannon de Mexico S.A. de C.V., ITT Community Development Corporation, ITT Corporation India PVT. Ltd., ITT Egypt LLC, ITT Engineered Valves LLC, ITT Enidine GmbH, ITT Enidine Inc., ITT Finance Hong Kong Ltd., ITT Fluid Technology Asia Pte Ltd., ITT Fluid Technology International (Thailand) LTD., ITT Fluid Technology International Inc., ITT Fluid Technology International Inc. (DUBAI BRANCH), ITT Fluid Technology International Inc. (RUSSIAN BRANCH), ITT Fluid Technology S.A., ITT Germany Holdings GmbH, ITT Goulds Pumps Colombia S.A.S., ITT Goulds Pumps Inc., ITT Goulds Pumps Inc. (GREECE BRANCH), ITT High Precision Manufactured Products (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., ITT Holding LLC, ITT Holdings Czech Republic s.r.o., ITT Industries France S.A.S., ITT Industries Global S.a.r.l., ITT Industries Holdings Inc., ITT Industries Holdings Limited, ITT Industries Limited, ITT Industries Luxembourg S.a r.l., ITT Industries Rus LLC, ITT Industries Spain SL, ITT International Holdings Inc., ITT International Luxembourg S.a r.l., ITT Investments Luxembourg S.a.r.l., ITT Iran S.K., ITT Italia s.r.l., ITT Italy Holding Srl, ITT Japan B.V., ITT Korea Holding B.V., ITT LLC, ITT Luxembourg Europe Sarl, ITT Luxembourg Worldwide Sarl, ITT Manufacturing Enterprises LLC, ITT Motion Technologies America LLC, ITT Motion Technologies GmbH, ITT Motion Technologies LLC, ITT Motion Technologies Luxembourg S.a.r.l., ITT Motion Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, ITT Netherlands B.V., ITT Netherlands Europe B.V., ITT Netherlands Worldwide B.V., ITT Rheinhuette Pumps LLC, ITT Rheinhutte Benelux B.V., ITT Rheinhutte Pumpen Austria GmbH, ITT Rheinhutte Pumpen Co. Ltd., ITT Rheinhutte Pumpen GmbH, ITT Rheinhutte Pumpen do Brasil Industria de Bombas Ltda., ITT Saudi Co., ITT Technical Services S.K., ITT Torque Systems Inc., ITT Water & Wastewater U.S.A. Inc., ITT Water Technology (TX) LLC, InTelCo Management LLC, InTelCo Properties LLC, Industrial Tube Company LLC, Industries QSF LLC, International Motion Control, International Motion Control Inc., International Standard Electric Corporation, International Telephone & Telegraph Corp., K and M Electronics, Kentucky Carbon Corporation, Koni BV, Koni France SAS, Koni NA LLC, LLMZ Kamax, Leland Properties Inc., Matrix Composites, Matrix Composites Inc., Nova Analytics, O.I. Corporation, PT ITT Fluid Technology Indonesia, Pci Membranes, Precision Stainless, Qingdao Kamax Buffer Equipment Company Ltd., Qume, Rheinhutte Pumps Nordic Filial, Rheinhutte Pumpen Group, Rule Industries, Rule Industries LLC, SRA International's Airport Operations Solutions (AOS) group, STX Pte. Ltd, Shanghai Goulds Pumps Co. Ltd., Shanghai Hengtong Purified Water Development, Shanghai Hengtong Water Treatment Engineering, Sinton Engineering Group, Standard Electric, Standard Tecknik Services, Stanford Telecommunications Inc, Svedala Robot BV, TDS Corporate Services LLC, Uniservice Wellpoint, Venus Holdco LLC, WAM China Ltd., WC Wolverine Holdings Inc., Water Pollution Control Corp., Wolverine Advanced Materials (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Wolverine Advanced Materials Asia Limited, Wolverine Advanced Materials GmbH, Wolverine Advanced Materials LLC, Wolverine Advanced Materials LLC (INDIA BRANCH), Wolverine Automotive Holdings Inc., Wolverine Brasil Representacao Ltda., Wolverine Japan KK, Wolverine Press (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Wolverine/Tekno Laminates and Composites Ltda., and YSI Inc. Medtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 1001 PROPERTIES LLC, 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 60 11TH STREET LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AFP PROVIDA S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LIMITED, ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, ALICO PROPERTIES INC., AMMETLIFE INSURANCE BERHAD, AMMETLIFE TAKAFUL BERHAD, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BIDV METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, DES MOINES CREEK BUSINESS PARK PHASE II LLC, ECONOMY FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY, ECONOMY PREFERRED INSURANCE COMPANY, ECONOMY PREMIER ASSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FEDERAL FLOOD CERTIFICATION LLC, FORTISSIMO CO. LTD, FUNDACION METLIFE MEXICO A.C., GLOBAL PROPERTIES INC., General American Life Insurance Company, Grand Bank N.A., HASKELL EAST VILLAGE LLC, HIGH STREET SEVENTH AND OSBORN APARTMENTS LLC, HOUSING FUND MANAGER LLC, INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES LIMITED, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO DOS LIMITADA, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO TRES LIMITADA, JOINT-STOCK COMPANY METLIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, LHC HOLDINGS, LHCW HOLDINGS, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING LLC, LHCW HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY, LONG ISLAND SOLAR FARM LLC, LUMENLAB MALAYSIA SDN. BHD., Logan Circle Partners, MARKETPLACE RESIDENCES LLC, MAXIS GBN S.A.S., MC PORTFOLIO JV MEMBER LLC, MCJV LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO I LLC, MCMIF HOLDCO II LLC, MCP - WELLINGTON LLC, MCP 100 CONGRESS MEMBER LLC, MCP 1500 MICHAEL LLC, MCP 1900 MCKINNEY LLC, MCP 2 AMES LLC, MCP 2 AMES ONE LLC, MCP 2 AMES OWNER LLC, MCP 2 AMES TWO LLC, MCP 220 YORK LLC, MCP 22745 & 22755 RELOCATION DRIVE LLC, MCP 249 INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP 3040 POST OAK LLC, MCP 350 ROHLWING LLC, MCP 4600 SOUTH SYRACUSE LLC, MCP 550 WEST WASHINGTON LLC, MCP 60 11TH STREET MEMBER LLC, MCP 7 RIVERWAY LLC, MCP 9020 MURPHY ROAD LLC, MCP 93 RED RIVER MEMBER LLC, MCP ALLEY 24 EAST LLC, MCP ASHTON SOUTH END LLC, MCP BLOCK 23 MEMBER LLC, MCP BRADFORD LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER 2 MEMBER LLC, MCP BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER BLDG B LLC, MCP BURNSIDE MEMBER LLC, MCP CENTER AVENUE INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, MCP CLAWITER INNOVATION MEMBER LLC, MCP COMMON DESK TRS LLC, MCP DENVER PAVILIONS MEMBER LLC, MCP DILLON LLC, MCP DILLON RESIDENTIAL LLC, MCP ENV CHICAGO LLC, MCP FIFE ENTERPRISE CENTER LLC, MCP FRISCO OFFICE LLC, MCP GRAPEVINE LLC, MCP HIGHLAND PARK LENDER LLC, MCP HUB I LLC, MCP HUB I PROPERTY LLC, MCP LODGE AT LAKECREST LLC, MCP MA PROPERTY REIT LLC, MCP MAGNOLIA PARK MEMBER LLC, MCP MAIN STREET VILLAGE LLC, MCP MOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY CENTER MEMBER TRS LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS HOLDCO LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS MASTER LESSEE LLC, MCP NORTHYARDS OWNER LLC, MCP ONE WESTSIDE LLC, MCP ONYX LLC, MCP PARAGON POINT LLC, MCP PLAZA AT LEGACY LLC, MCP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL I LLC, MCP SEATTLE GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL II LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE MF MEMBER LLC, MCP SEVENTH AND OSBORNE RETAIL MEMBER LLC, MCP SHAKOPEE LLC, MCP SLEEPY HOLLOW MEMBER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL ANAHEIM LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL BERNARDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL CANYON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL CONCOURSE LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL FULLERTON LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL KELLWO00OD LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL LAX LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL LOKER LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL REDONDO LLC, MCP SOCAL INDUSTRIAL SPRINGDALE LLC, MCP STATELINE LLC, MCP THE PALMS AT DORAL LLC, MCP TRIMBLE CAMPUS LLC, MCP UNION ROW LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE ONE LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE OWNER LLC, MCP VALLEY FORGE TWO LLC, MCP VANCE JACKSON LLC, MCP VINEYARD AVENUE MEMBER LLC, MCP VOA HOLDINGS LLC, MCP VOA I & III LLC, MCP VOA II LLC, MCP WATERFORD ATRIUM LLC, MCP WEST BROAD MARKETPLACE LLC, MCP ENGLISH VILLAGE LLC, MCPF ACQUISITION LLC, MCPF FOXBOROUGH LLC, MCPF NEEDHAM LLC, MCPP OWNERS LLC, MCRE BLOCK 40 LP, MEC HEALTH CARE INC., MET 1065 HOTEL LLC, MET CANADA SOLAR ULC, METLIFE 1007 STEWART LLC, METLIFE 1201 TAB MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MANAGER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 555 12TH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 8280 MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ACOMA OWNER LLC, METLIFE ADMINISTRADORA DE FUNDOS MULTIPATROCINADOS LTDA., METLIFE ALTERNATIVES GP LLC, METLIFE ASHTON AUSTIN OWNER LLC, METLIFE ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., METLIFE ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE ASIA SERVICES SDN. BHD, METLIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., METLIFE ASSIGNMENT COMPANY INC., METLIFE AUTO & HOME INSURANCE AGENCY INC., METLIFE BL FEEDER, METLIFE BL FEEDER LP, METLIFE BORO STATION MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CABO HILTON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMINO RAMON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAPITAL CREDIT L.P., METLIFE CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST IV, METLIFE CB W/A LLC, METLIFE CC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CHILE ADMINISTRADORA DE MUTUOS HIPOTECARIOS S.A., METLIFE CHILE INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS DE VIDA S.A., METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS GENERALES S.A., METLIFE CHINO MEMBER LLC, METLIFE COLOMBIA SEGUROS de VIDA S.A., METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND GP LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND LP, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR LLC, METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE REIT LLC, METLIFE CONSQUARE MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CONSUMER SERVICES INC., METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND LP, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY REIT LLC, METLIFE CORE PROPERTY TRS. LLC, METLIFE CREDIT CORP., METLIFE DIGITAL VENTURES INC., METLIFE EMEKLILIK VE HAYAT A.S., METLIFE EMERGING MARKET DEBT BLEND FUND, METLIFE EU HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE INSURANCE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LLC., METLIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. LTD, METLIFE FM HOTEL MEMBER LLC, METLIFE FUNDING INC., METLIFE GENERAL INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE GLOBAL BENEFITS LTD., METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY I GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY II GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION S.A. De C.V., METLIFE GLOBAL INC., METLIFE GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE GROUP INC., METLIFE HCMJV 1 GP LLC, METLIFE HCMJV 1 LP LLC, METLIFE HEALTH PLANS INC., METLIFE HOLDINGS INC., METLIFE HOME LOANS LLC, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITED, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE PTE. LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT TRUST, METLIFE INSURANCE BROKERAGE INC., METLIFE INSURANCE K.K., METLIFE INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HF PARTNERS LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND I LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND II LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND III LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND IV LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND V LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VI LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VII LP, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENTS ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS PTY LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS SECURITIES LLC, METLIFE INVESTORS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, METLIFE INVESTORS GROUP LLC, METLIFE IRELAND TREASURY D.A.C., METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND LP, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS LLC, METLIFE LATIN AMERICA ASESORIAS E INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE LEGAL PLANS INC., METLIFE LEGAL PLANS OF FLORIDA INC., METLIFE LHH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE S.A., METLIFE LOAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE MAS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEMBER SOLAIRE LLC, METLIFE MEXICO HOLDINGS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO S.A., METLIFE MEXICO SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL GP LLC, METLIFE MULTI-FAMILY PARTNERS III LLC, METLIFE MUTUAL FUND COMPANY, METLIFE OBS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE OFC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ONTARIO STREET MEMBR LLC, METLIFE PARK TOWER MEMBER LLC, METLIFE PENSION TRUSTEES LIMITED, METLIFE PENSIONES MEXICO S.A., METLIFE PET INSURANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE PLANOS ODONTOLOGICOS LTDA., METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARTZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A., METLIFE PRIVATE EQUITY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE PROPERTIES VENTURES LLC, METLIFE RC SF MEMBER LLC, METLIFE REAL ESTATE LENDING LLC, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF BERMUDA LTD., METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF CHARLESTON, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF VERMONT, METLIFE RETIREMENT SERVICES LLC, METLIFE SAENGMYOUNG INSURANCE COMPANY LTD., METLIFE SECURITIZATION DEPOSITOR LLC, METLIFE SEGUROS S.A., METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FINCO LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FUND LP, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING GP LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING HOLDINGS LP, METLIFE SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE SERVICES CYPRUS LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EAST PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EEIG, METLIFE SERVICES EOOD, METLIFE SERVICES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA, METLIFE SERVICES SP Z.O.O, METLIFE SERVICIOS S.A., METLIFE SLOVAKIA S.R.O. V LIKVIDACII, METLIFE SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD., METLIFE SOLUTIONS S.A.S., METLIFE SP HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN FUND SCSP, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN LUX GP S.A.R.L., METLIFE THR INVESTOR LLC, METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO FUNDUSZY INWESTYCYJNYCH S.A., METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEN NA ZYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A., METLIFE TOWER RESOURCES GROUP INC., METLIFE TREAT TOWERS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, METROPOLITAN CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN DIRECT PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC., METROPOLITAN GROUP PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE SEGUROS E PREVIDENCIA PRIVADA S.A., METROPOLITAN LIFE SOCIETATE de ADMINISTRARE a UNUI FOND de PENSII ADMINISTRAT PRIVAT S.A., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INC., METROPOLITAN LLOYDS INSURANCE COMPANY OF TEXAS, METROPOLITAN PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER REALTY COMPANY INC., MEX DF PROPERTIES LLC, MFA FINANCING VEHICLE CTR1 LLC, MIDTOWN HEIGHTS LLC, MIM CLAL GENERAL PARTNER LLC, MIM EMD GP LLC, MIM I LLC, MIM METWEST INTERNATIONAL MANAGER LLC, MIM ML-AI VENTURE 5 MANAGER LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF GEORGIA 1 LLC, MIM THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MISSOURI REINSURANCE INC., ML - URS PORT CHESTER SC MANAGER LLC, ML 300 THIRD MEMBER LLC, ML ARMATURE MEMBER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MANAGER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MEMBER LLC, ML BRIDGESIDE APARTMENTS LLC, ML CAPACITACION COMERCIAL S.A. DE C.V., ML CERRITOS TC MEMBER LLC, ML CLAL MEMBER LLC, ML DOLPHIN GP LLC, ML DOLPHIN MEZZ LLC, ML MATSON MILLS MEMBER LLC, ML MILILANI MEMBER LLC, ML ONE BEDMINSTER LLC, ML PORT CHESTER SC MEMBER LLC, ML SENTINEL SQUARE MEMBER LLC, ML SLOANS LAKE MEMEBR LLC, ML SOUTHLANDS MEMBER LLC, ML SOUTHMORE LLC, ML SWAN GP LLC, ML SWAN MEZZ LLC, ML TERRACES LLC, ML THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML VENTURE 1 MANAGER S. DE R. L. DE C.V., ML VENTURE 1 SERVICER LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 1 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 2 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 3 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 4 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 5 LLC, MLIA MANAGER I LLC, MLIA PARK TOWER MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF COLONY MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF MANAGER LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS II LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS LLC, MLIC CB HOLDINGS LLC, MLJ US FEEDER LLC, MM GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER S.A. DE C.V., MMP CEDAR STREET OWNER LLC, MMP CEDAR STREET REIT LLC, MMP HOLDINGS III LLC, MMP OLIVIAN OWNER LLC, MMP OLIVIAN REIT LLC, MMP OWNERS III LLC, MMP OWNERS LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK OWNER LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK REIT LLC, MREF 425 MKT LLC, MSV IRVINE PROPERTY LLC, MTC FUND I LLC, MTC FUND II LLC, MTC FUND III LLC, MTL LEASING LLC, MTU HOTEL OWNER LLC, NATILOPORTEM HOLDINGS LLC, NEWBURY INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, OCONEE GOLF COMPANY LLC, OCONEE HOTEL COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC, OCONEE MARINA COMPANY LLC, OMI MLIC INVESTMENTS LIMITED, PACIFIC LOGISTICS INDUSTRIAL SOUTH LLC, PARK TOWER JV MEMBER LLC, PARK TOWER REIT INC., PJSC METLIFE, PLAZA DRIVE PROPERTIES LLC, PNB METLIFE INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PREFCO FOURTEEN LLC, PREFCO XIV HOLDINGS LLC, PROVIDA INTERNACIONAL S.A., SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES INC., SAFEGUARD HEALTH PLANS INC., SAFEHEALTH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, SEVENTH AND OSBORN MF VENTURE LLC, SINO-US UNITED METLIFE INSURANCE CO. LTD., SOUTHCREEK INDUSTRIAL HOLDINGS LLC, ST. JAMES FLEET INVESTMENTS TWO LIMITED, SUPERIOR PROCUREMENT INC, SUPERIOR VISION BENEFIT MANAGEMENT INC., SUPERIOR VISION HOLDINGS INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE PLAN OF WISCONSIN INC., SUPERIOR VISION OF NEW JERSEY INC., SUPERIOR VISION SERVICES INC., Safeguard Health Enterprises, Security First Group Inc., THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH AVENUE MEZZANINE LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL HOLDING LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL OWNER, THE DIRECT CALL CENTRE PTY LIMITED, TRANSMOUNTAIN LAND & LIVESTOCK COMPANY, UVC INDEPENDENT PRACTICE ASSOCIATION INC., VERSANT HEALTH CONSOLIDATIONS CORP., VERSANT HEALTH HOLDCO INC., VERSANT HEALTH LAB LLC, VIRIDIAN MIRACLE MILE LLC, VISION 21 MANAGED EYE CARE OF TAMPA BAY, VISION 21 PHYSICIAN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, VISION TWENTY-ONE MANAGED EYE CARE IPA INC., Versant Health, WDV ACQUISITION CORP., WFP 1000 HOLDING COMPANY GP LLC, WHITE OAK ROYALTY COMPANY, and WHITE TRACT II LLC. 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The following companies are subsidiares of AES: 25 Ashdown Road Solar LLC, AES (India) Private Limited, AES (NI) Limited, AES Abigail S.a.r.l., AES Accabonac Solar LLC, AES Africa Power Company B.V., AES AgriVerde Holdings B.V., AES AgriVerde Services (Ukraine) Limited Liability Company, AES Alamitos Development Inc., AES Alamitos Energy LLC, AES Alamitos L.L.C., AES Alicura Holdings S.C.A., AES Americas International Holdings Limited, AES Andres (BVI) Ltd., AES Andres BV, AES Andres DR S.A., AES Andres Holdings I Ltd, AES Aramtermelo Holdings B.V., AES Argentina Generation S.A. (1), AES Argentina Holdings S.C.A., AES Argentina Investments Ltd., AES Argentina Operations Ltd., AES Arlington Services LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Holdings LLC, AES Armenia Mountain Wind 2 LLC, AES Aurora Holdings Inc., AES Aurora Inc., AES BES Jordan B.V., AES Bainbridge Holdings LLC, AES Bainbridge LLC, AES Ballylumford Holdings Limited, AES Baltic Holdings BV, AES Barka Services Inc., AES Barry Limited, AES Barry Operations Ltd., AES Beaver Valley L.L.C., AES Belfast West Power Limited, AES Belleville Solar LLC, AES Big Sky L.L.C., AES Botswana Holdings B.V., AES Brasil Ltda, AES Brazil Inc., AES Brazil International Holdings Limited, AES Broadalbin Solar LLC, AES Bulgaria B.V., AES Bulgaria Energy Solutions EOOD, AES Bulgaria Holdings BV, AES Bussum Holdings BV, AES CC&T International Ltd., AES CLESA Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita de Capital Variable, AES Calaca Pte. Ltd., AES Calgary Inc., AES California Management Co. Inc., AES Caracoles SRL, AES Carbon Exchange Ltd., AES Carbon Holdings LLC, AES Caribbean Finance Holdings Inc., AES Caribbean Investment Holdings Ltd., AES Cartegena Holdings BV, AES Cayman Guaiba Ltd., AES Cayman Pampas Ltd., AES Central America Electric Light LLC, AES Central American Holdings Inc., AES Central American Investment Holdings Ltd., AES Central Asia Holdings BV, AES Ceprano Energia SRL, AES Changuinola S.R.L., AES Chhattisgarh Energy Private Limited, AES Chigen Holdings Ltd., AES China Generating Co. Ltd., AES Chivor & Cia S.C.A. E.S.P., AES Chivor S.A., AES Climate Solutions Holdings I B.V., AES Climate Solutions Holdings I LLC, AES Climate Solutions Holdings II LLC, AES Climate Solutions Holdings L.P., AES Climate Solutions Holdings LLC, AES Colon Development S. de R.L., AES Columbia Power LLC, AES Communications LLC, AES Communications Latin America Inc., AES Connecticut Management L.L.C., AES Coop Holdings LLC, AES Costa Rica Energy SRL, AES Costa Rica Holdings Ltd., AES DE AssetCo VI LLC, AES DE Class B Holdings LLC, AES DE Class B I LLC, AES DE Class B II LLC, AES DE Class B III LLC, AES DE Class B IV LLC, AES DE Class B V LLC, AES DE Class B VI LLC, AES DE Class B VII LLC, AES DE Construction LLC, AES DE DevCo I LLC, AES DE DevCo NC LLC, AES DE Holdings I LLC, AES DE Holdings III LLC, AES DE Holdings IV LLC, AES DE Holdings V LLC, AES DE Holdings VI GB LLC, AES DE Holdings VI GB Owner LLC, AES DE Holdings VI LLC, AES DE Manager LLC, AES DE RS IX LLC, AES DE RS VI LLC, AES DE RS VII LLC, AES DE RS VIII LLC, AES DE RS X LLC, AES DE RS XI LLC, AES DE RS XII LLC, AES DE Residential Holdings I LLC, AES DE Solar Access Holdings I LLC, AES DE-GIE LLC, AES DPL Holdings LLC, AES DPP Holdings Ltd., AES Deepwater LLC, AES Desert Power L.L.C., AES Development de Argentina S.A., AES Disaster Relief Fund, AES Distribuidores Salvadorenos Limitada, AES Distribuidores Salvadorenos Y Compania S en C de C.V., AES Distributed Energy Inc., AES Dominicana Cooperatief UA, AES Drax Financing Inc., AES Drax Power Finance Holdings Limited, AES EDC Holding L.L.C., AES ES Alamitos LLC, AES ES Deepwater LLC, AES ES Gilbert LLC, AES ES Holdings LLC, AES ES Tait LLC, AES Ecotek Europe Holdings B.V., AES El Faro Electric Light Ltd., AES El Faro Generating Ltd., AES El Salvador Electric Light LLC, AES El Salvador LLC, AES El Salvador S.A. de C.V., AES El Salvador Trust, AES Electric Ltd., AES Electroinversora B.V., AES Elpa S.A., AES Empresa Electrica de El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, AES Endeavor Inc., AES Energia SRL, AES Energy B.V., AES Energy Developments S.L., AES Energy Ltd., AES Energy Services Inc., AES Energy Solutions LLC, AES Energy Storage Arizona LLC, AES Energy Storage Holdings, AES Energy Storage Holdings LLC, AES Energy Storage LLC, AES Energy Storage UK Limited, AES Energy Storage Zeeland B.V., AES Engineering LLC, AES Europe Services EOOD, AES Finance and Development Inc., AES Florestal Ltda., AES Fonseca Energia Limitada de C.V., AES Forca Ltd., AES Foreign Energy Holdings LLC, AES GEI US Finance Inc., AES GEO Energy OOD, AES GPH Holdings Inc., AES Gabreski Solar LLC, AES Gas Supply & Distribution Ltd., AES Gener S.A., AES Generation Development LLC, AES Global Insurance Company, AES Global Mobility Services LLC, AES Global Power Holdings B.V., AES Globales B.V., AES Grand Dominicana Ltd., AES Grid Stability LLC, AES Griggs Solar LLC, AES Guaiba II Empreendimentos Ltda, AES Guayama Holdings BV, AES Hawaii LLC, AES Hawaii Management Company LLC, AES Highgrove Holdings L.L.C., AES Highgrove L.L.C., AES Hispanola Holdings BV, AES Hispanola Holdings II BV, AES Holdings B.V., AES Holdings B.V. - Vietnam Rep Office, AES Holdings Brasil Ltda., AES Honduras Generation Ventures Ltd., AES Honduras Holdings Ltd., AES Horizons Holdings BV, AES Horizons Investments Limited, AES Hungary Energiaszolgaltato Kft., AES Huntington Beach Development L.L.C., AES Huntington Beach Energy LLC, AES Huntington Beach L.L.C., AES IB Valley Corporation, AES Ilumina Holdings LLC, AES Ilumina LLC, AES Ilumina Member LLC, AES India Holdings (Mauritius), AES India L.L.C., AES Indiana Holdings L.L.C., AES Integrated Energy LLC, AES Intercon II Ltd., AES Interenergy Ltd., AES International Holdings II Ltd., AES International Holdings III Ltd., AES International Holdings Ltd., AES Investment Chile SpA, AES Italia S.r.l, AES James Baird Solar LLC, AES Johnsville Solar LLC, AES Jordan Holdco Cayman Limited, AES Jordan PSC, AES Jordan Solar B.V., AES Juniper Point Holdings LLC, AES K2 Limited, AES Kalaeloa Venture L.L.C., AES Kekaha Solar LLC, AES Keystone L.L.C., AES Keystone Wind L.L.C., AES King Harbor Inc., AES Kuihelani Solar LLC, AES LA FIT Dedeaux LLC, AES LA FIT Francisco LLC, AES LA FIT Sun Valley LLC, AES LATAM Energy Development Ltd., AES Landfill Carbon LLC, AES Latin America S. de R.L., AES Latin American Development Ltd., AES Laurel Mountain LLC, AES Lawai Solar LLC, AES Levant Holdings B.V., AES Levant Holdings B.V/ Jordan PSC, AES Lion Telecom Investments B.V., AES Lumos Holdings LLC, AES Maritza East 1 Ltd., AES Maritza East 1 Services Ltd., AES Mayan Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida B.V., AES Merida III S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida Management Services S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Merida Operaciones SRL de CV, AES Mexican Holdings Ltd., AES Mexico Farms L.L.C., AES Mexico Generation Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES MicroPlanet Ltd., AES Mid East Holdings 2 Ltd., AES Mong Duong Holdings B.V., AES Mong Duong Project Holdings B.V., AES Monroe Holdings B.V., AES Mount Vernon B.V., AES NA Central L.L.C., AES NEXT Ltda. de C.V., AES Nejapa Gas Ltda. de C.V., AES Nejapa Services Ltda. de C.V., AES Next LLC, AES Nile Power Holdings Ltd., AES North America Development LLC, AES OPGC Holding, AES Oahu LLC, AES Oahu Wind Holdings LLC, AES Oasis Holdco Inc., AES Oasis Ltd., AES Oasis Mauritius Inc, AES Ocean Springs Trust Deed, AES Odyssey L.L.C., AES Ohio Generation LLC, AES Operaciones Laguna del Rey S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Operadora S.A, AES Orissa Distribution Private Limited, AES Overseas Holdings (Cayman) Ltd., AES Overseas Holdings Limited, AES Pacific Inc., AES Pacific L.L.C., AES Pacific Ocean Holdings B.V., AES Pak Holdings Ltd., AES Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., AES Pakistan Operations Ltd., AES Panama S.R.L., AES Parana Gas S.A., AES Parana Holdings Ltd., AES Parana IHC Ltd., AES Parana II Limited Partnership, AES Parana Operations S.R.L., AES Parana Propiedades S.A, AES Parana Uruguay S.R.L, AES Pardo Holdings Ltd., AES Pasadena Inc., AES Peru S.R.L., AES Phil Investment Pte. Ltd., AES Philippines Power Partners Co. Ltd., AES Platense Investments Uruguay S.C.A, AES Puerto Rico Inc., AES Puerto Rico L.P., AES Puerto Rico Services Inc., AES Redondo Beach L.L.C., AES Renewable Power Group S.R.L., AES Renewables (India) Private Limited, AES Riverside Holdings LLC, AES SACEF Investment LLC, AES SEB Holdings (Delaware) LLC, AES SEB Holdings Ltd., AES Saint Petersburg Holdings B.V., AES San Nicolas B.V., AES SellCo III LLC, AES Services Inc., AES Services Ltd., AES Services Philippines Inc., AES Servicios America S.R. L., AES Servicios Electricos S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Servicos TC Ltda., AES Shady Point LLC, AES Silk Road Energy LLC, AES Silk Road LLC, AES Solar Energy B.V., AES Solar Energy Holdings B.V., AES Solar Energy LLC, AES Solar Espana S.L., AES Solar Holdings LLC, AES Solar Power PR LLC, AES Sole Italia S.r.L., AES Soluciones Limitada de Capital Variable, AES Solutions LLC, AES Solutions Management LLC, AES South America Holdings Cooperatief U.A., AES South America Holdings I B.V., AES South America Holdings II B.V., AES South American Holdings Ltd., AES South Point Ltd., AES Southland Development LLC, AES Southland Energy Company Holdings I LLC, AES Southland Energy Holdings II LLC, AES Southland Energy Holdings LLC, AES Southland Energy Investment LLC, AES Southland Energy LLC, AES Stonehaven Holding Inc., AES Strategic Equipment Holdings Corporation, AES Sul L.L.C., AES Summit Generation Ltd., AES Swiss Lake Holdings B.V., AES TEG Holdings I LLC, AES TEG Holdings LLC, AES TEG II Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG II Mexican Investments S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG II Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Management Inc., AES TEG Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Mexican Investments S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., AES TEG Power Investments B.V., AES TEG Power Investments II B.V., AES TEGTEP Holdings B.V., AES TEP Holdings I LLC, AES TEP Holdings LLC, AES TEP Management Inc., AES TEP Power II Investments Limited, AES TEP Power Investments Limited, AES Tamuin Development Services S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Texas Funding III L.L.C., AES Thames L.L.C., AES Thomas Holdings BV, AES Tiete Eolica S.A., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia I Ltda., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia II Ltda., AES Tiete Inova Solucoes de Energia Ltda., AES Tiete Integra Solucoes em Energia Ltda, AES Tonawanda Solar LLC, AES Transgas I Ltd., AES Treasure Cove Ltd., AES Trinidad Services Unlimited, AES Trust III, AES Tucano Holding I S.A., AES Tucano Holdings II S.A., AES U&K Holdings B.V., AES U.S. Holdings LLC, AES U.S. Investments Inc., AES U.S. Solar LLC, AES UCH Holdings (Cayman) Ltd., AES UK Datacenter Services Limited, AES UK Holdings Limited, AES UK Power Financing II Ltd, AES UK Power Financing Limited, AES UK Power Holdings Limited, AES UK Power L.L.C., AES UK Power Limited, AES US Distributed Solar Holdings LLC, AES US Generation Holdings LLC, AES US Generation LLC, AES US Services LLC, AES US Wind Development L.L.C., AES US Wind Generation Holdings LLC, AES Union de Negocios S.A. de C.V., AES Uruguaiana Empreendimentos S.A., AES Venezuela Finance, AES Volcan Holdings B.V., AES WR Limited Partnership, AES Waikoloa Solar LLC, AES Warrior Run L.L.C., AES West Oahu Solar LLC, AES Western Power Holdings L.L.C., AES Western Power L.L.C., AES Western Wind L.L.C., AES Western Wind MV Acquisition LLC, AES Wind Bulgaria EOOD, AES Wind Generation LLC, AES Wind Generation Limited, AES Wind Investments I B.V., AES Wind Investments II B.V., AES Yucatan S. de R.L. de C.V., AES Zephyr 2 LLC, AES Zephyr 3 LLC, AES Zephyr Inc., AES- IC Ictas Enerji Uretim ve Ticaret A.S., AES-3C Maritza East 1 Ltd., AES-RS Spanish Holdings LLC, AES-RS Sunshine Cooperatief U.A., AES-RS Sunshine Holdings LLC, AES-VCM Mong Duong Power Company Limited, AESCom Sul Ltda., AESEBA Trust Deed, AGV Solar IV Geradora de Energia S.A., AGV Solar V Geradora de Energia S.A., AGV Solar VI Geradora de Energia S.A., AM Solar B.V., AM Solar B.V. - Jordan Co., APR Walden Solar 1 LLC, ARNIKA Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, AZ Solar I LLC, AZ Solar II LLC, AZ Solar Phase Zero LLC, AgCert Canada Co., AgCert Canada Holding Limited, AgCert Chile Servicios Ambientales Limitada, AgCert International Limited, AgCert Servicios Ambientales S.R.L., Agilion Energy Private Limited, Allis Medina Solar LLC, Altai Power Limited Liability Partnership, Alto Maipo SpA, Amaterasu LLC, Andes Solar SpA, Arizona B&GC Solar LLC, Assonet Solar 1 LLC, Atlantic Basin Services Ltd., B.A. Services S.R.L., Bakersfield Industrial PV 1 LLC, Bakersfield PV I LLC, Beals Medina Solar LLC, Boa Hora 1 Geradora De Energia Solar S.A., Boa Hora 2 Geradora de Energia Solar S.A., Boa Hora 3 Geradora De Energia Solar S.A., Bolton Solar I LLC, Brasiliana Participacoes S.A., Bridgeport Solar LLC, Buffalo Gap Holdings 2 LLC, Buffalo Gap Holdings 3 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Holdings LLC, Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 2 LLC, Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 3 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Wind Farm 4 L.L.C., Buffalo Gap Wind Farm LLC, Bullock Freetown Solar 1 LLC, Bosforo de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable, CCS Telecarrier, CDEC-SING Ltda, CIA.TRANSMISORA DEL NORTE CHICO S.A., CO-CA Wholly Owned LLC, Camille Ltd., Camille Trust, Cavanal Minerals LLC, Cayman Energy Traders, Cemig II C.V., Centrais Eolicas Ametista S.A., Centrais Eolicas Borgo S.A., Centrais Eolicas Caetite S.A., Centrais Eolicas Dourados S.A., Centrais Eolicas Espigao S.A., Centrais Eolicas Maron S.A., Centrais Eolicas Morrao S.A., Centrais Eolicas Pelourinho S.A., Centrais Eolicas Piloes S.A., Centrais Eolicas Seraima S.A., Centrais Eolicas Serra do Espinhaco S.A., Centrais Eolicas Tanque S.A., Centrais Eolicas Ventos do Nordeste S.A., Centrais Eolicas da Prata S.A., Centrais Eolicas dos Aracas S.A., Central Electricity Supply Company of Orissa Limited, Central Termoelectrica Guillermo Brown S.A., Cerulean Properties LLC, Clean Wind Energy Ltd., Coastal Itabo Ltd., Colon LNG Marketing S. De R.L., Compania de Alumbrado Eletrico de San Salvador S.A. DE C.V., Compass Circle Solar LLC, Compania Transmisora Angamos SpA, Compania Transmisora La Cebada S.A., Compania Transmisora del Norte Grande SpA, Costa Norte LNG Terminal S. de R.L., Cronin Road Solar 1 LLC, DPL Capital Trust II, DPL Inc., Daggett Ridge Wind Farm LLC, Delano PV1 LLC, Diamond Development Inc., Distribuidora Electrica de Usulutan Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Domi Trading S.L., Dominican Power Partners, Dublin Solar I LLC, Dunstable Solar 1 LLC, EMLP Controladora S. de R.L. de C.V., ENERAB S. de R.L. de C.V., ENERGEN S.A., Eloy ESD Solar Holdings LLC, Empresa Electrica Angamos S.A., Empresa Electrica Campiche S.A., Empresa Electrica Cochrane II SpA, Empresa Electrica Cochrane S.A., Empresa Electrica Guacolda S.A., Empresa Electrica Ventanas S.A., Empresa Electrica de Oriente S.A. de C.V., Empresa Generadora De Electricidad Itabo S.A., EnerAB Cogeneracion I Laguna del Rey S. de R.L. de C.V., EnerAB Suministro Calificado S. de R.L. de C.V., EnerAB Tenedora S. de R.L., Energetica Argentina S.A., Energia Eolica Los Olmos SpA, Energia Eolica Mesamavida SpA, Energia Verde S.A., Energy Trade and Finance Corporation, Energia Eolica Curauma SpA, Energia Eolica Paposo SpA, Energia Natural del Este Enadom, Eolica Mesa La Paz S. de R.L. de C.V., FTP Power LLC, Finchville Solar LLC, Fluence Energy LLC, Founder's Homestead Farm Solar LLC, Fundacion AES Dominicana Inc., Fundacion AES Gener, GENERGIA S.A., GNRY Holdings & Investments Limited, Gas Natural Atlantico II S. de R.L., Gas Natural Atlantico S. De R.L., Gasoducto GasAndes Argentina S.A., Gasoducto GasAndes S.A., Gener Argentina S.A., Gener Blue Water Ltd., Genergia Power Ltd., Georgia Solar Holdings LLC, Georgia Solar Parent LLC, Global Energy Holdings C.V., Goller Enerji Uretim Ltd. Sti., Gray Springs Vista Solar LLC, Greenwich Solar 1 LLC, Guacolda Energy S.A., Guaimbe I Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe II Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe III Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe IV Parque Solar S.A., Guaimbe Solar Holding S.A., Guaimbe V Parque Solar S.A., Health and Welfare Benefit Plans LLC, Hipotecaria San Miguel Limitada de Capital Variable, Hipotecaria Santa Ana Limitada de Capital Variable, INVERSIONES NUEVA VENTANAS S.A., IPALCO Enterprises Inc., Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Indimento Inversiones S.L., Instituto AES Brasil, InterAndes S.A., Inversiones Cachagua SpA, Inversiones Energia Renovable Limitada, Inversiones LK SpA, Inversiones Termoenergia de Chile Ltda., Inversiones Zapallar Limitada, Inversora de San Nicolas S.A., Itabo III S.R.L., Jemeiwaa KaI S.A.S., Johnstown Solar 1 LLC, KA Energy OOD, KMR Power Company, Kazincbarcikai Iparteruletfejleszt Kft., Kings Rooftop PV LLC, La Plata I Empreendimentos Ltda., La Plata II Ltd., La Plata III C.V., Lane Ave Solar LLC, Lemoore PV 1 LLC, MFP CO Holdings II LLC, MFP CO Holdings LLC, MFP CO I LLC, MFP CO II LLC, MFP CO III LLC, MFP CO Parent LLC, MM Solar Holdings I LLC, MM Solar Parent LLC, MSP Master Tenant I LLC, MSP Master Tenant II LLC, MacGregor Park Inc., Manteca PV 1 LLC, Maple Solar LLC, Maui 17-2 LLC, Mauka FIT Twenty LLC, Mercury Cayman Co II Ltda Agencia en Chile, Mercury Chile Co. II Ltd., Mercury Chile Holdco Ltd., Mercury Chile I Limitada, Mercury Chile II Limitada, Miami Valley Insurance Company, Miami Valley Lighting LLC, Mid-America Capital Resources Inc., Middletown Solar 1 LLC, Mong Duong Finance Holdings B.V., Motor EV LLC, Mountain Minerals LLC, Mountain View Power Partners IV LLC, Mountain View Power Partners LLC, Murcia Generation Holdings B.V., NY RNM Project1 LLC, NY RNM Project1A LLC, NY RNM Project2 LLC, NY RNM Project3 LLC, NY RNM Project4 LLC, Na Pua Makani Power Partners LLC, New Caribbean Investments SRL, Norgener Inversiones SpA, Norgener Renovables SpA, Norgener S.A., Nova Energia Holding S.A., Novus Barre Town Solar LLC, Nurenergoservice LLP, Oahu SPE 101-14 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-19 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-2 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-33 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-4 LLC, Oahu SPE 101-9 LLC, Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited, Omega SpA, PARQUE EOLICO NOLANA SpA, PARQUE EOLICO TOPOLOA SpA, Parque Eolico Beata SRL, Parque Eolico Litueche SpA, Parque Eolico Campo Lindo SpA, Parque Eolico Los Cururos SpA, Parque Eolico Victoria SpA, Punta del Sol SpA, Quebrada Seca SpA, RMR Solar LLC, RT52 Walden Solar 1 LLC, Ransomville Solar 1 LLC, Remittance Processing Services LLC, Rep Office of AES Silk Road in Almaty, Rep Office of AES Silk Road in Tajikstan Republic, Richmond Solar Power 1 LLC, River Street Solar 1 LLC, Riverside Canal Power Company, Rosamond Solar LLC, Ryan Road Solar LLC, SD Solar I LLC, SEPV Imperial LLC, San Bernardino Solar LLC, Scituate Solar I LLC, Scottsdale Solar Holdings LLC, SeaWest Asset Management Services LLC, SeaWest Energy Project Associates LLC, SeaWest Properties LLC, SeaWest Wyoming LLC, Shazia S.R.L., Simple Energy Inc., Solar Access America LLC, Solar Access CA LLC, Solar Access California LLC, Southern Electric Brazil Participacoes Ltda., Store Heat and Produce Energy Inc., Stow Solar I LLC, Sudbury Ervin GMC Solar LLC, SunE Solar XVII Project5 LLC, SunE SunHoldings4 LLC, T&T Power Holdings I SRL, T&T Power Holdings II Ltd., TEG Business Trust, TEG/TEP Management LLC, TEP Business Trust, Tau Power BV, Tecnoma Energia Solar S.L., TermoAndes S.A., Termoelectrica Penoles S. de R.L. de C.V., Termoelectrica del Golfo S. de R.L. de C.V., Terneuzen Cogen B.V., The AES Barry Foundation, The Dayton Power and Light Company, Thermo Fuels Company Inc., Tozer Road Solar LLC, USVI Solar I LLC, University Solar LLC, Vientos Neuquinos I S.A., Village of Waterbury Solar I LLC, W. Orange RD Solar LLC, West Brookfield Boston Post Road Solar LLC, West Street Solar 1 LLC, Western Solar Parent LLC, Wilbur Woods Solar LLC, Wildwood Trust, Williamsburg East Street Solar LLC, Winchendon Ash Street Solar 1 LLC, Winchendon Lincoln Avenue Solar 1 LLC, Winchendon Lincoln Avenue Solar 2 LLC, Your Energy Holdings Limited, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-001 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-003 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-006 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-007 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-008 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-011 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-014 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-017 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-023 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-024 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-038 LLC, ZPD-PT Solar Project 2017-044 LLC, sPower, and sPower OpCo A Blocker LLC. China Telecom Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireline and mobile telecommunications services primarily in the People's Republic of China. It offers wireline voice services, including local wireline telephone services and long distance wireline services; CDMA mobile voice services, such as local calls, domestic and international long distance calls, intra-provincial roaming, and inter-provincial roaming and international roaming; wireline Internet access services comprising dial-up and broadband services; wireless Internet access services; and wireline, Internet, and mobile value-added services. The company also provides Best Tone information services; and information technology-based integrated solutions, such as system integration and consulting, outsourcing, special advisory, information application, knowledge, and software development services. In addition, it offers managed data services that include digital data network, frame relay, and asynchronous transfer mode services for government agencies, large corporations, and institutions; and leased line services, as well as sells, repairs, and maintains customer-end equipment. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, including network, Internet access and transit, Internet data center, and mobile virtual network services in various countries, including the Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America; and music production and related information, instant messenger, finance leasing, capital and financial management, and e-commerce services, as well as sells telecommunications terminals. As of December 31, 2019, it had approximately 336 million mobile subscribers; 153 million wireline broadband subscribers; and 111 million access lines in service. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. China Telecom Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of China Telecommunications Corporation. Read More Rogers Communications Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device and accessory financing, wireless home phone, device protection, text messaging, e-mail, global voice and data roaming, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device delivery services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands to approximately 10.9 million subscribers. It also provides Internet and WiFi services; smart home monitoring services, such as monitoring, security, automation, energy efficiency, and smart control through a smartphone app. In addition, the company offers local and network TV; on-demand television; cloud-based digital video recorders; voice-activated remote controls, and integrated apps; personal video recorders; linear and time-shifted programming; digital specialty channels; 4K television programming; and televised content on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, as well as operates Ignite TV and Ignite TV app. Further, it provides residential and small business local telephony services; calling features, such as voicemail, call waiting, and long distance; voice, data networking, Internet protocol, and Ethernet services; private networking, Internet, IP voice, and cloud solutions; optical wave and multi-protocol label switching services; IT and network technologies; and cable access network services. The company also owns Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre event venue; and operates Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, Citytv, OMNI, FX (Canada), FXX (Canada), and OLN television networks, as well as 55 AM and FM radio stations. Rogers Communications Inc. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More - 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." 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 ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of 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.. The following companies are subsidiares of Tyson Foods: APF Legacy Subs LLC, Advance Food Company LLC, AdvancePierre Foods, AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc., AdvancePierre Foods Inc., Aidells Sausage Company Inc., Allied Specialty Foods Inc., American Proteins Inc, Artisan Bread Co. LLC, Australian Food Corporation Pty Limited, Australian Food Corporation Trust, BRF, Barber Foods LLC, Bosco's Pizza Co., Bryan Foods Inc., C.S. Grain LLC, C.V. Holdings Inc., CBFA Management Corp., Central Industries Inc., Chefs Pantry LLC, Clovervale Farms LLC, Cobb (Hubei) Breeding Co. Ltd., Cobb (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Cobb Ana Damizlik Tavukculuk Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cobb Columbia S.A.S., Cobb Europe B.V., Cobb Europe Limited, Cobb Peru (Andina) S.A.C., Cobb-Heritage LLC, Cobb-Vantress Brasil Ltda, Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cobb-Vantress New Zealand Limited, Cobb-Vantress Philippines Inc., Coominya AFC Pty Limited, Coominya AFC Trust, DFG Foods Inc., DFG Foods L.L.C., Don Julio, Egbert LLC, Equity Group - Georgia Division LLC, Equity Group - Kentucky Division LLC, Equity Group Eufaula Division LLC, Equity Meat Corp., Flavor Corp., Flavor Holdings Inc., Foodbrands America Inc., Foodbrands Supply Chain Services Inc., Gallo Salame Inc., Global Employment Services Inc., Grow-Out Credit LLC, Grow-Out Holdings LLC, Haimen Tyson Poultry Development Co. Ltd, Hudson Foods Company, Hudson Midwest Foods Inc., Hybro Genetics Brasil Ltda, IBP Caribbean Inc., IBP Foodservice L.L.C., IBP Inc., International Affiliates & Investment LLC, Jiangsu Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Keydutch Finance B.V., Keydutch Holdings I LLC, Keydutch Holdings II LLC, Keydutch Investments B.V., Keystone CLJV Holdings Limited, Keystone County House Road LLC, Keystone Foods, Keystone Foods (AP) Limited, Keystone Foods Holdco LLC, Keystone Foods Intermediate LLC, Keystone Foods LLC, Keystone Foods Pty Limited, Keystone Management Inc., Keystone Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, LD Foods LLC, M & M Express LLC, M&M Restaurant Supply (MI/OH) LLC, MFG (USA) Holdings Inc., Mac Food Services (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., Madison Foods Inc., McKey Food Services (Hong Kong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Shandong) Limited, McKey Food Services (Thailand) Limited, McKey Food Services Limited, McKey Luxembourg Holdings APMEA S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., McKey Luxembourg S.a.r.l., McKey VI Holdings Limited, Myung Seung Food Company Ltd., National Comp Care Inc., New Canada Holdings Inc., Oaklawn Capital Corporation, Oaklawn IT Solution Private Limited, Original Philly Holdings Inc., PBX inc., Pierre Holdco Inc., River Valley Ingredients LLC, Rizhao Tyson Foods Co. Ltd, Rizhao Tyson Poultry Co. Ltd, Rural Energy Systems Inc., Sara Lee - Kiwi Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Diversified LLC, Sara Lee Foods LLC, Sara Lee Household & Body Care Malawi Ltd., Sara Lee International LLC, Sara Lee International TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Mexicana Holdings Investment L.L.C., Sara Lee TM Holdings LLC, Sara Lee Trademark Holdings Australasia LLC, Saramar L.L.C., Shandong Tyson-Da Long Food Company Limited, Smart Chicken, Southern Family Foods L.L.C., Southwest Products LLC, TF 20 B.V., TF 5201 B.V., TFA Leasing LLC, TFA Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, TFI of California Inc., Tecumseh Poultry LLC, Texas Transfer Inc., The Bruss Company, The Hillshire Brands Company, The IBP Foods Co., The Pork Group Inc., TyNet Corporation, Tyson (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Tyson Americas Holding Sarl, Tyson Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Tyson Breeders Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Tyson China Holding 2 Limited, Tyson China Holding 3 Limited, Tyson China Holding Limited, Tyson Deli Inc., Tyson Europe Holding Company, Tyson Farms Inc., Tyson Farms QOZB LLC, Tyson Foods Brasil Investimentos Ltda., Tyson Foods Canada Inc., Tyson Foods Europe (Netherlands) B.V., Tyson Foods Europe GmbH, Tyson Foods France S.A.R.L., Tyson Foods Germany GmbH, Tyson Foods Group Limited, Tyson Foods Holland B.V., Tyson Foods Huadong Development Co. Ltd, Tyson Foods Iberia Alimentos S.L.U., Tyson Foods Italia S.p.A., Tyson Foods Korea, Tyson Foods Netherlands B.V., Tyson Foods Products Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Europe Limited, Tyson Foods Scotland Sales (Europe) Limited, Tyson Foods UK Limited, Tyson Foods Wrexham Limited, Tyson Foods oosterwolde B.V., Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats Sales and Distribution LLC, Tyson Global Holding Sarl, Tyson Hog Markets Inc., Tyson India Holdings Ltd., Tyson International APAC Ltd., Tyson International Company Ltd., Tyson International Holding Company, Tyson International Holding Sarl, Tyson International Service Center Inc., Tyson International Service Center Inc. Asia, Tyson International Service Center Inc. Europe, Tyson Mexican Original Inc., Tyson Mexico Trading Company S. de R.L. de CV., Tyson New Ventures LLC, Tyson Opportunity Zone Fund LLC, Tyson Pet Products Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Prepared Foods Inc., Tyson Processing Services Inc., Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats Inc., Tyson Sales and Distribution Inc., Tyson Service Center Corp., Tyson Shared Services Inc., Tyson Storm Lake Holdings LLC, Tyson Warehousing Services LLC, Tyson of Wisconsin LLC, Uninex SA, Universal Meats (UK) Limited, WBA Analytical Laboratories Inc., Wilton Foods Inc., Xamol Consultores e Servicos, and Zemco Industries Inc.. China Mobile Limited provides mobile telecommunications and related services in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The company offers local calls; domestic and international long distance calls and roaming services; and value-added services, such as caller identity display, call waiting, conference calls, and others. It also provides wireless Internet service, as well as digital applications comprising music, video, reading, gaming, and animation; wireline broadband services; and wireline voice services. In addition, it offers dedicated line and IDC services to corporate customers in a range of industry sectors; and basic corporate communication products comprising corporate VPMN and SMS, and tailor made solutions. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, which includes IDD, roaming, Internet, MNC, and value added business services. Additionally, it offers telecommunications network planning, design, and consulting services; roaming clearance, IT system operation, and technology support services; value-added platform development and maintenance services; mobile data, and system integration and development services; network construction and maintenance, network planning and optimizing, and training services; electronic communication products design and sale of related products; and non-banking financial services. It also provides mobile cloud research and development services; call center services; e-payment, e-commerce, and Internet finance services; and mobile Internet digital content services, as well as operates a network and business coordination center. The company serves 950 million mobile customers and 187 million wireline broadband customers. The company was formerly known as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited and changed its name to China Mobile Limited in May 2006. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. China Mobile Limited is a subsidiary of China Mobile Hong Kong (BVI) Limited. Read More Judicial proceedings against Kazakhstan and its former foreign investor Anatoli Stati, who has lost his assets in the republic, are ongoing. The conflict of the Kazakh authorities with businessman Stati from Moldova, who worked in the republic's oil and gas sector in 2000s, has gone on since 2010.The 'Stati' trials are progressing in different countries, most rulings went in favor of the Moldovan investor. Astana contests these decisions. Recently, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Stati and his company Ascom in a dispute with Kazakhstan. Stati accused Astana of having seized his property illegally and claimed damages of $4 billion. Kazakhstan calls Stati a swindler and is not going to pay him. Stati invested over $150 million in Kazakhstan's oil and gas industry. He was accused of embezzlement: according to some data, he overestimated the cost of building a gas processing plant by entering into fictitious contracts, according to others - he pumped oil without permission and embezzled some $1 million. In January 2013, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce found that Kazakhstan violated the Energy Charter Treaty and ordered the government to pay Stati $500 million in damages, but Kazakhstan refused to pay. In March 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of Stati and ordered that $520 million must be paid. Astana insists that there was fraud on Stati's part. In May 2018, the court of first instance in Brussels lifted a freeze on about $21.5 billion in the Kazakh National Fund assets and ordered that they could lifted the freeze on the remaining $530 million depending on a ruling by a British court. Astana believes that the final verdict is not yet near, since Stati was forced to leave London, the Kazakh Minister of Justice Marat Beketayev said. According to him, the process is underway in seven jurisdictions. "On the whole, I would assess the situation as favorable. Stati was forced to leave London. He tried to present his departure as a free right to refuse. Allegedly, he has security and good chances in other jurisdictions, so he does not want to spend resources on English jurisdiction," Beketaev said. In the meantime, in the course of the UK trial, the High Court of Justice in England, after presenting extensive arguments by Kazakhstan, acknowledged the existence of considerable evidence of Statis fraud and ordered a new trial on this issue. This was reported by the Kazakh Ministry of Justice, noting that the U.S. District Court did not allow the Republic of Kazakhstan to present an argument about fraud in support of its defense. The Republic of Kazakhstan intends to appeal this decision and protect its legal rights. The trial continues. Ex-deputy of the Moldovan parliament, political scientist Zurab Todua told Vestnik Kavkaza about Stati. Moldavian oligarch Anatol Stati is a very interesting and in many ways mysterious person. He is actually the only Moldovan businessman who managed to create not just some penny tomato, apple or wine business abroad, but a serious one related to oil and gas. In the late 1990s, he somehow managed to squeeze into the Kazakh oil and gas industry. Perhaps, under the patronage of former Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi. He has invested heavily in the development of two oil and gas condensate fields - Tolkyn and Borankol in the Mangystau region. In 2005, the construction of the Borankol gas processing plant was started in Mangistau. The project was estimated at $176.5 million. and was funded by Stati'sTristan Oil. The businessman allegedly managed to invest $156.2 million in the construction through the subsidiary company Tolkynneftegaz. At the same time, Stati has started to seek solutions to reach the Middle East and, after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, he entered Iraq as well. Statis relations did not work out with Moldovan communists who were in power from 2001 to 2009. In 2008, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin addressed Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with an official letter in which he asked to deal with the legality of Stati's business operations and property in this country. Apparently, the Kazakh authorities liked this appeal. In any case, Stati was soon forced to leave Kazakhstan in a hurry and with great losses. The businessman did not forgive Voronin - according to available data, he actively supported the April 7, 2009 rebellion in Moldova, as a result of which the buildings of the parliament and the presidential office were burned down. A few months later the Communist Party lost power in Moldova. All this time Anatoli Stati has been a wallflower. Unlike other Moldovan billionaire Vlad Plahotniuc, he didn't go into public policy. Stati's name rarely appears in the media, he avoids public events, avoids being on television. His son Gabriel, who did not hide his craving for luxurious life, which was obvious in poor Moldova and irritated the society, caused some discomfort for him. However, in recent years, Gabriel has started to follow his father's steps and withdrew into the shadows. "But a few years ago, the embassy of Qatar, one of the richest states in the world, suddenly opened in Chisinau's most prestigious place - the area of Komsomolskoye Lake. One can only wonder about the interests linking Moldova and Qatar. But it's obvious that these are large-scale business interests of the oligarchs of the two states. Moldova is most likely represented by Anatoli Stati - there are no other businessmen of such level in Moldova with interests in Qatar. The reports that Kazakhstan has problems with its billion-dollar assets abroad are not surprising. Anatoli Stati did not forget how he was treated there. All this time, he probably was preparing, hired strong lawyers who worked out the issue patiently and thoroughly. The result is obvious. It seems that Kazakhstan will have quite serious problems. Stati's lawsuits against Kazakhstan are very beneficial to the West for many reasons. First of all, it is an opportunity to exert powerful pressure on Astana and try to force it to be more receptive to advice and guidance from Washington and Brussels. The fact that the U.S. court rejected Astanas attempts to avoid their obligations under the Energy Charter Charter to pay $525 million in damages was not accidental. The Kazakh authorities have not yet commented on this decision. $10 per person for everyone age 4 and older. Children 3 and under get in Free! One of the country's finest -with millions of Christmas Lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees and bridges. The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill A Miami Valley tradition bringing the spirit of Christmas and smiling faces - Open Every Day from Nov 26 through December 30, 2021. For over 30 years, Clifton Mill has celebrated the Christmas season in a very special way. Our light display is one of the country's finest with over 3.5 million lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees, and bridges. There is even a 100-foot "waterfall" of twinkling lights. The flip of one switch turns all the lights on at once transforming night into a fantastical winter wonderland. The lights have been featured in Midwest Living and Ohio Magazine. There is a Miniature Village, a Santa Claus Museum and spectacular synchronized lights and music show that features the old Covered Bridge. Every night until Christmas you can peek into Santa's Workshop to see a live Santa at work and then, every 15 minutes or so, watch him check his list and go up the chimney to load his sleigh! So gather your family and head out to see The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill for an instant "Christmas Spirit" boost. What You Should Know: New Delhi: Cutting flak from the department of telecom (DoT) over gaps in maintenance of BharatNet infrastructure, the BSNL has given a strong reply to the DoT putting the onus of the failure on Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) and asserting it is this entity that should be questioned for the mismanagement. The whole matter was analysed in detail and root cause analysis of the problem was done. Request was also made to direct BBNL to overcome systemic deficiencies which are still existing and well known to all decision makers, said the BSNLs stern response to DoT secretary Aruna Sundararajan who had flayed both the organisation for not fulfilling their responsibilities in maintaining and optimally using the BharatNet network. BSNL said that it would be unfair to take any action against any of its officials asserting that BSNL has done its job well on its responsibility portion of the prestigious project which covers only the optical fibre management and its officials are not responsible for any negligence that may have been done by other agencies (BBNL). The PSU has also told DoT that BBNL has not even been releasing funds for the O&M by BSNL and Rs 617 crore are pending as dues with BBNL. BSNL has incurred lot of expenditure to facilitate its field unit with required tools & testers to carry out O&M of BharatNet. Till date on this account only Rs 333 crore and Rs 617 crore are pending for payment. In present cash crunch position of BSNL, it is becoming more and more difficult to meet the expenses of O&M of BharatNet for which circles are demanding funds, the letter says. Assignment of all GP faults summary to BSNL, is neither justified nor called for. The optical fiber failures only should be assigned to BSNL. For that purpose it has also sought DoTs response to segregate the responsibilities. The state operator has told its parent that it is doing maintenance work in many states where it should have been done by PGCIL and RailTel. BBNL has assigned maintenance work of Gujarat, Odisha, Pudduchery, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to BSNL, which were supposed to be done by RailTel and PGCIL, it said. BSNL has sought segregation of responsibilities to be undertaken by DoT for avoiding this kind of situation and stated in the letter that in view of all above issues related to maintenance of GPs for such a prestigious project it is requested that all faults reported may be got segregated by the maintenance agency (BBNL) and faults pertaining to optical fiber cable only should be assigned to BSNL. Another letter by BSNL director (enterprise) NK Mehta to telecom secretary said that in absence of detailed segregation of faults, if BSNL is being asked to take disciplinary actions against its officers, it will be unjustified to punish them for faults beyond their area of responsibility but BSNL will take necessary fault repairs of BharatNet without waiting for BBNL and if any of its officials found to be neglecting on their duty, it will also take disciplinary action . Some 5,275 Flipkart employees, across all profiles and seniorities, have floated their CVs have posted their CVs on the job portal. Bangaluru: Something is not quite right at the countrys e-com rockstar, Flipkart, after it hit a $16 billion Walmart jackpot in May this year. If sheer data is anything to go by, over 6,500 employees of Flipkart and its subsidiaries, including Myntra, Jabong, PhonePe and Ekart, are actively job hunting on the countrys top notch career site, Naukri.com. That means, more than 20 per cent of the companys total employees -- over 30,000 -- are exploring career prospects outside Flipkart. A research found that some 5,275 Flipkart employees, across all profiles and seniorities, have floated their CVs on the portal of which 2,031 are from the companys hometown, Bangalore. If you take a close look at the profiles of these applications, some 188 are directors (deputy, senior, associate), earning above Rs 30 lakh plus per annum. Some 700 employees of Myntra and 519 employees of Jabong, the fashion and lifestyle brands of Flipkart, too have posted their CVs on the job portal. These job seekers include 27 and 16 senior executives from Myntra and Jabong, respectively. It looks like almost 50 per cent of Jabong employees are on a career search. Some of these profiles include logistics, testing, business analysis, software development and data analysis. Flipkarts logistics venture, Ekart and its payment arm, PhonePe, are also not spared from huge attrition possibilities. Some 188 Ekart employees are looking out for a new job while 76 employees half a dozen of them are senior profiles -- of PhonePe are also on a job hunt. PhonePe had said in March that it would double its people strength from 250. Interestingly, some 80 per cent of these job applications have come on the portal in the last two to three months, observe recruiters. Also, the number of Flipkart employee profiles out in the job market could only go up if other job portals and career platforms are researched, say recruiters. BS Murthy, a top tech hirer and CEO at Leadership Capital, said, Looks like Indias e-com poster boy Flipkart is heading towards a serious attrition issue if employee concerns and career future issues are not addressed immediately. This will have serious impact on the growth plans of Flipkart-Walmart in India, of course to the delight of its archrival Amazon which potentially holds the finest talent in the e-com business today. A senior Flipkart executive said on condition of anonymity, Prior to the Walmart deal, there was a lot of hype about being part of a global giant, stock options and opportunities of working around the globe etc. Few employees are already seeing some positive things, but for the majority, it is uncertainty and lack of clarity, because there is no proper communication from Walmart yet. Internal sources said a bunch of senior executives in Binny Bansals coterie may be asked to leave by CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansals sudden exit as group CEO of Flipkart has triggered speculations over the future of the Indian e-commerce sector. With reference to the recent speculation that Flipkart may lay off 50 per cent of Jabong's workforce, the temp staffing firm TeamLease said this move is just an indication of any merger or acquisition happening in the company. Kangana Ranaut in the still from her upcoming film 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. Mumbai: Today marks the 190th birth anniversary of the fearless freedom fighter Rani Laxmi Bai. Actress Kangana Ranaut will be seen playing her on the celluloid in her upcoming period drama 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. On this day, the actress talks about how the legendary freedom fighter inspired her. Also Read | Kangana Ranaut pulled off smoother stunts than Tom Cruise, says Manikarnika action director Kangana said, When Akhand Bharat was agreed upon, she really believed in new age India and fought for it. I think the best way to give her tribute is to value what we have today and to make Bharat a glorious country and world power. She was a true patriot who wanted her country to be a glorious one. I think to pursue her dream would be the best way to give her a tribute. Speaking on Rani Lakshmi Bais 190th birth anniversary, Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios said, Today, we remember Indias bravest and fiercest warrior, Rani Lakshmi Bai and her extraordinary life with sincerest gratitude. Its an honour to be able to salute her through our upcoming film, Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi. The movie which is mounted on a really large scale sees a team of national awardees come together for a film. Right from Kangana Ranaut to Shankar Ehsaan Loy who are giving the music of the film, to Prasoon Joshi its a dream team that has come together. Not just that, Hollywood action choreographer Nick Powell has designed all the stunts in the film. Produced by Zee Studios and Kamal Jain, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi, is slated to release on January 25, 2019. Mumbai: Veteran film and theatre actor Nafisa Ali shared a poignant post about being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. In a subsequent post, she added that she has been diagnosed with peritoneal and ovarian cancer. Ali made the revelation Saturday on her Instagram in which she shared a picture of her with good friend and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who paid her a visit post the diagnosis. "Just met my precious friend who wished me luck and to get well from my just diagnosed stage 3 cancer," the 61-year-old actor captioned the picture. In another heartfelt note, Nafisa Ali said that she is looking forward to getting better for more years of togetherness with her family members. "Happy birthday my darling Pia and my children are my reason to get better through my cancer struggle and overcome. It's just going to take its own course with peritoneal and ovarian cancer," Ali wrote. Nafisa Ali made her acting debut in 1979 with Shashi Kapoor's Junoon. The veteran actor is best known for her roles in films such as Major Saab, Bewafaa , Life In A... Metro and Yamla Pagla Deewana. She was last seen in Sanjay Dutt starrer Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. Ali is currently a member of the Congress party. Back in 2009, She contested elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Meanwhile, Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre recently opened up about her metastatic cancer. The 43-year-old actress is currently seeking treatment in New York. Actor Irrfan Khan had also revealed that he's battling neuroendocrine tumour and that he's currently in London for cancer treatment. The bust of one of the brilliant poets and thinkers of the East Imadaddin Nasimi (1369-1417) was unveiled today at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). The ceremony was held as part of the Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality, organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation on November 19-20. Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, head of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's office in Russia Leyla Aliyeva said at the ceremony that the fund aims to promote Nasimi's creativity, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported. "Nasimi lived and worked in the 14th-15th centuries. He played a huge role in the development of Azerbaijani literature, created one of the first masterpieces of Azerbaijani poetry, laying the foundation of the Azerbaijani literary language. Nasimi's poetry is relevant today as well. This September the Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality was held in Azerbaijan for the first time. It was done to dive deep into higher consciousness. the Festival was held in Shamakhi, Nasimi's homeland, in "Gala", the temple of fire-worshipers and, of course, in Baku, a total of 30 events were held in 4 days," she said. \ "Nasimis philosophy is so deep that it is capable of embracing the immense, penetrating deep into human consciousness and explaining many phenomena. We are infinitely grateful and very pleased that today we are opening the bust of a great man at MGIMO. For us its very important, because we want Nasimi's poetry to live. Truth is timeless. Beauty, love, nature are endless sources of inspiration for Nasimi. He believed that in order to achieve truth, one must penetrate into the depths of mans soul and see beauty and kindness in it," Leyla Aliyeva said, expressing gratitude to MGIMO rector Anatoly Torkunov. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbul oglu also expressed gratitude to the university's leadership. "Thank you for providing an excellent opportunity to unveil the bust of a great Azerbaijani poet, a thinker, a philosopher, which will always remind the students of Nasimi's deep philosophy. I also want to express my great appreciation to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the sculptor. Special thanks to Leyla Aliyeva for her often visits to Moscow, heading the AMOR organization and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's representative office in Russia," he said. "Today we have gathered at the alma mater of our President Ilham Aliyev. I would like to emphasize that this university is especially valuable for Azerbaijanis because our national leader, the patriarch of Azerbaijani politics, the prominent statesman Heydar Aliyev and the current President Ilham Aliyev are honorary doctors of MGIMO. We are always happy to be here, and today's event is another evidence of our indestructible friendship. I want to wish success to the university administration," Polad Bulbul oglu concluded. The goal of the Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality in Moscow is to tell about Nasimi's art and expand cultural and literary ties between Russia and Azerbaijan. The Institute of Asian and African Countries (ISAA) and the Moscow State University will host an event dedicated to the poet. The speakers will talk about Nasimi's role in the development of Azerbaijani poetry, his contribution to world culture and literature. MSU students will recite Nasimi's poems in various languages, the Markhaba poetry and music performance will be presented by actors from Azerbaijan. On November 20, a conference dedicated to the heritage of Nasimi will be held at the Institute of Asian and African Countries. It will feature presentations on the following topics: 'The Nasimi Festival: practice of dynamic interpretation of the cultural and ideological heritage', 'Nasimi and Jan Hus. cultural unity of the East and the West', 'Language of Nasimi - yesterday, today, tomorrow' and other topics. Along with the speeches, which analyze the various aspects of Nasimis creativity, his literary and philosophical heritage, the conference will include discussions on the spirituality of modern youth, the development of ties between the youth of Russia and Azerbaijan. The Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality took place in Azerbaijan on September 27-30 upon the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. During the festival, programs were organized in various places in Baku, as well as in Shamakhi, the native city of the poet. Being a champion for several causes, Manushi says that the Miss World pageantry has far evolved from the bikini contest it was first envisioned to be in the 1950s. (Facebook Screengrab/ @manushichhillarofficial) Miss World Manushi Chillar has completed a year of bringing the blue crown back home to India and is all set to fly out to China to crown the next winner. Chillar has mixed emotions about the life-changing journey she has been on and says that the year has not only seen her growing, but has helped her evolve as well. "The Miss World journey has been incredible. I got to travel so much, meet so many people and when I look back at the one year being Miss World, I realise how much I have grown and evolved." Recalling moments from the past one year, Chillar says that two episodes stand out clearly. The first, she says, is when she returned to India after winning the crown. I had a huge welcome and I suddenly realised the responsibility that had been put on my shoulderI realised that people would be actually looking up to me. It was wonderful being a part of something much bigger." The second defining moment for Chillar was, she says, during her trip to Brazil where she saw a Leper Colony for the first time. "I actually broke down because it is a very strange situation to be in," Chillar says. "There were people who have been treated for years and are still ostracized by society for being lepers, she adds. What shocked Chillar more was the fact that out of the total case of leprosy in the world, Brazil has 12 per cent which is second highest, but India has the highest number of leprosy patients with 66 per cent or more than a quarter million people, and yet no one speaks about it. "There were people who were trying to get funding for the last two three years, and us being there helped. We got the government involved, and managed to get all the approvals and funding for them," Chillar says. The Haryana girl, who at the age of 20, won the Miss World 2017 crown, becoming the first Indian to win the coveted title after Priyanka Chopra also adds that the first step they realised was to stop and educated people because lack of knowledge creates fear, leading to discrimination. Being a champion for several causes, Manushi says that the Miss World pageantry has far evolved from the bikini contest it was first envisioned to be in the 1950s. "Today Ms World is all about young women who bring about a global change. She elaborates, "It is not just about a pretty face, the platform actually gives you an opportunity to do something positive. Miss World is about coming together, taking the reigns and fighting for a cause. It is this spirit that helped Chillar give flight to her pet project as well. What started off as a local project for menstrual hygiene has now crossed the state boundaries of India and has become something international. The project has travelled the globe and has made inroads in Sri Lanka, South Africa and Rwanda. We got a machine which manufactures sanitary pads from natural fibres like jute, which easily available, and we train people how to use the machine, how to manufacture these plant. The project, which Chillar says is the first of its kind in India and the second in the world not only helps in menstrual hygiene but also helps in giving back to both environment and the community. Chillar, who reveals that she loves being in front of the camera and is not averse to working in Bollywood now that her term is nearing conclusion lets slip that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar and Rajkumar Hirani are three directors she would love to work with. I have an ocean of opportunities awaiting me and once I am back from Miss World, I want to explore whatever life has to offer, she concludes. They were mercenaries who were brought in for the simple reason, that kings in those days did not trust their own people. A coin speaks a thousand words and can document the rise and fall of an empire. On a recent trip to Muscat (Oman), Arvind Kumar, IAS, was pleasantly surprised to find coins with the Charminar inscribed on them at a local souq (flea market). I was in Oman officially to understand the spatial planning done for Muscat city. As a part of the research we visited the Matrah Souq to study how to maintain a heritage market. And that is where I saw these coins being sold, Kumar recalls. He bought one of those coins as a souvenir and posted the picture on Twitter asking his followers to recognise these coins. It was not long before the citys coin-collecting enthusiasts chanced upon the tweets. Most of the twitterati recognised the coin as a commonly used ek rupaiyah from the Nizams era of 1923. Kumar elaborates, This coin was used for trading with Oman and it shows the significance Hyderabad and the Nizam had in the regions trade. There were at least 50 such coins in the souq. Explaining the inscription around the Charminar emblem D. Murali, a Twitter user said, Asaf Jah (top), Bahadur (left), Nizam Al-Mullk (right) and Ain (Urdu alphabet for O, initial of Osman) in the doorway) (sic). Most also mentioned that the coin was heavily in use during the period of Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur. Historian Sajjad Shahid said that the coin is ample evidence that while the trade relations between Hyderabad and Arabian countries were very well-known, there was also a large population of Arabs in the city during the Nizams rule. He further said, The trade links with Saudi Arabia and countries like Oman are fairly ancient. And it was pearls that were heavily traded. However, during the medieval period there was a very strong presence of Arabs in the south of India. Every kingdom had an Arab battalion, irrespective of whether they were Muslims or Hindus. Vijaynagar had a 10,00,00-strong battalion, Madura had 10,000 and so on. They were mercenaries who were brought in for the simple reason, that kings in those days did not trust their own people. They wanted people who were not involved in local politics. So these Arabs would get their whole tribes and settle down and they would relive these links constantly. The older chiefs would go back and send young blood. And this was also one of the main reasons tht these local Hyderabadi coins can be found across the globe! Inspector of Medchal Excise police station D. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, A person from the village advised the accused to consume ganja for improving his health. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: A farmer who was cultivating Ganja at his farm for consumption, was arrested by the Medchal excise cops on Saturday. The excise cops have recovered Ganja weighing 700 gm. Usually, one has to get permission from Narcotic Control Bureau to cultivate Ganja for medical purposes. The accused has been identified as A. Veera Swamy, 54. Acting on a tip-off, the excise officials went to the farm and nabbed the accused. Inspector of Medchal Excise police station D. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, A person from the village advised the accused to consume ganja for improving his health. If a person is found cultivating ganja the accused can be imprisoned for 10 years and fined Rs 1 lakh. The police have registered a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and further investigation is underway. Though the regular bail application filed by the accused was dismissed by the Court in September, a bail was granted to Jeelani following a court hearing on November 12. Hyderabad: The father of a four-year-old girl who was raped by a supervisor at Azaan International School, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking directions for a fair inquiry and the cancellation of the bail granted to the accused. The incident took place on September 14, when the minor girl complained of pains to her father and was taken to a hospital, where she narrated the episode to him, following which a case was booked against Mohd Jeelani. The teachers and staff were occupied with the ongoing science exhibition at Azaan International School in Tolichowki, when the supervisor lured the girl by offering chocolates and took her to a secluded part of the school and committed the offence, Golconda police said. Though the regular bail application filed by the accused was dismissed by the Court in September, a bail was granted to Jeelani following a court hearing on November 12. I hail from a lower middle-class family with no job and I am staying in Hyderabad to console my daughter. I humbly request your esteemed authority to intervene to provide educational and financial relief to my daughter up to higher education under government schemes and also direct the Hyderabad City Police and Telangana State to take stringent action against the culprit and the Azaan School management, read the letter. Born in West Bengal, Nafisa Ali made her acting debut in 1979 with Shashi Kapoor's Junoon. (Photo: Facebook Screengrab/ @nafisaalisodhi) New Delhi: Veteran film and theatre actor Nafisa Ali revealed she is suffering from peritoneal and ovarian cancer. A day after she came forward with her stage 3 cancer diagnosis, the actor disclosed the type of the illness. "Happy Birthday my darling Pia and my children are my reason to get better through my cancer struggle and overcome. It's just going to take its own course with peritoneal and ovarian cancer," Ali, 61, wrote wishing her daughter on her birthday on Sunday. Born in West Bengal, Nafisa made her acting debut in 1979 with Shashi Kapoor's Junoon. Her other acting credits include Major Saab, Life In a Metro, Yamla Pagla Deewana and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. Ali is currently a member of the Congress party. She contested in 2009 elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. She is married to Arjuna Award winning sports personality Colonel R S Sodhi and also shares two children - Ajit and Armana. Amaravati: The Jana Sena Party of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan Monday decided not to contest the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana and said it would fight the Lok Sabha polls next year instead. The issue was discussed with all leaders of the party, and it has been decided to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls from now itself, Kalyan said. "Had the assembly elections been held as per schedule (in April 2019), the Jana Sena would have surely jumped into the fray. Since the assembly polls have been advanced, we are not geared up for the contest. It's really difficult for a fledgeling party like ours," Kalyan said. Filing of nominations for the Telangana Assembly election ended Monday. The YSR Congress had earlier announced it would stay away from the Telangana polls since its complete focus was on the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh, its actual base. The YSRC, however, said it would gear up for the 2024 assembly elections in Telangana. According to the state government's reply submitted earlier to an RTI query, certain height specifications of the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial have been changed to reduce the cost of the project. (Photo: File | PTI) Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare that the proposed statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji off the Mumbai coast will be the tallest in the world, and not be "scared" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over the issue. The Sena said Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil has claimed the height of Shivaji's statue has been decreased to ensure that the 'Statue of Unity', dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remains the tallest. It said Fadnavis should use the same courage that he displayed in announcing quota for the Maratha community, and not be "scared" of Prime Minister Modi and Shah over the issue of Shivaji statue's height. Decreasing the height of Shivaji's statue to make Sardar Patel's statue look taller is "narrow and distorted mindset", the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "Fadnavis should use the same courage that he showed while granting reservation to the Maratha community and fearlessly announce that Shivaji's statue would be the tallest in the world, and not get scared of Amit Shah and Modi. This will not diminish the prestige of Sardar Patel," it said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party reminded Fadnavis that earlier, then Union finance minister Chintamanrao Deshmukh in the Jawaharlal Nehru government had shown courage to tender his resignation, to ensure Mumbai stayed with Maharashtra. It rued that while the 'Statue of Unity' has already been unveiled and opened for public viewing, not a single brick has been laid for the construction of Shivaji's statue. There are now doubts being raised if there was an internal conspiracy to make Shivaji's statue seem like a dwarf compared to the structure dedicated to Sardar Patel, it said. Shivaji's statue should be larger than that of any other leader and all parties should come together for it, said the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. Prime Minister Modi had on October 31 inaugurated the imposing 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India, in Gujarat's Narmada district. The Congress and the NCP had said in the Maharashtra Assembly in July that the height of Shivaji's statue, to be built in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast, was being reduced, a claim rejected by Fadnavis, who had asserted that it will be the tallest in the world. According to the state government's reply submitted earlier to an RTI query, certain height specifications of the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial have been changed to reduce the cost of the project. In the new design, the height of the warrior king's statue would be reduced by 7.5 metres, although the sword he wields will be taller than in the original design. However, these changes will not alter the total height of the statue, which would be 121.2 metres. The height of the entire structure, including the pedestal, would be 212 metres, the government said in its RTI reply. The height of Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue has now been reduced to 75.7 metres from the earlier 83.2 metres. But in order to maintain the statue's overall height of 121.2 metres, the length of the sword has been raised from 38 metres to 45.5 metres, the government said. "The height of the pedestal has been reduced to 87.4 metres from the earlier 96.2 metres. This change in the pedestal's height will save Rs 338.94 crore," it had said. Pilot Pradeep Krishnans friend also shared an emotional message and referred to the touching incident as a 'dream come true' for this friend. (Facebook Screengrab | @nagarjun.dwarakanath) Chennai: An IndiGo pilot touched his mothers and grandmothers feet before he went to the cockpit to fly them to Singapore for the first time. In a video posted on Facebook by pilot Pradeep Krishnans friend and roommate, Pradeep is seen walking on aisle, making his way through passengers on the plane to reach to his mother, grandmother and sister before he flies the plane. Pradeep who first started flying in 2007 has been a co-pilot and the flight bound Singapore from Chennai was his first flight as a pilot. As soon as he reaches them, Pradeep quickly touches their feet and sought their blessings before making his way back to the cockpit. The women were all smiles and it seemed to be a proud moment for the entire family. Pradeeps friend also shared an emotional message and referred to the touching incident as a "dream come true" for this friend. "Have come a long way from 2007 when we first started to fly. 11 years since we first flew as student pilots," he said. Hubballi: Expressing apprehension over the delay in the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project, many leaders of farmers on Sunday expressed fears that all parties may politicise the issue again as the Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching. Welcoming the decision of the state government to convene a meeting of former chief ministers and water resource ministers on December 6 to discuss Karnataka's water disputes and irrigation projects, they contended that the leaders from North Karnataka lacked the political will to find a solution for early utilisation of state's share of Mahadayi water. They warned that they would approach the Supreme Court if the state's legal team failed in getting the special leave petition disposed of at the earliest. Stating that water had not reached farmers even after the Mahadayi tribunal gave its verdict three months, the leaders said that an all-party meeting should have been convened to resolve the legal tangle. Political parties never made efforts to resolve the issue by setting aside their differences. The delay in utilising the state's share of water has become a cause for concern among the farmers. Politicians may drag the issue further as the Lok Sabha elections are just a few months away, farmers' leader Vikas Soppin said. The leaders lashed out against the Congress leaders from North Karnataka for remaining mute to the issue. Many of them condemned former water resources minister H.K. Patil, who hailed from the Malaprabha river basin, for writing to the government on the issue though his party is in power. Terming his move a publicity gimmick, they said Mr Patil should have held discussions with the Chief Minister to get the SLP disposed of at the earliest to facilitate the Union Government to issue a gazette notification on the tribunal's award. We welcome Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's attempt to take the issue to the logical end. But the leaders from the region showed little interest in speeding up the work on Kalasa-Banduri project by pressuring the government," Mr Soppin said. CM Mamata Banerjee reiterated that all parties will come together to fight unitedly against the BJP. (Photo: PTI) Kolkata: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced the postponement of a November 22 opposition conclave in Delhi to chalk out details of the proposed anti-BJP front. Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee here, Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced very soon. Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under "severe pressure". Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had on Friday withdrawn the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states. "We wanted to meet on November 22 earlier because of the elections... We wanted to make it before Parliament (winter) session. Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation," the Telugu Desam Party chief said, adding the fresh date for the meeting will be decided very soon. CM Mamata Banerjee reiterated that all parties will come together to fight unitedly against the BJP. Addressing reporters after the meeting, she said, "Today we discussed the future plan. We can tell you one thing, we are all together to fight against the BJP government to save the nation." On being asked who will be the face of the grand alliance, the TMC chief said that 'everyone will be the face of Mahagathbandhan'. International meeting in Astana to resolve the situation in Syria will be held November 28-29, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said. "The guarantors of the Astana process - the Russian Federation, the Republic of Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to hold the next, 11-th international high-level meeting on Syria in the framework of the Astana process on November 28-29 in the capital of Kazakhstan," TASS cited the minister as saying. The meeting is planned "in the traditional format with the participation of delegations of the countries-guarantors, the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Syrian armed opposition," he noted, adding that observers are also invited to this meeting - the UN and Jordan. Nine rounds of talks were held in Astana to resolve the situation in Syria. The main result of the meetings in the capital of Kazakhstan was the creation of de-escalation zones, which significantly reduced the level of violence in the country. The last meeting in the Astana format at a high level was held in Sochi on July 30-31. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, former president Pranab Mukherjee, former VP Hamid Ansari and former PM Manmohan Singh paid tribute at Shakti Sthal in Delhi. (Photo: Twitter | @INCIndia) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several other political leaders paid tribute to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday. "Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary," Modi tweeted. Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2018 UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, former president Pranab Mukherjee, former vice president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal in the city. Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi & Congress President @RahulGandhi pay their respects to Smt. Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal on her birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/M2MwdV27b9 Congress (@INCIndia) November 19, 2018 Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu also took to Twitter to pay tribute to the former leader. "Nation remembers her vision and administrative skills," he wrote. My tributes to the former Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi, on her birth anniversary today. Nation remembers her vision and administrative skills. #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/fqIr8Rtvdy VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) November 19, 2018 Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh paid tribute to Indira Gandhi in Parliament House on Monday and tweeted a picture of the same. Congress leader from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot remembered Indira Gandhi and said her contribution towards nation-building was "immense". "Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt Indira Gandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation-building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration," Gehlot tweeted. Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt #IndiraGandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards welfare of people would always be an inspiration. pic.twitter.com/bUuAfnhYw5 Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 19, 2018 Paying her respects to the former prime minister, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the nation should work together to keep the diversity of the country intact. "Homage to Indira Gandhi Ji, former Prime Minister of India, on her birth anniversary. National Integration Week begins today. As she did so whole-heartedly, let's work together to keep the spirit of 'unity in diversity' alive," the TMC chief tweeted. Homage to Indira Gandhi Ji, former Prime Minister of India, on her birth anniversary. National Integration Week begins today. As she did so whole heartedly, lets work together to keep the spirit of unity in diversity alive Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 19, 2018 Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis also paid tribute to the former Prime Minister in Mumbai's Mantralaya on Monday morning. Congress leader Ashok Chavan also tweeted his homage to the former prime minister. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala quoted Indira Gandhi and said that her contribution towards building the country cannot be forgotten. "I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud. My humble homage to Smt Indira Gandhi who lived and died in the service of the Nation. Her immense contribution in Nation building and preserving the unity & integrity of the Nation shall always be remembered," he tweeted. Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India', was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu meets BSP Chief Mayawati at her residence in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: AP) Vijayawada/Kolkata: TD president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that parties opposed to the BJP would meet before the Parliament Winter Session begins December 11, instead November 22 as scheduled. Replying to questions, Mr Naidu said he was `in touch with BSP president Mayawati and everybody. Discussions would be held among all leders and a plan of action chalked out. We are totally together, we are working together, we are speaking together. We all are together against the BJP government to save the nation, Ms Banerjee said. On his decision to bar the CBI in the state, Mr Naidu said that it was the state governments discretion. Ms Banerjee said they were all together in working against the BJP and the meeting of the non-BJP parties would be in December before the Parliament session. Mr Naidu said he would attend the public meeting called by Ms Banerjee on January 19 in Kolkata. Members of the BIPM, which groups some 60 nations, agreed on Friday after a week-long meeting at the nearby Palace of Versailles to redefine a kilogram in terms of a tiny but unchanging value called the Planck constant. (Photo: Pixabay) It may not change how you buy bananas, but scientists have voted to redefine the value of a kilogram, in what they called a landmark decision that will boost the accuracy of scientific measurements. Since 1889, a kilogram has been defined by a shiny lump of platinum-iridium kept in a special glass case and known as the International Prototype of the Kilogram. It is housed at the headquarters of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (whose French acronym is BIPM), just outside Paris. Members of the BIPM, which groups some 60 nations, agreed on Friday after a week-long meeting at the nearby Palace of Versailles to redefine a kilogram in terms of a tiny but unchanging value called the Planck constant. They also voted to update definitions for the ampere (electrical current), the kelvin (thermodynamic temperature) and the mole (amount of a substance). All modern mass measurements are derived from the kilogram, whether micrograms of pharmaceutical medicine or gold dust, kilos of fruit or fish or tonnes of steel. The problem is the prototype doesnt always weigh the same. Even inside its three glass bell jars it picks up microparticles of dirt and is affected by the atmosphere. Sometimes it needs cleaning, which can affect its mass. That can have profound implications. If the prototype were to lose mass, atoms would, in theory, weigh more since the base kilogram must by definition always weigh a kilogram. Scientists have been trying for decades to define a constant value for the kilogram that is derived from immutable physics, in the same way, they have done for other standard units (SI units) overseen by the BIPM. For example, a meter isnt 100 centimetres, its actually the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. The Planck constant, which derives from quantum physics, can be used along with a Kibble balance, an exquisitely accurate weighing machine, to calculate the mass of an object using a precisely measured electromagnetic force. The SI redefinition is a landmark moment in scientific progress, said Martin Milton, director of the BIPM. Using the fundamental constants we observe in nature as a foundation for important concepts such as mass and time means that we have a stable foundation from which to advance our scientific understanding, develop new technologies and address some of societys greatest challenges. Barry Inglis, who heads the committee for weights and measures, said the implications were immense. We will now no longer be bound by the limitations of objects in our measurement of the world, but have universally accessible units that can pave the way to even greater accuracy, and even accelerate scientific advancement, he said. It is arguably the most significant redefinition of an SI unit since the second was recalculated in 1967, a decision that helped ease communication across the world via technologies like GPS and the internet. The new definitions agreed by the BIPM will come into force on May 20, 2019. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Smart devices are edging themselves into our homes - and how! Like the camel's snout which led the slow the crawl into the Arabs tent, smart TVs came in the first wave, merging the twin worlds of dish and Internet video. Smart assistants were next -- led by Amazon and Google cocooned in speakers like Echo and Google Home which supported voices like Alexa and Google Assistant. Both took their time to launch in India aware that Indian languages, even English as spoken by Indians, posed a challenge for any voice recognition system. Amazon was the first here -- just over a year ago -- and the company marked the first anniversary with new editions of the flagship smart speaker -- the second generation Echo Plus -- and the updated version of the mini speaker, Echo Dot. I have been trying out both for a week now and the sound appears slightly better than before -- but that is not the big thing. What has happened in the 12 months gone by, is the Indianisation of Alexa. She is much cleverer in understanding a broad range of Indian English, even Hinglish. You can say: "Alexa, set my alarm for 6 am, to play Venkateswara Suprabatham," or "Alexa, what is Kohli's score in the IPL?" without having to explain the context or repeat yourself. The other big change is not so much in Alexa, but the entire ecosystem of smart home devices that have now emerged in India, around the voice market leaders, Amazon and Google. We have reviewed Syska smart lamps, Linksys routers, Mi air purifiers -- all ready to take commands from Alexa. Instead of trying to create voice assistants of their own, leading audio brands like Bose, Jabra and Harmon have embraced the dominant smart voice standard. Once you have installed the Echo Dot or Echo Plus (and this is easily done with a phone app and a home Wi-Fi connection) you can ask Alexa to connect you to a variety of services that are being called conversational commerce: from Box8 to Byju's, from GiIbibo to the Golden Temple, from Ola to Uber.... it can get so addictive, you may well say: "Why type, when you can talk?" The Echo Plus at Rs 14,999 is Rs 10,000 costlier than the Echo Dot at Rs 4,999. But in most respects, except range and audio volume, the functions are almost identical. In fact, you can use a Dot or two to extend the range of the Plus across your home. Both of them share what I thought was a downside: There is no in-built battery option and you need an always-on mains connection, which could be a nuisance. I'm betting this will change once the competition hots up. What Echo Plus gives for the extra money, is a built-in hub called Zigbee Smart Home, which is one of two leading standards for home automation. So if you plan to eventually control your washing machine, microwave, fridge, air conditioner and home security cameras from one voice device, this may be a sensible investment. But if all you want is a savvy, all-knowing "didi" to serve as a vocal friend, guide and service provider, the little Echo Dot ( gen 2) does very well thank you! In some places in Bangalore, you may not even have to buy this. The Embassy group of builders has launched a brand of smart apartments called Embassy Edge, which come pre-installed with Amazon Echo devices. Alexa may soon welcome you to your new home with a swagatham! --IndiaTechOnline Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. India will see a whopping 46% growth in jobs primarily driven by emerging technologies like cybersecurity, Internet of things (IoT) and Big Data, essential digital transformation skills that organisations are seeking. To identify the best opportunities for IT professionals, Cisco, the worldwide technology leader, commissioned International Data Corporation (IDC) to conduct a study which found that India is likely to add over 1.4 million new IT jobs by 2027. This represents a whopping 46% growth in jobs primarily driven by emerging technologies like cybersecurity, Internet of things (IoT) and Big Data, essential digital transformation skills that organisations are seeking. According to IDC InfoBrief, The 20 Most Significant IT Roles You Should Consider in India job roles like social media administrator, machine learning designer, and IoT designer are among the most in-demand job roles in the coming years. As skill sets required in this digital age change for most industries, its also transforming how and where people work. As a result, IT organisations might find it difficult to fill these niche roles. This calls for upskilling the employee skill sets through certification programs to upgrade their knowledge and grow the organisation from within. Also, witnessing its growing importance in a rapidly changing technological landscape, nearly a fifth of employees self-funded their certification courses while about 50% of them underwent some training in 2017. According to the study, 89% of hiring managers reported a higher level of trust on candidates having certifications, while 88% of customers experienced an improvement in the level of service and support to end users. Cisco being a leader in certification courses offers some of the most sought-after IT courses which were one of the prerequisites for the 5.9 million new job postings in 2017, according to the InfoBrief. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE), Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP), CCNP Collaboration and CCNP Security were among the most requested certifications in job postings in India in the past year. These courses help candidates boost their career by acquiring new skills and qualify for higher certifications, thereby enhancing ones future. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. FireEye, Inc., the intelligence-led security company, released its 2019 cyber security predictions report, Facing Forward: Cyber Security in 2019 and Beyond. This years report includes a top-down view of the cyber security industry by FireEye senior leaders, including CEO Kevin Mandia, in addition to research-based insights from experts from the FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence, Mandiant Consulting, and FireEye Labs teams. The IT and threat landscapes will continue to evolve in 2019, and this report is a look forward at what the cyber security industry needs to address and get right to stay ahead of the adversaries. We expect 2019 to arrive with ample new and existing challenges for Indian enterprises, from misuse of the social media to security vulnerabilities in the cloud, said Shrikant Shitole, senior director and country head for India at FireEye. While more Indian enterprises are recognising the threat that cyber attacks can pose to their organisation and bottom-line, many are not sure about the extent to which they need to be covered. Shitole continued: In 2019, we expect to see board level executives taking a significantly increased role in cyber risk management and threat hunting initiatives. We also hope Indian organisations will consider investing in enhancing their existing capabilities and accelerating the adoption of technology, intelligence and expertise necessary to move up in the cyber security maturity curve and go beyond SOC operations. Top discussion points from the FireEye 2019 cyber security predictions report include Threats targeting the aviation industry While its important to stay attuned to cyber-enabled physical threats to aircraft and supporting systems, a far more common threat that security teams in the aviation industry must be prepared to defend against is cyber espionage. The restructuring of Chinese cyber espionage Notable restructuring in the Chinese cyber espionage apparatus has taken place since at least 2016, resulting in a resumption in the pace of activity. This reorganisation should inform the growth and geographic expansion of Chinese cyber espionage activity through 2020 and beyond. Cyber espionage activity related to the Chinas Belt and Road Initiative will likely include the emergence of new groups and nation-state actors. Given the range of geopolitical interests affected by this endeavor, it may be a catalyst for emerging nation-state cyber actors to use their capabilities. Attackers eyeing the cloud Adversaries go where the money is, and 2019 promises to offer an increasing number of opportunities for attackers in the cloud. With cloud, theres a new, and often expanding attack surface that can be left undefended or without the proper safeguards in place to protect important data. Supply chain as a weakness In 2019, an increase in both state sponsored and financially motivated supply chain attacks is expected. As organisations have improved their posture and built up their perimeter defenses, attackers will shift their focus to compromising third party vendors, customers or partners with the goal of gaining access to a targets network. Cyber capabilities of nation states In 2019 and beyond, FireEye expects to see more nations developing offensive cyber capabilities. As seen with the rise of Iran, North Korea, and Vietnam over the past few years, many other emerging cyber nations are expected to come to the forefront in 2019. Iranian attackers in particular will continue to improve capabilities, even as new, less capable groups emerge supporting Iranian government goals. The rise in breaches due to lack of attribution and accountability Attribution and accountability are two of the biggest sticking points when it comes to winning the war in cyberspace. Without risks and repercussions for malicious activity carried out on the internet, attackers will keep attacking and organisations will keep getting breached. The widening skills gap and lack of trained experts to fill security roles According to various industry estimates, there are at least two million cyber security jobs that will go unfilled by the year 2020. However, the critical meltdown point has not quite been hit yet, when it comes to staffing. The good news is that the thinking around this challenge is changing. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. China is the largest market for electric vehicles and most forecasters predict that its sales in the country will speed up rapidly. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) Tesla Inc has started taking orders for its Model 3 sedan in China for a deposit of 8,000 yuan (USD 1,153.60), according to the electric carmaker's China website. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said, Probably some deliveries in March, but April is more certain after a Twitter user asked when the deliveries in China would begin. Tesla declined to comment. The company has been banking on its Model 3 sedan, the performance of which is seen as crucial to the carmakers future. Shares of Tesla rose 1.6 pct at USD 353.93 in morning trading. China is the largest market for electric vehicles and most forecasters predict that its sales in the country will speed up rapidly as government regulation drives toward a goal of 100-per cent electric vehicles by 2030. Tesla had signed a deal with Shanghai authorities in July to build its first factory outside the United States, which would cost around USD 2 billion to construct and would double the size of its global manufacturing. The Shanghai Gigafactory, based in eastern China, aims to manufacture Model 3 and Model Y cars, with an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles, according to a filing. Tesla is also developing plans to start producing about 3,000 Model 3s per week in Shanghai in the initial phase of its Gigafactory 3 to reduce the impact of tariffs. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon are all members of the council. A proposed cybersecurity law in Thailand would give a new government agency sweeping powers to spy on internet traffic, order the removal of content, or even seize computers without judicial oversight, alarming businesses and activists. Civil liberties advocates, internet companies and business groups are protesting the planned legislation, saying it sacrifices privacy and the rule of law, according to interviews and documents reviewed by Reuters. The legislation, likely to gain approval by year-end, is the latest in a wave of new laws in major Asian countries that aim to assert government control over the internet, further undermining the Western ideal of a global network that transcends national borders. It would grant a newly created National Cybersecurity Committee (NCSC) the authority to access the computers of individuals or private companies, make copies of information, and enter private property without court orders. Criminal penalties would be imposed for those who do not comply. The NCSC could also summon businesses or individuals for interrogation and force them to hand over information belonging to other parties. Cybersecurity policy should be respective of privacy and rule of law, the US-ASEAN Business Council said in letter to the Thai government that was not released publicly but was obtained by Reuters. Enforcing cyberspace cannot come at the cost of sacrificing privacy, civil liberties, and rule of law. The letter also warned requirements such as forcing companies to alert the agency of cyber threats or even anticipated ones would impose a very heavy burden on businesses and should be removed. Tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon are all members of the council. The Singapore-based industry group Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), which represents the four US giants and seven other major internet companies, also warned the law might drive businesses out of Thailand. The AIC, in a public statement, cited concerns about government surveillance and criminal liability for defying NCSC orders, among other issues. Somsak Khaosuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy, which is in charge of the law, told Reuters the government is now discussing revisions of the draft and would take the concerns into account. The law will conform to international standards... The team working on the law will certainly listen to the issues that have been raised, Somsak said. There is nothing scary about it, he added, declining to elaborate on possible revisions. The draft law does not contain specific provisions on hot-button issues such as fake news or requirements that international tech and social media firms store data locally. Internet companies are currently battling governments over such issues in countries including India, Vietnam and Indonesia. But the Thai law would grant the new NCSC sweeping powers, holding a monopoly on all things cyber in the country... without being subject to check and balance, control, or regulation, said Sutee Tuvirat, a cybersecurity expert with Thailands Information Security Association. If anyone is more powerful than the Prime Minister, this is it. Civil rights advocates worry Thailands military junta, which actively censors the internet and often casts criticism of the government as a threat to national security, will use the new law to further codify its censorship regime. The NCSC would be empowered to order removal of cyber threats and override other laws when they are in conflict. The latest draft of Thailands new Data Protection Law, also expected to be approved this year, correspondingly says it does not apply to national security agencies, including the NCSC. Arthit Suriyawongkul, a civil rights advocate with the Thai Netizen Network, told Reuters the law could readily facilitate censorship. The law doesnt categorise data, which may include online content, and does not include protection measures, he said. In a joint statement seen by Reuters, the Telecommunications Association of Thailand and the Thai Internet Service Provider Association also said they were concerned about the governments efforts to regulate content. Data from internet companies shows Thai government requests to take down content or turn over information have ramped up in recent years. A law prohibiting criticism of the monarchy has often been the basis for such requests. Following the death of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2016, the government threatened to prosecute Facebook in Thailand if it didnt comply with content restriction requests. In the first half of 2018, Facebook restricted 285 pieces of content, almost all of which were alleged to violate local lese-majeste laws, according to the companys latest transparency report released on Friday. Facebook restricted 365 pieces of content last year, 10 times the amount in 2014. It also handed over user data to the Thai government for the first time in 2017. From mid-2014 to the end of 2017, the military government has made 386 requests to Google to remove 9,986 items, almost all of which were identified as government criticism, according to Googles transparency report. Google agreed to remove content named in 93 percent of the requests last year, up from 57 percent in late 2014. Facebook declined to comment. It has previously said its general guidelines on receiving government requests to remove content are to determine whether the material violates local laws before restricting access. Google declined to comment. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Trump also said that he has plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan to meet American troops stationed there. (Photo: File) Washington: President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country does not do "a damn thing" for the US and its government had helped Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hide near its garrison city. Referring to Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Donald Trump in an interview to Fox News said, "You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed Laden there in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil. Trump also said that he has plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan to meet American troops stationed there. "Well, I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of -- obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said. Trump has been criticized by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu res-isted calls for snap polls on Sunday, saying elections now would be unn-ecessary and wrong, ahead of what he called last-ditch talks to hold his embattled coalition together. Netanyahus right-wing coalition was thrown into crisis on Wednesday after defence minister Avigdor Liebermans resignation over a controversial Gaza ceasefire deal, leading to speculation over whether early elections have become inevitable. After Liebermans withdrawal along with his Yisrael Beitenu party, Netanyahus government was left clinging to a one-seat majority in the 120-seat Parliament. Key coalition partners say that is unworkable. Netanyahu, who has sought to delay calling elections, made his case at the start of a Cabinet meeting on Sunday. In a period of security sensitivity, its unnecessary and wrong to go to elections, Netanyahu said. He noted past instances when right-wing governments had called elections that did not turn out as they had hoped. We need to do whatever we can to avoid such mistakes, he said.Netanyahu planned to meet finance minister Moshe Kahlon, whose centre-right Kulanu party holds 10 seats, at 6.30 pm (1630 GMT) on Sunday for what he called a last attempt to keep the government together. Elections are not due until November 2019. Kahlon has said he does not think it is possible to continue with the existing coalition. If (Netanyahu) pulls a rabbit out of his hat, well see, Kahlon told Israeli TV on Saturday. Meanwhile, I dont see a rabbit or a hat. Education minister Naf-tali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home party, which holds eight seats in Parliament, has demanded the defence portfolio as a way of keeping the government together. Netanyahu says he will take it over at least temporarily rather than hand the key ministry to one of his main right-wing rivals, though a last-minute deal could not be ruled out. Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the Philippines at the invitation of President Rodrigo Duterte. It is the first state visit by a Chinese head of state in thirteen years. Calling the Philippines China's friend, President Duterte said the Philippines-China relations have improved a lot since he took office, with many cooperative agreements signed and the Philippines benefiting much from cooperation with China in multiple fields. Duterte also believes President Xi Jinping's visit this time will promote bilateral relations to a new level. President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte receives an interview with Chinese media in Manila.[Photo: China Plus] "In fact, the President's visit to my country during my term is enough a pride to say we are friends of China. The coming visit of President Xi would speed something, the full blossom of flowers. It is highest that the two nations can ever hope for the relations." Duterte went on to say that the bilateral relations are good in many aspects, such as Philippines' expanded exports to China, and the sharp increase of Chinese tourists to the Philippines. He especially emphasized China's continued support for his country with no demands made or strings attached. Hailing China's investments in the Philippines, the President expressed willingness to promote transactions and exchange in Peso and Renminbi and the implementation of consensuses reached concerning the Belt and Road. As for the directions in which the bilateral relations should be headed, the President put forward the following suggestions. President Rodrigo Duterte (right) is interviewed by Chinese media in Manila, Philippines. [Photo: China Plus] "One is that we will improve our relationship in trade and commerce. Second is close relationship in defense. Third is cooperation to improve the conditions of our international seas, to eliminate the piracy." As a president who has visited China multiple times, he said he was deeply impressed by China's fruitful achievements made in the forty years of Reform and Opening Up, and the Chinese people's diligence. At the same time, the President also admitted that his country still lags behind in many areas, hoping progress will be made in economy and people's livelihood by deepening cooperation with China within the Belt and Road framework. He also indicated his interest in living in China after retirement. "(I am) More than Happy (about the bilateral relations). I even intend to live in a house there somewhere if the government allows me to buy some land. I'd like to stay there just like my grandfather for retirement purposes even I grow old." Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said that there is preliminary information that the team of former UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will join the 11th round of the Syria settlement talks in Astana. Earlier, de Mistura said that he would leave the position of secretary's special representative for Syria in late November. The 11th round of the Syria talks in Astana will be held on November 28-29, Interfax reported. The Maldives new government will pull out of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the worlds second biggest economy. Male: The Maldives new government will pull out of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the worlds second biggest economy, the head of the largest party in the ruling alliance said. The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of an FTA between such parties, said Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance. China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty. It is the latest sign of a backlash against China in the Maldives, best known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands. Former President Abdul-lah Yameen signed the FTA during a visit to Beijing in December, and the same month his Parliament ratified the treaty despite protests in less than an hour without any debate. On Saturday, as he took office, the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the coffers have been looted and warned that the country was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. The Maldives is among a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building highways and housing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Maldives move to be a big setback to China Chinas embassy in Male did not respond to a request for a comment on the trade pact. Critics in the Maldives say a China-led infrastructure boom has left the tiny country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship. Between January to August this year, the Maldives imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were just $265,270, according to Maldives customs data. The island nation bought meat, agricultural produce, flowers, plants, electronics and toys from China among many other items. U.S. sanctions on Iran are part of a psychological war launched by Washington against Tehran that will fail, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday, adding that the Islamic republic will continue to export its crude. "America blames us for its failures in the region ... from Yemen to Iraq ... We will not yield to this pressure that is part of the psychological war against Iran," Rouhani said in a speech in the city of Khoy, broadcast live on state TV. "They have failed to stop our oil exports. We will keep exporting it." Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said the possibility of involvement of ISI-based Khalistani/Kashmiri terror groups in grenade attack in Amritsar could not be ruled out. Capt said the grenade attack has strengthened the belief that Pakistan was continuing with its nefarious activities to disturb the peace in Punjab. Sundays attack also exposes the chinks in the security apparatus. Capt said forensic teams were examining all angles to unearth the conspiracy. The attack on a religious sect is been seen as an attempt to disrupt the communal fabric in this border state. Police teams raided likely hideouts of the assailants to nab the suspects. He appealed to the people not to panic and maintain peace law and order. The government would ensure there is no chaos in the wake of the incident, he said. The home secretary, DG Police, DG Law and Order and DG Intelligence rushed to village Adliwal in Rajasansi to supervise the investigations into the suspected hand grenade attack. The CM, who reviewed the law and order situation following the blast, has also directed the police to immediately enhance security arrangements at all sensitive places. Nobody will be allowed to get away with trying to disturb the peace and harmony of the state, he warned. The government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the dead and directed the district administration to provide the best possible medical care, free of cost, to the injured. The state had been hit by a series of cases of targeted attacks since 2015-16. This was the first attempt in a long time to disturb the peace in the state through indiscriminate killings, said the Chief Minister. He pointed out that 15 such terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months, with Kashmiri terror links also indicated in some instances, as evidenced in the arrest of Kashmiri students from Jalandhar and in the Maqsudan police station grenade blast case. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea, filed by 2008 Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, against the order by the Bombay High Court that refused to direct the NIA court to defer framing of charges. A bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, allowed a contention by senior advocate Harish Salve that the high court should consider the matter coming up there on November 21. "In view of submission, we are not inclined to entertain the petition, let the high court consider the matter," the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph said. Senior advocate Amrendra Sharan, representing a victim, pointed out that the trial court had already framed the charges against the accused. Purohit challenged before the top court the orders passed by the Bombay High Court refusing to direct the NIA court to defer framing of charges against in view of the absence of valid sanction for prosecution. He contended that the high court erred in ignoring the settled law that the absence of sanction prior to prosecution cannot be regarded as the mere technical defect and can be raised at any stage of the proceedings before taking cognisance. The entire prosecution is vitiated because of non-compliance of mandatory provision of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and (Recommendation and Sanction of Prosecution) Rules 2008. The record clearly shows that the provision of sec 45(2) which is an important safeguard against misuse of stringent act has been deliberately bypassed by the ATS, his petition filed by advocate Neela Gokhale stated. He sought immediate stay of the high court's order of October 30. The NIA court had on October 20 dismissed the issue on valid sanction, saying it would be considered during the trial. In his petition, he said, he was per se a nationalist, but now being branded as a terrorist. He contended the Army has also admitted in writing that he was attending certain meetings, which are alleged to be conspiracy meetings, in pursuance of the discharge of his duty and was keeping his superiors informed. He also said that he was an Army Officer in the Intelligence Corps. He has done many operations and had many accolades. Purohit is an accused in the Navratri-eve September 29, 2008 blast at Bhikku Chowk in the communally-sensitive powerloom town of Malegaon in Nashik district, in which 6 persons were killed and 101 others were injured. After being in jail for nine years, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court on August 22, 2017. He is now attached to the Colaba Military Station in Mumbai. Congress stalwart from Rajasthan and former state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Sunday he did not hold any position in priority and will abide by the decision the party high command takes on the issue of CM post. Not ruling himself out of the race for the top post in the state should Congress win, Gehlot in an exclusive interview to PTI said he would be open to any role Congress president Rahul Gandhi assigns him in the interest of the party. "I am ready for whatever role Congress president gives me. I am against any kind of lobbying for any position. I have never lobbied even when I faced dissidence as CM. If they (the high command) send me to Rajasthan in party interest, it will be their decision," the powerful AICC general secretary said. He said he is "more than satisfied" with his long political career as a five-time Lok Sabha MP, three-time Union minister and ten-year Rajasthan chief minister. "No post is a priority for me. I am more than satisfied with my political innings and the question before me now is how to bring the party in power in Rajasthan first and then in the country under the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. I will be ready for any role I am assigned," he said when asked if he is in the race for chief ministership should Congress come to power. Asked whether the fact that all top state leaders contesting elections in Rajasthan will heat up the power race in the party after polls, Gehlot said the "issue of CM will be amicably resolved by the party high command which will take a decision on three grounds party interest, public and MLAs' sentiments." "There will be no problem. The high command's decision will be acceptable to all... Whatever they decide will be acceptable to all," he said, accusing the BJP of raising the CM issue for political reasons. On whether there will be a new CM face other than him or Pilot, Gehlot said it will be the party high command's decision. The two-term ex-CM of Rajasthan also said the decision on who the next CM will be will not be hampered by the presence of the entire top state brass in elections. Asked why all state leaders were contesting in Rajasthan, unlike in Madhya Pradesh, he said it is a decision which the Congress president has taken, and he welcomed it. "The politics in Rajasthan is different and the Congress leadership believes that all the leaders who wish to contest should do so," Gehlot said. "I want the party's flag to fly high both in Rajasthan and across the country, as the present atmosphere is dangerous for the country and people want the Congress to return to power both in the state and at the Centre." The AICC general secretary said the party has a tradition of not declaring its CM candidate in advance and that tradition will be respected. He alleged that it was a BJP conspiracy to raise such an issue to create divisions within the Congress and the people understand this. "The BJP does not have any right to ask who the Congress CM face is, as they themselves did not have a state party chief for 75 days," Gehlot said. On giving tickets to parachute candidates, he said former BJP leader Manvendra Singh has been fielded against CM Vasundhara Raje based on a political strategy and is an exception. The Congress leader, who served thrice as Union minister under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, is pitted with PCC chief Sachin Pilot for the post of chief minister and both are contesting the state election. While Gehlot is a sitting MLA from Sardarpura, Pilot is contesting the state poll for the first time from Tonk. Pilot has been a former MP from Dausa and then from Ajmer. Gehlot said the Congress will soon declare its manifesto, which will spell out steps to tackle farm distress and to improve the law and order. There is a lot of anger against Chief Minister Raje that will favour the Congress, he claimed, adding that his party will provide "good alternative governance with all-round development and ensure welfare of all". He, however, admitted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign and BJP chief Amit Shah's organisational skills may help the BJP reclaim a bit, but said people of the state have decided to oust the Raje government in the state and the BJP from the country. The dead body of Nanubhai Kanabhai Solanki (45), an Indian fisherman, is expected to come to India on Thursday who died in Pakistans Karachi prison two months ago on 20 September. Solanki was arrested by Pakistans Maritime Security Agency (MSA) for allegedly entering into the Pakistani territory. He was from Una tehsil of Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. His body is kept at Edhi Foundations morgue in Karachi. "Both India and Pakistan need to work out a mechanism through which if someone dies in the custody of other country, his body should be immediately sent back to his country. The sad reality is it takes not less than a month to send the body to his country," said Jatin Desai, general secretary, Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD). "It is also necessary that both the countries immediately reactivate the India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners consisting of retired judges of higher judiciary. The last meeting of the committee was held in October 2013 in India. Now, India has nominated four retired judges and Pakistan is yet to nominate. We hope Pakistan will appoint their four retired judges soon and call a meeting of the committee in Pakistan as last meeting was held in India," said Desai, a veteran peace activist. Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the Maldives to attend the swearing-in of its new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, marks an important milestone in India-Maldives relations. It was the first time in seven years that an Indian prime minister visited the archipelago. A new chapter in India-Maldives relations could open up if Delhis response to the signals coming out of Male now is swift, strong and sensitive. The new Maldivian government is clearly unhappy with former president Abdulla Yameens strong ties with China. It views that relationship as having gone against Maldivian interests by emptying its coffers and pushing the country into huge debt. Solih has promised to investigate the terms under which deals with Chinese companies were sealed as well as the embezzling of Maldivian funds by officials at all levels of government. The Solih government is clearly hoping to steer the archipelago away from Chinas stifling embrace. Importantly, it is looking to India for support in its efforts to improve Maldivian infrastructure. Delhi must quickly put in place a multi-faceted strategy to rebuild relations with the archipelago. Indias bad experience with Sri Lanka is instructive in this regard. When Maithripala Sirisena took charge as Sri Lankas president in 2015, the Modi government assumed that the islands relations with India would improve automatically. Indias strong support to Sirisena in the elections that ousted the pro-China Mahinda Rajapaksa was expected to prompt Colombo to sever, or at least weaken, ties with China. That did not happen. Instead, Sino-Sri Lankan relations deepened, with a debt-ridden Sri Lanka handing over the strategic Hambantota ports operation to the Chinese. Consequently, Chinas clout in the island-nation grew. This could happen in the Maldives, too, if India is not proactive. It needs to extend financial and other support to the Maldivian government and not wait for the latter to break ties with China. Delhi must present itself as a benign option, a neighbour that supports not just the Maldivian government but its people, too. Its role in the Maldives should be sensitive to the latters security and sovereignty concerns as a small state. Maldives is an important neighbour of India not only because of its proximity to the Indian coast but also its location in the Indian Ocean, near vital sea lanes through which much of Indias and East Asias trade, especially oil imports, is carried. Additionally, India could showcase its relations with Maldives to convince other South Asian countries of its expertise and support. If New Delhi plays its cards right in the Maldives, Modis visit to the archipelago could mark the start of India rolling back Chinas influence in South Asia. Hitting out at the BJP for instigating the farmers protests, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said those who held demonstrations in Bengaluru and other parts of the state were not farmers. Instead, they were sponsored protests by the BJP, which was unable to digest the good work being done by his government, he charged. Addressing reporters here, Kumaraswamy said small groups of people were staging agitations in the state, in the name of farmers. Stating that farmers of the state would never turn against him, Kumaraswamy lashed out at the BJP and asked the protestors not to provoke him or test his patience unnecessarily. Kumaraswamy, who also directed his ire against the media yet again, said despite his efforts like implementing farm loan waiver and protecting the interests of farmers, his government was not getting the due credit. Till date, I dont understand or know why these persons are protesting. The government has never disrespected the farming community. The Hasiru Sene submitted a list of 29 demands to me today. But the government has already met all these demands, he said. He also attacked the BJP for pointing fingers at his family for letting down the farming community. Its ironic that Yeddyurappa, during whose tenure as a chief minister a farmer was shot dead, is now trying to advice H D Deve Gowda, H D Revanna and me. The Deve Gowda family has always stood by the farming community. What is your contribution as chief minister? How dare you advise me? He has said that with a mere 38 MLAs, I am behaving like an authoritarian - that I am arrogant. But that is not the case, he added. Kumaraswamy also said that before the coalition government came to power, the pending arrears of sugarcane farmers was nearly Rs 2,000 crore, and that after he took over as chief minister, it had come down to Rs 35 crore. I dont even use the government bungalow or car or even claim TA/DA. Still, my detractors attack me for choosing to stay at a private hotel. I stay there because it is difficult for me to commute from JP Nagar every day, he said. Kumaraswamy hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on Karnataka government harassing its farmers by issuing arrest warrants against them for not repaying farm loans. Kumaraswamy said it was, in fact, the Modi government which had given directions to the nationalised banks to issue arrest warrants against farmers. He will hold a meeting with 30 farmers each from Belagavi and Bagalkot on Tuesday. The sugarcane crisis seems to have touched boiling point in Karnataka. A mix of unsold inventory and overdue payments have forced farmers to launch a stir, reaching as far as Bengaluru and planning to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha. The problem has been compounded by some controversial statements by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. But what is the problem? Deccan Herald explains. The government owes farmers over 1,500 crores in dues for FY17-18. Of this, Vijayapura, Belagavi and Bagalkot alone account for over a third of the dues. Sugar import, combined with a huge stock of unsold inventory in sugar factories, led to prices falling as low as Rs 30 per kg. India produced 32 million tonnes of sugar between October 2017 and April 2018, over seven million tonnes more than the country's consumption. Despite a recent ban on sugar imports to help farmers, the situation has not changed much as a significant stock of the product remains unsold, leading to mounting dues to farmers. Despite the massive unsold stock, sugarcane growth in Karnataka has dropped significantly as a result of the unhealthy use of fertilisers and ratoon cropping. Sugarcane farmers are demanding Rs 3000 per tonne as minimum support price for their crops, Rs 500 more than the price set by the previous Congress government in the state. FOLLOW developments LIVE ALSO, READ: HDK will resolve growers woes, says Deve Gowda HDK does not have a note printing machine: Revanna Sugarcane farmers barge into Suvarna Soudha premise Russian President Vladimir Putin will take a one-day working visit to Turkey on Monday, timed to the completion of construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. According to the Kremlin press service, in Istanbul, the Russian leader, together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will participate in the ceremony in the form of a video conference. "There will also be a meeting between Putin and Erdogan, during which issues of further development of Russian-Turkish relations and current regional and international problems will be discussed," the press service noted, TASS reported. Hundreds of sugarcane farmers from Belagavi district arrived in Bengaluru city on Monday morning to stage a protest, demanding minimum support price and clearance of arrears. The farmers are presently at the Sangoli Rayanna Railway Station at Majestic and are expected to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha later in the day. Police personnel are present at the spot to prevent any untoward incidents. The team is led by DCP Ravi Channannavar. On Sunday, several farmers laid siege to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi after CM H D Kumaraswamy failed to hold a meeting with them to address their grievances. Kumaraswamy had described the protesting farmers as 'goondas' and had also asked a woman activist, Jayashree Gurannanavar: "Where were you sleeping for the last four years?". The protesters and the Opposition slammed the CM over his comments and have sought an apology from him. (More details awaited) Angry sugarcane growers, along with cane-laden trucks, barged into the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Sunday. They were protesting after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy reportedly backtracked from his assurance to hold a meeting with them here, to redress their grievances, on November 19 despite giving an assurance to this effect. The sugarcane growers diverted the trucks heading to the sugar factories, from the national highway, and breached the security to enter the Soudha premises. Tension prevailed for some time as a result. The farmers said they had withdrawn their indefinite semi-nude protest following the assurance. But the chief minister went back on their words, they said. Kumaraswamy reportedly told the farmers to visit Bengaluru to discuss the issue. The chief minister's attitude towards the farmers had forced them to intensify their protest, they said. The farmers are demanding that their dues be settled and the purchase price to be fixed for this year. They even tried to unload the sugarcane, but police thwarted their efforts. Subsequently, police took them into preventive custody. The farmers said police had committed atrocities on them. At least 25 militants have been killed in an infighting between pro-Turkey groups over influence in Syrias northern town of Afrin, a pro-opposition monitoring group says. The Turkish army and the so-called Free Syrian Army units which are backed by Ankara established full control over Afrin in March after more than two months of battles with U.S.-backed militants. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday that clashes between the majority of the pro-Ankara militants and a group of about 200 fighters in several districts had left 25 dead, PressTV reported. According to the Britain-based group, the 200 militants were accused of "disobeying" Turkish troops and "committing abuses." The fighting comes amid a curfew imposed by Turkish forces stationed in Afrin on civilians since Saturday evening, according to the observatory. Turkey-led forces reportedly went on a rampage in Afrin, pillaging shops and homes after capturing the city. BEAVER Corrections officers are investigating how an inmate who once headbutted his cell door window so forcefully that it shattered has now managed to break out of the Beaver County Jail. Police found and arrested the 26-year-old Michael Vieyra late Saturday after he escaped from the jail sometime earlier in the day, the Utah Department of Corrections said in a statement. The department regularly inspects each of the contract jails that house state inmates "and has confidence in the management of these jails," according to the statement. A review by the county and the Corrections Department is underway. The agencies did not immediately provide details on Vieyra's escape and arrest. Vieyra is serving a prison sentence of up to five years on convictions of attempted theft and attempted burglary, third-degree felonies; plus misdemeanor weapons charges and failing to stop at the command of an officer, also a misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty in April to damaging a jail, a third-degree felony, after a corrections officer reported that he caused his cell-door window to shatter when he headbutted it on March 22, court records show. SALT LAKE CITY Intermountain Healthcare researchers say they have concluded a user-friendly phone app designed to diagnose heart attacks is nearly as accurate as a standard electrocardiogram administered by a health care provider, which could make it so more patients can more quickly get medical help in an emergency. Intermountain says 204 patients in the study who had chest pain were diagnosed for whether or not they had a complete artery blockage heart attack using both a traditional electrocardiogram and an app called AliveCor. Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, lead investigator of the study and co-director of cardiology research at Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, said the two methods yielded the same diagnosis "almost all of the time," predominantly avoiding false positives and false negatives. "We found the app helped us diagnose heart attacks very effectively and it didn't indicate the presence of a heart attack when one wasn't occurring," Muhlestein said in a statement. The traditional diagnostic procedure uses 12 wires, or "leads," with electrodes on the ends, placed throughout a person's body surface that simultaneously track possible signs of heart attack. The more user-friendly AliveCor app, designed to be operated by the patient themselves or somebody with them, requires fewer accessories to be functional just two relatively inexpensive phone-attachable leads with electrodes. Those are placed sequentially on various parts of the body, where they retrieve medical indicators and transmit that information to the app for interpretation. AliveCor has not yet been pushed to market, as its creators have been waiting to confirm its effectiveness, Muhlestein said. With the new study's strong results, he imagines they will go ahead and make the technology available to consumers "with both Android and iOS apps," he said. "We thought if we could prove that you can actually get interpretable data from it (the engineers could) make a real user-friendly simple device that can be kept in your pocket and added onto your smartphone and maybe save lives," Mulhestein told the Deseret News. AliveCor also has a feature that uploads the diagnosis so that a cardiologist can remotely review it and contact the person promptly to advise them. Muhlestein said there is tremendous value in giving any at-risk person with a smartphone access to their own self-administered diagnostic test. "There aren't 12 lead machines out everywhere, but there are cellphones everywhere," he said. Getting emergency medical help quickly is important for those suffering from a heart attack, and doctors can move significantly more quickly if a person shows up with a reliable diagnosis that they are indeed suffering from one, according to Muhlestein. Muhlestein said people who live in rural areas and are a long distance from a hospital can especially benefit from a do-it-yourself tool. They could also be particularly useful in undeveloped countries "where people have smartphones but where expensive ECG machines are hard to find," Intermountain said in a release. The app also has the sensitivity required to distinguish a major heart attack with full blockage of an artery, called an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, from a partial blockage, according to Intermountain. The research was carried out in five "international sites," Intermountain said. University of Utah Health and Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions were both among several other organizations that assisted in the study. The findings were presented this month at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago. The newly released Apple 4 smartwatch also comes with mobile electrocardiogram capability using just one lead. Muhlestein said the multiple advances in the industry could save lives. "It is critical for the patients' survival if you can get the artery open, but you have to make the diagnosis first, before you can open up the whole health care system to get them into the catheter lab and get the artery open as soon as possible," Muhlestein said. PLEASANT GROVE A teacher at Pleasant Grove High School has been arrested after police say he had sexual contact with a 17-year-old student while helping him with an assignment after school. Kenneth Ayers, 41, was booked into Utah County Jail on Friday for investigation of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The alleged incident took place sometime in the spring, according to a probable cause affidavit. Officers were notified Tuesday after the teen disclosed the incident to clergy, the affidavit says. The teen told police in an interview that he had gone to the teacher for help with coursework "and told him of some personal problems he was having. During this time the 17-year-old victim requested sexual contact from Kenneth Ayers," according to the statement. The student told officers the sexual contact happened for 20 to 30 seconds before he left the classroom, according to police. Ayers allegedly admitted to detectives that he had sexual act with the student for about 30 seconds "before he began to regret his actions. At this time, he stopped and the student got up and left the room," the statement reads. Ayers was released after posting bail, which was set at $5,000, jail records show. His employment status with Alpine School District following the arrest was not immediately clear. COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS An apartment complex in Cottonwood Heights caught fire overnight Sunday, causing severe damage to three apartments and displacing 10 people who live there, authorities said. The blaze likely began as a grease fire in a kitchen about midnight at the Santa Fe Apartments, 7015 S. Santa Cruz Drive (1550 East), said Unified Fire Authority spokesman Matthew McFarland. No injuries were reported and the extent of the damage wasn't immediately clear. The same complex caught fire on Nov. 9, forcing the temporary evacuation of 25 units early in the morning and causing $200,000 in damage. A woman who police said is elderly called them to say her house was on fire about 3 a.m. that morning, and she was taken to a hospital with severe burns, according to Unified fire. A cause of the first blaze has not been released. In addition to Unified crews, others from Murray, Sandy and Cottonwood Heights helped douse the flames on Sunday. The Red Cross was helping arrange shelter for those who couldn't return to their apartments. Investigators from the Unified and Salt Lake fire departments have determined both fires appear to be accidental and unrelated, according to McFarland, who called them "an unfortunate coincidence for the residents of Santa Fe apartments" on Twitter. Correction: An earlier version gave the wrong estimated time the fire began. It started about midnight, not 8 a.m. SAN ANTONIO Lifes tragic storms find everyone at some point. But exercise faith in God and trust in his divine plan. Shelter can be found from even the most powerful tempests. That was President Russell M. Nelsons anchoring message Sunday at a meeting for guests and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attended by more than 23,000 people at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Brenda Lynn Lopez knows the church president was speaking to legions Sunday but she felt his words were meant for her. Her 15-year-old son Ramon was born with several health challenges. Hes had to endure multiple surgeries and spends much of his time in a wheelchair. The Lopezs know much about storms. They rely on faith to weather them. But tonight President Nelson inspired me to continue to have faith, said Lopez. It had been more than a decade since a president of the church had traveled to the Alamo City. His visit was met with rejoicing and more than a few tears, a now familiar sight as the 94-year-old leader has traveled the world to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthen the membership of the church.. Challenges are no respecter of rank, class, race or nationality. All will know trials, he said. Even that great defender of the Alamo, Davy Crockett, had his challenges; they are part of life, President Nelson said. This period of our mortal probation is studded with challenging issues. They can be physical, spiritual, or both. The church president was joined Sunday by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Adrian Ochoa, a General Authority Seventy, along with Sister Wendy Nelson, Sister Susan Bednar and Sister Nancy Ochoa. A woman recently wrote President Nelson and shared with him the challenges of her 2-year-old daughter, who suffers from serious congenital malformations. Humbly, the woman asked why God would allow that to happen to her daughter. President Nelson observed that, in fact, most people face some kind of physical challenges. Some have diabetes. Others are intolerant of glutens. Some are prone to develop cancer or heart disease. And others are susceptible to alcoholism or other addictions. But the Lord has promised strength for those who remain faithful despite their weaknesses. That eternal perspective makes a huge difference in our comprehension of things that dont seem fair in this life, he said. Expect to experience serious storms and perhaps even tragedy during ones life. But with faith in a loving God and trust in his divine plan, the pain of such a tragedy can be endured. And if we truly understand who we are and why we are here, we can face the future with faith in God and his eternal plan of happiness. Our understanding is broadened when we realize there truly will be another life after death. Sunday's meeting comes only weeks after President Nelson and his wife traveled with other church leaders to South America, speaking to members of the church in Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, where he dedicated the Concepcion Chile Temple. The meeting at the Alamodome resembled a devotional in Seattle, Washington in September, when the global church leader told the more than 50,000 gathered at Safeco Field that, We are living in the most crucial era in the history of the world. Here in Texas he noted that Latter-day Saints are children of Abrahams sacred covenant with God, a promise that people of all nations will be blessed in the latter days through their lineage. That lineage was chosen to lead out in the great gathering of Israel, declared President Nelson. That responsibility is uniquely ours in this dispensation. He encouraged parents to teach their children that they too are children of the covenant. They can become sin-resistent souls. And we will be better prepared to cope with all other challenges we encounter in life. The Book of Mormon, he concluded, is the tangible evidence that the promised gathering of Israel has commenced. Sister Nelson spoke of what its been like in the Nelson home since Jan. 2, 2018 the day that President Thomas S. Monson died. She sought peace from heaven knowing that her husband would likely fill President Monsons prophetic calling. Despite some initial anxiety over the dramatic changes facing her family, she remembered being repeatedly filled with overwhelming peace. Her husband, she testified, is Gods prophet. In her 12 years of marriage, she had grown accustomed to her husband being awakened during the night with ideas for General Conference talks. But since becoming president of the church, the number of night-time messages to him from Heaven have increased exponentially. Sister Nelson said she has witnessed other changes in her husband since he became the church president. He is a little more loving and always filled with joy. His vigor for the Lords work is increasing. And his special ability to bring forth the abilities of others is being magnified, she added. He now uses phrases hes never used before and emphasizes words in new ways. When he recently spoke to a group of missionaries he spoke the name of the Savior with an unusual tenderness. Another change is that Ive seen him look even younger, right at the pulpit, right on the spot. President Nelson, she concluded, is doing exactly what he was foreordained to do. Living the gospel: Be all in In matters of Christ and his gospel, its vital to be all in, said Elder Bednar. Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on his name, and in his promises. When the Savior declares, Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love, I hope to be, I want to be, and I yearn to be all in. All in, he added, is a short, simple statement that denotes deep commitment and a strong willingness to be involved. Tonight I invite all of us to ask ourselves this important question: Am I all in as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Sacrifice and consecration are essential to being all in. Sacrifice is motivated by faith and hope and produces increased commitment and a desire to obey, said Elder Bednar. The word consecrate means to develop and dedicate to a sacred purpose. Whereas sacrifice is what we will offer, surrender, yield, or give up, consecration is to become dedicated to a sacred purpose and make ourselves fit for use and fully available in accomplishing the work of the Lord. Living the gospel is not hard. Honoring covenants is not hard. Not living the gospel and not honoring covenants is what makes our lives hard, he said. The Lone Star State has proven to be a place of learning for Sister Bednar and her family. Over the years, the familys experiences in Texas have helped them learn key lessons of example, joy, trusting the Lord and the realizing the blessings of observing the Sabbath. A life-defining connection to Texas also helped them build testimonies of temples and sacrifice. Years ago, the Bednars were living thrifty in an effort to pay off student load debt and save money for a home. Then their bishop asked if they would donate funds to help build the Dallas Texas Temple. It was a lot of money given their circumstances, but they agreed and were blessed for their willingness to help with the temple. Every time we attended the temple, we thought maybe, just maybe, our small sacrifice had helped purchase a piece of trim or a hinge for a door. Sacrifice truly brings forth the blessings of heaven, she said. Both Elder and Sister Ochoa began their brief talks with messages in Spanish. A sizeable slice of Sundays Alamodome audience spoke Spanish as a first language. Elder Ochoa said when he has practiced humility and become fully committed to the Lord, he has been blessed beyond anything I could have imagined. Gratitude for the Lords kindness and generosity prompts one to become more kind and generous with others, he added. As we recognize how he has blessed our lives, we naturally want to share our blessings and the gospel, invite others to come unto him and receive those blessings too. In fact, I believe that one reason Heavenly Father has blessed us so abundantly is because he trusts us to share our blessings and the gospel with His other children. A convert to the church, Sister Ochoa spoke of the power of the Book of Mormon and how it helped her accept the gospel and grow closer to the Lord. Reading the Book of Mormon opened my eyes to a clearer understanding of truths in the Bible, she said. Most of all, the Book of Mormon taught me about my Savior, Jesus Christ. As I read, I learned more about Him and grew to know Him better. I learned about His power to comfort me and deliver me from danger. Prior to the meeting President Nelson spent a few quiet moments before the devotional with the Most Reverend Gustavo Garcia-Siller, the Catholic Archbishop of San Antonio. During his world travels, President Nelson met previously with church and civic leaders in various countries, including Peru President Martin Vizcarr last month. In the framework of the Festival of Poetry, Art and Spirituality, the Institute of Asian and African Countries of the Moscow State University hosted the Nasimi Festival. This event is dedicated to works of one of the most brilliant poets and thinkers of the East, Imadaddin Nasimi (1369-1417). Speakers spoke about his role in the development of Azerbaijani poetry and his contribution to world culture and literature. Director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of the MSU, Igor Abylgaziyev, said that he welcomes all participants and guests of the festival, dedicated to the anniversary of great Azerbaijani poet, Nasimi, whose 650th birthday will be celebrated next year. "President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree on celebrating this anniversary at the state level. This anniversary is currently celebrated at the international level. Nasimis works are among the most advanced examples of world poetry, they celebrate greatness of man, individual freedom. Nasimis heritage represents unity of deep poetic thoughts and philosophical views, they clearly express scientific and philosophical thinking of his time," he said. "Nasimi's heritage has a special place in the history of Azerbaijani literature. This unforgettable poet has enriched Azerbaijani poetry with ideas of humanism and new content. Nasimi was obviously inspired by people's spirit. His diversity of his works demonstrates semantic capabilities of the medieval Azerbaijani language. His creativity had an important impact on the development of social thought of many nations of the world," he stressed. "Our festival was organized with the support of vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my and my institute's sincere gratitude to her for the help she provided to us," he said. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, expressed gratitude to Igor Abylgaziyev for opportunity to hold such large-scale events dedicated to the great Azerbaijani poet in his theinstitute. "Values that Nasimi promoted through his ideology are relevant even now. They will be relevant for many centuries, because they are really philosophical, they are really proper. It's very important for today's young people to know about values that our ancestors lived by," diplomat stressed. Ambassador recalled that today the MGIMO, at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, opened a bust of Nasimi. "It's very symbolic that today's students will look at this bust. Those who know who he is will read even more of his works, and those who don't know him at all will ask why does this great man has a bust, and will then learn more about him," he believes. "It's also very remarkable that today's event is held at your institute, which studies eastern countries, and even teaches Azerbaijani language to students. We're proud that your students are learning Azerbaijani language and speak it quite well," he concluded. WHITE CITY A man accused of tying a woman to a bed and raping her, then stabbing her as she tried to escape, has been charged with attempted murder. In addition to the first-degree felony, Kasey Staker, 21, of White City, was also charged in 3rd District Court Monday with aggravated kidnapping and rape, both first-degree felonies, and aggravated assault, a second-degree felony. On Nov. 11, a 20-year-old woman was staying at Staker's residence. At some point during the night, police say Staker attempted to initiate sex with the woman who refused. Staker then tied the woman's arms to the bedframe and sexually assaulted her, according to charging documents. Staker later untied the woman and she attempted to leave. But when she confronted him about raping her, Staker "pulled a small butcher knife out" and refused to let her leave, the charges state. He asked "if she wanted to die and charged at her swinging the knife," according to the charges. The woman suffered cuts to her neck and chin that required stitches. She also suffered a deep cut on her hand while trying to stop Staker from stabbing her in the throat, and smaller cuts to her shoulders, chest and arms, the charges state. Prosecutors have asked a judge to hold Staker in the Salt Lake County Jail on $500,000 bail. 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. Lux Golden Rose Awards 2018 - Full Winners List The Lux Golden Rose Awards are held every year to commemorate the beauty that Lux has been denoted with since the past ninety years. This year was no different. The entire Bollywood fraternity descended in South Mumbai to celebrate the gorgeous beauties off Bollywood, all of whom were closely associated with Lux and its Advertorials. The whos who of Btown were a part of the extravaganza. Be it Rekha, Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Hema Malini, Taapsee Pannu so on and so forth. The stars got together for a glittery evening that celebrated women and the power and beauty womenfolk is all about. The Lux Golden awards has always celebrated beauty, gorgeousness and graciousness and this year too it wasnt different. There were awards listed for various categories and amidst beauteous performances by all and sundry, these awards were bestowed upon the women who truly deserved them. Here is the list of the awards and the stars who bagged them - The Lux Golden Rose Breakthrough Beauty of The Year award was bagged by Taapsee Pannu. She received the award from Varun Dhawan and Chitrangada Singh. Taapsee won the same award three times in a row! The Lux Golden Rose Emerging beauties of the year award saw three contenders amongst which Jahnvi Kapoor, Nushrat Bharucha seemed to be the fittest for the award. Tiger Shroff and Taapsee Pannu were called in to do the honours and the award was bagged by none other than Jahnvi Kapoor. The Lux Golden Rose Iconic Beauty of The Year award was bagged by none other than the dream girl herself, Hema Malini. The award was presented to her by Kartik Aryan and Ishaan Khattar. Another special award was the Lux golden Rose Timeless Beauty Of The year The award was bagged by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. IT was presented to the lady by Sanjeev Mehta who is the chairman of Hindustan Lever. The next award in line was the Lux Golden Rose award for the Boldest Beauty of the decades this award was won jointly by two of the boldest beauties Indian cinema ever had Zeenat Aman and Helen. Kajol did the honours of presenting the awards to the winners of this category. The next award was for the Confident Beauty Of The Year - The nominees were Kareena Kapoor for Veere Di Wedding, Swara Bhaskar for the same film andShikha Talsania, yet again for hte same film. To present the award Karisma Kapoor, Nakkul Mehta and Mohit Mallik were called on stage. The winner of the award were all the three actresses nominated. i.e. Kareena, Shikha and Swara. The next award was the Lux Timeless Jodi Award Jacqueline Fernandes and Arbaaz Khan presented the award to (No prizes for guessing) none other than Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan. The award that was announced next was Charismatic Beauty Of The Year Award. The nominees for this ward were Anushka Sharma For Sui Dhaga, Sonam Kapoor for Pad Man, Rani Mukherjee for Hichki, Madhuri Dixit for Bucket List and Jacqueline for Race 3. Miss World Manushi Chillar, Siddharth Malhotra and Rakulpreet were called onstage to do the honours. The award was bagged by our very own Madhuri Dixit and Jacqueline Fernandez. The Lux Golden Rose Unstoppable Beauty of The Year the nominees of this ward were Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone. To doo the honours of presenting the winner with the award called on stage were Mukesh Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. The award was bagged by Alia Bhatt. The final award of the night was The Lux Golden Rose Legendary Beauty Of the Year Award. Karan Johar was called onstage to present the award and it went to none other than the ever so gorgeous Rekha. This was the full list of the winners of the Lux Golden Rose Awards. For more on this one keep a close tab on HT Desimartini.com The impact of fraud can be devastating for operators in emerging markets who are working with extremely low ARPU. Wholesale carrier services provider BICS has been providing fraud prevention measures in these regions for years, and we sat down with the firms CEO Daniel Kurgan to discuss the fraud prevention strategies available to emerging market operators. What are the services BICS offers in operators in emerging markets? BICS starts with transport and connectivity, carrying voice, messaging and signalling for roaming for telcos, enabling international telecommunications with a wholesale termination service, which is still our core business that we are deriving the bulk of our revenue from. Our main services in the transport layer cover voice termination, messaging termination, signalling for roaming, IP, and enabling 4G and soon 5G roaming. The next layer includes a set of value added services that we deliver to our customers that want more value for money. This is where we are using the information passing through our network to deliver intelligent services in the areas of analytics, fraud detection and remediation, advanced reporting tools, traffic stimulation, steering of roaming and so forth. Considering that over 50% of international telecommunications traffic is roaming and that we estimate that 25% of worldwide roaming traffic passes through our network; this gives BICS access to a lot of information. BICS enables 2G, 3G and 4G roaming with our signalling network for more than 300 operators. Its a very critical service that everybody needs, because without our service you cannot use your phone when you are travelling. Which are the most widely used value added services? We have our Smart Monitoring Roaming tool which gives our customers a 360 view in of their roaming business. This tool enables operator CTOs, CFOs or CMOs to know in real time exactly how many roamers they have, whether they are inbound or outbound, which network they are using, where they are located, what they are doing - for example how many have switched off their data - or any technical issues your network is facing. Operators can use this key data for technical trouble shooting and monitoring, and also for the commercial management of your roaming. This is a huge, in house, big data tool that weve built with the data we have. Our most rapidly growing service, however, is fraud prevention. BICS now delivers voice termination services to more than 1,000 telco customers, which places us in a very strong position to provide cloud based fraud prevention. When we detect a fraud pattern somewhere, we can inform all our customers for that service and block it. By doing this we prevent the fraud attempt from reaching their network which means the customers avoid fraud losses. How important is fraud prevention in emerging markets now? Fraud avoidance is a very hot topic today in telecoms. Globally, telecom fraud is currently estimated to be costing almost US$30 billion every year. US$17 billion of this is international related, so global carriers are particularly concerned and focused on this topic. International and roaming traffic is where the major fraud and hacking risk now occurs with at least 70% of all fraud in these areas. Our cloud based fraud detection service is particularly successful in emerging parts of the world. This is because in many emerging markets operators are less equipped than for example operators in Europe, which are part of bigger groups or have their own systems that are more developed. It is therefore a question of priorities and investment capabilities for operators. How is the field of telecom fraud changing? The first big attacks and hacking attempts took place in Europe and operators took actions to mitigate that. Now we see more and more fraud occurs in emerging markets where operators are less equipped and have less experience in dealing with attacks. Two years ago most operators were unwilling to discuss fraud and did not want to admit publically that they had fraud on their networks. It was easier to do this then because their revenues were increasing and there was not so much pressure on them. Now operators in emerging markets understand they need to tackle fraud because they are now losing so much money to it. As a result operators are willing to be more open about fraud. What are the major exploits in fraud? The most common exploits are PBX hacking, call transfer, Wangiri (where a fraudster dials a number but cuts the call off before it is answered to trick the consumer into calling back a premium rate number) and International Revenue Sharing Fraud (IRSF). In fact the exploits have not changed much over the past few years. The key development is that fraud and hacking has now become international which make it much more difficult to detect. Typically this means the fraud originates in a low cost country or region, Africa for example, and ends in a country with high termination charges such as the UK, which is one of the markets that generates a lot of fraud in the telecoms space. Frauds are often timed to take place over weekends and holiday periods when networks are less likely to be monitored and companies are closed, so that by the time the hacking or fraud is discovered a huge bill has already been run up. By working internationally, this issue is made much more complex due to time differences and the difficulty of getting international legal agreements to track fraudsters down and prosecute them. What are the key challenges in fraud? Our network enables us to see fraud in real time plus we have a huge database of numbers known to be fraudulent which is continuously updated. Our systems are designed to detect when there are anomalies such as spikes in traffic, and by using traffic pattern analysis and other data we can identify if the traffic is genuine or fraudulent and to stop it if it is the latter. The challenge is that some operators are slow to take action because they do not want to risk alienating genuine customers. Moreover, even when an operator does want to block a certain traffic stream they may need the agreement of their customer first. Trust is an essential element in successfully combating fraud. Customers need understand that we have the tools to detect fraud accurately and can authorise us to block traffic without us having to ask them on each occasion we detect a potential fraud. Evidence is key. We enforce fraud provision closest with our own providers. If something goes via them that is obviously fraud, we reserve the right not to pay, even if its not deliberate. The key thing is to have the evidence so we can prove traffic is fraudulent. Our system does offer this but often an originating network does not and therefore needs to authenticate the fraud with it with an independent authority such as the police. Thats why its better if we can identify patterns. Asus launched its Zenfone Max Pro M1 as the Redmi Note 5 Pro competitor and the company is speculated to be working on its successor as well. XDA developers claim to have obtained a leaked render and details of the handsets specifications from the Google Play Console device catalogue. As per the render, following the trend, Asus could equip the Zenfone Max Pro M2 with a notched display. Additionally, The image obtained is of low-resolution and the handset is said to have the model name ASUS_X01BD_1. The Google Play Console notes that device specifications are provided by the manufacturer and have not been confirmed. Additionally, Asus Indonesia has tweeted that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 will be launched on December 11. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 looks quite similar to the companys Zenfone 5Z. The display has a notch on top where the front camera should be housed and theres a noticeable chin on the bottom. Going by the app icons, the Max Pro M2 could also come with a stock Android interface that is same as its predecessor. Coming to the phones specifications, it is said to be running on Android Oreo instead of Pie and is listed with 6GB RAM. Do note that the Play Console listing could be incorrect and we can expect the device to be launched running on Android Pie. Previously, Roland Quandt tweeted some specs of the upcoming phone. As per Quandt, the Max Pro M2 could be launched in three variants with varying hardware capabilities. The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 (ZB631KL) could feature a 6-inch Full HD+ display and be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. It could feature 4GB RAM with options of 64/128GB of storage and is said to feature a triple rear camera setup. Next up is the ZenFone Max M2 (ZB633KL) that gets the same screen size but could be running on the Snapdragon 636 with 4GB RAM and 32/64GB of storage. This variant is said to feature a dual rear camera setup. Additionally, there could be ZB632KL (non-Pro) and ZB634KL (Pro) variants that are speculated to be India specific. One should take this info with a pinch of salt since the company is yet to announce any specifics on its upcoming handset. Image courtesy: XDA Developers Cover Image: Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 If you thought the use of fingerprints, something that's unique to individuals, was an utterly secure way to authenticate access to computers and smartphones, think again. Artificial Intelligence is slowly taking over, it seems. Five scientists from the New York University recently presented a research paper that explains how a set of fake fingerprints they generated using AI could match more than one in five real fingerprints in a biometric identification system. Named DeepMasterPrints, the set of fake fingerprints was generated by the NYU scientists using a neural network to be some sort of master key for biometric authentication systems that have an error rate of one in a thousand. To work this well, DeepMasterPrints takes advantage of two properties fingerprint authentication systems have: that they scan only a part of the finger at any given time and not the whole finger; and that some features of fingerprints are more common than others. So, the weakness in the system here, explains The Guardian, is that fingerprint scanners never blend all the partial images to match a full fingerprint against a full record. Instead, they just compare a partial scan against partial records. This means that attackers need only match one of tens or even hundreds of recorded fingerprints in order to gain access into a secured system. The scientists presented their research paper at a biometrics conference in Los Angeles in October. The underlying method is likely to have broad applications in fingerprint security as well as fingerprint synthesis, said NYUs Philip Bontrager, the lead author of the paper in a statement to Gizmodo. A similar setup to ours could be used for nefarious purposes, but it would likely not have the success rate we reported unless they optimized it for a smartphone system. This would take a lot of work to try and reverse engineer a system like that, he added. Bontrager believes that an upgrade in fingerprint-based authentication systems is what will bring about improved accuracy in the authentication process and thereby more security. The real hope of work like this is to push toward liveness detection in biometric sensor, the author added in a statement to The Guardian. This gives Apple Inc. a reason to smile smugly as it recently switched from the Touch ID system to the Face ID system on all its iPhones. Inline Image Courtesy: Philip Bontrager, Aditi Roy, Julian Togelius, Nasir Memon, Arun Ross Motion capture, commonly referred to as mo-cap or mocap, has finally set its roots into Indian soil with the launch of Indias first-ever international standard Motion Capture Studio in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. Centroid, located in Pinewood Studios in the UK, is an established motion capture firm that has delivered several blockbusters and AAA games. They joined hands with Famous Studios in Mumbai to build a capable mocap studio, spanning over 1500 square feet, that houses technologies capable of producing live on set capture, virtual production, cinema layout, crowd simulation and facial as well as body animation services. The crowd at the launch event were greeted by Mr Phil Stilgoe, CEO of Centroid UK who conducted a thorough walkthrough highlighting the capabilities, benefits and future avenues motion capture could provide in a country like India, with the largest film industry. Stilgoe presented the motion capture suits with markers made out of reflective tape that allows the array of cameras present all over the studio to capture the 3D movement of a person or object. If something moves, we can capture it, said Stilgoe enthusiastically while demonstrating a maneuverable motion camera that can track movement in real time. Phil Stilgoe, CEO of Centroid UK, addresses the crowd at Famous Studios. Centroid has blockbuster films and games like Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Godzilla, Mad Max and Assassins Creed under its belt. However, they also collaborated in creating the first-ever Indian film using mocap, Kochadaiiyaan, which was considered to be a rather weak display of the technologys capabilities. Stilgoe mentioned, It (Kochadaiiyaan) was not perfect. But you need to start somewhere and the start may not always be pretty. Centroid along with Famous Studios are extremely exhilarated by the possibilities of motion capture in India in varied areas such as film, gaming, VR and more. They have indicated that they are attempting to build a capable educational infrastructure that will allow individuals to learn the process of mocap post-production clean-up, with their self-built technology. Russia's President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual news conference in December, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "The news conference will be traditionally held in December. This traditional format will be preserved," TASS cited the spokesman as saying. Earlier, sources said that Putin may hold his annual year-end news conference on December 20. Russia's president has held his annual news conferences to sum up each years results since 2001, with a break when he served as Prime Minister from May 2008 to May 2012. The shortest of these news conferences lasted for 1 hour and 35 minutes back in 2001, while the 2008 news conference set the record as being the longest one, lasting for 4 hours and 40 minutes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on a statement by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Nord Stream-2, saying that it was an unsuccessful statement. The Kremlin spokesman noted that the Nord Stream-2 is a "commercially viable and economically feasible project". "It is economically attractive not only for the supplier but also for the recipients of this gas in Europe, primarily in Germany, he added. Speaking in Hamburg yesterday, Morawiecki said Russia could attack Ukraine after the launch of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. He said "escalation of aggression against Kiev might follow when the Ukrainian gas transportation system ceased to play such an important role for Moscow, Sputnik recalls. Chinese authorities in Xinjiang ask extremists to surrender in 30 days Authorities in the Hami city in China's far-western Xinjiang region has ordered people who are "poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism", following overseas terror groups or act in a conservative Islamic manner, to surrender within 30 days or face action. Those who surrender within 30 days and confess to their crimes will be treated leniently and might avoid punishment, said a notice posted on the official social media account of the Hami city government. "All individuals involved in terrorist crimes and poisoned by the 'three evil forces' are urged to surrender themselves to the judicial organs within 30 days and to confess and hand over the facts of your crime," said the Hami city notice. The notice issued by the municipal "leading small group for stability maintenance" says that actions ranging from being in contact with overseas "terror" groups to conservative Islamic behaviour should prompt individuals to turn themselves in. The move comes after instances of extremists groups advocating that people live their entire lives in accordance with the Koran, stopped other people from watching television, banned alcohol, smoking and dancing at weddings. The list also included openly destroying, rejecting or thwarting the government identification system, as well as rejecting government provided housing, subsidies and cigarettes or booze as being "harem" or forbidden. Those who turn themselves in on time will be treated leniently, and if the information provides a significant clue, then they might avoid all punishment, the notice said. A report by a United Nations human rights panel had in August, said it had received reports of more than a million Uighurs and other minorities being held in massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy in Xinjiang. Aside from the mass detentions, rights groups also say that the Chinese government has significantly raised limitations on everyday religious observances in the region. Last month, the region's capital Urumqi launched a campaign targeting halal products, like food and toothpaste, which are produced according to Islamic law, in order to prevent what it sees as the incursion of Islam into secular life. China says it is not enforcing arbitrary detention and political re-education. Beijing rejected criticism, saying that it protects the religion and culture of minorities in the region and that its security measures are needed to combat the influence of "extremist" groups that incite violence there. Gadkari launches 2 new floating restaurants in Mumbai Union minister for shipping, road transport and highways, water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari on Sunday inaugurated two floating restaurants under the ongoing water front development work of Mumbai Port. He also participated in the Bhoomi Poojan ceremony of Mumbai Port Trusts new Eastern Water Front. The minister also launched the Access Control and RFID System as well as development of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Gadkari will also begin the invitation of tenders for Mumbai-Elephanta Ropeway and a Super Specialty Hospital at the Port. The two floating restaurants have the capacity to accommodate 475 persons each. Licenses have been awarded for three floating restaurants two at the sea off Gateway of India and one at the sea off Girgaum Chowpatty. These will be available for family functions, corporate or specialised events, public meets, etc. The restaurants have been registered with Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) for safety and security. Sea-worthiness, life-saving appliances and fire-fighting equipment have been surveyed and tested. The restaurants carry 500 life-jackets and 24 life-rafts and buoyant apparatus, and are equipped with 2 VHF, 1 Radar, eco-sounder, GPS and AIS for monitoring ship movements. The Mumbai-Elephanta Ropeway will be the world's longest ropeway over sea - approximately 8 km - with all the necessary infrastructure at both the terminal ends. It will be built at a height of 50 to 125 metres above the sea level on European standards with state-of-art features. Total travel time will be 16 minutes from one end to the other. Around 36 gondolas can be deployed on the ropeway at a time. The project has been envisaged at a cost Rs800 crore, and will be completed by August 2022. The 600-bedded super specialty hospital will provide improved health facilities to 75,000 port employees and dependents and 13 million population in the catchment area by converting the present port hospital into a World-class super specialty hospital on PPP basis. The project cost is estimated at Rs693 crore. Mumbai Port Trusts new Eastern Water Front will have an iconic building as its seaside terminal, a domestic cruise terminal, a skating rink, Ro Pax, seaside restaurant and walkway, amphitheatre and marina. The Access Control System (Indoor and Outdoor) for visitors, employees and vehicles is designed and programmed to retrieve visitor information. Visitor and vehicle management system will be in place with online/office visitor and vehicle registration. RFID enabled, multi-purpose cards are configured to track visitors and vehicles, attendance recording, identity card, etc. Tech Mahindra has been tasked with the development of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for adoption of information technology within port operations to reduce turnaround time. It is aimed at removing paper-based workflows currently in the system and to increase efficiency, common reporting and monitoring to make cost and budget control easy, and for unification of computerised operations from staggered mode to an integrated functioning. I see where the president of the California Professional Firefighters criticised Donald Trump after the President threatened to withhold federal payments to the state, claiming its forest management is "so poor and guilty of gross mismanagement. Trump had tweeted: There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly fires in California. He said billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments! As CPF President Brian Rice pointed out: The president's message attacking California and threatening to withhold aid to the victims of the cataclysmic fires is ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those who are suffering as well as the men and women on the front lines. At the time of writing, over 30 people are dead and 200 unaccounted for...firefighters were battling three majors fires, including one that destroyed the entire town of Paradise. SEE ALSO: Frank meets Frank McGurk Rice added that Trumps blame was dangerously wrong. Wildfires are sparked and spread not only in forested areas but in populated areas and open fields fueled by parched vegetation, high winds, low humidity and geography... Moreover, nearly 60 percent of California forests are under federal management, and another two-thirds under private control. It is the federal government that has chosen to divert resources away from forest management, not California. Its unbelievable but typical how Trump weighs in on sensitive matters with such ill-informed guff, and yet he has a 40% support base. Maybe Hillary Clinton was right about the basket of deplorables. I see where many musicians and actors who have lost homes have reacted angrily to Trumps tweet. Neil Young responded: California is vulnerable not because of poor forest management as DT (our so-called president) would have us think. We are vulnerable because of climate change; the extreme weather events and our extended drought is part of it. Imagine a leader who defies science, saying these solutions shouldnt be part of his decision-making on our behalf. Imagine a leader who cares more for his own, convenient option than he does for the people he leads. Imagine an unfit leader. Now imagine a fit one. Katy Perry and Rod Stewart also criticised Trump over his tweets. This is an absolutely heartless response, Perry tweeted. Stewart said: California needs words of support & encouragement, not threats or finger pointing & accusations. As if that wasnt bad enough, DT (the so-called president...to paraphrase Young) didnt turn up at the French Armistice commemorations at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery and memorial at Belleau. The White House cited rain that grounded the presidents helicopter for the cancellation. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement that blamed the weather and near-zero visibility as well as concerns that a motorcade on short notice would have required closing roads to traffic. DTs Apologist-in-Chief added: President Trump did not want to cause that kind of unexpected disruption to the city and its people. Critics were having none of it. Nicholas Soames, the Conservative MP and grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, tweeted: They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldnt even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen #hesnotfitto representhisgreatcountry. Nicolas Burns, an American diplomat who worked for both Republican and Democratic presidents, said the the decision was astonishing. As Ive written here before, my genuine concern about Donald Trump is that his presidency has far too many echoes of 1930s Germany, a personal area of study for me at UUC years ago. While the German people sleepwalked, a little lunatic with a dodgy moustache swept to power by scaremongering, lying and intimidation. Immediately Trump tweeted that the midterms were a near-complete victory, I guessed that the opposite was most probably true. And now that the voting dust is almost settled, its interesting to look at the actual state of play. For example, there was great brouhaha about the Republicans holding the Senate but that picture has changed somewhat. The Democrats actually held on in Montana, when last week, it appeared that they were doomed...they also won Nevada, and Arizona is a fascinating case. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema actually trailed GOP Rep. Martha McSally on election night but at the time of writing, Sinema leads McSally by 32,640 votes, and now has 49.6 percent of the vote compared to 48.1 percent for McSally. Although Trump won Ohio in 2016, Dem. Senator Sherrod Brown won by a massive 10% and the three states that gave Trump the presidency two years ago Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan have all elected Democratic governors. Browns victory speech was very telling: Populists are not racists, he said. We do not appeal to some by pushing down others. We do not lie. We do not engage in hate speech. And we do not rip babies from their families at the border. We will never ever give up the hallowed ground of patriotism to the extremists at the statehouse and in the White House. That is the message coming out of Ohio in 2018, he concluded. And that is the blueprint for our nation in 2020. So, all is not lost, and now that the Democrats hold Congress, they can at least frustrate an incumbent of the White House, whose short reign has inspired many books, including Cass Sunsteins Can it Happen Here? to Madeleine Albrights Fascism: A Warning, to Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatts How Democracies Die and Jason Stanleys How Fascism Works...The Politics of Us and Them. Independent political activist and trade unionist Liam Whyte is to run in next years local elections as an independent candidate in the Glenties Municipal District. Mr Whyte has worked as a secretary for Donegal TD Thomas Pringle for the last two years. The Ardara man says he has been an active campaigner on both local and national issues and has been consistent in promoting fairness and equality for the ordinary working people. He has been involved with trade unions Mandate and Siptu and was a shop steward in Gallaghers Bakery in Ardara. He has also worked in the fishing industry and is a qualified electrician. Mr Whyte said that his "background in the fishing industry and construction work gives him the tools to understand the issues that face ordinary working people and understands the ways of rural life Ireland. I think it's time we take a new fresh approach to politics in Donegal where we involve the community in the decisions that shape our future, he said. South West Donegal has been on a steady decline in the last decade or so where we see small businesses closing and our youth migrating and immigrating in search of work . I believe if we are given the proper supports such as proper infrastructure and good services we can halt this decline . I will be a strong voice supporting local indigenous industry and pushing for services in health, mental health and youth services and education. I will continue to work closely with Thomas Pringle TD to develop and promote Donegal and promote fairness and equality in society. I think that what we need in the country starting from a local level is more involvement for people in the decisions that affect their lives. Donegal has seen a lot of rural decline and we need investment to halt that decline. Bunbeg post office has become the latest in Donegal to have its proposed closure confirmed by an independent review. The decision to close the post office was confirmed after an appeal. Last week the closures of the post offices in Burtonport and Dunfanaghy were confirmed after appeals. Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson Deputy Pearse Doherty expressed profound sadness and disappointment at the decision by An Post to proceed with the planned closure. I am very saddened and extremely disappointed by the confirmation which Ive received this morning that An Posts decision to close the post office in Bunbeg has been upheld by the independent review team. The entire community has been left reeling by this decision as it is very much viewed as a huge blow to the area, both economically and socially.When the initial announcement was made some months ago by An Post that the company were planning to close the branch, the community came together and rallied round to show their opposition to the closure. In fact, local residents, business owners, community groups and many local politicians alike united together when they formally submitted an appeal and referred this decision to the Independent Assessor in a bid to keep the branch open and retain these important services However despite the efforts of the local community here, it is now almost inevitable that the post office here in Bunbeg will now close as planned following the outcome of the review. The company has stated that from 1st February next year, social welfare payments and other services currently provided at Bunbeg will be transferred to the nearby branch at Derrybeg, while full services will operate out of neighbouring post offices including at Annagry. Undoubtedly, this mornings news will be met with much disappointment from local residents and businesses here in Bunbeg, and it is extremely regrettable that the branch in Bunbeg will soon stop providing postal and other services to the community when it closes shortly. The government has once again shown complete indifference towards rural areas, as demonstrated by its decision to turn a blind eye to the closure of post offices throughout the state by An Post. They have shown nothing but contempt for rural Ireland and this decision to close Bunbeg Post Office represents yet a further erosion of rural services here in West Donegal. Fahan Heritage Group will this week launch its campaign to Save St Muras Cross into the future and everyone is invited to be part of preserving this 1,400 year old iconic cross. It is one of Irelands oldest crosses and the only one with a Greek inscription. The launch takes place in the Caboose Club at the Railway Tavern, Fahan, Buncrana on Wednesday, November 21, at 8pm and everyone is welcome. There will be the premiere of a short film uploaded to the www.fundit.ie website where it is hoped donations will be pledged to help fund this important conservation programme. The iconic 1,400 year-old St Muras Cross in Fahans old graveyard has been seriously eroded and is at risk, as is the nearby abbey gable wall which is being split apart by heavy ivy growth. Archaeologist John Cronin has been commissioned to do a report in conjunction with the relevant national agencies to determine the future of the cross, its conservation and that of the surrounding graves. The cross was erected to commemorate the death of St Mura in 645AD. He was aged 94 and was patron of the Cineal Eoghain including the Ui Neill who were among the High Kings of Ireland. His bell is in the Wallace Collection in London and his crozier, chain of office and baptismal font also survive in various locations. The abbey gable wall to be stabilised, built in 1608, contains stones from the original monastery of St Mura. Phase One of this programme is to remove the ivy under strict supervision. Substantial funding is required and an appeal has been launched under the charity scheme www.fundit.ie. Dundalk is set to experience the magic of Christmas at Frostival Winter Festival next Friday 23th and Saturday 24th of November, marking the start of the festive season in the town centre. According to the organisers, the big attraction at this years event is the Carnival of Light parade starting at 6.15pm from the Longwalk Shopping Centre, illuminating the town centre as it weaves its way through the streets on a magical journey. The procession will be like a winter fairy tale come to life with the Nutcracker prince spinning fire, a flying fairground horse, troupe of Dancing Christmas Stars performed by Funky Feet, the Sugar plum fairy, giant snowflakes, huge golden baubles light up the street, Rudolph prances and dances, a Snowman cycles in a sparkling snowstorm and Santa is high above the crowd on his magic bicycle! The countdown is on with only a few days left to go until the fun starts and Santa makes the long journey from his arctic home to the magical grotto at Market Square for Frostival. Santa will be in his grotto from 4-8pm on Friday, and 12-4pm on Saturday, little girls and boys are invited to visit completely FREE of charge to deliver their Christmas letters to him in person. A visit to Dundalk Christmas Market will get you into the festive spirit and is the perfect place to discover delicious food and bespoke handmade Irish gifts, be sure to check it out this weekend! Join in the family fun and jump aboard the festive Frostival Express Train, also at Market Square, from 4-8pm on Friday, and 12-4pm on Saturday. The Little Elves Fun Zone also at Market Square which will run from 4-8pm on Friday and 12-4pm on Saturday with lots of FREE fun for the little ones including DJ Christmas who will be playing all his festive favourites to get us into the spirit of Christmas. An Cathaoirleach will officiate at the ceremony to switch on the town centre festive lighting and Christmas tree which will start at 6pm. Town Centre Commercial Manager, Martin Mc Elligott hopes the festive events will be a big hit with locals. On behalf of the whole team here in the BIDs office we are all delighted to have worked on this project and hope the families of the North east and anyone visiting, enjoy all the magic and splendour we think Dundalk brings. We truly believe that Dundalk is the place to be and wish all our retailers and the people who live, work and play here a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful new year. I would also like to thank Louth County Council and the Longwalk SC for their continued sponsorship and support, Louth Volunteer centre and the Civil Defence for always getting involved in Christmas in the Town, without these generous contributions none of these events would ever be possible. Frostival 2018 Schedule of Events FRIDAY 11am 6pm Dundalk Christmas Market 12 5pm Frostival Family Treasure Hunt 4 8pm Santas Grotto at Market Square 4 8pm Frostival Express 4 8pm Little Elves Fun Zone 4 8pm DJ Christmas playing songs at Market Square 6pm Switching on of town Centre Christmas Tree & street lights 6:15pm Frostival Carnival of Light parade Saturday 11am 6pm Dundalk Christmas Market 11am 2pm Frostival Family Treasure Hunt 12 4pm Santas Grotto at Market Square 12 4pm Frostival Express 12 4pm Little Elves Fun Zone *times may be subject to change Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held the one-on-one meeting in Minsk. After which they were joined by their delegations for a meeting in an expanded format. Following the expanded meeting, a ceremony of signing documents has been held with participation of the presidents. Local councillor Ruairi O Murchu has welcomed confirmation from the HSE that the new respite house for Dundalk will provide 1350 bed nights per year. Speaking following his attendance at Louth Disability Forum meeting in Ardee on Friday 16th November the Sinn Fein councillor said: I am very pleased for people with disabilities and their families that this house is to be operational within the coming weeks and that 1350 bed nights will be provided annually. The HSE confirmed to me that currently the care provider, Praxis, is meeting with the people who will stay in the house and their families to get to know their personalities and needs. The property, on the Dublin Road, Dundalk, is being assessed by HIQA on Monday 19th November and hopefully the registration process will be completed soon after. I have spoken with families who will be using this respite service and they are delighted to finally be able to avail of respite in Dundalk. I hope that this new premises will go some way towards redressing the inadequacies in provision for people with disabilities in County Louth. 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. Uber Technologies says growth in bookings for its ride-hailing and delivery services rose just six per cent in the latest quarter, the third quarter in a row that growth has remained in the single digits after double-digit growth for all of last year. The San Francisco-based firm lost $US1.07 billion for the three months ending September 30, a 20 per cent increase from the previous quarter but down 27 per cent from a year ago, when the company posted its biggest publicly reported quarterly loss on the heels of the departure of Uber co-founder and former Chief Executive Travis Kalanick. Uber is seeking to expand in freight hauling, food delivery and electric bikes and scooters as growth in its now decade-old ride-hailing business dwindles. The company, valued at $US76 billion, faces pressure to show it can still grow enough to become profitable and satisfy investors in an initial public offering planned for some time next year. Its adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was $US592 million, down from $US614 million last quarter and $US1.02 billion a year ago. We had another strong quarter for a business of our size and global scope, said Nelson Chai, Ubers chief financial officer, who joined in September after the job had been vacant for three years. He emphasized the high-potential markets in India and the Middle East where we continue to solidify our leadership position. Broader economic conditions and sustained losses could also push Uber to merge with rivals in India and the Middle East, particularly as Uber and India-based Ola share an investor in SoftBank Group Corp. Ubers gross bookings were $12.7 billion, up 6 per cent from the previous quarter and up 41 per cent from a year ago. In late 2016, Ubers quarterly bookings growth approached 30 per cent, and in early 2017 it still sustained double-digit growth quarter-over-quarter. At the start of this year, however, bookings growth slid into the single digits. As a private company, Uber is not required to publicly disclose financials, but last year started releasing selected figures. Since chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi took the helm than a year ago, Uber has retreated from foreign markets where it had suffered heavy losses and shuttered certain pricey ventures including self-driving trucks. But Khosrowshahi has plowed the savings back into its freight-hauling, food-delivery, and electric scooter and bikes businesses. An investment by SoftBank that closed in January, which gave the Japanese investor a 15 per cent stake in Uber, included a provision that requires Uber to file for an IPO by September 30 of next year, or the company risks allowing restrictions on shareholder stock transfers to expire. That could create a mess for Ubers ownership structure and equity value, and pose regulatory problems. Uber is considering moving its public debut up from the second half of 2019 to the first half, given concerns about a market downturn and an expected IPO from its chief US rival, Lyft Inc, according to sources familiar with the matter. Khosrowshahi has focused on growing Uber Eats, which took in $US2.1 billion in booking revenue, marking a 150 per cent jump over last year and about 17 per cent of total bookings. Uber has also pledged to double its investment over the next year in Freight, a brokerage service set up in May 2017 for truck drivers and fleet managers looking for cargo to haul. The business is doubling the number of loads it connects with truckers every quarter, Uber said. But it is not yet clear whether either business can sustain a profit. It is also unclear how Uber will fare in a shakeout in the crowded global food-delivery industry, and whether its freight business will be widely adopted by fleet managers. With AAP. Russia's President Vladimir Putin will take a one-day working visit to Turkey today, timed to the completion of construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The Kremlin press service reported that Putin together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will participate in the ceremony in Istanbul in the form of a video conference. There will also be a meeting between the two presidents, during which issues of further development of Russian-Turkish relations and current regional and international problems will be discussed. According to the Turkish media, they may discuss Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defence systems, as well as the situation in Syria's Idlib. Gazprom has begun construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream in May 2017. The offshore section of the 930 km pipeline runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the coast of Turkey. The pipeline will be continues by a 180-km land transit line to the border of Turkey with neighboring countries. The first line will be designed for the Turkish market, the second - for gas supply to the countries of South and Southeast Europe. The capacity of each line is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019. Gazprom announced the completion of deep-sea laying of the offshore section of the first Turkish Stream in April 2018. Political scientist Orhan Gafarli, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, said that the completion of the Turkish Stream's offshore section is a major event for Ankara. "The thing is that the Turkish Stream is of strategic importance for Turkey, as we strive to become a hub for Eastern, Western and Central Europe. It is important to view the Turkish Stream from two aspects - as meeting domestic needs and transit of gas to Europe. First of all, we, of course, need to guarantee our own energy security, the demand for gas in Turkey is constantly growing, and the Turkish Stream will produce gas even after the pipeline through Ukraine closes. The second line of the gas pipeline will go to Europe through Greece or Bulgaria and will allow Turkey to strengthen its position of the energy hub country, providing Europe with hydrocarbons," he said. In addition, Gafarli drew attention to the political significance of this event. "The completion of the pipeline's offshore part and the presence of the presidents at the ceremony show the extent of how much the relations between Turkey and Russia are improving, as well as how important these relations are for the leaders of both countries," the political scientist emphasized. A senior analyst of 'Uralsib', Alexei Kokin, in turn, noted that the completion of the Turkish Stream's offshore section is just the first step towards halting Russian gas transit via Ukraine. "So far, we are talking only about those parts serving the Turkish market. There are plans to bring this gas to the European market, but its yet too early to talk about it. Strategically, the second, third and fourth pipeline lines should go to Europe and play a role in stopping transit, but much work has yet to be done in concluding contracts with consumers. The pipeline is not built until contracts are concluded and Gazprom has to solve this major task," Alexei Kokin concluded. Enterprise IT Lead Generation Services Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more. Theresa Payton, CEO of Fortalice Solutions, is one of the most influential experts on cybersecurity and IT strategy in the United States. She is an authority on Internet security, data breaches and fraud mitigation. She served as the first female chief information officer at the White House, overseeing IT operations for President George W. Bush and his staff. With the U.S. midterm elections fast approaching, both Payton's observations about the current cybersecurity threat level and her advice about shoring up the nation's defenses carry special weight. In this exclusive interview, she also shares her views on social networking, privacy, and the changing playing field for women who aspire to leadership roles in technology. TechNewsWorld: What is the chief cyberthreat to the upcoming midterm elections? Theresa Payton: My biggest worry and concern is that citizens will not trust election results and that the election process will lose legitimacy. We know that the Department of Homeland Security, working with state election officials, have raced against the clock to secure voting systems. Our U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly been on the record stating there is no evidence that cybercriminals modified or deleted any votes in 2016. The next area of concern is for the communications, contacts, and digital campaigns of candidates being broken into and doxed. While the news focuses on securing the votes and the voter databases of the midterm elections, there is not a lot of attention on whether or not campaigns take threats targeting their campaigns seriously. Nothing would hit closer to home for a candidate than if their election was hacked and they lost -- or won. "Cyber" is certainly a buzzword, but it's not a word without meaning. With the onslaught of breaches, candidates should be laser-focused on cybersecurity. TNW: What should federal officials do to shore up election security? What should state and local governments do? Where does the buck stop? Payton: It's crucial that elected officials on the left and right not politicize an issue in the short term that will have grave long-term consequences for national security. Defensively, we need to harden our election infrastructure at the local level. This is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. DHS needs to continue to work at the local level with state election officials, but also to provide much more robust cybersecurity capabilities for protection and detection at the campaign level. We also need to be sure that the intelligence and homeland security community is effectively sharing information and tools, techniques and tactics. TNW: How serious are concerns that election interference might be caused by tampering with back-end election systems? What can federal agencies do to address the problems of outdated voting equipment, inadequate election-verification procedures, and other potential vulnerabilities? Is there an argument to be made for some level of mandatory federal oversight of state and local voter systems? Payton: There are grave concerns about election interference and the race to secure them, globally, is under way. The idea that voter databases could be seeded with falsified data or modified has been around for decades, but the technical know-how and motive has caught up with that idea. Election officials in a race towards automation and efficiency may have helped criminals along, but it's not too late if we act now. Today, there are entire countries totally relying on electronic voting: Brazil, since 2000, has employed electronic voting machines, and in 2010 had 135 million electronic voters. India had 380 million electronic voters for its Parliament election in 2004. It is easy to see why electronic voting is the wave of the future and how the United States could model its own voting system after these countries. It's faster, cheaper and more accessible for those with disabilities. Also, would you miss the experience of, or the reporting of, the every-election-day headline of "Long Lines at the Polls Today"? Probably not. That is certainly less painful than a recount though. We are headed towards electronic voting as the sole system we use despite these facts: "The U.S. intelligence community developed substantial evidence that state websites or voter registration systems in seven states were compromised by Russian-backed covert operatives prior to the 2016 election -- but never told the states involved, according to multiple U.S. officials," NBC News reported earlier this year. Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's emails with the intention to "interfere with the U.S. election process," according to the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., and the Department of Homeland Security. As far as we know, despite the scans and alarm bells, no outside entity has changed any records in the registration database. Scams such as "text your vote" were more prevalent than ever, and will increase as electronic voting becomes more widespread. The good news is our government took this very seriously. Prior to the midterm elections, the Department of Homeland Security offered state election officials "cyber hygiene scans" to remotely search for vulnerabilities in election systems. They also conducted threat briefings and onsite reviews, as well as released a memo of "best practices" -- guidance how best to secure their voter databases. Some have called for more federal oversight and moving towards a more restrictive security model, but the states own the voting process. Providing year-round briefings from DHS, FBI, CIA, and NSA would prove to be very helpful over time. Also, we have to remember elections are decentralized. Sometimes there is security in obscurity. Each state in our country, plus the District of Columbia, run their own election operations, including voter databases. A hostile nation state could not feasibly wipe out each system with one wave of their magic wand. How we vote, though, is just one-way our elections could be compromised. Another concern going forward must be disruption of Internet traffic, as we saw occurred just days before the last presidential election cycle on Oct. 21st, 2016, when the Mirai botnet crippled part of the Internet for hours. A massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacked a host server causing major disruptions to some of the most highly visited websites in the United States. The attack was in two waves, first on the East Coast and then on the West Coast. As our country votes on Election Day in different time zones, and polling stations close at different times, the similarity is chilling. However, we need everyone to turn out to vote. The focus on bolstering our election security defenses is reassuring. What we know is the warning signs are there. As we move towards the future, and focus on creating and protecting a new system to collect our votes, we need to protect the one we already have. Two things you can be sure of after this year's election: Eventually, every vote you cast in a United States election will be electronic, and one of those elections will be hacked. No doubt about it. But the recount in 2016 in Wisconsin reminds us all why we need a backup. TNW: What are some ways candidates and campaigns can shore up their cybersecurity without draining their war chests? What are some of the practices they should implement in the very early days? A campaign that's very secure ultimately might lose due to lack of visibility. How can campaigns strike the right balance? Payton: Never before have campaigns collected so much essential information that would be lucrative to so many cybercriminals. Credit card numbers, bank account information, addresses, online identities. The assets go on and on, and cybercriminals are just like bank robbers in the old days: They follow the money. That is why in today's day and age, if you are on a campaign, whether it be state, national or local, you need to be as vigilant about protecting data as any business. Otherwise, you will lose your customers -- also known as constituents and voters. Anyone on a tight budget can follow these guidelines to protect their campaign assets: Make it as hard as possible on cybercriminals by separating donor information details onto a completely separate domain name with separate user IDs and passwords from the campaign. For example, your campaign domain might be VoteSallySue.com, but donor details would be stored at MustProtectDetails.com. Using that same practice, run all of your internal communications on a domain name that's not the campaign name -- i.e., email addresses should not be henry@VoteSallySue.com but rather henry@MustProtectDetails.com. Increase the level of protection for internal messages by using encrypted messaging platforms for internal communications, such as Signal or Threema. Also, be sure to encrypt all of your campaign's donor data. We have yet to hear a report of a campaign's donor data being hacked and used for identity theft, but we will -- of that I am sure. It would be too lucrative not to try. Once it is hacked, it will be hard to restore confidence in your operation. Just ask any major retailer, bank or organization who has recently been hacked, and they will tell you. I don't even need to use their names, you know the headlines. Train technology and campaign staff to spot spearphishing emails and scams. Oh, sure, you think everyone knows not to "click on that link," but recent studies illustrate doing just that is the No. 1 cause of breaches among employees. Another safeguard that raises the bar in terms of security is implementing two-factor authentication wherever feasible. When you use a platform that employs two-factor authentication, don't you feel safer? Possibly annoyed, as well, but certainly reassured that the extra step has been taken to secure your data. Don't you want the electorate to feel the same way? Finally, post a privacy policy that's easy to read, easy to find, and you'll find voters have more confidence in just your agenda. TNW: How well -- or poorly -- have Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech companies addressed the problems that surfaced in 2016? Payton: I was encouraged to hear that with less than three weeks to go for the U.S. mid-terms, that Facebook has stood up a war room to combat social media community manipulation as the world heads into elections this fall and winter. They have also said they have war-gamed a number of scenarios to ensure their team is better prepared for elections around the globe. Much is at stake, so the fact that Facebook also integrated the apps they have acquired -- such as WhatsApp and Instagram -- into the mix of the war room is a great idea. If I were to give them advice, I would suggest that another great step to take would be to create a way to physically embed representatives from law enforcement, other social media companies -- including Twitter, Linkedin and Google -- and to allow election officials around the globe to have a "red phone" access to the war room. TNW: What are some of the most pressing cybersecurity problems facing social networks, apart from their use as political tools? Payton: The ability to change their business and moderator models, in real time, to morph quickly to shut down fake personas, fake ads, and fake messaging promoting political espionage, even if it means higher expenses and loss of revenue. Social media companies have made a lot of progress since the 2016 presidential elections and claims of global-wide election meddling, but the criminals have changed tactics and it's harder to spot them. On the heels of the August 2018 news that Microsoft seized six domains that Russian Internet trolls planned to use for political espionage phishing attacks around the same time that Facebook deactivated 652 fake accounts and pages tied to misinformation campaigns, Alex Stamos, the former Facebook security chief, posted an essay in Lawfare, and stated that it was "too late to protect the 2018 elections." TNW: What role should the government play in protecting citizens' privacy online? Payton: As the Internet evolves, laws and regulations must change more rapidly to reflect societal issues and problems created by new types of behavior taking place online. Never before has the world had access to statements, pictures, video and criticism by millions of individuals who are not public figures. The Internet provides us with places to document our lives, thoughts and preferences online, and then holds that material for an indefinite period of time -- long after we might have outgrown our own postings. It also provides places where we can criticize our bosses, local building contractors, or polluters. This digital diary of our lives leaves tattered pages of our past that we may forget about because we cannot see them, but they could be collected, collated, and used to judge us or discriminate against us without due process. The government needs to think ahead and determine which laws need to be enacted to protect our right to opt in and out of privacy features and to own our digital lives and footprints. TNW: What is your opinion of Europe's "right to be forgotten" law? Do you think a similar law would make sense in the United States? Payton: The European Union's "right to be forgotten" sets an interesting precedent, not just for its member countries but for citizens around the world. It is too early to know what the long-term impacts of the EU's decision to enforce a "right to be forgotten" with technology companies will be. However, it's a safe bet the law will evolve and not disappear. There are concerns that giving you or organizations more control of their Internet identity, under a "right to be forgotten" clause, could lead to [censorship] of the Internet. Free-speech advocates around the globe are concerned that the lack of court precedent and the gray areas of the EU law could lead to pressure for all tech companies to remove results across the globe, delinking news stories and other information upon an individual's request. A quick history lesson of how this law came about: A Spanish citizen filed a complaint with Spain's Data Protection Agency and indicated that Google Spain and Google Inc. had violated his privacy rights by posting an auction notice that his home was repossessed. The matter was resolved years earlier but since "delete is never really delete" and "the Internet never forgets," the personal data about his financial matters haunted his reputation online. He requested that Google Spain and Google Inc. be required to remove the old news so it would not show up in search engine results. The Spanish court system reviewed the case and referred it to the European Union's Court of Justice. Here is an excerpt of what the May 2014 ruling of the EU Court said: "On the 'Right to be Forgotten': Individuals have the right -- under certain conditions -- to ask search engines to remove links with personal information about them. This applies where the information is inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive for the purposes of the data processing . A case-by-case assessment is needed considering the type of information in question, its sensitivity for the individual's private life and the interest of the public in having access to that information. The role the person requesting the deletion plays in public life might also be relevant." In the U.S., implementing a federal law might be tempting, but the challenge is that the ability to comply with the law will be complex and expensive. This could mean that the next startup will be crushed under compliance and therefore innovation and startups will die before they can get launched. However, we do need a central place of advocacy and a form of a consumer privacy bill of rights. We have remedies to address issues but it's a complex web of laws that apply to the Internet. Technology changes society faster than the law can react, so U.S. laws relating to the Internet will always lag behind. We have a Better Business Bureau to help us with bad business experiences. We have the FTC and FCC to assist us with commerce and communications. Individuals need an advocacy group to appeal to, and for assistance in navigating online defamation, reputational risk, and an opportunity to scrub their online persona. TNW: What is your attitude toward social networking? What's your advice to others regarding the trustworthiness of social networks? Payton: Social networking can offer us amazing ways to stay in touch with colleagues, friends and loved ones. It's a personal decision as to how involved you are online, how many platforms you interact with, and how much of your life that you digitally record or transact online. If you want to be on social media but don't want to broadcast everything about you, I tell my clients to turn off location tracking -- or geolocation tools -- in social media. That way you aren't "checking in" places. Cybercriminals use these check-ins to develop your pattern of life and to track your circle of trust. If a cybercriminal has these two patterns, it makes it easier for them to hack your accounts. Register for an online service that will give you a phone number, such as Google Voice or Talkatone. Provide that number on social media and forward it to your real cellphone. Avoid personality surveys and other surveys -- they are often very fun to do, but the information posted often gives digital clues to what you may use for your password. Always turn on two-factor authentication for your accounts, and tie your social media accounts to an email address dedicated to social media. Turn on alerts to notify you if there is a login that is outside your normal login patterns. The amount of personal information you choose to share is up to you -- and everyone has to find that limit of what is too much -- but at the very least, never give out personally identifiable information like your address, DOB, financial information, etc. TNW: As the first woman to serve in the role of CIO at the White House, under President George W. Bush, how did you feel about becoming an instant role model for girls and young women interested in tech careers? Payton: It's an honor to think about the opportunity to give back and to help along anyone that wants to pursue this career path, especially young women. Candidly, we need everyone to fight the good fight. My heart breaks when I see computer and engineering classes with very few women in them. We did not reach out to the women early enough, and when I talk to young women in high school and college about considering cybersecurity as a career, many of then tell me that since they have had no prior exposure they are worried about failing, and that it's "too late now to experiment." To which I tell them that it's always a great time to experiment and learn new things! Prior to taking on the role at the White House, I had been very active in women in technology groups and was passionately recruiting young women to consider technology careers. At the time I was offered the role and accepted, I candidly didn't have an immediate aha moment about being a role model for women because of that specific job. I was most focused on making sure the mission was a success. I see it now and it's an honor to be able to be a role model and I strive to live up to that expectation. The cybersecurity industry can do more to help women understand the crucial role that cybersecurity professionals play that make a difference in our everyday lives. Unfortunately, hackers, both ethical and unethical, are often depicted as men wearing hoodies over their faces, making it difficult for women to picture themselves in that role as a realistic career choice, because they don't think they have anything in common with hackers. Studies show that women want to work in professions that help people -- where they are making a difference. When you stop a hacker from stealing someone's identity, you've made a difference in someone's life or business. At the end of the day, the victims of hackers are people, and women can make a tremendous difference in this field. This is something the industry as a whole needs to do a better job of showing women. TNW: You're now the CEO of a company in the private sector. Can you tell us a little about what Fortalice Solutions does, its mission, and your priorities in guiding it? Payton: Fortalice Solutions is a team of cybercrime fighters. We hunt bad people from behind a keyboard to protect what matters most to nations, business and people. We combine the sharpest minds in cybersecurity with active intelligence operations to secure everything from government and corporate data and intellectual property, to individuals' privacy and security. At Fortalice, our strengths lie in studying the adversary and outmaneuvering them with our human-first, technology-second approaches. TNW: How have attitudes toward women in powerful positions changed -- for better or worse -- in recent years? Payton: Although thankfully this is beginning to change, I am typically the only woman in the room -- and that was common in banking as well as technology. I had to learn how to stand up for myself and ensure my voice was heard. I've had more than my fair share of times when my technical acumen has been discounted because I'm female. I've learned that grace and tact go a long way, and I'm very, very proud to say that my company is nearly dead-equal male/female. We even started an organization called "Help A Sister Up" -- you can find us on LinkedIn -- that's dedicated to advancing women in technology and serving as a rallying point for them and their male advocates. We post job openings, interesting articles, avenues for discussion. Please join us! TNW: What's your advice to girls and women entering technological fields about whether to seek employment in the private or the public sector? What are some of the pros and cons, particularly from the standpoint of gender equality? Payton: An April 2013 survey of Women in Technology found that 45 percent of respondents noted a "lack of female role models or [the encouragement to pursue a degree in a technology-related field]." It's been proven that professional mentorship and development dramatically increase participation in any given field, so the lack of women in cybersecurity is really a compounding problem -- we don't have enough women in cyber because there aren't enough women role models in cyber. While connecting with other women has had its challenges, there are wonderful women in cyber today. Look at Linda Hudson -- currently the chairman and CEO of The Cardea Group and former president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc. -- shattering the glass ceiling for women behind her. Also, up-and-comer Keren Elazari, a global speaker on cybersecurity and ethical hacker out of Israel. I've been very lucky to work with wonderful, inspiring women in cyber, but I recognize that my exposure might be more than women starting their career. This brings me to my next point: I recommend all cyber practitioners, and especially women, take advantage of all the amazing free tools out there from RSA, TED talks, and even YouTube. You can watch speeches from veteran cybersecurity professionals about their careers, hear their advice on how to succeed, and learn new skills to keep you competitive in the workplace. Consider free online courses in cybersecurity or popular programming languages like Python. Ask your colleagues to show you their favorite geek gadget or ethical hack. There are some excellent security frameworks and guidance available for free online, such as the NIST framework, CIS Critical Security Controls, SSAE 16, and discussions on GDPR. Leverage social media to hear what's on the minds of security experts. You must be a constant student of your profession in this field. Mick Brady is managing editor of ECT News Network. Sunday's supermoon lunar eclipse was absolutely beautiful, but it was also deadly for some African wildlife. Eight rhinos were killed over the weekend at a South African park, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, according to wildlife officials. This puts the death toll for poached rhinos in the area up to 86 for the year. The total for all of 2014 was 99. "Full moon periods are known as the dreaded 'poachers' moon," said Simon Bloch of South Africa's Times, because the brightness of the moon helps poachers hunt without the use of artificial lighting, which can give away their position to wildlife officials. Wildlife officials worry that the death toll this year will be even higher than last year because South Africa is "going into summer months, where it gets light at 4:30 a.m. and only dark after 7:30 p.m. now to January," rhino conservationist Dex Kotze told The Dodo. Kotze is the founder of Youth 4 African Wildlife and one of the strategists for Global March for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions in Johannesburg, which is taking place around the world this weekend. "The extra light really assists the poachers," Kotze explains. "There is just so much more time for poachers to be in out in the veld/bush with weather conditions playing in their favor." The killing spree this past weekend was, no doubt, brought on by the supermoon. "Full moon periods are known as the dreaded 'poachers' moon," said Simon Bloch of South Africa's Times, who initially reported on the killings. He told The Dodo "at least six of [the eight] killings took place over the exact period of the supermoon lunar eclipse, which lasted from sunset on Sunday to sunrise on Monday. At least six of the rhinos had their horns hacked out of their faces. Four died from lethal chemical darting; two others were shot by a rifle." Wildlife killing often increases during full moons because it allows for increased visibility "thus eliminating the need for unnatural light sources such as flashlights in the bush, which could give their positions away to watchful eyesit makes it easier to see one's quarry/target," said Bloch. Bloch says the reserve has tried to crack down on poaching, but has little to show for it. "There are some exceptionally dedicated and skilled anti-poaching rangers," he says. "However, insufficient man-power and budget expenditure makes it difficult to keep rhinos safe from criminal syndicates that operate with inside information, and have the bush-craft skills and weaponry to infiltrate the expansive reserves, which are protected wilderness areas." Wildlife poaching has become a massive problem worldwide. Despite heightened awareness of the problem, Louie Psihoyos, award-winning director of The Cove and Racing Extinction, says the "wildlife trade is second only to the drug trade. The killing of Cecil the Lion this summer sparked intense Internet outrage, but the problem is truly rampant. Many efforts are being undertaken to put a stop to the illegal trade, including commissioning fake elephant tusks and fitting them with GPS tracking devices, using drones to survey large areas and even using 3-D printers to manufacture fake rhino horns. Rhino poaching has increased dramatically in recent years. Photo credit: World Wildlife Fund South Africa Rhinos' numbers have plummeted worldwide in recent years as poaching has skyrocketed. The Western Black Rhinoceros was declared extinct in 2011. Currently, the Black Rhino, Javan Rhino and Sumatran Rhino are listed as critically endangered. "In Africa, Southern white rhinos, once thought to be extinct, now thrive in protected sanctuaries and are classified as Near Threatened," says the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). "But the Northern white rhino subspecies is believed to be extinct in the wild and only a few captive individuals remain in a sanctuary in Kenya," adds WWF. "Black rhinos have doubled in number over the past two decades from their low point of 2,480 individuals, but total numbers are still a fraction of the estimated 100,000 that existed in the early part of the 20th century." From 2010 to 2015, 4,714 rhino deaths have been reported in South Africa alone, according to Oxpeckers, a group of investigative environmental journalists. According to Save the Rhino, there were 500,000 rhinos across Africa and Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. It dipped to 70,000 by 1970 and further plummeted to 29,000 in the wild today. Image credit: Save the Rhino And it's not just rhinos, of course. Many other species are on the brink of extinction. The killing of two elephants in Zakouma National Park in Chad in August had many wildlife conservationists concerned. Its the first time an elephant had been killed by poachers in the park in more than three years. Poaching decimated the elephant population there in the early 2000s. Their numbers dropped from some 4,000 in 2006 to just 450 today. And earlier this year, 68 elephants were killed by armed militants in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 60 days. The militants have aggressively moved into the poaching business to use money from illegal ivory to buy food, weapons and ammunition. At the African Elephant Summit this year, delegates from various Asian, European and African countries predicted that African elephants could go extinct within decades if something doesn't change. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE 25 Walruses Killed on Alaskan Beach, Beheaded and Missing Tusks More People Have Died This Year from Selfies Than Sharks Worlds Largest Wildlife Corridor to Be Built in California 700 Beehives Hang Off This Rocky Cliff to Boost Dwindling Bee Populations When former charter school executive Marshall Tuck called Assemblyman Tony Thurmond to concede over the weekend, it marked another defeat for charter-school advocates in California. Thurmond was elected Californias top education official in the wave that led more liberal-leaning voters to cast ballots. Although both are Democrats, Thurmond had the partys endorsement. He also was backed by teachers unions, who were outspent more than two-to-one. Independent groups supporting Tuck spent more than $36 million this cycle. Prominent education reform supporters, including frequent political donor Bill Bloomfield, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and philanthropist Eli Broad were among the biggest contributors to those efforts. Tucks official campaign raised another $5 million. The group of people who have provided significant funding to candidates that are associated with a charter-friendly agenda have proven that they dont have the ability to capture statewide offices, said John Rogers, an education policy expert at UCLA. Its only the latest big loss the pro-charter school movement has suffered in California. In June, many of the same donors were disappointed when their chosen candidate for California governor Antonio Villaraigosa didnt make it out of the primary despite their more-than $20 million effort to bolster him. Tuck also ran for schools chief unsuccessfully in 2014, when incumbent Tom Torlakson beat himagain with support from the teachers unions. The California Teachers Association provided most of the more-than $16 million independent effort supporting Thurmond. His campaign raised more than $3 million. Labor unions and the California Democratic Party were among the biggest donors for both Thurmonds campaign and the independent efforts supporting him. The state superintendent of public instruction oversees the California Department of Education and chairs the State Board of Education. The office doesnt have much direct control over education policy in California, although its seen as an influential position. In his campaign, Thurmond, who represented Richmond in the state Assembly, opposed diverting money from traditional public schools into public charter schools. I intend to be a champion of public schools, Thurmond said in a statement announcing his victory. All students, no matter their background and no matter their challenges, can succeed with a great public education. Tuck, meanwhile, emphasized giving parents more choices in where to send their children, including nonprofit charter schools. He also advocated for directing more money to teachers in schools with high populations of low-income students, English-learners, and children in foster care. Both candidates opposed for-profit charter schools. Despite the jobs limited power, the race attracted more than $50 million in outside spending. It was the most expensive state superintendent contest in U.S. history , according to an analysis by The Associated Press. The millions poured into the campaign illustrate tensions between factions of the Democratic Party more aligned with labor unions and others more aligned with business, especially in Silicon Valley, Rogers said. Those who were engaging in this funding wanted to communicate a message about their importance and the weight that they carried in statewide politics, he said. You would never expect an election for state superintendent of public instruction to get this much attention. Cosmetics. Clothing. And computer-technology support. Those are among the prohibited purchases parents in Arizona made with public money meant to support their childrens education, according to a recent audit by the states attorney general . In the revolutionary school choice program that gives parents near-total control over how state dollars are used on their childrens education, some parents continue to abuse the system even after many of these issues were flagged in a 2016 audit. In all, Arizona parents fraudulently spent $700,000 in fiscal 2018 on banned items and services. The audits findings highlight how innovative new programs beget unique problems and beg the question, is this simply a regulatory bump in the road or a systemic issue? We want to hold programs to high financial accountability, said Robert Enlow, the president and CEO of EdChoice, an advocacy group that favors school choice programs such as Arizonas. We also really want to make sure we modernize the government to be able to keep up with this. Passed in 2011, Arizonas Empowerment Scholarships were the next phase of evolution of the traditional school voucher: the education savings account, or ESA. Instead of giving parents tuition vouchers to spend at private schools, which is prohibited by Arizonas constitution, the state deposits 90 percent of the per-pupil funds allocated to a participating student into a dedicated bank account. Parents use a debit card to spend the money on approved educational expenses, which can include private school tuition, home-schooling supplies, and therapy. The program is restricted to select students, including those with disabilities and those attend low-performing public schools. Lack of Accountability The idea has spread to other states, including Florida, and numerous bills keep popping up in state legislatures across the country each year to establish more ESA programs. Although there are some safeguards built into Arizonas education savings accounts that are supposed to block parents from misspending funds, critics of the program say they are not enough. There is a severe lack of accountability to make sure that the funds are being used as intended and making sure that the program is being evaluated to measure if its working, said Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, an education professor at Santa Clara University. Under the programs rules, the bank automatically declines cash withdrawals and transactions at certain merchants such as fast-food restaurants, and parents must submit quarterly expense reports to the Arizona education department. But the Arizona education agency has been slow and inconsistent in reacting to fraudulent purchases and collecting misspent funds, auditors said. The department has not prioritized evaluating accounts that are deemed high risk, something flagged by auditors in 2016 as well as the most recent audit. In several instances, investigators found there were warning signs before parents made a prohibited purchase. Several parents who were able to successfully make a forbidden purchase did so after multiple attempts to either withdraw cash or after other transactions were automatically denied. Sometimes, months can pass between a parent attempting to buy a banned item or service and the state taking action, the audit found. One parent misspent more than $10,000 of their childs funds by making noneducational purchases from merchants approved by the Arizona department of education. That occurred after the parent had tried and failed on multiple occasions to make purchases on travel websites. But state officials didnt flag the spending until four months later when the parent failed to turn in an expense report. Investigators also found three parents who had been kicked out of the program for misspending funds but whose debit cards were not deactivated for more than a year. Those three spent nearly $6,000 combined from the time they were suspended from the program to the point at which their debit cards were voided. The Arizona education department has also been slow to issue warning letters to parents and to turn over cases of misspending to the state attorney generals office for collection. That makes it much harder for the state to recoup the money, the audit says. Of 142 collection cases totaling $500,000 that were referred to the attorney general, only two had been closed and $11,000 recovered as of July, the audit found. The Arizona education department is now tracking cash-withdrawal attempts on a daily basis, but the state schools superintendent, Diane Douglas, has told local media that the legislature has not given the department adequate resources to properly administer the program as it continues to expand. Its clearly obvious that the state department of education isnt doing a great job of administering the program, and they have actually said that they dont have the resources to do that very well, said Enlow of EdChoice. Administrative Innovation Its not enough for policymakers to come up with innovative education ideas, Enlow said, they also have to be equally innovative in devising the regulatory and administrative architecture. He pointed to Florida as an example of a state Arizona could learn from. There, instead of the state administering the program, its done by two nonprofit groups, which have more flexibility, he said. But Florida has had its own issues. A recent audit there found some problems with how the main group that administers the states education-savings-account program calculated how much money students should be awarded in a separate but related program. While auditors in Arizona acknowledged that state officials had tried to address some concerns raised in the 2016 audit, many issues surrounding the misspending of funds that were identified in 2016 persist. Overall, the Arizona education department is not adequately monitoring how parents are spending public dollars, nor is it reviewing expenses or taking corrective measures when money is misspent in a timely manner, the audit concludes. But the audit only scratches the surface, said Jimenez-Castellano of Santa Clara University. Because state law does not require the education department to collect much data on students participating in the program, a lot is unknown about how it is functioning. Imagine if public schools were held to that same standard, if they only had to report how they spent their funds, which they do, but what if thats all they had to do, he said. We would say we need to know a lot more about those schools. The return to the 1956 Joint Declaration in the Russia-Japan peace treaty talks in no way implies an automatic transfer of Russian territories to the Japanese side, Russian presidents press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, TASS reported. "Over these days we have heard a great variety of different speculations, political guesses about some sort of a separate deal on the transfer of the islands and so on. This is not true and cannot be true," he told the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program of the Rossiya-1 television channel, commenting on the Russian-Japanese agreement to continue the peace treaty talks on the basis of the 1956 declaration. "Can we say that it means automatic transference of any territories? Absolutely no. This is what President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin was saying when he answered journalists question," Peskov said. According to the Kremlin spokesman, the sides will reach a compromise that will not run counter to their interests. "Naturally, a compromise will be needed. We can say it already now that this compromise will not be in conflict with the national interests of either of the sides," he said. "Obviously, having such a vast experience, Russia cannot ignore Japans allied relations with other countries, first of all, with the United States. It is taken into account during the talks and this matter will need a solution." "Despite the complexity of the topic of the peace treaty with Japan, this problem can be settled. Such difficult problems are solvable all the same, and the experience of territorial talks with China is a good example of that," Peskov stressed. Washington, Nov 19 (epa-efe).- Officials in California's Butte County, where the gigantic "Camp Fire" erupted, reduced the number of missing persons to 993, although the death toll remains at 77, local media reported Monday. The county sheriff's office updated the number of missing persons late Sunday, reducing the figure of 1,276 reported on Saturday by 283. The officials did not say why the missing persons total had been reduced, but in recent days they have insisted that such estimates may vary as authorities collect and compare all information derived from calls and e-mails reporting people missing. "This is a dynamic list. It will fluctuate both up and down, every day," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told reporters. Honea admitted last Friday that some of the people missing could appear twice on the list, while others could be safe and be unaware that someone is looking for them. The Camp Fire started on Nov. 8 and quickly spread, completely engulfing the town of Paradise with 26,000 inhabitants - the vast majority of whom evacuated and are safe - and destroying more than 13,000 buildings. As of Sunday night, firefighters reportedly had managed to get the wildfire 65 percent contained. The fire brigades - who in the last few hours have experienced difficulties battling the flames because of strong winds - are hoping that the National Weather Service forecast for rain on Wednesday is correct, although the fire is burning in an extremely dry region where it has not rained for months. Meteorologists say they are "almost certain" that there will be rain that day in Butte County, although not enough to increase the risk of mudslides in the area burned by the fire. The anticipated rain would also help alleviate the situation elsewhere in the state, which has been on red alert for days due to poor air quality, given that the smoke from the fire travels hundreds of miles and is affecting populated areas such as the state capital of Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Russia is not the reason behind the US plans to withdraw from the INF Treaty, this comes because the treaty prevents it from dominating in the military sector, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said. "If and when the U.S. quits the treaty, we will see rather quickly that this was done not for the reason of some lawless behavior on the part of Russia, but strictly because the U.S. needs these systems to maintain its military superiority or to achieve it in different parts of the globe," TASS cited the diplomat as saying. "So, the logic is the opposite: it is the treaty that prevents the US from dominating in the military sector, and not because somebody is acting in defiance of the treaty, making it impossible for the US to stay in it," Ryabkov explained. US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson said on November 15 that the U.S. administration has not made a final decision as of yet as to whether Washington should withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. TAF launches operation to provide security in Afrin Turkish Armed Forces launched an operation against the group which has been conducting looting and robbery in Afrin. The Turkish military has started an operation against the groups which are involved in looting and robbing in Syrias Afrin region. The operation was launched at dawn on Sunday. The Turkish Armed Forces declared a curfew yesterday in the area. Turkish media outlets reported that an operation was launched against a group who were plundering and robbing the people and resources in the region. Following a two-month siege, the Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syria Army (FSA) provided security of Afrin in March. FSA TARGETS AFRIN GANG The Free Syrian Army (FSA), has carried out an operation against a gang carrying out theft and extortion in the region. The 300-member Al-Sharqiya Martyrs group led by Abdulrahman Al-Hussein, codenamed Abu Havle had been seeking to destabilize the region, which was liberated from PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) and other terrorist groups in March. The operation is slowly progressing as the militants are using civilians as human shields in and around their headquarters in the city. The gang has been pressed into two points in Afrin center city. A response to the paper Mapping the Power of Major Media Companies in India (EPW, 21 July 2018) by Anuradha Bhattacharjee and Anushi Agrawal highlights its inability to analytically explain the construct of media market, the consequent mischaracterisation of the extant scholarship on the Indian media industry, and engages with the gaps and inconsistencies in collating empirical details in the paper. Media market power and its implications for the effective functioning of democracy has remained a burning topic of discussion since a long time. Globally, the media and communications research in the 1980s through the 1990s produced an impressive set of studies exploring the links between market and ownership structures, many of which employed frameworks typical of industrial organisation research (Bagdikian 1980, 1992; Goyal and Rao 1981; Blankenburg 1982; Ferguson 1983; Thompson 1984; Burnett 1992). These studies have eminently informed national policies and regulatory imperatives relating to promotion of diversity in media ownership and content, as also to control of economic power of media groups and chains. In the subsequent decades, there was a clear shift in the terms of engagement with the questions of media ownership and control as digital convergence and transnational advance of corporations began to erode and rework the social, economic and technological boundaries of print, broadcasting and distribution sectors (Bulck and Donders 2014). Policy debates increasingly have come to be framed from the consumption and audience points of view rather than from the angle of media market/ownership structure. In most of the developed markets in the world with pervasive presence of digital media, there has been a greater push towards recognising audience choice and agency as the major levers of policy formulation to ensure that media represent diversity and pluralism (Noam 1998; Hitchens 2011). Such a radical transition in policy discourse, however, cannot be observed in several Asian media markets, including India and China. These markets, while being exposed to digital revolution and transnational media flows, are still characterised by significant asymmetry in access to and consumption of media, particularly in the case of the internet and new media. At least two out of three Indians do not have internet access and despite being home to about 700 television channels, content production in local languages is scarce. Although China has more internet users than any other country, its penetration in rural China is merely 27%. Given such unevenness in media distribution, media ownership concerns are extremely relevant in the policy discourse of these nations. A team of astronomers from Israel, the United States and Russia has identified a disrupted galaxy resembling a giant tadpole, complete with an elliptical head and a long, straight tail, about 300 million light years away from Earth. The galaxy is 1 million light-years long from end to end, 10 times longer than the Milky Way. "We have found a giant, exceptional relic of a disrupted galaxy," says Dr. Noah Brosch of The Florence and George Wise Observatory at Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy, who led the research for the study. When galaxies are disrupted and disappear, their stars are either incorporated into more massive galaxies or are ejected into intergalactic space. "What makes this object extraordinary is that the tail alone is almost 500,000 light-years long," says Prof. R. Michael Rich of UCLA. "If it were at the distance of the Andromeda galaxy, which is about 2.5 million light-years from Earth, it would reach a fifth of the way to our own Milky Way." Drs. Brosch and Rich collaborated on the study with Dr. Alexandr Mosenkov of St. Petersburg University and Dr. Shuki Koriski of TAU's Florence and George Wise Observatory and School of Physics and Astronomy. The results were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. According to the study, the giant "tadpole" was produced by the disruption of a small, previously invisible dwarf galaxy containing mostly stars. When the gravitational force of two visible galaxies pulled on stars in this vulnerable galaxy, the stars closer to the pair formed the "head" of the tadpole. Stars lingering in the victim galaxy formed the "tail." "The extragalactic tadpole contains a system of two very close 'normal' disk galaxies, each about 40,000 light-years across," says Dr. Brosch. "Together with other nearby galaxies, the galaxies form a compact group." The galaxy is part of a small group of galaxies called HCG098 that will merge into a single galaxy in the next billion years. Such compact galaxy groups were identified in 1982 by astronomer Paul Hickson, who published a catalog of 100 such groups. The Hickson Compact Groups examine environments with high galaxy densities that are not at the core of a "cluster" of galaxies (clusters contain thousands of galaxies themselves). The "tadpole galaxy" is listed as No. 98 in the Hickson Compact Group catalog. "In compact group environments, we believe we can study 'clean' examples of galaxy-galaxy interactions, learn how matter is transferred between the members, and how newly accreted matter can modify and influence galaxy growth and development," says Dr. Brosch. For the research, the scientists collected dozens of images of the targets, each exposed through a wide filter that selects red light while virtually eliminating extraneous light pollution. "We used a relatively small, 70-cm telescope at the Wise Observatory and an identical telescope in UCLA, both of which were equipped with state-of-the-art CCD cameras," says Dr. Brosch. The two telescopes are collaborating on a project called the Halos and Environments of Nearby Galaxies Survey. The new study is part of a long-term project at TAU's Florence and George Wise Observatory, which explores the skies at low light levels to detect the faintest details of studied galaxies. ### American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #43 in the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged congratulatory messages on Monday to mark the official launch of the China-France Year of the Environment. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron.[File Photo: China Plus] Xi said in his message that ecological advancement leads to civilization prosperity whereas ecological deterioration leads to civilization decline. He said that the decision to launch the China-France Year of the Environment is to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation in areas such as eco-protection, climate change and biodiversity, so as to deal with the global environmental challenge with concerted efforts. China is willing to work with France and the international community to protect our planet for the safety of human survival and the building of a clean and beautiful world, Xi said. In his message, Macron said that fighting climate change and protecting the environment and biodiversity are among the most important challenges facing the human beings. This forms the core of France-China comprehensive strategic partnership. China is promoting an ecological civilization and actively participating in the multilateral process of climate governance, laying a solid foundation for France-China cooperations, Macron said. France is ready to work with China in steering the world onto a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable growth, the French president added. The China-France Year of the Environment is a joint decision made by the leaders of the two countries in January during Macron's state visit to China. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz reiterated support for reaching political solutions to the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. In a speech to the Shura Council, a top advisory body, King Salman said the oil-rich kingdom would continue its efforts to resolve regional crises. "Our stand with Yemen was not an option but a duty to support the Yemeni people against the Iran-backed putschist militias," Anadolu Agency cited him as saying. The Saudi king also called for reaching a political solution that help "cruise Syria out of its crisis, push away terrorist groups and allow the repatriation of Syrian refugees." Vision impairment and blindness affect one in 11 Americans age 65 and older. Because our population is aging, the number of older adults with vision problems is predicted to rise. Older adults who have impaired vision may be at risk for decreased independence, poorer well-being, and an increased risk of falls. For example, in any given year, approximately 30 percent of adults over age 65 will fall. Having impaired vision more than doubles this risk. For older adults, falls are a major cause of illness and death. Even having a fear of falling is a challenge that can limit activity and worsen quality of life and independence as you age. However, we don't have much information on how often visually impaired older adults experience a fall, and we have even less information about what happens to them after a fall. A team of researchers suggested that we need this information in order to understand the scope of the problem and create ways to prevent falls in visually impaired older adults. To learn more, the research team examined information from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). They published their study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Their goal was to provide up-to-date information on the frequency of falls. The team also wanted to learn more about the fear of falling and how it might limit activity among older adults who have vision impairments. Participants in the study were considered visually impaired if they had trouble recognizing someone across the street and/or reading newspaper print, even when using corrective lenses. Falls were defined as "any fall, slip, or trip" that involved losing balance and landing on the floor or ground or at a lower level. Participants were asked if they had any fall in the past month and if they fell more than once in the past 12 months. Fear of falling was determined by asking participants if they had worried about falling down in the last month. An additional question asked whether worrying about falling ever caused participants to limit their activities. The researchers also asked about the number of chronic conditions the participants had, including heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, lung disease, stroke, and cancer. The researchers concluded that falls, fear of falling, and limiting activity were considerably more common among older adults who were visually impaired. About 50 percent of people who said they had trouble seeing were afraid of falling and as a result, limited their activity. More than one in four older adults with vision problems had recurrent falls in the year before they were surveyed. The researchers said their study suggested that taking steps to prevent falls for older adults with vision problems was important and could limit the harmful consequences of falls for older adults. What's more, helping older adults prevent falls might also slow declines in well-being, quality of life, and independence associated with a fear of falling. The researchers noted that vision impairment can be treated or even avoided in many cases, and they speculated that doing so might be a strategy to decrease falls and fall-related problems for some older adults with vision problems. "We need more information about falls and the fear of falling in older adults with vision problems. This will help us design public health and clinical interventions to address some of the key consequences of vision loss for older adults," said study co-author Joshua R. Ehrlich, MD, MPH. ### This summary is from "Prevalence of Falls and Fall-Related Outcomes in Older Adults with Self-Reported Vision Impairment." It appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Joshua R. Ehrlich, MD, MPH; Shirin E. Hassan, BAppSc (Optom), PhD; and Brian C. Stagg, MD, MS. About the Health in Aging Foundation This research summary was developed as a public education tool by the Health in Aging Foundation. The Foundation is a national non-profit established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to bring the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics healthcare professionals to the public. We are committed to ensuring that people are empowered to advocate for high-quality care by providing them with trustworthy information and reliable resources. Last year, we reached nearly 1 million people with our resources through HealthinAging.org. We also help nurture current and future geriatrics leaders by supporting opportunities to attend educational events and increase exposure to principles of excellence on caring for older adults. For more information or to support the Foundation's work, visit http://www.HealthinAgingFoundation.org. About the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Included in more than 9,000 library collections around the world, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) highlights emerging insights on principles of aging, approaches to older patients, geriatric syndromes, geriatric psychiatry, and geriatric diseases and disorders. First published in 1953, JAGS is now one of the oldest and most impactful publications on gerontology and geriatrics, according to ISI Journal Citation Reports. Visit wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JGS for more details. About the American Geriatrics Society Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has--for 75 years--worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org. New analysis shows that the superheroes Ant-Man and the Wasp would have some serious issues when bug-sized -- but science may have the solution WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2018 -- Marvel comics superheroes Ant-Man and the Wasp -- nom de guerre stars of the eponymous 2018 film -- possess the ability to temporarily shrink down to the size of insects, while retaining the mass and strength of their normal human bodies. But a new study suggests that, when bug-sized, Ant-Man and the Wasp would face serious challenges, including oxygen deprivation. Those challenges, along with their solution-microfluidic technologies, will be described by engineering mechanics graduate student Max Mikel-Stites of Virginia Tech at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting, which will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Mikel-Stites and his advisor, Anne Staples, an associate professor in the biomedical engineering and mechanics department at Virginia Tech, normally study biological fluid dynamics, with a particular focus on insect respiration and insect-scale fluid flows. Staples' lab has developed microfluidic devices inspired by insect respiratory systems in which the flow rate and direction of flow through individual channels in the device can be controlled without the use of valves. The work, which will be discussed in a separate presentation at the DFD meeting, could reduce the actuation machinery needed for microfluidic devices used in many different scientific fields, and make them more portable and cost-efficient. "Applying that perspective to Ant-Man and the Wasp seemed like a straightforward thing to do," said Mikel-Stites. In their analysis, the researchers determined that the atmospheric density -- basically, the number of molecules (say, of oxygen) in a given volume of air -- experienced by the bug-sized heroes is reduced to a level nearly identical to that of Mt. Everest's so-called "death zone," where there is not enough oxygen for a human to breathe. "While the actual atmospheric density is the same for an insect and a human, the subjective atmospheric density experienced by a human who shrinks to insect size changes," Mikel-Stites explained. "For example, a normal-sized person taking a deep breath can expect to inhale some number of oxygen molecules. However, when that person is shrunk down to the size of an ant, despite still needing the same number of oxygen molecules, far fewer are available in a single breath of air. The "death zone" begins for a normal-sized human about 8,000 meters above sea level. The shrunken superheroes, the researchers calculated, would feel like they were at an altitude of 7,998 meters, and that would make for a serious -- if not deadly -- case of altitude sickness. "For someone not acclimated, symptoms of altitude sickness range from headache and dizziness to the buildup of fluid in the lungs and brain, and possibly death. This occurs in part because people may respond by trying to breathe more rapidly, to increase their oxygen intake, and because the body is attempting to function with less oxygen than it normally does," he said. And that's not the extent of Ant-Man's and the Wasp's problems, the team found. Based on a relationship known as Kleiber's law, which correlates the metabolic rate of an animal to its size, the researchers found that the metabolic rates per unit mass of the superheroes at bug size would increase by approximately two orders of magnitude -- as would their oxygen demands. But all is not lost -- thanks to science. According to Mikel-Stites, the use of microfluidic components such as Knudsen pumps (which are driven by temperature gradients) and microscale gas compressors, could be embedded into the helmets of Ant-Man and the Wasp to help them breathe at the microscale. Presentation E19.3, "Why Ant-Man and the Wasp Need Helmets to Breathe" by Maxwell Mikel-Stites and Anne Staples, will be Sunday, Nov. 18, 5:36 p.m. in Room B306 of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Abstract: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Session/E19.3 ### MORE MEETING INFORMATION USEFUL LINKS Main meeting website: https://www.apsdfd2018.org/ WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2018 -- Wombats, the chubby and beloved, short-legged marsupials native to Australia, are central to a biological mystery in the animal kingdom: How do they produce cube-shaped poop? Patricia Yang, a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, set out to investigate. Yang studies the hydrodynamics of fluids, including blood, processed food and urine, in the bodies of animals. She was curious how the differences in wombats' digestive processes and soft tissue structures might explain their oddly shaped scat. During the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting, which will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Yang and her co-authors, Scott Carver, David Hu and undergraduate student Miles Chan, will explain their findings from dissecting the alimentary systems, or digestive tracts, of wombats. "The first thing that drove me to this is that I have never seen anything this weird in biology. That was a mystery," said Yang. "I didn't even believe it was true at the beginning. I Googled it and saw a lot about cube-shaped wombat poop, but I was skeptical." Yang and her co-authors studied the digestive tracts of wombats that had been euthanized following motor vehicle collisions in Tasmania, Australia. Carver, the biologist and Australian counterpart to the group of American mechanical engineers, supplied the wombat intestinal specimens. Near the end of the intestine, they found that feces changed from liquidlike states to solid states made up of small, separated cubes. The group concluded that the varying elastic properties of wombats' intestinal walls allowed for the cube formation. In the built world, cubic structures -- sugar cubes, sculptures, and architectural features -- are common, and produced by injection molding or extrusion. Cubes, however, are rare in the natural world. Currently, wombats are the only known species capable of producing cubes organically. "We currently have only two methods to manufacture cubes: We mold it, or we cut it. Now we have this third method," Yang said. "It would be a cool method to apply to the manufacturing process -- how to make a cube with soft tissue instead of just molding it." So, why do wombats poop cubes? Wombats pile their feces to mark their home ranges and communicate with one another through scent. They pile their feces in prominent places (e.g., next to burrows, or on logs, rocks and small raises) because they have poor eye sight. The higher and more prominently placed the pile of feces, the more visually distinctive it is to attract other wombats to smell and engage in communication. Therefore, it is important that their droppings do not roll away, and cube-shaped poop solves this problem. Yang hopes that the group's research on wombats will contribute to current understandings of soft tissue transportation, or how the gut moves. She also emphasized that the group's research involved mechanical engineering and biology, and their findings are valuable to both fields. "We can learn from wombats and hopefully apply this novel method to our manufacturing process," Yang said. "We can understand how to move this stuff in a very efficient way." Carver added, "There is much general interest from the public, both in Australia and internationally, about how and why wombats create cube-shaped feces. Many ideas, some more entertaining than others, have been put forward to explain this, but until this study nobody had ever investigated the cause. This has been a fantastic collaboration which shows the value of interdisciplinary research for making new scientific discoveries." ### Presentation E19.1, "How do wombats make cubed poo?" by Patricia J. Yang, Miles Chan, Scott Carver and David L. Hu, will be Sunday, Nov. 18, 5:10 p.m. in Room B306 of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Abstract: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Session/E19.1 MORE MEETING INFORMATION USEFUL LINKS Main meeting website: https://www.apsdfd2018.org/ Meeting technical program: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/SessionIndex2 Invited talks: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/APS_Invited Hotel information: https://www.apsdfd2018.org/hotels/ GALLERY OF FLUID DYNAMICS At the Annual Meeting, The Gallery of Fluid Motion will consist of posters and videos submitted by attendees illustrating the science and beauty of fluid motion. More information can be found here: https://gfm.aps.org/. PRESS REGISTRATION We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Rhys Leahy or the AIP Media Line (media@aip.org">media@aip.org">media@aip.org">media@aip.org, 301-209-3090). We can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips or background information. LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST A press briefing featuring a selection of newsworthy research will be webcast live from the conference Monday, Nov. 19. Times and topics to be announced. Members of the media should register in advance at http://apswebcasting.com/webcast/registration/aps1118.php. ABOUT DFD The Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society, established in 1947, exists for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of the physics of fluids with special emphasis on the dynamical theories of the liquid, plastic and gaseous states of matter under all conditions of temperature and pressure. For more information about DFD, visit https://www.aps.org/units/dfd/. ABOUT APS The American Physical Society (APS) is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. APS represents over 55,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and throughout the world. For more information about APS, visit https://www.aps.org/. WASHINGTON, D.C., November 19, 2018 -- When Konrad Rykaczewski moved to Arizona's Sonora Desert region six years ago he took a water bottle and sprayed the plants in his front yard, not to water them, but to see how they interacted with water droplets. "It was the first time I'd lived in a desert, and I was fascinated by the flora and fauna," Rykaczewski said, a professor of engineering at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. "What I noticed about prickly pear cacti is that the new pads are superhydrophobic, but the ones a season older right below them are superhydrophilic. I wondered why." Rykaczewski began to look at desert animals, including rattlesnakes that change shape to drink water from their skin. Motivated by his front yard observations, Rykaczewski recruited students and with a seed grant from ASU's Biomimicry Center began experimenting in the laboratory to characterize the cactuses' microscopic 3D epidermal structure at dry and wet times of the year. Rykaczewski applies the lessons in wettability -- the study of how droplets interact with solids -- to engineering surfaces for industrial applications. Kenneth (Chad) Manning, a doctoral student on the project who led the experimental work, will present the team's discoveries from this Sonoran wettability research at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics 71st Annual Meeting, which will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. They discovered that while new cactus pads (cladodes) have a continuous waxy, hydrophobic surface, older ones are covered with a network of microcracks "that go down all the way through the wax to the cell wall," which is hydrophilic, explained Manning. Using high-speed video, the researchers documented that water droplets bounce off young, waxy pads, but with older pads the microcracks exposing the inner hydrophilic surface cause water droplets to hit and stick. "The skin is acting as a smart membrane," said Manning. "As cacti dry out the cracks close, helping to preserve water." The results are now informing Manning's research to develop a smart material for hazmat suits. The pores of the material will close in the presence of dangerous chemicals but will otherwise remain open allowing for vapor and heat transfer out of the hazmat suit, a factor which currently limits their use. It's a smart-skin trick prickly pear cactuses have already finessed. "It's the same sort of change in the surface morphology," Manning said. ### MORE MEETING INFORMATION USEFUL LINKS Presentation F13.8, "Droplet Interactions with the Prickly Pear Cactus and Western Diamondback Rattlesnake of the Sonoran Desert" by Kenneth C. Manning, Praveen Kotagama, Akshay Phadnis, Gordon W. Schuett and Konrad Rykaczewski, will be Monday, Nov. 19, 9:31 a.m. in Room B218 of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Abstract: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Session/F13.8 Main meeting website: https://www.apsdfd2018.org/ Meeting technical program: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/SessionIndex2 Invited talks: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/APS_Invited Hotel information: https://www.apsdfd2018.org/hotels/ GALLERY OF FLUID DYNAMICS At the Annual Meeting, The Gallery of Fluid Motion will consist of posters and videos submitted by attendees illustrating the science and beauty of fluid motion. More information can be found here: https://gfm.aps.org/. PRESS REGISTRATION We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Rhys Leahy or the AIP Media Line (media@aip.org">media@aip.org">media@aip.org">media@aip.org, 301-209-3090). We can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips or background information. LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST A press briefing featuring a selection of newsworthy research will be webcast live from the conference Monday, Nov. 19. Times and topics to be announced. Members of the media should register in advance at http://apswebcasting.com/webcast/registration/aps1118.php. ABOUT DFD The Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society, established in 1947, exists for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of the physics of fluids with special emphasis on the dynamical theories of the liquid, plastic and gaseous states of matter under all conditions of temperature and pressure. For more information about DFD, visit https://www.aps.org/units/dfd/. ABOUT APS The American Physical Society (APS) is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. APS represents over 55,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and throughout the world. For more information about APS, visit https://www.aps.org/. There is a negligible risk of transmitting HIV during sex when a person living with HIV is on antiretroviral therapy and maintains a viral load under a specific threshold, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The systematic review, conducted by the Public Health Agency of Canada, relied on 11 studies and one previously published review to determine the absolute risk of HIV transmission when preventive measures are in place. "Our findings show that there is a negligible risk of sexually transmitting HIV when an HIV-positive sex partner adheres to antiretroviral therapy and maintains a suppressed viral load of less than 200 copies/mL on consecutive measurements every four to six months. The risk of sexual HIV transmission is low when an HIV-positive sex partner is taking antiretroviral therapy without a suppressed viral load of less than 200 copies/mL, condoms are used or both," writes Rachel Rodin, Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, with coauthors. "Based on our findings, relevant case law and other factors, the Department of Justice Canada concluded that the criminal law should not apply to people living with HIV who maintain a suppressed viral load of less than 200 copies/mL." Justice Canada also concluded that the criminal law should generally not apply to those who use condoms, among others. Previous studies found that antiretroviral therapy and condoms can reduce HIV transmission. This study includes evidence from newer studies that have influenced clinical practice and could affect Canadian criminal law. "These findings will support individual patient and clinician decision-making, and will have implications for public health case management and contact tracing. The Department of Justice Canada used these findings to inform their 2017 report on the justice system's response to HIV nondisclosure, and they may inform the responses of other justice systems," write the authors. In a related commentary, Richard Elliott, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Toronto, Ontario, also welcomes Justice Canada's conclusions that the criminal law should generally not apply in various circumstances, including cases where condoms are used. However, he cautions that the qualitative descriptions of HIV transmission risk used by the study authors potentially overstate risk as understood in the criminal justice system. "[The study authors'] qualitative assessments of transmission risk apply risk categories originally developed 30 years ago to enable public education about safer sex and health risk reduction in general," Elliott writes. "These categories reflect the relative riskiness of different activities. But they should not be transposed into a system tasked with determining criminal liability based on risk associated with a single act." Elliott suggests instead that "consensus statements of expert scientific opinion that specifically address the needs of the criminal justice system should guide that system." These support a more limited use of the criminal law than is currently the case in Canada. ### "Risk of sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus with antiretroviral therapy, suppressed viral load and condom use: a systematic review" will be published November 19, 2018. Characterizing the diversity of microbial cells in a handful of soil is so complex it was considered impossible. To date, only a small fraction of the microbes residing in, on and around soils have been identified as part of efforts to understand their contributions to the global carbon cycle, and to other nutrient cycles. Soils are also home to countless viruses that can infect microbes, impacting their ability to regulate these global cycles. Reported November 19, 2018, in Nature Communications, giant virus genomes have been discovered for the first time in a forest soil ecosystem by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass Amherst). As the name implies, giant viruses are characterized by disproportionately large genomes and virions that house the viruses' genetic material. They have been frequently found within protists and algae, and thus they are believed to have a significant impact on their hosts' population dynamics and the planet's biogeochemical cycles. The 16 novel giant viruses discovered in this study increased the total giant virus phylogenetic diversity by more than 20 percent, and belong to diverse lineages. Half of the novel viruses, for example, fall within the Klosneuvirinae, making it the largest subfamily within Mimiviridae. Schulz and Woyke previously reported finding a novel group of giant viruses they dubbed Klosneuviruses in wastewater metagenomes. "These giant viruses have probably been overlooked in soil ecosystems, but if you look at major capsid proteins, which are barcodes or snippets of them, they're all over the place," said JGI Microbial Program head and study senior author Tanja Woyke. Viruses in the Harvard Forest The giant virus genomes were discovered by Frederik Schulz, a JGI research scientist, while helping Lauren Alteio, a UMass Amherst graduate student in Jeff Blanchard's lab, analyze her metagenomic data. "The large number of distinct giant virus genomes found at this sampling site is unparalleled compared to other metagenomic data sets I have seen," said Schulz. The data was generated from soil samples Alteio collected as part of Blanchard's project with the JGI's Community Science Program. Blanchard is generating reference genomes from soils collected in heated and non-heated plots in the Harvard Forest, data that will ultimately assist in the understanding of microbial greenhouse gas emission and capture. Alteio spent a year at the JGI working on this project in the Woyke lab through the DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. For nearly 30 years, the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts has been home to the world's longest running soil-warming experiment. Funded by the National Science Foundation's Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, a portion of the 4,000 acres has heating cables buried a few inches underground regulating the temperature to constantly be five degrees warmer than nearby control areas. "This is the first time giant viruses have been discovered in a forest ecosystem," said Blanchard, "and the amazing diversity in just a thimble of soil suggests that we have just begun to understand their biodiversity and role in soil ecosystems." "Based on genome size, several of the novel viruses were among the largest viruses discovered to date," Schulz concluded. "One of them, with a 2.4-megabase genome, we named "Hyperionvirus" in analogy to the world's tallest known living tree." Smaller Chunks of Soil Diversity With a myriad of microbial cells in a single gram of soil, JGI researchers aimed to reduce the complexity by flow-sorting microbes into several of small pools of only 100 cells each before sequencing these pools separately. When the metagenomic data from this approach was analyzed, 15 novel giant virus genomes were uncovered. In contrast, only a single giant virus genome was recovered using the standard, whole community shotgun metagenome approach on bulk forest soil samples even though these bulk soil samples were sequenced much more deeply. "This nonstandard approach was taken deliberately to break up the diversity into smaller chunks. Had we only done it the regular way, we would have missed these giant viruses altogether," said JGI scientist Rex Malmstrom, also a study co-author. "The wealth of giant viruses in soil is remarkable and underlines the ubiquitous nature of these enigmatic entities and that these viruses are still mostly underexplored," said Schulz. Woyke agreed that finding these novel giant virus genomes is just the beginning. "Soils have been an overlooked ecosystem for giant virus diversity, with studies mostly focused on aquatic environments. The unbinned metagenome soil data suggests that the extent of giant virus diversity in Harvard forest soil is much higher than the 16 genomes recovered in this study, but accessing the genomes with traditional approaches is challenging. This discovery suggests soils should be considered a target for co-cultivation efforts of giant viruses." ### The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is committed to advancing genomics in support of DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. DOE JGI, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., provides integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis that enable systems-based scientific approaches to these challenges. Follow @jgi on Twitter. DOE's Office of Science is the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. A new Dartmouth-Stanford study examining the economic impact of a border wall expansion between the U.S. and Mexico between 2007 to 2010 finds that the expansion minimally reduced unauthorized Mexican migration and was largely harmful to U.S. workers. Despite construction costs of the wall of $2.3 billion or approximately $7 per person in the U.S., the study found that the border wall expansion harmed college educated U.S. workers by $4.35 per person in annual income and only benefited less educated U.S. workers by an average of 36 cents. The study finds that in lieu of the border wall expansion, if the U.S. had simply reduced its trade costs with Mexico so that they were closer to domestic costs, all U.S. and Mexican workers would have substantially benefited. The research was co-authored by Dartmouth economist Treb Allen, Stanford economist Melanie Morten and Stanford doctoral candidate Caue Dobbin, who embarked on the study in the summer of 2016 after seeing a need for more empirical evidence on the effects of the border wall amid ongoing debates over immigration. The new 101-page study is abridged in an executive summary and is part of this week's National Bureau of Economic Research working papers issued on Nov. 19. "Once we account for the complex ways the border wall expansion impacted the economy, we found that almost all workers were made worse off. Even those who did benefit did so by a very small amount. This is all the more striking given the substantial construction costs," said Treb Allen, an associate professor of economics and distinguished professor of economics and globalization at Dartmouth. The researchers examined the U.S. - Mexico border wall expansion that resulted from the Secure Fence Act of 2006 for which 548 miles of additional fencing was constructed along nearly one-third of the 1954-mile border. To evaluate the effect of the border wall expansion on migration patterns, the team used confidential data from the Mexican government to examine how migration flows changed after the border wall expansion. The researchers estimate that the wall expansion reduced the total number of Mexican-born workers coming into the U.S. by only 0.6 percent, roughly 83,000 people. "If the goal of policy is to reduce migration, it's important to examine what leads people to migrate in the first place," said Melanie Morten, an assistant professor of economics and faculty fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) (https://siepr.stanford.edu/). "Mexican citizens tended to migrate to attain higher wages. The wall did not change that." The study considered two other policies that the U.S. could have implemented: One such policy took a more extreme approach calling for additional fencing for 50 percent of the remaining border. The results estimate that college educated U.S. workers would have been made even worse off by $7.60 while benefits to less educated U.S. workers would have only increased to 58 cents. If the additional fencing along the border had not been constructed and the U.S. had reduced its trade costs with Mexico so that they were 25 percent closer to domestic costs, all U.S. and Mexican workers would have benefited. Instead of facing an economic loss as they did with the wall, college educated U.S. workers would have seen a $80.59 increase while less educated U.S. workers would have experienced a $58.67 increase in annual income. "Rather than building walls, our study finds that a more effective way of reducing migration is to reduce the incentives to migrate. Promoting economic growth in the sending country by reducing trade costs is a great way to do that, as it also benefits U.S. workers," added Allen. ### Available for comment are co-authors Treb Allen and Melanie Morten. Hi-res images from the study are available upon request. Broadcast studios: Dartmouth has TV and radio studios available for interviews. For more information, visit: http://communications.dartmouth.edu/media/broadcast-studios Study finds common health promotion tactics in the workplace may increase weight stigma and discrimination - and even lead to increased obesity and decreased wellbeing Workplace health promotion programs that encourage employees to take responsibility for their own weight may have detrimental effects for employees with obesity, reveals a new study. These range from feeling increasingly responsible for their weight but perceiving they have less control over it, to increased workplace weight stigma and discrimination. Ironically, these effects could even lead to increased obesity and decreased wellbeing. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, the study finds these pitfalls could be avoided through programs focusing on the employer's responsibility to maintain employee health. "Who is responsible for obesity?" asks Professor Laetitia Mulder, of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "We are often told that it's someone's own responsibility, but people tend to forget that the institutions that shape our immediate environment strongly influence our behavior." The workplace can have a huge impact on health, including weight. For instance, a canteen where healthy food is scarce or expensive compared with unhealthy food is likely to lead to unhealthy choices. From this perspective, employers bear some responsibility for employee health and weight. In response to the high prevalence of obesity, employers are increasingly implementing workplace health promotion programs. However, many such programs highlight employee responsibility for obesity and ignore employer responsibilities. For instance, a sign in a canteen stating, "Watch your weight and choose healthy options!" is employee-focused, whereas an employer-focused policy would involve offering only healthy food options to support healthy eating. Previous studies examining the effectiveness of workplace health promotion programs (many of which are employee-focused) have reported negligible or modest effects on employee weight. Mulder and colleagues believed that employee-focused programs may contribute to weight stigma and discrimination in the workplace and make employees with obesity feel that their weight is blameworthy. This could produce a range of adverse effects in affected people and ironically could lead to binge eating and increased obesity. To investigate the phenomenon, the research team conducted a series of surveys and psychological tests on employees and a group of undergraduate student volunteers. They found that when people are confronted with concepts from an employee-focused health program, this increases weight stigma and weight-based discrimination compared with concepts from an employer-focused program. So, what does this mean? "In general, people judged a woman with obesity in a photo to be lazy, unattractive, slow and as having less will-power compared with a woman without obesity," says Mulder. "However, this effect became stronger when people had been confronted with concepts from an employee-focused program." Strikingly, this effect even extended to outright weight discrimination: people exposed to employee-focused health promotion concepts were more likely to prefer hiring a woman without obesity over a woman with obesity. This increased discrimination did not occur in people exposed to employer-focused health promotion concepts. People with obesity found themselves in a catch-22 situation after exposure to employee-focused health promotion concepts, by feeling more responsible for their weight but less able to control it. This did not occur with employer-focused health promotion. The researchers did not test the effects of a mix of employer- and employee-focused health promotion concepts, so further research may reveal whether a combination of approaches might work without the negative side-effects. "When developing a health program, organizations should not solely focus on employee responsibility, but should look at what the organization can do to bring about healthy behavior," explains Mulder. While obesity is a major health challenge, acknowledging where responsibility lies, while avoiding blame and stigmatization, is likely to provide an effective roadmap to better health. ### Please include a link to the original research article in your reporting: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02206/full Frontiers is an award-winning Open Science platform and leading Open Access scholarly publisher. Our mission is to make research results openly available to the world, thereby accelerating scientific and technological innovation, societal progress and economic growth. We empower scientists with innovative Open Science solutions that radically improve how science is published, evaluated and disseminated to researchers, innovators and the public. Access to research results and data is open, free and customized through Internet Technology, thereby enabling rapid solutions to the critical challenges we face as humanity. For more information, visit http://www.frontiersin.org and follow @Frontiersin on Twitter. As new methods have become available for understanding and manipulating matter at its most fundamental levels, researchers working in the interdisciplinary field of materials science have been increasingly successful in synthesizing new kinds of materials. Often the goal of researchers in the field is to design materials that incorporate properties that can be useful for performing specific functions. Such materials can, for example, be more chemically stable or resistant to physical breakage, have advantageous electromagnetic characteristics, or react in predictable ways to specific environmental conditions. Dr. Ralf Tonner and his research group at the University of Marburg are addressing the challenge of designing functional materials in an unusual way -- by applying approaches based on computational chemistry. Using computing resources at the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS), one of three German national supercomputing centers that make up the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing, Tonner models phenomena that happen at the atomic and subatomic scale to understand how factors such as molecular structure, electronic properties, chemical bonding, and interactions among atoms affect a material's behavior. "When you study how, for example, a molecule adsorbs on a surface," Tonner explains, "other scientists will often describe that phenomenon with methods from physics, solid state theory, or band structures. We think it can also be very helpful to ask, how would a chemist look at what's happening here?" From this perspective, Tonner is interested in exploring whether understanding chemical reactions -- how atoms bond together into molecules and react when brought into contact with one another -- can offer new and useful insights. In a new publication in WIREs Computational Molecular Science, Tonner and his collaborator Lisa Pecher highlight the ability of computational chemistry approaches using high-performance computing to reveal interesting phenomena that occur between organic molecules and surfaces. They also demonstrate more generally how these interactions can be understood with respect to the molecular and solid state world. The knowledge they gained could be useful in designing patterned surfaces, a goal of scientists working on the next generation of more powerful, more efficient semiconductors. Bringing computation to chemistry Atoms bond together to form molecules and compounds when they approach one another and then trade or share electrons orbiting around their nuclei. The specific atoms involved, the physical shapes that the molecules take, their energetic properties, and how they interact with other nearby molecules are all properties that give a compound its unique properties. Such characteristics can determine whether compounds are likely to remain stable, or whether stresses such as changes in temperature or pressure could affect their reactivity. Tonner uses a computational approach called density functional theory (DFT) to explore such characteristics at the quantum scale; that is, at the scale where Newtonian mechanics becomes replaced by the much stranger world of quantum mechanics (at distances of less than 100 nanometers). DFT uses information about variations in the density of electrons within a molecule -- a quantity that can also be experimentally measured using a widely used technology called x-ray diffraction -- to derive the energy of the system. This, in turn, enables the researchers to infer interactions among nuclei as well as interactions between electrons and nuclei, factors that are critical to understanding chemical bonds and reactions. DFT can provide useful, though static, information about the energy profiles of the compounds they study. To gain a better understanding of how systems of molecules actually behave when interacting with a surface, Tonner's group also uses high-performance computing at HLRS to perform molecular dynamics simulations. Here, the scientists look at how the system of molecules develops over time, at the level of atoms and electrons and at time scales of picoseconds (one picosecond is one trillionth of a second). Such calculations typically use 2,000-3,000 computing cores, running on a problem for a week, and Tonner has been budgeted approximately 30 million CPU hours at HLRS for the current two-year funding cycle. "Increasing computing power has made it possible for computational chemistry and quantum chemistry to describe real molecular systems. Just 15-20 years ago, people could only look at small molecules and had to make rather strong approximations," Tonner explains. "In the last few years, the computational chemistry and solid state theory communities have solved the problem of parallelizing their codes to operate efficiently on high-performance computing systems. As supercomputers get bigger, we anticipate being able to develop increasingly realistic models for experimental systems in materials science." Toward light-based semiconductors One area in which Tonner is currently using computational chemistry is to study ways to improve silicon for use in new kinds of semiconductors. This problem has gained urgency in recent years, as it has become clear that the microelectronics industry is reaching the limits of its ability to improve semiconductors using silicon alone. As Tonner and experimental colleagues report in a recent paper in the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemisty, functionalizing silicon with compounds such as gallium phosphide (GaP) or gallium arsenide (GaAs) could enable the design of new kinds of semiconductors. This research, based in a field called silicon photonics, posits that such new materials would make it possible to use light instead of electrons for signal transport, supporting the development of improved electronic devices. "To do this," Tonner explains, "we really need to understand how the interfaces between silicon and these organic compounds look and behave. The reaction between these two material classes needs to proceed in a very controlled manner so that the interface is as perfect as possible. With computational chemistry we can look at the elemental details of these interactions and processes." For example, to cover a slab of silicon, liquid precursor molecules for the constituent atoms of gallium arsenide are placed in a bubbler, where they are then brought into the gas phase. These precursor molecules are composed of the atoms required for the new material (gallium, arsenic) and ions or molecules called ligands to stabilize them in the liquid and gas phase. These ligands are subsequently lost in the deposition process and when silicon is placed in the system, the precursor molecules are adsorbed onto the solid silicon surface. After adsorption and loss of the ligands, gallium and arsenide atoms attach to the silicon, forming a GaAs film. How atoms are arranged when they adsorb to a surface is determined by chemical bonding. The strength of these bonds and the density with which the GaAs precursor molecules are adsorbed is affected not only by the distance between them and the silicon surface but also by interactions among the precursor molecules themselves. In one type of interaction, called Pauli repulsion, clouds of electrons overlap and repel each other, causing the available energy for bonding to decline. In another, called attractive dispersion interaction, changes in the electronic positions in one atom cause electrons to be redistributed in other atoms, bringing the electron movements into harmony and lowering the energy of the total system. Previously, it had been suggested that repulsive relationships among atoms is the most important factor in "steering" atoms into place when they adsorb on a surface. By using density functional theory and looking at intriguing features of how electrons are distributed, the researchers determined that the ability of atoms to steer other atoms into place on the surface can also result from attractive dispersive interactions. Gaining a better understanding of these fundamental interactions should help designers of optically active semiconductors to improve adsorption of the precursor molecules onto silicon. This, in turn, would make it possible to combine light signal conduction with silicon based microelectonics, bringing together the best of both worlds in optical and electronic conduction. For Tonner, using first principles methods in chemistry for materials science applications holds great promise. "Theory today is very often taken as a complement to experimental investigation," he says. "Although experimentation is extremely important, our ultimate goal is for theory to be predictive in ways that enable us to make the first steps in first principles-inspired materials design. I see this as a long term goal." ### DETROIT - Henry Ford Hospital researchers may have unknowingly happened on a new predictor of type 2 diabetes as part of a new ultrasound shoulder study. The predictor may be an ultrasound of the deltoid muscle, which researchers found appears much brighter on diabetic patients than on obese nondiabetic patients. Researchers theorize the brighter appearance is due to low levels of glycogen in the muscle caused by patients' insulin resistance. The study is being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America Nov. 25 - 30 in Chicago. Imaging the deltoid muscle by ultrasound may be an "opportunistic tool" for predicting prediabetes and diabetes and diagnosing patients who may be unaware they have the disease, says Steven Soliman, D.O., a Henry Ford musculoskeletal radiologist and the study's lead author. "Our study shows that diabetic patients are having changes within their deltoid muscles, demonstrated by a bright appearance on ultrasound, indicating that maybe earlier treatment is warranted," Dr. Soliman says. "And patients who may be undiagnosed and missed, such as prediabetics or diabetics who haven't been diagnosed yet, may be able to be diagnosed earlier." The study is believed to be the first in the United States to demonstrate a link between type 2 diabetes and this bright appearance of the deltoid muscle in diabetic patients. Researchers found that this bright appearance had an 89 percent predictive value of "definite diabetes." For prediabetes patients, the bright appearance was a predictor of either "definite diabetes" or "suspected diabetes." Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. In 2015, of the more than 30 million Americans who had diabetes, more than 7 million people were undiagnosed. In 2017, diabetes accounted for $237 billion in direct medical costs. The use of musculoskeletal ultrasound, especially shoulder ultrasound, has increased sharply in the past 20 years across the country. At Henry Ford, diabetic patients typically undergo shoulder ultrasound because they are more prone to rotator cuff injuries. The Henry Ford study was borne from an emerging trend observed for at least 10 years by Dr. Soliman and his musculoskeletal radiology colleagues. They found that the number of ultrasound scans with the brighter, or hyperechoic, appearance of the deltoid muscle in diabetics was "out of proportion" to those seen in obese nondiabetic patients, even though the hyperechoic appearance is commonly seen in obese patients. In healthy patients, the deltoid muscle appears darker on the ultrasound when compared to the underlying rotator cuff tendon. For diabetic patients, the gradient is just the opposite, Dr. Soliman says. For their retrospective study, researchers sought to evaluate whether the bright appearance of the deltoid muscle was associated with diabetes or obesity. Of the 186 patients involved, 137 had type 2 diabetes and 49 were obese and nondiabetic. Researchers evaluated the results by assigning one of three diagnoses: definite diabetes, suspected diabetes or normal. Dr. Soliman says the findings have immediate implications for clinicians. "We believe you could use shoulder ultrasound as a supplemental screening option to evaluate for the appearance of a hyperechoic deltoid muscle," Dr. Soliman says. "This could be used to evaluate for the multitude of patients who do not know they have diabetes." ### MEDIA CONTACT: David Olejarz / David.Olejarz@hfhs.org / 313.874.4094 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took part in the ceremony of completing the construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline via a video conference. Speaking at the ceremony, the Russian president stressed that the pipeline had shown the effectiveness of work with Turkey on the extremely complicated projects. "We are here to witness a very important event that clearly shows how our countries can effectively work together as partners on implementing the most complicated and ambitious projects," the Russian leader said. He further noted that projects like Turkish Stream are not directed against anyone and added that the pipeline project was fully in line with Turkey's national interests. "The projects of this kind, and this project, in particular, are not directed against anyone's interests. The projects of this kind have a purely constructive character. They are aiming to develop the relationship between the states, create sustainable conditions for economy development, for the growth of our countries' citizens' well-being based on this," Putin said. The Russian president thanked his Turkish counterpart for the political will and courage in the Turkish Stream implementation, saying that such projects were impossible without that. The Russian president said he was expecting the onshore stretch of the pipeline to be built just as fast as the offshore one. "We are expecting the work to be done just as fast so as to launch the pipeline as planned before the end of 2019," Putin said. Gazprom has begun construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream in May 2017. The offshore section of the 930 km pipeline runs along the bottom of the Black Sea to the coast of Turkey. The pipeline will be continues by a 180-km land transit line to the border of Turkey with neighboring countries. The first line will be designed for the Turkish market, the second - for gas supply to the countries of South and Southeast Europe. The capacity of each line is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019. Gazprom announced the completion of deep-sea laying of the offshore section of the first Turkish Stream in April 2018. In an editorial published today in the BMJ, researchers from King's College London and the University of the Arts London (UAL) argue that it is a worsening problem, with levels regularly exceeding international recommendations. "Even in intensive care units, which cater for the most vulnerable patients, noise levels over 100dB have been measured, the equivalent of loud music through headphones," said lead author Dr Andreas Xyrichis. Noise in hospitals is known to hinder communication among staff, causing annoyance, irritation and fatigue, and detrimentally impact the quality and safety of healthcare. High noise levels and noise-induced stress impact negatively on staff performance and wellbeing, compromising caring behaviour and contributing to burnout. The team highlight that it can also impact a patients' ability to rest, heal and recover, since it has been linked to the development of ICU psychosis, hospitalisation-induced stress, increased pain sensitivity, high blood pressure and poor mental health. "We know hospital noise has disruptive consequences for sleep - machine sounds in particular have a greater negative effect on arousal than human voices. Post-hospitalisation recovery is also compromised. For example, coronary care patients treated during noisy periods were found to have a higher incidence of rehospitalisation compared to those treated during quieter periods," explained Andreas. Patients report that hospital noise can have a cumulative effect on their hospital experience. Patients who are in hospital for several nights are left feeling trapped and stressed, leading to requests for premature discharge from hospital and heightened risk of trauma and readmission. The team from King's and UAL believes that the following areas urgently need to be addressed to ensure significant progress in this slow-moving field: Noise is often incorrectly associated with high sound pressure levels (SPLs). Dripping taps for example, may register low SPLs yet still be considered noisy. Prioritising SPL reduction does not ensure improved noise perception. Therefore, a new approach is needed, one that views the hospital soundscape as a positive and malleable component of the environment. There are a number of potential sources of noise in hospitals. Alarms, televisions, rattling trolleys, and ringing phones, as well as staff, visitor, and patient conversations. However, not all of them are perceived as noise by patients - for example, some find the sound of the tea trolley pleasing, associating it with receiving a warm drink. Research has also shown that some ICU patients welcome ringing telephones as a sign that they are not alone. So far ways to measure patients' perceptions of noise are limited, and more research investment is needed in this area. Patients and families need clear information about likely noise levels during admissions, so they are better prepared in advance, and can consider simple solutions such as headphones with their own choice of audio content. Education for staff is also needed, to encourage a culture that considers noise reduction an integral part of safe high quality healthcare. "Measures to tackle this problem have included ear plugs, noise warning systems, acoustic treatment panels, educational initiatives and noise reduction protocols, which have provided some benefit," said Andreas. "However, so far, patients have been seen as passive recipients of hospital noise rather than active participants in its creation. It is essential that future solutions should have greater patient participation as a key feature. "Guides about potential ward sounds could also enhance patients' understanding of their surroundings and increase relaxation. Sound masking - the addition of background, broadband sound optimised for particular environments to reduce noise-induced disturbance - has also been used widely in open-plan offices for many years and has recently shown promise for improving sleep in hospitals." ### When you slow down after exiting the highway, or hush your voice in the library, you're using this brain mechanism CAMBRIDGE, MA - Cognitive flexibility -- the brain's ability to switch between different rules or action plans depending on the context -- is key to many of our everyday activities. For example, imagine you're driving on a highway at 65 miles per hour. When you exit onto a local street, you realize that the situation has changed and you need to slow down. When we move between different contexts like this, our brain holds multiple sets of rules in mind so that it can switch to the appropriate one when necessary. These neural representations of task rules are maintained in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning action. A new study from MIT has found that a region of the thalamus is key to the process of switching between the rules required for different contexts. This region, called the mediodorsal thalamus, suppresses representations that are not currently needed. That suppression also protects the representations as a short-term memory that can be reactivated when needed. "It seems like a way to toggle between irrelevant and relevant contexts, and one advantage is that it protects the currently irrelevant representations from being overwritten," says Michael Halassa, an assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences and a member of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Halassa is the senior author of the paper, which appears in the Nov. 19 issue of Nature Neuroscience. The paper's first author is former MIT graduate student Rajeev Rikhye, who is now a postdoc in Halassa's lab. Aditya Gilra, a postdoc at the University of Bonn, is also an author. Changing the rules Previous studies have found that the prefrontal cortex is essential for cognitive flexibility, and that a part of the thalamus called the mediodorsal thalamus also contributes to this ability. In a 2017 study published in Nature, Halassa and his colleagues showed that the mediodorsal thalamus helps the prefrontal cortex to keep a thought in mind by temporarily strengthening the neuronal connections in the prefrontal cortex that encode that particular thought. In the new study, Halassa wanted to further investigate the relationship between the mediodorsal thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. To do that, he created a task in which mice learn to switch back and forth between two different contexts -- one in which they must follow visual instructions and one in which they must follow auditory instructions. In each trial, the mice are given both a visual target (flash of light to the right or left) and an auditory target (a tone that sweeps from high to low pitch, or vice versa). These targets offer conflicting instructions. One tells the mouse to go to the right to get a reward; the other tells it to go left. Before each trial begins, the mice are given a cue that tells them whether to follow the visual or auditory target. "The only way for the animal to solve the task is to keep the cue in mind over the entire delay, until the targets are given," Halassa says. The researchers found that thalamic input is necessary for the mice to successfully switch from one context to another. When they suppressed the mediodorsal thalamus during the cuing period of a series of trials in which the context did not change, there was no effect on performance. However, if they suppressed the mediodorsal thalamus during the switch to a different context, it took the mice much longer to switch. By recording from neurons of the prefrontal cortex, the researchers found that when the mediodorsal thalamus was suppressed, the representation of the old context in the prefrontal cortex could not be turned off, making it much harder to switch to the new context. In addition to helping the brain switch between contexts, this process also appears to help maintain the neural representation of the context that is not currently being used, so that it doesn't get overwritten, Halassa says. This allows it to be activated again when needed. The mice could maintain these representations over hundreds of trials, but the next day, they had to relearn the rules associated with each context. Multitasking AI The findings could help guide the development of better artificial intelligence algorithms, Halassa says. The human brain is very good at learning many different kinds of tasks -- singing, walking, talking, etc. However, neural networks (a type of artificial intelligence based on interconnected nodes similar to neurons) usually are good at learning only one thing. These networks are subject to a phenomenon called "catastrophic forgetting" -- when they try to learn a new task, previous tasks become overwritten. Halassa and his colleagues now hope to apply their findings to improve neural networks' ability to store previously learned tasks while learning to perform new ones. ### The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the Klingenstein Foundation, the Pew Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Human Frontiers Science Program, and the German Ministry of Education. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite is providing data on rain rates within Tropical Cyclone 33W as it moves over the Philippines on Nov. 19. Tropical Depression 33W is about to traverse the south-central Philippines. In the Philippines, 33W is designated "Samuel." The GPM satellite passed over the eastern half of Tropical Depression 33W on Nov. 19 at 3:06 a.m. EST (0806 UTC) and measured the rainfall rates. The heaviest rainfall was occurring around the center at a rate of 1.2 inches per hour while light rain was occurring throughout much of the eastern half of the storm. The bulk of the clouds and showers associated with 33W are located in the storm's western quadrant. GPM is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency called JAXA. At 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC), the center of 33W was located near latitude 9.1 degrees north and longitude 129.7 degrees east. 33W is moving toward the west-northwest and has maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) Philippines storm signal 1 has been placed in effect for Luzon that includes Masbate, and for the Visayas region that includes Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Negros Oriental and Occidental. In the Mindanao region, Signal 1 is in effect for Surigao del Norte and Sur, Agusan del Norte and Sur, Dinagat Islands, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin 33W will move west-northwest, later west and into the South China Sea. ### Norway's forestry wastes could meet 20 per cent of its aviation fuel needs while protecting the environment Norwegian aviation executives like to joke among themselves that when God created aviation, he was thinking of Norway. The country's long coastline and mountainous interior make conventional road travel challenging. Even travelling relatively short distances in Norway's populated south, say from Bergen to Trondheim, two major coastal cities 700 km apart, takes up to 12 hours by car -- but just an hour by plane. For all these reasons and more, the Norwegian government has set a goal that 30 per cent of all jet fuel used in Norway by 2030 will be sustainably produced biofuels. To help jump start this transition, the government announced in October that airlines operating in Norwegian airspace will have to use 0.5 per cent biofuels in their jet fuel by 2020. Two researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Industrial Ecology Programme decided to look at how producing aviation biofuels in Norway would affect the climate and other environmental aspects identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. These goals have been developed to guide the world's transition to a more sustainable society. They found that producing jet fuels from forestry residues would be good for the climate but can put pressures on some SDGs, such as Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation and Responsible Consumption and Production. The good news, the researchers say, is that knowing this now allows policy makers and engineers to make technological and supply chain improvements to reduce adverse side effects. This knowledge is especially important as the industry ramps up to making biofuels. "The options for aviation are very limited," says Francesco Cherubini, the senior author of the paper and a professor in the Industrial Ecology Programme. "If we want to decarbonize aviation, we must use biofuels. There is a lot of potential here." The article describing their research, "Contribution of jet fuel from forest residues to multiple Sustainable Development Goals," is published in Nature Sustainability. Two technologies and Norwegian forestry residues First of all, the researchers selected two different technologies that are considered market ready. The first was an alcohol-to-jet fuel technology, which uses a biochemical process to turn wastes into ethanol, which is then converted to jet fuel. The second relies on a process called Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which uses high temperatures to produce a kind of synthetic gas that is then converted to a liquid bio jet fuel. They then figured out how much waste materials might be available from Norwegian forest management, which currently doesn't actually use forest residues for anything. Based on forestry practices in other Nordic countries, the researchers determined that as much as 34 per cent of the total forest residues in Norway could be used to produce bio jet fuels. They then created a model that looked at what would happen if Norway began to use forest residues for jet fuel production, with all the associated direct and indirect emissions to air, water and soil. The good news, they found, is that that Norway could potentially produce 20% of the country's projected jet fuel use in 2030 from forest residues, which is well on the way towards the country's policy target of 30%. But the researchers also wanted to look for potential problems, too. So they ran their model and crunched their numbers. Short-term versus long-term climate benefits Air travel emits two different kinds of pollution that harm the climate. The most well known are the CO2 emissions that result from burning jet fuel. However, when a jet travels through the sky, the plane also leaves a long condensation trail, a contrail, which has a short-term effect on the planet's temperatures. Burning jet fuel also creates aerosols and black carbon, which also have a short-term effect on the climate. The researchers decided to look at how burning biofuels made using the two different processes would affect these types of emissions, called Near Term Climate Forcers, or NTCFs, because they can affect the climate over the short term but don't have a long lasting influence on global temperatures. What they found was that both types bio jet fuels had relatively lower climate impacts than conventional fossil fuels from a short (20 year) to a long (100 year) perspective. But the benefits from bio jet fuels were not as strong from a short-term perspective because of the NTCFs. Contrails were the biggest contributor to reducing the short-term benefits from biofuels, the researchers found. However, the climate benefits are important in the context of the long-term temperature stabilization target that was agreed to in the context of the Paris Agreements. On average, 20% bio jet fuel use in the Norwegian aviation sector in 2030 can reduce climate impacts by approximately 17%. Linking the analysis to Sustainable Development Goals Next, the researchers looked at how the different biofuel technologies affect the UN sustainability goals. Cherubini said this was an important part of their analysis because a specific technology may look good in terms of its climate benefits, but it might have other negative effects. If these negative effects aren't known, then governments or industries might choose to invest in a technology to benefit the climate, only to discover at a later stage that the technology has unintended negative side effects on other environmental areas of concern. "Sustainability research plays a key role in the success of our energy transition, especially when it is applied to new technologies before their large-scale implementation," Cherubini said. For that reason, he and his colleague and first author Otavio Cavalett decided to look at how nine of the UN SDGs that relate to the environment would be affected by biofuels production. These were: Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Life Below Water and Life on Land. "This is one of the first papers to provide an overview of what will happen with SDGs," if a specific climate-friendly technology is deployed," Cavalett said. Better than fossil fuels in some ways but room for improvement When the researchers looked at how renewable jet fuels compared to existing fossil jet fuels, they found clear benefits from the renewables when it came to climate impacts, of course. But there were also benefits for two SDGs, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Responsible Consumption and Production. However, one of the renewable technologies they looked at did have larger impacts than fossil-based fuels for some SDGs. As one example, Cavalett said that harvesting forest residues requires diesel fuel to power the trucks and machines that will pick up and transport the twigs, bark, tree tops and other residues that would be converted to biofuel. But burning diesel can cause low-level ozone and particulate matter to form, affecting the Good Health and Well-being SDGs. They also found that the different environmental impacts added up along the energy and material supply chains that are needed to produce the biofuels. That means if producers use cleaner raw materials or cleaner forms of energy to produce the bio jet fuels, the impacts will drop accordingly, the researchers said. They found that the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process had lower initial impacts than the alcohol-to-jet fuel technology, but that the impacts from the alcohol-to-jet fuel technology benefitted from improving the efficiency of the process. Bio jet fuel technologies need help, incentives to take flight Cherubini said that even though air travel does contribute to climate change, it also has value to society. "Getting people in contact has value," he said. "The fact that people (in Europe) can get on a plane and go to the US in 6 hours has value for society." For that reason, he said, policymakers should consider finding ways to help these new bio jet fuel technologies get off the ground, so to speak. He pointed out that humankind has been tinkering with fossil fuel technologies for a century now, while renewable bio jet fuel technologies are still in their infancy. "The role of sustainability research is very important in identifying the technological improvements needed to achieve benefits across the different SDGs and to make a sustainable transition to a greener society," he said. "The technology can improve quite a lot if we keep this in mind." ### Imagine your family has moved across the state or across country. You're retired, and your spouse has passed away. Lacking the social connections previous generations once found in church or fraternal organizations, it doesn't take much time to begin feeling isolated and alone. Social isolation and depression have become commonplace in older adults, with estimates suggesting almost 5 percent of adults aged 50 and above lived with major depression in 2015. What if you could address the problem through communication technology? A new study led by researchers at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, discovered that, of four online communication technologies, using video chat to connect with friends and family appeared to hold the most promise in staving off depression among seniors. Researchers compared four different types of online communication technologies - video chat, email, social networks and instant messaging - used by people 60 and older and then gauged their symptoms of depression based on survey responses two years later. The findings were published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. "Video chat came out as the undisputed champion," said lead author Alan Teo, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry in the OHSU School of Medicine and a researcher at the VA Portland Health Care System. "Older adults who used video chat technology such as Skype had significantly lower risk of depression." Data were obtained through the Health and Retirement Study supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. Since 1992, the nationwide study has surveyed seniors every two years. The researchers identified 1,424 participants from the 2012 survey who completed a set of questions about technology use. These same participants also responded to a follow-up survey two years later that measured, among other things, depressive symptoms. Those who used email, instant messaging or social media platforms like Facebook had virtually the same rate of depressive symptoms compared with older adults who did not use any communication technologies. In contrast, researchers found that people who used video chat functions such as Skype and FaceTime had almost half the estimated probability of depressive symptoms, after adjusting for other factors that could confound results, such as pre-existing depression and level of education. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a potential link between use of video chat and prevention of clinically significant symptoms of depression over two years in older adults," the authors wrote. Researchers said video chat's appeal isn't necessarily surprising. Video chat engages users in face-to-face interactions rather than having them passively scrolling through a Facebook feed, for example. "I still maintain that face-to-face interaction is probably best of all," Teo said. "However, if we're looking at the reality of modern American life, we need to consider these communication technologies. And when we do consider them and compare them, our findings indicate that I'm better off Skyping with my dad in Indiana than sending him a message on WhatsApp." ### In addition to Teo, co-authors include Sheila Markwardt, M.P.H., a staff biostatistician at OHSU, and Ladson Hinton, M.D., professor and director of geriatric psychiatry at UC Davis Health. This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Health Services, Research and Development and the HSR&D Center for Improve Veteran Involvement in Care. Teo's work was supported in part by a career development award from the Veterans Health Administration Health Service Research and Development (CDA 14-428). Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Center of the National Technology Initiative (NTI) of Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) in collaboration with the Plant of "Komsomolskaya Pravda" developed a unique Antarctic sledge for the transportation of large cargoes in extreme conditions. The sledge was designed to carry heavy loads up to 60 tons to the South pole and to cover the distance of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Different conditions of transportation such as temperatures up to minus 60 degrees, discharged air, strong gusts of wind, fluctuation of the ice road were taken into the account. "The first one to transport heavy loads will have the prospects in Arctic and Antarctica. Up until now, there was no means to transport 60 tons. Only 16-20 tons can be transported on the metal sledge. But as soon as the ski fails, the load should be removed and the process stops," - said the Chief Executive of the Plant of "Komsomolskaya Pravda" Sergei Tsybukov. A project consortium was formed to solve this challenge in the shortest possible time. The key role was played by the scientific team of the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Center of the National Technology Initiative (NTI SPbPU), it was engaged in the design and modeling of the sledge. According to professor Alexey Borovkov, vice-rector for innovative projects SPbPU, head of the center NTI SPbPU, the use of advanced manufacturing technologies and the development of the "digital twins" of the sledge gave an opportunity to achieve the required results. "We had to develop a range of mathematical models and to design a product which had never been designed before. The virtual tests were conducted. Every possible scenario was modeled: normal working conditions, violations, emergency situations. This design is beyond the intuition of the chief designer," said professor Borovkov. On November 6, 2018, the world's first large-capacity sledge was loaded on the ship "Akademik Fedorov", which headed to South pole. Sea trials will begin in 2 months, and the first pilot batch will be ready by 2020. ### PRINCETON, N.J.--The public's interest in conservation is rising, according to a new analysis led by Princeton University. Based on an adapted version of Google Trends -- which tracks user searches on Google -- the results show that people search for conservation just as often as they do for climate change. While the researchers cannot pinpoint exactly why people searched the terms they did, they are confident the results point to the public's interest in both topics. The authors of the report, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, urge conservation scientists to nurture this growing interest and transform it into actual support for conservation. "Some people have expressed concern that when the public began to identify climate change as the single most important environmental threat, interest in other environmental issues diminished, but we find the opposite is true," said lead author Zuzana Burivalova, a postdoctoral research fellow in Professor David Wilcove's lab at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. "We think our work highlights the value of presenting objective, evidence-based findings about conservation in an accessible, engaging and relatable way. This is especially crucial in a time of growing political polarization and misinformation," said Wilcove, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and public affairs and the Princeton Environmental Institute. Burivalova, a tropical forest ecologist and conservation scientist, began this side project because she had been disappointed to hear that public interest in conservation was declining. She wondered if the disinterest was because of the terminology scientists used -- like the word "biodiversity," for example, which may be confusing to some -- or whether climate change trumped all other environment-related searches. Under the guidance of Wilcove and with the help of Rhett Butler, founder of environmental news outlet Mongabay, Burivalova turned toward Google Trends, a website by Google that analyzes top search queries. Often used for business and advertising, Google Trends has also been employed to study local health outbreaks like the flu or chicken pox. The researchers used data provided by Google Trends, which they combined with their own model of estimates regarding how the total number of searches changed over time, information not currently provided by Google. They studied monthly search results between 2004 and 2017. In addition to the terms "conservation" and "biodiversity," the researchers also included related terminology like "environmental protection," "ecotourism," and "national parks," among others. To explore the correlation between searches for climate change and conservation, they compared the terms "climate change" and "global warming" with "biodiversity," "extinction" and "endangered species." The results show online interest in conservation (around 110,000 searches per month) is of a similar order of magnitude to interest in poverty, which is around 165,000 searches per month. Interestingly, there was a significant rise in internet searches for "conservation" between 2004 and 2017 in many East African countries as well as India and Nepal. Across the time span studied, public interest in climate change and global warming began to rise in 2007, possibly due to the 2006 release of "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary about climate change, the researchers posit. During this time, there was also a general rise in individual donations to the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund. "Of course, we understand interest does not necessarily equal support," said Burivalova. "So academics and conservation practitioners should continue to explore new ways of communicating scientific findings, for example through collaborations with educators, journalists, storytellers and more." The study points out two of its major limitations. Google Trends is biased toward developed countries with access to the internet. The data available also doesn't include user's motivation for searchers. ### The paper, "Analyzing Google search data to debunk myths about the public's interest in conservation," was published in the November print issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Funding for this work was provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. A variety of animals have male-specific ornament traits and these ornaments are favored by female choice. Which male traits are preferred by females often varies among females. Genetic mechanisms that create and maintain variations in female preference has been one of the central questions in evolutionary ecology. A research team led by Tohoku University in Japan has revealed that variation in expression of opsin genes, which code light-sensitive pigments, generates variable light sensitivity and color vision and thus lead to variation in female response to male sexual colors in a small fresh water fish, the guppy. Male guppies have exaggerated and diverse body colors and females exhibit preference for some components of male color patterns. These male colors and female preference vary among and within wild populations. Interestingly, inter-individual variation in color vision has also been reported in the guppy. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that the variation in color vision causes variation in female preference for male color patterns. However, the genetic mechanism underlying color vision variation and the relationship between color vision and female preference has not been demonstrated. Dr. Yusuke Sakai and Professor Masakado Kawata focused on opsin genes which code light-sensitive pigments in retina. A guppy has nine opsin genes. One of the opsin genes (LWS-1) codes for a protein that detects visible light in long-wave light spectrum (i.e., orange-red), shows allelic polymorphisms and the variants are maintained in natural selection in wild populations. They showed that the expression levels of multiple opsin genes varied between individuals with different LWS-1 genotypes. In addition, rearing light environments also affected the expression levels of opsin genes. Using a behavioral experiments, they showed that the variation in LWS-1 expression affected the sensitivity of individuals to different-colored light at the behavioral level. These results indicate that the expression variation in opsins caused by both genetic polymorphisms and light environment during growth generated the variation in light sensitivity. Then, they investigated whether the variation in the opsin gene expressions affected female preference for male orange colors, which has known to be one of the important mate choice criteria for female guppies. Using digitally modified video images of a male, they showed that females with higher opsin gene expressions exhibited stronger preferences for more luminous orange spots. A set of results in their study suggest that difference in light sensitivity is mediated by both genetic and plastic changes in opsin gene expression and causes variation in female preference for male sexual colors. These interactions between visual property and mate choice might be the driving force behind the evolution of extreme diversity in male guppy sexual colors. ### Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that leads to muscle paralysis from birth and results in death before two years of age. Although no treatment currently exists, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, - working in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, France, - have identified a molecule that not only greatly reduces the progression of the disease but also boosts life expectancy in animal models by a factor of seven. Since the molecule - known as tamoxifen - is already used for breast cancer, the researchers hope to soon set up a clinical trial so that patients can be given the medication. You can read all about the results in the journal Nature Communications. Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that weakens all the skeletal muscles from birth. Ninety percent of affected babies do not live to two years of age. "The disease affects the X chromosome in one in 50,000 male infants," begins Leonardo Scapozza, full professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNIGE's Faculty of Science. Only boys are struck by myotubular myopathy, since the second X chromosome in girls generally compensates for the possible mutation of the first. Although there is no existing treatment for this genetic defect, valuable research in gene therapy is currently underway. "But it will take years before we can come to a conclusion about how effective the clinical trials are," points out Olivier Dorchies, a researcher in the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. "That's why we turned to a molecule that is already authorised for other treatments in humans, in the hope of finding a quicker way to counter this life-threatening disease." Tamoxifen: a multi-purpose molecule The researchers focused on tamoxifen, which has been used for many years to treat breast cancer, because the molecule has several interesting properties for protecting muscle fibres: it is antioxidant, anti-fibrotic and protects the mitochondria. "In a previous study, we used tamoxifen against Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is also an inherited muscular disease that affects one in 3,500 boys, where the life expectancy is 30 years," explains Elinam Gayi, a PhD student in UNIGE's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences . "The results have been excellent, and a clinical trial is also in progress." This is why the scientists have been looking at the molecule in an attempt to combat myotubular myopathy, which - although it also leads to muscular paralysis - does not have the same mechanisms of action as in its cousin Duchenne. "Myotubular myopathy is caused by a lack of myotubularin, an enzyme that transforms the lipidic messengers. Without it, the protein known as dynamin 2 accumulates and brings on muscle atrophy," continues Elinam. In the search for a cure, one of the avenues explored by several groups - including UNIGE's colleagues in Strasbourg - is to target dynamin 2, which is modulated by tamoxifen. Oral treatment that increases life expectancy sevenfold The scientists administered tamoxifen orally on a daily basis to sick mice with the same symptoms as affected babies, mixing it with their food. Three doses were tested: 0.03 milligrams per kilogram, 0.3 milligrams per kilogram and 3 milligrams per kilogram. The highest dose matches that used for treating breast cancer in women if we consider the metabolic differences between mouse and human. The results obtained by the research team left no room for argument. An untreated sick mouse lived for 45 days on average. With the lowest dose, the average life expectancy was 80 days, rising to 120 days with the intermediate dose. "But with the biggest dose, life expectancy went up to 290 days on average - seven times higher than for an untreated mouse. Some even survived for over 400 days!" says Professor Scapozza. In addition, the progress of the paralysis was slowed down enormously or even completely stopped. Muscular strength was tripled, and it was possible to recover 60% of the muscular deficit between a healthy mouse and a sick mouse. The scientists began the treatment when the mice developed the first symptoms, namely paralysis of the hindlegs at about three weeks. However, they have not ruled out that administering the drug earlier might be more efficacious against muscle weakness. "In parallel to our study, a team from the Children's Hospital of Toronto tested the drug on even younger mice, and the disease did not develop," says Olivier. "The problem is that in humans, myotubular myopathy starts during foetal development, so it's hard to know whether the total absence of paralysis might be achieved if this molecule is given after birth." Is a clinical trial on the horizon? Elinam adds: "Since tamoxifen is already authorised for use in humans, and a clinical trial is underway for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we're hopeful that a clinical trial will come on line within a couple of years." It is now up to clinicians to make the most of our research and put it into practice. The UNIGE researchers will continue to explore the multiple uses of tamoxifen for treating genetic muscle diseases. They will try to combine it with other authorised molecules or in the final phase of clinical development. The goal will be to find treatments that can be put on the market quickly. ### Smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle have long been linked to heightened symptoms of menopause. Now, a study headed by UC San Francisco has identified another factor that may add to menopause torment: an emotionally abusive partner or spouse. In the study of more than 2,000 midlife and older women, researchers found that one in five women had been emotionally abused by their current or former partners, and that these women had 50 percent higher odds of night sweats and 60 percent higher odds of painful sex. Among women with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or those who were victims of sexual assault or domestic violence, the prevalence of menopausal pain and discomfort was also significantly higher, the authors said in their study, which publishes in JAMA Internal Medicine on Nov. 19, 2018. Women with PTSD symptoms had just over three times the odds of sleep difficulties and more than twice the odds of reporting vaginal irritation and painful intercourse. Women who were victims of sexual assault or violence by former or present partners had 40-to-44 percent higher odds of painful sex. "Traditionally, menopause symptoms have been largely attributed to biological and hormonal changes, as well as negative mood symptoms, health-risk behaviors, cardio-metabolic risk factors and chronic health conditions that occur at a higher rate during and after menopause," said first author Carolyn Gibson, PhD, a clinical research psychologist affiliated with the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. "Stress related to emotional abuse and other traumatic exposures may influence the hormonal and physiological changes of menopause and aging, affecting biological susceptibility as well as the subjective experience of these symptoms," she said. Gibson and her team looked at three types of menopause symptoms among the 2,016 participants: difficulties with sleep; vaginal discomfort such as dryness, irritation and painful sex; and vasomotor symptoms, which includes night sweats and hot flashes. Abuse, Sexual Assault, PTSD Symptoms 'Surprisingly Common' Participants were enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, an integrated health care system serving approximately 30 percent of the region's population. Their average age was 61; most were postmenopausal (77 percent), college-educated (81 percent), and overweight or obese (74 percent). Approximately 39 percent of participants were white, while 20 percent were Hispanic, 21 percent black and 19 percent Asian. Traumatic exposures, especially emotional abuse and PTSD symptoms, were "surprisingly common" in this sample of women, according to Gibson, who described participants as "relatively healthy, well-educated and with better than average access to health care." Some 21 percent of women (423) said that they had been emotionally abused by their former or current partner. This was defined as "made fun of, severely criticized, told you were a stupid or worthless person, or threatened with harm to yourself, your possessions or your pets." Some 23 percent (450) reported symptoms that matched a diagnosis of PTSD, 16 percent (316) said they were or had been victims of domestic violence and 19 percent (382) had experienced sexual assault. "The data show that experience of domestic violence and emotional abuse, sexual assault and clinically significant PTSD symptoms are common, and may affect women's health across the lifespan," said Gibson, who is based at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. "Our findings suggest that routine assessment and recognition of PTSD symptoms and lifetime traumatic exposures when women are seen by health care providers may enhance the effective management of menopausal symptoms." ### Study co-author Brigid McCaw, MD, medical director of the Kaiser Permanente Family Violence Prevention Program, agrees: "These findings support the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to screen for emotional or physical abuse given the significant and long-lasting health impact." Authors: The senior author is Stephen Van Den Eeden, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. Co-authors are Alison Huang, MD, and David Thom, MD, PhD, of UCSF; and Leslee Subak, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine. Funding: The study was supported by the UCSF-Kaiser Permanente Grants Program for Delivery Science; Office of Research on Women's Health Specialized Center of Research, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Research was also supported by the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Women's Health and VA Health Services Research & Delivery CDA 17-018 (CJG). Disclosures: Huang has received research grants from Pfizer Inc. and Astellas through UCSF to conduct research unrelated to this manuscript. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Veterans Affairs. About UCSF: UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals - UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland - as well as Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children's Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF faculty also provide all physician care at the public Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and the SF VA Medical Center. The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is a major branch of the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news. Follow UCSF ucsf.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf Hosts of the 'National Question program on Vesti FM, Gia Saralidze and Marat Safarov, told about the series of events in Moscow dedicated to great Azerbajani poet Nasimi, which has started today. "The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which actively implements cultural projects abroad, regularly organizes large-scale events in Moscow. On November 19, a festival will be held dedicated to the outstanding Azerbaijani medieval mystical poet Nasimi. Many of our listeners know outstanding Persian and Turkic medieval poets Fizuli, Omar Khayyam and Nizami, but Nasimi is less widely represented in Russia, although his works were translated by Konstantin Simonov. Nasimi, in particular, is known for his death as a poet and a rebel in Aleppo, where he was executed on the orders of the local authorities, he was accused of being a Sufi," Marat Safarov said. "In 1970, Heydar Aliyev visited Aleppo and Nasimis grave at the invitation of Syrian President Hafez Asad. Many years later, interest in the poet is reviving in Azerbaijan. The Nasimi festival will be held in the the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's offices abroad, including in Russia. The Nasimi bust will be unveiled in Moscow at MGIMO and the interesting events will be held at the Moscow State University and the Institute of Asian and African countries, which will host major, large-scale conference," the host emphasized. Gia Saralidze drew attention to the significance of such events in Moscow. "It is important that such things are held in our capital, that the names undeservedly forgotten in the post-Soviet space are being returned in Moscow, because such events attract the attention of the public, the widest audience. In this regard, it is important that our capital, and Russia in general, remains an essential center of cultural ties in the post-Soviet space," he concluded. On November 19-20, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation will host the Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts, and Spirituality in Moscow. Its goal is to tell about the work of one of the brilliant poets and thinkers of the East, Imadaddin Nasimi (1369-1417) and to expand cultural and literary ties between Russia and Azerbaijan. As part of the festival, the bust of Nasimi will be unveiled at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). The Institute of Asian and African Countries (ISAA) and the Moscow State University will host an event dedicated to the poet. The speakers will talk about Nasimi's role in the development of Azerbaijani poetry, his contribution to world culture and literature. MSU students will recite Nasimi's poems in various languages, the Markhaba poetry and music performance will be presented by actors from Azerbaijan. On November 20, a conference dedicated to the heritage of Nasimi will be held at the Institute of Asian and African Countries. It will feature presentations on the following topics: 'The Nasimi Festival: practice of dynamic interpretation of the cultural and ideological heritage', 'Nasimi and Jan Hus. cultural unity of the East and the West', 'Language of Nasimi - yesterday, today, tomorrow' and other topics. Along with the speeches, which analyze the various aspects of Nasimis creativity, his literary and philosophical heritage, the conference will include discussions on the spirituality of modern youth, the development of ties between the youth of Russia and Azerbaijan. EXPLORER, the world's first medical imaging scanner that can capture a 3-D picture of the whole human body at once, has produced its first scans. The brainchild of UC Davis scientists Simon Cherry and Ramsey Badawi, EXPLORER is a combined positron emission tomography (PET) and x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner that can image the entire body at the same time. Because the machine captures radiation far more efficiently than other scanners, EXPLORER can produce an image in as little as one second and, over time, produce movies that can track specially tagged drugs as they move around the entire body. The developers expect the technology will have countless applications, from improving diagnostics to tracking disease progression to researching new drug therapies. The first images from scans of humans using the new device will be shown at the upcoming Radiological Society of North America meeting, which starts on Nov. 24th in Chicago. The scanner has been developed in partnership with Shanghai-based United Imaging Healthcare (UIH), which built the system based on its latest technology platform and will eventually manufacture the devices for the broader healthcare market. "While I had imagined what the images would look like for years, nothing prepared me for the incredible detail we could see on that first scan," said Cherry, distinguished professor in the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering. "While there is still a lot of careful analysis to do, I think we already know that EXPLORER is delivering roughly what we had promised. Badawi, chief of Nuclear Medicine at UC Davis Health and vice-chair for research in the Department of Radiology, said he was dumbfounded when he saw the first images, which were acquired in collaboration with UIH and the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai. "The level of detail was astonishing, especially once we got the reconstruction method a bit more optimized," he said. "We could see features that you just don't see on regular PET scans. And the dynamic sequence showing the radiotracer moving around the body in three dimensions over time was, frankly, mind-blowing. There is no other device that can obtain data like this in humans, so this is truly novel." Badawi and Cherry first conceptualized a total-body scanner 13 years ago. Their idea was kick-started in 2011 with a $1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, which allowed them to establish a wide-ranging consortium of researchers and other collaborators. And it got a giant boost in 2015 with a $15.5 million grant from the NIH. The funding allowed them to team up with a commercial partner and get the first EXPLORER scanner built. Cherry said he expects EXPLORER will have a profound impact on clinical research and patient care because it produces higher-quality diagnostic PET scans than have ever been possible. EXPLORER also scans up to 40 times faster than current PET scans and can produce a diagnostic scan of the whole body in as little as 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, EXPLORER can scan with a radiation dose up to 40 times less than a current PET scan, opening new avenues of research and making it feasible to conduct many repeated studies in an individual, or dramatically reduce the dose in pediatric studies, where controlling cumulative radiation dose is particularly important. "The tradeoff between image quality, acquisition time and injected radiation dose will vary for different applications, but in all cases, we can scan better, faster or with less radiation dose, or some combination of these," Cherry said. For the first time, an imaging scanner will be able to evaluate what is happening in all the organs and tissues of the body simultaneously. For example, it could quantitatively measure blood flow or how the body takes up glucose everywhere in the body. Researchers envision using the scanner to study cancer that has spread beyond a single tumor site, inflammation, infection, immunological or metabolic disorders and many other diseases. UC Davis is working closely with UIH to get the first system delivered and installed at the EXPLORER Imaging Center in leased space in Sacramento, and the researchers hope to begin research projects and imaging patients using EXPLORER as early as June 2019. The UC Davis team also is working closely with Hongcheng Shi, director of Nuclear Medicine at Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai to continue and expand the scope of early human studies on the scanner. "I don't think it will be long before we see at a number of EXPLORER systems around the world," Cherry said. "But that depends on demonstrating the benefits of the system, both clinically and for research. Now, our focus turns to planning the studies that will demonstrate how EXPLORER will benefit our patients and contribute to our knowledge of the whole human body in health and disease." ### Irvine, Calif. - Smoke from widespread fires in Indonesia in the summer and fall of 2015 hung heavily over major urban centers in Southeast Asia, causing adverse health effects for millions of people. The afflicted could not have known that the polluted air they were breathing contained carbon from plants that were alive during the Middle Ages. During the prolonged conflagration, which was triggered by an El Nino-driven drought, scientists collected smoke particles on the campus of the National University of Singapore and sent the samples to their colleagues at the University of California, Irvine. UCIs researchers dated the isotopes of the particles carbon atoms, finding them to have an average age of 800 years. Combining this analysis with atmospheric modeling of the wind-driven movement of smoke plumes in fall 2015, the team sleuthed out the source of the harmful cloud: smoldering peat on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The findings were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our research shows that almost all of the smoke emissions originated from the burning of Holocene-aged peat, said first author Elizabeth Wiggins, a postdoctoral research fellow at NASAs Langley Research Center who led the study as a Ph.D. candidate in Earth system science at UCI, graduating in 2018. Although this peat has functioned as a massive terrestrial carbon storage reservoir over the last several thousand years, it is now a significant source of carbon to the atmosphere." The scientists work provides independent confirmation that Indonesian peats were the flashpoint of the blazes, highlighting the role of humans in the environmental catastrophe. "These are the first direct measurements showing the smoke originated from combustion of peat layers that are hundreds to thousands of years old, said study co-author James Randerson, UCIs Ralph J. & Carol M. Cicerone Chair in Earth System Science. Farmers drain the peats because waterlogged soils are bad for growing oil palms and other crops, and they seek to burn off surface layers to get to the mineral soil below." Indonesias peatlands, which hold as much carbon as all of the living biomass of the Amazon rainforest, according to Randerson, had been left alone for millennia, serving mainly as habitat for rare species such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers. In recent decades, expansion of agriculture in remote southern Borneo and uninhabited parts of Sumatra has led to the degradation of these critically important ecosystems. "This was all human-driven, Randerson said. Such fires help a small part of the population, but the costs for people far away in other cities in the region are enormous." Co-author Claudia Czimczik, UCI associate professor of Earth system science, said that the peatlands are doing us a favor if left unperturbed. These peats, in general, perform a lot of valuable services for people in the region and also for the climate, she said. They store carbon that otherwise would be in the atmosphere, and they can contain a lot of water during excess rainfall and help prevent flooding." Czimczik also pointed to the importance of finding better ways to manage these ecosystems. "We need to identify more sustainable agricultural solutions in which we preserve tropical forests and peatlands to maintain all of these benefits while at the same time enhancing food security, she said. ### This research - which involved scientists from UCI, the Singapore-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alliance for Research & Technology, and the National University of Singapore Environmental Research Institute - was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NASA, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, and Singapores National Research Foundation. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. By comparing 24 years of satellite images, the map helps illuminate disasters such as the shrinking Aral Sea and what motivates 'climate refugees' to flee A powerful new map by the University of Cincinnati illustrates one motivating force behind migrant caravans leaving Guatemala and Honduras to reach the United States. UC geography professor Tomasz Stepinski created the new world map showing dramatic changes in land use over the last quarter century. Stepinski, a professor in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, turned high-resolution satellite images from the European Space Agency into one of the most detailed looks so far at how people are reshaping the planet. "Right now there are caravans of people walking to the United States. Many of them are coming from Guatemala," Stepinski said. News agencies such as The Guardian have called some of the Central American migrants "climate-change refugees" since many are fleeing successive years of crop failure. But Stepinski said climate change tells only part of the story. His map shows how Guatemala has seen widespread deforestation. "And they've lost the forest because people use wood for fuel," Stepinski said. "It's one part of the refugee crisis." The project was published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. The digital map illustrates how 22 percent of the Earth's habitable surface has been altered in measurable ways, primarily from forest to agriculture, between 1992 and 2015. "It's very informative. There is nothing else like it," Stepinski said. "There are maps of forest loss but no maps showing everything." The map tells a new story everywhere you look, from wetlands losses in the American Southeast to the devastation of the Aral Sea to deforestation in the tropics and temperate rainforests. "Of course, it raises alarm bells. But they're not new ones," Stepinski said. "We already knew about deforestation or wetland loss or increasing urbanization. But now we can see exactly where all of that is happening," he said. The European Space Agency in 1992 began capturing satellite images of the Earth to study climate change, Stepinski said. Surface cover can dramatically influence temperature depending on whether it absorbs or reflects sunlight. Likewise, forest cover absorbs more carbon dioxide than shopping centers. "The great achievement for the European Space Agency was to make sure the satellite images were compatible from year to year so you could compare them," Stepinski said. Stepinski said the map shows how finite natural resources are being exploited on a global scale. "What makes this so depressing is that it's examining a timescale that is shorter than our lifetime," Stepinski said. One of the most obvious examples of changing land use is found around cities, said the study's lead author and former UC postdoctoral fellow Jakub Nowosad. "The direct impact of human actions is reflected in the patterns of urbanization. For example, you can see suburbanization and cities densification in North America and Europe," said Nowosad, now an assistant professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland. UC geography researcher Pawel Netzel also contributed to the project. Nowosad said western China has seen vast urbanization while India's most obvious development has been in its smaller cities. "I hope this map will make people more aware of the human impact on our planet," Nowosad said. "As a society, we need to be better informed of the scale of changes we make to the Earth, and in my opinion, this awareness can influence future changes in environmental policies." Nowosad said his map does not draw any inferences about what the next 24 years might bring. But demographics suggest our footprint will only get bigger. "Human population is still increasing, creating more demand for land and natural resources," Nowosad said. "Also, we know that societies in developed countries use more resources; therefore, with increasing development in poorer countries we can expect that pressure on land will be even larger than just predicted as an effect of population growth." The satellite images are so detailed, UC geographers could organize them into 300-square-meter grids called pixels. Each pixel identified changes among 22 land-use categories describing various types of farmland, forest, wetlands, grasslands or urban development. But the tiny pixel sizes and large numbers of variables made a global analysis virtually impossible. In this incarnation, the map looked like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. So Stepinski organized the pixels into larger 9-kilometer squares and narrowed the number of land uses to nine types reflecting broader descriptions such as agriculture, forest or development. In comparing differences between the 1992 and 2015 maps, he used three shades of color to identify the extent of change from one land use to another. Soon the story of the the past 25 years began to take shape. The map shows that the Sahara Desert in North Africa is growing. "This is the transition area called the Sahel. And if you notice, you see grassland losses because of climate change -- more desertification," Stepinski said. The map of the United States shows huge losses of wetlands in the Southeast along with growing urbanization outside cities. The map illustrates the dramatic disappearance of the Aral Sea, which dried up in the 1990s after farmers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan diverted its tributaries for cotton fields. "It was a total disaster. This was a big saltwater lake fed by two rivers. They diverted water for cotton and the sea dried up into grassland," Stepinski said. "Today, you see huge boats sitting in the middle of fields." Stepinski has used maps before to tell similar fascinating stories. News website Quartz in 2017 called his map of racial diversity in the United States "insanely detailed." Earlier this year, he used WorldClim data to compare climates anywhere on Earth and project how the climate is expected to change over the next 50 years. His latest project presented unique challenges. Since many world maps tend to exaggerate the size of countries farther from the equator, Stepinski plotted his results using a projection map first developed in 1943 by Buckminster Fuller that shows the comparative size of continents. But this required UC to develop special software that would maintain the integrity of the data for the translation. While the map tells the story of development in broad strokes, researchers can examine any portion of it in fine detail. The map presents data from each 300-square-meter pixel. ### The research project was funded by UC's Space Exploration Institute. New University of Kent-led research on the way a common gut parasite behaves could help lead to a better understanding of its role in the development of intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. A team at the University of Kent, working with researchers from other universities, found that the microbe Blastocystis, commonly found in the guts of both humans and animals, can survive under conditions previously thought impossible. Dr Anastasios Tsaousis and Dr Campbell Gourlay discovered that, contrary to what had previously been thought, Blastocystis does not die when oxygen levels rise. In a healthy gut, the oxygen concentration is normally extremely low. However, in people suffering from intestinal disease, the disease often leads to a gut imbalance, causing oxygen levels to increase. If Blastocystis was a strict anaerobic organism - meaning it does not require oxygen for growth and may even die if it is present - it would be unlikely to survive such conditions. However, this was not the case, with the study results showing that Blastocystis cells consume oxygen via a unique enzyme. Lead author Dr Tsaousis, Senior Lecturer in Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, said: 'The research has shown, contrary to previous thinking, that this microbe can deal with oxygen. This could prove to be important in establishing its role in diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome that result in a microbial imbalance of the gut with increased oxygen concentrations.' ### The paper entitled The Human Gut Colonizer Blastocystis Respires Using Complex II and Alternative Oxidase to Buffer Transient Oxygen Fluctuations in the Gut, (Anastasios Tsaousis, Campbell Gourlay, University of Kent; Karleigh Hamblin, Mark van der Giezen, University of Exeter; Catherine Elliott, Luke Young, Alicia Rosell-Hidalgo, Anthony Moore, University of Sussex) is published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. See: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2018.00371/full For more information or interview requests contact Martin Herrema at the University of Kent Press Office. Tel: 01227 816768 Email: M.J.Herrema@kent.ac.uk News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Notes to editor Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018 and in June 2017 was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, it is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. In the National Student Survey 2016, Kent achieved the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction, out of all publicly funded, multi-faculty universities. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium ( http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html ). The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. Kent has received two Queen's Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education. Where a protein is expressed can influence its action. University of Pennsylvania researchers and colleagues have identified one that plays a key role in getting the body back to normal after inflammation. Health conditions that involve inflammation run the gamut, from multiple sclerosis and lupus to arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. While inflammation can serve as a normal response to help the body deal with injury or infection, problems arise when it persists, potentially harming surrounding tissues. To prevent or ameliorate this damage, the body relies on a strategy to actively clear inflammation. "It's not just extinguishing the fire of inflammation," says George Hajishengallis of the University of Pennsylvania. "You also have to return things to the way they were before the inflammatory destruction." A new study led by Hajishengallis, the Thomas W. Evans Centennial Professor in Penn's School of Dental Medicine, and Triantafyllos Chavakis of the Technical University of Dresden has illuminated a key player in this resolution process, the protein Del-1, which the pair has studied extensively before. While prior research had underscored Del-1's role in curbing the initiation of inflammation, the new work finds that it can serve a very different function, actively working to clear inflammation. Which function the protein performs depends on the cell type that expresses it, the team found. "Our findings prompted us to propose the 'location principle' in the spatial regulation of the immune response," says Chavakis. "In other words, homeostatic molecules--those responsible for maintaining equilibrium in the body--may perform different regulatory functions depending on their location." The work appears in the journal Nature Immunology. Hajishengallis, Chavakis, and their labs and collaborators have been interested in the protein Del-1 for many years. Through a series of experiments and publications, they've established its importance in the initiation of inflammation. Focusing on periodontitis, severe gum disease, as a model system, they've found Del-1 restrains the activity of neutrophils, preventing damaging inflammation and bone loss in the gums. In the new work, they wanted to see whether Del-1 could also act not just to hold back inflammation from occurring in the first place but also to actively resolve it once it occurred. In collaboration with co-author Jonathan M. Korostoff, professor of periodontics at Penn Dental Medicine, they found that, in humans with periodontitis, Del-1 levels rose upon treating the disease. To follow up on the finding and get at a mechanism, they turned to a mouse model of gum disease, observing that Del-1 expression levels rose when the animals' disease began to resolve, a mirror to the human data. "Just because Del-1 goes up doesn't necessarily mean anything," says Hajishengallis, "but, when we did the same experiment with mice that lack Del-1, the resolution of inflammation failed." That suggested to the scientists that Del-1 was a necessary component of the resolution process. To further explore this possibility, they turned to another disease, peritonitis, which involves inflammation of the abdominal lining. Here they saw the same effect and were further able to show a course of action: Del-1 was able to act as a molecular bridge to expedite the clearance of dying neutrophils by connecting them to macrophages, a distinct type of immune cells that engulf and "eat" cellular debris, and thus maintaining a healthier environment. This process of clearing dying neutrophils is called efferocytosis. Importantly, Del-1 appeared to reprogram the efferocytic macrophages toward a type that contributes to resolution and tissue repair. Mice lacking a domain of Del-1 that interacts with macrophages were not able to promote efferocytosis. In addition to promoting this clearance of neutrophils, the researchers discovered that Del-1 also induced a group of molecular mediators called resolvins, which promote inflammation resolution. The researchers hypothesize that Del-1 may regulate a positive feedback loop, in which it triggers resolvins and then acts downstream of them to get things back in order after inflammation clears. Perhaps the most novel finding of the paper, was what the researchers have termed the "location principle." In their earlier studies, they had found Del-1 secreted from endothelial cells that line tissues was responsible for regulating initiation of inflammation by inhibiting the traffic of neutrophils. But other work has shown that macrophages, too, could secrete Del-1. Using mice that overexpressed either the endothelial-derived Del-1 or the macrophage-derived Del-1, they found that the cell type mattered when it came to the protein's activity. Overexpressing Del-1 only in endothelial cells, for example, made no difference in the animals' ability to clear dying neutrophils in a model of peritonitis. Conversely, mice overexpressing Del-1 in their macrophages had no advantage in harnessing neutrophil recruitment but were better able to clear the neutrophils from the site of inflammation. "This 'location principle' is novel," says Hajishengallis. "Tissues are not a sack of molecules; the geography is very important. "As a pro-resolution protein, Del-1 is probably acting downstream of therapeutics that promote periodontal health," he adds. "For instance, the complement inhibitor AMY-101, which can cause a rise in Del-1 levels, may depend on Del-1 to accelerate the resolution of inflammation." "This fundamental mechanism of inflammation clearance by Del-1," says Chavakis, "may also be involved in multiple inflammatory pathologies, including metabolic-inflammatory or malignant disease." ### Chavakis and Hajishengallis were co-senior authors on the study. The co-lead authors were Ioannis Kourtzelis from Technical University Dresden and Xiaofei Li from Penn Dental Medicine. Their coauthors were Penn Dental Medicine's Tetsuhiro Kajikawa, Baomei Wang, Kavita Hosur, and Jonathan M. Korostoff; Dresden's Ioannis Mitroulis, Daniel Grosser, Michal Grzybek, Janusz von Renesse, Maria Troullinaki, Anaisa Ferreira, Christian Doreth, Klara Ruppova, Lan-Sun Chen, Jong-Hyung Lim, Kyoung-Jin Chung, Sylvia Grossklaus, Anne Kathrin Tausche, Ben Wielockx, and Unal Coskun; the University of Wroclaw's Aleksander Czogalla; Radboud University Medical Center's Leo A.B. Joosten; the National Institutes of Health's Niki M. Moutsopoulos; and CSIC Madrid's Antonio Castrillo. The work was supported by grants from the European Research Council, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the National Institutes of Health (grants AI068730, DE024153, DE024716, DE026152, and DE015254) and the NIH intramural research program of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. University of Sydney and ASTRON Netherlands astronomers find star system like no other in our galaxy University of Sydney astronomers, working with international colleagues, have found a star system like none seen before in our galaxy. The scientists believe one of the stars - about 8000 light years from Earth - is the first known candidate in the Milky Way to produce a dangerous gamma-ray burst, among the most energetic events in the universe, when it explodes and dies. The system, comprising a pair of scorchingly luminous stars, was nicknamed Apep by the team after the serpentine Egyptian god of chaos. One star is on the brink of a massive supernova explosion. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, are controversial as no gamma-ray burst has ever been detected within our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Yet in the southern constellation of Norma, nestled just beneath Scorpio's tail, astronomers have discovered this uniquely beautiful star system. At its heart, wrapped in an elegantly sculpted plume of dust and gas, lies a powerful binary pair. The two hot, luminous stars - known to astronomers as Wolf-Rayets - orbit each other every hundred years or so, according to the research conducted at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy. This orbital dance is embossed on a fast wind streaming off the stars. Using spectroscopy, the astronomers have measured the velocity of the stellar winds as fast as 12 million kilometres an hour, about 1 percent the speed of light. Dr Joe Callingham, lead author of the study, said: "We discovered this star as an outlier in a survey with a radio telescope operated by the University of Sydney. "We knew immediately we had found something quite exceptional: the luminosity across the spectrum from the radio to the infrared was off the charts," said Dr Callingham, who is now at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. "When we saw the stunning dust plume coiled around the these incandescent stars, we decided to name it 'Apep' - the monstrous serpent deity and mortal enemy of Sun god Ra from Egyptian mythology." That sculpted plume is what makes the system so important, said Professor Peter Tuthill, research group leader at the University of Sydney. "When we saw the spiral dust tail we immediately knew we were dealing with a rare and special kind of nebula called a pinwheel," Professor Tuthill said. "The curved tail is formed by the orbiting binary stars at the centre, which inject dust into the expanding wind creating a pattern like a rotating lawn sprinkler. Because the wind expands so much, it inflates the tiny coils of dust revealing the physics of the stars at the heart of the system." However, the data on the plume presented a conundrum: the stellar winds were expanding 10 times faster than the dust. "It was just astonishing," Professor Tuthill said. "It was like finding a feather caught in a hurricane just drifting along at walking pace." Dr Benjamin Pope, a co-author from New York University, said: "The key to understanding the bizarre behaviour of the wind lies in the rotation of the central stars. "What we have found in the Apep system is a supernova precursor that seems to be very rapidly rotating, so fast it might be near break-up." Wolf-Rayet stars, like those driving Apep's plume, are known to be very massive stars at the ends of their lives; they could explode as supernovae at any time. "The rapid rotation puts Apep into a whole new class. Normal supernovae are already extreme events but adding rotation to the mix can really throw gasoline on the fire." The researchers think this might be the recipe for a perfect stellar storm to produce a gamma-ray burst, which are the most extreme events in the Universe after the Big Bang itself. Fortunately, Apep appears not to be aimed at Earth, because a strike by a gamma-ray burst from this proximity could strip ozone from the atmosphere, drastically increasing our exposure to UV light from the Sun. "Ultimately, we can't be certain what the future has in store for Apep," Professor Tuthill said. "The system might slow down enough so it explodes as a normal supernova rather than a gamma-ray burst. However, in the meantime, it is providing astronomers a ringside seat into beautiful and dangerous physics that we have not seen before in our galaxy." ### This study was conducted using the Anglo-Australian Telescope at Coonabarabran and the Very Large Telescope in the Atacama Desert, Chile, and involved support from colleagues at the University of Edinburgh, University of Sheffield and the University of New South Wales. Download images of the star system, a GIF of the star system's rotation, pre-press PDF of the research and photographs of Professor Peter Tuthill at this link. Images and gifs with captions of the system in infrared at this link. Media enquiries Marcus Strom +61 423 982 485 marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au Scientific contacts: Europe Dr Joseph Callingham, ASTRON - Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy Email: callingham@astron.nl Tel: +31 6 2929 7915 Dr Peredur Williams, University of Edinburgh Email: pmw@roe.ac.uk Tel: +44 131 668 8399 North America Dr Benjamin Pope, New York University Email: benjamin.pope@nyu.edu Tel: +1 917 9714510 Australia Prof Peter Tuthill, University of Sydney Email: peter.tuthill@sydney.edu.au Tel: +61 2 9351 3679 Media contacts: Marcus Strom, Science Media Adviser, University of Sydney Email: marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au Mobile: +61 423 982 485 Frank Nuijens, ASTRON Head of Communications Email: nuijens@astron.nl Mobile: +31 6 111 77 427 Catriona Kelly, Press and PR Office University of Edinburgh Email: Catriona.Kelly@ed.ac.uk Tel: +44 131 651 4401 James Devitt, New York University Director of Public Affairs Email: james.devitt@nyu.edu Tel: +1 212 998 6808 Article: Title: Anisotropic winds in a Wolf-Rayet binary identify a potential gamma-ray burst progenitor Authors: J. R. Callingham, P. G. Tuthill, B. J. S. Pope, P. M. Williams, P. A. Crowther, M. Edwards, B. Norris and L. Kedziora-Chudczer DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0617-7 (Nature Astronomy; available after the embargo date) Spectacular star system wrapped in elegant spiral dust cloud discovered by astronomers Binary star system is believed to contain a star that is spinning extremely fast, which could produce one of the most powerful explosions in the Universe System contains a pair of massive Wolf-Rayet stars that are among the hottest stars in the Universe and blast out powerful winds of hot gas before exploding as a supernova Collision between winds of two stars has formed elegant spiral dust cloud as the stars orbit each other A spectacular star system wrapped in an elegant spiral dust cloud has been discovered by astronomers. The system is believed to contain a star that is spinning extremely fast, which could produce one of the most powerful explosions in the Universe. The binary star system, containing a pair of massive 'Wolf-Rayet' stars, has been discovered by an international team of researchers, including Professor Paul Crowther from the University of Sheffield, and published in Nature Astronomy. Wolf-Rayet stars are amongst the hottest stars in the Universe, blast out powerful winds of hot gas, and represent the last stage in the evolution of the most massive stars prior to exploding as a supernova. Located around 8,000 light years away - half a billion times further away than our Sun - the binary system is surrounded by a gigantic dust cloud. The collision between the winds of the two stars can form dust, which takes on elegant spiral pinwheel shapes as the stars orbit each other. Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile and the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) in Australia, the team has found that the star system is producing incredibly fast winds, 100,000 times quicker than a hurricane on Earth. This wind speed is routine for Wolf-Rayet stars. However, the researchers discovered that the dust cloud is moving much slower. The differing speeds of wind and dust suggest that the Wolf-Rayet stars are spewing out faster gas at the poles and slower gas at the equator, according to the study, which was led by Dr Joseph Callingham from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. Co-author Dr Benjamin Pope from New York University commented: "One way for such different winds to happen is via critical rotation." Critical rotation is needed in most supernova models for a star's fiery death to be accompanied by the most energetic explosion in the Universe: a gamma-ray burst. Professor Paul Crowther from the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said: "It remains a mystery how dust - similar to soot from a candle - forms in such harsh environments, but this newly discovered system is the most beautiful case seen to date." ### The study was conducted by Dr Joseph Callingham from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Professor Peter Tuthill from the University of Sydney, Dr Benjamin Pope, NASA Sagan Fellow at New York University, Dr P. Williams from the University of Edinburgh, Professor Paul Crowther from the University of Sheffield, Mr. M. Edwards from the University of Sydney, Dr B. Norris from the University of Sydney and Dr L. Kedziora-Chudczer from the University of New South Wales. To access the paper after the embargo has lifted, visit: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0617-7 Scientists at the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy are conducting research to explore the fundamental laws of the Universe and developing pioneering technologies with real-world applications. Sheffield researchers are looking beyond our planet to map out distant galaxies, tackling global challenges, such as energy security, and exploring opportunities presented by quantum computing and 2D materials. Scientists at the University play a crucial role in major international collaborations, from the ATLAS project at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and the LIGO collaboration behind the detection of gravitational waves, to neutrino detection as part of the T2K Collaboration in Japan and dark matter experiments with the LUK-Zeplin experiment at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. Sheffield astrophysicists work closely with the teams behind NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes on La Palma in the Canary Islands, while biological physicists at the University are leading the Imagine: Imaging Life project - a major University of Sheffield research initiative that is applying revolutionary microscopy techniques to biology and medicine. The University is also training the next generation of physicists through a range of three and four year undergraduate degrees in physics and astrophysics. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Producers of landscape trees, shrubs, vines and perennials, all of which are known as nursery crops, are poised to adopt an industry-wide change that will benefit all of society. Researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are among the agricultural scientists to help test a newly developed technology that will allow producers to use significantly reduced amounts of pesticides to produce their crops. The technology involves revolutionary new sprayer technology that utilizes a laser, sensors and variable-rate nozzles along with a complex algorithm that allows the sprayer to "see" a plant, detect its size, shape and density and then apply just the right amount of pesticide needed in real-time. Called intelligent spray technology, nursery owners can soon purchase equipment that can reduce their pesticide costs by as much as $230 per acre of production per season. Better yet, the technology is already available as a retrofit to their existing spray equipment, thus reducing initial costs to employ the technology. Not only will intelligent spray technology save producers thousands of dollars, it will reduce the amount of future pesticides applied across the environment by untold amounts. Nationally, nursery production contributes more than $4.2 billion to the economy. "This is a great example of multistate and multidisciplinary research that is leading to transformative changes in agriculture," says Amy Fulcher, an associate professor in the UT Department of Plant Sciences. Fulcher's area of expertise is sustainable ornamental plant production and landscape management. Along with David Lockwood, a professor in plant sciences, Fulcher spearheads UTIA's participation in this USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture effort which is made possible through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative. Work on the first of two grants began in 2009, with the second grant funding research from 2015 - 2020. When completed, UTIA's efforts will have amounted to nearly $435,000. Also participating in the study are Lauren Fessler in the UT Department of Plant Sciences and Wesley Wright in the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science. Scientists from other states with large nursery, fruit or nut production industries, including The Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Clemson University and Texas A&M University, are also involved in the project. Heping Zhu, USDA-ARS, is coordinating the overall project. In recent studies applications made by the intelligent sprayer in April, May and June, as trees became increasingly more dense, reduced pesticide volume by 70, 66, and 65 percent compared to a 50-gallon per acre application. Although the growing season has come to a close for 2018, plant production and maintenance continues year round. "When the plants are dormant we see magnified savings," says Fulcher. The research indicates that during dormant oil applications one-fifth to one-eighth the volume of pesticides are applied using the intelligent spray technology. A stated goal at the outset of the project was to reduce overapplication and uncertainty associated with current pesticide delivery systems used in specialty crop production. Additional results from testing the technology indicated that drift from pesticide applications can be reduced by as much as 87 percent and spray loss to the ground by 63 percent to as much as 93 percent, all without losing pesticide efficacy. In Tennessee retrofitted sprayers are being tested at Hale and Hines Nursery in Warren County and Oren Wooden's Apple House in Bledsoe County. "Seeing the technology in action is really interesting," says Fulcher. "Every time I demo it for groups of Extension agents or growers, immediately they are quiet and start videoing it with their phones. I have literally heard a gasp from a crowd of nursery producers when they saw the cloud of pesticide emerge from a traditional airblast sprayer and move across the field compared with the visibly much lighter, more targeted application from the prototype sprayer." Nursery producer James Hines agrees. "Every time I look back and see the tips snapping on and off, I think it is the coolest thing ever! It's probably saved us 60 percent on chemicals with as good or better control. It hits every plant and nothing else," he says. Smart Guided Systems, a precision farming supplier, was recently licensed to commercialize the technology and is taking pre-orders from producers for retrofit kits that will be available in February. Fulcher believes the new spray technology has implications beyond nursery production. "I really believe the technology is going to revolutionize pesticide application across agriculture," she says. In October, Fulcher hosted a demonstration of the technology in action at Hale and Hines Nursery during an industry educational tour at the International Plant Propagators' Society Southern Region Annual Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrates 50 years of excellence in providing Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery and service. ag.tennessee.edu. ### Researchers at University of Utah Health identified four gene changes that occur more frequently in people who died by suicide that may point to increased risk in vulnerable individuals. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 44,000 people in the country every year, similar to the number of deaths caused by the opioid epidemic. Previous studies show that suicide tracks in families independent of the effects from a shared environment. Researchers at the University of Utah Health are using resources unique to the state to identify underlying genetic factors that may increase the risk for suicide. The results are available online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry in November. "Past studies of families and twins informed us that there is significant genetic risk associated with suicide," said Douglas Gray, M.D., professor of Psychiatry at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "Genes are like blueprints. The first step is to find the genes that increase risk. Identifying specific genes may lead to new treatments for those who suffer." Through this approach, the team was able to identify variants in four genes (SP110, AGBL2, SUCLA2 and APH1B) that could increase the risk for death by suicide. "We are using high-risk very extended families like a magnifying glass to get us to the right genes that increase the risk for this tragic outcome," said Hilary Coon, Ph.D., professor in Psychiatry at U of U Health and first author on the paper. Focusing on distantly-related suicides in 43 high-risk families provides a more genetically homogenous group that amplifies the genetic risks of suicide while minimizing shared environmental effects, such as stresses due to divorce or unemployment, or easy access to lethal means. The families' genealogical information extends back nine generations. "In this study, we began by looking for the low hanging fruit, the genomic changes that could affect the structure or function of a gene," Coon said. "We think these results are just the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to search for additional gene changes that lead to risk." The researchers looked for genetic variation in more than 1,300 DNA samples obtained from the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner from individuals who died by suicide in the state. These samples represent a subset of a much larger resource of more than 6,000 suicide cases with DNA. The team linked the DNA results to the Utah Population database, which contains the genealogical and recent medical records from more than eight million people, as well as death certificates dating back to 1904. DNA from suicide cases as well as family genealogical structure were de-identified before being released to Coon and her team for analysis. Through this study, they identified specific changes in four genes, but also 207 genes that warrant further analysis to understand their potential role in people who die by suicide. Eighteen of these genes have been previously associated with suicide risk. Fifteen of the previously identified genes have also been associated with inflammatory conditions, supporting growing evidence for a relationship between inflammation and mental health. The study does have limitations. The majority of suicide cases were from Northern European ancestry. Not every individual with a DNA sample in the analysis had available medical record data to clarify presence or absence of a mental health diagnosis. Missing data does not mean an absence of a diagnosis due to care outside the state, lack of insurance, cultural factors or stigma. Coon cautions that suicide is like any complex human condition. There may be a variety of genetic changes that make one more prone to risk, she said. But many factors in the environment will also modify that risk. "Clearly genetics is only one part of risk when it comes to suicide," Coon said. "But we are hoping these discoveries will lead us to highly susceptible individuals so we can develop better interventions to help them circumvent this risk." ### Coon and Gray were joined in this work by Todd Darlington, Emily DiBlasi, Elliott Ferris, Alison Fraser, Zhe Yu, Nancy William, Susan Das, Sheila Crowell, Danli Chen, John Anderson, Michael Klein, Leslie Jerominski, Dale Cannon, Andrey Shabalin, Anna Docherty, Megan Williams, Ken Smith, Amanda Bakian, and Nicola Camp at U of U Health; Erik Christensen and W. Brandon Callor at the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner; Brooks Keeshin at Intermountain Healthcare and Qingqin Li Janssen Research & Development L.L.C. Their work, titled Genome-wide significant regions in 43 Utah high-risk families implicate multiple genes involved in risk for completed suicide, appears online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. New analysis of artifacts found at a South China archaeological site shows that sophisticated tool technology emerged in East Asia earlier than previously thought. A study by an international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, determines that carved stone tools, also known as Levallois cores, were used in Asia 80,000 to 170,000 years ago. Developed in Africa and Western Europe as far back as 300,000 years ago, the cores are a sign of more-advanced toolmaking -- the "multi-tool" of the prehistoric world -- but, until now, were not believed to have emerged in East Asia until 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. With the find -- and absent human fossils linking the tools to migrating populations -- researchers believe people in Asia developed the technology independently, evidence of similar sets of skills evolving throughout different parts of the ancient world. The is published online Nov. 19 in Nature. "It used to be thought that Levallois cores came to China relatively recently with modern humans," said Ben Marwick, UW associate professor of anthropology and one of the paper's corresponding authors. "Our work reveals the complexity and adaptability of people there that is equivalent to elsewhere in the world. It shows the diversity of the human experience." Levallois-shaped cores -- the "Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools," Marwick said -- were efficient and durable, indispensable to a hunter-gatherer society in which a broken spear point could mean certain death at the claws or jaws of a predator. The cores were named for the Levallois-Perret suburb of Paris, where stone flakes were found in the 1800s. Featuring a distinctive faceted surface, created through a sequence of steps, Levallois flakes were versatile "blanks," used to spear, slice, scrape or dig. The knapping process represents a more sophisticated approach to tool manufacturing than the simpler, oval-shaped stones of earlier periods. The Levallois artifacts examined in this study were excavated from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in the 1960s and 1970s. Previous research using uranium-series dating estimated a wide age range of the archaeological site -- between 50,000 and 240,000 years old -- but that earlier technique focused on fossils found away from the stone artifacts, Marwick said. Analyzing the sediments surrounding the artifacts provides more specific clues as to when the artifacts would have been in use. Marwick and other members of the team, from universities in China and Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date the artifacts. OSL can establish age by determining when a sediment sample, down to a grain of sand, was last exposed to sunlight -- and thus, how long an artifact may have been buried in layers of sediment. Dating for this site was challenging because it had been excavated 40 years ago, and the sediment profile was exposed to air and without protection. So trees, plants, animals, insects could disturb the stratigraphy, which may affect the dating results if conventional methods were used for dating, said Bo Li , an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Wollongong in Australia and one of the paper's corresponding authors. To solve this problem we used a new single-grain dating technique recently developed in our OSL lab at the University of Wollongong to date individual mineral grains in the sediment. Luckily we found residual sediment left over by the previous excavations, so that allowed us to take samples for dating. The researchers analyzed more than 2,200 artifacts found at Guanyindong Cave, narrowing down the number of Levallois-style stone cores and flakes to 45. Among those believed to be in the older age range, about 130,000 to 180,000 years old, the team also was able to identify the environment in which the tools were used: an open woodland on a rocky landscape, in "a reduced rainforest area compared to today," the authors note. In Africa and Europe these kinds of stone tools are often found at archaeological sites starting from 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. They are known as Mode III technology, part of a broad evolutionary sequence that was preceded by hand-axe technology (Mode II) and followed by blade tool technology (Mode IV). Archaeologists thought that Mode IV technologies arrived in China by migration from the West, but these new finds suggest they could have been locally invented. At the time people were making tools in Guanyindong Cave, the Denisovans -- ancestors to Homo sapiens and relative contemporaries to Neandertals elsewhere in the world -- roamed East Asia. But while hundreds of fossils of archaic humans and related artifacts, dating as far back as more than 3 million years ago, have been found in Africa and Europe, the archaeological record in East Asia is sparser. That's partly why a stereotype exists, that ancient peoples in the region were behind in terms of technological development, Marwick said. "Our work shows that ancient people there were just as capable of innovation as anywhere else. Technological innovations in East Asia can be homegrown, and don't always walk in from the West," he said. The independent emergence of the Levallois technique at different times and places in the world is not unique in terms of prehistoric innovations. Pyramid construction, for one, appeared in at least three separate societies: the Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Mayans. Boatbuilding began specific to geography and reliant on a community's available materials. And writing, of course, developed in various forms with distinct alphabets and characters. In the evolution of tools, Levallois cores represent something of a middle stage. Subsequent manufacturing processes yielded more-refined blades made of rocks and minerals that were more resistant to flaking, and composites that, for example, combined a spear point with blades along the edge. The appearance of blades later in time indicates a further increase in the complexity and the number of steps required to make the tools. "The appearance of the Levallois strategy represents a big increase in the complexity of technology because there are so many steps that have to work in order to get the final product, compared to previous technologies," Marwick said. ### The study was funded by the Australian Research Council, the National Science Foundation of China, the University of Wollongong, the China Scholarship Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology. Other authors on the paper were Yue Hu and Xue Rui of the University of Wollongong; Jia-Fu Zhang of Peking University in China; Ya-Mei Hou, Jian-Ping Yue and Wei-Wen Huang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Wen-Rong Chen of the Bureau of Cultural Relics Protection in Guizhou Province, China. For more information, contact Marwick at bmarwick@uw.edu. Grant numbers: FT140100384, FT140100101, NSFC 41471003, 201506010345, XDPB05, 41272033, SKLLQG1501 A new study by researchers of disease transmission in bats has broad implications for understanding hidden connections that can spread diseases between species and lead to large-scale outbreaks Diseases have repeatedly spilled over from wildlife to humans, causing local to global epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Nipah. A new study by researchers of disease transmission in bats has broad implications for understanding hidden or "cryptic" connections that can spread diseases between species and lead to large-scale outbreaks. By dusting bats with a fluorescent powder that glows under ultraviolet light, Virginia Tech researchers Joseph Hoyt and Kate Langwig were able to trace the dynamics of disease transmission in bat species that have been devastated by white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that has killed 6.7 million bats in North America since 2006. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature. "These results uncovered and quantified connections, both within and among species, that we never knew about before," said first author Joseph Hoyt, who led the study as a UC Santa Cruz graduate student and completed the analyses at Virginia Tech as a research scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science. "We had been seeing explosive epidemics where an entire bat population would become infected with white-nose syndrome within a month or two, and it was a mystery as to how that was happening. We are now able to more accurately explain and track the spread of white-nose syndrome, and our study has strong implications for predicting other epidemics," Hoyt said. When we think about who we might get sick from, we tend to think of our social groups: family, friends, and co-workers. But, we forget about that brief interaction with an employee at the DMV, a barista at a coffee shop, or shared airspace on public transportation. People are aware of these interactions, but not how important they are to the spread of epidemics. In the past, these types of hidden interactions have been poorly understood because they are so difficult to quantify. Second author on the study, Kate Langwig, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, said this study shows that infrequent and indirect connections, also called "cryptic" connections, among individuals play a far larger role in the transmission of disease than was previously understood. "Cryptic connections are essentially pathways or connections between individuals that we wouldn't normally be able to estimate or observe. They have largely been ignored by researchers in the past, but this study quantifies their importance. Our study creates an integrated model of social group connections and cryptic connections," said Langwig, an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change Center, an arm of the Fralin Life Science Institute. Coauthor A. Marm Kilpatrick, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, noted that spillover events, when pathogens spread from wild animals to human populations, tend to occur through these kinds of cryptic connections. "We don't normally appreciate how important they are except retrospectively, when we investigate outbreaks of diseases like Ebola or SARS," he said. "Our study has compelling implications that will allow researchers to track seemingly random or indirect connections in wildlife that may spill over to human populations," said Langwig. The fluorescent dust used in this study proved to be highly effective at revealing cryptic connections among the bats. The researchers conducted the study at eight hibernation sites, mostly abandoned mine tunnels, in the upper Midwest. Each site had as many as four species of bats using it. At the start of the study, the pathogen causing white-nose syndrome had not yet reached these populations. The researchers first surveyed the bats and characterized their social networks, measuring direct physical contacts among bats hibernating together in groups, as well as additional connections made by bats moving between groups. Then, they applied the fluorescent dust to several bats in early winter, using a different color for each individual bat. In late winter, the researchers returned to see where each color of fluorescent dust ended up. "We amassed huge data sets for every single bat in each population. We characterized the bats' social groups, and also used the fluorescent dust to track their movements and contacts," said Langwig. The researchers found that "the spread of the dust mirrors how the fungal pathogen spreads, so we can see if a bat deposits dust somewhere in the environment and another bat passes through and picks it up. It also reveals infrequent direct contacts that we would not normally observe," said Hoyt. The fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome arrived in the area after the fluorescent dust studies were conducted, and the researchers also tracked its spread at each site. They found that the actual transmission dynamics of the disease were better explained by the sum of all the connections revealed in the dust studies than by just using the hibernation social groups. "We were able to explain the actual invasion of the pathogen much better by including those cryptic connections, and they were even more important for explaining transmission between species than for transmission within species," Hoyt said. One of the puzzling features of white-nose syndrome is its ability to spread through a community of bats during the winter, when the animals are hibernating 99.5 percent of the time. They rouse from hibernation only very briefly every two to three weeks. Yet the dust studies showed that they move around enough to have many more connections than can be observed in their hibernation groups. Most striking were the cryptic connections revealed for one species, the northern long-eared bat, which roosts by itself, not in groups. Although classical theory would predict low infection rates for this solitary species, it has been hard hit by white-nose syndrome. "When we put fluorescent dust on the northern long-eared bat, it would show up on other species that we had never seen them interact with. We would never have predicted that the infection could spread by that route," Hoyt said. The researchers discovered that a different solitary species, the tri-colored bat, has a lower infection rate and showed less evidence of cryptic connections with other bats, but did transfer dust to surfaces in the sites where it roosts. "We found that the tri-colored bat is much more spatially segregated. It's not that it doesn't rouse and crawl around, it just does so in a range that has less overlap with other bats -- it appears to be more territorial in its use of space," Hoyt said. Unfortunately for bats, the spores of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome stay in the environment and remain infectious for years. Once the walls and ceiling of a cave have been contaminated with the spores, bats using the site for hibernation will be exposed to infections year after year. White-nose syndrome is considered one of the worst wildlife diseases in modern times, having killed millions of bats across North America. But white-nose syndrome does not appear to pose a risk to human health. It is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which grows optimally at low temperatures. The United States Geological Survey said, "Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since white-nose syndrome was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to white-nose syndrome. We are still learning about the disease, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with white nose-affected bats." ### The Virginia Tech and UC Santa Cruz researchers are part of a coordinated response to white-nose syndrome involving state and federal agencies, universities, and nongovernmental organizations. In addition to Hoyt, Langwig, and Kilpatrick, the coauthors of the paper include Paul White, Heather Kaarakka, and Jennifer Redell at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Allen Kurta at Eastern Michigan University; John DePue and William Scullon at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Katy Parise and Jeffrey Foster at the University of New Hampshire; and Winifred Frick at Bat Conservation International and UC Santa Cruz. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bat Conservation International. Hoyt and Langwig were hired as part of the Global Systems Science Destination Area in the College of Science at Virginia Tech to address issues of infectious disease. The Global Systems Science Destination Area is focused on understanding and finding solutions to critical problems associated with human activity and environmental change, that, together affect diseases states, water quality, and food production. Soot belches out of diesel engines, rises from wood- and dung-burning cookstoves and shoots out of oil refinery stacks. According to recent research, air pollution, including soot, is linked to heart disease, some cancers and, in the United States, as many as 150,000 cases of diabetes every year. Beyond its impact on health, soot, known as black carbon by atmospheric scientists, is a powerful global warming agent. It absorbs sunlight and traps heat in the atmosphere in magnitude second only to the notorious carbon dioxide. Recent commentaries in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences called the absence of consensus on soot's light absorption magnitude "one of the grand challenges in atmospheric climate science." Rajan Chakrabarty, assistant professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, and William R. Heinson, a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in Chakrabarty's lab, took on that challenge and discovered something new about soot, or rather, a new law that describes its ability to absorb light: the law of light absorption. With it, scientists will be able to better understand soot's role in climate change. The research has been selected as an "Editors' Suggestion" published online Nov. 19 in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters. Because of its ability to absorb sunlight and directly heat the surrounding air, climate scientists incorporate soot into their models -- computational systems which try to replicate conditions of the real world -- and then predict future warming trends. Scientists use real world observations to program their models. But there hasn't been a consensus on how to incorporate soot's light absorption into these models. They treat it over-simplistically, using a sphere to represent a pure, black carbon aerosol. "But nature is funny, it has its own ways to add complexity," Chakrabarty said. "By mass, 80 percent of all black carbon you find is always mixed. It's not perfect, like the models treat it." The particles are mixed, or coated, with organic aerosols that are co-emitted with soot from a combustion system. It turns out, black carbon absorbs more light when it is coated with these organic materials, but the magnitude of absorption enhancement varies non-linearly depending on how much coating is present. Chakrabarty and Heinson wanted to figure out a universal relationship between the amount of coating and the ability of soot to absorb light. First, they created simulated particles that looked just like those found in nature, with varying degrees of organic coating. Then, using techniques borrowed from Chakrabarty's work with fractals, the team went through exacting calculations, measuring light absorption in particles bit-by-bit. When they plotted the absorption magnitudes against the percentage of organic coating, the result was what mathematicians and scientists call a "universal power law." This means that, as the amount of coating increases, soot's light absorption goes up by a proportionately relative amount. (The length and area of a square are related by a universal power law: If you double the length of the sides of a square, the area increases by four. It does not matter what the initial length of the side was, the relationship will always hold.) They then turned to work done by different research groups who measured ambient soot light absorption across the globe, from Houston to London to Beijing. Chakrabarty and Heinson again plotted absorption enhancements against the percentage of coating. The result was a universal power law with the same one-third ratio as was found in their simulated experiments. With so many differing values for light absorption enhancement in soot, Chakrabarty said that the climate modelers are confused. "What on earth do we do? How do we account for the reality in our models? "Now you have order in chaos and a law," he said. "And now you can apply it in a computationally inexpensive manner." Their findings also point to the fact that warming due to black carbon could have been underestimated by climate models. Assuming spherical shape for these particles and not properly accounting for light absorption enhancement could result in significantly lower heating estimates. Rahul Zaveri, senior scientist and developer of the comprehensive aerosol model MOSAIC at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, calls the findings a significant and timely advancement. "I am particularly excited about the mathematical elegance and extreme computational efficiency of the new parameterization," he said, "which can be quite readily implemented in climate models once the companion parameterization for light scattering by coated black carbon particles is developed." Reaction from a pioneer in black carbon research "This paper strengthens the science and affirms the role of black carbon as a significant forcer of climate change," said Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University. "This paper shows, with a combination of data and highly-detailed modeling, that not only are the strong climate effects previously found supported, but also that they may be even underestimated in some of the previous studies because many previous studies did not account for the actual shapes of black carbon particles and the resulting mixtures." ### The School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis focuses intellectual efforts through a new convergence paradigm and builds on strengths, particularly as applied to medicine and health, energy and environment, entrepreneurship and security. With 94 tenured/tenure-track and 28 additional full-time faculty, 1,300 undergraduate students, 1,200 graduate students and 20,000 alumni, we are working to leverage our partnerships with academic and industry partners -- across disciplines and across the world -- to contribute to solving the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (AGS-1455215, CBET-1511964, and AGS-PRF-1624814), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Radiation Sciences Program (NNX15AI66G). Funding for collecting data during the 2010 CARES field campaign in California was provided by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER). 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. Monday, November 19, 2018 On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers went on an anti-Semitic rampage at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburghs Squirrel Hill neighborhood, which left eleven people murdered. Registered nurse Ari Mahler, who became known after that day as the Jewish Nurse,." treated Bowers at the Allegheny General Hospital. Mahler stated his patient had no idea he was Jewish, and they did not speak at all of religion. I wanted him to feel compassion. I chose to show him empathy. I felt that the best way to honor his victims was for a Jew to prove him wrong,." Ari said, also stating, I didnt see evil in his eyes but a clear lack of depth, intelligence, and palpable moments of confusion.." This amazing story prompts each of us to examine our morality and how we might react when being faced with hatred: can we respond with compassion? Or when we are faced with violence, can we respond with love? This question is related to what I have written in Grow Up Your Ego: "We are back to the beginning where the fullness of our humannessthe capacity to connect, nurture, and lovecomes through the hands and the hearts of our caretakers and those who nurture and mentor us. We are back to the beginning of where religions have at their core the concept of love." As we advance toward the evolutionary goal of culminated consciousness and unitywhat Teilhard de Chardin (The Phenomenon of Man) called Point Omegahis words resound: "All we may well need is to imagine our power of love developing until it embraces the total of men [and women] of the earth." Perhaps you as a reader welcome these words or perhaps they have no meaning to you or maybe they even strike a dissonant chord. Im curious: Do you respond emotionally to the news? Do you feel connected to what happens in another state or country? When the forces of the world affect you, personallyinjustice and hatred, as well as compassion and assistancehow does it change you? Try to imagine you were in Mahlers shoes. Would you want to show compassionor retaliation? In any case, it would be most helpful for you to share your thoughts about the above. The University of Houston and Sam Houston State University took steps last week toward the creation of new medical schools focused on primary care, but a new report suggests the shortage of such doctors is going to get worse before it gets better. Despite concerted efforts by the medical community in recent years to increase the pipeline, the shortage of primary-care doctors over the next 12 years will grow more than 250 percent in Houstons region and more than 67 percent throughout Texas, according to projections by the Department of State Health Services. I cant say Im terribly surprised, said Dr. Rodney Young, an Amarillo family physician and former chairman of the Texas Medical Associations council on medical education. Wed love to see the trend start to change, but it seems ongoing efforts have been better at increasing the overall number of doctors than primary-care doctors. The 2018 report attributes the shortage to continued growth in the state and says projections in medical school enrollment and resident positions are not sufficient to meet the projected demand. The report is just the latest to project or document shortages in primary care, which has been a national problem, locally and nationally, for more than a decade. Texas ranks 47th among 50 states in the ratio of primary-care doctors per person, according to a 2017 Association of American Medical Colleges report. The report is distributed to the governor, Legislative Budget Board, legislative appropriations and finance committees and to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Dr. George Santos, president of the Harris County Medical Society, said the projections show the need for more Texas residency slots, essential for keeping students in the state because doctors typically end up practicing where they train. The key is to grow funding for medical education, not just shift it around, said Santos, a psychiatrist. The Texas Legislature has shown growing concern about the shortage of physicians currently and projected, but if new residency slots arent created well fall back. A state health spokesman said the projections took into account Texas recently opened medical schools Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg, and the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine in San Antonio. They did not take into account the planned medical schools at UH and Sam Houston State and a joint Texas Christian-University of North Texas medical school in Fort Worth. UH regents voted Thursday to build the school on campus rather than in the Texas Medical Center and Sam Houston State officials held groundbreaking ceremonies at its schools Conroe site on Friday. Both schools proposals have been approved by the Coordinating Board, but both still require approval by accrediting bodies. Although the medical schools are taking different paths UH will award doctorates in medicine, Sam Houston doctorates in osteopathic medicine but both hope to produce classes of which about half will go into primary care and practice in underserved areas. But in even in a best-case scenario, that would take time for both to ratchet up to make an impact. The schools hope to begin enrolling students in fall 2020 thats still contingent on permission from their accrediting bodies and grow from initially smaller classes, specifically from 30 to 120 at UH and from 75 to 150 at Sam Houston State. It would be at least 2030 before significant numbers of the new doctors will have finished their residency programs and begun practices in primary care. By 2030, the Texas health services department is projecting a shortage of 3,375 primary-care doctors throughout Texas, up from 2,002 in 2017. It is projecting a shortage of 694 primary-care doctors in the 16-county Gulf Coast region, up from 196 in 2017. That is the highest increase in the state. The health department projects the demand will significantly outstrip the supply for family medicine doctors, general internists and obstetricians-gynecologists, three branches of primary care. The supply of pediatricians, the reports fourth branch, will actually exceed the demand, according to the projections. The report also projects a 13 percent increase in the shortage of psychiatrists. Those numbers will go from 1,067 in 2017 to 1,208 by 2030. The continuing shortage of primary-care doctors comes despite escalating numbers of licensures and applications in Texas in the years since the states 2003 passage of tort reform laws capped the amount of money for which doctors could be sued. The number of medical license applications received by the state has grown from under 4,100 in 2009 to nearly 5,600 in 2017 and the number approved in the same period has grown from 3,000 to more than 4,700. TMAs Young suggests the primary-care shortage may require a new strategy. The problem may be that much residency funding comes from hospital partners, who have an interest in training doctors to do work performed in hospitals, meaning specialty care, said Young. The job of primary-care doctors is to keep people out of hospitals. todd.ackerman@chron.com twitter.com/chronmed Dr. Russell M. Nelson had a simple but soothing message for the more than 23,000 who gathered Sunday evening at the Alamodome to listen to the 17th president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is well with my soul. The 94-year-old Nelson extolled the words of Horatio Spafford, the Chicago lawyer and Presbyterian church elder who wrote the hymn of the same name after his four daughters died in the sinking of the steamship Ville du Havre in 1873. The hymn was echoed by a choir standing behind Nelson at the special San Antonio devotional. Nelson told the congregation that everyone, even Davy Crockett, faces challenges in life. But whatever challenges or tragedies come our way, Nelson said, each of us will be able to say, It is well with my soul. READ ALSO: Church members and students feed families in need Brett Hargrave and his wife and eight children, ages 5 to 19, were among many families who took solace in Nelsons words and presence. Theres just a spirit that he brings that we just appreciate, Hargrave said. So we wanted to come and participate in that. Brenda Lynn Lopez beamed with pride at the end of the devotional when Nelson shook the hand of her 15-year-old son Ramon, who has cerebral palsy. The mother noted that her son goes to seminary, a religious education program for youth, every morning at 5 a.m. in San Antonio. Very historical, she said of Nelsons visit. A day to remember. Nelsons message highlighted an evening of inspiring words from other notables in the Church, words attuned to a South Texas audience that included visitors from as far as Brazil and the Congo. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Churchs second-highest governing body, stressed the need to be all in as Latter-day Saints, while his wife Sister Susan R. Bednar spoke of lessons of faith learned in Texas. Elder Adrian Ochoa of the Seventy, the quorum members who work under the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Nancy Ochoa, each book-ended their speeches with remarks in Spanish. Those speeches were directed at the youth of the Church as much as at the Churchs leaders. Emma Bryson, 17, from Cedar Park in the Austin area, noted that, under Nelson, the Churchs Sunday service will be shortened from three hours to two, a duration she considered more family-oriented. She said Nelson also has stressed the need to use the full name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, instead of LDS or Mormon as shorthand for the Church and its members. We have had lots of significant changes in our church, Bryson said. A surgeon and medical researcher, Nelson became president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January. Before then he presided over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and had served on the quorum for more than 30 years. Authorities recovered the body of a middle-aged man from Woodlawn Lake on Sunday afternoon, officials said. The fire department launched a skiff in the lake and found the body after it was reported to be near the lakes dam, San Antonio Police Department spokesman Carlos Roberto Ortiz said. RELATED: Pecos Bill pilot and WWI veteran were killed in airplane crash Saturday The man has not been identified. Ortiz said the body did not bear obvious signs of trauma, and it was taken to the medical examiners office, which will determine the mans identity and cause of death. The homicide unit will investigate the death, in keeping with protocol, Ortiz said. From staff reports Peace settles upon Lorena Gonzales whenever she walks around Woodlawn Lake. As she rounded the 1.48-mile asphalt path one recent morning, passing the quacking ducks scattered on the banks of the lake, she gave thanks for another day. Sometimes she wears a cap with the bejeweled word Survivor across the front. Four years ago, Gonzales, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Medicaid paid for her first round of chemotherapy, but she recalls being stunned when clinic staff told her the second treatment had been canceled. She cried in her car until she thought of the one who needed her to be brave her 7-year-old daughter, Genesis. READ ALSO: University Hospital surgeons among the doctors recommending ways to reduce gun deaths and injuries We can do it, she recalled telling her daughter after disclosing the diagnosis. Well fight it together. There was hope on the horizon. Gonzales clinic referred her to Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing Inc., which supports uninsured breast cancer patients. The nonprofit, known as WINGS, enrolled the self-employed housekeeper in its program to bridge the gap between diagnosis and treatment for women across Central and South Texas. The WINGS motto is Everybody deserves a lifetime. I am so blessed, Gonzales said. I feel that WINGS saved my life. According to the privately funded nonprofit, whose offices are at 2800 N.W. Loop 410, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and half of them will not have insurance to cover their treatment. Recent studies found that uninsured women were more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage than women with health insurance. In 2016, there were 11 million uninsured women in the United States. After her recent walk, Gonzales met with WINGS executive director Ruth Medellin at the lake pavilion, giving her an embrace and thanks for the nonprofits help. Were not going to turn somebody away, Medellin said. Diversity is huge. We have patients from everywhere. We dont close the doors. READ ALSO: Health insurance program has staying power as enrollment opens Medellin said after a patient is diagnosed, there are four phases: WINGS I: treatment including chemotherapy, lab work, radiation, physician visits and surgical procedures. WINGS II: follow-up care including annual mammograms, labs and physician visits for five years after remission. WINGS III: providing Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) payments for working women at risk of losing insurance coverage for lack of money. WINGS for Life: Support groups, annual checkups and wellness clinics. Were here for all individuals diagnosed with breast cancer, she said. Cancer doesnt have any barriers on anyone or any gender. We cant do it without the generosity of the community. Medellin said she had her own scare years ago. After an mammography came back negative, she still felt something wasnt right. She returned to the doctor and asked for another scan. The second test revealed a pre-cancerous cyst, which surgeons removed. Self help is easy to do, Medellin said. You need to know your body. Gonzales still takes medication. She appreciates the understanding of her clients when treatments leave her in pain and exhausted. She tells her daughter Genesis not to worry. On the path, Gonzales made way for joggers rushing by, lost in the sights and sounds of the park. Her lavender-dyed hair brushed the shoulders of her black T-shirt, emblazoned with the phrase thats become her mantra Im Tougher than Cancer. I am not a victim, Im a fighter, she said. My journey is beautiful. I feel peace in my heart, and I feel blessed. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis No doubt Armando Rendon was in a hurry. In 1970, Chicano civil rights struggles had given way to student walkouts, anti-war moratoriums, boycotts to support farmworkers and the birth of major socio-political institutions, several in San Antonio. Rendon had walked among its leaders because his job at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights afforded him the opportunity to travel throughout the country to see the movement firsthand. Thanks to the commission, he said, I knew something was happening. READ ALSO: S.A. held a Chicano Woodstock 41 years ago. No one showed up Rendons overflowing notebooks gave way to a seminal book, Chicano Manifesto: The History and Aspirations of the Second Largest Minority in America. Published by Macmillan in 1971, it was the first book about the Chicano movement by a Chicano, and it remains on syllabi in colleges from San Francisco State to Dartmouth. Over the weekend, Rendon, who spent one career in Washington and a second in California, was back in his hometown for the 50th anniversary conference commemorating the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Hearings of 1968, when the government examined the status of the Mexican-American. Our Lady of the Lake University played host again. Rendon, 79, moderated a panel about Chicanismo in the Americas, a fitting spot for a man whose work presented a vision for a people that would someday take its place as a U.S. political force. Manifesto made several poignant pronouncements. It was so urgent a project that Rendon quit his job and, with an advance from his publisher supporting a family of four, wrote the book in four months. I had a sense that if I didnt write it, it wouldnt have been written down, he recalled. READ ALSO: Prosecutors dismiss immigrant transporting case against Chicano activist Rendon captured stories about people whod later end up in history books, including labor leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in California, Reis Lopez Tijerina in New Mexico, Rodolfo Corky Gonzales in Colorado, Jose Angel Gutierrez in Texas and many others. Rendon witnessed the poverty of border colonias and the thriving Mexican-American population of Chicago, which looked like Mexico and Texas, he said. He wasnt a participant in the movement, he acknowledges. I wasnt the type, Rendon said. I was an observer, a chronicler in the right place at the right time. His third eye helped him reach some conclusions about Chicanos Chicanas, too as a prototype of a citizen of the Americas 100 years from now, a group that would be a conduit between the U.S. and Latin Americans. Now halfway there, he likes what he sees. Rendon saw the potential of a movement that would lead to an intercontinental phenomenon. He has continued to espouse that view, most recently at a conference in Cuernavaca. Manifesto looked ahead and saw a day when Mexican-Americans would more fully understand and embrace their indigenous roots. Rendon said that has been a philosophical, ideological concept but not yet a part of their psyche. Weve not yet truly accepted that we are American Indians and could build a great alliance with American Indians, he said. Rendon hopes involvement in the environmental movement might nurture that cooperation. READ ALSO: Alamo Colleges board names first Chicano chancellor He also remains committed to the idea that Chicanos must look to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as a living human rights document. It ended the Mexican American War and called for Mexico to cede whats now Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas and parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah. But it also stripped land and citizenship rights from people indigenous to that land in rifts without end. Rendon lives near Berkeley, Calif., and hasnt been back in San Antonio much lately. But his series of books for young adults are set on the West Side, where he grew up. I took all the memories with me to California, he said, and they have worked themselves into the stories I invent. His latest book in The Adventures of Noldo series takes the Rodriguez boy to the Blue Hole, the source spring of the San Antonio River. The story takes the boy to the world beneath it, an expansive, magical aquifer. A barrio healer and a curandero turned bad play roles in it. Its the fifth in the series in which Noldo and his time-traveling scooter reveal another Tejano history story. One Noldo adventure put the boy at the Battle of the Alamo. So well have to settle for a rereading of Manifesto and the wisdom of Noldo, unless another conference brings Rendon back again. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 19, 2018 | 09:18 AM | PADUCAH A new business will be moving into the I-24 Industrial Park in Paducah, and is expected to bring about 30 jobs to McCracken County. A Monday press release from Paducah Economic Development says Deer Property Holdings, LLC purchased a site that will be leased to Global Group Industrial Services, an industrial maintenance services company. We are excited to welcome Global Group Industrial Services to Paducah. We gained both a new business and a capital investment in our community, says Glen Anderson, Interim President & CEO of Paducah Economic Development. The building site consists of 10 acres and a 60,000-square-foot building shell on Commerce Drive. Surrounding tenants include Coca-Cola Distribution, Genova Products, UACJ Automotive/Whitehall Industries and H.T. Hackney Distribution. Global Group Industrial Services does machine work, metal fabrication, gearbox work and will possibly expand into light industrial work. The building was sold by the Industrial Development Authority, with the help of Kathleen Gillespie of Falconite Development Group and Paducah Economic Development. Bob Johnston, Chairman of the Development Authority, said, "I am very pleased for the completion of the sale of the parks spec building to Global Group Industrial Services. The Authority has held the building for some time and several times have come close to having industries locate there. However, each time changes in circumstances within the companies involved caused a failure to consummate the deal. Not only is Global Group a progressive company that promises to grow the 30 start-up jobs, but the addition of a new development in the park causes excitement and creates interest that hopefully will bring the many advantages of its location to the attention of other prospects." The City and County share the payroll taxes 50%/50% from the location of the companies in the 1-24 Park, benefiting both governments. Anderson told West Kentucky Star the company's owners, Jim and Debbie Sourick and Steve and Erika Hibner, live in McCracken County and are moving the business from Massac County to Paducah. The Thanksgiving holiday, a special moment of grace, is providentially coming upon us as we are experiencing somewhat turbulent, difficult times across the world. Our country just completed an election cycle, which featured, sadly, much division and acrimony. Here in South Texas, news of the Central American migrant caravan traveling through Mexico has focused a national and international spotlight on the tenuous balance between border security and the Gospels values of welcoming and ministering to the least among us. Lastly, in the Catholic Church, the clerical sexual abuse crisis has come to the forefront for the faithful following the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report and its tragic aftermath, as well as news of scandalous improprieties concerning a prominent cardinal of the church. However, in this somewhat dark period, I recently attended a joy-filled event in the northern part of the Lone Star State, where thousands of Catholics from across the country gathered at the Fifth National Encuentro for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. It was in Grapevine in late September. The encuentro humbling, awe-inspiring and grace-filled culminated a process of several years of smaller gatherings that involved prayer, sharing, listening and learning. They revealed a people of God alive in the love of Jesus. Pope Francis has called us to build a culture of encounter that rekindles hope. We are to go forth out of our comfort zones and become leaven of communion. Rather than turning away from a crisis, we need to face how people are dealing with it. People are suffering, and we have to be there for them. To cope, we need to continually experience Christ; we cannot be satisfied with one singular spiritual experience. But if we forget, the Holy Spirit will remind us who Jesus is and what the work of his kingdom is. The encuentro process, specifically the national gathering, will go down in history as a special moment of grace for the Catholic Church in the United States in these tense times. A highlight was the participation of hundreds of young adults whose boundless hope, courage and enthusiasm was a witness of faith and commitment. We need to welcome their energy, gifts and talents for the service of everyone. When we come together across cultures and geographic regions, the body of Christ draws strength from the diverse gifts of its members. We will use that strength to share hope with all who are in need of Gods love and mercy. It is very important for us to listen and to act. Listening is the beginning, and it opens doors. But as we go through those doors, the panorama changes and is richer. Then we need to act. The Holy Spirit is the Lord, the giver of life, the encuentro. The spirit will multiply the graces of renewal and conversion of heart. When Christ reigns in our hearts, we take it upon ourselves to expand his kingdom in the world; to become more accountable. The Holy Spirit comes to inflame our hearts, and when our hearts encounter one another the Holy Spirit causes a fire, enabling us to set the world on fire with that spirit. In times of pain and suffering, we should look to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first missionary disciple of Jesus, who was a pillar of strength, courage and faith, even with a broken heart. She said, Yes Lord, your will and not mine. We should strive to follow the courageous example of Mary. May our love for life not deter us from difficulties and setbacks. We need to make the love of God present in the world. The world desperately needs us today. Let us enjoy the upcoming days, and may the Lord find us in our journey together. Let our hearts burn with Gods word, as we break bread and grow closer as members of one family. Happy Thanksgiving, and know you and your loved ones are in my prayers in these times. The Most Rev. Gustavo Garcia-Siller is archbishop of San Antonio. Why bring a bonesaw to a kidnapping? That is a question the crown prince of Saudi Arabia should be asked at every opportunity. "Thank you for granting me an audience, Your Majesty," everyone should say. "Why bring a bonesaw to a kidnapping?" President Donald Trump should be similarly interrogated, along with the members of his team who so far seem eager to become accessories after the fact to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Given that the Saudis have reverted to a lie so preposterous that even their own chief prosecutor felt compelled to abandon it weeks ago, the president should be asked: Why are you abetting this crime? Are we really OK, as a country, with an ally luring a journalist living in Northern Virginia into what should be a diplomatic sanctuary for the purpose of assassination and dismemberment - and then baldly, brazenly, ludicrously lying about it? Apparently, for Trump, the answer is yes, we're fine with that. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, fine. National security adviser John Bolton, not concerned. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are you fine with that? Speaker Paul Ryan? Will Congress go along with this coverup? Because that also will be a choice. Congress does have alternatives. For starters, it could summon CIA Director Gina Haspel, who listened to the tape of Khashoggi's killing, who knows the truth, who almost certainly knows who ordered Khashoggi's killing, and ask her: Why bring a bonesaw to a kidnapping? Recall the sequence of lies that the Saudi regime has presented about this case: Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist who would have turned 60 on Oct. 13, entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, at his government's invitation, shortly after noon on Oct. 2 to take care of some minor paperwork. He told his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, that he would be out shortly, and asked her to wait. She waited - until after midnight. She never saw him again. The regime of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told The Post, told Congress, told the world: Khashoggi left the consulate not long after he entered. We, too, are concerned. Khashoggi was our friend. Why would we harm him? This was the story told by the crown prince and the crown prince's younger brother, who happened to be the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Khalid bin Salman. Where is the videotape of him leaving, they were asked. Our cameras were broken, they said. Where is the paperwork he came to fill out? They did not bother to reply. No doubt they would have stuck by that story, malfunctioning cameras and all, but evidence got in the way. The Turkish government had photographs of a 15-man hit squad arriving from Saudi Arabia and entering the consulate shortly before Khashoggi. The Turks had audiotape of Khashoggi's brutal killing, almost as soon as he entered the consulate. They knew that the hit squad included a forensic specialist who arrived with his bonesaw, who put on earphones and listened to music as he dismembered the body. The Saudis retreated to a new story: No, our friend Jamal had not walked out of the consulate. Yes, they admitted, he had died inside. But he had perished in a brawl, when he tried to grapple with the security team (not a hit squad!) that had been sent to meet him. That story, too, was too preposterous to sustain - or so we thought - and the Saudi prosecutor abandoned it, coincidentally just as Turkey was playing the audiotape for Haspel. Never mind, they said, there was no brawl; Khashoggi was the victim of a premeditated murder, after all. Who had premeditated it? They would find out and tell the world, the crown prince himself assured Pompeo, and Pompeo assured us. But on Thursday, the brawl myth was back. The Saudis announced that Khashoggi's death was unintentional, that a friendly invitation to return to Saudi Arabia had gone awry. Why would you need a 15-man team to tender such an invitation? And even if what you had in mind was "only" a forcible rendition - what you or I would call a kidnapping - why would you need a bonesaw? Oh, and where is Khashoggi's body? Turned over to a mysterious "Turkish collaborator," whom the Saudis are unable or unwilling to identify, even to Turkish police. Probably no one in the United States government harbors the slightest doubt that the architect of this crime was the crown prince, as the CIA has concluded. His closest henchmen orchestrated the deed, and they would not dare act without his knowledge. He bets that it won't matter. He bets that he can feed an already discredited fairy tale to Trump and Pompeo and Bolton, and they will obediently swallow it. So far his bet seems safe. But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to go along. Why bring a bonesaw to a kidnapping, Your Highness? With a slew of hits from Hot Blooded to Cold as Ice, its no wonder Foreigner is among the worlds top rock acts. The Grammy-winning band brings its Double Vision: Then and Now show to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, Dec. 1. But this isnt your basic Foreigner concert (as if there is such a thing). This is bigger one of only four shows with both current and original members. So when you hear Feels Like the First Time, from their 1977 debut album, it really will be like that first time, or at least as close as possible. The show brings Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Rick Wills onto the stage with lead guitarist/cofounder Mick Jones, plus newer members such as vocalist Kelly Hansen (since 2005) and Tom Gimbel, who plays multiple instruments, including sax, and has been with the band over 20 years. They are the original recipe; we are the extra crispy, Gimbel said of the lineup. We do a portion with the way the band is nowadays and then theres a portion with the band from those days, and then a portion with both bands combined. Of course Mick Jones is in both bands. Its wild, its phenomenal. We caught Gimbel for a phone chat as he was preparing for an Australian concert tour. We are all packing and practicing. With the saxophone youre constantly experimenting with mouthpieces and different reeds. Thats the exciting life of a woodwind player, he said, with a laugh. Gimbel visited Australia a bunch of times while working with Aerosmith, and since then, with Foreigner. He said he loves it, but also looks forward to Connecticut, where he has family and fond memories his sister is a graduate of Wesleyan University. Its (Mohegan Sun) gonna be a Saturday night, so thats a fun time to have a celebration. Though bikini-clad girls have been known to join the band for Hot Blooded, that wont happen here. I wish they could, but there wont be room onstage. We could build a second stage for the girls, suspended in the air maybe. I wish. No I think it is a pretty straight-ahead rock show. These songs just sound so incredible to this day. Gimbel said Jones sometimes introduces tunes with a brief story. Perhaps hell share the Juke Box Hero tale, of how its lyrics, Standing in the rain, with his head hung low. Couldnt get a ticket, it was a sold out show, refer to a fan in Cincinnati. That song is, in some ways, based in truth, Gimbel said. A young guy was outside the venue there when Jones and Gramm invited him backstage to kind of show him the world the way they saw it... They probably went outside to have a cigarette and he was trying to listen through the wall and it was raining, and they said, Cmon in kid. More Information Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville. Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. $59, $49, $39. 800-745-3000, mohegansun.com See More Collapse Gimble chuckled at the thought. He also made clear how he feels about Foreigner that its an honor and a whole lot of fun to rock on with this group. Were hardly ever home, he said. We really live in airports and hotels and backstage and onstage; that is where we exist. lkoonz@newstimes.com; Twitter: @LindaTKoonz A U.S. Marine Drill Instructor killed in a San Diego motorcycle accident has been identified as a 33-year-old Fairfield man. Sgt. Gary Wilson died in a motorcycle accident while traveling on I-15. California Highway Patrol reported Wilson was dead at the scene of the crash. Wilson was assigned to the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment in San Diego. Wilson enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 2010. He was assigned to the depot as a drill instructor in March 2016 after service in Okinawa, Japan and Camp Pendleton, Calf. Wilsons personal awards include two Good Conduct Medals, three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrrorism Service Medal. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sgt. Wilson, said Brig. Gen. Ryan Heritage, commanding general of MCRD San Diego. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult period. This is truly the loss of a fine Marine, and he will be missed greatly. According to KGTV 10News, Wilson saved two women from a burning car in September. Wilson was going to work when he saw the flames. He told 10News jumped off his motorcycle and ran to the burning car. Wilson saw a woman trapped inside so he broke the driver's side window and pulled her from the car. She had a concussion and blood on her face. I had my jacket on and didnt think about it. I just broke the window and pulled her out, Wilson told the station. After the first rescue, Wilson went to the second car and pried open the female driver's door to get her to safety. I was doing my job as a Marine. Were here to serve the people. Not just during war time, but all the time," Wilson said. Home back in Moscow. The trip was okay, Sundays are always the best to travel back to Moscow. We got the paper work done on Nikolais Home and now we have to start the next round of paperwork. Hopefully by this time next year, it will be done.most likely this is the last car trip to the Tiny Russian Village, for this year. It has started to snow and that means deep buried roads Have a great day WtR Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF's stock was trading at $89.67 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, BIV shares have decreased by 2.0% and is now trading at $87.89. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. 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Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of Eaton: ADF Systems SARL, Abeiron III Limited, Aeroquip (UK) Limited, Aeroquip Financial Ltd., Aeroquip Iberica S.L., Aeroquip International Inc., Aeroquip Limited, Aeroquip do Brasil Ltda., Aeroquip-Vickers, Aeroquip-Vickers Canada Inc., Aeroquip-Vickers International S.a.r.L., Aphel Technologies, Argo-Tech, Arrow Hose & Tubing, Arrow-Hart S. de R.L. de C.V., Azonix Corporation, Babco Electric Group, Beijing Internormen-Filter Ltd. Co., Beijing Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Blinda Industria e Comercio Ltda., Bussmann International Holdings LLC, Bussmann International Inc., Bussmann S. de R.L. de C.V., Bussmann do Brasil Ltda., CBE Services Inc., CEAG Notlichtsysteme GmbH, CI ESI de Colombia, CTI-VIENNA Gesellschaft zur Prufung elektrotechnischer Industrieprodukte GmbH, Cambridge International Insurance Company Ltd., Cannon Technologies Inc., Centralion Industrial Inc., Chagrin Highlands III Limited, Cobham, Componentes de Iluminacion S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper (China) Co. Ltd., Cooper (Ningbo) Electric Co. Ltd., Cooper B-Line Inc., Cooper Bermuda Investments Ltd., Cooper Bussmann (U.K.) Limited, Cooper Bussmann Hungaria Kft., Cooper Bussmann LLC, Cooper Capri S.A.S., Cooper Colombia Investments Ltd., Cooper Controls (Watford) Limited, Cooper Controls Limited, Cooper Crouse-Hinds (LLC), Cooper Crouse-Hinds (UK) Ltd., Cooper Crouse-Hinds AS, Cooper Crouse-Hinds B.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds GmbH, Cooper Crouse-Hinds LLC, Cooper Crouse-Hinds MTL Inc., Cooper Crouse-Hinds Pte. Ltd., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Crouse-Hinds S.A., Cooper Csa Srl, Cooper Edison (Pingdingshan) Electronic Technologies Co. Ltd., Cooper Electric (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Cooper Electrical Australia Pty. Limited, Cooper Electrical International LLC, Cooper Electronic Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cooper Enterprises LLC, Cooper Finance (Canada) L.P., Cooper Finance Group Ltd., Cooper Finance USA Inc., Cooper Germany Holdings GmbH, Cooper India Private Limited, Cooper Industrials, Cooper Industries (Canada) Inc., Cooper Industries (Electrical) Inc., Cooper Industries Colombia S.A.S., Cooper Industries FZE, Cooper Industries Finance B.V., Cooper Industries Finanzierungs-GbR, Cooper Industries Global B.V., Cooper Industries Holdings (Canada) Inc., Cooper Industries Holdings GmbH, Cooper Industries International LLC, Cooper Industries Japan K.K., Cooper Industries LLC, Cooper Industries Malaysia SDN BHD, Cooper Industries Middle East LLC, Cooper Industries Poland LLC, Cooper Industries Romania SRL, Cooper Industries Russia LLC, Cooper Industries Trading Limited, Cooper Industries UK Subco Limited, Cooper Industries Unlimited Company, Cooper Industries Vietnam LLC, Cooper Interconnect, Cooper International Holdings S.a.r.l., Cooper Investment Group Ltd., Cooper Investment Group S a.r.l., Cooper Investments Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Cooper Korea Ltd., Cooper Lighting LLC, Cooper Lighting de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Menvier France SARL, Cooper Mexico Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Netherlands Investments Ltd., Cooper Notification Inc., Cooper Offshore Holdings S.a.r.l., Cooper Power Systems LLC, Cooper Power Systems do Brasil Ltda., Cooper Pretronica Lda., Cooper Safety B.V., Cooper Securite S.A.S., Cooper Security Limited, Cooper Shanghai Power Capacitor Co. Ltd., Cooper Switzerland Investments Ltd., Cooper Technologies Company, Cooper Univel S.A., Cooper Wheelock Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices Inc., Cooper Wiring Devices Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Cooper Wiring Devices de Mexico S.A de C.V., Cooper Xi'an Fusegear Co. Ltd., Cooper Yuhua (Changzhou) Electric Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Copperlogic, Cutler-Hammer Electrical Company, Cutler-Hammer Industries Ltd., Cutler-Hammer SRL, Cyme International T & D Inc., D.P. Eaton Electric, Digital Lighting (Dong Guan) Co. Ltd., Digital Lighting Co. Limited, Digital Lighting Holdings Limited, Dongguan Cooper Electronics Co. Ltd., Dongguan Fu Li An Electronics Co. Ltd., Dongguan Wiring Devices Electronics Co. Ltd., E. Begerow, E.A. Pedersen Co., EIC Holding GP I, EIC Holding GP II, EIC Holding GP III, EIC Holding GP IV, EIC Holding I LLC, EIC Holding II LLC, EIC Holding III LLC, EIC Holding IV LLC, EIC Holding V LLC, EIC Holding VI LLC, ETN Asia International Limited, ETN Holding 1 Limited, ETN Holding 2 Limited, ETN Holding 3 Limited, EX Innovations Limited, Eaton (China) Investments Co. Ltd., Eaton Aeroquip, Eaton Aerospace LLC, Eaton Ann Arbor LLC, Eaton Asia Investments Corporation, Eaton Automation G.m.b.H, Eaton Automation Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Automotive Components Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Automotive Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Automotive Systems Spolka z.o.o., Eaton B.V., Eaton C.V., Eaton CHB LLC, Eaton Capital Unlimited Co., Eaton Controls (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Controls (UK) Limited, Eaton Controls S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Corporation, Eaton ETN Offshore Company, Eaton ETN Offshore II Company, Eaton Electric, Eaton Electric & Engineering Services Limited, Eaton Electric (Japan) Ltd., Eaton Electric (South Africa) Pty Ltd., Eaton Electric (Thailand) Ltd., Eaton Electric AS, Eaton Electric ApS, Eaton Electric Company Ltd., Eaton Electric G.m.b.H., Eaton Electric Holdings LLC, Eaton Electric Limited, Eaton Electric Manufacturing Middle East LLC, Eaton Electric S.I.A., Eaton Electric S.a.r.l., Eaton Electric S.r.l., Eaton Electric SPRL, Eaton Electric Sales Ltd., Eaton Electric Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Electric d.o.o., Eaton Electric s.r.o., Eaton Electric s.r.o. (Slovak Republic), Eaton Electrical (Zhongshan) Co. Ltd., Eaton Electrical Equipment Co. Ltd., Eaton Electrical IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Electrical Ltd., Eaton Electrical Products Limited, Eaton Electrical S.A., Eaton Electrical S.A. (Venezuela), Eaton Electrical Systems Limited, Eaton Electro Productie S.r.l., Eaton Elektrik Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Eaton Elektrotechnika s.r.o., Eaton Energy Solutions Inc., Eaton Enterprises (Hungary) Kft., Eaton Enterprises Limited, Eaton Enterprises S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton FZE, Eaton Filtration, Eaton Filtration (Denmark) ApS, Eaton Filtration (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Filtration (Poland) Sp. z.o.o., Eaton Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Filtration BVBA, Eaton Finance (Ireland) Limited, Eaton Finance S.a.r.l., Eaton Fluid Power (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Fluid Power Limited, Eaton Fluid Power S.r.l., Eaton France Holding S.A.S., Eaton Germany G.m.b.H., Eaton GmbH & Co. KG, Eaton Holding (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Holding (UK) II Limited, Eaton Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Holding I B.V., Eaton Holding I Limited, Eaton Holding II LLC, Eaton Holding II Limited, Eaton Holding II S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding III B.V., Eaton Holding III Limited, Eaton Holding III S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding IV S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding IX S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding International LLC, Eaton Holding LLC, Eaton Holding Limited, Eaton Holding S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding SE & Co. KG, Eaton Holding SRL, Eaton Holding V B.V., Eaton Holding V S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding VI B.V., Eaton Holding VI S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding VII B.V., Eaton Holding VIII S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding X S.a.r.l., Eaton Holding XII B.V./S.a.r.l., Eaton Holec AB, Eaton Holec OY, Eaton Hydraulics (Luzhou) Co. Ltd., Eaton Hydraulics (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Eaton Hydraulics (Proprietary) Limited, Eaton Hydraulics LLC, Eaton Hydraulics Systems (Jining) Co. Ltd., Eaton I Spolka z.o.o., Eaton II LP, Eaton III LP, Eaton IV LP, Eaton India Innovation Center LLP, Eaton Industrial Clutches and Brakes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industrial Corporation, Eaton Industrial IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Industrial Systems Private Limited, Eaton Industries (Argentina) S.A., Eaton Industries (Austria) G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries (Belgium) BVBA, Eaton Industries (Canada) Company, Eaton Industries (Chile) S.p.A., Eaton Industries (Colombia) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Egypt) LLC, Eaton Industries (England) Limited, Eaton Industries (France) S.A.S., Eaton Industries (Ireland) Ltimited, Eaton Industries (Israel) Ltd., Eaton Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Eaton Industries (Japan) Ltd., Eaton Industries (Jining) Co. Ltd, Eaton Industries (Korea) Limited, Eaton Industries (Luxembourg) B.V./S.a.r.l., Eaton Industries (Morocco) LLC, Eaton Industries (Netherlands) B.V., Eaton Industries (Philippines) LLC, Eaton Industries (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industries (Spain) S.L., Eaton Industries (Thailand) Ltd., Eaton Industries (U.K.) Limited, Eaton Industries (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Eaton Industries Company, Eaton Industries EOOD, Eaton Industries G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holding G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Holdings Ltd., Eaton Industries II G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries KFT, Eaton Industries LP, Eaton Industries Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Industries Panama S.A., Eaton Industries Pte. Ltd., Eaton Industries Pty. Ltd., Eaton Industries S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Industries SAC, Eaton Industries Sdn. Bhd., Eaton Industries s.r.o., Eaton International B.V., Eaton International Corporation, Eaton International Industries Nigeria Limited, Eaton Japan Co. Ltd., Eaton LLC, Eaton LP, Eaton Leasing Corporation, Eaton Ltda., Eaton MEDC Limited, Eaton Madeira SGPS Lda., Eaton Manufacturing G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing II G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing III G.m.b.H., Eaton Manufacturing LP, Eaton Middle East LLC, Eaton Moeller B.V., Eaton Moeller S.a.r.l., Eaton Phoenixtec MMPL Co. Ltd., Eaton Power Quality (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Power Quality AB, Eaton Power Quality Limited, Eaton Power Quality OY (Finland), Eaton Power Quality Private Limited, Eaton Power Quality S.A.S., Eaton Power Solution Ltda., Eaton Production International G.m.b.H., Eaton Protection Systems IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton S.A.S., Eaton S.r.l., Eaton SAMC (Shanghai) Aircraft Conveyance System, Eaton SE, Eaton Safety IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Safety Limited, Eaton Senstar Automotive Fluid Connector (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton Services S.a.r.l., Eaton Solutions S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Switzerland Holding I GmbH, Eaton Switzerland Holding II GmbH, Eaton Technologies (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Eaton Technologies G.m.b.H., Eaton Technologies IP G.m.b.H. & Co. KG, Eaton Technologies Private Limited, Eaton Technologies S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Technologies S.A., Eaton Trading Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components (Proprietary) Ltd., Eaton Truck Components S. de R.L. de C.V., Eaton Truck Components Spolka z.o.o., Eaton Truck and Bus Components (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Eaton US Holdings Inc., Eaton Worldwide LLC, Eaton-Powerware, Electromanufacturas S de R.L. de C.V., Electrum Group Ltd., Elpro Technologies Pty. Limited, Ephesus Lighting, Ephesus Lighting Inc., FHF Bergbautechnik GmbH & Co. KG, FHF Funke+Huster Fernsig GmbH, FHF New World GmbH, Fast Eaton (Xi'an) Drivetrain Company Ltd., Fifth Light Technology Ltd., Funke+Huster (Tianjin) Electronics Co. Ltd., Funke+Huster GmbH, GeCma Components electronic GmbH, Georgetown Financial Services Ltd., Gitiesse Asia Pte. Ltd., Gitiesse S.r.l., Green Holding Company, Green Motion, Guangzhou Nittan Valve Co. Ltd., Hein Moeller Stiftung G.m.b.H., Hernis Scan System do Brasil Comercio E Servicos LTDA, Hernis Scan Systems - Asia Pte. Ltd., Hernis Scan Systems A/S, IE Power, Illumination Management Solutions Inc., Iluminacion Cooper de las Californias S de R.L. de C.V., Innovative Switchgear Solutions Inc, Institute for International Product Safety G.m.b.H., Integrated Hydraulics, Integrated Partial Discharge Diagnostics, Intelligent Switchgear Organization LLC, Internormen Filters Private Limited, Internormen Technology, Jeil Hydraulics, Kaicheng Funke+Huster (Tangshan) Mining Electrical Co. Ltd., Lian Zheng Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., MP Group SAS, MTL Instruments (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, MTL Instruments B.V., MTL Instruments GmbH, MTL Instruments LLC, MTL Instruments Private Limited, MTL Instruments SARL, MTL Italia Srl, MTL Partners II Inc., MTL Partners Inc., Marina Power and Lighting, Martek Power F SAS, Martek Power GmbH, Martek Power Limited, Martek Power Limited (UK), Martek Power S.A. de C.V., Martek Power SA, McGraw-Edison Development Corporation, Measurement Technology Limited, Menvier Overseas Holdings Limited, Micro Innovation Holding, Moeller Electric (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Moeller Electric Ltda., Moeller Electrical Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Moeller Holding Gmbh & Co. KG, Moeller Industria de electro-electronicos do Amazonas Ltda., Morestana, Nittan BVI Co. Ltd., Nittan Euro Tech Spolka z o.o., Nittan Global Tech Co. Ltd., Nittan Valve Co. Ltd., Norex AS, Ocean Technical Systems Limited, Oxalis Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Oxalis Group, Oxalis Group Limited, PKL LLC, PT. Eaton Industries, PT. Fluid Sciences Batam, PerkinElmer - aerospace division, Phoenixtec Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Phoenixtec International Corp., Phoenixtec Power, Pigozzi, Polaron Components Limited, Polimer Hortum Teknolojileri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi Ve Pazarlama, Polimer Kaucuk Sanayi ve Pazarlama A.S., Power Distribution, Pringle Electrical Manufacturing, Productos Eaton Livia S.L., Pulizzi Engineering, RTE Far East Corporation, RTK Instruments Limited, Riseson International Limited, Rizhao Yoosung Shinhwa Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Rolec Comercial e Industrial, SOURIAU, Santak Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Santak Electronics Company Limited, Saturn Insurance Company Ltd., Scantronic Benelux B.V., Schreder-Hazemeyer, Scoremax Limited, Sefelec GmbH, Sefelec SAS, Semelec SAS, Senyuan International Holdings Limited, Senyuan International Investments Limited, Shinhwa Precision Co. Ltd., Shinhwa Takahashi Precision Co. Ltd., Silver Light International Limited, Silver Victory Hong Kong Limited, Standard Automation & Control LP, Sure Power Inc., TGM Automotiva, TT (Ireland) Acquisition Limited, Tai Ah Electrical Ltd., Taiwan Nittan Industrial Co. Ltd., Telkom Kenya, The MTL Instruments Group Limited, The Oxalis Protection Technology India Private Limited, Tractech, Tractech (Ireland) Limited, Tractech Industries (Ireland) Limted, Tripp Lite, Turlock B.V., Tuthill Coupling Group, U.S. Engine Valve Company, UPE Electronics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Ultronics, Ultronics Nordic Sales AB, Ulusoy, Vickers International Inc., Vickers Systems Limited, Viking Electronics Inc., WPI-Boston Division Inc., Winner Hydraulics Ltd., Wireless Power and Communications AS, Wright Line, Wright Line Holding Inc., Wright Line LLC, and Zhenjiang Daqo Eaton Electrical Systems Co. Ltd.. 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 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. Since then, ILF stock has increased by 8.8% and is now trading at $24.48. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Tahoe Resources Inc., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, explores for, develops, and operates mineral properties in the Americas. It explores for silver, gold, lead, zinc, and copper deposits, as well as precious metals assets. The company holds interest in the La Arena gold mine located in the Huamachuco district of northern Peru; Shahuindo mine located in the province of Cajabamba in northern Peru; and La Arena II, a copper-gold porphyry deposit located in Peru. It also holds interest in the Timmins mines, including the Bell Creek and Timmins West mines, the Fenn-Gib project, the Juby project, the Vogel project, and the Gold River project located in Timmins, Ontario. The company was formerly known as CKM Resources Inc. and changed its name to Tahoe Resources Inc. in January 2010. Tahoe Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Read More CANAL FULTON, Ohio Stark County dairy farmer Frank Burkett and Hills Supply employee Mick Heiby have purchased Hills Supply Inc., the well-known dairy supply company founded in 1979. The two partners completed their purchase of the company Nov. 1, 2018. The announcement comes just shy of two years since the unexpected death of owner David Hill and his wife, Shin, Dec. 1, 2016. Hills mother, Dolores, who was also active in the companys management, had died just two months prior to her son. Hills Supply sells dairy equipment and supplies in Ohio and the surrounding states, with locations in Canal Fulton, Williamsfield, Circleville and St. Marys. Our dairy customers have never been more important than they have been the past two years, said Heiby, who has been a member of the Hills Supply team since 2009, serving as a dairy hygiene specialist and account manager. Eight hundred customers stuck with us and made it a viable business. Thats who we owe everything to, the customers. They are the reason we do what we do. Were partners with them. About the owners Burkett is a fourth-generation dairyman and the managing partner of Clardale Farms in Stark County, Ohio, where they currently milk 695 head of Holstein cattle, raise replacements, and manage 900 acres of land for crop production. A close friend to David Hill, he has served as chairman of the Hills Supply transition team since Hills death. He is also the current president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Heiby was raised on a dairy farm in Mercer County, Ohio, and prior to joining Hills, he worked as a field representative for Milk Marketing, Inc. (now Dairy Farmers of America), was the farm inspection section head for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and vice president of agricultural banking at National City Bank. He was also a partner in several dairy operations including Dalwood Farms, and still owns some dairy cattle and his family shows dairy heifers. Time of change Both new owners say the current difficulties facing the dairy industry may have made them think twice about their decision, but it was never a deterrent. Clearly, even prior to this, my commitment to the dairy industry, as a dairy farmer, and at the Ohio Farm Bureau, has been unwavering, Burkett said. Even with struggles and consolidation, I see this as an opportunity to make sure dairy farm customers still have competitive choices. Im glad to be a piece of that, he added. I really am. Frank and I are both dairy producers at heart, Heiby said. Both partners said they plan to focus on technology upgrades to modernize the company, and focus on opportunities for improved internal efficiencies to be able to give customers a more competitive product. We do know that technology will lead the industry to next level, and were committed to training our people and bringing the technology to our dealership, Heiby said. We know we have to change, we know we have to be a little different, he added, but that dairy customer, and partnering with them, is what were all about. Meet the owners Hills Supply will host a series of meet and greet events in December where farmers can meet with the new owners, current staff and key vendors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each location. The dates and locations include: Dec. 17, Hosss Family Steak & Sea House, 1948 Leesburg-Grove City Road, Grove City, Pennsylvania; Dec. 18, Das Dutch Kitchen, 14278 East Lincolnway (U.S. Route 30), Dalton, Ohio; Dec. 19, Deer Creek Lodge, 22300 State Park Road 20, Mount Sterling, Ohio; Dec. 20, Romers Catering, 321 South Eastern Ave (state Route 118), St. Henry, Ohio; Dec. 21, Kahle Farms, 9351 County Road I-15 Ottawa, Ohio. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. All dairy producers are welcome to attend; RSVP via email to: Hannah@HillsSupply.com or call 330-854-5720. A farm worker has suffered serious injuries after becoming trapped under a tractor. The worker suffered the injuries after becoming trapped under his tractor in Nantwich, Cheshire on Saturday (17 November). A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: Fire crews worked with colleagues from the ambulance service to extricate him from underneath the vehicle. They used farm machinery, airbags and timber cribbing to assist with the rescue operation. The man had suffered serious injuries and, once freed, he was passed into the care of the ambulance service. Fire crews and paramedics worked together to free the farm worker from underneath the tractor. In total, crews were engaged in the operation for around one hour and 20 minutes. The incident follows a rural risk expert explaining how the farming industry should do more to protect worker health following a recent spate of industry related deaths. New figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that 33 people were killed in agriculture across Britain in 2017/18 three more on the previous year. These latest findings have further cemented agricultures reputation as the riskiest industry to work in, with it reporting the highest fatal injury rate around 18 times higher than the all industry rate. Of the 33 deaths in the agricultural sector, four were members of the public, two of which were children Farmers are urging the British public to keep their Christmas shopping local to show support for rural and farming businesses. The festive season is a time when British produce such as roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and traditional turkey are treasured. And while Christmas dinner is the cornerstone of Christmas Day, British agriculture has a far wider part to play this time of year with the provision of British trees, plants and beers, to name but a few. Today, British farmers' produce totals about 62% of the domestic food supply, and unions and farmers stress that by backing British farming, the country can become a more food secure nation. The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) is one organisation urging shoppers to help local, rural businesses this Christmas. FUW President, Glyn Roberts said: Speak to your local butcher about meat for the Christmas period and see what your local farm shop has to offer - I promise you will find many of the ingredients you need for your Christmas dinner right on your doorstep. A pound spent locally will go much further than a pound spent in a chain store and it keeps our rural economies going. By supporting our local businesses we dont help a CEO buy a third holiday home but we help a local mum and dad put food on the table, a family pay their mortgage, a little girl get those dance lessons and a little boy get his favourite team shirt. Last year, farmers took to social media on 1 December to showcase the best of British turkeys during the Christmas period. Messages, photos and videos were posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #BuyMyTurkey to remind the public to start thinking about the centrepiece of the Christmas dinner table. MPs have called on the Government to prioritise the development of co-operatives in farming as a means of creating a "more resilient" UK agricultural sector. A Labour Party amendment to the Agricultural Bill made on Thursday (15 November) looks to provide grant and loan funding to co-operatives and place a new duty on the Defra Secretary to promote the sectors expansion. At present, more than 140,000 British farmers are members and co-owners of over 400 agricultural co-operatives, with a combined turnover of 7.7bn. These organisations encompass all aspects of the supply chain from production to marketing, with profits either reinvested or returned to the farmer-owners. With Britains withdrawal from the EU likely to result in market shocks that leave small-scale, independent farmers particularly exposed, the amendments backers argue an expansion in the co-operative sector is the best way to safeguard the viability of British farming over the long-term. They argue that co-operatives already make a valuable contribution to UK agriculture by providing cost-savings, opportunities for farmers to share best practice and a means for them to retaining value throughout the supply chain. 'Fair and resilient' Commenting ahead of the Bill Committee, Labour MP and Shadow Defra Secretary, David Drew said co-operatives will create a "fairer" sector. Labours commitment to doubling the size of the co-operative sector is particularly important in farming, where co-operative models are key to tackling the commercialisation of our countryside, creating a fairer and more resilient sector, and ensuring consumers get good value, good quality British food in supermarkets, he said. This amendment puts a new duty on the government to promote and support co-operatives in British farming after Brexit. Andrew Barraclough, a dairy farmer in Cumbria who is one of Arla's 2,400 member-owners in the UK, said being a part of a co-operative means farmers receive a "fair price". Membership of a co-operative ensures that farmer owners receive a fair price and are helped to remain viable even in times of market uncertainty, Mr Barraclough said. Membership of Arla brings with it practical support and advice, and being a co-operative ensures the profits the company generates are retained by the farmers and shared equally among its farmer owners both here in Britain and abroad. He added: Steps to maintain and expand the role of co-operatives can only be a good thing for the long-term future of the agricultural economy in our country. Decline However, the number of farmer co-operatives operating in the UK has fallen for the fifth consecutive year, down to 420 from a 2014 high of 445. The number of farmer owners overall is also in decline, according to the Co-operative Economy published in June this year, with a drop of 2.6% to 142,999. This trend is in stark contrast with the UK's European neighbours and important farming nations further afield. The market share of the UKs farming co-operatives, at just 6%, is a fraction of other European Union nations including Germany (45%) and France (55%). A UK farmer-owned cooperative based in Suffolk has reported its highest ever annual turnover of 195 million. Fram Farmers Group, an inputs purchasing and crop marketing cooperative, reported record results at its Annual General Meeting. During the financial year to 30 June 2018, the cooperative achieved its highest-ever annual turnover, 195 million (179 million: 2016/2017). Purchasing turnover increased by 11.3% and included organic growth of 8%, which reflects the fact that members trusted the cooperative with an increasing percentage of their business. Fram Farmers pre-tax operating surplus increased to 201,000 (87,124 deficit: 2016/2017), while Framtrade Ltd, the Groups wholly-owned retail subsidiary which supplies oil and gas products to over 4,000 members of the public and small businesses, had an exceptional year, recording a pre-tax operating profit of 464,309 (266,567: 2016/2017). The combined 665,523 surplus (184,362: 2016/2017) was the highest in Fram Farmers 58-year history and will contribute to the cooperatives future development. Formed by 23 local farmers who first met in Framlingham, Suffolk on 17 March 1960, Fram Farmers remains a not-for-profit farmer-owned cooperative. Still based in the town, it now provides the purchasing, grain marketing and administrative function for more than 1,200 farming businesses who collectively farm over 270,000 hectares throughout the UK. Announcing the results, Richard Anscombe, Fram Farmers Chief Executive, stated: Even the largest farming businesses is unlikely to be able to replicate what we provide for a very cost-effective annual fee, and consequently members who are fully committed find that they are significantly better off sourcing all their farm inputs through us. We are continually benchmarking our performance against the market, and we look for ways to provide further benefits and add value to the service we provide." Mr Anscombe added: The Directors of Fram Farmers appreciate that choppy waters lie ahead as we approach Brexit and have considered the future for agriculture in detail. Appreciating that during uncertain times members need the comfort and security of belong to a cooperative that they can trust absolutely to act in their best interests, Fram Farmers is implementing a three-year business plan that will provide even greater benefits," he said. Mr Anscombe said the cooperative will now focus its attention on people under 40-years-old to bring about "future leaders" for Fram Farmers. The University of Glasgow has created its own brand of knitting yarn made with wool from sheep reared on its own farm. Cochno Wool is a wool in four colours natural, University blue, Thistle pink and Slate grey which will be sold through the University shop. The wool was sourced from the Scotch Mule sheep flock at the universitys Cochno Farm. In June last year, the university flock were sheared, and the fleeces were sent to the Natural Fibre Company for processing cleaning, carding, spinning and dying - in September. The idea is the brainchild of academics Professor Lynn Abrams and Dr Marina Moskowitz both keen knitters and historians of Scottish knitted textiles. Knitted textiles are an "important and recognisable" part of Scotlands heritage (Photo: UoG)) Professor Abrams, Head of the School of School of Humanities said: Knitted textiles are an important and very recognisable part of Scotlands heritage think Fair Isle jumpers and Sanquhar gloves and the knitwear factories of the Borders but they also make a significant contribution to the Scottish economy. Knitting is also back in fashion as part of the new interest, particularly amongst younger generations, in textile crafts. Our knitting wool is locally grown, meeting the desire amongst makers for materials with traceable provenance. The historians were inspired by their project on Scottish knitted textiles funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The project - Knitting in the Round; Hand-Knitted Textiles and the Economies of Craft in Scotland - has focused on themes of sustainability, creativity and authenticity and has collaborated with heritage organisations, knitwear designers and makers to better understand the historical antecedents of todays Scottish knitwear revival. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Priyanka Chopra 'Finishes' Nick Jonas In Mortal Kombat The screen clearly shows 'Finish Him' and Priyanka Chopra laid the last blow to Nick Jonas in Mortal Kombat. There is some sort of joy in winning video games and only true gamers will understand what we're talking about here. Jumping With Joy Right after Priyanka Chopra 'finished' Nick Jonas in Mortal Kombat, she is seen jumping and dancing all around with joy, as Nick Jonas is seen all stunned in his seat not able to digest his defeat. Priyanka Chopra Is So Competitive, Says Nick Jonas Nick Jonas shared the pictures on his Instagram handle congratulating Priyanka Chopra's win against him by saying, "Throwback to that time she kicked my ass in Mortal Kombat. Safe to say she's just a little competitive." Coming To Their Wedding! Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are all set to tie the knot, and the wedding kick-starts from November 30 to December 2, 2018. The wedding ceremony will be held at the Taj Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur and it would be a wedding to remember. Wedding To Be Held In Both Hindu & Christian Traditions Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding will be held in both Hindu and Christian traditions. While the Hindu wedding will be held in India, the Christian wedding will be held in the United States. We can't wait for their wedding day to arrive, folks! It's going to be incredible! Dulquer Salmaan is back to Mollywood after a short gap and as you all know, his next big release in Malayalam would be Oru Yamandan Premakadha, the shoot of which had commenced in the month of July. The actor, who was busy with the shoot of his next Bollywood movie The Zoya Factor, has joined the next schedule of shoot of Oru Yamandan Premakadha. Dulquer Salmaan himself took to his Facebook page to share his excitement on joining the shoot of Oru Yamandan Premakadha. He has also posted a few photos taken from the sets of the movie and has also introduced a person who had helped the team with the shoot. The Facebook post of Dulquer Salmaan regarding the same read as, "Utterly thrilled to restart Oru Yamandan Premakadha !! But it's such a fun happy and hilarious set that I feel like no time has passed between scheds ! Of course seen in the pic are the hilarious and heartwarming Salim Ettan, my machan Saubi and the wonderful Vishnu and Bibin ! If you're all wondering who the other fine gent right next to me is, he's one of the boatmen helping us with shoot ! And I kid you not, his name is Sputnik ! How epic a name is that ? He was born a year after Russia launched Sputnik 1 into orbit in '57. So his folks named him Sputnik. Was the highlight of my day !" Oru Yamandan Premakadha is being directed by debut film-maker BC Boufal. The film has its script penned by popular writer duo Vishnu Unnikrishnan and Bibin George. Popular Tamil actress Suja Varunee has tied the knot with Tamil actor Shivaji Dev, who is the grandson of legend Sivaji Ganesan. The due entered the wedlock today (November 19, 2018) and the wedding event was held in Chennai. Reportedly, both of them have been in a relationship since the past 11 years. The event was also attended by some of the top celebrities of the film industry. Shivaji Dev is the son of popular producer Ramkumar Ganesan, who is the elder son of Nadigar Thilagan Sivaji Ganesan. Shivaji Dev has acted in 3 Tamil movies so far and he made his debut in Kollywood with the movie Singakutty, released in the year 2018. On the other hand, Suja Varunee has worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam language films. She has acted in above 30 films so far. After beginning her career as a leading actress, she switched to supporting roles. Previously, she was seen in the movie Aan Devathai, which had hit the screens a couple of weeks ago. Suja Varunee was also one among the participants of the first season of the popular reality show Bigg Boss Tamil, hosted by Kamal Haasan. She had also appeared in the second season as a guest. Meanwhile, take a look at some of the celebrities who attended the event.. Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka & Bepannaah On Voot! Well, the shows are indeed going off air from the television. But because of their online popularity, the shows will continue to air on Voot. A source was quoted by India-forums as saying, "Both the shows will be going off air from the channels but due to their online popularity we hear that the channels have decided to shift the shows to their digital space Voot." Going Digital Depends On Harshad & Jennifer! On the other hand, Apurva Agnihotri, who plays the role of Rajveer on the show revealed to IWM, "The final decision of going online or not will happen only if lead actors Jennifer Winget and Harshad agree. And I am not privy to their thoughts as well." Shehzad Says... Shehzad Shaikh, who plays the role of Aditya's brother, Arjun Hooda, shared a picture and wrote, "Waiting on official news hope it all goes well #hopefull #bepanah #bepannaah #arjunhooda #arnoor." - (sic) Jen & Harshad Refuse To Be A Part Of The Show Post Extension! But a source was quoted by Bollywoodlife as saying, "Show's leads Harshad Chopda and Jennifer Winget have refused to be a part of the show post its extension on the digital platform. They have informed the channel about their decision that they don't wish to continue the show after it shifts." Talks Are Still On! The reason for the same is not known yet. Apparently, the talks are still on to convince them. The source added, "The final call is not taken yet, as the persuasion with the two actors are still going on." Well, let's hope that the actors agree to be part of Season 2! After a roller-coaster experience right from the day the pirated version of Taxiwala got leaked, the entire team was on the edge of its seat until Saturday. The movie has received average to good reviews from both the critics and audience, while the response has been heartwarming; thanks to both the sympathy factor of piracy and Vijay Deverakonda's stardom. Celebrities Support Many celebrities came in support of the young team and especially Vijay Devarakonda post the piracy controversy. Rebel Star Prabhas, Megapower Star Ram Charan and Tamil Star Suriya expressed their solidarity over Twitter. Success Meet The team of Taxiwala roamed a couple of places to embrace the affection displayed by the audience and fans and one such place was Arjun Theatre in Hyderabad. Producer SKN, Director Rahul, Heroine Priyanka and Hero Vijay Devarakonda grabbed the microphone and offered unconditional thanks to the audience. Vijay's Party The rowdy boy raved about the love and affection showered by the audience and stated that he was indebted to their response. As a token of acknowledgement and giving back to the audience set, VD offered them to pamper their taste-buds in the theatre's canteen as much as their stomach demands and said that the bills would be borne by the team of Taxiwala. This is the first time in the history of cinema where an actor was seen being so cool and interactive though there have been many theatre promotions in the past. Strong Day 1 Response The first day was huge overall in terms of the box-office pull, as the movie grossed over 10 crore. Taxiwala achieved a break even in the overseas market on the very first day itself, as it was sold at a very nominal price while the domestic territory was an own release from the production house and hence, it doesn't quite qualify for statistical analysis. VIENNA, November 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "A remarkable achievement -- the result of a 20 year-long effort" A listening post in Antarctica -- the last of 21 Australian monitoring facilities -- has been certified to become part of an active system girdling the planet to detect nuclear weapon tests. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786474/CTBTO_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/784127/CTBTO_nuclear_test_monitoring_stations.jpg ) TV B-roll and still photos are available: https://bit.ly/2RYdj3v Map of Australian monitoring facilities: https://bit.ly/2DqoVc7 Map of global monitoring network: http://www.ctbto.org/fileadmin/content/reference/outreach/ims_mapfront.pdf "It is a remarkable achievement by Australia. All 21 monitoring facilities located on its territories are now complete and sending reliable, high-quality data to our international data centre in Vienna, Austria, for analysis," Dr. Lassina Zerbo, head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), a UN related body, said. (Map and details of Australian monitoring facilities here: https://bit.ly/2DqoVc7). Australia's infrasound station "IS03" in Davis Base, Antarctica, is one of nearly 300 certified stations of the CTBT monitoring system, feeling and sniffing the Earth for any signs of a nuclear explosion. The global system will comprise 337 facilities when complete. "The monitoring stations in Australia cover a large expanse of the Southern hemisphere. They are strategically positioned to contribute significantly to the International Monitoring System (IMS) detection and location capability. All six nuclear tests by North Korea were clearly detected by Australia's IMS seismic stations," Zerbo said. "Australia ranks third among countries hosting the largest number of monitoring facilities. It covers all four technologies used for nuclear test detection. Some of the stations are located in particularly remote and inaccessible areas of the Earth, such as Antarctica. This has been a 20 year-long joint effort by CTBTO and Australia and is truly an extraordinary achievement," Zerbo said. To mark the occasion, Geoscience Australia is hosting an event attended by Zerbo, high-level officials and key national scientists working in nuclear non-proliferation taking place in Canberra on Tuesday 20 November 2018. An extensive monitoring network The CTBTO's global monitoring network captures four types of data: vibrations through the ground and in water - seismic and hydroacoustic; sound beyond the range of the human ear and detection of radioactive particles - infrasound and radionuclide. The network guards against violations of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) banning nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere: in the atmosphere, underwater and underground. "Geoscience Australia is proud to support the Australian Government's commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty," James Johnson, chief executive officer of Geoscience Australia said. The global network detects nuclear tests with high reliability. For example, on 3 September 2017, over 100 stations in the network detected and alerted Member States to North Korea's last announced nuclear test. Public safety and scientific insights Currently, the global network collects some 15 gigabytes of data daily, which it sends in real-time to the CTBTO's data analysis centre in Vienna. From there, a daily analysis report is sent to the CTBTO's 184 Member States for their own use and analysis. "Real-time data from the seismic stations of the Treaty monitoring system are used by the National Earthquake Alerts Centre at Geoscience Australia to detect earthquakes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Johnson said. "The Treaty monitoring system assists Geoscience Australia in fulfilling its role within the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (operated by Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology) to detect potentially tsunami-causing earthquakes in the Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans," Johnson said. Other uses of data from the Australian IMS stations include: Detecting and tracking radioactive releases from nuclear and radiological accidents or incidents, Detecting and locating meteorites, Giving an insight into explosive volcanic eruptions, and Tracking the migratory habits and the effects of climate change on marine life. Background The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions everywhere, by everyone, and for all times. The CTBTO has established an International Monitoring System to ensure that no nuclear explosion goes undetected. Currently, 296 certified facilities - of a total of 337 when complete - are operating around the world. The data registered by the IMS can also be used for disaster mitigation such as earthquake monitoring, tsunami warning, and the tracking of the levels and dispersal of radioactivity from nuclear accidents. www.ctbto.org HERZLIYA, Israel, Nov. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- vHive, the developer of a cloud-based software solution that enables enterprises to deploy autonomous drone hives to digitize their field operations and assets, announced today the enhancement of its fully automated workflow for cell tower inspection using drones to also support guy wire towers. "Millions of cell towers worldwide require ongoing inspection and surveying as part of their ongoing operations," said vHive CTO Tomer Daniel. "vHive's solution has already enabled telecom companies to perform thousands of autonomous tower surveys. vHive now addresses the complexities of autonomously surveying guy towers. Our ability to intelligently orchestrate one or many drones to acquire data on complex structures such as cell towers, bridges and cranes has enabled us to provide ground breaking solutions to unmet industry needs." "vHive enables enterprises to scale their drone operations," said vHive CEO Yariv Geller. "vHive's solution uniquely empowers field technicians to fly autonomous, off-the-shelf drones, generating data in a fraction of the time and cost required by human operators. vHive enables true enterprise scale while enhancing employee safety." vHive provides solutions to companies in a variety of industries ranging from telecom towers, to rail, bridges and civil engineering. vHive enables tower companies and mobile network operators to gain intelligence on their infrastructure by capturing field data in minimal time and generating 2D and 3D tower models to visualize, analyze and share. Safely handling the complexity of autonomous flight and data acquisition in a guy wire tower environment further enhances the company's solution for the telecom industry, enabling customers to address a variety of asset types that they need to digitize. vHive's solution will be demonstrated at TowerXchange Asia in Singapore between December 4-5th. About vHive vHive is the developer of cloud-based AI that enables enterprises to operate autonomous drone hives for the acquisition, management and processing of field data. vHive's Mission AI uniquely enables organizations in a variety of industries such as infrastructure, telecom, rail and civil engineering to scale their drone operations. To learn more: www.vHive.ai or try@vHive.ai Contact: Yariv Geller, CEO vHive info@vHive.ai DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Newgen Software, a provider of Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), and Customer Communication Management (CCM) platforms, today announced its participation as a gold partner at Digital Saudi 2030. Newgen will showcase a wide range of its digital solutions which will help organizations to reinvent their workplace across industries, including banks, Governments, BPO's & IT Companies, Insurance Firms and Healthcare Organizations. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676258/Newgen_Logo.jpg ) "The business landscape in India is being shaped by a number of strategic trends and technologies today. It is imperative for enterprises to be faster than the fastest, agile and enhance customer delight. Our solutions transform businesses by innovatively connecting systems, processes, people & things," said Diwakar Nigam, Chairman and Managing Director, Newgen Software. Attend the open discussion by Newgen experts on 19th November on 'Get the Expert Opinion: Digital leaders discuss the transformative power of digital technology' from 12.10-12.50 pm Saudi time. Explore Newgen's innovative solutions to create higher business volumes by leveraging technologies- Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Analytics, and Cloud. The RPA suite is a core component of BPM. Businesses can leverage the technology to free up the bandwidth of knowledge workers and drive continuous process improvement. By harnessing RPA capabilities, organizations can streamline their overall processes and witness the improved business performance in a cost-efficient manner. Listen to Prashant Sahai, Business Head- Middle East, Newgen Software, talk about 'Digital Imperative of Lending - Challenges to amalgamate Security, Technology, Speed and Risk' on 20th November from 1.00-1.25 pm Saudi time. Newgen's solutions offer a Configurable Unified Platform, build on BPM and ECM, to cater to the needs of a technologically evolving enterprises. The solutions create a platform where businesses can speed enable their knowledge workers contributing to digital processes anytime and anywhere. The event will be held from 19th-20thNovember 2018 at Fairmont Riyadh, KSA. About Newgen Newgen Software Technologies Limited is a provider of Business Process Management, Enterprise Content Management and Customer Communication Management platforms with large, mission-critical solutions deployed at world's leading banks, Governments, BPO's & IT Companies, Insurance firms and Healthcare Organizations. For more information, please visit https://newgensoft.com Connect with us: Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter Watch our videos on YouTube Media Contact: Asif Khan asif.khan@newgensoft.com BARCELONA, Spain, November 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The city of Singapore has been chosen as the Smart City of 2018 at the Smart City Expo World Congress during a gala to reward the most outstanding initiatives and projects in the urban innovation and transformation industry. The Smart Nation project to transform the Asian city-state into a global benchmark of smart urban solutions through a wide array of solutions - from dynamic public bus routing algorithms to real-time parent-teacher portals, or even predictive analytics for water pipe leaks- has earned the city the title. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/659718/Fira_Barcelona_Logo.jpg ) (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713858/Smart_City_Expo_World_Congress__Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786132/Smart_City_Awards.jpg ) The 2018 edition of Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the smart cities summit organized by Fira de Barcelona, closed its eighth edition after shattering all previous records. During three days the event has brought together over 700 cities from the five continents, 844 exhibitors, over 400 speakers and more than 21,000 attendees, a 17% more than in 2017. The event has been held together with Iwater, the show on the integrated water cycle, the second Smart Mobility Congress, the Sharing Cities Summit, The C40 Talks, and the Digital Future Society forum organized jointly with the Mobile World Capital Barcelona. For the event's director, Ugo Valenti, 2018 has, "set new frontiers for Smart City Expo World Congress and because this year we focused on the transformation of current metropolises into more livable environments, the growth experienced encourages us andthe urban innovation community too to persevere in this direction." "It is clearer than ever that it is our responsibility, both individually and collectively, to capitalize on the tools we've seen these days in Barcelona to transform our cities and make them the best possible places for us and the generations to come," Valenti added. The show gathered some of the leading experts on urban innovation amongst which are Rufus Pollock, economist and founder of Open Knowledge International; Andrew Keen, economist and author of How to fix the Future and Cult of the Amateur; Victor Pineda, social development scholar and disability rights advocate; and Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker and economist Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. But SCEWC also brought together top companies within industry like Alstom, Bosch, Cellnex, Cisco, Dassault, Deloitte, FCC, Ferrovial, FiWare, Hexagon, Huawei, Indra, Mastercard, McKinsey, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom, Engie, Mshereib Properties, Nec, Ntt, SAP, Siemens, Suez and Urbaser. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. National Philanthropic Trust UK's report reveals DAFs as fast-growing giving vehicle. DAFs account for 4.7 per cent of individual giving in UK. The 2018 UK Donor-Advised Fund Report reveals grants from donor-advised fund (DAF) accounts to qualified charities grew 15 per cent to a record 319.2, increasing the payout rate to 30 per cent. Contributions reached an all-time high, increasing 36 per cent to 481.1 million, with total charitable assets rising 24 per cent to 1.3 billion. DAFs have become one of the fastest growing giving vehicles, used by philanthropists in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia. First established in the UK in the 1970's, DAFs are a philanthropic vehicle that function much like a charitable savings account and are sponsored by a charitable organisation. Donors make an irrevocable charitable contribution to their DAF account, receive immediate tax relief and then recommend grants from their DAF over time. National Philanthropic Trust UK (NPTUK) publishes the UK Donor-Advised Fund Report annually as a public service to provide insight into the growing area of UK DAF philanthropy. "The report's findings reaffirm DAFs are the modern tool of philanthropy in the UK," said John Canady, CEO of National Philanthropic Trust UK. "DAF sponsors take care of the compliance, management and administration, enabling donors to focus on giving, be it in the UK or around the world. Contributions to DAFs, all of which are destined for charitable purposes, have grown 142 per cent since 2013. Advisors, including lawyers and accountants, are recognizing and recommending DAFs because they eliminate many of the burdens of operating a separate charitable entity. Advisors' adoption of DAFs has contributed to their historic growth." 2018 UK Donor-Advised Fund Report Key Findings For the fifth year, there were record benchmarks in every key data point. Charitable assets in DAF accounts totalled more than 1.32 billion in 2017, a 24 per cent increase compared to 1.06 billion in 2016. This represents the fastest year-over-year growth in the last five years. The increase is a result of both contributions and gains from investment returns. Grants from DAFs to charitable organisations totalled 319.2 million, a 15 per cent increase compared to 276.9 million in 2016. This is the largest total grant amount in the last five years. Contributions to DAF accounts totalled 481.1 million, a 36 per cent increase compared to 353.6 million in 2016. This is an all-time high and represents a faster growth rate than previous years. "Beyond financial contributions, we are seeing donations of private equity interests and other illiquid assets," said Canady. "Last year we saw donors convert these complex assets into mission-critical funding for youth art programs, and aid for families in war-torn countries." The complete 2018 UK Donor-Advised Fund Report is available with no charge or login requirement at NPTUK.org/philanthropic-resources and upon request. Data credit: National Philanthropic Trust UK, NPTUK.org. Methodology This report examined nine charities registered at the Charity Commission of England and Wales that sponsor donor-advised funds. The primary source for each sponsor is the organisation's Annual Report filed with the Charity Commission of England and Wales. More about methodology may be found in the report. About NPTUK Founded in 2013, National Philanthropic Trust UK is a London-based, UK-registered charity dedicated to increasing philanthropy in society by providing philanthropic expertise to donors, financial institutions, foundations and charities. NPTUK administers donor-advised fund giving vehicles to donors who wish to manage their giving over time and designated funds for donors who wish to make one-time gifts. NPTUK is affiliated with National Philanthropic Trust, one of the largest grantmaking institutions in the United States. NPT annually publishes the most comprehensive data on the US donor-advised fund sector in the Donor-Advised Fund Report. Additional information at NPTUK.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005348/en/ Contacts: For National Philanthropic Trust UK Richard Virgilio enquiries@npt-uk.org +44 (0)800 133 7540 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / Trxade Group, Inc., (OTCQB: TRXD) the trusted B2B market place for 9,300 registered independent pharmacy customers that enables its customers to quickly source and purchase pharmaceuticals, accessories and services from a wide range of manufacturers and drug distributors today announced that it will be presenting at the 11th annual LD Micro Main Event on Thrusday, December 6th at 8:00 AM/ PST / 11:00/AM EST. Suren Ajjarapu, Chairman/CEO will be giving the presentation and meeting with investors. "Internally, our entire year leads up to the Main Event. It has become the 'one thing' everyone in the small and micro-cap world knows us for. Also, free mints" stated Chris Lahiji, while enjoying a mint. "Even though LD has emerged as one of the largest and most influential organizations in the space, our focus has never deviated from showcasing some of the most interesting businesses in the world to our ever-growing community." The LD Micro Main Event will take place December 4th, 5th, and 6th, in Los Angeles at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel, will feature 250 companies, and will be attended by over 1,200 individuals. View Trxade Group's profile here: https://www.ldmicro.com/profile/TRXD Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of Accesswire About Trxade Group, Inc. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Trxade Group, Inc. (OTCQB: TRXD) is a B2B market platform that enables trade among healthcare buyers and sellers of pharmaceuticals, accessories and services. Founded in 2010, Trxade Group currently operates the trading platform with 9300 registered members. For additional information please visit us at http://www.trxadegroup.com. http://www.trxade.com http://www.delivmeds.com. About LD Micro LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. The firm hosts several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event). In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and micro-cap universe. For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information. Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Christi Justi 800-261-0281 Ext 1011 cjusti@trxade.com SOURCE: Trxade Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/528317/Trxade-Group-Inc-to-Present-at-the-11th-Annual-LD-Micro-Main-Event 2018 In Brief Positive Pre-Clinical Trial Results on Leukemia CAR-T Cell Therapy Development Successful Toxicity Tests on Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Acquired 6,060 Square Meters Land for Biosimilar Manufacturing Facilities Completed OTC Listing Signed Strategic Agreements with Research Partners Expanded the Board of Directors Established the BioCure Advisory Board Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 19, 2018) - Biocure Technology Inc. (CSE: CURE) (OTCQB: BICTF) (the "Company" or "Biocure") is pleased to provide a shareholders' update on its operations. Purchased land for manufacturing facilities In order to expand our R&D and manufacturing center Biocure entered into a land purchase agreement with Korea Land & Housing Corp. (KLHC), a state-run land and housing development company in Korea, for the acquisition of a 6,060-square-metre industrial usage parcel. The purpose of the land purchase is to provide space for manufacturing facilities of the Company's biosimilar products as well as CAR T-Cell products under the announced joint venture with Pharos Vaccine Inc. KLHC plans to complete land formation work by the end of 2019 with architecture design and construction for the manufacturing facilities following. New Advisory Board To strengthen our overall profile an advisory committee was formed. The committee will support the management in advancing the Company. The Company welcomed Jae Soo Shin, Heon Ju Lee and Hyun Soo Lee to the Biocure team. Their combined expertise and experience will be a great asset in advancing the Company and helping bridge the business in Korea to North America. Bringing such an experienced advisory committee to Biocure will allow management to benefit from an extensive depth of medical knowledge and industry-focused strategic thinking. Entered into an agreement with Osong HI-Tech Medical Industry Promotion Foundation During the year the Company entered into a contract with Osong Hi-Tech Medical Industry Promotion Foundation for non-clinical biodistribution tests of anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. This is a prerequisite to making an investigational new drug (IND) application to the Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA), and non-clinical toxicity tests in nudemice will be performed by the contractor. In addition, BiocurePharm has commissioned CdmoGen Co. Ltd. to produce master cell bank (MCB) for the production of lentiviral vectors for clinical trials of anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. OTC Listing In order to expand our investor base, a secondary listing on the OTC Markets was undertaken and trading began on OTCQB under the symbol BICTF. The OTCQB listing will enable Biocure Technology to efficiently provide US investors with current information, greater visibility and allow the Company to expand its U.S. investor base. Completed interferon beta 1b toxicity testing The Company successfully implemented the preclinical trial of interferon beta 1b and were pleased to update our shareholders on its progress. We completed most of the toxicity testing and have developed MCB (master cell bank) and WCB (working cell bank). Currently, BP Korea is in the middle of an in vivo potency test. We have already produced 35,000 vials of interferon beta 1b for its preclinical trial and stability test at the GMP manufacturing facility in Korea. We do expect the preclinical trial to be completed by the end of Q1 2019 and will advance to clinical trial in Q3 2019. Strengthen the board of directors In order to diversify and strengthen our board of directors we welcomed Dr. Hans Frykman as our new director of Biocure Technology Inc. Dr. Frykman is the current medical director of Neurocode Labs in Vancouver and UBC Diagnostic Services lab. Dr. Frykman has a medical degree from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, a PhD in biocatalysis at Royal Institute of Technology, and postgraduate medical training from Karolinska University Hospital Solna Campus, Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, Memorial Sloan Kettering and University of British Columbia in the areas of internal medicine, oncology, clinical pathology, molecular genetics and medical biochemistry. CAR-T Pre Clinical Trial results This is the first breakthrough milestone achieved in Korea and serves as a pre-requisite by Korea FDA (KFDA) for proceeding to an IND (Investigation of a New Drug) application. The trial results demonstrated and confirmed no toxicity was found on 7th and 28th days from the injection of reengineered CAR-T cells into a immuno deficient mouse. The study further showed encouraging results as no toxicity symptoms have risen from the high-volume injection. We believe these to be strong indicators for the next phase clinical trials. The trial, first of its kind in the history of Korea, is a result of a wide Korean scientific collaboration. BioCure has performed the trial via its wholly owned subsidiary BiocurePharm in collaboration with Pharos Vaccine with the assistance of Osong Medical Innovation Foundations as the trial CRO (Contract Research Organization) and Croen Corp. who led the toxicity tests under GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) standards. We have successfully completed the safety test of a Biodistribution analysis study and toxicity study for single dose intravenous injection as per the Korea FDA guidelines. This milestone allows us to advance into the actual production of anti-CD19 CAR-T Cell for a clinical trial and we have already contracted CdmoGen Co. Ltd. and Master Cell Bank to produce a Lentiviral Vector under GMP standards necessary for advancing to the next stage of CAR-T Cell based clinical trials. About Biocure Biocure is a South Korean based Bio Pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and potential commercialization of biosimilar pharmaceutical products. Biocure is in the process of pre- clinical trials of five major biosimilar products in South Korea, including Interferon Beta 1b, PEG- Filgrastim and Ranibizumab as well as CAR-T Cell Therapy. Interferon Beta 1b is used for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis ("MS") Filgrastim is used to treat neutropenia, a lack of certain white blood cells caused by bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and other conditions. Ranibizumab is used for treating macular degeneration. It is also used to treat a type of eye problem known as macular edema, as well as certain eye problems caused by diabetes. Biocure is also developing a foot and mouth disease vaccine, a hair growth production product and a breast cancer detection kit. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS /S/ "SANG MOK LEE" CEO and Director For further information, please contact: Biocure Technology Inc. Telephone: 604-609-7149, or Rebecca Greco Investor Relations (416) 822-6483 Certain statements in this news release, which are not historical in nature, constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under applicable Canadian securities law. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements or information concerning the Company's proposed activities under the Agreement and the expectations of the Company regarding funding payments due pursuant to the Agreement. These statements reflect management's current assumptions and expectations and by their nature are subject to certain underlying assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. News Story not available This story has been published on: 2021-11-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. Give Her the Gift of Healing -- New Year Brings Women's Healing Retreat Back to Tampa TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 19, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Back by popular demand, the Women of Grace apostolate is joining hands with popular Retreat Facilitator Carol Marquardt to offer women a powerful weekend of healing and revitalization on January 19-20, 2019 in Tampa/Oldsmar, Florida. "Bloom Who You Are: Lights Shining in the Darkness, A Healing Retreat," will be held at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Tampa/Oldsmar and features Mass, Adoration, Confession, reflection time, a healing service, and individual ministry by prayer teams. Speakers include Fr. Richard "Father Mac" McAlear, OMI, of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate whose gift of healing has brought hope and restoration to thousands around the world. Johnnette Benkovic, author, EWTN host, and founder of the co-sponsor of this retreat, Women of Grace, a Catholic apostolate for women, will lend her powerful insights to attendees. Retreat co-sponsor, Carol Marquardt, author of The Sound of His Voice and Our Fiat and founder of the Mantle of Mary Association, will offer her Spirit-filled guidance on how to listen and respond to the voice of God in today's chaotic world. Judy Landrieu Klein, Catholic theologian, speaker, widow . . . and newlywed . . . will speak about the power of a mother's prayers, Mary's intercession, and cultivating hope in our brokenness. Talented musician Susan Potvin of Living Praise Worship Team, who has spent the last 30 years bringing her passion for Jesus Christ to people of all ages, will also be with us. This year's event will offer two optional tracks: a SMILE leadership track offered on January 18 by retired psychotherapist, Denise Dolff, will help women learn how to bring their gift of spiritual maternity into our hurting world; a Young Women of Grace day-long retreat will be held on Saturday to teach girls about their feminine genius and how to use it to thrive in today's culture. The retreat costs $130 and includes lunch and dinner on Saturday. Rooms are being held at the Hampton Inn and Suites in the name of "Bloom Who You Are Retreat." Hurry. Reservation deadline is January 3. If you need healing, inspiration, or just a weekend of refreshment in the company of like-minded women, join us for an event that will leave you energized and ready to take on whatever the New Year brings. Peter Pauli to resign from the Gurit Board of Directors Zurich, Switzerland, November 19, 2018- Gurit (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) today announces that Peter Pauli has decided to resign from the Board of Directors of Gurit Holding AG at the end of the current statutory term of office in 2019. Peter Pauli has informed the Board of Directors that he will resign from the Board of Directors of Gurit Holding AG after the 2019 ordinary Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and thus will not run for reelection. Peter has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Gurit Holding AG since April 23, 2012. "It has been a pleasure to have served as a member of the Board of Directors of Gurit Holding AG and I am proud to have done so with such a dedicated and highly qualified team. I am convinced that Gurit will continue on its path to grow sustainably and globally as a leading and innovative Swiss technology company," says Peter Pauli. The Gurit Board of Directors and Management would like to cordially thank Peter for his dedication and contribution to Gurit throughout all these years and wish him all the best. The proposals to the ordinary 2019 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for the succession of Peter in the Board of Gurit Holding AG will be communicated in due course. About Gurit: The companies of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) are specialized on the development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, related technologies and select finished parts and components. The comprehensive product range comprises fibre reinforced prepregs, structural core products, gel coats, adhesives, resins and consumables. Gurit supplies global growth markets with composite materials on the one hand and composite tooling equipment, core material wind turbine blade kits, structural engineering and select finished parts on the other. The global Group has production sites and offices in Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, the U.K., Turkey, Canada, the U.S.A., Ecuador, New Zealand, India and China. For more information, please visit www.gurit.com Gurit Group Communications Tanja Moehler T +41 44 316 15 55 tanja.moehler@gurit.com www.gurit.com (http://www.gurit.com/) All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Forward-looking statements: To the extent that this announcement contains forward-looking statements, such statements are based on assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Forward-looking statements always involve uncertainties. Business and economic risks and developments, the conduct of competitors, political decisions and other factors may cause the actual results to be materially different from the assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Therefore, Gurit Holding AG does not assume any responsibility relating to forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. Important appointments within L'Oreal's Executive Committee Clichy, 19 November 2018 - L'Oreal announces important appointments within the Group's Executive Committee. Appointment of Christophe Babule as Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer Christophe Babule is appointed Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer and member of L'Oreal's Executive Committee as of mid-February 2019. He succeeds Christian Mulliez who after 17 years as Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer, and 36 years in the Group, has expressed his desire to take a step back from his professional activity for personal reasons. Christian Mulliez will accompany Christophe Babule in his new role until he leaves L'Oreal end-April 2019, and will handover his operational responsibilities to Christophe Babule after the annual financial analysts meeting in February 2019. Christophe Babule will report directly to Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Christophe has spent his career with L'Oreal, which he joined in 1988 after his studies at HEC Paris. He spent 7 years in the Luxury Division in Italy before moving to Asia, first based in France for the zone, and subsequently as Director of Administration & Finance based in China. In 2007, he was appointed Administration & Financial Director for Mexico. In 2010, he returned to France to join Christian Mulliez's Executive Committee as Director of Internal Audit for nearly 5 years. Afterwards he was appointed to his current position as Administration & Financial Director for the Asia Pacific Zone based in Shanghai and then in Hong Kong. Jean-Paul Agon said "I would like to thank Christian Mulliez and express my gratitude for his outstanding commitment and important contribution to L'Oreal's success during all these years. Thanks to his high level of expertise and his personal qualities, we have built teams of very high standard all over the world. We wish him every success in his new life. We are pleased to welcome Christophe Babule to the Executive Committee who brings us his significant experience of financial management and deep knowledge of business and Asia." Appointment of Cyril Chapuy as President L'Oreal Luxe Cyril Chapuy is appointed President L'Oreal Luxe and member of the Group's Executive Committee as of 1 January 2019. He will succeed Nicolas Hieronimus appointed Deputy CEO in charge of Divisions on 20 April 2017. Cyril Chapuy will report to Nicolas Hieronimus. After joining L'Oreal Paris as Product Manager in 1993, Cyril Chapuy led an international career. Starting at LaScad and then becoming head of Marketing of Gemey Maybelline France, he was appointed General Manager of the Consumer Products Division in Brazil. From 2005 to 2010, he was President of Maybelline in New York and then took up the same role for L'Oreal Paris, the Group's leading brand. In 2017 he was appointed Deputy General Manager L'Oreal Luxe, in charge of International Brands. Nicolas Hieronimus said "Together with Jean-Paul Agon, we are pleased to welcome Cyril Chapuy to the Executive Committee. Throughout his career within brands and internationally, Cyril has demonstrated a strong added value on product development, great strategic and marketing skills as well as a sense of image in the digital era. These are major assets in the pursuit of L'Oreal Luxe's success." About L'Oreal L'Oreal has devoted itself to beauty for over 100 years. With its unique international portfolio of 34 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 26.02 billion euros in 2017 and employs 82 600 people worldwide. As the world's leading beauty company, L'Oreal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and e-commerce. Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3 885 people, are at the core of L'Oreal's strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. L'Oreal's sustainability commitment for 2020 "Sharing Beauty With All" sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group's value chain. For more information: http://mediaroom.loreal.com/en/ (http://mediaroom.loreal.com/en/) "This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our Internet site www.loreal-finance.com (http://www.loreal-finance.com). This news release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although the Company considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by their nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements." This a free translation into English of the Sales at 30 September 2018 news release issued in the French language and is provided solely for the convenience of English-speaking readers. In case of discrepancy, the French version prevails. Contacts at L'Oreal (switchboard: +33 1 47 56 70 00) Individual shareholders and market authorities Mr Jean Regis CAROF Tel: +33 1 47 56 83 02 jean-regis.carof@loreal.com (mailto:jean-regis.carof@loreal.com) Financial analysts and Institutional investors Mrs Francoise LAUVIN Tel: +33 1 47 56 86 82 francoise.lauvin@loreal.com (mailto:francoise.lauvin@loreal.com) Journalists Mrs Stephanie CARSON-PARKER Tel: +33 1 47 56 76 71 stephanie.carsonparker@loreal.com (mailto:stephanie.carsonparker@loreal.com) For more information, please contact your bank, broker or financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR0000120321), and consult your usual newspapers, the Internet site for shareholders and investors - www.loreal-finance.com (http://www.loreal-finance.com) - or the L'Oreal Finance app, alternatively, call +33 1 40 14 80 50. www.loreal.com (http://www.loreal.com) - Follow us on Twitter @loreal (https://twitter.com/Loreal) Read the news release of 19 November 2018 (http://hugin.info/136480/R/2226243/873597.pdf) This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: L'OREAL via Globenewswire General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been notified that the Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to begin negotiations with the U.S. Government to acquire the MQ-9B SkyGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005658/en/ "We look forward to providing our unmanned aircraft systems to meet Belgium's mission requirements, while also supporting the NATO Alliance," said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. "We are also eager to work with our industrial partners in Belgium on a host of activities ranging from manufacturing to maintenance." (Photo: Business Wire) "We look forward to providing our unmanned aircraft systems to meet Belgium's mission requirements, while also supporting the NATO Alliance," said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. "We are also eager to work with our industrial partners in Belgium on a host of activities ranging from manufacturing to maintenance." MQ-9B is the latest generation of GA-ASI's multi-mission Predator B fleet. GA-ASI named its baseline MQ-9B aircraft SkyGuardian and the maritime surveillance variant SeaGuardian. MQ-9B is the result of a five-year company-funded effort to deliver an unmanned aircraft system that can operate in non-segregated, civil airspace, which meets the stringent airworthiness type-certification requirements of NATO STANAG 4671. To highlight these capabilities in support of the celebration of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force 100th anniversary (RAF100) in July, SkyGuardian became the first Medium-altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) UAS to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. The system features >40 hour endurance, all-weather, short-field, self-deployment (through SATCOM controlled automatic take-off and landing), and "detect-and-avoid" capabilities. SkyGuardian has also been selected by the Royal Air Force for its PROTECTOR RG Mk1 program. High-resolution photos of MQ-9B SkyGuardian are available to qualified media outlets from the listed GA-ASI media contact. About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator, Reaper and Gray Eagle UAS programs of record and the LynxMulti-mode Radar. With more than five million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, multi-mission capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight, enabling situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com. Predator, Reaper, and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005658/en/ Contacts: GA-ASI Media Relations Melissa Haynes General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. +1 (858) 524-8101 ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com Pacific Drilling S.A. (OTC: PACDQ) (the "Company") announced that effective today the Company and certain of its affiliated chapter 11 debtors have emerged from bankruptcy after successfully completing restructuring transactions pursuant to their chapter 11 plan of reorganization (the "Plan"). In connection with emergence from bankruptcy, the Company raised $1.5 billion in gross proceeds in new capital, consisting of $1.0 billion of new secured notes and $500 million of equity. Pursuant to the Plan, the Company equitized approximately $1.85 billion in pre-petition debt associated with the Company's Term Loan B, 2017 Notes and 2020 Notes, and paid in full approximately $1.2 billion of debt related to its pre-petition senior secured credit facility, revolving credit facility and the post-petition debtor-in-possession financing. Customer, employee and ordinary trade claims were unimpaired. The Plan has strengthened the Company's balance sheet by significantly reducing its leverage and enhancing its liquidity, with approximately $400 million in cash upon emergence and no debt maturities until late 2023, positioning the Company to take advantage of its dedicated, high-specification deepwater drillship fleet in anticipation of an improving market for offshore drilling services. Following a reverse stock split and the issuances of common shares in connection with the Plan, the Company has approximately 75.0 million shares outstanding. The Company's shares prior to the Company's emergence from the Chapter 11 proceedings have been diluted such that they represent in the aggregate less than 0.003% of the Company's outstanding shares. Any questions regarding distributions pursuant to the Plan should be directed to the Company's claims agent, Prime Clerk, at the numbers provided below. The Company was principally advised by Togut, Segal Segal LLP and Jones Walker LLP. In accordance with the Plan, a newly constituted Board of Directors of the Company was appointed, consisting of W. Matt Ralls (Chairman), Bernie G. Wolford Jr. and David Weinstein as Class A Directors and Daniel Han, Donald Platner and Kiran Ramineni as Class B Directors. In addition, the Company announced today that Bernie G. Wolford Jr. has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Wolford succeeds Paul T. Reese, who served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company since August 2017. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Wolford served as Senior Vice President Operations of Noble Corporation ("Noble") since February 2012 and Vice President Operational Excellence from March 2010 to February 2012. Mr. Wolford began his career in the offshore drilling industry with Transworld Drilling Company in 1981, which was subsequently acquired by Noble. "On behalf of the Board and the entire Company, I want to thank Paul for his service and contributions to the Company, especially during the reorganization. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors," said W. Matt Ralls, Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors. Additional information regarding the Company's new capital structure and restructuring details can be found at the Company's restructuring website at www.pacificdrilling.com/restructuring, in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.pacificdrilling.com/investor-relations/sec-filings, and via the Company's restructuring information line at +1 866-396-3566 (Toll Free) or +1 646-795-6175 (International Number). About Pacific Drilling With its best-in-class drillships and highly experienced team, Pacific Drilling is committed to becoming the industry's preferred high-specification, deepwater drilling contractor. Pacific Drilling's fleet of seven drillships represents one of the youngest and most technologically advanced fleets in the world. Pacific Drilling has its principal offices in Luxembourg and Houston. For more information about Pacific Drilling, including our current Fleet Status, please visit our website at www.pacificdrilling.com. Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and information contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are generally identifiable by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "our ability to," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "potential," "projected," "should," "will," "would," or other similar words, which are generally not historical in nature. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our forward-looking statements express our current expectations or forecasts of possible future results or events, including our future financial and operational performance and cash balances; revenue efficiency levels; market outlook; forecasts of trends; future client contract opportunities; contract dayrates; business strategies and plans and objectives of management; estimated duration of client contracts; backlog; expected capital expenditures; projected costs and savings; and the potential impact of our Chapter 11 proceedings on our future operations and ability to finance our business. Although we believe that the assumptions and expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable and made in good faith, these statements are not guarantees, and actual future results may differ materially due to a variety of factors. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on a number of judgments and assumptions as of the date such statements are made about future events, many of which are beyond our control. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in such statements due to a variety of factors, including if one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include: the global oil and gas market and its impact on demand for our services; the offshore drilling market, including reduced capital expenditures by our clients; changes in worldwide oil and gas supply and demand; rig availability and supply and demand for high specification drillships and other drilling rigs competing with our fleet; costs related to stacking of rigs; our ability to enter into and negotiate favorable terms for new drilling contracts or extensions; our ability to successfully negotiate and consummate definitive contracts and satisfy other customary conditions with respect to letters of intent and letters of award that we receive for our drillships; our substantial level of indebtedness; possible cancellation, renegotiation, termination or suspension of drilling contracts as a result of mechanical difficulties, performance, market changes or other reasons; our ability to execute our business plans; the effects of our completed Chapter 11 proceedings on our future operations; and the other risk factors described in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 20-F and our Reports on Form 6-K. These documents are available through our website at www.pacificdrilling.com or through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005790/en/ Contacts: Investor Contact: Johannes (John) P. Boots Pacific Drilling S.A. +713 334 6662 Investor@pacificdrilling.com Media Contact: Amy L. Roddy Pacific Drilling S.A. +713 334 6662 Media@pacificdrilling.com (ASX:PVW) Hello Im Jessica Amir for the Finance News Network. With me today from PVW Resources NLis CEO and Managing Director, Aaron Maurer and the Chairman, Colin McCavana. Gentlemen, welcome.Thank you.Thank you Jessica.First up could you give us an introduction to the company, for those who havent heard of it before?Were excited to share PVW Resources. Were a WA based gold exploration company. Weve got assets in all the traditional gold provinces of Western Australia, in Kalgoorlie, Leonora and the Tanami. Its a real privilege to work with the Board that I have. Ive got - we spoke about Colin McCavana. Hes our Chair. Hes got 35 years experience. Hes worked all over the world. Hes brought multiple companies into an IPO and from exploration to production.Also got Mike Griffiths whos the geologist of the team. Hes uncovered to feasibility, millions of ounces of gold and actually has two million ounces in production as we speak.Mark Scolaro, hes our finance expert on the team and hes got a lot of public and tax reporting expertise. He incorporated the company back in February this year. And myself as the Managing Director and CEO, Ive been in operational roles around Australia and in Europe, for the last 20 years.Brilliant, thanks Aaron. Over to you Colin. Maybe you can tell us about your strategy?Our strategy with PVW is to fast track our Mt Clifford project into production as early as possible. Mt Clifford is a very unique project. It has gold available, we know its there. Weve seen it and we can touch it, and that is a unique opportunity for a gold explorer. In addition to that weve got ground up in the Tanami, which is well sought after. There are lots of companies currently looking to peg ground up there, and carrying out exploration. So we see that as our secondary project.We also have some significant ground in the Kalgoorlie area, which is probably the most recognised gold province in the world. And we think that with modern exploration, well be able to prove up a discovery in that area as well.Thanks Colin, back to you Aaron. Maybe you can tell us a little bit more about your key project?Mt Clifford is our key project and were going to go out there and start drilling, as soon as we can in February next year. And the reason for that and the reason we talk about being so advanced is, theres just the gold that we can physically touch. Ive visited the location myself, Ive seen it. It truly is amazing. Theres a lot of historic data that we can collect from the area. Its got two mining leases on the area, which also helps us fast track to developing a resource really quickly. And as Colin mentioned, taking it to first cash flow as fast as we can. So the timeframe really is fast and thats in line with what weve done already, this year.Thanks Aaron. Maybe you can tell us about your two other projects and the plan for those as well?Were just as excited about going up to the Tanami as well. Were really quickly going up there to keep the good news flow coming. Weve got a great land package up there; its our biggest land package. Weve got some great targets weve already found up there. Weve got some great neighbours, weve got Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) Callie Mine right on our doorstep. Weve got Northern Star Resourcesup there, weve got St Barbaraand were right in the middle of all this, doing our own thing as well.The other project to round this out is in the Kalgoorlie region; its called Gordon Sirdar. Weve picked up a nice package there, again with some great neighbours,around Paddington, Kanowna Belle. It really is just an amazing part of the country to do exploration and production.Thanks Aaron, now over to you Colin, touching on the IPO. How much are you looking to raise and how will the funds be used?All of the funds will be used for exploration on our three project areas. Initially well be doing definition drilling at the Mt Clifford Project. Later in the year, well follow on with exploration drilling at the Tanami Project. And well be doing basic exploration work on the Gordon Sirdar Project, out of Kalgoorlie.Thanks Colin, so what are the key dates and how do people get involved?We hope to close the raising off at the end of this month, and we hope to be listed by the 14th of December. People can get our information off our website, the prospectus is available on a link at our website. They can contact our lead broker, AUS Financial Group, or they can contact their own broker who should be able to provide the information to them.Thanks Colin and lastly over to you Aaron. Why should people consider investing in this IPO?It really is a great investment. Our strategy is really key and its simple. Weve got a proven team, weve got proven assets, weve got a great Mt Clifford asset. Its advanced. Weve got visible gold and weve got the ability to fast track to production, with great top 200 listed companies as our neighbours.Aaron Maurer, Colin McCavana, thank you so much for the introduction and good luck with the IPO.Thank you.Thanks Jessica. With rising air pollution in India, particularly in the Delhi NCR around Diwali, the air purification industry has grown more than seven times in last three years to around 3.5 lakh units. New Delhi: With rising air pollution in India, particularly in the Delhi NCR around Diwali, the air purification industry has grown more than seven times in last three years to around 3.5 lakh units and is expanding to tier-II cities now. During the month of October and in the first week of November, air purifiers markers such as Eureka Forbes, Honeywell, Blueair, Panasonic, Xiaomi and Samsung witnessed high double-digit growth corresponding to the Diwali period of the last year lead by a rise in pollution level due to stubble burning. Moreover, the producers have received a high increase in the number of inquiries on their customer care support either for seeking more information or demonstration of air purifier. The high response has come even as health experts have expressed doubts over air purifiers providing full-time protection from pollution as these are effective when a person remains indoors and not even a single window is remained opened. "Presently, the air purifiers business in India is at a nascent stage but is also one of the fastest growing businesses. In 2015, the market size was around 50,000 units only. This year, we have witnessed a monumental rise in sales and as per our internal estimate, the current market size is around 300,000-350,000 units," Samsung India Consumer Electronics Business Director Saurav Katyal told PTI. According to Blueair Country Head Arvind Chabra, air purifiers have witnessed acceptance and increase in sale especially around Diwali and the reason is mainly air pollution which is at its peak during the onset of winters. "Blueair has witnessed more than two-fold growth in sales this festive season vis-a-vis 2017. While Delhi remains the largest market for us with 60-70 percent sales, Mumbai and Bangalore are also fast catching up," he said. Similarly, Honeywell has also got over 50 percent jump in the sale this year in the category during Diwali season this year. "With the outdoor air quality deteriorating in northern parts of India coupled with increasing consumer awareness about the category, we have seen a 50 percent growth in sales across channels in OctoberNovember 2018 over same time frame last year," said Honeywell Building Technologies, India Connected Living Solutions GM Sudhir Pillai. Pansonic India Business Head Personal Care Appliances & Air Purifiers Rajneesh Sharma said, "Our air purifiers are receiving an overwhelming response registering a growth of 30 per cent in the month of October Y-o-Y. Given the alarming conditions of air, we are expecting a 35 percent increase in sales this month." While Chinese firm Xiaomi, also a player in the segment, witnessed over 4.5 times growth in the segment during the period. "Mi Air Purifier 2S was the #1 product in the air purifier category on Amazon Great Indian shopping festival and Mi Air Purifier 2S sold 4.5x of last year's sale," the company said. Eureka Forbes chief transformation officer Shashank Sinha said that demand for air purifiers has been on a significant rise showing month-on-month growth, owing to the degrading air quality in India. "However, During Diwali, we have evidently seen a rise in the demand majorly," he added. Although in terms of volume, Delhi NCR region remains the biggest contributor, manufacturers are seeing traction from non-metro cities also. "We are seeing people buying the product in other parts of the country as well. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Ludhiana, etc. are also seeing traction," said Katyal. According to Chabra, "While Delhi remains the largest market for us with 60-70 percent sales, Mumbai and Bangalore are also fast catching up." In this segment, several companies are operating which includes, UK-based Dyson, Kent RO Systems, Philips, HSIL, and Havells. PTI Jet Airways' shares dropped 6.88 percent to settle at Rs 323 on BSE. During the day, it tumbled 12.57 percent to Rs 303.25. New Delhi: Shares of Jet Airways slumped 7 percent on Monday after Tata Sons said no concrete "proposal" had been made by the group so far for acquiring the beleaguered carrier. The stock dropped 6.88 percent to settle at Rs 323 on BSE. During the day, it tumbled 12.57 percent to Rs 303.25. On NSE, shares of the company cracked 6.92 percent to close at Rs 322.50. In terms of equity volume, 36.37 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 3 crore shares changed hands on NSE during the day. Tata Sons on Friday confirmed its interest in acquiring the beleaguered Jet Airways but said no concrete "proposal" had been made by the group so far. "Over the last few days there has been growing speculation about Tata's interest in Jet Airways. We would like to clarify that any such discussions (to acquire Jet Airways) have been preliminary and no proposal has been made," Tata Sons had said in a statement. Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers of Jet Airways were left stranded at the Mumbai airport after the carrier cancelled 10 domestic flights from the city on Sunday, an airline source said. Jet Airways said the flights were cancelled from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) due to "operational issues". However, the airline source claimed it was due to pilots' scarcity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting with top industrialists and policymakers on Monday to brainstorm on measures required to realise his vision of India breaking into the top 50 in the World Bank's ease of doing business index New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting with top industrialists and policymakers on Monday to brainstorm on measures required to realise his vision of India breaking into the top 50 in the World Bank's ease of doing business index, sources said. The meeting 'Reflections on Ease of Doing Business' is being organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion as the government gears up for India's ranking to leapfrog on the 'Doing Business' index next year and boost the country's investment attractiveness, the sources told PTI. Industrialists like Anand Mahindra and top representatives from industry chambers CII, FICCI and Assocham, among others, would share their inputs and feedback for the roadmap required to move ahead in that direction, they added. Senior government officials from the team that worked on reforms to improve the ease of doing business parameters taken into account by the World Bank will also participate in the meeting. India's rank rose 23 places to the 77th spot in the 'Doing Business' rankings released on 31 October. The surge in ranking came as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi-led government which faces strong dissenting voices from opposition parties ahead of the general elections next year. India was ranked 100th in the World Bank's Doing Business Report last year. A proposal was made in the past to raise the pension under APY to double the limit from the existing slab of up to Rs 5,000. New Delhi: Pension fund regulator PFRDA is doing an actuarial valuation of its portfolio to gauge the feasibility of raising the pension limit to up to Rs 10,000 per month under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a top official said. A proposal was made in the past to raise the pension under APY to double the limit from the existing slab of up to Rs 5,000. "Since it is a guaranteed pension scheme, there is an obligation to honour the guarantee on the government. So, for that, on what kind of obligation would be required on the government (part), we are doing an actuarial valuation of the portfolio that will show us whether the government really needs to do something to honour the guarantee or whether the guarantee will really not be required," PFRDA Chairman Hemant G Contractor told PTI. The process is expected to be complete by December. Contractor said once clear on the idea, the government may like to increase the scope of the scheme. On asked how soon the scheme, if feasible, can be a reality, he said as the actuarial examination will be over by December, anything concrete on the proposal can be seen by February or March next year. In June this year, the Finance Ministry had said that there was a need to increase the pension amount under APY and a proposal sent by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA) to raise the amount was under examination of the government. "As of now, we have five slabs of pension, from Rs 1,000 to 5,000 per month. There have been a lot of feedback from the market asking for higher pension amounts because many people feel that Rs 5,000 at the age of 60 years, 20-30 years from now, will not be sufficient," Contractor had said in June. The PFRDA has added almost 28 lakh new subscribers under APY in the first eight months of the current fiscal so far and hopes to close the current fiscal ending March 2019 with 1.50 crore accounts. The government has been pressing the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks, which would speed up loans to small businesses in remote parts of the country Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday concluded a critical day-long board meeting. The RBI board decided to set up a high-powered committee to examine issues related to the surplus capital of Rs 9.69 lakh crore with the central bank and advised it to consider a scheme for restructuring stressed assets in the MSME sector. At a nine-hour long meeting of the board, it was also decided that the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) of the RBI would examine the issues concerning the banks that are under the Prompt Corrective Action framework, according to a release. "The Board decided to constitute an expert committee to examine the Economic Capital Framework, the membership and terms of reference of which will be jointly determined by the Government of India and the RBI," the central bank said. Further, the apex bank has been advised to consider a scheme for restructuring of stressed standard assets of MSME borrowers with aggregate credit facilities of up to Rs 25 crore, subject to such conditions as are necessary for ensuring financial stability, it added. The government has been pressing the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks, which would speed up loans to small businesses in remote parts of the country, a crucial vote bank for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May. The meeting came amid a rift between the central bank and the government over the future course of policies. The RBI has an 18-member board, which also includes four deputy governors, government nominees department of economic affairs secretary S C Garg and financial services secretary Rajiv Kumar, besides non-official director including S Gurumurthy and Satish Marathe. The last meeting on 23 October had proved inconclusive on many fronts after eight hours of discussions, according to reports. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the finance ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI governor. RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. The RBI board held a meeting over several issues including how much capital the apex bank needs, lending norms for small and medium enterprises and rules for weak banks. RBI Governor Urjit Patel and his deputies came face to face with government nominee directors -- Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg and Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar -- and independent members like S Gurumurthy to arrive at a middle ground on some of the contentious issues. While there was no official word on the deliberations at the meeting that lasted nearly nine hours, the government and Gurumurthy have been pressing the central bank to provide more liquidity to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), ease lending rules to small businesses, relax norms for weak banks and part with more of RBI's surplus reserves to boost the economy. There are indications that the RBI may be willing to ease lending norms for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) but liquidity to NBFCs remains a sticking point. It may also be open to injecting liquidity through open market purchases of bonds but is resisting relaxing capital buffers for banks. Discussions in the meeting may also have focussed on the massive Rs 9.69 lakh crore reserves of the RBI, with Gurumurthy and the finance ministry wanting it to be lowered in line with global practices. Most of the RBI's 10 independent directors, including Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, attended the meeting that had drawn intense media and market attention. In the run-up to the board meeting, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said Patel should step down if the board were to issue any direction to it on parting of capital reserves or relaxation of norms. The RBI's central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. Sources said the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are looking to reach at an agreeable solution with respect to relaxation of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and easing of lending norms for the MSME sector. If not in this board meeting, the issue of relaxation of PCA framework would reach a resolution in the next few weeks, they added. As a result of the relaxation, some banks may come out of the PCA framework by the end of this fiscal. Of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). Globally, PCA kicks in only when banks slip on a single parameter of capital adequacy ratio, and the government is in favour of this practice being adopted for the domestic banking sector as well. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the Finance Ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. In his first public comments since the spat between the RBI and the Finance Ministry came out in the open, Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy had last week said the stand-off "is not a happy thing at all". Gurumurthy, who was appointed to the board of RBI a few months back, had said the capital adequacy ratio prescribed in India is 1 per cent higher than the global Basel norms. He also pitched for easing lending norms for small and medium enterprises, which account for 50 per cent of the country's GDP. Last month, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said the RBI Governor should work in sync with the government or resign. "The Reserve Bank of India Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise resign," SJM's co-convener Ashwani Mahajan had said. The RBI's next board meeting is likely to be on 14 December, according to sources. With inputs from agencies The government has been pressuring the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks to speed up loans to small businesses, a key vote bank for Modi The board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday agreed to ease liquidity for the financial sector and increase credit to small businesses, two sources present at the meeting said. The move comes in response to pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modis government which faces a general election by next May and is concerned that low farm prices and difficulties small businesses face in borrowing, may hurt its prospects with voters. #CNBCTV18Exclusive | Sources say existing committee will look at PCA framework & whether some banks should get relaxation#RBIBoardMeet #GovtVsRBI pic.twitter.com/vHBj7d9cFR CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) November 19, 2018 Some more contentious issues were kicked down the road to be discussed by newly formed committees, the sources said. The government has been pressuring the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks to speed up loans to small businesses, a key vote bank for Modi. There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May. The meeting happened in a very cordial environment. Most of the issues were resolved in an amicable manner, a board member, who attended the meeting, told Reuters. A panel will be formed to work out a framework to determine the reserves requirements of the RBI and transfer surplus funds to the government, the board member said. A litany of demands from top finance ministry officials prompted warnings from RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya last month that undermining central bank independence could be catastrophic, triggering a public feud between the bank and the government. Piyush Goyal refused the Congress chief's allegations that the Narendra Modi government has been making efforts to ruin the RBI Indore: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Monday denied any confrontation between the Centre and country's central bank - Reserve Bank Of India (RBI). Goyal also said that there was nothing objectionable in discussions among the members of RBI's board of directors (BOD) about the central bank's responsibilities towards the country. In reply to a question amid the important meeting of RBI's BOD, Goyal said, "We are not seeing any tension between government and the RBI. Only Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and you people (media) are showing the signs of tension." He said, "The government has already clarified that it has not asked for even a single rupee from RBI's reserve fund." However, Goyal said that as an important national institution, the RBI has some responsibilities towards the country. No person should have any objection, if the central bank's board discusses these responsibilities in the national interest. The minister refused the Congress chief's allegations that the Narendra Modi government has been making efforts to ruin the RBI. Goyal alleged, "The previous Congress governments have insulted every constitutional institution of the country. Everyone knows how these governments have shunted out RBI governors in the past." He said, "The meeting of the RBI's BOD holds time-to-time meetings, why is Rahul getting such a problem with this? Maybe Rahul has little knowledge of corporate governance." Asked about ongoing CBI fiasco, he said, "The government had to take strict action following the statements of some CBI officers against each-other." Railway minister said that a fund to the tune of Rs 21,000 crore has been allocated to the state for railways under NDA government. This amount is six-times more than the fund allocated between 2009 and 2014 to the state during previous UPA government. The officers have been provided special kits to help their banks extend more credit to MSMEs, while they have also been trained on behaviourial issues to deal with such borrowers with utmost care. Mumbai: While a debate is going on whether the RBI should do more to ease credit to MSMEs, banking officials said the central bank has provided special training to nearly 11,000 officers at various commercial banks on lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). This training has been provided to officers working at nearly 3,000 bank branches covering all districts in India through more than 2,000 special workshops in the last three years, the officials said. These are mostly specialised bank branches catering to the MSME sector where this multi-level training has been provided, covering branch managers, senior officers and even faculty members of staff colleges who can further pass on the training to the bank employees. Most importantly, the training exercise was executed in consultation with the government, including with the active involvement of the MSME ministry and the RBI's objective has been to create a conducive environment to help these small entrepreneurs and companies avail easy and faster credit, officials said. The officers have also been provided special kits to help their banks extend more credit to MSMEs, while they have also been trained on behaviourial issues to deal with such borrowers with utmost care, they added. The RBI's central board will meet on Monday where the government nominees and some independent members are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team on various issues including norms for the MSME credit. The RBI is, however, of the view that its policies are very much in favour of easier credit to MSMEs and it has always been making efforts to make further relaxations for such borrowers, sources said. The main concern of the central bank is about some big corporates misusing the NPA relaxations for 'ever-greening' of their loans, they said. The RBI team, comprising of the governor and his four deputies, on its central board is banking on support from a few independent directors, who are of the view that a large majority of banks, including those facing 'prompt corrective actions', have achieved the mandatory priority sector lending targets for micro enterprises. Also, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) lending has been exempted from most of the restrictions, including those relating to the stressed assets, and several steps have been taken by the RBI to ease credit flow to this sector and to ensure their faster 'formalisation' to bring them on board the new GST regime that will help them further in availing the loans, they said. While much has been written about differences between the RBI and the government, sources said the facts and the data show there are hardly any significant issues that are being faced by MSMEs due to policy or regulatory matters. They cited several steps taken in the recent past by the RBI, in consultation with the government, for facilitating easier access and availability of credit to the MSME sector, including the 'Resolution of Stressed Assets-Revised Framework (RSA-RF)' of 12 February 2018. This framework has been carefully calibrated to exclude loans availed by MSME units up to Rs 25 crore from its purview, which nearly covers the entire spectrum of the MSME borrowers. Besides, this remains in line with the earlier government policy for the benefit of MSMEs. The average outstanding loan size of the MSMEs being 2.7 lakh, 26 lakh and 92 lakhs respectively, almost all the MSME loans are out of the purview of the 12 February circular, while the earlier 'specially carved out' rectification process for the MSMS sector remains in force that remains borrower-driven. The officials also pointed at inclusion of a separate sub-target of 7.5 percent under Priority Sector Lending for the micro sector and said the target has been achieved by most banks, including those facing 'prompt corrective action'. Now, this target has also been made mandatory for foreign banks with 20 or more branches in India. Besides, caps have been removed on loans to MSMEs to encourage banks to go beyond the earlier limits in such lending. To ensure timely availability of funds to the MSME sector, the RBI has also facilitated the setting up of Electronic Bill Factoring Exchanges in the country. These exchanges provide for swift discounting of MSME bills and help MSMEs raise funds without delay. The Non-Performing Assets norms have also been relaxed for the MSME sector to help them cope up with challenges following implementation of new reforms, officials said. To ensure formalisation of MSMEs, exposure of banks and NBFCs to the GST. The AirSewa portal and mobile app were launched in November 2016. Since the launch, AirSewa 1.0 has helped resolve a significant number of air passenger concerns, as per the ministry New Delhi: Chatbots will now help air travellers in addressing their grievances, as the government on Monday launched an upgraded version of AirSewa digital platform. Besides, passengers can have access to real-time flight status and schedule for both domestic and international flights, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. AirSewa 2.0, the upgraded version of the web portal and mobile app, provides chatbot support for the faster resolution and personalised traveller experience. Also, passengers can sign up using their Facebook and Google accounts. Generally, chatbots are computer programmes that interact with people through audio or text messages. The AirSewa portal and mobile app were launched in November 2016. Since the launch, AirSewa 1.0 has helped resolve a significant number of air passenger concerns, as per the ministry. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu formally launched the upgraded version of AirSewa here. Around 12,000 complaints have been dealt with through AirSewa, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said. "It is very very scalable and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven," he noted. India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. The ministry also said that AirSewa would help the government capture air travellers' feedback for policy interventions. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to hear the plea of Lt Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on 21 November. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to hear the plea of Lieutenant-Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on 21 November. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, also directed the high court to evaluate the validity of the prosecutor's sanction for Purohit to be tried under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In his plea filed last week, Purohit claimed that he was being prosecuted in the matter without any valid sanction. He also referred to the earlier apex court order by which the trial court and the Bombay High Court were directed to deal with his claim. The plea also alleged that the charges have been framed against Purohit and others by the trial court which had commenced the trial without dealing with the claim on sanction. Purohit further claimed that the documents supplied to him by the prosecution did not have names of witnesses and most of it were in "truncated" form. "By truncating the documents, the prosecution has deprived the accused his statutory rights to prepare for cross examination and defence," Purohit's application said. However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 15 November responded saying that the accused had been provided with the documents in accordance with law. A special court on 2 November had commenced the formal trial against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused after framing of charges under various penal law in the Malegaon blast case. After the Bombay High Court refused to stay the framing of charges against the accused on 29 October, the NIA special court on 30 October charged all seven persons accused in the Malegaon blast case with terror conspiracy, murder, and other related offences. Purohit had said at the time that he would appeal in the Supreme Court. With inputs from PTI Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that an investigation was underway, but the authorities can still not confirm the identity of the attackers. 'Some leads are there. We have to wait and see,' he said. A day after a grenade attack in Punjab's Amritsar killed three people and left over 20 injured, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that the incident was a "clear case of terrorism" and the investigators are following up "some leads". "All injured in the attack are out of danger. We have already announced that our government will give Rs five lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased and provide jobs to the family members," Amarinder, who was addressing the media after his visit to the blast site, said on Monday. He added that the injured are being given free treatment. The chief minister said that an investigation was underway, but the authorities can still not confirm the identity of the attackers. "Some leads are there. We have to wait and see... Earlier, an announcement was made that some people had infiltrated from Jammu and Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and forensic teams are here. Until the investigation is complete, it's difficult to say anything," he said. Amarinder said that the attack should not be given a communal colour. "This is a clear case of terrorism. Though it was a congregation that they targetted, this could've happened to anybody," he said. Amritsar blast: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh visits Guru Nanak Hospital to meet those injured. pic.twitter.com/02nrpHKMk5 ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Hitting out at Amarinder, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the chief minister has failed the people and is incapable of running the government. Three persons, including a preacher, were killed when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation inside the Nirankari Bhavan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi. The grenade was lobbed by one of the two people who had their faces covered. One person pointed a gun at the volunteers manning the gate, while the other one hurled the bomb after which they escaped, police and eyewitnesses told PTI. Earlier on Monday, Amarinder announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anybody providing information on those involved in the grenade blast. The information can be provided on the Punjab Police helpline number 181 and the identity of the informer will be kept a secret. The attack took place while Punjab was on high alert after an input claiming "a group of six-seven JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammed) terrorists were in Punjab" and they were "planning to move to Delhi". Moreover, the security agencies were also on alert after four people fled with an SUV after threatening its driver at gunpoint near Madhopur in Pathankot district a few days ago. On Friday, the police in Gurdaspur had pasted posters of Zakir Musa, the chief of Jammu and Kashmir-based Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfit with reported links to JeM. With inputs from PTI Following the attack in Amritsar, the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government suspected the hand of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri militants. Unidentified assailants on Sunday hurled a grenade at a gathering of Nirankari sect followers in Punjabs Amritsar killing three people. As soon as the incident hit the headlines, several political parties and media reports began speculating on who may be behind the attack even though authorities have officially not confirmed anything. Following the attack, the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government suspected the hand of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri militants, with the attack being treated as a "terrorist act". Three persons were killed and at least twenty others were injured when two motorcycle-borne miscreants hurled a grenade at a religious congregation of over 200 devotees inside a Nirankari Bhawan at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi area. Witnesses told the police that two youths on a motorcycle, their faces covered, forcibly entered the sect campus by pointing a pistol at a woman volunteer at the gate. Here are the different theories that followed the attack: Congress suspects involvement of ISI, Sikh hardliners Singh on Sunday condemned the attack and said the possibility of the involvement of "ISI-based Khalistani or Kashmiri terror groups" could not be ruled out, adding the forensic teams have been rushed to the spot and "all angles were being investigated". Senior Congress leader and former Ludhiana MP Manish Tewari agreed with the chief minister, describing the blast as the ISIs attempt to reactivate the Khalistan file, as reported by The Tribune. Tewari drew linkages between Sundays attack and the first Akali-Nirankari clashes of 13 April, 1978 in Amritsar. "It all started on 13 April, 1978 like this. The ISI has activated its Khalistan file again...The recent terror attacks in Gurdaspur, Pathankot and now Amritsar are the ISI's gameplan, said Tewari. Ludhiana Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu suspected the role of Sikh hardliners and demanded that Sikh hardliner Baljit Singh Daduwal, and others who follow his ideology should be probed, reported The Daily Pioneer. Even though the attack is being looked at as a terrorist act, the authorities have not confirmed it to be so, nor have they stated if the "terrorists" are from Pakistan or if they are Kashmiri militants. Reports claim Pakistan's hand in attack News18, in its report, cited "proof" to show that Pakistan has a hand in the attack. According to the channel, the HE-36 Grenade used by the attackers is also used by the Pakistani army. The channel's report further claimed that Pakistan's ISI is using social media to radicalise pro-Khalistani Sikh youth, and has been exploiting the 2015 sacrilege incident to stoke anti-India elements. Media houses on Monday also released the first sketches of the alleged masterminds of the attack, Harmeet Singh PHD' and Lakhbir Singh Rode, who are said to be part of the International Sikh Youth Federation. #EXCLUSIVE After bombers, the masterminds of #AmritsarBlast unmasked on CNN-News18. First pictures of Pakistani ISI handlers on News18. ISI handler #1 Lakhbir Singh. ISI handler #2 Harmeet Singh PHD | Inputs: @manojkumargupta | @jyotik with more details pic.twitter.com/RoT0I70sXz News18 (@CNNnews18) November 19, 2018 India Today, revealed pictures of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed meeting Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla a few months ago, claiming that their meeting could be related to the attack that took place on Sunday. Sources told Republic that the police has not yet ruled out the role of the group led by terrorist Zakir Musa, the chief of Jammu and Kashmir-based Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfit with reported links to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), who was earlier spotted in Punjab. HS Phoolka says Bipin Rawat "behind attack", then apologises AAP leader in Punjab HS Phoolka caused a stir on Saturday with his statement accusing Army Chief Bipin Rawat of being "behind the attack". The army chief had earlier come to Punjab and had given a statement on the terror attack, and it is possible that he might be behind the attack to prove his statement right, said Phoolka. Later on Sunday, Phoolka apologised for his statement and expressed "regret". He tweeted that his statement was being "blown out of proportion." Army Chief Bipin Rawat had recently warned that attempts were being made to revive insurgency in Punjab and he had even cautioned that people needed to be careful to prevent anti-national forces from succeeding. The attack took place at a time when Punjab was on high alert following a specific input on a bunch of Jaish-e-Mohammand terrorists having sneaked into its territory. Moreover, the security agencies were also on alert after four people fled with an SUV after threatening its driver at gunpoint near Madhopur in Pathankot district a few days ago. The Punjab Police, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, had recently busted two modules of Kashmiri students who were studying in institutions in Punjab and had links to terrorist outfits in troubled Kashmir. The Maqsudan police station was targeted by Kashmiri terrorists on 14 September this year with hand grenades, though no one was injured in the attack. Posters of Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Mussa had mysteriously appeared in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Friday, stating that he had been seen in Punjab. Fifteen such terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months, with Kashmiri terror links also indicated in some instances, as evidenced in the arrest of Kashmiri students from Jalandhar and in the Maqsudan police station grenade blast case. With inputs from agencies Chinese president Xi Jinping and US vice president Mike Pence traded barbs in speeches at the APEC summit of world leaders on Saturday, outlining competing visions for global leadership as trade and other tensions between them simmer. Chinese president Xi Jinping and US vice-president Mike Pence traded barbs in speeches at the APEC Summit of world leaders on Saturday, outlining competing visions for global leadership as trade and other tensions between them simmer. Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim countries and territories that makeup 60 percent of the world economy will meet in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. They are struggling to reach agreement on a joint declaration, particularly whether to push for changes to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which sets the rules for trade and can penalise nations that breach them. WTO member nations have been unable to reach agreement on further freeing up trade for years and the organisation is in danger of atrophy. Following heated US-China exchanges, the members failed to put out a joint statement upon the conclusion of the summit. CNN reported that all member countries, except China, were in agreement on a joint statement; a discord which resulted in the summit not issuing a joint statement for the first time in 25 years. Two-thirds of its members claim developing nation status that allows them to take advantage of benefits and exemptions to obligations not granted to advanced economies, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The US, meanwhile, believes the WTOs arbitration body has made decisions beyond its mandate. APEC is also facing questions about its future. Malaysias 93-year-old prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said it will become irrelevant if developing nations continue to be left behind by globalisation and free trade. In the midst of uncertainty about the summit's purpose and outcome, Xi and Pence engaged in a war of words over unresolved issues between the two economic giants. The two debated over protectionism, trade tariffs and "chequebook diplomacy" as they laid out sharply contrasting visions for the Pacific Rim region. The exchanges laid the ground for what could be a fiery encounter between the Chinese leader and President Donald Trump at next month's G20 in Argentina. US-China tariff war Pence said there would be no letup in President Donald Trumps policy of combating Chinas mercantilist trade policy and intellectual property theft that has erupted into a tit-for-tat tariff war between the two world powers this year. The US has imposed additional tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods and China has retaliated. Pence reiterated Trump administration threats to more than double the penalties. The United States, though, will not change course until China changes its ways, Pence said, accusing Beijing of intellectual property theft, unprecedented subsidies for state businesses and tremendous barriers to foreign companies entering its giant market. Xi, who spoke before Pence, anticipated many of the US criticisms in his speech. He said countries are facing a choice of cooperation or confrontation as protectionism and unilateralism spreads. He also expressed support for the global free trading system that has underpinned his countrys rise over the past quarter century to the worlds second-biggest economy after the US The rules made should not be followed or bent as one sees fit and they should not be applied with double standards for selfish agendas, Xi said. Mankind has once again reached a crossroads, which direction should we choose? Cooperation or confrontation? Openness or closing doors. Win-win progress or a zero sum game?" he added. The Belt and Road Initiative Pence announced the US would be involved in ally Australias plan to develop a naval base in Papua New Guinea, where the summit was held. China has been intensely wooing Papua New Guinea and other Pacific island nations with aid and loans for infrastructure. Our vision for a free and open Pacific region will prevail, Pence said. The vice-president harshly criticised Chinas global infrastructure drive, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, calling many of the projects low quality that also saddle developing countries with loans they cant afford. The US, a democracy, is a better partner than authoritarian China, he said. Know that the United States offers a better option. We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt, we dont coerce, compromise your independence, Pence said. We do not offer constricting belt or a one-way road. When you partner with us, we partner with you and we all prosper. Responding to a chorus of criticism of Chinas international infrastructure drive, Xi said it was not a trap or power grab. It is not designed to serve any hidden geopolitical agenda, it is not targeted against anyone and it does not exclude anyone, Xi said. It is not an exclusive club that is closed to non-members, nor is it a trap as some people have labeled it. South China Sea Chinas territorial claims to most of the South China Sea that borders Southeast Asian nations were also a target in Pences speech. China has demanded that the US stop deploying ships and military aircraft close to its man-made islands in the disputed waters after American and Chinese ships nearly collided near a contested reef in September. But Pence stressed on Saturday that the US wont back off. We will continue to fly and sail wherever international law allows and our national interest demands, he said. Harassment will only strengthen our resolve. We will not change course. Washington will continue to support efforts by Southeast Asian nations to negotiate a legally binding code of conduct with China that respects the rights of all nations, including the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Pence said. The alleged Maoist letter does not specifically mention any Congress leader, but the cellphone number mentioned has been identified as Digvijaya Singh's, the Pune Police claimed. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's name has cropped up in the investigation into the activities of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), which includes an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports said. The Pune Police has claimed to have recovered letters from the activists arrested in its investigation so far, one of which mentions Singh's cell phone number, The Indian Express reported. Deputy Commissioner of Police Suhas Bavche told the newspaper that the Pune Police was looking into the contents of the letter that mentions Singh's cell phone number. While the investigators may question the senior Congress leader in the case, it has not disclosed when it plans to interrogate him. The letter dated 5 September, 2017, "Com Prakash" purportedly tells "Com Surendra" that Congress leaders were "very much willing to assist" CPI (Maoist) in its efforts to "intensify nationwide protests using students", according to The Indian Express report. "In this regard", the letter reportedly mentions a cell phone number believed to be Singh's that "Com Surendra" can contact. The Pune Police claimed that "Com Surendra" refers to Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, who was arrested in June in connection with the investigation into the Bhima Koregaon violence, and "Com Prakash" refers to a top CPI (Maoist) commander. According to CNN-News18, the letter does not specifically mention any Congress leader, but the cell phone number has been identified as Singh's. The news channel reported that the letter says Congress leaders had agreed to fund any further agitation whenever the need arises. In response to the reports on Singh's alleged Maoist link, Maharashtra Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the Pune Police was "trying to help the BJP" in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections. He questioned why the Pune Police was disclosing details of its investigation to the media despite being criticised by the Supreme Court for doing so earlier. Is the Pune police trying to help BJP in MP election? Even after being questioned by SC as to why Pune police is going before media, we see them talking to media. Although police knows abt involvement of orgs related to Bhide and Athawale in live bombs case no Qs asked to them Sachin Sawant (@sachin_inc) November 19, 2018 On 3 September, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that Singh's alleged nexus with Maoists was "a matter of concern", and that the Congress leader had made irresponsible comments sympathising with the Maoist cause. In repose, Singh had challenged Chouhan to have him arrested if investigators could prove any such link. -, ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) September 3, 2018 The Pune Police has already made several high-profile arrests of prominent activists in its investigation into alleged Maoist links to the Elgaar Parishad event on 31 December last year, which they believed triggered the New Year's Day violence in Bhima Koregaon village near Pune. One person died in the violence and several were injured. The police had arrested five activists in June, including Gadling and Nagpur-based professor Shoma Sen, claiming that it had seized a number of incriminating documents from them, including a plot to assassinate Modi. On 28 August, teams of the Pune Police had conducted multi-city raids at the homes of several activists and arrested them, but the Supreme Court had intervened and placed them under house arrest instead. So far, the Pune Police has booked 22 people in this case under sections of the Indian Penal Code, including charging them for sedition, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. On Saturday, the Pune Police took Telugu poet Varavara Rao into custody in Hyderabad after his house arrest ended on 15 November and his petition to quash the transit remand was disposed of by a court there the next day. On Sunday, he was remanded in police custody till 26 November. Rao was among the five activists who were arrested after the Pune Police raids on 28 August. Nov 19, 2018 | By Cameron Criminal forensics teams have rejoiced at the wave of portable 3D scanners and accurate 3D printers hitting the market over the past few years, providing them with unparalleled techniques of scene capturing and replication. Many cases that have remained unsolved for years are getting a fresh look under the metaphorically 3D printed lens. Such is the case with the 1962 escape of Frank Morris, Allen Clayton West, and John and Clarence Anglin from Alcatraz. On November 15, on Alcatraz Island, FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett presented the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) with 3D printed replicas of the decoy heads used by the escapees to fool the guards into believing they were in their beds asleep and not digging through the wall. While the case is still technically open, the 3D printed replicas wont be used for investigatory purposes so much as preservation and educational functions. The original decoys were made from cardboard, cement chips, toilet paper, and human hair from the barbershop, and theyre now over 56 years old and starting to fall apart. The GGNRA will be able to display the new replicas as well as invite the many interested researchers of the popular case to come inspect them without worry of damaging the original evidence. A team from the FBIs Operational Project Unit went to the GGNRA Park Archives and Records Center to 3D scan the originals. The FBIs Lab uses this same technology for the high-resolution scanning of bomb components, firearms, and crime scenes for use in FBI investigations and operations, said Special Agent Bennett. We are honored to use this expertise to provide the National Park Service with accurate models of the Alcatraz decoy heads for many generations to come. After the replicas were 3D printed, they were painted and affixed with human hair just as was done on the originals. GGNRA Chief Park Ranger David Schifsky was especially appreciative, saying, These models are a significant contribution to our archives and will help protect the original decoy heads for future generations. They will help us tell the stories of Alcatraz Island to visitors from all around the world. The FBI handed the case over to the U.S. Marshals in 1979, and Don OKeefe of the United States Marshals Service had this to say, The 1962 escape from the United States Penitentiary at Alcatraz remains one of the most infamous prison escapes of all time. None of the escapees have ever been located, but the United States Marshals Service continues to investigate any and all credible leads. Some may believe that were chasing shadows, but our efforts are meant not just to perform due diligence, but to be a warning to other fugitives that U.S. Marshals dont give up because of the passing of time. So let this be a warning to you: if you commit a crime and then later escape federal prison, the FBI and/or U.S. Marshals will 3D print your head and look for you even after youre in your 80s or more likely dead. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Sinha was the DIG of the anti-corruption unit probing bribery charges against Special Director Rakesh Asthana New Delhi: CBI officer MK Sinha, who was transferred to Nagpur in last month's midnight sweep, has alleged that the strings of the faction-ridden investigating agency were held by the top guns in the corridors of power. Claiming that the levers of the CBI are controlled by powerful persons sitting in influential positions, Sinha continued with the mudslinging by dropping the names of Union minister Haribhai Chaudhary, NSA Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, Law Secretary Suresh Chandra and Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) KV Chaudhary in his application before the Supreme Court. Sinha was the DIG of the anti-corruption unit probing bribery charges against Special Director Rakesh Asthana. In his application before the apex court, Sinha has joined his boss Alok Verma in spilling the beans on shadowy dealings within and outside the CBI, and asked for an SIT probe in Asthana case. Sinha said Manoj Prasad, the alleged middleman in the Moin Qureshi case was intercepted at Delhi's IGI Airport on his arrival from Dubai, and brought to CBI HQ on 16 October and during the first few hours of his interrogation, Prasad allegedly dropped the names of big shots in the corridors of power, while threatening CBI officers. "He was interviewed by the applicant and others. He tried his best to ward off the investigation by dropping names of the 'high and mighty' and mentioning his 'top contacts' to create fear in our mind. The relevant conversation of his initial outburst is being placed on record here. As per Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, father of Manoj and Somesh (his brother and alleged middleman named in the FIR), retired as Joint Secretary, R&AW and has a close acquaintance with the present National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI HQ and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how the CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with the NSA," read his application before the Supreme Court. "He started bragging and claimed that his brother Somesh is very close to an officer at Dubai (name withheld) and to Samant Goel, presently special secretary, R&AW and he can get us 'finished off'/'kicked out'. Manoj taunted us that you people have no standing whatsoever and therefore should 'stay in limits' and let him free. He claimed that recently his brother Somesh and Goel helped the NSA on an important personal matter. He further claimed that India opted out of a contest from INTERPOL. Regarding the genuineness of this claim by Manoj, no attempt was made to verify the claim regarding the NSA," it continued. "However, the INTERPOL part was discreetly verified. It is factually correct. It transpires that India was contesting for the post of delegate in INTERPOL with Joint Director, CBI Policy, AK Sharma as its nominee. There were four other contending countries. The elections were to be held sometime in the third week of November this year. Sometime in September, AK Sharma was to go to abroad for a meeting but at the last minute, his trip was abruptly cancelled. It was informed that India is tacitly withdrawing from the contest. All the material facts mentioned in this paragraph may be available on record with IPCC, CBI, Delhi," the application revealed. Sinha has alleged that his boss Verma on 17 October had briefed the NSA and informed him that Asthana's name was cited in the FIR registered by the CBI on 15 October on alleged bribery charges. He further alleged that Asthana reportedly shielded himself from the arrest by making a request to Doval. Sinha has alleged that Sathish Babu Sana, complainant in the Asthana case and the man at the centre of storm, had disclosed that money was also paid to Minister of State, Coal and Mines Haribhai Chaudhary. "Some time in the first fortnight of June this year, a few crore rupees were paid to Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, presently Minister of State for Coal and Mines in Government of India. As per Sana, Haribhai had intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of the Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension [MOS (P)], to whom, apparently, the Director of the CBI reports. The money was paid through one Vipul from Ahmedabad. These facts were disclosed by Sana to me on 20 October, 2018 in the forenoon. I immediately reported the matter to the director and the AD (AK Sharma). Discreet enquiries were conducted and a source informed that there are calls intercepted by another Central agency in first fortnight of June, wherein there was a conversation between K Laxma Reddy, MLA, Medchal, Hyderabad, and Sana on money being sent to the tune of one or two crores. It is most respectfully submitted that the applicant is aware of the information only to the extent that the bribe money was allegedly paid to Haribhai only and the applicant is not privy to any information whether any part of that bribe money was paid to any other higher-ups in the CBI. However the applicant verily believes that if this lead is diligently pursued, the truth will eventually come to light," Sinhas application said. The CBIs DIG has also revealed that Sana disclosed to him about his meeting with the CVC, along with one Gorantla Ramesh, in Delhi to allegedly discuss the Qureshi case. He alleged citing Sana's statement that Ramesh sold some land in 2011 and gave around Rs four crore out of the said sale consideration to Sana and had further given Rs 50 lakh to Qureshi. "Therefore, Ramesh was examined by CBI in the Qureshi case. As per Sana, subsequently, the CVC called Asthana to his residence and made inquiries. Asthana informed the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but this is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosures made by Sana. Subsequently, the applicant asked Sana why the payments were purportedly made to so many people. His reply was that there was no other choice, but getting access to senior functionaries and paying bribes to 'manage relief', that he was 'threatened' and was put in 'fear', that he had to 'protect his business' wherein he is running three to four companies with 400 employees, that there was no option but to agree to the demand and that this was pure extortion. He also lamented that he has to face all these difficulties though his is a zero-debt company while many with thousands of crores of debt are moving freely and happily. The applicant also asked Sana for the reason why his complaint doesn't mention the name and role of the minister Haribhai. His answer was that he has given a complaint to the CVO of the CBI on officials of the CBI, so there was no point in including other aspects and that he acted as per guidance given by his lawyers," Sinha said. In another twist showing an apparent attempt to influence the probe under the aegis of the Supreme Court, Sinha has alleged that it had come to his knowledge that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra tried to approach Sana, the complainant in Asthana case. "On 8 November, 2018, the office of Sana was repeatedly approached by one Rekha Rani, an IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, claiming that the Union law secretary, who is in London, wants to speak to Sana. The London number of the Union law secretary was communicated." Sinha claimed that "Sana spoke to him on WhatsApp on the evening of 08 November, 2018. The Union law secretary Suresh Chandra said that he was in London for some work related to the Nirav Modi case, that he was trying to contact him for the past four to five days in order to convey the message of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha that the Union government will offer full protection to him, that there will be a drastic change on Tuesday (13 November) and that he (Sana) should meet him (Chandra) on Wednesday (14 November), that even IB was not able to track his (Sana) movement, that he also tried to communicate the message through one Chamundeshwarnath with whom he met in his London hotel. The call was ended by Sana promising to call him again later in the night." After the CVC report was submitted in the Supreme Court, Sinha claimed that Chandra once again inquired with Rekha Rani on 13 November and asked her about the presence of Sana. "It appears that Chandra was more forthcoming this time and requested Rekha Rani to ensure that Sana be helpful, that all his future problems will be taken care of and that he should be brought to Delhi on Thursday or Friday ie 15 or 16 November. This last (previous) sentence is as disclosed to Sana by Rekha Rani... L'affaire Sana is symptomatic of a larger deep-rooted malaise in the country's premier investigation agency the CBI. The applicant is troubled by the content of Sanas allegations, which if proved to be true, reflect very poorly on our criminal justice delivery system in general and the CBI in particular," Sinha claimed in his application. Sinha, in a scathing attack on the government, charged that the manner in which the entire investigation team probing Asthana was dismantled and transferred out of Delhi without any reason raised questions over the intent of top decision-makers. "The manner, timing and the speed with which overnight, in a single stroke, the investigation team was disbanded without assigning any formal reason, and all the main team members of the team were thrown out to remote places in a punitive and stigmatic manner, itself portends very ominous signals, not only for the professional career of investigating officers but also the investigation of the entire case. It further reflects how levers of the CBI are controlled by powerful persons just to fit into their personal objectives of exonerating or implicating certain individuals, irrespective of the merit of the case," Sinha has alleged. A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. New Delhi: A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer who was part of the investigation team probing Asthana's role in an alleged corruption case, mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing on Tuesday. The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government's decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha said that his plea also be heard along with Verma on Tuesday. He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. On Sunday, Deputy SP Ashwini Kumar Gupta also moved the Supreme Court challenging his repatriation to the Intelligence Bureau (IB), terming it "unjustified" and "malafide". Gupta alleged that he was repatriated to his parent Intelligence Bureau (IB) cadre as he was investigating various corruption charges against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma. Another officer, AK Bassi, on 30 October had filed a petition against his transfer to Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. With inputs from PTI Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an inquiry and get the KMP Expressway completed first. New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an "incomplete" expressway in Haryana for quick publicity during elections. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an inquiry and get the KMP Expressway completed first. "PM Modi and CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway today," Surjewala tweeted. "Will Modi-Khattar duo answer - No testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD (Commercial Operation Day); 3rd party consultant has refused to give 'completion certificate' and even HSIIDC refused to own responsibility for any mishap," he added. "Are you risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator by Rs 26 crore a month. Modiji, you should cancel the inauguration, order an enquiry and get the KMP completed," he said in a series of tweets. Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway and blamed the previous Congress government in Haryana for the delay in its completion. Earlier this year, the Manesar-to-Palwal stretch of the KMP Expressway, the entire length of which is 135.65 km, was opened for the public, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on the occasion. The length of the Kundli-Manesar stretch of the expressway is over 83 km. This stretch will have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, thus helping in reducing pollution. The journalist and poet CP Surendran has been dropped from the line-up of the Chair Poetry Evenings 2018 programme, amid #MeToo allegations by at least nine women against him. The journalist and poet CP Surendran has been dropped from the line-up of the Chair Poetry Evenings 2018 programme, amid #MeToo allegations by at least nine women against him. The women some of whom had worked with him at the publications DNA, Arre and Bombay Times, and others who encountered him during events like literary festivals had accused Surendran of a range of inappropriate behaviours. Two of the women had also lodged complaints with the HR departments of their respective organisations at the time. Surendran has denied all allegations of harassment. On 15 November, it was reported that Surendran had stepped down from his position on the Matrubhumi Festival of Letters' board of directors. Mathrubhumi MD Shreyams Kumar said the festival organisers had a meeting during which Surendran volunteered to step down. Just a day before this development, several leading women writers, journalists and those associated with the #MeTooIndia movement, had sent a joint letter to the Matrubhumi Festival, asking for it to cease its association with Surendran in light of the allegations against him. #MeToo impact: Journalist CP Surendran steps down from Matrubhumi Festival's board of directors Meanwhile, writer-editor Rajni George and journalist Kavitha Rao urged the organisers of Chair Poetry Evenings 2018 to remove Surendran from its programme line-up. "Kavitha Rao and I wrote to the organisers of Chair Poetry Evenings, after she pointed out that he was featured there and we had also written to the Mathrubhumi International Festival with Nilanjana Roy and the Network of Women in Media, India," George told Firstpost. Sonnet Mondal, the co-director for Chair Poetry Evenings confirmed that Surendran was no longer part of the 2018 programme. "CP Surendran was initially announced as one of the participants in the Chair Poetry Evenings. But as per the recent and final communication made by the festival board he is no longer participating in the event. CP himself also decided to step back from the festival. The final list (of participants) and details are available on our website," Mondal told Firstpost. Firstpost report CP Surendran named in multiple #MeToo allegations; says 'I believe sexism is an intellectual reality' Rajni George previously spearheaded the campaign to get the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival 2018 to support the #MeTooIndia movement. George told Firstpost that organisers of literary and cultural events had tough and unenviable decisions to make in the time to come. However, "given the courage of the women who have spoken up through #MeToo and how long justice has been delayed in some cases, we owe it to them to give up having someone speak at a festival when serious and credible allegations are made against them, until they are cleared," she added. Kavitha Rao said she concurred with George's view that "literary festivals should be free of men who have credible allegations of harassment against them, especially (from) women who have gone on record". George pointed out people were embracing #MeToo and urgent, collective action, "perhaps in light of our previous complicity unwitting or not and the overwhelming failure of existing systems". "If going without a credibly named author's presence at a literary festival till their name is cleared will mean supporting the survivors and women who have spoken up, it's a choice many now seem prepared to take in the absence of accountability through the processes that existed before #MeToo," she said. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday announced contributing one month's salary of its MPs and MLAs towards cyclone 'Gaja' relief activities. Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday announced contributing one month's salary of its MPs and MLAs towards cyclone 'Gaja' relief activities. Party President MK Stalin said the DMK Trust will separately contribute a sum of Rs 1 crore towards the relief activities. "The cyclone and rain have severely affected people's lives. To retrieve them from the unprecedented damage, a sum of Rs 1 crore will be provided from the DMK Trust," he said in a statement. DMK MPs and MLAs will contribute their one month's salary, Stalin, also state Leader of Opposition said. His party's contribution was aimed at aiding the "relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts," Stalin said. While the DMK has no Lok Sabha MPs, it has four members in the Rajya Sabha. Its strength in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly now stands at 88 following the death of its then party chief M Karunanidhi in August 2018. Cyclone 'Gaja', which had crossed Tamil Nadu coast last Friday between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam, has so far claimed 45 lives and left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land in the affected districts. 'Gaja' had caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry. The Delhi High Court said it was questionable as to whether in cases of serious or heinous crimes, the parties should approach it seeking to quash criminal proceedings against them on the grounds that they have arrived at a settlement. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has questioned the manner in which cases of serious nature like rape, molestation and economic fraud were being referred for mediation by trial courts. Justice RK Gauba said it was questionable as to whether in cases of serious or heinous crimes, the parties should approach it seeking to quash criminal proceedings against them on the grounds that they have arrived at a settlement. The issue of quashing of FIRs on the ground of settlement arose in two separate matters. While one involved allegations of rape, unnatural sex, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation, the other was relaying to allegations of cheating and fraud with a private bank. In given facts and circumstances, it is questionable as to whether in cases of this nature, this court should be called upon to exercise inherent power under Section 482 CrPC and, if the answer to this were to be in the negative, it is also questionable as to whether such cases should at all be referred by the criminal courts to the process of mediation and, even further, as to whether the court annexed mediation centres should be entertaining matters of above nature for such 'negotiations', particularly when the process of mediation is supervised, or overseen, by judicial officers or persons trained in law, Justice Gauba said. The court, which has dismissed the plea to quash criminal proceedings relating to rape allegations, said the issue persists as to whether it was advisable for those concerned with legal process to take or permit recourse to mediation, in the teeth of law, as settled by the Supreme Court which would inhibit the inherent power under Section 482 CrPC to be availed to quash such criminal proceedings in serious or heinous crimes including those reflecting 'mental depravity', as indeed, economic offences involving 'financial well-being of the State' or financial or banking institutions, affecting the public at large by 'financial or economic fraud'. The pleas in both the cases were opposed by the counsel for the state. In the case relating to economic fraud, the FIR was lodged on the complaint of HDFC Bank against five persons in 2003 and early this year, the accused and the bank had told the trial court that there were chances of settlement after which the matter was referred to mediation centre. In July this year, the trial court was informed that the parties have arrived at a settlement in which the accused persons paid Rs 12 lakh to the bank. The accused approached the high court seeking quashing of the FIR after the bank had said that on realisation of the money, it would not want to further proceed with the cases on their merits. The high court said the fact that 15 years have passed by and the case was still at pre-trial stage was a matter of concern. The court said the bank was in the service of public at large and deals with public money and it required inquiry as to the justifications with which the bank would agree to participate in such process of negotiated settlement in cases involving serious criminal breach of trust and cheating. It directed that an authorised representative of the bank, who had participated in the mediation process, shall remain present in the court and explain his authorisation for such purposes. It also asked the state to file a status report in the four cases registered in relation to the fraud and explain the reasons for delay in their adjudication as even after 15 years of filing of charge sheet, charges have not been framed. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi is directed to send a report as to what have been the reasons for delay in the progress of the cases after filing of the charge sheet in December, 2003, the high court said, adding scrupulous compliance shall be made by all concerned and no default shall be acceptable. Drills include training on aspects such as hostage rescue, desert survival and combat firing, the defence ministry stated New Delhi: Indian defence forces are undergoing joint military drills with the US and Russia in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh respectively, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday. Special forces of India and the US began their 12-day bilateral exercise in Rajasthan while the militaries of India and Russia commenced a joint exercise in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The drills include training on various aspects such as hostage rescue, desert survival and combat firing, a statement by the ministry said. A contingent of one officer and 10 other ranks from the special forces group of the United States Pacific Command arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan on Sunday to undertake joint training with the Indian special forces. The American special forces will carry out 12-day rigorous joint training in semi-desert and rural terrain with an aim to enhance the interoperability of the two armed forces and further the military to military co-operation. "The contingents will train on aspects such as hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and combat firing. At the end of the joint training, the special forces will undertake a three-day outdoor exercise to validate their best practices," the statement said. One the first day of the exercise, the United States Pacific Command troops carried out a visit to the training area followed by zeroing of their personal weapons. In a separate military drill, the opening ceremony for the 10th Indo-Russian Joint Exercise, INDRA 18, scheduled from 18 to 28 November was held on Monday at Babina Military Station in Uttar Pradesh, another statement by the ministry said. There was a fly past of army aviation helicopters which carried the national flags of both the participating nations during the parade. The members of both countries also interacted and familiarised with each other after the opening ceremony. "The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct to enhance interoperability of the two armies in the peace keeping and enforcement environment under the aegis of the United Nations," the statement said. The 11-day exercise focuses upon training on enhancing team building and tactical level operations in a counter insurgency environment in semi-urban terrains, it added. Today is the 101st birth anniversary of India's former and only woman prime minister, Indira Gandhi. Indira, who was known as the 'iron lady' of India is remembered for the tough decisions she took during her tenure as the prime minister of India and how she surprised her Opposition to come back in power for a fourth term in 1980. Today is the 101st birth anniversary of India's former and only woman prime minister, Indira Gandhi. Indira, who was known as the Iron Lady of India is remembered for the tough decisions she took during her tenure as the prime minister of India and how she surprised her Opposition by coming back to power for a fourth term in 1980. Here are some of the key decisions taken by Indira Gandhi which mark the highlights of her political career: Nationalisation of banks On 19 July 1969, by means of an Ordinance, the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government nationalised 14 commercial banks of the country. According to reports, the 14 banks controlled 70 percent of the countrys deposits, which then directly came under the control of the central government. Formation of Bangladesh As East Pakistan's military measure saw around 10 million refugees flow into India in 1971. Following which a war ensued between India and Pakistan which resulted in the formation of Bangladesh. Indira's tough stand during the war and subsequent decision to form Bangladesh were spearheaded by Indira. Pokhran nuclear test Gandhi conducted India's first nuclear test, Pokhran-I in 1974. The first test, code-named 'Smiling Buddha', was called a peaceful nuclear explosion to pacify the western powers and to avoid the threat of attracting sanctions from them. Period of Emergency The Allahabad High Court, in response to a PIL, found Indira guilty of employing a government servant for her election campaign. This act was considered as an election fraud and the court banned her from contesting an election for six years and also ordered to scrap her Parliament seat. However, Gandhi refused to step down and protests against her started to begin with people demanding her resignation. But, instead of letting go of her position, Indira ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and declared state Emergency on 25 June 1975 which lasted for nineteen months. The day is still considered to be a 'black day' in the Indian democracy. Operation Bluestar Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his troops demanded Indias partition and the formation of a separate country called Khalistan. The Khalistani-supporters hid themselves inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This led to the birth of Operation Bluestar by the Indian Army as on 5 June 1984, commandos entered the holy and killed Bhindranwale and his troops. A few civilians were also killed in the encounter. In an act of revenge, on 31 October 1984, two of Indira's Sikh bodyguards shot her dead. Her assassination led to attacks on Sikhs in several parts of the country. The fight for reservation has not been easy for the politically dominant Maratha community which constitutes over 30 percent of Maharashtra's population. The community has been demanding a quota for a long time now and its agitation for the same in July and August 2018 had taken a violent turn. The Maharashtra government accepted the State Backward Class Commission's report and agreed to give the Maratha community a quota in jobs and educational institutions. According to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, the reservation will be granted to the community under a new category called 'Socially and Educationally Backward Class' (SEBC), as per the recommendations of the commission. However, the fight for reservation has not been easy for the politically dominant Maratha community which constitutes over 30 percent of Maharashtra's population. The community has been demanding a quota for a long time now and its agitation for the same in July and August 2018 had taken a violent turn. Further, the Patidar movement in neighbouring Gujarat lent impetus to the Maratha stir. In 1980, the Maratha groups were actually against caste-based quotas and did not want to be identified as backward", the Deccan Herald reported. Moreover, Kunbis, the non-elite tillers from the community were included in the OBC quota bracket since 1989. But by the 90s, the demand for quotas in jobs and education had started growing owing to the support from the fringe groups, the report said. However, the demand has come mainly from the Maratha masses of backward regions like Marathwada and was sharpened by farm distress, unemployment and unfulfilled state promises. Maharashtra govt bats for Maratha reservation In 2004, the then Maharashtra government under Vilasrao Deshmukh set up the Justice Bapat Commission to look into the reservation demands of the Maratha community. Thereafter, under the aegis of Prithviraj Chavan, political parties openly came out in support of the demand for reservation to the Marathas. But, it was not until June 2014, that a concrete action plan started to take shape. 25 June 2014: The Congress-NCP Democratic Front government, headed by Prithviraj Chavan, approved a proposal to reserve 16 percent of government jobs and seats in educational institutions for the Marathas. 14 November 2014: After Fadnavis took over the reins of Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court stayed the previous government's decision. 15 November 2014: The BJP-Shiv Sena combine decided to move the Supreme Court. 18 December 2014: Supreme Court refused to vacate the high court's interim order staying the reservation. 6 January 2015: The Fadnavis government decided to tender additional information in the high court for supporting the reservation to Marathas. Kopardi rape and murder triggers protests 13 July 2016: The rape and murder of a girl from the Maratha community at Kopardi in the Ahmednagar district fueled an agitation and the demand for reservation aggravated. 9 August 2016: The first Maratha Kranti Morcha was held in Aurangabad to solidify the demand for Maratha reservation. Hundreds of protesters blocked the Pune-Solapur highway. Thereafter, on 6 November 2016, a bike rally was held in Mumbai and on 20 November 2016, a Maratha morcha march was taken out in Delhi in support of the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutes. 5 December 2016: In light of the growing agitation, the present Maharashtra government filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court to justify the reservation for Marathas as legal as it argued that it did not violate any constitutional provisions. 14 December 2016: Another Maratha morcha was held in Nagpur while the Winter Session of the Maharashtra Assembly was in progress as protests started to spread to various other parts of the state. 9 August 2017: A massive Maratha morcha was held in Mumbai on the 'August Kranti Day'. According to Reuters, the Maratha community had staged about 57 marches over 2016 till 9 August 2017 over their demand for reservation. 29 November 2017: A sessions court in Ahmednagar sentenced to death all the accused in the Kopardi rape and murder case. The issue of reservation, however, continued to rock the Maharashtra Assembly in the Monsoon session in July 2018 as well. 17 July 2018: As a mark of protest, the Maratha associations in Pandharpur decided to not to allow Chief Minister Fadnavis to hold a puja in the area on the occasion of ashadi ekadashi. 22 July 2018: Fadnavis cancelled his trip to Pandharpur but said that his government is in support of Maratha reservation and the decision lies with the court. Violence grows in Pune, Navi Mumbai 23 July 2018: However, violence spread across the state when a 35-year-old man jumped into the Godavari river in Aurangabad to demand reservation for the Maratha community. Violent protests erupted in Chakan, near Pune, in which at least 90 vehicles were damaged and traffic was disrupted on the Pune-Nashik highway. Violent protests and clashes between protestors and police were also reported in Navi Mumbai and Thane. The police arrested around 20 people for instigating violence in the guise of participating in the Maratha morcha as political blame game continued in the background. 25 July 2018: After two days of violence, the agitation was called off by the Maratha Kranti Morcha coordination committee on the afternoon of 25 July. 31 July 2018: Arson and stone-pelting were reported from parts of Pune in a bid to revive the earlier protests demanding reservation for Marathas. 1 August 2018: Over 100 Maratha activists staged a 'jail-bharo' agitation at Azad Maidan and on 2 November 2018, a hunger strike was planned to be launched by activists belonging to the Sakal Maratha Kranti Mahamorcha. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government set up a panel to collect evidence of the socio-economic backwardness of the community and the proposal was sent to the state backward class commission, based on the report from which the government has now decided to go ahead with the proposed reservation for the Maratha community. 18 November 2018: The Maharashtra government announces its decision to accept the commission's report and grant reservation to Maratha community. However, Fadnavis said that the quantum of the reservation will be fixed by the cabinet sub-committee assigned to chalk out technical aspects of the bill which will be tabled in the coming session. 19 November 2018: The Bombay High Court said that it will hear the petition demanding Maratha reservation, on 21 November 2018. Court also asked the Maharashtra government to file a response with the state backward commission report. The Maharashtra governments decision to grant reservations to the Maratha community is more in keeping with the political expediency of the time. Those familiar with the Constituent Assembly debates know that equality of opportunity for all citizens was one of the core principles which guided the framing of the Constitution of India. Among others, Dr BR Ambekar stood for this and if he agreed to the reservation for backward communities for ten years, it was to reconcile the different stands of views that emerged during the debate equal opportunity; no reservations of any sort for any class or community and a massive opinion that there must be a provision for the entry of certain communities which have so far been outside the administration. Without going into the merits of the latest report of the State Backward Class Commission on the basis of which the Maharashtra government has declared its intention to announce reservations for the Marathas, here is some food for thought. The State Backward Class Commission had, in 2008, said that Marathas are both economically and politically a forward casteThey had never faced social stigma to invite a backward class status. The Marathas have always dominated state politics; out of 17 chief ministers since 1960, 10 have been Marathas, starting with the first one, Yashwantrao Chavan (Devendra Fadnavis is a Brahmin). About half or more of the MLAs have been Marathas in these years. Further, most of the educational institutions, sugar factories and cooperative banks are controlled by the Marathas. Why are they seeking reservation then? It is interesting to look at a study by Ashwini Deshpande of Delhi School of Economics and Rajesh Ramachandran of Goethe University, published in December 2016. It examines the claims of three communities the Marathas in Maharashtra, Jats in Haryana and Patels in Gujarat on their claims to be classified as OBCs for the purpose of reservations. Using data from the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS), they compared the socio-economic indicators of these three with the Brahmins, other forward castes, existing OBCs and SCs & STs. Their conclusion: Their (Marathas, Jats and Patels) claim to backwardness is not justified by empirical data. The study explains that there is discontent and anxiety in these three communities as they feel their power slipping away and that the real power rests with corporations, and the state covertly or overtly acts in the interest of these corporations. These communities are also ill-prepared to shift towards urban, formal sector livelihood opportunities. Thus, the study calls for addressing their anxiety, while firmly stating that giving reservations to these relatively richer and powerful communities would dilute the small and shrinking entitlement for communities that are truly disadvantaged and discriminated against. It must, however, be said that the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission and government have found a clever way to overcome limitations on reservation (should not exceed 50 percent) or dilution of the stakes of the OBCs, which would lead to heartburns and protests, by inventing a new class altogether describing the Marathas as socially and educationally backward class (SEBC). This should give ideas to the Jats, Gujjars, Patels, Rajputs and Brahmins fighting similar battles in Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat for decades with little success and are finding the court hurdle difficult to circumvent. This is not to say that some of the states dont have more than 50 percent quota. They do. Maharashtra itself has 52 percent. So is the case with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which have 69 percent and 73 percent reservations respectively. From time to time, the apex court has desisted from striking down such reservations by giving the states time to collect caste-wise data to justify allocation of higher quotas to different groups. In fact, the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 was as much about poverty count as about the caste compositions. While most of the findings of the SECC are in the public domain, the caste composition data has not yet been made public. The Maharashtra governments decision to grant reservations in education and jobs to the Marathas, who constitute about 33 percent of the population and are demanding 16 percent quota, is more in keeping with the political expediency of the time. There is a clear pattern to it. Politically powerful and relatively rich communities (like Marathas in Maharashtra, Patels in Gujarat, Jats in Haryana and Gujjars in Rajasthan) paralyse life through bandhs and violence. The state government succumbs and declares a quota which then runs into legal hurdles. The state governments are aware of the legal hurdle and yet seek to buy peace for the time with predictable results. This is a very lazy way of dealing with the issue and it is no wonder the demands for reservations keep surfacing every now and then. In fact, it is surprising that there has been very little meaningful dialogue in the country. There have been sporadic comments now and then, from political parties and others, but no structured debate to frame an appropriate policy response. Should Parliament, for example, discuss it the way the Constituent Assembly did for days while deciding the issue from the whos and whys to the time limits? Should leading political parties like the BJP and Congress lay out a clear policy framework to govern their state governments on the issue? The answer to both is undoubtedly in the affirmative. And the civil society and academics should be an integral part of such debates. A very good starting point for this would be to release the SECC 2011 data regarding different communities their number as well as their socio-economic conditions. This would make it easy to compare their relative status (or backwardness) and decide the issue on merit. Equally important would be to seek answers to several vexed questions like why the forward, relatively rich and powerful communities are demanding reservations, which really are the backward communities that need support and what economic or social policy responses needed to eliminate the need for such demands. Further Cobalt Nickel Mineralisation at Coronation Dam Perth, Nov 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Cliff Minerals Limited ( ASX:WCN ) ("White Cliff" or the "Company") is pleased to report new assays from a 5,000 metre RC drilling campaign completed at its 100% owned Coronation Dam cobalt project 90km Southeast of Glencore's Murrin Murrin Nickel refinery in Western Australia's north-eastern goldfields.Highlights- New assays received from Coronation Dam, results include:o 40 metres at 0.22% cobalt and 1.75% nickel from 8 metreso 36 metres at 0.10% cobalt and 0.87% nickel from surfaceo 16 metres at 0.11% cobalt and 0.88% nickel form 18 metreso 20 metres at 0.06% cobalt and 0.75% nickel from 8 metreso 21 metres at 0.06% cobalt and 0.8% nickel from surfaceo 10 metres at 0.04% cobalt and 1.3% nickel from 20 metres- Final composite assays expected shortlyDrilling results are from the four cross sections drilled either side of the sections previously reported and extent the high grade mineralisation to over 600 metres long, 400 metres wide and up to 56 metres thick (average 20 metres). Mineralisation has developed in the regolith profile above an intensely weathered ultramafic unit which was originally a peridotite. The peridotite is approximately 1 kilometre wide and 5.7 kilometres long within the mining tenement which covers 16km2. Results include:CDRC0071 40 metres at 0.22% cobalt and 1.75% nickel from 8 metresCDRC0070 20 metres at 0.06% cobalt and 0.75% nickel from 8 metresCDRC0069 12 metres at 0.08% cobalt and 0.8% nickel from 32 metres and;12 metres at 0.04% cobalt and 0.8% nickel from 64 metresCDRC0030: 4 metres at 0.11% cobalt and 0.90% nickel from 36 metresCDRC0031: 12 metres at 0.04% cobalt and 0.74% nickel from 20 metresCDRC0032: 16 metres at 0.11% cobalt and 0.88% nickel from 18 metresCDRC0033: 36 metres at 0.10% cobalt and 0.87% nickel from surfaceCDRC0034: 16 metres at 0.07% cobalt and 0.82% nickel from surfaceCDRC0013: 10 metres at 0.02% cobalt and 1.0% nickel from 2 metresCDRC0014: 21 metres at 0.06% cobalt and 0.8% nickel from surface including;2 metres at 0.08% cobalt and 1.3% nickel from surfaceCDRC0015: 10 metres at 0.04% cobalt and 1.3% nickel from 20 metresCDRC0020: 12 metres at 0.05% cobalt and 0.57% nickel from 12 metresCDRC0021: 4 metres at 0.01% cobalt and 0.60% nickel from 16 metresWhite Cliff Managing Director Todd Hibberd said: "Further assays at Coronation Dam continue to demonstrate the high grade nature of the cobalt mineralisation. The mineralised zone is now over 600 metres long, 400 metres wide and up to 56 metres thick (average 20 metres). Further assay results should be available shortly and on receipt of the final drilling results the Company will be in a position to complete a geological and mineralisation model and to select samples for metallurgical testing".The Coronation Dam Cobalt ProjectThe Coronation Dam Cobalt Project is located 90km south of Glencore's Murrin Murrin mining operation and 45km south of GME Resources' proposed Mt Kilkenny nickel-cobalt processing facility in WA's north-eastern goldfields (see Figure 2 in link below). The project is surrounded by world class mining infrastructure and multiple operating mines. Glencore is currently mining cobalt and nickel from the Murrin East open pit which contained an initial resource of 66 million tonnes at 1.1% nickel and 0.09% Cobalt.The Coronation Dam project area covers 16km2 and contains an outcropping ultramafic unit that is approximately 1 kilometre wide and 5.7 kilometres long within the tenement.Cobalt-nickel mineralisation occurs as a shallow layer of cobalt-enriched manganiferous oxides that form between the smectite clays and the overlying ferruginous clays. High grade cobalt mineralisation typically occurs between the surface and 50 metres depth and is associated with nickel mineralisation.Existing drilling has only partly tested the mapped ultramafic unit, indicating there is potential to identify significant additional mineralisation.The proximity of Coronation Dam to the Murrin Murrin nickel refinery is likely to have a strong, positive impact on the possibility of economic development of both the cobalt and nickel mineralisation. While the Company has not yet calculated a mineral resource, it is clear that the potential exists for the project to host one of substantial size.To view figures, please visit:About White Cliff Minerals Ltd White Cliff Minerals Ltd is a Gold, Copper, Cobalt, Nickel resources and mining company listed in Australia (ASX:WCN). The Company is focused on developing low cost high value mineral deposits that have near term cash flow potential. Major projects include the Aucu gold deposit that contains 484,000 ounces of gold (3mt at 5.1 g/t) starting at surface and Chanach copper deposit that contains 64,000 tonnes of copper (17.2Mt at 0.37% copper). Both projects have substantial blue sky potential with drilling covering only 5% of the known structures. In Australia the company is developing the Coronation Dam cobaltnickel deposit where a maiden resource will be announced in the late 2018. The CBI, probing the alleged rape of 34 girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, on Sunday searched documents at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation has discovered that five minor girls, and not two as reported earlier, died in a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. "Their post-mortems were conducted at a government hospital," police said on Monday. The CBI, probing the alleged rape of 34 girls at the shelter home, on Sunday searched documents at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and found that the post-mortems of five girls of the shelter home were conducted there. According to the hospital register, the post-mortems of two girls were conducted in 2013, two in 2015 and one in 2017. The CBI officials are now trying to find out as to whom the bodies of the girls were handed over after their autopsies and also whether cases were registered in the matter. "A team of CBI officials is likely to soon interrogate some hospital doctors to collect more details about the case," a district police officer said. The CBI had earlier found human bones at a cremation ground on 4 October following a tip-off. It had also carried out an extensive excavation at the shelter home premises on suspicion that some inmates might have been killed and buried there, but could not recover anything from there. In October, a shelter home employee Krishna Ram, who also ran the press of Brajesh Thakur - the main accused - told the CBI sleuths that some bodies were stuffed in gunny bags and disposed of in the Burhi Gandak river a year ago. However, the CBI could not recover anything from the river. According to the CBI, Ram disclosed that Brajesh Thakur had ordered the disposal of the bodies. He reportedly revealed that two inmates of Thakur's NGO, Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti, had died under mysterious circumstances and their bodies were dumped in the river from Akharaghat Bridge with the help of one Guddu, an employee of the shelter home, and Vijay Tiwari, Thakur's driver. Of the 42 girls lodged at the short-stay home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO, 34 were found to have been sexually assaulted. The crime came to light after a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, five months ago. The shelter home has been sealed, and Thakur sent to jail. The Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the case. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) in Gurugram. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, specially the number of trucks entering the national capital and will help in reducing pollution in the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) in Gurugram. The expressway is expected to decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially the number of trucks entering the National Capital and will help in reducing pollution in the city. "The expressway will contribute to reducing pollution. In a way, it will help the economy, environment, ease of travelling and ease of living," Modi said addressing a public rally. Besides, the project will also provide a high-speed link between northern Haryana and the southern districts and give an uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, specially commercial traffic, from Haryana to the neighbouring states. This stretch of the expressway has 14 major and minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana has blamed the Congress regime for the delay in the KMP project. "This expressway had to be completed during the Commonwealth Games, but we all know what was done back then and this expressway was also a victim of that," Modi said, adding that he found many loopholes in the project when he reviewed it in meetings with the officials. The prime minister said that earlier the project was expected to cost around Rs 1,200 crore, but because of the delays caused by the previous government, the cost of the project tripled over the years. Modi also inaugurated the 3.2-kilometre-long Ballabhgarh-Mujesar Metro rail link, which will facilitate travel for people of Delhi and Faridabad, and laid the foundation stone of the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in the Palwal district. With inputs from PTI The Shiv Sena, which is the part of the BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and the Centre, has been aggressively pushing for the construction of the temple since the party's annual Dussehra rally last month. The party has often taunted its ally BJP over the saffron party's 'failure' to construct the temple in the last four years despite coming to power. Railway minister Piyush Goyal met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, regarding the Ram Temple issue, days before the latter's visit to Ayodhya. It is not clear what kind of talk took place, but it is being said that the two leaders have been in talks for a long time regarding the issue, reported News18. The Shiv Sena, which is the part of the BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and the Centre, has been aggressively pushing for the construction of the temple since the party's annual Dussehra rally last month. The party has often taunted its ally BJP over the saffron party's "failure" to construct the temple in the last four years despite coming to power. Uddhav on Sunday sought to intensify the party's campaign for Ram temple in Ayodhya by giving a new slogan which called for the construction of the temple. "Har Hindu ki yahi pukar, pehle mandir fir sarkar (Every Hindu has one demand, the temple first and then government)," he said at a press conference which was held later. Uddhav held a meeting with senior party leaders to review preparations for his visit to Ayodhya on 24 and 25 November. Sena leaders from outside Maharashtra too attended the meeting. Uddhav also asked party workers to conduct a 'maha aarati' (grand puja) on 24 November all over the state as well as in other parts of the country where the Sena has its presence. He will be conducting 'Sarayu puja' on 24 November in Ayodhya. Uddhav on 18 October announced that he would visit the city in Uttar Pradesh on 24 and 25 November. Sharing details of his visit, Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut a few days ago said that Uddhav is going to Ayodhya to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government that Ram Temple needs to be constructed. Pressing for an ordinance to facilitate the construction of a Ram temple, Raut on Sunday said the delay in exercising the option is an indication that the ruling BJP at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh was not keen on building it. Raut said if the NDA government can bring an ordinance on banning instant triple talaq then why not take the same route to remove hurdles for the construction of the Ram temple, which is a "matter of pride" for the nation. On 29 October, the apex court adjourned the hearing of the Ayodhya title suit case until January 2019. The apex court had adjourned the matter, which challenged the Allahabad High Court verdict of 2010 that ruled that the disputed land in Ayodhya should be divided into three parts for each party the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lala. The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on 6 December, 1992, allegedly by a group of some Hindu activists, claiming that the mosque was constructed by Mughal king Babur after demolishing a Ram Temple that originally stood there. Since then, several hearings have been held in the top court to resolve the issue. Around 72 Sabarimala pilgrims were arrested since late Sunday night from Sabarimala temple after they failed to comply with the prohibitory orders in place. This triggered protests at the shrine and across Kerala. The Supreme Court has ruled out early hearing on the review petitions in the Sabarimala case filed before it. The case pertains to Supreme Court's 28 September verdict where the bench allowed the entry of women from 10-50 years of age into the temple. The court also dismissed a petition seeking a stay on its verdict. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said there would be no early hearing in the matter before 22 January, when it will hear fresh review petitions along with all pending applications in an open court. The court made the statement while refusing to hear the fresh plea of National Ayyappa Devottees (Women's) Association alleging lack of civic amenities for devotees at the temple and the roads leading to the shrine. "You come prepared on 22 January. This has to be heard by a five-judge bench and it would not be just for a three-judge bench to hear you," the bench said when lawyer Mathews J Nedumapara sought an urgent hearing of the plea. Meanwhile, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement the 28 September verdict that had allowed the entry of women in the temple irrespective of their age. The TDB petition has cited lack of basic amenities, among other factors, as grounds for more time. The review petitions have sought a re-examination of the Supreme Court's 28 September verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages inside the Sabarimala temple. The court had emphasised that till 22 January, its verdict in the Sabarimala case will remain effective. On 9 October, too, the Supreme Court had declined an urgent hearing of the review plea filed by the National Ayyappa Devotees Association, which had contended that the five-judge constitution bench's verdict lifting the ban was "absolutely untenable and irrational". Kerala High Court questions police excesses Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Monday pulled up the state government for the excessive deployment of the police force at Sabarimala and arrest of over 70 pilgrims. "What right does police have to stop devotees," the high court asked the police. While hearing a number of petitions against alleged police harassment, the special Devaswom bench of the court questioned the state attorney under what authority the police were trying to restrict devotees' right to worship and summoned the advocate general to appear in court at 1.45 pm. "The place of the police in Sabarimala is in baracks. They should not harass the pilgrims," the high court observed, adding that police excesses cannot be allowing in enforcing the Supreme Court's judgment allowing women's entry inside the shrine, Live Law reported. On Sunday, a large number of BJP and RSS workers protested outside the official residence of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram against the detention of over 30 people at the Sabarimala temple. Simultaneous protests were also held at various places across Kerala, including in Aranmula, Kochi, Kollam, Alapuzha, Ranni, Thodupuzha, Kaladi, Malappuram and Idukki, among other locations. Protest against arrest of 72 pilgrims Furthermore, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha the BJP's youth wing has also planned a day-long protest against the "police high-handedness". This is in reaction to the arrest of 72 pilgrims since late Sunday night from Sabarimala temple after they failed to comply with the prohibitory orders in place. This had led to protests at Sabarimala as well as across Kerala. Over 200 pilgrims had refused to vacate the temple premise after 10 pm, as ordered by the Kerala administration, singing Lord Ayyappa hymns and chants. The police said they were forced to act after the devotees refused to pay heed to their repeated requests. Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons had criticised the action taken by the Kerala government. On Monday, he reached the Pampa base came for Sabarimala pilgrims, saying he had come "to see what is happening in Sabarimala" as he had read that "the Kerala government is making life difficult for the pilgrims". He also questioned the need to deploy 15,000 policemen at Sabarimala. "Devotees are not extremists. It is not a democracy. Even Stalin will be shamed. The government considers devotees sworn enemies and gave a free hand to control helpless pilgrims," he said after reaching Sabarimala, according to the Hindustan Times. KP Sasikala reaches Sabarimala Hindu Aikya Vedi chief Sasikala reached Sabarimala temple on Monday amid statewide protests against the arrest of 72 devotees post-midnight on Sunday. She was arrested on Saturday for violating the prohibitory orders in force at the shrine and later granted bail after which the Hindu Aikya Vedi and the Sabarimala Karma Samithi called for a strike. The BJP had supported this hartal. On Monday, Sasikala was allowed to trek to the hill shrine after she assured authorities that she would return after offering prayers. She was asked to give an undertaking that she would not set up camp at the temple top, the Hindustan Times reported. The Supreme Court's verdict had triggered violent protests at the base camps near the Sabarimala hill shrine, as devotees and several Hindu outfits had blocked women from entering the temple when it opened for monthly prayers in October. Restrictions have been imposed at the Sabarimala temple complex following protests by activists of the BJP, RSS and Right-wing outfits over the state government's decision to implement the 28 September Supreme Court. Nilackal/Pamba (Kerala): Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam Monday hit out at the Kerala government for turning the Sabarimala temple complex into a "war zone" and treating the pilgrims like "dacoits". "They have imposed Section 144 (prohibitory orders). The pilgrims are being treated like dacoits. Where is the basic infrastructure...this is pathetic," the minister, who arrived here to take stock of the facilities at the hill shrine, told reporters. "The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims," he said. Restrictions have been imposed at the temple complex following protests by activists of the BJP, RSS and Right-wing outfits over the state government's decision to implement the 28 September Supreme Court order allowing the entry of women of all ages into the shrine. "The state government must take responsibility...The Union Tourism ministry had given Rs 100 crore...They have not spent even a rupee..," Kannanthanam said. The Union minister visited Nilackal, the base camp, Pamba and Sannidhanam Monday morning, hours after police removed around 200-odd people who had gathered at the temple complex late Sunday night. They held nama japam (chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa) protest against the police restrictions. The police had also taken 68 protestors into custody on Sunday night. "The CPM-led LDF government is making life difficult for all the pilgrims coming here," the minister alleged. "This is like the Stalin era of the Soviet Union," he said. "Sabarimala is one of the biggest pilgrims centre in the country. Here, everyone lives peacefully. This government is determined to ensure that people do not have the right to their belief," the minister said. Pointing out that there was no basic facilities at Pamba, he said there were no toilets and all the three sheds at Nilackal are waterlogged. "What is the intention of the government? They want to make sure the pilgrims are not provided with basic facilities. What is happening with law and order? Section 144? Is this a democracy?" Kannanthanam said. A 'secret' circular issued by BJP in Kerala revealed that the protests on Sunday (18 November), which led to the arrest of 72 people at Sabarimala, were part of carefully planned operation by the saffron party to execute its political agenda in the state. A "secret" circular issued by general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala revealed that the protests on Sunday (18 November), which led to the arrest of 72 people at Sabarimala, were part of carefully planned operation by the saffron party to execute its political agenda in the state. Issued by BJP general secretary AN Radhakrishnan, the circular, a copy which was obtained by Firstpost, said that the BJP had kept a group of workers from three Assembly constituencies Aruvikkara, Vamanapuram and Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram district ready to go to Sabarimala on the third day of the pilgrimage (18 November). Those arrested included Sangh Parivar workers from three constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram district. The action was coordinated by party spokesman advocate J R Padmakumar. The "secret" operation is in tune with state BJP presidents statement that the Supreme Court verdict was a golden opportunity for the party to implement its agenda in the state. The circular has listed 28 Sangh districts identified for sending activists to Sabarimala till 20 December, along with the names and phone numbers of the coordinators for each district. The coordinators have been asked to fix the time and place for the gathering of the workers. The circular also asked party state committee and council members and morcha, district and zonal office bearers to ensure mobilisation of maximum workers from each district. Senior BJP leader and state secretary MT Ramesh said he was not aware of the circular. "If at all there is such a circular, it is not issued with the knowledge of the state leadership. The plan did not come up in the party's state forums for discussion," he added. However, the state advocate-general submitted a copy of the circular before the high court on Monday after he was summoned to explain the restrictions imposed on the devotees by the police. The senior law officer said that the restrictions were necessitated after deliberate attempts by certain groups to create trouble in the hill shrine. The high court had come down heavily on the police for its failure to ensure smooth darshan for the devotees. The court said that police could not place restrictions on the devotees in the name of the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the temple. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan justified the police action in Sabarimala, saying those who were arrested by the police were not devotees but Sangh Parivar activists, who were trying to create trouble. While addressing the state conference of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists at Kozhikode, he said the Sangh Parivar activists had gone to Sabarimala disguised as devotees. "They have been camping at Sannidhanam with a motive to create trouble as part of the BJP's political agenda. Their attempt is to make Sabarimala a war zone. We are not against the devotees, but at the same we will not allow anyone to create trouble in the name of the devotees," he added. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were not guided by true faith. "They have no regard for the customs and rituals at Sabarimala. Their attempt is to provoke Hindus and gain few votes," he said. He said that the actions of the BJP were in tune with the party chiefs appeal to the workers to make maximum political mileage from the Supreme Court verdict. He had described the verdict as a golden opportunity for the party to implement its agenda in the state. The party is trying to consolidate the Hindus by whipping up communal passions, he added. The Sangh Parivar had mounted a resistance against young women trying to enter the temple during the monthly pooja in October and the Chithira Atha Visehsm pooja in November by camping at the hill top. They changed the tack this time as large number of their activists were arrested in connection with the troubles and the police had beefed up security to ensure that no trouble makers trekked to the hill top this time. The BJP had readied volunteers to prevent women in the age group of 10 to 50 years from entering the temple. However, they turned against the police as no women from the restricted age group reached Sabarimala to visit the temple in the first three days of the pilgrimage. They found the restrictions imposed by the police on the devotees, especially the overnight stay at Sannidhanam, an ideal opportunity to keep the flames of protest going. The protest came as a surprise to the police since it had scanned every devotee to ensure that no activist had reached the hill top. Hindu Aikya Vedi leader KP Sasikala and BJP general secretary K Surendran were refused permission to go to Sannidhanam on 16 and 17 November and arrested as per this move. Police sources believe that the activists who staged the protest on Sunday may have entered the temple disguised as devotees. The police has not been subjecting those coming to Sabarimala with irumudikettu (holy offering to Lord Ayyappa), as it would have created provocation. The Devaswom minister said that a junior BJP leader who was camping at the hill top may have led the protests. The police could not identify the leader, V Rajesh as he was less-known in police circles. The minister said that Rajesh may have been hiding in the forest to escape the police scanner. The police was not expecting any trouble on Sunday as there was only a small number of devotees at the Sannidhanam when the temple was about to be closed after the days puja and all of them were happy with the opportunity, they got to do the darshan comfortably. Upsetting the police calculations, a group emerged at the nadapanthal and started chanting Ayyappa slogans in protest against the police restrictions minutes before the closure of the sanctorum. The police tried to avert trouble by appealing to them to leave Sannidhanam. They had agreed to go back after the closure of the sanctorum. When they refused to leave, the police tried to take the leaders into custody. However, the protesters insisted everybody be arrested. Accordingly, around 100 protesters were removed to the police camp at Maniyar, around 30 kilometres away from the temple. The police has slapped non-bailable offences against 70-or-so protesters. Superintendent of police and Sannidhanam special officer Pratheesh Kumar said the protesters were detained for violating Section 144 that prohibits assembly of more than four people at a spot. We had asked them to disperse after the Harivarasanam but most of them refused, he added. The BJP and Sangh Parivar workers swung into action immediately after the arrests and took the protests to several parts of the state. While a large number of workers surrounded the Maniyar police camp demanding the release of those in custody another group staged protests outside Vijayans official residence in the state capital. The BJP workers also tried to block chief minister when he went to Kozhikode for attending a function and staged a prayer protest outside the venue. They also waved black flags against Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran. The protestors also pelted stones at Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses in a few places. The party had supported a state-wide shut down strike and organised road blockade following the arrest of Sasikala and Surendran. Both the protests had caused considerable difficulty to the devotees, leading to a drop in the number of pilgrim arrivals at Sabarimala. BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai said the arrest of the devotees as an example of the police excess at Sabarimala and demanded a judicial inquiry into them. He said that the hill shrine was under the "police raj" and the police was denying devotees the right to exercise their religious beliefs. "The police is forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala. We will meet Governor P Sathasivam and request him to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage," he said. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said both the BJP and the Left Democratic Front government were trying to make Sabarimala a war zone. He came down heavily on the chief minister asking if Kerala was under the rule of Adolf Hitler. He alleged the government was trying to "brand" Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists and thus helping RSS recruit people to its fold. Full text of the BJP circular BJP Circular on Sabarimala by Firstpost on Scribd The Sena said Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil has claimed the height of Shivaji's statue has been decreased to ensure that the 'Statue of Unity', dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remains the tallest. It said Fadnavis should use the same courage that he displayed in announcing quota for the Maratha community, and not be 'scared' of Prime Minister Modi and Shah over the issue of Shivaji statue's height. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena Monday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare that the proposed statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji off the Mumbai coast will be the tallest in the world, and not be "scared" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over the issue. The Sena said Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil has claimed the height of Shivaji's statue has been decreased to ensure that the 'Statue of Unity', dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remains the tallest. It said Fadnavis should use the same courage that he displayed in announcing quota for the Maratha community, and not be "scared" of Prime Minister Modi and Shah over the issue of Shivaji statue's height. Decreasing the height of Shivaji's statue to make Sardar Patel's statue look taller is "narrow and distorted mindset", the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "Fadnavis should use the same courage that he showed while granting reservation to the Maratha community and fearlessly announce that Shivaji's statue would be the tallest in the world, and not get scared of Amit Shah and Modi. This will not diminish the prestige of Sardar Patel," it said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party reminded Fadnavis that earlier, then Union finance minister Chintamanrao Deshmukh in the Jawaharlal Nehru government had shown courage to tender his resignation, to ensure Mumbai stayed with Maharashtra. It rued that while the 'Statue of Unity' has already been unveiled and opened for public viewing, not a single brick has been laid for the construction of Shivaji's statue. There are now doubts being raised if there was an internal conspiracy to make Shivaji's statue seem like a dwarf compared to the structure dedicated to Sardar Patel, it said. Shivaji's statue should be larger than that of any other leader and all parties should come together for it, said the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. Modi on 31 October had inaugurated the imposing 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of Independent India, in Gujarat's Narmada district. The Congress and the NCP had said in the Maharashtra Assembly in July that the height of Shivaji's statue, to be built in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast, was being reduced, a claim rejected by Fadnavis, who had asserted that it will be the tallest in the world. According to the state government's reply submitted earlier to an RTI query, certain height specifications of the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial have been changed to reduce the cost of the project. In the new design, the height of the warrior king's statue would be reduced by 7.5 metres, although the sword he wields will be taller than in the original design. However, these changes will not alter the total height of the statue, which would be 121.2 metres. The height of the entire structure, including the pedestal, would be 212 metres, the government said in its RTI reply. The height of Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue has now been reduced to 75.7 metres from the earlier 83.2 metres. But in order to maintain the statue's overall height of 121.2 metres, the length of the sword has been raised from 38 metres to 45.5 metres, the government said. "The height of the pedestal has been reduced to 87.4 metres from the earlier 96.2 metres. This change in the pedestal's height will save Rs 338.94 crore," it had said. Although institutions are slowly warming up to the idea of building gender-neutral or even restrooms exclusively meant for transgender individuals, the fear of potentially hostile bathroom policies in a public space, is still felt daily. The Supreme Court verdict decriminalising consensual gay sex by scrapping sections of the archaic Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was rightly hailed by members of the LGBTQA+ spectrum. However, whether the ruling marks a positive change for India's transgender community among the most marginalised group of individuals in the country is debatable. Although the landmark judgment has emboldened the transgender community, governmental protection has eluded it for years. Four years since transgender persons finally gained recognition as a third gender, one of the communitys most basic rights remains compromised: access to a safe and sanitary toilet. Although the Centre in 2017 pushed for easier bathroom access for India's third gender by allowing them to use to the restrooms meant for both men and women in public and community toilets, activists and transgender individuals echo a similar sentiment: its not enough. While the sanitation ministrys advisory may seem like a legal antidote against discrimination and ignorance, the actual process of using a public bathroom still creates multiple conundrums for transgender persons at various stages, passing as the gender you identify with, being the first. Mann Chawla, a Delhi-based trans person, says using a public restroom used to be harrowing before he got on hormone replacement therapy. Using the mens washroom has become easier after going on hormone therapy but the problem is, I always have to find a stall. In the absence of a stall, I have to pretend like I just wanted to wash my hands, and get out, Chawla says. Although he has never faced any problems with using public toilets in Singapore (where he studies), coming back to India when he had started transitioning meant planning everyday outings beforehand. Translation: doing a gender-neutral bathroom check before heading out to a restaurant. For a person undergoing transition, which in itself is a fraught procedure, acquiring the required legal documents to prove your gender identity can be another long-drawn-out process. Being in what 21-year-old medical student and artist Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju defines as the grey zone, is even more harrowing: As a pre-operative transgender Indian woman, my experiences using public restrooms have been mixed. (During) that initial period of ambiguity wherein its difficult for people to put you in a category and you push the boundaries between the genders and fall into a grey zone, restrooms can be a nerve-wracking experience. You dont want to use the male washroom because you clearly do not fit into that zone anymore and using the female washroom is unsafe, because should you be mistaken for a man, you would get into trouble. One would think that on an institutional level, things may not be as grim. While workplaces in Indias metropolitan cities have become more transgender-friendly with time, schools and colleges havent made much headway, save for a few cases. I started using the school restroom only after 7th grade. I would either hold it in or make sure that I was the only person in there as it was very embarrassing to use the restrooms assigned to females, says Jamal Siddiqui, who studied in a Delhi Kendriya Vidyalaya, a chain of schools instituted under the aegis of the central government. For Ritwik Datta, a 21-year old student of Noida International University, having gendered restrooms on campus means he cannot use them at all. "Being from the North East, it took me a lot of time to grow facial hair despite being on HRT but I feel more confident using the male washroom outside because my voice has deepened now," he says. Despite being on hormone replacement therapy for almost a year now, he can pass almost anywhere but in college, as his legal documents have not been updated yet. This brings to light another common misconception: for some transgender individuals, the struggle does not end with finally looking like the gender they identify with. Acquiring revised legal documentation to verify one's gender can be time-consuming. "I think my case is the first of its kind for the college authorities. No one has taken this up with them before," says Datta. Although institutions are slowly warming up to the idea of building gender-neutral or even restrooms exclusively meant for transgender individuals, the fear of potentially hostile bathroom policies in a public space, now in direct violation of law, is still felt daily. For members of Indias once-revered hijra community, who now mostly live on the fringes of society, relieving themselves at a public or community restroom exposes them to further persecution. Because sex work and dancing in bars still remains the primary source of livelihood for most of them, even considering sex reassignment surgery or HRT seem like ludicrous ideas. And with that, passing for them, becomes more precarious. "Although I have rarely been stopped from using the ladies room, my friends from the hijra community have been told to use the men's loo at Bengaluru and Delhi airport. My question is, why are people so obsessed with knowing what's between our legs when they have no business to do so?" asks Shreya Reddy, transgender activist and capacity building officer, Humsafar Trust. This brings to the fore a worrying aspect of using a loo situated in a public space lack of safety which, ironically, becomes more glaring as you move towards the commercial parts of town. "I remember being followed by a group of men inside a Kurla public toilet. They thought that because I belong to a third gender and specifically to the hijra community, I was going inside to offer sexual services," says Reddy, who has a Master's degree in Social Work. Certain state governments have taken cognisance of the dangers that transgender persons are exposed to when using a public toilet, and have constructed separate restrooms for them. However, that still does not guarantee safe access to a community ostracised for years for not adhering to the gender-binary. Additionally, the community is often viewed as a cosmos that thrives in complete isolation of the mainstream societys heteronormative codes. This insularity has also translated into governmental negligence and societal exclusion. That, however, is a small part of a monumental debate. As simplistic as it sounds, bathroom talk is worrying and the solution is not a separate washroom for trans individuals, insists Kalki Subramaniam, transgender rights activist, artist and founder of Sahodari Foundation. Law is one thing and culture is another. We do not need a separate bathroom at all because separation means exclusion. Bathroom violence is real and it needs to be addressed not by putting transgender persons in separate loos but by building acceptance. Teach people how to behave with transgender individuals, says Subramaniam. Using a washroom meant exclusively for transgender people would also mean outing yourself, something not all trans individuals may be comfortable with, points out Dutta. Furthermore, the mere possibility of not being able to find a gender-neutral restroom or not passing limits the communitys social outings. Suppressing the urge to go or not going to the loo at all so that other gender-conforming individuals can do their business in peace means frequently catching urinary tract infections, or wearing sanitary pads for long hours. Interestingly, some cisgender peoples concern with transgender individuals using public bathrooms turns into paranoia because the law has inadvertently favoured the male-female dichotomy. The law is still too weak to punish real predators, a stigma that is still associated with transgender individuals. You are so insecure about the laws that prosecute sexual offenders that youre willing to deny the basic human right to use the restroom because your rape and harassment laws will not protect people? asks Haldar. Institutes speak: While navigating public spaces may be acutely distressing, some institutes in India have opened up to gender-neutral restrooms. Those that do not have gender-neutral restrooms in place, are gradually gearing up accommodate transgender individuals. Gauri Devidayal, co-founder of The Table and Miss T, two upscale restaurants in Mumbai's Colaba, says they have always had unisex bathrooms in place in both the establishments. "To be honest, I have no idea why all restaurants don't have individual unisex restrooms; it's so much more convenient for guests too, who don't have to wait for a specific bathroom to become available to them. When space is such a limitation for restaurants in Mumbai, and we're in the business of hospitality, it makes no sense to me why we don't follow this." She adds that when the spaces were being built, they did not think of the transgender community in particular but now that the bathroom debate has intensified, "gender-neutral restrooms are the way forward." Gender-neutral restrooms are not unheard of in workplaces but are rare. "We have separate bathrooms based on the binary genders but we would happily accommodate transgender individuals hired anytime in the future, to choose any bathroom of their choice if we do not have unisex bathrooms (by then). We strongly believe in being diverse and inclusive as we are a global company," says Gunjan Agarwal, senior HR associate at Kaleyra, a multi-national communications solutions provider. A key takeaway from these responses is that there is no one cure-all solution. Mindsets take years to change but till that happens, the transgender populace can be made to feel safer by having a gender-neutral bathroom in place, even if it means making a few others uncomfortable. Laws can be put in place as a corrective measure of actions, not systemic transphobia. In April this year, 40 Naxals were killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli, considered one of the worst Maoist-affected district in the country. Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Monday. Both killed were female Maoist operatives, and the gunfight took place in Gadchiroli's Dhanora tehsil, according to reports. A combing operation is underway. In April, 40 Maoists were killed in an encounter with the C-60 squad of the Maharashtra Police and Central Reserve Polce Force (CRPF) in Gadchiroli considered one of the worst Maoist-affected district in the country. The gunfight ensued after the security forces received an accurate tip-off about a proposed 22 April jungle meeting of around four dozen Maoists and its exact venue. This caught the rebels off guard and gave then little time to strike back. In this operation in Gadchiroli the biggest in the anti-Maoist war over the past 38 years at least four prominent insurgent commanders were killed, which dealt a blow to their rebellious activities in the district in Maharashtra. The prominent leaders eliminated in this mission were south region chief Srikant alias Ravtu Vijendra, as well as the commanders of the Aheri, Gatta and Permili "dalams" (Maoist fighter units), including a female chief, a deputy commander and top members of various groups. In 2017, 19 Maoists were killed in encounters in Gadchiroli, reported The Indian Express. Over the last few weeks, Chhattisgarh saw multiple Maoist attacks ahead of the first phase of the Assembly elections on 12 November. On 14 November, five security personnel, including four Border Security Force (BSF) jawans, and a civilian were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast detonated by Maoists in Bijapur district. On Monday, Christian Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. Dubai: A top Dubai court Monday upheld a lower court's order to consider the possibility of extraditing British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, according to media reports. Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Dubai Court of Cassation dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the Appellate Court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities. "Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge," The Khaleej Times reported. However, there was no immediate official confirmation about the court's ruling in New Delhi. On Monday, Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case," the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubai's highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a "violation" of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. "Contesting the lower court's ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow the proper procedures when requesting the extradition," the paper said. "The request should have been filed by India's Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs," Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was "flawed" since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. "Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed," he argued. "The presiding judge dismissed Michel's appeal and accepted that of Dubai prosecutors and upheld the appeal court's order to approve the extradition," the Gulf News reported. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. With Dubai's top court upholding the lower court's decision, it has become final, but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. "Since the appellate court ruled on 2 September that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions," The Khaleej Times said. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became 'wanted' on 2 September, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. Citing a source, the paper said Michel's extradition request had previously been closed administratively here as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation in 2017 for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. However, Michel denied the charges. On 1 January, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on 8 February, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million. On World Toilet Day, here's a brief look at India's effort to achieve complete sanitation, cleanliness and availability to toilets, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Monday, 19 November, was observed as 'World Toilet Day' globally. The United Nations officially declared 19 November as World Toilet Day in 2013. According to the global body's Sustainable Development Goal 6, world leaders are to ensure "availability and sustainable management of sanitation and water" for everyone by 2030. According to the official website, at least 4.5 billion people around the world don't have access to toilets, which means untreated excreta could contaminate water and soil "that sustain human life". This year's theme is about sanitation and nature. "Nature-based solutions to the sanitation and water crisis that could harness the power of ecosystems include composting latrines that collect and treat waste on-site, producing a free supply of fertiliser to help grow crops," the website said. The impact of improper waste disposal on a global scale has a possible impact "on public health, living conditions, nutrition, education, and economic productivity across the world." India's own effort to achieve complete sanitation, cleanliness and availability to toilets is the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Centre, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the mission on 2 October 2014 with the aim of achieving complete hygiene, especially for rural areas, by ensuring an end to open defecation by October 2019. According to the statistics provided by the official Swachh Bharat Abhiyan website, at least 96.21 percent of the country is being covered under the mission's "household coverage plan." However, critics of the project have pointed out a crucial flaw, which is the gap in providing a facility for water along with toilet facilities in rural parts of India. Another criticism levelled against the project in a report by Legal Bites is that the government has channeled more resources into marketing the mission than actual implementation on the ground. A Firstpost report says, "Four years into the implementation of the scheme and raising money for it through a Swachh Bharat cess, districts have been vying with each other to declare themselves open defecation free (ODF), purely on the basis of the number of toilets built, rather than on the basis of whether people are actually using those toilets." In November 2017, the Centre, in a bid to improve cleanliness and basic amenities at select heritage and spiritual sites of the country, embarked upon a special clean-up drive. Tourist attractions and pilgrimage points like Hyderabad's Charminar, Gujarat's Somnath temple, as also the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples, were scheduled to be cleaned under the second phase of the mission's Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) initiative. In June this year, the NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation adopted Hyderabad's Charminar under SIP, according to a report by Hindu Business Line. The AAP and the EC have again been engaged in a dispute, this time over the deletion of names of over 10 lakh voters from the electoral roll in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party and the Election Commission have again been engaged in a dispute, this time over the deletion of names of over 10 lakh voters from the electoral roll in Delhi. Raghav Chadha, AAP leader and in-charge of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday issued a statement alleging that the Election Commission has deleted more than 10 lakh names from the voters' list without following due process. The Election Commission has denied the claim When we approached the Commission, it admitted that more than 10 lakh voters' names have been deleted in the last four years. But what it is hiding is that due process has not been followed while doing so, he told Firstpost. Chadha, apart from alleging that due process was not followed, also claims that the Election Commission does not have the correct voters' list with it. He says that this came to light after the AAP made the complaint. A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, and including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and myself had recently met with Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat regarding large-scale, fraudulent deletion of voters from Delhis electoral roll. Pursuant to the complaint, the commission requested for a list of a couple of areas where we suspected that voters had been wrongfully removed from the list. We provided the names of Harkesh Nagar and Lal Kuan in Tughlakabad Assembly in my South Delhi constituency to the Commission, he further added. After the complaint, the commission ordered a door-to-door survey in the matter on 16, 17 and 18 November. Chadha alleged that the voters' list the election officers were carrying for the house-to-house audit were flawed. How can one audit the voters' list without a correct voters' list at hand?, he asked. He alleged that the deletion exercise was carried out in complicity with the BJP. Deletion of names from the voters' list is a regular process followed by the commission to ensure that only people ordinarily residing in a constituency have their names in the concerned voters list. The Chief Electoral Officer has to follow a detailed procedure to delete the name of a voter, which includes informing the voter, physical verification of his or her residential address, and also obtaining signatures from witnesses at the time of deletion. Delhi has a vast migrant population, and we need to ensure that a voters name does not appear in the list of a constituency even after he or she has migrated from it, says an official working with the Chief Electoral Officer in Delhi. Names of voters are also deleted after their deaths. The official further said that names of new voters are also included in the voters' list after they migrate to a particular constituency and apply for inclusion. The official, a highly placed source in the office, expressed surprise at the AAP's allegation and said, "Since 2015, we have been deleting 2.5 lakh non-existent voters on an average every year. Only a year-and-a-half ago, all political parties fielded candidates in the MCD elections after deletion of more than 5 lakh voters with the same process. No one complained at that time. I do not know what has happened now. The source said that 13 lakh new names have also been added to the list. An official statement issued by the District Election Officer in South Delhi Constituency said, With reference to statements made by Raghav Chadha, national spokesperson, AAP today on 18.11.2018, where allegations have been made about the farcical investigation conducted by Election Commission based on inaccurate list of deleted voters , it is being clarified that all allegations are baseless and without facts. In fact, based on the complaint filed by AAP, Election Commission of India took immediate steps to stop all apprehension with respect to sanctity of electoral roll and ordered immediate house-to-house verification of all deleted entries of the Harkesh Nagar and Lal Kuan areas, as alleged to have massive deletions. It also said that deletion and addition of voters is a continuous process. A detailed report of the door-to-door verification will be submitted to Election Commission Of India in a day. A grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar's Nirankari Bhawan on Sunday which left three people dead and many injured has drawn strong political reactions. While the Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh vowed that he will not let the 'forces of terror' destroy the hard-earned peace in the state, the Opposition spearheaded by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) cornered him for 'playing with fire'. A grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar's Nirankari Bhawan on Sunday which left three people dead and many injured has drawn strong political reactions. While the Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh vowed that he will not let the "forces of terror" destroy the hard-earned peace in the state, the Opposition spearheaded by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) cornered him for "playing with fire". SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeted: "Peace and communal harmony in danger in Punjab under Congress rule. ...Cong govt should not play with fire and act to ensure Punjab does not slip back into vortex of violence." Badal cited that this was not the first instance of violence in the state as it followed the Maqsudan blast and Army Chief Bipin Rawat's warning to be alert of attempts to revive insurgency in the state. While politicians and leaders reacted to Sunday's attack, AAP leader in Punjab HS Phoolka caused a stir with his statement accusing Army Chief Bipin Rawat of being "behind the attack". #NewsAlert -- The Army Chief came to Punjab and gave a statement on terror attack, it is possible that he might be behind the attack to prove his statement right: Punjab MLA @hsphoolka | #AmritsarBlast pic.twitter.com/RoloBwHlaT News18 (@CNNnews18) November 18, 2018 However, later on Sunday, Phoolka apologised for his statement and expressed "regret". He tweeted that his statement was being "blown out of proportion." Please see whole https://t.co/LTVCup8BTQ inadvertent statement made standing on road is being blown out of proportion.I have stated that history is evidence of that fact that governments in the past have caused violence to further their interest...1/2https://t.co/tU8xGYVvFZ H S Phoolka (@hsphoolka) November 18, 2018 The chief minister appealed to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in wake of the blast and urged them not to panic and to remain calm. While making an appeal to the people "not to panic and remain calm," the chief minister tweeted: "We will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard-earned peace. I appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in the wake of Amritsar bomb blast. I urge them not to panic and to remain calm." He also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the victims and free treatment for the injured. "Have asked the district administration to extend all help," Singh tweeted. Strongly condemn the bomb blast at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar. Have asked Home Secy and @PunjabPoliceInd DGP, DGP Intelligence and DGP Law & Order to rush to the spot to investigate. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 18, 2018 I appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in wake of Amritsar bomb blast. I urge them not to panic and to remain calm. We will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard earned peace. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 18, 2018 Meanwhile, SAD leader and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also lashed out at the Punjab government for failing to stop repeated violence in the state. First bombs and now grenade attack in Amritsar, what next Raja saab? she asked, referring to Singh. When will you and your ministers stop encouraging elements bent on disturbing hard won peace? Stop playing politics and get down to serious governance. Punjabis do not want to go back into dark era. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences for the blast victims saying that he was "deeply anguished by the act of violence". He said that he spoke to the Amarinder Singh to review the situation in the state and assured "strongest possible action against the perpetrators of the crime". Deeply anguished by the death of innocent people in a grenade attack at Amritsar in Punjab today. It is a reprehensible act of violence. My condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this attack and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured. 1/2 (@rajnathsingh) November 18, 2018 Spoke to the Chief Minister of Punjab, @capt_amarinder ji who has apprised me of the situation in the wake of grenade attack in Amritsar. Strongest possible action will be taken against the perpetrators of this crime. 2/2 (@rajnathsingh) November 18, 2018 Union minister Arun Jaitley also reiterated that perpetrators of the act won't be spared by the government. Grenade attack & killing of innocent people at Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Rajasansi, Amritsar is highly condemnable. My thoughts are with the bereaved families, prayers for speedy recovery of those injured. Perpetrators of this heinous act will not be spared. Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 18, 2018 Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jhakar called the incident an "attempt to disturb peace in Punjab" and said that "all the security agencies should stay alert and coordinate with each other to maintain peace (in the state)". Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala urged the people of Punjab to "stay calm and maintain peace" and said that "forces of terror shall never succeed in their nefarious designs". Strongly condemn the blast in Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar. Deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. Urge and appeal, the people to stay calm and maintain peace. Forces of terror shall never succeed in their nefarious designs. Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 18, 2018 Earlier, Punjab police chief Suresh Arora had said that the incident "appears to have a terror angle" and that the police will investigate it as a terrorist act. It (this incident) appears to have a terror angle because it is against a group (of people) and not against any individual. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it like that, Arora had said. Punjab was on alert following an intelligence input claiming that a group of six to seven Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were reportedly in the state, possibly in the Ferozepur area. The state was put on alert after four persons snatched an SUV from its driver at gunpoint near Madhopur in Pathankot district last week. The Assembly elections that are now already in progress should have been the 'moment' of opportunity that the bedraggled Congress was waiting for The Assembly elections that are now already in progress should have been the 'moment' of opportunity that the bedraggled Congress was waiting for after being mauled in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and a raft of state elections thereafter. Instead of seizing the day, the Congress finds itself instead in a beleaguered state, principally because of a lack of coherent strategy, leading to a state of drift, and its delusions of grandeur, in turn caused mainly by its inability to come to terms with the screamingly plain truth that it is no more the sole arbiter of India's destiny. The lack of a coherent strategy has been caused by and reflects a lack of organisational cohesion. Thus, for instance, the failure of the 'high command' to stamp election campaigns with its own imprint and ensure a coordinated approach in the three north Indian states going to the polls Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan may end up costing it dearly. Let us take the states one by one. An alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Chhattisgarh would have sewn up the state for the Congress, on the back of 15 years of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule under Chief Minister Raman Singh. Their combined voting percentage would have been close to 45 per cent compared to the BJPs 41 percent, if we extrapolate the 2013 Assembly results. The chances, of course, are that this difference would have been higher given a certain anti-incumbency fatigue and the BJPs current difficulties over the Rafale controversy and other issues, that have cast the party in a noticeably poor light. But the Congress could not put the alliance together, which speaks volumes of its sense of complacency, even allowing for the fact that BSP chief Mayawati is a somewhat erratic and difficult interlocutor. The same story unfolded in Madhya Pradesh, where Mayawati is set to contest most of the 230 seats. The combined vote of the Congress and the BSP, going by the 2013 results, would have fallen marginally short of the BJPs share. But given the changed situation and the possibility of a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party and smaller players, a Congress-led alliance would have been in a decent position to breast the tape. There seems to be a great deal of voter disaffection in Madhya Pradesh. Some of it is a natural result of having the BJP in power for over 15 years, most of them also featuring Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister. But a lot of the disenchantment with the BJP is due apparently to the policies followed by the Central government especially, demonetisation and the manner in which the Goods and Services Tax regime was imposed. Between them they have been responsible for causing widespread destruction in many sectors of the economy the informal sector, MSMEs, trade and commerce, real estate and agriculture took a hit and have not recovered as yet. This has piled misery on many, especially the poor, and has been compounded the governments abysmal record in the creation of employment opportunities. Many traditional BJP voters are planning to either abstain or vote for other parties. Unfortunately, the Congress has failed to capitalise on this disenchantment by playing an instrumental role in creating a united front. Instead, the Congresss brains trust, for want of a better appellation, is seeking to counter the BJPs strident majoritarianism and authoritarianism with its own brand of Hindutva-based mobilisation, not pausing to consider whether it can compete with the BJP by legitimising its ideological positions and political programmes. The Congress' election manifesto for Madhya Pradesh and the position its state unit has taken in Kerala, which aims at encouraging 'devotees' to prevent the Left Front government from implementing the Supreme Courts Sabarimala order, are unbelievable concessions to Hindu sentiment. In following the route it has been pursuing, the Congress has isolated itself at a juncture in which other opposition parties have been actively pursuing the objective of joint action. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has rejected, for instance, a late, and obviously spurious, not to say infructuous, attempt by the Congress to build an alliance comprising the Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal in Rajasthan. This is being seen by some as being a precursor to the BSP and Samajwadi Party tying up in Uttar Pradesh and in the process shutting out the Congress. In terms of seats, this would not be catastrophic, especially if, as is likely, the combine backs Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhis candidature from Amethi and Rae Bareli. But in symbolic terms, such an outcome would be a big blow to the Congress and its claims to leading the alliance against the BJP. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee are already coordinating Opposition action, with a meeting held in Kolkata on Monday. In the meanwhile, both have sounded the bugle by withdrawing a general waiver to the Central Bureau of Investigation to pursue investigations in their states. Naidu, moreover, is trying to bring Opposition parties together to approach the Supreme Court with a plea for the curtailment of the powers of other Central agencies the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate et al in investigating cases relating to, or 'targeting', Opposition parties before the next Lok Sabha elections. While the Congress has not specifically been excluded from the ambit of this initiative, it has clearly lost the initiative. To revive its fortunes appreciably, the Congress will have to engage with other opposition parties more constructively. As other opposition leaders have pointed out, the Congress, as the only opposition party with a nationwide presence, has to take the lead and make disproportionate sacrifices as it did in Karnataka, reaping handsome dividends. Simultaneously, the Congress has to come up with ripostes to the BJPs barrage of gibes about the ownership of the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have been constantly lampooning the Congress over the role played in its affairs by the Gandhi family. Modi has dared Rahul Gandhi to step down and allow someone from outside the family to become party president and, by extension, the partys prime ministerial nominee. He has most recently pointed to the manner in which Sitaram Kesri was ousted from the party presidency in 1998 after a year-and-a-half stint to make way for Sonia Gandhi. Shah, meanwhile, has likened the Congress to a private limited company owned by the Gandhi family. Its not easy to counter these gibes because they are substantially true. Congress leader P Chidambaram tried by producing a list of non-Gandhi Congress presidents, but got his history a little mixed up. Of those whom he named, only Kesri and PV Narasimha Rao belonged to the era after the second split in the party and the creation of the Congress (I). Thus, K Kamaraj, S Nijalingappa, D Sanjivayya and others were presidents of the Congress before the first split in 1969. C Subramaniam (interim president), Jagjivan Ram, Shankar Dayal Sharma, Dev Kant Barooah and K Brahmanand Reddy were presidents after the first split but before the second one in 1978. After that, Indira Gandhi was the president of the new party till her assassination in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi until his, in 1996. It was only after Rajivs death that Rao became party president and prime minister and he was followed as Congress president by Kesri, mainly because Sonia showed no desire to become a politician. After she acceded following repeated pleas, which itself is a revealing fact, she became party president followed recently by son Rahul. Thus, in the 40 years after the 1978 split, a Congress leader has led the party for just seven-odd years. Its a different matter that BJP leaders, too, are unaware of historical nuance, failing to distinguish between the Congress in its various phases, which leads them in semi-literate fashion to equate, for instance, Nehru with Indira Gandhi. It must also be recalled in fairness to the Congress that in the 38 years since Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, a Gandhi has been prime minister for nine years, while Congress leaders from outside the Congress have held the chair for 15 years: Rao was prime minister for five of those and Manmohan Singh for 10. The BJP forgets, too, that Sonia lifted her party up by the bootstraps by renouncing prime ministerial office. It was an act of self-abnegation and sacrifice that may have been prompted by tactical motives but was nevertheless an extremely courageous and self-disregarding one. Self-abnegation, self-sacrifice and disregard for ones own ambitions are not descriptions one would normally apply either to Modi or Shah. Both are viscerally ambitious, authoritarian, paranoid and power-hungry beyond even the accepted standards of political life, which are not particularly high. The charges made by the duumvirate do not carry much weight because ever since the leadership of the party ceded power to Modi (who inducted Shah as his hatchet man), the BJP has ceased to be the functionally democratic party it once was (as was its forbear, the Jana Sangh), possibly the only positive thing one can say about the merchants of Hindutva. Under the Modi-Shah dispensation, the BJP has acquired the worst traits of the Congress for instance, the practice of nominating chief ministers from Delhi rather than allowing the relevant legislature parties to elect their own leaders. Its a case, to use a tired cliche, of the pot calling the kettle black. The only difference is that Modi rose from the ranks and captured the party, while Rahul did it as a matter almost of birthright. The difference, such as it is, is functionally not much of a difference. Politically, the Congress would do better by pointing to the BJPs penchant for trying to capture all manner of institutions and subverting them to subserve its alfresco designs of imposing a theocratic template on the Indian polity. For all its faults, opportunism of the kind that leads it into the terrain of soft Hindutva, whatever thats supposed to mean, being one of the worst of them, the Congress cannot be accused of trying to systematically capture and subvert institutions. Thats one arena in which it has remained, generally speaking, true to its mainstream heritage. It should trumpet this achievement. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh claimed that the BJP and RSS were afraid of him and vitiating the atmosphere against him. Bhopal/Pune: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to act against him in the Elgar Parishad case. His comments came after the Pune Police said a letter seized in connection with the Elgar Parishad probe mentioned his mobile number. Singh said "thousands of people know that mobile number" which was in the "public domain" through the Rajya Sabha portal, adding he had stopped using it four years ago. "If Digvijaya Singh is involved in any anti-national activity, then Modi ji, Rajnath ji and Fadnavis ji are free to take action. Show the courage to take action," Singh said. Meanwhile, Pune joint commissioner of police Shivaji Bodkhe said," As of now, the Pune police are not investigating any case against any politician". "The focus now is on the arrested activists and activities of the banned organisation," the police official said Monday evening. Earlier Monday, a Pune Police official had said the letter in question was made part of the charge-sheet against the activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The letter was seized during nationwide raids by the Pune Police in connection with the case, following which the activists were arrested, the official said. "The phone number they are talking about has been in the public domain through the Rajya Sabha portal. Thousands of people know that number. I stopped using it around four years ago," Singh told reporters in Bhopal. He claimed that the BJP and RSS were afraid of him and vitiating the atmosphere against him. "I have neither feared them, nor will I be scared of them," he said. "Earlier too, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) had termed me anti-national. I had surrendered before the Madhya Pradesh Police, which gave me in writing that it had no proof against me, nor was there any case registered against me," Singh said. The letter in question, dated 25 September, 2017, is written by an alleged Naxal operative. A portion of the letter reads: "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. The state forces will be soft against students, which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of Digvijaya Singh according to the police)". The Pune Police on Monday said "several numbers" were found in letters seized during the raids, adding they were being probed. No one has been summoned so far for questioning in this connection, a Pune Police official said. The Elgar Parishad was held on 31 December, 2017 in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon-Bhima battle, in which the East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, had defeated the Peshwa army. Police said the conclave had led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district the next day, following which a probe to uncover Maoist links was launched. The probe led to the arrest of 10 activists in June and August. Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's Madhya Pradesh election in-charge, said the party wasn't worried about any anti-incumbency sentiments in Madhya Pradesh. With the elections to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly due next week, campaigning is on in full swing, with political parties spewing accusations at each other, and each confident of its own victory. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the BJP's Madhya Pradesh election in-charge, on Monday said the party was not worried about any supposed anti-incumbency sentiments in the state. In an interview to CNN-News18, Pradhan claimed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's "credibility is at a new height in the state". When asked about farmers' distress being addressed, he claimed that the people of Madhya Pradesh trusted the government as it had taken pro-farmer steps. "For more than ten years, this state has had double digit agricultural growth, so of course, farmer expectations will grow, and in the last few days, we've matched that expectation. As the BJP manifesto says, the party looks to fulfill what we didn't complete in the last few days. That's the responsibility we've undertaken," Pradhan said. "We want the public's blessings to work for them for the next five years. We have no reason to be nervous. We will work on our agenda," he added. On the BJP's strategy to field sitting MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh polls, the minister said "every election has a different plan". "Different models work at different times. This time, we changed around 50 candidates... We considered factors and decided on a strategy," he explained. Pradhan also highlighted that it was likely the first time that a political party had come out with a manifesto exclusively for women, dismissing the Congress and its so-called "competitive cow politics". "We're running this election with our own vision. Our Opposition party that has no manifesto, misbehaves, creates unrest, insults, uses wrong language they can deal with themselves. We will not run on their agenda," he said. On the Ram temple dispute, he claimed it was not a "political point" for the BJP, but only "something we wish for". "It is connected to the identity of our party, but when it comes to governance, how we bring about development, increase employment, increase people's economic earnings, empower women... these are our aims," Pradhan said, avoiding further questions on the Ram mandir subject. The Union minister believes that this time, the BJP will cross the 200 mark in the 231-member Assembly. The Madhya Pradesh Assembly election is scheduled to be held in a single phase on 28 November. Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, Chandrababu Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced soon. Kolkata: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telegu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced postponement of a 22 November Opposition conclave in Delhi to chalk out details of the proposed anti-BJP front. Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced very soon. Flanked by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, Naidu attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under "severe pressure". Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had on Friday withdrawn the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states. "We wanted to meet on 22 November earlier because of the elections... We wanted to make it before Parliament (winter) session," Naidu said. "Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward and take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation," the TDP chief said, adding the fresh date for the meeting will be decided very soon. Leader of the Opposition in Chhattisgarh Assembly, TS Singh Deo, in an interview discussed Congress policy regarding tribals in the upcoming Assembly election. MLA from Ambikapur constituency since 2008, Deo is touted as one of the frontrunners to be the chief ministerial picks if Congress comes to power. Leader of the Opposition in Chhattisgarh Assembly, TS Singh Deo, in an interview discussed Congress policy regarding tribals in the upcoming Assembly election. MLA from Ambikapur constituency since 2008, Deo is touted as one of the frontrunners to be the chief ministerial picks if Congress comes to power. In a detailed conversation with Parth MN, Deo spoke about the need to improve the standard of living of tribals. He criticised the Raman Singh government for prioritising corporate interests over tribals, alleging that the BJP-led government has neglected their interests, which has resulted in an economic mismatch in Chhattisgarh. Popularly known as TS Baba, Deo, who belongs to the royal family, condemned the arrest of Sudha Bharadwaj, who has lived in Chhattisgarh almost all her life. Edited excerpts from the interview If the Congress comes to power in Chhattisgarh, what would be your policy regarding the tribals, who form a major population of the state? Tribals form about 31 percent of the population in Chhattisgarh. Their population has reduced by 1 percent in the last census. They live mostly in jungle areas, which is less productive as far as the agriculture is concerned. So the main concern for their development is to provide them with means of livelihood other than agriculture. Which would be? Their natural habitat is the forest. So, one could be forest produce, two could be tourism, third could be handicrafts, fourth could be their rights in mining areas which they have been denied, and government jobs. The idea is to provide a better standard of living. If you make a road, it is of no consequence unless it improves your standard of living. If you make a school, it is of no use unless it improves the standard of living. It's important for them to make the best of the environment they live in. If you are bringing in industry and it is not providing jobs to them, if you are doing mining activity and they dont have any share of it, it is of no consequence. For example, in Kondagaon, they told me there are around 70,000-80,000 people engaged in cottage industry where they make gun metal statues. I met the workers during the process of making the peoples manifesto. And one could see very easily where they are falling behind. There are middlemen who help the tribal with the raw material, and for their profit margins to be higher, they sell the finished good at a price lower than the market price. The tribals complained regarding the handicraft corporation which has been formed. There, too, it is a matter of commission mongering. There is a large market for such products, which are of interest and value to the people within the country and even to export markets. Unfortunately, no government has thought of pushing them in a big way. You said tribal population has decreased by one percent. What is the reason? The survey was not done in 100 villages, so it could mean that 500 people in a village on an average, which is 50,000. It is not a small number. Several groups are migrating because of pressure from the Naxals and lack of employment in the state, among other things. Other reason could also be the rise in the number of people coming from outside the state. Reasons behind falling percent in the number of tribals in the state are mostly migration out of tribal areas and migration into Chhattisgarh. There is no proof to conclude that drop in birth rate is the reason. What are the policies of the Raman Singh government regarding the tribals which you particularly object to? It is basically neglect. There is a sense of complacency in the current government no matter what happens, we win. There is a lot of bureaucracy in the ruling government and Raman Singh is completely dependent on that. So long as they are delivering him a government, election after election, Raman Singh has left Chhattisgarh to be managed by the bureaucrats. Has the tribal situation worsened in the past 15 years? Chhattisgarh has the highest percentage of BPL families in the country. At least, 39.93 percent is the reserve bank figure for average BPL families urban and rural combined for Chhattisgarh. It is the highest in the country. For a state that is supposed to be developing, something is going wrong. If the per capita income has crossed 90,000 and your family is an average of 4.53. By that calculation a family in Chhattisgarh should earn 4.5 lakh rupees. Tribals aren't earning even close to it. It basically indicates that a few people are earning a lot and the tribals are marginalised. If you are able to project the per capita is increasing, where is the money going? Tribals are angry with Raman Singh for opening up their forests to the private players. How do you plan to manage them if you come to power? Whether they are tribals or non-tribals, so long as they are residents of Chhattisgarh, you should target those reserves that displace the least. Secondly, if you are saying that in the next coming years, you are going to change the technology to non-traditional means of production of electricity, that is non-coal based electricity, you are not going to need coal. If you dont need all of this coal, where does it reside? If this coal resides in tribal areas only, then you dont have an option. But if there is coal in non-tribal areas, where the land could be more expensive, then the government is duty bound not to help the industry by getting cheaper land, which is forest and tribal land, in comparison to the land that may be more expensive but lie in non-tribal areas. How do you plan to correct that? Don't allot it to them. Would it be as easy? Yes, if you have the will. Lemru is an area between Surguja and Korba. It is a forest area of 450 square kilometers. This government had itself projected it as an elephant reserve. The UPA government had approved it. After the approval, Raman Singh government stalled it because they wanted to give it for mining. In our manifesto, we have included that areas like Lemru would be de-reserved for coal block allocation. When I met the youth in tribal areas, they werent exactly averse to industries. But they didn't trust the state and corporations coming in and working in their areas. They didnt trust them to provide adequate rehabilitation and compensation policies. The section of society that is most opposed to land being taken over are the women. They are most opposed to being uprooted. Because, socially, they are the most affected and they are also the most exploited lot their lifestyle changes completely. They feel alientated. Then you have the male members, who go by how much will they get and what will they get. Then there is the youth after studying and switching over to wearing jeans, how many would like to till the land? They are looking for a different way of life. It is influenced by what they see on TV, or when they go to cities. Social media has played a role in it? Yes. The youth is not averse to land being taken. Yet, the rights of the landowners should have priority. The new land acquisition act requires 70-80 percent of the landowners. But the biggest gripe of tribals is that the Forest Rights Act is not enforced and the consent is often ignored or forged. We change that by governing better. After having endured exploitation, there are several people who feel no matter who comes to power, the bureaucracy remains by and large the same. We would like to believe that we are the kind of team that changes that. There is an argument that the Adivasis are torn between Naxals and police. How do plan to combat it? When people use force to get power, then people will be seen standing behind whoever is in power and dominant. Historically, entire population never rebels. Eventually, the tendency is to accept whoever is stronger. In the Naxal area, whoever is seen to be stronger, will be able to subdue the population. The question is do people want to be with the Naxals or do they stand with the State? They would just want to be free. They do not like any pressure from anybody in their day to day lives. Basic nature of a tribal is independence. Among the Adivasis, discontent begins when they are falsely accused of being Naxals, jailed for three-four years and then let off over lack of evidence. Secondly, if Naxals or other organisations, that have the means to be dominant in that area, and are able to have their presence felt, why would people be listening to them? Either it is genuine support, where people feel the Constitution is a piece of paper worth nothing. I dont think that's what the people of Chhattisgarh think. Those villagers, who aren't fully educated, don't understand the matters of state or Constitution. It is a matter of making your dominance in an area through the ideology that you purport to believe in, using force to create dominance, and using people either as supporters genuine or under pressure or because you want to use them as shields. The informer is the target number one, not the exploiter. Had the exploiter been the target, we would have felt they are ideologically inclined. You mentioned how the people are jailed and then let off for no proof. Sudha Bharadwaj has lived almost all her life in Chhattisgarh. She is in jail. What do you have to say about her arrest? I have met her on a number of occasions. And she is a committed lady. Committed to the cause of those in need. She has given up better options in her career. The government does not have proof, and it is just trying to create pressure because somebody doesnt agree with what they are saying. No state organisation can make false charges against people to make their ends meet. She is an honest woman of high morale and ethical values. These are the people we need. If she has Maoist links, bring them out. What are you waiting for? P Chidambaram was very economical with the truth when he responded to Narendra Modis dare to the Congress to make a non-Nehru-Gandhi family member its party president for five years. P Chidambaram was very economical with the truth when he responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modis dare to the Congress to make a non-Nehru-Gandhi family member its party president for five years. Chidambaram may have thought that given his famed intellectual capacity, he would succeed in building a counter-narrative by mentioning the names of over a dozen leaders from outside the family. However, he did not realise that he was pitching himself against Modi. The Congress leader unwittingly gave ammunition to Modi and Amit Shah, helping them make the Nehru-Gandhi family's dynastic rule, and the perceived prevalence of a culture of sycophancy in the Congress, an election issue in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Shashi Tharoor had begun the debate by crediting Jawaharlal Nehru for creating institutions that allowed a chaiwala Modi to become the prime minister. Chidambaram and Tharoor are among the Congress foremost intellectual faces. Although Tharoor is from Kerala, he conveniently forgot that in July 1959, a democratically elected government in Kerala led by communist leader EMS Namboodiripad was dismissed by the Centre. At the time, Nehru was the prime minister and Indira Gandhi was the Congress president. This was the first-ever sacking of a democratically elected government by the Centre in India, and it happened shortly after Indiras tour of Kerala. Katherine Frank in her book India Gandhi: the life of Indira Nehru Gandhi mentions how Feroze Gandhi blamed his wife for this dictatorial act. The list of Congress presidents and their tenures can be broadly divided into four categories first, when members of the Nehru-Gandhi family directly held the post of party president; second, when a non-family loyalist became the Congress president (leading to the question as to how the person was treated); third, when the family nominated a chosen protege as the party president; and fourth, when a person from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family became Congress president when no one from the first family was available to take up the mantle. The fate of the likes of PV Narasimha Rao (1992-96) and Sitaram Kesri (1996-98), who took up the top post in the party because no one from the Congress' first family was around to do so, was a particularly bad one. Modi, at his rally, recalled in detail how Kesri was thrown out of his post and the party headquarters in 1998 to make way for Sonia Gandhi to become the Congress president. Responding to Chidambaram, Amit Shah recalled another instance about how the mortal remains of Rao (the only non-first family leader to have been Congress president for five years) were not allowed to be brought into the Congress' headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. Rao had become the prime minister and Congress president in the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. He could take up the top post in the party only because no one from the Nehru-Gandhi family was then ready to enter politics. Raos name does not figure in the Congress hall of fame. Sitaram Kesri, a wily OBC leader from Bihar, could succeed Rao only because Sonia Gandhi was still unwilling to accept any responsibility. Since independence, the family including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have held the Congress president's post for a total of 38 years between them. In the history of the Congress party spanning over 133 years, Sonia Gandhi has been the longest serving party chief, from 1998 to 2017. The first person from the family to become the Congress president was Motilal Nehru in the pre-independence era in 1928. His son Jawaharlal Nehru succeeded him to the post in 1929 and 1930, and again in 1936. Consider the following Acharya Kripalani, who as Congress president oversaw the transfer of power in 1947, soon quit the party to form the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party, which later merged with Socialist Party to form the Praja Socialist Party. Nehru was then the prime minister. It is a no-brainer as to why Kripalani would have left the party, after having fought so hard during the freedom struggle to see India as an independent country and the Congress as the ruling party. With support from Nehru, Pattabhi Sitaramayya succeeded Kripalani and remained the party president for two years. Then came Purshottam Das Tandon. His candidature was strongly backed by Sardar Patel. Tandons tenure was short lived, as owing to differences with Nehru, he resigned. As fate would have it, Patel died in December 1950. Nehru took up the Congress presidents post in 1951, and continued till 1955. He was both prime minister and Congress president, a tradition which Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi followed later. In 1955, Nehru relinquished the top post in the party. UN Dhebar was made Congress president, but midway through his tenure, Dhebar resigned to make way for Indira Gandhi. With Nehru as prime minister, Indira became Congress president at the age of 42 in 1959. She was succeeded by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, K Kamaraj and S Nijalingappa leaders who later were collectively known as the Syndicate and were later instrumental in making Indira Gandhi take a decision which they would rue all their lives. She forced a split in the party. As soon as Indira established her control over the party and the government, the Congress' president's post went to the gentle Shankar Dayal Sharma, and after that, an outright loyalist Devkant Barua, who was known for his remarks India is Indira, Indira is India." Indira Gandhi took over the Congress presidents post in 1978, which she held till her death in 1984. Subsequently, Rajiv Gandhi took over both as prime minister and Congress president, and held the latter post till his death in 1991. Similarly, from 2004-2014, Sonia Gandhi, as Congress president, UPA chairperson and chief of the National Advisory Council, became an extra-constitutional authority over the Manmohan Singh government. Rahul Gandhi is now Congress president. When he took over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, a party spokesperson on television proudly claimed that he was going to lead the party for the next fifty years. Chidambarams response to Modis challenge is thus clearly misplaced. The Congress on Sunday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on former Congress president Sitaram Kesri, and clarified that Kesri belonged to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and was not a Dalit, like Modi claimed. The Congress on Sunday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on former Congress president Sitaram Kesri, and told the prime minister that Kesri was not a Dalit, as claimed by Modi, but belonged to the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Manish Tewari, the party's national spokesperson tweeted, "Kesri was a Bania OBC from Bihar and not a DALIT. However, when has the prime minister allowed facts or truth to stand in the way?" He added that Kesri had been treated with "due respect by one and all", and said the prime minister was "misinformed". Cong Pres Sita Ram Kesri was treated with due respect by one and https://t.co/h5Oa801hCM someone who was involved with his legal matters btw 1996-1998 I can say it on authority. Had spent many hours with him after he resigned from AICC President. You are misinformed @narendramodi https://t.co/qnccyR3cB2 Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) November 18, 2018 On Sunday, Modi hit out at the Congress and claimed that Kesri was not allowed to complete his term as Congress president and was "thrown out of office" to make way for Sonia Gandhi. Addressing a rally in Mahasamund district on the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, Modi said four generations of a family ruled the country and "benefitted from being in power", but the country did not benefit from their rule. "The country knows that Sitaram Kesri, a Dalit, was not allowed to complete his five-year-term as the Congress president. He was thrown out of office and to the footpath to make way for Sonia Gandhi as the new party chief," Modi said. "Earlier, Delhi had a remote-controlled government. The remote was in the hands of a family, which was afraid of the BJP," Modi said, targeting the Congress and the Gandhis. He also challenged the Congress to select someone "capable" as its president, who did not belong to "that one family". With inputs from agencies Corporate and Operational Update Melbourne, Nov 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The directors of Nova Minerals Limited (Nova or Company) ( ASX:NVA ) ( FRA:QM3 ) on behalf of Nova's newly created Snow Lake Resources Ltd are pleased to confirm that strong demand and firm commitments have been received for C$1M seed capital raising (Seed Financing C$1M @ $0.25 Unit w/ 1/2 Warrant at $0.30). Further Flow Through Funding of up to C$3M is anticipated to be received before the close of calendar 2018. We are anticipating an IPO valuation of circa C$30m. This market capitalisation is on the current development status of the project and market conditions. Market capitalisation may increase subject to completion of drilling and PEA. We will keep the market informed on listing timelines and final valuations as soon as practical.HIGHLIGHTS- Accelerated project development strategy across the Thompson Brothers Lithium Project remains on schedule.- Heavily oversubscribed C$1M Seed capital raising successfully completed and banked.- Further Flow Through Funding of circa C$2.5M to be received before end of calendar year.- IPO Price to be determined subject to drilling and corporate development.- Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. (PLAN) to bring in their 20% interest of Thompson Bros. into Snow Lake Resources Ltd (SLR) with SLR owning 100%.- Drill permits have been granted to undertake a 12,000m drill campaign to infill and increase the current JORC resource to make it fully compliant with the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) standards for future release under the NI 43-101.- First pass drilling will be completed at the Sherritt Gordon pegmatite cluster.- All collected data will form the foundation for a NI 43-101 compliant Resource Study and a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA).- Camp and logistical works has commenced.- SLR Proposed Board and Advisory Appointees.- Nova Appointment of Director.Nova's subsidiary SLR will utilise this capital injection to embark on its 12,000m winter drill campaign and metallurgical testing. 10,000m of drilling will be conducted to expand and infill the current JORC resource announced 25 July 2018 while the remaining 2,000m of drilling will be a first pass drill program of the Sherritt Gordon pegmatite cluster. These works will delineate a potential expanded resource under NI 43-101 guidelines and completion of a PEA.NVA Managing Director, Mr. Avi Kimelman said:"Following October's successful road show with executives of Nova led by Foundation Markets Inc.'s meetings with investment banks, brokers, private family offices and investors, we are encouraged by the interest and commitments. Despite Lithium equities being under pressure since the beginning of 2018; we see this as unsustainable and expect a positive shift to occur. With the demand and interest indicated to the Directors and management of Nova and PLAN together with its corporate advisory Foundation Markets clearly demonstrates this shift is on. We are delighted with Foundations Markets backing our vision and strategy to progress the Thompson Bros. Lithium Project. Snow Lake Resources is now well positioned as we maintain our fast track development strategy in conjunction with our IPO progression.""As outlined below, one of our key objectives has been to strengthen the Board of Directors and advisory across our group with high-calibre individuals to assist in maintaining our fast track development approach as we move into the next exciting phase for the Thompson Bros. Lithium Project and as Nova moves to the next phase to deliver maximum value from our assets.""We are further pleased that PLAN has merged their respective interest with Snow Lake Resources Ltd so that Snow Lake Resources Ltd can hold 100% of the Thompson Brothers and Crowduck properties with the two companies sharing a strong unity and completely aligned to fast track the project to production and generate significant value for shareholders."Proposed Winter Drill Program and Economic AssessmentsLogistical planning is now underway for the SLR winter diamond-drilling campaign. An area for the drill camp in now being cleared next to Lake Wekusko with mobilization expected to commence early December 2018. All the drill permits have been granted. The current plan is to undertake 12,000 meter drill campaign to fully delineate the current JORC Resource and to make the resource compliant with the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) standards for future release under the National Instrument 43-101 ( https://mrmr.cim.org/en/contact-us/). In addition, a first pass of scout drilling will be completed at the Sherritt Gordon pegmatite cluster. Holes will target the main Sheritt dykes drilled in the 1940s with other holes targeting the New Pegmatite discovered during the August 2018 prospecting efforts. All collected data will form the foundation for an updated Resources Study under NI 43-101 guidelines and a Preliminary Economic Assessment Appointment of Director and Advisory to Snow LakeFurthermore, SLR wishes to advise that high profile individuals Mr. David Richardson and Mr. Lewis Lawrick have agreed to join the team. Mr Richardson will join our newly formed advisory board and Mr. Lawrick will join the board of directors as a non-executive director.David RichardsonDave Richardson is a prolific inventor with over 20 patents to his name developed over the last two decades. In addition, Mr. Richardson is actively involved in a number of ventures developing, building and monetising cutting edge technology in the green space, with a strong emphasis on building a better planet.A native of Manitoba; he retains an active interest in contributing to the economic prosperity of the province. As a co-founder of Kodiak Exploration Ltd. which became Prodigy Gold Inc. he established a strong interest in supporting Canadian mineral resource development as an environmentally responsible contributor to the Canada's economic prosperity.Mr. Richardson is also an investor and Director of Green Power Motor Company Inc., an electric bus manufacturer with a focus on the North American Market. He has contributed his time to many environmental causes including 20 years on the board of Ducks Unlimited Canada and as a director of World Wildlife Fund Canada. He supports ocean plastic clean up and the development of new applications for recycled Social Plastic. He is an advisor to Progressive Planet Solutions Inc.Lewis LawrickLewis Lawrick has extensive executive management experience in the mining and mineral exploration sector. Mr. Lawrick has held several positions in the private investment sector, most recently as Managing Partner of Thorsen-Fordyce Merchant Capital Inc., a private Toronto-based merchant bank focused principally on the mineral industry. Previously, he held the position of President of Colorado Minerals Inc. from its inception in October 2005 to its merger with Anaconda Corp. in April 2007. Mr. Lawrick has served as an officer and/or director of several private and public mining and mineral exploration companies, including Volta Resources Inc. (TSX listed gold exploration company), Franconia Minerals Corporation (TSX listed mineral exploration company), Anaconda Mining Inc. (TSX listed gold production company), and Serengeti Resources Inc. (TSX.V listed mineral exploration company).Appointment of Director to NovaNova Minerals is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Avi Geller on its Board of Directors, effective immediately."Mr. Geller brings extensive experience in capital markets, on business development and growth. His broad business experience and extensive network in North America, particularly in New York, combined with the business insights he will bring further strengthens Nova's Board as the company moves to the next phase to deliver maximum value from our assets."Avi Geller has served as Chief Investment Officer of Leonite Capital, a family office he co-founded. The firm focuses on real estate and capital markets.Mr. Geller also serves as a director of the board of Parkit Enterprise, Inc., a TSX listed real estate company and Dealflow Financial Products. Prior to that, he served as chairman of Axios Mobile Assets, which Leonite purchased out of receivership.Mr Geller's extensive investment experience includes managing portfolios covering a diverse range of sectors and industries globally. Within corporate finance, his experience extends to deal flow process, due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, transaction structuring and strategy for listed and private enterprises including venture capital, hybrid deals, debt and equity.To view figures, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) is a dynamic explorer and developer of its flagship Estelle Gold district in the Tintina gold belt. Nova's strategy is to substantially increase the current 4.7Moz resource on the Korbel prospect. Subsequently to continue to lock in value through moving Korbel towards production whilst increasing the resource base across the pipeline of targets within the Estelle gold district. Nova Minerals also holds strategic investments in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (Thompson Brothers Lithium Project), Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) and RotorX Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in the reckoning for a record fourth term in office Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in the reckoning for a record fourth term in office. In the middle of his hectic campaigning, it will do him good to snatch a few hours of rest to watch Saudagar, a 1973 Bollywood movie starring Amitabh Bachchan. Saudagar is a great story around the issue of making jaggery. A widow, played by Nutan, is skilled in making jaggery from the juice of palm date. The protagonist (Amitabh Bachchan) marries her only for that skill and dumps her after acquiring wealth. He then marries a young girl (Padma Khanna). Since the latter does not know how to make jaggery, our protagonist finds few takers for his jaggery and starts losing his fortune. The complexity of human emotions, rural economy and society is beautifully portrayed in the movie. In the Gwalior region of Madhya Pradesh, the Saudagar story seems to be playing out again, albeit in a different manner all across this fertile and rich sugarcane-growing belt. Thousands of farmers have set up their temporary shops on the highway connecting to Jhansi and Indore with a good stock of jaggery. This is an unusual sight as farmers are rarely seen to be acting like traders. A casual conversation with any of them will reveal the truth of rural distress in the region. There were three sugar mills in Dabra, Bhimpura and Sakhni to process sugarcane production of the region. Farmers were quite accustomed to carrying their produce to these mills and getting compensated as per the state advisory price (SAP) fixed by the Madhya Pradesh government in consultation with the centre. But all these mills are closed. The biggest, Dabra Sugar Mill, is accused by farmers of not clearing their dues running into several crores. And all these mill-owners are believed to be in cahoots with BJP legislators and ministers. With all these mills having shut shops, farmers of this extremely fertile agriculture area have been facing an acute financial crisis. For the past three years they have been sowing sugarcane in a quite ritual manner only to face a crisis when they reap the crop. Luckily for them, skilled Muslim traders from western Uttar Pradesh, particularly Muzaffarnagar region, came to their rescue. They set up hundreds of crushers in the region to make jaggery out of sugarcane. These traders from Muzaffarnagar have found it easy to purchase land and raw material to establish a prosperous business. "They are a very skilled and sturdy lot," said a farmer acknowledging the entrepreneurship of Muslim traders and their workers. Then, why do the farmers themselves not set up crushers? A local farmer explained quite candidly, "You see, farmers in this region are lazy and not as hardworking as these Muslim traders are." There seems to be a unique equilibrium between these Muslim traders and local farmers who are largely Hindus. And they seem to be weathering this manmade crisis of the sugar industry together. Ironically, the Gwalior region which is flanked on either side by Chambal ravines and Bundelkhand, was one of the most saffronised parts of the state. Although the Gwalior royal family (now represented by Jyotiraditya Scindia) owes its allegiance to the Congress and retains its influence, Gwalior became an arena of an intense ideological contest between the BJP and the Congress during the Ayodhya movement. At the height of the agitation, thousands of karsevaks were pushed to Uttar Pradesh either from Chambal area or from Bundelkhand. But that is a bitter history buried in the past. As of now, the new issues have taken the spotlight. Jobs are scarce and the closure of sugar mills has caused deep social unrest among farmers whose very sustenance is at stake. People are not swayed by three-term chief minister's tom-tomming of his achievements of having constructed roads and provided electricity and water to people. "The least we could expect from a government is to provide us basic amenities. Chouhan has done nothing great," said many farmers with whom I interacted in Datia and the adjoining villages. As in Saudagar, in which the protagonist promises a happy married life to the widow and uses her skills to acquire a fortune, the BJP won over the electorate by promising radical change in governance that would usher in a vibrant rural economy. The voters of this region seem to be in a similar use-and-dump mode vis-a-vis Chouhan. Fifteen years is a long time and the moss that the government has gathered around it in terms of promoting cronyism and corruption seems to weigh more on their minds more than the development of which Chouhan speaks. The brazenness and abrasive conduct of the party cadre has not only alienated a large chunk of the electorate from the BJP leadership, but also made it weary of a political status quo. At first glance, the political narrative seems to building around a "change". It is finding resonance among voters. The inability of the state administration and cockiness of local BJP leaders in protecting the sand mafia and illegal quarry contractors is much discussed. Unless there is a last-minute change in voter attitudes, which happens rarely, this poll appears to be going the way of The Times They Are a-Changin'. The chief electoral officer also said the Election Commission is examining a complaint filed by the Congress about the alleged violation of poll code during the Chhindwara rally (also in Madhya Pradesh) of Narendra Modi. Bhopal: The Election Commission in Madhya Pradesh has registered a case of poll code violation against two workers of the ABVP for "mobilising" girl students of a university without its permission to attend the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shahdol last week, a top officer said Monday. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and participates in joint activities with BJP's official youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer (CEO) VL Kantha Rao told reporters that the EC took cognisance of a complaint as well as media reports while registering the case. "The EC had received a complaint and also came across media reports that some college students attended the prime minister's rally in Shahdol on Friday. After examining the complaint, it was found that these girl students were mobilised by two Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers," Kantha Rao said. He said, "It was found that these students were brought to the election rally without permission of the university concerned. A case of violation of the model code of conduct has been registered against the two workers of the ABVP". The CEO also said the EC is examining a complaint filed by the Congress about the alleged violation of poll code during the Chhindwara rally (also in Madhya Pradesh) of Modi on Sunday. The Congress had said they filed a complaint with the EC about the "doctored and edited" video of state Congress president and Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath, which was referred to by the prime minister in his speech. "Have you seen the video of the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief? He has said winnability of a candidate was the most important factor for him, rather than whether he was corrupt, a goon or facing criminal cases," Modi had told the gathering. Responding to a query, Kantha Rao said three cases have been filed so far in connection with school students attending political rallies in Madhya Pradesh in the run-up to 28 November elections. "These cases were registered during the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," he said. Meanwhile, in charge of Madhya Pradesh Congress' Election Affairs Wing JP Dhanopia said the complaint of poll code violation during the Shahdol rally was actually filed by the Congress. "We had filed a complaint with the EC stating that the students of a university attended the prime minister's rally wearing uniform. The BJP brought students from some educational institutions to attend the election rally since the gathering was small in size," he said claiming that the EC acted on the Congress's complaint. Meanwhile, Kantha Rao said web-casting will be carried out at 17,000 booths that have been classified as "sensitive" on the day of polling in Madhya Pradesh. He said paramilitary forces would be deployed at these booths. Informing about the EC's action to curb illicit liquor in the run-up to polls, Kantha Rao said about 4.5 lakh litres of illegal liquor has been seized so far from various parts of the state. He also said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat held a meeting with Madhya Pradesh officials earlier Monday. "The CEC held a meeting with election officials about the redressal of complaints. We have so far received 8,000 complaints and about 7,500 of them have been redressed," he said. The incident took place in the city's Belbagh area on Sunday night and gun shots were also fired in the air, police said. Jabalpur: Three persons were injured and several persons booked after BJP and Congress workers clashed in Jabalpur East (SC) constituency in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday. The Congress' Lakhan Ghanghoriya and the ruling BJP's Anchal Sonkar are pitted against each other in this seat which goes to polls with the rest of the state on 28 November. The incident took place in the city's Belbagh area on Sunday night and gun shots were also fired in the air, police said. "An Election Commission team had arrived there on a complaint that sarees were being distributed from a local shop in connection with the polls. After the EC team left, BJP and Congress workers clashed and shots were fired in the air," Belbagh police station in charge Deepak Joshi said Monday. He said police had to resort to a mild lathicharge and lob teargas shells to disperse the crowd, adding that BJP worker Vishwas Sonkar and Congress' Tapan Jain and Manish Sen were injured in the ruckus. He said that a case had been registered and several people were booked for the incident. These include Jay and Bharat, brothers of Congress candidate Lakhan Ghanghoriya, as well as Raja and Ram, sons of BJP candidate Anchal Sonkar. Mizoram Police said that security was beefed up in view of the visit of the two leaders who are both classified as 'Z-plus category'. Aizawl: Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his BJP counterpart Amit Shah would be in poll-bound Mizoram on Tuesday to boost their parties chance in the 28 November election. BJP sources said Monday that Shah would arrive at the Lengpui Airport near Aizawl and visit southernmost Mizoram's Lawngtlai, Myanmar-border Champhai and Assam border Vairengte by helicopter where he would address public rallies. He would come to Aizawl from Vairengte and release the BJP's manifesto/vision document for the state before leaving for Delhi. Congress leaders said Monday that Rahul Gandhi would land at the Lengpui Airport by a special flight from where he would go to Champhai to address an election rally and return to Aizawl to address a public meeting later. Police said that security was beefed up in view of the visit of the two leaders who are both classified as 'Z-plus category'. Election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled for 28 November. Mizoram is the only state where Congress is in power in the North-East at present and hence its great challenge for the party to defend its fort. In case the Election Commission ignores the demand, the Adivasis plan to fight against the Lambadas in court even if the candidates get elected to the state Assembly Hyderabad: Telangana's long-brewing Adivasi-Lambada conflict is likely to impact the election outcome of 10 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs). The state is gearing up for Assembly polls on 7 December. The two communities have been locked in a battle for government benefits ever since the inclusion of the nomadic Lambadas, or Banjaras as they are known, in the ST list in 1976 by the undivided Andhra Pradesh government. The addition was made via an ordinance. The Adivasis have been insisting that the migratory Lambadas do not qualify as ST because the process of their inclusion was left incomplete, and also alleging that the listing of the group has deprived their own community of jobs, quotas and other opportunities. According to the 2011 Census, Telangana had 22 lakh Lambadas and 9.5 lakh Adivasis. In October and November of 2017, the tensions between the two communities came to the fore when the tribals protested for two days outside the Adilabad District Collectors office. The conflict took a violent turn when the two groups attacked each other's villages in Adilabad. Adivasi parents further refused to send their children to schools where Lambada teachers worked. Things came to such a pass that the police had to issue a gag order prohibiting the publishing and transmitting of information, and also suspended internet services in Asifabad, Adilabad and Nirmal districts. Now, the Adivasis are planning to take the fight to the upcoming state polls, by challenging the Lambadas in their traditional stronghold of Khanapur. Where the parties stand In the previous election of 2014, six of the 10 ST seats Asifabad, Khanapur, Boath in Adilabad district; Wyra, Aswaraopet, Yellendu, Bhadrachalam, Pinapaka in Khammam district; and Mahabubabad and Mulug in Warangal district were won by the ruling TRS. In the intervening years, Opposition party legislators from three other constituencies defected to the TRS, thus increasing the party's tally to nine. One of the seats, Bhadrachalam, was won by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate. In Khanapur this time, the Adivasis have openly declared their support for the BJP candidate after the Congress fielded a Lambada candidate, Ramesh Rathod, despite the tribals' protests. BJP's man is Adivasi Satla Ashok, while the TRS has given the ticket to its sitting legislator Ajmeera Rekha Naik, again a Lambada. The conflict between the Adivasis and Lambadas will have a decisive impact on at least three constituencies reserved for the STs. "Adivasi voters are in considerable numbers in Asifabad, Khanapur and Boath. TRS candidates can win on seven of the constituencies. Others can share the rest. While the Adivasis are in favour of the BJP, the Lambadas are set to support Congress candidates. They are angry over the TRS government's failure to provide security when the Adivasis attacked them last year," says BJP ST Morcha (Maharashtra) convener Amar Singh Tilawat, a Lambada from Komaram Bheem in Asifabad district. He has his own doubts about the success of BJP candidate Satla Ashok from Khanapur, since the BJP took time to announce his name while the Congress and TRS were quick in not only selecting candidates, but also in reaching out to voters for support. "Although the Adivasis have extended their support to the BJP candidate, the outcome of the election will be decided on the basis of the money spent by the other candidates," Tilawat explains. Grievances and electoral compulsions Adivasi students have, meanwhile, decided to field candidates of their community on all ST constituencies to create awareness among voters over what they call the false claim (ST status) of the Lambada tribe. "We have already filed a case in court against the inclusion of Lambadas into the ST category. We will demand that the Election Commission produce caste certificates of Lambada candidates. We have already written to the commission officials in these constituencies asking them to reject the nomination papers of Lambada candidates since they are not eligible to avail the benefits meant for STs. We will submit the proof given by the Election Commission in court," says Andhra Pradesh/Telangana Adivasi Students Union president Arunkumar. According to him, the government order that included the Lambada community in the ST category "was valid for six months and limited to education and other facilities, but was not meant for government jobs and for contesting the elections from reserved constituencies". While both communities remain at loggerheads, neither the TRS government in Telangana nor the major political parties have issued statements supporting or opposing either the Adivasis or Lambadas. Electoral compulsions have forced them not to take sides in the conflict. "The political parties seek our votes, but do not want to support us. It was quite surprising to see the parties remain silent while we were staging protests demanding exclusion of the Lambadas," complains Vedma Bojju, state general secretary of the Adivasi Students Union, adding that "we have decided to support those parties that are ready to support our demands". Bojju also points out that the tribal agitation had provided the community an opportunity to convert the stir into a political movement, but the announcement of early polls in Telangana played spoilsport. But, he added, they are not disappointed. "We are expecting the rejection of Lambada candidates' nomination papers. We demand that the Election Commission produce caste certificates of candidates. How can the Lambada community, which is a Backward Class community in neighbouring Maharashtra, become an ST community in Telangana. Our agitation will certainly have an impact," he says. In case the Election Commission ignores the demand, the Adivasis plan to fight against the Lambadas in court even if the candidates get elected to the state Assembly. They can fool or cheat the commission officials but not the court, Bojju insists. Eesam Sudhakar, an Adivasi student leader, has filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate from Mahababubabad constituency in Warangal district. "My aim is to put up a strong fight against the Lambada candidates and create awareness among Adivasis. We will support those parties that promise the exclusion of Lambadas from the list of STs," Sudhakar says. But members of the Lambada community are optimistic for their own reasons. There will be no impact of the Adivasi-Lambada conflict in Wyra constituency. I am getting more support from Adivasi voters than Lambada voters here," says TRS Lambada candidate for Wyra, Banoth Madan Lal. Another Lambada, Ram Nayak, son of former minister, believes the conflict is the handiwork of political parties". The author is a freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters Uddhav Thackeray also asked Shiv Sena workers to conduct a grand puja on 24 November all over Maharashtra as well as in other parts of the country where the Sena has presence. Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Sunday sought to intensify the party's campaign for Ram temple in Ayodhya by giving a new slogan which called for the construction of temple before government. Thackeray held a meeting with senior party leaders to review preparations for his visit to Ayodhya on 24 and 25 November. Sena leaders from outside Maharashtra too attended the meeting. "Har Hindu ki yahi pukar, pehle mandir fir sarkar (Every Hindu has one demand, the temple first and then government)," he said at a press conference which was held later. The Shiv Sena, which is the part of the BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and the Centre, has been aggressively pushing for the construction of the temple since the party's annual Dussehra rally in October. The party has often taunted its ally BJP over it's "failure" to construct the temple in the last four years despite coming to power. Thackeray also asked party workers to conduct a maha aarati (grand puja) on 24 November all over the state as well as in other parts of the country where the Sena has presence. He will be conducting Sarayu puja on 24 November in Ayodhya. "All Sena workers will perform puja on the same day and same time in their respective areas," said Thackeray. tech2 News Staff While rumours are circulating about the next-gen PlayStation console in the works from Sony, Microsoft looks to be upping its game as well with its Xbox One. A new report has suggested that a new Xbox One console could be released next year and it is touted to be disc-less. As per a report in Thurott, the intent of this Xbox console is to target the budget audience, as it appears that the company will be pricing the device starting at around $200. For those who own discs and want to get this next Xbox, Microsoft will be conducting a disc-to-digital program that will let you trade game discs for digital download codes at Microsoft stores. One thing that is for sure is that this new Xbox will not be part of the Scarlette series which happens to be the successor to the Xbox One. Seeing Microsoft push its subscription-based services to Xbox users, it makes sense for the company to come up with a digital only console. However, a major point of concern would definitely be the disk space present in this console. With games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 taking up a mammoth 98 GB of hard disk space, it remains to be seen if Xbox users will be able to get expandable storage options. tech2 News Staff Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been in the news for a while now. And not for the best reasons either. Ever since the Cambridge Analytica data breach came to light, it has been one PR disaster after another for Zuckerberg. If reports are to be believed, Zuckerberg's aggressive management style in the recent past has been the cause of the departure of a lot of top Facebook executives. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg told his top executives that he would be going on a war footing and adopting a more aggressive managerial style. This is to address the strong criticism Facebook is facing, not just from the users of the service, but also from its own investors as well as lawmakers. In a meeting in June, Zuckerberg reportedly told around 50 top executives that during times of peace, they could move slowly and ensure everyone was on board with key decisions, but now as the time for some tough calls. Zuckerberg has also reported to have blamed Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, for the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Just last week, a New York Times report created a huge furore after it emerged that Facebook hired a PR agency to write negative articles against Apple and Google, Zuckerberg asked employees to use only Android devices after allegedly being furious on Tim Cook's comment on Facebook, among many other things. In fact, the report's repercussions have also prompted certain Facebook investors to increase the pressure on Zuckerberg to step down from the CEO role. Some of the high profile departures that we have seen this year itself are WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum who left in April, Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger leaving suddenly in September and Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe leaving last month. Update on Acquisition of Business of Inabox Group Sydney, Nov 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - On October 8 2018, MNF announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the Wholesale and Enablement Business of Inabox Group ( ASX:IAB ).The Board of MNF acknowledges that on November 15 2018, Inabox Group ( ASX:IAB ) received a proposal for an off-market offer for the shares of IAB. This new offer in effect competes with the current offer by MNF to acquire the business assets of IAB. The IAB board has announced it will adjourn its EGM to vote on the sale of the business assets to MNF while it considers the new proposed competing offer.MNF has analysed the current information available on the competing offer and is of the opinion that the MNF offer still provides more value to IAB shareholders. The MNF board will continue to work with the IAB board with the intention to complete our acquisition of the IAB business.About Symbio Holdings Limited Symbio Holdings Limited (ASX:SYM) is one of Asia-Pacific's fastest growing technology companies. Listed on the ASX since 2006 and twice winner of the Forbes Asia-Pacific "Best under a Billion" award. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company has over 500 people located across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. Symbio develops and operates a global communications network and software suite enabling some of the world's leading innovators to deliver new-generation communications solutions. As the world moves to IP, Symbio is building the brands, services, network and technology to lead the way. tech2 News Staff There have been a lot of rumours that HMD-Global, which owns the Nokia brand, will be unveiling at least two smartphones on 5 December. The first device is most likely going to be Nokia 8.1 which is actually the global variant of the Nokia X7 launched in China. However, the second phone is perhaps going to be the elusive penta-lens Nokia 9 PureView smartphone. As per images by Slashleaks, the case renders of both the devices ie Nokia 8.1 and Nokia 9 PureView have been revealed. A Silicon case with seven cutouts at the back for lenses and a flash is quite likely for the Nokia 9 PureView. One can expect the phone to launch soon enough if cases have made its way to the internet. For the uninitiated, the PureView trademark was originally licensed to Microsoft and later transferred to HMD Global by the European Union Intellectual Property office. PureView phones are associated with having a great camera. There is no word on the total pixel count of this camera system, but it is safe to say that it is going to be pretty high. We could also see a 41 MP sensor like the one seen on the Nokia 808 PureView back in 2012. The alleged Nokia 9 PureView is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage and it might feature a 6-inch display. Let's hope we can get a look at the device soon enough. Indo-Asian News Service DJ Koh, President and CEO at the IT and Mobile Communications Division of Samsung Electronics, knows what boredom can eventually do to technology, especially to smartphones that are lately witnessing incremental enhancements amid sales slowing down globally. Barring design changes and offering Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled hardware, smartphones are currently offering nothing out-of-the-box. The charismatic Samsung executive now wants you to fold the smartphone in half and use it like a tablet. While other players like Huawei, LG, Motorola and arch rival Apple have secured patents on foldable devices, Samsung has taken a definitive lead with a real one. Setting the stage for the Next-Gen innovation war, Koh teased us in an interview with tech portal CNET last month: "Possibly when we start selling the foldable phone, it may be a niche market... but definitely, it will expand. I'm positive that we do need a foldable phone." The world finally saw a glimpse of the foldable phone during the Samsung Developer Conference 2018 in New York on November 7 when Justin Dennison, Senior Vice President of Mobile Marketing, took out a real foldable smartphone from his jacket. Reports now say Samsung Electronics plans to launch its first foldable smartphone in March next year and the shipment volume will be at least one million. Will Samsung's next big innovation change the furtune of the smartphone industry in 2019? "Tab in your pocket is a great idea. The consumers' reactions and real use cases will tell us whether this extreme device will succeed or not, but at the moment, it is a remarkable innovation and now very much in existence," Jaipal Singh, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India, told IANS. Industry experts say Samsung may showcase the foldable smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February, ahead of the official launch in the following month. While the price of the foldable smartphone has not been decided, it is said that it may cost around $1,770 to begin with. According to Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, Samsung has set a high bar for smartphone vendors, especially at a time when innovation is perceived to have reached its peak. "With the upgrade cycle getting longer, smartphones with curved displays have potential to become popular with early adopters. This will also have implications on supply chain and developers," Pathak told IANS. Positioning of components and creating content for developers is equally important in case of such devices. "While the concept of foldable devices was always there, the Samsung announcement has put a lot of weight behind such a category that is ready for commercial deployment," Pathak added. Experts have various suggestions about the upcoming device, that it should not be bulky, should consume less battery and fit easily into the palm; but Samsung must have deliberated on such factors while developing the device. "Multi-tasking is the future and this device fulfills that. The experience has to be seamless for the consumers. The durability is also important for heavy users," said Singh. The upcoming device will fold inward and sport a 7.4-inch screen when unfolded and have a 4.6-inch display like a regular smartphone when folded, said a report in Yonhap news agency. According to Prabhu Ram, head-industry intelligence group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), the Samsung foldable phone will mark the beginning of a long road of new innovation. "Smartphones have not seen much disruptive innovations for a long time now, in form factor and display. Samsung has now achieved a technical breakthrough in display manufacturing," Ram told IANS. A foldable smartphone will soon reach near you. Koh, who understands the global smartphone market inside-out, says the foldable phone will not be a "gimmick product that will disappear after six to nine months after it's delivered". Whether it will perfectly slip into your pocket and fit into your budget is yet to be seen, but foldable displays have rekindled hope in a market that reached its peak in 2018 and is waiting for the next big thing. tech2 News Staff Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 9 in four colours back in August - Copper, Lavender Purple, Blue with a yellow S Pen and the classic Midnight Black. Well, Christmas is on its way and rumours of a Pure White Galaxy Note 9 are gathering pace. After a render was posted by leakster Evan Blass a couple of weeks ago, a report by MyDrivers claims that the new variant is launching in Taiwan on 23 November. While nothing else is mentioned in the report, it would be safe to say that the internals of the phone, as well as the S Pen, will likely remain unchanged. Got tipped on this. Eagle-eyed Photoshop detectives, what say ye? pic.twitter.com/KXp4inQtL2 Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 4, 2018 As far as specifications go, the Note 9 features a 6.4-inches Super AMOLED display sporting the same QHD+ resolution. There are thin chins on both the upper and the lower side of the Infinity Display. The rear dual camera setup sits horizontally like on the Note 8, but the fingerprint scanner now moves below it at a more reachable and sensible location. Internally, the Note 9 gets upgraded to an Exynos 9810 SoC which is the same that you get on the Galaxy S9. Moving to the cameras, you get a dual camera setup (12 MP wide, f/1.5-f/2.4 + 12 MP telephoto, f/2.4) with dual OIS. The front-facing cameras get AF with an 8 MP sensor. Since this is basically the same setup as the Galaxy S9+, Samsung gave it an 'Intelligent Camera' branding with new features like 'Scene Optimizer' which automatically selects one of twenty scene modes and 'Flaw Detection' which lets the user know when the image has not come out right. Powering all of the above is a 4,000 mAh battery and the smartphone runs Samsung's customised Experience UI with an Android 8.1 Oreo base. To read our detailed review of the Galaxy Note 9, head here. Asheeta Regidi Editor's Note: This is a two-part series discussing the issues raised in TRAIs 2018 Consultation Paper on Over-The-Top Services, which seeks views on the imposition of regulatory norms on par with telecom service providers on over-the-top services. In Part I, we argue that OTT services are not responsible for the fall in revenues of the TSPs. The real issues instead need to be recognised and addressed. The disruption created by technologies will require major regulatory transformations and the ongoing conflict between the telecom service providers and Over-The-Top or OTT services is no exception. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued yet another consultation paper on the regulation of OTT services to address this conflict, released on November 12 this year. The issue raised is yet again, on whether OTT services which compete directly with the services of a telecom service provider (TSP) should be subject to the same licensing and regulatory requirements as the TSPs. The primary reference is to communication-based services like WhatsApp and Skype, which have created a huge dent in the revenue of the TSPs. The adoption of the same service same rules approach through the application of traditional regulatory and licensing requirements to new age technology, however, will be a huge step backwards. Instead, the need is to overhaul existing regulations to recognise and accommodate the overwhelming potential of data services as the future. Regulatory requirements on TSPs and the loss of revenue TSPs are at present subject to a very strict and rigorous framework, combined with the requirement of huge investments. This includes investment in the underlying infrastructure, high spectrum usage charges as well as high licensing fees. This includes, for instance, a payment of 5 percent of their adjusted gross revenues as a part of the licensing fee. The regulatory requirements imposed also range from interconnection rules, quality of service parameters, privacy and security obligations, etc., combined with penalties for non-compliance such as those imposed for call drops. The issue of the TSPs is that the OTT communication services utilise this same underlying infrastructure to provide the same service as the TSPs, while completely bypassing the strict regulations and huge costs to which the TSPs are subjected. The result, they further assert, has been a drop in their primary revenue source voice calls. TRAI has supported this stance of the TSPs in various papers including the latest one, while the TSPs themselves have repeatedly asserted the cannibalisation of their traditional revenue services by OTT services (such as in their responses to previous TRAI consultations the 2015 Paper on OTTs and the 2017 Paper on Net Neutrality). Voice as a data service and alternative revenues It is a fact that as the quality of OTT based communication services (like WhatsApp) improves, users are increasingly shifting to what they see as a more efficient, cheaper and richer experience, compared to traditional communication services. Despite this, the issue with the argument of the TSPs is that voice service as a revenue source is in itself dying out. This is irrespective of the competing services provided by OTT players. In fact, the TSPs themselves are being forced to turn to providing voice as a data service, as opposed to the traditional method. Fundamentally, with evolution in technology, voice calls have shifted from the traditional circuit-switched networks to IP based networks. Voice calls thus have now taken the form of an application service (like any other OTT service), provided over data services (or the internet). TRAIs 2018 paper in fact, itself points this out, noting that this shift has led to the offer of unlimited voice calls and messages to customers today. These are provided via a bundled tariff package for the data consumed for any such use, including for communication like voice calls and messaging. The previously used metered system, involving a per call or per SMS charge for the same services, is thus quickly becoming outdated. The real reason for the drop in the TSPs revenues, thus, is not with the cannibalisation of revenues by OTT services, but, on the one hand, the failure of TSPs to adapt to evolving technologies, and on the other, the failure of the government to provide a supportive regulatory regime. The solution, thus, lies not in bringing new OTT services under an outdated regulatory regime, but in resolving these two fundamental issues. The need to turn to data based revenues TRAI, in fact, in its Recommendations on a Regulatory Framework for Internet Telephony in 2017, had taken this stance in response to the TSPs issue of falling revenues due to OTT services. It noted the unprecedented increase in internet use, which is, for instance, fueled by the need for a data service to make an internet telephony call. This increase will not only compensate for the revenue loss of the TSPs, but will also increase their revenue potential. The TSPs thus, need to make the change and turn to data services as a revenue source. Further support for this need can be found in Nasscoms response to TRAIs 2015 OTT Paper, which argues that as mobile penetration in the country reaches saturation levels, voice traffic and the revenues earned thereby will plateau. Data traffic, as a result, will become the driver of demand, and thus the primary source of revenue for the TSPs. The wide variety of OTT services including communication services, have in fact, played a huge role in driving the demand for data-based services and internet use. In 2015, in fact, several stakeholders had pointed out in their responses to TRAIs 2015 OTT Paper that the CEOs of many TSPs had noted an increase then in their revenues attributed to data services, despite the fall in voice-based revenues. A fall in revenues thereafter is likely to be attributable to Reliance Jios adoption of the data based VoLTE technology (Voice over Long Term Evolution), and the provision of unlimited voice calling and messaging facilities for a lumpsum tariff. This, once again, is a fall in revenue due to market forces, and is not attributable to the OTT services. Separating network and service layers TRAI, in fact, in the Internet Telephony Recommendations, observed that the network layers (the underlying infrastructure for telecom services) and the service layers (the services provided via the network, OTT services for instance) need to be separated. This, it asserted, is the natural step forward in view of the changes in technology in the domain of telecom. Thus the services of TSPs as well will need to be treated separately from the underlying infrastructure. The same change needs to be seen in the regulations for such network and service layers as well. Subjecting new age services to traditional regulatory regimes will only have the impact of creating huge entry barriers, as opposed to supporting innovation and development. Instead of taking such a backward step, regulators and TSPs alike need to look forward and adapt their regulations and revenue streams accordingly. Given that the entire future of technology, which forms the backbone of innovation, development and progress today, be it in the form of smart cities, IoT or Big Data, is dependent on the underlying infrastructure, in the form of data services, the TSPs have little to lose and a lot to gain through making this change. The next part of the series will discuss specific steps the government can take to support the TSPs, as well as possible solutions for regulating OTT services. The author is a lawyer specialising in technology, privacy and cyber laws. Disclaimer: Reliance Jio is owned by Reliance Industries, who also own Network18, the publisher of Firstpost and tech2 Indo-Asian News Service Google's parent company Alphabet has put on hold a project to build glucose-sensing contact lens for people living with diabetes due to unsatisfactory results from clinical work. The aim of the project was to turn contact lens into a cutting-edge medical device that could measure blood glucose levels through detection of glucose level in tears. For the project Google's health-tech arm Verily entered into a partnership with Alcon, Novartis' eye-care division, in 2014. "Our clinical work on the glucose-sensing lens demonstrated that there was insufficient consistency in our measurements of the correlation between tear glucose and blood glucose concentrations to support the requirements of a medical device," Brian Otis, Chief Technical Officer at Verily, wrote in a blog post on Friday. In part, this was associated with the challenges of obtaining reliable tear glucose readings in the complex on-eye environment. "For example, we found that interference from biomolecules in tears resulted in challenges in obtaining accurate glucose readings from the small quantities of glucose in the tear film. "In addition, our clinical studies have demonstrated challenges in achieving the steady state conditions necessary for reliable tear glucose readings," Otis added. The Google health-tech arm will continue to work on a smart accommodating contact lens for presbyopia and a smart intraocular lens for improving sight following cataract surgery, Otis said. Besides Google, several other technology companies have also launched their healthcare initiatives, including Apple which introduced heart-monitoring features in the Apple Watch. Agence France-Presse Imagine an airport where thousands of planes, empty of fuel, are left abandoned on the tarmac. That is what has been happening for decades with satellites that circle the Earth. When satellites run out of fuel, they can no longer maintain their precise orbit, rendering them useless even if their hardware is still intact. "It's literally throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars," Al Tadros, vice president of space infrastructure and civil Space at a company called SSL, said this month at a meeting in the US capital of key players in the emerging field of on-orbit servicing, or repairing satellites while they are in space. In recent years, new aerospace companies have been founded to try and extend the lifespan of satellites, on the hunch that many clients would find this more profitable than relaunching new ones. In 2021, his company will launch a vehicle, as part of its Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program, that is capable of servicing two to three dozen satellites in a distant geostationary orbit, some 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) from Earth where there are about 500 active satellites, most in telecommunications. This unmanned spacecraft will be able to latch onto a satellite to inspect it, refuel it, and possibly even repair it or change components, and put it back in the correct orbit. Tadros describes it as "equivalent to a AAA servicing truck in geostationary orbit." And "it's financially a very, very big opportunity," he adds. Telecommunications giant Intelsat, which operates 50 geostationary satellites, chose a different option and signed a contract with Space Logistics, a branch of Northrop Grumman, for its MEV, a "very simple system" vice president Ken Lee told AFP is much like a "tow truck." When it launches in 2019, the spacecraft will attach itself to a broken down satellite, and reposition it in its correct orbit. The MEV will stay attached and use its own engine to stay in orbit. Too much debris On-orbit servicing could also help cut down on the perplexing problem of mounting space debris. Of the 23,000 space objects counted by the US military, just 1,900 are active satellites. The rest, which move at speeds of some 12-19,000 miles (20-30,000 kilometers) per hour, includes nearly 3,000 inactive satellites, 2,000 pieces of rockets (such as the second stages of rockets) and thousands of fragments produced by two key events: the deliberate missile explosion of a Chinese satellite in 2007, and the 2009 collision of an Iridium satellite with an aging Russian one. No short-term solution has been identified for small-scale space junk, but some companies would like to be able to remove defunct satellites from orbit. Since 2008, France has required satellite operators to take steps to "deorbit" their spacecrafts by programming them to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in 25 years so that they burn up, according to Laurent Francillout, head of space security at the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES). When it comes to satellites in geostationary orbits, their end-of-life option is to go farther from Earth to a "graveyard orbit" 200 miles (300 kilometers) further away. "We are trying to promote these principles" in other countries, Francillout told AFP. A small Japanese company founded in 2013, Astroscale, is developing a system to approach and capture space debris and broken satellites. Though it doesn't have a clientele yet, director of operations Chris Blackerby anticipates the business would be "very viable." A test launch is planned for 2020. Airbus's future "Space Tug," planned for 2023, is being built to grab old satellites and push them down to 125 miles (200 kilometers) above Earth so they burn up. The problem of space junk is only getting worse. The number of satellites in space has already risen 50 percent in five years, according to the Satellite Industry Association, and growth continues. Meanwhile, debate is roiling in the United States over the need for better international regulation of space traffic, aimed at avoiding accidents and managing future conflicts. "We don't want the Wild West," said Fred Kennedy, director of the Tactical Technology Office at DARPA, the technological research arm of the Pentagon, noting that the United States, with its fleet of military satellites, is keen to establish sound practices beyond the boundaries of Earth. Cambodia premier Hun Sen dismissed reports of a Chinese base as 'information that only tries to manipulate the truth.' Phnom Penh: Cambodia will not allow foreign military bases on its soil, strongman premier Hun Sen said Monday, swatting away US concerns about a possible Chinese naval site near hotly contested seas. China has lavished billions of dollars in soft loans, infrastructure and investment on the poor Southeast Asian kingdom, gifting Prime Minister Hun Sen a fast growing economy that he wields as justification for his 33-year authoritarian rule. In exchange Cambodia has been staunch China ally. It has seeded disunity among the 10-member ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations over a diplomatic pushback to Beijing's aggression in the strategically pivotal South China Sea. Rumours a Chinese naval base is under construction off Cambodia's southwest coast have been swirling. The area under scrutiny is in the Gulf of Thailand but gives ready access to the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the flashpoint area, infuriating the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan who all have competing claims to its islands and potentially resource-rich waters. But in comments during a cabinet meeting, broadcast on Facebook live, Hun Sen denied military bases of any kind have - or will be - built on Cambodian territory. "I have received a letter from Mike Pence, US Vice President, regarding concerns that there will be a China naval base in Cambodia," he said. "The Constitution of Cambodia bans the presence of foreign troops or military bases in its territory.... whether naval forces, infantry forces or air forces." The US, once the region's undisputed military power, is acutely aware of the strategic and trading importance of the South China Sea and insists it remains international waters. US, Australian and British warships have increasingly conducted "freedom of navigation" operations through the sea to press that point, infuriating Beijing. Hun Sen dismissed reports of a Chinese base as "information that only tries to manipulate the truth." "I will reply to the letter form US Vice-president Mike Pence to make him understand clearly about the issue." Chinese bankrolled casinos, developments and dams have mushroomed in recent years, fanning growth but incubating restment among some Cambodians who fear the country is increasingly in the pocket of the regional superpower. Several joint military exercises have also taken place while in June Beijing promised $100 million to modernise Cambodia's military. China has established military positions on disputed outcrops in the South China Sea and intimidates fishermen and naval vessels from rival countries. Chinese Premier Li Kequaing last week sought to soothe anxieties, backing a rule book on behaviour in contested waters to be finished in three years "We are not and we will not seek hegemony or expansion. That is something that we will never do," he added, ahead of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Singapore. Critics have countered that China has deliberately spent years negotiating the rulebook with Southeast Asian neighbours to buy time to build up its military bases. Fresh from their 'blue wave' performance in the US midterm elections where they retook the House majority, three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. Washington: Fresh from their 'blue wave' performance in the US midterm elections where they retook the House majority, three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. This is just the start of a the post-midterm reality for the Donald Trump administration, one that will be pockmarked by bareknuckle pushback from the Opposition of the kind the Trump White House has not seen in its first two years. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitaker's appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Donald Trump on 7 November The Constitution's Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitaker's appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a "sufficiently senior pay level." "President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation's top law enforcement official," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called 'constitutional nobody' and thwarting every senator's constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitaker's appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitaker's appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The state of Maryland also made a similar court filing last week in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over the Affordable Care Act. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitaker's appointment as "lawful" and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. "There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position," Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. "To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent." The Federal Vacancies Reform Act allows an acting official to serve in a vacant position for up to 210 days, though the official may continue serving while a president's nomination to that position is pending before the Senate. ROME (Reuters) - European parliamentary elections in May will shake up the political landscape and help Italy in its budget battles with Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday. The European Commission last month rejected Italy's 2019 budget, saying it flouted a commitment to lower the deficit and did not guarantee a reduction in the debt, the second highest in the euro zone as a proportion of GDP ROME (Reuters) - European parliamentary elections in May will shake up the political landscape and help Italy in its budget battles with Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday. The European Commission last month rejected Italy's 2019 budget, saying it flouted a commitment to lower the deficit and did not guarantee a reduction in the debt, the second highest in the euro zone as a proportion of GDP. Italy's coalition, comprising the anti-establishment 5-Star-Movement and far-right League, has refused to change the main points of the budget, saying it will boost the economy via tax cuts, a lower retirement age and higher welfare spending. Di Maio told Corriere della Sera daily he was confident that Rome and Brussels could avoid a collision, predicting that the Commission would take a different approach after May's elections which might boost anti-austerity parties. "...citizens will vote in the European elections and will cause a big shake up," said Di Maio, who is also leader of the 5-Star. "We are ready to discuss things around a table, but they cannot ask us to massacre Italians." Di Maio reiterated that the government was willing to sell real estate assets, reduce waste and introduce safeguard clauses to ensure the deficit will not exceed the target of 2.4 percent of output in 2019. But he said: "The main reforms of the budget must remain in place". The European Commission is expected to start disciplinary steps against Rome next Wednesday, a procedure which could eventually end in unprecedented fines for Italy. Separately, the chief of Italy's richest regional business lobby, criticised the ruling parties for using the budget as a tool to boost their own popularity. "We are very worried about the decision that have been taken and that are putting (the economy) at risk," Carlo Bonomi, head of regional industry lobby Assolombarda said in a interview with state-owned television RAI on Sunday. Italian industrialists reckon the lack of investments as the main problem of the Italian budget drafted by the populist coalition, Bonomi added. "The clear project is to cash in the electoral dividend rather than boosting the economy," he said. The European elections are shaping up to be a battle between centrist, pro-EU parties and nationalist far-right formations that want to stop immigration. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Janet Lawrence and David Evans) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Shireen Mazari's remarks came a day after Donald Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan Islamabad: Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari on Monday said that US President Donald Trump's tirade against Islamabad should be a lesson to those Pakistani leaders who appeased America after 9/11. Mazari's remarks came a day after Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country does not do "a damn thing" for the US and its government had helped Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hide near its garrison city. The minister in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do "a damn thing" for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT; the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) November 19, 2018 "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," she further tweeted. Referring to Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed Laden there in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil. The loss estimate utilized RMS forthcoming North America Wildfire High Definition (HD) Model to simulate the ignition, fire spread, ember accumulations, and smoke dispersion of the fires. The models findings were supported by damage reports from CAL FIRE as of November 18th, observations from displaced residents, and information from firefighting personnel. The Camp and Woolsey events were among 15 fires that broke out in early November, 2018. The Camp and Woolsey Fires have currently burned a combined total of 245,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 homes and businesses, and killed 80 people. The Camp Fire, named for the road of its point of origin, is the most destructive fire in California history, with more than 11,000 structures burned and currently 77 fatalities. Notably, this fire season represents the second consecutive year with more than $10 billion in insured wildfire loss. While the fuel landscape between the two fires differs significantly, with heavy forestry characterizing the Camp Fire (Northern California) and shrubland in the Woolsey Fire (Southern California), both developed under dangerous conditions that favor quick fire spread: low moisture, abnormally high temperatures, dry vegetation, and intense seasonal winds. Both traveled quickly through steep, hilly, vegetated terrain. The town of Paradise, CA, which suffered the worst losses of the Camp Fire, has narrowly avoided catastrophic wildfires many times over the past 20 years. Thirteen large fires since 1999 have burned inside the current footprint of the Camp Fire. The Woolsey Fire, igniting in Ventura County and jumping the Highway 101 before spreading to Malibu, resulted in over 250,000 evacuations and burned more than 1,450 high value properties. The area around the Woolsey Fire shares a similar, if less stark, history of frequent fires. Six large fires since 1999 intersect the Woolsey footprint. Going back to 1993, the Old Topanga Wildfire, which caused almost $1 billion in todays dollars, occurred immediately next where the Woolsey fire is currently burning. Mohsen Rahnama, Chief Risk Modeling Officer, RMS, said: Wildfire is now a major catastrophe risk that must be rigorously managed with the best data and model science. With increasing exposure due to properties near wildland areas and ongoing climate variability, insurers, policymakers, and homeowners must adapt to the prospect of more frequent and severe wildfires. In the wake of consecutive record-breaking wildfire seasons, we are hopeful that more focus will be placed on fire mitigation, safe construction practices, and community resilience. The forthcoming RMS HD Wildfire model, developed in partnership with leading insurers and fire experts, represents a step change in measuring wildfire risk, with a 50,000-year climate simulation, explicit ember and smoke simulations, and a vulnerability module calibrated on hundreds of millions of dollars of claims data. We are confident the model will contribute to the creation of safer communities that promote fire safety and awareness. At the heart of Donald Trump's war on media is that Republicans and their allies know that demography is not on their side: America is changing and there is little that they can do to stop it. United States President Donald Trump has waged a systematic war on the American press, which is a priceless pillar of our immiserated democracy. He has decried any media outlet other than Fox News and its allies dispensing right-wing cant as "fake news". The US president has dubbed the media (with the exception of Fox) the "enemy of the people". He has applauded murderous dictators for their draconian suppression of their press and those dictators, in turn, have justified their crimes with Trump's own words and deeds. Trump has lavishly praised a US congressman who, when questioned about healthcare policy, brutally assaulted a reporter. He has vituperatively refused to answer questions from journalists he dislikes, often verbally abusing them. He has also publicly insulted dozens of journalists particularly women and people of color using crude and demeaning language. Footage of Trump grotesquely mocking a disabled reporter had gone viral in 2016. Last week, Trump and his administration sunk to a new low when CNN's Jim Acosta persisted in having Trump answer a question he had sought to evade, despite the efforts of a White House intern to seize Acosta's microphone. The US administration used manipulated video footage of Acosta's exchange with the intern to assert that he had assaulted her and used this as a pretext to strip him of his White House press credentials. The manipulated footage omits the audio of Acosta apologising to the young woman for the inadvertent contact as she sought to wrest the microphone from him. CNN filed a suit. Surprisingly, Fox News publicly supported the suit, as did other media outlets. By the end of last week, a judge issued an injunction and ordered Acosta's White House press pass to be reinstated while the case is heard. Although this is a victory, the war is far from over, and America's enfeebled democracy will be one of its casualties. Trump's assailing of the American media corresponds to the dismal public trust in it. In the spring of 2018, Gallup and the Knight Foundation questioned 1,440 people about the US media. While many respondents opined that news sources were biased, Republicans and Democrats rated the accuracy and bias of organisations very differently. Disparities were starkest regarding Fox News, Breitbart News, CNN and MSNBC, and were greatly shaped by whether the respondent espoused the ideological leaning of the source in question. Not all of this can be attributed to Trump's contumely attacks on the freedom of the press as Americans' confidence in their media has steadily retrenched. However, it is unlikely a coincidence that about half of Republicans (51 percent) polled in August said they believed that the news media is the "enemy of the people", in contrast to 24 percent of independents and a meagre 5 percent of Democrats who answered similarly. Moreover, that same survey found that three quarters of Republicans trusted Trump to tell the truth, while about 15 percent of Republicans trusted the media to be truthful. Unsurprisingly, 86 percent of Democrats trusted the media compared to only 5 percent who trusted Trump. Such reliance on Trump's veracity among Republicans is discomfiting, given the well-documented evidence that he lies repeatedly on issues big and small: As of 2 November, fact-checkers at The Washington Post reported that the US president has made 6,420 false or misleading claims over 649 days. However, for Republicans, this will either not affect their trust in him, or they will simply dismiss these claims using the words of their cult leader: "Fake news". Republican leaders in Congress, or elsewhere, have generally demurred from criticising Trump's antics even after liberal media and opinion leaders were targeted in a failed mass assassination attempt by a rabid Trump supporter. In part, other Republicans avoid criticising the president because they fear his base that loves him because of his boorish behavior, not in spite of it. However, Trump's outrages are dangerous for democracy, and both the US president and the Republicans know it. By sowing doubt about all but right-wing media, Trump and the Republicans are confident that Fox and its allies will continue to garner viewership, who, in turn, will be exposed to outright lies and pro-Trump propaganda, with the net impact of improving Republican electoral outcomes. This price is high it comes at the expense of producing highly ill-informed voters who are easily swayed by the False Prophets of Fox News. This "Fox News Effect" has been well studied by scholars. In 2007, Stefano Della Vigna and Ethan Kaplan wrote a scholarly study titled "The Fox News Effect: Media Bias and Voting" in which they leveraged data about Fox News' entry into the cable market and presidential electoral data for 1996 and 2000. They found that the highly-partisan network increased the Republican vote share between 0.4 and 0.7 percentage points, which is enough to swing tight races. They also found that Fox News affected Republican voter turnout as well as the Republican vote share in the Senate. The strongest impact on mobilising conservative voters was evident in Democratic-leaning districts. More recently, Gregory Martin and Ali Yurukoglu assessed that individuals who watch Fox News experience a substantial rightward shift in their attitudes and significantly greater willingness to vote for Republican candidates. Provocatively, these economists estimate that had Fox News not existed, the Republican presidential candidate's share of votes would have been 3.6 percentage points lower in 2004 and 6.3 points lower in 2008. Again, these margins are more than enough to swing an election. Not only is there evidence that Fox News helps solidify and galvanise the Republican base, studies have shown that those who use Fox News as their primary source of information are much more likely to be grossly misinformed regarding basic truths about domestic and foreign policy issues. When Steven Kull and his colleagues posed three basic questions about the Iraq War with indisputable, correct responses to a representative survey of American respondents, they found that Fox News viewers were overwhelmingly more likely to get all three rudimentary questions wrong. Those who were most likely to answer the questions correctly were those who got their news from print sources or public radio and television. However, respondents who relied on other mainstream networks (CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS) were less likely than Fox viewers to be misinformed, but far more likely to be so than those who used print media or public television and radio. It needs to be stated that while numerous studies have shown conservative Americans overwhelmingly rely on Fox News and are greatly influenced by the incorrect perceptions spread by the network, many of these studies predate the emergence of MSNBC, which is an explicitly Democratic-leaning partisan network. Patrick C Meirick and Elena Bessarabova, in their study of partisan misperceptions, found evidence that Democrats, too, are more likely to espouse Democratic-serving misperceptions the more they accessed liberal media. However, the market share of such media is minuscule compared to the market dominance of the falsehood-fabricating Fox News. In October, Fox News averaged more total viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined. The enormous market share of Fox News, with its penchant for pro-Trump propaganda, dishonest reportage, race-baiting and fear mongering is worrisome for democracy for at least two reasons. First, it is well known that partisans of all stripes use biased strategies when looking for information and tend to accept messages with which they agree while rejecting countervailing information. The result is that partisans build opinions for the purpose of defending their existing points of view rather than being objectively correct. With the proliferation of media, it is increasingly easy for consumers to self-select into echo chambers with the disturbing reality that two distinct Americas have emerged, each equipped with what they believe to be their own "facts". However, some of these facts are clearly less factual than the other. Second, studies have shown that is nearly impossible to dislodge a partisan fiction once it has taken hold. In fact, efforts to refute nonsense often have the adverse effect of encouraging the person to hold it more ferociously. Efforts to expose partisans to alternative news sources are virtually inefficacious in dislodging a misperception. America is divided. One set of Americans, largely ill-informed by Fox News, is fearful of change, rues the diminution of white privilege and wants to "Make America Great Again" by trying to make it White again. The other America is more cosmopolitan, tends to embrace change and diversity, is less fearful about America's changing demographics and wants an America in which people are equal before the law, irrespective of their creed, gender, race or who they choose to love. Republicans and their newly-denervated white supremacist allies know that demography is not on their side: America is changing and there is little that they can do to stop it. This is at the heart of Trump's war on media. It's not just about vilifying and suppressing every outlet that seeks to publish the truth about his corruption, incompetence, truculence and white supremacist pandering. It's about ensuring that his cult-ish followers view him as their most trusted source no matter what facts are revealed on a near-daily basis that demonstrates his unfitness for anything but impeachments. It's also about shoring up the bona fides of behemoth Fox News, whose slavish willingness to serve as Trump's "state television" makes that network his single-most important constituency. As Michael M Grynbaum observed, Fox once gave Trump a perch. Now it's his bullhorn. The writer has authored the books Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Armys Way of War (OUP, 2014) and In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (forthcoming 2018). 'Gilgit-Baltistan and its Saga of Human Rights Violations', by Alok Bansal, Director of the India Foundation, provides one of the few sources for someone wanting to know a little more about this troubled non-state. It seems there is more interest in the plight of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in Europe than there is in India. Last week, members of the European Parliament met to discuss the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, observing that not only was it likely to be a reinvented East India Company enterprise, but that it passed through disputed areas of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. One of the participants in the meeting made an interesting point. Fernando Burges highlighted the negative effects of the CPEC on the livelihoods of the regions indigenous people who have been forced to not only accept the project with no compensation, but also have been imprisoned under the pretext of anti-terrorism laws when they protested. That probably explains a recent decision to deploy more troops into the area, after a spate of violence that saw the torching of several schools by militants. Who these militants are, the state is unable to say. So here is the thing about Gilgit-Baltistan. It virtually doesnt exist. Its people live in a black hole where they are neither part of Pakistan or part of the other apparently independent Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), which is that thin sliver of land which adjoins much of our own state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Constitution of Pakistan doesnt recognise its existence in Article 1 which outlines the territories of the Republic, though it rather archly leaves open the possibility of accession of unnamed territories or states. Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is, therefore, a land which has no guaranteed rights at all, not over property, life or liberty. Remember the political debate over Article 35a of the Indian constitution which gives Jammu and Kashmir the rights to decide on who is a permanent resident and the rights which go with it? Such a debate would never occur in GB, since its people have no such luxury of decision. Meanwhile, try typing Gilgit-Baltistan on any search engine. The results will be negligible. Not only has Pakistan successfully thrown these areas behind an iron curtain, it has succeeded in getting India and most other countries to forget the very existence of this other Kashmir. Thats unforgivable in India, where the issue of Kashmir has become critical to foreign policy decisions. The present government be credited with bringing the issue to centre stage, however briefly, during Prime Minister Modis independence day speech in 2016, where he thanked the people of GB for their good wishes. But nothing very much seems to have happened thereafter. One recent event promises to rectify this blissful ignoring of an entire state that is part of Kashmir to a certain extent. A book 'Gilgit-Baltistan and its Saga of Human Rights Violations', by Alok Bansal, Director of the India Foundation, provides one of the few sources for someone wanting to know a little more about this troubled non-state. With a series of achievements as long as your arm, Alok has long been engaged with this region. His book provides a much needed historical backdrop, and then proceeds, rather rapidly, to the present with an exposure of the little-noticed sectarian and terrorist violence, as also the increasing graph of protests against Pakistani exploitation of the area (Pakistan government notifications always call it an area since they can't call it a province or a state). The historical backdrop is well worth reading, especially for the talking heads on television channels who regularly rail against or for Kashmir policies. Apart from detailing the extreme chicanery of the British, it provides a detailed summary of the legal status of the various units that make up GB; like Gilgit Wazarat under the direct control of the then Maharaja of Kashmir, Hunza and Nagar whos rulers paid annual tributes of gold to the Kashmir ruler, and other smaller rulers, including Chitral, which is no longer part of GB but has been hived away to be part of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with full legal status. The reason for that is unsurprising. Chitral is a border district at the tri-junction of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, its strategic value to the Pakistan army is far too vital to allow any diffusion of authority. In this recounting of the past are occasional gems that should be carefully absorbed. The popular narrative that the whole Gilgit rebellion was egged on by the British Major Brown is disaggregated to show the truth. In fact, Brown tried to protect non-Muslim lives and was arrested twice by the rebels. He found it useful to claim credit for the rebellion later. Then there is recounting of the bravery of Lieutenant Colonel Sher Jung Thapa in the defence of Skardu and the inexplicable failure of the Indian Air Force to undertake supply missions to relieve the garrison. The author also covers the truth about the UN Resolutions, something that cannot be repeated enough at a time when Pakistan is still parroting this line at international forums. Here, it is worth quoting from the UN Resolution of 14 August, 1948 which stated clearly, As the presence of troops of Pakistan in the territory of the State of Jammu and Kashmir constitutes a material change in the situation the Government of Pakistan agrees to withdraw its troops from that State. Further, Pending a final solution, the territory evacuated by the Pakistani troops will be administered by the local authorities under the oversight of the UN Commission. And finally, it states clearly, When the commission shall have notified the Government of India that the tribesmen and Pakistani nationals (have withdrawn) and further, that the Pakistani forces are being withdrawn from the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Government of India agrees to begin to withdraw the bulk of its forces from that State in stages to be agreed upon with the Commission. That is the language of the Resolution. Old ladies should embroider this on tablecloths and napkins and present it to schools and colleges, and perhaps even government departments. That might reduce the complete lack of awareness of this vital aspect of the Kashmir conflict somewhat. Heres another nugget of information. Earlier, the Dogra rulers had enacted a State Subject Rule to preserve the unique identity of this region that barred outsiders from seeking permanent residence in the princely states. Thats still prevalent in our side of Kashmir. It was however abolished by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in GB. The result is that there has been a 63.1 percent rise in population in GB between 1998-2011, attesting to the influx of outsiders. In May, the outgoing government tried to install a new Government of Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018" which stated, among other things, that All Pakistanis recognised by the Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951 as well as residents and those holding GB domicile will be citizens of the area. In other words, the government intended opening up the area to all mainland Pakistanis, which would have caused the flood of immigration to increase to a point where the locals would have been completely marginalised. And incidentally, all opposition to the CPEC ended. The author gives a succinct account also of the administration which is entirely dominated at the top by Pakistani bureaucrats. He cites instances where even the quota for locals are reduced by Punjabis and others using fake documents. Those few who get into senior positions in the bureaucracy are prevented from serving in the region, for fear that they may favour their own people. Then there is the omnipresent Pakistan army, with its Monitoring Teams abolished in the rest of Pakistan but active here to control all aspects of governance, including transfers, postings and promotions. Needless to say, locals are almost absent in the Pakistan army, but are recruited into the former Gilgit Scouts now called the Northern Light Infantry. The NLI distinguished themselves in the Kargil adventure. While two soldiers were decorated, the death of the majority was simply denied. After all, in the Pakistani narrative, Kargil was undertaken by freedom fighters. The book also has as many documents as are available from open sources, and it is undoubtedly useful to have them in one place, for easy reference. The tragedy is that there is so little. GB continues to be a black hole of information. While this book offers a great start, there is much more to be done. The key issue raised in the European Parliament relates to the unhappiness of locals with the CPEC, an aspect that needs to be examined in detail. Locals often complain that no official of GB was ever part of any decision making CPEC forums. Available information in the CPEC Master Plan simply marks the Northern Areas for resource exploitation apart from being a logistics channel. The question then arises as to whom the resources belong to in the first place, and to whom the Chinese must apply legally to use the local land. These and other questions arise when examining the feasibility and legality of the larger CPEC itself. Meanwhile, the study of GB offers much to intrigue. It is also backbreaking labour, given that it involves piecing together minute bits of information, to form a larger analysis. A little help from the government would be invaluable. Its time to put your money where your mouth is. So far, it's been just talk. A local media outlet quoted Imran Khan as saying that Hitler and Napoleon suffered huge defeats and caused losses because they did not take U-turns. Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday justified taking 'U-turns' in politics. Khan even cited the example of former German dictator Adolf Hitler to support his argument that a politician who does not take 'U-turns' according to the situation is not a real leader. "Hitler and Napoleon (Bonaparte) suffered huge defeats and caused losses as they did not take U-turns," Geo News quoted Khan, as saying. Khan was interacting with journalists in Islamabad when he made these comments. "If you are walking and there is a wall in front of you, then you will have to change and find another way and a leader who does not know how to take U-turns is not successful," Khan was quoted by a journalist who attended the interaction. The Prime Minister's comments have drawn sharp criticism. "Imran Khan is Hitler and is taking U-turns to avoid losses," said Pakistan Peoples' Party leader Khursheed Shah. He asserted that the prime minister was sending a message that Hitler had failed because he did not take a U-turn otherwise he would be successful. On Friday, Khan also talked about his visit to China. "Concrete results of my visit are beginning to show. We are receiving all forms of aid from China and are satisfied," Khan commented on his recent trip to China. On the economic condition, Khan assured that situation will start improving from next year. "The next three to six months are difficult but from next year onward our economic situation is going to improve significantly and we will be on the right track," he claimed. Recently, Imran Khan-led-government announced the unveiling of a comprehensive package on education, health and poverty alleviation after the completion of its first 100 days. UMKC students told the Kansas City Star that professor Ashim Mitra made only his Indian students work, and they followed orders as they were 'bound by a culturally influenced silence'. "I considered my life at UMKC nothing less than modern slavery," said Kamesh Kuchimanchi, one of the students at University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) who have accused an Indian professor of using Indian graduate students as "personal servants". Ashim K Mitra, a professor at UMKC's School of Pharmacy, forced his Indian students to do personal chores for him, including watching his dog, serving guests at religious events he hosted, cleaning his flooded basement etc, an investigation by the Kansas City Star found. Students told the newspaper that Mitra made only his Indian students work, and that they followed his orders as they were "bound by a culturally influenced silence". "It's a cultural thing in India," one student said. "When a teacher says do something, we tend to do it." Kuchimanchi, one of Mitra's former PhD students, told Kansas City Star that after he told the professor he would not carry out personal tasks for him anymore, he had "threatened" to kick him out of the university and make him lose his visa and "lose everything". A woman who earned her doctorate at the UMKC School of Pharmacy in 2013 told the newspaper that students feared the consequences of refusing Mitra. She said many complied as "they were so afraid of not graduating". "Dr Mitra could have easily affected graduation. Everyone in the department knows how Dr Mitra handles things. If he wants to graduate you, he would. If he wants to give you trouble, he would." Mitra's alleged harassment of students continued for decades, from the mid-1990s to at least the mid-2010s, according to the newspaper's investigation. "No student will come forward to speak against a professor," said Kishore Cholkar, a California pharmaceutical company employee who graduated in 2015 and had worked on a research project with Mitra. "The students will not talk because they want to make a career here, and they need the immigration status. They need the professor's support. Everybody knows it: If you stand up, you will get cut down." University says it couldn't take 'formal action' Furthermore, it appears that the Kansas City university did not act on a complaint by one of Mitra's colleagues, another Indian professor Mridul Mukherji. Mukherji has filed two lawsuits against Mitra and university officials in 2016 and one earlier this year claiming that "Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students", and that the university had "retaliated" against him when he complained about his actions. Mukherji had complained to the varsity about Mitra's alleged harassment of students in 2014 and had even secretly recorded conversations he had with students, who had admitted to taking care of the professor's pet when he and his wife were away, Quartz reported. UMKC had earlier claimed that it had looked into Mukherji's complaint, but could not take any "formal action" as "no students substantiated the claims". University provost and executive vice chancellor Barbara A Bichelmeyer told the newspaper that "repeated efforts were made to contact all students identified by Dr Mukherji. "I do not know of a single student who has complained to UMKC officials that Dr Mitra required them to do non-academic work," Bichelmeyer said. However, hours after the Kansas City Star report, the university announced that it would expand its inquiry into the professor's conduct and take any disciplinary action needed. Mitra's statement: In a statement to the newspaper through his attorney, the professor said: "Over the years, I have invited graduate students to my home where they have done work related to their courses of study, and at times, eaten meals prepared by my wife," he said . I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies." "I do not understand the suggestion that anyone was concerned with their visas being at risk. I have worked with over 60 graduate students attending UMKC on F1 (study) visas, and I am not aware of any of those students having their visa status challenged or revoked." Who is Ashim Mitra? Mitra has an impressive research record. His work has secured more than $7 million in extramural funding. Mitra has also authored and co-authored more than 360 peer-reviewed articles and seven books, and his work has been cited more than 10,000 times. An international expert in ocular drug delivery systems, Mitra He holds 11 patents to his name, has graduated more than 55 doctoral students and has mentored 14 post-doctoral scientists. Along with his research group, he has delivered more than 725 presentations and abstracts at national and international scientific meetings and was also the recipient of the Dr Roger Vogel Award for Pharmaceutical Research from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Foundation for Eye Research. Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's tweets came a day after Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism. Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday reacted sharply to President Donald Trump's latest tirade against Islamabad for not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US, instead of making Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its failures in Afghanistan, should find out why the Taliban has emerged stronger than before. Khan's tweets came a day after Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan," Khan, said in a series of tweets defending his country's record in the US-led war on terror. He said that Pakistan decided to "participate in the US War on Terror" although no Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. "Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over $123 billion was lost," he said, of which "US 'aid' was a miniscule $20 billion", Khan said. "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 NATO troops, plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," he suggested. In addition to economic losses, the prime minister highlighted the impact of the US war on Pakistan's tribal areas. "Our tribal areas were devastated and millions of people were uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted the lives of ordinary Pakistanis," he said. "Pakistan continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications...)," he added. "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" he asked. Earlier, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari attacked Trump's criticism of Islamabad's dubious role in the war against terrorism. She said the US president "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Khan, said Trump's latest criticism of Pakistan should be a "lesson" to those Pakistani leaders who "appeased" America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. She tweeted: The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests. https://t.co/tFBe9BentG Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) November 19, 2018 In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said that Trump "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia." Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August 2017, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the 'very violent, very vicious' killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind how to admonish Riyadh for the killing yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Washington: US President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the "very violent, very vicious" killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind how to admonish Riyadh for the killing yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump, in an interview that aired on Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the 2 October killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said in the interview with "Fox News Sunday." I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." On Saturday, Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." He said the report will include "who did it." It was unclear if the report would be made public. American intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, according to a US official familiar with the assessment. The official was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Others familiar with the case caution that while it's likely the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played. President Donald Trump says the crown prince of US-ally Saudi Arabia has told him directly that he had nothing to do with the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but Trump says he wonders "will anybody really know." Trump noted to "Fox News Sunday" that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. "Will anybody really know?" Trump asked. "At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no "smoking gun" linking the crown prince to the killing. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that "it's hard to imagine" that the crown prince didn't know about the killing, but he said, "I don't know that we absolutely know that yet." He said that Congress will await the Trump administration's report in the next two days and that the US will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabia's strategic role in West Asia. For his part, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a "wrecking ball" in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. "I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Graham's concerned," the South Carolina Republican told NBC's "Meet the Press." "I have no intention of working with him ever again," said Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Intelligence officials have been providing information to Trump for weeks about the death, and he was briefed again by phone on Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call but said the president has confidence in the CIA. "The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable," the State Department said in a statement. "Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Khashoggi." The statement added: "The US government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia." Before his call on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, "as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We're going to have to find out what they have to say." That echoed remarks by national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates the crown prince. Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said "the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups." But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonize the Saudi rulers. Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda. But members of Congress are pushing Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration this past week penalized 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but American lawmakers have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures. Turkish and Saudi authorities say Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents. Under the Trump administration, the US-Pakistan relations have been faltering since 2017, when he first publicly hit out at Islamabad for providing safe havens to 'agents of chaos' who kill Americans in Afghanistan. When it comes to Pakistan, US president Donald Trump's uncompromising approach backed by strong rhetoric is far removed from that of his predecessors, George W Bush and Barack Obama. Trump's latest jibe at Pakistan came on Sunday when he defended his administration's decision to stop military aid to the country during an interview to Fox News. Referring to Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Trump said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed Laden there in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden) lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan reacted sharply to Trump's latest tirade and said the US should find out why the Taliban has emerged stronger than before, instead of making Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its failures in Afghanistan. Under the Trump administration, US-Pakistan relations have been faltering since 2017, when he first publicly hit out at Islamabad for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" who kill Americans in Afghanistan. After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Obama, too, warned Pakistan on multiple occasions that it must shut down terrorist safe havens. "I've made it clear that even as the United States works with Pakistan to meet the threat of terrorism, safe havens within Pakistan are not acceptable and that those behind the Mumbai terrorist attack must face justice," he had said in an interview. However, Obama chose a conflicted tone for most of his tenure. In a 2009 address, Obama spoke on his strategy for an "effective partnership" with Pakistan. "We will strengthen Pakistan's capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear... Going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed," he said. As journalist Barkha Dutt noted in her article for The Washington Post, it was Obamas "contradictory framework" that let Pakistan continue with its "good-terrorist, bad-terrorist distinctions between extremist groups." Sure, the US withdrew $800 million in aid to Pakistan's military in 2011, but the suspended bit of financial support only represented 40 percent of the $2 billion overall aid. Even Bush's approach was more or less like that of Obama's. After a 2007 US intelligence report said that al-Qaeda had become entrenched in a safe haven in Pakistans tribal region near Afghanistan, he said that the assessment was "one of the most troubling". But Bush offered support for the then Pakistani president, and said he believed Pervez Musharraf was committed to fighting al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Trump, on the other hand, has gone all out to ensure that there is no room for ambiguity. At the beginning of 2018, he tweeted on similar lines as his Sunday interview. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 One of the major factors for his hardline policy on Pakistan could be his personal opposition to Pakistan's behaviour. He had voiced concerns over the "billions and billions of dollars" of military aid even when he wasn't the president. When will Pakistan apologize to us for providing safe sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden for 6 years?! Some "ally." Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2012 Get it straight: Pakistan is not our friend. Weve given them billions and billions of dollars, and what (cont) http://t.co/O5S4cQV3 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2012 Despite all the controversies and criticism, what sets Trump apart is his attempt to look beyond the bilateral relations and take the leap. What this will do to bilateral ties and peace in South Asia remains to be seen. With inputs from agencies By Stephen Kalin RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman urged the international community on Monday to halt Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and reiterated the kingdom's support for U.N. By Stephen Kalin RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman urged the international community on Monday to halt Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and reiterated the kingdom's support for U.N. efforts to end the war in Yemen. The king's annual remarks to the Shura Council, a top governmental advisory body, were his first public comments since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, which caused a global outcry. King Salman, who did not mention the Khashoggi affair, condemned the actions of Iran, its rival for influence in the region, including in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. "The Iranian regime has always intervened in the internal affairs of other countries, sponsored terrorism, created chaos and devastation in many countries in the region," the 82-year-old monarch said. "The international community has to work to put an end to the Iranian nuclear programme and stop its activities that threaten security and stability." The king said Riyadh supported U.N. efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed coalition has been battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for nearly four years to restore the internationally-recognised government. "Our standing by Yemen was not an option but a duty to support the Yemeni people in confronting the aggression of Iranian-backed militias," he said. The Houthis said on Monday they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, and indicated readiness for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition "wants peace". UNDER PRESSURE Riyadh has come under growing international criticism for its conduct of the Yemen war, which has brought the country to the brink of famine and killed many civilians in air strikes. The reputation of Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has been further battered by Khashoggi's murder. The king had largely stepped back from active political life and handed extensive authority to his son and heir apparent, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but is now trying to defuse the crisis caused by the murder and shore up the crown prince. Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler, will participate in the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of the month as part of a foreign trip, Al Arabiya television quoted the country's energy minister as saying on Monday. In his speech, King Salman said Riyadh would continue working with OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers to maintain stability in global energy markets. He reaffirmed Saudi support for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, a long-standing position thrown into question last year when the crown prince appeared to back a nascent U.S. peace plan that aligns with Israel on key issues. Later on Monday, the king travelled to the northern Tabuk region, resuming a domestic tour in the latest public outreach apparently intended to show support for his chosen heir. Last week, after offering numerous contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance, Riyadh said he had been killed and his body dismembered when "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. The public prosecutor said it would seek the death penalty for five suspects in the case. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said the order for the killing of Khashoggi came from the highest level of the Saudi leadership but probably not from King Salman, putting the spotlight instead on the 33-year-old crown prince. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested ultimate responsibility lies with the prince as de facto ruler. His administration has imposed economic and travel restrictions on a few individuals for alleged involvement, including a top aide to Prince Mohammed.. On Monday the king signalled that the crown prince remains empowered to pursue ambitious economic reforms, praising a "comprehensive developmental transformation" underway. He directed his son, sitting in the hall, "to focus on ... preparing the new generation for future jobs". King Salman also praised the Saudi judiciary and prosecution service for "performing the duties they were entrusted with", without elaborating. In addition to the Khashoggi case, the public prosecutor has participated in an anti-corruption campaign ordered by Prince Mohammed last year in which scores of princes, ministers and businessmen were arrested and the state said it recovered $100 billion in stolen assets. (Writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Stephen Kalin; Editing by Gareth Jones and Janet Lawrence) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. With Maithripala Sirisena refusing to accept two consecutive no-confidence motions, the situation remains at a deadlock. Violence erupted in Sri Lankas Parliament for two consecutive sessions, with the situation deteriorating to the point that police had to enter into the Chamber on 16 November in order for sessions to be conducted. Wednesdays session on 14 November was the first time Parliament had convened since 26 October, when President Maithripala Sirisena, in a surprise move, withdrew the Sri Lanka Freedom Party from the coalition government and called for early elections. On Thursday, 15 November, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya attempted to pass a no-confidence motion against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, who sat in the prime ministers seat. The situation swiftly devolved into a brawl, with a group of MPs loyal to Rajapaksa surrounding the Speakers podium and pelting him with several objects, including a garbage bin and a copy of the Constitution. A fight broke out with several MPs on both sides exchanging blows. A few were injured. Despite the fracas, parliamentarians shielded the speaker, who attempted to take a vote on the no-confidence motion. Being unable to take a vote by name, he took a voice vote. A memo signed by 126 MPs was subsequently handed over to Sirisena from the Speakers Office. However, Sirisena refused to accept the memo, on the basis that the motion filed did not follow proper procedure. Following a meeting with the president, a clause in the motion was deleted. Sirisena himself tweeted I urge all Parliamentarians to uphold principles of democracy parliamentary traditions at all times adding that he would not prorogue Parliament "under any circumstances". However, the session on 16 November saw unprecedented violence and contempt for parliamentary proceedings. A number of Rajapaksa loyalists stood on the Secretaries Platform, including UPFA MP Arundika Fernando, who occupied the speakers seat. They began chanting angrily, highlighting the actions of UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma, who appeared to be brandishing a knife in footage on November 14 (he later told press it was a letter opener that had been pushed into his hand in the confusion). The chanting continued for 45 minutes, and the Sergeant-at-arms was unable to enter the House to begin the session. Eventually, the Sergeant-at-arms came in through a side door, holding fast to the Mace, and surrounded by a cohort of police. Jayasuriya followed close behind. However almost immediately, the Rajapaksa loyalists began throwing objects at the group, including chairs, heavy bound books, and water laced with chilli powder. The Speakers Chair itself was toppled over. Several police officers, as well as senior UNP MP Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and JVP MP Vijitha Herath had to receive treatment in the parliament dispensary following the session. Despite the chaos, Jayasuriya once more attempted to pass the no-confidence motion from the aisle of the Chamber, being unable to approach his seat. His speech was recorded in the Hansard. Once more, the revised no-confidence motion was tabled. Vainly calling for order in order for a vote to be called, Jayasuriya called a voice-vote. Having held that the ayes have it the Speaker adjourned Parliament until 19 November. However, reports received indicate that Sirisena has once more refused to accept the motion. A memo released by Rajapaksas office laid out 12 steps that would need to be fulfilled for the motion to be passed -- an ironic twist considering that several legal experts have raised questions about the legality of Rajapaksas appointment. At present, the coalition consisting of the United National Front, the JVP and the TNA continue to hold the majority in Parliament. However, with Sirisena refusing to accept two consecutive no-confidence motions, the situation remains at a deadlock. Reaching a political compromise in the next few days will be key in order to prevent further instability and possibly, violence. An all-party meeting called by Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena failed to make any breakthrough on Sunday to end the raging political crisis set off by his controversial decision to remove Sri Lanka prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last month. Colombo: An all-party meeting called by Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena failed to make any breakthrough on Sunday to end the raging political crisis set off by his controversial decision to remove Sri Lanka prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last month. The crisis erupted when President Sirisena suddenly announced on 26 October that he had sacked Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Sri Lankan Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned President Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on 5 January. The crisis talks came after Sri Lanka's parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. The lawmakers on Friday approved a second vote of no confidence against Rajapaksa but Sirisena refused to accept it, saying his advice was not followed. Sirisena on Sunday called an all-party meeting which ended without making breakthrough, Wickremsinghe's United National Party (UNP) said. This was the first time that Sirisena, Wickremsinghe and Rajapaksa met face to face since the crisis erupted on 26 October. Wickremesinghe has maintained that his sacking by Sirisena was unconstitutional and illegal and he was still the prime minister. "We placed our cards on the table. We told Rajapaska that if the Speaker's rulings are wrong, they can move a motion to challenge it and get it passed. Response from President Sirisena was nil," Lakshman Kiriella, a senior UNP leader, said after talks which lasted for over 2 hours. "We told President we have the majority. We are in a position to present the affidavits we signed," Ajith P Perera, another UNP leader said. The JVP or the People's Liberation Front stayed away from Sunday's meeting. The party in a letter to Sirisena said that he was the creator of the crisis so he should end it. The party said it had no reason to attend the meeting. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who on Wednesday announced there is no prime minister or government following a no-confidence motion against disputed prime minister Rajapaksa, also boycotted the meeting. Sirisena and Jayasuriya are at loggerheads ever since Jayasuriya decided to summon parliament on 14 November despite Sirisena's dissolution of the assembly to hold fresh elections. The chaos on Friday in Parliament forced the Speaker Jayasuriya to summon police inside the House. Jayasuriya, using a microphone, conducted the proceedings while standing on the floor of Parliament, which for the second time passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa and his government by a voice vote. Jayasuriya first offered to take the vote by name, but was unable to do so because of the commotion and opted for a voice vote. He then adjourned the house until Monday. After the second vote against Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe demanded that his government be restored, but there has been no response from Sirisena yet. Wickremesinghe's party meanwhile asked Facebook to safeguard the identity of its supporters on the social media platform, fearing information sharing with what it calls the country's "illegal" government can lead to a crackdown against the users. In a large and complex department like the DWP, there is a risk that the attention of a new Secretary of State is quickly focussed on complex and contentious issues like sorting out Universal Credit. But pension policy is also of vital importance to millions and we urgently need a Secretary of State who gives it the attention that it deserves. A particular priority should be to drive forward the pensions dashboard, as well as making sure that there is a Pensions Bill in the next Queens Speech. That Bill should make it compulsory for pension schemes and providers to send data to a dashboard, as without compulsion the project will fail. Legislation could also be used to improve automatic enrolment, implementing previously agreed improvements such as bringing in younger workers. And DWP should tackle other unfairnesses such as the way in which some low-paid workers do not get tax relief on their pension contributions and the way that thousands of mothers are missing out on credits towards their state pension. There is much to be done in the pensions space and I hope that Amber Rudd will be make time to focus on the changes that are needed. Sri Lankan Parliament, which was convened on Monday for a third floor test against disputed prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was adjourned just ten minutes after its opening. Colombo: Political parties in Sri Lanka agreed on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs amid a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe in October. Sri Lanka's Parliament, which was convened on Monday for a third floor test against disputed prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was adjourned just ten minutes after its opening as the lawmakers could not decide on the members of the committee. The decision to form the select committee came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when President Sirisena suddenly announced on 26 October that he had sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned President Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on 5 January. When the House was convened on Monday, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the party leaders who met earlier in the day resolved that a select committee would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary business. The leaders from Wickremesinghe's United National Front, Tamil National Alliance and the JVP or the People's Liberation Front discussed the proposal by Sirisena made at the all party meeting to have a floor test by name or electronic vote for the third motion of no trust against Rajapaksa. Mano Ganesan, one of the leaders who attended the meeting, said the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA of Sirisena and Rajapaksa) "flatly refused and backtracked" on the proposal. During Monday's session, Dinesh Gunawardena on behalf of the disputed government of Rajapaksa asked the deputy speaker that since they were in the government they should have the majority in the select committee. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake argued that since the Rajapaksa government had not proved their majority the select committee should have a majority of members from the group that commands majority. Monday's session was conducted peacefully. The House was adjourned till 23 November ten minutes after its opening. Last week Sri Lanka's parliament witnessed an unprecedented violence. "On Monday, the public and VIP galleries were shut for diplomats on a request by Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The security was also tightened to prevent any incident," officials said. Last week, the apex court issued a temporary order against Sirisena's sacking of parliament with hearing of the case fixed for early December. After the temporary order, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya reconvened parliament the sittings of which had been suspended by Sirisena till 14 November. Jayasuriya's decision not to recognise Rajapaksa as the prime minister until a floor test is held has angered Sirisena. Jayasuriya, meanwhile, came down hard on those responsible for violence inside the House on 16 November. "The Speaker informed the party leaders that he had already called for a report on the ugly and illegal behaviour such as bringing in weapons to the chamber, chilli powder attacks, causing damages to public property, exchange of fisticuffs and other breaches of discipline," a statement said. The militant group confirmed that senior Taliban officials met with a 'high-ranking' US delegation in Qatar on 14, 15 and 16 November. Kabul: The Taliban held talks with US officials in Qatar on ending the Afghan conflict last week, the militants confirmed on Monday, but said no agreement was reached on "any issue". The statement comes a day after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul that a peace deal could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for 20 April next year. Khalilzad was in the Afghan capital after a second round of regional meetings with top government officials to coordinate efforts on ending the 17-year war. Senior Taliban officials met with a "high-ranking" US delegation in Qatar on 14, 15 and 16 November, the militant group said in a WhatsApp message, without mentioning Khalilzad. The Taliban has a political office in the capital Doha that serves as a de-facto embassy. "These were preliminary talks and no agreement was reached on any issue," spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. "We want to reassure our Mujahideen and Muslim nation that the representatives of the Islamic Emirate will never agree to anything that does not adhere to Islamic principles." The second Taliban-US meeting in as many months come as the militants step up attacks on beleaguered Afghan security forces, which are suffering an unprecedented level of casualties. The death toll among Afghan soldiers and police is nearing 30,000 since the start of 2015, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed this month a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged. In a recent report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) cited the NATO mission in Kabul as saying this summer's toll had been worse than ever for Afghan forces. Khalilzad told reporters on Sunday that he recognised the "complexity" of the conflict, but insisted he wanted to "make as much progress as possible as soon as possible". His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a peace deal to be done quickly. Washington is facing competition from Moscow, which this month hosted an international gathering on Afghanistan that was attended by the Taliban. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not want to listen to an audio recording of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi despite facing mounting pressure to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing. Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not want to listen to an audio recording of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi despite facing mounting pressure to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing. Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and Turkey has given the U.S. government a recording of the murder, but Trump said he would not listen to it "because its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape." "I dont want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape," Trump said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday." "I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it ... It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." Trump also said he wants to maintain a close alliance with Saudi Arabia despite Khashoggi's death and questioned the alleged role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is known as MbS and is the kingdom's de facto ruler. "He told me that he had nothing to do with it," Trump said, adding that "many people" also said the crown prince had no knowledge of the killing. The interview was taped on Friday, hours before government sources said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had briefed the Trump administration on the murder and its belief that MbS ordered it. Trump said on Saturday that the CIA assessment was "very premature" and in the interview that aired on Sunday he said it may never be possible to know who ordered Khashoggi's murder. Trump faces intense pressure from senior Democratic and Republican lawmakers to take tougher action against Saudi Arabia. Some have said Trump should suspend arms sales to the kingdom and drop his support for MbS, but Trump has so far resisted that pressure. The administration on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but they did not target the Saudi government. Saudi Arabia is a major oil supplier and a close ally of the United States in countering Iranian power in the Middle East. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said on Sunday he had no doubt about MbS' involvement in ordering the murder of Khashoggi. "They are an important ally but when it comes to the crown prince, he's irrational, he's unhinged and I think he's done a lot of damage to the relationship (between) the United States and Saudi Arabia. And I have no intention of working with him ever again," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials should issue a public report on the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a senior Democratic U.S. By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials should issue a public report on the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a senior Democratic U.S. Senator said on Monday, following published reports the CIA believed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had personally ordered the murder. The reported finding was the most definitive link made yet to the de facto Saudi ruler's direct involvement and contradicts Saudi government assertions that he was not. Senate intelligence committee member Ron Wyden, in a statement to Reuters, called on U.S. spy chiefs to "come out and provide the American people and the Congress with a public assessment of who ordered the killing." Khashoggi, a U.S.-based Washington Post columnist who was a critic of the Saudi government, was murdered on Oct. 2 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he went to collect documents needed for a planned marriage. After offering contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance, Riyadh said last week that Khashoggi was killed and his body dismembered when "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. The public prosecutor said it would seek the death penalty for five suspects. The case has complicated U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to preserve ties with an important U.S. ally in the region and his support for the crown prince. Trump said on Sunday he does not want to listen to an audio recording of Khashoggi's murder, despite pressure to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing. Trump said in a "Fox News Sunday" interview that he would not listen to the recording "because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape ... I dont want to hear the tape." The CIA, relying mainly on circumstantial evidence and its experts' conclusion that the crown prince tightly controlled Saudi government actions, last week briefed Congress on its assessment that the prince ordered Khashoggi's assassination, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The briefing to Congress was the foundation for a flood of media leaks reporting that the agency had concluded that the crown prince ordered the murder. But Congress was not presented with a written agency report saying this, one source said. The CIA assessment is backed by the firing last week by the Saudi government of two top Saudi security officials, both of whom U.S. officials believe were implicated in the murder. Turkish authorities have leaked details of what they said were audio recordings of Khashoggi's murder inside the consulate. Some U.S. officials, including CIA Director Gina Haspel, have been given access to the recordings, the sources said. Officials have said the Trump administration may issue a more formal statement on Tuesday about what U.S. agencies know about Khashoggi's killing and who was behind it. Meanwhile, despite the global outcry over the murder, the crown prince plans to participate in a G20 summit in Argentina at the end of November. Al Arabiya television quoted Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih as saying it was part of a foreign trip. At the United Nations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu did not request a U.N. inquiry into Khashoggi's death when he met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a U.N. spokesman said, though they did discuss the case. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball, Lisa Lambert in Washington; additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Aziz El Yaakoubi DUBAI (Reuters) - Houthi rebels in Yemen said on Monday they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. The Iranian-aligned group, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years, also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition 'wants peace'. The Houthis' decision to halt missile attacks could be a turning point in peace efforts as it ends a direct threat to Saudi Arabia. By Aziz El Yaakoubi DUBAI (Reuters) - Houthi rebels in Yemen said on Monday they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. The Iranian-aligned group, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years, also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition "wants peace". The Houthis' decision to halt missile attacks could be a turning point in peace efforts as it ends a direct threat to Saudi Arabia. It is by far the biggest concession from the movement since it left the southern port city of Aden in 2015. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemen's main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. The decision was based on discussions with U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths to show "good faith" and support peace efforts, he said. Griffiths welcomed the Houthi announcement and urged all parties to continue to show restraint "to create a conducive environment for convening the consultations". The envoy is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks in Sweden before the end of the year to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. Yemen's parties have given "firm assurances" they are committed to attending peace talks, Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council on Friday. On Monday, the Security Council began considering a British-drafted resolution that aims to improve the humanitarian situation. It calls for a halt to fighting in Hodeidah, a stop to attacks on populated areas across Yemen and an end to attacks on countries in the region. The draft, seen by Reuters, also calls for an unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian goods across the country, including lifting of any bureaucratic impediments within two weeks, a large, fast injection of foreign currency into the economy through the Central Bank of Yemen and more aid funding. It was not immediately clear when the text could be put to a vote. To pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France. TIRED OF WAR Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Monday reiterated the kingdom's support for U.N. peace efforts. The Riyadh-backed government also announced its willingness to take part in the next round of consultations. Yemenis cautiously welcomed the announcement on Monday. "We pray that this will be the real beginning of peace in Yemen, we are all tired of this war," said Mona Ibrahim, a teacher in the capital Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since September 2014. "We just want to live like other humans," Mohammed al-Ahdal, a resident of Hodeidah said. The Houthi defence ministry said it would respond to any hostilities from the coalition. Graham Griffiths, a senior analyst at Control Risks Middle East, said the announcement was potentially important as it comes in response to the coalition's pausing of Hodeidah operations. "Efforts to resume the peace process remain fragile ... given the mutual distrust between the warring parties. Nevertheless, given the renewed pressure from the international community, there is a real chance to begin to move the conflict toward a durable de-escalation," he said. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on Monday that Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile on Saudi-backed forces in the desert of Midi, bordering Saudi Arabia. It was not immediately clear when the attack happened. An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition targeted the Sahar district of the northwestern city of Saada on Monday, injuring several people, residents and Al Masirah TV said. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids by the alliance, which entered Yemen's war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. Western allies including the United States have called for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed U.N. efforts. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Hesham Hajali in Cairo, Asma Alsharif in Dubai and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Angus MacSwan, David Gregorio and Andrew Heavens) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Even though Microsoft fixed the data loss issue and resumed the Windows 10 October update, few users are reporting iCloud for Windows compatibility issues. As reported, the latest version of Windows 10 is incompatible with the latest version of iCloud. However, Microsoft and Apple are said to be working together to resolve the issues. After the Windows 10 October 2018 update, when users attempt to install the latest version of iCloud, version 7.7.0.27, theyre presented with an error message which reads requires Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 (April 2018 Update) and earlier. For those users who already had the app installed prior to the latest Windows 10 update, there are numerous issues with Photos syncing and other features. In a post on its support webpage, Microsoft says it is blocking users from installing the Windows 10 October 2018 build who already have the iCloud app. Additionally, Microsoft says it is working with Apple to provide a compatible version of iCloud for users. Apple has identified an incompatibility with iCloud for Windows (version 7.7.0.27) where users may experience issues updating or synching Shared Albums after updating to Windows 10, version 1809. Users who attempt to install the app (version 7.7.0.27) on Windows 10, version 1809 will see a message stating that this version of iCloud for Windows isnt supported, and the installation will fail. To ensure a seamless experience, Microsoft is blocking devices with iCloud for Windows (version 7.7.0.27) software installed from being offered Window 10, version 1809 until this issue has been resolved. Source | Via The avoidance of alcohol is fast becoming the norm for a growing minority of global consumers. While this trend is evidenced across all age groups, it is most apparent... Read More TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The chaotic images out of Floridas election recount last week the brigade of Washington lawyers, the deja vu meltdown of the tallying in Broward County, the vitriolic charges and countercharges have prompted flashbacks among the electorate of the 2000 presidential election. Yet to the combatants in both parties fighting over impossibly tight races for governor and senate, the 2018 election was less about revisiting past political traumas than about setting the stage for the bitter 2020 campaign ahead. The legal and political skirmishing in the state, Republicans and Democrats say, has been an ominous dry run for messaging and tactics about fraud and vote-stealing that threaten to further undermine confidence in the electoral system. Florida emerged from the 2018 midterms with a fortified reputation as the nations most competitive battleground, a state whose political culture most closely reflects the slashing political style of its adopted son, President Trump with candidates focused on energizing voters with visceral, at times over-the-top, messages. That approach is not a good long-term strategy for the party or for the country, said Miami-area Representative Carlos Curbelo, one of two Republican House members in Florida to lose their seats to Democrats. A lot of Republicans are happy because we had successful statewide candidates, but those races were very, very close, and we lost some races too, especially in South Florida, said Mr. Curbelo, 38, who bucked his party by adopting moderate positions on environmental issues and immigration. As for 2020, Im really worried that it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It was only this weekend, almost two weeks after the election, that Floridas two biggest races were determined, with Senator Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent, conceding to Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday, and Andrew Gillum conceding the governors race to his G.O.P. rival, Ron DeSantis, the day before. In the interim, Democrats pursued numerous lawsuits challenging the vote-counting process in the Senate race though Mr. Nelsons odds of overtaking Mr. Scott were always fairly low while Republicans lobbed unfounded accusations of voter fraud at the Democrats. The bickering focused even greater scrutiny on an American election system that is straining under human and mechanical error. The acrimony in Florida followed a contentious, weekslong fight over voter suppression in Georgia, where the Republican secretary of state was overseeing a governors race in which he was also a participant. Those battles may foreshadow what 2020 will look like in other closely contested states, especially ones with increasingly diverse populations where conservative-dominated legislatures have tried to put more restrictions on voting while stoking paranoia over stolen elections. If whats going on now is transposed to a presidential election, it would tax our system in a way that is much greater than what happened in 2000, said Edward Foley, a professor of election law at Ohio State University and one of the countrys pre-eminent scholars on recounts. As much as there was fighting in 2000, the rhetoric did not get as caustic as what weve seen in Florida this year the allegations of stealing and rigging. Some longtime battlegrounds, like Indiana, Ohio and Missouri, have mostly tilted to Republicans. Others, especially states in the upper Midwest, are more elastic, veering from party to party depending on the political climate; this year, Democrats made significant gains there. Florida, by contrast, remains mired in a bitter partisan trench warfare with few last-minute undecided voters open to persuasion , which encourages the use of ever more potent political artillery during the campaign and bitter fights over the counting of votes after the election. That was exacerbated this year by the razor-thin margins for Mr. Scott, who defeated Mr. Nelson by just 10,033 votes or 0.12 percent and Mr. DeSantis, who beat Mr. Gillum by some 34,000 votes. As the recount proceeded Mr. Scott was exhorting Mr. Trump to post bombastic tweets in an attempt to force Mr. Nelson into conceding, according to Republicans with knowledge of the exchange. In a lot of other states, including Texas, you see a big crossover vote, but in Florida its all about intensity, so its basically all combat, all the time, said Jeff Roe, who worked on an independent expenditure campaign that supported Mr. DeSantiss run for governor. Everybody just straps on their jerseys, tightens their chin straps, and they just run over each other, he said. Thats going to be even more intense next time because this is basically Donald Trumps home state, and he hovers over everything in Florida. Volunteers looked at ballots during a hand recount at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday. Credit Saul Martinez/Getty Images Image Volunteers looked at ballots during a hand recount at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday. Credit Saul Martinez/Getty Images Mr. Trump, who made baseless claims of voter fraud after Hillary Clinton surpassed him in the 2016 popular vote, has led the way in denigrating the proceedings in Florida. He tweeted that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere and that an honest vote count is no longer possible ballots massively infected. Mr. Trump also said last week that people in Florida were disguising themselves so they could vote multiple times. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again, the president said. He offered no support for his account other than to say he had heard friends talk about it; whether he was serious or simply being mischievous, it served the purpose of further clouding the votes legitimacy. Al Cardenas, who served in Floridas Republican Party during former Governor Jeb Bushs terms in office, said he was struck in particular by Mr. Rubios willingness to fully engage in the fight over the recount. In the days following the race, Mr. Rubio said that Democrats were sending lawyers to Florida to steal the election. I dont remember Marco using this tone before, I dont know what triggered him, Mr. Cardenas said. He was fairly quiet for the election, but now hes revved up his rhetoric to seventh gear. Mr. Rubios tone softened on Sunday. He praised Mr. Nelson on Twitter for serving in the Senate with a decency & dignity that is increasingly rare in politics. Equally striking is how aggressive Democrats have been in Florida and other states with exceedingly close races. National Democratic Party figures, like Hillary Clinton and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a likely 2020 contender, have helped the party solicit money to pay for the legal battle in Florida. A number of Democrats have also started to question the legitimacy of the electoral process in much starker terms. In addition to raising the usual questions about voter suppression and sinister motives by G.O.P. lawmakers, Democrats are flipping the script and using Republicans tactics against them. Mr. Booker said last week that the governors race in Georgia was being stolen from Stacey Abrams, an African-American, by Brian Kemp, who as secretary of state pushed for the kind of strict proof-of-identity voting requirements that Democrats say are intended to disproportionately impact poorer and minority voters. Ms. Abrams, trailing Mr. Kemp in the vote count 10 days after the election, said on Friday she was ending her bid for governor. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio made the same claim , albeit more bluntly. If Stacey Abrams doesnt win in Georgia, they stole it. Its clear. Its clear, he said. He further accused Republicans of rigging elections because theres way more of us than there are them. suggesting that Mr. Kemps purge of voter rolls was intended to boost his chances of winning. As Mr. Nelson and Mr. Gillum ended their campaigns over the weekend, Democrats began regrouping and assessing lessons learned and began fretting, yet again, that they had failed to match the Republicans intensity. While most Democratic campaigns came close to hitting their turnout targets, fired-up Republicans did better, narrowly prevailing in the two marquee races despite having 257,000 fewer registered voters statewide. Democrats hope that dynamic will change in 2020, thanks in part to passage of a statewide referendum restoring voting rights to an estimated 1.4 million people with felony convictions . But they are haunted by the specter of past defeats. During the 2000 recount, Al Gore was criticized for not fighting with the same hardnose tactics as Republicans, who employed an aggressive political and public relations component to accompany their legal efforts. But not all Democrats think that borrowing the Republicans rhetoric is sound strategy. Its not constructive at all, and its just appealing to our base, said Ed Rendell, the former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania who advised Mr. Gores campaign in 2000. Its destructive to the process. Other Democrats insist that they are simply adjusting to the new reality. In a better world, when they go low we go high, said Philippe Reines, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee at the time of the 2000 recount, and a longtime aide to Mrs. Clinton. In the world were living in, its hell no, were not giving up that seat without a fight. Nov. 19, 2018 , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Vitriol Over Vote-Stealing Charges Sets a Troubling Tone for 2020 Order Reprints | Todays Paper | Subscribe A version of this article appears in print on, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Vitriol Over Vote-Stealing Charges Sets a Troubling Tone for 2020 The increasingly sharp tone evident in accusations of widespread fraud at the polls by Mr. Scott; the states Republican senator, Marco Rubio; and President Trump himself has created running room for politicians to act in an ends-justify-the-means way, strategists and political historians said. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Google Files rewards program You can be an existing or new user of Google Files to get the rewards using the app. You will get the reward for sharing files offline for the first time when you sign in to your Google account. You should also have a Google Pay account to earn the rewards. You can get up to nine additional rewards if you share files with users who haven't received any reward for sharing files under this program. According to the Google support page, the offer is valid only until November 20, so hurry up to get the rewards. Eligibility to earn rewards To know that you are eligible to earn the rewards using the Google Files app, you should be an Android user. And, you should have the Google Pay app installed in your phone. We at Gizbot have tried our hands at this reward program and have received multiple rewards. How to earn rewards using Files Go Firstly, install and open the Google Files app on your phone. And, tap on the share tab at the bottom right corner. Now, it will ask you to link your Google account that is linked to Google Pay to get the reward points credited. Then just open the Settings of the app and start transferring the files. You can check the rewards after the file transfer from the menu at the right. Then click on Claim with GPay to know how much you have earned as the reward for file transfer. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 to feature 6.66-inch display with 4K resolution News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is given a code name "DaVinci" and the device will be backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 Mobile Platform. Samsung has created a lot of hype recently with its first foldable smartphone, i.e, the Galaxy F. Samsung had revealed some information related to the Galaxy F at its Developer Conference which was held in San Francisco. While the masses have been waiting eagerly for the company's foldable phone, the company's flagship offering Galaxy S10 is also not left behind. We already have seen numerous leaks over the web which suggests what the upcoming Samsung flagship will offer in terms of specifications and features. This time, it's the Galaxy Note 10 which has been suggested by the rumor mill. We all have been a fan of the Samsung displays and it is no doubt that the company has the best display to offer in the market. It appears that the company's next flagship, the Galaxy Note 10, will also offer an impressive display. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has one of the biggest displays which the company has to offer in a smartphone. With a 6.4-inch tall display, the Galaxy Note 9 is a visual treat. Now, the Galaxy Note 10 is expected to feature a bigger 6.66-inch 4K resolution display. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is given a code name "DaVinci" and the device will be backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 Mobile Platform, cites a report from PhoneArena. The report further suggests that the device will be 5G enabled and sport a triple rear camera setup. It is being said that the device will be available for the masses by the mid of next year. With a 4K resolution big 6.66-inch display we expect that the smartphone will be best suited for media consumption. Even though the Galaxy Note 10's 6.66-inch display sounds considerably big it still is a bit smaller as compared to the Galaxy F foldable phone, which touts a 7.3-inch display when unfolded. It would be interesting to see how well the audience receives the upcoming Samsung flagship devices. We will keep you posted with the further information on Galaxy Note 10 and other upcoming smartphones, so stay tuned with us. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications 195th ISRG provides intelligence support for Camp and Woolsey Fires By Airman 1st Class Tristan D. Viglianco, 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs / Published November 18, 2018 BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Air National Guardsmen from the 195th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group have been aerial imagery support to agencies battling fires in California since Nov. 8, at Beale Air Force Base. The 195th ISRG team, known as a processing, assessment and distribution (PAD) cell, have continued their support since their activation last week by Gov. Jerry Brown. The Airmen analyzing video and other intelligence collected on the Camp and Woolsey Fires. "We are using imagery analysts to look at full motion video coming from medium altitude assets supporting the fire," said Tech. Sgt. Roy Davis, 234th Intelligence Squadron intelligence analyst. "Our analysts are looking at that and doing damage assessment. They are also doing fire perimeter support, so ground agencies have an idea of how big the fire is, where it is at, and whether or not is breaching." According to Davis, there are also fusion analysts going through other forms of intelligence, including social media, online data, and info collected by responding agencies. All of this isn't possible without the help of communication troops in their units and in other cooperating agencies. "We give comm support, whether it is maintaining the internet network, fixing technical issues, or installing software on the computers," said Staff Sgt. Olivia McCray, 222nd Intelligence Support Squadron communication support. "We are also out in the field doing the same thing so the pilots can communicate to the different platforms." The team of analysts are working with a variety of local and national civilian and military agencies, including the Army National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, CAL FIRE, and California Office of Emergency Services. "It is not just the state of California using its agencies," Davis said. "It is really a national effort at this point." According to CAL FIRE, the Woolsey Fire has killed 3 people, destroyed approximately 500 structures, and is 57 percent contained. The Camp Fire has killed 56 people, destroyed approximately 9,000 structures, and is 40 percent contained. The Camp Fire is now the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. "There has been so much loss and with that an element of emotions," Davis said. "As guard members we are civilians most of the month, but to be able to step into a full-time function and know we are supporting people who are members of our community is a humbling experience." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dunford Reiterates that Reconciliation is Only Viable Path in Afghanistan Nov. 18, 2018 By Jim Garamone Defense.gov HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford reiterated yesterday that reconciliation is the only way forward in Afghanistan and that political, economic, religious and military pressure must be maintained on the group. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized to Yalda Hakim, a foreign correspondent of BBC World News, that there is no military solution in Afghanistan and that the struggle in that country will require all aspects of government. The chairman was participating in a Halifax Chat as part of the 10th annual International Security Forum here. "Success in Afghanistan is an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation process," Dunford said. "That requires us to have political pressure, social pressure and military pressure. In the military dimension, our task is to make sure the Taliban realize that they cannot win on the battlefield." NATO and partner nations are working closely with Afghan national security forces to keep the pressure on the Taliban. At the same time, other agencies are working to improve economic conditions in the country. In addition, Islamic organizations are working to encourage the Taliban to talk with and ultimately join the Afghan government. Religious leaders in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Pakistan have issued fatwas calling on the Taliban to lay down their weapons and talk peace, Dunford said. Part of the pressure was the recent elections in Afghanistan. "The elections that just took place, [were] largely successful and less violent, certainly, than people predicted," he said. "And I think political transition in 2019 will also be critical in putting pressure on the Taliban." All this will combine to convince Taliban leaders that their future lies with reconciliation, the general said. "But the key to success is to combine all of that pressure to incentivize the Taliban for, again, that Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation process," he said. Undergirding everything in Afghanistan is the South Asia Strategy. A key provision in that is its conditions-based approach. The Afghan government and Afghan people know that the world is with them in trying to move through this constant state of war. "And I would also say that the decision by NATO and partner nations to support the Afghan national defense security forces through 2024 absolutely affects the Taliban's calculus," Dunford said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address APEC leaders fail to reach consensus at end of summit Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:51AM Leaders of countries forming the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have for the first time in the body's history failed to issue a formal declaration at the end of their annual summit, a Chinese official says. Zhang Xiaolong, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Sunday that the leaders, attending a meeting of the APEC in Papua New Guinea (PNG), had failed to bridge divisions and to issue the traditional communique at the end of the regional forum. "The leaders agreed that instead of a traditional leaders' declaration, they would leave it to the hands of PNG as the chair to issue a chair statement on behalf of all the members," Zhang said. PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato said in an interview with Reuters that "conflicting visions" for the region had made it difficult to draft the summit communique. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also admitted there had been "different visions on particular elements with regard to trade that prevented full consensus on a communique document." The annual gathering of 21 APEC leaders was overshadowed by a war of words between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice President Mike Pence. The United States and its allies launched a coordinated response to China's Belt and Road Initiative, with Pence accusing Beijing of seducing smaller countries with the massive infrastructure program and offering them money for construction and development projects. Pence labeled the money as "opaque" loans that came with strings attached and built up "staggering debt," mocking the initiative as a "constricting belt" and a "one-way road." Pence urged the developing nations instead to stick with the United States, claiming that Washington would not drown its partners in a "sea of debt," or "coerce, corrupt or compromise their independence." The US vice president also touched on the US-China trade dispute, saying that Washington would not change course on tariffs until Beijing "changes its ways." Xi, for his part, insisted that the program was not a "trap" and there was no "hidden agenda." The Chinese president also lashed out at the "America First" attitude adopted by the US administration, saying the policy was a "short-sighted approach" that was "doomed to failure." In reaction to Pence's remarks, China's Foreign Ministry also said on Sunday that no developing country would fall into a debt trap simply because of its cooperation with Beijing. Critics have voiced concern about the growing US intervention in the region, amid fears that a trade war initiated by America against China could cripple the Pacific Rim economy. The US and China have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other's goods over the past few months. Washington has imposed tariffs on 250 billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods and China has responded with retaliatory duties on 110 billion dollars in US goods. US demands from China include sweeping changes in bilateral trade, technology transfer, and industrial subsidy policies. Beijing insists that Washington must pursue the mutual interests of the US and China in trade talks between them. Trade talks between the two countries in September concluded without reaching a breakthrough. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US warns of 'consequences' as Palestine joins international bodies Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 08:03AM The United States has threatened "consequences" as Palestinians step up efforts for statehood demanding accession to almost a dozen international bodies and conventions. The threat came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed the documents on Thursday to join the Universal Postal Union, a UN agency that coordinates international postage, and 10 international protocols and conventions. The move infuriated the US, Israel's staunch ally, with a State Department official claiming that the Palestinian efforts to join international institutions were "premature" and "counterproductive." "We are currently reviewing possible consequences of the Palestinians' recent actions," the official said in a statement published by the Times of Israel on Sunday. In November 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded Palestine's status from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state" despite strong opposition from Israel. Since then, the Palestinians have joined dozens of international or organizations and agreements, among them the International Criminal Court, as part of a campaign to garner support for the recognition of their homeland as a sovereign state. Washington has asked the Palestinians not to join international agencies, citing laws dating to the early 1990s that require the US government to cut off funding to any UN organization that grants the Palestinians full membership. Abbas, however, said a Palestinian agreement with the US not to join international bodies was conditioned on the US not ending aid payments, not moving its embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds and not changing the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization mission in Washington. The US withdrew some funding for UNESCO after the Palestinians joined the cultural and education organization back in 2011. It also pulled out of the agency altogether in 2017. Most recently, Washington cut funds to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. The US-Palestine ties deteriorated last December when President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel. The American embassy was also relocated from Tel Aviv to the ancient city in May, sparking angry reactions from Palestinians and severe criticism from the international community. At that time, Abbas formally declared that Palestinians would no longer accept the US as a mediator to resolve the conflict because Washington was "completely biased" towards Tel Aviv. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former militia leader from CAR arrives at ICC for trial Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 06:52AM A former militia leader from the Central African Republic (CAR), nicknamed "Colonel Rambo," has arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague to stand trial. Alfred Yekatom, 43, was transferred to the ICC detention center in the Dutch city on Saturday and will later stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. "The suspect arrived in the detention center," said ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah. The former army officer, who became a lawmaker elected to parliament in 2016, is accused of ordering some 3,000 anti-Balaka Christian forces under his command which included child soldiers to carry out deadly attacks against Seleka Muslims between December 2013 and August 2014 in the capital, Bangui, and other locations. "Now, he must answer in court for his actions," the court's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement. Bensouda thanked those who came forth to launch and build the case against Yekatom, saying "justice would not be possible" without them. He acknowledged the sufferings of the victims and their families, saying the court would hold the former militia commander responsible. "We cannot undo the suffering that has been inflicted on victims, but we remain committed to doing our part... to advance justice and accountability in the Central African Republic," Bensouda said. Drissa Traore, a vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights said the move "confirms the authorities' commitment to cooperate with the ICC when they are unable to pursue those most responsible for war crimes." The Central African Republic plunged into violent chaos in March 2003, when General Francois Bozize overthrew former President Ange-Felix Patasse in a coup. Sectarian violence has been a main feature of that chaos. The government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, which gained power in March 2016, has managed to contain the violence and restore peace in the former French colony. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address All US military services fail first-ever audit of Pentagon Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 03:09AM All US military services have failed the first-ever audit of the country's massive defense department, referred to by its officials as "the $2.7 trillion enterprise," highlighting widespread problems in its cyber-security. In a Friday statement on the audit, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the audit identified "multiple material weaknesses" across the department but also provided "invaluable information that will help us target and prioritize corrective actions." He did not, however, elaborate on the nature of the detected flaws. The first-ever audit of the of the $2.7 trillion enterprise that is the Defense Department identified widespread problems in cybersecurity, but found little in the way of savings that could offset potential budget cuts next year, according to Pentagon and Congressional officials. Pentagon's comptroller David Norquist, who has played a key role in the audit, said after the report release that although no glaring instances of fraud were detected in the US military establishment, its Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Special Operations and the Transportation Command all received failing grades. "We didn't pass. That's the blunt and bottom line. We have issues and we're going to fix them," Norquist added without providing further details, only noting that failing marks were expected in a first-time audit. "If you're not fixing it, the auditors will come back in exactly a year and find you didn't fix it," Norquist said prior to the report's release on Thursday. "And they're going to come the next year, and the next year until you fix it, so each year I'll be able to tell you how many findings we closed." One of the "material weaknesses," as Mattis put it, was in the area of cyber-security throughout the department, Norquist further emphasized, adding: "Our single largest number of findings is IT security around our businesses and it reflects the challenges that the department faces in IT security." He said Pentagon had to do a better job of "monitoring sensitive users, people who have special authorities, making sure there is careful monitoring to that." A 1990 federal law mandated that US government agencies be audited, but the Pentagon had not faced a comprehensive audit until this one was launched in December. This is while Mattis has been pushing Pentagon managers to find efficiencies and savings on contracts and operations to fund improvements in the lethality and readiness of US military forces, and also to guard against potential budget cuts in the new Congress. Meanwhile, outgoing Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas issued a statement on the audit, warning against using the audit as an excuse to cut military funding. The lawmaker further stressed that the audit should be used to make the military "more efficient and agile," and "it should not be used as an excuse for arbitrary cuts that reverse the progress we have begun on rebuilding our strength and readiness." The development coincided with another report by a US Congress-mandated panel of bipartisan experts, warning that the United States runs the risk of losing a military confrontation with China or Russia. The 12-member commission of experts was led by former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman and former chief of naval operations, retired Adm. Gary Roughead. The panel was mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 for conducting an independent, nonpartisan review of the 2018 National Defense Strategy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address APEC Leaders Recognize 'Growing Tensions,' Fail To Agree On Summit Communique By RFE/RL November 18, 2018 Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Papua New Guinea this weekend have been unable to agree on the final communique of a summit overshadowed by trade disputes between the United States and China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the standoff on November 18, saying the 21 countries in APEC could not agree on the joint communique amid differences over trade policies. Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said at the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Port Moresby on November 18 that APEC leaders had "fruitful discussions and exchanged frank views" while recognizing "growing tensions" between trading countries around the world. O'Neill told reporters that "the entire world is worried" about tensions between China and the United States over trade. The Associated Press reports that a rejected U.S. draft version of a summit communique included language criticizing China for "unfair" trade policies. The deadlock at the summit came a day after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traded accusations with Chinese President Xi Jinping over tit-for tat tariffs imposed by their countries. Pence said Washington was prepared to "more than double" U.S. tariffs already imposed on goods from China and vowed that Washington "will not change course until China changes its way." U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods worth billions of dollars, saying its tariffs are in response to China's "unfair" trade policies. China has retaliated by imposing tariffs of its own on U.S. goods and by accusing Trump of launching a trade war. Xi told the summit on November 17: "History has shown that confrontation -- whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war, or a trade war will produce no winners." Pence responded later on November 17 by accusing Beijing of intellectual property theft, providing huge subsidies for state businesses, and imposing "tremendous" barriers to foreign companies trying to enter the Chinese market. Pence also criticized China's global infrastructure drive, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, saying many of the projects are of low quality and will burden developing countries with loans they can't afford. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying on November 18 rejected Pence's criticism, saying "no developing country will fall into debt difficulties because of cooperation with China." Pence told reporters that he'd had two "candid" conversations during the summit with Xi, who was expected to meet Trump at a Group of 20 summit at the end of November in Buenos Aires. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/apec-leaders- recognize-growing-tensions-fail-to-agree-on -summit-communique/29607000.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moldovan Socialists Kick Off Election Campaign With Chisinau Rally By RFE/RL's Moldovan Service November 18, 2018 CHISINAU -- Thousands of people carrying red flags have marched in the streets of the Moldovan capital in support of the main pro-Russian opposition Socialist Party, ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Under the slogan "Our time is coming," the participants gathered on November 18 in Chisinau's Great National Assembly Square to cheer the kickoff to the party's campaign for the elections set for February 24. An Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union came into force in 2016, but the Socialists favor the country joining the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. The Chisinau rally was attended by President Igor Dodon, who led the Socialist Party before being elected to his post in November 2016. Dodon has expressed confidence that the Socialists will win the upcoming polls, which will take place under a mixed electoral system introduced in 2017 despite mass protests in Chisinau and criticism from the EU and the United States. The system provides for half of the lawmakers to be elected on party lists and another half in individual constituencies. Critics say the electoral changes favor the country's two largest political parties -- the Socialists and the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party. However, supporters say the changes will make politicians more accountable. Moldova has had three governments since 2015, after the disappearance of $1 billion from the banking system sent the country into a political and economic crisis. On November 14, the European Parliament passed a resolution highly critical of Moldova, saying it had become a "state captured by oligarchic interests" that exert their influence over most part of Moldovan society. The European Commission later announced it was cutting its financial assistance to Moldova by 20 million euros ($22.7 million) per year for both 2017 and 2018. The financial assistance earmarked by the EU for the two years amounted initially to a total of 140 million euros ($158 million). With reporting by Balkan Insight Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-socialists -kick-off-election-campaign-dodon -chisinau-rally/29607283.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Return to 1956 Declaration Doesn't Entail Transfer of Kurils to Japan Kremlin Sputnik News 19:58 18.11.2018(updated 20:32 18.11.2018) KHABAROVSK (Sputnik) - The return of Russia and Japan to the 1956 joint declaration on negotiations on a peace treaty does not mean an automatic transfer of Kuril Islands to the Japanese side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday. "It's difficult to negotiate without some kind of base. Therefore, both leaders decided to take the 1956 declaration as the basis. Can we say that this means an automatic transfer of some territories? Absolutely not. Actually, president Putin said that when answering journalists' questions," Peskov said. He refuted rumours about some kind of already concluded separate deal about the transfer of the islands. "It is not so, and it cannot be so," he assured. According to Peskov, the parties can reach a compromise on the issue. "But this is a compromise that will not conflict with the national interests of any of the parties," the spokesman stressed. Russia will take into account Tokyo's allied commitments to the United States when negotiating a peace treaty with Japan, Peskov noted. "Russia has been taught by a bitter experience in its relations with NATO. Recall [USSR President] Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, Germany, the US. Recall the creeping expansion of NATO, including military infrastructure, toward our borders, which continues to this day. Having such rich experience, Russia cannot help taking into account the allied relations of Japan with other countries, primarily with the United States," he said. The peace treaty issue can be resolved, despite all the difficulties, which is confirmed by the experience of negotiations on territorial issues with China, Peskov noted. "This issue can be resolved. Such complex issues may still be resolved, and this showed, for example, the experience of negotiations on territorial issues with China. Putin repeatedly gives this example, he constantly appeals to negotiations that have been ongoing for several decades," he said. In October 2004, the Supplementary Agreement on the eastern part of Russian-Chinese state border was signed in Beijing, which stipulated voluntary transfer of the island of Tarabarov and part of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island to China. In 2008, by signing a protocol-description defining the border line along the Amur River, the border problem between Russia and China was finally closed. Tarabarov Island was named Yinlong, "silver dragon" in Chinese, the western part of Bolshoy Ussuriysky is now called Heixiazi, "black bear." The agreement with Japan is important for Russia because it will open up broad opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, Kremlin spokesman stressed. "Japan is an important partner, despite a consistent approach to intensifying relations with our country, but for Japan, the absence of a peace treaty is a kind of restraint, and we cannot fully use the full potential of our bilateral relations," Peskov said. He noted that Japan supported sanctions against Russia, adding that this question "cannot remain unresolved during the negotiations." The islands dispute has been souring bilateral relations for decades and serves as the main stumbling rock to signing a permanent peace treaty after the end of World War II. Both countries claim a group of four islands Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai referred to as the Southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan. In 1956, the two sides signed a Joint Declaration that provided for the restoration of bilateral relations after the war and stipulated that Japan and the Soviet Union would continue to make efforts toward signing a permanent peace treaty and toward settling the island dispute. The Soviet Union also pledged to consider handing over the islands of Habomai and Shikotan to Japan. Some progress was made when Putin visited Japan in December 2016, and Moscow and Tokyo agreed to work on joint projects on the islands in the fields of seafood cultivation, tourism, agriculture, energy and hard waste disposal and facilitate movement between the Kurils and Japan. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Needs Army to Protect Common European Interests German Defence Minister Sputnik News 16:59 18.11.2018(updated 17:01 18.11.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) The European Union needs its own army in order to expand the bloc's opportunities to protect the common European interests in case of crisis situations, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said. "The European army, which protects the population of the European community, needs not only well-equipped military personnel, who conduct joint exercises but also the political will to resolutely defend European interests if a crisis arises," the German defence minister said. Von der Leyen told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper that the decision-making system in the possible future EU army must ensure the bloc's ability to "quickly act in case of possible anti-crisis military operations." NATO would always play a crucial role in ensuring European security, according to Von der Leyen. On November 6, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the European Union should have a "real European army" independent of the United States to be able to defend itself. In addition, he noted that the bloc must defend itself against China, Russia and even the United States. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also supported the idea of creating a European army while US President Donald Trump criticized the concept. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belgium Reportedly Plans to Create All-Female Special Forces Unit Sputnik News 15:49 18.11.2018 Since 1975, Belgian women have been serving in the army in peacetime previously, they could only serve during mobilisation. 43 years after women were allowed to join the Belgian army in peacetime, the proportion of female soldiers is still very small, but the Belgian Defence Ministry plans to create an all-female Special Forces unit by the end of 2019 or early 2020, the RTBF radio broadcaster reported, citing the ministry. According to the ministry's data, obtained by the RTBF, women account for only 7.8 percent of about 27,000 active personnel in the Belgian army, with the majority of them serving in the ground (863 members) and air forces (601 members). At the same time, the broadcaster suggested that a larger proportion of women had been promoted to officer ranks, with female soldiers accounting for 13.9 percent of all officers in the nation's army. For instance, Major-General Lutgart Claes, one of the first women in the nation's army became the head of the Royal Military Academy in May 2017. It was only in 1975 that Belgian women were allowed to join the army in peacetime. In 1992, the country decided to suspend mandatory conscription, eventually switching to an army of professional volunteers. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Australia to Develop Joint Pacific Naval Base to Counter Chinese Influence Sputnik News 13:22 18.11.2018(updated 13:24 18.11.2018) The US will join Australia in the redevelopment of a naval base in Papua New Guinea, countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The partnership was announced by US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Bloomberg reported. "We will work with these two nations to protect the sovereignty and maritime rights in the Pacific Islands," Pence said, addressing regional leaders and business executives. "With our renewed commitment to development financing, we've made infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific a top priority from roads to railways, ports to pipelines, airports to data-lines. And the United States has a principled approach that stands in stark contrast to other nations." Pence added. Pence's remarks came right after Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech, where he noted that confrontation "whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, will produce no winners." The US and Australia will jointly develop the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island in an effort to counter growing Chinese strategic influence. In recent years, China has been investing in the region, issuing loans and launching infrastructure projects in several nations in the Pacific as a part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, which has traditionally been regarded as Australia's diplomatic sphere of influence. Earlier in November, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia was rapidly increasing its commitment in the region. He revealed his plans to partner with Papua New Guinea in redeveloping Lombrum amid speculations that China is going to build its own military base in the Pacific. The joint project with the US could be a sign that the Trump administration's focus on "a new, competitive policy toward China in the Indo-Pacific isn't just rhetoric it's the real thing," Philipp Ivanov, head of the Asia Society's Australian branch, said in an interview in Papua New Guinea. "This could be positive for the region, but the US has to ensure its commitment goes beyond the military component and into helping develop trade and infrastructure," he added. The US has also planned to launch a $400 million Indo-Pacific Transparency Initiative to "help empower the region's citizens, combat corruption, and strengthen sovereignty," Pence said on Saturday. The US is working with Japan as well to invest $10 billion in the region's energy infrastructure, partnering with Japan and Australia "to support a vast array of private development projects across the Indo-Pacific," Pence added. Earlier in the APEC summit, Pence slammed the Chinese president with harsh criticism over the Belt and Road project, as well as China's regional ambitions, adding that the US is ready to double tariffs if Beijing doesn't agree to the Washington's terms. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump: 'Probably' Won't Sit for Interview in Russia Investigation By Ken Bredemeier November 18, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump is declaring that he "probably" won't sit for an in-person interview with special counsel Robert Mueller probing links between his 2016 campaign and Russia, suggesting that his written answers to the prosecutor's questions will be his final response. Trump told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace that in recent days he gave "very, very complete answers to questions I shouldn't have been asked. Probably this is the end." In an interview at the White House taped Friday and broadcast Sunday, Trump said his lawyers are completing answers to Mueller's two dozen or so questions, but that, "They're writing what I tell them. It wasn't a big deal." Trump's lawyers are expected to turn over his written responses in the coming days, although Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said last week some of the questions created "more issues for us legally than others." Giuliani described some of the questions as "unnecessary," some were "possible traps" and that "we might consider some as irrelevant." The questions concerned events leading up to the November 2016 national election, not the two-plus months while Trump was the president-elect, or of events during Trump's presidency, where Mueller is investigating whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to thwart the probe. Trump, in the Fox interview, renewed his long-standing attacks on the 18-month Mueller investigation. "It's a scam," he said. "There was no collusion." A day after the nationwide congressional elections earlier this month, Trump ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had long drawn Trump's ire for removing himself from oversight of Mueller's investigation. Trump replaced him with a loyalist, acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who had, before becoming Sessions's chief of staff more than a year ago, suggested that a replacement attorney, such as he is now, could cut funding for Mueller's probe so that it "grinds almost to a halt." Trump said he was unaware of Whitaker's commentary on news network CNN opposing the Mueller investigation before naming him as the country's top law enforcement official, but dismissed concerns about he will deal with the Mueller investigation. "He happened to be right," Trump said. "He said there was no collusion, he's right." But Trump he would leave it up to Whitaker, whom he described as an "astute politician," in how he oversees Mueller's probe, after Sessions had delegated Mueller oversight to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. "It's going to be up to him," Trump said of Whitaker. "I really believe he's going to do what's right." Some lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans alike, have demanded that Whitaker, because of his past attacks on the Mueller investigation, recuse himself from oversight, just as Sessions did. The former attorney general adhered to Justice Department rules requiring officials to recuse themselves from involvement in cases in which they might have a conflict of interest. Sessions was the first major political figure to support Trump in the 2016 election, but also had met with Russia's then-ambassador to Washington in the run-up to the voting two years ago. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, likely to head the House Intelligence Committee when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in January, told ABC News, "The biggest flaw from my point of view is that [Whitaker] was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the Mueller investigation." Trump, who often brands political opponents with snarky nicknames, later said on Twitter, "So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!" Schiff, with his name spelled by Trump into a vulgarity, retorted, "Wow, Mr. President, that's a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller's questions, or did you write this one yourself?" Whitaker has not publicly commented on his role in overseeing the Mueller investigation, although the Justice Department has said that he is consulting ethics officials about any concerns they may have. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pence, Xi Sell Differing World Views By VOA News November 18, 2018 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping offered competing economic views as they spoke to regional leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea's capital. Pence warned APEC members about accepting foreign debt that "could compromise your sovereignty" and urged the APEC members to "protect your interests, preserve your independence. And just like America, always put your country first." Pence said the U.S. "commitment to the Indo-Pacific region has never been stronger." Xi spoke to the summit about his flagship Belt and Road initiative, designed to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Xi said there is no geopolitical agenda behind Belt and Road. "It does not exclude anyone," he said. "It is not an exclusive club closed to non-members, nor is it a trap as some people have labelled it." Pence also met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Pence welcomed Morrison's recent announcement of significant new Australian assistance to Pacific Island nations. The two leaders also announced their two countries will build a naval base on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. Also Saturday, the governments of the U.S., Australia and Japan issued a statement on their trilateral partnership for infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific region. They said they are promoting a region that is free, open, inclusive, prosperous and secure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address APEC Leaders Fail to Agree on Leaders' Statement Amid China-US Trade Tensions Sputnik News 04:44 19.11.2018 The 2018 APEC summit in Papua New Guinea was unable to produce its traditional joint communique at the end of the summit for the first time in history due to disagreement over the future of multilateral trade. Summit organizers will release a formal closing statement for the regional APEC forum in the coming days, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said on Sunday, as the 21-member body was unable to agree on the communique, Reuters reported. In his closing comments to the forum, O'Neill said the group was trying to ensure "free and open" trade by 2020. Earlier on Sunday, O'Neil said that countries could not achieve consensus because of "the two big giants in the room," cited by the Guardian. O'Neill, who was chairman of the meeting, also pointed out that the sticking point was over whether the mention of the World Trade Organization and its possible reform should be in the Leaders' Declaration. "APEC has got no charter over the World Trade Organization, that is a fact. Those matters can be raised at the World Trade Organization," he said, cited by Reuters. Zhang Shaogang, director-general of China's international department at the Ministry of Commerce, said that Papua New Guinea, which hosted the summit, will issue a 'chairman's statement,' cited by Reuters. During the APEC summit, Australia, Japan and the US resisted Chinese efforts to use spending through Beijing's Belt and Road initiative to gain influence in the Pacific. Mike Pence, the US Vice President, criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping for Belt and Road initiative as well as for territorial demands in the disputed maritime territories in East China and South China Seas. Pence continued his tirade against Beijing by refuting the ongoing trade war and threatened to double tariffs. The Trump administration previously issued a pointed warning about the dangers of other Pacific nations compromising their sovereignty by accepting foreign infrastructure loans from China. During the summit, Pence announced that the US and Australia had agreed to construct the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island a port China had previously expressed interest in developing On Sunday, the US, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia said they would invest $1.7 billion in the Papuan economy to help the country develop a modern electric power grid concurrent to Chinese investment in the region. As of 2018, China has invested some $1.8 billion in the economies of the Pacific islands, out of which $632 million was invested in Papua New Guinea. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's Houthis Ready for Broader Ceasefire if 'Saudi-Led Coalition Wants Peace' Sputnik News 00:42 19.11.2018(updated 02:08 19.11.2018) Yemen's Houthi movement announced that it was ready for a broader ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace." The Yemeni Houthi rebels said on Monday that they are ready to declare ceasefire with the Saudi-led coalition and peaceful settlement of the crisis, the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee said in a statement, obtained by Sputnik. "We declare our initiative to call on the official Yemeni authorities to stop launching rockets and drones against the aggressor states of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, in order to deprive them of any excuses to continue the aggression or blockade, [we] are ready to freeze and stop military operations on all fronts and come to a fair peace," the statement read. The group also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace," according to Reuters. Yemen has been in a state of civil war since late 2014, when the Shiite Houthi militia overthrew the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of mostly Persian Gulf states began operations to try to restore the Hadi government. Currently, over 14 million Yemenis face pre-famine conditions, according to UN figures. Late last year, the UK-based Save the Children organization estimated that 50,000+ Yemeni children died from starvation in 2017. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lombrum Naval Base / HMPNGS Tarangau The United States will join Australia in expanding the Lombrum Naval Base on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. US vice-president Mike Pence made the announcement 18 November 2018 at the APEC leader's summit in PNG's capital Port Moresby. Pence, who is representing his country at APEC in the absense of President Donald Trump, used his speech today to assert US partnership with Pacific Islands and other allies in the wider region. Without elaborating on details, he confirmed the US would partner with Papua New Guinea and Australia on a joint naval base on PNG's northern island. Pence said "Were also forging new and renewed security partnerships, as shown by our recent trilateral naval exercises with India and Japan. And today, its my privilege to announce that the United States will partner with Papua New Guinea and Australia on their joint initiative at Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island. (Applause.) We will work with these nations to protect sovereignty and maritime rights of the Pacific Islands as well." This built on the plan to re-develop Manus' Lombrum site as a base for Australian vessels, and joint acivities with PNG, including maritime patrolling, as revealed by Canberra and Port Moresby in recent weeks. Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said that Australian vessels will probably be based permanently at Lombrum under the deal. The plan could yet face a challenge as the Manus Governor warned he could obstruct the naval base project if his province wasn't consulted properly. The move came as the US, China and Australia vied for influence in PNG and the Pacific. The Manus base would push American forces further south into the Pacific than they had been in decades. "It brings the US a lot closer to the South China Sea but I think it's also a significant pushback for China's strategic ambitions in the Pacific region," said Jonathan Pryke from the Lowy Institute. HMPNGS Tarangau is the PNGDF patrol boat base. All PNGDF Patrol Boats are under the administrative control of the Commanding Officer of HMPNGS Tarangau. The Commanding officer may without reference to HQ PNGDF, assume operational control of Patrol Boats for local operations within the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS (e.g. SAR tasks or training tasks within the framework of the approved program). The roles of the Patrol Boat Base are: To ensure that all Patrol Boats of the PNGDF and allocated support craft are ready in all respects to meet their operational commitment. To provide port facilities for PNGDF ships, PNG Government of commercial vessels and, as required for warships of other nations visiting Lombrum as agreed by the PNG Government; To provide for local administration with the Lombrum area. To conduct; Seamen specialist training, pre sea and continuation training; and on the job training for tradesman allocated to the Maritime discipline. To provide for on the spot replacement of Patrol Boat crewmen in conjunction with HQ PNGDF. To provide technical support for Patrol Boats up to and including Assisted Maintenance Periods (AMPs) and maintain a capacity for replacement of major components as required. To control technical administration of Patrol Boats for all aspects including preparation of main defect lists and conduct of Planned Maintenance. The Australian-run immigration facility on Manus had been used to hold unauthorized migrants caught trying to reach Australia by boat. Australian officials defended the camps, insisting they save lives because they are deterrents and had stopped asylum seekers risking their lives at sea trying to reach Australian territory. Canberra argued that offshore processing was a powerful deterrent for migrants risking their lives at sea, often trying to make the journey on rickety fishing boats from Indonesia. The flow of migrant boats arriving in Australias territorial waters had stopped. In April 2016 the Manus Island center was declared unconstitutional and illegal by Papua New Guineas Supreme Court, and will close, according to the countrys prime minister, Peter ONeill. The camp on Manus Island closed in October 2017 after local judges ruled it unconstitutional because of the poor conditions at the camp. The US founded the base during World War II, and it was later used by Australian naval ships to resupply in the 1950s and 1960s. The US-built base includes wharves and a 9,000-foot runway. Though the base was later taken over by Australia, it was ultimately given to Papua New Guinea after it became an independent nation in 1975. Manus and Los Negros comprise the major islands of the Admiralty group, which includes some 160 small islands and atolls and three first class harbors. Manus, about 50 miles long and 15 miles wide, is the largest island of the group. The terrain, which rises to a maximum elevation of 3,000 feet near the center of the island, is of volcanic origin, principally basalt, which weathers to a thick, reddish, clayey gumbo.Seeadler Harbor, one of the largest and best in the Southwest Pacific, lies within the ellipse formed by Manus, the curving shore of adjoining Los Negros, and the reef-bound islands to the north. Its protected waters are capable of accommodating a large fleet of capital ships. Los Negros, roughly crescent in shape, is separated from the much-larger Manus by a narrow passage. The island is low and, for the most part, swampy, with coral just below the topsoil. The maritime corridor between Guam to the north and Manus to the south was used by the Japanese in World War Two to reach the Pacific. By March 1944, the greater part of the Japanese combat strength on Los Negros, if not throughout the Admiralties, had been dissipated. On 08 March 1944 supplies for the 2d Squadron, 7th Cavalry's attack on Lombrum Plantation began arriving at Red Beach over the difficult road from Momote. More supplies were dropped from B-24's. The squadron was issued 2 days' rations, water, and ammunition and ordered to move across Seeadler Harbor and secure a beachhead on Lombrum Point. They were transported on LCM's (Landing Craft, Mechanized), towed to Hyane by the LST's on 2 March. H Hour was 1420. There was some sporadic fire as the troops hit the beach where two Japanese were killed, but by 1430 Troops E, F, and G had established a perimeter about 100 yards in depth. Patrols sent out immediately encountered no Japanese, and it was the opinion of the commander of the first wave that the Japanese had not occupied the area in strength for some time. By 1700 the perimeter was extended to take advantage of adjacent terrain, and all defensive installations were completed. Abandoned enemy equipment here - gas, oil, and bomb dumps - indicated further disintegration of the enemy strength on Los Negros. After the 12th Cavalry had cleared out the northern area west to Loniu Passage, the entire regiment reassembled at Lombrum Point on 29-30 March. Here the troops cleaned clothing, equipment, and arms and relaxed on the excellent beach. A major naval and air base, capable of service, supply, and repair to forces afloat, air forces, and other Allied units in the forward area, was established early in 1944, at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands, about 300 miles north of Lae, New Guinea, and, apart from the St. Matthias group, the northernmost group of island in the Southwest Pacific area. Manus lay close to the enemy line of communication between Truk and Rabaul, and also near the route between Kavieng and Wewak. In April 1944, two locations on Los Negros were selected for development, one at Papitalai Point and one at Lombrum Point. The 11th Battalion was the first unit to land at Lombrum Point, on April 17, 1944. A permanent camp was set up and work begun on three main projects - a seaplane repair base, a ship repair base, and a landing-craft repair base. For the landing-craft repair base, the Seabees erected six warehouses and shops, two quonset huts for administration buildings, and frame quarters and messing facilities, with all camp utilities. A 250-ton pontoon drydock was provided for docking LCT's, LSM's, and smaller landing craft. Facilities at the ship-repair base combined docking, repair, and supply services equivalent to those furnished by auxiliary ships. Docking equipment consisted of a 100,000-ton sectional dock capable of handling battleships, a 70,000-ton sectional dock capable of handling most major ships, and an 18,000-ton steel floating dock. The seaplane base at Lombrum Point was established to furnish operational, service, and repair facilities. Installations included a 50-by-250-foot concrete seaplane ramp, one steel nose hangar with a concrete deck, an 8,000-barrel aviation-gasoline tank farm, a pontoon pier for small boats, four 40-by-100-foot prefabricated shops, quonset-hut shops, and camp facilities. As of mid-1984 the Papua New Guinea Defense Force naval component was comprised of one patrol squadron on Manus Island and one landing squadron at Port Moresby. It had 75 personnel and four large patrol and three landing craft. Plans released in late 1983 called for the base at Lombrum to be scaled down and the patrol squadron relocated to Port Moresby. Lombrum, along with Wewak and Kieta, would become a forward operating base. Beijing has been showering billions of dollars in infrastructure loans - Debt-trap diplomacy - to tiny nations across the Pacific, a region strategically important as a maritime gateway to Asia. China has showered small nations such as Vanuatu, Tonga and the Solomon Islands with concessional loans. China wants a 'buffer zone' between itself and the US. Papua New Guinea, and the island of Manus, is at the lower end of the "Second Island Chain". The Manus Island naval base plan followed reports China had approached Vanuatu about the possibility of opening a military base there. China had been helping Papua New Guineas government develop infrastructure, and the Australian government reportedly worried that Beijing might finance a new port on Manus Island. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a full state visit to Papua New Guinea two days before the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Papua New Guineas capital of Port Moresby. The week-long APEC summit will began on November 12. Australia's 2016 Defence White Paper made the situation pretty clear: "Australia cannot be secure if our immediate neighbourhood including Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Pacific Island Countries becomes a source of threat to Australia. This includes the threat of a foreign military power seeking influence in ways that could challenge the security of our maritime approaches or transnational crime targeting Australian interests " Generally, the Melanesian states had been Australia's area of responsibility while the US and New Zealand watched over the Polynesian islands. An Australian presence in Manus meant it would patrol the northern coastal region of PNG. This move placed Papua New Guinea in the center of the global great game between China and America and its allies. Australia will let its warships make port visits to Papua New Guineas base on Manus Island reportedly in order to increase Canberras strategic influence in the region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on 02 Novemvber 2018 that he had signed an agreement with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill that will see the two countries work together to jointly redevelop the naval base at Lombrum, Manus Island. Australia is likely to pay the majority of the projects costs. Morrison also added that cooperating to upgrade the Lombrum base would provide strong partnership with the PNG national government and more economic opportunities for Manus Island residents. The chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mike Noonan, said the redevelopment of the Lombrum base was hugely important to boost the partnership with Papua New Guinea, adding that now Australian ships will be able to visit the base for resupplying. We operate in and around that region quite routinely. Weve got a number of patrol boats operating up there through the north end of Australia at the moment, he said, adding that the base would be helpful for Australian ships when there is a logistic requirement for us to pop in there and maybe spend a couple of days in the region engaging with local people. The base would host more patrol vessels for both Australia and Papua New Guinea, which could be used in the joint exercises and operations. However, it was initially unknown whether larger vessels, such as Australia's frigates, will also be able to dock at the base. If so, the Lombrum base would allow them to access the Pacific Ocean more easily. Australia had already shelled out some $5 million to upgrade a wharf at the base. The funding is in addition four patrol boats that were expected to be given to Papua New Guinea. The joint project with the US could be a sign that the Trump administrations focus on a new, competitive policy toward China in the Indo-Pacific isnt just rhetoric its the real thing, Philipp Ivanov, head of the Asia Societys Australian branch, said in an interview in Papua New Guinea. This could be positive for the region, but the US has to ensure its commitment goes beyond the military component and into helping develop trade and infrastructure, he added. The joint naval base, which may house US warships at a later time, is being considered as a strategic asset to pre-empt China from scooping up "an important piece of real estate," according to military website Stars And Stripes. If and when US vessels do become a factor at Lombrum, it has been suggested that the facility could be used to support amphibious operations being carried out by the US Marines. US defense analyst Paul Buchanan told the publication 26 October 2018 that the naval base could easily be used as a means of keeping an eye on China and tracking its submarines, which could soon see a increase in numbers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Security Agency Pulls Ambitious Satellite Internet Venture Back To Earth By Mike Eckel November 18, 2018 It's been a bright spot for Russia's wobbly space industry: A contract, estimated at $1 billion, to launch 21 Soyuz rockets over the next two years carrying "micro-satellites" -- part of a U.S.-based company's plans to offer broadband Internet access over remote territories of the globe, including parts of Siberia. For the company, OneWeb, the effort was seen as a critical step in building out its "constellation of small satellites" and validation for investors who have put up nearly $2 billion. For Russia's space agency, Roskosmos, the contract was both a crucial source of private revenue, and a foothold in the burgeoning global market for small-scale satellite launches. Now, just months before the planned maiden launch, it appears that the Federal Security Service (FSB) may put a stop to it entirely. The daily newspaper Kommersant reported on November 13 that the FSB, Russia's primary security and intelligence agency, has serious misgivings about the micro-satellite venture. Citing unnamed government officials, the paper said the FSB feared that having an Internet provider whose signals would be transmitted via satellite would keep the agency from being able to filter and monitor Internet traffic. Spying Concerns Moreover, sources told the newspaper, security officials feared the satellites might be used to spy on sensitive Russian military sites. The Kommersant report echoed a similar report by Reuters, on October 24, that quoted an FSB official voicing precise concerns about satellite spying. Adding further to the questions about whether the launch will go forward, the Interfax news agency reported that the chief executive of the Roskosmos division that handles foreign commercial contracts, including the agreement with OneWeb, had been forced to resign after Roskosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin ordered an inspection of the division. E-mails sent to both OneWeb, and its launch provider, the European aerospace giant Arianespace, were not immediately answered. Founded by Greg Wyler, a former executive at Google, OneWeb aims to put hundreds of satellites in low orbit over the Earth to provide data communication in remote locations. The company is one of several making the effort, but it's attracted the largest amount of private financing, had started building assembly factories, and was the closest to actually getting its satellites off the ground. Key to the effort was contracting with Arianespace to arrange for the launches, using Russia's workhorse rocket, the Soyuz, launched primarily from Russian facilities at Baikonur and Vostochny, and several from the European Space Agency-owned site at Kourou, in French Guiana. At the time the contract was signed in 2015, the then-head of Roskosmos hailed it as "proof of Russia's competitiveness." The first launch, of a Soyuz rocket carrying 10 micro-satellites, was set for May 2018 from Kourou, but was then pushed back until year's end. It's now set for February 2019. Two years later, OneWeb set up a 60-40 percent joint venture with a Russian subsidiary of Roskosmos called Gonets that would handle Internet service within Russia. Earlier this year, Wyler told the industry publication Space News that the network of satellites would in fact have ground stations, through which Internet traffic would be channeled. But his comments suggested that there wouldn't necessarily be ground stations in every country where the Internet service was offered. "What we hear from regulators is they want to know the physical path of their traffic and they want to make sure it lands in a place where they have control and management of that data, just like every other Internet service provider in their country," Wyler was quoted as saying. "This doesn't mean the gateway needs to be in their country, but it means they need to know exactly which gateway their traffic will land at and they need the legal ability to control the router at the entry point into their national network. From a regulatory perspective inter-satellite links have been highlighted as a major concern." Stricter Control In recent years, Russia has steadily tightened control and surveillance of the country's once wholly unfettered Internet. Part of that effort has involved policing editorial content and, for example, prosecuting people for sharing on social media material deemed to be extremist under the country's broad anti-extremism laws. But Russian regulators have also moved to tighten technical controls, requiring major technology and Internet companies like Google or Facebook to physically house servers within Russia, giving Russian law enforcement a way to access them. That also includes use of a system known as SORM, which is essentially a filter -- a black box the size of an old video recorder -- that allows Russian security agencies to intercept or eavesdrop on Internet traffic. As recently as October 26, Rogozin held discussions in Moscow with Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel about OneWeb, according to a statement on Roskosmos's website. The meeting came two days after the Reuters report on the Russian objections. The report said that OneWeb and Gonets has restructured their stakes in the joint venture to make Gonets the majority shareholder. For observers of the global commercial-satellite industry, the uncertainty hanging over such a high-profile, well-funded project like OneWeb tarnishes Roskosmos's ability to be a competitive player for space flight in general. Recent Mishap One of Roskosmos's other lucrative sources of revenue is its contract with the U.S. space agency NASA to shuttle astronauts to and from the International Space Station. But the recent mishap involving a Soyuz rocket raised questions about the Russian technology, which has been around for decades and had been considered reliable. Kazakhstan, where Russia's storied Baikonur cosmodrome is located, recently said it had hired the private U.S. company SpaceX to launch several of its own science satellites. The uncertainty with OneWeb, said Carissa Christensen, founder and CEO of Bryce Space and Technology, a Virginia-based research group focusing the commercial space industry, may push customers away from Roskosmos. "This just disconnects Russia some of the most active commercial space activity going on today, and it hands over potentially very desirable launch customers to other small launch providers," she said. In an opinion column published on November 15 for the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti, contributor Valery Kodachigov poked fun at the apparent FSB concerns that the OneWeb satellites could be used for spying within Russia. But he also pooh-poohed the idea that OneWeb would be singularly able to bring Internet service to the further reaches of Siberia or the Russian Arctic. "The interference by Russian bureaucrats and security officials in the plans of eminent investors gives OneWeb's history in Russia both scale and tragedy. But is it really all so scary for OneWeb and the Russian users who may be left without satellite Internet? For now, one thing is clear: the residents of Russia will not remain without mobile access to the Internet," he wrote. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia- fsb-oneweb-satellite-internet-venture -spying-soyuz/29607225.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Space Freighter Docks With ISS in Automatic Mode Sputnik News 23:15 18.11.2018(updated 23:18 18.11.2018) KOROLYOV (Moscow Region) (Sputnik) The Progress MS-10 space freighter docked on Sunday with the International Space Stations (ISS) in an automatic mode, the Mission Control Center said. On Friday, the Russian Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the Progress MS-10 space freighter lifted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan for the first time since the failed launch in October. "The docking took place," an announcer of the Mission Control Center said. The freighter docked with the Zvezda module of the ISS Russian segment. It has delivered 2.5 tonnes of goods to the ISS crew, including fuel, oxygen, equipment and parcels for the crew members. The first failure of a manned space launch in modern Russian history happened on October 11, when a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle failed to take the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft with the new crew of the International Space Station into space. Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague managed to eject in a rescue capsule and make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan unharmed. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SpaceX Plans to Upgrade 2nd Stage of Falcon 9 Rocket for Reusability - CEO Sputnik News 09:31 18.11.2018 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US aerospace manufacturer SpaceX has renounced the idea of upgrading the second stage of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle for its reusability, Elon Musk, SpaceX co-owner and CEO, said on the night into November 18. "Btw [by the way], SpaceX is no longer planning to upgrade Falcon 9 second stage for reusability. Accelerating BFR [Big Falcon Rocket] instead. New design is very exciting! Delightfully counter-intuitive," Musk posted on Twitter. In his reply to a Twitter user, Musk specified that "radical" changes had been introduced to the BFR design. While the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket has already been reused, Musk announced in April he plans to make its second stage reusable as well in order to make space flights more affordable via decreasing the launch price. The BFR reusable launch vehicle and spacecraft system is currently being developed by the SpaceX and is set to be a part of a lunar mission scheduled for 2023. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's J-20 Stealth Fighter to Pursue Targets at Greater Distances Reports Sputnik News 07:06 18.11.2018(updated 07:07 18.11.2018) The fifth-generation Chinese Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, which entered military service last year and participated at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai, will now be able to strike targets at greater distances, according to Beijing. China Central Television revealed that the aircraft has been equipped with a retractable refuelling probe embedded on the right side of the cockpit, to help the fighter to maintain stealth while flying greater distances, the Air Force Times reported. Previously it had been reported that the J-20 struggled to remain in stealth mode, and it had been decided to go with a retractable probe, as a consistently exposed probe would make the J-20 visible to enemy radar systems. Another feature to help the J-20 remain stealthy is allowing four of the six onboard missiles to be stored internally, Chinese military experts told China's Global Times. The exact range of the stealth fighter nicknamed Powerful Dragon is unknown. The Air Force Times suspected that the aircraft has a combat radius of 1,100 kilometres, allowing it to conduct long-range strikes and intercepts. With aerial refuelling capability, the J-20 can extend its reach, allowing China to better patrol disputed waterways. The J-20's chief designer said, cited by the Air Force Times, that certain capabilities were unable to be presented at the recent airshow, noting that the world would have to wait and see what the J-20 had to offer. The J-20 a combat platform which according to Chinese experts is superior to the US F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter was incorporated into Chinese combat units in February. It was tested in combat training exercises, however, according to South China Morning Post, the aircraft is expected to receive new engines which will allow the warcraft to 'achieve its full potential,' according to reports. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Navy will continue to defend interests in high seas: Commander Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 02:20PM A senior Iranian commander says the country's naval fleet will continue its presence in the high seas to protect Iran's national interests. "So long as the presence of the Iranian Army's fleets is necessary to secure Iran's interests, the dispatch of the fleets to the high seas will continue," Iranian Army's Deputy Commander for Operations Rear Admiral Mahmoud Moussavi told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Sunday. He added that Iran has a strong Navy, which should consistently maintain its presence in the high seas; otherwise, others would take advantage of its absence. Mousavi also noted that Iran's Navy plans to dispatch its fleets to the Atlantic Ocean when required as it did in the past. In November 2016, an Iranian naval fleet entered the Atlantic Ocean for the first time after a port call in South Africa. In recent years, Iran's Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers. In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, safeguarding merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries. Iran's Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters. The Iranian commander further said that the Islamic Republic has managed to make great achievements since the victory of the Islamic Revolution despite "cruel sanctions," emphasizing that "sanctions have never succeeded in preventing our defensive progress." Mousavi added that the Iranian Armed Forces would continue to update their defense technologies and equipment. Iran has recently made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and hardware. The Islamic Republic says its military power poses no threat to other countries and is merely based on the doctrine of deterrence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Iraq consider using local cash in mutual trade Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 01:55PM Iran says it is discussing a plan with Iraq to switch to dinar in trade instead of the US dollar. The announcement was made by Iran's Ambassador Iraj Masjedi who said the plan had been devised in response to recent US sanctions that restricted Iran's access to the greenback. "Considering the problems that have emerged in dollar-based banking transactions, a joint proposal between Iran and Iraq is using Iraq's dinar in trade," said Masjedi. An alternative plan, he added, would be to use barter mechanisms to carry out imports and exports with Iraq. The official was speaking as Iraq's President Barham Salih was visiting Tehran on his first trip to the Islamic Republic. President Salih told his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani during a press conference that Baghdad was determined to boost trade with Tehran. He made the announcement only days after his country rejected a US deadline to stop importing Iranian gas under new American sanctions. "I have come here today with a clear message from Baghdad: We appreciate the importance of relations with Iran and these economic, cultural and political relations are rooted in history," Salih said in a joint news conference with Rouhani. Masjedi further emphasized that the current level of trade between Iran and Iraq stood at $12 billion, stressing that serious plans were on agenda to promote this to as high as $20 billion. He acknowledged that Iraq had come under pressure from the US over doing business with Iran after the return of the sanctions and underscored comments by Iraqi officials that Baghdad would not toe Washington's line as a sign that the country could not afford to cut trade ties with its eastern neighbor. "The Iraqis need Iran's natural gas, electricity, food items and industrial materials," Masjedi emphasized. "If exports of these to Iraq are stopped, there will be problems not only for Iran but also for the Iraqis, as well." The port of Basra in southern Iraq was hit by violent protests, which spread to other cities this summer, partly because of a halt of imports of electricity from Iran. Earlier this month, Iraq's former prime minister and leader of the al-Wataniya faction in parliament Ayad Allawi warned that new US sanctions on Iran would have deep impact on the Iraqi economy. Iraq's new Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi also said his country "will not be part of the sanctions regime, as it will not be part of aggression against any country." On Tuesday, head of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce Jafar Rasul Hamdani said that despite US sanctions against Iran, the two countries have sharply increased their trade exchanges in recent months. "In the first six months of this year, the volume of exchanges rose from $4 billion to $6.4 billion compared to the same period in 2017," he told Iran's state news agency IRNA. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi airstrikes kill nearly dozen Daesh Takfiri terrorists Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 03:33PM Nearly a dozen members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been killed when Iraqi Air Force fighter jets carried out separate airstrikes against militant hideouts in the country's north-central province of Salahuddin. Iraq's Joint Operations Command spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul said the military aircraft bombarded two terrorist hideouts and three of their trenches in Gan'ous village near the town of Shirqat, located 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, on Sunday, leaving 10 Daesh Takfiris dead. Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the Arab country on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, he formally declared victory over Daesh in Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in Iraq. In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh. Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year. Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. Leading figure of Iraq's Basra protests assassinated Meanwhile, unidentified armed men have assassinated one of the key figures involved in the protests in the oil-rich Iraqi southern city of Basra against the government and the lack of basic services. Security sources and witnesses, requesting not to be named, said on Sunday that Sheikh Wissam al-Gharawi was gunned down in front of his home in the al-Muwafaqiya district of the city the previous evening. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any militant group. "Sheikh Gharawi was assassinated after demonstrations started up again in Basra over the past few days," an unnamed security source told Kurdish-language Kurdistan 24 television news network. A medical source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Gharawi was transferred to a nearby military hospital following the attack in an attempt to save his life, but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. "Several bullets were extracted from his body," the source added. Seven Izadi bodies found in mass grave in Iraq's Nineveh Separately, local forces have found a mass grave in the northern province of Nineveh, which contains the bodies of six Izadis believed to have been executed by Daesh Takfiri terrorists when they were in control of an area there. Mahma Xelil, the mayor of Sinjar, was quoted as saying by the Kurdish-language Rudaw television news network that the discovery was made in Kar Azir town, and that five bodies have been identified so far. A recent report has disclosed that foreign militants, including many of European origins, were responsible for atrocities and acts of brutality carried out by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group against members of the Izadi minority. The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights said in a report on October 25 that the extremist group's actions amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Izadi human rights activist and one of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, confirmed the findings of the report. Murad was kidnapped from her hometown of Kojo in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh in 2014, and held by Daesh terrorists for three months. Back in August, an official at the Endowments and Religious Affairs Ministry of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government said more than 3,000 members of the Izadi minority remained unaccounted for ever since Daesh militants overran their hometowns in northern Iraq in 2014. "The fate of 3,102 Izadis remain unknown since Daesh terrorists attacked our towns and cities in mid-2014," Khairi Bozarni said at a conference devoted to the "Izadi Genocide" in the Kurdish capital city of Erbil on August 15. Bozarni added that more than 2,500 Izadi Kurds had lost their lives at the hands of Daesh Takfiris, while another 6,000 mostly women and children had been abducted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu Says Temporarily Taking Over As Defence Minister Sputnik News 20:52 18.11.2018(updated 22:04 18.11.2018) Addressing the crisis following the resignation of Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the coalition would try to avoid early elections. Benjamin Netanyahu said he would take over temporarily as defence minister, also urging coalition partners to "act responsibly" in order to prevent the government from dissolution. "I would like to say that now when we are witnessing one of the most difficult periods in terms of security, we cannot topple the government and hold an early election. That is irresponsible. We have a year before the election I hope that all our partners will act responsibly, will not seek dissolution of the government and will work for the benefit of the state of Israel and its security," Netanyahu said. The announcement came after he met with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, the head of the Kulanu party, who supports early elections in the country. "The meeting between the finance minister and the prime minister ended without results," a spokesman for Kahlon said, adding that the politicians "agreed to meet later in the week." The coalition was put in jeopardy after Avigdor Lieberman stepped down from his position, slamming the prime minister for entering a ceasefire with Hamas following a mortar shelling from Gaza. All five MPs of the Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party, led by Lieberman, has thus left the coalition, meaning that the prime minister's Likud Party will struggle to retain a firm majority in the parliament (Knesset). Following the resignations, the ruling coalition has exactly 61 of 120 seats in the parliament, prompting some members to opt for early elections in order to gain political stability. Under Israeli law, early elections may be held 90 days after the dissolution of the government. Hence, the vote could take place between March and May. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Pakistan Has Not Done A 'Damn Thing For Us' By RFE/RL November 19, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing for us" and defended his administration's decision to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Islamabad. Trump has slashed nearly $800 million in military assistance to Pakistan this year, saying it has not done enough to eliminate safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network within its borders. Trump, in an interview with Fox News aired on November 18, accused Pakistan of helping to hide Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who was killed in 2011 during a raid by U.S. special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden's hideout was located just a short distance away from one of Pakistan's most prestigious military academies. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," Trump said. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year... [bin Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year. I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us." The Pentagon said in September that it would cancel $300 million in military aid to Pakistan. That came after another $500 million in payments to Islamabad was revoked by the U.S. Congress from so-called Coalition Support Funds (CSF). The Trump administration has vowed to freeze other forms of security assistance, bringing the total of security funds that could be held back to at least $1.3 billion. Trump earlier in 2018 wrote on Twitter that the "United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools." "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump tweeted. Pakistan rejects allegations it is not doing enough to fight terrorism and that it provides safe havens for militants operating in Afghanistan. As part of Trump's effort to resolve the 17-year war in Afghanistan, Washington has escalated pressure on Pakistan, whose assistance the U.S. believes is needed to compel the Taliban to agree to negotiate with the government in Kabul. The insurgents have so far declined government overtures for peace talks this year, and instead have escalated violence against U.S. and Afghan forces. With reporting by Fox News Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump- pakistan-osama/29607940.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Senator Rand Paul urges Trump to kill Saudi arms deal over Khashoggi murder Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 06:33PM US President Donald Trump should cancel arms deals with Saudi Arabia as a punishment over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, says top Republican Senator Rand Paul. Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote for the Washington Post, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 after being lured into the mission for some standard paperwork. While mounting evidence released by Turkey and even the CIA point to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's role in the murder, Trump has so far resisted calls inside Washington to hold him responsible. In an attempt to ease the criticism, the US Treasury Department imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudis involved in the murder on Thursday. The sanctions came after the Saudi public prosecutor announced that five officials faced a possible death sentence in the case but exonerated bin Salman, also known as MBS. "We need to punish who ordered this, who is in charge and really the only thing they understand over there is strength," Paul told CBS News on Sunday. "I think they will see sanctions as weakness on the part of the president and if the president wants to act strongly he should cut off the arms sale." Referring to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent trip to Riyadh to discuss the Khashoggi case as well as the ongoing Saudi-led war on Yemen, Paul said Saudi Arabia's insistence on "bombing civilian populations" had already proven the ineffectiveness of the Trump administration's current approach. "Secretary Pompeo told Saudi Arabia three weeks ago to stop bombing civilian populations, since then Saudi Arabia has bombed cities 200 times," Paul said. "They are not listening." During his maiden state visit, Trump went to Saudi Arabia last year where he signed a massive $110 billion arms deal with the oil-rich kingdom. This is while Saudi Arabia and its regional allies, including the United Arab Emirates, have been using American and British weapons and intelligence to bomb Yemeni cities since March 2015, when Riyadh declared war to reinstate fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and destroy the Houthi Ansarullah Movement. The unprovoked war has so far killed thousands of Yemeni people while destroying the impoverished country's infrastructure. It has also led to widespread food shortages and deadly cholera breakouts. Trump, however, has refused to throw away his profitable deal with Riyadh arguing that doing so would only push the staunch Middle East ally towards Russia. "If they don't buy it from us, they're going to buy it from Russia or they're going to buy it from China," said the president. "Think of that, $110 billion, all they're going to do is give it to other countries, and I think that would be very foolish." Major US military contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, are among the beneficiaries of Washington's cozy ties with Riyadh and would suffer huge losses if contracts with Saudi Arabia are suspended. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Who can really know' if bin Salman lied in Khashoggi case, Trump wonders on Fox News Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 09:21PM US President Donald Trump is still remaining non-committal about the possibility that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lied to him when he denied involvement in the assassination of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. " I don't know, you know, who could really know," Trump said on Fox News Sunday, when asked if he thought he had been lied to. "But I can say this: he's got many people now that say he had no knowledge." The president, who is in a $110 billion arms deal with the monarchy, further said he would not listen to the audio of Khashoggi's killing provided to the CIA by the Turkish intelligence. "We have the tape. I don't want to hear the tape. No reason for me to hear the tape because it's a suffering tape," Trump said. "It's a terrible tape I've been fully briefed on it. There's no reason for me to hear it." The tape was reportedly shared with CIA Director Gina Haspel, who visited Turkey amid an investigation into the journalist disappearance after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month. Turkish intelligence intercepts reportedly show that Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi mission in Istanbul on October 2, was murdered on a direct order from bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi had been there to obtain a document certifying he divorced his ex-wife. Trump has already been shown evidence of the prince's involvement in the killing, and privately he remains skeptical, an unnamed Trump aide told The Washington Post on Saturday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khashoggi's killers flew remains out of Turkey: Turkish def. min. Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 04:24PM The killers of dissident Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, flew his remains out of Turkey after chopping him up and putting him in bags, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has been quoted as saying. Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote for the Washington Post, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 after being lured into the mission for some standard paperwork. The incident sparked global outrage against Riyadh, which initially dodged questions and offered contradictory explanations before coming clean and admitting that the journalist was killed after "negotiations" to get him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. Discussing the murder during an international conference in Halifax, Canada, Akar said Sunday that Khashoggi's killers may have taken his remains out of Turkey in luggage. "One probability is that they left the country three to four hours after committing the murder. They may have taken out Khashoggi's dismembered corpse inside luggage without facing problems due to their diplomatic immunity," Akar said, according to CNN Turk. In the aftermath of Khashoggi's disappearance, Turkish officials said they had identified a group of at least 15 individuals, including a two-man "clean-up team," who were involved in the murder. It was assumed back then that the body was dissolved in acid, given that inspectors had found traces of acid in the Saudi console's residence. There were other sources who claimed the body was buried somewhere outside the city. Akar's account was similar to a claim made by Saudi public prosecutor Shalaan al-Shalaan, who said Thursday that Khashoggi's murderers dismembered his body, removed it from the consulate and handed it to an unidentified "local cooperator." More than a month after the murder, the international community has been trying to maintain pressure on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of directly ordering the hit job. Turkey has released a stream of evidence that undermines Riyadh's denials about the young prince's involvement. Ankara says it has shared recordings related to the killing, which include the actual murder and conversations leading up to the operation with some Western allies. A CIA assessment, leaked by the Washington Post, directly blames bin Salman for the killing. In conducting its assessment, the CIA examined multiple intelligence sources, including a phone call that the prince's brother Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the US, had with the ill-fated journalist, telling him to go to the Saudi diplomatic mission and giving him assurances that it would be safe to do so. Saudi Arabia insists that bin Salman had nothing to do with the operation and "rogue" elements with the country's intelligence community executed the plan on their own. Shalaan said Thursday that the Saudi prosecutor had requested the death penalty for five individuals "charged with ordering and committing the crime, and the appropriate sentences for the other indicted individuals." According to him, 11 of 21 suspects detained in relation to the crime had been indicted and would be referred to court, while investigations of the remaining suspects continued. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he was not satisfied with Shalaan's statement, urging Riyadh to disclose the location of Khashoggi's remains and allowing the suspects to be tried in Turkey. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says He Won't Listen to Khashoggi 'Suffering Tape' Sputnik News 21:27 18.11.2018 Riyadh has denied claims that the Saudi crown prince or any other member of the royal family was involved in Khashoggi's murder amid media reports that the CIA suspects otherwise. The White House insists that a thorough investigation needs to be concluded before making any claims as to who is responsible. President Donald Trump has confirmed that the US has an audio recording that allegedly sheds light on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. At the same time, Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that he hadn't heard the recording himself, but had been briefed on its contents. "I don't want to hear the tape. No reason for me to hear the tape, because it's a suffering tape. I've been fully briefed on it. There's no reason for me to hear it," he said. He described the tape's contents as "very violent, very vicious and terrible," judging by what he had been told in the briefing. Earlier, The Washington Post reported that Turkish investigators had passed the audio recording of Khashoggi's death to CIA Director Gina Haspel which, along with other evidence, reportedly led the agency to believe that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad had ordered the assassination of the journalist. The CIA hasn't commented on the report. National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the tape doesn't contain evidence implicating the Saudi crown prince. Saudi authorities have arrested 21 people in the course of their own investigation into the matter, 11 of whom have already been charged. Five of those charged face the death penalty. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir noted that Riyadh considers the murder to be a "crime and a big mistake," but cautioned against politicising it. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump: No Plans to Listen to Tape of Khashoggi Killing By Ken Bredemeier November 18, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump says he has been fully briefed on an audio recording of the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month, but has no intention of listening to it because of the violence it depicts. "It's a suffering tape. It's a terrible tape," Trump told Fox News Sunday in a White House interview that was taped Friday. "It's very violent, very vicious and terrible," Trump said. Trump said Saturday the U.S. government would release its findings on the October 2 killing of Khashoggi on Tuesday. The State Department says no final conclusions have been reached, although some U.S. news accounts have reported that the Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh's de facto leader, ordered the killing. Asked in the Fox interview if the crown prince lied to him about his involvement, Trump replied, "I don't know. Who can really know? But I can say this, he's got many people... that say he had no knowledge." Trump added, "He told me that he had nothing to do with it. He told me that, I would say, maybe five times at different points, as recently as a few days ago." Saudi Arabia has filed charges against 11 operatives accused of involvement in Khashoggi's killing and said it will seek the death penalty against five of them. Trump conceded that people close to the prince "were probably involved." But he said, "I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Fox interviewer Chris Wallace asked Trump whether he would go along with moves in Congress to cut off U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen or halt arms sales to Riyadh, but Trump said it depends. "I want to see Yemen end," he said. "It takes two to tango and Iran has to end also. I want Saudi to stop but I want Iran to stop also." Trump was briefed Saturday on the U.S. investigation of the killing of Khashoggi by telephone by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while the president was aboard Air Force One en route to California to inspect the devastation from wildfires in the western state. The State Department said the U.S. government "is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing... accountable" but that "numerous unanswered questions" remain. The assessment by the CIA, first reported Friday by The Washington Post, contradicts that of Saudi Arabia, whose top prosecutor one day earlier exonerated the crown prince in the killing of Khashoggi. U.S. officials say the CIA concluded that 15 Saudi agents flew in a Saudi government aircraft to Istanbul and assassinated Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate. Khashoggi, who wrote opinion columns for the Post and was a critic of the Saudi crown prince, was killed at the Saudi consulate while he was trying to get documents for his planned marriage to a Turkish woman. The Post said the CIA based its conclusion on multiple sources of intelligence, including a phone call that the prince's brother, Khalid bin Salman, who is also the Saudi ambassador to the United States, had with Khashoggi. In the phone call, Khalid told Khashoggi that it would be safe for him to go the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents for his marriage. The paper said it was not known whether or not Khalid knew Khashoggi would be killed. Khalid denied in a tweet on Friday that he had spoken with Khashoggi. "The last contact I had with Mr. Khashoggi was via text on Oct. 26, 2017. I never talked to him by phone and certainly never suggested he go to Turkey for any reason. I ask the U.S. government to release any information regarding this claim,'' he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey says US support for YPG Kurdish militants in Syria 'big mistake' Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 03:29PM Turkey's foreign minister says it is a "big mistake" for Washington to support the Syrian Kurdish militants of the People's Protection Units (YPG), stressing that the matter has strained relations between the two NATO allies. Mevlut Cavusoglu met with Turkish citizens at the Turkish consulate in New York on Sunday. Washington has infuriated Ankara by announcing a plan for the formation of a Kurdish militant force in Syria near the Turkish border. The plan prompted Turkey to launch a cross-border military operation on January 20 inside the Arab country, code-named Operation Olive Branch, with the declared aim of eliminating the YPG militants from northern Syria, particularly Afrin region. The YPG forms the backbone of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an anti-Damascus alliance of predominantly Kurdish militants supported by the United States. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984. "Despite knowing and acknowledging that (the YPG) is the same organization (as the PKK), seeing this cooperation as necessary is really a big mistake," Cavusoglu said, adding that he would "broadly" discuss Ankara-Washington ties with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday. The Turkish top diplomat arrived in New York on Saturday to attend the 8th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) on partnerships for prevention and sustaining peace, which will be held at the UN headquarters on Monday and Tuesday. Washington has been arming and training Kurdish militants under the banner of helping them fight the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, but Syria and several other countries see ulterior motives behind the deployment. The Syrian government has given a degree of authority to the Kurdish regions to run their own affairs. The US, however, has used the power vacuum to establish a foothold in those regions with the help of militants. Ankara, one of Washington's key allies in the region, has repeatedly questioned the United States' deployment of heavy weapons in Syria despite the defeat of Daesh in much of the Arab country. According to the Turkish government, US Defense Secretary James Mattis promised in 2017 that Washington would take back weapons from the Kurdish militants once Daesh had been routed. Earlier this year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to push Turkey's Afrin offensive against the YPG militants eastward to Manbij, where American forces are stationed, risking a confrontation between the NATO allies. Syria has strongly denounced the presence of Turkish and US troops around Manbij. Separately on Sunday, the state-owned Anadolu news agency cited Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar as saying that he had told US Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford that Ankara expected Washington to halt its support for the YPG as soon as possible. "We reiterated our warnings and stated that we expected our US counterparts to take the necessary measures and end their relationship with the YPG, which is no different than the PKK, as soon as possible," the Turkish defense minister stated. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian forces liberate last Daesh holdout in south: Monitor Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 06:06AM Syrian government forces have managed to wrest control over the last holdout of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the country's south, a UK-based monitoring group says. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported the liberation of the Tulul al-Safa hilly region, situated between Damascus and Suwayda provinces, on Saturday. The fresh territorial gain came after Daesh elements "withdrew from it (Tulul al-Safa) and headed east into the Badia desert," it added. Syria's official SANA news agency confirmed that the army units had made "a significant advance against Daesh terrorists' depots in Tulul al-Safa" and killed many extremists during their counter-terrorism operations. The Syrian army units are clearing the liberated areas from what has been left behind by Daesh terrorists, the report said. It also noted that Abu Hajar al-Shishani, a Daesh ringleader, had been killed east of the Qaber al-Sheikh Hussein region near Tulul al-Safa. Some reports said Shishani's deputy had been injured in Saturday's anti-terror operation. The Syrian army soldiers have been fighting Daesh in Suwayda since July, when the Takfiri terrorists launched their deadliest attack on the Druze minority community in the province. The terror outfit killed over 250 Syrians and kidnapped around 30 in its July 25 assault. Most of the hostages have been released, but the remainder appear to have died or been executed. US-made missiles found in Rif Dimashq Separately on Saturday, Syrian forces discovered weapons and ammunition, including US-made missiles, left behind by terrorists between the town of Babbila and the village of Beit Sahem in the southern Rif Dimashq Province. A field commander said US-made TAO missiles, launchers, RPGs, machineguns and hand grenades were among the weapons seized. On Friday, media reports said Jabhat al-Nusra and groups affiliated to the terrorist outfit were preparing to use chemical weapons against civilians and blame the attack on the government of President Bashar al-Assad in a bid to justify a new Western military aggression. Jabhat al-Nusra has provided the chemical weapons to other terror organizations to distribute them in Idlib Province and the outskirts of a demilitarized zone there, the reports said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pence: US Will Uphold Taiwan Relations Act, One China Policy By Nike Ching November 17, 2018 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday that Washington will continue to uphold the "Taiwan Relations Act" and "One China Policy" after his much-watched meeting with Morris Chang, Taiwan's representative to a regional economic forum in Papua New Guinea. Pence met with Chang on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Saturday in Port Moresby, the first pull-aside bilateral meeting between a top U.S. leader and Taiwan's envoy during the high-level regional economic gatherings in years. Pence is not planning to have a separate bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping who is also attending APEC, according to American officials. Assertive US policy That is seen as a reflection of an assertive U.S. policy towards China. China claims democratically self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. Analysts said strengthening U.S.-Taiwan ties is not an irritant in the U.S.-China relationship. "The United States will continue to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act and the One China policy. Taiwan is a member of APEC in good standing," Pence told traveling press on Saturday. The nuance between Washington's "One China Policy" and Beijing's "One China Principle" is that the U.S. position leaves open the possibility that a future resolution could be determined peacefully by both China and Taiwan. "The conversation with them was about economics," said Pence. "They made a case for being considered for a free trade agreement, which I assured them that we will carry back that interest." In a tweet, Taiwan's government said the U.S.-Taiwan talks "will strengthen regional connections in promoting inclusive growth & shaping the digital future." "Given that Taiwan is a full member of APEC it should not be unusual to have head of delegation meetings between the U.S. and Taiwan, but given the weak policy of previous U.S. administrations, this encounter is seen as a breakthrough," said Steve Yates, who was a senior advisor to former Vice President Dick Cheney. "Meeting with the Taiwan delegation head is not an anti-China or hawkish move," Yates told VOA in an email. "It is a positive affirmation of Taiwan's interests and values being consistent with the Indo-Pacific strategy of the U.S. and its allies." China has not commented on the Pence-Chang meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump had met with Chang last year, according to Pence. Chang is the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which will continue to be the sole supplier of Apple's A-series chips in 2019. Other analysts said a close U.S.-Taiwan tie should not be viewed as a source of irritation in the U.S.-China relationship. "I don't think this meeting should be exaggerated. I see a lot of consistency in U.S. policy toward Taiwan. I hope that going forward there will be more concrete progress in the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship. Symbolism isn't enough," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. In a recent interview, the director of the Hudson Institute's Center on Chinese Strategy, Michael Pillsbury, told VOA that Pence, by describing troubles in U.S.-China relations, did not "engage in self-censorship" and was providing "constructive criticism." "Taiwan is important," said Pillsbury, "I think it's time for a new history to review, you know, all aspects of relations between China and the U.S., including Taiwan [and] our 'One China' policy." Taiwan tech prowess The selection of Chang to represent Taiwan is seen as showcasing its tech prowess instead of its sticky position in geopolitics. Taiwan has been a manufacturing hub since the 1980s for hardware such as PCs and, more recently, smartphones. Taiwanese firms often make those devices on contract for Apple and other major brands. Much of that hardware carries chips made by TSMC. "From intellectual property rights protection to cybersecurity, to trade policy in general, Morris Chang is a uniquely knowledgeable counterpart for Vice President Pence to engage on these topics," said Yates. The Pence-Chang meeting came months after Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act in March. The legislation is seen as a move to facilitate direct official U.S. contacts with the self-ruled island, which were cut in 1979 when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Since then, the relations between the U.S. and Taiwan have been governed by the Taiwan Relations Act that was passed by Congress in April of 1979. At a major foreign policy speech at the Washington-based Hudson Institute in October, Pence praised Taiwan's democracy, saying "America will always believe that Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people." Chang's non-political background is unlikely to ruffle China, according to experts. 'Toned-down approach' China has a "sort of more toned-down" approach to Taiwanese representation at APEC, said Christopher Johnson, who is a senior adviser of CSIS. "APEC is a strictly economic forum and so Beijing always makes that point," said Matthew Goodman, senior adviser for Asian economics program at CSIS. In the past, delegates from China and Taiwan sometimes met briefly during APEC though they did not usually use this economic forum to discuss their own issues. The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC,) founded in 1989, is an economic bloc that facilitates trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite being a full member of APEC, Taiwan's presidents are traditionally prohibited from attending the leaders' summit because of China's opposition and therefore Taiwan's presidents send their personal envoys to the regional economic gatherings. This is the second time Chang has represented Taiwan at APEC. He represented Taiwan's then-President Chen Shui-bian in 2006. VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report from Papua New Guinea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address British troops preparing plans to respond to no-deal Brexit Iran Press TV Sun Nov 18, 2018 05:42PM The British military is drawing up emergency measures for deploying troops to respond to any chaos caused by Britain crashing out of the European Union without a deal. The Sunday Times said the British army was devising plans to deploy up to 10,000 troops on the streets to help police and the National Health Service cope with contingencies of a no-deal Brexit. About 20 army officers who normally oversee Operation Temperer, the plan to provide soldiers to help police following acts of terrorism, were ordered last week to step up no-deal Brexit planning, according to the report, citing a well-placed army source. The soldiers will be tasked with maintaining order, delivering medical supplies to hospitals and assisting with potentially massive traffic problems near major ports such as Dover in south of England. Britain may leave the EU on March 29, 2019 without a deal that could outline its future relations with the bloc. A draft Brexit deal negotiated by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU is likely to be rejected by the British Parliament as both pro- and anti-EU lawmakers have expressed their frustration at the agreement. A no-deal scenario is the worst that can come out of Brexit, a process that started in June 2016 with a referendum in which Britons voted 52-48 to leave the EU after more than 40 years. Some suspect the army's plan to deploy troops is meant to contain any unrest that may unleash as a result of a no-deal Brexit. Recurrent reports have suggested that the British police, already understaffed as a result of government austerity programs, would not be able to cope with riots and protests in such a situation. Junior Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said last week that the army was on standby to help with the no-deal Brexit. "The Armed Forces stand ready to support Britain on a practical basis... We have to plan for every single scenario," said Ellwood without elaborating on what different scenarios of military's involvement would be. Chief of the Defense Staff Sir Nick Carter also confirmed that the armed forces had been working on a No Deal operation. But Carter also failed to mention whether the army would play an aggressive role in the situation. "What we always do is make sensible contingency plans for all sorts of eventualities," said the commander. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! Liberty Media CEO Chase Carey has reportedly visited the city of Rio de Janeiro to scout if a potential Grand Prix could work, as the privatisation of Interlagos in Sao Paulo could be an issue with future deals. Brazil always has been and still is one of the biggest markets in the world in terms of F1 fans. The crowd at Interlagos arguably is the best one out of every race on the calendar. However, Liberty Media don't like the fact that Interlagos is going private, and with the Bernie Ecclestone-era deal with the circuit expiring in two years time, Carey is reviewing his options. Globo in Brazil reported that Rio de Janeiro is very interested in getting the Brazilian Grand Prix to their city once the deal with Interlagos expires in 2020. Carey met with Rio's governor Luiz Fernando Pezao among others to discuss where and how a potential circuit would be built. "Shortly after the race at Interlagos, Carey slept in Rio and had a long schedule of meetings on Monday," the report from Fred Sabino reads. "When I woke up in Rio and saw the sea, I realised that it could be a good idea to bring Formula 1 to the city," Carey reportedly told the governor when they met. Rio has had an F1 circuit in the past - Jacarepagua (pictured above). That circuit was demolished in 2008, though, to make room for Olympic training facilities. The University of Bath and SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre are collaborating on a project to identify the most efficient conditions for the optimum performance of gasoline particulate filters (GPFs), to help minimize vehicle impact on the environment. The GPF Burn rate and Low Temperature Reactivity project will last 14 months and utilize the Universitys state of the art Chassis Dynamometer in its Centre for Low Emission Vehicle Research (CLEVeR). The researchers at Bath are designing a new rig capable of varying the temperature and composition of exhaust gasses entering automotive after-treatment system components such as GPFs, in order to identify the optimum conditions for the soot burn rate of GPFs. A test vehicle will be put through its paces on the Universitys dyno with the bespoke rig enabling the temperature and exhaust gas composition entering the after-treatment components to be controlled. GPFs ensure the particulate emissions from a gasoline direct injection vehicle are kept to a minimum and within the latest Euro 6 standard emissions requirements. This is achieved by the GPF trapping and safely removing harmful particulates from exhaust gasses. Particulate filters can become blocked over time requiring them to complete what is known as a regeneration cycle in which the temperature and gas composition in the engine enables the particulate filter to safely burn off particulate matter trapped in the filter. Using this new rig, the researchers are also investigating the performance of novel catalyst washcoats and coatings for reducing the temperature at which harmful emissions begin to be converted into the more benign species water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. In better understanding the impact of catalysts on the temperature needed for conversion to occur, the researchers hope to be able to minimize the time taken for the catalysts to become operational after the vehicle has been started and reduce vehicle emissions under real world driving conditions. This work will support SAIC Motors gasoline vehicle after-treatment development program and feed into SAIC Motors global product development activities in the UK and China. SAIC Motor expects this partnership with the University of Bath will contribute to its knowledge of GPFs and catalyst formulations, supporting the companys rapidly growing sales around the World. Rosenbauer Deutschland, a company of the Rosenbauer Group, and the Berlin Fire Department plan jointly to develop a hybrid electric fire engine in the next two years. The two have formed an innovation partnership which will be responsible for carrying out the project eLHF (German equivalent for eRFF/ electric rescue and firefighting vehicle) and, following a successful trial, will manufacture vehicles accordingly. The project budget amounts to a total of approximately 1.8 million; 90% of this consists of subsidies from the Berlin Program on Sustainable Development, which in turn is fed by the European Regional Development Fund and the state, while the rest comes from the Berlin Fire Departments own budget funds. The Concept Fire Truck (CFT) of Rosenbauer is the technological basis for the eLHF. Rosenbauer Concept Fire Truck. Under European public procurement law, the innovation partnership is a special form of award procedure. The goal is to develop an innovative product and to then purchase it. What initially motivated the Berlin Fire Departments concluded tendering procedure were the growing demands with regard to environmental protection and the complex exhaust systems of conventional chassis, which are having an increasingly negative effect on the design and operation of firefighting vehicles. Consequently, the hybrid project vehicle is designed to help contribute towards reaching Berlins climate protection goals. Specifically, this entails a reduction in pollutants of around 14 t/a CO 2 in comparison with conventional, diesel-powered rescue and firefighting vehicles; it will also feature a disaster-proof design. In addition, the project specifications also provide for reduced noise emissions as well as an improvement in occupational health and safety, technical availability and communication. Rosenbauer presented the Concept Fire Truck to the public for the first time in 2016. The concept study anticipates megatrends such as global warming, demographic change and urbanization, as well as the challenges these changes pose for fire brigades. The use of electric drives has enabled the creation of a completely new type of vehicle architecture that is fully adapted to these future scenarios and sets new standards in terms of functionality and ergonomics. The main field of application for CFT technology is initially the municipal firefighting engine, but plans are also in place for it to subsequently be transferred to other types of vehicle. The Concept Fire Truck attracted particular interest from the member states of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Goals, which aim to adopt a leading role in climate protection; talks with further model regions are ongoing. Rosenbauer estimates that the global market for the innovative CFT technology will reach around 3,200 vehicles by 2030; in Europe, as many as 700 to 800 units could be in use by 2025. Local food and beverage startups have landed their products on shelves and tables throughout southwestern Connecticut. A new program aims to further increase that market share. The Business Council of Fairfield County has launched the FoodNBev Connect accelerator program to provide advice and mentorship to packaged-goods companies whose sector has bucked the overall decline of manufacturing in recent years in the area. The 10 companies picked so far for the initiative are enthusiastic about the new venture, which they say would provide them the tools to grow into lasting businesses. Its gotten to the point where there should be something larger that is funneling resources toward us, said Will DAgostino, founder of Stamford-based snack-bar maker Nutshell. It will definitely be helpful to get information quickly. Business Council officials said they are bullish about the participating companies because they see increasing demand for healthy products made with simpler recipes and natural ingredients. The CTNext and Innovate Stamford business development groups are also supporting the venture. We feel we can help bring people together, so these young companies can accelerate their businesses, said Gary Breitbart, FoodNBevs managing director. Theres a community here, and were trying to give it some visibility. The firms participating in FoodNBev have generally operated for a few years, with distribution in area stores and online. This program seemed to be in touch with the innovations in food these days; thats the main reason why I linked up with these guys, said Maurice Jenkins, founder of Stratford-based Muggers Marrow, which makes grilling sauces. My hope is to build lines of distribution and increase awareness among the larger retailers in the area and come up with better marketing techniques. For businesses such as Bethel-based Noteworthy Chocolates, the program provides a launching pad for entering new markets. We wanted to connect more with southern Fairfield County, said Jennifer Sauvageau, who founded and runs Noteworthy with her husband, Michael Sauvageau. FoodNBev is not investing in the companies, but it is providing advice on identifying and securing capital. I think this group is going to be largely involved in navigating people through funding, said DAgostino, who is doing a friends-and-family funding round for Nutshell. Even if youre all tight-knit friends, its still a tough conversation when youre talking about how much money you have in the business. Other firms like Muggers Marrow are also entirely self-funded. I know the product is solid. and thats what gave me the confidence to think about going all in, out of pocket, without any sort of outside funding, Jenkins said. FoodNBev is supported by an Executive Advisory Panel of food and beverage executives. Committee members include Tim Brown, who was previously president of Chobani and CEO of Stamford-based Nestle Waters North America; Ashok Vasudevan, founder of Stamford-based Preferred Brands International, maker of the Tasty Bite brand; Janet Steinmeyer, former CEO of Centerplate, a Stamford food-services company; and David Cingari, CEO of Stamford-based Davids Soundview Catering. In addition to the 10 companies already selected, the program is accepting applications from other Connecticut-based companies. I believe the food and beverage accelerator model will play a crucial socioeconomic role in the region and beyond, Vasudevan said in a statement. The unstoppable mega-trend of rising health care costs, combined with an increased consumer belief in functional and holistic foods, will be major tailwinds for food entrepreneurs dedicated to consumer wellness. For more information about FoodNBev Connect, contact The Business Council of Fairfield County at 203-359-3220 or info@businessfairfield.com. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott The Connecticut Department of Banking fined John Mark Downing $20,000, determining he failed to deliver on trading profits promised an investor who gave him access to a TD Ameritrade brokerage account, only for Downing to lose in excess of that amount. Downing did not respond to Department of Banking notices to addresses in Derby and Shelton the department had on file. How would you like to commute above the traffic by aerial cableway? Thousands do it daily in cities around the world and more places are looking at this technology as a solution. Many Americans have used aerial cableways small, enclosed cabins carried up and over the terrain, attached to moving cables at DisneyWorld or ski resorts. But here were talking about much bigger transit systems. Maybe youve ridden on the Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City. Opened in 1976 to connect the islands residents to the Upper East Side, it once carried 5,500 passengers daily, though ridership has dropped since a new subway station opened. It was the first such system in the country, but has been plagued by problems, breaking down for weeks at a time. In Portland, Oregon, an aerial tram carries 10,000 passengers each day up a steep hill to the Oregon Health & Science University campus. A transit-friendly city, the tram connects with trolleys and light rail at a base station next to a 250-space bicycle parking lot. But both these systems are limited, only offering whats known as point-to-point service with no stops in between. In Latin America, youll find aerial trams on steroids. Like the La Paz Bolivia Teleferico, which covers 19 miles with 27 stations on three separate lines. On opening day, the first line carried 41,000 passengers in 10-person gondolas. In Medellin, Colombia, the MetroCable Medellin has reduced commuting times from an hour to just 10 minutes, whisking 40,000 passengers at 10 miles an hour up and down a 1,300-foot incline. The Medellin system now offers six miles of cable connecting nine stations on three lines. Both of the South American systems use their trams to overcome serious terrain challenges. But would this tech work in flatter areas? The folks in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn think so. They are facing 18 months without subway service to Manhattan starting next April when the L train is shut down for repairs. Thats going to leave 100,000 residents scrambling for buses across an already crowded bridge to 14th Street in Manhattan. Thats why theyre pushing for what they call The East River Skyway, offering a 10-minute ride to Delancey Street from two stations in Brooklyn. One concept calls for 38-person gondolas departing every 30 to 40 seconds, adding up to 5,000 passengers an hour. Estimated construction cost: $75 million to $100 million, probably with private money. Aerial tramways have serious cost advantages over street-based or subway systems. All youre really building are towers to carry the cable, so estimates are $50 million to $60 million per mile with construction time of just 12 to 18 months. Operating costs are also lower as the system uses much less energy, creating fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Real estate folks also like the system for its novelty and potential transit-oriented development possibilities near the stations. More Information Join the conversation Use #GettingThereCT to chime in on Facebook and Twitter. See More Collapse The downsides? Youd have to obtain air rights along the path, and the system would be far more susceptible to weather than one on the ground. High winds and thunderstorms would shut down the system and strand passengers. As our roads and rails reach gridlock, maybe going up and over will be an interesting solution in the future. Jim Cameron is a longtime commuter advocate based in Fairfield County. Contact him at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators is releasing legislation imposing sanctions, prohibitions and restrictions against Saudi Arabia and other entities considered responsible for the humanitarian suffering in war-torn Yemen, the most punitive proposals to emerge from Congress since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered last month. The group, which is led by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Todd C. Young, R-Ind., and includes Trump confidant Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is calling for a total prohibition on arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used for offensive purposes. The blanket embargo includes a ban on selling Riyadh munitions, bombs, missiles, aircraft, tanks or armored vehicles, according to a person familiar with the text, but does not prevent the sale of purely defensive systems, such as missile interceptors. The measure would also codify the Trump administration's recent decision to stop refueling Saudi planes engaged in operations in Yemen against the Houthi rebels and impose sanctions on anyone supporting the Houthi rebellion - namely, Iran - within 30 days of the bill's passage. Those who prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemeni civilians would also be subject to new proposed sanctions in the bill that would go into effect immediately. "This bill makes clear that Congress demands an immediate cessation of hostilities, urgently calls on all parties to prioritize protection of Yemeni civilians, and makes certain that only a political settlement will end this war," Menendez said in a statement. "We are putting teeth behind these demands with regular oversight, sanctions, and suspension of weapons sales and refueling support." The bill came together in response to mounting outrage among lawmakers of both parties over Saudi Arabia's conduct, particularly in the murder of Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul. Many lawmakers believe that operation could not have taken place without the blessing of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - whom, thus far, the Trump administration has not sanctioned. Congress' first response to Khashoggi's murder was invoking the Global Magnitsky Act - a law that requires Trump to decide within 120 days what individuals are responsible for human rights abuses and what sanctions should be imposed against them. On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it would sanction 17 individuals under that authority, just hours before the bipartisan group of senators released their proposal. But for many, President Donald Trump's move fell short. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ridiculed "putting sanctions on people who are in prison" as a weak choice, while drafters of the new bill suspected that Trump was trying to draw attention away from their more comprehensive proposals. "It looks like some shameless coordination with a government that has trampled on the rule of law," said a Senate aide familiar with the bill. "It would defy credulity that the announcement came out today when they know what we're doing here in the Senate . . . they're willing to designate individuals in the inner circles of Mohammed bin Salman and they won't say a damn thing about the crown prince himself." Several of the provisions of the new bill are designed to force Trump to take a harder stance against the Saudi kingdom, which he all but fully embraced upon becoming president while distancing himself from Iran. The bill would make sanctions mandatory for anyone found to have responsibility in Khashoggi's murder under the Global Magnitsky Act. It would also require the administration to produce two reports on Saudi Arabia. The first of those reports would address the question of where the activities of the Saudi-led coalition, Houthi rebels and others have risen to the level of war crimes, or otherwise violated international humanitarian law and the laws of war. Another would be focused on documenting Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses, focusing on the government's suppression of women, bloggers and religious freedom. The product of those reports, the Senate aide said, could be easily compared to existing international studies to see if the Trump administration's assessment of the situation in the Persian Gulf is notably kinder to Saudi leaders. For Democrats, the bill's provisions address deep skepticism that the Trump administration will hold individuals at the highest levels of the Saudi government accountable, either for the human cost of its actions in Yemen or the murder of Khashoggi. Republican supporters are trying to strike a more coaxing tone, encouraging the Trump administration to take advantage of the tools in the bill. "This legislation provides the Trump administration leverage it should use to push all parties in Yemen to engage in good faith and urgent negotiations to end the civil war and address the world's worst humanitarian crisis," Young said in a statement. "Our national security interests and our humanitarian principles demand nothing less." "Our bill sends an important signal, and when combined with the efforts announced by the Treasury Department, goes a long way to address despicable behavior on several fronts," Graham said. Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.,and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who sits on both the Armed Services and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, are also original co-sponsors of the legislation. (ANSA) - Milan, November 19 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday that he was proposing the introduction a new system under which reports of stalking and violence on women would be given 'red-rating' priority status. "At the earliest cabinet meeting possible I will present an intervention for women to be defended with a red rating in (investigating) magistrates' probes so that reports of stalking and violence on women do not end up in last place," Salvini said. There has been a spate of shocking femicides - cases in which women are murdered, usually by their current or former partners - in Italy in recent years. This appeared in Monday's Washington Post. - - - Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was in a Vietnamese prison in August when she learned she had won an International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Thankfully, she will be free and present in New York on Tuesday to accept the prize. Vietnam allowed Mother Mushroom, as she is known to her readers, to go into exile in the United States with her family. But Nguyen will not be celebrating. She sees the award as "not for myself," she said during a visit to The Post last week, but for all her fellow bloggers and human rights defenders in Vietnam, many of whom remain behind bars. And she herself would rather be in her home country, doing her work, she told us as she eyed our newsroom with envy. Vietnam needs a free press, she said, but the media are all state-owned and state-controlled. Every Tuesday, media outlets receive their orders - print this, retract that, glorify this one, lie about that one - from functionaries relaying instructions from the Communist Party Politburo. Nguyen's fellow prize winners Tuesday will no doubt share the same bittersweet combination of pride in the recognition of selfless work and sadness at how dangerous that work remains in so much of the world. Others being honored are Amal Khalifa Idris Habbani, who has been attacked, threatened and imprisoned as she has reported over the past decade on protests and official corruption in Sudan; Luz Mely Reyes, hounded by Venezuela's dictators for her honest reporting; Anastasiya Stanko, who has braved harassment from both occupying Russian forces and her own government in Ukraine; and Maria Ressa, the founder and chief executive of Rappler, an independent news site under constant attack from the Philippines' bullying president, Rodrigo Duterte. Faced with such doggedness, an American can only wonder: How do these people summon the courage? "I have to be completely honest," Nguyen told us. "I was scared, when they first locked me up, for 10 days. I thought of my children, and I thought I would stop. Then I realized that is exactly what the government wants. They want to shut me up. And I thought, if I let fear consume me, I would no longer be me. I do not want to set that example for my children." And so, as Mother Mushroom - "Mushroom" being her term of endearment for her daughter, now 12 - she persisted, through repeated imprisonments. As we asked our questions last week and listened to the awardees' stories, Reyes likewise shook her head with envy at our freedom. "I come here, I think, this is a newsroom," she said. "I miss the newsroom." Not so long ago,Venezuelan newspapers too were free to report honestly and criticize. Reyes' bravery and her travails - like those of Mother Mushroom, and Habbani, and Stanko, and Ressa - are a reminder of how fragile that freedom can be, and how precious it is. Huawei held a private demo of a foldable 5G prototype for Korean carriers, according to ETNews. A senior government official confirmed Huawei is working on a flexible product with next-gen network support. The Korean news agency said Huaweis plans are to introduce the phone at MWC 2019. Prototype, released to Korean media Huawei is pretty much ready with the product, according to the report, with the official saying he was surprised how developed the device is. When the 5G phone is unfolded, it has 8 screen, while folded it goes down to 5, which is slightly larger than the Samsung prototype of 4.6 and 7.3 diagonals. The manufacturer of the screen is BOE, a company with HQ in Beijing and R&D centers around the world. Although the Chinese manufacture pitched its idea to telecom representatives and government officials, no one from Huawei Korea confirmed if the device will actually make it to the retail shelves in the Asian country. BOE is already manufacturing bendable displays The final step before the phone becomes the first 5G bendable smartphone is testing the next-gen speeds. When the commercialization of 5G is ready to begin, Huawei will launch the device. For now only the United States is ready to flip the switch on the new networks, but given the relationship between Chinese companies and the White House officials, the foldable device is more likely to be on sale first in Europe, around the second half of 2018. Source (in Korean) Realme already has 4 smartphones in its portfolio, with a fifth to arrive in two weeks. For the last several months the company has been expanding steadily and according to the latest press release, Realme will arrive in the Philippines, its sixth market, on November 29. Realme's new logo Although the information does not clarify which devices will hit stores in the Asia-Pacific country, we are hoping for a Realme U1 arrival since the Helio P70-powered device is having an unveiling the previous day in India. Jacky Chen, COO of Realme Philippines, said the primary aim is to push the growth of e-commerce through [Realme] product offerings and to copy its success from other South East Asian countries like topping the 11.11 sale at Lazada, the local go-to online retailer. Realme Philippines is also launching a campaign to gather a community, called Realme Squad Members. The selected ones will be among the first to touch the new phones, to propose community activities and to be the pioneer of the brand, whatever that means. Christmas is on its way and what a wonderful way to celebrate the snowy months with a snow white phone. Thats probably what Samsung execs were thinking when they were developing the Pure White Galaxy Note9 that leaked two weeks ago. Although the rumor came from Evan Blass who suggested the image might be photoshopped, sources from China claim Samsung is indeed launching the device in Taiwan on November 23. The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will have a completely white body, coupled with a white aluminum frame and a white S Pen. This will be the sixth official color of the phone after the initially announced Metallic Copper, Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, and Midnight Black. Later, Cloud Silver was introduced in the United States. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Midnight Black is also looking sleek Samsung offers the Galaxy Note9 in Taiwan for TWD30,900 or about $1000 for the 6/128 GB variant. The 512 GB version is TWD38,900 ($1,250), but now the Korean manufacturer offers free 512 GB microSD, rounding up the storage up to 1 TB. The prices are already high, but at least the new color will not add up any additional cost. Source (in Chinese) | Via PARIS - Demonstrators in France who are protesting against increased fuel prices and who are known as the "yellow vests" for the high-visibility jackets they don during their protests blocked some fuel depots on Monday morning, in addition to continuing roadblocks underway on various highways. Protest organisers were interviewed by the media and said they want a "gesture" from the French government, in particular, the chance to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. In Roanne, a town in the Loire, a protest organiser overseeing the local roadblock told broadcaster BFM that the protesters are officially calling for a meeting with the government. "We are calling on President Macron to consider us, because there are many of us, from all classes of society. We want to be received at the Elysee Palace, we need to discuss. We're not stupidly blocking the entire country for no reason. Dialogue needs to start," the organiser said. Protests currently underway in the country include "snail operations" in which traffic is deliberately slowed on freeways, as well as roadblocks, some of which have lasted all night on freeways at at toll booths. The fuel company Total said that two of its fuel depots in northern France are currently blocked. There have also been various incidents, including arrests for drivers who have tried to break through the blockades. In Calais, which lies across the English Channel from Dover in the UK, a British driver and an Australian trucker were stopped after they forced their way through roadblocks and injured some of the protesters. Talk is growing among the protest's organisers for a possible summit in Paris this coming Saturday. Haiti - FLASH : Dead and wounded across the country (partial assessment) Sunday in the capital as in the main provincial cities, barricades of burning tires were erected on the main roads. Public transport and informal trade have been completely paralyzed. Motorcycles were seen fluttering with black and red flags. People won the streets in large numbers across the country to demand full light on the use of PetroCaribe funds while opposition demanded the resignation of President Jovenel Moise. A mobilization, however, lower than that of October 17, according to several observers Eddy Jackson Alexis, the Secretary of State for Communication congratulated the professional work of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) but deplored and condemned attacks against companies, residences, private property and diplomatic residences whose public record has not been released. Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country: 6 dead, 5 wounded and more than twenty arrest (partial assessment) according to Michel-Ange Louis Jeune, spokesman for the PNH. 11 dead, 47 wounded and 75 arrests according to a partial balance sheet of the opposition communicated at the end of the day Sunday at a press conference. For security reasons, President Moise on Sunday canceled the planned trip with members of his cabinet to Cap Haitien to commemorate the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Vertieres. Following this decision, the movement of the democratic opposition qualified the Head of State as "cowardly". For his part to Vertiere Moise Jean-Charles boasted alongside the demonstrators to have prevented the President of the Republic to go to Vertieres. Sunday morning at the Champ de Mars, President Moise briefly made a floral offering at the foot of the monument dedicated to the heroes of Vertieres. Subsequently, he addressed the Nation in a pre-recorded message broadcast on the National Television of Haiti (TNH) where he recalled "The symbolism of Vertieres calls for dialogue, union and understanding between girls and girls in the country, despite their differences and divergences" Listen to President Moise' message : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26154-haiti-vertieres-215th-message-to-the-nation-of-president-jovenel-moise.html A call for dialogue rejected by the opposition that maintains the mobilization. According to Me Andre Michel "There is only one option. Jovenel Moise is a political corpse that must be brought to the cemetery. It's over for him. We can not do anything with him anymore. He must leave without delay to avoid chaos..." The opposition asked the population to stay at home on Monday, November 19th. For his part Eddy Jackson Alexis, the Secretary of State for Communication asked the population to go about its activities as usual, ensuring that the police always present, firmly ensure the protection of people and their property. Port-au-Prince : In Petion-ville a man was shot in the head and a Nouvelliste collaborator wounded in the head by a stone's throw; At Delmas 2, a protester was shot in the foot; In Martissant Harrisson Junior Aristide, head of the Communal Section Board (CASEC) reports that several people were injured by bullets; Sporadic shooting was reported by residents at Carrefour de l'Aviation and surrounding areas; At Bourdon (Musseau crossroad) a police vehicle registered 1-00063 was burned; The road to the residence of President Moise was inaccessible; The prime minister's offices were attacked by stones thrown, security agents had to shoot in the air to disperse the protesters. At the level of Lalue inflamed tires and extensive vandalism have been reported. At the Champs de Mars, protesters raised the black and red flag on the statue of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. The police intervened and removed the flag. Cap-Haitien : 1 dead, know as Tichech shot dead in the street 9, by an unidentified individual; 4 wounded by bullet, including one police officer in the leg, but his life would not be in danger; 2 injured by throwing stones; 5 arrests for throwing stones and disturbing public order Petit-Goave : Dr. Fred Jasmin, President of the Commission in charge of the Notre Dame Hospital in Petit-Goave, presented the review of the victims of the day received and treated in the emergency department: Johny Jean Baptiste, age 20, broken left forearm; Johnson Toussaint, 26, Grade I head trauma; Lucner Pierre, 23, shot in the left arm; Alex Saintine, 23, father, from Direse, locality of the 6th communal section of Petit-Goave was shot in the frontal area, massive bleeding and general condition very critical. All the victims were treated but Alex Saintine died at 1:50 pm. Note that the ambulance of the hospital received three times throwing stones trying to rescue Alex Saintine. Angry demonstrators who preferred to demonstrate with the body of the victim than to give it to the ambulance. HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave) Les Cayes : In Les Cayes the demonstration was sometimes very violent reports the PNH, the highly motivated demonstrators had erected barricades of burning tires and threw stones and bottles against the police. The police had to intervene vigorously to regain control of the situation. Miragoane : In a clash between anti-regime protesters and pro-government, Daniel Pongnon, vice-delegate of the city of Miragoane was shot in the abdomen while his security agent was wounded in one leg The situation remained tense all day in the city, where sporadic gunfire and bursts of automatic weapons were reported by witnesses in several parts of the city. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26154-haiti-vertieres-215th-message-to-the-nation-of-president-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26152-haiti-diaspora-commemoration-of-the-215th-anniversary-of-the-battle-of-vertieres.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26147-haiti-vertieres-215th-message-to-the-nation-of-prime-minister-ceant.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26145-haiti-dr-the-fnp-asks-the-dominican-authorities-to-prepare-for-the-worst-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26139-haiti-politic-nearly-50-political-and-civil-organizations-demand-the-departure-of-the-head-of-state.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26119-haiti-flash-the-lavalas-party-calls-for-the-overthrow-of-the-government.html SL/ S/ TB /HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Ministry's denial on school closures In a note Miloody Vincent, the Director of Communication of the Ministry of National Education "[...] brings a formal denial to a false note circulating on social networks suggesting of the stopping of school activities for security reasons. Once again, this is a campaign of misinformation and intoxication orchestrated by those who have unconfessed and unmentionable interests to the detriment of the Haitian school. The Ministry denounces this umpteenth attempt to manipulate opinion by gravediggers of the Fatherland and obscurantists who want to use the school to regulate their low works. The Ministry confirms the continuation of school activities as usual and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defend and protect the school in all circumstances." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : The Deputy Gary Bodeau, launches a patriotic appeal to the Nation At the end of the protest day on November 18, the Deputy of Delmas Gary Bodeau, Speaker of the Lower House, made a patriotic appeal to the Nation to save what can still be, which we invite you to share : Excerpts from Deputy Gary Bodeau's Nation Appeal : "In the name of the Homeland and Democracy I appeal the protagonists to a patriotic surge to save what can still be. It is obvious to everyone that the country, embroiled in crises of all kinds, is moving towards imprecise issues that can not be of benefit to any of the parties that generate or fuel them [...] The State falls apart in an abdication of its responsibilities and authority to the benefit of armed groups who impose their law [...] The insecurity is in full swing and challenges police forces that lack the means to counter it efficiently and sustainably. Various sectors of the national life express their discontent in demonstrations which often slide towards the vandalism, the plundering and the 'dechoucage' [...] The idle youth seeks an outlet to its exclusion of the management of the Republic. While the forces of the nation flee the national territory in search of more lenient skies. The country is dying slowly, inexorably. On this obvious and manifest political crisis is grafted and fed an economic and financial crisis [...] It is read in a deepening of the poverty of working classes and the middle classes, in a run-down depreciation of the national currency which reduces to almost nothing the purchasing power of the wage-earners, not to mention the mass of the unemployed which is widening every day and slipping towards indigence [...] [...] I strongly encourage the Government, and particularly the monetary authorities, to take courageous and immediate measures beyond the periodic patching without lasting effect, in order to stop the accelerated deterioration of the economic and financial situation [. ..] In this fragile political context crossed by all the uncertainties, it is urgent to slow down the depreciation of the gourde, to mitigate the inflationary pressures that it engenders, to fight the expensive cost of living which plunges the most vulnerable into the pangs of poverty and misery. [...] We must do everything, together and in the most honest loyalty to the homeland and immortal, to prevent this double political and economic crisis, catalyzing each other, to lead our country to upheavals with incalculable consequences. And this is the meaning of my appeal to this dialogue to prevent and correct what happily can still be. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Agriculture : Launch of a Swine vaccination campaign in the West Friday in Croix-des-Bouquets, as part of the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to Haitian breeders to help protect the health of the swine breed, the Departmental Agricultural Directorate (DDA) of the West, officially launched a vaccination campaign against Plague Porcing Classic (PPC) and Teshen. According to Dr. Joseph Chaim Corvil, Coordinator of the Animal Protection Unit at the Ministry level, a stock of 200,000 doses of vaccine is available for this campaign adding that the Ministry has a vaccination strategy that can reach the most pigs possible during this campaign, which will end on December 10th. The agronomist Jean Elie Philogene, Director of the West DDA, present at this launch, invited the breeders to collaborate with the veterinary agents for the full success of this campaign. HL/ HaItiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Anse-a-Veau : Escape attempt Sunday at the Anse-a-Veau civil prison, an inmate was killed and a police officer injured during an escape attempt. High level meeting post-demonstration According to Senate Speaker Joseph Lambert, a high-level meeting will be held on Monday between President Jovenel Moise, Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant, Judge Jules Cantave, President of the Court of Cassation and the Presidents of both Houses of Parliament. Senator Joseph Lambert and Deputy Gary Bodeau, to learn from the day of demonstrations on November 18. The US Embassy reopened The US Embassy plans to announce a late opening Monday, Nov. 19... Credit for 1,000 young entrepreneurs "KREDIATEPLAT" will allow more than 1,000 young people eager to start a small business," annnounced Minister Gilles, noting that the government will grant a credit of nearly 50,000 gourdes to these young people. "KREDIATEPLAT" which will be tested in the metropolitan area, will, in the future, be realized in other regions of the country. Philosophy of Trash to Cash Minister of Tourism Stephenson spoke at the panel of the forum on "Waste management and tourism development" organized by Cedel Haiti. This forum, the 7th annual Cedel Haiti, took place from 15 to 17 November 2018 at the BRH Convention Center, under the theme "From waste to riches". The idea of this entrepreneurship forum is to highlight the different waste streams that can be developed and to sensitize the public authorities as well as the population in order to appropriate the "Trash to Cash" philosophy. Canadian Embassy Closed On Monday, November 19, the Canadian Embassy in Haiti is closed. We encourage you to confirm that the Embassy is open by calling 509-2812-9000. HL/ HaitiLibre ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 19 - These are some of the main events scheduled for tomorrow in the Euro-Mediterranean area: BRUSSELS - EU, speech by High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini on the occasion of Human Rights Week to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. MADRID - The Prado Museum celebrates its 200th anniversary with a large commemorative exhibition titled 'Prado Museum 1819-2019: A Place of Memory' (to March 3). TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM - 3rd edition of Italian Cuisine Week continues (until 25/11). BRUSSELS - EU, Council of Agriculture and Fishing Ministers. BRUSSELS - EU, Council of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers.(ANSAmed). Havre Police Department An arrest was made after a caller on Second Street reported damage to a vehicle Friday at 11 a.m. No details on the charges was provided. -- A theft was reported by a First Street caller Friday at 2:01 p.m. -- A vehicle crash on Fifth Avenue was reported at 5:08 p.m. Friday. -- Friday at 7:55 p.m. a Wilson Avenue caller reported someone had slid into her parked pickup truck. -- Riley Schaeffer-Leighty of Kalispell, 19, was issued a summons on charges of minor in possession and "other" after a caller at a First Street establishment reported a customer with a fake ID Friday at 8:09 p.m. -- A sport utility vehicle versus Mazda vehicle crash was reported on First Street West Friday at 8:25 p.m. -- A caller at a First Street West business reported at 8:50 p.m. Friday drugs were found in the bathroom. -- A hit-and-run vehicle crash was reported at 10:06 p.m. Friday in a parking lot at Montana State University-Northern. -- A caller on 11th Street reported Friday at 10:56 p.m. she had backed into a fence and was stuck. -- Taylor Rae Strike of Havre, 19, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, habitual traffic offender and failing to carry proof of vehicle insurance, during a vehicle stop on First Street West Saturday at 11:11 p.m. -- Natasha Rose Lohman of Havre, 27, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after a caller at a First Street Northeast residence reported a disturbance Saturday at 2:39 p.m. -- Someone stopped at the police station Saturday at 6:45 p.m. to report suspicious activity. -- A Fourth Street caller reported Saturday at 9:38 p.m. someone had broken into her residence. -- A caller at Seventh Street and Sixth Avenue reported at 2:02 a.m. Sunday that a vehicle with damage to the front end had its hazards on but no one was in the vehicle. -- A First Street business caller reported a gas drive-off Sunday at 7:27 a.m. -- Amanda Jean Michaelis of Havre, 27, was arrested on charges of assault with a weapon and partner or family member assault after a domestic disturbance was reported Sunday at 7:31 a.m. on Third Avenue. -- A summons was issued after a domestic disturbance was reported on 10th Street West Sunday at 2:45 p.m. No details were given on the charges. -- Someone stopped at the police station Sunday at 4:20 p.m. asking to speak to an officer. -- A theft was reported Sunday at 5:19 p.m. on 18th Street West. -- Gloria Jean Brown of Chinook, 47, was arrested on three Justice or City court warrants after she called from a Ninth Avenue business Sunday at 7:40 p.m. to report a stolen vehicle. Hill County Sheriff's Office Jonathan Michael Corcoran of Havre, 38, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant at Hill County Detention Center Friday at 10:57 a.m. -- Courtney Harris of Chinook, 61, was issued a summons on a charge of shoplifting after a caller at a U.S. Highway 2 West business reported a theft Friday at 2:59 p.m. -- An arrest was made after a caller at a U.S. Highway 2 West business reported a trespasser Friday at 6:23 p.m. No details on the charges was provided. -- Wayne Edward Eagleman of Box Elder, 52, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant after caller with U.S. Border Patrol reported a vehicle parked on the dump road Saturday at 8:52 a.m. -- A drug offense reported to the Sheriff's Office Saturday at 11:19 p.m. was referred to another agency. -- Kim Kristina Johnson of Havre, 41, was arrested on charges of possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia after a drug offense was reported at the detention center Sunday at 2:30 a.m. -- Justin Gary Wade Laliberte of Box Elder, 20, was arrested on charges of partner or family member assault and assault after a caller on Main Street in Box Elder reported two men fighting Sunday at 4:15 a.m. -- Chelsea Larae Lohman of Havre, 26, was arrested on two Justice or City court warrants and a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia after deputies investigated suspicious activity on U.S. Highway 87 north of Laredo Sunday at 6:56 a.m. -- Anastacia Marie Geboe of Box Elder, 36, was arrested on a shoplifting charge after a theft was reported at a U.S. Highway 2 West business Sunday at 6:05 p.m. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to four calls Friday, two calls Saturday and two calls Sunday. -- Firefighters were called to the 300 Block of 12th Avenue Friday at 3:37 p.m. in response to a carbon monoxide alarm. Crews detected carbon monoxide coming from the furnace which was turned off and NorthWestern Energy was called in to assist with the furnace. Havre Animal Shelter The Havre shelter this morning held two medium-hair cats, one short hair cat and one long-hair cat all of unknown gender; one short-hair female cat and one long-hair female cat; and five 8-week-old kittens were being fostered until adoption. -- The Havre shelter this morning also held a female Australian cattle dog-blue heeler-border collie dog, a male German shepherd dog, a female mixed-breed dog, a male Labrador retriever 22-week-old puppy, a male Labrador retriever dog, a female mixed-breed 9-month-old puppy, a male Labrador retriever-border collie 26-week-old puppy, a female mixed-breed 11-month-old puppy and a female Australian shepherd-German shepherd dog. Births A girl was born Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, to Nonni Jo LaMere and Tyrell John Molina of Rocky Boy. Candy sits layed out in front of St. Jude Thaddeus School eighth-graders Dylan Kuhn, left, and Ezekiel Antonich as they begin to pack it into boxes Friday. The candy was sent Friday afternoon to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The idea came to her the day after Halloween, Kathryn Tilleman, development director at St. Jude Thaddeus School said. She was listening to "Wake Up Montana" during her morning routine Nov. 1 when she heard a story that covered people sending candy to American troops overseas. The story struck a chord with Tilleman, so she brought the idea to St. Jude's eighth-grade teacher Carly Brunk, whose son, Sgt. Clay Nottingham, deployed to Afghanistan in May. "Plus, my brother was in the Navy for 20 years, so it really hits close to home," Tilleman said. Before long, Tilleman and Brunk had full... Last updated 11/19/2018 at 11:13am Press release MISSOULA Working with the Missoula-based Montana Food Bank Network, the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation has selected 75 food banks, food pantries, rescue missions and homeless shelters across Montana to receive additional grant funds to aid them in helping Montanas most vulnerable citizens. The recipients included the Havre Food Bank, Chinook Food Pantry and Harlem Food Pantry. The Foundations special Holiday Giving Program is designed to give an extra boost to basic needs organizations around the holiday season. In Montana, 1 out of 8 people struggle... New York State Doula Pilot Program Medicaid Coverage of Doula Services: Final Pilot Design Document is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF) February 2019 New York States Medicaid Doula Pilot On April 23rd, the State announced a comprehensive initiative to target maternal mortality and reduce racial disparities in health outcomes. This initiative includes a Medicaid pilot program to cover doulas. Since then, New York State (NYS) Medicaid has gathered information about coverage of doula services from: Doula programs operating in New York; and Other Medicaid programs that cover doula services (District of Columbia, Oregon & Minnesota). The Medicaid pilot program will be implemented through a phased-in approach in order to ensure access to this new benefit. Phase 1 of the pilot launches Erie County on March 1, 2019. The Department continues to work with doulas in Kings County to enroll as Medicaid providers and Phase 2 of the pilot will launch in Kings County when provider capacity is reached. Purpose of Todays Discussion Doula Pilot Areas What is the setting for the doula pilot? Geographicbased Highest prevalence counties in New York State (Erie and Kings) based on: High maternal and infant mortality rates Significant # of Medicaid Births Pilot will exclude the three zip codes already funded through NYCDOHMHs By My Side program (11207, 11212, and 11233). Maternal https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/birth/b33.htm Infant https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/birth/b27.htm Doula Services Eligibility Who is eligible to receive doula services? Medicaid eligible pregnant women in feeforservice or Medicaid Managed Care who reside in the selected zip codes (Erie and Kings) would be eligible to receive doula services. The Medicaid doula pilot will be implemented through a phased-in approach in order to ensure access to this new benefit. Phase 1 of the pilot will launch in Erie County on March 1, 2019. Phase 2 of the pilot will launch in Kings County when provider capacity is reached. Scope of Services What services will be covered by the pilot? Up to and including 4 prenatal visits Support during labor and delivery Up to and including 4 postpartum visits Enrollment in the Medicaid Program Apply for NPI Number Complete NYS Medicaid enrollment forms Provide an attestation of doula training and proof of doula training Contract with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations To participate in the doula pilot program, a doula must be enrolled as a provider in the NYS Medicaid program. To enroll, a doula must: Apply for a National Provider Identification Number (NPI#) at the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System website Complete and return all required NYS Medicaid Provider Enrollment forms: NYS Medicaid Enrollment Form (Practitioner Enrollment form #436801) Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization (Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization form #701101) Electronic Transmitter Identification Number (ETIN) Certification Statement for New Enrollment (ETIN Certification Statement for New Enrollments form #490602) Provide a signed and dated attestation of receiving doula training in the following core competencies: At least 24 contact hours of education that includes any combination of childbirth education, birth doula training, antepartum doula trainings, and postpartum doula training. Attendance at a minimum of one (1) breastfeeding class. Attendance at a minimum of two (2) childbirth classes. Attendance at a minimum of two (2) births. Submission of one (1) position paper/essay surrounding the role of doulas in the birthing process. Completion of cultural competency training. Completion of a doula proficiency exam. Completion of HIPAA/client confidentiality training. Provide a copy of the doula training certificate or an original signed and dated letter from the doula training organization stating the doula has attended and completed their doula training course (this letter must be on the organizations letterhead and signed by the organizations authorizing representative. The doula will be required to return the signed and dated doula training attestation form, proof of doula training, and all completed NYS Medicaid Provider Enrollment forms to: Mailing Address Provider Enrollment Doula Pilot Room A 129 431 Broadway Albany, New York 12204 Medicaid Managed Care Provider Enrollment Once a doula is enrolled as a NYS Medicaid FeeforService provider, they will be eligible to enroll as a provider with each of the Managed Care Organizations (MCO) participating in the pilot (see slide 13). Doulas that are interested in more information regarding the MCOs enrollment process for this pilot must contact the individual plans. Reimbursement for Doulas How will doula services be reimbursed? Depending on the payor, there will be two different ways to bill: FeeForService: Doulas will bill the Medicaid program directly through feeforservice (FFS) via the eMedNY system. Managed Care Doulas will submit a claim to the Managed Care Plan, which will then reimburse the doula. In order to follow federal Medicaid requirements applicable to covered services, doula services will be reimbursed on a FFS schedule. Plans Participating in the Pilot County Plan Name Contact Number Erie County MMC Plans Fidelis Care New York, Inc. (800) 7490820 HealthNow New York, Inc (716) 8876900 Independent Health's MediSource (800) 7365771 United Healthcare Community Plan (877) 8423210 WellCare of New York (800) 2885441 YourCare Health Plan (800) 6833781 Kings County MMC Plans Affinity Health Plan (800) 5538247 Empire BlueCross BlueShield Health Plus (800) 4543730 Fidelis Care New York, Inc. (800) 7490820 HIP (Emblem Health) (646) 4475000 Healthfirst PHSP, Inc. (866) 4636743 MetroPlus (800) 5973380 United Healthcare Community Plan (877) 8423210 WellCare of New York (800) 2885441 *The Medicaid pilot program will be implemented through a phased-in approach in order to ensure access to this new benefit. Phase 1 of the pilot launches Erie County on March 1, 2019. The Department continues to work with doulas in Kings County to enroll as Medicaid providers and Phase 2 of the pilot will launch in Kings County when provider capacity is reached. Doula Fee Schedule (FeeforService) Service Payment Prenatal Care Visit $30 Labor and Delivery $360 Postpartum Visit $30 The total for 8 visits plus labor and delivery is $600 Rationale: The established fee schedule is aligned with the Medicaid fee schedule for professional fees (physicians, NPs, and midwives). Billing Guidance (FeeforService) Visit Type Procedure Code Max Number of Billable Visits Prenatal Care Visit 99600 4 Labor and Delivery 99499 1 Postpartum Visit 99600+ UA Modifier 4 Category of Service: 0464 (Doula) Managed care plans may have different procedure codes depending on their particular systems. Evaluation How will the Medicaid program determine the effectiveness of the pilot? The New York State Department of Health will collect information from mothers on breastfeeding rates, and satisfaction and experience with the pilot via surveys. The Department will also collect information on mothers attendance at postpartum visits via claims. The Department will work with managed care plans on creating a mechanism to identify mothers that are participating in the doula pilot. The Department will also be collecting provider satisfaction information on the doulas via surveys starting at 4 months from the beginning of the pilot and at the end of the pilot. It is the Departments expectation that doulas will complete the surveys to ensure the success of both the pilot and the evaluation. Doula Outreach and Education o The New York State Department of Health will organize a series of webinars and inperson trainings to assist doulas as they become enrolled Medicaid providers and bill the Medicaid program for services. Additional information on trainings can be found here. Resources 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 LEANDERS George Rossiter and Harry Glenister led the way at the GB trials held last Saturday and Sunday in Boston, Lincolnshire. Athletes from all over the country competed on indoor rowing machines to achieve at least the minimum cut off time for 2km set by the GB selectors in order to participate in the 5km water assessment the following day. Leanders Callum McBrierty achieved an impressive fastest time of the day with a time of five minutes 47 seconds. The second day was split into two divisions, the women went first in the pairs where Leander achieved promising results. Natasha Harris-White, rowing with Susie Dear who has recently joined us from Oxford Brookes, finished second with other Leander pairs in the event finishing sixth and eighth, respectively. In the womens single scull, Ruth Siddorn missed out on top spot by 0.2 of a second to Leanders Olympic silver medallist Polly Swan now racing for Edinburgh University where she is studying. Leander had five scullers in the top seven of this event. The afternoon saw the men racing in Division 2. Leanders Rossiter and Glenister raced well and won overall continuing the good form that got them noticed last season. Leanders other pairs finished fourth, seventh, eighth and 23rd. The mens single sculls were won by Leander member Charles Cousins, racing for Abingdon School old boys Griffin BC where he works. Pete Lambert returned to the boat after injury to finish third, just 0.4 seconds ahead of Leander club mate Olly Stephens, in fourth, with 18-year-old Victor Kleshnev finishing seventh. Other Leander results in the mens single sculls were 16th, 17th and 24th. Last but not least was the turn of lightweight men racing in single sculls. Leanders Will Fletcher, who has been out of a boat due to injury, returned with a bang to win overall. Detectives believe they have smashed an international drug trafficking operation running through Ireland to the UK after seizing more than 2m of heroin at Dublin Airport. The bust was made on Friday when gardai swooped on two Pakistani nationals during a drug exchange. A child was also taken along by a female suspect during the exchange, and gardai believe the youngster was used as a cover. Luggage The woman, aged in her 50s, was under surveillance when she entered the arrivals hall with the child to pass on the heroin to a man in his 30s. The man had just landed in Dublin on a flight from Lahore, Pakistan. Members of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) searched the woman's luggage and 15kg of heroin with an estimated street value of 2.1m was seized. The two adults were from Pakistan but also have UK passports, a source said. Detectives are now investigating if the pair were part of a drug trafficking operation using Dublin as a portal to deliver drugs into the UK. "This seizure was the result of a lengthy investigation into drugs being trafficked into Ireland," a source told the Herald. "At this stage it seems the heroin may have been brought here to get easier access to the UK. "Gardai believe the drugs were due to be moved by ferry to England. "If this proves to be the case, it's an example of how Ireland is being used as a portal to ship drugs into England, which has been ongoing for decades." The man and woman were arrested by gardai and are being held at Ballymun Garda Station. Wine A garda spokesman said the operation was carried out with the assistance of the Revenue Customs Service. In a separate operation on Saturday morning, Revenue officers seized 285 litres of wine at Dublin Port. The alcohol was found when officers stopped and searched a car that had been on a ferry from France. The seized wine has an estimated value of 4,000, which Revenue said would have amounted to a loss of 2,000 to the Exchequer. A team of 30 gardai is working to identify the hitman responsible for the "professional" gun killing of father-of-one Clive Staunton. The officers are preparing to review previous gangland murders to identify any similarities which could lead them to the gunman, it emerged yesterday. Mr Staunton, who was not involved in crime, was a distant relative of the Hutch family, who are locked in Ireland's deadliest gangland feud with the Kinahan cartel. He was killed in Leixlip, Co Kildare, last Thursday after returning from selling merchandise outside the Aviva Stadium. Shots Mr Staunton was shot several times as he sat in his van outside his home. The gunman then approached the victim and fired two shots into his head as he attempted to get away. Detectives believe the murder of Mr Staunton (50) was well planned and executed. Two vehicles believed to have been used in the murder were later found burnt out near Kilbride, Co Wicklow - about 40 minutes away from the Glen Easton estate where the killing happened. A source said gardai will review previous murders to see if there are any comparisons to the way in which Mr Staunton's murder was carried out which could help identify the killer. "It's clear this was a professional hit from start to finish," the source said. "They lay in wait, the way they executed him and the calm manner in which they drove a considerable distance before burning the cars. "Very few murders are carried out this efficiently so gardai will obviously be looking for similarities with previous killings to help identify suspects." At this stage gardai are probing if Mr Staunton was gunned down as part of the Hutch/Kinahan feud. Before last week's murder, a total of 18 people had been killed as part of Ireland's deadliest gangland war. They are also investigating if a dispute with dissidents over illicit cigarettes could have led to his killing. A neighbour and friend of the dead man, Shane Cody, said Mr Staunton appeared "fine" when they spoke only hours before the shooting. "I was only talking to him earlier in the day," he said. "He was always in great form, had a smile on his face when you said hello to him. "You could always have a chat with him. It's a nice area and stuff like this doesn't happen. I'm shocked." Father Speaking in Leixlip following the murder last week, Superintendent Gerry Wall said Mr Staunton's father Stan was in the house at the time of the shooting. However, it is understood that he did not witness the murder. Mr Staunton's son is understood to have been out of the country at the time. Supt Wall said 30 detectives and uniformed members of the force worked through Thursday night on the killing. He added that gardai were interested in the movements of a Volvo S40 car, which they believe may have taken the assassins to and from the scene. The gangster, who is preying on youths in the south inner city, where he recently moved A Kinahan cartel hitman and enforcer is "actively recruiting" vulnerable teenagers to carry out attacks on behalf of the ruthless crime gang. The Herald can reveal that the thug - the chief suspect in the attempted murder of James 'Mago' Gately - is offering the young men from his south inner city flats complex cash in exchange for stashing and dealing drugs. The 27-year-old is also recruiting teenagers from the block to carry out punishment beatings, make threats and intimidate rival criminals as well as drug users. Sources say that the hitman's sick recruitment drive has left residents and gardai seriously concerned and there are fears that it will strengthen his hold on the area. Suspect "Gardai are itching to arrest this criminal," said one source. Expand Close Gardai at the scene of the botched hit attempt on James Mago Gately at the Topaz Garage in Clonshaugh in May last year / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai at the scene of the botched hit attempt on James Mago Gately at the Topaz Garage in Clonshaugh in May last year "He is a suspect in at least five gun attacks and now is strengthening his foothold in the south inner city. "He has risen to the top of the pile very quickly because he is so ruthless. "He will do anything for cash, and he usually gets the job done. But the net is closing in on him." Gardai based in Pearse Street have been closely monitoring the activities of the hitman since he moved into the apartment complex with his partner earlier this year. The Herald previously revealed how he paid 5,000 to have reinforced doors installed in his social housing flat. He is the chief suspect in the murder of Robert Sheridan last month as well as four other gun attacks. Gardai also suspect the violent criminal was behind a spate of non-fatal shooting incidents in the Ballymun area over the summer. Among the victims was an innocent young woman who was shot in the kneecap in July. The gangster was previously arrested in August of last year for the botched murder attempt on Hutch gang associate Gately three months earlier. Last year we revealed that he was questioned for two days at Santry Garda Station about the bungled hit on Gately and was then taken to court because of outstanding bench warrants against him. After a brief appearance at Dublin District Court he was remanded in custody. Jail bosses placed him on the so-called "Kinahan landing" in Mountjoy Prison, where many senior cartel figures are housed. Gately (30) was shot in the neck while sitting in a car at the Topaz Garage in Clonshaugh, north Dublin, on the afternoon of May 10 last year. He spent a number of days being treated in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital in the aftermath of the shooting. The fears of another attack were so high that members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) patrolled the Beaumont area until Gately was discharged. The south inner city thug is considered a "main and active participant" in Ireland's newest gangland feud. He took the side opposed to Louth mobster Owen Maguire, who was shot multiple times last July in Drogheda leaving him paralysed. In March the Herald revealed that children were being terrorised in a sinister campaign of gangland violence which is being orchestrated by the hitman. Among the violence he masterminded from behind bars were attacks on a house occupied by a completely innocent family. The hitman has been based in the south inner city since being released from jail. He is suspected of involvement in two shootings that happened less than 50 minutes apart in August. Bitter In the first incident, a 34-year-old man was shot in the leg at Shangan Green. The victim was rushed to the Mater Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries, which were non-life threatening. Before the victim had even arrived at the hospital, a number of shots were fired at a house at Belclare View, just two kilometres away from the location where he was initially targeted. No injuries were caused in that incident, which resulted only in damage to windows. The feared criminal also has very close links to the Kinahan-aligned Finglas-based drugs gang in which the dealer known as 'Mr Flashy' plays a key role. This gang was involved in a bitter local feud in Finglas which saw numerous violent incidents over the past year but which has "eased off" in recent months. When Nicole Nikki Fried went to sleep on Tuesday, Nov. 6, the candidate for agriculture commissioner was behind her opponent, state Rep. Matt Caldwell by half of 1 percent. She didnt see the bump in votes she expected from Broward, her home county, and she had a gut feeling that the numbers werent right. For the next 24 hours, we saw that was the case, she said in an interview Saturday. Democracy doesnt happen overnight. As thousands of late ballots were tallied, particularly in Broward and Palm Beach counties, the closest of the statewide races to go into a recount flipped a day after the polls closed. She maintained a slim but decisive margin thereafter. After grueling machine and manual recounts for the razor-thin race, Fried emerged victorious in the contest to replace term-limited Adam Putnam by just 6,753 votes a margin of .08 percent. Caldwell asked a Broward judge Saturday to mandate the county to submit machine recount results to the state, which would give Republicans a net increase. That petition was denied, according to Broward County attorney Andrew Meyers. That left one statewide Democratic candidate standing: Fried, a South Florida attorney whose first run for office catapulted her into a unique position. Democrats candidates for chief financial officer and attorney general lost by significant margins. After a machine recount confirmed Ron DeSantis election, Tallahassee mayor and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum conceded in a speech on Facebook live Saturday afternoon. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelsons campaign scheduled a 3 p.m. statement Sunday after the states official results showed Gov. Rick Scott with a margin of 10,033 votes (0.12 percent) after a long week of lawsuits and dashed hopes to change election provisions. Fried is not just the winner of the cabinet seat, but she also is now the highest-ranking Democrat in the state and the first woman elected to the job. How, of all people, did the first-time candidate from South Florida rise above the rest of her partys high-profile candidates? There was a three-term U.S. Senator, the son of a legendary state Supreme Court justice and charismatic mayor of the capital city? What was her key to a down-to-the-wire success? She says her campaigns success was three-fold. First, she committed to a mostly nonpartisan campaign. Second, she stuck firmly to three narrow talking points, or her three ws: Weapons, weed and water. Frieds campaign, which was heavily predicated on gun control and expanding access to medical marijuana, brought an understanding of the agriculture commissioners role to those outside of the farming community. Or, in other words Democrats, suburbanites and urban dwellers. These were things that transcend Democrats, independents and Republicans, Fried said of her platform. I made them believe that I want to fix things and make things better. The third key to her success? The fourth w, she said: Being a woman. Fried, who sees herself as a role model for her young niece, Ella, said people cross party lines because they believe its time to let some women into office. Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist and consultant who did not work directly for the campaign, agreed that Frieds gender likely played a role. He speculated that her gender elevated her name off a majority male ticket, playing into a nationwide trend this election. You look around the country, and Democratic women had a really good night, he said. Theres a profile that did very well. It was women. Schale said Frieds smartest move was playing in the narrow lane, especially leaning into gun issues provoked by last years mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the discovery of a breach in background checks that happened under the supervision of Putnam. She spent time publicly distancing herself from the National Rifle Association, gaining attention from parents of Parkland victims and groups like Moms Demand Action. Caldwell, on the other hand, was endorsed by the NRA and campaigned on a promise to defend the Second Amendment at all costs. She was smart to lean into narrow lanes, said Schale, who led former President Barack Obamas efforts in Florida, For her, it was a really solid contrast with Matt. One thing Fried didnt have when she started out was much name recognition. Her opponent, Caldwell, had nearly a decade of experience in public office. So Fried worked to travel and speak as often as she could. Schale said if you were to walk into a grocery store and ask people who Nikki Fried was, they would think youre asking about their neighbors. But when she made national news after her campaign bank accounts were shut down twice because of medical marijuana industry donors, high-profile endorsements, donations and speaking engagements started to come through. In September, Congressman and former governor Charlie Crist said the state was desperate for more leaders like Nikki. Former Vice President Joe Biden endorsed her in October. Big names like former New York Mayor Michael Bloombergs Everytown for Gun Safety came through with huge donations. While she had big donors, Fried didnt have the sugar and weapon industries behind her. In fact, she raised about $3.5 million less than Caldwell in the end. She didnt have history on her side, either. Republicans had won 13 of the last 14 Cabinet races, most by large margins. Caldwell fashioned himself into the agriculture candidate Florida has seen time and time again. He ditched his signature bow tie for a cowboy hat, his dress shoes for brown leather boots, and he toured the state in a modest pickup truck with a small but mighty campaign staff. The makeover seemed to have worked. But then it didnt. On election night, he won by a slim half point. At the end of the manual recount, that lead had long vanished and his deficit exceeded 6,700 votes. The recount was not an easy one for either candidate. Caldwell, who trailed by 5,307 votes heading into the manual recount, sued Browards elections supervisor after more than 2,000 ballots were misplaced during its machine recount. As a result, the countys canvassing board submitted a combined version of its manual recount totals and original unofficial totals. That decision put Caldwell further behind Fried. Palm Beach County, which faced a multitude of recount-related problems, never even started its manual recount for the agriculture commissioners race. On Saturday night, the attorneys at the Broward election office took a group photo: Say Senator Scott! one blurted out. Commissioner Fried! said Matt Gotha, one of her consultants. Then, the happy attorneys shouted: Everybody gets something! Alex Sink, former CFO and the last Democrat to hold a cabinet position, called the overall Democrat losses demoralizing. She said Frieds role in the cabinet is very, very important to offer balance among top state leaders. Frieds transition team, which she prematurely announced Nov. 10, will be led by former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who represented the large agriculture community of Martin County. Also on the team is U.S. Rep. Darren Soto and Fred Guttenberg, a gun-control activist whose daughter, Jaime, was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last February. After the machine recount ended Thursday, Fried declared victory again. But on Nov, 17, a more muted Fried said the victorious announcements didnt necessarily reflect how she felt throughout the campaign. When she first decided to run, she obviously wanted to win, she said. But just the process of running for office and bringing up issues she felt were important were a part of making history nonetheless. The reasons why I was doing this is what got me up every day, she said. But as a candidate, you have to know that you could lose and make sure that you stay true to yourself and your message. Even if you lose at the ballot box, you have to be proud of becoming the person that you were through the process. PARIS - 'Yellow vest' protesters have called for a large protest Saturday, November 24, in Paris. ''Act II. All of France in Paris!!'' was the slogan on Facebook used by the movement against the rise of fuel prices by President Emmanuel Macron. The objective, according to the Facebook group promoted by Eric Drouet - a previously unknown truck driver from Seine-et-Marne - is high visibility and to reach ''by all possible means'' the capital, including train, bus and car-sharing, ''because that's where the government is. We are waiting for all of you - trucks, buses, taxis, car services, farmerseveryone!'', read the message. A reported 23,000 people have said they will participate while 163,000 have said they are ''interested''. 'Debout la France' has called for a large mobilization on the same day in Paris. In particular, Franck Buhler, who represents the party in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, has suggested to block the capital ''on foot, by car or horse''. ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 19 - These are some of the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: MADRID - The Prado Museum celebrates its 200th anniversary with a large commemorative exhibition titled 'Prado Museum 1819-2019: A Place of Memory', which opens today. MADRID - 3rd edition of Italian Cuisine Week kicks off (until 25/11). BRUSSELS - EU, Council of Agriculture and Fishing Ministers (also 20/11). BRUSSELS - EU, Council of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers (also 20/11).(ANSAmed). Hagerstown Salvation Army hopes to raise $100,000 in kettle campaign The Red Kettle campaign at the Hagerstown Salvation Army kicks off. They are hoping to raise $100,000. They are also collecting toys and clothes TEL AVIV - An unexpected turn of events took place on Monday in the Israeli government crisis, when Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, both of the Jewish Home party, decided not to resign and instead to give their confidence to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on changes he announced on defence. In a press conference, Bennett said he was retracting his ultimatum, in which he had threatened to resign if he was not named defence minister following the resignation last week of Avigdor Lieberman. "Now the ball is in his court," Bennett said. The lack of resignations means that the current government retains its parliamentary majority. "For many years, Israel has stopped winning," Bennett said. "I saw that as a commander during the Second Lebanon War (2006). I saw the uncertainty and the confusion, the lack of determination, I saw the lack of spirit," he said, naming some of the chronic issues he feels are affecting the Israeli armed forces. He said these are also the reasons why in recent days he had called for being named defence minister. "We have put constraints on our fighters, both legal and conceptual. The fighters are more afraid of the military prosecutor than of Yahya Sinwar," Bennett said, referring to the leader of the military wing of Hamas. "Our defence policy in the last 10 years has taken a bad route. The belief has been created that there's no solution to missiles and terrorism. But there is. When Israel wants to win, it will start doing so again," Bennett said. He said if Netanyahu goes in this direction, the prime minister can count on his support. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. During a meeting with school principals and community leaders at the Gegharkunik Governors Office, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the upcoming early election of parliament, emphasizing that the government attaches great importance to ruling out the use of administrative resources, vote buying, and attempts to involve teachers into the electoral process. I would like to tell you that no one can [instruct] the citizen of Armenia on whom to vote for. Citizens ought to watch the campaigns, the speeches of representatives of political forces, familiarize themselves with the programs and make a decision regarding their vote. Id like to say that the involvement of school principals and teachers in general in the campaigning processes must be ruled out, Pashinyan said. He said it is highly important to be able to reject all those methods that were previously being used. Of course the Electoral Code clearly defines who is entitled to campaign and whos not, but in general I think that civil servants should restrict themselves to a certain extent in order for especially educational facilities not to be politicized, he added. Pashinyan stressed that administrative resources, vote buying and other similar occurrences dont have a place in Armenia no more. He also issued a warning to the so called criminal authorities. He emphasized that this phenomenon should also be eradicated. If someone is a criminal element, then his place is in prison, he should either be in prison or live as a law-abiding citizen, he said. Pashinyan assured that all political forces will have equal opportunities for campaigning. Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on October 16 to trigger the process of disbanding the parliament. Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyans Republican Party (HHK) still has most seats in the 105-seat parliament. Since taking office, Nikol Pashinyan has numerously said that the incumbent parliament doesnt represent the people and that early elections should take place as soon as possible. In accordance to the Constitution, when a Prime Minister resigns the parliament must elect a new PM within two weeks. Lawmakers deliberately failed to elect a new PM as a formality in order to pave the way for dissolution. The last round took place on November 1 and the parliament was dissolved by virtue of law. Later on the same day, President Armen Sarkissian signed an order on dissolving the parliament and calling early elections on December 9. The parliament will function until the new parliament is elected. The government is formally a caretaker government until a new government is formed after the election. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Anushka Sharma unveiled her interactive wax statue at Singapores Madame Tussauds on Monday. The actor was seen posing with the wax statue that holds a mobile in its hand, allowing you to take selfies with it. Anushka joins celebs such as Oprah Winfrey, Lewis Hamilton and Cristiano Ronaldo in having a statue with interactive features. Earlier, a source had said that Anushkas statue will be able to talk. Only a few exhibits are given the talk feature and they are mostly global leaders or icons. Anushkas statue will talk! In fact, she will be the first wax statue in the Singapore museum with this feature. It is a massive interactivity feature that Madame Tussauds is adding to her wax statue. Only a handful of global power leaders/icons have other forms of interactivity attached to their statues and this move by the museum is a huge salutation to Anushkas global fan following, Indian Express quoted a source as saying. Alex Ward, the General Manager, Madame Tussauds Singapore had said, We are thrilled to be working with Anushka Sharma. She will have the first talking wax figure at Madame Tussauds Singapore. We see many families but also young adults from India coming to our attraction, and this is a great opportunity for us to cater to that audience. Anushkas next release will be Zero that stars Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif as well. She was last seen with Varun Dhawan in Sui Dhaaga. Follow @htshowbiz for more Makers of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaifs much-talked-about film Bharat, deny facing any trouble while filming in the Ballowal village of Ludhiana. According to a report in Jagran, Wagah Border was recreated in the fields on Ludhiana and 19 acres of land was rented from local farmers for the same. The latter were paid an amount of about 80 thousand per acre. It was reported that the farmers of the adjacent farms in Jodha village, who were not being able to access their farms because of the films set, objected to the shoot. Read| Bharat: Salman Khan shares a new picture with Katrina Kaif at Wagah border. See it here However, when we contacted the director of Bharat, Ali Abbas Zafar, he denied any such developements. Nothing of this sort has happened. These are just some rumours that have been floating. We have been shooting very peacefully here. The city and the people are supporting us and everyone is very happy. Such speculation is not to be trusted, he says. Nikhil Namit, the co-producer of the film, also voiced the same. He said that he was unhappy with such fictitious reports being circulated, and that everything is untrue,to which no importance should be given. Bharat is a human drama, which is a remake of South Korean film Ode To My Father that released in 2014. The film that some time back finished its international schedule also stars Tabu, Disha Patani and Sunil Grover. Author tweets @Shreya_MJ Follow @htshowbiz for more Earlier this year, when French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing, he looked at the clear, blue skies above and exclaimed: Ive never seen Beijing like this! Macron was not off the mark. Ten years ago, the citys air was so polluted that the sun appeared to be a fading dot in the sky. Looking back, when I first landed at Beijing airport in 2008, dawn had broken but the intensity of sunlight was feeble at best. The frail sunlight in Beijing touched a chord with people from Delhi, used to the Capitals tepid sunlight in the winter. A few days ago, I read in the New York Times that cancer caused by industrial pollution is claiming lives in large numbers in this Asian superpower. Millions of people meet an untimely death owing to air pollution and only one per cent of residents in the worlds most populous country are able to live in an environment free of pollution. Five years after my visit, in 2013, China evolved a national working strategy to fight pollution. Under this, they placed a number of restrictions on the use of coal. Thermal power stations were shut down and people were not allowed to burn coal even for household consumption. Also, apart from creating norms for vehicular emissions, a number of precautionary measures that could keep air pollution in check were put in place. For the record, 1,37,000 people in China lost their lives because of PM 2.5 vehicular emissions just this year. While it is true that Beijings air quality has improved, the government is far from achieving its targets. The Chinese government has acknowledged that pollution has not reduced to the extent that it was targeting in as many as 231 out of 338 Chinese cities. To overcome this, another three-year working strategy has been prepared. The question is: if China can launch a fierce war on pollution, why cant India do so? Until when will we keep lamenting that the form of governance in China is very different from India that their government can do what it wants, while we are a democracy? To get approval for its projects, our government requires no-objection-certificates from its own departments. This leads to development plans getting entangled in red tape and facing legal bottlenecks. Can these hollow arguments by Indias politicians compensate for the loss of lives and money caused by pollution? A recent report by The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health reveals that the scourge of pollution claimed the lives of 25.1 lakh Indians in 2015 alone. It is frightening to discover that 28% of pollution deaths worldwide are of Indian citizens and that 75% of these victims stay in rural India. India may not be topping the charts in any other sphere, but we are miles ahead of others on this dubious front. How bereft of sensitivity our politicians are on this issue is evident in the verbal skirmishes that the chief ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana engaged in. Pay attention! Three different parties are in power in the three states but they appear to be united when it comes to brushing this subject under the carpet. The numbers made public by the Central Pollution Control Board last week affirm as much. After examining the air quality of 65 cities, they discovered that the quality of 60 of these was poor. Delhi and the areas adjoining it are in the grip of a serious pollution crisis. These numbers are scary, but let me help you get acquainted with another scary statistic. Isnt it a matter of shame that just 65 cities in such a large country as ours have government facilities to measure pollution? If the pollution levels of every city in the county were to be evaluated, the statistic will be enough to make every citizen anxious. It isnt surprising that even migratory birds from distant countries such as Siberia have begun to give India a skip. The number of migratory birds at Delhis Yamuna Biodiversity Park has been reducing in the last three years. If the pollution continues, even birds will turn their back on us. Needless to say, it is birds that initiate the process of migration and the process often ends with human beings. This could be the reason why a recent study discovered that 35% of its residents want to migrate from Delhi. Clearly, the Capital has lost some of its sheen. Nature is sending out a clear signal: Mend your ways or youll perish. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan letters@hindustantimes.com YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by President of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France Valerie Pecresse. Note that today the roadmap of the cooperation agreement was signed between Yerevan and the Regional Council of Ile-de-France for 2018-2021, according to which projects of exchange of experience in the spheres of waste management, urban transport management, city planning, culture and education will be implemented. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia, highlighting the deepening of relations between Yerevan and Ile-de-France, Nikol Pashinyan noted that relations between Armenia and France develop dynamically, which is evidenced y the frequent high level mutual visits between the two countries in the recent months. According to the acting PM, Ile-de-France is one of the most effectively managed regions of France, and exchange of experience will be productive for Armenia. Valerie Pecresse highly assessed the role of the French-Armenian community in the public, political and cultural life of of Ile-de-France. She presented to Nikol Pashinyan the details of her meeting with Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan. Saluting the signing of the above-mentioned document, Nikol Pashinyan noted that there are successful models of Armenian-French centralized and decentralized cooperation and Armenia is interested in examining and implementing advanced experience of management. The interlocutors exchanged views on attracting French companies into areas of mutual interest. The acting PM congratulated Valerie Pecresse for being awarded with Gold Medal of Yerevan City Council for her contribution to the strengthening of the friendly relations between Yerevan and Ile-de-France. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Two Nepalese men have been arrested hiding in the drug at the departmental store they had burgled in north Delhis Roop Nagar in the early hours on Sunday, police said. Police said the two-storey departmental store is one of the 75 franchise shops of a private pharmaceutical company, Sanyog healthcare limited. Each store is covered by CCTV cameras and the company has a centralised CCTV footage monitoring control room in Nangloi. Two operators monitor the live video footage of all the stores round-the-clock. Additional deputy commissioner of police Jasmeet Singh said the raid was conducted after the pharmaceutical companys control room operator saw two men in the locked Roop Nagars departmental store and called the police control room. The inspector (investigation) of the Roop Nagar police station, who was on night patrolling duty, immediately formed a team and rushed to the store. The team raided the store and caught the two burglars. Both of them are from Nepal. They hid themselves at different places on the first floor of the store when the raiding team members announced the they had surrounded the store and asked them to surrender. The burglars had even broken the cash box, said the additional DCP. Shashwat Sharma, general manager of Sanyog healthcare limited, said that he reached the departmental store around 4am after receiving a call about the break-in. Sharma said that the inspector, who was leading the raiding party, broke open the glass door and went to the first floor with his team members, who were carrying firearms and sticks. We found one burglar hiding behind a wooden temple. He identified himself as Surender Bahadur,27. He guided us to the iron rack where his associate, Ram Singh,30, had hidden himself in a carton box, said a police officer, who was part of the operation. The officer said that apart from some house breaking equipments, they also recovered around R60,000 from the arrested men, which they had stolen from the cash box. Police said Ram Singh was last arrested in a similar case registered in east Delhis Krishna Nagar police station in 2004. After his released from jail, Singh returned to Nepal. The duo told the police that they came to Delhi around two months ago in search of job. When they could not find a job, the two decided to burgle a shop. However, their luck ran out as they chose a shop that is secured by around 30 CCTVs having a 24x7 live feed monitoring control room in Nangloi, the officer added. The Union governments decision to change Delhis chief secretary in a bureaucratic reshuffle is again leading to a stand-off between the Centre and the state at a time when the Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on which of them has the final authority on appointing and evaluating bureaucrats. The issue of services dealing with transfers, postings and accountability of bureaucrats in Delhi -- has been a contentious one ever since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2015, and the party on Sunday alleged that the Centres sudden move to remove Anshu Prakash as chief secretary was to show its hegemony over the elected government. In a late-evening order, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Saturday transferred Prakash to the Union telecommunications ministry as additional secretary. While MHA is likely to announce Delhis next chief secretary by Tuesday, the AAP and the Delhi government questioned the timing of the move. What was the reason to transfer the chief secretary now? When the court is due to give its verdict, why could the decision not be taken later? The Delhi government has not received any official communication on this yet. The Centre neither informed nor consulted us about the transfer of Anshu Prakash and also about appointing his successor, said Nagendar Sharma, media adviser to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. In the eventuality of Delhi government getting control over services, it would like to appoint the chief secretary of its choice, and not that of the Centre. In such a scenario, the impending unilateral appointment of Prakashs successor by the Centre will only complicate matters, added another senior AAP leader who asked not to be named. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, called the AAPs contention on the chief secretarys transfer vague and unconstitutional. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said there is no way that an administrative step can be related to a judicial decision which is yet to be pronounced. I can still understand the logic of transferring officers within the Delhi government. But, how can the Delhi government transfer a bureaucrat to a Union ministry or to another UT, say Andaman and Nicobar islands? he asked. On July 4, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court said that the Delhi government had primacy over the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) on all matters other than police, land, and public order. But it left the issues of services and control of Delhis anti-corruption branch to be decided by a two-judge bench. The tussle over services arises from a May 21, 2015 notification issued by MHA that said the Centre, through the L-G, had jurisdiction over it. The Delhi government says this was illegal. The Centre has argued that the Supreme Court verdict of June 4 did on quash the MHA notification. What has further complicated matters in Delhi this year is that, in February, Prakash alleged that some AAP MLAs assaulted him at a midnight meeting in the presence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The allegations snowballed into a tense standoff between Delhis bureaucracy, particularly IAS officers posted in the city government, and the political executive. Delhi police filed a charge sheet in the case against the CM, deputy CM Sisodia and other AAP MLAs. The AAP has called the charge sheet bogus and termed it a ploy by the Centre to launch a witch hunt against its leaders. The Delhi government has long contended that not getting bureaucrats of its choice is hampering development work in several projects. The MHA has cadre controlling-authority of transferring and posting all-India service officers. They have a pool of IAS officers which they distribute in different UTs. Even if the SCs verdict on services comes in favour of the Delhi government, implementing the order may take over a year. Administrative work cannot stop till then, said SK Sharma, former Lok Sabha secretary. Four people were killed Monday in a fire incident at a factory in central Delhi after one of them, a heavy built man, got stuck at the exit door while escaping the building and blocked the route for others, firefighters said. Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials said the fire started at 12.23 pm in Beadonpura area in Karol Bagh after a solvent used for laundering clothes spilled out on the floor accidentally. The DFS had received a call that a fire has broken out at a house but when firefighters reached the spot, they found the victims were involved in laundering clothes, said an official. He said the victims were about to steam iron clothes and were putting solvent in a container when it spilled on the floor and came in contact with the steam iron triggering the fire. A heavy-built man, who was sitting near the door, tried to get out of the exit door and got stuck. This blocked the route for others who were inside the building, the officer added. The deceased have been identified as Bagan Prasahad (55), R M Naresh (40), Aarti (20) and Asha (40). A 25-year-old man, named Ajeet, was injured and has been admitted to a hospital. Two fire tenders brought the fire under control by 12.50 pm, the officer said. The 38th edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) kicked off for the general public on Sunday. Though the space allotted to the fair at Pragati Maidan has been reduced to 22 % of its size due to the ongoing redevelopment work, the fair managed to attract more than 30,000 visitors on the first day. The fair was open only for business visitors for the first four days. This is the second time that the fair was organised at a reduced scale owing to major redevelopment work being carried out at the site. At present, work for major construction projects a new international exhibition-cum-convention centre (IECC), executive accommodation blocks and a tunnel are being undertaken at Pragati Maidan. Of the 18 halls at Pragati Maidan, most of which have been demolished due to the redevelopment work, exhibitions were set up only in six halls. According to India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) officers, the limit for number of daily visitors has been slashed to half from last years tally of 60,000 to avoid mismanagement. The area allotted for the fair is almost half than that of last year and hence the limit for number of daily visitors has been capped at 30,000. Besides, another 6,000 people, including traders, staff and police, are also present at the venue, Vivekanada Vikek, chief public relations officer ITPO, said. The end timing has also been reduced to 5.30pm from last years 7:30pm. Tickets are to be bought in advance either online or at Metro stations till 5 pm. This year, visitors entry is allowed only from gate number 1, 8 and 10. Traders, who are representing 18 states at the fair, shared mixed reviews on the first day. It was a good day for us. We managed to do business of more than Rs 1 lakh today, Pushpa Mitra Rath of Boyanika handlooms from Odisha said. A silver jeweller from Jharkhand, Tara Soni, however, complained of bad business. The area where the fair is conducted has been shrunk due to the construction. Moreover, the daily footfall has also been limited. This looks another year of bad business in a row. We were hoping a better first day, he said. Besides, traders from seven countries, including China, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Korea, have also set up their stalls at the trade fair. The visitors, meanwhile, said they were expecting more attractions. Earlier, we used to visit the trade fair at least twice just to cover all the halls. However, this time I have covered everything in a day. There was nothing extraordinary, said Sukhwainder Singh, a Lajpat Nagar resident, who has been visiting the trade fair for the last 10 years. Meanwhile, at the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) hall outside the gate number 12-A, a large number of visitors were seen clicking pictures with jawans throughout the day. I felt really happy to see the pictures of over 2,100 martyrs and 1,500 gallantry awards at one place. This is the best section at the trade fair for me, said Divanshi, a class 12 student of a government school in Shakti Nagar. After much delay, the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, also known as Western Peripheral Expressway, finally became fully operational on Monday when Prime Minister Narenda Modi inaugurated 84-km stretch of the e-way. Proposed in 2003 by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), the KMP Expressway is likely to give the National Capital Region (NCR) some much-needed relief from traffic congestion and subsequent air pollution. With the inauguration on Monday, the total length of the KMP Expressway will be 136 kilometres as 52-km Manesar to Palwal section of the expressway is already operational for the last two years. A commute on the 84-km-long road, which has six lanes, makes an exhilarating experience in the middle of the day as it passes through some of the greenest farmlands between Manesar and Kundli. It goes through Jhajjar, Badli, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat and other parts of the NCR, and connects four major national highways -- NH-1, NH- 2, NH-8 and NH -10. An HT team visited the expressway a week before it was scheduled to be opened on November 1, and it was obvious that the road needed some more finishing touches before becoming operational. Perhaps the reason why the inauguration was extended by more than two weeks. With the cloverleaf on the national highway 48, which connects the Manesar-Palwal section with Manesar-Kundli section, one has to take a U-turn to get on the approaching road from where starts the 84-km-long journey. It is expected that almost 20% to 25% of non-destined commercial traffic entering Gurugram and Delhi would take this diversion, thus cutting down congestion and pollution levels. Strong votaries of the expressway cite the toll collection figures of Mnaesar-Palwal section as an indication of the future. Initially, the toll collection on this stretch for first few months was around Rs 20 lakh per day but now the average is around Rs 60 lakh and most of it is from commercial and heavy traffic, says Pradeep Goyal, vice-president, Essel Infraprojects Ltd, which was awarded contract in 2016. At the beginning is the Manesar toll plaza, which is first of the seven tolls on the expressway. A noticeable thing is that all the plazas that allow traffic midway are designed as a cloverleaf to ensure smooth entry on this high-speed access control road, which has crash barriers on both sides to prevent any vehicle or animal from entering the road. We have also ensured that none of the roads connecting villages across the highway, revenue roads or water channels are blocked. The natural movement of people and elements has been taken care of, says Vilas Misal, project director, KMP Expressway. A few kilometers ahead, workers on both sides of the road could be seen clearing the middle section, fixing the high mast lights on the central verge and other basic amenities. Around 50% of the lighting work was pending on October 25, but the contractor now asserts that 90% of that work is completed. The toll plazas are ready and concessionaire can start operation whenever it wants. Lighting work will be soon completed, said Goyal. As we move ahead and reach Daboda, there is a large camp site of the KMP Expressway where a number of vehicles are parked. The site is almost 20 feet below the road and one has to walk on a steep muddy slope to reach the office, where activity is feverish in expectation of PM Modis visit. We have completed all the work which was in the contract and it is ready for inauguration. The work which is leftover was later added to the scope, including drip irrigation, solar lighting and additional measures, says project director Misal. Moving onwards to Kundli, there is a feeling of isolation as a large stretch of the expressway is desolate and there is no resting bay ready either for commercial or local traffic. Commuters on this road should be fully loaded on petrol, food, and water as in the initial days barring the presence of police personnel there is not much public amenities that they can access. As per the project, the plan is to set up a resting bay at Kilometre-47, but the authorities are still working out the acquisition of land for it, said an official. There would be a resting bay and other amenities also, along with a helpline number soon. We are working on it, says Goyal. Rushing towards Kundli, a large group of people are standing near Nizam Khurd and offering prasad to the travellers majority of whom are truckers, dumper drivers and few cars that take this route to travel between Kundli and Manesar. Dada Bhaiya temple is nearby. Locals have their own view on the KMP expressway, which, they say, has divided the village land in two parts, not added much to their life as it is inaccessible to them until they travel far. There is no provision of service road on the highway despite the fact that land is available. The earth from the sides was scooped to build this elevated road, but we feel disconnected, says Ramesh Kumar, a village elder. The contractor, however, disagrees and says that they have tried to keep the adjacent area within the loop of the road. Prof Sewa Ram, an expert from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, says that not only the rural population but the actual road users in Delhi and NCR will be left out unless radial connectivity is improved. This expressway and others need to have connection with internal expressways like the Dwarka expressway or the ring roads in Delhi so that more people can use it and traffic from the centre comes towards the outer. It will reduce congestion and pollution as well, he says. Finally, when the car reaches the toll plaza at Kundli, there is a sense of elation as the journey comes to end. The last toll plaza on this highway has been built keeping in mind both aesthetics and culture. A large hall, which will showcase digitally the construction of this expressway and culture of Haryana, will lure the commuters as they take rest from a long journey or are ready to embark upon one. Hindu woman leader KP Sasikala reached the Sabarimala temple on Monday as opposition parties demanded a probe into Sunday nights violence on the hilltop shrine in Keralas Pathanamthitta district. Hindu Aikya Vedi president Sasikala was taken into preventive custody from near the temple premises two days ago for flouting police regulations and was released after being produced before a magistrate. She visited the shrine with her family members in connection with the chorunnu or rice feeding ceremony of her grandsons on Monday. Sabarimala Row Live Updates She was served a notice by the superintendent of police Yatish Chandra at Nilakkal in the morning, asking her not to remain at the sannidhanam or the main complex beyond six hours. She was on a state-run bus with her family members when she was stopped and served the notice. Chandra later said while speaking to reporters Sasikala had promised to return and given an assurance that she was not going to the temple for creating any trouble. Our aim is not to trouble anyone. We want devotees not to stay back at the sannidhanam but come back. This will enable devotees to worship peacefully, the officer said. The hilltop shrine was peaceful after Sunday nights incident, two days after the temple had opened on Friday evening for the 64-day annual pilgrimage season as the stand-off continued over the entry of menstrual age women into the shrine following a Supreme Court order on September 28. Helicopters of the Indian Navy made an aerial survey of the Sabarimala temple to assess the situation after the state government sought the forces help for surveillance. Hitlers rule The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress attacked the Kerala government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after more than 70 devotees were arrested late on Sunday for flouting prohibitory orders outside the Sabarimala temple. Read more: Will enter Sabarimala temple on Nov 17, announces activist Trupti Desai The BJPs state chief PS Sreedharan Pillai said there was a police raj in Sabarimala and that the pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine to Lord Ayyappa was being affected due to their highhandedness as he demanded a judicial probe into the incident. We will move the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Police are forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala, Pillai said. The leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala asked if Kerala was under Nazi ruler Adolf Hitlers rule. The senior Congress leader accused the government of trying to brand Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists and thus helping RSS recruit people to its fold. Read more: Sabarimala row: The women who kept Kerala cops on tenterhooks for hours It is police high-handedness. Innocent devotees who sought shelter at Valiya Nadappandhal (covered pathway) were also arrested. They all are not Sangh Parivar activists who reached there to create trouble. Is Kerala under the rule of Hitler? Chennithala said while speaking to reporters in Kochi. Union minister KJ Alphons also slammed the Kerala government for turning the Sabarimala temple complex into a war zone and lack of facilities at the shrine. The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims. What was the need to declare Section 144 at Sabarimala? Alphons, who is trekking to the temple, asked while talking to reporters. The Centre had provided Rs 100 crore for setting up various facilities at Sabarimala, he said. The police action against the devotees has led to protests across the state, including the chief ministers official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, as organisations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh observed a protest day on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, will hold a daylong state-wide agitation on Monday to further intensify their stir against police high handedness. We have organised a state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state, Morchas state president Prakash Babu told news agency PTI. Protests were also held in several places across the state in Aranmula, Kochi, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ranni, Thodupuzha, Kaladi, Malappuram and Idukki among others. Investigators stayed away from making any statements on the identity of the people or groups behind the grenade attack at the Amritsars Nirankari Bhawan but Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Monday that it seemed to carry Pakistans signature, adding that the initial investigations indicated that the grenade used was similar to the ones made by the Pakistani Army Ordnance factory. Functionaries of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat an offshoot of the RSS, the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party which works with the Sikh community has cautioned that there is an attempt to stoke disturbance in the state by Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence. The chief minister also dismissed the possibility of the attack being a replay of the decades-old Nirankari-Sikh conflict, as some have speculated. A team from the National Investigation Agency visited the site of the attack on Monday, as per the standard operating procedure that applies in all terror-related investigations. The case is yet to be handed over to the NIA, said an agency official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He added that the possibility of a new module backed by the Pakistani spy agency, ISI, through Khalistani sympathisers based outside the country cannot be ruled out. A central counter-terrorism official drew parallels with a similar attack on a police station in Maqsudan of Jalandhar district in September this year. It is suspected that four grenades were thrown at the police station, injuring a policeman. But nothing can be said conclusively about it. A Khalistani outfit Bhindranwale Tigers Force (BTF) had claimed responsibility for it but again it was just a claim that is yet to be verified, said the official who did not want to be named. A Punjab Police official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they suspect Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh PhD alias Happy as the main conspirator behind the attack. There was, however, no official statement from the police. In Delhi, home minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the aftermath of the attack. Singh met home secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau director Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Kumar Dhasmana, and other officials. The Punjab CM, who flew to Amritsar from Chandigarh along with his cabinet colleagues Navjot Singh Sidhu and state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, said the police recovered an HG-84 grenade, the same one used in the attack, from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across the border. Prima facie, this appears to be an act of terror by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, said the chief minister. The state police did not offer any updates on their investigation; they rounded up a few members of the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee, a state-wide religious body working for adequate respect of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. The committee is under the scanner because of a tussle between its activists and followers of the Nirankari sect a few months ago. The spat involved the setting up of a Nirankari Bhawan. Singh also announced a reward of 50 lakh to anyone giving information regarding the two young men who carried out the attack. Three people were killed and 20 injured in the attack. Besides the Punjab Police, forensic teams and a team from the NIA reached the spot with bomb squads and sniffer dogs. Clarifying the role of NIA, the chief minister said it was helping in the investigations. He said certain leads have been found. Sketches and CCTV footage that went viral were termed fake by the CM. Singh said the attack could not be equated with the Sikh-Nirankari conflict in 1978, as that was a religious matter and the attack was purely a case of terrorism. That conflict left 13 Sikhs dead. The CM also announced jobs for the kin of those killed in the attack and50,000 each to the injured, in addition to free treatment. A functionary of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat has cautioned against the regrouping of outfits that supported the Khalistani movement, and are actively campaigning by taking out rallies abroad. RSS functionaries dismiss allegations that the attacks against the members of the Sangh are an outcome of the growing friction between the Sikhs and Hindus caused by the RSSs efforts to subsume the Sikh identity within the Hindu fold. The Aam Aadmi Party, meanwhile, defended its Punjab leader HS Phoolka, who triggered a controversy on Sunday with his remarks. Commenting on the grenade attack in Amritsar, Phoolka on Sunday told news channels that the army chief came and made a statement. To prove his statement, he could have orchestrated the attack. However, the AAP MLA Monday regretted his statement, saying it was inadvertent. Police said they are also probing the role of Satkar Committee, a radical Sikh outfit, in a grenade blast at a congregation at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsars Rajasansi on Sunday that killed 3 people and injured 20 besides looking at the terror angle. Director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora, who inspected the spot with senior police officers, said, Our forensic team has left from Chandigarh. A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also arriving on Tuesday. He said, We are taking it as an act of terror because the attack was against a group, and not against an individual. A senior police officer, who was at the spot, said, A tussle between the followers of the Nirankari sect and members of Satkar Committee has been going on for the last few months. We are investigating the role of members of Satkar Committee. Superintendent of police (SP headquarters) Harpal Singh said, The followers of the Nirankari sect wanted to construct another building at Tapiala village of Amritsar with the Satkar Committee opposing the move. A case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 452 (house trespass after preparation for assault or wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief), 341 (wrongful restraint), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 25, 54 and 59 (A) of the Arms Act and Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2008, was registered against two unidentified persons at the Rajasansi police station. The Sunday grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar has caught the Punjab Police napping and exposed glaring chinks in the state intelligence. The attack took place at a time when Punjab was a high alert following a specific input on a bunch of Jaish-e-Mohammand terrorists having sneaked into its territory. DGP Intelligence Dinkar Gupta had on Wednesday directed district police chiefs to increase vigil, set up special nakas and strengthen second line of defence in border areas. Yet the attackers managed to get into the prayer hall of Niranakris in Adliwal village with hand grenades and pistols and easily escaped from the area that is situated just 2 km away from the high-security Guru Ramdass International Airport at Rajasansi. We had no information about a religious function being organised in the area. Also, there was no intel input on possibility of attack on such congregations, said Amritsar senior superintendent of police (rural) Parampal Singh. We were conducting regular checks, he added. Congress MLA Dr Raj Kumar Verka, however, said it was an intelligence failure. This is a big failure as state was already on high alert. We must learn from this, he said after visiting the spot. Watch: Amritsar blast could be a terror attack, says Punjab DGP Government on the backfoot The second grenade attack in Punjab in two months has put the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government on the backfoot. On September 14, four low-intensity grenades were hurled at Maqsudan police station in Jalandhar in which two cops, including an SHO, were injured. Later, Punjab Police said the blast was the handiwork of Kashmir- based terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) and two Valley youths studying in a local engineering college were also arrested. The opposition, which has accused the Captain government of hobnobbing with radical elements on various Sikh issues, is likely to corner the ruling party over the Amritsar attack. BJP national secretary RP Singh was quick to attack the Punjab government after the attack. Ministers friendship Khalistanis will cost Punjab dear, he tweeted. He was making an apparent reference to rural development minister Tript Rajinder Bajwas alleged closeness to supporters of US-based pro-Khalisatan Sikhs advocacy group, Sikhs for Justice. A senior Punjab Police functionary said the Nirankari mission attack could be a well-planned strategy to create tension between Sikhs and members of the sect. We are exploring all such angles, he said. Another senior functionary said the police are also not ruling out the angle of internal rivalry between the Nirankari sect. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Monday to invite her to attend a meeting of opposition leaders in Delhi for talks on the proposed joint front against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for the Lok Sabha elections next year. The meeting between Naidu and Banerjee took place at the state secretariat in Howrah. Thank you so much @ncbn for coming to Kolkata and visiting us at Nabanna Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 19, 2018 After the meeting with Mamata, Naidu said the Opposition conclave on November 22 had been postponed and a fresh date would be announced soon. Institutions like CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under severe pressure, Naidu told reporters outside the secretariat. The November 22 meeting was to focus on the form and structure of the proposed anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forum and a course of action to take forward the initiative further. Besides, a plan of action was to be drafted to fight the Narendra Modi government over its alleged anti-people policies such as the use of official agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and income tax department to settle scores with political rivals, dismantling of institutions and the ill-effects of the note ban. Naidu has met leaders from a wide spectrum of opposition parties including Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) leader MK Stalin and leaders of the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist). He also visited Bengaluru to meet Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) and his father and former prime minister HD Devegowda. The meeting between Naidu and Banerjee comes three days after Banerjee publicly endorsed Naidus stand to stop the CBI from investigating cases in state and decided to do the same in Bengal. The move was seen to be triggered by perceptions in the two states ruled by opposition parties who have frequently accused the central agency of acting at the behest of the BJP-led national coalition at the centre. Naidus Telugu Desam Party was a part of the national coalition till March this year but the two parties had a bitter falling out over special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Banerjee has also convened a meeting of the opposition leaders in Kolkata on January 19, in what is billed as her show of strength to unite the opposition against the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She has claimed that except one or two parties all opposition outfits have confirmed participation in the rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. TDP releases list of 13 candidates Telugu Desam Party releases list of 13 candidates for the Telangana assembly elections. Sachin Pilot files nomination Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot files nomination from Tonk constituency. Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot files his nomination from Tonk constituency. #RajasthanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/xnLLyouuRl ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Sachin Pilot offers prayers at Shiv temple Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot offers prayers at a Shiv temple in Tonk. Rajasthan: Congress state president Sachin Pilot offers prayers at a Shiv Temple in Tonk. pic.twitter.com/jeVvDqW6Rq ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Yogis dig at Rahul In Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi visited many temples. But when he knelt to pray, the priest had to tell him that it was a temple, not mosque: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, reports ANI. Rahul has developed Modi phobia: Amit Shah Rahul has developed Modi phobia. He keeps on saying Modi, Modi in his speeches. Rahul wants to remove Modi, while we want to remove poverty, unemployment and illiteracy from the country: BJP president Amit Shah in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh, reports ANI. Gehlot files nomination Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot files nomination from Sardarpura seat. Bouncers guard Cong office in Hyderabad after protests Heavy security, including bouncers, can be seen at the Congress office in Hyderabad after protests over ticket distribution, reports ANI. Telangana: Heavy security including bouncers seen at Congress office in Hyderabad after protests over ticket distribution pic.twitter.com/zrBKi56dh7 ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Preserved palms of five of the 13 tribals killed in police firing in Odishas Kalinga Nagar in January 2006 were found scattered near a memorial pillar on Sunday. The palms were preserved inside a club near the pillar. We believe it to be the handiwork of a deranged person who was moving around the club a few days ago. The chopped palms were most likely taken out by breaking the locks of the club last night, said Kalinga Nagar police station inspector-incharge Rajendra Patnaik. The palms were chopped supposedly to obtain the fingerprints of the five as their faces had been disfigured after being fired from a close distance indiscriminately in 2006. The police had fired on the tribals opposing their displacement for a Tata steel plant after a constable was killed in an arrow attack. A 14-year-old boy was among the 13 killed while 37 were injured. Four policemen were also injured. Three doctors, who had chopped the palms during postmortem, were later dismissed after the state Human Rights Commission found it was unnecessary and violation of norms. Rabindra Jarika, the secretary of a local tribal body, alleged the palms were thrown to disrespect their sentiments ahead of the anniversary of the massacre. He said authorities had preserved the palms and promised their DNA tests. We have never accepted these palms to be belonging to our people and demanded their DNA tests. It is yet to be done. Last year, the justice PK Mohanty Commission, which probed into the firing, did not find anyone guilty for the firing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) western peripheral expressway. He also inaugurated the 3.2 km-long Ballabhgarh-Mujesar Metro rail link, which would facilitate travel for people of Delhi and Faridabad, and laid the foundation stone of the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in Palwal district. The inaugurations and foundation laying stone ceremonies were done through remote from Sultanpur village of this district. The prime minister, on his arrival at Sultanpur village in this district, went around visual art exhibition pertaining to the KMP project. Modi was briefed by the officials about the project. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, who is a Gurgaon MP, and Birender Singh. During the event, taking a dig at the Congress,Modi said, This western peripheral expressway had to be completed during Commonwealth games, but we all know what was done back then. This expressway was also a victim of that. Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya was also present on the occasion. Earlier this year, Manesar to Palwal stretch of the KMP, whose entire length is 135.65 km, was opened for public, Khattar said on the occasion. A sum of Rs 6,400 crore has been spent on the expressway project and 3,846 acres of land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore, a Haryana government spokesperson said. The length of the stretch from Kundli to Manesar is over 83 km. This stretch would have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpass or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, thus helping in reducing pollution. Besides, the project will also provide high-speed link between northern Haryana and southern districts and give uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, especially commercial traffic, from Haryana to neighbouring states. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana has blamed the previous Congress regime of delay in the KMP project. The prime minister inaugurated the Rs 580 crore Metro link in Sultanpur village in the district. Ballabhgarh becomes the fourth city in Haryana to get metro connectivity after Gurgaon, Faridabad and Bahadurgarh. The skill university will come up over an area of 82.5 acres at a cost of Rs 989 crore. Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday announced contributing one months salary of its MPs and MLAs towards cyclone Gaja relief activities. Party president MK Stalin said the DMK trust will separately contribute a sum of Rs one crore towards the relief activities. The cyclone and rain have severely affected peoples lives. To retrieve them from the unprecedented damage, a sum of Rs one crore will be provided from the DMK Trust, he said in a statement. DMK MPs and MLAs will contribute their one months salary, Stalin, also state Leader of Opposition, said. His partys contribution was aimed at aiding the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, Stalin said. While the DMK has no Lok Sabha MPs, it has four members in the Rajya Sabha. Its strength in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly now stands at 88 following the death of its then party chief M Karunanidhi in August this year. Cyclone Gaja, which had crossed Tamil Nadu coast last Friday between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam, has so far claimed 45 lives and left a trail of destruction, uprooting 1.7 lakh trees and damaging 88,102 hectares of agricultural land in the affected districts. Gaja had caused severe damage in the districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in neighbouring Puducherry. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are leaving no stone unturned in wooing the masses of both Amethi and adjoining Rae Bareli, the two VIP Lok Sabha constituencies of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Union minister Smriti Irani, who had sent saris for women in Amethi on Diwali, is visiting Amethi on Monday along with half a dozen ministers, including a Union minister and five ministers of Yogi Adityanath government, to dedicate schemes and projects worth over Rs 80 crores, according to BJP leaders. Monday is also the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the grandmother of the Congress chief. Around the time when the textile minister will be in Amethi, Congress leaders would be busy distributing special Grand Nain G9 variety of banana plants to the farmers. These high yielding banana plants were sent by Congress chief for farmers of his constituency. These plants of Israeli origin are known for high yield and can be harvested within a year from the date of plantation. They are delicious to eat and can be preserved for long as compared to other regular native varieties, said Congress leader Nadeem Ashraf. The plants are being distributed among farmers so that they can get high yield at lower cost increases and even double their income, he said, wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered his promise of doubling farmers income by 2020. Unlike the BJP which publicises whatever little they do, for the Congress leadership Amethi and Rae Bareli are like home. And naturally when you do something for your family you dont advertise, he said. With winter setting in, both the BJP and the Congress are planning blanket distribution exercise in both Amethi and Rae Bareli. While the Congress has been holding such camps for years, the BJP, a recent entrant, is expected to queer the pitch by holding its own camps now. BJP leader Govind Singh says Irani has been regularly doing things for people. In elections, promises are made. Few care to remember them after elections. Smriti ji lost but showed she values her words. The choice before people is clear, he says. The ministers accompanying Irani to Amethi on Monday include deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, Union minister Vijay Sampla, UP ministers Shrikant Sharma, Baldev Singh Aulakh, Mohsin Raza, Suresh Pasi. Irani and the ministers are scheduled to distribute tricycles and other equipments to the handicapped, dedicate two primary health care centres, a power station and a district development office. Also foundation stone will laid for road projects worth several crores, 4 ITIs and 200 handpumps. Soon, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and UP health minister Siddharth Nath Singh too are expected in Amethi to dedicate several road projects and inaugurate a hospital and a trauma centre. A Dalit assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) registered a case against four professors of the institute on Sunday, accusing them of harassment, mental torture and making casteist remarks against him, police said. A case had been registered against four professors under Section 500 of the IPC, Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section B-2B (A) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, said Rajesh Pandey, Circle officer, Kalyanpur. Since punishment under these sections attract less than seven years of sentence, the accused persons will not be arrested immediately. Action will be initiated after completing investigation into the matter, Pandey said. He said assistant professor Dr Subramanium Sadrela had named Prof Rajiv Shekhar (now director of IIT-Dhanbad), Prof Sanjay Mittal, Prof Eshan and Prof CS Upadhyay in the FIR. Sadrela has also accused two members of the institutes board of governors (BoG) Prof Debopam and Prof MLN Rao of influencing the BoG to exempt the four professors from the provisions of the SC/ST Act. The police, however, did not include their names in the FIR. Students and senior faculty members of the institute staged a sit-in in front of the residence of IIT-K director Prof Abhay Karindkar for about two hours on Monday. While the teachers threatened to boycott examinations beginning Tuesday and tender collective resignation, the students said they would launch an agitation if the FIR was not expunged. The director assured them that necessary action would be taken. In the FIR, Sadrela alleged that the four professors made castiest remarks against him soon after his appointment as assistant professor in the department of aerospace on January 1, 2018. He also saif that they challenged his appointment. Sadrela said the professors accused him of plagiarism in his thesis as pressure tactic and mentally torture him. Sadrela said he lodged a complaint with IIT-Kanpur and SC/ST Commission in this regard in January. Acting on his complaint, the SC/ST Commission directed the IIT-Kanpur to register a case against the professors. However, the professors obtained a stay from the Allahabad high court in April. In August, IIT-K asked retired judge Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui to investigate the matter following the commissions order. Justice (retd) Siddiqui also indicted the professors. A decision on the matter was to be taken by the BoG but it could meet only on October 17 after several deferments. IIT-Kanpur provided the minutes of this meeting to the four professors asking them to file rejoinders. While the process of initiating action against the professors was on, Sadrela lodged an FIR against them on Sunday. The BoG decided that the high administrative grant of Prof Sanjay Mittal would be stopped and he would not be given the benefits of Seventh Pay Commission for a year. It also ordered demotion of Prof CS Upadhyaya as assistant professor and issued stern warning to Prof Eshan. The BoG also sought permission from the President of India to initiate action against Prof Rajiv Shekhar who is the director of IIT-Dhanbad. Protests erupted on Monday across Kerala after over 70 devotees were arrested late on Sunday night for flouting prohibitory orders outside the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district of the state. Protesters organised hymn chanting during sit-ins before police stations and outside chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans official residence, the Cliff House, in Thiruvananthapuram. Organisations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will also observe a protest day on Monday. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will meet governor P Sathasivam requesting to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage. (Live updates) The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, will hold a daylong state-wide agitation on Monday to further intensify their stir against police high handedness. We have organised state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state, Morchas state president Prakash Babu told news agency PTI. The Ayyappa devotees were arrested after they suddenly gathered to chant hymns outside the temple. They were taken into custody after nearly a hour-long stand-off and brought down to the base camp. The devotees, who surprised the police by gathering despite the heavy security deployment, refused to disperse from the area. There was a heated argument between superintendent of police Yatish Chandra and the devotees, which led to a minor scuffle. The protesters held on when police tried to arrest four of the organisers, saying they cant be arrested for chanting the Swami saranam. Police backed down, apprehending a stampede-like situation, but the hymn-chanting devotees finally agreed to court arrest. Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Sasikala KP was detained at Nilakkal, the base camp, as she moved towards temple after she was allowed to have a darshan of the presiding deity For Ayyappa by a court. Sasikala was detained on Friday night after she had defied prohibitory orders. Sasikala was allowed to proceed to Pambha after she gave an assurance that she will return after offering prayers at the hilltop. She was forced to give an undertaking that she will not camp at the top. Senior police officer Chandra said she was allowed only after the undertaking. The temple opened for the annual pilgrimage season on Friday as a fierce standoff continued between the state government and protesters over the entry of menstruating women to the temple, allowed by the Supreme Court in September. A senior CBI officer who investigated the agencys special director Rakesh Asthana for corruption before he was shunted out will have to wait for his petition to be heard by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi declined an early hearing to a petition by Manish Kumar Sinha, a deputy inspector general-rank police officer, who has challenged his transfer after last months midnight removal of CBI boss Alok Verma. Sinhas lawyer, who mentioned the case before a bench headed by Chief Justice Gogoi this morning, told the judges that he wanted to bring some shocking facts to the top court. Nothing shocks us, Chief Justice Gogoi shot back, without going into the merits of the case. The Supreme Court has already taken up a batch of petitions on the bitter war within the agency, beginning with a petition filed by the exiled CBI boss Alok Verma against the government order sending him on compulsory leave. Last week, the judges asked Verma to give his comments on a secret Central Vigilance Commission report against him. Vermas was to deadline end at 1 pm . Today, he asked the top court for more time to file his response. The bench, however, made clear that it will not shift the schedule date of hearing and asked him to file his response as quickly as possible during the day itself to enable it to peruse the reply. Chief Justice Gogoi had then made it clear that the top court first wanted to establish the facts about Vermas removal before getting into the legal aspects about his removal and the other transfers. Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana were stripped of their responsibilities on October 23 after their running feud threw the federal agency into disarray. Asthana had written to the cabinet secretary on August 24, alleging interference by Verma in sensitive cases and claimed that the director had taken a bribe. The cabinet secretary then asked CVC to look into the matter. Nearly 200 devotees attending a religious congregation at Nirankari Bhavan in Amritsar rushed for safety after unexpectedly being pushed into chaos on Sunday, when two men on a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade in an apparent terror attack at the premises, from where messages of peace and spirituality are sent out, eyewitnesses said. Recalling the scenes that followed the attack on Nirankaris, the eyewitnesses said they were panicked, shocked and scrambled through a thick blanket of smoke. They said it was a usual Sunday congregation at the Bhavan on the outskirts of Amritsar city, until the bombers struck. Each Sunday, I do sewa at the Bhavan. I was on duty near the stage when I saw a person, who appeared young, with his face covered, throw something and run. The next thing I remember is that there was a blast, smoke all over and everyone ran around for their lives, Simranjeet Kaur told reporters outside the premises. A man said his daughter was deputed at one of the entry gates to frisk women devotees visiting the place. She told me that two people came there and pointed a pistol at her after which she panicked. The next thing she knows that people were rushing out in fear after a grenade was hurled inside, he said. A devotee who was inside the Bhavan said, I saw blood at the spot after the blast. Although I did not see the attackers, I was told by other devotees that two youth had come on a motorcycle. They gained entry inside and hurled explosive and escaped. Both appeared to be youth with faces covered. Another man, who identified himself as Gurpreet Singh, said he lives near the Bhavan, which is also close to the Amritsar international airport. I was in my home when someone said a cylinder had burst at Nirankari Bhavan. When I reached there, I saw injured people being taken to hospital in ambulances, he said. Pawandeep Singh, an ambulance driver, said he took many seriously injured to Guru Nanak hospital in Amritsar. Injured people were also rushed to a private hospital. The grenade attack has left three people dead and at least 10 injured, police said. The Punjab police chief said they were treating it as a terrorist attack. DGP Suresh Arora told PTI that the attack appears to have a terror angle... we will take it as a terrorist act. Punjab was put on alert following an input claiming that a group of six to seven JeM terrorists were reportedly in the state, possibly in Ferozepur area. Four people had carjacked an SUV at gunpoint last week near Madhopur in Pathankot district. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday sought a judicial probe into the violence at the Sabarimala temple in Keralas Pathanamthitta district late on Sunday as protests erupted across the state over the arrest of devotees. The partys state chief PS Sreedharan Pillai said there was a police raj in Sabarimala and that the pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine to Lord Ayyappa was being affected due to their high-handedness. We will move the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Police are forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala, Pillai said. His partys leaders will meet governor P Sathasivam to request him to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage, which started on Friday. Leaders of the Sabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organisation of many Hindu outfits, called on the governor seeking his immediate intervention in restoring peace in the area. Protesters organised hymn chanting during sit-ins before police stations in several places in the state as well as outside chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans official residence, the Cliff House, in Thiruvananthapuram. Organisations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will also observe a protest day on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, said it will hold a daylong state-wide agitation on Monday to further intensify their stir against police high handedness. We have organised a state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state, Morchas state president Prakash Babu told news agency PTI. Protests erupted on Monday across Kerala after 72 devotees were arrested late on Sunday night for flouting prohibitory orders outside the Sabarimala temple. They were taken into custody after nearly an hour-long stand-off and brought down to the base camp. A devotee was injured during the scuffle after he fell down and was admitted in a hospital. He accused the police of manhandling him. The fresh protests broke out at Nadapanthal area in Sannidhanam, where hundreds of devotees agitated against the police restrictions. Police have imposed restrictions, including that on a night stay, for devotees at Sannidhanam after several incidences of violence at the hilltop shrine. Authorities also clamped prohibitory orders banning the gathering of four or more people in the area. The temple opened for the annual pilgrimage season on Friday as a fierce standoff continued between the state government and protesters over the entry of menstruating women to the temple, allowed by the Supreme Court in September. Protests erupt again at Sabarimala Protests erupted again at Sabarimala after police detained a group of 30 devotees for chanting hymns. Police warned the devotees they would be arrested if they chant hymns as they flout section 144 imposed in the area. Arrested devotees sent them to 14-day judicial custody Arrested devotees being taken to Pathnamthitta district court which sent them to 14-day judicial custody. ( Vivek R Nair/HT Photo ) Sabarimala temple board seeks time to implement SC order on women entry The Travancore Devaswom board has moved the Supreme Court seeking time to implement the verdict of September 28 which allowed women of all ages to worship at the temple. The Board, which manages the hill shrine, has cited lack of basic amenities among other things as the reason for seeking more time from the top court. Pilgrims had said there was lack of adequate toilet facilities, causing immense difficulties especially to women, and rest rooms after the floods in August that had destroyed the infrastructure. The top court had earlier refused to stay its verdict while agreeing to hear in open court a batch of petitions seeking review of its September 28 verdict by which it had lifted the ban on entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple. Kerala CM should step down: Congress Ramesh Chennithala Congress leader and leader of opposition in Kerala legislative assembly Ramesh Chennithala has demanded CM Pinarayi Vijayans resignation, saying, The state has never been ruled by such an insensitive CM. Alphons shouldnt have visited Sabarimala Minister Alphons should not have visited Sabarimala when there was a law and order situation there, said CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, adding his visit will energise trouble makers. Devotees are not extremists: Union minister Alphons KJ Alphons has reached the temple top. Why do you need 15,000 policemen in Sabarimala? Devotees are not extremists. It is not democracy. Even Stalin will be shamed. The government considers devotees sworn enemies and gave a free hand to control helpless pilgrims, said Alphons after reaching the hilltop shrine. Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam offers prayer at Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. ( PTI ) Kerala HC questions state govts move to control devotees The Kerala high court passed serious strictures against state government while questioning its move to control devotees. The court has asked AG to appear before it and give an explanation of the Sunday midnight drama. How can police do such high-handedness in the name of Supreme Court verdict?, the court asked. The HC was hearing a plea questioning the last months baton charge and subsequent police high-handedness. The HC had earlier asked the DGP to submit a list of erring officials. But police had pleaded helplessness saying it is difficult. RSS trying to vitiate atmosphere in Sabarimala RSS trying to vitiate atmosphere in Sabarimala, said CM Pinarayi Vijiayan, adding Sunday nights incident was planned and executed by Sangh outfits and that the government wont be cowed down by such agitations. Kerala CM shown black flags Two Yuva Morcha workers were detained for waving black flags at Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Earlier in the day, the BJP and RSS had gathered outside the CMs residence to protest against the mass detention of devotees at temple top. Sasikala reaches Sabarimala temple, Union minister Alphons on his way KP Sasikala has reached Sabarimala temple. Union Minister KJ Alphons is on his way to the temple top. Union Minister KJ Alphons on his way to Sabarimala. ( Vijay Nair/HT Photo ) Hindu Aikya Vedi chief KP Sasikala nears Sabarimala temple Hindu Aikya Vedi chief Sasikala is nearing the temple top amid state-wide protests against detention of over 70 devotees last night. Sasikala was allowed to trek to the hilltop shrine after she assured she will return after offering prayers. She was asked to give an undertaking that she wont camp at the temple top. Congress condemns police action Congress condemned police action of detaining over 70 persons at temple top on Sunday night,seeking high-level probe. The government handed over temple to the police, said opposition leadr Navy choppers do aerial survey to assess situation at hilltop shrine Navy choppers do aerial survey to assess situation at Sabarimala. State government had sought navy help for surveillance. Sabarimala Karma Samiti meets state governor P Sathasivam Sabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organisation of many Hindu outfits, met with governor P Sathasivam seeking his intervention to ensure peaceful pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine. Woman leader begins trek to hilltop shrine Sasikala KP starts trek to Sabarimala temple. Sasikala holds her granddaughter before beginning trek to Sabarimala ( Vivek Nair/HT Photo ) Devotees are not terrorists, why do they need 15000 policemen here? : KJ Alphons A situation worse than emergency is happening here, the devotees are not allowed to go up. Section 144 is imposed for no reason. Devotees are not terrorists, why do they need 15000 policemen here?, said KJ Alphons MoS Tourism. Pilgrimage affected due to police high-handedness: BJP state president Police raj in Sabarimala. Pilgrimage is affected due to police high-handedness. Will move NHRC. Police forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala, said BJP state president S Sreedharan Pillai Devaswom board to move plea in SC seeking time to implement the verdict allowing women of all ages to worship at Sabarimala Travancore Devaswom board, which runs Sabarimala temple, will move a plea in apex court today seeking time to implement the verdict of September 28 which allowed women of all ages to worship at the temple. Person injured in hilltop scuffle admitted to hospital One person injured in hilltop scuffle admitted to hospital. He fell down and got injured during a stampede at the temple top. He has alleged he was manhandled by the police. Union minister Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam to trek to Sabarimala Union minister Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam to trek to Sabarimala. Earlier, he was just scheduled to visit the flood-ravaged Pamba base camp but now he will be trekking to the hilltop shrine Woman leader allowed to visit shrine to offer prayers KP Sasikala allowed to proceed to Pamba base camp after she gave an assurance that she will return after offering prayers at the hilltop. She was asked to give an undertaking that she wont camp at the temple top. Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra said she was allowed only after getting an undertaking. KP Sasikala detained KP Sasikala detained at Nilakkal base camp. Youth wing of BJP to hold a daylong state-wide agitation Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP will hold a daylong state-wide agitation on Monday to further intensify their stir against police high handedness. We have organised state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state, Yuvamorcha state president Prakash Babu told news agency PTI. Hindu woman leader moves towards Sabarimala Hindu Aikya Vedi leader KP Sasikala moves towards temple after she was allowed to have darshan by court. Sasikala was detained on Friday night after she had defied prohibitory orders. Union minister KJ Alphons on Monday accused the Left government in Kerala of turning the Sabarimala temple complex into a war zone and not providing facilities to the devotees at the hilltop shrine, after more than 70 protesters were arrested late on Sunday. A situation worse than an emergency is happening here , the minister of state (MoS) for tourism said while speaking to reporters. Why you need 15,000 policemen in Sabarimala? Devotees are not extremists. It is not a democracy. Even Stalin will be shamed. The government considers devotees sworn enemies and gave a free hand to the police to control helpless pilgrims, Alphons said on top of the hilltop shrine. Why cant RSS and BJP leaders enter Sabarimala? Why do they always cite RSS. Its workers are committed devotees than rationalist Communists? The Sabarimala temple, which reopened on Friday for a 62-day annual pilgrimage season, witnessed protests on Sunday night after which 72 devotees were arrested for flouting prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc). CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Alphons visit will energise troublemakers. Alphons should not have visited Sabarimala when there was a law and order situation there, Balakrishnan said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have also attacked the Kerala government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the devotees were arrested late on Sunday. The BJPs state chief PS Sreedharan Pillai said there was a police raj in Sabarimala and that the pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine to Lord Ayyappa was being affected due to their highhandedness as he demanded a judicial probe into the incident. We will move the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Police are forcing pilgrims to go back. It is a dangerous situation. The whole world is watching the naked rights violation in Sabarimala, Pillai said. The leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala asked if Kerala was under Nazi ruler Adolf Hitlers rule. The senior Congress leader accused the government of trying to brand Ayyappa devotees as Sangh Parivar activists and thus helping RSS recruit people to its fold. It is police high-handedness. Innocent devotees who sought shelter at Valiya Nadappandhal (covered pathway) were also arrested. They all are not Sangh Parivar activists who reached there to create trouble. Is Kerala under the rule of Hitler? Chennithala said while speaking to reporters in Kochi. This is the third time that the temple has opened after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50. There was a string of protests in Kerala in October when the temple opened for the first time after the Supreme Courts September 28 order, allowing females of all age groups to enter into the shrine. A crucial meeting of opposition parties to be held later this week has been deferred to early December, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Monday after meeting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the other prominent face of the front of anti-BJP parties. The front doesnt intend to project a presumptive prime minister and will let this question be settled by the numbers that the parties get in the 2019 elections. The grand alliance of opposition parties, however, has been ridiculed by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. PM Modi has said its leaders were driven by the greed to be prime minister. The question about the fronts leadership face came up again at a briefing that Naidu and Mamata Banerjee addressed after their meeting. Everyone will be face of this grand alliance, the Andhra chief minister, who heads the Telugu Desam Party, shot back. Compared to Narendra Modi, we are all seniors... (and) better performers, he said. Mamata Banerjee said the meeting of opposition parties had been put off because of the ongoing assembly elections. She said the meeting will now be held days before the winter session of parliament resumes and campaigning for December 7 elections in Rajasthan and Telangana. Naidu said those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation, the TDP chief said. He also attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under severe pressure from the government. Naidu had last week withdrawn the states consent to let the CBI operate within Andhra and quickly enlisted instant support from the TMC chief to banish what they called, was a politically motivated CBI from their home states. Chandrababu, leading a regional party whose genesis was rooted in the anti-Congress philosophy, had sprung a surprise in the national capital earlier this month when he met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Earlier, Naidu had been to Chennai to rope in MK Stalin of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Bangalore to meet former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of JD-Secular on a similar mission. Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot arrived in Amaravati on November 11 as an emissary of his party president Rahul Gandhi to discuss certain basics relating to the guiding principles for building anti-BJP alliance. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)s Sharad Pawar from Maharashtra after meeting Naidu expressed their willingness to join the 22nd Delhi meeting and to work out a common minimum programme. Although Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) offered Naidu her blessings after a meeting at her Delhi residence in end of October, she has kept her distance from the alliance, for now. Mayawatis party is fighting the Congress in the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Naidu today said he had been in touch with her but did not elaborate. The TDP chief is yet to open a dialogue with Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal. A certain clash of interests between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha such as formation of a railway zone in Visakhapatnam and construction of Polavaram seem to be roadblocks in their coming together, the analyst said. With his Ayodhya visit around the corner (November 24 and 25), Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at a meeting on Sunday came up with a new slogan to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2019 elections: Har Hindu ki yahi pukaar, pehle mandir phir sarkaar (Every Hindu demand this, first build temple [Ram Temple] and then the government). Despite being part of the government in the state and at the Centre, Thackeray has been one of the harshest critics of the government. The meeting, which was called for preparations of the Ayodhya visit, was attended by all senior leaders and state presidents of the party across the country. Our new slogan reminds the current dispensation of their assurance of building Ram Temple after forming the government, said a senior party leader who was present at the meeting. Thackeray has also directed party workers, especially women and youth, to avoid going to Ayodhya, and perform Mahaaarti in their respective cities and districts. Uddhav ji is expected to perform Mahaaarti at the banks of Sarayu River on November 24 between 5pm and 6pm. So we have asked party workers to perform Mahaaarti in their respective districts and cities at the same time, instead of flocking to Ayodhya, said a senior party MP. Its a small city and it is not possible to make arrangements for all of them. Also, the visit is being carried out to remind the government about its promise on Ram Temple and not to oppose or confront the government. We want it to be a peaceful affair, he said. The Opposition parties have criticised Thackerays plan to visit Ayodhya. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, leader of Opposition, said the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remember Ram only when their government fails to perform. Where was Uddhav Thackeray in the last four years? Why is he doing all these stunts ahead of the elections, asked Dhananjay Munde, leader of Opposition in the legislative council. Air India has found a fan in Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who wants to unofficially and unabashedly declare himself as the ambassador of the national carrier for its services. Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm & beautiful journey...Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai..., Khan, who took an Air India flight from New York to Mumbai, tweeted on Sunday. The airline, on its part, said it was always a pleasure for the Maharaja to serve King Khan, calling the actor by his popular name. The Air India family is so happy to see your kind words of appreciation which are so encouraging for us. We are truly humbled when King Khan is the brand ambassador for Maharaja, the airline said. Debt-laden Air India also said the stars words of appreciation were encouraging. The airline is working on ways to turn around its fortunes and there have been instances of the airline facing flak from customers for its poor services. In June, a ministerial panel chaired by finance minister Arun Jaitley deferred the strategic sale of the governments 76% stake in Air India. Instead, it was decided that the government would look at the sale of assets and subsidiaries of the national carrier to reduce the debt burden. Air India, which has been in the red for long, had a debt burden of Rs 48,000 crore at the end of March 2017. The government had originally proposed to offload 76% equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players. However, the offer failed to attract any bidder when the deadline for initial bids closed on May 31. The national airline is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime in 2012 and the government is also looking at ways to infuse more funds into the carrier. Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha was among many who retweeted Khans praise of Air India. There is no official brand ambassador of the national carrier. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay high court to hear on Wednesday a plea of Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, that he was being prosecuted for terror charges under the stringent UAPA without any valid sanction. The apex court had, on April 20 this year, granted Purohit the liberty to raise the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act before the trial court at the time of framing of charges. However, the trial court had rejected Purohits plea on sanction and had framed charges against him. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Purohit, told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday that the trial court had framed charges against him without properly considering his plea that there was no valid sanction to prosecute him. The bench, also comprising justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, asked the High Court to deal with Purohits plea on November 21. The issue raised in the present petitions is being considered by the High Court of Bombay on November 21. In view of the same, we do not consider it necessary to entertain the special leave petitions, and instead request the High Court to hear and decide the matter on the date fixed. The special leave petitions are, accordingly, dismissed, the apex court noted in the order. Purohit, in his fresh plea, has referred to the earlier apex court order by which the trial court was asked to deal with the claim of Purohit that he was being prosecuted under penal laws including the UAPA without any sanction from the authorities. The plea also alleged that the charges have been framed against Purohit and others by the special court which had commenced the trial without dealing with his plea on sanction. The apex court, while granting bail to Purohit on August 21, 2017, had also said the issue of grant of prosecution sanction could be raised at the time of framing of charges. Earlier, a special court had, on October 30, framed terror charges against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, setting the stage for their trial which commenced on November 2. It had said that the organisation named Abhinav Bharat was formed by the accused with the common object to spread terrorism and had framed charges of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other offences. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The special court had framed charges against all the seven accused under relevant sections of the stringent UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Apart from Purohit and Sadhvi, the other accused are Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. The accused were charged under sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA. Under the IPC, they were charged under sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups). If convicted under these sections, the maximum punishment can be life imprisonment or death. The accused were also charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act. The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police, which probed the case, had initially charged Thakur, Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre, Rakesh Dhawade, Ajay Rahirkar, Samir Kulkarni, Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Pravin Mutalik and Ramchandra Kalsangra. Thakur and Purohit were arrested the same year along with nine others for the blast conspiracy. On August 21, last year, the apex court had granted bail to Purohit, who had been languishing in jail for almost nine years for his alleged role in the case, observing there were contradictions in the charge sheets filed by different investigating agencies. Inaugurating the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) western peripheral expressway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily on the previous government at the Centre. He said the way the UPA government functioned is a case study in how to waste money. When this project was started, it was estimated that it would cost Rs 1,200 crore. But due to the delay, its cost has gone up by 3 times, he said. Modi said, The Western Peripheral Expressway had to be completed before the Commonwealth Games, but we all know what was done back then. This expressway was a victim of that. Criticising the UPA government, Modi said, The expressways story can be told in two images. One is of the present which shows the BJPs work culture and the other is of the projects status during the previous governments time. This second image tells us how work was continuing 12 years ago. It reminds us of how the expressway should have been ready 8-9 years ago. But that didnt happen. The previous governments work culture delayed the project by 12 years. Not willing to take the PMs assault lying down, the Congress hit back saying that the Modi government and the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana were endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an incomplete expressway. Tweeting about it, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said, PM Modi & CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway today. Surjewala demanded to know why no testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD(Commercial Operation Day), had been done. In his tweet, he also said, the third party consultant had refused to give completion certificate and even HSIIDC (Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp) refused to own responsibility for mishap He asked if Modi and Khattar were risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator. Addressing PM Modi, Surjewala said You cancel the inauguration, order and enquiry and get the KMP completed. Apart from the KMP, Modi also threw open the 3.2 km-long Ballabhgarh-Mujesar Metro rail link, connecting Delhi and Faridabad. He also laid the foundation stone of the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in Palwal district. The inaugurations and foundation laying stone ceremonies were done through remote from Sultanpur village in the district. Among those present at the inauguration were Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh and Birender Singh. Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya was also present. The 135-KM-long KMP expressways Manesar to Palwal stretch was inaugurated earlier this year. The length of the stretch from Kundli to Manesar is over 83 km. This stretch would have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will help decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, helping in reducing pollution. Besides, the project will also provide high-speed connectivity between northern Haryana and southern districts and provide an uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, especially commercial traffic, from Haryana to neighbouring states. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will soon undertake trials of the indigenously developed vaccine against Zika virus, cases of which have been reported in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The ICMR will undertake phase-II trial of the vaccine to establish the efficacy and safety of the vaccine along with its adverse effects, a senior official said. Vaccines manufacturer, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, has developed a vaccine, which they claim will provide protection against infection caused by an Asian Zika virus strain as well as by the African Zika virus strain, the official said. The company had developed the vaccine around two years ago. At that time we did not have an outbreak of Zika in India as it was only restricted to Latin America. Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito and also there is a breakout in some states. Vector control is one of the most challenging work. Thus the vaccine, if its efficacy is proved, is a better strategy, the official said. The process for regulatory approvals to carry out the trial will be initiated soon, he informed. Yes, we are in dialogue with Bharat Biotech, but the approval is not in place yet. It has to go through the drug controller too. In any case, the trial will happen only next year. This year, the cases are almost over, said Dr Balram Bhargava, director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Two persons, who tested positive for the Zika virus, died in Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal district while the number of people suffering from the disease has crossed 120 in the state. The deceased -- an 18-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman -- were suffering from the virus and other serious diseases. Therefore, it cannot be said they died due to Zika , officials had clarified. The virus has infected 127 people, out of which 40 are pregnant women, the officials said. People have tested positive for the Zika virus in seven districts of Madhya Pradesh. This includes 44 cases reported from Bhopal, 20 from Sehore, 29 from Vidisha, two each from Sagar and Hoshangabad, and one each from Narsinghpur and Raisen. A central team is reviewing the situation and assisting the Madhya Pradesh government to replicate measures and the action plan implemented in Jaipur and Ahmedabad to contain the disease, the senior official said. Rajasthan has reported 159 cases of Zika infections. In India, the first outbreak of the Zika virus was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second in Tamil Nadus Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management. During the latest outbreak of the virus in the country, the first case surfaced on September 22, when an 85-year-old woman tested positive for the virus in Jaipur. Since then, the number of Zika cases have risen to 153 in Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh an intensive screening exercise is being undertaken and vector control measures have been intensified. The government has also issued an advisory to district administrations to take steps to check mosquito breeding. The state health department has advised pregnant women not to visit the affected areas. The Zika virus, transmitted through the aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. It is harmful for pregnant women, as the mother can pass the infection to her fetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth leading to microcephaly, a condition in which a babys head is significantly smaller than normal. The disease is under surveillance of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the WHO notification. (With inputs from agencies) Dubais highest court on Monday approved Indias request to extradite British businessman Christian James Michel in connection with the AgustaWestland case, setting the stage for him to be sent to New Delhi once the UAEs justice minister approves the move. The courts ruling effectively ends the legal challenge to his extradition, with the matter now moving into the diplomatic domain. The Dubai Cassation Court upheld an appellate courts decision to extradite the 54-year-old businessman to India though he pleaded not guilty. Hindustan Times has seen a copy of the courts order. With Dubais top court upholding the lower courts decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start, Khaleej Times reported. The extradition procedure is conducted in coordination with Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department, it added. In New Delhi, a government official who did not want to be named said the Indian missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were yet to receive any formal information on the matter from authorities in the United Arab Emirates. We continue to monitor developments, the official said. Michel is wanted for commercial fraud, bribery and money laundering in connection with a multimillion-dollar deal to purchase 12 helicopters from the company then known as AgustaWestland for the Indian Air Force. Michel has refuted the allegations against him. In February 2017, Indian authorities made a request for Michels extradition to the Dubai Public Prosecution. He was arrested by Dubai Police and his passport seized by judicial authorities before he was granted bail. But on September 2, Dubais Court of Appeals ruled Michel could be extradited and he lost his bail conditions. Michels lawyer, Abdul Moneim Bin Suwaidan, had argued in the Cassation Court that Indias extradition request was flawed as it was lodged by the external affairs ministry and not the home ministry. On Monday, the presiding judge dismissed the appeal and upheld the appellate courts ruling approving the extradition. In 2010, India signed an agreement to buy 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters to ferry the Prime Minister, the President and other VVIPs. In 2013, Italian officials arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of AgustaWestlands parent company and said there were irregularities in the deal. Soon after, then defence minister AK Antony ordered an investigation. There were allegations that the kickbacks on the deal were as much as 423 crore. In 2014, India terminated the contract. Michel has been accused of facilitating the bribes. According to the charges filed against him by Indias Enforcement Directorate in 2016, he received 225 crore from the company. Police have invoked charges of sedition and waging war against the state, among others, against all suspects arrested on allegations of Maoist connections and appearance in a controversial event in Pune, the government lawyer told a court on Sunday. Special public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar told sessions court judge KD Vadane that five new charges had been levelled against the suspects in the Elgar Parishad case, including Indian Penal Code sections 121 (waging war against the country) and 124(a) (sedition) and 121(a) (conspiracy). The maximum punishment for sedition is life imprisonment while that for waging war against the state is death. Elgar Parishad refers to an event organised in Pune on December 31, 2017, by leftist and Dalit activist groups that police alleges triggered violence in Bhima Koregaon, around 40 km away, the next day. In June 2018, Pune police arrested five activists - advocate Surendra Gadling, former professor Shoma Sen, activists Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson, and former Prime Ministers rural development fellow, Mahesh Raut. Police have also booked five alleged members of the banned outfit, CPI (Maoist) -- Milind Teltumbde, Ritupan Goswami, Prashanto Bose, Manglu and Dipu -- who are all described as absconding. Last week, police filed a charge sheet against these 10 people under provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for allegedly fomenting violence and conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On August 28, the police made another round of arrests in the Elgar Parishad case, involving poet Varavara Rao, activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves. Navlakha is out on bail. No charge sheet has been filed against these five. This case is not an ordinary one. This is the case, where the integrity and unity of the country is in danger and that is why section 124 (A), 121 and 121 (A) of Indian Penal Code have been added by the investigating officer in the charge sheet filed against the accused, including the five activists who were arrested in June this year, Pawar said. Pune police confirmed that additional charges of sedition and waging war against the state had been added against people accused in the Elgar Parishad case but refused to separately confirm whether it included the five people arrested in August. Shivaji Pawar, investigating officer in the case, said, We have invoked these charges in the Elgar Parishad case itself. So whoever is booked in the case will face these charges. This has been done after evaluation of all the evidence gathered so far. Attempts to reach Bhardwaj and Navlakha were unsuccessful. Adding fresh charges are just a deflection tactics by the prosecution. In my view once the trial begins, these charges will not hold ground..., said advocate Rohan Nahar, who represents Varavara Rao. Police say the Elgar Parishad meeting was used to plan and foment violence in Bhima Koregaon, a small village where Dalits congregate every year to mark a victory in a British-era war. This year on January 1, violence broke out in Bhima Koregaon, resulting in the death of one person. The next day, Dalit groups across the country clashed with police in violent protests. Kerala high court on Monday questioned the state governments action against devotees at the Sabarimala temple in the states Pathanamthitta district, asking its top law officer to appear before it. How can the police do such high-handedness in the name of the Supreme Court verdict? the court asked while hearing a plea questioning last months baton charge by the police and its subsequent action on devotees. Why do you need 15,000 police in Sabarimala? the court asked the government as it asked the attorney general to explain the governments move. The high court also questioned the lack of basic facilities for devotees at the hilltop shrine. Police have arrested 3,505 protesters so far and registered around 529 cases in connection with a series of incidents of violence that erupted in the state over the entry of women into the Lord Ayyappa temple. The temple opened for the third time on Friday for a 64-day annual pilgrimage after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on the entry of women of menstrual age. The Terai belt of Sidhdharthanagar, Maharajganj and Gorakhpur, close to Nepal, was once called the pride of Purvanchal due to the cultivation of a very special variety of rice there called Kala Namak. However, with the passage of time, this rare variety of rice, world famous for its rich aroma and exotic taste, was shunned by farmers because of its low yield and non-profitability. The crop was all but extinct in the region. However, with the efforts of a local NGO Participatory Rural Development Foundation (PRDF) led by retired agri-scientist Ram Chet Chaudhary -- the crop is seeing a revival. At an international seminar at IIM Lucknow in 2013, PRDF presented a research it had conducted, titled Kala Namak from extinction to distinction. According to statistics presented during the seminar, the production of Kala Namak rice had dropped from 50,000 hectares to just 2,000 hectares of land and was declining. However, after efforts were put in to revive it, production again went up to 35,000 hectares in 2018 in 14 districts, including Gorakhpur, Basti, Maharajganj, Deoria, Sidhdharthanagar among others. Also, three high-yielding varieties of Kala Namak rice have been developed, and its farming promoted in 14 districts of the Gorakhpur-Basti division. The latest variety developed is Bauna Kala Namak 102. And if all goes as per plan, people may have this variety on their table before the year ends. The development has attracted Lucknow-based company Wet Land Glory Pvt Ltd, which on Friday, entered into an agreement to purchase the crop directly from farmers and market it not only in India but also abroad, especially Dubai and Singapore, under contract-farming. If the NGO is to be believed, the Kala Namak rice cultivation, based totally on organic farming, has contributed to three times more income to farmers compared to other paddy varieties such as Samba Massorie, Doongara, Koshihikari and as a result, more and more farmers are showing interest in it. Dr Chaudhary worked with the UN for 10 years, before coming back to the city in 2003. People asked him to do something to revive the dying Kala Namak rice, related with the identity of region, tracing its history back to the period of the Buddha. A meeting was called and the issue discussed threadbare with agriculture scientists from various universities, including Faizabad University. Even the then agriculture minister, Dhanraj Yadav, had attended the meeting. I collected over 250 samples from farmers to research the crop. After seven years of extensive research, I succeeded in developing Kala Namak variety KN3, which was released by the UP Government and notified by government of India in 2010. It was rich in aroma and tasted like the original Kala Namak Rice but farmers complained that it had a low yield and that the outer covering with pointed tip (awn) troubled them while separating rice from husk. Then I came up with an improvement, Bauna Kala Namak 102, which was without an awn and high-yielding. It was released and notified by the government of India in 2016. Now, we have come up with latest variety called Kala Namak Kiran, which will soon be notified by the government. Now I wish to boost the marketing of Kala namak so that farmers are encouraged to grow it and can sell it right from their doorstep, Chaudhary said. PK Srivastava of Wet Land Glory Pvt Limited, who signed the agreement with farmers, said, We want to take the Kala Namak Rice to national and international markets again. To ensure a fair price to farmers for their produce, we have entered into an agreement with 100% buy-back terms. To take this unique product of UP abroad, we will also start exporting it soon, besides promoting it through stalls at the coming Lucknow Mahotsav and even at Kumbh 2019. By the end of December, we will be able to market it. Assistant Development officer Arvind Kumar Yadav said, Among the three varieties developed by Dr Chaudhary, Bauna Kala Namak 102 has become very popular. Its very similar to the original crop with a small stem and ripens in a comparatively shorter period of time. Also, compared to the original Kala Namak Rice, its gives a good income to farmers. In one hectare, 50 to 55 quintals of Kala Namak Rice can be grown against 20 to 25 quintals of original Kala Namak Rice per hectare. The BJP, which is determined to oust the Congress in Mizoram after forming governments on its own or in alliance in the seven northeastern states, have urged the Reang tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura to vote for the saffron party in the November 28 assembly polls. Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders -- Assams minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJPs Tripura Pradesh general secretaries Pratima Bhowmik and Rajib Bhattacharjee -- on Sunday addressed a gathering of Reang tribal refugees at Gachiram Para in northern Tripura adjoining Mizoram. The leaders appealed to the immigrants to vote for the party candidates contesting Mizoram assembly polls. Over 35,000 Reang tribal refugees, comprising 5,907 families, fled from Mizoram and have been staying in Tripuras Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub-divisions for the past 21 years following ethnic tension after a Mizo forest official was killed in the neighbouring state. Among the refugees, only a little over 11,232 immigrants are eligible to vote in the November 28 elections to constitute a new 40-member Assembly in the Congress-ruled Mizoram. The BJP has put up 39 candidates this time while the party in the 2013 assembly polls had had fielded 17 candidates and secured only 0.37 per cent of the votes. If the BJP comes to power in Mizoram, all the problems of Reang and other tribals would be solved. The Congress did nothing for the development of the state and also for the minority tribals, Assams minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the gathering. He said that the four-partite agreement signed in Delhi on July 3 to resolve the refugee problems and to repatriate the tribals to Mizoram, was faulty and the BJP would do justice to the refugees if the party voted to power in the polls. In the Mizoram elections, a multi-corner contest would be witnessed between the ruling Congress, BJP and Mizo National Front (MNF), a regional party, which ruled the state for two terms (1998-2003, and 2003-2008). Though the MNF is a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), no pre-poll alliance was formed between the BJP and MNF. Political experts predict that after the polls, the MNF might forge an alliance with the BJP to form the government. Commuters using the Ola-Uber service can heave a sigh of relief as the drivers of the two app-based cab companies called off their agitation on Monday, after the members of the two workers unions representing the drivers, met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to put forth their demands. However, the Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh (MRRKS) and Marathi Kamgar Sena stated that if the state fails to give a positive response on the CMs assurances, they will agitate again. We suspended the agitation after meeting the Maharashtra chief minister. We have requested him to hold a meeting of all the stakeholders including the companies and the representatives of the drivers. The chief minister assured us that such a meeting will take place after the winter session of the legislative Assembly. However, if there is no positive response on our demands, then our agitation would continue, said Sachin Ahir, president of MRRKS and senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The union claimed that a committee will be formed by the state to look into the demands of the drivers. The committees report will be taken into consideration and would be implemented. A committee will be made who will look into the demands of the drivers and give their suggestions. The committee will also speak to the companies and get their opinion as well, said Govind Mohite, general secretary, MRRKS. Earlier in the day, a protest rally was organised by the unions from Bharatmata Cinema in Currey Road to the Vidhan Bhavan. However, the Mumbai police detained those who lead the protest and took them to Azad Maidan. The drivers and the union leaders then held the protest at Azad Maidan in the afternoon. Passengers of mobile-based apps faced several difficulties on Monday, as the services were offline. The passengers who were travelling back home from the domestic and international airports were the worst hit because black and yellow taxis were not easily available either. Commuters took to social media to describe their ordeal. Landed in Mumbai and greeted by Uber and Ola strike. Long queues at airport to get a cab. We the people will not let this country function. People just dont want to work and then claim tech is taking their livelihood, tweeted @Batla_G. This is the second agitation by the Ola and Uber drivers in the city. The app-based cabs had first been off the roads on October 22 for 13 days. The second agitation started on Saturday midnight, as drivers began going offline. The drivers have been demanding higher income, a minimum base fare in the range of 100-150 depending on the car type and a per-km fare of 18 to 23, among other things. They are also demanding to reinstate the drivers who have been blacklisted by the app-based companies due to lower customer ratings. Commuters may be in for traffic snarls in south Mumbai on Monday as drivers of the app-based Ola and Uber cabs will be taking out a protest rally from Bharatmata in Currey Road to the Vidhan Bhavan at 10am. According to drivers union Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh (MRRKS), more than 10,000 drivers from Mumbai and its adjoining areas such as Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan are likely to take part in the agitation. We have received assurance from more than 10,000 drivers that they would join the agitation. The rally will go up till Vidhan Bhavan where we will attempt to meet the chief minister. If we do not get any reply, a final call will be taken on Monday evening, said Govind Mohite, general secretary, MRRKS. Ola, in a statement on Sunday, said it expects all its driver partners to ply as usual. Our policies are designed to help driver partners function like entrepreneurs with absolute control over their income. Earnings of driver partners on the Ola platform are best in the industry...We appeal to them and consumers to not pay attention to rumours, said an Ola spokesperson. In the second phase of their agitation, Ola-Uber drivers started going offline from Saturday midnight. Waiting time for cabs went up to 15 minutes and fares spiked across both the apps on Sunday. One Twitter user, @chatpataka100, posted, What a wasted Sunday, couldnt go to Chembur to meet friends! Thanks to the Ola Uber strike ... MRRKS had earlier called for an indefinite strike on October 22 which lasted 13 days and was called off after assurances were given by the companies and the state transport minister. However, the union said the demands have not been met by the companies, or the state. The drivers have been demanding higher income, a minimum base fare in the range of 100-150 depending on the car type and a per-km fare of 18 to 23, among other things. Maoist ideologue and Telugu writer Vara Vara Rao wanted to procure arms to create unrest in the country, prosecution told a Pune sessions court on Sunday, seeking custody of the revolutionary poet. Judge K D Vadane remanded Rao in police custody till November 26. After arresting him on Saturday evening from his residence in Hyderabad, the Pune police produced Rao in court on Sunday amid tight security. Seeking police custody of Rao for 14 days, government district pleader Ujjwala Pawar told the court that the investigation has revealed that Rao has a direct nexus with the top underground Maoist leaders and he was directly involved in various Maoist activities; from smuggling arms and ammunition from Nepal and Manipur, to recruiting students for the Naxal activities and aiding urban naxal movements. Rao along with four others was earlier arrested by police on August 28 after which the Supreme Court put him under house arrest. It was only after the high court refused to grant him further relief that Rao was taken into custody by the Pune Police on November 18. The prosecution told the court that Rao wanted to procure arms from Nepal and Manipur and was in touch with top Maoist leader Ganpathy. The government pleader while arguing before the court said that the police intercepted an email communication between Rao and top Ganpathy in which the latter while expressing concerns after the first five arrests, had asked Rao how these letters were leaked to the authorities. Prosecution said Raos custody is important as the police want to find Ganpathy, who is accused in multiple cases. The investigators want to probe his role in mobilising Dalits through the December 31, 2017, Elgar Parishad and inciting them against the government, Pawar told court. The naxal attack in Surajgarh in Gadchiroli took place at the directions of Advocate Surendra Gadling and Rao and the said incident got nationwide publicity, the prosecution said, adding that Rao made the funding available for conducting various attacks. His role in terrorist activities in Usur, Pamed and Bheji has been revealed during the investigation, Pawar said. Defence questions police proof Advocate Rohan Nahar, who appeared for Vara Vara Rao told the court that writer has been falsely arrested and was under house arrest which is considered judicial custody. Nahar said there is no proof against Rao as police are saying that on one hand there was a coded communication and on the other hand that Rao sent an email to Ganpathy, which was contradictory. Proof submitted by the police is untrustworthy. Why were former Justice P B Sawant and Justice B G Kolse Patil not investigated in the case even though they were organisers of the Elgar Parishad, Nahar asked. Official candidates of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan have geared up for campaigning after the announcement of candidates. Candidates of both parties from Jaipur started approaching the voters through public dialogue. BJPs candidate from Civil Lines constituency and minister in Vasundhara Raje cabinet Arun Chaturvedi reached C-Scheme and visited several houses and shops falling under ward 26. At Panchseel Marg, when Chaturvedi reached Saleem Khans shop and asked him to vote for him, Khan replied, I will vote for you only if you assure me that youll fill potholes of the road. Chaturvedi replied, I will solve all your issues if you will vote for me. Few steps ahead, Chaturvedi was stopped by an old man identified as RM Tripathi, who said, Where have you been for the last five years and now you are asking for votes? My family will vote for you if you promise to resolve the problem of disputed waterline. Chaturvedi replied , The pipeline issue has been resolved few days back but I will still look into it again. Arun chaturvedi, BJP candidate from Civil lines constituency , meets people on Sunday, November 18. (HT Photo ) His counterpart Pratap Singh Khachariyawas took out a bike rally which passed through the major roads falling under the Civil Lines constituency after which he met people of Kacchi Basti area, Hasanpura, Hatwara among others. Around 1pm, Khachariyawas met the residents of the Bani Park constituency where they discussed their issues with him. One of the residents, Pradeep Baheti, said, The main problem with our constituency is traffic jam due to lack of parking space near the sessions court and district collectors office. Khachariywas said, It will be solved by constructing an underground parking lot under the collectorate circle. Surendra Pareek, BJP candidate from Hawa Mahal constituency, started his day with campaigning in ward 84 of the walled city. People from Bengali community welcomed Pareek where he stopped to have a word with the people. Congress candidate from Hawa Mahal, Mahesh Joshi will be starting the campaign after filing the nominations on Monday; Narpat Singh Rajivi from BJP and Rafiq Khan from Congress had a similar plans. Health minister Kalicharan Saraf, who is contesting elections from Malviya Nagar constituency, inaugurated his office for election purpose at the Mahesh Nagar area. BJPs candidate from Kishanpole constituency Mohan Lal Gupta said that he will start campaigning in the area from Wednesday. Click on the link for complete coverage of Rajasthan assembly election Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Monday remitted the sentences of three AIADMK functionaries who were serving life terms for torching a bus in Dharmapuri in February 2000. Three girl students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) had died in the ensuing blaze. Buses were set ablaze to protest the conviction of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the Pleasant Stay Hotel corruption case. The three AIADMK functionaries Nedunchezian, Ravindran and Muniappan were released from Vellore Central Prison around 1pm on Monday afternoon. The release of the three men invited criticism from the opposition. Purohit remitted their sentences on the state cabinets recommendation. Initially, he had returned the file to the government, but later cleared it when the Cabinet presented it a second time while reiterating the demand for the premature release of the trio. The three men had set fire to the bus while protesting the conviction of J Jayalalithaa by a special court in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case. The bus was carrying 44 students and two teachers from Coimbatore on a study tour that day. Three students Kokilavani, Hemalatha and Gayathri had been charred to death and this had sent shock waves across the state and AIADMK had been at the receiving end of public criticism. The Pleasant Stay Hotel case pertains to a grant of exemption to the hotel to construct seven-storeys at the hill resort of Kodaikanal, in gross violation of rules environmental guidelines. The court found Jayalalithaa and others accused, including her cabinet colleague TM Selvaganapathy, now with DMK, guilty of gaining pecuniary advantage in granting exemption to the hotel. The trial court had awarded death penalty to the three AIADMK functionaries and the same was confirmed by the Supreme Court. But, hearing a review petition filed by the three convicts, the Supreme Court had commuted it to life term two years ago. The court had accepted that the crime was not a premeditated one but was carried out in a momentary rage. The Edappadi Palaniswami government had clubbed the release of the trio along with 1,800 other life convicts, lodged across Tamil Nadu and had served ten years of imprisonment, on the occasion of birth anniversary of former CM and AIADMK founder, MG Ramachandran. But the AIADMK governments decision to release the trio, and the Governor acceding to it, has drawn flak from the Opposition. The Governor has also been accused of sitting on the file related to the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The principal opposition, DMK, has alleged collusion between the AIADMK and the BJP. This is an attempt at whitewashing the barbaric crime carried out in the name of Jayalalithaa. The release of the three men will not erase the memory of the gory tragedy. In this, both the AIADMK in power in the state and the BJP at the Centre, are colluding, M Subramanian, MLA and former mayor of Chennai, alleged and asked why the Governor had not shown the same interest in the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. They, too, have been behind bars for the last 27 years, he said. For TNCC president Su. Thirunavukkarasar, the AIADMK government was setting a very bad precedent. This is unacceptable. The Palaniswami government has set free the three AIADMK men in utter disregard to public sentiment, he said. Former Union minister and Tamil Maanila Congress president GK Vasan, decried the move and said, This move to remit the sentences of the trio involved in the Dharmapuri bus burning has no public approval. Social media is already flooded with posts and memes questioning the Government and the Governors rationale. This has reignited the demand for the early release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, including Perarivalan. It might be recalled that matinee icon Rajinikanth had convened a media conference to clarify that he was in favour of setting all seven free on humanitarian grounds. The actors previous statement that he was not aware of who the seven convicts were, had led to a severe backlash on social media. Chaos reigned supreme in the Peoples Front, or Maha Kootami, as the grand alliance of four opposition parties in Telangana is known, with one party fielding its official candidates in constituencies allotted to the other alliance partners. Telangana will go to polls on December 7. With nominations coming to a close on Monday, the Congress party, which is supposed to contest 94 out of 119 constituencies, gave the B forms to six more candidates in the constituencies allotted to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS). These six candidates were apart from the partys rebel candidates who have filed their nominations as independents in several constituencies. For instance, in Ibrahimpatnam constituency in Ranga Reddy district, Congress named former MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy as its official candidate early on Monday. The seat was originally allotted to the TDP, which has fielded its official candidate Sama Ranga Reddy. Click here to see how many votes the party earned in 2014 In Patancheru constituency in Sangareddy district, the Congress has fielded Kata Srinivas Goud, while the seat was originally allotted to the TDP. With no other option, the TDP has decided to opt out of the contest in the constituency, thereby reducing the number of seats it is contesting to 13, one down from 14. Similarly, in Miryalguda, a seat given to the TJS, the Congress has named former TDP MLA and All India OBC Welfare Association (AIOWA) president R Krishnaiah as its candidate. Krishnaiah joined the Congress late on Sunday. The TJS has fielded its senior leader Vidyadhar Reddy from here. Also read | Madhya Pradesh assembly election 2018: Congress complains to EC about PM Modi speech In Dubbak constituency, another TJS seat, the Congress gave the B form to Maddula Nageshwar Reddy. The TJS has fielded its candidate Chindam Raj Kumar. In Medak, from where the TJS fielded its official candidate Janardhan Reddy, the Congress has fielded Upender Reddy. In Warangal (East), the Congress nominated Vaddiraju Ravichandra as its candidate, though TJS has announced the candidature of Gade Innaiah as part of seat sharing. The TJS has also fielded its candidates in Asifabad, Khanapur and Chennur which were allotted to the Congress and also in Mahbubnagar and Ashwaraopet which have been allotted to the TDP. In all, the TJS has fielded its candidates in 12 constituencies, as against the original eight seats allotted to it of which it had sacrificed the Jangaon seat to former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah. According to a senior Congress leader who refused to be named, the party was forced to field its candidates in the constituencies allotted to the other alliance partners after they refused to back out of the contest. Moreover, there have been reports that the candidates put up by the TJS and TDP in these constituencies are very weak and are sure to lose the polls. Hence, we fielded our candidates. It would be a friendly contest among the alliance partners of Peoples Front, he said. Also read | Mizoram assembly elections: BJP has never recorded a win but its a poll issue this time TJS president M Kodandaram, who has been appointed as Peoples Front convenor, said it was unfortunate that the Congress did not honour the spirit of the alliance by giving tickets to its candidates in the constituencies allotted to alliance partners. We hope the issue will settle down before November 22, the last date for withdrawal of nominations. In any case, it should be not be a problem for the Peoples Front in its fight against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), he said. For complete coverage on Assembly Elections Click here Pakistan Monday reacted angrily to Donald Trumps latest tirade against it for not doing a damn thing for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US President suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia! Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazaris terse remarks came a day after President Trump defended his administrations decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of containment and isolation do not coincide with Pakistans strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, said Trumps latest criticism of Pakistan should be a lesson to those Pakistani leaders who appeased America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. Trumps tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do a damn thing for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT (war on terrorism); the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc, she tweeted. The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests, Mazari said. In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said: @realDonaldTrump suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia! Former foreign minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan continues to pay in blood for what it did for the USA and described the bilateral ties as a relationship of betrayals & sanctions. We continue to pay in blood for what we did for USA from Beda Ber to fighting wars wich werent ours. Reinvented our religion to suit US interests, destroyed our tolerant ethos, replaced it with bigotry & intolerance. A relationship of betrayals & sanctions, Asif tweeted. Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I dont know, Ive seen nicer. The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there, he added. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, were supporting Pakistan, were giving them $1.3 billion a year -- which we dont give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us, he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to agents of chaos that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has much to lose by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled $300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. US president Donald Trump on Sunday said he is doing a great job and gave himself A plus for successfully running the country. I think I am doing a great job. We have the best economy we have ever had, Trump told Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday. I would give myself, I would - look, I hate to do it, but I will do it, I would give myself an A+, is that enough? Can I go higher than that? he said. Responding to a question in a wide-ranging interview the US President said, We are doing really well. We would have been at war with North Korea if, lets say, that administration continued forward. On North Korea, he also said that before leaving the office, his predecessor Barack Obama had advised him that the North Korea was one of the top challenges for the country. Trump said Obama had offered him some important guidance in the White House shortly after his 2016 election. I think North Koreas been very tough because you know we were very close. When I took that over -- President Obama right in those two chairs, we sat and talked and he said thats by far the biggest problem that this country has, Trump told the news channel. And I think we had real decision as to which way to go on North Korea and certainly at least so far I am very happy with the way we went, Trump said referring to the fact that his diplomacy with the North Koreans. Early this year, Trump became the first US president to hold talks with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. As a result of the summit meeting in Singapore, North Korea has agreed to a pathway of denuclearization. There has been no missile tests and nuclear tests. The rhetoric and threats from the North Korean leaders against its neighbours and the US has almost ended for the past several months. Trump takes credit for his successful diplomacy with North Korea. During his interview, Trump told the Fox news that his supported candidates won in the mid-term elections against the candidates for whom Obama had campaigned for. I won against President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama in a great state called Georgia for the governor, Trump said, referring to defeated Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams top surrogates, to the news channel. And it was all stacked against Brian (Kemp), and I was the one that went for Brian, and Brian won, he said, adding that and same with Florida. Look at Florida. I went down to Florida. (Republican) Senate candidate) Rick Scott won, and he won by a lot. I dont know what happened to all those votes that disappeared at the very end. And if I didnt put a spotlight on that election before it got down to the 12,500 votes, he would have lost that election, OK? In my opinion he would have lost. They would have taken that election away from him. Rick Scott won Florida, Trump said. President Donald Trump on Monday called Pakistanis fools for not alerting the US about Osama bin Laden who was killed in a navy SEAL raid in Abbottabad in Pakistani in 2011, which he has also argued should have happened sooner and criticized the commander of the US operation for it. Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did, President Trump said in a Tweet on Monday, carrying forward an argument he first voiced in an interview to Fox News that aired Sunday. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools! He said in a follow-up tweet: We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Trump tweets came hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan fired back at the US President, underlining that the US had only provided what he described as a minuscule $20 billion in aid. Khan went on to highlight that Pakistan had lost 75,000 lives and $123 billion in what was essentially the United States War on Terror though no Pakistanis were involved in the Sept 11 attacks. Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why the Taliban today are stronger than before, the Pakistan PM said. In the interview to Fox news, Trump had castigated Pakistan for not doing a damn thing for us despite the billions it had received from the United States in aid over the years. We were giving them $1.3 billion a year -- which we dont give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us. Trump suspended nearly $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan in January just days after he had slammed Pakistan in a New Year tweet: The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.The US presidents Monday Tweet was perhaps in response to the attention his criticism of retired Navy Admiral William McRaven, who had commanded the SEALs operation that killed bin Laden in Abbottabad, a cantonment town that is also home to an elite Pakistan military school, on May 2, 2011 for not doing it sooner. In the Fox interview, the president first dismissed the retired commander Admiral William McRaven as a Hillary Clinton fan and an Obama backer, and then said, Wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldnt it have been nice? You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I dont know, Ive seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. McRaven, who is himself a former SEAL and member of the elite SEAL Team 6, oversaw the operation as head of the US special operations command. He had also commanded the operation that captured Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and has long been held as one of Americas leading military leaders, and an icon, who has thus far resisted calls to run for the White House. But McRaven, who is battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia a slow-progressing form of blood cancer has also been critical of the president. After the White House withdrew security clearance to former CIA director John Brennan, the retired admiral wrote an oped inviting the administration to revoke his as well. And he had gone on to criticize the presidents leadership qualities, or the lack of it. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation. Trump, who prides himself as a counter-puncher but avoided military service due to a bone-spur, has hit back months hence,. The president has also picked up with fights with other military leaders, and disparaged families of fallen soldiers. Germany will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europes Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, foreign minister Heiko Maas said Monday. Maas said the move was coordinated very closely with states France and Britain and the broader EU as they seek more information in Khashoggis death last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Berlin has decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be in connection with this deed, in the Schengen information system, Maas told reporters. We are in close coordination on this issue within the European Union, he said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. Over the weekend, we stated that we expected further steps to be taken to clarify the situation. We will follow on this closely and reserve further steps for ourselves. The Schengen zone -- which is composed of 22 EU nations and four non-EU countries. EU member Britain is not part of the passport-free Schengen zone, but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes. Germany called last month for EU countries to follow its lead and suspend arms sales for the moment to Saudi Arabia, prompting a dismissive response from French President Emmanuel Macron. France is the kingdoms second biggest customer after India. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, an audio recording proves that Khashoggi was deliberately killed and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammeds inner circle. The United States, traditionally Riyadhs closest ally, has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. A 20-member Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation on Monday left for Beijing on visit during which it will be briefed on Chinas political history and review the ruling Communist partys successes in eradicating poverty and corruption in the worlds most populous country. The week-long visit by a jumbo delegation of Pakistans ruling party comes weeks after Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the chief of the PTI, made his first visit to China on November 2. PTI Central Secretary General Arshad Daad is leading the delegation, which was invited by the Communist Party of China (CPC), state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Both parties are expected to hold meetings where they discuss matters of bilateral value, the report said. A briefing on Chinas political history and inter-departmental arrangements will also be given to the PTI delegation, along with a review of Beijings successes in eradication of poverty and corruption from the country, it said. Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a massive crackdown on corruption and under this, many top leaders, including ex-army generals have been arrested for alleged graft. Prime Minister Khan has often praised the Chinese governments efforts for poverty alleviation. This is where we admire China so much. No country in human history, has ever taken 700 million people out of poverty in 30 years as China has done, he said while delivering a speech at the CPCs Central Party School during his visit to Beijing. China and Pakistan view each other as all-weather allies and Beijing is Pakistans major source of defence equipment. China has also agreed to provide financial aid to cash-strapped Pakistan government to tide over the current financial problem. The Taliban held talks with US officials in Qatar on ending the Afghan conflict last week, the militants confirmed Monday, but said no agreement was reached on any issue. The statement comes a day after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul that a peace deal to end the 17-year war could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for April. Senior Taliban officials met with a high-ranking US delegation in Qatar on November 14, 15 and 16, the militant group said in a WhatsApp message, without mentioning Khalilzad. The US has made no statement about the talks. The Taliban has a political office in the capital Doha that serves as a de-facto embassy. These were preliminary talks and no agreement was reached on any issue, spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. We want to reassure our Mujahideen and Muslim nation that the representatives of the Islamic Emirate will never agree to anything that does not adhere to Islamic principles. US envoy Khalilzad was in Kabul after a second round of regional meetings with top Afghan government officials to coordinate efforts on ending the conflict. In a meeting Monday, Khalilzad told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that the ground for intra-Afghan talks is more ready than any other time, according to a presidential palace statement. The second Taliban-US meeting in as many months come as the militants step up attacks on beleaguered Afghan security forces, which are suffering an unprecedented level of casualties. The death toll among Afghan soldiers and police is nearing 30,000 since the start of 2015, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged. In a recent report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) cited the NATO mission in Kabul as saying this summers toll had been worse than ever for Afghan forces. Khalilzad told reporters on Sunday that he recognised the complexity of the conflict, but insisted he wanted to make as much progress as possible as soon as possible. His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a peace deal to be done quickly. Washington is facing competition from Moscow, which this month hosted an international gathering on Afghanistan that was attended by the Taliban. M ayfair restaurant Sketch has been transformed into a Christmas winter wonderland for six weeks only and it's as magnificent as you'd expect from London's innovative design hotspot. Known for its glamorous and quirky interiors, the restaurant's festive Dulce Domum installation, which is 'Sweet Home' in Latin, is a feast for the eyes. Designed by Tony Marklew, the series of vibrant arches lining the entrance hall are based on The Nutcracker Ballet. Keep an eye out for the fun painted sweetie arch which has been decorated with real, albeit dried, ingredients. The infamous toilets have been given a festive makeover with wrapping paper and ribbon to make them even more of an Instagram hit. A contemporary gold and silver shimmering Christmas tree, designed again this year by Tony Marklew, takes centre stage in the sumptuous Lecture Room & Library space. Finally, don't forget to head into the Glade to see the dramatic Champagne Pommery Salon, an enchanting not to a draping forest expertly designed by London Florist Rebel Rebel and accentuated by Art Deco-inspired Tala lights. What to buy in Milton Keynes From 204,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to 485,000 for a five-bedroom house The first residents will move into The Square @ Brooklands in the new year. This mixed-use scheme includes shops, cafes and restaurants, a gym, a nursery and a public square, as well as just over 50 houses and apartments. > For more details visit www.brooklandsmk.co.uk Democrat Mike Espy, who is seeking to unseat appointed U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., speaks about the upcoming Senate runoff Friday during a rally in Vicksburg, Miss. (Courtland Wells/AP) A U.S. Senate runoff that was supposed to provide an easy Republican win has turned into an unexpectedly competitive contest, driving Republicans and Democrats to pour in resources and prompting a planned visit by President Trump to boost his partys faltering candidate. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith stumbled recently when, in praise of a supporter, she spoke of her willingness to sit in the front row of a public hanging if he invited her words that, in the South, evoked images of lynchings. She has struggled to grapple with the fallout, baffling members of her party and causing even faithful Republicans to consider voting for her opponent, former congressman Mike Espy. That Espy is attempting to become the states first black senator since shortly after the Civil War made her remarks all the more glaring. It has positioned him to take advantage not only of a substantial black turnout but of a potential swell of crossover support from those put off by Hyde-Smiths campaign. Espy remains the underdog in the conservative state, but Republicans with access to private polling say Hyde-Smiths lead has narrowed significantly in recent days. Republicans need only to look to next-door Alabama, where Democrat Doug Jones pulled out a surprise win last year, to stoke concern. For Republicans, the Nov. 27 runoff is a chance for a slight expansion of their majority in the Senate, their one bright spot in this years midterm elections. If Hyde-Smith wins and Gov. Rick Scott keeps his lead in the Senate race in Florida, Republicans would have a senate majority of 53 to 47. A loss in Mississippi would give the GOP a 52-to-48 majority, only one up from the current razor-thin margin. Trumps campaign announced Saturday that he would hold rallies for Hyde-Smith in Tupelo and Biloxi the night before the election. The Republican National Committee, meantime, has two dozen staffers in Mississippi and plans to send more. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is also sending reinforcements and last week made a $700,000 ad buy. Mississippi governor defends Hyde-Smith's 'public hanging' remark Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant defended Republican Senate candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith's 'public hanging' comment on Nov. 13. The Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC has been running the first of about $500,000 in television ads, and Black Voters Matter Fund, a voter turnout group that has been working throughout the South, is sending staffers to the state. Concern over the tightness of the race came up last week during a conference call that Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo), head of the NRSC, held with Republican donors. In it, he equated the Mississippi race with the partys ongoing fight over ballots in Florida. We take this race very, very seriously, Gardner said, according to audio obtained by The Post. We have emptied out the building of the senatorial committee to two places: Florida and Mississippi. Hyde-Smith was appointed last spring to replace veteran Sen. Thad Cochran, who retired due to illness. That prompted a special election Nov. 6 and the runoff after no candidate won over 50 percent of the vote. The winner will fill the final two years of Cochrans term and have to run for a full term in 2020. Espy played down race while competing in a multicandidate field for the Nov. 6 election, even as the third-place finisher, conservative Chris McDaniel, put the second flag of the Confederate States of America on his yard signs. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., speaks to attendees Friday at a Gulf Coast Business Council meeting in Biloxi, Miss. (John Fitzhugh/AP) However, Espy has been recounting how he and his twin sister had a racial epithet slung at them almost daily in high school. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are campaigning with him. Espy also spent Saturday with Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is planning to come on Monday. We may have all come over here on different ships, but were all here now, Espy said after an event here last week. Yes, there are race issues in Mississippi, cant sweep those under the rug. But I dont want to dwell on that. I want to be the senator of everyone, irrespective of race, irrespective of gender, irrespective of party, irrespective of religion. I want to be the vehicle of progress in Mississippi. The race in Mississippi is another measurement of whether the South is truly in the midst of a political transformation. The past year has seen a black lieutenant governor sworn into office in Virginia, steps from where Gen. Robert E. Lee assumed command of Confederate troops in 1861, and two black Democrats ran surprisingly strong races for governor in Florida and Georgia in contests marred by racial epithets. But while Democrats view Mississippi as the finale of an election year marked by victories in unexpected places, the hurdles here are perhaps the highest. Not only is it a state that hasnt elected a Democratic senator since 1982, Mississippi was carried by Trump by 18 points in 2016. The president also remains popular there. Some might be overly optimistic but it can happen, said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the dean of the Mississippi congressional delegation and its only Democrat. It would go a long ways toward saying Mississippi is changing its old segregationist ways by the election of Mike Espy. It would go a long ways toward doing away with the stereotypical notion that people in this country have about Mississippi. In the first balloting on Nov. 6, Hyde-Smith narrowly topped the field with 41.5 percent and Espy came in second with 40.6 percent. Republican firebrand McDaniel came in third with 16.5 percent. Many top Republicans here were relieved Hyde-Smith emerged over McDaniel, who they believe would have had more limited appeal. She is a cattle farmer and former Democratic state senator who switched parties in 2010 and was twice elected statewide as Mississippis Republican agriculture commissioner. An abortion rights opponent backed by the NRA, she would also make history as the first woman elected to the Senate from Mississippi. She has worked to win over Trump supporters, with a campaign bus that features his image on the side. If McDaniel had knocked her out of the runoff, this would be a knuckle-buster, said one Republican operative here, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer a frank opinion. But now its hers to lose. I just think the wagons are circled. The campaign is a test of both sides ability to get voters to the polls five days after Thanksgiving. There is only one debate, taking place on Tuesday. We all know her 41 percent who turned out. We know who ours are, said Joe Trippi, a Democratic consultant working for Espy. I doubt that many new people are going to be voting. Its who can motivate their folks. Black voters make up 38 percent of the population in Mississippi, and Democratic strategists estimate Espy only needs about 30 percent of the white vote to win. On Nov. 6, an Associated Press voter survey found 57 percent of white voters supported Hyde-Smith, while 21 percent backed Espy and 18 percent voted for McDaniel. Some 83 percent of black voters supported Espy. Espy had been running a campaign like most Democrats around the country, focusing on health care and casting himself as a bipartisan broker who once endorsed Republican Haley Barbour when he was governor of Mississippi. The focus on Barbour was meant to counter Hyde-Smiths characterization of Espy as a liberal Democrat. The release of a video Nov. 11 changed all that. In it, Hyde-Smith said of a cattle rancher, If he invited me to a public hanging, Id be on the front row. The national president of the NAACP immediately denounced the comments, pointing to Mississippis history of committing more lynchings than any other state between the Civil War and the civil rights movement. Her campaign released a statement saying any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous. During a news conference held with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R), she would not answer questions, instead pointing six times to the statement before Bryant stepped to the microphone to defend her remark as merely clumsy. Another video emerged on Thursday, released by the same Louisiana blogger who publicized the first one, in which Hyde-Smith seems to joke about voter suppression. Theres a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we dont want to vote, she says. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult, and I think thats a great idea. Hyde-Smiths campaign said she was joking. It is unclear whether, by those other schools, she was referring to the states historically black colleges and universities. Hyde-Smith declined a request for an interview, and when reporters approached her last week at the U.S. Capitol, she repeatedly declined to engage. Weve already made a statement, she said several times. When asked how the comments were impacting the campaign, campaign spokeswoman Melissa Scallan said, The senator has asked us to just not comment about that. Our focus is mainly on conservative versus liberal. Mississippi is a conservative state, a very red state, Scallan added. We do feel like we have an advantage but we are taking him very seriously. His base is strong. Scrutiny has also heightened recently over Espys past. Fox News on Thursday reported he was paid $750,000 in 2011 to lobby on behalf of an Ivory Coast despot who is now on trial at the International Criminal Court. Hyde-Smith is now running ads questioning whether he lied about that work. Espy was also forced out in 1994 as agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration, amid accusations that he improperly took gifts from businesses and lobbyists. He later was acquitted on 30 corruption charges. But it is Hyde-Smith who has commandeered most of the recent attention, to her potential detriment. Andrea Phillips, a 61-year-old family physician who is black, last week attended an Espy event at a church in Jackson. She said she is just as eager to see a woman as a black man make history. She was pleased when Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith as senator. But that changed as soon as the comments emerged. Imagine Mr. Espy was addressing a group, and in an effort to appeal to them, if he said, You could invite me to a gang rape, and I would be on the front row, Phillips said. Thats what lynching or hanging is for black people. Its that abhorrent and offensive. But she doesnt see that. She doesnt understand it. A half-hour away in Rankin County, one of the places where Hyde-Smith performed best earlier this month, many voters said they were not bothered by her comments. But not all of them. It turned the whole thing upside down . . . I knew who I was going to vote for before this. Now I dont, said a man named William, a white Republican and self-described Trumpster who voted for Hyde-Smith two weeks ago. He declined to provide his last name because he didnt want to publicly disclose he was considering voting for a Democrat. Mike Espy is a good guy. Nothing wrong with him. Sean Sullivan and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report. Pipeline 19 November 2018 Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel group has signed a Hotel Management Agreement for a 180-room property on Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, under its upscale brand Centara. 'Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi' will be Centara's fourth property in Krabi and is expected to open in September 2019. Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will be the first chain hotel in the area which has direct access to the spectacular Ao Nang beach. The resort's 180 rooms will range from 39-81 sqm. in eight configurations, including 20 family-friendly residences with bunk beds. Most ground floor rooms will have direct pool access. Centara is planning a modern design, with F&B outlets that can be used for breakfast and special event buffets, or independent themes and menus. The resort will also feature a spa and beach club. Krabi is the perfect holiday destination for those looking for a relaxing area in southern Thailand. The province, located between Phang Nga and Trang, features stunning scenery both inland and at sea. With over 150 islands off its 150km-long coast line (many of them featuring fantastic white-sand beaches and turquoise waters), a jungle-covered interior, towering limestone cliffs, caves, waterfalls and exotic wildlife, Krabi a great selection of natural assets that offer its visitors a wide array of leisure activities for the whole family. Island-hopping, snorkelling, rock climbing, sea kayaking, jungle trekking and scuba diving, are among the most popular occupations that can be enjoyed while on holiday in Krabi. Ao Nang is Krabi's vibrant tourist centre. It has the relaxed atmosphere of a small town, the beauty of a beach resort, the modern comforts of home, and the friendliness that sets Thailand apart. The property will be set on Ao Nang beach, a popular location for its spectacular scenery of limestone cliffs, white sand, clear water and towering offshore islands. Pipeline 19 November 2018 Further strengthening its presence in the African market, Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, has signed a hotel management agreement with Grandview Hotels and Resorts Limited to manage a new five-star hotel in the Republic of Zambia that is scheduled to be opened by 2021. Set to be situated in the heart of the south-central African country's capital city Lusaka, the upcoming hotel will be the first-ever property to be operated under the Rotana Hotels and Resorts brand in Zambia. The hotel will be the addition to the company's three operating properties in the African continent, including Al Salam Rotana, Khartoum, Sudan; Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DR Congo; and Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Located in the newly expanded Central Business District of Lusaka, the hotel will be a stone's throw away from major landmarks in the city, including the East Park Mall and several multinational corporate offices, Embassies, and Ministries, making it the ideal choice for both business and leisure travellers. The exquisitely designed five-star hotel will feature 150 rooms and 50 hotel apartments that will provide guests with all the comforts and the luxury for a pleasant and memorable long stay experience. Making it appealing to business and leisure travellers, the hotel will also feature key exclusive hospitality offerings, including three signature dining restaurants, executive lounge, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and generous indoor and outdoor space thoughtfully designed for formal and informal gatherings. Other amenities will include pool and terraces, as well as a fully equipped fitness & wellness club. When opened, the new hotel will bring Rotana's total inventory in Africa to 1,060. With the objective of capitalizing on the potential of the burgeoning market for the hospitality sector, Rotana has planned new hotels in Angola, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Tanzania that will be opening by 2022. Pipeline 19 November 2018 StayWell Holdings and Prince Hotels Inc. expand The Prince Akatoki brand to China StayWell Holdings and Prince Hotels Inc. has announced that The Prince Akatoki will open its second property in 2019, in Guangzhou. StayWell Holdings and Prince Hotels Inc. announced the creation of The Prince Akatoki brand in June this year. The Prince Akatoki brand complements the wider portfolio of brands managed by StayWell Holdings, as the first luxury 5-star hotel brand in the group's already impressive stable. This follows the recent announcement of The Arch London acquisition, which will undergo an extensive refurbishment and reopen as The Prince Akatoki in London in 2019. The brand-new hotel will feature 275 rooms and four dining destinations for guests to the property. StayWell Holdings, a subsidiary of Prince Hotels Inc. which is one of Japan's leading hotel and leisure companies, has solidified its expansion plans for the recently revealed The Prince Akatoki brand, announcing the Group's second international property set to open in Guangzhou, China, in 2019. Located within the government development precinct of Bio-Island and within the Pearl River Delta area, The Prince Akatoki in Guangzhou is set amongst the hustle and bustle of China's biggest economic hub. Just two subway stops to Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre and less than 10kms from University City, which accommodates 23,000 students, the hotel provides significant opportunity to attract local and international business travellers. Featuring 275 luxurious rooms, the property will align with The Prince Akatoki's 5-star luxury offering - from the guest facilities on offer, through to the refined finishes, exclusive location and spectacular views. The Prince Akatoki, Guangzhou's onsite facilities will include; Extensive banquet and event rooms Four top-tier dining destinations, including Japanese and Chinese restaurants Lobby lounge and pool bars Medical facilities A Japanese inspired spa and a rooftop pool Refined finishes and pristine manicured landscaping. This milestone announcement adds weight to the already impressive portfolio of brands operating under StayWell Holdings and Prince Hotels Inc. with the group accelerating its inbound strategy and global development that StayWell has been practicing. Appointment 19 November 2018 Spire Hospitality, one of the nation's leading hotel management companies, proudly announces the appointment of Marletta Smith as the new regional director of sales. With over twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality industry, Smith will lead the sales team with her proven track record of increasing revenue growth and exceeding sales goals. Smith comes to Spire Hospitality from a long and impressive career in sales and operations. Most recently serving as corporate director of sales for NewcrestImage and Pillar Hotels and Resorts, Smith successfully directed and maximized revenues for 23 properties through strategic, direct sales and tactical revenue management. Prior to that, Smith was task force director for Prism Hotels and Resorts, where she increased room revenue YOY and market share. Smith attended the University of North Texas. Owned by AWH Partners, LLC, a privately held real estate investment, development and management firm, Spire Hospitality is a leading provider of management services for hotel owners and investors. With a nimble organizational structure and deep bench of executive talent, Spire Hospitality provides owners and investors with unparalleled, personalized attention. Appointment 19 November 2018 McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in the hotel development and management industry, announced today that it has hired Monica Mataloni as general manager of Aloft Asheville Downtown. Mataloni will be responsible for overseeing all operations for the lifestyle hotel located in the heart of downtown Asheville. Mataloni brings 20 years of hospitality management experience to Aloft Asheville Downtown. Prior to joining the Aloft team, she was general manager of the Hampton Inn Hallandale Beach Aventura Hotel. She has worked for several well-known hotel chains and received numerous certifications including the Hampton General Manager Certification. She is a Certified Rooms Division Executive and Hospitality Revenue Manager through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. Mataloni graduated from the University of Perugia in Italy with a bachelor's degree in hospitality management. Aloft Asheville Downtown boasts 115 rooms, meeting and event space, a W XYZ bar with weekly live music, an outdoor pool with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a collection of local artwork. The hotel also has an ongoing foster dog program. Through the program, Aloft partners with local animal shelter Charlie's Angels Animal Rescue and hosts one dog at a time that can be adopted by locals and visitors. The hotel is owned and managed by McKibbon Hospitality, which also manages three additional hotels in Asheville including the AC Hotel Asheville Downtown, Courtyard Asheville and SpringHill Suites Asheville. The company manages 11 hotels in North Carolina and is currently developing the Hotel Arras and Arras Residences in Asheville. In total, McKibbon's portfolio consists of nearly 80 hotels across the nation. Appointment 19 November 2018 Clark will be joining the hotel with over 20 years of experience in hospitality leadership, which includes managing and motivating teams to ensure they achieve high-quality results. An experienced hotelier, Clark has a proven track record of success. Her career began with Thistle Hotels in London before joining The London Marriott County Hall Hotel in 1999 as operations manager. After eight years with Marriott Hotels and Whitbread, Clark joined the Firmdale Hotels as hotel manager of The Soho Hotel in London and then moved to The Knightsbridge Hotel as hotel manager. Clark moved to the United Arab Emirates, joining Jumeirah Group in 2010 as general manager, operations support for the MEASA region managing the pre-opening for hotels under development. She stayed post opening at Jumeirah Vittaveli Maldives as general manager before returning to Dubai as the hotel manager at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, Madinat, where she took the hotel through an extensive refurbishment program. Press Release 19 November 2018 CapitaLand's wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has formed a strategic alliance with one of Indonesia's top property developers - Ciputra Development Group (Ciputra). Under the alliance, Ascott will manage serviced residences to be developed by Ciputra in Indonesia and China within the next five years. The 253-unit Citadines Sudirman Jakarta, the first property under the alliance, will open in 2021. Advertisements The alliance was inked today at the opening ceremony of Ascott Sudirman Jakarta1, a property which Ascott acquired from Ciputra in 2017; celebrating in part Ascott's longstanding partnership with Ciputra. Since it first partnered Ciputra in 1996 for Somerset Grand Citra Jakarta, which is jointly owned with Ascott Residence Trust; Ascott has also acquired Ascott Kuningan Jakarta from Ciputra in 2014. In addition to Citadines Sudirman Jakarta, the newly opened Ascott Sudirman Jakarta and Ascott Kuningan are all located within Ciputra World - a mixed-use multiplex development in Jakarta's thriving Golden Triangle Central Business District. Mr Kevin Goh, Ascott's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Forming strategic cooperation with leading industry players continues to be a key growth strategy for Ascott, as it provides us with accelerated access to quality project pipeline. Having strong reputable partners speaks volume of the value Ascott brings, through our international network, strong brand reputation and dominant foothold in many key markets around the world. We will continue to work with our strategic partners to not only expand within their markets but also to extend their reach overseas." This strategic alliance with Ciputra follows Ascott's recent partnership with TAUZIA Hotel Management (TAUZIA)2, one of Indonesia's top five hotel operators. With these latest developments, Ascott achieved a record nine-fold increase in properties in Indonesia year-on- year, strengthening its position as the country's largest lodging owner-operator. Its portfolio now stands at more than 130 serviced residences and business hotels with close to 22,000 units across 39 cities in Indonesia. Mr Goh added: "Through our collaboration with strategic partners, Ascott has added the biggest number of properties in Indonesia in a year. With an expanded product offering, we expect to pick up pace in our growth in the country. Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy, where we see huge potential for us to expand. The country is witnessing increasing economic activities as well as infrastructure developments to improve travel connectivity, driving demand for quality accommodation. We will continue to bolster Ascott's position as the largest international lodging player in Indonesia through investment, strategic alliances, management contracts and franchises as we work towards our global target of 160,000 units by 2023." Mr Ervin Yeo, Ascott's Regional General Manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, said: "We have just opened Ascott Sudirman Jakarta, a second serviced residence within the Ciputra World mega development due to high demand. Our existing Ascott Kuningan Jakarta in Ciputra World 1 has been performing well with consistently strong occupancies since it opened in 2014, and was recently awarded Indonesia's 'Leading Serviced Apartments' at the World Travel Awards. Ascott will open nine serviced residences with more than 1,600 units in Indonesia over the next few years, including our first properties in Bandung, Somerset Asia Afrika Bandung and Citadines Kings Bandung. In addition, through our partnership with TAUZIA, our pipeline will include another 60 hotels with more than 8,700 units across Indonesia. With our scale and lodging network comprising a full suite of brands, Ascott is well positioned to meet the burgeoning demand from corporate and leisure travellers." Mr Artadinata Djangkar, Ciputra's Senior Director, said: "Ciputra has enjoyed a strong partnership with Ascott for over two decades. We have properties in cities such as Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya in Indonesia with potential to be developed into serviced residences. These properties can be managed by Ascott through its portfolio of award-winning brands. Tapping on Ascott's global network and deep hospitality expertise, we are confident that the serviced residences will do well, and we can enjoy good returns." In Indonesia, Ascott offers the growing number of travellers a wide range of well-located serviced residences and business hotels across key cities such as Jakarta, Bali, Bandung and Surabaya. Demand for quality accommodation in Indonesia is booming with its rising middle-class population and its growing attractiveness as an investment and tourism destination. This is especially so in the capital city of Jakarta, an important business hub and popular destination for corporate meetings and business conferences. Indonesia saw more than 14 million overseas visitors in 2017, an increase of over two million from 20163. Business and leisure travel spending is expected to rise respectively by 7.1% and 5.4% per year to 20284. Developed by Shimao Group and managed by IHG, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is a luxury hotel built into the side wall of a formerly abandoned quarry in Southwestern Shanghai. Stretching 88 metres underground, the hotel was nominated as one of the architectural wonders of the world by the National Geographic Channel's MegaStructures series due to its pioneering architectural design. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) last week announced the grand opening of InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, the 200th hotel for the brand worldwide. Developed by Shimao Group and managed by IHG, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is a luxury hotel built into the side wall of a formerly abandoned quarry in Southwestern Shanghai. Stretching 88 metres underground, the hotel was nominated as one of the architectural wonders of the world by the National Geographic Channel's MegaStructures series due to its pioneering architectural design. Founded in 1946 by aviation pioneer, Juan Trippe, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts have been on the forefront of luxury hospitality industry for decades with an extensive and growing network of unique hotels and resorts in stunning locations around the world. The new-build InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland combines the brand's signature luxury with revolutionary design at a wonderfully unique location, creating an unprecedented experience that will forever change the global hospitality landscape. Continuing the brand's dedication to providing high standards of guest service and delivering captivating destination experiences, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland offers services and facilities signature to the InterContinental brand. The award-winning InterContinental Concierge adopts the brand's "In-the-Know" approach and features a series of curated experiences to help guests discover the beauty and charm of the destination. Located right above water level in the hotel's rock quarry architecture, the Club InterContinental lounge offers a range of exclusive services and benefits for its guests. Located beside Tianma Pit at Sheshan Mountain Range, this legendary new hotel is mostly subterranean, with two floors above ground and 16 below ground, including 2 floors underwater. Individually designed to best reflect both modern elegance and the unique features of quarry landscape, all 336 rooms and suites provide ample, luxury living spaces with spectacular views of waterfalls and the surrounding cliffs. The stunning underwater loft offers two awe-inspiring levels: the landing deck at water level houses the outdoor terrace and bedroom, whilst the underwater living room are encased within a turquoise aquarium where guests will be surrounded by schools of fish swim by. Furthermore, all hotel rooms on the bottom floor are provided with around-the-clock butler service to ensure a truly hassle-free stay experience and keep guests feeling truly pampered. Lin Wang, Chief Marketing Officer, Greater China, IHG, commented: "We are delighted to be joining forces with Shimao Group again to open InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland an architectural masterpiece which is a wonder and beauty in the global hospitality industry. IHG has maintained staggering growth since entering the Chinese market in 1984, and the opening of InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland marks a significant milestone in our development strategy and further enhances our luxury portfolio in China. With its exceptional experiences and personalised services, the hotel is ready to welcome guests to a world of alluring luxury and natural wonder, inviting everyone to live and enjoy the InterContinental life." Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Tapestry Collection by Hilton welcomes its first property in the state of Illinois to its portfolio of hotels, with the opening of The Rose Hotel Chicago O'Hare, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The new build hotel will be operated by Chicago-based Janko Hospitality. Tapestry Collection by Hilton welcomes its first property in the state of Illinois to its portfolio of hotels, with the opening of The Rose Hotel Chicago O'Hare, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The new build hotel will be operated by Chicago-based Janko Hospitality. Designed by The Gettys Group, The Rose Hotel is a 165-room hotel that incorporates fine art-inspired elements, coupled with a contemporary design and unique features. The lobby encompasses a Zebra wall that is 44 ft. long and over 11 ft. high, as well as two abstract wallcoverings featuring the Chicago skyline leading to eight, modern meeting and event spaces each named after roses totaling 6,000 sq. ft. of functional, flexible space. "The Rose Hotel is a fantastic addition to Tapestry Collection and Rosemont's newly developed Pearl District mixed-use complex, featuring eye-catching elements and a stunning design that genuinely embodies the local spirit," said Jenna Hackett, global head, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. "As the 14th Tapestry Collection property, the opening of The Rose Hotel is a monumental moment for the growth of the collection in a key destination, and we look forward to welcoming guests, residents and Hilton Honors members to this stunning new hotel." Located in Rosemont's Pearl District and just one mile from O'Hare International Airport, The Rose is one of the closest properties to the airport, second to Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport, and also offers a complimentary shuttle every half hour from 5:00 a.m. to Midnight to the airport, as well as regular shuttles to nearby public transit for guests looking to explore downtown Chicago and beyond. On the go business travelers, meeting and event attendees and guests traveling for leisure can each enjoy on-site amenities including a large fitness center as well as locally-inspired dining and drink options, including R Bar, offering new American cuisine, craft beer and hand-crafted cocktails, in-room dining or enjoy grab and go options at The Market. "With hundreds of thousands of business and leisure travelers arriving at O'Hare from across the globe, it is an exciting time for The Rose Hotel," said Chief Operating Officer, John Brooke. "We look forward to offering travelers a modern new boutique hotel in Rosemont, where local business is supported by such a strong community." Until December 31, 2018, guests can purchase a 'Snack, Shop and Slumber with The Rose' Shopping Package that includes complimentary breakfast for two, shuttle to/from The Fashion Outlets of Chicago as well as passes for coat/bag check with The Fashion Outlets Concierge, and a Fashion Outlets Savings Pass (worth up to $800 in exclusive savings). Additionally, The Rose is offering a special group rate in December 2018 and January 2019 for those enjoying holiday parties in the Pearl District. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Secure Payment Portal Engages Guests, Provides Automated Notifications and Lets Guests Connect with A Property to Self-Serve Payments Maestro PMS just made advanced payment processes safer and more convenient for independent operators and their guests. Maestro adds to its full array of mobile and online solutions with the launch of its Payment Portal module that engages guests online by connecting them with a property to quickly make payments against their upcoming reservations. The new system also saves the property time and reduces collection fees by automatically emailing deposit reminders. Maestro PMS is the preferred cloud and on-premise property software solution. Maestro offers web browser and windows access in either deployment for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers and multi-property groups. Maestros new Payment Portal is ideal for guests who want the flexibility to self-serve their advance deposit payments. It is a perfect way for properties to engage with guests and meet the mobile needs of todays travelers, said Warren Dehan, Maestro PMS President. Our Payment Portal module lets guests make payments anytime from any device without giving their credit card number over the phone. The system uses a secure website that is fully integrated in Maestro property software so advance deposits are posted real time. The module lets a hotel automatically email payment reminders with a link to the Payment Portal at predetermined intervals to free the accounting staff for other duties. Maestros Payment Portal website is branded with the property softwares look and feel and is fully secure for credit card payments. The module is flexible to adapt to any propertys billing policies for single or multiple advance deposit payments, said Dehan. In the future the Payment Portal will be available for use by condo properties, club member payments and corporate contract groups. The Maestro Property Management System delivers flexible and scalable deployment options with an identical full-featured web browser or windows solution available in the cloud or on premise. Maestros revenue-generating hotel management software tools and services increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations and provide personalized and mobile guest service tools to enhance the guest experience. Click here for more information on how to engage and socialize with Maestro PMS. About Maestro PMS Maestro is the preferred cloud and on-premises PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. Maestros PCI certified and EMV ready enterprise system offers 20+ integrated modules on a single database including web and mobile apps to increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and enable operators to engage guests with a personalized experience. For over 40 years Maestro's Diamond Plus Service has provided unparalleled 24/7 North American based support and education services to keep hospitality groups operational and productive. Click here for more information on Maestro. Contact: Maestro PMS Macarena Lorenzini 65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100 Markham, ON L3R 9X1 Canada Toll Free: 1-888-667-8488 Email: info@maestropms.com www.maestropms.com Media Contact Julie Keyser-Squires, APR Softscribe Inc. 609 SW 8th Street, Ste 600 Bentonville, AR 72712 Phone: 404-256-5512 Email: Julie(at)softscribeinc.com www.softscribeinc.com Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource With ten years of African safari experience to his name, Stevens now joins the team at the Lodge in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, where he will oversee all day to day operations at the property. Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti has announced Justin Stevens as Resort Manager. With ten years of African safari experience to his name, Stevens now joins the team at the Lodge in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, where he will oversee all day to day operations at the property. Hailing from Canada, Stevens enjoyed international adventures in the cruise industry before he arrived in Africa more than a decade ago, having since worked across a number of safari camps and lodges in Tanzania, Botswana and Rwanda. "I'm thrilled to be joining Four Seasons here in Serengeti," says Stevens. "I've watched the reputation of the Lodge grow over the past five years, thanks to a remarkable team of employees, and I am very proud to now be part of the team. I also know how many initiatives have been put in place to support conservation and the community and these are both areas I am passionate about driving forward even more." With a choice of luxury accommodations - all with private balconies and uninterrupted views of the Serengeti Plains, Four Seasons Safari Lodge caters to both couples and families, where leisure amenities include an educational Discovery Centre for learning about the wildlife and nature of the Serengeti, a six suite Spa, a choice of three restaurants, a dedicated Kids' Club and one of the most acclaimed infinity pools in the world that overlooks an active animal watering hole. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Bode, a new hotel category created to meet the growing demand of group lifestyle travelers, on Friday announced the opening of its first property located in Nashville, Tennessee at 401 2nd Avenue South. Bode, a new hotel category created to meet the growing demand of group lifestyle travelers, on Friday announced the opening of its first property located in Nashville, Tennessee at 401 2nd Avenue South. Occupying a former condominium complex, Bode Nashville offers residence-style hotel accommodations accentuated by lively common spaces for eating, drinking, working and playing. Catering to the next generation of travelers, the concept expertly balances the flexibility and authenticity of vacation rentals with the comfort and conveniences of a boutique hotel. Located at the intersection of 2nd Avenue South and Korean Veterans Boulevard, Bode Nashville is just steps away from Downtown Nashville where the music, art and epicurean scenes collide. Designed with an emphasis on comfort and flexibility, Bode Nashville affords guests the option to book two- to five-bedroom units boasting spacious living rooms, chef-inspired kitchens, private balconies, and, in some cases, backyards. Traditional one-bedroom hotel room options are also available for independent travelers seeking to partake in the Bode experience. "Bode aims to serve the group lifestyle traveler - travelers who, whatever the occasion, covet local experiences and connectivity above all else," says Bode CEO, Philip Bates. "We could think of no better city to debut our brand in. Nashville is centered around community and craft culture, making it the epitome of everything Bode and the Bode guest value. We're thrilled to call this electric city our first home." Flexible Living Meets Sensible Design With a variety of multi-unit floor plans that range from one to five bedrooms, Bode Nashville appeals to today's jetsetter who is increasingly traveling in groups - whether with friends and family, or even colleagues. Spacious living rooms and private balconies offer a comforting experience akin to spending a weekend at a best friend's apartment, while chef-inspired kitchens equipped with appliances like Haier ranges and GE profile dishwashers allow for in-room drinking and dining at leisure. Premium units boast fenced-in backyards for intimate outdoor gathering. Designed by Dryden Architecture And Design (DAAD), an award-winning architecture and design studio based in Nashville, the property's design encourages relaxation and socialization without the pressures of the typical hotel. With color and material palettes that are simple yet eclectic, the 100 guest rooms (which can be converted into 40 unique units) are intentionally uncluttered allowing dwellers to adapt the space to feel like their own. Advertisement Highlighting local creatives, DAAD tapped local artisans, such as Southern Lights Electric (lighting and lighting design), (custom leather furniture pulls) and Kings Interiors (custom furniture), among others, to tend to even the most minute details. For overall brand design and visual messaging, Bode tapped branding agency FINE, who helped bring their vision to life. The Hub Bode Nashville's heart and soul is the Hub, an inviting and dynamic space for guests and locals alike to gather. Part cafe and part craft bar, the Hub is a day-to-night setting perfect for an early morning coffee and fresh pastry, an afternoon charcuterie plate, or a late-night local draft. An artisanal market anchors the Hub, equipped with essential groceries (including produce, dairy, beer and wine) for in-room use. All Hub products are locally sourced, and include coffee from Stay Golden, pastries from Dozen Bakery, bread from Frothy Monkey, regional cheeses from Bloomy Rind, locally crafted charcuterie from Nicky's Coal Fired, cocktail mixes from White's Elixirs, tea from Firepot Nomadic Teas, and more. Outdoor Spaces The Hub leads to a collection of cozy porches, situated within the building's previously existing carport. Serving as outdoor living rooms, the porches boast views of Nashville's skyline and overlook Bode's courtyard and stage, which will host intimate concerts from local up-and-coming musical artists. Beyond the Hub, Bode Nashville features additional outdoor breakout spaces for guests to frequent while on-property. Fire pits adorn the grounds and encourage spontaneous bonding, s'more-making and sing-a-longing. Games like ping-pong and cornhole encourage socializing among groups and beyond. And don't forget Otis, Bode's very own 1948 Ford F5 truck - a tailor-made spot for gathering, pre-and-post gaming, dining, and the occasional photo op. Nightly rates begin at $200 per night for a standard hotel room. Two-bedroom, two bath units and larger begin at $400 per night. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Loved ones have been mourning the loss of Kim Porter, sharing untold stories about the industry sweetheart and expressing their grief through social media. Last weekend, friends and family have gathered together in memory of Kim Porter. The famed model's life was celebrated during a private memorial organized by her former lover, Diddy. The host opened up his Bel-Air home to his guests this past Sunday. Carlo Allegri/Getty Images Over a hundred people attended the emotional event. The house was filled with beautiful photographs of Kim Porter and her family. Candles were also lit in her memory, with a whole string of them lined down a walkway at the entrance. Porter was honored with the presence of guests including Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, and French Montana. Peter Kramer/Getty Images Their beloved passed away suddenly on November 15. Kim Porter, who was a mother of three, was found lifeless in her Los Angeles home. She had recently fallen ill with the flu and had been received treatment from a private doctor. No form or medication or other drugs were found at the scene. Her death remains a mystery as her family awaits a confirmation from legal and medical professionals. A toxicology report is set to be issued in 4 to 6 weeks. Fans of the Kardashian clan will know that Kourtney, the eldest of the sisters, and her former boyfriend Scott Disick had a tumultuous relationship. The couple who share 3 children have split and reconciled several times in the past, but as of late, the pair has evidently found harmony in their dynamic as co-parents to their children. Both Disick and Kardashian have moved on and enjoyed relationships with other people Kourtney most recently with model Younes Bendjima, and Scott with the daughter of musician Lionel Richie, Sofia Richie. According to a recent report by E! News, Kourtney, her sister Kim, Scott and Sofia were recently spotted on a group outing. The stars are said to have first run into each other at the ArtLife Gallery's Street Dreams exhibition in West Hollywood this past Friday. Kourtney was joined by her friends Larsa Pippen and Brittney Gastineau, and was purportedly pleasantly surprised to late discover her sister Kim was also in attendance. "Scott and Sofia arrived at the gallery first and were touring the exhibit when Kourtney arrived," a source told E! News. "Kim arrived on her own, to the surprise of her sister, who didn't seem to know she was planning on attending," they added. The group later went out for dinner, marking the second outing that Kourtney has shared with Scott and Sofia. Scott has reportedly been encouraging the two women to bond as his relationship with Sofia continues to develop. "Scott and Sofia are very serious and Scott felt it was important that Sofia and Kourtney interact and bond," a source said. "They have kept things separate for over a year now, and Kourtney is now more open and willing to have a surface level relationship with Sofia." Ski Mask the Slump God just dropped a major bombshell regarding his forthcoming album Stokeley. A few weeks ago, he dropped the name of the project in the simplest of ways, a three-character Twitter post: Stokeley The Album, leaving little room for interpretation, as far as the title is concerned. https://twitter.com/_/status/1057743477822251008 We can rule out iconic civil rights leader Stokely Carmichael as a point of inspiration, because he simply doesn't fit the profile. Which leaves us with Stokely, Wales, the home setting for the Dracula story, as the true source of Ski Mask's free-flowing narrative. And as of Today, we can confirm it as such. Now that Ski Mask has provided us additional context in the form of the album's potential cover art, we are many steps closer to knowing what the project will resemble when it goes to press. See for yourself. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqVSVLNlE8F As the debate over his distractability wages on, Ski Mask keeps furthering his agenda, as a creative thinker against a backdrop of imposters. The artwork depicted in the post, rightly displays his interest in subject material that exists outside the hip-hop canon. He also managed a few words in the caption section of the post, asking his followers the rhetorical question they hope he will soon answer: "! I Wonder When It Drops !" Venerable Atlanta producer Mike WiLL Made It's had something of an interesting year, stocking the bulk of his 2018 beats on albums by Eardrummaz artists Rae Sremmurd and Trouble, while releasing very little in the way of piecemeal work for other artists (save for two tracks on Eminem's Kamikaze). It's an approach that's yielded undeniable chemistry and (in the case of his and Trouble's Edgewood) consistent full-lengths, but it's undoubtedly left some of his fans missing hearing a rotating cast of all-star talent tackle Mike Will's beats. That much is apparent in this week's top ten, as it's dominated by cuts from Mike's first multi-collaborative effort of the year, the Creed II soundtrack. Mike WiLL tops all artists with four appearances to his name, while Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and Kevin Gates all clock in with two apiece. New tracks barely missing out on spots this week include 2 Chainz's "Hot Wings" (#11), 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla $ign's "Girl's Best Friend" (#16), Kodak Black's "Take One" (#17), and Anderson .Paak and J. Cole's "Trippy" (#18). ---- 10. Lil Durk Feat. Juice WRLD & Gunna - Don't Talk to Me Two Fridays ago, Lil Durk dropped off his long-awaited Signed to the Streets III project, which included "Don't Talk to Me," but only featuring Gunna. A few days afterward, Durk uploaded a new version that added his fellow Chicagoan Juice WRLD onto the track. The latter version debuts at #10. 9. Lil Wayne Feat. Gucci Mane - In This House The only repeat from last week's top ten, Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane's "In This House" was one of three bonus tracks added onto Tha Carter V after its release. While the Post Malone-assisted "What About Me" dropped out of the top ten this week, "In This House" remains at #9 for a second consecutive week. 8. Kevin Gates & Moneybagg Yo - Federal Pressure Kevin Gates and Moneybagg Yo may have each dropped solo projects within the past two months, but it would appear that the fast friends also have something a little more collaborative in the works. "Federal Pressure" is the first official track with both credited as lead artists, and it debuts at #8. 7. WizKid Feat. Slimcase - Gucci Snake WizKid's been a big deal internationally for a few years now, but never really cracked the top ten as a lead artist (usually it's been thanks to Drake). His stature seems to have grown since being featured twice on Metro Boomin's recently-released album Not All Heroes Wear Capes. His new single, "Gucci Snake," which features Slimecase, debuts at #7. 6. Mike WiLL Made It, J. Cole & Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby The first of the Creed II cuts to clock in is the one that contains possibly the rarest guest verse on the album (though it may not seem that way amid a two-week span in which the usually-elusive J. Cole has also appeared on Moneybagg Yo and Anderson .Paak's albums). "Shea Butter Baby" also features Ari Lennox, and it debuts at #6. 5. Mike WiLL Made It, Nas & Rick Ross - Check The second of three consecutive Mike WiLL cuts smack-dab in the middle of the top ten is the Nas and Rick Ross-featuring "Check." It debuts at #5. 4. Mike Will Made It, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg & Nicki Minaj - Runnin' Mike Will may hail from the South, but he's more than capable of heading up posse cuts featuring rappers from other regions. For "Runnin'," he brought together two A$AP Mob members and Nicki Minaj, who all hail from New York City. This one debuts at #4. 3. Gucci Mane Feat. Kevin Gates - I'm Not Goin' Gucci Mane's been uncharacteristically quiet this year for someone who made a career out of rapidly releasing mixtapes. The drought will end on December 7th with the release of Evil Genius, which he's been teasing for the past few months. The latest offering from it is the Kevin Gates-assisted "I'm Not Goin'," which debuts at #3. 2. Ace Hood Feat. Lil Wayne - 2 Mollys New track? Probably not (after all, who raps about molly anymore?), but nevertheless, a mysterious, previously-unreleased collab between Ace Hood and Lil Wayne is enough to pique people's attention. "2 Mollys" debuts at #2. 1. Mike WiLL Made It, Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell - The Mantra Arriving a few days before the rest of the Creed II soundtrack, "The Mantra" had a leg up on its competition in Top Tracks not to mention, the presence of Kendrick Lamar. This one easily debuts at #1. Tory Lanez held down 2018 with two new projects, Memories Dont Die and Love Me Now, but it already seems like he's trying to out do himself in 2019. He previously announced that he was going to drop three albums which would've included his Spanish project, El Agua, but it looks like we might have to wait for that. However, he's been teasing a remix to his single, "Talk To Me" with Lil Wayne. Although he hasn't announced a release date for it, he shared a short teaser on Instagram. Lil Wayne seems to have demolished his verse on Tory Lanez' "Talk To Me" remix. The Canadian rapper took to Instagram to preview a snippet of Weezy's verse on the track. "ALL MY FANS GOTO @liltunechi PAGE AND ASK HIM WHY HE SKATED ON THE #TalkToMeRemix LIKE THIS," he captioned the video. "HIS 2019 SHIT IS ALREADY MINE. IM TELLING YALL IM JUST GETTING STARTED." Hopefully, he doesn't mean that we're going to have to wait until 2019 to receive the remix with Lil Wayne on it. Wayne brings a new vibe to the song and brings it to a new height. Wayne clearly hasn't lost his touch when it comes to delivering dope features. "That is all for me, ain't got no more love to offer me/ Watch your tongue for me, how you talk to me, softly/ You could touch yourself, get off for me/ What you want from me?/ Got the dawgs runnin', heart pumpin' and your scar jumpin'/ You gon' fall for me, you gon' cut a bit and brawl for me," Wayne's heard rapping on the remix. Peep the clip below. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqVu2sShG7T Its been more than a decade since Carol Levins son Todd was killed in a drunken driving car wreck, but she remembers it like it happened yesterday. Its exactly as terrible as you think it is, said Levin, who lives in Houston. I went into shock. I couldnt even think. I had to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do. Todd and I were best friends. He wasnt just my son, he was just everything. We spent a lot of time together, and I felt lost without him. The wreck that killed Levins son in 2006, when a drunken driver ran a red light and smashed into the side of his vehicle, shook her world. Todd was killed instantly, and his girlfriend, Ralynn Healey, died on the way to the hospital. To put her life back together, she sought support from people who were in similar situations. Levin, who is 69, turned to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the national organization that was founded in the 1980s by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunken driver. She didnt know that within a few years she would be at the forefront of a state legislative movement. OUT OF CONTROL: A special investigation into what makes Houston roads so dangerous The organizations members lobby to reduce drunken driving incidents through legislation as well as share personal stories with elementary and high school students and organize fundraisers that raise money and awareness about the dangers of drunken driving. MADDs Southeast Texas chapter provided a refuge for Levin. As a teacher and the owner of a tutoring company, Levin was comfortable talking to kids, and the organization gave her a chance to share what happened to her family with hundreds of students. When she delivers her talks, which recount the horror of the day she learned her son had been killed, Levin said she feels most effective. The way students who have experienced similar tragedies respond to her after she delivers a talk makes her feel like shes making a difference. The kids come up to me and hug me, she said. I was at a health fair, and a girl came up to me and said, My mom picks me up every day drunk. She was 15. I can really empathize with what these kids are going through. Its real, and it can be graphic. Kendall Collette, volunteer coordinator for MADD Southeast Texas, taps into Levins empathy when shes looking for people to speak to students. Since Collette began at MADD a little more than three years ago, she said that Levin has been one of the organizations go-to volunteers because of the way she connects with children. Her passion and personal story help students to trust her, Collette said. I remember speaking in front of a classroom, not even a full assembly, and a young girl approached us and told us her dad was killed in a drunk driving accident, Collette said. And Carol just asked if she could give her a hug. People just feel comfortable with her. When a young person opens up like that, it can be very powerful. On the legislative side, Levin said she wanted to channel the loss she felt when her son was killed into initiatives that could make a difference and save lives. I became very involved, and they asked me to be legislative chair, she said. And I said, Oh, my gosh, thats quite an honor, but I still had to learn how it works. I wanted to save lives, so it was worth it. This is how I wanted to use my grief. In the 10 counties MADD Southeast Texas served in 2015, there were 179 alcohol-related fatalities involving drivers with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher, according to the organization. MADD Southeast Texas served more than 4,960 victims and survivors of drunken driving that year. Harris County is the drunken driving capital of the United States based on the number of alcohol-related fatalities, according to data provided by MADD. The first and biggest project that Levin tackled as legislative chair of MADD Southeast Texas was a bill that would see devices installed on the vehicles of drivers convicted of driving under the influence in Texas. The devices, called ignition interlocks, prevent vehicles from starting if the drivers blood-alcohol content is above a pre-set limit. The organization had previously found that the devices stopped 2.3 million drunken driving attempts since 2006 in states where they were required, Levin said, and members of MADD wanted that law in Texas. For someone without any background in government or politics, however, getting a bill passed was a huge learning curve, Levin said. Potential legislation can be stopped without warning, and the process to even get a bill in front of lawmakers is complex, Levin said. Its very frustrating, and its very political, but it shouldnt be, she said. It can be very dirty. Ive learned the obvious isnt the obvious, and I was clueless about legislation, but Ive learned so much its unbelievable. John McNamee, regional executive for MADD Southeast, agreed. McNamee started with MADD in 2010, and he said that the work to get a bill signed into law is more difficult than most people imagine. But Levin, with her engaging personality and ability to use her personal tragedy to get her point across, was able to overcome the obstacles. Lawmakers and their staffs were drawn to Levins story, and McNamee recalled when they were invited to a lunch with legislators after Levin and he had lobbied for their bill. We were just talking about Houston and the area, and a lot of times during the session, congressmens staffs, theyll bring in lunch, he said. And they thought enough of Levin to invite us to have some barbecue with them. It goes to the point that shes a nice person and has the passion to get this kind of work done. Finally, in 2015, Levin and MADDs work paid off. Texas joined more than 20 other states that had interlock-ignition bills in place at the time. Now, 22 states that dont have interlock-ignition laws remain, but Levin is confident her work can be replicated nationwide. It took us almost 10 years, she said. I cant believe it finally happened. It was euphoric. I felt like I could fly. It was like I finally have done something for him and all the others who have lost children. I just want to keep people safe. Psychologists have long remarked on how successful CEOs share personality traits with psychopaths, but it also turns out that the last person you may want as CFO is a nice person. Or thats what you may presume from a study that found nice people are at higher risk for bankruptcy and financial hardship. Researchers at Columbia University Business School and University College London conducted seven studies of data collected from more than 3 million people to understand why. We found that agreeableness was associated with indicators of financial hardship, including lower savings, higher debt and higher default rates, London-based author Joe Gladstone said. This relationship appears to be driven by the fact that agreeable people simply care less about money and therefore are at higher risk of money mismanagement. On HoustonChronicle.com: Were not really working anyway, so make every weekend last three days These traits show up early in life, making it possible to identify people at financial risk as early as elementary school, the research shows. Perhaps unsurprisingly, wealthy people who are nice are less likely to experience financial hardship than nice people who are poor, statistics indicate. But thats because they have more financial cushion against their predisposition to undervalue money. Whats fascinating is that personality traits can extend to entire communities. The nicer the people in a county, the higher the level of financial hardship, researchers found. The study, titled Nice Guys Finish Last: When and Why Agreeableness is Associated with Economic Hardship, suggests that nature plays a more dominant role than nurture in determining a persons financial future. Being kind and trusting has financial costs, especially for those who do not have the means to compensate for their personalities, New York-based researcher Sandra Matz added. The researchers fail to determine the causes of this pattern, but they offer some ideas. Agreeable people value relationships and harmony more than wealth. Another theory suggests that poor people must rely more on their community more for support, so they must be more agreeable to survive. So does this mean companies should only hire disagreeable people? The always be closing scene from Glengarry Glen Ross leaps to mind as the probable outcome. The chief financial officer is the companys bean counter, controlling the flow of assets, managing risk and ensuring regulatory compliance. Its a detail-oriented, high-pressure position often derisively referred to as a corporate cop. But is a disagreeable person the best for the job? Chief executive officers say no, and not merely because they dont want a stickler for a CFO putting the kibosh on the CEOs grand vision. Theres more to being a CFO than enforcing rules and obsessing over money. A 2017 survey by accounting and consulting firm KPMG found that CEOs want CFOs who are collaborative and capable of negotiating with the rest of the management team. About a quarter of CEOs see their CFO as a potential successor, so one who plays wells with others stands a chance to move up the ladder. The word chief in their title implies that they lead a team, and therefore need good leadership qualities. The days of barking orders and ruling through fear are gone from most companies, and with competition for labor at an all-time high, CFOs need to recruit and retain talented employees. Smart applicants will avoid a company after an interview with a CFO that leaves them cold. CFOs are also called upon to represent the company before multiple audiences, from the boardroom to industry forums. As one of the companys public faces, their behavior can influence the perceptions of partners, customers, investors and the public. The CFOs most important audience, though, is employees. A skillful CFO does not spend all of his or her time saying no, instead nurturing a culture of fiscal discipline and responsibility that helps the company avoid even considering a lousy idea. CFOs need to have collaboration skills unlike any time in history; they need negotiation skills to bring all areas of the organization toward one visionary goal, KPMG reports. In other words, they need to be agreeable, even when they are saying no to a bad idea that everyone else loves. On HoustonChronicle.com: Beware underpaid CEOs, your job may be in danger The fact that nice people often finish last does not mean the C-suite should become a pit of heartless, avaricious money-grubbers. Those are not the qualities that inspire others to innovate and excel. As for the nice people who are more likely to suffer financial hardship, the answer is rather simple: greater financial literacy. They may not prioritize money, but they can learn to manage it and avoid bankruptcy. But no, they should probably not be your CFO. Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about business and economics. chris.tomlinson@chron.com twitter.com/cltomlinson A Houston-based company confirmed that on Saturday it found an Argentine submarine after the ship disappeared almost a year ago with 44 crew members on board. Ocean Infinity, a seabed exploration company, announced that it found the wreckage of the ARA San Juan submarine in a deep ocean ravine about 700 miles east of Argentina in the Atlantic Ocean after two months of searching. The ravine was more than 3,000 feet below the surface, the company said. "Our thoughts are with the many families affected by this terrible tragedy," said Oliver Plunkett, Ocean Infinity's CEO. "We sincerely hope that locating the resting place of the ARA San Juan will be of some comfort to them at what must be a profoundly difficult time. Furthermore, we hope our work will lead to their questions being answered and lessons learned which help to prevent anything similar from happening again." The San Juan was on a routine mission from Ushuaia in the Patagonia region to Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province when it lost contact with the military on Nov. 15, 2017. The Argentine navy later announced that an explosion had been recorded near the submarine's last known location. Plunkett said that the submarine was found broken into pieces, which supports the Argentine navy's core hypothesis that an explosion or implosion occurred. He added that locating the wreckage was made all the more difficult because submarines are designed not to be detected by sonar technology. "For me, it's when you remember this is designed not to be detected by sonar, you realize actually the magnitude of what we achieved," Plunkett said. Ocean Infinity's mission was entirely non-invasive, meaning that they were strictly contracted by the Argentinian government to locate the submarine, not perform any recovery efforts. Argentina's government hired Ocean Infinity in August to search for the submarine for up to 60 days, with a promised $7.5 million payout if the submarine was found. The company had previously been contracted to find Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared over the Indian Ocean in 2014. Ocean Infinity began its search on Sept. 7, using five Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to carry out the search, which was conducted by a team of about 60 crew members on board Seabed Constructor. In addition, three officers of the Argentine navy and four family members of the crew of the ARA San Juan joined Seabed Constructor to observe the search operation. Ocean Infinity's AUV's are capable of operating in water depths from 16 feet to nearly 20,000 feet. The AUVs are not tethered to their host vessel during operations, allowing them to go deeper and collect higher quality data for the search. The AUV software allows the vessels to make its own navigational decisions, particularly as it pertains to collision avoidance. Plunkett said the AUVs found the submarine on "the last hour of the last day" of its 60-day contract with the Argentinian government. The search crew was initially confounded because there was compelling evidence that the submarine was in a completely different location. "We're looking for something less than 60 meters long that, as it was laying on the seabed, looked like rocks," Plunkett said. "Where it was found, it was on a 3-meter high ledge surrounded by rocks. So it was not just looking for a needle in a haystack, but the needle looked like a piece of straw." nick.powell@chron.com A menacing hand reaches from above, pushing the small girl further underwater as she struggles for air. Thats what 12-year-old Izzy Plunkett drew last October in a family friends home, adopted as her own, as her family rebuilt their Harvey-flooded home in Cypress. The house was out on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, Izzy said. The homeschooled teenager was a long drive from the activities, such as theater rehearsal, that would have made life feel kind of normal. But my art was always there with me. Izzys dark drawing became the inspiration for her Silver Award project, the highest award that middle school-aged Girl Scouts can earn. Her project culminated in a Recovery through Art event for other Girl Scouts on Saturday afternoon at mosaic-filled Smither Park, where mental health advocates and community artists were on hand to encourage self-expression in the face of trauma or stress. With fruit-shaped pins and a bow in her hair, enthusiastic Izzy, now 13, was there, too, kicking off the event with a short speech and teaching other girls how to draw at the sketching table. Sometimes, whenever something bad happens to you, like Harvey or a loss to the family, it can make you very upset, and you dont want to keep that all inside of you, Izzy said to the girls gathered around her at Smither Park. Thats unhealthy, and you dont want to be unhealthy. After making her case for mental wellness, members of Mental Health America of Greater Houston gathered the girls into a circle and urged them to reach out to trusted adults and friends when feeling depressed or overwhelmed. Harvey is just one example of something traumatic that ended up changing a lot of lives, said programming coordinator Tilicia Johnson, who Mental Health America of Greater Houston brought in to lead post-Harvey workshops. Through art, girls are able to find an avenue to heal their emotions and what they went through. Although other stressors can strike at any moment, Houstonians are most likely still in the throes of post-Harvey recovery. Disaster research has found mental health needs peak around 18 months after the traumatic event, and recovery can take anywhere from three to five years, said the chapters chief operating officer, Alejandra Posada. On the local level, a survey conducted by the UT School of Public Health a few months after Hurricane Harvey found that nearly half of Harris County residents whose homes flooded during the storm were experiencing severe psychological distress. In those first months after the disasters, its survival. Ive got to make sure my family has a roof over their head, Posada said. Sometimes, its not until some of those basic needs are met that those emotions have room to come out. Izzy, her older sister Abby, 16, and her parents at first coped with Harveys heavy floods by camping out upstairs literally. Her father, Vince Plunkett, cut the houses power, and they brought all sorts of camping equipment to the second floor. The Plunketts sanitized one bathroom and transformed it into a makeshift kitchen. A week later, they evacuated to a friends house in Hockley. The experience of flooding, evacuating and tearing apart their home rattled Izzy, said her mother, Jennifer Plunkett. She shut down verbally, and art kind of pulled her out, Plunkett said. It got her talking about how she felt. That started with an activity called Inktober, in which artists across the country vow to make one original drawing every day of October. Izzy followed a list of prompts as inspiration for her sketches, and in response to one, she drew a girl being pushed underwater by an oppressive hand. She drew this picture, and when I first saw it it hit me, Jennifer Plunkett said. It was very hard to see her drawing that. With encouragement from her family, Izzy recreated her drawing with watercolors and entered it into a childrens mental health-related art contest organized by Mental Health America of Greater Houston. She won first place, which came with a scholarship for art classes at the Museum of Fine Arts - Houstons Glassell School of Art. A few months later, the family visited the mosaic-covered Smither Park, a project of the Orange Show where a variety of Houston artists have crafted small sections of the walls, pavilion and picnic tables into creations of their own imaginations. Izzy was captivated, and she got permission from the park to create a mosaic at the base of a park lamp post. Next, she gathered tiles, plates and other ceramics damaged by the storms flooding from more than 20 neighbors and used them to bring her watercolor drowning girl to life. The girls who attended Izzys event on Saturday got to contribute to the Orange Show project, too, as volunteer artists helped them break apart recycled plates and plaster them to a new section of the wall. Girls ran between stations trying their hand at all kinds of art playing guitar, painting, writing poetry, drawing, watercolors, and even pin-making. Two attendees, sisters Katelyn and Sophia Lowe, ages 9 and 12, spent a while with Izzy as they sketched, and she taught them how to draw anatomically correct human forms. The sisters had to evacuate their home during Harvey-related flooding, too, as neighbors pulled them to dry land. The experience wasnt a good one. It was very stressful, and it was hard to think that things were going to get better, Sophia said. We moved into my dads apartment for a few months while the house was being fixed, but we werent sure how we were going to afford things. Sophia said she coped with the stress through drawing, which is why she was excited to go to Recovery through Art. We learned a lot in the circle, she said. A lot of emotional intelligence was gained, and as an artist, I think I learned a few things too. Another scout in Izzys troup, 13-year-old Kate Law, said she already sees a therapist sometimes, and she knows about mental illnesses and how to cope with them, but she said it was still nice to see that others her age are learning and talking about those issues. Instead of drawing or painting, though, Kate said that when shes sad or overwhelmed, she opens her door to feel better. Just going outside and saying, Look at all these nice things around me. Things arent as bad as they seem, she said. emilyrburleson@gmail.com twitter.com/emilyrburleson A man with a history of child sex crimes was recently bonded out of jail by his mother who had just won the $15.24 million Lotto Texas jackpot, according to the Dallas Morning News. The man, Jason Wayne Carlile, 47, previously has been convicted of exposing himself to a 2-year-old boy and accused of paying a woman $3,000 in exchange for her 15-year-old daughter, the Morning News reported. RELATED: Online child sex-crime investigation nets 60 arrests U.S. Marshals arrested him in December 2017 on a new charge of raping a child under 14 in 2006, the Morning News reported. His mother, Joann Ames, bailed him out days after winning the lotto jackpot on Oct. 31. During a recent hearing in Wichita County, Ames testified that she paid about $10,000 from her personal savings account to a local bondsman, according to the Wichita Falls Times Record News. She said she and her husband hadn't picked up the winnings, but she estimated that they would collect about $7 million in the last week of November, the Records News said. RELATED: Liberty firefighter arrested for alleged child sexual abuse Despite the expected winnings, a judge upheld Carlile's indigence, making him eligible for a public defender. The judge also urged the mother and stepfather to help him pay for a private attorney with their expected winnings, the Record News reported. Carlile was released on his $100,000 bond with modified bail conditions, which includes wearing a GPS monitor and living with his mother. He is scheduled for a trial on Dec. 10. Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message AUSTIN The Texas House will have a new leader come January, and Rep. Dennis Bonnen says hes it. The Republican from Angleton, south of Houston, is already planning his swearing-in ceremony although the vote of the 150-member House is seven weeks away. Bonnen, a shrewd tactician who has served in the Texas House since he was 24 years old, has reason to be confident. He has amassed 109 pledges of support, from Republicans as well as 31 Democrats. Some members want to give him the gavel because they say he will work well with tea party Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate. Others want to elect him because they believe hes willing to throw sharp elbows Patricks way. Abruptly shoving other contenders for speaker out of the way is the sort of thing his colleagues in the House expect from Bonnen, a 46-year-old bank executive who has spent virtually his entire adult life as a state representative. At the Texas Capitol, Bonnen has chaired committees under two speakers and served as speaker pro tempore when former House Speaker Joe Straus was absent. I can remember him getting angry, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, recalling a skirmish between the House and Senate over property taxes in the 2017 legislative session. Thats what members want. They want someone to stand up for the House. If he indeed gets the job in January, Bonnen will have to shepherd the Republican-led chamber through political issues that have stalled in the Legislature for years, like increasing state funding for schools and reforms to quell property tax increases by local governments. But his larger task will be to revitalize the partys brand after an election with a dozen lost GOP seats and uncomfortably narrow political wins for others. There was a clamoring from within the party, within the delegation, for him to ride in as a white knight and save the Republican Party, said Jones. Republicans still have a commanding 83-67 majority in the House, but they also lost two seats in the Senate, where they now hold a 19-12 majority. Patrick won re-election, but by a narrow 4.8 percentage points, compared to nearly 20 percentage points four years ago. Bonnen appears to be up for the challenge, calling for unity as his central theme. Pledges supporting his candidacy have come from both Republicans and Democrats and he has appointed a bipartisan group to begin vetting candidates for parliamentarian, a key job in the House entrusted to know and interpret the chamber rules. Hes proven that hes a strong leader. Theres no doubt, said Chris Turner, the House Democratic Caucus chairman who has not pledged his support for Bonnen. I think hes proved that in his very short and very effective campaign for speaker. Pouring water on GOP infighting Bonnens candidacy was something of a surprise. Months ago, Bonnen joked that the talk of him as speaker upset his family, according to the Texas Tribune, and asked that his name be taken off any list of potential candidates. He changed course in October, announcing he would run after 40 Republican lawmakers met in Austin and agreed he would be the best choice. Since then, every other contender for the race has dropped out, making him likely to win the post on the first day of the 2019 legislative session. Bonnen did not respond to a request for comment. Internal squabbles within the large Republican caucus caused major divisions in the House in recent years. Some praised outgoing House Speaker Straus, a San Antonio Republican, for using his centrist views to operate as a voice of reason. Others claimed he used his influence to kill bills he didnt like. State Rep. Jim Murphy, a Houston Republican, is convinced Bonnen would remain committed to conservative principles while showing fairness to the entire House. I think having this level of consensus this early in the process bodes very well for the upcoming session, said Murphy, who called Bonnens passion and ability to speak clearly and bluntly necessary characteristics of any speaker. State Rep. Rick Miller, a Republican from Sugar Land, is looking to Bonnen to help unite the Republican caucus after a 2017 session that wasnt pretty. Hell allow the members to run the House with him, said Miller, who stood with Bonnen at his press conference Monday. Thats all we want. Though Bonnens initial supporters included 31 Democrats, the Houses conservative branch - particularly those in the tea party-aligned Freedom Caucus - were encouraged that Bonnen sought the speakers post by first approaching Republican lawmakers, instead of courting votes from Democrats. Under much different circumstances, Straus won enough votes to knock off his predecessor by gathering the support of Democrats and a coalition of Republicans. Members biggest problem with Straus was that he allowed his own personal ideology to determine the future of legislation, said state Rep. Briscoe Cain, of Baytown, a member of the Freedom Caucus. Our hope is that Bonnen instead allows members to represent their districts and lets legislation pass or fail based on the will of the body. He added: Bonnen has expressed that he is looking forward to working with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott, which is a considerable departure from the previous leadership. Yet for many members, it was Bonnens reputation as tactician that drew their support. What was an important characteristic in a speaker candidate was could they stand up to Patrick? said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. Can they advance the position of the House vis a vis the lieutenant governor? I think Dennis has more than proved that he can do that. Hitting the reset button Democrats who initially mobilized behind Bonnen included those who had worked with him in the House for decades. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, acknowledged that Bonnen comes from a really conservative district, but was nonetheless an early backer among Democrats after Bonnen picked up momentum. She said he would protect the integrity of the House. We dont want anybody whos going to be walked on by the other house. Even though we come here with different agendas, we have common agendas too, she said. Members of the Republican Caucus agree that Bonnen has a unique opportunity to bring together a party that had fractured over a particularly contentious legislation during the 2017 session. The Senate forged ahead with the so-called bathroom bill that would have regulated which bathrooms people who are transgender can use. The LGBTQ community rallied to fight it, as did businesses arguing such a law would cost the state economy. Straus and his leadership team refused to advance the bill, with Straus declaring at one point, Tell the lieutenant governor I dont want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands. Despite past clashes, Republicans were generally confident that Bonnen and Patrick two would start the session with a blank slate. One of the first things you'll see is that the reset button will be hit on the communication with the lieutenant governor and the governor, said Rep. John Zerwas, a Republican from Richmond and former contender for speaker. That sort of deteriorated a bit during the last session with Speaker Straus and the lieutenant governor, and the governor to some extent. DEL RIO Gaunt in the face, supported by two canes and a knee brace and wearing a Navy Vietnam veterans cap, Wayne Miller has the look of a man who has been through a lot. I have multimyeloma. Its in the bones, the bone marrow. Ive been coming here four years for treatment, Miller, 75, said in the lobby of the Rio Bravo Cancer and Blood Clinic, long the only full-time cancer facility in the area. Miller receives chemotherapy twice a month, and the possibility of the clinic closing is more than he cares to ponder. Rio Bravo owner Dr. Susan Taylor, 73, might shutter the clinic early next year because Medicare reimbursements havent kept up with operating costs. It would be disastrous for this town. A lot of people utilize this facility, and wed definitely lose a good doctor. She listens to you, Miller said. Im a disabled vet and I cant travel too long. If this place wasnt here, Id have to move to San Antonio. The Rio Bravo, one of the last independent cancer clinics in Texas, occupies a drab brown metal building on a side street, next to Tinos Electric in this border city of about 36,000 residents. It draws patients from Val Verde, Kinney, Maverick, Terrell and Uvalde counties, an expanse of almost 10,000 square miles. A few also come from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Most patients are seniors and dependent on Medicare, said clinic administrator Diego Taylor, 42, Susan Taylors son. But the clinic has been in the red for about 18 months because of a series of Medicare cuts for cancer drugs, he said. Weve been taking a big hit, he said. All across the country, the smaller independent clinics are closing down, merging with larger clinics or being acquired by hospitals because they cant afford to buy the drugs. If the Rio Bravo clinic closes, patients will have to drive 70 miles to Uvalde or 150 to San Antonio for treatment. Since the latest federal reimbursement cuts began five years ago, about 135 cancer clinics around the country have closed and 190 have been acquired by hospitals, according to a recent study by the Community Oncology Alliance. In the past decade, 423 clinics have closed nationwide, including 47 in Texas, second only to Florida, the alliance said. A separate study concluded that the average clinic lost about $850,000 in income because of rising drug prices and Medicare cuts. The analysis was based on nearly 400,000 Medicare recipients treated for cancer in 33 states. Conice Boenicke, 42, a physicians assistant at the Val Verde Rural Health Clinic, which doesnt provide chemotherapy, has known Taylor for two decades and refers patients to her. That clinic is extremely important in a small town. Shes a huge asset and a wonderful lady, he said. We have patients who go to MD Anderson in Houston, and shes willing to take care of them here, so they dont have to travel that distance. She does whatever she can, he said. Treating hundreds of patients Established by Taylor in 1999, Rio Bravo has a staff of eight and treats 250 to 300 new patients a year. Ive been the only full-time oncologist and hematologist west of San Antonio. If the remuneration were better, I would not be the only one, but most doctors are not going to settle for peanuts, Taylor said. Before 2008, when all the cuts started, we were OK. But since 2008, weve had to be very frugal, make sure we do not take on uninsured patients, or its all on us, she said. But, as her son regularly reminds her, Taylor is tapping into her retirement to pay the bills, a situation that cannot long continue. She hopes a collaboration with the local hospital or some relief from Medicare will emerge. Its a helpless feeling, she said. We talk, we go to meetings, everyone commiserates with us, but there has not been any apparent solution. Ted Okon, executive director of the 5,000-member Community Oncology Alliance, said the problems began in 2003 when the federal government changed payments for cancer care. First of all, they drastically reduced the payments, and because Medicare is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, meaning they account for 50 to 60 percent of cancer care, the private insurers, who are the rest of the system, ultimately followed suit in the new payment system, he said. The next blow, he said, came with the congressional budget sequester, triggering automatic cuts to Medicare, the military and other programs to reduce the deficit. Those reductions began in 2013 and have continued. Clinics are at a further disadvantage because, unlike hospitals, they dont get a discount for cancer drugs, he said. That has created an incentive for hospitals to acquire struggling oncology clinics. Back in 2003, basically 85 percent of the cancer care was delivered in independent, physician-owned community clinics, but now that number is down to about 55 percent, Okon said. So there has been a huge shift of care into the hospital setting, which is much more expensive, whether the patient is on Medicare or private insurance, he added. In May, the COA filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., seeking to stop the reimbursement cuts for cancer drugs. But lawsuits against the federal government move slowly, and there is little chance this one will save the Rio Bravo clinic. Saved by an early diagnosis Edward Koslowska, 46, began coming to Taylor last year because of blood problems, including a low platelet count. The condition persisted despite treatments including iron pills and injections. I was losing blood slowly. She insisted I have a colonoscopy. I finally said fine, but if it was up to me, I would have waited until I was 50, said Koslowska, who teaches math at Southwest Texas Junior College. The results of the recent procedure were sobering: Doctors found a large intestinal lesion and recommend surgery. I just got a diagnosis of colon cancer. Im going to see a specialist in San Antonio as soon as possible, Koslowska said. I love this place. I dont know what would have happened without her. Taylor, who has practiced medicine for 35 years, did not anticipate such a sad ending to her lifes work. She is also baffled by the nations ongoing health care problems. On a basic level, I dont understand why a country of plenty like ours feels compelled to not have an adequate health care system. If you dont have insurance, youre pretty much condemned to death. It doesnt have to be cancer, she said. There is no safety net, no alternative other than going to the emergency room and throwing yourself on the mercy of whomever is there, she said. jmaccormack@express-news.net Gina Ortiz Jones has conceded her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Will Hurd in Congress, marking the end of a closely-watched race that likely will be decided by less than 1,000 votes. While we came up short this time, we ran a race of which we can be proud, Jones, a Democrat, said Monday. I remain committed to serving my community and country, and I wish Will Hurd the courage to fight for TX-23 in the way in which our district deserves. Hurds victory secures his third term representing Congressional District 23, which sprawls from San Antonio to El Paso County and is one of the most consistently competitive seats in Texas. "I want to thank my opponent and her supporters for engaging in the democratic process. To thrive, our democracy needs a vigorous competition of ideas, and whether you voted for me or not, I will need your help, Hurd said Monday. RELATED: Julian Castro says O'Rourke's future no factor in 2020 bid To the residents of TX-23, thank you for giving me something that hasn't happened in over a decade, the privilege of representing you for a third term. I will continue fighting for you every day in Congress." The congressman is no stranger to close calls he won his previous two elections by 1.3 and 2.1 percentage points but this win was his narrowest. More than 200,000 people voted in the election, and Hurd leads by roughly half of a percentage point. Counties have until Tuesday to submit their official results, and the governor has until Dec. 6 to certify the election. Jones, 37, was running her first campaign and hoping to return the seat to Democratic hands. She is a former Air Force intelligence analyst who served in Iraq and also worked in the Obama administration. The Democrat consistently challenged the idea that Hurd was a moderate. Jones criticized his votes for President Donald Trumps tax cuts and repealing the Affordable Care Act, though Hurd was one of the few GOP defectors to vote against the bill that ultimately repealed part of the health care program. RELATED: Two Texas Republicans join 17 newly elected military veterans heading for Capitol Hill The race between two former spies Hurd was an undercover CIA officer became a political roller coaster when the result flipped twice in the early-morning hours after election night. Hurd appeared ready to coast to a relatively comfortable victory, and The Associated Press called the race for him around 11 p.m. But around 2:30 a.m., results on the secretary of states website showed Ortiz Jones pulling off a come-from-behind upset by less than 300 votes. Officials later said that was due to a reporting error in Medina County. The correction gave the lead back to Hurd one he wouldnt relinquish again. Jones vowed after that to ensure all outstanding votes were counted, hoping absentee and provisional ballots would lift her back into the lead. Her campaign doggedly pursued that effort, leading to clashes with state and local election officials, one of which was resolved in a Bexar County courtroom. Theyre beating me up, Bexar Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said at the time. Jones camp had been trying to force Callanen to release a list of provisional voters, but the official said that list was not yet public record an assertion validated by a state district judge. In the end, there werent enough outstanding ballots for Jones to catch up. Over the weekend, the Hurd campaign said their lead remained around 900 votes with just six ballots uncounted. Jones is well within the margin to request a recount, but she evidently declined to do so. Many of the counties in the district use electronic voting machines that dont produce a paper record of each vote. The Democrat was able to cut into Hurds margins in Bexar County, which he carried by around 14,000 votes in 2016 and 9,000 votes in 2014. This year, he won the districts portion of Bexar by less than 5,000. But the Republican was able to rack up lopsided victories in the smaller, more rural counties. The district includes 29 counties, but 24 of them produce less than 10,000 votes. Hurd won those counties by about 4,000 votes. Dylan McGuinness covers local politics and the Bexar County government for the Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness Its not enough that the health of thousands of children attending Texas public schools has been compromised by the grossly misguided anti-immunization movement. Now, an anti-vaccine group is targeting the littlest kids who arent even public school age. Texans for Vaccine Choice says it wants to help children who were denied admission into private child care facilities because they were not immunized against childhood diseases. The organization believes the right of parents to decide what, if any, medications their children receive trumps other parents right to protect their childrens health. Following that logic, parents who think their children need guns to be safe should be allowed to put Glocks in little Susies or Johnnys backpack. Parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated put their own children and their classmates at risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year reported 172 pediatric flu deaths. Thats the highest number of flu-related deaths in children during a single flu season (excluding pandemics). The CDC said 80 percent of the children who died had not received a flu shot. Texas has become a hotbed for the anti-immunization movement. At least 57,000 students this school year received an exemption. Thats 20 times more than in 2003 and the problem may be worse. No one knows how many home-schooled children havent been vaccinated, points out Baylor College of Medicine professor Peter J. Hotez. The CDC says 14 childhood diseases are preventable by vaccination, including chicken pox, mumps, measles, and whooping cough. Unfortunately, many of these illnesses that once seemed eradicated in the United States have re-emerged in large part due to the anti-immunization movement. Groups like TVC have used the exemptions that most states give to parents who dont want their children vaccinated for religious or philosophical reasons to force their will on parents who are trying to protect their childrens health. Now, TVC wants to extend its reach to child care centers, reportedly by asking for legislation extending the public school exemption to private schools. The best way to stop this assault on public health is to get rid of the loophole that the anti-immunization movement exploits. Placing limits on any parental right wont come easy in Texas, a state that takes pride in exhorting personal freedom. But every elected lawmaker in Austin accepted the responsibility of acting in the best interest of the general public. That includes protecting the publics health. Illnesses that could be prevented by inoculation should be. Parents who believe otherwise have a right to their beliefs, but they do not have a right to disregard the health and lives of others especially when were talking about children. Theres a powerful moment at the start of Anne Applebaums recent essay in the Atlantic. Shes recalling a party she threw on Dec. 31, 1999, at her home in Poland. Many of the hundred-odd guests were Polish, but others flew in from around the world for a weekend together to greet the new millennium. Most of the guests were conservatives which in those days meant being anti-communist and pro-market, but also believing in international alliances like NATO. The party was a great success, lasted all night and continued into brunch the following day. Everybody felt a part of the same team. Nearly two decades later, Applebaum writes, I would now cross the street to avoid some of the people who were at my New Years Eve party. She estimates that half the people at that party are no longer on speaking terms with the other half. For example, in recent years Applebaum has not had a single conversation with a woman who was once one of her closest friends and is godmother to one of her children. She tried to reach out to this woman and suggested they get together, but the woman refused. What would we talk about? she texted. Those of us who came of age in conservative circles know exactly what Applebaum is talking about. The same kinds of rifts have opened up among conservatives around the world, in Britain, Italy, Germany and the U.S. Some conservatives stayed on the political trajectory they were on in 1999. Others embraced populist nativism. They wandered into territory that is xenophobic, anti-Semitic, authoritarian. Still, others were driven leftward by the reactionary revival. What happened? This is the story I would tell. During the Cold War, being a conservative was a moral cause. You were fighting communist tyranny aligned with Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Lech Walesa. But you were somewhat marginalized in your own society. Liberals controlled the universities, the news media, the cultural high ground, so the right attracted many people with outsider personalities. Then with the election of Reagan and Thatcher and in the years afterward, conservatives built their own counter-establishment think tanks, publications, broadcasting outlets. As conservatism professionalized, it despiritualized. After the Soviet Union collapsed, conservatism no longer had a great moral cause to rally around. It became a technocratic, economics-focused movement concerned with small government and entitlement reform. Compassionate conservatism and the dream of spreading global democracy were efforts to anchor conservatism around a moral ideal, but they did not work out. Many conservatives simply could not succeed in the new conservative counter-establishment. In any meritocracy, there are going to be a lot of people who lose out and do not get the glittering career they think they are due. Sooner or later, those people are going to rise up to challenge the competition itself and to question its idea of excellence. Resentment, envy, and above all the belief that the system is unfair these are important sentiments among the intellectuals of the Polish right, Applebaum writes. At the same time, they resent how spiritually flat conservatism has become. The principles of competition, even when they encourage talent and create upward mobility, dont necessarily answer deeper questions about national identity, or satisfy the human desire to belong to a moral community, Applebaum continues. In such a situation, youre almost bound to get a return of blood-and-soil nationalism. The losers in the meritocratic competition, the permanent outsiders, seize on ethnic nationalism to give themselves a sense of belonging, to explain their failures, to rally the masses and to upend the meritocracy. In office, what the populist nationalists do is this: They replace the idea of excellence with the idea of patriotism. Loyalty to the tribe is more important than professional competence. In fact, a persons very lack of creativity and talent becomes proof of his continued reliability to the cause, as weve seen in the continued fealty to King Trump. While there is a sprinkling of good professionals in the Trump administration, they are there by accident, not by intent. Many of those staffing the White House could not get a job in any normal Republican administration, which selected people according to any traditional criteria of excellence. And now, as Trump reshuffles his administration yet again, we see the remnants of the B and C teams replaced by members of the D team. Over the past few days, theres been a lot of gossip over whether Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will keep his job. But it almost doesnt matter, because from here on out, its Whitakers all the way down. If conservatism is ever to recover it has to achieve two large tasks. First, it has to find a moral purpose large enough to displace the lure of blood-and-soil nationalism. Second, it has to restore standards of professional competence and reassert the importance of experience, integrity and political craftsmanship. When you take away excellence and integrity, loyalty to the great leader is the only currency that remains. Brooks is a New York Times columnist. For example, depending on the areas of expertise and functions, the recruiting and analytics team have gone out on location and asked the question: with the available female talent, should we be getting a 50/50 male/female split in interviews or in this market should it be 40/50 female/male? Whatever it is, were holding our recruiting team accountable: they need to track it and ensure they are getting female candidates into the pipeline. Then, depending on the numbers that were told about availability of talent for those roles, were trying to ensure that female talent makes it through to second- and third-interview stage. As an example, for software and engineering roles in Singapore we want to see five final candidates, and at least two of them need to be female. Were ensuring theres a female interviewer as part of the decision about who we bring into the company. We wont sign off on the hire unless the diversity metrics have been met. The problem for us is that our recruiters have to work harder in a very fast-moving industry, because its not just about finding female qualified candidates; its become about finding qualified candidates, period. By 2020, there will be a shortage of two million professionals in cybersecurity. Given the rate at which threats are moving, were urging governments, universities and colleges to get more involved, whether that be through more funding or changes to curriculums to groom future cybersecurity talent. HRD: Can you outline what the WISE Affinity Group is about? CL: WISE stands for Women in Security and its one of our employee-run networks. We have around 1,000 members in the group globally. Importantly, its not just women involved in the group; its also men, at all levels. We run mentoring programs, educational classes, and focus heavily on professional development. WISE provides the opportunity for women to share their experiences. Where weve focused on over the last year or so is the men playing more of a role and encouraging them to see things from the perspective of their wives, their sisters, their daughters. Thats been eye-opening. Well continue to ensure its not just a female group but having it pertinent to men as well. We need men in the workplace to help create better understanding and to model the behaviours we want to see. Weve had some great success with our community groups, not just WISE. We have an LGBT Affinity Group, and other groups in different regions for example, for African Americans in the US. HRD: This is obviously a far-reaching issue that needs widespread support to make meaningful change. Do you feel theres only so much one organisation can do? CL: Working together is as important. I know were a business and were in competition with others, but I feel like the cybersecurity industry knows we have a greater cause, a greater mission. As an industry were banding together and doing whatever we can to take things forward to government and education and councils weve formed. Our CEO is on these councils, alongside the CEOs of our competitors. Ive seen some great partnerships formed. Cybersecurity has become more of a mainstream topic you hear about ransomware outbreaks on the news. Theres more of a focus on it, but we need more funding and more cybersecurity professionals ready for the future both males and females. Humans are about to experience the biggest transformation in history. Artificial Intelligence has reached a point where it is ready to transform almost all industries. Technology is advancing at a dramatic rate, altering the nature and number of jobs available. Generations, new and old, are losing sleep over what and how human beings will stay relevant in the world of automation and thinking machines. iciHaiti - Security : Michel-Ange Gedeon congratulates the police officers Sunday, in a note published at the end of the day, Michel-Ange Gedeon the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) "congratulates the police officers for their behavior during the various events of Sunday, November 18, 2018, date of the Battle of Vertieres, celebrated this year in a very special context [...] Deploring the members of the PNH victims and those of some identified compatriots, he applauds the professionalism of the police officers involved in the management of this difficult day where emotions and passion tended to prevail over reason. Police offciers, stay mobilized ! Let's remain attached to civic, democratic and professional values ! Haiti first ! Port-au-Prince, November 18, 2018 Michel-Ange Gedeon Director General of the PNH " See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26156-haiti-flash-dead-and-wounded-across-the-country-partial-assessment.html IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - 215th Vertieres : Message from the Ambassador of Haiti to Mexico City As part of the commemoration of the 215th anniversary of the battle of Vertieres, Guy G. Lamothe, the Ambassador of Haiti in Mexico: Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, delivered a message that we invite you to share Message from Ambassador Guy G. Lamothe : "Brothers and sisters Haitian compatriots, The celebration of the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Vertieres provides us with the pleasant opportunity to revisit with you and for you the historical significance of this unique and epic that changed the course of the beings and things of universal history. This celebration comes at a time when the descendants of Dessalines and Petion are experiencing an extremely difficult political journey, where the evolution of our Nation is facing various fields of interest and facing major challenges in all sectors of our society. Haitian brothers and sisters living in Mexico, If in the present conjuncture we bear together the weight of our multifaceted problems, it goes without saying that we must also look for solutions that will create the conditions necessary and indispensable for the advent of a collective better being. In this context, let us recognize that the brilliant victory of the indigenous army in Vertieres constitutes a capital didactic reference and an essential source of inspiration. Vertieres teaches us attachment to the cult of freedom and sovereignty. Freedom for a people, sovereignty for a country. Vertieres shows us the path of understanding, reconciliation and union; pathways essential to the establishment of a harmonious social climate between the sons and daughters of one homeland, Haiti. Vertieres reminds us of the imperative obligation to privilege the common interest, to make an act of abnegation of courage and sacrifice for a new order of things which is profitable to all. Vertieres leaves us the example of a group of men and women, aware of the indecency of a 'status quo' and determined to start a new era. My dear compatriots, In terms of the challenges to take up in the Haitian news, it must be made clear that the task to be undertaken is gigantic. Can we achieve victory ? The answer is unequivocal : YES. Yes and only if, as in Vertieres, we put our special disputes under the bushel, to put our citizen energies in a bundle. Yes and only if, as in Vertieres, we look together in the same direction, that which leads to the institution of a society without exclusion, in perfect adequacy with republican, Haitian, democratic and universal values. May the spirit of Vertieres inspire us all, in the present and for the future. May the spirit of Vertieres inspire us all, both inside the country and in the diaspora. May it please God to assist us in this new venture." IH/ iciHaiti China to assist Fiji with fisheries November 18,2018 | Source: RNZ China has signed an agreement with Fiji to provide assistance with rebuilding its fish stocks. Fiji's Fisheries Minister Semi Koroilavesau said the two countries inked a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this month on fisheries cooperation. Under the agreement, officials from Hainan province in China will help Fiji set up fisheries aquaculture for threatened fish stocks, including trout. This could include machinery, infrastructure, technology and financial assistance, but the details have not yet been finalised, Mr Koroilavesau said. In September, the Fiji Times reported the Fisheries Ministry had developed two sea cucumber nurseries in Daku and Tailevu, in an attempt to replenish diminishing stocks. 2018, Radio New Zealand Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. Norwegian govt calls on Pacific to help fight against fisheries crime November 18,2018 | Source: RNZ The Norwegian fisheries minister, Harald Nesvik, has asked for the assistance of Pacific island nations to combat fisheries crime. Speaking at the recent Our Ocean Conference in Indonesia, Nesvik said small island areas with large seas were highly vulnerable to transnational organised fishing crime. He invited ministers in the Pacific to support Norway in the fight against fisheries crime. He extended the invitation to all those present at the conference who had not already taken a stand against fisheries crime. Norway has previously backed Indonesia in seeking to declare illegal fishing as a transnational organised crime. 2018, Radio New Zealand Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. Local fishermen in Sabah, Malaysia, welcome proposed colour-coded pump boat system by Poliana Ronnie Sidom November 19,2018 | Source: NST Local fishermen in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, welcomed the proposal to introduce a system to colour code pump boats within Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) in an effort to beef up security there. Ahmad Samah, 60, said the use of pump boats would help reduce operational cost for traditional fishermen. He said the fishermen currently used 15 horse-power outbound engine which consumed up to 20 litres of petrol for a one-way trip to catch fish and shrimp. Its costly compared to the amount of the catch. At most, we could bring back is three kilogramme of shrimp and they are sold between RM12 and RM30 a kilogramme. If we use pump engine, we can be at sea longer and bring home more catch, said the local fisherman from Pulau Libaran, adding most fishermen have previously used pump boat and operated near the beach. Meanwhile, Sharif Hashim Kampung Bahagia said many of the fishermen were still using pump boats as they could not afford the expensive outbound engine. We really support Esscom proposal to introduce colour-coded pump boats and to re-register all owners. This will allow local fishermen to carry out activity without breaking the law, he said. Another fisherman Suhaili Abdul Rahman, 38, from Kampung Pulau Bambangan, said continuous monitoring was needed when the move was introduced. Recently, Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the ban on pump boat remained until an effective mechanism to manage and monitor its use was identified. Esscom has also proposed to the state government and other security agencies on colour-coded pump boats differentiated according to the districts, re-registration of boats as well as permit issuance. The use of pump boats was banned by the previous state government following series of kidnappings and robberies at sea. 2018 New Straits Times, New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd. A part of Media Prima Group. Theme(s): Communities and Organisations. Over 120 participants were trained on how to spot false news and differentiate between rumours and opinions. Delhi-based DEF is a not-for-profit social enterprise that empowers people at the edge of information, including marginalised and underserved communities. (Photo: Pixabay) New Delhi: Messaging platform WhatsApp on Monday held a training session for community leaders in partnership with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Jaipur, as it looks to tackle the menace of fake news ahead of elections in Rajasthan. The effort is part of WhatsApp and DEF's joint initiative -- announced in August -- to undertake workshops in over 10 states to educate subscribers on using the messaging platform responsibly and help curb the "epidemic of misinformation" in the country, WhatsApp said in a statement. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held on December 7. The Facebook-owned company has gone into overdrive after it faced severe criticism from the government over circulation of fake news on its platform that incited multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country earlier this year. The focus areas of these workshops are "key election states and those plagued with instances of provoked-violence as a result of misinformation earlier this year", the social media giant said in its statement. WhatsApp and DEF have already conducted training sessions in poll-bound states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, it said. Similarly, they will conduct the sessions in some other key states such as West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and Jharkhand by March 2019, the statement noted. The Delhi-based DEF is a not-for-profit social enterprise that empowers people at the edge of information, including marginalised and underserved communities. "WhatsApp is proud to have played a part in helping millions of people in Rajasthan to freely connect with their loved ones anywhere in the world. These trainings are part of our strategy to help people stay safe and limit the spread of harmful rumours this election season," WhatsApp Public Policy Manager Ben Supple said. With the general elections slated to be held next year in India, the government is taking a tough stance on use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to stop the spread of misinformation. The government had warned WhatsApp that it would treat the messaging platform as abettor of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place. WhatsApp, which has been slapped with two notices to check the spread of fake news, has taken a series of measures, including restricting the number of forwards and added 'forward' label to help users identify such messages. It is also in the process of establishing a local corporate entity and appointing a head for its India operations. Detailing out the proceedings of the workshop at Jaipur, WhatsApp said the event included training session that encouraged WhatsApp users to see themselves as 'agents of change'. Over 120 participants were trained on how to spot false news and differentiate between rumours and opinions. Subsequent steps to tackle instances of false news and tips to stay safe on WhatsApp were also shared. The curriculum further delved into how users can contact fact-checking organisations like Altnews and Boom Live to accurately verify information when they are in doubt. The training was provided to local government administrations, law enforcement authorities, college students, NGOs and other community leaders. "While the problem of misinformation is not restricted to rural areas alone, it is the rural population that majorly lacks access to alternative news sources for sake of verification," Osama Manzar, founder-director of DEF, said. He added that education is the only solution to this problem, and when users are taught some basic verification techniques, there is a ripple effect that can potentially fight misinformation. Given the nature of private messaging, where 90 per cent of the messages sent are between two people and group sizes are strictly limited, WhatsApp has been focussing on educating and empowering users and proactively tackling abuse. Recently, WhatsApp had also announced the recipients of its research awards -- announced in July -- that aimed to find possible ways to address the challenge of misinformation. The company said it had received about 600 proposals. Each of the selected 20 research teams will receive up to USD 50,000 for their projects that will attempt to examine various aspects, including the role of WhatsApp in everyday political conversations in India. Seven Ugandan fishermen shot dead by Congolese militia November 18,2018 | Source: AFP Suspected Congolese militiamen shot dead seven Ugandan fishermen and wounded another on Lake Albert, which straddles the two countries' border, police said Sunday. Uganda's deputy police commander in the region Amos Muhindo said the gunmen opened fire on the fishermen as they went to retrieve the body of a colleague killed by the same group earlier last week. "Seven Ugandan fishermen were shot dead by the Congolese militia on Saturday as they went into the water near Kaiso landing site (in Hoima district, Uganda) to search for the body of their colleague," he said. "One person survived and has been taken to Hoima hospital with gunshot wounds." He said the attack was reportedly carried out by five armed men in military uniform, adding that it was the third time in a week the alleged militia members crossed to the Ugandan side of the lake for illegal fishing and attacked locals. Tensions have soared on the lakes straddling the Democratic Republic of Congo-Uganda border in recent months as Kampala has increasingly attempted to crack down on illegal fishing, spurred by dwindling fish resources. Uganda has deployed the military onto the water and hundreds of Congolese fishermen have been arrested. In July, the armed forces of Uganda and the DRC clashed on Lake Edward, leaving two Ugandan soldiers and three civilians dead. Aside from illegal fishermen, armed groups which are rife in the conflict-torn eastern DRC also operate on the lake, robbing fishermen of their boats, engines and catch or seizing them and demanding ransoms. Theme(s): Communities and Organisations. UN Biodiversity Conference opens in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt: Governments set stage to take ambitious actions for nature and people November 19,2018 | Source: CBD The 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference opened yesterday (17 November 2018) in the seaside town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt with an opening ceremony that included an address from President of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi, who emphasized the crucial importance of the meeting for Egypt, and for global efforts for sustainable development. Only two years remain in the commitment period for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Over the next two weeks, governments will be urged to ramp up their ambitions and actions to achieve action on the 20 targets they established in Nagoya, Japan in 2010. At this years conference, national governments, regional organizations, and other key stakeholders from around the world will engage in intense discussions with the goal of making a final push to achieve agreed upon global biodiversity targets for 2020 and to start the momentum for an ambitious and achievable post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Dr. Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, emphasized the critical urgency for the international community to work together to preserve global biodiversity now. If we do not act we soon may reach tipping points that may cause irreversible destruction to nature and ultimately to humankind. The meeting convenes in the 25th year of entry into force of the Convention. During those years, decisions taken by governments have resulted in a global network of protected areas, 15 per cent for land and close to six per cent of the global oceans, and the development of important policy guidance and legislation for natural resource conservation and sustainable use regulation. Despite these successes, strong evidence suggests that there is insufficient action taking place. Regional reports and other assessments from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), released in March, showed that in every region, with the exception of a number of positive examples where lessons can be learned, biodiversity and natures capacity to contribute to people are being degraded, reduced and lost due to a number of common pressures habitat stress; overexploitation and unsustainable use of natural resources; air, land and water pollution; increasing numbers and impact of invasive alien species and climate change, among others. The Living Planet Report 2018 by WWF also found that worldwide vertebrate populations are currently set to decline by 60 per cent from their 1970 levels by 2020. Egypt takes the helm of the Convention for the pivotal next two years, following on the work of Mexico which held the presidency from 2016 until now. This years meeting of the Conference of Parties is being chaired by H.E. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of Egypt. H.E. Yasmine Fouad said: "Nature and humanity are not separate entities, and Africa is leading the way on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Delegates to the meetings plenary also heard messages from United Nations officials including the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, and the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed. Both stressed the importance of biodiversity protection for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the need for a robust follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. Discussions in Sharm el Sheikh will also seek to expand coalition of actors to explore innovative approaches and find ways to scale and accelerate initiatives to protect nature. The Governments of Egypt and China, along with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity have announced the Sharm el Sheikh to Beijing Action Agenda for Nature and People to collect, coordinate, and celebrate actions taken by an array of stakeholders to protect biodiversity: (www.cbd.int/cop/cop-14/annoucement/nature-action-agenda-egypt-to-china-en.pdf). Governments will present plans to bring biodiversity and nature into the heart of decision-making in the crucial economic sectors of mining and energy, infrastructure, processing and manufacturing and health. H.E. Jose Octavio Tripp Villanueva, Ambassador of Mexico to Egypt, and representing the COP 13 Presidency, said: "From Cancun to Sharm el Sheikh, the mainstreaming of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into productive sectors has gained momentum, giving testimony to the power of positive and inclusive unilateralism." The conference also includes discussions on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, on the labeling, transport and handling of GMOs, and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization. In addition, Sir Paul McCartney delivered a message on the importance of reducing meat consumption and thanked the conference for committing to two Meatless Mondays days where meat would not be served on the site. National Geographic and WWF International also provided videos to the plenary, with WWF International underscoring the need for delegates to seek an ambitious global framework to combat nature loss. Theme(s): Others. Just 10 out of 18 men to decide RBIs future role, and its money. RBIs central board currently has 18 members, which include governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies. The other 13 members are nominated by the government, including two of its officials. New Delhi: All eyes will be on the RBI board meeting on Monday in Mumbai to see how the intense public battle erupted out between the Narendra Modi government and the central bank plays out. The meeting assumes significance as everyone from general public to investors will be keen to see whether the government will use its nominee on the board to force the central bank to toe its line and how governor Urjit Patel and his deputies will counter it. While historically the board had a supervisory role, the finance ministry believes that the era of an invisible RBI board is over. The government seems keen to use the board to exert pressure on the RBI for policy change on issues raised by it including boost in lending. However, despite public posturing by both sides, there are still efforts being made in background to see whether they could reach at an agreeable solution so that a negative signal was not sent to international investors about independence of the Indias central bank. The board meeting on Monday will consider contentious issues of transfer of surplus funds to the government, easing of bad loan norms, and ease of credit supply to MSMEs. The Modi government which will be facing the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 feels that the RBI isnt providing support to boost the economic growth, which will be crucial for it to win public support next year. However, RBI believes that fund transfers could undermine its independence and hurt the markets. RBIs central board currently has 18 members, which include governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies. The other 13 members are nominated by the government, including two of its officials. The matters between Centre and the RBI have worsened after reports that the finance ministry sent letters under Section 7 (1) of the RBI Act for consultations that gives the Centre power to issue any direction to the RBI governor on matters of public interest. Govt is already committed to spend over Rs 35,000 crore this fiscal for the poor and farmers across the country. New Delhi: Ahead of 2019 general elections, the governments two major people and farmer friendly schemes Ayushman Bharat and Minimum Support Price (MSP) are set to face bigger challenge as a dip in revenue collection is starving these programmes of higher fund allocations. Generally, with Lok Sabha polls round the corner, governments fast-track their spend on social security schemes. However, the issue of fund crunch may be a blockage for the government this year. With governments coffers drying up, the Prime ministers Office (PMO) has asked all related ministries to ensure speedy and transparent accumulation and disbursement of funds to the needy by any means before it faces the criticism in the wake of the upcoming polls. With regard to the two important schemes, the government reportedly intends to collect surplus funds from the central bank to meet all its needs. This issue may be on the top of the agenda for discussion in the RBI board meeting on Monday as well. It is also expected that the government-nominated members on the RBI board may clash either directly or indirectly with Reserve Bank governor and head of the board Urjit Patel in this regard. A top source in the finance ministry told FC, As most of the money has been spent on road and infrastructure projects across the country in recent years, the government is likely to witness shortage of funds required to meet the cost of expenses for social security schemes like Ayushman Bharat for the poor and MSP for the farmers. Ahead of 2019 polls, it may pose a great challenge for the government to garner funds for the purpose. In an initial attempt made by the government, it is expected that the PMO, in consultation with the finance ministry, is mulling to use RBIs surplus funds for the purpose as part of a face-saving move before the upcoming polls. So, the transfer of surplus reserves may be a flash point between the government and the central bank at Mondays crucial RBI board meeting, the source added. As far as these two social welfare schemes are concerned, the government is already committed to spend over Rs 35,000 crore this fiscal for the poor and farmers across the country. The cost of MSP either through direct procurement of goods or a system of price deficiency payment on the lines of Madhya Pradeshs Bhawaantar Bhugtan model is expected to be around Rs 20,000-25,000 crore as budgeted in FY19, while Ayushman Bharat aka National Health Protection Mission that was launched in last September is estimated to cost Rs 12,000 crore in the same fiscal. However, a senior government functionary said, The government is worried now as it has already spent thousands of crores of rupees on roads and infrastructure projects, whereas incoming revenues in the governments kitty is at an abysmal low to meet all its needs. The government had targetted an average monthly GST collection of over Rs 1.10 lakh crore this fiscal, but GST earnings have a different story to tell. As per government data, in the first year of GST in FY18, the Centre earned a total of Rs 7.41 lakh crore from the tax since its roll out in July 2017, while the average monthly GST collection was Rs 89,885 crore only. For this fiscal, the government may not meet its target of over Rs 13 lakh crore as the monthly average is around below Rs 90,000 crore till October this year. If we go by this mathematics, Rs 2-3 lakh crore deficit may pose a great concern for the government, the government functionary said. BRATISLAVA The Slovak Republic has made significant progress on several fronts of energy policy, and together with its neighbours and with the support of the European Union, has strengthened cross-border connections for natural gas, oil and electricity. This has served to improve its energy security and increase competition on energy markets, according to the International Energy Agencys latest review of the countrys energy policies. The Slovak economys energy intensity has declined in recent years while the share of renewable energy in the primary energy supply has increased. And thanks to the countrys nuclear power fleet, its electricity supply is relatively secure and largely decarbonised. The country is also one of the few in Europe to build new nuclear capacity. The Slovak Republics significant cross-border capacity facilitates both trade and security of supply in the integrating regional market. Its national electricity network is also being reinforced. This should allow for connection of new power generation, including renewables. For many years, improving energy security has been a top priority for the Slovak Republic, said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEAs Executive Director. This policy brought impressive results as interconnections for gas, oil and electricity have been expanded and the country is no longer dependent on just one supplier but has access to a wide variety of energy sources. On the energy consumption side, the review finds that the government should stop determining end-user prices for electricity and natural gas. Instead, markets should be opened and vulnerable customers should be protected through social policy. Abolishing price regulation would also encourage energy saving and be consistent with the idea of developing smart grids. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have fallen, but further measures are needed to limit them. Refurbishments of residential buildings are a success story for energy efficiency and will rightly continue. As in most countries, transport is a challenge for climate policy, but many good policies are outlined in the countrys new transport development strategy. Another area where change is needed is the countrys financial support to domestic coal production. This policy does not align with national decarbonisation goals and should be gradually eliminated. The report also offers special insights into the heating sector. Slovakia has an extensive district heating sector which has significant potential for further decarbonisation, but investments are also required to modernise the heat networks. This modernisation should be supported through a regulatory reform that enhances efficiency and market flexibility. Imperial Valley News Center FBI Releases 2017 Hate Crime Statistics Washington, DC - Tuesday the FBI released Hate Crime Statistics, 2017, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Programs latest compilation about bias-motivated incidents throughout the nation. The 2017 data, submitted by 16,149 law enforcement agencies (up from 15,254 agencies in 2016), provide information about the offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 7,175 criminal incidents and 8,437 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. Please note the UCR Program does not estimate offenses for the jurisdictions of agencies that do not submit reports. Highlights of Hate Crime Statistics, 2017 follow. Victims of Hate Crime Incidents There were 7,106 single-bias incidents involving 8,493 victims. A percent distribution of victims by bias type shows that 59.6 percent of victims were targeted because of the offenders race/ethnicity/ancestry bias; 20.6 percent were targeted because of the offenders religious bias; 15.8 percent were victimized because of the offenders sexual-orientation bias; 1.9 percent were victimized because of the offenders disability bias; 1.6 percent were targeted because of the offenders gender identity bias; and 0.6 percent were victimized because of the offenders gender bias. (Due to rounding, percentage breakdowns may not add to 100.0 percent.) Sixty-nine (69) multiple-bias hate crime incidents involved 335 victims. Offenses by Crime Category Of the 5,084 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons in 2017, 44.9 percent were for intimidation, 34.3 percent were for simple assault, and 19.5 percent were for aggravated assault. Twenty-three rapes, 15 murders, and one offense of human traffickingcommercial sex acts were reported as hate crimes. The remaining 27 hate crime offenses were reported in the category of other. There were 3,115 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property. The majority of these (74.6 percent) were acts of destruction/damage/vandalism. Robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other offenses accounted for the remaining 25.4 percent of crimes against property. Two hundred thirty-eight (238) additional offenses were classified as crimes against society. This crime category represents societys prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity such as gambling, prostitution, and drug violations. These are typically victimless crimes in which property is not the object. Known Offenders In the UCR Program, the term known offender does not imply that the suspects identity is known; rather, the term indicates that some aspect of the suspect was identified, thus distinguishing the suspect from an unknown offender. Law enforcement agencies specify the number of offenders and, when possible, the race of the offender or offenders as a group. Beginning in 2013, law enforcement officers may also report whether suspects were juveniles or adults, as well as the suspects ethnicity when possible. Of the 6,370 known offenders, 50.7 percent were white, and 21.3 percent were black or African-American. Other races accounted for the remaining known offenders: 0.8 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native; 0.7 percent were Asian; less than one-tenth of 1 percent were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and 7.5 percent were of a group of multiple races. The race was unknown for 19.1 percent. Of the 5,131 known offenders for whom ethnicity was reported, 25.0 percent were not Hispanic or Latino, 8.8 percent were Hispanic or Latino, and 1.6 percent were in a group of multiple ethnicities. Ethnicity was unknown for 64.5 percent of these offenders. Of the 4,895 known offenders for whom ages were known, 83.0 percent were 18 years of age or older. Locations of Hate Crimes Law enforcement agencies may specify the location of an offense within a hate crime incident as one of 46 location designations. In 2017, most hate crime incidents (27.5 percent) occurred in or near residences/homes. Seventeen (17.0) percent occurred on highways/roads/alleys/streets/sidewalks; 10.5 percent occurred at schools/colleges; 5.8 percent happened at parking/drop lots/garages; and 4.1 percent took place in churches/synagogues/temples/mosques. The location was reported as other/unknown for 11.5 percent of hate crime incidents. The remaining 23.7 percent of hate crime incidents took place at other or multiple locations. Hate Crime Statistics, 2017 is available exclusively on the FBIs website. Worlds Giraffe Population Continues to Drop, Several Subspecies Are Now Listed as Critically Endangered San Diego, California - Conservation experts made a startling announcement yesterday (Nov. 14, 2018) regarding the declining state of giraffe populations worldwide, confirming that several giraffe subspecies are in greater trouble than previously believed. A new assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group has prompted IUCN to change the status of Kordofan and Nubian giraffes to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In addition, the reticulated giraffe has now been listed as Endangered, Thornicrofts and West African giraffes are listed as Vulnerable and the Rothschilds giraffe is listed as Near Threatened. Only the Angolan giraffe population with habitats in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe seem to be holding steady and are listed as Least Concern. The new assessments cite human population growth as contributing to several major threats to giraffes in Africaincluding habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining activities, illegal hunting, increasing human-wildlife conflict and civil unrest. This weeks update comes nearly two years after IUCN declared the overall giraffe species to be Vulnerable, due to their decreasing numbers. This time, however, scientists delved deeper by focusing on seven of the nine recognized giraffe subspeciesfive of which are being assessed for the first time. Through thorough giraffe tracking and data analysis, researchers concluded the Kordofan, Nubian, West African and reticulated giraffe subspecies are among the most threatened large mammals in the world, with fewer than 21,000 individuals remaining in their native habitats. Overall, the worlds total population of giraffes also continues to decrease, with little more than 95,000 individuals left. That is a 40 percent drop over the last 30 years, sparking concern that if the trend continues at its current pace, these iconic animals could become extinct in the wild within a generation. As scientists around the globe absorb this sobering news, they are also applauding conservation programs that offer hope for the giraffe. Two subspecies that were previously listed as EndangeredWest African and Rothschilds giraffehave since improved their conservation status. Were seeing increased numbers with a couple of subspecies, and this is providing us confirmation that conservation initiatives are working, said Dr. Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group, and director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Through the combined works of multiple African governmental agencies, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, as well as other valuable conservation organizations, Im confident we can provide a unifying Africa-wide giraffe conservation framework that can be applied to other giraffe populations. Scientists are also analyzing how giraffes change of status will impact the findings of a groundbreaking 2016 study that found a genetic basis to divide giraffes into four distinct species. The study, initially published in the scientific journal Current Biology, but will continue with further analysis this year, identified four giraffe species: the northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), southern giraffe (G. giraffa), reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata) and Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi)with some of the current subspecies, such as Rothschilds, genetically included in these new full species designations. If widely accepted, combined with giraffes new Red List status, this study will have major impacts on conservation organizations across the globeincluding San Diego Zoo Globalas well as research and conservation priorities for efforts across the African continent. San Diego Zoo Global has partnered with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the Northern Rangelands Trust, the Kenya Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, as well as other conservation organizations, to help reverse giraffe population declines in East Africa. Recently, the multiorganizational team created the Twiga Walinzi (Giraffe Guards), a community-led conservation effort made up of a team of local Kenyan pastoralists that will work to study and protect reticulated giraffe, while improving the lives of people co-existing with the species. For more information on the fight against giraffe extinction, visit endextinction.org/wildlife/giraffe Another way for anyone with a computer or smartphone to help in giraffe conservation is to visit San Diego Zoo Globals citizen science program website at wildwatchkenya.org. Volunteers are asked to identify what is pictured in trail photosnormally only seen by researchersby choosing from an animal list or indicating that no animal is pictured. So far, over 13,000 volunteers have joined the website and identified and retired more than 550,000 individual images from motion-activated trail cameras in Kenyacompleting almost five years worth of giraffe conservation work. This huge achievement is providing researchers with enough data to begin analyzing giraffe habitat and migration patterns for the first time since the organization started the reticulated giraffe conservation and research program. Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the internet and in childrens hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global. Man Charged Alleging Scheme to Collect Insurance Proceeds by Intentionally Killing His Two Autistic Children Los Angeles, California - A Hawthorne man is due in court this afternoon after being arrested last week on federal charges that allege he intentionally drove his domestic partner and two severely autistic children off a pier into the ocean to collect proceeds on accidental death insurance policies he had purchased on their lives. Ali F. Elmezayen, 44, is scheduled to appear before a United States Magistrate Judge, who will consider a motion by prosecutors to have him held in jail without bond. Elmezayen was arrested on November 7 by special agents with the FBI after being charged with defrauding insurance companies. Elmezayen made his initial appearance on November 8, when he was ordered held without bond pending this afternoons detention hearing. According to a criminal complaint, Elmezayen purchased several accidental death insurance policies providing more than $6 million in coverage on himself, his domestic partner and his children in 2012 and 2013. Elmezayen allegedly paid nearly $6,000 a year for these policies even though he was earning less than $30,000 a year and he called at least two of the insurance companies to confirm they would not investigate claims made two years after the policies were purchased. On April 9, 2015 two years and 12 days after he bought the last of his insurance policies Elmezayen drove a car with his partner and two youngest children off a wharf at the Port of Los Angeles. Elmezayen swam out the open drivers side window of the car. His partner, who did not know how to swim, survived when a nearby fisherman threw her a flotation device. The two children, ages 8 and 13, were unable to escape the car and drowned. Elmezayen then collected more than $260,000 in insurance proceeds from American General Life Insurance and Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance on the accidental death insurance policies he had taken out on the childrens lives, according to the complaint. In addition to posing as his domestic partner in communications with the insurance companies without her knowledge, Elmezayen allegedly made several false statements, including stating that the cause of his childrens deaths was accidental and that he had no other insurance policies on his children. This case alleges a calculated and cold-hearted scheme to profit off the deaths of two helpless children, said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. The alleged conduct shocks the conscience, and we will use every tool available to us to ensure that justice is done. The defendant is accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud insurance companies by taking the lives of his vulnerable young sons, said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. The defendant faces serious consequences as we seek justice on their behalf. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to flex our financial fraud expertise in bringing this alleged killer to justice, stated R. Damon Rowe of IRS Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. Would-be fraudsters should be warned that it is very difficult to profit from death and steal from life insurance companies with impunity. The criminal complaint specifically charges Elmezayen with mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for posing as his domestic partner in calls to the insurance companies. A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. During last weeks court hearing, a preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 23, and Elmezayen was ordered to appear for an arraignment on November 29. If he were to be convicted of the charges in the complaint, Elmezayen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the fraud counts. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. The federal investigators received substantial assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Port Police and the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Wyman and David Ryan. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sew Hoy of the Asset Forfeiture Section obtained a seizure warrant that led to the seizure Thursday of approximately $80,000 from an Elmezayen bank account. Stockton Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Firearms Offenses Fresno, California - Timothy Stout, 31, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. ONeill to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on March 6, 2018, Stout unlawfully possessed four firearms, including a stolen handgun and an AR-15-style .223-caliber rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches in length that was not registered to Stout in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stout also possessed two 30-round, high-capacity rifle magazines, and more than 160 rounds of rifle and handgun ammunition. Stout cannot lawfully possess firearms because he previously was convicted of felony offenses, including in Alameda County in May 2016 for grand theft and in June 2016 for exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer. This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case. This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department of Justices renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Second Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Series of Armed Robberies in Tulare and Kern Counties Fresno, California - Ulises Medina, 25, of Earlimart, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Medina was a member of a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies of gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor stores from May 19, 2016, until July 26, 2017. Medina and his conspirators committed at least seven armed robberies in Tulare and Kern Counties between May 2016 and January 2017. The next month, Medina and his associates travelled to Nebraska, where they committed two more robberies. They then returned to California, where they committed three more armed robberies. In his guilty plea, Medina admitted that he was part of this conspiracy, and that he robbed Joes Westside in Porterville, on January 18, 2017. Prior to the robbery, Medina and other conspirators stole a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer by pushing a hole in the drivers side lock, cracking the steering shaft, and starting the vehicle without a key. They drove the vehicle to Joes Westside where they entered the store wearing masks and carrying guns. Inside the store, Medina and other co-conspirators ordered the store clerk to the ground at gunpoint, forced the clerk to open the cash register, and stole over $8,000. Then they fled in the stolen Chevrolet Trailblazer, which they abandoned approximately half a mile away with the engine still running. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tulare County Sheriffs Office, Porterville Police Department, Lindsay Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Fremont (Nebraska) Police Department, and Dodge County (Nebraska) Sheriffs Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kathleen Servatius are prosecuting the case. Medina is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. ONeill on February 25, 2019. Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Co-defendant, Javier Beltran, 34, of Strathmore, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Beltran is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge ONeill on January 14, 2019. This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department of Justices renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Mexican Citizen Charged in Federal Court with Illegal Reentry into the United States, Drug Distribution and Firearms Charges Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Matthew Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a nine-count indictment charging Jose Facio-Santos (age 39), a Mexican citizen, with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, 1326(a); three counts of the unlawful possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922(g)(5); three counts of drug distribution in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, 2; and two counts of aiding women traveling across state lines for the purposes of prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 2421 and 2. If convicted on the illegal reentry charge, Facio-Santos faces a maximum of 2 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine. If convicted of the firearms charges, he faces 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each count. He faces 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine on each of the distribution counts. And if convicted of the prostitution charges, he faces 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each count. The case was investigated by Milwaukee Police Department, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karine Moreno-Taxman. An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Sensex started off on a high note at 35,647.62 and continued its upward march to hit a high of 35,818.65. The broader NSE Nifty raced past the 10,750-mark to touch a high of 10,774.70 before settling at 10,763.40 points. Mumbai: The BSE benchmark Sensex rallied over 300 points Monday to end at over a six-week high of 35,774.88 as investors widened their portfolios ahead of the RBI's board meet outcome amid foreign fund inflows. Also, positive cues from other Asian markets and a firm opening in European shares buoyed investor sentiment here. A crucial meet of the Reserve Bank's central board is underway amid a rift between the central bank and the government over future course of policies. The finance ministry nominees and some independent directors were expected to take on Patel and his team over issues ranging from MSME credit to the central bank's reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. Expectations of a positive outcome boosted market mood after the meeting began. The Sensex started off on a high note at 35,647.62 and continued its upward march to hit a high of 35,818.65 as buying activity gathered momentum. It finally settled 317.72 points, or 0.90 per cent, higher at 35,774.88. This is the benchmark's highest closing since October 3 when it had closed at 35,975.63. The barometer had gained 315.17 points in the previous two sessions. Also, the broader NSE Nifty raced past the 10,750-mark to touch a high of 10,774.70 before settling at 10,763.40 points, showing a rise of 81.20 points, or 0.76 per cent. Top gainers include Yes Bank, ITC, Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries and Vedanta, rising up to 7.19 per cent. While, top losers include ONGC, ICICI Bank, SBI and Asian Paints, falling up to 1.37 per cent. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 844.82 crore on Friday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 372.24 crore, provisional data showed. Sometimes, there really is nothing anyone can do. Getty Images Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Last Friday, I was sitting on a plane when the pilot announced there'd be a delay. I unfastened my safety-belt, stood up and screamed: "Why are there always delays when I don't want them? The system must be overthrown!" Then I strode down the aisle, demanding to speak to the captain, so that I could offer him my explicit views. I jest, of course. In fact, I emitted a barely perceptible groan and went back to reading my Eric Ambler novel. This wasn't the course, however, taken by another passenger. His flight, you see, was delayed last Thursday and then canceled. He was trying to fly from Islamabad to Gilgit with Pakistan International Airlines. Yet the weather gods weren't going to cooperate. As Dawn.com reported, some passengers began to offer chants against the airline. One of them, however, decided to burn his luggage. He was meticulous about the process. More meticulous, some might say, than the operations of Pakistan International Airlines on occasion. Why, this is the airline that, earlier this year, accommodated 7 additional passengers by making them stand in the aisles. I suspect, therefore, that the somewhat sullied reputation of the airline may have contributed to the severity of the protests. Some might admire the passenger's determination. When an official came over with a fire extinguisher, he kicked out at the man's extinguisher as if he saw him as an extinguisher of free speech. I confess I have little admiration, however, for the man's method of protest. Why hurt yourself more when you believe you've been hurt by others? Your clothes might be valuable, precious even. You might also be stuck at the airport for days, so will need them. Indeed, the airline says it put the passengers up in a hotel and laid on a special flight for them on Friday. Some might think this level of passenger inflammation is a good reminder for airlines that passengers have feelings. Sometimes, strong ones. They might occasionally express them in an imperfect manner. They might even choose to create a bonfire of their own clothes in the hope of being heard. This passenger, though, seemed to take things a touch far. Why, here's another video in which he appears to shove an airline official. That is surely a red-card offense. PIA, however, appears to be offering a magnanimous spirit. Its spokesman offered these soothing words: PIA has opted to forgive and forget the incident that happened at Islamabad International Airport on November 15. A Qatar hospital has unveiled a set of 14 huge bronze sculptures designed by Damien Hirst that chronicle the growth of a human from conception to birth. Titled The Miraculous Journey, the work begins with foetus growing inside a womb and concludes with a 14-metre (46ft) tall newborn child. They stand before the $8bn (6bn) Sidra medicine hospital, devoted to women's and children's health, and are part of a modern art collection that opened this week. The sculptures were initially unveiled in 2013, when Qatars royal family and government officials watched the 14 balloons opened up to reveal the provocative artwork. The move was considered particularly bold as local women still adhere to century old traditions of covering up their bodies, while images of women are regularly censored. They were soon covered up, a hospital spokesperson claiming the reason was to protect them from building work. Hirst acknowledged their controversial nature at the time, saying: You know culturally, its the first naked sculpture in the Middle East Its very brave. An art specialist for the government-supported Qatar Foundation, Layla Ibrahim Bacha, which owns most of the artwork shown at the exhibition, said of unveiling the sculptures this month: We are not expecting everyone to like them. We are not expecting everyone to understand them. This is why they are there to actually create this element of debate, this element of thinking. Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Show all 4 1 /4 Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Pg-22-hirst-1.jpg Damien Hirst and Science Ltd Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Pg-22-hirst-2.jpg Damien Hirst and Science Ltd Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Pg-22-hirst-3.jpg Damien Hirst and Science Ltd Has Damien Hirst jumped the shark? Pg-22-hirst-4.jpg Damien Hirst. All rights reserved. DACS 2011. Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates We believe it reflects very much the mission of Sidra, taking care of the healthcare of woman and babies. I think its perfect for the location, as you can see a lot of people are taking pictures, I think its becoming iconic. Hirst's work, rumoured to have cost $20 million to make, weighs a collective 216 metric tonnes and will stand before the hospital for the foreseeable future. Chronixx performed a massive sold-out show at the 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace in London last week... and still found the energy to swing by for a Music Box session. The Kingston-born reggae star released his long-awaited debut Chronology last year, which received critical acclaim thanks to its blend of traditional reggae with rap, R&B and pop. Over the past few years, the 26-year-old has established a huge, devoted fanbase in the UK and has sold out other venues including Brixton Academy where he played a legendary (albeit overcrowded) show in 2015 and Somerset House in London. Along with his band, Chronixx performed three original tracks off his debut record for Music Box: "Likes", "Skankin' Sweet" and "Majesty". This is probably some of the most fun we've had filming a session Chronixx and the band are joyous to watch, and they clearly love playing music as much as we do hearing it. Check out the session (above)! Theres never been a wider range of clothing for our furry friends, whether its jackets and jumpers or tutus and booties (really). But for pure practicality, nothing beats a dog coat, and the latest garments have been designed for dogs of all shapes and sizes. For this review, we sought out the input of several test dogs, including a Finnish lapphund called Benya and a poodle-bedlington terrier cross named Honey. Our testing ground? Everything from gardens and urban streets to parks and vast expanses of Surrey wilderness. Our research highlighted the importance of several features, including the benefit of neck holes through which leads can be threaded (although hooks work equally well and made it easier to hang up the jacket when damp), and reflective, bright colours for night time dog walks. Its also important to carefully consider the jackets fit (especially with dog coats which err on the puffy side) to ensure theres no material which could bunch up or obstruct your dogs view. Always check to see the available sizes before buying some of the jackets weve included are available in just three sizes, while others have up to eight size options. However, a limited range of sizes should be less of a concern with jackets where theres more room for adjustment due to features such as toggles and extra-long strips of Velcro. Finally, consider the care instructions. Only two of our jackets the Orvis and the Barbour dog coats state spot clean only, due to their waxed finishes, although for many dog owners, the benefits of this type of finish will outweigh the hassle of occasional spot cleans, and the waxed finish means stains will be much easier to wipe away. You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Joules rain jacket water resistant pet coat This is the ultimate accessory for discerning doggies keen to avoid the wet look, and its piece de resistance is the design cheery images of dogs sporting various types of rain protection (our favourite is the umbrella-toting corgi). Everything about this jacket, which has a concealed hole for leads and harnesses, screams quality, from the detailed motifs and the super-soft lining to the faux brass buttons on the neck strap and the toggle, designed to prevent material rubbing against your pets face when the collar is folded back. We ordered a medium (other sizes include a small, large and extra-large) and it was a perfect fit for our test dog, Honey a poodle-Bedlington terrier cross. But dont panic if your pooch puts on a pound or two the double strips of Velcro on the tummy and neck straps are extra-long, so theres plenty of room for adjustment. Buy now 14 , Joules {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Hugo & Hudson dog puffer jacket Remember the sleeping bag-like puffer jackets which were incredibly popular in the Nineties? This is the canine equivalent, and is surprisingly chic thanks to the flattering cut and elasticated openings (at the rear, and for the legs) which prevent sagging or gaping. This particular coat fastens with a zip, rather than a tummy strap, although the huge range of sizes (there are eight to choose from) makes finding the perfect fit easy. Our one gripe? Theres no hole for a collar or lead. Buy now 33.16 , Amazon {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Barbour wax dog coat First things first, this particular jacket, available in six sizes ranging from XS to XXL, admittedly isnt ideal if your dogs prone to jumping in muddy ponds or rolling in fox poo its a jacket for pooches who spend their days plodding around country estates or hanging out with highbrow hounds in the beer gardens of Cotswolds pubs. But despite its somewhat high maintenance design (care instructions state its sponge-clean only) theres substance as well as style here the extra-wide underbody strap, which relies on a buckle rather than Velcro, made it easy to put on and take off, and its waxed finished provides unbeatable waterproofing. Our favourite bit? The Balmoral-worthy tartan lining and Barbours royal warrant displayed on the inside of the coat in gold lettering. Buy now 39.95 , John Lewis & Partners {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Doodlebone combi-puffer jacket This is a toasty, reversible dog jacket for pets who love to be the star of the show not just because of the bright colours (blue/raspberry and orange/green) but because of the reflective piping around the edge. The material is surprisingly light, and concerns that the wide, puffy collar would irritate our test terriers neck area proved unfounded. Theres a small hole for leads, and side straps with supersized Velcro strips make it easy to take off. The fit was on the snug side, although the decent range of sizes (extra small, small, medium and large) means finding the right one shouldnt be an issue. Buy now 28 , Not In The Dog House {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Ruff & Tumble country dog drying coat Weve all been there. Your pooch comes in from what was possibly the muddiest walk in history, before embarking on the mother of all shaking sessions, spraying the walls, floor and family members with water and mud. But not any longer. This towel-like coats secret weapon is the double layers of material, designed to wick away moisture and trap body heat. Extra-wide straps at the neck and beneath the tummy made it easy to throw on (we found it perfect for post-walk car journeys, too) and a jaunty, colour-coordinated trim helps offset the shame of looking like drowned rat. Bonus points for the huge range of sizes there are seven to choose from. Buy now 39 , Not in the Dog House {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Orvis quilted waxed cotton dog coat The microfleece lining on this waxed jacket will keep canine companions wonderfully warm without the hassle of added weight this jacket feels surprisingly light, which we suspect is down to the material, a 60 per cent cotton blend. Theres no hole for a harness or lead, so this is a jacket best suited to dogs who dont need to be leashed, although the low neckline means a lead could still be attached to a collar. The extra-wide tummy strap might pose a problem for shorter dogs, but it was also one of our favourite features three large strips of Velcro allowed the jacket to be secured in record time, and the thickness and width of the strap means it will help keep the tummy area warm, too. Buy now 49 , Orvis {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Joules Newdale quilted pet coat Youll struggle to find a cosier jacket than this one a quilt-like dog coat with a soft, fleecy lining and thick, corded hems which didnt dig into or chafe our tester dogs fur or skin. We were also smitten with the detailing, including the embroidered logo and the brass press studs (although the latter are for appearance purposes only the straps fasten with Velcro). Theres a cleverly-concealed hole for leads, too. And if youre the kind of person who loves to coordinate their outfit with the one sported by their four-legged friend, youre in luck Joules does a human version of the Newdale coat, too. Buy now 22 , Joules {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Chipps all weather comfort coat This beautiful waterproof jacket, with its faux-sheepskin collar and quilted design, resembles the type of garment sported by dogs who spend their winters in swanky Swiss ski resorts. A super-soft lining ensures maximum comfort, and the coats pocket is the perfect place to stash a couple of treats or (dare we say it) a small plastic bag, should you be caught short. An extra-long strip of Velcro on the tummy strap meant there was plenty of room for adjustment, although bear in mind that this is a coat designed for medium to large dogs its only available in medium, large and extra-large sizes. Buy now 19.99 , Wayfair {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Doodlebone tweedy reversible dog jacket A brilliant coat for dapper dogs who fear being seen in the same outfit twice, this reversible jacket has a colour-blocked quilt layer on one side and a super-soft tweed design on the other. The belly and neck straps feature ridiculously strong single strips of Velcro, ensuring it stays put no matter what canine capers your dog embarks upon. Wed have loved to see a wider range of sizes (instead of just small, medium and large) and its worth noting that its longer profile means its best suited to lengthier dogs and those with big bums, if the extra-wide tail end is anything to go by. Luckily, a toggle at the rear means it can be easily tightened for a more flattering fit (although far be it from us to dictate how much bum our pooch wants to flaunt). Buy now 21.95 , Amazon {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} 3 Peaks 3 in 1 dog jacket black This is the perfect jacket for dogs who want to stand out from the crowd in a practical way. Although the brightly-coloured lightweight materials mean its a garment best suited to warmer days, its windproof and water-resistant qualities gave our downpour-hating doggie brilliant protection from light showers and winds. Available in small, medium, large and extra-large, its been designed with comfort in mind, with sealed seams and wide straps for under the tummy and around the neck. We also loved the fact that the hole for the harness or lead could be zipped up, keeping out chilly breezes and ensuring our four-legged friends stay snug, warm and dry. Buy now 27 , Pets at Home {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} The verdict: Dogs jackets Were suckers for a quirky motif and Jouless rain jacket, with its cute rainwear-sporting dogs, came out top in this area, although were not just giving it the coveted best buy award for looks alone, but for the top quality design and materials, too. We loved Hugo & Hudsons puffer jacket for the bright colours and huge range of sizes, while Doodlebones combi-puffer jacket gets a special mention for the carefully-considered design, including a handy toggle for easy adjustments. For more pet accessories, read our review of the best dog collars IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. Co-ops own-brand champagne has been voted as the best bottle to buy this Christmas by Which? experts. The Co-op Les Pionniers NV champagne, which sells for 19, scored joint first place with Mumm Cordon Rouge, which can cost up to 35, in a blind taste test by five distinguished champagne experts. Scoring 78 per cent in the tests, the bottle of fizz replaced last years winner from Waitrose as the best value deal for bubbly, with experts describing it as elegant and well-balanced. Narrowly missing out on a Which? Best Buy, Moet & Chandons Imperial Brut NV Champagne came in third with a score of 77 per cent. All of the experts agreed that it had a distinctive flavour and dry finish but found it slightly less sophisticated than the Co-ops offering. Overall, the experts said they were impressed with the standard of the champagne available for Christmas 2018, saying they were much fresher and livelier than those theyd tried in recent years. However, there were some bottles that the experts were disappointed by, including Spars bland 17.50 bottle of Marquis Belrive, which scored lowest in the tests. The cheapest supermarket champagnes which were tested for 2018 were sold by Lidl and Aldi, both priced at 12. Co-op Les Pionniers NV champagne, 19, Co-op Which? said that in its tests Lidls Comte de Senneval Brut and Aldis Veuve Monsigny were commendable but did not make it into the top flight. Following the results, the Co-op has revealed that it expects sales of its Les Pionniers NV champagne to soar by 300 per cent in the lead up to Christmas. The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images Our own-brand champagne has once again proved to be one of the best on the market and it's brilliant to be recognised alongside many of the most revered brands, said Ben Cahill, champagne buyer at Co-op. Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, added: We're delighted to be raising a glass this Christmas to an excellent Best Buy champagne for less than 20, proving that you don't have to pay through the nose for delicious fizz. Mumm Cordon Rouge - was 35, now 25, Waitrose Whether you are looking for an outstanding champagne at a great price or a well-known brand name, our expert choices have you covered. Earlier this year, a panel of experts at the International Wine and Spirits Competition voted Aldis Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, which costs just 10.99, a silver outstanding medal, making it one of the best bottles in the world. Recommended 11 best proseccos In my honest opinion, the Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut is one of the very best, if not THE best value champagne in the UK today, said Sam Caporn, wine expert at Aldi. It is staggering quality for such a reasonably priced, tasty, sophisticated fizz. This was the third international medal that the bestselling bottle received this year, despite its relatively inexpensive price. The price of bitcoin has continued to fall following last week's market-wide crash, losing more than a fifth of its value in the space of just a few days. The cryptocurrency is currently trading at its lowest level since October 2017, though analysts are struggling to explain why. Billions of dollars have been wiped off the value of bitcoin since last Wednesday, with no sign of the market turning around. Other major cryptocurrencies to experience significant losses include ethereum, ripple and bitcoin cash. Over the last 24 hours bitcoin has lost a further 10 per cent of its value, according to the CoinMarketCap price index, and threatens to fall below $5,000. Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Satoshi Nakamoto creates the first bitcoin block in 2009 On 3 January, 2009, the genesis block of bitcoin appeared. It came less than a year after the pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto detailed the cryptocurrency in a paper titled 'Bitcoin: A peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System' Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin is used as a currency for the first time On 22 May, 2010, the first ever real-world bitcoin transaction took place. Lazlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins the equivalent of $90 million at today's prices Lazlo Hanyecz Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Silk Road opens for business Bitcoin soon gained notoriety for its use on the dark web. The Silk Road marketplace, established in 2011, was the first of hundreds of sites to offer illegal drugs and services in exchange for bitcoin Screenshot Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The first bitcoin ATM appears On 29 October, 2013, the first ever bitcoin ATM was installed in a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada. The machine allowed people to exchange bitcoins for cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures The fall of MtGox The world's biggest bitcoin exchange, MtGox, filed for bankruptcy in February 2014 after losing almost 750,000 of its customers bitcoins. At the time, this was around 7 per cent of all bitcoins and the market inevitably crashed Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Would the real Satoshi Nakamoto please stand up In 2015, Australian police raided the home of Craig Wright after the entrepreneur claimed he was Satoshi Nakamoto. He later rescinded the claim Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's big split On 1 August, 2017, an unresolvable dispute within the bitcoin community saw the network split. The fork of bitcoin's underlying blockchain technology spawned a new cryptocurrency: Bitcoin cash Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin's price sky rockets Towards the end of 2017, the price of bitcoin surged to almost $20,000. This represented a 1,300 per cent increase from its price at the start of the year Reuters Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures What goes up... Bitcoin price crashes spectacularly, losing half of its value in a matter of days Getty Images Bitcoin's volatile history in pictures Bitcoin plunges The cryptocurrency eventually bottoms out below $4,000 in 2019 before slowly rebuilding momentum to outperform more traditional assets Getty Images Speculation surrounding why the cryptocurrency market has been hit with such heavy losses in recent days has focussed on the 'hard fork' of bitcoin cash that took place on Thursday, whereby the cryptocurrency effectively split in two to create a brand new cryptocurrency. This move led to uncertainty among cryptocurrency investors, in a market that is already experiencing reduced interest due to the steady losses that have been happening throughout 2018. Until the cryptocurrency price crash on 14 November, bitcoin had actually been experiencing one of the most prolonged periods of stability in its history, trading between $6,000 and $7,000 since early September. This had led some analysts to predict that the lack of market movement was the "calm before the storm," though many anticipated the price shift to go in the other direction. Bitcoin's lack of major market movement came crashing to an end late on 14 November (CoinMarketCap) "The next week is going to be important for crypto and more specifically bitcoin as some analysts feel that there is still more pain to come," London-based cryptocurrency broker GlobalBlock wrote in its weekly cryptocurrency update. "However, many already in the space are still looking to [hold onto their assets] and feel that an upswing will be imminent and that sellers will exhaust themselves." The huge losses experienced by bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in 2018 have led many advocates to revise their bullish predictions for the year ahead, however many remain hopeful of a market turnaround before the end of the year. "The wild benchmark levels that were called by crypto-evangelists may well have been reigned in somewhat," GlobalBlock stated. "However some are still calling levels in excess of $10,000 before year end, which from these levels would be a very strong recovery," Bitcoin led a market-wide cryptocurrency price crash (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Bitcoin's remarkable fall in value since the highs of 2017 has led to a sharp decrease in the number of people looking for blockchain and cryptocurrency-related jobs, according to new figures from the job site Indeed, suggesting confidence in the industry is low. "The spectacular rise in the value of bitcoin wasn't only good news for investors and speculators, it also led to a boom in the blockchain industry with vacancies and jobseeker interest soaring to record highs," Bill Richards, UK managing director of Indeed, said in an emailed statement to The Independent. "However, our data suggests employers and jobseekers alike are keeping a close eye on the value of bitcoin as a bellwether for confidence in cryptocurrencies and careers in the all-important technology that underpins it." The future of Google News in Europe is in doubt after Google executives hinted that EU plans for a "link tax" could force it to shut down. The new piece of European legislation is intended to make sure online publishers are paid if their content appears in search results on Google. A similar law introduced in Spain in 2014 resulted in the search giant shutting down Google News in the country, which it claims led to a fall in traffic local newspapers and publications. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Show all 11 1 /11 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Easter Eggs There are a lot of Easter Eggs hidden in Chrome, and more and more are discovered each year. One of our favourites is the dinosaur game. The next time you fail to connect to the internet on Chrome, tap the spacebar. Its also worth Googling barrel roll, zerg rush, super mario bros (and clicking the question mark graphic), festivus, recursion, askew and atari breakout (and then clicking Images). 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Pin tabs If you tend to browse with a lot of tabs open at once, you can clear up the clutter by pinning the ones youre least likely to close. Right-click them and select Pin Tab. Theyll automatically shrink and slide left. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Save battery You can save some battery life by sacrificing performance. In Settings, scroll down to the System section and uncheck the box reading Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed. We wouldnt recommend having this feature enabled all the time, but it could come in handy if youre nowhere near a charger. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Browse faster There are loads of Chrome Extensions available, but one of the most useful is Googles Data Saver. It compresses the pages you visit to reduce data usage and speed up loading times. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Make multiple profiles If you use multiple Google accounts, for work and for personal use, for instance, you can keep your bookmarks and browsing history for each account separate by creating individual profiles. Go to Settings, Manage People and Add Person. This is also handy for when you lend your computer to a friend, and you dont want them to have access to your internet history. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Downloads Many users would prefer it if Chrome downloaded files straight to the desktop, but by default it sends them to your Downloads folder. You can change this by going to Settings, opening the Show Advanced Settings menu, clicking Downloads and choosing your preferred destination. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Extra info To see cookies and permissions for every site you visit, click the View Site Information symbol on the left-hand edge of the omnibar. It will also let you quickly control things like Popup and Location settings. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Task manager You can quickly find out which pages are using up the most memory and slowing down your browsing experience by opening the burger menu, going down to More Tools and opening the Chrome Task Manager. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Calculator When youre online and need to do a quick sum, you dont have to hunt down your computer calculator or whip out your phone. Just type it into the Chrome omnibar and hit Enter. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Startup If theres a certain set of pages you always open when you turn your computer on, you can get Chrome to open them automatically when you launch the browser. In Settings, click Set Pages in the On Startup section, and choose the ones you want. 11 hidden Google Chrome features you didn't know existed Search Gmail from omnibar You can search your gmail inbox directly from the omnibar by going to Settings, Manage Search Engines, scrolling to the bottom and pasting https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#apps/%s into the box on the right-hand side. "We would not like to see that happen in Europe. Right now what we want to do is work with stakeholders," Richard Gingras, Google's vice president of news, told The Guardian. "There's no advertising in Google News. It is not a revenue-generating product to Google. We think it's valuable as a service to society. We are proud to have it as part of the stable of properties that people have." The Article 11 and Article 13 legislation was backed by MEPs in September, however Google hopes to lobby the European commission and EU member states to prevent it coming into force. Should it come into effect before the end of the post-Brexit transition period, the UK will likely be subject to the legislation. Google has consistently been criticised for not paying its fair share of tax in the UK and Europe, considering the vast revenues it generates from its second largest market. Pierre Moscovici, the European Commissioner for tax affairs, said last month that a new tax on Google and other large technology firms could raise 4.4 billion a year. Pierre Moscovici has called for US tech firms to pay more tax (EbS) Companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google manage to avoid large tax bills by not having a large physical presence in the countries in which they operate. "Being able to appropriately tax the companies operating in the digital economy is a major global challenge," a joint statement from Europe's five biggest economies said in March. "By agreeing on a coordinated EU-wide approach we will ensure the integrity of the Digital Single Market." Among the opponents to any kind of digital tax on technology giants is US President Donald Trump, who views it as an attack on American companies. "If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S.," he tweeted earlier this year. "Big trade imbalance!" When the EU fined Google over antitrust violations in July, Trump took to Twitter again. "The European Union just slapped a Five Billion Dollar Fine on one of our great companies, Google," he tweeted. "They truly have taken advantage of the US, but not for long!" Experts have dispelled the myth that introducing children to alcohol at an early age will take away the novelty of it and prevent them from becoming heavy drinkers as adults. In fact, the opposite may be true, claim health campaigners, citing evidence which shows that children who start drinking earlier are more likely to binge drink later on in their lives. In a campaign called Whats the Harm, medical officials are urging parents to delay introducing their children to alcohol as much as possible, insisting that no child should drink at all before the age of 15. Colin Shevills, director of the alcohol awareness group Balance, is calling on parents to abide by guidelines published in 2009 by the chief medical officer for England, Liam Donaldson, which says that its healthiest for children not to drink at all until they turn 18. A survey carried out by Balance reveals that almost half (43 per cent) of parents think children should be introduced to alcohol before they turn 15. "The medical advice is clear, no alcohol before 18 is the safest and best option and absolutely not before 15. It can affect brain development and is linked to mental ill health," he tells The Independent. According to Shevills, only one in 20 adults are aware of this guidance. "As a result, parents think they are doing the right thing by providing alcohol to their kids," he continues. "But children receiving alcohol at home are more likely to drink outside the home." We know from speaking to north-east parents there's a myth that providing alcohol at a young age makes children less curious, when in fact it can be a trigger for drinking," Shevills added in a statement. "People mention the French way of giving children alcohol but France actually has twice the rate of alcohol dependence of the UK. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "We found that a lot of parents were not aware of official guidance around children, and were more likely to call on their own experiences growing up when making decisions about alcohol." A study published in The Lancet Public Health journal in January revealed that parents who have alcohol to their teenagers increased the risk of them encountering alcohol-related problems as adults, leading researchers to say that giving children alcohol is not a good idea. In October, Shevills issued a statement calling on the government to put an end to alcohol tax breaks in a bid to hike up the costs and make it less affordable for young people. Cheap alcohol continues to wreak immense damage and places a huge burden on communities in the North East, the NHS and public services. "All of us are paying for it and with an NHS under pressure; we just cannot afford any more alcohol duty cuts. Politicians should be talking to businesses in their constituencies about the consequences of Brexit in order to reach a deal that will minimise damage to the economy, according to the president of the Confederation of British Industry. The prime minister was plunged into a leadership crisis last week after unveiling a draft Brexit agreement, however, business leaders urged politicians to back Theresa Mays plan to avoid the UK crashing out of the EU with no deal. The CBIs John Allan will use his speech at the groups annual conference to call on MPs to highlight the importance of compromising in order to open a route to a long-term trade arrangement and (unlock) transition the very least that companies need to prepare for Brexit. A compromise would not be perfect, Mr Allan is expected to say, but most importantly, it avoids the wrecking ball that would be a no-deal departure. Mr Allan will also highlight a number of examples of businesses losing out on investment due to Brexit uncertainty. In the past few days alone, Ive heard of a life sciences firm in the North West that has cut almost all investment in the UK putting it instead in Germany and China, he is expected to say. Ive heard a Northern Irish tech firm that has stopped winning contracts because their aerospace customers are worried about Brexit. And a construction firm says it now costs an extra 20,000 to build a house, due to a shortage of materials and labour since Brexit. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events These stories are repeated across the country. 80 per cent of firms have already cut or postponed investment because of the risk of a no-deal exit. The CBI conference begins at 10am on Monday 19th November, with the PM and various business figures scheduled to address attendees. Nissan chair Carlos Ghosn has been arrested in Japan after an investigation by the carmaker revealed that he has been underreporting his income for several years, according to a report by Japanese broadcaster NHK. The company said both Mr Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a director at the firm, have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount over a period of many years. According to reports, Mr Ghosn is suspected of understating his compensation by as much as 5 billion yen (35m) over five years. Nissan also said: In regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. The group has proposed that Mr Ghosn and Mr Kelly both be removed from their roles. Nissan chief executive Hiroto Saikawa told a press conference in Tokyo: On behalf of the company I would like to offer my apologies. I am sorry about the commotion and anxiety caused. I feel despair, indignation and resentment. As the details are disclosed I believe that people will feel the same way as I feel today. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Meanwhile Mr Ghosn is being questioned by Tokyo prosecutors, according to reports by Japanese media on Monday. Mr Ghosn has worked at Nissan since 1999, when he joined as chief operating officer, and served as chief executive officer from 2001 until 2017. He is chair and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which also includes Mitsubishi. Shares in Renault dropped by more than 13 per cent after news of Mr Ghosns alleged misconduct emerged. Additional reporting by newswires The movie which is mounted on a really large scale sees a team of national awardees come together for a film. Today marks the 190th birth anniversary of the fearless freedom fighter Rani Laxmi Bai. And actress Kangana Ranaut will be seen playing her on the celluloid soon. On this day, the actress talks about how the legendary freedom fighter inspired her. She says, When Akhand Bharat was agreed upon, she really believed in new age India and fought for it. I think the best way to give her tribute is to value what we have today and to make Bharat a glorious country and world power. She was a true patriot who wanted her country to be a glorious one. I think to pursue her dream would be the best way to give her a tribute. Speaking on Rani Lakshmi Bais 190th birth anniversary, Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios said, Today, we remember Indias bravest and fiercest warrior, Rani Lakshmi Bai and her extraordinary life with sincerest gratitude. Its an honour to be able to salute her through our upcoming film, Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi. The movie which is mounted on a really large scale sees a team of national awardees come together for a film. Right from Kangana Ranaut to Shankar Ehsaan Loy who are giving the music of the film, to Prasoon Joshi its a dream team that has come together. Not just that, Hollywood action choreographer Nick Powell has designed all the stunts in the film. Produced by Zee Studios and Kamal Jain, Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi, directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi, is slated to release on January 25, 2019. Scientists using viruses to combat cancer have found a way to prevent the disease from returning by targetting the healthy cells tumours enslave to use as camouflage and life support. University of Oxford researchers say this is the first time they have been able to target the fibroblasts cells which have been tricked into supporting the tumours without causing toxic reactions in healthy tissue. This two-pronged attack could allow doctors to directly target tumours and unmask the cancer cells, which kick starts the immune system causing it to attack the deadly invader. While it still needs to be proven in human trials, it was safe and effective in tests on mice and in-lab samples of human carcinomas the most common group of tumours that arise in the lining of the major organs or skin. Even when most of the cancer cells in a carcinoma are killed, fibroblasts can protect the residual cancer cells and help them to recover and flourish, said Dr Kerry Fisher, from the University of Oxfords Department of Oncology, who led the research. Until now, there has not been any way to kill both cancer cells and the fibroblasts protecting them at the same time, without harming the rest of the body. 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 While the technique is new, the virus which attacks the carcinoma is already part of human trials to test their safety and effectiveness as an immunotherapy treatment. This is a broad term for a new generation of techniques which use the immune system as part of the treatment, in this case the virus kills cancer cells and this damage also triggers the immune reaction. We hope our modified virus will be moving towards clinical trials as early as next year to find out if it is safe and effective in people with cancer, Dr Fisher added. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research on Sunday used a virus called enadenotucirev which has been developed to only target cancer cells and leave healthy ones untouched. Stills from a time lapse animation show fibroblasts (red), T-cells (blue, small and round), cancer cells (black) and dying cells in green. As cancer cells are infected with the enadenotucirev virus, they produce bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) protein before they die. BiTE then causes T-cells to latch on to and destroy fibroblasts (J Freedman/Cancer Research) (J Freedman/Cancer Research) Once inside a cell, viruses replicate and burst out, rupturing their host and spreading to other cancer cells. However, Dr Fisher and colleagues made use of another property of viruses which allows them to insert genes into infected host cells DNA. In this case, the recipe to wipe out enslaved fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are one of the key cell types in the body that build up connective tissues like collagen, repair wounds and maintain the environment outside of the bodys cells. Recommended World first as scientists use cold sore virus to attack cancer cells An untargeted attack on them could destroy them throughout the body, and cause serious side effects by disrupting these functions, so a cancer-targetting virus is the perfect delivery system. The genetic instructions inserted into the cancer cell force it to produce a protein molecule called, bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE), and this acts like a glue to bind fibroblasts with a key immune system unit called a T-cell. Also known as killer cells, T-cells are the search and destroy units of the immune system. They spot defective cells and destroy them and once tumours started to produce BiTT and glue them to fibroblasts, it also alerts the immune system to the wider tumour. We hijacked the viruss machinery so the T-cell engager would be made only in infected cancer cells and nowhere else in the body, said Dr Joshua Freedman another author of the study from Oxford University said. The T-cell engager molecule is so powerful that it can activate immune cells inside the tumour, which are being suppressed by the cancer, to attack the fibroblasts. Dr Michelle Lockley, from Cancer Research UK, who was not part of the study, said: This work in human tumour samples is encouraging, but can be complicated one of the biggest challenges of immunotherapies is predicting how well they will work with the patients immune system, and understanding what the side effects could be. People living in colder regions with less sunlight are more likely to be heavy drinkers, according to a new study. Researchers found a link between the weather and alcohol consumption and liver disease when examining data from 193 countries. Its something that everyone has assumed for decades, said lead author Ramon Bataller, associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre. Why do people in Russia drink so much? Why in Wisconsin? Everybody assumes thats because its cold. But we could not find a single paper linking climate to alcoholic intake or alcoholic cirrhosis. This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis. Drinking is known to increase feelings of warmth because alcohol increases the flow of blood to the skin. It is also linked to depression, which tends to be more prevalent where there is less daylight. The study, published online in Hepatology, found a negative correlation between climate and alcohol consumption in data from from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation. As average temperature and hours of sunlight decreased, the total alcohol intake per person, the percentage of the population that drinks alcohol, and the incidence of binge drinking all increased. Scientists said the findings justified stricter laws on alcohol pricing and advertising during the winter months. Dr Peter McCann, medical adviser to Castle Craig Hospital, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic in the Scottish Borders, said: This weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease cirrhosis which can ultimately end in liver failure and death. Stricter laws on alcohol pricing are surely justified when we consider the devastating combined effect of low sunlight and cheaper alcohol on consumption. Advertising laws should be addressed with restrictions during winter months strongly considered. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol earlier this year in a bid to tackle problem drinking. Similar proposals are expected to come into force in Wales in summer 2019 and the issue remains under review in the UK. Roughly 4 per cent of the UK population around two million people account for a third of all alcohol consumption. There were 5,507 deaths attributable to alcohol and 337,000 hospital admissions due to alcohol-related diseases or injuries in the year 2016-17. There were also 240 road deaths in Britain where one or both drivers were over the drink drive limit, accounting for 13 per cent of all road deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images The WHO is due to present new data on alcohol consumption in Europe at a summit in Edinburgh on Monday. It says levels remain high and that almost half of the adult male population are at risk of both short and long-term health and social problems due to harmful drinking patterns. Additional reporting by Press Association Scientists have spotted a star system like none ever seen before in our own galaxy, which could be about to launch one of the most spectacular and powerful explosions in the universe. Thankfully, the extremely powerful and narrow jet of plasma that it will shoot off into the universe when it explodes isn't aimed towards Earth. If it were, it would strip ozone off our own atmosphere. Still, Earth will surprisingly have a front-row seat. Scientists from around the world were shocked to find the massive, new star system sitting in our own galaxy. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region "It was not expected such a system would be found in our galaxy only in younger galaxies much further away," said Benjamin Pope, a NASA Sagan fellow at New York University's Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics and one of the researchers. "Given its brightness, it is surprising it was not discovered a lot sooner." The swirling cloud of dust is a mere 8,000 light years from Earth is a vast system made up of two shockingly bright stars. The astronomers who found it named it "Apep", after the Egyptian god of chaos, reflecting the intensity and vastness of the system but also the curling shape of the snake-god, which matches its whirling appearance. The two bright stars orbit each other every hundred years or so, according to the researchers. As they do, a fast wind is thrown off, moving as fast as 12 million kilometres an hour. Eventually the system is going to throw out a long-duration gamma-ray burst, according to the astronomers who found it. They can last just a couple of seconds but throw out as much energy as the sun will emit in its whole lifetime. The two stars appear to be rotating so fast that they are close to ripping each other apart. It's that fast rotation that scientists expect will mean that Apep is likely to throw out one of the GRBs when its core collapses at the end of its life. A termite super-colony which spans an area the size of Great Britain has been under construction since the time of the pyramids in ancient Egypt, scientists have found. Researchers studying the vast landscape of 200 million cone-shaped mounds in northeast Brazil sampled soil from 11 locations and found that some began construction around 3,820 years ago. At around 2.5 metres tall, 9 metres wide at the base, and spread across 230,000 square kilometres, it represents a vast earth-moving endeavour but the mounds are not individual termite nests. Instead, each one is a waste point where termite workers dump soil and other matter excavated in the production of a vast subterranean tunnel network which they have used to traverse the landscape in search of food for millennia. Recommended How David Attenborough changed television The authors of a new study, published in the journal Current Biology, said the biological wonder was akin to those of the ancient world, but with the civilisation that built it still in residence. This is apparently the worlds most extensive bioengineering effort by a single insect species, said Roy Funch of Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana in Brazil, one of the authors of the report. Perhaps most exciting of all the mounds are extremely old up to 4,000 years, similar to the ages of the pyramids. The mounds are around 2.5m tall on average, though some are much higher, and across all 200 million mounds there is enough excavated soil to build 4,000 great pyramids of Giza (Roy Funch) The mounds are largely hidden from view by caatinga, an assortment of thorny, desert-like vegetation unique to Brazil, and were only revealed to international scientists a few decades ago as the land was cleared for pasture. Now sampling from the oldest mounds has revealed the area is of comparable age to some of the oldest termite colony structures known to exist in Africa, while others began construction around 600 years ago. A satellite view of the mounds exposed in cleared areas (Stephen Martin) They have developed in response to the drought-sculpted environment where the annual leaf fall is a boom time for harvesting food, punctuated by long periods where resources are more scarce. These mounds were formed by a single termite species that excavated a massive network of tunnels to allow them to access dead leaves to eat safely and directly from the forest floor, said Professor Stephen Martin, a social insect expert from the University of Salford and another of the authors. The amount of soil excavated is over 10 cubic kilometres, equivalent to 4,000 great pyramids of Giza, and represents one of the biggest structures built by a single insect species. Its incredible that, in this day and age, you can find an unknown biological wonder of this sheer size and age still existing, with the occupants still present. The mounds are not the only entry points to the tunnel network termites emerging at night to scavenge use dozens of smaller entrances between each waste point. By inspecting mounts cut in half by road building projects, Professor Martin and colleagues also showed they lack the complex honeycomb of tunnels usually associated with a termite nest. Instead each includes a single large central tunnel measuring 10 cm across connecting to the underground tunnel network and a series of horizontal galleries containing dead leaves or larvae. The tunnels are never left open to the environment, ruling out their use as a ventilation system, which left them puzzled as to how and why they had been created at such regular intervals. One theory is that each mound was from a competing colony, but when they transferred termites to a rival neighbouring mound they were not swarmed and attacked. This suggests that the termites intermingle underground, sharing the tunnel network out of necessity tor collect food. However, when the test was repeated with termites from mounds 50km away the attack response was immediate, suggesting limits to their cooperation. Shared pheromone scent cues used across the tunnel network are the key way to identify local neighbours. Professor Martin and his colleagues suggest that these scent markers may direct termites to each mound point to ensure maximum efficiency and leading to the equal spacing. Austerity and rampant drug dealing have created a lost generation of children living in fear of violence across the UK, police and former gang members have said. There are fears the recent spate of bloody street stabbings in London, where 20 teenagers have been killed so far this year, will not be the last if funding to police and public services is not urgently increased. Knife crime stands at a record high, but Home Office-funded research has found that authorities in many areas do not understand how gangs operate or how social media is fuelling violence. And statistics show that the rising number of people found carrying knives and being stabbed are getting younger and younger, with nine-year-olds tooling up in the mistaken belief that it will protect them. Mark Burns-Williamson, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said children were being exploited by county lines gangs that export drugs and violence from urban to rural areas. He told The Independent the problem was being exacerbated by school exclusions and the closure of youth centres and other services aimed at keeping teenagers off the streets. If were not careful, were building up a generation of young people who are going to be lost to the system, Mr Burns-Williamson said. It is a real worry and we have to look at early intervention and prevention. The government has come very late in the day to this, we know we cant just turn these things around overnight. It takes a lot of sustained work upstream to really make a difference. Life as a teenage drug dealer Gavin McKenna, a former gang member who now runs the Reach Every Generation group, said he was seeing children involved in gang culture and drug crime getting a lot younger. Often the most worrying and violent kids are 12 to 14, he told The Independent. Theres a whole generation getting taken out because nothing has been done to stop it. Mr McKenna said austerity was fuelling knife crime, with violence starting to increase in 2014 as government cuts took their toll. Youth clubs are missing, theres no safe place in their communities to go, he said. When I was young [in the 2000s], even when I was up to no good, it was a place where you could go and nothing would happen. Following the loss of more than 20,000 police officers since 2010, he said that vanishing neighbourhood police had left a perception that they only turned up when there was a problem and then no one would talk because there was no trust. Communities feel alone, he said. Mr McKenna said the government should award long-term investment to grassroots organisations that could engage with affected groups, but warned: You cant just throw money at a problem. Anti-violence groups are targeting primary schools, rather than secondary, in attempts to show children the reality of gang life before they are drawn in by promises of money and protection. A recent report found that some children are starting to deal drugs to provide for their families, while others are drawn into debt bondage and controlled by violence and intimidation. The pattern is frequently seen in county lines dealing, where gangs use branded phone lines to target towns and rural areas, flooding them with drugs and controlling the lucrative supply. The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Show all 21 1 /21 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo, 18, was killed in a fight in Chislehurst on 10 January 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Hasan Ozcan Hasan Ozcan, 19, was stabbed to death on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking on 3 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Sabri Chibani Sabri Chibani, 19, was stabbed fatally in the chest in Streatham on 11 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Promise Nkenda Lord Promise Nkenda, 17, was stabbed to death in Canning Town on 14 February 2018 Facebook The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lewis Blackman Lewis Blackman, a 19-year-old rapper from Kentish Town, was stabbed to death in Kensington on 18 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Abdikarim Hassan Abdikarim Hassan, 17, was stabbed to death near his home in Camden's Peckwater estate on 20 March - less tahan two hours before another man was stabbed to death nearby Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Kelvin Odunuyi Kelvin Odunuyi, a 19-year-old rapper known as DipDat and Lampz, was shot dead in Wood Green on 8 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lyndon Davis Lyndon Davis, 18, was chased down and stabbed to death in Chadwell Heath on 14 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Tanesha Melbourne-Blake Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Tottenham on 2 April PA The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Amaan Shakoor Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot dead in Walthamstow on 2 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Israel Ogunsola Israel Ogunsola, 18, was stabbed to death in Hackney on 4 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, a 17-year-old rapper and aspiring architect, was shot dead in a Kennington Street on 5 May Handout The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jordan Douherty Aspiring rapper Jordan Douherty died of his injuries outside a birthday party in Romford on 23 June Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Katrina Makunova Katrina Makunova, 17, was stabbed to death in Camberwell on 12 July 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Latwaan Griffiths 18-year-old Latwaan Griffiths was fatally stabbed on 25 July and died in hospital after being thrown off the back of a moped in Camberwell Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Guled Farah Guled Farah, 19, was shot in Walthamstow on 22 September Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Ethan Nedd-Bruce Ethan Nedd-Bruce, 18, died after he was shot outside a party at a flat in Greenwich, south-east London, on 22 October. He had also been stabbed, but the gunshot wound was the cause of death. Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jay Hughes Jay Hughes, 15, died was fatally stabbed outside a chicken shop in Bellingham, south-east London, on 1 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Malcolm Mide-Madariola Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was found suffering from a stab wound outside Clapham South Tube station on 2 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 John Ogunjobi John Ogunjobi, 16, died in front of his parents after he was stabbed in Greenleaf Close, Tulse Hill, on 5 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Aron Warren Aron Warren, 18, was found stabbed in a flat block in Greenwich on 8 December and died at the scene Metropolitan Police Children are used to carry drugs to regional bases, which are often taken over from vulnerable people, and sometimes to deal putting them at risk of robbery and stabbings by rivals. The Violence and Vulnerability Unit, an organisation supported and commissioned by the Home Office, found that in most areas of Britain, no one could really explain or understand the local drug markets and how they were driving violence. Programme director Simon Ford said the business model was expanding to areas being targeted for the first time, and believed that many more lines were running than the 1,500 identified by authorities. They will travel extensively to set these markets up because its so lucrative, he told The Independent. Gangs will move kids around across the UK from one area to another theyre disposable to them; if one gets arrested or killed, somebody else can come in. Mr Ford said the trade had normalised knife carrying for drug dealers, while children in the areas where they operated were arming themselves in fear. I think were in the worst of it at the moment and I dont know how long it will continue, he said. Its not going to be a quick fix. He agreed that the UK was risking a lost generation, explaining how children were becoming traumatised and did not know how to escape their situation, with some growing up to become gang elders and exploit younger teenagers in turn. Before they would speak to youth leaders and offending workers, Mr Ford said. They dont talk to people any more because theyre so frightened about whats going to happen to them. (ONS (ONS) He said that where austerity had caused the shrinkage of public services including youth offending teams, youth clubs, housing officers and social workers there was a vacuum and what had stepped into it was gangs. Young people feel abandoned and they see the gangs as a form of protective service, Mr Ford said. Theyll befriend them, give them money, give them gifts, security and friendship. Very quickly that turns into debt bondage and theyre made to work. Sheldon Thomas, founder of the Gangsline charity, said some children came to see gang leaders as father figures and became attracted to their lifestyle through social media. When I was in a gang it was unheard of to recruit children because we had morals, he told The Independent. We didnt believe that a 10-year-old should be selling drugs on some 20-year-old gang member. Morals and values are missing and thats a societal problem. He called on the government to fund more programmes that sent people with lived experience of gang crime into schools, where pupils could relate to them. A Home Office spokesperson said 1bn more was being spent on policing than three years ago and its National County Lines Coordination Centre was a key part of the strategy to tackle violent crime. Amber Rudd has launched an attack on a UN report about the state of poverty in Britain in her first Commons appearance as work and pensions secretary. In her new role as head of the department that oversees UK welfare policy, Ms Rudd said the language used by the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights was wholly inappropriate and discredited a lot of what he was saying. Fridays report found that policies and drastic cuts to social support were entrenching high levels of poverty and inflicting unnecessary misery in one of the richest countries in the world, adding that Brexit was exacerbating the problem. The special rapporteur Philip Alston presented a withering assessment of Britains approach to its poorest citizens, predicting a 7 per cent rise in child poverty, and detailing a 60 per cent increase in homelessness since 2010 and exponential growth in the number of food banks. In light of his findings, he condemned the British governments punitive, mean-spirited and often callous treatment of the countrys poorest and most vulnerable. In the House of Commons on Monday, Ms Rudd was asked by shadow work and pensions secretary Margaret Greenwood whether, in light of the UNs warnings that universal credit could put many people at risk of destitution, she would end the governments state of denial and stop the rollout of the new benefit system. Responding, Ms Rudd said: I have seen the report by the rapporteur and I must say I was disappointed to say the least by the extraordinary political nature of his language. We on this side of the House will always engage with professionals, with experts, with NGOs, we are not so proud we dont think we can learn as we try to adjust universal credit for the benefit of everybody. But that sort of language was wholly inappropriate and discredited a lot of what he was saying, but we look forward to working with experts in the area to make sure we get the right outcome for the people we want to look after. Recommended Amber Rudd becomes sixth DWP secretary in less than three years Earlier in the debate, Justin Tomlinson, minister for family support, housing and child maintenance, said the government disagreed with Mr Alstons findings, and defended universal credit as a simplified benefit system that helps some of the most vulnerable people in society. The remarks from the new work and pensions secretary and Mr Tomlinson will exacerbate concerns raised in the UN report that ministers are in a state of denial over the state of poverty in Britain. Delivering his findings on Friday, Mr Alston said: What I found in my discussions with ministers, is basically a state of denial. The ministers with whom I met have told me that things are going well, that they dont see any big problems, and they are happy with the way in which their policies are playing out. But its of course not the story that I heard in my travels through Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and in quite a few cities in England. After the Commons debate, Ms Greenwood told The Independent: "Amber Rudd is in total denial about the damage caused by this governments austerity policies. Instead of launching an attack on the UN, the government must properly respond to the detailed evidence presented by the special rapporteur." Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience" Theresa May appointed Ms Rudd as the new work and pensions secretary last week after Esther McVey stood down from the role on Thursday in protest at the prime ministers Brexit deal. The decision prompted immediate criticism from opposition parties, who suggested Ms Rudds conduct when the Windrush scandal emerged a fiasco that forced her to resign should disqualify her from a top government job. Critics also warned that she was taking on a poisoned chalice as she becomes the sixth work and pensions secretary in less than three years. Theresa May faces an embarrassing defeat over plans to force her into publishing data comparing Britains economic prospects under her Brexit deal to staying in the EU. Eleven Conservatives including Jo Johnson, who resigned as a minister last week have publicly signed up to the cross-party push, with the rebellion set to grow if it comes to a vote on Monday. The prime minister has so far refused to commit to releasing the analysis, which is likely to underline how remaining in the EU would deliver a more prosperous future for the country. Recommended Corbyn says he does not know how he would vote in fresh referendum Ms May meanwhile continued her media offensive to defend her Brexit plans, while eurosceptics pushed to raise enough support to trigger a vote of no confidence in the Conservative leader. On Monday more than 70 MPs from six different parties will attempt to push through an amendment to the Finance Bill, which if passed would obligate Ms May to publish an economic impact assessment into the withdrawal deal she has agreed with the EU. The names include 11 Tories the same number who rebelled the last time Ms May was defeated in the Commons on Brexit who had backed Remain in 2016, many of whom now also support a new final say referendum on the outcome of Brexit. Mr Johnson, who quit the government branding Ms Mays deal a failure of British statecraft on a scale unseen since the Suez crisis, is expected to make his first speech in the chamber since resigning in support of the move. The ex-transport minister told The Independent: It is of crucial importance that the full study is published showing the impact of the governments proposed terms of departure compared with the benefits we currently enjoy as full members of the European Union. Theresa May on leadership dispute: 'a change of leadership isn't going to make the negotiations any easier' The government needs to look MPs and the public in the eye and be able to say that this deal will make us better off, give us greater control and fulfil all the promises that were made two years ago. The reality is they wont give us the truth because they cant say that we will be better off with this deal than we are at the moment. Thats why even prominent Brexiteers are saying we would be better off staying in the EU than leaving with this deal an extraordinary state of affairs. Ex-chancellor Ken Clarke said publication is necessary so that MPs were not impeded in making a decision on the Brexit proposals being put to them. Anything less would amount to pulling the wool over the eyes of parliamentarians and the people we represent Labour MP Chuka Umunna He added: The only way to prevent the current shambles from becoming a serious national crisis will be for parliament to exercise a well-informed and sensible judgement in the national interest when it votes on all the key issues. The assessment would have to include a comparison between the current terms of the UKs EU membership and the proposed agreement set to be signed off at an EU summit in a weeks time. It would also have to be made public before MPs vote on whether to accept Ms Mays Brexit plans and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility would have to evaluate its accuracy. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience" The amendment was tabled by Labours Chuka Umunna and Conservative MP Anna Soubry who have been at the forefront of the campaign to secure a Peoples Vote referendum. Mr Umunna said: The prime minister told the House of Commons last week that the country faces three choices no Brexit, no deal and her agreement and therefore it is only right that MPs are provided with an economic analysis with a comparison between those options. Anything less would amount to pulling the wool over the eyes of parliamentarians and the people we represent. Ms May and other ministers have refused to specifically say they would publish such an analysis, and have instead stuck to the more vague line that MPs would be given the appropriate information before voting on Ms Mays Brexit plans. However, an earlier analysis that was leaked suggested that over a 15-year period GDP growth would be 8 per cent lower under a no-deal scenario than if the UK stayed in the EU. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It would then be 5 per cent lower under a free trade agreement and about 2 per cent lower with a soft Brexit option of single market membership. Downing Street would not comment on the amendment on Sunday, but is likely to set out its position if it is called in the chamber on Monday something that is likely given the broad cross-party support. Ms May will head to Brussels this week for a meeting with EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker to hammer out remaining areas of the outline agreement on the future relationship ahead of a summit next Sunday. But she poured cold water on the idea that the other part of the proposed Brexit deal the withdrawal agreement can be reopened now that negotiators have settled on an agreed version. There is a push from five key members of her cabinet, including Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove, to renegotiate parts of the withdrawal agreement relating to the backstop which sets out what happens to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if no Brexit deal is reached by December 2020. But the prospects of reopening talks on the text ahead of the summit look slim, with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar again ruling it out on Sunday. Meanwhile, the chair of the Tory committee in charge of administering leadership contests revealed that the number of MPs letters calling for Ms May to resign had not reached the critical point to force a vote of no confidence. The admission will be a blow for Steve Baker, Jacob Rees-Mogg and other members of the eurosceptic European Research Group, who argue Ms Mays deal does not deliver a proper Brexit and are trying to depose Ms May as a result. The Spanish government has threatened to reject Theresa Mays Brexit deal over the issue of Gibraltar, demanding that last-minute changes be made to the text ahead of a crunch summit. The countrys foreign minister said Spain would not back the proposals at the European Council unless it received assurances that the agreement would not apply to Gibraltar. But Downing Street said it would not exempt Gibraltar or any other British territory from the agreement putting the two governments on a collision course ahead of the meeting this weekend. The negotiations between Britain and the EU have a territorial scope that does not include Gibraltar, the negotiations on the future of Gibraltar are separate discussions, Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell said on Monday morning in Brussels. This is what needs to made clear, and until it is clarified in the withdrawal agreement and in the political declaration on the future relationship, we cannot give our backing. Spain has long resented Britains claims on Gibraltar, a British overseas territory that is home to around 30,000 people, and has previously threatened to use Brexit to wrest concessions on the issue. The Gibraltar issue is also controversial with the Spanish public, with successive governments benefiting politically by grandstanding on the matter. The withdrawal agreement has to be approved by qualified majority voting at the European Council this weekend, meaning that if other countries add their voices of dissent to Spains, the agreement could be in trouble. Additionally, last year Spain got a special clause included in the councils Brexit guidelines stating that no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom. This was widely interpreted at the time as a veto. The bloc has so far publicly stressed its unity in dealings with the UK, though it is understood that some other countries have problems with the future relationship proposals fearing too many concessions may have been granted to Ms Mays government. Countries understood to have voiced concerns in private include Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands, who were annoyed that the UK was given an EU customs union as part of the backstop without a formal agreement guaranteeing they retain fishing rights on British waters. France has reportedly joined with those countries to push for stronger demands on that issue and on guaranteeing the UK cannot roll back on environmental, social, and labour standards. Diplomats familiar with the situation suggested the changes could be accommodated by so-called side-declarations that would avoid reopening talks on the agreement but give clear stipulations about how the EU expected it to be interpreted. We do not expect any reopening of the [withdrawal] agreement but we will be very vigilant about its implementation, Nathalie Loiseau, Frances EU affairs minister, said. Spain also has an absolute veto over any future trade deal between the EU and UK an issue on which it would be possible for the country to make trouble down the line. Until it is clarified in the withdrawal agreement and in the political declaration on the future relationship, we cannot give our backing Josep Borrell, Spanish foreign minister Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, had previously said in October that the issue of Gibraltar was resolved and will no longer be a problem. However, at the time he also said Britain and Spain were still holding separate bilateral talks regarding Gibraltar, focusing on matters such as workers movements across the border, environmental issues and tax affairs. Last month the sideline negotiations about the territory were said by the British side to be 95 per cent there. If the Spanish government does manage to reopen the withdrawal agreement, the changes will inevitably draw protests from Brexiteers who also want to change it, but have been told they must live with the document as it is currently constituted. Spanish representatives are understood to have explicitly demanded amendments to Article 184 of the agreement at a meeting of European affairs minister in Brussels. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience" But a Downing Street spokesperson ruled out any kind of concessions, telling reporters: The draft withdrawal agreement agreed last week covers Gibraltar. The prime minister has been clear that we will not exclude Gibraltar or the other overseas territories or the crown dependencies from our negotiations on the future relationship. We will get a deal that works for the whole UK family. Polls suggest the inhabitants of Gibraltar overwhelmingly want to keep their status as a British overseas territory and do not want to be a part of Spain. Theresa May will seek to regain the initiative in the row over her Brexit plans by declaring that they stop EU citizens being able to jump the queue into Britain. The prime minister will say that under the new system, people will be given the right to live in the UK based on skills instead of where they come from. Ms Mays attempt to shift the debate onto immigration and away from technical issues around the Irish border marks an effort to fight back against Eurosceptic Tories trying to depose her. Labours Jeremy Corbyn will also give a speech on Monday attacking the PMs approach as a botched, worst-of-all-worlds deal. On Sunday the prime minister sought to underline how it is future relations with the EU, and not the withdrawal agreement including the controversial Irish backstop, that will deliver the Brexit people voted for in 2016. Building on that theme, she will say in a speech on Monday: In the future, outside the EU, immigration will continue to make a positive contribution to our national life, but the difference will be this once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here. It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. Theresa May: 'Its the future relationship that delivers on the Brexit vote. Its the future relationship that actually says this is the right deal for the future for our country' Downing Street believes immigration will be central in the fight to win support for the prime ministers Brexit deal, ahead of a critical vote in parliament due in December. It is widely accepted that the issue was at the very heart of many peoples reasons for backing the Leave campaign, but it has not yet featured in the debate about the merits of the actual Brexit deal struck by Ms May. She will add during her speech at the CBI in London: Not only will this deliver on the verdict of the referendum. It should lead to greater opportunity for young people in this country to access training and skilled employment. The prime minister will travel to Brussels this week to see European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of a summit to sign off both the withdrawal agreement and outline future framework on 27 November. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS But Eurosceptics are continuing their push to oppose her plans, to rally support against them in the commons and to raise enough letters calling for her resignation to force a vote of no confidence in her. It currently looks doubtful that Ms Mays plans have enough support from Conservative benches to be passed by the commons, but No 10 are now beginning a drive to turn Tory MPs who are as of yet unsure how they will vote. In his speech to the CBI, Mr Corbyn will criticise the government for spending two years negotiating a deal that he argues will leave the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say over our future. He will say: If the prime minister is unable to negotiate an agreement that can win a majority in parliament and work for the whole country, Labours alternative plan can and must take its place. The opposition leader said that his plan would prioritise a new comprehensive and permanent customs union, a guarantee for workers rights and protections for consumers and the environment, and a strong relationship with the single market. Hardline pro-Brexit Tories are struggling to gather support for a leadership challenge against Theresa May, despite days of threats. The European Research Group (ERG) boasted that it would secure the 48 signatures it needs on Monday, but faced the embarrassment of a backlash that offered the beleaguered prime minister some relief. Some Tories appeared to have pulled back from submitting letters of no confidence after discovering Conservative members in their constituencies remained loyal to Ms May. Steve Baker, the ERGs deputy chairman, faced accusations that he had overplayed his hand and overestimated support for a challenge, just days before the crucial EU summit to seal the Brexit deal. Nick Boles, a pro-EU backbencher, launched an attack on Jacob Rees-Mogg, the head of the ERG, and on Boris Johnson who is rumoured to have submitted his own letter. Do my colleagues not understand how normal people react when they see a group of middle aged men, led by two plummy-toned Old Etonians, trying to bully a conscientious and determined woman out of her job? he tweeted. Mr Baker had predicted that the line will be crossed by a big margin on Monday evening but admitted that was if everyone does what theyve told me. Just 26 Conservatives have announced they have put in letters to Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, although others have made it known privately. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016. Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience" The vote of no confidence failed to materialise as: * Ms May seized on business support for her Brexit plan, saying, in her speech to the CBI conference: Dont just listen to the politicians, listen to what business is saying. * The prime minister said it was important that the transition period ends before the next general election, but gave no guarantee after the EU suggested it could run until the end of 2022. * Spain threatened to sink the Brexit deal in a row over Gibraltar, demanding one-to-one separate discussions on its future, outside of the main negotiations. * David Mundell, the Scottish secretary, again threatened to quit if the UK remained tied to EU fishing policies and quotas after 2020. * Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, warned a no-deal Brexit would force checks at the Irish border, because World Trade Organisation rules are very clear. Downing Street also acknowledged that huge progress still needed to be made if the agreement is to be rubber-stamped by EU leaders in Brussels on Sunday. The prime minister is expected to head to the Belgian capital sometime this week, to head up the negotiations personally but they could run on until Sunday itself. As well as agreeing a date for an extended transition if needed to avoid the return of a hard border in Ireland the outline of the long-term relationship must be fleshed out. That document, separate to the withdrawal agreement, is currently just six-and-a-half pages long, saying virtually nothing about future trade, security or data exchange. It does commit the two sides to filling in the gaps by building on the single customs territory provided for in the withdrawal agreement to the alarm of Brexiteers, who suspect a permanent customs union. The prime ministers spokesman said: We are adding more detail to the outline political declaration for it to become the future framework. There is a lot of work to be done. The prime minister has described this period as critical and I would expect the talks this week to be intensive. While Priyanka Chopra is undoubtedly a global star, the less said about her career in Hollywood the better. While Priyanka Chopra is undoubtedly a global star, the less said about her career in Hollywood the better. All her attempts at seeking stardom in Hollywood have hit dead ends. From Baywatch to A Kid Like Jake to Isnt It Romantic, Hollywood has offered our desi girl only marginal roles. To compound her career woes, Priyankas big ambitious Hollywood project Cowboy Ninja Viking, co-starring Chris Pratt, is as good as shelved. This is the big Hollywood project for which Priyanka had opted out of the Salman Khan starrer Bharat. The actress succeeded in offending many filmmakers in Mumbai, who felt she was taking them for granted for the sake of a career abroad. Now, it seems Priyanka has decided to re-consolidate her position in Bollywood. She has apparently met with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the visionary who cast her in Bajirao Mastani. And the two are all set to collaborate on a massive Bollywood project, which would feature the actress in an author-backed role. Priyankas last author-backed outing in Bollywood, Jai Gangaajal, was a disaster. Interestingly, Bhansalis favourite actress Deepika Padukone plans on returning post-marriage in a film by his arch-rival Karan Johar. While Priyanka Chopra, who has never been a favourite with Johar (a certain Mr Khan could explain why), is all set to join the Bhansali camp. A clean swap, indeed! Close Active shooter and multiple victims near Mercy Hospital in Chicago At least four people have died one of them a police officer after a gunman opened fire inside Chicagos Mercy Hospital. Officers rushed to the celebrated hospital and medical centre amid reports of multiple casualties after a suspect entered the facility on the citys South Side and started firing. It was reported the suspect, said by CNN to be a 32-year-old man, was killed in the incident, though it was not immediately clear if he had taken his own life or was shot by police. Some unconfirmed reports said his primary target was his ex-fiancee. Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for the Chicago Police Department, tweeted for people to avoid area. Heavy police response incoming. A police official told NBC News that the hospital had been partially evacuated, while officers searched the premises. Some people were hiding in locked rooms. A nearby school was also placed on lockdown for a period, though students were later allowed to go home. Mr Guglielmi named the killed Chicago police officer as Samuel Jimenez. He tweeted that "three innocent victims and the cowardly gunman who deserves to be nameless were killed tonight". To see how events unfolded see our live coverage below Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load Congressional Democrats are attempting to alter a 181-year-old rule banning all headwear from the floor of the US House of Representatives after two Muslim women were elected to serve in the chamber. Banned since 1837, the politicians are hopeful that the amendment will allow people religious headwear, including the hijab and kippah, to be worn. The push for reform comes as the Democrats prepares to welcome Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib into congress, the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. Recommended These are the key new faces diversifying US politics Ms Omar will represent Minnesota and Ms Tlaib, Michigan. Ms Omar will also become the first woman of colour to represent her state in Washington as well as the first Somali-American in Congress and the first federal lawmaker ever to wear a religious headscarf. The proposal to relax the prohibition on hats was jointly proposed by Ms Omar, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Jim McGovern, who will serve as the chairman of the House Rules Committee from January. Current rules about comportment in Congress include the hat ban. US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Show all 20 1 /20 US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Democratic candidate Ilhan Omar is celebrates with her husband's mother after she won a congress place, becoming the first Muslim woman to be elected into congress alongside Rashida Tlaib Reuters US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Democratic House candidate, from Kansas, Sharice Davids (left) and her mom Crystal celebrate after she won. Davids is the first lesbian Native American Congresswoman by beating Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder. Davids is one of several first-time female candidates that helped the Democratic Party takeover in the House of Representatives EPA US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Republican Marsha Blackburn celebrates after winning the race for senate in Tennessee. In doing so she became that states first female senator AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Supporters of Democratic House candidate Sharice Davids cheer and cry after learning she won EPA US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Ayanna Pressley beaome Massachusetts first black congresswoman by defeating 10-term Republican Michael Capuano AFP/Getty US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Republican candidate Young Kim has become the first Korean-American woman elected to Congress AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Democrat Jared Polis won his seat and became the USs first ever openly gay governor AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Jean Kasselman (left) and Teresa Booker, supporters of Democratic candidate for Kansas' 3rd Congressional District Sharice Davids, react to election results Getty US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Republican Kristi Noem hugs a supporter after being announced as the new governor of South Dakota. Noem made history by being the first female governor of the state AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Gabierla Martinez and Cesar Delgado cheer on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis REUTERS US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest women ever elected to Congress, representing New Yorks 14th congressional district AFP/Getty US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Democratic congressional candidate Rashida Tlaib celebrates with family and friends at her midterm election night party in Detroit after won and also became the nations first Muslim woman to congress alongside Ilhan Omar who was also elected Reuters US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Supporters of Democratic candidate for Kansas' 3rd Congressional District Sharice Davids react to election results Getty US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Already having become the first Native American woman to chair a state political party, Deb Haaland has now become the joint-first Native American woman to be elected to congress, alongside Sharice Davids Reuters US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Supporters of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cheer during her election night party in the Queens Borough AFP/Getty US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Young Kim hugs her son Alvin after she won a seat in congress AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Supporters of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cheer AFP/Getty Images US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Asma Mohammed and Ashley Fairbanks celebrate as results come in at Democratic congressional candidate Ilhan Omar's election night headquarters AP US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Democrat Deb Haaland hugs a voter REUTERS US midterm results: more diverse, more female and more progressive Supporters of Democratic House candidate from Kansas Sharice Davids cheer and cry after learning she won her race EPA The relevant clause states that "during the session of the House, a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not wear a hat or remain by the Clerks desk during the call of the roll or the counting of ballots." Announcing her campaign on Twitter, Ms Omar said: "No one puts a scarf on my head but me. It's my choice - one protected by the first amendment. And this is not the last ban Im going to work to lift." Attempts to alter the rule have been made before. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In 2010 Florida congresswoman Frederica Wilson challenged the ban. The politician, who is known for her collection of decorative hats, gave up her fight after the issue gained more press coverage than her legislative work. Ms Omar and Ms Tlaib are part of a new wave of incoming Democrats who are changing the face of Congress. They will be joined by Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids, the first Native American women to be elected to the House and Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts' first black congresswoman. Authorities in Guatemala have called for communities around the southern Volcano of Fire to evacuate, after observing increased activity and intensifying eruptions in the area. An eruption of the same volcano in June killed 194 people. Official tolls say another 234 are missing, although support groups say they believe there are thousands missing, presumed dead. The evacuation order was not mandatory, and affects around 2,000 people in eight villages around the volcano. Recommended Satellite video shows what Guatemala eruption looked like from space David de Leon, spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, said the communities should leave and go to safer areas, but it is up to them whether they decide to evacuate or not. Mr De Leon said monitoring of the volcano's activity during the day Sunday showed the intensity of the eruption was being maintained, so the evacuation was called for to protect people. Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Show all 16 1 /16 Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Guatemalan police evacuate people in the village of El Porvenir following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego EPA Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption A rescue worker helps a woman covered with ash Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Volcano Fuego during an eruptive pulse AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Emergency personnel rescuing a person EPA/Ministry of Defense Guatemala Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Residents take refuge in a shelter south of Guatemala City following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption The eruption of Volcan de Fuego is captured from Alotenango, southwest of Guatemala City AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Residents stand behind a safety cordon following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Relatives react as volunteers carry a coffin with the body of Sergio Vasquez who died following the eruption AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption People flee the ash covered village of El Rodeo, south of Guatemala City AFP/Getty Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Police officers in protective masks guard the area around the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption An ash covered child is rescued in the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Soldiers sweep up ash at La Aurora International Airport Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption A young girl is carried by a rescue worker in the village of El Rodeo following the eruption of Volcan de Fuego EPA Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Reuters Guatemala volcano: dozens dead after Volcan de Fuego eruption Fuego volcano after it erupted violently Reuters At least three communities were heeding the order, according to Antigua al Rescate, an organisation that offered assistance in the aftermath of the devastating eruption in June. That event was the deadliest eruption in Guatemala since 1929. Then, around 3,100 people were ordered to evacuate but, with the eruption resulting in a fast-moving pyroclastic flow of hot gas and rock, communities around the volcano had very little time to flee. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The Volcano of Fire, or Volcan de Fuego in Spanish, is one of the most active in Central America. It more recently showed increased signs of eruption in October, when it spewed more ash and lava, and warnings were again issued for nearby communities. The activity soon died down, however. Hector Beltran Leyva, who cultivated a reputation as one of the most vengeful and ruthless Mexican drug lords, has died in a hospital after being transferred from maximum security prison with chest pains, aged 56. Beltran Leyva nicknamed "the H" became well known for bloody wars with rival organisations, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman's Sinaloa cartel, although the pair were once allies. Mr Guzman is currently on trial for drug trafficking in a New York federal court. At the time of his arrest in October 2014 Beltran Leyva was pretending to be an art and real estate dealer, and his capture was seen as a major victory for Mexican authorities in their war against drug gangs. He was transferred to Federal Prison Number 1 in March of 2016. He was later transferred to maximum security prison in Altiplano, one of Mexico's most secure facilities, with metre thick walls and restricted air space above it. Mr Guzman, managed to escape Mexican prisons twice before being extradited to the United States where he is on trial for his alleged running of the Sinaloa cartel. Beltran Leyvas death was confirmed by Mexican authorities in a statement, which said that the drug lord had been transferred to a hospital minutes after security guards noticed he was experiencing chest pains. Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty Emergency healthcare procedures conducted by prison doctors did not help the inmate, who later died in the hospital, it added. The statement added that, at all times", he "received the medical attention he required and that the staff of the hospital as well as the federal centre, exhausted all the clinical resources at its disposal. Mr Guzman's trail has resulted in ramped up security in Brooklyn around the federal courthouse where the trial is being held. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events He is being detained in the same building so that authorities will not be required to risk transporting the prisoner to and from the trial Mr Guzman has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces. His lawyer has indicated that Mr Guzman was unwilling to accept a plea deal. Reuters contributed to this report Kanye West has donated $150,000 (117,000) to the family of a security guard shot and killed by police in the US. The American rapper paid the money through a fundraising website, set up to cover the burial costs for Jemel Roberson, 26, who died on 11 November. Mr Roberson, a black man, was working as a security guard at a bar near Chicago when a gunman opened fire inside. Recommended Security guard killed by cops was working extra shifts to buy gifts He apprehended the shooter and pinned him down but was shot and killed by a white police officer arriving at the scene. Setting up the GoFundMe page on the day he died, fundraisers wrote: "Sadly, Jemel's life was tragically and unexpectedly cut short this morning as he tried to save others from senseless violence. Today, many remember him as a hero; one who put others before himself." Mr West made 10 donations of $15,000, meeting the target set to pay for Roberson's burial costs. A spokesperson for the website confirmed the company had verified the donations but added it was not the biggest donation from an individual to a single campaign. More than $300,000 (235,000) has so far been raised by over 5,000 people in the seven days since the fundraising page was established. Kanye West on his 'mental issues': 'It's not a disability, its a superpower' Mr West has not commented publicly on the donations but he tweeted: "We believe in love. We don't just try we do.. we are... We are love." Roberson leaves behind a nine-month-old son with his long-term partner, who is pregnant with their second child. The Roberson family attorney told CNN he was working extra shifts to buy gifts for his son. Press Association A former Ohio judge who served just nine months in prison for brutally beating his wife four years ago has been arrested after she was found stabbed to death. Aisha Fraser's body was discovered in the driveway of her home in the city of Shaker Heights on Saturday. Lance Mason, her estranged spouse, was initially taken to hospital after crashing into a police car at the scene and is now being held in custody. In 2014 Mason punched Fraser around 20 times after the couple argued while returning from a relatives funeral. He repeatedly slammed her head into the dashboard, armrest and passenger window of a car and bit her on the face during the attack. The couple's six- and four-year-children were in the vehicle at the time, according to NBC News. Mason also broke Fraser's orbital bone and left her with injuries so severe that she required reconstructive surgery, according to WKYC. Aisha Fraser was killed on Saturday (Shaker Heights Teachers Association ) (Shaker Heights Teachers Association) He was removed from his position as a judge shortly afterwards and pleaded guilty in 2015 to attempted felonious assault and domestic violence. The former judge was sentenced to 24 months in prison for the assault, yet served just nine. After Mason was released from prison he was hired in 2017 by Cleveland mayor Frank G Jackson, subsequently serving as the director of Cleveland's minority business development. Mr Jackson fired the former judge on Saturday, after his arrest. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events WKYC reported that that Mr Jackson sent his deepest condolences to the family of Ms Aisha Fraser, especially to her children. Mason's earlier conviction bars him from ever returning to work as a judge. The victim had worked as a teacher for two decades and a Gofundme page set up by the Shaker Heights Teachers Association is collecting donations in Fraser's name. Proceeds will go to her two young daughters. The Shaker Heights Police Department said in a statement that the investigation into the teacher's death is "ongoing". For most Americans, Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate with food, family, and friends. But for many Native Americans, many of whom think of the day in terms of sadness and remembrance, the controversial holiday is marked with a National Day of Mourning. Since 1970, the fourth day of every November has been commemorated with a march and rally by Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts, who do not celebrate the first Thanksgiving feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians, but instead remember the Native Americans who have lost their lives and culture since colonisation. Recommended This is why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving What is the National Day of Mourning? The National Day of Mourning is a rally organised by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) to honour Native American ancestors lost in the 1637 genocide, when hundreds of Pequot Indians were massacred, and the struggles of Natives people to survive today. Each year, several hundred Native Americans living near the location of what is commonly considered the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gather to rally and march at Coles Hill near Plymouth rock. For many participants, the tradition begins the day before at sundown with a fast, which they then break the following afternoon at a pot-luck that takes place after the march. Although the group welcomes non-Native supporters, only indigenous people are asked to speak to commemorate the struggles of the past and present. According to the website, this years NDOM is dedicated to our thousands of relatives who are migrants and are being abused by ICE and other government agencies, including having their children stolen from them. This will be the 49th year the march has been held. When will it take place? This years NDOM will take place on November 22 - the same day as Thanksgiving - at 12pm. In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-6.jpg Reuters In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-9.jpg Reuters In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-1.jpg Reuters In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-2.jpg AP In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-3.jpg AP In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-4.jpg Reuters In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-5.jpg AP In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-7.jpg Reuters In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-8.jpg AP In pictures: Giant Balloons float against NYC's skyline during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving-10.jpg AP What does the UAINE hope to achieve? The annual tradition is held not only in memory of their ancestors, but as way to fight and protest existing racist beliefs and ideologies in America against all indigenous people. In addition to protesting Thanksgiving and the pilgrim mythology perpetuated in Plymouth, the organisation also protests racist team names and mascots, and other struggles faced by minorities in America. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events We believe very strongly that we must support others in struggle, particularly other communities of colour, the LGBT community, and the disabled community, the website states. President Donald Trump has a proclivity for tweeting, typos and trenchant nicknames and the president took aim at California's Democrat congressman Adam Schiff, who is the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Mr Schiff has said his party would investigate Mr Trumps acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who is charged with overseeing the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate! Mr Trump tweeted. The post quickly set off reactions on social media, as some critics assumed the president had deliberately misspelled the congressmans name to make it sound like a vulgarity. The Office of the President was made for better things than an infantile tweet misspelling a congressmans name like a curse word, tweeted Walter M Shaub Jr, the former top ethics watchdog for the federal government who resigned last year after going head-to-head with the Trump administration. Mr Schiff himself also fired back. Wow, Mr President, thats a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr Muellers questions, or did you write this one yourself? he wrote, referring to Mr Trumps lawyers drafting written answers to some of Mr Muellers questions. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday evening: Was it a nickname? A typo? Both? History offers little guidance. Mr Trump has an uncanny ability to brand rivals with unflattering nicknames, from Crooked Hillary (Hillary Clinton) to Lyin Ted (Senator Ted Cruz) and Pocahontas (Senator Elizabeth Warren). Trump says written responses to questions will go to Mueller team next week Using the word little before the names of his opponents is a go-to tactic. He has even used the phrase on Schiff in the past: Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, the president tweeted this year. Inexplicably, he has also called him Liddle Adam Schiff. But Mr Trump is also known for typos and spelling errors in his tweets. People have caught basic spelling errors in Mr Trumps posts (and more in other statements by his staff), some of them small (counsel as council, gas instead of has, tapp for tap), some large (unpresidented for unprecedented, honered for honored). Perhaps most famously, Mr Trump incited a worldwide mystery with a middle-of-the-night tweet that introduced a new word to the language: covfefe. We still do not know what that means. And so, as we debate this new mystery, we can tell you this: Mr Trumps profanity-adjacent tweet went up on Sunday afternoon and had not been deleted by Sunday night. The New York Times Donald Trump mistakenly called the wildfire-ravaged town of Paradise, Pleasure, as he visited the site of Californias deadliest ever blaze. Touring the area over the weekend alongside the states outgoing and incoming governors, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, the US president twice used the wrong name for the town where most of the 77 people known to have died so far have come from. Youre watching from New York or youre watching from Washington, DC, and you dont really see the gravity of it, he said. I mean, as big as they look on the tube, you dont really see whats going on until you come here. And what we saw at Pleasure, what a name right now, but what we just saw, we just left Pleasure... He was then interrupted by the crowd, who corrected him. Or Paradise, Mr Trump added. And what we just saw at Paradise is just, is just not acceptable. Mr Trump also insisted he had not changed his mind on climate change after visiting the town in northern California. Donald Trump on the California wildfires: 'I have strong opinions, I want a great climate' I have a strong opinion, he said. I want great climate, we are going to have that and we are going to have forests that are very safe. He appeared to blame forest management for the fires. Weve got to take care of the floors, you know the floors of the forest, very important, he said. You look at other countries where they do it differently and its a whole different story. I was with the president of Finland and he said were a forest nation, he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. They dont have any problem, and what it is, its a very small problem. Wildfires spread across California in pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Wildfires spread across California in pictures Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Flames from the Camp fire burn near a home atop a ridge near Big Bend AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Cathy Fallon (centre) who stayed behind to tend to her horses during the Camp Fire, embraces Shawna De Long (left) and April Smith who brought supplies for the horses Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A helicopter drops flame retardant on a wildfire in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures An air tanker drops water on the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures An abandoned car from fleeing residents of Paradise in the Pentz road area EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures A firefighter tackles the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures A Jack In The Box fast food restaurant burns as the Camp fire moves through Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers label a body bag AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters hose down trees on Bell Canyon Road, near Malibu AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A fire burns at the Salvation Army Camp Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A firefighting DC-10 makes a fire retardant drop over a wildfire in the mountains near Malibu Canyon Road AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Bins have melted and ballooned in the heat in Magalia, Butte County EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Satellite image taken on 8 November shows plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire stretching across portions of Northern California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures Deputy Coroner Justin Sponhaltz, of the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, recovers human remains found at a home destroyed by the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Buildings burn in Paradise, California EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Local residents bring their horses to Zuma Beach and away from the Woolsey Fire in Malibu Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A used car dealership burns in Paradise, California Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers inspect a burned vehicle after discovering remains nearby in Concow AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the flames in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Search and rescue teams work to evacuate patients from the burning Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Embers blow in the wind in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures In Butte County, the sky is filled with the smoke of the Camp Fire EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters at work in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures The burned remains of a house and car are left after the Camp Fire in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A shop burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Finland's leader Sauli Niinisto later told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper that he had spoken briefly with Mr Trump about forest management on 11 November, when they both were in Paris for Armistice Day events. He said their conversation had focused on the California wildfires and the surveillance system Finland uses to monitor forests for fires. He said he remembered telling Mr Trump that we take care of our forests, but could not recall raking coming up. In California, rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping to douse the flames which have been raging since 8 November. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The death toll far surpasses the previous fatality record from a single California wildfire, 29 in the Griffith Park fire on 1933 in Los Angeles and already ranks among the deadliest US wildfires since the turn of the last century. It was also the most destructive in Californias history, having destroyed more than 13,600 homes and other structures. Mr Trump also visited southern California, where firefighters are making progress against another wildfire which tore through communities from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. Additional reporting by agencies Americas midterm elections saw Democrats win an unprecedented number of votes for an opposition party thanks to high turnout numbers. Democratic candidates are forecast to receive more than 60.5 million votes in total for the house once the final ballots have been counted. If accurate, the figure would be the closest an opposition party has come in a midterm election to matching the presidents backing two years earlier. Donald Trump received just shy of 63 million votes in 2016, as he lost the popular vote but achieved a comfortable victory under the electoral college system. House Democrats are currently on course to hit around 96 per cent of Mr Trumps vote share from two years prior, beating the record 92 per cent of Richard Nixons share from 1968 seen in the subsequent midterms. Pollster Nate Silver described the number of voters mobilised for the Democrats during the midterms as crazy, given turnout is usually considerably lower than in presidential elections. He tweeted: Of course, this reflects 3 things we already knew: 1) Trump was elected despite losing the popular vote; 2) Ds won by a big margin this year and 3) Turnout was VERY high. But Trump is a very unpopular president, and I dont think thats totally sunk in yet in how hes covered. About 60 million people turned out to vote for Democrats for the House this year. That is a **crazy** number. (Republicans got 45m votes in the 2010 wave.) And this was sort of missed. Why so many stories about Trump voters in truck stops and not so many about the resistance? Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The 6 November election saw Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives, congresss lower chamber, to the Democrats. However, the GOP was able to make gains in the Senate. Polarisation of views on Mr Trumps performance during his first two years in office, coupled with divisive debates in the lead-up to polling day on immigration, healthcare and taxes are thought to have spurred the highest turnout percentage in a midterm since 1914. At least 49.2 per cent of eligible voters took part in the election, the United States Elections Project estimates a marked contrast to the last midterms in 2014, when just 36.4 per cent of voters cast their ballot, the lowest turnout since the end of the Second World War. The grenade was lobbed by two persons who had come on a bike and had their faces covered. New Delhi: In wake of the grenade attack at a religious event in Amritsar, home minister Rajnath Singh had a detailed discussion with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh to review various security-related aspects of the sensitive border state. Mr Singh said on Twitter, Spoke to the Chief Minister of Punjab, @capt_amarinder ji who has apprised me of the situation in the wake of grenade attack in Amritsar. Strongest possible action will be taken against the perpetrators of this crime (sic). The Punjab chief minister told the home minister that a massive investigation had already been launched into this act of terror and stringent possible action would be taken against the culprit. Expressing his anguish on the death of three persons in the grenade blast, the home minister further added on the micro-blogging site, it is a reprehensible act of violence. My condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this attack and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured. Meanwhile, the Punjab police has shared the initial details of the incident with central security and intelligence agencies which confirmed that the attack was carried out by two motorcycle-borne youths who targeted a prayer hall filled with nearly 300 persons at the Raja Sansi village near Amritsar. Home ministry officials said central intelligence agencies was giving full support to the Punjab police in the investigations, but it was still too early to form any conclusion even though there were strong leads. We have sufficient evidence in the case to follow the leads and investigations are going on in the right direction. There should be some concrete information or even a breakthrough in the case in the next few days, but there is no denying that this incident is an act of terror, a senior intelligence official here said. Incidentally, the Punjab police, based on specific intelligence inputs, had a few days ago issued an alert saying a group of six to seven Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were reportedly in the state. Donald Trump has blamed a lack of raking and care of forest floors for the wildfires that devastated parts of California, causing confusion and amusement in Finland. In his latest criticism of what he claimed was poor forest management, Mr Trump said he had spoken to the Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto, about the fires the worst ever to hit the golden state. I was with the president of Finland and he said were a forest nation, he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. They dont have any problem, and what it is, its a very small problem, Mr Trump said on Saturday during a visit to Paradise, a Californian town totally destroyed by flames. Weve got to take care of the floors, you know the floors of the forest, very important. You look at other countries where they do it differently and its a whole different story. Mr Niinisto told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper over the weekend that he had spoken briefly with Mr Trump about forest management on 11 November, when they both were in Paris for Armistice Day events. He said the leaders conversation had focused on the California wildfires and the surveillance system Finland uses to monitor forests for fires. He said he remembered telling Mr Trump that we take care of our forests, but could not recall raking coming up. The US leaders comment generated amusement on social media in Finland, which manages its vast forests with scientific seriousness. Users were quick to post pictures of themselves with rakes in hand, and to create puns based on Mr Trumps catchphrases rake America great again and #rakenews. Finnish Twitter is intolerable today, Tero Kuittinen posted on Sunday. Forests cover more than 70 per cent of Finlands 338,000sq km. The Nordic country with a population of 5.5 million is home to some of the worlds biggest paper and pulp companies. Wildfires spread across California in pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Wildfires spread across California in pictures Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Flames from the Camp fire burn near a home atop a ridge near Big Bend AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Cathy Fallon (centre) who stayed behind to tend to her horses during the Camp Fire, embraces Shawna De Long (left) and April Smith who brought supplies for the horses Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A helicopter drops flame retardant on a wildfire in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures An air tanker drops water on the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures An abandoned car from fleeing residents of Paradise in the Pentz road area EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures A firefighter tackles the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures A Jack In The Box fast food restaurant burns as the Camp fire moves through Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers label a body bag AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters hose down trees on Bell Canyon Road, near Malibu AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A fire burns at the Salvation Army Camp Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A firefighting DC-10 makes a fire retardant drop over a wildfire in the mountains near Malibu Canyon Road AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Bins have melted and ballooned in the heat in Magalia, Butte County EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Satellite image taken on 8 November shows plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire stretching across portions of Northern California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures Deputy Coroner Justin Sponhaltz, of the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, recovers human remains found at a home destroyed by the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Buildings burn in Paradise, California EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Local residents bring their horses to Zuma Beach and away from the Woolsey Fire in Malibu Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A used car dealership burns in Paradise, California Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers inspect a burned vehicle after discovering remains nearby in Concow AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters battle the flames in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures Search and rescue teams work to evacuate patients from the burning Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures Embers blow in the wind in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures In Butte County, the sky is filled with the smoke of the Camp Fire EPA Wildfires spread across California in pictures Firefighters at work in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California in pictures The burned remains of a house and car are left after the Camp Fire in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California in pictures A shop burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty About 1,000 names remain on a list of people unaccounted for more than a week after the Camp fire began in Butte County about 140 miles north of San Francisco, authorities said. Authorities do not believe all those on the list are missing and the roster dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they were not missing. Some 77 people have been killed. At last count, the Camp Fire had destroyed more than 13,600 homes and other structures, authorities said late on Sunday. Up to 4in of rain is expected to fall between Tuesday and Friday in the Sierra foothills, said Patrick Burke, of the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Centre in College Park, Maryland. Itll bring much needed relief to the firefighters and to the air quality, but theres a potential for dangerous mudslides wherever vegetation is burned away on slopes and hills, he said. Up to 2in of rain is also expected to fall on southern California this week, where the Woolsey Fire claimed at least three lives. That blaze was 88 per cent contained on Sunday, authorities said, with full containment expected on Thursday. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The precise causes of the both fires were under investigation, but electric utility companies have reported equipment problems in the vicinity of both blazes around the time they erupted. Scientists say the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires in California and elsewhere across the western US are largely attributable to prolonged drought symptomatic of climate change. Additional reporting by agencies Young North Koreans feel no allegiance to Kim Jong-un and are indifferent to politics, according to a defector who was shot by his own comrades as he escaped across the border last year. Oh Chong-song, a soldier and son of a general, was captured on camera making the dash into South Korea at Panmunjom village a year ago. He was shot at least four times. Panmunjom, in the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, is where Mr Kim met South Korean president Moon Jae-in earlier this year amid a lessening of tensions on the border. The Panmunjom Declaration, signed by Mr Kim and Donald Trump at their unprecedented meeting this year as a statement of their desire to de-escalate their warlike stances, was named for the village. The 25-year-old Mr Oh, who described himself as upper class, said he was personally indifferent to Mr Kims despotic rule. Inside the North, people, and especially the younger generation, are indifferent to each other, politics, and their leaders, and there is no sense of loyalty, he told Japans Sankei Shimbun newspaper in what it claimed was his first interview. Probably 80 percent of my generation is indifferent and has no loyalty, he told the newspaper. It is natural to have no interest nor loyalty since the hereditary system is taken as a given, regardless of its inability to feed people. Of his dramatic escape, Mr Oh said that he had got into trouble with friends and begun drinking. While making his way back to his post he reportedly broke through a checkpoint, and feared I could be executed if I went back so I crossed the border, he said. North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty The situation on the Korean peninsula has shifted markedly since Mr Moon began applying intensive diplomatic efforts to break down barriers between Mr Trump and Mr Kim. From calling the dictator little rocket man and threatening to rain fire and fury on Pyongyang, Mr Trump has turned to praising his counterpart as a serious leader and even describing him in admiring terms, despite conditions inside North Korea. Mr Kim is a third-generation dictator, having taken power in 2011 when his father, Kim Jong-il, died. Both the elder Kim and his father, Kim Il-sung, are venerated in North Korea and their portraits hang on walls throughout the country in both public buildings and private homes. Dairy farmers in Denmark have refused an offer of nearly 6,000 to let animal-rights campaigners film the production of milk, butter and cheese. The countrys farmers, who supply dairy products for the firm behind British brands Anchor and Lurpak, have not accepted the cash incentive to let cameras in to record how cows and calves are treated every day. Animal-rights group Anima claims filming would reveal practices common in the UK and Denmark, such as how the young are taken away from their mothers within hours of being born, causing distress to both. A video would also record how male calves are shot dead with a bolt in the head when they are around a day old because they are not used in dairy production, according to the activists, who say this is standard practice. A new YouGov poll showed that less than half of the Danish public knew that cows must give birth to produce milk, and only about a third knew that calves are removed just a few hours after birth. Its believed about nine in 10 Danish farmers work for Arla Foods, one of the UKs biggest dairy firms which owns the Lurpak and Anchor brands. Anima, which is calling on Arla to be open about how milk is produced, initially asked the company to allow filming. We asked Arla to show us what the process of separation calf from mother was like and let us film, including when many of the calves are shot at birth. They refused, saying they couldnt show us because theyre not the farmers, said Kirsty Henderson, of Anima. Consumers have a right to know how their milk and butter are produced Kirsty Henderson So the group took out full-page adverts in 11 national newspapers offering 50,000 Danish Kroner (5,900) to any farmer who allows filming. A hotline was also set up for farmers. Ms Henderson said about 10 so far had expressed interest but none had agreed. She said there was a report that Arla had asked farmers not to accept. The fact that they are so unwilling to show the public what is going on sends a big message in my view, she said. Consumers have the right to know how their milk and butter are produced, and it is clear that when they are given the full story, the public dont think such cruelty is acceptable. Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan naked chicken chalupa Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Easy vegan brownie bites Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Maple peach pecan overnight oats Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Macaroni skillet Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Cauliflower buffalo wings Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan animal style fries Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Cheese Brussels sprouts tots Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan beer and cheddar bread bowl dip Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan s'more tacos Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan chicken ceasar wraps Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Caramelised onion dip Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Tortilla soup and cheesy taquitos Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Easy vegan chilli Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Vegan chocolate hazenlut tarts Creative vegan dishes from YouTubers - In pictures Cassava bacon She said Anima may consider offering a similar reward to farmers in Britain in future. The group has created a video using footage shot on dairy farms in other countries. An Arla spokesperson said: Arla is a farmer-owned co-operative, and our farmers make and share their own videos explaining on-farm practice to Arla customers. Educating the public on how dairy farming works is a high priority for our farmer owners. Many open their farms to the public on Open Farm Sunday, and we arrange school visits to both farms and our production sites across the year to enable the public to see for themselves how milk is made. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation against the London based hedge fund manager William Browder, accusing him of creating an international criminal network and killing his former lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. In a conference on Monday, officials elaborated on the extraordinary accusations by suggesting Magnitsky may have held compromising material on his boss. That, they speculated, had provoked Mr Browder who styles himself as the Kremlins number one public enemy to administer a diversionary chemical substance containing aluminium compounds, leading to acute heart failure and a picture of a natural death. It is the first time Russian state prosecutors have admitted Magnitsky might have been murdered, but in fact little about his demise appears natural. He died in agony on 16 November 2009, following what appeared to be an internal organ rupture. In letters and complaints written in the months leading up to that day, he documented draconian detention conditions, illness and, on several occasions, being deliberately denied treatment. Visibly sick on the eve of his death, he was transferred to a prison with no medical facilities. An investigation held under the auspices of then-president Dmitry Medvedev concluded he had been beaten by prison guards in his cell. Friends and colleagues say Magnitsky was arrested and tortured because he had uncovered and testified against a scheme in which interior ministry officials had defrauded the Russian taxpayer to the tune of $230m (179m). But, they say, the bigger fight was always against his boss, Mr Browder who was the largest foreign investor in Russia until he was barred re-entry in November 2005. Mr Browder was at one point a prominent supporter of Vladimir Putin, and even cheered as the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky was imprisoned in 2003. But since Magnitskys death, the millionaire has embarked on a radically different course, with a campaign against Kremlin bureaucrats. This has resulted in new legislation in the United States, the Magnitsky Act, which targets corrupt Russian officials and their assets. The legislation has clearly irked the Kremlin, which has invested a lot of energy in opposing it. Mr Browders activism was one of the issues that Mr Putin discussed during his summit with Donald Trump in Helsinki this July. The US president even claimed Mr Putin made an incredible offer to him offering US investigators access to the 12 intelligence officers indicted by special prosecutor Robert Mueller for election interference in exchange for Russian access to Mr Browder. Responding to the news of the new prosecution, Mr Browder said it was evidence of how much the Magnitsky Act had struck a nerve. The Russian press conference on Monday made little mention of the conditions Magnitsky was being held in at the time of his death, nor Mr Browders 10-year anti-Kremlin campaign, both of which have clearly played a role in previously attempted prosecutions. Neither did officials mention the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, which seemed to inform some of the newest details, such as chemical poisoning. Responding to journalists questions, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected any direct link between the two cases. Browder started a lot earlier than the Skripal affair, he said. A new episode has started, thats all. Referring to largely indecipherable documents on a projection screen, prosecutors said they had collected enough evidence to indict Mr Browder for his involvement in the most serious of crimes. The offences carry prison sentences of up to 20 years. Russia will issue warrants for his detention and the arrests of assets under his control, officials announced. However, it remains to be seen whether Interpol will recognise them. Similar warrants issued against Mr Browder have been thrown out for being politically motivated. It is also unclear what, if any, role this extraordinary turn of events will play in the election of a new head of Interpol on Wednesday, with a Russian candidate in prime position. Mr Peskov made little secret of Mr Putins desire to see a Russian installed as chief. Of course we are supporting [a] Russian candidate, he said. We want a Russian to win in these elections. A powerful Israeli minister seen as a potential leadership rival has said he will not quit Benjamin Netanyahus coalition despite differences over a truce in Gaza, in a dramatic turnaround that has dragged the government back from the brink of collapse. The announcement by far-right education minister Naftali Bennett on Monday morning has salvaged Mr Netanyahus parliamentary alliance, which was left with a one-seat majority when the countrys defence minister Avigdor Lieberman quit last Wednesday, taking his party with him. Members of Mr Bennetts religious nationalist party, Jewish Home, had threatened to also pull their eight seats from the coalition unless Mr Bennett was handed the defence portfolio after Liebermans dramatic exit. Instead, Mr Netanyahu kept the defence position for himself and in a stunning change of heart, Mr Bennett said he would give the premier time to correct the course on a range of issues. Recommended Netanyahu is paying the price for his aggression towards Gaza If the prime minister is serious in his intention I am saying here to the prime minister we are removing at this moment all of our political demands and will help you in the huge mission of making Israel win again, Mr Bennett said in a televised speech. He did, however, criticise Mr Netanyahus recent policies saying something bad is happening on the inside, including during the last decade in Netanyahus governments the state of Israel stopped winning. Mr Bennett acknowledged he may pay the political price for backing down from earlier ultimatums. Its better that the prime minister beats me in a political battle than [Hamas leader Ismail] Haniya beats Israel, he concluded. Israels justice minister Ayelet Shaked, who attended the same press conference, backed Mr Bennetts statement. We will not further strengthen the political win that Lieberman gave to terrorist organisations, she said. Sources within the Jewish Home party who are close to Mr Bennett told The Independent that his decision was dependent on the prime minister changing his defence policy and restoring the deterrence of Israel. The prime minister has taken that on he said he would do so. We will stand by his assertion to do so, the official said. Mr Bennetts comments followed an impassioned address to the nation on Sunday night by the prime minister who announced he would retain the defence portfolio for now and seek to convince coalition partners to remain in the government. He said calling early elections would be irresponsible due to a complicated security situation facing the country. Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Show all 23 1 /23 Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A ball of fire above the building housing the Hamas-run television station al-Aqsa TV in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli air strike AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile systems firing toward missiles fired from the Gaza Strip near the southern city of Sderot, Israel. Israeli army report that approximately 300 missile launches were identified from the Gaza strip toward Israel. Dozens of launches were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli soldiers take cover near the Israel Gaza border AP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A bus set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. Israel's military said it was carrying out air strikes "throughout the Gaza Strip" on Monday after rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave towards its territory AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians inspect a rubble of a destroyed internal security building of Hamas interior ministry after Israeli air strike in Gaza City EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A Palestinian girl walks up the stairs of her family house that was damaged in an Israeli air strike REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Fire and smoke billow following Israeli air strikes targeting Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Missiles from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system in the south of Israel destroy incoming missiles AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli security forces and firefighters gather near abuilding set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli town of Sderot AFP/Getty Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A ruble of a destroyed building of Al-Aqsa channel belonging to Hamas movement EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli security forces and firefighters gather near a bus set ablaze after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave AFP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Relatives of Mohammed Ouda, killed in an Israeli air stike the previous day, mourn during his funeral in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Missiles from Israel's Iron Dome air defence system in the south of Israel destroy incoming missiles fired at Israel from the Palestinian enclave AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Israeli soldiers sit atop a Merkava tank stationed along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Black smoke rises as an Israeli airstrike hits a residential building in Gaza City AP Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians look out of their house that was damaged in an Israeli air strike REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures Palestinians hold placards and the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Gaza, in the West Bank city of Hebron EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures An Israeli policeman inspects the damage in a building caused a day earlier by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon AFP/Getty Images Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of a destroyed residential building after Israeli air strike in Gaza City EPA Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures REUTERS Gaza crisis: heavy cross-border fire in pictures AP The security of the country is above politics, he added. The Israeli leader is not out of the woods yet though, as he will struggle to rule the country with such a razor-thin majority. He still could face a vote of no confidence in the Knesset even if his main coalition partners stick by him. The current crisis was triggered last Wednesday when defence minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned and abandoned the coalition over an Egypt-brokered ceasefire deal with Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza. With the five seats of Liebermans Yisrael Beiteinu party out of the coalition, Netanyahu was left clinging onto power with just 61 of the 120-seat Knesset prompting speculation early elections had become inevitable, at a time when the prime ministers popularity was at an all-time low. Elections are not due until November 2019. Southern Israel residents protest against the governments lack of action in Gaza (Reuters) (REUTERS/ Amir Cohen) Mr Netanyahu had also come under fire from Israeli citizens living along the border with Gaza who were fed up of being pummelled by a barrage of rockets and called for tougher action including airstrikes on Hamas positions in the besieged strip. Last week Gaza militants fired 460 rockets over the period of 24 hours, the heaviest bombardment since the 2014 war. The cross-border fire was launched in retaliation for a botched Israeli intelligence raid into southern Gaza which ended in a firefight that left seven Palestinians, including Hamas commanders, and an Israeli lieutenant colonel dead. The Israeli army said they had attacked over 150 targets in Gaza with airstrikes. An Israeli poll published after the ceasefire found 74 percent of respondents were unhappy with Netanyahus handling of the escalation with Gaza and its Islamist rulers Hamas. Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt is travelling to Iran today to hold talks on the fate of the countrys nuclear deal, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe the British Iranian woman who has spent two and half years under imprisonment charged with spying in Tehran and the coming peace talks aimed at ending the Yemen war. Mr Hunt is the first western foreign minister to visit the country since Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran and punitive penalties on foreign companies which continue to do business with Tehran. The other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA) Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have repeatedly stressed that Iran is abiding by the agreement, as has the UN. The European Union is putting in place commercial mechanisms aimed at compensating firms which suffer from American penalties. Mr Trump is furious at western allies not following him in pulling out of the deal. He is reported to have berated Theresa May over the UKs stance when she telephoned to congratulate him on the victory he had claimed in the midterm elections, despite losing control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats. The US president was said to be in a foul mood after being extensively criticised for failing to pay his respects to American war dead at the centennial of the First World War armistice in France because it was raining. While reiterating the UKs commitment to the nuclear deal, Mr Hunt will express concern in Tehran at reports, including one by the UN, that the Iranians have been supplying ballistic missiles and other weapons to the Houthis, who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. According to the Foreign Office, he will urge the Iranian government to halt the supplies and give its full backing to coming peace talks in Stockholm. The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran, Mr Hunt is expected to say. It needs 100 per cent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces. Iran has denied arming the Houthis and attacked the west, including the UK, for selling weapons to the Saudi-led coalition which has been bombing Yemen for the last three years, causing the deaths of around 15,000 people and destroying hospitals and schools. Another 50,000 have died from the ongoing famine caused by the conflict. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events On Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other jailed dual nationals, Mr Hunt will say: More than anything, we must see those innocent British-Iranian dual nationals imprisoned in Iran returned to their families in Britain. I have just heard too many heartbreaking stories from families who have been forced to endure a terrible separation. So I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the countrys leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage. Diplomatic sources, however, point out that one of the reasons for the lack of progress over Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes release is that the US reneging on the nuclear deal has strengthened the hands of hardliners in the Iranian hierarchy and made it difficult for President Rouhanis reformist government to pave the way for her to be freed. Yemens internationally recognised government said it would take part in peace talks after a leader in the Houthi rebel group called for a halt to military operations, raising hopes for a political solution to the countrys ruinous war. The Saudi-led military coalition that backs government also lent its support to the negotiations, which are set to take place before the end of the year. The change of heart came just days before Martin Griffiths, the United Nations envoy to Yemen, was due to visit the war-ravaged country to encourage all sides to join the talks. Yemens foreign ministry said on Monday that the government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution. Recommended If Britain wants peace in Yemen it needs to condemn Saudi Arabia The statement was made just hours after Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, considered the political decision maker of the Houthis, tweeted that he wanted the rebels to announce readiness to suspend and halt all military operations and stop firing missiles on Saudi Arabia. In a surprising turnaround, he called on all [Houthi] official Yemeni sides to issue directives to end launching missiles and drones against aggression countries ... in order to deprive them from any reason to continue their aggression and siege. He also said the rebels should be ready to freeze and stop all military operations on all fronts to achieve a just and honourable peace. It marked some of the strongest ever commitments from both sides to move towards a solution to the conflict which has raged for the last three and a half years, sparking the worlds worst humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers. Yemen, the Gulfs poorest country, has been ripped apart by the fighting which erupted in the spring of 2015 when Houthi rebels swept control of the country, ousting the recognised president Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies including the United Arab Emirates launched a bombing campaign to reinstate Mr Hadi, and more recently launched a fresh offensive to recapture the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, currently home to over 300,000 people. The Gulf coalition also imposed a land, sea and air blockade, which together with Houthi sieges on different parts of the country has pushed it to the brink of famine. Over 57,000 people have been killed due to the fighting while thousands more have perished due to hunger according to estimates by Associated Press. More than 22 million people, or two-thirds of the population, now rely on aid to survive, while over 8 million people are currently starving. The UN and aid groups like Save The Children warn that if the offensive on Hodeidah continues, and food prices continue to soar, a total of 13.4 million people or half the country will rely on food aid to survive. Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Show all 17 1 /17 Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' 11-year-old Marwa uses the red sap of dragon's blood trees to make nail varnish and make up. This specimen of the endemic Socotran tree is more than 1,000 years old. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Dragon's blood trees' grow via dichotomous branching, wherein each of the branches divides into two sections. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Detwah lagoon, next to the village of Qalansiyah, used to be a popular spot for camping trips. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Socotras estimated 60,000 inhabitants mainly rely on the islands fish stocks, date-yielding palm trees and goats for food. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Fish, squid and lobster populations are declining thanks to overfishing and the effects of climate change. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Most of Socotra's unique plant life is believed to be derived from subtropical forests dating back 20 million years. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Dragon's blood trees are adapted to survive in arid climates but need cool and misty mountainsides. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' In the 1990s, UN biologists documented nearly 700 species on Socotra that are found nowhere else on Earth. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' The Socotra Archipelago has been gradually drying out over hundreds of years, threatening the delicate ecosystem's survival. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Dozens of rusted Soviet tanks line Socotra's shores, unused relics left over from the Cold War. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' The mountains on the island's eastern side are covered in fine white coral sand, blown there during monsoon seasons. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' The island's granite and limestone cliffs are covered in a permanent mist. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' A red snapper for dinner, a gift from a fisherman. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Socotra's Hajhir mountain range rises above the main town of Hadibo. Its jagged peaks can be seen from almost every corner of the island. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' In the last 200 years, entire dragon's blood forests have been felled to make way for the growing population. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Two huge typhoons in 2015 killed hundreds of mature dragon's blood trees. Locals worry newly planted trees will not grow quickly enough. Bethan McKernan Yemen's Socotra Island, the 'Jewel of Arabia' Fishing dhows return to the village of Qalansiyah at sunset. Bethan McKernan Mr Griffiths, the UNs Yemen envoy, has been struggling to kick-start peace talks that collapsed in Geneva in September, when the Houthi delegation refused to attend talks over several ultimatums including that their wounded be treated in Oman or Europe, a demand which was recently granted. Mr Griffiths has announced that he will be visiting Sanaa, Yemens capital next week, to make the final arrangements for the peace talks which will take place in Sweden. He said both sides of the conflict have shown a renewed commitment to work on a political solution. However, the situation remains unpredictable. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on Monday that Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile on Saudi-backed forces in the desert of Midi, bordering Saudi Arabia. When My Brilliant Friend hits TV screens, its not just main characters Elena (Lenu) Greco and Lila Cerullo that will be on display. The setting of Naples, one of the worlds most ancient cities, looms large. But the Italian coastal city is an entirely different place now to the difficult postwar incarnation that formed the backdrop to Elena Ferrantes bestselling novel. The complicated friendship between the two women is at the heart of pseudonymous author Elena Ferrantes four-book epic, which has been adapted as a TV miniseries by an international production team. First published in 2011 in Italy, My Brilliant Friend quickly connected with readers around the world, who read straight through the Neapolitan Quartet with feverish devotion. Readers meet the protagonists in their primary school classroom and follow them until theyre in their sixties. The stories are mostly set in Naples, beginning at a time when communists, fascists, the mafia and a devoted teacher with a strong feminist mindset are all forces that shape the girls lives. Naples is also a strong character, with many landmarks and neighbourhoods clearly identified, while others are only discernible to people who know the city well. Heres how to spend a day in Ferrantes Naples. Church of the Sacred Family is specifically mentioned in the books (Danielle Oteri) The neighbourhood that most closely matches the district where young Lenu and Lila meet is Rione Luzzatti, behind the main train station in Naples. Originally conceived as affordable housing for railway workers in the 1920s, it developed in the 1950s, a period which is described in the book when Lila marries Stefano, a local tyrant. Explore this working class neighbourhood, now with a growing Chinese community, from Naples Gianturco train station. Walk along the stradone (main road) of the novels, which is likely Via Taddeo da Sessa. The tunnel through which Lenu and Lila try to escape to the sea is an underpass at Via Emanuele Gianturco. A short walk from here is the Church of the Sacred Family (specifically named in the novels) at Via Bussola, 5. Proof of the areas changing fortunes is the nearby Centro Direzionale, where the ponds and old cannery once were. Its now a cluster of glass office towers built in the 1980s, nicknamed Little Manhattan. The lions in Piazza dei Martiri where Lila opens her shoe salon (Danielle Oteri) Waterfront Chiaia is the other district at the centre of the novels, specifically Piazza dei Martiri, where Lila opens her shoe salon. Then and now, this is an elegant neighbourhood for shopping, strolling and people-watching. Sit down outside at Gran Caffe La Caffettiera next to the carved lions for a caffe macchiato or Campari spritz. Or try the gelato at Fantasia Gelato, which Neapolitans will tell you is their favourite. For shopping, wander away from the lion monument, arm in arm like Lila and Lenu, along Via Gaetano Filangieri to Argenio, a historic tailoring shop. For a special souvenir, Salvatore Argenio will make you a bespoke jumper made from pure cashmere in a choice of over 200 colours. Take a tour of subterranean Naples (Danielle Oteri) What lurks beneath the surface is a major theme throughout the Neapolitan Novels, starting when Lila and Lenu toss their dolls down a grate and then set off together to search the dirty ground below. Naples has a unique relationship with what lies underground, which you can experience on the Napoli Sotterranea tour. Groups explore Greek quarries that date back 5,000 years to Roman market stalls that mirror the shops above, where people wait in line for a table at restaurant Sorbillo. During the Second World War, these ancient portals were used as bomb shelters and during Lila and Lenus lives, residents threw rubbish in them. They were recently excavated so this important underground network could be restored. Finally explore Naples historical centre, which has recently been pedestrianised, contributing to a steep rise in visitors to the city. Recently I overheard a gentleman, who would have come of age in Ferrantes Naples, explain to a young British couple that his usual benches were now always occupied by tourists. (They graciously offered their seat.) Visit the Neapolitan Sacred Art workshop (Danielle Oteri) Fortunately the shops here are still assertively Neapolitan, like the glittering workshop Neapolitan Sacred Art. Artisan Fabio Paolella carries on the traditions of Naples golden period during the 1700s with decorative arts and jewellery. Ring the doorbell Fabio and his wife might be deeply focused on repainting the eyelashes on a Virgin Mary, accompanied by jazz music and their English bulldog. Have dinner at Trattoria da Carmela on Via Tribunali 376 and order gnocchi scarpariello, which means of the shoemaker. Its a simple sauce of pureed tomatoes that can be put together quickly, even if youre working. I like to imagine Lila and her brother Rino eating it while making the signature Cerullo shoe. Sample gnocchi scarpariello in honour of Lila (Danielle Oteri) Where to stay Those on a budget should choose B&B Maria Mari, where hosts Enzo and Maria care for their guests like family. Its located next to the Pignasecca Market where the fish is so fresh it still has rigor mortis. A block away is Pizzeria da Attilio, where locals and tourists meet to devour the best expression of the Unesco-recognised Neapolitan ideals for pizza. If you prefer an apartment with a kitchen, book Residenza Echia, adjacent to the waterfront, where a sunset stroll is mandatory. For those who seeking a traditional hotel, consider the NH Ambassador. Though Neapolitans loathe the modern buildings appearance, the location is an ideal base for a Ferrante-inspired itinerary. The guest rooms begin on the 16th floor so the views are eye-popping whether you face the port or the city. My Brilliant Friend continues on Mondays and Tuesdays on Sky Atlantic An apartment block in Tenerife has been battered by huge waves, as a storm hit the holiday island. The Mar y Sol building is in the town of Mesa del Mar to the north of the island, which is popular with British holidaymakers. The alert for a strong maritime storm was issued on Saturday. According to the local Taroconte council, which Mesa del Mar is part of, 67 apartments in the block had been evacuated. The building has been badly damaged, said the council. Beaches, roads and pools near Mesa del Mar have also been shut. A statement from the Canary Islands government said that there were swells of between four and five metres to the north and west of the islands. Separately, heavy rain has caused severe flooding in south eastern Spain, with a video shared via Severe Weather Europe on Facebook showing cars underwater in San Janvier, Murcia. Spains weather agency Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia issued a yellow weather alert, warning of heavy rain until Monday evening. The local Murcia government has closed roads in the towns of Cartagena, San Javier, Pacheco Tower, San Pedro del Pinatar, Los Alcazares and Mazarron. Patricio Valverde, minister of development and infrastructure, said that drivers should exercise extreme caution, only drive if absolutely necessary and avoid secondary roads. There has also been heavy rainfall on Spains Mediterranean coast. The city of Gandia, near Valencia, and the surrounding area recorded almost 300mm of rainfall, with a state of emergency issued in some towns, according to El Pais. There was also heavy rain further up the coast towards Alicante. Another video shared on Severe Weather Europe showed heavy rainwater swells in the town of Torrovieja last night. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia this morning noted an extreme risk of heavy rain for north Alicante, stating that 180mm of rainfall is expected in 12 hours. Alicante, on the Costa Blanca, is a popular holiday town for Brits. People want to get rid of the Narendra Modi-led government as it has not fulfilled a single promise made to them in 2014, Yadav claimed. New Delhi: Opposition leader Sharad Yadav said on Sunday the BJPs hope to return to power at the Centre will be buried in the same states Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which had propelled it to a big win in 2014, and asserted that the Congress will trump the saffron party in all the five poll-bound states. The results of the Assembly polls, including BJP-ruled Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, will lay the foundation for the Lok Sabha elections next year, he told PTI in an interview. People want to get rid of the Narendra Modi-led government as it has not fulfilled a single promise made to them in 2014, Mr Yadav claimed. Accusing Prime Minister Modi of resorting to sentimental ploys like raking up his tea-seller background while his party colleagues talk of building Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Loktantrik Janta Dal patron said this shows the BJP has nothing to talk about its governments achievements. The Congress is in the driving seats in all the five states. People are under distress and want to defeat the BJP. The results of these (Assembly) polls will lay the foundation stone for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said. Working to forge an alliance of Opposition parties and win over new allies against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Mr Yadav said they will be united in 2019. The BJP had captured Delhi on the back of its win in the Gangetic plains (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar). Its hope of returning to power in 2019 will be buried in the same plains, he said. The NDA had won 104 of the 120 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in 2014 but a likely alliance of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party has made things much more challenging for the BJP in the politically most crucial state that sends 80 members to the lower house of Parliament. The BJP has boosted its prospects in Bihar by allying with Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar, who had fought against it in 2014, but the opposition is working to shore up its support by wooing leaders in the NDA camp. Yadav had recently met RLSP leader and BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha, and there is speculation that his Loktantrik Janata Dal and the RLSP may merge to boost the opposition alliance. He declined to comment on the matter but Kushwahas drift from the NDA is becoming increasingly evident as he said on Saturday that the number of seats offered to him by the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls is not respectable, setting the deadline of November 30 to the saffron party to sort out the matter. Following a 12 day investigatory tour of the UK, Philip Alston, the UNs special rapporteur on extreme poverty, not only concluded last Friday that the UK governments austerity policies have inflicted great misery on the 14 million people living in poverty in the UK, but also damned its welfare system as so sexist it may as well have been compiled by a group of misogynists in a room. Today Amber Rudd did her first speech as work and pensions secretary and, bizarrely, she hit out at what she called the extraordinary political language of the report, implying that it shouldnt be listened to because of some nefarious ideological agenda. Amidst the surge of food banks and huge cuts to council funding, the UNs report was particularly critical of the scheme Rudd will now be responsible for, Universal Credit (UC), the controversial benefit system that merges six payments into one. John McDonnell: 'I think most people now are coming to the conclusion Universal Credit has got to be scrapped' Where does sexism come into this unprecedented report on the governments austerity policies? In the detrimental impact that UC could have on victims of domestic abuse. Charities such as Womens Aid have vehemently campaigned against the new system that pays a single household payment to couples on UC. They warn this will increase the risk of domestic abuse by giving perpetrators more opportunity to exert control over a partner. The Work and Pensions Committee have heard evidence from charities and housing experts on the failings of the one payment system, claiming that victims who have tried to request separate payments have experienced abuse from perpetrators who found out. The governments justification for not splitting benefits by default payments was that UC is meant to mirror the world of work. Surely it is time to draw the line on the Conservatives obsession with getting people into work, when their blindsighted policies could increase the risk of domestic abuse? This arguably misogynistic dismissal is yet another example of how women are failed by the welfare system. The suggested resolution of a separate discretionary payment to domestic abuse victims ignores the potentially fatal consequences of a perpetrator finding out that their partner has applied for such funding. Not to mention that this payment could only be accessed through visiting a Job Centre; women in abusive relationships often cant leave their homes, having enough change for a taxi fare to escape to a refuge is quite literally, a life-saving necessity. This dangerous oversight threatens to eliminate the ounce of freedom that women in abusive relationships have, and is a hard-hitting example of the UNs claim that austerity is driven by a political desire to undertake social re-engineering rather than economic necessity. UC is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to misogynistic welfare policy. Refuge provision has been hit hard by austerity; one in six have closed since 2010, with the need for them increasing considering the rise in recorded domestic abuse-related crime. Earlier this year, the government backed down on disastrous plans to limit housing funding for womens refuges, which according to Womens Aid, would have forced over half of the UK refuges to close, leaving thousands of women and children at risk of homelessness. Not only is it a national embarrassment that the UN are investigating poverty in the fifth richest country in the world, but in the current #MeToo climate where society is being forced to wake up to the dangerous consequences of patriarchy the misogynistic reality of the Universal Credit system needs to be addressed by the government. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Alstons damnation is difficult to ignore: If you got a group of misogynists together in a room and said how can we make a system that works for men but not women? they wouldnt have come up with too many other ideas than whats in place. The governments immediate refusal to acknowledge this reality is troubling; after concluding that single household payments under UC will increase the risk of domestic abuse, Alston claims that Esther McVey, the former Work and Pensions Secretary, said that 90 per cent of people the UK have joint bank accounts anyway so whats the problem? This unforgivable ignorance further entrenches the UNs findings that British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited and callous approach. The Work and Pensions Committee have not only heard copious evidence on the consequences of UC for domestic abuse victims, but have now received criticism by an extreme poverty and human rights inquiry on the way policies impact women, yet still refuse to listen. This cold, economically driven attitude is a disgrace to the 1.2 million women who experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales last year and the refuge managers, support workers, and charities who work endlessly to fight for womens rights. The government has no option other than to act upon to the UNs evidence that Universal Credit increases the risk of domestic abuse; when such austerity policies are threatening the lives of women. Could it be even remotely possible that Theresa May is enjoying herself? Its not yet been a week since the details of her deal with the EU were made public and the entirety of the political firmament united against her. And yet, seasoned May-watchers, a number among which I have no choice but to count myself, are struggling to recall if theyve ever seen her more upbeat. And the reason for this is clear. Theresa May has seen this crisis looming on the horizon for some time, but what she cannot have foreseen is the traditional Theresa May role in proceedings being snatched away by the other side. For it is everyone but her who is so hopelessly buggering everything up. It is her opponents, not her, taking positions of immense strength and transforming them with spectacular effect into positions of immense weakness, while she is just, with her own terrifying certainty, getting on with the job. Monday morning marked day six of Theresa Mays Brexit Hard Sell. And as she stood on stage in London, speaking to the Confederation of British Industry and taking questions afterwards, not since her saboteur-crushing days had she appeared to have it so good. Recommended Spain threatens to reject Brexit deal over Gibraltar These were meant to be the impossible hours. But the magnificent crapness of her rivals has turned them into a cakewalk. Jacob Rees-Moggs European Research Group, which likes to brand itself as a kind of hard Brexit crime family, has turned out to possess all the ruthlessness and cunning of a David Schwimmer lookalike stealing half a crate of lager from a Blackpool supermarket. Its long been rumoured that one or two people in the European Research Group arent actually in it just for the research. And it seems unlikely that its future output is going to be looked upon favourably in other peer-reviewed journals, now that Steve Baker, its self-appointed organiser-in-chief, has spent a full week publicly researching how to count to 48 and been found so utterly wanting. The real-life Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, now begins his self-help seminars by instructing the exorbitantly high fee-paying attendees to sell me this pen. It is not known whether anyone has attempted the Theresa May strategy, which is to say, Look, we all know its a broken biro with the end chewed off but have you seen the alternatives? before pointing to a room full of chimpanzees, fingers jammed firmly where they shouldnt be, daubing the walls with a curious substance that, while toxic, is at least biodegradable. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has written his column again, setting out a vision for Brexit which now exists only to amuse himself at the fact that The Daily Telegraph is paying him five grand a time for it. There was a time that Johnson was described as that rare thing, the rockstar politician, and he certainly has the family life to back it up. So perhaps its for the crowds benefit, not his, that Brexits Chesney Hawkes sticks so faithfully to the only tune hes got. Michael Gove has decided, years after leading the Brexit campaign, that the battle against plastic straws cannot be fought without him, and that, well, it turns out cleaning up your own mess is a lot less fun than making it and is therefore a job best left to others. And then theres Jeremy Corbyn, who on Sunday morning, on live television, told Sky News that Labours vision for Brexit the one that not even Labour thinks is possible, as it was only dreamt up in order to make David Davis account for his empty promises could in fact be negotiated during the implementation period, which is so unfathomably stupid that not even David Davis has tried it. So when Theresa May looks the part, sounds the part, and faces down tough questions from a businessman in the crowd who turns out to be the partner of one of her own MPs, Anne Marie Morris, who has already sent in a letter of no confidence against her, could it perhaps be that she is the part? If we are witnessing a hyper-extended sales pitch for Theresa Mays deal, which we are, you do not need too long a memory to recall how these things have a tendency to end. This, in case you have forgotten, is a woman who fought an election by allowing a personality cult to be built around her despite not having a personality, which came with predictably devastating results. But then, like Willy Loman before her, May was selling only herself a product nobody, it turned out, wanted to buy. This time round she is selling anything but herself. This is not about me; it is about the national interest, she has said, many times over, and its looking like it might work. Also greatly in her favour is that this sales tour will not be spared the input of her erstwhile ideas man Nick Timothy, who, having done more than anyone else to deliver his country to this point of national and indeed international despair, now writes columns in which none of it is his fault. Given the Conservatives are doing their level best to reinvent themselves as an Apprentice tribute act, it shouldnt be forgotten that Timothy is the one who has been clearly seen, glancing David Brent-like at the cameras, loading human s*** into the artisanal sausage machine, and is now in the boardroom blaming the failure of the task on whoever it was that went 80p over budget on tarragon. None of which is to say the prospects of Theresa Mays survival are much improved. Her deal must still find its way through the House of Commons, and however many of her own MPs try and fail in their attempts to launch a coup against her, there is still currently no chance of that happening. But, hang on a minute. If MPs dont back her deal, theyd have to back no deal, which also seems fantastically unlikely. You dont have to wander too far down that path to get to a second referendum and a vote to remain, and that would be the point at which the Brexiteers accidentally killed off Brexit. It would be a fitting end if nothing else. Not least as Theresa May could even be left standing. Today marks 770 days since Britain circulated a draft resolution to other members of the United Nations Security Council demanding an end to the war and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. As the pen-holder on Yemen at the UN, it was the UK governments responsibility to present that resolution, and a natural response to the Saudi coalitions horrific double-tap airstrike on a Yemeni funeral in October 2016, which first killed several dozen in their place of worship, and then in the second wave dozens more rushing to their aid. The resolution contained five demands and calls, which must be spelled out again because they remain just as relevant and urgent now as they were two years and forty days ago. Keith Vaz urges UK government to rethink their position on Yemen airstrikes It required an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties to the conflict; unhindered access for humanitarian aid; full cooperation with UN-led talks towards a political solution; full compliance from all sides with international laws; and the transparent investigation by all sides into past breaches of those laws. It was clear, it was tough, and as I said in the House of Commons shortly afterwards there was not a single word in it with which anyone could disagree. Except, of course, Saudi Arabia. No sooner had the draft resolution been circulated than their ambassador to the UN rather than our own explained that it had been withdrawn. And why? Because, in his words, his country had reached: A continuous and joint agreement with Britain concerning the draft resolution, and whether there is a need for it or not. Since then, nothing. But in the coming week, we are told that the Foreign Office will put a resolution before the security council, at long last shaken out of its complacency and inaction by a combination of factors: the murderous Saudi air strike on a Yemeni school bus in August; the vicious Saudi-led assault on the port of Hodeidah, which is creating a man-made famine; and of course, the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. In parliament, in the media and in the court of public opinion, the UK government has become increasingly isolated in its support for the Saudi regime, and now even sees the Trump administration wavering in the face of similar domestic pressure. Hence why we will finally see action at the UN this week. And yet even in those circumstances, CNN reported this weekend that before a full draft of the resolution had been shown to most members of the security council Jeremy Hunt took it to Riyadh to seek the approval of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. CNNs sources say that, on sight of the resolution, the crown prince threw a fit, requested changes to its contents, or better still, that it be dropped altogether. So far, so predictable. But let us be clear: if one word of the UKs resolution is changed as a result of the crown princes objections, or if the overall content is watered down to appease him, it will be a national disgrace. Indeed, there are only four ways in which the UKs original 2016 resolution should be updated. First, the situation in Hodeidah must be specifically and urgently addressed. It is Yemens main port, and with 14 million civilians on the brink of starvation, the supply lines of food, oil and medicine must be opened up. If necessary, the port should be put under UN protection and control, without interference from any of the parties, to guarantee those supply lines stay open and are not misused for the smuggling of weapons. Second, with the civic infrastructure in Yemen in a near state of collapse, the resolution must as the UNs humanitarian coordinator has demanded call for the restoration of the banking system, and the payment of pensions and civil service wages. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Third, the demand in the 2016 resolution that the parties to the conflict must investigate their own alleged war crimes has been exposed as utterly inadequate, both on the Saudi side, and even more so amongst the lawless Houthi rebels. So this weeks resolution must demand the independent, UN-led investigation of all alleged breaches of international humanitarian law. Finally, where the 2016 resolution was silent on the issue, the new resolution must contain proper accountability mechanisms to ensure that compliance with its terms particularly on humanitarian access and the cessation of hostilities is independently monitored, with clear sanctions ready to be enforced if they are breached. On which note, if the US, UK and French governments will not pro-actively do the right thing and suspend arms sales for use in Yemen, then at the very least the resolution should make clear that the continued sale of arms to participants in the conflict will cease if they breach its terms. That is what a comprehensive, robust, and effective resolution would look like, and if that is what the UK produces this week, even if it is 770 days too late, I will be the first to welcome it. Because there is a stark truth at the heart of that 2016 draft resolution, which is as true today as it was then: The humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a peace agreement that leads to a durable solution to the conflict. That fear should have been enough to outweigh the Saudi objections two years ago, and with millions of lives now at risk if the humanitarian situation is allowed to deteriorate further, it should be the only consideration on the minds of the security council this week. Emily Thornberry is the Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, and the shadow secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre), Minister for Children Katherine Zappone (right) and junior minister for higher education Mary Mitchell OConnor play with children at the launch of the First 5 government initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) The Taoiseach along with the Minister for Children has launched a new strategy to support children and their parents. The 10-year plan comes just days after Mr Varadkar spoke at his partys Ard Fheis, saying Fine Gael could look proudly to its record and the many steps we have taken to build a state that cares, and in particular one that cares for families. The comment drew considerable criticism from commentators who cited the current number of children living in consistent poverty in Ireland as being an estimated 138,000, according to Barnardos, whose outgoing chief executive levelled criticism at the Government for the number just two months ago. Great to launch this exciting strategy for our under 5s today! Well done to @KZapponeTD . Delighted to make a new friend as well! #First5 pic.twitter.com/dFwuMzpWbh Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) November 19, 2018 Speaking at the launch of the First 5 programme, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone said she was concerned about the statistics, but was confident her initiative would go towards remedying the problem. Of course I am deeply concerned about the number of children experiencing poverty and are hungry, she said. Were making commitments to mitigate the impact of poverty, were going to offer meals in preschools and primary schools, hot meals in the middle of the day, the Government have also worked with me to increase subsidies for families with children to get childcare and those who earn the least get the most subsidy, that will make the greatest difference. The strategy commits to a maximum of 14 weeks paid parental leave by 2021 for working parents, in addition to maternity and paternity leave. Delighted to join a number of my colleagues and lots of little people to launch First 5, our new 10 yr plan for early childhood, being led by Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone. Not often I get to start my day with a bit of Lego... pic.twitter.com/qlPxB1lzgh Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 19, 2018 A Fianna Fail bill, which would have allowed mothers to share their maternity leave with their partners was debated in the Dail last week, and was roundly rejected by the Government. Minister Zappone said on Monday that their First 5 program was the initiative the Government was concentrating on, and did not say whether she agreed with the bill. I think in general its really important we increase maternity, paternity, and paid leave, and effectively the Government has a plan to do that, she said. Its incorporated in this national early years strategy, and thats the programme that were on. The strategy was jointly launched by the Taoiseach, Minister Zappone, Minister for Health Simon Harris and Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills Mary Mitchell OConnor. Expand Close Minister for Health Simon Harris plays with a child at the launch of the First 5 initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Minister for Health Simon Harris plays with a child at the launch of the First 5 initiative (Aoife Moore/PA) Minister Harris also announced plans to develop a dedicated child health workforce, focused initially in areas of high population density and disadvantage. This would, Minister Harris said, increase the capacity of the HSE to provide health promotion and prevention and early intervention services for the benefit all babies and young children. Additional measures include reform of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) system, new measures to promote positive health behaviours and the mental health of children, expanded access to free and subsidised ELC, extensions to the Warmth and Well-Being and Warmer Homes schemes and the introduction of a meals programme. Universal baby boxes will also be piloted after much success in Scotland and Scandinavia. The dangers of drinking have been spelled out in a new guide (PA) Teenagers have been warned that underage drinking can have long-term repercussions that could continue to haunt them into adulthood. Health Service Executive (HSE) Addiction Services clinical lead Dr Eamon Keenan said young people need to be aware that their drunken behaviour can have consequences. He said conversation was key to keeping young people safe from alcohol and other drugs. Dr Keenan made the comments as parents and children came together over a cup of tea at the Vintage Teapot on Dublins Cathedral Street to launch of a parents guide to alcohol and drugs. "We know that alcohol is harmful to the developing brain - and this can have a huge impact on a young person later in life" - Dr Eamonn Keenan #parentsmatter #awarh18 pic.twitter.com/tFKBcI1O9t HSE Ireland (@HSELive) November 19, 2018 He said adolescence can be a difficult time, not just for teenagers, but also for parents. We know that alcohol is harmful for the developing brain and we must recognise that for young people the brain continues to develop well into their twenties, he said. Dr Kennan said underage drinking can lead to accidents, injuries, anti-social behaviour, poor school performance and in some cases self-harm. Long term it can cause mental health problems and addiction. With the advent of social media and the images being stored on the web forever, the repercussions of drunken behaviour may last much longer than the time they occurred and may continue to haunt a person into adulthood, he said. Dr Keenan added parents play a critical role in preventing such issues arising, and that the best way they can help is by delaying the onset of drinking for as long as possible. The HSE is encouraging families to have a cup of tea and a chat, and for parents to get the conversation started with their teenagers and young people about the risks linked to alcohol. "The most effective way to strengthen the bond between parents and teen is to talk. Brian Wall, Guidance Counsellor @askaboutalcohol's new Parent's Guide to Alcohol and Drugs is available to download: https://t.co/jJ5qm2DjJo #askaboutalcohol #parentsmatter #awarh18 pic.twitter.com/I81MObloKc HSE Ireland (@HSELive) November 19, 2018 The guide, which is available to download at www.askaboutalcohol.ie, was written specifically for parents. It includes practical advice on how best to talk to them and how to help them to resist pressure from their friends to drink. The launch coincides with European Action on Alcohol Week. Brian Wall from the Institute of Guidance Counsellors said both parents and teachers needed to work together to tackle the issue. Mr Wall said the booklet not only provided information, but insights and skills to help parents navigate the subject. But he stressed that it shouldnt just be about exchanging facts, it should be about sharing of emotion and feels. Conversations allow parents to impress upon their teen their views and their expectations of their sons and daughters behaviour and help establish boundaries, he said. Conversation is key in keeping young people safe from alcohol and other drugs. Read about this morning's launch of @askaboutalcohol's new Parents Guide to Alcohol and Drugs https://t.co/lz3mzqEV6H #ParentsMatter #askaboutalcohol #awarh18 pic.twitter.com/bbxReQNVG8 HSE Ireland (@HSELive) November 19, 2018 Research shows that adolescents who receive permission from their parents to drink alcohol experience more alcohol-related harm long-term. This is thought to be because teenagers who get the thumbs-up from parents may tend to give themselves greater permission to drink more than their peers. Junior health minister Catherine Byrne said the publication of the booklet follows the passing of the Public Health Alcohol Act, which she described as a watershed for Irish public health. All of these initiatives and policies are designed to help us protect our children from alcohol and alcohol-related harm, Ms Byrne said. Parents play a critical role in this process, and I hope this guide will encourage them to have that conversation within their family about the risks of consuming alcohol and other drugs, and the damage they can do to our health and well-being. British Prime Minister Theresa May has warned Tory rebels that a change of leadership could delay Brexit as she faces a battle to cling to power in the coming days. Mrs May took a swipe at party rivals who have threatened to unseat her as leader as she warned the next seven days would be "critical" to achieving a successful Brexit. The prime minister warned that a change of leadership would not make it any easier to get a deal through parliament or the EU, and warned that it could delay or frustrate Brexit. A plan by senior UK cabinet ministers to try to alter the withdrawal agreement at the 11th hour has been dismissed by both Mrs May and the Irish Government. The draft deal agreed by Mrs May's cabinet and the EU has sparked a fierce backlash from people on both sides of the debate, not least due to the provisions on the Irish backstop. The fact that the backstop - an insurance policy designed to avoid a hard Border - can only be ended by mutual agreement has been criticised by Brexiteers, who say it risks tying the UK to the EU indefinitely. Speaking to 'Sky News', Mrs May said no insurance provider could offer a policy which they could unilaterally withdraw from. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said that despite criticism from Unionists who believe the deal creates a border in the Irish Sea, the deal "preserves the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom" and is a "decisive step forward". But the DUP's Nigel Dodds said his party's opposition to the deal had been vindicated by the criticism from others across the political spectrum. It is likely to emerge early this week if rebel MPs have reached the threshold of 48 letters of no confidence needed to spark a leadership battle. In a message to those plotting her downfall, including members of the European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic MPs, Mrs May warned that a change of leadership at this point wasn't going to make the negotiations any easier, and it wasn't going to change the parliamentary arithmetic. "What it will do is bring in a degree of uncertainty. That is uncertainty for people and their jobs," she said. "What it will do is mean that it is a risk that we delay the negotiations and that is a risk that Brexit gets delayed or frustrated." Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar moved to clarify his comments on avoiding a hard Border if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, which he admitted on Friday would be "very difficult". He said the Government did difficult things all the time. The Government has insisted there are no plans in place for Border infrastructure. However, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he believed a hard Border was inevitable in the event of a no-deal scenario which would signal "Armageddon" for Ireland. He said Ireland needed an "urgent redoubling of Brexit preparations" and he claimed we were not prepared for a no-deal outcome. "We all know that a no-deal Brexit means chaos, Armageddon, it means a hard Border, it means all sorts of things that are unthinkable," he said. But he said the process must be taken step by step and noted the deal could still make it through the UK parliament despite the arithmetic looking unlikely at this point. Irish government bond yield spreads over Germany were near their widest level since late May as worries over the economic impact of a messy Brexit hurt demand for the country's debt. British Prime Minister Theresa May last week disclosed a draft agreement on leaving the European Union that met with strong opposition from within her party, could spark a confidence vote in her leadership and increases the chances of a "no deal" Brexit. Britain is one of Ireland's biggest trading partners, and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a key issue in Brexit talks. The turmoil in the UK has caused Irish government bond yield spreads to widen. "A no-deal Brexit could have an adverse impact on Ireland's economic picture, which would impact risk assets and have some effect on government bonds as well," said Commerzbank rates strategist Rainer Guntermann. "It could affect the country in general, it could impact the budget position, the deficit position, and generally weigh on risk assets as well." While government bonds are generally not considered risky assets, euro zone government debt -- especially lower-rated debt -- often tends to perform differently, since individual countries don't have control over printing money. So while British Gilt yields dropped on the reaction to the contentious Brexit proposal, Irish yields increased, with 10-year yields hitting a one-month high of 104.5pc on Friday. On Monday, Irish yields were more or less unchanged and the spread between Irish and German 10-year bond yields was at 63 basis points, close to a five and a half month high of 65.5 basis points hit on Friday. German bonds have been the subject of flight-to-safety demand, thereby increasing a lot of spreads across the euro zone, but Ireland's underperformance stands out. For example, the Irish 10-year bond yield spread over its closest peer, Belgium, also reached its widest level since late May on Friday at 23.5 bps and was at 21 bps in early trade on Monday. Better-rated yields were a touch higher on the day, with German 10-year yields, the benchmark for the region, 1.5 bps higher at 0.385pc. Italian government bond yields were unchanged going into a week in which the EU is expected to respond to Italy's revised budget proposals. Three officials close to the process told Reuters last week the European Commission will take the first step next week to discipline Italy over its defiant spending plans. A fodder survey completed at the end of October showed that 1/3 of farmers nationally are still short 15pc of fodder. Farmers have been told they should carry two months of extra silage in future to protect against extreme weather events which have become more common in recent years. The conclusion was reached following the latest meeting of an inter-agency fodder committee set up by Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed in response to the fodder crisis. Farmers should plan to carry a two-month reserve of silage (0.7t Dry matter per livestock unit) in excess of that required for a normal winter. This, it said should be carried as a rolling feed reserve. The committee conceded that there will be cost involved but said it will greatly reduce the impact of future weather events. It also recommended a national census of stocks of winter fodder harvested should be conducted in July and November every year and that all farmers need to do fodder budgets for their own farms at these dates. The committee also concluded that considerable scope exists on most farms to increase grass and silage production through improving soil fertility. However, it also warned that expanding farmers should match stocking rate to average grass growing capacity. It comes as Met Eireanns Evelyn Cusack, warned recently that Ireland can expect more heavy snow during the winter with climate change having an effect. Despite saying adverse weather conditions take place irrespective of climate change, Met Eireann's head of forecasting explained that heavier snow could be anticipated in the coming years. "There is a chance of more snow even though the climate is warming up and that's because there's more moisture in the atmosphere," Ms Cusack said. "There's more evaporation because of the higher sea temperatures and then in winter, instead of rain, it turns to snow. So in fact, snow events could be heavier." Ms Cusack said because of the different weather conditions experienced in the past 12 months, she expects the public to take real notice this year. "The message is prepare yourself for all eventualities and listen out for the warnings and the local forecasts as well," she said. The fodder committee said that farmers had shown tremendous resilience in the face of difficult weather conditions in 2018. Fodder supplies have largely been rebuilt on most farms through a combination of measures implemented in recent months. However, despite the recovery in grass growth during autumn, annual growth rates remain behind the long-term average. A fodder survey completed at the end of October showed that one third of farmers nationally are still short 15pc of fodder. This is equivalent to a deficit of three weeks feeding, based on a 145-day winter. Dublin-headquartered Inflazome has completed a 40m Series B funding round. Inflazome is developing potent and selective small-molecule inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome, to stop the cycle of chronic inflammation that drives such diseases. Data indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome is overactive in a broad range of serious medical conditions driven by harmful inflammation, the company said. These include neurological disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, as well as inflammatory bowel disease, gout, osteoarthritis, liver, kidney and cardiovascular diseases. The funds raised will be used to advance the companys NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors into multiple clinical trials in 2019, with next-generation compounds following thereafter. Financing was led by Forbion, with Longitude Capital and founding investors, Novartis Venture Fund and Fountain Healthcare Partners, also participating. "Recognising the important role of the inflammasome in many major diseases, we intensively screened the universe of companies active in this space," Dr Marco Boorsma, general partner at Forbion Capital Partners, said. "We decided to back Inflazome because of their leading position, deep understanding of inflammasome biology, foundational IP position and advanced and diversified pipeline of NLRP3 modulators." "We were also highly impressed with the experience and knowledge of the companys management team and board." Inflazome was founded in 2016 by academics Prof. Matt Cooper, the University of Queensland (Australia) and Professor Luke ONeill, Trinity College Dublin, following a joint collaboration between the two. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by Pune police in connection with the case following which activists were arrested. A senior official associated with the probe said the letter had been made part of the charge sheet and is under investigation. (Photo: File) Pune: A letter containing what police claimed was the phone number of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has been made part of the charge sheet against 10 activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, a senior official said Monday. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by the Pune police in connection with the case following which these activists were arrested, he said. The Pune police recently filed its charge sheet against five activists - Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, who were arrested in June. The letter in question, dated September 25, 2017, is addressed to Surendra (who police claim is Surendra Gadling) by one comrade Prakash, the official said. A portion of the letter reads, "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. State forces will be soft against students which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of Digvijaya Singh as per police)". A senior police official said the number in the letter is also available on the website of the Indian National Congress. A senior official associated with the probe said the letter had been made part of the charge sheet and is under investigation. Asked if Singh would be summoned for questioning, Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Suhas Bavche said several numbers had cropped up in the letters seized during the raids and the ownership of these numbers and their roles in the case are being probed. "If someone's role is established, whatever is needed to be done as part of the investigation, will be done," Bavche said. Shivaji Bodakhe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) informed that, as of now, no notice had been issued to anyone. Digvijaya Singh had denied the allegations when they first surfaced and had dared the government to arrest him. Talking to reporters in Satna in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, Singh had said, "If I am guilty, I challenge the Centre and the state government to arrest me." The other activists arrested in the case are Telugu poet Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj. While Gautam Navlakha has been booked, he not taken into police custody as yet. The prosecution had Sunday told the court that charges related to "sedition and waging war against the state" had been added against all the accused arrested for Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad. Government pleader Ujjwala Pawar had told court Sunday that sections 124 (A) (sedition), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war) and 121 (A) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been added to the charge sheet. The Elgar Parishad was held on December 31, 2017, in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon Bhima battle in which East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, defeated the Peshwa army. Query: I worked in the UK for a number of years and have a frozen British defined benefit (DB) pension scheme from my time there. I want to transfer this scheme into an Irish-based Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). What are the pros and cons of transferring a pension into a QROPS? Are there any QROPS rules and restrictions which I need to play by? Also, I have quite a substantial pension fund built up in Ireland too - from an Irish defined contribution (DC) scheme I am in with my current employer. If I transfer the British pension to a QROPS, will that eat into the standard fund threshold (the maximum pension an individual is allowed at retirement for tax purposes) I'm entitled to in Ireland? Martin, Co Kerry Answer: The QROPS may be more convenient and easier to administer and there will be no currency issue. If your UK pension scheme has a value in excess of 30,000, you will also be required to take advice from an adviser regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority - which will have an additional cost. You also say that the UK pension is a DB pension - meaning that you will get a guaranteed pension income based on your salary and service (subject to the solvency of the UK pension scheme). You will have to weigh up the guarantees a DB pension provides as you will only be able to transfer the pension to the equivalent of a DC scheme here in Ireland. Therefore, you may have to consider investment risk as you would be losing the DB guarantees but bear in mind these guarantees are only based on the solvency of your UK pension scheme. A lot of the pension differences between UK and Ireland have been harmonised - however, sometimes one jurisdiction may be more beneficial than the other. The maximum tax-free lump sum from all pensions in Ireland is 200,000 per person. If the potential tax-free lump sum on retirement from your UK fund that is transferred to Ireland brings you over this maximum, then the part of the lump sum in excess will be taxed in Ireland - whereas it could be paid tax-free in the UK. You may be able to retire earlier than the normal retirement age of the UK pension, subject to a minimum age of 55. If you transfer your British pension to Ireland, your transfer value is tested against the UK lifetime allowance of 1m. If your fund is higher than this, there may be an immediate exposure to UK tax and this would be deducted before the transfer is made. The UK transfer does not however eat into your Irish standard fund threshold of 2m. If you keep your pension in the UK, 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 UK inheritance tax. If you have been resident in the UK in the current tax year or any of the previous 10 UK tax years, you may be liable to UK tax on your transfer payment to Ireland. If you withdraw from your QROPS within the first five years, the transfer will be subject to UK tax rules. Move out of defined benefit? Query: I work for a semi-state company and I have a defined benefit (DB) pension. We have the option of changing to a defined contribution (DC) pension. I am 35. New recruits to the company are automatically enrolled into the DC pension scheme - they don't have the option of joining the DB scheme. My employer doesn't have as many workers paying into the DB pension as before - because many of the workers in the DB scheme are now retired, or are approaching retirement. Should I stay in the DB scheme - or change to the DC scheme? John, Dublin 3 Answer: A DB pension will normally pay a guaranteed tax-free lump and guaranteed pension upon your retirement. The monetary amount of the benefits will be dictated primarily by your salary and service. The risk of providing these benefits remains with the employer. On premature death, there may be a dependant's pension. In general, the most common issue for DB schemes is solvency - that is, the ability of the DB pension (or employer) to pay the proposed guaranteed benefits. A DC fund will be made up of your contributions, your employers' contributions, and any positive or negative investment returns on these contributions during your working lifetime. The investment returns will be based on your attitude to risk - so the risk of providing retirement benefits switches from the employer to you. Retirement benefits are not guaranteed. At retirement, the benefit choices will be different. For example, one benefit of a DC fund is you will normally be able to withdraw up to 25pc of your accumulated fund as a tax-free lump sum and the balance can be used to provide you with a pension. There are Revenue Commissioner limits which need to be considered. Another benefit of the DC scheme is that the full value of the accumulated fund would be paid to your estate as a tax-free lump sum on premature death before retirement and any balance after retirement would become part of your estate. Compulsory pensions Query: I'm concerned about the Government's plans for a mandatory pension. I understand that under that plan, workers who do not yet have a pension will have to put up to 6pc of their salary into that mandatory pension from 2022. My husband and I have a joint income of 55,000. (My husband earns 30,000 and I earn 25,000). We have high mortgage repayments each month and high childcare bills. Add this to the cost of living (electricity bills, groceries and so on), and we have little or nothing left in our wages by the end of each month. We simply could not afford to pay into a pension at the moment - and I don't imagine things will improve by 2022. What happens if we can't afford to pay into the mandatory pension? Do we have any way out of the pension? Anne, Lusk, Co Dublin Answer: The Government plans for a mandatory auto enrolment (AE) pension scheme may change between now and the proposed implementation date. They have provided no details on how your concerns about affordability will be assessed but there is an opt-out clause after six months. Presently, the plan will be compulsory for all private sector workers aged over 23 and under 60 who are not in a 'prescribed minimum standard' private pension arrangement and whose gross earnings are over 20,000. This 20,000 limit will be fixed for the first five years. Each employer will compulsorily enrol their employees into an AE Scheme. The required contribution will be 1pc of gross earnings in the first year - taken from your net income (up to an earnings limit of 75,000). This 1pc will rise by a further 1pc in each of the first six years - to reach 6pc after six years. The proposal is that each employer will pay a matching contribution and the Government will also pay a contribution up to one-third of your contribution (up to the same earnings limit of 75,000). As mentioned already, these are proposals for the moment and may well change by the time compulsory pensions are introduced (if they are). A collapsed bridge in Mexico Beach, Fla., two days after Hurricane Michael struck last month. Photo: Charlotte Kesl for The Washington Post via Getty Images The disturbing television pictures this year of the fearful damage inflicted by nature is an ever-present reminder of the catastrophic effects of climate change, no matter how people like Donald Trump may choose to deny it. Heartbreaking scenes like the magnificent Piazza San Marco in Venice being battered by floods, though not unprecedented, seem to be getting worse. The so-called hurricane season that was once someone else's problem has become a serious concern in this country. But can that which cannot be avoided be managed? The company we are examining today may have some of these answers. It is ambitious British equipment rental specialist Ashtead, which has helped the clean-up efforts after storms and hurricanes that have devastated the US in recent years. The company rents out all sorts of equipment from small hand tools to excavators which can lift, move, dig, pump or generate power. In short, do precisely what's required after a natural disaster. Ashtead has been operating in America since the 1990s. Its offshoot, Sunbelt Rentals, has more than 750 locations in 46 states, generating 3.1bn (3.5bn) in revenues and is now the second biggest equipment rental company in the US. While maintaining a headquarters outside London, its British network is much smaller than the US, yet Ashtead is the largest rental group in the UK, with 200 locations, and revenues just under 500m. The group's small operation in Canada has been boosted by the recent acquisition of Ontario-based competitor CRC, which adds scale to its network and gives it access to the eastern Canadian market. The group provides a wide range of rental equipment and solutions to a large number of customers. This includes all types of equipment for the construction industry such as forklifts, power saws, excavators, scaffolding and portable traffic systems for major projects. Interestingly it also generates power, lighting and other equipment for concerts, festivals and even the US Super Bowl. The concept of Ashtead's business model is simple and resembles what used to happen in the Irish TV rental market years ago. The group buys a broad range of equipment directly from manufacturers, and rents it out to a range of customers on a short-term basis. After a period of time (five to 10 years) it sells the old equipment into the second-hand market, recovering a proportion of the original price. Ashtead has executed its strategy flawlessly and its track record over the last five years has been impressive. Revenues have more than doubled to 3.7bn, helped recently by a weaker pound. Pretax profits are 2.6 times higher in the same period of time and it trades today with a healthy 28pc operating profit margin. Last year its US operations saw revenues jump 15pc, benefiting from strong markets and the impact of hurricanes. Its UK rental business saw rental income increase but margins were lower. First quarter results this year show a weakening in margins, but revenues and profits rose more than one-fifth and net debt fell slightly. The group continues to ramp up investment to capitalise on growth potential, increasing its capital expenditure by almost a fifth. Its shares have taken a hit in the October market fall and now hover around 19 a share, 20pc below the yearly high. But investors are pleased that it continues to underpin its share, announcing a 1bn buyback last December. The strong dollar also helps its revenues. If the climate keeps changing Ashtead will benefit, and the strength of its balance sheet and free cash flow will continue to allow the company its bolt-on acquisition strategy and expand its geographic footprint. While the group plans to achieve double-digit growth for the next three years, it is well to remember this is a cyclical industry. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned. Concerns are mounting across the western world about national-security risks tied to foreign investment, particularly by China. Photo: Getty Images/Bloomberg Creative The EU is hammering out the first bloc-wide rules to prevent foreign investments from threatening national security, as Chinese acquisitions foster political unease. Negotiators representing EU governments and the European Parliament may agree on draft legislation to enable the screening of foreign direct investments tomorrow, according to Franck Proust, a French MEP. "Everybody has the common will to work in the same direction," Mr Proust told reporters. Concerns are mounting across the western world about national-security risks tied to foreign investment, particularly by China. Last year, US President Donald Trump blocked a Chinese-backed investor from buying Lattice Semiconductor Corporation as a result of national-security worries, and Germany moved to shield cutting-edge technologies after a bid by China's Midea Group for robot maker Kuka prompted an outcry. Earlier this year, the German government stopped a Chinese bid for the first time by vetoing the potential purchase of machine-tool manufacturer Leifeld Metal Spinning. The goal of the proposed European investment-screening framework is to limit foreign threats to "critical infrastructure", including in the energy, transport, communications, data, space and financial industries, and to "critical technologies" such as semiconductors, robotics and artificial intelligence. (Bloomberg) Oscar statuettes wrapped and waiting to be positioned for the Academy Awards (Ian West/PA) Two Academy Awards for best picture are going up for sale in a rare auction of Oscars. Auction house Profiles In History has announced on Monday that an Oscar awarded to Mutiny On The Bounty in 1936 and another given to Gentlemans Agreement in 1948 will go up for auction in Los Angeles starting on December 11. The Mutiny On The Bounty best-picture statuette is expected to go for between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars. Our December 11-14 Blockbuster Hollywood Auction online catalog is now LIVE! Flip through 2000+ wonderful items at https://t.co/yuAhNDtpoI Profiles In History (@pihauctions) November 9, 2018 Frank Capra presented the award to Irving Thalberg at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles when the Academy Awards were less than 10 years old. The award is being put up for sale for the first time by the family of Mr Thalberg, an essential figure in the early history of Hollywood. The best-picture Oscar for Gentlemans Agreement, the 1947 film starring Gregory Peck that took on anti-Semitism and won three Academy Awards, is expected to fetch between 150,000 and 200,000 dollars. The seller wants to remain anonymous. Expand Close Charles Laughton in Mutiny On The Bounty (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charles Laughton in Mutiny On The Bounty (PA) Hans Dreiers art-direction Oscar for 1950s Sunset Boulevard and Gloria Swansons Golden Globe for best actress in a drama for the film are also on offer in the December auction along with other historic movie awards. Video of the Day Auctions of Oscar statuettes are very uncommon because winners from 1951 onward have had to agree that they or their heirs must offer to sell it back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for one dollar before selling it to anyone else. The Academy has said it firmly believes Oscars should be won, not sold. Expand Close An Oscar won by James Cagney did not appeal to investors (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Oscar won by James Cagney did not appeal to investors (PA) Still, occasionally Oscars beyond the reach of the rules go up for sale and sell for large sums of money. The late Michael Jackson acquired David O. Selznicks Gone With The Wind Oscar for a record 1.5 million dollars in 1999. Orson Welles Citizen Kane statuette sold for 861,542 dollars in 2011. And in 2014, James Cagneys best-actor Oscar for 1942s Yankee Doodle Dandy failed to sell when no one would meet the minimum bid demand of 800,000 dollars. In April, David Hedderman came back to Ireland for a holiday. Very little was planned apart from a journey along the west coast, stopping here and there to paint landscapes and portraits. "Something happened," he says of that trip along the Atlantic seaboard. "Just being home in the landscape. It opened up something about my connection with Ireland." Back in Berlin, his home for the past decade, there had been turbulence in the 35-year-old's life. A relationship had come to an end after seven years. The insecurity of being an artist, the constant self-nudging required when things go quiet, was also beginning to chew on his resolve. Berlin, a sanctuary for so many art exiles from this island who can only laugh at the soaring cost of living here, still has its expenses, its landlords and its pressures. The western seaboard of his homeland had filled his lungs with something that couldn't be found in landlocked east Germany. A renewal had begun. Expand Close The Intermediate: Conor O'Brien and David Hedderman in 2006. Photo: Niall Carson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Intermediate: Conor O'Brien and David Hedderman in 2006. Photo: Niall Carson Other stars were aligning in the Dubliner's sky. The life-drawing classes he'd been running in Berlin no longer just felt about paying the bills between sales. They were helping him too, offering distraction by making him focus on a process he could impart to students. Connection and concentration led to his own drawings - charged, kinetic, layered works that were coming together without the "crazy" demands painting work tends to exact on him. A regular at the RHA Annual Exhibition for the last five years, Hedderman also appeared in a group show in September in Portobello's new Hang Tough Gallery. Not only did the owners offer him his own solo show on the back of it, but also a space for him to bring his highly subscribed drawing classes to his hometown. If all this didn't sound serendipitous enough, Conor O'Brien, his old bandmate from The Immediate, would be away touring Villagers' acclaimed new LP The Art of Pretending to Swim and needed someone to house-sit. It's in O'Brien's city centre apartment that Hedderman and I sit sipping coffee surrounded by guitars, books, and some fermenting kombucha that he prepares for his students. Ambient noise from the alleyway outside seeps in through the window, meeting fag smoke on the way out. Hedderman is cool, collected and an open book. A few months ago he was struggling to pay the rent. Today, we're a couple of weeks away from the opening night of his solo show. Work is moving, his life- drawing classes have sold out and he is excited to be bringing over avant-garde Japanese model and regular collaborator Yuka Tanaka from Berlin for his students to draw. The slump he found himself in back in April has subsided and things are suddenly happening quicker than he imagined. He remains serene and philosophical about it all, however. After all, it's not the first time he's been rebuilt at the crossroads. Ten years ago, Hedderman had found a flow. The Immediate, the band he formed with O'Brien, were critical darlings and being hailed as a white-hot hope that could make a splash beyond these shores. He was in a long-term relationship, and also maintaining a parallel gig as a bankable gallery artist while still a student at St Conleth's College. Video of the Day Once a prosperous business owner, Hedderman's father had lost everything during the late 1990s and now worked seven days a week as a taxi driver. "He called me one day asking would I like to go to Florence with him," Hedderman recalls. "The Immediate was going strong and we gigs lined up in France, but I told him if he booked it, I'd tell the lads and we'd go. My mum and dad were not in the best way at the time, living together but in different time zones because my dad was working through nights and sleeping during the day. But she and my little sister came along for the four days. He was limping a bit then, a bit slow." Shortly after, Hedderman was in a tour van driving down from Belfast to Dublin one night. All four young band members were feeling the pressure of the music industry and Hedderman was not in the mood to talk when the driver struck up conversation. It turned out the two had a bizarre amount in common - fathers forced to drive cabs after the collapse of their businesses, private educations, even the same birthday. As he disembarked, the driver looked at him and said: "Tell your dad to take it easy because taxi drivers have a tendency to burn out." A week later, Hedderman is in France playing shows and suffering industry schmoozers when he receives a phone call. His father has had a heart attack and he needs to come home right away. "Like a lot of kids, I feared that moment my whole life," he says. "It's not easy, but I still take his death as a gift, this experience of not holding on to things. I know my boundaries, and I learned that from watching my dad burn himself into the ground. I still have his camera and when I use it I'm talking to him." More letting go followed when his relationship ended. The headspace to function as a touring musician was hard to salvage, and The Immediate announced their split in May 2007. "We were so young and it was all so intense," he says. "Conor and I were the main songwriters, and when it ended he said, 'come on, you and me, let's keep going'. But I needed a break. And it was difficult. I've known Conor since I was 12. He's special. I've never met anyone who can touch him musically. So I knew it was going to go great for him and I didn't want to hold him back. After the band split up, the art was all I wanted to do." In 2008 he relocated to Berlin to concentrate on art. Music still hovers about him, from the special playlists he tailors for each of his classes to plans he has to record an album in the new year. Like everything he does, it's about sharing, the very thing the artist needs after the solitude of the studio. "The people in my class," he says, "it's not about how well they can draw, it's about them feeling good there because that's when the magic can happen. If I make a portrait of someone, they sit for me for five hours. It's very rare today that people have five hours here or in London. But these are the important things, to unwind and really connect with other people. I know 'the system'. I've seen it, and there's other ways." 'Shaking Still', a solo show by David Hedderman, Nov 23 to Dec 8 at the Hang Tough Gallery, Portobello, Dublin. More info at hangtoughgallery.com or at davidhedderman.com/ A third man has been charged with the murder of David Daithi Douglas, who was shot dead in a shop in Dublins south inner city in 2016. Gareth Brophy (24) said "sorry for his loss, if that means anything" when he was charged, a court heard today. He was remanded in custody, to appear in court again this Friday. Mr Brophy, from the south inner city but of no fixed address appeared in Dublin District Court this morning charged with murdering Mr Douglas (55) at Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8 on July 1, 2016. Two other men have already been before the courts over Mr Douglas killing - Freddie Thompson (37) was convicted and jailed for life for murder at the Special Criminal Court in August. Nathan Foley (19) has also been charged with murder and his case is still before the courts. Detective Garda Niall Godfrey said he arrested Mr Brophy at Barn House pub in Dolphins Barn at 11.58pm last night and brought him to Kevin Street Garda Station. He was charged at 2.54am this morning and in reply after caution, he said: Sorry for his loss, if that means anything. He was handed a copy of the charge sheet. Det Gda Godfrey said he was in possession of the directions of the DPP, and they were for the accused to be sent for trial. Mr Brophy could be sent forward on a signed plea of guilty should this arise, the garda said. Defence solicitor Jenny McGeever applied for free legal aid, saying she had submitted a statement of the defendants financial means to the court and did not think there were any garda objections. Det Gda Godfrey confirmed there were no objections. Judge Dermot Simms remanded the defendant in custody, to appear in Cloverhill District Court on November 23, for the preparation of a book of evidence. No application for bail was made as bail on a murder charge can only be granted in the High Court. The accused, wearing a grey hooded top, blue jeans and walked into court smiling and greeted family members in the public gallery. He stood with his arms folded at first, then held behind his back and occasionally spoke to his solicitor. At the end of the brief proceedings, he said go on love yous to family members and blew them a kiss. He has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charge. A teacher in a Dublin mosque who displayed an unhealthy interest in a six year old girl he went on to molest has received a partially suspended sentence. Abdur Rashid (50) was convicted last January by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a single count of sexual assault at the mosque on a date in December 2015. The former Leitrim resident, later of Blessington Court, Dublin, had denied the charge. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Rashid to 18 months imprisonment, but suspended the final four months for a period of one year providing he follow the direction of the Probation Services and keep the peace and be of good behaviour upon his release. Garda Paul Griffin told Pieter LeVert BL, prosecuting, that the child's mother was picking her up from the school when she noticed something was wrong. The child told her mother her teacher had touched her genital area. The woman confronted Rashid immediately and he indicated he had been teaching the girl wudu, an Islamic ritual procedure for washing parts of the body. The court heard that after his arrest the married father told gardai that he had held the girl in his lap and kissed her like he would kiss his own daughter. He denied kissing her with his tongue and denied sexually molesting her. He claimed because her reading performance was very good he lifted her up to kiss her but she slipped in his hands and he ended up holding her by the thighs. Asked if he had lost his senses at the time and acted on impulse he told gardai "I can't say". A victim impact report from the girl's mother stated the victim was diagnosed with anxiety after the attack. This caused her to suffer stomach pains which were so severe they caused her to cry. She had nightmares about her teacher coming to take her away and was afraid to go to school for a time after the assault. Damien Colgan SC, defending, said the Bangladesh national had previously lived in Carrick-on-Shannon before moving to Dublin where he worked as a chef. The court heard that a psychological report statee that Rashid currently meets the diagnostic criteria for Schziophrenia and delusional disorder and is psychologically vulnerable. A further psychiatric report indicated that at present he is not suffering from a psychiatric illness. Judge Codd said Rashid had displayed an unhealthy interest in the child before the assault. She said the man was guilty of a gross exploitation of the innocence of a very young child. She said this was an aggravating factor in the case along with the age of the victim, the emotional and psychological effects on her and the abuse of the teacher/student relationship. Judge Codd said the mitigating factors in the case was the fact that Rashid was psychologically vulnerable, his lack of previous convictions, his having a wife and family, and that his being a Bangladesh national may make his imprisonment more difficult. She commended the child and her mother for their courage in giving evidence during the trial. She backdated the sentence to January 30, of this year when he first went into custody. Patrick Nevin, who yesterday pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape and sexual assault. Photo: Collins A SOFTWARE engineer who raped a woman he met on Tinder told her that he "found her attractive and had got carried away", a court heard. Patrick Nevin (37) apologised to the woman, as he drove her back to her home after the attack, and bought her a hot drink from a petrol station. Nevin also sexually assaulted a second woman four days later. In that attack, the woman was subjected to a prolonged sexual assault, lasting at least 44 minutes. In an audio recording of that assault which was read out in court, Nevin got angry with the woman, repeatedly called her "a mickey tease" and told her to get out of his car and walk if she wouldn't be with him. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned sentencing until December 17. The former UCD student met all the women through the dating application Tinder. Expand Close Patrick Nevin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Patrick Nevin The defendant pleaded guilty earlier this year to the rape of a woman at Belleswtown, Co Meath on July 12, 2014. He also admitted to sexually assaulting a second woman at an unknown place in Co Meath on July 16, 2014. Nevin is due to be sentenced this Friday for a third sexual assault of a Brazilian woman at UCD, which also took place on July 23, 2014. In relation to the rape, Sergeant Mark Buckley told Alex Owens SC, prosecuting, that Nevin and the victim made contact on Tinder on July 12, 2014, before exchanging messages on WhatsApp. Sgt Buckley said Nevin collected the woman from her home and drove towards Julianstown, before he stopped at Kilsharvan cemetery, which is in a secluded area between Julianstown and Bellewstown. Sgt Buckley said Nevin and the woman consensually kissed and she then performed consensual oral sex on him. The victim then told him to stop, but Nevin raped her. He masturbated on to her, and offered her tissues to clean up. Sgt Buckley said Nevin then drove the woman home. She asked him why he'd done what he did, and he told her he was sorry, he "got carried way" because he "found her attractive". The ordeal was very traumatic for the victim, who was in her 20s at the time of the assault, the court heard. She has since struggled to interact with people, particularly in a social environment, Sgt Buckley said. Nevin was questioned by gardai in relation to the rape in September 2014, and at that time he insisted that any sexual activity was consensual. Sgt Buckley said Nevin told gardai he had thousands of different matches on Tinder, had met hundreds of females and was using Tinder as a hook-up site. In her victim impact statement, the woman said she was on Tinder because she was hoping to meet a potential boyfriend. However, she met "a monster". She said Nevin had taken part of her away and had made her feel "tainted, dirty and stupid for agreeing to meet in the first place". Nevin had "taken {her name} away that night and left me with just a shell". He had also left her "sad, scared and suicidal". In relation to the sexual assault, Sergeant Selina Proudfoot said Nevin and the victim first made contact on Tinder on July 2, 2014. The exchanged numbers and continued to message each other on WhatsApp until July 16 when they agreed to meet up. Sgt Proudfoot said Nevin picked the woman up from her home and drove into Co Meath. He stopped the car near a graveyard. Nevin got out of the car and went to the toilet. When he came back, he kissed the woman. This was consensual. However, he then lay on top of her. He kissed her again, using his tongue, and felt her breasts. This was not consensual, and the victim repeatedly told him no and to stop. Sgt Proudfoot said Nevin became angry with the woman, calling her a "c*nt" and a "mickey tease". He told her that if she wasn't going to be with him then she could "get out and walk". Sgt Proudfoot said the woman got out of the car and started walking along a dark country road. Nevin followed her and stopped the car. His mood had changed, he was really nice, so she got back into the car because she did not know where she was. Sgt Proudfood said Nevin then took his penis out, pinned her down and pulled at her nipples. The victim had a panic attack, and opened the car door to catch her breath. She repeatedly asked Nevin to bring her home. He then made her masturbate him until he ejaculated, before driving her home. Sgt Proudfoot said the sexual assault had been "life altering" for the victim, who had suffered severe anxiety, and as Nevin knew where she lived, she was terrified he'd turn up at her home. Defence counsel Patrick McGrath SC said Nevin, with a most recent address at Meadowlands Court, Mounttown, Dun Laoghaire, had a difficult upbringing. He had no contact with his mother, but his father had been in court on a number of occasions. He had a number of young children. Mr McGrath said Nevin wished to express his remorse and to apologise to the two women. A family archive on Elizabeth OKelly, who donated her 30m fortune to five Irish charities, has been described as a treasure trove of information on the "fascinating and deeply private woman". Earlier this month it emerged that Elizabeth OKelly donated her 30m fortune to the five Irish charities - the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), the Irish Heart Foundation, the Irish Society for Autism, the RNLI and the Irish Kidney Association (IKA). Ms OKelly died in her 93rd year in December 2016 and Archivist at Maynooth University Library, Roisin Berry confirmed on Monday that the executors of Ms OKellys estate donated Ms OKellys family archive to the university library in September. Ms Berry described Ms OKelly as "a fascinating and deeply private woman" and she said that the archive will provide researchers with "a treasure trove" for researchers. The archive across eight boxes contains diaries, photos, letters, travel journals, sketch-books, legal documents, postcards and financial material. The material includes a wedding day photo of 21-year-old Elizabeth O'Kelly and her husband, Major John William O'Kelly who was 41 years her senior and a heartrending sketch of Elizabeth when she was a toddler by her mother, Alice Marie Sykes. Expand Close Photograph of Elizabeth with a lion cub, c. 1930s (Photo: Maynooth University Library) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Photograph of Elizabeth with a lion cub, c. 1930s (Photo: Maynooth University Library) Ms Berry said that the donation "has provided us with the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating life of this enigmatic woman". Ms Berry said: "Elizabeth valued her privacy but the archive allows us to get a glimpse of some of the people and places that meant something to her." She said: "What is fascinating about Elizabeth is her courage, to live her life according to her own rules, and her extraordinary generosity in her dealings with others." Ms Berry said: "Elizabeth was a deeply private woman who avoided the limelight at all costs. She captured the imagination of Irish people because of her incredibly generous actions but also because of this desire to remain hidden and unknown." Expand Close Elizabeth and her husband on their wedding day, 1945 (Photo: Maynooth University Library) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elizabeth and her husband on their wedding day, 1945 (Photo: Maynooth University Library) She added: "The Archive will shed new light on this fascinating woman, her early tragic life and the loved ones that she lost, and how this shaped her into the exceptionally thoughtful woman that she became. "Her great love of family, friends and home shine through in each document, as does her respect for the past and preserving her family heritage. "The Elizabeth OKelly Archive captures the very essence of this enigmatic figure." Ms Berry said that Elizabeth "experienced a great deal of tragedy in her early life". Expand Close Sketch of Elizabeth as a young girl by her mother, Alice Marie Sykes, c. 1925 (Photo: Maynooth University Library) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sketch of Elizabeth as a young girl by her mother, Alice Marie Sykes, c. 1925 (Photo: Maynooth University Library) Elizabeth was born in Tours, France 1924 and her father, Otway Richard Sykes died the previous year on June 24th 1923 aged 59 and Elizabeths mother, Alice Marie died on March 4th 1926 aged 39 when Elizabeth was in her second year. Ms Berry reveals that the Sykes couple had already endured tragedy when they lost their son, Richard at the age of four months in March 1923. Ms Berry has posted a blog on the archive at MU Library Treasures blog containing photos of Elizabeth as a young girl and on her wedding day with her husband Major John William O'Kelly. Ms Berry said: "One of the most moving items in the Elizabeth OKelly Archive is a sketchbook of drawings executed by her mother Alice in the 1920s, just a short time before her death." She said: "Amongst these sketches is a very poignant pencil drawing of Elizabeths infant brother Richard just weeks before he died in March 1923." Ms Berry said that after her mother's death, Elizabeths paternal aunt Annette Kathleen Sykes, was awarded guardianship of Elizabeth and the young girl moved from France to her aunts residence at 39 Lower Leeson Street in Dublin, Ireland. She said that Elizabeths upbringing was steeped in French culture and she experienced a simple and frugal life in the care of her aunt. Ms Berry said that in 1944, however, tragedy was to strike again with her aunts death. Elizabeth inherited her estate, and a year later, aged 21 years, she married Major John OKelly, who was 41 years her senior. Passionate about hunting and horses, Major OKelly was a qualified veterinary surgeon. He joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in 1907, and was awarded an OBE for his service during WWI. After their wedding, the couple moved to Ballygoran Park in Maynooth, County Kildare. Ms Berry said that Elizabeth had a great interest in history and architecture, and became actively involved in the Kildare Archaeological Society during her time in County Kildare. In March 1962, Major OKelly died aged 79 and left his estate to his wife Elizabeth and her brother-in-law Charles. Elizabeth sold the marital home, Ballygoran Park in 1964 and moved to Buenos Aires in Argentina and then Uganda for a time. She returned to Irish soil in 1966, and bought a house at Knockaulin in Leixlip, County Kildare, later that year. This remained her principal residence until 1980 when she purchased a house at Pilhac, Beaulieu sur Dordogne, France. Elizabeth moved between her Irish and French properties throughout the years that followed before purchasing a home at Market Square in Stradbally, County Laois in 1997 where she remained until her death in 2016. In her blogpost, Ms Berry said that despite her wealth, "Elizabeth lived a simple and humble life devoted to the church and to helping others. Her only indulgence was a great love of travel which she enjoyed throughout her life". She said: "The family archive had a very special meaning to Elizabeth throughout her life, and she kept it with her, carefully organised, wherever she lived. "The care and respect that she showed for her documentary heritage will continue now that it has been deposited in Maynooth University Library, and this important collection will be safeguarded for generations to come." Ms Berry explained that the Archive has only recently been acquired and as a result it is not currently open to the public. However, it will be fully catalogued at a later date and will form the basis for future outreach projects. Taking to Twitter, Gandhi accused PM Modi and his 'coterie of cronies' of 'destroying' institutions. The Congress has accused the Modi government of destroying every institution in the country and the latest one being the Reserve Bank of India. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial RBI Board meeting, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying institutions and hoped Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel has a "spine" and will show the prime minister "his place". Taking to Twitter, Gandhi accused Modi and his "coterie of cronies" of destroying institutions. Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the RBI Board Meet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place, he tweeted. The Congress has accused the Modi government of destroying every institution in the country and the latest one being the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI's crucial board meeting on Monday is expected to take up the liquidity crisis that has triggered a tiff between the government and the central bank. The meeting is being held in the background of tension between the Centre and the RBI after Finance Ministry cited the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. The government on November 9 had said it was discussing an "appropriate" size of capital reserves that the central bank must maintain but denied seeking a massive capital transfer from the RBI. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had also clarified that the government wasn't in any dire needs of funds and that there was no proposal to ask the RBI to transfer Rs 3.6 lakh crore. A petition to relocate a West Dublin bus stop has been supported by the mum of a young Co. Meath woman, who was stabbed during a mugging on Saturday evening. The victim's mum Gwen Jackson, who has spoken out in an effort to highlight the ongoing problems at the bus stop, said her daughter was left traumatised by the attack. Alice Ridsdale-Dooner (20) was waiting at the bus stop, which is on a slip way, for the 105 bus home to Ratoath from Blanchardstown when a man jumped from the bushes around 8pm. "She had just been at the cinema with a friend who got the 109 bus home from the same stop moments earlier," said Gwen. "A young man wearing a grey hoodie and a bandana came out of the bushes, grabbed her and threatened her with what looked like a bread knife. "He said he would stab her if she didn't give him her bag so she did, but he knew somehow that she had her phone in her pocket and demanded that too. Expand Close Gardai investigate an incident at a bus stop in Blanchardstown on Saturday night. Picture: Arthur Carron. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai investigate an incident at a bus stop in Blanchardstown on Saturday night. Picture: Arthur Carron. "He may have been watching from the bushes and saw her put it away. "In the struggle for her phone, he cut her hand and then ran off when two local girls came along to help her. "The bus was coming up the slip way too at the time. The two young girls, also from Ratoath, sat with her on the bus to make sure she was okay and brought her home right to the door. "I'm so glad the girls came along when they did as it may have been worse... "The bus driver did ask her if she wanted him to stop at a garda station but she just wanted to go home. "She's very upset and traumatised by it all. It's an open wound on her hand but it's okay". Gwen rang both Blanchardstown and Ashbourne gardai on Saturday evening and officially reported the incident at Blanchardstown on Sunday. She also says she reported the attack to Bus Eireann this morning. Gwen is urging everyone to sign the petition. It was started six months ago in an effort to get the bus stop relocated and has already been signed by 2,000 people. "It's so dangerous there. The bus stop is so badly lit up and isolated from anywhere. "It's a stop that is used by a lot of students who commute to Blanchardstown from Meath and Louth" The bus stop serves the 105 bus for Ashbourne, Ratoath and Drogheda while the 109 goes to Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells. Chair of the East Meath and North Dublin Bus Users Association Andrew Ralph has been campaigning to get the bus stop moved for a number of months. "In March 2016, Bus Eireann decided to change the bus routes without any consultation with the public and moved this bus stop to a slip road which has no shelter, security or CCT, is dimly lit and waiting passengers are sitting ducks for crime," he said. "Most of the waiting passengers are either senior citizens or young people who have to walk up to 20 minutes to get to it. "Over the months, a number of women have contacted me to say that that men have pulled up at the bus stop and tried to coerce them to get into their cars. "There are huge safety issues here and you can't even see the bus stop at night, it's so badly lit up," he continued. "Bus Eireann have to sit up and take note of the dangers that the location of this bus stop poses. It has been raised with Bus Eireann representatives at two public meetings in the last ten months. "Just a few months ago, a number of teens were mugged near the stop on their way to catch a bus home in mid-July." The petition can be accessed here. In a statement, Bus Eireann said: "Bus Eireann northbound routes out Dublin do not service Blanchardstown SC, due to major congestion issues there, and the majority of customers on-board are travelling further to destinations in Meath or Louth and beyond. "We do have a pick-up stop on the slipway road to service the area, and also ensure overall journey time reliability. Bus stop locations are also overseen by the NTA & local authorities. Lighting in public areas such as bus stops is provided by local authorities. "The Gardai are responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour nationwide and the company co-operate if any incidents arise across the network." Health Minister Simon Harris has said the case of a seriously ill woman who was wrongly told she did not have a faulty gene which increased her odds of cancer is likely to be an isolated incident. The minister said today that Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin will complete a review of the case early this week but the indications are that it was a human error in transcribing the result of the test. It comes after the woman spoke of her distress last night at the failure to receive a personal apology for the potentially life-threatening blunder. The woman, who was incorrectly informed she tested negative for the BRCA1 gene in 2009, is now in "a grave situation" and fighting ovarian cancer. Expand Close Simon Harris Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Harris Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins The Department of Clinical Genetics, which is based in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, and tests children and adults for inherited family diseases, has blamed a "transcription error" for the mistake. The woman's test was analysed at a laboratory in the UK and was correctly read as positive. However, a senior official in the Dublin centre said in a letter that it was negative. The woman's case has triggered a review of how thousands of positive BRCA1 and BRCA2 test results were processed at the centre since 2008 and if the results were communicated properly to all women. A senior official is on leave. Mr Harris told reporters today that the review is to provide reassurance to any woman who has been through that service but isnt expect to throw up any more anomalies. I think thats the right and proper thing to do. They have been very clear that this shouldnt be a cause of alarm and concern. "But they are likely to conclude that review early this week in which case well be able to be very definitive about the matter, Mr Harris said. As of now it is the view of the childrens hospital group that this is a very tragic but isolated incident where there was a transcription error. Its not a testing error. That doesnt seem to be the case at all. More a human error in transcribing the result of the test. Caoimhe Haughey, solicitor for the woman, said last night her client was very upset and angry at the centre and the hospital. "Nothing, absolutely nothing has been communicated directly to this lady by the hospital," she said. Ms Haughey said the women received no explanation and no apology. Earlier, the Children's Hospital Group said it apologised to the woman at the centre of this transcription error and regretted the events. A spokeswoman said: "All facts in this incident currently point to the fact that a transcription error of a genetic test result occurred. This is currently considered to be an isolated incident caused by human error. This fact has been communicated to the woman involved through her treating clinician. "As a precautionary measure, a review by Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, is currently under way of all transcriptions of BRCA tests to ensure tests results were transcribed correctly and that no similar transcription error has occurred. "We want to offer reassurance to other patients who have undergone testing that this is not a testing error and therefore there is no cause for concern or distress." However, Ms Haughey said her client was calling for a wider review. "She wants answers and above all personal accountability - why did this happen to her and an explanation as to how?" She referred to a letter from Professor Andrew Green, head of the centre, that his letter of 2010 incorrectly said her genetic test was normal. "Not one person from the hospital has contacted this lady to date adding insult to injury," said Ms Haughey. "This lady also wants to send out a very sincere and important message to other women and families who have undergone genetic testing at the hospital over the last 10 years and that is to contact your doctor and demand a full review of your chart immediately." The centre, which offers a range of tests for a range of health conditions, has been the subject of a number of critical reports in recent years. A spokeswoman for Health Minister Simon Harris said he had been assured the error would not be replicated. A meeting between senior officials in the centre, the woman and her consultant is due shortly. Rail commuters met with Monday morning traffic woes as a number of DART services were suspended earlier today. Damaged overhead power lines at Shankill led to the disruption of services between Bray and Dalkey. An Irish rail spokesperson told Independent.ie that a team were out working on fixing the lines from about 9am. We are unaware of how they were damaged," the spokesperson said, and confirmed that Dublin Bus were accepting valid rail tickets in the affected areas. Services resumed shortly after 10.30am. The 'La Malouine' tall ship was docked at Carlingford in Co Louth when the incident occurred. Gardai have launched an investigation into the vandalism of a tall ship docked in Co Louth at the weekend. The La Malouine ship was docked at Carlingford Harbour on Saturday when the incident occurred. In a statement from the ships crew, they claimed that the boat was "vandalised, urinated on, defecated and they [the vandals] attempted in three separate sections of the boat to start fires which would have disguised their actions and completely destroyed the vessel". It is understood that the vandals attempted to start a fire onboard before damaging a nearby car, believed to belong to the ship master. "Although extensive smoke damage was done to the galley and captain's cabin, we are thankful that the vandals were unable, despite their best efforts, to light the gas bottle stored on board which would have proved disastrous to the boat and, most likely, the vandals themselves," they said. The same people vandalised the ship master's car, rendering it undrivable and then throwing his bike into the harbour along with expensive sailing jackets and ships equipment." Ship master Roy Kerr from Scotland said he was shocked to hear of the damage done, particularly because of the kindness shown by locals in the area. I cant get my head around why someone would do this. Carlingford is such a beautiful place, its always so busy at the weekend and the people here are absolutely fantastic, Mr Kerr told Independent.ie. Its mind-blowing that someone would deliberately do this. I was shocked. Mr Kerr said it would be some time before the boat is up and running because of the smoke damage to the cabins. It will be a while before the smell of burning and smoke disappears, he said. Mr Kerr explained that they allow people to come aboard for free to experience life on the ship, teaching them about sailing and navigation. The purpose of La Malouine and Tall Ships like her are to keep a tradition of sailing alive which would otherwise be lost to history, a crew member added. Whilst working towards that goal, we look to help disadvantaged young people discover within themselves a sense of fellowship, self-worth and confidence. A garda spokesperon told Independent.ie that they are investigating the damage on the boat, as well as damage done to the car. Gardai are investigating an incident at Carlingford Harbour on 18th November. Between 12 midnight and 2am, a boat moored in the harbour and a car parked nearby were damaged. Aoife Murphy (15) from Co Westmeath believes the voting age should be lower from 18 to 16. Photo: Unicef Ireland A transition year student campaigning to lower the voting age to 16 met with the Taoiseach today ahead of World Children's Day. Aoife Murphy (15) from Delvin, Co Westmeath was the winner of this year's 'Kids Take Over' competition with Unicef Ireland, part of a global campaign that allows young people to shadow world leaders for a day. Participants were asked to submit a video explaining what they would like to change about the lives of children in Ireland. A student at Eureka Secondary School in Kells, Co Meath, Aoife's passion for politics spurred her on to enter the competition. The teen said she believes in the importance of lowering the voting age to 16, and used her entry to demonstrate what 16-year-olds can already do in Ireland. "I think its very important that the age is lowered. Adults and people in government are making decisions for our future and we have no say, and I think we should have a say," Aoife told Independent.ie. "As 16-year-olds, if were mature enough to drive a tractor, consent to medical treatment and so on, I think were definitely mature enough to be given the responsibility and opportunity to have a say in our future." Aoife said her interest in politics stemmed from her family, but said she thinks it's "absolutely important" that her peers take an interest in politics and public life when they're young. "My family are big into politics themselves, we watch the news every evening so that contributes to it," she said. "But absolutely, I think young people should be very engaged with political life. They should know exactly whats going on in their country, because those decisions now could be affecting them later." Speaking at the launch of the 'First 5' initiative by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Aoife said she was "really excited" to meet the Taoiseach and make her first trip to the Dail. "Im really looking forward to meeting the Taoiseach and getting to speak to him one-on-one, and also going to the Dail because Ive never been before, so Im really excited for that." Executive Director of Unicef Ireland, Peter Power, said they were "delighted" that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had agreed to work with them ahead of the second World Children's Day event. "We're delighted that the Taoiseach has engaged with Unicef on this over the last two years. He's one of few leaders across the world that has devoted significant time with young children on World Childrens Day, so were delighted that he can do that," Mr Power told Independent.ie. Mr Power praised Aoife's entry as the "standout" candidate and said that the issue of lowering the voting age was one that resonated with them. "We were looking for somebody who was highly engaged, highly articulate, who would work on a particular issue that is relevant to young people and Aoifes issue, which is campaigning to reduce the voting age in Ireland, was one that very much resonated with us." The 'First 5' initiative was launched today ahead of World Children's Day tomorrow. The strategy aims to provide a whole-of-government plan for babies, young children and their families from 2019 to 2028. The ambitious 10 year plan aims to deliver a broader range of options for parents, new models of parenting support and new developments in child heath. It also aims to deliver a package of measures to tackle early childhood poverty and reform of the Early Learning and Care system. The founder of Focus Ireland says older children who are homeless feel shame and embarrassment about their situation. Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, an advocate for the homeless for more than 30 years, said she initially believed that younger children were affected more. But the Kerry-born Sister of Charity now realises it is older children who feel it more. "I suppose it's clearer to me now that the older children find it really embarrassing as well as really difficult," she says. "They go to school and they can't invite their friends back. Some of them don't want to tell their friends where they are because they're so ashamed of it. Imposing that sort of shame on children is wrong, and it's cruel as well, and we've no right to do it," she says fiercely. Asked if these children should be getting counselling, she says: "Of course they should be and they will need it later. "What is the effect of it, we don't know fully. We can't tell because we haven't seen it before." The crisis is now well beyond her powers of description, she says, with a new family becoming homeless every eight hours. "I've no language anymore to describe it. It's beyond description is all I can say," she says. About six weeks ago, the Focus Ireland coffee shop on Eustace Street in Dublin city took the step of extending its opening hours until nine o'clock, so that families can have somewhere to be and somewhere for their children to play, as they face the stressful scramble of finding a hotel room for the night. Often they will have 50 people at a time in the centre. She talks of the 'totally unnatural' existence these families are enduring, after spending perhaps four years in a hotel room or a bed and breakfast, with children forced to traverse the city on multiple buses to get to school. One young mother had recently told her that she felt as though she was rearing her children 'in an institution' and was not able to be a mother to them - fearing that she will have lost all her skills of mothering from this life. "The most central thing is that it doesn't provide security and for any child that's central," Sr Stan says. "That's how we grow and develop, through the security and love that we get at home in childhood, to learn in a normal way and to play in a normal way. "It's deskilling parents as well as causing damage to children, damage that will really affect them for the rest of their lives and that's the appalling thing about it - it is the kind of damage that goes on," she says. "I mean it's unconscionable and unbelievable that we allow families to live like that today - and not only do we allow them, we make them," she says. Sr Stan believes that as a society we are now far too busy and are merely living our lives on the surface. She has written a new book, 'Awakening Inner Peace: A Little Book of Hours', which she hopes will help people to find a moment of spiritual comfort in their day, at a time when they need it. "This is an effort to help people to stop and enter into that peace that is within them and to allow that to bring more peace and calm into our day," she said. It is something she needs herself, she adds. Asked if she has confidence in the current Government to handle the urgency of the housing crisis, she shakes her head slowly. "No, I don't think so," she says, adding: "I can't say it strongly enough. More is needed now. "We need housing and we need it now." She believes it is 'massaging the figures' - or at least attempting to - but advocates such as Focus are too aware of the real situation on the ground for it to be successful, she adds firmly. "There has to be a real commitment to social and affordable housing, and it has to be provided by the State. "It can't be market driven because the market has no conscience and we can't expect the market to have a conscience." Incident: The woman fell from a window at the Clarence Hotel. Photo: Douglas OConnor A young woman is fighting for her life after she fell from the second floor window of a well-known Dublin hotel. Gardai are trying to find out how the 21-year-old victim fell out of the window of the Clarence Hotel in Temple Bar, which is owned by U2 members Bono and The Edge. A 23-year-old woman has been arrested by investigating officers, while it has also emerged that more than 5,000 in cash was found in the room by gardai. It is believed that the women, who are both Czech nationals, are not tourists but have been working in the capital. The horror fall happened last Monday evening, and the woman was rushed to St James's Hospital where she is continuing to be treated for serious injuries. The pair are understood to have booked into a room at the Clarence Hotel prior to the incident. Gardai believe that a row broke out between the two women, before the victim either fell or jumped from the second floor of the hotel. She landed on the concrete ground and suffered serious injuries. The Czech woman was rushed to St James's Hospital where she remains in a serious condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). Officers from Pearse Street garda station were called to the scene and later arrested a 23-year-old woman. She has since been released without charge. The two women are known to each other and are understood to be living in Dublin. A Garda spokeswoman confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing and that a person has been arrested as part of the probe. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Fine Gael ard fheis at the weekend. Picture: Frank McGrath Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is defending his new tax policy of promising a major giveaway for middle-income earners. In a move reminiscent of Celtic Tiger-era party conferences, the Fine Gael leader told his Ard Fheis that if re-elected he will cut tax bills by up to 3,000. By raising tax bands over five years, the Taoiseach pledged to bring the rate at which workers start paying the top rate to 50,000. At present, people can earn up 35,550 before being hit with the higher tax rate. The move would see an additional 3,000 in the pocket of someone earning 50,000 who would pay 20pc on their entire earnings at the end of the five years under the proposals. The move would cost 600m per year and benefit 920,000 workers. Fine Gael has drawn ire from the Opposition for "electioneering", but Mr Varadkar rejected suggestions the move was straight out of Bertie Ahern's election strategy. He defended the policy and said it was contingent on a growing economy and was necessary to remain competitive in a post-Brexit era. Mr Varadkar said he was happy to stand over a policy that would ease the tax burden on middle-income earners. He said the Government will be able to invest in services and in areas such as housing and health in addition to introducing the tax break. "We will find some space to give Middle Ireland a tax cutthey deserve it... we think it makes good economic sense as well," he said on RTE's 'The Week in Politics' programme. In a separate interview he also continued to ramp up the pressure on Fianna Fail over the ongoing negotiations on a renewal of the confidence and supply deal between the parties. An independent review of the procurement process for the National Broadband Plan is due this week and it is expected to form a key part of negotiations between the parties in the coming days. Fine Gael's senior ministers used the ard fheis to try to turn up the heat on Micheal Martin's party to end the review period of the current deal and move into the negotiations on the next one. It came against a backdrop of the party proclaiming itself election ready, with Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan noting the printing machines are "well oiled". However, senior Fianna Fail figures retaliated by slamming the unwillingness of Fine Gael to conduct a review looking back on progress over the lifetime of the deal in key areas such as health and housing. Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary told a dinner for members that if Mr Varadkar wanted a blank cheque to continue in power he would have to "write to Santy" to get one. Mr Varadkar claimed if both parties really wanted to do a deal it could be done in a weekend. He accused Fianna Fail of "dragging their feet" and said the country needs stability in the face of Brexit which is at a crucial stage. However, Mr Martin's party rejected this suggestion. "Fianna Fail cannot understand why the Taoiseach and ministers seem to be afraid of, or are trying to dodge, this review. They seem to be only interested in discussing a two-year extension and want to be given a blank cheque," a party spokesperson said. Shah said in tweets that Modis challenge had ruffled several feathers with many courtiers going out of the way to prove their loyalty. New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah hit out at the Congress on Sunday accusing the party of being a family-run enterprise. In a dig at Congress leaders, including Mr P. Chidambaram who had named several party presidents hailing from outside the Gandhi family, Mr Shah said in tweets that Modis challenge had ruffled several feathers with many courtiers going out of the way to prove their loyalty. Evidently, the Prime Ministers point had struck a raw nerve, he added. Mr Shah tweeted, The Prime Minister is right. The Congress (Indira) since its inception in 1978 has been led by four members of one family for most of the years, thus making it more of a family enterprise aimed at dynastic service rather than a political party aimed at public service. He was referring to the split in the Congress in 1978 following its loss in the 1977 parliamentary polls, with the Indira Gandhi-led faction recognised as Congress(I). As she returned to power in 1980, her faction was later recognised by the Election Commission (EC) as the real Congress. Two Congress chiefs, who were not from the Nehru-Gandhi family, were treated in the most shabby manner possible in the recent past, Mr. Shah alleged. The BJP chief further added, Going further back in time, the likes of Babu Jagjivan Ram, S. Nijalingappa, K. Kamaraj were humiliated by one family. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, though senior, was not allowed to be president by one family. U.N. Dhebar was asked to step aside as Congress president for Indira Gandhi. A robber held a knife to a woman's neck before stabbing her hand and stealing her bag while she was waiting at an isolated bus stop. The attack, which occurred at about 7.45pm on Saturday, took place while a group of young women and teenagers waited for a Bus Eireann bus at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre westbound slip road in Dublin. It is understood the robber, who wore a bandana around his face, approached one of the group - a 20-year-old woman from Ratoath, Co Meath - with a knife and held it to her neck. He stabbed the terrified woman in her hand before running away with her handbag. A Garda investigation is now underway, but no arrests have been made to date. "A female's bag was taken from her at knife-point and she received a minor injury to her hand at the time of the robbery. Investigations are ongoing," a Garda spokesperson said. Fianna Fail Meath East general election candidate Deirdre Geraghty-Smith described the bus stop where the attack took place as "notorious". "This is very disturbing and is something no one in the local community either expects or is prepared for. There have been increasing concerns raised by bus users about safety at this bus stop over the last number of months. "It is isolated, in darkness and people awaiting buses are extremely vulnerable to opportunistic attacks. This attack should act as a spur to move this bus stop to a safer, more central location to ensure that commuters waiting for a bus can feel safe." A spokesperson for Bus Eireann told the Irish Independent that gardai were responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour. "Bus stop locations are also overseen by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and local authorities. Lighting in public areas such as bus stops is provided by local authorities," they said. An elderly woman was airlifted from a luxury cruise ship off the coast of Kerry this afternoon following a serious medical emergency. Valencia Coast Guard received a call at around 2.15pm this afternoon asking for assistance aboard the Queen Mary II Luxury Cruise Ship. Rescue Helicopter 115 was dispatched and brought the woman to Limerick University Hospital where her condition was believed to be serious but stable. The ship was located around 90km south west of the Fastnet Rock in Co Cork when the call came in. It prompted the ship to alter the course of its sailing for a period of time in order to accommodate the arrival of the helicopter. The woman, whose age is not known, is understood to be from Australia and was transported to Limerick Hospital alone. You might hate Monday, but you'll love our weekly pick of Ireland's top travel offers... 88pp: Two nights in Prague Did you know Ryanair does package holidays? Among current deals are return flights plus two nights at a 4-star hotel in Prague from just 88pp (or 176 in total). The offer is based on a Sunday, February 24 departure, and should be booked before December 2. Book here or call 01 691-7197; holidays.ryanair.com. 299: Black Friday ski specials Black Friday falls on November 23, but the deals are already pouring in. DirectSki.com has a seven-night package to Chamonix in the French Alps departing January 19 from 299pp. That's a saving of up to 50pc on the brochure price, based on five people sharing a the 3-star, self-catering Residence La Riviere. Austrian deals start from 349pp. directski.com. 449pp: St Patricks Day in Iceland Fancy flying to Iceland for Paddy's Day? Cassidy Travel has a three-night break from 449pps, including flights, transfers, 3-star accommodation and an excursion to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. 01 878-6888; cassidytravel.ie. 899pp: Seven nights in Vegas and New York You can save 150pp on this week-long, twin-centre package with American Sky. Costing 899pp, it includes return flights, four nights at the Luxor Resort (or similar) in Vegas, three nights in New York, and is valid for 2019 holidays booked before November 30. 01 664-9900; americansky.ie. 1,579: 2020 family holidays in Tenerife This is the earliest TUI has ever put a summer programme on sale. 2020 offers include a seven-night, 3-star package to Tenerife departing May 22 from 1,579 in total for two adults and one child. A similar deal to Majorca costs 1,709. 1850 45 35 45; tuiholidays.ie. PS. Exclusive holiday discounts Have you seen Independent Discounts? The site has a host of special offers and discount codes, with travel brands ranging from Aer Lingus to ClickAndGo.com, Irish Ferries and Expedia.ie. This week, offers include a 20pc Groupon discount code for Black Friday week. See discountcode.independent.ie/travel-accommodation. NB: All travel deals subject to availability/change. 'In the end they were all heroes. But without any doubt, Peter OMahony was the heroes hero.' Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Surely a mature Jacob Stockdale would at some future date cut a dash as the first president of a united Ireland. His piece of rugby magic in the second half sealed an epic win for Ireland. For a large chunk of Saturday, the people of Ireland, from Fair Head to Carnsore Point, from Malin to Mizen, and joined by Irish exiles in many places across the globe, parked woes such as Brexit and fretting about things like "hard borders", or indeed any kind of border. We all simply savoured a display of skill and flair, of enormous courage and passion, which saw Ireland's rugby team outplay and outwit the greatest rugby side in the world, the New Zealand All Blacks, for a first ever home win. Among the many delights on the day was the display by Jacob Stockdale and the leadership of captain Rory Best. Both are proud Ulster rugby players. They combined with our other heroes, such as Jonathan Sexton from Dublin via Kerry, Cork's Peter O'Mahony, Keith Earls from Moyross in Limerick, and Tadhg Furlong from Campile in south Wexford, to deliver a night of nights for all Irish sports lovers. There were tears of joy and whoops of celebration in every corner of the island of Ireland, and wherever else across the world the green was worn with inordinate pride. And for some fleeting moments, dreams such as 'President Stockdale', born of generous fellow-feeling - and never any sectional small-time politics - did not appear too far-fetched. In the end, all 22 players who graced the park at Lansdowne Road were heroes who deserve our undying gratitude. But without any doubt, Peter O'Mahony was the heroes' hero. That was epitomised by this newspaper's rugby writer, who gave all the Irish unusually high personal rankings, reflecting extraordinary performances. But Peter O'Mahony rated a most unusual but well-deserved 10 out of 10. All credit must also go to the team coach, Joe Schmidt, for his attention to every detail and his ingenious strategic skills. He is now rated the best coach in the world of international rugby - guiding a side which is rated the best rugby team on the planet. Let us all pause and savour that for a moment longer. It is some achievement for a small island where so many other games are also played with passion and commitment. Sport is a universal language which transcends language barriers, borders, and other obstacles to communication and accord between peoples. It puts the island of Ireland on the world map, bringing kudos which will be helpful in culture, commerce and other facets of international relations. This is a moment of pure joy helping us dream more generous dreams. From the moment the people of the United Kingdom voted, in their wisdom, to leave the European Union it was widely accepted that, from the perspective of Ireland, there would be no such thing as a good Brexit. The draft withdrawal agreement since negotiated between the European Union and the UK, to be sure, represents the best possible outcome for Ireland. The fact remains, however, that Brexit, in whatever form, is still bad news for this country. That said, the Government and officials here and representing the EU are to be commended for negotiating an agreement which would mitigate the worst possible outcomes here. However, the final outcome is still far from certain. Political developments in the UK since the agreement was published last week, while predictable at a level, are also alarming. Ireland is not out of the woods yet, although a clearing is in sight, before the second phase of this process begins - negotiations on a trade agreement between the EU and UK. However, the possibility of a disastrous no-deal Brexit still remains. So vigilance and all effort must be maintained in Dublin until the threat of a leadership challenge to UK prime minister Theresa May is resolved, the prospect of a snap general election in the UK recedes and the current draft agreement is supported by the EU27 and, more uncertainly, passes through the House of Commons in the UK. If we have learned one thing in the tortuous process since the UK voted more than two years ago, it is that the Brexit referendum campaign was conducted in a shockingly misleading fashion by those who supported the UK's exit from the EU. Indeed, the decision of the former UK prime minister David Cameron to hold a referendum on this issue in the first place was badly misplaced. Further, the manner in which influential elements within the UK establishment sought to conduct the negotiations was illuminating in either its naivete or ignorance, wilful or otherwise. However poorly the UK managed the negotiations - it made several tactical errors - an agreement has emerged which is mostly a tribute to the ingenuity of career civil servants and, no doubt, the host of lawyers behind it. That agreement exposes the excesses of the shockingly misleading Brexiteers. The people of the UK have been subjected to a sharp learning curve with some evidence available that a relevant proportion would now vote otherwise. At the moment there is some momentum behind a campaign for a second referendum, either on the draft agreement itself or, indeed, more widely to include a question on whether the people of the UK, knowing what they know now, still want to leave the EU. There is a counter argument that the people have spoken and that to hold a second referendum would do little to bind a deeply divided country. Furthermore, there is no certainty that a second referendum would reverse the decision to leave the EU. On balance, however, so ill-informed was the referendum campaign up to June 2016, we would tend to support those calls for a second referendum with the enticing possibility that the people will next time vote to remain in the European Union. At a minimum, they would know what they are voting for next time. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a walkabout on day four of the royal couple's tour of New Zealand on October 31, 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, raises her glass as she attends a state dinner at Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji October 23, 2018. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, arrive for a reception and state dinner at Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji October 23, 2018. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Official arrival at the Governemtn House on October 28, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Sydney Airport on October 28, 2018 in Sydney, Australia Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the newly unveiled UK war memorial and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park on October 28, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018 in London, England Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet models wearing the work of industry leading artists in film, sculpture and costume design during a visit to Courtney Creative on October 29, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand Meghan, Britain's Duchess of Sussex arrives for a reception hosted by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland on October 30, 2018 In this handout image provided by Clarence House, HRH Prince Charles Prince of Wales poses for an official portrait to mark his 70th Birthday in the gardens of Clarence House, with Their Royal Highnesses Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Willliam Duke of Cambridge, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, on September 5, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson / Clarence House via Getty Images) Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leave after an Armistice Service at Westminster Abbey in Westminster, London, Britain, November 11, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Auckland War Memorial Museum for a reception hosted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on October 30, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs on October 31, 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the unveiling of the Labalaba Statue on October 25, 2018 in Nadi, Fiji Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walking along Kingfisher bay walk about on October 22, 2018 in Fraser Island, Australia Staff at Kensington Palace are reportedly struggling to adjust to Meghan Markle's attention to detail and independent streak. Britain's Duchess of Sussex is said to wake up at 5am every day "rain or shine" and tackles the day with the kind of ferocious work ethic that elevated her to the upper echelons of Hollywood and royalty. But it's especially her rule-breaking approach to royal fashion that has ruffled feathers behind palace gates. "Meghan is being told she needs to start dressing less like a Hollywood star and more like a royal," a source told The Mail on Sunday. Expand Close Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Sydney Airport on October 28, 2018 in Sydney, Australia / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Sydney Airport on October 28, 2018 in Sydney, Australia Markle, who is expecting her first child with husband Prince Harry, was already in hot water with Queen Elizabeth's team on one occasion since her wedding - when she didn't understand that she was expected to wear a hat on their well-documented trip to Cheshire in June. Read More Her grandmother-in-law is a stickler for tradition and has a few steadfast rules expected of women's dress in the royal family and Meghan's refusal to wear nude tights except when absolutely necessary and high hemlines are said to be a cause of friction. It's not the first time that reports of behind the scenes differences have been documented with her wardrobe, a lot of which is informed by her best friend and Toronto based celebrity stylist Jessica Mulroney. Earlier this year, it was reported the Duchess of Sussex was "frustrated with some of the monarchys archaic traditions" when Harry vetoed a Stella McCartney tuxedo for their tour in Australia, as it was still seen as a style step too far. Expand Close Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, raises her glass as she attends a state dinner at Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji October 23, 2018. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, raises her glass as she attends a state dinner at Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji October 23, 2018. Ian Vogler/Pool via REUTERS Andrew Richardson leans back and strikes a pose in his window check suit. The handsome 6ft 2in man from Co Mayo has walked the catwalk, and he is back in Ireland to model for Louis Copeland. The photoshoot identifies a new trend emerging in the formal male clothing market. David O'Connor, general manager at Louis Copeland, calls it "the casualisation of suits and the fact that the modern suit should be thought of as two, or three, pieces rather than just a standard grey or navy suit." The concept is to buy well, go top end for the best cut and fabrics and then use your jacket or trousers as separate pieces to maximise the wear. Think of pairing your suit not only with shirts and ties but try wearing a fine knit, long-sleeve polo- or roll-neck for a chic casual look for the Christmas party season. A pocket-square finishes any casual jacket look and it should compliment rather than match the jacket. Leaders of Asia-Pacific nations failed for the first time to agree a joint communique at a summit in Papua New Guinea yesterday after police were called when trade tensions between the US and China boiled over. Insiders said the sticking point was US demands to include reference to reforming the World Trade Organisation and "unfair trade practices", which Beijing took as an unsubtle dig. Chinese diplomats turned up unannounced to persuade Rimbink Pato, Papua New Guinea's foreign minister, to back their wording, but things turned ugly when he refused to meet them. "Police were posted outside the minister's office after they tried to barge in," one source privy to summit negotiations told the AFP news agency. The source asked to remain anonymous. Instead of a leaders' declaration backed by the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec), Peter O'Neill, prime minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG), said he would issue a chairman's statement. It marks the first time in Apec's 29-year history that its members could not agree. When asked which nations could not agree, Mr O'Neill replied: "You know the two big giants in the room." East-West tensions were on display from the start of the summit, with the two blocs manoeuvring for influence. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, was feted by PNG officials when he arrived on Thursday to pitch his Belt and Road initiative to Pacific island nations. The programme offers investment in infrastructure to less developed countries. In response, Mike Pence, the US vice-president, warned smaller countries not to be seduced by Chinese money that comes with strings attached. The US and its allies - Japan, Australia and New Zealand - countered with a $1.7bn (1.5bn) plan to deliver reliable electricity and the internet to PNG. China came away with at least one success. A Tongan official said it had signed up to the initiative and had been given a five-year deferral on loan repayments, as Chinese officials insisted they did not want to add to the burden of small countries. Mr Pence said in a blunt speech there would be no end to US tariffs on $250bn of Chinese goods until China changed its ways. As he left the PNG capital of Port Moresby yesterday, he listed US differences with China. "They begin with trade practices, with tariffs and quotas, forced technology transfers, the theft of intellectual property. It goes beyond that to freedom of navigation in the seas, concerns about human rights," Mr Pence said. He also took direct aim at Mr Xi's signature Belt and Road initiative, saying in his speech countries should not accept debt that compromised their sovereignty. "We do not offer a constricting belt or a one-way road," he said. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Gehlot in an exclusive interview to PTI said he would be open to any role Congress president Rahul Gandhi assigns him in the interest of the party. New Delhi: Congress stalwart from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday he did not hold any position in priority and will abide by the decision the party high command takes on the issue of CM post. Not ruling himself out of the race for the top post in the state should Congress win, Mr Gehlot in an exclusive interview to PTI said he would be open to any role Congress president Rahul Gandhi assigns him in the interest of the party. I am ready for whatever role Congress president gives me. I am against any kind of lobbying for any position. I have never lobbied even when I faced dissidence as CM. If they (the high command) send me to Rajasthan in party interest, it will be their decision, the powerful AICC general secretary said. He said he is more than satisfied with his long political career as a five-time Lok Sabha MP, three time Union minister and ten-year Rajasthan chief minister. No post is a priority for me. I am more than satisfied with my political innings and the question before me now is how to bring the party in power in Rajasthan first and then in the country under the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. I will be ready for any role I am assigned, he said when asked if he is in the race for chief ministership should Congress come to power. Asked whether the fact that all top state leaders contesting elections in Rajasthan will heat up the power race in the party after polls, Mr Gehlot said the issue of CM will be amicably resolved by the party high command which will take a decision on three grounds party interest, public and MLAs sentiments. There will be no problem. The high commands decision will be acceptable to all... Whatever they decide will be acceptable to all, he said, accusing the BJP of raising the CM issue for political reasons. On whether there will be a new CM face other than him or Mr Pilot, Mr Gehlot said it will be the party high commands decision. The two-term ex-CM of Rajasthan also said the decision on who the next CM will be will not be hampered by the presence of the entire top state brass in elections. Asked why all state leaders were contesting in Rajasthan, unlike in Madhya Pradesh, he said it is a decision which the Congress president has taken, and he welcomed it. Emmanuel Macron has said Europe must "take more responsibility for its defence and security", while visiting Berlin for a remembrance service to victims of war and dictatorships. The French president - speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel - warned the continent could not influence global politics if its "content to play a secondary role on the international scene". He added that the two countries were "invested with this obligation not to allow the world to slide into chaos". The comments, made yesterday, could be seen as a swipe at US President Donald Trump, who reacted angrily last week to Mr Macron's suggestions Europe should develop its own army in order to be less reliant on America. Ms Merkel has offered theoretical long-term support for the idea of such an army. The remarks came as the two leaders used the visit to also discuss issues including migration, fixing the euro currency, and taxing digital companies. It emerged they have struck an agreed position on a common budget for EU countries that use the shared euro - something Mr Macron has persistently pushed for. The size of the budget - quoted by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire as around 25bn - is far below what the French leader had proposed. But the compromise underlines Germany's reluctance to do anything that might be perceived as transferring taxpayer money from its own economy to the likes of Italy or Greece. A European summit in December is also now expected to rubber stamp limited proposals to strengthen the euro currency with a series of measures including upgrading the eurozone's bailout fund. Pope Francis has criticised "the wealthy few" for enjoying what, "in justice, belongs to all" and said Christians could not remain indifferent to the growing cries of the exploited and the indigent, including migrants. The Pope invited about 6,000 poor people as well as some of the volunteers who help them to the splendour of St Peter's Basilica where he celebrated Mass on a day the Catholic Church dedicates to the needy. Later, he sat down with 1,500 of the indigent for a lunch of lasagna, chicken, mashed potatoes and tiramisu in a Vatican auditorium. Hundreds of small businesses are to press ahead with a 350 million legal action against CYBG over claims they were mis-sold loans. RGL Management, which represents the SMEs, expects to make a claim against Clydesdale and its former parent, National Australia Bank (NAB), in the first half of next year. RGL alleges that small businesses suffered a loss from tailored business loans that were sold to them between 2001 and 2012. Last month RGL brought in All Square Finance to help bring hundreds more businesses to join the suit and the company said the claim size is growing. The announcement from RGL comes ahead of CYBG, parent company of Clydesdale Bank, publishing its financial results on Tuesday. James Hayward, RGLs chief executive, said he is extremely confident about the legal merits of the case. This is especially so given the persistent failure of both defendants to disclose pertinent information requested repeatedly over a period of nearly a year as part of pre-action protocol correspondence. Thousands of affected businesses will hope that tomorrow the bank acknowledges our claim, he said. CYBG was formed in 2016 after the NAB divested its UK operations and the bank recently completed a 1.6 billion takeover of Virgin Money. A CYBG spokeswoman said: We are engaged in correspondence with RGLs solicitors in connection with the historical sale of fixed-rate tailored business loans. No claim has been received. The bank has dedicated substantial effort in recent years working through this historic conduct matter, engaging openly and transparently with customers as part of a wide-ranging remediation programme. We have made significant progress in resolving the vast majority of cases. The allegations contained within the correspondence are not accepted by the bank and if necessary will be defended in the strongest terms possible. Jim Jones Jr, the adopted black son of the Rev Jim Jones, speaks to a service for the 40th Jonestown anniversary at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland (Tim Reiterman/AP) Ceremonies at a California cemetery marked the mass murders and suicides 40 years ago of 900 Americans orchestrated by the Reverend Jim Jones at a jungle settlement in Guyana, South America. The remains of more than 400 Jonestown victims are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Jones adopted son Jim Jones Jr and other former Peoples Temple members conducted a service on Sunday at granite slabs bearing names of all 918 who died in Guyana on November 18 1978. Expand Close File photo shows the Peoples Temple compound, after bodies were removed, in Jonestown, Guyana (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp File photo shows the Peoples Temple compound, after bodies were removed, in Jonestown, Guyana (AP) Minister Jynona Norwood, who lost 27 relatives, separately unveiled a portable memorial wall to honour more than 300 children and other victims. She left off the names of Jones and those she says assisted him. Both memorials list California Congressman Leo Ryan, three journalists and a church defector killed by temple gunmen at an airstrip. The killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have smuggled his dismembered body out of Turkey in luggage, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has claimed. Mr Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, sparking global outrage against the kingdom and de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Riyadh had offered numerous contradictory explanations for his disappearance, before saying Mr Khashoggi was killed after "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. Speaking at a conference in Canada, Mr Akar said Mr Khashoggi's killers may have taken the journalist's body parts out of Turkey in luggage. "One probability is that they left the country three to four hours after committing the murder. They may have taken out Khashoggi's dismembered corpse inside luggage without facing problems due to their diplomatic immunity," Mr Akar told CNN Turk. Turkey has said a group of 15 individuals, including a two-man "clean-up team", was involved, and Mr Khashoggi's body had been dismembered. Turkish officials have also called for an investigation into whether the body was dissolved in acid. Saudi public prosecutor Shalaan al-Shalaan said last week Mr Khashoggi's body was dismembered, removed from the building and handed to an unidentified "local co-operator". More than a month after the murder, Turkey is trying to maintain pressure on Prince Mohammed, releasing a stream of evidence that undermined Riyadh's early denials. US President Donald Trump has described a CIA assessment blaming Prince Mohammed for the killing as "very premature" and said he would receive a complete report on the case tomorrow. Mr Trump said he did not want to listen to an audio recording of the murder, despite facing mounting pressure to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing. Mr Trump said he would not listen to it "because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape. "I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it ... It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." Turkish officials who heard the recordings, which include Mr Khashoggi's killing and conversations leading up to the operation, were horrified by the contents. Chicago police say they are responding to a shooting near a hospital with reports of multiple victims. A department spokesman issued a statement on Twitter saying officers are responding after shots were fired near Mercy Hospital on the citys South Side. Officers are doing a methodical search of Mercy hospital. At least one possible offender is shot. Please avoid the area of 26th and Michigan Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018 The department says there are reports of multiple victims. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said officers are searching the hospital. A #ChicagoPolice officer has been shot in the active shooter incident at Mercy Hospital. He is in critical condition but receiving excellent care. Please send your prayers. pic.twitter.com/kFfMY1ZmF7 Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018 He added that at least one possible offender is shot, but no details were immediately released. Police asked people to avoid the area. Television footage showed several people, including some wearing white coats, walking through a car park with their arms up. Carlos Ghosn, president and chief executive of Nissan, with the 5 millionth car a Qashqai to roll off the production line at its Sunderland plant. Nissans high-flying chairman Carlos Ghosn is to be dismissed after the Japanese car giant said an internal investigation found he under-reported his income and engaged in other significant misconduct. The Japanese broadcaster NHK said Mr Ghosn was arrested on Monday after he voluntarily submitted to questioning by Tokyo prosecutors. The Yokohama-based company, one of the worlds largest carmakers, said the violations were discovered during an investigation over several months that was instigated by a whistleblower. Mr Ghosn, 64, also allegedly engaged in personal use of company assets, it said. Expand Close Carlos Ghosn (David Parry/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carlos Ghosn (David Parry/PA) Nissan said it was providing information to the prosecutors and cooperating with their investigation. The allegations also concern a Nissan representative director, Greg Kelly, it said. Nissans chief executive Hiroto Saikawa planned to propose to its board that Mr Ghosn and Mr Kelly both be removed from their posts, the company said in a statement. Nissan deeply apologises for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders. We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures, it said. The Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi group is among the biggest auto alliances in the world, selling about 10 million vehicles a year. Before joining Renault, Mr Ghosn worked for Michelin North America. Expand Close Nissan cars at the Nissan Factory in Sunderland (Owen Humphreys/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nissan cars at the Nissan Factory in Sunderland (Owen Humphreys/PA) Shares in Renault SA of France plunged 14% early on Monday. The news of Mr Ghosns troubles broke after Japanese markets had closed for the day. The allegations are a serious blow at a time when Nissan and Mitsubishi Motor Co are still overcoming scandals over their quality testing reporting. Mr Ghosn is credited with helping engineer a remarkable turnaround at Nissan over the past two decades, resuscitating the Japanese automaker from near bankruptcy after he was sent in by Renault. He served as Nissans chief executive from 2001 until April 2017, becoming chief executive of Renault in 2005, leading the two major carmakers simultaneously. Expand Close A Nissan sign (Andrew Matthews/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Nissan sign (Andrew Matthews/PA) In 2016, Mr Ghosn became Mitsubishi Motors chairman. For the past two decades, he has maintained an unusually high profile in a nation where foreign chief executives of major Japanese companies are still relatively rare. Mr Ghosn has appeared on magazine covers dressed in a kimono, vowing to renew the Nissan brand. He was widely praised in Japanese industry circles for delivering sorely needed cost cuts and introducing greater efficiency at a time when Nissan needed a fresh start. US president Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the very violent, very vicious killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Trump, in an interview that aired on Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the October 2 killing of Mr Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. Its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. Ive been fully briefed on it, theres no reason for me to hear it, Mr Trump said in the interview with Fox News Sunday. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. On Saturday, Mr Trump said his administration will be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday. He said the report will include who did it. It was unclear if the report would be made public. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it.Donald Trump A US official says intelligence agencies have concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. Others familiar with the case say questions remain about what role he played. Saudi officials deny the crown prince was involved. Expand Close The members of Arab-Turkish Media Association and friends hold posters as they attend funeral prayers in absentia for Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (Emrah Gurel/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The members of Arab-Turkish Media Association and friends hold posters as they attend funeral prayers in absentia for Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi (Emrah Gurel/AP) Mr Trump noted to Fox News Sunday that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Will anybody really know? Mr Trump asked. At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good. A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no smoking gun linking the crown prince to the killing. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that its hard to imagine that the crown prince did not know about the killing, but he said, I dont know that we absolutely know that yet. He said that Congress will await the Trump administrations report in the next two days and that the US will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabias strategic role in the Middle East. Expand Close A video image of Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, is played during an event to remember the reporter (J Scott Applewhite/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A video image of Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, is played during an event to remember the reporter (J Scott Applewhite/AP) For his part, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a wrecking ball in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Grahams concerned, the South Carolina Republican told NBCs Meet The Press. I have no intention of working with him ever again, said Mr Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Intelligence officials have been providing information to Mr Trump for weeks about the death, and he was briefed again by phone Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California. The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountableUS State Department White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call but said the president has confidence in the CIA. The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable, the State Department said in a statement. Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi. The statement added: The US government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Before his call on Air Force One, Mr Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. Were going to have to find out what they have to say. That echoed remarks by national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates the crown prince. Mr Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups. But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonise the Saudi rulers. Mr Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda. But members of Congress are pushing Mr Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration this past week penalised 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but American politicians have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures. Turkish and Saudi authorities say Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing the White House on November 17. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images) US president Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the "very violent, very vicious" killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Trump, in an interview that aired on Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the October 2 killing of Mr Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Mr Trump said in the interview with Fox News Sunday. "I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." On Saturday, Mr Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday". He said the report will include "who did it". It was unclear if the report would be made public. A US official says intelligence agencies have concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. Expand Close Pressure: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pressure: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: AFP/Getty Images Others familiar with the case say questions remain about what role he played. Saudi officials deny the crown prince was involved. Mr Trump noted to Fox News Sunday that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. "Will anybody really know?" Mr Trump asked. "At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Expand Close Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi died last month (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi died last month (PA) A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no "smoking gun" linking the crown prince to the killing. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that "it's hard to imagine" that the crown prince did not know about the killing, but he said, "I don't know that we absolutely know that yet." He said that Congress will await the Trump administration's report in the next two days and that the US will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabia's strategic role in the Middle East. For his part, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a "wrecking ball" in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. "I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Graham's concerned," the South Carolina Republican told NBC's 'Meet The Press'. "I have no intention of working with him ever again," said Mr Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Expand Close A poster showing Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed last month in the Saudi Arabia consulate (Emrah Gurel/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A poster showing Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed last month in the Saudi Arabia consulate (Emrah Gurel/AP) Intelligence officials have been providing information to Mr Trump for weeks about the death, and he was briefed again by phone Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call but said the president has confidence in the CIA. "The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable," the State Department said in a statement. "Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi." The statement added: "The US government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia." Before his call on Air Force One, Mr Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, "as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We're going to have to find out what they have to say". That echoed remarks by national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates the crown prince. Mr Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said "the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups". But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonise the Saudi rulers. Mr Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda. But members of Congress are pushing Mr Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration this past week penalised 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but American politicians have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures. Turkish and Saudi authorities say Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents. Law enforcement officials work near Mercy Hospital in Chicago, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. A shooting at the Chicago hospital has wounded multiple people, including a suspect and a police officer, authorities said. Shots were fired Monday, at Mercy Hospital on the city's South Side, and officers were searching the facility. Police issued a statement on Twitter saying there were "reports of multiple victims." (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune via AP) A suspected gunman is dead and four people are in a critical condition following a shooting at a Chicago hospital, police have said. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said a police officer and at least one hospital employee are among those in hospital in critical condition following the Monday afternoon shooting at Mercy Hospital. Mr Guglielmi said the gunman was killed, but it is unclear if he took his own life or was killed by police. The department issued a statement earlier on Twitter saying there were "reports of multiple victims" after shots were fired near the hospital on the city's South Side. Television footage showed several people, including some wearing white coats, walking through a car park with their arms up. Police are asking the public to avoid the area of 26th and Michigan. Calls it malicious attempt to defame senior leader. Mumbai: The polices claim of having found Congress general secretary Digvijay Singhs number in alleged Naxals documents while carrying out raids has created a controversy in Maharashtra. The state Congress has called it a malicious attempt to defame its senior leader ahead of his home state Madhya Pradeshs Assembly elections. The Madhya Pradesh elections are going to take place. Digvijayji has been leading the Congress campaign in the state. So just to defame him, the Pune police is unnecessarily dragging his name into the controversy, said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant. Mr Sawant slammed the Pune police for addressing the media despite strict comments by the Supreme Court restricting it from doing so. What is happening is nothing but a shameful attempt to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at election time. Why are Pune police officers talking to the media? The Supreme Court has strongly criticised this habit of reaching out to the media in the Bhima-Koregaon riots case. But they are still doing it, said Mr Sawant. The leader said the perpetrators of the Bhima-Koregaon riots have the direct support of this government. They are being saved. So, to divert the peoples attention from real issues, this defamation is being spread, said Mr Sawant. A BJP MLA on Monday demanded a probe into a letter seized by the Pune police, which refers to a mobile number purportedly belonging to senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Kandivali (east) MLA Atul Bhatkalkar said he met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded a detailed inquiry into the issue. Mr Bhatkalkar said he had asked the chief minister to ensure the inquiry is completed before the end of the Winter Session of the state legislature on November 30. A Pune police official, earlier in the day, had also clarified that the number in the seized letter is available on the website of the Indian National Congress as well. Mr Singh had denied the allegations when they first surfaced and had dared the government to arrest him. Talking to reporters in Satna in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, Mr Singh had said, If I am guilty, I challenge the Centre and the state government to arrest me. Mr Singh said thousands of people know that mobile number which was in the public domain through the Rajya Sabha portal, adding he had stopped using it four years ago. If Digvijay Singh is involved in any anti-national activity, then Modiji, Rajnathji and Fadnavisji are free to take action. Show the courage to take action, Mr Singh said. Left: US President Donald Trump visits homes that were ravaged by fire in Malibu, during his trip to the west coast to see first-hand the damage. Photo: REUTERS US president Donald Trump's weekend visit to fire-ravaged California has prompted a withering barrage of ridicule and anger after he suggested the state should copy Finland in raking forest floors to prevent a repeat of wildfires that have killed at least 76 people. He claimed he had received the tip from the president of Finland, who promptly said that he could not remember offering such advice. "You gotta take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important," said Mr Trump during his trip. "I was with the president of Finland and he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don't have any problem." But in an interview published in the 'Ilta-Sanomat' newspaper, Sauli Niinisto said he told his American counterpart that the secret lay in an extensive monitoring system. "Finland is a country covered by forests but we also have a good surveillance system and network," ran his account of their conversation last week. Expand Close Recovered: Forensic scientists Kyra Stull (left) and Tatiana Vlemincq take away human remains from a home on a street full of mobile homes that was entirely destroyed by fire in Paradise, California. Photo: Terray Sylvester/Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Recovered: Forensic scientists Kyra Stull (left) and Tatiana Vlemincq take away human remains from a home on a street full of mobile homes that was entirely destroyed by fire in Paradise, California. Photo: Terray Sylvester/Reuters Even before those comments, Mr Trump received a slew of criticism for a tone-deaf response to a state hurting badly from the human and economic impact of its most deadly wildfire in history, and where almost 1,300 people are listed as missing. He was condemned for blaming officials working to prevent more loss of life and mocked for comparing arid California with a Nordic country where melting snow causes springtime floods. Veli Pekka Kilimaki, a Finnish defence researcher, tweeted: "I perhaps wouldn't compare Finland and California climate-wise... 80pc of the country is classified as forest land. We don't exactly manicure all of it." An army of Finns posted photographs showing how they spent their weekends, rake in hand, working to prevent forest fires, and the liberal 'New York Daily News' headlined its front page "Make America rake again", in a play on Mr Trump's election slogan. Northern California's Camp Fire has so far destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and blackened 600 sq km. Authorities are still sifting through the charred wreckage of California's deadliest ever wildfire, searching for any signs of the 1,276 people now listed as missing after the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. The remains of 76 people have been recovered so far, 63 of whom have been tentatively identified pending DNA confirmation. The blaze, which ignited on November 8, was 60pc contained, officials said, up from 55pc on Saturday. Up to 10cm of rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the blazes but raising the risk of floods and mudslides, adding to the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders. On Saturday, two forensic anthropologists for the University of Nevada, Reno, were helping firefighters sort through the wreckage at a mobile home park for senior citizens in Paradise. Firefighters peeled back the metal sheet of a collapsed roof as the anthropologists picked up visibly charred bone fragments, sorting them into paper bags. Roger Fielding, chief deputy coroner with the Martin County Sheriff's Office, said that each site was treated as a crime scene, with every step of recovery documented with photographs. Patrick Burke, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Centre, said the rain would be a "one-two-punch". "It'll bring much needed relief to firefighters and to the air quality, but there's a potential for dangerous mudslides wherever vegetation is burned away on slopes," he said. Five more bodies were found on Saturday, as Mr Trump flew in to tour the affected region. He was accompanied by the state's outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats, who have traded barbs with the Republican administration - often on climate change. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] President Donald Trump, from left, FEMA Administrator Brock Long, California Gov. Jerry Brown, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and Paradise Mayor Jody Jones tour the Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park during Trump's visit of the Camp Fire in Paradise (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool) Recovered: Forensic scientists Kyra Stull (left) and Tatiana Vlemincq take away human remains from a home on a street full of mobile homes that was entirely destroyed by fire in Paradise, California. Photo: Terray Sylvester/Reuters Volunteers in white coveralls, hard hats and masks poked through ash-covered debris of the devastating Northern California wildfire before rains that are forecast for this week complicate their efforts. A team of 10 volunteers went from burned house to burned house in the devastated town of Paradise, scrutinising the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange "0" near the house. Robert Panak, a volunteer on a different search-and-recovery team from Napa County, spent the morning searching homes. Asked whether the job was tough, the 50-year-old volunteer said: "I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure." Expand Close Volunteers search the ruins of a home in Paradise, California (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Volunteers search the ruins of a home in Paradise, California (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) He said his approach was to try to picture the house before it burned and think about where people might have hidden. About 1,000 names remain on a list of people unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County about 140 miles north of San Francisco, authorities said. Authorities do not believe all those on the list are missing and the roster dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they were not missing. On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, "We will rise from the ashes." Expand Close A child wears a mask to protect them from smoke as they watch the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump pass by REUTERS/ Leah Millis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A child wears a mask to protect them from smoke as they watch the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump pass by REUTERS/ Leah Millis People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first responders: "We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now." Hundreds of search-and-recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes when they receive tips that someone might have died there. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, "door-to-door" and "car-to-car" search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, who is helping oversee the search-and-rescue effort. The search area is huge, Mr Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked. The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and-rescue personnel, he said. "Here we're looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic in how we do your searches," he said on Friday. The remains of six more people were found over the weekend, bringing the number of dead to 77. Among them was Lolene Rios (56) whose son, Jed, tearfully told KXTV in Sacramento that his mother had an "endless amount of love" for him . Expand Close President Donald Trump visits a neighborhood impacted by the Wolsey Fire (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump visits a neighborhood impacted by the Wolsey Fire (Evan Vucci/AP) President Donald Trump toured the area on Saturday, joined by California's outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats who have traded sharp barbs with the Republican administration. Mr Trump also visited Southern California, where firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that tore through communities west of Los Angeles from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. "We've never seen anything like this in California; we've never seen anything like this yet. It's like total devastation," Mr Trump said as he stood amid the ruins of Paradise and pledged the full support of the federal government. Soon after the fire began, Mr Trump blamed state officials for poor forest management and threatened to cut off federal funding. "He's got our back," outgoing Governor Jerry Brown told CBS' 'Face The Nation' programme. "There have been some back and forth between California leaders and the president," Mr Brown said. "But in the face of tragedy, people tend to rise above some of their lesser propensities. So I think we're on a good path." He also suggested California's severe wildfires will make believers of even the most ardent climate change sceptics "in less than five years", and that those living near forests might need to build underground shelters to protect them from fires. Rain was forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 20 mph sustained winds and 40 mph gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. Northern California's Camp Fire has destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and torched 233 square miles. Sheriff Kory Honea expressed hope that Mr Trump's visit would help with recovery, saying the tour by the Republican president and California's Democratic leaders "signals a spirit of cooperation here that ultimately benefit this community and get us on a path toward recovery". Teams search the ruins of a home in Paradise following the Northern California wildfire (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) Volunteers in white coveralls, hard hats and masks poked through ash-covered debris of the devastating Northern California wildfire before rains that are forecast for this week complicate their efforts. A team of 10 volunteers went from burned house to burned house in the devastated town of Paradise, scrutinising the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. When no remains were found, they spray-painted a large, orange 0 near the house. Expand Close Volunteers search the ruins of a home in Paradise, California (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Volunteers search the ruins of a home in Paradise, California (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) Robert Panak, a volunteer on a different search-and-recovery team from Napa County, spent the morning searching homes. Asked whether the job was tough, the 50-year-old volunteer said, I just think about the positives, bringing relief to the families, closure. He said his approach was to try to picture the house before it burned and think about where people might have hidden. About 1,000 names remain on a list of people unaccounted for more than a week after the fire began in Butte County about 140 miles north of San Francisco, authorities said. Authorities do not believe all those on the list are missing and the roster dropped by 300 on Sunday as more people were located or got in touch to say they were not missing. Expand Close The orange spray paint on the ruins of a home (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The orange spray paint on the ruins of a home (Sudhin Thanawala/AP) On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 people gathered at a memorial for the victims at First Christian Church in Chico, where a banner on the altar read, We will rise from the ashes. People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first responders: We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now. Expand Close An air mask hangs on an altar during a vigil for Camp Fire victims (Noah Berger/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An air mask hangs on an altar during a vigil for Camp Fire victims (Noah Berger/AP) Hundreds of search-and-recovery personnel are involved in the effort, going to homes when they receive tips that someone might have died there. But they are also doing a more comprehensive, door-to-door and car-to-car search of areas, said Joe Moses, a commander with the Monterey County Sheriffs Office, who is helping oversee the search-and-rescue effort. The search area is huge, Mr Moses said, with many structures that need to be checked. President @realDonaldTrump is traveling to California to meet with those impacted by the devastating wildfires. Learn how the Trump Administration is supporting the State of California during this emergency: https://t.co/iHcbAfmsq9 pic.twitter.com/nGY96wHt1F The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) November 17, 2018 The fire also burned many places to the ground, creating a landscape unique to many search-and-rescue personnel, he said. Here were looking for very small parts and pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic in how we do your searches, he said on Friday. The remains of six more people were found over the weekend, bringing the number of dead to 77. Among them was Lolene Rios, 56, whose son, Jed, tearfully told KXTV in Sacramento that his mother had an endless amount of love for him. President Donald Trump toured the area on Saturday, joined by Californias outgoing and incoming governors, both Democrats who have traded sharp barbs with the Republican administration. Mr Trump also visited Southern California, where firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that tore through communities west of Los Angeles from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. Weve never seen anything like this in California; weve never seen anything like this yet. Its like total devastation, Mr Trump said as he stood amid the ruins of Paradise and pledged the full support of the federal government. Expand Close President Donald Trump visits a neighborhood impacted by the Wolsey Fire (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump visits a neighborhood impacted by the Wolsey Fire (Evan Vucci/AP) Soon after the fire began, Mr Trump blamed state officials for poor forest management and threatened to cut off federal funding. Hes got our back, outgoing Governor Jerry Brown said Sunday on CBS Face The Nation. There have been some back and forth between California leaders and the president, Mr Brown said. But in the face of tragedy, people tend to rise above some of their lesser propensities. So I think were on a good path. He also suggested Californias severe wildfires will make believers of even the most ardent climate change sceptics in less than five years, and that those living near forests might need to build underground shelters to protect them from fires. Rain was forecast for midweek in the Paradise area. The National Weather Service said the area could get 20 mph sustained winds and 40 mph gusts, which could make it hard for crews to keep making progress against the blaze. Northern Californias Camp Fire has destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and torched 233 square miles. Sheriff Kory Honea expressed hope that Mr Trumps visit would help with recovery, saying the tour by the Republican president and Californias Democratic leaders signals a spirit of cooperation here that ultimately benefit this community and get us on a path toward recovery. A suspected gunman is dead and four people are in critical condition after a shooting at a Chicago hospital, police said. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said an officer and at least one hospital employee are among those in critical condition after the Monday afternoon shooting at Mercy Hospital. Mr Guglielmi says the gunman was killed, but it is unclear if he took his own life or was killed by police. A #ChicagoPolice officer has been shot in the active shooter incident at Mercy Hospital. He is in critical condition but receiving excellent care. Please send your prayers. pic.twitter.com/kFfMY1ZmF7 Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018 A witness said he saw a gunman repeatedly shoot a woman outside the hospital before making his way inside and opening fire. James Gray said he was inside Mercy Hospital when the shooting unfolded. He described the scene as mass chaos. Mr Gray said the man was walking with a woman near a parking area when he turned and shot her in the chest multiple times. He said the man then stood over the woman and continued shooting. He said the man then entered the hospital, and just started shooting at random. The police department issued a statement earlier saying there were reports of multiple victims after shots were fired near the hospital on the citys South Side. Police asked people to avoid the area. A spokesman for mayor Rahm Emanuel said he and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson are monitoring the situation. Violence burdens bone and skin: Indigenous women run in prayer to outpace pain By Carly HenryCronkite News BAPCHULE The sun rose into a violet-tinted sky as dozens of Oodham and Piipaash women prepared to leave for the last leg of a 53-mile journey spent in prayer for missing and murdered indigenous women. The two-day relay run, one of a number of events this year focused on bringing attention to the disproportionate rates of violence against indigenous people, took place days before the release of a report that found Arizona has the third highest number of such cases involving indigenous women. The report, published by the Urban Indian Health Institute , found that of 5,712 indigenous women reported missing in 2016, only 116 were logged into the Department of Justices federal missing persons database. Recent studies, which show trends many people within indigenous communities have been long aware of, have drawn further attention to the crisis. For far too long, weve seen these stories be well-known but usually swept under the rug, said Renee Jackson, who says the idea for the Womens Prayer Run came to her in a dream. By bearing those secrets or stories, it causes a great illness within our communities. Healing starts with the blessing of rivers The Womens Prayer Run, which has taken place annually since 2014, focuses on a different prayer every year. The first year focused on the burdens women face as the backbone of their families. The runs focused prayer this year was not only about acknowledging the violence that lives in our community and sometimes in our bones and our skin of the pain thats been inflicted on us and the healing that needs to take place, Jackson said. But also to remember that we have to speak for other women, sisters, who arent here anymore. Jackson said choosing to focus on violence against indigenous people felt right for this years run, which started in Laveen and ended Sunday in Coolidge. She recalled hearing stories from women of all ages about how violence had personally impacted them. Running holds significance within the Tohono Oodham community, where it was traditionally used as a form of practical communication and time to pray, Jackson said. Pam Thomson carried the red i:pud dress representing missing and murdered indigenous women as the group prepares to leave on the second day of the annual Womens Prayer Run. Photo by Carly Henry / Cronkite News The run officially began Saturday at the convergence of the Salt and Gila rivers, where women blessed themselves in water. From there, the two-day route took women along streets and dirt trails, past fields, saguaros and creosote blooming with tiny yellow flowers. In pairs, women carried the groups coikud, a staff once commonly used to help women support the weight of supplies they gathered symbolic of the burdens they carry today. The first day ended at Aji Mountain, a spot near Bapchule adorned with desert brush and saguaros. I wasnt sure I could make it through Early the next day, runners many of them wearing skirts known as i:puds in Oodham culture prepared to get back on the route. Rebecca Moffett wore a blue dress, braided hair and a seashell necklace as she led the group out of their Aji Mountain campsite. She later said going on the run made her feel more powerful. I wasnt sure at the beginning if I would make it through, but I made it through both days, Moffett said. I feel strong. The cause is personal for Moffett. When she was 23, she was shot in the chest by someone close to her. Her physical wounds healed. She stayed with the shooter. After several years, Moffett walked away. I just got stronger and wasnt going to do it anymore, said Moffett, who ran with her daughter, Breedra Lewis, 18. I hope younger women never have to deal with that. Urban Indigenous women & girls go missing/are murdered at extremely high rates, yet there is little data on the crisis. We started gathering the data and need your help to continue. Stand with us. #MMIWG #DecolonizeData #NotInvisible #NoMoreStolenSisters https://t.co/KpyN81CgxI pic.twitter.com/XI8ldlvnIr UIHI (@TheUIHI) November 14, 2018 Many of the women running shared a common pain: Their families all had been touched by violence. Margaret Johnson has been to four Prayer Runs. She considers them part of her spiritual food. Like others, the runs are personal for Johnson, whos raising her sisters three children. Her sister was in an abusive relationship and died 10 years ago, she said. The run also lets Johnson share her story of sobriety. Once a victim of alcohol and meth, she now has been sober nine years. She said she owes her new life to Jesus. No matter how far down you go go, he will bring you back up, she said, stretching her hands to the sky. The run was about gaining strength from one another. Denise Jackson found restoration the two times she has run. Before to her first run, Jackson, a mother of seven, had started to lose sight of who she was outside of her relationships. My first time was about finding myself as me, Jackson said. Not a mom, not a wife, not a friend. Pushing herself out of her comfort zone helped Jackson feel at ease with herself. This time, she brought her five daughters to the run with her. Focused prayer against violence brought back memories of seeing people near her experience domestic violence, something she knew she didnt want for her own children. I didnt want my daughters to experience that and I didnt want my sons to become like that and vice-versa, Jackson said. I wanted to stop the cycle. The 53-mile route took the women past saguaros, cotton fields and clumps of blooming creosote. Photo by Carly Henry / Cronkite News Research shows alarming rates of violence Four out of five indigenous people in the U.S. experience violence in their lifetime, according to a 2016 report funded by the National Institute of Justice Recent efforts to combat the high rates of violence experienced by women in indigenous communities have focused on giving tribes greater ability to prosecute non-Native people who commit crimes on native lands. But that push to study and decrease crime on native lands could be overshadowing crimes committed against indigenous people off reservations, according to the Urban Indian Health report About 71 percent of native people live in urban areas, but most major studies have focused on crimes committed on native lands, according to the UIHI report and an Arizona State University researcher. Cheryl Bennett, an associate professor of American Indian Studies at ASU who researches crime against indigenous people, said the institute report supported her own research on cases of missing and murdered indigenous women in the Southwest: Many crimes against indigenous women are committed outside tribal lands. The report found that 54 of the 506 cases it found of missing and murdered indigenous women living in urban areas which it considers to be an undercount took place in Arizona. A lot is happening off-reservation, Bennett said, and if thats the case, then we need to advocate, not just for VAWA and those types of laws, but for laws and things we can do off-reservation. The landmark Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized in 2013 and gave tribes more authority to prosecute non-Natives in situations of domestic violence. As efforts to raise awareness gain national traction, Bennett hopes to see action. I think its hopeful that theres been a lot of conversation around these issues, but my concern is that I dont want it to be the next fad, she said. The run ends but the cause continues People along the route cheered the runners and support vehicles following them. The women eventually found themselves on a mountainous desert trail only suitable for four-wheelers and trucks. The Womens Prayer Run ended with a cornmeal offering at a sacred site near Coolidge. Supporters and organizers took women to a nearby community center for closing thoughts and a shared meal with family and friends. After two days and 53 miles of running across Native land, women and their families filled a community gym with smiles and conversation. Jackson said the run created an avenue for discussion about violence against indigenous people, not only within the Gila River community but around the country. She hopes other indigenous communities notice Oodham solidarity over the missing and murdered indigenous women movement. Our intention is for us to make a visible effort to show other women in other indigenous communities that we support them and that our prayers extend, not only to our community, but to theirs, too, Jackson said. This story originally appeared on Cronkite News and is published via a Creative Commons license . Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Join the Conversation Mr Ambedkar suggested that the Centre should pass a bill allowing the state to extend the reservation quota up to 70 per cent. Mr Ambedkar claimed that the state does not have the right to provide reservation beyond 50 per cent. Mumbai: Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar has said that the reservation quota in the state should be extended to 70 per cent to accommodate the Maratha community. He claimed that the state does not have the right to provide reservation beyond 50 per cent, a limit set by the Supreme Court, without the Centres nod. Mr Ambedkar suggested that the Centre should pass a bill allowing the state to extend the reservation quota up to 70 per cent. To provide reservation to the Maratha community, the state government not only has to consult with the National Commission for Back-ward Classes (NCBC) but also have to justify the Gaikwad commission re-port of terming Maratha as a socially backward class, he said. The earlier State Backward Classes Com-mission headed by reti-red judges R.M. Bapat or B.P. Saraf have reported differently. So how would the state justify or convince the NCBC while earlier commission rep-orts were not favou-rable? he asked. Chief minister Deve-ndra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state government would provide quota to Marathas as a social and educationally backward class. The decision was taken based on the report and recommendations of the State Commission for Back-ward Classes. The commission was set up in 2016 in the wake of growing Maratha demands for a quota. The state has claimed Marathas would get a separate quota for Socia-lly And Educationally Backward Class, but the same quota exists under the Other Backward Cla-sses (OBC) and special backward class (SBC), said Mr Ambedkar. After the state ann-ounced reservation for Marathas, the OBCs have started mobilising. In this backdrop, it should be ensured that it would not lead to a conflict of Marathas with other communities, he added. A great run for Indian candidates By Talli NaumanNative Sun News TodayContributing Editor SISSETON The first Republican in four decades to win a state legislative seat in South Dakotas unusually Democratic Dist. 1 is a Native American and a woman, standing for two historically under-represented constituencies. New Rep. Tamara St. John, a 52-year-old Dakota mother first and foremost of Sisseton, exemplifies a shift toward more diversity in the makeup of the state Legislature, which she attributes to campaigners dedicated to turning out the native vote in the November 6 general election. It says something about the power of the tribal vote, she told the Native Sun News Today. I didnt know if our tribal people would come out to vote. It is the result of a lot of really, really hard work by champions within our community, registering voters and connecting and finding people to drive them to the poles. They were not necessarily working with any candidate or endorsing me. That is a force here, she said. Dist. 1 encompasses voters in the far northeastern counties of Brown, Day, Marshall and Roberts, where St. John serves as the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribal archivist at Lake Traverse Reservation and works on the South Dakota Humanities Council board. St. John emphasized that she takes a positive approach, seeking common ground among constituencies to unify for future improvement. It feels like Im filling a gap, not just for the tribal community but also for community as a whole, she said. I am a strong advocate for that. The only other Native American to win a seat in the state House of Representatives on the Republican Party ticket was incumbent Dist. 27 Lakota rancher Steve Livermont, 62, of Martin, who served his first term in the Legislature beginning in 2016. However, the Grand Old Party has a pretty diverse group, in terms of culture and gender, South Dakota Republican Party Director Dan Lederman told the Native Sun News Today. Its kind of a big deal for us to have brought the first female to be governor of the state, he added, in reference to Governor-elect Kristi Noem. Livermont narrowly won, with a seven-vote lead over Democrat Margaret Ross . Awaiting a recount that reaffirmed the tally, Ross thanked volunteer campaigners and commented on the Dist. 27 House race, in which all candidates were Native American. Thank all of you for your votes and willingness to participate. We only win when we all show up, she said on social media. Lila wopila tanka hecha. Livermonts fellow incumbent Dist. 27 GOP House candidate Elizabeth May, of Kyle, narrowly lost to new Democratic Party challenger U.S. Navy Veteran and Oglala Sioux tribal background investigator Peri Pourier, of Pine Ridge -- with 24 percent and 26 percent of the vote respectively. In the Dist. 27 Senate race, Lakota Democratic candidate Red Dawn Foster, of Pine Ridge, garnered 59 percent of the vote to win over Republican Bill Hines, with 41 percent. Foster has a masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado. Dist. 27 encompasses voters of Bennett, Haakon, Jackson, Pennington, and Oglala Lakota counties. In adjacent Dist. 26A, incumbent Democrat Lakota Shawn Bordeaux, of Mission, ran unopposed to represent Melette and Todd County voters. Bordeaux is the Tribal Lands Institute director at Sinte Gleska University there. In the Dist. 26 Senate race, incumbent Assistant Democratic Minority Leader Troy Heinert, a rancher and Indian rodeo cowboy based in Mission, triumphed with a 53-percent lead over Republican Joel Koskan to represent Brule, Buffalo, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, and Todd County voters. Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation The indiatimes.com privacy policy has been updated to align with the new data regulations in European Union. Please review and accept these changes below to continue using the website. We use cookies to ensure the best experience for you on our website. Last night's episode is being called as one of the best episodes of Koffee With Karan season 6 so far. Saif Ali Khan and his daughter (with Amrita Aroa) Sara Ali Khan, graced the couch quite royally on Karan Johars chat show. Sara Ali Khan will soon make her debut on the with Sushant Singh starrer Kedarnath and Ranveer Singh starrer Simmba. But before that, she made her debut on Koffee With Karan and were sure that by showcasing her intelligent and grounded vibe, she made more fans than ever. hotstar Saif Ali Khan and Sara Ali Khan bared their heart out on their quintessential modern beautiful family, as Karan said on the show. From revealing about the friendly relationship she shares with her fathers wife Kareena Kapoor to talking about the bond she shares with her mother and father, despite their separation, Sara Ali Khan made quite some revelations on the show. #1 She revealed that she shares more of a friendly bond with Kareena and that she would sort of have a nervous breakdown if she called Kareena Choti Maa. Twitter My father also never said that this is your second mother I think Kareena would have a nervous breakdown if I was to call her 'choti maa' #2 She shined with her savage sense of humour as she poked fun at her parent's divorce. I already said Happy Independence Day, she said revealing the first episode of the show was recorded on Aug 16, 2004, one day after Amrita Singh threw Saif out of the house. #3 Sara is happy that their parents are now happy! Twitter I feel that it's very important to respect what other people want. I see my father today and I see my mother today and they are both much happier than I think they would have been together. And therefore everybody around them is happier. And I think what I have now is two very comfortable homes as oppose to one very uncomfortable home. I really think that I win. #4 She remembers how her mother Amrita Arora dressed her up for father Saifs wedding with Kareena. Screengrab My mom dressed me for my fathers wedding. A lot of people would be of the opinion that Kareena was being weird or mom was being weird. It was very comfortable. Everyone was so mature. It was not a big deal. #5 Saif revealed he wrote a note to Amrita Singh before getting married to Kareena. When I was getting married to Kareena, for some reason, I wrote a note to Amrita saying this is a new chapter starting. I wrote we had a history and something on the lines of good wishes for both of us. I sent it to Kareena to take a look. I sent it across. Sara called me and said, I was coming anyway but now, I am coming with a happy heart. I think that story sums up the attitude of everyone involved. #6 Saif made things awkward for Sara as he revealed how he checks out Kareena in her gym look. Does he check her out before she goes out? Of course, coming and going, he said. #7 Saif also revealed paps get Rs 1500 bucks for one photo of Taimur Ali Khan. #8 Got cash, take her, Saif cracked this joke quite a lot of times on the show. #9 Sara insisted that her love life shall not be like her parents. You cant control people. Hopefully shell have the values that we have, and find her own way, Saif said, to which Sara interrupted, Not all the values that all of you have had I think my father and mother were quite wild. I think Im less wild than them I think my mother has done some wild stuff. Sara Ali Khan and Saif Ali Khan share quite a unique yet happy relationship, dont you think? Ranveer Singh has always owned the title of best boyfriend. He was, is and will always be there for Deepika. Looking at is love for Deepika, every girl longs for a beau/husband like him. Just yesterday the couple returned to Mumbai after their fairy tale wedding in Italy. Obviously, the crowd went berserk to have a glimpse of the newlyweds. Twitter Despite having a number of bodyguards, the crowd was out of control. But Ranveer made sure that his wifey doesnt get hurt or mobbed by the crowd. He guarded her with his strong arms and we all went awwww over it. Twitter Well, this isnt the first time Ranveer protected his beloved from the paps. He has done this earlier too and made the ladies swoon for him over and over again. Twitter Deepika and Ranveer got hitched in Italy at Lake Como on November 14 and 15. The couple will now host a grand reception in Mumbai on November 28, 2018, where all the B-Town biggies will be in full attendance. Aanand L Rai will be working with Shah Rukh Khan for the very first time. Considering the cast of Zero that comprises of Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and SRK, this project had to be nothing but amazing. In this film, SRK will be seen playing the role of a man who is vertically challenged but lives life on his own terms and conditions. Twitter The film also has two gorgeous ladies, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma and these two will be seen in a total hatke avatar. The film is over but looks like the filmmaker is going through withdrawal symptoms of being on the sets with his actors. So much so, that he has shared an emotional post dedicated to the lead actors of his upcoming film Zero, Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif, expressing his gratitude towards them for making beautiful memories during the movie's journey. Twitter Taking to his official Twitter handle, he uploaded unseen pictures of him with the actors, writing, Sometimes we never come to know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Thank you for such beautiful memories in this heartfelt journey of #zero. @iamsrk Khan Saab , @AnushkaSharma & #KatrinaKaif ! #Zero21Dec. Sometimes we never come to know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Thank you for such beautiful memories in this heartfelt journey of #zero. @iamsrk Khan Saab , @AnushkaSharma & #KatrinaKaif ! #Zero21Dec pic.twitter.com/8ui5JwtQJ2 AANAND L RAI (@aanandlrai) November 17, 2018 The trailer and posters of the film have already created immense buzz on social media since their release. Produced by Gauri Khan, Zero is all set to hit the big screens on December 21, this year. When is the last time you visited an Indian household that doesnt serve their meals or at least one of their meals with the inclusion of their favourite serving of pulses or legumes? As Indians our dals, such as masoor and moon daal, are always one of the top most priorities when it comes to assigning the right combination of foods in our meals. It comes as no surprise then that news about the adulteration of the quintessential dals imported into India from Canada and Australia created shockwaves in the country. indianrecipesinhindi A few weeks ago the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had warned the consumers to stop having these daals regularly as laboratory testing found high traces of chemicals, such as glyphosate, in the final samples. Glyphosate is an herbicide, which is a weed killer mostly used in the farming community to get rid of rodents and weeds. The FSSAI had said that their production in such foreign countries is at an all-time high and that the dals imported from there are finding their way in our kitchen laced with toxic ingredients. Commenting on the issue, an FSSAI official said, There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of the herbicide Glyphosate in pulses which could adversely affect the health of consumers here. Since the maximum residue limits (MRL) for Glyphosate in pulses has not been specified in the FSSAI regulations, we have asked the concerned officials to follow the Canadian standards for the herbicide as specified in the Codex standards. The most recent test conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) put everyones fears to rest, however, claiming the daals to be absolutely safe to eat and consume. The results have been announced after rigorous testing conducted over the past month on samples of imported daals, checking on the levels of glysophate in them. It has been observed that of the 319 consignments tested, glyphosate residues were found in only 7 consignments and that too was within the prescribed MRLs. The testing will continue for some more time to ensure high standards, an official claimed. Glysophate was considered "safe for use" before being declared as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO) IN 2015. If you accidentally end up ingesting even a small percentage of glysophate, it can cause lethal problems, directly attacking the protein and liver functions of your body, cause renal failure and also stop the absorption of other essential minerals and nutrients needed for proper functioning. southindianfoods In India, herbicide glysophate is widely used in the farming. Under the Insecticide Act, the maximum permissible limits of glyphosate found in tea is prescribed at 1.0 ms/kg but the MRL (Maximum Residue Limits) for foods and pulses has not been specified. But after this incident, it was decided that FSSAI would follow the international standards till new rules are made. Are men being victimised in the ongoing #metoo campaign? At least, some men think like that. So, on the occasion of International Men's Day some of them marched in the national capital seeking an end to what they see as a targeted attack on men during the campaign. Organised by a couple of men's rights groups, named Save Family Foundation and Men Welfare Trust, the men walked through Delhi's Connaught Place on Monday demanding an end to harassment of men. Bobins Abraham/ Indiatimes They chanted slogans like "men want justice," while holding placards which read, "Stop treating husband as an ATM". The demonstrators also demanded that a Men's Commision should be set up in the national level, similar to Women's Commision to address the grievances of men. Bobins Abraham/ Indiatimes "We are leading a peaceful march for the rights for men. Today, the men are in a very difficult situation. Especially if you look at the recent me too camping. The campaign has made it so easy to name and shame any man, without any proof or evidence. Men are being demonized without any fault of theirs," Wasif Ali, Co-founder of Save Family Foundation, and one of the organizers of the march said. Bobins Abraham/ Indiatimes Ali also added that the media and the judicial system are biased against men when it comes to #metoo campaign. "There is no justice system left for the men who are accused during the 'me too'. They also face a media trial and the man's reputation is damaged," he said. The protesters said the solution for their grievances is the setting up of a Men's Commission which will exclusively address the complaints of men, in cases like dowry harassment, divorce and custody of children. Bobins Abraham/ Indiatimes "We want a 'Men's Commission' to address our concerns. Every year, double the number of men commits suicide than women. 90,000 men commit suicide in India every year, compared to 40,000 women. But there is no one to hear our concerns. There has to be a separate men's body," Ali claimed. "Even in most of the court cases for the custody of the child, 98% of the time it goes in the favour of the women. I even struggle to get visiting rights to their own children. Why is it so? " Ali asked. The group claims to have thousands of members across India and fight for the rights of men. In a swift move, a woman sub-inspector and constable impersonated a childless couple to bust a baby-selling racket operational in Delhi. According to police, 10 people were arrested here and five babies were rescued. A 24-page charge-sheet was filed in a city court against the 10 people on November 14, police said. A woman sub-inspector Preeti and head constable Rajesh posed as husband and wife and met one of the accused Mohammad Jahangir, the charge-sheet said. The couple chose a baby and Jahangir demanded Rs 4.30 lakh but after some negotiations, the final amount was decided at Rs 3.30 lakh. He asked the couple to get the money in an hour and told the two that his accomplices Jyoti and Rahul will bring the child near a bank in Naraina Vihar, the charge-sheet said. Jahangir was arrested after he handed over a newborn baby to the police personnel, it said. The baby was admitted to a hospital, where he died on August 26. Jyoti and Rahul were arrested and during interrogation, they told police that the baby was bought from Mithila, a resident of New Friends Colony. Subsequently, Mithila was arrested and police later learned about one Jitendar Kumar, who was also involved in the racket. reuters Kumar told police about one Kavita who had bought a five to seven days old infant from a woman agent named Parveen for Rs 4 lakh and later sold the child to a chemist named Balbir Singh for Rs 5 lakh, the charge-sheet said. More arrests were made but Kavita continued to remain elusive. A non-bailable warrant was issued against her by a city court on September 10. Later, a lookout circular was also issued against her and she surrendered on September 20. The charge-sheet was filed under various sections of the IPC pertaining to kidnapping, trafficking, forgery of record of court or of public register and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been in news for a while after he met PM Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi. But now is facing massive criticism on his very own twitter for holding a placard which read Smash Brahminical Patriarchy. Dorsey was reportedly taking part in a roundtable with some women journalists, activists and writers and there he posed with the pamphlet which didnt go well with netizen on twitter. During Twitter CEO @jack's visit here, he & Twitter's Legal head @vijaya took part in a round table with some of us women journalists, activists, writers & @TwitterIndia's @amritat to discuss the Twitter experience in India. A very insightful, no-words-minced conversation pic.twitter.com/LqtJQEABgV Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) November 18, 2018 This is a pure hate poster targeting an ethnic group. Does it not violate Twitter policies? Would @jack hold up a poster like this targeting Jews or Muslim mullahs or Church patriarchy? Sankrant Sanu (@sankrant) November 19, 2018 The people accused him of being naive and willingly or unknowingly disrupting the social harmony in Indian society. What a shame; How can people put such a hate poster and malign a community: @jack How can you as ceo of @twitter be party to this kind of hate? Shocking; this is @brahminphobia of the worst kind https://t.co/bWU0eBo9yG Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018 Dear @jack , Even after discarding the bigots around u in this frame, I would have lauded the voice against patriarchy had u not subscribed to the not so veiled Hinduphobic prefix. I am deeply disappointed as much as u should be ashamed of this. PS: Not a Brahmin pic.twitter.com/Xinz7eAMQX Kah ke loonga (@legolas_7777) November 19, 2018 Author Hindol Sengupta tweeted: Dear @jack maybe your team didn't feel necessary to tell you this but the poster you are holding targets using the language of hate and violence people who constitute 5% or less of India's 1.3 bln ppl. If that's not hatred towards minorities, what is? Would you do this in the US? Non-resident Indians are often perceived as people who have abandoned their hometown for the comfort of a modern and luxurious lifestyle outside of India. We have also heard about the Indian community facing racism in the U.S for their religious practices and rituals. In a strong-worded letter, an Indian-origin woman who grew up in New Jersey not only convinced owners of a hep nightclub to change the decor of their washrooms but also made personal growth by speaking up in favour of her values and dignity. Photo: Ankita Mishra In an article published in the Brown Girl magazine, a girl named Ankita Mishra describes how she had been a regular visitor to the House of Yes nightclub in Brooklyn and had access to one of their private washrooms. Once she went there and reached out for the toilet paper, she was shocked to see a jewelled picture of an Indian deity, Mahadev. As her eyes glanced up, she found photographs of Ganesha, Saraswati, Brahma, Shiva, Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi, and inexplicably right above the toilet, Kali. as Ankita writes. This time she couldnt keep quiet without making the owners of the pub realise that Indians took their culture seriously and hold it dear to their heart wherever they go. Read this piece written by Ankita and how she made a leap in her journey by making a decision to speak out: "To Whom it May Concern, (that should be everyone!) Oct. 3, 2018 As a queer woman of color with a hyphenated identity in 2018 America, I am used to silencing my voice in the service of keeping peace in public. However, after posting about my experience at House of Yes this weekend on Facebook and Instagram I feel pushed to approach you directly. I trust that House of Yes is a venue where I might actually be heard, and where change for the better can occur. I came to the Endless Summer last Saturday, Sept 29. Being a resident of Brooklyn for over a decade, I frequent House of Yes whenever I can after my bartending shifts up the street. I have had too many beautiful moments here to recount: dancing at the Pride after-party with my partner, for instance, taking her to a show as one of our first dates as a couple, coming here with friends to relax and feel free and dance. I used to take Silks classes with Anya Sapozhnikova back in the Maujer Street days and have always been so invested with love and admiration at the growth of House of Yes. I have always been annoyingly proud and vocal about how much affection I have for this club, your mission statement, and your intentions for revolutionary inclusive programming. I was not proud on Saturday night. I was there with a group that had ordered a bottle service table to the side of the bar and because of the high price they were paying, I had the privilege of accessing the private bathroom behind the DJ booth by the stage. You know the one. At first when I reached for toilet paper from the dispenser, it did not register that I was looking at Mahadev. Slowly I raised my eyes to take in the room and noticed all of them Ganesha, Saraswati, Brahma, Shiva, Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi, and inexplicably right above the toilet, Kali. I was inside a temple but it was all wrong I was wearing shoes, I was peeing, and my ass was out. It is unfortunate that the ripples of colonialism have such long-reaching waves. I am Indian-American. I have been in this position before, countless times. I used to be a Teaching Artist at the Rubin Museum of Art, where I was constantly confronted with microaggressions and a lack of power and ownership over my own culture. Fighting misconceptions and the misuse of my culture is a daily- no, minute by minute battle. But to be faced with such blatant cultural appropriation when I was relaxed, a little drunk, and surrounded by people I felt championed by was too jarring to ignore. Lets say, the person reading this is confused. I have spent so much time in my head breaking down how to explain why this is so wrong. Here are some bullet points: 1. Cleanliness and purity are obsessive rules in an Indian household. Around Indian deities it is a very basic form of respect, one that you learn as a child. You cannot present a flower to a god after having smelled it you cannot wear shoes in a temple. Peeing, shitting, throwing up and all other activities that happen in nightclub bathrooms would also go under the category of uncleanliness. 2. Hinduism does not believe in eternal damnation. It has not also, conquered, traumatized and converted whole civilizations and countries as part of its mission. It does not have the same history as, for example, Christianity. There has never been a Reformation period in Hinduism. I cannot speak for every South Asian/ South Asian descendant on the planet, but I have not seen the same level of angst and irreverence towards its icons. There is no Piss Christ art piece equivalent, no cultural Satanic movement that battles each of its innumerable goddesses and gods. Therefore the same rules that apply to Christianity simply are not applicable in Hinduism. You cannot impose your own punk and subversive cultural standards onto another religion. It is just another form of misinterpretation and desire to control something that is not yours. 3. Hindu, Buddhist and South Asian culture continues to constantly be exploited through Western capitalism in the name of spiritual awakening and sexual exploration. Our culture is not a ticket to your self-discovery. India was under colonial rule for 200 years and I, frankly, am tired of how uneducated America seems to be about that. Do you think you would even be in that yoga class if it hadnt been perfectly packaged for you to consume? 4. Maybe someone thought it would inspire instant enlightenment one night on the dancefloor. Wrong. Tantric Buddhism is different from Hinduism and at any rate, ya got those deities wrong. 5. I only saw this because it was a private bathroom reserved for those customers paying over $600 for a bottle of Grey Goose. I imagine that clientele is used to dining at Buddakan on a regular basis and does not even fully take in the fact that an entire ancient culture and religion is being reduced to a playscape for their vices and routine board meetings. 6. I have spent 3 days (now 4) thinking of every angle that could have led someone to make this tone deaf mistake. The point is, no one took even a fraction of that time thinking of how it would make someone like me feel. As I sat on the toilet, I thought Is it possible that my culture is again being dehumanized and treated like an accessory of white culture, here on Jefferson Street? I am going to go home to my parents house in November to celebrate Diwali, a holiday commemorating each deity featured in your bathroom. This is an active religion, practiced today. My true desire is to see the bathroom taken down. My parents would not have had the courage to stand up for what is right, but I as their daughter, do. Your mission statement is one that touts inclusivity, positivity and safety. Please dont make me lose faith in the ability we all have to right some wrongs and truly hear each other out. If you made it to the end of this letter then I thank you for being open and receptive. Inclusivity now. Namaste, Ankita Mishra" She had written the letter not intentionally that an action might be taken on her complaint but to take a firm stand for her culture and express her views against a practice she didnt find appropriate. And so did life decide to reward her as the artist who designed that clubs toilet wrote back to her saying: "Hi Ankita, My name is Kae Burke, Im Anyas partner as a co-founder/creative director at House of Yes and I am the one that created, conceived and made the deity bathroom. I am fully responsible for making the tone-deaf and completely ignorant decor choice. I am sorry for not taking the time to fully understand and research the deep history of the culture I was inspired by before using it to decorate. I feel awful that you had to experience this type of cultural disrespect at House of Yes of all places. I hear you loud and clear and the tone-deaf appropriative/offensive bathroom will be dismantled and redesigned ASAP. To be transparent, the soonest I can take it on is right after Halloween. If you insist, we can put paint over it until then. I read every word of your email (twice) and I wanted to thank you for taking the time, being bold yet informative in your writing and also trusting us in that you would be heard. Well done Ankita Mishra. What a lucid, precise and heartfelt response to the utter wrongness of gods in the toilet! @BrownGirlMag https://t.co/K2HjNvQYqL Vamsee Juluri (@VamseeJuluri) November 17, 2018 If youd like to discuss over the phone Im reachable at Thank you again, Kae" In the end, Ankita was proud and grateful for communicating her views. She concludes by saying, I have seen both of my parents accept their subservience to white American culture my whole life, never asking to take up space or be respected for it. So now as their hybrid daughter I do it for them, and I hope to god(s) there are others like me who will. In Sep, Trump administration cancelled USD 300 mn in military aid to Pak for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil. Trump also said that he has plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan to meet American troops stationed there. (Photo: File) Washington: President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country does not do "a damn thing" for the US and its government had helped Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hide near its garrison city. Referring to Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Donald Trump in an interview to Fox News said, "You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed Laden there in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil. Trump also said that he has plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan to meet American troops stationed there. "Well, I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of -- obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said. Trump has been criticized by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. Rising fuel prices have irked the French citizens as they participated in the what is being known as Yellow Vest protests all over the world. Around 2,83,000 protesters clad in high-visible, yellow colored jackets protested against rising fuel prices in the nation. The dissenters shouted Macron resign! as they blocked major routes and highways in 2,039 protests at roundabouts and motorway exits, according to interior ministry figures. The Yellow Vest movement erupted on social media last month when the French citizens said that an increase in fuel taxes was driving the prices to such a high level, one that hasnt been witnessed since the early 2000s. Photo: AFP/Protesters being evacuated by police In January, the price of diesel is expected to go up by seven cents a litre while petrol prices will see a hike of three cents. Diesel vehicle owners still make up for a majority of the French market and now feel betrayed after the state encouraged diesel engines. Currently, petrol costs 1.54 (1.34) a litre and diesel 1.51 a litre. In Britain petrol costs an average 1.25 and diesel 1.33 a litre. Hundreds of demonstrators in Frances capital, Paris battled with police and attempted to march towards the gates of the Elysee, the residence and offices of president Emmanuel Macron, before being pushed back by riot police using tear gas. However, the protests turned far more than violent after a 63-year-old woman was killed by a speeding car in eastern Savoie region. A mother was trying to take her daughter to the hospital when a large group of protesters surrounded her car. She panicked and pressed the accelerator that killed the aged woman. Photo: AFP/ Protesters being dispersed with teargas shells More than 400 people were hurt-- 14 seriously, including a police officer -- and 117 detained, with 73 then taken into police custody, AFP reported. In Quimper, Brittany, another woman accidentally drove into two police officers. One frustrated motorist even drew a gun and fired two shots in the air after his route was blocked in the Mediterranean town of Marseillan, the Telegraph.co.uk reported. Many agitated drivers tried to force their way through the blockade as the situation became tense quite a few times. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a statement that they were worried about unorganised demonstrations by people who aren't necessarily used to such things. Photo: AFP/ Yellow-Vest protesters in Paris The protesters alleged that the citizens didnt support the French government policies and called French President Emmanuel Macron as only the President of the rich. 80% of the citizens backed the yellow vest movement as Macron held a crisis meeting to pacify the protesters. These include more financial incentives to exchange old cars for cleaner ones as well as the number of French entitled to energy cheques. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously spoken out against the bad privacy practices of major tech companies like Facebook and Google. Yet, when asked why it had a deal with the latter to be the default Safari search engine, he had a surprising answer. "I think their search engine is the best," Cook said, in an interview with Axios on HBO last week. "But two, look at what we've done with the controls. We have private web browsing, we have intelligent tracking prevention." "What we've tried to do is come up with ways to help our users through their course of the day. It's not a perfect thing, but it goes a long way in helping." Earlier in October, it had emerged that Google is paying Apple $9 billion (approximately Rs 65,0000 crore in 2018, to remain the Safari browser's default search engine on iOS. That number is also expected to climb to $12 billion in 2019 (approximately Rs 87,000 crore). Still, Cook does admit that the tech sector needs changes, especially where Internet companies are concerned. While he says he' not a big fan of tech companies being regulated, he does say we need to "admit when the free market is not working." "I think it's inevitable that there will be some level of regulation. I think Congress and the administration at some point will pass something," Cook added. "This is not a matter of privacy versus profits, or privacy versus technical innovation. That's a false choice. Your device has incredible intelligence about you, but as a company I don't have to have that." We humans tend to get really excited about new technology and dive right in without thought of consequences. And that's what we're doing with unrestricted AI development, among other things. Unfortunately, it's also what we're doing with pet tagging. BioHax founder Jowan Osterlund - BioHax You see, many pet owners in developed countries tend to implant microchips into their beloved critter. That way, if they ever run away or get lost, they can be tracked down without having to rely on a helpful stranger. Unfortunately, some companies seemed to have gotten the idea that tagging their employees might make workplace administration more efficient. The Telegraph recently reported how "a number of UK legal and financial firms" are currently discussing implanting their employees with RFID microchips provided by one particular company, BioHax. Apparently, it's for nebulous "security purposes". According to the report, BioHax founder Jowan Osterlund says some of those firms employ hundreds, if not thousands of people. RFID chips then help ensure someone without access can't get into restricted areas. "These companies have sensitive documents they are dealing with. The chips would allow them to set restrictions for whoever. In a company with 200,000 employees, you can offer this as an opt-in." His opinion is that it's fine, especially considering it removes the need to carry a physical ID at all times. Reuters Of course, it's only secure when you're trying to stop petty thieves that might be swiping passes. Because cloning an RFID tag is laughably easy for hackers. What this move really means then, is that it's so much easier to keep track of an employee at the workplace, and improves their efficiency. As the report points out, it could make swiping into the building, buying food in the canteen, and even accessing printers easier (some of these companies are law firms, where printer access is logged). But there's a bigger problem to worry about than just hackers that might attack you. There's also the privacy you're giving up and the discrimination you could face thanks to that itsy bitsy little microchip. For one thing, even if you have a chip in YOUR hand, it's company property. That means a government body can issue a warrant against your company in order to gain access to all the data recorded on those chips. Even before that, the company itself can access what pings your RFID tag made, and suddenly they have more chances to make up reasons to not promote a discrimination victim, or fire them. Also Read: This Woman's Abusive Ex-Partner Took Control Of Her Smart Home Devices To Stalk And Torment Her If you're a woman, those worries just get worse. Imagine, anyone with enough knowledge can access your company RFID to see all its pings. They now have access to what time you reach your workplace everyday, and what time you leave. By default, they also know where your office is, and that's horrifying. Getty Images Some authorities are already realising the danger thankfully, though not many. American companies began adopting the chipping trend as early as 2006, implanting tags in employees. However, the state government of California quickly moved to block all companies from making the practice mandatory, as well as stopping students from being chipped altogether. Technology is abused to harass people, especially women, on a regular basis. Without some serious thought on the issue, it's only a matter of time before we regret implanting ourselves with chips like a beloved house pet. Being a working mother can be difficult and to help things along, Sarrornagar Police Station in Telangana now has a creche for the female police officers. Named as We Care, IPS Mahesh Bhagwat took a step forward and started this initiative for female officers who cant leave their babies at home. After the picture of a woman police constable in Jhansi went viral last month, people suggested that there should be creche at the police stations. In the picture, the woman constable was looking after her baby, who was sleeping at a desk in front of her and working at the same time. In order to have a work-life balance to the women police officers on duty, for the first time, we have started creche at Saroornagar women police station, Bhagwat told ANI. The creche has one woman home guard, one woman constable and some staff to take care of the kids. The creche also has facilities like toys for the kids to play with, and the woman cops will be allowed to visit their kids four times a day. This creche is part of welfare measure and we are getting good feedback, right now we are having three to four babies. All safety and security is ensured, Rachakonda Police Commissioner said. Let's hope this initiative becomes a lesson in inclusivity and women empowerment for the rest of the country. It's not enough to have a voter card, it should actually be put to use. However, a good number of people tend to shirk their voting duties out of callousness or lack of knowledge of the process. Atahullah Khan from Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh is a social worker took it upon himself to motivate people to go out and vote. He put up a poster at his sons wedding and urged the guests to remember to cast votes in the upcoming assembly elections. ANI The posters were in Hindi and Urdu so as to help reach out to more people. "Considering voting as a moral obligation, I have done my bit to urge people of my city by placing posters at my son's wedding to urge them to vote. As the population of minorities is more in this city, hence I printed the posters in Urdu so that it can be easily readable to all," he told ANI. Taking a cue from the Election Commission's election awareness campaign, Khan decided to use his son's wedding to remind people of their responsibility. The election commission has directed the election officers of respective areas to urge people to exercise their right to vote on November 28. Madhya Pradesh will have assembly elections on November 28 and the results will be out on December 11. In what can only be described as cruel and inhuman, a tuition teacher in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh beat up a 7-year-old boy studying in class two. The tuition teacher allegedly hit the boy with a shoe, slapped, punched him and even bit him. After the parents noticed several bruises on their child's body, they asked him about the tuition teachers behaviour. The child told them everything, after which they checked the CCTV footage of the room where he used to take the classes and saw how the teacher was behaving with him. "The video has been recovered. A case has been registered and a team is trying to catch the teacher," senior police officer Ashutosh Dwivedi told news agency ANI. Aligarh: A minor boy was thrashed with a shoe and bitten by his tuition teacher, the incident came to light after the parents checked CCTV footage. Ashutosh Dwivedi, SP(Crime) says, "The video has been recovered. Case registered and a team has been formed to nab the teacher." pic.twitter.com/JD6RlpzFaf ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 18, 2018 In the five-minute gut-wrenching video, the teacher and the boy can be seen seated on chairs. The teacher has a shoe in his hand and can be seen hitting the boy. He also hits the boy on his knuckles with a key-like object and even grabs the boy by his hair and punches him multiple times on his back. After doing all of this, the teacher forces the kid to drink a glass of water and tells him to smile. There is a thin line between disciplining a child and mistreating them. An act like this cannot be condoned using lack of discipline as an excuse. This incident came to light thanks to the CCTV camera, otherwise who knows for how long this so-called teacher might have subjected the child to such physical abuse. Picture this: You're sitting inside your house and you realise that the police has surrounded you despite you not having called for help. Sounds a bit crazy, right? This family in Florida was a bit surprised after they found their house surrounded by the police on the night of November 15th and the reason was even more absurd. A neighbour called the police when they heard the family screaming. "Hi, I'm calling because I hear my neighbours fighting down the street from me and I'm a little bit concerned with what they are saying," the 911 caller said, according to local reports. "Then when I walked out there I heard a man say, 'Why did you take my gun?' and that's when I got kinda concerned." When six police cars reached the family's house, they got to know that they were playing Call of Duty with their windows wide open and because of that, they were screaming "I have a loud voice," the woman, Jamie McKee, was heard saying on a DeLand police officer body camera video, laughing with cops about the hilarious misunderstanding. Watch the video here: No weapons were found in their home, nor was any complaint registered. Mansi Bhat, an Indian American student at California State University, Fullerton, won the Best Use of Analytics and Visualization award for her research paper at the 2018 Teradata Analytics University Challenge held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 14-18. (photo provided) Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Some communication channels have prevented the useless escalation in Gaza. Local Christians are active boosting interfaith and social relations. The unity among Churches is "fundamental" to ensure a future in the region. The apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchy of Jerusalem bears witness. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - New violence in Gaza "would only cause more bloodshed for no good reason"; indeed, nothing has changed "on the ground, said Mgr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Speaking to AsiaNews, he notes that everyone has come to this conclusion. The Holy Land needs stability because "no one has talked about peace talks, negotiations, the search for dialogue for years". Yet, there are underground channels of communication that helped quell the recent violent outburst. On 24 June 2016, the former Custos of the Holy Land was appointed apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, whose see was left vacant following the resignation of Patriarch Fouad Twal due to the age limit. The 53-year-old was consecrated bishop on 10 September 2016 in the cathedral of Bergamo (Italy), his diocese of origin. An expert in Jewish culture, he has taught Biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical and Archaeological Sciences in Jerusalem and maintains many relations with prominent Israeli Jewish figures. Here is his interview with AsiaNews: Your Excellency, what atmosphere did you find in Gaza during your recent visit? The Christian community is small, just over 800 people, living in a surreal situation. Gazas reality touches everyone: no work, few prospects and being Christian makes everything even more difficult because they are not given jobs. From a social and economic point of view it is a fairly complicated situation. This said, I found them very united. I found an active community; the churchyard is always full of children. They are well organised and from this point of view they can protect and help each other. This point is real and important. What value do their presence and testimony have today in the Strip? As I said, they are 800 against two million people; so, the relationship is already evident in the numbers. Nonetheless, there are three Christian schools, one house for the disabled, twelve very active nuns, and an important Christian (Anglican) hospital. Despite this very small presence, the community is very active and lively. One trait of the Christians of the Holy Land is that they are never idle. They work not only to maintain their presence and their history, but also to boost interfaith and social relations. Thus, theirs is an evangelisation through action, as is often the case in a Middle East with a Muslim majority ... Exactly! This is the only clear attitude we can have to affirm who we are and to whom we belong. Mgr Pizzaballa, did you expect such a sudden burst of violence? Gaza is always surprising! It is surprising that we should always be surprised, despite everything. The reaction [of the Israeli government] seeking a cease-fire at all costs, which then led to the resignation of the Defence Minister [Avigdor Lieberman], was also a surprise. There is the impression that there are underground channels of communication, even when violence bursts suddenly. This should not come as a surprise. But and I hope I'm wrong I cant exclude this from happening again. Even though this time damages were limited and a way out was sought soon as possible ...? I think there is a lot of realism, because a new explosion of violence would not change anything on the ground for both Israel and the Palestinians. It will only bring more hatred and complicate things even more. From a military and political point of view nothing would change. It would only cause more bloodshed for no good reason. I think everyone has come to this conclusion because this is certainly not Gazas first crisis. It is clear that another solution must be found. In addition, US policies and other actors in the region are not helpful from a peace perspective ... Now only journalists and opinion writers talk about peace. We say we need stability, change the pace, but sadly no one has talked about peace talks, negotiations, the search for dialogue for years. The problem is that no one is talking. On the one hand, the Israeli-Palestinian question is no longer addressed; on the other hand, the two parties in question are no longer talking. The fundamental point is all there. Is the role of Christians as a bridge still valid and plausible? First of all, we must clarify that this is not the time of great gestures, of great initiatives that can change the course of history in the Middle East. It's time to work on the ground in small areas: school, hospitals, inter-family relationships. This is where we can express ourselves and make a positive contribution to social life. At this moment, there is nothing else. How can we back this mission? First of all, with prayer. And then with pilgrimages, which are important because they bring first of all job opportunities. [Work] is a great necessity in the Holy Land. And then talk about this reality, let others know more about it. You mentioned pilgrimages: after a period of crisis, the trend was reversed ... Yes, there are so many [tourists] and there are almost no more places to host them. The upcoming Christmas holidays are a good opportunity to undertake this experience. Your Excellency, what issues will the Church in the Holy Land bring to the next meeting of the Eastern Patriarchs, in Baghdad, later this month? As the Latin patriarchate we will bring our reality, talk about our problems and listen to others. This is an opportunity to share and look at common problems, as well as possible initiatives to be taken. Greater unity among Churches is fundamental and this can be seen across the Middle East, from Iraq and Syria to Jordan and the Holy Land. Of course, with different circumstances, but relations have improved a lot. Were building a better workplace through kick-ass customer service, Cunningham says. The funder-broker relationship is now a closer symbiotic bond, driven in part by a softer market in recent years. Approaches such as stretching settlement days on loans to reduce the impact of the rate on a client have allowed the funder to have more security and the broker to often generate more revenue. Youve got to think a bit differently about how youre going to engage your clients, and that leads to creative solutions to reaching them. Its definitely not an industry where you can sit back and settle into autopilot for a five-year plan We saw that brokers were looking at where additional revenue streams were going to come from, Cunningham says. Brokers have come to a new understanding that if they work with the funder, we can actually work with an outcome where they generate additional revenue. We are obviously profitable and remain viable, but it doesnt impact the client. Its no coincidence that one of the core components of Elantis strategy is to maintain a strong company culture. Having spent more than 15 years working in the banking sector, Cunningham is keenly aware of how quickly staff will spot any disparity between stated intent and action. During my days in the banks, they would say, Our staff are important, but then they would go and do something totally different, he says. But at Elantis, we tend to think that if our staff dont feel valued or part of the company, that will reflect in the way they approach brokers our customers. Cunningham is a firm believer that this marks Elantis out from the competition, providing incentive for staff and customers to remain with the organisation. And its paid dividends Elantis recently placed in the top 20 of the 2018 Great Place to Work Awards. For some companies, their approach is to say, Go find a new product line or Go find a new customer base we do that, too, but we specifically have significant strategy around making sure we are a great place to work, Cunningham says. All the leaders across the business and all the employees understand that. They have a fuller appreciation that we actively plan to make sure staff are engaged and feel valued. Indeed, its this positive workplace culture that Cunningham feels helps encourage competition throughout the industry. I enjoy the fact that funding is a tightknit, boutique industry, he says. Youve got to think a bit differently about how youre going to engage your clients, and that leads to creative solutions to reaching them. Its definitely not an industry or role where you can sit back and settle into autopilot for a five-year plan youve consistently got to be looking at doing different things. Supporting Australias SMEs The funding industry is currently forecast to loan around $5bn in Australia over the next financial year. Its a staggering figure that Cunningham is understandably proud of, and he feels its a testament to the quality of the industry as a whole. Find me somewhere else in the world where $5bn is lent unsecured, he laughs. It doesnt exist! Yet his amusement is underpinned by a serious conviction namely, that the funding industry plays a crucial role in aiding small business in Australia. Though the public perception of business tends to be geared around large-scale international operators, this is quite far removed from the truth. In fact, SMEs make up the bulk of Australian businesses and employ around 90% of Australians. Cunningham believes that this support for SMEs is a little-recognised facet of the funding and, by extension, insurance industry. With bigger banks suffering from a lack of consumer trust and frequently reluctant to provide the relevant loans, Cunningham says funders need to more overtly advertise the role they can play in aiding SMEs. The most important employees at Elantis are the staff who speak to our brokers regularly, solving problems and assisting however they can, he says. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Australian economy. If you take $5bn in funding away from helping those small businesses pay their insurance premiums, it will have a huge impact on the viability of that space. Disrupting the future While disruption is often bandied about as a buzzword, Cunningham feels its a term that could soon have real meaning again, especially in light of the revelations of the financial services royal commission. Too many direct insurers have pursued profit at the detriment of the consumer, he says. Insurance is a very competitive industry. The great brokers who look after their customers are going to prosper and boom, as will the funders When I came into the industry, there was a lot of talk around direct insurance offerings and artificial intelligence undermining the broking process, Cunningham says. But what weve discovered is that when we outsource the relationship to a direct model, its fundamentally flawed. Given the apparent issues exposed in the current system, Cunningham believes that the coming years will see a flight back to quality advice and customer service, built around individual relationships with brokers. This disruption of the current tendency toward direct insurers is likely to benefit the industry in the long run, though it will require hard work to demonstrate trustworthiness to the general public. Insurance is a very competitive industry, Cunningham says. The great brokers who look after their customers are going to prosper and boom, as will the funders. Indeed, Elantis is proof that the right workplace culture really can make all the difference not just to a business, but to an entire industry. Sussex Capital UK extends Brits ILS capability into the UK, further enhancing optionality and access to property catastrophe risk for our investors over the long term, said Mark Allan, CFO of Brit. We are excited to be at the forefront in supporting the London Markets ILS ambitions and would like to thank the UK regulators for their commitment and responsiveness through the application process. Capacity is set to be provided by Sussex Capital, Brits Bermuda-domiciled ILS fund platform with Brit CEO Matthew Wilson describing it as a landmark development. Sussex Capital UK further enhances Brits client and broker proposition and positions Brit extremely well to support growth in the UKs ILS market as demand evolves over time, he said. Matt Comyn, the chief executive of Commonwealth Bank, acknowledged that CBA should not have sold its Creditcard Plus insurance to 64,000 unemployed customers because they were ineligible, and that the wrongful sale of insurance products was largely due to the banks failure to act on a 2011 report by ASIC, The Guardian Australia reported. The inquiry heard that the problem was discovered in 2015, when an internal audit found the bank had failed to introduce ASIC-recommended changes to its sales scripts. Comyn said he warned then-CBA chief executive Ian Narev of his concerns about the insurance products a number of times in 2015 and 2016, but nothing was done about that profitable part of the retail-banking business, which was raking in $150 million a year, The Guardian and AFR reported. Comyn also admitted that the bank baulked at scrapping volume-based commissions to mortgage brokers, despite knowing the practice encourages brokers to write larger-than-necessary loans. Last year, CBA came close to changing the incentive for brokers but backed out the last minute because it didnt believe its competitors would follow its lead, potentially losing the bank its brokers to competitors and millions of dollars in profits from new mortgages along with it, Comyn said. The CBA chief noted that the banks culture would be one of the hardest aspects of the business to change because it is difficult to measure, The Guardian reported. In a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry into the proposed scheme, Insurance Australia Group (IAG) said the process for determining who is eligible for the extra compensation is both complex and unfair, Canberra Times reported. The insurance giant underwrites 164,000 CTP insurance policies in the ACT under the NRMA brand. "Injured people will be required to take in complex information upon which they will be required to make decisions that have potentially significant financial impacts upon them, IAG said. All of this while they are dealing with the effects of their injuries. It is also likely that the complexity of the process will cause injured people to seek the assistance of a lawyer, for which no legal costs may be payable by the insurer." IAG was particularly concerned that requiring injured people to pay excess to challenge the insurers assessment that there was no permanent impairment disadvantages those with lesser financial means. "Enforcing this process and collecting/recovering excess amounts would be administratively difficult and expensive, to say nothing of the impact on the relationship between the injured person and insurer," said the Sydney-headquartered insurance group. The excess would likely amount to $500 or one-quarter of the assessment fee, whichever is higher. "An excess payment for the independent assessment is only required where the injured person requests the independent assessment even though they are not considered to have any likely permanent impairment as a result of their accident," a government spokeswoman told the Times. "The excess payment is fully refundable if the injured persons whole-person impairment assessment by an authorised independent medical examiner determines the injured person has some permanent impairment (e.g. more than 0%)." IAG also slammed the decision to cut income benefits for injured people who were at retirement age plus 26 weeks, saying it was an unjust outcome for injured people who continue to work past retirement age by choice or need" to not receive income replacement if they were unable to work because of their injury. The spokeswoman said the cut-off was in line with statutory motor-accident schemes and workers compensation schemes in other jurisdictions, and had been included in the model chosen by the citizens jury. "At this point, people can access the Commonwealth-age pension and/or their superannuation benefits to provide income," she told Canberra Times. "Older people with more serious injuries, and are not at fault, can still make a common-law claim for damages including for any lost income." IAG also hit out at the provision preventing injured people from claiming damages for lost earnings in the first year after the accident, saying it would not only keep people who were out-of-work for reasons like unpaid maternity from recovering those lost earnings, it would also leave injured people out-of-pocket on superannuation, Canberra Times reported. OMDs wealth of experience and capabilities will play a critical role in accelerating our masterbrand strategy and strengthening our customer connections, said Mim Haysom, Suncorp executive general manager of brand and marketing. OMD will be an invaluable extension of our brand and marketing team, providing strategic support on our media strategy, third-party analytics, and account management across all our brands. Aimee Buchanan, OMD Australia CEO, said the partnership represents the right cultural fit between the businesses and creates an opportunity for us to challenge each other to drive growth for Suncorp. Haysom also thanked former partner Publicis Media for its many years of service. We look forward to continuing our ongoing partnership with Publicis and Leo Burnett as our wonderful and talented creative partners, Haysom said. If our leaders are not able to come together and get it done for the people, our position is then we need to take this directly to the people in 2020, Quicken Loans vice-president of government relations Jared Fleisher told Crains. Last year, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposed a bill that would end no-fault insurance in Michigan which was ultimately rejected by the House. Since then, Quicken Loans has been lobbying for lawmakers to reconsider reforming the law in the lame-duck session beginning November 27, 2018. We believe the right solution is a legislative solution (and) we believe that should happen in lame duck, Fleisher explained. If it doesnt happen in lame duck, we think it should happen in the first six months of 2019. Quicken Loans has threatened that it will fund a ballot campaign in 2020 that would bypass Legislature, allowing voters to initiate the reform without lawmakers help. Over the past year, Gilbert has been vocal about support for no-fault reform in Michigan, Crains reported. According to him, the high cost of insurance in the state has become a deterrent to economic development. Related stories: These are the most expensive states for auto insurance Michigan AG may back mayors lawsuit over no-fault insurance A joint investigation by the attorney generals Auto Insurance Fraud unit and the New York City Department of Investigation, code-named Dr. Know, found that Safir and his co-conspirators allegedly encouraged patients at Safirs Brooklyn clinic, Jamaica Wellness, to fabricate and exaggerate injuries. The patients were encouraged to submit fraudulent claims to insurance carriers for treatment provided and prescribed by unlicensed individuals, the attorney general said. As we allege, the defendants illegally operated a medical clinic and took advantage of car-accident victims in order to line their own pockets, Underwood said. We have zero tolerance for those who try to scam New Yorkers and take advantage of our insurance and healthcare systems and my office will continue to prosecute those who break the law. This investigation exposes how one scheme resulted in a spectrum of fraudulent conduct, including money laundering, grand larceny and the unauthorized practice of medicine, according to the charges, said Mark G. Peters, commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigations. In New York State, a person injured in an auto accident is automatically covered by the Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Insurance Reparations Act, commonly referred to as the no-fault law. The medical expenses of a person injured in an auto accident are covered up to a total of $50,000. Under state law, only a medical clinic owned and controlled by a licensed medical professional can bill for no-fault reimbursement. According to the indictment, between July 2016 and July 2017, Safir who is not a licensed physician owned and controlled Jamaica Wellness and directed treatment protocol for auto-accident victims. He allegedly encouraged accident victims to exaggerate or fabricate injuries, and employed runners to solicit customers for the clinic. Ursulova, an attorney, allegedly helped Safir illegally incorporate Jamaica Wellness by engaging in a sham ownership transfer from one doctor to another. Dr. Alexander Haselkorn was an owner of the clinic in name only and did not actually treat patients, prosecutors allege. Patients were instead allegedly diagnosed and referred for thousands of dollars in treatment by his wife, Roberta who was not a licensed medical provider. Safir and his co-conspirators allegedly bilked insurers for more than $1 million through the scam. Fausts family and attorneys found multiple liens and an unpaid second mortgage on Faust Funeral Home and his house, according to The Intelligencer. While the properties are collectively valued at nearly $1 million, the unpaid debts would gobble up most of the profits from a sale. Fausts oldest daughter, Sara Faust-Strang who was unaware of Fausts debts or his illegal activities said she hoped to stabilize the business in order to aid in restitution for the victims, including honoring their prepaid funerals. At the sentencing, Gibbons blasted Faust for deceiving his family, victims and the court, The Intelligencer reported. You are the most manipulative human being I have met, she said. Faust admitted to forging at least seven different doctors names on death certificates in order to access accounts containing funds for prepaid funerals. He also continued to work at the funeral home despite collecting disability insurance for what was described as a coffin accident that required multiple surgeries on his shoulder and back. by Zaoxu () Although there are some positive - but formal - elements, the agreement seems to be a victory for China, which retains the power to draw up the list of candidates for the episcopate. The bishops who have been excommunicated, behave like "when they were illegitimate". A real step forward would be the recognition of underground bishops and the establishment of a true Episcopal Conference that includes official and underground pastors. Beijing (AsiaNews) - There is no visible change in the Church in China after the agreement between Beijing and the Holy See. This is what this (official) priest of Central China writes to AsiaNews. According to Fr. Zaoxu, China "got what it wanted": to keep the list of names of candidates for the episcopate in its hands. And the seven reconciled bishops, "show no different principles than when they were illegitimate". There are certainly some positive elements, but a real change can only be achieved if the underground bishops are united to the official bishops in a real Chinese Bishops' Conference. For this reason the priest hopes that this theme - the recognition of the underground bishops will be dealt with as soon as possible in future Sino-Vatican dialogues. Fr Zaoxu then makes a curious comparison between the commercial dialogue between China and the United States and the dialogues between China and the Holy See. It is not clear how significant the Provisional Agreement is. If we are to compare before and after the Accord, then there has been no visible change in the Church in China. Some believe that, once the Agreement between China and the Vatican was signed, we must wait for some improvement or worsening of the situation: time belongs to the Lord and the results are also in His hands. Others think that it is not important for the Agreement to be good or bad, but each one must make the best possible commitment to the services of the faithful and to the formation of the parish communities. Still others consider that the Agreement was signed by Pope Francis for the Church in China to truly undertake the path of communion, emphasizing its "pastoral" character. The Agreement has put an end to the decades-long period of illegality of the Church in China. After the signing of the Agreement, there will be no more illegitimate bishops. Furthermore, for the first time, the governing authority of the Holy Father towards the Chinese Church has obtained recognition from an atheistic government: some point out that we cannot but admit that this is a great progress. With the Agreement, the Chinese government has obtained what it wanted, that is, to maintain the power to propose to the Pope the list of names of episcopal candidates in the Chinese Church. Moreover, the long-awaited request to legitimize the seven bishops [excommunicated] was welcomed by the Holy Father, who legitimized them all. This solved the punishment these bishops felt in their conscience for a long time, as well as putting an end to the embarrassing state of faith in the Chinese Church. I have heard that after the Agreement, discussions will continue on the problem of the communion of underground bishops. Given that the clandestine bishops are not allowed to participate, the Conference of Chinese bishops has existed only in a nominal and instrumental way, devoid of content. Only when all the bishops, without exclusion, participate will it exist in an appropriate sense. For this reason, the work that continues after the Agreement is extremely important. The seven bishops, although legitimized, for the most part, show no different principles than when they were illegitimate. The future of the Chinese Church after the Agreement has two possible directions: either it will improve step by step, or it will get worse every day. Both these future directions will depend entirely on the openess or closure of the responsible authorities. The pastoral negotiations between China and the Vatican have similar characteristics to the commercial ones between China and the United States. Faced with the Vatican, China enjoys superiority, while it feels inferior to the US. This for one reason only: the US requires China to make changes in the economic and military sector. This would parallel with the Vatican's request for changes in religious freedom. Undoubtedly, the superiority of the US in the face of China is similar to the superiority of China in front of the Vatican. China's impotence before the United States is similar to that of the Vatican before China. Time is urgent, so even if China has 100 things that it does not want, it still seeks ways to negotiate with the US; even if the Vatican has 1000 things that it does not like, it is also ready to endure humiliations in order to continue the negotiations. This is the politics of the great: although there are situations without any clear way out, they will do everything possible to survive and return to the negotiating table. We are small and we have no such patience and wisdom. Insurance Professional, Aflac Aflac is looking for ambitious, success-driven, career-minded individuals to serve as professionals marketing the companys products in several areas in Missouri. Individuals with strong consulting skills and presentation abilities are expected. You can visit the following links to apply for the positions in Harrisonville, Joplin, Sedalia, and Warrensburg. Insurance Sales Agent, BizInsure Are you interested in using an advanced technology platform to sell commercial insurance? BizInsure is looking for people like you who can fully utilize its proprietary business insurance quoting engine. All applicants must be licensed for P&C insurance in California and have experience with inside sales. You can apply here. Life Insurance Agent, Family First Life Insurance If you are in the neighborhood of Las Vegas, NV, then you might want to apply for the job opportunity Family First Life is offering. The company offers aggressive compensation and bonuses to agents, compared to other insurers. FFL also promises new agents exclusive leads for their first 30 days. You can apply here. Finance/Insurance Coordinator, Nalchajian Orthodontics Nalchajian Orthodontics in Fresno, CA is in need of a professional who can ensure that their orthodontic services are financially available to patients. The healthcare provider is looking for individuals with great interpersonal communication and quantitative skills. You can apply for the position here. Insurance Coordinator, OrthoFi Startup OrthoFi develops software solutions for orthodontists which allow them to start more patients while offloading front-office processes. The company is in need of insurance coordinators that can interface with both orthodontists and their patients to verify insurance benefits. You can apply here. P&C Insurance Agent, Organization of Real Estate Professionals The Organization of Real Estate Professionals in San Diego, CA is a niche retail insurance brokerage. The company is on the lookout for applicants who are licensed and experienced in P&C, as well as E&O insurance. Applicants must be good team players. You can apply here. Its not only the direct damage to buildings that hurt businesses, but also the business interruption loss, Glickman told Insurance Business, and Michael was also a stronger hurricane than the one that preceded it, which is part of the reason for the heightened impact on properties in Florida. The problem with Florence was it was slow-moving, and you had a lot more damage by rain and flooding. [Michael] went relatively quickly, so this was a true hurricane loss with wind causing the majority of the damage, said Glickman, adding that the storm will also force the insurance industry to rethink its approach to underwriting risk. I do think Michael will have a greater economic impact most likely for commercial risks, but what it is pushing all of the underwriters to do is really re-evaluate the exposures in the entire southeast. The Carolinas got smacked twice in two and a half weeks, so thats a pretty substantial exposure for a large area where youve got so much more building going on than we even had 10 years ago. With Michael bringing strong winds that ripped roofs off structures and dumped rain inside, consumers and brokers should be examining homeowners policies and whether they have coverage for this particular force of nature. Read more: Flood insurance take-up rate unacceptably low Munich Re Wind should be under a homeowners policy, but every homeowners policy is different, so one would surmise that there would be coverage, explained Glickman. Where it gets dicey is in the commercial marketplace, where wind is generally included under the All Risk, but you pay for it and there are typically sub-limits for wind, so even though you might be buying a $100 million policy for fire, you may not necessarily be getting $100 million of wind within that. Another catastrophe means another learning opportunity for agents and brokers to make their clients aware of whats covered before the next windstorm hits. They live a life of magical thinking where they dont think it can happen to them, so I think its incumbent on a broker to have a hard conversation with a client, whether they are personal lines or commercial lines particularly if its commercial lines, youre talking about big dollars to make sure that the assets are modeled for wind and thats it explained very clearly that you dont have coverage unless youre buying that peril, said Glickman. Every policy is different and the other kicker with that is when you have a loss like this, the increased cost due to demand surge, which is increased cost of labor, materials, delay in getting permits, etcetera, can add anywhere from 15 to 30% more to the reconstruction cost. The superintendent of the new entity charged with distributing millions of dollars to Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations says hes within weeks of shutting down if state bonding isnt released. Michael Maglaras told members of several legislative committees on Friday that the captive insurance company has been awaiting more than $19 million for two-and-a-half months. He says the money has been delayed due to long-running, onerous and expensive negotiations with the states Department of Housing. Maglaras hopes to begin distributing grants to some affected homeowners next month. Maglaras says he recently learned the matter was transferred from the Department of Housing to the State Treasurers Office, giving him hope the funds will finally be deposited into the account. Hes telling lawmakers, lets fix it and make it work. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Mergers Connecticut In response to cyber and digital risk being identified as the top concern facing airports today, Willis Towers Watson has introduced CyFly for Airports, an insurance solution specifically tailored to cover cyber exposures affecting airports around the globe. CyFly is offered to airports globally, with the exception of the United States, although WTW hopes to develop a similar solution for the U.S. in due course, explained a company representative. CyFly for Airports provides the following extensive coverages not found to be incorporated into current traditional cyber policies: Business interruption arising from outages sustained by third parties upon whose networks airports rely, such as air navigation service providers, hangar operators and maintenance operators. Regulatory costs and fines under cyber security legislation such as the EU Network & Information Systems Directive (NISD) rather than just data protection legislation Broad system failure business interruption extending to any unplanned outages, rather than those arising only from hacks or negligence Voluntary system shut-downs to mitigate business interruption exposures Claims preparation costs to avoid the delay and expense ordinarily associated with business interruption claims Deemed insurability language, which aides recovery of both data protection and cyber security fines, under the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the NISD. (This aspect of the coverage deems fines to be insurable in the absence of explicit existing legislation to the contrary.) CyFly for Airports has been specifically designed to respond to the cyber risk concerns of our airport clients, said Jamie Monck-Mason, executive director, cyber & TMT, Willis Towers Watson. They recognize that it is not only their own IT systems that can be vulnerable but that the human element and third party suppliers can also create risk, he added. Traditional cyber coverages do not include many of the benefits that CyFly for Airports can include cover. With our in-depth understanding of the human element of risk, in conjunction with feedback and data from clients, we are developing a suite of industry-specific cyber solutions. Willis Towers Watson Transportation Risk Index 2016 and Airport Risk Conference 2018 Topics Cyber Legislation New Markets Aviation Willis Towers Watson Business Interruption North Dakota oil industry leaders are pushing to loosen the states oil conditioning regulations, but an environmental group is arguing to tighten rules. The North Dakota Industrial Commission is considering changing regulations adopted nearly four years ago to make Bakken crude oil safer for rail transportation after fiery train derailments, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Under the regulations, companies must remove the most volatile gases from Bakken crude oil to ensure vapor pressure doesnt exceed 13.7 pounds per square inch. Companies must report vapor pressure tests to regulators quarterly. About 60,000 vapor pressure tests have been submitted, and of those, about one in 1,000 exceeded the threshold, according to North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms. The commission is looking into reducing how often companies have to submit vapor pressure tests to regulators. The North Dakota Petroleum Council urged the commission at a hearing on Nov. 13 to change the rules so that tests should be submitted annually, instead of quarterly. Kari Cutting, the industry groups vice president, said reducing the amount of data submitted to regulators wouldnt change the requirement to meet the vapor pressure threshold. The intended impact is to allow North Dakotas Department of Mineral Resources to focus its efforts where they will be the most effective and increase their enforcement efficiency without reducing the oversight of rail transportation, Cutting said. But the Dakota Resource Council says the current rules are insufficient and that the quarterly reporting requirement should stay in place. Scott Skokos, the councils executive director, said the industry is easily meeting the 13.7 psi threshold, which indicated that the regulation is essentially not actually doing much. It looks like they could actually be setting the bar a little bit higher, Skokos said. Helms said the commission will take action on the oil conditioning regulations Dec. 18. North Dakota set oil and gas production records in September, but a slowdown is expected in the coming months due to a sharp drop in oil prices. The states director of mineral resources, Lynn Helms, said that oil production surged to a record 1.36 million barrels per day, while natural gas output hit an all-time high of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day in September. But the gas volume that was flared off instead of captured also hit a record at 457 million cubic feet per day. The capture rate was 83 percent, missing an 85 percent target for the fifth straight month. The target rose to 88 percent this month. The North Dakota Industrial Commission is expected to take action on Nov. 20 on changes to the gas capture policy. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Energy Oil Gas North Dakota Cryptocurrency and blockchain entities may seem like a hot market for insurance agents looking to specialize, but right now there are not many insurers willing to write it. Before jumping in, agents would be wise to consider partnering with a wholesale broker with expertise so they can become familiar with the crypto landscape, according to Jonathan Reiner, an executive vice president at RT Specialty who works out of Chicago. Reiner, who has been with RT since 2010, was at the PLUS (Professional Liability Underwriting Society) Conference earlier this month in San Diego, where he spoke with Insurance Journal at the conference about the cryptocurrency market. This has been edited for clarity and brevity. Insurance Journal: Talk about the crypto market and what insurance professionals should know about it? Reiner: In general, from a D&O, E&O, cyber perspective, its a pretty hard market. There are very few insurance carriers that are interested in writing coverage for crypto- or blockchain-based companies. Typically, its because theyre not familiar with how crypto works or the exposures that might arise out of it as well as the regulatory environment. Its certainly a challenge for brokers just because there are only so many insurers that are willing to look at it. Interest in Crypto Insurance Grows, Despite High Premiums, Broad Exclusions Right now, the market is beginning to open up a little bit more. The insurance companies are trying to educate themselves by doing a lot of conference calls with clients, educate them on what their product offering is and then hopefully that continues to move in a trend where insurance companies want to insure crypto or blockchain-based companies. IJ: What makes crypto tough to place? Reiner: Its the uncertainty. You know, its the regulatory environment or lack thereof. Typically, there has to be some industry precedent, right, and there just isnt as much. So thats been the biggest challenge and hurdle. IJ: How would you recommend agents and brokers interested in getting into crypto and specializing in the area go about doing that? Reiner: I would say keep in mind partnering with a wholesaler and expert, somebody who can help guide you through what the marketplace looks like. You know, one of the big hurdles weve seen is oftentimes a retail insurance broker might have limited or no expertise in the crypto space. They might have a relationship and an opportunity and they completely under-ballpark what the cost might be or what the coverage might look like. The private company, D&O marketplace right now in general is pretty soft, so I think a lot of retailers have gotten very comfortable with assuming that pricing is going to be incredibly cheap and terms are going to be extensive. So when it comes to crypto marketplace, that just isnt the case. Its because its a narrower playing field from the insurance company side. There arent that many carriers in it. The carriers that are doing it are excluding a lot of things and charging a lot of money for it. So, I would say, I would caution the retail brokers that are targeting that business to make sure they know the landscape before they go after it. Theres obviously a lot of emerging companies in the blockchain and crypto field. Because of that there are more opportunities out there for retail brokers. You know, I wouldnt say that theres necessarily a ton of specialization across the board. There are certain retail brokers that seem to have a little bit more comfort in it, and because of that, clients are gravitating towards them naturally. Related: Topics Carriers Agencies Trends Market State insurance regulators have elected new officers of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The following officers will assume their duties on Jan. 1, 2019: President: Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric A. Cioppa. Cioppa joined the Maine regulatory bureau in 1988 as a statistician then served as supervisor of the workers compensation section prior to becoming deputy superintendent in 1998. He was unanimously confirmed as superintendent in September 2011 and in January 2017 he was reconfirmed to serve another five-year term. President-Elect: South Carolina Insurance Director Raymond G. Farmer. Farmer was first appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to serve as director for the South Carolina Department of Insurance in 2012. He has more than 40 years experience, having served as a deputy insurance commissioner for the Georgia Department of Insurance and more recently as vice president for the American Insurance Association. Vice President: Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito. Ito was reappointed by Gov. David Y. Ige to serve as commissioner of the Hawaii Insurance Division effective Jan. 1, 2015. He was previously appointed insurance commissioner by Gov. Linda Lingle (July 2010) and Gov. Neil Abercrombie (January 1, 2011). Prior to his appointment, Ito served as chief deputy insurance commissioner since 2000. Prior to that, he worked as supervising staff attorney from 1993-2000. Secretary-Treasurer: Idaho Insurance Director Dean L. Cameron. Cameron was appointed director of the Idaho Department of Insurance by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter. He took office on June 15, 2015. Cameron is a third-generation insurance agent and a former state legislator for 13 terms, including eight as the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. S&P Global Ratings has removed Texas-based Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual Insurance Assn. (HPFMIA) and its subsidiary, Hochheim Prairie Casualty Insurance Co. (HPCIC, collectively Hochheim) from Credit Watch Negative, where the companies were initially placed on Nov. 28, 2017. S&P Global Ratings also affirmed its B+ financial strength rating on Hochheim. The outlook is stable. Given the favorable weather for Texas and strong underwriting profits for Hochheim in 2018 the ratings agency said it believes the credit profile has stabilized. As of September 2018, the companys combined ratio was 83.2 percent compared to 121.4 percent for the same period in the previous year. The favorable underwriting translated to a net profit of $18.1 million, which allowed the company to boost its capital and surplus levels to $69.8 million from $53.7 million as of year-end 2017. The strong results for the company are a combination of favorable weather limiting losses, and underwriting actions. Those underwriting actions included rate increases for both the property and auto businesses, property deductible shift to renew all $500 deductibles to $1,000 deductibles, continued shift of policies to insured to value, adjustments to the reinsurance program, and shifting the book back to purely rural Texas-focused, eliminating some of the drift into the urban markets. In addition to these changes, the company revised its 2018 reinsurance program to reduce the quota share, and sustained the previous years tail coverage for natural catastrophes, while purchasing an additional $5 million of catastrophe coverage due to favorable market conditions. Although the changes to the reinsurance program were done for economic reasons and expose the balance sheet to a little more risk, the strong underwriting performance for the year allowed Hochheim to enhance its earnings profile for the year. Given the capital build-up from the strong performance, S&P expects the company to pursue greater growth in rural markets and further reduce its quota-share reinsurance while maintaining current coverage levels for property catastrophe exposure as we get closer to the Jan. 1, 2019, reinsurance renewals. The stable outlook on Hochheim reflects the expectation over the next 12 months that it will maintain capital adequacy at the less-than-adequate level, sustain reinsurance at current levels, and will have stable underwriting profitability assuming a normalized level of weather related losses. S&P said it may lower our ratings in the next 12 months if the company incurs substantial losses that would materially reduce capital levels, regulatory authorities initiate supervisory actions, or the company cannot purchase adequate reinsurance during the 2019 renewal cycle. The ratings agency does not expect to raise its ratings in the next 12 months. Any upgrade thereafter would depend on the companys ability to boost earnings and significantly grow its statutory surplus, leading to a sustained improvement in capital adequacy. Source: S&P Global Topics Carriers Texas Underwriting Reinsurance The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated three Louisiana parishes as contiguous disaster areas as the result of excessive rain and flooding that occurred April 1 to June 30, 2018, according to Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. Twenty counties in Mississippi received a primary disaster designation and 32 received a contiguous disaster designation. The contiguous Louisiana parishes that had crop damage and losses are: Concordia, East Carroll, and Tensas. Strain said some agriculture producers in these parishes could be eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible areas have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information. Topics Natural Disasters Louisiana Agribusiness A judge says the man charged with killing four people at a Tennessee Waffle House is liable in a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by a victims mother. News outlets report a Davidson County Circuit Court judge found 29-year-old Travis Reinking liable for the death of 23-year-old Akilah DaSilva. Reinking is accused of fatally shooting DaSilva and three others at the Nashville restaurant April 22. Shaundelle Brooks attorney, Daniel Horwitz, says in a statement Brooks appreciates Reinking was found liable in her sons death. Reinkings father, Jeffrey Reinking, is also a defendant. The lawsuit says he gave guns to his son despite law enforcements instructions. The judge hasnt ruled on Jeffrey Reinkings liability, but decided a jury trial should determine the damages his son owes DaSilvas family. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Tennessee On November 15 and 16 the first world meeting dedicated to the theme was held. Over 1000 religious and political personalities of different faiths present. For the Prime Minister, the goal is to transform the country into the capital "of shared life". Countering fundamentalism starting from schools and universities. A "model" but not without some shadows. Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Promote a model of tolerant Islam and a society open to the outside, thanks to a general "stability" in terms of politics and of security. This is the project undertaken in recent years by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which on 15 and 16 November last promoted - on the impetus of the highest authorities - the first world summit of tolerance. Over 1,000 people attended the event, including political and religious leaders (including Christians), together with experts from around the world. The Emirates are among the very few nations of the Middle East that can boast stability. For some time the leaders of the country have proposed to export their model of society open to religious and cultural diversity, based on moderate Islam. Of course, there is no lack of "dark" aspects such as the involvement of Abu Dhabi in the bloody war in Yemen or the clash (in support of Saudi Arabia) with Qatar in place for a year and which have in fact raised the tension in the region. And there are also cases of internal repression of the dissidence, as shown by the condemnation to 10 years of imprisonment of the dissident Ahmed Mansoor. However, the Emirates remain a "happy island" in a reality characterized by widespread intolerance or persecution; just think of Saudi Arabia in which other religious practices are not allowed, except for Sunni Islam (and Wahhabita). In 2016 Abu Dhabi promoted a Ministry of Tolerance; the following year it founded the International Institute of Tolerance (IIT) and this year, on the occasion of the world day celebrated on November 16, the authorities promoted a world summit on the topic. Inaugurating the two days, Prime Minister sheikh Mohammad ben Rached al-Maktoum pointed out that the purpose "is to make the Emirates the capital of tolerance and common life" to try to "bring cultures closer together and create a dialogue between religions and civilizations". For his part, the Minister of Tolerance sheikh Nahyan ben Moubarak al-Nahyan illustrated various initiatives to counter extremism and encourage religious pluralism. For some time now, the Emirates have been working to combat fundamentalism, with the Sawab center linked to the Foreign Ministry and the Hedaya center, which guarantees work to over 70 people, who are involved in monitoring any speeches of hatred and violence or the spread of a far right ideology. Initiatives that focus on schools and universities, where the youth population is concentrated. The president of the Parliament Amal al-Qobeissi recalls the values at the base of the nation, fruit of the thought of the founding father Sheikh Zayed. He used to "help non-Muslims" by underlining that "there are no differences" and he personally ordered "the construction of three churches in 1974". In the country there is also freedom of worship for the Shiites, an anomaly in a region torn by the division between the two main currents of Islam. Re-launching the project of a "tolerance ID" within the Gulf Cooperation Council (CCC), al-Qobeissi concludes by emphasizing that the ultimate aim of the summit is to bring Islam closer to the West: "In the Emirates - he says - over 200 different nationalities live in harmony. The culture of diversity is the best weapon of prevention against radicalism". About 1,100 doctors in Georgia have not signed up for a program to monitor opioid use. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported doctors were supposed to sign up by Jan. 1 for the states prescription drug monitoring program. The doctors were supposed to start checking the program July 1 before prescribing opioids and certain other drugs. But the newspaper says many doctors have not signed up despite warnings. Officials say 24,000 doctors have signed up The Georgia Composite Medical Board has not yet ordered any punishment. The board discussed the matter earlier this month, but the Attorney Generals Office said the board would have to build a case against each doctor, gather documents, call people to testify and holding hearings. Assistant Attorney General Max Changus said the law is unclear on punishment. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Georgia A New Mexico woman who was brought back to life is suing the hospital for violating her rights. The Albuquerque Journal reports lawyers for Jamie Sams filed a lawsuit last week in New Mexico state district court against Santa Fes Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. The lawsuit filed on behalf Sams, a writer known for books on spirituality, says the hospital and a doctor who was treating her are to blame for her going into cardiac arrest. The lawsuit says Sams was given a painkiller even after she told staff she was allergic to it. Court documents say the negligence was compounded when hospital personnel resuscitated her, something she did not want. Christus spokesman Arturo Delgado declined to comment. Sams is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Mexico Registered representatives who carry a Series 6 or 7 license is required by law to register with a broker-dealer in order to sell securities to the public. These clearing companies generally position themselves in one of three basic forms: as either full-service, discount or independent firms. While the former two types of broker-dealers generally maintain a fairly high level of control over their reps, independents usually allow their brokers almost complete freedom in how they do their business, which is appealing for many experienced producers who can afford to pay for their own overhead and marketing expenses. More Offerings Independent broker-dealers were created to accommodate financial advisors who carry securities licenses and need back-office support for services such as compliance and trade execution. These firms typically cater to more experienced advisors who generate high streams of revenue from a sophisticated client base. Most advisors in this category no longer need managers to supervise them and usually dont want to be required to sell proprietary products by their firms marketing department. Many independent broker-dealers offer a much more comprehensive array of products and services under their umbrella than discount or full-service firms. While most firms of any kind will offer mainstream products such as mutual funds, annuities, unit investment trusts, low and midlevel automated portfolio management and retirement accounts, independent firms can often provide access to high-level money management platforms not available to the general public, alternative vehicles such as hedge funds, oil and gas partnerships and turnkey investment or savings programs designed to cater to a specific market segment such as medical professionals. Other alternatives such as venture capital, private placement offerings, and overseas holdings are also available to clients who qualify. Higher Payouts, Higher Overhead Another major advantage that independent broker-dealers offer to planners is a much higher payout on commissions. Many discount brokers pay their reps a flat salary with perhaps a bonus for production targets that are achieved at either the branch or office level. Full-service firms often provide some sort of base salary with a commission structure layered on top. The commission percentages in this sort of arrangement usually range anywhere from 30% to 60%, depending upon the advisors production level, tenure, and form of relationship with the company. Those who work as independent contractors usually receive a higher payout that those who are directly employed by the firm. Of course, the planners and brokers who work at these firms typically have little or no overhead, with the company providing office space, business cards, marketing, and administrative support and other necessary amenities. Independent firms usually offer commission payouts in the 80%-95% range, thus allowing reps to earn substantially more from the same amount of business. Of course, they also do not provide full-service support to their brokers, so those who are trying to decide which type of company suits them best will need to get a clear picture of their out-of-pocket expenses that they will pay if they go the independent route. Although independent broker-dealers do not tell their reps how to run their businesses, they are still required by FINRA and the SEC to provide compliance oversight to ensure that all pertinent regulations are followed. Many firms will also provide additional clearing support to assist with account management and recordkeeping, although this service may come at a price. Reps may have some level of choice in the services that they decide to use and pay for. Key Players Although there are many independent broker-dealers in the marketplace today, some of the largest and most well-known firms include LPL Financial (LPLA), Raymond James (RFJ), Royal Alliance, Commonwealth, Cambridge, First Allied Securities, and Securian Financial. There are also some firms who straddle both the full-service and independent models, such as Ameriprise (AMP), Lincoln, AXA, Wells Fargo (WFC), Northwestern Mutual and Waddell & Reed. The Bottom Line Independent broker-dealers are often the best choice for experienced planners who have established practices because of their superior commission payouts and minimal supervision. Reps who choose to use them need to be certain that they will be able to generate sufficient revenue under this business model to pay their own overhead. For more information on independent firms, visit LinkedIn's (LNKD) website for the National Association of Independent Broker-Dealers. For most Americans, healthcare is a top personal and financial priority. Unfortunately, provider billing mistakes combined with the skyrocketing cost of healthcare services, health insurance premiums, and prescription drugs can create real financial concerns. The good news is that there are ways to keep your medical bills in check. Key Takeaways Saving money on medical bills can be done by wisely choosing providers, such as using in-network care providers and asking for discounts. Other ways to cut costs include using generic prescriptions and getting mail-order drugs. Billing errors can increase your costs as well, thus, it pays to audit your medical bills and establishing a relationship with billing offices. Using medical marijuana in lieu of some prescription drugs may save you money. Urgent care centers are often less expensive than going to the emergency room of a hospital. Choosing Providers and Pricing According to the U.S. Census Bureau, most Americans (nearly 86%) have health insurance coverage to pay for the majority of their healthcare services. However, even if you have health insurance, you can still comparison shop for healthcare just like any other purchase. Here are some tips on how to choose a provider and a price before getting socked with unexpected or larger-than-expected bills. 1. Use In-Network Care Providers If you have a PPO (preferred provider option) health insurance plan, your insurer will pay for most of the cost (minus your co-pay) when you use a doctor or hospital that is part of the insurance company's preferred network of providers. If you use a doctor or hospital outside the provider network, you will have to pay a larger portion of the bill. PPOs typically pay only up to 70-80% of expenses incurred outside the network. 2. Research Service Costs Online With Americans having to pay for more of their healthcare costs, third-party health "infomediaries," organizations that advise consumers about treatment and provider options, are coming on the scene. The approximate prices for medical services are available online from several locations, including consumer websites (such as HealthGrades.com and The Leapfrog Group), individual hospitals and insurance companies, and even the federal government. When you receive a diagnosis or recommendation for a procedure, do a little online research to become a more informed customer. 3. Ask for the Cost You might be surprised to know that you can ask your doctor to give you an estimated cost for a procedure or service before scheduling an appointment. If the cost is too high for you, an excellent time to negotiate is before your appointment or seek treatment elsewhere. If it is a routine procedure or appointment, it may easy to "shop around" with other local doctors. In addition, you could ask for an installment plan to pay. 4. Ask About Options Ask your physician if all the recommended tests or procedures are medically necessary, especially if you have to meet a high out-of-pocket deductible or co-pay. 5. Ask for a Discount It is possible to negotiate a lower price for healthcare services, particularly if you are seeking a procedure or treatment offered by numerous other providers in your area. 6. Seek Out a Local Advocate Professional healthcare advocates can provide you with information about local care options, help you obtain care, and resolve billing issues with your insurance company and/or healthcare providers. 7. Pay in Cash While doctors might pull down some impressive yearly incomes, their offices are typically cash-poor. Doctors' offices will frequently discount bills for patients paying cash because it eliminates their need to file insurance claims and pay credit card transaction fees. Trim Prescription Drug Costs There are several ways you can save money on prescription drugs: 8. Use Generic Prescriptions Since the FDA eased restrictions on pharmaceutical companies being able to advertise directly to consumers (called DTC advertising) in 1997, Americans have been bombarded with multi-million-dollar ad campaigns promoting name-brand drugs and treatments. According to Consumer Reports, generic drugs are as effective and safe as name-brand drugs and often cost significantly less. 9. Get Drugs by Mail or From Big-Box Retailers You can sometimes find prescription drugs at reduced rates at warehouse club stores like Sam's Club even if you're not a member. Several large retail chain stores also offer significant discounts (without health insurance), such as $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply on 300-400 popular generic drugs. You can also ask your doctor to recommend a mail-order pharmacy where you can get a larger prescription package (e.g., a three-month supply instead of a typical one-month supply) for less. 10. Ask for an Over-The-Counter (OTC) Alternative Your doctor or pharmacist can let you know if an OTC drug can treat your symptoms for less money. The following section will show you how to save by watching for billing errors and working the system. Always check your medical bill before paying it. Hospitals and medical offices may inadvertently overcharge you. Watch for Billing Errors When was the last time you reviewed your medical bills? Up to 80% to 90% of hospital bills are incorrect, according to the advocates for transparent medical billing, like the organization Medliminal. Reduce the likelihood of paying too much for your medical care by doing the following: 11. Ask for Itemized Bills The explanation of benefits (EOB) statement you get in the mail does not contain a detailed breakdown of all costs charged to you for services and/or inpatient stay. Specifically, ask for an itemized bill, so you know exactly what you are being charged for. 12. Review Bills for Errors Make sure that you actually received all of the services, medications, and other items on your bill. If you notice a discrepancy or error, request copies of your medical chart and/or pharmacy ledger so that you can compare the doctor's orders for services on your bill. 13. Ask for Audits of Your Medical Bills Insurance claim processors can make mistakes resulting in incorrect billing even for services and medications you received. Your healthcare provider's claim managers can review your case and correct any billing errors. 14. Review Your Insurance Coverage Your health insurance policy manual outlines which charges are "covered" versus "not covered." All covered expenses should be paid for by the health insurance company. The EOB form you receive from your insurance company will note if a service was covered or not. 15. Establish a Relationship With the Billing Office Most doctors' offices have a professional billing staff or finance department that handles all patient billing questions and concerns and interactions with insurance companies. If you are having difficulty with your medical bills, schedule an appointment with your doctor's billing office. They should be able to review your bills, explain your health insurance benefits, direct you to other resources to maximize your insurance benefits, and help you obtain less-costly drugs and services. 16. Use a Professional Bill Reviewer If you just can't make heads or tails of the bills' codes and costs, contact a professional bill reviewer who knows hospital diagnoses and procedure codes and can determine if you have been incorrectly billed or overcharged for the care you received. Signing up for a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) are two ways to save money on medical and healthcare costs. Managing Medical Bills Reducing your medical bills or restructuring your payment schedule can be fairly simple if you're willing to take an active approach. 17. Negotiate With Your Doctor's Office You can often get a discount on services simply by asking. In today's increasingly competitive healthcare industry, keeping customers is in a provider's long-term interest. It can't hurt to ask for a discount to get your business. 18. Create a Payment Plan If you can't pay your bill in full and on time, ask the billing-office staff if they will work with you to create a plan enabling you to make smaller, more manageable payments over an extended period of time. 19. Talk to Your Insurance Company If you're having trouble paying your medical bills, there may be a different health insurance plan better suited to your needs. Co-pays, deductibles, annual maximums, and other fees can vary significantly between plans. 20. Establish a Health Savings Account If you have a high-deductible health plan, you should consider opening a health savings account to save for items your health plan won't cover. The money you or your employer contribute to the account is tax-deductible, it grows tax-free, and the money you withdraw from the account is tax-free, too, as long as it goes toward a qualified medical expense. Ways to Save on Medical Bills FAQs Can You Claim a Tax Deduction for Medical Expenses? If you itemize your deductions for a taxable year on Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions, it might be possible to deduct medical and dental expenses you paid that year for yourself, your spouse, and even your dependents. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). "You may deduct only the amount of your total medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. You figure the amount you're allowed to deduct on Schedule A (Form 1040)." How Much Can You Save on Medical Bills With a Flexible Spending Account? According to the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) website, an FSA, an account that lets you use pre-tax dollars, may save you on average 30% for your out-of-pocket medical costs. Can You Save on Medical Bills by Using Urgent Care? Maybe. It depends on your insurance and how much you have to pay out of pocket for an urgent care visit. However, visiting an urgent care is typically less expensive than going to the ER at a hospital. Can Medical Marijuana Help You Save on Prescriptions? A 2016 study released from the University of Georgia found that medical marijuana may lower the need for some prescription drugs like those used to treat depression, nausea, and pain. If you purchase medical marijuana to use in place of prescribed drugs, you might save some money. Can You Save on Medical Bills by Going Vegan? A vegan or vegetarian diet is often equated with overall better health, but there is no telling if it would or would not save money on your medical bills. However, one could argue if you are healthier, you may be less likely to develop chronic health problems, and that could lower your costs during your lifetime. The Bottom Line By taking the time to familiarize yourself with your insurance benefits, seek discounted services and drugs, review your bills and work closely with your healthcare providers' billing or finance staff, you can manage and even significantly decrease your medical bills. Health savings accounts can be another way for some people to reduce healthcare costs. Some employers also offer cafeteria plans or flexible spending accounts that can help to offset various medical expenses. Landlords must set up escrow accounts to hold tenants' security deposits if the accounts are required by the laws of the municipalities or states where the rental properties are located. A landlord's escrow account is a bank account that holds security deposits in a neutral location so that the funds are accessible when tenants move out. Not every state requires an escrow account, but some municipalities require the accounts even when the states do not. States that don't require a separate escrow account often require landlords to place security deposits in a regulated financial institution. Some states require security deposits be held in escrow, but also that tenants be paid the interest-earned on the account and be made aware of the location of the account. Landlords who live out of the area should set up escrow accounts at banks located in the same states as their rental properties, and they should note whether local laws require the accounts to bear interest. Even when local laws don't require the establishment of escrow accounts, landlords may wish to set them up to avoid mixing their personal finances with their tenants' security deposits. Key Takeaways State and municipality law dictates when and if landlords must hold a tenant's security deposit in an interest-bearing escrow account. Many states dont require security deposits be held in escrow. Some states have criteria that dictate if escrow is required, such as the amount of the security deposit and the number of properties that the landlord owns. States That Require Escrow States that require escrow accounts dictate when landlords can take money out of the accounts, and some states allow landlords to recoup late rent from the accounts. States also regulate when landlords must return security deposits after tenants move out. Many states dont require funds be held in an interest-bearing escrow account, however, many states have specifications on whether the account must earn interest based on the amount and the number of rental units owned by the landlord. Twenty-three states have no escrow requirements or related requirements for depositing or holding security deposits. Escrow accounts sometimes also come into play with rental properties when tenants feel that landlords have neglected the properties, creating unsafe living conditions. If a dispute of this type develops, some states allow tenants to pay rent into escrow accounts rather than directly to the landlords until the matter is resolved. The priest was born in Legnano 77 years ago. He arrived in India as a layman, he understood that being a simple doctor "was not enough". In 2005 he founded the "Sarva Prema Welfare Society" in Fatimanagar, to treat people with TB, HIV and leprosy. Pime Superior in India: "He was known for his simplicity and dedicated service to the health and educational development of the poor and needy". Warangal (AsiaNews) - Fr. Antonio Grugni, a PIME missionary (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions), died yesterday in Eluru, India, at the age of 77. Affected since last July by a stomach cancer, he was admitted to the Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital in Vangayagudem. Born in Legnano (Milan) in 1941, he had come to India in 1975 as a cardiologist. Here, in contact with the lepers of the Lok Seva Sangam (Society for the service of the people) of Fr. Carlo Torriani in Mumbai, he understood that being a simple doctor, "was not enough": he had to put himself at the service of the last. In 1989 he was ordained a priest; in 2005 he settled in Fatimanagar, in the diocese of Warangal (Telangana), where Fr. Augusto Colombo created some health facilities for the rehabilitation of patients suffering from leprosy, HIV and tuberculosis. Here he founded the "Sarva Prema Welfare Society", to treat those sick, just as Jesus would do. In a recent interview, he told AsiaNews: "If Christ were here in India, he would do the same: cure the sick. Rayarala Vijay Kumar, the regional superior of PIME in India, remembers him thus: "He was known for his simplicity and dedicated service to the health and educational development of the poor and needy. The Sarva Prema Welfare Society has become the major channel with which it rendered its service and the way to transmit the love of God to the poor and the most marginalized in society ". Dr. Pascoal Carvalho, a Mumbai physician who met him, said: "I express my condolences to the PIME family for this sad loss. He was a good doctor, he was loved by all of us and struggled for life ". The funeral will take place today in Fatimanagar. Below we present the interview that he gave us a while ago, in which he speaks of his vocation and mission. Even as a child, "I have always been interested in the care of the sick, but gradually I realised that my Christian life was going more and more towards a desire of total giving. After working as a cardiologist for eight years in a hospital in Legnano, near Milan (Italy), he came to the conclusion "that I could not go on like this. I had a comfortable life with a stable and well-paid job. Then One day they asked me to come to India and I felt like I heard a bell, a calling. I said yes immediately. And I have never regretted it; on the contrary, for me every day is a celebration. I realised my dream; otherwise I would have been an old doctor in Italy, full of regrets." Fr Grugni, 75, arrived in India in 1976. His "was an adult and conscious vocation. I followed a path of discernment and in 1989 I was ordained a priest." Today he lives in Warangal, Telangana, where in 2005 he founded the Sarva Press Welfare Society (Association of love for universal well-being), which looks after people living with tuberculosis, leprosy and HIV. The association has a staff of 13: two doctors, seven nurses, a medical expert, a shoemaker who creates special footwear for leprosy patients, the driver of the jeep and an aide. The value of the work put in by the missionary and his team is recognised "by the government as well as the mostly Hindu population. In a country where proselytising is not only unfair but also unacceptable, the best way is to bear witness with love, helping the poor, those who suffer, the last." Patients themselves are struck by the fact that we visit them, help them, give them food, whilst the rest of society keeps them on the margins. It is they who ask us: 'Why are you doing all this for us?'" They appreciate the work we do with selfless love, Fr Grugni noted. They recognise that there is something special in the approach we have. This is the Christian testimony. Our duty is to lay the seeds, then it is the Lord who makes the seeds grow in the hearts of people. We are like the workers who throw seeds on the ground, then the ground bears fruit." The medical missionary remembers something the Mahatma Gandhi said about the role of Christians in India. "I wish the life of you Christians spoke to us as does the rose. The rose needs no words, but simply spreads its fragrance. Even a blind person perceives the presence of the rose because he can perceive the scent. This is what I expect from you: that you spread the scent of the Christian message respecting our freedom." Fr Grugni believes that "if Christ were here in India, he would do the same. He would cure the sick; he would be with people. We try to do what he did in the best way possible. " With respect to the role of missionaries in Asia, he said that " half of humanity lives in India and China, and most of it is not Christian. Our task is to stand in their midst with an approach of love and compassion. Love is free; it gives freely, with no ulterior motive or goal." As for the associations activities, the missionary noted that it "works closely with government health authorities. The latter provide free anti-leprosy, anti-tuberculosis and, in the case of AIDS patients, anti-retroviral drugs." It is the government that asked for our assistance, because it knows that we do the job until the end," Fr Grugni said in describing the relationship with the authorities. "When doctors at a government hospital diagnose TB cases, they give us a box with a pharmaceutical kit needed to treat the patient for six months. At that point, individual assistance is left to our responsibility. Patients must take the medication in front of the associations medical staff. "This is the only way to ensure that they follow the therapy." The associations work is geared towards the local area and its population, the clergyman noted. We go among the people. Every day we visit public health centres and the homes of the sick, making sure they take the drugs." Thanks to the incessant care and dedication of the associations members, "recovery rate is very high and exceeds 90 per cent for tuberculosis patients. It is thorough, heavy work, under the summer sun or the winter rains." Speaking about statistics, the priest said that "40 new cases of tuberculosis are diagnosed per month. In total we follow 250 to 300 patients at any given time, from the start to the end of the therapy." In the case of lepers, "the medical staff visit in dermatological clinics that treat skin diseases, which are very common in a tropical climate. Examining the body of the patients, they can detect cases of leprosy, which is still stigmatised. In addition to the sick, he added, "we take care of the families. We give them some money to send their children to school, and a small pension for the elderly. We build houses, and we give food in the first few months of therapy to help them regain their strength. All these people are poor, simple labourers who need help." Tasks among the staff are distributed effectively, and "Warangal, the second-largest city in Telangana with 600-700,000 people, is fully covered, Fr Grugni noted. "When they see us arrive, the sick run towards us, happy because they know that we will help them, that we are there for them." November 19, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Last August Genesis Blockchain Technologies invited Dr. Danny Rittman, Gopher Protocol's CTO, to the Futurist Conference (www.futuristconference.com) in Canada to meet with industry leaders with the goal of incorporating GRC Blockchain-Based Radio Generated technology into Blockchain 4.0. As Pablo Gonzalez, Genesis Blockchain's CEO, put it during that conference: "We believe that Gopher's GRC Blockchain-Based Radio Generated Technology could be integral to Blockchain 4.0 when developed, due to its true decentralized nature by definition using free radio open channels in private networking through decentralized mesh technology, paired with its cutting edge security protocols." Mr. Gonzalez added, "I believe that Gopher's GRC patented technology has the ability to revolutionize the entire industry; this not being an overstatement." Rittman and WISE Network, a sister company of Genesis Blockchain paired with the Gopher Protocol to release this technology, have been a focus of attention since last week due to the launch of a video on WISE's YouTube channel: YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72RhU2NiaW0&t=36s Their product is out. The video pivots on the Enigma Chip, an analog-mixed-signal, system-on-a-chip (AMS-SoC) integrated circuit that empowers IoT and mobile networks through blockchain technology while introducing the new concept of radio based IoT. Their goal is to overhaul Blockchain technology as we know it, from a transaction confirmation speed standpoint to a more robust communication infrastructure that is truly decentralized. This would allow Blockchain technology to reach further into the mainstream financial services arena as well as accountable data storage, audit and transfer. Genesis Blockchain is looking forward to start the process of incorporating the Gopher technology into all their products and systems to be offered. The secured algorithms and radio technology of Gopher's Digital Currency Technology will enable Genesis Blockchain to create a new type of secured network that is fast and scalable. Unlike other digital assets, by utilizing the Digital Currency Technology expenses will decrease and become faster and a more efficient method to store or send data and digital assets on the Blockchain anywhere in the world, meaning users would have full proprietorship of their data as well as digital assets. Click on the links to either WISE's website or YouTube video for an in depth look at this potentially powerful new product: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72RhU2NiaW0&t=36s WISE Network: www.wise.cr Genesis Exchange and Wallet App GBT is a powerful cryptocurrency centralized / decentralized exchange which will include a broad range of services and benefits from cryptocurrency and blockchain markets development, while avoiding complications and risks arising from crytocurrency ownership, transfer, and exchange. The powerful GBTDesk aggregator ensuring exchange of cryptocurrencies for fiat currencies under smart contracts without intermediaries is a key element of GBT. 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Copyright and ownership: Crypto Corner is an Investorideas.com content brand Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information November 19, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) One of the largest uranium mining and nuclear energy companies in the world has made a substantial commitment to a uranium explorer operating in the highest-grade uranium district on Earth, Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. Last week Orano Canada Inc. - a subsidiary of Paris-based The Orano Group (formerly Areva) - said it has budgeted C$2.2 million to explore Skyharbour Resources' (TSX-V:SYH) Preston property. The two companies previously signed an earn-in agreement whereby Orano must spend C$8 million exploring the property over six years, in order to earn up to 70% of the project. The $2.2 million will be put towards a 2019 exploration program at Preston including nearly 5,000 meters of diamond drilling. According to Skyharbour CEO Jordan Trimble, "Orano Canada has a very knowledgeable technical team with a long history in the Athabasca Basin, which will help to unlock value at this strategic, district-scale property." Read the full press release Athabasca Basin The Athabasca Basin is famous for its high grades - at over 20 times global averages. Some deposits are over 100x the world average including Cameco's Cigar Lake which contains an average 17.8% uranium. In comparison the Priargunsky underground uranium mine in Russia has grades of just 0.15%. Or Rio Tinto's Rossing open-pit mine in Namibia, with grades of 0.03%, compared to over 19% in Denison's Phoenix deposit - a difference of 630x. The Athabasca Basin produces about 15% of world uranium supply. Major mines include Cigar Lake, held jointly between Cameco, Orano and Tepco Resources, McArthur River and Rabbit Lake mines, both of which are currently on care and maintenance. The Basin contains sedimentary rocks with high-grade, often low-tonnage "unconformity" bonanza-type deposits, located at the contact between the Athabasca sandstone and the underlying basement crystalline rock. Notable discoveries in the Athabasca Basin include: Hathor's Roughrider deposit in 2009, with grades up to 17%. Hathor was acquired by Rio Tinto in 2012 for US$641 million. Denison Mines and Cameco's first resource estimate at the Wheeler project, in 2010, revealed grades exceeding 19%. Areva and UEX Uranium Exploration in 2010 released a mineral estimate on three properties at the Shea Creek property. Cameco and Areva in 2012 reported resources at Tamarck and Waterbury Lake, respectively. In 2013 Fission Uranium discovered Patterson Lake South, with mind-blowing grades up to 23%. The deposit was later named Triple R. Shortly after NexGen Energy made a high grade discovery at the Rook 1 property now containing its Arrow deposit, composed of a series of at least five mineralized shear zones. A PEA was released in 2017 followed by a PFS in 2018. Wheeler River's Phoenix and Gryphon deposits are being developed by Denison Mines. Phoenix has indicated resources of 70.2 million pounds U3O8 at 19.1% grades, while Gryphon contains inferred resources of 43 million pounds at 2.3% U3O8. Recently a notable PFS was released on the project with ISR as the proposed mining method. Orano in the Basin Orano currently operates 30 exploration projects in northern Saskatchewan and the Athabasca Basin, plus two in Nunavut. It is partnered in 16 joint venture projects in the Basin, including the option agreement with Skyharbour at Preston. The company says over the last three years it has drilled over 120 kilometers of ground, and has explored more than 765,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin since 1964. Orano's flagship Canadian operation is the McClean Lake uranium mill, which receives uranium ore at an average grade of 18% from Cameco's Cigar Lake underground mine 80 km away. Cigar Lake is the world's highest-grade uranium mine. McClean Lake is majority-owned and run by Orano Canada (70%), with Denison Mines and Uranium Overseas Resources Development (UORD) having 22.5% and 7.5% stakes, respectively. The mill is licensed to produce 24 million pounds of U3O8 a year. According to Orano, 18 million pounds are being used to process all the ore from Cigar Lake, and the remaining 6 million pounds of capacity may be used for new ore from McClean Lake and other nearby uranium deposits. Preston ownership & earn-ins Skyharbour has a 50% interest in the Preston Project - one of the largest land packages (75,965 hectares) in the western side of the Basin - located near Fission Uranium's Triple R and NexGen Energy's Arrow deposits, both of which contain high-grade uranium. Under a March 2017 agreement, SYH optioned up to 70% of Preston to Orano. Assuming Orano completes the earn in, the other 30% is divided between Skyharbour and Clean Commodities. Shortly thereafter, Skyharbour agreed with Azincourt Uranium to option 70% of another portion of Preston called the East Preston Property, with Azincourt issuing 4.5 million shares and spending $2.5 million in exploration expenditures and paying $1 million in cash over three years to Skyharbour and Clean Commodities. The two agreements in total mean that for $11.5 million in exploration and cash payments plus 4.5 million Azincourt shares, 70% of the Preston and East Preston projects will be optioned off. These two deals are a part of Skyharbour's prospect generator strategy, whereby the company seeks strategic partners to fund and advance it's secondary projects while focussing on its main objective of making high-grade discoveries at its flagship Moore Project. Preston exploration Entering into the second year of its option agreement with Skyharbour and Clean Commodities, Azincourt announced in August a 2018-19 drill program scheduled to begin later in 2018 / early in 2019. The program will involve between 2,000 and 2,500 meters of drilling at East Preston and is designed to test targets identified through a winter geophysical survey earlier this year. Skyharbour and partner companies had spent about $4.7 million so far exploring the property, which has 15 priority areas and numerous drill targets. Orano completed initial exploration and drilling at Preston in 2017 and 2018, while Azincourt did a ground geophysical program at East Preston earlier this year, to refine drill targets over prospective conductor trends, with drilling planned for early 2019. Historical ground gravity, airborne and ground electromagnetics, radon, soil, silt, biogeochemistry, lake sediment, and geological mapping surveys have also been completed generating high-priority drill targets on the properties. As far as the 4,850m drill program announced last week by Orano, Skyharbour says the France-based company will punch 15 to 20 drill holes in early 2019 at Preston. The drilling will test targets defined by an electromagnetic (EM) survey done this year on the JL and FSA targets. A planned EM survey in the Canoe Lake area may also identify targets that could be drill-tested. JL has not yet been drilled but field work done by Orano last year found several outcrops composed mostly of felsic to intermediate gneiss, with minor granite and pegamite. Click here for more about rocks that host uranium mineralization. Twenty-one drill targets have been identified, including 8 basement conductors that are considered to be viable drill targets. Uranium explorers in the Athabasca Basin recently have found very high-grade uranium associated with structures and conductors in the basement crystalline rock including NexGen, Fission and Denison. The FSA target has seen some historical drilling, in the western portion, where a follow-up to a lost drill hole encountered a graphite and pyrite-bearing shear at 179m depth. The core returned 1.8 parts per million (ppm) uranium over 1.0m, at 188m. Last year Orano detected a uranium anomaly in an outcrop. Two grab samples returned 47 ppm and 62 ppm uranium. Six drill targets have been identified. Flagship high-grade Moore Project Skyharbour's summer/fall drill program at its flagship Moore property is aimed at testing new basement targets at the Maverick corridor. Since mid-2000, the focus at Moore has been on the 4-kilometer Maverick structural corridor where pods of high-grade unconformity-type uranium mineralization have been discovered. During the winter and summer of 2017, just under 10,000 meters of drilling was completed. Highlights included 20.8% U3O8 over 1.5m, 9.12% U3O8 over 1.4m, and 2.23% over 9.3m U3O8, all at between 250 and 275m depth. About half of the 4-km corridor has been drill-tested. Stepping out 100m from the Maverick Zone, Skyharbour also discovered a new high-grade mineralized lens, where 9.12% U3O8 over 1.4m and 4.17% U3O8 over 4.5m at 278m depth was found. In early 2018, a 3,400m, 9-hole winter drill program returned additional high-grade mineralization and successfully expanded known zones. This year a drone survey was conducted along the corridor, flown at close 20m spacings at 35m elevation. This enabled Skyharbour to better define high-priority targets. As a result, the current 3,000m program is taking a different tack, drill-testing the Maverick corridor primarily below the unconformity in the relatively untested basement rocks. Skyharbour's earn-in agreement with Denison Mines on the Moore property required SYH to pay half a million in cash and issues shares within five years, and also spend $3.5 million in exploration expenditures. Skyharbour completed the earn-in nearly three years ahead of schedule, meaning it now owns 100% of the project. The company optioned Moore from Denison Mines in 2016. Denison, listed on the TSX and NYSE, is Skyharbour's largest strategic shareholder and its President Dave Cates is on Skyharbour's board of directors. Other projects Skyharbour also owns 100% interests in the Falcon Point, Yurchison and Mann Lake uranium projects on the east side of the Basin. The Falcon Point property hosts an NI 43-101 mineral resource of 7 million pounds U3O8 inferred at an average grade of 0.03% U3O8 and 5.3 million pounds thorium dioxide inferred at an average grade of 0.023%. Prospect generator model While Skyharbour is a uranium explorer, the company is also a prospect generator, meaning its strategy is to ink option agreements on its secondary properties, thus allowing other companies to come in and incur exploration expenditures in return for earning stakes on those properties. The prospect generator component is key with such a big collection of properties as SYH, because without regular exploration, the claims could expire, leaving the company exposed to poachers. It also benefits the company and its shareholders with annual cash and stock payments from the companies optioning the properties mitigating equity-dilution risk going forward. Uranium price keeps rising Skyharbour and partners are drilling their Athabasca Basin properties at the perfect time, considering a new bull market in uranium looks to be shaping up. On Nov. 5 the spot uranium price hit a two and a half-year high of $28.75 per pound, the highest it's been since March 2016. Price support is underpinned by a number of factors, including recent mine closures and production curtailments forcing major producers like Cameco to buy more uranium on the spot market to fulfill long-term contracts; China's drive to build new nuclear plants as well as Japanese nuclear restarts; new funds and buyers of physical uranium entering the market like Yellow Cake and UTC; and the expectation of nuclear utilities' uranium contracts expiring in the early 2020s, meaning they will need to start contracting again soon. For more read our Why the uranium price must go up Conclusion Skyharbour Resources has an interesting strategy for advancing its Athabasca Basin uranium properties. It is a high-grade, discovery-driven company exploring its flagship Moore first and foremost. However, as a prospect generator, the company's option agreements allow its partners to front the cash to conduct exploration on its other projects - which could become valuable assets in the company if resources are found and developed. I'm awaiting results from the current exploration at Moore as I am eager to see what's found in the basement rocks in this initial drill program testing the underlying feeder zones. This could be a significant catalyst going forward. The ball will continue to roll into next year, when Orano's drilling program starts at Preston. Between the two, shareholders can look forward to months of news flow and potential stock catalysts. Meanwhile, the uranium price continues to rise, attracting interest and hopefully, investment capital to the hard-hit sector. Palisade-research.com The best leverage to a rising uranium price is a uranium junior, which is why I have SYH and its current and future exploration programs on my radar. Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com Ahead of the Herd is on Twitter Ahead of the Herd is now on FaceBook Ahead of the Herd is now on YouTube Legal Notice / Disclaimer This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified. Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report. Richard owns shares of Skyharbour Resources (TSX.V:SYH). SYH is an advertiser on his site aheadoftheherd.com More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp November 19, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Mercenary Geologist Mickey Fulp discusses with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable how peak oil could inform investment in gold miners. Maurice Jackson: Joining us for a conversation is the Mercenary Geologist, Mickey Fulp. Pleasure to speak with you. Mickey Fulp: Thank you, sir. Maurice Jackson: Mickey, one of the concerns that I think speculators are having in the natural resource space is this concept of peak gold. What can you share with us? Mickey Fulp: Well, there's this idea now of peak gold. And it's really morphed out of the concept of peak oil, which was promulgated by a famous geologist/geophysicist in the late 1950s on the idea that U.S. oil production would peak in 1970 and never reach that level again. His premise was based on the natural depletion of giant oil fields discovered in the United States, and he was right. But people have sort of bastardized that concept now into gold. They took the tack that the world was running out of oil when we had reached peak production, and we would never achieve this sort of oil production in the U.S., for example, ever again. Well, lo and behold, it took 47 years for us to recover. But now we're producing more oil than we ever have. So this idea that the world is going to run out of a natural resource or reach peak production is fraught with difficulty. We produce more oil in the world right now than we ever have. And next year, we'll produce even more because demand continues to rise, at about 1.5% a year. So in the oil business, we're now using 100 million barrels of oil a day. Five years ago, we were using about 9293 million barrels a day. And where's that production come? Well, it's come from peak, or from shale oil, and technology catches up. If the demand is there, my opinion is that the supply will be found70% of the oil in the world is still left in the ground. I've taken that concept and applied it to the gold business. Maurice Jackson: And what do we see as far as peak gold? Mickey Fulp: Well, starting in 1900, the world produced 393 tons of gold. That would be something on the order of 10 to 12 million ounces a year, more or less. Now we produce 3,150 tons per gold in 2017, an all-time high. That's 98 million ounces per year. So more than an eight times increase. And that's been driven in cycles of exploration, so things like economics, world economics, wars, prices of gold, all effect that production. But the real key to increases in production, at least since gold was floated by Nixon in 1971, is the exploration cycle. Generally, what we've seen over the years is gold increasing, but kind of in a two steps forward, one step back way. It's a somewhat jagged line, but with these long runs of increased production. And then we'll have a war, we'll have a depression, and gold protection with the war will go down; with the depression, it goes up. And so we keep going and going and going. Since 2008, we've been on a steep curve of increasing gold production. The CEO of Goldcorp Inc. (G:TSX; GG:NYSE) came out in the early part of the year and said all the good gold deposits have been found. There's no giant deposits that are going to be found anymore. And the world's going to never produces much gold. Well, I think he's talking his own book and if you look at Goldcorp, of course production over the last three years, it's going down. It's gone down 25% from 2015 to 2017. You look at the other major miners, such as Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; ABX:NYSE), which is down 40% off its peak around 2005. Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM:NYSE) is about the same amount off its peak production in 2006. So I would take the tack that the major gold miners have reached peak production, peak gold. But that's been filled. Where's all this additional production coming from? It's coming from the new companies, the new mid-tiers that have been built since the year 2005. As a whole, you know, there's about nine mid-tiers now. And then it's also been filed by a number of small miners in all parts of the world. The majors are down something like, all told, 50% of their gold production since mid-2000s. Meanwhile, production is up about the same amount, it's up 37% since 2008. It's filled by new companies. Maurice Jackson: So would you say then that the majors have a flawed business plan? Mickey Fulp: Absolutely. Maurice Jackson: And in what regard? Mickey Fulp: The biggest flaw in the industry amongst the majorsand it applies to other companies toois they're focused on growth. And mining is not a growth industry. Mining is the value industry. So when prices were high, they lost a view of what they should be doing, which was producing high margin ounces. It's about the margin, the cost of production, versus the amount you sell, and that's your profitability. So they've had this grow, grow, grow mentalitywhat I would call a New York style of capitalism. It does not work in the mining industry. And it certainly has not worked for the major gold mining companies. Maurice Jackson: So what do you share with your subscribers? Are you more focused on juniors or mid-tiers? Mickey Fulp: Always juniors. I don't want to own miners, to tell you the truth. I've focused on exploration companies. I wrote a piece a couple of months ago called Why I Don't Want to Own Any Miners. Now I do own a few miners, but they've become miners from exploration companies that I own or they've been taken out by miners exploration. But the real value in these businesses is in the juniors. And my particular sweet spot would be the advanced explorers because I think that's where you have the lowest risks for the potential highest rates Maurice Jackson: Mickey, if someone wants to get more information regarding your work, please share the contact details. Mickey Fulp: MercenaryGeologist.com. I run a free subscription service as you well know, Maurice. And to get my stock picks you need to be a free email subscriber. We have a very active Twitter feed, @mercenarygeo, 55,546 Twitter followers as of today, and we're quite active in that venue. Maurice Jackson: And also, please visit our website which is ProvenandProbable.com. Mickey Fulp, the Mercenary Geologist, thank you for joining us today on Proven and Probable. Mickey Fulp: Thank you, Maurice. Maurice Jackson: Thank you for joining us today on Proven and Probable. Remember to like and subscribe for more conversations with the most respected names in the natural resource space. Check out our website at www.provenandprobable.com. Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world. Disclosure: 1) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of Mickey Fulp and Maurice Jackson and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. They are wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not involved in the content preparation. Mickey Fulp and Maurice Jackson were not paid by Streetwise Reports LLC for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. 2) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp November 19, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The American Water Summit took place on October 24th - 26th 2018 at the Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, PA. The conference brought together over 300 executives and business leaders from across the North American water sector, including thought leaders from the financial sector, technology sector, industry, and local and federal government. Discussing Inspiring Innovation' the two-day conference showcased new and emerging talent, examining the threats facing the water industry now and in the future, and demonstrating the wealth of opportunities available in the North American market. The American Water Summit 2018 opened on Wednesday 24th October 2018 with a pre-conference workshop focused on Accelerating the Digital Utility: Making procurement, return on investment, and objectives work for water. Chaired by George Hawkins, former General Manager of DC Water, the workshop began by giving the speakers, each from utilities across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, an opportunity to offer their unique perspectives on how best to accelerate the adoption of smart solutions. Further speakers from Clean Water Services, Arcadis, Jacobs, XPV Water Partners and PRASA then broke down the procurement and cost benefit analysis of how utilities begin investing in, and procuring, digital solutions. The event ended with a workshop challenge, with attendees lending their expertise to try to establish a solution to some of the biggest roadblocks. The conference's Day 1 Opening Plenary followed on Thursday October 25th, with an Opening Address by the US Department of Energy's Secretary Rick Perry. Secretary Perry announced the Water Security Grand Challenge at the Summit, which is a joint effort by the US EPA and US Department of Energy, aiming to advance technology and innovation to meet the global need for safe, secure and affordable water. Rich Karlgaard, Publisher and Global Futurist at Forbes gave the Keynote Presentation, with an opening discussion panel by Debra Coy, Partner at XPV Water Partners, alongside Andy Kricun, Executive Director at the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, Erin Boeke Burke, US Public Finance, S&P Global and Howard Neukrug, Senior Advisor for the Global Water Leaders Group. The Summit's two-day agenda featured a variety of expert-led sessions, roundtables and presentations relating to the three session strands: Finance & Strategy, CTO Forum, and Water Leaders. Finance & Strategy navigated the new business and investment models that will define the water industry in the years to come, while CTO Forum explored the opportunities for forward-thinking solutions providers. Finally, the Water Leaders strand showcased the utility led innovation which is recasting the water sector from the ground up. As part of the American Water Summit, the Leading Utilities of the World global network took time to induct four new members to the initiative: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, USA; Alexandria Renew, USA; Denver Water, USA; Northumbrian Water, UK. Leading Utilities of the World is a network of the world's most forward-thinking water and wastewater utilities, as defined by the network's 14 distinct innovation areas. Its members represent the gold standard of utility innovation and performance throughout the developed world's water sector. The American Water Summit stands at the forefront of advances in the industry, with the agenda guided by Global Water Intelligence's (GWI) market leading research and analysis. In 2018 this was demonstrated in a session entitled What Does a Great Water Future Look Like?' held as part of the CTO Forum strand. This historic session brought together next generation utility leaders to discuss their vision of a water utility in the year 2040 and gave many attendees a hopeful outlook on the future of the industry. Dana Gonzalez, Hampton Roads Sanitation District; Raul Gonzalez, Hampton Roads Sanitation District; Tera Fong, DC Water; Aisha Niang, Houston Water; Serge Haddad, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Stephanie Chiorean, Philadelphia Water Department; and Abby Sullivan, Philadelphia Water Department gave presentations outlining their goals for the future of utilities. The Gala Dinner, held on the evening of October 25th, featured a presentation by photographer Ed Burtynsky of Toronto Image Works, whose collection, aptly entitled Water', showcased the various ways water, or the lack of water, affects change on the environment. Mr. Burtynsky also showed part of an upcoming film documentary, The Anthropocene Project. Day 2 of the Summit saw the highly anticipated CEOs Panel. In this session Andy Seidel of UGSI Solutions joined senior executives from Aclara, SUEZ North America, Black & Veatch, Jacobs, Mueller Water Products, and Xylem, to discuss how the water sector is addressing the needs of a rising population, unpredictable weather patterns, and an increasingly data-driven economy. The New Economics of the Regulatory Frontier panel particularly captured the attention of delegates as it focused on microcontaminants removals, with emphasis on PFAS, one of the microcontaminants of greatest concern for the US EPA. The discussion revolved largely around what PFAS are and how they came about, how PFAS gained national attention and concern, available technologies for PFAS removal, transparency and response to the public. We heard from several solutions providers from CDM Smith, Calgon Carbon, AECOM, and Evoqua on available technologies and persistent problems, in addition to hearing from Mike Pickel with Horsham Water and Sewer on how his utility approached the problem, implemented solutions and communicated with the public. The American Water Summit 2018 agenda culminated in the Closing Panel on Thursday October 26th giving an international perspective on the global water market. GWI's Publisher, Christopher Gasson, hosted a panel of industrial and municipal water sector experts for a discussion of what the North American water sector must learn from the rest of the world. Speakers included Sue Murphy, CEO of the Water Corporation, Australia, John Gibson, President and COO at Veolia North America, Heiner Markhoff, CEO at SUEZ Water Technologies and Solutions, and Thierry Noel, Director at Amane Advisors. Now the global water sector looks towards the 2019 Global Water Summit, which will be held April 8th - 10th at the Sofitel Heathrow Hotel, London, with the annual Global Water Awards held on the evening of April 9th at the Natural History Museum. For more information, register your interest here. About The American Water Summit: The American Water Summit is an annual event that brings together high level decision makers from every part of the North American water industry. The American Water Summit is hosted by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), in partnership with The Global Water Leaders Group, and The Leading Utilities of the World Network. The American Water Summit 2018 took place 24 - 26 October 2018 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. See the complete 2018 Summit agenda here: http://www.americanwatersummit.com/2018-agenda-day-1/ See a list of all speakers who attended AWS 2018 here: http://www.americanwatersummit.com/speakers-2018/ www.americanwatersummit.com Twitter: @USAWaterSummit | #AWS2018 Press contact: Danielle Shaw - dshaw@globalwaterintel.com Media Analytics Ltd, Suite C, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, Oxford OX1 1XX, UK. Tel: +44 1865 204208 www.globalwaterintel.com Water-Stocks.com: investing ideas in water stocks Like Water Stocks? View our Water Stocks Directory More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Foo Fighters have announced two show dates for Ireland as part of a European tour. The American rock band will come to Dublin's RDS Arena on August 21 and Boucher Road in Belfast on August 19. Other venues include Croatia, Denmark, and Norway. The gigs will be their first Irish shows since they headlined Slane Castle in 2015. The four-piece is led by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, along with Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee. The band's current live show has been described by Rolling Stone as explosive and euphoric wild and combustible at the place where Grohls love for punk and classic rock coalesce into something raging and tuneful a show of enthusiasm that has grown over decades. Tickets for the Dublin show start at 79.50 including booking fees and go on sale this Friday, November 23, at 10am from Ticketmaster. Digital Desk EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has defended her call on the European Commission to publish a key document about North-South cooperation underpinned by the EU, saying it is important that citizens be as informed as possible. The confidential document spells out all the areas of North-South cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement that are at risk because of Brexit and deals with the so-called mapping exercise, which was a key part of the Irish Government's strategy to highlight the risks to the Good Friday Agreement. The mapping exercise highlights the extent to which North-South cooperation relies upon, or is enhanced by, mutual EU membership by both Ireland and the UK. Ms OReilly told RTEs Morning Ireland that there was nothing inherently secret about the details and that anyone who took the time to do the research could have found the details in a few hours. However, both the European Commission and the British government, which technically had ownership of the document, refused to publish it because the negotiations around the Irish backstop were so sensitive. It was feared that publishing it would have an impact "on the serenity of the negotiations." Now that the negotiations have concluded, Ms OReilly said she believes it is in the public interest for the documents to be released. It is very important the people be aware of the importance of EU law in relation to North-South cooperation, she said. The mapping exercise was carried out by the British government in the summer and autumn of 2017 at the request of the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier. British, Irish and EU officials explored all aspects of North-South cooperation and discovered there were 150 areas which were underpinned by EU law. In January a complainant had asked the European Commission to publish the document, but the Commission refused on the grounds that the document was effectively the property of the UK and that the British government wanted it to remain confidential. After several attempts to have the mapping exercise published, the complainant turned to the EU Ombudsman, on the grounds that the Brexit negotiations were supposed to be transparent, and that the public had a right to know what areas of North-South cooperation would be at risk because of Brexit. According to Ms O'Reilly's investigation, the Commission had argued that "the disclosure of the requested document, which originated from the UK government, against the UK's express wishes, would undermine the trust between the UK and the Commission at a sensitive time in the negotiations." Ms O'Reilly, who was given access to the document, told the complainant in her report that it covered "a wide array of cross-border topics such as trade, animal health, tourism, the environment, cross-border fraud prevention, the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and farming." Fine Gael has been accused of having a poke in the eye of unionists after the partys outspoken support for the Brexit withdrawal deal. Unionists at the weekends ard fheis told ministers during a debate on the North that a bad deal would be catastrophic for all concerned. Ulster Unionist Party leader Robert Swann said nobody wanted to see new infrastructure along the border. However, a border along the sea for the North would be a direct challenge to the Good Friday Agreement, he claimed. Unionists, including the UUP and DUP, are concerned that trade rules and regulatory alignment will be different for the North and the rest of Britain. Mr Swann said that given it was very unlikely the current deal before the Tory-led administration in London would progress, the Irish Government needed to change its tactics. The aggressive stance now being taken, claimed Mr Swann, could lead to consequences in the future. Mr Swann said he would urge caution following Mr Varadkar assertion that there is no other deal on the table, and his proclamation that the proposed agreement outlined last week was one of the better days in politics. Mr Swann told Fine Gael ministers a bad deal would be catastrophic for us all and it was now time for sensible restraint and common prudence. He said unionists were also tired of being portrayed as snide or obnoxious. He said recent remarks by Fine Gael figures over the draft text of the withdrawal deal were a poke in the eye of unionists, a suggestion to suck it up over the backstop. Business Minister Heather Humphreys defended the draft deal and said it would give the North a status akin to Hong Kong, allowing the province to trade with both the EU and Britain. Education Minister Joe McHugh also agreed with the UUP leader that the Government did not want to see a border along the Irish Sea with Brexit. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan also agreed on the call for cautious remarks over Brexit. During the conference, Mr Varadkar told reporters he did not think that there was room for negotiation over the draft withdrawal agreement. He said he would not go into hypotheticals in relation to the draft treaty not being passed at Westminster. Mr Varadkar said in relation to a no deal scenario, that Britain would try to join the World Trade Organisation, but they would still have to come to a deal if there was no deal. He added: We could end up where we are now. A groundbreaking treatment which allows highly allergic children to eat peanuts has been hailed as a gamechanger. Consultant paediatrician Jonathan Hourihane said the results of the world's largest peanut allergy trial were truly transformative for families unable to eat out, or let anyone other than direct family prepare food, for fear of accidental peanut exposure and the possibility of anaphylactic shock. Professor Hourihane, who led the Irish leg of the two-year trial, said the results offer a "real lifeline". The tolerance to peanut protein that the children demonstrated after the trial offered sufferers the ability to cope with accidental exposure in the community, he said. 50% tolerated up to four peanuts - 'a real lifeline' The trial saw participants go from allergic reactions such as immediate vomiting, swelling of the throat, blisters on tongue, stomach pain and other signs of hypersensitivity after exposure to miniscule amounts of peanut protein, to being able to safely ingest up to four peanuts. As there is currently no approved treatment for peanut allergy, Prof Hourihane said the new oral immunotherapy, AR101, offers a real lifeline. Some 30 children aged four to 16 were recruited to the Cork trial - which had 551 participants globally - of whom half were given a dummy drug. Before treatment, none could tolerate more than approximately one-tenth of a peanut. Afterwards, 67% of those treated with AR101 could tolerate at least a single dose of approximately two peanuts, while 50% tolerated a single dose of approximately three to four peanuts. Prof Hourihane, principal investigator at the INFANT centre and professor of paediatrics and child health at University College Cork, said while AR101 was not a cure, it was a means of controlling the allergy and of offering people real safety. The tap is not turned off completely but it is down to a dribble, he said. Principal Investigator at the INFANT Centre, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at University College Cork, Jonathan Hourihane. Picture: Diane Cusack Evelyn Noonan, whose daughter Sarah Jane (11), from Bruff, Co Limerick, took part in the Cork trial, said they had never left the country with their daughter prior to the trial, for fear of accidental exposure, but had since been to London. The research and results of the trial will be published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine this week. INFANT Director Geraldine Boylan said Prof Hourihanes work was an example of the excellent, world leading clinical research ongoing at the INFANT centre at UCC, which is making a huge difference to lives of children and their families. Earlier this year, INFANT was the only centre out of seven Science Foundation Ireland-funded centres not to have funding renewed for a second term. Peanut allergy is the most common food allergy and the single cause of most food allergy deaths. Aimmune Therapeutics, the company behind AR101, will shortly apply for a licence for the drug in the US. The drug can only be administered in a hospital setting. CASE STUDY - Sarah Jane Noonan Dining out, holidaying abroad, even something as simple as exchanging a kiss with someone who's eaten a Snickers - Evelyn Noonan has spent years dealing with potential exposure to the foodstuff that could cause her daughter to go into anaphylactic shock. Sarah Jane (11), from Bruff, Co Limerick, was diagnosed as highly allergic to peanuts, aged four. As a baby, she was underweight; she hadnt been very well. The irony is I tried to fatten her up with peanut butter but as soon as it touched her tongue, shed start screaming, Evelyn says. Evelyn mentioned this reaction to their GP and they were referred to leading paediatric allergist Professor Jonathan Hourihane, principal investigator at the INFANT centre for perinatal research. Sarah Jane was diagnosed as highly allergic to peanuts and her mother engaged in a policy of strict avoidance. Two years ago, Sarah Jane became one of circa 30 Irish children to sign up to the worlds largest peanut allergy trial, with the Irish leg led by Prof Hourihane. She travelled regularly from Limerick to Cork as the oral immunotherapy being trialled - AR101 - can only be administered in a hospital setting. The trial involved introducing initially minute controlled amounts of peanut protein, with escalation over a sustained period of six to 12 months, building up a patients tolerance to peanut. She was able to tolerate 1000mg dose of peanut protein - the equivalent of four peanuts - at the exit food challenge, coming from a child who reacted to 30mg (about one tenth of a peanut) before the challenge, Evelyn says. While there are downsides to the treatment - Sarah Jane has to rest for an hour before taking the drug and for two hours afterwards, necessitating significant re-jigging of daily activities - since the trial, her family has been able to travel abroad for a holiday, which they had never previously done. They travelled to London in September and when Sarah Jane was sick on the plane coming home, Evelyn says for the first time ever, they did not immediately assume allergic reaction. They put it down to excitement and too much sugar. While her allergy has been limiting - keeping them from simple enjoyments such as smoothie shops for fear of contamination with peanut - Sarah Jane has taken it all on the chin, Evelyn says. Shes a brilliant kid. She knew going into the trial that it might not work, but she loves science and the thought that by taking part, she might be helping others. And while its been an uphill battle, Evelyn says other parents are generally fairly understanding when they get letters home from school saying no peanuts, even making sure Sarah Jane is ok to eat whats on offer at birthday parties. Extended family have been a great support, while teachers at Scoil Dean Cussen in Bruff have trained in use of an epi-pen, to treat anaphylactic shock, as has Sarah Janes girl guide leader. Even Evelyns employers, Limerick City and County Council, have allowed flexible working days to facilitate Sarah Janes treatment regime. The Government has attacked "mystic" Micheal Martin for claiming he can read the minds of Fine Gael Ministers but refuses to provide any clarity on confidence and supply himself. Both the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris hit out at the Fianna Fail leader calling on him to "get on with it" and agree to a new deal to keep the Government in place until summer 2020. Their criticism came after Mr Martin took a swipe at Fine Gael, claiming that the Taoiseach is coming under pressure from his ministers to call a General Election: "The view is that some of his ministers have been pushing him to angle for an election for the last three or four months. The word is that Simon Harris wants to get out of Health; Eoghan Murphy wants to get out of Housing because they are not making any progress there." "The only people who have introduced an aura of instability about the Government is the Taoiseach and his Ministers," Mr Martin told RTE's Sean O'Rourke programme. He accused Fine Gael of having a "self-absorbed" and "juvenile" approach to talks which "beggars belief". Responding, Mr Varadkar said his political opponent "seems to know the mind of Minister Murphy and Minister Harris but does anyone know his mind?" The Taoiseach said he wrote to Mr Martin in August asking that the Confidence and Supply agreement be extended to "give the country the stability it needs". We still don't yet know whether Fianna Fail or Micheal Martin are up for that, rather than reading the minds of Minister Murphy and Minister Harris perhaps he might share with us his own mind and his own thought on this. Mr Harris said it is "time to actually get on with it and extend confidence and supply so we can bring political certainty to Ireland". Taking aim at Mr Martin, the Minister said: "I didn't hear Mystic Micheal's comments but just to be very clear his party actually ran out of the Department of Health when he was Minister for Health, left Mary Harney sitting in the Department of Health and the Fianna Fail mantra was 'don't touch it, don't come anywhere near it'." Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar said the 3bn tax announcement made at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis will not be the only tax measure that Fine Gael would implement: A massive haul of heroin at Dublin Airport involving a female courier accompanied by a child is believed to be part of a sophisticated trafficking system to bring consignments from Pakistan into Britain. The woman, who was travelling with a child thought to be aged around nine, arrived from a connecting flight from Pakistan. When she was met in arrivals by a man, observing customs officers and gardai swooped. The two adults, both British nationals, were arrested and 15kg of heroin, with an estimated street value of 2.1m, was found inside the womans baggage. It is one of the biggest seizures of the drug in recent years and follows a 12kg haul of heroin in Neilstown, west Dublin, last September. Gardai do not believe the drug was bound for the Irish market, at least directly, and suspect it was destined for Britain, although some of it may have subsequently been supplied to Ireland, the most common route for heroin to here. Sources said the use of the child was designed as a ruse to distract law enforcement officials. A source said: I wouldnt say its unusual, but we dont see it that often. Its obviously a cover. In their minds, a female and a child is less likely to be stopped and searched, but its a well-known cover. Customs have developed detailed profiling techniques in relation to trafficking and would have noticed that the woman was not flying direct to Britain from Pakistan and instead was landing in Dublin and then on to Britain. Security sources have said that the use of couriers, carrying considerable quantities of heroin, from Pakistan into European cities has been documented in the last 12 months. Trafficking gangs create alternative routes in response to what is described as increasing seizure rates. With many European airports operating a high-security alert in relation to preventing terrorist attacks, trafficking gangs also target airports in countries which may be perceived as having a lower security threat level. The woman in her 50s flew into Dublin Airport on Friday accompanied by a child. They were on a connecting flight from Lahore, Pakistan. The Revenues Customs Service and the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were conducting an intelligence-led operation and monitoring her movements. When she entered the arrivals hall she was met by a man, aged in his 30s. Gardai and customs officials swooped and made their arrest. When her luggage was searched by Customs, 15kg of heroin was discovered, with an estimated street value of 2.1m. They were detained under Section 2 Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. Gardai contacted social workers who took the child, a British citizen, into care. They alerted their British counterparts and it is understood efforts were being made to contact a relative. by Mathias Hariyadi A group of 24 young people took part in the ASEAN Youth Interfaith Camp (AYIC) 2018. The goal, an official of the Office for Religious Harmony, was to "introduce Southeast Asian youth to the true pluralist face of Indonesian society and prepare future leaders with a deep interfaith spirit. For one participant, the Indonesian experience can be a lesson for ASEAN countries. Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The goal of the ASEAN Youth Interfaith Camp (AYIC) 2018, an initiative of the Indonesian government, is tolerance and interfaith dialogue and is addressed to young people from the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The AYIC is the work of three ministries: Foreign Affairs, Human Development and Culture and Religious Affairs. This years edition was held in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali between 28 October and 4 November, and saw the participation of 24 people. "Our goal is to introduce Southeast Asian youth to the true pluralist face of Indonesian society," Paulus Tasik Galle, an official of the Office for Religious Harmony, told AsiaNews. "We have to raise awareness among young people that we have many things in common, Galle explained. In ASEAN countries we are also called to prepare future leaders with a deep interfaith spirit." In the Indonesian capital, AYIC participants visited such places as the great Istiqlal Mosque and Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral of (picture 3). In the latter, they met with the highest officials of the local Church, including the archbishop, Mgr Ignatius Suharyo (picture 2). The young people also paid a courtesy visit to Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla (picture 1), considered one of the countrys most influential Islamic figures. One of the participants was Rattana Chhou, an official at the Cambodian Ministry for Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. She said she was amazed by the 'unity in diversity' of the Indonesian nation. "This, she noted, is the biggest ASEAN country and, at the same time, the most pluralistic society in the world. Thanks to AYIC, I was able to learn that religious diversity can contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability and harmony. At the same time, it creates opportunities for young people and encourages them to work to secure the future of the nation." Micah Irish Barroga Sales, a 22-year-old Catholic woman, underscored how AYIC dealt with several topics concerning religion, considered a "sensitive" subject in her country, the Philippines. "We too are a pluralist nation, where Christianity and Islam are the main religions. However, it is difficult to talk about tolerance. For fear of offending those who belong to a different community, some Filipinos avoid the issue. Conversely, the Indonesian experience can be a lesson for ASEAN countries. The history of respect and love among Indonesians means that they really put 'unity in diversity' at the centre of their daily life." (Photo credit: Religious Harmony Office Indonesian Ministry for Religious Affairs). Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin hit out at juvenile comments from Fine Gael ministers who he accused of angling for an early general election. Speaking at his partys Presidential Dinner in Dublin, Mr Martin was responding to a string of criticism from Cabinet members at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis. I cant explain the sort of juvenile behaviour by some ministers today, he said. They need to stand back and acknowledge the stability and the consensus across the Dail on the Brexit issue. Mr Martin was pressed about the slow pace of confidence and supply talks, which are heading into their fourth week, but he was adamant that reviewing the past three budgets is warranted. In terms of confidence and supply, it is written down in black and white that there would be a review, he said. We dont agree with the Taoiseach that everything is going swimmingly. We dont agree that things are moving on housing, on health. We dont agree on the broadband question. It has been an abject failure. These are issues we need to interrogate, these are serious issues which merit substantive review. We have never bought into the idea of sign on the dotted line, everything is going fine. It was very clear that the first item on the agenda at the Cabinet on Wednesday was how do we pull off an electoral stroke and force a general election. That is what Government ministers were at last Wednesday. It tells its own story about who wants an election and who is causing instability. In his speech, Mr Martin said: And, for all of the posturing weve heard from City West, Fine Gael ministers and their leader need to remember that they dont get to spend a year trying to destabilise their own Government and then start delivering lectures about stability. In entering this review weve ignored the spinning and attempts to introduce preconditions. We have insisted on a substantive review of the current state of priority issues and plans for the future. Mr Martin said serious political issues are being played out in Westminster and the deal agreed between the EU and the British government is in doubt of being accepted by MPs. Theresa May is going to find it hard to get the deal through parliament, said Mr Martin. I wouldnt write that off. He said the concept of a second referendum has gathered momentum in the UK and it cannot be discounted given the events of the past week. She probably does not have the numbers to get the deal over the line but I think we need to take it one step at a time and be cautious, said Mr Martin. He said that, under the deal, the North can still get the best of both worlds. At a time when dark forces are seeking to push Europe backwards, we will campaign for an Ireland which supports a more active and effective European Union, he said. Mr Martin also attacked the Governments record on housing. Twelve months ago, at his last party conference, the Taoiseach announced the plan is working, he said. Yet today there are 800 more children homeless than there were on the day the Taoiseach took up office. Just one in five health and social care workers has been formally briefed on the HSEs open disclosure policy, and only one in 25 has attended a training workshop five years after patients were assured the policy would be standard practice. The figures emerged amid continuing fallout from the CervicalCheck scandal which uncovered a culture of concealment that allowed doctors withhold medical details from women arbitrarily. The HSE and Department of Health are scrambling to put in place regulations and structures to try to ensure that workers know their responsibilities to patients and are sanctioned if they try to cover up mistakes or failings. However, while the department is proposing a Patient Safety Bill to legally oblige workers to openly disclose information under threat of criminal prosecution, the HSE is only now creating a full-time national open disclosure office. Two full-time trainer posts have been advertised to join the one senior official who is the national lead on open disclosure. Only 4,585 of the HSEs 116,500 employees have attended a half-day workshop on the policy, while 22,808 attended a one-hour group briefing on the subject. The extent of training and briefing among agency workers is unknown. Open disclosure training is not part of the service level agreement [with operators providing outsourced services], the HSE said. However, any worker, either agency or otherwise, must adhere to HSE policies when working for the HSE and this would include open disclosure. Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association said the figures were very disappointing. I have great concern for the effectiveness of the policy, said Mr McMahon. This policy has been in place for five years and it should be a part of the culture now but its clear theres a very long way to go. Under HSE rules, all newly recruited staff are meant to complete induction guidelines and checklists within two months of taking up employment and the HSE said open disclosure policy was on the checklist. Gabriel Scally said in his report on CervicalCheck that the application of the policy was deeply contradictory and unsatisfactory. Vicky Phelan, the Limerick woman who brought the scandal to light, and Stephen Teap, who lost his wife, Irene, both called for sanctions for workers who did not adhere to open disclosure policy. Ms Phelan said: Unfortunately, you need to put sanctions in place in order for people to toe the line and actually do what theyre supposed to do. Mr Teap added: Asking people to follow the policy doesnt work. The HSE said training was active and ongoing. A petition to relocate a West Dublin bus stop has been supported by the mum of a young Co Meath woman, who was stabbed during a mugging on Saturday evening. The victim's mum, Gwen Jackson, who has spoken out in an effort to highlight the ongoing problems at the bus stop, said her daughter was left traumatised by the attack. Alice Ridsdale-Dooner, 20, was waiting at the bus stop, which is on a slipway, for the 105 bus home to Ratoath from Blanchardstown when a man jumped from the bushes at around 8pm. "She had just been at the cinema with a friend who got the 109 bus home from the same stop moments earlier," said Gwen. "A young man wearing a grey hoodie and a bandana came out of the bushes, grabbed her and threatened her with what looked like a bread knife. "He said he would stab her if she didn't give him her bag so she did but he knew somehow that she had her phone in her pocket and demanded that too. "He may have been watching from the bushes and saw her put it away. "In the struggle for her phone, he cut her hand and then ran off when two local girls came along to help her. "The bus was coming up the slipway too at the time. The two young girls, also from Ratoath, sat with her on the bus to make sure she was ok and brought her home right to the door. "The bus driver did ask her if she wanted him to stop at a garda station but she just wanted to go home. She's very upset and traumatised by it all. It's an open wound on her hand but it's ok. Gwen rang both Blanchardstown and Ashbourne gardai on Saturday evening and officially reported the incident at Blanchardstown on Sunday. The bus stop where the incident occurred. Photo via Google Maps. Gwen is urging everyone to sign the petition, started six months ago in an effort to get the bus stop relocated. "It's so dangerous there. The bus stop is so badly lit up and isolated from anywhere. "It's a stop that is used by a lot of students who commute to Blanchardstown from Meath and Louth." The bus stop serves the 105 bus for Ashbourne, Ratoath and Drogheda while the 109 goes to Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells. Local peace commissioner and chair of the East Meath and North Dublin Bus Users Association Andrew Ralph has been campaigning to get the bus stop moved for a number of months. Andrew Ralph, chair of the East Meath and North Dublin Bus Users Association. "In March 2016, Bus Eireann decided to change the bus routes without any consultation with the public and moved this bus stop to a slip road which has no shelter, security or CCT, is dimly lit and waiting passengers are sitting ducks for crime," he said. "Most of the waiting passengers are either senior citizens or young people who have to walk up to 20 minutes to get to it. "Over the months, a number of women have contacted me to say that that men have pulled up at the bus stop and tried to coerce them to get into their cars. There are huge safety issues here and you can't even see the bus stop at night, it's so badly lit up." Bus Eireann have to sit up and take note of the dangers that the location of this bus stop poses. It has been raised with Bus Eireann representatives at two public meetings in the last ten months. Just a few months ago, a number of teens were mugged near the stop on their way to catch a bus home in mid-July. In a statement, Bus Eireann said: Bus Eireann northbound routes out Dublin do not service Blanchardstown SC, due to major congestion issues there, and the majority of customers on-board are travelling further to destinations in Meath or Louth and beyond. "We do have a pick-up stop on the slipway road to service the area, and also ensure overall journey time reliability. Bus stop locations are also overseen by the NTA & local authorities. Lighting in public areas such as bus stops is provided by local authorities. "The Gardai are responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour nationwide and the company co-operate if any incidents arise across the network. "We currently have no official reports of this alleged incident. The petition can be accessed here. By Liam Heylin A post-office raider told a postmaster, first thing on a Monday morning, its your lucky day as he tried to force his way into the premises. However, the postmaster was able to push the raider out the door despite having an imitation gun pressed to his jaw. Alan Duggan, aged 33, of 65 Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, denied the crime and went on trial by judge and jury yesterday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He must have realised by late afternoon that it was not his lucky day, as he changed his pleas to guilty of charges of robbery and of having the imitation gun and a screwdriver. Judge Sean O Donnabhain sentenced Duggan to six years in jail with the final two suspended. Before Duggans guilty plea, the judge said of the defence: It was not bizarre, it was demented. A woman in Grenagh had been put under pressure to collect Duggan at his home in Mayfield, drive him to the rural post office, and then drive him home after agreeing to burn some of his clothing and wash other items. Duggan instructed his counsel, Niamh Stewart, to put it to the driver that she was lying and the robbery had been planned and carried out by her and another man and had nothing to do with him. The judge said such a demented construction of the events was symptomatic of Duggans approach to life in general, even when faced with overwhelming evidence. The woman from Grenagh, said she was put under pressure to collect Duggan. Gardai spoke to her later that day and she admitted everything she ha done. She did not know about a plan to rob the post office but felt Duggan was up to no good. The judge also referred to the bravery of postmaster Martin OFlaherty in fending off the raider and said the raid is something nobody opening any kind of shop should ever have to face. Mr OFlaherty said he has since retired and cited the attempted robbery in January as one of the factors in his decision. The post office now operates from a local garage. Mr OFlaherty recalled that just before 9am on January 29, he saw a man on the street and thought it was unusual at that time. I felt there was a confrontation coming, he said. I went to open the door. I was in trouble straight away. He made a sarcastic remark, this is your lucky day. I said: Youre not coming in. He started pushing. He had a plastic bag and a screwdriver. I saw a silver-handled gun. He placed it against my jaw. I knew I was in massive trouble. I gave one almighty push to get him out the door. He stumbled and ran away up the street. Detective Garda Maurice Leahy said Duggan had 128 previous convictions, including 15 counts serious enough to be dealt with at circuit court level, and one for robbery in 2001. This story was amended on Wednesday, November 21 By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent More than 43,000 primary teachers are voting over the next month to elect the head of one of the countrys biggest unions. Two serving officials and a former president of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) are contesting the vote to become the general secretary, which is decided by a ballot of members. The job offers a starting salary of 127,623 and will be filled next August after the departure of Sheila Nunan from the role. The pay scale was previously tied to the that of a deputy secretary general in a government department, but was reduced by Ms Nunan to tie it with the assistant secretary general grade when she took up the role. She announced in August she would be stepping down from the job to which she was elected in 2009. The general secretary leads the day-to-day running of the union, which has 36,000 members in the Republic and more than 7,000 in the North. The position is only open to anyone who has been a teacher and a member of the INTO for at least five years, and candidates had to be nominated by one or more branches with a membership of more than 500. All INTO members will receive ballot papers next week and a result should be declared on December 18. The winner will be appointed as general secretary designate next March, before taking over in the top job in August. Like Ms Nunan, one candidate, John Boyle, is an ex-president of the INTO, having chaired its executive committee for a year up to last Easter. The principal of a large Dublin primary school, he received the nominations of 107 INTO branches following initial canvassing around the country since the incumbent announced her plans. Alison Gilliland has worked for the INTO for 14 years, having taught in Dublin and Spain, and is the equality officer in charge of professional development services for members. The Labour Party member of Dublin City Council has the support of 18 branches. INTO assistant general secretary Deirdre OConnor, who has been an official since 2002, has nominations from 41 branches. She worked at a Monaghan primary school and a programme supporting implementation of the new primary curriculum before becoming an employee of INTO, where she heads the section dealing with terms and conditions for members. The biggest questions facing the candidates may be around how the union deals with the pay equality issue, after the unions members in the Republic voted 53% to 47% last month to reject proposals to close the gap in salary scales for those who began teaching after 2010. A further ballot on industrial action on the matter is expected to be issued next month. Fire officers have issued a renewed warning about chimney cleaning and having carbon monoxide alarms after a suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incident in Cork. The alarm was raised in the Shanakiel area, on the northside of the city on Sunday night, when a homeowner dialled 999 after their carbon monoxide (CO) alarm sounded at around 9pm. Several units of Cork City Fire Brigade were tasked to the scene. When they arrived, firefighters discovered that while there were no signs of fire in the home where the CO alarms were sounding, there was an incident unfolding in an adjoining house. When they inspected that property, they discovered that a blocked flue had caused a build-up of smoke from a stove fire. Although the smoke was confined to a room in that property, the potentially deadly CO gas had seeped into the house next door, triggering the CO alarms in that property. Paramedics were called and one person was treated at the scene before being removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital for treatment. A second person self-presented at hospital later with symptoms associated with carbon monoxide poisoning. Both have made a full recovery. A senior fire officer with Cork City Fire Brigade said the people involved were very lucky that the incident had occurred relatively early in the evening, and not when people were asleep, and that one of the homeowners had working CO alarms. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odourless and tasteless gas and is known as the silent killer, he said. If anyone has any concerns whatsoever about the presence of CO in their home, they should contact us immediately. The potentially lethal gas is produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels. It is poisonous and even breathing in a small amount can cause loss of consciousness and in extreme cases, death. When its breathed in, the gas enters the bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin - the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. The resultant reduction in oxygen causes tissue and cells to die. The mix also produces a compound called carboxyhaemoglobin which causes blood vessels to become leaky. This can lead to swelling in the brain, causing unconsciousness and nerve damage. People with mild symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning usually make a full recovery. However, between 10-50% of people with serious CO poisoning can have long-term problems, with complications in some cases arising years later as a result of the gas causing damage to the heart. Symptoms of CO poisoning include lethargy, headaches and nauseousness. On average between one and two people die each year in Ireland from unintentional CO poisoning in the home in incidents related to domestic heating or other fossil fuel installations. Sanctions against rogue landlords and tougher property inspection powers are set to be approved in the weeks ahead so new rental protections take effect in the New Year. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy admitted that rent pressure zones were not working as best as had been hoped. He said further measures will be published by him in the coming weeks to punish landlords abusing the system as well as strengthening the Residential Tenancies Board. The Irish Examiner understands that new punitive measures being considered by the Attorney General include making it an offence for landlords to break rent rules, including new fines. This will form part of the Residential Tenancies Bill, which will be published in the coming weeks and which the Government hopes can be passed by the Dail before Christmas. Speaking at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis, Mr Murphy said rent pressure zones, which restrict rate increases to 4%, were working but not as best hoped by the Government. Rent figures released by DAFT show rates continue to hit an all time high with increases of 11.3% nationally over the last year. Dublin rates are 36% higher than they were in the last boom 10 years ago. South Co Dublin is the most expensive area to rent at 2,156 a week while the average rate nationwide now has reached 1,334. Under the new legislation, the inspection powers of the tenancies board will be beefed up. The board and its staff will be allowed to examine properties independent of a complaint or a third-party notice. Landlords abusing the terms by which tenants can be moved out will also face fresh sanctions. There have been concerns that some owners are abusing a special clause which allows them to ask tenants to move out if they are renovating. This has been abused with landlords often doing minor works and then taking in new tenants on higher rents. State funding for the tenancies board has also been increased by 67% in the budget, a move that is expected to see more staff monitoring the standards of rental properties as well as conditions, such as overcrowding. Mr Murphy pledged that 18,000 to 20,000 houses will be built by the end of this year. This does not include vacant properties coming back into use or new student accommodation, he said. He also said the Government wouldnt operate a hands-off approach to housing and leave it to the market. A single bit of legislation would not end the crisis of homelessness, he told party members. Elsewhere, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told a Fine Gael conference the Government cared about the reduction in the number of children in hotels as much as it did in reducing the national debt. The banning of live texting and tweeting by members of the public from the courts will protect the integrity of Irish trials. From 26 November, only bone fide journalists and lawyers will be permitted to report, message or tweet live from court cases. The announcement was made by the Chief Justice Mr Frank Clarke at a seminar for journalists organised by the Courts Service and the National Union of Journalists. Mr Justice Clarke said the direction applies to all courts and is aimed at ensuring a fair trial. He pointed out that the potential for unregulated social media to impact on the fairness of the trial process itself is a legitimate and particular concern of the judiciary. The Chief Justice said print and broadcast media have given very little cause for concern in how they report and comment on court cases and that, in general, they do so honestly, diligently, and with great skill. However, he pointed to a number of instances of inappropriate social communications in courts recently. These included outrageous accusations made by an online journalist during a high-profile murder trial. The journalist had to be threatened with jail to make him remove it. Mr Justice Clarke also cited examples of the reporting of evidence later ruled to be non-reportable, and of rallying people from inside the courtroom with a view to affect a jurys outlook Welcoming the announcement, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the wider issue of the law of contempt and the use of social media in the courts is currently under consideration by the Law Reform Commission who will be producing a full report in first quarter of next year. The right to a fair trial is one of the most fundamental rights in society, said Mr Flanagan. It is essential that we protect it and ensure the integrity of the trial process. The use of social media from within Courts has become highly controversial, not only in this jurisdiction, cutting across the law of contempt and judges powers of contempt. Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan also welcomed the move. The Supreme Court first called for changes in this law in the early 90s while legislation was first introduced in the UK in 1981, she said. My Contempt of Court Bill was the first attempt in this country to legislate for contempt despite Judges, legal experts and journalists all calling for legislation in this area for some time. Ms Madigans bill included measures to give judges specific powers to direct social media companies to remove posts that risk prejudicing criminal trials. As the British Councils representative in Ireland, Mags Walshs job gets particularly interesting in the era of Brexit, writes Marjorie Brennan. These are interesting times for British-Irish relations, with the uncertainty and confusion of Brexit casting a long shadow. While debate and analysis tends to focus on the possible economic and political fallout, little has been said about what the impact will be on the arts. As the recently appointed director of the British Council in Ireland, Mags Walsh is particularly well-positioned to survey the cultural relationship with our nearest neighbours. The Council aims to cultivate cultural connections and educational opportunities internationally and has more than 100 offices around the world; it has had a presence in Ireland since 1989. While Brexit is obviously an issue of concern for the organisation, Walsh is upbeat about the future and says continued co-operation is the councils priority. Like everybody in the British Council, we are worried about what Brexit means for artists and relationships but we are absolutely committed to our presence in Ireland. We work as an agency that is independent of the British government, even though we are closely linked to them, which means there is nothing that we are doing now that we would have to stop doing. We are a global organisation and we are interested in more global connections, not less, says Walsh. As well as supporting British artists and arts organisations in attending festivals and events in Ireland, the Council also works in higher education. People who know about what we do in the arts may not have any awareness that we do anything in higher education and vice-versa. We do a lot of work in science communications and public engagement in science, for example Walsh says the Council aims to promote cultural relationships beyond the Dublin-London nexus. To this end, it has recently partnered with the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, adding to its existing relationship with the Cork Midsummer Festival. Our work is about connecting all parts of Britain with all parts of Ireland. The trade links between England and the south of Ireland, particularly the Cork region are substantial, says Walsh. The Triskel partnership will begin at the end of this month, with the first live performance in Ireland of the seminal work Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet by British composer Gavin Bryars. The Council will also be collaborating with the Triskel on a season of film next spring, and next years Cork World Book festival. In addition, the Council will support an exchangebetween the Triskel-based Cork Women Travellers Network, and Leeds Gate, a gypsy and traveller organisation in Leeds. Walsh was previously director of Childrens Books Ireland and oversaw the establishment of Laureate na nOg, which has been hugely successful in promoting childrens literature in Ireland. She cites current Laureate Sarah Crossan, author of several acclaimed YA novels, as an example of the often symbiotic cultural relationship between Ireland and Britain. Crossan was born in Dublin and now lives in Hertfordshire. The next generation of Irish writers cut their teeth @DublinBookFest #WeAreThePoets Pop Up Poetry in @smockalley. We're here until 4pm. Come say hi! pic.twitter.com/Juih4cDAsC Laureate na nOg (@LaureatenanOg) November 18, 2018 Sarah represents the many people who have a dual life around Ireland and Britain. She is fiercely Irish and British at the same time. Childrens books and books in general are one of those areas where there is a big British presence in Ireland. That is an example of an area where there is already so much flow and crossover and movement of people, ideas and stories. While Irish people would traditionally have been well versed on British culture, especially through the medium of television, the exchange between both countries may not have always flowed equally in both directions. Walsh says the Councils aim is to promote mutual exchange of ideas and opportunities. There was perhaps an older model, long before the council was in Ireland, this idea that what it did was showcase great British art. The Royal Shakespeare Company would come over and perform for a week, then they would be gone and that would be it. That is not how we do things, it is very much about trying to connect artists to have conversations around things they are interested in. It is no longer a one-way flow, it is very much around the mutual benefit to Ireland and the UK. There are lots of things we do here that are leading examples in the arts Walsh only took up her role in September but has hit the ground running and is relishing the challenges that lie ahead. I have the great task of building the five-year strategy of the British Council in Ireland, at a time when British-Irish relations are changing more than they will ever change in my lifetime. It is an incredible privilege to be asked to do that. It was the role he always dreamt of, and now Killian Donnelly returns to Ireland in a West End production as Jean Valjean, writes Esther McCarthy. When he was ten, Killian Donnellys dad gave his music-mad son a gift of a Colm Wilkinson CD. Little could he have imagined then that his boy would end up playing Wilkinsons most iconic role, Jean Valjean, on stage, or become one of the most in-demand stars on the West End. My father and mother sung, he says. My older brother sings and plays guitar. My sister plays instruments and sings. We were never told to shut up singing. Then when I was 10, Dad give me a CD of Colm Wilkinsons. Track seven was Bring Him Home and Id sing Bring Him Home over and over again. Now Donnelly is bringing Les Miserables home, playing Jean Valjean in a new tour of Cameron MacKintoshs acclaimed Broadway production. A proud Meath man, he is giddy at the prospect of leading the production in his home country for Christmas. When we meet, hes on a break from rehearsals. Its about confidence but also you need to explore, he says of the rehearsal process. Ive done Valjean But now were going back to square one and treating it like its never been done before. Youve got to try everything and be creative in a role again thats so iconic, thats the best part. Im working with our director, and he is allowing me to go wherever I want to go. Lets try everything, there are no wrong answers, and you do want to do it again and again, before you put it in front of 2000 people. It never is a finished product because your audience will tell you what they like and what they dont like. Then you adjust it. I like treating every audience as if its brand new, and it is going to be their first time seeing it. Were at a point now where you have to keep adding to it, and you just have to sing it more. Its about re-imagining it. Were also diving back into the book. Theres not one character who doesnt have a backstory in the book. So that allows the actor to take on his own journey. As a teenager, the shy and music-loving Donnelly, from Kilmessan, Co Meath, was encouraged to join a nearby amateur dramatics group and knew immediately that hed found his calling. I joined that when I was 15, and that was my club. Kilmessan is a massive hurling village but I was never very good at hurling, never very good at sport. Then when I got into am dram there were blokes and theyre drinking pints going: Did you ever see Oklahoma? Did you ever hear the soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar? I was a very shy kid and that got me out of my shell, helped me build up my confidence. It would give me confidence to talk to girls, to have friends, to be yourself. In school Id just keep to myself, have my three or four mates. It wasnt until amateur dramatics that I really came out of my shell and loved standing on a stage, being a character, hearing an audience laugh at something I did. Donnelly has never forgotten the people who encouraged him during those formative years. A former teacher, who encouraged him to keep up musical theatre when others cautioned about exams, was among the first he called when he landed his first big break, a supporting role in Les Mis, after moving to London a decade ago. He still comes to his shows. He speaks fondly of the late musical theatre director Bryan Flynn, who focused him and offered solid advice in the early days. He was about 10 years older than me but he was a friend, he guided me. He said: Youve got to go to London, try London for a while. So I, with all my savings, moved to London for a year in 2007. I was there for three months and I got an audition for Les Mis. In the years since, Donelly has developed a reputation for being one of the West Ends most talented and hard-working stars, a reputation he nurtures. I remember seeing an interview with Colm Wilkinson and he said: The muscle youre dealing with is the size of your baby fingernail. You have to respect it. I drink a lot of water. I steam every night. I dont smoke. I drink at the weekend. You just have to look after it because thats my mortgage, thats my car payment. Its just the most rewarding thing when you are singing in a show and you are in full voice and you are feeling good. His success has brought him other opportunities, such as a supporting role in the Oscar-winning Les Miserables movie, where he worked among a cast that included Hugh Jackman as Valjean, along with Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe. He filmed a key scene with Jackman, and found they shared a passion for musical theatre. Jackman also began his career onstage. Hes 100% the nicest guy in the world and the biggest musical theatre fan. We have this massive barricade scene and Hugh Jackman was beside me. He knew Id been in the show and he would ask questions He wanted to go back and strip it back into his interpretation of Jean Valjean. Hed ask so many questions about the details of what the set looked like. Hes played Wolverine, hes done all of these amazing jobs, but hes still from a musical theatre background and absolutely loves it he would take singing and dancing any day. Les Miserables runs at Dublins Bord Gais Energy Theatre from Dec 5 - Jan 12 by Nirmala Carvalho Fr Vineet Vincent Pereira was indicted for "rioting and unlawful assembly". He runs the Ishwar Dham prayer centre. He had received threats in the past. An interfaith forum expresses solidarity with the attacked priest. Mumbai (AsiaNews) A Catholic priest was beaten, arrested and then released in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). Police later indicted him for rioting and illegal assembly. Father Vineet Vincent Pereira runs Ishwar Dham, a site where prayers are recited for ten hours every day. He was attacked on 14 November. At 5 pm, two people came to cause tensions, he said in recalling the incident. Rapidly, they were joined by others and started to beat up one of the people present. When I went to rescue him, they began hitting me on the head and on the arm, and pulled my hair." When police arrived, they "took me to the station for 'my safety'. I was locked up and released the next day." The man who attacked the priest is called Raj Kumar. The incident itself lasted about ten minutes. "Along with me, there were nine people. I was the only priest present at the place, he explained, adding that I received several threats in the past ". After releasing the clergyman, police charged him under articles 147 (rioting) and 151 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Yesterday, the Indian Missionary Society of Varanasi met to express the solidarity of the whole local community to the priest. Fr Anand Mathew, leader of the society and founder of Kashi Qaumi Ekta Manch (United Forum for communal harmony of Varanasi), noted that Fr Vineet is "a young and saintly priest. He looks after the sick and regularly conducts prayers. People flock to him for healing." Yesterdays meeting dubbed Peace Solidarity Convention (Aman-Bhaichara Sammelan) drew the leaders of various religious groups Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims (Sunnis and Shias), Christians, Kabir Panthis and Brahma Kumaris. The meeting, Fr Anand noted, "had been organised before the attack [against Fr Vineet] following numerous attacks in the last two months against Christians, Muslims, Dalits and women. The various religious leaders condemned the aggression against Fr Pereira." By Dan MacCarthy Nowadays, the sounds that predominate on Hop Island, Cork, are horses hooves but in the mid-18th century it was more likely to have been the sounds of Bach or Mozart. Today Hop Island has an equestrian centre with indoor and outdoor arenas. Riders can train in the finer points of horse riding, showjumping, trekking, cross country and dressage. In addition to the equine centre, there are five privately owned houses on the island. Whether Hop Island still deserves that geographic description is a moot point. A tarmaced causeway connects it to the shore at Rochestown, but part of its character derives from the time when water swirled around its shores. Eventually, like for many of the other islands in Cork Harbour, huge amounts of silt built up to create a link to the mainland, aided here and there by manmade efforts to link the islands. Hop Island is effectively a heap of boulder clay emerging from the surrounds of Lough Mahon, part of Corks inner harbour. The wonderful resource that is the Cork Archaeological and Historical Society has made available its archive online. And a cursory search for Hop Island reveals a glut of information from a 1909 article by anonymous. The island derived its name from a nickname ascribed by sailors to one Laurence De la Main, or Delamain, who was a French Huguenot who built a house on Hop Island in the middle of the 18th century. The protestant Huguenots fled religious persecution in France and about 5,000 initially settled in Ireland before a second group arrived later. Some were interred in the Huguenot cemetery on the appropriately named Frenchchurch St, Cork. Some of these immigrants became active in local governance and several became lords mayor. Others were very successful in the commercial trade of the city. Some of the Huguenot names are still in use: Lavit, Perrier, Godsell, Hardy, Malet, and Delacour. The sailors, passing up and down the River Lee, and aware of the musical reputation of its new resident, Monsieur De la Main, referred to it at as Hop Island presumably referring to hop as in dance. The article in turn quotes a piece f in the Gentlemans Magazine from 1855 written by a Dr Caulfield to bolster its claims. Mr De la Main, a French Huguenot, arrived at Cork possessing a small sum of money, the remains of an ample fortune, having left behind considerable estates in France. He followed for some time the profession of dancing master, and from the high respect in which he was held by the citizens of Cork he soon obtained a sufficient competency. Having purchased this little island, known previously as Ratland from the enormous swarms of Norway rats with which it was infested, Mr De la Main built on it a handsome residence and highlycultivated the adjacent grounds. From the profession of its respectable proprietor the sailors and boatmen used jokingly to call it Hop Island, a name it has retained De la Main instructed the citizenry of Cork in dancing, perhaps waltzes and quadrilles, in Bolands Lane in the city centre. This was a lane off Brunswick St but appears to have been built over when the Augustinian Church was built. His son Henry was a composer in his own right and at the beginning of the 19th century was the organist at (now Triskel) Christchurch and later St Fin Barres Cathedral. Later, a Rev Saunders and Osborne Edwards lived on Hop Island. The latter leased a property valued at 16 from the Chatterton family who were baronets. Whether Ratland is a misinterpretation of the previous name for Hop Island (Red Island) is not clear but judging by the murine reference it is probably correct and Red Island was then a version of this. Hop Island is the starting point for a beautiful walk or cycle to Passage west along the old disused railway line. The other islands in Cork Harbour have nearly all been either joined to the mainland or linked by bridges: Great, Little, Spike, Fota, Haulbowline, Corkbeg, Rocky, Hare, Harpers, Weir, Brick, and Brown. Damien Enright "Sea lions literally everywhere, youve to be careful not to step on them, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, sea turtles. This is the first sentence of an email from the Galapagos Islands sent by my son Fintan, who had landed there just an hour before. Last week, he and Stephanie, his wife, flew in from Quito in Ecuador to San Cristobal, one of the 18 Pacific islands that span the equator 900km off South America. A giant tortoise, one of the emblematic creatures of the Galapagos Islands, on San t Cristobal. Darwin found that they had evolved differently by natural selection from island to island. Ive asked him to send me first-hand state-of-the-islands info during their weeks stay. They wont be doing what most visitors do: 90% of those coming to islands are here to get straight onto a live-aboard cruise boat. Costs range from $2,500 to $10,000 [2,200 to 8,750] for five-10 days: I reckon the average spend is about $5,000 per head "Boats take 10 to 20 people on a cruise around the islands that cant normally be reached and there are naturalists and guides on each boat. These Galapagos visitors include lots of middle-aged, serious nature watchers, but also backpackers and location-collectors" I guess the backpackers must be gold-plated and the location-collectors (the Ive-been-there, done-that travellers) must have more money than sense. For me, and I imagine for most of the readers of the Examiner Outdoor Page, the flora and fauna would be the main item, not just the emblematic location. However, just to be so remote from everywhere and to be in such a legendary place must also have a singular reward. In their seven-day sojourn they will be able to island-hop beyond Cristobal via ferries at about for $35 per hop. So, theyll get around. It was already expensive to reach the islands. The cheapest return flight we could find from Quito was $240, and that was after much searching. To leave Quito airport you had to pay an extra $20 [everything in Ecuador is dollars] Immigration to Galapagos Fee. Your bags are checked for any seed, food and even for plastic bags and containers, as they are aiming for a plastic free environment [in practice, there are plastic bottles in all the shops here]. On arrival you pay another fee of $100 [cash only] to get out of the airport. This was quite a shock to us and our budget. We had to head off to an ATM, leaving our passports as deposit at immigration. At least the fee goes to the National Park and to local development. Already, inside the actual airport, there were brightly coloured finches hopping about. As you walk onto the main seafront, the first thing you notice are sealions everywhere lounging on benches, under trees, in the shade of waterfront restaurants There are small pups, maybe 20in long, huge fat mothers of 5ft or 6ft, and then, further out in the rockpools and along the waters edge, the big males, 8ft or 9ft in length. We walked along to a local beach where we saw the aftermath of a birth, the mother helping the tiny cub, no more than 12in long, to suckle, while the placenta attracted a flock of maybe two dozen frigate birds which eventually built up the gall to swoop down and grab it. Next most common are the marine iguanas, also seen everywhere draped over rocks, or bellied-out along the sand. Havent seen them swimming yet. Salt-water giant lizards riding the surf would be a sight. Some wear moustaches of dried salt, bright on their scaly black skin. We walked along a headland where we saw a green heron: What would our Ron have thought of him? Pelicans were fishing 20ft away and blue-footed boobies rested on a pile of guano-stained rocks. We watched as a huge sea turtle surface several time only 10ft off the rocks. Thats all the wildlife so far, except for one hermit crab. But all of it was within the town itself and nearby outskirts! The town is pretty typically Ecuadorian, a bit run-down, a bit half finished. Parts remind us of La Gomera, castor oil plants in yet-to-be-developed lots, banana and mango trees overhead. Weve found self-catering accomm. for 35 bucks a night. Next week, Ill file another first-hand report on the present-day world of the remote islands on which variations in the same species of fauna on separate islands directed Charles Darwin to conceive the theory of natural rather than artificial selection (i.e. selection reliant on human intervention) and to write his masterwork On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection which changed our understanding of how life evolved on earth. I grew up near Irelands border when it was a hard border, though we had yet to learn the term. The border was guarded with customs posts and military fortifications, and often there were searches and questions, writes Garrett Carr. Many people are determined to avoid seeing such infrastructure on the border again after the UK leaves the EU. The new draft deal between Theresa May and the EU seems to have been shaped in important ways by this determination. Assuming that the deal is accepted by Westminster a big assumption there is still a lot left undecided in the 585 page document, and gaps to be filled during future negotiations. What will Irelands border look like after Brexit? It still feels as if anything is possible. The border was created in 1922 when 26 of Irelands counties became an independent state, while six remained in the United Kingdom. It was a hard border to some extent or another until two events in the 1990s: the peace process and the creation of a customs union across Europe, including both parts of Ireland. Carlingford Lough, part of the invisible border that splits north from south. Shutterstockb A sense of place Irelands border got me thinking about aspects of place and space. Not all coordinates are equal. Two Irish hedgerows might look the same, with the same March songbirds and September berries, but one is just a hedgerow, whereas the other might be the frontier between two countries. That hedgerow is actually marked on the map, with a borderline symbol that is loaded with meaning and contention. Recently I returned to Irelands border to walk it, map it and write a book. I was interested in the people for whom the borderland is home. I became fascinated by paths they had cut across this invisible line, and the homemade bridges they had placed across streams that straddle the 310-mile border. In contrast, I also mapped the borders defensive architecture. My project took on some urgency when the UK voted to leave the EU, when suddenly this border of rivers, bogs, farms and forests became central to the way that would happen. It had always been my intention to give border voices a platform, and now more people were interested in listening. This year, American Suzanne Lacy was artist-in-residence for the Belfast International Arts Festival and was commissioned to produce work on Irelands border, in collaboration with border communities. Lacy is an artist of public practice by getting people together for discussions, events, activities, she choreographs conversations. She brought me on board for part of the project called the Border Peoples Parliament. This event was held in the grand marble hall of Stormont, Northern Irelands parliament. We gathered around 150 people from the borderland, aiming for a mix of backgrounds and ages. On the night we ate a meal together and I conducted some interviews and made recordings. The border peoples manifesto Participants were asked to consider various questions about the borderland and their lives on it. For the last part of the night, they were given sheets of paper on which to respond to our questions. Some wrote postcard-length comments, others extended letters. I was charged with taking their words and distilling them into a single border peoples manifesto. In creating the manifesto, I wanted to use border peoples own phrases, with as little meddling as possible. I changed the point-of-view voice into first person plural we and our but in every other way endeavoured to be true to the source material, capturing both the overall message and the language in which it was expressed. I also wanted to capture some of the tone and the accent of borderland voices, hence the appearance of well-worn phrases such as: You dont rush border people. The manifesto had to be turned around quickly and I had no idea at the beginning whether it would be a smooth or difficult task. I dont think anything like it had been done before and certainly not on Irelands border. Open and invisible I had been concerned that there would be much disagreement in the comments equally valid but oppositional statements that would never sit together in the same document. But this was not really an issue in the end. There were pro and anti-Brexit voices, but both were united in calling for the border to remain open whatever the future. The term invisible border was used often. Points of pride emerged. The border landscapes beauty was often mentioned alongside a desire to preserve it. Border peoples tolerance, neighbourliness and an ability to get along despite political differences were frequently referenced. Several said that we should all learn history learn it so we dont have to repeat it, but at the same time remember to live for the future. All of this and more went into the nine points of the manifesto. The colour yellow was a theme of all Suzanne Lacys Across and In-between border projects (which also included a film, The Yellow Line, projected on to the side of the Ulster Museum in Belfast) and so the document came to be called the Yellow Manifesto. It has proved popular on social media and in the press after being launched on BBC Radio 4s Today programme by Lacy on October 23 2018. Immediately afterwards she travelled to the Houses of Parliament and gave copies to MPs. In Westminster it seems the border is constantly discussed but only as a problem or an obstacle to Brexit. For me and the population of the borderland, it is important to let people see that it is also a home, the basis of livelihoods and even a place that is loved. This article was written by Garrett Carr of Queen's University Belfast and was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article here.. The EUs commitment to Ireland has been confirmed, the Good Friday Agreement has been protected, and the border backstop has been assured, says Simon Coveney. Aweek ago, we did not have a Brexit withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU. Today, we do. A week ago, commentators were still questioning whether the EU would abandon Ireland at the end of negotiations or connect our corporation tax rate to solidarity. They were wrong. A week ago, the opposition here questioned if the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and I had buckled, because we were willing to allow a review of the backstop. The text disproved their baseless claims: The backstop cannot be revoked without the agreement of the EU. Last Wednesday marked a milestone in the Brexit process. The EU and the UK agreed a draft, legally binding withdrawal agreement. British prime minister Theresa May announced that this has been adopted collectively by her cabinet. Tanaiste @simoncoveney me and @campaignforleo work day and night to protect this Island from the risks of #Brexit, we will never have the return of a hard border. #FGAF18 pic.twitter.com/dDyns25U0W Fine Gael (@FineGael) November 17, 2018 In Dublin, we stayed quiet on the text, initially, to allow the space for that decision to be reached. The cabinet here, the Government benches, our diplomats, and close circle of advisors were determined that Ireland would not be blamed for political developments in London. Nobody credible can claim we patted ourselves on the back or leaked the progress. The facts show that we didnt. Nor has the Government ever claimed this milestone marked a job done. We communicated the development to the Irish people and we kept working. I was very heartened to see that many commentators in Irish media, including in the pages of the Irish Examiner, actually read the agreement before making a judgement The objectives of the Government, and the protection of the peace process, are achieved in this draft agreement. The political agreement struck last December has now been given full legal expression. That strengthens our position. The Taoiseach said so and Michel Barnier, the EU chief negotiator, said so, too, on Wednesday night. A shabby attempt by a minority in Fianna Fail to play politics with this comment should stop now. We have to press on. I left Cork last night for Brussels. I will today (Mon) meet Mr Barnier and, also, separately, all of the foreign ministers of the EU. We have to prepare for an extraordinary summit next Sunday, in which the Taoiseach and his fellow leaders are expected to endorse the draft withdrawal agreement. The Dail will also get to debate the agreement later this week. That was something the Government did not need to do it was our idea. Brexit is the biggest threat to our country and it is not of our making. So it is right that all parties have their say in the Oireachtas. The outstanding question is: What will then happen in Westminster? I do not have the answer and Irish politicians should be slow to interfere in the UKs internal discussion. What cannot be disputed, though, is that Ms May is the only person in UK politics with an agreement in her hand. She has shown a real determination and grit this past week She is right in saying that the seven days ahead are pivotal and her media interviews and press conferences in the last few days, tell me that she is now talking directly to the British people about what is in this deal. Mr Varadkar and Mrs May can show that they have performed their duty as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, while respecting its principle of consent. Northern Ireland will leave the EU next March, with the rest of the UK, if this deal is ratified. The commentary of the Ulster Farmers Union, Confederation of British Industry Northern Ireland, and Chambers of Commerce Northern Ireland show this is a good deal for jobs, society, and trade in Northern Ireland. The majority of political parties in Northern Ireland say the same. Those with a vote in Westminster should use it to vote for this agreement. If the withdrawal agreement is the divorce, then the Irish backstop is the insurance policy for peace on this island. We never want to use the backstop. If this deal is ratified by all sides, work will immediately begin on a close, future trading and political relationship between the UK and the EU. Today, I will be discussing with Mr Barnier what will be in that full framework for our future relationship. This is all moving very quickly. However, we need to ensure that preparations do not slow down at home, just because of a breakthrough on the withdrawal agreement. That is why, on Friday, I will be in Thomond Park, Limerick, with the lead Government departments and with 12 State agencies, for the latest Getting Ireland Brexit Ready roadshow. Brexit means change and businesses need to take the first steps in getting ready for this change. They are not alone and tens of millions of euro have been pumped into the supports and grants for this. All of this information will be available on Friday or on the Brexit section of the Department of Foreign Affairs website. We have also produced sectoral podcasts on what to do for those who cant attend events. On Friday 30th November the roadshow will be in Letterkenny. The Cabinet will continue to get regular updates on contingency for all scenarios. Our focus remains unrelenting in ensuring no hard border ever returns to this island. We are never going to be found wanting in protecting the Good Friday Agreement, Irelands place in the EU, and peace on our island, throughout the Brexit process. Simon Coveney is Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Party leader Leo Vardakar keeps insisting (at least on RTE) there will be no early election. Trouble is, someone forgot to tell the troops at the ard fheis, writes Juno McEnroe. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan led the bursts of enthusiasm for a snap poll, asserting the printing presses for posters and campaign materials were well oiled. The chances of a snap poll and the Brexit withdrawal deal were the two topics du jour at the 2,500-strong gathering in CityWest, Dublin. Tanaiste Simon Coveney threw down a gauntlet early on Saturday morning, at a press conference. The deal with Fianna Fail would be off unless Fine Gael gets clarity, and soon. The parties are in talks behind closed doors, looking at whether the confidence and supply agreement can be renewed. Fianna Fail have dug in their heels, refusing to commit to anything until a review is done, while Fine Gaels frustration is mounting as its appeal for two years more of the Government support pact remains unanswered. Mr Coveney made it clear: All bets are off unless Fianna Fail signs up and quickly. We will not stay in Government without clarity in terms of the confidence and supply agreement. You cannot run a Government working week-to-week. Thats why these negotiations are serious in terms of trying to provide stability. But he said the party was primed for all eventualities. We are a party that is election-ready we are certainly not taking for granted the successful outcome of the Confidence and Supply discussions. Ministers and Fine Gael TDs are indeed hungry to go to the people. They are riding high in the polls, reaching 36% earlier this year, and know that this fortune may not last too long. It wont be long before the winter hospital crisis dominates the headlines; before any fall-out over Brexit hits home; before further scrutiny over a worsening housing crisis. By Saturday afternoon, Mr Varadkar told reporters the party was indeed almost election-ready. However, he did concede that his primary interest is not electoral. Fine Gael chose Taking Ireland Forward Together as its conference logo a little more sensitive than its failed 2016 general election motto of Keep the Recovery Going. And the party wants to ensure it comes across as more caring, or at least responsible if and when an election comes. While housing and health remain the Achilles heel, there was a buzz around the CityWest hotel, with young election candidates eager to press the flesh. For a change, there was little or no griping from disgruntled backbenchers or ministers, with all fully behind the party leader, if not fully believing his insistence that we wont be going to the polls before Christmas, while at the same time admitting that decision wasnt entirely in his hands. Despite the desire from the root and branch, it seems unlikely there will be an election for a few months, given the uncertainty over Brexit and no obvious reason (yet) to face the electorate. The ard fheis also saw members debate rural Ireland, climate change, Garda resources, as well as a special motion to allow for another conference in March. The latter included discussion around what members might allow if there is another coalition option for Fine Gael. Many see this as a block on Fine Gael doing business with Sinn Fein, if numbers require this after the next election. So what else did we learn about Fine Gael over the weekend? There seems to be a lot of internal chatter about when an election may be needed or called, rather than what Mr Varadkars party might offer voters in the way of a campaign. The Taoiseach moved to address this gap at a doorstep on Saturday afternoon, saying he now wanted to negotiate deliverables for voters with Fianna Fail during those talks. This is where the party falls down. It may get a Brexit bounce, as seen last December when the backstop guarantee for a frictionless border was clinched. But more than this is surely needed to go to the people. Not that there was a lack of rhetoric at CityWest. Health Minister Simon Harris wants universal health care, not to mention more hospital beds. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy wants more houses. Leo promised to repay Middle Ireland with a tax bonanza and a little something for everyone in the audience. The Fine Gael troops might be almost election- ready, but is the party message? And more importantly, is the country? If the Government really thought gender equality was a priority, it could start by looking at the makeup of the cabinet and their party, writes Margaret Hickey. The decision by Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell OConnor to establish women only professorships in universities and other third-level institutes is quite evidently about optics not policy. Unless it is the policy of virtue signalling to appease powerful and articulate lobbies and their backers. If she and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar were serious about raising the profile of women in top jobs, they would put their own house in order first. Or they might just imaginatively apply the proposed acceleration of gender equality, as Mr Varadkar described it, to the Fine Gael party and see how it fits. If it doesnt seem right or appropriate there, then why would it be right anywhere else? Fine Gael has never had a female leader. Could the next leadership contest be confined to women only? Far too premature, they would say. Not enough women within the parliamentary ranks to choose from. Fair enough, but what is being done to change that? Lots of rhetoric and promises but no sign of any accelerator strategies. On the contrary. Currently the 19 ministers of state, appointed by Mr Varadkar, include a mere three women in their ranks. That represents a far lower percentage than the percentage of women currently holding full professorships in Irish universities. More pertinently, it represents a much lower percentage than the percentage of female members in the Fine Gael parliamentary party, where there are 11 female members in a cohort of 50. This represents marginally over 20%. Why could he not at least match that ratio in his junior cabinet? What of his actual cabinet? The 15- strong group has four women and that includes Katherine Zappone, whose appointment was her price for supporting the Government. So she doesnt really count, but even with her included, that means the representation of women in the Cabinet stands at just over 25%. The representation of women in professorial positions stands at 24%. So why the need for interventions to accelerate in academia what is happening at an even slower rate within an area directly under the government or under the Taoiseachs control? Well, it just shows it comes down to optics, and lobbying too no doubt, and it is as crass a piece of social engineering as one could find. The worst aspect of it is that it does a disservice to women. If the playing field at entry level to university courses is level, where gender is concerned, if junior academic positions are divided roughly 50/50 between the sexes, if there is due scrutiny and oversight in the process of appointment, then any imbalances further up the line are most likely due to the choices women make. There is plenty of research to show that women value work/life balance more highly then men and not just women with young children either. Success at work even stellar success does not deliver happiness and often women get that before men do Setting aside the question about the sincerity of the minister and Taoiseach, which they should not be allowed forget, is there also a valid question concerning discriminatory attitudes against women? Attitudes that come into play when top positions are being handed out? Such attitudes may well exist. It is difficult to see how they feed into appointments that are made along objective standards of experience, qualifications and testimonials. Appointments subject to overview and open to a process of appeal. Choosing the Cabinet is the Taoiseachs prerogative but we can ask if Mr Varadkar followed best practice in selecting his ministers and junior ministers. Does the allocation of the portfolios concerned with culture, heritage, and children and youth to women betray a latent sexism? Perhaps the only reason the heavyweight ministries were allocated to men was that he happened to have a match between talent and portfolio that just happened to align with sex too. No other reason. Best person for the job was a man in each case, even when it meant passing over a number of more experienced women and appointing a fresh-faced 31-year-old to the Department of Health. Well, if so, that is exactly how it should be. The people of the country deserve the best available person in the job. So too do the students of our universities. If appointments are made on a gender basis, the appointee will always have something to defend. What is true for politicians is true for professors too. It is true for prime ministers. Just imagine if the beleaguered Theresa May owed her position to affirmative gender action, how much more hostile and vociferous would the braying of her party foes have been in the last week? How much easier would it be to undermine her confidence? The fact that she made it to where she is in as traditional and patriarchal a party as one could find in the developed world has surely made her the confident leader she is. Her magnificent defiance and resounding self-belief is a tribute to womens ability to make it to the heights of their professions with no more help than a level playing field. That self-belief is what Mary Mitchell OConnors proposals threaten to erode. It will blur the line between the women who compete on equal terms with their peers and those who get through largely because of their gender. In the space of a generation, women have gone a long way in the working world. The young and middle-aged female CEOs, academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, bank managers, news anchors, and politicians of today are likely to have had mothers who worked as teachers or nurses or office workers in the 1970s and 80s. What remains the same is that most women who work outside the home today continue to occupy what are broadly speaking the caring professions or jobs that leave time and headspace for life outside work. The real gender gap is most likely a gap in values and outlook. That means of course that women who want to lean in and reach professional heights will be more and more in a gender minority as they rise in the ranks. So skewing the arithmetic arbitrarily advantages these women in a massively disproportionate way. It is simply not fair. Not fair to the men who are passed over because of gender. More unfair still to the students, or clients or patients or citizens who have a right to expect that appointments and promotions are allocated according to merit. We have done a lot to rid our public system of jobbery and nepotism and what used to be known as pull. Ms Mitchell OConnor and Mr Varadkar should read up on the resentment, frustration, low morale and underperformance that caused in its day. Asia US-China discord dominates APEC summit in Papua New Guinea US Vice President Mike Pence looks at Chinese President Xi Jinping as they prepare for a family photo with APEC leaders at a gala dinner during the APEC Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday. / Reuters PORT MORESBY The United States and China swapped barbs over trade, investment and regional security at an Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit on Saturday, as growing fault lines among members suggested little prospect of consensus at the weekend meeting. Speaking in the Papua New Guinean capital, US Vice President Mike Pence said there would be no end to American tariffs until China changed its ways, after its president, Xi Jinping, warned that the shadow of protectionism and unilateralism was hanging over global growth. Illustrating the impasse between the worlds two largest economies, a diplomat involved in negotiating an APEC leaders declaration told Reuters trade was a sticking point, and the host nation was having trouble finding language acceptable to all. Pence took direct aim at Xis flagship Belt and Road program, which China has been promoting to Pacific nations at APEC, saying countries should not accept debt that compromised their sovereignty. We do not offer constricting belt or a one-way road, Pence told the APEC CEO summit, a precursor to the official leaders meeting, held on a cruise liner tethered in Port Moresbys Fairfax Harbor. Chinas efforts to win friends in the resource-rich Pacific have been watched warily by the traditionally influential powers in the region Australia and the United States. US President Donald Trump is not attending the APEC meeting, nor is his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Xi, who is staying in Port Moresby, has been feted by Papua New Guinean officials and stoked Western concern on Friday when he held a meeting with Pacific island leaders, in which he pitched the Belt and Road initiative. Speaking before Pence, Xi said there was no geopolitical agenda behind the project, which was unveiled in 2013 and aims to bolster a network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. It does not exclude anyone. It is not an exclusive club closed to non-members, nor is it a trap as some people have labeled it. There have been concerns that small countries that sign up for infrastructure projects will be left with debt burdens they cannot service, something Pence highlighted. Do not accept foreign debt that could compromise your sovereignty. Protect your interest. Preserve your independence. And just like America, always put your country first, he said. Sri Lanka formally handed over commercial activities in its main southern port of Hambantota to a Chinese company last December as part of a plan to convert $6 billion of loans that Sri Lanka owed China into equity. Soon after Pence spoke, Australia said it was joining the United States and Japan in a partnership that would help countries in the region develop infrastructure priorities, a possible alternative to Chinas Belt and Road. Regional security Pence also said the United States would join Australia to help Papua New Guinea build a navy base on its Manus Island, which was a US base in World War Two. The plan comes after China emerged as a possible developer of the deep-water port, which analysts say could impact the Wests ability to navigate in the Pacific while offering China a site close to US bases in Guam. The United States of America will continue to uphold the freedom of the seas and the skies, which are so essential to our prosperity, Pence said. In a meeting that could irritate Beijing, Pence had talks with Taiwans envoy to APEC, Morris Chang. Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province of one China, ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Despite Taiwans lack of diplomatic recognition by the majority of countries, APEC allows it to participate as an economic, rather than political, entity. Pence later told reporters travelling with him he would carry back a Taiwan proposal for a free trade agreement. Double tariffs? There were differences between other APEC members, with some calling for radical change to trade systems while others argued for a return to the status quo on globalization. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned globalization was leaving some people behind and fuelling inequality. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison mounted a defense of free trade, saying a billion people had been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1991 because of the jobs and cheaper goods that free trade brought. Xi told delegates that the shadow of protectionism and unilateralism hung over global growth and erecting barriers and cutting ties was shortsighted and doomed to fail. But Pence made it clear that the United States would not back down, saying it could more than double the $250 billion of Chinese goods subject to tariffs. The United States though will not change course until China changes its ways, Pence said. Trump and Xi are due to meet at a G20 meeting in Argentina late this month, raising some hope that trade tension could ease. Trump is pressing China to reduce its huge bilateral trade surplus and make sweeping changes to its policies on trade, technology transfers and high-tech industrial subsidies. China has denied that US companies are forced to transfer technology and sees US demands on rolling back its industrial policies as an attempt to contain Chinas economic rise. Sebastian Pinera, the president of Chile, which will host next years APEC, called on the two powers to find a resolution. This is a very good opportunity to ask the US and China to find ways to end their tariff and trade war which benefits no one, he told the forum. Both countries will have to change course. by Kamel Abderrahmani Among Muslims, no one has spoken about the fate of the Pakistani woman, stuck in her country after being acquitted on blasphemy charges. The power of Sharia and Islam also affects Great Britain. Asia Bibis fate is similar to what Christians, Jews, atheists and non-Sunni Muslims face in Islamic countries. A young Muslim teacher offers his thoughts on the matter. Paris (AsiaNews) - We receive and publish the reflection of a young Algerian Muslim teacher, who lives in Paris. The author looks at Asia Bibis fate. Sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, the Pakistani woman was later exonerated but is now awaiting a revision of the Supreme Court ruling, following protests by Islamist parties, to which the government caved in. Radio silence: the Muslim world seems to be blinded by his faith! Deaf and dumb when it comes to a Christian, a Jew or a non-Muslim victim of injustice. How can this be explained? Asia Bibi remains an unknown figure, although much of the Muslim world is aware of her conviction by Pakistani authorities. Her sentence was similar to the one issued by the Islamic State group against Yezidis and Christians [In Iraq]. No one was outraged, no Muslim demonstrated in front of the embassy of that country. Is this a complicitous silence or just indifference? So many legitimate questions can be asked. Obviously, we do not ask much, just a minimum of solidarity towards a woman who continues to endure injustice, despite her acquittal. Asia Bibi is only one example of what religious minorities endure in Pakistan. This is a country whose constitution and justice system advocate Sunni sharia, a country that has slid into religious extremism; in other words, an Islamist state with nuclear weapons or even a successful Islamic State group, like Iran and Saudi Arabia. This is a country where Islamists can influence the decisions of the supreme court. Let us return to what happened to this Christian labourer. In June 2009, a dispute arose between her and her Muslim colleagues who were picking berries with her. They told her that as non-Muslim, hinting at her Christianity, she had tainted a goblet which they drank from, and that she had made it unusable. An argument ensued, with each accusing the other of insulting their religion. A few days later, Asia was beaten and taken to court. During her trial, she insisted on her innocence and denied any hostile statement against Islam. Pakistani justice, inspired by Sharia, sentenced her to death in November 2010. This is the fate reserved for all those who "blaspheme", even Muslims who have a different religious view from the Sunni vision. Eight years later, after Herculean efforts on the part of Bibis defence team, the Pakistani justice system decided to review the decision and ended up exonerating the Christian woman. Whilst humanists around the world wait for the Pakistani people to bless such a positive decision on the part of the Supreme Court, fundamentalist voices and Islamists have come out against it, and after a few days, successfully stopped her from leaving the country. For Islamists, what counts is her hanging, nothing else! What is aberrant is that British authorities turned down her application for asylum in Great Britain. Yet, a few days before, three imams and eminent Muslim leaders in the United Kingdom wrote a letter to the Home Affairs Minister, Sajid Javid, "clearly and proactively" stating that Britain "should be happy to receive a request for refuge" from Asia Bibi. This shows how much Islamists can inject fear in others today, because if British authorities refuse to accept Asia Bibi in their country, it is because they are afraid of terrorist attacks. This is partially understandable, but I do not understand how that same country can oppose the request for exile of a Christian woman threatened with death whilst accepting Egyptian, Algerian, Saudis, Pakistani Islamists? This is the big question mark? I wonder why Muslim countries do not offer to welcome this woman? Of course, her Christianity bothers people and religious fundamentalism is spreading slowly but surely. Otherwise, nothing can explain such indifference vis-a-vis Asia Bibis case. That's why I feel at present obliged to write and denounce the injustice, the fundamentalism and the hell that is inflicted on Christians, Jews, atheists, and even non-Sunni Muslims in the Muslim world. Today, so-called Muslim states, implicitly, embody intolerance towards religious minorities. In short, what Asia Bibi has experienced in Pakistan is what other non-Muslims experience in other Muslim countries. I am disappointed by the decadence and fundamentalism that affect the Muslim world whose essence and driving force are based unfortunately on a certain interpretation of religious texts. This is why, unceasingly, several imams have called for serious religious reform like the one undertaken by Catholicism in Europe. In 2017, Myanmar received 3.44 million visitors. The Hotels and Tourism Ministry aims to hit 4 million visitors by the end of 2018. But he urged the government to adopt policies that encourage those visitors to spend more of their money on local businesses. U Thet Lwin Toe, chairman of the Union of Myanmar Travel Associations, said within a month of the easing of visa requirements for tourists from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau in October, visitor numbers from those destinations have soared. With some travel guides shunning Myanmar following the violence in northern Rakhine State, and many Western travellers cancelling their bookings, local tour operators had expected foreign arrivals from the West to slump. On the other hand, tourist arrivals from Asian countries have jumped, accounting for nearly 77 percent of arrivals with visas. Visitors from Western countries have been falling. Those from Western and Eastern Europe dropped 26.2 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively. Those from North America fell 14.6 percent. According to the ministrys latest figures, 2,844,508 tourists arrived during the first 10 months of the year, up 1.2 percent from 2017. This years number included 1.1 million visitors with visas and 1.7 million without. YANGON The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism says Myanmar received more than 2.8 million foreign visitors this year through the end of October, a slight increase compared to the same period last year. Foreign Investment in Myanmar on the Rise: Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance Rohingya Repatriation to Myanmar Will Not Begin on Thursday: Sources US Returns 'Bells of Balangiga' to Philippines a Century After Clash Two Badly Burned as Fireworks Fall on Crowd at Balloon Festival Govt to Name Finalists For Yangon Elevated Expressway Project This Month Pence Says South China Sea Doesn't Belong to Any One Nation New Zealand to Support Suu Kyi in Finding Resolutions to Rakhine Issues Stunning Landscapes from Across the Globe Now Exhibiting at The Secretariat Rohingya Repatriation, Relocation Plans Set to Be Pushed Back to 2019: Govt Official Two Years After Philippines Pivot, Duterte Still Waiting on China Dividend Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. Burma Home Ministry Vetting Ex-Generals' Application to Form Party, Election Body Says A police officer walks in front of the headquarters of the Union Election Commission in Naypyitaw. / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAW The Union Election Commission said the military-run Home Affairs Ministry was reviewing an application by a trio of ex-generals to form a political party. U Soe Maung, U Lun Maung and U Kyaw Thu, all former generals and ministers, applied to form the National Political Party in August. U Soe Maung retired as the Myanmar militarys advocate-general before serving as presidents office minister under then-President U Thein Sein. He was also a member of the military commission that drafted the current Constitution, but lost his race in the 2015 general elections. U Lun Maung served as auditor-general under U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government until he asked to leave the post in 2012. He has since run a restaurant in Mon States Bilin Township. U Kyaw Thu was a brigadier general in the army and served as chairman of the Union Civil Service Board, a government agency responsible for recruiting civil servants. We have handed their proposal to the Home Affairs Ministry. This is a normal procedure for all [potential] parties, and we will proceed according to the procedures after the ministry submits its report, said election commission spokesman U Myint Naing. Upon receiving a proposal to establish a political party, both the Home Affairs Ministry and the Labor Ministrys Immigration and Population Department must determine whether the applicants have links to terrorist organizations or unlawful associations. U Soe Maung declined to comment for this story. When news about his plans to form a party broke in August, he told media that he would not comment until the election commission made a final decision. Normally the review takes three months. In some cases it lasts up to six months, depending on the [background of the] applicants, said U Myint Naing. On Nov. 9 the Myanmar Herald Journal reported that the ex-generals had already formed an association called Ra Hta Pa La a Pali phrase that can be translated as protection of the country to mobilize support for the formation of a party to be headed by them. The report said the association met in Pegu Regions Letpadan Township on Nov. 2, and that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and former military junta leader U Than Shwe agreed to make the current military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the president of Myanmar after the 2020 general elections. Core party members [of the National Political Party] who held talks with retired Major General Soe Maung said they think Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will be retired and appointed president in 2020, U Than Myat Soe, former secretary of the Union Solidarity and Development Partys Letpadan chapter, was quoted as saying by the Myanmar Herald Journal. U Zaw Myint Maung, vice-chairman of the ruling National League for Democracy, denied the report. It is not true that there is such an agreement. It was just intended to mislead the people, he told the media on Nov. 11. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma NLD Sues USDPs By-Election Winner in Yangon over Bribery Claim The USDPs U Nay Myo Aung (center) talks to the media on the day of the Nov. 3 by-election in Yangons Seikkan constituency. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy YANGONA former National League for Democracy (NLD) candidate is suing the opposition party candidate who beat him in the recent by-election in Yangons Seikkan Township for breaching the electoral law. In the Nov. 3 by-election, U Nay Myo Aung of the main opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) beat the NLDs U Than Htike Aung in Seikkan, a constituency the ruling party won in the 2015 general election. On Saturday, U Than Htike Aungs campaign manager U Ye Min Hein filed a case against U Nay Myo Aung and other two USDP members under Article 58 (A) of the State and Regional Electoral Law at Seikkan Township Police Station. The plaintiff claims the USDP candidate mediated a micro-loan scheme between voters from his constituency and a finance company prior to the by-election. Article 58 (A) of the law prohibits candidates from providing people with money, food, job opportunities or other favors in exchange for votes. The defendants face one year in prison in found guilty. Additionally, the by-election result in the constituency would be canceled. U Nay Myo Aungs alleged accomplices are his campaign manager Daw Toe Toe Lwin and May Htut Microfinance Company director U Lin Aung, as well as the USDPs chairman in Yangon. U Than Htike Aung told The Irrawaddy that the lawsuit was motivated not by his loss in the by-election but by his desire for a free and fair election. We learned that such money-related irregularities were going on even before the by-election. We knew it was against the law. We are only able to file the case now because it took us time to gather evidence, he said. Neither the USDP candidate nor the partys spokesperson, U Nandar Hla Myint, were available for comment on Monday afternoon. According to the 2014 Census, Seikkan Township has a population of fewer than 3,000, mostly made up of police, dockers and their families. The valid voter list for the constituency for the by-election contained less than 1,500 names. The USDP candidate won the Nov. 3 poll in the constituency with 515 votes to the NLDs 365. Burma Parliament Approves Formation of New Investment Ministry Myanmar and Japanese officials cut ribbons during the opening ceremony of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone at Thanlyin Township outside Yangon, September 23, 2015. / Reuters YANGON Myanmars Union Parliament on Monday approved the formation of a new ministry to boost local and international investment and to make that investment socially and environmentally responsible. President U Win Myint last week proposed the formation of a new Union-level Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations to Parliament for approval. More than seven lawmakers discussed the request on Thursday, with the majority of lawmakers supporting the formation. Myanmar Attorney General Tun Tun Oo told Parliament on Monday that the new ministry will be a merger between the Foreign Economic Relations Department and the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) both of which are currently under the Ministry of Planning and Finance. He assured that the formation of the new ministry would provide swifter investment-related information to local and international investors, real-time collaboration with relevant departments and dispute resolution among investors. This will help increase the countrys rank on the ease of doing business index, he said. Currently, Myanmar is ranked 171 on the index, according to the World Bank. The plan comes at a time when Myanmars economy is slowing and many international investors are turning away because of the Rohingya crisis. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since a military crackdown in northern Rakhine State late last year. The government, led by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has come under heavy international criticism for remaining largely silent on the issue. In a message read by the parliamentary speaker, U Win Myint said the government needed the new ministry to make use of outside assistance from the United Nations and other international organizations in accordance with the countrys policies and to effectively collaborate with the UN and others international organizations. The message did not mention who would head the new ministry. But sources in Naypyitaw say U Thaung Tun, who chairs the governments Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), which manages the registration of both local and foreign companies, is tipped for the post. U Thaung Tun is the currently national security advisor and government office minister. Burma Solving On-the-Ground Issues Necessary in Moving Closer to NCA: KNPP Khu Oo Reh, vice chairman of the KNPP, spoke to reporters after informal talks held with the governments Peace Commission in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Nov. 18, 2018. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy CHIANG MAI, ThailandThe Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), a non-signatory of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), said solving problems on the ground would help to move forward the process of signing the NCA as well as political negotiations. The KNPP and the government have had a state-level bilateral agreement since 2012, but negotiations on signing the NCA and the KNPPs political participation are ongoing. Informal talks on signing the NCA were held between the KNPP and representatives of the governments Peace Commission on Sunday in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The KNPP and the Peace Commission last met formally in April in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, followed by two other informal talks this year. There are concerns over the Tatmadaws (Myanmar armys) misinterpretation of the bilateral agreement between the state government and the KNPP, according to Khu Oo Reh, the KNPPs vice chairman. Khu Oo Reh was referring to the recent clash between the KNPP and Tatmadaw troops in Hpa Saung Township, Kayah State. The KNPP, the Karenni state government and state-level Tatmadaw commanders have been holding monthly talks in order to gain mutual understanding on their bilateral agreement and to ensure both sides follow it. One of the rules stipulated in the bilateral agreement is that the KNPP and the Tatmadaw must use designated routes for the movement of their troops and that both sides must inform the other three days before passing near battalions of the other army in order to avoid unnecessary engagement. But the Tatmadaw does not follow these rules. We think it may be because of different understandings of the bilateral agreement, said Khu Oo Reh. The group focused on these situations in their discussions with the Peace Commission on Sunday. Commission advisor U Hla Maung Shwe said Sundays talk was helpful for sharing approaches to solving these situations on the ground. Both sides said they would have further meetings but did not elaborate when. Whether the political negotiations can move forward totally depends on how quickly we can solve these problems on the ground, said Khu Oo Reh. The governments negotiators, led by Peace Commission secretary and former lieutenant general U Khin Zaw Oo, were in Chiang Mai for a series of informal talks over the weekend. They separately met two key signatories of the NCAthe Karen National Union (KNU) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)and two non-signatories, the KNPP and the Kachin Independent Army (KIA). An informal meeting between the government and a KIA representative was also held on Sunday in Chiang Mai but media were not allowed to attend, instead being told it was held only to create an open channel between the negotiators. News Kachin Woman, 60, Shot Dead as Rival EAOs Clash in Lashio Township Villagers locate the body of ethnic Kachin woman Mar Lut, 60, on Nov. 18, a day after she was shot dead by members of an EAO in northern Shan States Lashio Township. / The Irrawaddy An ethnic Kachin woman was killed on Nov. 17 when fighting erupted between rival ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) outside her village near Lashio Township in northern Shan State. Mar Lut, 60, and other residents of Mann Bein village were moving harvested rice on a farm at about 4 p.m. when fighting broke out nearby between the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and a joint Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA)/Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) force. The clash prompted the group of villagers to attempt to return to their homes. One of the villagers, Myint Than, said a group of soldiers from one of the EAOs sprayed bullets at them, killing Mar Lut. There were four men and six women in our group. We let the women walk in front as we were worried that the armed groups would suspect us [of being soldiers] if they saw men walking in front, Myint Than said. They shot us even though we shouted to them that we were local people returning from the rice farm, he said. According to Myint Than, when the shooting started, Mar Lut ran into the bushes. Her friends thought she was taking cover and were unaware at first that she had been shot. Mar Lut was shot in the stomach, and was already dead by the time the other villagers found her the next day. We could see [the soldiers] in the distance, but we couldnt tell which armed group they were from. We only saw that they wore camouflage, Myint Than said. A funeral was due to be held for Mar Lut, a mother of four, on Monday, according to Mann Bein village head Tu Mai. Mar Luts family wanted to inform the Myanmar police about her death, but were worried that the armed men would return and make trouble for the family, Tu Mai said. He said the villagers lived in fear of being targeted by armed groups again; another villager was murdered on October 26. The family of the victim in that incident, San Mon, 32 (also known as Mar Kan), blame the RCSS for his death. Mann Bein village is 12 miles from Lashio. Numerous times, residents have been forced to flee fighting between the RCSS and joint TNLA/SSPP forces. According to the TNLA, two separate clashes erupted between the two sides in Mann Bein village on Nov. 17. News Prison Official Arrested With Meth Tablets in Irrawaddy Region Drugs seized from a prison official are displayed by police in Myaungmya Township, Irrawaddy Region, on Friday. / The Irrawaddy News Shots Fired by Police Injure Four at Sittwe Rohingya Camp Security police in Sittwe, Rakhine State. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy YANGON Myanmar police shot and injured four Rohingya Muslims on Sunday, after detaining two men accused of smuggling people out of a camp for displaced people in western Rakhine State. Some police entered Ah Nauk Ye camp in Pauk Taw Township, about 15 km (9 miles) east of the state capital Sittwe on Sunday morning, apprehending the two men accused of owning a boat used in an attempt to smuggle 106 Rohingya out of the country on Friday. Police Lieutenant U Than Htay of Pauk Taw Police Station told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that the Rohingya surrounded them with swords and threw stones at them when they attempted to detain the two men. Police fired some warning shots when they, with swords and sticks, attempted to grab the men. Rather than being dispersed, the crowd swelled. Some people were wounded as police fired some shots in self-defense, said U Than Htay. The rickety vessel, which was carrying 25 children among its passengers, had been bound for Malaysia when authorities stopped it south of Yangon, detaining those on board. The incident, and similar recent boat departures, have raised fears of a fresh wave of dangerous voyages after a 2015 regional crackdown on people smugglers. Maung Maung Aye, a 27-year-old Rohingya Muslim from the camp who witnessed the shooting, told Reuters four people were injured in the incident, with two of them in a serious condition. People from the camp went out to look and police shot at people, he told Reuters by phone. Many people in Myanmar call the Rohingya Bengali, implying they are migrants from Bangladesh. Maung Maung Aye disputed that version of events. He said the Rohingya did not attack the police or try to grab the arrested men. He said police fired at residents and not into the sky. Myanmar government spokesman U Zaw Htay did not answer calls seeking comment. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have been confined to camps outside Sittwe since violence swept Rakhine in 2012. They are denied free movement, access to decent healthcare and education. In August last year, Solidarites International, an international aid group, warned that the conditions at Ah Nauk Ye, home to more than 4,000 Rohingya, were severe. It said the natural environment at the camp was unsuitable to human settlement and warned of water shortages, poor access to livelihood opportunities and communal violence. For years, the Rohingya have boarded boats organized by smugglers in the dry months between November and March, when the sea is calm. The perilous journey to Thailand or Malaysia, often undertaken in overcrowded vessels, has cost many lives. The 106 Rohingya detained off Yangon on Friday were put on a navy ship destined for the Rakhine camps on Sunday. More than 700,000 Rohingya in northern Rakhine State fled to nearby Bangladesh in August 2017 following the security forces clearance operations in the area after Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked police outposts there. Those who fled accused the security forces of rape, arbitrary killings and arson. The Myanmar government has denounced ARSA as a terrorist group while UN investigators have accused the Myanmar army of genocidal intent and ethnic cleansing. by Thanh Lan Catholics gathered in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Nghe An. Together with Thua Thien-Hue, the territories have been the scene of the most serious environmental disaster in the history of the country. The commitment of Msgr. Nguyen Thai Hop for the victims. Hanoi (AsiaNews) - Together with their families, thousands of disabled people (Catholics and non-Catholics) are taking part in the celebrations dedicated to them by the diocese of Vinh, in central Vietnam. Among the poorest in the country, the diocese covers three provinces: Quang Binh, Ha Tinh and Nghe An. The first of the three events, organized by the local bishop, Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, took place on November 8th in the province of Ha Tinh, with the theme "Trai Tim Nhan Ai" (Kind Heart and Love). It saw the participation of 900 disabled people and preceded the celebrations of Quang Binh (15 November), followed by those of Nghe An (29 November). Together with that of Thua Thien-Hue, the provinces of the diocese have been the scene of the most serious environmental disaster in the history of the country. In April 2016, a steel company of the Taiwanese company Formosa Plastics Group released toxic chemical compounds in the port waters of the province of Ha Tinh, bringing down the fishing and tourism industry in central Vietnam. Even today, millions of people suffer the consequences of the tragedy. As president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Nguyen Thai Hop has repeatedly expressed the Church's support for the affected populations. He has also been at the forefront in a commitment to defending their rights and ensuring assistance. For this reason, the Catholic community of Vinh is linked to the prelate by a sentiment of esteem and affection. Mr. XN declares to AsiaNews: "In the context of a very hard life, Msgr. Paul continues to be very interested in the poor, disabled people, especially children, and those who are affected by natural disasters every year ". Many of the young people and volunteers of the diocese have done pastoral work and social activities in favor of the children of Tan Vinh, in the town of Nghen Town (Ha Tinh). The social worker Teresa Huong says: "Through the festival of disabled people, the faithful are aware of the stories and take care of those in their community who live in the most difficult conditions. The event has shown a spirit of communion of love that alleviates the pain of the less fortunate ". Some of the volunteers of the diocese declare: "We hope that each of these celebrations will bring a new wind" to the community: a wind of love, understanding and faith in the truth ". Monday, November 19th, 2018 (12:01 am) - Score 1,215 The latest ISPreview.co.uk survey of 1,860 online readers has found that the vast majority of respondents (86.8%) support the Governments aspiration for universal coverage of ultrafast full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP networks by 2033, but only 43.5% believe its actually achievable. Earlier this year the Government made a commitment to deliver ultrafast Gigabit capable full fibre (FTTP/H) connections to cover 15 million premises in the United Kingdom by 2025 and after that theyve also adopted an aspiration for universal coverage by 2033 (here), which is being supported by the changes proposed under their recent Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR). The proposal anticipates that the private sector will do most of the work, although it suggests that the final 10% (i.e. most rural areas) may need a public investment of between 3bn to 5bn. The good news is that 79.6% of respondents to our survey said they would support such a funding boost, although 76.9% also felt as if the Government could go further by extending the current 5 year business rates (tax) holiday on new fibre. Do you support the Governments aspiration to cover 100% of the UK with full fibre (FTTP) broadband by 2033? Yes 86.8% No 9.9% Unsure 3.2% Do you think 2033 is achievable? Yes 43.5% No 38.5% Maybe 17.9% Several billion in public money will be needed to deliver for 2033 (mostly in rural areas). Do you support this? Yes 79.6% No 20.3% The business rates (tax) holiday on new fibre builds will end in 2022, should this be extended? Yes 76.9% No 23% The United Kingdom currently only has full fibre coverage of around 5% (1.4 million) premises and this is behind almost every other country in the EU (here). The Governments proposed plan to correct this is ambitious but it would clearly require a huge ramp-up in civil engineering from the current levels (i.e. adding around 2 million additional FTTP premises to the national coverage every year for the next 10-15 years). The FTIR proposals provide a good starting point for the aforementioned aspiration, but the Government will eventually have to put a much bigger scoop of public funding on the table in order to stand any chance of delivering on that and until then it may lack some credibility. Equally theyll have to be very careful about negatively distorting the existing market when they do so. At least for now most people appear to be very supportive of the proposed aspiration. Meanwhile this months new survey asks whether or not you plan to switch ISP in 2019 and which of the biggest broadband providers you felt improved the most during 2018? Vote Here. NOTE: ISPreview.co.uk surveys are likely to receive a higher proportion of tech-savvy respondents than most, although the majority of our visitors are normal consumers (i.e. they come to this site for help and assistance with basic broadband problems / questions or when hunting for a new ISP). Monday, November 19th, 2018 (9:14 pm) - Score 2,315 The Old Bailey criminal court in London has today jailed two hackers Matthew Hanley (23) and Connor Allsopp (21) for their part in the 2015 cyber-attack against TalkTalks website. This ultimately cost the broadband ISP around 77 million and exposed the personal data of 156,959 customers. The attack itself resulted from a combined Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) assault and an SQL Injection exploit against the broadband providers site (here), which enabled the attackers to access the personal data of 156,959 customers (in 15,656 of those cases the attackers also had access to sensitive bank account details and sort codes). In the end TalkTalk suffered major damage to their reputation and an investigation by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), which uncovered a string of similar hacking attempts on their servers, ultimately fined the provider 400,000 (here) over their failure to implement the most basic cyber security measures. Since then there have been lots of arrests and several people have already faced justice. Last year they were joined by Connor Allsopp and Matthew Hanley. Both men were identified by officers from the Mets Cyber Crime Unit as part of their Fraud and Linked Crime Online Unit (Falcon). At the time Matthew Hanley of Devonshire Drive (Tamworth) pleaded guilty to three offences under the Computer Misuse Act, including the hacking of TalkTalks website, obtaining files that would enable the hacking of websites and supplying files to enable the hacking of websites to others. He also pleaded guilty to supplying an article for use in fraud namely a spreadsheet containing customer details. Meanwhile Conner Douglas Allsopp (also from Tamworth) pleaded guilty to supplying an article for use in fraud and supplying an article intended for in the commission of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act (i.e. a computer file to enable hacking). Today the judge, Anuja Dhir QC, decided to jail Hanley for 12 months and Allsopp for 8 months. Anuja Dhir QC said: You were both involved in a significant, sophisticated systematic hack attack in a computer system used by TalkTalk. The prosecution accept that neither of you exposed the vulnerability in their systems, others started it, but you at different times joined in. We had expected todays decision to be handed down last year but sometimes the wheels of justice take a long time to turn. Meanwhile TalkTalk has spent the past few years progressing toward a steady recovery and theyve made many changes since 2015, not least related to tougher security procedures, new systems and a completely new website. The providers former CEO, Dido Harding, who was subjected to several blackmail attempts as some of those involved tried and failed to extort Bitcoin in exchange for the stolen data, has long since left the ISP. TalkTalk declined to comment. November 12, 2018 Owner of McDonalds Pocatello-Chubuck is the 60th honoree. POCATELLO Mary Johnson, owner of the McDonalds in Pocatello and Chubbuck, is the Idaho State University Alpha Kappa Psi Delta Upsilon Chapter 60th Idaho Business Leader of the Year. Alpha Kappa Psi Delta Upsilon Chapter, the professional business fraternity at ISU, will recognize Johnson at a dinner in Pocatello on Thursday, March 14, 2019. The award annually recognizes an Idaho business leader who has demonstrated outstanding business and professional ethics while contributing significant support to worthwhile community, civic and education activities. Awarded by ISU College of Business students since 1959, previous honorees have included a congressman, former governors, entrepreneurs and leaders of some of Idahos largest companies. The recognition program is the longest-standing one of its kind in Idaho. Johnson owns three McDonalds franchises in Pocatello and Chubbuck and oversees approximately 250 employees. Johnson began her career at 15 as a crew person working in the drive-thru of a McDonalds in Washington and advanced through the ranks within the restaurant. Johnsons leadership, ability to adapt and interpersonal skills then helped her become a valued asset in the McDonalds Northwest Regional Office. She took every opportunity McDonalds presented to learn and grow. Johnson impressed McDonalds with her drive and loyalty to the company and in 2003, McDonalds chose her and husband Mike to become McDonalds owner/operators. During the purchase of Pocatello/Chubbuck restaurants, the couple had 24 hours to decide if they would take the three stores. Mary and Mike rolled their sleeves up and got to work making the McDonalds in the area thrive. Johnsons leadership has made the McDonalds brand in the Pocatello community synonymous with service and quality. The local franchise reaches the McDonalds Gold Standard consistently and is a top performer in the region. Johnsons involvement in the community has positively impacted the Pocatello community. While giving back to the community she also participates in the Pocatello Animal Shelter Board and Pocatello Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce Board, and is an honored Pocatello Chief. Johnson is a board member for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho. She dedicates time in every month to ensure families with children in need of hospital care in Boise have a home away from home. Whenever she visits the Ronald McDonald House in Boise she always comes prepared with a filled list of supplies needed at the house. She makes sure that her employees put their school work first. Johnson has brought McTeachers Night to Pocatello and has donated more than $85,000. She is a key sponsor of the School District 25 CAKE Award, and also provides incentives for her high school and college-aged employees to have school as a priority. Johnsons dedication in each aspect of her life motivates others to reach their highest potential and always strive to become the best version of themselves. Individual tickets to the March 14 banquet, as well as event sponsorships, are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visithttp://idahostate.akpsi.org/ibloybanquet/. Australia's national science agency, the CSIRO, has created its own version of "fitbit" to help farmers keep track of their livestock. A statement from the agency said the technology took the shape of a smart ear tag, built by a company known as Ceres Tag, which generated data similar to that which was produced by smartwatches. The CSIRO said the tag had been successfully tested on 100 cattle at its Lansdown Research Station near Townsville, Queensland, last week. The device aims to save farmers time and money in tracking their cattle; manual tracking involves the use of vehicles or aircraft. Ceres Tag chief executive David Smith said: Ceres Tag gives greater transparency over grazing management, allowing farmers to locate and monitor their animals to reduce risk and operating costs, improve efficiency and assist with traceability. The tag is GPS-enabled, allowing farmers to track the location of individual animals remotely, via Internet of Things (IoT) capability." Aussie farmers need every bit of help they can get right now so we are pleased it has taken less than a year for this technology to move from the research phase into development for a real-world trial on cattle, said Dr Ed Charmley, group leader at CSIRO. Our focus for future iterations is to create a smaller and lighter tag, as well as added functionality such as a temperature sensor, which could alert farmers to illnesses at an earlier stage. The tag will be on display at the digital forum at Meat and Livestock Australia'ss Red Meat 2018 event in Canberra on 22 and 23 November and also at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture in Brisbane the following week. Microsoft cloud customers using multi-factor authentication have been locked out of their accounts since Monday morning US time, the company's own status pages indicate. The Azure status page said the issues had begun at 04.39 UTC (3.39pm Monday AEDT). Since that time, customers in European, Asia-Pacific and North American regions had problems signing into Azure resources such as Azure Active Directory for which MFA was required as a policy. There were indications that a hotfix was being readied to be applied, but there was no feedback on whether this had gone ahead or not, though an update was promised within an hour. The Office 365 status page said an update would be provided by 9pm UTC (8am Tuesday AEDT) but nothing has yet been said.The Office 365 status page said an update would be provided by 9pm UTC (8am Tuesday AEDT) but nothing has yet been said. At least UK politicians won't be affected by Office 365 Multifactor Authentication being down. pic.twitter.com/lpOo3cSCEz Carl Gottlieb (@CarlGottlieb) November 19, 2018 A recent update says there will be an indication of where things are at by Tuesday midnight UTC (11am AEDT Wednesday). The Netherlands has found Microsoft in violation of the European Union General Data Protection Regulation on many fronts, with a general data protection impact assessment finding that the company collects and stores personal data on a large scale without any public documentation about the same. The assessment was carried out by an organisation known as Privacy Company and examined the data collection on 300,000 computers used by the national government. The software examined was Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 365. The procurement of software is looked after by the government's Microsoft Strategic Vendor Management office known as SLM Rijk, but individual organisations buy licences and decide on the settings and scope of processing by Microsoft in the US. Privacy Company's Sjoera Nas said in a blog post that the company had agreed to make a number of changes to lower data protection risks. The assessment found that Microsoft covertly collects huge amounts of data on the use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook by individual users. "Microsoft does not offer any choice with regard to the amount of data, or possibility to switch off the collection, or ability to see what data are collected, because the data stream is encoded," Nas wrote. A total of 23,000 to 25,000 types of events are sent to Microsoft's servers and this data is much more specific than the telemetry data slurped up by Windows 10. An earlier study in 2017 looked at the telemetry data collected by Windows 10 and found that data about 1000 to 1200 events was collected. After mitigation of some risks were agreed on by Microsoft, the assessment found that there were six remaining high risks: The unlawful storage of sensitive/classified/special categories of data, both in metadata and in, for example, subject lines of e-mails; The incorrect qualification of Microsoft as a data processor, instead of as joint controller as defined in article 26 of the GDPR; Insufficient control over sub-processors and factual data processing; The lack of purpose limitation, both for the processing of historically collected diagnostic data and the possibility to dynamically add new types of events; The transfer of (all kinds of) diagnostic data outside of the European Economic Area, while the current legal ground for Office ProPlus is the Privacy Shield and the validity of this agreement is subject of a procedure at the European Court of Justice; and The indefinite retention period of diagnostic data and the lack of a tool to delete historical diagnostical data. While Nas offered some steps to reduce the privacy risks, she noted that it was not possible to solve all issues and "with regard to the contracts and transfer of personal data to the US, a European solution must be sought". Telecommunications consultant Costs Down Revenue Up, a subsidiary of the Digital Lifecycle Group, has announced it has become one of the first advisory groups in Australia to be accredited as part of the NBN Information and Communications Technology Channel Program. As demand for fast broadband increases, the new National Broadband Network ICT program is designed to support ICT consultants and businesses to assist enterprise customers to migrate their connectivity and business technology infrastructure across to the NBN access network. The program brings together phone and Internet providers, ICT vendors, distributors and technology leaders to help businesses and their customers optimise their digitisation as they transition to the network. Keith Masterton, general manager of Business Channels at NBN Co, said, We welcome Digital Lifecycle Group as our first independent Advisory group in Australia to be accredited as part of the NBN ICT program to support businesses in their transition to our access network. The launch of the ICT Program is a part of our commitment to help lift end-user customer service experience by collaborating with industry to improve processes around the connection, migration and delivery of service for businesses. "The beauty of this program is that we are bringing the industry together to support partner engagements with end customers and we are working with leading vendors and distributors to support their channels and connect them with our retail service providers (phone and Internet providers) to provide a complete ICT proposition to their business customers. "Our objective is to provide a smooth transition to the NBN access network for customers and to help drive transformation of their business operations through these partnerships underpinned by fast broadband access. DLG says that, as an NBN business accredited adviser, it will provide full end-to-end digital transformation support to connect businesses to the NBN to ensure the potential strategic value of the NBN broadband access network within the telecommunications supply chains captured by all clients. Ian Woollett, executive chairman of DLG and founder of CDRU, said, We are committed to extending our digital transformation leadership in providing strategic vendor agnostic telecommunications solutions for our customers. Both public cector and large Australian enterprises can plan network transformation, migrate to cloud services, reduce risk and operating costs to ensure the strategic value of the NBN access network is fully leveraged. The Australian Labor Party has, predictably, slammed the Federal Government for avoiding any mention of what it calls "inconvenient metrics" in the NBN Co's first-quarter results which were announced on Monday. In a statement, Labor Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Shadow Finance Minister Jim Chalmers said both Communications Minister Mitch Fifield and Finance Minister Matthias Cormann, who were referred to as "infamous backers of Peter Dutton", had given an "out-of-touch assessment of their second-rate NBN". The results showed that NBN Co had not increased its average revenue per user from the level of $44 for the full-year 2018 and was still continuing to haemorrhage money. The reference to Dutton was about the support Cormann and Fifield had offered to the home affairs minister when he challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party a few months ago. The two ministers had said, "Shareholder ministers welcomed the results which confirm the companys solid performance across all metrics. "Of course, we wouldnt expect either of these two dynamic number crunchers to be drawing any attention to the inconvenient 'metrics' below," Rowland and Chalmers said. They cited the following as proof of their accusations: "A second-rate network that is $21.4 billion over budget; over budget; "A rollout that is four years behind the promised timeline ; ; "A $900 million hit to taxpayers as a result of the bungled HFC rollout; "The inability of NBN Co to secure private debt which required taxpayers to step in with a $19.5 billion loan; which required taxpayers to step in with a $19.5 billion loan; "A recent three-year deferral of when NBN Co was due to repay its government loan from 2021 to 2024 that is yet to be reflected in the budget papers; "A 1075% blowout in the copper remediation bill to $640 million; "Average revenue per user that has only increased by $1 in the last two years; "A total of 300,000 premises vanishing off the NBN rollout plan despite the build cost of the rollout increasing by a further $2.1 billion; and despite the build cost of the rollout increasing by a further $2.1 billion; and "Small businesses reporting they are losing an average of $9000 when switching to NBN." Rowland and Chalmers claimed the NBN was in such a mess that even after five years in the job, Cormann was unable to anyone willing to loan NBN Co money on acceptable terms. "All the while, New Zealand, the US and the UK have reduced the cost of deploying fibre-to-the-premises by between 40% and 50%, they claimed. "The backers of Peter Dutton should, at least, have the humility to accept their failures and get on with the job of addressing them rather than trying to spin results that are at odds with the reality of their second-rate NBN." The Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee into the NBN has recommended that the government update the modelling of its proposed regional broadband levy, in order to reflect the cost increases since the original modelling in 2015. It said any change should recognise that the levy "does not constitute a sustainable funding mechanism, and is better re-purposed as a level playing field competition measure". The recommendation was one of 20 contained in the panel's second report; this time the focus was on regional and rural Australia. The government proposed the industry levy in December 2016, and it was supposed to fund the costs of paying for provision of the NBN in unprofitable regional areas. The so-called Regional Broadband Scheme was estimated to raise about $40 million by imposing a levy on superfast (or NBN-comparable) fixed-line broadband services which can offer speeds of 25 megabits per second or more. The committee recommended that the NBN Co should stop replicating wholesale fixed-line product tiers on fixed-wireless due to the increasing congestion on the fixed-wireless network. It sought data from the government to show the number of premises formerly on ADSL which fell into the footprint of the NBN Co's Sky Muster satellite footprint. The panel also called on the NBN Co to use expanded "layer 3" capabilities to increase the monthly data allowances for satellite users. It asked the NBN Co to work with retail service providers to promote take-up of Sky Muster services in areas where there was no alternative connection option. Job search service Indeed has published new data showing that interest in job roles related to bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency declined over the past year. The data, released Friday, flies in the face of other job search sites that have heralded a soaring blockchain-related job market. Salaries for blockchain developers, for example, command as much as $175,000, as there's a dearth in available talent, according to Janco Associates, a management consulting firm that conducts regular salary surveys. By comparison, software engineers earn an average of $137,000, according to Mehul Patel, CEO of the job search site Hired. The number of full-time job openings related to blockchain now exceeds 12,000 a growth rate of 400% over the past year, according to Janco Associates. Indeed, a job-search site that garners more than 200 million unique visitors a month, reviewed how interest in cryptocurrency has changed over the last year. The data showed that as prices for bitcoin dropped, so did job seeker interest in roles related to bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency, "while employer interest has leveled off," a spokesperson said via email. Over the last year or so, bitcoin has gone on a wild ride, with prices for a single token rising to nearly $20,000 before plummeting by more than half. As of Friday, the price has sunk to one of its lowest points in 2018 -- around $5,500. Meanwhile, Indeed, noted other reports show that technology executives are no longer mentioning terms related to the cryptocurrency in earnings calls. Coindesk Bitcoin's price has been on a wild ride over recent months. From October 2017 to October 2018, job seeker interest for roles related to bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency declined by 3.06%, while employer interest in those same roles only rose 25.49%, according to Indeed. "Which was very different than the interest levels from the year before by both parties," the Indeed spokesperson said. "If you look at data from the year prior, October 2016 to October 2017, job seeker interest for roles related to bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency rose by 481.61%, while employer interest for roles related to the same terms rose 325%." As early as last March, interest in IT pros with bitcoin skills saw a drop-off related to the digital currency's fast tumbling value. Interest in blockchain skills, at the time, remained high. Indeed Blue line represents job seeker searches for bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency per million Red line represents employer job interest, based on job postings per million, that include bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency Indeed's research shows while interest has waned somewhat, there continues to be a robust market for those with blockchain and cryptocurrency skills. Cryptocurrency market capitalization is estimated to be $211 billion, according to a new report from auditing and business services firm KPMG. In 2019, the most innovative work involving distributed ledger technology (DLT) blockchain will focus on the tokenization of assets, or the ability to represent digital or physical assets and fiat currencies as tokens that can be sold or traded on a network. "Blockchain is still in demand. Much of that is driven by large retail operations that are pushing suppliers to be in their systems," Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis said via email. Bitcoin, Janulaitis said, is another issue. "We do not see much movement on that front. Part of that is due to a bad rap it gets from people who use it for less than legal purposes," Janulaitis said, referring to money laundering. "We could be wrong, but in the long-term bitcoin has to clean up the general perception that hackers are the primary users of that technology." Cryptocurrencies have gained significant attention for their ability to solve problems in the global financial system, such as feeless cross-border payments, and it has diversified to include different types of assets such as stablecoin. (Stablecoin, KPMG said, is any cryptocurrency that's backed by a stable asset, such as gold or traditional fiat currencies.) Bitcoin, however, has been hit by some high-profile hacking incidents even as regulators are tightening reins on its use. For example, in the same way that Facebook has been blocking ICO advertising, China is blocking the news accounts of cryptocurrencies and token sites, seeking to starve them of publicity, according to Windsor Holden, head of Forecasting & Consultancy at U.K.-based Juniper Research. "The underlying rationale is that, as many ICOs/cryptocurrencies are believed to be either inherently fraudulent or used for illegal purposes (e.g., money laundering), reducing awareness of them will reduce consumer exposure to fraud and thereby reduce the overall scale of associated criminal activity," Holden said via an earlier email. While blockchain/crypto-focused jobs may be on a bit of a roller coaster, the hot job market for IT pros in general continues and salaries are increasing, Janulaitis said. An analysis of the IT job market shows that 2018 has seen the addition of 59,500 new jobs, according to Janco; that's 40,400 more new jobs than were created in the same period of 2017. Janco conducted several spot interviews with two dozen CIOs in the last week of October. All of those interviewed said they were actively recruiting for IT professionals for new development activities and replacements for those who have left in recent months. Attrition rates are the highest they have been in the last several years and Janco found that several organizations had slowed the hiring process to absorb the new hires. "CIOs are now dealing with staff retention issues for the first time in several years," Janulaitis said. "To combat this, many organizations have budgeted across the board increases in compensation for 2019 and are increasing current compensation for key IT pros immediately as way to minimize potential loss of key staff. " Expert in Sustainable Operations Management to Present Talk BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan Universitys American Marketing Association (AMA) will host Professor of Business Analytics, Pilot Corporation Chair of Excellence, and head of the Business Analytics and Statistics Department at the University of Tennessee Mike Galbreth, for a talk titled Sustainable Operations in Business. Galbreths lecture will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Hansen Student Center and is free and open to the public. His talk is part of the AMAs initiative to introduce students to marketing and business content outside of the classroom through events, speakers, and faculty meet and greets. Beginning his career as a manager in the Atlanta office of KPMG Consulting, Galbreth has consulted with a wide variety of companies, focusing on building analytical decision models. He has also served as a professor in business analytics, operations management, information systems and sustainable operations in undergraduate, MBA and Ph.D. programs. Before joining the University of Tennessee, he spent 12 years teaching at the University of South Carolina, where he was a seven-time winner of the IMBA outstanding professor award. He also taught at Vanderbilt University, Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria), Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico), and Chonnam National University (South Korea). In addition to his work in consulting and teaching, Galbreth is the editor of several journals, including the Department Editor for Journal of Operations Management. His current research on retail operations, consumer returns, sustainable operations, and the interface between marketing and operations has also appeared in many journals, including the Journal of Management Information Systems and the European Journal of Operational Research. In 2010, Galbreth was named a Fulbright Scholar and served as the Fulbright Enders Visiting Research Chair at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He received a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate in operations management from Vanderbilt University. Galbreths talk is sponsored by the IWU Business Administration Department and the Office of the Provost. By Vi Kakares 20 Kauerauf 19 Honored as 2018 Student Laureate Nov. 19, 2018 Abigail Kauerauf '19 (left) receives her award at Springfield with Assistant Professor of English Molly Robey (right). BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan University English-literature and German double major Abigail Kauerauf 19 of Springfield, Illinois, has been named a 2018 Student Laureate by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Lincoln Academys Student Laureate Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the states four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from the community colleges in Illinois. Each student recipient received a Student Laureate medallion and a $1,000 check from The Lincoln Academy presented during the Nov. 17 Student Laureate Convocation held at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois. Illinois Wesleyan Assistant Professor of English Molly Robey accompanied Kauerauf to the convocation. I am honored to represent IWU at the Student Laureate ceremony and to have been chosen as IWU's Student Laureate, Kauerauf said. I am especially pleased that I was able to go home to Springfield to accept the award. A leader both on and off campus with plans to attend law school following graduation, Kauerauf said she often reflects on Abraham Lincoln's leadership qualities in order to strengthen her own leadership skills. These qualities include Lincolns ability to make rational decisions, his ability to identify and improve his weaknesses, and his transparent style, which allowed him to become one with the people and never above the people. I know, too, that although I am a leader, I am still a person, like everyone else. Without going to the community, whether on campus or off, and asking what is needed, what I can provide, what I can do, then I remain in my own echo chamber, Kauerauf said. Like Lincoln, I know that without listening to one another, change, for the better, cannot be achieved. Kauerauf said IWU has allowed her to explore many academic, extracurricular, and community leadership opportunities. I believe the ability to explore these opportunities simultaneously is unique to our campus, she said. The faculty, students and staff here have always made me feel valued, and I am appreciative of their encouragement and timely advice. Kauerauf currently serves as the president of the IWU Feminist Club and the lead editor of Tributaries, IWU's creative arts journal. She is actively involved in volunteer and service opportunities, both on campus and in the local community, including the West Bloomington Revitalization Project. Kauerauf is also the recipient of a scholarship from the IWU Council for Women, and a member of multiple honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Tau Delta, Phi Beta Delta, and Alpha Lambda Delta. By Vi Kakares 20 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) The confirmation of Mislatel, a consortium of Davao businessman Dennis Uy and China Telecom, has nothing to do with the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, a government official said Monday. Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio explained the announcement is "within the timebound of the terms of reference" for the selection of the next telco player. "If you study the terms of reference these are timebound provisions. We had the bidding on November 7, those who were disqualified had three days to appeal, three days for decision, before it goes to the NTC en banc," Rio told CNN Philippines's News Night. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Monday confirmed Mislatel as the third major telco company to operate in the Philippines. This comes a day before Jinping arrives in the country for a historic two-day state visit. READ: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in PH Tuesday Mislatel was declared as the "provisional" winner of the bidding on November 7 after Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T) and SEARS Telecom Consortium that includes Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson were disqualified. PT&T and SEAR appealed the decision, but the NTC junked their motions, paving the way for Mislatel to secure the confirmation. Mislatel promises to cover 10-50 percent of the country, with 5 megabits per second (Mbps) minimum and 55 Mbps maximum connection speed for the next five years. The company, in its bidding documents, said it will shell out P40 billion to P140 billion in its first year of operation. COMPILATION INDICATES THE GENTLE FOLDING OF THE COPPER-COBALT VMS HORIZON PRELIMINARY INTERPRETATION OF THE 3D IP SURVEY IDENTIFIES DRILL TARGETS ABOVE THE 300 METRE VERTICAL LEVEL VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Declan Cobalt Inc. ("Declan" or the "Company") (CSE: LAN) (FSE: DCR1) (OTC: DCNNF) is pleased to announce an interpretation update, based on newly acquired geophysical data and continued compilation of historical data. The Property is comprised of 15,929 ha, located in Germany and the Czech Republic. The focus of the current work program is on the historical Tisova Mine located on the Czech-German border (~320 ha). Multiple strata of copper and cobalt bearing volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) and magnetite iron formations occur in the Cambrian-age strata in the Tisova Mine workings. The Czech state mining company, Rudne doly Pribram n.p., professionally decommissioned the Tisova Mine in 1994, providing Declan with historical data, used to complete 3D geological modeling mated with the 3D modeling of the newly acquired geophysical data. 3D Geological Modeling: Declans consultant, Paul McGuigan, P. Geo. of Cambria Geosciences, assembled a 3D model of data from the mine closure report and drawings by Kozubek et al. (1994) and drilling data from the Czech Geological Survey Archive (Kutna Hora Geofond). Additionally, the Company recently acquired a full, multi-year study by Charles University, Prague of the structural geology of the mine (Pertold et al., 1971). This large collection of data and drawings has now been re-interpreted and posted to the Companys 3D model forming the initial framework for the interpretation of the new geophysical surveys. 3D Resistivity & Induced Polarization Survey: Dias Geophysicals DIAS 32 survey is complete over the entire Tisova concession and adjacent areas. Successful implementation of this innovative system is shown by the following preliminary results: Data acquisition from greater than 500 to 600m below the surface and below the deepest 9 Level exploration drilling. and below the deepest 9 Level exploration drilling. Low and High Resistivity responses correlate with the 3D modeled geology. Low resistivity corresponds to the metamorphosed euxinic sediments and the principal VMS horizons. correlate with the 3D modeled geology. Low resistivity corresponds to the metamorphosed euxinic sediments and the principal VMS horizons. Shallow Drill Targets : Low resistivity responses located at shallow depths (about 200 m below surface) correlate with strata extending down-dip and along strike of stoped-out areas. Detailed modeling is underway to define promising shallow drill targets. : Low resistivity responses located at shallow depths (about 200 m below surface) correlate with strata extending down-dip and along strike of stoped-out areas. Detailed modeling is underway to define promising shallow drill targets. Deep Drill Targets: Low resistivity targets at depth (~450 metres) seem to correspond to higher sulfide bearing zones identified from underground drilling. The intent is to have Dias Geophysical to reprocess the data to determine better interpretation to provide deeper core drill targets. Continuing Work Program: Another series of detailed 3D inversions are being completed to further define the resistivity/chargeability responses. The Terratec Geophysical Services detailed ground magnetic data will be integrated into the compilation and provide additional ability to refine core drill targets. A core drill contractor will be selected and the timeline for drilling will be formulated. Year-round drilling is feasible on the Tisova concession due to favorable terrain and excellent infrastructure. President Wayne Tisdale states: This treasure trove of historic data, combined with modern data compilation is helping us understand the mineral potential of Declans Czech-German copper-cobalt project. We are truly excited to commence our core drilling program. Mr. Garry Clark, P. Geo., of Clark Exploration Consulting, is the "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical content in this press release. For additional information, please contact: Declan Cobalt Inc. Wayne Tisdale, President and CEO T: (604) 639-4455 Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the Property. Other than as provided for in this press release, the Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates or other information contained in this press release nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. The Company believes that the historical estimates and other information contained in this press release are relevant to continuing exploration on the Property because they identify significant mineralization that will be the target of the Company's exploration program. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to discuss positive initial results from mechanical rock sorting tests being undertaken by TOMRA Sorting Pty. Ltd., Castle Hill, New South Wales (TOMRA). TOMRA is the foremost mechanical rock sorting company in the mining industry. TOMRA Mechanical Sorting Test Highlights: Four, +5 tonne bulk samples from Comet Well, three from the Upper Cannonball Conglomerate and one from the Lower Cannonball Conglomerate, have undergone successful sorting (Figure 1; https://youtu.be/ljMtA1cKNts) Each sample was crushed and screened yielding sub-fractions of 63-100 mm, 25-63 mm, 10-25 mm and less than 10 mm. Testing was undertaken on each size fraction except for the sub-10 mm size fraction. Mechanical sorting employed a combination of X-Ray transmission ( XRT ) and electromagnetic induction ( EM ). XRT identifies rocks containing particles of high atomic mass such as gold and EM identifies rocks that become electrically charged due to the presence of metallic particles in a manner similar to the operation of a metal detector. ) and electromagnetic induction ( ). XRT identifies rocks containing particles of high atomic mass such as gold and EM identifies rocks that become electrically charged due to the presence of metallic particles in a manner similar to the operation of a metal detector. Sorting of material between 10-63 mm resulted in a remarkably low mass pull of approximately 0.3% ( Figure 2 ). Visual and X-Ray examination of concentrate indicates gold nuggets are present ( Figure 3 ). This data, although preliminary, suggests there is good potential for employment of mechanical sorting to upgrade gold content for analytical purposes and possibly commercial applications. Novo thinks mechanical sorting could become an important component of future advancement of the Karratha and Egina gold projects. ). Visual and X-Ray examination of concentrate indicates gold nuggets are present ( ). This data, although preliminary, suggests there is good potential for employment of mechanical sorting to upgrade gold content for analytical purposes and possibly commercial applications. With this tranche of mechanical sorting tests now complete, assays will be performed on all fractions of concentrates and rejects to ascertain overall efficiency of sorting. Full results of this study are expected early next year. Rocks larger that 63 mm were found to be too thick for X-Rays to adequately penetrate making particulate gold obscured from detection. Therefore, crushing of large rock pieces to less than 63 mm is required for effective mechanical sorting. The sub-10 mm fraction comprises approximately 35% of the overall mass of each sample. TOMRA believes there is opportunity to further screen material down to approximately 6 mm before employing mechanical sorting, thus maximizing the overall percentage of material that can be sorted. Mechanical rock sorting tests with TOMRA have yielded very encouraging results, commented Rob Humphryson, CEO and director of Novo Resources Corp. Although full assays are needed from all respective concentrate and reject fractions, the very low mass pull achieved by the TOMRA mechanical sorter bodes well for efficient concentration of gold. The highly nuggety mineralization at Karratha has proven to be a challenge with respect to assaying, but it may prove to be a benefit with respect to metallurgical recovery of gold. We see additional value being created by the use of mechanical sorting at Karratha, Egina and perhaps other Novo gold projects in the Pilbara. Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P. Geo., the Companys President and Chairman and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the geological content of this news release. About Novo Resources Corp. Novos focus is to explore and develop gold projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has built up a significant land package covering approximately 12,000 sq km with varying ownership interests. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Novo Resources Corp. Quinton Hennigh Quinton Hennigh President and Chairman Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking information Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to planned exploration activities and the expected timing of the receipt of results. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource industry as well as the performance of services by third parties. (Figure 1 TOMRA mechanical ore sorter at TOMRA Sorting Pty. Ltd.s Castle Hill, New South Wales testing laboratory. This sorter employs XRT to identify rocks containing particles of high atomic mass such as gold and electromagnetic induction EM to identify rocks with a propensity to become electrically charged due, occasionally, to the presence of metallic particles.) (Figure 2 Left, looking down on the conveyor discharge from the TOMRA ore sorter. The conveyor on the left is reject material and that on the right carries a very small fraction of concentrate. Right, discharge bins, concentrate in the foreground and reject in the background.) (Figure 3 Left, pieces of concentrate with exposed gold nuggets. Right, X-Ray image of concentrate with red arrows pointing to dense particles of matter, black, embedded in rock.) https://youtu.be/ljMtA1cKNts (Video 1 Video of the sorting chamber within the TOMRA mechanical sorter. Comet Well material is being sorted. XRT and EM scanners examine rock before it enters the chamber on the right. A computer tracks each rock particle, and those deemed to be of interest are jetted by air into the shoot on the left hand side.) (Figure 1 TOMRA mechanical ore sorter at TOMRA Sorting Pty. Ltd.s Castle Hill, New South Wales testing laboratory. This sorter employs XRT to identify rocks containing particles of high atomic mass such as gold and electromagnetic induction EM to identify rocks with a propensity to become electrically charged due, occasionally, to the presence of metallic particles.) (Figure 2 Left, looking down on the conveyor discharge from the TOMRA ore sorter. The conveyor on the left is reject material and that on the right carries a very small fraction of concentrate. Right, discharge bins, concentrate in the foreground and reject in the background.) (Figure 3 Left, pieces of concentrate with exposed gold nuggets. Right, X-Ray image of concentrate with red arrows pointing to dense particles of matter, black, embedded in rock.) VANCOUVER, Nov. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - Medgold Resources Corp. (TSX-V: MED) has completed the planned drilling for 2018 at the Tlamino Gold Project ("the Project") in southern Serbia. The exploration program at Tlamino is fully funded by Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) ("Fortuna"), and directed by a joint Fortuna-Medgold technical committee pursuant to the terms of the Tlamino Option Agreement announced on March 7, 2017. Assays have been received for holes BAR014 to BAR020 (see Table 1 below for full results), returning best intercepts of 33.0 m @ 1.14 g/t Au and 8.2 m @ 2.29 g/t Au. Medgold and its partner, Fortuna, have approved a $2-million budget for the project for 2019 to continue drilling at Barje and Karamanica. Mineralization has now been confirmed over an area of 500 m by 400 m, east-west by north-south. The main zone of mineralized hydrothermal breccia and alteration has excellent lateral continuity between drill holes, is flat-lying to gently dipping, with a thickness of up to 30 m, but recent drilling extending outside of this area, yielded weaker mineralization. Drilling stepped to the west across the Barje project, systematically testing a large chargeability anomaly identified by an induced polarization-resistivity geophysical survey completed in 2017. The anomaly measures 1,400 m east-west by 400 m north-south, and includes a second-order anomaly with a north-northeast axis overlying the Barje outcrop. The results received to date demonstrate the gold anomalism is weakening as drilling moved to the west away from the high-grade drill holes announced in June which were collared near the Barje discovery outcrop (see news release dated June 11, 2018). Table 1 Barje Drill Intercepts (BAR014 to BAR020) Drill Hole From To Interval * Au Ag As Pb Zn (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (%) (%) BAR014 87.00 120.00 33.00 1.14 10 0.45 0.05 0.12 including 117.70 120.00 2.30 7.46 111 1.32 0.58 1.21 BAR015 135.00 143.20 8.20 2.29 19 1.62 0.40 1.06 BAR016 101.00 120.90 19.90 1.01 11 0.48 0.03 0.10 BAR017 No significant intervals of mineralization BAR018 No significant intervals of mineralization BAR019 154.90 167.90 13.00 0.74 5 0.58 0.10 0.26 and 201.00 208.60 7.60 0.81 4 0.72 0.06 0.17 BAR020 No significant intervals of mineralization * The mineralization is thought to be hosted along sub-horizontal to shallowly dipping structural zones and as such the true thickness of the reported intersections is estimated to vary between 60 and 100% of apparent width. However, due to the early stage of exploration, and the spacing between current drill holes, the Company is unable to accurately estimate true widths. Dan James, President of Medgold, said: "As our drilling has moved west, gold grades have declined, suggesting that the chargeability anomaly is not necessarily diagnostic of the presence of high-grade gold mineralization, but more indicative of a broad halo of disseminated sulphide mineralization. The first 13 holes identified an extensive zone of high-grade gold-silver-base-metal mineralization at Tlamino with excellent continuity of mineralization from hole to hole and we'll be looking at these over the winter to try to identify additional possible controls. We'll also be looking to test the open-ground between Barje and Liska, which are over 1 km apart, and aligned on a north-northeast axis, for potential blind targets beneath a conglomeratic unit." The Company also completed an IP chargeability/resistivity survey over the adjacent prospect of Karamanica, identifying a series of linear and northwest-trending high-chargeability zones up to 1.5 km in strike length, coincident with gold-in-soil anomalism. IP was used successfully at Barje to identify broad zones of sulphide mineralization, so the Karamanica anomalies are priorities for drilling in 2019. The Tlamino Gold Project The Project is located in Southern Serbia, close to the borders of both Bulgaria and Macedonia, five hours south of Belgrade. Tlamino is comprised of two exploration licences, Donje Tlamino and Surlica-Dukat, each approximately 100km2. All exploration work at the Project is fully-funded by Fortuna, which has an option to earn up to 70% of the Project by spending US $8 million on exploration over five years and completing a Preliminary Economic Assessment (see Medgold news release of March 7, 2017). The Barje Zone The Barje Zone hosts a large outcrop of intense brecciation and mineralization, which Medgold channel sampled in 2017, yielding a best result of 84m of 5.60 g/t Au and 105 g/t Ag (see Company press release on July 18, 2017). Gold-silver mineralization is associated with tectonic brecciation in hangingwall schists along thrusts above a large regional detachment fault. Zones of intense hydrothermal breccias and altered schist clasts have formed at the base of the hangingwall to the thrust surfaces. These zones of intense brecciation typically yield high-grade gold-silver intercepts, but brecciation, fracturing and sulphide mineralization is pervasive across large zones of the hanging wall schists and can yield broad intersections of tens of meters of low- (>0.5 g/t Au) to moderate-grade (>1 g/t Au) gold and silver mineralization. A preliminary gold deportment study by Dr. Chris Blake, an independent mineralogist is underway on four samples from Barje to determine the grain size, liberation and association of microscopically visible native gold grains within the mineralization. Grains of free gold have been observed in three of the samples with gold grain sizes of up to 40 m associated with pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcophyrite and arsenopyrite. In the fourth sample free gold grains were not microscopically identified. Table 2 Barje Drill collars (BAR014 to BAR020) Drill hole Easting** Northing** Elevation (m) Azimuth () Inclination () Length (m) BAR014 616689 4691955 1144 80 -50 174.60 BAR015 616525 4692010 1205 135 -70 176.70 BAR016 616525 4692009 1205 315 -65 139.30 BAR017 616389 4691991 1231 0 -70 174.70 BAR018 616389 4691913 1234 180 -80 227.90 BAR019 616392 4691917 1234 80 -60 267.60 BAR020 616304 4691958 1248 180 -80 224.70 ** Coordinates are given in WGS84 datum and UTM zone 34 projection. A plan map showing drill collar locations and hole traces, and cross sections is available on Medgold's website at http://medgoldresources.com/tlamino/. The Karamanica Zone The Karamanica Zone is approximately 8km northwest of Barje, located on the southeastern flanks of the Crnook Dome on a series of steep northwest-trending strike- and dip- faults. Immediately to the southeast of Karamanica, and along-strike, is an active mine working a polymetallic skarn deposit associated with felsic porphyritic intrusions. At Karamanica, Medgold has identified a significant gold-in-soil anomaly (>0.1 ppm Au), broadly extensive over a 2km x 2km area, with higher-grade northwest-trending anomalies. Mineralization has been observed within felsic intrusions, similar to the active mine to the southeast, but also as replacement zones within calcareous units. Potential exists, therefore, for both skarn-type and carbonate replacement-type polymetallic mineralization. An Induced Polarization (IP) survey at Karamanica was completed in the fall of 2018, covering 32 line kms, with a line spacing of 200m. The survey identified two northwest-trending chargeability anomalies containing values of >30 mV/V. The first anomaly is located in the southwest-side of the survey, extending 2km northwest-southeast by up to 600m, and is coincident with an extension of a northwest-trending fault associated with mineralization in the polymetallic mine to the southeast. The second anomaly is located on the northeast-side of the survey, extending 750m northwest-southeast by 250m, and is open to the southeast. This shallow anomaly is coincident with mineralization observed within calcareous (limestone) units. Both of these anomalies require follow-up and will be drill tested in 2019. A map of the IP survey at Karamanica can be found at http://medgoldresources.com/tlamino/. About Medgold Resources Corp. Medgold is a Serbia-focused, TSX-V listed, project generator company targeting early-stage gold properties in the Oligo-Miocene Belt of Serbia. Run by an experienced management team with a successful track-record of building value in resource companies, Medgold is aiming to become a leading European gold exploration company. Qualified Person Mr. David Clark, M.Sc., P.Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Clark prepared the technical information contained in this news release and has approved its disclosure Quality Assurance and Quality Control Drilling is carried out using PQ and HQ size tooling. Drill core is cut in half by Medgold using a rock saw with one half of the core then taken as a sample for analysis. Sample intervals are generally between 50 to 150 cm producing samples of between 2 to 9 kg. Approximately 4% of samples are duplicated by submitting primary and duplicate quarter-core samples. Half-core samples are delivered to the ALS Geochemistry laboratory facilities in Bor, Serbia. The samples are crushed and pulverised using method code PREP-31, are fire assayed for Au using method code Au-ICP21, and are analysed for multi-elements using method code ME-MS61 following a four-acid digestion. Overlimits are analysed using an appropriate method. Medgold routinely inserts multi-element geochemical standards, blanks, and field duplicate samples into the drill core sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Additional information on Medgold can be found on the Company's website at www.medgoldresources.com and by reviewing the Company's page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Dan James" Daniel P. James, President & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and include, without limitation, statements about the exploration plans for the Tlamino Project. Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimate", "estimates", "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "upgraded", "offset", "limited", "contained", "reflecting", "containing", "remaining", "to be", "periodically", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, the exploration plans for the Tlamino Project; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the Company or any joint venture partner not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and such other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to: that the proposed exploration of the Tlamimo Project will proceed as intended; that the Company's stated goals and planned exploration and development activities will be achieved; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radisson Mining Resources Inc. (Radisson or the Company") today announced significant high-grade Gold intercepts from the 11,000 m drill program underway at its OBrien gold project, along the Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break halfway between Rouyn-Noranda and Val-dOr in Quebec, Canada. (See figure 1) Press release highlights: Drill hole OB-18-84 intersected 37.52 g/t gold over 12.80 metres and 8.74 g/t gold over 12.20 metres on the 36E zone. (See photos for visible gold on drill core (1, 2 and 3), figure 2, figure 3 and figure 4) The newly reported intercepts occurred in the 36E zone In continuity of the enrichment vector defined therein; 180 metres below and in trend with the projected bulk sample area Where several high-grade gold intercepts were previously obtained (See results from OB-17-25, OB-17-25w, OB-17-26 and OB-17-29) Assays are currently pending from 2,514 m of drilling 1 drill hole and 1 wedge hole on 36E zone in lateral extension of DDH OB-18-84 2 drill holes in the F Zone, located west of current resources As announced on August 28, 2018, Radisson closed a financing totalling $1.41 million and is fully funded to drill the remaining 5,000 metres of the 11,000 metres drill program started in 2018 Were excited by these exceptionally high-grade gold intercepts, which occurred 180 metres below the projected bulk sample area in the 36E zone. These results demonstrate the strong mineralization continuity of the enrichment vector defined with our 3D model in the heart of the OBrien deposit. This high-grade gold mineralization in association with biotite, very dark smoky quartz and sulphides is a classical signature of these so-called jewellery boxes that where found in the old OBrien mine at the time of production. We remain focused on unlocking OBrien full value, which remains open laterally and at depth in the F Zone, and below 550 metres depth in the 36E area, commented Mario Bouchard, President and CEO. Table 1 Drilling results from Drill hole 18-84 Drill hole From To Length Grade Interpreted Zone (m) (m) (m) Au (g/t) OB-18-84 399,00 411,20 12,20 8,74 QFP Including 399,00 400,00 1,00 4,17 QFP and 409,50 410,00 0,50 189,50 QFP*VG OB-18-84 420,00 432,80 12,80 37,52 Piche Conglomerate*VG Including 426,00 430,00 4,00 118,93 Piche Conglomerate*VG Which includes 426,00 426,85 0,85 4,13 Piche Conglomerate and 426,85 427,60 0,75 455,00 Piche Conglomerate*VG and 427,60 428,35 0,75 167,50 Piche Conglomerate*VG and 428,35 429,00 0,65 1,46 Piche Conglomerate and 429,00 430,00 1,00 4,40 Piche Conglomerate OB-18-84 447,10 448,00 0,90 2,90 Piche Conglomerate OB-18-84 454,00 454,60 0,60 4,30 Piche Conglomerate *VG; Denotes presence of visible gold Results are presented as down hole width; true widths are estimated between 55 to 70% of down-hole thickness. All drill cores in this campaign are NQ in size. Assays were completed on sawn half-cores, with the second half kept for future reference. The samples were analyzed using standard fire assay procedures with Atomic Absorption (AA) finish at ALS Laboratory Ltd, in Val-dOr, Quebec. Samples yielding a grade higher than 5 g/t were analyzed a second time by fire assay with gravimetric finish at the same laboratory. Samples containing visible gold were analyzed with metallic sieve procedure. Standard reference materials and blank samples were inserted prior to shipment for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Qualified Person Richard Nieminen, P. Geo, Exploration manager, acts as a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. About Radisson Mining Resources Inc. Radisson is a Quebec-based gold exploration company focused on its 100% owned OBrien project, located Abitibi, PQ in the Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp along the world-renowned Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break. The Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp has produced over 21,000,000 ounces of gold over the last 100 years. The project hosts the former OBrien Mine, considered to have been the Abitibi Greenstone Belts highest-grade gold producer during its production (1,197,147 metric tons at 15.25 g/t Au for 587,121 ounces of gold from 1926 to 1957; InnovExplo, May 2018). For more information on Radisson, visit our website at www.radissonmining.com or contact: Mario Bouchard President and CEO 819-277-6578 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, including the scheduled Closing date, but other than statements of historical fact, is forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward looking information can be found in Radissons disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - Adventus Zinc Corporation ("Adventus") (TSX-V: ADZN; OTCQX: ADVZF) and Salazar Resources Limited ("Salazar") (TSX-V: SRL) (collectively the "Partners") are pleased to announce the commencement of a helicopter-supported, airborne Mobile MagnetoTellurics ("MobileMT") regional geophysical survey for its Pijili and Santiago properties in Ecuador. The MobileMT survey marks a major step in advancing exploration on these properties, which are prospective for both epithermal and porphyry styles of mineralization. Adventus' Vice President Exploration, Mr. Jason Dunning, comments: "With the start of the airborne MobileMT geophysical survey, both Adventus and Salazar are extremely excited that MobileMT will greatly enhance drill hole targeting by defining high-priority targets for follow-up in early 2019. This is the first time there will be a deep penetrating, uniform dataset for Pijili and Santiago projects that will allow us to more accurately visualize the geological and structural framework in 3D to define potentially prospective host rocks for intrusion-related mineralization. Our technical team is working closely with our contractor in the field and we are eagerly awaiting the survey's completion." The Pijili and Santiago survey blocks were designed to be flown in a systematic manner off a detailed grid pattern to ensure full coverage and depth penetration. A 150-metre line spacing has been planned for both projects that results in a budgeted total of approximately 1,830-line kilometres. The airborne MobileMT geophysical survey is expected to be completed before year-end. Pijili Project Highlights The Pijili Project consists of three concessions totalling 3,246 hectares and is located in the province of Azuay, approximately 150 km from the major port city of Guayaquil. Mineral potential for Pijili Project includes an untested epithermal gold-silver target, however, initial geological review is suggestive that there is a broader, larger scale porphyry target present. The Pijili Project has never been explored with modern exploration techniques, such as geophysics, nor has there been any systematic geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and/or drilling undertaken. Small-scale, legally permitted artisanal mining operations adjacent to the property are following precious metal-bearing structures via several small open pits and underground tunnels. It is also important to note the presence of secondary copper mineralization that is visible along the walls of the small open pits. Salazar staff have noted copper sulphide-bearing (chalcopyrite) veins in a valley bottom at the confluence of major creeks that also require additional follow-up. Santiago Project Highlights The Santiago Project consists of a single concession that encompasses 2,350 hectares and is currently 100%-owned by Salazar. It is located in a geological setting similar to the nearby Loma Larga deposit owned by INV Metals Inc. and is considered prospective for epithermal gold and silver and porphyry copper gold deposits. It features three large, surficial geochemistry anomalies for gold, copper, and zinc. Numerous vein occurrences have been identified on the property thus far, which have yielded good chip sampling results for both gold and silver. (see Salazar news release for technical summary, dated February 23, 2012). There have also been historically modest drilling campaigns by two operators on the property, including Newmont Mining Corporation that reported wide drill intercepts for copper-gold from surface. Unfortunately, these historic drill results cannot be verified, as the drill core is unavailable. Additional work, including drilling, will be required to validate these reported historical drill results. Airborne MobileMT System Overview The airborne MobileMT geophysical survey is being managed by MPX Geophysics Ltd. (Canada-based) who is employing an airborne geophysical system designed and built by Expert Geophysics Limited (Canada-based). MobileMT is the most advanced generation of airborne AFMAG technologies that uses naturally occurring electromagnetic fields in the frequency range between 25 Hz and 20,000 Hz. The technology behind MobileMT is the product of the latest advances in electronics, airborne system design, and sophisticated signal processing techniques. An aerodynamic, light-weight, airborne bird is towed by a helicopter with the airborne bird measuring variations of the magnetic field, while a ground station measures variation of the electric field. The ratio of the magnetic and electric field magnitudes in both in-phase and out-of-phase components provides analytic parameters in selected bands of frequencies. The advanced noise processing technique of both electronic and signal processing levels ensures high data quality even for low natural EM fields. A cesium-vapour magnetometer is used for the total magnetic field recording. Qualified Person The technical information of this news release has been reviewed and verified as accurate by Mr. Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for Adventus, a non-Independent Qualified Person, as defined by NI 43-101. About Adventus Adventus is a well-financed company focused on base metals exploration and project development globally. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Resource Capital Funds, and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.; as well as other highly respected investors in the mining business. The focus of Adventus is the advancement of the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador as part of an earn-in agreement to obtain a 75% ownership interest. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating two projects to date. Elsewhere globally, Adventus owns a large prospective mineral land package in Ireland totalling 1,950 km2 and, through its ownership interest in Canstar Resources Inc., is actively participating in the exploration upside of a prospective mineral land package in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada totalling 550 km2. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF. About Salazar Salazar is a publicly-listed mineral resource company engaged in the exploration and development of new highly prospective areas in Ecuador. Led by a senior Ecuadorian management team and most notably by its namesake Fredy Salazar, this team has been instrumental in other major discoveries throughout Ecuador, including Aurelian's Fruta Del Norte discovery, Mozo Deposit, Ex Newmont's Cangrejos Project and International Minerals Rio Blanco and Gaby Deposit. Being an Ecuadorian-based company gives the Company a strategic advantage enabling the Company to complete exploration at a rapid pace. With an excellent property portfolio (6 projects 33,383 hectares), good geopolitical positioning and a number of strategic corporate and financial partnerships, Salazar has positioned itself to be a strategic player in Ecuador. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains "forward -looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Adventus and Salazar expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Although Adventus and Salazar have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Adventus and Salazar undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 19, 2018) - North American Nickel Inc. (TSXV: NAN) (OTCQB: WSCRF) (CUSIP: 65704T 108) (the "Company") is pleased to report that assays have been received from four drill holes completed to test the P-008 target on the Company's 100% owned Maniitsoq nickel-copper-cobalt-PGM sulphide project in southwest Greenland. Highlights include: MQ-18-167: 7.50m @ 1.26% Ni, 0.24% Cu, 0.05% Co and 0.47 g/t Pt+Pd+Au including 5.10m @ 1.68% Ni, 0.29% Cu, 0.06% Co and 0.63 g/t Pt+Pd+Au P-008 represents a newly discovered zone of classic Maniitsoq high tenor nickel sulphide mineralization within the 75km long Greenland Norite Belt where multiple zones of Ni-Cu-Co sulphide mineralization have been previously identified. Drilling and electromagnetic (EM) data has indicated a 335 metre dip-extent to the mineralization that remains open down dip and along strike. Drilling and borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) results show that the P-008 zone is comprised of both strongly conductive high grade remobilized sulphides and, less conductive disseminated to blebby sulphides that are typical of the Maniitsoq style of mineralization. The primary objective for the 2018 exploration program was the effective execution of work designed to identify a large Ni-Cu-Co-PGE sulphide mineral system in association with some of the most heavily mineralized and differentiated intrusions. Within these intrusions, the pyroxene-rich melanorites representing the principal target rock type is known to contain high grade nickel mineralization associated with high nickel tenor. Deep-penetrating high-power EM combined with an understanding of the geological configuration of the intrusions was used to focus exploration activities. North American Nickel Consulting Chief Geologist, Peter Lightfoot states: "The mineralization encountered in three of the four holes at P-008 comprise disseminated interstitial sulphide mineralization within a melanorite host grading through breccia sulphides to semi-massive sulphides. The mineralization has a systematic high Ni tenor ranging from 6.5 to 7.7 wt% Ni in 100% sulphide in both disseminated and massive sulphide types. The low grade disseminated sulphides encountered in the fourth hole have much lower sulphide Ni tenors and appear not to belong to the same zone." Four holes totalling 1,171 metres were completed at the P-008 target located 4.3 km south of the Fossilik area within the central portion of the Greenland Norite Belt (Figure 1). The initial two holes (MQ-18-162 and 163) successfully targeted a surface EM plate. MQ-18-167 was a 65m down-dip step-out hole that targeted BHEM plates modeled from MQ-18-163; the results from this hole indicated that mineralization improved with depth. MQ-18-177 was a 130m step-out from MQ-18-167 along the indicated plunge of mineralization. MQ-18-177 was bored to a maximum depth of 443m which was only limited by the capacity of the diamond drill. MQ-18-177 deviated to the right and drilled outside the plunge of the mineralization. Drill collar information and a summary of assays are provided in Tables 1 and 2 respectively. A vertical cross section is shown in Figure 2. Figures may be viewed using the link provided at the end of this release. Table 1: Drill Collar Information, P-008 Hole Number UTM East UTM North Elevation (m) Length (m) Azimuth Dip MQ-18-162 476768 7245053 680.6 171 359 -67 MQ-18-163 476768 7245053 680.6 231 15 -83 MQ-18-167 476809 7244968 658 326 346 -68 MQ-18-177* 476804 7244801 632 443* 350 -60 Note: Collar coordinates in UTM WGS84 Zone 22N *-Hole was terminated at the maximum depth capacity of the diamond drill. Table 2: Assay Results, P-008 Hole Number From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Ni % Cu % Co % S % Pt g/t Pd g/t Au g/t MQ-18-162 104.00 116.50 12.50 0.38 0.10 0.02 1.91 0.08 0.03 0.02 Incl. 106.90 109.90 3.00 0.77 0.17 0.03 3.82 0.15 0.06 0.01 MQ-18-163 128.60 137.70 9.10 0.49 0.12 0.02 2.79 0.11 0.04 0.03 MQ-18-163 165.40 179.75 14.35 0.37 0.16 0.01 1.81 0.09 0.03 0.15 MQ-18-167 185.00 192.50 7.50 1.26 0.24 0.05 7.07 0.28 0.10 0.08 Incl. 186.90 192.00 5.10 1.68 0.29 0.06 9.39 0.38 0.14 0.11 MQ-18-167 193.50 206.50 13.00 0.31 0.14 0.02 1.65 0.10 0.02 0.03 Incl. 199.90 200.70 0.80 1.23 0.23 0.05 6.95 0.42 0.09 0.02 MQ-18-167 209.50 213.10 3.60 0.67 0.46 0.03 3.87 0.13 0.06 0.02 Incl. 210.40 213.10 2.70 0.79 0.43 0.03 4.33 0.14 0.08 0.01 MQ-18-177* NSA Note: Intervals represent core lengths, not necessarily true widths. NSA - No Significant Assays *Hole was terminated at the maximum depth capacity of the diamond drill. The newly discovered P-008 sulphide zone dips steeply to the south and, has been intersected by four holes over a dip extent of 335 metres (Figure 2). This new zone is located southeast of the main Fossilik intrusion area which contains multiple zones of high-grade Ni-Cu-Co sulphide mineralization extending from surface to vertical depths of 435m and interpreted beyond to depths of 650m based on BHEM results (See Press Release dated November 23, 2017). The P-008 zone is characterized by high nickel tenors (percent nickel re-calculated into 100% sulphides), between 6.5% - 7.7% (composited intervals) and contain elevated copper and precious metals values. The overall footprint of the mineralization comprises both high grade remobilized breccia like sulphides which exhibit strong BHEM responses as well as disseminated to blebby sulphides. "Technical Information; Qualified Person" The Company is not aware of any legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the project other than those set out in its annual information form filed on www.sedar.com. Please see below under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements" for further details regarding risks facing the Company. All technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Peter C. Lightfoot, Ph.D., P.Geo. (Consulting Chief Geologist), who is the Qualified Persons for the Company. About North American Nickel North American Nickel is a mineral exploration company with 100% owned properties in Maniitsoq, Greenland and Sudbury, Ontario. The Maniitsoq property in Greenland is a Camp scale permitted exploration project comprising 2,985 square km covering numerous high-grade nickel-copper + cobalt sulphide occurrences associated with norite and other mafic-ultramafic intrusions of the Greenland Norite Belt (GNB). The >75km-long belt is situated along, and near, the southwest coast of Greenland accessible from the existing Seqi deep water port with an all year-round shipping season and hydroelectric power potential from a quantified watershed. The Post Creek/Halcyon property in Sudbury is strategically located adjacent to the past producing Podolsky copper-nickel-platinum group metal deposit of KGHM International Ltd. The property lies along the extension of the Whistle Offset dyke structure. Such geological structures host major Ni-Cu-PGM deposits and producing mines within the Sudbury Camp. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of the Company. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the success of exploration activities; impact of mineralogy, estimation of mineral resources at mineral projects of the Company; the future economics of minerals including nickel and copper; synergies and financial impact facilities; the benefits of the development potential of the properties of the Company and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include variations in metal grades, changes in market conditions, variations in recovery rates, risks relating to international operations, fluctuating metal prices and currency exchange rates, and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to the failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and as that term defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbours created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from the expected results. For further information on the project, please see National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) technical report prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. (SRK) dated effective March 17th, 2017, titled "Updated Independent Technical Report for the Maniitsoq Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGM Project, Greenland", available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com or at www.northamericannickel.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mark Fedikow President North American Nickel Inc. For more information contact: North American Nickel Inc. Jaclyn Ruptash Corporate Communications (604) 770-4334 Toll free: 1-866-816-0118 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. A former Central African Republic militia leader nicknamed Colonel Rambo arrived on Saturday in The Hague, where he will stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Currently a lawmaker, Alfred Yekatoms extradition was the first of its kind from the CAR. The suspect arrived in the detention centre, said ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah of the former army officer, who was the target of US sanctions in 2015 for suspected attacks against Muslims, civilian deaths, and for using child fighters. After being elected to parliament in 2016, Yekatom, 43, was arrested in October for opening fire inside the legislature while its new president was being elected. ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda welcomed the extradition, saying it advances the cause of justice in the Central African Republic and promising that she would continue to pursue her quest for truth and justice. Pierre Brunisso from the International Federation of Human Rights watchdog added that it sent a strong message to the leaders of armed groups. Those who think they can claim an amnesty at the negotiating table are mistaken, he said. The ICC said Yekatom would be tried for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out by so-called anti-balaka militias. The court launched an investigation in September 2014 into crimes committed in the country since 2012. A three-judge bench of The Hague-based courts pre-trial chamber issued an arrest warrant against Yekatom last Sunday. The Chamber is satisfied that the overall supporting evidence is sufficient to establish reasonable grounds that Yekatom bears criminal responsibility, the judges said in the warrant, made public by the ICC late on Saturday. This included acts of murder, torture, deportation and using child soldiers younger than 15 years in the anti-balaka group between December 5, 2013 and August 2014. In continuing violence the CAR, however, a Tanzanian peacekeeper died late Friday after an attack on a United Nations base and a priest was found burned to death, the UN and the Catholic Church said after sectarian clashes that claimed nearly 40 lives. The soldier died of injuries sustained in the raid on the base in Gbambia in the countrys west, the UN mission MINUSCA said. Revenge attacks An armed group called Siriri, created this year by Fulani cattle herders, operates in the area. Led by a man named Ardo Abba, its purported aim is to thwart attacks by cattle rustlers. The UN said the group had attacked Gbambia in mid-June. A Tanzanian UN peacekeeper died that month after Siriri staged an ambush in the region. Meanwhile, the priests charred body was recovered in the central town of Alindao, Father Mathieu Bondobo, vicar-general of the main cathedral in Bangui, told AFP. On Friday, the UN said 37 deaths were confirmed in Alindao including that of another priest while 20,000 people were affected by the violence. Thousands were forced to flee. The bloodletting began Thursday when Christian militiamen killed Muslims, prompting revenge attacks during which a church was set ablaze. Alindao is a stronghold of the Union for Peace in CAR (UPC), a Muslim militia. It has witnessed chronic fighting in recent months that has also killed other UN soldiers and a humanitarian aid worker. Disastrous situation One of the worlds poorest nations despite a rich supply of diamonds and uranium, the CAR has struggled to recover from a 2013 civil war that erupted when President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels. In response, Christians, who account for about 80 percent of the population, organised vigilante units dubbed anti-balaka in reference to a type of machete. In September, the UN warned of a disastrous humanitarian situation in the region, which it said was under the control of armed groups. The government controls only a small part of the country. The UN has about 12,500 personnel deployed in the CAR as part of its MINUSCA mission, one of the world bodys largest peacekeeping forces. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. UPDATE: A man shot and killed by Klamath Police officers in early October appeared to be reaching for a firearm, according a statement released today by the Klamath Falls Police Department (KFPD). The statement fleshes out what has so far been a story lacking in significant detail regarding the lead-up to the shooting of 48-year-old Phillip Moskios Jr. The beginning of KFPD's statement agrees with previous releases from authorities that Moskios was stopped in his vehicle near Modoc Point as part of a drug investigation. According to KFPD, Moskios had just been released after serving 16 years in prison for weapon and drug offenses and was on probation. From the beginning, KFPD notes that officers believed Moskios to be armed. During the traffic stop, Moskios reportedly assaulted one of the officers and fled on foot. He then apparently ran toward several officers positioned "a short distance from the initial stop and ran directly at one of the officers." What happened next is described as follows: "Mr. Moskios intentionally made movements leading the officers to believe he was retrieving a gun to use against the officers. Two officers fired at Mr. Moskios resulting in his death. Investigators later found Mr. Moskios was in possession of a handgun, as well as a substantial amount of methamphetamine and cash that he left in his vehicle as he fled." The handgun, drugs and cash were all recovered from Moskios' vehicle and he did not have a gun on his person at the time of the altercation and shooting, KFPD clarified. As the previous statement from the Klamath County DA's office indicated, an investigation cleared the officers involved of criminal wrongdoing. KFPD identified their officer as Detective Corporal Christopher Zupan: "Corporal Christopher Zupan is a veteran officer with over 20 years law enforcement experience and has an exemplary service record to the citizens of Klamath Falls. After being placed on administrative leave (per officer involved shooting policy and best practices), Corporal Zupan has returned to full-duty based upon the investigative findings." (Updated 11/20/18 at 10:25 a.m.) INITIAL REPORT: Law enforcement officers involved in the shooting death of a man near Modoc Point in Klamath County on October 5 will not be prosecuted following an investigation, the Klamath County District Attorney's office said on Monday. The DA's office said at the time that 48-year-old Phillip Moskios Jr. was shot and killed by officers after a physical altercation during a traffic stop that day. Moskios reportedly fled the scene after assaulting an officer, and would later be confronted by Klamath Falls Police officers and a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, leading to the shooting. A statement issued by the DA's office gave little detail on the events that immediately precipitated the shooting whether Moskios was armed and why the officers opened fire, or even which officer(s) fired the shot(s). Nevertheless, an independent investigation decided against any criminal charges against the involved officers, according to the DA's office. "As is standard procedure, an agency not involved in the incident was appointed to lead the ensuing investigation; in this case that was the Klamath County Sheriffs Office. Due to the involvement of a local office and a federal agency, Klamath County District Attorney Eve Costello enlisted the assistance of the Oregon Department of Justice to review the investigation," the DA's office said in a statement. The investigation reportedly included interviews with the involved officers, interviews with Moskios' family, friends and coworkers, and the examination of diagrams and videos from the scene, as well as the medical examiner's records. After evaluating the evidence, the Department of Justice decided that "criminal prosecution of the involved officers is not warranted," according to the DA's office. "The District Attorneys office appreciates the assistance of the Department of Justice in conducting the review, and in preserving public trust in the neutrality of the investigation that was necessitated by these matters," the DA's office said. 257 Shares Share A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com. To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan. Abraham Lincoln With these words, President Lincoln affirmed the governments obligation to care for those injured during war and to provide for the families of those who perished on the battlefield. This deeply ingrained sense of obligation and duty lives on within the staff of more than 168 VA medical centers, including over 800 physician anesthesiologists and 800 nurse anesthetists. I am honored to serve veterans at VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) as a physician anesthesiologist. For many years, public perception of the VA was characterized by Oliver Stones 1989 movie Born on the Fourth of July. The movie shows a VA hospital with disillusioned physicians, failing infrastructure, outdated equipment, and poor patient care. In recent years, the image of the VA was further tarnished by highly publicized concerns about delays and access to health care in VA hospitals. My personal experience has been very different. Ive had the privilege of working at VABHS, but have also been able to visit several VA facilities in other states. Each facility may be unique, but it is easy to observe that VAs health care system has undergone a systematic transformation since the 1990s. VA has modernized its infrastructure and facilities, and implemented an electronic medical record (EMR) system in the late 1990s, which propelled VA to become a leader in health care quality, patient safety, systems redesign, and change management. As a national, fully integrated health care system, VA is responsible for a lifelong service to eligible veterans and has become a true accountable care organization with a capitative reimbursement system that rewards investments in disease prevention, best medical practices, and quality, rather than volume. There are many benefits for physician anesthesiologists employed at VA hospitals including innovative clinical practices, outstanding research and funding opportunities, teaching residents through academic affiliations, a great work-life balance, competitive salaries, a very robust benefits package, comprehensive professional and leadership development, government malpractice insurance and of course the best patients in the world. In recent years, VA physician anesthesiologists have significantly contributed to advances in perioperative medicine, including published best practices for the development and implementation of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care. Regional anesthesia and opioid-sparing modern anesthesia techniques, including enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways, are being developed and implemented throughout the VA. Physician anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, administrators, and other support staff are partners and work as a team, not as competitors. This creates a stable environment which enables clinicians to do their work, rather than worry about hospital contracts and takeovers by mega-groups. Real work gets done in our VA operating rooms (OR), non-OR locations, intensive care units, and pain clinics every day. VA offers cutting-edge opportunities to utilize our skills. Physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists work in close, harmonic teams to get the job done. Disease processes in veterans are more severe than the general population, therefore, VA physician anesthesiologists require a full set of outstanding clinical skills. It never ceases to impress me how complex and challenging anesthesia care for our patient population typically is. Few cases are straightforward, but this is the original reason why I went into medicine. I want to make a difference for patients. At the VA I do so every day. Here just a few notable patients from the recent past: A veteran of the Korean War was with a massive abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and tight aortic stenosis (AS). Following a meeting between the cardiac surgeons, cardiologist, cardiac physician anesthesiologist, and vascular surgeon, it was the physician anesthesiologist who made the final decision whether to fix the AAA or the AS first. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom developed serotonin syndrome after a urology procedure requiring methylene blue. A Vietnam War veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability due to Agent Orange exposure recovering from a heroin addiction wanted an opioid-free anesthetic for exploratory laparotomy. A patient with extremely low lung capacity was discharged two days after open colectomy following our colorectal ERAS protocol. A patient who had a traumatic limb amputation in Iraq was treated in our pain clinic and is now able to stay off opioids with periodic injections and acupuncture. Perhaps most moving to me was treating a 94-year-old veteran of WWII, who was patiently sitting in the emergency department (ED) waiting his turn. I met him after an urgent intubation in the ED. He told me his story of D-Day, parachuting behind enemy lines, getting into friendly fire by the French resistance, fighting his way back to the beaches of Normandy. When I thanked him for his service, he thanked me for mine. I can honestly say there are few things as rewarding to a physician than the appreciation of a WWII hero. The modernization of the VA continues as public focus makes us seek better care and higher value for our patients. VA is implementing a national network of medical and surgical homes, has adopted the concept of patient-centered care, and has begun the deployment of telemedicine to render care more conveniently. Grassroots-based efforts help us with the process of systems redesign, patient safety, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. This is not your grandfathers VA, or even your fathers. The VA today is a constantly modernizing, innovative health care system. Writing an article about the VA from my office in Boston, I am reminded of a quote by President John F. Kennedy: As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. His words still resonate today to guide generations to step up and serve our country and those who defended it. Please come and join us. Todays VA is truly the best place to work. Kay Leissner is an anesthesiologist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com EUGENE, Ore. -- One hundred and eleven times per day -- thats how often University of Oregon senior Jaycie Shenone picks up her iPhone. I use my phone a lot, basically for everything, Shenone said. Calling, texting a lot, social media, Twitter. She said she uses her phone for scheduling too. They're like, 'You should download this app,' Shenone said, describing what her parents have said to her about safety apps. There are a number of safety/panic apps on the market today. Eugene Springfield Fire just recently released the PulsePoint app -- 911 calls for heart attacks in public places trigger an alert to PulsePoint users. EMS Chief JoAnna Kamppi said the goal is to start CPR as soon as possible, even before first responders arrive. We've been very careful about making sure that we're not on the bleeding edge of this technology but that we're on the leading edge of the technology, Kamppi said. A 2015 study surveyed more than 2,400 people in the U.S. and Canada. The results showed an overwhelming support for PulsePoint in their communities. Other safety apps include the Rave Panic Button, as well as Circle of 6. We store a lot of private information on these little things that we can hold in our hands, said Dawn Johnson with the Better Business Bureau. "They're like mini computers, and we need to treat them as such." She said that no matter the app, research the developer because Johnson said downloading an app is like opening a window into your home. "Does this app really need to have access to your contacts, to your storage, to your location?" Johnson said. Seattle, Wash. -- Oregon State's defense talks with the media following the Beavers' loss to Washington on Saturday. Linebacker Kee Whetzel talks about the difference in play from the first and second half. The Beavers will take on Oregon November 23th at 1:00 P.M. at Reser Stadium. Home and business owners, community groups and housing associations across Kilkenny who are anxious to save energy costs, lower carbon emissions and increase the comfort of their buildings are encouraged to attend a free, no obligation information session with the trusted energy and retrofit experts for the region. A number of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant schemes are now open for energy upgrades, with up to 80 per cent of the costs covered. The information session, hosted by the award-winning 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA), will explain each scheme and how the public can benefit in an easy to follow way. The free information event for home owners runs at Loughboy Library in Kilkenny on Wednesday, November 27.The free session for non-domestic projects takes place in Windgap Community Hall in Kilkenny the same evening at 7pm. A separate information evening for non-domestic projects runs at Carlow Cathedral Parish Centre at 7pm on Thursday, November 28. The not-for-profit energy experts primarily work across counties Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. Their information sessions for the domestic and non-domestic grant schemes will explain the benefits of upgrades and amounts of supports available to homeowners. Its all part of their drive to make the wider south east one of the most energy efficient regions in Ireland. 3CEA will discuss how to achieve the best results, even on the tightest budget. They will detail how they can completely project-manage such works from start to finish, if required, to include pre-application house surveys, submitting the grant application, procuring the works to ensure best value for money and quality of project for homeowners, right through to compete sign off. Details of the generous Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) supports for the various sectors and several degrees of works will be unveiled, 3CEAs Senior Energy Engineer, Alexandra Hamilton, says. Some apply to domestic homes, others to group housing schemes or community associations, while more are best applied to business and properties that require a complete overhaul. The grants available range from 35% - 80% for domestic works, depending on programme and measures being completed, to 30% funding for public sector, commercial and SME works and up to 50% for community or not-for-profit groups and housing associations. We will take people through the various SEAI schemes and help them choose the one that best suits their needs, she said. Details of the 50 per cent grant funded Major Renovation programme, formerly Deep Retrofit, will be explained in detail, she added. It is expected to spur more people to carry out major works on homes or buildings that leak energy. It is also expected to boost the purchase and redevelopment of homes and buildings not occupied for several years, Fergal Cantwell, 3CEA Housing Officer explained. As the name suggests, Major Renovation focuses on the major retrofit of houses or buildings constructed to less stringent building standards than currently exist. Works covered include external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation and internal wall insulation, floor insulation, roof/attic insulation, including the required roof ventilation works, as well as heat pumps, including radiators and underfloor heating. Major Renovation also covers windows and doors, PV solar panels, demand-controlled ventilation, air tightness measures and the cost of a wood-burning stove. In Kilkenny, 3CEA has worked with many groups, including Windgap Community Centre, where this event will be held. Together, they completed a number of energy upgrades including floor insulation, external wall insulation, lighting, windows and doors, and a boiler upgrades. The estimated energy savings will reduce the annual bills by 630 a year and increase the thermal comfort to its users. Members of Windgap will be there to tell their story and give first-hand experience of their project. SOS, located in Kilkenny city, has completed a number of energy upgrades under the 2016 and 2017 BEC programmes, completing insulation, heating & lighting upgrades throughout their facilities. SOS were nominated and shortlisted for the SEAI Energy Awards in 2018 for these projects, which has helped reduce bill and make the centre much more comfortable for its users. Piped radiators now supply heat throughout each of the 2,000 m2 buildings and thermostats control the zone pump which supplies this heat. Roof and cavity wall insulation was also upgraded as part of the works, reducing heating demand. Overall savings are in the region of 17,700 kWh and over 9,000 per year. Carlow and Kilkenny County Council have upgraded a number of their own buildings and facilities through SEAIs BEC grant programmes from 2013 2018. One example include heating controls, attic insulation & lighting upgrade at Loughboy Library, which will save an estimated 1625 per year. The workshops are perfect for anyone who is looking to complete any type of energy works in 2019, including insulation works, lighting, heating, windows, heat pumps, PV or any other measure where energy is saved. For more, log on to www.3CEA.ie Kilkenny community groups were honoured at the annual IPB Pride of Place awards held on Cork City Hall on Saturday evening. Open Circle Arts lifted a Special Award for their work, with Thomastown and Kells Regional Economic Enterprise taking runner-up spots in their categories. "The key to this entry is that it makes the arts accessible to women of all ages engendering mutual encouragement and inspiration in those involved and a very palpable sense of community," Judges said about Open Circle Arts. Open Circle Arts lifted a Special Award for their work Members of the groups joined with 800 community heroes from across the country at the awards which are operated in association with peace building charity Co-operation Ireland. The Pride of Place awards, described as the Oscars of the Community Sector, celebrates the often unsung work of community groups that selflessly work to make local neighbourhoods a better place to live in, work in or visit. Organised by Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place awards sees the countrys local authorities, on both sides of the border, nominate outstanding projects that contribute to civic pride. Tom Dowling, Chairperson of Pride of Place, said he was delighted that after 16 years the competition 'continues to embed itself in the very heart of the Island of Ireland's communities and gives them the opportunity to highlight the proud and amazing achievements of their place directly to the judges'. "I wish them continued success," he said. Nothing untoward was seen or heard by neighbours of a man on trial for murdering his partner, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard. Renars Veigulis (32) of Old Bridge Street in Freshford, Co Kilkenny has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rita Apine (29) at their home on or about May 14, 2017. Mr Veigulis told ambulance staff that his partner fell down the stairs, while prosecuting lawyers have told the jury they will hear evidence that her injuries were inconsistent with a fall. Opening the trial on Tuesday, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Vincent Heneghan SC, said the accused and the deceased were from both Latvia. Mr Veigulus came to Ireland about five years ago, followed six months later by Ms Apine, and in 2016 they moved to Freshford, about 20 miles from Kilkenny City. Garda Edward Laffin gave evidence to Mr Heneghan today that he followed a colleague to the scene where he observed a considerable amount of blood in the hallway. Garda Laffin told the jury that he spoke to civilians outside and the couples neighbours during house-to-house enquiries. He accepted under cross examination from Michael Bowman SC, for the defence, that nobody he spoke to in the area had observed or heard anything untoward prior to the incident. Detective Garda Ronan Lawlor, of the Garda Technical Bureau, gave evidence to Mr Heneghan that he attended the scene in the days after the incident for a forensic examination. Det Gda Lawlor said the apartment was a two bedroom terraced house. On entering the premises, there was a closed-off door to another property on the left, and a stairs on the right. Straight in front of the door was a long hallway leading to the kitchen and dining area. The hall had a tiled floor which was "covered in blood", the detective said. There was a small landing to the stairs, on which, was a slipper with a bow on top. The sole of the slipper was soaked in blood and there was blood soaked into the side, the detective said. On the tenth step, about four or five steps from the top of the stairs, was the matching slipper. It was turned upside down and there did not appear to be any blood staining on this slipper, the detective said. He said the main concentration of blood was found in the hallway in front of the door, as one enters, and on the first landing before the stairs begin. There was also blood on the first two steps after the landing. Det Gda Lawlor said there were airborne blood stains on the wall and an airborne blood stain on the ceiling above the first step. Airborne blood was blood that had travelled through the air. The detective will be cross examined by Michael Bowman SC, for the defence, today. Earlier the jury watched CCTV footage taken from outside the premises on Old Bridge Street. Garda John Quirke accepted under cross examination from Mr Bowman, for the defence, that the footage accurately captured the comings and goings of medical personnel and gardai around the house as well as the movements of Mr Veigulis. The trial continues today/tomorrow(TUESDAY) before a jury of seven men and five women with Ms Justice Tara Burns presiding. The jury has heard evidence that the accused told gardai at the scene that he had been playing with his daughter in the living room when he heard a boom, boom, boom and Ms Apine crying. Mr Veigulis told the first garda to have arrived at the scene that he went into the hallway where he found Ms Apine at the end of the stairs. Landlord Sean Power has given evidence that Mr Veigulis and Ms Apine seemed like a pleasant couple and there were no difficulties at all. The jury has heard that paramedics resuscitated Ms Apine at the scene and took her to hospital but she died later that day. A garda at the scene noticed blood spatter that he did not think was consistent with a simple fall down the stairs and an investigation began. Mr Heneghan said forensic scientists examined Mr Veigulis's clothing and found, on his top, evidence of blood spatter which was not consistent with the version of events he put forward. He told the jury they would hear a post mortem examination showed the deceased had suffered severe blunt force trauma that was not consistent with a fall down the stairs, Mr Heneghan said. The jury has heard the audio of Mr Veigulis 999 call. Speaking to an emergency call-taker with the National Ambulance Service, the jury heard Mr Veigulis say: Hello can I talk with Kilkenny ambulance. Please, my wife has fallen down the stairs. The emergency-call taker accepted, under cross examination from Michael Bowman SC, for the defence, that Mr Veigulis was clearly distressed and anxious. The jury could hear he was breathing heavily. Please, please very fast. All blood on the floor, please, the defendant was heard telling the emergency call-taker. DECORAH, Iowa Seventeen months after a Winneshiek County drug bust, another arrest has been made. Jacob Swearingen, 22 of Westgate, is facing two felony heroin charges. He was arrested in Linn County on an outstanding warrant and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail on Sunday. Authorities say this arrest in connected to an investigation and federal search warrants served on June 6, 2017. That initially led to the arrest, federal prosecution and conviction of Kaleb and Cole Breitsprecher for drug and gun crimes. Both brothers were sentenced to three years in federal prison. The arrest of Chase Heying, 25 of Ossian, on October 18 was also connected to the June 2017 investigation. He is pleading in Winneshiek County District Court not guilty to two controlled substance violations and use of a phony drug tax stamp. Heyings trial is scheduled to begin on January 16, 2019. ALBERT LEA, Minn. A Hastings man is going to prison for sexually assaulting a Freeborn County woman. Alex Mathew LaFountaine, 22, was arrested in February. Authorities say he raped a woman and then made her take a shower with him. LaFountaine pleaded guilty to 4th degree criminal sexual conduct in September and was sentenced Monday to eight years and six months in state prison, with credit for 284 days already served. Authorities say LaFountaine has a previous conviction for 4th degree criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County. MOWER COUNTY, Minn. - A man known to elude authorities in north Iowa and southern Minnesota is in custody after being on the run for months. Weston Zuehl, 35, was booked into the Mower County Jail early Monday morning. Zuehl had been wanted for eluding law enforcement in Freeborn County during a lengthy pursuit and search on Aug. 20. According to court documents, Zuehl eluded law enforcement and nearly caused multiple crashes - including passing vehicles in a bike lane - before ditching the vehicle and running on foot. Authorities say Zuehl had three active warrants for his arrest when he pulled into a driveway at 1319 Broadway S. and took off on foot. A perimeter was set up and a K-9 assisted in the search. However, Zuehl was not located. The Twin Cities Apprehension Team says Zuehl was taken into custody at a home in the 300 block of Locust St. in Lyle at around 8 p.m. Sunday. Authorities in Iowa said Zuehl was involved in a 2017 high-speed chase that began in Lake Mills and ended with a vehicle being found in a Minnesota cornfield. According to court records, Zuehl failed to appear in Winnebago County court in October for a hearing and a warrant was issued. MASON CITY, Iowa A man who tried to deposit stolen checks into his own account is getting some jail time. Blake Michael Harrer, 24 of Mason City, pleaded guilty to forgery and possession of methamphetamine-1st offense. Authorities say he stole checks from a Clear Lake home and tried to deposit them. Hes been sentenced to 180 days in jail, 180 days in a residential correctional facility, and five years of probation. Harrer must also pay a $315 fine and $625 in restitution to Clear Lake Bank and Trust. (Kitco News) - Iran is planning to revitalize its artisanal mining by developing six small-scale gold and copper mines, according to Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company, which is a subsidiary of the state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). The announcement was made though the national public broadcaster and is aimed at legitimizing some illicit gold mining activity in the country as well as creating more jobs and giving a boost to the economy. The mentioned program has been proposed aiming for increasing employment, increasing mineral production, solving the issues regarding small-scaled mines, supporting processing and creating value added, and ultimately achieving the goals of resilient economy, as well as exploiting the countrys existing scientific and operational capacities and capabilities, Tehran Times reported. The mines will be set up all across the county the central Isfahan province, the eastern South Khorasan province, the northern East Azerbaijan province, and the northwestern West Azerbaijan province. Iran has been dealing with the rollout of new U.S. sanctions this year, with the latest round focusing on oil, kicking in during the first week of November. Irans reaction to the first round of sanction back in August, which targeted the countrys metals trading and the automotive sector, was a run on gold. Irans weakening economy, growing sense of insecurity and a currency which has almost halved in value, boosted bar and coin demand, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in its Q2 Gold Demand Trends report. The countrys demand for bars and coins jumped 200% on an annual basis, reaching 15.2 metric tons the highest level in more than four years. Coin demand was healthy as the Iranian central bank increased the amount of gold coins released to the market. Gold coins have performed well in recent quarters as, unlike gold jewellery, they do not attract 9% VAT, the WGC added. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Are the much-lauded predictive capabilities of copper starting to show that the divide between China and the United States on trade and investment, which was on full display at the weekend meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders, no longer matters? The failure of leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to agree on a joint communique for the first time in the group's history after the summit in Papua New Guinea was blamed on the tensions between the United States and China. Trade was blamed for the inability to reach a consensus, and that's hardly surprising given the ongoing stoush between U.S. President Donald Trump and Beijing over trade tariffs, which has resulted in downgrades to Chinese economic growth. The outcome of the APEC meeting would normally be viewed as a bearish indicator for copper, given escalating trade tensions are likely to have a negative impact over the medium to longer term for the industrial metal. However, in recent weeks there are signs that the copper market is starting to shrug off political concerns and focus more on supply and demand fundamentals. Copper is often viewed as an early indicator for economic health, hence its nickname as 'Doctor Copper', the base metal with a doctorate in economics. Copper for delivery in three months time on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was largely steady in early Asian trade on Monday, managing to hold onto recent gains. It rose as high as 50,240 yuan ($7,239) a tonne in early Monday trade, up 6 percent from its year low of 47,370 yuan on Sept. 5. London three-month copper futures closed at $6,205 a tonne on Nov. 16, up 7.5 percent from their year-low of $5,773, reached on Aug. 15. While London copper is down 14.4 percent so far this year, and Shanghai by 13.4 percent, both have staged modest recoveries in recent weeks, despite the ongoing U.S.-China trade war rhetoric, declines in global equity markets and slowing indicators such as weaker Purchasing Managers Indexes (PMIs). FUNDAMENTALS TO THE FORE? Instead the copper market appears to be focusing more on some tighter indicators on the supply side, and still strong demand from top consumer China, with the expectation that this will continue as Beijing takes steps to boost the economy through stimulus spending on infrastructure. In the first major deal between a Chinese smelting company and a copper miner, it's believed that Jiangxi Copper and Antofagasta have agreed 2019 copper treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at $80.80 a tonne and 8.08 cents a pound. The charges agreed between Jiangxi and Antofagasta are down from the 2018 benchmark of $82.25 a tonne and 8.225 cents a pound, Reuters reported on Nov. 15, citing three sources familiar with the agreement. Lower TC/RCs are normally an indicator of a tighter market, either through a lower supply of unprocessed ore or through increased smelting capacity. China's imports of unwrought copper did drop in October from September, declining by 18.7 percent to 423,000 tonnes, while those of copper ores and concentrates fell by the same percentage to 1.57 million tonnes. However, for the first 10 months of the year, China's unwrought copper imports are up a robust 17.2 percent, while ores and concentrates have jumped by 19 percent. There are also a few signs of tightness in inventories, with Shanghai stocks dropping 5.3 percent to 134,744 tonnes in the week to Nov. 16, less than half of what they were in late March. Headline inventories in London Metal Exchange warehouses dropped by 5,425 tonnes to 161,025 tonnes last week, nearing last month's 10-year low of 136,675 tonnes. It's not unusual for copper, or indeed any major commodity, to become embroiled in a tug-of-war between what fundamentals are pointing to and what political risk is saying. Right now, copper seems to be paying more heed to signs of emerging tightness in the market than to the risks posed by the trade spat and a more general slowing of global growth. However, before becoming too bullish on copper, it's worth bearing in mind the industrial metal has a solid correlation with the China PMI, and the official measure has been trending weaker since May, and at 50.2 in October, was only barely above the 50-level that separates expansion from contraction. If the China PMI turns higher in coming months on the back of Beijing's stimulus, then copper's recovery should be confirmed. (Editing by Joseph Radford) Messaging: clyde.russell.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) By Polina Devitt and Christian Lowe MOSCOW, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Russian nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) plans to ramp up output over the next five years to tap an expected boom in demand from electric vehicle makers, its CEO and top shareholder Vladimir Potanin told Reuters. The company, which vies with Brazil's Vale to be the world's largest nickel producer, has been profitable for years thanks to its resource-rich Arctic operations, but output has been relatively stable due to a decline in metal content in ore and as it focused on revamping production facilities. Now, with nickel set to benefit from its use in batteries for electric vehicles, Potanin thinks the time is right to step up production, he said in an interview. The firm could lift nickel and copper output by 15 percent, and production of platinum group metals (PGMs) by 25 percent, by 2025 from 2017 levels if it launches two new projects. Nickel output alone could rise to 240,000 tonnes by 2025 from 210,000 tonnes in 2017. This 30,000 tonnes equates to about a third of Nornickel's estimate of the world's nickel deficit for 2019. The two projects being considered by Nornickel, which currently accounts for 23 percent of global high-grade nickel output and is the world's top palladium producer with the share of 40 percent, are the third stage of its Talnakh concentrator upgrade and South Cluster, which may start PGM production. These projects would require the company to raise capital expenditure (capex) by $1.3-1.5 billion to $10.5-11.5 billion in 2019-2022, Potanin said, adding he hoped Russia would support some of Nornickel's projects as part of the list of strategic projects which metals and mining companies are discussing with the government. Nornickel's current capex plan includes $6.5-7.5 billion for its base investment programme and $2.5 billion for its environmental programme. These programmes remain a priority, and are expected to add $1 billion to core earnings in 2019-2020 as well as boosting output of nickel and PGMs by up to 5 percent. If Nornickel goes ahead with the two new projects, Potanin said he would like to make sure the company's dividend payments are evenly distributed in the years of high investment, while remaining the same in total over the next 4-5 years. The environmental programme will peak in 2020-2021. He said there were no immediate plans to discuss dividends with aluminium giant Rusal, which holds 28 percent in Nornickel. Potanin owns a 34 percent stake. PARTNERSHIPS Potanin also said he planned to introduce the maximum amount of digital technology into Nornickel, which could help it get a bigger slice of the market to supply electric vehicles (EV). The company recently agreed to join forces with Germany's BASF in the European EV battery market, and could do more such partnerships in other markets, Potanin said, adding there were no concrete negotiations underway. Nornickel is also betting on palladium, used in emissions-reducing auto catalysts for gasoline cars, amid stricter emissions limits. Prices for palladium hit a record high in London on Friday. Nornickel and Russian Platinum, a company backed by Russian businessman Musa Bazhaev, are considering a joint project called Arctic Palladium, which could become one of the world's largest producers of PGMs. The cost - subject to a feasibility study which is not ready yet - could potentially reach $6 billion, and so it could require other partners, Potanin said. A decision is expected in the second half of 2019. (Reporting by Polina Devitt, Christian Lowe and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Mark Potter) Messaging: polina.devitt.reuters.com@reuters.net)) * As part of deal, BHP to pay about $390 mln in additional taxes* BHP Singapore hub was focus of long fight with Aus tax authority* Tax office says landmark deal sends strong message to others (Adds comment from investor, analyst, tax authority) By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - BHP on Monday said it had signed an agreement with Australia's tax authorities to settle a long-running dispute over the global miner's operations in Singapore. As part of the deal, the world's largest miner is paying a total of about A$529 million ($386.43 million) in additional taxes on income for 2003 to 2018, BHP said in a statement, adding that it had already paid A$328 million of that. The settlement removes a thorn from the side of BHP which alongside fellow miner Rio Tinto was accused of not paying its fair share of tax as governments cracked down on multinationals in the wake of the global financial crisis. Both companies denied the accusations. Tax authorities had been in dispute with both firms over the amount of Australian tax payable from sales of Australian commodities to their Singapore marketing businesses. "It's good to resolve, no admission of liability but small in the overall scheme for BHP," said Rohan Walsh, a Melbourne-based investment manager for Karara Capital. BHP had threatened court action after the Australian government earlier demanded it pay $767 million in back taxes and penalties. "This is an important agreement and we are pleased to resolve this longstanding matter," BHP CFO Peter Beaven said. Additionally, BHP will raise its stake in BHP Billiton Marketing AG, which is the main company conducting the miner's Singapore marketing business, to 100 percent from 58 percent. The change in ownership will make all profits made in Singapore from Australian assets owned by BHP fully subject to Australian tax, the miner added. "This is a landmark and precedential development in the execution of our marketing hubs strategy, and sends a strong signal to other industry participants," the Australian Tax Office (ATO) said in a statement. "Given the importance of mining and natural resources to the Australian economy, it is critical that exporters of Australian commodities, whether iron ore, coal, gas or other commodities, pay the correct tax in Australia on their profits." A spokesman for Rio Tinto said that its discussions with the ATO were ongoing and otherwise declined to comment. "(The deal) fully resolves the longstanding dispute ... with no admission of tax avoidance by BHP, and provides certainty in relation to the future taxation treatment," BHP said. ( = 1.3689 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Melanie Burton and Sonali Paul in Melbourne and ditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Joseph Radford) Messaging: Aditya.Soni.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. President Moon Jae-in, left, and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping shake hands during their talks in Papua New Guinea, Saturday. Yonhap The leaders of South Korea and China agreed to work closely together for the success of a possible second summit between the United States and North Korea during their talks in Papua New Guinea on Saturday, Seoul's presidential office said. President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met to discuss peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula and other issues on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the Pacific island country. "The two leaders judged that the second North Korea-U.S. summit and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un's visit to Seoul will mark a crucial turning point for the resolution of Korean Peninsula issues," Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon's spokesman, told reporters after the summit. Washington and Pyongyang have been seeking to arrange a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim to make progress in their lackluster negotiations on Pyongyang's denuclearization, though such efforts appear to have made little headway. Seoul has been expecting Kim to make an unprecedented trip to the South to reciprocate Moon's visit to Pyongyang in September for their third summit. The Moon-Xi summit came as the South Korean leader pushes to elicit international support to keep Pyongyang on a denuclearization track amid growing skepticism over the prospect of its nuclear disarmament. At the talks, Xi threw his support behind Moon's efforts to establish peace on the peninsula, saying China will continue to play a "constructive" role. Xi said he has received the North Korean leader's invitation to visit Pyongyang and that he is considering traveling to the North next year. Xi also expressed his intention to actively support the Koreas' push to jointly host the 2032 summer Olympics, saying that it will contribute to the development of cross-border relations and the establishment of peace, Moon's spokesman said. Commenting on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Korea's provisional government in China during Japan's colonial rule of the peninsula, Moon called for Beijing's continued interest and cooperation in preserving the historical sites of Koreans' independence movement. Xi said he would actively cooperate. The leaders also decided to actively pursue a project to repatriate the remains of Chinese forces that are thought to remain in Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War. They called the project a "symbolic" one that represents the improvement in bilateral relations and trust. In addition, they agreed to make joint efforts to tackle environmental issues, including fine dust pollution, and strive for progress in their negotiations over a bilateral free trade agreement to achieve a "mutually beneficial conclusion." Moon invited Xi to visit Seoul at an early date. Xi said in turn that he is willing to visit the South at a convenient time next year. Their latest summit started with an exchange of views on the ongoing peace efforts. "As the two countries' strategic interests of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia coincide, I hope we can cooperate more closely on the development of China-South Korea relations and the peace process on the peninsula," Moon said. Noting the opening of an "unprecedented era of peace" on the peninsula this year, Moon expressed his appreciation for Xi's "constructive role." The Chinese leader said in turn that bilateral cooperation on stabilizing the situation on the divided peninsula has been "very effective." "In terms of cooperating with neighboring countries, pursuing peace and safety on the peninsula and implementing an equal, fair order, China and South Korea have similar positions," Xi said. He then stressed the need to strengthen bilateral "strategic communication," which he said serves the two countries' shared interests. "We should continue to play a positive role in continuing to deepen the two countries' strategic communication and maintaining an enduring peace and prosperity in this region," he said. Observers anticipated that the two sides might discuss how to bridge the gap between Washington and Pyongyang in their nuclear negotiations. The North has sought U.S. concessions vis a vis its demands for a declaration of a formal end to the Korean War -- apparently as a way to guarantee its regime security -- and sanctions relief. But the U.S. has insisted that Pyongyang should first take concrete measures, such as a full declaration of its nuclear and missile programs, before any rewards could be given, particularly amid reports that the reclusive regime is continuing its weapons program. The two leaders last met in December, when Moon made a state visit to Beijing. Moon is set to return home Sunday. (Yonhap) The Rohingya Muslims have endured more than a year of savagery at the hands of the Myanmar military, which has burned their villages, killed and raped their people, and driven about 700,000 of them out of the country in what amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing. What refuge they could find has been in Bangladesh, in crowded camps near the seaside city of Cox's Bazar. Eager to move them out, Bangladeshi officials had planned with the Myanmar government to begin repatriating some Rohingya on Thursday, despite the strenuous objections of human rights groups that warned it wouldn't be safe. Those plans were put on hold when, not surprisingly, officials could find no one who wanted to return to the country where they had just been persecuted and tortured and had their homes destroyed. The repatriation efforts should not simply be paused; they should be abandoned until the Myanmar government, which has a shameful history of discrimination and violence against the Rohingya, reins in the military and provides for the Rohingya's safe return to their villages. And that does not include simply shuffling them from one miserable refugee camp in Bangladesh to another in Myanmar, where thousands of Rohingya already are forced to live in camps. According to reports from observers in Myanmar also known as Burma the government has been readying "transit camps" for Rohingya who return from Bangladesh. That's just wrong. People should be allowed to go back to their villages and housing should be rebuilt for them there. And they need the protection of United Nations or humanitarian-group monitors onsite. All this is part of an appalling humanitarian crisis that has long afflicted the stateless Rohingya, who have been denied citizenship in a country with a Buddhist majority population that resents their presence and considers them illegal immigrants. A deadly attack on several Myanmar government security posts by Rohingya rebels in August of 2017 set off the last epic round of violence. But the government's scorched earth response was orders of magnitude more brutal than the initial violence. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's continued refusal to condemn the military's campaign of violence and to safeguard the Rohingya is unconscionable and appalling to all who have revered the Nobel Peace Prize winner. When Vice President Mike Pence told Suu Kyi at a summit of Southeast Asian nations that the violence that drove the Rohingya out of Myanmar was "without excuse," Suu Kyi gave a bristly response. Amnesty International recently stripped her of its highest award, saying that she no longer was a courageous defender of human rights. She needs to show the world that she remembers how to be one. The above editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) I was an orphan. Sometimes when were telling stories we tend to exaggerate, even confabulate in some instances to make our stories more interesting. It cant be helped; people just want their tales to be as palatable and enjoyable as possible, or perhaps more sad. The wizard Gandalf in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, said, All good stories deserve embellishment, and I agree; however, I will try my best to tell this story with as little fluff as possible, to the full extent of my memory. I have had a very lucky life so far. I have experienced an incredible amount of good fortune from my earliest memory and I pray the universe continues to look out for me. There are three major strokes of luck that I can honestly account for and I will try to explain them to you as I understand them. The first time my luck was proven was when a random police officer named Warren Gustilo of Pasay City decided to go for a walk by the Philippine International Convention Center, along the Manila Bay. It just so happened that a naked little boy, unsupervised and carefree, was playing by the rocks around the same area. Concerned for this boy, as any good police officer (or any decent human being for that matter) would be, Warren decided to approach the boy and ask him about his parents. He said he had no parents. He had no relatives. He had no one. Warren decided to follow protocol, he took the boy in, dressed him in an oversized shirt and walked him into his station. "I feel no need to find out exactly who my parents are or where I came from because I believe that my past does not define me." I do not know how long I stayed at the station. It could have been hours, could have been days, weeks, but all I remember is that I felt small and cold but surprisingly not scared. These were police officers and they were the good guys. The year might have been 1996, maybe, I honestly can't tell you. The next thing I know, Warren was taking me to some womans house. He said he would take me home and that he needed me to stay with this woman for a while before he could take me to where he lives, Cavite. The woman, now that I think about it, was probably his mistress. I was told he had a few, I could attest for one. I cant remember the trip to Cavite. It would have taken hours and I was very young. I remember however, meeting Warrens wife, Nilda. She was suspicious at first; she looked at me funny. Warren had to explain to his wife why he was coming home with a 4- to 6-year-old boy. She wouldnt buy it at first but after asking me some questions she finally relented. And with that I was welcomed into the family, and boy what a big family it was. Warren took me to one side and told me I was now his son and I am now a Gustilo. *** I have very little memory of my childhood in Cavite. I clung on to the Gustilo family (Warren and Nilda had seven other kids) like a drowning cat and they accepted me well enough. Nilda asked me what my name was and I said Jovani. I do not know where I got the name, but that was the name I gave her and its the name I carry to this day. So now I had a name, a last name, and a family. Everything was going to be alright. I thought. My time in Cavite felt very long, at least three years. It wasnt until very recently that I found out I was only with them for seven months. During this time, I experienced and learned many things. Good and bad. We lived in a highly populated area that other people would have called a squatters area. For me, however, it was paradise. Sure, we were surrounded by drug dealers, users, and other unsavory individuals but this was the only home I had ever known. Warren only stayed in Cavite during the weekends, spending most of his days on duty in Pasay. He was, for the most part, a good father. He was kind and giving and pleasant but he also drank. And he drank a lot. It was during these drinking days that I experienced some truly scary things.Now I know Im making him sound like a monster but let me assure you he was a very good man; he just wasnt himself when he got drunk. He would beat us when he became agitated while drunk, and one time he chased one of the older boys with a 4x4 around the house in a fit of rage.One neighbor asked me one time how I felt while this was happening. I remember saying Im just glad it wasnt me. Other than those occasional outbursts, all was well in Cavite. The other Gustilo kids were very accepting and it made me feel at home. But I have to be honest, I never got attached. I guess this speaks a lot about my early development. A child psychiatrist would have been able to list down all the ways I became messed up by my experiences, but as a kid I remember just not being connected to all of them. I was distinctly aware, painfully aware, that this was not my family, that I was some kind of intruder. I was happy to have a family to call my own but I was never under any illusion that I was part of this family. I was simply, there. "I am honored and lucky that someone decided to rescue me and make something of me and give me opportunities I would never have had if they had not come along." During the summer of 1997 (at least I assume it was 97 because I went to school in Iloilo the next year in 98), the second stroke of luck happened in the form of my aunt and the woman who would truly become my mother. Tita Elma, an elementary civics teacher and her sister Tita Bernadette, a high school civics teacher, were travelling through Manila in one of their random excursions when on a whim they decided to visit their distant relative Warren in Cavite. It was out of the way and a tiring trip for two middle-aged women, but they also wanted to pay their respects since Warrens father had just died a few weeks prior. They spoke with Warren and I do not know what they were talking about but eventually Tita Elma approached me. A big imposing woman of 55 years, she said with a warm smile on her face, Sama ka sakin? Without hesitation, without a doubt in my heart, I said yes and immediately ran to collect my things. It was on that day that I could truly say I was born. *** I remember almost every detail since the day I went to Iloilo. It was as if I was finally being given things worth remembering. When I arrived in Iloilo, a birth certificate was made and my birthday was put as January 16, 1991, the same day as my aunt. My 7th birthday was my very first and at the same day, I was baptized. My aunt was a strict woman and on many occasions she found the need to discipline me severely, often harshly. In spite of this, I never developed any anger towards her, only love and a bit of fear. I knew she only did what she did because she loved me. Tita Elma wanted a house boy, a helper. The reason she took me in was so she could have someone to take care of her home as she became older. What she didnt expect was my good performance in school. I had good grades, I participated in many activities, and I excelled in them. It was here that our relationship began to change. I was not just a house boy anymore; I was becoming one of her children. Still, I was aware I wasnt really one of her children. It is why to this day, after 20 years, I still call her tita. I never asked for anything; instead, I found ways to earn money by doing extra work. I studied hard enough to earn scholarships so she didnt have to pay too much for my education. My aunt wanted me to be a seaman, but I hated the sea and I am incredibly inept in math. So I urged her to let me take up nursing instead and since I was able to score a scholarship she gave me her blessing to pursue my own course. Which brings me to my third stroke of luck. I met my fiancee in college and we have now been together since, living in New Zealand. I wonder about the validity of my story. I wonder if Ive made some things up. But recently, Nilda reached out to me and answered some of the questions I had and confirmed some of my suspicions. In spite of all this, I feel no need to dig any deeper. I feel no need to find out exactly who my parents are or where I came from because I believe that my past does not define me. I know this strange series of circumstances have affected me in some way, but I personally choose to appreciate the good fortune I have experienced instead of the many missing links in my childhood. The fact that I was adopted, an ampon, had been brought up many times by bullies who were trying to wound me. But it never did. I never felt bad about the fact that I was adopted. I am honored and lucky that someone decided to rescue me and make something of me and give me opportunities I never would have had if they had not come along. I was an orphan; I had no real parents, but throughout my life I have had four Warren and Nilda, Tita Elma and Tito Roming, her husband. These people may not have given me a past worth remembering but they gave me the tools to forge a future worth living, and I am grateful. I just hope more children get the same chance I did. All they need is a good person, a warm shirt, and a kind smile. Ouahigouya, Nov 19 (AFP) In Burkina Faso, a country struggling to contain jihadist violence, education is one of the victims of the insurgency, with hundreds of schools closed, teachers in hiding and pupils kept indoors over the fear of attacks. In the conflict-ridden north, more than three years of assaults and threats by radical Islamists have led to the closure of more than 300 schools, according to estimates, with the east of the West African nation now also seeing school closures. "They (the jihadists) are slowly killing education," said Kassoum Ouedraogo, who used to teach in a primary school in the small town of Nenebouro, near the border with Mali. One of his colleagues was murdered in 2016 and last year teachers felt the security threat was so dangerous that they shut the school. Ouedraogo moved to the northern regional capital Ouahigouya where, he says, he "lives with fear in his stomach". "They do not want 'French' schools... they want schools in Arabic," he said, describing how teachers have been threatened by Islamists angry about "Western-style" education. "(I used to) stay with villagers so that they could not find me so easily," Ouedraogo said, who considered the accommodation provided by the school unsafe. Burkina Faso is part of the vast Sahel region, which has turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, the Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. Despite international efforts to create a transnational anti-jihadist military operation, named the G5 Sahel force, the situation is getting worse. A recent report submitted to the UN Security Council warned that security had "deteriorated rapidly over the last six months" in the area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, with attacks spreading to eastern Burkina Faso. According to an official report in September, 229 people have been killed in Islamist attacks in Burkina Faso since 2015 - including three major assaults on the capital Ouagadougou. Another teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said jihadists attacks and destroyed his school. "One day, armed men arrived in the village. Some students ran to warn me and we went into the bush to hide. The men shot at the doors of the school, then they burned everything inside," the teacher told AFP, declining even to name the region of the attack. In the eastern town of Matiakoali, a dozen schools were forced to close at the end of October due to threats of violence, teachers and local security forces said. Jihadists had visited mosques in nearby villages and warned that the staff had to leave, a teacher said on condition of anonymity. "The teachers from neighbouring villages got together and we decided to leave," he said, explaining that they moved to other cities for safety. The growing boldness of jihadist fighters in the former French colony reflects the government's apparent inability to protect its citizens across vast stretches of the country. Teachers and unions warn that thousands of children face years without access to schools unless the government steps up the fight against the growing terror. "The situation is worrying. More than a dozen secondary schools have closed... hundreds of primary schools. There are many places where there are no schools," said Yssa Kintiga from F-Synter union. "The state must give itself the means to ensure security so that all children have access to education," Kintiga added. In one of the world's poorest countries that is proving hard to do. France has a 4,500-member military mission in the Sahel and is backing Burkina Faso and other members of the G5 Sahel group to improve security but it has had funding issues. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Ouagadougou last month and announced a 30 million euro (USD 34 million) "Three Borders" aid package for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to help spur development. The money is seen as essential for easing the conditions which have allowed the jihadist insurgencies to thrive. But optimism is hard to find with a French diplomatic source warning of a "very long" anti-terrorist fight. "People are no longer going to school, the administration has fled," said Ly Boukary, teacher and member of NGO Balai Citoyen, but added that the situation could improve. (AFP) MRJ (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jhansi, November 19: The opening ceremony of the tenth Indo-Russian Joint Exercise, INDRA 18 was held on Monday at the Babina Military Station of Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district. Contingents of both the nations came together for the opening ceremony in the presence of senior officials from both the sides. There was a flypast of Army Aviation helicopters which carried the national flags of both the participating nations during the parade. During the joint military exercise, the officials from both the sides interacted and also familiarised with each other. The aim of the joint military exercise is to enhance the connection of both the militaries with each other in the peacekeeping and enforcement environment under the aegis of the United Nations. Joint Military Drill with Pakistan and Russia Has Reinforced Ties Between Armies of the Two Countries: Gen Qamar Bajwa. The opening ceremony for the INDRA 18 was scheduled for November 18 but was later postponed to November 19. The eleven-day military drill focuses on familiarising two military and tactical level operations in a counter-insurgency environment in semi-urban terrain. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 06:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Chandigarh, November 19: Aam Aadmi Party MLA HS Phoolka issued an apology on Monday, a day after blaming Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat for the blast in Amritsar which claimed 3 lives and left at least 15 injured. Phoolka said the media had misinterpreted his remarks, and the target of his criticism was the ruling Congress and not the Army chief. "My statement has been totally misunderstood. Please see the full video, the whole statement was actually against the Congress, and not against the respected Army Chief. Still, it was an inadvertent comment and I regret it," Phoolka told news agency ANI. What Phoolka Had Earlier Said About the Army Chief? On Sunday, hours after the terror attack targeting the Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Rajasansi village, Phoolka was quoted by sections of the media claiming that the Army chief would had orchestrated the blast to validate his recent statements. "Army Chief Bipin Rawat had come to Punjab and had said that the state is in danger of terrorist attack. It is possible that he might have ordered the blast so that his statement is not proved wrong," he reportedly said. Amritsar Grenade Attack Appears to be 'Terrorist Act', Say Punjab Police; Two Suspects Arrested. Notably, Gen Rawat has sounded a cautionary note on multiple occasions over the past month, claiming that efforts are being made from across the border to revive the Khalistan insurgency movement in the froontier state. Phoolka's remarks drew condemnation from the ruling Congress, as well as the BJP and the Akali Dal, charging the AAP of practicing "anti-national" politics. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 10:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Lucknow, November 19: After narrowing the gap between the winner and the prime challenger in Amethi Lok Sabha seat to its lowest in the past three decades, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani has launched an extravagant campaign in the Nehru-Gandhi family bastion to defeat Congress president Rahul Gandhi next year. On a day when Irani is scheduled to visit the constituency to dedicate development projects worth nearly Rs 80 crore, Gandhi attempted to counter her campaign blitz by reaching out to the farmers of Amethi with "Israeli banana plants". Smriti Irani Sends 10,000 Sarees as 'Gift' in Rahul Gandhi's Seat Amethi. Congress leader Nadeem Ashraf, who has been distributing the special Grand Nain G9 variety of banana plants to the farmers, said the move is aimed doubling the agrarian income of the region. The G9 variety, imported from Israel, are yielding banana plants with greater market value. Not only can they be harvested within a year of planting, the fruit is considered to taste better than the native varieties. It could also be stored for a comparatively longer period. Ashraf said the banana plants have been sent by Rahul Gandhi for distribution in the constituency. Unlike the BJP, he added, the Gandhi family "has never promoted" what it does on regular basis for the farmers, workers, youth and poor section of Amethi and Rae Bareli. Political observers in Amethi are, however, quick to point out that the banana plant distribution came days after Irani generated a buzz in the constituency by sending sarees for women on the occasion of Diwali. According to BJP leader Govind Singh, the Congress will face an unprecedented setback in 2019 when "their bastion would be finally eroded". Irani, he said, is reaching out to Amethi residents despite losing in 2014. On the other hand, "the elected lawmaker (Gandhi)" has taken electorate for granted, Singh alleged. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 05:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Kolkata, November 19: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and discussed the formation of a grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan) of opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabah elections. After the meeting, both Naidu and Banerjee said opposition parties will come together to take on the BJP. "We had a good discussion. Democracy is in danger, all institutions are under a threat. We want to meet before the parliament session. All those who are opposing BJP will come together and chalk out the future course of action," Naidu, who is trying to bring all opposition parties under one roof, said. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president reiterated that a grand alliance against the BJP is a democratic compulsion. Chandrababu Naidu Meets Rahul Gandhi To 'Save Democracy', Grand Alliance Talks Gains Momentum. Naidu also said there is intolerance towards minorities in the country and autonomy of independent institutions like the CAG and RBI are threatened. He has met several leaders of different opposition parties including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conferences Farooq Abdullah, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and DMK president M K Stalin. After a meeting with Naidu, Mamata Banerjee said: "We are totally together. We will walk against the BJP government to save democracy. We'll meet before the parliament session and chalk out future plan." When asked who will be the face of the grand alliance in 2019, the Trinamool Congress chief said everyone will be the face of the Mahaghathbandhan, adding that all opposition parties are together in the fight against the BJP. Naidu has been trying to mobilise all opposition parties to form a front after TDP pulled out of BJP-led NDA in March this year. On Friday, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal state governments had withdrawn the consent to the CBI, accusing the Modi government of misusing the agency against the opposition parties. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 06:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Pune, November 19: The number which propped in letters exchanged by suspected naxals belongs to Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, confirmed the Pune police on Monday. Officials privy to the probe, while speaking to reporters, said Digvijaya could soon be summoned for interrogation for his alleged Maoist links. The letters, seized by Pune police during the Bhima Koregaon raids, revealed the alleged collusion between members of the banned CPI (Maoist) and a section of political leaders, activists and civil society. In an earlier set of letters, the police had also unearthed a purported plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Digvijaya's name propping up in the naxal letters is likely to provide fodder to the ruling BJP to lambaste the Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. The party had, on earlier occasions as well, reiterated the "anti-national" charge against the senior Congress leader, accusing him of "sympathising with extremist elements among the minorities". In the run-up to the upcoming polls, Digvijaya had claimed that he deliberately skips election rallies as "the Congress loses votes when I speak". "I only have one work; no publicity, no speeches. Congress loses votes with my speeches, which is why I don't attend rallies," he had said on October 16. However, the former Madhya Pradesh CM ended up hitting the campaign trail, with the most recent public meeting addressed by him on Sunday in Indore. Launching a sharp attack against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Digvijaya said, "Shivraj ji often describes my 10-year-rule as the worst ever. I am challenging him for an open debate to compare my 10-year government with his 15 years of rule." (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 12:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The hangover for Savyasachi does not cease to leave newlyweds Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh! The couple, who recently hosted a lavish destination wedding at Lake Como, Italy, have been very rigid with their choice of a fashion designer. Unlike how some celebrities would opt for different styles and designers for their wedding extravaganza, DP and Ranveer stayed loyal to their designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. How do we know? Well, we have been stalking them (in a non-creepy way) or rather tracking their wedding like vultures so we'd know. Deepika and Ranveer respected both their cultures and ethnicities to come up with an ideal wedding plan. They held a quaint Konkani style wedding but also kept a Sindhi style wedding to please both the sides of the family. Of course, mehendi and sangeet were also held because who doesn't like more ceremonies?! Point being, they spent lavishly on a lot of things. However, the one person who stayed with them through all their functions was none other than their fashion designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Right from the sangeet to the wedding to even when they returned back to Mumbai as a married couple, they stayed true to the threads woven by Sabya. Check out pictures of all their ceremonies and how the designer did a good job with their wedding attire. Deepika Padukone's pre-wedding puja (Pic Credit: Shaleena Nathani Instagram) Deepika Padukone as a Sindhi bride. Picture Courtesy Instagram Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. (Photo Credits: Twitter) The couple has arrived back in Mumbai and is preparing for the next step after marriage, a star-studded reception in Mumbai! We hear many Bollywood celebrities will be attending their wedding soiree. And surely, Sabyasachi is going to design their reception looks as well, if we're not wrong. Can't wait! Stay tuned! (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2018 10:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai/Chennai, November 19: On the occasion of Ekadashi, liquor shops will remain closed in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra. The single-day ban on sale is enforced by the administration to respect the sentiments of Hindu believers who consider the day auspicious and may deem it derogatory or inappropriate if alcohol is openly purchased and consumed. Similarly, the administration in Chennai has issued an order prohibiting the sale of alcohol on November 21 -- when Muslims will celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Eid-e-Milad 2018 Celebrations: Procession to be Taken Out Under Drone Surveillance in Lucknow. As per the order issued by the Chennai Collectorate, all Tasmac liquor shops, along with bars and fine dine lounges, will face penal action if they sell alcohol. The bars attached to restaurants must remain completely shut on Wednesday, said Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram. List of Dry Days of 2018 in India: Check Dates When Alcohol is Not For Sale. Since the Indian society is largely rooted in conservatism, with all major religions of the world being practiced on the nation's soil, the government resorts to measures which protect the sentiments of believers. Dry days -- 'days when sale of liquor is banned' -- are observed on dates of major festivals, along with the birth anniversaries of founding fathers of our nation. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 01:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). That Donald Trumps presidency has turned American foreign policy on its head in many arenas has not been good news, but the one front that his administration has corrected course is the countrys relation with Pakistan. And the President is sticking with his decision of withdrawing the U.S.s massive military aid to Islamabad. In an exclusive interview with Fox News, during which Trump spoke on a range of topics, he lashed out at Pakistan, saying They dont do a damn thing for us. He spoke about the capture and killing of former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US Marines as one of the key reasons for the suspension of aid. He said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I dont know, Ive seen nicer," Trump said, obviously referring to the massive bungalow that bin Laden was housed in the garrison city of Abbottabad, Pakistan. The compound was demolished by Pakistani officials after the world came to know about Osama bin Ladens sanctuary house after it was breached in a late-night helicopter raid, in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year . ... [bin Laden] lived in Pakistan, were supporting Pakistan, were giving them $1.3 billion a year -- which we dont give them anymore, by the way. I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us," Trump said. Pakistan has historically been among the top recipients of aid by US governments to foreign countries - since 1948, the U.S. has provided Islamabad with more than US $40 billion in direct aid. Nearly half of this has been for military assistance. However, since Osama bin Laden was discovered and killed in Abbottabad in 2011, the Obama Administration cut down its aid which was suspended by Trump. However, Trump got onto the topic of Pakistan when he was questioned about the criticism leveled against him by the Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the operation against the Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. McRaven has criticised Trump for the US President's repeated attacks against the news media, saying, "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands." Trump during his interview lashed out at Admiral McRaven saying bin Laden should have been killed sooner. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 05:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Washington, November 19: US President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent the "greatest threat" to democracy, the retired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein, has said. William McRaven's remarks on Sunday came after Trump derided the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer". Trump also suggested that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump told Fox news. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," McRaven said. McRaven oversaw the May 2011 covert raid of the US Navy Seals which killed former Al-Qaeda leader bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. He also supervised the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his 37 years in the US military. American Media Dying to See Me Make Mistake, Says US President Donald Trump. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven told CNN, referring to remarks he made about Trump last year. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands," he said. Trump coined the term 'Fake News' during his presidential campaign, targeting media houses and has been repeatedly using it for "biased" news coverage. The term is now popularly related to news one does not agree with. He has also announced the 'Fake News Awards' for the "very corrupt and dishonest" press for "bad reporting". McRaven's comments escalated a war of words that began last year when McRaven called Trump's description of the news media as the "enemy of the people" the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, the US President "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell pointed out on Twitter that McRaven's forces had nothing to do with locating bin Laden. Morrell said it was the CIA that did the "finding" and McRaven's forces that did the "getting", moving out within days of receiving the order. The president's remarks about McRaven came amid broader questions about Trump's relationship with military matters. During a recent trip to France, the president did not attend a ceremony commemorating the centenary of World War I because of the rain, with the White House saying his helicopter couldn't fly in the inclement weather and a motorcade would have caused too much traffic. Trump also has been criticised by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. He, however, said he was planning to visit the two countries. "I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of - obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said in an interview. Washington, November 19: An Indian-origin professor in the US compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a daily said. The Kansas City Star daily in a report on Sunday said that it had found that over professor Ashim Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, his students hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. The claims were made by nearly a dozen of Mitra's former students. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the newspaper that he considered his life at UMKC as "nothing more than modern slavery". UTSC Professor Plays Hardcore Porn in Class! Watch Video of Students Reacting After Watching XXX Clip. "Slavery" to Kuchimanchi meant bailing putrid water from Mitra's basement after a flood and serving food at the professor's Indian cultural celebrations off campus. The students' complaints were corroborated by Mitra's former colleagues, who told the daily that they saw the students performing menial tasks off campus or heard their complaints. A few colleagues repeatedly told the professor his actions were improper, yet nothing changed. According to allegations in pending litigation, the University not only knew about Mitra's behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because he was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. A student who earned her doctorate at the UMKC pharmacy school in 2013 told The Star that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, also from India, has sued Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court - one in 2016 and one in 2018. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. Mitra has denied the allegations. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 03:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Da Nang, November 19: President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind visited the Museum of Cham sculpture in the city of Da Nang on Monday morning on the second day of his three-day visit to Vietnam. The first couple also visited the My Son temple sanctuary that dates from the 4th to the 13th CE. This is the first visit to Da Nang by an Indian President after India established diplomatic relations with Vietnam. With the civilisational connect that Da Nang has with India, it's a wonder that this region hadn't found more importance with Indians both in government and tourism sectors. The Vietnamese people trace their roots back to 192 AD when the indigenous Cham people lived an Indian cultural way of life. The Dua clan ruled Cham or Champa dynasty and several temple ruins and monuments depict the rich cultural heritage of that period. (The giant Shiv Linga with the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita carved on its base) (Holy bull Nandin - the faithful attendant and emblem of Lord Shiva) (Yaksa - Nature spirit portrayed in Indian arts) The city of Indrapura now called Dong Duong was the capital of the Champa Kingdom from 875 to about 1000 AD. The museum which the Indian first couple visited has many artefacts that have been recovered from that region. There are as many as 500 artefacts displayed, but the most treasured among all is the idol of Goddess Tara. (Bodhisattva Tara) While usually a replica of goddess Tara is placed for the visitors, the original one was displayed today for the President's visit. No Hookah Bars in Punjab as President Ram Nath Kovind Okays Bill; Becomes 3rd State After Maharashtra and Gujarat to Impose Ban. President Ram Nath Kovind and the Indian delegation also witnessed a cultural programme showcasing Cham music and dance. #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/THWzOOVoRK ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 (Temple foundation element) (Goddess of Wealth, Laksmi) (Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera and Isana - The deities who rule the specific directions of space) In Da Nang was also the ancienty city (ANCIENT CITY) of Singhapura (City of the Lion - not to be confused with the modern Singapore) in the valley of My Son where a number of spectacular temple ruins and towers are carefully protected and can be viewed. The President and his wife spent the better part of an hour visiting the monuments. (Garuda - The holy bird) (Garuda devouring Naga) The Archaelogical Survey of India began with the conservation and restoration of the Cham monuments at the UNESCO world heritage at My Son at the end of February 2017. The first part of the project involved excavating and preserving many artefacts. Scores of terracotta and stone works of art ranging from the 7th to 15 centuries are displayed at the museum. Some of these sculptures are considered as master pieces of their time. Idols and depictions of holy animals are clear pointers to the worship of Krishna Vishnu and Maheshwara. Shaivite Hinduism remained dominant in this region till the advent of Budhism in 4th century CE. Sanskrit inscriptions are visible in many places in the temple complex. Each temple cluster has one main temple called the 'kalan'. (Lord Vishnu) (Dancing Lord Shiva) Champapura's or My Son's stone and red brick temples are remarkable in their elaborate iconography and delicate sculptures which has withstood the ravages of time and wars that raged in this region. Conservation and restoration of the My Son monuments began much before ASI came into the picture. In the early 20th century French archaelogists began work here but damages took place during World War II, the the two Indo-China wars and episodic climatic conditions like floods and humidity. After the unification of Vietnam in 1975, restoration work again took effect. The government of Vietnam has listed My Son as one of the 23 important special national heritages. So what really happened to the Champa or Cham people? Today most of the Cham people adhere to Islam, having converted around the 10th century. The Kings of Indrapura fought many wars with Dai Viet dynasty which finally led to the killing of the Cham King Parameshvaravarman. The dynasty perished and the Dai Viet rulers annexed most of Cham territories by the 15th century. The red brick temples stayed on though. The Cham rulers were great sea farers of their time controlling the trade in spices and silk all the way from China to the Indonesian archipelago right up till India. Language culture and tradition linked all the countries in that route. At My Son, King Bhadravarman established a linga called the Bhadreshwara, establishing Shaivaite form of worship as a dominant cultural phenomenon that continued for several centuries. Some of the cities of the Cham dynasty are Amravati, Vijaya, Indrapura, Kauthara and Panduranga.all in modern day Vietnam. Now they have different names and an amalgamation of various cultures. The President and entourage also witnessed a cultural programme showcasing Cham music and dance. An all-party meeting called by Sri Lankas President Maithripala Sirisena to try and end the political stalemate gripping the country failed to breach the political impasse. The meeting was held between Sirisena, the sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the newly sworn in Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The trio met on Sunday for more than two hours at the president's office in Colombo, but it did not achieve any result. Speaking to reporters after Sunday's meeting, Lakshman Kiriella, a legislator from Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP), said the party told the president "we can show majority again", but he "showed no interest". No breakthrough at so called all party meeting with Pres @MaithripalaS now. They want to drag impasse along giving lame excuses of procedure as #FakePM does NOT have 113. What a damn shame, taking #SriLanka down for your political survival. Go, MR Go. For Gods sake Go! #CoupLK pic.twitter.com/ef1cKJU7aP Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) November 18, 2018 However, Sirisena contradicted this statement and said he would only accept a no-confidence motion if a vote was "taken by name of members or by electronic voting". A voice vote, though technically legal, was not acceptable on such an important matter as it lacked transparency, he added. He also said all parties had agreed that future parliamentary proceedings will be "conducted peacefully". Wickremesinghe has said Sri Lanka needs "stability" and that he was ready to work with Sirisena despite the personality clash that triggered the constitutional crisis. But the President was reportedly frosty with the deposed leader during the all-party meet. Sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe has demanded a vote of no-confidence against Rajapaksa but Rajapaksas supporters have disrupted proceedings and not allowed the vote to happen. A voice vote conducted by the Speaker of the Parliament saw Wickremesinghes no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa get 122 votes in the 225-member house which means Rajapaksa does not have the majority to form the government. However, Rajapaksas supporters have resorted to brawling in the parliament, with loyalist MPs smashing furniture, throwing chilli powder and projectiles at opposition members in a bid to disrupt the second no-confidence motion against him. The all-party meeting also came after the Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya announced on Friday, November 16 that he would recognise neither Wickremesinghe nor Rajapaksa as premier. Which officially leaves Sri Lanka with no government in place. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 06:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). - An APC chieftain has been killed by some gunmen on the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Road in Abuja - Benjamin Imeogu was shot five times in the chest at a close range by the assailants - He was in the company of his wife and three children who were also injured when the incident occurred A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Benjamin Imeogu, has been killed by some unknown gunmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Punch reports that Imeogu, the chairman of APC panel on the conduct of National Assembly primaries in the FCT was shot five times on the chest at a close range along Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Road, Abuja, around 9.30 pm on Thursday, November 15. The victim was said to be in the company of his wife and three children when the incident occurred. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda It was also gathered that the attackers injured Imeogu's wife and one of his children as they received gunshots with bullets piercing their stomachs. However, the other two children escaped with minor injuries. The politicians remains have been deposited at the National Hospitals morgue, while his wife and son are battling for their lives at an undisclosed hospital. Although it can not be readily ascertained whether the attack was connected to the Abuja Municipal Area Council elections which Imeogu participated as the chairman of the electoral committee, members of the Transforming Church, Galadimawa, Abuja, where he worshiped have been paying tributes to the late politician. Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson for the FCT police command DSP Anjuguri Manzah, promised to provide an update on the attack on Imeogu and his family. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that some gunmen attacked Tonye Cole, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers state, on Saturday, November 17. Cole in a statement said he, narrowly escaped death from the hands of some unknown assassins. He said the attackers opened fire on his team while they were carrying out ward-to-ward consultation in the community. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper - A 21-year-old student has been arrested by the Police for killing her baby after delivery - The student is currently being questioned by the police to ascertain the motive behind her action which allegedly took place on Saturday, November 17 - It was gathered that the incident occurred at Royal Lodge, Agbani, Nkanu west local government area of Enugu state The police in Enugu state have arrested a 21-year-old student for allegedly killing her baby soon after delivery. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the spokesman for the police command in Enugu State, SP Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement on Sunday said the suspect, Sandra Dimbo, allegedly carried out the action at Royal Lodge, Agbani, Nkanu west local government area, on Saturday, November 17. It was gathered that the mother of the late infant was said to have given birth to the baby on Nov. 17 and allegedly killed the child immediately after birth inside her room before the arrival of neighbours. READ ALSO: APC will make positive impact in Kwara in 2019 - Lai Mohammed It was further gathered that on that fateful day, the cry of a baby was heard in the suspects room which attracted neighbours to her room but they could not gain access until they forced themselves in. The neighbours only discovered after gaining access into the room that the baby that was delivered had been allegedly killed by the mother, he said. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Amaraizu said that full scale investigation had commenced into the incident, adding that the suspect was helping the police in their investigations. The dead body of the baby was also recovered by police operatives, he said. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Benjamin Imeogu, has been killed by some unknown gunmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Imeogu, the chairman of APC panel on the conduct of National Assembly primaries in the FCT was shot five times on the chest at a close range along Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Road, Abuja, around 9.30 pm on Thursday, November 15. The victim was said to be in the company of his wife and three children when the incident occurred. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Lagos Police Commissioner Parades Suspected Criminals (Nigeria News) | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Abudu Balogun has spoken on the crisis rocking Ogun state chapter of APC - Balogun who represented Ijebu north/Ijebu east waterside federal constituency blamed Governor Amosun over crisis that the party is currently experiencing in the state - He, however, urged the governor to face his duty rather than getting involved in party administration Abudu Balogun has blamed Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, over the crisis rocking the state chapter of All Progressives Congress. Balogun represented Ijebu north/Ijebu east/Ogun waterside federal constituency at the Green Chamber between 2011 and 2015, on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria which later merged with other parties to form the APC made this known in an interview with Daily Sun. Balogun said: ''Well, crisis is a very large word to use. I will say that there is a disagreement within the party. In politics we disagree to agree. What led to this disagreement? For me, I will not blame any other person than my governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and what he did is also universal with most governors presently serving in the country. READ ALSO: APC will make positive impact in Kwara in 2019 - Lai Mohammed ''Until we are able to take the hands of the governors off party administration in the country, we will continue to have these problems. ''I think it is an aberration that the governors are called the leaders of the party in their states. I believe that governors, just like other office holders, should face their duties, rather than getting involved in party administration. ''Party administration, should be left with the party administrators as it was done in the days of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda ''The disagreement was caused by the high-handedness of some of our governors, particularly my own governor. A lot of people are looking at it from the last primaries, but I will take it from the congresses.'' Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the governor of Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun, denied the rumour that he planned to defect the ruling APC to another party due to the recent alleged shoddy primary election held in the state. He said the report was the figment of imagination of the writers. A statement from commissioner for information and strategy in the state, Otunba Dayo Adeneye, saying Amosun wondered how he could be expected to quit a house he jointly built with other patriots. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. APC Is The Worst Party in Nigeria, I Regret Being a Member | Legit TV: Source: Legit.ng - A PDP senator from Bauchi has predicted the outcome of the 2019 presidential election - Senator Bwacha who also Senate deputy minority leader said the PDP has a greater chance of winning the presidential election if the election is free and fair - He also added that the major opposition party had 70% chances of winning elections in most part of the country Senate deputy minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP-Taraba South), has expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win the forthcoming 2019 presidential election. Bwacha, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, November 18, in Abuja, said PDP had 70% chances of winning elections in most part of the country. The PDP has a greater chance of winning the Presidential Election in 2019 if it is a free and fair election. READ ALSO: APC will make positive impact in Kwara in 2019 - Lai Mohammed The matter is beyond President Muhammadu Buhari as an individual because the electorate will vote people on the basis of who they are and their performance in office, Bwacha said. He said the chances of any elected official to be returned depended largely on how the electorate feels about them, saying that elected officials were supposed to be the messengers of the people. Bwacha said that there was no secret between him and the people of Taraba South senatorial district, saying that is my staying power and I have become a phenomenon in my district. For instance, I have a scholarship scheme that has been running since 2003 and of course the youth empowerment scheme that I run to strengthen youths who have interest in farming. This I do through the provision of farm implements. I have made available some tractors to them and it is yielding result because prior to the party nomination, a number of them actually contributed money to purchase my primary nomination form. This is outside of other areas like the health sector, construction and employment opportunities. Basically we are doing our best to ensure that we leave our footprints on the sands and to the glory of God we are touching the lives of our people. He said that as part of efforts to boost agricultural activities in Taraba state, he sponsored a bill for the establishment of the National Institute for Soil Science in the state. The lawmaker said that the institute had since been established and it was contributing immensely to agricultural development in the state. Similarly, the Federal University we have in Taraba has gone through some couple of challenges. The legislation that brought it in place suffered some setback and I had to bring back the bill to ensure that I get it going, he said. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: A letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the presidency said the electoral victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, November 17 in three states is a sign of things to come in the 2019 elections. APC swept the three federal constituencies in Katsina, Kwara, and Bauchi states in the bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Malam Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, in a statement sent to journalists on Sunday, November 18, said the APC victory in the three states had shattered any assumptions of a PDP return to power in 2019. According to him, the APC victory should be a blow for the PDP campaigners who have maintained that by merely claiming that they have rebranded, Nigerians will have forgotten all the mess they left behind in 2015. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have updated to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - APC chairman in Cross Rivers state, Mathew Achigbe, has been reported dead - He died in a motor accident along Afikpo road in Ebonyi state on Sunday, November 18 - The late APC chairman's family members described him as a principled leader and a strong admirer of President Muhammadu Buhari The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross Rivers state, Mathew Achigbe, has been reported dead. Channels TV reports that Jerry, son of the late Achigbe, said on Sunday, November 18, that his father died in an auto crash along Afikpo road in Ebonyi state. Legit.ng gathered that his family members described him as a principled leader and a strong admirer of President Muhammadu Buhari. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda They also appealed to the national leaders of the APC to assist in keeping Achigbes dream alive even after his death. The news of Achigbes death came a day to the official kickoff of political campaigns for parties. He had vowed to ensure victory for in the coming polls. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Moses Adeoye, the treasurer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti, was shot dead by unknown gunmen suspected to be hired assassins who stormed his residence in Otun, Moba local government area, Ekiti on Wednesday, October 17. It was reported that a source who spoke to the press, said the gunmen didnt take any of his valuables or properties. READ ALSO: Crisis rocking PDP in Plateau deepens over Jeremiah Useni's running mate Confirming the incident, Caleb Ikechukwu, Ekiti state police public relations officer, said an investigation had commenced on the matter. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | - on Legit TV Source: Legit - Nigerians have been advised to use the N30,000 minimum wage as a bargaining tool for the 2019 general elections - The advice was issued by a coalition of 400 civil rights organisations under the aegis of Transition Monitoring Group - The group says any public servant who cannot pay workers should have no business in governance As the debate for the N30,000 minimum wage continues to generate controversy, a coalition of 400 civil rights organisations under the aegis of Transition Monitoring Group has advised Nigerian workers to use it as a bargaining tool for the 2019 general elections. Punch reports that the group expressed concern over the irregular payment of salaries by state governments, describing it as a recipe to vote-buying and threat to free and fair elections in 2019. Legit.ng gathers that the chairman of TMG, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, who stated this on Friday, November 16, during the opening ceremony of a two-day dialogue session on citizens' charter of demands, said any public servant who could not pay workers should have no business in governance. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda She said: The dialogue is part of the meeting we are having from zone to zone to get the views of Nigerians on what they expect from people who are contesting the 2019 general elections. We are developing the citizens charter for the 36 states in Nigeria and we are having the seven states in the North West together in Abuja. One of the issues we realised among the states visited by TMG is that in all of the states, they are a critical mass and any candidate who wants a free and fair election should contend with the workers. So, we feel that any public servant who cannot pay workers should have no business in governance. That is the truth of the matter because the reason why general hospitals are dying and education is collapsing is that workers are not being adequately supported by the government. What is N18,000 minimum wage? "How can workers be collecting less than $50 for one month and most of these people have average of four children. It will be irresponsible for any government not to prioritise the welfare of workers. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that labour leaders on Saturday, November 17, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to be misled by some governors on the new minimum wage demand by Nigerian workers. Speaking during a working visit to Ado Ekiti, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, said there was no going back on the amount submitted to the federal government by labour. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He described the threat by governors that paying N30,000 as minimum wage would result to retrenchments as mere distraction by the governors on the issue. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Minimum Wage: Is N30,000 Too Much for FG to Pay Workers? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit TV Source: Legit - Moji Adeyeye, the director general of NAFDAC, says 23 numbers of 40-feet containers were confiscated with tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg - Adeyeye says the seized tramadol has an estimated street value of about N1.9 billion on an average cost of N1.5 million per carton - The director general says the seizure will help protect millions of youths from hazards of drug addiction which pose danger the nation The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has said that 23 numbers of 40-feet containers suspected to contain tramadol from India has been blocked from entry into the country. A statement by the NAFDAC director general, Moji Adeyeye, stated that this followed a joint examinations of containers at the Apapa Port, Lagos, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. She said the inspection was coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on November 14, and November 15, 2018. READ ALSO: Why we can't arrest Oshiomhole over coruption allegation - EFCC Adeyeye said that the 23 containers were part of the 86 under the agencys watch list since November 2017. She noted that the blockage was an outcome of previous communications with the comptroller general of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in September 2018. The 23 of the 40ft containers examined so far were loaded with Tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg. Tramadol and other unregistered pharmaceutical products are known to be injurious to the health of the public, most importantly our youth. She added that 321,146 cartons of other unregistered pharmaceutical products were equally discovered. Adeyeye noted that the examined containers consist of 128,922 cartons of high strength of tramadol (120mg, 200mg, 225mg & 250mg), estimated at N6.4 billion. We are pleased that the good working relationship with the NCS, the support received from all its commands and other government establishments along the West Coast of Africa has contributed to the success recorded so far, she said. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app According to her, the worth of the tramadol alone on the street is estimated to be at about N1.9 billion on an average cost of N1.5 million per carton. Prevention of these dangerous drugs from entering into the Nigerian markets would protect millions of youths from hazards of drug addiction which can pose threat to families, Nigerian workforce and the security of the nation at large. Of course this would have increased the number of casualties from insurgency, armed robbery and other social vices which are known to be the aftermath effect of use of illicit drugs, the director general stated. READ ALSO: Gunmen kill Abuja APC chieftain, injure wife, 3 children Adeyeye said that NAFDAC would work with all other relevant agencies to ensure that Nigeria is not a market for unwholesome pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs. She expressed NAFDACs commitment to ensuring that the health of the public was properly safeguarded at all times and to remain a customer-focused agency. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized drugs worth seven million naira in Gombe state after its joint operatives from Abuja headquarters and the federal operations unit, Zone D, Bauchi, raided a warehouse in Gombe state. The comptroller, federal operations unit, Zone D, Peters Olugboyega, disclosed this while handing over the drugs to the NDLEA, at the zonal headquarters in Bauchi state, Punch reports. He informed journalists present that the command seized 840 packets of tramadol (120mg) and 4,437 packets of diazepam valued at N7,350,000. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Customs Seize N1bn Worth of Codeine: Importation of Fairly-Used Bags, Shoes Banned | Legit.ng Source: Legit.ng News - The ruling APC in Kwara state has lost five members to a ghastly motor accident - The dead members were said to have been on their way to a rally in Oro to celebrate the partys victory in the Saturdays bye-election - An FRSC official said that over speeding and dangerous driving were suspected to have played major roles in the accident Five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were confirmed dead in a ghastly motor accident a few meters to Oke-Onigbin, a Kwara suburb, on the Omu-Aran-Ilorin highway on Sunday, November 18. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the APC members and some party executives of Irepodun local government area of the state were on their way to Oro for a rally. NAN gathered that the rally in Oro, the hometown of the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was meant to celebrate the outcome of Saturdays bye-election which the partys candidate, Raheem Olawuyi won. READ ALSO: Breaking: Atiku launches campaign in Abuja (video) The vehicles conveying the party members, a Nissan Previa with registration number BU 383 ABJ and Mazda 323 number FKJ 169 AN, were said to have had a head-on collision with a Nissan Murano Jeep marked KJA 905 CV at about 4.30 pm. One of the party members was said to have died instantly following the impact of the crash while others were rushed to Adeyemo and Ajisafe hospitals in Omu-Aran. The other four victims were said to have died in the hospital while those who sustained injuries, among them the partys chairman in the council, Hon. Yemi Aransiola, were being treated. An eyewitness, Kunle Azeez, said the driver of the jeep survived. Azeez told NAN that the jeep had overtaken a trailer while on top speed before the head-on-collision with the cars conveying the party members. A NAN correspondent, who visited the hospitals on Monday, November 19, reports that the party s stalwarts were seen making frantic efforts to receive the corpse of the victims for burial at their respective communities. Tyia Asagun, an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Omu-Aran Unit Command, who claimed to have coordinated the accident rescue efforts, told NAN that the cause of the accident was still being investigated. He, however, said that over speeding and dangerous driving were suspected to have played major roles in the accident. Asagun said the command, after the rescue efforts, had handed over the accident case to Oke-Onigbin Police Division located a few meters from the accident scene. Femi Davids, the spokesperson to Olawuyi, described the incident as shocking and unfortunate. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, the chairman of the APC in Cross Rivers state, Mathew Achigbe, has also been reported dead. Jerry, son of the late Achigbe, said on Sunday, November 18, that his father died in an auto crash along Afikpo road in Ebonyi state. Legit.ng gathered that his family members described him as a principled leader and a strong admirer of President Muhammadu Buhari. They also appealed to the national leaders of the APC to assist in keeping Achigbes dream alive even after his death. The news of Achigbes death came a day to the official kickoff of political campaigns for parties. He had vowed to ensure victory for in the coming polls. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Buhari vs Atiku - 2019 Elections | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - A bank robbery attempt was foiled in Ile-Ife by a combined team of Ife residents and police operatives on Monday, November 19 - The suspected robbers, who came in a Toyota Camry car and a bus, were reportedly shooting to scare people away - The police command in the state confirmed the incident, adding that a vehicle brought by the armed robbers was seized The quick joint response by Ile-Ife residents and the police prevented what could have been another case of tragedy when men suspected to be armed robbers stormed the community on Monday, November 19, shooting continuously into the air. Punch reports that the gun-carrying men arrived Lagere area of Ile-Ife, Osun state, around 10am in a Toyota Camry car and a bus parked near a commercial bank in the area. Legit.ng gathered that the suspected robbers started shooting to scare people away in order to gain unhindered entrance into the six commercial banks in the community. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda However, they were given a chase by the vigilance group who alerted security operatives attached to the area. Adeolu Olagunju, a resident of the Lagere area, who witnessed how the incident happened, said customers were moving in and out of the bank when the suspected robbers arrived at the area. He said: When the robbers arrived Lagere, they parked their vehicles a few meters away from the banks. You know, about seven commercial banks have branches in the area. At the time they arrived, activities in the area were just picking up. Customers were moving in and out of the banks. They suddenly began shooting into the air to scare people away, but policemen attached to the banks and vigilante boys responded with stronger force, shooting at the direction of the robbers." According to Olagunju, the robbers, upon sighting the strong counter-attack response, escaped through Akarabata area, Modakeke. He added: "The robbers escaped through Akarabata area, Modakeke; and moved out through Ondo road. They were given hot chase by the combined team of policemen and vigilante boys." The Osun command police public relations officer, Folasade Odoro, confirmed the incident. She added that one of the vehicles brought by the robbers was seized by policemen. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Jigawa police command on Tuesday, October 15, said it arrested four suspected armed robbers in Gwaram local government area of the state. The commissioner of police, Bala Senchi, announced this at a news conference in Dutse. Senchi also said that the suspects had been terrorizing residents of the locality before they met their waterloo. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng to serve its readers better See the faces of newly arrested criminals in Lagos state - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The Police Service Commission (PSC), says it will monitor the conduct of police personnel deployed for the 2019 general elections - The chairman of PSC, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, said that the commission would replicate the model it used for Osun governorship election in September - Smith added that the commission would also establish on-the-spot team that would quickly resolve all reports The chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Alhaji Musiliu Smith, says the commission will monitor the conduct of police personnel deployed for the 2019 general elections. Smith said this at a four-day Management Retreat of the commission in Enugu on Monday, November 19. The theme of the event is Re-positioning and Strengthening the Police Service Commission for Effective Mandate Delivery. The chairman said that the commission would replicate the model it used for Osun governorship election in September where telephone hotlines were put in place to enable members of the public report erring police officers. READ ALSO: APC mourns as party loses 6 members in Kwara He said that PSC would also establish on-the-spot team that would quickly resolve all reports and advise on disciplinary measures as required. We believe this strategy instilled a certain measure of confidence in the police at the time and caused them to be more professional in the discharge of their duty to citizens. This established a sense of mutual respect in both the police and citizens and it is a model we intend to replicate for the 2019 general elections, he said. Smith said that the retreat became necessary following the need to develop a three-year strategic plan as a compass in the quest to remodel the police force. He said that PSC was also worried that the police are viewed with suspicion of partisanship by members of the public. Without doubt, Nigeria is bedevilled with security challenges ranging from insurgency to intra-organisational hiccups within the security forces, including the police. How, for instance, do we supervise and regulate the police in 2019 general elections when the police are viewed with suspicion of partisanship by the public? How do we deal with allegations of human rights abuses brought against officers? What is the best way to position our police to enhance their crime fighting abilities in line with best practices? The PSC is already taking steps to improve the professionalism with the force and these steps will further be consolidated at the end of this retreat, he said. On his part, the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim, said that the composition of the current PSC was the best in recent times. Ibrahim, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr Maigari Diko, said that he would always support the commission to enable it realise its mandate and make it more successful. The national coordinator, Service Compact with all Nigerians (SERVICOM), Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that PSC needed to make its recruitment process more transparent. Akajemeli said that there were lots of disconnect between what was on ground in the various police commands and what was required of police officers. She said that the way the police was administered needed to change, adding that all stakeholders must support the new drive to reform the force. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Legit.ng previously reported that a United Nations (UN) delegation met with the police commissioner in Kaduna state, Malam Ahmad Abdur Rahama on preparations ahead of Nigerias general elections in 2019. A statement by the state police command issued on Friday, November 16, by its spokesman, DSP Yakubu Sabo, said the UN delegation was led by Mohammad ibn Chambas. Sabo said the delegation commended the police over its professional and prompt tackling of the recent Kaduna crises. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Are Nigerian Policemen the worst in the world? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng A Lopatcong Township resident who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War has been recognized as the 2018 "Veteran of the Year" by the Joint Veterans Council Forks of the Delaware. John V. Mitzak has been a member of the Northampton County Detachment for the Joint Veterans Council for seven years. He was honored at a Nov. 9 dinner at the Brown & Lynch American Legion Post No. 9 in Palmer Township. A news release describes him as an active veteran and leaguer. "He parades with members of the Color Guard for Memorial Day and Veterans Day," the release says. Some of his other efforts include regularly decorating veterans' graves on Memorial Day, distributing flags on Flag Day and visiting veterans at Gracedale Nursing Home. Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Northampton County's long-serving district attorney announced Monday he will not seek another term. John Morganelli, who turned 63 last week, is currently Pennsylvania's most senior district attorney. He was first elected DA in 1991, and has one more year left on his most recent term. "I know that I will miss the challenges of this job. I feel that I have accomplished everything I set out to do and more. But there comes a time when we must move on to seek new challenges. For me that time is now," Morganelli, who lives in Bethlehem, said in a news release. "Soon I will announce what I want to do for the remainder of my career." Morganelli is weighing a run for county judge and also considering a future with area law firms, he said Monday in a brief interview. Petitions don't get filed until February for the primary that leads to the November 2019 election to fill the seat left open by the retirement in April of Judge Emil Giordano, Morganelli said. "I'm trying to figure out what I want to do," Morganelli said. He's been thinking about ending his tenure as DA "for a while" but he looks forward to serving out his term, he said. The run for the judgeship is a "possibility down the road," but no decisions have been made, he said, adding his health is very good early in his seventh decade. Morganelli, a Democrat, most recently ran for Congress for the new 7th congressional district seat covering the Lehigh Valley. He lost in the primary to Susan Wild, and Wild went on to win the seat in the general election. Morganelli has run for statewide office before. He lost the primary for attorney general to Jim Eisenhower in 2004; lost to Tom Corbett in the general election race for attorney general in 2008; and did not make it out of the primary in 2016 for the same job. Morganelli's work in the office includes making the position a full-time job, empaneling Northampton County's first grand jury in 30 years and advocating for a new mental health court. First Deputy District Attorney Terry Houck, who joined the Northampton County office in 2006, said Monday he's seriously thinking about running for his boss's job. Houck came to Northampton County from the Lehigh County district attorney's offce and twice ran for DA in Bucks County. Reporter Tony Rhodin contributed to this story. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Fundraising efforts are underway for 14-month-old Amira Rauf from Carlow who has been left paralyzed from her chest down and is currently in an induced coma after a car accident earlier this month. The crash occurred on November 6 on the N80 Portlaoise to Carlow road close to Simmon's Mill Cross between Stradbally and Arles when a man in his 40s was fatally injured after he crashed into another car being driven by Caroline O'Toole Rauf, Amira's mother. Amira sustained critical and serious injuries and was non-responsive from the scene of the accident until she got to Portlaoise hospital where they worked on her and brought her back around. The toddler was then transported to Temple Street Children's Hospital and doesn't have the use of her abdomen which means if she does come out of sedation and the induced coma; she will have to learn how to breathe through her diaphragm. Donna Purcell, a best friend of Caroline, said the mother-of-two sustained a lot of bruising from "head to toe", her chest was impacted as well as her hip. Caroline is now going between a wheelchair and crutches and discharged herself out of the hospital because she was in Portlaoise and needed to be in Temple Street with her daughter. Both Caroline and her husband, Adnan, have been at their daughter's bedside since the accident. Amira has suffered two cardiac arrests, both her lungs collapsed and the right lung has since been inflated. The main concern at the minute for the 14-month-old is making sure that she's able to breathe on her own. Donna said: "If she's unable to breathe on her own, they are looking into getting her to a specialist unit in Stockholm." The couple also has a seven-year-old son. Caroline was heading to Portlaoise to a hospital appointment for Amira when the accident occurred. A GoFundMePage has now been set up to raise funds to help the family get through this "horrific time and get her the best treatment possible and help cover medical costs". There is a fundraising target of 20,000 and as of 4pm on Monday, November 19 a total of 1,730 had been raised. The page states: "My Name is Donna Purcell, my dearest and closest friend Caroline O'Toole Rauf was in a serious car accident on Tuesday, November 6 with her beautiful 14-month-old daughter Princess Amira. "Amira is currently fighting for her Life in Temple Street Hospital she is currently critical and is on life support. "Amira sustained life-threatening injuries and is paralyzed from her chest down. "Princess Amira is fighting for her life and I would really appreciate any help in raising funds to help her family get through this horrific time and get her the best treatment possible and help cover medical costs. "Please help me help this little Princess, she deserves the world." DONATE HERE. There are almost 600 distressed mortgage holders in Laois, with over 455 of them in long term arrears. Latest figures from the Central Banks Long-Term Mortgage Arrears in Ireland Report state that 591 households in Laois are in mortgage arrears for over two years while over 455 of those have been in arrears for at least five years. There are about 10,300 owner occupied mortgages homes in Laois. Figures from the Department of Housing show that only 13 households in the county availed of the Governments Mortgage To Rent scheme. The numbers have been highlighted this week by Home For Life, a Government-approved mortgage to rent provider, which is offering to buy houses from mortgage holders who have found themselves in unsustainable debt. The company would then lease the properties to Laois County Council, with the owner staying on in the house and becoming a long-term tenant of the council, paying an affordable income-based rent. As part of the scheme in Laois, the local authority would then undertake to provide for the ongoing long-term housing needs of the applicant and other eligible residents of the property for as long as their housing need exists. I was surprised to find that of the 591 cases in Laois, only 13 had found a solution through mortgage to rent, said Home For Life CEO Paul Cunningham. This may be due to the fact that councillors, community leaders and advisors were unaware up to now that the Governments Mortgage to Rent Scheme was a real deliverable solution for homeowners whose mortgages are unsustainable and are at most acute risk of losing their homes. the company chief said. He said that the biggest challenge in the old Mortgage To Rent scheme up to recently was the delays in getting individual cases over the line. However, we have now reduced the timeline in dealing with all documentation and agencies so that a case can be completed normally within six months, he said. The company has said that at a Home For Life advisory board meeting this week, homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said he was in favour of any initiative that keeps people in their homes. I fully support projects that help to resolve the incredible amount of mortgage arrears and stop people becoming homeless, said Fr McVerry. Last July, the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing and Urban Development Damien English welcomed the emergence of Home For Life into the government's Mortgage to Rent scheme. He said the Mortgage to Rent scheme is a significant step towards a scaling of Mortgage to Rent to meet the needs of more borrowers in mortgage distress. A man has appeared at Naas District Court to face allegations that he stole money from the car of a woman who may have been followed home from a bank in Main Street Naas last year. John Maughan (30), 35 Thornberry Square, Clonee, Dublin 15, appeared before the November 14 sitting. Gardai said it will be alleged that on July 14 2017, the injured party went to AIB bank in Naas and withdrew cash. It is also alleged that her vehicle was followed to Time House on the Blessington road, Naas. Sgt Jim Kelly also said it will be alleged that one of the occupants of the car which followed her broke the window of her car and took 1,400 from the glove compartment of the car. Judge Desmond Zaidan said it would be concerning if the person had been watched from the outset. Sgt Kelly said that there were no directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions as to which court it would tried - District or Circuit. It is alleged that Mr Maughan took the money from the glove box of the car. The Court was told that Mr Maughan was on station bail. Sgt Kelly said the file was now completed by the Gardai and it was awaiting directions from the DPP. The case has been adjourned until March 6 next for directions. Mr Maughan is unemployed and was granted free legal aid. Retail Excellence, the largest Retail representative body in Ireland, has announced the winners of their annual Awards held in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney recently. The Awards, which are backed by AIB Merchant Services, were presented by energetic TV personality Hector O hEochagain and attended by more than 500 Irish retail industry executives. Carrick-on-Shannon in Co. Leitrim came runner in the category Irelands Friendliest Place. The category winner was Slane, in Co. Meath. Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council Sean McGowan said This is an outstanding achievement for Carrick-on-Shannon. The award is a measure of the helpfulness and first class service that the business community in Carrick-on-Shannon provide. Thank you to each and every one of the businesses in the town for their on-going work and commitment to make Carrick-on-Shannon the friendly and vibrant place that it is. Continued success to everyone involved. Group CEO of Retail Excellence David Fitzsimons said We are delighted to recognize and award the very best in Irish retail all of whom have shown an unquestionable commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations as well as innovation in store and in-service delivery. We are particularly pleased that across all of our categories of awards Irish retailers, both big and small, urban and rural competed to deliver that exceptional standard of service to customers regardless of their size. We look forward to working with the finalists, entrants and members into the future to assist in their endeavours and continue driving standards in Irish retail. Congratulations to all the winners. These retailers represent the best in retail industry in Ireland. AIB Merchant Services are proud to partner with Retail Excellence Ireland on such a prestigious event, said Robert Doherty, Director of Product at AIBMS. Established by Retail Excellence in 1997, The Awards is the biggest event in the Irish retail industry calendar and aims to promote best practice and encourage high standards in the Irish retail industry. Read Also: Carrick-on-Shannon ambulance base restored in Leitrim A woman from Ballaghadereen was Ryanair's 8 millionth passenger to go through Ireland West Airport. Last Friday, Irene Brady from Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, who was travelling to Liverpool was the lucky 8 millionth Ryanair passenger and to mark the occasion was presented with a pair of return flights to Ryanair's newest destination, Cologne, from Ireland West Airport. Since Ryanairs first flight from the airport departed to London Luton in December 1986 they have continued to grow their route network from the airport and today also launched their summer 2019 schedule which will offer customers in the West and North West a choice of 13 routes to the UK and Europe, delivering over 600,000 passengers with 46 flights weekly. The 2019 schedule will include for the first time a new twice weekly service to Cologne which starts in June 2019 and will provide a major tourism boost for the West region. Other highlights of the 2019 schedule include Robin Kiely, Ryanair said Ryanair is also delighted to celebrate its 8 millionth customer since it started operating from the West of Ireland airport in 1986. Over the last 32 years Ryanair has seen a huge demand for its routes at Ireland West Airport. Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport added We are delighted to reach another landmark in the airports history and growth with Ryanair in welcoming their 8 millionth passenger to use the airport. I would like to acknowledge the loyalty and commitment that Ryanair has shown to the airport and the West of Ireland over the last 32 years providing vitally important international access to the UK and Europe. Tori, a Portuguese Pointer from Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim reached the final of a nationwide pet competition, a great achievement beating off tough competition from all over Ireland. Having identified six main dog personalities, Petmania teamed up with Purina Beta to search for Real Dogs Ambassadors for each different personality. The specialist pet retailer announced the finalists of the Real Dogs pet personality competition, with one of these being from County Leitrim. Owner Sally Moffatt with Tori This one of a kind initiative has seen pet parents analyse and understand their dogs personalities. The competition had a huge emphasis on the wonderful personalities that dogs have, instead of the usual aesthetic and cuteness focused competitions. There were six different categories, the Thrill-seeker, the Jester, the Foodie, the Explorer, the Chaser and the Buddy. Tori is a Portuguese Pointer, the only one in Ireland. She reached the final of the Thrill-seeker category of the Real Dogs competition. Her owner Sally describes her as a crazy dog that never stops when she's out. Tori is into everything and clever enough to work out how to get what she wants. There is never a dull moment when Tori is around! Expert dog behaviourist Suzi Walsh applauds the unique competition, saying Petmania's Real Dogs competition is a great way of understand your dog more and appreciate that each dog has their own individual personality. It allows dog owners to realise how well they know their best friend. For more information, and to check out the finalists visit www.petmania.ie/realdogs or call into any of Petmanias 12 stores nationwide. Almost 280 distressed mortgage holders in Leitrim are being offered a solution thanks to an innovative state-backed finance scheme. New figures from the Central Banks Long-Term Mortgage Arrears in Ireland Report state that 278 households in Leitrim are in mortgage arrears for over two years while over 214 of those have been in arrears for at least five years. Despite the scale of the repayment problem by mortgage holders, figures from the Department of Housing show that only two households in the county availed of the Governments Mortgage To Rent scheme. A Government-approved mortgage to rent provider Home For Life (HFL) is spearheading a drive to enable mortgage holders in unsustainable debt to stay in their current homes debt-free as long-term tenants of their local authority. HFL say that there is a strong possibility that they can come up with a solution in many cases of serious mortgage arrears. The company works with homeowners, lenders and the local authority to keep unsustainable mortgage holders in their current homes, avoiding upheaval for families. Under the scheme, a property is sold to Home For Life and then leased back to the State through the local authority which, in turn, sublets the house or apartment back to the homeowner. The homeowner pays an affordable income-based rent to their local authority. As part of the scheme in Leitrim, the local authority would then undertake to provide for the ongoing long-term housing needs of the applicant and other eligible residents of the property for as long as their housing need exists. I was surprised to find that of the 278 cases in Leitrim, only two had found a solution through mortgage to rent, said Home For Life CEO Paul Cunningham. This may be due to the fact that councillors, community leaders and advisors were unaware up to now that the Governments Mortgage to Rent Scheme was a real deliverable solution for homeowners whose mortgages are unsustainable and are at most acute risk of losing their homes. According to Mr. Cunningham, the biggest challenge in the old Mortgage To Rent scheme up to recently was the delays in getting individual cases over the line. However, we have now reduced the timeline in dealing with all documentation and agencies so that a case can be completed normally within six months, he said. HFL works with all banks and funds and can facilitate properties irrespective of location or condition. At a HFL advisory board meeting this week, Fr Peter McVerry said he was all in favour of any initiative that keeps people in their homes. I fully support projects that help to resolve the incredible amount of mortgage arrears and stop people becoming homeless, said Fr McVerry. Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing and Urban Development Damien English described the emergence of Home For Life into the market as "A significant step towards a scaling of Mortgage to Rent to meet the needs of more borrowers in mortgage distress." Read Also: Leitrim Genealogy Centre could be in danger of closing County Leitrim is leading the way in a new tourism concept that is growing across Europe. With the pace and pressures of everyday life increasing by the day, Slow Adventure Tourism encourages visitors to slow down and immerse themselves in their holiday experience, and with its abundance of rural locations and unspoiled landscapes yet to be over-run by mass tourism Leitrim is set to become the Slow Adventure capital of Ireland. Leitrim Tourism, along with some Slow Adventure tourism providers in the region, launched its marketing campaign to promote the new concept with a very successful event in Dublin, attended by the cream of Irelands travel and tourism media which led to extensive national media coverage on the concept. Slow Adventure tourism is all about replacing those adrenalin-pumping, quick fix adventure hits with a slower more immersive experience in which visitors can engage more fully and learn about the local environment, food and wildlife whilst taking part in an activity, explained Sinead McDermott of Leitrim Tourism. Over the past two years, Leitrim Tourism has been working with local providers, as part of a European-wide research programme, to develop an array of packages and experiences to meet the criteria and principles of the Slow Adventure Trademark and appeal to visitors who prefer life in the slow lane. Joseph Gilhooly, Director of Services at Leitrim County Council (left), Eileen Gibbons from Leitrim Cycle Trails (middle) and Leitrim Tourism Officer, Sinead McDermott (right), pictured at Acres Lake in Drumshanbo, are helping to put Co. Leitrim on the map as Irelands home of Slow Adventure. Slow Adventure Tourism encourages visitors to slow down and immerse themselves in their holiday experience, and with its abundance of rural locations and unspoiled landscapes, Leitrim is set to become the Slow Adventure capital of Ireland. Leitrim Tourism, along with some Slow Adventure tourism providers in the region, launched its marketing campaign to promote the new concept with a very successful event in Dublin, attended by the cream of Irelands travel and tourism media. Read Also: Leitrim connection to documentary on domestic abuse Leitrim dog reaches final in pet personality competition GARDAI have withdrawn an application to disqualify a German man who drove at speed into an oncoming car in killing the elderly driver in Limerick. Following a three-day trial in January, Hans Schnottalla, aged 51, who was living at Ballycarney, Clarina at the time was found not guilty by reason of insanity of dangerous driving causing the death of Patrick Sonny OReilly more than three years ago. The fatal collision happened shortly before 9am on February 24, 2015 - minutes after Mr OReilly had dropped two of his grandchildren to Ballybrown National School. The 73-year-old, a native of Ferrybridge, was returning home when his Ford Focus was struck by a Skoda Yeti being driven by Mr Schnottalla. During the three day trial, consultant forensic psychiatrist, Dr Paul OConnell said having assessed the defendant last year he was satisfied he suffers from a chronic mental disorder - namely paranoid schizophrenia. He said Mr Schnottalla was not adhering to his medication regime and that he believed he had suffered an acute psychotic breakdown around the time of the incident. Following the special verdict, which was one of the first of its kind in Ireland, Judge Tom ODonnell directed Mr Schnottalla be committed to the Central Mental Hospital under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act. Last month gardai formally moved an application for a special disqualification which would see Mr Schnottalla being banned from driving for life. Inspector Paul Reidy told Judge John King the respondent remains at the Central Mental Hospital and he confirmed he was not present in court and that his attitude to the application was not known. Solicitor Ted McCarthy told the court he had represented Mr Schnottalla during the criminal trial and he expressed concern there is no mechanism for the State to pay for his client to be legally represented when dealing with the application before the court. If we are to continue to be involved in this matter, we need to be paid for it, he said. The application was adjourned to allow gardai to consider their position and last week, Inspector Helen Costelloe indicated the application was being withdrawn. However, she sought liberty to re-enter the matter, if necessary. Nov 28, 2018, 10 AM The United States Postal Service may be testing this new sprayed-on postmark design at the mail-processing plant in northern Virginia. Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke In the Philatelic Foreword column in the Sept. 24 Linns, I discussed a new Thinking of You sprayed-on postmark being used, and I pointed out legibility issues with the design. Im sure its a coincidence, but shortly after that column was published, the sprayed-on postmark design shown nearby was spotted on mail. While this cancellation has a much finer dot pattern, it also has a very heavy wave pattern that completely obliterates the stamp and thats an understatement in this case. The postmark is from NOVA, the abbreviation used for sprayed-on postmarks at the mail-processing plant in northern Virginia. This location previously has been a testing place for new sprayed-on postmarks. While it is promising that the United States Postal Service is testing something new to improve on postmark legibility, it would be even more encouraging if these postmarks would not destroy the stamp design in the process. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter In the Nov. 26 issue of Linns, page 13, Denise McCarty provided an update on New Zealand Post and how it is canceling mail now. The new postmark features a simple straightline design that accomplishes the task and doesnt ruin the stamp in the process. Heres hoping the U.S. Postal Service takes note of what they are doing in New Zealand and also gives the stamps on envelopes the respect they deserve in showcasing America to the general public. We want everyone to see the stamps we all enjoy as a part of this hobby. New US Travel Advisories Exempt Mexico Tourism Spots Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - On November 15, 2018, the U.S. State Department issued an updated travel advisory for some parts of Mexico. This Public Announcement advises United States citizens on security situations in Mexico that may affect their activities in certain parts of the country. But most popular tourist areas are still considered safe, including resort regions such as Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. The popular tourist destination of Quintana Roo, with its resorts in Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the Riviera Maya, is also exempt from the extreme warnings. "Exercise increased caution in Mexico due to crime," reads a statement on the State Department's website, which includes an interactive travel advisory map that shows you where it is safe to travel - and where it is not. The State Department warns against traveling to the following areas due to crime: Colima state Guerrero state Michoacan state Sinaloa state Tamaulipas state "The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico as travel by U.S. government employees to these areas is prohibited or significantly restricted," the State Department advisory says. For those who decide to travel to Mexico, the State Department offers these tips: Use toll roads if possible and avoid driving alone or at night. In many states, police and emergency services are extremely limited outside the state capital or major cities. Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos. Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry. Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter. Review the Crime and Safety Reports for Mexico. U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler's Checklist. To read the U.S. Department of State's full Mexico Travel Advisory Report, issued on November 15, 2018, click HERE. Though most all of Mexico's beach resort areas are excluded from the updated travel warnings, as in any city, to ensure a safe visit, tourists need to take reasonable precautions. Puerto Vallarta resident and Casa Cupula Hotel owner Don Pickens makes the following recommendations: 1. Do not go out with unnecessary jewelry, cash, credit cards or valuables. Take only what you need and keep the rest locked in a secure hotel safe. 2. Do not invite strangers to your room, especially when you do not know the person, are alone, and if your valuables are not secured. If you must, register guests at your hotel or condo, and/or ask for and take photo copies of IDs. Escort the individual off the premises, don't let them wander among other rooms or condos and put others at risk. 3. When you go out at night, bring only your ID and the necessary cash, not a wallet full of cash and credit cards ripe for pickpocketing in your back pocket. Don't flash your money around. Don't leave cameras, smart phones or wallets unattended. 4. When you go out, or return home, late at night, take a taxi regardless of the distance to your lodgings. Do not walk home late at night, inebriated, in dark areas with uneven sidewalks and expect good things to happen. You wouldn't do this at home, where you know your surroundings, so don't do it when you travel and are unfamiliar with the language, customs and laws. Don't use or carry drugs on the street, be drunk in public, urinate on the streets or otherwise break the law as in any other city. If everyone uses these reasonable safety precautions they will find Puerto Vallarta a safe and welcoming destination. Rocks found at Isua in Greenland may contain the oldest fossils of life on Earth, but not everyone agrees. Scientists will gather in a remote and snowy part of southwestern Greenland next summer to try to determine if rocks from 3.7 billion years ago contain some of the oldest fossils of life on Earth with implications for the search for evidence of life on Mars. Tiny, triangular structures found in these rocks have been a source of controversy, with some scientists now saying they are not evidence of early life on Earth. The scientists who first reported that they were fossilized evidence of life are defending their claims. In a paper published online Oct. 17 in the journal Nature, planetary scientist Abigail Allwood and colleagues, who examined the ancient rocks in Greenland, reported that purely geological processes could explain the triangular rock formations and that while they might still be formed by microbial life, there was not enough evidence to show definitely that they were. [In Images: The Oldest Fossils on Earth] Martian life? The scientific dispute has direct implications for the search for life on other planets in our solar system, especially on Mars. Allwood, who works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is the principal investigator building an instrument called PIXL, based on x-ray fluorescence of rock samples, which will be used by the Mars 2020 rover to search for fossilized evidence of life in Martian rocks. Allwoods team used the PIXL instrument to test rock samples from Greenland and reported that concentrations of titanium, potassium, and carbonate chemicals in the rocks did not show that the triangular structures had been formed by microbial life. [The 7 Most Mars-Like Places on Earth] Scientists think that about 3.7 billion years ago, the environment on Mars was very similar to the environment on Earth at that time, and that early forms of life might have evolved at the same time on both planets although the very cold and dry Martian environment is now thought to be lifeless. Scientists needed to learn how to accurately interpret results from the PIXL instrument before deploying it to look for life on the Red Planet, Allwood told Live Science: "We want to try to figure out how to do this stuff before we go to Mars. Oldest rocks The Isua Greenstone Belt in southwestern Greenlandis thought by geologists to contain some of the oldest exposed rocks on Earth. Until recently, much of the area was covered by snow only in the last few years has the snow melted enough for scientists to examine many of the rocks. In 2016, geochemist Allen Nutman of Wollongong University in Australia and his colleagues reported in a paper published in the journal Nature that triangular structures seen on the surface of some of the Isua rocks were cross-sections of cone-shaped stromatolites tiny, fossilized structures built by microbial colonies on the floors of bodies of water. Nutman told Live Science in August 2016 that the concentrations of titanium and potassium inside the triangular structures were different than in the rock outside the structures a possible chemical biosignature. His team also reported that the concentrations of carbonate chemicals suggested the microbial colonies were drawing carbonates out of the surrounding seawater. Until the discovery in Greenland, the earliest known stromatolites had been found at Strelley Pool in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and dated to about 3.4 billion years ago. Nutman's find, if verified, would push back the earliest evidence for the appearance of life on Earth by about 300,000 years. Allwood visited the same rocks in the Isua region of Greenland this summer and took samples for laboratory testing with the PIXL instrument, which will be attached to the rover to carry out X-ray fluorescence analysis on rock on Mars. She said that after examining the rocks and studying the geochemistry of the rock samples, she did not believe that the triangular structures were fossilized evidence of very early microbial life: "I think the evidence is very much not in favor of that interpretation," she said. As well as finding that the supposedly conical structures actually formed long triangular ridges within the rock, Allwood said that the geochemistry of the structures was the same as in some other patches of weathered rock nearby that did not appear to contain any stromatolites. "I think the onus is on [Nutman] to prove them to be biological, and I think we've definitely shown that there is a much more plausible abiological explanation than a biological one," Allwood said. Return to Greenland Nutman is writing a rebuttal of Allwood's research for publication in the journal Nature. He told Live Science in an email that he thinks Allwood and her colleagues spent insufficient time examining the rocks in Greenland a helicopter trip lasting one day and did not examine the rock samples that were used for his original study. Because Allwood and her colleague had analyzed different rock samples than the ones his team had analyzed, they had inevitably found that their observations did not exactly match those of his team. "This is a classic comparing apples and oranges scenario," he wrote. Nutman said that his team had found the structures could not be purely geological in origin, and that their shape and geochemistry indicated they were created by "extremely rare stromatolites in the Isua rocks, preserved in a tiny relict of a 3,700-million-year-old shallow sea environment." Allwood, meanwhile, is organizing a field trip next summer to the disputed rocks' location in Greenland, to which Nutman and other scientists will be invited. "In the middle of next year, we are going to go out to the field again, and we'll take a bunch of experts to have a look and say, yay or nay what do we think? Allwood said. The dispute over the Greenland rocks means that the oldest established fossils of life on Earth may again be the stromatolites found at Strelley Pool in Western Australia. Allwood first reported the discovery of those fossils in a research paper published in the journal Nature in 2006, and she also wrote an article for Nature on Nutman's discoveryin 2016. But she said she was careful not to come off as "turf defending" over the contending ancient stromatolite finds. "I was very cautious to give the benefit of the doubt, and I certainly didn't jump to any conclusions," she said. Another recent study has suggested that an outcropping of primitive ocean crust in Quebec in Canada could contain fossils that are even older between 3.77 billion and 4.29 billion years old but that study also needs more scientific scrutiny, Allwood said. Meanwhile, she hopes that the experience of retesting the rocks in Greenland will help the search for the fossil remains of life on Mars, if it exists. "PIXL is being used both to help determine how to prove a biosignature as well as to disprove a biosignature." She added, "That's a helpful thing, anyway." Originally published on Live Science. Some viruses have a natural preference for attacking tumors, and scientists are developing them into promising cancer treatments. Some viruses can kill cancer, and scientists have known this for over a century. It's only in the past few decades, though, that advancements in genetic engineering have enabled viruses to become a viable cancer therapy. Now, researchers around the world work with these cancer-killing bugs in the hopes that cancer treatment will someday go viral. The early days of virotherapy Some viruses prefer to attack cancerous tissues rather than healthy ones, and oncolytic virotherapy takes advantage of this fact. Anticancer viruses not only kill off tumor cells but also alert the host immune system to a cancer's presence. "Our immune systems have evolved over millennia to recognize pathogens very well they have not evolved to recognize tumors very well," said Dr. Antonio Chiocca, neurosurgeon-in-chief and chairman of the department of neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Chiocca studies oncolytic viruses, or viruses that infect and kill cancer cells, which can likely be used in the treatment of brain cancer. "The idea is very simply to place a viral infection in the tumor to alert the immune system," he said. "Wake it up to the fact that there's a tumor there." Scientists began experimenting with this type of immunotherapy as early as the late 1800s, but over the next 100 years, the field fell in and out of fashion. In the early 1900s, a surgeon named William Coley became famous for his attempts to fight cancer by exposing patients to extractions drawn from infected tissue. Coley became hooked on the concept after meeting a man whose malignant tumor withered in the face of a severe bacterial infection, according to a review in BMJ Postgraduate Medical Journal. Coley began infecting his patients with a bacterial savior the erysipelas virus and later developed a vaccine from two modified bacteria. "Coley's toxins," as the vaccine was called, became a popular treatment for many cancer types and worked by inducing fever, chills and inflammation in the patient. Numerous case studies supported the idea that infectious disease could send cancer into remission, or eliminate it completely, according to a review in the journal Molecular Therapy. But with the rise of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other immunosuppressive treatments, emerging virotherapies like Coley's toxins lost popularity. A second virotherapy outbreak The development of tissue-culture systems and rodent cancer models in the 1940s and '50s sparked a resurgence of virotherapy research, according to a review in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Doctors infected hundreds of cancer patients in clinical trials, exposing them to the mumps, hepatitis and West Nile. Success varied widely between trials. Some patients' tumors regressed dramatically and their lives were prolonged. Others fought off the infection too quickly to reap its benefits, while still other patients emerged tumor-free, but later fell victim to the virus itself rather than their cancer. The 1980s ushered in the modern era of oncolytic virotherapy, and since then, the field's prospects have been looking up. "Molecular virology came into play, and people discovered that certain viruses would replicate better in cancer cells than [in] their normal counterparts," said Grant McFadden, the director of the Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy at Arizona State University. When cells become cancerous, he said, they gain dangerous features at the expense of beneficial features found in healthy cells. "Cancer cells gradually lose their ability to protect themselves from viral infection," he said. "It's that 'Achilles' heel' that oncolytic viruses exploit." With the help of modern genetic engineering, researchers now strive to build the best oncolytic virus they can and then match the virus with its cancerous archnemesis. Hurdles to clear The field of virotherapy has significantly advanced in the past few decades, but the research remains difficult. "The challenge is picking the right virus, deciding how to arm it and how to deliver it," McFadden said. Some virotherapies can be injected directly into a tumor bed, making delivery a breeze. But many cancers are difficult to reach with a needle, or they might be scattered throughout the body. "This delivery problem is a major challenge," McFadden said. Oncolytic viruses also have the potential to morph into "runaway viruses" viruses that adapt after administration or recombine with human pathogens already present in a patient and begin ferociously infecting healthy tissue. Researchers remain on the lookout for these runaways, but so far, oncolytic viruses appear safe even in immunosuppressed patients and animal models, according to a 2014 review published in the journal Cell Host Microbe. Anticancer viruses can now be engineered to selectively attack cancer cells, spare normal tissue, awaken the host immune system and reverse immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. But virotherapy is not a cure on its own. Research suggests that virotherapies will serve to supplement chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. "Generally, in clinical trials the most promising treatment regime has been to combine virotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor," Chiocca said. Checkpoint inhibitors work by making tumors vulnerable to attack by the immune system, so pairing the treatment with an oncolytic virus can significantly boost its efficacy. The future of cancer treatment In 2005, China's State Food and Drug Administration now known as the China Food and Drug Administration put the first oncolytic virotherapy on the market. H101, commercially known as Oncorine, is a genetically modified virus that preferentially attacks tumor cells and is used to treat head and neck cancers. The melanoma treatment T-VEC, made from a modified herpes virus, became the first FDA-approved virotherapy in 2015 and was approved in Australia and the European Union the following year. More and more reports of promising virotherapy candidates have come out in recent years, according to an article published this year in the journal Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. Anticancer viruses can now be crafted from once-dangerous human viruses, such as measles, or nonpathogenic viruses. Even some viruses specific to animals have been tapped for virotherapy. For example, McFadden aims to develop a virus called the myxoma virus (MYXV), found only in rabbits, for therapeutic use in people. As diligent scientists search for powerful oncolytic viruses, the field of virotherapy seems destined to continue to expand. Additional resources: Chickenpox is a contagious disease characterized by many itchy, red bumps all over the body. Children younger than age 15 are most likely to get it, but older children and adults can become infected as well. Chickenpox (sometimes spelled chicken pox) is highly contagious and can be spread by contact with the affected areas, or by an infected person sneezing or coughing on an uninfected, unvaccinated person. Before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in the United States in 1995, about 4 million people got the disease every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the availability of the vaccine lead to a dramatic drop in cases: between 2000 and 2010, chickenpox cases declined by nearly 80 percent, the CDC said. Symptoms & causes Chickenpox, or varicella, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is related to the herpes virus. The infection has three stages. It starts out with the appearance of little, itchy bumps. Those bumps turn into blisters filled with fluid. The final stage is the scabbing over of the bumps. Since new bumps can appear over several days, it's possible to have all three stages of the rash at the same time, according to the Mayo Clinic. In addition to the rash, chickenpox can cause fever, headache, dry cough or loss of appetite. The illness usually lasts about 5 to 10 days. People with chickenpox are contagious starting about a day or two before their symptoms appear, and up until all of their blisters have turned to scabs, according to the CDC. Complications Children usually recover from chickenpox without any major issues. However, the illness can cause more severe symptoms for pregnant women, newborns whose mothers weren't vaccinated or haven't had the virus before, teens, adults, people with impaired immune systems and people taking certain medications. Chickenpox "can cause hospitalization and, in rare cases, death," said Dr. Jason S. Applebaum, a dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Fortunately, since the beginning of administration of the vaccine in 1995, hospitalizations have declined by nearly 90 percent, and there have been [only] a small number of fatal cases of chickenpox." According to the CDC, complications of chickenpox include the following: Dehydration. Pneumonia. Blood infections (sepsis). Bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissues, including infections with Group A streptococcus bacteria. Bleeding problems. Infection or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis or cerebellar ataxia). Diagnosis & tests Chickenpox is typically diagnosed just by the visible symptoms. A doctor will also check for a fever of between 101 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 to 38.9 degrees Celsius) and a headache. However, a blood test or analysis of a blister sample may also be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Doctors may also conduct tests in people at high risk for catching chickenpox, including pregnant mothers, newborns, people who are about to undergo organ transplants and people with HIV or AIDS, in order to check whether or not they are immune to chickenpox, according to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. Treatments & medications Healthy children typically do not require any specific medical treatment for chickenpox, according to the Mayo Clinic. But doctors may prescribe antihistamines to help stop the itching. However, if the patient falls into a high-risk group, a doctor may prescribe an antiviral like acyclovir (under brand name Zovirax) or immune globulin intravenous, known as IGIV, to take within 24 hours of the appearance of chickenpox symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. For adults, valacyclovir (brand name Valtrex) or famciclovir (known as Famvir) may be prescribed. Aspirin should never be given to anyone with chickenpox because the medication has been linked to a potentially fatal condition called Reye's syndrome, which causes organ damage, according to the National Institutes of Health. Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can help relieve the fever associated with chickenpox. There are several home remedies that may also help, such as: Cool baths. Applying calamine lotion. Getting lots of rest. Eating foods that don't irritate chickenpox sores that may be in or around the mouth. Wearing gloves to prevent scratching that can lead to scarring. Chickenpox prevention Perhaps the best way to "treat" chickenpox is to never get it at all. The CDC recommends two doses of the chickenpox vaccine. Children should receive the first dose at ages 12 to 15 months, and again at ages 4 to 6. Two doses of the vaccine are about 90 percent effective at preventing chickenpox, according to the CDC. For the small percentage of people who catch chickenpox even after vaccination, the disease is usually milder with fewer blisters and little to no fever. Teens and adults who have not been vaccinated and have never had chickenpox should get two doses of the vaccine, 28 days apart, the CDC says. People who should not receive the vaccine, according to the CDC, include: Pregnant women, who should wait until after giving birth to get the vaccine. People who currently have a serious illness. people who have been allergic to the vaccine. People allergic to gelatin or neomycin (components of the vaccine). People who may have had a blood transfusion in the last five months. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV or cancer, should speak with their doctor about whether they should get the chickenpox vaccine. Pox parties Instead of getting the vaccine, some parents opt to expose their children to the virus by having them interact with a sick child. These are commonly called "chickenpox parties." But because chickenpox can cause serious complications, especially for infants, the CDC does not recommend that parents risk exposing their children to chickenpox at such parties. Dr. Cristie Columbus, an infectious disease specialist and associate dean for the Texas A&M College of Medicine, agreed that, though rare, complications from natural chickenpox disease do occur, so vaccination is a much safer option than naturally exposing a child to the disease. Additional resources: Facts about chickenpox, published in the Paediatrics and Child Health journal. Information on chickenpox from MedlinePlus. More about the chickenpox vaccine from the CDC. This article was updated on Nov. 16, 2018 by Live Science Senior Writer, Rachael Rettner. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not meant to offer medical advice. My Sister, the Serial Killer By Oyinkan Braithwaite Doubleday. 240 pp. $22.95 --- The title of Oyinkan Braithwaite's debut novel, "My Sister, the Serial Killer," is simultaneously accurate and misleading. The book is indeed about a serial killer and her sibling, but it is not at all the pulpy slasher story you might expect. Instead, it is a playful yet affecting examination of sibling rivalry, the legacy of abuse and the shallow sexism of Nigeria's patriarchal society. Our narrator, Korede, is a nurse at a hospital in Lagos. She is homely, dutiful and lonely. She carries a torch for a doctor named Tade, but her feelings are not reciprocated. Korede's sole confidant is a man in a coma, to whom she unburdens herself like a patient to a shrink. Most of those confidences have to do with Korede's younger sister, the beautiful but reckless Ayoola, who has an unfortunate habit of killing her boyfriends. At the opening of the novel, Ayoola has just murdered her third victim, the unsuspecting Femi, with a knife. "The knife was for her protection," we're told. She carries it in her purse "the way other women carry tampons." Ayoola summons Korede, who races over to clean up the crime scene and dispose of the body. Korede is both enabler and accomplice to her sister's homicidal habit and is seemingly powerless to stop it. There are complications. The police discover a bloody napkin at Femi's home; a witness comes forward. Then Korede's doctor crush, Tade, meets Ayoola and falls under her spell. Will he become her next victim? Finally, the coma patient wakes up and tells Korede that he remembers everything. What is she to do? Braithwaite generates a lot of humor out of the disparity between Korede's and Ayoola's appearances: Ayoola has "a figure eight - like a Coca-Cola bottle" and Korede has "a figure one - like a stick." Ayoola gets flowers and vacation invitations from wealthy men while Korede is told, "You're going to make someone an awesome wife." But the novel wants to do more than dramatize the privilege enjoyed by Ayoola because of her looks. Whatever resentment Korede feels toward her sister, there is a deep and enduring bond between them. They live with their widowed mother in a mansion built by their abusive, philandering father. The reader comes to see that his legacy of violence and betrayal is at the root of Ayoola's murderous spree. (It is the father's knife that Ayoola carries in her purse.) As the novel moves toward its twisty, satisfying denouement, we learn that Korede can be just as ruthless as her sister. In its darkly comic depiction of two women teaming up against the powerful, abusive men in their lives, "My Sister the Serial Killer" feels like an ideal book for the present moment. --- Michaud is the author of the novel "When Tito Loved Clara." Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load U.S. Border Patrol agents working in south Laredo discovered the remains of a deceased person south of Rio Bravo. Agents working along the fence line of a local ranch property came upon the remains. The Webb County Sheriff's Office was notified of the discovery. The Webb County Medical Examiner's Office met the agents and deputies at the scene and examined the remains. A Mexican voter registration card was found in the pockets of the deceased's clothing. Houston loves eating contests. Showing off how far we can push the limits of our stomachs seems to be a Texas thing. This past weekend on Saturday afternoon the folks at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission held a haggis-eating contest to celebrate Highland Fling weekend. HOUSTON EATS: These are the gut-busting food challenges you can try throughout the Houston area and Texas Haggis, for the uninitiated, is a savory pudding encased in a sheep's stomach typically made with the sheep's heart, liver, lungs, and other parts that are handy. It's mixed in with onions, oatmeal, and seasonings. It can be spicy depending on the chef's predilection, and it's an acquired taste. Eating it is usually a sign of ruggedness or foolishness. On Saturday eight contestants signed up for the gig at the festival, vying to be the best at chowing down on the traditional Scottish delicacy. According to TRF spokesperson Katherine Tonner no hands were to be used by contestants and if any part of the meal hit the ground it was fair game. Everyone got one bottle of water and it couldn't be added to the haggis. NO HAGGIS HERE: Houston's Top 100 restaurants for 2018 revealed The first place winner, Joe Saunders, beat everyone else by a mile according to Tonner, and he took home 19 festival tickets for the effort. That's a ticket for each day of the festival in 2019. The 2018 edition of the Texas Renaissance Festival closes this coming weekend with the three-day Celtic Christmas experience. For those wanting to challenge themselves with haggis, Tonner noted that this challenge was only for the Scottish-themed Highland Fling weekend. "Haggis cannot be purchased at the festival. There doesn't seem to be too much interest in casual haggis eating," Tonner said. Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Protests against gasoline taxes in France continued for a third day Monday with sporadic actions around the country as the government held firm. Ten of France's roughly 200 fuel depots were blockaded, including those near Rennes, La Rochelle, Toulouse and Marseille, BFM television reported. A highway to Belgium was also blocked as were roads near Belfort in the east and Lyon in the south. Police removed 30 people occupying a highway near Avignon in the south, the station said. A grassroots movement branded "Gilets Jaunes" or "Yellow Vests" organized a national "Day of Action" Saturday when about 300,000 protesters threw up about 2,000 roadblocks. One person was killed when a driver forced a barrier, and hundreds were injured or arrested. On Sunday, about 40,000 people erected about 150 barricades. The protests were organized on social media and lack any central organization. While the ostensible purpose is to roll back the gasoline taxes, participants interviewed on French media over the weekend listed a litany of discontent ranging from a recent tightening of speed limits to lack of public services in rural areas to general unhappiness about purchasing power. "We have a movement here that's a a bit of left and a bit of right against a background of widespread discontent," said Sylvain Boulouque, a historian who has written books about French extremism. "Opinion could turn against the movement if the blockages become permanent." An Elabe poll released over the weekend said 73 percent of the French approve of the protests, which have underlined the divide between urban supporters of President Emmanuel Macron and small-town voters who rely on their cars. But that poll was taken before the disruption led to angry standoffs between drivers and protesters Demonstrators are aiming to sustain their actions all week with some local organizers calling for a blockade of highways in and out of Paris next Saturday. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Sunday night vowed the government won't roll back gasoline levies, arguing that other tax cuts on wages and housing have reduced the overall burden on taxpayers. He also warned the police could be sent in to lift blockades. "France is a land of free expression but it is not a country of anarchy, and there were scenes of anarchy," Philippe said. Macron has said in interviews that he prefers to tax carbon than labor. He was silent about the protests during a Sunday visit to Berlin and Monday he left for a two-day official visit to Belgium. Taxes account for about 60 percent of the price at the pump in France. The government increased its hydrocarbon tax at the start of the year by 7.6 cents per liter on diesel and 3.9 cents to gasoline, and a new boost at the start of next year will add another 6.5 cents per liter of diesel and 2.9 cents per liter of gasoline, part of an effort to bring diesel and gasoline taxes in line. Diesel prices at the pump in France have risen 16 percent this year to an average 1.48 euros ($1.67) a liter, though the price did hit 1.53 euros in early October, according UFIP, the French oil industry federation. Gasoline is up 5 percent to 1.47 euros per liter, after peaking at 1.57 euros. Peter Newell was a free-spirited artist who took pleasure in the whimsical side of life. And it was in early 1880s Jacksonville that Newells artistic spirit took flight. Newell, who became a famous cartoonist and illustrator, came to Jacksonville from Bushnell in 1880 at the age of 18 to take a job drawing crayon portraits of local citizens at the photography studio of Clendenon & Nichols. Newells talent was quickly apparent, and he spent much of his free time honing his skills, while, at the same time, amusing himself. Talent such as his must be satisfied, so, in the after-gallery hours, he made those fascinating humorous sketches which he submitted to such periodicals as Harpers Bazaar and the New York Graphic, which was one of the first illustrated newspapers, wrote the late Mabel Hall Goltra, a Jacksonville resident who penned a short biography of Newell in 1946. The success of the sketches accepted by national periodicals encouraged Newell to leave his Jacksonville job and study at the Art Students League in New York City in 1883-84. He tolerated academic training only three months, believing that the value of his work its originality would be sacrificed by adapting it to accepted methods, wrote an unknown author of an article on Newell for the Dictionary of American Biography. Disliking the constraints of structured art study, Newell returned to his old job at Clendenon & Nichols on the east side of the Jacksonville square. Soon after his return to Jacksonville, he made an unsuccessful attempt at becoming a commercial artist in Springfield. And one sketch that has survived from Newells brief stay in the capital city gives some idea of his humor. The drawing, advertising his Springfield studio, shows Newell crossing a muddy Springfield street. Standing in the middle of the street, one foot is raised with mud clinging to it while the other foot is buried up to his shoetop. On Feb. 5, 1885, Newell married Leona Ashcraft at the home of his friend and former employer, Samuel Nichols, in Jacksonville. The Newells lived in Jacksonville until 1886, when they went to New York City, where he achieved success contributing illustrations to Harpers Magazine, Harpers Weekly and Harpers Bazaar. Newell also gained some notoriety with the publication of childrens books, including Topsys and Turvys in 1893 and The Hole Book in 1908. He also illustrated works of fiction, notably John Kendrick Bangs A House-Boat on the Styx in 1896 and The Pursuit of the House-Boat in 1897. And he drew characters for one edition of Alice in Wonderland. His strength lay in whimsical interpretation of nonsense set forth in simple and direct terms, wrote one biographer of Newell. He was inventive rather than imaginative, giving a certain zest to his own cartoons which is not felt in his illustrations of the ideas of others. Newell died at Little Neck, New York, in 1924. This Way We Were story was first published March 13, 2000. ABC/Image Group LAShould you ever have the need to call the Alaska state government, you may hear a familiar sound on the other end. According to Alaska's Juneau Empire, the state phone lines will be using Portugal. the Man's "Feel It Still" as hold music. The Juneau Empire reports that Portugal. the Man donated "Feel It Still" to be used as hold music, though the state still needed to properly license the inescapable 2017 hit through the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, or ASCAP. "Even though Portugal. the Man donated it, we had to make sure we had the proper licensing, and we do," says Department of Administration Commissioner Leslie Ridle. Frontman John Gourley and guitarist Zach Carothers formed Portugal. the Man in Wasilla, Alaska. They later relocated to Portland, Oregon, where the band currently resides. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The strangulation death of a 1-year-old boy apparently at the hands of his 6-year-old sister has led to a criminal charge against the father who left them alone in his vehicle during a shopping spree. Adrian Middleton, 26, told authorities he left his two young children in the back seat of his car on May 20 while he went inside a thrift store for nearly two hours near Jacinto City. When he returned to the car, his son was unconscious with a seat belt wrapped around his neck. Middletons daughter told officials with the Harris County Childrens Assessment Center that she was playing with her younger brother in the back seat and that she got angry when he would not stop crying, according to court records. She told the center she wrapped the seat belt around her brother, and thought he had fallen asleep. Six months after the strangulation death of Adrian Middleton Jr., their father has been charged with child abandonment. He turned himself over to Baytown Police Department around 2 p.m. Monday, jail records show. According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Harris County, the 26-year-old father told Houston police that he left the air conditioner on, played a movie and gave his children water and a snack before shopping at the Family Thrift Store on 12001 East Freeway on May 20. He said that he had looked out the store window to check on his children while shopping. The father initially told authorities the children were belted in their car seats, but later said they were not using car seats. Surveillance video from the store shows Middleton entering the business about 10:35 a.m. and leaving about 12:15 p.m., according to court documents. As Middleton placed the shopping bags in the trunk of his car, he noticed his daughter crying in the back seat. She told him that she did something bad, according to court documents. Middleton called 9-1-1 and attempted CPR after finding his son. The boy was transported to Texas Childrens Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled as a homicide by strangulation, the documents say. The girl is now in the custody of her grandmother, Houston police said. Nicole Hensley contributed to this report. Plans by Ireland's largest multiplex cinema chain to turn Longford's vacant shopping centre into a state of the art cinema and entertainment hub have been dealt a blow after an appeal over its planning approval was lodged with An Bord Pleanala. The State's independent planning authority was handed a four page objection to Longford County Council's decision to grant Omniplex approval to the plans by local architect Liam Madden, on behalf of his client Vincent Casey in recent days. Longford County Council gave the go ahead last month for the cinema firms plans to change the use of the shopping centre, now known as Riverside Shopping Centre, to a cinema with six screens. ALSO READ: Omniplex chiefs plan to demolish Longford cinema to create plaza entrance to new multi million euro Riverside Shopping Centre In the document, which has been seen by the Leader, Mr Madden claims Mr Casey owns property at Little Water Street, facing onto the site Omniplex are planning to redevelop. Mr Madden goes on to detail how his client and local authority chiefs became embroiled in a brusque and lengthy legal exchange over a right of way dispute that ultimately culminated in alleged garda involvement. A further observation noted by Mr Madden is the absence of a traffic impact assessment, a provision which is deemed mandatory in all such applications. He also insists his client has no interest in selling off any of his property, contending that Mr Casey will "fight tooth and nail" to resist efforts by the local authority to set in motion any Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs). A further claim by Mr Madden states Condition 2a of the plan's 'parent permission' has not been complied with. "The Tower was required to have been re-modelled to have a conical appearance. "What it has now is a comical appearance," noted Mr Madden. He also asserts one of the factors which may have prompted the Council's decision to grant permission can be traced to the potentially lucrative outstanding financial charges which still remain on the building. "The vehicular entrance at the corner junction of Bridge Street and Church Street is blind and perhaps the most dangerous junction in Ireland to have been approved by the planning authority whose sole ambition is to gather upwards of 1.5m, plus indexing, to send a batallion of councillors to the St Patrick's Day Parade in Nagasaki," Mr Madden added. In his final summation, Mr Madden suggests the application was "hurriedly put together" in a move which has "led to flaws" in its final compilation. Citing the lack of an Appropriate Assessment (AA), which he says is at "the heart of the matter", Mr Madden said:"The proposed development would, therefore be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development." More than 10m in state backed funding will be pumped into a stream of capital and voluntary sponsored schemes across Longford next year, making it the biggest single amount ever assigned to the county for urban and rural regeneration projects. Details of the vast sums set to be apportioned to various groups and organisations next year were relayed to elected members at last weeks meeting of Granard Municipal District. Head of Finance John McKeon said approximately 10.1m had been earmarked for expenditure next year with almost 2.5m being set aside through matched funding from the local authority. This, he confirmed, was by far the largest investment ever witnessed in Longford and was one which had came largely as a consequence of a decision taken by councillors in September to increase anticipated property tax returns next year. This year, because of the variation in the Local Property Tax upwards by 15 per cent we have extra money in every municipal district, he said. The proposed increase in local authority spending will also see funding allocated to tourism promotion, town twinning, burial ground grants and other undertakings across north Longford increase from 93,000 to 111,000 next year. They were figures which garnered a resounding seal of approval from those watching on from the floor of Granard Community Library. Fine Gael Cllr Paraic Brady described the estimated 10.1m spend as serious, serious buck at a time when the county was already on the brink of welcoming UK leisure resort giant Center Parcs to its confines. His party colleague and general election candidate, Cllr Micheal Carrigy was equally bowled over by the rise in funding which was ring-fenced for next year. That increase will fund multi million euro development projects within this region, he said. The amount of voluntary organisations that benefit from grants, from Tidy Towns to graveyard committees and senior citizens, you are talking about 50 to 60 groups throughout the region that is benefiting and I know it is greatly appreciated from those organisations each year. We are the only local authority in Ireland to put up the Property Tax by 15 per cent but its for the benefit for the people of Longford and they will see those benefits in 2019 and years ahead. Fianna Fails Luie McEntire joined in with the complimentary remarks which were aimed at the top table as he praised the way council chiefs had characterised property tax increases to individual homeowners. Nine euro per household per year was the way it was portrayed, he remarked. That type of money (10.1m) is an extraordinary amount of money. I dont believe that ever during my time on the Council were we ever as financially sound. Those small grants mightnt seem too much but if those groups and organisations have to fundraise or stand at church gate collections it takes a bit of time to collect it all the same. Cathaoirleach Cllr PJ Reilly said he had been a long time advocate of raising the ceiling of LPT charges locally given the relatively small financial hardship to homeowners locally. I used to say for an extra five per cent, it was the cost of an ice cream per house, he said. For a little pain of the increase in the property tax people will see the rewards within their communities, parishes and towns. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Legislator Anker's Office Published: November 19 2018 On Saturday, November 17th, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony at Miller Place High School to honor Troop 204s newest Eagle Scouts, Liam Schibi and Luke Schibi. Miller Place, NY - November 19, 2018 - On Saturday, November 17th, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony at On Saturday, November 17th, Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony at Miller Place High School to honor Troop 204s newest Eagle Scouts, Liam Schibi and Luke Schibi. Legislator Anker was joined by Scoutmaster Joseph Argento, Assistant Scoutmaster Thomas Barry, and other elected officials. The projects by our local scouts are vital assets to our community. Through their hard work, dedication, and commitment to scouting, Liam and Luke have proven themselves to be extraordinary leaders. Their Eagle Scout accomplishments will set great examples for the younger scouts in Troop 204. I congratulate Luke and Liam and wish them continued success in their future endeavors, said Legislator Anker Luke Schibis community service project involved refurbishing a shed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Rocky Point. Through Lukes efforts, the shed has been re-roofed and washed, and given a new gutter and a fresh coat of paint. For his project, Liam Schibi constructed and installed fishing line filament receptacles at Cedar Beach. Receptacles designed specifically for fishing line filament are necessary, as fishing line is not a recyclable item and can harm wildlife if not disposed of properly. These receptacles can be used to keep fishing line off the beach, which helps keep the environment clean and safe. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: November 19 2018 Mention was recently discovered in 1759 diary at Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay. Huntington, NY - November 19, 2018 - On Wednesday, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D Long Island, Queens) will visit On Wednesday, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D Long Island, Queens) will visit Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay to meet with historian Claire Bellerjeau, who recently discovered the earliest known mention of Thanksgiving in New York State, held on Thursday, November 22, 1759. Bellerjeau, who is the Director of Education at the museum, discovered the hand-written account inside an unpublished diary of Zachariah Weekes, who was the schoolmaster in Oyster Bay during the 1750s - 1770s. The entry, written on Sunday, November 25th, 1759, reads in part, "...Last Thursday being a day set apart by our Governor for publick Thanksgiving for the Success of his Majesties Forces in America..." Most scholars recognize the three-day feast held in October of 1621 by Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts as the first Thanksgiving. The next two earliest records, one in July of 1630 and the next in November of 1775, both took place in Massachusetts. Later known observances were for the colonies as a whole, said Bellerjeau. The significance of the earliest known celebration of Thanksgiving in New York State, 259 years ago to the day from this years celebration should not go unrecognized. This is a fascinating discovery and I thank the staff at Raynham Hall Museum for sharing it with me, said Suozzi. As Texas grows less countrified, Republicans struggle to adjust There were once so few Republicans in Fort Bend County (just west of Houston) that a letter addressed to Mr. Republican went straight to the county GOP chairman. That was 1960. Eight years later, Richard Nixon would narrowly carry the county, and he won it again, less narrowly, in 1972. By the 1980s, Fort Bend was sending the likes of Ron Paul and Tom DeLay to Congress. But what suburbia giveth it also taketh away. In her 2016 race against Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton became the first Democratic presidential contender to carry Fort Bend County since Lyndon Johnson. Its larger cities, such as Sugar Land and Stafford, are growing and densifying into polyglot communities of BBQ joints and Hindu temples where native Texans now readily swing from red to blue. And it was from counties such as Fort Bend that a blue tide washed over Texas in 2018. It swept outward from the Democratic urban cores into neighboring suburban counties of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, flipping Republican bastions or turning them several shades pinker. Once-safe Republicans, such as Dallass Pete Sessions and Houstons John Culberson, were taken out in its wake. The Republican carnage was felt down-ballot too, in the all-important state judicial and legislative races that stock each partys farm team. And while the entire slate of statewide Republicans was returned to office, many candidates, such as Senator Ted Cruz, won with anemic margins. El Paso congressman Beto ORourkes contest with Senator Cruz drew the bulk of the national media spotlight. ORourke became a Kennedyesque celebrity with coattails long enough to flip twelve state-house seats and two state-senate seats and take out every county GOP official in Houstons Harris County, the states largest. It is a wake-up call, said U.S. senator John Cornyn during a post-election stop at the North Texas Food Bank in Plano. I dont know whether this is a once-in-a-lifetime confluence of events or whether this represents something of a new normal. Continue reading the entire piece in the December 3, 2018, Issue of National Review ______________________ Michael Hendrix is the director of state & local policy at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here. Upwards of a trillion-and-a-half Danish kroner in dirty money (an amount that corresponds to about 60 percent of the Danish GDP) appears to have passed through the Danish financial giant Danske Bank. This case is just one in a long series of scandals, which show that the bourgeois rule of law is an illusion. The finance capitalists at the top of Danish society are above the law, and the state apparatus is their servant. Radical measures are required for fighting the corruption at the heart of this society. Denmark has set a new world record: in money laundering. While the government, parliament and media spend all their time persecuting immigrants, the elites in Danish society are laughing all the way to the bank. Literally. These elites have no scruples. For almost a decade, Danske Bank helped criminals and corrupt fat cats launder their profits, while of course taking its due for services rendered. The focal point was the non-resident portfolio in Danske Banks Estonia branch. That is to say, the customers who did not live in Estonia, but primarily Russia and the former Soviet republics. A small portion of the upwards of 1.500 billion kroner that flowed through the bank which, according to Danske Bank themselves, may have been suspicious, stems from the so-called Magnitsky case. A portion of the 1.500 dirty billion kroner that flowed through Danske Bank stems from the so-called Magnitsky case, in which a Russian lawyer (Sergei Magnitsky, pictured) exposed a mafia-controlled hedge fund. The lawyer was arrested and killed in jail / Image: VOA In 2007, an American hedge fund operating out of Moscow was taken over by the Russian mafia with help from Russian police. The new owners demanded and were paid back the companys tax payments to the Russian state of 230 million dollars USD. The case was revealed in 2008 by the Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. But he was the one who was arrested, and then beaten to death in prison. The money from the case, according to the journalistic anti-corruption cooperation OCCRP.org, constitutes a part of the money that Danske Bank has helped launder. Danske Banks Estonian branch has also managed 19 billion kroner of dirty money belonging to, among others, European politicians, from a fund established by the ruling elite in Azerbaijan. On the more exotic side, the banks name also showed up on the papers of an illegal North Korean weapons deal, which Jyllands-Posten exposed on 25 June this year. These cases make up just a very small fraction of the illicit cash the bank has handled. Fully premeditated The case around Danske Bank started with the purchase of the Finnish Sampo Bank in 2007, which had a branch in Estonia. As early as that year, the Russian central bank wrote Danske Bank to inform them that customers in Sampo Bank were permanently participating in transactions of questionable providence for millions of rubles each month. This information which was also given to the financial regulatory body, the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. Danske Bank conducted an internal investigation, which concluded that there was nothing to worry about, and the Supervisory Authority was content. Throughout the years, the transactions in the small Estonian branch reached unheard of proportions, more than seven-times the Estonian GDP in the years from 2007 to 2015. It was obvious that something was wrong. But Danske Bank made a fortune from these services, totalling 1.5 billion kroner. Even Danske Banks correspondent banks, which help Danske Bank get access to American dollars, passed on the transactions, as everyone could see that they were getting caught up in business which was so obviously criminal, that it was only a matter of time before it was discovered. J.P. Morgan ended its collaboration with Danske Bank in 2013 and was replaced with Bank of America. But even Deutsche Bank, which was a correspondent bank throughout the entire period, refused to touch the worst transactions on several occasions. It is hard to believe that the leadership of Danske Bank werent fully aware of what was going on. And if they hadnt seen enough warning lights go off, the internal whistleblower Howard Wilkinson informed them through four reports published as early as 2013 and 2014 about serious irregularities. But why get in the way of good business? Corrupt institutions The entire time, the authorities have been informed, and have flatly denied that there were any issues. On 16 September 2013, the Attorney General, the police Fraud Division and then-Social Democratic Minister of Justice, Morten Bdskov even received proof of the Magnitskij connection to Danske Bank and Nordea in Denmark. But the case was rejected. The state apparatus and Danske Bank stuck together, thick as thieves. And when Brian Mikkelsen from the Conservative Party became minister for the banks (Minister of Business) in December 2016, he took it a step further: Im coming out with a new political message to embrace the banks. The bullying of the banks must stop. () The banks are crucial for society, so no, my order of the day is to make life easier for the banks through deregulation, Brian Mikkelsen told TV2 Business. The relationship was so close, that Danske Bank was nice enough to let the Conservative Party hold its business conferences in the banks facilities in the spring of 2018. For PR reasons, however, it had to be moved to a different location at the last minute. In the meantime, the Supervisory Authority had been forced to come out with what was at the time called harsh criticism, after a year of revelations in the newspaper Berlingske. It wasnt, however, so harsh that the Supervisory Authority found it necessary to sanction the bank. Maybe the lack of sanctions wasnt so strange when you consider that the chairman of Danish Financial Supervisory Authority had to recuse himself and later resign, because he himself a few years prior had been CFO of Danske Bank. But this was, according to the then-Conservative Minister of Business, not an issue: The Supervisory Authority has delivered a thorough inspection, and I believe, that we can trust the Supervisory Authority and its credibility, was the response he offered to a question at a consultation on 3 May. Brian Mikkelsen was mired in the scandal from top to bottom. Possibly, this was the reason that he was replaced on 21 July by Rasmus Jarlov, whose rhetoric towards the bank was tougher. He said it was time to clean up. People were meant to understand there was a new sheriff in town. But the tougher rhetoric didnt go far. According to Ritzau, he said on 25 June: The Danske Bank scandal appears to be a big failure of leadership. But the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority has judged that a case cannot be raised against the leadership. () It is regrettable, but that is their judgement. It is not my role to dictate to the Supervisory Authority, which cases to raise. In September, Danske Banks own investigation came out, showing that the extent of the money laundering could be upwards of 1.500 billion kroner. But the investigation also concluded that the banks leadership in Denmark was completely free from responsibility. This was hardly a surprising conclusion, as they themselves had paid for the investigation. The CEO of the bank, Thomas Borgen, who had been the boss of Danske Banks Foreign Banking division, and thus the Estonian branch, during the period in which the money laundering took place, did have to resign. The media must be given their pound of flesh. But he walked on his own terms, not until after receiving his severance pay of over 13 million kroner. The new, tough Minister of Business, Rasmus Jarlov, has admitted the authorities will not rigorously investigate every aspect of the case / Image: Flickr, OSCE How did the new tough Minister of Business, Rasmus Jarlov, and his Supervisory Authority react to the report from September, which revealed the greatest money laundering scandal in world history? We wont be going through all the material. We have a risk-based approach, where resource consumption across assignments must be commensurate with the expected results, said the CEO of the Supervisory Authority, Jesper Berg, to BT on 25 September. Well let that sink in. There can no longer be any doubts about where Supervisory Authority and the states loyalties lie. Nothing to see The Supervisory Authority and the authorities in general havent exactly been pushing for access to the information possessed by whistleblower Howard Wilkinson. This means that a large part of the information, which hasnt been made known to the public, is from the banks internal investigation. According to Howard Wilkinson, who was interviewed in Berlingske on 27 September, there are five serious errors in Danske Banks report, which he would very much like to inform the Danish authorities about, but which he cannot reveal before he has been released from his contractual confidentiality towards Danske Bank. This means that one of the most central persons of the case is still not in dialogue with the Danish authorities. The situation is really quite simple, Wilkinson explained to Berlingske. When the Danish regulatory body contacted me in June, I sent it a draft for a statement, drafted by my lawyer, which the bank had to undersign. The regulatory body responded, that this was unacceptable for the bank. Correspondingly, the banks draft for a statement, which the regulatory body sent back, was unacceptable for me and my lawyer. Theres not much more to it. Again, the authorities concern first and foremost lies with the bank and its leadership. Since the interview, Danske Bank has had to loosen its grip on Mr Wilkinsons non-disclosure contract, which for a long time prohibited him from informing the authorities on his own. But at a testimony today before the Danish parliament, the lawyer of Mr Wilkinson criticised the fact that even to this day he is subject to the Danish laws about bank secrecy, which means that he is not allowed to name anybody in the bank either in front of the Danish parliament or to the Danish prosecutors. I think its pretty shocking that, four-and-a-half years on, I need to be here because this disgrace is still being investigated, he said. He then explained he had heard recordings of his own phone conversations, tapped from his phone by Danske Bank. So, here we have a quite different image of Denmark revealing itself, in contrast with the thoroughly regulated welfare society, which all politicians love to praise. Rules and regulations, it clearly appears, only apply to ordinary people, while the rich can act as they wish with impunity. The scandal with Danske Bank comes on top of the news that one or more officials over the course of at least 16 years have diverted 111 million kroner from a fund for programmes aimed at the poorest people in Denmark, to enrich themselves and their families. At the same time, DR and other European media sources have revealed the so-called CumEx case, where Danish tax authorities have handed more than 12 billion kroner of Danish taxes over to international finance capitalists, who (in collaboration with some of the worlds largest banks, lawyers and accounting firms), have ripped off European treasuries for more than 410 billion kroner. Now Nordea, the second biggest bank in Denmark after Danske Bank, has also been reported to the police for laundering 2.6 billion kroner, through 365 different accounts in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish branches. In all the cases, the banks are at the centre. Their role is also emphasised by Jack Irvine, spokesperson for Sanjay Shah, one of the main perpetrators of the CumEx scandal: The banks have made these trades for years, so I suspect that their share is much larger, but that would make Danish tax authorities look even dumber than they already do, wrote Jack Irvine, according to DR. The direct consequences Danske Bank is now being investigated by three American authorities, the British authorities and the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS). And finally, but only after massive pressure, the Police Fraud Division is also investigating the case. But, naturally, the investors are not scared of the Danish authorities. It is the American sanctions against Russia that has them worried. The analysts are guessing that Danske Bank will receive fines of between 12 and 50 billion kroner. But these are probably far into the distant future, and nobody knows how large the fines will actually end up being. Goldman Sachs estimate that Danske Bank can absorb fines of up to 50 billion before core capital is threatened. Too big to fail In 2008, Danske Bank would have cracked after participating in the speculation orgy in the years up until the crisis. But the Danish National Bank stepped in, and Danske Bank was given government guarantees, state loans, and a de facto direct emergency line to the Danish currency reserve. Since the bank has been declared of systemic importance. That isnt for no reason. The bank has actives worth more than 165 percent of the Danish GDP. If Danske Bank falls, so does the Danish economy. Instead of systemic importance meaning massive control from the state, it turns out that its exactly the other way around: Danske Bank and the other big banks are too important to be subjected to the law of mortals. The banks control the state institutions, not the other way around. Or rather: finance capital and the state are completely fused. But it isnt just a question of corruption. It is also about the interests of the nation that is, the interests of the ruling class. A question of trust Denmark has for many years held a reputation as a safe haven. The international investors have trusted the Danish economy, but first and foremost the Danish institutions. Together with the large central banks expansive monetary policy, where hundreds of billions of dollars and euros have been pumped into the financial markets, this has meant unprecedentedly low interests rates in Denmark. And that has been crucial in protecting the Danish economy, as Danish households are some of the most indebted in the world. But the many scandals are damaging the countrys credibility. This is the reason that authorities and politicians are doing everything they can to put the lid on the Danske Bank case, and at any cost avoid raising questions about the integrity of authorities and institutions. Because if state institutions (directly or indirectly) have allowed laundering of 1,500 billion kroner, and the theft of billions from the Treasury, what else have they let slide or not discovered? How solid is the bloated financial sector in Denmark really? Here, the politicians face another dilemma: On the one hand, they have to show that they are cracking down hard and cleaning up, but on the other, theyd rather not reveal more problems than the public is already aware of, so as not to scare investors. As Minister of Business Rasmus Jarlov said to Ritzau on 20 September: Were handling it, and we crack down hard on money laundering, and we hope they notice this abroad. Danske Bank has had a rough period on the stock market. If the downturn continues, it could have catastrophic consequences for Danske Bank and the whole Danish economy / Image: RL0919 So far, Danske Bank has had a rough period on the stock market. Since the beginning of the year, the bank has lost almost half its value, 100 billion kroner, and the credit ratings bureau, Moodys, downgraded its rating to negative outlook on 12 October. If the downturn continues, it could have catastrophic consequences, not just for Danske Bank, but also for all of Denmarks economy, and hundreds of thousands of families, which today are up to the ears in debt. If the worst-case scenario plays out, and Danske Bank is brought to its knees, we can be sure that a unified capitalist class will suddenly be pro-state-intervention, and maybe even nationalisation of the losses, that is to rebuild the bank with tax money, paid by the working class, to prepare for privatisation when the good times return. Even more than trust from global markets, the Danish ruling class is worried about the trust that the Danish working class has in the prevailing system. For almost 100 years, the ruling class, assisted by the leaders of the workers movement, have been building the illusion that the Danish state and major institutions were bastions of the rule of law. That all laws and rules apply to everyone equally and that the state bureaucracy is nothing more than an executor of these laws, aloof from its own interests. This mirage has been kept up with the assistance of the leaders of the trade unions and the workers parties, who for years have been using this as an excuse avoid waging a serious class struggle to defend the rising pressure on the working class. But, as the current scandals show, all of this has been a lie. The state and big business are tied together by a million threads. Not only is the main regulatory body led by former top bankers, but there is also an even bigger flow the other way, with banks systematically recruiting state officials. In fact, most people coming up in the regulatory bodies are gunning for top paid jobs in the banks at a future time neither they nor the banks make any secret of this which means they have little interest in aggressively pursuing the banks for major crimes that they commit. The same process can be seen throughout the state apparatus. Far from working for the people, as the myth goes, the loyalties of top state officials is to the ruling class. They execute the law (or not) so as to make it compatible with the interests of this class. All of this is being revealed just as the world economy, and along with it the Danish economy, is headed for a new decline, clearing the way for new austerity measures and attacks against living standards. In such conditions, the contrast between the politicians demand for austerity and tightening belts and their simultaneous corruption, will be fuel to the fire of class struggle. That is the main concern of the Danish ruling class. A fight against finance capital and its state apparatus Hence, as the rate of discoveries about the scandal has increased, the politicians have been falling all over each other show how irate and shocked they are. They are trying to distance themselves from the scandal and portray it as a number of one-off events, alien to the clean record of Danish democracy (or Scandinavian Socialism as some call it). But theres nothing new under the sun. The free market isnt free. The big actors twist and manipulate it and leave the bill for the working class and the lowest layers of society. The problem isnt a few bad eggs, or unusual greed in Danske Bank, but with capitalism itself. It has been more than 100 years since the banks went from being managers of capital for real production, to being the real masters of the entire capitalist economy. The problem isnt a few bad eggs, but with capitalism itself. The banks are no longer managers of capital for real production, they are the real masters of the entire capitalist economy / Image: Flickr, Stanislav Stankovic This case proves quite clearly that, not only should the financial sector be expropriated and work for societys interests, instead of the profiteering of criminal speculators, but also that the bourgeois state apparatus is in no way capable of handling societys interests. Its nothing more than an executive organ for finance capital. The entire top layer of society, across the public and private sector, needs to be expropriated, politically and economically. Until the working class throws out these parasites and takes power into its own hands, one thing is certain: It will be the working class, young and old, which pays for the speculative and criminal orgies of finance capital. The publisher of the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Valley Advocate in Northampton, the Amherst Bulletin, The Recorder in Greenfield and the Athol Daily News has been reassigned. Aaron Julien, president and CEO at parent company Newspapers of New England, Inc., has taken over as publisher effective immediately. The move was announced Monday in a news story on the Gazette's website. Julien told staff of the changes Monday morning in the newsroom. The former publisher, Michael Rifanburg, has been named vice president of the company's third-party services group, which handles commercial printing, digital services and other businesses, according to the Gazette. The move came exactly one week after employees at the Gazette, the Bulletin and the Advocate announced plans to form a union affiliated with the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America. Employees at The Recorder and Athol Daily News are not involved in the organizing efforts. Union backers said about 70 percent of 72 Gazette, Advocate and Bulletin workers have signed a petition. They are in the process of working with the National Labor Relations Board to schedule an election among workers. Let's hear it for advertising! Our sales reps are the best in the business, and they keep the engine of this paper humming. #PVNewsGuild #walltowall Posted by Pioneer Valley NewsGuild on Saturday, November 17, 2018 Julien had already sent a letter to employees last week saying despite the challenges in the industry, a union is not the answer. By KARA L. NOBLE SPRINGFIELD -- Bob Dylan and his Band compacted 50 years of his music--and much of the history of rock n' roll--into a nearly nonstop blast of music, then sprayed it over the sold-out crowd of more than 2,600 people at Symphony Hall on Sunday night. A white bust of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and art, perched beside Dylan's piano amid the amplifiers and microphones on stage. It was a visual wink at Homer. In his Nobel-prize acceptance speech, Dylan credited that ancient Greek poet/songwriter as one of his artistic influences. Dylan launched the concert at 8 p.m. with a fiery rendition of "Things Have Changed," the Academy-Award-winning song he wrote and performed for the 2000 film Wonder Boys. The band hurled each tune from the stage in an intense wave of music, then receded to a continuous wash of sound in the blackouts between songs. Old and new merged in equal measures throughout the evening. Techno met country in a version of "It Ain't Me Babe" that bore little resemblance to the rendition Johnny Cash recorded on his 1965 album, Orange Blossom Special. "Simple Twist of Fate" from the 1974 album Blood on the Tracks, rocketed forward into a virtuosic harmonica solo by Dylan, then gradually slowed and disintegrated into a loose jumble of tuning and improvisation that eventually ramped back into thumping chords and rhythms for a drum-driven rendition of "Cry a While." Dylan and the band seemed to suck energy from the crowd, but otherwise ignored it as they focused on one another and on the music. Early in the concert, engineers had difficulty balancing Dylan's gravelly talk-sing voice with the roaring instruments. The first few tunes suffered from a sludgy mix, but about halfway through the show, engineers found a way to lift the voice back to the surface. "Honest with Me" wrapped Jerry Lee Lewis piano in Dylan menace, and "Pay in Blood" bounced like the Beach Boys as it shredded like Metallica. In "Scarlet Town," Dylan grabbed a pole microphone and struck Elvis-like poses at center stage while drummer George Receli combined sticks and hands to invoke East-Indian tabla rhythms that drove through the sinewy sonority of Tony Garrity's bowed bass and the eerie cries of Donnie Herron's steel guitar. The "Bad to the Bone" quotes in "Early Roman Kings" were unmistakable, and "Soon After Midnight" gave off so much of the hormonal cuddliness of a '50s slow dance that many women in the audience involuntarily snuggled their heads on to the shoulders of their male companions. Dylan's show delivered an artful blend of meticulous planning and freewheeling innovation. His Springfield show, the first since 1998 and presented by DSP Shows, delivered the familiar tunes the audience wanted, but challenged listeners to figure out what each one was by cloaking each tune in new, often unexpected sounds. He demanded that the audience bring to him equal measures of listening and thinking--and they did. A 27-year-old Lynn woman accused of using her position at a Saugus group home to recruit a child to perform sex acts for money in Boston and Worcester last year, pleaded not guilty to charges in Suffolk Superior Court Monday. Ashley Goodrich was indicted by a statewide grand jury Sept. 27 on four counts of trafficking a minor for sexual servitude; one count of deriving support from prostitution of a minor; and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the office of Attorney General Maura Healey. She pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a child at her arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court Monday. Jeffrey Steven Bourgeois, an attorney for the state, said Goodrich brought the child, who she met through her position at the Eliot Community Human Services in Saugus, to Boston "and performed commercial sexual activity." The charges in Suffolk Superior Court pertain to a December 2017 incident in Boston, Bourgeois said. Bourgeois and Goodrich's attorney Nicole Bluefort agreed to consolidate the case in Worcester Superior Court, where it originated. The investigation into Goodrich began in May, according to Healey's office. Goodrich formerly worked at the Eliot Community Human Services in Saugus. Prosecutors say she used that position to target and recruit a minor at the group home, which provides care for adolescents referred from the Department of Children and Families. She then arranged sexual encounters involving the minor, Healey's office said in a statement. Goodrich pleaded not guilty to three counts of trafficking a person under 18 for sexual servitude, one count of deriving support from child prostitution and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child at her arraignment in Worcester Superior Court Oct. 5. She was released on personal recognizance and ordered to have no contact with the victim, witnesses, any former or current residents of the group home and any former or current employees of the company. Authorities said Goodrich posted ads online offering sexual services in exchange for money. She would then drive the minor, whose gender is unclear, to the sexual encounters in Boston and Worcester, coordinating those meetings during times that the minor had run away from the group home, the statement said. Boston Public Schools students and gun violence activists will hold a walkout Monday afternoon to protest the number of people killed because of gun violence in the city and the proposed closure of two schools. "These incidents are happening more rapidly and frequently than ever. Are you tired of hearing about meetings with empty promises? Are you frustrated from losing your loved one, your friend? Thoughts and prayers don't save lives funding does. Enough is Enough!! How much more can communities of color take?" organizers wrote on Facebook. The walkout will start at schools across the district and end with a 43-minute "die-in" in City Hall, which represents the number of people killed with guns in Boston in 2018. The group hopes to set up a meeting with Mayor Marty Walsh to discuss a violence prevention plan that is community inclusive and youth-led, adding funding to the budget so students can find employment year round, and improving trauma services for "young people as well as communities of color who are forced to witness shootings on their way to get their education. Organizers also want to stop the proposing closing of West Roxbury Academy and Urban Science Academy and John W. McCormack Middle School in Dorchester. SPRINGFIELD -- With about a dozen family and friends of Janet Kastberg watching, Jonathan Kastberg denied a murder charge Monday in Hampden Superior Court. Kastberg, 75, of Holland, is charged in the killing of his wife by blunt force trauma to the head. He also denied a charge of violation of an abuse prevention order. Jonathan Kastberg was arrested July 20 after police found the body of Janet Kastberg, 60, at 253 Holland Road. A caller told police she believed someone had just been killed in the house. When police arrived they found Janet Kastberg, who was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. Jonathan Kastberg was ordered held without right to bail in the case. His lawyer is Stanley Szlachetka. Assistant District Attorney Melissa G. Doran is prosecuting the case. SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield District Court Judge Charles W. Groce III on Monday continued the impoundment of a police report on a woman who says accused killer Stewart Weldon tried to drag her into his home in February. Groce allowed Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett's motion to continue the impoundment until Wednesday, when Springfield District Court Judge John Payne is slated to be back in the court. Payne has heard all matters relating to impoundment in Weldon's cases. Another judge on Friday allowed Bennett's motion to impound the report. Bennett said the appearance of the woman's name and address in a police report made public Thursday and obtained by a number of media outlets "has placed the victim in immediate danger of being publicly outed which would place her life in peril." The Republican / MassLive and The Boston Globe went to court in June seeking the release of the report, which was impounded at Weldon's June 4 arraignment on charges of kidnapping and assault with attempt to rape. On Thursday The Republican / MassLive received a PDF that included two versions of the report: one with the woman's name and address redacted, and one in which the information was not blacked out. The Republican / MassLive did not identify the woman by name in its reporting on the documents, which also included a list of evidence collected during a weeklong search of the 1333 Page Blvd. property where police found three other women's bodies. The Globe -- which interviewed the woman and published an account of her story in June -- has not identified her by name, either. In a version of the report made public in late June, after the news organizations sought its release, large portions of the narrative written by officer James M. Crogan were blacked out, as were names, addresses and phone numbers in other sections of the report. Weldon is charged with kidnapping and assault with intent to rape in connection with the woman. The disclosure of the woman's name in the documents violates a state law protecting the identity of victims of sexual assaults or attempted sexual crimes, Bennett wrote in his motion. Weldon, 41, is charged with murder in the deaths of of Kayla Escalante, 27, of Ludlow, and Springfield residents Ernestine Ryans, 47, and 34-year-old America Lyden. Their bodies were found in and around the 1333 Page Blvd. property where he lived with his mother. He was arrested after a traffic stop on May 27, when a woman in his car -- the mother of his children -- told police he'd been holding her captive and brutalizing her for weeks. A grand jury indicted Weldon on a total of 52 counts, including kidnapping and aggravated rape. The indictments list a total of 11 victims. NORTHAMPTON -- Opening day is Tuesday, but Monday was still about planning to ease traffic and parking for the first business in Western Massachusetts -- and one of only two on the East Coast -- that will sell marijuana for recreational use. Representatives of New England Treatment Access (NETA) at 118 Conz St. held a pre-opening news conference Monday that emphasized police presence to direct traffic and additional staff to deal with marijuana customers. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission said Friday the agency had granted the final approvals for NETA here and Cultivate Holdings LLC in the Worcester County town of Leicester to open the state's first recreational marijuana shops, both on Tuesday. Over 100 staffers have been added at NETA and service stations for customers have increased to about 25 from the normal 15, said Amanda Rositano, NETA director of operational compliance. "It's going to be an all-hands-on-deck situation," Rositano said. The fanfare shows the transformation of acceptance of marijuana, she said. "What a day," Rositano said. NETA officials have arranged that Northampton Mayor David J. Narkewicz will be the first to purchase recreational marijuana when the shop opens Tuesday at 8 a.m. Narkewicz, a U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard veteran, said he sees his being the first purchaser as a key step in helping to erode the stigma that still exists around marijuana. "I think it sends an important message," he said. He plans to buy a chocolate bar, and not eat it, he said. "Obviously, it'll be a historic artifact, so I won't consume it," he said. Police Chief Jody Kasper said she was confident the planning between police and NETA will help deal with whatever congestion occurs Tuesday. "We feel confident that it's going to be a busy day and we're ready for the business," Kasper said. This step shows the transformation around the feelings about marijuana, that the war on drugs wasn't the right course and that acceptance of marijuana is growing, she said. Businesses that sell marijuana for medicinal use to patients with identification cards issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have been open for several years. NETA began operating as a medical marijuana dispensary in October 2015. NETA officials assured their medical marijuana customers that designated dispensary stations will be set up for them, free of the potential crowds buying pot for recreational use. "NETA looks forward to providing legal marijuana to our customers, but we want our patients to know that we will never waver from our commitment to them and their needs," Norton Arbelaez, NETA director of government affairs, said in a statement Friday. For the expected influx of patrons Tuesday, NETA's planning has included coordinating with police to try to ensure that traffic and patron flows avoid problems, officials said. The company will hire police officers to direct traffic, a collaboration that company and police officials said will be ongoing, officials said. NETA also has contacted managers of nearby businesses to see if parking in their lots could be available during the early days of the recreational pot shop launch. Inside the NETA shop, additional staff and service stations will be available to handle the increased flow of patrons, officials said. NETA's hours, including on Tuesday, are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Massachusetts voters legalized marijuana by approving election ballot questions. Recreational marijuana was legalized in 2016 and medical marijuana in 2012. Check back with The Republican and MassLive.com for more coverage of NETA Northampton's recreational marijuana shop. SPRINGFIELD - At 12-years-old Nelson Rojas has already seen violence divide the city where he lives and he wants that to change. Wearing a suit under his red jacket, Rojas walked at the head of a group of more than 50 members of the Greater Springfield Campaign Nonviolence on a half-hour march down Main Street and on side streets in the North End. He directed chants in English and Spanish of "No Violence" "Peace" and "Unity" as well as the recitation of the Lord's Prayer while holding a megaphone. "I want to lead this city to become a peaceful community. I don't like this. I hate this," he said after the march. "I feel God sent me to do this. He doesn't want violence." The Nonviolence Campaign is a non-denominational group made up of a variety of members of different churches working toward peace in the city. About four times a year the group holds a march in a different section of the city, said Deacon Kevin McCarthy of Blessed Sacrament Church. This march started at his Blessed Sacrament Church on Waverly Street. People carried signs with the names of the 16 homicide victims killed in the city this year as well as names of police officers killed on duty. "It sends out a positive message about non-violence in the community and brings together neighborhoods," he said. He was especially happy to Rojas and his sister Alondra Lopez Santiago, 10, leading the chants and to have other young people joining in the march. "It gives us all hope," he said. Marching behind him was one of the young people. Joshua Gonzales, 17, a student at Phoenix Academy Charter School, was carrying a sign memorializing Ernestine Ryans, 47, one of the three women found dead in May in the home of Stewart Weldon. Weldon has been charged with multiple crimes including three counts of murder. "I can be the example they need," he said. "If I can be here, other people can be here too." People from multiple churches joined in on the walk. Jane Virgilio, of Springfield, a member of Holy Cross Church in East Forest Park said she has attended several of the non-violence marches in different neighborhoods. "I want to send a message of non-violence and to be another person and another voice to support the message. I think it is desperately needed," she said. This year there have been 16 homicides in the city with the most recent happening Nov. 12 when Jesus Flores, 47, a father and restaurant employee, died after being shot on Nov. 3. Corrine Lindblad, of Springfield, overhead a few people at Holy Cross Church, where she is a member, talking about the nonviolence campaign and was inspired to become involved. Sunday was her first march, but she said she plans to attend others. "I couldn't stop crying when they read the names of the people who have died," she said. She said she also wanted to show her support to the police and police officers who were killed on duty, including Kevin Ambrose who died June 2012 and Alain Beauregard, killed in 1985. At least a half-dozen Springfield police also joined in the march, some blocking streets so the group could cross and others just walking and talking to members of the nonviolence campaign. During the initial speeches during the march McCarthy teased officers that he couldn't hear them singing and offered them a chance to sing solo, which all of them quickly declined. The department tries to send as many officers as it can for the walks while still answering calls and patrolling the city, said Lt. Sean Arpin. "We want to show support to the community and we are on the same side. We want to snuff out violence," he said. It also shows their respect for the other officers who have been killed in the city, he said. From Samoas-crusted shrimp to Thin Mint Mississippi mud bars, chefs are being asked once again to come up with their most creative dishes using Girl Scout Cookies. Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts planning its annual "Fork It Over" culinary event and the organization is calling on local chefs to participate. Chefs will receive a full selection of Girl Scout cookies to experiment with, and once their recipe is ready, the final creations will be presented to a panel of judges at the competition on March 26, 2019, at the Worcester Art Museum. Each participant will be asked to create approximately 250 bite-sized portions of their savory or sweet creations for guests to taste. Dec. 14 is the deadline for chefs to register. The ticketed event is open to the public and the evening will feature a silent auction, raffle and live music. For more information or to register, contact Melanie Perreault-LeBoeuf at mleboeuf@gscwm.org or call 508-749-3617. Hundreds of plants were growing, weed-infused gummies were being made, and medical patients were lining up to purchase products. But tomorrow will be different, a historic day for Cultivate Holdings LLC and for Massachusetts. In the final hours before Cultivate in Leicester opens up for retail sales of marijuana, company President Sam Barber gave a tour of the facility to members of the Cannabis Control Commission. At 8 a.m. Tuesday, Cultivate will be one of two marijuana shops opening up for the first retail sales. Commissioners Britte McBride and Jennifer Flanagan walked with Barber through Cultivate on Monday afternoon, asking questions about how traffic will be handled along Route 9 and how IDs will be checked as customers enter the facility. "Tomorrow's going to be a very fun day but it's also going to be full of education," Barber said to the commissioners and media members who joined the tour of Cultivate. McBride asked Barber if Cultivate employees would be asking customers whether or not this was the first time they had used marijuana. "We're assuming everybody has never tried and trying to take that approach," Barber said. "I think even people that have used cannabis in the past may not be using it in the form that we're selling it." Cultivate was Worcester County's first medical marijuana dispensary and opened on Dec. 1, 2017. Tuesday morning, it will make history along with New England Treatment Access (NETA) LLC in Northampton with the first retail sales of weed. Cultivate says there will be a 1 once flower and/or 5-gram concentrate limit per transaction. Flanagan said the commission has spent a lot of time thinking about education, especially for parents, teachers and school nurses. "Things are going to look very different tomorrow," she said. "There are going products on the street that they may not even be aware of." At Cultivate, Barber showed the commissioners some of the marijuana-infused gummies sold there, which all have a THC label. Flanagan said she was a big fan of the fact that the packaging on the gummies lets users know the product takes 60 to 90 minutes for the full effect to set in. Massachusetts voters in 2016 approved a ballot question broadly legalizing recreational marijuana. While recreational sales were anticipated to begin in July, that opening was delayed for months. Lines are expected to begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Customers are asked to park at Everlast Nursery at 1894 Main St. and take courtesy shuttle buses to Cultivate. The first customer at Cultivate will be Iraq War veteran and medical marijuana advocate Stephen Mandile, who is expected to buy a quarter-ounce of pot and edibles. Recreational customers are asked to park at Everlast Nursery at 1894 Main St. in Leicester and take a free shuttle to Cultivate as onsite parking is reserved for patients with active medical state registration and those needing handicap access. Customers must be 21 to purchase marijuana. You don't have to be a Massachusetts resident, but you must have a government-issued ID, like a driver's license, ID card or passport. State law indicates that a person can possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana outside of his or her primary residence and no more than 5 grams of marijuana concentrate. Separately, state law allows people to gift up to 1 ounce to another person. Consuming marijuana or marijuana products in public is still prohibited under state law. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, joined two other Democrats Monday in taking legal action to challenge the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's decision to appoint Matthew Whitaker acting attorney general. Blumenthal and U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the president violated the Constitution's Appointments Clause by selecting Whitaker, who has never been confirmed by the Senate. The effort, supported by Protect Democracy and the Constitutional Accountability Center, seeks to declare Whitaker's appointment unconstitutional and block him from serving as acting AG -- a position which puts him in charge of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Arguing that Whitaker's appointment "so flagrantly defies constitutional law that any viewer of School House Rock would recognize it," Blumenthal accused Trump of denying senators their constitutional obligation of scrutinizing the nomination. "Americans prize a system of checks and balances, which President Trump's dictatorial appointment betrays. ... The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test," he said in a statement. "In selecting a so-called 'constitutional nobody' and thwarting every senator's constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." Americans prize checks & balances. Trump's dictatorial appointment of Whitaker denies Senators from completing our constitutional obligation to scrutinize the nomination of our top law enforcement official. We are left with no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. pic.twitter.com/dUrCZRFYUs Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) November 19, 2018 Whitehouse, meanwhile, contended that "the stakes are too high to allow the president to install an unconfirmed lackey to lead the Department of Justice -- a lackey whose stated purpose, apparently, is undermining a major investigation into the president." Hirono said she and her colleagues want to court to clarify that the U.S. Senate must confirm Whitaker's appointment as acting AG for the White House to prevent violating the Constitution's Appointments Clause. Trump announced earlier this month that Whitaker would take over for Jeff Sessions as the new acting attorney general before a permanent replacement is "nominated at a later date." Sessions, whom Trump repeatedly criticized for recusing himself from the Russia probe, resigned at the president's request. The appointment drew criticism from some, including U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts. The state of Maryland, meanwhile, has also reportedly challenged Whitaker's appointment in court, arguing that Trump went around the Constitution and Justice Department's succession plan in naming him acting AG. Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and Iraq War veteran Stephen Mandile will be the first people to buy recreational marijuana legally in Massachusetts. The two first marijuana stores to open for recreational sales will be New England Treatment Access in Northampton and Cultivate in Leicester. The Boston Globe first reported that Narkewicz will be the first customer in Northampton and Mandile will be the first customer in Leicester. Both recreational marijuana stores open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. "It's fitting the first store will be opening in Northampton," Narkewicz said in an interview with The Republican. "We're known as a progressive city and a leader on lots of social change issues." Narkewicz, 52, the mayor of Northampton since 2011, is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Mandile, of Uxbridge, was injured in Iraq and used medical marijuana to wean himself off prescription drugs. Has has been an advocate for veterans, helping them use medical marijuana and get into the medical marijuana industry. Narkewicz said he plans to make a "symbolic purchase," probably of a cannabis-infused chocolate bar. "It's going to be historic, so most likely I'll have it framed and save it for posterity in my office," Narkewicz said, adding that eventually, he will probably donate the bar to Northampton's historical society. "I don't intend to consume it," Narkewicz said. For NETA to invite the mayor to be its first customer illustrates the importance of municipal officials in deciding the future of the industry in their towns. City and town voters have the authority to place bans, caps, zoning restrictions and moratoriums on recreational marijuana businesses. City officials must also negotiate host agreements with every marijuana business that opens. Prospective business owners have complained that many communities are not open to the industry, and municipal officials are using host agreements to get enormous payouts for their communities, on top of the 3 percent local option tax that municipalities can adopt. In contrast, Narkewicz - and the voters of Northampton - supported marijuana legalization. Northampton has already signed host agreements with 10 marijuana stores and product manufacturers, which are in various stages of the licensing process. Northampton allows marijuana shops anywhere it allows other retail and manufacturing businesses. "We've really tried to treat this as any other legitimate business," Narkewicz said. Northampton did adopt the local option tax, so it will get significant new revenue from the marijuana companies. While Narkewicz was invited in his capacity as mayor, he thinks there is some significance to the fact that both the first buyers will be veterans. "I remember the day of the grand opening for NETA's medical (marijuana dispensary), I met a vet who had driven halfway across the state, and he indicated just how life-changing cannabis was in terms of dealing with his chronic pain issues," Narkewicz said. Mandile did not immediately return a call Monday morning. He told The Republican/MassLive.com in a previous interview that he started using medical marijuana three years ago, and it helped him get off of the more than 50 drugs he had been prescribed over the last decade to deal with injuries sustained during his military service. Mandile said at the time that he was part of a group trying to open a veteran-centric medical marijuana dispensary. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, and anti-hunger advocates from across Western Massachusetts took to the streets Monday for the ninth annual "Monte's March," an 43-mile walk which seeks to raise awareness about food insecurity and help local families in need this Thanksgiving. McGovern, WRSI The River radio host Monte Belmonte and Andrew Morehouse, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts' executive director, began the two-day trek at Springfield's Martin Luther King Community Center. The Worcester Democrat, who has traditionally taken part in the annual march, stressed the importance of raising awareness about hunger and food insecurity ahead of Thanksgiving and the holiday season. "As we prepare for Thanksgiving, there are many families who are struggling just to put food on the table. ... Hunger is something that touches families across the Commonwealth, but together, we can help to ensure that everyone has access to the healthy meals they need this holiday season," he said in a statement. This morning we kicked off the 9th annual #MontesMarch -- we're walking 43 miles (yes, in the rain) from Springfield to Greenfield to raise awareness about the impact of hunger on families in Western Mass! Learn more about Monte's March here --> https://t.co/G8I18ZvlsG pic.twitter.com/OuyB7kFNPw Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) November 19, 2018 McGovern, who cast hunger as a "political condition," argued that more needs to be done to address the issue at the national level. "We have the money, we have the infrastructure to end hunger, but we don't have the political will," he said in a video posted on Twitter. "Hopefully, this march will help raise awareness and increase pressure on our politicians. We need to end hunger now." He added that any discomfort marchers felt due to the rainy, cold weather conditions "is nothing compared to the discomfort millions of families feel everyday, who don't know where their next meal is going to come from." Live update from hour 3 of our 43-mile #MontesMarch. Its a wet, snowy day but whatever discomfort we feel is nothing compared to the pain felt by families who dont know where their next meal is coming from. Lets all do our part to #EndHungerNow. pic.twitter.com/jYbU0IcdqZ Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) November 19, 2018 The 2018 Monte's March, which seeks to raise more than $1 million, included Monday morning stops at Lorraine's Soup Kitchen and Pantry in Chicopee, as well as Kate's Kitchen and Gateway City Arts in downtown Holyoke. Marchers continued on to Northampton, where the first day of the walk is set to conclude with a 2 p.m. rally at the Old Courthouse Lawn in celebration of Lavery Greenfield's Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive for the Food Bank, organizers said. A fundraising dinner, Monte's Munch, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Sierra Grille. Monte's March will resume early Tuesday morning at McGovern's Pleasant Street office in Northampton. From there, participants will travel down Route 9 and through downtown Amherst, stopping at Whole Foods in Hadley, the Amherst Survival Center and Bridgeside Grille in Sunderland. They will also stop at Berkshire Brewing Company in South Deerfield for a ribbon cutting ceremony, before ending the march at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, organizers said. Monte's March raised more than $258,000 in 2017 to provide about 774,000 meals to Western Massachusetts residents. Supporters are asked to donate money to benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. More than 223,000 people in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties are affected by food insecurity, according to the Food Bank. From October 2017 to the end of September 2018, the Food Bank distributed 11.6 million pounds of food, enough for more than 9.7 million meals. Two members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation are reportedly among more than a dozen House Democrats who plan to oppose Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's bid to take over as the chamber's next speaker. U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, and Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, joined 14 Democrats in sending a Monday letter to chamber colleagues vowing to block Pelosi's speakership bid when the House flips back to the party's control in January, according to various news reports. Although Democrats who signed the letter praised Pelosi's "years of service to our country" and the caucus, they argued that midterm voters supported Democrats out of a desire for change in Washington -- something which they said should begin with the party's leadership in Congress. "Democrats ran and won on a message of change," they reportedly wrote. "Our majority came on the backs of candidates who said that they would support new leadership because voters in hard-won districts, and across the country, want to see real change in Washington. We promised to change the status quo and we intend to deliver on that promise." "Therefore, we are committed to voting for new leadership in both our caucus meeting and on the House floor," they continued, according to a copy of the letter published by Axios. Moulton's reported signing of the letter does not come as a surprise. The Salem Democrat has publicly come out in support of Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge's bid for U.S. House speaker. "Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio is the kind of new leader that we deserve in this party, and I hope she runs for speaker," he tweeted last week. "We need more women, including women of color, in congressional leadership." Moulton further told The Republican that he had two goals heading into the 2018 election: To win back the House of Representatives and to "fundamentally change Congress." "There's no millennial in America that looks at Leader Pelosi and says, 'That's the future of our party,'" he said in a late-October interview, arguing that the Democrat's bench "has been kept down" by current leadership. Lynch, meanwhile, raised concerns about Pelosi's leadership during a 2015 interview with a Boston television program. "Nancy Pelosi will not lead us back to the majority," he reportedly said at the time, adding the he believed she should resign from her leadership post. Although Fudge has said she's considering a run for speaker, she was not among the Democrats who signed the letter. Democrats hold a 232 to 200 member majority in the House with three races yet to be called, Axios noted. Opposition from 16 Democrats -- including one candidate whose race has not been called -- however, could put Pelosi's speakership in jeopardy, if the minority leader falls shy of the 218 needed to secure the role. The caucus is expected to hold it's leadership vote on Nov. 28. The floor vote will be held on Jan. 3. Tiso Blackstar Group's annual AMARA Recruitment Awards honoured recruitment industry professionals at a formal dinner held at the Park House of Events in Hyde Park, Gauteng, on 17 November 2018. The AMARA's recognise outstanding service and achievement in both South Africa's private and public sector recruitment, where individuals, agencies and print advertising creativity are celebrated. 2018 AMARA Award winners The AMARA winners for 2018 are: Winner Ultimate Recruitment Solutions 1st runner up Gear Advertising 2nd runner up Basadzi Personnel Winner Human Communications for Pannar Seed 1st runner up Gear Advertising for Academic Partners 2nd runner up Gear Advertising for AC Witcher Winner Human Communications for the Road Traffic Infringement Agency 1st runner up Human Communications for the National Treasury 2nd runner up The Working Earth for SANBS Winner Gear Advertising for the University of Cape Town 1st runner up Working Earth for Crawford College 2nd runner up Human Communications for the Central University of Technology Reardon Sanderson, general manager of Group Sales & Marketing at Tiso Blackstar says, The costs of replacing and appointing new talent can have significant bottom-line implications for businesses, which makes it imperative for HR to bring the most suitable hires on-board from the get-go. And an effective print recruitment ad is the first step in a successful process. This is why we feel the need to honour those individuals and agencies that show a deep understanding of the employment sector, and how to match the right individuals to the right job.The 2018 AMARA judging panel - comprising Nikki Munsie, Ross Mengel, Ian Mann, Dr Kgomotso Kasonkola, and Monalisa Zwambila - shortlisted the finalists for the Best Creative Recruitment adverts in the private, public and education sectors.The ads that we selected, we felt did the job well, says Ian Mann, who believes an ad should aim to attract the right quality candidates, and not focus necessarily on quantity of applicants for a position.Voting for the category winners was then opened up online, for input from the public and other industry professionals.The Publishers Award went to Rirhandzu Mashaba of Whoodoo Media and Advertising, while Tsele Consulting was the recipient of the Rising Star Award. Market Research Future has added a report titled Capnography Market Research Report- Forecast To 2027 to its offering. The report provides an in-depth analysis of regional data and an accurate projection of the market size and share of the Top 10 market players across the globe. Market Scenario: The global capnography market is expected to grow during the forecast period from 2018 to 2027 at a CAGR of ~19.5%. Capnography is the process used to measure and determine the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in respiratory gases by using the capnograph device. It helps to measure the actual concentration of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. The capnograph is used to monitor the inhaled and exhaled concentration of CO2. The growing pediatric population, increasing number of patients suffering from cardiac diseases, and increasing aging population are expected to drive the growth of the market. The global capnography market is estimated to grow during the forecast period due to factors such as innovation, technological advancements, and advancement of the capnography device. A strong recommendation about capnography was made by healthcare bodies such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists, European Resuscitation Council, and others to include capnography devices in healthcare facilities compulsorily. This fuels the growth of the global capnography market. Get Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1535 Key players: Smiths Medical Inc, Nonin medical Inc, Dreagerwerk AG & CO. KGaA, Welch Allyn, Medtronic, Masimo, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Care fusion cooperation, Covidien Ltd, Diamedica Limited, Edan Instruments, Inc., Hill Rom Holding Inc, Koninklijke Philips N.V., and BD Segmentation: The global capnography market is segmented on the basis of type, devices, application, and end-user. The global capnography market on the basis of type is segmented into capnograph and disposable. Capnograph is further subdivided into three segments, namely, mainstream capnography, sidestream capnography, and micro stream capnography. Mainstream capnography is further subdivided sand alone monitor, handheld monitor, and multi-parameter monitor. Based on device, the global capnography market is segmented into handheld monitors, stand-alone monitors, and others. Based on application the global capnography market is segmented into procedural sedation, critical care, emergency medicine, pain management, and general floor. Based on end-user the global capnography market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers. Regional Market: Based on region, the global capnography research market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas is sub-segmented into North America and South America. The North American region is further segmented into the US and Canada. The European region is divided into two, namely, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe is further classified into Germany, Italy, France, the UK, Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The Asia-Pacific region is sub-segmented into Japan, China, India, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. The Middle Eastern and African region is sub-segmented into the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa. The American market is likely to dominate the global capnography market owing to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases in the aging population and the growing occurrence of asthma in pediatrics. North America dominates the global capnography market due to the development of advanced products in this region. Latin America is showing significant growth in the capnography market due to increasing use of capnography devices in healthcare facilities as recommended by government bodies. The World Health Organization has published a report on Safe Surgery that recommended the use of capnography monitoring devices during the endotracheal tube placement surgery. The American Society of Anesthesiologists also recommended the use of capnography during procedural sedation and anesthesia. The rising problems of respiratory diseases because of an unhealthy lifestyle and high-stress level impact have led to significant growth in this market. The European market is the second largest in the global capnography market. The market growth in this region is due to government funding and support from the healthcare sector. However, growing number of surgeries and changing lifestyle have contributed to the growth of the market in this region. Browse Full Reports @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/capnography-market-1535 Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing market owing to the increasing aging population and rising prevalence of diseases. The capnography market in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow during the forecast period due to rising healthcare expenditure and increasing awareness about the capnography technique. Countries such as India and China are more focused on the global capnography market because of the growing purchasing power and the increasing population as compared to other developing countries. Table Of Contents: Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restraints 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis Continued! Price: $4450 (Single User) No. of Pages: 115 Buy now @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1535 Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com This company article has been removed. WinterGreen Research announces that it has published a new study Blood Plasma: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2018 to 2024. The 2018 study has 338 pages, 148 tables and figures. Worldwide markets are poised to achieve continuing growth as animal and human blood is further fractionated to address more disease treatments and becomes more effective in the research and development aspects of medical care delivery. Blood is for most species the essence of life. Blood plasma provides significant health benefits. The varieties of proteins and other components of blood are in demand worldwide. Blood proves its value by managing a variety of ways to treat disease. The plasma proteins or derivatives in blood are extracted via the fractionation process. A range of valuable products are manufactured from blood plasma through fractionation. Fractionation occurs in tanks at near freezing temperatures. Fractionation is used to maintain the integrity of the proteins in plasma. This process includes a phase of introducing various viral inactivation procedures. Blood plasma offers high value for its volume and weight. One refrigerated container might be worth more than an entire shipload of grain. Blood provides significant health benefits to people. Blood exports boost U.S. exports with minimal carbon emissions.. Get a PDF Sample of this Report @ http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2370369 . Liver disease is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. In China, 400 million people have liver diseases, primarily viral hepatitis (predominantly hepatitis B virus [HBV]). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver diseases are also prevalent diagnoses. The blood plasma market is driven in part by China, and by demand from China for high quality blood from the US. Chinese patients consumed 400 metric tons of serum albumin in 2017, half of the global total of that blood protein. The necessary supply could be provided by the Chinese population, but, many of them are afraid to donate blood. The reason is a well-remembered 1990s health scare in which tens of thousands of farmers who had been paid to donate blood acquired HIV from unsanitary needles. The ensuing scandal was covered up by the government. As a result, China has to import about 60% of its serum albuminand the ever-rising demand has driven up prices. American companies have an edge in the Chinese markets because of the quality of the blood collected. The edge is apparent in the fact that three foreign companies account for 88% of Chinas serum albumin imports. The billion-dollar market for blood worldwide has a variety of participants. Thermo Fsher Scientific has the largest market participation. Sales of blood therapeutics were $30.9 billion in 2017. By 2024, these products reach $57.5 billion, reflecting a five-year CAGR of 8.2%. Access the complete report with TOC & List of Tables @ http://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/blood-plasma-market-shares-strategies-and-forecasts-worldwide-2018-to-2024 . WinterGreen Research is an independent research organization funded by the sale of market research studies all over the world and by the implementation of ROI models that are used to calculate the total cost of ownership of equipment, services, and software. The company has 35 distributors worldwide, including Global Information Info Shop, Market Research.com, Research and Markets, electronics.ca, Bloomberg, and Thompson Financial. WinterGreen Research is positioned to help customers facing challenges that define the modern enterprises. The increasingly global nature of science, technology and engineering is a reflection of the implementation of the globally integrated enterprise. Customers trust wintergreen research to work alongside them to ensure the success of the participation in a particular market segment. WinterGreen Research supports various market segment programs; provides trusted technical services to the marketing departments. It carries out accurate market share and forecast analysis services for a range of commercial and government customers globally. These are all vital market research support solutions requiring trust and integrity. Enquiry before buying report @ http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/2370369 . Some Point from TOC: Blood: Market Description and Market Dynamics 26 Blood Market Shares and Forecasts 32 Serum (Blood) Product Description 114 Blood Research and Technology 127 5 Serum (Blood) Company Profiles 136 Continued About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. Contact Us: Hector Costello Senior Manager Client Engagements 4144N Central Expressway, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75204, U.S.A. Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019 Email id: sales@orbisresearch.com The major factor driving the market growth for throat lozenges is cold and cough which is a common disease all over the world. Therefore, the demand for treatments and medications to cure it is always high. Other market drivers include the development of new ingredients, low-price of throat lozenges, and rapid product penetration in developing countries with rapid growth rate. However, the availability of alternative treatments and therapies can put breaks in the speed of market growth. Global Throat Lozenges Market Key Players The key players in the Global Throat Lozenges Market include Bausch Health Companies Inc (Canada), Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd. (India), Doetsch Grether AG (Switzerland), Ernest Jackson (UK), Gepach International (India), GlaxoSmithKline (UK), Mondelez International Group (USA), Pfizer Inc. (USA), Prestige Brands Inc (USA), Procter & Gamble (USA), Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (UK), Ricola AG (Switzerland), Thornton & Ross (UK), and Wrigley Company (USA). Get Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1212 Global Throat Lozenges Market Segmentation The Global Throat Lozenges Market has been segmented on the basis of indication, ingredient, type, and lastly, region. Based on the indication, this market has been segmented into a cough & cold, sore throat, and throat diseases. The ingredient-based segmentation segments the market into eucalyptus oil, honey & ginger, lemon, menthol, mint, peppermint oil, and others. By type, the market has been segmented into compressed lozenges, hard candy lozenges, and soft lozenges. Global Throat Lozenges Market Regional Segmentation The regional segmentation of the Global Throat Lozenges Market segments the market into continent-based regional markets known as The Americas (North America & South America), Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The biggest regional market is The Americas. North America, in particular, is likely to remain an important regional market during the forecast period because of sales of over-the-counter (OTC) medical products. The strongest economies in this region are the United States of America (USA) and Canada. Many key market players are based in the USA. North America has better and more advanced medical facilities that make it the bigger market. The American Red Cross is distributing wildfire kits to Carr Fire victims whose homes suffered damage. These wildfire kits include bags, buckets or tub, masks, sifters, a shovel, tarps, and personal care items that include eye drops, lip balm, and throat lozenges. Mexico also has the potential to be a significant market because, among Latin countries, it is one of the strongest economies. In South America, Argentina and Brazil have strong economies, and they might emerge as big markets in the future. While The Americas is a collective market, Europe has emerged as the single largest regional market. The common cold is considerably prevalent in various parts of Europe, which drives the market in this region. Europe has a high density of population, and after North America, it has maximum technological advancement. Due to the reasons same as The Americas, Western Europe as a market is bigger than Eastern Europe. The strongest economies in Europe that have the potential to emerge as important markets include France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK). As medical facilities in the Asia Pacific are not as advanced as they are in North America and Europe, the common cold is frequent here, and many people suffer from sneezing related problems due to dust allergies. Therefore, demand for its remedies that includes throat lozenges is always high in this region. The significant country-specific markets in this region are Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea, followed by the rest of Asia Pacific. The MEA region shows limited market slow and steady growth. The reasons for the slow market growth in this region are lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of technological development, political instability, poor healthcare facilities, and healthcare not considered a priority by most governments. Browse Complete 123 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with Tables and Figures @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/throat-lozenges-market-1212 Major Table of Content Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope of the Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics Continued. About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com was valued atin 2018, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.4over the forecast period (2018 2026), Newborn screening tests look for developmental, metabolic, and genetic disorders in infants. It allows steps to be taken before development of symptoms. Although, majority of these illnesses are very rare, they can be treated with early diagnosis. Newborn screening includes over 30 conditions and illnesses. Increasing awareness among parents for disease screening is a major factor driving newborn screening market growth. Furthermore, various government and non-government organizations are actively focused on offering better fetal and maternal care. For instance, in June 2018, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) led a campaign to fight sickle cell disease in Africa and urged governments, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, to invest in newborn screening of the disease. Request Sample Copy of this Report Novel treatments, biomarkers, and technologies are expected to enable various diseases to be considered as potential candidates to be included in New Born Screening (NBS) programs. For instance, new treatments such as Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT), Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), and gene therapy and new pharmacological drugs have allowed autoimmune diseases to be considered as potential candidates to be included in NBS programs. Browse 22 Market Data Tables and 26 Figures spread through 167 Pages and in-depth TOC on Newborn Screening Market, by Product Type (Assay Kits, Hearing Screening Devices, Mass Spectrometer, and Pulse Oximetry), by Application (Blood Spot Disease, Critical Congenital Cardiac Disease, Maple Syrup Urine Disease, Hearing Disability, Sickle Cell Disease, and Thyroid Disorder), by Test (Blood Test, Cardiac Test, Hearing Test, and Urine Test), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) Global Forecast to 2026 To know the latest trends and insights related to new born screening test market, click the link below: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/newborn-screening-market-2192 Manufacturer in the newborn screening market are focused on developing new test kits and devices in order to diagnose more diseases or disorders at birth. For instance, in February 2018, Sema4, a health information company offering advanced genomic testing, launched Sema4 Natalis, a supplemental newborn screening test designed to detect 193 childhood-onset diseases or disorders. Furthermore, several governments are supporting manufacturers to develop new screening tests by relaxing regulations for manufacturing and marketing products. For instance, in February 2017, the U.S. FDA approved marketing of the Seeker System for the screening of four, rare Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) in newborns. The Seeker system is designed to detect Fabry, Gaucher, Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), and Pompe. It is the first newborn screening test permitted to be marketed by the FDA for these disorders. Ask for a Discount Key Takeaways of the Newborn Screening Market: The global newborn screening market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period (2018 2026), owing to increasing government support for newborn screening. According to National Institute of Health, NBS programs across the U.S., screen around four million infants, annually. This public health program detects treatable disorders in newborns, allowing treatment to begin often before symptoms or permanent problems occur. Among product type, assay kits segment is expected to hold major revenue share in 2018, owing to increasing number of blood tests being conducted and blood samples stored for future use. Major players operating in the global newborn screening market include, Agilent Technologies, AB SCIEX, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Covidien PLC, GE Life Sciences, Masimo Corporation, Natus Medical Inc., PerkinElmer Inc., and ZenTech S.A. About Coherent Market Insights: Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. Contact Us: Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com An expert on premium research reports, Market Research Future has added a report titled Global Radiotherapy Market 2023 to its offering. The report provides an in-depth analysis of regional data and an accurate projection of the market size and share of the Top 10 market players across the globe. The Radiotherapy Market will grow very rapidly at a rate of 7% CAGR during the forecasted period 2017-2023. The market is expected to reach USD 7 million from 4.5 million in 2016 during the forecasted period. Market Scenario: Radiotherapy is generally used as a treatment for cancer. Around four out of every ten people are treated for cancer undergo radiotherapy. Normally together with other types of treatment including chemotherapy and surgery. Radiotherapy usually uses high power X-rays to destroy unwanted cells, such as cancer cells. The focus of radiotherapy is to destroy the unwanted cells and avoid damaging healthy cells as much as possible. The damages cell stops repairing itself when the cell is damaged through DNA and are broken down by the natural process of body. The radiotherapy treatment are less painful than the chemotherapy and surgeries. The radiotherapy also have some side effects along with it. The side-effects of radiation therapy are nausea, hair loss, skin problems, fatigue, appetite loss, diarrhea, fertility issues could potentially hamper radiotherapy devices market growth. Get Premium Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1526 Key players of Global Radiotherapy market: GE Healthcare(UK), Siemens (Germany), Varian(India), Cardinal Health(US), Nordion(CA), Isoray(US), View ray (US), Fuji Holdings(Japan), Philips Healthcare (US), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Hologic (US). Industry Updates: Jan, 2018 Varian Medical Systems signed an agreement to acquire Sirtex Medical Limited. This acquisition expands Varians addressable market into interventional oncology to emerge as a global leader in radio embolization. October, 2017 Varian has launched its radiotherapy device ProBeam Compact single-room proton therapy system. July, 2017 View Ray has recently announced the launch of MRI-guided radiation therapy solution, MRIdian Linac. Segments: The segmentation for the Radiotherapy Market is done on the basis of the treatment type and by application. On the basis of treatment type includes X-Ray, Gamma ray, External Beam radiotherapy, proton therapy, internal radiation therapy. The external beam radiotherapy segment is further sub-segmented into the treatment types which are 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Tomotherapy, Stereotactic radio surgery, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. On the basis of the application the segment are prostate cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer, ovarian cancer and thyroid. Regional analysis: The Radiotherapy Market is segmented into four main geographic regions Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. America holds the larger market in the radiotherapy the market increasing due to the increasing advancement in the technology. Europe is another dominating region for the use of the radiotherapy. Asia-pacific region is growing at a rapid pace because of the increasing number of patients in the region. The number is increasing due to the more consumptions of tobacco is seen in this region. Middle East and Africa is slow growing segment because of the lack of awareness of the chronic diseases and the treatment facilities are also limited in this region. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1.1 Definition 1.2 Scope Of Study 1.2.1 Research Objective 1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations 1.2.2.1 Assumptions 1.2.2.2 Limitations 1.3 Market Structure: 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Process: 2.2 Primary Research 2.3 Secondary Research: Browse Full Reports @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/radiotherapy-market-1526 3 Market Dynamics 3.1 Drivers 3.2 Restraints 3.3 Opportunities 3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators 4 Market Factor Analysis 4.1 Porters Five Forces Model 4.2 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers 4.3 Bargaining Power Of Buyers 4.4 Threat Of New Entrants 4.5 Threat Of Substitutes 4.6 Intensity Of Rivalry Continued! Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report a Global Therapeutic plasma exchange Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Product Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 to its Large Report database. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Therapeutic plasma exchange Market. In this Therapeutic plasma exchange Market research report, the prominent factors driving the advancement of this market were recorded and the business accomplices and end administrators were indulgent. The setup of the business division, examples, and challenges monitoring the market comprehensively are in like manner a bit of this wide examination. Different meetings and social events were driven by the distinguishable pioneers of this industry to get persisting and revived encounters concerned to the market. This segment of the report contains the association systems, prerequisites, and product outlines, expertize, manufacture, contact information, cost, and revenue. The U.S. therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) market by indication is estimated to reach USD 260.0 Million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 11% to 12% during the forecast period. Get Sample Copy Of Report https://www.healthcareintelligencemarkets.com/request_sample.php?id=29180 Top key vendors: Haemonetics Corporation (U.S.), Fresenius Medical Care (Germany), Terumo BCT, Inc. (U.S.), Baxter International Inc. (U.S.), Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. (Japan), Kawasumi Laboratories Inc. (Japan), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), and HemaCare Corporation (U.S.). For more Information: https://www.healthcareintelligencemarkets.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=29180 A point by point review of key market drivers, patterns, limitations and examines the manner in which they influence Therapeutic plasma exchange Market in a positive and in addition the negative perspective. The Regions which are shrouded in this report are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. Thinking about the given gauge time frame and unequivocally contemplating every single yearly information, a report is been drafted to guarantee the information is of course by customer. This statistical surveying report examines and assesses the Therapeutic plasma exchange Market and determines a widely comprehensive estimate of its advancement and its details. The best thing about this quantifiable surveying report is that the significance and presentation of this market have been depicted. Besides, several market essential specialists and acquiring criteria have been maintained in the report. The trends and competitive status of the market during this period have also been reviewed under this section of the report. Ask For Discount: https://www.healthcareintelligencemarkets.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=29180 Table of Content: Global Therapeutic plasma exchange Market Research Report 2018-2023 Chapter 1: Therapeutic plasma exchange market Overview Chapter 2: Therapeutic plasma exchange market Economic Impact Chapter 3: Competition by Manufacturer Chapter 4: Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2018-2023) Chapter 5: Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2018-2023) Chapter 6: Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type Chapter 7: Therapeutic plasma exchange market Analysis by Application Chapter 8: Market by Manufacturing Cost Analysis Chapter 9: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Chapter 10: Therapeutic plasma exchange Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders Chapter 11: Market Effect Factors Analysis Chapter 12: Therapeutic plasma exchange Market Forecast (2018-2023) Chapter 13: Appendix About Healthcare Intelligence Markets: At HealthCare Intelligence Markets, we supply markets intelligence reports in the domain of personalized drugs & diagnostics after going through a rigorous research process. The healthcare industry is constantly evolving as trends are getting replaced at a rapid pace. These new trends along with the changing demands of patients and healthcare organizations, are collectively contributing to the development of the global healthcare industry. The reports made by us are updated on a regular basis to cover the latest developments in the industry. Our workforce is comprised of seasoned market research professionals who can also provide customized report as per the exclusive needs. HealthCare helps clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative. Contact US: HealthCare Intelligence Markets Reports 601, Winterberry Purple, Koregaon Park, Pune, 411001 (+91)7400242424 sales@healthcareintelligencemarkets.com by Ray Schultz , November 18, 2018 Microsoft apparently is backing off a plan to serve banner ads in Windows 10. Following write-ups in the Verge and other sites on Friday, Microsoft Communications Director Frank X. Shaw tweeted: "This was an experimental feature that was never intended to be tested broadly and it is being turned off. Previously, the firm had described the program in a blog post that has since been removed, according to Gizmodo. The program is being tested in Brazil, Canada, Australia and India, the company says. The archived FAQ says: You may be seeing ads in Mail for Windows 10. This article helps answer frequently asked questions about that experience. It adds: Consistent with consumer email apps and services like Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail, advertising allows us to provide, support, and improve some of our products. The post goes on to explain that Windows generates a unique advertising ID for each user on a device. When the advertising ID is enabled, both Microsoft apps and third-party apps can access and use the advertising ID in much the same way that websites can access and use a unique identifier stored in a cookie. advertisement advertisement Microsoft says it may also utilize demographic information to make ads more relevant to you. However, the company states that people can opt out of targeted ads. You have full control of Windows and Mail having access to this information and can turn off interest-based advertising at any time, it says. If you turn off interest-based advertising, you will still see ads but they will no longer be as relevant to your interests. The post also states that ads will be visible for non-work accounts, such as Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Ads will not be visible for non-work accounts with an Office 365 subscription tied to their email address, or when viewing your work email accounts like Exchange Online or Exchange Server. The company advises: You can temporarily dismiss an ad using the trash can when hovering over the ad, and adds that you can permanently remove ads by buying an Office 365 Home or Office 365 Personal subscription. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 19, 2018 The Federal Communications Commission ignored substantial evidence that revoking the net neutrality regulations would result in harm to consumers and threats to public safety, a coalition of state attorneys general and city officials argue in new court papers. The repeal jeopardizes residents access to safe and reliable electricity; prevents residents from receiving timely evacuation, shelter-in-place, and disease outbreak alerts; and interferes with urgent medical services, among other things, the officials write in papers filed Friday with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The legal arguments come as part of a challenge to the FCC's decision to revoke the Obama-era net neutrality rules. Those rules, passed in 2015, prohibited broadband providers from blocking or throttling online traffic and on charging companies higher fees for prioritized delivery. advertisement advertisement Last December, the FCC voted 3-2 to revoke the net neutrality rules and reclassify broadband as an information service. That order replaced the prior regulations with a "transparency" rule that requires Internet service providers to disclose their traffic management practices. The December order also attempted to ban states from passing or enforcing their own net neutrality rules. Current FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who shepherded the repeal, says the Obama-era rules were heavy handed and depressed investment. But net neutrality proponents say the rules were necessary to prevent broadband providers from limiting consumers' ability to access streaming video, search engines and other online services and content. A coalition of tech companies, consumer advocacy groups, state attorneys and city officials general have asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the December order and reinstate the 2015 rules. Among other arguments, the attorneys general and city officials said the FCC didn't take into account that the repeal could harm public safety. They pointed to Verizon's decision to slow down service to firefighters battling blazes in California this summer. The FCC, which is defending its decision to repeal the rules, argued last month that Verizon's move wouldn't have violated the Obama-era standards because the throttling was application-agnostic -- meaning that Verizon throttled all traffic to firefighters equally. The agency also noted that, after its practice was exposed, Verizon promised to stop throttling firefighters and other first responders. This back-tracking on Verizon's part shows that rules aren't needed, the FCC argued. Far from demonstrating a problem with light-touch rules, this incident illustrates that transparency and market forces work -- without the need for heavy-handed rules, the agency wrote in court papers submitted last month. But the attorneys general counter that broadband providers' initial decision proves why rules are needed, and that an attempt to address damaging practices after they actually harm public safety is inadequate. The attorneys general and city officials also argue that the FCC lacked authority to override state laws. The FCC argues it has broad jurisdiction over broadband, but the attorneys general say that doesn't allow the FCC to trump state laws. The Commission must instead identify affirmative statutory authority for preemption, which it has failed to do, the city and state officials write. After the FCC voted to repeal the Obama-era rules, at least 10 states took action to reinstate net neutrality rules. Those initiatives are being challenged in two states -- California and Vermont. The outcome of the appeal over the decision to revoke the Obama-era regulations is expected to also play a role in the fate of those states' net neutrality rules. There exist two very significant things that our generation swears by, something that is enough to propel us to chuck the comfort of our monthly paychecks in a jiffy. Those two golden factors are the possibility of living our most earnest dreams, and the promise of succeeding in that endeavour - both of which we hold very dear. But as soon as we look around, it becomes pretty clear that success (really) comes to those who will and dare, and merely wishing for it will not lead us closer to fulfilling it. The path of pursuing those dreams will be a struggle on most days - marked by days that are dreary, with an occasional glimpse of vitality. But if things ever seem to bear down too hard upon you, and you wish to rise above it all, read through the stories of these 5 men, who charged through their share of struggles, to live the dream they dreamt for themselves. 1. Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty Youtube Better known as the man who pioneered inexpensive cardiac surgeries in India, Dr. Shetty was born in Karnataka. The second-youngest of nine siblings, he had his heart set on becoming a heart surgeon. Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Shetty performed numerous feats that brought him name and fame. That includes India's first neonatal cardiac surgery on a nine-day-old baby and the first video-assisted open heart surgery! It is, however, his personal project of opening a chain of hospitals, now known as Narayana Hruduyayala, that placed him on the national pedestal. His aim was to provide life-saving cardiac surgeries at an affordable price to millions of Indians. 2. Deep Kalra BCCL Apart from being the founder of one of India's most loved online travel company, Deep Kalra also boasts of great educational merits. He is a St. Stephens graduate from the University of Delhi, and an IIM-A alumni. Life turned into a perfect dream when he landed a well-paying job at a bank, right out of college. However, within just a few years of trying his hands at many other business options, he decided to go on a sabbatical so he could figure out his real ambition in life. After having saved a fair amount on his travel booking to Thailand, Kalra decided to dive into the e-commerce space. Having gotten there in 2000, at the beginning of the internet boom, the enterprise now posts annual revenues of over 152 million dollars. 3. Siddhartha Lal BCCL Credited with the turnaround and revival of the "Royal Enfield Bullet" motorcycle in the country, Siddhartha is the epitome of how conviction is the greatest tool one needs in order to succeed in life. Enfield's sales tremendously dipped in 2000, with the brand resting on the brink of pulling the shutters. However, Siddhartha stepped in time and decided to revive the lost glory of the motorcycle. He closed 14 other businesses to focus entirely on the automobile sector, and over the next few years, Royal Enfield was reinstated to its former glory. Not only did the sales improve, but the brand itself became aspirational. From selling just 25,000 bikes in the year 2005, the Royal Enfield sold 67,000 units in November of 2017. 4. Karsanbhai Patel Quora Mr. Patel is the reason why Nirma is the pasand of 'Hema, Jaya, Rekha aur Sushma'. The founder of the Nirma empire, Karsanbhai Patel started his journey by making detergent in his own backyard and selling it door-to-door on his bicycle after his regular government job in Ahmedabad. The affordably priced Nirma, named after his late daughter, was introduced in 1969. The low price point and a quality product made Nirma an instant hit amongst middle and lower-middle-class families in the country. The rest is history. 5. CP Krishnan Nair BCCL Mr. Nair is the founder of India's leading luxury hotel chain Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. Born into a large family with eight children, and limited means in Kerala, luck shone upon the man when he received a lifetime scholarship from the ruler of Chirakkal. The future would see him join the Indian army, rising to the rank of a captain. In 1951, he set up the All India Handloom Board to promote Indian yarn on foreign land and this exposure to international hotels led him to open the first Leela hotel, named after his wife, in 1987 in Mumbai. In 2016, it clocked revenues of Rs 661 crore! Inspiration shall seek you out if you're looking in the right places. These people followed their hearts and fulfilled the dreams they lost their sleepover. How's that for your dose of daily motivation? This year has been all about the Pixel 3, we saw a million leaks months before the launch and there was also a rumour about Google working on a Pixel Watch. While the Pixel Watch was soon ditched in a confirmed statement, there were rumours of a Pixel 3 Lite as well. Reports in the first half of the year indicated Google may launch a cheaper Pixel smartphone in India. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL debuted in October and we thought that's the end of it for now. But, a new leak from Rozetked confirms Google indeed could be working on a midrange Pixel phone. The blogger claims to have the first leaked image of the phone and for now, it appears to have a similar design language as the Pixel 3. Rozetked The main difference is that the Pixel 3 Lite has larger bezels and a headphone jack. Google omitted the headphone jack from Pixel 3 and the change hasn't actually received a warm welcome. The Pixel 3 Lite is expected to be launched in developing markets like India, and the nifty headphone jack is almost a must-have feature for users in the region. According to the leak, the phone will sport a 5.6-inch display with a resolution of 2,220 x 1,080 pixels. Powering the phone shall be a Snapdragon 670 chipset coupled with the Adreno 615 GPU and 4GB RAM. The rear is expected to have a 12-megapixel camera while the front shall house an 8-megapixel sensor. TechCrunch It isn't clear how a midrange offering like the Pixel 3 Lite fits in Google's long-term strategy. The company has targeted the Pixel line-up to be premium, and its Head of Hardware Rick Osterloh said in March 2017 Pixel stays premium. Even with the current Pixel 3 and 3 XL, the phone maker has been trying to craft a photography niche for itself and never intended to quickly grab market share and improve numbers. Mashable Google hasn't officially confirmed the prospects of a third Pixel 3 phone even though the leak looks convincing, the back has a C-shaped logo, instead of Google's G. Hence, it's always recommended to consider these leaks with a pinch of salt. Source: Rozetked The winners of the 10th annual Feather Awards were recently announced at the Johannesburg City Hall. Feather Awards 2018 winners Best Styled Male - Riky Rick Best Styled Female - Ayanda Thabethe Cutest Couple - Steve and Lucy Letsike Diva Extraordinaire - Thembsie Matu Drama Queen AKA and Matlapa Fag Hag - Rami Chuene Hot Chick - Michelle Mosalakae Hunk of the Year - Bohang Moeko Media Award of the Year - GaySA Radio Musician of the Year - Sjava Role Model of the Year - Ntsupe Mohapi Socialite of the Year - Yaya Mavundla Sports Personality - Hlengiwe Buthelezi Simon Nkoli Award - Phumi Mtethwa African Feather of the Year - Denis Nzioka Social Media Personality of the Year - @Fistvoices Simon Nkoli Award Phumi Mthethwa An evening filled with hilariously scandalous commentary from the MC, Feathers veteran Somizi; awe-inspiring performances from Nhlanhla Nciza, the Mzansi Gay Choir, and Zoe Modiga; surprise appearances from reality TV stars Evodia Madame Mogase and her daughter Mercy; coupled with incredible choreography and a dazzling stage production, the Feathers once again delivered the phenomenal spectacle audiences have learnt to expect from the event.The most anticipated item of the evening, the winners list reads like a roll-call of Mzansis most inspiring, most amusing, most controversial, and most admired personalities. From the tongue-in-cheek categories like Drama Queen of the Year and Fag Hag, to the thoughtful Role Model of the Year and African Feather of the Year that pay tribute to figures in the LGBTIQ+ community whove inspired through their activism and commitment to the community, the Feather Awards ceremony was a moving reflection of the evolution that the platform has undergone in the last decade.Originally purely a cheeky, controversial event, the Feathers has since grown into a platform that now also comprises of various community-facing initiatives that take place over the year, notably the community dialogues in urban and rural areas that discuss issues about LGBTIQ+ rights, needs and interests, and the training of law enforcement officers in partnership with the Gauteng Community Safety Department to increase safety and reduce incidences of secondary victimisation.To make it to 10 years is a dream made real, comments Thami Kotlolo, co-founder of the Feather Awards. I have been awed and inspired by the support that weve received from the community at large over the years. Theres no way we would have made it this far without them. That said, it hasnt been easy, either - we address issues that many consider sensitive, and theyd rather play safe and not get involved, so we dont take for granted the many artists, activists, public personalities, partners and sponsors whove been unwavering in their support. I can only extend thanks to them by promising to stay committed to the cause, and ensure that the Feathers grows from strength to strength. Weve only just gotten started, baby!The winners list delivered the usual joy, surprises and laughs from Drama Queen of the Year AKA and the Matlapa (the stones he claimed to have found in his wardrobe, and tweeted his suspicions that they were used for muti-purposes by his then-partner, causing a Twitterstorm), to bae of the moment Michelle Mosalakae who took home the Hot Chick of the Year, and the irrepressible Thembsie Matu, who scooped the Diva Extraordinaire prize. Kenyan editor and LGBTIQ+ activist Denis Nzioka was awarded the African Feather of the Year prize, and Phumi Mthethwa, renowned for her activism and participation in social justice bodies such as the Treatment Action Campaign, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, and the Masithandane Collective, was accorded the inaugural Simon Nkoli Award previously known as the Feather of the Year Award. Daily Maverick publisher and CEO Styli Charalambous explains their recent pivot to a reader revenue model, and how you can further support their independent investigative journalism with the added bonus of free Uber trips. The real reader benefit Good journalism as a public service We expect it to overtake advertising revenue by 2020, which would bring us in line with large publishers like NYT, The Guardian and Washington Post, who now get more revenue from readers than from advertisers. South Africa is a poor country it will become even poorer if its people are not well informed. Sometimes our work can be a scary, lonely place. Last year really brought that home, when we used to run drills expecting the Hawks to raid our offices or when a suspicious car crash happened. It takes a special kind of crazy to run towards the fire when everyone is running the other way. Were committed to that task. We just cant do it alone and we dont want to do it alone we need you to join us for this incredible adventure called Daily Maverick. Think quality local independent publisher and chances are, the Daily Maverick is high up on your list.But its certainly not an easy position to maintain, as they face the combined challenges of being a digital-only publisher focusing on public interest journalism often involving sticky politics and lengthy investigations, while simultaneously battling the digital dominance of Google and Facebook.That struggle to remain sustainable is why the Daily Maverick team has launched Maverick Insider.While their pivot to reader revenue is there to primarily support quality, independent journalism financially and keep it accessible for all readers, the benefit is two-fold as its also about building a community with the Daily Maverick loyal readers who want to share in unique experiences.The best part is that theyre by no means adding a paywall or standard donation request, as seen on other online news sources.Instead, contributions from Maverick Insiders will keep the Daily Maverick free and accessible for those who cant afford to pay, in helping their work reach the widest audience in order to achieve the greatest impact.Because the Daily Maverick team strongly believes that people who cant afford to pay should still need, and deserve, to have full access to the truth, every day. Thats why, unlike other models of reader support, they wont simply block access to articles if you dont register. Instead, they will offer additional benefits to those who do pay.For example, Insiders get access to members-only events like Q&A sessions with their top team and discounts on tickets for The Gathering, also receive a dedicated bi-weekly newsletter and will soon also have the benefit of specific members-only website features, like the ability to comment on articles not just read the comments and to ultimately go ad-free on the website.And thats proving a strong selling point, as Daily Maverick CEO Styli Charalambous confirms that Maverick Insider uptake has been huge, with 3,500 signups for either a recurring or once-off contribution of varying amounts since officially launching in August.Charalambous says of Maverick Insider:Certainly impressive, but the best part is that Maverick Insider membership is voluntary, and its your call how much you contribute it takes just R75pm to join.And in a move thats being called a first in adding third-party value to readers, if you sign up at R150pm or the annual equivalent, whether as a new or existing member, the Daily Maverick team will also send you R100 in Uber coupons each month, until 31 October 2019.Charalambous concludes: Sign up to Maverick Insider and click here for FAQs. As the Bay Area continues to choke on smoke from Butte County's deadly Camp Fire, a number of residents are sharing photos of how the Bay Area looks while draped in smoke compared to how it usually looks on a normal day. On Friday, air quality in the Bay Area reached "very unhealthy" levels, and Northern California had the dirtiest air in the world. WANT TO ESCAPE? This is how far you'd have to drive to get out of the bad air The National Weather Service does not believe the smoke will clear anytime soon. "The winds are light and offshore, so there's nothing to move the smoke," Suzanne Sims, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said. "It's there, and it's not going anywhere." ALSO: N95, P100: What do all these mask numbers mean and how do I know it's keeping me safe? The soonest the Bay Area may see relief is Wednesday, when a storm is set to hit the Bay Area. "There will be a change in wind direction, and that clean marine air coming in from the Pacific," Spencer Tangen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Monterey office said. "That onshore wind will be stronger, and it'll help to mix out the smoke, and push the smoke out." But for now, the smoke is here to stay. Click through the slideshow above to see before and after images of smoke in the Bay Area. Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email him at eting@sfchronicle.com and follow him on Twitter Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) Congress has passed a bill splitting Palawan into three provinces - a move that may prove to be beneficial to China, a senator warned. The Senate passed Monday its version of House Bill No. 8055 which seeks to split Palawan into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur. Only Senator Risa Hontiveros dissented. A unanimous lower house passed the measure in August. Palawan, a province of 1.1 million people, had to be split up due to its "vastness" and to comply with the requirements for a province set forth by the Local Government Code, Senate local government committee chair Sonny Angara said. The Local Government Code provides that a province may be created if it has an annual income of at least ?2 million and has a territory of at least 2,000 square kilometers or has a population of at least 250,000. But Hontiveros warned that splitting the westernmost province of the Philippines closest to the hotly contested West Philippine Sea may favor China as it "will now have the opportunity to infiltrate and influence smaller local government units." "This is not your business as usual subdivision of political units but one with deep geopolitical repercussions especially since the Province of Palawan is right in the forefront of our West Philippine Sea territory," Hontiveros said in a statement. The opposition senator also lamented the "lack of genuine consultation" on the bill, saying the Senate failed to reach out to nongovernment organizations, the religious and private sectors. Save Palawan Movement, a group opposed to the split, said in a statement that Angara "shrugged off" their opposition to the measure. It also said that the move to split Palawan into three provinces "is nothing but a mere scheme of the incumbent political powers to perpetuate themselves in the elective local positions." save palawan movement The group has launched an online petition against the bill which has garnered over 11,000 signatures as of writing. Hontiveros also said the bill failed to consider various environmental and natural resources laws that have specific jurisdiction over Palawan. A bicameral version of the bill still needs to be passed. The three proposed provinces would be created once approved by a majority of voters in the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted in 2020, Angara said. If signed into law, the three new provinces and Puerto Princesa City would each have a legislative district which would be represented by a congressman in the House of Representatives. Currently, Palawan has three legislative districts. Even people who dont know the story of Jonestown know the phrase it spawned: drinking the Kool-Aid. A tragedy reduced to a derisive catchphrase, reserved for people seemingly too stupid to think for themselves. It is a comfort, letting us believe we are above what happened to the Jonestown victims. We would never drink the Kool-Aid. This is the great myth of Jonestown: that only the feeble-minded could be convinced to kill themselves. But the deaths of some 900 people at Jonestown on Nov. 18, 1978 was not mass suicide. It was mass murder. We all think wed never be duped by a cult, that were smart enough to see through the lies. But a cult rarely starts out the way it ends up. The Peoples Temple was no exception. From the moment Jim Jones, a poor boy from Indiana, started the church, its mission was to do good. Although Jones true motivations are impossible to know, theres no question of what members of the Peoples Temple did in the community. First in Indianapolis and then in San Francisco, the temple championed racial equality. At a time when almost no churches were integrated, the Peoples Temple boasted a congregation of blacks and whites. During the 1950s and 1960s, they staged sit-ins and protests to demand businesses serve black customers. It worked more often than not. The church gave food, clothes and shelter to the most vulnerable in the community. They opened senior living facilities, some of the best in the state, and found jobs for unemployed congregants. Their drug and alcohol rehab programs provided life-saving help. Young followers who couldnt afford to attend college were given scholarships. At the pulpit, Jones preached against the unfairness of capitalism and the racism rife in America. It was an appealing message for a chaotic time. Even those who didnt buy Jones bluster could agree: These were good people making a real difference in the world. In San Francisco, they had all the proof they needed. Jim Jones was a regular feature in Herb Caens society columns; Caen called him "soft-spoken, modest, publicity shy." George Moscone and Harvey Milk both attended temple services. Governor Jerry Brown planned on it, too, but missed the date due to a scheduling mix-up. He called to apologize and praised the good work Peoples Temple was doing. If this was a cult, followers could reason, it was a cult with the backing of some of Californias most prominent politicians. "We willingly gave up some freedom for the greater goal," former member Tim Carter told journalist Jeff Guinn in his book "The Road to Jonestown." "If you got upset with something, with Jones, you still felt respect for others in the Temple and you'd think, 'If this is wrong, these other very intelligent, very decent people wouldn't be here, so, therefore, I must be wrong,'" As obvious as it later seems, the descent isnt always noticeable at first. Its a slow burn, a series of small allowances. Jones sermons became more erratic. He started talking more and more about nuclear war, enemies at the gates. But long-time congregants knew Jones could get on tangents, and a look at the state of America Watergate, Vietnam, devastating racial inequality was enough to confirm any doomsday scenario. When Jones told them about the "promised land," a utopia just for them in Guyana, he had already groomed a receptive audience. --- In 1977, hundreds of Peoples Temple members began moving into the Guyana compound they named Jonestown. Of the 900 people who would eventually move there, one-third were pensioners, many of whom had been recruited into the church as part of a retirement plan; at Peoples Temple, they thought they would be cared for for the rest of their lives. Most of the adults were poor, many already reliant on the church for steady meals, housing and employment. What little they had went to the construction of Jonestown. Three hundred were children. When arrivals got off the plane in South America, temple enforcers took their passports. Most would never get them back. Once at Jonestown, Jones begun utilizing several textbook brainwashing tactics to ensure compliance. The first was isolation. Alone in the thick jungle, their only source of information was Jim Jones. He told them blacks were being rounded up in concentration camps back home, and the U.S. government was bent on destroying Jonestown next. At any moment, the army could burst into the compound to murder every man, woman and child. Uncredited/AP Those who didnt believe were usually too tired to question him. Building a town in the jungle was an exhausting, endless job. Adult members were worn down with constant physical labor and little food. Once the work day was done, they gathered in the pavilion for hours-long sermons. Jones would often talk past midnight; wake-up was at 6 a.m. Even when they werent sitting for sermons, Jones was omnipresent: He had a loudspeaker system rigged up in the compound and often droned on throughout the day. There were dissenters and escape attempts, but almost no one succeeded. Making it out of the jungle was a near-impossible task. Even if the initial escape was a success, followers had no passports and most had no money. They couldn't fly back to the Bay Area if they wanted to. Jones bodyguards hunted down escapees, some of whom were then drugged and kept in a special hut. One defector speculated hed been unknowingly dosed with barbiturates after a failed escape attempt. Only later did he realize it was odd that he suddenly started getting treats of cheese sandwiches. Then, there was the test run. Jones, drug-addicted and deeply paranoid, demanded total loyalty. In February 1978, he announced to his followers that an armed force was coming to kill everyone at Jonestown. He ordered them to line up and drink from a vat of poison. They would all be dead in 45 minutes. After the time elapsed, Jones declared it was a test of loyalty. They had passed. "True believers accepted that whatever [Jones] did was right, Guinn writes in The Road to Jonestown." "Those increasingly disaffected with Jones but still loyal to the Temple's professed socialist cause shrugged the experience off as one more example of Jones's increasingly bizarre behavior. Many, sleep-deprived and emotionally exhausted, were just glad to get back to their beds." Up until the last moment, some people on Nov. 18, 1978 believed Jones was again putting them through a test. But Jones, feeling the walls closing in on him and terrified his power was slipping away, ordered his personal physician to dose the Flavor Aid with potassium cyanide. The babies and children were killed first 304 of them died that day. On the loudspeaker, Jones told the adults they were committing an act of revolutionary suicide. In death, they would prove to the world no one could murder their ideals. There is no doubt some believed this and went willingly. But still others were harassed, brainwashed and beaten, emotionally and physically, into their deaths. Dozens were found with needle marks in their arms, suggesting they were injected with poison. Armed guards surrounded the pavilion. On the tape recording of the massacre all Jonestown sermons were recorded Jones can be heard urging his wife Marceline to stop fighting, stop screaming. Their deaths would be painless, Jones said. It was the last of his many lies. Cyanide poisoning is horrific. It suffocates its victims, causes convulsions and bloody vomit, until the victim finally suffers brain death. Over 900 people died after drinking the poisoned liquid. Matthew Naythons / Getty Images 1978 Jim Jones killed himself with a gunshot to the head. --- In the years leading up to Jonestown, Jones often referenced Masada, the hilltop fortress in Israel. In the 70s CE, Roman soldiers laid siege to the Jewish settlement. Rather than surrender, legend says, 960 Jewish residents decided to kill themselves. Jones considered it the greatest statement of conviction, a tale of faith that still resonated across the centuries. From childhood, Jones was sure he was destined to be a great man. If Jonestown failed, quietly disappeared back into the jungle, he would be nothing. In his all-consuming quest to feed his own ego, Jones murdered hundreds of people. He thought it would make Jonestown the modern-day Masada. But if there is one solace in the tale, it is this: Death did not make Jim Jones a martyr. It made him a monster. Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd CHICO There is, in every tragedy, a church, synagogue or mosque where pain and sorrow are welcome, and the heartache of a community can be held up before a higher power to be healed. It is what happened Sunday at the Neighborhood Church in Chico, where dozens of survivors of the deadliest fire in California history gathered to share their grief, hold each other and pray. It is how Barbara Garbiles coped with the aftermath of the Camp Fire in Butte County, which by Sunday had burned more than 10,600 homes, killed 77 people, left 993 unaccounted for, and prompted a visit by President Trump and a national debate about fire safety in California. Garbiles cant remember the last time she went to church, but she wanted she needed to give thanks to God and a Good Samaritan for saving her and her husbands life. As the fire raged toward their Pearson Road neighborhood that fateful morning on Nov. 8, Garbiles and her husband, Richard, grabbed their important documents, their dog, Chase, and their cat, Princess, and ran to their 2003 Chevy Malibu, but it wouldnt start. A neighbor jump-started the car, but it died again. It quickly became a desperate situation, and the neighbor fled for his life. The police couldnt help because the roads were blocked. Then, out of nowhere, a man they knew as the florist in town drove by and yelled for them to get into his pickup truck. God helps you, said the 71-year-old Garbiles, who has heard conflicting reports about whether her home survived the flames. He got us out of the fire. Thats why Im standing here today. The mood was somber Sunday as pastor Josh Gallagher, who was visiting from the Paradise Alliance Church, asked the congregants to stand if they had lost their homes. Half of the 100 or so people sitting in the green pews stood, their eyes glistening with tears as they huddled together. Our faith keeps us going, said Beverly Sexauer, 72, who fled the flames with her cat, Ginger, as her trailer and all the other homes in the Idlewild Mobile Home Park burned. If you have faith in God, it really plows you through a lot of stuff. Workers and cadaver dogs from numerous agencies throughout California were searching for human remains Sunday, hoping that none of the people who remain unaccounted for is still in the rubble of what was once the town of Paradise. Among the missing were several of the estimated 3,000 people who regularly attended church services in Paradise. The search will continue until everyone is accounted for, said Megan McMann, community relations coordinator for Butte County Sheriffs Office. The blaze, which has so far burned 150,000 acres a swath about the size of Chicago was 65 percent contained Sunday, but the real damage, the searing psychological pain that will last for months or years, could be seen in the eyes of the survivors sitting in five pews inside the domed church. Pastor Gallagher felt it. He, too, has lost his home, but his spirits were bolstered when he found out his church, Paradise Alliance, had survived the catastrophe. Gallaghers wife, 9-year-old and 6-year-old daughters, and 3-year-old son were staying in Sacramento with family. But since he left Paradise on Nov. 8, he hasnt been able to leave the evacuation center behind the Neighborhood Church, where nearly 250 people are being housed. He needed to be there, he said, because it gives people hope, meaning, community and a great sense that something bigger is going on. This is my community; these are my people, he said, gesturing to a congregation that clearly needed the assurance of his sympathy and caring. Its bittersweet, said Heidi Bigelow, after clasping hands with her 18-year-old daughter, Joy, closing her eyes and singing with the other parishioners. We are glad to be here, but we are all missing the stability and security of our home and our home church. The mourning continued Sunday evening when nearly two dozen people, including a uniformed police officer, held electronic candles during a vigil at the First Christian Church in Chico. One by one they placed their candles at an altar as a woman at a piano sang Amazing Grace. In the dim light emanating from a stained glass window, a man and woman held each other and silently wept. Parched air and gusty winds prompted a red flag fire warning Sunday in Butte County, where 15,500 structures are still threatened by flames, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Though weather forecasters predicted wind gusts of up to 40 mph in parts of the Sierra foothills, firefighters pressed on without any major issues, said Brian Ramsey, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. Crews fought to suppress the fire with 28 helicopters, 597 engines and numerous air tankers from throughout the state. Rain showers anticipated in the middle of the week may stop the fire from spreading, but could make conditions more difficult for firefighters because aircraft would be grounded, Ramsey said. Ramsey and Cal Fire officials are concerned that the rain could cause mudslides. Its very broken-up country, he said, describing the patchwork of ridges, creeks, mountains and valleys that makes up the terrain northeast of Chico that could be vulnerable to mudslides. So far, he said, no one is sure whether to expect a light drizzle or the kind of deluge that might cause soil to give way. The Camp Fire is now the fourth-deadliest natural disaster in Californias recorded history, behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, in which more 3,000 people died; a 1933 earthquake in Long Beach; and a 1938 flood in Los Angeles. The disaster surpassed the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which claimed 69 lives. It has caused more than twice the number of fatalities as the next-deadliest fire, the 2016 Ghost Ship fire, which claimed 36 lives in Oakland. The horrific death toll prompted Trump to join Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on a Saturday tour of the burn zone. Trump expressed sorrow as he saw burned-out mobile home parks, melted cars and charred debris in what is left of Paradise. The president, however, managed to confuse his hosts and others in attendance when he urged California to take care of the (forest) floors and said Finland did a better job raking its forests and preventing fires. As fire crews continued to put out hot spots, clear burned trees and tamp down flames, an evacuation order was lifted for a portion of Stilson Canyon Road, from Humboldt Road to Lazy S Lane, on the southwestern end of the fire zone. Still, most of Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and Butte Valley remained closed to residents and the public. Sen. Kamala Harris visited the devastation Sunday and met with firefighters, local officials and evacuees. My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones, those who are still searching, and for those families who lost everything in the fire, she said. Sarah Ravani, Rachel Swan and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @rachelswan, @pfimrite President Donald disparaged the reputation Sunday of former Navy SEAL and retired Adm. William McRaven, calling him a "Hillary Clinton fan" who should have found and targeted terror mastermind Osama bin Laden sooner. In an interview aired on the "Fox News Sunday" program, Trump said that McRaven, who organized and directed the May 2011 SEAL raid into Pakistan that killed Bin Laden missed signals that the al-Qaida leader was hiding in Pakistan all along. In response, McRaven, a 37-year veteran of the military and a critic of what he views as Trump's attacks on the First Amendment, said in a statement to CNN's Jake Tapper: "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else." McRaven described himself in the statement as a "fan" of former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and said he admired "all presidents" who "uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times." Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, a CNN contributor and friend of McRaven, said on Twitter that McRaven "doesn't need anyone to defend him. He's lived a life of service to country and faced only the toughest challenges." Hertling, also a frequent Trump critic, said Trump's words "are an attempt to further divide the country and politicize the military. We shouldn't allow it to work." Trump's critique of the former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and Navy SEAL Team 6 came in response to questions from Fox host Chris Wallace on Trump's frequent criticisms of "fake news" and what he regards as slanted media coverage of the White House. Wallace noted that McRaven, in an op-ed for Washington Post in August, called Trump's attacks on the media and former Obama administration officials "the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime." "Excuse me, Hillary Clinton fan," Trump said McRaven in the interview. "He's a Hillary Clinton backer, and an Obama backer," Trump added, going on to say that McRaven missed all the signs that bin Laden was living in a compound in Pakistan. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that," Trump said. "Wouldn't it have been nice?" "You know, living -- think of this -- living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer, but living in Pakistan right next to the military academy. Everybody in Pakistan knew [bin Laden] was there," Trump said. Wallace asked: "You're not even going to give him [McRaven] credit for taking down bin Laden?" Trump said he as president had taken actions against Pakistan that the Obama administration didn't. "Look, there's news right there," Trump responded. "[Bin Laden] lived in Pakistan. We're supporting Pakistan. We give them $1.3 billion a year, which we don't give them any more by the way, I ended it. Because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us." In a speech last February at the University of Texas, where he was chancellor, McRaven criticized Trump for calling journalists "the enemy of the American people." McRaven has since stepped down from the university post, citing health reasons. In an August opinion editorial for the Washington Post, McRaven accused Trump of using "McCarthy-era tactics" against journalists, and criticized Trump for lifting the security clearance of retired CIA Director John Brennan. In his op-ed, McRaven wrote of Trump that, "like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs." "A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organization. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself," McRaven wrote. "Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation." With some exceptions, retired general officers typically refrain from political comment. But McRaven and other retired officers of his rank have occasionally been outspoken during Trump's presidency. In a statement earlier this month, retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Obama administration, joined with other retired officers in criticizing Trump's deployment of active duty troops to the border with Mexico to stop the "caravan" of migrants attempting to gain entry. Dempsey called Trump's action a "wasteful deployment of over-stretched soldiers and Marines." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com. An F-22 Raptor pilot taking off from Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, in April had incorrect takeoff data, reached inadequate airspeed and prematurely retracted the landing gear, causing the stealth jet to slide down the runway, according to a new accident report. The jet, from the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, was taking off on a training sortie with a Navy F/A-18 Hornet for a TOPGUN basic flight maneuver exercise when the mishap occurred April 13, according to the Accident Investigation Board report released last week. Investigators attributed the accident largely to human error with a number of factors at play, including the pilot not having the correct Takeoff and Landing Data (TOLD). "Takeoff and Landing Data (TOLD) was not computed in accordance [with] applicable technical order data (TOD) for the conditions at NAS Fallon on the day of the mishap, and the TOLD displayed on the mishap pilot's lineup card was incorrect," the AIB report states. Related content: Around 10:45 a.m. local time, the pilot initiated a military power takeoff and rotated at "120 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS)," according to the report. This type of rotation occurs when the pilot initiates back stick pressure "to lift the nose of the aircraft off the ground and set the takeoff pitch attitude." The jet continued to accelerate. At 135 KCAS, the pilot believed the plane was lifting off the ground after looking at the weight-on-wheels switches, which are designed to sense when the aircraft becomes airborne. At 142 KCAS, the pilot took the visual cues for takeoff and retracted the landing gear. But on the day of the mishap, the rotation speed and takeoff speed should have been 143 KCAS and 164 KCAS, respectively, the report states. "Once the [mishap pilot] recognized his visual cues for takeoff, he raised the landing gear handle to retract the landing gear. After main landing gear retraction, the [mishap aircraft] impacted the runway with all but the nose landing gear (NLG) doors fully closed," according to the report. The Raptor slid down the runway for 6,514 feet until it came to a stop. While the report notes the pilot "failed to apply any corrections to the incorrect TOLD," the pilot did shut off both engines as the jet was skidding down the runway, decelerating during the belly flop. Col. Jacob Trigler, head of the accident board, said four additional factors "substantially contributed to the mishap: inadequate flight brief, organizational acceptance of an incorrect technique, formal training, and organizational overconfidence in equipment." "Most pilots acknowledge that the high thrust of [an F-22] provides confidence that the jet will easily get airborne," the report states. Investigators cited a pilot who said the F-22 community "takes it for granted that we have a lot of power and that this jet will generally take off from any runway that you want it to take off from." This has made pilots less reliant on Takeoff and Landing Data, which may set a dangerous precedent, according to the report. The Air Force did not provide a cost estimate for the damage sustained by the F-22. The pilot was unharmed, and there no damage to nearby property, the report states. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. The U.S. Air Force has selected Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to be the lead facilities for test and evaluation and maintenance and sustainment, respectively, for the B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber program. The service last week announced the decision, a new sliver of public information in the longstanding, highly classified program to create the U.S.' next long-range stealth bomber, known as the Raider. The latest announcement comes as the Northrop Grumman-made B-21 is expected to enter its critical design review milestone next month. The bomber, the Pentagon's latest multibillion-dollar program, passed its preliminary design review last year. It's no surprise that Edwards, home to the Air Force Test Center, will be the main facility to test the B-21. For decades, the base's testing hub has overseen the experimental X-plane development, as well as programs such as the F-117A Nighthawk; the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber; the YF-22A and the YF-23A (the Y-F-22A was ultimately the finalist in the service's Advanced Tactical Fighter competition and would become the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter); the SR-71 Blackbird; and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Related content: Tinker, meanwhile, is the host base for the Air Force Sustainment Center and Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, the largest of three depot repair complexes within Air Force Materiel Command. The service said that Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will support Tinker "to ensure the advanced B-21 is maintained and, when necessary, overhauled and upgraded" with assemblies or subassemblies for the depot as necessary. "With a talented workforce and decades of experience in aircraft maintenance, Tinker is the right place for this critical mission," Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said in a statement. "From flight testing the X-15 to the F-117, Edwards in the Mojave Desert has been at the forefront of keeping our Air Force on the cutting edge," Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein added in another statement. "Now, testing the B-21 Raider will begin another historic chapter in the base's history." Northrop's Melbourne, Florida, facility is the site of the Raider design and development headquarters, the release said. Currently, the bomber is in its engineering and manufacturing development phase. The Air Force awarded Northrop the contract, initially worth $21.4 billion, in 2015. Total program costs are expected to exceed $55 billion. The first B-21 is expected to reach initial operating capability in the mid-2020s. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Arrangements completed for 35th International Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference The arrangements for the 35th Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference to be held at historic Minar-e-Pakistan under the banner of the MQI have been completed. PAT Chairman and the founding leader of MQI, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, will deliver his special address at the Conference at 1 a.m. The delegations of different political, social and religious parties will attend the Conference. A separate platform has been set up for the electronic media, whereas hundreds of the social media activists associated with the MQI will cover the mega event live on various social media platforms for which an exclusive media cell has been established. The arrangements were being made for last one week and the 60 administrative committees were made to ensure that the arrangements are in place well on time. There will be fireworks on display at the Fajr time, marking the celebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet . Hundreds of thousands of people from different cities of Pakistan will attend the Conference. Jawad Hamid, Secretary of the central management committee, informed that the whole venue has been tastefully decorated. He said that renowned Qaris and Naat Khawans will present their heart-felt tributes in the court of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said that huge hoardings have also been hung across the Lahore city and the surrounding areas of Minar-e-Pakistan have been beautified befittingly. Thousands of women will also participate in Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference for which separate arrangements have been made. Greetings and salutations (durood and salam) will be sent on the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a number that runs into billions. Local Administration and police have been requested for provision of the fool proof security. In addition to the official security, hundreds of the youth associated with MYL and MSM will also perform security-related duties. Jawad Hamid further told that huge sized LED screens have been set up around the Minar-e-Pakistan through which thousands of the people will also be able to watch the proceedings of the Conference live. He said that the MQI celebrates the occasion of Mawlid-un-Nabi magnificently, adding that no stone will be left unturned in this regard. He said that in addition to renowned scholars and intellectuals, the faith leaders representing different communities and religions will also be part of the Conference on special invitation. He said that grounds of Minar-e-Pakistan have been bearing witness to the mega event for last 34 years. He said that the speech of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri will be shown around the world through internet. He said that the work related to the making of central stage has reached its final stage. He said that five walk through gates have been set up for entry of the people into the venue. The important people will use gate no 5 for entrance. He said that reception camps have also been set up at the entry points of Lahore to guide the caravans. PITTSFIELD TWP., MI - Michigan leaders broke ground Monday morning on the state's first skilled trades training program for women in prison. The $3-million, 44,000-square-foot Vocational Village at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Township is expected to be completed in late 2019. The program will train up to 180 prisoners in computer coding, carpentry, cosmetology, 3D printing, graphic design and more. Gov. Rick Snyder, alongside Heidi Washington, Michigan Department of Corrections director, attended the Nov. 19 groundbreaking. Snyder said this program is about helping women who have faced challenges in their lives succeed when they leave prison. "This seems like it's common sense and it should've happened across our country 50 to 100 years ago," Snyder said. "It's so exciting to see. This is our third vocational village. We're helping lead the nation on an important topic that's good for all." Roughly 2,000 prisoners are at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the only women's prison in Michigan, according to Washington. Applicants must meet certain criteria to enter the Vocational Village program, she said. "We're excited to expand this important program to include skilled trades training for incarcerated women who will be returning to our communities," Washington said. "When these prisoners obtain the education and skills they need to secure work in growing fields, they have better chances for long-term success. That means our communities are safer and the lives of prisoners and their families are improved." MDOC created the Vocational Village in 2016 for prisoners highly interested in career and technical education. The first site was at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia and the second was launched in 2017 at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson. Ionia currently has 138 people in the program and Jackson has 240. The vocational training adds to job training already offered and is expected to open opportunities for incarcerated women to earn state and nationally-recognized certifications for their trades, along with potential to secure a job before their release, according to MDOC. Christine Bednar, 39, has been working in the prison's dental lab for eight years. She was convicted of second-degree murder and has spent 14 years in prison. She is expected to be released by 2022. "It's amazing for all of us," Bednar said. "It's an opportunity for everyone to learn a new trade. I've learned a wonderful skill making dentures. I was given the opportunity and I just took it and now I love it." When Bednar is discharged, she hopes her dental experience will encourage an employer to hire her. Jennifer Lemcool, 39, who has been in prison for nearly four years for delivery or manufacturing of methamphetamine, completed a custodial maintenance course and works as a tutor in that program. "I feel like I'm contributing to the prison society," she said. "I'm really interested in getting the ladies some additional skills, myself included of course, to go out there and do something productive ... rather than what some of us have done." Lemcool is expected to be discharged by 2020. "I'm excited that some of the new stuff is being brought in such as cosmetology. It's not something I'm particularly interested in but I know a lot of the ladies can do awesome things with craft scissors," Lemcool said. More than 70 percent of prisoners have completed the program at other Michigan prisons and are now employed, Washington said, adding "We're pushing everyday to get that number even higher." "I came in under assault charge ... and I still have like nine and a half years left," said Colleen Sturdevant, 29, who has already served about nine years. Sturdevant is particularly interested in the Michigan Braille program, where prisoners learn how to create braille textbooks for visually-impaired children across the country. "There's 20 of us in the Michigan Braille. It's kind of become, collectively supporting and cheering each other on," she said. "(My goal) is to come out and make something of myself and give back to my community." James Fleming, the 69-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed a pair of innocent bystanders last week in Detroit has been arrested. Fleming surrendered to police in Richmond, Virginia Monday according to Fox 2 Detroit. James Fleming Police had been looking for Fleming since Nov. 14 after he allegedly brought a gun into the Phillip Sims Senior Housing complex in Detroit and fired it. A 50-year old security guard on his first day at the job and a 66-year-old woman were killed in the shooting. It has not been determined exactly why Fleming allegedly shot the two people, but police say he had been doing cocaine with a 30-year-old woman at the complex earlier in the day. He allegedly tried to sexually assault that woman, who fled and pulled the fire alarm as she did. Fleming appears to have left the building after that to retrieve the gun used in the killings. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has called Fleming a "career criminal" ANN ARBOR, MI - No university in the country offers better undergraduate entrepreneurship programs than the University of Michigan, according to the 2019 rankings published by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. This is the first time UM has topped the undergraduate rankings, while its graduate programs were ranked No. 10. In the last five years, students enrolled in the entrepreneurship minor or its predecessor program have launched 414 companies that raised $18.3 million. And 25 percent of those companies are still in business, according to UM. UM offers 68 entrepreneur-related courses, with 4,554 students enrolled in entrepreneurship classes, according to the rankings. The rankings also indicate 63 percent of UM faculty have entrepreneurial experience, and $20 million in funding has been raised by UM graduates in the past five years. The Princeton Review tallied its 2019 lists from surveys it conducted from July through August 2018 of administrators at more than 300 schools offering entrepreneurship studies. The 60-question survey covered the school's commitment to entrepreneurship studies inside and outside the classroom. More than 40 data points were analyzed. Topics included the percentage of faculty, students, and alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors; the number and reach of mentorship programs; scholarships and grants for entrepreneurial studies and the level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions. UM hosts 15 centers and programs, more than 30 entrepreneurial student organizations, multiple pitch competitions, two accelerators and immersion treks to nearly a dozen entrepreneurial ecosystems around the country. In 2015, UM launched a minor in entrepreneurship open to students across campus. In all, nearly 500 students from more than 100 majors were enrolled in the 2017-18 academic year. Michigan's undergraduate entrepreneurial program is anchored by: The Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering; The Zell Lurie Institute, housed at the Ross School of Business; The EXCEL Lab at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance; optiMize in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts; Innovation in Action a collaboration of Public Health, Center for Entrepreneurship and Zell Lurie Institute; and Innovate Blue overseen by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Communications. Rounding out the top five in the rankings are the University of Houston, Babson College, Brigham Young University, Northeastern University and Baylor University. Michigan State University came in at No. 21, making its first appearance in the rankings this year. ANN ARBOR, MI - As American troops fought their way through the mountains of Italy during the Allied advance to Rome in World War II, Michigan native Jack McClary regularly took fire from German forces while sticking his neck out as a U.S. Army forward observer. "I was the spotter," said McClary, who used a telescope to gather precision intelligence on the enemy and worked usually with a four-person crew to radio back and call in artillery strikes. "As we went forward, we would fight our way forward, but when they would fire back, I would leave my observation," said McClary, who took cover in mountainside foxholes to avoid the crossfire. McClary, who was drafted into the Army in 1941 and rose to the rank of captain, also trained artillerymen how to fire at fast-moving Nazi airplanes, the Luftwaffe, by having them practice on streamers pulled behind remote-controlled drone aircraft. He recalls one particular day in Italy when that training paid off. "We were being attacked by Hitler's aircraft," he said. "By that time, I had trained enough men that we had a machine gun sitting on top of the driver's compartment of every third truck. So when one of Hitler's aircraft came at us, very fast, and attacked, my machine gunners opened fire on them as they approached." McClary said they watched as the German plane flopped, crashed and "went kaboom." For his service in the war, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the nation's fourth highest honor for military heroism. Now more than 73 years since Nazi Germany surrendered and fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, McClary is reflecting on his time in the war and speaking openly about it in a way he hadn't before. "A lot of stories are coming out now," said his son, Keith McClary of Ann Arbor. "All the time growing up, he would not talk about the war." A Grand Rapids native and former Ann Arborite who lives in nearby Milan, Jack McClary celebrated his 100th birthday with friends, family and fellow veterans at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 423 just outside Ann Arbor on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 18. His actual birthday was Nov. 7, but longtime friend Vance McCrumb, along with some others, decided a special celebration was in order and helped arrange Sunday's event, which featured singing, food and special tributes honoring the centenarian. The past 100 years of his life were laid bare on a table full of dozens of old family photos going back to when he was a baby. "I've known Jack for probably 35 years. He and I served on the session at our presbyterian church together," said McCrumb, a 74-year-old Vietnam veteran, who describes his 100-year-old friend as a pretty sharp guy. "He kept saying, 'I want to be 100, I want to live to be 100,' and Nov. 7 he turned 100." On Sunday, Jack McClary was presented with a special tribute signed by Gov. Rick Snyder and other state lawmakers representing Washtenaw County, saying his life "has been characterized by a deep commitment to service and leadership" and he "has dedicated himself to ensuring the greatest quality of life for those in his country." U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, also presented a special congressional tribute, wishing the World War II veteran a happy 100th birthday and thanking him for his service. Jack McClary said war is no fun and it wasn't his choice to join the Army, but he was drafted and it was his duty. He served under four-star General Mark W. Clark in the Fifth Army. He recalls he and his fellow troops making their way through Africa and catching a train to Algiers before traveling by boat to Italy to fight against German forces there. Walberg noted Jack McClary "went on to do distinguished things" after the war, earning a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Michigan and going to work for the Ford Motor Co., followed by a career as a hospital financial officer. He also was a professor of economics at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, and chapter president for the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Jack McClary worked at the UM Hospital in Ann Arbor before going to Cook County Hospital in Chicago and then St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, specializing in turning hospitals around. "He would go in and fix broken systems and help them run it so they could help more people," said Keith McClary. "He did what he could as a brilliant accountant, and he made it possible to save lives, and that was his theme throughout. He wanted to make sure that people had better lives, so he focused on that, and same with my mom." In December 1945, after the war, Jack McClary married his wife, Betty, a childhood friend who spent her career as a nurse. They had three sons -- Michael, Daniel and Keith -- and were married for 69 years until she died in 2014 at the age of 90. Keith McClary said he was still finishing high school in Ann Arbor when his father took a job in Chicago. "He was commuting back and forth from Ann Arbor to Chicago for the first two years. I was finishing up high school and my mom stayed with me," he said. "While he was there, he had a place on the north side of Chicago. Well, rush-hour Chicago traffic is a nightmare, so he got an Indian motorcycle and his leathers. He would ride in on the motorcycle to Cook County Hospital and put on his suit and be a CFO, and then he put on his leathers and biked back out for a couple of years." He added, "I didn't even know about the motorcycle until a few years ago when I found the leathers and reconditioned them." In August, just a few months shy of turning 100, Jack McClary suited up once again and went for a ride in the sidecar of an Indian motorcycle, with a police escort leading the way from Milan to Tecumseh and back, and more than 70 motorcycles following. Mark Taylor of Foundation 14, a nonprofit that supports combat veterans, made the special ride happen. Keith McClary said his father is still in relatively good health at age 100 and was living on his own in his Milan home until earlier this year when he had a slip and fall accident and then a lung infection. Jack McClary is on oxygen now, though he can still walk using a cane or walker, and his son is staying with him while he continues to recover. Sitting next to Jack McClary at his birthday celebration on Sunday was his younger sibling, 85-year-old Al McClary, who said his brother was determined to make it to 100. He said their sister died in her 50s back in 1976, but other family members have lived longer. "Everybody else in our family has gone at 92, a few of them before that, but the oldest were 92," Al McClary said. "I don't hope to make 100," he added. "It's not fun getting old. Probably the reason he's made it so far is because he exercised a lot, he swam a lot, and he was always very active, so it showed up in his old age. He can walk. He can go up and down stairs." A longtime member of the Peoples Presbyterian Church in Milan, Jack McClary said he's happy to have made it to triple digits and he's hoping to stay around "for a bit longer." His secret to a long life? "It's just outlasting everyone," he said. FLINT, MI -- Dana Nessel criticized the Flint water criminal prosecutions as "politically charged show trials" during her successful campaign for attorney general, but her transition team says she's not talking further about how she'll fix the situation until 2019. "There are tens of thousands of cases pending before the attorney general and the team is closely looking at the status of those cases and others she may want to pursue," spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal. "She is deeply concerned about the people of Flint and that case is very high on the agenda," the statement says. "However, until she takes office, she will not comment specifically on any pending issue or cases." Outgoing Attorney General Bill Schuette has 11 Flint water prosecutions pending in Genesee District and Circuit courts. State Department of Health and Human Service Director Nick Lyon is the highest-ranking official still facing criminal charges. Four cases have been resolved with plea agreements that resulted in no jail time or fines for former city and state employees, and only in the Lyon case has a judge evaluated a case and bound it over for a jury trial. Nessel told Bridge Magazine, a part of the Center for Michigan, during the campaign that she was prepared to start over in her approach to Flint water cases She said special prosecutor Todd Flood has a conflict of interest, in part because of past political contributions to Schuette and Gov. Rick Snyder. "I would re-evaluate the investigation and any pending cases in their entirety, as the entire process has been highly suspect. If justice merits charging additional defendants, or dismissing pending cases, I would not hesitate to take such actions," she said at the time. Megan Hawthorne, Schuette's press secretary, said in an email that the office "will work with the attorney general-elect to ensure she is aware of all cases the department is handling." As the end of 2018 nears, there's little scheduled business in the pending Flint prosecutions. After a bindover decision in the involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Eden Wells, the state's chief medical executive, on Dec. 7, only a miscellaneous hearing and preliminary examination continuation are on the calendar before Nessel takes office. Rossman said that Nessel believes in the importance of a smooth transition of power and authority and is concentrating now on setting up her office to be as effective as possible after Jan. 1. FLINT, MI - Students are expected to have the chance to roll up their sleeves and get into a new cooking environment by early 2019 at Mott Community College's new Culinary Arts Institute. Construction of the 36,000-square-foot building at the corner of Second and Saginaw streets in downtown Flint has been ongoing for months and is expected to be wrapped up by the time the winter 2019 semester begins in mid-January. Amy Fugate, Mott's vice president for academic affairs, confirmed the timeline for the work taking place at the F.W. Woolworth Building built in the 1920s and that served as home to a variety of retail businesses until the 1970s. "I think for our students it gives up the opportunity to provide a higher quality education, more space to work in," said Fugate, with the renovation allowing the program to expand from 250 to 500 students. The institute will include two culinary arts teaching kitchens, two bakery teaching kitchens, a meat-cutting "fabrication teaching laboratory," a fine dining restaurant that will be staffed Monday through Friday during school that will be connected to a baked goods cafe and meeting space. There also is a confections laboratory for cake decoration and making chocolate and other candies, Fugate said, as well as a chilled "garde manger" classroom and faculty offices for the department. Part of the reason for the move is growing out of the space provided for the program at Mott's Prahl College Center, 1401 E. Court, that pushed some work off-campus for students. Work is taking place at the new facility with $3.25 million of voter-approved capital bonds from Mott Community College as part of the overall nearly $13 million investment. A $1.5 million grant approved by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is also being used for the project. The building was donated, along with $4 million in leveraged loan funds, by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The property will be owned by the Uptown Reinvestment Corp. for eight years and then turned over to MCC, Uptown President Tim Herman previously said. City Council unanimously passed a resolution for the project to receive a property tax exemption under Michigan's Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA). "In the front (of the space) is going to be a Coffee Beanery like the one we have on campus," noted Fugate, with students selling baked goods they make and performing short-order food service. "It's essential for them to have the opportunity to learn in both environments," she said. "You have the fine dining environment where they are learning front of housework, kitchen, clean-up. The beanery gives them the opportunity to learn about coffee shop management and front-end food management." Students can earn associate degrees in baking and pastry arts, culinary arts, and food services management through the culinary arts program. Fugate hopes the move will make it "a destination program" for those interested in the culinary arts around the region and state while pointing the importance of the building's placement in Flint. It gives Mott Community College a presence right downtown with all the other colleges, she said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -The Rev. Nathaniel Moody says he's disappointed more than anything after threatening racist rants were left on his church's answering machine. Now, he says, his church - Brown Hutcherson Ministries - has to be on alert. The caller, using a racial slur, threatened to kill the first black person he saw at the church or Brown Funeral Home, across the street, he said. Todd Jamison "What he doesn't understand is, when you're calling this church or the funeral home, it's almost like calling every black church in the city," Moody told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press on Monday, Nov. 19. "All black churches are affected. They feel threatened by this, because of what's taking place across America. We had senior citizens stay home (Sunday, wondering): 'Is my church next?'" Grand Rapids police say Todd Jamison, 26, of Grand Rapids, confessed to making threats to the church and funeral home. He is charged with ethnic intimidation, a felony, and misdemeanor charges of stalking and malicious use of a telephone. Police tracked down the suspect after learning that two trespassers had been under the awning at the funeral home on Wednesday, Nov. 14, and were asked to leave. After a short confrontation, the two left. A little later, the funeral home and church "began receiving threatening phone messages laced with racial slurs," police said. Brown Hutcherson Ministries and Brown Funeral Home across the street received racist, threatening calls, Grand Rapids police say. The messages - "threatening and ethnically intimidating in nature," police said - continued into the next morning when police were called. Police detectives and road patrol officers determined that Jamison was the suspect. He was arrested then was arraigned Friday, Nov. 16, in Grand Rapids District Court. He was released from Kent County Jail that night after posting $12,000 bond. Moody said the calls were made to the answering service for the funeral home he helps run across the street and left on the answering machine at the church. The church secretary was extremely upset as she listened to the messages, including threats that "I'm gonna kill me a n-----," Moody said. As she listened to the voicemails, she knew that the church janitor was supposed to be somewhere in the building but she could only find his jacket. She called Moody. "The voicemail hit her - it grabbed her," Moody said. "I think what bothers me most is the fact that it affected my secretary. It's really affected her." The church is looking at adding security. They have kept the doors locked. Police have been patrolling the area heavily, with a patrol car parked in the back lot Monday afternoon. "I think the police did a very good job. They're monitoring the parking lot, making themselves known to the community they're here." Moody said he doubted Jamison realized the implications of his alleged acts. It is disheartening that racial issues continue, decades after civil-rights fights, Moody said. He wants to "get past the racial hatred" but sees a country in divide, and fears attacks on minorities have become accepted. "From an African-American standpoint, for what we have dealt with in this country for years, from the Mississippi Delta all the way to the North, discrimination and hatred, it seems somebody has to ask: Is America America? Or are there two Americas? Is this an America that is only designed for a particular group of people that fits a profile?" Moody, the Third Ward City Commissioner, said he loves Grand Rapids, and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. That's why it hurts, he said. The Rev. Emmett Harrison of Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church stopped by Brown Hutcherson Ministries. He said his church has already begun looking at security measures. Community-policing officers use space at his church. He doesn't want armed guards but wants people to be safe and feel safe. There are a lot of children at church services. "We've got to take the threat seriously," Harrison said. MISSUAKEE COUNTY, MI - A hypothermic hunter was airlifted from the Michigan wilderness after rescue teams braved low temperatures and chest-deep water to find him. The dramatic rescue began on state land in Missaukee County's Butterfield Township around 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 when Michigan State troopers from the Houghton Lake Post were dispatched to locate a missing hunter who had not returned to a designated meeting spot. The missing man was later identified as Donald Sokol, a 59-year-old man from Ohio. Rescuers quickly realized the urgency of the matter due to the frigid temperatures and the potential for a very large search area. According to a news release, the search party eventually grew to seven troopers, two MSP K9 units, one MSP sergeant, six DNR conservation officers and two Missaukee County sheriff's deputies. One of the K-9 units eventually located Sokol around 11:10 a.m. but was unable to rescue him due to his location on the opposite side of a deep waterway which they could not safely cross. Sokol was exhausted, dehydrated, and entering a hypothermic state, according to a news release. Additional rescue parties, including a Coast Guard helicopter, were eventually directed to the scene. Rescuers removed Sokol's wet clothing and built a fire. It was determined Sokol was too weak to walk out on his own. (3/3) Here is some video of Troopers and DNR officers trying to start a fire to warm the victim. The dedication, teamwork, and professionalism of the troopers and all involved in this rescue remind us why we chose this career. Im very proud to be a trooper today. pic.twitter.com/98OecGDNx9 @MSPNorthernMI (@mspnorthernmi) November 19, 2018 A rescue basket was lowered, and he was airlifted by helicopter to Munson Medical Center, where he was treated for dehydration and hypothermia. The scene was cleared by 2:45 a.m. Sokol is expected to recover. "If not for the steadfast determination and teamwork of all involved, this incident may not have had such a positive outcome," a news release reads. LEWISTON, MI - The Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting death of a man in Northern Michigan. Oscoda deputies were dispatched to the Lewiston area of Oscoda County at 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 16 after a deceased male was found in the woods near Farrington Road and Townline Road. Upon examining the scene, MSP detectives were called and were eventually asked to take charge of the case. Since then, detectives have identified the man as 29-year-old Matthew Boeck of Howell, who was killed by an apparent gunshot wound. The details surrounding his death are under investigation. The Michigan State Police Crime Lab and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources assisted MSP at the scene. Additional information will be released after an autopsy has been conducted. DELTA COUNTY, MI - A missing Michigan man has been found dead. The Delta County Sheriff's Office had been looking for 79-year-old George Grzyb of Ford River since left his camp south of Bark River in route to Escanaba around 3:30 pm on Nov. 14. Sheriff's officials said he was found dead on a two-track road in Menominee County. Search parties had been combing part of the Upper Peninsula looking for Grzyb, who was last seen driving his blue 2007 Toyota Yaris. The death is under investigation and further details have not been released. READING TWP., MI - A man suspected of robbing a Reading Township party store Friday afternoon was arrested in Ohio after a Saturday morning police chase. The suspect, a 22-year-old Camden man, is accused of robbing the Long Lake Party Store located at the intersection of Bankers and Hemlock Roads in Hillsdale County sometime before 1:44 p.m., Nov. 16, according to Michigan State Police. The man entered the store wearing sunglasses and a bandana, indicated he had a gun and demanded cash from the register, police said. After being handed an undisclosed amount of cash and items from the store, the man fled the store in a dark colored car with visible damage, police said. The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office released photos taken from a security camera showing the robbery suspect's vehicle leaving the scene. Information from Hillsdale County Corrections officers, tips submitted on the sheriff's website and other evidence collected in the investigation led to the identification of the suspect, police said. Saturday morning, Nov. 17, an Ohio State Trooper noticed a vehicle with a broken headlight and attempted the stop the vehicle, police said. A pursuit ensued, and the vehicle did not stop until police deployed stop sticks ahead of the chase, disabling the vehicle, police said. The driver was arrested on local charges for fleeing officers and was soon after identified as the Long Lake Party Store armed robbery suspect, police said. Authorities are seeking extradition from Ohio. The man's name has yet to be released. BROOKLYN, MI - Experiencing the 18-degree banking of Michigan International Speedway is just a toy or nonperishable food donation away. The 10th annual MIS Charity Track and Toy Drive goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the track, 12626 U.S. 12. Bring an unwrapped toy or bag of nonperishable food and you can drive your own car around the 2-mile oval. Participants should enter through the tunnel gate off Brooklyn Highway and follow the signs to the entry point off pit road. Drivers must be at least 21 years old and provide a valid driver's license and proof of insurance. Everyone must sign a waiver before driving on the track. Drivers must remain at or below 25 mph. Seat belts and headlights must be on at all times. No passing is allowed. Motorcycles are not allowed. Toy donations go to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots campaign in Jackson and Lenawee counties. Food donations go to the Brooklyn Food Pantry and St. Mary's of Good Counsel in Adrian. The weather-dependent event is hosted by MIS Cares, a donor-advised fund of the non-profit NASCAR Foundation that supports programs that assist and inspire youth in Jackson and Lenawee counties. Donated toys will go to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots campaign in Jackson and Lenawee counties, while the food goes to the Brooklyn Food Pantry and St. Mary's of Good Counsel in Adrian. Santa Claus is attending the event to listen to Christmas wishes and pose for photos in the track's Michigan Room. Children can also make holiday cards to be sent to active military service members. The first 1,000 vehicles to make a lap around the track also get a $5-off coupon for Nite Lites at MIS. The drive-through lighted holiday display set to music opens Thanksgiving night. For more information, visit the track's website. ALLEN TWP., MI - An Allen Township woman was shot in the chest by her husband during an early Monday morning argument, police say. Police and rescue crews were called at 5:53 a.m., Nov. 19, to the home on U.S. 12, west of Jonesville, according Michigan State Police. The woman's injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening, and she was taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said. Investigators determined the woman was shot by her husband during a domestic argument, police said. He was arrested and taken to the Hillsdale County Jail, they said. Names are not being released at this time pending the man's arraignment. JACKSON, MI - Only a smattering of goods remain in Jackson's Sears store, as it prepares to close its doors. Sears, 1250 Jackson Crossing, is closing Sunday, Nov. 25, according to store signage. The company announced in August the Jackson store would close sometime in November. Later, it announced the Sears Auto Center in Jackson will remain open. Most remaining items in the half-empty store are marked down - many between 30- and 70-percent off. Store fixtures are also for sale. Sears coupons and promotional deals are not accepted, per store signage. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, closed Thursday for Thanksgiving and open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Eligible employees will receive severance, the company said in a press release in August. Jackson was chosen among stores to close because of its unprofitability, the release said. Sears Holdings - best known for its Sears and Kmart stores - filed for bankruptcy last month and closed 46 locations across the country - including two Sears and two Kmart locations in Michigan. Both Kmart stores in Jackson have closed in the past two years. KALAMAZOO, MI -- The city of Kalamazoo will pay $245,600 for new survey maps meant to improve emergency responses to chronic flooding where Portage Creek meets the Kalamazoo River. The City Commission approved an agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to create hydraulic models and flood inundation maps during the next several years. According to city documents, the maps can be adapted in real-time to track flood hazards and guide future mitigation of the floodplain. Kalamazoo officials recognized a need for further preparedness after high-profile flooding events during the last few years. Chronic flooding has resulted in significant property damage to businesses and neighborhoods in Kalamazoo. "After the excessive flooding we had in February, the city of Kalamazoo has been working with USGS and other agencies to come up with better data and use that data to come up with action plans," said Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain said. "We're in this first step of making sure we have the best data possible." In February, a historic crest of the Kalamazoo River caused $2.5 million in damage, flooding 186 single-family homes and damaging vehicles, water heaters and furnaces. A 2008 flood event caused $11 million in damage, flooding 10 businesses, 466 homes and 10 major street intersections. Flood events occurred in 2018, 2017, 2009, 2008, 1989, 1985, 1975, 1950, 1948, 1947 and 1943. Chamberlain said the the study will inform efforts to find long-term solutions in the floodplain. City documents state the study will provide a better understanding of river hydraulics in the area. Data can be used by the city and emergency planners to determine live flood conditions during future events. Under the agreement, USGS will pitch in $61,400. The study is expected to start in January 2019 and end by September 2021. The study area includes 5 miles of the Kalamazoo River from River to East Mosel avenues, 3 miles of Portage Creek from Alcott Street to where it meets the Kalamazoo River and less than 1 mile of Axtell Creek. On Nov. 19, the City Commission will decide whether to approve a $1 million contract with Gro America to dredge ponds near Crosstown Parkway and clean culverts near Axtell Creek. Approximately 11,140 cubic yards of sediment would be dredged from the South Crosstown Pond and the twin culverts. Once cleaned out, the culverts will be inspected for defects requiring repair or rehabilitation. Dredging will deepen the ponds and clear out silt that has built up over the years in culverts that run underneath nearby streets. Chamberlain said the buildup clogged up culverts, causing creeks to overflow during rain events. Removing sediment should allow the ponds to have more capacity to hold water, and rain to flow into the ponds more easily. A city staff recommendation to approve the contract comes out of extensive discussions with the Crosstown Flood Coalition, a group of business-owners severely impacted by flooding. "Dredging will not solve all the flooding problems, especially when we have a very large event like we had last February," Chamberlain said. "It should help during heavy rains. It's something we can do right now." MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A man accused of a brutal assault on his wife in 2012 has learned his final sentence after his case took a trip to the Michigan Supreme Court. After the long delay, which involved resolution of a Colorado case that went to that state's court of appeals, Joshua Levi Alger was sentenced Oct. 23 to at least nine years in prison. Alger, 37, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and aggravated domestic violence second offense. He was accused of assaulting his wife, breaking her jaw and a bone near her eye, behind a Whitehall bar on West Colby Street in March 2012. He was sentenced Oct. 23 by Muskegon County Circuit Judge William Marietti as a three-time habitual offender to a minimum of nine years and a maximum of 20. Marietti originally sentenced Alger in June 2013 as a four-time habitual offender, which was the focus of his appeals. His sentence at that time was nine years to 25 years. Alger appealed that sentence because it took into consideration his 2011 conviction for a sexual assault in Colorado. He argued that that conviction shouldn't be counted because he had not yet been sentenced in Colorado. Furthermore, he claimed that he was told that if he pleaded no contest, he would be sentenced as a third-time offender. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such at sentencing. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Alger wasn't given proper information about his habitual offender status when he entered his plea, and should be allowed to withdraw it. Barring that, the appeals court ruled that Marietti should sentence him as a third-time offender. The Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office appealed that ruling to the Michigan Supreme Court, which overturned the appeals court and said Marietti's handling of the case was proper. While the case was pending in the Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals overturned Alger's conviction on the sex offense, said Muskegon County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Charles Justian. That meant he was a three-time offender after all. The case was returned for resentencing to Marietti, who also sentenced Alger to 465 days to four years on the domestic violence charge. Alger was given credit for the roughly 80 months he has already served in prison while his appeals played out. Alger previously was convicted on two drug charges and served seven years in prison before being released in 2008, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections web site. MUSKEGON, MI -- Like any year, late November of 1998 was a time for family gatherings and giving thanks, for starting off another holiday season. It was no different for the Privacky family, which was gathering on Sunday, Nov. 29, for a late Thanksgiving. But the events of that day were nothing anyone would be thankful for. Before the Muskegon family could sit down at the dining table, five of them would be shot dead and a manhunt would be underway for the sixth, and youngest, family member who was the prime suspect in the gruesome murders. The Privacky family killings would go down as the worst mass murder in recent history for the Lake Michigan community. Long after teenager Seth Privacky was captured and admitted to the killings, loved ones and authorities alike continued searching for some sort of explanation for the massacre. And in what the prosecutor remarked was an ironic twist in the case, Seth Privacky himself later would die in the same manner in which he did in his own victims. Bob Carter, who was sheriff of Muskegon County at the time, said the murders were "a devastating blow" to the rural area that is centered around the Reeths-Puffer school district. "It just rocked everybody's socks... it just tore everything apart," Carter said. "Everybody was scared. I'm sure there were homes around the county that were never locked before that and maybe even until today they still lock their doors." The massacre It's believed the killings began around 12:45 p.m., but they weren't discovered for nearly 12 hours. It was around midnight when the parents of April Boss went looking for the 19-year-old. She had been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner with her boyfriend Jedediah Privacky's family at 1:30 that afternoon. But April never showed up to her third-shift job, and so her mother and stepfather, Julie and Tom Cooper, went to the Privacky house looking for her. When they arrived, they saw a shadowy figure run from the garage area into the home and then spotted a man's body on the driveway lying between two cars. As they moved toward the house, the couple saw blood in the garage and a young man bolt outside and into the darkness. Alarmed, the Coopers used the house phone to call 911. Arriving police found more bodies inside the home. Two victims, April Boss and 78-year-old John Privacky, were found in a small back room off a garage; 19-year-old Jedediah Privacky, was in the basement and Jedediah's mother, 49-year-old Linda Privacky, was found in an upstairs bathroom. It didn't take long for investigators to figure out that the body in the driveway was that of 50-year-old Stephen Privacky. All five had been shot in the head. As other officers arrived, an 18-year-old man emerged from nearby woods and approached them. He had a story to tell. His name was Steven Wallace and he told police his good friend Seth Privacky had called him that afternoon to tell him he had killed his mother, father, grandfather, brother and brother's girlfriend. Wallace said he went to the Privacky house and agreed to dispose of the murder weapon - Stephen Privacky's .22-caliber handgun - which he tossed in a pond at a park several miles away. Wallace told police he returned to the house later that night and was helping Privacky cover up the murder scene when April Boss' parents arrived. His shocking revelation triggered a massive manhunt for Seth Privacky as the tight-knit Reeths-Puffer school community reeled at the horrific news. The high school, where Stephen Privacky had been a teacher, and where Seth Privacky was a student, went on lockdown with fear that Seth might show up. Photos of Seth Privacky were distributed among students who might not have known the high school senior. "They were really concerned about the kids, and were they safe -- was the community safe?" Carter said. A full confession The day was rainy and the mood at the school was somber as news spread of the deaths of Jedediah and April, both of whom had graduated the previous year. Eighteen-year-old Janavive Simonelli was so disturbed by the grief that she left school and was driving around when she saw a hitchhiker - a solitary, soaked figure - and stopped to give him a ride. She was shocked and terrified to discover the hitchhiker was Seth Privacky. Simonelli played it cool and took Privacky to the home of one of his friends where he asked to be dropped off. Then she called police. Finding no one home, Privacky - who had spent the previous night in nearby woods -- hid out in a pole barn behind his friend's home. That's where police found him and arrested him around 1 p.m. During an interview with Muskegon County Sheriff Detective Capt. Dennis Edwards, Privacky first claimed his brother, Jedediah, had committed the murders. But soon he gave a full confession. Edwards later would describe Privacky's demeanor as "flat, like nobody's home." Privacky recounted a disagreement he'd had that morning with this father, who he said he argued with frequently. His father had said the 18-year-old needed to move out. As Seth put it, his father told him that his parents didn't love him anymore. It had come after months of arguments during which Privacky said his mother and brother would take his father's side. Seth Privacky said that out of anger and rage he retrieved his father's gun, went to the living room and shot Jedediah in the back of the head as the teen was sitting on a couch. He dragged his brother's body to the basement and waited for his father to come home. When Stephen Privacky arrived with his father, John - whom Seth was not expecting - he ambushed them in the garage and shot them both in the head. It took two shots to kill his grandfather. Next, the 18-year-old went upstairs where his mother had just gotten out of the shower. Linda Privacky also was shot in the head. The last to die was April Boss, who had seen the dead bodies of Privacky's father and grandfather when she arrived for what she thought would be a Thanksgiving dinner. Seth Privacky said he shot Boss in the head as she entered the kitchen. He claimed he didn't know she was coming to dinner either. When Privacky's friend Steven Wallace arrived, they devised a plan to try to remove the bodies and bury them. After dragging the body of Privacky's father out to the driveway, they determined it was too heavy to lift into the trunk of a car they had lined with garbage bags. So they came up with another plan to make the killings appear part of a robbery. They were in the process of removing valuables from the home - including a TV, VCR and stereo -when Boss' parents showed up. Privacky's "ironic" death Wallace ended up being tried for being an accessory after the fact. He was acquitted after successfully convincing jurors that he helped Privacky out of fear for his own life. "I don't think that set very well with the community overall," Carter said. "The law said he wasn't guilty." Seth Privacky ended up pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree murder. Before sentencing Privacky to life in prison without parole, Judge James Graves Jr. told the teenager "you turned what should have been a pleasant Thanksgiving weekend into your own killing field." The judge also denied Privacky's bizarre request for time to see the world before he had to report to prison. Privacky served 11 1/2 years behind bars. On July 25, 2010, he and two other convicted murderers overpowered a semi-truck driver making a delivery to the Kinross Correctional Facility in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where they were incarcerated. The trio hijacked his truck and drove it through double fencing surrounding the medium-security prison and, once outside, fled on foot. The other two inmates ended up surrendering. Privacky, who was 30 years old, was running across the street from the prison when a corrections officer shot him dead. Privacky had been shot in the head - a fact that wasn't lost on Tony Tague, the prosecutor who had handled the murder case a dozen years earlier. Tague called Privacky's manner of death "ironic." Carter said when he learned of Seth Privacky's death he felt a measure of closure to the entire tragedy. "I felt that at least now that part of it is being laid to rest," he said. Unanswered question Nearly 20 years after he killed his family, Seth Privacky remains an enigma. Many have searched for reasons why a seemingly normal teenager would massacre his entire family. He had been described by classmates as quiet and soft-spoken. Yet from jail, he had written members of a rock band he was in, including Wallace, that his new-found notoriety could be the break the band needed "to make it big." After the murders, a family friend told investigators that Stephen Privacky had considered his son a psychopath without a conscience. Another friend said Stephen and Linda Privacky were concerned their son was heading for big trouble. After a couple juvenile theft charges and accusations of vandalism, they had taken their son for counseling, and he was prescribed an anti-depressant. "I think it probably had to do with substance abuse as well as mental illness," Carter said of Privacky's crimes. One of Linda Privacky's friends faithfully visited Seth while he was in prison. At the time of his death, Patti Moran described Seth Privacky as "kind, humble, intelligent, artistic and spiritual." In 2007, Privacky had claimed he had found Christianity. Wallace said that while they were growing up, Privacky was a seemingly normal kid. Following Seth Privacky's death, Wallace said he regretted that he had never asked Seth why he killed his family. BEAVERTON, MI - Federal legislation renaming the Beaverton Post Office for a World War II hero is headed to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature. The legislation introduced last June by U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, calls for naming the Beaverton Post Office in honor of Col. Alfred Asch, a decorated veteran and a local from Beaverton, a community located in Gladwin County. "He was a World War II hero, he flew many missions, and received 13 medals, including the Purple Heart," Moolenaar said. "He was a native of Beaverton, Michigan and was a citizen who gave back to the local community." Asch started his service in 1941 when he joined the Army Air Corps where he served two tours with the 93rd Bomb Group, flying 28 missions, and with the 455th Bomb Group, where he flew 47 missions. Some of the medals he earned included the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf clusters. Most of his service was over north Africa and over Europe. Sen. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, and Rep. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, present a special tribute to the family of Col. Alfred Asch commending Asch's significant contributions to Michigan and the nation. Moolenaar recognized Asch during state Senate session and presented Asch's surviving sons, David Asch and Peter Asch, and his brother, Daniel Asch, with a special tribute signed by Moolenaar, Johnson and Gov. Rick Snyder. (Courtesy | John Moolenaar) When Moolenar was a state senator in Michigan, he paid tribute to the colonel in 2014 at the opening of the Beaverton Activities Center, where a plaque honoring Asch is on display. Moolenaar also said the legislation was something the entire Michigan delegation supported with both Democrats and Republicans voting for it. "Throughout his distinguished military career, Colonel Asch displayed time and again the courage and conviction that was forged in Beaverton," said U.S. Sen. Gary Peters in a news release. "Designating Beaverton's USPS Facility as the Colonel Alfred Asch Post Office is a fitting tribute to his years of exemplary service, and I am pleased to see this legislation move forward." The colonel, who died in 2013 at the age of 93, helped to establish a scholarship for residents of Gladwin County to go to Central Michigan University. He also wrote a book about his experiences in the war titled, "The Whole Nine Yards" which was published in 2013 as well. The legislation, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently passed in the U.S. Senate and is now headed to the president's desk for signature. "I believe he will sign it and it's something our entire Michigan delegation supported in a bipartisan way,," Moolenaar said. SAGINAW, MI -- A jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting a 61-year-old Saginaw man of several felonies stemming from his one-day crime spree that occurred more than two years ago. The trial of Willie L. Hill began with jury selection on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The jury on Friday afternoon deliberated for about 50 minutes before finding Hill guilty of two counts of unlawful imprisonment and single counts of armed robbery, carjacking, fourth-degree fleeing and eluding police, and assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. Jurors acquitted Hill on a charge of assault with intent to murder. Armed robbery and carjacking are both life offenses. Hill's crimes date back to Oct. 17, 2016. About 5 a.m. that day, Hill wielded a knife when he held up the Clark gas station at 1607 S. Michigan in Saginaw, police said. He then committed a carjacking about 11:20 a.m. outside the Food Basket, 2475 E. Remington, police said. A 75-year-old woman reported a man threatened her with a gun and stole her black Ford Escape and purse. About eight minutes later, a robbery occurred at the Family Dollar at 3220 Sheridan in Saginaw. Minutes after that, police observed a black Ford Escape on South 20th north of East Holland. Police followed the car until backup arrived, and that ultimately led to the driver of the Escape turning westbound onto Atwater from East Genesee. Hill, the Escape's driver, collided head-on with a state trooper's Ford Explorer. Hill attempted to flee, but a Saginaw police officer deployed his Taser and arrested him. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III presided over Hill's trial. Defense attorney James F. Piazza represented Hill, while Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Blair Stevenson represented the people. Hill's sentencing date is pending. Hill served more than a decade in prison for an Aug. 8, 1989, rape of his ex-girlfriend during a home invasion in Bridgeport Township. He later served prison time for two counts of felonious assault in Kent County and failing to comply with his Michigan Sex Offender Registry reporting duties. Hill was discharged from parole from that case in January 2014. In a tradition for this time of year right up there with turkey, stuffing and the Detroit Lions playing, ABC will air the nostalgia-inducing "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" from Charles Schulz at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21. The network announced the schedule in a news release, and added that it will air "This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers" immediately after the classic Thanksgiving special. This additional animated short originally aired back in 1988, and puts the crew of Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Lucy and co. at the scene of the first Thanksgiving in 1620. This year's airing represents the 45th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," which originally aired back in 1973 on CBS. The airing of this beloved holiday special made the switch to ABC in the early 2000s after being a CBS mainstay for three decades. "Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However, the dinner he arranges is a disaster when the caterers, Snoopy and Woodstock, prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish," ABC writes in its news release. "Humiliated, it will take all of Marcie's persuasive powers to salvage the holiday for Charlie Brown." For those too busy prepping or traveling on Wednesday, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," and his other holiday adventures, can be viewed on-demand using Amazon Prime, iTunes, Vudu and more. -- After traveling more than 94 million miles from Earth and discovering about 2,600 planets, the Kepler Space Telescope received its final set of commands from NASA last Thursday, Nov. 15. The U.S. space agency says those final commands were to disconnect communications with mission control and Earth. In a strange coincidence, NASA says it issued Kepler's "goodnight commands" on the same date the telescope's namesake, German astronomer Johannes Kepler, died on back in 1630. This final command was expected to be issued, as NASA announced back in late October that its long-tenured telescope had run out of fuel about 94 million miles from Earth. The space agency says the telescope was retired while on a "safe orbit, away from Earth." Some of the space telescope's main accomplishments include its 9.6 years spent in space observing more than 530,500 stars, documenting 61 supernovae and discovering 2,662 new planets. The U.S. space agency says that many of these planets discovered by the Kepler "could be promising places for life." "Kepler's team disabled the safety modes that could inadvertently turn systems back on, and severed communications by shutting down the transmitters," NASA reports on its website. "Because the spacecraft is slowly spinning, the Kepler team had to carefully time the commands so that instructions would reach the spacecraft during periods of viable communication. The team will monitor the spacecraft to ensure that the commands were successful." Other Kepler findings include the discovery that 20 to 50 percent of visible stars are likely to have "small, possibly rocky, planets similar in size to Earth" located in the habitable zones of their parent stars. The telescope launched in 2009 with the main goal of finding how common planets outside of Earth's solar system are. -- -- "As NASA's first planet-hunting mission, Kepler has wildly exceeded all our expectations and paved the way for our exploration and search for life in the solar system and beyond," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a previous news release. "Not only did it show us how many planets could be out there, it sparked an entirely new and robust field of research that has taken the science community by storm. Its discoveries have shed a new light on our place in the universe, and illuminated the tantalizing mysteries and possibilities among the stars." BigBasket Indias largest online grocer Bigbasket, which raised $300 million from Alibaba earlier this year, is gearing up for a fresh round of fundraising in the next few months. The company is in last-stage talks to raise $150-200 million, according to Hari Menon, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, Bigbasket. In a chat with Moneycontrol, Menon said he aims to raise funds from both existing as well as new investors. The funds raised will be used for marketing, building infrastructure and developing technology. Apart from Alibaba, Bigbasket had earlier raised funds from investors such as International Finance Corp, Sands Capital, and Dubai-based private equity investor Abraaj Capital. Menon did not disclose Bigbasket's earnings but said it is profitable at an operating level in key cities and that it will become operationally profitable across all cities between March and June, 2019. The company aims to achieve Rs 3,500 crore in sales this fiscal year, up from the Rs 2,000 crore achieved last year. Bigbasket is an Indian online grocery and food products provider. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the brand is run by Innovative Retail Concepts. As of now, the company has 10 million registered customers and services 1 lakh orders per day. Edited excerpts from the interaction: Q: We understand you are in talks to raise more funds. How much do you plan to raise and from where? A: We will raise some money in a couple of months. We will make some announcement soon as we are in talks with a few investors. But I cannot talk about it right now. It is just too early. Q: How much are you looking to raise and how will you use the funds? A: We will raise another $150-200 million. We will keep investing heavily in marketing. We have 10 million customers. Currently, sales are Rs 2,500 crore, so by that standard, we are reasonably a large online grocer in the country. Now, how do we double this every year and how do I quickly become a Rs 7,000 crore company? Thats all about investments in marketing, investments in infrastructure and investment in technology. We want to invest this money over the next 2-3 years. Q: Have you broken even? A: Yes. Operationally, we have broken even in our key cities. That's our only focus. Which means that every transaction that we do, we make money. We started making money quite some time back in a large city like Bangalore, so the model is proven. We will operationally break even in all cities between March and June 2019. Q: There is a lot of competition in this space, so what kind of innovation are you coming up with for customers? A: We are building a new beauty store which is called personal care into beauty. We are building the milk subscription business which we just launched already its called BB Daily where the milk gets delivered to your house early in the morning. We are also building a business which is unmanned kiosks called BB instant and we will put 6,000 machines across the country which will be in apartments and complexes. All you have to do is choose your product, pick it up and walk away. The machine will sense which product was picked and automatically charge your wallet. These are full-fledged machines which carry 48 products. Hopefully, it will replace the grocery store in the complex. We have already launched this will be put up in all Metros. Q: You recently tied up with Sunfeast exclusively to sell Yippee noodles. Can you tell us how such tie-ups help in terms of growing revenue? A: When we do these tie-ups, revenue is not our nucleus objective. Our objective is to see, when it is exclusive to us what are customers doing and how are they behaving. We capture that data as we are digital and feed them back to the company, which helps them figure out what the initial reaction is for the product. Eventually, it helps us build revenue significantly. So when we compare exclusive and not exclusive, it is 10-15 times higher. But that is good; we will keep doing more of those tie-ups. Q: In the future, will we see more such tie-ups? A: More and more FMCG companies want to promote their product on the platforms like ours. We want to work with large companies because for them, feedback data really matters. Q: Any plans for inorganic growth? No. We want to remain pure-play online player. Smog like conditions, accentuated by a temperature drop and high pollution, in several parts of India has led to deteriorating air quality. This has forced consumers to scurry for air purifiers, whose sales have jumped by up to 30 percent, post Diwali. Air-purifiers refine the air and clear it of harmful particles. This is crucial, especially for houses with senior citizens and children less than the age of two years, or those with lung-related ailments. It is estimated that air purifiers are among the fastest growing products in the home appliances space. Annually, about 2.8 lakh to 3 lakh air-purifiers are sold in India, seeing a growth rate of 30 percent every year. Industry sources told Moneycontrol that a majority of these products are being sold through e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart. Mahesh Gupta, Managing Director, Kent told Moneycontrol that sales after Diwali have surged by 25 percent compared to last year. We expect the uptick to continue till the end of winters because customer awareness has been on the rise, he added. Gupta explained that sales have predominantly been high in areas around Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) that includes places like Noida and Gurugram. To cater to the different customer segments, companies have also launched products based on the size of the houses. Anupam Mathur, Sales Director, New Business-Connected Living Solutions, Honeywell Building Technologies, India said, as severe air pollution levels have become an annual phenomena, they have witnessed a rise in consumer awareness and demand for air purifiers over the past few years. With the situation worsening over the few weeks in North India, we have registered a 50 percent growth in sales in October-November 2018, as compared to the same timeline in the previous year, added Mathur. Honeywell has launched four new products this year, including a car air purifier and three-room air purifiers. Prices and brands On an average, the price of air-purifiers ranges from Rs 8,000 to Rs 45,000 depending on the area that the product covers. October to mid-February is considered to be the peak season for this product. Among white goods companies, Samsung, Panasonic, Honeywell, Xiaomi, Kent, LG, Philips as well as UK-based Dyson offer products in the air-purifier category in India. Fast moving consumer goods firm Hindustan Unilever had also launched an air-purifier under its Pureit category in November 2017. Similarly, direct selling FMCG brand Amway India has announced expansion of its consumer durables segment by foraying into the air purification category. To mark its entry in the segment, the company has identified passenger vehicles purifier as the first product in the category. Sundip Shah, Chief Marketing Officer, Amway India, The ever-increasing pollution and worsening air quality has acquired threatening proportions in India. In fact, the air quality inside a car can be up to 15 times worse than the air outdoors. Shah added that with many people spending a lot of time in the car during their daily commute, the launch of their product could be an essential requirement for commuters in India in the coming years. Price drop likely? Dealers, however, said that the middle-class customer segment is waiting for a price-drop in the offline stores to buy the products. It is anticipated that, based on the demand till the end of November, there could be a marginal price drop in December. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in the list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016. The global health body is also coming out with a new report on air pollution and children's health on November 19. PM2.5 are particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres and they include pollutants such as sulfate, nitrate and black carbon. It poses greatest risk to human health as the fine particles can easily be inhaled into the respiratory tract. Yes Bank live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Yes Bank, currently looking for a successor to its long-term CEO Rana Kapoor, is looking to overhaul its board, sources told Moneycontrol. The bank's Nomination & Remuneration Committee is reviewing the performance of board members. The new board members will be acceptable to both promoter camps, sources said. Sources also said that R Chandrashekhar has resigned as independent director from the board of the bank Yes Bank later released a statement confirming the report. "The Nomination & Remuneration Committee (NRC) of the bank will look for a suitable replacement in the field of IT and cyber-security," the bank said in a statement. This is the third resignation after Ashok Chawla, Vasant Gujarathi resigned last week. Both promoter camps are in favour of overhauling the board to weed out underperforming members and address past governance issues. The new board members and Chairman will be acceptable to both promoter camps. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More SBI Capital Ventures (SVL), an alternative asset management arm of State Bank of India (SBI) group, will float two funds Rs 400-crore Small and Medium Enterprises fund and Rs 350-crore Affordable Housing fund. Both funds are targeting closure in the second half of next financial year (2019-20). SME Fund will be broad-based fund covering manufacturing and services sector. SBI and SBI Capital Markets will be anchor investors. SBI will invest 10 percent and SBI caps will invest 12-15 percent in the fund. Other investors will be finalised soon by September 2019. Varsha Purandare, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, SBI Capital Markets said with these two new funds, we are looking forward to strengthening our foothold in the economically and socially relevant sectors. These funds shall be an effective tool in addressing the equity gap in the SME sector and in improving the availability of affordable housing in India, she said. This is part of plans to expand the portfolio of funds under SVL, a subsidiary of SBI Capital Markets. SVL started off with Neev Fund having a corpus of Rs 430 crore, of which Rs 250 crore have been disbursed, to be invested in nine projects in Orissa and Rajasthan among other states. Purandare expects the two new funds to have an internal rate of return (IRR) of 18-20 percent. We expect to close the first investment by September between March to June 2020. This will close only after receiving 60 percent of the estimated funds," he said. In the housing industry, SBI is already the largest provider of home loans from the banking sector. Further, it has provided significant loan funding for construction of housing projects and through SVL, is now launching a private equity fund, which will focus on four metropolitan areas of Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi as well as Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. It will pick up stake in special purpose vehicle (SPV) for a particular housing project. "We plan to close the first deal in the affordable housing segment by December next year (2019)," said Irfan Kazi, Chief Investment Officer - Affordable Housing Fund at SVL. While the gap in debt funding to SMEs is increasingly being bridged by finance companies, there continues to be a significant gap in the equity funding for the sector despite the steep growth rate. The SME landscape is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. As per International Finance Corporation (IFC), it is estimated to account for over 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020. Bridging the equity gap in the SME sector is crucial for the overall economic development and hence SVLs launch of the SME Fund said SVLs Chief Executive Officer M K Sharma. He added that the fund invests about Rs 35-50 crore in each project, to diversify risks and will exit after a period of 7-8 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will oversee India's progress on being a business friendly destination, setting a plan to break into the list of 50 countries in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business report. "The Prime Minister will personally review each and every department (ministries') progress to break into the top 50 slot next year," a senior government official told Moneycontrol. In a brainstorming session with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, senior government officials and top industrialists, Modi on November 19 demonstrated the government's intent to turn India into world's most preferred business destination. Industrialists such as Anand Mahindra, Sunil Bharti Mittal, RK Goenka and Soumitra Bhattacharya were present at the meeting. The Prime Minister also launched Ease of Doing Business Grand Challenge and invited innovative ideas based on artificial intelligence, internet of things,big data analytics, blockchain and other cutting edge technology to reform government processes. India leapfrogged to the 77th rank in the World Bank's latest Ease of Doing Business rankings, jumping 23 notches from last year. The report, released last month, also recognised India as one of the top 10 countries which showed improvement in this year's assessment, for the second successive time. India is the only large country this year to have achieved this feat. The jump is significant, as it comes after last years 30-rung climb when India moved into the top 100 rankings among 190 countries. India has improved its rank by 53 positions in the last two years, and 65 positions in the last four years (2014-18). Industrialists present at the meeting pointed out that teething procedures need to be ironed out for India to improve its ranking. The participants in the meeting also discussed about improvement in India's ranking on parameters such as enforcing contracts and paying taxes. Modi also said progress has been made in the MSME sector, such as approval for loans upto Rs 1 crore in 59 minutes. He said that the aim is to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy in the shortest possible time and for this, improvement is necessary in every sector of the economy. At the recently held Moneycontrol Wealth Creator Awards, Prabhu said that that he is confident that India will break into the top 50 countries in the next fiscal. ( Read More Principal economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyal said the country cannot have 'Hotel California' approach towards banks under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, where the exit mechanism for these lenders is undefined. The Reserve Bank of India's PCA framework, which intends to nurse financially weak banks back to health, restricts lending and expansion of lenders. Out of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework at present. "We cannot have a 'Hotel California' approach to PCA banks that you can check out anytime but you cannot leave. We have to have a plan on how these institutions will come out of PCA," Sanyal said referring to the Hotel California song by America's famous band Eagles. The song talks about a person who reaches mystical Hotel California, from where the person is able to check out but unable to exit. Speaking at the third annual event of Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India (Fedai) here, he said the ultimate aim should be to make sure that credit flow reaches the bottom of the system. "Because there is no point in having this highly capitalised central bank and highly capitalised banking system, none of which supports the financial requirements lower ring of economy," he added. The banks currently under the PCA framework are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. Air India The government has provided financial support to debt-laden Air India by infusing equity and by way of guarantee, a senior official said on November 19. "The airline has been given support from time to time by way of equity and guarantee," said Aviation Secretary RN Chaubey. While the amount was not specified, Chaubey said that infusion was made after the airline failed to attract any bid from investors. The government had originally proposed to offload 76 percent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to a private entity. The buyer would have had to take over Rs 24,000 crore debt or the carrier along with over Rs 8,000 crore of liabilities. Union minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu at the recently held Moneycontrol Wealth Creator Awards said that the "timing of the bid wasn't right". (Read here) "The airline faces legacy issues and has an unsustainable amount of debt. Also, the timing of Air India divestment was not right. Air India has an intrinsic strength and global footprint. The airline can become profitable if the debt can be trimmed. IBC says that if businesses have unsustainable debt, it has to be restructured. Similar should be the case with Air India," Prabhu said. The state-carrier, which is sitting on a debt pile of over Rs 55,000 crore, started monetising its assets, to mop up funds, after it found no takers. According to its audited accounts, the airline's total losses stood at Rs 47,145.62 crore in 2016-17. Recently, Air India put up 70 residential and commercial buildings for sale with a target to raise Rs 700-800 crore. According to Air India's asset monetisation programme, the national carrier has to raise Rs 5,000 crore between April 2014 and March 2021, with an annual target of Rs 500 crore since FY13. NSE Building 1_ National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) Monday launched a mobile application and web-based platform for retail investors to buy government securities. The new app - NSE goBID, was launched by Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi. The platform will allow retail investors to invest in treasury bills (T-Bills) of 91 days, 182 days and 364 days and various government bonds from one year to almost 40 years. "The launch of the app for investing in government securities is an important milestone at a time when the country is seeing a surge in digital payments. The retail participation in government securities only started after Sebi allowed exchanges to set up non-competitive bidding platforms by exchanges," Tyagi said. He said compared to fixed deposit returns offered by banks, the government bonds are currently offering better yields, and retail investors should get the opportunity to earn higher returns. The 10-year government bond yield is trading at 7.80-7.83 per cent. He, however, said the participation of retail investors in the government securities has been low, so far, and there is a need to increase it through publicising such platforms. "We, on a regular basis, will review the progress (of such platforms) and will try to coordinate with exchanges to improve it further," Tyagi said. The app will be available to all the registered investors with NSE's trading members and will also facilitate members to acquire new retail investors. It will allow investors to make payments directly from their bank accounts using the unified payments interface (UPI) and internet banking. The Union Budget 2016-17 had announced that RBI will facilitate retail participation in the primary markets through stock exchanges. RBI conducts auction of G-sec and T-bills on a weekly basis where 5 per cent of the notified amount is allotted for eligible investors under the scheme for non-competitive bidding facility. Market Shubham Agarwal Benchmark indices continued their positive momentum in the last week as Nifty and BankNifty gained 0.6 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. However, on an intra-week basis, indices came near vicinity of their lower gap and gave a smart comeback. The Nifty saw an accumulation of 4 percent on a week-on-week basis while BankNifty is relatively strongly placed as built-up of approx 8.5 percent was seen in futures open interest (OI). Falling crude and appreciating rupee against USD saw IT and Pharma correcting. Metals and automobile stocks underperformed last week. However, consumer goods, private banks, PSU banks along with aviation stocks saw outperformance. Stock-specific activity was visible. Stocks like Jet Airways, Eicher Motors, BPCL, Bharti Airtel, Godrej Industries saw up move of 7-10 percent along with positive open interest activity. The Volatility index, a sentiment indicator to gauge greed and fear, is trading near its lower band of a new regime of 17-22, close to 18 level. Gyration near its lower band could keep the momentum intact. However, a significant jump above 20 could act as a detriment for the rally. Put Call Ratio (PCR), another sentiment indicator which denotes extreme sentiments moves higher to 1.64 level. Ratio trades close to its upper extremes. It depicts Put writers are using higher volatilities for writing, thereby proving strong support to the market. The Nifty Option data saw support base shifting higher. Put writers of 10,000 have almost pocket in the entire premium and are now shifting base higher. Over the last 1 week, 10,400-10,600 strike saw the addition of 7 lakh shares each. Higher-end Call writers are active at 10,800 strikes with OI accumulation of 34 lakh shares. Options band of 10,500-10,800 could be crucial going forward for November expiry. The banking sector has been holding grounds for quite some time with PSU and private sectors participating firmly. Bank Nifty options data for next week suggests enhanced activity. Call activity is spread across strikes of 26,500-27,000, while Put activity is at 25,700-26,200. Both PSU and private sector banks are poised well for an up move. Long built-up in futures along with an upward shift in the band is idle for a bullish strategy. Thus, a low-risk hedged strategy Call Butterfly Spread is recommended. Call Butterfly Spread is a Bullish strategy where we buy 1 lot of lower strike Call, Sell 2 lots of higher strike Call near resistance and Buy 1 lot of higher strike Call to avoid unlimited loss risk. Maximum profit is at the middle strike. The loss is capped below and above to a maximum of initial outflow, making it best suited in a volatile market. The author is CEO & Head of Research at Quantsapp Private Limited. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Giant 9-ton aluminium ingots are seen at the Rusal Sayanogorsk aluminium smelter outside the Siberian town of Sayanogorsk, Russia, March 15, 2017. Picture taken March 15, 2017. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin - RTX3196N live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Rain Industries has been facing a few business challenges in recent times, the prominent being the impact of an import ban on petroleum coke in the interim period. The review decision by the Supreme Court, which led to the lifting of the ban, might provide some relief. It also suggests that future additional raw material requirements for expansion projects are still to be addressed. Ongoing calcined pet coke (CPC) pricing and volume trends suggest a subdued Q4 CY18 as well. However, CY19 should witness a gradual volume recovery as the company realigns shipment schedules, compiling with regulatory requirements in India and improved aluminium outlook for the US business. Read: SC petcoke verdict removes major hurdle Reorganisation in Germany and a strategic project in advanced materials should be earnings accretive in the medium term. Net sales declined 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) in Q3 CY18 on lower volumes (down 16 percent YoY and 15 percent quarter-on-quarter) in the carbon segment (65 percent of sales). But the same was partially offset by improved volumes in the advance materials segment (2 percent YoY, 5 percent QoQ). While the decline in CPC volumes was due to delay in shipments and petcoke ban by the Supreme Court during Q3, coal tar pitch (CTP) volumes fell due to technical issues at the client end. In case of advance materials, surge in sales volumes (37 percent) of petro chemical intermediates was noticeable. Realisations improved for the carbon (36 percent) and advance materials (15 percent) on account of the 8-9 percent currency impact. However, due to lower volumes for the carbon segment and higher raw material cost there was a 16.7 percent decline in EBITDA compared to Q3 CY18. Source: Company As expected by the management, the CPC industry received an exemption from the apex court on usage of petcoke as feedstock (but not as a fuel, which is a more polluting) by the industry. This exemption permitted CPC annual imports of 1.4 million tonne by the calcining industry. However, the apex courts permission meets the current production requirement of the calcination industry, but doesnt take into account its future expansion plans. The company is hopeful of securing required permissions in future for expansion of its Visakhapatnam facility. Since this plant is part of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), it inherits some benefits while procuring raw materials. Therefore, the company has gone ahead with completion of the plant, which was earlier expected to be commissioned by Q3 CY19. The management said there is a possibility of delay by 2-3 months. As far as other capacity expansion plans are concerned, its coal tar distillation facility (Belgium) is on track and expected to be commissioned by CY18-end. It is also on track towards a 30 kilo tonne capacity (Castrop-Rauxel, Germany) expansion plan for water-white resins (Dicyclopentadiene) by Q3 CY19. The company doesnt intend to raise any new term loans in near future and the next debt repayment is scheduled for CY25.The company is undergoing reorganisation of its European operations and closing some operations. It is also pursuing a strategic project in the advance materials segment. On account of these initiatives, it has incurred a cost of $3 million last quarter and a similar cost would be incurred in the current quarter. The company expects an annual cost saving of $4 million from the middle of CY19 onwards.In the near term, margin and volumes are expected to remain lower as the calcination industry is not permitted to import CPC. This has been permitted to the aluminium industry though. Because of this, the company is not able to import CPC from its US plant, blend it and re-export it. While technically the company can sell CPC to its clients directly from its US plant, lack of blending opportunity means margin would be impacted. It has set aside designated capacity in US operations for exporting it to India, but the same remains non-functional. Hence, volumes are also expected to remain lower in the immediate future.Slow restart of aluminium capacity in the US, petcoke ban in Q3 CY18, and client facing issues at its CTP business had moderated immediate volume offtake in the carbon segment. CPC volumes are expected to normalise gradually and in the near term depends on SC allowing CPC imports for blending its Indian operations. At the same time, CPC realisations are expected to remain soft in the near term due to higher exports from China to Rest of the World, excluding the US. We expect growth in CY19 to be led by volume improvement in carbon segment and pricing gains in the advance material segment. Revival in volume growth for CPC and availability of new capacity in case of CTP should add around 7-9 percent volume growth in the carbon segment. Blended EBITDA margin should stabilise around 18 percent in CY19 from 20 percent in CY17. Taking this in to account, the stock is currently trading at an inexpensive multiple of 5.1 times CY19 estimated earnings, which in light of the strong aluminium end market outlook provides an opportunity to accumulate in our view. Follow @anubhavsays Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management manager of CPSE ETF will raise Rs 8,000 crore through the fourth tranche of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) which is likely to be launched at the end of this month. The ETF will have a greenshoe option to retain Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 crore. Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management had filed draft papers with a third follow-on offer of CPSE Exchange Traded Fund last month. The government raised Rs 3,000 through the initial offering of CPSE ETF in March 2014, and Rs 8,500 crore in two tranches in 2016-17 (Apr-Mar). The government, which aims to collect Rs 8,000 crore from divestment in the current financial year ending March, has so far raised about Rs 15,300 crore, including Rs 5,300 crore through the offer-for-sale (OFS) in Coal India. The government had raised a record Rs 1 lakh crore from divestment in 2017-18. The government will offer a discount over 3.5 percent in its third CPSE ETF FFO. After closing of the FFO, the units will be listed on the stock exchanges in the form of an ETF tracking the Nifty CPSE Index. The number of stocks in the CPSE index has increased to 11 from 10 stocks with the entry of four new companies NTPC, NLC, SJVN and NBCC from the power and construction sectors. The three companies GAIL, Container Corporation and Engineers India exited the index as the disinvestment target of the government in these three companies were achieved. Going ahead the companies will be removed from the index if the government holding in these companies falls to 53 percent from 55 percent. Henceforth, the capping of individual stocks in the CPSE basket also has been reduced to 20 percent from the earlier 25 percent. In the last three years, CPSE ETF has given an annualised return of 7.13 percent, lower than the Nifty return of 11.19 percent, while over the last one year it has fallen 13.39 percent as compared to the Nifty which gained 5.56 percent during the same period. GSK Pharma | Company reported lower profit at Rs 76.5 crore in Q2FY21 compared to Rs 502.7 crore, revenue fell to Rs 879 crore from Rs 882 crore YoY. Food and beverages giant Nestle will go up against Unilever in the final round of negotiations for GlaxoSmithKlines (GSK) consumer nutrition business in India, as the third shortlisted contender Coco-Cola has dropped out of the race, according to a report by The Economic Times. The bids for GSK's stake in the business will likely be between $3.1 billion and $3.5 billion, sources told the newspaper. Whichever company successfully buys the stake will have to buy an additional 26 percent through an open offer. Nestle, which already sells malt beverage Milo, has its sights set on GSK's Horlicks, which will make it the market leader in the malt drink category. GSK's Horlicks and Boost dominate the segment, with the former enjoying a value market share of 43.3 percent. Together, the two brands account for around 60 percent of the volumes sold in the domestic malt drink space. Nestle is being advised by Credit Suisse for the transaction, while Unilever is being advised by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Morgan Stanley and Greenhill are advising GSK on the sale. The other contender in the race, Unilever, is focusing on its food business as the category. The company has witnessed growth in this category. The boost in this category can also be attributed to the food business' merger with refreshments business in July this year. Its products such as Brooke Bond, Bru, Lipton and Kwality Walls together account for 18 percent of Hindustan Levers Rs 35,000 crore annual sales. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is assisting Unilever for Horlicks acquisition. Apart from Nestle and Unilever, some major consumer companies -- both from India and around the world -- had their eyes on the GSK sale. These companies included Reckitt Benckiser, General Mills, Kelloggs, Danone, private equity fund KKR, among others. Deadline for submitting the final binding offer was November 17. However, it has been extended by a few days, the report suggests. Earlier this year, GSK had said that it was planning a partial or full sale of its 72.5 percent stake in Indian subsidiary GSK Consumer Healthcare by the end of this year. The sale could help fund its $13-billion buyout of the Novartis stake in their consumer healthcare joint venture. Nissan Motor is considering ousting Carlos Ghosn from the position of Chairman after finding that he had used company money for personal use and committed several other serious acts of misconduct. The CEO Hiroto Saikawa was quoted saying he will bring up a proposal to dismiss Ghosn at a board meeting on November 22. According to a Reuters report, Ghosn has already been arrested by Tokyo prosecutors on suspicion of under-reporting his salary. Earlier, several outlets had reported he was being questioned. The Japanese automaker said based on a whistleblower report, it had been investigating possible improper practices of Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly for several months, and that it was fully cooperating with investigators. "Based on a whistleblower report, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan) has been conducting an internal investigation over the past several months regarding misconduct involving the companys Representative Director and Chairman Carlos Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, " Nissan said in a release. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation," Nissan said. The statement said numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered against Ghosn, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. It said CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose to the Nissan board to remove Ghosn and Kelly. "As the misconduct uncovered through our internal investigation constitutes clear violations of the duty of care as directors, Nissans Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa will propose to the Nissan Board of Directors to promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as Chairman and Representative Director. Saikawa will also propose the removal of Greg Kelly from his position as Representative Director," the release stated. The news comes as a shock in Japan where Ghosn, a rare foreign top executive, is well regarded for having turned Nissan around from near bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of France's Renault. The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissan's headquarters and other locations. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office declined to comment. Nissan said it would brief reporters on Monday evening. Spokesmen for Renault and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance did not immediately return calls and messages seeking comment on the arrest reports. An ouster of Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about the future of the alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, he began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post till last year. In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosn's 7.4 million euro ($8.45 million) compensation for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive. (With inputs from Reuters) With 160 deals, IT and ITES was the busiest sector followed by manufacturing and healthcare (47). The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) space was third, recording 41 deals. Let's take a look at the biggest mergers and acquisitions in India this year. (Representative image) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Finance Ministry's proposal to raise Rs 14,000 crore through the merger of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REP) has left the Ministry of Power worried about the financial health of the two companies in the an otherwise weak sector. According to a report by The Economic Times, a senior government official has said that the power ministry is concerned about operational and administrative issues that may come up if the merger goes through, as these are established setups. Another concern is that the net worth of the acquiring company may fall drastically, the official added. The ministry is also worried that the fundamentals of both the companies may get damaged if the deal goes through. On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance is convinced that creating a large financing company for the sector instead of two competitive public sector units in the same space is more important. The body will be able to manage if any issues come up. The specifics of the deal are yet to be worked out. "If REC acquires PFC, the government can raise nearly Rs 3,000 crore or more, given the higher shareholding of the government in PFC," a finance ministry official said, according to the report. The government holds a 58 percent stake in REC and 66 percent stake in PFC. PFC and REC have a capital adequacy ratio of 17.7 percent and 16.7 percent respectively, more than RBIs norm of 15 percent for non-banking finance companies (NBFC). "Upon an acquisition deal, there will be a requirement to raise tier-I funds which will dilute government holding in these NBFCs. The power ministry has been indicating that due to higher government holding, PFC is better placed with enough cushion to raise tier-I capital," the official told the newspaper. Vinayak Chatterjee, Chairman of Feedback Infra Group, said while India needs a standalone power finance corporation, REC is an implementing organisation and its merger with a financing company, could be inappropriate. Q16. It is one of the oldest traditional sweet shops in India. It has catered to Mughal emperors, Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. It was founded by Lala Sukh Lal Jain, who had arrived in the walled city of Delhi from Amber. The shop is now run by his descendants. There are a couple of theories about how it got its name. According to one, it was so named by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar himself, who asked his servants to get sweets from the shop below the bell. What is the name of the shop? (Image: Reuters) The Centre has given the go-ahead for building fancy duplex flats for Members of Parliament at North and South Avenue in the national capital at a cost of Rs 676.5 crore, as per an official document. The environment ministry has approved Central Public Works Department (CPWD)'s proposal to redevelop North and South Avenue with some riders, it added. The ministry has given the final environment clearance to the project after taking into account the recommendations of its Expert Appraisal Committee. Presently, there are 228 dwelling units in North Avenue and 196 units in South Avenue. As per the proposal, the new building complex will be redeveloped after demolishing the old structures and total 264 new duplex flats will be constructed along with servant quarters and basement car parking. CPWD has informed that the existing trees will be cut to the minimum extent possible after taking due permission from the forest department. It will compensate each plant to be cut with 10 new plants and develop green area with 2,490 trees and landscaping. Due care will be taken during construction as well as operational phase to minimise the impact on surroundings such as piling activities, shielding of construction site, wetting of roads and stockpiles, CPWD added. The proposed project will be developed over an area of 19,91,37 square metre and involves build-up area of 84,252.96 square metre parking. Development of greenbelt has been planned over an area of 1,19,551.29 square metre. Amid demands from some quarters for RBI governor Urjit Patel's resignation, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Veerappa Moily on Sunday said if he quits over the stand-off between the top bank and the Centre, it will send a bad signal to global markets. "If Patel decides to resign over its (RBI) differences with the central government, it will be a very sad and bad for the Indian economy. It will also send a bad signal to global markets just as Raghuram Rajan's exit did," the former Union Minister told PTI here. He said responding to a query on reports that there were demands from some quarters for Patel to step down as RBI governor in view of the stand-off. Noting that RBI's credibility would be shaken if Patel resigns, Moily said the entire world economy looks up to any central bank of any country and the markets would also be affected. His remarks come ahead of RBI's crucial board meeting Monday with Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors expected to take on Patel and his team over several issues, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. Moily claimed that the nation used to be very proud of India's growing economy because its fundamentals were strong during the 10-year UPA rule unlike in the four-and-a-half years of NDA rule. "When Arun Jaitley presented the first budget of the NDA, the economic survey report said the fundamentals of the economy were strong, that means it is a compliment to the Congress regime. If the economic survey is presented today can they (NDA) say with confidence that the fundamentals of economy are strong? The answer is no," he contended. "This only implies that the four-and-a-half years of NDA rule has destroyed and eroded the fundamentals of the country's economy. That is the big tragedy of the present government at the centre," he added. To another query on reports that the government was planning to constitute panels to monitor functions of RBI, Moily said it would be a "very bad" idea. "Having a managing committee over the regulator is a very bad idea and is unknown in world economy. No country practises it. RBI cannot be managed as a government department. It is an independent autonomous organisation which has been created by an act of Parliament," he said. "Patel is willing to have discussions with the government. Even the previous RBI governor Raghuram Rajan was keen on it. The finance ministry can call a meeting every month to discuss with RBI to sort out misunderstandings if any. They cannot be solved by orders and interferences," Moily suggested. A view of the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi - Nov 12, 2018 (Image- PTI) (2) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of a Dalmia Bharat Group firm challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order allowing rival UltraTech Cement to acquire debt-ridden Binani Cement. A bench of justices R F Nariman and Navin Sinha upheld the NCLAT's last week order which had allowed the Aditya Birla group firm to acquire Binani Cement by approving its revised Rs 7,950.34 crore bid over an offer by Rajputana Properties. The bench said there was no infirmity in the NCLAT's order. The NCLAT had approved UltraTech's resolution plan for Binani and rejected the resolution plan submitted by Dalmia Bharat's Rajputana Properties by terming it "discriminatory" and "unbalanced". The top court's order came on a plea by Rajputana Properties against the NCLAT order. In its order, the NCLAT had observed that the plan submitted by Rajputana discriminated between "equally situated" financial creditors and did not balance other stakeholders such as the operational creditors of Binani Cement. Rajputana Properties had moved the appellate tribunal against the May 2 order of Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) that allowed the Resolution Professional and Committee of Creditors (CoC) of Binani to consider UltraTech's revised offer while affording Rajputana an opportunity to revise its resolution plan. The CoC had earlier approved Rajputana's Rs 6,932.4-crore bid, but the decision was changed once UltraTech revised its offer. The NCLAT had observed that the amended offer of UltraTech Cement has got 100 percent voting from the CoC and added that the intent of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was maximisation of the value of assets. "We approve the revised resolution plan submitted by UltraTech Cement which shall be binding on the corporate debtor (Binani Cement) and its employees, members, creditors, guarantors and other stakeholders involved in the Resolution Plan," the NCLAT order had said. The operational creditors of Binani, represented by Dhaval Vussonji, hailed the apex court order saying it has upheld the NCLAT's order "which emphasises that the corporate insolvency resolution process must maximise value for stake holders and there should not be any discrimination amongst creditors who are at least similarly placed." The NCLAT had also dismissed the plea of promoters of Binani Industries for termination of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process after settling the dues with lenders under section 12 A of the IBC, saying that the application did not have the requisite 90 percent voting share of the CoC. "Binani Industries cannot take advantage of Section 12A nor can be allowed to settle the matter," the NCLAT had said. UltraTech is the leading cement manufacturer of the country with an installed capacity of 96.5 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of grey cement. It is already merging the cement business of BK Birla Group company Century Textiles and Industries, which has a capacity of 11.4 MTPA. In its 44-page-long order, the NCLAT had observed that financial creditors such as "Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company, IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Bank of India and State Bank of India have been provided with 100 percent of their verified claim" but the resolution applicant Rajputana Properties has given "lesser percentage to Export-Import Bank of India 72.59 percent and State Bank of India-Hong Kong 10 percent". On the other hand, the resolution plan submitted by UltraTech allows "maximization of assets of the Corporate Debtor (Binani Cement) while some amount of working capital has been infused (Rs 350 crores) and all the financial creditors and the Operational Creditors have been paid 100 percent of dues except the related parties," the NCLAT order had said. Startup1 Engineer.ai, a human-assisted artificial intelligence platform, said it has secured $29.5 million (about Rs 210 crore) funding led by Lakestar and Jungle Ventures with participation from Softbank's DeepCore. The funds will be utilised for strengthening engineering operations and customer acquisition, Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder and Chief Wizard of Engineer.ai, said. Engineer.ai was created so that everyone can build an idea without learning to code, he added. "The capital comes at a time of rapid growth and will propel the platform into the mainstream, allowing 'Builder' to open the door for entire categories of companies that could not consider it before," he said. Launched in June 2018, Engineer.ai has already attracted hundreds of customers across many geographies. Its 'Builder' solution allows people -- even those without technical skills -- to get customised apps built for Android, iOS and other platforms. Asia Pacific region mainly India, MENA, South East Asia including China are key focus areas for Engineer.ai to expand their presence into, building a stronger base for all 'Builder' offerings, the company said. Engineer.ai has bootstrapped to $24 million in revenue. The company is set to cross the $100 million revenue mark before the end of 2020. It has a presence globally includes offices in Los Angeles, London, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Tokyo. Three-weeks after her arrest, the family of Paytm's Sonia Dhawan has finally appealed for her bail in Surajpur District Sessions Court. The development took place a day after the court rejected the bail plea of husband Rupak Jain last week. Jain was arrested along with Dhawan for allegedly being a part of an extortion plot. While the family will have to move the Allahabad High Court now for Jain, Dhawan's hearing for bail will take place on November 23. Also read: Paytm data theft case: Special court denies bail to Rupak Jain The family had consciously taken a decision to file separate bail applications for them. This is the first bail appeal filed by the family in the district court. Before this, they had appealed for bail from the chief judicial magistrate immediately after the arrest which was rejected. Meanwhile, the district court on November 19, also extended the judicial custody of the duo by another 14 days. Both Dhawan and Jain appeared before the district court via video conferencing. Dhawan and Jain along with an admin resource of Paytm were arrested on September 22 for allegedly trying to extort a sum of Rs 20 crore from Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. While Dhawan, a long-time secretary of Vijay Shekhar and the Vice President, corporate communications of the online payments firm, was arrested from Paytm's office in Noida in October, her husband was arrested from the house. Ajay Shekhar Sharma, brother of Vijay Shekhar had earlier told Moneycontrol that a person [Rohit Chomal] from Kolkata had tried to extort Rs 20 crore by threatening to leak out "some photos and personal financial details" of his brother. Chomal had apparently taken the names of Dhawan, Jain and Kumar stating that they were the people behind the plot. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Anand Rathi Aditya Birla Fashion brings together Madura Fashion and Pantaloons Retail. It is the custodian of several icons, including the top fashion brands of India - Louis Philippe , Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and other high end brands .India's largest big box fashion retailer, Pantaloons is one of the fastest growing lifestyle apparel retail destinations in India. On the strong profit growth, we raise our EBITDA margin Estimate by 1 percent to 8.30 percent FY20E. The companys revenue grew 8.7 percent YoY, to Rs 1910 crore, in line with our estimate. Segment-wise, Pantaloons revenue growth was 11 percent & Madura Lifestyle brands 6 percent. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are the stocks that are in news today: PNB Gilts Q2: Loss at Rs 33.18 crore versus profit at Rs 28.84 crore; revenue from operations falls to Rs 218 crore versus Rs 221 crore YoY. Siemens Q4: Net profit at Rs 279 crore, revenue up 25.4 percent at Rs 3,939.2 crore. Ashapura Intimates Fashion Q2: Loss at Rs 34.21 crore versus profit at Rs 3.44 crore; revenue falls to Rs 51.01 crore versus Rs 51.12 crore YoY. HCL Infosystems: Company received orders from Central Excise & Central Goods & Services Tax to pay Rs 74 crore with interest and penalty. Shalimar Paints - proposed rights issue of 3.37 crore equity shares at Rs 64.50 per share Yes Bank: ICRA has affirms Longterm rating AA+ for the bank with negative implications. Syndicate Bank: The issue price for preferential issue to government fixed at Rs 39.63 per share, bank can allot up to 18.4 crore shares to government against capital infusion of Rs 728 crore. Sical Logistics: 29,18,570 equity shares at Rs 195 per share allotted to Giri Vidhyuth [India] on preferential basis. AU Small Finance board meeting on November 22, to consider and decide on raising Basel II compliant Tier II Non-Convertible, Redeemable Bonds in INR on private placement basis GHCL: Cyclone Gaja has impacted one of the spinning units of the company located at Manapparai and also salt Works located at Vedaranium in Tamil Nadu which caters to consumer products division. Jiya Eco-Products: Stock will trade ex-bonus from Monday (Bonus issue 1:1). Emerald Leasing Finance: Board meeting is scheduled on Monday to fix the record date for right issue, the ratio and the price for the equity shares of the right issue. Oil India: Board on Monday to consider the proposal for buyback of the fully paid-up equity shares of the company, and issuance of debt securities in domestic/overseas markets. Deepak Nitrite: Company confirmed that there has been search operations being carried on by the Income Tax Department at the company. Mahindra & Mahindra: EPC Industrie Limited, a listed subsidiary of the company, has incorporated a subsidiary company namely Mahindra Top Greenhouses Private Limited in India. Jet Airways: Tata Sons said any discussion with the airline company has been preliminary and no proposal has been made. Dr Reddys Labs: Audit of formulations Srikakulum Plant (SEZ) Unit II, Andhra Pradesh by the US FDA, has been completed with zero observations. Infosys: Infosys completed the formation of a joint venture with Temasek, the global investment company headquartered in Singapore. Oriental Bank of Commerce: Board approved the proposal for raising of capital for an amount upto Rs 250 crore by offering upto 5 crore new equity shares of face value of Rs 10.00 each to the employees of the Bank through Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS) in one or more tranches. Quess Corp: Company completed acquisition of 70 percent equity in Quess East Bengal FC Private Limited. Tata Investment Corporation: Board approved a proposal to buyback upto 45 lakh equity shares of the company for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs 450 crore being 8.17 percent of the total paid-up equity share capital, at Rs 1,000 per share. IDFC Bank: ICRA downgraded its rating for non-convertible debentures of the bank from AAA (Stable) to AA+ (Stable). Alankit: CARE reaffirmed the rating BBB+ (Outlook: Stable) assigned to long term bank facilities and A3+ assigned to short term bank facilities. SRF: The unit in Viralimalai, Tamil Nadu of the technical textiles business (engaged in manufacture of belting fabrics) of the company has been damaged by Cyclone GAJA today. It has adequate insurance cover for the said unit. Bulk Deals GSS Infotech: Sarvottam Securities Private Limited bought 1,62,000 shares of the company at Rs 123.34 per share on the NSE. Indiabulls Housing Finance: Principal Global Investors LLC sold 27 lakh shares of the company at Rs 767.26 per share on the NSE. Info Edge (India): Aranda Invest(Mauri) PTE LTD sold 11,72,000 shares of the company at Rs 1,370.39 per share on the NSE. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services: Companys officials will be participating in IDFC Securities Investor Conference on November 19. Datamatics Global Services: Company will be meeting analysts / investors on November 20 at Mumbai. S Chand and Company: Company will attend the IDFC Annual Investor Conference in Mumbai on November 20. PSP Projects: Companys officials will be meeting Blue Lotus Investments and Equirus Securities(P) on November 19, and Motilal Oswal Financial Services on November 30. Avanti Feeds: Audio Conference Call for investors will be held on November 20 to discuss the un-audited financial results for the quarter ended 30.09.2018. Dr Lal PathLabs: Companys officials will be meeting analysts/investors on November 19, 21, 22 and 23. Mindtree: Companys officials will be meeting analysts/investors in a non-deal roadshow in Mumbai, India and Singapore on November 20 and November 22. Welspun Corp: Company will attend the IDFC Securities Conference in Mumbai on November 19. Music Broadcast: Company will attend the IDFC Securities Conference in Mumbai on November 19. HOEC: Company will attend the IDFC Securities Conference in Mumbai on November 19. KEC International: Company will attend the IDFC Securities Conference in Mumbai on November 19. Gujarat Pipavav Port: Company will attend the IDFC Securities Conference in Mumbai on November 19. Eclerx Services: Companys officials will be meeting BoB Capital Markets on November 27 and Resona Bank on November 28. Shaily Engineering Plastics: Company would be meeting a group of institutional investors at Mumbai on November 20. Jindal Stainless: Investors conference/meeting with certain funds/investors will be held on November 20 and 21. CESC: Companys officials will be participating IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 20 and Kotak Annual Investor Conference on November 21. Tata Motors: Companys officials will be meeting analyst / institutional investor from November 19 to November 23. Castrol India: Companys officials will be meeting Aberdeen Standard Investments on November 20. Apar Industries: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 19. Kalpataru Power Transmission: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 19. PPAP Automotive: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 20. Tata Sponge Iron: Extraordinary General Meeting is scheduled to be held on December 14. Power Mech Projects: Conference Call for the analysts and investors to discuss on the financial and operational performance of the company for Q2FY19 will be held on November 20. Eris Lifesciences: Companys officials will be meeting Matthews India Fund on November 19. Talbros Automotive Components: Companys officials will be meeting a group of institutional investors and analysts on November 21 and 22. Shriram Transport Finance: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 19 and will be meeting Somerset Capital on November 21. Ashoka Buildcon: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 19. Mahindra Logistics: Companys officials will be meeting Morgan Stanley India on November 21. AU Small Finance Bank: Board meeting will be held on November 22 to consider and decide on raising Basel II compliant Tier II non-convertible, redeemable bonds in INR on private placement basis. Ramco Cements: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 20. South Indian Bank: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 20. Indo Count Industries: Companys officials will be attending IDFC Annual Investor Conference on November 19. : Companys officials will be meeting analysts/investors on November 19. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) The country will not fall into a debt trap with China, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Monday. The Secretary gave the assurance after United States Vice President Mike Pence warned that China's loans to poorer nations came with strings attached and could build up staggering debt. Diokno said the administration, especially the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), carefully reviewed the projects with China. "Hindi naman tayo manghihiram kung ang return of investment, ang babalik sa atin, social benefit ay mas mababa sa ten percent. Kasi kung manghihiram ka naman ng three percent, mangungutang ka naman ng three percent tapos balik sa 'yo is 10 percent, no brainer 'yun. Talagang pwede di ba? Ang ibang bansa kasi nanghihiram sila ng hindi nagbibigay ng economic return na mas mataas sa panghihiram nila," he explained. [Translation: We would not have borrowed if the return of investment, social benefit was less than 10 percent. because if we borrowed at three percent, and the return was ten percent, it would be a no-brainer. Other countries would borrow and do not give an economic return higher than what they borrowed.] This was echoed by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez in a briefing on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) leaders' meeting in Papua New Guinea on Sunday. "Of course, ang ating gobyerno [our government] Department of Finance and other agencies have reviewed the terms that would be the best for us. Hindi naman tayo papasok [We would not agree] if those are unreasonable terms and terms that are worse than other sources," he stressed. Diokno also pointed out that the Philippines only has 49 percent debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, which indicates the country's ability to pay its debts. "May ibang bansa ang debt to GDP ay 100 percent...250 percent. Hindi tayo ganun," Diokno added. [Translation: Other countries' debt to GDP is 100 percent...250 percent. Ours is not like that.] Diokno said the country will sign at least 10 infrastructure agreements during Chinese President Xi Jin Ping's visit this week. So far, funding for 34 of the 75 flagship infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build program will come from China. The government gave its assurance that the country's claims in the West Philippine Sea would not serve as collateral or payment for the loans from China. "Hindi naman natin pinapangako 'yung ganun e. Bibigyan natin 'to, in return to our loan, pambabayad 'to. Walang ganun. Talagang straightforward ang loan," Diokno said. [Translation: We are not promising that. We will be paying back our loan. Nothing else. It is a straightforward loan.] A Dubai court ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, according to a media report. Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Court of Cassation on November 18 upheld a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, the Khaleej Times reported. Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the paper said. On November 18, Michel's lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case," the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubai's highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a "violation" of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower court's ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow "the proper procedures" when requesting the extradition, the paper said. "The request should have been filed by India's Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs," Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was "flawed" since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. "Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed," he argued. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. With Dubai's top court upholding the lower court's decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions, the paper said. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became 'wanted' on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. Citing a source, the paper said Michel's extradition request had previously been closed administratively as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation sometime back for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received ?EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through "criminal activity" and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. Michel denies the charges. The Congress accused the BJP-led central government of endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an "incomplete" expressway in Haryana for quick publicity during elections. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an inquiry and get the KMP Expressway completed first. "PM Modi and CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway today. "Will Modi-Khattar duo answer - No testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD (Commercial Operation Day); 3rd party consultant has refused to give 'completion certificate' and even HSIIDC refused to own responsibility for any mishap. "Are you risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator by Rs 26 crore a month. Modiji, you should cancel the inauguration, order an enquiry and get the KMP completed," he said in a series of tweets. Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway and blamed the previous Congress government in Haryana for the delay in its completion. Earlier this year, the Manesar-to-Palwal stretch of the KMP Expressway, the entire length of which is 135.65 km, was opened for the public, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on the occasion. The length of the Kundli-Manesar stretch of the expressway is over 83 km. This stretch will have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah tested positive for coronavirus and is admitted to Medanta hospital. (Image: PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his BJP counterpart Amit Shah would be in poll-bound Mizoram on November 20 to boost their parties chance in the November 28 election. BJP sources said that Shah would arrive at the Lengpui airport near Aizawl and visit southernmost Mizoram's Lawngtlai, Myanmar-border Champhai and Assam border Vairengte by helicopter where he would address public rallies. He would come to Aizawl from Vairengte and release the BJP's manifesto/vision document for the state before leaving for Delhi. Congress leaders said that Rahul Gandhi would land at the Lengpui airport by a special flight from where he would go to Champhai to address an election rally and return to Aizawl to address a public meeting later. Police said that security was beefed up in view of the visit of the two leaders who are both classified as 'Z-plus category'. Election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled for November 28. Mizoram is the only state where Congress is in power in the North-East at present and hence its great challenge for the party to defend its fort. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite claiming to be a champion of environment protection, has no empathy for ecological balance and his government is doing everything to weaken environment laws, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged. He also said there is no comparison between Modi and former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who, he added, would never have taken a "tughlaqi" decision like demonetisation. On Gandhi's 101st birth anniversary, Ramesh said it is true that after 30 years someone has got a clear majority like Gandhi had and Modi has full control over the BJP party. "Indira ji was a different person. There is no comparison between Modi and Gandhi. She would have never taken a 'tughlaqi' decision like noteban," he said. Modi in a sudden but controversial decision on November 8, 2016 announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes in circulation then would cease to have value with immediate effect. The government has said the move helped increase the tax base over the two years since and formalised the economy. The opposition has raised doubts over its claims. Ramesh, a former environment minister during the Congress-led UPA dispensation, said Modi presents himself as a "great champion" of the environment at global forums and even received an award from the UN Environment Programme, but his domestic track record tells a different story. "The Modi government since day-1 of its assuming power in 2014 decided to change and weaken the environment protection laws in the country. The Environment Ministry has been weakened," he told PTI. "Most of his government's actions actually are severely detrimental to ecological balance. The Environment Minister now judges its mandate as speedy clearance of projects and not as the protection of the country's natural resources. In the name of ease of doing business, environmental laws, regulations, rules and institutions are being systematically emasculated," he said. The Congress leader said Modi had explained to children that climate change was nothing more than people responding differently to the climate as they aged. "In a patronizing summation of his homespun wisdom he concluded 'the climate doesn't change, you change!'. The children, and the nation were left stunned, while the PM still basking in the warmth of his electoral (success) moved on," he said. The Congress leader was referring to a programme on Teachers' Day in 2014 during which Modi interacted with students and took questions, including on climate change. Ramesh alleged that in its single-minded pursuit of ever-increasing GDP growth, the Modi government is putting the country's precious bio-diversity at risk, putting the country's wonderfully variegated natural resources at risk. Citing examples of weakening laws, he said the settlement of ownership rights of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers enshrined in the Forest Rights Act of 2006 is no longer a pre-requisite for environmental and forest clearances of projects. The Coastal Regulation Zone Rules, 2011 have undergone a major change and this will change the face of our coastal areas only to benefit real-estate developers, as approvals for diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes regulated by the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 are being facilitated without appropriate due diligence and doors are being opened for the privatization of forests, Ramesh said. The former minister said the very idea of minimum environmental flow in rivers such as the Ganges and its tributaries has been questioned and once again construction of large dams is back on the agenda. "Nirmal (clean) Ganga will just not be possible without Aviral (uninterrupted flow) Ganga. Interlinking of rivers, which will have devastating environmental impact, is being pushed, with the Ken-Betwa link in Madhya Pradesh almost ready to go. This will destroy the Panna tiger reserve," he said. The Congress leader felt India cannot afford the "grow now, pay later" model being advocated by the prime minister and his colleagues which says "lets have two-three decades of a single-minded pursuit of economic growth and let's worry about its environmental impact and consequences thereafter". "Modi has revealed his true colours and shown that, contrary to the impression he seeks to create internationally, he is dangerous not just to democracy but to ecology as well," he said. Former Madhya Pradesh chief Minister and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh: Gandhiwadi hain, saral hain, imaandar hain. Sabke paas jaati hain, gaon gaon jaati hain. Rajneetigyon ko thodi si baat me pata chal jaata hai ki kaun farzi hai, kaun sahi hai. Main purana jauhri hoon, ye 100 pratishat tunch maal hai." Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against him in the Elgar Parishad case. His comments came against the backdrop of the Pune police stating on November 19 that a letter seized in connection with the Elgar Parishad probe referred to a mobile number purportedly belonging to Singh. A Pune police official, earlier in the day, said the letter in question was made part of the chargesheet against the activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by the Pune police in connection with the case, following which the activists were arrested, the official said. Talking to reporters, Singh said, "If Digvijaya Singh is involved in any anti-national activity, then Modiji, Rajnathji and Fadnavisji are free to take action. Show the courage to take action." Speaking about the phone number in the letter, the Congress leader said, "The phone number they are talking about has been in the public domain through the Rajya Sabha portal. Thousands of people know that number. I stopped using it around four years ago." Singh claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were afraid of him and therefore, vitiating the atmosphere against him. "I have neither feared them, nor will I be scared of them in the future," he said. "Earlier too, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) had termed me anti-national. I had surrendered before the Madhya Pradesh police, which gave me in writing that it had no proof against me, nor was there any case registered against me," Singh added. The letter in question, dated September 25, 2017, is written by an alleged Naxal operative. A portion of the letter reads: "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. The state forces will be soft against students, which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of Digvijaya Singh according to the police)". However, the Pune police on November 19 said several numbers were found in the letters seized during the raids and that all of those were being probed. No one was summoned for questioning in this connection, Pune police officials added. The Elgar Parishad was held on December 31, 2017 in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon-Bhima battle, in which the East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, had defeated the Peshwa army. The conclave, the police alleged, had led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district the next day, following which a probe to uncover Maoist links was launched. Yogi Adityanath Canvassing for the BJP in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said naxalism could have "destroyed" the state had the people not dislodged the Congress from power in 2003. Addressing a rally in Badnawar assembly constituency in Dhar district, Adityanath held the Congress responsible for problems like "terrorism and naxalism" in the country. He said naxalism couldn't take roots in Madhya Pradesh because people dislodged the Congress from power 15 years ago. "The root cause of problems like terrorism, naxalism and unrest in the country is the Congress. If the people of this great state (Madhya Pradesh) had not uprooted the Congress in 2003, then naxalism could have destroyed the entire state and totally affected the lives of people," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Sitting BJP MLA Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat is in the fray from Badnawar constituency. Adityanath said the incumbent Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government launched several developmental projects in Madhya Pradesh in the last 15 years and ensured good governance and peace prevailed in the state. In run-up to elections, the opposition Congress has been accusing the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of "failing" to perform on all fronts. "The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh ensured that peace prevailed in the state under its rule. Due to this peaceful environment, the government could launch and complete several developmental projects in the state," he said. Adityanath said the state government had ensured that riots, lawlessness, naxalism, goondaism, crimes like dacoity, and terrorism do not take place in Madhya Pradesh. As a result of the development agenda of the BJP, Madhya Pradesh has come out of poverty and is no longer categorised as a BIMARU state, he said. BIMARU is an acronym formed from the first letters of the names of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The acronym was used to refer to the poor economic conditions within those states. Adityanath claimed development works worth Rs 544 crore were implemented in just one assembly segment, Badnawar, in the last five years under the leadership of local MLA Shekhawat. "When pure water of the Narmada river reaches here, it will bring happiness in the region," he said. Adityanath said every village in the state is getting power under the BJP. "Farmers are receiving dedicated supply of electricity for 10-12 hours every day for agriculture-related works unlike the scenario in the previous Congress government. Madhya Pradesh has become a power surplus state under the BJP rule," he said. Adityanath said the condition of roads in Madhya Pradesh has improved significantly even as he recalled his past experience of visiting Gujarat, where he said the condition of roads had been bad. He said the BJP would come to power in north-eastern state of Mizoram, where elections are scheduled to be held on November 28 along with Madhya Pradesh. "The BJP would come to power in Mizoram on December 11, the day the counting of votes will be done. Mizoram will become the seventh north-eastern state to be ruled by the BJP which is already in power in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura, and is supporting governments in Meghalaya and Nagaland," he said. Earlier people used to say that 'lotus' (the poll symbol of the BJP) will never bloom in the north-east, but the BJP has proved this notion wrong by uprooting terrorism from these states. The BJP, which has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, is aiming at a fourth straight term under chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar speaks at a news conference in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad January 6, 2008. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder (INDIA) - RTX59TB Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited the UAE's largest mosque Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque whose marble pillars have been designed by Indian artisans belonging to families believed to have worked for the Taj Mahal. Sri Sri, who was on four-day visit to the UAE, visited the mosque on Sunday and hailed its beauty and "good vibrations". Director-General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC) Yousef Al Obaidly briefed the Art of Living (AOL) founder about the Indian connection of the mosque constructed from 1996 to 2007. The SZGMC director explained to Sri Sri that the white marble pillars, inlaid with floral patterns in the mosque, were inspired and done by the descendants of skilled families from India who are believed to have done similar art work in the Taj Mahal, Art of Living (AOL) officials said. The mosque, one of the world's largest, is named after the founder and first President of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The mosque can accommodate around 40,000 people. Artisans and materials for its construction came from many countries including India. "Very beautiful place with very good vibrations. With love and blessings," Sri Sri wrote in the visitors' book at the mosque. Al Obaidly said the warm reception accorded to the Indian spiritual leader at the mosque was part of a mission to foster social connections between followers of all religions. Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri, business giant B R Shetty and south Indian super star Mohanlal joined UAE's minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan in welcoming Sri Sri. He visited the country on an invitation from ruler of Fujairah Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi. Sri Sri meditated with thousands of people including women and children for world peace in Fujairah, one of the seven emirates in the UAE. He also held a meditation session in Sharjah and imparted lessons on how to lead a stress-free life to nearly 5,000 migrant workers from 20 countries, including Pakistan. U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he arrives to deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress inside the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Win McNamee/Pool - HP1EE1V06J5S3 US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he is doing a great job and gave himself 'A plus' for successfully running the country. "I think I am doing a great job. We have the best economy we have ever had," Trump told Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday. "I would give myself, I would - look, I hate to do it, but I will do it, I would give myself an A+, is that enough? Can I go higher than that?" he said. Responding to a question in a wide-ranging interview the US President said, "We are doing really well. We would have been at war with North Korea if, let's say, that administration continued forward". On North Korea, he also said that before leaving the office, his predecessor Barack Obama had advised him that the North Korea was one of the top challenges for the country. Trump said Obama had offered him some important guidance in the White House shortly after his 2016 election. "I think North Korea's been very tough because you know we were very close. When I took that over -- President Obama right in those two chairs, we sat and talked and he said that's by far the biggest problem that this country has," Trump told the news channel. "And I think we had real decision as to which way to go on North Korea and certainly at least so far I am very happy with the way we went," Trump said referring to the fact that his diplomacy with the North Koreans. Early this year, Trump became the first US president to hold talks with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. As a result of the summit meeting in Singapore, North Korea has agreed to a pathway of denuclearization. There has been no missile tests and nuclear tests. The rhetoric and threats from the North Korean leaders against its neighbours and the US has almost ended for the past several months. Trump takes credit for his successful diplomacy with North Korea. During his interview, Trump told the Fox news that his supported candidates won in the mid-term elections against the candidates for whom Obama had campaigned for. "I won against President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama in a great state called Georgia for the governor," Trump said, referring to defeated Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams' top surrogates, to the news channel. "And it was all stacked against Brian (Kemp), and I was the one that went for Brian, and Brian won," he said, adding that and same with Florida. "Look at Florida. I went down to Florida. (Republican) Senate candidate) Rick Scott won, and he won by a lot. I don't know what happened to all those votes that disappeared at the very end. "And if I didn't put a spotlight on that election before it got down to the 12,500 votes, he would have lost that election, OK? In my opinion he would have lost. They would have taken that election away from him. Rick Scott won Florida," Trump said. CNN-News 18 BJP is eyeing more than 200 of the 230 Legislative Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections on November 28. In an interview with CNN-News18, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan recently spoke about the anti-incumbency sentiment against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the goal of securing more than 200 seats in the MP, wooing first-time voters and much more. Talking about the ambitious goal of attaining more than 200 seats in MP, Pradhan said, "Helping people, winning their hopes and ambitions, working with big goals - that's been our political aim - with a killing instinct we will complete that goal - we have done full preparations. Shivraj is holding more than 10 jansabhas in a day, many elements of the party are working for this -we will fulfil our goal." Bhartiya Janta Party has been in power in MP for the last 15 years, and with archrivals Congress being dubbed as a "divided house", the party is hopeful of attaining a clean sweep in the central state. The Minister said that the BJP has been specifically focused on first-time voters going into the assembly elections. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his November 18 rally in Indore focused on the younger longer lot and Pradhan is hopeful of netting at least 70 percent of the youth votes in the state. "We believe that the first time when a youth votes - we've appealed to them and we have full faith that at least 70 percent will vote for Modi," said Pradhan. Speaking of the looming anti-incumbency sentiment in the state, Pradhan said, "For two months I've been going to different parts of the Pradesh. Shivraj Singh Chauhan's credibility is at a new high in the state. If you combine his leadership with Modi's credibility, it's a lethal combination and this time this pair will take the mandate to new heights." Marya: We are at Indore's famous Sarafa Bazaar with me BJPs in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan Mr Pradhan what brings you to Sarafa Bazaar? Pradhan: Whenever I visit Indore, I feel very comfortable - I never miss Sarafa when Im in Indore I try to visit Sarafa - its a great place - lots of activities, lots of lively things are here, lots of good Indian foods - jalebi, rabdi, garadu all such delicious foods are available here. M: In this election season, are you in Sarafa for any special reason? P: Look elections will keep going, but in Sarafa I come to meet people, I meet my old friends, whenever Im in Indore I end up coming here.... M: Sir you are in-charge of MP for BJP. The party has been in power for 15 long years are you sensing anti-incumbency? The one issue thats being talked about is that Shivraj is facing issues of anti-incumbency. P: I dont think so - for two months I've been going to different parts of Madhya Pradesh. Im not saying this because Im a worker of the BJP. Shivraj Singh Chauhan's credibility is at a new high in the state. The election for the govt in Delhi happens for govts, political mandates, Modi's credibility - his leadership - here Shivraj's leadership if you combine them its a lethal combination and this time this pair will take the mandate to new heights. M: The rural distress. In Mandsaur we saw farmer anger - have you seen it and are you trying to address it? P: Look, there are more hopes for those govts who poeple trust. Also if I tell you this year, MP govt has put more than 30,000 crore rupees of provisions in the name of farmers - through different schemes. Whether it is steady or there is a difference in value - or there's conversation of making it available at less interest or no interest - so Govt has trust of the people - when Shivraj took this responsibility - then what was the state of this state? The state of production here? The land was the same, farmers were the same, but in a few years the production has increased so much. For more than 10 years this state has had double-digit agricultural growth so of course farmer expectations will grow and in the last few days, we've matched that expectation. And this time the manifesto looks to fulfil what we didnt complete, thats the responsibility we've taken. M: When I talk to farmers they also say that the Bhavantar scheme implementation issue, it may be good, it is ambitious, but there are challenges in implementing on the ground. P: Look any scheme will be hard to implement on the ground - and no one can guarantee "we will run a scheme hassle-free" but Bhavantar's model... This time when the govt did MSP prices they were an extension of Bhavantar, keeping in mind the limitations to that program. This time we've brought a manifesto that helps small farmers take their stocks to markets and help 60 lakh farmer families - this is what we've decided. M: BJP's tactic has always been the one to cancel the effect of anti-incumbency by cancelling all the candidates - we saw that in Gujarat at the panchayat level. You dont cancel CM but you do cancel leaders - but this time in MP there hasnt been much such change. P: Even in Gujarat it didnt change this time, look different models work at different times, this time around we've changed 50 candidates - every election has a different plan - we've considered these factors and then weve decided the strategy. M: It's being called competitive cow politics what you're doing - because Congress manifesto has also talked of cows and Gaushalas. P: Let them do politics. We focus on development - make MP reach new heights, fulfil the expectations of the youths, mother and sisters. For the first time, we've made a separate manifesto just for women. Which may be no political party has ever done. We're running this election with our own vision. Our opposition party that has no manifesto, that misbehaves, creates tension, insults, uses wrong language - they can deal with themselves. We will not run on their agenda, we will run on our own, our politicians - Narendra Modi, Shivraj Chauhan, Amit Shah's politics thats what we'll run on. M: You are one of the closest leaders to Amit Shah, you also understand the Prime Minister's mind if I may ask what is the govt thinking on the issue of ram temple? P: Look this isnt just a govt topic, the court has its own jurisdiction, things should be done after thinking. In this country ram temple is an issue of faith not just governance. Just today the CM said "temple is not a political point for us" it is something we wish for, it is connected to the identity of our party. But when it comes to governance, how we will bring development, increase employment, how to increase people's economic earnings, how we will bring women development - the PM Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya Yogana, Ladli Lakshmi Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao - everyone will develop with each other ...these are our aims. M: It started with Gujarat elections and here's also competitive Hindutva when Rahul Gandhi started doing temple runs. P: You're asking questions to the wrong person. Ask the people who do drama, we go to the temple or a centre of worship not only on elections days but on all days. Its only those who are copycats, who copy-paste politics without an agenda, those people do these acts. M: You were in-charge of Uttarakhand. In many ways, you're being seen as an architect for that victory and now you're in-charge of MP, what is the number you're quoting for your party? I'll hold you accountable. P: Look we've given the slogan "this time, we'll cross 200" we have full faith thats our goal. M: Isnt that ambitious? P: Look, helping people, winning their hopes and ambitions, working with big goals - that has been our political aim. With a killing instinct we will complete that goal. We have done full preparation even today he is in Indore - two days ago he was in Gwalior, he was in Shehdol - today evening there's a roadshow. In a day Shivraj is holding more than 10 jansabhas, many elements of the party are working for this, we will fulfill our goal. M: What is the election for you? Are you defending your terrain, is BJP defending itself against anti-incumbency? P : The work that was done in 15 years in the last four years in Delhi the responsibility we've gotten - both these agendas. When my leadership decided to go about the country to act - they said "we will work, to show our accounts to the public" we want the publics blessings to work for them for the next five years, we have no reason to be nervous - we will work on our agenda. M: Do you think its advantage BJP also because its a divided house? P: What happens in someone else's house we dont care. We take our politics seriously, our president Amit Shah is himself a huge presence in the area of elections - a great man like Narendra Modi - a man like Shivraj both of them make an impact in reaching the people thats the goal. M: But he has chosen you for MP. P: Yes, but there are many lakhs of workers, Kalaji, others, many people are joint with this goal. This is not a cult of individual or cult of family party we are a hardworking valued party. M: What about Rahul Gandhi? P: Congratulations to him. Who doesnt know the difference between 35 and 75 who makes a number like "pachtees" who doesnt know India's languages - congratulations to him. M: First-time voters - do you think you're reaching out to them in a special way because even today the PM in his Indore rally gave a real focus to them. P: Of course the PM has never thought of this as an election he considers it as an opportunity to communicate with the public. We believe that the first time when a youth votes - we've appealed to them and we have full faith that at least 70% people will vote for Modi. December 07, 2018 / 05:01 PM IST The caste dynamics in the state and the race for reservations Rajasthan is a land of myriad colours, and this pluralism extends to the communities and ethnicities that make up the population of the state. The state is made up of 89 percent Hindus, 9 percent Muslims while 2 percent belong to other religions. The Scheduled Caste (SC) population is 18 percent, Scheduled Tribe (ST) 13 percent, Jats 12 percent, Gujjars and Rajputs 9 percent each, Brahmins and Minas 7 percent each. Among these, the Rajputs and the Jats have been at loggerheads ever since the princely states were merged into the Indian Union in 1952. At that time, the princes had fielded a large number of their nominees, and the electorate which was used to being ruled by the kings had voted for them. Click here to read more Jaipur: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot addresses a press conference, in Jaipur, Monday, Oct 22, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI10_22_2018_000060B) With the Congress keeping open the issue of its leadership in Rajasthan, party stalwart and two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on November 18 that no post is a priority for him and that he will abide by the decision of the high command on the Chief Minister post if the party comes to power. The Congress on Wednesday ended the suspense over whether Gehlot and Rajasthan state party chief Sachin Pilot would contest the December 7 Assembly polls by deciding to field both of them. While Gehlot, 67, is a sitting MLA from Sardarpura, Pilot, 41, is contesting the state poll for the first time from Tonk. Pilot has been a former MP from Dausa and then from Ajmer. Not ruling himself out of the race for the top post in the state should Congress win, Gehlot in an exclusive interview to PTI said he would be open to any role Congress president Rahul Gandhi assigns him in the interest of the party. "I am ready for whatever role Congress president gives me. I am against any kind of lobbying for any position. I have never lobbied even when I faced dissidence as CM. If they (the high command) send me to Rajasthan in party interest, it will be their decision," the powerful AICC general secretary said. He said he is "more than satisfied" with his long political career as a five-time Lok Sabha MP, three time Union minister and chief minister for 10 years. "No post is a priority for me. I am more than satisfied with my political innings and the question before me now is how to bring the party in power in Rajasthan first and then in the country under the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. I will be ready for any role I am assigned," he said when asked if he is in the race for chief ministership should Congress come to power. Asked whether the fact that all top state leaders contesting elections in Rajasthan will trigger a leadership tussle, after the polls, Gehlot said the "issue of CM will be amicably resolved by the party high command which will take a decision on three grounds party interest, public and MLAs' sentiments." "There will be no problem. The high command's decision will be acceptable to all... Whatever they decide will be acceptable to all," he said, accusing the BJP of raising the CM issue for political reasons. On whether there will be a new CM face other than him or Pilot, Gehlot said it will be the party high command's decision. He also said the decision on who the next CM will be will not be hampered by the presence of the entire top state brass in elections. Asked why all state leaders were contesting in Rajasthan, unlike in Madhya Pradesh, he said it is a decision which the Congress president has taken, and he welcomed it. "The politics in Rajasthan is different and the Congress leadership believes that all the leaders who wish to contest should do so," Gehlot said. "I want the party's flag to fly high both in Rajasthan and across the country, as the present atmosphere is dangerous for the country and people want the Congress to return to power both in the state and at the Centre." The AICC general secretary said the party has a tradition of not declaring its CM candidate in advance and that tradition will be respected. He alleged that it was a BJP conspiracy to raise such an issue to create divisions within the Congress and the people understand this. "The BJP does not have any right to ask who the Congress CM face is, as they themselves did not have a state party chief for 75 days," Gehlot said. On giving tickets to parachute candidates, he said former BJP leader Manvendra Singh has been fielded against CM Vasundhara Raje based on a political strategy and is an exception. Gehlot said the Congress will soon declare its manifesto, which will spell out steps to tackle farm distress and to improve the law and order. There is a lot of anger against Chief Minister Raje that will favour the Congress, he claimed, adding that his party will provide "good alternative governance with all-round development and ensure welfare of all". He, however, admitted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign and BJP chief Amit Shah's organisational skills may help the BJP reclaim a bit, but said people of the state have decided to oust the Raje government in the state and the BJP from the country. Supporters of Congress party are framed by the party's symbols installed at the venue where Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally at Bardoli To assuage the discontent among partymen over the selection of candidates for the Telangana Assembly elections, a three-member team of the Congress on November 18 held talks with those planning to enter the fray as rebels. Nearly 50 ticket aspirants who are "upset" with party's selection of candidates met the team led by Puducherry Chief Minister Narayana Swamy, Telangana Congress sources said. Karnataka Irrigation Minister DK Shiva Kumar and Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao are the other two members of the team. Miffed at being denied tickets, some Congress dissidents had announced last week that they will contest the December 7 elections as independents on at least 40 seats. The team held discussions with the dissidents. It tried to persuade them to drop the idea of contesting as rebel candidates and to work for the victory of those fielded by the party, the sources said. The dissidents were told that they will be "rewarded" if the Congress comes to power in Telangana, they said. Hes shot the likes of Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, and Hasan Minhaj, but it's his last project that he has lost his heart to. It's not surprising, as millions in India have lost theirs over his photographs of the DeepVeer wedding. Errikos Andreou, the man behind the most viral pictures of the year, was the official photographer of the wedding of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. He spoke to Moneycontrol about his favourite project till date, and how the wedding was something that was more personal than professional. For Errikos the wedding at Italy's Lake Como was ' as dreamy and real' as it could get. The Greek photographer, who studied fashion designing before taking up the camera, talks of things that inspire him, and his big dream to shoot Priyanka Chopra someday. Q: Your photographs have got more than a million likes and shares on social media. You got India the two photographs that took the internet by the storm. Was it difficult to deal with the pressure of covering a celebrity wedding? A: I have shot individually with Ranveer and Deepika a lot of times before. Once youve worked with a celebrity for a considerable amount of time, you know what their comfort zones are, what they like and what they dislike. Ive shot celebrities from across the world but I have never covered any event, let alone a wedding. I was there in Italy to shoot two people who wanted to document their moment of love. The event was completely private and was like any other wedding where two people, who are madly in love with each other, tie the knot amidst people who love them and wish them well. Their celebrity status didnt make their wedding any different from anyone elses. I shot the two candidly as they celebrated their big moment. It was not like a professional assignment and I wasnt given any instructions; there were no restrictions either. I was treated like a guest who had a camera and got some nice shots with it. Q: Its the wedding season and there would be fans whod love to have you shoot their special moments too. The question is would they be able to afford you like Deepika and Ranveer? A: While it is morally incorrect to talk about how much Deepika and Ranveer spent, I can tell you about a small incident that happened years back in my early days in Greece. A woman walked up to me and said she wanted me to take photographs of her sons baptism ceremony. When I quoted a price, she said she couldnt afford me. So I gave her a suggestion. I asked her to invest in a camera and give it to the familys best and closest friend. This is because I believe when someone you know and love captures you in a frame, they do more justice to it. Q: This one project must have suddenly got you a lot of limelight... A: Oh yes. I am not a social media person at all, and suddenly I see I have at least 20,000-25,000 more followers on my page. I am sure they'd go away once the wedding craze has cooled off. Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your line of work. A: Asking a photographer to talk about him or her is a bad idea. There are either not enough words to talk about our obsessions, or words are too complex. I do fashion photography because I cannot do realism. I am too weak for reality and I am afraid I am too cynical to see it optimistically, so I choose to photograph a constructed one instead. I approach my photography with the curiosity of a portraitist or a documentarist. My interest is in the story that is going on and the emotion of my hero or heroine. French humanist photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson had said: A photograph is neither taken nor seized by force. It offers itself up. It is the photo that takes you and I couldnt agree more. I want to be in the same sun as the person in the photo, I want to be able to hear the noises on the background, to want to feel like I can touch their skin. If the viewer can see a fraction of that, I feel successful. Q: You work with stars who people otherwise see only on TV or through photographs, like the ones you take. Tell us about a moment when you were star struck. A: I was once shooting the popular model Lily Aldridge who shot for big brands like Victoria Secrets and the likes. She had Michael Kors with her in the frame. I was excited and happy to shoot such people together in a frame. That's where I met stylist Paul Cavaco, and I was star struck! I have grown up admiring him and his work and this was my moment of being the fan. Q: Youve been working in India for over four years now and youve shot almost every celebrity one could name. Anyone you dream to work with? A: I want to shoot Priyanka Chopra. I am a fan of how she started from scratch in Hollywood and is now a star there. She is the one person who is known globally but wouldnt compromise on her roots. I like the way she addresses issues in India and stays grounded through her journey. Such stories inspire me and it is on my bucket list to shoot her. Alongside, I also want to work on a coffee table book and put up an exhibition of a personal project I have been working for some time now. China's commerce ministry said on Monday it had launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of barley from Australia, its top supplier of the grain, amid strained diplomatic ties between Beijing and Canberra. The move follows an application for a probe by the China Chamber of International Commerce, which says Australian barley was sold at a lower price than normal, squeezing domestic suppliers during the 12 months ended September 30 this year. Australia is by far China's top supplier of barley, used widely in brewing as well as for livestock feed. It exported 6.48 million tonnes in 2017, close to three-quarters of China's roughly 8.86 million tonnes of imports of the grain, worth about $1.5 billion, according to Chinese customs data. The probe starts on Monday and will end within one year, with an option for an additional six months of investigation. It comes after a period of tense relations between Australia and China, when the previous Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, accused Beijing of interfering in its domestic affairs. The two countries have also been vying for influence in sparsely populated Pacific island countries that control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean. Australia's Minister for Trade, Simon Birmingham, and Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the investigation. The commerce chamber's request for an investigation said the volume of barley imports from Australia jumped 67 percent from 2014 to 2017 while prices slipped to $198.05 per tonne, nearly a third below their 2014 level. The ministry will also look into whether domestic suppliers' business was damaged in the period from Jan. 1, 2014 until Sept. 30, 2018. China's beer makers are major customers for Australian barley, although the grain is also used as a substitute for corn in livestock feed. In early reactions, analysts were sceptical on the probe. "It doesn't seem very credible that Australia has been dumping barley," said Phin Ziebell, agribusiness economist at National Australia Bank. "Who is subsidising the losses? It is a competitive market in which producers want to maximise their returns. I don't how that is served by dumping barley into China." Donald Trump US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he has been fully briefed on an audio recording related to the brutal killing of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but was advised against listening to those "suffering" tapes. Khashoggi, 59, who wrote for The Washington Post, was killed last month inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul where he had gone to collect papers related to his marriage. Turkish investigators say they have audio recording of his killings, which it has shared with key partners including the US. In an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, which was aired on Sunday, Trump for the first time acknowledged that he has been briefed on the audio recording of the Khashoggi's murder. Trump said he hasn't listened to it, as he was advised not to hear the "suffering tape", according to the news channel. A day earlier, Trump spoke with the CIA chief on the agency's assessment of the killing of Khashoggi. He expects a full report on it by Tuesday. In the interview, Trump defended his policy on Saudi Arabia, saying "We have put on very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But at the same time, we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." He also said it "takes two to tango" to resolve the conflict in Yemen, where Iranian-backed insurgents are facing off against Saudi-backed forces, noting that "I want Saudi to stop, but I want Iran to stop also". A day earlier he told reporters in California that it (Khashoggi's murder) was a horrible thing that took place. "It's a horrible thing that took place, the killing of a journalist...It should never have happened," Trump told reporters travelling with him to California. Asked about the reports that the CIA had assessed involvement by the Saudi Crown Prince, the President said, "they haven't assessed anything yet. It's too early. That was a very a premature report." "We'll be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday," the US President said. He then said more definitely that there would be "a report on Tuesday." The report will address what "we think the overall impact was and who caused it, and who did it." "In the meantime we're doing things to some people that we know for a fact were involved and we're being very tough on a lot of people," he added. Saudi Arabia had offered a series of contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's death. After repeated denials, Riyadh finally admitted Khashoggi had been murdered at the compound of its Istanbul Consulate but blamed it on a "rogue" operation. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that the CIA had assessed with high confidence the role of the Saudi leader, based on multiple sources of intelligence. The CIA found that 15 Saudi agents flew on government planes to Istanbul and carried out the killing at the Saudi consulate, the report said, adding that it could complicate President Trump's efforts to preserve US ties with one of the closest American allies in the region. "The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him being aware or involved," a US official familiar with the CIA's conclusions, told the daily. Saudi Arabia has denied any such linkage. Fatimah Baeshen, a spokeswoman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, said that the claims in the CIA's "purported assessment are false. We have and continue to hear various theories without seeing the primary basis for these speculations." According to the report, it is CIA assessment that the crown prince who is the de facto ruler of the country would survive the crisis. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientists and engineers monitor the movements of India's Mars orbiter at their Spacecraft Control Center in the southern Indian city of Bangalore November 27, 2013. The orbiter after circling Earth for 20 to 25 days, is scheduled to leave Earth's orbit on December 1. India launched its first rocket to Mars on November 5, aiming to reach the red planet at a much lower cost than successful missions by other nations, positioning the emerging Asian giant as a budget player in the latest global space race. REUTERS/Stringer (INDIA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) - RTX15V4R The Bahrain government is likely to sign an agreement with India early next year for cooperation in space technology, a Bahraini minister has said. In February next year, the Gulf nation, hopefully, will sign a pact with Indian space agency ISRO for training and research purposes, Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications, Bahrain, said. "The national science and space agency (Bahrain) and ISRO will sign an MoU. It has been approved by the Bahrain government and is in its final stage. And hopefully, I will be in India shortly, maybe in the next air show in February to sign the MoU," the minister, who also holds the space portfolio, said. The agreement will be mainly for training purposes and both countries will cooperate on research and technology, he added. "It is just a starting point. The government will send some Bahrainis to be trained in India from January for eight weeks...to study how they can design and build satellites, Mohammed said. Bahrain is also looking to forge closer economic ties with India to attract investment and tech companies. "We are in continuous discussion with the private sector, CII and Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) which is the government agency to promote Bahrain and attract foreign direct investment, and India is one of the important markets for EDB. It has an office there. There will be a delegation there in December, the minister said. He further said India is an important market and it will become one of the superpowers in terms of economy. On investment from India, he said: "I believe Indian companies are becoming bigger, they are expanding outside of India and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries offer them the best opportunity." "We are more focusing on technology and knowledge-based industry and services." India is an important business partner for Bahrain, and the kingdom is keen to further strengthen the relations with the private sector in India. Trade relationship between the two countries also prompted many Indians to set up their businesses there. "Located at the heart of the Middle East, Bahrain is the natural gateway to the Gulf region, with strong, efficient and cost-effective pan-GCC transport links and direct access to Saudi Arabia the region's largest market," Bahraini officials said. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks with the Iranian government on issues including the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, his office said in a statement. In May, US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, and earlier this month the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors. Hunt's office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and would stress that the UK is committed to the nuclear deal as long as Iran sticks to its terms. He will also discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. "We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does.A But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt will also discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, his office said, and press Iran on its human rights record, calling for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the countrys leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," he said. Manish Kumar Sinha, deputy inspector general (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)s anti-corruption-III unit, made several shocking allegations and revelations in his plea before the Supreme Court today. These have raised questions about the functioning and independence of several independent organisations, including the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) as well as the National Security Advisors (NSA) office as well. The CBI DIG mentioned his intervention application before the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SK Kaul and Justice KM Joseph, requesting his plea to be heard urgently on Tuesday along with the petition of CBI director Verma. The Bench, however, turned down his plea to list it along with the main matter filed by Mr Verma. Mr Sinha, who was probing the case against CBIs special director Rakesh Asthana, has moved court requesting the quashing of his transfer to Nagpur thereby removing him from the team investigating Mr Asthana. It may be recalled that the CBI had booked Mr Asthana on charges of having links to notorious meat exporter Moin Quereshi. Mr Sinha has alleged that during first fortnight of June 2018, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, the union minister of state for coal and mines was paid few crores of rupees as bribe. In his submission, he disclosed a meeting between Central Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdhary and Mr Asthana, the special director of CBI in the Moin Qureshi case and how a son of former joint secretary in the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) tried to put pressure on him by claiming close proximity with national security advisor Ajit Doval. Mr Sinha petition also mentions a call on behalf of the cabinet secretary, to allegedly save Mr Asthana, during deposition before the CVC.. Several journalists, including Paranjoy Guha Thakurta have tweeted excerpts of what are purportedly parts of the affidavit submitted in court. Quoting Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, the CBI DIG stated, "...Mr Sana also disclosed that he met the CVC KV Chowdhary along with one Gorantla Ramesh (close relative of CVC Chowdhary and owner of Delhi Public School, Hyderabad, according to Mr Sana) somewhere in Delhi (exact date and location was not informed) and that they discussed Moin Qureshi's case. As per Mr Sana, in the year 2011, G Ramesh sold some land and gave around Rs4 crore out of the said sale consideration to Mr Sana, in the same month, in which Mr Sana had given Rs50 lakh to Moin Qureshi. Therefore, G Ramesh was examined by CBI in the Moin Qureshi's case." "As per Mr Sana, subsequently, the CVC Mr KV Chowdhary called Mr Rakesh Asthana to his residence and made inquiries. Mr Asthana informed to the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but the same is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosures made by Mr Sana." Mr Sinha says. Sathish Babu Sana, the Hyderabad-based business has emerged as key figure in the battle between CBI director Alok Verma and Mr Asthana, the number two in the investigative agency. It was compliant filed by Mr Sana that led the CBI to file a case against Mr Asthana. On 30 October 2018, the Supreme Court, while refusing the CBI notice asking Mr Sana to join its investigation, has directed the police to provide him protection. Coming back to submissions from CBI DIG Mr Sinha, who was transferred to Nagpur, told the apex court in his plea that on 8 November 2018, Mr Sana was contacted by law secretary Suresh Chandra from London. According to Mr Sana, his office building owner Rekha Rani, who is an officer from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) told him to contact the law Secretary. The law secretary told Mr Sana that he was speaking on behalf of Cabinet Secretary and wanted to save Asthana. Mr Sinhas plea also mentions arrest and interview with Manoj Prasad. He says, As per Manoj Prasad, his father Dineshwar Prasad, retired as joint secretary of R&AW and has close acquaintance with the present NSA Ajit K Doval. He (Manoj) started bragging and claimed that his brother Somesh is very close to an officer at Dubai and to Samant Goel, presently special secretary at R&AW and he (Manoj) can get is finished off/ kicked out. DIG Sinha told the Supreme Court that After his (Manoj's) initial outburst, he went quiet. All the matters disclosed by Manoj were reported to senior officers. The Applicant is unaware whether the aforementioned facts were duly recorded in the interrogation statement of Manoj Prasad. "Manoj is now in custody. His Mobile phones were seized and the Whatsapp messages were studied. One of his phones had the Whatsapp messages stored since March 2017. The exchange of messages between Manoj and Sana Satish Babu, and Manoj and Somesh were studied which corroborates the instances of bribery mentioned in the complaint. There was no specific mention of the name of any public servant in any of the Whatsapp messages stored in the phone. There were references such as 'too powerful people', 'Boss' etc. Messages indicated that they pertain to a CBI case and that Manoj and Somesh are able to obtain relief in the case on receiving payments. Further, it brought into picture one unidentified person who appeared to be the conduit between the 'Boss', to obtain the relief from CBI. This unidentified person was someone who was high in standing in CBI and too powerful, as the messages indicated. According to Pgurus, this brings in the RAW angle and the friendship between Asthana and Samanth Goel and how the entire RAW was being misused and abused to prepare bogus intelligence reports to protect and promote Mr Asthana. According to a report from Pgurus , Manoj (Prasad) also claimed a few other facts to his personal knowledge which is placed here only as the same are relevant to the context. The report says, "Manoj claimed that he had met Nitin Sandesara of Sterling Biotech in London. Nitin and his brother Chetan Sandesara are the main accused in the Sterling Biotech Case involving huge money trail to Congress leader Ahmed Patel and his son and son-in-law. Rakesh Asthana was also caught for accepting a bribe of Rs3.9 crore from this tainted business firm in 2011 alone."DIG Sinha told the Supreme Court that After his (Manoj's) initial outburst, he went quiet. All the matters disclosed by Manoj were reported to senior officers. The Applicant is unaware whether the aforementioned facts were duly recorded in the interrogation statement of Manoj Prasad."Manoj is now in custody. His Mobile phones were seized and the Whatsapp messages were studied. One of his phones had the Whatsapp messages stored since March 2017. The exchange of messages between Manoj and Sana Satish Babu, and Manoj and Somesh were studied which corroborates the instances of bribery mentioned in the complaint. There was no specific mention of the name of any public servant in any of the Whatsapp messages stored in the phone. There were references such as 'too powerful people', 'Boss' etc. Messages indicated that they pertain to a CBI case and that Manoj and Somesh are able to obtain relief in the case on receiving payments. Further, it brought into picture one unidentified person who appeared to be the conduit between the 'Boss', to obtain the relief from CBI. This unidentified person was someone who was high in standing in CBI and too powerful, as the messages indicated.According to Pgurus, this brings in the RAW angle and the friendship between Asthana and Samanth Goel and how the entire RAW was being misused and abused to prepare bogus intelligence reports to protect and promote Mr Asthana. On Sunday, Ashwini Kumar Gupta, deputy superintendent of police in CBI also moved the Supreme Court challenging his repatriation to the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Mr Gupta also alleged that he was repatriated to IB since he was investigating various charges against Mr Asthana. Last month, AK Bassi also had challenged his abrupt transfer to Port Blair in the overnight shakeup in CBI. Mr Bassi was also part of the investigation team probing allegations against Mr Asthana. The Supreme Court, however, said it will decide later on the application filed by Mr Bassi. The major indices of the Indian stock markets rallied on Monday and closed with gains over Fridays close. On the NSE, there were 922 advances, 807 declines and 345 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Mondays trading are given in the table below: Key equity indices jumped amid bets the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will bury their differences at a crucial central bank board meeting on Monday. Subdued global oil prices, and foreign fund inflows amid a stable domestic currency also burnished the appeal of stocks. The government has been demanding that the RBI make liquidity available, especially to the shadow banks after a series of defaults by the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) triggered a scare and precipitated a credit crunch. The Centre has also reportedly demanded that the RBI hand over a significant chunk of its reserves, which was subsequently denied by the Union Finance Ministry as "misinformed speculation". RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had warned of economic consequences if the central bank's autonomy was encroached upon. Interest-rate sensitive stocks like banking, automobile and capital goods rose, while the oil and gas sector came under pressure. The RBI's crucial board meeting on Monday took up the liquidity crisis that initially triggered a tiff between the government and the central bank, according to sources. The meeting had been called amid the growing tensions between the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the Finance Ministry recently sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. Addressing the annual Economic Times awards function here on Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity. It is necessary that the growth process does not suffer due to the cleaning up of the banking system from the "collectively committed sins", he said, referring to the non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, accumulated in the banking system and which have touched a staggering Rs10 lakh crore. "This will have to be done in a manner in which you restore the health of the banks, you restore the discipline as far as the banking system is concerned and at the same time, we don't end up throttling growth by throttling credit and liquidity in the market. That is a key issue," Jaitley said. Tata Investment Corporation said that its Board of Directors has approved a proposal to buyback 8.17% of the total paid-up equity share capital of the company. According to a regulatory filing, the buyback will be for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs450 crore at Rs1,000 per equity share. The firm invests in a diversified portfolio of quoted and unquoted securities of companies, including Tata Companies, which are engaged in various businesses. The companys shares closed at Rs867.35, up 5.11% on the NSE. Infosys has committed on May 2, 2017 to hire about 10,000 American techies to bridge the IT skills gap in the United States and set up six technology-cum-innovation hubs across North America by 2022-23. The first hub was opened at Indianapolis in March where it plans to hire about 3,000 Americans by 2023. It has hired about 300 so far this year. Infosys shares closed at Rs651.95, up 0.17% on the NSE. Mahindra & Mahindra announced that from January 1, 2019, it will increase the price of its multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) "Marazzo" by Rs30,000 to Rs40,000. "As mentioned at the launch, the price of Marazzo was an introductory one. Effective January 1st 2019, we will be taking a price hike on the Marazzo, after a reasonable period of 4 months from its launch," said Veejay Ram Nakra, Chief of Sales and Marketing - Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra. Marazzo has been co-designed by the Mahindra Design Studio and Italian design house Pininfarina. It has been engineered in collaboration with the Mahindra North America Technical Centre and the Mahindra Research Valley, Chennai. Mahindra & Mahindra shares closed at Rs781.20, up 1.77% on the NSE. Surya Roshni has secured an order worth Rs59 crore for design, manufacture, testing, supply and O&M of LED Street Lights & Poles and other related works for implementation of Greenfield Street Lighting Projects for ULBs in Odisha from Government of Odisha. Surya Roshini shares closed at Rs221.40, up 2.19% on the NSE. PSP Projects has bagged new Institutional & Industrial projects worth Rs372.47 crore from various clients including two projects of Rs208.49 crore in which the company has been ranked the L1 bidder (Lowest Bidder) by regulatory authority. The companys shares closed at Rs398.85, up 1.06% on the NSE. Kridhan Infras Singapore subsidiary Swee Hong Limited has won an order valued SG$ 37.2 million (approx. Rs195 crore) for the Construction of Link Sewers for the DTSS Phase 2 Project from the Public Utilities Board, Singapore. The companys shares closed at Rs46.00, down 0.65% on the NSE. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: Australian Economic News Updates Enjoy a contrarian outlook on the Australian economy and how movements beyond our borders could affect your stocks, retirement fund or the value of your home. Go here for more. Daily Chinese Economy News Chinas economy has been a powerhouse in recent years. But times are a changing and China, for better or worse, is a subject of heated debate. Are there investment opportunities to be still had from China, and how will they affect your wealth at home? Find out here. US Economy News The US economy is drowning under the weight of its public and private debt. But is it too soon to call the end of this financial, military and political empire? Only time will tell. Either way, you need to make sure your investments are on the right side of the trade. Eurozone Economy The Eurozone is in a huge mess right now. Can it hold it together or will, one-by-one, member states leave the Euro and go at it on their own? More importantly, what consequences will this have for Australia and your investments? More on that here. Global Economy News Dont just follow the news on the global economy get an inside peek into whats happening in developed and emerging economies around the world and what it could mean for your investments. Go here for more. November 19, 2018 Syria - Back In The Arab Fold Following Syria's military success against its enemies, Arab states which supported the war on Syria are again making nice with it. The United Arab Emirates will reopen its embassy in Damascus. Kuwait and Bahrain will follow. Today a delegation of parliamentarians from Jordan visited Damascus and met with President Assad. The members of the delegation affirmed that the pulse of the Jordanian street has always been with the Syrian people in the face of the terrorist war against the, as Syria is the first line of defense for the entire Arab region and the victory in this war will be a victory for all the Arab countries in the face of Western projects aimed at destabilizing and fragmenting these countries in service of Israels security. First signs that this was going to happen appeared a few month ago when a Kuwaiti TV personality spoke about the pleasure of visiting an again peaceful Damascus. In June the Foreign Affairs Minister of UAE called the expulsion of Syria from the Arab league a "mistake". In an interview with a Kuwaiti paper Assad said that he had reached "major understanding" with Arab states. The Saudis though are not yet welcome back in Damascus. They were one of the largest financiers of the Jihadis and will have to pay an equally large price to come back into good standing. Negotiations are ongoing. A formal reentry of Syria into the Arab League can not be far away. Behind this change is a fear of renewed Turkish ambitions. Not only Saudi Arabia but all the Arab states do not want Turkey to expand and become more powerful. They do not want to see Arab land in Syria under Turkish control. The sole exception so far is Qatar which is allied with Turkey and has Turkish troops on its land to protect it from Saudi imperialism. The three blocks that form the larger Middle East, Turkey, Iran and the Arab states north of the Red Sea are roughly of the same population size. Each block also represents a religious-political stream with Turkey leading the political-Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, Iran the political-Shia and with the third block consisting of Sunni majority countries with more or less dictatorial rulers. The three blocks compete in their borderlands of Iraq and Syria. The Arabs finally noticed that their attempts to dispose the Syrian government led to gains for Iran and Turkey and put them on the losing site. For Syria the new Arab position is a very welcome change. While it will certainly not end its alliance with Iran, it will welcome any help against the Turkish ambitions. It also needs investments to rebuild and the rich Gulf states will surely provide some. That will also sabotage U.S. and European plans to starve Syria of money unless it submits to their will. Posted by b on November 19, 2018 at 17:33 UTC | Permalink Comments If you ever run into Steve Carell, please don't ask him to play Michael Scott again. The actor spent his "Saturday Night Live" monologue gently turning down requests from fans and former co-stars for a reboot of NBC's hit sitcom "The Office," which ended in 2013. It was Carell's third time hosting "SNL," but his first in a decade. It all began with a pretend audience member asking the simple question: "Will you ever reboot 'The Office'?" The host said no, so "SNL" cast member Kenan Thompson stood up and framed it as more of a suggestion. Carell explained that reprising his role as the lunatic Dunder Mifflin Paper Company manager would be like Thompson returning full-time to the Nickelodeon sitcom "Kenan & Kel," on which he starred with Kel Mitchell from 1996 through 2000. He wouldn't want that, right? Well, maybe he would: "That would be an honor," Thompson solemnly replied. HOUSTON RAPPER ON STAGE: Travis Scott raps, tells jokes on "SNL" One by one, former "Office" cast members popped up from their seats in the audience. "I need that money," said Ellie Kemper, who played secretary Erin Hannon on the show. "Let's get that money, Steve." When he declined, the "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" actress yelled, "You're a jerk!" Ed Helms, who played Dunder Mifflin salesman Andy Bernard, also argued in favor of a reboot. Maybe Carell didn't understand just how much money it would make them. "You wouldn't have to do all those sad movies anymore," Helms said, referring to Carell's recent roles, such as the panicked father of a teenage drug user in "Beautiful Boy." "SNL's" Aidy Bryant had also poked fun at this in a promo video for the episode, in which she told Carell that he was "kind of, like, a serious actor now. Are you ready to do comedy again? Because this is a comedy show." OPINION: Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw on "SNL" mocking his appearance Those movies are done for pleasure, Carell said, not money. But this answer wasn't good enough for Jenna Fischer, who played the fan favorite Pam Beesley for all of the show's nine seasons. She asked Carell if he remembered the unheard words Pam whispered to Michael before he moved to Colorado. They were, according to her: "Steve, don't be a d---, do the reboot." "I don't remember that at all," Carell responded. Even his wife - Nancy, who also appeared on "The Office" as Michael's ex-girlfriend Carol - and their two kids showed up to try to convince him to do the reboot. But he wouldn't budge. The actor previously addressed the constant demand for an "Office" reboot in a recent interview with Esquire, in which he credited reruns and the show's easy accessibility on Netflix with having generated talk of bringing it back. "But apart from the fact that I just don't think that's a good idea, it might be impossible to do that show today and have people accept it the way it was accepted 10 years ago," he said. "The climate's different. I mean, the whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior. I mean, he's certainly not a model boss. A lot of what is depicted on that show is completely wrong-minded. That's the point, you know? But I just don't know how that would fly now." Carell's co-stars joined him onstage as his "SNL" monologue drew to a close, and he teased the audience by saying that he had an announcement to make. Had he finally come around? "I am proud to announce officially," he said with a slight pause, "that we have a great show tonight!" UPDATE: Sunday, 3 p.m. The pilot killed when his vintage World War II fighter plane crashed in Fredericksburg Saturday has been identified as Cowden Ward Jr. of Burnet, according to a Facebook post. Pecos Bill P-51 Freedom Flyers posted Sunday afternoon that news of Ward's death, and the still unknown passenger he was flying, "has left all of his friends and family heartbroken." The organization, of which Ward was a member, offers free rides to veterans in Ward's "beloved P-51 Pecos Bill." The post noted that the passenger was a World War II veteran and former B-17 pilot. "We hope that everyone will remember his infectious smile, his passion for flying our nation's veterans, and above all remember him for the amazing pilot, friend and caring person he was," the statement read. ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES: The crash of a vintage World War II fighter plane into a parking lot of a Fredericksburg apartment complex has killed two people, according to authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of the modified Mustang P-51D, according to officials. Texas Department of Public Transportation Sgt. Orlando Moreno confirmed the two deaths. The Mustang crashed into the parking lot about 3:15 p.m., according to an NTSB spokesman. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a release that the aircraft was destroyed in the crash and several cars were damaged. RELATED: NTSB releases report on the helicopter crash that killed young TX newlyweds In a tweet posted Saturday evening, the National Museum of the Pacific War, which is in Fredericksburg, said one of the two killed in the crash was a veteran. The museum initially reported both people killed were veterans. The crash occurs roughly two weeks after a helicopter crashed into a hill while taking a newlywed couple from a Uvalde wedding to their honeymoon, according to a preliminary NTSB report. The groom and bride, William Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler, both 24, and the pilot, 76-year-old Gerald Lawrence, were killed. Staff Writer Chris Quinn contributed to this report. The Long Take: A Noir Narrative By Robin Robertson Knopf. 256 pp. $27 --- When was the last time you said of a book of poetry, "I couldn't put it down?" Well, now's your chance. Moving between poetry and prose, dialogue and history, Robin Robertson's "The Long Take" is a propulsive verbal tour de force. The book, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, is also a hymn to destruction that exposes our country's betrayal of the American Dream in the years following World War II. If you think T.S. Eliot's "unreal city" was full of the misbegotten and woe, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Robertson, a Scot who's written six previous poetry collections, is known for his exquisite descriptions of the natural world and dramatic, violent re-tellings of Greek myths. Here he expands his range to include America, a country he loves. He also loves American film noir, and though its film references will make any noir fan swoon, "The Long Take" is, above all, a carefully crafted narrative poem. It opens with a grand view of New York City in 1946: (BEGIN ITAL)And there it was: the swell(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)and glitter of it like a standing wave - (END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)the fabled, smoking ruin, the towers rising(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)through the blue,(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)the ranked array of ivory and gold, the glint ... (END ITAL) The speaker is Walker, a Canadian veteran who survived D-Day and has left his home in Nova Scotia to "re-calibrate/ ... take the long view." He wants to see America, so he visits New York and works on the docks. He then moves to Los Angeles and writes for a newspaper. In San Francisco, he investigates the homeless situation for the paper, and upon returning to Los Angeles discovers his Bunker Hill neighborhood is being destroyed to make room for freeways. These cities are full of life, movie theatres and Walt Whitman's demotic "blab of the pave." New York is a "river of hats" and its women's faces sag "like a fallen hem." San Francisco's fog is "battle-smoke." At first, Los Angeles's "smear of neon" excites Walker, but he can't ignore "the brown/stars of blood leading down the alleys." Soon enough the dive bars become battlegrounds; the noise of "backhoes, cement trucks and cranes" makes him cover his ears. Walker's war experiences unite with this urban destruction and his PTSD worsens. Walker's journey unfolds like the pleats of a fan. Only after the fan opens do we see the full arrangement of its design and feel the cumulative effects Robertson has created. The juxtaposition of poetry and prose dissolves the psychological distance between Walker's past and his present. His diary entries, initially objective, soon become introspective, fueling his self-destruction. Like Homer, Walker is an avid cataloger, but instead of Greek ships we get sidewalks, banks, movie theatres, traffic patterns, train stations, signage and great tough-guy dialogue. Were it not for Robertson's skill, these descriptions would collapse into a frenzied travelogue. Instead, Walker's observations soon transcend the descriptive and coalesce to become an emblem of America's decline. The poem also educates: Black soldiers fought at D-Day; members of Walker's unit, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, were tortured as POWs and shot by the 12th SS Panzer Division of the Hitlerjugend. Willful urban destruction, McCarthyism, racism, police brutality - these chaotic events provoke dark memories of the war and won't let Walker rest. The result is that he no longer knows himself: (BEGIN ITAL)... he steadied himself to leave; saw an old man(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)right in front of him doing a strange, stiff shuffle,(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)shifting his weight from foot to foot,(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)not knowing where to put his hands, as if he'd discovered(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)the pockets of his jacket were still sewn up.(END ITAL) (BEGIN ITAL)Then he sees it's himself, in a mirror.(END ITAL) Others also suffer this dislocation. Billy Idaho, a Black veteran of Utah Beach, is Walker's guide to Los Angeles. Deeply read, a Good Samaritan, Billy reappears at regular intervals to instruct Walker on LA's past and future: "I'm telling you, friend, this city's getting ready to blow." Growing increasingly paranoid, Billy replaces his Santa Claus hat with "a leather flying helmet and a necklace of dog tags." He's preparing for battle. Another veteran is Frank, known as "Glassface." The Hitlerjugend had burned him with "a trench lighter, trying to get [him] to talk." Glassface becomes Walker's confessor. Then there's Pike, an unctuous, racist reporter who, in a great hard-boiled image, eats a sandwich "like he had something against it." He thinks he's "always in a movie," practicing "fascinating smiles." Pike represents the future - a slick but nervous man, a progenitor of selfie culture always "pushing into the frame." Robertson places Walker's world on a continuum of postwar abusive power that still resonates today, while also reminding the reader of older instances of displacement such as the Trail of Tears and Scotland's Sutherland clearances. "The Long Take" conveys dignity upon its less than noble characters because they've been dispossessed by outside forces. We root for Billy and Glassface. And when, at the end, Walker claims a bit of sidewalk by declaring, "I'll make my city here," we root for him too. "The Long Take" is an audacious and often brilliant book. Poetry needn't be a call to action but this one raises many questions, not the least of which is: What and whom should we root for in today's world of diminished dreams? --- O'Sullivan writes frequently about culture and the arts. Her book of essays about the Beatles is forthcoming from Mad Creek Books. A Jacksonville woman was arrested Sunday on charges of obstructing justice after police say she tampered with evidence at a potential crime scene. Police were called to 602 Jordan St. just after 4 a.m. Sunday to a report of a gunshot from behind the High School Apartments. I read the article in the Nov. 8 Journal-Courier about the presentation to the League of Morgan County Women Voters, which motivated me to attempt to provide information to the readers which is often omitted due to lack of knowledge or political agendas that override integrity. If you are going to talk to the League of Women Voters, I hope you will present the political goals in full context to include already existing government imposed controls on the businesses they seek to double-regulate. I am an Illinois gun dealer, and licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (more commonly known as ATF). To get this license, I have a periodic FBI background check and pay a license fee every three years. I also pay a special occupational tax annually to engage in business with automatic assault weapons which the article indicates [the league] wants restricted access to. Such restrictions have been in place since 1934, expanded in 1968 and expanded again in 1986, while the violent crime rate with these lawfully possessed firearms is a statistical zero and private citizens are already prohibited from possessing them in Illinois which is another discussion all its own. For sake of brevity, I will focus on advocacy of dual regulation of my business in general, saving any actual proposed triple prohibition of automatic assault weapons for another time. Licensing for gun dealers in all states is done through ATF. The dealer pays a fee to the federal government and is regulated by a combination of federal and state laws where their business is located. A proposal is up in Illinois to charge $1,000 a year to be a state-licensed gun dealer. Illinois understandably wants more revenue an inevitable by-product of decades-long corruption and mismanagement by the same state government they advocate granting more power and money to. Further punishing business owners will drive more business owners out of the state, but will not reduce crimes committed with firearms. In states that charge sales tax (Illinois), all gun dealers have a tax ID number and charge the buyer sales tax. Dealers pay sales tax to the state of Illinois on all sales of firearms. All gun transfers are phoned in to Illinois State Police by the dealer, which utilizes FBI and state databases and has the final say on any transfer to a private citizen (anyone not licensed by ATF or acting on behalf of a government agency). After receiving approval, the dealer must wait 72 hours before turning pistols over to the customer. Starting Jan. 1, the waiting period for long guns in Illinois will change from 24 to 72 hours. Having been a Federal Firearms License dealer for many years, I know many dealers from all over the U.S. and I know no one who does not abide by the laws in a gun transfer. Also, all guns that go through the dealers are logged into an acquisition and disposition book by the dealer and are checked periodically by ATF. All guns are checked by the serial number put on the gun by the factory when they are built. The factory keeps a log of the serial numbers and the disposition of their firearms are required to be made available to ATF whenever a trace is conducted. Dealers that transfer firearms without calling state police first to get an OK face potential loss of their license, fines or criminal prosecution. On another point, President Bill Clinton restricted sales of high capacity magazines and semi-automatic assault weapons, although this is a political term and contradictory to actual firearm terminology, but is commonly recognized outside the firearm industry and hobby, for 10 years which didnt change the outcome of any of the crimes committed with any guns; it merely required manufacturers to make minor cosmetic changes to firearms to make them less frightening to those not familiar with them. Not surprisingly, FBI statistics indicate a reduction in violent crime after its expiration. I am not claiming that the laws expiration led to a reduction in violent crime, only that the reduction makes a not-unexpected point that the law, despite the political rhetoric, was wholly ineffective at reducing crime. This is underwhelming given its content as the success or failure of a criminal act does not rely on the cosmetic appearance of a weapon. Anyone convicted of a felony, even a non-violent one from decades gone by, is prohibited and has lost their right to own a firearm. Once a person has been adjudicated for mental health, they can no longer legally possess a firearm of any kind. No dealer I have ever known would want a convicted criminal or mentally ill person to have a firearm of any kind. The leagues agenda is not what they profess it to be. Criminalizing gun owners and dealers is totally wrong. In taking the legal guns away from law-abiding citizens, criminals will still get the guns while their victims become increasingly defenseless and the crime rate will rise. I will not be surprised if their side wins and yet another burden is imposed on law-abiding businesses. Maybe it will be the proverbial straw that broke the camels back and I will leave my lifelong home of Illinois, not so much by choice as on principle. If so, I will likely relocate to Kentucky, where I will enjoy lower taxes and more freedom. Illinois will still be a financial wreck and Chicago will remain a combat zone, leaving the league to come up with yet another law that will protect everyone and be equally as ineffective as this one. Kenneth Kurfman is a Mount Sterling native who has lived in Jacksonville for more than 50 years. He is a life member of the American Rifle Association and the National Trap Shooting Association and has been a gun dealer about 20 years. To the editor: For a Christmas gift: How about making your last will and testament? Too depressing? Dont have any assets? The children can figure it out? Wrong. Do yourself and your heirs a big favor and have the details as you wish. More importantly, advise those involved with a copy so there is less heartache and contention. Youd be surprised how many families of the deceased do not agree on what religion, who should speak at the funeral, whether there is music, a meal, type of coffin, cremation or traditional burial, and first of all, what the deceased should wear and who will carry the casket. If you have an ex-wife, siblings, nieces or nephews, children with more than one spouse, and more than $5, you need a will. Also, pets exotic or rescue. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Give yourself some peace of mind. If anyone is angry, let them say it to your face while you are still alive. God Bless America and all past, present and future military. Linda Farrell Fernandes Jacksonville It took me 5 years to prepare ... President Donald Trump View Photos President Trump and Governor Jerry Brown held a press conference on Saturday at the Incident Command Post in Chico, California. Trump and Brown were Mondays KVML Newsmakers of the Day. Here is the unedited transcript: GOVERNOR BROWN: Ill just say a few words. We all know of how tragic this has been, and I find it very hard to find just the right way to put it. People are really working hard. People have suffered. And so many people from so many different places and backgrounds and services have pulled together. And I can say: Thanks to the firefighters and first responders, and thanks to the federal government. FEMA has been terrific. And I really appreciate the President himself being here and putting the focus and the spotlight on probably the worst tragedy that California has ever faced, at least from a fire situation. President Trump: Well, thank you, Jerry. And I just want to also thank FEMA; law enforcement you folks have been incredible; first responders; the firefighters. Theyre out there now. They want to be you know, got a lot of territory to cover. Still going very heavily. Theres a big area of very intense flame right now thats next to a very explosive area, wouldnt you say? I mean, its a very its a very big problem out there going. And theyre fighting and theyre fighting like hell. Weve never seen anything like this. In California, weve never seen anything like this, Jerry. Its like total devastation. But again, I want to thank everybody. And Brock is going to give you a little presentation as to where were going, what were doing, and how were doing it. But again, the men and women that are fighting this fire are incredible. You know that more than 70 people are lost, are gone. And were looking for hundreds of people right now. There are literally hundreds that theyre looking for. And hopefully thats going to be a good conclusion instead of a bad conclusion. Maybe they left and maybe theyre with their loved ones somewhere else and we just dont know about it. But theyre looking for hundreds of people. And well know the answer to that over the next 48 hours, I think for the most part. Brock, perhaps you could give a little bit of a presentation as to how were going to stop the rest of this monster. ADMINISTRATOR LONG: Yes, sir. So, Mr. President, as weve discussed, this is probably the worst disaster that Ive seen in my career. And its going to take a partnership at all levels of government not only, you know, helping the governor achieve his response and recovery goals, but also its the time for neighbor helping neighbor. Thats whats most important. FEMA is on the ground. Ive been here since Tuesday making sure that we have full situational awareness on how to help the state achieve what needs to be done when it comes to the firefighting, but also the you know, the taking care of people part, the mass-care issues. So we have set up disaster recovery centers. Were also asking people to call 1-800-621-FEMA or to go DisasterAssistance.gov to register. To this point, as of this morning, I think weve had over 12,000 people already registered into our assistance system. And weve handed out close to $3 million directly to those who have qualified for assistance. Obviously, the firefighting is the main priority and taking care of people and making sure that we can get people transitioning out of shelters into longer-term homes. And then were also working with Mark Ghilarducci in the state of California, who has done a tremendous job making sure that we help him understand how were going to do debris removal and get the infrastructure back up so that we can start to help communities like Concow and Paradise strive for a new normal. So with that, I think its time for us to turn it over to the incident commander. So hes fighting the fire. MR. RUSSELL: Mr. President, if I could turn you to this. So this is a progression map of the fire. The blue was the very first day, when we experienced the most significant damage. Obviously it went almost 55,000 acres within the first 12 hours and then almost 8,000 structures were burned in that time. So (inaudible) Concow to Paradise (inaudible) were all part of that. There are still significant challenges (inaudible) river drainage and the weather were receiving there, the winds, and the red-flag warning that is still coming this weekend along THE PRESIDENT: (Inaudible.) MR. RUSSELL: Absolutely. This whole area, especially in the river drainage. And theres still communities (inaudible) Creek and other areas outside the burn areas that we are concerned about. THE PRESIDENT: Well, good luck. MR. RUSSELL: Thank you very much, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Youre welcome. (Inaudible.) Thank you. Thank you everyone. Thank you. Q Mr. President, do you see any role of climate change in the in these fires that weve seen in California recently? THE PRESIDENT: Say it. Q The role of climate change in these fires in California? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think you have a lot of factors. We have the management factor that I know Jerry has really been up on and very well. And Gavin is going to were going to be looking at it together. And right now that seems to be a very big problem. And were going to get that problem solved. In the farm bill, were putting quite a bit of money about $500 million in the farm bill for management and maintenance of the forests beyond this area. But really, management $500 million. That will be in the farm bill. We just put it in. The farm bill is moving along pretty rapidly for our great farmers. But we have a new category and thats management and maintenance of the forests. Its very important. I want to thank you folks over there. Right there. Law enforcement. Great. Great job. (Applause.) Q Does seeing this devastation, though, change your opinion at all on climate change, Mr. President? THE PRESIDENT: No. No. I have a strong opinion. I want great climate. Were going to have that. And were going to have forests that are very safe because we cant go through this every year. We go through this and were going to have safe forests. And thats happening as we speak as we speak. Q You said the fire you said there needs to be changes with fire management. Should the state and local officials have done (inaudible)? THE PRESIDENT: No, were going to work together with the federal government. No state, local, and federal government. Federal government is going to work with the state and local, and were going to help them with funding. And were going to take its going to take a lot of funding, I will tell you that. Q Should they have done things differently before this point? THE PRESIDENT: A lot of things have been learned. A lot of things have been learned. And theyve been working very hard and I think youre going to see something very spectacular over the next number of years. GOVERNOR BROWN: I think if you really look at the facts, through a very open point of view, there are a lot of elements to be considered. And the President came, he saw, and Im looking forward over the next months and even beyond to really understand this threat of fire, the whole matter of drought, and all the rest of it. And its not one thing; its a lot of things. I think if we just open our minds and look at things, well get more stuff done. THE PRESIDENT: Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Double Rainbow Downtown Sonora View Photos A major change in the weather pattern is coming to Northern California this week, which will impact holiday travel. A series of winter like storms will plow through the Northern San Joaquin Valley and the Mother Lode later this week, bringing rain and mountain snow to the region. The first system is set to arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday. Roadways will likely be slick due to previous stretches of drier weather, so motorists should be mindful when traveling, especially Wednesday into Thursday morning. As rainfall accumulates over the holiday weekend, ponding water will be possible where storm drains have been clogged by leaves and other debris. Debris flows over any of the recent fires will also become a major concern. Up in the Sierra Nevada, accumulating snow is forecast with travel difficulties likely starting Wednesday afternoon and continuing through Saturday. Gusty winds and accumulating snow will make for treacherous conditions over the mountains with whiteout conditions being possible at the passes Thursday into Friday. Until then, the Air Quality Alert will continue to remain in effect for Tuolumne and Mariposa counties, due to smoke impacts from surrounding wildfires. Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis and increase the risk of respiratory infections. Residents are advised to use caution as conditions warrant. People with heart or lung diseases should follow their doctor`s advice for dealing with episodes of unhealthy air quality. Additionally, older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure, strenuous activities or heavy exertion, as conditions dictate. The campus of the University of Incarnate Word came alive with thousands of twinkling lights as the university ushered in the Christmas season with their annual holiday tradition, Light the Way. The campus was packed for the event, which also had live music and food trucks for attendees. Forty years ago, Charles Krause lay on the tarmac of a remote jungle airstrip in Guyana, shot in the hip, holding still and pretending to be dead. A Washington Post foreign correspondent at the time, Krause had come to South America along with California congressman Leo Ryan and his entourage to visit a remote cult compound known as Jonestown. Ryan had constituents who had joined the agricultural commune following the charismatic, self-titled Rev. Jim Jones and his California-based Peoples Temple. After hearing reports from concerned family members - who claimed that temple members were held there against their will, assaulted and abused - the congressman decided to fly down to investigate, accompanied by several members of the press. But Jones had no intention of allowing the visitors to leave and dispatched several of his armed followers on a flatbed truck to stop Ryan's plane. What followed - the assassination of Ryan and the murder of four others at the airfield, and the mass murder-suicide of more than 900 Peoples Temple followers, including hundreds of children forced to drink cyanide-laced grape-flavored punch - would reverberate across the world and leave an indelible mark on American culture. Despite his own injury, Krause kept reporting on Jonestown in the days after, filing detailed reports as the first journalist allowed to return to the gruesome site. He later wrote a best-selling book, "Guyana Massacre: The Eyewitness Account." Krause, 71, who now runs The Center for Contemporary Political Art in Northwest Washington, recently spoke with The Post ahead of the Nov. 18 anniversary of the massacre about his recollections and the lasting lessons of Jonestown. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: You've written so much about Jonestown over the years. All this time later, are there still certain moments that stand out most vividly in your mind? A: When I first went back, I was looking for some of the people who I remembered were on that flatbed truck. At that point, the bodies were there, but they didn't realize that they were stacked on top of each other. So they had counted about 450 people who were dead, but they were missing close to 500 or something. And so we didn't know where they were ... I didn't find any of them actually. But it turned out that most everybody was killed. Q: You spent time with Peoples Temple members just days before they were killed. Were there any people you met who made a lasting impression? A: There were two, a brother and a sister. When we finally got there, each of us was greeted by someone who would come up to us and say, "Hi, I want to welcome you to Jonestown." And it turned out that my minders, that's what they were, were a brother and sister. Their last name was Tropp. Their backgrounds were virtually identical to mine. They were both white, Jewish, both had been educated at Ivy League schools, and we really had a lot in common. They had done their research, and they figured out who would present the best case for Jonestown. And I must say, they did. Even after everything happened, I still, because of them, I still have certain doubts. I mean some of the things that were going on there were actually good, if it hadn't been for the psychosis of one man and the trap he led them into. The Tropps weren't there because they believed in miracles or snake oil. They were there because they believed it was a socialist community and a place where different races and religions could be together. Q: What has it been like for you to process what you experienced and witnessed at Jonestown? A: One of the things that I continue to wonder about is: Why did I survive? I was right next to the congressman, and they were shooting at him for sure. I wasn't a principal target, but they certainly were there to kill everybody they could. But why did I survive it? And that is a question that has haunted me all my life. You know, there must be a reason. And what I've decided is that that reason is for me to continue to try to do what I can to try to make this world a little bit better. I guess I realized at that point that you have to live your life fully, and you can't postpone everything until tomorrow, because tomorrow you may not be here. Q: We now have generations of people who are too young to remember Jonestown, and are more familiar with derivative pop-culture references - like the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid" - than the facts of the tragedy itself. But even that phrase isn't true to what happened, right? A: Right. I remember very distinctly, about three weeks after all of it, I heard from the president of Kool-Aid - and I was afraid, you know, are we going to start with a lawsuit and all of this? But it was just a very nice note saying, 'Look, we just wanted you to know that as it turns out it wasn't Kool-Aid, but we understand that Kool-Aid is sort of generic for all kinds of flavored drinks, and we wish you well.' Apparently, it was Flavor Aid. But regardless, it was mixed with cyanide - and no, people didn't take it voluntarily. In fact, there is a recording that exists, and you can hear the people asking, "Why are we doing this - do we really have to do this?" And then they had men with guns. So they really didn't have much of a choice. And the children didn't have a choice. Q: What do you think are the lessons of Jonestown, what it ultimately taught us about who we are? A: I'm not sure, frankly, that, at the time, the real lessons of Jonestown were very clear. You know, people focused on the mass suicide-murder, the bodies. Anyone who was alive at that time, it was a very striking image, and people may even remember Jim Jones because there was something about him that was frightening. But the real lesson of Jonestown, and I wish our country had understood this: These people followed someone who led them to destruction. They believed in this guy. He lied to them. He cheated. He was involved with the sexual abuse of boys and girls in his temple. He took their money. He really enslaved them. And then he betrayed them, and then he led them to their deaths. I wish we had learned to be more cautious about following people who promise things and then betray the trust that people have given them. And I just hope that it doesn't happen again. Q: Forty years later, in a world that has changed in so many ways, do you think this sort of thing could happen again? A: Yes, there is the potential for it to happen again. It has happened again a number of times. We've had Waco, and we've had other incidents where it's not as many people, but it's the same sort of situation. I feel strongly that we need to be more skeptical about political or religious leaders who promise things, who seem to be hypocritical, who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Alamo Heights school officials have released the identities of the 5-year-old boy and his 67-year-old grandmother who died late Sunday in a house fire. Howard Early Childhood Center Principal Susan Peery identified the two victims as Luke and Joanne Cyr. Luke was a student at the Alamo Heights ISD school and Joanne was his grandmother and guardian, she said. "After speaking with Luke's godmother, she said they were in heaven," Peery said. "The firemen said they died in their sleep and went peacefully. She was so thankful that they attended church together yesterday and Luke received his birthday blessing. He had a very happy day." Firefighters responded to the blaze at about 10:25 p.m. at a home in the 200 block of Inslee Avenue. Heavy smoke was showing from the back of the house when they arrived. The home did not have working smoke detectors, officials said. RELATED: Where SAPD found 39 credit card skimmers in October They were able to get Luke and Joanne Cyr out of the home, and paramedics took them to San Antonio Military Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. First responders from Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and San Antonio responded to the scene. "I have attempted to call each staff member who worked directly with Luke, and our hearts are heavy at this news," Peery said. "We are all still working through how to best support the family, you, and other children and families at Howard." Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdowns A drive-by shooting led to a car wreck and left one woman with bullet holes in her vehicle Monday, according to San Antonio police. The woman pulled into Fire Station No. 27 in the 1500 block of Hillcrest to report the shooting shortly after 2 p.m. The man who was fatally shot at a Southwest Side taqueria was in a dispute with his ex's new boyfriend moments before he was killed, according to police. Francisco Jabier Velasquez, 33, was arrested Monday on suspicion of murder, jail records showed. He's accused of shooting Carlos Valdez, 37, at Taqueria La Estrella near Southwest Loop 410 on Sunday. Gina Ortiz Jones has conceded her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Will Hurd in Congress, marking the end of a closely-watched race that likely will be decided by less than 1,000 votes. While we came up short this time, we ran a race of which we can be proud, Jones, a Democrat, said Monday. I remain committed to serving my community and country, and I wish Will Hurd the courage to fight for TX-23 in the way in which our district deserves. Hurds victory secures his third term representing Congressional District 23, which sprawls from San Antonio to El Paso County and for years was one of the few swing seats in Texas. "I want to thank my opponent and her supporters for engaging in the democratic process. To thrive, our democracy needs a vigorous competition of ideas, and whether you voted for me or not, I will need your help, Hurd said Monday. To the residents of TX-23, thank you for giving me something that hasn't happened in over a decade, the privilege of representing you for a third term. I will continue fighting for you every day in Congress." The congressman is no stranger to close calls he won his previous two elections by 1.3 and 2.1 percentage points but this year was his tightest margin. He leads by roughly half of a percentage point. The race between two former spies became a political roller coaster when the result flipped twice in the early-morning hours after election night. Hurd appeared ready to coast to a relatively comfortable victory, and The Associated Press called the race for him around 11 p.m. But around 2:30 a.m., results on the secretary of states website showed Ortiz Jones pulling off a come-from-behind upset by less than 300 votes. Officials later said that was due to a reporting error in Medina County. The correction gave the lead back to Hurd one he wouldnt relinquish again. Jones vowed after that to ensure all outstanding votes were counted, hoping absentee and provisional ballots would lift her back into the lead. Her campaign pursued the effort doggedly, leading to clashes with state and local election officials, one of which was resolved in a Bexar County courtroom. Theyre beating me up, Bexar Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said at the time. Jones camp had been trying to force Callanen to release a list of provisional voters, but the official said that list was not yet public record an assertion validated by a state district judge. In the end, there werent enough outstanding ballots for Jones to catch up. Over the weekend, the Hurd campaign said their lead remained around 900 votes with just six ballots uncounted. The Democrat is well within the margin to request a recount, but she evidently declined to do so. Many of the counties in the districts use electronic voting machines that dont produce a paper record of each vote. Jones was able to cut into Hurds margins in Bexar County, which he carried by around 14,000 votes in 2016 and 9,000 votes in 2014. This year, he won the districts portion of Bexar by less than 5,000. But the Republican was able to rack up lopsided victories in the smaller, more rural counties. The district has 29 counties, and 24 of them produce less than 10,000 votes. Hurd won those counties by about 4,000 votes. Dylan McGuinness covers local politics and the Bexar County government for the Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 18) The Department of Education (DepEd) on Sunday clarified that the Korean language classes to be taught in some public schools in Metro Manila are just an elective and will not replace Filipino subject in the basic education curriculum. "The study of the Korean language is an elective and not part of the core subjects of around 700 learners in 10 selected junior high schools (JHS) in the National Capital Region," the agency said in a statement. DepEd said Filipino "remains to be among the core subjects in basic education, while the teaching of Panitikan in the Filipino subject serves as a springboard for discussion of grammar lessons and a way of strengthening the Filipino identity and culture." It added that Secretary Leonor Briones "consistently underscored the importance of history, culture and the arts in understanding, appreciating, and preserving the soul of Filipinos as a people." The Korean language is among the five foreign languages offered in public schools under DepEd's Special Program in Foreign Language program, which aims to "to prepare the graduates in a linguistically and culturally diverse global workspace." Other languages include Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese. The inclusion of the Korean language in the initiative was formalized in 2017 under an agreement between the Philippines and South Korea. READ: Public schools to teach Korean in high school DepEd drew ire following reports that the Korean language will be taught in Grades 7 to 12 of 10 public schools in Metro Manila this semester. The news came after the Supreme Court released a decision excluding Filipino and Panitikan (Literature) from core subjects in college. "The Department encourages the contribution of informed and fact-based opinions to the discussion instead of the proliferation of conclusions that sow seeds of confusion and disinformation," DepEd said. If almost any other member of President Donald Trumps Cabinet had sought to justify his deployment of thousands of troops to the border by talking about the threat of Mexican revolutionaries more than a century ago, it probably would have sailed right past me. Hyperbole, hysteria and convenient invocations of history are the native tongue of this administration, whose members were either fluent in it beforehand or picked it up quickly. But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who recently evoked that specter, was supposed to speak a better language. He was known to be a saner sort not just the proverbial adult in the room but the conscience amid the corruption and the barricade against disaster. I like to think that millions of American parents instructed their children to expand their bedtime prayers. Watch over Mommy. Protect Daddy. And dont let anything bad happen to Gen. Mattis. Well, something bad happened to Gen. Mattis. On Wednesday he traveled to southernmost Texas to visit those troops. The trip was a good and necessary thing. Trump, for all his lip service to venerating the military, doesnt go out of his way to mingle with or pay tribute to servicemen and servicewomen; somebody has to make them feel appreciated. But that wasnt doable without dabbling in deception, because the propping up of this president requires it. In Mattis case, it required Pancho Villa. Pancho Villa was a Mexican revolutionary who, along with hundreds of armed followers, attacked an American border town, burning houses and killing people, before retreating into Mexico, where President Woodrow Wilson ordered him pursued. I think many of you are aware that President Wilson 100 years ago a little over 100 years ago deployed the U.S. Army to the southwest border, he said. The threat then was Pancho Villas troops, a revolutionary, raiding across the border into the United States New Mexico in 1916. Interesting. Also irrelevant. Theres no Pancho Villa in the caravan of migrants proceeding north through Mexico. Before Election Day, the caravan was a Trojan horse for jihadis. Trump used such overheated imagery in an effort to activate his base. To lend credibility to this scaremongering, he dispatched the troops. Now theyre laying concertina wire when theyre not twiddling their thumbs, and Trump doesnt mention the supposed enemy heading their way. Just like that poof! the caravan ceased to be an emergency. Many journalists have noted that, correctly deeming it proof that the deployment was a baldly, cynically political move. So Mattis told the troops on the border to ignore them. Theres all sorts of stuff in the news, he said. If you read all that stuff, you know, youll go nuts. Yes, because its true. And to hint otherwise is to bolster Trumps dangerous demonization of the media and his branding of reporters as the enemy of the people. Mattis knows better. According to Bob Woodwards book Fear, he sees Trump clearly because he has seen Trump in private situations where his ignorance and recklessness were bare. Mattis compared Trumps comprehension and acuity to those of a fifth- or sixth-grader. And then he felt Trumps lash, which confirmed for him what a petty creature the president is. On 60 Minutes last month, Lesley Stahl asked Trump about Mattis future in the administration, and Trump answered dismissively: I think hes sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth. Mattis, who subsequently told reporters he doesnt belong to either political party, has stuck with Trump for what seem to be the best reasons. The president needs competent, even-keeled people around him, and theres no surfeit of A-list takers for even the administrations highest-ranking jobs. But theres a fine line between taming the president and enabling him between tempering the way he governs and implicitly validating it. To stand beside him is to signal assent. And thats what Mattis did during his visit to the troops, who no doubt yearned to hear that their presence made sense but could be told that only if Mattis lied for the president and to all of us. Its not true, as Republican strategist Rick Wilson wrote, that everything Trump touches dies. But everything wilts, at least if its in his employ long enough. Thats why Nikki Haley announced that shed leave her post as ambassador to the United Nations around the two-year mark. Miraculously, she has managed to fill a big hole in her resume without putting a big dent in her reputation, and she knows that the longer she stays, the more she tempts fate. Mattis just proved her right. Republicans who are thinking about opposing President Donald Trump in the 2020 primaries are facing the hardest of political choices. Toppling a sitting president of your own party is a maneuver with the highest degree of difficulty. The most relevant historical model is probably Eugene McCarthys race against Lyndon Johnson in 1968, which helped convince a politically wounded president to withdraw. But McCarthy had a clear policy handhold opposition to an increasingly unpopular war and appealed to a discontented element of his party. What are the handholds for a challenger to Trump? Economic conservatives are generally happy with the 2017 tax cut. Social conservatives are generally satisfied with Trumps judicial nominees (and should be). Foreign policy conservatives are generally not pleased with Trumps sabotage of alliances, his compulsive personal diplomacy and his abdication of leadership in promoting American values. But the Republican foreign policy establishment was almost uniformly opposed to Trump the last time around, and it mattered not at all. So why undertake this difficult, perhaps thankless political task? First, no political moment is permanent. After a particularly damaging new administration scandal (not unlikely) or a severe economic downturn, a hopeless quest might suddenly seem like remarkable political foresight. Or not. But no alternative to Trump can benefit from changing circumstances if he or she doesnt run in the first place. Fortune favors the slightly irrational. Second, the Robert Mueller report and a string of congressional investigations could destabilize Trumps personality in escalating and disturbing ways. The president could move against important institutions, or against the separation of powers, in a manner that causes a serious portion of the Republican electorate to reconsider its blind support. I am not holding my breath, but who could judge this impossible? Third, even in the absence of a policy handhold, there are elements within the GOP that seem open to a counter-Trump message. In one recent poll, 16 percent of Republicans prefer for Trump to be a one-term president. On the evidence of the midterm, this discontent skews young and female. Many of these voters, presumably, are less focused on Trumps tax policy, and more on his racism and misogyny. It is at least a place to start. At this stage of the 2020 campaign, the Republican case against Trump is not mainly about policy or ideology (though it could be eventually). It is not primarily about his ignorance and refusal to learn and improve at his job (though that is concerning). The main Republican argument against Trump is this: He is a person of horrible character who corrupts everyone around him, undermines essential social standards and is branding his party with an image of bigotry that will last a generation. The problem with Democrats making this argument about Trumps character is simple. To abandon the president in favor of a Democrat, Republican voters are forced, not just to value public character, but to value public character above conservative economic policy and above the appointment of conservative judges. And though it pains me to say it not many Republicans place that much weight on matters of character. They will take Trump plus Justice Brett Kavanaugh over any Democrat of unimpeachable integrity. If, however, any of the serious Republican prospects Nikki Haley, Jeff Flake, Bob Coker, Mitt Romney or John Kasich run against Trump, Republican primary voters will face the challenge: Why not conservative policy and public character? This is the main reason that some Republican on that list (or some talented candidate still unknown) must run. There needs to be an alternative focus of intellectual energy and moral leadership in Americas party of the right. This is what a presidential campaign successful or not can accomplish. To those who say it is useless to protest the direction of the GOP, a campaign embodies the reply: Well, I protest anyway. To those who say that traditional conservatism is a lost cause, it represents the answer: Not to me. To those who claim that the effort cant succeed, it says: Lets deserve success first, then see where honorable effort leads us. At some point, there must be a limit to political calculation. History has an honor roll of those who show seemingly futile courage. Someone on the American right must contend that racism and sexism violate the promise at the heart of America. Someone must be offended when national ideals are debased by cruelty and corruption. Someone must be willing to defy good political sense in a great political cause. michaelgerson@washpost.com OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has reportedly triggered a fresh bid to elbow out senior party leaders suspected of plotting to challenge him for the party presidency at congress next year, NewsDay has learnt. Insiders said Chamisa has called for extra-ordinary meetings of the national standing committee, national executive and national council this week at which he is mulling a push for the suspension of secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and vice-president Elias Mudzuri, cited as two leading contenders for his position at the elective congress slated for next year. The opposition party was expected to go to congress next February, but the elective indaba reportedly now hangs in the balance amid reports that Chamisa wants it pushed to around October, as he seeks to consolidate his position at the top and buy time to deal with his challengers. The standing committee, national executive and national council were expected to meet for the last time this year on December 15 or thereabouts, but the president (Chamisa) has called for extra-ordinary meetings of these key structures next week (this week), NewsDay heard. There will be a meeting of the standing committee on Wednesday; the national executive could meet on the same day or Thursday before a national council meeting likely on Friday. The main agenda of the meetings is to push for the suspension of Mudzuri and Mwonzora basically because internally, they have indicated their wish to challenge the president. Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume confirmed the meetings, but, however, said they had been called to discuss pressing national issues. These are meetings that were discussed at last weeks standing committee meeting and the agenda is known by all leaders. We will not discuss anything that is not on the agenda. We are in a situation where the countrys security sector has adopted a mindset that characterises the opposition as a rebel organisation with parallel military structures, Mafume said. It is an alarming and scary mindset and as an opposition party we cannot afford to ignore that. Sources said Chamisa wants to use anger among his supporters stocked by reports that Mwonzora and Mudzuri approached Chief Justice Luke Malaba and offered him an apology for the raucous behaviour displayed by opposition MPs during the official opening of the Eighth Parliament in September. Mudzuri and Mwonzora apologised to the CJ, but this without Chamisas blessing and he is very angry with it. The issue was further complicated by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda officially noting the apology, but then requesting it in writing at a meeting of the Standing Orders and Rules Committee, NewsDay heard. Contacted for comment, Mudenda curtly said: I dont know about that (apology). The Speaker would have received an apology from who? I dont know about it. Walter Chikwanha, the Judicial Service Commission secretary, was not available for comment yesterday, but a few weeks ago indicated he wanted to consult Malaba on the matter. Chamisas supporters have reportedly been using this to have Mwonzora and Mudzuri sanctioned, but to no avail for now. The MDC leaders spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda, while not directly confirming the issue, said Mwonzora and Mudzuri would be better placed to talk about it. This is an issue that the two leaders (Mwonzora and Mudzuri) have been given clearance to publicly make comments on. The president (Chamisa) is not commenting because it would appear that he is publicly pitting himself against senior leaders in the party, Sibanda said. Both Mudzuri and Mwonzora were not available for comment yesterday, but the former Harare mayor last month did not deny he had met Malaba and apologised. That issue has not been made official or public. It will be made public, just be patient a bit, Mudzuri said then. Mwonzora, however, told a rally in Mutoko on Saturday that he would make a pronouncement on whether he will challenge Chamisa at the right time. Let me say this as the secretary-general, there are some people who are spreading lies that so and so are fighting, or this one wants to take over from this one. We have a president called Chamisa. As a secretary-general, I work under his leadership. Be wary of Zanu PF infiltration to destabilise the party, Mwonzora said. It is not the time. I have not sent any person to campaign for me. I will speak for myself. The Manicaland Senator, however, said party members were free to challenge for any position, as long as they have the support, but warned it is illegal to canvass for support before the congress dates are announced. Sibanda claimed the ruling Zanu PF party was behind the narrative around the push for the two senior leaders ouster plot. This is a narrative being created by Zanu PF. This is a discourse from the enemy who would want to divert attention from the issues that the president is dealing with, Sibanda said. Mafume added that the MDC congress was only due next October, dismissing reports that it would be held in February. It is an argument based on an interpretation of the constitution. But that provision only applies to an acting president, who would have been in place for one year. We do not have an acting president, because our current leader was given the mandate to complete his predecessors term. So congress is due at the latest in October 2019, he said. This is not the first time that Chamisa has tried to have Mwonzora, in particular, fired from the party. Early this year, a motion moved by his acolytes was reportedly only stopped after party youths from the notorious Vanguard jumped to the party secretary-generals side during a stormy meeting. Sibanda defended his boss and declared he was willing to be challenged. The president is a democrat, will remain a democrat and all insinuations that he is against democratic processes is frankly infuriating, he said, adding Chamisa was aware of a plot to exclude him from politics by claiming he is excluding others. Mudzuri and Chamisas rivalry dates back to the MDC-T 2011 congress in Bulawayo, where the latter waylaid the former Harare mayor for the position of national organising secretary. Chamisa was at the time party spokesperson, while Mudzuri was riding the crest of a wave after fronting the opposition partys 2008 hugely successful campaign, but then lost to his younger counterpart. Mudzuri also opposed Chamisas controversial rise to power following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February this year, but chose to remain in the party, while another then vice-president Thokozani Khupe broke away. Mwonzora and Chamisa came head-to-head for the party secretary-generals position at the 2014 congress, with the former Nyanga North lawmaker winning the contest, albeit on the back of a single nomination, while his opponent had swept the board in terms of provincial endorsements. Since then, the two have become eternal enemies, party insiders said. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer based in Chiredzi who hogged the limelight in the run-up to the July 31 elections when he allegedly tweeted in support of MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa is appealing his dismissal from work after an internal disciplinary hearing. The officer, John Mahlabera, who is being represented by Advocate Collen Maboke, has since lodged an appeal to the ZPCS commissioner general Paradzai Zimondi, disputing the fairness of the verdict. Mahlabera appeared before the ZPCS disciplinary committee on Thursday, November 08, where he pleaded not guilty to both charges but was convicted nonetheless. On count one, Mahlabera was being accused for contravening Section 3(1) of the Prisons (staff) (discipline) Regulations of 1984 for using traitorous or disloyal words against President Emmerson Mnangagwa. On the second count, Mahlabera was accused for contravening Section 3(46) of Prisons (Staff)(Disciplinary) Regulations of 1984 for being guilty of any other act conduct disorder or neglect of duty to the prejudice of good conduct or discipline as read with Section 19(a-g) of Staff General Regulations of 1968. Maboke told TellZim News his client was still waiting for a response from Zimondi. We have successfully filed an appeal to Commissioner General Zimondi and we are now waiting for the response, said Maboke. Mahlabera was dismissed for two counts of using traitorous words against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and unlawfully participating in active politics. He was called to the podium by Nelson Chamisa during his star rally at Tshovani Stadium on June 10, 2018 and promised a job on Chamisas security team if he wanted. ZPCS argued that prior to that, Mahlabera had tweeted in a manner that seemed to recognise Chamisa as the President thereby undermining Mnangagwa. TellZim Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Law enforcement agents are on high alert following a recent spate of armed robberies and heinous rape incidents around the country including in the capital, Harare where a gang of rogue taxi drivers is terrorising women, the Daily News can report. This comes as police in Manicaland have engaged their Mozambican counterparts, in a desperate bid to stem the growing scourge of armed robberies and rape cases in the eastern border city of Mutare suspected to involve criminals from the neighbouring country. In one of the recent incidents in Harare, a woman who had hired a taxi was murdered and dumped near her residence in Eastlea, while another lady survived attempts to kill her by robbers who accosted her near Newlands Shopping Centre. And in similar cases in Bulawayo, three women were also gang-raped after being robbed of their valuables. Police spokesperson Charity Charamba confirmed the cases and the upsurge in armed robberies around the country, adding that authorities were closing in on the criminals. She also revealed that some of the criminals involved were nationals of neighbouring countries citing the case of armed robbers who had travelled all the way from South Africa to rob people in Bindura recently. Its unfortunate that we have had several cases of women victims recently, but the robbers are targeting anyone and not just females and they are even roping in female accomplices in their criminal activities. We are appealing to the public to be proactive and to assist us with any information that can help us with our investigations. We also urge people to use regular transport like registered commuter omnibuses, not the mushika shikas, and to also avoid walking in secluded places where they can be victimised, Charamba told the Daily News yesterday. Rabison Shumba, a heart-broken motivational speaker and mentor to one of the deceased Harare victims revealed the tragic circumstances under which his mentee lost her life. Pru (full name of the deceased withheld) was coming from work when she was murdered in cold blood. We heard that she boarded a taxi which diverted its route. She was pepper sprayed, stabbed and dumped in Eastlea after the murderers stole her possessions. Another lady (name also withheld) also encountered a similar incident but was fortunate enough to survive, Shumba said. A Harare woman who recently fell victim to the criminals, Anna Zvidzayi, told the Daily News that she was robbed after she hired a white Honda Fit taxi in the central business district. We started the trip well and the driver asked if he could pick up his brother at the corner of Third Street and Herbert Chitepo, and I agreed as I didnt suspect anything. He picked up this other man, who was already waiting and I asked them to drop me at the corner of Fifth Street and Herbert Chitepo. But they refused and closed the windows. They threatened me with knives and held me hostage until we reached Newlands where they took my phone and handbag, and drove away leaving me with nothing, Zvidzayi said of her scary ordeal. Another lady, Laticia Chinhete, said she had suffered multiple knife wounds after she was robbed by a taxi driver who had a female accomplice with him who had been disguised as a passenger. She said after being attacked viciously, she was pushed out of the moving car along Sam Nujoma Street. The Daily News was also told of an attempted kidnapping case in Marbelreign where another Honda Fit taxi was involved and had been foiled by alert passers-by. The growing attacks on women have triggered concerns that the situation is getting out of hand, with pressure groups challenging police to bring all the perpetrators to book expeditiously. Shamwari yeMwanasikana director Eke Chifamba said the incidents exposed how vulnerable women had become in Zimbabwe. The events of the past few weeks have been really disheartening for us women Its clear that women are being targeted in all cases and it makes us feel very unsafe. We are calling on all the relevant authorities to take urgent action and to ensure that women are safe in the spaces that they are occupying everywhere, Chifamba said. Taxi drivers plying routes in the Harare city centre said while the incidents were bad for their business, people also needed to be cautious when hiring taxis. Most of the taxis that are doing this are usually found at bars and night clubs. Its important that women have regular taxi drivers in order for them to be safe from these criminals. We have also seen bogus policemen in uniforms who pretend to either be the taxi driver or passengers in a taxi, consequently leading to the robbing of the public, said cab driver Marlon Muwengwa. Meanwhile, the local edition of the Sunday Times of South Africa has also reported that residents in affluent suburbs of Mutare were living in fear, amid a spate of armed robberies. The suburbs of Morningside, Greenside, Beira Corridor, Palmerston, Darlington and Borderview all of which are near the Mozambique border have become hot spots for machete and axe-wielding robbers. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News BUSINESSMAN Genius Ginimbi Kadungure, who spent a weekend in remand prison, has facilitated the release of 50 people who were languishing at the Harare remand prison after failing to raise bail fees ranging from $50 to $500. Ginimbi was thrown into remand prison on Friday although the state had consented to bail of $1000 as magistrate Bianca Makwande said his release was not in the interests of justice. He is being charged with fraud, money laundering and tax evasion of just over $3 million and Ginimbi was remanded to November 28 when the case resumes. On Saturday, Ginimbis legal team filed an urgent application for review in terms of s29 of High Court rules as they argue that there were irregularities of proceedings at the Magistrates court. The High Court is expected to make a ruling this afternoon. It is while he got to the remand prison that Ginimbi learnt of the challenges faced by people whose trials are yet to start but failed to secure bail money and he decided to help 50 of them. His South Africa-based PR officer, Shaleen Manhire-Nullens yesterday decided to make it public because she feels people misunderstand him. Some had stayed for about eight months because they could not raise $20 to be released on bail, the other guy for whom we paid for $500 had stayed for a good five years. Others had failed to raise between $50 and $100 and had stayed in remand for at least three months. This is something that Zimbabweans need to be aware of. There are people out there who have been away from their families for a minimum of three months because they cannot afford $20 for bail. When Genius got to know of their predicament, he decided to help them. Genuinely when he did this he was against me making it public but I think its time we talk about the good things that he is doing for society in Zimbabwe and beyond. Explaining her decision to go public, Shaleen said: It is unfortunate that people always think that when he does something good he wants to buy people, its just a PR stunt. But as his PR officer I feel it is time people get to know of this other side of Genius like in South Africa he donated R200 000 to help some students with their school fees but insisted that I do not make noise about it. Many people know Genius as a guy who shows off, a guy who loves parties and thats why I feel its time I bring out that other side of him. Its something I cannot keep quiet about. HMetro Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News How Your Field Notes, Dusty or New, Can Help Science The Wire United Nations considers a test ban on evolution-warping gene drives MIT Technology Review YOU KNOW WHAT? GO AHEAD AND USE THE HOTEL WI-FI Wired. Readers? How Local Governments Are Addressing Climate Change Mother Earth News Missing St Mark mosaic finally returns to Cyprus The Hindu El Al diverts flight after religious passengers cause uproar over Shabbat scare The Times of Israel Megafloods on Mars Carved Giant Canyons Into the Red Planet Motherboard Huge, previously unknown impact crater found beneath Greenlands ice Ars Technica Waste Watch Brexit California Burning Democrats in Disarray The Biggest Threat to Free Speech No One Is Talking About Truthdig Syraqistan Refugee Watch India Russia Class Warfare Kill Me Now 2018 Post Mortem Facebook Fracas The Punctured Myth of Sheryl Sandberg New Republic. Todays must read. Obviously her enemies have been storing up info, waiting for their chance to pounce on a wounded animal and leak, leak, leak away. But still Yes, Facebook made mistakes in 2016. But we werent the only ones. WaPo. I remind readers that to link is not to endorse and I generally leave it to the commentariat to debunk rather than impose my reading on everyone. You always come up with a range of far more interesting things to say than I could possibly think of. Tariff Tantrum Trump Transition Antidote du jour: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Jerri-Lynn here. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez has floated the eminently sensible albeit extremely modest suggestion that the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives create a a Select Committee on a Green New Deal. Thats theres any debate about this proposal at all given the crisis we face is further testament to how broken the US political system is, and how deeply corrupted are most of our politicians. As California Congressman Ro Khanna notes (according to Common Dreams): Pelosi should not only create this committee, but also appoint @ Ocasio2018 as Chair, Khanna tweeted. That is the boldness voters want. We need to shake up Congress & give the millennial generation a chance to lead. They have the most at stake re climate change. And AOC has gone even further. Not content with forcing Pelosi to honor her pledge to create the select committee, AOC is part of a group pressing her to back a plan to move to 100% renewable energy in a decade (see this account in Politico, Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal becomes flash point for Pelosi). Well see. Given what I know about how the campaign finance system works which I first started to learn beginning in the spring of 1980 as a student of Tom Ferguson and the amount of fossil fuel money sloshing around both sides of the aisle, I understand why even the modest select committee proposal isnt a slam-dunk- despite Pelosis pledge (for more details, see this Politico piece, Veteran Democrats wary of climate push by Ocasio-Cortez and her allies, also see the informative first chart in this recent Ferguson et al INET post, Big MoneyNot Political TribalismDrives US Elections, and note that only Mitch McConnell is more dependent on big money interests than is Pelosi). Im also pleased to see AOC join in the Sunrise Movement sit-in in Pelosis office. IMHO, we need less decorum in Congress and a rejection of the absurd insistence on bipartisanship as the primus inter pares cardinal virtue (a fallacy I debunked in my 2016 post, Dont Be An Obamamometer: Support Naked Capitalism and Critical Thinking). Democrats are faced with a real choice here lead on a climate change agenda, and commit to welcoming the hatred of the fossil fuel industry or continue to serve as tame lapdogs and watch the planet burn (see this account in the New Statesman discussing this choice, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal shows the radical choice facing the Democrats). And note that as another benefit, the New Statesman calls the Green New Deal the most transformative economic proposal since the Roosevelt era. Think of how that would play electorally, if the party could find a path to enacting such a program, despite the formidable institutional obstacles that currently block the way. I am certainly well aware that Trump remains President, and that the Republicans control the Senate. But Democrats will continue to languish at the polls if they continue to march to the beat set by their donors, and pursue policies that are DINO (aka,Democratic in Name Only). By Nathanael Johnson (@savortooth on Twitter), Grists senior writer and the author of Unseen City and All Natural Originally published at Grist. The young climate activists clustered into California Representative Nancy Pelosis office this week to demand a Green New Deal hadnt wasted any time. As soon as it became clear that Democrats will have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, they descended on Washington to exert whatever clout they had. The protest in Pelosis office was organized by the Sunrise Movement, a group of young people who have been pushing for climate action for a little over a year. They may have some sway with Pelosi, who issued a supportive statement while they were occupying her office on Tuesday. But with a Republican-held Senate and Donald Trump in the White House, the chances of enacting meaningful climate legislation next year are close to zero. So whats their strategy here? Varshini Prakash, Sunrises co-founder and communications director (and one of our Grist 50), said they have two objectives. First, they want all Democrats in leadership positions to stop accepting contributions from fossil fuel interests. And they want Pelosi to back something along the lines of a Green New Deal, a massive government mobilization to build a new, non-polluting, economy while also creating jobs. Prakash said she was under no illusions about Pelosis ability to drive a climate bill through a Republican-controlled Senate, but she believes both of the groups objectives could still be satisfied. Politicians dont need anyones permission to stop taking oil money, and Democrats could set up a select committee in the House to begin laying the groundwork for a massive climate jobs program. As it happens, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the newly elected Representative from New York, joined the protesters outside Pelosis office, and has already proposed such a committee. House Democrats need to start hammering out policy now, Prakash said, so that they will have strong legislation to pass when climate-conscious politicians take the Senate. In the meantime, Sunrise will be building a campaign to elect politicians who will support their cause at both the state and federal level. This is definitely not a one-off event, she said. In a statement, Pelosi said she welcomed the presence of these activists and noted that she has already recommended reviving a select committee on climate change, which Republicans disbanded when they took the House in 2011. Thats not enough for Prakash. The old committee was toothless, she said It had no funding and no ability to put forward legislation its purpose was to make connections and raise awareness. The time for messaging to the public about climate change is over, we need action. Pelosis office had no comment when we requested a response, but Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, told reporters that even Pelosis proposal for a select committee goes too far. Its unnecessary, Pallone said, because the environmental policy committee he is expected to lead can handle the job. In her statement, Pelosi said that many Democrats had campaigned on something that looks very much like a Green New Deal. House Democrats ran on and won on our bold campaign for a $1 trillion investment in our infrastructure that will make our communities more resilient to the climate crisis, while creating 16 million new good-paying jobs across the country. Environmental journalist Mark Hertsgaard, who might have been the first person to use the term Green New Deal back in 1998, said Pelosi needs to embrace the rhetoric of young activists if she wants this idea to take fire. The next step is to get Pelosi to use those words, Green New Deal, Hertsgaard said. Shes already on board, but her statement about 16 million jobs and $1 billion investment in infrastructure, thats policy wonk talk out of Washington.The average person can understand what a Green New Deal is. On Tuesday, 20 November 2018, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will attend the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union where he will deliver remarks. Media Advisory 09:45 The Secretary General will meet the press upon arrival at the European Council Europa Building The doorstep will be streamed live on the NATO website. Still and video images will be available after the event. Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg) NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller stressed the importance of Alliance unity in a keynote address to the 64th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Halifax, Canada on Monday (19 November 2018). Noting that unity among allies has underpinned Euro-Atlantic security for almost seventy years, she thanked parliamentarians for their support for NATO. She said: There is nothing stronger than this Alliance when it is united, and when our publics are behind it. In that, your support is essential. Ms. Gottemoeller acknowledged that the bonds that unite us are under strain, pointing to serious differences on issues like trade, climate change and the Iran nuclear deal. However, she underlined that differences of view are normal among friends and Allies, and have been overcome before. Pointing to the Suez Crisis, Frances departure from the NATO command structure in the 1960s, and the Iraq War in the early 2000s, she said despite all of this, when it came to the crunch, when it came to our commitment to stand together and protect each other, we remained united. The Deputy Secretary General raised NATOs recent Exercise Trident Juncture as an example of Allies and partners working together for collective security. She also welcomed recent increases in defence spending among Canada and European Allies, amounting to an additional $87 billion since 2014. Turning to current security challenges, Ms. Gottemoeller highlighted serious concerns over Russias compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Noting that Allies first raised concerns that Russia might be in violation several years ago, she said at the time, Russia categorically denied developing a new missile. Now they have finally admitted that it does exist. And this new weapons system has placed the INF Treaty at serious risk. If a treaty is only respected by one party, it cannot effectively keep us safe. Signed in 1987 by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF Treaty eliminated an entire category of weapons. Now is the time for dialogue, said Ms. Gottemoeller, but it is also time for action by Russia to allay our very serious concerns. Previewing next months meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, the Deputy Secretary General noted that the INF Treaty will be discussed, as well as burden sharing, NATOs training efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and current developments in the Western Balkans. Ms. Gottemoeller is concluding a three day visit to Canada. On Saturday and Sunday, she participated in the Halifax International Security Forum, along with Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chairman of NATOs Military Committee. While in Halifax, Ms. Gottemoeller also had a series of bilateral meetings, including with Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and a US Congressional delegation. Iron Wolf 2018, a Lithuanian-led multinational exercise, wrapped up in Pabrade on Monday (19 November 2018), with a live-fire demonstration. The exercise, which began on 4 November, mobilised around 3,500 troops from 13 NATO Allies and partner nation Ukraine. It provided an opportunity for forces to enhance their readiness, and train with one of four NATO battlegroups in the region. The exercise was designed to test the battlegroups readiness to plan and conduct defensive operations, together with a battalion of the Lithuanian Iron Wolf Brigade. The battlegroup also tested its military mobility en route to the exercise. In less than 24 hours, 10 convoys with around 350 vehicles deployed from their garrison to the exercise. Around 1,400 soldiers from six nations were involved. This was the largest single movement of military vehicles Lithuania has seen for years. "We conduct exercise Iron Wolf to train and evaluate the ability of our units to quickly redeploy forces to any place in Lithuania and to carry out multinational defensive operations. This is the biggest exercise this semester together with our allies. We will train mobility, the ability to quickly reach any area to defend it against any enemy in the territory in Lithuania," said Colonel Mindaugas Steponavicius, Commander of the Lithuanian Mechanized Infantry Iron Wolf Brigade. Meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis in Brussels today, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Lithuania for hosting the exercise. Such exercises are part of the Alliances strengthened defence and deterrence, he said. (As delivered) Prime Minister Skvernelis, its a pleasure to welcome you to NATO and to the new NATO HQ and the new building. We have just had an excellent meeting where we talked about the security situation we face and how NATO continues to adapt. So Prime Minister, I really appreciate your strong personal commitment to NATO. And I also want to thank Lithuania for its valuable contributions to the Alliance. Your troops help build security in Afghanistan and in Kosovo. Lithuania is host nation to NATOs multinational battlegroup in Lithuania, boosting our defence and deterrence. And you share expertise on energy security through the NATO Centre of Excellence in Vilnius. Lithuania also leads by example on defence spending. Investing in major equipment. And committing to spend 2% of GDP on defence this year. So Lithuanias support for NATO is strong. And NATOs support for Lithuania is just as strong. Allied jets keep your skies safe. Allied ships keep the Baltic Sea secure. And NATOs battlegroups in the region prevent conflict and preserve the peace. This shows the strength and unity of our Alliance. Forces from Europe and North America standing together, defending each other. Today, Lithuania is leading exercise Iron Wolf. Bringing together thirteen Allies, providing training for one of our four battlegroups in the region. I want to thank you for hosting this exercise, giving NATO troops the chance to train together and to test our military mobility. Such exercises are part of the Alliances strengthened defence and deterrence. We are also working to raise the readiness of our forces. To increase our ability to move them across the Atlantic and within Europe. And to modernise our command structure. So that it will remain able to deal with the threats we face. Prime Minister, this year, Lithuania celebrates one hundred years of independence. And as we see, Lithuania is in NATO, and NATO is in Lithuania. NATO safeguards your independence and your security. As it does for every Ally. So once again, welcome, its a great honour to have you here and its great to be able to show you the new NATO Headquarters. Welcome. [Remarks by the Prime Minister of Lithuania] Q (Belarus TV): Some days ago, the former head of NATO, Mr. Rasmussen, said that after Ukraine and Georgia, NATO is ready to admit Belarus, but for this its necessary to change the power and leadership in this countryfor democratic. Does NATO share this position? How do you comment on this statement? Secretary General: I will not speculate about that. We are now in a very close partnership with Georgia and Ukraine. Georgia is a close partner we have worked with for many years. Also Ukraine. And I will not speculate about what may happen after we have addressed the issue of membership related to these two countries. We have strong statements and positions on that from several NATO Summits and I dont have anything to add to what we have said about that earlier. Prime Minister of Lithuania: I believe that this is the matter of self-determination of each sovereign state. Georgia and Ukraine have made up their minds to follow this direction and we have to support this independent aspiration of these sovereign states to become members of NATO. As regards Belarus, if the state makes up its mind at any time, then probably it would apply and then we would consider. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis to NATO Headquarters on Monday (19 November 2018). The two leaders met to discuss NATOs continuing adaptation to the security situation in Europe. The Secretary General praised Lithuanias contributions to NATO missions, commitment to defence spending and expertise on energy security. He also thanked Lithuania for hosting exercise Iron Wolf 2018, bringing together thirteen Allies and providing training for one of four NATO battlegroups in the region. Read the transcript of the press point here. (Natural News) A former executive for Pfizer, recently tasked with joining HHS to help reduce the prices of Big Pharmas monopoly prescription medications, was found bludgeoned to death outside his Washington D.C. apartment. Local police ruled the death of Daniel Best a suicide, raising immediate questions about how an individual can bludgeon himself to death with multiple blows. The citys Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday said Best died from multiple blunt force injuries and it ruled his death a suicide. It would not release further information, reports Cleveland.com. The news website also reports: In announcing his death, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the 49-year-old former CVSHealth and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals executive agreed to work at HHS out of a desire to serve the American people by making health care more affordable. Obviously a murder and a cover-up Not everybody is buying the official explanation. The Chief Medical Examiners verdict raised questions among the health community, with many people refusing to believe Best killed himself by repeatedly hitting himself with a blunt object until he died, reports NeoNettle.com. NeoNettle also reports: According to Washington, D.C. Police, Best was found unresponsive near the garage door exit of an apartment building in D.C.s Navy Yard neighborhood at 5:25 a.m. on November 1, and was pronounced dead by medical personnel who responded to the scene. To believe that Daniel Best murdered himself strains any shred of credibility. If a man wanted to kill himself, why would he attempt to do it with a blunt object requiring multiple strikes? And why would he choose to do it just outside the garage exit door of an apartment complex rather than inside his own living room? We must also consider who stands to benefit from interfering with a process that might end Big Pharmas drug price monopoly. The corrupt pharmaceutical industry, which routinely bribes doctors, pushes fake science and uses human beings as guinea pigs for medical experiments, also murders children with toxic vaccines. (Over 100,000 U.S. children are maimed or killed by vaccines each year.) Why would they hesitate to kill one man who might stand in their way of continued ridiculous profits? This is another big reason why all those who criticize Big Pharma should carry one or more concealed firearms (and be prepared to fire at multiple attackers as needed). Yes, the drug cartels literally have people murdered. Ive been death-threated so many times, Ive lost count Why Big Pharma is willing to murder people to protect its scandalous profit model Big Pharma is a functioning drug cartel that enjoys anti-free market monopoly protections enforced by corrupt FDA and FTC regulators. The purpose of the pharmaceutical industrys entire existence is to extract the maximum amount of money from the U.S. economy by pretending to make sick people healthier through the widespread consumption of high-profit pharmaceutical medications. However, the profit model of the industry is almost entirely based on convincing healthy people they need lifelong medications to be healthy. This requires, of course, the marketing of disease that scares people into thinking they need drugs for completely normal physiological conditions (such as feeling depressed from time to time, which is a normal human experience). The more medications people take, the sicker they become, requiring yet more secondary medications to treat the negative health symptoms caused by the primary medications. The real profit model of the pharmaceutical industry is to keep people sick, then charge them monopoly prices for dangerous medications that utterly fail to achieve any lasting improvement in health. Any effort to reduce drug prices or monopoly profits will be met with extreme resistance and perhaps acts of murder funded by the industry itself. The statin drug / cholesterol scam, all by itself, is a multi-decade long quack science medical scam that has extracted nearly half a trillion dollars from the world economy by pretending that cholesterol is a disease. In truth, statin drugs cause accelerated aging, brain damage, diabetes, extreme muscle fatigue and a long list of other serious health complications that demand further medication. Thats why statin drugs are known as gateway drugs that ultimately recruit lifelong patients to boost Big Pharmas profits. Theres also zero evidence that statin drugs improve patient survival at all. The entire sham is rooted in utterly faked science, ghost-written science papers, the bribery of regulatory officials and the incessant propaganda indoctrination of med schools with Big Pharma brainwashing materials. Statin-pushing quacks like Steven Nissen have been exposed for extreme conflicts of interest, drug prostitution and science denialism. If you dont realize that Big Pharma murders people to profit its profits, you have no idea what Big Pharma really is. Their entire business model is based on human suffering, exploitation and death. Read more news about the evils of Big Pharma at BigPharmaNews.com. (Natural News) Just like everyone else, the construction industry is turning to automation. A new report on Bloomberg.com notes that modular factories are saving American developers both time and money while filling in the labor gap. An example the authors of the article give, is Baltimore-based Blueprint Robotics which builds homes on an assembly line, similar to what our grandparents did with cars. While the robots can drill holes and speed up the process, human operators are still needed to place the electrical boxes and pipes in the right places. This has to be the wave of the future, a consultant says in the article. Its a win-win situation, according to industry analysts. The robots may be more precise than human workers but they still require well-trained electricians and plumbers to consolidate everything. Jerry Smalley, Chief Executive Officer of Blueprint, says that the companys machines are even creating opportunities for professionals who would not otherwise be a part of the construction industry. In true assembly fashion, the modular factory has various production floors, with workers operating machines that perform specific functions. Traditional construction education is not required. In fact, one worker in the Baltimore company, Cyndicy Yarborough once a Walmart clerk with no background in construction finds her place in the company after only taking a free, six-month course on computer numerical control machines, which is available only to unemployed or low-income adults. This is a huge sigh of relief for many workers who fear their jobs will soon be lost to automation robots. You dont need to have a background in construction Workers in places such as rural Pennsylvania, where labor costs are cheap, could soon find themselves employed. Developers are now building their factories to manufacture homes in sections which are then transported on trucks and laid down on foundations by cranes. Fast-growing cities such as Denver and Nashville, Tennessee are now looking at modular factories to address their growing demand for apartments. Vice President of the Champion Homes modular division, David Reed, says, labor costs are more favorable for factory construction. Reed may have been referring to the discrepancy in worker rates in different areas. Workers in rural Pennsylvania, for example, make around $15 to $20 an hour, compared to the $50 to $100 an hour workers in New Yorks Hudson Valley or in the Washington, D.C. area make. Having these homes pre-built can not only cut construction time but provide employment opportunities for workers living in rural areas. Kris Megna, who founded Dreamline Modular Homes in 2010 mentions in the same Bloomberg.com article that, the house is 60 percent complete when it arrives, and that means 60 percent of the headaches of building are gone. Indeed, a single-family house can be delivered in six to eight weeks on average, says Myles Biggs, General Manager of Ritz-Craft Corp.s Pennsylvania construction facility. Biggs adds that the reduced time frame is due to the home being made in an indoor facility, meaning that weather delays (a typical construction challenge) are no longer a concern. Moreover, the dry, piece-by-piece process of modular building implies that each worker is given a narrow concentration. People without any background in construction can become skilled laborers in two weeks, he says. Modular factories are building better You could be driving past a modular home and not even know it, because it looks just like [the] one next door, boasts Biggs. Advancements in technology mean that todays plants are more capable of producing bigger buildings with more elaborate designs. Already multifamily dorms and hotels are being manufactured indoors. There are even suggestions that the Marriot chain of hotels is in talks with some North American developers to produce around 50 of its Select branded hotels. Late last year, Marriot opened a Fairfield Inn in Folsom California. The 97-room project was entirely built at the Guerdon Enterprises LLC plant in Boise, Idaho. There is a tempered, although admittedly optimistic, view among construction experts that the robot trend will help improve the industry. Sources include: Bloomberg.com DurabilityandDesign.com (Natural News) Now that the United Kingdom has Brexited from the European Union, Brits are no longer protected by strict E.U. food laws that prevent the import of dangerous foods like chicken meat from the United States, which is reportedly now so filthy that it has to be doused with bleach before being considered safe for consumption. Chlorine water is routinely sprayed all over U.S. chicken meat, believe it or not, as a way to destroy pathogens and other harmful compounds that are rampant in Americas disgusting factory farms. Most of Europe has much higher standards than the U.S. when it comes to rearing animals for meat production, hence why American meat typically isnt welcomed there. But now that the U.K. is independent from the E.U. governance, its apparently open game for American imports including potentially disease-ridden chicken meat that, in addition to possibly containing harmful bacteria, is loaded with bleach chemicals that are harmful to human health. Not surprisingly, there has been tremendous pushback by European activists who dont want chlorine-washed U.S. chicken consumed in their countries, reports NaturalHealth365.com. However, awareness about the horrors of factory farming is spreading across the U.S. as well. U.S. chickens are an abomination of nature While chickens were created to roam the open pastures, foraging for worms, bugs, and other tasty treats, the way theyre typically raised in America eliminates all of these necessities. Most factory farms that house chickens in the U.S. are grossly overpopulated, with chickens crammed into cages and never allowed to see natural sunlight. Such horrific living conditions cause these chickens to become stressed, diseased, and ripe for contamination. NaturalHealth365.coms Dena Schmidt calls the end product an abomination of nature, and shes exactly right. They are overweight, oversized, and live crammed together in close quarters in large warehouses, writes Schmidt about the average American chicken. Since the chickens are bred for breast meat, they become overweight and top heavy. Many are unable to even stand due to the excess weight and spend most of their lives squatting or sitting. As much as 97 percent of American chicken meat is treated with chlorine before being sold Keep in mind that this is the norm, and not the exception. Even organic chickens are raised in such conditions if not allowed access to open pastures pasture-raised being something that youll want to keep an eye out for on the label whenever purchasing chicken meat. Chances are if its on the grocery store shelf, it came from chicken raised in cages full of filth and disease. This is why as much as 97 percent of all U.S. chicken meat is now treated with chlorine before being shipped off to the supermarket for sale to the public. As pointed out by Schmidt, this is actually necessary because there are currently no restrictions on the level of urine and feces allowed in chicken meat, which means that youre probably consuming bleach sanitized product whenever you eat U.S.-based chicken meat. Another thing that makes chicken meat toxic is all of the genetically-modified (GMO) feed chickens are typically fed throughout the U.S. This fake food adds insult to injury for an already disastrous situation as it pertains to the quality and safety of American chicken meat. Eating factory farmed poultry means exposure to a veritable toxic soup of chemicals to which the birds have been exposed, she warns. The only way to avoid this is by steering clear of chicken thats grown via factory farming and instead eating organic, genuinely free-range chickens. For more news about the vileness of much of the American food supply, be sure to check out FoodSupply.news. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealth365.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) When the NY Times, Washington Post, CNN and other fact-challenged news outlets reported a few months ago that the oceans were warming at a catastrophic rate due to climate change, they all missed a glaring math error in the original science paper. The paper, co-authored by Ralph Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was published in the science journal Nature. It erroneously claimed that ocean temperatures were skyrocketing at a rate that was 60 percent higher than the IPCCs known rate of ocean temperature trends. But the paper suffered from a glaring mathematical error that has since been exposed. This erroneous conclusion was immediately seized upon by the left-wing media to claim that Trump was destroying the world by promoting fossil fuels which were causing so much warming that the world would soon come to an end. Independent climate scientist Nicholas Lewis has uncovered a major error in a recent scientific paper that was given blanket coverage in the English-speaking media, reports WattsUpWithThat.com, a fact-checking website that exposes the quack science behind global warming and climate change. The paper claimed that the oceans have been warming faster than previously thought. It was announced, in news outlets including the BBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and Scientific American that this meant that the Earth may warm even faster than currently estimated. But Nicholas Lewis, an independent mathematician who fact-checks the flawed science of the climate change propagandists, found a glaring error that renders the entire conclusion of the paper and all subsequent media reports to be completely false. As he writes on NicholasLewis.org (PDF): The findings of the Resplandy et al paper were peer reviewed and published in the worlds premier scientific journal and were given wide coverage in the English-speaking media. Despite this, a quick review of the first page of the paper was sufficient to raise doubts as to the accuracy of its results. Just a few hours of analysis and calculations, based only on published information, was sufficient to uncover apparently serious (but surely inadvertent) errors in the underlying calculations. Moreover, even if the papers results had been correct, they would not have justified its findings regarding an increase to 2.0C in the lower bound of the equilibrium climate sensitivity range and a 25% reduction in the carbon budget for 2C global warming. Because of the wide dissemination of the papers results, it is extremely important that these errors are acknowledged by the authors without delay and then corrected. Of course, it is also very important that the media outlets that unquestioningly trumpeted the papers findings now correct the record too. But perhaps that is too much to hope for. Climate change science quacks deliberately used an incorrect data fit to mislead the public with fake science scare stories about catastrophic ocean warming Although Nicholas Lewis publicly states that the glaring error in the original paper must have been inadvertent, most honest assessments of this junk science sorcery conclude that the error was deliberate deception. Climate change scientists know full well that the dishonest media will gladly report fake science as factual and true as long as it promotes their climate change disinformation agenda. They dont care if the facts check out. All they care about is whether President Trump can somehow be blamed (and Al Gore can be celebrated as a god, even though he knows nothing about real atmospheric science). Scientific facts are of zero interest to the media, which is almost entirely run by journalists who are scientifically illiterate and wouldnt know what a least squares linear trend is if their life depended on it. In my analytical lab science work, we operate with multiple-point linear and non-linear fits all the time, dealing with quadratic curve fits, linear fits that exclude zero, linear fits with forced zero, fits with 1/x bias, etc. This is all basic science, yet every single journalist in the so-called mainstream media had zero interest in finding out whether this published science paper was actually true or not. In fact, left-wing media journalists are incapable of understand real science or even numbers, for that matter. As you can see in the chart below, the red line is the dishonest linear fit pushed by the quack science media. The blue line is the correct fit using a least squares linear fit and it shows no real change at all in the trend of ocean warming: If you are a dishonest, scientifically illiterate left-wing journalist, you report the red line and scream about the end of human civilization caused by warming oceans. But if youre a normal, intelligent person, you know the blue line is actually the best fit for these data. Then again, climate alarmists arent interested in reporting any actual facts rooted in real science. Theyre only interested in terrorizing the world population with fake science while demanding everybody pay a few trillion dollars to Al Gore and his climate skimmers, who all stand to earn insane profits by charging nations for the right to produce carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, intellectually dishonest liberals flat-out refuse to examine real scientific facts on climate Further demonstrating their own intellectual dishonesty, liberals absolutely refuse to examine any real facts on so-called climate change. As famed physicist Freeman Dyson recently wrote: To any unprejudiced person reading [Goklanys] account, the facts should be obvious: that the non-climatic effects of carbon dioxide as a sustainer of wildlife and crop plants are enormously beneficial, that the possibly harmful climatic effects of carbon dioxide have been greatly exaggerated, and that the benefits clearly outweigh the possible damage. I consider myself an unprejudiced person and to me these facts are obvious. But the same facts are not obvious to the majority of scientists and politicians who consider carbon dioxide to be evil and dangerous. The people who are supposed to be experts and who claim to understand the science are precisely the people who are blind to the evidence. Those of my scientific colleagues who believe the prevailing dogma about carbon dioxide will not find Goklanys evidence convincing. I hope that a few of them will make the effort to examine the evidence in detail and see how it contradicts the prevailing dogma, but I know that the majority will remain blind. That is to me the central mystery of climate science. It is not a scientific mystery but a human mystery. How does it happen that a whole generation of scientific experts is blind to obvious facts? In this foreword I offer a tentative solution of the mystery. The climate change delusion, in other words, is a kind of irrational denialism by the scientific establishment which has destroyed its own reputation by refusing to embrace real facts. Instead, the quack scientists of climate change are pushing a political agenda and dressing it up to look like science, when in reality it isnt science at all. Dyson goes on to explain: There are many examples in the history of science of irrational beliefs promoted by famous thinkers and adopted by loyal disciples. Sometimes, as in the use of bleeding as a treatment for various diseases, irrational belief did harm to a large number of human victims. George Washington was one of the victims. Other irrational beliefs, such as the phlogiston theory of burning or the Aristotelian cosmology of circular celestial motions, only did harm by delaying the careful examination of nature. In all these cases, we see a community of people happily united in a false belief that brought leaders and followers together. Anyone who questioned the prevailing belief would upset the peace of the community. Indur Goklany has assembled a massive collection of evidence to demonstrate two facts. First, the non-climatic effects of carbon dioxide are dominant over the climatic effects and are overwhelmingly beneficial. Second, the climatic effects observed in the real world are much less damaging than the effects predicted by the climate models, and have also been frequently beneficial. I am hoping that the scientists and politicians who have been blindly demonizing carbon dioxide for 37 years will one day open their eyes and look at the evidence. Dyson is going to be waiting a very long time, of course, for scientists to open their eyes and look at the evidence. Thats because climate change has never been about the evidence. It remains solely about the political power to be found in condemning carbon dioxide as an atmospheric poison when its actually planet Earths most important life-giving nutrient for plants, forests and food crops. The climate change cultists, in other words, are not scientists. They are propagandists posing as scientists, but since their conclusions support the quack science dogma of the globalists who seek to enslave humanity under a scientific dictatorship, they go along with it. If you want to read the full report by Indur Goklany thats being described here by Freeman Dyson, you can find it at this link (PDF) from the Global Warming Policy Foundation. When scientists like Dyson find the courage to speak out against the climate change nonsense, its a sign that things are beginning to turn. Its no longer just the Health Ranger and other independent scientists who are exposing the lunacy of the climate change narrative; its now some of the most celebrated personalities in the institutions of modern science. Learn the truth about climate science at Climate.news or Science.news. While many Bay Area schools are closed this coming week for the Thanksgiving holiday, a handful of schools will be closed Monday due to poor air quality caused by smoke drifting down from the Camp Fire in Butte County. Here's a list of schools that announced closures for Monday, Nov. 19 and beyond because of the bad air: COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES Contra Costa College, San Pablo De Anza College, Cupertino Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill Dominican University Foothill College, Los Altos Holy Names University, Oakland (all week) Los Medanos College, Pittsburg Mills College, Oakland Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont Ohlone College, Fremont Saint Mary's College, Moraga San Francisco State University Santa Clara University (all week) University of California Berkeley (all week) NORTH BAY Ceremonies at an East Bay cemetery marked the mass murders and suicides 40 years ago of 900 Americans orchestrated by the Rev. Jim Jones at a jungle settlement in Guyana, South America. The remains of more than 400 Jonestown victims are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Jones' adopted son Jim Jones Jr. and other former Peoples Temple members conducted a service Sunday at granite slabs bearing names of all 918 who died in Guyana on Nov. 18, 1978. Minister Jynona Norwood, who lost 27 relatives, separately unveiled a portable memorial wall to honor more than 300 children and other victims. She left off the names of Jones and those she says assisted him. Both memorials list California Congressman Leo Ryan, three newsmen and a church defector killed by temple gunmen at an airstrip. A corrections officer at a Massachusetts prison was arrested Monday and charged as part of a scheme to smuggle opioids into the facility. Steven J. Frazier, 29, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was scheduled to appear before a magistrate on Monday afternoon. The U.S. Attorney's Office said beginning around Nov. 14, Frazer began arranging with a cooperating witness to smuggle Suboxone strips into MCI-Norfolk to sell to inmates. Suboxone is a controlled substance used to treat heroin addiction, but some addicts use it to get high. It is coveted as contraband in prisons across New England and the nation. According to court documents, around midnight Sunday, the cooperating witness met Frazer in a South Attleboro parking lot and provided him with 40 Suboxone strips, 24 pages of the synthetic cannabinoid K2 and $2,500 in cash. Federal agents arrested Frazer after the meeting, which was recorded on audio and video by law enforcement. The charge of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. What to Know A Chicago police officer and two hospital employees died in a shooting Monday at Mercy Hospital. The suspected shooter also was killed. The incident began with an altercation in the hospital parking lot, police said, where the suspect fatally shot a doctor he knew. The gunman ran into the hospital. A pharmaceutical assistant was shot in an elevator, and the officer was struck in the exchange of gunfire. A Chicago police officer, a doctor and a pharmaceutical assistant have died after being shot Monday afternoon by a gunman at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center on Chicago's South Side, officials said. The gunman also was killed, police said, though it's not clear if it was self-inflicted or by police gunfire. "It's with profound sadness that we share the death of PO Samuel Jimenez from tonight's senseless active shooter incident," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted. "Please pray for his family, his fellow officers & the entire #ChicagoPolice Department." Jimenez, from the 2nd District, joined the force in February 2017 and had just finished his probationary period as an officer, police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a Monday night press conference. He and his partner were assigned to another location when they responded to officers needing assistance. The slain doctor was identified by family members as Dr. Tamara O'Neal. She was remembered by loved ones as a dedicated physician who "loved helping people" and "had a heart of gold." "This tears at the soul of our city," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "It is the face and the consequence of evil." Johnson said the incident started in the hospital parking lot at about 3:28 p.m., during a verbal altercation between the shooter, identified Tuesday as 32-year-old Juan Lopez, and O'Neal, who he was "in a domestic relationship with." A friend tried to intervene in the argument, Johnson said, and the shooter lifted his shirt and displayed a handgun. The friend fled into the hospital, and witnesses said Lopez shot O'Neal at least six time, Johnson said. Chaotic Scene Unfolds Amid Shooting at Mercy Hospital As police arrived, Lopez fired at their squad car and then ran inside the hospital, Johnson said. Inside the medical center, Lopez exchanged gunfire with officers. During the gunfight, a pharmaceutical assistant exiting an elevator was fatally shot, Johnson said. Jimenez also was shot in the exchange and taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Hospital. He later died from his wounds. "Tonight, Officer Samuel Jimenez was shot and fatally wounded in a despicable act of violence," Johnson said in an email to police. "We are all deeply saddened by this tragic event and asked that everyone keep his family and co-workers in their thoughts and prayers." James Gray, a witness, told reporters that he saw at least one one woman shot near the hospital. James Gray, who witnessed the shooting unfold at Mercy Hospital in Chicago, describes what he saw. Police say multiple people, including a police officer and the possible gunman, were shot. He said he saw a man and a woman talking to one another when the man pulled out a gun and shot the woman. "Once he entered he just started shooting at random," Gray said. "It looked like he was turning and pointing at people at random." The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive's Chicago Field Division was responding to the scene to assist other local authorities. Wolcott High School dismissed students early Monday following the death of a beloved member of the community. The school announced the schedule change on its Facebook page following the passing of longtime baseball coach David Pelletier, described as a "truly beloved figure in the Wolcott community." "We are doing this early dismissal today in the face of incredibly sad news for Wolcott High School and the whole Wolcott community," the district's Facebook page said. The district's statement said Pelletier "had a profound impact on children of all ages through his involvement in town sports." Grief counselors will be available for students at the school and will be available districtwide tomorrow. School officials released the following statement on Pelletier's passing: "It is impossible to quantify the large, positive impact that David Pelletier had on Wolcott High School and the whole Wolcott community. Dave had a warm spirit that was genuine and that endeared him to children and adults alike. As a security aide at WHS, Dave formed many positive relationships with students that ensured them that there was an adult in the building who cared about them and that would help them with whatever problems they may have. He will be dearly missed by students and staff alike." The early dismissal started at 12:15 p.m. but students had the option to stay, talk with counselors and then depart at the normal 1:55 p.m. time. The early dismissal was only scheduled for Wolcott High School. All other schools in the district are operating on a regular schedule. A Pennsylvania man is facing numerous charges for allegedly using a blowtorch to break into six Target stores in New England and Pennsylvania and steal nearly $200,000 in Apple iPhones and iPads. According to a federal indictment, stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut were among those targeted. The U.S. Attorney's Office said 35-year-old Elijah Aiken and a second, unnamed defendant broke into numerous Target stores in order to to steal electronic devices including cell phones and tablets that he could then transport across state lines and sell for money. He and his accomplice, whose name is redacted from the court paperwork, would use a portable cutting torch to cut a hole through a metal door at the stores and steal upwards of 50 Apple iPhones, iPads and other electronic devices. He would then transport the items into New York, where he would sell them. The alleged crimes are said to have occurred between December 2014 and February 2015. Most of the burglaries happened during the early morning hours when the stores were closed. The Target stores that were robbed were located in Southington and Torrington, Connecticut, Easton and Westborough, Massachusetts, Hooksett, New Hampshire, and Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The total value of the items stolen was in excess of $180,000. The first alleged theft occurred at the Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania Target on Dec. 6, 2014. According to the indictment, Aiken and his accomplice broke into the store and stole at least 15 iPads worth $5,250 and took them to New York to sell. Four days later, they allegedly broke into the Torrington, Connecticut store, stealing approximately 50 iPads worth about $22,000. Ten days after that, they broke into the Easton, Massachusetts store and allegedly stole $64,000 worth of iPhone, iPads and other electronic devices. Another 10 days later, they allegedly stole $90,000 worth of iPhones and iPads from a Target store in Westborough, Massachusetts. Aiken and his accomplice were finally arrested on Feb. 4, 2015 after robbing a Target in Southington, Connecticut when police found them hiding in the snow nearby. Aiken now faces charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce; interstate transportation of stolen goods; and interstate transportation of stolen goods, aiding and abetting. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Worcester. A Marine drill instructor was killed in a motorcycle crash Friday evening, military officials said. Sgt. Gary Wilson, 33, of Fairfield, CT, was traveling northbound on Interstate 15 when he crashed, according to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sgt. Wilson," said Brig. Gen. Ryan Heritage, commanding general of MCRD San Diego. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult period. This is truly the loss of a fine Marine, and he will be missed greatly." Two months ago, Wilson saved two people from a burning car on state Route 163, Capt. Martin Harris told NBC 7. Several cars were involved in the crash just south of state Route 52 around 8 a.m. Sept. 18 and one of the cars caught fire. Wilson pulled two women from the burning wreckage. Wilson was a drill instructor at MCRD after tours of duty in Okinawa and Camp Pendleton. He earned two Good Conduct Medals, three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. A woman who was killed after they were struck by a holiday-themed train filled with more than 300 passengers has been identified, according to a report. The Boston Globe reports 33-year-old Melissa Gaudette was killed after she and a 36-year-old man were fatally hit by the Cape Cod Central Railroad on Saturday in Wareham, Massachusetts. The two were parents of three children, according to Gaudette's father. The Saturday night fatality was reported just before 7:30 p.m. after the two were trespassing, according to the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office. Passengers aboard the Polar Express-themed train ride were back in Buzzards Bay after it departed about 30 minutes before. The vehicle was carrying 355 people, including 100 children. No injuries were reported on the train. "We were like, 'Oh, this is really serious,'" said Jordan McCoy, who lives near the train tracks. "We just saw the train right here and then there was police cars over there." The train's conductor activated the emergency braking system in an attempt to stop the vehicle from hitting the two pedestrians, but it was too late. Cape Cod Rail issued a statement on the incident early Sunday morning, saying the passengers on board were first responders and their families. "Sadly, tragedies such as this could be avoided if people would not trespass on train tracks. No passengers were injured in this incident and the staff did their best to distract the children from the sad reality which was occurring outside," the company's statement read. State police and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority are assisting the Wareham Police Department with the ongoing investigation. A 22-year-old man facing a capital murder charge in the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old boy says the child shot himself and that he was not in the room when the gun went off, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained Monday afternoon by The Dallas Morning News. According to Dallas County Jail records, Orlando Hidalgo has been charged with capital murder of a person under the age of 10 in the death of 2-year-old Anthony Isaiah Mares. Mares was shot inside his home on the 9600 block of Beckleycrest Avenue and driven to Methodist Charlton Medical Center Sunday night where he died at about 9 p.m. Investigators have not revealed the details of the moments leading up to the shooting, but did say Monday afternoon that they have recovered a weapon and a shell casing believed to be related to the case. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Hidalgo told police he entered the residence with a handgun he said was given to him by a cousin who asked him to hold the weapon. He showed the weapon to Kancy Barrera, Mares' mother, who asked him to put the gun where her kids could not get to it. Barrera told police she was in the bathroom doing her two daughters' hair when she told her son to go put on his shoes so they could to his grandmother's house. Moments later she said she heard a loud bang and then heard Hidalgo yell her son's name. As she left the bathroom, she saw Hidalgo carrying her son in his arms. She took the child into her arms and then Hidalgo drove them to the hospital. Hidalgo, according to the same affidavit, said after he heard a loud bang that he went to the bedroom and saw the boy standing in the room crying. He said he was not in the room when the gun went off and that the child shot himself with the gun. In the affidavit, investigators said a search warrant was obtained to attempt to collect gunshot residue from Hidalgo's hand. The results of that swab are not yet known and investigators have not shared any other details about the case, the connection between Mares and Hidalgo or what led them to file the capital murder charge. Dallas police, who are assisting the Dallas County Sheriff's Office with the investigation, initially said it was Mares' 22-year-old father who shot him and that he was being detained and questioned at the hospital. Investigators later confirmed that the suspect, Hidalgo, is not Mares' father and is not related to the victim. The Texas Department of Family Services said they are investigating the case and that the victim's two older siblings are staying with relatives. DFPS said the family has a history of involvement with DFPS but that those interactions are confidential. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department said Monday afternoon Hidalgo was booked into the jail at about 6 a.m. and is being held on $500,000 bond. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. A Dallas real estate agent died Saturday in El Paso after allegedly suffering severe brain damage from complications she experienced during anesthesia ahead of cosmetic surgeries at a clinic in Juarez, Mexico, according to the woman's family. Laura Avila, 36, died Saturday according to a Facebook post published by her sister, Angie Avila. [[501189731,C]] Angie Avila said her sister went in for several planned procedures, including a nose job, at the Rino Clinic in Juarez on Oct. 30. Before surgery began, she suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the anesthesia. "They told her fiance that she would be ready to be picked up at 4 p.m., Angie Avila told Telemundo 48. "He arrived at about 3:30 p.m. and they told him they had not been able to start the surgery because the anesthesia had not worked out yet." Angie Avila said Laura was placed in a medically induced coma "to prevent further brain damage" and taken to a local hospital. After six days in an intensive care unit at a Mexico hospital, Avilas family transferred her across the border to El Paso where she remains on life support with a grim long-term prognosis. A Dallas real estate agent has passed away in El Paso after allegedly suffering severe brain damage from complications she experienced during anesthesia ahead of cosmetic surgeries at a clinic in Juarez, Mexico, according to the woman's family. [The doctors] said that she is not going to be able to eat by herself, or talk, or walk or even taste food, said Enrique Cruz, Laura Avilas fiance. She might be able to hear what were saying, maybe blink. But as far as being any kind of normal they dont see her doing that. Her sister said medical staff at hospital in Juarez where Laura Avila was transferred to told the family they believed the anesthesia was administered incorrectly. Angie Avila told Telemundo 48 doctors said the clinic had injected anesthesia in her spine and instead of it flowing down her body, it went into her brain which caused severe swelling. "We are hoping people cannot focus on this being a woman getting cosmetic surgery, but rather gross negligence, and the fact that we were very close to possibly losing a person very dear to us," Angie Avila sad. "So, we ask for kindness and awareness." Angie Avila said her sister had traveled across the border for the procedure because of the discounted cost. She also said Laura doesn't have health insurance and her family started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover Avilas rising medical expenses. Avilas sister and finance told NBC 5 several Dallas-area hospitals, including UT Southwestern Medical Center, Parkland Memorial Hospital and Baylor Scott & White, have declined to admit Avila as a patient due to her prognosis and because of lack of insurance. A Dallas real estate agent is in hospice care in El Paso nearly three weeks after traveling to Juarez, Mexico, to undergo multiple cosmetic surgeries that went horribly wrong. In the wake of Avilas failed procedure, authorities in Mexico raided the clinic and have temporarily shut it down. No charges have been filed. Avilas sister told Telemundo 48 the family has hired an attorney in Mexico to assist them in getting Lauras medical records. Angie Avila said they fear the clinic would alter the information on her records. She also accused the clinic of negligence, noting that her sister was left unattended in the operating room for several hours after going into cardiac arrest "Besides the anesthetist, there were four doctors who did nothing for eight to 10 hours," Angie Avila said. "They left her in a room. I do not know if she woke up, I do not know what time she went into cardiac arrest." NBC 5 spoke with Avila's fiance Enrique Cruz on Sunday. Cruz said the two had been together for about five years, and lived together in Dallas. "I want people to remember her dancing, singing, and her funny, outgoing personality," Cruz said. He was with her in Mexico at the time she was getting the procedure, as well as when she died. "I was actually there when she took her last breath. I was the one who told her family that I think it's time," Cruz said. Cruz said he hoped sharing Avila's story will raise awareness and close places like this down. "We don't want this to go in vain. If we can save another life that's exactly what our goal is," he said. He said they are pursuing a lawsuit against the clinic in Mexico. A man who disappeared on the last day of his 2008 murder trial has been captured in Mexico and returned to Texas, authorities said. Hidalgo County prosecutors said in a news release Friday that 35-year-old Oscar Davila Rodriguez was returned to the U.S. Wednesday. The statement didn't include details about how or where he was captured. "The tireless work of dedicated law enforcement on both sides of the border ensured that justice was served," Criminal District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. said in the news release. Oscar Davila Rodriguez was free on $100,000 bond during his murder trial in the 2005 killing of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, Nydia Maldonado. Authorities say he broke into her home in McAllen, stabbed her multiple times and strangled her. Though Rodriguez failed to appear for the last day of his trial, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The trial was in Edinburg, which is about 15 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. Assistant District Attorney Michelle Puig, who served as lead prosecutor on the case, said Rodriguez' capture will bring closure to Maldonado's family. "Justice will finally be served and will give peace to Nydia and all those who loved her," Puig said. The 2008 trial was the second time Rodriguez was found guilty of killing Maldonado. Rodriguez, who was free on bond throughout his first trial because he had no criminal record, was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He remained free when a judge threw out that murder conviction because a witness mentioned a polygraph test that was supposed to have been barred from evidence. Pope Francis has prayed for victims of California's wildfires and freezing weather on the U.S. East Coast. Addressing tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square Sunday, including pilgrims from New York and New Jersey. Francis prayed that "the Lord welcome the deceased into his peace, comfort family members and sustain all those involved in rescue efforts." Francis said he wanted to offer a "special prayer to all those stricken by the fires that are scourging California, and now also for the victims of the freeze of the east coast of the United States." At least 76 people perished, and hundreds are unaccounted for in the California wildfires. In the eastern U.S., an unusually early winter snowstorm last week was blamed for at least seven deaths. What to Know The start of the holiday week is here, South Florida and NBC 6 has the top six stories you need to know for Monday, November 19th. The start of the holiday week is here, South Florida and NBC 6 has the top six stories you need to know for Monday, November 19th. Weather wise, the cooler temperatures from the weekend are a distant memory with the humidity back up and high temps in the mid-80s. No. 1 - A child is home this morning after the car he was sitting in was stolen from a gas station parking lot. Police say this all happened in Southwest Miami-Dade while the child's mother was inside the store. Right now, that suspect remains on the run. No.2 - Two people pulled of a car that plunged into the water on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. One of them was rushed to the hospital while the other was treated on scene. No. 3 - Broward's supervisor of elections, Dr. Brenda Snipes, handed in her resignation following the completion of this weekend's manual recount. Her office faced years of intense scrutiny from both sides of the aisle following years of problematic elections and ballot security. No. 4 - The Florida election recounts are over. Governor Rick Scott is now Senator-elect after defeating Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, who conceded late Sunday afternoon. No. 5 - The Miami-Dade Police Department will be out in full force this week keeping you safe while shopping. Officers in and out of uniform will be patrolling malls and parking lots and encouraging shoppers to lock their doors and if they see something that's not right, say something. No. 6 - We're bragging about another South Florida school. Education on 6 reporter Ari Odzer will be out at Coral Springs High School showcasing their amazing programs like their agriculture, culinary fire academy, step teams, and even a video gaming design programs! A South Florida woman who claimed her 3-year-old grandson was inside a car when it was stolen from a southwest Miami-Dade gas station lied about the child being in the vehicle because she hoped police would find her car faster, police said. The grandmother, Antoinette Rowan, was arrested for filing a false police report Monday, after the child was never in the car before it was stolen from the Sunoco gas station on Southwest 112th Avenue Sunday night, Miami-Dade police confirmed. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed the car driving off as the grandmother chased after it on foot. Miami-Dade Corrections Sources said the grandmother called 911 saying the man drove off with her child in the car. While the car was stolen, the child was never present or in danger. Rowan told police the incident began when the pair first met online for some type of vehicle transaction. She picked the stranger up at his home and they first went to Walmart before going to the gas station, police said. Officials said officers began searching the area and later were notified by one of the grandmother's older children that the 3-year-old had been dropped off outside of their home unharmed. Antoinette Rowan appears in bond court. Investigators are still looking for the car theft suspect and the vehicle, a black 2014 Hyundai with Florida tag number Z59FLZ. A Florida woman is charged with exposing a 3-month-old baby to cocaine, leaving him with significant brain damage. The Tampa Bay Times reports 29-year-old Angelica Lopez was arrested Thursday on a charge of child neglect causing great bodily harm. Clearwater police didn't disclose her relationship to the baby. Detectives say Lopez was preparing cocaine for sale in the apartment she shared with the child in June when he was exposed to the drug. They say Lopez waited 11 hours before seeking medical attention even though the child was showing signs of distress. Tests showed cocaine in his system. Police say Lopez confessed. They didn't say why she wasn't arrested for five months. Lopez was being held Sunday on $20,000 bond. Jail records don't show if she has an attorney. A South Florida mother was arrested after police say she left her young child alone at Chuck E. Cheese's. Sharon Demetra Perry, 25, was arrested early Sunday on a charge of child neglect, according to an arrest report. The report said Perry's 2-year-old son was found by a witness sitting in a booth by himself in a Chuck E. Cheese in Boynton Beach. Perry told police she arrived at the business with a group of nine children and six adults for a party. She said that due to a carpooling situation, she didn't realize her son had been left behind until she got back to her home in Riviera Beach, the report said. The report said the boy was left alone for about an hour. Perry was booked into jail where she was being held on $3,000 bond Monday, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available. A South Florida strip club chain is once again giving away thousands of free turkeys just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Cheetah Gentlemens Club has again partnered with Rodriguez Charities to host their annual free turkeys event to help families in need Monday. The free birds are limited to one per family on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will be held in the parking lots of the Cheetah clubs in Hallandale Beach, Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach, beginning at 11 a.m. and lasting until the last turkey has been given away. The annual tradition was started five years ago when the club gave away 100 turkeys and has continued to grow. "I find peace in my heart when men, women and children walk up and merely say thank you and God bless, its the greatest joy of all knowing that my team and I can put this together," Rodriguez Charities founder Joe Rodriguez said in a statement. What to Know Chopper 6 was over the scene at Cardinal Gibbons High School off Northeast 47th Street in Fort Lauderdale just after 12 p.m. Nearly two dozen students from a South Florida school were rushed to the hospital after officials say they were exposed to an unknown substance Monday. Chopper 6 was over the scene at Cardinal Gibbons High School off Northeast 47th Street in Fort Lauderdale just after 12 p.m., with fire rescue crews saying 26 students and one adult were transported with symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea and passing out. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue say eight of the students were being treated for serious injuries. The students were inside the school's gym for a Thanksgiving prayer assembly, officials said. Officials said the area of concern was isolated and the school was placed on lockdown but there was no further threat to students. Officials say they responded within five minutes and began checking almost everything that could be to blame, including cleaning supplies, AC units, gas leaks, even going as far as to do hazmat sweeps that checked for more than 5,000 chemical compounds, all of which came back negative. Since being here weve seen 3 of these transports. Fire rescue says each is a student being taken to hospital. Current number is 22 students and one adult transported, but original 8 had the worst symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and passing out. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/YLmvbuudIt Dan Grossman (@Dan_Grossman) November 19, 2018 All patients have been medically cleared and released from the hospital, fire officials said Monday night. There is no further information on what might have caused symptoms. BUCKS COUNTY >> Police departments in Morrisville Borough, New Hope Borough and Northampton Township report the following incidents and arrests: Morrisville Borough CONTAINMENT OF DOG >> On Nov. 2 Joao Dos Santos, 19, was cited for failing to keep a dog contained on the property. Incident occurred in the 100 block of S. Harding Avenue. BURGLARY >> On Nov. 3... What to Know A woman stole a car with a 2-year-old car in the backseat, then took off and hit a bicyclist, police said Loved ones are mourning a New Jersey couple who died in a chain reaction crash on I-78 while on the way to their wedding A dramatic rescue of a dog stuck in a pipe in New Jersey was caught on video Monday, Nov. 19, 2018 Happy Monday! A few sprinkles are possible today, but most of the tri-state stays dry. By evening, more widespread showers are possible. Highs will reach the upper 40s. As always, get the latest forecast at nbcnewyork.com/weather. 1. NYPD: Car Stolen With 2-Year-Old in Backseat, Woman Charged A woman stole a car with a 2-year-old car in the backseat, then took off and hit a bicyclist, police said. The child wasn't hurt, the NYPD said. A 36-year-old man who was struck was hospitalized for minor injuries, police said. Adrea Aronald, 52, was charged with kidnapping, reckless endangerment and grand larceny, police said. The NYPD said she was emotionally disturbed and homeless. She stayed silent as cops led her away in handcuffs. Read more here. 2. NJ Couple on the Way to Their Wedding Die in Crash Loved ones are mourning a New Jersey couple who died in a chain reaction crash on I-78 while on the way to their wedding. Kathryn Schurtz, 35, and her fiance, Joseph Kearney, were driving on I-78 westbound in Windsor Township, Berks County, where the accident occurred. Traffic was heavy at the time in both westbound lanes due to an earlier crash at mile marker 32.5. A tractor-trailer was traveling westbound and was unable to stop for the traffic ahead. It struck the couples vehicle which was then pushed into the back of another tractor-trailer, setting off a chain reaction crash that consisted of three more tractor trailers. Read more here. 3. Dog Rescued in NJ, Reunited With Overjoyed Owner A dramatic rescue in New Jersey was caught on video. It was a two-day rescue operation in Secaucus, where officials rescued a dog and reunited it with its owner. The mini Dachshund named Khaleesi was training with her owner in a park when she got distracted by a rabbit and chased it into a pipe. One she was in there she couldn't get out. Get more here. For the latest entertainment news and things to do, tune in to New York Live, Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. on NBC 4 New York. Former New York Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg announced he will donate $1.8 billion to his alma mater Johns Hopkins University so the school can offer more robust financial aid packages to low- and middle-income students. The gift is the largest sum ever donated to an educational institution, the university says. Bloomberg says all of the money will fund financial aid for undergraduate programs and allow Johns Hopkins to permanently adopt a need-blind admissions policy, meaning the school will not consider a student's financial situation when reviewing their application. "Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity," Bloomberg said in a statement. He said the donation will "help open up the American dream to more young people." Bolstered scholarship and grant funding would displace some student loans from Johns Hopkins students' financial aid packages. Tuition for the Baltimore-based university's undergraduate schools of engineering or arts of sciences is listed at over $53,000 annually. In 1965, one year after graduating, Bloomberg donated $5 to Johns Hopkins, the school's website says. Before Sunday's announcement, he had already donated $1.5 billion to initiatives at the school. What to Know Loved ones are mourning a New Jersey couple who died in a chain reaction crash on I-78 in Berks County while driving to their wedding. Kathryn Schurtz, 35, and her fiance, Joseph Kearney, both died in the accident which involved their vehicle and five tractor trailers. The couple was on the way to their wedding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the time of the crash. Loved ones are mourning a New Jersey couple who died in a chain reaction crash on I-78 while on the way to their wedding. Kathryn Schurtz, 35, and her fiance, Joseph Kearney, were driving on I-78 westbound in Windsor Township, Berks County, on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m. when the accident occurred. Traffic was heavy at the time in both westbound lanes due to an earlier crash at mile marker 32.5. A tractor-trailer traveling westbound was unable to stop for the traffic ahead. It struck the couples vehicle, which was then pushed into the back of another tractor-trailer and set off a chain reaction crash that included three more tractor-trailers. The couples vehicle and two of the tractor-trailers caught fire. Schurtz and Kearney were both killed in the crash while three other people were hurt. Schurtz and Kearney were on their way to their wedding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the time of the accident. Schurtz was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and grew up in Fanwood, New Jersey. She graduated from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. She then attended George Washington University, where she received her liberal arts degree before earning her MBA from Notre Dame University. Schurtz worked as the Head of Platform Partnerships for Oracle Data Cloud in New York City and was residing in Jersey City, New Jersey, at the time of her death. Her mother also served as a councilwoman in Fanwood. Loved ones say theyll remember Schurtz for her voracious appetite of reading, love of cooking, and trailblazing new adventures with her fiance Joseph Kearney. A visitation will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 1571 Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by a mass at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Kathryn M. Schurtz Scholarship Fund at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Roads in New Jersey were getting a coat of salt on Sunday in preparation for possible wintry weather overnight, state officials said, and officials are taking the precautions days after the season's first snowfall crippled the Garden State. Storm Team 4 predicted possible snowfall in the Catskills, but said flakes weren't likely in New Jersey. The I-80 corridor could see some freezing rain. The precautions come just days after a winter storm dropped several inches of snow across the tri-state and brought traffic to a standstill in parts of New Jersey and New York. The roads were so bad in New Jersey that some took hours to get home, and at least one woman decided to sleep in her office. Adam Kuperstein reports. In addition to the salt, NJ Transit tweeted that personnel including electricians, station maintenance staff and contractors would remain on-call throughout the night to deal with any weather-related issues. The state's Department of Emergency Management said two clipper systems were expected to hit northern New Jersey this week, with the first bringing a dusting of snow overnight for Sussex County and parts of Warren, Morris and western Passaic counties. The announcement gave winter driving tips and safety rules. Top Tri-State News Photos Police are searching for a man accused of exposing himself inside a Delaware Wawa. Police say the suspect entered the Wawa store on the 600 block of Yorklyn Road in Hockessin, Delaware, Saturday shortly before 11 p.m. He stood in line as if he was going to buy something and then exposed his private area to an employee, according to investigators. The man also allegedly followed a female customer inside the store and exposed himself while trying to get her attention. He then fled after the employee called for help, police said. The suspect is described as a 35 to 45-year-old black male standing between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-1 and weighing between 200 and 235 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black knit hat, gray zip up hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. He was spotted entering a black or dark blue, four-door passenger car after the fled the store, police said. If you have any information on the suspects whereabouts, please call Trooper J. Adams at Troop 6 by calling 302-633-5000 or the Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. What to Know A New Jersey couple as well as a homeless man in the GoFundMe controversy are all accused of making up the story. Mark D'Amico, Kate McClure and Johnny Bobbitt allegedly conspired with one another to make up a story in order to raise more than $400,000. McClure's attorney, James Gerrow, says his client was duped by D'Amico and thought she was actually helping Bobbitt. The bitter legal battle between a South Jersey couple and a Philadelphia homeless veteran intensified Monday when a lawyer representing one of the defendants released audio recordings detailing an alleged conspiracy to raise money via a fraudulent GoFundMe campaign. Kate McClure, who claimed to have met a homeless good Samaritan after running out of gas on Interstate 95, can be heard arguing with her ex-boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, over the plot. She has maintained her innocence ever since being charged with conspiracy and theft by deception, and claimed that DAmico masterminded the scheme. Burlington County Prosecutor's Office The exchanges between the former couple grew increasingly heated throughout the 11-minute recording. At one point, McClure cried as DAmico screamed that she was a weak slob and letting a junky get between them. I had no part in any of this and Im the one taking the fault, she said in the recording. I might be going to jail because of something you said. Stop it, DAmico said. Stop what? McClure asked. You wont go to jail for lying about something you said on TV, DAmico answered. D'Amico went on to detail some of the money they spent together after raising $400,000 from thousands of people on GoFundMe. Their lavish purchases included a BMW car, Las Vegas trip, expensive purses and Disney tickets, according to the audio. "You're so dumb and weak, it's pathetic," D'Amico shouted. The couple reportedly broke up in September, according to McClure's lawyer. Earlier in the day, McClures lawyer, James Gerrow told "Good Morning America" that D'Amico was "calling the shots" in the alleged scheme that resulted in criminal charges against McClure, D'Amico and homeless Marine Johnny Bobbitt. The criminal complaint alleges the three concocted a feel-good story about the couple reaching out to help Bobbitt after Bobbitt gave McClure his last $20 when her car ran out of gas in Philadelphia last year. "People have to understand that this was an abusive relationship. Mr. D'Amico was the one behind this and he was the one calling all the shots," Gerrow said. "She didn't understand or appreciate that this may very well be a crime." It was unclear which attorney currently represents D'Amico. An attorney who was representing the couple last week declined to comment Monday on Gerrow's allegations. NBC10 first reported that McClure and D'Amico would be charged with conspiracy and theft by deception. Bobbitt also is charged. Prosecutors began investigating months ago after Bobbitt claimed he wasn't getting the money that had been raised on his behalf. He later sued the couple. U.S. Customs and Border Protection temporarily shut down northbound traffic into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California Monday due to reports that a group of Central American migrants was trying to rush the border, the agency said. Though no activity materialized, the agency said the closure at the nation's busiest border crossing was needed to install "additional port hardening materials" in preparation for the migrant caravan. "CBP officials suspended operations to safely place impediments at the port of entry that would restrict access to a large group attempting to run through the border crossing," the agency said in a statement. More than half of lanes were reopened several hours after the closure was instated. Pedestrian lanes into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Pedestrian East facility were also closed for several hours Monday before reopening for northbound traveler processing. However, lanes for foot traffic at the Pedestrian West facility crossing remained open throughout the closures, CBP said. Southbound lanes were not affected. San Ysidro is the borders busiest crossing, with about 110,000 people entering the U.S. every day. That traffic includes some 40,000 vehicles, 34,000 pedestrians and 150 to 200 buses. NBC 7's Liberty Zabala took a closer look at the infrastructure Marines are using to secure the parts of our southern border. The decision to close northbound traffic not only kept some people from getting to work, but it also kept plenty from spending money at American businesses. A Chula Vista strip mall usually flooded with shoppers from Tijuana was surprisingly empty given the time of year. This is how we survive," Santa's Toys manager Hai Trinh said. "And it's dead right now." Trinh said he's feeling the impact of the closure more than some other shops because 98 percent of his customers come from across the border. "This time of year I wouldn't be able to talk to you because it's Christmas season," Trinh told NBC 7. San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Wells said the closure hits hardest in bi-national regions like his border city. "Most [business owners make what they're going to make all year between November and January," he said. Mexico's El Buen Fin, which can be compared to Black Friday here in the U.S., ended Monday which was also Revolution Day, a Mexican National Holiday. Store owners said they were anticipating even more business because of the holiday. NBC 7's Melissa Adan spoke to a business owner who said they lost a substantial chuck of business because some of their customers couldn't travel from Mexico. The move to close the border came as hundreds of migrants traveling in the caravan arrived in towns along the U.S.-Mexico border after weeks on the road. More than 1,100 Marines have been deployed to assist CBP with Operation Secure Line, a "border hardening" mission meant to prepare the areas infrastructure for the arrival of thousands of migrants hoping to seek asylum in the United States. CBP said the Marines' specific duties include installing barbed wire to make walls less scalable and reinforcing construction areas so that people could not cross into them. Pieces of barbed wire, concrete roadblocks and rebar are being used to create movable barriers that can be used to block lanes at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. Video captured at the border shows U.S. Marines installing razor wire and barriers. Thousands more troops from other branches of the military have also deployed to the border to assist in other ways. For example, Army Military Police are there to protect the Marines who are not armed and are prohibited from enforcing the law. The Department of Defense insisted last week that the troops were sent there to help CBP and nothing else. Analysts and the Pentagon estimate that the entire deployment operation could cost $200 million. "My place is not to think about fiscal restraint, thats for Congress. Weve been asked to do a job and thats what were here to do," Army Captain Guster Cunningham said. In October, President Donald Trump threatened to close the southern border to address the caravan if the situation worsened. Since the arrival of the first troops at the border, CBP has acknowledged that option is still on the table. Footage shows towering flames in San Francisco as crews battle a fire caused by a gas explosion. Meanwhile, tensions on the Mexican side of the border have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the caravan poured into Tijuana in recent days, The Associated Press reported. And with U.S. border inspectors processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana's main crossing to San Diego, they will likely be there for months while they seek asylum in the U.S. Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum has called the migrants' arrival an "avalanche" that the city is ill-prepared to handle, calculating that they will be in Tijuana for at least six months as they wait to file asylum claims. Gastelum has appealed to the federal government for more assistance to cope with the influx. Some Tijuana residents supported the migrants, but others accused the migrants of being messy, ungrateful and a danger to Tijuana. On Sunday, about 400 Tijuana residents took to the streets in protest, waving Mexican flags and chanting "Out! Out!" They also complained about how the caravan forced its way into Mexico, calling it an "invasion." And they voiced worries that their taxes might be spent to care for the group. "We don't want them in Tijuana," protesters shouted. The Associated Press contributed to this story. A man was severely injured Sunday afternoon after he was attacked by a group of teenagers in the East Village, police said. The attacked happened around 2:10 p.m. after a witness saw the man get into an altercation with the teens near the pedestrian bridge next to Petco Park and called 911, San Diego police Lt. Matt Dobbs said. When first responders arrived, they found the man unresponsive and started CPR. The man was transported to an area hospital and was not expected to survive his injuries, he said. Witnesses told police the teens knocked him down to the ground and attacked him while he was on the ground. Witnesses yelled at the teens and they fled eastbound on Imperial Avenue, Dobbs said. Several people were detained in the area but it was unclear if they were involved in the attack, he said. The victim has not been identified but was described as being in his 40s. Anyone with information about the incident was urged to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A man who strangled his pregnant wife and suffocated their two young daughters wanted to escape his marriage and growing family, prosecutors said Monday as a judge imposed a sentence of life without parole as part of a plea deal that kept the killer from facing the death penalty. Christopher Watts, who pleaded guilty two weeks ago, did not speak during the hearing. One of his attorneys said Watts was "sincerely sorry." As Watts listened with his head down, Shanann Watts' parents detailed their ongoing struggle to understand how he could murder the three people who considered him a hero Shanann, 34, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Frank Rzucek said he was disgusted by the way his son-in-law took his wife and two daughters "out like the trash." "Prison is too good for you," Rzucek said. "This is hard to say, but may God have mercy on your soul." Watts, 33, was formally sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the murders. He also received a 48-year sentence for unlawful termination of a pregnancy and 12 years each for tampering with a human body. The girls' bodies were found submerged in an oil tank on property owned by the company Watts worked for. His wife's body was found in a shallow grave nearby. As a prosecutor detailed the injuries found on the bodies, Rzucek leaned forward, gasping. Michael Rourke said Shanann Watts was strangled, but her lack of significant injuries suggested that her death came slowly. The girls were smothered, and Rourke said there were signs Bella "fought for her life." Celeste had no visible injuries, he said. Christopher Watts' parents, Cindy and Ronnie Watts, were permitted to speak as the girls' grandparents. Each said they still loved their son and urged him to seek God's forgiveness. "We love you," Cindy Watts said into a microphone before turning to look directly at her son. "And we forgive you, son." Watts wiped away a tear with his shirt after his parents left the podium. He kept his head down for much of the hearing, speaking only once to confirm that he did not want to make a statement before Judge Marcelo Kopcow imposed his sentence. Friends of Shanann Watts and neighbors in the subdivision where the family lived lined up inside the courthouse Monday morning. More people filed into an overflow room to watch a video stream. The killings captured national media attention and became the focus of true crime blogs and online video channels, which showed dozens of family photos and videos that Shanann Watts shared on social media showing the smiling family. Prosecutors said the images belied a hidden truth, that Christopher Watts was having an affair and making plans for a new life. Rourke said Watts talked with a real estate agent about selling the family's home, looked up secluded vacation spots and didn't seem interested in the self-help books his wife provided. A friend asked police to check on Shanann Watts on Aug. 13 after not being able to reach her and growing concerned that the expectant mother had missed a doctor's appointment. Local police initially handled the search but soon sought support from state investigators and the FBI. Christopher Watts spoke to local television reporters from the front porch of the family's home in Frederick, a small town on the plains north of Denver where drilling rigs and oil wells surround booming subdivisions. He pleaded for his family's safe return, telling reporters their house felt empty without Bella and Celeste watching cartoons or running to greet him at the door. Within days he was in custody, charged with killing his family. Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed. Hundreds of immigrants and refugees, including new arrivals to the U.S., will be treated to a Thanksgiving meal at the Statehouse in Boston. The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, known as MIRA, is hosting Tuesday's luncheon. Organizers say elected officials and legislative staff also will participate. MIRA says the annual meal is meant to celebrate Massachusetts' diversity and create a warm and informal setting for newcomers to connect with officials, service providers and advocates. The group will hear from Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, who has helped lead federal lawsuits aimed at preserving temporary protected status for immigrants. The Trump administration ended that status, which had provided safe haven for thousands of immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Honduras. As afficianados and first-timers begin to gather and plan to line up ahead of Massachusetts' opening recreational marijuana sales, the first two customers - both veterans - have been announced. Iraq veteran Stephen Mandile, who was injured in combat, will be the first recreational marijuana customer at Cultivate in Leicester on Tuesday at 8 a.m. Mandile, who credits cannabis with helping him battle PTSD and anxiety, plans on buying about a quarter of an ounce of legal weed and some edibles, according to The Boston Globe. Meanwhile, New England Treatment Access in Northampton announced Monday that the city's mayor, David Narkewicz, will be its first recreational customer. Narkewicz, who served in the Air Force, says he wants to support new businesses in the community, which is why he's making the first purchase of adult-use recreational marijuana in the city on Tuesday. He also hopes he's sending an important message about ending the stigma around cannabis use. "There's obviously been a lot of stigma around marijuana in this country," Narkewicz said. "Massachusetts has moved forward on it, in terms of first voting on it to decriminalize, then voting to legalize medical and now recreational." The Northampton mayor also plans on buying an edible, according to The Boston Globe. Both Cultivate and NETA's Northampton location won the first two recreational sale licenses granted by the state's Cannabis Control Commission. Voters approved of legal recreational marijuana in 2016. What to Know Massachusetts is becoming the first state to allow legal recreational marijuana sales east of the Mississippi River on Tuesday morning. Cannabis Control Commission officials say adults heading to Cultivate in Leicester or NETA in Northampton must bring ID, cash. Officials are also reminding consumers that it's illegal to use marijuana in any form in public and in federal spaces. Massachusetts is just a day away from its marijuana dispensaries opening up for the first recreational sales in the Commonwealth, making it the first state east of the Mississippi River to allow legal sales for adults. Both Cultivate, which is based in Leicester, and New England Treatment Access' Northampton location will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday for legal recreational marijuana for adults. Officials with the Cannabis Control Commission are reminding adults looking to buy legal recreational weed to bring ID showing they're at least 21 years old, and also that it is illegal to use marijuana in any public or federal space, including at restaurants, parks or movie theaters. Those looking to buy legal recreational marijuana should bring cash, since credit and debit sales are not permitted. Cultivate and NETA in Northampton are expecting major sales and long lines, and local officials are gearing up for lots of out-of-towners to visit. CCC officials said people driving with legally purchased medical marijuana are not allowed to have "open containers" of any form of marijuana in the passenger area of a car, and it must be stored in a closed container in your trunk or a locked glove compartment. Furthermore, recreational marijuana can't be brought to the airport or across state lines. Officials also remind Massachusetts residents that it's illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Mike Lazar, a staff member at Cultivate, explained some of the basics of cannabis that can be intimidating to many potential first-time consumers during a recent interview with NBC10 Boston. Lazar said there are three main strains: sativa, indica and a hybrid of the two. And from those three strains, there are dozens of varieties with a host of names, such as Banana OG, Violeta, and Skywalk. Each variety offers different effects. "Sativas are those energizing, buzzy, racy, motivating strains. Indicas are in the couch strain, the full body relaxation," explained Lazar. "And hybrids somewhere in between." Consumers can buy marijuana in its vintage form, commonly referred to as "flower," to smoke or in a cannabis-extract, often called a concentrate, to vape. "Once you smoke, it will take about three to five minutes to affect you," said Lazar. He said there are also edibles, such as brownies or cookies. However, Lazar warns that you won't feel anything for up to an hour and a half, leading many to consume more. "What happens is THC will lower your blood pressure -- what happens at that point, your body thinks your blood sugar is lowered as well, so your palms will start to sweat, your heart will race, you'll start thinking something is wrong and nothing is wrong," he said. "It's just your body telling you, you took too much." Lazar said consumers should arrive at dispensaries with questions, cash, and a photo identification and know the rules so they can enjoy with caution. Massachusetts residences can have up to an ounce of marijuana on their person and up to 10 ounces in their homes; however, officials warn that any amount over an ounce must be locked away. Adults can have up to six plants growing in their home, and up to 12 plants for two or more adults. Officials say residents must also heed their landlord's own policy about the use of marijuana. Recreational marijuana sales are subject to Massachusetts' 6.25 percent sales tax, along with a 10.75 percent state excise tax and a 3 percent local tax. That adds up a 20 percent tax paid by the consumer at the point of purchase. However, medical marijuana remains untaxed. The slow rollout of recreational marijuana sales is expected to continue for some time in Massachusetts. A third store, in the town of Wareham near Cape Cod, has been issued a final license and could open soon. For the moment, that still leaves large swaths of the state without easy access to legal recreational marijuana, including all of greater Boston where more than half of the state's population resides. Recreational marijuana sales are legal in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California and Nevada. Maine is expected to begin legal sales sometime next year. Adult use of marijuana is also legal in Vermont and the District of Columbia, but there are no provisions for legal sales in either place. In November, Michigan became the first midwestern state to approve a recreational pot measure. Sales there could begin in 2020. Vermont State Police are investigating after receiving two reports of forced entry burglaries into the Pownal Elementary School in Pownal, Vermont. Police ask anyone with information to contact Trooper Wayne Godfrey at 802-442-5421 or wayne.godfrey@vermont.gov. Two people are dead and one is injured after a shooting and a stabbing Monday in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Police responded to a building on Bickford Street, where a shooting was reported around 5:50 p.m. A female victim was shot multiple times. A man was found with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead, according to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. The female victim was taken to a hospital, where she later died, police said shortly before 10:30 p.m. A second male was also stabbed. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries. All three people were found in the hallway of the building. Police believe all those involved were known to each other. They are all believed to be in their 30s. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-494-TIPS or 617-343-4470. Last week, AMD announced it was ready to take on Nvidia in the GPU space for the data center, a market the company had basically ignored for the last several years in its struggle just to survive. But now, buoyed by its new CPU business, AMD is ready to take the fight to Nvidia. It would seem a herculean task. Or perhaps Quixotic. Nvidia has spent the past decade tilling the soil for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), but it turns out AMD has a few things in its favor. For starters, it has a CPU and GPU business, and it can tie them together in a way Nvidia and Intel cannot. Yes, Intel has a GPU product line, but they are integrated with their consumer CPUs and not on the Xeons. And Nvidia has no x86 line. AMD's next-generation Epyc server processors AMD is preparing the next generation of its Epyc server processors under the codename Rome, and they look like monsters: 7nm design while Intel is still stuck at 14nm. That means twice as many transistors in the same space as the existing chip and Intels Xeon, which means better performance. 64 cores and 128 threads per socket. An I/O chip in the middle of each chip to handle DDR4, Infinity Fabric, PCIe, and other I/O. PCIe Gen4 support, providing twice the bandwidth of PCIe 3. Greatly improved Infinity Fabric speeds, enabling inter-chip and memory communication. Most important, the ability to connect GPUs to CPUs and do inter-GPU communication with the CPU. The design of Epyc 2 is actually eight chiplets with eight cores each, connected by the fabric, with the I/O chip sitting in between the chiplets. Communication between the CPU and GPU, however, is done with PCI Express 4, which is not as fast but still mighty quick, and it gives AMD the advantage. One thing I have learned is that AMD is not at so great a disadvantage after all. It turns out that just because Nvidia has the CUDA language and a huge support base, CUDA or any other proprietary language is not needed to bring GPUs to bear. If you are just walking into the market for the first time looking to develop some AI algorithm, then youre either going to try and grab some software or write your own. If you write your own, then you use whatever language you are most comfortable in, said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, which follows the graphics market. Googles Tensor AI is written in C/C++ and Python, he noted. AI apps for training that use CUDA because the developers knew it, not because it was necessary. Nvidia's advantages The one advantage Nvidia has is container technology that takes code written in one language and translates it into a language Nvidia understands. As far as I know, AMD doesnt have a container, said Peddie. Nvidia has other technological advantages, as well. It put Tensor cores in the new Turing generation of GPUs to offer basic matrix math engines, like Googles Tensor processor does. That makes the Turing generation well suited for matrix math, the foundational math in AI training. Peddie also noted that Nvidia has mindshare. Its status rivals that of Intel, and it could be argued Nvidia has eclipsed Intel. Nvidia shareholders would certainly agree. AMDs "biggest challenge is the challenge theyve always faced: Can they market? Nvidia is one of the most powerful brands youve ever heard of, up there with Sony and Apple, Peddie said. AMD has competitive GPUs, but as Peddie put it, they got the ammo. They need to figure out how to pull the trigger. Nonprescription use of Ritalin may cause structural changes in brain, study finds We found that chronic use of this drug by those without ADHD-like symptoms resulted in neuroinflammation in regions of the brain which are related to motivated behavior. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- As nonprescription use of Ritalin increases among young adults, researchers at the University at Buffalo Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions warn that such use may cause irreversible structural changes in certain areas of the brain. Panayotis (Peter) Thanos, PhD, senior research scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, conducted a study using animals models to see what the effects of methylphenidate (brand name: Ritalin) might be for those without symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many college and even high school students without ADHD will use Ritalin as a stimulant in order to feel more focused, receive a high or lose weight. We found that chronic use of this drug by those without ADHD-like symptoms resulted in neuroinflammation in regions of the brain which are related to motivated behavior, Thanos says. One month after use was stopped, the inflammation and structural changes were still there. This could result in long-term risks for young adults, as these areas of the brain also influence addiction and the ability to respond to changes in the environment. Because illicit use of Ritalin is more common among young people, when the brain is still developing, there is cause for concern, Thanos says. Although Ritalin can be very effective in the treatment of ADHD, it is not without risk for those without ADHD to take it chronically. Here again, the important thing to remember is to take only with a prescription and as directed by a doctor, he says. Thanos study appears in the current issue of Journal of Neural Transmission. The lead author is Emily Carias, a graduate student in the Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory (BNNLA) at CRIA. In addition to Thanos, co-authors include John Hamilton, UB graduate student in the BNNLA; Lisa S. Robison, PhD, Albany Medical College; Foteni Delis, PhD, University of Ioannina, Greece; Rina Das Eiden, PhD, UB Department of Psychology and CRIA; Teresa Quattrin, PhD, OShei Childrens Hospital, Buffalo; Michael Hadjiargyrou, PhD, New York Institute of Technology; and David Komatsu, PhD, Stony Brook University. CRIA is a research center of the University at Buffalo focused on addressing the causes, consequences, prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Its scientists are members of multiple departments and schools within UB, allowing CRIA to explore interdisciplinary methods to address addiction issues. CRIAs research programs are supported by federal, state and private foundation grants. To learn more, visit buffalo.edu/cria. The New Milford Youth Agency has announced a ski club for teens in grades seven to 12. Ski groups will travel to Mohawk Mountain beginning in December and ending in March. Smoking is an established risk factor for the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). This article describes the evidence for this and how smoking contributes to the symptoms of MS. graja | Shutterstock Smoking increases the incidence of MS Smokers have a higher risk of MS compared to those who have never smoked, according to a study conducted in a Norwegian city. It is now thought that tobacco smoking interacts with a separate risk factor, namely, the Epstein-Barr virus, to increase the risk to almost twice that of non-smokers. There is a definite correlation between dosage and MS incidence, with people who have smoked for 25 or more years showing the greatest risk compared to people who have never smoked. Smoking can exacerbate the clinical course of MS Smoking is known to be a risk factor for cancer of lung, throat, and oral cavity, among others. But smoking can also affect MS, by changing a relapsing-remitting disease course to the more severe secondary progression form. The more a person smokes, the greater the brain damage shown on MRI for patients with MS. The degree of disability due to MS is also greater in smokers, but this may be arrested, at least partially, be quitting smoking. Smoking can also hinder MS treatment, as it promotes the development of antibodies to the interferon beta molecules that are used to treat the condition. Thus, many epidemiologic studies have concluded that smoking is among the chief environmental triggers of MS. The average interval between the time a person begins smoking and develops MS clinical disease is about 15 years. Why does smoking exacerbate the symptoms of MS? Several suggestions have been made for the pathophysiology behind smoking and MS. These are: Effect of smoking on the immune system Nicotine is known to cause immunosuppression, while tobacco glycoprotein stimulates the immune system. This could explain increased autoimmune phenomena in smokers, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Crohns disease. However, not all autoimmune diseases show this link. Detrimental impact of smoking on the blood-brain barrier Nicotine increases the blood flow to the microcirculation to the brain, and may boost the influx of permeable solutes across the blood-brain barrier, as seen in rodent studies. This development of leakiness in the blood-brain barrier has been thought to be an important trigger in initiating MS. Toxicity of cigarette smoke on the brain Cigarette smoke contains cyanide and other metabolites that have been shown to be associated with demyelination in the brains of animals exposed to these chemicals. These are found in increased amounts in the blood of smokers and repeated smaller exposures to these toxins may be even more effective in inducing demyelinating changes than a single large dose. Smoking is also known to increase the number and persistence of respiratory infections, and this may be another risk factor in MS. Preventing MS Research is currently being carried out to confirm these findings, so that appropriate preventive measures can be recommended and healthcare steps implemented to reduce the incidence of MS. Cessation of smoking is, however, a very important preventive measure beyond doubt. This habit should be targeted with intensive follow-up, especially for vulnerable age groups when smoking is likely to begin. Further Reading A coalition from the UKs health sector say Brexit negotiators have a responsibility to protect 500 million patients on both sides of the Channel. The group is calling on both sides to make patients and public health central to the Political Declaration for the future relationship between the UK and the EU. The current draft Political Declaration includes references to cooperation on matters of health security. However, it does not make it clear how it will guarantee that patients are protected as they are today on issues including medicines safety, public health disasters and infectious disease control. The coalition say that current systems which align the UK and the EU in the interest of patient safety are in jeopardy, including: Preventing fake or fraudulent medicines from entering the legal supply chain Sharing data and signals between EU countries that flag potential problems with medicines Preventing and controlling infectious diseases across Europe, as billions of people travel between ports and airports Ensuring the safety and supply of almost 1 billion packets of medicines between the UK and Europe every year So that patients can continue to benefit from this cooperation, the organizations are calling for the following to be included in the text of the final Political Declaration on the future UK-EU relationship: To make specific reference to the importance of cooperating on the regulation of medicines. To make clear that the UK and EU will cooperate on protecting citizens from infectious disease and counterfeit medicines. To make clear that the UK and EU will agree closer collaboration on science and innovation ABPI Chief Executive Mike Thompson said: Brexit negotiators have an opportunity to take decisions today which will protect patients in the future. While there are positives in the political declaration, the detail is missing. We are asking Government to give explicit commitments on issues of public health and medicines safety which we think is the minimum that patients across Europe should expect. BIA CEO, Steve Bates, said: The draft Political Declaration has missed an opportunity to prioritize patients across Europe and the UK. It is vital that patients are included in the next Political Declaration and are a priority for discussions to ensure public health and patient safety are not negatively affected by Brexit both day 1 post-Brexit and in the future. Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organizations across the healthcare sector, said: As Americans prepare to cook and consume nearly 50 million turkeys on Thanksgiving Day, an ongoing outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to the poultry means food safety at home is more critical than ever. Federal health officials have identified no single source of the outbreak of Salmonella Reading, which has sickened at least 164 people in 35 states during the past year. As of Nov. 5, the bacterial strain has led to 63 hospitalizations and, in California, one death. Many who fell ill reported preparing or eating such products as ground turkey, turkey parts and whole birds. Some had pets who ate raw turkey pet food; others worked at turkey processing plants or lived with someone who did. Late Thursday, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales LLC of Barron, Wis., recalled more than 91,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products that may be connected to the illnesses. There is no U.S. requirement that turkeys or other poultry be free of salmonella including antibiotic-resistant strains like the one tied to the outbreak so prevention falls largely to consumers. That means acknowledging that the Thanksgiving turkey you lug home from the grocery store is likely contaminated, said Jennifer Quinlan, an associate professor in the Nutrition Sciences Department at Drexel University. "They absolutely should assume there's a pathogen," she said. Last year, right after the holiday season, Quinlan and her colleagues surveyed more than 1,300 U.S. consumers about their turkey-handling habits. Most, they found, fail to follow safe practices, despite decades of public health warnings. Ninety percent of those surveyed washed raw birds in the sink, even though that can spread dangerous bacteria. Fifty-seven percent reported always or sometimes stuffing a turkey before cooking instead of baking dressing separately, and 77 percent said they left a cooked bird in a warm oven or at room temperature. Such practices can allow the growth not only of salmonella but other bad bugs, such as campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens, she said. "All of these illnesses could have been prevented. There's either cross-contamination going on in the home, or there's not thorough cooking." Other experts contend that simply telling consumers to handle food properly is unfair and ineffective. Regulators and industry should be responsible for preventing contamination in the first place. "They ought to be going after these guys like gangbusters," said Carl Custer, a food safety microbiology consultant who spent decades at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This is a seriously virulent strain." This month, Custer renewed calls for pathogenic strains of salmonella to be declared "adulterants" in poultry, which would require the USDA to test products and recall those contaminated with the bacteria. The USDA classified E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant in ground beef after the deadly 1993 Jack in the Box hamburger outbreak. After that, the rate of those E. coli infections plummeted. Since then, the agency has named six additional strains as adulterants in certain beef products. Efforts to ban drug-resistant salmonella from meat and poultry have stalled, however, despite years of demands from consumer advocacy groups and lawmakers. In February, USDA officials rejected a 2014 petition from the group Center for Science in the Public Interest to declare certain strains of drug-resistant salmonella to be adulterants, saying the group failed to distinguish strongly enough between resistant and non-resistant salmonella. In 2015, Democratic congresswomen Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and New York's Louise Slaughter introduced a bill that would have defined resistant and dangerous salmonella as adulterants and given USDA new power to test and recall tainted meat, poultry and eggs. It was not enacted. "It's very hard to get attention to food safety issues in this current political climate," said Sarah Sorscher, CSPI's deputy director of regulatory affairs. Outside observers said there's little political will for taking on the nearly $5 billion-a-year U.S. turkey industry, as well as regulators. "I don't see a lot of traction for making it an adulterant right now," said Kirk Smith, director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. "Salmonella is still common enough that it would be hugely impractical and costly to make it an adulterant," he added. "It would double the cost of poultry." In a sharply worded statement, USDA officials refused to publicly name the producers, suppliers and brands linked to the turkey outbreak, saying it would be grossly irresponsible and reckless when no definite source of illness has been identified. Because the outbreak strain of salmonella has been found at turkey-processing plants, in workers and in a wide range of food products, it will take a broad effort to detect and eradicate the source, said Smith, the Minnesota food safety expert. "It should be a whole-system approach, starting with controls on the farm, all the way through to educating consumers as best we can," he said. A newborn baby's brain responds to being touched on the face, according to new research co-led by UCL. Babies use this sense of touch - facial somatosensation - to find and latch onto their mother's nipple, and should have this ability from birth. Premature babies often have difficulty feeding, and underdevelopment of their facial sensitivity may be one of the main causes. Researchers from UCL, Imperial College London, UCLH and Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma developed a new method to study this sense of touch in babies and how their brains reacted using electroencephalography (EEG). Current methods of evoking brain activity in response to touch aren't suitable for a newborn's face, so academics have developed a device - based on a transducer - worn on the fingertip, covered by a clinical glove. The baby can be lightly tapped on the cheek, and then brain responses are measured as well as the force of the tapping. The report, 'A novel sensor design for accurate measurement of facial somatosensation in pre-term infants', is published in the journal PLOS ONE. Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi (UCL Biosciences) said: "This research provides a way of understanding how pre-term babies process touch information, and could help medical professionals to make informed decisions relating to their development. "We've proved that we can record the sense of touch from the face. This means that for premature babies, it is possible to study how they process the tactile information that they receive from the face, how this changes as they mature and whether disruption of this process might lead to longer-term feeding problems." Babies' brains develop quicker than at any other point in life. Facial somatosensation is necessary for breastfeeding; for example if a newborn baby's right cheek is lying on their mother's breast, the baby uses this information to turn its head to the right in order to feed (rooting). Therefore finding a way to measure brain responses to facial touch is important for understanding brain development in newborns. Professor Etienne Burdet (Imperial College London) said: "We had to develop a stimulating system that was safe to use on the delicate face of the babies and acceptable to their parents. We used an iterative design approach to develop a seamless wearable device that can measure a natural finger tap to the skin. "After we found that conventional sensors were not practical, we developed a dedicated sensor and packaging using 3D printing." The study looked at seven babies who were on average seven days old at UCLH's postnatal and neonatal wards, each one having been born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Sellners real interest was a dream he had first had as young manto devise a submersible which would rise and fall according to a system he had invented using the liquefaction of air. In its gaseous state, air is diffuse and light, but when liquefiedas in a refrigeration systemit becomes comparatively compact and heavy. The change from one state to another creates the potential for a buoyancy device, first heavier than, then lighter than, water. Here, a little scientific information is needed on the subject of buoyancy. The details are complex, but leaving aside variables such as the changing temperature and salinity of the surrounding water, the basic ideas are quite simple. In a normal submarine, such as a U-boat, vertical movement is controlled by allowing seawater into the buoyancy tanks placed on the outside of the hull in order to descend, and blowing out this water with compressed air in order to ascend. More water in the tanks makes the vessel heavier; more air, lighter. This system needs the submarine to store and then waste large amounts of compressed air. Piccards bathyscaphe, which of course went much deeper than a conventional submarine, worked instead by using a large buoyancy tank, full of gasoline, which being lighter than water caused the vessel to float. Metal weights attached to the underside of the bathyscaphe acted as ballast, making the whole vessel, now heavier than the water, descend; releasing the metal ballast when the desired depth had been reached allowed the gasoline-filled buoyancy tanks to carry the vessel upwards, much in the way that a hot air balloon carries a basket containing the passengers upward. Sellners system is similar to a Piccard bathyscaphe in having a large buoyancy tank, but works more like the submarine in varying this buoyancy without the use of metal ballast. The compressed air system of the submarine is replaced with a liquefaction system. At the surface, the buoyancy tank is filled partly with seawater and partly with air, the proportion controlled so that the vessel just floats. The air is then cooled and liquefied, significantly reducing its volume and allowing more seawater into the tank through an opening in its bottom; this makes it heavier and causes the vessel to descend. When the pilot wishes to ascend, the process is simply reversed: the liquefied air is evaporated and expands, pushing the seawater out of the tank, and the vessel, now lighter than water, moves upward. The advantages of Sellners system are that no air is lost, since it is simply liquefied and then vaporized, and, more importantly, that the extreme change of density in the air gives the vessel much more lifting power than simply blowing out the buoyancy tanks with compressed air, making such a device suitable for lifting heavy objects such as undersea wrecks. There is one complicating factor, particularly relevant for vessels descending into the depths of the abyss. The buoyancy tanks of both Piccard and Sellners bathyscaphes are open at the bottom to allow seawater to enter. The external pressure of the surrounding water increases as the vessel descends, compressing the contents of the buoyancy tanks and making it denserthis allows more seawater to enter, which in turn causes the rate of descent to accelerate. The vertical movement of the vessel has to be carefully controlled by continually adjusting the buoyancy, which requires considerable skill. The ascent has to be similarly controlled, because the reverse is occurring and the liquid in the buoyancy tanks is expanding as the external pressure of the water decreases, so that the vessel tends to ascend faster and faster. The whole issue of buoyancy is not just concerned with pragmatics, but also with a certain aesthetic; there is a beauty in the delicacy of these systems of balance and equilibrium, in the constant, minute adjustments made in response to small differences in the external environment. Given the technical complexities involved in engineering submersibles, its even more remarkable that Sellner, who prior to 1946 had rarely even seen the sea, let alone design a ship, was able to convince his captors that his invention was viable. The Soviet supervisors, suitably bribed with vodka, decided to support his construction of a trial machine because if it turned out to be as buoyant as Sellner promised, it could be used in salvage efforts to raise ships sunk in the war. Sellners real aim, however, which he concealed from almost everyone except some trusted fellow prisoners, was to construct a primitive bathyscaphe capable of descending several hundred meters under the sea, a most unlikely ambition for a half-starved prisoner of war isolated above the Arctic Circle. Sellner must have known something of Piccards efforts in the late 1930shalted by the warto construct a bathyscaphe, but quite why he wished to follow the Frenchmans example, rather than simply devise a submersible suitable for raising wrecks in a harbor, he never explains. In the transcript of the recording, he talks in great detail about the technical issues, but rarely about his desires. Life had, he recounted to Taillez, no more meaning for me and no more value, apart from that absurd idea that I had the means of carrying out. Sellner selected an abandoned U-boat hull, some thirty meters long, to use as the buoyancy tank. He converted this hull for use with his gas liquefaction system, using the internal compartments between the bulkheads as variable buoyancy chambers so that the hull could be made to descend and ascend underwater. Sellner also discovered among the military junk a metal sphere some two meters in diameter, possibly originally a floating German observation post. This sphere was adapted and attached to the underside of the U-boat hull, as a chamber for the proposed one-man crewhimself. Searchlights, batteries, hatches, and so on were all also converted from available scrap. The whole vessel was constructed in different workshops within the camp so that no one except Sellner himself would be able to understand the ultimate aim. Are genetic defects allowed to be repaired by intervening with sperm or egg cells, or even human embryos? Thanks to genetic scissors such as CRISPR/Cas, such interventions in the germline could soon become a medical reality. In the participation project "Citizens' Delphi Germline Therapy at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), citizens have been focusing on the risks and benefits of germline interventions. In the final report of the project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, they now call for relaxing the research ban and coordinated international regulation. Mitochondrial transfer is a medical intervention that helps mothers with a mitochondrial disease to have a healthy child - with three genetic parents. This therapy was approved by the British Parliament in February 2015, attracting worldwide attention. Of course, all parents want a healthy child, but germline therapies such as mitochondrial transfer and other interventions in eggcell, sperm or embryo are controversial because not only individuals, but also all subsequent generations are affected by the consequences. In Germany, there is a comprehensive ban on all forms of germline therapies, which also applies to fundamental research. However, owing to all the different international legal situations and the emergence of genetic scissors which greatly simplify genetic programming, clarification and action are urgently required. But no broad social debate has taken place in Germany yet. In this context, KIT carried out the "Citizens' Delphi Germline Therapy" project. From April to July 2018, 26 participants thought about and debated the difficult issues arising from permanent intervention in the human genome. "We wanted to ignite a debate with citizens about this new biological technology," says communication consultant Dr Ralf Grotker, who developed and carried out the citizens' Delphi in collaboration with the Department of Science Communication at the Institute for German Studies at KIT. This participation process is a new format which combines aspects of a Ctizens' Jury with aspects of the Delphi survey method, an accompanied multi-stage survey process including systematic feedback. "The process is geared towards working on a complex topic with a group of laypeople, empower them to make an informed judgment, and eventually reach recommendations for politicians," says Grotker. The final report of the project has now been presented during Berlin Science Week. In terms of future legal regulation of germline therapy, the majority of participants are arguing in favor of relaxing the existing ban on fundamental research into germline therapy in Germany. This way, the participants argued, the country could play a more active role in international regulations. At the same time, participants are backing a call on the federal government and the German Bundestag to support internationally binding rules on possible germline interventions in people. The opportunities germline therapy can provide medium- to long-term were rated as moderately to clearly relevant. Unknown and biological risks of germline interventions were considered relevant especially for use in therapy, but not so much in relation to the decision on whether to allow fundamental research. Abuse of germline therapy (in the form of overstepping legally agreed rules or in the form of political instrumentalization) was considered highly likely. Participants thought that an expansion from social to genetic inequality - for example through erasing defects in the genetic material via paid germline intervention - is a probable development. They were almost unanimously opposed to options of such genetic enhancements. "In the future, science will raise more and more difficult issues of this kind," says Professor Annette Lemollman from the Institute for German Studies who initiated the "Citizens' Delphi Germline Therapy" project. "It's important that citizens have the option of joining in the discussions and that they also make use of this option. After all, they are the ones to influence political decisions with their votes or citizens' initiatives." Experience with the citizens' Delphi showed that laypeople are more than capable of taking up a competent standpoint if they are adequately informed. A key result of the project in this context is also an appeal to the scientific community to provide better insights into current research and easily understandable information. The scene is shadowy, and the background music foreboding. On the TV screen, a stream of beleaguered humans stand in an unending line. "If you're waiting patiently for a liver transplant, it could cost you your life," warns the narrator. One man pulls another out of the queue, signaling an escape. Both smile. Is this a dystopian video game? Gritty drama? Neither. It is a commercial for the living-donor liver transplant center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, an academic hospital embroiled in a high-profile battle with the region's dominant health plan and now making a play to a national audience. Hospitals are using TV spots like this one to attract lucrative patients into their hospitals as health care costs and industry competition escalate. Some institutions use them to build national and international brands on niche but high-priced health services. They're often procedures involving expensive technology that benefit only a sliver of the population. But they could lure wealthy patients seeking high-end care and can also give hospitals some leverage with insurers. "Hospitals are competing, just like any other business," said Mark Fratrik, an economist at BIA Advisory Services, a media consulting firm. UPMC's ad has been airing nationally this year during cable news shows. Advertising research company iSpot.tv estimates the campaign's cost at more than $3 million since it first aired in early September. The commercial is aimed at the estimated 14,000 people on the United States liver transplant list, hospital officials said. But some analysts worry that these hospital advertisements are incomplete or misleading. "We have choices about where we seek medical care," said Yael Schenker, a palliative care doctor at UPMC, who has researched hospital advertising but was not involved with the liver transplant ad. "We want to spend our money wisely, and need information about the quality and cost of health care services. Health care advertising which purports to offer that information and fill that need for consumers really doesn't." Last year, hospitals nationwide spent more than $450 million on advertising overall, according to figures from Kantar Media, a firm that monitors ad spending. That comes on the heels of a surge between 2011 and 2015, during which time hospitals and health systems upped their ad spending by 41 percent, according to figures published by Advertising Age, which tracks marketing trends. By 2015, hospital ad spending accounted for close to a quarter of all health care-related advertising, according to the Advertising Age report. The UPMC ad is just one flavor. New York City's Hospital for Special Surgery, an orthopedic hospital, launched its own national campaign this year a minute-long spot featuring jaunty electronic music and people of all ages dancing, jogging and doing yoga and gymnastics. "How you move," the text asserts, "is why we're here." John Englehart, the hospital's chief marketing officer, said the campaign is meant to introduce potential patients to HSS from around the country, but he said it should be viewed with other informational materials, such as independent rankings. He wouldn't comment on how much the hospital has spent on its ad, though iSpot places its value at about $325,000. A nationally broadcast ad for Yale New Haven Hospital, in Connecticut, shows a cancer survivor at a bicycle race telling viewers the hospital "did give me my life back." That spot had a far shorter campaign life, and iSpot estimates its value around $11,000. The hospital did not provide comment, despite multiple requests. Until now, hospital-to-patient marketing has stayed out of the spotlight, as politicians are focused on high drug costs and warn they will crack down on advertising by the pharmaceutical industry. (Pharma ads make up the bulk of paid health care marketing, though hospitals constitute the majority of health care spending.) Unlike prescription drugs, whose commercials require special approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, ads for hospitals and health systems are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the marketing of consumer goods. Or as Schenker put it, "We're treating them the same way we treat ads for cars and cereal." But when it comes to health care versus other commodities, "it's not as easy to figure out if we've made a good choice," she said. Direct marketing from hospitals and health care centers is by no means a new phenomenon. Billboards and TV ads for spinal surgery and cancer treatments date back years. But "there's more money in hospitals' coffers these days to [market services] more. And why not?" said Robert Berenson, a health care expert at the Urban Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. An ad like UPMC's highlighting its live-donor liver transplant program signals prestige. It caters to patients from around the country and even abroad who are often wealthier, or out-of-network, or covered by higher-paying private insurance, noted Paul Ginsburg, a health economist at the University of Southern California. All are more profitable audiences. (UPMC said it has provided live transplants to patients of all stripes, including those covered by Medicaid, which insures low-income people and pays hospitals less.) Gerard Anderson, a Johns Hopkins health policy professor and expert on health care pricing, said the ad also can communicate to local consumers that, if they sign up with UPMC as opposed to a competing hospital they're more likely to get better care. "You're differentiating yourself from everyone else by saying, 'I can do this very sophisticated thing that no one else can do. Therefore, sign up with me,'" Anderson said. Or as Berenson put it: "There are not that many people with liver transplants. There's some halo effect. They're trying to get people to recognize the name and go for other services." But there is no evidence to suggest that excelling in one particular, complex procedure tracks with providing good care overall. UPMC casts its campaign as an outreach effort meant to inform people who need liver transplants of a potentially lifesaving option. It is not meant to imply anything further, hospital representatives said. "This is truly an awareness educational campaign," said Dean Walters, UPMC's chief marketing officer. He said 14,000 people in the United States need a liver transplant, and that number grows every year. "This is about making sure consumers are aware of this option." Walters would not disclose how much UPMC has spent on this particular campaign, though he acknowledged the hospital has made a "financial commitment" to promoting this service. According to Kantar, the marketing firm, UPMC spent more than $4 million on advertising in the first six months of 2018. Englehart said HSS' ad is meant to dispel any illusion that the hospital is catering to wealthy patients only though he also said their campaign is meant to enhance HSS' reputation both nationally and internationally. Many health economists suggested the payoff can extend well beyond tapping into the market of potential American or foreign patients. A campaign like this one helps hospitals gain negotiating power in their ongoing struggle with insurers over reimbursement rates. A hospital that successfully brands itself as excellent or prestigious even in one procedure or specialty can leverage that identity when bargaining with insurers. "They want Hospital A in their network even more, which means Hospital A can extract more from insurers mainly in the form of higher prices," said Martin Gaynor, a health care economist at Carnegie Mellon University and former head of the FTCs Bureau of Economics. In 2013, renowned Boston Children's Hospital pain researcher Clifford Woolf, MB, BCh, PhD, and chemist Kai Johnsson, PhD, his fellow co-founder at Quartet Medicine, believed they held the key to non-narcotic pain relief. Woolf had shown that tetrahydrobioptrin -- a protein also known as BH4 -- is a primary natural modulator of neuropathic and inflammatory pain sensitivity. Quartet was founded on the premise that inhibiting BH4 production could prevent the progression of acute pain to chronic pain in millions of patients, without threat of addiction or tolerance. With solid human genetic data and chemical biology, plus $17 million in series A funding, Quartet looked primed for success. But in the summer of 2017, toxicology studies of the company's lead candidate revealed neurologic side effects. Hope for the promising pain drug cratered, taking Quartet with it. Now, however, a surprising discovery about BH4 will likely rekindle interest in the once-promising pathway and could have profound implications for treating autoimmunity and cancer. In today's Nature, Woolf and his team at Boston Children's Hospital, together with immunologists from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna report that BH4 also functions as a kind of immunological thermostat in the body, raising and lowering the activity levels of T cells. In animal models of autoimmune disease and human cell lines, the researchers were able to inhibit T cell proliferation by blockading the BH4 pathway pharmacologically. In models of cancer, they were able to enhance T cell responses by elevating BH4 levels. "By targeting BH4, we are able to suppress T cell activity in inflammatory conditions and increase their activity in the case of cancer," says Woolf, director of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children's, who co-led the study. "The ability to target the same pathway in opposite directions is significant and represents a whole new therapeutic approach." An immunological thermostat Specifically, the researchers found that BH4 regulates the balance of available iron for mitochondria. To transition to an activated state, T cells need higher levels of mitochondrial energy; to produce it, mitochondria need higher levels of iron. When T cells are under pressure, the body produces more BH4, increasing the supply of available iron, allowing the cells to divide and activate. When BH4 levels are low, mitochondria can't get the iron they need and T cell activity is suppressed. In the case of cancer, the study revealed that a metabolite produced by tumors works to block BH4, inhibiting T cell activation and cancer surveillance. It also showed that this response could be countered by augmenting BH4. "The beauty of it is that the effect is upstream of specific types of T cell function," says Woolf. "Most drugs being developed now to treat autoimmune conditions are targeting specific kinds of T cells. This covers them all." The team found that the BH4 pathway is only active in cases of infection or when proliferation needs to occur -- and is not required for the normal formation of T cells. Finally, the paper reports the development of a highly potent small molecule, QM385, that inhibits the BH4 pathway, blocking T cell proliferation and autoimmunity. Hiding in plain sight Shane Cronin, a post-doc researcher from Ireland, arrived in the Woolf lab in 2006. He had trained in Vienna with noted immunologist Josef Penninger, MD, PhD at IMBA, and now planned to shift his focus to the neurobiology of pain. "I wanted to leave immunology behind," says Cronin, lead author of the study. "Fat chance." Woolf's team had just had its first major BH4 publication, which characterized the pathway as a key modulator of pain. To identify compounds that inhibit the expression of BH4, Woolf devised a drug screen using GFP fluorescent mice and asked Cronin to oversee the project. The screen yielded plenty of hits -- and for Cronin, an odd sense of deja vu. The results pointed to the same compounds Cronin had used in his previous immunology lab to regulate T cell function. "First I thought, okay, this is a bit of a quip, but it became very specific very quickly and I knew what I was seeing," says Cronin. But just to be sure, he reviewed existing literature on BH4, and used reagents and technology from a neighboring immunology lab to confirm his initial finding. Woolf was intrigued and encouraged Cronin to keep exploring. But Cronin had a problem: at the time, Woolf's lab lacked the tools and equipment for studying T cells. When an opportunity to move back to Vienna presented itself, Cronin saw his chance. Penninger agreed to accept Cronin back into his lab at IMBA and threw his full support and knowledge behind the project. Cronin now had access to the resources and experience of one of Europe's leading immunology labs. "And like that, it just worked out," says Cronin. 'Binary' therapeutic potential Together, Penninger, Woolf, Cronin and the other members of the BH4 group, spent the next eight years extending their finding into models of immune-related diseases -- contact dermatitis, multiple sclerosis, colitis -- and finally cancer. "There was no magic moment -- just eight years of collaborative effort, putting together a puzzle, taking it apart, starting again," says Cronin. "But I guess that's the beauty of science--starting with a 'that's odd' moment and finding something incredible." Working with Penninger, who co-led the study with Woolf, Cronin probed the binary therapeutic potential of BH4. If T cells proliferated in immune-related diseases, he wondered, what about cancer, where the same cells are often suppressed? Penninger and Cronin were able to boost BH4 levels in several mouse models of cancer, and the effect was immediate. Tumors shrank and the metastatic spread all but ceased. "As a trained immunologist who was involved in defining some of the paradigmatic T cell activation pathways, I had this idea that I basically knew it all and what was left to discover would only be details," says Penninger, who now leads the Life Sciences Institute of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. "It was like opening an entirely new door in T cell biology - a door we can now rationally close to treat autoimmunity or keep open for T cells to kill cancer." Which brings us back to Quartet. Building on a 'successful failure' In August of 2017, as the company neared completion of its initial IND, leadership received some troubling news. A preclinical study revealed that although the BH4-inhibiting pain drug was "on target," it was also crossing the blood brain barrier at higher than expected levels. Because BH4 also plays an essential role in the production of key neurotransmitters, the team worried that that BH4 inhibition would reduce or prevent certain nerve signals. Ultimately, the decision was made to bring Quartet to a close. In a blog post, Quartet chairman and founding investor Bruce Booth eulogized the company, hailing it as a "successful failure." The company's three-year investment had characterized the BH4 pathway in vivo in various pain models, developed and tested more than 1,500 potential BH4 inhibitors and produced a vast amount of data. Those data can now be used to advance the new discovery toward the clinic. Woolf believes that clinical testing for immune-related diseases could begin in as early as 18 months. "It's unusual to start out with lots of chemistry, lots of knowledge. Normally, you've just got interesting biology and you have to build a startup from there," Woolf says. "Because of the fruits of Quartet's chemistry and data, we're nearly ready to go." Keeping an open mind Initial targets of interest for this BH4 inhibitor could include atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. On the oncology side, the team is starting more or less from scratch. "We're seeing great biological effect in terms of tumor suppression, but we still need to identify an effective pharmacological way to achieve this and address the full safety issues," says Woolf. The team is exploring compounds to augment BH4 in cancer patients, with the hope they could one day be used either alone or in combination with other therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Although it's still early, Woolf and Penninger are excited about the potential applicability of the technique, and a bit in awe of how it all came together. "It's just strange," says Woolf. "I'm a neurobiologist -- I never expected to be working in immunology. But these days, I guess we all try to avoid locking ourselves into silos." "There are many interesting discoveries to be made at the intersections and borders of fields if one keeps an open mind and is willing to follow what nature tells us," says Penninger. | BY Ricki Green | Culture consultancy Ministry of Culture today announced the expansion of its highly successful US-based business into Australia with a new office in Sydney. It is the first international office for the US group, which will focus on providing cultural transformation, consumer insights and culture creation to Australian and Asia Pacific clients. MoCs Australian founder David Art Wales (left) has relocated back to Sydney after 30 years in New York to head up the venture. MoC Australia will formally open its doors this month to serve a range of independent clients down under. They have established a local advisory board, which includes entrepreneur and award-winning ECD George Betsis, along with former Droga5 CEO and now head of brand strategy at KPMG Sudeep Gohil (left). Wales said the decision to open a Sydney office was driven by the trend in Australia toward conscious capitalism. Says Wales: Instead of work being a place that merely extracts a third of an employees time, we can make it somewhere that contributes to their lives in a way that makes them more productive. Instead of ads that feel intrusive, we create marketing that contributes something. These are modern solutions with win- win outcomes. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Sorry! This content is not available in your region | BY Ricki Green | On the 20th November, the world celebrates UNICEFs World Childrens Day a day we encourage the world to GO BLUE in dedication to raising awareness and support for the children all over the world who are denied their basic rights on a daily basis. In an effort to bring awareness to the cause, UNICEF has worked with long-time collaborators Nylon Studios and ARC EDIT, along with US production company Unicorns & Unicorns to produce a star-studded film in a lead up to the day. UNICEFs annual World Childrens Day is commemorated each year on 20 November and marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The global day raises awareness and vital funds for the millions of children who are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted. This year, UNICEF is inviting the public to go online and sign its global petition asking for leaders to commit to fulfilling the rights of every child now and for future generations, and to Go Blue for every child by doing or wearing something blue on 20 November. | BY Ricki Green | How will the future of work look for creative agencies? How can technology be applied to the creative process can it be automated? These are the key questions to be grappled with by University of Sydney academic experts and students in a new partnership with international advertising agency J. Walter Thompson China, in Shanghai. In a ceremony on Friday, JWT China signed up to be the first industry partner in China for innovation style projects. The partnership with JWT China will focus on technology and digital transformation, to develop creative solutions for current and future business issues. The partnership will kick off in December 2018 with an Industry and Community Project Unit (ICPU), that will see 16 University of Sydney students from interdisciplinary areas form small teams to develop creative, ethical and context-sensitive solutions. The University introduced ICPUs earlier this year, to provide units of study based around authentic problems and issues set out by industry, community and government organizations. Says Professor Richard Miles (above right), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Engagement), University of Sydney: In what promises to be an exciting partnership, by bringing together innovation, creativity and education, the first project will seek to find out how technology can be applied so that it elevates the creative process in business functions and processes. Says Carter Chow (above left), chief executive officer, JWT China: Ultimately the partnership will work towards what actions creative agencies can take now to deliver efficiencies across their business, and to ensure creativity is able to effectively adapt to the implementation of artificial intelligence and new technologies. We are particularly interested in exploring the connection between human and machine learning and how this will change roles in the future. We hope this is the start of many innovative and future facing topics that both JWT China and the University of Sydney can work together on solving for the creative industry. Says Danielle Godbier, head of stakeholder engagement, The University of Sydney: Our interdisciplinary groups are where the magic happens, we bring students from different disciplines together to work on a common problem. With 16 students working in four groups to explore how creative processes can be automated at JWT China, you will get each student group bringing a fresh perspective and new way of tackling the challenge. Under the supervision of academic and industry experts, our students will consider if design thinking and machine learning can be used to strike a balance between automation and retaining the human element. Since ICPUs were introduced in Semester 1 this year, students have had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects including a new business model for AirBnB, investigating artificial intelligence with Westpac Bank, examining the future of start-up community in China and Hong Kong with PwC. How the projects work Offered as four-week intensive courses, students will be based in Sydney for the first week, where they work through the project brief, background research and information, as well as country information. They then undertake intensive targeted research with their project groups. During weeks two and three, students work in Shanghai with JWT China. It is an opportunity to navigate the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological and legal context of unfamiliar international markets. The final week is spent back in Sydney, where they write up their assessment task and undertake interactive workshops to encourage critical reflection on their experience and transferability to career development. Along with China, the University of Sydney has international industry partners in Hong Kong, India, and the United Kingdom and are looking to increase collaborations with international organisations. New Delhi: The second and final phase of Assembly election in Chhattisgarh will take place on Tuesday, with voters going to seal the fate of candidates for 72 seats. Former chief minister Ajit Jogi and his two family members, IAS-turned-politician OP Choudhry and Sarguja's former royal TS Singhdeo among the strong candidates to contest in this tribal-dominated state on Tuesday. On November 12, in the first phase of polling for 18 constituencies, including in 12 Naxal-affected seats, the total voter turnout was 76.28 per cent and political pundits are expecting the voting to be high in the second phase also. In 2013, the total turnout for all 90 seats was 74.65 per cent. The Election campaign ended on Sunday evening for the remaining 72 seats and the places where voting will take place include Kawardha, the home district of Chief Minister Raman Singh. Singh is a registered voter in Kawardha, but contests polls from Rajnandgaon, where voting took place in the first phase. "We are expecting a pro-incumbency vote in the second phase also and people will come out in huge numbers this time also to vote for the BJP. We will definitely coming back to power for the record fourth-time in a row," Singh said. Traditionally, the Congress has been the closest rival of Singh, who has been in power for 15 years. However, this election, there is a third force in form of former chief minister Ajit Jogi's alliance with Dalit leader Mayawati. The entire Jogi family except his son, Amit Jogi, are contesting the assembly polls. Ajit Jogi is contesting from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi from Konta and his daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi from Akaltara on BSP ticket. Jogi's new political outfit, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh is contesting polls in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. Besides, the fate of 10 ministers, including Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur South), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur) and Rajesh Munat (Raipur West), among others is also at stake in the second phase of polling. Both Ajit Jogi and OP Choudhry quit Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to enter politics. While Ajit Jogi served as the collector of Indore, Choudhry worked on the powerful post of Raipur collector when he decided to join the BJP. Ajit Jogi, who had resigned to join the Congress, was given berth in the Rajya Sabha and later became the first chief minister of the newly carved Chhattisgarh state in 2000. Jogi was chief minister till 2003 when the Congress lost power to the BJP. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi : The Assembly elections in Rajasthan is turning into a battle of heavyweights. The BJP has pitted state minister Yunus Khan to take on Sachin Pilot in Muslim-dominated Tonk, in response to Congress fielding Manvendra Singh against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jhalrapatan. Yunus Khan's name was announced in the BJP's fifth list of candidates released today. Khan, who is the Minister of Public Works and Transport Department in Vasundhara Raje cabinet, was shifted from his traditional Nagaur to Tonk against Pilot. Khan gives the BJP a strategic advantage over Congress' Pilot as Tonk has 47 per cent Muslim population. Also Read | Sabarimala Temple: Late night protests, devotees detained at Sannidhaman This comes after the Congress party's big gamble to field Manvendra Singh, the son of former Union Minister and BJP veteran Jaswant Singh, against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan constituency for the December 7 Assembly elections. Although Jhalrapatan is the traditional stronghold of Raje, the BJP rebel is expected to give a tough fight to the chief minister, who is facing massive anti-incumbency in the state. Soon after the announcement, Manvendra Singh has dropped a hint that he was not that much keen to contest the Rajasthan Elections from Jhalrapatan. "My interest was not to contest the assembly elections but the party gave me responsibility. I am not a Chief Ministerial candidate. My relationship with Vasundhara Raje has been good. Now I will go to Jhalarapatan and open a front against Vasundhara Raje," Singh told News Nation in an exclusive interview. Miffed Raje reacted strongly and said this was "not a battle of individuals but a battle of the family of Jhalawar". "Congress could not find anyone in Jhalawar, they send Manvendra Singh here," she added. Read More | Amid rift with government, crucial Reserve Bank board meeting today Earlier last month, Manvendra had joined the Congress in presence of party president Rahul Gandhi. Upon joining the Congress, the MLA from the Sheo constituency in Barmer, had said that going with the lotus BJPs election symbol, was a big mistake. The elections for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly are scheduled to held on December 7 in a single phase. The counting of votes will take place four days later on December 11 and results will also be announced the same day. New Delhi: Amid the ongoing rift with the central government and rumours of its Governor Urjit Patels resignation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will hold a crucial board meeting on Monday. Several issues, including the governments proposed changes to the RBI Act, 1934, alignment of capital adequacy norms with those in advanced countries and some relaxation in the Prompt Corrective Action framework, are likely to be taken up for discussions during the meeting. According to sources, the central bank could agree to tweak certain restrictions on lending to improve credit flows for smaller companies with a borrowing limit of Rs 34 lakh. Also Read | Resignation by RBI Governor would send bad signal to global markets: Moily The RBI has been at loggerheads with the Centre over Finance Ministrys use of Section 7 of the RBI Act, which grants special powers to the government to issue directions to the central bank. On Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that limiting credit availability and liquidity must not affect the growth of the country. If we have to improve on this (growth), we need a certain level of credit flow as far as entrepreneurs are concerned... see that liquidity is maintained, the finance minister said during an award ceremony in Mumbai. Earlier on November 9, RBI governor Urjit Patel had met senior officials in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), including Modi in New Delhi and discussed several ongoing factors ranging from the appropriate size of reserves that RBI must maintain to ease of lending norms to step up growth in an election year. The meeting also comes nearly a week after the Economic Affairs Ministry had last week rejected the reports of the Centres proposal to the RBI seeking transfer of Rs 3.6 lakh crore and said the only plan under discussion is to fix appropriate economic capital framework of RBI. Also Read | Amid RBI-Centre rift, Urjit Patel met PM Modi on November 9: Report The Economic capital framework refers to the capital required by the central bank while taking into account different risks. The RBI has massive reserves of worth Rs 9.59 lakh crore. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: As many as 10 chopped palms were recovered from the Kalinga Nagar area in Odisha on Sunday, which the police suspect are of the tribals killed in the 2006 police firing. At least 13 tribals were killed in a police firing during a protest against land acquisition for a steel plant in Kalinga Nagar in January 2006. The tension in the Jajpur area was palpable when police found five pairs of chopped palms, which were preserved in a medical box in a club near the site. Read More | Sabarimala Temple: Late night protests, devotees detained at Sannidhaman On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area, he said. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged in this regard, Meena said, adding that heavy police force has been deployed in the area to maintain strict vigil. Doctors conducting the post-mortem examination of the bodies had to cut the palms of five victims to obtain their fingerprints as they could not be identified, the police said. Also Read | Amritsar attack 'act of terror', Khalistani hand being probed The chopped palms were given to the deceased tribals' family members a couple of years ago, but they refused to accept them and demanded a DNA test, they said. Following this, they were preserved in the medical box and kept in the club, they said. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: At least four people were killed and one other injured in a massive fire at a house in Delhi's crowded Karol Bagh area. The fire started at around 12:23 pm at a house in Karol Bagh's Bedanpura.A Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused off in half an hour,A officials from the Delhi Fire Service said. The deceased people have been identified as 55-year-old Bagan Prashad, 40-year-oldA Naresh, 20-year-old Aarati and 40-year-old Asha. They all worked at the factory. It is suspected that the chemical used to dry clean the clothes at the factory caught fire that spread rapidly. #SpotVisuals: Four dead and one injured after fire broke out in a factory in Delhi's Karol Bagh. pic.twitter.com/1UvtKj387C a ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 More details awaited. New Delhi: Madame Tussauds added another Bollywood celebrity to its list of wax statues and it is none other than the Sui Dhaaga actor Anushka Sharma. Anushka has proven her versatility over the many years of her Bollywood career. She has emerged as a global power brand and to cherish this achievement, Madame Tussauds unveiled her wax figure on Monday. Given her popularity across countries, the wax museum at Singapore unveiled the first ever interactive wax statue that will wow the visitors. Also Read | Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi welcome a baby girl! Anushkas life-like figure holds a phone personally inviting visitors to snap a selfie with her, which can be digitally shared with friends and family. She will be the first wax statue in the Singapore museum with this feature. The wax figure of the NH10 actor joins other Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, etc in the IIFA Awards Experience where one can re-live the glamour of the Bollywood awards ceremony. One of Anushka's fan clubs shared this news on Instagram with a caption that read, "Presenting @AnushkaSharma's statute at Madame Tussauds Singapore." Also Read | Shah Rukh Khans little fella Abram yells at the paparazzi, Video goes VIRAL In addition to being an actor, Anushka has always stood for many social causes and also owns her clothing brand, NUSH. She has also been known for her support towards animal welfare and equal rights. Taking the notion even further, the actor will initiate a campaign to save tigers and has partnered with Discovery Network and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Project C.A.T: Conserving Acers for Tigers, aimed at raising awareness to preserve the habitat of the rapidly collapsing tiger population. On the work front, Anushka is gearing up for her upcoming flick Zero. The Aanand L Rai directorial also stars Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif in leading roles. The film is slated to hit the theatres on December 21, 2018. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. | BY Lynchy | Cambodias leading independent advertising and communications agency ComZone captured a Black Dragon in the 2018 Dragons of Asia event that was recently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With scores of entries received from the regions top advertising and communication companies, the Dragons of Asia is one of the most rigorous and sought-after awards program honoring creative excellence for industry professionals. Recognition came in the Best Social Media-Word of Mouth Campaign category; it was given to ComZone for its novel work and ideas in the launch campaign for a new product for Samsung Cambodia. The campaign was lauded for its merits that pushed the envelope of creativity in the media. Were honored for this opportunity to create creative work for an exceptional client. As a leader in the competitive smartphone market, Samsung Cambodia deserve nothing less than our best in order to reach its target audience, said Lundy So, Comzone CEO. A part of the ComZone Group, the agency was opened in 2010 to answer the countrys need for a homegrown independent shop at par with global standards and global competition. Aside from the prominent Dragons of Asia event, it has won other major honors in its drive to be a full-service and integrated marketing communications firm including Agency of the Year on several occasions. This win proves that outstanding work does not only come from foreign agencies backed by considerable resources. Clients can expect to get powerful ideas and winning campaigns from independent agencies, Jessica Lim, Comzone Managing Director, added. We welcome this new recognition as a further testament to the agencys ability to lead locally and compete globally. New Delhi: A Salman Khan fan seems to have landed himself in a troubled pit. A man was arrested from Allahabad on Sunday for allegedly threatening one of Salman's employee on phone. The arrested man, only identified as Shera by the police, had dialed up Bhai's employees a few days ago. He even demanded the actor's number when Shera was in Mumbai, and when the staffer refused, the two got into a heated argument over the phone. Also Read | Shah Rukh Khans little fella Abram yells at the paparazzi, Video goes VIRAL The police stated that the staffer lodged a criminal complaint three days ago at Bandra police station against the man allegedly abusing him on phone. However, the police have kept the name of Salman's employee confidential and also mentioned that the caller threatened him with acute consequences if his demand is not met. After the complaint was lodged, a police team traced the caller's number to Allahabad. The sim card was registered in the name of 'Shera alias Sheru', stated the police. While the officials kept the matter very confidential, a police source told TOI late on Sunday that their team is on their way to reach Mumbai late night. The source said, "The motive of the threatening call will be clear once they get here and interrogate the arrested man." Also Read | KJo reveals rate card of B-Town celebs by paparazzi, THIS munchkin has highest price "We suspect that something went wrong between the accused and the actor's employee although the two are not even acquainted with one another. The accused got hold of the staffer's cell phone number through social media" added the source. The police team arrested Shera on Friday from Kareli locality. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : At least three people were killed and 20 others sustained grievous injuries in a terrorist attack on a religious congregation at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Rajasansi village, the police said. According to eyewitnesses, two bike-borne terrorists lobbed hand grenades at Nirankari Bhawan and fled the scene. The attack took place amid a high alert issued by Punjab police on Thursday after they received intelligence about the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist Zakir Moosa in Amritsar. However, the Punjab police denied Zakir Moosas hand in the attack but Chief Minister Amarinder Singh suspected that Pakistans notorious intelligence agency ISI could be behind the attack. Also Read | Sabarimala Temple: Late night protests, devotees detained at Sannidhaman "It (this incident) appears to have a terror angle. Because it is against a group (of people) and it is not against any individual. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it as that," PTI quoted Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora as saying. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh condemned the attack and urged people to maintain peace. He vowed not let terrorists destroy the hard-earned peace of Punjab. I appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in wake of Amritsar bomb blast...We will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard-earned peace, Singh wrote on Twitter. The chief minister also said that the possibility of Khalistanis (Sikh separatists) involvement in the attack cant be ruled out and agencies were investigating the attack from all the possible angles. Also Read | Amid rift with government, crucial Reserve Bank board meeting today A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) also reached the spot as part of its SOP. The NIA keeps a track of all the cases related to terrorism. However, the decision on whether the probe would be handed over to NIA would be taken by the Union Home Ministry after the initial report from Punjab. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. However, he was denied an urgent hearing. Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer who was part of the investigation team probing Asthanas role in an alleged corruption case, mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for an urgent hearing on Tuesday. Read More | Rajasthan elections turn into battle of heavyweights, BJP pits Yunus Khan against Sachin Pilot in Tonk The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the governments decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave. He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. Read More | RBI Board Meeting underway as central bank looks to resolve conflict with government Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Exiled Central Bureau of India (CBI) Director Alok Verma on Monday filed his response to Central Vigilance Commission's probe report on corruption allegations against him before the Supreme Court in a sealed cover. Hearing the matter, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had described the CVC report a mix and directed Verma to file his response by November 19. The court will assess the response during the next hearing on Tuesday before pronouncing its judgment into the plea filed by Verma. The CVC report on allegations of bribery against the CBI chief is "complimentary on some charges, not so complimentary on some charges and very uncomplimentary on some charges," the court had observed during the last week's hearing and posted the matter for next hearing on November 20. Also Read | RBI Board meeting underway as central bank looks to resolve conflict with government According to reports, the CVC has not found any evidence of taking bribery against Verma but observed "administrative lapses". Vermas deputy Rakesh Asthana had accused him of taking bribery from a Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana to clear his name from the Moin Qureshi case. Verma also accused Asthana of taking bribery from Sana. He produced Sana before a magistrate court where the latter claimed to pay Rs 3 crore to Asthana. The ugly infighting in the CBI came out in open after the agency registered an FIR against Asthana. Amid the controversy, the Centre on October 24 deprived the two warring CBI officers of their powers and sent them on an indefinite leave. Verma challenged the government's decision in the Supreme Court, which ordered the CVC to complete a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the CBI chief in two weeks. Also Read | Resignation by RBI Governor would send bad signal to global markets: Moily For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: As Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with the menace of several abductions, a CRPF head constable was killed and two Army jawans injured when Jaish-e-Mohammed militants attacked a newly-set up camp in Pulwama district of South Kashmir on Sunday evening. The incident took place at around 7.30 pm when militants hurled grenades through Underbarrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL) and fired at the CRPF personnel near Kakapora railway station in Pulwama, the police said. Head Constable Chandrika Prasad died in the attack, they said. The camp had been set up recently to enhance security in this militancy-infested district due to the ongoing Panchayat elections. Read More | Ten arrested for running child-selling racket, five babies rescued Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed responsibility for the attack on the CRPF camp. A spokesman of the militant outfit called some local media houses and claimed responsibility for it. After being attacked, the CRPF personnel chased the militants who fled to a nearby locality. The paramilitary forces were assisted by Army jawans of the Rashtriya Rifles, who were patrolling in a nearby area. Also Read | Deepika Ranveer Wedding: The newlyweds are back in town! The troops reached an orchard where they were fired upon, resulting in injury to two Army jawans. The cordon had to be called off as a religious congregation was there. The Army jawans were taken to the Srinagar-based 92-base hospital and they were out of danger, the police said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Manish Kumar Sinha, a CBI officer, on Monday claimed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval tried to influence the ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption against Special CBI director Rakesh Asthana. In a petition submitted in the Supreme Court, Sinha claimed that Doval did not allow searches that were important to the inquiry and that a Union minister of state took "a few crores" to help a businessman under investigation. Sinha, who was leading an investigation into a corruption allegation against Asthana, was abruptly transferred to Nagpur. Sinha, an IPS officer, challenged the transfer in his petition filed before the top court. He sought a permission to be heard on Tuesday, saying he wanted to place shocking information against Asthana. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, however, rejected Sinhas request for an urgent hearing, saying we are not shocked by anything. CBI officer probing FIR against Special Director moves Supreme Court: https://t.co/WiowcsuaUq via @YouTube News Nation (@NewsNationTV) November 19, 2018 The plea alleges interference by Doval, Minister of State for Coal and Mines Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and Union Law secretary Suresh Chandra in the investigation against Asthana. Also Read | Exiled CBI chief Alok Verma files response on CVC report in Supreme Court The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government's decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha further claimed that a Union minister of state took "a few crores" to help a businessman under investigation. He also alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. Asthana has been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing tussle with Verma. Chaudhary termed as "baseless and malicious" the allegations levelled against him by Sinha, saying he would quit politics if they were proven to be true. The Union minister, in a statement, said he did not know the businessman. "Certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know, nor have I met Mr Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe," he said. "I only came to know from various media reports today that an affidavit has been filed in the Hon'ble Supreme Court mentioning this matter. I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any enquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics," he said. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. In his petition, Sinha alleged that the CBI director had briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana. "Subsequently on the same night, it was informed that the NSA has informed Rakesh Asthana about registration of the FIR. It was informed that Rakesh Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested," the petition said. Sinha added that Deputy Superintendent of Police officer AK Bassi, who has also been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, had favoured immediate search of public servants involved in the bribery case (relating to Asthana) but the "Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same." Sinha claimed that Manoj Prasad, who was arrested in the bribery case allegedly involving Asthana, had said his father Dineshwar Prasad - a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer -had "close acquaintance" with Ajit Doval. "As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, his father, retired as Joint Secretary, and has close acquaintance with Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI HQ and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with Doval," Sinha said, adding that Prasad "taunted" the CBI officers and asked him to "stay in limits". Also Read | After Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee blocks CBI in West Bengal: Reports Sinha also alleged that Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Sana, a co-accused in an investigation against Qureshi, told during interrogation that a few crores of rupees was paid to Union minister Chaudhary. "As per Sana, Harbhai had intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of Minister of personnel...to whom apparently, the Director CBI reports to. "The money was paid through one Vipul of Ahmedabad. These facts were disclosed to me by Sana on October 20 in the forenoon," Sinha said. Reacting to the petition, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the allegations were "deeply shocking" and "put a question mark" on the PM's office. Deeply shocking revelations have surfaced in public domain,which puts a question mark on PM Modi, functioning of PMO, allegations of bribery on MoS, Law Sec influencing investigation, NSA helping the accused & CVC being named in these murky dealings:-https://t.co/wwrNfzZyNm Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 19, 2018 "Deeply shocking revelations have now come in public domain which put a question mark on PM, the functioning of PMO, allegations of graft against an MoS (Minister of State), another minister helping him. Law Secretary influencing the probe, NSA influencing the probe," he said. After Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee blocks CBI in West Bengal: Reports For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is likely to be questioned by the Pune Police in connection with investigation into the banned CPI (Maoist) outfits. According to a report published in The Indian Express, Digvijaya Singhs mobile number was reportedly mentioned in one of the letters recovered from the arrested activists. One of the letters, dated September 25, 2017, one Com Prakash purportedly tells one Com Surendra that Singh was very much willing to assist them to intensify nationwide protests using students, the report said. The Pune Police claims that Com Prakash is one of the top CPI (Maoist) commanders and Com Surendra is a Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, who was arrested in June this year. The police claimed that during the investigation and raids, they have found a letter claiming to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajeev Gandhi-type incident. Also Read | 2 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district Several prominent activists, including Varavara Rao, have been arrested by the Pune Police in connection with the Elghar Parishad meeting held on December 31, 2017. The police claimed that speeches by the activists provoked the Bhima Koregaon violence the next day in which one person was killed and several others sustained injuries. In August 2018, the Pune Police had conducted multi-city raids and arrested five left-leaning activists Varavara Rao, Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira. However, the Supreme Court intervened and put them under house arrest. However, except Gautam Navlakha, the other four activists have been taken into custody after their house arrest ended. Also Read | CBI officer probing FIR against Special Director Rakesh Asthana moves Supreme Court, denied urgent hearing On Sunday, Varavara Rao was produced before a special Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Maharashtra government pleader Ujjwala Pawar told the court that sanction has been sought to prosecute activist-poet P Varavara Rao and other accused in the Elgar Parishad case on charges of waging war against India. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over perceived government interference in the Reserve Banks functioning. Accusing the prime minister and his coterie of cronies of destroying the institution, Gandhi expressed hopes that RBI Governor Urjit Patel will not bend down against Modi. Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the #RBIBoardMeet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place, the Congress chief wrote on Twitter. Also Read | RBI Board Meeting underway as central bank looks to resolve conflict with government The remarks of the Gandhi scion came on a day when a crucial RBI board meeting is taking place to discuss several issues, including governments proposed changes to the RBI Act, 1934, alignment of capital adequacy norms with those in advanced countries and some relaxation in the Prompt Corrective Action framework. The RBI has been at loggerheads with the Centre since the Finance Ministrys use of never used Section 7 of the RBI Act, which grants special powers to the government to issue directions to the central bank. According to news agency Reuters, citing sources, the central bank could agree to tweak certain restrictions on lending to improve credit flows for smaller companies with a borrowing limit of Rs 34 lakh. A day ahead of the meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that limiting credit availability and liquidity must not affect the growth of the country. Also Read | Resignation by RBI Governor would send bad signal to global markets: Moily If we have to improve on this (growth), we need a certain level of credit flow as far as entrepreneurs are concerned... see that liquidity is maintained, the finance minister said during an award ceremony in Mumbai. The board meeting of the RBI came nearly a week after the government rejected reports of its proposal to the central bank seeking transfer of Rs 3.6 lakh crore and said the only plan under discussion is to fix appropriate economic capital framework of RBI. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hookah is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporising and smoking flavoured tobacco sometimes cannabis or opium. Since the water used in the pipe can absorb nicotine, hookah has been presumed to be safe gaining notoriety among the younger generations. But, if you are taken by the misconstrued notion that hookah maybe safer then cigarettes then think again! A new study had emerged to debunk the hookah-safety myth and it has some serious alarming news. A research conducted by the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US stated that smoking hookahs are more harmful than traditional cigarettes. The scientists conducting the study found that puffing a water pipe for just half an hour can lead to the development of cardiovascular risk factors. This study came in the view at a time when the market sector claimed that smoking hookah is less hazardous to health than cigarettes. Also Read | THIS mushroom will start killing you before you realize it! The researchers studied 48 healthy, young hookah smokers before and after smoking 30 minutes of smoking. They then measured heart rate, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, blood nicotine and exhaled carbon monoxide levels and the result showed that a single session of hookah smoking increased heart rate (by 16 beats per minute) and blood pressure; and significantly increased measures of arterial stiffness, a key risk factor in the development of cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack or stroke. The increase in arterial stiffness was comparable to data seen from cigarette smokers after smoking a cigarette. "Our findings challenge the concept that fruit-flavoured hookah tobacco smoking is a healthier tobacco alternative. It is not," said Mary Rezk-Hanna, an assistant professor at the UCLA. With the common misconception and marketing efforts, hookah smoking has been increasing at a rapid pace, especially among youth and particularly among college students. Also Read | Eczema treatment: Home remedies to take care of this skin disorder "One of the major issues with hookah is the fact that the tobacco is flavoured with fruit, candy and alcohol flavours, making hookah the most popular flavoured tobacco product among this audience," she said. Results of the study are particularly concerning because it measured what appears to be the lower limit of hookah use (half an hour), but in most cases lasts for several hours increasing the levels of nicotine and other toxins, the researchers said. Stiffening of arteries and the aorta are important signs of the progression of hypertension, which raises the risk of heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular disorders. Also Read | The Quiet Space: Be sure to smell the flowers This health case has even opened the bigger door of nicotine-usage such as smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes which have also shown to produce similar rates of arterial stiffening as seen in this hookah use study. Hookah smoking, despite its alarming health concerns, remains more popular due to marketing efforts as well as social trends. New Delhi: Not long ago, politics had taken a generational shift. It brought a new norm -- the younger, the better for its current set of players. And this was so because Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed the way to cut the age limit for public life and office. , as a result, even BJPs rivals and contemporaries do not mind kicking up the younger lot to newer heights and even to top of their ranks. But the change thus triggered off primarily by the ruling party amid the heat of the 2014 general elections has now taken a rather incredible turn. The Congress has decided to put its bet on 54-year-old Manvendra Singh to take on Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia in her Assembly constituency near Jhalawar in South Rajasthan. Singh had joined the Congress only a month ago though the leader in him was always spun and shaped under the benignant warmth of the BJP. He has firmly been tied up to the saffron party for most of his life and since his fathers time. And his father Jaswant Singh had held some of the prime ministries like Defence, External Affairs and Finance when the late Atal Behari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. Also Read | Rajasthan elections turn into battle of heavyweights, BJP pits Yunus Khan against Sachin Pilot in Tonk But the times changed for the former Union minister. He fell out with his party and the BJP denied him ticket for the last Lok Sabha polls. He contested as an independent only to lose the battle for Barmer seat to the official candidate of the party. His son was a BJP MLA in Rajasthan in his own right when the equations changed between the father and the party. And, thus, Manvendra Singhs exit from the BJP was only a foregone conclusion. Yet, it took quite some time to come as Jaswant Singh slipped into age-related ailments that forced him to virtually retire from politics. Somehow, Jaswant Singh has not been alone to fade into virtual oblivion under the new scheme of things followed by his former party and its upcoming leaders. Jaswants party peers like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha too found themselves to be in the cold. It is another matter that the last of them continues to be known for what his BJP detractors call as rants to berate and embarrass the party and its top leaders. Nonetheless, Sinhas moves are seen as a response on the part of old guards of the party for being pushed to insignificance. And not only him but also others from the earlier lot of leaders are under the intense watch of the party. This became all the more palpable when two days before Diwali, or on to be exact, Joshi invited a select gathering in New Delhi, including media persons, to mark the festival. No sooner than the scribes covering the BJP were to join Joshi at his residence they were called at the partys Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg office for an informal exchange where three Central Ministers Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman and Ravi Shankar Prasad kept them engaged for about an hour or so by talking about the achievements of the Government and a few other issues though the discussion was off the record. This left Joshi waiting for journalists and many of them could never find time to take part in Joshis Diwali Milan bash. Also Read | Rajasthan Elections 2018: BJP releases fourth list of 24 candidates The possibility behind such a coincidence vis-a-vis the twin invitations that vied against each other to seek journalists attention being due to the tussle between the old and new breed of party leaders was not lost upon the attendees. Many of them pointed out to the three ministers or courtesy them Governments apprehensions regarding a possible detrimental role that Joshi could possibly play by putting fingers upon some of the contentious issues faced by the Government. This was felt all the more since the issues related to banks NPAs, or non-performing assets, had put Joshi and some of his party colleagues at loggerheads through the deliberations of a parliamentary committee and the current row between the RBI and the Union Finance Ministry is only because of the bad state of Government-run banks. Anyway, the point in view of the current season of state Assembly polls is that the subtle battle between the old and not-so-old hats in the BJP is apparently now shifting to another generation. Manvendra Singhs entry into the Congress fold signifies this to be further escalating, or going into the top gear. And his selection by the Congress as a candidate against Rajasthan Chief Minister for the Assembly polls for Jhalarpattan seat is by no means an ordinary step. This is more so since on , posters hailing Yashwant Sinha as a senior BJP leader (and not a former party leader despite the fact that he left the BJP in April this year) put by a section of the Rajasthan BJP on social media platforms to mark his birthday points to cracks in the ruling party of both the state and the Centre over what is clearly the shunning of the partys old guards. It is amid such intriguing manoeuvres that Manvendra has decided to throw his hat in not only the battle for one of the most coveted constituencies in Rajasthan but perhaps also among all the seats being fought in five states under the current spell of the Assembly polls. The outcome of these polls will be known on . And among other things the voters verdict this time is going to decide the new mores and etiquettes that have been brought to politics at the cost of a whole generation of leaders who have virtually been rendered idle for nearly five years now. | BY Lynchy | How will the future of work look for creative agencies? How can technology be applied to the creative process can it be automated? These are the key questions to be grappled with by University of Sydney academic experts and students in a new partnership with international advertising agency J. Walter Thompson China, in Shanghai. In a ceremony on Friday, JWT China signed up to be the first industry partner in China for innovation style projects. The partnership with JWT China will focus on technology and digital transformation, to develop creative solutions for current and future business issues. The partnership will kick off in December 2018 with an Industry and Community Project Unit (ICPU), that will see 16 University of Sydney students from interdisciplinary areas form small teams to develop creative, ethical and context-sensitive solutions. The University introduced ICPUs earlier this year, to provide units of study based around authentic problems and issues set out by industry, community and government organizations. In what promises to be an exciting partnership, by bringing together innovation, creativity and education, the first project will seek to find out how technology can be applied so that it elevates the creative process in business functions and processes, said Professor Richard Miles, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Engagement) University of Sydney (pictured above right). Ultimately the partnership will work towards what actions creative agencies can take now to deliver efficiencies across their business, and to ensure creativity is able to effectively adapt to the implementation of artificial intelligence and new technologies, said Chief Executive Officer of JWT China Carter Chow (above left). We are particularly interested in exploring the connection between human and machine learning and how this will change roles in the future. We hope this is the start of many innovative and future facing topics that both JWT China and the University of Sydney can work together on solving for the creative industry. Our interdisciplinary groups are where the magic happens, we bring students from different disciplines together to work on a common problem. With 16 students working in four groups to explore how creative processes can be automated at JWT China, you will get each student group bringing a fresh perspective and new way of tackling the challenge, said Head of Stakeholder Engagement at the University of Sydney, Danielle Godbier. Under the supervision of academic and industry experts, our students will consider if design thinking and machine learning can be used to strike a balance between automation and retaining the human element. Since ICPUs were introduced in Semester 1 this year, students have had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects including a new business model for AirBnB, investigating artificial intelligence with Westpac Bank, examining the future of start-up community in China and Hong Kong with PwC. How the projects work Offered as four-week intensive courses, students will be based in Sydney for the first week, where they work through the project brief, background research and information, as well as country information. They then undertake intensive targeted research with their project groups. During weeks two and three, students work in Shanghai with JWT China. It is an opportunity to navigate the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological and legal context of unfamiliar international markets. The final week is spent back in Sydney, where they write up their assessment task and undertake interactive workshops to encourage critical reflection on their experience and transferability to career development. Along with China, the University of Sydney has international industry partners in Hong Kong, India, and the United Kingdom and are looking to increase collaborations with international organisations. The ICPU initiative has been enthusiastically received by both industry and students, and to date 1000 students have been involved in 35 projects. Next year the University will double the number of places offered to our students to 2000, with the number of projects increasing to 50 in Australia and internationally. Mumbai: It is a bane of democracy and vote bank politics as it is practiced in India today that some castes that were commonly recognised as forward castes are today vying for being classified as backward to appropriate the benefits of backward status. Parties resort to political blackmail to get their demands accepted and governments are increasingly succumbing to it. The latest case in point is the Maratha community in Maharashtra which was identified as a forward caste by even the famed Mandal Commission which went into the whole gamut of reservations but has now been accepted as backward by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government evidently for fear that the party would lose out on the crucial Maratha vote in a State where Marathas account for a whopping 31 per cent of the population. Earlier, as the Maratha reservation agitation raged, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice (retired) NG Gaikwad had found Marathas to be socially and educationally backward. In its report, the commission had recommended reservation for Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions without tampering with the existing quota for the OBCs. This essentially meant that a separate quota in jobs and educational institutions would be created for Marathas in Maharashtra. Also Read | Bars on CBI: Centre must scuttle all attempts by individual states to defy norms The backward commission report needed first to get approval of the Maharashtra cabinet which it got. Now the report should get approval of the Maharashtra Assembly. The next step would involve approval by the Union Cabinet followed by adding Marathas to the list of communities eligible for reservation in jobs and educational institutions. This expansion of the list of reserved communities should get nod from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha separately. And finally, the President will be approached for assent. It will become law after presidential assent. As the norms go, a community after being recognised as socially and educationally backward and added to the list of reserved castes/classes gets 50 per cent reservation against its share in the population of the state. As Marathas comprise about 31 per cent population of Maharashtra, they would be entitled to get 15-16 per cent reservation. If they get the promised 16 per cent, the total quota may go up to 68 per cent in Maharashtra. A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Indira Sawhney case in 1992 had ruled that total reservation for backward classes could not go beyond 50 per cent mark. The Supreme Court and various high courts have repeatedly held that rule though there are a couple of exceptions. Also Read | After Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee blocks CBI in West Bengal: Reports The Justice Gaikwad Commission report favouring separate quota for the Marathas followed three previous rejections by different bodies. The Mandal Commission report placed Marathas in the category of Forward Hindu Castes and Communities. The National Commission for Backward Classes Report in 2000 rejected Marathas claim of being backward. Again in 2008, the MSBCC categorically rejected the demand for inclusion of Marathas as OBCs for benefits of reservation policy. Yet, if the Fadnavis government is seeking a nod from the court, it is essentially because any rejection can be blamed on the court while the government acts innocent. Maharashtra is indeed not alone in this quagmire. In Rajasthan, the Jats, another forward caste is agitating for reservations and has got some assurances while in Gujarat the whole edifice of Hardik Patels campaign against the state government is on reservation for Patidars or Patels. When the framers of the countrys Constitution first mooted reservations, it was for a limited period to help the backwards overcome the handicap of having been discriminated against economically for decades. Subsequently, however, the political parties found it expedient to use these communities as vote banks. That this has subverted democracy and cultivated vested interests is beyond question. The agitations by some forward castes to be included among beneficiaries by forcing governments to classify them as backwards is a new dimension that is making a virtual mockery of the original purpose of reservations. Also Read | Saudi Crown Prince ordered journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing: CIA As of now, it seems inconceivable that any government would have the courage to cry a half to reservations to honour the spirit of the limited period reservations envisaged originally. Kanpur: Indias perpetual concern over making higher education accessible to all has yielded high number of institutions and student enrolment in the last few decades. This huge increase in enrolment of students warranted simultaneous increase in the number of teachers and teaching supporting staff which. This has resulted in the pressure of increasing revenue and reducing expenses while continuing with expanding the enrolment. The enormous increase in student enrolment has also pushed the higher education institutions away from the conventional pattern of hiring full-time regular teachers. Now, they look for alternatives with the objective of cost saving. Various studies and reports make it evident that despite significant investment in higher education, infrastructure and fast diffusion of various courses in the society, there has not been the major impact on the employability of students passing out from several colleges and universities. Currently, there are two broad categories of teachers namely regular faculty members and temporary faculty members christened with different names. In view of the public sector institutions, one comes across insufficient student-teacher ratio, considering the regular teachers leading to an impromptu arrangement of engaging temporary / contractual / guest teachers for taking care of routine teaching requirements. This also offers lesser spending in meeting the teaching-learning requirements in higher education sector in such institutions, where financial support has not been increasing commensurate to the increase in student enrolment in majority of the institutions since long. In private sector institutions, the spending on salary is a direct function of the student footfall in them, and the limitations in respect to the fees and student enrolment compel for hiring low paid teachers in requisite numbers to satisfy the statutory requirements and to prune the spending on salary component. This saving on cost and employment flexibility has resulted in gradual increase in the dependence of higher education systems functioning on temporary teachers being hired either for a short time or on period basis. Hence, temporary teachers can be termed low paid teachers with least job security and regular teachers as well-paid teachers with good job security. Nevertheless, hiring specialists for teaching specialised courses with the aim to ensure distinct value addition has always been welcome and inevitable for multidimensional personality and professional enrichment. Notwithstanding the competence of different types of teachers, the concern is more with temporary teachers owing to lesser degree of their involvement in academic processes as well as ownership of the respective institution in the context to pursuing long-term research and extension activities. Generally, temporary nature of anything always seeks permanency, but is likely to ingrain complacency that may turn into permanency. Irrespective of the type of teacher resource, the quality of teaching-learning activity depends primarily on the attributes as subject knowledge, sense of responsibility and commitment to teaching, ability to engage and interact, classroom management, punctuality, course management, willingness to help and care learners, adaptability to feedback for improvement, unambiguous and well-organised communication, teaching innovations and adapting newer pedagogy, effectiveness in reading and writing skills, rationality in assessment, integrity, course material, etc. These different attributes demand ample involvement of teachers in planning, devising and executing their unique strategies for ensuring effective teaching to create a pool of worthy educated ones with essential competence. Therefore, poor compensation to teachers and element of uncertainty in the duration of hiring plays a significant role in accomplishing their effective contributions in attaining the objectives of higher education institutions. Any compromises on these accounts will not yield good. The fast pervading culture of the cost of instructions to students being aimed to be met from receipts of the institution is leading to insufficient funds. Also, temporary teachers with dangling uncertainty are overworked and underpaid while regular teachers are made to strive in exploring possible ways for fetching revenue through various activities and services which are most of the time other than the core mandate of teaching-learning of students. It is seen that quite often temporary teachers are effective in raising student performance in short runs, but fail in imparting deeper learning. Although weakness in imparting deeper learning may prevail with regular teachers too but with favorable service conditions and accountability, they can be conveniently coerced to improve the situation. Statutory regulatory systems of the country being primarily interested in meeting the requisite count of mentors also do not feel the pinch of any degradation in quality until the employability of graduates is questioned. Currently, the all-pervasive quest of higher education institutions for improving their ranking has brought in the policy of teacher hiring/promotion becoming research and publication centric. Thus, any shift in primary focus from student learning may yield deterioration in the quality of graduating students in due course of time. It is high time for the statutory regulators of the worlds third largest higher education system of India to holistically consider improving teaching-learning processes with the involvement of suitable persons with passion for pursuing teaching as career. Increasing number of student enrolment indicates that higher education institutions are capacious enough to create large number of acclaimed professors through enabling lucrative service conditions. And, any migration of worthy minds from our country to institutions abroad may endanger the intrinsic intellectual strength of Indian higher education system and be detrimental for learners in the long term. The elimination of any uncertainty in the period of hiring, proper compensation and purely merit-based transparent selections of teachers may infuse confidence in the meritorious youngsters of upcoming generations opting for teaching as a career in India. (The writer is the founder Vice Chancellor of Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, UP. Currently, he is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, UP) President Donald Trump has long put the American military at the center of his presidential brand, tapping retired officers to serve as advisers, touting increases in defense spending, and citing support from troops and veterans as a sign of his success. But the commander in chief has risked alienating parts of the military community by escalating a fight with one of its most revered members, retired Adm. William McRaven, amid other recent remarks and decisions that have fanned controversy in the ranks and among some who served. In an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," Trump went after McRaven, the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein during his 37 years in the U.S. military. Trump derided McRaven as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer" before suggesting that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" the president said. "You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there." The comments escalated a war of words that began last year when McRaven called Trump's description of the news media as the "enemy of the people" the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen. Last summer, McRaven went to bat for John Brennan, defending the former CIA director as a man of integrity in an article in The Washington Post, after Trump revoked Brennan's security clearance. In a rare moment of political candor, McRaven wrote that Trump, instead of putting others above himself and setting an example as president, had "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation." In a statement initially released to CNN and confirmed by The Washington Post, McRaven said he didn't back Clinton or anyone else in the 2016 presidential election and was a fan of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, both of whom he worked for while in uniform. "I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," McRaven said. Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell pointed out on Twitter that McRaven's forces had nothing to do with locating bin Laden. Morrell said it was the CIA that did the "finding" and McRaven's forces that did the "getting," moving out within days of receiving the order. The president's remarks about McRaven came amid broader questions about Trump's relationship with military matters. During a recent trip to France, the president didn't attend a ceremony commemorating the centenary of World War I because of the rain, with the White House saying his helicopter couldn't fly in the inclement weather and a motorcade would have caused too much traffic. Chief of Staff John Kelly and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attended the ceremony. Trump didn't visit Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day this year because he was traveling home from France, and didn't go to the ceremony or hold any public events to honor U.S. veterans on the Monday holiday. Trump admitted he should have gone to Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day. "I should have done that," Trump told Wallace. "I was extremely busy on calls for the country. We did a lot of calling, as you know." Trump recently has signaled discontent with the top retired generals serving in his administration, raising questions about whether he is souring on the military brass in his orbit. Earlier this year, he derided Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as "sort of a Democrat." In Sunday's interview, he said there are things Kelly does that he doesn't like and at some point he will move on from the chief of staff position. The comments followed the president's decision to thrust the American military into the center of a political maelstrom ahead of the midterm elections by sending thousands of troops to the border with Mexico in what critics labeled a political stunt to fire up anti-immigrant sentiment among his base. Trump said the move was a necessary measure to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection prepare for the "invasion" of thousands of migrants who he said, without evidence, included "unknown Middle Easterners" and "bad people." Ahead of the election, Trump said he was sending as many as 10,000 to 15,000 troops to the border, but the military said last week that the number of active-duty troops deployed in fact had peaked at about 5,900. An additional 2,000 members of the National Guard have been there since April. Although Mattis defended the deployment as necessary support for the Department of Homeland Security and good training for troops, other members of the military community took offense at what they saw as a wasteful politicization of the armed forces. Trump's suggestion that soldiers would shoot migrants who threw rocks at them prompted retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, to tag the mission as wasteful, while clarifying that men and women in uniform wouldn't use disproportionate force. Trump, who attended New York Military Academy but avoided serving in the Vietnam War through draft deferments, also answered questions Sunday about why he hadn't visited American troops serving in combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan. "I think you will see that happen," Trump said. "There are things that are being planned." But former and current administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, didn't recall hearing about the possibility of Trump visiting troops in Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria during his first year and a half in office. An attempt to visit the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea in late 2017 was scuttled by bad weather. Trump has also been a vocal advocate of withdrawing from the conflicts where American troops are deployed abroad, but Mattis and other national security officials have persuaded him to stay the course in Syria and Afghanistan. When Wallace pointed out during Sunday's interview that Trump hadn't visited troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, the president was quick to note that he opposed the war in Iraq, although it's unclear if he ever voiced that opposition before the 2003 invasion. "But this is about the soldiers, sir," Wallace said. "You're right," Trump replied. He promised to make a visit despite his "unbelievably busy schedule . . . on top of which you have these phony witch hunts." Monetary support for the military has long been at the heart of Trump's political messaging. When former first lady Michelle Obama said in a newly released book that she couldn't forgive Trump for loud and reckless innuendos about Barack Obama's birthplace that endangered her family, Trump quickly shot back that he couldn't forgive Obama for "what he did to our military." Years of budget caps damaged the American military's preparedness, according to the Pentagon, which says the consistent funding during the first two years of the Trump administration has helped assuage problems with training, maintenance, personnel and equipment. In August, Trump signed a $716 billion defense bill, including a $639 billion baseline budget that was the nation's largest in adjusted terms since World War II, a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops and critical investments in equipment maintenance. The overall defense budget, which includes active operations, was higher in the Bush and Obama years during the surge in Iraq. In recent weeks, however, the Trump administration has signaled that budgetary largesse for the military that characterized the president's first two years in office is unlikely to continue. After the federal deficit jumped by 17 percent in part in response to last year's Republican-led tax cut, Trump ordered government agencies to slash their budgets for the coming year by about 5 percent, which would amount to a roughly $33 billion reduction for the military. As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Its easy to know the right thing to do once we can look back. Sometimes we wish we could go back and handle issues differently, or we think we could avoid certain problems altogether if only we had known what to do. Of course, none of us can go back in time, and all those setbacks and mistakes give us valuable lessons that make us who we are. Without having lived through something, mistakes and all, you wouldnt have the experiences and perspective necessary to become who youre meant to be. Nevertheless, who hasnt wished they could go back and tell their younger selves something? What advice or words of wisdom would incredibly successful people want to give to their younger selves? As it turns out, theyd have plenty to say. Heres what five successful billionaires would go back and tell their younger selves if they could. 1. Recognize and appreciate peoples talents. We tend to believe that if someone is traditionally intelligent (i.e., they have a high IQ) then they can do just about anything. Its easy to fall into the trap that being smart will automatically equal success. If there is one lesson billionaire Bill Gates said he wishes he could impart to his younger self, it would be to learn to recognize and appreciate people's different talents. In a series of tweets, Gates said, Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known. E.g., intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one dimensional. And not as important as I used to think. He went on to say, I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the worlds worst inequities. Took me decades to learn. Gates elaborated on this theme during a question-and-answer session at Hunter College. The question, posed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Gates replied that he now realizes there is no one right way to be intelligent. "I was so naive about different skill sets. I thought if somebody had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. And the idea that you needed to blend these different types of skills together, that always continued to surprise me," said the Microsoft co-founder during the event. "There was this simple idea of smartness and it could go and solve everything -- I wish I had known better than to think that." Related: 10 Powerful Attributes of Insanely Successful People 2. Relax, its going to be okay. In an interview with British Vogues editor in chief, Edward Enninful, Oprah pondered what advice she would give her younger self. Oh baby girl, what the world has in store for you! Oprah said, with a smile and a hand on her heart. First of all, it would be relax. It would be stop being afraid. Everything is going to be all right. No matter what, youre going to be okay. Besides wanting to reassure her younger self, the media mogul and self-made billionaire also has a few words of advice for young people today, especially those who think that success should come automatically. According to Oprah, young people need to understand that success is a process, and theres a whole lot of hard work that goes into building your career. They think theyre supposed to come out of college and have their brand, Oprah said. How I got to be a brand was not trying to be a brand. How I got to be a brand was every day making choices that felt like this was the right move. Now thats the right move. And now thats the next right move. Looking back on the path she followed to achieve success, Oprah once wrote a letter to her 20-year-old self, remembering the moment when she got her first job at a television station. At the time, she was worried about juggling her college courses and full-time work, along with her boyfriend at the time. She remembered how her younger self hoped her beau would be proud of her. This touches on a difficult life lesson she had to learn: to be able to see herself with her own eyes, and not someone elses. But in the end, it was all part of the journey she was on. That will be your single greatest gift: knowing there is a power greater than yourself and trusting that Force to guide you, Oprah wrote. Related: The 10 Mental Traps on Your Road to Success 3. Find a healthy worklife balance. If Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey could tell his younger self one thing, it would be to find balance in life. When I was young, I didn't understand the value of exercise or health and how that affected my intellect," he told Y Combinator. "I think it was useful for me to go to all the extremes to find the balance I have now, but I wish I focused more on being healthier in the past." During a live Product Hunt Q&A, the self-made billionaire said he now strives to maintain balance in his life by sticking to a structured schedule and a consistent routine. In response to a question, he wrote that he does the same thing every day. Doing this allows a steady state that enables me to be more effective when I do have to react to something out of hand," he said. Dorsey's routine involves waking up at 5 a.m., meditating for half an hour and doing a seven-minute workout three times -- all before starting his workday. "A healthier lifestyle ultimately makes me more creative and allows me to think more cohesively," he told Y Combinator. Related: Mark Cuban Has 3 Tips for Young Entrepreneurs 4. You dont have to pick the perfect job. Mark Cuban, the self-made billionaire and outspoken judge on Shark Tank, was once asked what advice he would give to his 20-year-old self. He has a few things he wishes he could go back and say. Dont stress. Dont change anything, have fun, dont stress, Cuban said in a Business Insider interview. You dont have to know what you are going to be when you grow up, you dont have to have answers, you dont have to have the perfect major, you dont have to pick the perfect job. However, there is one thing Cuban doesnt recommend to 20-something-year-olds: Dont follow your passion. Heres his thinking, which he wrote about in his blog: Follow Your Passion is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get. Why? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than one thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really want to do with our lives. Those passions arent worth a nickel, Cuban wrote. According to him, Its bad advice because you may not excel at what you are passionate about. If you really want to know where your destiny lies, look at where you apply your time, Cuban wrote. Time is the most valuable asset you dont own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or dont use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you. Related: Why 'Follow Your Passion' Is Awful, Flawed Advice 5. There is no straight path to where you are going. If Sheryl Sandberg could go back, what words of wisdom would she impart to her younger self when she was just starting out? The COO at Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org answered this question on Quora, and offered compelling life advice for anyone beginning his or her career. Find work you love. When you believe in what you are doing, you can combine passion with contribution -- and that is a true gift. Keep trying and you will find what you love to do and once you do, you will crush it, she wrote. Sandberg went on to say: Believe you can do anything. This is important for everyone and especially for women. Dont let anyone tell you cant have both a meaningful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. When you hear someone say you can't do something, know that you can and start figuring out how. Ask yourself, What would I do if I werent afraid? There is no straight path to where you are going. If you try to draw that line you will not just get it wrong, but you will miss big opportunities, Sandberg said in her entry. Sandberg recommends adopting two concurrent goals. Have a long-term goal, which is your dream. It doesnt have to be realistic or even specific. Even a vague goal like travel the world can provide direction. And have an 18-month plan. These are concrete personal goals you want to achieve. Ask yourself how you can improve and what you're afraid to do -- that's usually the thing you should try, according to Sandberg. Related: What These 5 Billionaires Would Tell Their Younger Selves Don't Succumb Under the Pressure of Being a Good Girl, Whatsoever! Looking at Very Old Photos Has Changed My Perspective on Business and Life in General Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved WASHINGTON Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined two other U.S. Senate Democrats on Monday in suing to block Matthew Whitaker from serving as President Donald Trumps acting attorney general. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm high-level federal government officials, including the Attorney General, before they exercise the duties of the office, the Democratic senators said in their complaint. President Donald Trump appointed Whitaker to temporarily replace former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom Trump ousted after the mid-term elections. Whitaker had served as Sessions chief of staff, a position that does not require Senate confirmation. He is a loyal Trump ally who has been critical of Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation and is now in a position to oversee it. In the lawsuit filed in a Washington D.C. federal court, Blumenthal, joined by fellow Senate Judiciary Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Maizie Hirono of Hawaii, seeks to block Whitaker from performing the functions and duties of the office of the Attorney General. Blumenthal, who called Whitaker a constitutional nobody said the president is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official and that the reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. Installing Matthew Whitaker so flagrantly defies constitutional law that any viewer of School House Rock would recognize it. Americans prize a system of checks and balances, which President Trumps dictatorial appointment betrays, Blumenthal said. If the lawsuit is successful, it would force the president to either formally nominate a replacement for Sessions or elevate, on an acting basis, someone from within the department who had already received Senate confirmation. Some legal scholars say it might be difficult for Democratic senators to show they have standing in court - which means being able to prove they have been harmed. HARTFORD Governor-elect Ned Lamont hasnt hired anyone to his administration, but on Monday he announced two more members of his transition team, who will be responsible for vetting the people he hires. Lamont announced that Kevin Myatt, senior vice president of human resources for Yale-New Haven Hospital, and John Denson, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry in Stamford, will be going over the resumes submitted through LamontTransition.org. Lamont said he knows how important hiring the right people was in his private life. I was a sociology major and I was building telecommunication systems, Lamont said. I had to have really good people who complimented my skills. Lamont founded Lamont Digital Systems back in 1980. He sold the company before announcing his run for governor. Lamont said hes looking for Myatt and Denson to vet the resumes they receive, but also to recruit talent. Lamont is responsible for hiring commissioners and deputy commissioners in some cases, which means he will directly be hiring a over 100 people before January. Lieutenant Governor-elect Susan Bysiewicz said she didnt know exactly how many hires they will need to make, but expect one person to lead each commission. I want the best and the brightest to be our commissioners, Lamont said. Thats for darn sure. He said hes going to set an example by not taking a salary or benefits, but he cant ask his commissioners to do the same. I dont think the salaries will be an issue for getting top talent, Bysiewicz said. She said theyve already heard from people who love the state and want to serve. Lamont said they have meetings with all the commissioners and plan to get an update from them on their priorities for their state agencies, but I am looking for a fresh start. He said hes likely going to keep some agency heads. Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz, Department of Corrections Commissioner Scott Semple, and Emergency Management and Public Safety Commissioner Dora Schriro have already announced their departure from state service. Policy Progress? Lamont said hes facing a $75 billion structural budget deficit that hes going to have to work through. He declined to offer many details about how he plans to charge his transition team when it comes to creating budget police. He said he feels like he was clear on the campaign trail when he talked about the big buckets of the state budget where we need to make changes. I spent a lot of time talking about health care and what we can do there, Lamont said. Lamonts health care proposals related to the budget were vague on the campaign trail. He talked about regional purchasing of pharmaceuticals, but was vague about his plans for the Medicaid population. And he offered no promises of universal coverage or a state-based individual mandate. Lamont also cited stretching out our pension payments for a period of time so we dont have any cliffs, as a solution to the budget pressures. Those pressures he learned are more acute in Connecticut than in western states. Just back from his first National Governors Association meeting in Colorado Springs, Lamont said at the end of the day he couldnt tell who the Democrats were and who the Republicans were. He said he didnt even hear Presidents Trump name come up over the 72 hour period. Its a very different world when you start moving into governance, Lamont said. What he quickly learned was the states who receive revenue from oil and gas have it better than Connecticut where the largest source of state revenue is the personal income tax. He joked that one governor was complaining that his $20 billion sovereign wealth fund was only going to pay for 65 percent of his budget, instead of 70 percent, due to reductions in oil and gas prices. He said another governor was talking about improving transportation structure with an excise tax on fracking. Connecticuts special transportation fund was on the verge of insolvency earlier this year, which is why Lamont has proposed a toll on out-of-state truckers. Lamonts agenda today including a briefing on emergency management and a meeting with the Department of Economic and Community Development. On Tuesday, Lamont will be meeting with the Office of State Ethics to make sure they are in compliance. SYRACUSE, NY -- The forecast for Thursday, Nov. 22 -- Thanksgiving Day -- calls for temperatures to struggle to reach 20 across much of Upstate New York. If that holds, it could set new cold temperature records for both the date and for Thanksgiving, going back to 1902. "It's going to be close," said Joanne LaBounty, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Binghamton. The good news: Thanksgiving may be cold but also clear, with no snow in the forecast. In Syracuse, according to today's look ahead from Accuweather, the forecast for Thursday is a high of 20 and a low of just 4. Here's the Thanksgiving outlook for Upstate New York as posted about 3:30 p.m. today by the NWS Binghamton office: Planning on running that turkey trot or doing last-minute prep Thursday morning? Bundle up! Chilly temperatures are forecasts to invade the northeast this Thanksgiving. Add in a bit of a breeze and it'll be downright frigid! pic.twitter.com/BfkAFikccR NWS (@NWS) November 19, 2018 LaBounty tabulated the all-time cold records in Syracuse for both Nov. 22 and for Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November, and therefore comes on different dates. In Syracuse, for Nov. 22, the record low is 11, in 2008. That year also had the lowest high temperature for the date, at 24. For a Syracuse Thanksgiving Day, the record low was 9 on Nov. 24, 1938. The record for the lowest high temperature was 18, on Nov. 26, 1903. The National Weather Service's Buffalo office offered this look at the Thanksgiving records for Buffalo and Rochester, indicating this year's Turkey Day will at least fall into the top 10 coldest on record: A team of scientists designed a device that can induce partial hindlimb regeneration in adult aquatic African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) by kick-starting tissue repair at the amputation site. They introduce a new model for testing electroceuticals, or cell-stimulating therapies. At best, adult frogs normally grow back only a featureless, thin, cartilaginous spike, says senior author Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin), developmental biologist at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University. Our procedure induced a regenerative response they normally never have, which resulted in bigger, more structured appendages. The bioreactor device triggered very complex downstream outcomes that bioengineers cannot yet micromanage directly. The scientists 3D printed the bioreactor out of silicon and filled it with hydrogela sticky glob of polymers. They laced the hydrogel with hydrating silk proteins that promote healing and regeneration, then added progesterone. Progesterone is best known for its role in preparing the uterus for pregnancy, but the hormone has also been shown to promote nerve, blood vessel, and bone tissue repair. The researchers split the frogs into three groups: experimental, control, and sham. For the experimental and sham group, they sutured the device on the frogs immediately after limb amputation. In the experimental group, the bioreactor released progesterone onto the amputation site. In all cases, they removed the devices after 24 hours. The repair of damaged limbs and organs in humans is of paramount importance, as 2 million Americans are living with limb amputations. The treatment described herein induced large, paddle-shaped regenerates, demonstrating a clear improvement over the well-known cartilaginous spike. The treatment appears to reactivate the early regenerative response, because transcriptional networks are specifically suppressed or enriched as soon as 24 hr after treatment, and morphological differences are already visible at 2 weeks post-amputation. We previously demonstrated that that body-wide pharmacological modulation of Vmem can induce functional regeneration of the froglet leg at a non-regenerative stage. To achieve localized delivery (essential for broadening the class of treatments that can be used without toxicity), we designed a wearable bioengineered bioreactor: the wearable bioreactor. The silk-hydrogel-based device, even though present very briefly, created a pro-regenerative environment, enhancing bone remodeling. Micro-computed tomography (CT) quantifications revealed that animals with devices had a significant increase in bone volume, surface area, and density. Qualitative observations on immunostained sections also detected the presence of nerve tissue or SMA+ vessels in treated animals. Although morphologically regenerates from treated animals tended to be longer than those from no-device animals, no pattern or complex structures or shapes were detected, which differs from the rod-shaped spike. Our data suggest the brief application of a Prog-containing bioreactor as a promising modality for initiating complex, long-lasting, pro-regenerative outcomes. Cell Reports Brief Local Application of Progesterone via a Wearable Bioreactor Induces Long-Term Regenerative Response in Adult Xenopus Hindlimb Highlights Wearable Bioreactor Induces Long-Term Regenerative Response in Adult Xenopus Hindlimb Adult Xenopus laevis frogs are capable of induced increased regenerative response Improved limb regeneration is driven by a wearable bioreactor containing progesterone Improvements occur at molecular, anatomical, and behavioral (functional) levels A 24-hr treatment is sufficient to trigger many months of regenerative growth Abstract Wearable Bioreactor Induces Long-Term Regenerative Response in Adult Xenopus Hindlimb The induction of limb repair in adult vertebrates is a pressing, unsolved problem. Here, we characterize the effects of an integrated device that delivers drugs to severed hindlimbs of adult Xenopus laevis, which normally regenerate cartilaginous spikes after amputation. A wearable bioreactor containing a silk protein-based hydrogel that delivered progesterone to the wound site immediately after hindlimb amputation for only 24 hr induced the regeneration of paddle-like structures in adult frogs. Molecular markers, morphometric analysis, X-ray imaging, immunofluorescence, and behavioral assays were used to characterize the differences between the paddle-like structures of successful regenerates and hypomorphic spikes that grew in untreated animals. Our experiments establish a model for testing therapeutic cocktails in vertebrate hindlimb regeneration, identify pro-regenerative activities of progesterone-containing bioreactors, and provide proof of principle of brief use of integrated device-based delivery of small-molecule drugs as a viable strategy to induce and maintain a long-term regenerative response. Previous Tufts work found bioelectric mirroring on the uninjured leg opposed to the amputated leg Tufts University biologists have discovered that amputation of one limb is immediately reflected in the bioelectric properties of the contralateral, or opposing, the un-damaged limb of developing frogs. The pattern of bioelectric depolarization in the uninjured leg is directly correlated to the position and type of injury, indicating that information about damage to tissues is available to their symmetrical counterparts within about 30 seconds of injury. When they amputated the limbs of froglets still in regeneration stage, the dye revealed a remarkable phenomenon: The un-injured leg exhibited bioelectric states that mirrored the location and type of injury occurring on the opposite side, and the effect was immediate, occurring within 5 seconds. What was amazing about this result was that not only did the depolarization in the un-injured leg detect the presence of injury on the other side, it also reflected information about the position of the cut, said Levin. Michael Griffin, the undersecretary for research and engineering, expects future budgets to provide funds for lasers that the missile defense agency can more rapidly develop and field. Space-control needs to have megawatt-class lasers. Hypersonic weapons low signature in flight and high degree of maneuverability upon final approach to targets make the weapons difficult to defend against. The last time the US really invested in transformative capabilities that overwhelmed adversaries [in Desert Storm] was the Reagan era. 300 kilowatts by 2023 and megawatt by 2028 Michael Griffin said We need to have 100-kilowatt-class weapons on Army theater vehicles. We need to have 300-kilowatt-class weapons on Air Force tankers, Griffin said. We need to have megawatt-class directed energy weapons in space for space defense. These are things we can do over the next decade if we can maintain our focus. Scientists hes been talking with have told him that level of laser power is five to six years away and a megawatt laser is within a decade with persistent investment. The US military is boosting combat laser funding to a billion dollars or more. The US has funded several combat laser deployments over the next three years. Lockheed Martin is being awarded a $150 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Surface Navy Laser Weapon System Increment 1, High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with a surveillance system. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $943 million. The combat lasers will be 150-kilowatts and could get upgraded to 300 kilowatts for more range and power. After winning final approval last week, two Massachusetts dispensaries will begin selling recreational marijuana on Tuesday. The dispensaries in Northampton and Leicester (near Worcester) are the first commercial pot shops on the East Coast. The stores currently operate as medical marijuana dispensaries and have pledged to continue serving their registered patients. Massachusetts voters legalized the use of recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older in 2016, but it's taken more than two years for state legislators and regulators to reach the point where the first stores can finally open. The Northampton store, operated by New England Treatment Access, said it would open for recreational sales at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Cultivate Holdings, which operates the Leicester store, said its doors would open at 10 a.m. the same day. While the two Massachusetts stores can sell weed to Connecticut residents, state police said recreational pot is still illegal in Connecticut and cant be brought across the border. The Northhamption location at18 Conz St. is about a half-hour drive up I-91 from the Connecticut border. Its about 2 miles from northbound I-91 (easy on, easy off) Exit 18. On New England Treatment Access Facebook page, there is a daily menu of cannabis products. On its Flower products page, it offers such marijuana strains as Arcata Trainwreck, Tangerine Haze and Moonshine Haze. Prices are $100 for a quarter ounce, $175 for a half-ounce and $300 for an ounce. It also offers pre-rolled joints, marijuana distillate, kief, Shatter (a translucent concentrate), locations, vape products and edibles. The Northhamption location will still sell medical marijuana to its patients. On its Facebook page, it reassured patients saying it will reserve at least 35 percent of its inventory for its patients on a daily basis. Patients have the option to access separate, patient-only, service stations. More News Marijuana advocates hope for growing support It said their pot growing operation in Franklin, Mass. has been nearly doubled for cultivation and processing to support the additional demands of adult use. The Facebook page drew a number of comments, some apparently from Connecticut residents. I might cry, one man wrote. I've been waiting for this day for a very long time. You will be getting all my Connecticut dollars, wrote another. Looks like many vacations in Mass are coming for me! Another wrote, Greetings from Long Island! Cross Sound ferry here I come! New England Treatment Access says its prepared for crowds this week. The company has already had ongoing discussions with local officials about traffic, parking and other public safety issues and is confident of a smooth opening, said Norton Albaraez, a spokesman for the company. Recreational marijuana is currently sold in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California and Nevada. Maine voters also approved a legalization question in 2016, but stores in that state are not expected to open until next year at the earliest. Previous reporting by the Associated Press was used in this story. STAMFORD The father of a slain Westhill High School grad is going after everyone whom he claims assisted in covering up the murder and disposal of his sons body, but lawyers for the accused claim the latest suits are frivolous. Pat Comunale and his lawyer Robert Abrams have filed civil suits against James Rackover and Lawrence Dilione the two men accused of killing 26-year-old Joey Comunale as well as Max Gemma, the third man who police say was in the New York apartment when the murder occurred. Lawsuits have also been filed against the parents of Dilione and Gemma. The Comunale family had previously filed suit against Jeffrey Rackover, a famous jeweler with celebrity clients including Oprah and Melania Trump. A jury found his surrogate son, James, guilty of murder earlier this month. Dilione is expected to go to trial in January. The Comunale murder, which gained wide media attention, will be the subject of the CBS investigative journalism show, 48 Hours. The episode, "What Happened in Apartment 4C?" will be televised at 10 p.m. Saturday. Our clients son was brutally murdered, Abrams said. The people who brutally murdered him tried desperately to cover up the murder and lied to the police and the family about their involvement in this horrendous crime. The lawyer for the Comunale family said there are more suits to come. We are not going to stop until every person who was involved in the murder and cover up of this horrendous crime is held accountable, Abrams said. The civil suit against Rackover, Dilione and Gemma seeks punitive and compensatory damages for wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, conscious pain and suffering of Joey Comunale, and right of sepulcher. The last claim argues that the three men prevented Pat Comunale from retrieving his sons body. Comunale has also filed suit against Gemmas father and Diliones mother, claiming they helped cover up the crime. The suit claims Gordon Gemma, a lawyer and former mayor of Oceanport, N.J., and Suzanne Dilione, conspired and agreed among themselves and others to conceal and cover up the brutal murder of Joey by intentionally and knowingly lying to law enforcement. In response to the suits, Mark Bederow, attorney for Max Gemma, called the complaints irresponsible and outrageous. The New York lawyer expressed deep condolences to the Comunale family, but harshly criticized the merits of the suits. He said there is no evidence that Gordon Gemma covered up the crime, but perhaps his biggest gripe with the lawsuits is the depiction of Max Gemma as one of the murderers, even though he is the only defendant not charged with the homicide. There is absolutely no evidence of that, said Bederow, referring to the claim that Gemma participated in the murder. He referenced the closing arguments by Assistant District Attorney Antoinette Carter in the Rackover trial, in which she stated Gemma was not involved in the murder. He left because he was not a killer and they let him go because they did not want him to be a witness, said Carter, referring to Gemma leaving Rackovers Upper East Side apartment after Comunale was attacked. She later added, Clearly, Larry wants to keep tabs on Max, but Max was not one of the killers. Gemma has been charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence. He is expected to go to trial after Dilione. What makes it so disturbing is that the plaintiffs attorney sat in the front row and watched the entire trial and clearly knows that there is no evidence that Max was involved in a homicide, Bederow said. Michael Pappa, attorney for Larry Dilione, questioned the suit filed against his clients mother. While I have great sympathy for the Comunale family, the civil lawsuit filed against Suzanne Dilione lacks legal merit and is otherwise frivolous, Pappa said. First of all, the cause of action is far-fetched. Moreover, the factual allegations are untrue and will not be provable in court. He said Suzanne Dilione is innocent of any wrongdoing. The complaint is wildly speculative with reckless disregard for the truth, Pappa said. Abrams said he stands by the lawsuits. We will not waste any more time indulging the murderers and the people who speak for them other than to ensure that they are each held accountable in the appropriate civil and criminal courts, he said. Joey Comunale met Dilione outside a New York nightclub and accompanied him and five others to Rackovers apartment on Nov. 13, 2016. Rackover, who has a criminal record in Florida under his birth name of James Beaudoin, has been accused of being lovers with his surrogate father. Jeffrey Rackover lived in the same apartment complex as his son and bankrolled the younger Rackovers lifestyle, including clothes, watches, rings, bracelets and a 2015 Mercedes Benz, according to the lawsuit. After a night of partying, Comunale told Dilione he was going to get cigarettes, while Rackover looked for cocaine, according to the suit. Comunale then asked Dilione what he was going to contribute, according to the lawsuit. After Comunale repeated the question three times, Dilione punched him several times and body-slammed him to the floor, rendering him unconscious, the lawsuit alleges. Dilione testified that Rackover then approached Comunale and said, this is what you get for f----ing with my boy, and punched and kicked him in the face, and slammed his face into the floor repeatedly. Dilione testified Rackover became concerned about the amount of blood on the floor and said they would go to jail for a long time if anyone found out. Rackover then choked Comunale with his hands, according to Diliones testimony, and later used a pair of jeans to strangle Comunale. Dilione said he went into Rackovers bedroom with Gemma, and when he turned around, he saw a knife being pulled out of Joeys head. Dilione and Rackover were charged with beating, stabbing and attempting to dismember Comunale, then throwing his body out of a 30-foot-high window. Police said they then drove 60 miles to Oceanport, N.J., where they buried the body in a shallow grave. WEST HAVEN Two local residents were injured in a three-alarm fire in the VIP Apartments building on Canton Street Monday morning. The fire, reported around 10:30 a.m., was in a corner apartment on the third floor of the four-story brown brick building at 175 Canton St. The building has 52 units 13 per floor. Chief Michael Esposito of the City of West Haven Fire Department-Allingtown said at least four of the units including the one directly above and the two directly below the one in which the fire began will not immediately be habitable because of smoke and water damage. He was not yet sure whether smoke damage would render any other units temporarily uninhabitable. Theres a lot of smoke and water damage in the stairwell, Esposito said. The residents of the apartment where the fire originated were taken to the hospital for evaluation, officials said. A firefighter also was briefly treated but was just a little overheated, Esposito said. He was evaluated and treated at the scene. One reason for the extra alarms was an initial problem getting water from nearby hydrants, Esposito said. We had a little trouble with the water supply, he said. Firefighters from the Allingtown, West Shore and West Haven fire departments were all at the scene Monday, pumping water to the fire from down the block near the Orange town line. New Haven and Milford also sent firefighters to cover Allingtown, West Haven and West Shore firehouses that sent their firefighters to fight the fire. West Haven police also were on the scene. At 10:45 a.m., firefighters reported the bulk of the fire was knocked down. Firefighters were reporting heavy smoke inside the building. A hole was made into the roof of the building to ventilate the structure, which is standard procedure. Broken windows could be seen around the side and rear of the third floor unit where the fire originated. Abele Iremeka, who lives below affected apartment, said she was at work in a West Haven medical office Monday morning but her mother, Victoria, was at home sleeping when someone knocked on the door and said You have to get out! When her mother called her, Iremeka returned to find that her mother got out safely but was standing barefoot outside the building. The two have lived there for eight years, Iremeka said. A woman who identified herself as Habiba M.J. said she lives on the fourth floor of the building, above and across the hall from where the fire began. I was in the bathroom, trying to get ready to go out, she said. Then she heard commotion sirens and foot steps running outside her door, which is unusual that time of morning, she said. When she looked out, she saw people running out of the building. I quickly just grabbed my blanket, but no shoes, and ran out of there, she said. As she saw the two residents of the affected unit being taken away on stretchers, she said it looked like they were going to be OK. We are just so happy that they were safe, she said. Esposito said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, although he believes it started somewhere in the area of the kitchen. / HAMDEN - Police are asking for the publics help to ID a man who stole two coats from Kohls on Dixwell Avenue on Saturday. Investigation revealed that an individual, described as a Hispanic male, 30 years of age, 52, 165 lbs., wearing a T-shirt and jeans exited the store with two stolen coats that have a total value of $300. Q. Does the state of New Jersey allow withdrawals from 529 plan to pay for K-12 private school? -- Parent A. Yes, you can. In 1996, the U.S. government created Section 529 plans, named for the tax code that governs how the plans work. Traditionally, 529 plans have been used to save for qualifying higher education expenses, said Evan Drury, a financial advisor with U.S. Financial Services in Fairfield. Qualifying expenses may include tuition and fees, room and board (provided the amount doesn't exceed the amount charged for housing by the institution or the federal aid calculated allowance for room and board), textbooks, computers and related equipment. You should save your receipts and make sure that qualified items are purchased separately from non-qualified items, Drury said. Under 2018 tax law, the federal law was adjusted to include K-12 tuition expenses, he said. "In 2018, you now have the ability to withdraw $10,000 per student per year for K-12 private school education," Drury said. He said while 529 distributions can be used for qualifying higher education expenses as indicated above, a distribution for K-12 expenses can only be used for tuition expenses. Educational summer camps and other activities would not be considered a qualified expense, he said. Neither would college prep classes. While the government created 529 plans, the states administer them. "The federal law is clear, however not all states have adjusted their rules to correspond with this new law," Drury said. "In New Jersey, the state does allow qualified distributions for K-12 private school tuition in accordance with federal law." Before considering a withdrawal from your 529 plan for K-12 private education, Drury recommends you examine any distribution with your advisor to determine how it might impact your college savings goals. Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter. Two college students from New Jersey are among 32 Americans picked for one of the world's most prestigious scholarships. Nicolette D'Angelo, a Princeton University student from Hewitt, and Margaret Dods, a U.S. Naval Academy student from Linwood were named Rhodes Scholars on Sunday. They were selected from a pool of 880 applicants who had been nominated by their colleges and universities. Both will receive full scholarships for post-graduate studies at Oxford University in England next fall. "I immediately called my mother and cried with her after sharing my unreal, euphoric news," D'Angelo said. D'Angelo is majoring in classics at Princeton and pursuing certificates in creative writing, humanistic studies, and gender and sexuality studies. She plans to pursue the M.St. in Classics at Oxford and show "the relevance of antiquity" to today's world, eventually becoming a classics professor. "We prize concepts like democracy, columned architecture and philosophy from the ancient past, but we also can trace back to this time some of our most unsavory societal norms today: for example, the exclusion of women and other marginalized voices from power," she said. Dods majors in English and Arabic and has maintained a perfect grade point average. She serves as a Battalion Commander, leading 750 other students at the Naval Academy. They are part of the latest group of U.S. Rhodes Scholars, which has more women than any other class. Almost half of this year's recipients are either immigrants or first-generation Americans. More than 2,000 Americans have received Rhodes Scholarships since the program was created in 1902 by British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- The detention hearing for two men charged with gunning down a 17-year-old girl in front of her friends was adjourned Friday and pushed back to later this month. Alterik Ellis, 25, and Travis Defoe, 28, are charged with the Oct. 26 murder of Jade Saunders in a Brinkerhoff Street building where she was hanging out in a hallway with friends. No reason was given for the adjournment. Ellis and Defoe will remain in Hudson County jail in Kearny until their detention hearing, which has been rescheduled for Nov. 26. Officers responding to the Brinkerhoff Street building at about 11:35 p.m. on the night of the shooting found Saunders with a gunshot wound to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The two men were also charged with aggravated assault on a 26-year-old Jersey City man wounded in the incident, and two more counts of aggravated assault on two 19-year-olds who were wounded but left the scene, officials said. Finally, they were also charged with weapons offenses and theft. Murder carries a sentence of 30 years to life upon conviction. Saunders was enrolled at Lincoln High School but was studying at the Renaissance Institute. Family members said she hoped to become a hair stylist after graduating. They said she was in the wrong place at the wrong time the night she was killed. Sanders' funeral was on Nov. 5. They face up to life in prison if convicted. Their detention hearing will be before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul Depascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. NEWARK -- Domenico Lillo, the disgraced ex-cop who admitted to beating a man with a flashlight and lying about it, stood in a federal courtroom Monday and apologized to just about everyone for his crimes. Everyone, except for the man on the receiving end of the violent outburst in 2013. Lillo, 48, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty after previously pleading guilty to using excessive force during the Dec. 27, 2013 arrest of Brandon Walsh. In an unrelated case, he confessed to falsifying government records with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help a relative obtain a $20,000 loan intended for low- to moderate-income residents. "I stand before you with much sorrow and regret. ... Not only did I ruin my own life, but I also ruined the lives of others," he said in the Newark federal courtroom. "I'd first like to apologize to my wife and daughter, next to the citizens of Bayonne -- who I swore to protect and not harm. I'd also like to apologize to all of my colleagues I used to work with." "I stand here before you with my head hung low," he said, asking the judge to grant "as much leniency as possible." On his list of apologies, Lillo left out Walsh and members of his family, the victims of the attack who sued the city and were awarded at least $1.6 million. The family's federal lawsuit alleged Lillo and other officers unnecessarily and without warning pepper-sprayed them when they entered the home causing everyone, including children, a disabled woman and the family dog, to become "violently ill.'' The Jersey Journal sued the city for the terms of the confidential settlement, which were eventually released in March after a protracted legal battle. Before announcing the terms of Lillo's sentencing Monday, McNulty told the courtroom that "police are expected not to abuse their position in this manner." "This is an assault on a helpless man by a police officer. ... This is a very serious offense indeed, from my point of view," McNulty said. But he also empathized with Lillo, who told the courtroom that the loss of his son in 2008 and the fact that his wife is battling cancer contributed to his behavior. His wife, Rose, pleaded guilty and served one year of probation for her role in the scheme to fraudulently obtain the $20,000 loan. "There are certain things about the defendant's background that, while not excusing the conduct, make it more understandable," the judge said. Nonetheless, he passed down the sentence as Lillo sat stoically, while his family wept behind him in the courtroom. McNulty said Lillo would begin his prison sentence "after the holidays." A city spokesman declined to comment on the sentencing. Lillo first found himself under federal spotlight when investigators began questioning the fraudulent HUD application he filed in order to to get a federally funded rehabilitation loan on a home he co-owned. Then on Dec. 27, 2013, officers Lillo, Francis Styles and James Wade arrived separately at the Walsh home near the corner of Avenue C and West 53rd Street. Walsh, 25 at the time, had an arrest warrant out of Sussex County for failing to appear in court. In video footage, Lillo can be seen viciously striking him with a flashlight, while the three officers were escorting Walsh away from the scene. Walsh required 15 stitches following his arrest. Lillo later resigned from the Bayonne Police Department. Lillo specifically pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of civil rights and one count of falsifying records to impede a civil rights investigation charges that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The falsifying records charge for the HUD scheme carries a potential prison term of up to 20 years. Monday's court proceedings ended a series of adjournments and postponements. Lillo's sentencing, which was originally scheduled for April 2016, was adjourned 10 times. As part of his plea deal, he testified in federal court for more than two consecutive days in December 2017 against Styles, who the government alleged knowingly covered up Lillo's use of excessive force. During his testimony, Lillo said he fully expected Styles and other officers to cover up his use of force the night of the incident in 2013. "It was my understanding... (that) when the incident report was written the flashlight strike would be omitted," Lillo told the jury. But the case ended in a mistrial after jurors told McNulty they were hopelessly deadlocked. Officials in subsequent months signaled they would retry Styles -- pushing back Lillo's sentencing hearing a number of times -- but announced later that they were dropping the charges against Styles. Members of Styles' family were present during Lillo's sentencing, as well as defense attorneys who represented Styles during the trial last December. In addition to the prison term, McNulty sentenced Lillo to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $20,000 to the city of Bayonne. Lillo was also one of several Bayonne police officers named in a police brutality lawsuit that resulted in a $100,000 settlement for the two men who brought the lawsuit, The Jersey Journal reported in 2011. McNulty spoke out against the blue wall of silence before issuing his sentencing. "There is a culture, unfortunately, in law enforcement of closing ranks. ... we all have these feelings of solidarity, but there is a need to break through the idea that no matter what you do your fellow officers will support you," he said. "I understand what the federal government is up to when they go after these cases aggressively. They need to make others understand that this kind of thing is going to have serious consequences." Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. A young long-haired Dachshund went down a rabbit hole and almost never came out. But thanks to the persistence of Secaucus firefighters, the dog and her owners were reunited Sunday afternoon after a 20-hour ordeal. On a walk at Laurel Hill Park Saturday, Khaleesi, who appears to be about 18 months old, chased after a rabbit and went into a drainage pipe, Secaucus Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Schoendorf told News12 New Jersey Sunday. When firefighters responded at 5 p.m., they found another issue -- a retaining wall that had to be solidified before they could dig and break the drainage pipe to free the dog. Unable to free Khaleesi Saturday, firefighters returned Sunday at 8 a.m. and finally got the dog -- a little cold and hungry, but otherwise unharmed -- from the pipe and into the arms of her grateful owner at about noon. "Those men are incredible... I was so grateful that's she's not hurt... she's been in there nearly 24 hours," a relieved Kristie Ann Ramos told CBS2. As a dog owner, Schoendorf could feel Ramos' anxiety when Khaleesi had to spend the night in the pipe. "I basically could not sleep, I was tossing and turning thinking about the situation," Schoendorf said. Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli had high praise for the firefighters who worked over the two days to free the pup. "They did a fabulous job -- all the firefighters who were there," said Gonnelli, who noted that the town council will likely honor the fire department at the next council meeting. "I've been doing this for 40 years and I don't recall ever having to make a rescue like this one." JERSEY CITY The City Council on Tuesday is expected to vote on final adoption for a 1 percent payroll tax touted as relief for the city's underfunded public schools. The tax plan is staunchly opposed by business owners and groups that say it would lead to an exodus of businesses from Jersey City and cause a burden on those that remain. State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, a Democrat who co-sponsored the state bill that allows the city to levy a payroll tax, called the pushback to the plan "ludicrous" during a town hall meeting in Jersey City last week. Cunningham said a host of educational programs would be at risk if the payroll tax is not approved. "We cannot afford to lose programs, we cannot afford to lose teachers, we cannot afford to take a chance on our children not having the option of being all that they can," she said. Newark is the only other city in New Jersey allowed to collect a payroll tax, one that brings in nearly $50 million annually. Jersey City's tax, which would exempt the wages of Jersey City residents, would be allocated for the public schools only. The tax was proposed by state lawmakers after they decided to eliminate a form of state school aid that was going to bring the Jersey City school district $175 million this year. Those cuts were approved by the state after years of complaints from officials in other parts of the state who said Jersey City's share of aid is too generous. Jersey City's $600 million school budget is funded with $420 million in state aid and $124 million from local taxpayers. The $175 million cut will come in stages over the next seven years. School officials believe the district will lose about $20 million in 2019-20. Maria Nieves is president and CEO of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, which opposes the tax plan. Nieves told The Jersey Journal that the city's business community understands it has an interest in funding the school system, but she objects to the speed at which the city is moving to formalize the payroll tax. "It's not as if the school system's here going to be out of pocket $175 million all in one fell swoop," she said. "We've got time." At the council's Monday caucus, Council President Rolando Lavarro pitched a separate plan that would implement a .75 percent payroll tax that would expire in December 2019, hike school taxes by as much as $6 million, dedicate revenue from new tax abatements to schools and more. Mayor Steve Fulop on Twitter called Lavarro's proposal "a bad idea" that represents "exactly what the developers asked and circulated as their wish list." The two men are formerly close allies whose public relationship has become strained. The council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St. This week's meeting will not be on Wednesday as usual because of Thanksgiving. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- A 23-year-old man was shot in the area of Grant Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard on Saturday in connection to a domestic dispute, authorities said. Police respond to the scene just before 11 p.m., where the victim had suffered injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening, city spokeswoman Ashley Manz said. "It appears the shots were fired in relation to an ongoing domestic dispute," she said. The victim was transported to a local hospital and was in stable condition as of Sunday. The investigation, meanwhile, remains ongoing, Manz said. Less than five hours later, police responded to the area of 451 Communipaw Ave. -- outside the Factory Restaurant and Bar -- on a report of shots fired, Manz said. Details of the incident were sparse. Manz told The Jersey Journal that no injuries were reported and the investigation remains ongoing. Freelance photographer Joe Shine was at the scene and photographed police examining bullet casings on the ground. Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- Residents, advocates and officials honored the victims of those killed in car crashes this year during the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, held on the third Sunday of November each year. A gathering was held on the corner of Summit Avenue and Griffith Street, where Damian Batista, was struck and killed by a driver last month. Members of his family were in attendance. The ceremony, the third held by Safe Streets JC, also honored the ten victims of fatal car crashes since last year's ceremony was held. Advocates with the group say car fatalities are an under-addressed public health crisis. "(There are) 40,000 deaths each year in the U.S. caused by road traffic incidents... similar in magnitude to gun and opioid deaths, both of which see far greater urgency," said Kara Hrabosky, co-founder and president of Safe Streets JC. There have been 19 fatalities on Hudson County roadways this year, and nine in Jersey City. At this point last year, there had been 22 fatalities in Hudson County and 13 in Jersey City. A number of city officials were in attendance, including Mayor Steve Fulop, who thanked Safe Streets JC for "pushing the city to adopt a zero tolerance for having any sort of fatalities like this." Fulop's administration in February adopted the Vision Zero initiative, making Jersey City the first municipality in the state to adopt a comprehensive plan to eliminate car crashes that result in fatalities and severe injuries by 2026. "To put it in perspective, this year we will probably have the same range of fatalities via gun violence in Jersey City as we will have the ten people that have passed away via car crashes," he said. "These are preventable with better planning and teamwork." Hrabosky during the ceremony said that there has been a long held complacency surrounding traffic deaths, which "fortunately is starting to change." "We have a long way to go because this is a multi-year effort," she said. "But we're on the right path." Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. A Philadelphia man died Sunday night in Trenton after being shot and discovered suffering from his wounds in a car near Trenton Central High School. Police responded to a call that shots had been fired near the intersection of Walnut Avenue and Monmouth Street around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said. Officers found Eric Severino, 27, of Philadelphia, inside a white SUV with a gunshot wound to his chest. Authorities said Severino was transported to St. Francis Medical Center, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later. Prosecutors did not detail why Severino was in the Trenton area. Sunday's shooting was the second shooting incident in the area in the last week -- two men were shot Tuesday morning a few blocks over on East State Street. This incident is also the second fatal shooting in Trenton in the last week. A 28-year-old Ewing man was killed Wednesday afternoon in broad daylight. No arrests have yet been made and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406 or or mchtftips@mercercounty.org. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Three firefighters were hurt and members of 18 families left temporarily homeless Sunday in Perth Amboy after an explosion caused a four-alarm fire in Perth Amboy. The fire began shortly after 4 a.m. when firefighters responding to a report of an explosion at the El Boy Restaurant at the corner of State Street and Dekalb Avenue found the building engulfed in flames. Twelve people in the building made it out safely, fire officials said. A total of 18 families living in two adjacent buildings were displaced but expected to return home by Monday, officials said. The Red Cross reported it was helping 14 people with temporary lodging, food and clothing. It was not immediately clear Monday how many people lived inside the affected building. Disaster Action Team responded to an #explosion on Dekalb Ave. in #PerthAmboy helping 2 families (14 people) with Red Cross emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food and clothing needs. #DisasterRelief pic.twitter.com/zQyWdGJLQa Red Cross New Jersey (@NJRedCross) November 18, 2018 The restaurant was in the first-floor of the structure with living space on the second floor. The property was zoned for mixed-use retail and residential, according to property records. "There were no civilian injuries and there were three firefighter injuries that were all treated and released from the hospital," the Perth Amboy Fire Department said in a statement. Two trucks with tower ladders and several fire hoses were used to bring the blaze under control, the fire department said. Late Sunday, the fire department reported that the building had been mostly demolished to allow the fire department to douse hot-spots. "The fire is currently under investigation and crews are still operating awaiting the demolition crew to bring the building down," the fire department said late Sunday. Perth Amboy was assisted by firefighters from Keasbey, Hopelawn, South Amboy, Fords, Port Reading, Sayreville, Iselin, Edison and members of the Middlesex County Fire Marshal's Office. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A 25-year-old New Jersey woman was killed and five others injured in a head-on crash over the weekend in Oregon, authorities said. Al Hera Islam was a passenger in a Honda Accord that was struck head-on when a Dodge Challenger crossed a highway median into an oncoming lane, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The crash took place on Tualatin Valley Highway near NW 341st Avenue in Cornelius, Oregon around 7 p.m. Saturday. Speed was a factor in the crash and charges are possible, the sheriff's office said. Cornelius is about 25 miles west of Portland. A Facebook page for Islam lists her hometown as the Iselin section of Woodbridge. A 29-year-old man, also a passenger in the Honda, was hospitalized with injuries that are life-threatening, officials said. Another man and a woman in the Honda as well as a man and woman in the Dodge were either seriously or critically hurt. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Kathryn Schurtz and her fiance Joseph Kearney were nearly halfway through their six-hour drive from their apartment to Pittsburgh, where the Jersey City couple planned to tie the knot. But Schurtz and Kearney -- Kate and Joe, as they were known to their friends -- got caught in heavy traffic on I-78 in Windsor Township, after the roadway backed up from a previous crash. A tractor-trailer behind them was unable to stop, crashed into their car and pushed it into another truck, causing a fiery crash that killed the couple. Friends and family members have spent the week since the crash mourning the couple. A wake for Schurtz was scheduled for Monday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Scotch Plains, from 4 to 8 p.m., with a funeral to follow Tuesday morning. Our hearts go out to former Fanwood Councilwoman Karen Schurtz who lost her daughter and future son-in-law in a car... Posted by Fanwood, NJ on Saturday, November 17, 2018 "This is a heartbreaking tragedy for both the Schurtz family and the Kearney family," the Schurtz family said in a statement to the Courier-Post. "In moving forward, we can either choose to celebrate their love and their life together, or become submerged in our grief. We choose to celebrate their love. We have no further comment and ask that our privacy is respected so that we may begin the healing process." Kathryn Schurtz, the 35-year-old daughter of a former Fanwood councilwoman, was remembered on the town's Facebook page as a woman with an appetite for reading, a love of cooking and experiencing new adventures with Kearney. Known as Kate to her friends, Schurtz was born in Elizabeth and grew up in Fanwood, where her mom was a councilwoman. She attended Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, George Washington University and graduated with her MBA from Notre Dame. In a Nov. 14, 2018 photo, firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a tractor-trailer accident on I-78 at mile marker 33.4 in Windsor Township. (Bill Uhrich/Reading Eagle via AP) Kearny, a Pittsburgh native, graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in marketing before attending University of Maryland to pursue an MBA in Business Management, according to his LinkedIn profile. One woman who said she was Schurtz's flute teacher recalled the woman as a prominent student in middle and high school. "Katie was a hard working, energetic and fun student," she wrote under a smiling picture of the young woman. Another woman remembered working with the pair at Verizon, and said she could write a book on Schurtz's impact on the team. "Her smile, her intelligence, her humor and her drive will be missed by us all. I am still shocked, and so heartbroken for Kate, Joe and both of their families," she said, recalling that Kearny was also an "amazing" addition. Schurtz worked as head of platform partnerships for Oracle Data Cloud in New York City at the time of her death, according to her obituary. Kearny was employed at Verizon as a director of commercialization for the company's location services, according to his LinkedIn. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kathryn M. Schurtz Scholarship Fund at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains. Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips A Colorado man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his pregnant wife and their two young daughters. Christopher Watts was sentenced Monday, nearly two weeks after pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty. Prosecutors have said Shanann Watts' family consented to the plea deal. Shanann Watts listed herself on social media as being from Passaic and public records show she previously lived in New Jersey with relatives from Clifton. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful termination of a pregnancy and tampering with a deceased human body. The 33-year-old is not eligible for parole. Police have said Watts killed his wife and daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste, inside their suburban Denver home. The children were found inside an oil tank. Watts was buried nearby. A friend reported them missing in mid-August. In local news interviews before his arrest, Watts pleaded for his family's safe return. GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -- A man who strangled his pregnant wife and suffocated their two young daughters wanted to escape his marriage and growing family, prosecutors said Monday as a judge imposed a sentence of life without parole as part of a plea deal that kept the killer from facing the death penalty. Christopher Watts, who pleaded guilty two weeks ago, did not speak during the hearing. One of his attorneys said Watts was "sincerely sorry." As Watts listened with his head down, Shanann Watts' parents detailed their ongoing struggle to understand how he could murder the three people who considered him a hero -- Shanann, 34, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Frank Rzucek said he was disgusted by the way his son-in-law took his wife and two daughters "out like the trash." Shanann Watts listed herself on social media as being from Passaic and public records show she previously lived in New Jersey with relatives from Clifton, NJ Advance Media reported. "Prison is too good for you," Rzucek said. "This is hard to say, but may God have mercy on your soul." Watts, 33, was formally sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the murders. He also received a 48-year sentence for unlawful termination of a pregnancy and 12 years each for tampering with a human body. The girls' bodies were found submerged in an oil tank on property owned by the company Watts worked for. His wife's body was found in a shallow grave nearby. As a prosecutor detailed the injuries found on the bodies, Rzucek leaned forward, gasping. Michael Rourke said Shanann Watts was strangled, but her lack of significant injuries suggested that her death came slowly. The girls were smothered, and Rourke said there were signs Bella "fought for her life." Celeste had no visible injuries, he said. Christopher Watts' parents, Cindy and Ronnie Watts, were permitted to speak as the girls' grandparents. Each said they still loved their son and urged him to seek God's forgiveness. "We love you," Cindy Watts said into a microphone before turning to look directly at her son. "And we forgive you, son." Watts wiped away a tear with his shirt after his parents left the podium. He kept his head down for much of the hearing, speaking only once to confirm that he did not want to make a statement before Judge Marcelo Kopcow imposed his sentence. Friends of Shanann Watts and neighbors in the subdivision where the family lived lined up inside the courthouse Monday morning. More people filed into an overflow room to watch a video stream. The killings captured national media attention and became the focus of true crime blogs and online video channels, which showed dozens of family photos and videos that Shanann Watts shared on social media showing the smiling family. Prosecutors said the images belied a hidden truth, that Christopher Watts was having an affair and making plans for a new life. Rourke said Watts talked with a real estate agent about selling the family's home, looked up secluded vacation spots and didn't seem interested in the self-help books his wife provided. A friend asked police to check on Shanann Watts on Aug. 13 after not being able to reach her and growing concerned that the expectant mother had missed a doctor's appointment. Local police initially handled the search but soon sought support from state investigators and the FBI. Christopher Watts spoke to local television reporters from the front porch of the family's home in Frederick, a small town on the plains north of Denver where drilling rigs and oil wells surround booming subdivisions. He pleaded for his family's safe return, telling reporters their house felt empty without Bella and Celeste watching cartoons or running to greet him at the door. Within days he was in custody, charged with killing his family. ____ This story has been changed to correct the ages of the children killed. ____ Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed. The names of every priest and deacon "credibly accused" of sexually abusing a child will be made public by New Jersey's five Catholic dioceses early next year, church officials announced Monday. The dioceses -- Newark, Camden, Paterson, Metuchen and Trenton -- are also establishing a victim compensation fund and counseling program for victims of sexual abuse by clergy and other church employees, said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the head of the Archdiocese of Newark. "The dioceses will undertake this action in coordination with the attorney general of New Jersey's ongoing task force examining the issue of clergy sexual abuse. It is hoped that these steps will aid in the process of healing for victims, who are deserving of our support and prayers," Tobin said in a statement. Tobin did not give a date for the release of the names or indicate how many priests and deacons may be on the list. The announcement comes as the Catholic Church has been under increasing pressure in New Jersey and worldwide to be more transparent about its efforts to address clergy sexual abuse. Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced in September that a state task force will investigate how the Catholic Church in New Jersey handled sexual abuse claims. The grand jury investigation is modeled on a Pennsylvania grand jury investigation that found more than 300 priests sexually abused more than 1,000 children over several decades as many church leaders covered up the problem. The New Jersey task force's hotline-- (855) 363-6548 -- set up in September was immediately flooded with calls from victims. The Archdiocese of Newark has also received what is expected to be one of multiple subpoenas to Catholic dioceses to turn over records of abuse allegations to state investigators. New Jersey's five dioceses will review decades of records before releasing the names of the accused priests and deacons next year, Tobin said. The details of the new compensation fund for victims will be released when they are finalized, the archdiocese's statement said. "This program will provide the resources to compensate those victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and employees of the dioceses in New Jersey whose financial claims are legally barred by New Jersey's statute of limitations," Tobin said. "This will give victims a formal voice and allow them to be heard by an independent panel." The new fund will expand the church's current compensation program, which has already paid about $50 million to victims who filed lawsuits or complaints in the five New Jersey dioceses, church officials said. "The program also will be a resource to provide permanent funding for necessary counseling to those who have been victimized. Such counseling so often is needed to help in the healing of those who have been harmed," Tobin's statement said. The statement did not say how the Catholic Church will pay for the new fund for New Jersey victims. Much of the money for the $50 million already paid out to victims in New Jersey came from the dioceses' insurance policies and self-funded insurance reserves, church officials said. In a separate statement, the Diocese of Metuchen said it will pay for its share of the new compensation fund with self-funded insurance reserves. At least 19 Catholic dioceses nationwide have filed for bankruptcy to help cover the cost of sexual abuse settlements. But none of New Jersey's dioceses have run out of money. In New Jersey, there is no statute of limitations in rape cases, meaning victims can go to police at any time to try to pursue criminal charges. However, victims who want to file civil lawsuits have just two years to come forward under New Jersey's laws. Some lawmakers are trying to remove that statute of limitations. New Jersey's dioceses signed an agreement in 2002 to report any allegations of clergy sexual abuse to law enforcement. The dioceses were not required to publicly name accused priests. New Jersey is one of several states, including New York, where officials have recently launched statewide investigations into how the Catholic Church handled sexual abuse allegations. In the Archdiocese of Newark, Tobin promised reforms after the resignation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick earlier this year. McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Newark and Bishop of Metuchen, was accused of sexual abuse and harassment of a string of altar boys, seminarians and fellow priests. He is awaiting a church trial. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. As Lakewood's confirmed measles cases rose to 14 this week, health officials warned the public that most of those not vaccinated will develop the illness. A person who acquired measles while traveling internationally exposed others to the infection in Ocean County between Oct. 13 and Nov. 9, state officials have said. The 14 infected people range in age from 6 months to 27 years, according to Brian Rumpf of the Ocean County Health Department. Rumpf said another 13 suspected cases of measles are under investigation. "If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or have not had measles," the state health department said in a statement. "Ninety percent of people with close contact with an infected person will get measles if they are not vaccinated," the health department said. Dr. Manal Youssef-Bessler of the Infectious Disease Center Of New Jersey in Whippany said Monday infants too young for vaccination and those with compromised immune systems are among those most at risk. "It's crucial that people get vaccinated," Youssef-Bessler said. "It is highly contagious and it can be spread from three feet away - touching, sneezing, coughing." Youssef-Bessler said people who are have compromised immune systems, including those with cancer receiving chemotherapy, are typically not eligible for the vaccine. "So it's very important that the immunocompromised are not exposed," she said. She said pediatricians typically do not vaccinate babies until they are at least 12 months old, which places them at high risk when around an infected person. Anyone infected could develop symptoms as late as Nov. 30, the state said. Last week, the Motor Vehicle Commission closed an MVC office on Hooper Avenue in Toms River after health officials warned that anyone in the location on between 2:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 7 was exposed to the infection. The office reopened on Monday. Measles symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The first Lakewood case involved a person who had traveled to Israel and contracted the disease. It was reported to the Ocean County Health Department Oct. 26. Anyone who suspects they were exposed to the disease should call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department so special arrangements can be made for an evaluation. This will also protect other people and medical staff from possible infection. Measles is extremely contagious. As NJ monitors an outbreak in Ocean County, please make sure your family is protected! #vaccineswork pic.twitter.com/yoWpNTABCQ EssexMetro Immunizes (@EssexMetroIC) November 9, 2018 Health officials released a list of locations where people may have been exposed to the infection: Schul Satmar, 405 Forest Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 13- October 21 between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily October 28- November 1 between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily October 28- October 31 between 6:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. (morning of Nov. 1) November 1 between 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Eat a Pita, 116 Clifton Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 15 between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. CHEMED Health Center, 1771 Madison Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 17 between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. October 18 between 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. October 30 between 9:20 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. October 31 between 8:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. November 1 from 10:15 p.m. to close NPGS, 231 Main St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 25 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. October 29 between 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Pizza Plus, 241 4th St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 28 between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Office of Dr. Eli Eilenberg, 150 James St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 31 between 11:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. November 1 between 12:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Four Corners Bagel & Cafe, 150 James St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 31 between 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Fountain Ballroom, 725 Vassar Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701 October 30- October 31 between 6:00 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Mesivta of Eatontown, 1300 New Hampshire Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701 and 107 East Harvard St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 November 6- November 9 Bais Shalom AKA Alumni, 345 9th St, Lakewood, NJ 08701 November 6 between 1:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Motor Vehicle Commission, 1861 Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753 November 7 between 2:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. In four years, five people have died on a short stretch of Route 440 in Bayonne - a road that has morphed over the last decade or so from an industrial-era back highway linking the New Jersey Turnpike and the Bayonne Bridge to the dividing line between the heart of the city and new shopping malls and housing developments. Pedestrians Joel Estrella, 33, of North Bergen, Tyler Sellers, 20, and Sabore Worrell, 24, of Bayonne, and Christian Rodriguez, 22, of Hoboken, as well as motorcycle rider Dimitrios Frangakis, 43, of Bayonne, were all struck by vehicles there, taken from this life before their time. Yet, for nearly two years, the city has been sitting on grants to fund the planning and construction of a pedestrian bridge to be built over the highway near the 34th Street Light Rail Station, not far from the South Cove Commons mall. In bitterly ironic timing, just hours before Rodriguez was killed on Nov. 7, the City Council voted to solicit bids for a development study for the project. The city must do more, and developers who are reaping or will reap the benefits of growth must be tapped to help. Within the next few months, the city Planning Board should organize public hearings that culminate in a comprehensive plan for closing the gap between west-of-440 and east-of-440 with sidewalks, bicycle lanes, walkways, pedestrian bridges, better management of turn lanes, and other ideas being discussed. City officials must acknowledge that the highway is no longer in an isolated area. Development on both sides of the highway - 500 rental units, for example, are under construction near the 22nd Street Light Rail, across 440 from the Bayonne Commons mall -- will continue to raise the numbers of pedestrians, drivers and destinations. Proactive measures need to be planned, and ways for developers to pay for them must be put in place. Some measures, though, should be taken now. First, police traffic details that stretch into the night must immediately be assigned to the intersections of Route 440 and East 22nd Street, Hook Road and East 32nd Street/Lefante Way. Perhaps the city can find a funding source -- the Turnpike Authority funded police details during the construction of the new 14A toll plaza -- but no matter who pays, remember that lives are on the line. Second, the city and state Department of Transportation must update traffic signals all along the highway. Currently, simple walk/don't walk signs flash as pedestrians cross four lanes of traffic and dodge turning vehicles as well. New systems with countdown clocks would be an improvement. Third, action on the long-awaited pedestrian bridge near the 34th Street Light Rail station must move into high gear and plans for other bridges should be made as well. To its credit, the city has used electronic billboards in recent years to try to emphasize pedestrian safety. Sadly, that isn't enough. Concrete actions must be taken to prevent more tragedies. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns to jjletters@jjournal.com. By Robert Weiner and Jared Schwartz Finally, after years of wrangling over reasonable criminal justice reform, Congress is about to pass serious legislation on prison and justice reform. Yet Senate Democrats including 2020 Presidential contender Cory Booker did not go to the White House when Trump held a White House event Nov. 14 to announce support. Without Democrats, Trump managed to make the First Step Act into a bipartisan personal accomplishment. No one was there to say how much farther there is to go. I am grateful to be here today w/ Members of the House & Senate who have poured their time, heart and energy into the crucial issue of Prison Reform. Working together w/ my Admin over the last two years, these members have reached a bipartisan agreement...https://t.co/wflidv2cZr Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2018 Booker, D-NJ, who has made a huge issue about justice reform, should have gone to the White House and showed bipartisanship, and then he should have gone to the stakeout area as VIP's do after White House meetings, and praised the "Second Chance" in the bill, but criticized the effort for missing what is in Booker's own legislation, correcting disproportionate minority sentencing, imprisonment, and executions. Here's how to do it: When Congressman Charles Rangel, D-NY, criticized the White House for voluntary but no federal assistance for drug treatment, at the stakeout area, he said George H.W. Bush was offering "a thousand points of light but no batteries." That's what dominated the news cycle. Democrats can engage with the White House and show independence at the same time. Without engagement, Democratic priorities like health care, immigration, and infrastructure will have no chance of getting done. Regardless, Booker, 2020 contenders, and other senators should be commended for supporting bipartisan criminal justice reform. But as Booker has offered earlier, the American people deserve more than just the First Step Act. Booker's 2020 ambitions are well-known, but if he wants to win he has to show that he can work with the President and push the envelope at the same time. The Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment Act -- or REDEEM -- which he proposed with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., seemed like a good place to start. It would allow kids who enter the criminal justice system to get their records expunged. They would grow up and become contributing members of society. The bill would also permit people convicted of non-violent crimes to have their records sealed, and thus get a good job in the future. We should not be surprised that America's recidivism rate is absurdly high-- two thirds return for drug crimes -- especially after holding minor criminals in federal prison for years. According to a study by Devah Pager, professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, a felony record cuts in half white men's chances of getting a job once they leave, and cuts black men's chances by almost two-thirds. This manages to produce higher recidivism rates and entrenches racism at the same time. Bipartisan legislation about drugs and crime is possible. Just last month, the Senate passed a bipartisan opioid crisis bill by a margin of 98-1, and a more moderate version of the First Step Act passed the House 360-59. A moderate, bipartisan bill like the REDEEM Act could likewise obtain the needed 60 votes on the Senate floor, as long as Democrats can keep up the pressure for action. Booker is a leader on a very sticky issue. Booker has signed on to numerous other bipartisan criminal justice bills. Booker is trying to shrink the largest prison population on Earth, reduce crime in the future, and lessen inhumane conditions. These bills are tailored to curb America's expensive addiction to incarceration. If Booker has a shot at being president, he has to establish a record of achievement across the aisle, and that doesn't mean giving up opportunities for cooperation with the White House he has regardless of whether he likes it. Robert Weiner was a Clinton and Bush White House spokesman, and spokesman for the House Government Operations and Judiciary committees. Jared Schwartz is a policy analyst for Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. MORE: Engaged couple killed on way to their wedding remembered by friends and family A New Jersey couple on their way to get married in Pittsburgh were killed in a fiery chain-reaction crash last week on Interstate 78 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Kathryn M. Schurtz Kathryn M. Schurtz, 35, and Joseph D. Kearney, both of Jersey City, died in the collision Wednesday afternoon in Windsor Township. Their car was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer and pushed into another tractor-trailer, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Three other tractor-trailers were also involved. Kearney is originally from Pittsburgh, according to his Facebook profile. Schurtz is a 2001 graduate of Union Catholic High School who grew up in Fanwood. She earned her bachelor's degree at George Washington University according to an obituary published Sunday. Schurtz went onto receive a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame. She worked as the head of platform partnerships for Oracle Data Cloud in New York. Schurtz is survived by her parents Joseph and Karen as well as two sisters, brother-in-law and nephew. Visitation will be held Monday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Scotch Plains from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kathryn M. Schurtz Scholarship Fund at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Schurtz's survivors. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. New Orleanians Howard Conyers, host of PBS' Nourish, writer Jesmyn Ward and musician Charlie Gabriel were chosen as 'Southerners of the Year," by Southern Living magazine. These 25 Southerners represent the best of our region, the magazine said of the slate that included people in arts, education and business. Conyers, who works as a rocket scientist at NASA, is an expert on the whole-hog barbecue practices he grew up learning about in the Pee Dee area of Manning, South Carolina. He was recognized with Rodney Scott of Rodney Scotts Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina. Conyers frequently hosts barbecue-related events in Louisiana and around the South. In June, he became host of Nourish, which is part of PBS Digital Studios' lineup of shows on at youtube.com/PBSNourish. On the show, Conyers travels throughout the country exploring food customs, their origins and where they are headed. New Orleans rocket scientist, barbecue pitmaster to host PBS' 'Nourish' Scott, who was a finalist for the James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast category, was featured on Nourish. Subsequent shows have featured chef Leah Chase of Dooky Chases restaurant talking about gumbo. Most recently, the program explored traditions related to cornbread-making in the South. 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 Gabriel, a clarinet and saxophone player for New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band, was recognized for being an ambassador for New Orleans music and for his student outreach, where he helps explain the history and importance of jazz to students who come to the Preservation Hall Foundations Kids in the Hall Field Trip program. Ward, who is from DeLisle, Mississippi, is a professor of English at Tulane University. The author of the memoir, Men We Reaped, has written two novels, Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing," which both received National Book Awards. She also received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, known as a genius grant, to pursue future work, including her next novel, focused on an enslaved woman as she is sent from South Carolina to New Orleans. Ward was named one of TIME magazines Most Influential People of 2018. She was the keynote speaker at Tulane Universitys 2018 commencement ceremony. Editors note: An earlier version of this story described Jesmyn Ward as an associate professor of English. She is a full professor. This article has been corrected. https://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2017/10/jesmyn_ward_macarthur_fellow.html Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will serve as the principal speaker at the University of New Orleans fall commencement on Dec. 14, according to a UNO news release last week. UNOs new release on Nov. 15 stated Edwards is a Louisiana native who has benefited from public education. For the second year in a row, UNO stated Edwards has funded higher education without a cut after a decade of the largest disinvestment in the country. In a released statement, UNO President John Nicklow said hes sure Edwards message will resonate with our graduates. The Governor has been a fierce supporter of higher education and the multitude of benefits it generates for individuals, businesses and our communities, Nicklow stated. Gov. Edwards graduated in 1988 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. After serving eight years on active duty with the U.S. Army, Edwards went on to graduate Order of the Coif from Louisiana State University Law Center and set up a civil law practice in his hometown of Amite. The governors appearance at UNO comes a year ahead of Louisianas gubernatorial election. Edwards recently told a teachers union as keynote speaker at the Louisiana Federation of Teachers annual conference in Baton Rouge that his number one priority for 2019 is to pass a pay raise for teachers and other public school support staff statewide. John Bel Edwards asks union teachers, his most loyal supporters, to focus on 2019 election Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) Why cheat to lose? This was what former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday in reaction to cheating allegations made by former Vice President Jejomar Binay, his former rival in the 2016 presidential race. "Kung mandadaya ako, bakit hindi ako mandaya para manalo? Bakit ako mandadaya para maging pangalawa? Parang walang laman naman 'yun," Roxas said in his first television interview since losing in the polls to President Rodrigo Duterte. [Translation: If I would cheat, why don't I cheat to win? Why would I cheat to place second? That seems baseless.] In a media forum last Wednesday, Binay, who is gearing to run for Makati representative in the May 2019 polls, said that "at the worst" he should have placed second in the 2016 elections. Binay placed fourth with only 5,416,140 votes, while Roxas came second with 9,978,175 votes. "Ang aming talagang computation, eh sa extrapolation namin, 13 million [votes] ang makukuha ko. Hindi bababa sa 13 [million,]" Binay said. [Translation: Our computation, our extrapolation, I should have gotten 13 million votes. It won't go lower than 13 million.] The allegation is not new as Binay's daughter, Senator Nancy Binay, has previously claimed that Roxas might have benefited from the supposed irregularities during the 2016 elections. But Roxas, who is now seeking a return to the Senate, said his 2016 campaign was clean and encouraged the older Binay to lodge a protest instead. However, Jejomar seems to be resigned to his fate during the 2016 elections. "Mate-tension ka lang. Kasi magfa-file ka ng protest, nage-expect ka na mananalo ka. Eh kung tanggapin mo na lang," Jejomar said. [Translation: You'll just feel tension. Because you'll file a protest, you'll expect that you'll win. Better if you just accept it.] A task force searching for ways to fund courts with tax money instead of fines and fees wants to draft some hard recommendations by the end of the month, though it has only a fraction of the information it has requested. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Mr. Sorkin and Mr. Fincher took a few liberties with the facts. But The Social Network was based on real events, many of them chronicled in The Accidental Billionaires, a 2009 book by the journalist Ben Mezrich. And the films portrayal of the budding tech magnate as someone more interested in growing his creation than in who might be hurt by it has stood the test of time. Watching this origin story unfold from stadium seating eight years ago, I thought I was seeing a series of hard lessons learned as a callow 19-year-old came of age. Streaming it in 2018, I saw something else: the beginning of a pattern that has become all too familiar. It goes like this. Something bad happens of increasingly severe consequence on Facebook (say, Russian election meddling in the United States, or the incitement of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar). After it is called out, Mr. Zuckerberg or another company official vows to do better. And when the heat is off, the cycle begins anew. The pattern repeated last week when a meticulously reported New York Times investigation revealed Facebooks bare-knuckled efforts to deflect blame and undermine critics as it came under scrutiny for enabling the spread of misinformation in the run-up to the 2016 election. Facebook, which had no comment on Sunday, has responded defensively. The reality of running a company of more than 10,000 people, Mr. Zuckerberg said on Thursday, is that youre not going to know everything thats going on. It was a baffling explanation for anyone who took him and his deputy, Sheryl Sandberg, at face value when they swore, not long ago, that they would work openly to assert more control over the platform to stop misinformation campaigns, privacy breaches and incitements to violence. Nothing was more at variance with their promises of transparency than The Timess revelation that the company had hired Definers Public Affairs, whose founders are known in Republican circles as lords of the so-called dark arts of political opposition research. Prepare for a long day Given the Sinaloa cartels penchant for violence, security at the trial has been exceedingly tight. The United States Marshals worked hard last week to accommodate the public, but should you decide to attend the proceedings, which could last as long as four months, prepare for the following: Arrive early for a 9:30 a.m. start. During the first week, those wanting a seat arrived by 6:45 a.m. Drink coffee beforehand because you will be asked to dump any remaining beverages before you enter. As you pass through the first level of security, youll be asked to put your belongings through a scanner and to walk through a metal detector. Here, you will be told to relinquish your cellphone, laptop and other electronic devices. (This is normal for the federal courts.) Then, youll take the elevator to the 8th floor, find a second line of people outside the courtroom and wait for the next few hours. Say hello to the bomb-sniffing dog lying beside another metal detector. Youll pass through a second layer of security, putting your remaining belongings back through the scanner. This time, be sure to remove your shoes. Depending on your place in line, youll join one of the following courtrooms: The first approximately 50 people are allowed in the main courtroom. Another 50 are allowed in the overflow room. All remaining people will be asked to leave. HONG KONG For years, this city was neither genuinely democratic nor entirely authoritarian. Its politics had both democratic and authoritarian elements, though on balance those were more democratic than authoritarian. Hong Kongs one country, two systems arrangement with the Chinese government in Beijing afforded it a high degree of autonomy. The territory was able to maintain the rule of law by constraining the local governments powers and protecting citizens fundamental rights. Not anymore. In the aftermath of the Umbrella Movement in late 2014, a series of protests and an occupation that paralyzed major Hong Kong streets for 79 days, the Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.) has adjusted its approach. The Chinese government in Beijing has increasingly cracked down on Hong Kong politically, while steadily integrating the citys economy into the mainlands. Hong Kong is now linked by high-speed train to mainland China, and a new mega-bridge connects the city with the Pearl River Delta. But the glossy surface of greater economic ties cannot mask dark sociopolitical realities. Through many agents in both the public sector and civil society here, the C.C.P. is using a combination of coercion and economic might, as well intimidation, deception and confusion to weaken remaining forms of dissent. Having placed a lackey at the head of the Hong Kong executive branch and muffled pro-democracy voices in the local legislature, known as LegCo, its principal targets today are what is left of the political opposition, civil society and the independent judicial system. Hong Kongs fundamental laws, called the Basic Law, are subject to the final interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing. Resort to that power, after long being treated as an exception, has been normalized in recent times, in an effort to provide a semblance of constitutional backing seasoned with arbitrary meanings for the Chinese governments repressive measures. A lot of Republicans are happy because we had successful statewide candidates, but those races were very, very close, and we lost some races too, especially in South Florida, said Mr. Curbelo, 38, who bucked his party by adopting moderate positions on environmental issues and immigration. As for 2020, Im really worried that it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It was only this weekend, almost two weeks after the election, that Floridas two biggest races were determined, with Senator Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent, conceding to Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday, and Andrew Gillum conceding the governors race to his G.O.P. rival, Ron DeSantis, the day before. In the interim, Democrats pursued numerous lawsuits challenging the vote-counting process in the Senate race though Mr. Nelsons odds of overtaking Mr. Scott were always fairly low while Republicans lobbed unfounded accusations of voter fraud at the Democrats. The bickering focused even greater scrutiny on an American election system that is straining under human and mechanical error. The acrimony in Florida followed a contentious, weekslong fight over voter suppression in Georgia, where the Republican secretary of state was overseeing a governors race in which he was also a participant. Those battles may foreshadow what 2020 will look like in other closely contested states, especially ones with increasingly diverse populations where conservative-dominated legislatures have tried to put more restrictions on voting while stoking paranoia over stolen elections. If whats going on now is transposed to a presidential election, it would tax our system in a way that is much greater than what happened in 2000, said Edward Foley, a professor of election law at Ohio State University and one of the countrys pre-eminent scholars on recounts. As much as there was fighting in 2000, the rhetoric did not get as caustic as what weve seen in Florida this year the allegations of stealing and rigging. 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. President Trump has a proclivity for tweeting, typos and trenchant nicknames. In making use of the first habit on Sunday, he alluded to a profanity and left many wondering which of his other online idiosyncrasies were at work. In the tweet, the president took aim at Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, a Democrat who is the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Mr. Schiff has said that Democrats would investigate Mr. Trumps acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who is charged with overseeing the Russia investigation led by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate! Mr. Trump tweeted. The post quickly set off reactions on social media, as some critics assumed that the president had deliberately misspelled the congressmans name to make it sound like a vulgarity. As convinced as many family members are that lifting the submarine and bringing it to shore is possible, experts are much less certain. There arent many precedents in the world of carrying out a feat of this magnitude, said Fernando Morales, a navy expert and vice president of the Argentine Navy League. It presupposes a feat of engineering that, even if possible, could demand one to two years of preparation, and even then may prove to be prohibitively expensive. Although some cited the example of a sunken Russian submarine, the Kursk, which was successfully raised from the seabed in 2001, that vessel was only 380 feet deep. The San Juan is almost 3,000 feet deep. For Oliver Plunkett, chief executive of Ocean Infinity, there are other issues. Even if the submarine can be brought to shore, he said, when it got there, the vessel might not be in the condition that family members imagine. And it might not offer information helpful to the investigation. It may be technically impossible to lift it so that it comes on land looking exactly the same as it does on the seabed, Mr. Plunkett said, emphasizing that it was still far too early to have a definitive answer. Capt. Richard Bryant, a retired American Navy submarine commander, said recovery efforts at such depths are complex and rely mainly on vehicles operated remotely. Because of the age and condition of much of Argentinas Navy fleet, its government is likely to seek international help. The end is near for Jessica Lang Dance: The small-but-vibrant company founded seven years ago by the choreographer Jessica Lang announced Monday that it would close this spring. The company which has performed in New York at the Joyce Theater, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Lincoln Center will disband in April after a season that will take it to 19 cities. Ms. Langs choreographic career has been flourishing: She has created dances for American Ballet Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a production of Verdis Aida performed at San Francisco Opera and Washington National Opera. But there have been signs that the company was struggling. Plans to open a 6,100-square-foot dance complex in 2016 Long Island City, Queens, which were announced with some fanfare, came to nothing. Ms. Lang, who said in a statement that creating the company had been deeply rewarding, did not respond immediately to an email or phone message seeking comment. The festivals opening night featured a raucous British premiere of Mr. Marclays 2016 To Be Continued, the score for which is a 48-page book of cartoons featuring noisy sound effects (MMMMRRR, PLINK! PLONK!). It was followed by the 2003 work The Bell and the Glass, Mr. Marclays first use of video to inspire performers. A tribute to Marcel Duchamp, it mingles footage of Duchamps artwork The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even with film of the artist talking about it; the musicians are asked to imitate Duchamps singsong delivery. Mr. Marclay said he was particularly looking forward to a rendition of his 2009 piece Ephemera, which will be played by Steve Beresford on the organ, the first time it has been attempted on the instrument. It, too, is a collage: A jumble of magazine clippings, advertisements, candy wrappings and album covers collected by the artist over many years and reprinted in a thick booklet, it contains almost no conventional notation. Mr. Beresford said his plan was to plan as little as possible. Its a score for an improviser, he said. There are clues photos, colors, snippets of music but I dont want to make it too literal. THE LAST KINGDOM on Netflix. If youre looking for something to fill the Game of Thrones-shaped hole in your heart until the final season runs next year, consider trying this fictional drama series about the formation of England. Season 3 picks up at the end of the ninth century, as Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a warlord with major identity issues, is forced to battle invading Danes for the ailing King Alfred (David Dawson). The show is based on the series of novels by Bernard Cornwell, and this season focuses on the fifth installment in the saga, The Burning Land. AGATHA RAISIN AND THE WIZARD OF EVESHAM on Acorn TV. The detective at the center of this lighthearted mystery series, based on the books by M. C. Beaton, trades drab trench coats for flashy dresses and a pop of red lipstick. Ashley Jensen (The Extras, Ugly Betty) returns as the glamorous Agatha Raisin, a London publicist whose retirement in a sleepy Cotswolds village begins her second act as a sleuth. She comes across her first case of Season 2 in a hair salon, where she suspects her obnoxious stylist of teasing dark secrets out of his clients to extort them. This is an old-school series, Neil Genzlinger wrote in his review for The New York Times. Consume as much or as little as you like. Its a pleasant meal any way you devour it. There has been growing momentum for a second referendum, which could force a vote on the terms of the deal and the option to remain in the E.U., and Mrs. May could face a leadership challenge via a secretive panel called the 1922 committee. The group has been collecting letters from members of Mrs. Mays own party stating theyve lost confidence in her; if the committee receives 48 letters, it can trigger a no-confidence vote. Meanwhile, a U.N. poverty expert reported that the British governments austerity policies are directly linked to a rise in poverty. Brexit, he said, poses particular risks for people in poverty, but the government appears to be treating this as an afterthought. Above, the Houses of Parliament in London. _____ Why Trump has stuck by the Saudi prince The consensus has grown that the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the killing of the dissident Jamal Khashoggi. But President Trump has been steadfast in his support for the prince. He described Saudi Arabia as a truly spectacular ally, even after the C.I.A. announced its conclusion that Prince Mohammed was behind the killing. Mr. Trump said he would wait for a report produced by his administration before making any decisions on how to act. But he wondered in an interview with Fox News: Will anybody really know? What does it mean? Mr. Trumps reluctance to acknowledge the mountain of evidence reflects the importance of Prince Mohammed to the administrations policies in the Middle East, and of its crucial role as a buyer of American weapons. Living with lead hazards in New York After lead paint was banned in the city in 1960, cases of lead poisoning plummeted. So the New York City Housing Authority stopped looking for it. But cases of lead exposure still exist. A Times investigation found that almost every time a child in the authoritys apartments tested positive for high lead levels, the authority disputed the findings rather than removing or covering the lead. Private landlords almost never do this. A troubled agency: The Timess findings come just a few days after a judge suggested the federal government take over the housing authority, the largest and oldest in the country. Get the DealBook newsletter to make sense of major business and policy headlines and the power-brokers who shape them. __________ There is hope for Asias crowded skies. In much of the region, too many carriers, with too many planes, charging too little have left the industry on its knees, and put price controls back on the agenda. Consolidation offers a better fix. With Indonesias state-owned airline, Garuda, taking over a rival and Indias Jet Airways also potentially for sale, some relief may be near. The aviation excess seen in South and Southeast Asia has few parallels globally. In India, where the budget airline IndiGo now controls more than 40 percent of the market, the result has been bargain-basement prices. Millions of people have flown for the first time, but all the major locally-listed airlines posted net losses in the most recent quarter. Further east, low-cost upstarts are squeezing so-called flag carrier airlines, like Thai Airways. Overcapacity is one problem. The Lion group, which includes Indonesias Lion Air and others, has some 450 planes on order, according to the aviation consultancy CAPA, though deliveries have slowed. Vietnams VietJet has commitments for more than 320 aircraft, or roughly five for each in its current fleet, according to CAPA. Nissan said it was cooperating with Japanese prosecutors and that its investigation into Mr. Ghosn began after a whistle-blower said he had been misrepresenting his salary and using company assets for personal purposes. Born in Brazil to Lebanese parents and educated at elite universities in France, Mr. Ghosn made his reputation after joining Nissan in 1999. Renault, where Mr. Ghosn was an executive vice president, had bought a large stake in the Japanese company, which was on the verge of collapse at the time. Mr. Ghosn made sweeping changes at Nissan, closing five domestic factories and cutting 21,000 jobs. Later, he engineered an arrangement between Renault and Nissan that allowed them to operate like a single carmaker. Short of a full merger, the alliance enabled them to share the cost of developing new models and to negotiate better deals with suppliers by buying components together. As chairman and chief executive of the partnership, Mr. Ghosn was celebrated in Japan: His life story was made into a manga comic, although critics on the left noted he had earned his French nickname, Le cost killer. Still, he had enough political savvy to retain the support of the French government, which owns 15 percent of Renault, despite some bitter pay disputes. In 2016 and 2017, Mr. Ghosns salary at Renault was questioned publicly, by French government officials and a shareholder group; this year he agreed to a 30 percent pay cut in return for another four-year term as chief executive. Under Mr. Ghosn, the alliance overcame the kinds of differences in corporate and national cultures that have often doomed megamergers like the ill-fated marriage between Daimler and Chrysler, which was dissolved in 2007. Mr. Ghosn, the epitome of the globe-trotting, multitasking manager, was chief executive of both Nissan and Renault from 2005 to 2017, flying between Paris and Tokyo every few weeks. He was also something of a media star, holding forth on panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos and celebrating his 2016 marriage at Versailles with actors dressed in 18th-century costume. Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. Global warming is posing such wide-ranging risks to humanity, involving so many types of phenomena, that by the end of this century some parts of the world could face as many as six climate-related crises at the same time, researchers say. This chilling prospect is described in a paper published Monday in Nature Climate Change, a respected academic journal, that shows the effects of climate change across a broad spectrum of problems, including heat waves, wildfires, sea level rise, hurricanes, flooding, drought and shortages of clean water. Such problems are already coming in combination, said the lead author, Camilo Mora of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He noted that Florida had recently experienced extreme drought, record high temperatures and wildfires and also Hurricane Michael, the powerful Category 4 storm that slammed into the Panhandle last month. Similarly, California is suffering through the worst wildfires the state has ever seen, as well as drought, extreme heat waves and degraded air quality that threatens the health of residents. Things will get worse, the authors wrote. The paper projects future trends and suggests that, by 2100, unless humanity takes forceful action to curb the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change, some tropical coastal areas of the planet, like the Atlantic coast of South and Central America, could be hit by as many as six crises at a time. LOS ANGELES When Chad and Chase Valencia were growing up in Southern California, their mother, Priscilla Valencia, made sure they stayed in touch with their Filipino heritage. The Valencias lived in places (Rowland Heights, Chino Hills) with large concentrations of Filipino-Americans. Ms. Valencia was always inviting relatives who had recently immigrated from the Philippines to stay; Chad said that at one point there were nine people living in the familys two-bedroom apartment. Most importantly, Ms. Valencia who is from Pampanga, often hailed as the culinary capital of the Philippines cooked a large, hearty breakfast, a meal that has special significance in Filipino culture, the brothers said, because of that countrys rich agricultural past, when farmworkers ate substantial meals in the morning to get through the day. Chad, 33, and Chase, 34, remember waking up on weekends when they were teenagers to the smell of garlic and the sound of fried eggs popping on the stove. Chase! Chad! Dad! Ms. Valencia would yell. Mangan tana! (Kapampangan for Lets eat.) Theyd sit down to longaniza, a type of sweet sausage; silog, or garlic rice with eggs; fried eggs; and pan de sal, a sweet yeasted roll. When Develey a German mustard company founded near Munich in 1845 sought a location in the United States, it landed in Dyersburg, Tenn., north of Memphis. The plant, its 17th, opened in 2016, and this year, its Tigertail brand of small-batch mustards became available nationwide online. The line includes the Classic, a basic yellow mustard that comes in squeeze bottles and handy tubes and is a tad less forceful and vinegary than your typical Dijon style (which the company also makes). They have a host of other flavors like Sriracha and peppercorn. Tigertail Mustards, $1.99 to $3.99, themustardcompanystore.com. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. HONG KONG A cornerstone of a modern luxury product is the country where it was produced. Attached to the inner lining of a leather handbag, or the collar of a cashmere wool coat, labels like Made in France or Made in Italy have long been seen as bywords for sophisticated craftsmanship. In established and emerging markets alike, they also tend to drive admiration, trust and appetite for the brands selling such wares (allowing the brands, in turn, to bump up their prices). But what would happen if the place of origin or, at least, a European or American place of origin werent such a priority? At The New York Times International Luxury Conference in Hong Kong last week, several leading industry voices indicated that the recent acquisition of many high-profile brands by Asian investors, coupled with the large number of young Asian creatives now in fashion schools or working their way up in major fashion labels, could eventually prompt a revaluation of the accepted industry order. We are bringing Western brands with wide consumer recognition into China and exposing their collections to wide audiences here, said Joann Cheng, chairman of the Fosun Fashion Group. However, we are also aware that we have a lot of local talent rising through the ranks. Do brands really need creative directors? Recently, designers such as Alessandro Michele at Gucci and Hedi Slimane at Celine have reimagined that title to wield all-encompassing power over the aesthetic direction of a luxury house. But at the same time an alternate school of thought one notably more fluid and flexible has emerged. Think of it as Collaborations 3.0. At Moncler, no fewer than six guest designers and two in-house labels created capsule collections that were introduced in February and then dropped by month, in a kind of fashion calendar: Craig Green for August! Simone Rocha for September! Pierpaolo Piccioli for October! At Tods, one-off capsule collections by guests are going to be released sporadically to complement catwalk shows designed by an in-house team. Baccarat, the crystal manufacturer, has enlivened its glassware via a series of accessory collaborations. And Helmut Lang went so far as to create an editor in residence, a curator charged with luring if only for a season or less a network of designers in residence or photographers in residence. The advantages are obvious: the ability to offer disparate products to reach a variety of consumers, with less risk to the parent brand and less investment in monolithic names. Theres strength in numbers. The downside, however, could be a lack of creative cohesion and a blurred public image. My objective is not a sale but the story we are going to create with the customer, said Nicolas Sala, omni-channel and client experience director at the luxury French jewelry house Boucheron. Omni-channel and client experience director? Luxury brands today are focused obsessed, some headhunters and luxury insiders say on building personal, emotional relationships with clients. And to deliver on that strategy, many have created jobs with titles like chief consumer officer, chief experience officer, and chief digital and client officer. Such consumer-centric positions have been around for years in industries like banking and hospitality but they only recently started popping up in the luxury sector. Luxury and fashion brands are finally starting to concentrate on what customers expect from them, said Jean Revis of MAD Network, a luxury consultancy and headhunting firm in Paris. And the new focus is, he added, a radical change from their previous top-down view of the world, when they got away with simply imposing their creative vision without taking into consideration customers expectations. Pointing to services like Uber and Airbnb, he underscored how start-ups often analyze how wealthy people solve their problems and then use technology to scale those ideas. I dont have a private driver, but I have Uber, he said. I dont have a vacation home, but I have Airbnb. But Daniela Riccardi, chief executive of Baccarat, said there were limits to customization. The 254-year-old company has a long tradition of creating bespoke products but, from a business standpoint, not every piece the company creates can be personalized. As a result, she said, the company is focused on tapping social media and customer relationship management tools to get to know our customer and make it relevant to millennials by listening and ensuring it is relevant to their life. Other companies are still working toward customization. Remo Ruffini, chief executive of the fashion house Moncler, said the idea was part of the dream. Uniqueness for me is almost everything, he said. Talking about customization, we really work to find something new, something different and we are going to launch I hope soon. And for some brands, a future of made-to-order everything is on its way to becoming a reality. Nike, for instance, is experimenting with new customization and personalization concepts in its stores, where consumers can help to create products, said John R. Hoke III, Nikes chief design officer. He described the effort as part of a strategy to bring consumers in early and often so that they view the brand as a platform and a dialogue versus simply a place to transact and receive goods. I am fascinated with the idea of the brand becoming a platform, not just for self-expression, but to create uniquely bespoke products in a one-to-one relationship that helps them feel empowered and strong and able to express, Mr. Hoke said. We learn a ton from that. It gets us right close to the flame of what matters to consumers today and tomorrow, and that I think is the magic in how you stay close to your customers. The rate of change in terms of customer expectations has become increasingly rapid. We always ask ourselves: How will the world shop for fashion in five, 10, 20 years? I think this has to be the focus for all of us in luxury. Todays digital-first customers have been exposed to ultra-personalized experiences. Our favorite apps and internet companies know us, our preferences and give us an experience that is truly personalized. It is what consumers expect and demand. Offline retailers know nothing about us and learn nothing about us when we come in and after we leave. This will not last long, and we foresee a revolution in retail, powered by ultra-personalization via digital technologies. Thats why we are focusing our efforts on an Augmented Retail vision, our Store of the Future to help the worlds greatest luxury brands and retailers to deliver incredible customer experiences across all touchpoints monobrand, multibrand, online and offline. Jose Neves, founder and chief executive, the online luxury fashion retailer Farfetch Luxury is about aspirations, as much as it is about craft, product and economics. It is hence necessary for us to rise to this position and engage with the world, owning up to our impact in it, in a more proactive way through this period full of turbulence and change. While the demands of the market and the transformations of the consumer will force the luxury business to embrace innovation and technology in an ever-greater way, it is imperative that we leverage this opportunity to deliver more value to both our consumers as well as our stakeholders by widening our understanding of the communities that we serve, so that we can continue to perfect the way luxury expresses what we collectively care about, leading the charge in achieving a sustainable future. Dee Poon, managing director brands and distribution, the textile manufacturing company Esquel Group I think the most challenging part of our jobs is to figure out how to keep our brands relevant and meaningful for the future generation of clients. As the world evolves and the clients of the future might adopt a set of values different from the ones we have, or our parents and grandparents had, we should be thinking how to evolve the mission and essence of our brands to ensure their perpetuity. Daniela Riccardi, chief executive, Baccarat Progress against malaria has stalled, and the disease remains a significant threat to billions of people despite the expensive, decades-long efforts to contain it, the World Health Organization reported on Monday. According to the W.H.O.s latest annual assessment, there were an estimated 220 million cases of malaria last year, and about 435,000 deaths from the disease. Of the dead, 262,000 were children under age 5. The disease is caused by parasites transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The worlds malaria rate which began dropping sharply in the early 2000s as insecticide-impregnated nets, new drugs and much more money were poured into the fight has been roughly the same since 2013, the report said. Without openly criticizing any particular country, officials made it clear that some are doing too little to protect their citizens. The past year has seen lights and shadows, said Dr. Pedro L. Alonso, the W.H.O.s malaria program director. Women make up about a third of the work force of the federal Bureau of Prisons, and they are surrounded on all sides by men who control not only their professional success, but also their physical safety. The environment itself for correctional workers is high stress all the time, Sandra Parr, a prison supervisor in Rochester, Minn., told me. Its not like I can go to my office and just say, Oh, Im going to have a normal day today. At any point Im responding to an emergency or an assault. It only took a couple of days of reporting for me to realize that it would be easy to find subjects to interview for this story almost every woman I called had experienced harassment, retaliation, or both. But convincing them to be named in an article was another matter because of the threat it could pose to their jobs. Some were threatened or taunted by colleagues who learned that they had been interviewed, and changed their minds several times about whether they wanted to proceed. Eventually, they all chose to move forward with the story as a way to counteract the helplessness that had paralyzed them throughout their careers. Blending in, I learned, is key to survival. That means referring to themselves in clinical terms (they refer to themselves as females and their colleagues as males), lowering their voices, and standing square at all times never popping a hip to one side. They clench their muscles and cross their arms over their chests when they walk across prison grounds to prevent their bodies from wiggling. With the rise of white nationalism, racial violence and domestic terrorism in the United States, photographers have increasingly had to document their brutal aftermath from the mug shot of Dylann Roof, who killed nine black parishioners as they prayed in a Charleston, S.C., church in 2015, to the makeshift memorial in front of a Pittsburgh synagogue where 11 Jewish congregants were slaughtered last month by an avowed white supremacist and anti-Semite. Photographers have also chronicled the attendant resistance to racism and anti-Semitism, showing how Americans protest and resist bigotry in ways that can be quiet or outspoken, but always principled. The juxtaposition of these distinct types of images shows the reality of hate, the possibility of defeating it and photographys role in spurring change. The photographer Judy Glickman Lauder explores that contrast between the human capacity for virulent bigotry and the courage necessary to transcend it in Beyond the Shadows: The Holocaust and the Danish Exception (Aperture). In her examination of this paradox, Ms. Glickman Lauder looks not to the present, but to an earlier and different era, when the Nazis exterminated millions in their demonic quest for religious and racial purity. Photo: The Canadian Press The members of Arab-Turkish Media Association and friends hold posters as they attend funeral prayers in absentia for Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi who was killed last month in the Saudi Arabia consulate, in Istanbul, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday called for an international investigation into the killing of the Saudi dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the "very violent, very vicious" killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "It's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said in the interview with "Fox News Sunday." ''I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it." On Saturday, Trump said his administration will "be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." He said the report will include "who did it." It was unclear if the report would be made public. American intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, according to a U.S. official familiar with the assessment. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Others familiar with the case caution that while it's likely the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played. Trump noted to "Fox News Sunday" that the crown prince has repeatedly denied being involved in the killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. "Will anybody really know?" Trump asked. "At the same time, we do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." A Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee said that so far, there is no "smoking gun" linking the crown prince to the killing. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has received a confidential intelligence briefing on the matter, told ABC that "it's hard to imagine" that the crown prince didn't know about the killing, but he said, "I don't know that we absolutely know that yet." He said that Congress will await the Trump administration's report in the next two days and that the U.S. will need to be clear about the ramifications of sanctions, given Saudi Arabia's strategic role in the Middle East. For his part, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the crown prince has been a "wrecking ball" in the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. "I hate to say that because I had a lot of hope for him being the reformer that Saudi Arabia needs, but that ship has sailed as far as Lindsey Graham's concerned," the South Carolina Republican told NBC's "Meet the Press." "I have no intention of working with him ever again," said Graham, who is in line to be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Anita Foeman is one of the academics studying the effects of unexpected DNA results. Since 2006, she has tested roughly 3,000 people. Before her subjects receive their results, she asks them about their racial and ethnic identities, then follows up with them once the results are in. Her research subjects often conflate race and ethnicity If Im this color, my ancestors must be from this place. But ancestry tests look for genetic links to geographic regions, not to physical characteristics associated with race, like skin color, which is an unreliable indicator of ancestry. Foeman and researchers at other universities have found that people accept the results that suit their aspirations and often dismiss results that challenge their long-held core beliefs. We seek out and cultivate identities to fill our need to belong, and its through that lens of identity that we see and understand the world, said Jay Van Bavel, a psychology professor at New York University who researches how group identities, values and beliefs shape the mind and brain. So when you get information that challenges your identity, many people tune it out, just like we do with headlines and news stories when they counter our politics and belief system. When white test takers see results that indicate they have African ancestry, some, especially young people, welcome their newfound multicultural heritage, even when the percentage is small, which raises an interesting question: How much ancestry is enough to give someone the authority to claim that identity? Research also shows that some whites whose reports indicate African lineage conclude that its irrelevant, and still others, no matter their race or ethnicity, disbelieve results they didnt expect. For example, many blacks and whites whose families have long claimed that some of their forebears were Native American dismiss DNA reports that say otherwise. And Asians, like whites, often rebuff results that indicate that their heritage isnt pure. Some people take that to extremes: White nationalists who use DNA tests to prove their racial purity adamantly reject any non-European results. A professor at the University of California at Los Angeles and another researcher studied comments on the online white-supremacist forum Stormfront. They found that some posters who had taken DNA tests and were upset with their results argued that they were rigged to spread multiculturalism or that the non-European findings were merely noise DNA. Many African-Americans, meanwhile, upon seeing how much of their lineage is European, are not necessarily surprised or doubtful about the results, but they feel gut-punched by the bald reminder that even their genes carry slaverys legacy. Underlying all these reactions is the question of identity: What do these results mean about who I am? How do these results fit with the stories Ive long clung to that connected my past, my present and my future? V. Ever since Johnson received her disorienting DNA results, she wondered if her saliva sample might have been accidentally mislabeled or she had been sent someone elses results. But it turns out that the company that analyzed her DNA focuses on forensic genetics and legal paternity tests, which evaluate only a few segments of DNA, not the hundreds of thousands used by most ancestry-testing companies. (Foeman used this company for a minority of her research.) So this summer, when The New York Times offered to buy Johnson ancestry tests from more mainstream companies, AncestryDNA and 23andMe, she eagerly agreed. Their tests determine ethnicity by analyzing segments of customers DNA that give clues to their ancient geographic origins. Five hundred to 1,000 years ago, before large-scale transcontinental migration, people who lived in the same region had similar genetics. Scientists have been able to identify distinct patterns of genetic variation among people whose ancestors hail from the same lands, which is easiest to do with populations that were geographically isolated, like Finns and Filipinos, or were insular, like Ashkenazi Jews. Ideally, ancestry-testing companies would compare customers DNA to that of people from premigration days. But given that impossibility, the companies use an imperfect proxy: people alive today who have a deep family tree in a particular geographic area, and sometimes a paper trail to prove it. Those peoples DNA becomes the companys reference data set for that geographic area. When a segment of your DNA closely matches the data for that location, the company assigns you that ancestry. The more segments on your genome that match that genetic pattern, the larger your estimated percentage will be for that ancestry. The larger the reference data set for any particular corner of the world, the better the resolution will be: suggesting that your ancestors arent, say, just from Europe but from Northwestern Europe, or more specifically from Ireland and Scotland. Each testing company builds its own reference data set, drawn primarily from its own customers, and each company also creates its own algorithm for assigning heritage. In other words, customers results are based on inferences and are merely an estimate, often a very rough one something many test takers dont realize and testing companies play down. Still, Johnson, now 65, hoped the new tests would conclude that her genes aligned with who she believed herself to be. In early August, with the kits in hand, she walked around her apartment, trying to work up enough saliva to fill the little collection tubes. Afterward, Johnson was both eager for quick results and hesitant about what they might say. You know, she said, even if the results are the same as they were before, I am still a black woman. How do you schmooze when so much of the state is in ruins? That was the tricky question Hollywood faced in advance of Sunday nights Governors Awards, an annual event where honorary Oscars are handed out and hopeful contenders go to see and be seen. The week leading up the ceremony is traditionally one of the busiest in Hollywood, as stars fly into Los Angeles to attend the AFI Film Festival, appear on award-season roundtables, and hobnob with academy members at the Governors Awards. But with fires having ravaged California, this corridor of celebrity back-patting might have appeared to be in bad taste. So the proceedings were curtailed, but just slightly. Out of respect for those afflicted by the fire, red carpets were canceled at the AFI Fest and the Governors Awards, though stars still dutifully donned the outfits picked out by their stylists and posed for pictures. And while some actors who live in wildfire-scarred areas, like the Ben Is Back star Julia Roberts, were forced to drop out of promotional duties, there was no shortage of Hollywood players eager to take their place on those all-important contender roundtables. You hop out. You hop out yo, E, stay in there, all right? A traffic stop in New York City leads to a young black man being arrested for possession of marijuana. Marijuana laws have relaxed in much of the country. But in New York, there were still 18,000 arrests made last year. Those arrests are rarely contested. But videos provided to The Times by public defenders in this case raise troubling questions about how far officers are willing to go to make an arrest. The N.Y.P.D. told us the officers in this case did not act improperly. Heres what happened: Give me your license. Officers Elmer Pastran and Kyle Erikson stop a BMW in Staten Island in February of 2018. They say the car windows were excessively tinted and the driver turned without signaling. Inside are four young black men. As backup arrives, they search the occupants. Officer Pastran recognizes some of the passengers and tells his partner that they are members of a violent gang from the area. The driver, Lasou Kuyateh, pleaded guilty to an assault in 2016. Erikson searches the passenger side and looks into the rear of the car. Note the rear floor area. This becomes important soon. Erikson moves to the drivers seat and says he needs to find something incriminating. Just as Erickson says this, his body camera goes off. He later said it had a technical issue. But Pastrans bodycam continues rolling. Hes searching the rear. Note the floor area again. Later, Erickson would say in court that he found a lit joint in plain view, here. But Pastran, whos leaning right over the area, doesnt see anything. A minute later, Erickson enters the rear of the car. He searches the back seat. Remember, his camera is still off. But Pastrans camera catches Erickson. He appears to be fiddling with something in the back seat, but at no point suggests that he has found anything. The officers chat in the front. Theyve been searching the car for three and a half minutes. The owner of the car, who has a cellphone out, films Erickson holding small plastic bags. We dont know where the bags come from or what Erickson is doing with them. The driver is handcuffed and his phone is taken from him. Pastran tells another officer that no contraband was found. At the same time, Erickson is inside the car. His bodycam turns back on. It has been off for over four minutes. The first 30 seconds of video have no sound. Thats because police bodycams keep rolling and save a segment of video thats filmed just before theyre switched back on. The audio begins here, signifying the moment the camera was activated. Lets rewind. Its activated just as Erickson discovers evidence. He reaches toward the floor behind the drivers seat. He comes up holding a joint and claims its lit. He believes this allows him to arrest all of the cars occupants. Police officers are under pressure to make arrests and many would naturally think that four arrests are better than one. But Pastran shoots down the idea. As hes taken to a police station, the driver, now in handcuffs, talks to Pastran. The driver was charged with possession of marijuana and spent two weeks in jail. During the court hearing, Officer Erickson testified that the joint was lit and in plain view when he found it on the floor. But remember, Pastran declared the area clean. That footage was entered into evidence, and during Ericksons testimony, the judge intervened. The police department was advised that Erickson should get a lawyer. And in the end, the marijuana case was dismissed and sealed. The N.Y.P.D. told us that internal investigators examined these videos and found no police misconduct. Officer Pastran did not return our calls. And Officer Erickson declined to comment. (Want to get New York Today by email? Heres the sign-up.) Its Monday. Today is World Toilet Day, according to the United Nations, which notes that poor sanitation has devastating effects on public health. One local celebration is a Toilet Trivia Tournament tonight at the Puck Building. Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 51, maybe a shower overnight. Deep freeze ahead: down to the teens by Thanksgiving night. 1. How politicians (try to) weather the storms For politicians especially New York City mayors storms can be perilous. A flurry can turn into a blizzard faster than a shovel can turn into a plow truck. Move too slowly, and the mayor along with the city is buried, and residents are outraged. Marshal the troops too quickly for a storm that underwhelms and get mocked for bringing the city to a standstill over nothing. Soon after plunging into the roiling Atlantic at about 6 p.m., the lifeboat was hit by a massive wave as it crossed Chathams offshore sandbar. The CG-36500 was hurled into the air, fell on its side and righted itself as another wave struck, shattering the wheelhouse windshield, flattening Mr. Webber and destroying the boats mounted compass. Navigating by dead reckoning, a seamans instinct, Mr. Webber piloted the boat through darkness and turbulence. After an hour, he found the Pendletons stern. Mr. Fitzgerald, manning the searchlight, picked out the shattered walls, shredded wires and dangling plates of a half-ship. It lurched dangerously, and the lifeboat made a cautious approach, Capt. W. Russell Webster said in an official Coast Guard account. Cacophony of Eerie Groans The searchlight soon revealed a pitch black mass of twisted metal, which heaved high in the air upon the massive waves and then settled back down in a frothing mass of foam, he wrote. Each movement of the giant hulk produced a cacophony of eerie groans as the broken ship twisted and strained in the 60-foot seas. No lights were apparent as coxswain Webber maneuvered the small boat aft along the port side of the Pendletons stern section. The enormous stern and the tiny lifeboat fell into an ungainly dance, rising and falling in tandem, then drawing apart to soar and plunge randomly. As the lifeboat rounded the stern, its searchlight caught the name Pendleton. Lights on the starboard deck high overhead suddenly glowed. A man frantically waving his arms appeared and disappeared. Seamen in orange life jackets then lined up along the starboard rail, shouting unintelligibly down into the wind and crashing seas. The lifeboat crew had no idea how to get the stranded men off. Suddenly, a Jacobs ladder, a seamens device of ropes and wood slats, was thrown over the rail and unrolled down the hull. Seamen climbed onto the wildly swinging ladder and began to descend. The first to reach bottom leapt onto the lifeboats bow and was pulled in by the crew as Mr. Webber struggled to hold his boat steady. A line of descending men overhead clung to the rope ladder as it swayed perilously out and slammed back into the hull. With every roll of the stern, Mr. Webber tried to maneuver his boat close to let another seaman leap aboard. It was not always possible. Many fell into the freezing sea but struggled to the surface and grabbed a safety line rigged around the lifeboats shell. What is it that makes Amazon different from other large companies? Certainly, the sheer range of the products it sells and its market power are unmatched in corporate America. The recent frenzy over its HQ2 pick is another expression of its outsize influence on the economy. But there is another difference that is much less appreciated yet has been more significant in shaping its path: Amazons resource-allocation strategy in particular, how it chooses to use the profits that it earns . It is one of very few large American corporations that is choosing to retain its profits and reinvest them rather than cutting payrolls and distributing corporate cash to shareholders as dividends and buybacks. Most Americans know Amazon through the consumer end of its business, with tens of thousands of low-wage workers handling orders at distribution sites around the country. It would be a mistake, however, to see Amazons growth as driven primarily by low-wage employment. While most of Amazons revenues come from the sale of low-priced products, most of its profits come from its cloud computing operation, Amazon Web Services . This high-tech division, which has made Amazon the world leader in cloud computing, accounted for less than 10 percent of Amazons revenues in 2017 but generated $4.3 billion in operating income. By comparison, North American web sales, which accounted for 60 percent of revenue, generated only $2.8 billion in profit. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday. First, the idea of eliminating all $1.4 trillion of outstanding student debt is getting some attention in progressive circles. At first blush, it sounds like a bold proposal to reduce economic inequality. But its not, and I devote my column this morning to explaining why. Canceling all student debt would actually be a giant handout to the upper middle class. There are far better ways to help those young adults who really are struggling to repay their student loans. Related: Michael Bloomberg has become a leading advocate of more financial aid, and in a new Times Op-Ed, he explains why he has just made what may be the largest donation to a university $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins, his alma mater. Illegitimate elections? Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, has refused to call her opponents victory legitimate. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey have gone further, using a version of stolen to describe the Georgia governors race. To the Editor: Re Trump Surveys the Ashes: This Was a Really, Really Bad One (news article, Nov. 18): The merits and wisdom of President Trumps policies and agenda can be debated with widely divergent perceptions among fair-minded observers. But nowhere are his shortcomings more glaring than in his symbolic, but very real, role, as our national consoler in chief the person the public looks to in times of tragedy, whether natural or man-made, for healing. Consider the presidents performance after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, or the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh or just this past weekend at the site of the horrific wildfires in California. Mr. Trump is simply unable to express compassion and empathy. Why? Probably because his self-absorption is so grand, so total, there is seemingly no room in his heart for the pain and suffering of others. As he doesnt feel it, its almost impossible to be able to authentically express it to a grieving nation or a grieving family. As a symbol of hope, compassion and healing, Donald Trump is an abject failure. Ken Derow Swarthmore, Pa. To the Editor: President Trumps assertion that there is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor is a pathetic example of the mans inability to see beyond his own imagined, self-serving version of truth. A week before the midterm elections, the president of the United States announced he would deploy up to 15,000 active duty military troops to the United States-Mexico border to confront a menacing caravan of refugees and asylum seekers. The soldiers would use force, if necessary, to prevent such an invasion of the United States. Mr. Trumps announcement and the deployment that followed (of roughly 5,900) were probably perfectly legal. But we are a bipartisan threesome with decades of experience in and with the Pentagon, and to us, this act creates a dangerous precedent. We fear this was lost in the public hand-wringing over the decision, so let us be clear: The president used Americas military forces not against any real threat but as toy soldiers, with the intent of manipulating a domestic midterm election outcome, an unprecedented use of the military by a sitting president. The public debate focused on secondary issues. Is there truly a threat to American security from an unarmed group of tired refugees and asylum seekers on foot and a thousand miles from the border? Even the Armys internal assessment did not find this a very credible threat. Can the president deny in advance what could be legitimate claims for asylum, without scrutiny? Most likely, this violates treaty commitments the United States made as part of its agreement to refugee conventions in 1967, which it has followed for decades. The Sirisena-Wickremasinghe coalition made limited progress on reforms. The government depoliticized the military, initiated investigations into Rajapaksa-era crimes, permitted human rights inquiries and established modest transitional justice mechanisms, including an Office of Missing Persons to investigate the enforced disappearances during the war. The coalition also smoothed over relations with India and the West after Mr. Rajapaksas hard tilt toward China. After a decade of repression, the election of a new government opened up room for assembly and speech. The alliance-building has made it possible to address structural issues such as persistent indebtedness, womens insecurity and displacement. Civil society and trade union activists, journalists and minorities have organized to expand this democratic space. Mothers have been protesting in search of disappeared loved ones, including in places like the Mullaitivu district in northern Sri Lanka, the site of tremendous devastation during the last phase of the war. In the Keppapilavu area of Mullaitivu district, Tamil women have gone on a yearlong demonstration for the return of land seized by the military. While they deserve better responses, these and similar protests would not have been possible during Mr. Rajapaksas time. Yet most Sri Lankans have seen few benefits from postwar development, and Mr. Sirisenas clock began to run out. Mr. Sirisena and Mr. Wickremasinghe have often been at loggerheads over the countrys administration a conflict amplified by their distinct personalities. Sri Lankas debts grew under Mr. Rajapaksa and continued to do so under Mr. Wickremasinghe, who wished to increase investment from India and the West. Mr. Sirisena blamed his counterpart for mismanaging the countrys finances and trade, and worried that national assets were being sold to make up the difference. When a new nationalist party formed by Mr. Rajapaksas brother and other allies defeated Mr. Sirisenas and Mr. Wickremasinghes parties in local elections this year, many people took it as a sign that Mr. Rajapaksa or another Mr. Rajapaksa among the slew of available relatives would regain the presidency in 2020. And then, Mr. Sirisena appointed Mr. Rajapaksa and replaced Mr. Wickremasinghe as prime minister. The unexpected renewal of their alliance was made possible through repeated violations of the Sri Lankan Constitution and its notorious executive presidency. Photo: The Canadian Press President Donald Trump listens as he visits a neighborhood impacted by the Wolsey Fire, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump isn't committing to a previous pledge to keep chief of staff John Kelly for the remainder of his term, part of widespread speculation about staffing changes that could soon sweep through his administration. Trump, in a wide-ranging interview that aired on "Fox News Sunday," praised Kelly's work ethic and much of what he brings to the position but added, "There are certain things that I don't like that he does." "There are a couple of things where it's just not his strength. It's not his fault. It's not his strength," said Trump, who added that Kelly himself might want to depart. Asked whether he would keep Kelly in his post through 2020, the president offered only that "it could happen." Trump had earlier pledged publicly that Kelly would remain through his first term in office, though many in the West Wing were skeptical. Trump said he was happy with his Cabinet but was thinking about changing "three or four or five positions." One of them is Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen, whose departure is now considered inevitable. Trump said in the interview that he could keep her on, but he made clear that he wished she would be tougher in implementing his hard-line immigration policies and enforcing border security. The list of potential replacements for Nielsen includes a career lawman, two military officers and former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement head. But her eventual replacement will find there's no getting around the immigration laws and court challenges that have thwarted the president's hard-line agenda at every turn even if there's better personal chemistry. Trump also discussed the removal of Mira Ricardel, a deputy national security adviser who is being moved to another position in the administration after clashes with the East Wing culminated in an extraordinary statement from first lady Melania Trump that called for her removal. The president said Ricardel was "not too diplomatic, but she's talented" and downplayed the idea that his wife was calling the shots in the White House. "(The first lady's team) wanted to go a little bit public because that's the way they felt and I thought it was fine," Trump said. He also dismissed a series of reports that he had been fuming in the week after the Democrats captured the House, claiming instead that the mood of the West Wing was "very light." SR NO TIME IN TIME OUT ENGLISH 0001 00:00:27:03 00:00:30:08 One day Id gone to Bandra for some work. 0002 00:00:30:17 00:00:34:07 While roaming the alleyways, I happened to see 0003 00:00:34:15 00:00:37:15 a man standing with a cage, 0004 00:00:37:24 00:00:41:16 selling tiny chicks to little boys and girls. 0005 00:00:42:00 00:00:45:24 I asked the man, How much? He said Ten rupees. 0006 00:00:46:13 00:00:50:06 For ten rupees, I thought... This will be a great toy for my cats! 0007 00:01:01:06 00:01:04:07 Actually, Uncle is fond of bringing all these things... pets n all 0008 00:01:04:09 00:01:06:20 But raising them is left to us, to me atleast. 0009 00:01:07:02 00:01:09:14 I do get asked every now and then... 0010 00:01:09:16 00:01:10:22 How did this happen? 0011 00:01:11:00 00:01:13:22 This was one of those classic my dad moments. 0012 00:01:19:17 00:01:22:09 Mostly these chicks dont survive more than two or three days. 0013 00:01:22:11 00:01:24:18 Im also surprised at how this one has survived, 0014 00:01:24:23 00:01:28:04 I have a feeling that the cats bullying him 0015 00:01:28:08 00:01:31:13 Kind of made him a little strong and think, I want to survive. 0016 00:01:31:22 00:01:34:09 Come to think of it hes been with us for six months. 0017 00:01:34:18 00:01:38:06 Normally, chickens are easily frightened. 0018 00:01:38:11 00:01:40:16 But like they say... 0019 00:01:41:00 00:01:44:06 as the tide turned, this guy became a don! 0020 00:01:47:00 00:01:49:13 Now hes a full blown terror in the house. 0021 00:01:49:15 00:01:53:01 He just does not let people stay in peace. 0022 00:02:01:13 00:02:05:11 When he was little, Id want to cuddle him all the time. 0023 00:02:05:15 00:02:08:03 But now that hes fully grown, Im scared by him. 0024 00:02:11:07 00:02:15:03 Now that hes big, I have a feeling he doesnt like me that much. 0025 00:02:15:10 00:02:17:03 Lets just face it, I mean... 0026 00:02:17:05 00:02:18:13 he hates me perhaps. 0027 00:02:18:19 00:02:21:00 Usually, he feels attracted to my mom. 0028 00:02:21:02 00:02:22:23 I see him going behind her 0029 00:02:23:00 00:02:25:18 like shes the actual mother hen of the house. 0030 00:02:25:20 00:02:27:13 And he just follows her around. 0031 00:02:27:21 00:02:30:07 If im in the kitchen hell come to me 0032 00:02:30:09 00:02:31:18 to see what im doing. 0033 00:02:31:23 00:02:35:15 And I have to give him something or he tries to peck at my feet. 0034 00:02:39:02 00:02:41:07 He eats everything. 0035 00:02:41:11 00:02:43:11 It doesnt matter if its veg or non-veg. 0036 00:02:43:15 00:02:46:21 This chicken even eats chicken! 0037 00:02:51:12 00:02:54:23 I dont know why he gets into this cannibalism mode. 0038 00:02:55:11 00:02:58:16 Im also not sure if chickens are supposed to eat chicken. 0039 00:02:58:20 00:03:01:09 Hes ready to eat whatever you give him. 0040 00:03:08:15 00:03:10:09 He can tell were talking about him. 0041 00:03:26:03 00:03:28:12 The roosters nature... I dont think it has changed. 0042 00:03:28:14 00:03:30:01 Hes following a pattern. 0043 00:03:30:06 00:03:33:20 All roosters are like this. Ive seen them in my native place. 0044 00:03:34:00 00:03:37:05 Theyre usually up to something, chasing hens, pecking around. 0045 00:03:37:10 00:03:40:10 So hes also doing the same thing Only, he doesnt have a hen around... 0046 00:03:40:21 00:03:42:13 so hes taking out his anger on us. 0047 00:03:44:24 00:03:47:09 So he has these very hard nails. 0048 00:03:47:11 00:03:50:01 And he also has a pecking problem. 0049 00:03:50:03 00:03:52:03 I just dont want to be pecked by a chicken. 0050 00:03:54:18 00:03:57:06 Well Im the sort of guy, 0051 00:03:57:08 00:04:03:01 who can sleep through the noise of drums and firecrackers. 0052 00:04:03:03 00:04:04:13 Nothing can wake me up! 0053 00:04:31:02 00:04:34:13 The biggest problem about having this rooster is that he starts... 0054 00:04:34:21 00:04:37:01 crapping everywhere he goes. 0055 00:04:37:10 00:04:39:11 And nobody likes to clean up shit all the time. 0056 00:04:39:13 00:04:42:05 Hes not like us humans, we crap once in 24 hours. 0057 00:04:42:07 00:04:44:07 But this guy can poop up to five times in an hour also. 0058 00:04:48:11 00:04:50:07 He has a mind of his own. 0059 00:04:50:15 00:04:53:09 He comes and goes as he pleases. 0060 00:04:53:23 00:04:56:06 Its as if he likes to be everywhere at the same time. 0061 00:05:12:00 00:05:16:07 So, my dad has a village upbringing. 0062 00:05:16:09 00:05:19:23 In his early years, he was maybe living... 0063 00:05:20:00 00:05:22:18 with many such, perhaps, chickens. 0064 00:05:22:23 00:05:26:16 A parrot is fine, maybe an owl is fine. Maybe even an eagle is fine. 0065 00:05:26:18 00:05:30:10 But I dont see what a rooster can add to a household. 0066 00:05:34:19 00:05:39:24 People keep rabbits, dogs, cats. Those are within reason. 0067 00:05:40:01 00:05:45:06 But I bet no one has thought of keeping a rooster as a pet, till now. 0068 00:05:47:24 00:05:50:10 I tell people I have two cats. But... 0069 00:05:50:15 00:05:53:13 once Im closer to people, comfortable with people 0070 00:05:53:15 00:05:56:04 only then Ill tell them, Oh, I also have a rooster. 0071 00:06:05:06 00:06:08:14 I see that hes quite changed now. 0072 00:06:08:16 00:06:12:13 I feel hes also developed affection for us. 0073 00:06:13:07 00:06:15:17 He has now become like a member of our family. 0074 00:06:49:10 00:06:51:19 The entire neighbourhood has come to know... 0075 00:06:52:07 00:06:53:06 that we have a rooster. 0076 00:06:53:08 00:06:55:14 Actually, we thought the rooster will not crow. 0077 00:06:55:16 00:06:57:06 Because he is of the Broiler variety. 0078 00:06:57:14 00:06:59:07 Thats what the chicken seller told us. 0079 00:07:03:05 00:07:08:06 I thought that Indian roosters usually crow around 5:30 in the morning. 0080 00:07:08:11 00:07:11:18 This must be a counterfeit rooster, crows whenever he feels like it. 0081 00:07:13:18 00:07:17:21 So, one method my dad has learnt to shut the rooster up, 0082 00:07:18:02 00:07:21:06 is that whenever the rooster starts crowing he just run behind it. 0083 00:07:22:24 00:07:24:24 Thats all I see my dad doing with the rooster. 0084 00:07:25:20 00:07:29:01 Catching him... thats actually an art. 0085 00:07:30:01 00:07:33:18 Normally when I would chase chickens back in my village. 0086 00:07:33:20 00:07:36:15 theyd only run along the ground. 0087 00:07:36:23 00:07:38:22 But this fellows learnt a new trick... 0088 00:07:38:24 00:07:40:04 He takes flight! 0089 00:07:56:22 00:07:59:01 Actually when uncle tries to catch him, its quite comical. 0090 00:07:59:03 00:08:01:14 because it reminds me of a charcter from the film Mandi. 0091 00:08:01:16 00:08:04:06 which was played by Naseerudin Shah. 0092 00:08:04:08 00:08:05:19 And he was called Tungrus in that. 0093 00:08:06:00 00:08:10:01 So whenever he tries to catch the chicken I call out Tungrus is catching the chicken! 0094 00:08:10:13 00:08:13:20 We both have chased each other all over this house. 0095 00:08:13:23 00:08:19:00 But all-in-all, this activity is absorbing and interesting. 0096 00:08:25:14 00:08:28:13 If anybody wants to adopt a rooster 0097 00:08:28:15 00:08:29:21 do your research. 0098 00:08:30:00 00:08:31:14 and like all pets, 0099 00:08:31:16 00:08:34:05 be prepared for your life to become hell. 0100 00:08:42:10 00:08:44:16 I dont think hes happy with us. 0101 00:08:44:18 00:08:46:11 But then I feel hes got a better deal. 0102 00:08:48:23 00:08:51:06 Actually when I think about it... 0103 00:08:51:17 00:08:54:00 compared to the chickens that roam the streets 0104 00:08:54:03 00:08:57:16 he is aware that hes been excessively pampered. 0105 00:08:58:01 00:09:01:11 On some level he knows, and I can tell. 0106 00:09:10:13 00:09:11:21 Its not as easy as you think. 0107 00:09:12:06 00:09:15:16 Rearing a chicken in a flat; its difficult. 0108 00:09:16:09 00:09:20:15 And all considered, whats the end result? 0109 00:09:20:19 00:09:22:08 Hes got to be killed. 0110 00:09:23:01 00:09:26:17 He knows whats coming. And we know what has to be done. 0111 00:09:26:19 00:09:29:01 If not today, then tomorrow, well have to slaughter him. 0112 00:09:29:03 00:09:34:06 Lets see how much longer hell live. But eventually, hes got to go! 0113 00:09:48:19 00:09:51:11 I think my dad is the only one in my family 0114 00:09:51:14 00:09:53:17 who leans... 0115 00:09:53:19 00:09:55:05 ...towards eating it. 0116 00:09:55:15 00:09:58:21 Actually, my elder son loves chicken. He wont eat anything else. 0117 00:09:59:06 00:10:01:01 But he wont eat this chicken! 0118 00:10:01:20 00:10:04:15 I dont know the chickens that Im eating, right? 0119 00:10:09:07 00:10:10:24 I would rather get rid of the rooster. 0120 00:10:11:01 00:10:13:00 I dont like to have him in the house. 0121 00:10:13:06 00:10:15:02 But Id also rather not have him killed. 0122 00:10:18:02 00:10:21:05 Hes kinda cute, so I wouldnt want to kill and eat him. 0123 00:10:21:08 00:10:24:18 If I dont see him being killed, I can eat him. But before my eyes...Id feel bad. 0124 00:10:31:14 00:10:35:01 We will have to eat him. We cant care for him much longer. 0125 00:10:35:08 00:10:38:08 My sons tell me, No dad, lets give him up for adoption. 0126 00:10:38:15 00:10:43:11 I tell them, if we did that hed be butchered within the hour! 0127 00:10:45:00 00:10:49:10 So rather than feed him to strangers, why shouldnt I be the one to eat him? 0128 00:10:59:19 00:11:01:21 Weve had this chicken for the last six months now. 0129 00:11:01:23 00:11:05:09 And since weve raised him from a day old-chick to this, 0130 00:11:06:09 00:11:09:22 if hes not there around the house we will feel a little odd, in the sense... 0131 00:11:10:00 00:11:11:22 a little emptiness will be there... 0132 00:11:19:06 00:11:21:11 I mean, it is clearly a hassle. 0133 00:11:22:08 00:11:26:05 But you dont want to come to a point where you cant let go. 0134 00:11:26:23 00:11:28:01 I wont miss him. 0135 00:11:28:07 00:11:29:21 Maybe for a few days... 0136 00:11:29:23 00:11:31:14 but I dont think ill miss him. 0137 00:11:32:09 00:11:34:07 I will definitely slaughter him. 0138 00:11:34:17 00:11:35:21 And I will eat him. 0139 00:11:36:02 00:11:38:19 Whoever doesnt want to join me, can stay away. I will eat him. 0140 00:12:22:20 00:12:24:16 See Ginger, Garlic, see! 0141 00:12:40:09 00:12:42:16 They arent really scared of him. 0142 00:12:50:15 00:12:51:13 Should I do it again? I had been working since 5 a.m., when I woke up to messages from editors asking me to get there as soon as possible. (My colleague who first heard the news had arrived in the area around midnight, working through the evening to interview witnesses and survivors.) Throughout the day, I drove all over the region talking to the gunmans neighbors and to survivors, including some who had already survived a previous mass shooting. It was the second mass shooting I had reported on within the span of three weeks. And once again it was a huge story, with around-the-clock television coverage. When I settled down in the hotel room, I figured I would at least get a much-needed full nights rest. As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to think about what possible follow-up stories we could do about the way this conservative suburban area was responding to the attack. Then, just after 3 a.m., I awoke to a voice on a gurgly loudspeaker: We are under mandatory evacuation orders. Please collect your bags and exit immediately. IT WAS THE KOREAN Buddhist monk Dancho who is credited with supervising the production of the first pieces of paper in seventh-century Japan, using Chinese techniques. The court culture of the Heian era, which ran from the eighth through the 12th centuries, was one in which other Chinese developments notably, bureaucracy stimulated the demand for paper for record-keeping and bookmaking. As the importance of the court declined, and the feudal, polycentric system of warrior potentates rose, so too did the manufacture of paper decentralize and proliferate. It was at this point that paper began to be used in architecture, for sliding doors and screens, and so the need for more, and longer-lasting, variations became imperative. This is how washi-making became a household tradition: By the 1800s, when capitalist industrial techniques were introduced, over 100,000 ordinary families were known to be making their own paper by hand for various domestic uses. But those same hyper-exploitative industrial techniques including the mass production of cement and, a little later, warships would gradually put an end to this era. Today, though, the remnants of these traditions can be seen in the Modernist buildings that still stand in major cities, including Tokyos International House of Japan, one of the countrys most famous hotels, designed in 1952 by Japanese acolytes of Le Corbusier, which makes use of shoji screens. The architectural roots of paper are even clearer in more recent works by Shigeru Ban, whose emergency shelters following the 2011 Fukushima earthquake were made mostly of paper in particular, recycled cardboard tubes or by Kengo Kuma, whose buildings continuously riff on Japanese craftsmanship. Tokyo itself remains a paradise of art and manga and stationery stores all monuments to a persistent if perhaps anachronistic print culture. At one of these stores, Ozu Washi, which has occupied the same location in the Nihonbashi business district since 1653, I learned how washi is made. Washi is one of the strongest papers in the world, and to produce it, one has to cultivate the kozo, a shrublike tree that is related to the mulberry (gampi and mitsumata trees are also used). Unlike with Western-style paper, the bark of the tree is crushed and retained in the production. The resulting fibers must be beaten and bleached and mixed with water and neri, a slime that comes from the roots of the Tororo-aoi. This mix is then layered over a screen, at which point colors can be added and the thickness of the paper augmented with more layers. At the end, the pulp is pressed and dried. The result is paper that is difficult to tear, palely lucent and incredibly durable. Bright patterning of natural flora or geometric trompe loeil effects is often woodblock-printed on it, or watermarks are threaded in, on pages lined vertically for calligraphy. The product is more than just a surface on which to transmit thoughts or ideas; it is a sculptural, tactile object, and its very physical presence helps account for its endurance. Paper, then, is not just a vehicle for text or images but an object unto itself not something to be merely experienced by sight, it demands to be touched as well. Washi is more like an active metaphor for Japanese craft writ large luxurious, laborious, useful and maintaining a rough-edged, pastoral simplicity. THE GREAT PARADOX of Japans paper culture is that the country was also one of the earliest producers of global technology, particularly with the founding in 1946 of Sony (originally called the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp.), a company that could reasonably claim the mantle as one of the original tech supergiants. Having once been a papermaking innovator, the country also became the site of other crucial advancements. The first consumer tape recorders and transistor radios emerged here in the 1950s, and in 1966, the Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyos old business district, further transformed the look of the modern city by becoming the first example of media architecture, with a facade that displayed video images, a development for screens that was perhaps inevitable in a country that pioneered this technology back when it was still analog. To get a general idea of how the people of Buenos Aires drink, you need only go inside any grocery or convenience store. It wont be too many steps before youre confronted with an end-of-aisle liquor display. But it wont be vodka or rum on sale. It will be Campari, Fernet Branca, Cynar, Cinzano vermouth or Gancia, an aperitivo. Each is an Italian product, but portenos (as residents here are called), many of whom are of Italian or Spanish descent, have made them their own. Cynar Juleps are more common than Mint Juleps, perhaps partly because bourbon is hard to come by here. Negronis and Negroni variations are everywhere; Argentina is the worlds third largest market for Campari. And Fernet and Coke might as well be the national drink. Its not for nothing that Argentina has its own Campari and Fernet Branca distilleries. Thirsts must be met. These longstanding drinking traditions have been interwoven into Buenos Aires robust cocktail scene, which encompasses more than 50 bars. They include every recognizable variety of drinking den, from hidden joints like the Harrison Speakeasy, to restaurant bars such as Casa Cavia; from historical standard bearers like Los Galgos, to the theme-park extravaganza Uptown, whose entrance exactly resembles a New York subway station tile walls, turnstiles, sliding train doors and all. While they all keep an eye trained on global cocktail trends, each saloon has a distinctly Argentine edge. There are small and personal bars, and there are large and popular bars, explains Rodolfo Reich, a local journalist and cocktail authority. The lack of some imported drinks is supplanted with artisanal recipes from each bartender. The authors are similarly skeptical of large-scale infrastructure projects, arguing that such efforts in Europe, called cohesion policy, have tended to create nice roads and bridges in remote, poorer areas, while doing little to help incomes and employment rise in those areas over time. Whats increasingly clear after the 2016 election is that the forces that have been really good for the economy in the aggregate, like globalization and technological change, create local shocks that are extremely powerful, Ms. Hendrickson said. Their work is only the latest in efforts to wrestle with potential policy answers. In one of a series of papers published by the Hamilton Project, David Neumark of the University of California, Irvine, described a plan in which the federal government could subsidize the wages of newly hired workers in extremely poor areas. The subsidies would be 100 percent at first before tapering off in hope of pulling more people into the labor force so they can develop skills that will allow them to earn a nonsubsidized wage. In another, Tracy Gordon of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center argued for rejiggering the formulas to set federal grants related to Medicaid, highway funding and other infrastructure spending so as to better reflect the economic conditions in different places. And the economists E. Jason Baron, Shawn Kantor and Alexander Whalley argued for expansion of a program meant to ensure that innovations developed at universities are spread to nearby employers. Steve Case, whose venture capital firm Revolution has worked to advance entrepreneurship outside the big coastal tech hubs, said, With the Amazon second headquarters, if the result isnt what people may have wanted, it could still help jump-start a discussion around regional innovation that could lead to better results down the road. Im just eager for it to move into action so theres less of a feeling of being left behind and more optimism about the future. A Washington State man in February texted to his friends pictures of a partially naked woman on his bed, according to police documents. The man, Brian Varela, said in the texts that he believed that the woman was overdosing, but bragged that he had had sex with her and that he could do so again. Mr. Varela, who was 19 at the time, then started to play a video game, and fell asleep. When he woke up, the woman, Alyssa Noceda, 18, was dead. On Thursday, Mr. Varela was sentenced to about three years in prison after he had pleaded guilty to felony charges that included second-degree manslaughter and third-degree rape. The 34-month sentence was seen by members of Ms. Nocedas family and others as woefully inadequate, and drew sharp complaints. Inside the emergency room, witnesses said, more than 20 patients were waiting for treatment. A Chicago police sergeant told everyone to stay down, according to Steven White, a patient who was being treated in the emergency room at the time. He was shooting in the back and all the women started yelling and the kids started crying, Mr. White said. Thats when the sarge came in, and said, Stay down. At that point, workers tried to usher ill patients outside to safety. Others hid, huddled in hospital rooms. Officers and emergency vehicles streamed into the area near Michigan Avenue and 26th Street, and people were warned to stay away. Inside the hospital, teams of police officers could be seen darting down hallways, searching room by room. Joan Fortune, a pharmacist who works at the hospital, said she had been talking to a customer about cough medicine when he asked whether she had heard about the shots being fired. Immediately, she said, a technician closed the rolling shutter to the pharmacy, locked the door and ran to a back area. We just sat there, she said. We heard arguing. We heard more shots. When the gunman entered the hospital, she said, he was about 10 or 15 feet away from her at one point, though separated by two sets of doors. After they huddled in silence for about 30 minutes, she said, police officers banged on the door and said it was safe to come out, guiding them outside. Earlier, during the initial counting of votes, Dr. Snipess office inadvertently mixed some 20 invalid provisional ballots in a stack of 205 otherwise valid ballots. The canvassing board ultimately accepted all the ballots, saying it would err on the side of allowing them rather than disenfranchising more than 180 valid votes. Mr. Scotts campaign sued for access to all the voting records, and a court found that Broward had violated public records law and the states Constitution. Even before being denounced by Mr. Scott, Senator Marco Rubio and President Trump himself, Dr. Snipess tenure had been marred by problems, including the unlawful destruction of ballots in a congressional race that should have been kept for review, and the mishandling and misprinting of mailed-in ballots. Democrats were highly critical of the design of the ballots in Broward County. The Nov. 6 election results showed that some 30,000 Broward voters did not make a choice in the Senate race a significant undervote attributed to a ballot design that tucked the contest on the bottom left-hand corner of the page. That design was in violation of national guidelines that recommend not listing any race under the voter instructions. It led some Democrats to believe that the design might have cost Mr. Nelson the election. As a result of the litany of controversies, Dr. Snipess exit did not surprise Broward Democrats on Sunday, even some who defended Dr. Snipes in the past but found it increasingly difficult to do so as the midterm election and recount resulted in one embarrassment after another for the county. No one, however, seemed to expect Dr. Snipes to act so quickly. Wow, that was fast, Cynthia Busch, chairwoman of the county Democrats, said after learning of the resignation from a reporter on Sunday night. People dont have confidence in her anymore, and if that includes even those of us who have tried to be helpful over the last couple of years as best we can, that in and of itself makes it an untenable situation going into a presidential election. Protesters descended on the Broward elections office last week, demanding Dr. Snipess ouster. Pro-Trump groups went as far as to post her home address and phone number online. Hundreds of people gathered at a candlelight vigil for Ms. Fraser on Monday evening outside Woodbury Elementary. Mr. Mason was a judge on the Common Pleas Court in Cuyahoga County in August 2014 when Ms. Fraser called 911 on a Saturday afternoon to report that he had beaten her. With their children in the back seat, Mr. Mason slammed on the brakes in their S.U.V. on a Shaker Heights road and started to pummel Ms. Fraser in the passenger seat, according to the police report and court records. He slammed her head against the dashboard, and choked and bit her before he kicked her out of the car. My husband just beat me and threw me out of the car, and he has my two daughters in the car, Ms. Fraser told a 911 operator, gasping for breath as she recounted what happened. Im afraid hes going to hurt my daughters. The family had just left a funeral for Mr. Masons aunt. The police found Mr. Mason inside the familys home and their daughters unharmed in the S.U.V., which was outside the house, according to court records. Officers arrested Mr. Mason and confiscated smoke grenades, rifles, a sword, a bulletproof vest and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the house. It was a shocking downfall for Mr. Mason, who had risen to top public positions in Cleveland and Ohio. In the late 1990s, he handled felony cases as an assistant prosecutor in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland. He was later appointed to fill a vacancy in the Ohio House of Representatives and remained there until he won a State Senate race in 2006. In 2008, the states Democratic governor, Ted Strickland, appointed him to become a judge in Cuyahoga County. Ms. Fraser filed for divorce two days after the beating but the case was still pending in court at the time of her death. After Mr. Mason was arrested in 2014, the authorities came under criticism for the favorable treatment he appeared to have received. While he was suspended from his job, state rules allowed him to continue collecting his $121,000 salary while the case remained open. WASHINGTON Americas farmers have been shut out of foreign markets, hit with retaliatory tariffs and lost lucrative contracts in the face of President Trumps trade war. But a $12 billion bailout program Mr. Trump created to make it up to farmers has done little to cushion the blow, with red tape and long waiting periods resulting in few payouts so far. According to the Department of Agriculture, just $838 million has been paid out to farmers since the first $6 billion pot of money was made available in September. Another pool of up to $6 billion is expected to become available next month. The government is unlikely to offer additional money beyond the $12 billion, according to Sonny Perdue, the agriculture secretary. The programs limitations are beginning to test farmers patience. The trade war shows no signs of easing, with China and the United States locked in a stalemate that has reduced American farmers access to a critical market for soybeans, farm equipment and other products. Europe is planning more retaliatory tariffs on top of those already imposed on American peanut butter and orange juice, and Canada and Mexico continue to levy taxes on American goods, including on pork and cheese. Mr. Trump, who has had broad support in many farm states, still insists that his get-tough approach to trade will ultimately help American farmers, a position Mr. Perdue reiterated last month when he said farmers are resilient and can plan ahead for market conditions. Photo: The Canadian Press Chairman and CEO of Renault and Nissan Motor Co.'s Carlos Ghosn. Nissan Motor Co.'s high-flying chairman Carlos Ghosn is to be dismissed after the company said an internal investigation found he under-reported his income by millions of dollars and engaged in other "significant misconduct." The Japanese broadcaster NHK said Ghosn was arrested Monday after he voluntarily submitted to questioning by Tokyo prosecutors. The prosecutors' office did not confirm that. The Yokohama-based company, one of the world's largest automakers, said the violations were discovered during an investigation over several months that was instigated by a whistleblower. Ghosn, 64, also allegedly engaged in personal use of company assets, it said. Nissan said it was providing information to the prosecutors and co-operating with their investigation. The allegations also concern a Nissan representative director, Greg Kelly, it said. Nissan said in a statement that its CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose to its board that Ghosn and Kelly both be removed from their posts. "Nissan deeply apologizes for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders. We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures," it said. Ghosn signed a contract earlier this year that would have run through 2022. His compensation, high by Japan's moderate standards for executive pay, has been an issue over the years. According to NHK and the Kyodo News Service, Ghosn made nearly 10 billion yen ($89 million) over five years through March 2015, including salary and other income from the company, but reported as if he only made 5 billion yen ($44 million), or half of what he had received. Nissan's annual securities report shows Ghosn received annual remuneration exceeding 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) until fiscal 2016, when shareholders voted against his pay package. His annual pay dropped to 735 million yen ($6.5 million) in 2017, down more than 30 per cent. The Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi group is among the biggest auto alliances in the world, selling about 10 million vehicles a year. Before joining Renault, Ghosn worked for Michelin North America. Republicans have won every Senate race in Mississippi for the last three decades. Voters in Mississippi will head back to the polls Nov. 27 for a runoff. But this years special election has some in the G.O.P. worried, after this controversial comment made by Republican candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith was caught on video. The remark was particularly tone deaf in Mississippi, where more than 600 people were killed in lynchings from 1877 to 1950 more than any other state. Hyde-Smith, the states former agricultural and commerce commissioner, is in a runoff with Democrat Mike Espy after no one received more than 50 percent of the vote on Election Day. Espy was the agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration. And, if elected, would be the first black senator from the state since Reconstruction. He was running an underdog campaign in conservative Mississippi. But Hyde-Smiths comments put the trajectory of the race in doubt. Facing an uproar over her remarks, she retreated from the campaign and dodged reporters questions. We put out a statement yesterday and we stand by that statement. We put out the statement yesterday and its available. And we stand by that statement. I put out a statement yesterday. I put out a statement yesterday. We did address it yesterday. And thats all Im going to say about it. But after her poll numbers dropped and companies began withdrawing contributions, she was forced to address them at a debate. For anyone that was offended for my by my comments, I certainly apologize. There was no ill will, no intent whatsoever in my statements. I also recognize that this comment was twisted and it was turned into a weapon to be used against me. Espy responded this way: Well, no one twisted your comments because your comments were live, you know, it came out of your mouth. And I dont know whats in your heart, but we all know what came out of your mouth. The controversy appears to have emboldened Democrats. Espy picked up an endorsement from former Vide President Joe Biden, and Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have stumped for him in Mississippi. I think that people are fed up with and really just tired of supposed leaders who lead by trying to sow hate and division among us. But Hyde-Smith still has some big advantages over her opponent. Shes been endorsed by President Trump, who won Mississippi by nearly 18 points in 2016. And a vote for Cindy is a vote for me. Trumps support could help Hyde-Smith shore up conservative white voters, which may be enough to secure victory in solidly red Mississippi. Good Monday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today. _____________________ President Trump said in an interview aired on Fox News on Sunday that he most likely would not sit for an interview with the special counsel, Robert Mueller, saying, Weve wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is, probably, were finished. Read what else he said. As evidence piles up pointing to the Saudi crown princes responsibility in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Mr. Trump has only hardened his refusal to concede that the prince had a hand in the crime. Read why. As much as some House Democrats say they want to shake up the partys leadership, would-be challengers to Representative Nancy Pelosi are keenly aware of the immense power she wields, and are fearful of retribution if they step forward to challenge her. Read the story. As the title indicates, the book does not paint a rosy picture of the atmosphere in the White House. An authors note describes a venomous den in which people are constantly at each others throats. But Mr. Simss goal, according to people familiar with the book, was not to damage Mr. Trump. And he is said to have at times painted an unflattering portrait of himself. Still, there has long been a wide gap between how Mr. Trump would like his White House to be perceived (a well-oiled machine) and the reality of how it operates. The common thread for most of the half-dozen books that have been published about the Trump administration has been the affirmation of real-time news accounts of chaos behind the White House gates. Mr. Sims was represented by Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn of Javelin DC, whose clients include James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director who was fired by Mr. Trump in May 2017. Mr. Sims, whom Mr. Trump often saw as a buddy, was pulled into several meetings that were well beyond the scope of his duties, according to the announcement from the publisher. He kept hundreds of pages of notes during his time at the White House, the people familiar with the project said. He was among the Trump loyalists who left this year after clashing with the White House chief of staff, John F. Kelly. The White House declined to comment. In the authors note, Mr. Sims writes: I suspect that posterity will look back on this bizarre time in history like we were living on the pages of a Dickens novel. He added: Lincoln famously had his Team of Rivals. Trump had his Team of Vipers. We served. We fought. We brought our egos. We brought our personal agendas and vendettas. We were ruthless. And some of us, I assume, were good people. President Trumps $1.5 trillion tax cut was supposed to be a big selling point for congressional Republicans in the midterm elections. Instead, it appears to have done more to hurt than help Republicans in high-tax districts across California, New Jersey, Virginia and other states. House Republicans suffered heavy Election Day losses in districts where large concentrations of taxpayers claim a popular tax break the state and local tax deduction which the law capped at $10,000 per household. The new limit resulted in an effective tax increase for high-earning residents of high-tax states who claim more than $10,000 per year in SALT. Democrats swept four Republican-held districts in Orange County, Calif., where at least 40 percent of taxpayers claim the SALT tax break, defeating a pair of Republican incumbents and winning seats vacated by Representatives Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. Those districts include longtime Republican strongholds, like Newport Beach, and rank among the countrys largest users of the state and local tax break. Representative Barbara Comstock lost a seat in Northern Virginia, where more than half of taxpayers claim the SALT deduction, by nearly 13 points. Representative Erik Paulsen of Minnesota, a huge champion of the tax bill, lost by about the same margin in a district where 40 percent of taxpayers claim the deduction. An unusual murder mystery is playing out inside the Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia. The prime suspects inmates are already locked up. The victim was an aging mobster, someone plenty of people had reason to want dead. But how James (Whitey) Bulger, the crime boss and law enforcement informant from Boston, came to be murdered just a few hours after arriving at Hazelton is still a puzzle. Among the questions investigators are trying to answer, according to interviews with more than a dozen Federal Bureau of Prisons employees, lawyers with clients inside and relatives of inmates, are these: Of at least four men sent to solitary confinement following the attack, which ones beat him to death? Why was Mr. Bulger, a notorious informant in frail health, placed with other inmates in the general population? BEIJING The tensions were already high. At a major international gathering in Papua New Guinea over the weekend, the United States wanted to end with a group statement emphasizing free trade. China objected. But instead of working out the disagreement through dialogue, Chinese officials barged uninvited into the office of the host countrys foreign minister demanding changes in the official communique. Chinas action marked a striking break with diplomatic decorum at a meeting that is normally used to promote cooperation among countries that ring the Pacific Ocean. The dispute meant that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, forum held in Papua New Guinea and attended by Vice President Mike Pence and Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, failed to issue a joint document for the first time since 1989. HONG KONG The leaders of a Hong Kong protest movement pleaded not guilty on Monday to public nuisance charges stemming from the pro-democracy demonstrations that disrupted the city for more than two months in 2014. The Occupy movement founded in March 2013 by the professors Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man and a retired pastor, Chu Yiu-ming began as a peaceful protest effort that eventually drew tens of thousands of people, paralyzing traffic in Hong Kong. The leaders demanded universal suffrage in the citys elections, vowing to escalate their civil disobedience until they reached their goals. The three men pleaded not guilty on Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit public nuisance. Six other leaders of the movement also pleaded not guilty to related charges in the case, with the individual offenses carrying maximum sentences of seven years in prison. The 2014 protesters were demonstrating against what they said was the citys undemocratic way of choosing its leaders. Hong Kongs chief executive is currently selected by hundreds of people picked to represent the citys various constituencies. Critics of the system say the representatives skew heavily in favor of pro-Beijing candidates who do not represent the popular choice of the people. Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan responded by saying that Pakistan had suffered enough fighting terrorism on behalf of the United States. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests, he wrote on Twitter. The exchange aggravated an already tense relationship between the two countries. American officials have long complained that Pakistan has failed to act against terrorist networks operating within its borders; Pakistan denies that the networks are even present. The Haqqani network, which is allied with the Afghan Taliban, is a particular source of friction between the two countries. Mr. Khan, a populist politician who was elected in July, is a longtime critic of United States policy toward Pakistan, railing against the American use of drones to target militants in the countrys tribal regions. He has accused the Pakistani military of kowtowing to the United States in the past. BEIJING In the risque world of online erotica in China, Lady Tianyi, as her fans called her, was a star. She wrote more than a dozen novels in a genre known as boys love. With titles like Absolute Invasion: Kill the Boss, she built a loyal following of tens of thousands of fans. Now Tianyi, whose real name is unknown, faces more than a decade in prison, after a court in eastern China found her guilty last month of producing and selling pornography, the state-run news media reported over the weekend. Her punishment captured national attention in recent days, with many Chinese citizens denouncing it as harsh and excessive. In tens of thousands of unusually blunt online comments, many questioned the fairness of the judicial system and said that the government was going too far in its efforts to stop the spread of obscene material. Pornography is a normal need of adulthood, one user wrote on Sina Weibo, a Twitterlike site. Wheres the crime? BUCHAREST, Romania Six years after thieves made off with seven celebrated works of art in a brazen nighttime raid at a Dutch museum, an author who wrote a book about the heist said she received an anonymous tip. One of the stolen paintings, a Picasso, was buried under a rock in Romania, the letter said. Was the lead too good to be true? Mira Feticu, a Dutch-Romanian author based in the Netherlands, quickly informed the Dutch police about the letter she received on Nov. 6, pointing to the location of Picassos Tete dArlequin (Harlequin Head). But she said she did not hear back from them. So she and a colleague, Frank Westerman, flew to Romania to find out if the letters claim was genuine, she said. They landed in Bucharest, the capital, and drove for more than three hours this past weekend to a spot near a village to discover what they hoped would be the missing Picasso. Photo: The Canadian Press Idle Canada Post trucks sit in the parking lot of the Saint-Laurent sorting facility in Montreal as rotating strikes hit the area on Thursday November 15, 2018. UPDATE 6:41 a.m. Canada Post proposed a "cooling off" period with its striking postal workers Monday as pressure mounts to resolve the ongoing labour dispute ahead of the busy Christmas delivery season. In a statement, the Crown corporation agreed with a proposal from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to bring another mediator into the ongoing contract dispute but with a catch. It said it wants CUPW members to put down their picket signs until the end of January while talks are on, and offered a special payment of up to $1,000 for each member if there is no labour disruption before the so-called cooling off period ends. "With the rotating strikes, resulting backlogs, and the massive Black Friday and cyber Monday volumes that will arrive within days, we are trying everything we can to work together with the union urgently to deliver the holidays to Canadians," Jessica McDonald, chair of the board of directors and interim president and CEO of Canada Post, said in the statement. "This proposal also includes a way for the parties to resolve their differences and these negotiations." It wasn't immediately clear if the union would agree to the offer, which came with a deadline of 5 p.m. Monday. Canada Post said it would start talks "with a jointly-agreed, government-appointed mediator," while reinstating both collective agreements with CUPW during the cooling off period. ORIGINAL 5:26 a.m. Canada Post workers were continuing their rotating strikes today after rejecting the Crown corporation's latest offer and asking that a mediator be appointed to help end the ongoing labour dispute. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says they have pickets in several locations, including Edmonton, Kitchener, Ont., and Kelowna, B.C., following a request late Saturday to bring in a third party. It came after the union let pass a time-sensitive proposal from Canada Post meant to stop strikes affecting about 42,000 urban employees and 8,000 rural and suburban carriers. A spokeswoman for Labour Minister Patty Hajdu wouldn't say whether Ottawa would oblige the request for a mediator, but indicated it was a good sign that both sides remain committed to finding a solution. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a last-minute plea to the two sides late Saturday to resolve their differences, just hours before the midnight deadline on the Crown corporation's offers expired. The strikes have created a huge backlog of undelivered mail, prompting some businesses to issue pleas for a resolution ahead of the busy Christmas shopping season. The Retail Council of Canada urged Ottawa to "bring an immediate end" to the rotating strikes through back-to-work legislation. Last week, eBay also called on the government to legislate an end to the dispute in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events tied to the American Thanksgiving. LONDON In a land where matters of public health care are never far from scrutiny and sometimes scandal, the British medical authorities acknowledged on Monday that they were checking the credentials of some 3,000 foreign physicians after one was convicted of fraud and accused of falsifying qualifications. The case could add to concerns about the safety of patients in Britains once-vaunted National Health Service, even as tight budgets and the possible impact of Britains pending departure from the European Union have augmented a sense of unease. For more than two decades, Zholia Alemi, 56, worked at health facilities in Britain using what she said was a qualification from her native New Zealand. The document enabled her to treat patients suffering from dementia and an array of other psychiatric complaints. But in recent weeks, an investigation by a provincial newspaper uncovered a very different version of Ms. Alemis background. JERUSALEM The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel appeared to have averted collapse on Monday at least for now after a hawkish coalition partner backed down from a threat to defect, which probably would have forced early elections. Mr. Netanyahus right-wing and religious coalition, led by his conservative Likud party, was weakened by the resignation last week of the hard-line defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, and the withdrawal of his party, Yisrael Beiteinu, leaving the government with a parliamentary majority of just one. The Jewish Home party and its leader, Naftali Bennett, had threatened to leave the coalition, too, which would have left the government without a majority. But on Monday, in a sharp turnaround, the party retreated. With elections due in November 2019, the remaining coalition partners are already in campaign mode and experts said the brittle government was unlikely to last more than a few months. Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer The federal Conservatives return to the House of Commons today after a tumultuous two weeks that included losing one of their best-known MPs to a sexual-misconduct scandal. But for leader Andrew Scheer and company, it's not Tony Clement's online activities, the potential spillover of harassment allegations against provincial Tory politicians, or even the growing popularity of former Tory Maxime Bernier's new political party that are keeping them up at night. The Tory nightmare now is the fall of the NDP. "That's where I'm actually worried, frankly from a strategic perspective, that's what I'm watching," said Alexandre Meterissian, a conservative strategist with Montreal firm Hatley Strategy Advisors. "The collapse of the NDP is a big problem for the party." Meterissian in particular is concerned about a Mainstreet Research Poll published Nov. 14 that had the Liberals with a comfortable lead and the NDP down at 10 per cent, barely ahead of the Green Party. That was an unusually bad poll for the New Democrats but Meterissian said there is a downward trend for the party and leader Jagmeet Singh, who is struggling with caucus discontent and communications problems. Meterissian said the Conservatives need to figure out how to attract NDP voters in Quebec and northern Ontario, because otherwise those votes will all go to the Liberals. Scheer said in an interview that going back into the House of Commons after a break week for Remembrance Day, his party is going to focus on being united and not dwelling on the difficulties of the last few weeks or even months. Scheer said sexual harassment is not a partisan issue, all the parties have had to contend with it, and all the parties have to figure out how best to investigate and address it. Clement is the fourth MP since the last election to be forced out of a caucus because of allegations of improper behaviour. Two have been Liberals and one was a New Democrat. "We've had our issue, we've dealt with it and now we're focusing on going back to holding this government to account and putting forward innovative policy options," Scheer said. Nick Clegg Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg hit rock bottom in an already brutal year last week. in an already brutal year. Does Nick Clegg, Facebook's incoming global affairs chief and former head of Britain's Liberal Democrats, really want to be a part of this mess? The New York Times Nov. 14 blockbuster depicted the ham-fisted attempts by the digital platform to spread misinformation about political opponents in order to cover up its distribution of hateful content and Russian fake news designed to disrupt the US elections. The NYT portrayed Zuckerberg and Sandberg as failing to come to grips with the threat from Russia by downplaying the manipulation campaign. And what was the immediate Facebook reaction to the NYT story? It fired a PR firm. Pathetic. In an effort to turn down the political heat, Facebook cut ties with Washington-based Definers Public Affairs. Zuckerberg claims he doesnt want DC-type tactics used at Facebook. Sandberg denies knowing what Definers was up to. Definers became a very convenient sacrificial lamb. The cluelessness of Zuckerberg and Sandberg contrasts with the statement issued by Facebook, saying it had hired Definers to persuade the media to look into the funding of some opposition groups. The intention was to demonstrate that it was not simply a spontaneous grassroots campaign, as it claimed, but supported by a well-known critic of our company, Facebook said. The statement though misses the bigger point. Facebook allowed its platform to be used for political manipulation and personal attacks. It then tried to discredit digital rights activists like George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, who were exercising their First Amendment rights in opposition to Facebook. The OSF released a statement Nov. 15, calling for Facebook to stop using practices inspired by the enemies of democracy across the globe. It wants Facebook to launch an independent investigation of what took place and to publish a full report. That independent probe could ultimately fix Facebook, and is far better than blaming a DC PR firm for a spate of bad PR. Definers didnt exactly go quietly into the night. It denied doing opposition research for Facebook. It claims its main services were media monitoring and public relations around public policy issues facing the company. Zuckerberg and Sandberg have shown they are far more interested in growing Facebook than in assuming any responsibility for the platforms role in undermining the US political system. Their inaction begs for a federal crackdown and regulation of Facebook. On Tuesday, November 20, Bobby Kerr will be a keynote speaker at a special breakfast event at Larkin's Bistro hosted by Edenderry Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by AIB and Offaly LEO. Bobby Kerr is a presenter on Down to Business the popular Newstalk radio business show on Saturday at 10am and Bobbys Late Breakfast a lifestyle magazine show which airs at 9am on Sunday mornings. He also co-hosts a slot called the Agony Uncle on The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk. He was one of the original Dragons on Dragons Den for the first 4 years of the series. Although he has left the series to look at other broadcasting opportunities he continues to be actively involved with the 9 investments he made during the series. He is former Chairman of Insomnia Coffee Company, which he exited from in 2018, Ireland's largest independent coffee chain. Bobby is also a popular business, entrepreneurial and motivational speaker. Bobby is passionate about small business. He sat on the board of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) for 3 years. MFI is a not for profit lender that provides loans to small businesses of less than 10 employees with a turnover of less than 2m. Bobby is also a member of the Small Business Advice Programme a targeted programme set up to provide free advice and support to SMEs. With his Newstalk Show, Bobby has done a nationwide tour working with retailers in towns, just like Edenderry, to Take Back the High Street. He is now working on a new programme; My Town My Main Street and will share his experiences with chamber members, local business and guests on November 20th. This high-profile event is just one more indication that positive change is in the offing, that Edenderry is on the way back and of a community working together to do the very best they can for their town. A number of other Edenderry Chamber initiatives are on the horizon and membership is growing steadily. A number of sites have been identified for a new hotel and potential investors are being approached with detailed proposals to consider Edenderry as a prime location and gateway to Irelands Hidden Heartlands. Working with the Council, The Chamber are progressing the Edenderry Vision 2030 Masterplan which is an exciting project to build the way for prosperity and together with the Local Enterprise Office, the IDA, Failte Ireland, Leader (Offaly Local Development Company). The Edenderry Chamber of Commerce breakfast with Bobby on November 20 is another ideal opportunity to view and discuss all of the plans for the town and there is certainly an air of optimism making a welcome return. To get involved and join up to build a stronger community see www.edenderrychamber.ie for details and membership. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) A lawmaker on Monday called for a six-month extension of martial law in Mindanao. Iligan City Representative Frederick Siao filed House Resolution No. 2302-asking the government and concerned authorities to extend the rule in Mindanao until June 2019. Siao, a member of the House Committee on Mindanao Affairs, cited initial reports of "terrorist plots" as basis for a possible martial law extension. He added there's a need to secure the upcoming 2019 midterm polls in the area. "It is urgently imperative that government authority must ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest May 2019 elections in Mindanao, including and especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and adjacent regions, to secure the integrity of the ballots and safety of voters and elections personnel and to ensure that the duly-elected officials are installed," Siao said in a statement. "The ISIS, their collaborators among lawless armed groups, and the illegal drugs networks operating in Mindanao want to sow terror in pursuit of their twisted objectives," he added. Siao also noted recent incidents of violence in the region, including the Lanao del Sur ambush which killed five Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents last October. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier indicated inclination to recommend a martial law extension to President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine National Police (PNP) also said it will back another extension, should Duterte decide on it. READ: Economic, political gains will be lost if martial law in Mindanao is stopped AFP AFP Chief Carlito Galvez, meanwhile, said the Armed Forces and the PNP will soon make a joint assessment on the Mindanao martial law situation. The officials hope to submit a final report to Duterte within the month. Martial law was declared in Mindanao in May 2017 following the attempted takeover by ISIS-inspired Maute Group of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur. Before the declaration lapsed on July 23 that year, Congress voted to extend martial law until the end of December 2017. Congress then granted Duterte's second request to extend the military rule in the region until December 31, 2018. This was to address the remaining insurgencies and terrorism in the area. Photo: Alanna Kelly A Kelowna woman was sent someone's confidential tax information. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner says the Canada Revenue Agency did not alert it about a privacy breach in Kelowna and that it should change its procedures to make sure it doesn't happen again. A Kelowna resident received a package at her home, with her name on it, but inside was confidential information including social insurance number, banking information, employees and salary of a person living in Surrey. Susan Monroe tried to contact the CRA about the error several times, but when her calls weren't answered, she went public. After being alerted by Castanet, CRA staff picked up the package from Munroe on Thursday. A senior communication advisor with the privacy commissioner says the office was never notified of the incident by the CRA. Since May 2014, federal government institutions are required to notify our office of serious privacy breaches, as per a Treasury Board Secretariat directive, said Tobi Cohen. When dealing with mailing error situations, organizations should notify the recipients of the misdirected mail and, in order to reduce the likelihood of misuse, direct the recipients to either destroy or return the misdirected mail, and not to disclose this confidential information sent to them in error, said Cohen. The CRA said the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the taxpayer have not yet been contacted as the investigation is still ongoing. "Pending the results of the investigation, a determination will be made on whether this incident requires the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and/or the affected taxpayer be alerted of the incident," said Eteinne Biram. A similar incident occurred in March 2013 when a woman received a package from the Surrey Tax Centre with her daughter's information along with the confidential personal information of five other strangers. Included were names, income and benefits, SINs, date of birth, marital status and employment details. Organizations should review their internal policies and procedures to reduce the risk of future errors, said Cohen. Alanna Kelly The design was employed by Michelangelo in the defensive earthworks of Florence, and refined in the sixteenth century by Alcazar Peruzzi and Scamozzi. The design spread out of Italy in the 1530s and 1540s. It was employed heavily throughout Europe for the following three centuries. Italian engineers were heavily in demand throughout Europe to help build the new fortifications. Another important design modification were the bastions that characterized the new fortresses. In order to improve the defence of the fortress, covering fire had to be provided, often from multiple angles. The result was the development of star-shaped fortresses. Star fortifications were further developed in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries primarily in response to the French invasion of the Italian peninsula. The French army was equipped with new cannon and bombards that were easily able to destroy traditional fortifications built in the Middle Ages. In order to counteract the power of the new weapons, defensive walls were made lower and thicker. They were built of many materials, usually earth and brick, as brick does not shatter on impact from a cannonball as stone does. In contrast, the star fortress was a very flat structure composed of many triangular or lozenge shaped bastions designed to cover each other, and a (typically dry) ditch. It was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy. Passive ring-shaped (enceinte) fortifications of the Medieval era proved vulnerable to damage or destruction by cannon fire, when it could be directed from outside against a perpendicular masonry wall. In addition, an attacking force that could get close to the wall was able to conduct undermining operations in relative safety, as the defenders could not shoot at them from nearby walls. A star fort, or trace italienne, is a fortification in the style that evolved during the age of gunpowder when cannon came to dominate the battlefield. Indentations in the base of each point on the star sheltered cannons. Those cannons would have a clear line of fire directly down the edge of the neighbouring points, while their point of the star was protected by fire from the base of those points. A further and more subtle change was to move from a passive model of defence to an active one. The lower walls were more vulnerable to being stormed, and the protection that the earth banking provided against direct fire failed if the attackers could occupy the slope on the outside of the ditch and mount an attacking cannon there. Therefore, the shape was designed to make maximum use of enfilade (or "flanking") fire against any attackers who should reach the base of any of the walls. Ditches and walls channeled attacking troops into carefully constructed killing grounds where defensive cannons could wreak havoc on troops attempting to storm the walls, with emplacements set so that the attacking troops had nowhere to shelter from defensive fire. Where conditions allowed, as in Fort Manoel in Malta, ditches were cut into the native rock, and the wall at the inside of the ditch was simply unquarried native rock. As the walls became lower, they also became more vulnerable to assault. Worse still, the rounded shape that had previously been dominant for the design of turrets created "dead space", or "dead" zones which was relatively sheltered from defending fire, because direct fire from other parts of the walls could not be shot around the curved wall. To prevent this, what had previously been round or square turrets were extended into diamond-shaped points to give storming infantry no shelter. When the newly effective manoeuvrable siege cannon came into military strategy in the fifteenth century, the response from military engineers was to arrange for walls to be embedded into ditches fronted by earth slopes so that they could not be attacked by direct fire and to have the walls topped by earth banks that absorbed and largely dissipated the energy of plunging fire. The predecessors of star fortifications were medieval fortresses, usually placed on high hills. From there, arrows were shot at the enemies, and the higher the fortress was, the further the arrows flew. The enemies' hope was to either ram the gate or climb over the wall with ladders and overrun the defenders. For the invading force, these fortifications proved difficult to overcome. The star-shaped fortification had a formative influence on the patterning of the Renaissance ideal city: "The Renaissance was hypnotized by one city type which for a century and a halffrom Filarete to Scamozziwas impressed upon all utopian schemes: this is the star-shaped city." The late-seventeenth-century architect Menno van Coehoorn and Marshal de Vauban, Louis XIV's military engineer, are considered to have taken the form to its logical extreme. "Fortresses... acquired ravelins and redoubts, bonnettes and lunettes, tenailles and tenaillons, counterguards and crownworks and hornworks and curvettes and fausse brayes and scarps and cordons and banquettes and counterscarps..." Vernon, N.Y. The bigger the family, the bigger the Thanksgiving meal. So for its annual Thanksgiving luncheon, the Oneida Rotary Club needs a big kitchen to prepare to feed more than 400 people. The big chop is what Rotarians call the the first step of prep-work for the Thanksgiving luncheon. At Dibble Inn in Vernon, Rotarians kicked it all off with 200 pounds of potatoes that needed cleaning and peeling; and thats before cases of carrots, onions, celery and more in advance of the event. Executive Sous Chef Richard Roberts started working at Dibbles Inn just six months ago and this is his first year working with Rotary. When he was first brought on, Roberts said he was shown all the special equipment Dibbles Inn had and what to expect for Rotary beforehand. They said When Rotary gets here, this oven specializes cooking in large quantities, Roberts said. That oven can cook 14 cases of turkeys, which is 28 birds in on shot. Roberts said hes known about the Rotary Thanksgiving luncheon for years and was happy to be working with them this year. Feeding anyone is why I chose this career, Roberts said. Putting a smile on someones face and doing that to someone who needs that the most, who needs it the most, its such a good feeling. It makes you realize that there are good people out there. The mission of the project is to serve the community, Oneida Rotary President Maggie Argentine said. We know that there are many in our community that might not be able to afford to make a Thanksgiving dinner or not have the opportunity. For more than 30 years, the Rotary has provided community members with a hot meal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Dibbles Inn provides space for prep work, and executive chef Ronald Debarr assists in preparing the food, which includes turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry, corn and pie for dessert. Walmart, HP Hood and Carlo Masi Sons and Daughters. Years ago, way before I was involved in Rotary, the members came together to do this for Thanksgiving, Argentine said. I cant speak for the original folks, but here today, we know we have many more families in the greater Oneida area and this has evolved over the years. To serve as many people as they can, Rotarians spend hours alone peeling potatoes and prepare around 30 turkeys to go into the oven on Tuesday morning. The Thanksgiving luncheon is free and open to the public. It begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Kallet Civic Center in Oneida. Takeout deliveries will be made to residents of Oneida Towers 1 and 2, the Hazel L. Carpenter home and to area seniors through the Senior Nutrition and County Kitchen program. Z-Club, National Honor Society, Junior National Honor Society and Interact students will join the Rotary Club at the Kallet. Argentine said she was thankful for Dibbles Inn for partnering with Rotary to help them prepare and cook food, along with everyone from the community who donates food, time and energy to help make the Thanksgiving luncheon possible. Bengaluru Apartment Fire Accident Today: Fire breaks out at building in Electronic City, no causality reported Did Mysuru MP Pratap Simha met with accident? Here's what BJP leader says Congress Manifesto 2019: Consultation on start-ups held in Bengaluru Bengaluru oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Nov 19: The Indian National Congress held a Manifesto Consultation on Start-ups in Bengaluru. It was chaired by Professor Rajeev Gowda, MP, Shri Priyank Kharge, Minister for Social Justice, Smt. Soumya Reddy, MLA participated along with a range of experts from the startup ecosystem. Mr. Ravi Gururaj emphasised the need to promote start-ups across in three stages, Starting, Take-off and Expansion stage and suggested minimum regulation for start-ups to succeed. Congress to release manifesto by early 2019, says Rajeev Gowda Need for government to create digital public goods to enable the start-up ecosystem was emphasized by Sharad Sharma of iSpirt. Naganand Doraiswamy wanted a focus on tech-innovation. Anushka Shetty wanted start-up culture and facilities to be promoted in non-metro cities and to enable women working out of home to participate. Participants emphasized the need for access to finance and domestic capital that would help start-ups avoid selling out to foreign venture capital. Prof. Rajeev Gowda, Convenor of the Manifesto Committee, stated that healthcare, transport, and other regulatory frameworks will be modernised to enable start-ups to transform these sectors. Shri Priyank Kharge pointed out that initiatives of the Government of Karnataka like Elevate 100, Unnathi etc, could be adopted at a national scale. Smt Sowmya Reddy spoke about how government must facilitate infrastructure to enable startups to set up and grow. People can send their inputs: The Manifesto Committee, under the Chairmanship of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, has been holding consultation events for the last one month. Prof. Rajeev Gowda is the Convenor of the committee. Mizoram polls: Congress releases manifesto, promises laptops to students The committee already completed many consultation events like Ex-Servicemen, MSME's, Education, Environment, SC/ST and OBC, Healthcare, Food Security and Nutrition, and Banking in cities like Aligarh, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mangalore, Guwahati, Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Vishakapatnam, and other cities across the country. Also, urges the public to send their inputs to manifesto@inc.in or through its Website: manifesto.inc.in. In this consultation, the party received valuable suggestions from representatives of various organisations for the "People's Manifesto". Pay hike on the way: There have been discussions and deliberations regarding a pay hike for long. CG employees have been demanding a hike of up to Rs 26,000 as opposed to the Rs 18,000 basic pay hike that the pay panel had recommended. The latest news is that the pay hike announcement could be announced either in January or maximum by March. New fitment factor The fitment factor recommended by the pay panel stood at 2.57 times. The CG employees are demanding an increase in the fitment factor to 3.68 times as a result of which the basic minimum pay would increase to Rs 26,000. However the understanding that we get is that the final fitment factor would be increased only to 2.85 times. What will be the new pay As per the recommendations of the pay panel, the fitment factor stood at 2.57 times as a result which the basic minimum pay stood at Rs 18,000. If it is increased to 3.57 times as demanded by the CG employees, then the basic minimum pay would increase to Rs 26,000. However now that the government is all set to increase the fitment factor to just 2.83 times, this means that the basic minimum pay would increase only up to Rs 20,000. Dont lose hope: While no official announcement regarding the 7th Pay Commission has been made, several officials say that the CG employees must not lose hope. The matter is being deliberated upon and it is only a matter of time that the new fitment factor would be announced. However the million dollar question is when would the good news come. As pointed out earlier, it could be announced either in January 2019 or maximum by March 2019. A wake up call as Punjab comes under attack again India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Amritsar, Nov 19: On September 14, four low intensity grenades were hurled at the Maqsudan police station in Jalandhar. Two police men were injured in the incident. On November 18, a grenade was hurled at a religious congregation in Amritsar in which three persons died. Incidentally both these incidents occurred at a time, when the state was asked to be on high alert in the wake of enhanced terror activity that involved the ISI and Khalistan forces. Nirankari Bhawan attack: Punjab govt announces Rs 50 lakh reward for info on suspects On Wednesday, the DGP Intelligence, Dinakar Gupta had directed the police chiefs to step up vigil. The second line of defence in the border areas too were strengthened. However the attackers managed to slip in and carry out the attack at the prayer hall of the Niranakaris. What must also bear in mind is that the attacked site is just two kilometres away from the Guru Ramdass International Airport at Rajasansi. A quick audit of the incident clearly suggests that the security apparatus was caught napping. Officials state that there was no doubt a high alert, but the intelligence was not specific in nature. Why the attack on the Nirankari Mission in Amritsar appears to be an act of terror Following Sunday's attack, the police said that a terror angle is under probe. All leads point towards this angle and this is being investigated, the police also said. In the September incident, the police claimed the Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind, a Kashmir based terrorist group.Two students from Kashmir studying at the local engineering college were also arrested. While there have been ample inputs suggesting the rise of the Khalistan forces, the policy when it comes to tackling the issue appears to be flawed. The BJP's national secretary, R P Singh said that the friendship of some ministers with Khalistanis will cost Punjab dear. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 13:17 [IST] AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive AgustaWestland: Middleman Michel loses appeal, set to be extradited to India India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Nov 19: AugustaWestland middleman James Christian Michel is expected to be extradited to India soon.The court of cassation in Dubai has rejected his appeal. The Court of Cassation is the third and final degree of litigation in Dubai in which cases heard by the Court of Appeal are contested. All decisions of Court of Cassation are final and binding for all the parties and are not subject to appeal. "The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case." ''Michel is to be extradited from the UAE,'' Dubai's top court said in its order on Monday. With this decision India hopes to extradite him at the earliest. If the formalities are completed soon then the extradition could take place by the end of the month. In Michel's case, who is a UK citizen, the Court of Appeal on 2 September, had ruled in favour of the Indian government and said that he can be extradited while stating, "The court decided the possibility of extraditing Christian James Michel to the competent authorities in the Republic of India." Michel's legal team then approached the Court of Cassation. Michel, who is accused of organising bribes in exchange for a contract for VVIP helicopters, had filed his appeal before Dubai's Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court's ruling. He remains behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody here pending the legal and judicial procedure. President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind visited the Museum of Cham sculpture in the city of Da Nang on Monday morning on the second day of his three-day visit to Vietnam. The first couple also visited the My Son temple sanctuary that dates from the 4th to the 13th CE. This is the first visit to Da Nang by an Indian President after India established diplomatic relations with Vietnam. With the civilisational connect that Da Nang has with India, it's a wonder that this region hadn't found more importance with Indians both in government and tourism sectors. The Vietnamese people trace their roots back to 192 AD when the indigenous Cham people lived an Indian cultural way of life. The Dua clan ruled Cham or Champa dynasty and several temple ruins and monuments depict the rich cultural heritage of that period. (The giant Shiv Linga with the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita carved on its base) (Holy bull Nandin - the faithful attendant and emblem of Lord Shiva) (Yaksa - Nature spirit portrayed in Indian arts) The city of Indrapura now called Dong Duong was the capital of the Champa Kingdom from 875 to about 1000 AD. The museum which the Indian first couple visited has many artefacts that have been recovered from that region. There are as many as 500 artefacts displayed, but the most treasured among all is the idol of Goddess Tara. (Bodhisattva Tara) While usually a replica of goddess Tara is placed for the visitors, the original one was displayed today for the President's visit. (Temple foundation element) (Goddess of Wealth, Laksmi) (Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera and Isana - The deities who rule the specific directions of space) In Da Nang was also the ancienty city (ANCIENT CITY) of Singhapura (City of the Lion - not to be confused with the modern Singapore) in the valley of My Son where a number of spectacular temple ruins and towers are carefully protected and can be viewed. The President and his wife spent the better part of an hour visiting the monuments. (Garuda - The holy bird) (Garuda devouring Naga) The Archaelogical Survey of India began with the conservation and restoration of the Cham monuments at the UNESCO world heritage at My Son at the end of February 2017. The first part of the project involved excavating and preserving many artefacts. Scores of terracotta and stone works of art ranging from the 7th to 15 centuries are displayed at the museum. Some of these sculptures are considered as master pieces of their time. Idols and depictions of holy animals are clear pointers to the worship of Krishna Vishnu and Maheshwara. Shaivite Hinduism remained dominant in this region till the advent of Budhism in 4th century CE. Sanskrit inscriptions are visible in many places in the temple complex. Each temple cluster has one main temple called the 'kalan'. (Lord Vishnu) (Dancing Lord Shiva) Champapura's or My Son's stone and red brick temples are remarkable in their elaborate iconography and delicate sculptures which has withstood the ravages of time and wars that raged in this region. Conservation and restoration of the My Son monuments began much before ASI came into the picture. In the early 20th century French archaelogists began work here but damages took place during World War II, the the two Indo-China wars and episodic climatic conditions like floods and humidity. After the unification of Vietnam in 1975, restoration work again took effect. The government of Vietnam has listed My Son as one of the 23 important special national heritages. So what really happened to the Champa or Cham people? Today most of the Cham people adhere to Islam, having converted around the 10th century. The Kings of Indrapura fought many wars with Dai Viet dynasty which finally led to the killing of the Cham King Parameshvaravarman. The dynasty perished and the Dai Viet rulers annexed most of Cham territories by the 15th century. The red brick temples stayed on though. The Cham rulers were great sea farers of their time controlling the trade in spices and silk all the way from China to the Indonesian archipelago right up till India. Language culture and tradition linked all the countries in that route. At My Son, King Bhadravarman established a linga called the Bhadreshwara, establishing Shaivaite form of worship as a dominant cultural phenomenon that continued for several centuries. Some of the cities of the Cham dynasty are Amravati, Vijaya, Indrapura, Kauthara and Panduranga.all in modern day Vietnam. Now they have different names and an amalgamation of various cultures. The President and entourage also witnessed a cultural programme showcasing Cham music and dance. -ANI RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent for 8th time in a row PM Modi launches RBI Retail Direct, Integrated Ombudsman schemes: All you need to know Amidst rift with Centre, crucial RBI board meeting ends after 9 hours India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Nov 19: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s board met for more than nine hours in Mumbai today amid deepening tension between the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government mulling over invoking a never-used rule that can give it more powers over the central bank. While there have been reports and demands from some quarters for the Governor to step down, sources said Patel is unlikely to yield under pressure and will rather mount a strong defence of the central bank's policies regarding stringent NPA recognition norms as well as measures taken to ease credit supply to MSMEs. Patel and his four deputies, who all are members of the RBI's 18-member central board, will present a united front, while a few independent directors too are expected to support the central bank's mission to clean up bank balance sheets, sources said. Govt wants to 'capture' RBI's reserves: Congress leader P Chidambaram The central board, headed by the RBI Governor, is expected to discuss issues mentioned in the agenda circulated to the board members in advance. Off-agenda items can also be raised in the meeting, with the chair's permission. The RBI's central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. The members include Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies as 'full-time official directors', while the rest 13 have been nominated by the government, including two Finance Ministry officials -- Economic Affairs Secretary and Financial Services Secretary. Sources said the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are looking to reach at an agreeable solution with respect to relaxation of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and easing of lending norms for the MSME sector. If not in this board meeting, the issue of relaxation of PCA framework would reach a resolution in the next few weeks, they added. As a result of the relaxation, some banks may come out of the PCA framework by the end of this fiscal. Of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk-weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). Globally, PCA kicks in only when banks slip on a single parameter of capital adequacy ratio, and the government is in favour of this practice being adopted for the domestic banking sector as well. The RBI is also expected to consider a special dispensation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which have been facing liquidity issues. The government feels that the MSME sector -- which employs about 12 crore people and plays a critical role in the economy -- needs some support after being impacted by demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the central bank has been averse to the government's demand as it considers the sectors to be vulnerable. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity. SC declines urgent hearing on plea alleging Centre's interference in RBI's functioning It is necessary that the growth process does not suffer due to the cleaning up of the banking system from the "collectively committed sins" during 2008-14 when the regulatory mechanisms also overlooked high debt accumulation, he said. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the Finance Ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. In his first public comments since the spat between the RBI and the Finance Ministry came out in the open, Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy had last week said the stand-off "is not a happy thing at all". Gurumurthy, who was appointed to the board of RBI a few months back, had said the capital adequacy ratio prescribed in India is 1 per cent higher than the global Basel norms. He also pitched for easing lending norms for small and medium enterprises, which account for 50 per cent of the country's GDP. Last month, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said the RBI Governor should work in sync with the government or resign. "The Reserve Bank of India Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise resign," SJM's co-convener Ashwani Mahajan had said. Haryana Unlock Guidelines: What is open, What is not; Check details Amritsar blast is clear case of terrorism, says Amarinder Singh India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Chandigarh, Nov 19: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, who visited the site of Amritsar blast, called the attack as 'clear case of terrorism'. State Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present. Speaking to media after the visiting the blast site, Amarinder Singh, said, "Investigation is going on. There are some leads which our police is following up. I am hopeful that we will soon catch the culprits." Nirankari Bhawan attack: Punjab govt announces Rs 50 lakh reward for info on suspects "All those injured are out of danger. This is a clear case of terrorism and we'll deal with it, " he said. Also, Captain Amarinder Singh visited Guru Nanak Hospital to meet those injured in the blast. Amritsar blast: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh visits Guru Nanak Hospital to meet those injured. pic.twitter.com/02nrpHKMk5 ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018 Reacting to controversial comment on Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat by AAP leader HS Phoolka, he said, "AAP leader HS Phoolka is unstable." Amritsar attack: Did ISI try to drive a wedge between Nirankari and mainstream Sikhs Three people were killed and at least 20 others were injured in the blast at the Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Adliwal village on Sunday. Bike-borne assailants allegedly fired shots and hurled grenade inside the premises of the Nirankari Bhawan. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 16:55 [IST] AMU courts controversy again, shows Indian map without Jammu and Kashmir India oi-Madhuri Adnal Aligarh, Nov 18: Aligarh Muslim University has once again sparked off a controversy by showing a map of India without State of Jammu and Kashmir. Noted Hindi writer Asghar Wajahat's famous play 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya O Jamyai Nai' was suppose to be enacted at AMU's Kennedy auditorium on Sunday but had to be postponed after someone pointed out the display of the wrong map on the play's posters. However, the university defending it said there is no controversy in the incident. AMU spokesperson Shafey Kidwai speaking to TOI said,''It was an error on the part of someone. Due to which, a wrong map of India was displayed at the posters. It was quickly pointed out and posters were taken off. The play has been postponed." 'Not right to brand all Kashmiri students anti-national': AIMPLB on AMU row The university further said that the banners have nothing to do with the politics of the country. However, the banners have been pulled down ever since the controversy erupted. As per reports, the skewed maps were also put up on the main gate of the university. The posters were also doing rounds in the entire university campus. As per reports, the map of India in the poster included some parts of Pakistan while the region of Jammu and Kashmir was also depicted wrongly. The PRO of AMU claimed that the drama which was supposed to take place was based on Asghar Wajahat's 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya... O Jamya Nai'. The story of the play revolves around a Muslim family (Mirzas) who migrates from Lucknow to Lahore and are allotted a Haveli, which was evacuated by a departing Hindu family. As soon as they arrive in Lahore, they find an elderly woman living in the Haveli, who claims to have ownership right and refused to leave. The Muslim family gradually settles in the haveli along with her and drops the idea of pushing her out HRD seeks report from AMU over alleged prayer meeting held for slain terrorist Manan Wani The drama was written in 1989, it is about partition and against communalism. The drama was to be staged at the university. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 13:03 [IST] BJP banks more on RSS workers from other states for feedback about MP Assembly polls India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Nov 19: Generally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers are put into services of the booth management by the party but this time round in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, the party is relying more on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers for the feedback than the party workers. Party has deputed Vistaraks and other RSS workers from the neighbouring states for feedback and to correct the shortcomings of the party. Sources said that national organising secretary of the BJP Ram Lal had a meeting with party workers in Bhopal asking them to take feedback from the RSS. He told the party workers that the RSS workers always have the right kind information and feedback to give to. The meeting also discussed about the resentment of the party workers in the state. Ram Lal is constantly camping in Madhya Pradesh for the election management. He is in constant touch with district coordinators to guide them to be in touch with Vistaraks and many workers from other states to understand weakness of the poll campaign and tell the RSS again after they are addressed or not. Madhya Pradesh elections: It is do or die, now or never for Congress He has also asked these leaders to tell the report about the work and activity of the local workers and office bearers to the RSS leadership. The BJP has asked the RSS workers from other states so they can give unbiased feedback and report to the organisation. The BJP is actually is keeping a tab on 2019 Lok Sabha elections besides the ongoing elections. The BJP leaders has asked these Vistaraks to make BJP workers ready for 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said that by better booth management such a huge victory should be made in the Assembly elections so the way is cleared for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is well aware that if it fails to win elections in these state, the path for it in 2019 elections are going to be really difficult. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 10:21 [IST] Bone chilling killings: Why is Hizbul aping the ISIS India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Nov 19: A couple of days back the Hizbul Mujahideen released a chilling video in which a civilian was killed in a brutal fashion. A 11th grade student was abducted and then shot multiple times and the same was caught on camera, before the Hizbul Mujahideen decided to release it. J&K: Another youth abducted from Shopian, seventh in four days A day after this incident, terrorists abducted another youth from the Meemender village in Shopian district. He was abducted on Sunday in the morning and released later in the evening, police said. On Saturday, five persons were abducted by the Hizbul Mujahideen. While one of them was killed, the rest were set free later. Security officials tell OneIndia that they see a pattern behind these abductions. The Hizbul claims that these persons were informers and hence they were acting against them. There is no merit in this claim claims an officer, while adding that this is yet another attempt to recruit more into their fold and also create panic. The Hizbul Mujahideen which has lost several of its men in recent time owing to sustained military action. They want to stay in contention and want to recruit more youth into their fold. However more importantly, they want to create a panic wave in the state. J&K BJP leader's killing to be probed by NIA The abducting of the youth and later shooting a video of his killing is clearly a very ISIS styled operation. The ISIS would always put out beheading videos in a bid to create panic. The Hizbul appears to have adopted the same method. The killing according to officials was ordered by the Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Riyaz Naikoo. He is a terrorist who falls under the Grade A++ category and is on the most wanted list with a Rs 12 lakh bounty on his head. He took over as the Hizbul Mujahideen chief in the Valley following the killing of Sabzar Bhat. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 15:36 [IST] BrahMos spy case: Several ISI run Facebook accounts under scanner India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Nov 19: The investigators probing the BrahMos spy case have stumbled upon several Facebook accounts, suspected to be run by ISI agents. BrahMos spy case gets bigger: To stem leak to Pakistan, several places raided These accounts are primarily used to set traps on the social media and elicit sensitive information. These accounts came to light during the probe against Brahmos aerospace engineer Nishant Agarwal and a BSF jawan, Achuytanand Mishra. Both were allegedly honey trapped by the ISI on Facebook. In addition to this the probe agencies are looking into nearly 1,000 accounts, which were segregated into three- defence and armed forces, important and sensitive and general users. The Uttar Pradesh ATS, which is probing this case has widened its ambit after more names cropped up. On October 11, the ATS had arrested Agarwal from Nagpur after it was alleged that he had leaked crucial information to two ISI agents on Facebook. BrahMos spy case: Why India must not ignore the US role in it as well Mishra on the other hand was arrested from Noida, in September. He is also said to have been honey-trapped by the ISI. He was accused of passing on crucial information regarding movement of troops with a friend on Facebook. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 13:32 [IST] Chhattisgarh polls: Only 4 winners won with more than 30% of margin of victory Chhattisgarh phase 2 polling today: Fate of many star candidates to be sealed India oi-Deepika S Raipur, Nov 19: For the second and final phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, polling will be held across 19 districts on Tuesday. A total of 1,079 candidates are in the fray, and both Congress and BJP are contesting all the 72 seats. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is in the fray for 25 seats and its ally and former Chief Minister Jogis Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) is vying in 46 seats. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded candidates in 66 constituencies. Former chief minister Ajit Jogi and his two family members, IAS-turned-politician O P Choudhry and Sarguja's former royal T S Singhdeo -- there are many high-profile candidates whose fate would be sealed on Tuesday in the second phase of polling in this tribal-dominated state. Chhattisgarh phase 2 polling tomorrow: This village in state has 4 voters Election campaign ended last evening for the remaining 72 seats of the Chhattisgarh Assembly and the places where voting will take place include Kawardha, the home district of Chief Minister Raman Singh. Singh is a registered voter in Kawardha, but contests polls from Rajnandgaon, where voting took place in the first phase of polls for 18 seats on November 12. Entire Jogi family, except his son, Amit Jogi, are contesting the crucial Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh and they say their main aim is to ensure the defeat of both the BJP and the Congress in the state. Congress once again embroiled in the same old problem of infighting in poll-bound states Ajit Jogi is contesting from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi from Konta and his daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi from Akaltara on BSP ticket. Jogi's new political outfit, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh is contesting polls in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. Apart from them, the fate of 10 ministers is also at stake in the second phase of polling including that of Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur South), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur) and Rajesh Munat (Raipur West) among others. Besides prominent Congress leader and a probable chief ministerial candidate from Congress Charan Das Mahant is contesting from Sakti in Janjgir-Champa district. The state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Patan seat in Durg district. Chhattisgarh assembly poll 2018 Updates: Polling for all 18 seats in first phase ends In 2013 Assembly polls, BJP had won 49 seats, Congress 39, BSP got one and an independent candidate won from one seat. In 2013, the total turnout for all 90 seats was 74.65 per cent. In the first phase of polling for 18 constituencies including in 12 naxal-affected seats, the total voter turnout was 76.28 per cent and political pundits are expecting the voting to be high in the second phase also. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 23:50 [IST] Congress once again embroiled in the same old problem of infighting in poll-bound states India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Nov 19: Will another round elections be sacrificed for the tussle among the Congress leaders all across? Despite a neck and neck political battle in Chhattisgarh between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ever since the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh and even now, the Congress has been mostly losing to its rival due to infighting in the party. The same is being repeated once against in all the three states as Chhattisgarh goes for second phase of elections on November 20. Though the situation is more or less similar in all the three states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - where both the principal rival political parties are in direct contest but Chhattisgarh has always been a very close contest. This time too it is the same very close contest. Sitaram Kesri was removed as Congress chief for Sonia Gandhi, says PM Modi There are four major important groups that seem to be taking on the chief minister, the most important of them being leader of opposition in the state Assembly T S Singh Deo, who hired a PR company working for him to boost his image. But there are caste factors behind pitting all these leaders. But social media campaign has increased Singh Deo's popularity beyond his constituency Ambikapur making him the strongest contender for the post of chief minister in case Congress emerge victorious in the state. The infighting in Chhattisgarh is mostly due to the leadership issue as despite Raman Singh being in the government for 15 years, there is no palpable anger against him. State Congress president Bhupesh Baghel has been the most pro-active leader against the state government but the Congress leadership by fielding senior Congress leader Bhaktcharan Das and Lok Sabha MP and effective leader Tamradhwaj Sahu in the state Assembly elections caused a little unease among the Congress leadership in the state. Let's see if someone outside Gandhi family can become Congress president: Modi All these leaders are not only working independently in the state but will be taking care for the victory to make their claim for the post of CM. So there is complete lack of coordination in the state. More or less similar situation prevails in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where top leaders of the party defying and speaking against each other in a veiled manner but it can well be understood by people. Political Analysts say that in a situation where there is a close fight coordination do matter in elections and get voters to the booth. Killing of another RSS worker shows how deep rooted Islamic radicalisation is in Kerala Devaswom Board seeks more time to implement SC verdict India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Nov 19: Devaswom Board filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement order on women's entry. The petition says Board lacks necessary infrastructure and cites violence and protests against implementing the verdict. Sabarimala row: BJP leader taken into preventive custody from Nilakkal The all-party meet chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan failed to arrive at a consensus over the issue on Nov 15. The Devaswom Board got a green signal from the Chief Minister's Office to go ahead with filing a petition in the court. The apex court last week refused to stay its earlier verdict. The temple opened its doors at 5 p.m. on Friday for two months and according to new police rules that came into effect from Friday, no pilgrim is allowed to proceed to the temple after 7 p.m. as the temple closes for the day at 10 p.m. Sabarimala Temple opens for 62-day long Mandala Pooja The temple town of Sabarimala has witnessed protests by Hindu groups since the September 28 when the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged between 10 and 50. Alphons Kannanthana Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam offers prayer at Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. (PTI Photo) Namajapa at Sannidhanam Devotees stage 'Namajapa' protest against the police restrictions, at Sannidhanam, in Sabarimala, Sunday night, Nov. 18, 2018. The devotees were reportedly refused permission to halt at Malikappuram. (PTI Photo) Police personnel detain devotees Police personnel detain the devotees who were staging 'Namajapa' protest against the police restrictions at Sannidhanam, in Sabarimala, Sunday night, Nov. 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) Devotees detained by police Police personnel detain the devotees who were staging 'Namajapa' protest against the police restrictions at Sannidhanam, in Sabarimala, Sunday night, Nov. 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) Efforts for 'anti-BJP' front: Chandrababu Naidu meets Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata India oi-Vikas SV Kolkata, Nov 19: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Naidu would invite her to attend a meeting of opposition leaders in Delhi on November 22. Chandrababu Naidu has been travelling the length and breadth of the country, and meeting leaders from a wide spectrum of opposition parties in a bid to forge a strong political front to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Chandrababu Naidu meets Kejriwal, Mayawati to discuss national issues Naidu had earlier said that a strong unity among parties that oppose BJP was need of the hour. The November 22 meeting will focus on the form and structure of the proposed anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front. Naidu had recently met former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, Gowda's son and Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy and DMK president M K Stalin as part of his efforts to forge a front against the BJP. He had earlier met leaders from different parties such as Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah and Arvind Kejriwal. The meeting between Naidu and Banerjee comes three days after Banerjee publicly endorsed Naidu's stand to stop the CBI from investigating cases in state and decided to do the same in Bengal. Opposition parties to meet on Nov 22, want to create 'anti-BJP' platform: Chandrababu Naidu ''I appeal all parties opposing BJP to join us. We want to create an anti-BJP platform. We want to have one meeting in Delhi. We'll discuss issues and then chalk out a programme and take the issues forward. That's the agenda. Meeting's tentative date is 22nd November,'' Naidu had said on November 11. Naidu had blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the present state of affairs in the CBI and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He said the value of rupee have fallen, prices of essential commodities have risen, unemployment has increased, and farmers are in a crisis. Everyone will be the face of Opposition, says Mamata Banerjee after meeting Naidu India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Nov 19: Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections , Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and stated that parties which oppose the ruling BJP will join forces to "protect the nation" as "democracy is in danger". Addressing reporters with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata, the TDP chief said there is "intolerance" towards minorities in the country and institutions like CBI, ED, Income Tax dept, RBI and CAG are under "severe pressure". When asked who will be the face of the grand alliance in 2019, Mamata said "everyone will be the face of the mahaghatbandhan", adding that all opposition parties are "together" in the fight against the BJP. The West Bengal chief minister later thanked Naidu later for coming to Kolkata to meet her. Efforts for 'anti-BJP' front: Chandrababu Naidu meets Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata A meeting of opposition parties scheduled to be held in New Delhi on November 22 has been postponed, the TDP chief said, according to PTI. The new date will be announced soon, he said. Naidu, whose TDP was earlier an ally of the BJP, has met a spectrum of leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP's Sharad Pawar, National Conference' Farooq Abdullah, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, his Karnataka counterpart H D Kumaraswamy and DMK president M K Stalin as part of his efforts to forge a front against the ruling party. To clip wings of IT, ED, Naidu likely to move Supreme Court Last week, the Andhra Pradesh government also withdrew its general consent given to the CBI, which is being seen as an all-out war between Naidu and the BJP-led Centre. Banerjee followed suit, supporting Naidu. The TDP with Naidu at its helm quit the NDA in March this year, citing the centre's refusal to grant Andhra Pradesh the 'special category status'. Bengaluru Apartment Fire Accident Today: Fire breaks out at building in Electronic City, no causality reported Did Mysuru MP Pratap Simha met with accident? Here's what BJP leader says Farmers demand Kumaraswamy's apology; hit streets in Bengaluru, Mandya India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Nov 19: Farmers' protest erupted in Belagavi, in JDS stronghold Mandya, and Bengaluru in response to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's derogatory statement against farmers. Protesting farmers have give a deadline to state government till 2 pm, threaten to intensify protest after the given time. Heavy security deployed at Freedom Park to avoid any untoward incidents. Scores of farmers went on protest march towards Vidhana Soudha. Bengaluru Police allowed the farmers to hold rally from Majestic to Freedom park. However, denied permission for rally from Freedom Park to Vidhana Soudha. Mysore engineers furious over proposed Cauvery tower, Disneyland Farmers in JD(S) stronghold Mandya too staged protest against CM HD Kumaraswamy over his statement against them. A complete shutdown is observed in many parts of Chikkodi over farmers' demands. The farmers are demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane and clearance of pending dues. Farmers demand support price for sugarcane and clearance of pending bills. What did CM HD Kumaraswamy say? Kumaraswamy reportedly told a woman agitator that he was not responsible for what happened to them over the last four years as he became chief minister only 5 months ago. Karnataka BJP President, said, "By calling farmers 'goondas' (goons), Kumaraswamy has indulged in an outrageous act. This shows the contempt his party has for farmers." Karnataka Cabinet expansion to take place at the earliest: Siddaramaiah We suspended on Saturday our agitation launched on November 15 for higher MSP and recovery of arrears on the assurance of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy backed out from meeting with agitating farmers in Belagavi demanding higher MSP for sugarcane and recovery of arrears For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 13:59 [IST] Didnt think twice before getting into bed with Shiv Sena: Captain hits out at Congress Sena targets NCB: Officers trying to extort money by framing youngsters must be arrested 'First temple, then govt': Shiv Sena's new slogan ahead of 2019 India oi-PTI Mumbai, Nov 19: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday sought to intensify the party's campaign for Ram temple in Ayodhya by giving a new slogan which called for the construction of temple before government. [Delay in bringing ordinance for Ram temple construction indicates BJP not interested: Sanjay Raut] Thackeray held a meeting with senior party leaders to review preparations for his visit to Ayodhya on November 24 and 25. Sena leaders from outside Maharashtra too attended the meeting. "Har Hindu ki yahi pukar, pehle mandir fir sarkar (Every Hindu has one demand, the temple first and then government)," he said at a press conference which was held later. The Shiv Sena, which is the part of the BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and the Centre, has been aggressively pushing for the construction of the temple since the party's annual Dussehra rally last month. The party has often taunted its ally BJP over the saffron party's "failure" to construct the temple in the last four years despite coming to power. [Built up for Ram Temple construction to get intensified with leaders visiting Ayodhya] Thackeray also asked party workers to conduct a 'maha aarati' (grand puja) on November 24 all over the state as well as in other parts of the country where the Sena has presence. He will be conducting 'Sarayu puja' on November 24 in Ayodhya. "All Sena workers will perform puja on the same day and same time in their respective areas," said Thackeray. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 10:01 [IST] General consent withdrawn: Not the end of the road for CBI India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Nov 19: The states of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal withdrew the general consent to the CBI for probing cases in the respective states. The two states alleged that the CBI was being used by the Centre to target opposition parties in an unfair manner. The two states are well within its rights to withdraw general consent. The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act under which the consent of a state government is mandatory to conduct a probe in that state. AP Govt withdraws 'General Consent' given to CBI officials When a general consent is withdrawn, it would mean that the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving a central government employee or a private person in that state. It would mean that the CBI official loses all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter that state. The AP order: The Andhra Pradesh government in its order said, "in exercise of power conferred by Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (Central Act No 25 of 1946), the government hereby withdraws the general consent accorded in GO No 109 Home (SC.A) Department dated August 3, 2018 to all members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise the powers and jurisdiction under the said Act in the State of Andhra Pradesh.'' What happens to ongoing probes: The ongoing probes are unlikely to be affected. The CBI would still have the power to probe old cases registered when the general consent existed. The question as to whether the CBI can carry out a search in either of the two states remains ambiguous. However officials explain to OneIndia that there are legal remedies to overcome this ambiguity. The CBI can approach a court and obtain a search warrant. What happens to the fresh cases: The withdrawal of general consent would only bar the CBI from registering a case within the jurisdiction of AP and West Bengal. The CBI can still file cases in New Delhi and continue to probe people inside the two states. AP, WB withdraw consent for CBI probe: Impact and what the law states In this context one must look at the order of the Delhi High Court passed on October 11 2018. This related to a case of corruption in Chhattisgarh. The Court ordered that the CBI could probe the case without prior consent of the Chhattisgarh government since the case was registered in Delhi. The Court said that the CBI could probe anyone in a state that has withdrawn general consent if the case is not registered in the state. The CBI could still register cases in Delhi provided some part of the offence is connected with Delhi and still arrest and prosecute ministers or MPs. However the Central Government employees would be protected in such cases, where the general consent is withdrawn. Incidents in the past: This is however not the first instance when general consent by a state has been withdrawn. The states of Nagaland, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka have done it in the past. In 1998, the J H Patel led Janata Dal government had withdrawn consent. In 1999, when S M Krishna of the Congress came to power the order continued and was not revoked. The general consent remained withdrawn for nearly 8 years as a result of which the CBI had to seek permission of the state government in each and every case and also for every search it conducted. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 6:29 [IST] Will take eyes out, cut arms: BJP MP Arvind Sharma to Congress after Manish Grover held hostage Haryana law mandating 75% reservation in pvt sector to come into effect from Jan 15 Haryana: Girl urges govt to build women toilets at public places India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chandigarh, Nov 19: Priyanka, a Rewari resident on Saturday wrote a letter to the concerned administration, urging them to build toilets at public spaces in the city. Speaking to ANI, the girl said,''Also wrote to CMO Chandigarh. Commissioner and Nagar Parishad's Executive Officer have been asked to submit report. Existing toilets occupied by anti-social elements" Manoj Yadav, Executive Officer Nagar Parishad said,''We have done the estimation and tenders have been passed. Work will begin soon. Wherever we are building toilets, we are building for women as well as men.'' No toilets at home: Salaries of govt employees stopped in J&K Another resident of Rewari said that new toilets were built in the area but was captured by men. "New toilets were built a few times back but was captured by men who are involved in drinking alcohol and drugs activities. Hence, it is not safe to go in there. Around eight toilets for women exist here but are locked," she added. World Toilet Day is marked on November 19 to recognise the action taken to tackle the global sanitation crisis. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 9:16 [IST] In an interesting development Russia and the US swiped their role over Afghanistan India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Nov 19: For the peace of South Asia and Central Asian region if Pakistan has its role to play by stopping cross border terrorism then Afghanistan too needs to rein in terrorists but they have always been so important entity that they were part of the peace negotiations. But the most interesting development that has taken place is a kind of role reversal for the US and Russia which have swiped their role on Afghanistan. India has always been at the receiving end on the issue of terrorism but globally there is a role reversal kind of situation of the top world power on Afghanistan. So the situation is that players are the same, geographical region is the same but role of the top world players is changed. A poison called Zakir Naik and his role in radicalising Kerala detailed by an ISIS recruit Strategic expert Indrani Talukdar told Oneindia, "In the present scenario in Afghanistan, Russia is in a key role with Taliban being as an important player. The US is vying for peace in the region with its interest in the region but the US does not seem to be as strong as it was during the time when Muzahiddins were ruling the roost in the country. Then there was a time when the US played a key role in this region in general and Afghanistan in particular but the then Soviet Union was not as strong and Mujahiddins were negotiating by every means." At the moment, Russia has not only started asserting itself but also getting stronger in the region militarily and otherwise. It is well known fact that Russia has been cultivating relations with Taliban to increase its influence in the region for long. Russian engagement with militants drew some flak, when Russia invited Taliban representatives to Moscow for a meeting but it was canceled after the Afghan government objected to it. India's decision to participate in Moscow-format pragmatic and likely to open future role for it Indrani Talukdar said, "Russia has not only emerged militarily very strong but it is in a better shape than in the past while the US seems to be little frail at least on this issue so there is a kind of role reversal for both Russia and the US with Russia getting stronger and assertive by the day." There is no denying the fact that every one has its own interest in the region. Actually Moscow has been seeking to reclaim its role in the region, convening secret discussions. It is part of a strategy to protect Russia's southern flank from the Islamic State's emergence in Central Asia and hedge against the possibility of an abrupt US exit from Afghanistan after 17 years of war. India to be in talks with Taliban at non-official level for the first time The Russian ploy is a relatively modest political investment that could yield outsize dividends as Moscow seeks to prove its global heft. Supporting the Taliban in a small way is an insurance policy for the future. As Russia has increased its profile, there have been unsubstantiated allegations that Russia has provided small arms to the Taliban. Russia has denied the accusations. There had been many similar intriguing allegations against the US as well. Russia is trying to strengthen its own position without provoking anyone. Russia's return comes as the Trump administration struggles to reverse a prolonged Taliban resurgence and push the militants toward a deal. While a more expansive military mission has helped Afghan forces defend populated areas, vast swaths of the country still remain under Taliban control. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 23:20 [IST] It is back: How ISIs Khalistan force is churning the communal cauldron of terror in Punjab India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Amritsar, Nov 19: On Sunday, three persons were killed in an act of terror here after a grenade was lobbed on a religious congregation. The police said after the incident that they were treating this as an act of terror. The incident took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasani. The two men, one of them with a flowing beard forced their way into the hall by brandishing a pistol. They detained the sewadar, lobbed the grenade into the prayer room and fled on a motorcycle. It appears to be an act of terror carried out by the Khalistan groups with the support of terrorists from Kashmir and the ISI, an Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia. This could well be part of the big plan to revive terrorism in Punjab. Such attempts are being made for long and in recent times, we have witnessed various instances, where the revival of the Khalistan movement has been attempted, the official also said. Why the attack on the Nirankari Mission in Amritsar appears to be an act of terror Writing on the wall: Punjab has been buzzing with activity for the past two years now. Nearly 15 modules have been busted in the past 18 months. This year also witnessed the declaration called the Referendum 2020, which promised to liberate Punjab from government rule. In addition to this, the ISI has sent in several Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists into Punjab, with the brief to activate terror modules. This is a clear attempt to help the revival of the Khalistan movement, officials also say. In all the modules that have been busted, it became clear that there was an ISI link. All of them were in some way or the other linked to Kashmiris. In this regard the police had also arrested Kashmiri students from Jalandhar. After the Punjab Police led by K P S Gill had wiped out terrorism from Punjab, all the top leaders of the Khalistan groups had fled to Pakistan. They were sheltered and trained by the ISI. IB officials have been saying for long that the ISI was waiting for the right time to launch these persons into India. While the terrorists trained in Pakistan, their sympathisers ran campaigns in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Italy. The idea was to build up a narrative and also collect funds to sponsor the movement. Recently many sympathisers of the Khalistan movement led by a group called Sikhs for Justice held the London declaration of Referendum 2020. This was yet another attempt to build up the narrative for a separate Khalistan state. Churning the communal cauldron: The National Investigation is seized off a probe involving the killing of several Hindu leaders in Punjab. The NIA probe revealed that the plan was hatched in Pakistan, while the funds came in from Canada, UK and Italy. In Punjab there have been such murders galore and the year 2017 has seen five such incidents. In 2016, there were two such incidents. The NIA probe into these incidents suggest that the mastermind is a person called Gursharanbir Singh who is a British national. He is the one who roped in Ramandeep and Hardeep Singh and directed them to kill Hindu leaders. The handlers who directed the killing of RSS and other Hindu leaders have been traced to Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Punjab police which is probing the case learnt that there is a systematic approach that has been followed to eliminate Hindu leaders by ISI agents. The motive behind the killings is to destabilise the state, the police say. The ISI wants to cause communal tension in Punjab. Once the state becomes volatile then it could be used as a platform to launch the Khalistan forces, the police also said. The police got information about the modus operandi following three very high profile arrests. 3 dead, 15 injured in Amritsar attack, Khalistani terror link under probe The Italian connection: Recently the NIA took over the probe into the killing of two persons-Satpal Sharma and his son Ramesh Kumar at Ludhiana. An NIA officer explained to OneIndia that the during the investigation it was found that killings of Satpal Sharma, his son Ramesh Sharma and Durga Gupta were part of trans-national conspiracy hatched by senior leadership of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Eight incidents of such killings were executed as part of this conspiracy between January, 2016 and October, 2017 in Punjab. The objective of the conspiracy was to destabilize the law and order situation in Punjab and to revive the fledgling terrorism in the state. It was found that the conspiracy had its foot-prints in several countries including, Pakistan, UK, Australia, France, Italy and UAE. As part of the conspiracy, large amounts of funds were supplied through Italy, Australia and the UK to the perpetrators of the Killings/ Attempted Killings, viz. Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh. These funds were used by them to purchase weapons for executing the killings and other logistics. The conspiracy included recruitment and training of Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh in Italy, Dubai and UAE. Accused Hardeep Singh is a permanent resident of Italy while accused Ramandeep Singh belongs to Ludhiana. Both these persons were trained by one Gursharanbir Singh, a UK national. Another UK national, Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been arrested in the case was involved in the funding of the conspiracy. Day to day co-ordination of the conspiracy was done by Pakistan based Harmeet Singh @ PhD. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 10:42 [IST] J&K BJP leaders killing to be probed by NIA India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Nov 19: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take over investigation into the killing of senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar in Kishtwar district earlier this month. A team of NIA experts visited Kishtwar town last week to assist the state police in the ongoing probe. It later sought permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs for taking over the case for a thorough investigation, the officials said. The Parihar brothers were shot at point-blank range outside their house on November 1 when they were returning home after closing their shop in the town. J&K: Hizbul terrorists and a govt official under scanner for killing BJP leader Officials said that the Home Ministry was likely to give its nod to the NIA for taking over the probe from the special investigation team (SIT) set up by the government. The SIT has arrested some people, including the sister of a local militant, who along with his Kashmiri associate is believed to have carried out the target killing in an attempt to revive militancy in the district. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav visited the bereaved family last week and said, "Right now our main challenge is to track down the terrorists (behind the killings) and neutralise them. That will be done very soon." "That (neutralizing of terrorists) is the important thing here. Of course, we will not allow these kinds of activities to create instability and violence in Kishtwar or Doda, the peaceful areas of Jammu region. That is our priority and we are focusing on that," Madhav had said. J&K: Hizbul killed BJP leader, wanted to create communal tension On November 5, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had said that the persons involved in the killing of the Parihar brothers had been identified and would be brought to book soon. "It has been proved that it was an incident of militancy," Malik had said, adding that it "was an act of frustration on the part of militants and Pakistan." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 8:31 [IST] Madhya Pradesh elections: It is do or die, now or never for Congress India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bhopal, Nov 19: As his party makes an all-out effort to wrest control of Madhya Pradesh from the BJP, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia feels it is "now or never" for the grand-old party that has remained out of power in the state for 15 straight years. Mr Scindia, a powerful Congress leader from the state, however sought to steer clear of reports about rift among party leaders for the chief ministerial post and said he is not running for any chair and his sole aim is to ensure that his party forms the government. The Member of Parliament from the Guna-Shivpuri constituency, who secured a win during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014 despite most of his party colleagues facing a defeat amid a widespread Modi wave at that time, has toured close to four dozen assembly constituencies in last six days and plans to cover 50-60 more seats before campaigning ends on November 26. Madhya Pradesh elections: Jaitley, Shivraj Singh Chouhan release vision document Voting will take place for 230 Assembly seats on November 28, while counting is scheduled for December 11. The state has always seen a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, though the saffron party has been in power continuously since defeating the Congress in 2003. Talking to PTI during his election campaign, Mr Scindia said his party needs to be relentless until 5 pm on November 26 when the campaign would end. Asked if this was the best opportunity for the Congress to come back to power in the state which it has ruled for the maximum time since Independence, the former union minister said, "Well best or not, it is now or never. Full stop. When I say now or never that says it all." "Therefore, I wanted to put all my energy into campaign for the Congress party. As the campaign committee chief that is my direct responsibility," he said. To a question if he would be the chief ministerial candidate if his party wins the polls, the 47-year-old scion of the royal family of Gwalior said he will abide by whatever the party decides for him. BJP's 'Maaf Karo Mahraj' campaign puts the Congress at unease in Madhya Pradesh Prodded further on the subject and asked if he will contest polls to hold the chief minister's position if his party wins, Mr Scindia had a brief comment: "We will see at that point of time." "My only aspiration is to serve the people. I am not myself running for any post. What I would want to see is that my party comes into government so that people get served in the right manner," he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 8:24 [IST] Malegaon Blast Case: SC asks Bombay HC to hear Lt Purohits plea on 21 Nov India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Nov 19: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay High Court to hear on November 21, Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit's plea challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He said that the Army had also admitted in writing that he was attending certain meetings, which are alleged to be conspiracy meetings, in pursuance of the discharge of his duty. He said that he did this while keeping his superiors informed. As an officer in the Intelligence Corps, I have taken part in many operations and won many accolades he contended. Purohit is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, in which six people were killed and 100 others injured. Last year, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court after spending nine years in jail. Also Read | Branded terrorist despite being a nationalist, Lt. Col Purohit tells SC He is currently attached to the Colaba Military Station in Mumbai. Purohit contended that the HC had erred in ignoring the settled law that in the absence of valid sanction prior to prosecution cannot be regarded as a mere technical defect and can be raised at any stage. The entire prosecution is vitiated because of non-compliance of mandatory provision of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and (Recommendation and Sanction of Prosecution) Rules 2008. The record clearly shows that the provisions under Section 45 (2), which is an important safeguard against misuse of stringent Act, has been deliberately bypassed by the ATS. Mizoram elections: Why are political parties reluctant to field women candidates? India oi-Deepika S Aizawl, Nov 20: Almost all political parties, including MNF, Congress and ZPM have rightly raised their voices when it comes to reservation for women. But a reality check at the number of tickets given to candidates in the upcoming Mizoram elections shows a different story. Of the 209 candidates in the fray of November 28 polls, there are just 15 women. While the outgoing government's minister Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu is fighting on a Congress ticket, two women are contesting for the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM). The NCP has given ticket to only one woman. The powerful Mizo National Front (MNF) has not fielded any woman candidate for the election. Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), a new regional outfit, has two women in its list. The only exception is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has fielded six women candidates. But since the party isn't a major player in the Christian-majority state, it remains to be seen how many of them are able to emerge winners. Assembly elections: How Mizoram voted in 2013 Mizoram was declared a state in 1972. But in its 46-year history, only four women have won election the assembly. Vanlalawmpuii is the fourth elected woman legislator in the state ever - the first being Thanmawii, elected way back in 1978. Another woman politician, Lalhlimpuii Hmar, who was elected on a Mizo National Front (MNF) ticket in 1987, was the first woman minister in the state. Twentyseven years later - in the 2014 by-poll - Vanlalawmpuii broke the jinx of women losing election after election in the state. Three years later, she was inducted into Chief Minister Lalthanhawla's ministry, becoming the second woman minister in the state in its history. Mizoram elections: Can Congress retain the only NE state it is in power? Notably, in the 2011 Census, the population of women in Mizoram was still less than that of men, the sex ratio being 976 (out of 1,000). In the electoral rolls of 2013, 2014 and 2018, the number of female electors outnumbered the males, the latest being 1,051 women electors to 1,000 men. According to the reports, Mizoram has a total voter of 7,68,181 persons, of which 3,74,496 are males and 3,93,685 females his year. Barring Mamit district, the remaining seven districts of Kolasib, Aizawl, Champhai, Serchhip, Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Siaha have higher number of female voters than male electorate. MNF president Zoramthanga told PTI, "We fielded women candidates in 1987 and we had even a woman minister. But later in our women wing, we don't have suitable candidate." The assistant professor of the Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) R Lalawmpuii said that women in Mizoram had never thought about the issue seriously as it was their mindset that politics was for men only. Lalawmpuii, however, said that given a chance she would take part in politics as she felt that young women should join politics. In all, there are 201 candidates in the state which goes to poll on November 28 to elect members for the 40-member Assembly. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 20, 2018, 2:11 [IST] Modi trying to destroy RBI, hope Urjit Patel shows 'him his place': Rahul Gandhi India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Nov 19: Amid deepening tension between the Union Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Congress president Rahul Gandhi has hoped the the central bank's governor, Urjit Patel, "has the spine" to stand up to pressure from the government. Rahul's tweet, which alleges that PM Modi-led government is trying to 'destroy every institution they can get their hands on', came in the wake of the RBI Board meeting which began in Mumbai this morning. "Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the #RBIBoardMeet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place," he tweeted. Amidst rift with Centre, crucial RBI board meeting begins in Mumbai Today's board meeting is crucial given the differences between the RBI and Finance Ministry on several contentious issues including the transfer of additional surplus from the central bank to the government. At the board meeting, RBI governor Urjit Patel and his deputies are expected to support its mission to clean up the bank's balance sheets. According to reports, the effort could run into some resistance from the bank's independent directors who are nominated by the central government. Patel and his four deputies, who all are members of the RBI's 18-member central board, will present a united front, while a few independent directors too are expected to support the central bank's mission to clean up bank balance sheets, sources said. The central board, headed by the RBI Governor, is expected to discuss issues mentioned in the agenda circulated to the board members in advance. Off-agenda items can also be raised in the meeting, with the chair's permission. The RBI's central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. The members include Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies as 'full-time official directors', while the rest 13 have been nominated by the government, including two Finance Ministry officials -- Economic Affairs Secretary and Financial Services Secretary. Govt wants to 'capture' RBI's reserves: Congress leader P Chidambaram The RBI is also expected to consider a special dispensation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which have been facing liquidity issues. The government feels that the MSME sector -- which employs about 12 crore people and plays a critical role in the economy -- needs some support after being impacted by demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the central bank has been averse to the government's demand as it considers the sectors to be vulnerable. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the Finance Ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. OneIndia News with PTI inputs For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 14:27 [IST] Mysore engineers furious over proposed Cauvery tower, Disneyland India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Nov 19: Engineers, intellectuals and civil rights activist are furious over Karnataka government's proposed plan to rebuild the KRS dam with 125 feet Cauvery tower and a museum complex on the top, similar to USA's Disneyland. The entire project would cost around Rs 1,200 crore and will cover up nearly 300-400 acres of area. The river serves as the lifeline for southern states - Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The proposal came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity in Gujarat, built at a cost of about Rs 3,000 crore. Experts are not convinced with the government's line of argument for boosting the tourism sector multifold. K'taka Govt proposes 125 ft tall statute of Mother Cauvery at KRS reservoir Consultation with engineers? M Chinnaswamy, Chairman of Institution of Engineers, Mysore chapter, doubted whether engineers were consulted before proposing the Cauvery tower and the theme park near KRS dam. Chinnaswamy said, " It is not a good idea, but a funny idea. Nobody will dig deep foundation near the dam. That depth may go nearly 70-80 feet. Already there is a small statue, people revere the statue. What is the necessity of having 125 feet statue and making Disneyland by acquiring 400 acres of land which belongs to farmers who already facing many challenges." "Why such ideas cross their mind without even consulting engineers. These (Government) coming out with such ideas to divert the attention of the people from a serious issue," he said. Asked about whether engineers were consulted for the plan, he said, "I don't think any engineers were consulted. No engineer will approve this plan first of all." He further suggested that instead, they should focus on improving existing infrastructure around the dam for the convenience of tourism. He brought to the attention of the government that there are two heritage sites in a dilapidated condition in Mysore city. "Government should immediately renovate rather than planning theme park or Cauvery tower, " he added. Karnataka Cabinet expansion to take place at the earliest: Siddaramaiah Group of Engineers from the city are about to write a letter to the government to drop the plan. Assessments? Engineer Maj. Gen Vombatkere, said " [The plan] Not necessary, and undesirable. What is the necessity to spend a huge amount of money, instead use the money to save Cauvery?" On asked about damage to the dam due to the proposed plan "We will come to know after the proposed depth of excavation and how will it be done." Vombatkere expressed dissatisfaction with the government for planning the project without consultation. He said, "Going for a large project like this near dam without any studies, environmental Impact assessment is completely irresponsible. Simple prudence dictates that you have to look at the safety of the structure (dam)." Economic benefits of the project did not sound prudent for the engineer. He said, " The dam is a heritage place designed and built by Visheshwarayya a master planner and master engineer. These people ruing the project without planning, whatsoever. No public consultation, no environmental and engineering assessment were done." Both civic rights activist Chandraprakash and historian Narasimhamurthy ridiculed the idea. Chandraprakash outrightly said the plan as a means to mint money in a dishonest way. The activist stated that a civic rights group likely to protest the plan in coming days. Narasimhamurthy said, "The whole world knows river Cauvery flows here, people revere that fact. The proposed plan sounds bizarre. Punjab Lok Congress is the name of Amarinder Singhs new party Didnt think twice before getting into bed with Shiv Sena: Captain hits out at Congress Nirankari Bhawan attack: Punjab govt announces Rs 50 lakh reward for info on suspects India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Nov 19: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced Rs 50 lakh reward for information on the suspects involved in a grenade attack during a religious congregation in Nirankari Bhawan in Adliwal. The Punjab police helpline 181 has been set up for information. NIA team surveying blast site since Sunday night. An SJF sponsored pilgrimage to Pakistan that ISI will use to churn pro Khalistan sentiments IG Surinder Singh Parmar, said, "Whether investigation stays with us or goes to NIA depends on the CM and DGP, we'll abide by the orders. We've not issued any sketches (of suspects) for the time being.' The state government announced Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the dead and free treatment to injured. Three people were killed and at least 20 others were injured in the blast at the Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Adliwal village on Sunday. The Punjab Police has released exclusive CCTV footage of the bike-borne assailants who had allegedly fired shots and hurled grenade inside the premises of the Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar, killing three people and injuring several others on Sunday. The police have identified the Pulsar bike used for the attack and have rounded up a few people for interrogation and are also looking at a possible terror angle. People have been asked to cooperate with the investigation as a massive manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits behind the attack. Nirankari Bhawan Police personnel and the media at the Nirankari Bhawan, where two men on a motorcycle reportedly threw a grenade during a religious ceremony, in Rajasansi village near Amritsar, Punjab, Sunday, Nov 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) After the grenade attack People gather at the Nirankari Bhawan, where two men on a motorcycle reportedly threw a grenade during a religious congregation, in Adliwal village near Amritsar, Punjab, Sunday, Nov 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) People vacate Nirankari Bhawan People come out of the Nirankari Bhawan, where two men on a motorcycle reportedly threw a grenade during a religious congregation, in Adliwal village near Amritsar, Punjab, Sunday, Nov 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) Wailing relatives Wailing relatives of a victim after two men on a motorcycle reportedly threw a grenade at the Nirankari Bhawan during a religious congregation, in Adliwal village near Amritsar, Punjab, Sunday, Nov 18, 2018. (PTI Photo) Hyderpora encounter: Bodies of two civilians exhumed, to be handed over to families No rules left: The rise of women terrorists in Kashmir India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Nov 19: The security agencies arrested a woman for allegedly luring youth into terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. A week prior to this arrest, the security agencies had apprehended another lady after she was found to be carrying 20 grenades at Lawaypora near Srinagar. The lady terrorists of Kashmir: Tough nuts with patronage from the state These developments are indeed worrying as terrorist groups are now actively recruiting women into their fold in Kashmir. In this context it must also be noted that the NIA is probing into the activities of dreaded separatist, Asiya Andrabi and her two women accomplices. In its chargesheet against pro-Pakistani separatist and Dukhtaran-e-Millat head Aasiya Andrabi and her two associates, the NIA accuses them of waging war against the state. Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen were using various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TV channels including some in Pakistan to spread "insurrectionary imputations and hateful messages and speeches against India. The Dukhtaran-E-Millat through Andrabi and others, openly advocates secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India and its merger with Pakistan through violent means. It is engaged in anti-India activities and has been inciting the general populace of Kashmir for an armed rebellion against the Government of India with aid and assistance of militant organizations based in Pakistan, the NIA also said. The rise of the lady terrorist: While Andrabi set the pace, it is now increasingly being noticed that more women terrorists are cropping up. On Sunday, officials said that Shazia from Naidkhai in the Sumbal area of Bandipore was picked up after the Intelligence Bureau zeroed in on her. She was luring youth for jihad and picking up weapons, the officials said. During interrogation it was found that she had handed over some ammunition and magazines to two youths from Anantnag, one of whom has been picked up. How Asiya Andrabi destabilised Kashmir Shazia, who is in her early 30s and is a mother of two, had been on the radar of security agencies for quite some time. She would seek favours from senior officers promising them help in getting some militants arrested. A video featuring Shazia had surfaced on Facebook a few months ago, and it was alleged that she was a police informer. On the basis of a complaint filed by her, two youths were picked up and later let off with a warning. "It seems that she was being used by terror groups to extract information from police and other security agencies and pass it on to the militants," an officer privy to the case said on condition of anonymity. She has not been forthcoming in her interrogation so far other than dropping names of militant commanders, officials said. Shazia's arrest comes a week after police nabbed 28-year-old Aysia Jan for carrying 20 grenades at Lawaypora on Srinagar outskirts following inputs about militants trying to smuggle arms and ammunition into the city. Besides grenades, police also recovered ammunition from her possession. Her two brothers were detained in connection with the case. A new strategy: In the earlier days, terrorists had an unwritten rule and that is they would not target women and children. However over the years, this rule has flown out of the window. Today women play an active role in terrorism. They are used as honey traps, carriers and also recruiters. In the Asiya Jan case, it becomes evident that they are being used to supply arms and ammunition as well. On Asiya Andrabi's contact list, Hamid Gul, Hafiz Saeed, Nawaz Sharif and several others Women are used by terrorist groups for a variety of reasons. The heat on them is relatively lesser and hence it is felt that the agencies would be less suspicious of them. Moreover by roping in women, terrorist groups also have added that surprise element. An IB officer tells OneIndia that the increasing number of women in terror groups is worrisome especially when they are used for recruitments. In many cases, we have seen that women generally tend to hold a better sway over the youth and recruitments become easier, the officer also noted. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 16:56 [IST] Kolkata became the most polluted city in India: The National Air Quality Index website showed that the overall PM 2.5 count at Rabindra Bharti University (RBU), one of the two stations in the city, stood at 381 (very poor) on Thursday when compared to Delhi's Ashok Vihar, considered to be the national capital's most polluted zones, where the AQI was recorded at 292.25. The average AQI at Victoria Memorial was noted at 310.75. Kolkata's air quality index getting worse: According to a report in the Times of India, Kolkata has only one-fourth of vehicles than in Delhi. A comparison of the pollution data at the two stations in Kolkata- Rabindra Bharti University(RBU) and Victoria Memorial Hall- with Ashok Vihar, on the Delhi's most polluted area, shows that Kolkata's AQI has been constantly that of the national capital's. " title="Air quality remains in very poor category in Delhi, respiratory problems on the rise " />Air quality remains in very poor category in Delhi, respiratory problems on the rise Air quality in winters: Every year pollution levels in Kolkata rise rapidly in winters due to low wind speed, low temperature, and inversion trap pollution. In winters, particulate levels can be as high as four times the standards. What is the air quality index? The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells how clean or polluted the air is and focuses on health effects one may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. Environmental protection agency (EPA) calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Delhi's air quality between 'poor' and 'very poor' categories For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Haryana Unlock Guidelines: What is open, What is not; Check details Punjab on high alert after Nirankari Bhavan attack India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Chandigarh, Nov 19: Punjab Police issues on Monday high alert after the attack at Nirankari Bhavan, all districts put on high alert. Maximum force to be deployed at all vulnerable places and special nakas to be set up. All vehicles to be checked properly including two-wheelers. Three people were killed and at least 20 others were injured in the blast at the Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar's Adliwal village on Sunday. Nirankari Bhawan attack: Punjab govt announces Rs 50 lakh reward for info on suspects Meanwhile, the Punjab police helpline 181 has been set up for information on the blast. NIA team surveying blast site since Sunday night. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 12:49 [IST] Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle: BJP hits out at Congress over absence of women in new team Rajasthan Polls 2018: After being denied ticket, sitting BJP MLA Ahuja to contest as independent India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jaipur, Nov 19: The BJP Wednesday announced its second list of 31 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly election, dropping 15 sitting MLAs, included three ministers. The BJP has so far announced the names of 162 candidates in the 200-member assembly. BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja, who hit the national headlines at the height of the JNU controversy in 2016 for his remarks that thousands of condoms were found on the university campus daily, was also dropped. He represents Ramgarh in Alwar district in the current assembly. Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018: BJP releases fourth list of 24 candidates However, on Sunday, Ahuja surprised party workers when he announced that he will be contesting as an independent candidate from the Sanganer constituency. Minutes after sending his resignation to the party president, Madan Lal Saini, Ahuja said for safeguarding Hindutva and cows he has made his mind to field himself as an independent candidate from Sanganer constituency. Speaking to ANI, Ahuja, who was denied a ticket by BJP said,''Protesting against the dictatorial attitude of BJP, I have resigned from primary membership of the party. I will contest as an Independent on issues like Ram Janmabhoomi, cow protection and Hindutva.'' Former BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari had won from the Sanganer seat in Jaipur in the 2013 elections. He quit the BJP in June this year over his differences with chief minister Vasundhara Raje and floated his own party. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas slogan is baseless, says BJP MLA from UP India oi-Shubham Ghosh Varanasi, Nov 19: Former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and current BJP legislator from Aurai constituency in Uttar Pradesh Dinanath Bhaskar has recently annoyed his party. Efforts for 'anti-BJP' front: Chandrababu Naidu meets Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata Bhaskar, a Dalit leader who was once known to be close to BSP supremo Mayawati and also served as a minister in UP earlier, recently said in a Facebook post that the BJP's "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas" (collective effort, inclusive growth) slogan is without any basis. The saffron party has not taken Bhaskar's viewpoints well and there is deep resentment within the party ranks over this at the moment, said a report in Patrika. Bhaskar, who contested the UP Assembly election on the ticket of the BJP and won, earned the wrath of the BJP members who allegedly did not accommodate him on the stage of a rally, leaving the leader disappointed. BJP banks more on RSS workers from other states for feedback about MP Assembly polls 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' has been one of the BJP's main slogans since the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the saffron party has been banking on it to show how inclusive the leadership of Modi is. To trivialise it by saying it's baseless is akin to hurting the fundamentals of the BJP's politics and Bhaskar has done exactly that. 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 TMC brings its fight against BJP to Delhi; party MPs meet Amit Shah after sitting on dharna for 4 hrs Shah targets opposition, says it is gripped by 'Modi phobia' India pti-PTI Bhubaneswar, Nov 19: BJP president Amit Shah criticised the opposition parties, including the Congress, on Monday saying they suffered from "Modi phobia" and did not have any agenda for the country's development. All partners of the BJP in the NDA on the other hand are united and serious about transforming India as the number one country in the world, Shah said. Hitting out at the Naveen Patnaik's BJD government in Odisha, he said it is responsible for backwardness and poverty in the mineral-rich state. Its ouster from power is certain in the 2019 election, he told a women's meeting in Puri. Amit Shah says Modi's remark on past Congress presidents 'ruffled many feathers' "I want to tell the people that the Congress and all opposition parties are working together for breaking India while (prime minister Narendra) Modi-ji is busy in making India," he said. The prime minister is seeking to eradicate poverty, but the opposition wants "Modi hatao (defeat)", the BJP president said. Modi wants to eliminate unemployment, while opposition calls for his removal. "We (BJP) say put an end to insecurity among people, but they (opposition) want removal of Modi. The opposition has no specific agenda, no neta (leader) and no neeti (policy). Their only programme is removal of Modi as they are suffering from Modi phobia," the BJP president said. Rajasthan elections 2018: Amit Shah to hold roadshow in Bikaner on Nov 21 Hitting out at the BJD government in Odisha, which has been in power in the state since 2000, he said, "The Naveen Patnaik government has lost all rights to continue in power in Odisha even for a second as the state remains backward despite abundant mineral resources." Slamming the Naveen Patnaik government for rejecting the Centre's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat, Shah said if the BJP comes to power in the state it would immediately join the programme for the benefit of lakhs of poor people. PTI Can you spot the Tiger in this picture? Image from Dampa Tiger Reserve goes viral Shoddy translocation of tiger proves fatal for big cats in India India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Nov 19: The recent news of the death of the Tiger in Satkosia Tiger Reserve has triggered a debate about the relocation project of tigers in India. Three-year-old tiger nicknamed MB 2 alias 'Mahaveer' brought all the way to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve from the Kanha national park in Madhya Pradesh, a distance of 600 kms died three months after completing the journey. The post-mortem report indicated that the death was due to infected ante-mortem maggot-infested wound followed by multiple organ failure. Releasing a statement on the preliminary findings, the forest department said, "A deep lacerated and five-days-old infected wound was observed on the dorsal neck region of the tiger, which may be the cause of the mortality". India's first tiger translocation hits roadblock; Sundari to be Kept in Zoo It further added that the incident occurred "500 metres from Raigoda to Nuagoda forest road inside... Athgarh Forest Division. Initially, the project had run into trouble after the tigress, Sundari, brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in M.P., was recaptured following couple of incidents of mauling. The 26-crore project between the state and the centre has been halted for now and authorities are trying to process information and reach to conclusive evidence. What is inter- state tiger transfer project? After it was declared that Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh had lost all of its tigers in 2009, the state and centre decided to transfer the big cats to other tiger reserves to main a balanced ecological system. It was hoped that the relocation of a female tigress from Bandhavgarh and the male tiger from Kanha along with the resident tigress would kick start a new wild tiger population. The plan was to 'import' a total of six tigers in a bid to increase the tiger population in Satkosia, which had dwindled to just one from a high of 12 when it was declared a tiger reserve in 2007. Who should be held responsible? Initial unconfirmed reports had suggested that the tiger may have been caught in a snare and killed by poachers or locals angry over the killing of two villagers by 'Sundari'. It was later revealed that the tiger died due to a maggot-infection on the neck. The other case of translocation also didn't go as expected after Tigress Sundari attacked two villagers. When 11 tigers disappeared over the years in Satkosia, why were there no probes or investigations? , How did they not only miss a radio-collared tigress (Sundari) killing a person? How did they not know where the cats were at all times? Were the teams not trained properly? Were the radio collars not monitored properly? These are the questions that rise to one's mind. Whatever the reason behind the death of Mahaveer, there is little doubt that it is a huge setback for an ambitious project launched under the supervision of NTCA. With Tigress Sundari now in confinement after killing one, it is hard to see how the project will go further, especially with the locals up in arms over the killings. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 8:35 [IST] Rahul Gandhi's old tweet goes viral: 'Mark my words, govt will take back anti-farm laws' Telangana polls: Big-wigs set to take centre stage India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Nov 19: The next fortnight would be action packed in the state of Telangana, which goes to polls on December 7. All top leaders including, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi and BJP's national president, Amit Shah would hit the campaign trail in the poll bound state. With the process of filing nominations coming to a close on Monday, all major parties, the ruling TRS, the BJP, and the Congress along with its "grand alliance" constituents -- the TDP and others -- have drawn up plans for intense hustings. The Congress has announced that Sonia Gandhi, on her first visit to Telangana after the state's formation, will address a public meeting on November 23 at Medchal on the periphery of Hyderabad. Telangana elections: Amid naxal threat, 13 constituencies declared hyper-sensitive Party president Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit the state for campaigning on November 28, 29 and December 3, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy told PTI. State BJP chief K Laxman has said that while Shah would campaign in Telangana during a three-day visit from November 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the state for campaigning in the first week of December. The BJP national president had kicked off the party's poll campaign with a public meeting in September and subsequently addressed two more meetings. As Telangana polls draw closer, naxal resurgence at all time high: IB TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the ruling party's star campaigner, will address a series of campaign meetings this week. His son K T Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao, both ministers in the caretaker government, have been leading the campaign since the Assembly was dissolved on September 6. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a partner in the 'grand alliance' would get star power with N Balakrishna, the son of party founder N T Rama Rao and a top-ranking Telugu film hero, canvassing for the party. For Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), another partner in the "grand alliance", it is president M Kodandaram who, during campaigning, would highlight the alliance's agenda for the people. Telangana Elections 2018: Sonia Gandhi to campaign in Hyderabad on Nov 23, address rally in Warangal The 'grand alliance', comprising the Congress, TDP, CPI and TJS, has alleged that the aspirations of the people following the formation of Telangana have not been met during the TRS rule. The Telangana assembly was dissolved prematurely on September 6 following a recommendation made by the TRS government, necessitating polls ahead of schedule. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 8:17 [IST] This is the second best police station in the country Tension grips Odisha's Jajpur after 10 chopped palms found India oi-Vikas SV Bhubaneswar, Nov 19: Some unknown persons stole 10 chopped palms, suspected to be of tribal people killed in 2006 police firing, and dumped them in the open in Kalinga Nagar area in Odisha's Jajpur after which the area is tensed, said reports. Police had found five pairs of chopped palms, which were preserved in a medical box in a club near the site, Jajpur Superintendent of Police CS Meena said. Odisha assembly passes motion to forgive Delhi scribe Mitra for 'derogatory' remarks "On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area," he said, according to a PTI report. The tribal community members were killed during a protest against land acquisition for a steel plant in Kalinga Nagar in January 2006. At least 13 people were killed during the police firing. "On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area," he said. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged in this regard, Meena said, adding that heavy police force has been deployed in the area to maintain strict vigil. Doctors conducting post-mortem of the bodies had to cut the palms of five victims to obtain their fingerprints as they could not be identified, the police said. PM to address extensive rallies in Odisha after December to gain lost ground The chopped palms were given to the family of the deceased a couple of years ago, but they refused to accept them and demanded a DNA test, they said. Following this, they were preserved in the medical box and kept in the club, they said. OneIndia News with PTI inputs For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 12:53 [IST] Varavara Rao unwell, taken to hospital in Pune India oi-Vikas SV Pune, Nov 19: Activist P Varavara Rao, who was arrested and sent to police custody till November 26 in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case on Sunday (November 18), is reportedly unwell and has been taken a hospital in Pune. Rao was taken to Sassoon hospital in Pune after he complained of difficulties in breathing, said reports. Urban naxals: How Dalits were mobilised, misled to destroy democracy Rao was under the extended house arrest granted by the Hyderabad High Court in the Elgaar Parishad case. However, his house-arrest ended on Saturday, following which he was arrested by the Pune Police from his residence in Telangana's capital Hyderabad. Rao had been arrested in August after a raid at his home and the houses of his family members and friends, including a journalist, by the Pune Police. Nine activists across the country had been raided by the Pune Police for alleged Maoist links; five of them were arrested, including Varavara Rao. Bhima Koregaon case: Activist Varavara Rao arrested for alleged link to Maoist plot According to the police, Rao is allegedly connected with the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), which has been declared unlawful in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana for allegedly being a front of the CPI (Maoist). Rao was arrested for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 13:38 [IST] The importance of arresting Bengal origin naxal, Kishan da who had Rs 1 crore bounty on his head When one naxal told another that Congress would help in instigating violence India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Pune, Nov 19: A letter dated September 25 2017 written by one naxalite to another speaks about the willingness of the Congress to help intensify nationwide protests. This letter was made public, when the Pune police submitted the same before a court as evidence. The letter was written by one Com Prakash to Com Surendra. The letter states that the Congress leaders were very much willing to assist int their efforts to intensify nationwide protests using students. A phone number is part of the letter, which Prakash says could be contacted in this regard. How naxals are using coal transport contracts to fund their activities Even as reports came out that this phone number may be that of Congress leader, Digvijaya Singh. He had recently dared the government to arrest him. If I am guilty, I date the Centre and State to arrest me, he had said. This angle came up during the probe in the Elgar Parishad case. It may be recalled that the police had arrested five activists. The police had also said that during the probe, they learnt about a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister. Failing ideology, reduction of geographic spread led to regime change in naxal leadership It was also alleged that several prominent activists had on December 31 last year provoked the masses, which in turn led to violence at the Koregaon Bhima, the next day. One person was killed and several others injured in the incident. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 8:46 [IST] Who sowed seeds of dynastic politics in India? Nehru or Indira Gandhi India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Nov 19: Today (November 19) is former prime minister Indira Gandhi's 101st birth anniversary. Indira Gandhi is the second longest serving prime minister of India after her father Jawaharlal Nehru. Indira Gandhi was an astute and shrewd politician who waded her way through the political corridors dominated by males through sheer grit and what some say as ruthlessness. From way she handled foreign policy to the role India played in the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971 under her rule, Indira Gandhi has left an indelible mark on the India's post-independence history. Nation remembers Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary today But, from where did Indira get her political lessons or who groomed her to enter politics? Was it Nehru or were it the circumstances? These questions would be debated for a long time to come. Some even say that Indira becoming the Prime Minister was the beginning of the dynastic politics in India because after Indira her son Rajiv Gandhi became PM and now Congress wants her grandson Rahul Gandhi to become PM. So where did it all start and did Nehru really want it to be this way. Gandhi served as her father's personal assistant during his tenure as Prime Minister between 1947 and 1964. She was elected President of the Indian National Congress in 1959. Upon her father's death in 1964 she was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and became a member of Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Dr Anil Rajvanshi writes in a blog that Nehru may not have wanted to groom Indira, but she was so much around him during important meetings and trips that she got politically involved. "..it was Govind Ballabh Pant the Home Minister who persuaded Nehru to bring Indira Gandhi into active politics so she could help Nehru. He would constantly remind Nehru that she has learnt so many political lessons by observing her father and also being with Gandhi ji and so would be a natural choice to become a Congress Working Committee member. Though Nehru outwardly showed that it was unethical but was never forceful enough to oppose it and so he was the one who really started the dynastic process. Naturally Indira Gandhi took it to its logical conclusion and till today we are still suffering the Nehru-Gandhi family!," Dr Anil Rajvanshi wrote. Indira death anniversary: Ramachandra Guha criticises Rahul Gandhi over his tweet Many, however, argue that it was not Nehru but Indira who sowed the seeds of dynastic politics in India. Nehru in fact never wanted that Indira Gandhi become the Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi, on the other hand, groomed Sanjay Gandhi to be her political heir, while Rajiv Gandhi was kept out of it. But, in the end it so turned out that Sanjay Gandhi got killed in a plane crash and Indira had to force Rajiv Gandhi to enter politics. Why did she force Rajiv Gandhi to quit his career as pilot and enter politics? A logical answer to this would be that she did not want her family to lose a grip on the Congress. Nehru may not have envisioned Indira as the next prime minister, but he also did not object to her growing powerful within the Congress while he was alive. The grooming of Indira Gandhi was so perfect that she started talking and giving speeches just like her father. In the book Six Thousand Days, Amiya Rao and B.G. Rao, write that six months after she was nominated to the Working Committee, Nehru resigned from the powerful Central Parliamentary Board and nominated Indira Gandhi. This was the committee which picked the candidates for elections and decided on the political fate of thousands of Congressmen and women. The book 'Six thousand days : Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister' also argues that Nehru had moulded the party to accept Indira Gandhi as the Prime Minister. "He skillfully removed all the strong contenders to the post like Jagjivan Ram and Morarji Desai by making statements that Congress does not encourage people getting addicted to power. He kept people like Gulzarilal Nanda, who would not be a strong contender, but would be a stop gap arrangement. All of Nehru's actions indicated that he was promoting the dynasty, but it is strange that modern historians have no recollection of all these events," the book says. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 10:32 [IST] Mayawati re-elected as BSP chief; vows to never to stop or bend With 70 candidates, BSP goes all out in Telangana assembly elections India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Nov 19: The Bahujan Samaj Party appears to be taking the Telangana Assembly Elections 2018 quite seriously. Out of the 119 seats, the party has fielded 70 candidates for the elections. The high number of candidates is largely attributed to the disgruntled elements, who have not got tickets from the Congress, TRS, BJP or Telugu Desam Party. Some of the key candidates contesting on a BSP ticket are Harish Chandra Reddy and Rajarapu Prathap Goud. Both Reddy and Goud were aspirants from the TRS. However after being left out, they filed their nomination papers on a BSP ticket. Telangana polls: Big-wigs set to take centre stage At 70 candidates, the BSP incidentally becomes the party with the fourth highest number of candidates. The TRS is contesting all 119 seats. The Congress which is in an alliance will contest 90 seats, while the BJP is fighting in 142. In the 2014 elections, the BSP had won two seats. A Indrakaran Reddy and Koneru Konappa had won the Nirmal and Sirpur seats respectively. However both joined the TRS later and Indrakaran went on to become the minister for Endowments. Telangana elections: 5-time MLA Harish Rao remains a favourite The Election Commission in all has received a total of 1,497 nominations, which includes 870 independents. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 9:22 [IST] Are Imran Khan and Gen Bajwa at war over appointment of new ISI chief? Don't make Pakistan a scapegoat for US failures: Imran Khan takes on Trump International pti-PTI Islamabad, Nov 19: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday reacted sharply to President Donald Trump's latest tirade against Islamabad for not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism, saying the US, instead of making Pakistan a "scapegoat" for its failures in Afghanistan, should find out why the Taliban has emerged stronger than before. Khan's tweets came a day after President Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad. "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan," Khan, said in a series of tweets defending his country's record in the US-led war on terror. He said that Pakistan decided to "participate in the US War on Terror" although no Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks. "Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over USD 123 billion was lost," he said, of which "US 'aid' was a miniscule USD 20bn", Khan said. "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 Nato troops, plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly USD 1 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," he suggested. In addition to economic losses, the prime minister highlighted the impact of the US war on Pakistan's tribal areas. "Our tribal areas were devastated and millions of people were uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted the lives of ordinary Pakistanis," he said. "Pakistan continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications...)," he added. "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" he asked. Earlier, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari attacked President Trump's criticism of Islamabad's dubious role in the war against terrorism. She said the US President "suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" The minister, known to be a hawk, in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. Mazari, a close aide of Prime Minister Khan, said Trump's latest criticism of Pakistan should be a "lesson" to those Pakistani leaders who "appeased" America, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks. "Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do 'a damn thing' for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT (war on terrorism); the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc," she tweeted. "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," Mazari said. In reply to another tweet calling out Trump over his remarks, Mazari said: "@realDonaldTrump suffers conveniently from perpetual historic amnesia!" Referring to bin Laden and his hideout in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, "You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed bin Laden in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil. PTI Hurdles cleared for AK 203 rifles deal with Russia; likely to be sealed next month during Putin's visit No demonetisation yet Russian man takes a bath tub full of coins to buy an Apple coin International oi-Shubham Ghosh Moscow, Nov 19: There was no demonetisation in Russia but yet a man in Russia recently decided to do something which gave such an impression and it was bizarre, to say the least. Ludmila Semushina, head of public relations service, Inventive Retail Group, Moscow, posted a photo on her Facebook account last week showing a Russian going to an Apple store to buy the new iPhone XS not in cash or card but through a bath tub full of coins that he brought with him! In the photo, it is seen a man counting the coins while people around him clicking the bizarre scene and looking stunned. Semushina wrote that the tub contained 100,000 Rubles (1 USD=66 Rubles). The new iPhone XS costs between $1,050-$1,500 in Russia. The turtle who swallowed 1,000 'good-luck' coins! "What is it to be #clientorientated? It's when a customer decides to do some hype and brings in a bathtub of change to buy an iPhone and the seller calmly and patiently sits down to count out the bath," Semushina said, adding that it took around two hours to do with the counting. Svyatoslav Kovalenko, a Russian blogger, later shared a video on Instagram explaining how he managed to carry the tub filled with 350 kilograms of coins to the phone store. According to a report in Moscow Times, those who brought the tub had at least two scuffles with the security guards before entering the store. The incident happened in Evropeisky Mall in central Moscow. Grandma throws 'lucky' coins into engine, delays flight Kovalenko later told ABC News that they decided to do an experiment and show people who refused to accept change. He said it was an effort to make people understand that even kopeks (Russian monetary unit) make up a currency. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, November 19, 2018, 10:06 [IST] Ram Nath Kovind visit Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang, The Da Nang museum is collaborating with the National Museum of India in studying and compiling a book introducing the relationship between the Cham sculpture and the Indian art, which will be printed in India at the end of 2018. The Da Nang Museum President Ram Nath Kovind and first lady Savita Kovind visit Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang, Vietnam. The sculptures date from 4th to 13th centuries CE. (pic 2: Shiv Linga with the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita carved on the base. Pic 3: Garuda) The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture and the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology in India have signed a memorandum of understanding on the compilation and publication of the catalogue "Cham Sculpture of Vietnam and the relationship with Indian art", which studies 50 sculptures in the collection of the Da Nang museum. My Son sanctuary President Ram Nath Kovind and first lady Savita Kovind at My Son sanctuary in Quang Nam. My Son is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. The complex is located near the village of Duy Phu in Quang Nam Province in Central Vietnam. The complex is situated in a valley roughly two kilometres wide that is surrounded by two mountain ranges. SpaceX to launch India's first home-grown private satellite Cultural performance Kovind also enjoyed a local cultural performance at My Son temple complex. Kovind is in Vietnam as part of his two-nation tour that will also take him to Australia. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) Some senators believe a reenacted budget may happen because of the delay in the passage of the General Appropriations Bill at the House of Representatives. This delay may not give senators enough time to look it over and pass the budget for next year. A reenacted budget means the 2018 budget will be implemented again in 2019. This also means that there will be no new projects or allocations until a new budget has been passed. Senators lamented the delay during the session Monday afternoon. The House leadership earlier said they plan to approve the budget on third and final reading on November 28. This would then leave the Senate just six session days to scrutinize and pass the budget before they go on a Christmas break. Under the law, all budget bills must emanate from the House. Senators agree it would be impossible to pass the budget in such a short time and they would rather take their time in scrutinizing the budget. "We are blankly staring at that possibility because of the delay of House submission on the Senate. The way the Committee on Finance is saying the tentative schedule, there is indeed a possibility of re-enacted but all the way to January." said Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto. Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero meanwhile said six days was simply too short a time. "One week is not enough. It would be impossible to pass, especially if passing general principles," he said. Senator Franklin Drilon said it would be better if the Senate took the time to look over the bill more carefully. "I don't think we should lose sleep over this. It's better if we analyze it carefully and approve it in January. Because this will become law and govern our finances for the next twelve months. We would not forgive ourselves if we rush it," he said. Both Escudero and Drilon were former chairmen of the Senate finance committee. Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he is favoring a reenacted budget and scrutinizing the budget is crucial. "Let them suffer the consequences of their insertions. The reason for the delay is that there are too many insertions being made even as we speak. If we have a reenacted budget, their insertions are deemed deleted and it should not be on the Senate's account that the budget is not passed before the year ends Senators are blaming congressmen for the delay in the passage of the 2019 budget. Escudero said the change in leadership at the House of Representatives overhauled the budget. Lacson added the 2019 budget was prepared by the leadership of former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. When Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over, he said the projects in the budget meant for Alvarez and his allies were changed by the Arroyo leadership to favor her allies. Senator Antonio Trillanes, meanwhile, believes the Arroyo leadership is trying to insert projects in the 2019 budget amounting to more than 100 billion. "'Yung grupo ni GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) iba naman 'yan sa Davao group ni (President Rodrigo) Duterte. Maraming interest ngayon na nagca-clash. Kahit pare-parehas silang magkakampi in theory but in reality, iba't-iba interest ng mga 'yan," he said. [Translation: GMA's group is different from Duterte's group. A lot of interests are clashing. In theory, they may be allies, but in reality they have different interests.] Senators agreed once the budget has been transmitted to them next week, they will hold a caucus to finalize their decision. Fuji Oil, which supplies vegetable oil to Blommer, said in filings that the acquisition will help expand its business in North America, which is the largest industrial chocolate market in the world, and allow the company to cross-sell its other confectionery products to Blommers customer base. It has been on an acquisition streak: Fuji Oil last year purchased Industrial Food Services in Australia, in 2016 purchased GCB Specialty Chocolates in Malaysia, and the year before acquired Harald in Brazil. The news is the latest scandal to sully Nissan's brand. In July, it admitted it had uncovered falsified emissions data from most of its factories in Japan, while in 2017 it admitted it had allow unqualified personnel to carry out postproduction tests at some of its plants, forcing it to recall more than a million vehicles for reinspection. We felt it was important for him to know what is going on with a segment of his employees and how strongly we felt that we want to have a fair contract that protects our rights, that offers us fair wages and does not disregard our seniority, Morales said. New Delhi Institute of Management, (NDIM) is Awarded as the Best Industry Linked Institute in India by AICTE Established in 1992, under the aegis of Society for Employment & Career Counselling. NDIM is committed to impart the highest quality of education and exposure to help develop the next generation of business leaders with global outlook & capability of adapting to the fast changing business environment of India & world at large. By introducing new specialization areas and adopting an innovative pedagogy, the institute has been constantly working to develop professionals with vision, courage & dedication to initiate & manage the change.The efforts laid out to rank among top MBA colleges in India has finally paid off. With a huge network of industry connections, alumni network, and Placement Track record, NDIM is awarded as the Best Industry Linked Institute of India by AICTE.This says it all about the authority and worth of pursuing PGDM at NDIM. Come to join our family and transform your vision to reality studying at the best MBA College in Delhi NCR. Visit ndimdelhi.org to know more about the best Business School and opportunities you can explore being a part of NDIMNew Delhi Institute of Management was established in 1992 and consistently ranked among the top B-School of India by AIMA, Business World, Business India and approved by the AICTE, Govt. of India since 1996.NDIM was founded with the Vision to be a global learning center, a unique gurukul to promote courageous leaders of global change through holistic, transformative and innovative learning.Company Name and Address:New Delhi Institute of Management60 & 50 (B&C M B Road Behind Batra Hospital, Tughlakabad Institutional AreaVayusenabad, New Delhi, Delhi 110062.Contacts:Bhavana Jhingan+91-11-29965136info@ndimdelhi.org Diamond Wire Saw Global Market 2018 Top Key Players Asahi (Japan), ALMT (Japan), Zhejiang Ruiyi (China) and Forecast to 2021 Diamond Wire Saw Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3324183-global-diamond-wire-saw-market-outlook-2016-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3324183-global-diamond-wire-saw-market-outlook-2016-2021 www.wiseguyreports.com Global Diamond Wire Saw MarketWiseGuyRerports.com Presents Global Diamond Wire Saw Market Outlook 2016-2021 New Document to its Studies Database. The Report Contain 117 Pages With Detailed Analysis.DescriptionA diamond wire saw consists of a tension element made from a loop of high tensile wire joined with a mechanical joiner.This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Diamond Wire Saw from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Diamond Wire Saw market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Diamond Wire Saw, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Get sample Report @GCCs report, Global Diamond Wire Saw Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Diamond Wire Saw market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Diamond Wire Saw market are Asahi (Japan), ALMT (Japan), Zhejiang Ruiyi (China), among others.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Diamond Wire Saw industry has been provided.Complete Report Details @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsPart 1. Exclusive SummaryPart 2. Methodology2.1 Research Methodology2.2 Geographic Scope2.3 Years ConsideredPart 3. Introduction3.1 Definition3.2 Supply Chain Structure3.2.1 Raw Material Supply3.2.2 Traders & Distributors3.2.3 Key Customers3.3 Manufacture3.3.1 Manufacturing Process3.3.2 Production CostPart 4. Market Landscape4.1 Global Diamond Wire Saw Market Size (Volume) 2011-20164.1.1 Overview4.1.2 Global Diamond Wire Saw Production4.1.3 Top 10 Diamond Wire Saw Companies (Volume Share)4.2 Global Diamond Wire Saw Market Size (Value) 2011-20164.2.1 Overview4.2.2 Global Diamond Wire Saw Production Value4.2.3 Top 10 Diamond Wire Saw Companies (Revenue Share)Part 5. Segmentation by Products5.1 Type 15.2 Type 25.3 Type 3Part 6. Segmentation by End-users6.1 Customer Segment 16.2 Customer Segment 26.3 Customer Segment 36.4 Customer Segment 4Part 7. Geographical Segmentation7.1 North America Diamond Wire Saw Market7.1.1 North America Market Overview7.1.2 North America Price & Margin7.1.3 North America Trade Balance7.2 EMEA Diamond Wire Saw Market7.2.1 EMEA Market Overview7.2.2 EMEA Price & Margin7.2.3 EMEA Trade Balance7.3 Asia Pacific Diamond Wire Saw Market7.3.1 Asia Pacific Market Overview7.3.2 Asia Pacific Price & Margin7.3.3 Asia Pacific Trade BalancePart 8. Market Forecast8.1 Market Size by Volume 2016-20218.1.1 North America8.1.2 EMEA8.1.3 Asia-Pacific8.1.4 RoW8.2 Market Size by Value 2016-20218.2.1 North America8.2.2 EMEA8.2.3 Asia-Pacific8.2.4 RoW8.3 Regional Consumption Forecast8.3.1 North America8.3.2 EMEA8.3.3 Asia-Pacific8.3.4 RoW8.4 Consumption Forecast by End-users8.5 Consumption Forecast by Products..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data availableNORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK) Polyglycolic Acid Market Trends - Industry Share, Size Report 2024 | Key Players Corbion, Teleflex Incorporated, Kureha Corporation, Huizhou Foryou Medical Devices Co.,Ltd Polyglycolic Acid Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2415 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2415 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/polyglycolic-acid-market https://www.gminsights.com Polyglycolic Acid Market to surpass USD 9 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Polyglycolic acid market shall witness a significant demand from packaging industry by 2024 as disposal of non-degradable plastics has been a serious issue for the sustainable environment especially in North America and Europe. Packaging sector has been the primary market of biodegradable plastics with drifting focus of industry players towards degradable and compostable polymers. The U.S., Europe and Japan governments have officially approved polyglycolide to be biodegradable plastic and has made fit to use in day to day applications. Polyglycolic acid (polyglycolide) demonstrates ideal barrier against various gases such as CO2, O2, N2 and moisture vapor especially in food & beverage packaging. Its barrier properties have been found to have no impact of high relative humidity conditions in comparison with Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), MXD6 and other common barrier materials. These features of polyglycolic acid exhibit strong growth aspects in the near future.Request for a sample of this research report @Polyglycolide market shall be driven by the escalating demand of product in medical applications by 2024. PGA sutures have been gaining stronger position in the recent years among other absorbable sutures including, poliglecaprone 25, catgut, polyglactin 910 and polydioxanone sutures. The product exhibits better results in comparison with the commonly used non-absorbable sutures made of nylon, polypropylene, stainless steel, etc. PGA surgical sutures has substantial potential in orthopedic surgeries, cardiovascular surgeries, gynecological surgeries, general surgeries & ophthalmic surgeries. PGA is also a suitable material for bone grafting and finds application in knee, joint replacement and spine applications. It is also known as bio resorbable polymer.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Kureha Corporation2. Huizhou Foryou Medical Devices Co.,Ltd3. Corbion4. Teleflex Incorporated5. BMG Incorporated6. Shenzhen Polymtek Biomaterial Co., Ltd.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Medical industry has been the largest contributor of polyglycolic acid market revenue in 2016 with a massive share over 60%. Polyglycolic acid has unique characteristics including: high initial tensile strength, easy handling, robust holding strength through the perilous wound healing span, even passage through the tissue and ideal knotting ability. These aspects are expected to propel global polyglycolide market size for medical applications. The newer product applications such as packaging and shale gas extraction are also certain to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast timespan.Polyglycolic Acid Market of Form By Application Fibero Medicalo Others Filmo Packaging Other formso Medicalo Shale gas extractiono OthersPolyglycolic Acid Market By Applicationo Medicalo Packagingo Shale gas extractiono OthersBrowse key industry insights spread across 260 pages with 322 market data tables & 21 figures & charts from the report, Polyglycolic Acid Market in detail along with the table of contents:The global polyglycolic acid market was led by North America in 2016, holding market share more than 60%. Even though the total rig count dwindled in North America after the decline in crude oil prices, demand for PGA frac plugs is projected to be extremely high over the forecast timespan. Europe will also share substantial gains close to 8% CAGR by 2024. The region marks significant trends depicting promising gains for PGA in coming years. For instance, a recent European project- RefuCoat entailed development of fully recyclable barrier coatings and bioplastic materials for films & trays, replacing the aluminium-based packaging structures. Another trend in the region encouraging biodegradable plastics has been the prohibition of non-biodegradable cotton buds in Italy from December 2017.In 2016, the overall polyglycolide market was monopolistic, as Kureha Corporation contributing to over 75% market share. The company has been engaged in substantial product development with strong focus on the downstream markets. Other industry players include: Polymtek, Corbion Corporation, BMG, Foryou Medical Ltd. Corbion NV is a market leader in PGA for bone graft applications.About Global Market InsightsGlobal 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: Global Cold Brew Coffee Market Size, Share analysis to 2025, Key Players-Nestle SA, Ting Hsin International Group Co. Ltd., The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks Corporation, Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. Global Cold Brew Coffee Market https://www.researchcosmos.com/reports/global-cold-brew-coffee-market-research-report-2018/6288625 https://www.researchcosmos.com/request/global-cold-brew-coffee-market-research-report-2018/6288625 https://www.researchcosmos.com/inquire/global-cold-brew-coffee-market-research-report-2018/6288625 www.researchcosmos.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-cosmos https://twitter.com/researchcosmos https://plus.google.com/109756852849129986268 https://www.facebook.com/researchcosmos/ Global Cold Brew Coffee Market Overview:What better than an iced cold coffee on a warm sunny day? The evolution of the simple warm coffee to the fancier version happened over time. Using cold water instead of warm, made the concoction sweeter, smoother and less acidic by 70% than normal coffee. Pricier than the normal coffee, the iced coffee is still selling like hotcakes because of its innovative packaging and the status symbol associated with it. The market for cold brew is said to rise since 2017 up until which the cold brew was only a speciality that the elite class could afford.Explore More Information about report @Coffee has also been around since time immemorial. Its meteoric acceptance by consumers happened because of the rapid urbanization, rise in disposable income and the benefits associated with coffee. Based on the coffee bean type they can be either arabica, robusta and others. They can be sold original or flavoured. Awareness of the product was primarily done by depicting the health hazards of the carbonated beverages. Mostly enticing the younger population, cold brew coffee is affected by rising agricultural inputs and unpredictable rainfall. This makes the coffee bean expensive, thereby, slowing down the sale of the product because of its rising prices.Request free sample @Global Cold Brew Coffee Market Size Analysis:Cold Brew Coffee market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Global Cold Brew Coffee Market Key Players:Nestle SA, Ting Hsin International Group Co. Ltd., The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks Corporation, Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., Coffee Roasting Company Schreyogg Srl, Dunkin' Donut, and others, with firms trying to expand into varieties unseen before and selling either independently or via franchise firms.Ready to drink cold coffee and speciality coffee although pricier has piqued commoners interest. Varieties like infusing nitrogen into the cold brew, innovative packaging, fancier names and other parameters have essentially brought cold brew to the forefront. It is to be noted that coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. With the US coffee consumption recording up to 21% of the Global Cold Brew Coffee Market, more and more mobile units and established restaurants are also getting into selling of the cold brew.Inquire before buying@About Us:Research Cosmos is a provider of standard and customized Industry research, business intelligence and consulting services across more than 100 domains in different industries of the world. We host the trending Industry reports of the worlds top-notch publishing companies, offering services to a wide range of customers from students to fortune 500 companies and discloses the hidden opportunities in every leading industry of the world.Contact:Kevin Stewartkevin@researchcosmos.comGlobal Sales ManagerResearch Cosmos+1 888 709 8757LinkedIn -Twitter -Google+ -Facebook - Enterprise WLAN Market Overview, Business Strategies and Recent Developments by 2025 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/8345 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/toc/8345 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ The Latest Research Report Enterprise WLAN Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.bizGlobal Enterprise WLAN Market: SnapshotWireless LAN (WLAN) technology, also referred to as Wi-Fi, has been fast evolving to adapt to the highly dynamic market for mobile communication. With rise in practices such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in the workplace, it is becoming increasingly necessary for companies to provide a safe and secure Wi-Fi network. This has upped the demand for enterprise-grade WLAN security.The primary task of an enterprise WLAN solution is to offer secure and solid wireless service to users. It is a known fact that WLANs provide lesser degree of security than their wired counterparts. This is because Wi-Fi use unlicensed bands that can be accessed by anyone, making them vulnerable to different interferences, which, in turn, can cause degradation in service. An enterprise WLAN solution helps to tackle the aforementioned problems with advanced functions and technologies.Realizing the advantages, companies are deploying more and more WLANs every year to encourage their employees to use smartphones and pads for work as well.An enterprise wireless network is typically comprised of the following basic components access points (AP), AP controllers, and authentication servers. An additional component called WIPS sensor and server can also be included when required to prevent wireless intrusion.Get Sample Copy of this report @Key end users in the global market for WLAN can be categorized into IT and telecommunication, banking, financial service and insurance (BFSI), logistics, municipality and public infrastructure, education, healthcare, transport, retail, etc. At present, the segment of IT and telecommunication accounts for significant demand because of their ample use of software and hardware to transfer data in various ways.The enterprise WLAN market holds out strong promise for players operating in it. Most of the big shots in the market are registering gangbuster profits year after year and seem primed to repeat the feat in the future as well.With the advent of internet connectivity and growing user base for internet, enterprise wireless local area network (WLAN) market is expected to witness flourishing growth prospect during the forecast period.Rising internet penetration and growing investment made towards telecommunication network broadens the market prospect for enterprise WLAN market. Consumers spend larger proportion of their income on mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones and others. Though network facility has been greatly developed in the age of 3G, 4G network connection, Wi-Fi become a valid option for most of the organizations, The Wi-Fi is able to provide internet connection with higher speed, and also covers large area. With the help of Wi-Fi, internet facility can be provided in public areas such as restaurants, parks, metro stations and others and this factor drives the enterprise WLAN market during the forecast period.There are several disadvantages involved to the enterprise WLAN market. The installation of such system is very expensive and this require skilled personnel for the regular maintenance. Huge expense and frequent change in technology in this sector is a restraining factor for the enterprise WLAN market over the forecast period and this is a hindrance for the market as well.On the basis of hardware, enterprise WLAN market is segmented into AP antennas, wireless access points, wireless LAN controller, wireless location appliance and multigigabit switching. Wireless LAN controller held the largest market share and this segment is expected to remain its market dominance during the forecast period. This segment is expected to attain considerable market share owing to large number of network operating centres and the segment is able to handle wireless access points. Large number of smartphone users and higher intensity of data usage among varied verticals such as hospitals, restaurants, homes and others facilitate the demand for enterprise WLAN market during the forecast period.In terms of verticals, enterprise WLAN market is classified into IT and telecommunication, logistics, banking, financial service and insurance (BFSI), municipality and public infrastructure, healthcare, education, retail, transport and other. IT and telecommunication held the largest market share in enterprise WLAN market. This segment utilizes lots of software and hardware to operationalise the transfer of data among varied number of ways. This segments large volume of data and installation of enterprise WLAN facilitates the transfer of data in this scenario. This kind of enterprise Wi-Fi actually broadens the scope of data transfer and enhances transmission thus projecting high growth trajectory for the market of enterprise WLAN market during the forecast period.According to regions, global enterprise WLAN market is classified into five regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest growing region in enterprise WLAN market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is the main hub information technology and telecommunication centre. Cloud based services is the most attractive investment destination in this region thus fostering the growth prospect of enterprise WLAN market over the forecast period. This region consists of large number of working population in comparison to other regions where number of dependent people are quite high. With the concentration of large number of emerging economies such as China, India and South Korea where there is substantial amount of growth opportunities, it is estimated that global enterprise WLAN market during the forecast period. North America and Europe are also promising market for enterprise WLAN. These regions have flourishing banking, healthcare and telecommunication sectors and with the rising investment opportunities these region witness stable growth rate over the forecast period.Some of the key market players include Juniper Networks, Cisco Systems, Aruba Networks, Aerohive Networks, Allied Telesis, ZTE Corporation, Extreme Networks, Ruckus Wireless, Wi-Fi Spark, Boingo Wireless, Avaya Corporation, Dell, Alcatel Lucent Enterprises, and others.Request For TOC Report @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz E-Paper Display Market Analysis by Technology Leaders: E Ink Holdings Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Amazon Liquavista B.V., Pervasive Displays Inc., Samsung electronics co. Ltd. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2189 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2189 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/e-paper-display-market-2189 Global E-paper Display Market, by Product (Mobile Device, Smart card, E-readers), by End-User (Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Retail, Medical), by Technology (Electrophoretic Display, Electrowetting Display, IMOD) - Forecast 2022Competitive AnalysisThe global e-paper display market is highly competitive characterized by the presence of local and international vendors. The key players functioning in the market include Plastic Logic (Germany), OED Technologies Co. Ltd. (China), LG Display (South Korea), Cambrios Technologies Corporation (U.S.), Gamma Dynamics (U.S.), E Ink Holdings, Inc. (Taiwan), Qualcomm, Inc. (U.S.), Amazon Liquavista B.V. (The Netherlands), Pervasive Displays, Inc. (Taiwan), Samsung electronics co. Ltd. (South Korea) and others.Get Sample Report @OverviewThe global e-paper display market is slated to capture a CAGR of 36% and reach USD 3878 Mn by the end of the forecast period of 2018-2022, reveals a research report published by Market Research Future (MRFR). The market has witnessed rapid growth over the years on account of the benefits offered by it such as high performance and low power consumption as compared to conventional display technologies. E-paper provides advantages such as high durability, enhanced readability while addressing the drawbacks of glass displays due to which e-paper displays are finding widespread adoption. They are used in e-book readers, e-paper magazines, and electronic price labels in retail shops, timetables at bus and railway stations and alongside, they are ideal for various other consumer and industrial applications and its application in various industry verticals such as automotive, consumer electronics, medical and retail is a crucial driver of the market. Extensive use of e-paper displays in the retail sector majorly helped in bringing e-paper displays to the mainstream. Blended learning, which is one of the latest trends in learning has supported the growth of the e-paper market. Educational institutions are increasingly turning to new technologies to impart education more dynamically and interactively so that the learning experience becomes efficient. For the same, they are increasingly leveraging hardware technologies such as e-paper displays. Rapid urbanization and growth initiatives to turn cities into smart cities also is a vital driver of the market. Smart city projects deploy e-paper displays in bus stations, smart signage for transportation, e-paper license plates, etc. and their use is expected to increase in future. Endeavors to reduce paper wastage and carbon footprint is also impacting the growth of the market. Businesses across the globe are now committed to protecting the environment and paper waste being one of the key contributors to environmental issues, have observed a reduction in paper usage chiefly. E-paper offers the advantage of being eco-friendly and are widely adopted. Free internet access in e-readers has also helped in popularizing e-paper displays which would lead to market expansion in future. However, lack of awareness regarding this technology is believed to hamper the growth of the market. Other factors include the threat from alternatives such as paper signage, prevailing practice of updating labels in retail manually with the help of cheap workforce and high costs associated with them.Get Discount Details @SegmentationThe global e-paper display market has been segmented based on product, end-user, and technology. By product, the market has been segmented into (Mobile Device, Smart card, and E-readers. By end-user, the market has been segmented into Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Retail, and Medical. By technology, the market has been segmented into Electrophoretic Display, Electrowetting Display, and IMOD.Regional AnalysisThe key markets of the global E-Paper Display Market include North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. North America market is expected to lead the market with the US being the most significant contributor to the market growth. Higher adoption of the technology is facilitating the growth of the market in the region. Europe market is also expected to exhibit substantial growth opportunities owing to growing technological advancement in the region. Furthermore, Asia Pacific is foreseen to emerge as the fastest growing market owing to rising investment by industry players in the region and growth and adoption of technology.Industry Updates In March 2018, E Ink Holdings announced a partnership with Papercast Ltd. for crafting e-paper passenger information display at a smart bus stop in the Japanese city of Aizuwakamatsu. Smart bus stops will use Papercast's management solution which would be run on solar-powered e-display technology. In May 2018, Plastic Logic, a leader in the field of plastic electronics, announced a new e-paper display that has improved features as compared to its previous technology. The new 500 PPI E-Paper display offers increased resolution and has added advantages over traditional glass displays in terms of power consumption and daylight readability. California approved the use of e-paper license plates that are capable of displaying custom messages. The e-paper displays could be updated remotely and are being made by a company called Reviver Auto.Get More Information @TABLE OF CONTENTS1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology2.1. Scope Of The Study2.1.1. Definition2.1.2. Research Objective2.1.3. Assumptions2.1.4. Limitations2.2. Research Process2.2.1. Primary Research2.2.2. Secondary Research2.3. Market Size Estimation2.4. Forecast Model3. Market DynamicsContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst membersContact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Paper Bottles Market 2028 | yspackaging, Anhui Idea Technology Ltd., Biopac Co., Ch2oose, Taizhou merry port Plastic Products Co. Ltd., Vegan bottle, Mitsubishi Plastics, Raepack Ltd https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124612/Paper-Bottles-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124612/Paper-Bottles-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124612/Paper-Bottles-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Market Overview:Paper bottlesare an eco-friendly product designed to meet both consumer demand without harming the environment these are eco-friendly packaging bottles. The Paper Water Bottle which are manufactured with pulp material is made from mixtures of plant-based fibers to make it user-friendly, operationally efficient, and easy to biodegradable. Global Paper bottles market size was estimated USD XXmillion in 2017 andit is expected that the market will grow with CAGR of XX% from 2018-2028. In 2028the market is expected to reach at USD XX million.Market Dynamics:The paper bottle market is growing rapidly as government regulationsare playing vital role. In countries such as India and China government has banned the plastic materials due to which it has huge demand for these bottles. Also, severalmarket trends comprise growing population and recent technological developments in biodegradable packaging. These factors are the major reasons for the rise in paper bottles market.Request For Report Sample:Market Players:Paper water bottle, Lyspackaging, Anhui Idea Technology Ltd., Biopac Co., Ch2oose, Taizhou merry port Plastic Products Co. Ltd., Vegan bottle, Mitsubishi Plastics, Raepack Ltd.and others are some of the prominent players in the Paper bottles market.The players are majorly focusing on the development of progressivepaper bottlesto promote the paper bottles globally.Market Segmentation:Paper bottles market can be divided on the basis of materials used and capacity. On the basis of material, the paper bottle market is segmented into organic material and biodegradable plastic.Request For Report TOC :Further, on the basis oforganic material the market is segmented intosugarcane pulp. paper, algae (agar powder) and bamboo and on the basis of biodegradable plastic the market is segmented intoPHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), plant-based PLA (poly-lactic acid), Cellulose-based plastics, Poly-butylene succinate and PET (polyethylene terephthalate).Moreover, the paper bottles can also be segmented on the basis of capacity 5ml-100ml, 100ml-500ml, 500ml-1000ml and other paper bottles. The demand for a different capacity of paper bottles varies depending on its application.Based on region the market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America and Middles east and Africa. It is expected that North America will dominate the paper bottles market.Market segmented on the basis of material:- Organic material Paper Sugarcane pulp Bamboo Algae (Agar powder)- Biodegradable plastic Plant-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate) PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) PLA (poly-lactic acid) Cellulose-based plastics Poly-butylene succinateMarket segmented on the basis of capacity:- 5 ml 100 ml (small)- 100ml - 500ml (medium)- 500ml -1000 ml (large)- OthersMarket segmented on the basis of region:- North America US Canada Mexico- Europe UK Germany France Rest of Europe- Asia-Pacific China Japan India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific- Latin America Brazil Rest of Latin America- Middle East and Africa (MEA) South Africa Saudi Arabia Rest of MEAReport Analysis:About UsResearch Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trendsContact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Global Functional Foods Market 2018 - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Strategies and Forecast To 2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3018977-global-functional-foods-market-research-report-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3018977-global-functional-foods-market-research-report-2018 Global Functional Foods IndustryNew Study On 2018-2025 Functional Foods Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThis report studies the global Functional Foods market status and forecast, categorizes the global Functional Foods market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia).Try Sample Report @The major manufacturers covered in this reportNestleGeneral MillsDanoneDean FoodsPepsiCoCoca-ColaPfizerGSKHerbalifeArlaChampion NutritionArcher Daniels Midland (ADM)KelloggAbbott NutritionBASFBayer HealthCareGeographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaWe can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeRest of Asia-PacificEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaTurkeyRest of Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoFunctional DairyFunctional Bakery & CerealFunctional Fats & OilsFunctional Meat, Fish & EggsOtherOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingChildrenAdultAgedThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Functional Foods capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Functional Foods manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:Global Functional Foods Market Research Report 20181 Functional Foods Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Functional Foods1.2 Functional Foods Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Functional Foods Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Functional Foods Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Functional Dairy1.2.3 Functional Bakery & Cereal1.2.5 Functional Fats & Oils1.2.6 Functional Meat, Fish & EggsOther1.3 Global Functional Foods Segment by Application1.3.1 Functional Foods Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Children1.3.3 Adult1.3.4 Aged1.4 Global Functional Foods Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Functional Foods Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Functional Foods (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Functional Foods Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Functional Foods Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Functional Foods Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Functional Foods Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Functional Foods Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Functional Foods Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Functional Foods Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Functional Foods Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Functional Foods Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Functional Foods Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Functional Foods Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Functional Foods Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Functional Foods Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Functional Foods Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Functional Foods Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Functional Foods Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Functional Foods Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Functional Foods Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Functional Foods Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Functional Foods Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Functional Foods Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Functional Foods Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Functional Foods Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Functional Foods Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Functional Foods Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Functional Foods Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Functional Foods Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Nestle7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Nestle Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 General Mills7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 General Mills Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Danone7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Danone Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Dean Foods7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Dean Foods Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 PepsiCo7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 PepsiCo Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Coca-Cola7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Coca-Cola Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Pfizer7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Pfizer Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 GSK7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 GSK Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Herbalife7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Herbalife Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Arla7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Functional Foods Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Arla Functional Foods Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Champion Nutrition7.12 Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)7.13 Kellogg7.14 Abbott Nutrition7.15 BASF7.16 Bayer HealthCareContinued.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+91 841 198 5042Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Cancer Diagnostics Market Key Insights Shaping Industry by 2022 | Sklar Surgical Instruments, Fortimedix Surgical, Intuitive Surgical Inc., Levita Magnetics, Olympus, Medtronic plc https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1962 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cancer-diagnostics-market-1962 Market Report Titled "Cancer Diagnostics Market Research Report Forecast to 2022" is a Specialist Examination Report Explores the Industry by Research Methodology, Segmentation, Key Players, and Major Region Globally .Global Cancer Diagnostics Market - HighlightsThere are several methods of diagnosing cancer today such as biopsy based, endoscopy based, imaging procedure, tumor cancer diagnostics and many more. Population affected with cancer are showing a tremendous growth during last few years, which create the requirement of advanced technology for diagnosis cancer on early stage.According to the American Cancer Society, in 2017, it is estimate that around 161,360 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and around 26,730 deaths occur owing to prostate cancer in the United States.FOR FREE SAMPLE REPORT VISITGlobal Cancer Diagnostics Market - Key PlayersArquer Diagnostics Ltd (U.K)BioMark Diagnostics Inc. (Canada)Biotheranostics, Inc. (U.S.)Cancer Diagnostics, Inc. (U.S.)Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.)Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.)Illumina, Inc. (Denmark)Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.)And moreGlobal Cancer Diagnostics Market - SegmentationThe global cancer diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of types, application, and end user. On the basis of the type, it is segmented into biopsy based, endoscopy based, imaging procedure, tumor cancer diagnostics, and others.On the basis of the application, it is segmented into lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, blood cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and others. On the basis of the end user, it is segmented into diagnostic center, clinic, hospital, research institutes, and others.Global Cancer Diagnostics Market Growth and AnalysisMany companies are involve in collaboration in order to provide better technology for diagnosis the cancer. In this regards, in January, 2015, Roche and Qualcomm Incorporated entered into a strategic collaboration to improve remote monitoring and management of patients with chronic disease.Rising demand for better technology, increasing investment in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries for R&D are driving the market for cancer diagnostics.Moreover, increasing government support for research & development, changing lifestyle, and rapidly developing technology are also expected to fuel the market during the forecast period. However, the high cost of the treatment may slow the market growth during the period 2017-2022.The Global Cancer Diagnostics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% during the forecast period 2017-2022.Global Cancer Diagnostics Market - Regional AnalysisThe Americas dominate the global cancer diagnostics market owing to the presence of huge patient population with cancer, high healthcare spending, and increasing government support for research & development.According to a report published by the breast cancer information and awareness, in 2017, around 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women, along with 63,410 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.Europe holds the second largest share of the global cancer diagnostics market as result of increasing focus of various government agencies on the treatment of diseases. Moreover, the growing public awareness is also likely to boost the European market.GET REPORT DETAILS WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT @Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market across the globe. Moreover, rapidly developing economy, increasing healthcare expenditure, and the government initiatives for research & development are projected to drive the market in China and India.The Middle East and Africa holds the least share of the global market due to limited availability of medical facilities. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are expected to drive the Middle East & African market. Whereas, the African region is expected to witness a moderate growth.Major Points form TOC for Cancer Diagnostics Market Research Report Forecast to 2022Chapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By TypeChapter 7. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By TreatmentChapter 8 Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By End UserChapter 9. Global Cancer Diagnostics Market, By RegionChapter 10 Company LandscapeChapter 11 Company ProfilesChapter 12 MRFR ConclusionChapter 13 AppendixAbout US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Orthopedic Devices Market 2018 Market Estimate, Competitive Landscape, Industry Size with Medtronic, NuVasive, Inc., Smith & Nephew plc., Stryker Co, Zimmer Inc. etc. Orthopedic Devices Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3323 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/orthopedic-devices-market-3323 The Global Orthopedic Devices Market has emerged from conventional surgical procedures to the use of fixation and prosthetic devices. These devices are placed within the muscle systems or the bodys skeleton to offer stability or correct existing problems. Orthopedic devices market is growing at a very fast rate and is expected to grow in years to come.An Orthopedic Device are placed within the bodys skeleton and muscle systems to correct existing problems or to provide stability. Technological advancements and product development are the best strategy that yields the greatest market benefit. Changing technology, increasing prevalence of osteoporosis, increasing funding for R&D and market growth in emerging economies are major driving forces for global orthopedic devices market.Orthopedic Devices Market is growing steadily and expected to continue its growth near future. The total market for orthopedic devices was US$ 43,802.1 million in 2016 and expected to reach US$ 58,814.6 million by 2023. The Global Orthopedic Devices Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period.Global Orthopedic Devices Market Industry DevelopmentsA leading musculoskeletal solutions company, Globus Medical Inc., has announced the launch CREO Fenestrated Screw System that is used for treating patients suffering from advanced stage tumors of the thoracolumbar spine.Medtronic Plc. has declared that the US Food and Drug Administration has offered 510k clearance of Kyphon HV-R Bone Cement for fixation of fractures of sacral vertebral body with the help of sacroplasty or vertebroplasty.Get Sample Report @Global Orthopedic Devices Market Dominant Key PlayersSome of the key players in this market are:DePuy Synthes Companies (US)Globus Medical, Inc. (US)Medtronic (Republic of Ireland)NuVasive, Inc. (US)Smith & Nephew plc. (UK)Stryker Corporation (US)Zimmer Inc. (US)Global Orthopedic Devices Market - SegmentsGlobally, the orthopedic devices market has been segmented on the basis of type, application, region and end users. On the basis of type, the market can be segmented into spinal devices, consumables and disposables, trauma fixation, joint replacement, bone repair, and others.On the basis of application, the market can be segregated into trauma and extremities, foot, knee, spine, hip, spine, ankle, and others, where knee and hip applications hold the largest market share. It has been witnessed that high rate of knee and hip replacement surgeries combined with the innovations in their treatment is contributing towards the market growth of orthopedic devices.Based on end users, the market for orthopedic devices can be bifurcated into hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and medical research centers, where hospitals hold the maximum market share.Global Orthopedic Devices Market - Regional AnalysisTaking the Global scenario of Orthopedic Devices Market into consideration, North America was holding the highest market share of around 39.6 % in the year 2016. With the presence of major market players and advanced technologies, the market in this region is growing steadily.Europe has been considered as the second largest market and is expected to reach USD 19,467.6 Mn by the end of 2023.Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to witness the fastest growth with CAGR of 6.2 % during the assessment period. Availability of government regulations and presence of untapped markets are sure to attract attention of global players.Moreover, Middle East and Africa can exhibit a dull growth over the forecast period due to slow implementation of latest technologies.Considering the global scenario of the market, North America was holding largest market share of 39.6% in global orthopedic devices market in 2016. Europe is second largest market and expected to reach USD 19,467.6 million by 2023. APAC is expected to grow at fastest CAGR of 6.2% during 2017-2023. On the other hand. Middle East and Africa (ME&A) Orthopedic devices market was growing lower than global average and expected to grow at steady pace.Browse Complete 110 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 40+ Respective Tables and Figures @Major Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market DynamicsContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Age 23 and 24, I was just like OK, I don't know what I want, but if I just keep going and keep trying things, whatever it is you'll do will reveal itself to you. I clung to that as a lost, early 20-something, she says. The times of you go to school, you graduate, you get an internship and then you stay at that company until you die are over. That's not how it works anymore. The things that I am doing in my early 20s, very unlikely will be what Im doing that in my 40s or 50s, but when I started making cakes, I kind of knew like, Oh, maybe this is a thing. Maybe this is it. Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market Arises to Reach USD 67,982.2 Million at 14.29% of CAGR with Principal Players like GE Healthcare, Qualcomm, Jawbone Inc., Withings SA, Fitbit Inc., Garmin Ltd. Etc. During 2018-2022 Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3564 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/real-time-health-monitoring-devices-market-3564 Market Research Future (MRFR) has recently published a study report giving out the complete market prognosis up till 2022. According to MRFR, the Global Real-Time Health Monitoring Devices Market gaining further prominence will register a spectacular growth of USD 67,982.2 million by 2022, posting a striking 14.29% CAGR during 2016 2022.Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market Key PlayersSome of the key players in this market are:GE Healthcare (U.K.)Qualcomm (U.S.)Jawbone Inc. (U.S.)Withings SA (France)Fitbit Inc. (U.S.)Garmin Ltd. (Switzerland)Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market - SegmentsThe report Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market is segmented into 3 key dynamics, for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding: -By Types: Comprises Wearable Devices & Home Health Medical Devices among others.By End Users: Hospitals & Clinics, Specialty Centers, & Ambulatory Centers and Homecare Settings among others.By Regions: Europe, North America, APAC and Rest of the World.Segment Wearable Devices by Types, holding the largest market share dominates the global market.Get Sample Report @Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market InsightsReal-Time Health Monitoring Devices market, although in its embryonic stage, is still witnessing an outstanding growth over the past couple of years. This growth attributes to the ability of these devices in the field of flexible health monitoring and management providing real-time analysis of the patients health parameters efficiently. Growing population, increasing awareness & inclination among people towards keeping good health coupled with the augmenting uptake of these devices fuelled by the improving conditions & growing influence of media industry; such factors are fostering the market growth to an extent.Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market - Competitive AnalysisWell established players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product launch in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position.In July-2016, GE Healthcare acquired Biosafe Group, which supplied integrated cell bioprocessing systems for the cell therapy and regenerative medicine industry, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of Biosafe expanded GE Healthcares end-to-end ecosystem of products, solutions, and services for its cell therapy customers and expanded GEs technology reach to a number of new cell and therapy types.In October-2017, Qualcomm, along with Netgear, Ericsson, and Australian carrier Telstra, is announced launch of the first product to support gigabit LTE, a mobile hotspot. The hotspot makes use of a variety of technologies to hit those high speeds, including carrier aggregation. It runs on Telstras existing LTE networks.In February-2017, Nokia re-launched the entire Withings portfolio of digital health devices under the Nokia brand, the company announced the same at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.In May-2016, Fitbit, Inc., the leader in the connected health and fitness market, acquired wearable payment assets of Coin, a Silicon Valley consumer electronics and financial technology company. The deal includes key personnel and intellectual property specific to Coins wearable payment platform. There were no plans to integrate Coins wearable payments technology into the 2016 Fitbit product roadmap, the acquisition accelerated Fitbits ability to develop an active NFC payment solution that could be embedded into future Fitbit devices, broadening its smart capabilities. The acquisition excluded smart payment products, such as Coin 2.0.Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market - Regional AnalysisNorth America dominates the Global Real Time Health Monitoring Devices Market increasing diseases management for the growing geriatric population. Moreover, the presence of the developed economies like the U.S. and Canada provides the technological backgrounds for the market growth. Europe holds the second largest market. The need to reduce the healthcare costs and improve patient health management for the ageing population has led to the adoption of real time health monitoring devices in this region. The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing region while the Middle East and Africa holds the least share of the global market.Browse Full Report @Major Table of ContentChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 LimitationsChapter 3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size EstimationChapter 4. Market DynamicsContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com Tubeless Tyre Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players Bridgestone Corporation, The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber,Yokohama Tire Global Tubeless Tyre Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3509095-global-tubeless-tyre-market-study-2015-2025-by https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3509095-global-tubeless-tyre-market-study-2015-2025-by Global Tubeless Tyre MarketWiseGuyReports.com Global Tubeless Tyre Market 2018: Global Analysis, Industry Size, Share, Trends, Application Analysis and Growth Opportunities Forecast to 2025 report has been added to its Research Database.Description:-The global Tubeless Tyre market will reach xxx Million USD in 2018 and with a CAGR if xx% between2019-2025.Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):By Tyre SegmentRadial Tubeless TyreBias Tubeless TyreBy Rim Size13-15 inch16-18 inch19-21 inch22-26 inchOthersDemand Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Consumer Distribution):Passenger VehiclesCommercial VehiclesRequest a Sample Report@Company Coverage (Sales data, Main Products & Services etc.):Bridgestone CorporationThe Goodyear Tyre and RubberContinental AGMichelinPirelli TyreSumitomo Rubber IndustriesHankook TireToyo Tire and RubberYokohama TireCEAT, LtdMajor Region MarketNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaBrowse full report @Table of Content1 Industry Overview1.1 Tubeless Tyre Industry1.1.1 Overview1.1.2 Products of Major Companies1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 Industry Chain1.2.2 Consumer Distribution1.3 Price & Cost Overview2 Tubeless Tyre Market by Type2.1 By Tyre Segment2.1.1 Radial Tubeless Tyre2.1.2 Bias Tubeless Tyre2.2 By Rim Size2.2.1 13-15 inch2.2.2 16-18 inch2.2.3 19-21 inch2.2.4 22-26 inch2.2.5 Others2.3 Market Size by Type2.4 Market Forecast by Type3 Global Market Demand3.1 Segment Overview3.1.1 Passenger Vehicles3.1.2 Commercial Vehicles3.2 Market Size by Demand3.3 Market Forecast by Demand4 Major Region Market4.1 Global Market Overview4.1.1 Market Size & Growth4.1.2 Market Forecast4.2 Major Region4.2.1 Market Size & Growth4.2.2 Market Forecast5 Major Companies List5.1 Bridgestone Corporation (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.2 The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.3 Continental AG (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.4 Michelin (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.5 Pirelli Tyre (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.6 Sumitomo Rubber Industries (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.7 Hankook Tire (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.8 Toyo Tire and Rubber (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.9 Yokohama Tire (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)5.10 CEAT, Ltd (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)6 ConclusionTOC Continued..About Us:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltdsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Maharashtra, Pune 411028 Global Emotion Analytics Market Growth Analysis By Top Key Players Like Microsoft, IBM, IMotions, Kairos, NViso, Yuyidata and Others 2018 - 2023 https://www.researchtrades.com/request-sample/1565347 https://www.researchtrades.com/discount/1565347 https://www.researchtrades.com/report/global-emotion-analytics-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023/1565347 www.researchtrades.com The Global Emotion Analytics (EA) is a new field that analysis of a person's verbal and non-verbal communication in order to understand the person's mood or attitude, then can be used in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) area, such as to identify how a customer perceives a product, the presentation of a product or an interaction with a company representative.Request for sample@Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Emotion Analytics in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversMicrosoftIBMIMotionsKairosBeyond VerbalAffectivaEyeris (EmoVu)NVisoRealeyesYuyidataAdoreboardHeartbeat AIDeloitteSAS InstituteClarabridgeCrimson HexagonBerkshire MediaDentsuMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversFacial AnalyticsSpeech AnalyticsVideo AnalyticsOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoMedia & EntertainmentRetail and EducationFinancial ServicesHealthcareOthersRequest for discount@Table of Contents1 Emotion Analytics Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Emotion Analytics1.2 Classification of Emotion Analytics by Types1.2.1 Global Emotion Analytics Revenue Comparison by Types (2017-2023)1.2.2 Global Emotion Analytics Revenue Market Share by Types in 20171.2.1 Facial Analytics1.2.2 Speech Analytics1.2.3 Video Analytics1.2.4 Others1.3 Global Emotion Analytics Market by Application1.3.1 Global Emotion Analytics Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2013-2023)1.3.1 Media & Entertainment1.3.2 Retail and Education1.3.3 Financial Services1.3.4 Healthcare1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Emotion Analytics Market by Regions1.4.1 Global Emotion Analytics Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2023)1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Emotion Analytics Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Emotion Analytics Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Emotion Analytics Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Emotion Analytics Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Emotion Analytics Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.5 Global Market Size of Emotion Analytics (2013-2023)2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Microsoft2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Microsoft Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 IBM2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 IBM Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 IMotions2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 IMotions Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Kairos2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Kairos Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Beyond Verbal2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Beyond Verbal Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Affectiva2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Affectiva Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 Eyeris (EmoVu)2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 Eyeris (EmoVu) Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 NViso2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 NViso Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.9 Realeyes2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 Realeyes Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.10 Yuyidata2.10.1 Business Overview2.10.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.10.2.1 Type 12.10.2.2 Type 22.10.3 Yuyidata Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.11 Adoreboard2.11.1 Business Overview2.11.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.11.2.1 Type 12.11.2.2 Type 22.11.3 Adoreboard Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.12 Heartbeat AI2.12.1 Business Overview2.12.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.12.2.1 Type 12.12.2.2 Type 22.12.3 Heartbeat AI Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.13 Deloitte2.13.1 Business Overview2.13.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.13.2.1 Type 12.13.2.2 Type 22.13.3 Deloitte Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.14 SAS Institute2.14.1 Business Overview2.14.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.14.2.1 Type 12.14.2.2 Type 22.14.3 SAS Institute Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.15 Clarabridge2.15.1 Business Overview2.15.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.15.2.1 Type 12.15.2.2 Type 22.15.3 Clarabridge Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.16 Crimson Hexagon2.16.1 Business Overview2.16.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.16.2.1 Type 12.16.2.2 Type 22.16.3 Crimson Hexagon Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.17 Berkshire Media2.17.1 Business Overview2.17.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.17.2.1 Type 12.17.2.2 Type 22.17.3 Berkshire Media Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.18 Dentsu2.18.1 Business Overview2.18.2 Emotion Analytics Type and Applications2.18.2.1 Type 12.18.2.2 Type 22.18.3 Dentsu Emotion Analytics Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)Browse complete report@3 Global Emotion Analytics Market Competition, by Players3.1 Global Emotion Analytics Revenue and Share by Players (2013-2018)3.2 Market Concentration Rate3.2.1 Top 5 Emotion Analytics Players Market Share3.2.2 Top 10 Emotion Analytics Players Market Share3.3 Market Competition TrendWho we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approaches, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 (USA), +91 7507349866 (IND)Web:Skype ID: researchtradescon Denim Jeans Market Huge Growth (USD 9.32 billion) | PVH Corp, Kering, Pepe Jeans S.L., Besteller A/S Denim Jeans Market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1452080-global-denim-jeans-market-size-study-by-type https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1452080-global-denim-jeans-market-size-study-by-type https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1452080 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1452080-global-denim-jeans-market-size-study-by-type A new research document is added in HTF MI database of 200 pages, titled as 'Global Denim Jeans Market Size study, by Type (Mass Market, Standard, Premium), by Consumer Type (Men, Women, Children), by Distribution Channel (Specialty Stores, Supermarkets & Hypermarkets, Department Stores, Exclusive Stores, Online) and Regional Forecasts 2018-2025' with detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World and important players/vendors such as Levi Strauss & Co., The Gap Inc., VF Corporation, H&M Hennes & Mauritz etc. The report will help you gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2018-2025.Request a sample report @Global Denim Jeans Market to reach USD 9.32 billion by 2025.Global Denim Jeans Market valued approximately USD 4.47 billion in 2017 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 8.5% over the forecast period 2018-2025. The major driving factor of global denim jeans market are rising disposable income of the individuals, surging e-commerce industry and increasing preference for wearing denim jeans. Growth of the global denim jeans market is mainly bound to various macro-economic and micro-economic factors. Manufacturers are adopting the leading fiber technology that has enabled them to offer denim jeans products for the athleisure and active wear besides the workwear and casualwear. The major restraining factor of global denim jeans market are changes in consumer lifestyle & preference and the introduction of yoga pants and other active wear.The Denim Jeans market is developing and expanding at a significant pace. The Denim Jeans are a specific type of trousers which are made of denim or dungaree cloth. The Denim Jeans are one of the most significant part of the clothing & apparel industry. The Denim jeans are mostly popular among the youths. Increasing demand for denim jeans products is further expected to impact the global market growth of denim jeans positively. There are many benefits of denim such as denim jeans provides you a street style fashion to your lifestyle and adding leather boots make you junky and give you a rough look, denims jeans are indeed very tough and durable material and it is cost effective clothing to wear and stylish at the same time.Get Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @The regional analysis of Global Denim Jeans Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America has accounted leading 30% share of total generating revenue in 2016 across the globe. Asia-Pacific region region is also anticipated to exhibit higher growth rate / CAGR over the forecast period 2018-2025, due to the factors such as surge in digitization within the apparel industry and advancement in new denim knitting technologiesThe major market player included in this report are:Levi Strauss & Co., The Gap Inc., VF Corporation, H&M Hennes & Mauritz, PVH Corp, Kering, Pepe Jeans S.L. , Besteller A/S, U.S. Polo Assn.The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players.Buy this report @The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:By Type: Mass Market Standard PremiumBy Consumer Type: Men Women ChildrenBy Distribution Channel: Specialty Stores Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Department Stores Exclusive Stores OnlineBy Regions: North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germany Asia Pacifico Chinao Indiao Japan Latin Americao Brazilo Mexico Rest of the WorldFurthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year 2015, 2016Base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2025Target Audience of the Global Denim Jeans Market in Market Study: Key Consulting Companies & Advisors Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Venture capitalists Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Third-party knowledge providers Investment bankers InvestorsCompanies Mentioned in the ReportLevi Strauss & Co., The Gap Inc., VF Corporation, H&M Hennes & Mauritz, PVH Corp, Kering, Pepe Jeans S.L. , Besteller A/S, U.S. Polo Assn.TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter 1. Executive Summary1.1. Market Snapshot1.2. Key Trends1.3. Global & Segmental Market Estimates & Forecasts, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)1.3.1. Denim Jeans, by Type, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)1.3.2. Denim Jeans, by Consumer Type, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)1.3.3. Denim Jeans, by Distribution Channel, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)1.3.4. Denim Jeans, by Region, 2015-2025 (USD Billion)1.4. Estimation Methodology1.5. Research AssumptionChapter 2. Denim Jeans Definition and Scope2.1. Objective of the Study2.2. Market Definition & Scope2.2.1. Industry Evolution2.2.2. Scope of the Study2.3. Years Considered for the Study2.4. Currency Conversion Rates....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization accordingly.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.com Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market Key Players : Bayer Healthcare, Boston Scientific Corporation, Allergan Inc., Medtronic Inc., Merck, Bausch and Lomb, Inc. Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/449 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Implantable drug delivery devices are the medical devices, which enable site specific drug administration. It also helps in minimizing the doses of drug in order to reduce potential side effects. These devices facilitate sustained release of a therapeutic agent. These implantable devices are gaining edge over conventional oral or parenteral dosage forms due to site specific and sustained release therapeutic action of implantable devices, which further minimize the side-effects associated with the drug.Competitive AnalysisBayer Healthcare, Boston Scientific Corporation, Allergan Inc., Medtronic Inc., Merck, Bausch and Lomb, Inc. and Abbott laboratories are some of the major players in this market. Product launch, merger & acquisition and research & development are the competitive strategies adopted by these key players. In 2013, Bayer Healthcare launched a noval hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) Skyla. The same product is launched in Europe with the brand name Jaydess, which is used for the prevention of pregnancy for up to three years.Get Sample PDF Brochure :The major factors driving the growth of this market are growing incidences of target disease such as diabetic retinopathy, prostate cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chroni diseases. Rising cases of unwanted pregnancies and growing aging population also supplement the growth of this market. However, cost associated with the use of these devices has restricted the market growth.Global Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market by Product TypesGlobal implantable drug delivery devices market is segmented into Implantable coronary drug eluting stents, implantable bio-absorbable stents, implantable contraceptive drug delivery devices, implantable intraocular drug delivery devices, implantable brachytherapy seeds and implantable drug infusion pumps. Implantable drug infusion pumps and contraceptive drug delivery devices are most widely used devices.Global Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market by TechnologyGlobal implantable drug delivery devices market by technology is segmented into Biodegradable implantable drug delivery device technology and Non-biodegradable implantable drug delivery device technology. Biodegradable technology is expected to grow faster as compared to Non-biodegradable, as biodegradable technology reduces side effects associated with the presence of device in the body and does not follow the process of surgery in removing a device from the body.Global Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market by ApplicationGlobal implantable drug delivery device market by application is segmented into Ophthalmology, cardiovascular, Birth control/contraception, Oncology and others. The market of implantable drug delivery devices is largest in cardiovascular application due to the introduction of absorbable stents devices.Global Implantable Drug Delivery Devices Market by GeographyGeographically, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. North America is the largest market due to growing aging population and prevalence of target disease such as diabetic retinopathy and chronic diseases. Asia-pacific is considered to be the fastest growing market due to high disposable income in emerging nations.KEY BENEFITS The report throws light on the dominant current trends. Based on the understanding of trends, revenues are forecast from 2013-2020 Market intelligence for key developmental strategies adopted by top companies is explained with impact analysis Analysis of trends in various regions would help the companies to plan their strategies depending on the region Emphasis is laid on key factors affecting the growth of global implantable drug delivery device market. These factors are critically analyzed to reveal the most impacting factors in the market Porters Five Forces analysis provides an insight into market dynamics and industry competitionKEY DELIVERABLESMarket is segmented based on product type, technology, application and geography.MARKET BY PRODUCT TYPE Implantable Coronary Drug Eluting Stents Implantable Bio-Absorbable Stents Implantable Contraceptive Drug Delivery Devices Implantable Intraocular Drug Delivery Devices Implantable Brachytherapy Seeds Implantable Drug Infusion PumpsAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.David C5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Antiepileptic Drugs Market Key Players : GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, Abbott, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Antiepileptic Drugs Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/455 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are commonly termed as anticonvulsants or antiseizure drugs, which are used in symptomatic treatment of epileptic seizures. The epileptic seizures show recurring episodes and occur due to wrong signal sent by nerve cells to the brain. Antiepileptic drugs also act as mood stabilizers and also used in the treatment of bipolar disorders or neuropathic pain. Antiepileptics market is specifically driven due to new drug approvals over the past few years. However, recent patent expiration of major brand such as Lamictal is expected to hinder the growth of the market.GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, Abbott, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, and Cephalon are some of the key leaders of global antiepileptic drugs market. Generic competition has dramatically increased for antiepileptics due to patent expiration of major brands and in future, it would be responsible for down pricing of branded drugs. Lyrica was the largest selling antiepileptic brand owing to its highly efficacious nature. Retigabine and perampanel are recently approved antiepileptics, which act through new molecular targets.Get Sample PDF Brochure :Antiepileptic drugs market is segmented based on drug type and geography. Drug type segment is further categorized into two broad categories, namely first and second-generation antiepileptic drugs. Phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxycarbazepine and valproate from the first generation class, dominates the overall antiepileptics market. From the second-generation drugs, zonisamide, levetiracetam, and lacosamide are gaining popularity due to their tolerability and high efficacy. Geographically, global antiepileptic drugs market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA.North America and Europe dominates the global market due to extensive R&D efforts and presence of approved second-generation antiepileptics. Asia-pacific is the fastest growing market owing to widespread prevalence of epilepsy and better penetration of antiepileptic drugs. In-depth coverage of the global antiepileptic drugs market including drivers, restraints and opportunities would help professionals to better understand market behavior. Porters Five Forces analysis examines the competitive structure of the global antiepileptic drugs market and it would assist market strategists in their respective decision making process. Pinpointed analysis of geographic segments would help to identify opportunities for growth within the global antiepileptic drugs market.KEY BENEFITS This report offers the following benefits in particular: In-depth coverage of the global antiepileptic drugs market including drivers, restraints and opportunities would help professionals to better understand market behavior Porters Five Forces analysis examines the competitive structure of the global antiepileptic drugs market and it would assist market strategists in their respective decision making process Pinpointed analysis of geographic segments helps to identify opportunities for growth within the global antiepileptic drugs market Detailed study of the strategies of key leaders, partnerships and acquisitions in the global antiepileptic drugs market would be informative for professionals in the corporate sectorKEY MARKET SEGMENTSThe global antiepileptic drugs market is segmented into two major categories such as drug type and geography.MARKET BY DRUG TYPE First Generation AEDso Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)o Carbamazepine (Carbatrol)o Oxycarbazepine (Trileptal)o Valproate (Depakote)o Topiramate (Topamax)o Ethosuximide (Zarontin)o Primidone (Mysoline)o Phenobarbital (Luminal) Second Generation AEDso Lamotrigine (Lamictal)o Pregabalin (Lyrica)o Rufinamide (Banzel/Inovelon)o Levetiracetam (Keppra)o Ezogabine/retigabine (Trobalt/Potiga)o Lacosamide (Vimpat)o Eslicarbazepine acetate (Aptiom)o Zonisamide (Zonegran)o Perampanel (Fycompa)MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEAAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.David C5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Male Grooming Product Industry 2018-2025- Gillette, Shiseido, Mary Kay, Unilever, Coty Inc, L'oreal Group, Johnson & Johnson, Kao Corporation, Revlon, Avon, Procter and Gamble, Colgate Male Grooming Product Industry 2018-2025 https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/676324 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/676324 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/676324 www.orianresearch.com/ www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ Male Grooming Product Market Report provides Key information on size, share, growth, trend, demand, top player, industry overview, opportunities, Sales Channel. Along with the reports on the global aspect, these reports cater regional aspects as well as global for the organizations.For Sample Copy of this Report Visit @Scope of the Report:This report studies the global market size of Male Grooming Product in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Male Grooming Product in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Male Grooming Product market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.The growth of the male grooming products market has been catalyzed by an increasing consciousness among male consumers on personal wellness and appearance. Driven by an increasing penetration of media, there has been a rising societal pressure to always look goodGlobal Male Grooming Product Industry is spread across 126 pages, profiling 18 companies and supported with tables and figures.Inquire more or share a question if any before the purchase on this report @Report Coverage:Top Manufactures/vendors of Male Grooming Product market: Gillette Shiseido Mary Kay Unilever The Estee Lauder Companies Inc L'occitane International S.A Coty Inc L'oreal Group Based on Type: Skin Care Products Hair Care Products Other Grooming ProductBased on Application: Personal Use Salons OtherOrder a copy of Global Male Grooming Product Market Report 2018 @Key StakeholdersMale Grooming Product ManufacturersMale Grooming Product Distributors/Traders/WholesalersMale Grooming Product Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Male Grooming Product market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players..what does Report Include?Historic Data: What was the Male Grooming Product Market data (Size, competition, company share, YoY growth rate, etc.) from 2013 to 2018Current Market Status: A comprehensive analysis of current market Size, trends, growth drivers, industry pitfalls, challenges and opportunities for playersMarket Forecast: Report will comment and provide details about market growth and forecast till year 2025.Customization: We can provide following things 1) On request more company profiles (competitors) 2) Data about particular country or region 3) We will incorporate the same with no additional cost (Post conducting feasibility).Major Points from Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of Male Grooming Product2 Global Male Grooming Product Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles4 Global Male Grooming Product Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)5 United States Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook6 EU Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook7 Japan Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook8 China Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook9 India Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia Male Grooming Product Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 Male Grooming Product Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS +1 (415) 830-3727| UK +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn: Cancer Drug Market Forecast 2018 2025 By Top Players Cancer Drug Industry are Roche Holdings Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, Celgene, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Celgene Corporation, Sanofi, Merck & Co., Amgen Inc. https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/sample/HnM/QBI-GRS-HnM-116231 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/enquiry/HnM/QBI-GRS-HnM-116231 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/buy/HnM/QBI-GRS-HnM-116231/ https://www.qurateresearch.com/ Global Cancer Drug Industry was valued at USD 73.40 Billion in the year 2017. Global Cancer Drug Industry is further estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.98% from 2018 to 2025 to reach USD 135.71 Billion by the year 2025. North America region holds the highest Industry share in 2017 with APAC region is considered as the fastest growing Industry in the forecasted period. At a country level, the U.S is the biggest Industry in 2017 and it is projected to grow at a gradual pace in the coming years.The major market players in Cancer Drug Industry are Roche Holdings Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, Celgene, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer, Celgene Corporation, Sanofi, Merck & Co., Amgen Inc. (Other 13 companies detailed information is provided in research report). Roche Diagnostics holds the substantial Industry share because of its better global presence both at production and at an operational level. Rising research and development expenses to cater changing demand of end users, similarly, growth strategies such as acquisition, merger, and expansion of the distribution network were few techniques adopted by most of Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers in recent years.Get Free Sample Report@SWOT Analysis of Cancer Drugs IndustryStrengthGrowing incidence and pervasiveness of various types of cancerAcademic alliances and partnershipsWeaknessSide-effects of anti-cancer drug therapyThe high cost of drug development and a threat of failureOpportunityScientific advancements in treatment methodsIncreasing focus on personalized Anti-cancer medicineThreatsPatent CliffThe Immunotherapy segment in the global Cancer Drug Industry is expected to hold the highest Industry share during the forecast period. The growth can be attributed to growing areas within oncology R&D, high efficacy and fewer side effects and unique molecular level targeting. On the other hand, Blood Cancer by the application is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the year 2018-2025. Majorly due to growing number of blood cancer patient and the high cost of drugs used for the treatment of blood cancer.Enquiry about Report@By ApplicationGastrointestinal cancerBlood cancerProstate cancerSkin cancerRespiratory/lung cancerBreast cancerOther types of cancersBy Products & ServicesImmunotherapy (biologics therapy)Hormonal therapyTargeted therapyChemotherapyOthersPurchase Report@By RegionNorth AmericaUSACanadaEurope Germany U.K. France Italy Rest of EuropeAPAC China India Japan Rest of Asia-PacificRoW Latin America Middle East & AfricaAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.com Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communication Market Global Key Leaders: Aeris communication, AT&T, Singtel Group, Telefonica, China Mobile, Sierra Wireless, Numerex Corp https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1822 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/m2m-communication-market-1822 Market Highlights:The Machine to Machine (M2M) communication is a type of data communication technology that enables the devices such as sensors or meter to share information automatically with other devices and perform necessary action through a network which can be wired, wireless or hybrid without human intervention. M2M communication is often used for remote monitoring to capture an event and transfer data between mechanical or electronic devices.According to a recent study report published by Market Research Future, The global market of M2M Communication is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is projected to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023 with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017 2023). Technological advancements and growing demand for public safety networks is boosting the growth of M2M communication market. Also, increasing demand for M2M communication from transportation and healthcare is another major factor driving the market growth. The M2M Communication market is highly competitive due to the increase in implementation of cloud based technologies and developments in the field of internet of things. On the other hand, lack of standardization and continued uncertainty around 4G LTE are major factors hindering the growth of M2M communication market. Also, getting consumers to pay more for enhanced connectivity and need for integrated M2M solutions are other factors that may hamper the growth M2M communications market.Get a Sample Report @Major Key Players Aeris communication. Inc. (U.S.), AT&T, Inc. (U.S.), Deutsche Telekom AG(Germany), Cisco Systems Inc. (U.S.), Telenor Group(Norway), KORE Wireless Group(U.S.), Intel (U.S.), Rogers Communications Canada, Inc. (Canada), Singtel Group (Singapore), Texas Instruments (U.S), Vodafone Group plc.(U.K.), Verizon Communications, Inc.(U.S.), Sprint Corporation(U.S.), Telefonica, S.A.(Spain), Numerex Corp.(U.S.), Sierra Wireless (Canada), Orange S.A.(France)Hence, Globally the M2M Communication market is expected to grow at ~10% CAGR (2016-2022).Industry Trend:The U.S. has significantly kickstarted the trend of implementing M2M communication in vehicles to take the automotive industry to the next level. This new vehicle-to-vehicle communication would help in increasing traffic safety.AAC Clyde in collaboration with Kepler Communications has designed 6U machine-to-machine communications to improve satellite communication services. The new platform has been named TARS.Competitive AnalysisThe market of M2M communication appears to be highly competitive. To maintain their market position and to drive the market growth, various dynamic and diversified international organizations, domestic organizations and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. Market leaders are innovating continuously and increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective product portfolio. Major players are investing on internal R&D and, most of all, in acquiring other firms.Segmentation:The global M2M communication market can be segmented by technology, component, and application.By technology, the machine-to-machine communication market can be segmented into wired, wireless and hybrid.Based on components, the machine-to-machine communication market includes wi-fi, sensors, RFID, software, and others.Application-wise, the machine-to-machine communication market comprises consumer electronics, healthcare, retail, automotive, utilities, home automation, and others.Detailed Regional AnalysisIn the M2M communication industry context, The North American region is controlling the market owing to the prospects accessible for M2M communication by mobile operators which will grow the connection and revenue of this industry. In terms of the revenue generation context, The U.S. is driving the market in the North American region owing to the increasing demand of high-speed networks and cloud based services in the U.S. that allows analysis, easy access and handling of stored data transactions to aid clients to develop their business processes.Browse Complete Report @On the other hand, the European market is estimated to record vigorous progress in the Machine to Machine Communication sector owing to industrial expansion as well as infrastructural development. The M2M Communication industry is also growing owing to the high adoption rates in security, transportation, warehouses and surveillance among others. Due to these factors, the European markets is the second biggest market for M2M Communication. The Asia-Pacific region has appeared as a swiftly developing market owing to growing implementation of digital solutions such as smart meters and smartphones in India and China. The improving economic circumstances, increase in industrial growth and initiatives by the government such as Digital India are also supporting the market development favorably.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Facial Recognition Market Analysis to 2024 with Aware, Inc., 3M, Cognitec Systems, Safran, Wild Face and Daon Facial Recognition Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/2593 https://www.gminsights.com/roc/2593 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/facial-recognition-market www.gminsights.com Facial Recognition Market size is projected to experience a substantial growth during the forecast time-period owing to the high penetration in the commercial and government sectors for work enhancement and security management purposes. Rampant crime and terroristic activities across the world have led to government bodies, such as the FBI, CIA and other law enforcement agencies, in undertaking stringent counter-measures for the identification of criminals and offenders post the occurrence of a crime. In high-risk locations, such as public events and rallies and public transit locations with a high proclivity for terroristic activities, the technology provided by facial recognition market vendors is more beneficial than the conventional video surveillance systems as these can cross reference facial points with the data stored in the criminal database and identify the potential dangers.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Key industry players involved in the Facial Recognition business and promoting the growth of the global Facial Recognition Market are as follows: Aware, Inc. CROSS MATCH TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED FaceFirst, Inc. 3M Cognitec Systems Ayonix Safran Wild Face DaonThe potential threat of privacy invasion is a major factor hindering the growth of the facial recognition market. FindFace; for instance, is a software that was launched in Russia, which allowed users to photograph people in a crowd through their smartphones and reveal their identities with approximately 70% success rates. This can lead to the loss of anonymity and can inversely increase crime rates as the major portion of data is readily available. Many technologies are unable to identify features that are partially covered or disguised allowing criminals to conduct nefarious activities. However, to tackle this issue, companies operating in the facial recognition market, such as Google and IBM Corporation, are investing heavily in the development of intelligent systems by leveraging their deep learning-based and video analytics software.The segmentation of the facial recognition market based on technology includes 2D, 3D, and analytics. The 3D segment is anticipated to dominate in terms of revenue. This is mainly attributed to the functional drawbacks of 2D technology and the advantages 3D offers in comparison to it. For instance, 2D systems are highly susceptible to illumination changes and pose variations where any variations can result in a mismatch and a false alarm. The analytics segment of the facial recognition market is anticipated to experience a high adoption as it aids in the collection of descriptive metadata about a given face such as scars and expressions.Request for customization @Facial recognition market is segmented based on end users as government and law enforcement, military, retail, BFSI, consumer, automotive, and others. The government and law enforcement segment of the facial recognition market is projected to experience a high growth during the forecast time span owing to the adoption of these technologies to prevent criminal activities. Law enforcement agencies, such as correctional facilities, utilize face identification technology to keep track of inmates and ex-convicts. These technologies also are finding increasing adoption in the consumer electronics segment owing to the high demand for security features; for instance, iPhones FaceID software and the Facebook feature to tag the user and users contacts from the users friend list in pictures.The industrial and retail sector in the Asia Pacific countries including China and India is anticipated to experience a high growth owing to which companies are increasingly adopting this software to control the access of their employees. Furthermore, governments of various economies have undertaken initiatives aiding in the growth of the facial recognition market. For instance, in July 2017, the Australian government had awarded a contract of USD 22.5 million for airports to Vision-Box. The U.S. facial recognition market is anticipated to dominate owing to the large-scale smartphone penetration and the need to provide security solutions.Browse Report Summery @Players operating in the facial recognition market include Aware, Inc., Cross Match Technologies, Inc., FaceFirst, Inc., 3M, Cognitec Systems GmbH, Ayonix, Safran Group, Animetrics, Inc., Daon, and others. The companies invest heavily in the development of new technologies to improve the existing software. For instance, in April 2017, NEC Corporation announced the launch of NC7000-3A, which is a data utilization platform software that leverages this technology in mobile devices and is anticipated to improve its position in the facial recognition market.About Global Market InsightsGlobal 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 UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Back in 1998, most people expected the Chicago Improv Festival to crash and burn in its first year, Tribune critic Chris Jones wrote in 2004. The budget that first year was less than $30,000. There was only one venue and no corporate sponsors. The founders Pitts and Frances Callier lacked any kind of international profile or experience. They weren't even leaders of the notoriously factious Chicago improv community which dates back to the 1950s and 60s and pioneers such as Del Close. Global Trichlorosilane (TCS) Market Growth With Worldwide Industry Analysis To 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14534 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=14534 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Trichlorosilane (TCS) is a colorless, volatile, inorganic compound usually in liquid form. It is a compound made up of silicon, hydrogen, and chlorine, with the chemical formula HSiCl3. It is manufactured by treating powdered metallurgical grade silicon with hydrogen chloride or hydrogen and silicon tetrachloride at high temperatures. The reaction is then cooled down to produce liquid trichlorosilane.Trichlorosilane is an intermediate product formed while manufacturing polycrystalline silicon. Polycrystalline silicon is used by the electronics industry as raw material in manufacturing of their equipment. Trichlorosilane is manufactured for the production of purified polysilicons. It is also used in the making of various other chemical products. Trichlorosilane is used as a monomer in the production of silicone based resins and polymers.For More Industrial Insights Get PDF Brochure:Trichlorosilane is a colorless liquid which forms a fog like cloud when it comes in contact with the outside atmosphere. It easily reacts with water, air, and moisture and forms byproducts such as hydrogen chloride, hydrochloric acid, SiO2 or silica. The product is flammable and may ignite when in contact with vapors. It forms an explosive mixture when in contact with air. It easily dissolves with organic solvents and with fumes which are present in air. Triclorosilane has a sharp odor.Trichlorosilane can be bifurcated based on its applications in varied industries. The product is used in the electronics & electrical industry in the manufacturing of semiconductors. It is also used in manufacturing polymers and resins. The product is used as a raw material in the manufacturing of various chemicals such as phenyltrichlorosilane, vinyl chlorosilanes, allyl chlorosilanes, methyl chlorosilanes, triethoxysilane, and nonylchlorosilanes.The trichlorosilane market was dominated by the Asia Pacific region in 2015, as China was the major producer and consumer of trichlorosilane. Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of the mica market in 2015 due to the substantial growth in the electronics industry. The electronics industry is expanding significantly in China and India. This is expected to boost the trichlorosilane market in Asia Pacific. The scenario is anticipated to be similar during the forecast period due to the growing electronics industry in the region.Request for Customization:Key manufacturers and major players in the trichlorosilane market are Dow Corning Corporation, Wacker Chemie AG, Qianjiang Tianxiang Chemical Co. Ltd., Fuji Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Tangshan Sunfar Silicon Industries Co. Ltd., Jingzhou Longhua Petroleum Co. Ltd., DESHAN Chemical (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., Chengdu Huarong Chemical Co. Ltd., Wynca Group, Chongqing Tianyuan Chemical Co. Ltd., and others.ABOUT US:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Europe Well Intervention Services Market to See New Technology, Trends & Growth with Top Key Players-Weatherford International PLC, Schlumberger Ltd., Baker Hughes Inc. Well Intervention services https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/1114?utm_source=openPR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1114?utm_source=openPR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Well intervention is an operation performed on the gas or oil well to improve its performance and extend its lifespan. Blowout recovery operations, deploying perforating guns, and milling inside tubing are some of the operations performed in well intervention process. It is required to gain quick access to subsea wells, restore changing reservoir conditions, and pump chemicals at the bottom of a well. The elimination of well blockages, replacement of parts, and pulling production strings is carried out to improve performance of the well.Request for Sample Report (PDF) @:Increase in energy demand and development of new oilfields are propelling the growth of the European well intervention services market. However, high environmental risks and stringent government regulations hinder the growth of the market. On the other hand, demand for well intervention in subsea create opportunities in the market.The European well intervention services market is segmented based on service type, applications, and countries. Service types discussed in the report are logging & bottom hole survey, tubing/packer failure & repair, stimulation, artificial lift, and others. The market is further classified based on applications into onshore and offshore. The countries such as Russia, Norway, U.K., Denmark, and others are expected to experience tremendous growth.The prominent companies operating in the market are Weatherford International PLC, Schlumberger Ltd., Baker Hughes Inc., Halliburton Co., Nabors Industries Limited, Archer Limited, FMC Technologies, Expro International Group Holdings Ltd. and Aker Solutions ASA. They have adopted strategies, such as partnerships, agreements, joint ventures, collaborations, and others to gain stronghold of the market.For Purchase Report Enquiry @:KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS: The report offers an extensive analysis of key driving and restraining factors of the European well intervention services market. This report offers an in-depth quantitative analysis of the current market and estimations through 2015 and 2020, which assists in identifying the prevailing market opportunities. The report provides an extensive analysis of current and future market status of the European well intervention services market. An in-depth analysis of key strategies adopted by leading manufacturers helps in understanding competitive scenario. A comprehensive analysis of current research and clinical developments within the European well intervention services market is provided with key market dynamic factors that helps in understanding the behaviour of the market. Competitive intelligence (of leading manufacturers and distributors of plasma fractionation) helps in understanding the competitive scenario across geographies. Geographically, the European well intervention services market is segmented into Russia, Norway, U.K., Denmark, and others.EUROPEAN WELL INTERVENTION SERVICES MARKET KEY SEGMENTS:European Well Intervention Services Market By Service Type Logging & Bottom Hole Survey Tubing/Packer Failure & Repair Stimulation Artificial Lift OthersEuropean Well Intervention Services Market By Application Onshore OffshoreEuropean Well Intervention Services Market By Country Russia Norway U.K. Denmark OthersKEY MARKET PLAYERS: Weatherford International PLC Schlumberger Ltd. Baker Hughes Inc. Halliburton Co. Nabors Industries Limited Archer Limited FMC Technologies Expro International Group Holdings Ltd. Aker Solutions ASAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1?855?550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), General Electric Company (US) and Siemens AG (Germany) are the top players in the switchgear market - Report by MarketsandMarkets https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/switchgear-market-1162268.html https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1162268 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1162268 The report "Switchgear Market by Voltage (< 1 KV, 136 KV, 3672.5 KV, > 72.5 KV), End-User (Transmission & Distribution Utilities and Manufacturing & Process Industries), Equipment (Gas Insulated, Air Insulated, and Circuit Breakers) - Global Forecast to 2022", The switchgear market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 88.71 Billion in 2017 to USD 125.10 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.12%, from 2017 to 2022. The global market is set to witness a significant growth due to the continued growth of construction and developmental activities, increasing access to electricity, and growth of renewable power generation projects.Browse 68 Market Data Tables and 51 Figures spread through 144 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Switchgear Market - Global Forecast to 2022"View detailed Table of Content here -The transmission and distribution utilities segment is expected to hold the largest share of the switchgear market, by end-user, during the forecast period.The transmission and distribution utilities sub-segment of the end-user segment led the switchgear market in 2016 and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The transmission and distribution utilities segment is also expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.The growth of the transmission and distribution utilities segment is primarily driven by increasing investments in sub-station automation, modernization of electric grid, and smart utilities which includes smart grids and smart meters. This would enhance the protection by decreasing energy losses, due to poor operational efficiency of traditional equipment. This would ultimately create new revenue pockets for the switchgear market during the forecast period.Download PDF Brochure @The gas insulated switchgear is expected to hold the largest share of the switchgear market, by equipment, during the forecast period.The gas insulated switchgear sub-segment of the equipment segment led the switchgear market in 2016 and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. Rising energy demand and extension/replacement of old switchgear at sub-stations can drive the gas insulated switchgear equipment in the switchgear market. However, the circuit breaker sub-segment accounted for the second largest share in 2016 in the switchgear market, based on the equipment segment.North America: The leading market for switchgearIn this report, the switchgear market has been analyzed with respect to five regions, namely, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, the Middle-East and Africa, and South America. The market in Asia Pacific led the global switchgear market in 2016. Increasing grid investments especially in developing economies, such as China and India and plans for electrification in remote areas in countries, such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are expected to drive the switchgear market in Asia Pacific. Indonesia aims to achieve 90% electrification rate by 2025 and the countries, such as the Philippines and Malaysia have similar plans. Rise in investments in smart grid technologies including distribution grid automation, smart meters, and demand response systems in countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia would create opportunities for the switchgear market in the Asia Pacific region.Request Sample @To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes profiles of some of the top players in the switchgear market. The key players include ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), General Electric Company (US), Siemens AG (Germany), EATON CORPORATION plc (Ireland), Hitachi Ltd. (Japan), Schneider Electric SE (France), and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan) among others. The leading players are trying to understand the markets in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their market shares.MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.MarketsandMarketss flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.Mr. Shelly SinghMarketsandMarkets INC.630 Dundee RoadSuite 430Northbrook, IL 60062USA : 1-888-600-6441newsletter@marketsandmarkets.com SME insurance In UK Market Analysis over Business Prominent Players (2018-2025): AXA, aviva, NFU mutual, Allianz, direct line, hiscox, zurich, AA SME insurance www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012135822/sample www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012135822/buying Market Research Report SME insurance In UK, providing Global Market Landscape, Profiles of Leading Companies, Customized Competitive Intelligence, Detailed Geographical Coverage and its Growth Prospects over the coming years till 2025 is now available at ReportsWeb.com.SME insurance In UK Market report provides a vital recent industry data which covers in general market situation along with future scenario for industry around the Globe. It also consist of major data along with forecasts of a global market along with clear presentation of diagrams (charts and tables).Global UK SME insurance Market to reach USD XXX billion by 2025.Key factors which gives growth to the UK SME insurance market are With insurers increasingly seeking to grow their share of the SME market competition, farther advances in technology have allowed for products to become more specialized, allowing for niche markets to be targeted more accurately. Brokers have remained the most used channel when purchasing insurance, yet their share of the SME market has decreased significantly in 2017 according to the results of our 2017 UK SME Insurance Survey.Download Sample Copy is at Here :Company Profiles: AXA, aviva, NFU mutual, Allianz, direct line, hiscox, zurich, AA. Acquisitions and effective mergers are some of the strategies adopted by the key manufacturers. New product launchesand continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:By line of business :- Personal liability- Cyber insurance- Cargo insurance- Property insurance- Public liability insuranceBy number of employees:- Insurance for employees 1-9- Insurance for employees 10-49- Insurance for employees 50-249By Distribution channel:- Agency- Broker- Direct writingBy Regions:- North AmericaU.S.Canada- EuropeUKGermany- Asia PacificChinaIndiaJapan- Latin AmericaBrazilMexico- Rest of the WorldElse place an Else place Special Discount Offer / Inquire before Purchase Global SME insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 @About us:ReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.Contact us:Phone : +1-646-491-9876E-Mail : sales@reportsweb.com Ceramic Tiles Market Worth USD 212.6 Billion By 2025 - SCG, SALONI, Mohawk Industries, Crossville Inc., Kajaria Ceramics Limited, Porcelanosa, Florida Tile, Inc. and CERAMICHE ATLAS CONCORDE S.P.A. Global Ceramic Tiles Market to Grow at a CAGR of 9.90% to 2025 https://www.search4research.com/request-sample/3139/ https://www.search4research.com/inquiry/3139/ https://www.search4research.com/industry-reports/3139/global-ceramic-tiles-market-size-study-by-product-floor-tiles-wall-tiles-and-ceiling-tiles-and-roofing-tiles-by-application-residential-replacement-commercial-new-residential-and-industrial-and-by-regional-forecasts-2018-2025/ https://www.openpr.com/news/archive/203360/Search4Research.html Global Ceramic tiles Market valued approximately USD 90.9 billion in 2016 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 9.90% over the forecast period 2018-2025. Residential replacement, commercial, and new residential are the major application segments of the ceramic tiles market. The residential replacement segment constituted the largest demand for ceramic tiles in 2017. However, new residential segment is expected to build substantial growth opportunities for the ceramic tiles market during the forecast period. GCC countries, Turkey, and Brazil are expected to offer lucrative opportunities in the ceramic tiles market during the forecast period, owing to rise in construction activities in these countries.Global Ceramic Tiles Market to Reach USD 212.6 Billion By 2025.Request Sample Copy is Available atLeading Ceramic Tile Market PlayersCeramiche Atlas Concorde S.P.A.Crossville Inc.China ceramic co ltd.Florida tiles Inc.Grupo lamosa SAB de CVKajaria ceramicMohawk industries Inc.Porcelanosa grupoSaloni ceramicsSiam cement groupsThe objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players.Some of the key manufacturers involved in the market ceramiche atlas Concorde S.P.A., Crossville Inc., china ceramics co ltd., Florida tiles Inc., grupo lamosa SAB de CV, kajaia ceramic, Mohawk industries Inc., porcelanosa grupo, saloni ceramics, Siam cement group. Acquisitions and effective mergers are some of the strategies adopted by the key manufacturers. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.Inquire about this Report atThe Detailed Segments and Sub-Segment of the Market are Explained Below:By Product:- Floor Tiles- Walls Tiles- Ceiling Tiles- Roofing TilesBy Application:- Residential Replacement- Commercial- New Residential- IndustrialFurthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year - 2015, 2016Base year - 2017Forecast period - 2018 to 2025Target Audience of the Ceramic Tile Market Study- Key Consulting Companies & Advisors- Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises- Venture capitalists- Value-Added Resellers (VARs)- Third-party knowledge providers- Investment bankers- InvestorsGlobal Ceramic Tile Market - Regional and Geographical SegmentNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersComplete Report is Available atReason to Buy1. This report provides in depth analysis for changing competitive dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors2. It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth3. It provides a ten-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is expected to grow4. It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of various market segmentsContact Us:Call: +1-707-633-0404Email: sales@search4research.comBrowse Our Exclusive OpenPR Reports Archive -About Us:Search4Research is the most prominent online store for market research reports and solutions to many companies around the world. We have been helping our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose the most relevant and affordable research reports and solutions from various publishers.Pune, India Frozen Bakery Products Market 2018-2025 Latest Trends and Future Scope with Top Key Players- Nestle SA, Conagra Brands, Aryzta AG, Tyson, Kobeya, Vandemoortele NV, Campbell Soup Co Frozen Bakery Products https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/1101840 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/checkout/1101840 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/check-discount/1101840 The report gives the clear picture of current Frozen Bakery Products Market scenario and the predicted future of the industry. The report focuses on the basis of market drivers, restraints, growth, trends and forecast for the period of 2018-2025. In addition, the report also maps the market performance by value chain analysis which will help in better product differentiation along with the analysis of each segment in terms of opportunity, market attractiveness index and growth rate.The report Frozen Bakery Products Market by Key players highlights the essential market dynamics of Frozen Bakery Products Market sector. The efficiency of this segment has been studied deeply along with the noteworthy challenges and forthcoming growth opportunities and prospective. The report focuses in decision making abilities and supports to make effective counter strategies in order to achieve competitive advantage. Current market scenario of the segment and forecasts of the market situation have also been bounded in this market report.QY Research groups can be relied upon for the most updated and in depth information of the title Global Frozen Bakery Products Market this is estimated by experts to develop at the most elevated CAGR amid the estimate time frame 2018-2025.Get Sample Report with TOC, Please Visit @The major manufacturers covered in this report Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V. Nestle SA Conagra Brands, Inc Aryzta AG Vandemoortele NV Campbell Soup Co Lantmannen Unibake International General Mills Inc Tyson Kellogg Company Flowers Foods Inc Associated British Foods plc Europastry, S.A Harry-Brot GmbH Agrofert as Kuchenmeister GmbH KobeyaTo PURCHASE the Full Report please click @Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Bread Pizza Cake and pastry Cookies OthersOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including Large Retail Convenience & Independent Retail Foodservice OthersThe study objectives of this report are: To analyze and study the global Frozen Bakery Products capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025); Focuses on the key Frozen Bakery Products manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future. Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.Get the best Discount in the market here @This market is segmented by Types and Applications. It provides a profound study of the leading players in the market and the prevailing regions in the business, thereby benefiting new entries in the business by proving the most updated insights of the market.At QY Research Groups we render the most authentic and elaborate information for the utmost benefit of our clients.About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.comRoom B1510, Shiji Kemao Building,No.66 Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing,100190, China. Mammography Market - Transformation Survey 2025 | Hologic, Planmed Oy https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2483 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2483 https://www.tmrresearch.com/mammography-market Global Mammography Market: OverviewThe global mammography market is growing at a significant pace, owing to the increasing cancer cases worldwide. The key players in the market, government organizations, and NGOs are making notable efforts to create an awareness and offer treatment to patients, which is expected to enhance the growth of the market in the near future. Thus, the market is likely to register a strong growth rate in the forecast period.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Mammography Market: Key TrendsThe high prevalence of breast cancer worldwide and the rising number of innovations concerning screening and diagnostics are estimated to offer lucrative opportunities for key players operating in the market. The improving healthcare facilities in the developing economies are projected to supplement the markets growth in the coming years. Furthermore, governments across the globe are making efforts to provide treatments at low cost in order to reach a large number of audience in the near future.Global Mammography Market: Market PotentialTechnological advancements in the healthcare sector and the emergence of innovative devices and effective therapeutics are the key factors projected to fuel the growth of the global mammography market throughout the forecast period. In addition to this, the rising number of cancer cases across the globe is expected to accelerate the growth of the overall market in the near future.Request TOC of the Report @On the other hand, the lack of awareness among patients in several developing economies and the high cost of treatment are estimated to curb the growth of the global mammography market in the next few years. Nonetheless, the use of digital mammography devices is predicted to generate promising growth opportunities for the key players in the market.Global Mammography Market: Regional OutlookIn the previous years, the North America market for mammography held a major share of the global market and is estimated to retain its position over the forecast period. The rising number of breast cancer cases and the increasing women population are the key factors anticipated to encourage the development of the North America market in the coming years. In addition, the availability of advanced therapeutics and healthcare infrastructure are predicted to accelerate the markets growth in the near future.On the other hand, the development of the economy and the rising popularity of medical tourism are projected to augment the growth of the Asia Pacific market in the next few years. The increasing contribution from China and India and the rising awareness among patients are predicted to supplement the markets growth in the forecast period. Moreover, the favorable government initiatives and the enhancement of the healthcare sector are likely to contribute towards the growth of the Asia Pacific market in the near future.Global Mammography Market: Competitive AnalysisThe global market is projected to grow progressive throughout the forecast period. The rising emphasis of the leading players on introducing new therapeutics and devices to offer enhanced products to patients is likely to encourage the growth of the overall market in the coming years. As a result, several new players are predicted to participate in the market in order to create a brand name across the globe.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Some of the leading players operating in the mammography market across the globe are I.M.S. Srl, GE Healthcare, Hologic, Planmed Oy, Phillips Healthcare, Fujifilm, Siemens Healthcare, Mindray Medical International Limited, Toshiba Medical Systems, and Metaltronica. The research study provides a detailed overview of the competitive landscape and throws light on the key strategies and policies that have been adopted by them in order to sustain in the global market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Bioactive Coating Devices Market Recent Industry Trends and Projected Industry Growth, 2016 - 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2233 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2233 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Bioactive coatings are thin films coated on medical devices to deter bacterial adhesion, improve core functionality of the device and impart bioactivity along with biocompatibility to the device. This is more commonly used in implantable devices. Bioactive coatings include bio ceramics, extra cellular matrix proteins, biological peptides, growth factors and anti-microbial peptides with anti-microbial properties. These coatings are largely being used in manufacturing of adequate implantable orthopedic prosthetic devices in order to reduce bacterial adhesion and prosthetic infections. Research is currently ongoing in development of other bioactive coatings containing nitric oxide, antibiotics and silver among others. Developments in material science coupled with cell biology are important factors accelerating product penetration in the developed markets.Medical coatings are majorly used in the healthcare facilities to modify the different planes of devices, medical equipment, and implants. Intense and regular use of medical devices has resulted in hostile factors, including wearing out, increase in infections, development of microbes and increase in friction and corrosion. Thus bioactive coating medical devices are manufactured with the usage of microbial agents to counter these adverse effects. There are different types of coating according to the specifications required by the customers. Antimicrobial coatings are is majorly used to inhibit the growth of such micro-organisms on the surface of medical devices. Lubricious coatings is used to lubricate the surface of medical devices to avoid rough texture, reduce the static and kinetic friction between two medical device surfaces which causes an easy insertion. The least used coating is optical coatings, which is used on optical devices to change their properties such as reflecting properties and clear visibility.Request Sample Report @Increasing bioactive coating medical devices used for surgeries and medical device implants are the major driver of the bioactive coating devices market. Increasing costs of bioactive materials for coating and healthcare facilities is one of the inhibitor of the market. The other factors like sterility testing, and expiration date of medical devices, also impacts the medical device industry. To increase the sale the medical device and coating manufacturers are focused on the regions where the regulatory approval processes and approval timelines are quick. This made many U.S. based local manufacturer prefer to launch their products in the European region.Bioactive Coating Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsImplantable devices containing thin films of bioactive molecules are rapidly gaining adoption in therapeutic areas of cardiology and orthopedic joint diseases the two major sources of loss of quality of life and disability currently. Bioactive molecules are being used to load and release large number of material bound constituents for enhanced drug loading and delivery. Generic factors such as increasing incidence of systemic joint diseases, cardiovascular implant and support both a direct by-product of rapidly ageing global population are accelerating the demand for bioactive coating devices across the world. Investments in niche R&D in developed markets, growing academic interest in cell biology, and greater focus on reduction of antimicrobial contamination in order to restrict indiscriminate usage of antibiotics are factors promoting investments and research on bioactive coatings in implantable medical devices.Barriers of bioactive coating devices market include high probability of loss of effectiveness of the bioactive coating when they come in contact with external physiological environment, finite reservoir of bioactive agents and less number of possible applications presently. Other hurdles include lack of research awareness, high requirement for funding for continued research and less developed research infrastructure in middle and low income countries among others.Bioactive Coating Devices Market: SegmentationThe global market for bioactive coating devicesis broadly classified on the basis of product type, by medical application, by material and by end user.Based on product type, the bioactive coating devices market has been segmented as follows:Anti-microbial CoatingsHydrophilic CoatingsDrug Eluting CoatingOthers (including Anti-thrombogenic Coatings)Based on medical application, thebioactive coating material market has been segmented as follows:StentsCardiac assist devicesElectrosurgical toolsCochlear and ocular implantsMandrels and moldsCathetersElastomeric sealsNeedles and epidural probesMedical electronicsBased on material, thebioactive coating material market has been segmented as follows:Biological MaterialsCarbon-Based MaterialsMetals and AlloysPolymers and SyntheticBased on end user, thebioactive coating material market has been segmented as follows:HospitalDiagnostics CentersAmbulatory Surgical CentersClinicsBioactive Coating Devices Market: OverviewThe global bioactive coating devicesmarket is expected to expand at healthy CAGR owing to increasing in the adoption of anti-microbial coatings medical device coatings market, of the products across the world. Among end users, hospital end user segment is expected to account for maximum share due to requirement of advanced healthcare infrastructure and surgical devices.Bioactive Coating Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the global bioactive coating devicesmarket is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Among all the regions, North America will continue to lead the global market for bioactive coating devicesmarket due to high purchasing power. Asia- Pacific is expected to account for second largest share in global market primarily due to low grade medical devices which gets effected by the high concentrated chemical , and adulteration in metals used in prepare the medical devices. Regional overview can be a directly proportional to the usage of medical devices.Request to View TOC @Bioactive Coating Devices Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global bioactive coating devices market are DSM Biomedical, Hydromer Inc., SurModics Inc., Biocoat Inc., AST Products Inc., Specialty Coatings Systems Inc., and othersABOUT US:Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Future Market InsightsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: Comfit Care Understanding Your Requirements and Comfort https://comfitcare.co.za Comfit Care was established by a mother to empowering her daughter and other teenage girls around the world. The company developed a lubricant gel that solely focuses on the comfort of women during menstruation. Not to be associated with sexual innuendos, the Comfit Care lubricant gel is completely medically approved and sees to the hygiene and comfort of women.Comfit Care realises the dilemma women face as they opt for a career break or sit down quietly during pool parties. Many women even choose to stay indoors as they feel uncomfortable in their leotards and tight jeans. 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The company manufactures a medically approved lubricant gel that is friendly to all woman no matter your age.Contact:73 Schabort Dr, EversdalCape Town, 7530, South AfricaTel: 083 486 0305Email: info@comfitcare.co.za North America and Europe phototherapy treatment market revenue is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0 % over the forecast period (20172027) https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-na-4297 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-na-4297 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/north-america-and-europe-phototherapy-treatment-market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ In the U.S., acne is one of the most common skin disorders among the teenage population. While topical or oral antibiotics remain the first-line treatment, more advanced therapies are chosen if the condition becomes severe. Increasing resistance of Propionibacterium acnes to standard medications has surfaced as a major concern for both physicians and patients. Therefore, physicians are required to consider other treatment modules that are capable of delivering quicker and more positive results.Request for Report customization @:Phototherapy has emerged as an effective and contemporary treatment module for acne and psoriasis, which is gaining healthy popularity of late. As compared to biologics, phototherapy is more affordable having a similar credibility. Over the next couple of years, demand for phototherapy in regions such North America and Europe is expected to surge to a significant extent. Future Market Insights new report reveals that the North America and Europe phototherapy treatment market revenue is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0 % over the forecast period (20172027).Distorted eating habits, as well as excessive consumption of fried and ready-to-eat food items, are linked with the early onset of acne in children. Meanwhile, in adults, women face severe acne and psoriasis onset. The report titled Phototherapy Treatment Market for Acne and Psoriasis North America and Europe Industry Analysis 2012 2016 and Opportunity Assessment; 2017 2027 also cites that North America represents the most lucrative market for phototherapy, followed by Western Europe and Eastern Europe. The market in North America is projected to grow from US$ 594.5 Mn in 2016 to US$ 1,150.0 Mn by 2027-end. In addition, the U.S. currently accounts for more than three-fourth revenue share of the North America phototherapy treatment market.Ask questions to Expert @:Increasing adoption of phototherapy in dermatology clinics and hospitals in Europe is favouring the growth of the market in the region. Moreover, psychological burdens associated with acne and psoriasis is high in the region, compelling patients to seek professional help in the form of prescription treatments, phototherapy, and others. Germany and the UK are two of the major markets for phototherapy in Europe and expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period.Key Excerpts from the Report Include:Based on end user, hospitals currently account for the largest value share of the phototherapy treatment market for acne and psoriasis in North America and Europe. However, preference for home care settings among patients is likely to grow in the near future.Demand for blue light therapy is relatively higher than other phototherapy types in both North America and Europe. This trend is expected to continue throughout the assessment period. The blue light phototherapy segment is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 1,067.1 Mn towards the end of 2027.Get access to full summary @:Phototherapy being a high margin reconstructive technology is perceived as an opportunity for market players to invest in future growth. Lifespan, UC Irvine Health, Buffalo Medical Group, Blackrock Clinic Limited, The Private Phototherapy Clinic Ltd, National Skin Centre, and Massachusetts General Hospital are some of the leading companies profiled in the FMI report.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: I was very, very, interested in the facts. It was the only way I could find a way into it, because it's just so outside of anything I'd really done before, Stiller says in a later interview, nearly a year after the day on location in Brooklyn, as hes winding down post-production on the series. Because it was so sensational, and so much like a movie, I really was interested in what the reality of how something like this happens in this day and age. PCB Design Software Market Outlook to 2025: Study includes Top Key Players Cadence Design Systems, Mentor Graphics Corporation, Zuken, Ansys, Altium, Westdev, Synopsis, Autodesk, Solidworks, http://bit.ly/2QUB0cR http://bit.ly/2PI40rS PCB design software is an open-source and free software suite for the design automation for PCB layouts. The PCB mounts electronic components including transistors, resistors, capacitors, and ICs. With the help of a PCB design software, enterprises have the ability to test the working of a circuit and provide visualization. The developments in the IT industry and enhancements in the PCB design have significantly driven the PCB design software market. Further, the increasing popularity of wearable devices and smartphones has supplemented the market growth.Get Sample Copy of this report @:Global PCB Design Software Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of PCB Design Software industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of the global PCB Design Software market with detailed market segmentation by deployment type, component, building type, application, and geography. The global PCB Design Software market is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the Builiding Analytics market.Leading PCB Design Software Market Players:1. Cadence Design Systems, Inc.2. Mentor Graphics Corporation3. Zuken Inc4. Ansys Inc5. Altium LLC6. Westdev Ltd7. Synopsis Inc8. Autodesk Inc9. Solidworks10. NovarmPCB Design Software Market Global Analysis to 2025 is an expert compiled study which provides a holistic view of the market covering current trends and future scope with respect to product/service, the report also covers competitive analysis to understand the presence of key vendors in the companies by analyzing their product/services, key financial facts, details SWOT analysis and key development in last three years. Further chapter such as industry landscape and competitive landscape provides the reader with recent company level insights covering mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations, new product developments/strategies taking place across the ecosystem. The chapters also evaluate the key vendors by mapping all the relevant products and services to exhibit the ranking/position of top 5 key vendors.The PCB Design Software Market report is a combination of qualitative as well as quantitative analysis which can be broken down into 40% and 60% respectively. Market estimation and forecasts are presented in the report for the overall global market from 2017 2025, considering 2017 as the base year and 2018 2025 forecast period. Global estimation is further broken down by segments and geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America covering major 16 countries across the mentioned regions. The qualitative contents for geographical analysis will cover market trends in each region and country which includes highlights of the key players operating in the respective region/country, PEST analysis of each region which includes political, economic, social and technological factors influencing the growth of the market.Also, key PCB Design Software market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products, and services offered, financial information for the last 3 years, key development in the past five years.Purchase Complete Report @:Reason to Buy:- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global PCB Design Software Market- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the PCB Design Software Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.About Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Contact Us:Company: The Insight PartnersContact: Sameer JoshiPhone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sam@theinsightpartners.com North America Microgrid Market Key Information By Top Key Player Toshiba, Hitachi, GE, ABB, Schneider Electric, Alstom, Siemens, Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Exelon North America Microgrid Market, North America Microgrid Market trends, North America Microgrid Market forecast https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1230587/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1230587/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/north-america-microgrid-market/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog The 2018-2024 report on North America Microgrid market explores the essential factors of Microgrid industry covering current scenario, market demand information, coverage of active companies and segmentation forecasts.Canada microgrid market is predicted to reach deployment of over 400 MW capacity by 2024. Growing electricity demand across remote and off grid areas along with upsurge in investments toward the adoption of clean energy technology will complement the business growth. Furthermore, ongoing development of distributed energy sources to minimize the dependency on conventional grid will enhance the industry outlook. In 2016 Canada government made an investment of USD 2.4 billion for developing wind and solar energy sources.Eminent participants in the North America microgrid market include GE, ABB, Schneider Electric, Alstom, Siemens, Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba, Hitachi, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Exelon and Power Analytics Corporation.Request a sample of this premium report at:Flow batteries accounted for over 5% of North America microgrid market in 2017. Ongoing investment pertaining to the integration of sustainable grid coupled with innovations toward the development of cost-effective and efficient storage technologies will propel the industry growth. key features including long life cycle and higher efficiency will further encourage the product adoption over available substitutes.North America Microgrid Market is predicted to reach over USD 7 billion by 2024. Aging grid infrastructure coupled with stringent government policies toward adoption of sustainable power technologies will stimulate North America microgrid market. Economic competitiveness, low power cost & transmission losses and reliability are key the parameters that will encourage the product penetration. In addition, ongoing funding toward the development of distributed generation technology will enhance the industry landscape.Ongoing adoption of captive power plants across the manufacturing and industrial sector for ensuring regulated power production will foster North America microgrid market. Increasing investment toward the expansion of decentralized grid coupled with rising investments for the expansion of infrastructure and power sector will accelerate the business growth. For instance, in 2016, the government of Canada, announced an investment of about USD 900 million were financed toward installation of numerous energy sources and R & D across the country.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Increasing high-end power consumption across the industries on account of development of new HVAC systems and heavy load machineries will foster the microgrid market. Growing electricity demands across hospitals, retail outlets, automotive, manufacturing operations, offices and industries will encourage product penetration across commercial and industrial application. For instance, as per EIA, the commercial and industrial sector in 2017 accounted about 4.5% and 22.4 % of the primary energy consumption respectively.Natural gas microgrid market will grow on account of stringent government measures pertaining to the adoption of lower emission fuel as a replacement for conventional fuel sources. Ongoing investment toward exploration of unconventional fuel reserves owing to escalating gas demand will enhance the industry outlook. Amren Corporation in 2017, developed an advanced microgrid which utilizes, solar, natural gas and wind energy as a source along with an integrated battery storage and automation system.Table of Content:Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope1.1. Methodology1.2. Market definitions1.3. Market estimates & forecast parameters1.4. Data Sources1.4.1. Primary1.4.2. Secondary1.4.2.1. Paid sources1.4.2.2. Public sourcesChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. North America microgrid industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Connectivity trends2.1.3. Grid type trends2.1.4. Power Source trends2.1.5. Storage trends2.1.6. Application trend2.1.7. Country trendsChapter 3. North America microgrid market Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1. Vendor matrix3.4. Innovation & sustainability3.5. Regulatory landscape3.5.1. U.S.3.5.1.1. Energy Policy Act, 20053.5.1.2. California Public Utility Commission3.5.1.3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulation3.5.1.4. Safety & Health Regulations for Construction3.5.1.5. DOE VTO Advanced Batter R&D Program3.5.1.5.1. Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 19963.5.2. Canada3.5.2.1. CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 257-063.5.2.2. CAN/CSA-C22.3 No. 9-083.6. Infrastructure/energy investments spending, 2015/20163.7. Renewable energy incentive in U.S. States3.8. Energy policies considered for deployment of microgrid network, U.S.3.9. Industry impact forces3.9.1. Growth drivers3.9.1.1. Renewable energy integration3.9.1.2. Aging grid infrastructure3.9.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.9.2.1. High capital cost3.10. Growth potential analysis3.11. Porter's analysis3.12. Competitive landscape3.12.1. Strategy dashboard3.12.1.1. ABB3.12.1.1.1. Next Level strategy - stage 33.12.1.1.2. Acquisition3.12.1.2. Siemens3.12.1.2.1. Vision 20203.12.1.2.2. Investments3.12.1.3. Schneider Electric3.12.1.3.1. Investments3.12.1.4. Eaton Corporation3.12.1.4.1. Investment strategy3.12.1.4.2. Technology expansion3.13. PESTEL analysisChapter 4. North America Microgrid Market, By Connectivity4.1. North America microgrid market share by connectivity, 2017 & 20244.2. Grid connecte4.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2013-2024.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2013-2024For more information on this report, Please visit at:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Injection Pen Market Boosting Along With Global Top Key Vendors - Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and ELI Lilly and Company, Merck And co., Inc., Ypsomed holding AG, Biocorp Production SA, Injection Pen https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2050 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/2050 Injection pen has typically been used for frequent self-administration of preserved multi-dose drug formulations requiring weight-based dosing. It is available in two variants; reusable and disposable injection pens. Injection pens are ready to administer, as a prefilled medical device ease the delivery of drug or biostimulant for patients, care givers, and healthcare provider. Recent developments in injection pen devices such as the use of needle safety devices, automated needle insertion and injection, smaller dosing capabilities, and electronics is expected to drive the market in addition to the prevalence of the chronic disease.Get HOLISTIC Request Sample Copy Of This Business Report:Injection Pen Market DriversImproving the convenience and ease of administration of parenteral therapeutics has become a common strategy adopted by biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and is expected to drive growth of injection pen market. Key players aim to introduce novel drug delivery system by targeting end-user flexibility such as fewer handling steps, higher volumes, thinner needles, high viscous formulations, and novel primary containers to accommodate changing injection pen market trends.The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing due to rapid aging of the population and the greater longevity of people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), hepatitis, osteoporosis, hemophilia, reproductive health, anemia, hemolytic disease, and anti-thrombolytic therapy. Injection pen market was predominant in diabetes therapy and growth hormone therapy for the past 20 years and 10 years respectively due to disease prevalence. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2015, 9.4 % of the people in the U.S. suffered from diabetes while 1.5 million people were diagnosed with diabetes every year.Injection Pen Market Injection Pen - Market TaxonomyOn the basis of product type, injection pen market is segmented into:On the basis of therapy, injection pen market is segmented into:On the basis of end user, injection pen market is segmented into:Injection Pen Market Competitor AnalysisThe injection pen market is mainly led by 3 companies: Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and ELI Lilly and Company. Other major players in the injection pen market include Merck & co., Inc., Ypsomed holding AG, Biocorp Production SA, AstraZeneca PLC, F.Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), Owen Mumford Ltd, Novartis, Pfizer, and Wilhelm Haselmeier GmbH & Co. KG.Download the PDF brochure:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Emerging Trends in Regenerative Artificial Skin Market 2018 and Global Foreseen Till 2022 | Analysis by Top Key Players Integra Life Sciences, Mylan, Johnson & Johnson, Smith & Nephew, Mallinckrodt Regenerative Artificial Skin Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/52421 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/buy-now/52421/single https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/52421 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market 2018 - 2022 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Overview:The report spread across 125 pages is an overview of the Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market 2018 - 2022. Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @The Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market is growing continuously and expected to grow healthy CAGR by Forecast year 2022. Accidental skin burn incidences are increasing across the world. Life threatening skin injuries, traumas and burns require immediate surgical procedure to restore skin and avoid future complications. Skin burns are broadly classified into three levels, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns. In 3rd degree of burns where there is little or no intact skin, artificial skin graft is the most useful treatment option. Artificial skin covers and protects the wound and also promotes regeneration of natural skin.The Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market is segmented based on Material Type, Customer and Region. Based on Material Type, the Regenerative Artificial Skin Market is divided into Dermal Skin Material, Composite Skin Material, Skin Graft, Allograft, Xenograft, Temporary Skin Material, Engineered Skin Material, Epidermal Skin Material, Permanent Skin Material, Bi-layered Material and Single Layer Material. Based on End-User, the international regenerative artificial skin market is divided into Burn care centers, Clinics, Hospitals.On the basis of regional analysis, North America and Europe will remain key markets for Regenerative Artificial Skin Market due to deeper market penetration of the procedures and strong presence of big players in the market. APAC is anticipated to register positive growth owing to increased cosmetic surgeries and rising incidence of the accidental burns.This is an expert and top to bottom examination on the present condition of the Regenerative Artificial Skin Market. The report gives a fundamental review of the business including definitions, arrangements, applications and industry chain structure. The Regenerative Artificial Skin Market investigation is accommodated the worldwide markets including advancement patterns, focused scene examination, and key districts improvement status. Improvement strategies and plans are additionally examined and producing procedures and cost structures broke down. Regenerative Artificial Skin Market import / send out utilization, free market activity figures and cost and creation esteem net edges are additionally given.Purchase this report online with 125 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market 2018 - 2022 @Major Key Players:1 Integra Life Sciences2 Mylan3 Johnson & Johnson4 Smith & Nephew5 Mallinckrodt and More.Market Segments:On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into -1 Temporary Skin Material2 Permanent Skin Material3 Composite Skin MaterialGeographically, this report studies the key regions, focuses on product sales, value, market share and growth opportunity in these regions, covering:1 North America2 Europe3 Asia-Pacific4 South America5 Middle East & AfricaGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Regenerative Artificial Skin Market.Major Points in Table of Contents:Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Report 20181 Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Overview2 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Analysis by Application7 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Regenerative Artificial Skin Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Regenerative Artificial Skin Market Forecast (2018-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940 Automotive Night Vision System Market Research and Technology Growth 2014 - 2020 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-133 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-eu-133 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Automotive night vision systems play a major role in preventing accidents. Globally, they are currently becoming an important feature in passenger cars. Due to its ability to the reach beyond the vehicles headlights, an automotive night vision system is used to enhance a drivers perception in darkness and poor visibility weather conditions. The night vision system warns the driver if an animal or a pedestrian is present in the danger zone by projecting a red image in front of the vehicle. The length and width of the danger zone depends on the speed of the vehicle. Automotive night vision systems are also deployed in military ground transport vehicles such as tanks, trucks, humvees, and armoured personnel carriers. According to the changing end user needs, different technologies have evolved in automotive night vision systems.Increasing concern over accidents during night drives has been fuelling the growth of automotive night vision systems across the globe. In addition, increasing deployment of these systems in military vehicles to improve driving in darkness has been boosting this market. The penetration rate of night vision systems is high in luxury and premium cars, which are sold mostly in developed economies like North America and Europe. On account of these factors, the global market for automotive night vision systems is expected to double in the next six years.Request to Sample of Report @Europe dominates the global automotive night vision market, followed by North America and Asia Pacific. Factors like the increasing demand for premium and luxury cars, increasing disposable income, government regulations for vehicular safety systems, and improving economic conditions are driving the growth of the Europe night vision system market. The market is expected to experience twofold growth from 2014 to 2020.In addition to this, the Europe night vision systems market is expected to witness growing demand in mid-range passenger cars due to increase in disposable income.The Europe automotive night vision system market can be classified according to display type and technology used. On the basis of display types, the market can be segmented into navigation systems, instrument clusters, and the windshield type. The market technology segment includes active infrared systems and passive infrared systems. Active infrared systems emit a beam of infrared light in front of vehicle. These systems are comparatively cheaper and produce sharper images. They are also better at detecting inanimate objects. Passive infrared systems have a camera mounted in the grille, which detects temperature differences among objects, and driver is able to see those thermal images on the navigation screen.The Europe automotive night vision systems market is currently fragmented. The participants in this market focus on introducing innovative products. Major challenges for original equipment manufacturers are reducing the cost and improving the quality of images in these systems. In 2014, FLIR Systems introduced PathFinder, a night vision camera that can be used in motor vehicles. Acquisitions and mergers are the key strategies adopted by major companies to expand their geographical presence and market share as wellasenhance their customer base. Some of the key players in the Europe automotive night vision market include Robert Bosch GmbH, Autoliv Inc., TRW Automotive, Omron Corporation, L-3 Communications Holdings, DENSO Corporation, OmniVision Technologies, Inc., and Continental AG.Request Report for TOC @In future, the Europe automotive night vision system market is expected to grow due to the expected increase of night vision system penetration in mid-range passenger vehicles, the government push for safety and security, the economic revival, and the increase in overall technology awareness.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: Clinical Perinatal Software Market Top Key Players are General Electric, Edan Instruments, Inc., Huntleigh Healthcare Limited, KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V, K2 Medical Systems Clinical Perinatal Software Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4185 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4185 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4185 Market Research Future Provide Premium Research Reports of every sector which is made by Professional Researcher with the fresh Content ever and this time Added Premium Research Reports on Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market 2023 Which is Belongs to the Healthcare IT Category so it helps to Organizations to take Major Decisions and it also Help to Analysis of Market Growth.The Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market is growing at a steady pace and is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.2 % during review period 2017-2023.Key Players in the Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market:General Electric, Edan Instruments, Inc., Huntleigh Healthcare Limited, KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V, K2 Medical Systems, PeriGen, Inc, Cerner Corporation, Trium Analysis Online, and others.Get Sample Copy @Market Scenario:The clinical perinatal software monitor health of fetus and pregnant women. It provides information about any complexity that may arise during the prenatal period, which helps to minimize the problems during the pregnancy.Increasing awareness and a rising birth rate & post-date pregnancy drive the growth of the market. Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure, continuous development in technology, and increasing government support for research & development likely to boost the demand for the software. On the other hand, complex user interface and high cost of the software may slow the market growth over the assessment period.Key Findings:The Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market and is expected to reach USD 60 million by 2023.Integrated software segment on the basis of products holds the largest share of 75.8% of the market.Americas holds the largest market share of 39.2% of clinical perinatal software market and is anticipated to reach USD 93 million by the end of the forecast period.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region across the globe and expected to grow at a rate of CAGR 7.8% during the forecast period.The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regionsSegments:Clinical Perinatal Software Market has been segmented on the basis of products, which comprises of integrated software and standalone software.On the basic of services, the market is segmented into implementation services, support & maintenance services, training service, customization services, and online resources.On the basic of deployed models, the market is segmented on-premises and cloud-based.On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into fetal monitor data services, workflow management, and patient documentation.On the basis of end users, it is segmented into hospital & clinics and maternity clinics.Get Premium Discount @Regional Analysis of the Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market:The Americas region accounted for a lion share of USD 65.31 million in 2016, owing to the well-developed technology, high healthcare expenditure, and the presence of the leading players.Europe is the second largest market that holds a noticeable share of the global clinical perinatal software market. The European market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period owing to well-developed healthcare infrastructure and increasing investment in healthcare. Germany, the UK, and France contribute significantly to the growth of the European market.In Asia Pacific, rising number of hospitals, increasing need for better diagnostic methods, and demand for cost-effective treatment & diagnostics services are the key factors for the market growth.The Middle East & Africa is expected to show steady growth in this market due to low technology penetration and less availability of innovative healthcare technologies.TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Report Prologue2 Introduction2.1 Scope of Study2.2 Research Objective2.3 Assumptions & Limitations2.3.1 Assumptions2.3.2 Limitations2.4 Market Structure3 Research Methodology3.1 Primary Research3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Market Size Estimation3.3.1 Market Share Analysis3.4 Market Pricing Approach4 Market Dynamics4.1 Introduction4.2 Drivers4.2.1 Technological Development in the Perinatal Software4.2.2 Increasing Birth Rates and Postdate Pregnancy4.2.3 Increasing Adoption of Healthcare It4.3 Restraints4.3.1 High Cost of the Software4.3.2 Complexity in Operating the Software4.4 Opportunities4.4.1 Positive Approach of Government towards Healthcare Sector4.5 Mega Trends4.5.1 Increasing Popularity of Cloud-Based Deployment Model4.6 Macroeconomic IndicatorsContinued!Enquiry about Reports @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Tissue Engineering Market 2022 Top Key Players are Cook, Acelity, Baxter, DePuy Synthes Companies, Medtronic, Zimmer Inc., and Stryker and More Tissue Engineering Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2134 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/tissue-engineering-market-2134 Market Research Future has a cooked research report on the Global Tissue Engineering Market. The Global Tissue Engineering Market is growing continuously and expected to grow at a Significant CAGR from 2017 to 2022.SegmentationTissue Engineering Market has been segmented on the basis of materials, which comprises of biomimetic materials, nano-fibrous materials, composite materials, and nano-composite material.On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into orthopedics, musculoskeletal and spine, skin/integumentary, cancer, dental, cardiology, urology, neurology, cord blood & cell banking, GI & gynecology, and others.Get Tissue Engineering Market Premium Sample Copy @Major Players in Tissue Engineering MarketCook, Acelity, Baxter, DePuy Synthes Companies, Medtronic, Zimmer Inc., and StrykerMarket Highlights:The Global Tissue Engineering Market has been evaluated to grow at a steady pace and expected to reach at a high growth figures over the reviewing period.The Global Tissue Engineering Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.22% during the forecast period.Tissue engineering is the use of combination of cells, engineering materials, and suitable biochemical factors to improve or replace biological functions in an efforts to repair damaged tissues and organs.Neurology segment is one of the fastest growing owing to the increasing research & development and increasing cases of disorder related to nervous system. For instance, in March 2016, In the University of Alabama researchers found a reprogramming factor, which could increase the efficiency of Human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (HiPSCs) and are generated without destroying the human embryo. These are major factor responsible for the growth of the market during forecast period.Key Findings:The global tissue engineering market is expected to reach USD 48,017.5 million by 2022 at CAGR of 17.22%.Nano-fibrous material segment on the basis of material holds the largest share to reach USD 13,279.2 million by 2022 from USD 4,155.8 million in 2016.The Americas holds the largest share of tissue engineering market and is projected to reach USD 17,889.6 million by the end of the forecast period.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region across the globe and expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.24% during the forecast period.Regional Analysis:The global tissue engineering market consists of four regions: the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.The Americas dominates the global market, particularly, North America due to growing developments in the field of regeneration surgeries, particularly stem cell research has created new opportunities for the global tissue engineering market. Additionally, continuous technological development methods and the presence of global market leaders contribute to the market growth.Europe accounts for the second largest market due to availability of funds for research & development activities, and increasing government support for life sciences domain. Furthermore, industries are continuously focusing and upgrading the 3D technology and thereby offering better and enhanced organ and tissue printing methods.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market, whose growth is attributed to the improved economic conditions in healthcare domain, the government focus on research & development in healthcare sector. Moreover, increasing adoption of technological development in healthcare resulting in improvement of healthcare facilities expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.The Middle East & Africa is expected witness limited growth due to limited access to the healthcare resources and lack of advanced medical facilities and less government encouragement in healthcare sector.TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2.1 Introduction 132.2 Scope Of Study 132.3 Research Objective 132.4 Assumptions & Limitations 142.4.1 Assumptions 142.4.2 Limitations 142.5 Market Structure 153 Research Methodology: Tissue Engineering Market3.1 Research Process 163.2 Market Size Estimation 173.2.1 Market Share Analysis 183.3 Forecast Model 19Browse Full Reports @4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers 204.1.1 Reliable Supply Of Functional Tissues 204.1.2 Use Of Tissue Engineering Can Replace The Animal Testing Model 204.1.3 Approaching Towards Its Cost-Effectiveness 204.2 Barriers 214.2.1 Shortage Of Donor Organ 214.2.2 Scaling Up Of A Specific Cell 214.3 Opportunity 214.3.1 Growing Geriatric Population Presents Significant Growth Opportunity 214.3.2 High Demand Of Tissue Engineering In Cosmetic And Reconstructive Surgery 214.4 Mega Trends 224.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 225 Market Factor AnalysisContinued!About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Ophthalmic Lasers Market Booming With Alcon, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Ellex, Abbott, Bausch + Lomb, Topcon Corporation, IRIDEX, Lumenis, Nidek Inc. Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG And Others : By 2018-2025 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-ophthalmic-lasers-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-ophthalmic-lasers-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-ophthalmic-lasers-market Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market report is replete with detailed analysis from a thorough research, especially on questions that border on market size, development environment, futuristic developments, operation situation, pathways and trend of Ophthalmic Lasers. All these are offshoots of understanding the current situation that the industry is in, especially in 2018. The will chart the course for a more comprehensive organization and discernment of the competition situation in the Ophthalmic Lasers market. As this will help manufacturers and investors alike, to have a better understanding of the direction in which the Ophthalmic Lasers Market is headed.Get Sample of Report atGlobal Ophthalmic Lasers Market is expected to reach USD 1505.5 Million by 2025, from USD 1018.92 Million in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2017, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Competitive Analysis:Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of Ophthalmic Lasers market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Key Development : In August 2010, Topcon Corporation made an agreement with OptiMedica Corporation PASCAL photocoagulation system for diabetic retinopathy and acute macular degeneration. In June 2016, Ellex Medical Lasers Limited got approval from China FDA for lasers devices which are used in the treatment of glaucoma, vitreous floaters and secondary cataract.Drivers and Restraints: Increased in prevalence of ophthalmic ailments Increase in geriatric population Increase in prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes Advancement in technology in laser based devices High cost of equipment and therapy Availability of alternative therapiesSegmentation:The ophthalmic lasers market is segmented into product, application, end users geography.Based on product, the market is segmented into femtosecond laser, excimer lasers, ND:YAG laser diode lasers and others.Based on application, the market is segmented into refractive error correction, cataract removal, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration other.Based on the end-users, the market is segmented into hospital, ambulatory surgical centers and othersBased on geography the ophthalmic lasers market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies namely North America & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and, Middle East & Africa.Request Analyst Call OnCompetitors/players: Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Ellex Medical Lasers Limited, Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Topcon Corporation, IRIDEX Corporation, Lumenis, Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, NIDEK Co., among others.List of Chapters TOC:1 Ophthalmic Lasers Market Overview2 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market Competitions by Manufacturers3 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market Analysis by Application7 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Ophthalmic Lasers Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market Forecast (2018-2025)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixGet Detailed TOC:Note:If You Have Any Special Requirements, Please Let Us Know And We Will Offer You The Report As You Want.Customization of the Report: This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with us (sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com), we will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs.About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavorsto provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Aerial Refueling System Market to Witness Incredible Growth up to 2024: Leading Companies - (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Eaton, Zodiac Aerospace, GE Aviation, Liebherr Group, Dassault Aviation, Cobham) Aerial Refueling System Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2155 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2155 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/aerial-refueling-systems-market Aerial Refueling System Market size is estimated to surpass USD 3 million by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Probe and drogue will dominate the aerial refueling system market, crossing 70% volume share over the forecast timespan. Provision of more passive tanker operations as compared to flying boom mechanism along with negligible requirement of precise direction to the drogue will contribute significantly towards the revenue generation. Flying boom system will witness significant gains owing to its high usage in the industry over the past years. Moreover, high fuel transferring rate as compared to the counterpart will further propel the market size from 2017 to 2024.Sample Copy of This Report @Industry Growth drivers:1 Increasing adoption of multi role tanker transport aircraft2 Rising defense budgets3 Growing aviation industryMilitary aircraft will dominate the aerial refueling system market, crossing USD 2 million over the next eight years. It is attributed to high requirement of refueling system in military sector along with increasing defense budgets across the globe. Helicopters are likely to grow significantly from 2017 to 2024 owing to their high usage of these system. This extensive usage is credited to low fuel carrying capacities of helicopters. Continuous growth in their production across the globe will further strengthen the product penetration.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:1. Boeing2. Lockheed Martin3. Cobham Plc4. Eaton Corporation5. Zodiac Aerospace6. GE Aviation System7. Northstar Engineering Corporation8. Omega Aerial Refueling Services, lnc.9. Liebherr Group10. ProtankGrup (Protank Mission Systems Sdn.Bhd)11. Smiths12. Dassault Aviation13. Marshall of Cambridge (Holdings) Ltd.Aerial Refueling System Market, By Application Military aircraft Helicopters Commercial aircraft UAVAerial Refueling System Market, By Component Refueling pods Refueling probes Drogues Hoses BoomMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Aerial refueling system market from refueling pods is anticipated to capture major revenue share owing to vitality of the component in the refueling system. They are responsible for monitoring the fuel transfer rate. Drogues are expected to exhibit 3.5% CAGR over the next eight years owing to high adoption of probe and drogue system across the globe for serial refueling. Extensive usage in helicopters will further contribute to the segments growth.Aerial refueling system market from OEM will capture the maximum share in the industry over the forecast timeframe owing to prior installation in the aircrafts. Continuously rising aircraft production will further support the industry dominance. Aftermarket will witness 4.7% CAGR till 2024 owing to rising replacement needs of system components such as hoses, drogues, etc., especially for the ageing fleet.North America is likely to dominate the global aerial refueling system market with more than 50% revenue share by the end of 2024. Prevalence of multiple variants of these systems such as KC-135, KC-130 etc. coupled with presence of established manufacturers will primarily contribute to the revenue generation. Rising defense budget of U.S. will further support the regional dominance. Asia Pacific will grow substantially due to rising penetration in countries including China, Japan, and Australia. The high penetration is credited to high aircraft production across the region.Browse Report Summery @GE Aviation System, Boeing, Eaton Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Zodiac Aerospace, Marshal Aerospace and Defense Group, and Dassault Aviation are among the noticeable participants in the aerial refueling system industry. Other prominent players include Omega Aerial Refueling Services, Northstar Engineering Corporation, Smiths, and The Liebherr Group. Agreements and contracts are among the major strategies implemented by the competitors to enhance their visibility. For instance, in October 2017, Cobham Plc signed an agreement with Icon Aerospace Technology for supplying refueling hoses for various aircrafts.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.com CRAFT BEER MARKET OUTLOOK TO 2025 BY TOP PLAYERS - D. G. YUENGLING & SON, INC., THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO, THE GAMBRINUS COMPANY, NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY, ETC. CRAFT BEER MARKET https://bit.ly/2QrJdVP https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/craft-beer-market/ https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com Market OverviewGlobal Craft Beer market is expected to grow with a CAGR over 22% during the forecast period 2018-2025, owing to increasing demand for beverages, and its great variety of styles & flavors and penetration of new markets. Rising number of microbreweries across the globe produces a small amount of beer but emphasize on the quality, taste and new product innovation according to the changing palate of beer drinkers. Thus, rising consumer preference for flavored and low ABV beer and increasing penetration of craft beer in emerging countries including China, India, South Africa, and Brazil will propel the craft beer market over the forecast periods.The Craft Beers are mainly produced by small, independent breweries and offer a wide range of colors, texture, and flavor. Asia-Pacific and other developing regions are witnessing demand for Craft Beers due to the increasing disposable income and product innovation by the craft brewers. In addition to this, rising middle-class population in Asia-Pacific and Latin America are raising the customer expectations that results in resetting strategic imperatives for industrial manufacturers to come up with customized products like craft beers in the market.Request for Sample of this Report@Key Product AnalysisCraft Beers are segmented in various product types which include Lager, Ale and Stout & Porter Lager and Ale both are derived from yeast. Lager yeasts are those that can be fermented at cool temperatures, generally in between 6C and 13C. Lager yeasts used in craft beers tend to produce fewer fermentation by-products and are perceived to offer cleaner and crisper taste to the craft beer drinkers. Ale is also derived from yeasts that can be fermented at relatively warmer temperature, generally in between 15C and 24C. Lager yeasts are bottom-fermenting yeasts while ale yeasts are top-fermenting yeasts The term Stout & Porter are used interchangeably for dark style craft beer that is produced using roasted barley, hops yeast and water. These are very strong beer types which became popular a long ago due to their increasing demand.Distribution Channel Analysis On-Trade distribution channel of craft beer contribute to more than 50% of overall sale, in terms of volume. This is majorly due to high consumption of products in restaurants, clubs, and bars in developed countries like US, Australia, UK, Belgium, etc. Moreover, the growth of microbreweries that offer their own craft beers also contribute to the On-Trade craft beer business Off-Trade distribution channel is witnessing significant growth, mainly in developing countries because they offer craft beers in much cheaper rate than their On-Trade counterpart.Competitive DynamicsThe global craft beer market is dominated by a number of players, amongst them the major players are D. G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., The Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, The Gambrinus Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, etc. Companies in this industry are following different strategies to strengthen their market position. For instance, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., partnered with Boston and Philadelphia-based creative agency Allen & Gerritsen two produce two commercials aimed to attract younger drinkers and celebrate craftsmanship, tradition, and perseverance of the family-owned and operated company and its craft beer products.TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter One: Research FrameworkChapter Two: Research methodologyChapter Three: Executive summaryChapter Four: Craft Beer Industry InsightsChapter Five: Global Craft Beer Market OverviewChapter Six: Craft Beer Market, By Product TypeChapter Seven: Craft Beer Market, By DistributionChapter Eight: Craft Beer Market, By RegionChapter Nine: Company ProfilesList of figuresFigure 1 Food Additive Industry Ecosystem analysisFigure 2 Production of Hop by Region, 2016Figure 3 German Hop Production, By Region, in Meter Tonne, 2016-2017Figure 4 Global Barley Production, By Region/Country, 2016Figure 5 Manufacturing process of craft beerFigure 6 Sales and Consumer Spending on low ABV product, in UK , 2015-2018List of TablesTable 1 Global Craft Beer Market : Vendor MatrixTable 2 Properties of Lager Yeast and Ale YeastTable 3 Global Lager Market Size & Forecast, By Region, By Value (USD Billion ), 2014-2025FTable 4 Global Lager Market Size & Forecast, By Region, By Volume(Billion Liters), 2014-2025FTable 5 Global Ale Market Size & Forecast, By Region, By Value(USD Billion), 2014-2025FTable 6 Global Ale Market Size & Forecast, By Region, By Volume (Billion Liters), 2014-2025FTable 7 Global Stout & Porter Market Size & Forecast, By Region, By Value(USD Billion), 2014-2025FBrowse full Research Report@Contact Us:info@blueweaveconsulting.comPhone Number: 18666586826About BlueWeave Consulting & Research Pvt Ltd. (BWC)BlueWeave Consulting provides a full scope of business intelligence solution for solving your toughest challenges. BWC is an emerging global expert & pioneer in the market research and provision of exclusive market INTEL. We optimize your decision making by equipping your industry with an accurate & better market research according to your industry demands through our professionally designed qualitative & quantitative research methods. Our trendy & efficient sample collection methods, integrated data solutions as well as methodologies certainly make us a better partner that you can rely on. With collective experience in the varied fields of retail, market research and reporting, we provide the business insight and business practices that would give the required impetus for your companys growth.GD-69, Sector G, East Kolkata Twp In The Lordsprayer, for instance, he renders a tense passage of father-son dialogue with characteristic idiosyncrasy and comic energy: Where ya goin?/ Outtoplay./ Really?/ Guess so./ Dyknow the Lordsprayer?/ What?/ The Lordsprayer./ Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed-bethyname./ No, I guess not./ Well, when you do, you can go out and play./ Well. What the (expletive) is that? The Lordsprayer? I dont know what that is. And I say so. This admission sets the story up to take an unexpected survey of the households bookshelves, revealing assorted intellectual and psychological concerns that carry the narrator to his teens when he is moved nearly to tears reading a mention of our people, the Blackfoot Sioux, on page 423 of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. New Report: Ureteral Stents Market worth $449 Million by 2023 Ureteral Stents Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4414?utm_source=sank_opn_pr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4414?utm_source=sank_opn_pr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com "Rise in prevalence of disorders cases such as kidney stones, urinary incontinence, and kidney transplants drives the market growth. In addition, increase in geriatric population and technological advancement in stent design are expected to contribute towards the growth of the market."According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Ureteral Stents Market by Product, Material, Application, and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023, the global ureteral stents market was valued at $304 million in 2016, and is estimated to reach $449 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2017 to 2023. The double pigtail stents segment held the highest market share in 2016.Get Access to TOC / Sample Report @Ureteral stents are used to enable the drainage of urine from blocked ureters in the case of various urological disorders such as kidney stones, tumors, urinary incontinence, and kidney transplantation.Constant technological developments, rise in incidence of urological diseases, and increase in medical tourism in the developing countries drive the growth of the market. However, lack of skilled urologists and complications related to ureteral stents are expected to limit the market growth.The global ureteral stents market is segmented based on product, material, application, end user, and geography. On the basis of product, the double pigtail stents segment held the highest market share in 2016, owing to increased use of these instruments in surgical procedures.By material, Metallic Stents segment held the highest market share in 2016, and Polymer Stents segment is expected to grow at the highest rate, registering the CAGR of 8.2% by 2023.Based on application, metallic stents segment held the largest market share in 2016, due to increase in geriatric population and sedentary lifestyle.Send Enquiry on this report @Based on end user, hospitals have witnessed the highest number of urological surgeries, thus accounting for the highest market share in 2016.Key Findings Of The Ureteral Stents Market: Double pigtail stents segment dominated the market in 2016, and multiloop stents segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The metallic stents segment accounted for the highest share in 2016. U.S. was the major shareholder in the North American ureteral stents market in 2016. Asia-Pacific is expected to register the highest growth rate in future. India is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the Asia-Pacific ureteral stents market.North America accounted for two-fifths share in 2016, and is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the presence of well-established healthcare systems and increase in prevalence of diseases, such as kidney stones and tumors. In addition, higher adoption rate for technologically advanced devices is anticipated to provide new growth opportunities for the key players in the North American market. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at the highest growth rate during the analysis period, owing to rise in healthcare expenditure, increase in per capita income, growth in demand for healthcare services from a large patient pool, and improvement in healthcare infrastructure.The major players profiled in the global ureteral stents market are Boston Scientific Corporation, B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Cook Group Incorporated, C. R. Bard, Inc., Coloplast Ltd., Medline Industries, Inc., Allium Medical Solutions Ltd., Pnn Medical A/S, Teleflex Incorporated, and Olympus Corporation.About usAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1(855)550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Cognitive Systems Market 2024 | Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Google Inc., Symantec Corporation, Palantir Technologies, Inc., Recommind, Inc.and OpenText Corporation etc. https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upsample/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/TOC/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124609/Cognitive-Systems-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Natural language processing (NLP) is a major element of artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced communicating with intelligent systems with the help of natural language. It aids computers in responding and reading by mimicking the human capability to recognise the day-to-day language that they adopt to communicate. Today, without natural language processing, AI can only answer simple questions and understand the meaning of language, but will not able to recognise the significance of words in framework. Natural language processing applications permits users to connect with a computer in their own words.DriversWith increasing usage of internet, computers, smart phones and many other personal devices, the requirement for machine and human level communication has increased. Everybody from enterprise to individual users nowadays need machines that can respond to their questions, support them in their daily basis operations and also make their life organized and easier. This demand has given rise to increased demand for natural language processing technology which is now being quickly commercialized. Natural language processing technology is the most adoptable technology for cognitive systems due to its easy and advanced language conversation process and which boosts the growth of Cognitive Systems Spending. Increasing technology advancement in cognitive systems will help to track both external and internal threats. Complex data hacking due to internal users mistakably revealing the corporate systems data to threats are increasing the importance of Cognitive systems. These abilities will open a new world of insights and data analytics for companies and assist them to report cyber security and security issues threats. Cognitive security tools with such advanced capabilities will help organizations address cyber security threats and compliance issues. The tools offered by cognitive systems will help security teams to make more informed decisions, quickly seal security breaches at all levels and thus in turn increase the demand of overall Cognitive Systems Spending.Request For Report Sample:TrendsAn emerging Trend which is boosting cognitive systems spending growth is the rising demand for predictive analytics. Cognitive system integration permits communicative relocation of real-time data between machineries and networks. The growing need to strategically monitor information and analyse will eventually influence the overall cognitive systems spending that is projected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. Moreover, large businesses have recognized that they can use big data to deliver better services, optimize costs, and boost revenues. Therefore, large industries have benefited from advances in big data techniques via examination of customer buying behaviour and buying patterns. On the basis of data points, predictive modelling techniques are customized to a group or an individual customer. This can leads to improving the overall efficacy of the production while reducing costs and efficient and accurate solutions. Hence, the increasing demand of predictive analytics in North America is fuelling the growth of overall Cognitive Systems Spending.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by product typeNatural language processing technology segment is expected to be valued at US$ 13003.8 Mn by 2026 and is projected to register a CAGR of 16.6% over the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment will only grow as the exponential increase in information ads to the continued pressure to improve knowledge worker performance and decision making. Knowledge workers are facing an ever-increasing amount of information to deal with.Request For Report TOC :Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by deploymentNatural language processing technology segment to account for the significant market share of 60.6% in the North America market by 2026 end. Natural language processing technology segment is the most adoptable technology for cognitive systems due to its easy and advanced language conversation process which will thereby boost the growth of cognitive systems spending.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by applicationIn terms of value, natural language processing technology segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 16.6% over the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment finds its end-users in healthcare, education, manufacturing, and banking. Approximately 60% of cognitive systems with natural language processing technology are used by large and medium manufacturing industries, banking sector and others.Natural Language Processing Technology Analysis, by RegionOn the basis of region, North America region is projected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. Natural language processing technology segment is estimated to account for the significant market share of 64.8% in the North America market by 2016 end. The presence of several natural language processing technology service provider companies in North America is expected to play an important role in revenue growth of the natural language processing technology segment in the North America market. Natural language processing technology segment is expected to witness robust growth in Western Europe and APEJ market driven by increasing cloud based solution demand in the region, as natural language processing technology is highly used by end-user such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and banking in these regions.Key Players:Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Google Inc., Symantec Corporation, Palantir Technologies, Inc., Recommind, Inc.and OpenText Corporation etc.Report Analysis:About UsResearch Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trendsContact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Automotives Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market 2026 | Denso Corporation Continental AG Robert Bosch General Motors Company Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd. https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/110114629/Automotives-Electronics-Control-Unit-Management-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/110114629/Automotives-Electronics-Control-Unit-Management-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/rd/110114629/Automotives-Electronics-Control-Unit-Management-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/ Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market Overview:Automotive Electrionic Control Units is used in modern vehicle for controlling the input signal of engines components such as Engine Control Module (ECM), Electronic Brake Control Module, Transmission Control Module, Door Control Unit, General Electric Module, Body Control Module, Powertrain Control Module, Suspension Control Module, Door Control Unit and General Electric Module.Electronic control units is a box which is placed down direction at the bonet of the vehicle and including various types of fuses for lighting system, fuel supply system and others.Increasing demand for low fuel consumption vehicle is a factoer which will give positive potential to the global automotive electronics control unit management market by the end of 2026.Request For Report Sample:Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market Segmentation:The global Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) market can be segment on the basis of Application:Utility VehiclePassenger CarCommercial VehicleThe global Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) market can be segment on the basis of Controlling System:Engine Manegment SystemClimat control SystemPower Steering SystemBody Control SystemTransmission Control SystemAirbag Restraint SystemAutomotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market: DynamicsIncreased demand for technologically advanced vehicles such as hybrid cars in the developed and developing countries is one of the major factors which is anticipated to drive the growth of Automotive ECU/ECM market Over the forecast period. Government regulations pertaning to fuel consumptioncoupled with increasing demand for better mileage of the vehicles by the middle class population is another major factor leading to high growth of automotive ECU/ECMmarket in the automotive industry. The steady growth of alternative vehicle choices such has the hybrid and pure electric cars in the developed nations has contributed significantly to the ECU market due to high complexities of these vehicles over conventional vehicles. Driver safety, security concerns, ease of driving, low maintenance demanded by the customers are also some of the factors driving the growth of ECU market.Furtheremore, growing inclination toward a luxiriuslyfistyle is also projected to drive the market over the forcast period.Tech giant player is investing heafty money in R&D for intending to develop higher accuracy electronic control unit wich can perform more then one operation at one time such as set the ration of air fuel mixture ration, consumption of fuel and oil.Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market: Regional OutlookEurope is anticipated to dominate in the regional basis market owing to Europe is the hub of automotive vehicle and established base on automotive industry. Moreover, Asia Pacific is projected to grow with healthy growth rate owing to increasing demand of low fuel consumption vehicles. North America is anticipated to grow with significant CAGR owing to increasing demand of premium vehicle and utility vehicle during the forecast period. Middle East and Africa is anticpated to grow with remarkable growth rate owing to incresing demand from GCC countries.Request Report Discount:Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market: Key PlayersThe key player for the global Automotive Electronics Control Unit Management (ECU/ECM) Market are following:Denso CorporationContinental AGRobert BoschGeneral Motors CompanyHyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.Panasonic CorporationDelphi Automotive PlcLear CorporationHyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd.Alps Electric Co. Ltd.Research Methodology:RRI surveys a number of companies in order to estimate the data covered in the report through triangulation methodology. A detailed market understanding and assessment of the drive and application segments covered in the study. The research methodology also includes interviews conducted for various industry leaders by the research experts. This helps the researchers to match their previous findings with the ones confirmed from various resource persons. The report focuses on analyzing the supply-side approaches and keeps a track of that of the demand-side so as to make sure the findings are true. The global market scenario has been derived by consolidation of regional market overviews.Report Analysis:About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:Research Report Insights (RRI)42 Joseph StreetPort carling P0B 1J0Muskoka, Ontario1Phone - +1-631-721-4201Website:Email: sales@researchreportinsights.com Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market Expected to Hit $74.20 Billion by 2026 Worldwide Top Key Players - TOTVS, Microsoft Corporation, Syspro, SAP, Unit4, Tally, Oracle, NetSuite, Focus Softnet, IBM Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/16104 https://marketprognosis.com/buyReport/16104 https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/16104 https://www.marketprognosis.com Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software - Global Market Outlook (2017-2026) which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2026.Overview of the Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market:Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software market is expected to grow from $34.10 Billion in 2017 to reach $74.20 Billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 9.0%. Factors such as improving operational efficiency and transparency within the organization and high penetration of cloud based deployment model are propelling the market growth. However, high installation price and the accessibility of open source applications are few factors inhibiting the market growth.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is software that permits organizations to run their business processes. The role of ERP has transitioned from back office activities to the integration of business processes. It usually integrates all facets of an operation including product planning, development, manufacturing, sales and marketing in a single database, application and user interface.Based on deployment model, cloud deployment segment has a substantial growth in the market. This is attributed to the increase in adoption of cloud-based technologies coupled with growing scalability offered by these technologies. By application, Aerospace & Defense segment acquired significant growth during the forecast period. The major reason for this growth would be to maintain data transparency on real-time basis.Geographically, North America is dominating the market during the forecast period due to huge software implementation in business processes among organizations is propelling the region. Asia Pacific has emerged as fastest growing market owing to the rising manufacturing and semiconductor industry in emerging countries.Purchase this report online with Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @Major Key Players:1 TOTVS2 Microsoft Corporation3 Syspro4 SAP5 Unit46 Tally7 Oracle8 NetSuite Inc.9 Focus Softnet10 IBM Corporation and MoreMarket Segment by Types Covered:1 Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)2 Two-tier Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)3 Social Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)4 Mobile Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Any Query? Ask to our Expert @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2026 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market.Table of Contents:1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By Deployment6 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By Type7 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By Function Type8 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By Application9 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By End User10 Global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Market, By Geography11 Key Developments12 Company ProfilingAbout us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane 421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 | Aeris, AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Huawei, NTT, SoftBank and Sprint SDMR http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/contact/59989?ref=Sample-and-Brochure&toccode=SDMRSE59989 http://www.supplydemandmarketresearch.com/home/toc_publisher/59989?code=SDMRSE59989#Report_Highlights The Internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect, collect and exchange data, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions.Internet of things telecom services market is primarily driven by rising penetration of smart connected devices, rising adoption of telco cloud, deployment of over-the-top applications, and demand for smart network bandwidth management and automation in operations.In 2017, the global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2018-2025.This report focuses on the global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services development in United States, Europe and China.The key players covered in this studyAerisAT&TChina MobileDeutsche TelekomEricssonHuaweiNTTSoftBankSprintSwisscomTelefonicaT-MobileVerizonVodafoneGet Exclusive Sample Copy @Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoBusiness consulting servicesDevice and application management servicesInstallation and integration servicesIoT billing and subscription managementM2m billing servicesInternet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market segment by Application, split intoSmart buildings and home automationCapillary network managementIndustrial manufacturing and automationVehicle telematicsTransportation, logistics trackingEnergy and utilitiesSmart healthcareTraffic managementInternet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaBrowse Complete Report @Major Table of Contents:1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Business consulting services1.4.3 Device and application management services1.4.4 Installation and integration services1.4.5 IoT billing and subscription management1.4.6 M2m billing services1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Smart buildings and home automation1.5.3 Capillary network management1.5.4 Industrial manufacturing and automation1.5.5 Vehicle telematics1.5.6 Transportation, logistics tracking1.5.7 Energy and utilities1.5.8 Smart healthcare1.5.9 Traffic management1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size2.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market OpportunitiesTOC Continued!About us:SupplyDemandMarketResearch.com have a strong network of high powered and experienced global consultants who have about 10+ years of experience in the specific industry to deliver quality research and analysis.Having such an experienced network, our services not only cater to the client who wants the basic reference of market numbers and related high growth areas in the demand side, but also we provide detailed and granular information using which the client can definitely plan the strategies with respect to both supply and demand side.Canada Office:302-20 Misssisauga Valley, Missisauga,L5A 3S1, TorontoGlobal +1-778-686-7521Email sales@supplydemandmarketresearch.com Dental Equipment Market Poised To Register Healthy Expansion For Upcoming Years By Leading Players - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/354 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/354 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/dental-equipment-market www.alliedmarketresearch.com Dental equipment includes devices that are used to diagnose and treat dental conditions. Dental caries and periodontal disease are the dental conditions affecting a majority of the population. The aim of this report is to analyze the dental equipment market as the increasing demand for dental procedures is expected to fuel the demand for dental equipment. An in depth analysis of the market potential of all the products available have been included in the report.Download PDF Report Sample @The key drivers for this market include a rise in cases of dental conditions and an increasing demand for cosmetic dentistry. Widespread implementation of technology such as imaging and radiology will be possible only when the same is available at lower cost, which is a challenge for this market. Opportunities for this market lie in improving the present equipment by bringing in new technological innovations that would improve dental surgical procedures and allow more efficient and effective treatment.Dental Equipment Market Analysis by Product TypeDental equipment includes dental radiology equipment, dental lasers, systems, laboratory machines, hygiene maintenance devices and other equipment. Dental lasers are used for variety of purposes such as for removal of dental carries whitening and root canal procedures and hence, it would be in demand. The demand for CAD/CAM systems is expected to increase as these systems reduce the time for procedures, improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes.Dental Equipment Market Analysis by GeographyThe dental equipment market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA. Currently North America and Europe are the major markets as awareness for oral diseases and an ageing population is contributing to the growth of these markets. However, Asia Pacific is an emerging region due to the adoption of innovative technologies, greater oral care awareness and growing medical tourism.Get More Inforkmation @Competitive AnalysisThe companies in the dental equipment market include Sirona Dental Systems, Biolase Inc, Henry Schein, Inc., Danaher Corporation, Dentsply International, Inc., and GC Corporation. In February 2014, Sirona entered into an agreement with a Japanese dental company GC Corporation. According to this agreement, GC Corporation would be a material partner and would provide high quality materials for producing CAD/CAM restorations.High Level AnalysisAccording to porters five force model, the bargaining power of the buyer is moderate in this market as there are many suppliers producing high quality dental equipment. However, there are companies also focusing on technological innovations and these products would be in demand. Threat of substitutes is moderate as the some of the dental equipment products are specifically designed for use in the treatment of dental conditions. Intensity of rivalry is high as competitors are many and some of the products are undifferentiated. The value chain analysis gives insights to the role played by each participant in the supply chain. The key investment pockets are analyzed in depth after taking into account the market estimations of each segment.Access Full Summery @About usAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.ContactDavid Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Global Online Donation Software Market 2018 by Top Manufacturers Fondly, Salsa, Snowball, Bonfire, One Cause, Double the Donation, Donation Force, Donors Choose, My Pledger https://www.researchreportsinc.com/sample-request?id=240331 https://www.researchreportsinc.com/check-discount?id=240331 https://researchreportsinc.com/checkout/?add-to-cart=240331&&attribute_pa_choose-license=single-user&&quantity=1 In this report, we study the present scenario (with the base year being 2017) and the growth prospects of the global Online Donation Software market for 2018-2023.This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares and growth opportunities of the Online Donation Software market by product type, application, key companies, and key regions.Download Sample Report of Online Donation Software Market @Leaders of the Industry: - Fondly, Salsa, Snowball, Bonfire, One Cause, Donate, Double the Donation, Qgiv, Donation Force, Donors Choose, My Pledger and so on.Furthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:The historical year 2013, 2016The base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2023We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions:AmericasUnited StatesCanadaMexicoBrazilAPACChinaJapanKoreaSoutheast AsiaIndiaAustraliaEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalyRussiaSpainMiddle East & AfricaEgyptSouth AfricaIsraelTurkeyGCC CountriesGrab Guaranteed Discount:By Category: Online Donation Software Video Content Online Donation Software Digital Text Content Online Donation Software Digital Games Content Online Donation Software Digital Audio ContentBy Device: Online Donation Software Mobile Content Online Donation Software Non-Mobile ContentBy Regions: Online Donation Software North America The U.S. Canada Online Donation Software Europe UK Germany Online Donation Software the Asia Pacific China India Japan Online Donation Software Latin America Brazil MexicoWe Also Can Offer Customized Report To Fulfill Special Requirements Of Our Clients.Purchase this Premium Report (Flat 20% off Apply Coupon Code DISC20):-Table of Contents2018-2023 Global Online Donation Software Market Report (Status and Outlook)1 The scope of the Report1.1 Market Introduction1.2 Research Objectives1.3 Years Considered1.4 Market Research Methodology1.5 Economic Indicators1.6 Currency Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 World Market Overview2.1.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size 2013-20232.1.2 Online Donation Software Market Size CAGR by Region2.2 Online Donation Software Segment by Type2.2.1 Cloud-based2.2.2 On-Premise2.3 Online Donation Software Market Size by Type2.3.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2018)2.4 Online Donation Software Segment by Application2.4.1 SMBs2.4.2 Large Enterprises2.5 Online Donation Software Market Size by Application2.5.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Market Share by Application (2013-2018)2.5.2 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)3 Global Online Donation Software by Players3.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Market Share by Players3.1.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size by Players (2016-2018)3.1.2 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Market Share by Players (2016-2018)3.2 Global Online Donation Software Key Players Head office and Products Offered3.3 Market Concentration Rate Analysis3.3.1 Competition Landscape Analysis3.3.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5, and CR10) (2016-2018)3.4 New Products and Potential Entrants3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion4 Online Donation Software by Regions4.1 Online Donation Software Market Size by Regions4.2 Americas Online Donation Software Market Size Growth4.3 APAC Online Donation Software Market Size Growth4.4 Europe Online Donation Software Market Size Growth4.5 the Middle East & Africa Online Donation Software Market Size Growth5 Americas5.1 Americas Online Donation Software Market Size by Countries5.2 Americas Online Donation Software Market Size by Type5.3 Americas Online Donation Software Market Size by Application5.4 United States5.5 Canada5.6 Mexico5.7 Key Economic Indicators of Few Americas Countries6 APAC6.1 APAC Online Donation Software Market Size by Countries6.2 APAC Online Donation Software Market Size by Type6.3 APAC Online Donation Software Market Size by Application6.4 China6.5 Japan6.6 Korea6.7 Southeast Asia6.8 India6.9 Australia6.10 Key Economic Indicators of Few APAC Countries7 Europe7.1 Europe Online Donation Software by Countries7.2 Europe Online Donation Software Market Size by Type7.3 Europe Online Donation Software Market Size by Application7.4 Germany7.5 France7.6 UK7.7 Italy7.8 Russia7.9 Spain7.10 Key Economic Indicators of Few Europe Countries8 Middle East & Africa8.1 the Middle East & Africa Online Donation Software by Countries8.2 the Middle East & Africa Online Donation Software Market Size by Type8.3 the Middle East & Africa Online Donation Software Market Size by Application8.4 Egypt8.5 South Africa8.6 Israel8.7 Turkey8.8 GCC Countries9 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends9.1 Market Drivers and Impact9.1.1 Growing Demand from Key Regions9.1.2 Growing Demand from Key Applications and Potential Industries9.2 Market Challenges and Impact9.3 Market Trends10 Global Online Donation Software Market Forecast10.1 Global Online Donation Software Market Size Forecast (2018-2023)10.2 Global Online Donation Software Forecast by Regions10.2.1 Global Online Donation Software Forecast by Regions (2018-2023)10.2.2 Americas Market Forecast10.2.3 APAC Market Forecast10.2.4 Europe Market Forecast10.2.5 the Middle East & Africa Market Forecast10.3 Americas Forecast by Countries10.3.1 United States Market Forecast10.3.2 Canada Market Forecast10.3.3 Mexico Market Forecast10.3.4 Brazil Market ForecastAbout Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwideWith our expertise and research offerings, we ensure we deliver on all your requirements, whether youre looking for the industry analysis or market trends or anything else, first time and every time!Email us sales@researchreportsinc.comCall: US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK : +4403308087757 Newly released our much-anticipated Industrial Food Slicer. After many years of success with the predecessor to this new unit, the A400 has sadly come to the end of its life. We will of course continue to support the A400 Variants however we have created a new beast that is going to take the food production for the SME sector by storm. The new VSI T Industrial food slicer is now available Playwright Lisa Kron is having a moment in Portland theater. In fall 2017, Portland Center Stage produced her Tony Award-winning musical "Fun Home," an emotionally eviscerating adaptation of cartoonist Alison Bechdel's memoir about growing up with a closeted father and coming of age as a lesbian. At the start of 2018, Profile Theatre, which devotes each season to one or two playwrights, announced that its 2018-19 season would focus on Kron and Anna Deavere Smith. Since then the company has presented "2.5 Minute Ride," Kron's alternately hilarious and haunting one-woman show about family history, and "The Secretaries," a slasher satire about workplace misogyny by The Five Lesbian Brothers, a playwrights group that includes Kron. Now Kron (rhymes with "cone"), who's based in New York, is coming to Portland for a weeklong residency. It will overlap with Profile's production of her play "In the Wake," inspired by the fraught 2000 presidential election, which Al Gore was initially thought to have won but which George W. Bush ultimately gained after a Florida recount and a Supreme Court ruling. As part of Kron's residency, she and Profile's artistic director, Josh Hecht, will hold a public conversation. Meantime, she spoke with The Oregonian/OregonLive; here are excerpts from the conversation. On "In the Wake": Kron described the germination of the play this way: "I was obsessed with that recount, what had happened in 2000 and what I felt was a lack of attention on the part of Democrats to structural issues and an obsession with results and marquee names. But then I was also wondering, if I felt that these were things that I could see that other people weren't seeing, what is it that I'm not seeing?" In the play, a character on the left of the political spectrum is accused of a blind spot. "Definitely the question of the blind spot is a recurring question and a recurring motif in a way," Kron said. "I think I was interested in a sense of arrogance on the left: that we knew what the answers were and (that) the Republicans were the problem." These days, Kron said, "what's happened on the right is an appalling and unconscionable, morality-free power grab." But she won't absolve the left. "I can't do anything about the right, really, but I can as a person on the left think about our culpability in what's happened. ... There's not equivalency and yet the reality that we live in has been made by all of us." That hasn't been a popular viewpoint. Kron still remembers one artistic director who told her after Barack Obama's election, when "In the Wake" had yet to be produced, that her play was no longer relevant. "I said, I don't know," Kron recalled. "It wasn't being produced for a bunch of years," she said of the play. "And now it's being produced again." On art and politics: Kron hasn't been limiting her political frustrations to her scripts. She's a co-founder of the creative group Chant Bank, which identifies with the self-titled resistance movement that formed after the 2016 presidential election. Chant Bank's mission, as described on its Facebook page, includes "fostering the creation of new songs and chants made for this specific moment." "All art is political," Kron said. "Art that claims to not be political is essentially saying, we are satisfied with the status quo." In Kron's opinion, politics isn't just about resource allocation but also about "narrative power and self-identification and cultural visibility." Since the election, "I feel like I've started to understand much more deeply how pernicious (inequity) is and to be much more active about pushing for change," she said. "It doesn't just matter in terms of social justice, it matters in terms of the arts," she said. "The idea that these things are not in the lane of art - I mean, it's just absurd. Of course it is." On Profile Theatre: "It's an amazing thing for a playwright to have an audience and a theater consider a body of work," Kron said. Hecht, who's known Kron for years, consulted with her on which of her plays to produce. In addition to "2.5 Minute Ride, "The Secretaries" and "In the Wake," Profile will stage "Well," a Tony-nominated play about illness and community, next spring. "We looked for the ones that looked like they were probably the most relevant and felt like they would come alive on the Profile stage," Kron said. (Fans of her instantly relatable "The Ver**zon Play," in which the main character tries futilely to get a cell phone bill corrected, are out of luck, which she sounds a little wistful about: "When I was performing it ... the reaction was so intense. The universal truths are, like, birth, death, love and bad customer service.") Kron said she's particularly looking forward to hearing directly from theatergoers during her public conversation with Hecht. "Plays don't exist without an audience, and the more actively engaged the audience is in the conversations the play is meaning to engender, the better the theater is," she said, adding later, "I hope we take each other to interesting places." *** "In the Wake" When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 29-Dec. 16, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec 2, 9 and 16. Where: Artists Repertory Theatre, Morrison Stage, 1515 S.W. Morrison St. Tickets: $20-$38, profiletheatre.org or 503-242-0080 Lisa Kron-Josh Hecht conversation: 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, Morrison Stage. $20-$50. The latest book on the life and times of Winston Churchill weighs a few pounds and runs more than a thousand pages. Given that it joins hundreds of books already written about the man, is it necessary, vital and worth reading? In 2008, 20 percent of 3,000 British teenagers surveyed thought Churchill was a fictional character. By contrast, nearly 60 percent thought Sherlock Holmes and Eleanor Rigby were real people. No question this book is timely. Even people who know that Churchill was real find it hard to believe the man's life story could be true. Read this book and learn something that goes far beyond the Churchill stereotype, what with cigars, drinking and the famous V sign he flashed during World War II. Author Andrew Roberts spent years working on "Churchill: Walking With Destiny" (Viking, 1,152 pages, $40). It shows. Portland-area residents are blessed that Roberts will be in Portland on Wednesday, Nov. 28, to give a lecture about Churchill and this book during an event sponsored by the Oregon Historical Society. During the past 30 years, Roberts, an Englishman born two years after Churchill died in 1965, has written more than 200 articles about Churchill as well as five books featuring Churchill in either the title or subtitle. He tackled this latest project to resolve debates and controversies about Churchill. Churchill was a man of contradictions, and Roberts delves into all of them. His research is outstanding, based on archival and primary sources, many of which have never been used in previous Churchill biographies. Roberts, for example, had access to diaries from King George VI and Soviet Ambassador Ivan Maisky. In addition, Roberts studied the private papers of 138 people who worked with and knew Churchill. Roberts writes that Churchill is a heroic man, but one cannot pick or choose when it comes to him. "One," he writes, "has to take him all or nothing." Churchill would approve. As he once said: "To do justice to a great man, discriminating criticism is necessary. Gush, however quenching, is always insipid." What emerges in Roberts' book is a man full of complexities. Here are just three of the hundreds of observations gathered from those who knew Churchill: "The first time you meet Winston, you see all his faults, and the rest of your life you spend discovering his virtues." "I have known finer and greater characters, wiser philosophers, more understanding personalities, but no greater man." "When things are going well, he is good; when things are going badly, he is superb. But when things are going half-well, he is hell on earth." Roberts' book is full of insights and facts that provide a deeper understanding of Churchill. Deeply emotional, Churchill cried in public 50 times during World War II. He made dozens of mistakes but learned from them. He had a miserable childhood, abused in prep school, ignored by his parents and despised by his father. And yet by the time he was 26, Churchill had fought in four wars, published five books, written 215 newspaper articles and escaped after being captured. During his life, he wrote 37 books, totaling 6.1 million words, more than William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens combined. He delivered 5.3 million words in speeches, bringing him close to people because they perceived he told unpopular truths as he saw them, followed his heart and did what he thought was right at the time. A very real man indeed. *** Andrew Roberts When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 Where: First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 S.W. Park Ave. Tickets: $20, $10 for Oregon Historical Society members, ohs.org or 503-222-1741 --Tom Hallman Jr. thallman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8224 Twitter: @thallmanjr Are there any conflicts associated with the holiday? The story about an amicable meal between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people varies depending on whos controlling the narrative. Lessons taught in grade school often overlook the long conflict the two groups had that resulted in human and cultural death. Many people protest Thanksgiving and call it the National Day of Mourning. Some even gather at a place overlooking Plymouth Rock to remember the loss of lives, land, heritage and resources. Editors note: This is a weekly Q&A focused on the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System. Got a question? Submit it to politics@oregonian.com. Q: Where does the money come from to pay PERS pension benefits? A: PERS officials have a handy formula to explain this one, so handy, in fact, that it appeared as the inscription on the retirement cake for the systems former director: Benefits = Contributions + Earnings In fact, about three-quarters of the money to pay the systems benefits come from investment earnings. And the Oregon Investment Council and Treasurys Investment Management Division have historically delivered, earning top tier investment returns among their peers. Whatever investment earnings dont cover must come from contributions. In Oregons case, such contributions come from public employers essentially taxpayers as the mandatory employee retirement contribution of 6 percent of pay has been redirected into a separate, supplemental retirement account since 2004, and no longer supports the pension fund. Matt Larrabee, the systems actuary with Milliman Inc., likes to point out that Oregons contribution rates are more volatile or more sensitive to good or bad investment returns. Thats because the system has such a high level of assets relative to its payroll, so a given level of over- or under-performance relative to the systems assumed rate of return (7.2 percent) is a larger number, and absorbing it creates more pronounced swings in contribution rates. Employer contributions rates are readjusted in July of every odd numbered year to reflect the actual investment returns the system has achieved, versus the assumed rate. They will be going up again this July as the system continues to try to dig out of its $22 billion unfunded actuarial liability. Schools, for example, will see their required pension contribution rates jump from an average of about 24 percent of payroll to 29 percent of payroll. Statewide, thats an extra $375 million that will come out of school budgets to pay pension costs during the next two-year budget cycle. Collectively, the 900-plus public employers that participate in PERS are slated to pay $1.1 billion more to fund the system in the 2019-21 biennium. Ted Sickinger | 503-221-8505 | @tedsickinger On Thanksgiving, the Flood family could be cooking inside their new home, a retired school bus outfitted with a kitchen, bedroom, bunks and bathroom. With 220 square feet of living space, they can finally spread out under one roof. Before the bus was available to them, the family of five was living in their car. Many people who are homeless have income to pay reasonable rent, but not moving expenses and security deposits, said Julie Akins, a newly elected Ashland city council member who founded the nonprofit Vehicles for Changes to help Oregon's 20,000 homeless children have a safe place to sleep. Akins, who has spent hundreds of hours interviewing people without a home, wanted to find a solution that was practical, low cost and legal. Her research led her to the surplus of school buses. These long, steel vehicles, which sell for about $3,000 or are given away, can become self-contained, mobile shelters. School buses have diesel engines built to last 1 million miles and since they get 15 miles to the gallon, they make it possible for people to move to find work. "They're ready to go," Akins said. And it's legal to live full-time in a bus converted into an RV on some private land and in RV or mobile home park. UPDATED: Portland allows RVs and tiny homes on wheels to be occupied on commercial properties, as well as single family or duplex residential properties (not multifamily apartment buildings or vacate lots) with conditions. The Flood family became homeless when their rent escalated and after the mom, Jennifer, was hospitalized for a serious bleeding ulcer and she missed work. They're hopeful they can turn their life back around if they can keep expenses low. They will rent space for the converted bus at the Jackson Wellsprings in Ashland, paying $450 a month, which includes water and electricity. If they want to, they can lease to own the 1993 Carpenter bus, which was only driven 126,000 miles before it was sold to Vehicles for Changes. The nonprofit's supporters see the Floods' home -- what they call, the first Forever Home Skoolie -- as a model. Five more conversions are scheduled for next year. Akins hopes to keep costs to $25,000 to make a bus a home. Two buses, donated by the Ashland School District, are waiting to be renovated and the rehab process should be faster than the months builder Cody Armond calculates he invested in the first one. Armond, the nonprofit's only paid employee, served as the designer, contractor and carpenter. He was aided by building professionals and volunteers. He has converted school buses into what are called "skoolies" before, but he put extra time and care into creating this one. Some materials were gifted and some of the wood was salvaged. People can donate at vehiclesforchanges.com. HISTORY OF 'SKOOLIES' School bus conversions are not new. In the 1960s hippie heyday, Ken Kesey and his Merry Band of Pranksters crossed the country in a 1939 International Harvester bus. The 2012 documentary, "I'm Fine, Thanks," profiled a family living in a school bus. And what kid glued to TV sit coms in the 1970s can forget the 1957 Chevrolet school bus used during the filming of the original "Partridge Family" show? Over the years, the online forum Skoolie.net has racked up about 300,000 posts, offering step-by-step conversion tutorials and information on adding electricity, running water and insulation, and the benefits of alternative fuels. As simplified living and the tiny house movement continue to capture attention, and people search for inexpensive housing, skoolies are finding a larger audience. Surplus yards, auctions, Craigslist and eBay sell old buses. Akins would like to negotiate directly with school districts, since schools know firsthand the impact of homelessness on children. Although the National Transportation Safety Board once recommended retired school buses to be stripped of stop arms and warning signals -- and some states require it -- and many converted buses are painted a color other than School Bus Yellow, you can't disguise their familiar form. Still, each one is customized to please its owners, whether the 40-footer is intended for camping getaways or as a primary house. THE FIRST FOREVER HOME SKOOLIE The walls and ceiling of the first Forever Home Skoolie have been insulated to reduce heat loss. An outside hose hooks up to the water source and the hot water heater works on demand. It's wired for solar panels. To have the old school bus feel like a home, the walls are covered in silver-veined, reclaimed pallet wood. A new range with four gas burners sits next to kitchen cabinets topped with stone-like counters. A refrigerator fits in a long open closet. "It's like a baby condo," said Leo Gorcey of Vehicles for Changes, pointing to the built-in bench with colorful cushions. Tan and blue curtains will be hung over about two dozen windows. The entry doors and windows are original, but gone are the school bus seats where Akins discovered discarded pencils, marbles, notes "and lots of gum wrappers," she said, laughing. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Flood family came to visit their soon-to-be home. Raylee, 10, and David Jr., 8, lifted the base of their bunk beds to find tidy compartments for their books, as brother Noah, 18 months, opened and closed cabinet doors. Parents David and Jennifer Flood have a bedroom at the back of the bus. Nearby is a tiled shower. Up front, a wall-mounted table can be popped up to be used as a desk for homework or surface to eat meals. Above the entire living area is the original curved ceiling that has been painted pale blue. Clouds might be drawn above the beds. But already, on a half-moon-shaped panel above the driver's seat, there's a mural depicting a strong oak tree. "It's everything I dreamed about," said Jennifer Flood, looking up, looking around. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com It seems to me politicians across the nation are far too concerned with the best interest of lobbyists and big campaign donors. Phil Knight, for example, gives hundreds of thousands of dollars in every election cycle to candidates throughout the state. Since political donations are considered speech, as they are protected by the First Amendment, Knights voice is far louder than mine. I understand this is his prerogative. He worked hard to earn his money but should his interests really be placed above Oregons people? What are we everyday Oregonians to do? We cant afford to donate as much money as Knight, and we are therefore less heard in the political realm. To help balance the scales, Oregon should instate a small-donor match program similar to the one Portland enacted. If the state matches small donations by people like me, then candidates will be able to run successful campaigns purely with the support of average Oregonians. We would have a voice again. This is why I support a small-donor match program for Oregons 2019 legislative session. Luke Hanst, Portland President Donald Trump foolishly made fun of U.S. forest management, boldly blaming gross mismanagement for current California wildfires. This infuriated the people risking their lives to fight these horrible fires. I was disgusted with his remarks, but far more disgusted with his enablers, the Republican party. The GOP just stands by and does nothing to shut this mans mouth or if anyone does, the party does not have the fortitude to come out publicly and officially denounce this immature behavior. The GOP needs to enjoy its present game while it lasts, because now may be its last for a long time. The eventual backlash may be brutal for the party. If Trump had any intellect at all, a much better statement would have gone something like this: We need to increase surveillance of our entire electrical grid with more infrared imaging of all high voltage power lines to detect any possible hot spots given present perception that one of the fires could have been caused by an electrical fire associated with a major transmission line. As long as Trump is feeding a major part of his constituents with tax break money, I guess he gets to say what he wants. Indeed money does talk. Don Wolf, Fairview In response to Michael Burnetts Nov. 14 letter asking When can we start our unruly protest?: Maybe when the GOP stops preventing voters from voting by claiming nonexistent voter fraud. Maybe when the GOP develops a serious health care plan addressing the needs of patients rather than the bottom-line interests of insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Maybe when the GOP stops trying to cut back Social Security and Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest. Maybe when the GOP supports the Environmental Protection Agency in its mission to protect the health of U.S. citizens, our land and all the creatures inhabiting our country. Maybe when climate change is handled as a serious existential threat affecting all of us, rather than an unsubstantiated hit to some industries bottom lines. Maybe when President Donald Trump releases his tax returns like every other president since Jimmy Carter. The real unruly protests in this country happen on a daily basis Trumps bigoted and depraved tweets, Florida Gov. Rick Scotts fraudulent claims of voter fraud, industries despoliation of our land and resources, destruction of international relations carefully nurtured to maintain peace since World War II. Maybe Burnett ought to dissociate from these ongoing assaults on the rest of us and the institutions and norms maintaining a civil society then we can all get together and support our country and the strength of our democracy. Alan Mela, Lake Oswego UPDATED Monday, Nov. 19: The Well Community Church on Sunday identified its operations pastor as the victim. The church posted on Facebook that an unknown person assaulted Kevin Nichols while he was alone in the church parking lot. Nichols was stable at a hospital at the time of the Facebook post, and doctors said he'd fully recover. *** Portland police are looking for a suspect involved in a stabbing that reportedly happened Sunday afternoon in Northeast Portland's Eliot neighborhood. According to police, North Precinct officers and emergency medical personnel responded at about 2 p.m. Sunday to a report that a person suffering a stab wound was at a business in the area of Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast Schuyler Street. Responders arrived and found an adult male with a serious but non-life-threatening stab wound, police say. After receiving medical aid at the scene, the man was transported to a Portland-area hospital for treatment of injuries. According to police, the initial investigation led officers to believe that the victim was volunteering at a program located in the Well Community Church, at 1734 Northeast First Avenue, when he was stabbed by the suspect. The victim then requested help from people at a business located near Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast Schuyler Street. Police searched the neighborhood, but didn't locate the suspect, who is described as six-feet to six-feet-and-six-inches tall, 20 to 30 years old, dressed all in black and armed with a knife. Investigation is continuing, police say. Anyone with information related to the case is requested to call 503-823-0479. The press release says that Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards for reported information. Information about this case or any unsolved felony crime may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500. Those calling with tips may remain anonymous. To submit a tip, call 503-823-4357 or go online to https://www.p3tips.com/823 -- Kristi Turnquist Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report Police responding to a suspicious circumstances call found a dead body at a Beaverton house Saturday night, spurring an investigation. Beaverton police have released no details about the circumstances of how the person died. They said officers saw the body after responding to a house on Southwest Allen Boulevard near Lombard Avenue at 8:45 p.m. Authorities hadn't yet determined the person's identity or cause of death Monday morning, police said. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday. Officers spoke with several people who were staying at the house. Police didn't say whether the dead person had also been staying there. Detectives don't think there's any public threat. Police urge anyone who has information about the death to speak with Detective Chad Opitz by calling 503-526-2674. -- Jim Ryan Antibiotics may be used to treat more serious infections. In the current outbreak, samples of the bacteria were found to have varying levels of antibiotic resistance, according to the CDC. But most of the commonly used antibiotics should be effective, and CDC's advice to clinicians is the same for this outbreak. Health-care providers should order specific tests for patients to make sure they are treated with the appropriate antibiotic. The Michigan Department of Transportation has awarded a $518,127 Transportation Economic Development Fund grant to the Bay County Road Commission to reconstruct and resurface parts of Flajole and Salzburg roads in Williams Township. The grant will leverage $4.7 million in private investment, at a private/public ratio of more than 9-to-1. Falcon Road Maintenance Equipment LLC manufactures asphalt hot boxes and tack distributors for routine pavement repairs such as patching and filling potholes. The company has outgrown its current facility in Midland and is relocating to a 15-acre site at the intersection of Salzburg and Flajole roads in Williams Township. The location, with its proximity to the state trunkline system, was considered an ideal location for the company's new headquarters and production facility. The BCRC will reconstruct and pave Flajole Road from Falcon's shipping entrance, 800 feet north of Salzburg Road, to Salzburg Road. Additionally, it will resurface Salzburg Road from the company entrance on Salzburg to M-47 and improve the intersection of Salzburg and Flajole roads. The roadwork will enable Falcon to proceed with its $4.7 million expansion, resulting in 50 new full-time positions over the next three years. The condition of Flajole Road, which provides access to Falcon's shipping and receiving area, presented an obstacle the company's relocation plans. The road's existing gravel surface is weight-restricted and would force the company to reduce its truck loads when frost laws are in effect, thereby increasing its transportation costs. In addition, the pavement on Salzburg Road is nearing the end of its operational life. The increase in traffic generated by Falcon will accelerate the deterioration. "The support we've received from Williams Township, Bay Future, and MDOT, specifically, has been terrific," said Michael Day, president of Falcon Road Maintenance Equipment LLC. "The pavement improvement project on Flajole Road is important and will ensure our employees, customers and vendors will have safe entrance and exit lanes from our facility to Salzburg Road. Everyone in the community will benefit from this improvement project and we look forward to moving into our new facility in late 2018." The total cost for the project is $863,544, including $518,127 in TEDF Category A funding, and $345,417 from the BCRC. Besides the obvious draw of luxury and relaxation, the real advantage to chartering a high-end catamaran was the access it allowed to the BVIs hidden gems. All of the elements necessary for unforgettable vacation memories seemed to be built right in adventure, pleasant surprises, lack of crowds, good food and drinks, fun, flexibility with minimal effort, thanks to our knowledgeable crew. (We visited before the islands took a beating last fall from hurricanes Irma and Maria, but tourism officials estimate 70 percent of the territorys accommodations are back in business, and well-known properties like Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Bitter End and Biras Creek are on track to re-open in 2019.) On Facebook, Laura Robinson shared a blog post by Alisa Childers from the Gospel Coalition website that offered yet another of its characteristic attacks on more mainstream forms of Christianity. In this one, they focus on what they perceive as similar points made by atheists and progressive Christians (not noticing that we made them first and the atheists borrowed them from us). Here is what Robinson wrote in her critique of the piece by Childers: Okay, I want to talk about this article because I think this article wants to talk about me. The idea is that progressive Christians have dangerous beliefs that make them pretty similar to atheists, and need to be reigned in before their progressive Christianity develops into atheism, much in the way that HIV develops into AIDS, apparently. According to the article, progressive or doubting Christians might have the problematic beliefs that the Bible assumes the existence of slavery and polygamy and is written by people. They might struggle with how a loving God could allow so much evil to happen in the world unchecked. Finally, they might have a culturally adaptable ethic. Im going to leave aside the fact that it would be hard to think of a religious group with more flexible and relative ethics than American evangelical Christians. (In 2011, 30 percent of evangelicals said an immoral person could still be a successful political leader. That number rose to 72 percent when Trump arrived. Being ethically relative isnt a trait of progressive Christians, its a defining trait of evangelicals.) Im particularly interested in the first two problems with progressive Christians namely, questions about the Bible and questions about the problem of evil. The author says that the solution to the problematic beliefs of progressive Christians is to provide a safe place for people to ask tough questions and process their doubts. My question is, where are you going to find a safe space to process your doubts in the presence of people who want you to learn to stop acknowledging self-evident true things about the Bible as part of your faith journey? The Bible DOES assume the existence of slavery and polygamy. It IS written by people. And there is no easy answer for why terrible things happen in the world. The work of being a Christian in the face of these things is learning how to be faithful in spite of these difficult truths not writing off these truths as though acknowledging facts that are plainly in front of your face is a sign that youve gone rogue and needs to be brought to heel. Ive long been frustrated by the tendency of evangelical Christians to assume that its better to answer questions badly and falsely than to not answer them at all. This is where you start. When Christians tell you that theyre confused with how the Bible seems okay with slavery and polygamy, dont tell them not to worry and that 2+2=5 after all. 2+2=4, and the work of Christianity is learning how to deal with 4. I think youll agree that Robinson should start blogging and sharing her perspective with a wider audience. Robinson also adds in a comment: The frustrating news for folks all over the Christian spectrum is that we have been handed down a canon that might be for us, but isnt to us or from us. Weve got a book that has its origins in a culture very unlike our own, and this takes a lot of wrestling and theological reflection to understand. So I dont think an LGBTQ-affirming Christians has just cut those sections of the Bible out I think theyve done a lot of theological reflection and prayer on the way that marriage is portrayed in different canonical texts and have come to the conclusion that theres room in Christina theology for two men to marry each other. Likewise, I dont think that evangelical Christianity came to reject slavery and polygamy by editing out verses of Scripture that CLEARLY support both of those institutions, but by careful reflection on how the story of Jesus and the Gospel is incompatible with these ideas even though they are permitted in Scripture. All Christians have to deal with the tensions and moral problems in scripture, and the difference between conservative and liberal Christians is that they come to different conclusions about how to do this. Ive addressed before the way conservative Christians attempt to preserve the same approach to scripture that was used to justify slavery, while at the same time trying to distance themselves from it. It doesnt work at least, not unless you assume what they need to prove, namely that that is the correct view, the only correct view, the one that God wants people to adopt. But they get there simply by assuming that their view is eternal truth, and not a backwards shift along a trajectory that had been aimed in a progressive direction. On a similar note, Henry Neufeld posted on the inconsistency of many Christians hermeneutic across the spectrum. He writes, A young man who showed up in a police parking lot Saturday told an officer something extraordinary: I just shot my girlfriend 17 times, 20-year-old Darion Abel allegedly told the officer, according to TribLive in Pittsburgh. With that, a brutal killing of a 19-year-old woman in western Pennsylvania was revealed. Police in Munhall, Pa., tell TribLive it all began Saturday afternoon with an angry phone call between Abel and his girlfriend, Miranda Grimm-Gilarski, 19. According to police, the phone call centered on an upcoming court appearance by Abel. Whatever was said made him so enraged, he broke down his girlfriends front door Saturday afternoon and shot her multiple times, police tell TribLive, which adds: According to the criminal complaint, Abel and Grimm-Gilarski had a sometimes rocky, yearlong relationship and had assaulted each other several times, most recently on Oct. 30 when police were dispatched. A notice ordering Abel to appear in court for that latest assault apparently precipitated the angry phone conversation between the two Abel told police that he got the pistol while still talking to Grimm-Gilarski and drove to her house. He kicked in the front door after finding it locked and confronted the woman in her living room, according to the complaint. Police said Abel told them he remembered only hearing a bang after she stood and said, No. Allegheny County Police charged Abel with homicide, burglary and carrying a 9mm pistol without a license after finding Grimm-Gilarski dead in the living room. At last report, he was being held without bail in the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. By all outward appearances, the two men at the door were natural gas company workers checking on a gas leak, so the homeowner allowed them in. But the next thing the man knew, he was beaten and zip-tied as the two men in Philadelphia Gas Works disguises stole several thousand dollars in cash and jewelry, Philadelphia police tell NBC-10, which adds: The victim, who was not named in the NBC-10 story, was held up at gunpoint and bound by zip tie Saturday afternoon in Phillys Wissinoming neighborhood. He told the news station he was repeatedly hit and kicked in the head. "They said, 'Bring him now and shoot him before the girl comes home,'" the victim told NBC-10. "I was so lucky I guess." Nearly 30 minutes later, the victim's fiance came home. The suspects attempted to grab her as she entered the front door, but the woman wriggled free from her coat and ran away screaming, NBC-10 writes. The two suspects also fled and climbed into a blue Infinity sedan with tinted windows. Police discovered two PGW hats, gas detectors, a clipboard and numerous zip ties, investigators told the news station. The victim, who owns a nail salon and other businesses in the city, told NBC-10 he plans to move. "They knew everything about me," the victim said. The suspects remain at large. Each Thanksgiving, the president of the United States, pardons a turkey. Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has supplied the turkey to the White House. That was the same year that the White House started to hold a ceremony to mark the event, according to www.whitehousehistory.org. But, according to the website, the turkey pardon may have actually started much earlier with President Lincoln. The official pardoning of White House turkeys is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the public in recent years. It is often stated that President Lincolns 1863 clemency to a turkey recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks was the origin for the pardoning ceremony, according to www.whitehousehistory.org. The pardons were sporadic until 1989 when President George H.W. Bush presented the turkey with a pardon in response to protests by animal rights activists. It has been an annual event to pardon at least one of the turkeys given to the president since then. The turkeys generally end up at farms or in petting zoos for children and live just a few years. President Donald Trump is expected to pardon one of two turkeys on Nov. 20. A new report strongly suggests adults and pregnant women receive "drinking checkups" from their primary care physicians. The goal is to implement more rigorous education on healthy and unhealthy drinking habits among adults. But teens will receive no such alcohol screening. Some say there isn't enough research yet to prove that screening teens would be helpful, while others see this ambiguity as a disservice to the health of teenagers. Should teens be screened? PERSPECTIVES The US Preventive Services Task Force released a statement in the medical journal JAMA recommending that adults, including pregnant women, have a "drinking checkup" conducted by their primary care physician during their annual physical. The World Health Organizationreports: The panel acknowledged that more research is needed on the topic of screening teens for unhealthy alcohol use. But shouldn't the decision to screen teens for unhealthy alcohol use be obvious? According to the WGNO, "too many doctors don't speak up about alcohol," even with their adult patients. If this is the case with adults, who are presumably acclimated to alcohol and its effects, the consequences of not screening teens, who are being introduced to alcohol for the first time, are dire. According to a 2010 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics: And per the new report from the US Preventive Services Task Force, this research is still yet to come. Over the course of eight years, there is still uncertainty as to the best strategies to monitor substance and alcohol abuse among teens. In the meantime, teens suffer as a result. Teen #alcoholabuse rates are continuing to rise. Although every child is different, you can use this list of eight common causes of teen alcohol abuse to begin to understand what is driving your childs behavior. (via @addictionblog) https://t.co/phaAevcSLw Dr. Jeff Nalin, PsyD (@DrJeffNalin) August 14, 2018 There are a number of safeguards already in place to educate teens on alcohol use and abuse. Clearly, there is room for improvement, but changes should be backed by study and observation before being implemented on a national level. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: These six CRAFFT questions inquire about teens' reasons for drinking, how often they drink, whether or not they are influenced by friends to drink and more. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended this system in 2015, and any changes to the system would warrant further research into the efficacy of future methods. But these questions are not enough to curb alcohol abuse in teens. Although likely effective in certain cases, there is the obvious risk of teens lying about their use if there is potential for a parent to become involved in the conversation. Furthermore, if pediatricians skip out on this process and fail to inquire about patients' alcohol use whatsoever-as they often do-the teens are no better off. According to the National Institutes of Health: It is important to note that: Again, the US Preventative Services Task Force, "did not find enough evidence to make a recommendation for or against alcohol screening and counseling for those under the age of 18." The facts above should be more than enough evidence to reinvigorate alcohol screening methods for teens. There's no need to wait for further research; doing so is akin to letting lives slip away. 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. A 2-year-old girl had wandered away from her mothers side for just a moment. She sat down in an empty space in the parking lot of the Haverford Area YMCA in Haverford Township and was struck by a car, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting. The girl, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to an area hospital and died from her injuries. Police will not file charges against the driver, who remained at the scene and is cooperating, investigators told the Inquirer. CEO of the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA CEO Shaun Eliot called it a tragic accident, according to reports. "We have thousands of kids and families coming through our doors every day," Elliott told the Inquirer, "so for something like this to happen, it's the unthinkable. It's really horrible." Haverford residents have been leaving flowers and Teddy bears in a makeshift memorial outside of the YMCA, saying prayers in front of the parking space, according to the Inquirer. Authorities have identified the New Jersey couple who were killed in a fiery, chain-reaction crash on Interstate 78 in Berks County last week. Kathryn Schurtz and Joseph Kearney were on I-78 westbound in Windsor Township, heading to Pittsburgh for their wedding, when they were killed in the crash on Wednesday, Action News 6 ABC of Philadelphia is reporting. Police said the crash occurred when westbound traffic slowed as two lanes merged into one. A tractor-trailer was unable to stop, colliding with the slowed vehicles, causing a chain reaction involving at least five tractor-trailers and the vehicle occupied by Schurtz and Kearney. The couples vehicle and two of the tractor-trailers caught on fire, NBC 10 of Philadelphia is reporting. A New Jersey couple on their way to their wedding have been identified as the two people killed in a crash on Interstate 78 last week. Three others were injured in the crash, according to reports. Citing the extreme seriousness of the crime, a Dauphin County judge sentenced a Harrisburg teen to 4 - to 10 years in state prison Monday for shooting at other girls on a city porch. This came darn close, quite frankly, to being a homicide, Judge Scott A. Evans told 19-year-old Jaquonna McClure. Senior Deputy District Attorney Stephen Zawisky calculated the margin between life and death in the case was a quarter-inch. Zawisky said McClure was 17 in November 2016 when she opened fire during an argument with several other girls on a porch in the 1800 block of Park Street. One projectile struck one of the braids on a girl and actually cut it. It fell to the floor, the prosecutor said. The bullet also sliced through the strap of the purse that was hanging from the girls shoulder, he said. That girl came within a quarter-inch of possibly being killed, Zawisky said. McClure initially was charged with attempted murder. In September, she accepted a deal to plead guilty to aggravated assault, being a minor in possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment. She had no sentencing agreement, however. As she stood before Evans, McClure pleaded for mercy and for a chance to come home to her year-old daughter. Ill be the mother my daughter needs me to be, she said. Im committed to a positive change. McClure insisted shes no longer the same girl who had a problem with thinking before reacting. Her mother sought to take the blame on herself. Please, she begged Evans, Im begging you to give my daughter the chance to be the mother I should have been for her. Public Defender Suzanne Edwards said McClure was a junior at Central Dauphin East High School at the time of the shooting. McClure had been suicidal and turned to drugs as a coping mechanism to deal with the death of her father, who was killed in a traffic accident when she was 15, the defense attorney said. Evans acknowledged the troubles McClure had faced. Still, he found, none of that condones the grave actions that she has taken. But the teenagers felt disconnected with the African-American woman who had grown up on the South Side and now lived in the White House. They werent sure that she understood how different things were for them, how much more difficult it was to be their best, as she had asked of them. Pennsylvania is seeing what officials call a significant increase in the number of Hepatitis A cases being reported across the state. This increase from 40 to 60 cases per year over the last several years to 81 this year comes as other outbreaks are occurring across the country. The increase in cases highlights the importance of having a primary care physician who you can speak to if you have concerns over your health, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a press release today. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious infection that can be very serious. A conversation with your physician will help determine if you should receive a Hepatitis A vaccine. In alerting the public about this spike in cases, Levine said there is increased concern for the disease spreading to other people across the state, particularly among the homeless, men who have sex with men, and people using both injection and non-injection drugs. Other states have reported large, ongoing outbreaks, like neighboring Ohio and West Virginia. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection that ranges in severity from a mild infection lasting a few weeks to a severe disease that last for months. Hepatitis A typically spreads when the virus is ingested from objects, food or drinks contaminated by small, undetectable amounts of stool from an infected person. It can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person, such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill. For more information on Hepatitis A visit the Department of Health website. Voter turnout in Pennsylvania for the 2018 midterm election was one for the books, with more registered voters casting ballots in each of the states 67 counties than in previous midterm cycles. Statewide 58 percent of registered voters cast ballots on Nov. 6. Pennsylvania has 8.6 million registered voters. That means that just over 5 million voters went to the polls. That resembles a presidential contest more than a midterm. Presidential elections historically see larger voter turnouts than midterms or municipal elections. Suburban Philadelphia counties led the way, with 68 percent of registered voters in Montgomery County casting ballots. Chester County saw 66 percent of voters engaged in the process; while Bucks County saw 64 percent turnout. Historically midterm elections see anemic voter turnouts, with, on average, roughly 40 percent of registered voters casting ballots. This years midterm cycle saw 23 states log double-digit percentage-point increases in voter turnout compared with their 1982-2014 midterm election average, according to analysis by FiveThirtyEight.com. For the 2014 midterms, 43 percent of Pennsylvanias registered electorate voted. That figured lagged behind the midterms of 2010, which saw 46 percent of registered voters vote. Across central Pennsylvania, the turnout was: Adams County: 58 percent Cumberland County: 61 percent Dauphin County: 59 percent Lancaster County: 62 percent Perry County: 61 percent York County: 56 percent Across the Philadelphia suburbs, a historically blue area that in 2016 voted for President Trump, turnout in the midterms grew substantially: in the 2014 midterms only 48 percent of registered voters in Montgomery County voted, compared to 68 percent this last cycle. Bucks County in 2014 midterm elections saw 46 percent of the eligible electorate vote. This time around, 64 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. (In the 2016 presidential election, the county had a 76 percent voter turnout). Turnout in Chester County also jumped from 46 percent in 2014 (midterm) to 66 percent in 2018. The lowest voter turnout was logged in Warren County, which saw 48 percent of the eligible electorate vote. Still, that may be a benchmark for the 31,000-strong Warren County. According to The Times Observer, midterm turnout in 2010 when Republicans took control of the House in the wake of the first two years of Barack Obamas first term was approximately 40 percent. Midterms in 2014 during Obamas second term resulted in 39.1 percent turnout in Warren County. The 2016 presidential election netted 62 percent turnout. Proposal for two-family housing to have public hearing in Petoskey The strategy is one of many changes the city has been working on in response to the housing shortage. Getting more state money, and in turn more federal money, for routes to the Quad Cities and Rockford will not be easy. It will first require a new state capital bill. A spokeswoman for Pritzker said the incoming governor is committed to working across the aisle to get a capital plan that will leverage as much federal money as possible. Lawmakers say they expect it will happen next year. Exempt status PGA TOUR: Tournament winner (thru 2021-22) JOINED TOUR PGA TOUR: 2001 PGA TOUR Victories (3) 2002 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill Michelob Championship at Kingsmill 2007 Nissan Open Nissan Open 2019 The RSM Classic PLAYOFF RECORD PGA TOUR (2-4) 2001 Lost to Shigeki Maruyama, Greater Milwaukee Open Lost to Shigeki Maruyama, Greater Milwaukee Open 2003 Lost to Mike Weir, Nissan Open Lost to Mike Weir, Nissan Open 2007 Defeated Phil Mickelson, Nissan Open Defeated Phil Mickelson, Nissan Open 2013 Lost to Brian Gay, David Lingmerth, Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation Lost to Brian Gay, David Lingmerth, Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation 2017 Lost to Kyle Stanley, Quicken Loans National Lost to Kyle Stanley, Quicken Loans National 2019 Defeated Patrick Rodgers, The RSM Classic National Teams 1998 Arnold Palmer Cup 2003, 2007 Presidents Cup Personal Grew up near Augusta National GC, home of the Masters, and was a member of Augusta CC, which is adjacent to Amen Corner. Next-door neighbor, Graham Hill, first introduced him to golf at age 7. Won five tournaments before his 11th birthday. Special Interests Fitness, nutrition, fishing Career Highlights 2021 Season Failed to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time during the FedExCup era, finishing the season at No. 139 in the FedExCup standings. Made the cut in 14 of 21 starts with five top-25 finishes. Best result of the season came at THE PLAYERS Championship (T9). THE PLAYERS Championship: Finished T9 at THE PLAYERS Championship, marking his first top-10 in 18 starts at the tournament. Jumped 27 spots on the leaderboard on Sunday after a final-round 6-under 66, tying the low round of the day. 2020 Season Became one of nine players to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs in each of the first 14 seasons of the FedExCup era, advancing to the BMW Championship and ending his season at No. 69 in the FedExCup standings. Marked his fifth consecutive appearance at the BMW Championship. Made 14 of 20 cuts during the season and recorded three top-10 finishes, with his best result a T3 at the 3M Open. Safeway Open: Earned a T4 in his sixth appearance at the Safeway Open, marking his first top-five on TOUR since his win at The RSM Classic in 2018. 2019 Season Earned third career PGA TOUR title at The RSM Classic and qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the 13th time, advancing to the TOUR Championship for the third time in the FedExCup era and ending the season No. 28 in the standings. Became one of nine players to qualify for the Playoffs in each of the first 13 seasons of the FedExCup era and reached the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2011. Won in wire-to-wire fashion at The RSM Classic, earning his first victory since 2007. Recorded five top-10s and made 21 cuts in 27 starts. Genesis Open: Finished sixth at the Genesis Open, his first top-10 at the event since his win in 2007. Was one of two players to post four scores in the 60s (other: Marc Leishman). Finished sixth at the Genesis Open, his first top-10 at the event since his win in 2007. Was one of two players to post four scores in the 60s (other: Marc Leishman). Sony Open in Hawaii: Finished T8 for his 10th top-10 in 18 starts at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Continued streak of made cuts at the event, dating to his debut in 2002. Finished T8 for his 10th top-10 in 18 starts at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Continued streak of made cuts at the event, dating to his debut in 2002. The RSM Classic: Defeated Patrick Rodgers on the second playoff hole at The RSM Classic to earn his third career PGA TOUR win and first since the 2007 Genesis Open, a span of 11 years, 9 months and 333 starts. Following rounds of 64-64-68, good for the outright lead after each round, took a one-stroke advantage into the final round over Cameron Champ and Jason Gore at 16-under 196. Played his first two holes in the final round in 3-over par. Birdied three of his final four holes to force sudden death with Rodgers, his sixth playoff appearance (2-4). Third TOUR title came in his 529th start, marking the third-most starts by a player claiming his third PGA TOUR win. With the win, moved from No. 62 to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings, his first lead in the FedExCup since 2007. Marked his first time converting a 54-hole lead into victory in six attempts. Posted a 54-hole total of 196, his first time recording a score of 196 or better after 54 holes. In the first round on the Plantation Course, hit all fairways and all greens for the first time in his career. Defeated Patrick Rodgers on the second playoff hole at The RSM Classic to earn his third career PGA TOUR win and first since the 2007 Genesis Open, a span of 11 years, 9 months and 333 starts. Following rounds of 64-64-68, good for the outright lead after each round, took a one-stroke advantage into the final round over Cameron Champ and Jason Gore at 16-under 196. Played his first two holes in the final round in 3-over par. Birdied three of his final four holes to force sudden death with Rodgers, his sixth playoff appearance (2-4). Third TOUR title came in his 529th start, marking the third-most starts by a player claiming his third PGA TOUR win. With the win, moved from No. 62 to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings, his first lead in the FedExCup since 2007. Marked his first time converting a 54-hole lead into victory in six attempts. Posted a 54-hole total of 196, his first time recording a score of 196 or better after 54 holes. In the first round on the Plantation Course, hit all fairways and all greens for the first time in his career. CIMB Classic: Opened the season with a T5 at the CIMB Classic. Represented third top-10 in five starts at the event. 2018 Season Extended his FedExCup Playoffs appearances to a perfect 12 of 12, one of 10 players to accomplish that feat in the FedExCup era. Made 24 cuts in 28 starts, totaling 14 top-25s, four of which where top-10s. Earned $2,179,725 on the season, marking the 18th consecutive season he earned $1 million or more, second on TOUR only behind Phil Mickelson (23 seasons). BMW Championship: Qualified for the BMW Championship, the third FedExCup Playoffs event, for the eighth time. Finished T24 to end the season at No. 53 in the FedExCup standings. Qualified for the BMW Championship, the third FedExCup Playoffs event, for the eighth time. Finished T24 to end the season at No. 53 in the FedExCup standings. AT&T Byron Nelson: With four rounds in the 60s, including a 65-66 finish, finished T9 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Marked his third top-10 in 14 starts at the event, including his second in a row (T4 in 2016). The week marked the 199th top-25 finish and 399th made cut of his career. With four rounds in the 60s, including a 65-66 finish, finished T9 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Marked his third top-10 in 14 starts at the event, including his second in a row (T4 in 2016). The week marked the 199th top-25 finish and 399th made cut of his career. World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: Advanced to the round of 16 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play for the third time (2018, 2017, 2008) in 10 starts. Was the lowest seed (No. 59) among those in the round of 16. Was defeated by Kiradech Aphibarnrat, 1-up. Advanced to the round of 16 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play for the third time (2018, 2017, 2008) in 10 starts. Was the lowest seed (No. 59) among those in the round of 16. Was defeated by Kiradech Aphibarnrat, 1-up. Farmers Insurance Open: Finished T6 at the Farmers Insurance Open, his third top-10 in his last four starts at Torrey Pines. Marked his eighth top-10 in 16 starts in the tournament. Finished T6 at the Farmers Insurance Open, his third top-10 in his last four starts at Torrey Pines. Marked his eighth top-10 in 16 starts in the tournament. OHL Classic at Mayakoba: In his 501st start on the PGA TOUR, posted back-to-back rounds of 5-under 66 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba to finish tied for fourth with Martin Piller at 14-under 270. Was one of just four players to post a bogey-free round Sunday at El Camaleon Golf Club. 2017 Season Collected five top-10 finishes in 20 starts through the Wyndham Championship. Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th consecutive season. Ended his season after the BMW Championship ranked 40th in the FedExCup standings. Season was highlighted by a playoff loss at the Quicken Loans National. BMW Championship: Posted scores of 68-76-69-74--287 (+3) to finish T67 at the BMW Championship and end his season ranked 40th in the FedExCup standings. Posted scores of 68-76-69-74--287 (+3) to finish T67 at the BMW Championship and end his season ranked 40th in the FedExCup standings. Quicken Loans National: Making his first start on the PGA TOUR since the RBC Heritage in April, began the final round of the Quicken Loans National four shots off the lead. Posted three birdies, one bogey and an eagle-2 at No. 14 to close with a 4-under 66 and enter a playoff with playing partner Kyle Stanley (who also began the day four back) at 7-under. With a bogey at the first extra hole against Stanley's par, fell to 1-4 in PGA TOUR playoffs. Recorded his 16th career runner-up in his 490th start on the PGA TOUR while in search of his third PGA TOUR victory and first since 2007 Genesis Open at Riviera, 293 starts ago. Jumped to No. 18 in the FedExCup standings, coming a step closer to advancing to the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time in as many seasons. With the finish, secured one of four spots for The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, his first major appearance since the 2015 PGA Championship and his first Open Championship since 2012. Although the golf course had undergone significant changes, finished runner-up at TPC Potomac in 2004, when the course hosted the PGA TOUR's Booz Allen Classic. Adam Scott won that year. Making his first start on the PGA TOUR since the RBC Heritage in April, began the final round of the Quicken Loans National four shots off the lead. Posted three birdies, one bogey and an eagle-2 at No. 14 to close with a 4-under 66 and enter a playoff with playing partner Kyle Stanley (who also began the day four back) at 7-under. With a bogey at the first extra hole against Stanley's par, fell to 1-4 in PGA TOUR playoffs. Recorded his 16th career runner-up in his 490th start on the PGA TOUR while in search of his third PGA TOUR victory and first since 2007 Genesis Open at Riviera, 293 starts ago. Jumped to No. 18 in the FedExCup standings, coming a step closer to advancing to the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time in as many seasons. With the finish, secured one of four spots for The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, his first major appearance since the 2015 PGA Championship and his first Open Championship since 2012. Although the golf course had undergone significant changes, finished runner-up at TPC Potomac in 2004, when the course hosted the PGA TOUR's Booz Allen Classic. Adam Scott won that year. World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: Advanced out of Group Play at World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play after winning sudden-death playoff over Rafa Cabrera Bello with a birdie-3 at fifth extra hole. Tyrrell Hatton was eliminated from same playoff at first hole after suffering a two-stroke penalty when he failed to replace his ball after it had moved on the putting surface. Lost to eventual runner-up Jon Rahm (6 and 4) in the round of 16 to finish T9. Advanced out of Group Play at World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play after winning sudden-death playoff over Rafa Cabrera Bello with a birdie-3 at fifth extra hole. Tyrrell Hatton was eliminated from same playoff at first hole after suffering a two-stroke penalty when he failed to replace his ball after it had moved on the putting surface. Lost to eventual runner-up Jon Rahm (6 and 4) in the round of 16 to finish T9. Farmers Insurance Open: At the Farmers Insurance Open, overcame a 2-over 74 on the South Course to post weekend scores on the same course of 69-68 to finish at 10-under 278 and T2 with C.T. Pan. Followed an eagle-3 at the 13th hole Sunday with a birdie-4 on the 72nd hole to claim a share of second place. The finish at Torrey Pines marked his third top-10 in his last five starts and was his best finish since losing in a playoff at the 2013 CareerBuilder Challenge. The finish came in his 15th start in the event, where he has never missed a cut and the T2 showing was his second top-five finish in his last three starts at Torrey Pines (T5/2015). At the Farmers Insurance Open, overcame a 2-over 74 on the South Course to post weekend scores on the same course of 69-68 to finish at 10-under 278 and T2 with C.T. Pan. Followed an eagle-3 at the 13th hole Sunday with a birdie-4 on the 72nd hole to claim a share of second place. The finish at Torrey Pines marked his third top-10 in his last five starts and was his best finish since losing in a playoff at the 2013 CareerBuilder Challenge. The finish came in his 15th start in the event, where he has never missed a cut and the T2 showing was his second top-five finish in his last three starts at Torrey Pines (T5/2015). Sony Open in Hawaii: With a T8 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, recorded his ninth top-10 finish in 16 starts at Waialae Country Club, led by runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2012. Has posted 23 of last 24 rounds at Waialae in the 60s, including his final-round, 5-under 65. With a T8 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, recorded his ninth top-10 finish in 16 starts at Waialae Country Club, led by runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2012. Has posted 23 of last 24 rounds at Waialae in the 60s, including his final-round, 5-under 65. OHL Classic at Mayakoba: In his eighth start at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, posted scores of 69-64-69-66--268 (-16) to finish T7 with Chris Kirk and Luke List. Has played 27 of 30 rounds at El Camaleon with scores of par or better. 2016 Season Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive season, one of just 16 players to perform the feat. Finished No. 52 in the final standings, the 10th straight season he has finished inside the top 100. BMW Championship: Finished T47 at the BMW Championship. Finished T47 at the BMW Championship. Deutsche Bank Championship: Finished T24 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Finished T24 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The Barclays: Missed the cut at The Barclays. Missed the cut at The Barclays. The Open Championship: Removed name from The Open Championship alternate list due to an undisclosed minor medical procedure that sidelined him for four to five weeks. Removed name from The Open Championship alternate list due to an undisclosed minor medical procedure that sidelined him for four to five weeks. AT&T Byron Nelson: With matching 4-under 66s on the weekend, finished T4 at the AT&T Byron Nelson and just two strokes out of the Sergio Garcia-Brooks Koepka playoff. It marked his second top-10 at the event, with both coming in the last three years (T3 in 2014). With matching 4-under 66s on the weekend, finished T4 at the AT&T Byron Nelson and just two strokes out of the Sergio Garcia-Brooks Koepka playoff. It marked his second top-10 at the event, with both coming in the last three years (T3 in 2014). Shell Houston Open: With a T7 at the Shell Houston Open, surpassed total number of top-10s from the 2014-15 season, bringing his season total to four. Tied for seventh with Chez Reavie and Kyle Reifers for his third top-10 in 12 starts in the event. With a T7 at the Shell Houston Open, surpassed total number of top-10s from the 2014-15 season, bringing his season total to four. Tied for seventh with Chez Reavie and Kyle Reifers for his third top-10 in 12 starts in the event. Valspar Championship: Shared the first-round lead at the Valspar Championship and went on to finish T5 for his fourth top-10 at the event. Shared the first-round lead at the Valspar Championship and went on to finish T5 for his fourth top-10 at the event. The RSM Classic: Finished T9 at The RSM Classic for his third top-10 in six starts at the Davis Love III-hosted event. It marked his fourth finish of T17 or better in his first five starts to open the 2015-16 campaign. Finished T9 at The RSM Classic for his third top-10 in six starts at the Davis Love III-hosted event. It marked his fourth finish of T17 or better in his first five starts to open the 2015-16 campaign. CIMB Classic: Recorded his first top-10 of the season at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia (T10), marking his second top-10 showing at the tournament in as many starts. 2015 Season Claimed three top-10 finishes in 28 TOUR starts to extend his number of FedExCup Playoffs appearances to a perfect nine for nine. Ended his season at No. 79 in the FedExCup standings. Deutsche Bank Championship: Finished T56 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Finished T56 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The Barclays: Finished T58 at The Barclays. Finished T58 at The Barclays. Shell Houston Open: After an opening-round, 6-under 66, posted scores of 70-69-70 to finish T5 at 13-under at the Shell Houston Open. After an opening-round, 6-under 66, posted scores of 70-69-70 to finish T5 at 13-under at the Shell Houston Open. Valspar Championship: On the challenging Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, posted three sub-par scores at the Valspar Championship to finish T10 with five others. On the challenging Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, posted three sub-par scores at the Valspar Championship to finish T10 with five others. Farmers Insurance Open: Finished T5 at the Farmers Insurance Open for his first top-10 finish of the season. Has had at least one top-10 outing in each of his 16 PGA TOUR seasons. Six of his 72 career top-10s have occurred at the Farmers Insurance Open, including runner-up finishes in both 2005 and 2007. 2014 Season Missed just five cuts in 29 starts and collected six top-10 finishes. All six of those outings came in his first 10 starts of the season. Made it to the FedExCup Playoffs for an eighth consecutive season before finishing 34th in the standings after the BMW Championship. HP Byron Nelson Championship: Notched his sixth top-10 finish of the season, but his first since the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, with a T3 finish at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. It marked his first top-10 at the event in his 11th career start. Final round was aided by an eagle-5 on No. 16 from 167 yards followed by a birdie-3 on No. 17. Finished nearly an hour before the leaders. Notched his sixth top-10 finish of the season, but his first since the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, with a T3 finish at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. It marked his first top-10 at the event in his 11th career start. Final round was aided by an eagle-5 on No. 16 from 167 yards followed by a birdie-3 on No. 17. Finished nearly an hour before the leaders. Waste Management Phoenix Open: Making his 399th career PGA TOUR start, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, finished T6 for his second top-10 in 13 starts at the event (T4 in 2010). His final-round 65 marked his best score in 48 TPC Scottsdale rounds. Making his 399th career PGA TOUR start, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, finished T6 for his second top-10 in 13 starts at the event (T4 in 2010). His final-round 65 marked his best score in 48 TPC Scottsdale rounds. Sony Open in Hawaii: Shot a bogey-free 66 in the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii to move to T8. In 13 career appearances at Waialae, has recorded eight top-10s, including three consecutive. Finished T2 in 2012 and T3 in both 2005 and 2013. Was also T4 in 2002 and solo fourth in 2009. His check for $119,000 moved his career earnings in the Sony Open in Hawaii to $2,351,178. Shot a bogey-free 66 in the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii to move to T8. In 13 career appearances at Waialae, has recorded eight top-10s, including three consecutive. Finished T2 in 2012 and T3 in both 2005 and 2013. Was also T4 in 2002 and solo fourth in 2009. His check for $119,000 moved his career earnings in the Sony Open in Hawaii to $2,351,178. OHL Classic at Mayakoba: Finished T6 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, with rounds of 67-67-66-69. Finished T6 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, with rounds of 67-67-66-69. CIMB Classic: Finished T7 at the first FedExCup event held in Asia, the CIMB Classic at Kuala Lumpur G&CC in Malaysia. Finished T7 at the first FedExCup event held in Asia, the CIMB Classic at Kuala Lumpur G&CC in Malaysia. Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Four rounds in the 60s, including a final-round, 6-under 65, led to a T5 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. It marked his fourth top-10 in 13 starts at the event, equaling his best finish at the Las Vegas tournament (2005). 2013 Season Season included 19 made cuts in 26 starts, with the best of his five top-10 finishes coming in his first two starts. Finished the year No. 35 in the FedExCup. BMW Championship: Entered the BMW Championship at No. 31 and just one position shy of the magic number to advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. A T39 finish at Conway Farms (including four consecutive, even-par 71s) left him 35th in the rankings, missing out on his third trip to East Lake during the FedExCup era (2007 and 2011). Entered the BMW Championship at No. 31 and just one position shy of the magic number to advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. A T39 finish at Conway Farms (including four consecutive, even-par 71s) left him 35th in the rankings, missing out on his third trip to East Lake during the FedExCup era (2007 and 2011). Farmers Insurance Open: Third top-10 finish in as many weeks came at the Farmers Insurance Open. Following an opening-round, 6-under 66 at Torrey Pines, finished T9 with five others in the Monday finish. His top-10 at Torrey Pines marked the first time in his career he has posted top-10 finishes in his first three starts. He opened with back-to-back top-10s in 2002 and 2005. Third top-10 finish in as many weeks came at the Farmers Insurance Open. Following an opening-round, 6-under 66 at Torrey Pines, finished T9 with five others in the Monday finish. His top-10 at Torrey Pines marked the first time in his career he has posted top-10 finishes in his first three starts. He opened with back-to-back top-10s in 2002 and 2005. Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation: Lost the Humana Challenge to Brian Gay on the second playoff hole (No. 10) when Gay made a birdie-3 in a playoff that also included David Lingmerth. Turned in an 8-under 64 in the final round, bringing his string of sub-par rounds in this event to 33 of 36. In his first eight rounds to start the season, has not shot a round over 67. Lost the Humana Challenge to Brian Gay on the second playoff hole (No. 10) when Gay made a birdie-3 in a playoff that also included David Lingmerth. Turned in an 8-under 64 in the final round, bringing his string of sub-par rounds in this event to 33 of 36. In his first eight rounds to start the season, has not shot a round over 67. Sony Open in Hawaii: Posted his seventh top-five performance at the Sony Open in Hawaii, with a T3 in mid-January. With a final-round 66, has never shot anything worse than even-par 70 in his 20 weekend rounds at Waialae CC. In addition to his T3 finish his other top-five performances were T2 (2007 and 2012), T3 (2005), T4 (2002), T5 (2010) and fourth (2009). 2012 Season Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic: Ended his season with a T15 at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Ended his season with a T15 at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. The McGladrey Classic: Posted four rounds in the 60s at The McGladrey Classic in the fall to claim a T7, a week after a T11 finish at the Frys.com Open. Posted four rounds in the 60s at The McGladrey Classic in the fall to claim a T7, a week after a T11 finish at the Frys.com Open. The Honda Classic: Posted the fourth hole-in-one of his career at The Honda Classic when he aced No. 7 in the final round. Recorded second hole-in-one of the season and fifth of his career when he aced the 204-yard par-3 No. 9 in the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans en route to a 71 and a T39. Posted the fourth hole-in-one of his career at The Honda Classic when he aced No. 7 in the final round. Recorded second hole-in-one of the season and fifth of his career when he aced the 204-yard par-3 No. 9 in the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans en route to a 71 and a T39. Sony Open in Hawaii: Finished runner-up to Johnson Wagner by two strokes for his sixth top-five finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The others came in 2011 (T2), 2010 (T5), 2009 (fourth), 2007 (T2), 2005 (T3) and 2002 (T4). Including his Sunday, 1-under 69 in during his season-opener at Waialae CC, has never shot anything worse than even-par 70 in his 18 rounds on the weekend. The runner-up finish was the 13th of his career, including twice at the Sony Open (2007 and 2011). 2011 Season Finished the season No. 19 in the FedExCup standings, his best showing since finishing No. 18 during the inaugural FedExCup in 2007. TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola: Finished T6 at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for his seventh top-10 of the season, tying a career-high. It was his third top-10 at the TOUR Championship in five starts and first since finishing runner-up in 2002 and 2003. Finished T6 at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for his seventh top-10 of the season, tying a career-high. It was his third top-10 at the TOUR Championship in five starts and first since finishing runner-up in 2002 and 2003. Wyndham Championship: Finished T4 at the Wyndham Championship, his first top-10 in Greensboro in four starts. Finished T4 at the Wyndham Championship, his first top-10 in Greensboro in four starts. John Deere Classic: In July, he closed with a 7-under 64 to claim his third consecutive top-10 finish, a T5 at the John Deere Classic. It was his fifth top-10 of the season. In July, he closed with a 7-under 64 to claim his third consecutive top-10 finish, a T5 at the John Deere Classic. It was his fifth top-10 of the season. AT&T National: Finished T3 at the AT&T National. With rounds of 68-68-69-66, he was one of just three players (K.J. Choi and Bryce Molder) to post all four rounds in the 60s at the AT&T National. Entered the event with just two rounds in the 60s in 12 attempts. With T3 finish outside Philadelphia, he earned a spot in the British Open by being the top player among the top five at the AT&T National who was not previously eligible. Finished T3 at the AT&T National. With rounds of 68-68-69-66, he was one of just three players (K.J. Choi and Bryce Molder) to post all four rounds in the 60s at the AT&T National. Entered the event with just two rounds in the 60s in 12 attempts. With T3 finish outside Philadelphia, he earned a spot in the British Open by being the top player among the top five at the AT&T National who was not previously eligible. FedEx St. Jude Classic: Carded a final-round 66 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic en route to a T3, his best finish of the season in 18 starts. The T3 was his best finish on TOUR since a T2 at the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Carded a final-round 66 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic en route to a T3, his best finish of the season in 18 starts. The T3 was his best finish on TOUR since a T2 at the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Valero Texas Open: In April, reeled off four consecutive birdies in the third round (hole Nos. 11-14) en route to a T5 finish at the Valero Texas Open, his second top-10 of the year. In April, reeled off four consecutive birdies in the third round (hole Nos. 11-14) en route to a T5 finish at the Valero Texas Open, his second top-10 of the year. The Honda Classic: Making his seventh start of the season, recorded his first top-10 finish with a T10 effort at The Honda Classic. 2010 Season Recorded six top-10 finishes, while making 23 of 28 cuts. Finished the season with a TOUR best 13 bogey-free rounds. Children's Miracle Network Classic: Finished T9 at the Children's Miracle Network Classic on the strength of two bogey-free rounds to open the tournament. Finished T9 at the Children's Miracle Network Classic on the strength of two bogey-free rounds to open the tournament. The McGladrey Classic: Turned in the round of the week at The McGladrey Classic with a final-round, 8-under 62 to finish T6 in his home state of Georgia. Represented his low round of the season and it fell just one shy of his career-low (2004 Booz Allen Classic). Turned in the round of the week at The McGladrey Classic with a final-round, 8-under 62 to finish T6 in his home state of Georgia. Represented his low round of the season and it fell just one shy of his career-low (2004 Booz Allen Classic). The Greenbrier Classic: Failed to crack the top 20 in his next 13 starts before a T9 finish at The Greenbrier Classic. First player since Bubba Watson in 2006 to not record a bogey over 72 holes and not win that week. Failed to crack the top 20 in his next 13 starts before a T9 finish at The Greenbrier Classic. First player since Bubba Watson in 2006 to not record a bogey over 72 holes and not win that week. Waste Management Phoenix Open: Third top-10 finish of the year came at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in his sixth start of the season. One of only six players to post all four rounds in the 60s in the T4 finish. Third top-10 finish of the year came at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in his sixth start of the season. One of only six players to post all four rounds in the 60s in the T4 finish. Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun: Recorded a hole-in-one with a lob wedge on the 116-yard seventh hole during the first round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. It was the first ace in the four-year history of the Mayakoba Golf Classic and led to a T20 finish. Recorded a hole-in-one with a lob wedge on the 116-yard seventh hole during the first round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. It was the first ace in the four-year history of the Mayakoba Golf Classic and led to a T20 finish. Farmers Insurance Open: Second top-10 in three starts came with a T9 at Farmers Insurance Open where he made just one bogey on the weekend (No. 14, Round 3) and was one of seven players to shoot under par in all four rounds. Second top-10 in three starts came with a T9 at Farmers Insurance Open where he made just one bogey on the weekend (No. 14, Round 3) and was one of seven players to shoot under par in all four rounds. Sony Open in Hawaii: A first-round 73 left him tied for 102nd at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but closing rounds of 66-66-64 led to a T5 finish. In nine career starts at the event, has top-five finishes in 2010 (T5), 2009 (4th), 2007 (T2), 2005 (T3) and 2002 (T4). 2009 Season Made the cut in 21 of 29 starts, finishing No. 49 in the FedExCup standings. Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Finished T2 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Held the outright lead at 15-under through 14 holes Sunday, but two late bogeys dropped him from the top spot. Recorded 22 birdies, the most of any player for the week. Finished T2 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Held the outright lead at 15-under through 14 holes Sunday, but two late bogeys dropped him from the top spot. Recorded 22 birdies, the most of any player for the week. Transitions Championship: Posted four rounds of par or better for T2 at Transitions Championship, his best finish on TOUR since a victory at the 2007 Nissan Open, moving into top-15 on FedExCup points. Posted four rounds of par or better for T2 at Transitions Championship, his best finish on TOUR since a victory at the 2007 Nissan Open, moving into top-15 on FedExCup points. Sony Open in Hawaii: Posted all four rounds in the 60s on his way to a fourth-place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 2008 Season Surpassed $1 million in earnings for the eighth consecutive season. Finished the season No. 95 on the FedExCup points list and a career-worst No. 69 in earnings, with 12 top-25 finishes. Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Posted four rounds in the 60s for the only time of the season on way to a T10 finish at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Posted four rounds in the 60s for the only time of the season on way to a T10 finish at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Turning Stone Resort Championship: Third top-10 came 12 starts later at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Shared the 54-hole lead with Tag Ridings before a closing 73 led to a season-best T3 finish. Third top-10 came 12 starts later at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Shared the 54-hole lead with Tag Ridings before a closing 73 led to a season-best T3 finish. AT&T Classic: Didn't crack the top 10 again until the AT&T Classic, where rounds of 67-69-67 led to a one-stroke lead after 54 holes. Final-round 74 led to a T8 finish. Didn't crack the top 10 again until the AT&T Classic, where rounds of 67-69-67 led to a one-stroke lead after 54 holes. Final-round 74 led to a T8 finish. Mercedes-Benz Championship: Overcame a first-round 74 to notch his first top-10 finish of the season with a T8 at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. 2007 Season Recorded second career PGA TOUR victory and made a career high in earnings. Finished inside the top 30 at the final three events which comprised the FedExCup Playoffs. Finished 18th in the FedExCup standings. The Presidents Cup: Went 2-2-0 in his second Presidents Cup. Went 2-2-0 in his second Presidents Cup. Nissan Open: Earned second career TOUR victory at the Nissan Open, defeating Phil Mickelson in a sudden death after posting rounds of 69-65-69-65268. Overcame a three-stroke deficit on the final day to force the playoff, posting a par-3 on the third playoff hole to claim victory. Earned second career TOUR victory at the Nissan Open, defeating Phil Mickelson in a sudden death after posting rounds of 69-65-69-65268. Overcame a three-stroke deficit on the final day to force the playoff, posting a par-3 on the third playoff hole to claim victory. Buick Invitational: Finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational. Second-place finish was ninth (and second in La Jolla, Calif., to Woods) since first PGA TOUR victory in 2002. Finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational. Second-place finish was ninth (and second in La Jolla, Calif., to Woods) since first PGA TOUR victory in 2002. Sony Open in Hawaii: Finished T2 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, one stroke behind Paul Goydos. Held the 54-hole lead by one over Luke Donald. Held a two-stroke lead with nine holes remaining. 2006 Season 84 LUMBER Classic: Second runner-up finish came at the 84 LUMBER Classic. Held a share of the 54-hole lead with Ben Curtis but fell two shots short with a final-round 72. Eighth career runner-up finish. Second runner-up finish came at the 84 LUMBER Classic. Held a share of the 54-hole lead with Ben Curtis but fell two shots short with a final-round 72. Eighth career runner-up finish. Zurich Classic of New Orleans: In the midst of swing changes, earned T2 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, posting rounds of 66-65 on the weekend to fall one shot shy of Chris Couch. Best finish since T2 at 2005 Buick Invitational. 2005 Season Recorded six top-10s and finished in the top 30 for the third time in his five-year career. Buick Invitational: Best finish was a T2 at the Buick Invitational in La Jolla, Calif., finishing three strokes behind Tiger Woods. On 72nd hole, approach shot hit the base of the flag for a near eagle, then bounced out and spun back into the water. He made a bogey. 2004 Season Booz Allen Classic: Fired a TPC Avenel course-record and his career-best, 10-under 61 to take a three-stroke lead after 18 holes at the Booz Allen Classic. Recorded five consecutive birdies on the back nine Sunday to put pressure on leader Adam Scott, who started the day with a six-stroke lead. Ended the day alone in second, his low finish of the season. Fired a TPC Avenel course-record and his career-best, 10-under 61 to take a three-stroke lead after 18 holes at the Booz Allen Classic. Recorded five consecutive birdies on the back nine Sunday to put pressure on leader Adam Scott, who started the day with a six-stroke lead. Ended the day alone in second, his low finish of the season. Masters Tournament: Recorded a career-best T13 in his third start at the Masters in hometown of Augusta. 2003 Season Made the cut in 29 of 31 starts. THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola: Ended the year on a high note with his second runner-up finish at the TOUR Championship. Finished two back of Vijay Singh in Atlanta in 2002 and three back of Chad Campbell in Houston in 2003. Ended the year on a high note with his second runner-up finish at the TOUR Championship. Finished two back of Vijay Singh in Atlanta in 2002 and three back of Chad Campbell in Houston in 2003. PGA Championship: Clinched 10th and final spot on 2003 Presidents Cup team with T10 PGA Championship finish. Clinched 10th and final spot on 2003 Presidents Cup team with T10 PGA Championship finish. Nissan Open: Lost to Mike Weir in a playoff at the Nissan Open after Weir birdied the second extra hole. Was second- and third-round leader, and held three-shot lead heading into Sunday, but finished with 2-over 73 to tie Weir at the end of regulation. 2002 Season Recorded first victory and ninth-place finish on the money list with $2,702,747. THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola: Runner-up to Vijay Singh in season-ending TOUR Championship. Held second-round lead. Only player in field to post four rounds in the 60s and finished season with 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s. Runner-up to Vijay Singh in season-ending TOUR Championship. Held second-round lead. Only player in field to post four rounds in the 60s and finished season with 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s. Michelob Championship at Kingsmill: Picked up his first career victory in his 68th TOUR event at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. Began final round two strokes behind leader Brandt Jobe and final-round 67 gave him the two-stroke victory. Picked up his first career victory in his 68th TOUR event at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. Began final round two strokes behind leader Brandt Jobe and final-round 67 gave him the two-stroke victory. Masters Tournament: Made his first appearance in the Masters. Local product finished T29. Made his first appearance in the Masters. Local product finished T29. Nissan Open: Tied Riviera CC record with front-nine, 7-under 28 in third round of Nissan Open for a 64. Tied Riviera CC record with front-nine, 7-under 28 in third round of Nissan Open for a 64. Sony Open in Hawaii: Tied Waialea CC course record with a second-round 62 on way to his first top-10 finish of the season, a T4 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 2001 Season Earned Rookie of the Year. Received his 2002 PGA TOUR card by playing TOUR events via sponsor exemptions. Earned Special Temporary Member status for the second consecutive season. Ranked first in PGA TOUR non-member earnings with $1,520,632. Earnings would have ranked 33rd on TOUR official money list. Greater Milwaukee Open: Lost in sudden-death playoff at Greater Milwaukee Open to Shigeki Maruyama. Birdied six of last seven holes of regulation to shoot 64 and force playoff but bogeyed first sudden-death hole as Maruyama made birdie. 2000 Season Earned Special Temporary Member status in only six events after turning professional on June 26. Made the cut in seven of 11 official TOUR events. John Deere Classic: Best effort of the season came at the John Deere Classic, a solo-third. Best effort of the season came at the John Deere Classic, a solo-third. BUY.COM Greensboro Open: Week before turning professional, turned in a second-place finish at the Greensboro Open, the highest amateur finish in Korn Ferry Tour history at the time. Amateur Highlights Sunday Briefing: 3-Way Chop Concludes Sunday Million, Talbot Wins 888poker's Sunday Mega Deep November 19, 2018 Matthew Pitt Nov. 18 was another big day for online poker tournament players with some massive scores enjoyed by players all around the globe. As is usually the case, it was the PokerStars Sunday Million that created the biggest prize pool, a tournament that saw three players walk away with six-figure scores. PokerStars Sunday Million Date November 18th Buy-in $215 Guarantee $1,000,000 Entrants 5,657 Prize pool $1,131,400 ITM 998 A guarantee-busting field of 5,657 turned out for this weekends PokerStars Sunday Million. Each player at the nine-handed final table turned their $215 investment into a more substantial $8,988. This was the sum awarded to Chinas mahairong when they busted in ninth-place, the last player not to lock up five figures. The first five-figure haul, namely $12,808, went to Chapo16 of Germany and they were followed to the rail by aecrim93 of Romania, EPNR of Russia, and Brazils edu22.sp. By now the least anyone was taking home was a cool $52,808. Two Irishmen, a Brazilian, and a Norwegian were battling it out for what was a $152,804 top prize. One of the Irish grinders, Aidan yaboybush Hynes fell in fourth-place, which resulted in the last standing trio of players to pause the tournaments clock and discuss a deal. A deal was struck that saw each of the players secure at least $100,227 with $20,000 left for the eventual champion. It was a good deal for Frederico fred_volpe Volpe as he busted in third-place for $101,342 to set up a one-on-one encounter between James deyrzuited Noonan and Norways MrFure. The latter came out on top to resign Noonan to the $100,227 consolation prize, locking up the $133,713 and Sunday Million title for themselves. Place Player Country Prize 1 MrFure Norway $133,713* 2 James deyrzuited Noonan Ireland $100,227* 3 Fredrico fred_volpe Volpe Brazil $101,342* 4 Aidan yaboybush Hynes Ireland $52,808 5 edu22.sp Brazil $37,059 6 EPNR Russia $26,007 7 aecrim93 Romania $18,251 8 Chapo16 Germany $12,808 9 mahairong China $8,988 *reflects a three-handed chop PokerStars High Roller Club: $2,100 Sunday High Roller Date November 18th Buy-in $2,100 Guarantee $150,000 Entrants 87 Prize pool $174,000 ITM 11 A familiar name was the last man standing in the PokerStars High Roller Club: $2,100 Sunday High Roller event as he banked another $41,580. Patrick pads1161 Leonard has been ranked as highly as number one in the world for online poker tournaments and is one of the most-feared poker players of his generation. He added to his reputation by topping a field of 87 of the worlds best tournament players to win yet another major online event. It wasnt all plain sailing for the Brit as the nine-handed final table hosted some incredible talent. Swedens Niklas Lena900 Astedt fell in eighth-place and Canadian star Timothy Tim0thee Adams departed in fifth-place, that finish worth $14,530. Austrias Oliver sk2ll_m0dR Wies was the fourth-place finisher before Russias Futti18 exited in third-place to leave Leonard and Hristiyan cskar4e1 Panchev to lock horns heads-up. Leonard brushed aside Panchev to claim the $41,580 top prize, while Panchev added $31,969 to his bankroll. Place Player Country Prize 1 Patrick pads1161 Leonard United Kingdom $41,580 2 Hristiyan cskar4e1 Panchev Bulgaria $31,969 3 Futti18 Russia $24,580 4 Oliver sk2ll_m0dR Wies Austria $18,899 5 Timothy Tim0thee Adams Canada $14,530 6 riversouza Brazil $11,172 7 Anjeyyy Ukraine $8,590 8 Niklas Lena900 Astedt Sweden $6,604 9 EstoyPiantao Argentina $5,818 partypoker pro Patrick pads1161 Leonard won $41,580 partypoker KO Series #03-HR: $300K Gtd [8-Max] Date November 18th Buy-in $530 Guarantee $300,000 Entrants 579 Prize pool $300,000 ITM 80 The $10 million guaranteed KO Series began at partypoker on Nov. 18 and Canadas ellis204 kicked off the week-long festival in style. Some 579 players exchanged $530 for 100,000 chips in the partypoker KO Series #03-HR: $300K Gtd [8-Max] event and ellis204 got their hands on all 57,900,000 chips and a massive prize of $50,423, which included bounty payments. Bounties were substantial in this event as partypoker does not rake the bounty element of its PKO tournaments. Runner-up rnggodx of Germany banked $19,404 from the main prize pool and an additional $6,585 worth of bounties; only ellis204 netted more money from bounties due to claiming their own when they emerged victoriously. The only other player to walk away with a five-figure score was senyorpou. There are not many poker players hailing from Andorra, but senyorpou did their country proud by navigating their way to a third-place finish worth a combined $19,773. Place Player Country Prize Bounty Payment Total Prize 1 ellis204 Canada $27,264 $23,159 $50,423 2 rnggodx Germany $19,404 $6,585 $25,989 3 senyorpou Andorra $13,158 $6,615 $19,773 4 SirStanleyRoyce United Kingdom $9,058 $877 $9,935 5 VictorVazquez Canada $6,334 $3,297 $9,631 6 Algorhytm Sweden $4,603 $5,003 $9,606 7 spank_wagon Canada $3,315 $5,463 $8,778 8 thenewfang Norway $2,353 $3,150 $5,503 partypoker KO Series #03-H: $300K Gtd [8-Max] Date November 18th Buy-in $109 Guarantee $300,000 Entrants 2,480 Prize pool $300,000 ITM 312 partypoker ran a $300,000 PKO event that only had a $109 buy-in, the KO Series #03-H: $300K Gtd [8-Max]. A field of 2,480 left a significant overlay on the guarantee, not that Bill Kassouf of Austria minded because they took down the tournament and a combined score of $40,513. It looked like the United Kingdom was going to have a KO Series champion in the latter stages of the tournament because brookert33 and redcoatchris found themselves grinding three-handed along with Bill Kassouf. brookert33 saw their tournament come to an abrupt end in third-place. Their $12,406 prize was boosted by $3,520 worth of bounties for a combined score of $15,926. redcoatchris did everything in their power to defeat Bill Kassouf but ultimately fell short. This mean redcoatchris was the tournaments runner-up, a finish worth $20,619 in total, which also left Bill Kassouf to be crowned a KO Series champion, an accolade that came with $40,513. Place Player Country Prize Bounty Payment Total Prize 1 Bill Kassouf Austria $27,242 $13,271 $40,513 2 redcoatchris United Kingdom $19,265 $1,354 $20,619 3 brookert33 United Kingdom $12,406 $3,520 $15,926 4 giioliveira Brazil $8,524 $2,535 $11,059 5 bibii91 Poland $5,762 $1,483 $7,245 6 HakiD93 Malta $3,936 $1,201 $5,137 7 Dextered Austria $2,698 $3,682 $6,380 8 jeancalvi81 Brazil $1,735 $1,644 $3,379 888poker $100,000 Sunday Mega Deep Date November 18th Buy-in $215 Guarantee $100,000 Entrants 506 Prize pool $101,200 ITM 48 The 888poker $100,000 Sunday Mega Deep is a popular tournament although nobody loves it more today than streamer extraordinaire Parker 888tonkaaaa Talbot. Why? Because he won it on Nov. 18! Talbot bulldozed his way through the 506-strong field and found himself heads-up against sikosimatic of Austria. First-place was meant to be $19,481 with the second-place finishers set to win $14,421. Both Talbot and sikosimatik decided to lessen the pay jump by chopping the remaining prize pool. This meant sikosimatik turned their $215 investment into $16,511 with Talbot banking $17,390. A special mention has to go to Indias checcmate after they finished sixth for $3,795. The Indian finished sixth in last weeks Sunday Mega Deep, which is a fantastic achievement in anyones eyes. Place Player Country Prize 1 Parker 888tonkaaaa Talbot Canada $17,390* 2 sikosomatik Austria $16,511* 3 bossamtisch1 Germany $10,879 4 buitre180 Argentina $7,843 5 888topPair United Kingdom $5,313 6 checcmate India $3,795 7 CoinShipper Russia $2,783 8 IbetUfold_x Germany $2,277 *reflects a heads-up deal Parker Talbot won $17,390 888poker $20,000 Mini Mega Deep Date November 18th Buy-in $22 Guarantee $20,000 Entrants 1,190 Prize pool $23,800 ITM 108 Malta had two players at the final table of the $20,000 Mini Mega Deep this week, and one of them walked away with the title and the lions share of the $23,800 prize pool. Everyone finishing in fifth-place or higher won no less than $1,225, the prize awarded to Germany's 0110111. Fourth-place and $1,737 went to Analyser with Brazils David davidsutil Martins dusting off his stack in third-place for a $2,320 addition to his bankroll. Unlike the bigger Sunday Mega Deep, this tournament did not end in a deal because Agsur_Seni of Malta made short work of Bumbi320 to claim the $4,307 first-place prize for themselves, leaving the runner-up to collect $3,094. Place Player Country Prize 1 Agsur_Seni Malta $4,307 2 Bumbi320 $3,094 3 David davidsutil Martins Brazil $2,320 4 Analyser $1,737 5 0110111 Germany $1,225 6 evenpoel476 Malta $987 7 leonidomlev Russia $749 8 villagelife New Zealand $525 The Stars Group is a majority shareholder in iBus Media 218 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Terray Sylvester PARADISE, Calif. (Reuters) Authorities sifted through the charred wreckage of Californias deadliest ever wildfire on Sunday, searching for any signs of the 1,276 people now listed as missing after the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. The remains of 76 people have been recovered so far, 63 of whom have been tentatively identified pending DNA confirmation. Early on Sunday the blaze, which ignited on Nov. 8, was 60 percent contained, officials said, up from 55 percent Saturday. Rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the flames but raising the risk of floods and mudslides, adding to the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders. Many refugees from the fire have taken up temporary residence with friends and relatives, while others have pitched tents or were camping out of their vehicles. The death toll far surpasses the previous fatality record from a single California wildfire 29 in the Griffith Park fire of 1933 in Los Angeles and already ranks among the deadliest U.S. wildfires since the turn of the last century. Eighty-seven people perished in the Big Burn firestorm that swept the Northern Rockies in August 1910. Minnesotas Cloquet Fire in October 1918 killed 450 people. In Paradise, the flames moved so fast that some victims died in their cars in a chaotic evacuation as gridlock formed on the two exit routes out of town. The Butte County Sheriffs Office said the list of the missing is compiled using information received from a special hotline, as well as emails and emergency-911 calls that came in during the first chaotic hours of the blaze. Authorities said some of those listed likely survived but have not yet notified family or officials, either because they lack phone service or were unaware anyone was looking for them. In Paradise, home to nearly 27,000 people before the Camp Fire struck, two forensic anthropologists for the University of Nevada, Reno, were helping firefighters on Saturday sort through the wreckage at a mobile home park for senior citizens. Firefighters peeled back the metal sheet of a collapsed roof as the anthropologists picked up charred bone fragments, sorting them into paper bags. Roger Fielding, chief deputy coroner with the Martin County Sheriffs Office, said each site was treated as a crime scene, with every step of recovery documented with photographs. Our job is to pick up any items that might reflect who this person might be, he said. THOUSANDS OF HOMES DESTROYED Besides the toll on human life, property losses from the blaze make it the most destructive in California history, posing the additional challenge of providing long-term shelter for many thousands of displaced residents. At the latest count, the Camp Fire had destroyed more than 12,700 homes and other structures, authorities said on Sunday. Up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain is expected to fall from late Tuesday through Friday in the Sierra foothills, the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center said. Rain will also drop on San Francisco, helping to clear the air filled with unhealthy levels of smoke. Patrick Burke, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said the rain will be a one-two-punch. Itll bring much needed relief to the firefighters and to the air quality, but theres a potential for dangerous mudslides wherever vegetation is burned away on slopes and hills, he said. Up to 2 inches of rain is also expected to fall on southern California this week, where the Woolsey Fire claimed at least three lives, Burke said. The Woolsey Fire was 88 percent contained on Sunday, authorities said. Full containment is expected on Thanksgiving Thursday. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump visited Paradise and the scene of the Woolsey Fire. Trump has blamed the recent spate of fires on forest mismanagement, and he said he discussed the issue with California Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom. Scientists have said the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires in California and elsewhere across the U.S. West are largely attributable to prolonged drought that is symptomatic of climate change. The precise causes of the Camp and Woolsey Fires were under investigation, but electric utilities have reported equipment problems in the vicinity of both blazes around the time they erupted. PG&E Corp has said it could face liability that exceeds its insurance coverage if its equipment were found to have caused the Camp Fire. (Reporting by Terray Sylvester; Additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) 539 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Bernie Woodall (Reuters) Floridas outgoing governor, Republican Rick Scott, was declared the winner of the states hard-fought U.S. Senate race on Sunday, following a manual recount of ballots in the tight contest against three-term Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. In the recount of the Nov. 6 election, Scott won by 10,033 votes out of 8.19 million cast statewide, Florida elections officials said on Sunday. Scott took 50.05 percent, compared with 49.93 percent for Nelson, the officials added. Nelson, first elected to the Senate in 2000, became the latest incumbent Democratic senator toppled in the midterm congressional election in which President Donald Trumps fellow Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate but lost control of the House of Representatives. Other incumbent Democratic senators defeated in the election include Joe Donnelly in Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota and Claire McCaskill in Missouri. Scenes of thousands of people across the state reviewing ballots during the recount process had brought back memories of Floridas 2000 presidential recount, which ended only after the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in, effectively handing the presidency to Republican George W. Bush. I just spoke with Senator Bill Nelson, who graciously conceded, and I thanked him for his years of public service, Scott said in an emailed statement. The statement ended, Lets get to work. Nelsons office said he will issue a statement later on Sunday. Scott, who was prevented by state law from running for a third term as governor, emerged from the vote with a lead of less than 0.5 percentage points, which prompted a recount of the ballots. Republicans including Trump made allegations, without offering evidence, that the process was marred by fraud. The battle between Nelson and Scott and the race to replace Scott as governor both were closely watched contests in which Democrats had hoped to topple Republicans. On Saturday, Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded to Republican rival Ron DeSantis, an ally of Trump, in the governors race, which also went to a recount. Scott, 65, entered politics from the business world, having amassed a personal fortune as a healthcare executive. He dipped into his wealth to help finance his campaigns, winning the governorship in 2010 and 2014 by about 1 percent of the vote. Nelson, 76, has been a fixture in Florida politics since he won a seat in the state legislature in 1972. He then served in the U.S. House of Representatives and has held state Cabinet posts. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Editing by Will Dunham and Chris Reese) 4.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump is worried and telling the people around him that he is afraid Special Counsel Robert Mueller will indict his son, Donald Trump Jr. The APs Jonathan Lemire said on MSNBC, This has been bubbling under the surface for a while. In terms of don junior, in Trump world, this is something that has been gnawing at them for a time. Since the summer when we first got wind of this. They feel like the presidents eldest son could be vulnerable. He hasnt been charged with anything, but the president has been telling them that he fears his son may have done something wrong. Perhaps accidentally and, in particular, he has seen Mueller get closer and closer to his inner circle, whether Gates, Manafort, Flynn. At this point, this could be next, members of his own family. And that has always been a great question, how he would react if that were to happen. Would that finally be that red line if Mueller were to cross, the president would act to curtail this probe? Video: Trump is worried and telling the people around him that he is afraid Special Counsel Robert Mueller will indict his son, Donald Trump Jr. https://t.co/UlcC09toq9 pic.twitter.com/ubnPU8ccbg PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) November 19, 2018 Reports are growing surrounding Don Jr. and the Mueller investigation A report last week suggested that Mueller is preparing to come after Trump allies and potentially Trumps family. Publicly, Donald Trump has denied that his son did anything wrong, but that position has shifted to a claim that maybe Don Jr. accidentally broke the law. The law doesnt recognize accidents as an excuse. It is beginning to sound like the odds are decent that Donald Trump Jr. is going to be indicted. If his own son gets indicted, all hell could and likely will break loose, as Trump is certain to fire Mueller and trigger a national crisis. It could all be happening soon, which is why Trump is afraid and lashing out before the Russia scandal hits the fan. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday he would not intervene if Matthew Whitaker, his acting U.S. attorney general, moved to curtail Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In an interview with the Fox News Sunday program taped on Friday, Trump also said he probably would not agree to a sit-down interview with Mueller, who also is investigating whether the Republican presidents campaign conspired with Moscow and whether Trump has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe. Whitaker took over supervision of Muellers investigation on Nov. 7 after Trump appointed him as the chief U.S. law enforcement official to replace Jeff Sessions, who the president ousted. Whitaker, who Democrats have called a Trump political lackey, in the past criticized the scope of the Mueller probe and brought up the possibility of undermining it by slashing Muellers funding. Trump, in the interview, said he was unaware of Whitakers past statements about Muellers probe and that he would not get involved if Whitaker moved to curtail it. Its going to be up to him, Trump told Fox News Sunday interviewer Chris Wallace. I think hes very well aware politically. I think hes astute politically. Hes going to do whats right. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and has called the Mueller investigation a witch hunt. Russia also has denied collusion. There is no collusion, he happened to be right, Trump said, referring to one of Whitakers previous statements. Mueller has brought charges against a series of former Trump aides, including his former campaign chairman and his former national security adviser, as well as a number of Russian individuals and entities. Congressional critics have voiced concern that Whitaker could hamper or even fire Mueller. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators renewed a push last week for legislation to protect the special counsel, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, opposes it, saying it is unconstitutional and unnecessary. THE RULE OF LAW Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who will likely lead the Senate panel overseeing the Justice Department next year, met with Whitaker last week and expressed confidence the Russia probe would continue. But Graham said on NBCs Meet the Press program on Sunday the Senate should vote on the Mueller protection bill, which he helped write and supported when it won committee approval. I think its constitutional, and Id like to vote on it, said Graham, who has been involved in negotiations with McConnell and retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who has pledged to hold up Trumps judicial confirmations until the Senate votes on the Mueller bill. But, having said all that, I dont see any indication at all that the Mueller probe is going to be interfered with by Mr. Whitaker or President Trump, Graham added. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, who is set to lead the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee after Democrats won control of the chamber in this months midterm elections, said Democrats will use their oversight powers to investigate any effort by Whitaker to curb Muellers probe. We will expose any involvement he has in it, Schiff, referring to Whitaker, told ABCs This Week program, accusing Trump of appointing Whitaker in order to interfere with the investigation. This is an attack on the rule of law. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday he had very easily completed his written answers for Muellers investigation. In his Fox News Sunday comments, he signaled he had no plans to do a face-to-face interview with Muellers team. Trump and his lawyers had been in negotiations with Muellers team for months over how the president would be questioned as part of the investigation. Wallace asked Trump whether it was his final position that he would not do a sit-down interview and would not give written responses to questions relating to obstruction of justice. I think weve wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is probably, were finished, Trump said, though he added I can change my mind. We gave very, very complete answers to a lot of questions that I shouldnt have even been asked, and I think that should solve the problem, Trump added. (Reporting by Amanda Becker; additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Will Dunham) 12k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump entire public schedule for Monday involves meeting the White House Christmas tree and then having lunch with Mike Pence. This is Trump public schedule for Monday as provided to PoliticusUSA by the White House: That is what Donald Trump is doing with one entire day of his presidency. He is meeting a Christmas tree then eating lunch with Mike Pence. Trump has been checked out since the midterm election. He didnt visit the memorial in France over Veterans Day weekend because he is reported to be bitter and resentful over the midterm election. Trump is doing the impossible. He is managing to do even less of the job of being president than he did before the midterm election. The president is spending most of his time on Twitter trying to attack Adam Schiff and Special Counsel Robert Mueller. A presidents time in office is relatively brief. Almost all presidents lament that they wish they could have done more. Some presidents like Bill Clinton would have stayed in office longer if they were constitutionally allowed. Donald Trump has set the bar amazingly low for how little a president can do in a day. Soon, Trumps public schedule will be an empty email that will be sent to the press each day. Trump isnt even trying to pretend that he is interested in doing the job of being president. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. Though police say Roberson was holding a gun when he was shot, they have not said whether it was his own weapon or one he picked up during the fracas. Myrickes told the Tribune that Roberson had left his gun in his car, though he might have retrieved it when the trouble started. 427 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Groups backed by Charles Koch are urging Congress not to renew expired tax breaks during the lame-duck session that ends in December. Traditionally members of Congress like to revive the tax breaks which have expired. Koch and his supporters fear that will happen this year and are applying pressure to make sure that doesnt happen. The Koch-backed groups, Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter on Monday to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that said, in part: The expired provisions provide special interest tax breaks and unfairly pick winners and losers by propping up select industries and companies over others. Over 25 tax provisions, which are called tax extenders, expired at the end of 2017. They included special tax breaks for renewable energy, motorsports, and horse racing industries. Traditionally Congress passes one- or two-year extensions of tax extenders in December of each year. Kevin Brady of Texas is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee which is responsible for writing tax bills. He announced last week that he has put together a draft package that explains which of the expired tax breaks he thinks should be renewed and which should be eliminated. He also said that he does not know if Congress will want to address the expired tax provisions in Decembers lame-duck session. The groups in the Koch network compared the expired tax breaks to the incentives that New York and Virginia have offered Amazon to locate new offices in their states. Americans across the country, including lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, have rightfully decried the billions of dollars in corporate welfare given to Amazon, the Koch groups wrote. The billions more that are up for renewal in the tax extender package are no different. The groups also said that the temporary tax provisions have no place in a post-tax reform world. Koch Industries released a statement last week asking Congress to not renew the tax extenders, especially one that provides tax breaks for electric vehicles. Counteracting the Koch initiative is a powerful coalition of businesses and groups that is in favor of tax incentives for renewable and clean energy. This coalition is led by the Alliance to Save Energy. They sent a letter to members of Congress last week also, asking that they renew and update expired tax breaks that provide incentives for energy efficiency. According to the Alliance: The tax provisions stimulate economic activity by encouraging efficiency projects and upgrades in homes and buildings across the country while ensuring reduced energy consumption in the built environment for decades to come. While Donald Trump continues to make headlines every day with his unhinged and desperate tweets, there actually are some important things going on in Washington. Extending tax benefits for renewable, clean energy projects is certainly something that should be at the top of the list of actions Congress needs to take to protect Americas future. 1.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Former CIA Director John Brennan shredded Trump for his attacks on Admiral William McRaven, the organizer of the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. After Trump renewed his attack on McRaven, Brennan tweeted: You constantly remind us how substantively shallow & dishonest you are on so many fronts, which is why we are in such dangerous times. You would need an extremely tall ladder to get anywhere near the level of intellect, competence & integrity of Bill McRaven & your predecessors. https://t.co/uW95ZALUZ7 John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 19, 2018 Trump first attacked by falsely claiming that he is a Clinton supporter and an Obama backer, and then adding that Bin Laden should have been gotten sooner. McRaven responded by calling Trump the biggest threat to democracy in his lifetime and called out Trump for undermining freedom of the press and freedom of expression. John Brennan has been a frequent Trump critic who got under the presidents skin so badly that Trump revoked his security clearance. People like John Brennan, Willian McRaven, and those who have worked in many cases for decades to keep country safe are heroes. These are people who dont get involved in partisan politics, have usually worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations. They are everything that Trump is currently at war with, and these people are fighting to protect the norms of democracy that Trump is attempting to undermine and destroy. It is fundamentally un-American for Trump to be criticizing the man who organized the raid that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden, but it all part of Trumps petty campaign to diminish any positive event that occurred during the Obama administration. Trump is failing as president, so the only thing that he can do to try to make himself look better is to diminish the Obama years. Democracy will survive the Trump years and flourish as long as people like John Brennan, and every other American continue to speak out. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 507 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Many Congressional Democrats are now supporting a new plan by Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to address climate change. The 29 year-old Ocasio-Cortez and her supporters are demanding that the House create a Select Climate Committee. They also want Nancy Pelosi and other members of House leadership to back a Green New Deal plan. One provision of the plan is that the new group would only include members who refuse to accept campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry. It also calls for Democrats to formulate a climate action plan that sets a timetable and a goal for a 100 percent renewable energy economy. On Saturday Ocasio-Cortez asked her supporters to contact their congressional representative on Twitter and call them on Monday, too. 9 Reps have already signed on. Call & @ them too to thank them and say you support the move. Positive reinforcement goes a LONG way, trust me. pic.twitter.com/uRn3oi97tA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 17, 2018 On Sunday evening, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) became the 10th member of the Democratic Party caucus to back the proposal. Huffman posted a supportive tweet: I welcome the energy/urgency from @Ocasio2018 & @sunrisemvmt in proposing #GreenNewDeal. I support that & will also keep working on multiple specific, ambitious climate bills Ive been championing for years. Lets work together to meet this environmental/economic/moral imperative. And Ocasio-Cortez immediately responded: Thank you for your leadership, @JaredHuffman! Your expertise, experience, and courage to take on fossil fuels is exactly what a Select Committee on a #GreenNewDeal needs. @sunrisemvmt add one more champion to the list! & THANK YOU to ALL voters communicating w/ your reps! Thank you for your leadership, @JaredHuffman! Your expertise, experience, and courage to take on fossil fuels is exactly what a Select Committee on a #GreenNewDeal needs.@sunrisemvmt add one more champion to the list! & THANK YOU to ALL voters communicating w/ your reps! https://t.co/Uz5P5DIwyi Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 19, 2018 Civil Rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia has joined the new group and has pledged to support Ocasio-Cortezs proposed plan. Lewis is the most high-profile lawmaker to back Ocasio-Cortezs proposal for the Green New Deal. Sunrise Movement, an environmental activist group, said that Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Jose Serrano (N.Y.), have joined the movement, along with newly elected Reps. Joe Neguse (Colo.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.). Varshini Prakash, the founder of Sunrise Movement, said in a statement that the group is honored to have Lewiss support for the plan. Few can better understand the relentless work to push our nation to achieve its highest ideals than John Lewis, Prakash said. He knows that disrupting the status quo is how change happens. His activism and integrity inspire us to believe we can win. Last week, Ocasio-Cortez joined members of the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats for a sit-in outside of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) office on Capitol Hill, where they called for immediate action on climate change. Ocasio-Cortez and other climate change activists have been pressing Pelosi and other senior House Democrats to take strong action. They have said that current House proposals dont go far enough and are demanding that leadership push for a much more ambitious agenda to address climate change. Last week there was a closed-door meeting of House Democrats and it was reported by different news agencies that Ocasio-Cortez got in a fight with a House committee chair over the issue of climate change. Over the weekend the young Congresswoman-elect from New York City said that progressives should primary older Democrats in Congress as a way to challenge them to move the party more to the left. In addition to transitioning to a 100 percent renewable energy economy, the proposed Green New Deal proposes: building a national smart grid, making green technology a major export for the U.S. and decarbonizing the manufacturing and agricultural industries. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was elected to Congress less than two weeks ago and already she has challenged House leadership and changed their agenda. As she continues to push for action, and to promote her progressive ideas, she may end up changing a lot more than the House agenda, however. She may end up changing the world. 563 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard First there was the historic provision in the new North American trade agreement providing protection for the LGBTQ community. Included in the proposed agreement is a requirement that the U.S., Canada and Mexico take steps to protect workers against discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Then after the LGBTQ provisions were made public, came the inevitable protests from congressional Republicans. Nearly 40 GOP lawmakers are unhappy about the protections for LGBT workers in the trade proposal. These conservative Republicans in the House are demanding that President Trump drop the language which protects workers from discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. To express their displeasure they drafted and mailed to the President a letter which was signed by 38 Republicans. A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy, the letter said It is especially inappropriate and insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to accept. The proposed trade deal, which Trump negotiated with Mexican and Canadian leaders in October, currently includes a provision that protects against discrimination on the basis of gender identity under that umbrella. This is the first time language like that has been included in a U.S. trade agreement. Insiders involved in the trade talks said that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed for the language to be included. Afterwards he reportedly called it a big win for the LGBT community. The unhappy congressional Republicans, including the most conservative House members, believe that the term sex discrimination should not be extended to include transgender people. Therefore they are strongly objecting to the inclusion of the gender identity language. Within the Trump administration there is disagreement on this point. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says civil rights laws protect transgender workers, while the Justice Department (DOJ) does not agree. In fact the DOJ has rolled back Obama-era protections for transgender Americans. The letter, sent on Friday, refers to a 2017 memo from the DOJ that said sex is ordinarily defined to mean biologically male or female. One wonders at the contradictory policy coming through the U.S. Trade Representative when other departments under your administration are working to come into alignment on sexual orientation and gender identity policy, the letter said. The U.S., Mexico and Canada, are scheduled to sign the new trade deal on November 30 at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina. This is language that is going to cause a lot of people to reconsider their support of the trade agreement, and to the point that it may endanger the passage of the trade agreement unless something is done, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) lamented. If the Trump administration now tries to change the language, it would be met with strong pushback from Canada, according to those involved in the talks. The conservative Republicans in their letter to the president also cited a recent New York Times report that said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is planning to exclude transgender and nonbinary people from its legal definition of gender. The letter refers to the controversial Times report as encouraging. Trans and LGBTQ advocacy organizations are denouncing the proposed DHHS change, saying it would result in more discrimination against trans and nonbinary individuals. These same organizations were very pleased to see the protection language in the trade agreement and would strongly object to taking it out. The Trump administration has been rolling back LGBT protections since Trump came into office. Including such protections in the trade deal is a great idea, and they should remain there despite the protests from the narrow-minded group of right-wing Republicans. 240 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Civil rights groups will urge a U.S. judge on Monday to temporarily halt an order by President Donald Trump that bars asylum for migrants who illegally cross the border with Mexico. The groups argued in court papers that Trumps Nov. 9 order violated administrative and immigration law. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco comes as thousands of Central Americans, including a large number of children, are traveling in caravans toward the U.S. border to escape violence and poverty at home. Some have already arrived at Tijuana, a Mexican city on the border with California. Trump cited an overwhelmed immigration system for his proclamation that officials will only process asylum claims for migrants who present themselves at an official entry point. Immigration advocates said the order clearly conflicted with the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows any person present in the United States to seek asylum, regardless of how they entered the country. The groups also argued that the administration violated a requirement to provide a period of time for public comments before the order took effect. Any ruling on Monday would likely be procedural and would restore the prior asylum rules while the rights groups made their case for a preliminary injunction at a future hearing. The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Tigar was nominated to the court by President Barack Obama. Rights groups have said immigrants are being forced to wait days or weeks at the border before they can present themselves for asylum, and the administration has been sued for deliberately slowing processing times at official ports. Caravan participants began to arrive last week in Tijuana on the Mexican side of the U.S. border, which has put a strain on humanitarian shelters where many will wait to seek asylum. Their presence has also strained Tijuanas reputation as a welcoming city, with some residents screaming at the migrants, Get out! Trump sent more than 5,000 soldiers to the 2,000-mile (3,100 kilometers) frontier with Mexico to harden the border, although critics dismissed the move as a political stunt ahead of Congressional elections on Nov. 6. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Leslie Adler) On November 12, journalists, advocates and Ukrainians reacted to a reprint of an Associated Press (AP) news story and this Washington Post headline: Separatists win vote in Ukraine rebel regions by big margins. Their complaint: the headline and lead in the story implied that non-separatist candidates ran in Donetsk and Luhansk elections on November 11, lending legitimacy to a separatist militancy that was a Russian creation. You are misleading your readers w these absolutely inaccurate terms, said Kateryna Kruk on Twitter. Kruk is a Ukrainian journalist, activist and a fellow at Kremlin Watch, a Prague-based organization that monitors disinformation stories and recommends policy responses as a consultant for the Czech Interior Ministry. While the Washington Post website was cited by some of the advocates on social media, the article was written by the Associated Press. Polygraph.info contacted the Washington Post foreign desk seeking comment. AP and other autofeed copy go directly into the Post online system. For print, wire stories may be edited for length, Shani George, communications director of the Washington Post, wrote in a short statement. Polygraph.info also contacted the AP, which sent a statement on the matter. Our story made clear from the first paragraph on down that the legitimacy of these elections was in question, the statement from AP news deputy news director for Europe Niko Price read. It continued: There is also no question that the candidates were separatists: While there is significant internal debate among the factions within Donbass(sic) about whether the final goal should be unification with Russia or establishment of the DNR and LNR as nominally sovereign states, both sides agree they want to separate from Ukraine. We stand by our story. The AP story did point out in the lead sentence that the vote was denouncedas illegitimate and later in the story referred to a statement by the German and French leaders Merkel and Macron referring to so-called elections. The AP story, however: Did not appear to include any AP reporting from Ukraine or the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Described Russian-backed separatists, but also referenced them asrebel leaders in quoting misleading arguments about the Minsk II agreement. Referenced the 2015 Minsk agreement, while providing no context. Quoted a Kremlin official and the leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk, without further context on the accuracy of their statements. Included no details on alternative candidates or the makeup of the electorate. Lets take the last point: In our search online for the official ballots for the November 11 election, Polygraph.info found evidence indicating an absence of non-separatist candidates in the documents of the Central Election Committees of the two pro-Russian regions. The documents are accessible on the websites of both DNR and LNR. For instance, the DNR election committee has only published a generic sample of the ballot with the John Doe (Ivan Ivanov, Petr Petrov) names on it, while the actual ballot with the names and affiliations of the real candidates was not published. The reporting of the results released by the DNR election committee confirmed that no candidate opposing the separation of the region from Ukraine was put before the voters. In the LNR, the election committee published the actual ballot, which demonstrated unusual qualities. For instance, apart from the front-runner and the eventual winner of the election, the three listed candidates represented the same social movement -- the Lugansk Economic Union a group created in 2014 after Russias annexation of Crimea, according to Australias exhaustively sourced sanctions regime. The groups own political platform advocates integration of LNR into the economic space of the Russian Federation and one of its leaders can be see on on Russian social media, vKontakte, as congratulating all real men on the Day of Russian Army. And so in Luhansk there were no candidates espousing non-separatist voters. Both the DNR sample ballot and the LNR ballots were in the Russian language, not Ukrainian. On the Minsk II agreement: The AP story misrepresents the agreement, signed in 2015, referring to a 2015 peace deal (that) called for local elections in Donetsk and Luhansk. The inference is that the separatists were merely holding elections as part of the agreement. In reality, the Minsk II agreement does not make any reference to a Donetsk or Luhansk Peoples Republic. Instead, the locations are referred to as certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Region. More importantly, point nine of the agreement states that local elections must be held on the basis of the Law of Ukraine and constitutional reform. In a later reference to local elections, point 12 of the agreement stipulates that, elections will be held in accordance with relevant OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) standards and monitored by OSCE/ODIHR. None of the conditions laid out in the agreement were met in the November 11 polling. The U.S. State Department refers to the Crimea section of Ukraine as occupied, and the DNR and LNR republics as under forcible control of Russia. The story includes direct quotes from Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov as well as some of the rebel leaders in Russian-occupied Donbas, but no Ukrainians, rendering AP assurances of balance in the article to be null. Peskovs claim that the separatist regions were fighting for survival as a result of a Ukrainian blockade and a looming threat of the resumption of full-scale fighting is misleading. The economic blockade from Ukraine is a fact. But so are nearly daily military operations, making that border into Ukraine-governed territory a conflict zone, initiated by Russia. Donetsk and Luhansk survive only due to Russian assistance, Stephen Pfier of the Brookings Institution wrote in October. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Russian military men and materiel, as well as humanitarian convoys, continue cross into the regions from Russia. OSCE monitors are blocked from inspecting the inflow. Decent media should prohibit their biased & intimidated Moscow correspondent to report on Ukraine, Atlantic Council fellow Anders Aslund posted on Twitter. They are both too ignorant & too full of Kremlin propaganda. Aslunds post came amid complaints over the AP story, datelined Moscow, though he did not respond to a question about whether he was referring to the Moscow-based wire service report. The AP article mentions neither the fact that these elections were not monitored by any qualified election observers, nor the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission's observations about armed men in the vicinity of polling places and citizens complaining of feeling compelled to vote. Finally, after the elections, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin, announced that he would seek closer integration with Moscow. In his address, he accused Kyiv of abandoning the breakaway regions. This is an unusual characterization from a supposed separatist leader, given that by definition separatists seek to leave or abandon an established country. While a daily election story by a wire service is unlikely to contain the detail in this fact check, the tenor of the article should reflect reality. Accordingly, we find the AP story and the headline on the Washington Post online feed to be misleading. Further Context Another relevant fact is a poll reported by the independent Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske, which found that residents of the occupied areas increasingly favor reintegration into Ukraine. In the separatist-controlled areas of the Donetsk region, 63% of surveyed in 2018 said they favor the idea of reintegrating Donbas into Ukraine, given the decentralization reform takes place, the report stated. This is a four percent increase from 2016 when 59% supported or agreed with the idea. While the number of respondents who considered this option unacceptable in any case reduced from 37% in 2016 to 28% in 2018. The report stated that support for reintegration in the Luhansk region, had not changed from 2016 to 2018, but that it remains at 63%. If accurate, this polling data indicate that a clear majority of residents in these areas favor reintegration with the rest of Ukraine. Yet, in spite of this, separatists won the elections, and by big margins, according to the AP headline.The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, in an election day spot report, said some citizens reported feeling compelled to vote or lose access to salaries and healthcare. A study by the University of Oxford in 2015, just after Russia launched its covert operation in Ukraine, found little support for separatism or desire to join Russia. According to the study, fewer than 5% of respondents favored solutions that would lead to the breakup of the country. Ostrov, a Donetsk-based publication, held its own survey in July of 2014 as the war began. It found that 75% of respondents saw their future as being in Ukraine. Only three percent saw their future in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic. However, questions remain as to how representative the survey was. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Mary Katherine, who also goes by MK, covers health care for The Post and Courier. She is also pursuing a master's degree in data science. She grew up in upstate New York and enjoys playing cards, kayaking and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hannah Alani is a reporter at The Post and Courier covering race, immigration and rural life across the Palmetto State. Before graduating from Indiana University and moving to Charleston in 2017, her byline appeared in The New York Times. Attorney convicted in slaying of Eddy Curry's ex-girlfriend, baby daughter Nova Henry and her daughter Ava Curry, who were found slain in their home. (Photo Courtesy of the Henry Family.) (Photo Courtesy of the Henry Family.) A Chicago attorney was found guilty Tuesday night of fatally shooting a former girlfriend of ex-Chicago Bulls player Eddy Curry and their infant daughter. Frederick Goings, 40, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder by a Cook County jury that deliberated a little more than four hours. Advertisement The victims, Nova Henry, 24, and her 10-month-old daughter, Ava, were found shot to death inside their South Loop town house in January 2009. Henry's 3-year-old son Noah, who also was Curry's child, was found in the town house unharmed. "We're very pleased with the verdict," said Lisa Newman, Nova Henry's godmother. "We never doubted for a minute that it would be anything other than guilty." Advertisement Goings' attorneys argued during the trial that there was no physical evidence linking him to the double murder. They also accused Chicago police investigators of failing to seriously weigh other possible suspects. Prosecutor Jim McKay, however, told the jury during closing arguments that "A mountain of evidence became an avalanche, and now [Goings is) buried." Goings expressed no emotion as the verdict was read. During McKay's animated closing argument, Goings leaned on the left arm of his chair and hardly flinched. At one point, McKay flung his arms in Goings' direction after counting off on his fingers several pieces of evidence. "Reasonable doubt? There is no reasonable doubt in this case," McKay said. "None." Prosecutors said earlier in the trial that Goings, a family attorney, had "dollar signs in his eyes" when he took Nova Henry on as a client in a child-support case against Curry, who was then playing for the New York Knicks. Curry did not testify in the trial. Goings and Nova Henry developed a romantic relationship that prosecutors said stretched over two years. But their relationship took a tumultuous turn when Nova Henry hired a new lawyer and made plans to contest $24,000 in legal fees charged by Goings. In 2007, Nova Henry took out an order of protection against Goings after she said he threatened her and her son, but she let it expire, McKay said. On Jan. 24, 2009, Goings opened fire on Nova Henry as she stood at the bottom of the stairs in her South Loop town home, according to prosecutors. Earlier this month, Noah's grandmother Yolan Henry testified that she and her boyfriend found the bodies a few hours later. They also discovered Noah and asked him what happen. "He turned around and looked at me and said, 'Frederick,'" Yolan Henry testified. "He repeated, 'Frederick did it.'" Advertisement McKay described Goings as a "true coward" for fleeing on that day to a hotel in LaPorte County, Ind.. Prosecutors alleged he tried to erase any trace of the double murder by jumping naked into a swimming pool, wandering in a nearby forest and washing his fingernails to try to get rid of gunshot residue. A bullet matching linked to the murder weapon was later found in Goings' car, they said. "How do I get out of this one?" McKay said Goings thought in the hours after the crime. As he wrapped up his closing argument, McKay had one final plea for the jurors. "You stop Frederick Goings now," McKay told the jury. "You stop him. You do justice." Family members declined to comment as they left the courtroom. They plan to speak at a news conference Wednesday morning. A post-trial hearing is set for March 11. psvitek@tribune.com Many parents have found that melatonin is a safe, natural way to help their children sleep. But some pediatricians worry that the supplement needs further study. Assistant Columbia bureau chief Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill. This undated image provided by AcelRx Pharmaceuticals shows the dispenser and a tablet for the company's medication Dsuvia. On Friday, Nov. 2. 2018, U.S. regulators announced the approval of the fast-acting, super-potent opioid tablet as an alternative to IV painkillers used in hospitals. (Craig Sherod Photography/AcelRx Pharmaceuticals via AP) Chicago police Officer Samuel Jimenez, on the force for less than two years; two hospital employees; and the gunman are dead after a shooting at Mercy Hospital in the 2500 block of South Michigan Avenue on Nov. 19, 2018, in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune) The recent outcry over a military project's land clearing out of concern the site of an ancient CHamoru village was being erased lacked facts, a military press release contends. "During the consultation process, the Guam (State Historic Preservation Office) state archaeologist and (Marine Corps) archaeologists specifically determined this not to be an ancient village," the military's press release quotes Al Borja, environmental director for the Marine Corps on Guam, as saying. Still, items found at the site were gathered for safekeeping, the press release stated. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "Out of respect for the cultural significance of the historically displaced items found at the site, the Navy has recovered and carefully placed each item in a secure area pending a joint decision on their future interpretive use," Borja stated. "We remain committed to continuing this important work with our preservation partners as we build the new Marine Corps Base and uphold our responsibility to cultural preservation," Borja added. The press release later adds: "the Department of the Navy encourages the community to stay informed with the facts." At issue is the land clearing that's part of the Marine Corps base construction in Finegayan, Dededo. The site is called Magua'. Magua' is an ancient CHamoru settlement area which had been cleared of latte, artifacts and other cultural evidence, and then bulldozed, acting Speaker Therese Terlaje stated in a recent news release. However, the military's Nov. 16 press release states, "the area was previously cleared after World War II and recent archaeological investigations indicate it was not permanently populated, rather intermittently used for processing forest and food products." Military cultural resource managers recently met with a government of Guam team led by the Guam SHPO state archaeologist, "as part of a continuing and ongoing collaboration to preserve Guam's rich cultural resources," the Navy press release stated. "We continue to work closely with Guam SHPO and Guam Preservation Trust in preparation for future consultations regarding the treatment plan for the artifacts that have been recovered from the area," Borja stated. Vice President Mike Pence broke bread with troops in Andersen Air Force Base's dining hall Sunday night during his nearly three-hour stopover on Guam. Pence and his wife, Karen, arrived on Air Force 2 after 5 p.m. to a small group of well-wishers including Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo, Northern Marianas Gov. Ralph Torres, and Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, commander of the joint military forces on Guam. Calvo said he talked to Pence briefly about some of the remaining issues the government of Guam needs help with, before his gubernatorial term ends next month, including outstanding reimbursements for Medicaid worth millions of dollars. Calvo and Pence shared a light moment as both knew each other from Pence's time as governor and member of the National Governors Association. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Pence visited Guam a day after he announced the United States is collaborating with Papua New Guinea and Australia to build a naval base on an island that had been strategic during World War II. Guam's newly elected Democratic representative in the U.S. Congress, Sen. Michael San Nicolas, was in Washington, D.C., getting acclimated for his future job, but he welcomed Pence's visit, saying, "any exposure for Guam is good and we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our value in geopolitical circumstances." Therese Terlaje, the acting speaker of the Guam Legislature, who was the highest vote-getter in the legislative race earlier this month, wasnt invited. It would have been helpful to hear directly from the vice president as to the United States' plans and activities in our region, and the impacts those would have on Guam, Terlaje stated. It is my hope that any future visits might include the Legislature in the spirit of open communication and mutual dialogue with the people of Guam. Pences remarks to the Guam troops were not public, but on Saturday, he announced what brought him to the Pacific islands. Today it is my privilege to announce the United States will partner with Papua New Guinea and Australia on their joint initiative on on Manus Island, Pence stated during his speech, televised by Australias ABC News. We will work with these nations to protect the sovereignty and maritime rights of Pacific islands as well the USA will continue to uphold the freedom of the seas and the skies which are so essential to our prosperity, Pence stated. We will continue to fly and sail and wherever international law allows and our national interest demands. The U.S. is collaborating with Australia and Papua New Guinea to redevelop Manus Island as a naval base an announcement that followed reports that China also was interested in developing the site as a deep-water harbor. Referring to Chinas warnings against U.S. military flyovers and naval exercises in international seas and skies in the disputed South China Sea, Pence said, harassment will only strengthen our resolve. We will not change course, Pence said. Authoritarianism and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific, he said. President Trump personally sent me here today. The United States commitment to the Indo-Pacific has never been stronger, Pence stated. The Indo-Pacific encompasses more than half the Earths surface, more than half the human family and two-thirds of global trade happens here, he said, speaking in Papua New Guinea to a gathering of chief executives as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations annual meeting. The main ASEAN meeting occurred in Singapore. "In the days ahead, the United States will continue to put America first. I hope its clear 'America first' does not mean America alone. We know our prosperity, our security, and our future are intertwined with yours, Pence stated. At one time during World War II, Manus Island had about 800 naval ships and four airfields as launching points for the invasion to retake the Philippines from the Japanese occupation, The Sydney Herald reported. The plan to rebuild Manus Island as a naval base followed a sobering March 2018 Department of Defense report to Congress that Chinas air force, which already is the largest air force in the region and the third largest in the world, is working to become a strategic air force capable of long-range power projection. The Chinese militarys bomber flights into the Western Pacific Ocean demonstrate Chinas ability to reach Guam, the Pentagon report acknowledged. China debuted technology in 2015, which was paraded in 2017, which is capable of conducting precision conventional or nuclear strikes against ground targets that could include U.S. bases on Guam, the report states. Papua New Guinea has been cozying up to China it has signed three memorandums of understanding with China worth $3.5 billion almost a quarter of PNGs economic size, according to an April post on Devpolicy Blog, which provides a platform for aid and development analysis, research and policy comment, with a focus on Australia, the Pacific and Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea, Pence told his audience this time last year North Korea was making threats to fire missiles. Those threats had mentioned Guam. This time, Pence said, there will be no threats from North Korea about firing any missiles. The United States is making plans for Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un to hold a second summit, Pence said. In addition to an Air Force base and a Navy base, Guam will be the host of a Marine Corps base to accommodate almost 5,000 Marines who are being relocated from Okinawa. A POST-NATIVE PERSPECTIVE I do not understand why people subject themselves to the horrors of holiday travel. Youd think by now I would, but it becomes more perplexing Read more Were going to try to obviously look to gain any advantage, by entering the lottery and wed like the name at the top of the ticket, Vallas said. The issues are going to drive this race. And with all these candidates, and at the end of the day, Im confident people are going to be looking for a candidate who can run this city. This op-ed in the Washington Post is titled (in the paper edition) Whitaker is just one more crony. The author, law professor Jed Shugerman, argues that its far from unprecedented for presidents to appoint cronies to head the Justice Department. Shugerman is right. He cites Harry Daugherty (Hardings AG), Howard McGrath (Trumans), Robert Kennedy (his brothers), and John Mitchell (Nixons). The problem, though, is that Matthew Whitaker is not a crony of President Trump. A crony is a close friend, usually of long standing. Whitaker is not Trumps friend. As far as has been reported, the two have only met a few times. The meetings were not of a social nature. Thus, the relationship between Trump and Whitaker is nothing like the relationship between Harding and Daugherty, his campaign manager; between Bobby Kennedy and his brother; and between John Mitchell and Nixon, his former law partner. Nor, for that matter, does it resemble the close relationship between Robert Mueller and James Comey. Shugerman writes of a long line of line of insiders, hacks, cronies, and fixers [who have] occupied the office for much of the past century. Whitaker is not an insider. His ties to Washington are nothing compared to those of, say, Eric Holder. Indeed, as far as I can tell, Whitakers year in Washington working for Sessions is the only inside position he has ever held. The rest of his career has been spent in the Midwest, largely disconnected from Washington politics. Theres no evidence that Whitaker is a fixer, either. What has he fixed? Shugerman cites nothing. Hack is a term of insult with no fixed meaning. I take it to mean mediocrity. Is Whitaker a mediocre lawyer? I dont know. Mediocrities dont typically become U.S. Attorneys, as Whitaker did, though certainly there are exceptions. But again, Shugerman provides no evidence that Whitaker is other than a fine lawyer and a capable administrator. He simply assumes the Posts editors and readers will nod in agreement with his string of insults because they hate Trump. Shugerman may not know Whitaker, but he knows his audience. At its 2018 National Lawyers Convention this past Friday, the Federalist Society sponsored one of its characteristically excellent panels featuring diverse points of view this one on the 2014 lawsuit challenging Harvards sophisticated program of racial discrimination in undergraduate admissions. The lawsuit was brought by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard alleging that Harvard was violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by, among other things, discriminating against Asian Americans in the admissions process. The lawsuit is based in part on overwhelming statistical evidence that Harvard discriminates both in subjective scoring and selection for admission to limit the number of Asian Americans that attend the college. Federalist Society Civil Rights practice group chairman Gail Heriot introduced the program. She is followed by the moderator, Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho, Patrick Strawbridge (a partner at the firm representing plaintiffs in the case), Althea Nagai (Center for Equal Opportunity), Professor Andrew Koppelman (Northwestern University School of Law) and Professor John Yoo (Berkeley Law). The Federalist Society has posted the video with background here and on YouTube. Here we have the clash of ideas in a form that allows the interested viewer to make up his own mind on the questions of law and policy (although at 1:08:26 Professor Koppelman calls for Harvard to end its ceiling on Asian-American admissions if it has one). Strawbridges remarks go over the claims in the lawsuit in detail. Professor Yoos (witty and trenchant) remarks begin at about 1:14:00. I should note for the record that Professor Yoo misattributes a frequently quoted remark about how Jews vote (Jews earn like Episcopalians, and vote like Puerto Ricans) to Norman Podhoretz; although I believe NP has frequently quoted it, the late Milton Himmelfarb wrote it. I have cued the video below to begin with Professor Heriots introduction. The panelists respond to each other at about 1:31:00. They take questions from the audience at about 1:41:00. We have written about the lawsuit several times. I recommend Stuart Taylors Weekly Standard article Racial Preference on Trial as Harvard Goes to Court. Via Gail Heriot/InstaPundit. Fake news is a serious problem in our political life. Im not referring to a pathetically small number of Facebook ads bought by Russian provocateurs. Im talking about the fake news that was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee; fabricated by Democratic Party-allied consultants; propagated by the FBI and the CIA; promoted by the broadcast networks, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press; trumpeted by pretty much every senior elected Democrat; and kept alive by the appalling Robert Mueller. The claim that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians to steal the 2016 presidential election is the great fake news of our time. How successful have the Democrats been in propagating that myth? This survey by The Economist and YouGov suggests that they have been successful beyond their wildest dreams. First the numbers, then some observations. Click to enlarge: Note the question asked: Did Russia tamper with vote tallies in order to get Donald Trump elected President? There is no evidenceI repeat, nonethat Russia tampered with vote tallies. To my knowledge, no one has claimed that Russia tampered with vote tallies. I am not aware of any plausible theory on which a foreign power could tamper with vote tallies. To say that Russia tampered with vote tallies is as credible as asserting that the moon is made of green cheese. And yet, two-thirds of Democrats say it is either definitely true (31%) or probably true (36%) that Russia tampered with vote tallies. Women are especially gullible; 48%, across all party lines, have fallen for this fake news. Sadly, 70% of blacks have bought it hook, line and sinker. The Northeast is the countrys most ignorant region, apparently: 47% of Northeasterners have fallen for the hoax. So the Democrats, by their constant hysteria and innuendo, have convinced a large majority of their followers, and 42% of all Americans, of a palpable falsehood that was fabricated in order to assure Hillary Clintons election and then, when that effort failed, perpetuated in an attempt to cripple President Trumps administration. Is this the most successful disinformation campaign in history? I dont know. But in American history, I cant think of a plausible rival. President Trump is right: fake news is a serious threat. By cynically selling an absurd lie to its followers, the Democratic Party has badly damaged confidence in our democracy. Via Peter Hasson on Twitter. In Taupo, New Zealand, normally an area where local businesses are busy catering to visitors looking to take in the natural beauty, trout fishing, and year-long outdoor activities near the countrys largest lake, a massive outage knocked out power for 16,000 utility customers as they headed into Monday morning. The outage was cause by an equipment failure at the Wairakei substation, tripping both transformers that supply the region. While the repairs were completed by Monday afternoon, the extent of the damage required extensive testing before systems could be brought back online and power restored to customers, which would take an additional 2-3 hours, according to Transpower NZ, which owns and operates New Zealands National Grid. Local utility Unison (News - Alert) indicated an additional two hours could be required to bring all customers back online. Power was fully restored by early Monday evening, but the outage cost many workers and businesses a full day of operation. While many businesses opted to wait to see if power would be restored in time to salvage the day, considering initial estimates indicated power would be back my around noon. But by mid-morning, that had been pushed to 3:00pm, which turned out to be close to when repairs were complete, but the testing and time to bring all systems online added several hours. Even trade workers faced challenges when they had to refuel their vehicles in order to make it to their work sites and were left to wait. Power outages present many challenges for businesses, which have to pay workers despite not being able to conduct business. In addition the immediate lost revenue, companies that havent invested in power protection systems face an even greater risk of damage to the technology on which their operations depend. Power surges during outages and when power is restored can send higher line voltages than systems are designed to handle, damaging circuitry and causing systems to fail or corrupting software and data. The time and cost of repairing or replacing equipment and software can be much greater than even a lengthy outage, causing days or even weeks of downtime, which can ruin businesses. Power protection systems with UPS capabilities are purpose-built to insulate business systems from surges and spikes by regulating line voltage at all times. UPS capabilities provide, at a minimum, enough power to shut down systems manually to prevent any secondary damage to data, and extended runtime options can even power critical systems, like web or DNS servers, for the duration of an outage, keeping critical resources online. Edited by Erik Linask PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 08:04:01 Bests Briefing: UK Insurers Prepare for Loss of Passporting Rights Post Brexit A.M. Best Catherine Thomas, CFA Senior Director, Analytics +44 20 7397 0281 catherine.thomas@ambest.com or Yvette Essen Director, Research, Communications & Media Europe, Middle East & Africa +44 20 7397 0322 yvette.essen@ambest.com or Edem Kuenyehia Director, Market Development & Communications +44 20 7397 0280 edem.kuenyehia@ambest.com A.M. Best is closely monitoring the responses of U.K. insurers to the planned withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, with a particular focus on those insurers that currently utilise the European Economic Area (EEA) passporting system to conduct cross-border business throughout the EEA. When the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU, and at the end of any transition period, passporting rights that currently exist between the United Kingdom and the EEA are expected to cease. In a briefing, UK Insurers Prepare for Loss of Passporting Rights Post Brexit, A.M. Best states once passporting rights are lost, U.K.-domiciled insurers will no longer be able to issue insurance contracts in the EEA. It is also possible that, in the absence of a political solution, they will not be able to service existing EEA contracts by settling and paying claims. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, this could come into effect as early as 29 March 2019. Catherine Thomas, senior director, analytics, said: Many companies have chosen to establish new EU subsidiaries. Meanwhile, small insurers that do not have the resources to create additional companies have formed relationships with local carriers that will be able to front business for them. A.M. Best expects rated insurance groups affected by Brexit to have these subsidiaries or arrangements in place by March 2019, ensuring that they are able to underwrite EEA business going forward, even in the absence of a transition period. However, the report adds the creation of a licensed EU subsidiary or affiliate does not address the issue that a U.K. insurer may not be able to service existing EEA contracts following a loss of passporting rights. It is the hope and expectation of the insurance market that a political solution will be found to this problem; for example, by allowing grandfathering of existing contracts. In spite of this, affected insurers are putting contingency plans in place and exploring their operational and legal ability to settle claims and provide other services to policyholders in individual EEA jurisdictions. The majority of insurance groups that are affected by Brexit and rated by A.M. Best have either completed or initiated a transfer of their EEA business from their U.K. insurer to an affiliated EEA insurer under Part VII of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Yvette Essen, director of research, said: However, the Part VII transfer process is expensive and time consuming, with transfers subject to extensive regulatory scrutiny and court approval. The process is further complicated if business has been underwritten on a pan-European basis, as is often the case for large commercial clients, as it is difficult to separate assets and liabilities into U.K. and other EEA components. Consequently, a number of Part VII transfers will not be complete by the end of March 2019. In these cases, a transition period following the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the EU is necessary to allow time for the transfer of policies to be completed. To access a complimentary copy of this briefing, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?recor. A.M. Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright 2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181118005 Chocolate Powdered Drinks Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 09:24:41 Press Information Future Market Insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com Sonali Analyst +1 03479183531 email https://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 568 Words Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.comAnalyst+1 03479183531 Chocolate powdered drinks can be mixed with water or milk to prepare instant chocolate drinks. Water based chocolate powdered drinks are generally cold beverages which include soft drinks or energy drinks. Whereas milk based chocolate based drinks include chocolate drinks, protein shakes, cappuccino mixes. Chocolate powdered drinks can be served cold or hot form depends on consumer needs and wants. Chocolate powdered drinks are beneficial for health with good taste and flavor which attracts all age of consumers, especially kids, teenagers and youngsters consume it in large scale. Vigorous aspects of chocolate powdered drinks are low-cost production and have various health beneficial features to the end user. The potential growth of chocolate powdered drinks has a niche market as compared from tea and coffee globally. Chocolate powdered drinks are mainly consumed at breakfast. Due to hot and humid climatic region of the world, the cocoa market is facing a significant challenge for the overall market growth.Chocolate Powdered Drinks Market: SegmentationChocolate powdered drinks market is segmented on the basis of types, end users and distribution channel. On the basis of product type chocolate powdered drinks are segmented in dark chocolate powdered drink, milk chocolate powdered drinks, white chocolate powdered drinks. On the basis of end users chocolate powdered drinks is segmented in energy drinks, milk beverages, cappuccino mixes, protein shakes and chocolate drinks which can be served hot as well as cold and it also enhances the taste of the drinks, which attracts a large number of consumers. On the basis of distribution channel, the chocolate powdered drinks are segmented into supermarket/ hypermarket, convenience stores, Speciality stores, online and grocery stores. Among the distribution channel segment, hyper/supermarket segment contributes larger market share in terms of revenue. Increasing online purchasing of food and beverage is expected to drive market growth of online segment.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4202 Chocolate Powdered Drinks: Region wise outlookDepending on geographic regions, chocolate powdered drinks market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Africa, particularly West African countries (Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon) produce 70% of the worlds cocoa, according to the World Cocoa foundation are the major producer of cocoa seeds. Brazil is the largest market for chocolate powdered drinks. The countries which are global leaders in cocoa products are Ghana, Belgium, The United Kingdom and Switzerland. The markets of the Middle East, North America as well as Asia-Pacific is rising in both consumption and production of cocoa products and growth is mainly expected from emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil.Chocolate Powdered Drinks: DriversThe growing impact of western culture, increasing disposable incomes of consumers, rising population are the major factors to fuel the growth of global chocolate powdered drinks in Asia-Pacific region. Innovation in the field of chocolate powdered drinks with health benefits such as fortification with DHA, dry fruits, natural herbs , natural flavours, is driving the demand chocolate powdered drinks in Europe and North America. Organic chocolate powdered drinks remain rare and niche which may offer an opportunity for the entrants of several organic brands.Request Report toc @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-4202 Chocolate Powdered Drinks: Key playersp>Some of the key participating players in chocolate powdered drinks globally are Mondelez, Nestle S.A., Gatorade, Mars Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, PepsiCo Inc., Kanegrade Ltd, and others. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 12:21:02 Chubu Centrair International Airport Has Been Ranked 5-Star Airport for Second Time Central Japan International Airport Co.,Ltd. Takamichi Chiba, +81-569-38-7775 Public Relations centrair-application@cjiac.co.jp Chubu Centrair International Airport has been ranked for the second consecutive year as a 5-star Airport*1, the world highest airport rank, in the Regional Airport*2 category. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005 In order to reply to the diversifying needs of the increasing international travellers, Chubu Centrair International Airport is aiming to become an easier to use and a more comfortable airport. In SKYTRAXs*3 survey, which includes over 500 airport evaluation categories, Chubu Centrair International Airport has ranked specially high in Airport staff service and Airport cleanness among other airports. In addition, Chubu Centrair International Airport has been also awarded in SKYTRAXs World Airport Awards, an international airport rating based on client service, as The Worlds Best Regional Airport (for 4th consecutive year since 2015) and Best Regional Airport-Asia (for 8th consecutive year since 2011). 2019 years results will be announced in March 2019. Chubu Centrair wants to thank all the travellers using our facilities. From now on the whole airport will aim even higher and it is going to make a greater effort to provide an even better service. For more information: https://skytraxratings.com/chubu-centrair-airport- *1 5-star Airport: list of airports apart from Chubu Centrair International Airport. *2 Regional Airport: this category covers airport located in non-capital areas focused on domestic flights, an international flight media of 6 hours length, or a minority of continental flights. *3 SKYTRAX: was founded in Britain in 1989 as an air transport rating company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005 They also expect Vallas and McCarthy to target each other as they seek to appeal to scores of cops, firefighters and city employees who live on the Northwest and Southwest sides. Both also would have an incentive to target Joyce, a longtime resident of the 19th Ward on the Southwest Side, a bastion of city employees. Daley also would overlap with some of these voters, and could take aim at those other three or become a target himself, the strategists said. MRRSE PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 13:12:43 Press Information MRRSE State Tower 90, State Street Suite 700 Albany, NY - 12207 (United States) Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager +1-518-730-0559 email https://www.mrrse.com/ # 642 Words State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207(United States)Marketing Manager+1-518-730-0559 Inclusive of a host of heavy duty vehicle types such as diggers, tractors, excavators, and all-terrain vehicles, off-road vehicles find ample utility in sports, recreation activities, commercial, and industrial purposes such as mining and construction. Technological advancement such as incorporation of high-power sensors for operational efficiency is acknowledged as a potential growth driver in off-road vehicle market. In its recently collated business intelligence report titled, Off-road Vehicle Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018 2026, Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) enumerates vital market developments and their corresponding impact on the growth of off-road vehicle market.For More Information Request Free Sample on Off-Road Vehicle Market Report @ https://www.mrrse.com/sample/17183 Non-contact Position Sensors and Fire Suppression Mechanism: Trending FeaturesBesides incorporating technological novelties such as non-contact position sensors for superlative off-vehicle performance under harsh conditions, leading market participants in off-road vehicle market are also relying on enhanced vehicle features such as automatic fire suppression mechanism to ensure safety. Such innovative developments are expected to justify leading positions of prominent market players in off-road vehicle market. Additionally leading players are also motivated to limit price hikes and high maintenance costs of off-road vehicles to encourage larger adoption.Toyota to Soon Debut its CompactStriving to remain industry specific in their offerings, leading automobile market player Toyota is soon to release its latest series of off-road vehicle. The soon-to-release off-road vehicle offering is expected to demonstrate sturdy finish with a compact body to compete against its bulky counterparts in off-road vehicle competition matrix, aligning with evolving millennial preferences.The report is a comprehensive market overview of market drivers, restraints, and trends directing growth in off-road vehicles market. To allow readers with their investment decisions, this section of the report entails diverse deep-dive preview on existing market segments such as application, fuel type, and engine size. Based on application, global off-road vehicle market is classified into construction and mining and agriculture. Construction and mining is further splintered into excavator, loader, dozer, articulated dump truck, and motor scraper amongst others. Based on agriculture, off-road vehicle market is fragmented into tractors and other agricultural equipment. In terms of fuel type, off-road vehicle market is classified into diesel and gasoline.Browse Complete Detail on Off-Road Vehicle Market Research Report with TOC @ https://www.mrrse.com/off-road-vehicle-market Asia-Pacific to Remain Lucrative through the Forecast SpanFurther as the report progresses, this section of the report also offers a clear understanding on geographical penetration of off-road vehicle market, based on which the market is demarcated into Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa s prominent regional belts in off-road vehicles market.Competition Spectrum: Off-Road Vehicles MarketBased on thorough research elements gleaned in this section of the report, readers are presented with elaborate details on prominent market players in off-road vehicle market, their recent developments, revenue contribution, as well as an inside report on winning marketing strategies implemented by leading market players across regions and their eventual implications on holistic market growth as eventual purchase decisions. Some of the leading players identified in off-road vehicle market include, AB Volvo, Caterpillar, Bell Equipment, CLAAS KGaA mbH, KUBOTA Corporation, Liebherr Group, and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. amongst numerous others.Enquire about This Report @ https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/17183 About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords. MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 09:01:01 FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experts from GridGain Systems , provider of enterprise-grade in-memory computing solutions based on Apache Ignite, is organizing or taking part in multiple webinars, conferences and meetups during November and December to share the latest information and developments related to in-memory computing technology and business trends. The performance challenges facing companies as they undertake digital transformation are vast, and for many companies an in-memory computing platform is the only cost-effective, easy-to-deploy technology capable of delivering the speed and scalability necessary to overcome many of those challenges, said Terry Erisman, vice president of marketing at GridGain Systems. Our experts travel the world to share practical advice on how to leverage the power of in-memory computing. Conferences AWS Re:Invent 2018 November 26, 2018 GridGain CTO and Co-Founder Nikita Ivanov will speak on the topic of In-Memory Computing: Unlocking the Digital Future. GridGain experts will be in booth #616 to provide product demos and discuss the need for in-memory computing for real-time big data applications. Gartner Application Strategies & Solutions Summit November 27, 2018 GridGain CTO and Co-Founder Nikita Ivanov will speak on the topic of High Performance Business-Critical Applications in the Digital Era. GridGain experts will be in booth #113 to provide product demos and discuss the need for in-memory computing for real-time big data applications. Big Data LDN 2018 November 13, 2018 GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri was one of the featured speakers at Big Data LDN 2018, a free-to-attend conference and exhibition where delegates shared ideas with forward-thinking peers and leading members of the data community. Akmal's talk was titled, "How to Become a Big Data Rockstar in 30 Minutes. The secret? Apache Ignite, a memory-centric distributed database, caching, and processing platform. Apache Ignite is designed for transactional, analytical and streaming workloads, delivering in-memory performance at scale. Big Data Spain November 14, 2018 GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri was one of the featured speakers at Big Data Spain, a conference featuring AI technologies for smart business. Akmal's session was titled, Powering Up Financial Institutions with Distributed Systems. Attendees learned about Apache Ignite and its key capabilities and features important for financial applications, including ACID compliance, SQL compatibility, persistence, replication, security, fault tolerance, fraud detection and more. The session included a review of major use cases of Apache Ignite deployed as a caching layer between applications and a database system to speed up response time and achieve scalability, and as a full-fledged distributed database with its own persistence layer. Data Management Technologies Moscow 2018 November 29, 2018 Mikhail Kouznetsov, head of GridGain sales in Russia, will share insights from the report, "When Appetites Grow: The Use of In-Memory Technologies for Real-Time Data Analysis. Webinars How to Make a Backup in a Distributed System, Unnoticed November 21, 2018 GridGain Systems Senior Software Engineer Ivan Rakov will discuss how to create backups, or snapshots, in GridGain without impacting ongoing user activities; perform a snapshot while keeping data consistent and transactionally complete across the cluster; create and restore snapshots during cluster topology changes; and ensure snapshots are optimized to use less space. Nuances of Machine Learning with Ignite ML November 28, 2018 Alexey Zinoviev, GridGains, Apache Ignite ML contributor, will discuss the new 2.7 release of Apache Ignite and present the new features that are added to Ignite ML modules. In the second part of his presentation, he will introduce what a Java programmer needs to do and understand in typical Big Data and ML projects. How to Add Speed and Scale to SQL, Support New Data Needs, and Keep Your RDBMS November 28, 2018 GridGain Lead Architect Valentin Kulichenko will discuss how companies have been using Apache Ignite to overcome todays data challenges, including the 10x growth of transaction volumes and the 50x growth in data volumes over the last decade, as well as the drive for real-time response and analytics that has pushed relational databases beyond their limits. Relational DBMSs with Apache Ignite: Faster Transactions and Analytics Wednesday, December 12, 2018 GridGains Akmal B. Chaudhri will discuss how combining Apache Ignite with a relational DBMS can offer enterprises the best of both open-source worlds: a highly-scalable high-velocity grid-based in-memory SQL database, with a robust fully-featured SQL persistent datastore for advanced analytics and data-warehouse capabilities. Meetups Joint Event with Agile Lab in Milan, Italy November 19, 2018 GridGain Solutions Architect Christos Erotocritou will be a featured speaker at a free three-hour event in Milan, Italy, sponsored by GridGain Systems and Agile Lab. The event is titled, "Apache Ignite and GridGain: In-Memory Computing for IoT, Banking and More!" Data Science Sydney Meetup November 20, 2018 GridGain Asia-Pacific Director of Solution Architecture Stephen Leung will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, Getting Started with Apache Ignite as a Distributed Database. London In-Memory Computing Meetup November 20, 2018 Attendees will hear two excellent talks around distributed systems and enjoy great food, cold beverages and a chance to win a Nintendo Switch video game system. Big Data Analytics Melbourne November 22, 2018 GridGain Asia-Pacific Director of Solution Architecture Stephen Leung and an application engineer from Macquarie Bank will present, Getting Started with Apache Ignite as a Distributed Database. Munchen Kubernetes/Cloud-Native Meetup December 4, 2018 GridGain technology evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, "Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue!" Hamburg Kubernetes/Cloud-Native Meetup December 5, 2018 GridGain technology evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, "Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue!" Moscow Apache Ignite Meetup November 14, 2018 GridGain experts discussed benchmarks, what to do with unstable tests, and how major open source features are created using the example of Transparent Data Encryption in Apache Ignite. About GridGain Systems GridGain Systems is revolutionizing real-time data access and processing by offering an in-memory computing platform built on Apache Ignite. GridGain solutions are used by global enterprises in financial, software, e-commerce, retail, online business services, healthcare, telecom and other major sectors, with a client list that includes ING, Sberbank, Finastra, IHS Markit, Workday, and Huawei. GridGain delivers unprecedented speed and massive scalability to both legacy and greenfield applications. Deployed on a distributed cluster of commodity servers, GridGain software can reside between the application and data layers (RDBMS, NoSQL and Apache Hadoop), requiring no rip-and-replace of the existing databases, or it can be deployed as an in-memory transactional SQL database. GridGain is the most comprehensive in-memory computing platform for high-volume ACID transactions, real-time analytics, web-scale applications, continuous learning and HTAP. For more information, visit gridgain.com . CONTACT: Terry Erisman GridGain Systems terisman@gridgain.com (650) 241-2281 Fact.MR PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 10:40:51 Press Information Fact.MR Suite 9884 27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager +353-1-6111-593 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 729 Words Suite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandMarketing Manager+353-1-6111-593 The hormone replacement therapy market is foreseen to expand at a significant pace with sales of hormone replacement therapy products crossing US$ 12,000 Mn by 2019 end. Rising incidences of osteoporosis fractures coupled with growing menopause rates among women have remained instrumental in driving the demand for hormone replacement therapy. Fact.MR envisages that the demand for hormone replacement therapy is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0% in terms of value throughout the period of forecast, 2018-2028.Disorders associated with hormonal imbalance continue to influence the use of hormone replacement therapy worldwide. Hormone replacement therapy demand is further pushed with macroeconomic aspects such as growing geriatric population and significant increase in healthcare expenditure worldwide. Growing age directly impacts secretion of hormones such as progesterone and estrogen in women, which is expected to trigger the use of estrogen hormone replacement therapy.Request Free Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2224 Expanding range of menopausal window (45-55 years) coupled with growing number of postmenopausal patients are few of the key factors influencing the growth of the hormone replacement therapy market. According to the report, the demand for estrogen hormone replacement therapy is expected to grow on the back of growing menopausal rate worldwide. The sales of estrogen hormone replacement therapy are likely to surpass US$ 18,000 Mn by 2028, higher than those of other hormone replacement therapy products including thyroid and growth hormone related hormone replacement therapy products, says the report.Sales of hormone replacement therapy products through hospital pharmacies and retail pharmacies are likely to be on an upswing with developers of hormone replacement therapy products relying on these channels than online selling. Retail pharmacies are expected to remain an attractive distribution channel for hormone replacement therapy products, with sales accounting for a larger revenue share of the overall hormone replacement therapy market. The sales of hormone replacement therapy through clinics are projected to grow at a steady during the 2018-2028 timeline.The hormone replacement therapy market is expected to remain influenced by increasing government support apropos to womens health. Governments and non-profit organizations of various countries are spreading awareness regarding hormone replacement therapy along with providing free treatments to lower and middle class people. Regulatory authorities such as FDA are also contributing to the cause of supporting womens health by launching initiatives such as Take Time To Care (TTTC) programs. This aspect is likely to support the growth of the hormone replacement therapy market in the coming years.Browse Full Report on Hormone Replacement Therapy Market with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/2224/hormone-replacement-therapy-market Sales of hormone replacement therapy products are likely to remain concentrated among developed countries of North America and Europe. Tug-of-war between North America and Europe apropos to demand for hormone replacement therapy has been witnessed since the past couple of years, with the latter gaining tempo over the former, says the report.Stakeholders in the hormone replacement therapy can find attractive opportunities in developed countries in North America, particularly the United States. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, around 6,000 women reach menopause every day, reaching a count of over 2 million annually. This has translated into significant adoption of hormone replacement therapy in the country. The demand for hormone replacement therapy in the US is also accompanied by higher GDP per capita, triggering high healthcare expenditure.The report also foresees that the hormone replacement therapy market in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region is poised to expand at a relatively higher pace as compared to other regions. According to the report, the APEJ hormone replacement therapy market is projected to expand at a stellar pace of 7.2% during the assessment period. This growth can be attributed to increasing population coupled with higher life expectancy in emerging economies such as India and China. Against this backdrop, stakeholders in hormone replacement therapy market can expect optimistic growth in the region in the years to follow, leveraging its lucrativeness from an investment standpoint.To Buy Hormone Replacement Therapy Market Report, Check- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/2224/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 08:02:01 PRESS RELEASE Immunocore to co-develop IMC-C103C, a T cell redirecting bi-specific biologic, with Genentech First-in-human clinical trial of IMC-C103C scheduled to commence in 2019 in multiple solid tumour indications (Oxford, UK and Conshohocken, US, 19 November 2018) Immunocore Limited, a leading T Cell Receptor (TCR) biotechnology company focused on delivering first-in-class biological therapies that have the potential to transform lives of people with serious diseases, today announces it has entered into a new partnership with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to expand an existing discovery collaboration. Genentech and Immunocore will now co-develop Immunocores therapeutic candidate IMC-C103C, an ImmTAC molecule targeting tumours that express the protein MAGE-A4 (Melanoma-Associated Antigen A4). Under the terms of the agreement, Immunocore will lead the first-in-human clinical trial to establish safety and preliminary efficacy of IMC-C103C as both monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab (Tecentriq). The clinical trial, which is scheduled to commence in early 2019, will enrol patients across a number of solid tumour types. As part of the agreement, Genentech will pay Immunocore $100 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments. Upon establishing proof-of-concept data, Immunocore retains an option to continue to co-develop IMC-C103C through commercialisation, or to fully license the candidate to Genentech in return for royalty and milestone payments. Andrew Hotchkiss, CEO of Immunocore, said: MAGE-A4 is a known cancer-associated antigen expressed in a wide range of malignancies. Genentech is a leader in oncology with extensive immunology expertise, with whom weve had a good collaborative relationship for several years. We look forward to embarking upon this new partnership to investigate whether IMC-C103C could ultimately improve the lives of people with MAGE-A4 positive cancers. James Sabry, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Pharma Partnering, Roche, commented: Weve had a very productive collaboration with Immunocore since we began our initial partnership in 2013. Were excited to move this first molecule forward, both as a single agent and in combination with Tecentriq, and to further explore the role of T cell receptor-directed medicines in fighting cancer. Tecentriq is a registered trademark of Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. - Ends - For more information, please contact: Immunocore Zoe Roberts, Communications Manager T: +44 (0)1235 438600 E: info@immunocore.com Follow on Twitter: @Immunocore Consilium Strategic Communications (corporate and financial) Mary-Jane Elliott/Jessica Hodgson/Chris Welsh/Laura Thornton T: +44 (0)203 709 5700 E: Immunocore@consilium-comms.com About ImmTAC Molecules Immunocores proprietary TCR (T Cell Receptor) technology generates a novel class of bi-specific biologics called ImmTAC (Immune mobilising monoclonal TCRs Against Cancer) molecules that enable the immune system to recognise and kill cancerous cells. ImmTAC molecules are based on soluble TCRs engineered to recognise intracellular cancer antigens with ultra-high affinity and selectively kill cancer cells via an antiCD3 immune-redirecting effector function. ImmTAC molecules can access up to nine-fold more target antigens than typical antibody-based approaches, including monoclonal antibodies. Based on the demonstrated mechanism of T cell infiltration into human tumours, the ImmTAC mechanism of action holds the potential to tackle solid cold low mutation rate tumours, the majority of tumours that do not adequately respond to currently available immunotherapies. About IMC-C103C IMC-C103C is a novel bispecific T-cell redirection therapy that specifically targets tumours expressing the cancer testis antigen MAGE-A4. Regulatory applications to support first-in-human clinical studies are in advanced stages of preparation. About Immunocore Immunocore, a leading T Cell Receptor (TCR) biotechnology company, is focused on delivering first-in-class biological therapies that have the potential to transform the lives of people with serious diseases. The Companys primary therapeutic focus is oncology and it also has programs in infectious and autoimmune diseases. Immunocore has a pipeline of proprietary and partnered programs in development and the lead program, IMCgp100, has entered pivotal clinical studies as a treatment for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Collaboration partners include Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Lilly, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Immunocore is headquartered at Milton Park, Oxfordshire, UK, with an office outside Philadelphia, USA. The Company is privately held by a broad international investor base. For more information, please visit www.immunocore.com . PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 14:02:01 SAN DIEGO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In support of an ongoing partnership with Daiichi Sankyo, Invivoscribe is pleased to announce submission of the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay to the PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) as the companion diagnostic for quizartinib, which follows Daiichi Sankyos PMDA application for quizartinib in Japan. Invivoscribe developed the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo as the companion diagnostic that bridges to the global phase 3 QuANTUM-R clinical trial (Europe, United States, Asia excluding Japan) in patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3 ITD AML. Together, QuANTUM-R clinical trial and open-label phase 2 study of quizartinib (Japan) support the Daiichi Sankyo New Drug Application (NDA) to Japans MHLW/PMDA for marketing approval of quizartinib for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3 ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This submission complements Invivoscribes prior regulatory approvals of this LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay as an AML companion diagnostic in support of midostaurin for Novartis (United States and Europe), and gilteritinib fumarate for Astellas (Japan). Astellas and Invivoscribe have also submitted applications for the drug and device to the CDER and CDRH, respectively, in the United States. This milestone helps to further establish the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay as the international standard for comprehensive FLT3 assessment for critically ill acute myeloid leukemia patients as this CDx is available worldwide and generates standardized signal ratios for both ITD and TKD mutations. These criteria are already resulting in more consistent stratification of patients which will help prescribing doctors identify personalized therapy options for their patients and accelerate new drug and therapy approvals by establishing more homogeneous patient populations for clinical trials. Timing of this submission also reflects the efficiencies of Invivoscribes Streamlined CDx program, which provides pharmaceutical partners with integration of activities including CDx development , clinical trials support with rapid patient screening for enrollment, regulatory support and commercialization. Combining many of these activities can accelerate drug approvals as well as ensure rapid availability of the drugs to the appropriate patients following approvals. The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay Partial Change Approval Application submission and continuing Daiichi Sankyo partnership represent significant milestones for our company. We continue to welcome opportunities to partner with global pharmaceutical companies interested in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, whether for hematologic disease or solid tumors, said Jeffrey Miller, Invivoscribes CSO and CEO. Invivoscribe remains focused on improving the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality, standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. About the Invivoscribe LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay is a PCR-based, in vitro diagnostic test designed to detect internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations D835 and I836 in the FLT3 gene in genomic DNA extracted from mononuclear cells obtained from peripheral blood or bone marrow aspirates of patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. This globally standardized test includes software that interprets data, generates mutant/wildtype signal ratios for ITD and TKD mutations, and predicts response to both gilteritinib fumarate and midostaurin. This extensively validated assay helps standardize the detection of genetic mutations in the FLT3 gene as one of the most important driver mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In serving as the companion diagnostic to the Daiichi Sankyo sponsored clinical trials, this test reports out FLT3 ITD mutations alone. The LeukoStrat test is currently available as a test menu service through the Invivoscribe subsidiaries, LabPMM LLC (San Diego, CA, US), LabPMM GmbH (Martinsried, Germany) and LabPMM GK (Kawasaki City, Japan). LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay kits are currently distributed in Europe. Distribution of kits in Japan, United States, and China are planned. About Invivoscribe Invivoscribe is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to Improving Lives with Precision Diagnostics. For nearly twenty-five years, Invivoscribe has improved the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality, standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. Invivoscribe has a successful track record of partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies interested in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, and provides expertise in both regulatory and laboratory services. Providing distributable kits, as well as clinical trial services through its globally located clinical lab subsidiaries ( LabPMM ), Invivoscribe is an ideal partner from diagnostic development through clinical trials and regulatory submissions. For additional information please contact Invivoscribe at support@invivoscribe.com or visit www.invivoscribe.com . PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 10:24:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 385 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 19,2018 / Jackpot Digital Inc. (the "Company" or "Jackpot") (TSX-V: JP)(TSX-V: JP. WT) (US OTCQB: JPOTF) (Frankfurt & Berlin Exchanges: LVH1).The Company is pleased to announce that it hasentered into an amendment to the previously executed debt settlement agreement (the"New Debt Settlement Agreement") with Everi Games Inc. ("Everi").Pursuantto the New Debt Settlement Agreement, the Company's current outstanding debt toEveri in the amount of US $3,805,355.29 shall be reduced to U$1,355,355.29which shall bear simple interest at the rate of 8% per annum and which shall bepayable eighteen months after the effective date of the New Debt SettlementAgreement.Inconsideration to eliminate and reduce the debt by a total of US$2,450,000 theCompany shall grant to Everi 1,000,000 common share warrants in the capital ofthe Company exercisable at the price of $0.35 per common share for a period oftwo years, and the Company shall issue to Everi 2,276,225 common shares in thecapital of the Company at a deemed price of $0.20 per share.The issuance of the Company's common sharesand warrants shall be subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.Presidentand CEO Mr. Jake Kalpakian states "This is an extremely positive development asthe Company's debt is being significantly reduced, and as a result, it willpositively reflect in the Company's financial statements.This transaction alone has eliminated asubstantial portion of our long-term debt".AboutJackpot Digital Inc.Jackpot Digital Inc. is aleading electronic table games manufacturer and mobile gaming provider for thecruise ship industry and regulated casino industry. The Company specializes inmultiplayer gaming products, including poker and casino games, which arecomplimented by a robust suite of backend tools for operators to efficientlycontrol and optimize their gaming business.For more information on theCompany, please contact Jake H. Kalpakian, President and CEO, at (604) 681-0204ext. 6105, or visit the Company's website at www.jackpotdigital.com On behalf of the Board ofJackpot Digital Inc."JakeH. Kalpakian"___Jake H. KalpakianPresident & CEOTrading in the securities of the Companyshould be considered speculative.The TSX Venture Exchange has neitherapproved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor itsRegulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of theTSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy ofthis news release.SOURCE: Jackpot Digital Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 15:24:39 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 897 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (FRA: 1ZVA) (''PowerBand'' or the ''Company''), a leading online auction and remarketing platform to buy and sell used vehicles, and Hunt Automotive Group (''Hunt Automotive'') are pleased to announce that they have executed a Definitive Agreement to establish a partnership named Dealer To Dealer Automotive Auction (''D2DAA'') through the formation of a new U.S.-based corporation, owned equally by PowerBand and Hunt Automotive. D2DAA will operate an automotive online remarketing auction network in the U.S.Based in Springdale, Arkansas, Hunt Automotive operates physical auctions in Arkansas and Kansas, and is owned by Bryan Hunt. Bryan Hunt commented: ''Our auction group had been searching for an online auction solution that matched our physical auctions integrity of doing business. After our research we decided a new platform needed to be created to better serve our customers. We have to be involved in every aspect of the buy and sell process whether online, or in-facility, but what we are seeing in the market is ''Here's the car and good luck to all!'' PowerBand visited our physical auction sales and observed our interaction with the buyers and sellers and realized we are different than the other sales auctions. Working together two great companies, who are experts in their respective fields, have created a better way of doing business for their customers.'' Kelly Jennings, CEO of PowerBand stated: ''We are extremely pleased to have finalized the D2DAA partnership with Bryan and the Hunt Automotive Group. Their strong reputation in the marketplace, combined with their knowledge and understanding of the vehicle remarketing industry, make for the ideal partner for PowerBand to launch its entry into the vast U.S. market, where over 40 million used vehicles change ownership each year. This is truly a transformational opportunity for our Company. With the formation of D2DAA PowerBand's expansion into the U.S. market has developed quicker than expected.'' A customized version of PowerBand's remarketing auction platform has been developed for D2DAA and it is ready to be commercialized. PowerBand is licensing its mobile application to D2DAA and is providing software and development support to the partnership. Bryan Hunt and Hunt Automotive are providing their wealth of expertise and experience in the U.S. used vehicle remarketing industry to D2DAA, and are leading all marketing, business development and operational initiatives of the partnership.Both PowerBand and the Hunt Automotive Group anticipate considerable dealer and commercial market customer interest in the D2DAA auction platform and believe that significant revenues will be generated in the near-to-medium term. As part of a 50/50 revenue split arrangement, PowerBand sees the D2DAA partnership as a meaningful way to enter the U.S. market while complementing the Hunt Automotive Group physical auctions with an online solution.To learn more about Dealer To Dealer Automotive Auctions please visit www.D2DAA.com About PowerBand Solutions Inc.PowerBand Solutions Inc. is a technology provider listed on the TSX Venture Exchange that is developing solutions for automotive and other industries that drive efficiency and transparency in the marketplace. PowerBand has developed and commercialized a leading-edge online auction platform that increases revenues and profit margins for its automotive dealership, Original Equipment Manufacturer, commercial fleet and rental company customers. PowerBand's remarketing platform, the PowerBand Exchange, incorporates the industry's latest auction technologies, inventory management, market intelligence, and appraisal processes.For further information, please contact:Richard Goldman, VP Corporate Development1-866-768-7653rgoldman@ powerbandsolutions.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ''will'', ''may'', ''should'', ''anticipate'', ''expects'' and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: PowerBand Solutions Inc. A termite mound field in Brazil. The mounds are found in dense, low and dry forest caatinga vegetation, and can be seen when the land is cleared for pasture. (Roy Funch photo) PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 16:32:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 941 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 - QMC grants a "right of use" of QMC Intellectual Property for development, manufacture and commercialization of quantum dots to Amtronics CC in Assam India to support end-use products in thin-film quantum dot solar cells (QDSC), solid-state LED lighting (SSL) and state of the art display applications- In addition to an upfront license fee, QMC is to receive milestone payments, royalties, and will in-turn provide via sale the requisite proprietary production and support equipmentSAN MARCOS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / Leading American cadmium-free quantum dot and nanomaterials manufacturer Quantum Materials Corp., (OTCQB: QTMM) announced today that it has signed a License and Development Agreement with Amtronics CC to allow for the establishment of large scale, low cost quantum dot production for the development and future commercial manufacture of: ultra-high definition display panels (UHDTV); solid state lighting (SSL) LED's; and quantum dot driven thin-film solar cells (QDSC).The Agreement provides Amtronics CC with the right to manufacture quantum dots and thin-film quantum dot solar cells for commercial supply in India, as well as the right to use the QDXTM trademark and technical data to support its marketing initiatives. Under the terms of the Agreement, QMC receives an immediate upfront license fee of US$1,000,000 in addition to technology development funding, scheduled milestone payments and royalties on all quantum dots/solar cells produced. The 12,000 square feet nanotech-focused facility is being established as the anchor project within the recently announced Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in the Guwahati Tech City.Stephen B. Squires, President and CEO of Quantum Materials Corp. stated, "We are extremely pleased to partner with Amtronics CC and Amtron as they establish the necessary infrastructure to support large scale thin-film, quantum dot based solar cell production in Assam India using QMC patented technologies. India has announced an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW's (gigawatts) of renewable energy installed capacity by 2022 and this challenge represents a tremendous opportunity for the deployment of our advanced nano-materials and thin-film quantum dot solar technologies which have the potential to be produced much more cheaply in terms of initial capex and opex than traditional silicon based solar cells. India's recent implementation of tariffs applied to imported solar photovoltaic's creates an ideal opportunity to establish QMC's next generation thin-film photovoltaic's for broad adoption in the region. I am highly confident that our technologies will help India fulfill its goal to deploy low cost renewables as a significant step toward energy independence." M. K. Yadava IFS, Managing Director of AMTRON stated, "We are very pleased that QMC and AMTRON (Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd)have joined together in this timely venture to create a state-of-the-art quantum dot manufacturing facility within the newly established Guwahati Tech City. AMTRON is a State-owned public sector undertaking of the government and is providing the necessary bank guarantees to move this project to completion." The Honorable Minister IT Mr. Keshab Mahanta added, "We are happy to report that all the preparatory work has been completed, and we are now ready to commence construction of the project. My Government, under the leadership of our Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal welcomes Quantum Materials Corp with open arms. This timely project has full government support through a number of key policy incentives and subsidies.Dr. George Anthony Balchin, Managing Director of Amtronics CC added, "We are pleased to be involved and provide the initial US $20,000,000 in funding for this enterprise and are anxious to see these extraordinary technologies deployed in a region that will benefit from both the end product as well as the significant potential for job creation. The initial capital infusion will be used to build out the facility, purchase all the production and process equipment, including the micro reactors, train the staff and provide the initial working capital. It is very rare and rewarding to be involved with a project that is the culmination of a group of like-minded individuals striving for a common goal that has so much potential to enhance the lives of so many." Commenting further QMC CEO Squires stated: "As India represents one of the largest renewable energy and consumer electronics markets in the world, our partnership with Amtronics CC is an important step in expanding the value of the QMC franchise globally. This partnership will allow us to address global challenges such as rising energy costs, energy security, increasing power consumption and environmental quality on a more rapid basis.ABOUT QUANTUM MATERIALS CORP.Quantum Materials Corp (QMC) develops and manufactures quantum dots and nanomaterials for use in display, solar energy and lighting applications through its proprietary high-volume continuous-flow production process. QMC's volume manufacturing methods enable consistent quality and scalable cost reductions to provide the foundation for technologically superior, energy efficient and environmentally sound displays, the next generation of solid-state lighting and solar photovoltaic power applications. Wholly-owned subsidiary Solterra Renewable Technologies develops sustainable quantum dot solar technology. For more information follow Quantum Materials Corp at www.QMCDOTS.com About Amtronics CCAmtronics CC, headed by Dr. George Anthony Balchin, has decades of experience throughout the Middle East and Asia developing and managing infrastructure and commercial construction projects with deep operational expertise. Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (AMTRON) ,which is the State-owned Public Sector Undertaking of the Government headed by M.K.Yadava, is an Indian government owned enterprise devoted to advancing emerging electronics technologies that lead to creating new industries and employment opportunities in Assam India. Qamronics India PVT is the joint venture formed by Amtronics CC and AMTRON.For the production of quantum dots and solar cells, with operations based in Assam Republic of India. www.amtronicsindia.com SOURCE: Quantum Materials Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 03:52:52 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 418 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Local Web Consultants have launched a restaurant marketing initiative called birthday marketing, a system for restaurants to increase revenue by bringing customers in to dine on their birthday.RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / November 18, 2018 / Restaurant strategist Bruce Eichelberger of Local Web Consultants has launched a 'birthday club' marketing initiative to help restaurants acquire new customers. Internal and externally run birthday clubs can bring in more customers and bring goodwill and upbeat energy to a restaurant.More information can be found here: https://localwebconsultants.com Studies have shown that more than half of Americans eat out at restaurants on their birthday with an average group of 3-4 patrons spending roughly $78 per table. Local Web Consultants sees this as an opportunity to maximize revenue and increase the overall vibe of a restaurant.Internal birthday clubs are managed and executed in-house, and can be very beneficial when run properly. However, the team at Local Web Consultants suggests running an external birthday club, where they will run the promotion and take care of ongoing marketing and data organization.Having a third party run the program takes the work off the shoulders of the business owners and allows them to focus on running their business. The company has created a new beta program called Birthday Marketing; a data derivation system geographically targeting thousands of people on a daily basis whose birthday is the next 7 days within a 10-mile radius of the restaurant.To provide additional incentives for customers to bring their birthday parties in, restaurants can offer a free dessert or a half priced meal with a minimum spend. These types of promotions can help to add value and bring in customers when executed properly.It really is a win/win, people get to enjoy their birthday and be part of an exclusive offer, while the restaurant benefits from having more paid customers under their roof. A well-managed internal birthday club can be very beneficial to business, but it can be costly keeping marketing collateral up to date and running quality promotions to give value to the participants.The main components of a successful birthday club are creating a compelling offer, designing attractive marketing collateral, keeping track of data and having an effective sign up form whether manual or digital. Interested parties can find more information at the link above.Contact Info:Name: Bruce EichelbergerEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Local Web ConsultantsAddress: 85 Washington Street, Reno, Nevada 89503, United StatesPhone: +1-775-313-9190For more information, please visit https://localwebconsultants.com/ SOURCE: Local Web Consultants PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 12:01:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 772 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / Tasca Resources Ltd. ("Tasca" or the "Company") ( TSX.V:TAC , FSE:3TA) is pleased to announce it has completed a staking program of 10,637 hectares completely surrounding and expanding the size of the previously existing acreage of the New Princeton Gold discovery area to 14,650 hectares. Tasca's management and technical team feels the Company's recent gold discovery from the bedrock trenching merits this significant expansion of the Tasca land holdings in the Princeton area.As detailed in its November 15, 2018 news release, Tasca announced a new gold discovery at its Princeton Gold Property. A total of 51 bedrock samples and 5 float samples were taken and submitted to the ALS Minerals Laboratory in North Vancouver, B.C. for AuME TL-43 analysis with an upper limit of 1 g/t gold. Seventeen of the 56 samples returned value in excess of 1 g/t gold and had to be analyzed with procedure Au-AROR43 with an upper limit of 100 g/t gold. Three samples returned values in excess of 100 g/t gold, with a fourth sample reporting at 100 g/t gold. Tasca is awaiting a further analysis on the 4 samples."Tasca has made an important new gold discovery and we want to make sure Tasca's shareholders are fully positioned to best leverage their investment with this new discovery " said CEO Clive Massey. "Our land acquisition assures our shareholders Tasca will direct sufficient resources to moving the Princeton Gold Project forward." Princeton Gold PropertyThe Princeton Gold Property lies 35 kilometres south of Princeton, British Columbia and 11 kilometers south of the producing Copper Mountain Copper Mine. The road accessible, 4013 hectare property is fully permitted for fifty trenching sites and ten drilling sites.The Area 2 samples were collected from three separate locations consisting of angular float, sub crop or outcrop of rusty weathered, limonite stained quartz with trace to 5% very fine grained disseminated pyrite. Several of the samples exhibit remnant vugs or cellular boxwork structure.A 2011 grid soil sampling survey indicates Area 2 hosts multiple, linear, parallel gold-in-soil anomalies with the strongest anomaly striking a minimum of 500 metres to a maximum of 650 metres in a northwestern direction.The Princeton Gold Property is underlain by both Eocene Princeton Group volcanics and Triassic Jurassic Nicola Group volcanics. While there is little historical evidence of mineral discoveries in the Princeton Group volcanics, recent mapping by the British Columbia Geological Survey and by Tasca geologists suggests the quartz vein mineralization is hosted or intimately related to the Princeton volcanics.About Tasca ResourcesTasca Resources Ltd. (TAC: TSX-V; FWB: 3TA) is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Our objective is to build shareholder value through exploration and potential development or acquisition of existing projects with significant up-side.Qualified PersonThe scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo., Tasca's geologist, who is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101").For additional information regarding the above noted property and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.tascaresources.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS"Clive Massey"Clive H. MasseyPresident & CEOFor further information, please contact:Tasca Investor RelationsPhone: (604) 644-6794Email: info@ tascaresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Tasca Resources Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Tasca Resources Ltd. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Tasca Resources Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.###SOURCE: Tasca Resources Ltd. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 14:32:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 687 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / Xebec Adsorption Inc. (TSXV: XBC) (OTC: XEBEF) (FRANKFURT: XB6) ("Xebec"), a global provider of clean energy solutions will supply a stand-alone Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Unit to the Brazilian company Gasgrid Gas e Energia S.A. (GASGRID) to purify their biomethane to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) with a heating value that will exceed the 685/2017 Brazilian Gas Resolution (Standard) specifications.The Xebec "polishing" PSA system, also known as a Nitrogen Rejection Unit (NRU), will have a calorific value in the range of 35,000 to 43,000 kJ/m, to be located at one of the largest landfill sites in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The Brazilian Gas Resolution 685/2017 was developed by local government to specify the minimum biomethane quality needed to distribute and/or inject into a conventional natural gas pipeline. However, a higher heating value fuel will help GASGRID guarantee a continuous supply of quality RNG, thereby delivering a better return on investment.Xebec's NRU, customized for landfill applications, was chosen because it has the lowest operating and maintenance cost compared to all other NRU technologies. It is the second system sold this year for a similar application."We are happy to select the Xebec rotary valve PSA technology for this landfill application, and have already signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate with Xebec on future projects." - Rodrigo Nogueira, Chief Technology Officer/Senior Project Manager, Gasgrid"Xebec has found a niche market for increasing biomethane heating value by adding our PSA adsorption process within currently operating biogas upgrading plants. Brazil is expecting to produce 500,000 m/day of biomethane by the end of 2019, and Xebec hopes to play an important role in that development." - Prabhu Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Xebec Adsorption Inc.For more information:Antonio SaavedraDirector of Sales & Business Development, Xebec Adsorption Inc+1 604 362-7297asaavedra@ xebecinc.com About Xebec Adsorption Inc.Xebec Adsorption Inc. is a global provider of gas generation, purification and filtration solutions for the industrial, energy and renewables marketplace. Its customers range from small to multi-national corporations and governments looking to reduce their carbon footprints. Headquartered in Montreal (QC), Xebec designs, engineers and manufactures innovative and transformative products, and has more than 1,500 customers worldwide. With two manufacturing facilities in Montreal and Shanghai, as well as a sales and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia, Xebec trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XBC. For additional information on the company, its products and services, visit Xebec at xebecinc.com Cautionary StatementNeither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, the expectations and/or claims of management of Xebec with respect to information regarding the business, operations and financial condition of Xebec. Forward-looking information contained in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Xebec or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking information contained in this press release. When used in this press release, such statements use such words as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "will" and other similar terminology. These statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this presentation. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.### end ###SOURCE: Xebec Adsorption Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2018-11-19 08:06:01 Oslo, 19 November 2018: Lars Rsg will take up the position of EVP and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with immediate effect. Petter stb has stepped down as CFO and will leave the company. "I am pleased to welcome Lars Rsg into Yara management, where his strong analytical skills and broad financial and strategic experience will be highly valued," said Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara. Lars Rsg joined Yara in 2017, and has since March 2018 held the position of Vice President Global JVs & CEO Office. Rsg holds a degree ("Sivilkonom") from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and has broad experience from senior finance and strategy positions at Sapa (2012-2017) and Orkla (2005-2012). "I am excited to accept this position, and look forward to joining Yara's experienced and competent finance organisation in driving prudent capital allocation and growing shareholder value," said Lars Rsg, EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Yara. "I want to thank Petter for a good job for Yara over many years, including having a key role in implementing and driving Yara's production improvement program. I also want to underline that this change is not related to Yara's financial performance nor any disagreement around strategic direction. We separate on good terms, and I wish Petter the best of luck for the future," said Holsether. Photo of Lars Rsg: https://yaraurl.net/zwgq (Photo: Yara International) Contact Thor Giver, Investor Relations Mobile: (+47) 48 07 53 56 E-mail: thor.giaver@yara.com Kristin Nordal, Head of External Communications Mobile: (+47) 90 01 55 50 E-mail: kristin.nordal@yara.com About Yara In collaboration with customers and partners, Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet, to fulfill its vision of a collaborative society, a world without hunger and a planet respected. Our crop nutrition solutions and precision farming offerings allow farmers to increase yields and improve product quality while reducing environmental impact. Our environmental and industrial solutions improve air quality and reduce emissions, and are key ingredients in the production of a wide range of products. We foster an open culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes the safety and integrity of our employees, contractors, business partners, and society at large. Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, Yara has a worldwide presence with more than 17,000 employees and operations in over 60 countries. In 2017, Yara reported revenues of USD 11.4 billion. www.yara.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Yara International ASA via Globenewswire The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has decried the non-compliance of telecommunications operators to the payment of the Annual Operating Levy (AOL). The Director, Licensing and Authorisation, NCC, Funlola Akiode, said during the Annual Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Selected Licence Categories on Monday in Lagos, that such act was a breach of operators obligation. Represented by the Head, Post Licensing Unit, NCC, Chukwuma Azikiwe, Mrs Akiode said that non-compliance to terms, conditions and obligations was of concern to the commission. With respect to compliance with Licence terms, conditions and obligations, our recent audit checks revealed that some licensees were not in compliance with obligations such as payment of Annual Operating Levy (AOL). Some operators are not in compliance with approved Individual Consumer Code of Practice (ICCP), Type Approval of equipment, submission of statistical data and information on their change of address. Another important concern is in the area of licence renewal. We also observed the issue of delay in licence renewal by licensees whose licences have expired or about to expire. They erroneously relied on the aspect of the licence document which states that their licence would be automatically renewed. I wish to reiterate that renewal of expired licence is not automatic but subject to fulfilment of obligations, she said. According to her, renewal of licence is subject to being up to date in payment of AOL, development and publication of approved ICCP. Mrs Akiode said licence renewal was subjected to updated type approval of telecommunications equipment, payment of spectrum and numbering where applicable, among others. She urged licensees to take advantage of the forum to sought clarifications on any issue regarding their licence obligations and renewal processes and procedures. Mrs Akiode said the regulatory body had been recently inundated with complaints by subscribers on issues such as the non-compliance with directions on data roll-over and automatic renewal of data service. She said there were complaints on discrepancies in the advertised data speed and actual speed experienced by consumers after subscribing to a service. The commission is fully aware and committed to discharging its mandate, especially in facilitating a conducive telecommunication environment and guiding the industry to sustain the achievement already recorded in the industry. It can only achieve this with the cooperation and support of the licensees, with respect to compliance with extant laws and subsidiary legislations, the director said. (NAN) Obinna Oleh was present as his sister bled to death shortly after giving birth to a set of triplet boys in an Abuja general hospital. He blamed the hospital for the tragedy. The touching story, reported first by PREMIUM TIMES in May, shocked Nigerians as the family sought help for the newborns and their two older siblings. The management of Bwari General Hospital where the woman, Nkechi Okonya, died as a result of excessive bleeding initially absolved itself of blames after the family of the deceased accused it of not attending to her for several hours even though it was an emergency. But Mr Oleh, a public servant, who was with his sister all through countered the rebuttal, accusing the hospital of recklessness and money consciousness. It is a lie. They did not attend to my sister promptly because of money. They are lying. I came to the facility with N120,000 but I left with only N15,000 and this hospital is claiming they did not collect a dime from us. I lost my sister due to their negligence and mistreatment and I am blaming the staff and management of the hospital entirely because if you cannot treat a patient on emergency without money at hand at a government hospital, then why are we Nigerians? When asked months later, Mr. Oleh was ignorant of the existence of the National Health Act (NHA), a body of laws signed in 2014 to address health issues such as that of his sister. It provides a legal framework for the regulation, development, and management of Nigerias health system. Mr Oleh became even more confounded when the provision of section 1 Part 3 of the Act which details emergency treatment was revealed to him. A health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason. A person who contravenes this section commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both, the section reads in part. If I knew, I would have sued that hospital, he told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday. Just like Mr Oleh, many Nigerians have very poor knowledge of the Act and its provisions. In fact, a majority of Nigerians who participated in a recent opinion poll conducted by PREMIUM TIMES knows nothing at all about the body of law. NHA: Nigerians Unaware Poll A total of 641 participants took part in the online poll which lasted about two weeks. The poll was conducted in such a way that made it impossible for a respondent to vote more than once from the same computer or mobile device. The participants were asked a single question: How much do you know about Nigerias National Health Act? While 63.6 per cent of the respondents (441) said they know nothing at all about the Act, 20.4 per cent (133 respondents), said they know little. Only about 16 per cent of the participants (104 votes) said they have adequate knowledge of the law. Also, a survey jointly conducted by PREMIUM TIMES and PTCIJ, an arm of this newspaper, assessed the knowledge and perception of the Act by a cross section of Nigerians on social media. The study population comprised 42 respondents (Accountants, medical doctors, civil servants, public servants, students, entrepreneurs, nutritionists, researchers, traders and journalists). Even though majority of the respondents (64.3 percent) have at least heard about the NHA 2014 against the remaining 35.7 per cent who have not, most of the respondents (66.7 percent) still have no knowledge of the contents of the Act. A 2016 survey published on Nigerian Medical Journal also showed that although health professionals in Nigeria have good awareness and perception of the NHA 2014, their knowledge of the Act is poor. One of the major problems the health sector is facing is lack of awareness and poor knowledge of the provisions of the Act, Henry Ewononu, a health expert said. But more worrisome is the fact that most of its provisions are yet to be implemented or enforced by appropriate authorities. The long awaited Basic Health Care Provision Fund, a fundamental mandate of the Act has been added in the 2018 budget. It amounts to about N57.15b. According to the Act, five per cent of this fund should go into emergency treatment which would have averted cases such as the death of the triplets mom. But this fund which has been appropriated in the budget, is yet to get approval for release because the appropriate authorities are yet to develop and submit a plan on how it will be disbursed and utilized, Mr Ewononu explained. Dissecting the Act: What You Should Know The National Health Act is made up of seven parts divided into various sections. Each part contains fundamental provisions which if effectively implemented will have a tremendous impact on health-care access and universal health coverage, health-care cost, quality and standards, practice by health-care providers, as well as patient care and health outcomes. Below are highlights of the seven parts of the NHA: Part 1: Responsibility for health and eligibility for health services and establishment of National Health System It details structural flow of authority and responsibility within the National Health System. It provides and defines a framework for standards and regulation of health services in both public and private providers of health services. Those in the National Health System range from the highest body in the sector; the Federal Ministry of Health to the least such as traditional and alternative health providers. The Health Ministry coordinates the system. It sets up and oversee various councils and committees such as the National Health Council and the National Tertiary Health Institution Standards Committee. The last section of part 1 details the establishment of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which provides for not less than one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund for health funding. It states how the fund is to be generated and disbursed. Part 2: Health Establishments and Technologies This provides the health minister powers to regulate, coordinate and classify health establishments and technologies such as tertiary institutions as well as private health providers. It is worthy of note that subsection 2 states that a health establishment, health agency or technology without being in possession of a certificate of standard cannot operate 24 months after the date the Act took effect. This has being the crux of agitations over the non-implementation of the Act. Going by this provision, all hospitals and health establishments in the country are operating illegally because it is over 24 months (two years) since the Act was enacted and no hospital is yet to receive the certificate of standard. National Assembly Complex Part 3: Rights and Obligations of Users and Healthcare Personnel It made provisions for emergency treatment of cases such as Mr Olehs sister; rights of health care personnel; security for health care provider; duty of the health provider to ensure confidentiality, obligation to keep record and give full knowledge of a health condition or procedure to the patient or his/her family among others. Part 4: National Health Research and Information System This provides for research, data and information collation and collection within the health sector. The minister shall establish the National Health Research Committee and its Ethics Committee with the responsibility to conduct research and experiment. The ministry of health shall create, facilitate and coordinate a comprehensive National Health Management Information System for collection of data and information of every health condition, treatments and procedures within any health establishment. The minister is mandated here to publish annual reports on the state of health of Nigerians. This part details how the National Council on Health should ensure the widest possible catchment for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Part 5: Human Resources for Health The development of a policy and guidelines by the minister with the concurrence of the National Council for distribution, management and utilisation of human resources in the health sector are detailed here. It provides for adequate recruitment, capacity building and distribution of well trained staff at all levels to meet the health needs of Nigerians. Part 6: Control of Use of Blood, Blood Products Tissue and Gametes in Humans It features the obligations of the National Blood Transfusion Service. It is stipulates the rules, principles and sanctions guiding the collection and prescription of blood products, handling of vital tissues and organ transplant. Part 7: Regulations and Miscellaneous Provisions It cites powers of the minister to make any other necessary regulations, appoint committees, assign duties and delegate authorities as the case may be. Background to the Act: What we know The National Health Act has been in existence for four years but its implementation has become a controversial issue in the health sector. It was the lacuna in the 1999 Constitution which failed to adequately provide for a legal framework for health care that birthed the idea for the enactment of the Act. The National Health Bill was first proposed in 2004 during the time of Eyitayo Lambo as minister of health. It however took a decade of consideration before it was eventually passed and signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan on October 31, 2014. This marked the beginning of the next phase of challenges in the implementation and enforcement of the Act. Stakeholders in the health sector, especially the Association of Nigerian doctors (NMA) have since protested the non-implementation of the National Health Act. They threatened the federal government with a lawsuit as well as embarked on a bi-weekly protest march in 2016 to urge lawmakers to include the Basic Health Care Fund (BHCPF) in the budget, a major objective of the Act which provides for not less than one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue for health funding. In 2017, the Senate passed a resolution mandating its Appropriation Committee to make provision for the BHCPF in the 2018 budget. The lawmakers when passing the 2018 budget in May earmarked N57.15 billion for the BHCPF as mandated by the Act as stakeholders in the health sector sighed in relief. Prof. Isaac Adewole. Minister of Health Meanwhile, the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, earlier in January argued that all other provision of the act have been fully implemented except the BHCPF, a position the former NMA chairman, Mike Ogirima, faulted. What have they even implemented in the Act? The components of the Act are so numerous. The Government and the Minister of Health only went ahead to set up many implementation committees, but a lot of things are yet to be implemented and operationalised, Mr. Ogirima, also a professor, told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview. When you talk about the certificate of standard for every health institution in the country, nobody is going around to issue that certificate of standard. A clinic needs to have some basic requirement. Can the government tell us one clinic they have visited? Can the committees tell if they have formed any committee on certificate of standard? That committee they formed is supposed to go round and register all clinics, hospitals and even teaching hospitals and private hospitals. Former NMA President, Mike Ogirima, a professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery The question that remains unanswered is why does the Act still seem ineffective even after the inclusion of the BHCPF in the 2018 budget? Why is the BHCPF yet to be released up till now? Why are many other provisions in the Act such as issuing of certificate of standard yet to be implemented? In a series called Dissecting the NHA PREMIUM TIMES will explain more comprehensively the provisions of the Act and its non-implementation. Watch this space. World Prematurity Day: Nigeria ranks third with 800,000 pre-term births annually Olubunmi Lawal, the national president, National Association of Paediatric Nurse said Nigeria ranked third with about 800,000 pre-term births, annually. Mrs Lawal in commemoration of the 2018 World Prematurity Day said annually, 15 million babies are born premature globally, out of which 60 per cent are born in Sub-Saharan Africa, with one million deaths recorded. India ranks first, secondly China and Thirdly, Nigeria with 773,600 pre-term births yearly, hence the need to raise awareness on the challenges and interventions at communities, families, and to government at all levels. Premature birth is a common, costly and critical health problem and also the leading cause of new born death and children under the age of five, globally. Pre-term births are babies born before 37 completed weeks of gestation, she said. Three in 10 Nigerians suffer from mental disorders The federal government has said three in every ten Nigerians suffer from one form of mental disorder or the other. The permanent secretary of the ministry of health, Abdulaziz Abdullahi, at the ongoing mental health action committee and stakeholders workshop said mental disorders, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), comprise a broad range of problems, with different symptoms. However, they are generally characterised by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with otheinadequate.d. In Nigeria, an estimated 2030 per cent of our populations are believed to suffer from mental disorders. This is a very significant number, considering that Nigeria has an estimated population of 200 million. Unfortunately, the attention given to mental health disorders in Nigeria is inadequate Gene editing possible for kidney disease Experts at Newcastle University, UK have shown in a cell and mouse model that gene editing could be used for Joubert syndrome to stop kidney damage in patients who have CEP290 faulty gene. Joubert syndrome is a brain disorder causing varying degree of physical, mental and sometimes visual impairments. The condition affects approximately one in 80,000 newborns and one-third also gets kidney failure. The study which was funded by Kidney Research UK, found it is possible to use a strand of engineered DNA to trick the cells own editing machinery to bypass the CEP290 mutation that causes kidney damagea technique known as exon-skipping. Th lead researcher, John Sayer in the finding published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) said this is the first time that gene editing within the kidney has been performed, even in a mouse model, as the design and delivery of the gene editing to the kidney has previously been thought to be too difficult. World Diabetes Day: Over 25 million Africans living with Type II Diabetes WHO Over 25 million people in Africa are living with type II diabetes and more than half of them are unaware of their status and are not receiving treatment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. The international health agencys Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, at a press conference in commemoration of the World Diabetes Day said over 90 per cent of diabetes is type II diabetes, stressing that if not well-managed, diabetes may cause blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation and other complications. Diabetes is one of the most deadly non-communicable diseases in the world. In 2015, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes and another 2.2 million deaths were attributed to high blood glucose in 2012. Buhari signs bill establishing Nigeria Centre for Disease Control President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the bill establishing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The agency, which has been in charge of disease surveillance, preparedness and control in Nigeria, was established in 2011 and has been in existence without any legislative backing. The status quo however changed on Tuesday when the president appended his signature to the bill and empowered the agency to officially carry out its mandate in disease control. The executive director of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the new Act establishes NCDC as a full-fledged parastatal and will also ensure that its valuable work is sustained and supported. Council pledges to sanitise pharmaceutical industry The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it will redouble efforts to rid the countrys pharmaceutical industry of unwholesome practices. The Registrar of the council, Elijah Mohammed said: Attention will be geared toward sanitising the practice environment through strengthening of enforcement activities with three RPs concept of regulation of personnel, regulation of premises and regulation of practice in the pharmaceutical landscape. According to him, such efforts will be supported with ensuring experiential teaching and learning at the undergraduate training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to prepare them for the current practice environment. He added that the council would continue to promote the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in regulatory processes. Alcohol damages the brain more than marijuana- Scientists Using alcohol can damage the brain more than using marijuana, a new research has shown. According to the researchers, alcohol alters the structure of gray and white matter in the brain. The research also uncovered novel ways in which marijuana or cannabis affects the developing brain. The findings came from a number of studies that featured at the 2018 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in San Diego, CA, according to a report by Medical News Today. The findings reveal, for instance, that exposure to marijuana before birth and during teen years can affect the brain in several ways. Nigeria has seven geriatrics to cater for over nine million aged The president of Geriatrics Association of Nigeria (GAN), Usman Ahmed said there are only seven geriatricians in the country and they are inadequate to cater for the over nine million aged persons in the country. A geriatrician is a medical doctor who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases and disabilities in older adults. According to Mr Ahmed, the population of older persons is growing exponentially and Africa would bear older persons by the year 2050 in spite the high population of the youth in the region. He said currently Nigeria has over nine million older persons who are 60 years and above but the country does not have adequate medical doctors or any type of healthcare professionals who can handle cases associated to old age. President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with some state governors in his office at the State House in Abuja. Although the agenda of the meeting was not made known to journalists, PREMIUM TIMES learnt the governors were at the villa to discuss the issue of minimum wage for Nigerian workers. The 36 state governors had met last week and announced they would not be able to pay the N30,000 per month minimum wage being demanded by labour unions. The governors threatened to carry out mass retrenchment if they are forced to implement the new wage. They subsequently set up a committee to meet with Mr Buhari over the issue. Members of the committee include governors of Lagos, Kebbi, Plateau, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu and Kaduna states. Also attending Mondays meeting is the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and Governor Abdulaziz Yari, the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF). After a series of meetings by a tri-partite committee comprising labour, state and federal government officials led by a former Head of Service, Ama Pepple, the committee recommended government should increase the minimum wage to N30,000. Mr Buhari had while receiving the report of the committee said he would subject it to all processes after which a bill would be sent to the National Assembly for passage into law. Troops under the Operation Whirl Punch have neutralised 14 bandits and recovered 422 cows and sheep between October and November, the acting Director of Defence Information (DDI), John Agim, said on Monday in Kaduna. Mr Agim told a news conference on Operation 777 update, launched by the Defence Headquarters on October 8 to restructure and strengthen ongoing military operations nationwide. According to him, operation Whirl Punch being conducted by troops of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army is part of Operation 777. He said that prior to the launch of Operation 777, terrorists and criminals devised different means of evading ongoing operations in different theatres. So far, however, troops have neutralised 14 notorious bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers. Likewise, several sophisticated arms, ammunition and large herds of cattle have been recovered from the bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers. The troops also recovered over 331 cows from rustlers in Birnin Gwari area and 132 cows in Birnin Yero areas of Kaduna State. A total of 49 cows and 42 sheep were also recovered on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway: all recovered animals were handed over to their owners after screening. The spokesman further disclosed that 31 persons (18 children and 13 adults) were rescued from kidnappers within the area of operation. He said during the period, five bandits and two informants were also arrested and they were currently assisting security agencies in ongoing investigation. Unfortunately, two soldiers were wounded and currently receiving treatment at military hospital in Kaduna. Mr Agim added that two civilian vigilance group members assisting troops in the operation were killed in action by bandits fire. He said 18 AK47 rifles, two pistols, three mobile phones, one motorola, large cache of ammunition and 32 motorcycles were recovered from suspects. He added that Operation Whirl Punch being conducted by the 1 Division was to provide security and restore normalcy on Kaduna-Abuja expressway, Birnin Gwari and its environs, as well as Niger. He explained that those areas were once devastated by bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and cattle rustlers. The DDI said in preparation for the conduct of the operation, additional platforms, establishment of new military/police formations/units and injection of more troops were carried out by the defence headquarters to ensure the success of the operation. There is Nigerian Army Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Birnin Gwari, which will soon metamorphose into 98 Battalion in line with 2016 Nigeria Army Order Of Battle. According to Mr Agim, the general areas where our troops operate are characterised by thick forests such as the Kamuku, Kuduru, Birnin Gwari and Alawa forests. The areas, he said also had several high grounds, which bandits and kidnappers use as staging areas and camps to perpetrate their heinous acts. He, however, said that to surmount those terrain challenges, the defence headquarters had devised ingenious ways of deploying troops and conducting operations. Through these special operations, relative peace has been restored and hence, the troops dominate the operating environment, thereby creating safe and conducive atmosphere for socio-economic activities to thrive. It is evident that, now the local traders, motorists, residents of villages/settlements in these general areas are conducting their businesses mostly unmolested. The returned of relative peace and security was made possible through joint operations and synergy of efforts by the security agencies and cooperative posture of the locals and vigilante groups. Agim also spoke on the recent allegation of killing 74 cows belonging to Fulanis at Riyawa in Sabon Birni area. The Riyawa general area has been notorious as a den of bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers. Severally, troops had encounters with the bandits who use the difficult terrain and knowledge of the ground to escape. He explained that on Nov 17, based on intelligence, troops conducted a raid on bandits camps in the area. The observed current practice of the bandits is to use their cows as shield to escape while firing at troops. This was the case on 17 November which was not a deliberate act by the troops to kill the cows. He assured the law abiding citizens that the armed force and other security agencies would continue to ensure the protection of lives and properties of Nigerians. (NAN) McRaven had previously criticized Trump in an op-ed in The Post, writing that Trump's actions had "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation." He responded to the president's attacks on Sunday by clarifying that he had not backed any candidate in the 2016 election and saying that he had been a fan of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both of the presidents he served under. A judge of the National Industrial Court, Judith Agbakoba, has recused herself from a matter involving the alleged illegal dismissal of military officers by the Nigerian Army in 2016. The judge took the decision after a lawyer representing the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Defence staff accused the judge of bias in a petition introduced in court on Monday. The lawyer, Micheal Owolabi, approached the court with an application at the opening of the session, asking for a stay of execution of the planned judgment, scheduled to be delivered on Monday. According to Mr Owolabi, the petition from his client challenged a previous decision of the court and required the judge to recuse herself from the matter. In a short ruling after counsel had argued the two applications, Mrs Agbakoba recused herself from the matter. The judge said she would hand over the case to the president of the court for reassignment to another judge. The court had scheduled Monday for judgement in the application brought by a retired major general, Ijeoma Nwokolo, one of over 30 military officers dismissed in 2016. The case was instituted in 2016, shortly after the dismissal of the affected officers. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the affected officers were dismissed without facing a panel, a requirement necessary for such dismissal. Details later. At least three people were killed while two houses and a car were burnt early Monday as party goers clashed at a birthday bash in Bauchi, police said. The police said a minor disagreement at the birthday party soon snowballed into violence. Witnesses at Yelwa area of Bauchi state said their sleep was disrupted when they began to hear shootings at about 1a.m. that night. The shooting was deafening and it lasted for hours as we heard footsteps of people running, said a trader who only introduced himself as Mr. Mathew. The shootings, which we later came to understand was from the soldiers and policemen deployed to quell the fracas, lasted till dawn. We learnt some lives were lost in the fight, he said. The police public relations officer, Kamal Datti, told PREMIUM TIMES that 75 person have so far been arrested in connection with the incident. Mr. Datti, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed that lives were lost in the fracas. What actually happened was that yesterday, in the night, some group of persons were celebrating at a birthday party at Lushi area, during which they had a misunderstanding, and in the process a fight erupted among them, he said. As a result of the fight three people were killed, two houses and a car were burnt, while five persons were injured. Mr. Datti denied the incident had religious undertone. What the police want to make clear about this incident is that it is not a religious crisis as it is already been tagged and reported, he said. It is just a fight amongst some group of people and it started from a birthday party. He said the police had been fully mobilised to monitor the area to avert possible escalation. The situation has been put under control and people are already going about their normal businesses, even though our personnel and that of other security agencies are still on ground monitoring the situation. We have fortified the area, and we are already investigating the incident. So far 75 suspects have so far been arrested by the police, he said. Although there was no curfew imposed in the area, the residents of Yelwa district comprising Yelwa-Tudu, Yelwa Tsakani and Nguwan-gas were mostly indoors as they embarked on self-imposed curfew for fear of the unknown. Most businesses in the crowded commercial area were not opened at the time PREMIUM TIMES visited. Commercial motorcyclists would not take passenger beyond the Yelwa market junction that leads into the affected area. How victims died A female witness who would not want her name mentioned in this report gave an account of how the attack happened. It was a mere kids birthday party that took place in Laushi near the mobile Telecom mast, she said. Suddenly, they began to enter peoples houses. At the first house they entered, they rounded up the man and hacked him to death using cutlasses and knives. After that, they set the house on fire. The second house that was burnt was even more pathetic. When they were advancing towards the house some neighbours went and alerted the man who quickly moved his family and children out on time to a family friends house. But sadly, the man returned to the house to stay. He locked himself up and attackers came to set fire on the houses burning him alive till he died. The third man that was killed was on a bike when they stopped him and began to beat him up. They poured petrol on him and set him ablaze, said the woman who had just returned from the police station where she said her younger brother who knew nothing about the fight was being detained. Women protest Several women, mostly wives or mothers of the 75 arrested suspects in connection with the incident, stormed Yelwa police station to protest what they described as illegal arrest and detention of their family members by the police. The women said those picked by the police were innocent of the crime they were being accused. Despite refusing to argue its case and also refusing to call any witnesses, the Nigerian Army on Monday convinced the National Industrial Court to suspend judgement in an application by an officer challenging his dismissal in 2016 without fair hearing. The court took the decision after Micheal Owolabi, the counsel for the Nigerian Army and Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, accused it of bias, just before judgement on the application by Ijeoma Nwokolo, one of many senior officers retired by the army without facing a disciplinary panel in 2016. Story So Far PREMIUM TIMES reported how many officers were unjustly dismissed without reasons and contrary to Nigerian army rules. Due the retirement, Mr Nwokolo challenged the decision of the army, accusing it of violating his rights of employment and demanding reinstatement in line with an order of the National Industrial Court. After the applicants closed their case in May, the defence team elected to rest its case on that of the applicants, refusing to open defence or call any witnesses. Following that decision, the court adjourned till June to allow parties file their written addresses. But while the applicant filed a final written address, the defence team, comprising the Nigerian Army, Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff refused to do same after three adjournments at their instance, said the applicants lawyer Godwin Iyinbor on Monday. Following the failure of the defence to produce its written address after the stipulated time, the judge, Judith Agbakoba, foreclosed the defence team, meaning that the court would no longer allow it to further delay judgement, which was expected to follow the submission of written addresses by parties. After that decision of the court in October, the judge adjourned till November for judgement. Defence introduces application, petition against Judge At the opening of session on Monday, however, the defence lawyer, Michael Owolabi, asked the judge to recuse herself, accusing Ms Agbakoba of bias over the decision of the court to foreclose the defence team in October. Mr Owolabi drew the attention of the court to an application he said the defence had filed at the Appeal Court, which required that the matter before the industrial court be suspended. He also said a petition had been written against the judge and sent to the President of the National Industrial Court. Justice is rooted in confidence, My Lord. One of the parties appearing before Your Lordship has lost confidence, Mr Owolabi said. The lawyer further argued it would be in the interest of justice and fair play for the judge to hand over the matter, until the Industrial Court President transfers the case to another judge. Mr Owolabi also asked for time to attend to their application for stay, if the court refuses to recuse herself from the matter Applicant vehemently opposes request for stay and resignation of judge Responding, Mr Iyinbor objected strongly to both applications, describing them as frivolous, vexatious and only intended to delay the proceedings of the court. Mr Iyinbor said the rules of the industrial court allows for penalties to be awarded against applicants approaching the court with frivolous requests. The instant application is one of those applications regulated by order 38, rule 2 of this court, My Lord. It is frivolous and aimed at setting back the hands of time, the lawyer stated. Where a court finds that a counsel has made a request that is considered frivolous and vexatious, the court should consider the petition frivolous and in line with the rules of the court, strike out same with punitive cost on the applicants and the counsel. Mr Iyinbor argued that the current stage of the matter did not allow for any unwarranted application by parties. When a matter has been adjourned for judgement, that application cannot be brought. In reaction to Mr Iyinbors request, Mr Owolabi raised an objection, saying Mr Iyinbor was already arguing what was contained in his counter affidavit before the court. My Lord, he is already arguing what he has written in his counter affidavit, My Lord. After the objection, Mr Iyinbor changed his line of argument but continued with the objection. The first and fourth defendant, with all due respect , are in flagrant disobedience of the court, until they have complied they should not be heard. Mr Iyinbor argued that the applicant delayed to serve them with the petition, dated October 30, till Monday November 19, in a deliberate attempt to delay the trial. He kept it, so as to prevent us from responding to this petition. The petition is addressed to the president of the court. It is not a process before the court. If the president has not given an order since it was served for something to be done, the court should discountenance it and proceed with the business of the day, Mr Iyinbor said. The lawyer cited a Supreme Court judgement from 2018, to support his claim that Mr Owolabis application ought not to be entertained. It is very important to note that the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine a matter is invoked by the proper filing of the matter before the court. When a process is not duly filed before the court, the process in the eyes of the law does not exist before the court. It is an administrative process filed by the first and fourth defendant and it should not stop the proceedings of the day. We do not see any basis for this petition after the first and fourth defendant have appealed. It is approbating and reprobating. We are concerned to know our fate. We see the instant petition as an arrest of judgement, Mr Iyinbor argued. Defence counsel responds to allegation of disobedience In a final reply, usually allowed for only the instant applicant, Mr Owolabi responded to the arguments by Mr Iyinbor that the defence team was in flagrant disobedience of the court. When the order of court is appealed against, there is no such thing as disobedience when the order is not carried out. All we are saying is that whether an application is not proper or it is, we should be heard. Ruling In a brief ruling, Ms Agbakoba said the issue of bias raised against her was fundamental. She therefore announced her decision to hand over the matter to the president of the court. Speaking after, Mr Owolabi confirmed the decision of the defence team to rest its case on that of the applicants. The rules of this court allows us to rest our case on that of the defendant and that was what we did. If you are having a case in court and the opposing counsel feels that you have not said anything that will warrant him to present his witnesses, he can rest his case on yours, Mr Owolabi said. A group under the aegis of Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS) on Monday held a demonstration in front of International School Ibadan over the ban on hijab as the school was again forced to shut down. The management of the secondary school run by officials of the University of Ibadan shut it down last week Monday after some Muslim female students appeared in hijab, which the management said was against the schools dress code. When the school reopened today (Monday) following a resolution by its Board of Governors that the status quo on dressing be maintained, students who appeared in hijab were barred from entering the school. The development drew the ire of the group, including some parents, who waved placards and chanted protest songs at a rally a few metres from the schools main gate. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: Hijab: Our Fundamental Right, How Does My Hijab Affect You? and Hijab, My Pride, Their Fear. Apparently fearing the protest could degenerate into violence, some parents rushed into the school to pick their children. Shortly after, the management issued a notice that the school has been closed until further notice. Ismail Busari, the Secretary-General of MUSCOYS, described the demonstration as a peaceful rally and the first step to drive home their demands. Unfortunately, at this time and age, fundamental rights of the minority not to talk of the majority are being trampled on, Mr Busari said. Theyve denied our girl children access to basic education for almost a week now only because they don a small headscarf a shoulder length hijab. Even in Article 7 of the Students Handbook of the school that talks about uniform, nothing there bans adorning hijab. Nigerias Constitution and the Declaration of Human Rights are superior to any other internal rule of any establishment. Section 32, subsection 2 guarantees the right of Muslim ladies to adorn hijab anywhere. We do think we are using Common Law in Nigeria but as you can see Common Law is no longer common to all. It favours some people and it is against some others. What distraction does it (hijab) cause? How has it infringed on the rights of others? an agitated Mr Busari stated. Asked if internal means were being adopted to resolve the issue, he said several letters were written to the schools authorities but to no avail. The Principal of the school, Phebean Olowe, however, said no letter has been submitted except one the management received a week ago. The chairman of the Board of Governors, Olayinka Aderinto, a deputy vice chancellor of the university who is also a Muslim, had stressed the school is not an Islamic school but a private school. Reminded of this, Mr Busari said: That is baseless. In fact, it doesnt make sense to call International School, University of Ibadan, a private school. On their website, go and check, what is there is that the school was established in March 1963 by the University of Ibadan, he explained. When has UI become a private establishment while the DVC Academics is the Chairman, Board of Governors? Is he a private person too to UI? Can anybody from outside chair that Board of Governors? Who are the owners? Even if it is as claimed, the constitution of country guarantees that you can manifest your religion both in public and in private as stated in section 32, subsection 2, Mr Busari argued. He said permitting hijab would not affect anything. In fact, he said, it would enhance focus. The smartest student in the world, Sheila Ibrahim, is an hijab-wearing girl from Osun State who had distinctions in all her courses in Harvard University. The first time in the history of the school. Islam enhances focus. During his Friday sermon last week, the Chief Imam of the university said a letter had been written to the Universitys Vice Chancellor on the issue, cautioning, mob action should be shunned and external bodies should stay out of the issue. In response to this, Mr Busari said, We are together. We are supporting their cause. We are doing this to make them see reason why they should listen to the Imam. He went on to appeal to the government and the National Assembly, to enforce the right of our children. Parents react An angry parent seen driving a student out of the school, poked her head out of her car and spoke profusely: We dont want religion again. We want our kids to learn in good schools, we want improved standard of living. Let whoever wants religion to go to Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem. We dont want religion again. Give us good governance, give us good economy. No more religion. Another parent in his midforties called for settlement of the issue without letting it affect the academic life of the students. Lets leave the issue of religion out of school. This is a secondary school. Anybody out of secondary school can be free to use anything, he said. Let there be peace. Uniform should be uniform as stated. I dont know why we are just disturbing ourselves. Uniform as it has been stated by the school should be what is accepted, he added. Speaking to our correspondent, another parent in his midthirties, however, reacted thus: What we want is that a Muslim lady should be seen as a Muslim lady. Abroad, they allow girls to use hijab. I dont see anything bad in them using hijab. It does not affect their academic life. When they are out of ISI, they see people who use hijab. It is not about the school (ISI) alone. After the school hour, we see Muslim lady using it. It is what they use every time. Give us some time, we will resolve the issue DVC Academics On his arrival at the scene, Mr Aderinto, a professor and Chairman of the Board of Governors, the highest decision-making body of the school, expressed displeasure at the demonstration. He promised that normalcy would be restored in due time. That it happened this morning is just unfortunate. I dont think this is about hijab again. Maybe some of them have another motive to destroy the school; I dont know. We are appraising the situation. We would take the decision that is in the best interest of the parents and the children. Just give us some time. Give us some few days. We would resolve the issue. You know, we also have to be very careful. We dont want something that will lead to bloodshed. That will not even augur well for our school. Because even if they want to foment trouble, we have to remain calm. Thats the position we have taken in the last one week. First term examination in the school is in about two weeks. Mr Aderinto assured the parents the uproar would be dealt with appropriately by then. We are handling it. This children are our children. Remember, last week when the school was closed, SSS 3 students were being taught. We know what is happening, and we assure you that faster measure would be out in place. Nigerians on social media have reacted to the award by New Telegraph newspaper to Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. Mr Ganduje was honoured as Best Governor in 2018 in the areas of health and education by the newspaper. The award came at a time the governor is facing an allegation of collecting $5 million kickback from contractors. He was captured in a series of video clips published by Daily Nigerian newspaper receiving and tucking the money into his babanriga gown. After the first set of at least 15 clips was published by the platform, other videos surfaced a few days later. The videos were recorded in 2017 in what Daily Nigerian described as a sting operation aimed at beaming the spotlight on the governors alleged penchant for contract racketeering. The governor has dismissed the videos as cloned and filed a lawsuit against the publisher of the online newspaper, Jaafar Jaafar. But PREMIUM TIMES graphics experts who examined some of the videos corroborated the position of Daily Nigerian, which earlier said its internal and independent graphics analysts authenticated the clips. The Kano House of Assembly which initially initiated a probe into the allegations and invited Daily Nigerian suspended the process on Monday in deference to a court ruling over a suit to stop the probe. Mr Ganduje received the award Saturday night at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. A former minister of petroleum, Don Etiebet, who presented the award on behalf of New Telegraph, claimed Mr Ganduje transformed both the health and education sectors in Kano State within a twinkle of an eye.. The outstanding performance of governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje made him stand out among his peers. While understanding the relevance of education in state development, Ganduje believes in a healthy population. That is why he did it diligently to see that he leaves indelible marks in these all-important sectors. Mr Etiebet said. PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Managing Director of New Telegraph, Funke Egbemode, on the criteria for the award to Mr Ganduje. But Mrs Egbemode, who is also the President of Nigerias Guild of Editors, declined comments. See reactions from Nigerians below @renoomokri After President @Mbuhari praised@GovUmarGandujes leadership in Paris 4 days ago, Ganduje is now set to receive an award for Effective leadership by Africa Value Award. To be a good leader in Buharis Nigeria, you must know how to #GanDollar #RenosDarts After President @Mbuhari praised @GovUmarGandujes leadership in Paris 4 days ago, Ganduje is now set to receive an award for Effective leadership by Africa Value Award. To be a good leader in Buharis Nigeria, you must know how to #GanDollar #RenosDarts https://t.co/Isnnn04Z5Y Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) November 15, 2018 @pius_adesanmi I hear that Ganduje is receiving an Africa Value Award in Abuja tomorrow and @ProfOsinbajo will be special guest of honor at the ceremony. Prof, e fi ogbon se o. I know u catch my drift. I see nothing wrong with a little indisposition requiring u to observe bed rest tomorrow. @el_uthmaan Those that gave Governor Ganduje the best Governor award are more kwarapt than him. Wannan shine #Shegantaka! Those that gave Governor Ganduje the "best Governor" award are more "kwarapt" than him. Wannan shine #Shegantaka! I Z A L A (@el_uthmaan) November 19, 2018 @4eyedmonk Its unfortunate and disheartening that other persons stood on the same podium to receive awards from the same establishment that gave this award to Ganduje. It's unfortunate and disheartening that other persons stood on the same podium to receive awards from the same establishment that gave this award to Ganduje. Ken Nwanna (@kennwanna) November 19, 2018 @adorablemd Ganduje bags Best Governor award even amidst corruption. What have we done to deserve these Lifeless Governments @chonsyy Today in Abuja, Abdullahi Ganduje (yes, same Ganduje of #Gandollar fame!) received the Africa Value Award for effective leadership and economic empowerment. Professor Osinbajo was scheduled as the special guest of honour. #Nigeria is worse than George Orwells Animal Farm. Today in Abuja, Abdullahi Ganduje (yes, same Ganduje of #Gandollar fame!) received the Africa Value Award for effective leadership and economic empowerment. Professor Osinbajo was scheduled as the special guest of honour. #Nigeria is worse than George Orwell's Animal Farm. Chuba Ugwu (@ChubaUgwuu) November 16, 2018 @godlymartins #ThisisNigeria A country where a sitting governor was caught on different tapes collecting bribes worth $5M, only for the president @MBuharito label him good in Paris, the same platform he called 40M Nigerians mad. Ganduje now has the award for the 2018 best governor LMFAO #ThisisNigeria A country where a sitting governor was caught on different tapes collecting bribes worth $5M, only for the president @MBuhari to label him good in Paris, the same platform he called 40M Nigerians mad. Ganduje now has the award for the '2018 best governor' LMFAO https://t.co/bTwClsqwNn Kakashi Sensei (@godlymartins) November 19, 2018 @4eyedmonk If Ganduje could bag Best Governor amidst a bribery scandal supported by difficult to refute video evidence, then something must be wrong with the rest of the governors and the people who have the award. If Ganduje could bag Best Governor amidst a bribery scandal supported by difficult to refute video evidence, then something must be wrong with the rest of the governors and the people who have the award. HENRY (@4eyedmonk) November 19, 2018 @TostosblogCom If Ganduje could bag the best governors award in spite of crystal clear evidence that he collected bribe;the recorded tapes clearly indicted himthen suffice me to say Nigeria is finished and lifeless administration is a total fraud and charade "If Ganduje could bag the best governor's award in spite of crystal clear evidence that he collected bribe;the recorded tapes clearly indicted himthen suffice me to say Nigeria is finished and 'lifeless' administration is a total fraud and charade" Onanuga Olubayo J (@TostosblogCom) November 19, 2018 @AMADICHIMA Orji Uzors Telegraph gave an award to Ganduje. Whats the drama about? There is solidarity even in Hell. Like we say in Owerri dialect Ewu Ndaa tara Okwuru Ndaa( Auntys goat ate auntys Okro). @julietkegoIt is bloody nonsense that Ganduje got a leadership award/is not being investigated/impeached by Kano HoA & EFCC/APC are unlooking! Its bloody nonsense that in both APC & PDP states public schools are in such utter dilapidation/unsafe conditions while VP talks AI/Robotics Adele Uhuru What you see and read on this article of shame is exactly what APC stands for and what this acclaimed next level will reinforce another level of endemic corrupt progression that is boundless:-) Granted PDP was serverly corrupt but I dont remember seeing this progression of shameful retrograded championing and celebrating corruption in blatant public view? Correct me it I am wrong? Members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), have embarked on a protest in Abuja, to demand increased funding for education. The protest was titled Save education rally. Speaking with journalists, the NANS president, Danielson Akpan, said the the dwindling allocation of funding to the sector is saddening. The funding keeps dropping every year, Mr Akpan said. Similarly, the head of International Relations department at the NLC said much attention is not given to the education sector. According to him, the major reason for the ongoing ASUU strike is poor funding of the sector. The Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on strike on November 4 over issues including unpaid allowances, poor funding for the sector and non-implementation of the 2009 agreement with the federal government among others. Details later President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, on their birthdays. Mr Jonathan, who handed over power to Mr Buhari in 2015 turns 61 on November 20 while Mr Attah turns 80 on the same day. President Buhari in a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, on Monday said he believes the life journey of the former president remains an inspiration to every young Nigerian of the possibilities that await anyone willing to learn, work hard and participate in making the country great. The president congratulates Dr Jonathan on the publishing of his memoir, My Transition Hours, which will be launched as part of ceremonies marking his birthday, encouraging Nigerians to follow the same example of sharing their experiences in writing. President Buhari prays that the almighty God will strengthen Dr Jonathan, grant him longer life and bless his family, the statement said. Also on Monday, via a separate statement issued on his behalf, Mr Buhari felicitated with Mr Attah. As an architect with versatile and global working experience, the president commends the strategic thinking and planning of Obong Attah and his cabinet in shaping the infrastructural development of Akwa Ibom, which still remains one of the most hospitable and attractive states for tourists in the country. President Buhari affirms that Obong Attahs contribution to architectural development has been most remarkable, and historical, especially when he served as President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. The president prays to the almighty God for longer life, good health and more wisdom for the former governor to continue serving the country and humanity, the statement said. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) says over 47 million Nigerians lack access to basic toilet facilities. Raphael Nwozor, the UNICEF Water and Sanitation (WASH) Specialist, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja. The World Toilet Day is celebrated globally every November 19. The Day is marked by sensitising people on the need to take actions at ensuring that everyone has a safe toilet by 2030. Mr Nwozor condemned the rating given Nigeria as the number two country engaging in open defecation, after India, adding that the rating was unacceptable. Over 47 million Nigerians do not have access to basic toilet facility and the commemoration of the day is to re-echo the fact that good toilet facility is a basic human need. The day is also to emphasise the need for every family, individual within the community, to at least, have access to toilet facilities, he said. Mr Nwozor attributed the poor access to toilet facilities to include cultural and social norms, adding that some communities still see the use of the open space, bushes and rivers, among others, as a social norm. Some people see the building of toilets in homes as taboos. To them defecating in a toilet where you live is an animalistic behaviour and hence they prefer using the bush. Some people or culture see constructing toilet facilities at home as defecating in your dwelling place and that it is not ideal. Due to such perceptions, human beings should not defecate in their dwelling place, utilise the bush and rivers around them while undermining the consequence, he said. The WASH specialist highlighted efforts of the federal government to include policies, plans and making declaration, to ensure the nation is Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2025. He specifically noted that recently President Muhammadu Buhari declared state of emergency in WASH sector and announced the plan by the country to become ODF free by 2025, among other measures. He further described those declarations as policies, adding that realisation of ODF 2025 required the concerted efforts of government at all levels, the private sector, media as well as communities themselves. He identified some health implications of open defecation as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and malaria, among others. The specialist said that having good toilet facility was a fundamental human right which every government should ensure it provides its citizens. The UNICEF official also described it as key in ending open defecation, which he noted had posed lot of health challenges on the populace. (NAN) The police on Monday charged three men before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged cyber crime and for impersonating President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha. The accused are: Julius Anyawu, a.k.a Musa Mohammed, 48; Kenneth Ezeonu a.k.a Abdul Karim, 45; and George Agu a. k. a Dr Lina Norman, 48. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused, who were arraigned on 16 counts bordering on cyber crime, had no legal representatives. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges. After their pleas, the prosecutor, Benson Asogwa, urged the court to remand the accused in prison and fix a date for trial. Judge Babs Kiewumi, consequently, adjourned the case until January 18 for trial. The court, however. ordered that the accused be remanded in prison pending trial. In the charge, the prosecution alleged that the accused conspired with others who are now at large to commit the offences on Aug.8 at No. 10, Hassan Idowu St., Aguda, Surulere, Lagos. They were said to have been arrested by Dan Okoro, Head of Anti-Fraud Unit in Alagbon, in Lagos. They were said to have forged electronic messages to one Engr. Gmenezes, with the tag Attention: Geraldo Francisco Menezes, purporting same to be sent by his Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, and Mrs Buhari. The message was said to be labelled: IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF NOTIFICATION of 20.5 million dollars (equivalent of N7.4 billion). They were also alleged to have sent electronic messages to one Madaule , with the tag Attention: Dr Guenter Schauer purporting same to be sent by President Buhari and the First Lady. They were said to have requested for a special arrangement to send them funds by direct cash payment through ECOWAS headquarters in Cotonou. The accused were also alleged to have sent false electronic messages to UBA Bank, purporting same to be sent by their Excellencies, for immediate payment notification of 20.5 million dollars. The offences contravened the provisions of sections 14(1), 14(2), 14(3) and 22 of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act, 2015. Judge Kuewumi has adjourned the case until January 18 for trial. (NAN) A live Facebook event has been planned for the commencement of Atiku Abubakars 2019 presidential campaign and the formal unveiling of a policy document that contains what he describes as his vision for a prosperous Nigeria. Mr Abubakar has spent the preceding months criss-crossing the country, engaging Nigerians on key elements of his Get Nigerian Working Again slogan, with economy, unity and national security taking the front-row. Nigerians would now get a chance to see the entire document when it is unveiled on Facebook and Twitter at 12:00 p.m. today, which is only a few minutes away. The handles are: Facebook.com/Atiku.org and Twitter.com/Atiku. Mr Abubakar said the document would be uploaded on his campaign website, Atiku.org, shortly after the live broadcast, and Nigerians home and away are encouraged to download and review its components. Citizens are also advised to send in questions from Facebook and Twitter during the broadcast, using especially the official hashtag: #TheAtikuPlan. Mr Abubakar, Nigerias vice-president between 1999 and 2007, is launching his campaign a day after President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled his re-election roadmap at an event in Abuja. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted moratorium on the February 2019 general elections on November 18, 2018. Over the weekend, Mr Abubakar, who emerged candidate of the main opposition platform at a convention widely deemed free and fair in October, travelled to Yola, the capital of his home state of Adamawa, from where he would appear on Facebook. PREMIUM TIMES will update transcriptions of Mr Abubakars broadcast in real-time. Keep this page regularly refreshed for the latest from the announcement when it kicks-off at noon. In 2018, I sought the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to fly their flag as a presidential candidate of Nigeria. Today, I am formally launching my campaign. Too many of our people are not doing well economically. The most important question is, are you better off than you were four years ago? That is why I am here to tell you how we want to get Nigeria working again. I also want us to discuss the issue of getting Nigeria working again together. So many politicians have made policies they cannot deliver one. I am not here to just make grandiose promises, but promises that are achievable. I have worked with experts over the past several years. I am not talking about what I could do, I am talking about what I have done before. While vice president, I chaired Nigerias economic council and took policies that boosted the countrys gross domestic product. We brought telephone connections from a few hundred thousands to over 100 million today. We were able to achieve this because we had a plan. I am here to unveil my plan for Nigeria. A plan that will increase Nigerias productivity. A plan that will care for our women. A plan that will help create jobs. The sad fact today is that too many of our people are not working. We have never been so divided as a nation. I am strongly of the view that I am just one Nigerian, and one Nigerian cannot be as wise as all Nigerians. That is why I am for inclusive governance. Atiku Abubakar is 100 percent Nigerian, 100 percent of the time. It is my desire to run for the office of the president of Nigeria. My plan will reduce maternal mortality and care for the elderly. Above all, my plan will help create jobs. Without jobs, there would be crime, drugs use and insecurity. I am not just presenting these policies to you, I want you to own them and review them and have your say. One thing I have learnt from travelling across the country is that our people need jobs. Without jobs, people would continue to live in poverty. I am here to restructure the polity and get Nigeria working again. If elected president, I will be proactive in attracting investment and supporting small and medium scale enterprises. I plan to double our GDP to $900 billion by 2025. These investments will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first two years Our SME venture capitalists initiatives will help people out of poverty. My plan will lead to vast increase in internally generated revenues. No state would receive less funding than they do today, in fact all states would receive more. I started out as an orphan, but God through the Nigerian state invested in me and here I am today. If Nigeria works for me, I owe it a duty to make sure that Nigeria works for others. Thank you for watching. May God bless you and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Hopefully Pritzkers acknowledgement of that fact signals an end to counting on unicorn solutions such as including revenue from the sale of the Thompson Center every year in the budget for a recurring $300 million. Illinois politicians history of fake math and deferring payments have saddled taxpayers with eye-popping debt and numerous tax hikes during the past two decades. People are fed up and many are already voting with their feet, moving to lower-tax states. An Abuja division of the Federal High Court has ordered the continuation of the trial of a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in his absence. The judge , Ahmed Muhammed, made the ruling on Monday after the prosecution provided an affidavit according to the directive of the court on November 13. The court had during its last sitting on November 13 refused an oral application by the prosecution to continue Mr Dasukis trial in his absence. Mr Dasuki, who is in detention by the State Security Service, refused to turn up in court because the prosecution (the Nigerian Government) failed to comply with an April 10 decision of the court. Mr Ahmed had ruled that in the event where the prosecution believed the defendant (Mr Dasuki) willfully refused to appear in court, the prosecution should file an affidavit accusing him of willfully avoiding court sessions. Subsequently on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Oladipupo Opeseyi, informed the court of the affidavit, accusing Mr Dasuki of refusing to attend trial. Mr Opeseyi said, The defendant in this matter in his wisdom again has decided not to obey the order of this court to appear for his trial. This would be the fourth time since the trial began. By the last adjourn date, the defendant wrote to the court on November 13 through a letter dated November 12, stating in clear terms that he would no longer attend court proceedings. We had thought that with the proceedings of November 13, the defendant would be in court today. Again we received information after every necessary arrangement for him to be in court today, he had decided not to be court, just as he said in his letter of November 12. Pursuant to the ruling of this court on April 10, we filed an affidavit today to the effect in compliance to the court order. May I humbly refer this court to the said letter (exhibit) to state that by paragraph 1 to 4 are matter about his background history ending with the fact he ceased being the national security adviser. Paragraph 5 indeed has admitted the fact that he was granted bail by this court. The first two sentences in paragraph 6 are also admission that this court granted him medical leave. From paragraph 6 down to 8 are facts relating to matters not before this honorable court and indeed admitted in paragraph 8. The point we are making here is that the matter of the defendants arrest and rearrest are not issues before this court. The defendant admitted in paragraph 10 that he filed three separate applications in three different courts. One of such application is in this court. Since he has decided to disobey the order of the court, I hereby humbly request that this trial should proceed in the absence of the defendant, or alternatively, the matter be stood down for him to be brought to this court willingly. The defendant must be present throughout the trial till the judgement except the court excuses his presence in the court. We pray this honorable court not to take the challenge lightly. The defendants counsel, Victor Okwudiri, in response to the prosecution said the affidavit presented to the court followed an incompetent process in the sense that it was not in compliance with rule 10 sub 1, 2 and 3 of the rules of professional conduct. According to Mr Okwudiri, In support of our submission, we refer to the Supreme Court authority of Senator Bello Sarkin Yaki Vs Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu and others in 2015 which says that any process not in compliance with the provision of rule 10 sub 1,2,3 of the rules of professional conduct is incompetent. Mr Okwudiri therefore urged the court to discontinue the affidavit filed by the prosecution Monday morning. He added that the affidavit did not conform with the April 10 order of the court. We submit that this affidavit does not comply with the order of April 10, the lawyer said. The judge, however, granted the request of the prosecution by ruling that Mr Dasukis trial should continue in his absence in court. Mr Muhammed adjourned the matter to December 11 for continuation of trial. Mr Dasuki was arrested in December 2015 and has remained in detention since then despite several court orders for his release. The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, said on Monday he would set off sound economic policies that would see no fewer than 50 million Nigerians elevated out of poverty within two years. Mr Abubakar, former vice president from 1999 to 2007, said his policies would focus on creating job opportunities that would result in vast wealth creation in Africas largest economy and most populous country. These investments will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first two years, Mr Abubakar said during a social media event he used to kick-off his 2019 campaign and launch his manifesto. The resulting effect of the investments would double Nigerias gross domestic to N900 billion by 2025, Mr Abubakar said. The plan is one of fundamental issues that form a grand document Mr Abubakar proposed to restructure the country. But economists are skeptical about whether such a quarter of the countrys estimated 200 million people could be taken out of poverty within two years, especially in country with acute infrastructure and manufacturing deficit amidst low crude earnings. There is a big difference between being lifted out of poverty and achieving prosperity, said economist Mohammed Al-Salafi. Providing shelter and food does not achieve prosperity. Mr Abubakar said the 2.5 million jobs he planned to create would help engender upward mobility for the countrys citizens, which would in turn guarantee improved security. The former vice president has previously said he would privatise government asset that are gulping funds from the federal treasury or those not performing optimally. He had already identified the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as one of his targeted agencies. Mr Al-Salafi said Mr Abubakars announcement sounds too ambitious considering Nigerias current state. If he says creating 2.5 million jobs would lift 50 million people out of poverty, that is almost impossible to achieve given that Nigerias average household is about five or six persons, Mr Al-Salafi said. So we could expect to see about 15 million people who would benefit from that policy, assuming it comes to fruition. The economist said Mr Abubakars plan to create intervention funds was short on specifics. We need to know whether the money is going towards small and medium-scale businesses or innovations, he said. SMEs do not necessarily create jobs as much as you would expect with innovations. From evidence and research, the SME market is not so viable. But innovations create new markets, he emphasised, clarifying that small businesses perform better in places like the United States because their economies have already attained maturity and moved towards services. Mr Al-Salafi said Mr Abubakar did not say how he would address acute infrastructure deficit and moribund manufacturing sector, a gap he said seems to have left President Muhammadu Buhari as the only one with a roadmap on how to address manufacturing. President Buharis policies seem to be better in this regard because he has been pushing for some form of protection for improved local manufacturing, he said. The East Asian countries that have been able to achieve seven to eight percent growth have focused on manufacturing. Still, the expert said Mr Abubakars silence on manufacturing should not be immediately taken to mean he does not have a plan about it or would not advance existing government plans if elected. The PDP pushed the automotive policy around 2013 or so, it could be expected that Mr Abubakar would focus on that because it is one of the biggest ways to generate wealth and employment in any country, Mr Al-Salafi said. Mr Abubakars campaign for 2019 is expected to take him across the country, during which experts hope he would better communicate some of his position. The Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, and that of Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Gbenga Daniel, have revealed what their principals are capable of achieving if elected in 2019. The duo appeared on Channels TV Sunday Politics. Mr Daniel, while speaking during the interview session, said Mr Abubakars emergence as the president of Nigeria would lead to rise in the stock exchange. Take this as a prediction, when in February 2019, the election results are reeled out and Atiku becomes president, the first thing that you are going to see is that activities on the Nigerian stock exchange are going to rise. You will see instant movements indicating that people believe there will be an environment where they can bring in capital. He, however, said for Nigerians to enjoy this rise, they should vote Mr Buhari out of power. Nigeria is not working and I want to start by quoting what the current president said in one of his tweets, specifically, I think this was sometime in March 2015 just before the election. He promised Nigerians jobs, he said he was going to create additional jobs and he said and I quote, If I do not fulfil my promises, you have the power to decide who leads you and how they lead you. Part of what is key for us is provision of jobs and my submission is if the contract that Buhari had with the people is that he will create jobs, then he has failed to deliver that contract. Going forward, in Atiku Abubakar, we clearly have a better person, we clearly have someone who has better exposure to all the facets of this country, he said. However, retorting, Mr Amaechi said Mr Daniel and his principal only pretended to be blind to the achievements of President Buhari. He claimed the president has fulfilled all his 2015 campaign promises. We are going to focus on infrastructure; we are dealing with roads, water, power, and railways. We are also improving our seaport. We are saying to Nigerians, trust us. We promised change, now theres a huge change in Nigeria. We are not going back to the economy where people just cart away funds. Few months after coming to government, we commissioned the Kaduna-Abuja railway, does that not deserve another trust? We are working on Lagos-Ibadan railway. Work is ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan highway. Power has improved from 3,000 megawatts to 7,000 megawatts and we are discharging about 5,000 megawatts. He further said the incumbent president is working every day and would perform better if elected again in 2019. The general election is expected to hold in February 2019. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Abubakar, and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Buhari, are the major contenders among over 50 aspirants. The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has said the people of Kwara State will retire the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, from active politics in 2019. He said this on Monday in Abuja, while speaking with journalists at the end of a meeting of the party`s National Working Committee (NWC). Mr Oshiomhole stressed that the way the people of Kwara voted in Saturday`s House of Representatives by-election in the state, was an attestation that they were tired of Mr Saraki mismanaging their political life. I am sure Saraki would be politically retired by the good people of kwara whom he has mismanaged their economic and political rights over the years. I am very excited about that and we think that this is something worth celebrating and we took time to celebrate it today, Oshiomhole said. He added that the APC was proud of the fact that since the assumption of the party`s current NWC which he headed on June 24, it had not lost any major election. Mr Oshiomhole further added that the party`s victory in Saturday`s by-election in Bauchi, Kastina and Kwara states was a proof that the APC was still the preferred party of Nigerians. More outstanding for me and the APC, both the leadership and the membership, is the humiliating defeat that Sen. Bukola Saraki suffered in the hands of Kwara people. What the people of Kwara have done to him is that they are going to politically bury him come February next year and he has seen the first warning, he said. He said Kwara people, based on the outcome of the election, had dealt with Mr Saraki a political blow. This, he said, was most humiliating since Mr Saraki was the acclaimed leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, and had recently led elections in other states. Here is a native doctor who was busy going to other states, now unable to heal his own people in his own state, that defeat in Kwara is most outstanding, the APC national chairman stressed. He said this was particularly so, because the candidate who won the election was not put in place by anybody close to Mr Saraki. He, however, said that the APC would not accept a Nigerian variant where a minority party presided over the affairs of the National Assembly, saying that it was not right. (NAN) Officials of the Federal Fire Service, FFS, Wuse Zonal office, Monday, successfully subdued inferno that almost razed down the Wuse 2 Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The fire fighters led by the Sector Commander, Melone Onyekachi, arrived the Wuse 2 office of the Commission when the Service was alerted of the fire by the Incident Duty Officer of the Commission, Kayode Oyetunde, at 1910 hours. The fire started at the former newsroom which now serves as storage for ICT equipments that were retrieved from the commissions former offices scattered across the capital city. The former newsroom is domiciled in the two-storey Costa Hall which was commissioned by Antonio Costa on November 13, 2007. The building currently houses the Data Centre and the Combined Inter Agency Task Force. When asked what could have caused the fire, Mr. Onyekachi said, Our duty is to put off the fire; that we have successfully done. There is another department that will come and ascertain the cause of the fire, he explained. Two officers attached to the Combined Inter-Agency Task force who were trapped on the second floor of the building were successfully rescued before the fire was eventually subdued. The extent of the damage would be ascertained after stock taking. The Commissions Chief Security Officer, Nasir Abdullahi, immediately after the fire was curtailed, went to the Maitama Police Station to report the fire outbreak. Policemen from the station who followed him to the commission, however, promised to return for further enquiry. Management and officers of the commission who were on ground to concertedly subdue the fire were: the Supervisory Secretary, Chile Okoroma; Director, Finance and Accounts, Jubril Manigi; Zonal Head of Operation, Mohammed Rabo; DD, Admin, N.T Ibrahim; Head of Legal, Kabir Latona; Head of ICT, Isah J. Abdullahi among others. The Nigerian Presidency has described the appearance of service chiefs at Sundays launch of President Muhammadu Buharis campaign manual as mistaken assumption. Mr Buhari on Sunday presented his campaign document at an event tagged Next Level 2019 which held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. The nations military chiefs were reportedly at the event but left early. Pictures of the service chiefs went viral on social media with most commentators condemning the politicisation of security agencies. Punch Newspaper also allegedly published a report on the appearance of the military top brass leading to an explanation by the presidency. The spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, in an email to PREMIUM TIMES Monday evening said, Punch should have asked what brought the Service Chiefs to the Next Level 2019 event at the State House, only to leave before it got underway. Mr Shehu said the military chiefs were mistaken in their assumption that this was a non-political event, to showcase the achievements of the administration, the success of which they are a part. He also said hardly were they seated did the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan AlI (Rtd) ask them to leave as this was a political gathering. Mr Shehu added that the military chiefs quickly left, even before the arrival of the President and for the event to get under way. The fuss over this in therefore absolutely unnecessary. Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has presented a supplementary budget proposal of N13.9 billion for the 2018 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval. Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, the Speaker of the House, announced this during plenary on Monday in Lafia. Mr Al-Makura, in a letter to the lawmakers, said that the supplementary budget was to enable his administration complete ongoing projects. My administration is determined not to leave any project uncompleted at the expiration of my tenure; that explains why we have doubled up the pace of execution of all capital projects, he said. According to the letter, during the preparation of the 2018 budget, some projects were underfunded. Given such projects importance to the public, it has become necessary to request for additional funds to complete them. We are also determined to leave a manageable debt size for the incoming administration. In line with this philosophy, we have made concerted efforts to defray a reasonable amount of the states contractual liabilities. Most of these obligations were not adequately funded in the 2018 Appropriation Act as earlier stated, hence, the need to submit the supplementary Appropriation Bill for legislative action. The total supplementary budget requirement for 2018 is N13.9 billion. Of the figure, N3 billion is for Recurrent Expenditure, while N10,9 billion is allocated to fund capital projects, the governor stated. The governor urged the House to pass the supplementary budget to enable him to complete capital projects for the benefits of the people. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the House has fixed November 27 for the second reading of the bill. NAN recalls that on November 29, 2017, Al-Makura presented the 2018 budget proposal of N122.8 billion to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval. The lawmakers passed that budget on January 24, 2018, after raising it by N2.6 billion. (NAN) The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board on Monday said it would begin registration of intending pilgrims for 2019 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in all the 23 local government areas of the state on November 21. The Overseer of the Board, Hussaini Tsoho Ikara, made the disclosure on Wednesday, at a press conference in Kaduna. The board overseer called on prospective pilgrims to present themselves physically, during the exercise because no registration would be by proxy. He also warned that intending female pilgrims would only be registered when they come along with male guardians (Mahram), in line with Saudi Arabian governments regulations. He also warned the committees set up for the registration, to adhere strictly to the registration guidelines. The overseer called on all intending pilgrims to pick their guarantors before being registered, in order to avoid pilgrims absconding in the Holy land. He added that the guarantor must either be a Jumuat Mosque Imam, a District Head or a Civil Servant, not below Grade Level 12. According to the guidelines, new pilgrims will be given priority during the registration exercise. He warned that pregnant women and old people with nobody to accompany them will not be registered. He said old timers, who had performed the hajj in the last four years, must pay additional 2,000 Saudi Riyals or its equivalent. This must be paid before being registered, in line with Saudi Arabia authoritys new guidelines, he said. Intending pilgrims are to pay a minimum N800,000 and maximum of N1.5 million as deposits in a designated bank account. (NAN) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on November 19, 2018 arraigned Abdulsalam Abdulkareem, a governorship candidate of the Green Party of Nigeria, GPN, and Ebere Nzekwe before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano on a nine-count charge of criminal conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of $1,320,000 (One Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) only. The petitioner alleged that sometime in 2014, the defendants connived to fraudulently obtain the said sum from him in the belief that it would be used for business investment which eventually turned out to be false. Mr Abdulsalam also allegedly met with his Personal Assistant, one Muhannat, in a hotel in Republic of Kuwait for a talk on the said dealings. The meeting led to his (Abdulsalams) invitation to Nigeria via a company, Seit Nigeria Limited. It was during this meeting that the total sum of One Million Five hundred USD (1,500, 000USD) was displayed to him as the sum belonging to the alleged partner in the acclaimed investment. One of the counts reads: That you Abdulkareem Saleh Abdulsalam, Ebere Nzechukwu (aka General Aria), Michael Edosa (at Large), sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the total sum of one million, three hundred and twenty thousand dollars ($1,320,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al-Azmi when you represented that you have the capacity to partner with him for joint venture business, which representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Prosecuting Counsel, Johnson Ojogbane, asked the court for a date for hearing sequel to the plea of the accused persons. The defence counsel, K.M. Liman and Chris Asekome, however, moved their bail and prayed the judge to grant the defendants bail as they have already been enjoying an administrative bail given by EFCC. Mr Ojogbane did not oppose the application for bail but stated that if his lordship is inclined to grant their bail, he should do so with the knowledge that the first accused person jumped bail and did not show up the last time the matter was fixed which made it to be adjourned for today. Justice Allagoa, thereafter, granted the accused people bail in the sum of N100 million and one surety in like sum. The surety, the judge said, must have a landed property in Kano. The case has been adjourned to January 29 and 30, 2019 for hearing. Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State, on Monday said the state government would distribute 47,544 goats to 15,848 women in June, 2019, under its Goat Breeding Microfinance Scheme. Mr Badaru, who disclosed this to journalists in Dutse, the state capital said the scheme was part of the State Livestock Interventions. According to him, 8,428 women received 25,284 goats under the scheme in 2018. He said that the programme was the most successful micro-credit scheme in the state, with 92 per cent retention and 79 per cent repayment level. On crop production, the governor said the newly-introduced reform by his administration had attracted huge investments in the subsector from multinationals. Dangote Group is currently building a rice mill in Kaugama with the capacity to produce 280 tonnes of rice per annum, if completed. Similarly, the Lee Group is investing in 12,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation to feed its 120,000 tonnes capacity sugar plant in the state. This investment includes an associated production line of molasses, food seasoning, organic fertiliser and 15 megawatts of electricity generation, Mr Badaru said. (NAN) Arik McArthur/FilmMagicTekashi 6ix9ine was arrested Sunday in New York City on racketeering and firearms charges. The 22-year-old rapper, born Daniel Hernandez, was taken into custody with his former manager, Kifano Shottie Jordan, and two other people. Tekashi is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Manhattan today. This is the latest in a series of criminal charges for the rapper from Brooklyn, New York. In October, Tekashi was sentenced to four years probation for violating the terms of a plea agreement stemming from his 2015 arrest for the use of a child in a sexual performance. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. It turns out the costs of living with chronic pain and depression are far greater than the risks of using medical marijuana to help those conditions. This past summer, although I was physically pain-free, a sudden depression knocked me to the ground. Crippled by anxiety and insomnia, I struggled to get out of bed and function for my two daughters, ages 10 and 12, who had both experienced some depression themselves. Id read in Scientific American that mood disorders are passed genetically from mother to daughter, and I feared what my girls would learn from watching me break down in tears or lash out in rage. Even in the fog of despair, I knew taking care of myself was essential to my ability to take care of them. The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on Monday sacked four more lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The speaker, Onofiok Luke, announced their sack during plenary, according to a statement from the spokesperson of the speaker, Kufre Okon. The affected lawmakers are Nse Ntuen, who represented Essien Udim State Constituency; Otobong Ndem, Mkpat Enin State Constituency; Victor Udofia, Ikono State Constituency; Gabriel Toby, Etim Ekpo/Ika State Constituency. The assembly presided by the speaker, Onofiok Luke, brushed aside a protest by the APC youth at the assembly complex, to hold its sitting. The youth were protesting the earlier sacking of the lawmaker who represented Itu State Constituency, Idongesit Ituen, for defecting from PDP to APC. Unlike the removal of Mr Ituen which followed a federal high court judgment, there is no court ruling or judgment yet on the other four lawmakers. The speakers spokesperson, Mr Okon, said in the statement that the speakers action was in line with Section 109, sub-section 1g, of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended. The PDP in the state, meanwhile, has thrown its weight behind the leadership of the state assembly for declaring the lawmakers seats vacant. As a law-abiding Party, we commend the Speaker for respecting the constitution without fear or favour, the PDP spokesperson in the state, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement on Monday. In our state, this scenario is not nouveau, as the seats of the assemblymen who defected to APC in 2014, had been declared vacant. The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has always been a very law-abiding institution and therefore under the current Speakership of Comrade Onofiok Luke, it cannot afford to dwell in illegality. We advise the opposition in the state to come to the realization that our state and nation operate under the rule of law and abhors the rule of might. We can assure them that as this evil plot failed, today, so shall their planned federal might backed Warsaw invasion fail, Mr Ememobong said. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ememobong said further, They went to court to prevent an act which the constitution empowers the speaker to do. The speaker simply invokes the provision of Section 109, sub-section 1g. There is no court that can prevent an act which the constitution empowers you to do. A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged Deltans to give Governor Ifeanyi Okowa the opportunity to continue with his good works in the state by voting for him in 2019. Mr Obasanjo made the call on Monday while commissioning series of landmark projects executed by Mr Okowas administration in the state. Some of the projects commissioned include the dualised old Lagos/Asaba road, from Emuhu junction to Agbor-Obi junction, the dualised Owei-Ekei/Owa-Alero road, from old Lagos/Asaba road to Owa-Alero roundabout and the main bowl of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. As an elder statesman, whatever I see and heard, my mouth will talk about; where I came from, we are always looking for good things and when we have good things, we hold on to it; when you have good leaders, hold on to them; this governor (Ifeanyi Okowa) from what I have seen and from what I have heard, he is a good product and when you have a good product, you dont throw it away, I know that this governor is a good governor, I will hold on to him because he has started well and we must give him the opportunity to consolidate on his good works, Chief Obasanjo said at the commissioning of Owa-Ekei/Owa-Alero road. He emphasised, the people of Delta State should not throw away a good product, better make good use of the opportunity you have, Governor Okowa is my brother, the performing Governor of Delta State and he is following with good steps. Also, at the commissioning of old Lagos/Asaba road, Agbor, the former President reiterated, I want to congratulate all of you in Delta State for the progress you have achieved, we should continue to achieve progress through what God has given to us through the instrumentality of Governor Okowa. I am from the part of the world where if you have a good thing, you dont change it; because the known is better, you dont change the known for the unknown, and Governor Okowa is the known and he is working, Chief Obasanjo said. Governor Okowa in his speech thanked the former president for coming to the state to commission projects, disclosing that the projects executed by his administration dot different parts of Delta State including riverine communities that were described as difficult terrains before his emergence as Governor. The Chairman of Delta State Traditional Rulers Council who is also, the Obi of Owa, Emmanuel Efeizomor, had thanked former President Obasanjo for coming to the state to commission projects, stating, our son, Governor Okowa has done very well, it is a fact that all the governors that ruled Delta State did two terms, Governor Okowa cannot be an exception, we should rally round him for him to complete eight years as Governor, he stated. The Chairman of Ika South Local Government Area, Victor Okoh, and his counterpart in Ika North-East Local Government Area, Victor Ebonka, observed that Governor Okowa has done very well to touch the lives of the people positively. The Bayelsa Police Command on Monday said it had arrested four suspected killers of a police officer attached to Anti-terrorism Unit in the state. The Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, told journalists in Yenagoa that a 24-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with armed robbery and murder of Corporal Sammy Saturday who was killed at Tombia roundabout, Yenagoa in October. He said: The suspect led police to arrest other members of the gang who confessed how the police officer was killed. They confessed to be members of Greenland Confraternity, investigation is ongoing, he said. The police commissioner said that the command had also arrested two men suspected to have allegedly killed a 16-year-old undergraduate in Bayelsa, Miss Seiyefa Fred. He said most of the crimes were cult and illicit drug-related. Makan called on the residents to cooperate and assist the command in its efforts at ensuring peace, security and safety of lives and property in the state. (NAN) The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Musiliu Smith, Monday, stated that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State deserves credit for running the state in a progressive, people-oriented and security-conscious manner. Mr Smith, who made the statement while delivering his keynote address at the opening ceremony of a four-day Management Retreat in Enugu, organised by the commission, appraised the peaceful and secure atmosphere of the state, saying that we are in Enugu largely because Enugu is one of the most peaceful states in the country. The former Inspector General of Police said it was gratifying to note that the governor has graciously supported this Police Service Commissions programmes, further confirming his commitment to robust government/police relations in the state, which obviously is to the benefit of people of Enugu and the Nigerian Police. He stated that his discussions with the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, confirmed this and commended Governor Ugwuanyi for the partnership and commitment to the security of lives and property of the citizens. In his words: The Government of Enugu State, led by the Executive Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, must be given credit for running the state in a progressive, people-oriented and security-conscious manner. It is gratifying to note that he has graciously supported this Police Service Commission. I must, therefore, on behalf of the management and staff of the commission, commend and express our sincere gratitude to His Excellency, the government and people of Enugu State for this The PSC chairman disclosed that they were working on having an electronic, all-inclusive data for the police that would aid in planning and programming adding that they were also engaging in a wide spectrum of reforms for the police. He averred that the present management of the commission inaugurated by the president on July 25, 2018, was alive to the need to approach the issue of policing strategically to obtain optimal results adding that the essence of the retreat was to develop a three-year strategic plan as a compass in their quest to remodel the police force. Declaring the retreat open, Mr Ugwuanyi, who welcomed the chairman, other members and staff of the commission to Enugu, reiterated that the security of lives and property of our people as well as the maintenance of peace everywhere in the state have always been a cardinal policy of our administration. Mr Ugwuanyi who was represented by his deputy, Cecilia Ezeilo, disclosed that his administration has consciously and consistently maintained a strategic and outstanding partnership with the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in the state. This, we are glad to say, has been most rewarding as Enugu State remains one of the safest, secure and most peaceful states in Nigeria today, he stated, while reassuring the commission of the state governments continued support, cooperation, and assistance towards the successful performance of its duties. President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former Anambra state governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who turns 80 on Tuesday, November 20. Mr Buharis congratulatory message is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday. The president joined family, friends and political associates of the renowned politician in celebrating the milestone, lined with many notable achievements, both at state and national levels. According to Buhari, the former governors investments in human capital and laying of a foundation for a vibrant economy in Anambra state will be remembered and cherished by posterity. He prayed for longer life, good health and strength for the octogenarian. (NAN) Femi Otedola, the chairman of Forte Oil, has endorsed Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. Mr Otedola made his endorsement known via a post on his Instagram handle. The oil magnate shared a picture of himself and Mr Sanwo-Olu, describing the APC guber candidate as his childhood friend. The Forte oil boss also disclosed that they had dinner at his residence Friday evening. Dinner at my residence yesterday evening, with my childhood friend APC Governorship Candidate @JideSanwoOlu. GOVERNOR IN WAITING!, the photograph which went viral was captioned. The endorsement Saturday threw the social media community into frenzy, with many expressing surprise at the development. Mr Otedola had been rumoured to be eyeing the governorship position in Lagos state, ostensibly on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. But the Forte oil boss, whose father, Michael Otedola, once governed Lagos, would later deny the claim. Weeks after, ace journalist Dele Momodu would add to the suspicion when he declared that Mr Otedola would contest the guber seat in 2019. Mr Otedola, this time, maintained silence and the suspicion disappeared when the PDP in Lagos held its primaries and Jimi Agbaje emerged candidate of the party. The oil magnate did not participate in the primaries. On Saturday, social media commentators said his endorsement of Mr Sanwo-olu would add interesting twist to the forthcoming governorship election in Lagos State. Mr Sanwo-olu, the APC governorship candidate, picked the partys ticket after defeating incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the primaries held across the state. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has reacted to claims by Rauf Aregbesola, the outgoing governor, that he achieved a lot in the last eight years. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Aregbesola said he has no regrets having led the state for eight years as the governor. I have no regrets in governance. Given another chance to govern, I would continue along this same path. To the glory of God, we have just won an election. There is no better way to demonstrate our political sagacity than that. However, my party is different from me and if there are areas the party feels I could have done better, they are free to advise the incoming governor to make such amends. It is extremely difficult to maintain our level of popularity over an eight-year period. We got into power at the eleventh hour but that of the incoming governor has been one of ease. Its a sign of things to come, he said. In its reaction, the PDP said Mr Aregbesola is a monumental failure. According to a statement signed by the chaiman of the party, Soji Adagunodo on Sunday, Mr Aregbesolas administration is the worst since the return of democratic rule in 1999. There is no better indication of the governors failure than the dysfunctional educational system, comatose healthcare, gargantuan debt, deplorable road, abysmal water infrastructure and several other negatives which the governor is bequething to his successor. It is already on record that it is during the tenure of Ogbeni Aregbesola that Osun was ranked by Budgit, one of the four most indebted states and the least fiscally responsible state in Nigeria. It was during these same years that the state found itself on the lowest rung of performance of students in public examinations; a situation which made us a laughing stock even among states hitherto considered educationally disadvantaged in Nigeria. Human life and development had never been this compromised as medical doctors, health workers, lecturers, and civil servants embarked on strikes for a cumulative period of not less than three and a half years during Aregbesolas administration. The PDP also condemned the road claimed to have been rehabilitated by Mr Aregbesola. The road from Osogbo through Iwo to Ibadan which the governor boasted would be rehabilitated by Julius Berger in 2012 was never started and must today rank among the worst roads in Nigeria. It is similarly on record that a recent survey by an international organisation ranked Osun as one of the three dirtiest states in Nigeria. This is in spite of the billions of naira siphoned by local and state government officials in the guise of environmental sanitation. It is one ugly legacy which has put the name of our dear state on the dark spot of political discourse within and outside Nigeria, the party said. The PDP says it hopes its candidate, Ademola Adeleke, who is challenging his defeat in court, will reclaim his mandate at the appeal court. The last governorship election in state that brought in Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressive Congress was condemned by local and international observers as there was massive vote buying and voter intimidation. Mr Adeleke is challenging the outcome in court. Three months after the demolition of Yinka Ayefeles Fresh FM Music House, the Oyo State government has begun the reconstruction of the property in Ibadan, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. Officials from both the government and the company confirmed the development to our correspondent. The special adviser to the governor on communication and strategy, Bolaji Tunji, in a statement, said the governments intervention was informed by the acknowledgement of contravention of the state building code by the management of the Music House and the personal appeal by Mr Ayefele to the governor, Abiola Ajimobi. Following Mr Ayefeles admittance of breach of procedures in the construction of the building and his subsequent apologies, as well as the intervention of well-meaning members of the public, the governor agreed to tamper justice with mercy, said the spokesperson. The governors approval on the reconciliation of the issue was communicated to Mr Ayefele on October 19, 2018, where His Excellency also approved the assistance on the reconciliation agreed upon on compassionate grounds, as he earlier promised publicly. It is necessary to put it on records that the governor or the state government was not out to witch-hunt the popular musician or anybody, but had acted to safeguard members of the public who daily ply the roads contiguous to the Music House, the statement further highlighted. The head of news at Fresh FM radio, Ibadan, Samson Akindele, also said, After all the meetings and agreements, the ministry of works in Oyo state through the office of the permanent secretary and the commissioner came in to start fulfilling the promise of reconstruction two weeks ago. A part of the building was demolished in August, warranting an outcry that the exercise was a result of the seeming anti-Ajimobi posture of the radio station. The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, is to award honourary doctorate degree to Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, a professor, as it graduates 113 first class students on Thursday. The Vice Chancellor of the university, Kolawole Salako, made this known at a press conference in Abeokuta to herald the 26th convocation ceremonies of the university. He said the convocation ceremonies which would end on November 23 would also feature inauguration of projects, a research and agriculture fair, and convocation lecture, among others. Mr Salako said the university would also award honourary doctorate degree to Toyin Falola, a Professor of African Studies, Department of History, University of Texas, Houston, U.S. According to him, the convocation lecture will be delivered by Mr Falola on the theme: Food and Us: Poverty, Policies and Politics. Mr Salako said a total of 3,548 students would be awarded bachelors degree, with 1,327 graduating with second class (upper division) and 1,533 with second class (lower division). He said 502 students would graduate with third class, while 30 would go with pass grade. According to the vice chancellor, the remaining 43 are for the unclassified veterinary medicine degree. He added that the institution would award Ph.D to 79 students, masters (academics) to 241 students, and masters (professional) to 65 students as well as post graduate diploma to 33 students. He expressed satisfaction at peace and stability in the school in the last one year. I came into office when the dust of the subtle crisis that rocked our university was just settling and the usual rancour and acrimony that trail succession were gathering momentum. We felt the need to calm frayed nerves and assuage the aggrieved. We mended fences and extended hands of fellowship to all parties through democratic leadership deeply rooted in fairness, equity and transparency. Today, there is peace and normalcy in FUNAAB, he said. He thanked the federal government for funding capital projects in the university. (NAN) The police on Monday afternoon prevented a robbery attack on a bank at the Lagere area of Ile-Ife, Osun State. According to an eyewitness, the robbers who arrived around noon shot in the air before the security operatives resisted their operations at the Ile-Ife branch of Diamond Bank. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that no casualty was recorded after the incident and the gang escaped leaving behind a Toyota Sienna van, which was later impounded by the police. Speaking with our correspondent, a resident of the area, Olayemi Sikiru, said he ran for his life when he heard gunshots. Another passer-by, Timfiok Udoh, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, told our correspondent that he was on a commercial motorcycle before he fell off when gunshots filled the air. However, the Ife Police Area Commander, Funsho Adegboye, in a telephone interview, stated that the robbery was unsuccessful due to the proactive approach of the security operatives. There was an attempted robbery and based on the information that the public gave the police, we gave a hot chase, the police officer said. We alerted all our policemen and we were able to pursue them. The quick intervention of the police and the reinforcement of the commissioner of police in Osogbo prevented what would have been a robbery attack. Narrating their ordeal, he said; The robbers escaped. As I said, one of them escaped with a bullet wound. The vehicle they used, they abandoned it when the police power was too much for them to bear. We have been looking for that particular Toyota Sienna. They were trailing a particular vehicle from Obafemi Awolowo University and wanted to rob the man. This was the information that we got, Mr. Adegboye added. The officer then promised that the police will do everything in their capacity to nab the bandits and pleaded with the federal government to fund the police force adequately for them to carry out their duties effectively. Meanwhile, in a visit to the affected area, our correspondent reported that business and social activities had returned to the normal state. Drawing on the work of Enlightened era philosopher Immanuel Kant, Harvard University philosopher Christine Korsgaard urges, To respect someone's autonomy, not to violate it, is to treat her as someone whose beliefs and actions are, and should be, controlled by her own reason. Sure, force or coercion can violate people's autonomy. But the same violation occurs when lies are used to undermine people's capacity to decide, for themselves, what to think or do. Korsgaard goes so far as to treat lies, along with force and coercion, as the most fundamental forms of wrongdoing the roots of all evil. But there is more to being commander in chief. He commands us, but he also represents us. The military is mission-oriented and values-based. The mission is protecting the United States, securing our freedoms, advancing our interests. The commander in chief sets the directions, makes the big decisions and inspires us to carry out the mission. And in his person and character, he represents the men and women who serve, as well as the veterans. He is actually our chief recruiter too. We are loyal, regardless of which party is in power or who is in the Oval Office. We can't be bought. We believe in selfless service, telling truth to power, choosing the harder right over the easier wrong. We honor noble sacrifice. 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. TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Adventus Zinc Corporation ("Adventus") (TSX-V: ADZN;OTCQX: ADVZF) and Salazar Resources Limited ("Salazar") (TSX-V: SRL) (collectively the "Partners") are pleased to announce the commencement of a helicopter-supported, airborne Mobile MagnetoTellurics ("MobileMT") regional geophysical survey for its Pijili and Santiago properties in Ecuador. The MobileMT survey marks a major step in advancing exploration on these properties, which are prospective for both epithermal and porphyry styles of mineralization. Adventus' Vice President Exploration, Mr. Jason Dunning, comments: "With the start of the airborne MobileMT geophysical survey, both Adventus and Salazar are extremely excited that MobileMT will greatly enhance drill hole targeting by defining high-priority targets for follow-up in early 2019. This is the first time there will be a deep penetrating, uniform dataset for Pijili and Santiago projects that will allow us to more accurately visualize the geological and structural framework in 3D to define potentially prospective host rocks for intrusion-related mineralization. Our technical team is working closely with our contractor in the field and we are eagerly awaiting the survey's completion." The Pijili and Santiago survey blocks were designed to be flown in a systematic manner off a detailed grid pattern to ensure full coverage and depth penetration. A 150-metre line spacing has been planned for both projects that results in a budgeted total of approximately 1,830-line kilometres. The airborne MobileMT geophysical survey is expected to be completed before year-end. Pijili Project Highlights The Pijili Project consists of three concessions totalling 3,246 hectares and is located in the province of Azuay, approximately 150 km from the major port city of Guayaquil. Mineral potential for Pijili Project includes an untested epithermal gold-silver target, however, initial geological review is suggestive that there is a broader, larger scale porphyry target present. The Pijili Project has never been explored with modern exploration techniques, such as geophysics, nor has there been any systematic geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and/or drilling undertaken. Small-scale, legally permitted artisanal mining operations adjacent to the property are following precious metal-bearing structures via several small open pits and underground tunnels. It is also important to note the presence of secondary copper mineralization that is visible along the walls of the small open pits. Salazar staff have noted copper sulphide-bearing (chalcopyrite) veins in a valley bottom at the confluence of major creeks that also require additional follow-up. Santiago Project Highlights The Santiago Project consists of a single concession that encompasses 2,350 hectares and is currently 100%-owned by Salazar. It is located in a geological setting similar to the nearby Loma Larga deposit owned by INV Metals Inc. and is considered prospective for epithermal gold and silver and porphyry copper gold deposits. It features three large, surficial geochemistry anomalies for gold, copper, and zinc. Numerous vein occurrences have been identified on the property thus far, which have yielded good chip sampling results for both gold and silver. (see Salazar news release for technical summary, dated February 23, 2012). There have also been historically modest drilling campaigns by two operators on the property, including Newmont Mining Corporation that reported wide drill intercepts for copper-gold from surface. Unfortunately, these historic drill results cannot be verified, as the drill core is unavailable. Additional work, including drilling, will be required to validate these reported historical drill results. Airborne MobileMT System Overview The airborne MobileMT geophysical survey is being managed by MPX Geophysics Ltd. (Canada-based) who is employing an airborne geophysical system designed and built by Expert Geophysics Limited (Canada-based). MobileMT is the most advanced generation of airborne AFMAG technologies that uses naturally occurring electromagnetic fields in the frequency range between 25 Hz and 20,000 Hz. The technology behind MobileMT is the product of the latest advances in electronics, airborne system design, and sophisticated signal processing techniques. An aerodynamic, light-weight, airborne bird is towed by a helicopter with the airborne bird measuring variations of the magnetic field, while a ground station measures variation of the electric field. The ratio of the magnetic and electric field magnitudes in both in-phase and out-of-phase components provides analytic parameters in selected bands of frequencies. The advanced noise processing technique of both electronic and signal processing levels ensures high data quality even for low natural EM fields. A cesium-vapour magnetometer is used for the total magnetic field recording. Qualified Person The technical information of this news release has been reviewed and verified as accurate by Mr. Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for Adventus, a non-Independent Qualified Person, as defined by NI 43-101. About Adventus Adventus is a well-financed company focused on base metals exploration and project development globally. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Resource Capital Funds, and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.; as well as other highly respected investors in the mining business. The focus of Adventus is the advancement of the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador as part of an earn-in agreement to obtain a 75% ownership interest. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating two projects to date. Elsewhere globally, Adventus owns a large prospective mineral land package in Ireland totalling 1,950 km2 and, through its ownership interest in Canstar Resources Inc., is actively participating in the exploration upside of a prospective mineral land package in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada totalling 550 km2. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF. About Salazar Salazar is a publicly-listed mineral resource company engaged in the exploration and development of new highly prospective areas in Ecuador. Led by a senior Ecuadorian management team and most notably by its namesake Fredy Salazar, this team has been instrumental in other major discoveries throughout Ecuador, including Aurelian's Fruta Del Norte discovery, Mozo Deposit, Ex Newmont's Cangrejos Project and International Minerals Rio Blanco and Gaby Deposit. Being an Ecuadorian-based company gives the Company a strategic advantage enabling the Company to complete exploration at a rapid pace. With an excellent property portfolio (6 projects 33,383 hectares), good geopolitical positioning and a number of strategic corporate and financial partnerships, Salazar has positioned itself to be a strategic player in Ecuador. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains "forward -looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Adventus and Salazar expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Although Adventus and Salazar have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Adventus and Salazar undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Adventus Zinc Corporation Related Links adventuszinc.com Also included is a $1.1 million investment in the National Archives Foundation to underwrite the annual display of the Emancipation Proclamation. The ten year commitment will also fund education programs related to the history of the Proclamation and efforts to preserve the important historical document for future generations. Boeing's corporate giving is amplified by its employee gift match programs. Earlier this year, the company increased gift match levels following the enactment of U.S. tax reform. Over the past five years, employee gifts matched by the company have increased 30 percent. "Our people have unique skills and an unwavering passion for making a difference in the world, both through our products and services and the ways we give back to our communities," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer. "When that's combined with our professional networks, partnerships and financial resources, we have the potential to drive positive, lasting change across the globe in important areas such as STEM learning and veterans' support." Anchored by local and regional employee engagement activities, Boeing corporate giving is focused on increasing access to globally competitive STEM learning in underserved and underrepresented communities; improving technical workforce skills; and supporting military families and veterans. Boeing investments also address unique local challenges critical to communities where the company operates. U.S. grants will support a range of nonprofits, including FUSE, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and math learning programs for Chicago-area K-12 students; Homes for Our Troops, which provides housing and support for severely injured, post-9/11 veterans and their families; and FamilyForward, which works to improve the health, development and overall well-being of youth living in St. Louis. Boeing also will support several international nonprofits, including the Nettur Technical Training Foundation, which encourages disadvantaged youth and young adults to pursue aviation maintenance careers in India; The Air League, which provides aviation and flight school scholarships for wounded veterans in the United Kingdom; and OISCA International, which assists with coastal forest restoration efforts in the Tohoku region of Japan. A full list of Boeing's grant partners can be found here. About The Boeing Company Through purposeful investments, employee engagement and thoughtful advocacy efforts, Boeing and its employees support innovative partnerships and programs that align with the company's strategic objectives, create value and help build better communities worldwide. Chicago-based Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in more than 150 countries. See how Boeing is making a difference for Our Future, Our Heroes and Our Homes by visiting the 2018 Boeing Global Engagement Portfolio at Boeing.com/community. Engage with us on social @Boeing with #BoeingInspires. Contact Jason Capeheart Boeing Communications Office: +1 312-544-2568 [email protected] SOURCE Boeing Related Links http://www.boeing.com Known as an exceptional provider of long-term care, post-acute rehabilitation, assisted living, Alzheimer's and memory care, respite care, and LTACH services, CareOne is excited to receive this prestigious award. The "Best of" category includes CareOne at Brookline, CareOne at Essex Park, CareOne at Holyoke, CareOne at Lexington, CareOne at Newton, CareOne at Northampton, CareOne at Peabody, CareOne at Redstone, CareOne at Weymouth, and CareOne at Wilmington. For more than 20 years CareOne has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every patient and resident are met or exceeded. For more information about CareOne, please visit www.CareOne.com for more details about this award. About CareOne With services that include post-hospital care, rehabilitation, assisted living, long-term care and a variety of clinical specialty programs, CareOne offers compassionate care in gracious, professionally managed centers and communities. CareOne serves thousands of patients every day and admits and discharges more than 20,000 patients every year. With more than 55 centers across New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maryland CareOne's outstanding programs and services are conveniently located throughout the state. Interested parties can engage with CareOne on social media by following @CareOneMgt on Twitter,@careonemgt on Instagram, and CareOne Management, LLC on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more information about CareOne, please visit http://www.care-one.com. SOURCE CareOne Related Links http://www.care-one.com This playing field isnt even close to level. Google and Facebook not only take and redistribute the Tribunes journalism, they compete with the Tribune for the advertising dollars that help pay for it. These two internet companies now control the vast majority of all digital ad revenue. Whats more, the companies technical prowess and human decision-making give them unprecedented power: They can control whether consumers even see news and commentary generated by publications such as ours. Cue here the furor over internet algorithms determining what political content Americans saw before the 2016 election and about Googles and Facebooks ability to virtually censor information their employees may dislike. DALLAS, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The EnLink Midstream companies (EnLink), EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC), the General Partner, and EnLink Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: ENLK), the Master Limited Partnership, announced today that representatives of EnLink will attend and meet with investors at the following conferences: Global Mizuho Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, December 4 on Wells Fargo Securities 17th Annual Midstream and Utility Symposium in New York on Wednesday, December 5 A copy of EnLink's latest operations report is available on the Investors' page of www.EnLink.com. About the EnLink Midstream Companies EnLink provides integrated midstream services across natural gas, crude oil, condensate, and NGL commodities. EnLink operates in several top U.S. basins and is strategically focused on the core growth areas of the Permian's Midland and Delaware basins, Oklahoma's Midcontinent, and Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Headquartered in Dallas, EnLink is publicly traded through EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC), the General Partner, and EnLink Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: ENLK), the Master Limited Partnership. Visit www.EnLink.com for more information on how EnLink connects energy to life. Investor Relations: Kate Walsh, Vice President of Investor Relations, 214-721-9696, [email protected] Media Relations: Jill McMillan, Vice President of Public & Industry Affairs, 214-721-9271, [email protected] SOURCE EnLink Midstream Related Links http://www.enlink.com A total of 2, 558 hotels with 209 , 463 hotel rooms were in operation as of September 3 0 , 2018, as compared to 2, 434 hotels and 201, 275 hotel rooms as of June 30, 201 8. Total revenues increased 21.6% year-over-year to RMB256.8 million ( US$37.4 million ) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Total revenues increased 21.7% year-over-year to RMB695.1 million ( US$101.2 million ) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) increased 24.2% year-over-year to RMB156.5 million ( US$22.8 million ) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) increased 24.6% year-over-year to RMB409.2 million ( US$59.6 million ) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. Net income increased 36.3% year-over-year to RMB152.4 million ( US$22.2 million ) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Net income increased 15.2% year-over-year to RMB339.8 million ( US$49.5 million ) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. Core net income (non-GAAP) increased 30.3% year-over-year to RMB125.3 million ( US$ 18.2 million ) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Core net income (non-GAAP) increased 27.6% year-over-year to RMB320.1 million ( US$46.6 million ) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. Basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB1.50 (US$0.22) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB3.46 (US$0.50) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. Basic and diluted core net income per ADS (non-GAAP) were RMB1.23 (US$0.18) [1] for the third quarter of 2018. Basic and diluted core net income per ADS (non-GAAP) were RMB3.26 (US$0.47) [1] for the first nine months of 2018. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company had a strong pipeline with a total of 504 hotels contracted for or under development. For the third quarter of 2018, the Company opened 145 F&M hotels and one L&O hotel, compared to 109 F&M hotels for the third quarter of 2017. The Company reaffirmed guidance for growth in full year 2018 total revenues of 20-25% from 2017. SHANGHAI, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. (NYSE: GHG) ("GreenTree", the "Company", "we", "us" and "our"), a leading franchised hotel operator in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018. Third Quarter of 2018 Operational Highlights As of September 30, 2018 , GreenTree had 30 leased-and-operated ("L&O") hotels and 2,528 franchised-and-managed ("F&M") hotels in operation in 278 cities across China , compared to 26 L&O hotels and 2,408 F&M hotels in operation in 267 cities as of June 30, 2018 . , GreenTree had 30 leased-and-operated ("L&O") hotels and 2,528 franchised-and-managed ("F&M") hotels in operation in 278 cities across , compared to 26 L&O hotels and 2,408 F&M hotels in operation in 267 cities as of . The Company opened 145 F&M hotels and one L&O hotel, 73 in the mid-scale segment, 21 in the business to mid-to-up-scale segment and 52 in the economy segment. Of the hotels opened, 10 hotels were in Tier 1 cities [2] , 28 in Tier 2 cities [3] and the remaining 108 hotels in other cities in China , while the Company closed a total of 22 F&M hotels in the quarter. 73 in the mid-scale segment, 21 in the business to mid-to-up-scale segment and 52 in the economy segment. Of the hotels opened, 10 hotels were in Tier 1 cities , 28 in Tier 2 cities and the remaining 108 hotels in other cities in , while the Company closed a total of 22 F&M hotels in the quarter. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company had a strong pipeline with a total of 504 hotels contracted for or under development. , the Company had a strong pipeline with a total of 504 hotels contracted for or under development. The average daily room rate, or ADR, for all hotels in operation, was RMB167 in the third quarter of 2018, an increase of 4.4% year-over-year. in the third quarter of 2018, an increase of 4.4% year-over-year. The occupancy rate for all hotels in operation was 87.2% in the third quarter of 2018, a decrease of 0.2% year-over-year. The revenue per available room, or RevPAR, which is calculated by multiplying our hotels' ADR by its occupancy rate, was RMB146 in the third quarter of 2018, representing a 4.3% year-over-year increase. in the third quarter of 2018, representing a 4.3% year-over-year increase. As of September 30, 2018 , the Company had approximately 26 million individual loyal members (of which approximately 20 million are paid members) and over 1,020,000 corporate members, compared to approximately 24 million (of which approximately 19 million are paid members) and over 930,000 respectively, as of June 30, 2018 . , the Company had approximately 26 million individual loyal members (of which approximately 20 million are paid members) and over 1,020,000 corporate members, compared to approximately 24 million (of which approximately 19 million are paid members) and over 930,000 respectively, as of . The Company sold approximately 94.9% of its room nights through its direct sales channels, including its individual loyal members and corporate members, while online travel agencies, or OTAs, only contributed approximately 5.1%. "We remain committed to a steady and stable growth strategy as we explore the growing consumption trends in second and third tier cities and expand our geographical coverage across China, covering 278 cities at the end of September 2018, " commented Mr. Alex Xu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GreenTree. "During the third quarter, we opened 146 new hotels and continued to grow our pipeline. We are on track to open more new hotels in the remaining part of this year. We also started to explore ways to grow our service apartment business recently. Finally, we remain interested in exploring appropriate value-enhancing acquisition opportunities to help strengthen our hotel platform and increase long-term shareholder value." Third Quarter of 2018 Financial Results Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Revenues Leased-and-operated hotels 47,930,487 57,384,611 8,355,360 Franchised-and-managed hotels 149,391,851 179,722,463 26,168,093 Membership fees 13,799,619 19,718,205 2,871,026 Total revenues 211,121,957 256,825,279 37,394,479 First nine months of 2018 Financial Results Nine months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Revenues Leased-and-operated hotels 136,757,301 151,300,547 22,029,783 Franchised-and-managed hotels 395,890,485 489,101,041 71,214,479 Membership fees 38,686,758 54,721,402 7,967,589 Total revenues 571,334,544 695,122,990 101,211,851 Total revenues for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB256.8 million (US$37.4 million)[1], representing a 21.6% increase over third quarter 2017. Total revenues for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB695.1 million (US$101.2 million)[1], representing a 21.7% increase over first nine months of 2017. The year-over-year increase in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily attributable to the 123 F&M hotels net addition to our network, the addition of a new L&O hotel and the conversion of three F&M to L&O hotels during this quarter, improved RevPAR for both F&M and L&O hotels as well as membership growth; and was partially offset by the renovation of six L&O hotels during this quarter and the conversion of one L&O to an F&M hotel after the second quarter of 2017. Total revenues from leased-and-operated hotels for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB57.4 million ( US$8.4 million ) [1] , representing a 19.7% year-over-year increase. Total revenues from leased-and-operated hotels for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB151.3 million ( US$22.0 million ) [1] , representing a 10.6% year-over-year increase. The year-over-year increase in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily attributable to RevPAR growth of 4.8%, moderate sublease revenue growth, the addition of a new L&O hotel and the conversion of three F&M to L&O hotels during this quarter; and was partially offset by the renovation of six L&O hotels during this quarter and the conversion of one L&O to F&M hotel after the second quarter of 2017. for the third quarter of 2018 were ( ) , representing a 19.7% year-over-year increase. Total revenues from leased-and-operated hotels for the first nine months of 2018 were ( ) , representing a 10.6% year-over-year increase. The year-over-year increase in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily attributable to RevPAR growth of 4.8%, moderate sublease revenue growth, the addition of a new L&O hotel and the conversion of three F&M to L&O hotels during this quarter; and was partially offset by the renovation of six L&O hotels during this quarter and the conversion of one L&O to F&M hotel after the second quarter of 2017. Total revenues from franchised-and-managed hotels for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB179.7 million ( US$26.2 million )[1], representing a 20.3% year-over-year increase. Total revenues from franchised-and-managed hotels for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB489.1 million ( US$71.2 million ) [1], representing a 23.5% year-over-year increase. Initial franchise fees increased 10.0% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2018, primarily due to the gross opening of 145 hotels in the third quarter of 2018 as compared to 109 hotels opened in the third quarter of 2017, as well as a temporary waiver of initial franchisee fees for Shell hotels, which opened during the third quarter of 2018. The 21.6% year-over-year increase in recurring franchisee management fees in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily due to RevPAR growth of 4.3% as well as growth in central reservation system ("CRS") usage fees, annual IT and marketing fees and hotel manager fees, which in turn resulted from the increased number of hotels and hotel rooms in operation. Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Initial franchise fee 16,390,047 18,035,149 2,625,968 Recurring franchise management fee 133,001,804 161,687,314 23,542,125 Revenues from franchised-and-managed hotels 149,391,851 179,722,463 26,168,093 Nine months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Initial franchise fee 37,441,256 47,289,811 6,885,529 Recurring franchise management fee 358,449,229 441,811,230 64,328,950 Revenues from franchised-and-managed hotels 395,890,485 489,101,041 71,214,479 Total operating costs and expenses Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Operating costs and expenses Hotel operating costs 59,839,669 76,099,402 11,080,286 Selling and marketing expenses 10,280,954 11,319,534 1,648,156 General and administrative expenses 21,337,109 24,229,964 3,527,951 Other operating expenses 140,447 99,935 14,551 Total operating costs and expenses 91,598,179 111,748,835 16,270,944 Nine months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Operating costs and expenses Hotel operating costs 174,600,016 206,844,187 30,117,092 Selling and marketing expenses 29,336,600 34,223,888 4,983,094 General and administrative expenses 57,918,345 69,781,751 10,160,417 Other operating expenses 1,288,613 278,527 40,554 Total operating costs and expenses 263,143,574 311,128,353 45,301,157 Hotel operating costs for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB76.1 million (US$11.1 million)[1], representing a 27.2% year-over-year increase. Hotel operating costs for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB206.8 million (US$30.1 million)[1], representing an 18.5% year-over-year increase. The year-over-year increase in the third quarter of 2018 were mainly attributable to the increased number of general managers in our hotel network and other costs associated with the expansion of our F&M hotels, and higher rental costs, utilities and personnel costs associated with the four new L&O hotels; and was partially offset by reduced rental costs, depreciation and amortization and operating costs related to the conversion of one L&O hotel. Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Rental 15,297,799 19,958,416 2,906,001 Utilities 4,447,308 5,376,412 782,821 Personnel cost 7,120,232 10,221,598 1,488,293 Depreciation and amortization 5,676,717 5,752,902 837,639 Consumable, food and beverage 3,876,273 5,039,899 733,823 Costs of general managers of franchised-and-operated hotels 13,683,435 19,132,342 2,785,722 Other costs of franchised-and-operated hotels 6,289,568 7,687,857 1,119,373 Others 3,448,337 2,929,976 426,614 Hotel Operating Costs 59,839,669 76,099,402 11,080,286 Nine months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD Rental 45,814,573 55,250,840 8,044,677 Utilities 13,236,956 15,591,749 2,270,202 Personnel cost 20,350,660 25,391,187 3,697,028 Depreciation and amortization 17,419,804 14,287,708 2,080,330 Consumable, food and beverage 9,424,743 14,079,286 2,049,983 Costs of general managers of franchised-and-operated hotels 40,361,514 50,447,624 7,345,315 Other costs of franchised-and-operated hotels 17,839,079 21,855,821 3,182,269 Others 10,152,687 9,939,972 1,447,288 Hotel Operating Costs 174,600,016 206,844,187 30,117,092 Selling and marketing expenses for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB11.3 million (US$1.6 million)[1], compared to RMB10.3 million in the third quarter of 2017. Selling and marketing expenses for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB34.2 million (US$5.0 million)[1], compared to RMB29.3 million in the first nine months of 2017. The year-over-year increase of 10.1% in the third quarter of 2018 was mainly attributable to model room construction, exhibition and other advertising and promotion expenses related to our three new business to mid-to-upscale brands, increased personnel, compensation and other costs (i.e. travel expenses) of business development personnel, as a result of the increased opening of hotels. General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2018 were RMB24.2 million (US$3.5 million)[1], compared to RMB21.3 million in the third quarter of 2017. General and administrative expenses for the first nine months of 2018 were RMB69.8 million (US$10.2 million)[1], compared to RMB57.9 million in the first nine months of 2017. The year-over-year increase of 13.6% in the third quarter of 2018 was primarily attributable to increased share-based compensation expenses. Gross profit for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB180.7 million (US$26.3 million)[1], representing a year-over-year increase of 19.5%. Gross margin in the third quarter was 70.4%, compared to 71.7% a year ago. Gross profit for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB488.3 million (US$71.1 million)[1], representing a year-over-year increase of 23.1%. Income from operations for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB146.9 million (US$21.4 million)[1], representing a year-over-year increase of 14.3%. Operating margin in the third quarter declined to 57.2%, compared to 60.9% a year ago. Income from operations for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB411.9 million (US$60.0 million)[1], representing a year-over-year increase of 27.8%. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB156.5 million (US$22.8 million)[1], a year-over-year increase of 24.2%. The adjusted EBITDA margin, defined as adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) as a percentage of total revenues, was 60.9% in the third quarter of 2018, compared to 59.6% in the third quarter of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB409.2 million (US$59.6 million)[1], a year-over-year increase of 24.6%. Net income for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB152.4 million (US$22.2 million)[1], representing a year-over-year increase of 36.3%. Net margin in the third quarter was 59.3%, compared to 52.9% a year ago. Net income for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB339.8 million (US$49.5 million)[1], a year-over-year increase of 15.2%. Core net income (non-GAAP) for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB125.3 million (US$18.2 million)[1], representing a 30.3% year-over-year increase. The core net margin, defined as core net income (non-GAAP) as a percentage of total revenues, was 48.8% in the third quarter of 2018, compared to 45.5% in the third quarter of 2017. Core net income (non-GAAP) for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB320.1 million (US$46.6 million)[1], representing a 27.6% year-over-year increase. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB1.50 (US$0.22)[1], representing a 23.0% year-over-year increase. Basic and diluted earnings per ADS was RMB3.46 (US$0.50)[1] for the first nine months of 2018, representing a 7.1% year-over-year increase. Basic and diluted core net income per ADS (non-GAAP) were RMB1.23 (US$0.18)[1] for the third quarter of 2018, representing a 17.1% year-over-year increase. Basic and diluted core net income per ADS (non-GAAP) were RMB3.26 (US$0.47)[1] for the first nine months of 2018, representing a 18.5% year-over-year increase. Cash flow. Operating cash inflow for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB202.9million (US$29.5 million)[1], due primarily to improved operating performance across our hotel portfolio. Operating cash inflow for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB402.3 million (US$58.6 million)[1]. Investing cash outflow for the third quarter of 2018 was RMB158.0 million (US$23.0 million)[1], which was attributable primarily to RMB23.2 million in capital expenditure and RMB134.8 million in other investments, mainly including short-term investments and loans to franchisees and third parties. Investing cash outflow for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB335.2 million (US$48.8 million)[1]. Financing cash outflow for the third quarter of 2018 was nil while net financing cash inflow for the first nine months of 2018 was RMB604.6 million (US$88.0 million)[1]. Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, Short-term investments and securities. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had a total balance of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short term investments and securities of RMB1,996.3 million (US$290.7 million)[1], as compared to RMB1,898.8 million as of June 30, 2018, primarily due to net operating cash inflow, offset by fixed asset and other investments. Guidance For the full year 2018, the Company reaffirms total revenue growth guidance of 20-25% from 2017. The guidance set forth above reflects the Company's current and preliminary view based on our estimates, may not be indicative of our financial results for future interim periods and the full year ended December 31, 2018 and is subject to change. Conference Call GreenTree's management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on November 19, 2018 (9:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on November 19, 2018). Dial-in numbers for the live conference call are as follows: International 1-412-902-4272 China 4001-201203 US 1-888-346-8982 Hong Kong 800-905945 or 852-3018-4992 Participants should ask to join the GreenTree call, please dial in approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled time of the call. A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call until November 26, 2018. Dial-in numbers for the replay are as follows: International Dial-in 1-412-317-0088 U.S. Toll Free 1-877-344-7529 Canada Toll Free 855-669-9658 Passcode: 10125987 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at http://ir.998.com. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures We believe that Adjusted EBITDA and core net income, as we present it, is a useful financial metric to assess our operating and financial performance before the impact of investing and financing transactions, income taxes and certain non-core and non-recurring items in our financial statements. The presentation of Adjusted EBITDA and core net income should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by other charges and gains we consider to be outside the ordinary course of our business. The use of Adjusted EBITDA and core net income has certain limitations because it does not reflect all items of income and expenses that affect our operations. Items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA and core net income are significant components in understanding and assessing our operating and financial performance. Depreciation and amortization expense for various long-term assets, income tax and share-based compensation have been and will be incurred and are not reflected in the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA. Each of these items should also be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA and core net income does not consider capital expenditures and other investing activities and should not be considered as a measure of our liquidity. We compensate for these limitations by providing the relevant disclosure of our depreciation and amortization, interest expense/income, gains/losses from trading securities, income tax expenses, share-based compensation, share of loss in equity investees, government subsidies and other relevant items both in our reconciliations to the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures and in our consolidated financial statements, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance. The term Adjusted EBITDA and core net income is not defined under U.S. GAAP, and Adjusted EBITDA and core net income is not a measure of net income, operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. When assessing our operating and financial performance, you should not consider this data in isolation or as a substitute for our net income, operating income or any other operating performance measure that is calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, our Adjusted EBITDA and core net income may not be comparable to Adjusted EBITDA and core net income or similarly titled measures utilized by other companies since such other companies may not calculate Adjusted EBITDA and core net income in the same manner as we do. Reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA and core net income, to the consolidated statement of operations information are included at the end of this press release. About GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. ("GreenTree" or the "Company") (NYSE: GHG) is a leading franchised hotel operator in China. As of December 31, 2017, GreenTree had the highest proportion of franchised-and-managed hotels among the top four economy to mid-scale hotel networks in China. In 2017, GreenTree was the fourth largest economy to mid-scale hotel group in China in terms of number of hotel rooms according to the China Hospitality Association. The Company has built a strong suite of brands including its flagship "GreenTree Inns" brand as a result of its long-standing dedication to the hospitality industry in China, the consistent quality of its services, signature hotel designs, broad geographic coverage and convenient locations. GreenTree has positioned its brands to appeal to value- and quality-conscious business and leisure travelers. For more information on GreenTree, please visit http://ir.998.com Safe Harbor Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to," "confident," "future," or other similar expressions. GreenTree may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about or based on GreenTree's current beliefs, expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about us and our industry, are forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: GreenTree's goals and growth strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; trends in the hospitality industry in China and globally; competition in our industry; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and other regions where we operate; the regulatory environment in which we and our franchisees operate; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided, including the forward-looking statements made, in this press release are current as of the date of the press release. Except as required by law, GreenTree undertakes no obligation to update any such information or forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the information is provided or statements are made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Notes: [1] The conversion of Renminbi ("RMB") into United States dollars ("US$") is based on the exchange rate of US$1.00=RMB6.8680 on September 28, 2018 as set forth in H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and available at https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h10/20181001. [2] "Tier 1 cities" refers to the term used by the National Bureau of Statistics of China and refer to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. [3] "Tier 2 cities" refers to the 32 major cities, other than Tier 1 cities, as categorized by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, including provincial capitals, administrative capitals of autonomous regions, direct-controlled municipalities and other major cities designated as "municipalities with independent planning" by the State Council. [4] Wumian Hotel's English trademark is currently being registered. -- Financial Tables and Operational Data Follow -- GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31, September 30, September 30, 2017 2018 2018 RMB RMB USD ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents 161,963,665 839,157,006 122,183,606 Short-term investment 781,850,000 894,400,083 130,227,152 Trading securities 307,754,960 259,758,591 37,821,577 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 53,882,894 65,660,503 9,560,353 Amounts due from related parties 3,248,692 251,999 36,692 Prepaid rent 4,292,472 4,141,616 603,031 Inventories 2,355,154 1,434,132 208,814 Other current assets 127,269,801 66,495,332 9,681,905 Loans receivable, net 6,600,000 196,608,587 28,626,760 Deferred tax assets 36,207,884 28,222,162 4,109,226 Total current assets 1,485,425,522 2,356,130,011 343,059,116 Non-current assets: Amounts due from a related party 2,600,000 - - Restricted cash 3,000,000 3,000,000 436,808 Loan receivable, net - 26,900,000 3,916,715 Property and equipment, net 96,669,251 221,951,940 32,316,823 Intangible assets, net 3,727,383 16,100,662 2,344,301 Goodwill 2,959,183 4,314,981 628,273 Long-term investments 122,508,832 119,571,686 17,409,972 Other assets 5,741,301 11,741,301 1,709,568 Deferred tax assets 33,351,457 34,618,065 5,040,487 TOTAL ASSETS 1,755,982,929 2,794,328,646 406,862,063 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable 7,293,341 8,788,268 1,279,596 Advance from customers 33,662,363 36,302,861 5,285,798 Amounts due to related parties 473,018 1,102,375 160,509 Salary and welfare payable 44,577,683 39,656,469 5,774,093 Deferred rent 2,916,205 4,355,231 634,134 Deferred revenue 109,101,986 142,546,431 20,755,159 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 293,741,951 268,468,295 39,089,734 Income tax payable 103,830,578 95,764,800 13,943,623 Dividends payable 39,691,103 - - Deferred tax liabilities 27,745,951 17,380,672 2,530,674 Total current liabilities 663,034,179 614,365,402 89,453,320 Deferred rent 23,050,635 26,446,537 3,850,690 Deferred revenue 144,258,584 163,575,878 23,817,105 Other long-term liabilities 73,937,277 91,796,257 13,365,792 Deferred tax liabilities 5,797,260 7,073,087 1,029,861 Unrecognized tax benefits 113,299,633 157,713,855 22,963,578 Total liabilities 1,023,377,568 1,060,971,016 154,480,346 Shareholders' equity: Class A ordinary shares 160,189,926 217,421,867 31,657,232 Class B ordinary shares 140,696,841 115,534,210 16,822,104 Additional paid-in capital 212,309,734 994,486,411 144,800,001 Retained earnings 223,134,889 402,465,307 58,600,074 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,086,149) (2,444,241) (355,888) Total GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. shareholders' equity 732,245,241 1,727,463,554 251,523,523 Non-controlling interests 360,120 5,894,076 858,194 Total shareholders' equity 732,605,361 1,733,357,630 252,381,717 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,755,982,929 2,794,328,646 406,862,063 GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD RMB RMB USD Revenues Leased-and-operated hotels 47,930,487 57,384,611 8,355,360 136,757,301 151,300,547 22,029,783 Franchised-and-managed hotels 149,391,851 179,722,463 26,168,093 395,890,485 489,101,041 71,214,479 Membership fees 13,799,619 19,718,205 2,871,026 38,686,758 54,721,402 7,967,589 Total revenues 211,121,957 256,825,279 37,394,479 571,334,544 695,122,990 101,211,851 Operating costs and expenses Hotel operating costs (59,839,669) (76,099,402) (11,080,286) (174,600,016) (206,844,187) (30,117,092) Selling and marketing expenses (10,280,954) (11,319,534) (1,648,156) (29,336,600) (34,223,888) (4,983,094) General and administrative expenses (21,337,109) (24,229,964) (3,527,951) (57,918,345) (69,781,751) (10,160,417) Other operating expenses (140,447) (99,935) (14,551) (1,288,613) (278,527) (40,554) Total operating costs and expenses (91,598,179) (111,748,835) (16,270,944) (263,143,574) (311,128,353) (45,301,157) Other operating income 9,070,947 1,865,788 271,664 14,137,923 27,933,277 4,067,163 Income from operations 128,594,725 146,942,232 21,395,199 322,328,893 411,927,914 59,977,857 Interest income and other, net 7,552,058 14,991,069 2,182,742 20,222,932 31,114,962 4,530,425 Interest expense (666,665) - - (927,959) - - Gains (losses) from trading securities 13,008,183 3,091,278 450,099 48,975,568 (27,945,284) (4,068,911) Other (income) expense, net (376,223) 36,723,048 5,346,978 (446,041) 36,723,048 5,346,978 Income before income taxes 148,112,078 201,747,627 29,375,018 390,153,393 451,820,640 65,786,349 Income tax expense (35,694,806) (49,511,158) (7,208,963) (94,026,429) (111,085,777) (16,174,400) Income before share of loss in equity investees 112,417,272 152,236,469 22,166,055 296,126,964 340,734,863 49,611,949 Share of (losses) gains in equity investees, net of tax (637,240) 141,666 20,627 (1,150,687) (948,358) (138,084) Net income 111,780,032 152,378,135 22,186,682 294,976,277 339,786,505 49,473,865 Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests 12,655 358,464 52,193 47,904 384,831 56,032 Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders 111,792,687 152,736,599 22,238,875 295,024,181 340,171,336 49,529,897 Net earnings per share Class A ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.22 1.50 0.22 3.23 3.46 0.50 Class B ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.22 1.50 0.22 3.23 3.46 0.50 Net earnings per ADS Class A ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.22 1.50 0.22 3.23 3.46 0.50 Class B ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.22 1.50 0.22 3.23 3.46 0.50 Weighted average shares outstanding Class A ordinary share-basic and diluted 48,635,252 66,789,299 66,789,299 48,635,252 61,536,613 61,536,613 Class B ordinary share-basic and diluted 42,716,957 34,762,909 34,762,909 42,716,957 36,802,409 36,802,409 Other comprehensive income, net of tax Foreign currency translation adjustments (512,909) (2,685,649) (391,038) (2,492,683) (1,641,908) (239,066) Comprehensive income, net of tax 111,267,123 149,692,486 21,795,644 292,483,594 338,144,597 49,234,799 Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interests 12,655 358,464 52,193 47,904 384,831 56,033 Comprehensive income attributable to ordinary shareholders 111,279,778 150,050,950 21,847,837 292,531,498 338,529,428 49,290,832 GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, 2017 2018 2018 2017 2018 2018 RMB RMB USD RMB RMB USD Operation activities: Net income 111,780,032 152,378,135 22,186,682 294,976,277 339,786,505 49,473,865 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 6,266,013 7,453,263 1,085,216 18,940,093 17,405,012 2,534,218 Share of loss (gain) in equity method investments 637,240 (141,666) (20,627) 1,150,687 948,358 138,084 Gains from disposal of a long-term investment - (36,723,048) (5,346,978) - (36,723,048) (5,346,978) Interest income (3,050,000) (14,991,069) (2,182,742) (9,150,000) (19,928,935) (2,901,709) Interest expense 666,665 - - 927,959 - - Bad debt expense 784,648 623,470 90,779 1,939,171 1,322,173 192,512 (Gains) losses from trading securities (13,008,183) (3,091,278) (450,099) (48,975,568) 27,945,284 4,068,911 Loss on disposal of property and equipment - - - 157,506 - - Foreign exchange loss (gain) 415,990 (4,904,076) (714,047) (882,266) (5,518,929) (803,571) Share-based compensation - 3,821,789 556,463 - 7,568,558 1,102,003 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Restricted cash - - - 7,200,000 - - Accounts receivable 6,591,491 7,038,795 1,024,868 (19,653,723) (12,429,842) (1,809,820) Prepaid rent 3,116,843 19,552 2,847 9,715,840 150,856 21,965 Inventories (113,463) 265,681 38,684 (102,239) 1,227,103 178,670 Amounts due from related parties 3,923,740 148,694 21,650 7,359,458 1,670,817 243,276 Other current assets (1,967,677) (693,699) (101,005) (3,786,736) (27,059,650) (3,939,961) Other assets - - - 1,728,263 - - Accounts payable 1,113,255 (68,022) (9,904) 3,228,697 269,186 39,194 Amounts due to related parties 258,363 148,655 21,645 2,796,777 629,357 91,636 Salary and welfare payable 2,907,810 (3,379,410) (492,052) 2,229,131 (5,030,701) (732,484) Deferred revenue 23,131,108 16,195,785 2,358,152 37,798,634 52,761,739 7,682,257 Advance from customers 8,273,576 3,111,537 453,048 20,049,623 2,640,498 384,464 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 15,517,019 24,458,339 3,561,203 31,050,187 (2,756,027) (401,285) Income tax payable 25,374,238 31,644,131 4,607,474 (1,819,136) (4,895,783) (712,840) Unrecognized tax benefits (12,941,734) (2,526,933) (367,929) 1,802,524 44,414,222 6,466,835 Deferred rent (8,268,696) 6,878,075 1,001,467 (19,160,087) 4,834,928 703,979 Other long-term liabilities 3,435,645 8,384,000 1,220,734 3,262,752 17,858,980 2,600,317 Deferred taxes (1,198,750) 6,836,404 995,400 4,591,666 (4,784,588) (696,649) Net cash provided by operating activities 173,645,173 202,887,104 29,540,929 347,375,490 402,306,073 58,576,889 Investing activities: Purchases of property and equipment (5,877,080) (1,547,609) (225,336) (12,987,482) (114,555,864) (16,679,653) Purchases of intangible assets (15,386) (1,950,000) (283,925) (15,386) (2,850,000) (414,968) Increase in long-term investments (100,701,474) - - (100,701,474) - - Acquisitions, net of cash received - (13,698,384) (1,994,523) - (13,698,384) (1,994,523) Proceeds from disposal of a long-term investment - 89,182,803 12,985,265 - 89,182,803 12,985,265 Prepayments for investments - (6,000,000) (873,617) - (6,000,000) (873,617) Purchases of short-term investments - (92,693,808) (13,496,478) - (884,360,449) (128,765,354) Proceeds from short-term investments - 50,701,216 7,382,239 - 795,935,220 115,890,393 Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment 300,000 - - 1,900,000 - - Purchases of trading securities (2,943,000) (40,879) (5,952) (39,972,398) (4,836,717) (704,240) Proceeds from disposal of trading securities 7,355,677 6,015,829 875,922 38,752,543 24,887,802 3,623,734 Loan to related parties - - - (1,000,000) - - Loan to third parties - (156,819,164) (22,833,309) - (166,819,164) (24,289,337) Loan to franchisees - (35,629,423) (5,187,744) (6,600,000) (63,429,423) (9,235,501) Repayment from franchisees - 4,489,937 653,747 - 11,329,937 1,649,671 Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (101,881,263) (157,989,482) (23,003,711) (120,624,197) (335,214,239) (48,808,130) Financing activities: Distribution to the shareholders - - - (9,651,158) (200,532,021) (29,198,023) Income tax paid related to the above distribution - - - - (3,000,000) (436,808) Proceeds from short-term borrowings - - - 60,000,000 - - Changes in restricted cash (36,850,000) - - (821,850,000) - - Proceeds from IPO, net of capitalized expenses - - - - 833,202,245 121,316,576 Payment for initial public offering costs - - - - (25,087,646) (3,652,831) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (36,850,000) - - (771,501,158) 604,582,578 88,028,914 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (928,899) 4,904,076 714,049 (1,610,415) 5,518,929 803,571 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 33,985,011 49,801,698 7,251,267 (546,360,280) 677,193,341 98,601,244 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 316,437,644 789,355,308 114,932,339 896,782,935 161,963,665 23,582,362 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 350,422,655 839,157,006 122,183,606 350,422,655 839,157,006 122,183,606 Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: Income taxes paid (24,732,129) (13,557,556) (1,974,018) (89,757,519) (76,351,926) (11,117,054) Interest paid (666,665) - - (927,959) - - Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities Acquisition of investment through conversion of loan - (8,225,876) (1,197,711) - (8,225,876) (1,197,711) GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD RMB RMB USD Net income 111,780,032 152,378,135 22,186,682 294,976,277 339,786,505 49,473,865 Deduct: Other operating income 9,070,947 1,865,788 271,664 14,137,923 27,933,277 4,067,163 Interest income and other, net 7,552,058 14,991,069 2,182,742 20,222,932 31,114,962 4,530,425 Gains from trading securities 13,008,183 3,091,278 450,099 48,975,568 - - Share of gain in equity investees, net of tax - 141,666 20,627 - - - Other income, net - 36,723,048 5,346,978 - 36,723,048 5,346,978 Add: Other operating expenses 140,447 99,935 14,551 1,288,613 278,527 40,554 Income tax expense 35,694,806 49,511,158 7,208,963 94,026,429 111,085,777 16,174,400 Share of loss in equity investees, net of tax 637,240 - - 1,150,687 948,358 138,084 Interest expense 666,665 - - 927,959 - - Share-based compensation - 3,821,789 556,463 - 7,568,558 1,102,003 Depreciation and amortization 6,266,013 7,453,263 1,085,216 18,940,093 17,405,012 2,534,218 Losses from trading securities - - - - 27,945,284 4,068,911 Other expense, net 376,223 - - 446,041 - - Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) 125,930,238 156,451,431 22,779,765 328,419,676 409,246,734 59,587,469 Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2018 RMB RMB USD RMB RMB USD Net income 111,780,032 152,378,135 22,186,682 294,976,277 339,786,505 49,473,865 Deduct: Government subsidies (net of 25% tax) 6,172,500 1,049,804 152,854 7,665,746 11,362,580 1,654,423 Gains from trading securities (net of 25% tax) 9,756,137 2,318,459 337,574 36,731,676 - - Reimbursement related to the ADS program - - - - 9,271,648 1,349,978 Other income, net (net of 25% tax) - 27,542,286 4,010,234 - 27,542,286 4,010,234 Add: Share-based compensation - 3,821,789 556,463 - 7,568,558 1,102,003 Losses from trading securities (net of 25% tax) - - - - 20,958,962 3,051,683 Other expense (net of 25% tax) 282,167 - - 334,531 - - Core net income (Non-GAAP) 96,133,562 125,289,375 18,242,483 250,913,386 320,137,511 46,612,916 Core net income per ADS (Non-GAAP) Class A ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.05 1.23 0.18 2.75 3.26 0.47 Class B ordinary share-basic and diluted 1.05 1.23 0.18 2.75 3.26 0.47 Operational Data As of September 30, 2017 As of September 30,2 018 Total hotels in operation: 2,119 2,558 Leased and owned hotels 27 30 Franchised hotels 2,092 2,528 Total hotel rooms in operation 178,535 209,463 Leased and owned hotels 3,396 3,857 Franchised hotels 175,139 205,606 Number of cities 244 278 Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 Occupancy rate (as a percentage) Leased and owned hotels 76.9% 72.6% Franchised hotels 87.7% 87.5% Blended 87.4% 87.2% Average daily room rate (in RMB) Leased and owned hotels 189 210 Franchised hotels 159 166 Blended 160 167 RevPAR (in RMB) Leased and owned hotels 145 152 Franchised hotels 139 145 Blended 140 146 Number of Hotels in Operation Number of Hotel Rooms in Operation As of September 30, 2017 As of September 30, 2018 As of September 30, 2017 As of September 30, 2018 Economy hotels 201 358 11,307 19,160 Vatica 92 117 6,822 8,698 Shell 109 241 4,485 10,462 Mid-scale 1,878 2,119 162,490 181,434 GreenTree Inn 1,655 1,824 144,639 158,174 GT Alliance 223 294 17,851 23,199 Wumian Hotel[4] - 1 - 61 Business to Mid-to-up-scale 40 81 4,738 8,869 GreenTree Eastern 40 74 4,738 8,270 Gme - 2 - 170 Gya - 1 - 70 VX - 4 - 359 Total 2,119 2,558 178,535 209,463 [4]. Wumian Hotel's English trademark is currently being registered. For more information, please contact: GreenTree Ms. Selina Yang Phone: +86-21-3617-4886 ext. 7999 E-mail: [email protected] Mr. Nicky Zheng Phone: +86-21-3617-4886 ext. 6708 E-mail: [email protected] Christensen In Shanghai Ms. Constance Zhang Phone: +86-138-1645-1798 E-mail: [email protected] In Hong Kong Ms. Karen Hui Phone: +852-9266-4140 E-mail: [email protected] In US Ms. Linda Bergkamp Phone: +1-480-614-3004 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. Related Links http://ir.998.com Hormel Foods, the maker of the Hormel Cure 81 brand, believes that no one deserves to go hungry, especially during the holidays. The brand team is inspired to do their part to help end hunger and food insecurity. To raise funds to support Convoy of Hope, the Hormel Cure 81 brand team has announced that for every Twitter post submitted between today and the end of the year using the hashtag #HamsForHunger and tagging @HormelFoods, they will donate $10 (up to $100,000) to support the organization's children's feeding program. According to Convoy of Hope, a $10 gift feeds a child in this program for an entire month (a $100,000 donation would feed 10,000 children for a month). "Hormel Foods is proud to partner with Convoy of Hope to support their passion to feed the world through its various hunger-relief initiatives," said Stephanie Postma, Hormel Cure 81brand manager at Hormel Foods. "This donation complements our company's long-standing Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program. We are honored to work together to make such a substantial hunger-relief contribution to those who are in need." "We count it an honor and a privilege to partner with Hormel Foods to bring hope and help to people who need it the most," said Jeff Nene, Convoy of Hope's national spokesperson. Since 1994, more than 100 million people have been served throughout the world by Convoy of Hope, whose mission is to feed the world through children's feeding initiatives, community outreaches and disaster response. The monetary donation is in addition to the Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program. The program, created in 1989, involves a partnership between Hormel Foods and grocery retailers across the country. Throughout the years, more than $13 million dollars in hams have been donated, feeding tens of thousands of families. For more information about the Hormel Cure 81 brand, including recipes and its Hams for Hunger program, visit www.hormel.com/brands/cure81. ABOUT HORMEL FOODS Inspired People. Inspired Food. Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label, Columbus and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the 10th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future Inspired People. Inspired Food. focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/. Contacts: Brian Olson Hormel Foods 507-437-5766 [email protected] SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation Related Links http://www.hormel.com Mr. Echlov fills a spot recently vacated by Dr. William E. Cox, EdD, a founding shareholder and director of the Bank since 2009. Dr. Cox retired in April 2018, and the Bank had been searching for a qualified replacement. "I've known Russell for several years, and he brings a high level of financial acuity as well as a strong investor perspective to MainStreet," said Jeff W. Dick, Chairman & CEO. "We recently announced a commitment to use our best efforts to register our common stock with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Russell will play an integral part as an independent director with financial expertise." "MainStreet has demonstrated solid growth metrics within a very vibrant market," stated Russell Echlov. "I am pleased to be joining the board and look forward to assisting where I can to build franchise value." ABOUT MAINSTREET BANK: MainStreet Bank recently announced exceeding $1 billion in total assets. MainStreet operates six branches in Herndon, Fairfax, Fairfax City, McLean, Leesburg and Clarendon. The Bank is not restricted by a conventional branching system, as it offers business customers the ability to Put Our Bank in Your Office. In addition, MainStreet has 55,000 free ATM's and a fully integrated online and mobile banking solution. With robust and easy-to-use online business banking technology, MainStreet has "put our bank" in well over 1,000 businesses in the Metropolitan area. MainStreet has a full complement of payment system services for third party payment providers. MainStreet has a nationally known market leader and a highly experienced team ready to help payment providers create a solution perfect for their needs. MainStreet has a robust line of business and professional lending products, including government contracting lines of credit, commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction and commercial real estate. MainStreet also works with the SBA to offer 7A and 504 lending solutions. From mobile banking and Apple Pay to instant-issue Debit Cards, MainStreet Bank is always looking for ways to improve its customer experience. MainStreet Bank was the first community bank in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area to offer a full online business banking solution. MainStreet Bank was the first bank headquartered in the Commonwealth of Virginia to offer CDARS a solution that provides multi-million-dollar FDIC insurance. Further information on the Bank can be obtained by visiting its website at mstreetbank.com . This release contains forward-looking statements, including our expectations with respect to future events that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations include: fluctuation in market rates of interest and loan and deposit pricing, adverse changes in the overall national economy as well as adverse economic conditions in our specific market areas, maintenance and development of well-established and valued client relationships and referral source relationships, and acquisition or loss of key production personnel. Other risks that can affect the Bank are detailed from time to time in our annual reports. We caution readers that the list of factors above is not exclusive. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and we may not undertake steps to update the forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of any circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements are made. In addition, our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Contact: Jeff W. Dick (703) 481-4567 SOURCE MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. Related Links http://mstreetbank.com This new commercial presence will focus on bringing Masterpiece's best in class service for clients operating in their respective regions. "We're excited to see the ILS Division grow in new markets," said Nick Iosue, Executive Vice President of Sales, "Our newest team members will add a wealth of commercial experience and customer support in these regions." Roger Huiras, Director of Strategic Accounts, has over 25 years of experience managing operations, asset utilization, and building customer relationships in the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Huiras, based in Portland, will focus on providing personalized customer service support and knowledge to commercial accounts, and introducing Masterpiece ILS Division to the area. Tony Alvarez, Director of Strategic Accounts, will boost commercial efforts throughout the East Coast. Over the past two decades, Tony has had vast supply chain management experience. His primary focus will be to enhance Masterpiece's partnership with both new and existing ILS clients. Edgar Badlissi, Director of Strategic Accounts, based in Miami is the most recent addition to Masterpiece's sales team. He comes with over 20 years of experience in operations management, account management, and business development. Edgar will bring a new focus to Masterpiece's LATAM trade lanes with expertise in marine and automotive industry transport, machinery part supply chain, and government contract logistics. About Masterpiece International Masterpiece International was founded in 1989 in New York City, where its headquarters remains the preeminent logistics provider to the fine arts community and a wide range of specialty industries, for nearly three decades. It has since expanded into 17 locations across the United States, with access to every major U.S. port and airport, and an expansive worldwide network. Masterpiece International is a part of the Magnate Worldwide Family of Companies. Learn more at www.masterpieceintl.com. SOURCE Masterpiece International Related Links http://www.masterpieceintl.com SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Plastiq , the best way to pay bills by credit card, today announced it has raised $27 million in Series C financing. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from DST Global. Kleiner Perkins general partner, Ilya Fushman, will join the Plastiq Board of Directors. The funds will be used to accelerate growth and roll out new services that help business owners and entrepreneurs more fully tap into their existing credit card lines to fund business expansion. According to Bank of America , more than two out of three businesses plan to expand in the next five years yet one in three express concern about credit availability. For many businesses, credit cards are their most accessible financing tool, providing a revolving line of credit they can immediately use to fund or expand business operations. With Plastiq, business owners can pay virtually all their expenses by credit card, which allows them to better manage cash flow, tap early pay discounts and earn card rewards. Metro Vein , a specialty medical clinic with more than 12 locations across Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas, uses Plastiq to pay its vendors who do not accept credit cards. "With Plastiq, I was able to invest in a new line of business that has enabled me to more than double our revenues in the last ten months," said CEO Dmitri Ivanov. "Using the service was simple and I consider the company a must-have for any business owner who is looking to expand operations." With this round of funding, Plastiq will develop and deepen its partnerships with key players in the financial and payments sectors, such as MasterCard and other major card brands. "In the past year, we've seen a much greater interest for Plastiq's services across the payments ecosystem. Business owners and consumers alike have told us they want to use their credit cards to pay any expense they wish, whether it's business supplies or rent," said Eliot Buchanan, Plastiq CEO. "This latest investment will help us make Plastiq more available to our customers wherever is most convenient for them." "Today's payments market is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by advancements in technology that benefits both businesses and consumers," said Ilya Fushman, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins. "Plastiq holds a unique value proposition that not only empowers small business owners to continue growing their operations, but also offers an advanced platform that makes it possible to pay for their most important expenses and obtain the capital they need, anytime and anywhere." In October 2018, expedited check delivery was announced as a new part of Plastiq's Accelerated Payment Suite. The feature includes standard and expedited ACH bank transfers and US domestic wire transfers, offering a flexible, easy-to-use way for customers to maximize their credit line. About Plastiq Plastiq is bill pay with benefits, enabling business owners and consumers to use a credit card for virtually any expense, even ones that normally require a check. With Plastiq, it's easier to earn credit card rewards, tap early-payment discounts, and use your cash in ways that make the most sense for you. Plastiq works with all major credit card providers, including American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, and JCB, and its payments platform has signed up more than one million clients, processing billions in payments for a wide range of expenses, from business supplier payments, to contractors, to taxes and rent. Learn more at www.plastiq.com . About Kleiner Perkins For five decades, Kleiner Perkins has partnered with some of the most ingenious founders in technology and life sciences, helping them make history with their bold ideas. Through twenty venture funds and four growth funds, we've invested $10 billion in hundreds of companies including pioneers such as Amazon, Genentech and Google. Today, Kleiner Perkins continues to invest in founders and their bold ideas helping them to make history. For more information, visit http://www.kleinerperkins.com and follow us @kpcb.com SOURCE Plastiq Related Links https://www.plastiq.com At the events, Sanya showcased its tropical coastal scenery and the cultural charm of Li and Miao ethnic groups who reside in the area, telling the Sanya story through videos, a photo gallery and a PowerPoint presentation. CEO of TUI China Dr. Guido Brettschneider gave a presentation on Sanya's tourism offerings designed especially for the German market and shared information about the area in general as well as the available tours. Ms Maunder talked about the changes that she observed between the two sojourns, showing several collections of photos she took when she traveled to Sanya in 1988 and 2018, among them, "Comparison of the Big Four Bay Areas, Then and Now", "Small Fishing Boats Under Sanya Bridge Are Replaced by Luxury Yachts", and "Atlantis Sanya Is One of the Only Two Atlantis Hotels in the World". Zhu Weige, Consul and Head of Economic and Commercial Section of the Consulate General of People's Republic of China in Frankfurt am Main, said in his speech that China and Germany have long-standing friendly exchanges and the cooperation in the tourism industry has enhanced mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples. Frankfurt's and Sanya's tourism markets have unlimited potential and a bright outlook. He looks forward to a broader and deeper cooperation in tourism between the two cities. The Sanya Tourism Development Commission launched the joint promotions with TUI Group in a move to strengthen the communication and cooperation between Sanya and local travel agents, creating tourism packages suitable for German tourists, and making the offerings available to German travel agencies. German travel agents said that Sanya, with its tropical beaches and exotic appeal, is bound to interest German tourists. Sanya has been accelerating its expansion into the European market. In July of this year, a Sanya-London direct flight was launched, and Thomas Cook Sanya Branch, a joint-venture travel agency launched by Thomas Cook and the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, was officially set up in Sanya on October 15th, 2018. Hainan, the province in which Sanya is located, is exploring how to best develop a pilot free trade zone with Chinese characteristics as well as a free trade port while Sanya is well into the process of transforming itself into an international tourism destination. The city will continue to speed up expansion into European markets through introductions to tourist agencies and other promotional campaigns. SOURCE Sanya Tourism Development Commission The company simultaneously announced $40M in Series B funding, led by Taiwania Capital. The round was significantly oversubscribed and includes multiple global automotive OEMs, Tier 1s, and Tier 2s to be formally announced at CES in January. In addition to Taiwania Capital, existing investors Kleiner Perkins, Intel Capital, Airbus Ventures and Tychee Partners also participated. New Range and Scan Rate Records Key to Autonomous Automotive and Trucking Safety Using AEye's standard iDAR sensor, the company set up a formal test, monitored by VSI Labs, the leading research and development resource for active safety and automated vehicle technologies. The test was structured to establish and verify the range and scan rates of the iDAR system. The test was conducted on the runway of an airport in Byron, California in order to isolate targets to better measure and calibrate iDAR's performance. To test range, a standard 20-foot moving truck was tracked and continuously scanned down the length of the 914-meter runway. At the end of the runway, the iDAR system was fully able to continuously detect, and track the movements of the vehicle as well as detect runway signs and markers en route. The AEye sensor vehicle was then taken off the runway to extend the available test range to over 1000m, where iDAR continued to track the truck without difficulty. "The test conducted by AEye delivered impressive results," said Sara Sargent, senior engineer at VSI Labs. "We monitored the performance and the truck was clearly identifiable and visible at 1 kilometer. We were also able to verify that AEye's iDAR system achieves scan rates of 100Hz and that the fusion of the camera and LiDAR in the iDAR sensor produces accurate true color real-time point clouds in the form of Dynamic Vixels. This is an outstanding achievement that demonstrates the true potential of perception systems to reliably and accurately detect and track objects at great range." iDAR and Biomimicry AEye's iDAR is an intelligent artificial perception system that physically fuses an agile, solid-state LiDAR with a hi-res camera to create a new data type called Dynamic Vixels. These Dynamic Vixels are the result of real-time integration of iDAR's Agile LiDAR and a low-light camera in the IDAR sensor, not post fusion of a separate camera and LiDAR system after the scan. By capturing x, y, z, r, g, b data, Dynamic Vixels are uniquely created to biomimic the data structure of the human visual cortex. Better data drives vastly superior performance and delivers more accurate information. AEye's use of Biomimicry is more fully explored by Dr. James Doty, world renowned neurosurgeon and clinical professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, in an article he recently published. "After establishing a new standard for LiDAR scan speed, we set out to see just how far we could accurately search, acquire and track an object such as a truck," said Blair LaCorte, Chief of Staff at AEye. "The iDAR system performed as we expected. We detected the truck with plenty of signal to identify it as an object of interest, and then easily tracked it as it moved over 1000m away. We now believe that with small adaptations, we can achieve range performance of 5km to 10km or more. These results have significant implications for the autonomous trucking and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) markets, where sensing distance needs to be as far as possible and potential threats identified as early as possible to achieve safe, reliable vehicle autonomy." New Funds Fuel Company's Global Expansion In addition, AEye announced the close of its Series B round, bringing the company's total funding to over $61 million. The funds will be used to scale AEye's operations to meet global demand for the company's artificial perception systems for autonomous vehicles. AEye is uniquely structured to effectively scale through partnerships with contract manufacturers and Tier 1s on a global basis. This has allowed the company to focus on its core design and innovation competencies, avoiding the costs of building manufacturing capacity, while optimizing investment dollars on higher value activities. AEye's growth has been fueled by its ability, as a software driven platform, to provide artificial perception systems that address both ADAS and Mobility solutions and engagements with customers and partners in Europe, North America, and Asia. "This funding marks an inflection point for AEye, as we scale our staff, partnerships and investments to align with our customers' roadmap to commercialization," said Luis Dussan, AEye founder and CEO. "Our strategic relationship with Taiwania will serve as a gateway to Asia, with valuable manufacturing, logistics and technology resources that will accelerate our ability to address the needs of a global market. We intend to launch our next generation product at CES, which we believe will help OEMs and Tier 1s accelerate their products and services by delivering market leading performance at the lowest cost." "We see AEye as the foremost innovator in this space, whose systems deliver highly precise, actionable information at speeds and distances never seen in commercially available LiDAR sensors," said Huang Lee, Managing Partner at Taiwania. "We look forward to working closely with AEye's team to explore and pursue growth opportunities in this burgeoning space." AEye takes a disruptive approach to vehicle perception by putting intelligence at the sensor layer and making it extensible and controllable via a software driven architecture. The company's iDAR system is an intelligent artificial perception system that physically fuses an agile, solid-state LiDAR with a hi-res camera to create a new data type called Dynamic Vixels with integrated software definable feedback control loops. This enables the iDAR sensor to also dynamically assess and prioritize what's most relevant in a scene, then process this data at the edge. This is way above and beyond the function of legacy fixed pattern LiDAR systems and standalone cameras with 2D computer vision algorithms. This unique approach enables rapid, dynamic perception & path planning, for drastically improved autonomous vehicle safety and performance. For more information about AEye and its innovative approach to artificial perception, please visit www.aeye.ai. About AEye AEye is an artificial perception pioneer and creator of iDAR, a perception system that acts as the eyes and visual cortex of autonomous vehicles. Since its demonstration of its solid-state LiDAR scanner in 2013, AEye has pioneered breakthroughs in intelligent sensing. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and backed by world-renowned investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Taiwania Capital, Intel Capital, & Airbus Ventures. For more information, please visit www.aeye.ai . About Taiwania Capital Taiwania Capital is a venture capital firm sponsored by the Taiwan government and large private enterprises. Founded in 2017, Taiwania Capital is focused on ICT-related sectors and startups in fields including: enterprise IT infrastructure and software, AI, IoT, network security, industrial automation, drones and robotics, next-gen semiconductors, autonomous vehicle technology, and digital devices. With offices in both Taiwan and Silicon Valley, Taiwania Capital exclusively backs startups that will turn the promises of technological advancement into scalable applications. SOURCE AEye Related Links http://www.aeye.ai WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross has launched a new First Aid for Severe Bleeding online course so people can learn what to do until emergency help arrives. "A serious injury can lead to life-threatening blood loss within minutes, so it's critical for people to know exactly what to do to stop the flow of blood and save a life," said Eunice "Nici" Singletary, MD, FACEP, member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, Chair of the First Aid Sub-Council and Professor of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia Health System. The 30-minute online course contains content on how to recognize and care for life-threatening bleeding, including: When and how to apply different types of tourniquets When to use hemostatic dressing (a dressing with an agent on it for quickly clotting blood) How to recognize and care for someone in shock People can register for the course at https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/severebleeding. Bleeding Control Kits In addition to the course, having bleeding control kits available is also recommended. The kits have the supplies needed to help control life-threatening bleeding and prevent further blood loss from someone with a traumatic injury. Personal kits contain tourniquets, gauze, trauma shears and nitrile gloves. Professional kits also include a hemostatic dressing. Bleeding control kits are available at https://www.redcross.org/store/first-aid-supplies/bleeding-control. Stop the Bleed The course and the bleeding control kits are designed to help save lives. They also support the educational goals of the national Stop the Bleed campaign, which encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. Other Training Offerings The Red Cross recommends that everyone have the knowledge and skills to help in an emergency and save lives. A variety of First Aid and CPR/AED online, blended (online content and an in-person skills session) and classroom offerings are available at https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class. Offerings include the recently released First Aid for Opioid Overdoses online course on how to identify the signs and symptoms of a suspected overdose and the appropriate care to provide based on the responsiveness of the person. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. SOURCE American Red Cross Related Links http://www.redcross.org LONDON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The DSL market shrinks as the NBN is further rolled out Within the Australian fixed broadband market, there is a dynamic shift among customers to fibre networks, as this infrastructure is being built out by nbn (NBN Co), the company responsible for the national broadband deployment. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3948162 Australiaas broadband sector is making improved progress in its migration to a multi-technology National Broadband Network (NBN). Australiaas NBN is delivered via a multi-technology mix (MTM) to homes and businesses including: fibre to the premises (FTTP), fibre to the building (FTTB), fibre to the node (FTTN), Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), fixed wireless and satellite. The purpose of the company nbn is to build a nationwide, wholesale-only, high-speed, affordable open broadband network. NBN Co was rebranded as nbn, the company overseeing Australiaas National Broadband Network (NBN) project. As it does not provide telecommunications services to retail customers, the market opened up existing and new licensed RSPs (Retail Service Providers). The NBN will increase Australiaas GDP by up to $10 billion and create up to 150,000 new jobs nationally in the digital industry by 2021. The establishment of businesses in areas served by the NBN so far grew at twice the rate of the national average and five times the pace of regions without the network. NBN Co announced plans in 2018 to be able to more efficiently deploy fibre to the curb (FTTC) services instead of its more conventional DSLAM-based fibre to the basement (FTTB) services when connecting smaller multi-dwelling units (MDUs). The annual growth rate in the overall number of broadband subscribers is expected to continue to slow into 2019, with most growth coming from the mobile wireless and fibre broadband markets, due to increased uptake by the nbn is these two segments. The DSL sector is expected to shrink as customers are migrated to the NBN in areas where services become available, while subscribers on HFC infrastructure will continue to be provided by existing cable within the NBNas multi-technology mix. Commercial cable services based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard are anticipated in 2018-19. The DSL sector is still showing resilience as operators make greater use of VDSL, while nbn has trialled G.Fast technology and expects to provide services shortly. The fixed-line broadband market continues to grow steadily as the nbn rollout gains momentum, although overall penetration is predicted to grow slowly over the next five years to 2023. Internationally, the adoption of broadband ranks Australia below many other developed countries, however the Australian market has seen a moderate increase over the past two years due to the continued rollout of the nbn. Consolidation within the broadband market, with some key acquisitions having taken place among fixed broadband service providers, will provide greater reach and scale for operators in coming years. The industry has started to seriously question the regulatory environment around the NBN. The smaller players believe they are in danger of being squeezed out of the market through complex and expensive NBN wholesale offerings. These same arrangements also mean that the end-users are not receiving the benefits of high-speed broadband in an affordable form. NBN Co has revealed plans to begin deploying "skinny fibre" (thinner fibre cables) in new housing estates from 2017-2018. The National Broadband Network announced it would entirely abandon its plan to use the Optus Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) network to deliver high-speed broadband. NBN will however still be using Telstraas more extensive HFC network as planned. Key Developments NBN Co deploy fibre to the curb (FTTC) services instead of DSLAM-based fibre. NBN Co will deploy "skinny fibre" (thinner fibre cables) The NBN will increase Australiaas GDP by up to $10 billion. The DSL sector is expected to shrink as customers are migrated to the NBN. Consolidation within the fixed broadband market has occurred over the past few years. The annual growth rate in the fixed broadband market is expected to continue to slow over the next five years to 2023. Key companies mentioned in this report: NBN; Austar; Ericsson; Visionstream; Optus, iiNet, AUSTAR, Foxtel, Neighbourhood Cable, TransACT. Optus, Telstra, nbn (NBN Co), LBNCo, OPENetworks, OptiComm, RedTrain, Pivit, Fibercorp. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3948162 About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com The argument here is that none of that is worth what he has done to this country with all the negative aspects of his behavior and judgment. What he says and does or doesn't do to stir up fear and hatred, to offend, disgust and alienate all those people he doesn't care about, to consistently lie and deceive, to never admit he's wrong, to undermine our position in the world none of the positives he brags about can make up for this overwhelming number of negatives that have deepened the divide in this country. LONDON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Australias top three Telcos face growing competition Telstra is Australias largest telecommunications provider offering a full range of telecom services throughout Australia. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/685494 The company provides basic access services to most homes and businesses, local and long-distance telephone call services, and mobile and internet services. Wholesale services are also provided to ISPs and RSPs while advertising and subscription television services are provided through subsidiary companies. Several strategic investments undertaken have strengthened Telstraas position in the e-health services market. In total, over three years to June 2017 Telstra invested more than $5 billion into Telstraas mobile network. Telstra will start rapidly deploying the next generation of LTE technology including voice over LTE, LTE broadcast and the next stage of LTE advanced delivering peak network speeds of up to 600 Mb/s. Telstra continues to expand into emerging technology areas such as e-Health. Telstra has recently completed 15 acquisitions and partnerships in electronic prescriptions, remote diagnostics, secure health record keeping and telematics. Telstraas mobile network is well-positioned to offer superior services to those offered by the NBN company. Furthermore, through its national Wi-Fi and fibre backbone networks it can rapidly offload any heavy broadband traffic from its mobile network onto its fibre backbone. Optus provides a range of communications services that include mobile, national and long-distance services, local and international telephony, business network services, internet and satellite services, subscription TV and digital media services. The market position of Optus has not changed all that much over the years. It has been the number two telco in the Australian market since its inception some twenty years ago, with an overall market share hovering around the 20%-25%. Also unchanged is the fact that the majority of its market share is based on its mobile service. While Optus has been strong in the mobile market it has never been able to challenge Telstra, and during the 'Vodafaila period Optus has not been able to use that opportunity to significantly increase its market share. In September 2017 Optus achieved a worldas first achievement in pairing pre-5G technologies Massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) with 3CC Carrier Aggregation technologies, 3CC Massive MIMO. Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) was formed following the merger of Vodafone Australia with Hutchison Telecoms, each entity owning half of the new company. Hutchison and Vodafone now operate under the business name VHA, with products still marketed under the Vodafone brand. Vodafoneas infrastructure has seen a fundamental overhaul, largely due to the successful refarming of its 850MHz concessions which allowed it to convert 3G to LTE across the country. Vodafone Australia has begun committing major resources to evaluating a potential fixed-line play over NBN. It is also targeting leadership in the next generation of mobile, announcing that it will start running 5G lab trials and demonstrations. Vodafone Australia is also looking to take leadership in the growing Internet of Things space, drawing on the expertise of the Vodafone Group globally. Vodafone has begun a large half-decade network transformation project: virtualizing both its core and IP networks in its transition to a 5G environment. It is planning to launch fixed broadband service via the NBN in selected areas by 2018 and has been investing heavily to establish its own NBN infrastructure. BuddeComm surmises that if Vodafone did not enter the fixed-line business despite the obvious opportunities in place it may become a target for fixed-line players. Key developments: Over three years to June 2017 Telstra invested more than $5 billion into Telstraas mobile network. Telstraas mobile network is well-positioned to offer superior services to those offered by the NBN company. Optus announced its intention to spend $1 billion to improve and expand its mobile network in regional Australia by the end of June 2018. Optus achieved a worldas first achievement in pairing pre-5G technologies Massive MIMO Vodafone Australia has begun committing major resources to evaluating a potential fixed-line play over NBN. Key companies mentioned in this report: TelstraClear, Telstra Business, Telstra International, Country Wide, Sensis, FOXTEL, Quotify, Ooyala, Yelp, Optus, Alphawest, Virgin Mobile, VHA, Vodafone, 3, Hutchison (HTA). Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/685494 About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com "Bill is a highly regarded business leader, with significant experience in innovation, corporate development, consumer product marketing and international business," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. "Bill will be a great addition to our exceptional and dynamic slate of Directors." Newlands will join the Audit Committee of the Hormel Foods Board of Directors. Newlands joined Constellation in 2015 as EVP, chief growth officer. In 2016 his role expanded to include leadership of the Wine + Spirits Division. In 2017 he became the company's chief operating officer, and in 2018 his role expanded to include president. Newlands previously served as president, North America at Beam, Inc. Under his leadership, Beam became one of the fastest growing companies in its category. Previous appointments include: president, Beam Spirits U.S. (2008-2010); president, Beam Wine Estates (2005-2007); president and CEO, Allied Domecq Wines USA (2002-2005); CEO and board director, wine.com (1999-2001); and managing director, U.S. and global marketing officer, LVMH Chandon Estates (1996 1999). He is a member of the board of directors of Canopy Growth Corporation. Newlands received a bachelor of science degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. About Hormel Foods Inspired People. Inspired Food. Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Skippy, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/. Contact: 507-437-5345 [email protected] Investor Contact Nathan Annis 507 437 5248 [email protected] SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation Related Links http://www.hormel.com LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS, a galaxy of brands and stars are once again stepping out for the annual World AIDS Day Campaign, the (RED) Shopathon, to raise money and bring urgency to the AIDS fight. Ahead of the Global Fund to fight AIDS' mobilization of countries to finance the fight for the next three years, (RED) is mobilizing companies and their customers, and celebrities and their fans, to generate millions and give people everywhere countless ways to get involved. (RED) co-founder, Bono, said: "If you think the HIV virus is in the rear-view mirror, think again -- because all I see are flashing red lights. It's still an emergency, especially for women and girls. AIDS is the biggest killer of young women globally. Our complacency today could be complicity tomorrow in the deaths of millions who are needlessly infected." "That's why it's so important that we keep the world's focus on this crisis, and we couldn't have a better partner in that than Jimmy Kimmel and his army of funny friends, and our (RED) partner companies who are donating their cash and using their marketing genius to dial-up the heat in the fight against AIDS. Tremendous progress has been made 22 million lives have been saved but it is all at risk if we falter now, just short of the finish line." Jimmy Kimmel Live! (RED) Special For the fourth year running, Jimmy Kimmel is generously donating his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to benefit the AIDS fight with (RED). Stars including Bono, Kristen Bell, Pharrell, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Channing Tatum, Snoop Dogg, Mila Kunis, Brad Paisley and Zoe Saldana will join tonight's show for a ridiculous ride through the many (RED) products and winnable experiences in this year's campaign. The show airs on ABC at 11.35pm ET / 10.35pm CET. "This is our fourth and most star-studded (RED) special yet. I am grateful to Bono and all the great names who are joining the fight to end AIDS on what promises to be our biggest show yet," said Jimmy Kimmel. Kristen Bell, said: "I'm honored to be back for the third year in a row to help bring attention to this tragic epidemic that impacts so many people around the globe, particularly women. (RED) makes it easy for everyone to do their part and Jimmy brings the party every time." Holiday sweeps loaded with winnable celebrity experiences on CrowdRise by GoFundMe! Bono and Lady Gaga write a song about YOU! Enter to win the chance of a lifetime to become the muse of musical legends, Bono and Lady Gaga. They will find out everything there is to know about you and then write you your very own medley. write a song about YOU! Enter to win the chance of a lifetime to become the muse of musical legends, Bono and Lady Gaga. They will find out everything there is to know about you and then write you your very own medley. Pack your passport and fly away to hang out with Drake , at a secret location next year! You'll take selfies and even bag OVO apparel! , at a secret location next year! You'll take selfies and even bag OVO apparel! Hey pudding pie! Join Hollywood's hottest couple, Armie Hammer & Elizabeth Chambers Hammer , for the ultimate double-date and delicious dessert tasting at Bird Bakery. hottest couple, , for the ultimate double-date and delicious dessert tasting at Bird Bakery. Always wanted to learn how to swear like a sailor? While she's not going to take you sailing, Penelope Cruz she will teach you to curse with style in Spanish. It'll be f***ing brilliant! she will teach you to curse with style in Spanish. It'll be f***ing brilliant! Join the one and only Snoop Dogg for a culinary experience in the kitchen as he throws down with his favorite spices, herbs and recipes, sharing secrets from his new cookbook, 'From Crook to Cook'. for a culinary experience in the kitchen as he throws down with his favorite spices, herbs and recipes, sharing secrets from his new cookbook, 'From Crook to Cook'. Be a country star for the night and experience the thrill of performing live with Brad Paisley Win this and you'll not only get an autographed Brad Paisley model Fender Telecaster, you and a friend will be Brad's guest at the U.S. or Canadian Brad Paisley tour date of your choice! Brad will invite you to practice singing the chorus on his hit song, ALCOHOL, with him, during sound check, and later in the night, he'll have you to join him on-stage to sing with him for the show closing encore. You'll also get a video of the performance with Brad as a keepsake! Win this and you'll not only get an autographed model Fender Telecaster, you and a friend will be Brad's guest at the U.S. or Canadian tour date of your choice! Brad will invite you to practice singing the chorus on his hit song, ALCOHOL, with him, during sound check, and later in the night, he'll have you to join him on-stage to sing with him for the show closing encore. You'll also get a video of the performance with Brad as a keepsake! Be the Dopest Queen (or King!) for the night! Head to NYC and be Phoebe Robinson's VIP guest at the 2DopeQueens final taping and wrap party. VIP guest at the 2DopeQueens final taping and wrap party. Win the chance to fly to Tokyo to meet Rich Brian , backstage, at the Toyosu Pit show on January 10 th! In support of (RED)'s partnership with AirAsia, the airline will match every dollar raised by the experience, up to $100,000 . (RED) products that fight AIDS! For tech fans wanting to shop (RED) and save lives, Apple has a wide range of (PRODUCT)RED devices and accessories, including the new iPhone XR (PRODUCT)RED. iPhone XR features the longest battery life ever in an iPhone, a breakthrough camera system with Portrait Mode and Depth Control, a stunning all-screen Liquid Retina display, A12 Bionic the smartest and most powerful chip in a smartphone and comes in six beautiful finishes, including (PRODUCT)RED. Additional products include the new (PRODUCT)RED Sport Loop for Apple Watch and a collection of cases and covers for iPhone and iPad models, as well as (PRODUCT)RED headphones and speakers by Beats. Since partnering with (RED) in 2006, Apple has donated more than $160 million to the Global Fund, serving as the organization's largest corporate donor. A portion of proceeds from these products, available at amazon.com/RED and at Apple.com/RED , will go directly to Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants. A galaxy of gifts at a mazon.com/RED; Bank of America is Official Payment Provider for the (RED) Shopathon For the second year, Amazon is providing customers a single destination to shop more than 100 (RED) products, including the exclusive Echo (RED) edition, which is available for a limited time. For every Echo (RED) edition sold, Amazon will donate $10 to the Global Fund. Plus, customers interested in donating to support (RED)'s fight can do so on any Echo device by simply asking, "Alexa, donate to (RED)." Other AIDS-fighting products available on amazon.com/RED include BALR, Calm, Casper, CHAOS, Durex, Dyson, EOS, Tarte Cosmetics, MCM, S'well, Vilebrequin and Vizio amongst others. As the Official Payment Provider for the (RED) Shopathon, from today through December 31st, Bank of America will donate 20 cents to the Global Fund for every dollar spent on amazon.com/RED, up to $1.5 million. More (RED) products for the holidays will be available from Belvedere, Bombas, Jennifer Fisher Jewelry, Montblanc, Pour Les Femmes and Quip. Go to RED.org to find out more. The (RED) Shopathon is supported by many generous collaborators including Group Nine Media and Now This, Getty Images, OATH, Spark Foundry, iHeartMedia and The Moth, among many others. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE (RED) Related Links http://red.org WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed support for a push by Democratic lawmakers to update a 181-year-old rule banning head coverings on the House floor to allow for a constitutionally-guaranteed religious exemption. The rule, first implemented in 1837, state that every member shall remain "uncovered" during the sessions of the House. Current rules of comportment prohibit members of the House from wearing a "hat." The new rule would clarify that religious head coverings, including Muslim head scarves (hijab), are not included in this ban. The rule change was proposed by former House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN). When she is sworn in next year, Omar will become the first member of Congress to wear hijab. "We support the effort to update this anachronistic policy and to bring the House of Representatives into conformity with the Constitution and its existing protection of religious freedom," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Islamic head coverings, Sikh turbans, Jewish yarmulkes, and Mennonite bonnets are all expressions of religious belief and are therefore already protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'" Awad said the rule change would be an acknowledgement of the increasing diversity in Congress, which reflects both the nation's changing demographics and the political empowerment of marginalized communities. For Background on This Issue, SEE: Ivanka Trump Supports Allowing Headscarves in Congress Even Though Her Father Once Called for Muslim Ban https://www.newsweek.com/headwear-muslim-ilham-omar-ivanka-trump-religious-khimar-hijab-capitol-hill-1221825 New Muslim Congresswoman Will Seek to Allow Religious Headwear in the House https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/19/politics/ilhan-omar-hijab-scarf-muslim-headwear-minnesota-representative-trnd/index.html Jefferson's Manual and Rules of the House of Representatives https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/HMAN-112/pdf/HMAN-112.pdf The Ban on Hats on the House Floor https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1800-1850/The-debate-over-the-rule-to-ban-hats-on-the-House-Floor/ Rules of the 109th Congress - Committee on Rules https://archives-democrats-rules.house.gov/archives/RXVII.htm Last week, CAIR, Jetpac and MPower Change released a report, "The Rise of American Muslim Changemakers," documenting the 127 American Muslims elected or appointed to public office since the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the subsequent rise in anti-Muslim bigotry. That report profiles newly-elected Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Cleveland City Council Member Basheer Jones, among many others. SEE: CAIR, MPower Change and Jetpac Release Report on Muslim Political Mobilization in the Trump Era https://www.cair.com/cair_mpower_change_and_jetpac_release_report_on_muslim_political_mobilization_in_the_trump_era CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. La mision de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected] SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Related Links http://www.cair.com Strategic Brand Marketing Campaign Continues to Drive Media Accolades, Increase Tourism Arrivals and Generate Coverage of the Destination as a Leading Global City MEXICO CITY, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent press coverage, tourism data and international studies demonstrate that the tourism marketing efforts of Mexico City continue to drive consumer interest as a top destination to visit, generate positive stories touting Mexico City as a World Capital, increase tourism arrivals and heighten awareness for the CDMX brand named one of the top 20 "City Business Brands" in the world according to a study from Saffron. A World City Brand Challenger In the recently published World City Business Brand Barometer a study by international consultancy firm Saffron that reveals which cities around the world best generates a strong a business brand Mexico City was named an emerging global "challenger" amongst leading cities from the likes of New York, Paris, Los Angeles and London in attracting and retaining business. Mexico City ranked at number 19 out of 67 global cities, and according to Saffron, "could be taking a top 10 position in the near future." Mexico City closely followed other highly attractive global cities such as Madrid (14), Rome (15), Shanghai (16), Lisbon (17) and Munich (18). The study attributes shifts in a city's ranking to the lifting of trade barriers, economic reform and digital communications. The study examines the relationship between a city's assets and the buzz it generates. Assets include key areas of interest to tourists, along with business professionals, including quality of cuisine and restaurants; number of sightseeing and historical attractions; as well as ease to get around on foot and public transport. Buzz calculates the general visibility of a city and whether it is held in high regard. Google Trends web analytics was a key tool in evaluating "buzz" at it looks at how many times a city is searched for on Google, indicating how much interest people have in the city. The study supports the idea that the CDMX brand, including its assets and buzz, are elevating Mexico City as a World Capital. 2019 Places to Visit Accolades Over the past several years, Mexico City has been consistently recommended as a top destination to visit from leading media publications, and it continues to gain accreditation for its rich culture, celebrated culinary scene, abundance of museums and cultural institutions, architecture, design and more. In 2019, Mexico City remains on top. The destination was selected as a Fodor's Go List 2019 award winner, chosen by the publication's editors based on "destinations we are absolutely in love with destinations we want our readers to fall in love with, too." Mexico City was also named the #5 city on Lonely Planet's Best in Travel awards, recognized for its exciting blend of the historic and modern. Telling Mexico City's Story Mexico City's recognition in the media, and subsequently amongst travelers, was due in large part to its memorable brand campaign which included strategic media relations and a robust visiting journalist program that has generated a steady drumbeat of coverage over the past several years (more than 3 billion impressions since 2015). These stories have asserted Mexico City key messages, pillars and major events that elevate the destination as a World Capital. In 2016, shortly after the CDMX brand campaign was released, Mexico City earned the top spot in The New York Times' prestigious 52 Places to Go annual travel list. From there, the buzz has only continued to grow for Mexico City. It's been named: One of CNN's Top Tourist Destinations; One of Conde Nast Traveler's World's Best Cities for Arts and Culture; One of Architectural Digest's Top Five Design Travel Destinations; One of 10 Best Cities for Solo Travel, According to AirBNB. Stories highlighting the city's superior travel offerings have run in virtually every leading publication in the U.S. and Canada across a variety of genres: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Bloomberg Pursuits, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, AFAR, Thrillist, Town & Country, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Chatelaine, NUVO, Azure, Sharpe, DeltaSky, United's Hemispheres, Eater, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Tasting Table, Surface, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Dwell, Brit + Co, Shape, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, GQ and many more. Tourism Growth Mexico City was awarded a coveted Platinum and "Best in Show" award for best Consumer Marketing Program in the hospitality marketing industry's prestigious annual Adrian Awards in 2018, recognized for robust tourism promotion that helped change perceptions of Mexico City in the press and amongst consumers, and drove purchase, contributing to an 11% increase in tourism by 2018 (57% higher than the increase of international tourism worldwide in 2017, which was up 7%). Additionally, hotel occupancy reached 70% in 2017 and the number of international visitors staying in luxury properties has grown. The very real impact of promotion, branding and growth in tourism is seen in 25% higher average visitor spending, and in 348,879 new jobs in restaurants and hotels in 2017 (and 1,001,487 from 2015-17), and 872,197 indirect hospitality jobs. The economic spill of international tourists has increased nearly 13% since 2014. Tourism Appeal Mexico City is the country's premier tourism destination. The ancient capital combines pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary influences spanning nearly seven centuries, and is home to 30 distinct architectural and historic sites. The city is more cosmopolitan than ever, it sits among the top three cities for museums in the world, boasting more than 180 as well as over 100 contemporary art galleries, some of the world's most celebrated fine dining establishments, a range of design-forward accommodations and several international festivals and events that attract sophisticated jetsetters from around the world. Mexico City is a leading global city, often compared to the likes of Paris, London or New York. It has the second largest metro system in North America, behind New York City, has ten times as many taxis and its metropolitan park, Bosque de Chapultepec at 1,695 acres is nearly twice the size of Central Park. CDMX letters denoting the city's brand campaign are visible across the city, from street corners to taxis and at city landmarks and have become both a familiar, welcoming sight as well as a popular photo backdrop for visitors and locals alike. About Mexico City Consistently ranked among the top places to visit, Mexico City is a world capital welcoming more than 13.5 million visitors each year who come for its renowned cuisine, vibrant culture, rich history, unique neighborhoods and modern day travel offerings. In 2018, Mexico City celebrates its designation as World Design Capital, an honor awarded by the World Design Organization for its commitment to design as an effective tool for economic, social and cultural development. The first city in the Americas to hold the title, Mexico City's recognition is driven by a creative class of designers, architects, hoteliers and restaurateurs spearheading new era for the ancient capital whose pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary influences span nearly seven centuries. For more information, news and updates on travel to Mexico City follow @MexicoCityLive on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Mexico City The contract is designed to provide the five mining centers (approximately 50,000 square meters) near 'Itaipu' Hydroelectric Power Plant, the world's largest clean energy plant, and included a 15-year stable price on electricity, the installation of high-speed Internet networks, and the establishment of laws for all related businesses for this project. Paraguayan Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant boasts the world's most significant annual production of 103.1 TW. "Only 10 to 20 percent of electricity is produced at Itaipu hydroelectric plant and consumed in Paraguay. More than 80 percent of its electricity is exported overseas. We will build the world's largest mining centre in Paraguay using low-cost and abundant clean energy," said Choi Yong-Kwan, Chairman of the Commons Foundation. The Foundation said the deal would allow us to focus on the "Golden Goose" project in Paraguay. The Foundation also unveiled a plan to utilize MicroBitcoin (MBC), an open-source project that the Foundation contributes to. 30 percent of profits generated by the cryptocurrency mining center and 70 percent of profits generated by the global cryptocurrency exchange will be paid in MBC to the project's participants. The foundation plans to conduct pre-sales and IEO (Initial Exchange Offering) under Paraguay's support of investment and Business Agreement for the establishment of Paraguay Cryptocurrency mining Center and Global cryptocurrency Exchange. They plan to allow participation in the project via different methods such as pre-sales in MicroBitcoin(MBC), BTC(Bitcoin), and Ethereum(ETH). Choi Yong-Kwan said, "We will create a new world-class ecosystem through 'Golden Goose project', which is the world's largest cryptocurrency mining center and the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange." "The Paraguay government will actively support the Commons Foundation's 'Golden Goose project' and provide tax breaks through constitutional revisions," said Hugo Velazquez Moreno, vice president of Paraguay. The Project marks the first bridgehead to build up a blockchain ecosystem in South America. SOURCE Commons Foundation The Texas Legislative Conference is a nonpartisan organization of Texas business and political leaders who meet annually in New Braunfels to focus on public policy issues. This year's topics on Friday, March 22 will include Changing Texas Demographics, Property Tax Impact on Schools, and Civility in the Legislature and Media. According to Conference Chair E. Ray Covey of AEP Texas, "Congressman Smith has served for 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his efforts working with both sides of the political aisle were often times effective for his district and Texas as a whole. After his departure, he will be missed." Smith serves currently until the next Congress convenes in January 2019 as Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the FAA, and other federal agencies. He continues to serve on the House Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee. Smith formerly chaired the Judiciary Committee and the Ethics Committee, making him the only member of Congress to have chaired three committees. He also founded the Border Caucus and the Media Fairness Caucus. In a study jointly conducted by the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, Congressman Smith was ranked in the top 10% in effectiveness in the last eight Republican Congresses and ranked the most effective in the 112th (2011-2012). Information on registration and tickets for both the Thursday evening, March 21 Texan of the Year Reception and the Friday, March 22 half-day conference program may be obtained from the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce at (830) 608-2816. SOURCE Texas Legislative Conference, The Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce As a continuation of the brand's 2017 holiday theme, the David Yurman retail boutique and visual displays will transport viewers to an arctic wonderland, featuring polar bears and luminous ice. This year, as part of the brand's commitment to preserving nature's most precious gifts, the holiday windows raise awareness for Polar Bears International, the only non-profit dedicated to conserving these mighty creatures and their fragile home. In addition to making a contribution to the organization, David Yurman will also donate to Polar Bears International 10% of the purchase price from each item sold from its Silver Ice assortmenta special selection of sterling silver designs with hand-set diamondson December 8, up to $25,000. "Winter creates a new world. It's a place of beauty, magic and wonder, inspiring us to feel like children again," says David Yurman, co-founder and chief executive officer on the inspiration behind the new holiday campaign. "Encountering ice in nature is a magical experience. The transformation of water into solid form creates exquisite patterns and captivating translucence. Whether it's a frozen stream or icicles covering a tree, ice encases a world of beauty crystallizing a moment of enchantment." Through the poetry of nature, silvery ice and the brilliance of pristine light combine to create crystallized dreams. Ice forms beautiful geometric patterns on window panes, turns branches into glistening sculptures, fashioning a landscape for magical animals to explore in moments of wonder. The silence of snow casts a kind of awe when the world is blanketed with white. David Yurman: An Enchanted Holiday means to dial down the noise with the beauty, simplicity and power of silence. IMAGES: https://hlgroup.sharefile.com/d-s3317d12b5ec4b73a Photo credit: David Yurman ABOUT DAVID YURMAN: David Yurman is the premier American luxury jewelry brand with a mission to share in life's exceptional moments. Founded by two artists, David and Sybil Yurman, in New York in 1980, artistic inspiration, craftsmanship and unconventional yet elegant designs are at the core of the brand. The marriage of David's background in sculpture with Sybil's natural understanding of color and art yields signature jewelry designs; diamond, pearl, and gemstone jewelry and Swiss-crafted timepieces that are renowned for capturing the essence of relaxed American luxury. David Yurman collections are available at 47 retail and concession locations throughout the United States, Canada, and France and at over 350 locations worldwide, through their exclusive authorized fine jewelry and timepiece network of retailers, including in the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, UK, Russia and the Middle East. Gabrielle de Papp David Yurman [email protected] 646.264.7766 Adrienne Houdmont HL Group 646.460.8928 [email protected] SOURCE David Yurman ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dell Technologies (NYSE: DVMT) will conduct a conference call Thurs., Nov. 29, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. CST to discuss its Fiscal 2019 third quarter financial results. The conference will be available to the public as a live, audio-only webcast on Dell Technologies' website at investors.delltechnologies.com; an archived version will be available at the same location. The company is accelerating the release of its third quarter results to provide investors with more information before the expected start of the 17-trading day measurement period for the determination of the volume-weighted average price of Dell Technologies Class V common stock. This volume-weighted average price will be used to determine the final exchange ratio to be used in connection with the company's previously announced revised Class V common stock transaction. The company will issue its third quarter results via a press release before the conference call broadcast. At that time the release and slides containing additional financial and operating information may be downloaded from investors.delltechnologies.com. About Dell Technologies Dell Technologies is a unique family of businesses that provides the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important asset, information. The company services customers of all sizes across 180 countries ranging from 99 percent of the Fortune 500 to individual consumers with the industry's most comprehensive and innovative portfolio from the edge to the core to the cloud. SOURCE Dell Technologies "FCP is thrilled to welcome Liz to the commercial team and excited to have a professional of her caliber launching our Atlanta office and expanding our commercial activity throughout the Southeast," said FCP Senior Vice President for Commercial Investments, Erik Weinberg . "While FCP has been active in Atlanta and other key Southeastern markets for a number of years, Liz Koteles, working out of our new Atlanta office, will allow us to be even more effective in deploying our newly-raised Fund IV capital," said FCP Managing Partner, Esko Korhonen. Prior to joining FCP, Ms. Koteles served as a Vice President of Leasing for JLL, where she was a top producer for the firm in their Atlanta office. Prior to JLL, she was a Manager of Corporate Strategy and Business Development for Novelis, Inc., an $11 billion aluminum manufacturer. Ms. Koteles began her career in investment banking with VRA Partners, focusing on M&A and private placement advisory services. She graduated magna cum laude from Washington & Lee University with degrees in Business Administration and Spanish. Ms. Koteles is an active member of NAIOP. About FCP FCSM is a privately held real estate investment company that has invested in or financed more than $6 billion in assets since its founding in 1999. FCP invests directly and with operating partners in commercial and residential assets. The firm makes equity and mezzanine investments in income-producing and development properties. Based in Chevy Chase, MD, FCP invests both its commingled, discretionary funds and separate accounts targeted at major real estate markets in the United States. FCP is invested in 35,800 multifamily units and 3.9 million square feet of commercial space. For further information on FCP, please visit www.fcpdc.com. Media Contact: Karen Widmayer KW Communications, LLC [email protected] 301-661-1448 SOURCE FCP Related Links https://www.fcpdc.com Ten years later, I cannot imagine my life without the Old Town School on Armitage Avenue. There is something magical about that old building that the newer building on Lincoln Avenue cannot replace. Yes, both buildings are filled with the sounds of guitars, banjos, pianos and song. But the Armitage location connects us with the past in a way that the newer and more sterile Lincoln Avenue location cannot. From the funky photos and posters on the wall to the old auditorium, creaky floors and stairs, Armitage connects us to a heritage of music, resistance and community. SAN DIEGO, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aries Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. Company) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AEMCOLO (rifamycin) 194mg delayed-release tablets, a new minimally absorbed antibiotic that is delivered to the colon, for the treatment of adult patients with Travelers' Diarrhea caused by non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli). In October 2017, the FDA granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations for AEMCOLO. With the QDIP designation, intended for antibacterial drugs that treat serious or life-threatening infections, AEMCOLO will have marketing exclusivity through 2028. AEMCOLO will be available in pharmacies in the first quarter of 2019. Travelers' Diarrhea is the most common and predictable travel-related illness with bacteria accounting for up to 80-90% of cases, the most common of which is enterotoxigenic E. coli. "Travelers' Diarrhea can be highly disruptive and cause significant discomfort for patients, and in some cases, it can progress to more serious conditions if not treated effectively. The recent approval of AEMCOLO is an important step for Aries as we continue to grow our portfolio to address important unmet needs in the GI community," said Tom Joyce, CEO of Aries Pharmaceuticals. AEMCOLO was approved based on data from two randomized, multi-center, controlled Phase 3 clinical trials. In both trials AEMCOLO was dosed at 388mg twice daily for three days. AEMCOLO demonstrated superiority to placebo (p=0.0008) and non-inferiority to ciprofloxacin (p=0.0033 for non-inferiority) for the primary endpoint (time to last unformed stool). The most common adverse reactions that occurred in at least 2% of AEMCOLO-treated patients in these clinical trials were constipation and headache (3.5% and 3.3%, respectively). Herbert L. DuPont, MD, Professor of Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health and primary investigator said, "Given the potential seriousness of Travelers' Diarrhea and growing resistance to antibiotics that have been in widespread use since the early '90s, it's important to have new options for treatment. Because AEMCOLO is a minimally absorbed, colon-targeted antibiotic, it will be an important new option for patients." Dr. DuPont, the founding President of the International Society of Travel Medicine, has studied Travelers' Diarrhea on four continents for more than 30 years and has been important in establishing the principles of travel medicine. About AEMCOLO AEMCOLO (rifamycin) is an orally administered, minimally absorbed antibiotic approved for the treatment of Travelers' Diarrhea caused by non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli in adults. AEMCOLO is the first antibiotic engineered with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals' Multi Matrix Technology (MMX) which allows for the delayed-release to the colon. Rifamycin using MMX technology is also being studied for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) (NCT03099785) and uncomplicated diverticulitis (NCT01847664). INDICATION AEMCOLO is indicated for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli in adults. Limitations of Use AEMCOLO is not indicated in patients with diarrhea complicated by fever or bloody stool or due to pathogens other than noninvasive strains of Escherichia coli. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AEMCOLO is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to rifamycin, any of the other rifamycin class antimicrobial agents, or any of the components in AEMCOLO. AEMCOLO was not shown to be effective in patients with diarrhea complicated by fever and/or bloody stool or diarrhea due to pathogens other than noninvasive strains of E.coli and is not recommended for use in such patients. and is not recommended for use in such patients. Discontinue use if diarrhea gets worse or persists more than 48 hours, and consider alternative antibacterial therapy. Consider CDAD in all patients who present with diarrhea following antibacterial drug use. Careful medical history is necessary since CDAD has been reported to occur over two months after the administration of antibacterial agents. Prescribing AEMCOLO in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection or a prophylactic indication is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Discontinuation of AEMCOLO due to adverse reactions occurred in 1% of patients. The most frequent adverse reactions were abdominal pain (0.5%) and pyrexia (0.3%). The common adverse reactions that occurred in at least 2% of AEMCOLO-treated patients in the clinical trials were constipation 3.5% and headache 3.3%. Full Prescribing Information for AEMCOLO is available at www.ariespharma.com. About Aries Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Aries Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Aries) is a specialty pharmaceutical company commercializing best-in-class gastroenterology products for the U.S. market with a focus on products utilized in endoscopy and for the treatment of specific gastrointestinal diseases. The company's initial portfolio of four products, two of which are still in development, are licensed from Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. to Aries Ltd. Aries is the U.S, Commercial and Medical Affairs arm of Aries Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. For further information on Aries, please visit the company's website: www.ariespharma.com. About Cosmo Pharmaceuticals Cosmo is a specialty pharmaceutical company that aims to become a global leader in the field of optimized therapies for selected Gastrointestinal Disorders and Endoscopic Procedures. The Company's proprietary clinical development pipeline specifically addresses innovative treatments for IBD, such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, and Colon Infections. In addition, the Company has developed a medical device for polyp and adenoma excision and is has completed clinical trials of Methylene Blue MMX, a diagnostic drug for the detection of colon cancer as well as new chemical entities that are being developed by the associate company Cassiopea S.p.A. for the topical treatment of skin diseases. Cosmo's MMX products that have reached the market are Lialda/Mezavant/Mesavancol, a treatment for IBD that is licensed globally to Giuliani and Shire Limited and Uceris, the first glucocorticosteroid indicated for the induction of remission in active, mild to moderate Ulcerative Colitis, licensed in US to Santarus/Salix/Valeant and in the Rest of the World to Ferring as Cortiment. Cosmo's proprietary MMX technology is at the core of the Company's product pipeline and was developed from its expertise in formulating and manufacturing gastrointestinal drugs for international clients at its GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facilities in Lainate, Italy. The technology is designed to deliver active ingredients in a targeted manner in the colon. For further information on Cosmo, please visit the Company's website: www.cosmopharma.com. SOURCE Aries Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Related Links http://www.ariespharma.com RAMSEY, N.J., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fox Trail Senior Living has announced a statewide essay contest November 15, 2018 - February 14, 2019 designed to promote Alzheimer's and dementia awareness amongst high school students. High school students are encouraged to submit a 500 to 700-word essay sharing how Alzheimer's or dementia has impacted a family member, or someone they know. Alternatively, they may interview a family affected by the disease and document their story. Students may submit one story per entrant online at FoxTrailSeniorLiving.com/Essay. The deadline to enter is February 14, 2019. The entries submitted through a social sharing application on Fox Trail's website allow visitors to read, comment, and share essays amongst their networks. Submissions will be reviewed by executive members of Fox Trail Senior Living upon conclusion of the contest and a winner will be announced February 20, 2019. "Our commitment to the Alzheimer's and dementia community extends far beyond the walls of our homes," said Managing Partner, Michael Eisele. "We believe engaging high school students in the conversation will cultivate a forward-thinking group of young people with an interest in, and compassion towards, members of the Alzheimer's and dementia communities." The winning essay will be chosen based upon the following criteria: relevance to topic, creativity and originality of content. For official rules and complete details visit: FoxTrailSeniorLiving.com/Essay About Fox Trail Senior Living: Fox Trail Senior Living, a Ramsey, New Jersey-based senior living organization operates 19 communities throughout the United States. Fox Trail Senior Living offers a full range of personalized senior living services, including assisted living, assisted living alternatives, and care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss. To learn more about Fox Trail Senior Living and Fox Trail Memory Care Living, please visit: www.foxtrailseniorliving.com . SOURCE Fox Trail Senior Living Related Links https://www.foxtrailseniorliving.com TSX: GPR NYSE American: GPL VANCOUVER, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR; NYSE American: GPL) ("Great Panther"; the "Company") announces that it has reached an agreement (the "Agreement") with MACA Limited ("MACA") on modifications to MACA's outstanding loan (the "Loan") due from Beadell Resources Limited ("Beadell"). As noted in the press release dated September 23, 2018 announcing Great Panther's friendly acquisition of Beadell (the "Acquisition"), closing of the transaction is conditional on receipt of certain approvals and consents on terms acceptable to Great Panther, the Loan being among these. "We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with MACA, who has been very supportive of this process", stated James Bannantine, President and CEO of Great Panther. "This Agreement means Great Panther has the flexibility to use its strong balance sheet to meet all scheduled debt repayments and provide the working capital required to manage through the Tucano Mine's lower grade profile in the first half of 2019. We can also fund Beadell's near term exploration and growth initiatives aimed at increasing the Tucano life of mine and net present value. Completion of the Acquisition will result in the emergence of an intermediate precious metals producer with production platforms in three key Latin American jurisdictions." Under its original terms, the Loan becomes due and payable on a change of control of Beadell, absent MACA's consent to the change of control. Under the Agreement, MACA has agreed to consent to the change of control and keep the Loan in place with a term to June 2022 and the following amendments with effect from closing of the Acquisition (the "Completion Date"): (All dollar amounts in millions of Australian ("A") dollars) Original Loan As Amended Principal Amount A$54.7 A$54.7 % of the net cash proceeds from any third-party debt or equity financing required to be paid to MACA and applied against the outstanding balance of the Loan 30% 10% % of the net proceeds from any exercise of warrants required to be paid to MACA and applied against the outstanding balance of the Loan 30% 20% Principal repayment of Loan during 2019 A$12.0 A$16.5 Ultimate parent guarantee Full balance First A$6.0 of repayments Principal repayment of Loan during 2020 A$18.0 A$18.0 Conversion right 100% of Loan1 A$15.02 1. Conversion subject to shareholder approval 2. MACA's conversion right under the amended terms provides for a limit of A$5 million in each quarter following Completion Date at a 5% discount to the 20-day volume weighted average price. Any principal amount of the Loan which is converted to Great Panther shares will reduce the outstanding balance of the loan, with 50% to be applied to reduce the remaining monthly payments on a pro-rata basis with the exception of the A$6 million guaranteed payments. Great Panther will have no liability in relation to the Loan until the Completion Date. ABOUT GREAT PANTHER Great Panther Silver Limited is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned operating mines in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex and the Topia Mine. The Company is also advancing towards a decision to restart the Coricancha Mine in Peru with the initiation of a Bulk Sample Program following the completion of a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment in May 2018. In addition, the Company has signed an agreement to acquire all of the issued ordinary shares of gold producer Beadell Resources Limited. The closing of this transaction will create a new emerging intermediate and growth-oriented precious metals producer focused on the Americas with strong geographic diversity across three leading mining jurisdictions, and a diverse asset portfolio including three producing mines, an advanced stage project, and significant exploration potential. James Bannantine President & CEO CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing and completion of the Acquisition, Great Panther's ability to make payments to MACA under the terms of the Loan, and any potential conversion of the Loan to equity of Great Panther. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Assumptions upon which forward looking statements relating to the Acquisition have been made include that Beadell and Great Panther will be able to satisfy the conditions in the Agreement, that due diligence investigations of each party will not identify any materially adverse facts or circumstances, that the required approvals will be obtained from the shareholders of Beadell and Great Panther, and that all required third party, regulatory and government approvals will be obtained. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political and social risks involving Beadell and Great Panther's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, fluctuations in metal prices, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, physical risks inherent in mining operations, operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in respect of: Great Panther, in its annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2017 and material change reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov . There is no assurance that such forward looking statements will prove accurate; results may vary materially from such forward-looking statements; and there is no assurance that the Company will be able to identify and acquire additional projects or that any projects acquired will be successfully developed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The Company has no intention to update forward looking statements except as required by law. SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited Related Links http://www.greatpanther.com PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Guerbet LLC USA (Guerbet), the U.S. affiliate of the global specialist in contrast agents and solutions for medical imaging, will feature its digital solutions including its ongoing collaboration with IBM Watson Health in medical imaging, at the 2018 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Watson Imaging Patient Synopsis is a radiologist-trained artificial intelligence (AI) tool that extracts relevant patient information, summarized into tailored, specific, and concise single-view reports to better inform diagnostic decisions. Guerbet will demonstrate Patient Synopsis at RSNA 2018 alongside its Digital Services offerings. Guerbet, an IBM Business Partner, and IBM are finalizing the terms by which Guerbet will become the first reseller of Patient Synopsis. This planned reseller relationship is in addition to IBM and Guerbet's ongoing efforts to co-develop and distribute innovative, clinical decision support solutions. Earlier this year, Guerbet signed a joint development agreement with IBM Watson Health to develop an AI software solution supporting liver cancer diagnostics and care which will be a great addition to Guerbet's Digital Services portfolio in the near future. Guerbet's Contrast&Care is also part of Guerbet's Digital Services offerings and enables radiology departments to collect, archive, examine and share injection data directly with Guerbet's injectors, advancing data transfer and accuracy in dosing to help radiologists best serve patients. Likewise, at the RSNA, Guerbet will display Imalogix, a cloud-based performance management and dose monitoring solution already available in the USA market. "We are excited to feature Watson Imaging Patient Synopsis, Contrast & Care and Imalogix at this year's RSNA," said Massimo Carrara, Guerbet Vice President for North America. "Our products and commercial partnerships with cutting-edge Digital Solutions affirm our commitment to offering the 'best of the best' in diagnostic and interventional imaging, and support Guerbet's five-year plan to capture growth opportunities and move toward a new and innovative future of medical imaging." To learn more, visit Guerbet at RSNA booth #2558, or www.guerbet-us.com/rsna2018. About Guerbet Guerbet is a pioneer in the contrast-agent field, with more than 90 years' experience, and is a leader in medical imaging worldwide. It offers a comprehensive range of pharmaceutical products, medical devices and services for diagnostic and interventional imaging, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients. With 8% of revenue dedicated to R&D and more than 200 employees distributed amongst its four centers in France, Israel and the United States, Guerbet is a substantial investor in research and innovation. Guerbet (GBT) is listed on Euronext Paris (segment B mid caps) and generated 807 million in revenue in 2017. For more information about Guerbet, please visit www.guerbet.com. SOURCE Guerbet LLC USA Related Links http://www.guerbet.com Tesla started with only the sporty Roadster, but their options are expanding to more consumer- and family-friendly models, such as the more affordable Model 3 and the Model X, a roomy SUV. The Model X is one of the very first all-electric SUVs, and also the winner of numerous awards. It won the American Automobile Association's Top Green Vehicle overall for 2017, Forbes' Best Vehicle of the Year for 2017, and a Guinness World Record for towing a 287,000 pound Boeing 787-9 airplane almost 1,000 feet. This year, you could win one of your own. The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) has been holding a fundraising raffle to win a Tesla for five years. ISEA is a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about solar energy, as well as advocating for renewable energy legislation in Illinois. They see EVs, as well as solar energy, as crucial parts of the path towards a more sustainable world. They love how nicely electric vehicles dovetail with their mission! Past winners share that same enthusiasm. "I entered the raffle because I wanted to support the solar industry in Illinois," says 2015's winner. "I figured that I wouldn't win, but it was a good cause and I figured it would come back to me in one way or another (less pollution, maybe a cool car)." Once he did win, his test drive of the Model S proved to him that the car was everything it claimed to be. "I test drove the car and got to test the auto pilot software on the highway, which was amazing. It is a great car, very quiet and very fun to drive." The winner of the Model X last year has been a life-long clean energy advocate, starting when his father tried to explain when he was young that the haze and pollution seen around their city was from automobile pollution. The memory of this spurred the winner to pursue a career in solar, and to support clean energy by purchasing raffle tickets. And now he says he's excited to plug in an EV at a location powered by solar - you can get where you need to go without generating any harmful greenhouse gases! Support solar in Illinois and enter for a chance to win a Tesla Model X! Visit the ISEA store at store.illinoissolar.org and learn more at their website, www.illinoissolar.org. Selected rules: Only 2,500 tickets will be sold. The contest runs until November 29th and the drawing will be held on December 6th. There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased. You do not need to be present at the drawing to win. If fewer than 2,400 tickets are sold, then the drawing converts to a 50/50 drawing. Tickets are only valid if sold in the continental US. The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the widespread application of solar and other forms of renewable energy through our mission of education and advocacy. ISEA is the state resource for renewable energy related policy developments, educational classes, events and access to local renewable energy businesses. www.illinoissolar.org Contact: Nicola Brown [email protected] SOURCE Illinois Solar Energy Association Related Links https://www.illinoissolar.org PITTSBURGH, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a strain-free way to wash the body," said an inventor, from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, "so I invented the patent pending SUPER SPONGE." The shower accessory provides an effective way to clean and scrub the body while showering. In doing so, it offers an alternative to traditional sponges and shower accessories. As a result, it saves time and effort and it ensures that hard-to-reach areas can be easily cleaned. The invention features a user-friendly design that is convenient and easy to use so it is ideal for individuals ages 12 and older. Additionally, it is producible in design variations. The inventor described the invention design. "My design provides added comfort and convenience in the shower." The original design was submitted to the Toronto office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 17-TRO-080, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Related Links https://inventhelp.com JERUSALEM, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jerusalem hi-tech company, Lightricks, known for its content creation mobile apps, has announced a $60 million funding round led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from Claltech. Part of the funding will be used to acquire shares from founders, employees, and investors in a secondary transaction. Lightricks is growing profitably and will use the funding to build more products and to double in size, recruiting a total of 300 employees for its Jerusalem and London offices. Lightricks: Photofox, Videoleap,Quickshot, Pixaloop, Facetune and Facetune 2 Lightricks is set on bringing creativity to everyone. The company designs and develops fun & powerful content creation tools, including global hit portrait editing brand Facetune and the Enlight Creativity Suite. Together, Lightricks apps have about 100 million downloads worldwide and nearly 1 million subscribers and have won prestigious awards including Apple's 2015 App of the Year, Apple's Best of 2017 and the 2017 Apple Design Award. Lightricks' most recent app, Enlight Pixaloop, released in mid-September, became an instant hit with over 6 million users and nearly 200,000 paying subscribers in just two months. This is Lightricks' second investment round, following its initial $10 million funding round from Viola Ventures. Since the first investment in 2015, Lightricks has expanded its team from 30 employees to 150. Lightricks' revenue is growing 270% year over year and the company is profitable. In 2016, the company released Facetune2 with a revamped business model, moving from one-time paid apps to a more lucrative subscription model. Lightricks is projecting revenue to exceed $100 million in 2019. "The mobile market is growing, and more and more people are turning to mobile devices over desktop software to create their content. Whether you're an Instagrammer editing a photo, an artist designing a poster, or a small business owner creating a video, you can use one of our tools," explains Dr. Zeev Farbman, Lightricks co-founder and CEO. "This field of creativity lends itself well to the exciting, and in many ways, new business model of consumer mobile subscription. Insight brings expertise with several investments they've made in the consumer subscription space, and we are excited to partner with a world class firm to build a world class company." "The need to create, edit, and engage with content on a mobile device is greater than ever before. Lightricks has met this growing customer need through its innovative apps," said Harley Miller, Principal at Insight Venture Partners, who led the deal and will join the company's board of directors. "Lightricks has been experiencing tremendous growth, and we're thrilled to partner with the team to further strengthen their global leadership in the mobile content creation category." Insight was represented by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and GKH Law Offices. Lightricks was represented by Pearl Cohen Letzer & Baratz. Contact: Nicole Doswell 212-600-4842 [email protected] SOURCE Lightricks "Kroger is joining with the best partners in the world to co-innovate and leverage technology to redefine the customer experience," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We are incredibly excited to partner with Ocado to transform the industry and deliver on our Restock Kroger vision to serve America through food inspiration and uplift. This Kroger shed, powered by Ocado, will accelerate our ability to provide customers with anything, anytime and anywhere." Kroger's first CFC an automated warehouse facility with digital and robotic capabilities, also known as a "shed" will be constructed in Monroe, OH, a suburb north of Cincinnati, subject to securing state and local incentives. The CFC model will be replicated to serve customers across America. Kroger is planning to open 20 CFCs to support its seamless vision. The CFC will introduce innovative robotics technology, allowing for next-generation automated storage and retrieval. Kroger is investing $55 million to build the first shed, which will measure 335,000 square feet and is expected to generate more than 410 new jobs. "We and our partners at REDI Cincinnati are excited Kroger has chosen Ohio for its first customer fulfilment center in the United States," said Dana Saucier, JobsOhio vice president and head of economic development. "This cutting-edge facility will bring 410 jobs to Cincinnati and serve as a national model as Kroger continues its focus on the evolving preferences of its customers throughout the country." "With its latest investment in the region, Kroger continues to be both an innovative leader in consumer goods and an essential part of Greater Cincinnati's growth," said Kimm Lauterbach, President and CEO of REDI Cincinnati. "REDI Cincinnati is excited to support Kroger's growth in Monroe." "Kroger is committed to helping position Cincinnati and Ohio as a destination for digital and technology talent. We are proud to choose our HQ state of Ohio as the first location for this first-of-its-kind customer fulfillment center in the U.S.," said Mr. McMullen. "We thank Governor John Kasich, JobsOhio, and REDI for enabling Kroger's $55 million capital investment and creation of 410 new Ohio jobs." Earlier this year, Kroger and Ocado announced an alliance to bring to the U.S. Ocado's unparalleled innovation and technologies. In October, the companies signed a master services agreement to further solidify their partnership. "Ocado is a UK-based company with global ties and advanced digital and robotic capabilities. Working together, we will develop the strongest possible supply network to support a seamless customer experience that can serve every person in America," said Alex Tosolini, Kroger's senior vice president of new business development. "It's all about building a seamless supply chain to provide our customers with an amazing shopping experience." "We are delighted to be supporting Kroger in its efforts to transform the service and value it brings to U.S. customers," said Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions. "Today's announcement of the first CFC is an important first step to making that happen. It's all the more exciting that this CFC will serve Kroger's hometown of Cincinnati." To view video and photography of a CFC, visit here. About Kroger At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit. We are nearly half a million associates who serve nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. About Ocado Ocado is a UK based company admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker OCDO). It comprises one of the world's largest dedicated online grocery retailers, operating its own grocery and general merchandise retail businesses under Ocado.com and other specialist shop banners, together with its Solutions division. About Ocado Solutions Ocado Solutions is responsible for corporate partnering, which began with its agreement to operate the online business of Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc in the UK, and more recently with agreements with Groupe Casino, Sobeys and ICA Group to develop their online businesses in France, Canada and Sweden respectively. The agreement with Kroger to provide it with the OSP suite of products to massively expand its online grocery business in the USA is Ocado Solutions' largest and most recent partnership transaction. OSP is an enabling platform provided as a service to retailers. It comprises access to Ocado's physical infrastructure solutions to run highly efficient warehouse operations for the single pick of products, together with the entire end-to-end proprietary software applications required to operate an online grocery business - from user interfaces, through warehouse operating and control systems, to logistics, route planning and optimization. It is underpinned by Ocado's expertise and experience as a dedicated online grocery operator in the UK. OSP provides multiple advantages to retailers wishing to operate online including: enables retailers to own, control and operate their own online businesses based on proven systems and infrastructure which Ocado uses in its own retail business both modular (size flexible) and scalable (can start smaller and scale up on short lead times), and supports a large range significant operational cost benefits entire seamless proprietary software provision updated alongside Ocado's own development program, providing "best in class" service for customers flexible agreement terms with low entry cost and ongoing fees linked to installed capacity Ocado does not compete with grocery retailers outside of the UK SOURCE The Kroger Co. Related Links http://www.kroger.com BALTIMORE, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lutheran World Relief has launched a three-year initiative to help communities in eastern El Salvador better prepare for and respond to emergencies, including efforts to engage youth promoters to help lead the effort. The SOS project Strengthening of Community-Based Structures (SOS) for Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation will reach an estimated 25,000 direct and indirect participants, including municipal government employees, women and youth volunteers and other community leaders and members in 50 communities across 10 municipalities in the departments of Usulutan and Morazan. The SOS project is funded by a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. El Salvador is one of the most disaster-vulnerable countries in the world, with 95 percent of its population residing in areas at risk for flood, earthquakes, volcanic eruption, hurricanes and landslides. The country is the 14th most exposed to climate change worldwide. Yet disaster preparedness and response planning to make disasters less costly and enable rapid recovery of rural livelihoods is a significant challenge with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, including drought every year since 2011. The project will help local communities to elect inclusive and representative Community Civil Protection Commissions that by law are the principal local bodies responsible for preparing for and responding to disasters. Lutheran World Relief will strengthen and support these local commissions by delivering leadership training and building the capacities of communities to interact with municipal and national governments. Updating and implementing disaster preparedness plans and ensuring that immediate needs are met in times of recovery are key objectives of the project. LWR will document best practices throughout the project to influence future programs seeking to build local leadership for disaster-ready communities. The participation of youth promoters will be critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the community civil protection commissions by acting as technical liaisons and trainers in accessing and interpreting online data, such as meteorological or seismic monitoring information. Each youth promoter will also receive training in how to organize, promote, and facilitate inclusive events and discussions, as well as in the dissemination of basic guidance on disaster preparedness and mitigation for the community. The promoters will work with the community to support creative and innovative educational projects, including murals and socio-dramas. Increased youth membership and leadership in the SOS project will offer opportunities for youth empowerment in their home communities, while building skills that may be useful for future employment. Media Contact John Rivera, Lutheran World Relief [email protected], 443-604-2918 SOURCE Lutheran World Relief Related Links http://www.lwr.org WASHINGTON, Nov.19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Maureen Klovers, an executive with over a decade of experience in government, financial services, higher ed and social impact, has been appointed to the new post of director of social impact for MPOWER Financing , the public benefit corporation focused on removing financial barriers to higher education for international students in the U.S. Klovers has more than a decade of experience in government, financial services, higher ed and social impact. At MPOWER Financing, she will be responsible for spearheading the organization's social impact initiatives and furthering its commitment to empower tomorrow's leaders around the world. Building on the company's existing programs such as the Global Citizen Scholarship and the Path2Success career support service, she will continue to forge partnerships with corporations, foundations and investors to further develop programs that have a double bottom line impact and strengthen MPOWER Financing as a thought leader in the international education space. "Maureen has a proven track record of implementing programming, measuring and driving impact," said Manu Smadja, CEO and co-founder of MPOWER Financing. "Her role is essential in enabling MPOWER Financing to live up to our leadership role as an impact-focused fintech organization. Imagine if every 20-something in the world had the opportunity to realize their true academic and professional potential! That's our vision." Former founder and CEO of Lyon Park Associates, Klovers consulted on numerous government and higher education initiatives including the design of the U.S. Department of Treasury's $1 billion RESTORE Act Direct Component Program. Earlier in her career, she held various positions within the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Treasury. Klovers earned her MBA and Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from The College of William and Mary. MPOWER Financing's social impact strategy has been fast-tracked thanks to a generous grant from Gray Matters Capital, one of the world's leading social impact investment firms and current investor in MPOWER. "MPOWER Financing brings both innovation and effectiveness to the world of education finance," said Joe Iarocci, chairperson of Gray Matters Capital. "It's an honor to join MPOWER Financing in its mission to increase educational opportunities around the world for new generations of professional and business leaders." Klovers is excited to join the team. "After meeting Manu, Mike and the rest of the MPOWER Financing team, it became readily apparent that social impact was truly part of the company's DNA," she said. "I believe we should be continually asking ourselves what would it take to ensure that the highest-potential students worldwidetomorrow's scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators and leadersare financially enabled to study at top U.S. or Canadian universities, regardless of income, family background or gender? If we take this approach, it will drive everything we do. It will mean continuously improving the positive impact of an MPOWER Financing loanand the education it enablesfor our borrowers, their families, home and host communities and the universities they attend." MPOWER Financing, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with offices in New York City and Bangalore, India, is a mission-driven fintech company and provider of global educational loans. It is the only student lender in the world that leverages both overseas and U.S. credit data, as well as future earning potential, to serve high-promise international and DACA students. MPOWER Financing works with more than 200 top universities and colleges across the nation to provide financing to students from over 200 countries. Since 2014, it has received close to $1 billion in loan application volume on its platform. MPOWER Financing helps students build their credit histories and provides them with personal finance education and career support to help prepare for life after college. The team is backed by Zephyr Management, Goal Structured Solutions, 1776, Village Capital, VARIV, DreamIt, Fresco, Chilango, K Street and University Ventures. For more information, please visit www.mpowerfinancing.com. Media Contacts: Richard Anderson / Henry Feintuch Feintuch Communications 718-986-1596 / 212-808-4901 [email protected] SOURCE MPOWER Financing Related Links http://www.mpowerfinancing.com WWE is so proud of our relationship with our fans in Chicago, said John Saboor, the WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events, Allstate Arena, going back to when it was known as Rosemont Horizon, has been such an important partner of WWE, dating back to the 80s. NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) announces members of its Board of Directors for 2018-19. Members were installed during NASBA's 111th Annual Meeting, held Oct. 28-31, in Scottsdale, AZ. Janice L. Gray, CPA, of Norman, OK, acceded to the office of chair. Gray previously served as NASBA vice chair, secretary, director-at-large and Southwest regional director. A former chair of NASBA's Compliance Assurance and Ethics Committees, she served as a member of the Oklahoma Accountancy Board for 10 years, including two terms as chair. Gray is the managing member of Gray, Blodgett and Company, PLLC. Laurie J. Tish, CPA, of Seattle, WA, was elected vice chair. A national practice leader for government services for Moss Adams LLP, Tish is a nationally recognized speaker on corporate sustainability reporting and federal compliance. Jack Anderson Bonner, Jr., CPA, CGMA, of Piney Flats, TN, was elected Southeast regional director. He is currently a member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) Council, TSCPA Financial Institution Committee and Tennessee State Board of Accountancy. Michael H. Womble, CPA, ABV, CVA, MAFF, CFF, ASA, CGMA, of Raleigh, NC, was elected Middle Atlantic regional director. Womble has over 30 years of experience in private and public accounting and serves as managing partner of Williams Overman Pierce, LLP. Faye D. Miller, CPA, CGMA, of Bismarck, ND, was elected Central regional director. Miller previously served on NASBA's CPE Model Rule Task Force and CPE and Audit Committees. She is the chief auditor for Basin Electric Power Coop and serves on the North Dakota State Board of Accountancy. A. Carlos Barrera, CPA, CFE, of Brownsville, TX, was elected director-at-large. He is a former chair of NASBA's Administrative and Finance, Global Strategies and Legislative Support Committees. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Barrera currently serves as partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Richard C. Carroll, Esq., of Louisville, KY, will serve as the executive directors' liaison. A graduate of the University of Dayton, School of Law, Carroll has served as executive director of the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy since 2002 and as a member of NASBA's CBT Examination Administration Committee since 2004. Continuing Board Members: Catherine R. Allen (NY), Northeast Regional Director J. Coalter Baker (TX), Director-at-Large Ken L. Bishop, President & CEO, NASBA Jimmy E. Burkes (MS), Director-at-Large and Treasurer Maria E. Caldwell (FL), Director-at-Large John F. Dailey, Jr. (NJ), Director-at-Large C. Jack Emmons (NM), Southwest Regional Director W. Michael Fritz (OH), Director-at-Large and Secretary Sheldon P. Holzman (IL), Great Lakes Regional Director Sharon A. Jensen (MN), Director-at-Large Theodore W. Long, Jr. (OH), Past Chair Nicola Neilon (NV), Mountain Regional Director Richard N. Reisig (MT), Director-at-Large Katrina Salazar (CA), Pacific Regional Director Stephanie M. Saunders (VA), Director-at-Large About NASBA Since 1908, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) has served as a forum for the nation's Boards of Accountancy, which administer the Uniform CPA Examination, license more than 650,000 certified public accountants and regulate the practice of public accountancy in the United States. NASBA's mission is to enhance the effectiveness and advance the common interests of the Boards of Accountancy in meeting their regulatory responsibilities. The Association promotes the exchange of information among accountancy boards, serving the needs of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions. NASBA is headquartered in Nashville, TN, with a satellite office in New York, NY, an International Computer Testing and Call Center in Guam and operations in San Juan, PR. To learn more about NASBA, visit www.nasba.org. Contacts: Cassandra Gray Office: (615) 564-2172 [email protected] SOURCE National Association of State Boards of Accountancy - NASBA Related Links http://www.nasba.org Located on the southern end of this Georgia barrier island, the Wanderer Memory Trail is nestled along the banks of the Jekyll River, near the point where the Wanderer illegally came ashore on Nov. 28, 1858, with more than 400 enslaved Africans on board. The new trail walks visitors through the true story of Umwalla, a young African boy brought to America on that ship 160 years ago this month. Through a series of interactive exhibits along the trail, the pieces of Umwalla's journey from capture to freedom are unveiled. The slave ship Wanderer originally was built as a stately and swift luxury yacht, which helped disguise its secret, illegal transport of enslaved Africans from West Africa to America. Physical changes had been made internally to the ship, so that hundreds of slaves could be callously packed into the vessel. In October 1858 a half-century after the United States Congress outlawed the importation of enslaved Africans the Wanderer departed the coast of West Central Africa, bound for America with more than 500 enslaved Africans crowded inside the hold. The vessel was ill-equipped to carry so much human cargo, and the conditions on board were gruesome and dangerous. About 100 of the slaves perished during the harrowing transatlantic voyage; their bodies were thrown overboard. Those who survived the ocean journey were unloaded at Jekyll Island and then sold across the South. The end of slavery would not be declared until the Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863. Late last Saturday afternoon, the captives who were put through that horrific crossing to the States were remembered during the dedication of the Wanderer Memory Trail. The Nov. 17 ceremonies at the Jekyll site featured singing by the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, a troupe of performing artists who themselves are descendants of African slaves. When the public was invited to enter and experience the new trail for the first time, each guest was given a lighted candle, to honor the survivors of the Wanderer, as well as those who died at sea. At trail's end, visitors observed a moment of silence before extinguishing their candles, just before the sun set over the Atlantic nearby. "This trail is an important and poignant reminder of the conditions these enslaved people suffered through during their journey to the United States, and the unthinkable hardships they faced after they got here," said Dr. Deborah L. Mack, associate director, the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Strategic Partnerships, National Museum of African American History & Culture. "It also references their path to freedom and it vividly reminds us that despite the circumstances of their arrival, the dynamic culture these brave people brought to America continues to influence coastal Georgia and countless places beyond." The new Wanderer Memory Trail is the second memorial to be placed on the south end of Jekyll Island in tribute to the enslaved passengers of the Wanderer. In 2008, the Jekyll Island Authority dedicated the first Wanderer Memorial, a large, metal sculpture honoring the ship's survivors. When the sculpture began to deteriorate from exposure to the coastal salt air and had to be removed, the opportunity to design a new type of memorial emerged. This led to the creation of the Wanderer Memory Trail, situated in the same general location as the original memorial, in the St. Andrews Picnic Area on Jekyll Island. "We are very pleased that Jekyll Island will continue to remember and honor the ship's survivors with this beautiful trail," Mack said. "It adds new chapters to this indelible story of cruelty and courage and survival, as well as to the story of cultural transformation that endures to this day." The Wanderer Memory Trail expands the original memorial into a larger educational experience for all ages. Through its individual, interactive stations, the trail seeks to give visitors a deeper understanding of the contributions the Wanderer survivors made to the communities in which they lived, as well as the lasting impact the survivors had on coastal Georgia and across the United States. "This updated, larger exhibit tells the story much more comprehensively than before. In adding to that legacy, the Wanderer Memory Trail and the lessons it provides also enhance the educational experience that comes with a visit to Jekyll Island," said Cheltsey Vann, Jekyll Island Museum Educator. "We are very proud of this new island landmark and anticipate that families and various groups most of all will want to add this trail and the journey of Umwalla to their Jekyll itineraries." The Wanderer Memory Trail is designed to be easily toured by all ages and group sizes. Though visits normally are self-guided, tours also can be included as part of special programming. The Wanderer Memory Trail was designed by longtime exhibit design veteran Curt Bowman, of Artaventure, in Richmond, Virginia. The trail's elements were produced and installed by Bowman and Jekyll Island Authority staff and volunteers. Contributors to the development of the trail have included the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History & Culture; the State of Georgia Historic Preservation Division; the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission; the Old Slave Mart Museum, in Charleston, South Carolina; and various descendants of known Wanderer survivors. For more information, visit jekyllisland.com. SOURCE Jekyll Island Authority Related Links http://www.jekyllisland.com ALBANY, New York, November 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As per expert analysis, ophthalmic lasers market had accumulated revenue worth US$0.97 bn in 2015, which is further expected to grow up to US$1.44 bn by 2024. This is decent increase considering the fact that the global ophthalmic lasers market will expand at a steady CAGR of 4.60% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. From the perspective of end users, this market showcased ophthalmic clinics holding a leading edge over other segments. This is further expected to continue in the next years too. Geography-wise, North America contributes maximum revenue in the market thanks to a strong medical infrastructure as well as rising cases of issues related to eyes in the region. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) Get PDF Brochure for Research Insights at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20864 Increasing Cases of Eye Issues Increases Demand for Ophthalmic Lasers With increasing pollution and levels of harmful emissions, the number of eye problems is increasing rapidly all over the globe. This is primarily increasing the demand of quality treatment procedures that include the use of ophthalmic lasers, consequently boosting growth in the global ophthalmic lasers market. Moreover, the occurrence of partial and complete blindness has substantially risen in the past couple of years and could rise twice as much by 2020. Rising instances of disorders such as cataract, diabetes, and glaucoma is causing a dramatic increase in eyesight problems, which might lead to partial or complete vision loss. Such scenarios too are responsible for driving growth in the global ophthalmic lasers market. Request a Sample of Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=20864 A rising number of ophthalmologists with a vast experience that can diagnosis and provide quality medical care in the form of laser surgeries to deal with serious eye conditions is a key factor stoking growth in the global ophthalmic lasers market. Moreover, with a rising awareness about the effectiveness of available laser treatment methods is also expected to augment adoption of ophthalmic lasers from a global perspective in the next few years. Expensive Laser Devices Discourage Potential Patients from Opting for Treatments However, high costs of such lasers is expected to discourage potential users with low disposal income from opting for their use in treatments, thereby restraining the global ophthalmic lasers market. Nonetheless, the market is expected to showcase a splendid growth during the forthcoming years thanks to the efforts taken by several manufacturers to produce cost effective ophthalmic laser devices. The restraints affecting the global ophthalmic lasers market are also expected to decrease as companies are focus on improving their geographical expansion in the healthcare industry. Request for Discount on This Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=20864 The global ophthalmic lasers market depicts the presence of a highly fragmented market, says Transparency Market Research on the basis of a recently published report. Such a diverse scenario mainly exists due to the presence of innumerable small, medium, and large-scale players in the market, thereby showcasing a notably distributed scenario. In spite of such a fragmented vendor landscape, the competition is substantially moderate. However, the next few years are expected to depict a burgeoning competition thanks to an increase in the number of new entrants in the market. These companies are also anticipated to help increase the number of advanced product launches. Some of the prime companies operating in the global ophthalmic lasers market are: Alcon, Ellex Medical Laser Ltd., Quantel Group, Lumenis Ltd., and Carl Zeiss. These top five businesses had held a notable share of 35.0% of total revenue generated. Browse Press Release - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/ophthalmic-lasers-market.htm This review is based on the findings of a TMR report, titled, "Ophthalmic Lasers Market (Product - Diode Lasers, Femtosecond Lasers, Excimer Lasers, Nd:YAG Lasers, Argon Lasers, and SLT Lasers; Application - Glaucoma, Cataract, Refractive Error Corrections, Diabetic Retinopathy, and AMD; End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Ophthalmic Clinics) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Volume, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024." Key Takeaways: The next few years are expected to depict a burgeoning competition thanks to an increase in the number of new entrants in the market. A rising number of ophthalmologists with a vast experience that can diagnosis and provide quality medical care in the form of laser surgeries to deal with serious eye conditions is a key factor stoking growth in the global ophthalmic lasers market. Browse More Healthcare Market Research Reports Popular Research Reports by TMR: Glaucoma Therapeutics Market (Drug Class - Prostaglandins, Beta Blockers, Alpha Agonists, Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors, Combination Medications, Cholinergics; End use - Hospitals, Ophthalmic Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/glaucoma-therapeutics-market.html Ophthalmic Ultrasound Systems Market (Product - A-Scan, B-Scan, Pachymeter, Combined Scan, and Ultrasound Bio Microscope (UBM); End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Eye Research Institutes, and Ophthalmic Clinics; Modality - Standalone and Portable): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ophthalmic-ultrasound-systems-market.html Ophthalmology Surgical Devices Market (Product - Cataract Surgery Devices (Intraocular Lenses (IOLs), Ophthalmic Viscoelastic Devices), Glaucoma Surgery Devices, Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices, Refractive Surgery Devices; End use - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Ophthalmic Clinics): https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ophthalmology-surgical-devices-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Research Blog: https://theglobalhealthnews.com/ SOURCE Transparency Market Research You have volunteered as a beta tester at Otherworld Industries, a pioneering tech company specializing in alternate realm tourism. But upon arrival at the desolate research facility, you're left on your own Exploring restricted laboratories inevitably leads you to discover a gateway to an alternate world of bioluminescent dreamscapes inhabited by alien flora, primordial creatures, and expanses of abstract light and geometry. The immersive narrative is driven by a multitude of cutting-edge technologies. From holograms to holodecks, 52 projectors, dozens of motion tracking cameras and over two kilometers of LEDs will create spectacular interactive visual effects. Otherworld's mosaic of tech will engage visitors in a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. The installation is being made by over 30 creatives with backgrounds in programming, metalworking, digital fabrication, animation, textiles, sculpting and other disciplines. The team has worked on projects including SXSW, Burning Man, museum exhibits, haunted attractions, theme parks and escape rooms. Ideation and design began September 2017 and construction started in May 2018. The experience is scheduled to open in March 2019, permanently residing at a 41,000 square foot building in East Columbus. The team is also looking to inspire the next generation of creators. The Otherworld Education Center will provide school groups with creative courses and resources to strengthen arts and entrepreneurship within the community. The project has a $2M production budget, financed by Chase Bank and private investors. The group hopes to raise an additional $500k to fully realize their vision of Otherworld. They are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to help hire more artists, add layers of detail, and enrich the narrative content. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/otherworldohio/otherworld-immersive-art-attraction Website: https://otherworldohio.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/OtherworldOhio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OtherworldOhio SOURCE Otherworld Related Links https://otherworldohio.com BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ouzo Bay (www.OuzoBay.com) brought to Boca Raton by hospitality visionaries Alexander and Eric Smith of Baltimore's Atlas Restaurant Group, has appointed award-winning national brand specialists The Gab Group as PR agency of record for the launch of their first Florida location and upcoming South Florida expansion. Through local and national public relations, The Gab Group will promote Ouzo Bay as a Greek-influenced Mediterranean haven for locals seeking "dinnertainment", power executive dining and private events within an upscale-casual setting. "Ouzo Bay has captured the attention of South Florida diners by consistently delivering high-quality dining and nightlife experiences in their swanky interiors, offering health-forward dishes simply by nature of their adherence to Blue Zone ingredients," says The Gab Group CEO Michelle Soudry. "From happy hour and power lunches to bridal showers and holiday gatherings, Ouzo Bay provides an atmosphere and hospitality that fosters a memorable experience." Ouzo Bay Boca Raton uses fresh fish flown in daily to create signature dishes, along with fine-quality cuts of grass fed lamb, prime beef and organic chicken prepared with a focus on Mediterranean flavors and a strong Greek influence. The dishes are light yet satisfying, complemented by Ouzo Bay's posh full service bar, presenting hand-crafted cocktails, small batch whiskeys and a wine list featuring Greek wines. "We're excited to open our doors in the beautiful, upscale Mizner Park center for our first location outside Maryland," says Smith. "It's a great opportunity to be able to serve high-quality seafood and ingredients in an authentic Mediterranean estiatorio to the South Florida market which is so known for fresh fare." Ouzo Bay's interior is a modern reflection of Greek influences, featuring blue accent lighting to facilitate an upscale yet relaxed atmosphere throughout the 225-seat interior and 100-seat outdoor patio. The restaurant also features indoor and outdoor lounge areas and a private cigar room that comfortably seats 30. About The Gab Group Founded in 2004 by PR visionary Michelle Soudry, The Gab Group is recognized for award-winning brand communications specializing in local and national product, service, celebrity and hospitality accounts. Consistently ranked in the Top PR Agencies in South Florida, the agency's scope of services includes brand-focused PR, strategic marketing, consulting services and exceptional special events. For more information, visit www.thegabgroup.com. Media Contact: Michelle Soudry The Gab Group 561.750.3500 [email protected] SOURCE The Gab Group Related Links httpp://www.thegabgroup.com A previous press release issued in June this year, titled Philip Kapneck, Maryland Trade Ambassador To Be Subject of A Business Biography was issued about the Trade Ambassador's work. See that release at this address: http://thinkbusinesstoday.com/news/philip-kapneck-maryland-trade-ambassador-to-be-subject-of-a-business-biography/0075842/ The press release resulted in an unprecedented number of phone calls and letters requesting that the business biography be researched and published. As documented in the previous release, the idea of writing about Philip Kapneck's business life, came after reading news stories about the Trade Ambassador's extraordinary success bringing companies to America, mainly from Europe, but also from other countries around the world. The destination for these companies was many states throughout the United States of America. It is known that a great many people hold Philip Kapneck in high regard, and a number of glowing quotations about the Ambassador have been made public from time to time. Ambassador Kapneck was always there to help his fellow man. Ambassador Kapneck's positive attitude, hard work, and ethical methods are lessons too valuable not to be documented and passed on to others. It is well known, and documented in newspaper reports, that Philip Kapneck was first appointed Maryland Trade Ambassador by Governor Marvin Mandel, in 1974. The foresight of Philip Kapneck and the administration lead to the plan to attract successful foreign businesses to Maryland, and have them create local jobs. In 1972, Philip Kapneck went to Brussels, Belgium, to open the first Maryland International Office there. Kapneck proved the model worked. It worked so well that the federal government used similar ideas for the "Invest in the USA" program. Over the next 40 years, Philip Kapneck was reappointed to the Maryland Trade Ambassador position by each new Administration. Ambassador Kapneck brought in hundreds and thousands of companies looking for sites to set up their business and create jobs for Americans in the USA. He also helped companies to work with other local companies to expand employment even further. Many records were broken, year after year, attracting new businesses. Ambassador Kapneck was working with individual companies and corporations to help them, the state and American workers. It was so successful that his business blueprint went from country to country attracting foreign businesses to Maryland, and other states contacted Ambassador Kapneck to help them as well. Companies came from around the world, looking at different USA sites. Ambassador Kapneck would receive calls from individual companies, and provide information about Maryland or another state that interested them. He would call a state business representative to say that a company from France, Italy or another country was coming to look at an area in their state, with the idea of building a factory, workshop or office there. Ultimately, while Ambassador Kapneck served Maryland, other states worked with the Ambassador, and some would later start their own programs. A former state official said, "Ambassador Philip Kapneck will be remembered most as the man who gave 40 years of service helping people get jobs, attracting business and industry to the USA, caring for his fellow man, and creating the most amazing number of jobs that no one else has ever created in the history of our country." The Trade Ambassador Kapneck official website at https://tradeambassadorkapneck.com/ contains information about the Ambassador's work for the state, creating jobs. While Ambassador Kapneck appreciated people asking for this biography to be written, he said he worked only to help his fellow man, and not for publicity. However, the hundreds and thousands of people who were helped wanted him to have special recognition and that is the reason for this book honoring Ambassador Philip Kapneck's work. The book is being written from sources on the internet, the State of Maryland, and archives. Contact Info: Organization: PressBrains.com Address: 102 North Curry Street, Carson City, Nevada 89703, United States Phone: +1-775-562-1444 For more information, please visit https://pressbrains.com/contact/ SOURCE PressBrains Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG) (AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the Philips V60 Plus ventilator has received CE mark approval. This comprehensive solution expands on Philips' noninvasive ventilation (NIV) gold standard platform, integrating both NIV and high flow therapy (HFT) in a single device. Clinicians can rapidly adjust therapies around constantly changing patient conditions without having to switch devices. Designed for early intervention in respiratory failure, the V60 Plus enables clinicians to further enhance patient outcomes with less invasive respiratory care therapies, while improving clinician workflow and maximizing equipment investments. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786730/Philips_V60_Plus.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786731/V60_Plus.jpg ) Patients with acute respiratory failure require immediate attention from caregivers. While early implementation with NIV is associated with less endotracheal intubation, as well as the reduction of serious complications and adverse events in the ICU [1], clinicians sometimes face challenges when weaning patients off of this therapy. The V60 Plus now delivers a wide range of non-invasive support for these patients, which supports clinicians to begin the weaning process sooner. By having the different, but complementary modes in one device, the V60 Plus can simplify both workflow and device availability. "When treating respiratory patients in Intensive and Emergency Care settings, it's critical for clinicians to be able to wean efficiently or to quickly escalate care depending on their patient's condition and specific needs. This often means complex workflows and alternating devices in time-sensitive situations," said Jim Alwan, Business Leader of Philips Hospital Respiratory Care. "We are excited to offer a comprehensive noninvasive solution that enables quick therapy and interface transitions, so clinicians can focus on providing for their patients while spending less time setting up equipment." "We are delighted with the high flow function of the V60 Plus," says Peter Lindberg, R.N., Leader NIV Program at St. Goran Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. "It saves us a lot of time and space as we can use the same equipment for both NIV and high flow. When you need to wean patients from NIV to HFT, it is very simple with the one device. Additionally, the cannula is high quality, easy to adjust, soft against the patient's skin and V60 flow is much quieter than our standalone high flow system." This solution expands on Philips' commitment and leadership in hospital respiratory care. The V60 Plus has received CE mark and is available for sale in Europe, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510k has been submitted. For more information on Philips' full suite of hospital respiratory care solutions, visit https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/solutions/hospital-respiratory-care. [1] Complications of non-invasive ventilation techniques: a comprehensive qualitative review of randomized trials. M. Carron, U. Freo et al., British Journal of Anaesthesia, June, 2013. About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG) (AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2017 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at http://www.philips.com/newscenter. For further information, please contact: Kathy O'Reilly Philips Group Press Office Tel: +1-978-221-8919 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @kathyoreilly Ingrid Mitchell Monitoring Analytics and Therapeutic Care Tel: +1-978-482-5949 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Royal Philips ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Qurate Retail, Inc., a world-leading video and digital retailer, has announced new digital investments designed to create immersive video commerce experiences on all platforms that resonate with consumers across generations. Mike George, President and CEO, Qurate Retail, Inc., announced the investments at the company's recent Investor Day in New York City. The investments align with five priorities that Qurate Retail is pursuing to continue to deepen the appeal of QVC and HSN among today's consumers: Be the destination for product discovery. Inspire shopping journeys spanning all media platforms customers use. Make digital marketing a powerhouse demand driver. Extend the conversation through the power of social media. Enhance the service experience. "The soul of the shopper, over time and across generations, hasn't really changed," said George. "Shopping is still about discovering great products, at great values, with great stories. It's joyful, inspiring and built on trust. It lifts people up, helps them solve old problems in new ways, makes their lives easier, and connects them to the wider world. This is what we do, and this is why we have so many opportunities to evolve and grow in today's rapidly changing retail and media landscape." George also announced a further increase in expected cost synergies from the HSNi acquisition, beyond the expectations announced in October. Qurate Retail believes it can reduce cost by another $50-55 million through a major new program to increase merchandise sourcing effectiveness. The company now expects total efficiencies to approach $400 million by 2022, building a powerful war chest to either reinvest in growth or add to operating income. Qurate Retail generated $14 billion in global revenue in FY 2017 and is #1 in video commerce, #3 in ecommerce in North America, and #3 in mobile commerce in the U.S.1 The company comprises seven leading retail brands: QVC, HSN, zulily, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road. Qurate Retail's video commerce business includes QVC and HSN, which together generated more than $11 billion in global revenue in FY 2017 and reach over 375 million homes.2 The company recently announced several projects to continue to expand engagement with QVC and HSN content on digital platforms and shared a survey on the role of video in purchase decisions. Here is a closer look at George's comments on Qurate Retail's five priorities: Be the destination for product discovery "Our business model starts with being great product curators," George said. "We're committed to bringing our customers more discoveries, increasing product differentiation, driving strong values, and engaging customers of all generations." Qurate Retail is investing in an expanded digital store, adding 180 new digital-only brands across HSN and QVC over the past few months and entering new categories, such as baby, outdoor and tabletop. Year-to-date3, the company has hired over 25 people to help drive this effort. In addition, more brands with strong cross-generational appeal are launching first on digital. Qurate Retail also is launching Qurate D3 (for Discovery, Design, and Development), an expanded function to find or develop exclusive product lines around the world. Inspire shopping journeys spanning all media platforms customers use "The explosion of digital media creates enormous opportunities for us to access, engage, and inspire consumers of all generations, over her video platforms of choice, with the right content, at the right time," George said. "We have a strong advantage over other retailers or content programmers: We own all of our content, our incremental cost to create content is low, and we already have significant experience distributing content across emerging and other digital platforms." Qurate Retail continues to expand viewership across media platforms. In the U.S., TV viewership for QVC and QVC2 rose 5% year-to-date4. HSN and QVC continue to increase their presence on traditional TV platforms. In addition, the brands are assessing how to optimize the positioning, programming, and scheduling of the five U.S. networks (QVC, QVC2, HSN, HSN2 and Beauty iQ) to appeal to the broadest range of consumers and provide maximum choice. Viewership on new media platforms is also growing. From Q3 2017 to Q3 2018, minutes viewed via QVC US OTT platforms (Amazon, Apple, Roku), Facebook Live5 pages and digital platforms rose by more than 75%, while minutes viewed via the QVC US YouTube page doubled. Early next year, Qurate Retail will build on its mobile leadership by launching a new Watch App, designed to be the daily discovery destination for today's mobile consumer, with easy access to live shows, product videos and episodic content. By liking videos, users will be able to create their own playlists, and a click on a video will bring up product details and the ability to purchase. In addition: The next generation of HSN's proprietary Shop by Remote app is rolling out, and QVC began deploying the app earlier this month as well. QVC is expanding its OTT apps, including the October 2018 launch on Amazon Fire and the June 2018 launch of a new OTT service in Germany . Make digital marketing a powerhouse demand driver "We are rapidly scaling our digital marketing to generate demand, showcasing our best items, complementing the power of our TV distribution, and driving new generations of customers to our new media platforms," George said. Qurate Retail is building an in-house marketing agency to support QVC and HSN, drawing top talent from digital marketing leaders. The team is leveraging machine learning tools from zulily to create and deploy advertising intraday to maximum effect. Digitally-driven sales6 are growing, driven in part by digital marketing. Year-to-date3, sales for items that are promoted only via QVC's digital platforms rose 11%, and sales for items that had not been featured on-air in the prior 24 hours rose 7%. Extend the conversation through the power of social media "Social platforms enable us to reach and engage new consumers, while also deepening the engagement of our best customers by fostering powerful viral communities," George said. Qurate Retail has built a network of influencers who can amplify HSN or QVC products and platforms with their followers. In addition, Qurate Retail has launched three social marketplaces Ellie Sugar and Fuss Beauty in the U.S. and TILI (Try It Love It) in the U.K. designed to reach beauty shoppers who may not be aware of the curated products and engaging experiences offered by HSN and QVC. The company also has launched its first skill on the Alexa platform, enabling users to watch or listen to HSN live and obtain information about HSN's broadcast and products. By early 2019, users will be able to order products and check shipping updates and other account details, all via voice. Enhance the service experience "We recently announced a multiyear plan to reduce delivery times by two days and increase package consolidation by integrating our HSN and QVC US fulfillment networks," George said. "This is just one example of how we are investing to ensure that our service promise stays among the best." The plan to integrate the fulfillment networks was announced in October. The first phase includes opening a new fulfillment center in Bethlehem, PA in 2019, as well as anticipated closures of fulfillment centers in Lancaster, PA, Roanoke, VA, and Greeneville, TN in 2020. Additionally, Qurate Retail will evolve toward a leased vs. owned model for many of its fulfillment facilities to increase flexibility and reduce longer term capital requirements. Qurate Retail's multiplatform approach is helping the company expand its customer base. Over the past 12 months3, new customer counts for QVC US rose 4%, with 83% of new customers coming through digital platforms. QVC US also saw a meaningful shift among new customers to customers who are 18-44 years old. Overall, the QVC US customer base is up 2% year-to-date3, with strong and stable customer retention. To view a replay of Qurate Retail's Investor Day, including Mike George's presentation, visit http://ir.qurateretail.com/events.cfm. Ecommerce and mobile rankings: among multicategory retailers, according to Internet Retailer. Includes QVC's JV in China . To September 2018 . To September 2018 . Source: Comscore. QVC daily share is the percent of total TV universe. Q3 2017 data from July 2017 launch date. Based on demand sales. Does not include waitlist and subsequent auto-delivery, which are 6% of total sales. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements about initiatives regarding Qurate Retail and the HSN and QVC businesses (the "initiatives"), the timing of the implementation of the initiatives, and expected benefits resulting from the initiatives, including the amount and timing of expected synergy benefits. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, without limitation, general market conditions. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and each of Qurate Retail, Inc. ("QRI") and QVC, Inc. ("QVC") expressly disclaim any obligations or undertakings to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in QRI's or QVC's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Please refer to the publicly filed documents of QRI and QVC, including each of their most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q for additional information about QRI and QVC, respectively, and about the risks and uncertainties related to each of QRI's and QVC's business which may affect the statements made in this press release. About Qurate Retail, Inc. Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB) is comprised of seven leading retail brands QVC, HSN, zulily, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road (collectively, "Qurate Retail Group") all dedicated to providing a "third way to shop," beyond transactional ecommerce or traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Globally, Qurate Retail Group is #1 in video commerce, reaching over 375 million homes worldwide via 16 television networks and multiple ecommerce sites, social pages, mobile apps, print catalogs, and in-store destinations, and is #3 in ecommerce in North America and #3 in mobile commerce in the U.S. Qurate Retail, Inc. also holds minority interests in ILG and FTD as well as various green energy investments. SOURCE Qurate Retail, Inc. RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina-based Republic Wireless is once again recognized for advancements using technology to positively impact customer care through its innovative support model. Republic Wireless was honored with the "Use of Technology - Customer Service" Award at the 2018 annual North Carolina Technology Association Awards Gala on November 15th. The award recognizes companies, organizations and institutions for their implementation of technology to produce a demonstrated impact in the area of customer service. "From the beginning, we took a unique approach to how we handled support. We believed that waiting on hold to speak to an agent was a thing of the past," says Doc Shufelt, SVP and General Manager. "While it may be unorthodox for a mobile phone company not to have a 1-800 number, we were confident we could deliver better, faster and more comprehensive support online. Seven years later, our model and team of knowledgeable agents who use it continues to consistently drive value to our members, delivering world-class member support in an ever-evolving industry." Republic's highly successful support model blends elements of self-service content and tools, agent-assisted support, and innovative peer-to-peer interaction. Self-service support is powered by a robust online community and a Knowledge Centered Service (KCS) strategy with an expansive database of helpful articles. Republic's agent-assisted support program deploys an advanced technology solution that automatically prioritizes, categorizes and routes inquiries to specialized agents, resulting in continuous improvement to wait times and overall member satisfaction. Republic's peer-to-peer solution enables Republic customer-experts to answer questions and provide assistance to other members - an innovative, technology-enabled solution that also improves timeliness and satisfaction. This is the third customer service-related award for Republic Wireless in 2018. In July, Republic Wireless was named one of the Top 10 Best Web Support Sites by the Association of Support Professionals, and in February, it took home the Biggest Growth Award at Nicereply's annual Customer Happiness Awards. About Republic Wireless Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Republic Wireless is run by a team of innovators who live to provide families with remarkably simple, affordable, and safe ways to stay in touch. Most well-known for pioneering WiFi calling for smartphones and saving customers over $500 million off their cell phone bills, their industry-leading plans start at just $15 for unlimited talk and text, and cellular data available at only $5 per GB. The company has been recognized as a top carrier choice by Consumer Reports, for the best basic plan by Money magazine, and for excellence in customer service by PC Magazine. SOURCE Republic Wireless Meet Elmwood Parks Scottie Ash Seed: man on a mission to save Chicagos ash trees, inoculating them against the much-feared emerald ash borer at his own expense Man on a mission to save Chicagos ash trees, inoculating them against the much-feared emerald ash borer The new restaurant, which seats just over 250, features an expansive dining room along with two private dining rooms elegantly appointed to host celebrations for up to 80 guests. Perfectly paired with the restaurant's sleek aesthetic, guests will find Founder Ruth Fertel's timeless recipes on the menu from her revered USDA Prime Steaks served on 500-degree sizzling plates to high-quality seafood, fresh salads and appetizers, homemade sides and decadent desserts. "We are eager to welcome guests at The Outlets at Bergen Town Center for a dining experience they will not soon forget," said General Manager David Gurwicz. Along with Executive Chef Israel "Izzy" Jimenez, Gurwicz recruited and trained more than 80 local team members to open the new restaurant. "Over the last several weeks, we have been tirelessly working on making our newest restaurant one that is sure to become a favorite in Bergen County. Prior to the restaurant's first reservations on November 19, Ruth's Chris hosted team training rehearsal dinners benefitting Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County. Over two evenings, the restaurant raised more than $7,000 for the local nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing options for all. Gurwicz, Jimenez and Ruth's Hospitality Group Regional Vice President Brian Nelson presented the organization with a check at the restaurant's official "steak cutting" event, which was attended by local officials including Council President Claire A. Padovano of The Borough of Maywood and Mayor Richard LaBarbiera of The Borough of Paramus, among others. Ruth's Chris Steak House at The Outlets at Bergen Town Center is now open for dinner service seven days a week, including holidays, and will also feature a weekly happy hour. For reservations and more information, please visit www.ruthschris.com or call (551) 258-0013. About Ruth's Chris Steak House Ruth's Chris Steak House was founded by Ruth Fertel 50 years ago, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruth had a recipe for everything from how to prepare her signature sizzling steaks to how to treat her guests. This timeless formula is a testament to how one neighborhood eatery has become the largest collection of upscale steak houses in the world, with more than 150 restaurant locations around the globe. Ruth's Chris remains true to its heritage, helping guests make their best memories on 500-degree sizzling plates. Ruth's Chris Steak House. This is How It's Done. SOURCE Ruth's Chris Steak House Related Links http://www.ruthschris.com "We couldn't be more proud to be named a 2018 Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice for Strategic Sourcing Application Suites," said Stan Garber, President and Co-Founder of Scout. "Scout is a customer-obsessed company, and to us, gaining this recognition from our customers is a real testament to Scout's efforts to make each of our customers crazy successful. By staying focused on their success, we can help our customers truly change the way they do business." Gartner defines Strategic Sourcing Application Suites as technology platforms that support upstream procurement activities - the strategic work of planning, supplier assessment, and overall sourcing performance management. These critical platforms help enterprises drive cost savings, improve operational efficiency, and supply chain innovation. Scout stands out in this market, and was recognized for, their best-in-class user experience, customer support, and high adoption. Building on the momentum from this Customers' Choice recognition, Scout is releasing new research based on their work with leading companies in life sciences, financial services, technology, transportation, and manufacturing. They have published the recent report, Funnel Vision: Procurement's Unlikely Blueprint for Driving Transformation , and will be discussing the ways leaders in these industries are taking steps to elevate their enterprises at SPARK, their upcoming conference in February 2019. Additional Resources about Scout: Scout RFP: www.scoutrfp.com Scout Blog: www.scoutrfp.com/blog Excerpts from Scout customers quoted in Gartner Peer Insights: Industry: Energy and Utilities - Firm Size: 30B + USD "The user experience of the product is one of the best we have seen." Industry: Retail - Firm Size: 1B - 3B USD "[Scout] cares about clients' success while providing a high degree of innovation & strategies. Definitely use [Scout's] technology, give them a try! You won't be disappointed :) " Industry: Manufacturing - Firm Size: 500M - 1B USD "Through Scout, we have dramatically simplified the way we conduct our business while also creating much more visibility into the process and status of each project. Business users are extremely happy!" About Peer Insights: Peer Insights is an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision-makers. The goal is to help IT leaders make insightful purchase decisions and help technology providers improve products by receiving objective, unbiased feedback from their customers. Gartner Peer Insights includes more than 70,000 verified reviews in more than 200 markets. For more information, please visit www.gartner.com/reviews/home. Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates. About Scout Scout is the sourcing and supplier engagement platform trusted by procurement teams to streamline their process, manage a unified pipeline of projects, and collaborate with stakeholders and suppliers. Scout's powerful platform drives profitability and makes enterprise commerce faster, less risky, and more transparent, giving CPOs the tools they need to transform their organizations. Over 165 global brands trust Scout to provide greater visibility across stakeholders and suppliers, measure effectiveness, and make procurement teams crazy successful by delivering better business outcomes. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Scout is funded by Menlo Ventures, NEA, and GV and has over 119,000 active users across 117 countries. Read more on the Scout Blog or follow @scoutrfp on Twitter or LinkedIn . SOURCE Scout RFP Related Links http://www.scoutrfp.com TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Symbility Solutions Inc. ("Symbility" or the "Company"), (TSXV: SY), a global software company focused on modernizing the insurance industry, announced today that it has been granted an interim order from the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta authorizing various matters, including the holding of a special meeting (the "Special Meeting") of securityholders of Symbility (the "Securityholders") to consider the proposed statutory plan of arrangement under Section 193 of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) (the "Arrangement") whereby CoreLogic, Inc. (the "Purchaser") will acquire, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Symbility (the "Symbility Shares") (other than the Symbility Shares already owned by the Purchaser and its affiliates). The Interim Order also authorizes the mailing to Securityholders of the Management Proxy Circular (the "Circular") and related proxy materials in respect of the Special Meeting to be held at 11:30 am (Toronto time) on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at the offices of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Suite 2400, Bay Adelaide Centre, 333 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Circular will be filed on SEDAR and the Company's investor relations website (www.symbilitysolutions.com/investors/). THE ARRANGEMENT At the Special Meeting, Securityholders will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, pass a special resolution (the "Arrangement Resolution") approving the Arrangement whereby the Purchaser will acquire, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding Symbility Shares (other than Symbility Shares already owned by the Purchaser and its affiliates) for cash consideration of $0.615 per Symbility Share (the "Symbility Share Consideration"). Each holder of options for the purchase of Symbility Shares ("Symbility Options") will be entitled to receive the "in-the-money" amount of each Symbility Option, less applicable withholdings. The Symbility Share Consideration represents a 20% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average trading price of Symbility Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and a 26% premium to the closing price of the Symbility Shares on the TSXV, as of October 19, 2018, the last trading date prior to the date the Arrangement was announced. If the Arrangement is approved, the Arrangement will be carried out pursuant to the terms of an arrangement agreement between Symbility and the Purchaser dated October 22, 2018, as amended November 12, 2018 to clarify the mechanics relating to the disposition of the Symbility Options (collectively, the "Arrangement Agreement"). Securityholders are encouraged to read the Circular, which contains important information about the Arrangement. BOARD RECOMMENDATION Full details of the Arrangement are set out in the Circular. The Circular describes the Arrangement and includes certain additional information to assist Securityholders in considering how to vote on the proposed Arrangement Resolution, including certain risk factors relating to the completion of the Arrangement. Securityholders should carefully review and consider all of the information in the Circular. If Securityholders require assistance, they should consult their financial, legal, tax or other professional advisor. The Arrangement is subject to customary closing conditions for a transaction of this nature, including Securityholder approval, court approval, TSXV approval and the receipt of certain third-party consents. The Board of Directors of Symbility (the "Board"), after careful consideration of various factors including the unanimous recommendation of the strategic committee of independent directors of the Board, consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and the fairness opinion of Raymond James Ltd., has unanimously determined that the Arrangement is in the best interests of the Company and is fair to Securityholders (other than the Purchaser and its affiliates), and unanimously recommends that the Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement. In making its recommendation, the Board considered a number of factors as described in the Circular under the heading "The Arrangement Reasons for the Arrangement". SECURITYHOLDER VOTING To be effective, the Arrangement Resolution must be approved by: (i) not less than 66% of the votes cast on the Arrangement Resolution by the Securityholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting, with each Securityholder being entitled to one vote for each Symbility Share or Symbility Option held by such holder; (ii) not less than 66% of the votes cast on the Arrangement Resolution by the holders of Symbility Shares (the "Shareholders") present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting, with each Shareholder being entitled to one vote for each Symbility Share held by such Shareholder; and (iii) a majority of the votes cast on the Arrangement Resolution by the Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting excluding votes attached to Symbility Shares required to be excluded for majority of the minority approval at the Special Meeting pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. Registered Securityholders as of the close of business on November 5, 2018 will receive notice of and be entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. In certain circumstances, transferees of Shareholders of record may be permitted to vote. Securityholders, including directors and officers of the Company and certain significant Shareholders, collectively holding approximately 41% of the outstanding Symbility Shares and approximately 63% of the outstanding Symbility Options, have entered into voting support agreements with the Purchaser pursuant to which they have agreed, subject to the terms and conditions therein, to vote their Symbility Shares and Symbility Options in favour of the Arrangement Resolution. Consequently, it is expected that the Arrangement Resolution will be approved. If the Securityholders approve the Arrangement, it is currently anticipated that the Arrangement will be completed on or about December 18, 2018, subject to obtaining court approval, TSXV approval, as well as the satisfaction or waiver of other conditions contained in the Arrangement Agreement. However, it is not possible to state with certainty when or if the closing of the Arrangement will occur. ABOUT SYMBILITY Symbility believes in creating world-class experiences that simplify business and improve lives. With a history in modernizing insurance claims solutions for the property and health industries, Symbility has established itself as a partner that puts security, efficiency and customer experience first. Symbility PROPERTY brings smarter thinking to property insurance. Our strategic services team, Symbility INTERSECT empowers a variety of businesses with smarter mobile and IoT product development strategy, design thinking and engineering excellence. We push industries forward and prove that change for the better is entirely possible. For more information, please visit www.symbilitysolutions.com. LEGAL NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains "forward-looking statements" about the proposed Arrangement within the meaning of applicable Canada securities legislation. These forwarding-looking statements in this news release are related to, but are not limited to, matters with respect to the timing, completion, approval and results of the Arrangement. Forward-looking statements typically contain statements with words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "strive", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions. There can be no assurance that the Arrangement will occur or that the anticipated benefits described in the Circular will be realized. The Arrangement is subject to shareholder and court approvals and the fulfilment of certain conditions, and there can be no assurance that any such approvals will be obtained and/or any such conditions will be met. The Arrangement could be modified, restricted or terminated. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect Symbility's expectations only as of the date of this news release. Symbility disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All trade names are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE Symbility Solutions Inc. Related Links http://www.symbilitysolutions.com/en_US/Main/Index SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TapClicks , the global SaaS leader in marketing analytics, reporting, orders, and workflow, today announced it has ranked as number #163 on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 national award, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. TapClicks was also named as #32 fastest growing technology company in the San Francisco Bay Area, expanding its workforce, sales and operations by 616% percent in the last three years. "TapClicks is honored to stand alongside some of today's most important companies in Silicon Valley and beyond," said Babak Hedayati, Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman at TapClicks. "We are continuing to work closely with our expansive network of partners to expand our reach while introducing advanced technologies like AI and machine learning into our industry-leading marketing reporting dashboard and analytics platform. This has enabled us to drive even further value to our customers across industries leading to our impressive growth." Overall, 2018 Technology Fast 500 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 143 percent to 77,260 percent from 2014 to 2017, with median growth of 412 percent. TapClick's growth of 616 percent puts the company well above the average and underscores the growing demand for advanced marketing analytics solutions which can be easily used by teams within marketing agencies, media companies, franchises, brands and marketers in highly regulated industries such as healthcare. "Congratulations to the Deloitte 2018 Technology Fast 500 winners on this impressive achievement," said Sandra Shirai , vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. "These companies are innovators who have converted their disruptive ideas into products, services and experiences that can captivate new customers and drive remarkable growth." "Software, which accounts for nearly two of every three companies on the list, continues to produce some of the most exciting technologies of the 21st century, including innovations in artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and robotics," said Mohana Dissanayake , partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and Industry Leader for technology, media and telecommunications, within Deloitte's audit and assurance practice. "This year's ranking demonstrates what is likely a national phenomenon, where many companies from all parts of America are transforming the way we do business by combining breakthrough research and development, entrepreneurship and rapid growth." About Deloitte's 2018 Technology Fast 500 Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies both public and private in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2014 to 2017. In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company's operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $50,000 USD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America. About TapClicks TapClicks, Inc. is the leading marketing performance platform for digital and media agencies and their SMB, B2B enterprise and consumer brand clients. Its pre-integrated, unified platform includes agency orders, marketing workflow, performance analytics, client reporting and data centralized across a wide range of marketing and advertising tools. TapClicks' unified platform is used by over 5,000 digital and media agencies. The company has been recognized by the 2018 SaaS Awards for the Best SaaS Product for Business Intelligence or Analytics, Best UX/UI/Design in a SaaS Product and Best SaaS Product for Sales/Marketing, the 2018 MITX Best Technology Award, and StreetFight's Local Visionary Award 2018 for "Best Dashboard for managing Local Campaigns." Additionally, TapClicks has been honored for three consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list as a Fastest Growing Company in Silicon Valley. TapClicks, founded in 2009, is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. with locations in Boston, Nashville, and New York City, as well as international offices in Montreal, Bogota, and Pune, India. For more information, visit TapClicks.com and sign up for a demo or free trial today. Media Contact: Samantha Singh Lumina Communications for TapClicks Inc. [email protected] 650-722-0294 SOURCE TapClicks Related Links http://www.tapclicks.com "We are incredibly proud to support this charity, and to help ensure their invaluable services and care can continue for the families most in need," says Salim Asrawi, Chief Operating Officer for the family-owned Brazilian steakhouse brand. "Each year, we are heartened by the generosity shown by our guests and we appreciate their support as we all raise funds vital to the continuation of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the life-saving treatments they provide," he adds. Throughout August, Texas de Brazil partnered with St. Jude in a campaign that allowed guests to donate directly to the cause at the bottom of guest checks. No purchase was required, and for every $5 donated Texas de Brazil provided a $5 bounce-back certificate as incentive and on Mondays, doubled incentives up to $50. The $25,000 company match plus funds raised through Texas de Brazil social media platforms, finale luncheon sales and money raised through silent auction items donated by vendors and hospitality associates were donated to support St. Jude in its life-saving mission: Finding cures. Saving children. Since 2013, Texas de Brazil has donated over $535,000 to St. Jude. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to more than 80 percent today, and they won't stop until no child dies from cancer. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Watch for details about the 2019 Texas de Brazil fundraising campaign at www.texasdebrazil.com. About Texas de Brazil Texas de Brazil is an authentic churrascaria featuring a continuous dining experience that blends the unique culture of Brazil with the generous hospitality of Texas. The menu features a vast selection of grilled meats, a 50-item salad area, an award-winning wine list and a la carte dessert selections. Founded as a family-owned business in 1998, Texas de Brazil now has 59 locations in 21 states and seven countries. Stay connected. Follow @texasdebrazil on Instagram and Twitter and like Texas de Brazil on Facebook. For more information, visit www.texasdebrazil.com. About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Our purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent. And we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. By freely sharing discoveries, every child saved at a St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude), following us on Twitter (@stjude) and subscribing to our YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MyStJude). SOURCE Texas de Brazil Related Links http://www.texasdebrazil.com WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Centeran organization focused on creating the space for a political center in America today launched its website and an accompanying policy paper entitled "The Immigration Debate: The Poison Affecting Our Politics." The New Center grew out of an unlikely partnership between Brookings Institute Scholar Bill Galston and Weekly Standard founder Bill Kristol. In November 2016, Galston and Kristol penned a joint memo in which they made "the case for a New Center, one that does not split the difference between Left and Right, but offers a principled alternative to both." Last year, the two thinkers oversaw the development and release of a policy booklet called Ideas to Re-center America. Now, NewCenter.org is being launched as a destination for the millions of Americans who are tired of the overheated and histrionic fare served up by the left and right; and who are searching for a credible counter to the growing bias on both sides. "The endless tribal warfare between the left and right has made it impossible for our government to solve problems," said New Center co-chair Bill Galston. "Nowhere is this more evident than the issue of immigration, where there is a broad public majority that would support a long-overdue comprehensive overhaul forged in the center. If our president and the next Congress want to make meaningful bipartisan progress on this issue, they'd do well to consider the recommendations offered in this first paper from The New Center." The New Center team will regularly develop and release original policy papers. A second paper exploring the challenges that large technology companies pose to our privacy and public discourse will be released on November 26. Both will be available for download at newcenter.org. The New Center ultimately aims to become a hub for insightful thinking in the center. The right has The Drudge Report. The left has The Huffington Post. The New Center is the destination for aggregated and original content that both highlights new and ongoing efforts to find common ground and calls out circumstances where the right and the left are overstepping their bounds. The New Center website will feature regular contributors who publish original content, curate stories from the center, and release relevant and exclusive polling. "There is an urgent opportunity for the vast political center in America and across the developed world to reassert itself, with a robust agenda that rethinks the core functions of government and helps citizens navigate and thrive through the technological, social and cultural change that will only accelerate in the years ahead. I believe The New Center will be an invaluable voice in shaping that agenda," said New Center senior advisor Bill Kristol. Every policy paper released by The New Center will seek to clarify and simplify the nature of the challenges we face, to present and contextualize the latest public polling, and to offer principled solutions that can be forged in the center. Here is a brief summary of the solutions offered in the immigration paper. The System of Legal Immigration Many other U.S. peer countries like Canada and Australia give much more weight to the potential economic contributions of immigrants when deciding who to let in the country. The U.S. should do the same. Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S. It is unacceptable to have over 11 million people living illegally in America. But mass deportation is unacceptable too both morally and logistically. Unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. should be brought out of the shadows and offered a long and rigorous road toward citizenship that depends on them maintaining clean criminal records, paying taxes, and meeting several other requirements. The U.S.-Mexico Border Wall It is essential to have a fortified border that allows the U.S. to reliably and consistently prevent unauthorized entry. On some parts of the border, a wall or fence might make the most sense; on others, obstacles make a physical border impractical. A focus on physical barriers, technological improvements, and the renovation of infrastructure along land ports of entry should be coupled with revised legal measures that quicken deportation proceedings to deter crossings. Internal Immigration Enforcement Immigration enforcement needs to refocus on unauthorized individuals who conduct criminal activity in the U.S. And employers need to step up to play a lead role in preventing undocumented individuals through the implementation of a universal E-Verify system. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Dreamers Dreamers should not be held culpable for the actions of their parents, who brought them to the U.S. If they contribute to American society and the economy by working, acquiring an education, or serving in the military, then they should have access to a path to citizenship assuming clean criminal records. About The New Center American politics is broken, with the far left and far right making it increasingly impossible to govern. This will not change until a viable center emerges that can create an assertive agenda that appeals to the vast majority of the American people. This is the mission of The New Center, which aims to establish the intellectual basis for a viable political center in today's America. We create and promote ideas, news coverage, and commentary that helps people see common sense solutions to the problems we face. CONTACT [email protected] SOURCE The New Center Related Links newcenter.org RC18-0248 intersected five mineralized intervals of: 1.0 meter averaging 14.38% copper; 21.3 meters averaging 1.73% copper; 21.0 meters averaging 0.93% copper; 15.1 meters averaging 1.32% copper; and 4.9 meters averaging 2.97% copper. RC18-0249 intersected one mineralized interval of: 38.3 meters averaging 1.12% copper. RC18-0250 did not contain any significant mineralization. On August 23, 2018, the Company announced initial assay results from the first drill hole, RC18-0247, from the Bornite Project. Subsequently, on October 9, 2018, the Company announced additional assay results for four drill holes (RC18-0243, RC18-0244, RC18-0246 and RC18-0247). Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President and CEO of Trilogy Metals commented, "Out of the two dozen holes that reached target depth that we drilled during the 2017 and 2018 programs, only one - hole RC18-0250, didn't hit significant mineralization. All the other holes intersected good grades over potentially mineable widths. In addition, we continue to see a significant cobalt component to the mineralization. We are still exploring for the edges of this Mount Isa/Central African Copper belt look-alike system." "Furthermore, I would also like to congratulate Governor-elect Michael Dunleavy. The Governor-elect held his first press conference at the Alaska Miners Annual Convention where he emphasized that 'Alaska was open for business' and that he 'Wants to see more mines in Alaska'. We look forward to working with Governor-elect Dunleavy, and his administration, to permit and finance the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road and to advance the Arctic and Bornite Projects towards production." This year's program was comprised of 12 drill holes totaling approximately 10,123 meters through a combination of infill and expansion drill holes in and around the known deposit. The original drilling campaign was budgeted to be 8,000 meters but was subsequently expanded to 10,000 meters with the addition of two more drill rigs. The 2018 program followed up on drilling completed during the 2017 exploration program, which was one of the larger programs in the history of drilling at the Bornite Project. During 2017, the Company drilled nine diamond drill holes comprising 8,437 meters to test the extension of the of the currently defined resource. Additional drill results are anticipated to be released within the next few weeks as they become available. The objective of the 2018 drill campaign is to infill and expand the currently defined open pit and underground mineral resources. Results are presented in Table 1 at a cutoff grade of 0.5% copper to be comparable with previous drill results released by the Company. All the intersected widths are normal to stratigraphy and therefore can be considered to be true widths. Results at a more selective higher-grade cutoff of 1.5% copper are also presented in Table 2 to show locally higher-grade intervals. Table 3 shows drill hole locations. Figure 1 shows the location of the drill holes on a plan map and Figure 2 shows a cross-section through drill hole RC18-0248 and Figure 3 shows a cross-section through drill holes RC18-0249. Table 1 - 0.5% Cu cut-off with maximum 3 m internal waste Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Cu (%) Co (%) RC18-0248 351.42 352.45 1.03 14.38 0.03 476.25 493.45 17.20 0.82 0.01 507.42 514.50 7.08 0.81 0.01 626.97 648.24 21.27 1.73 0.01 653.66 660.35 6.69 0.93 0.01 669.40 684.48 15.08 1.32 0.01 689.73 693.57 3.84 1.16 0.00 698.79 719.80 21.01 0.93 0.01 723.20 733.89 10.69 0.81 0.01 746.09 751.03 4.94 2.97 0.08 802.28 808.50 6.22 0.83 0.02 RC18-0249 436.68 438.32 1.64 3.54 0.00 726.52 733.19 6.67 0.58 0.01 781.82 787.75 5.93 1.16 0.01 813.70 852.00 38.30 1.12 0.01 RC18-0250 315.16 317.66 2.50 0.74 0.00 Table 2 - 1.5% Cu cut-off with maximum 3 m internal waste Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Cu (%) Co (%) RC18-0248 351.42 352.11 0.69 21.08 0.04 482.89 484.02 1.13 2.00 0.02 630.02 641.75 11.73 2.25 0.01 645.07 647.00 1.93 1.98 0.03 672.00 678.18 6.18 2.04 0.01 691.73 693.57 1.84 1.51 0.00 709.57 711.50 1.93 2.42 0.02 723.20 725.20 2.00 1.54 0.01 746.09 750.27 4.18 3.36 0.09 802.28 806.82 4.54 0.92 0.02 RC18-0249 437.26 437.39 0.13 31.60 0.01 783.75 785.75 2.00 1.70 0.01 821.70 834.40 12.70 1.98 0.02 RC18-0250 No Significant Mineralization Table 3 Bornite Drill Hole Locations East (m) North (m) Elevation (m) Azimuth Dip RC18-0248 589883.00 7440798.93 228.27 206 -77 RC18-0249 590875.23 7440489.04 350.26 220 -90 RC18-0250 590940.01 7440422.92 350.76 206 -75 Mineralization within the Bornite deposit occurs as a series of "Reefs" hosted by both the Upper and Lower Bornite Carbonate sequences separated by generally unmineralized phyllite units. The Cu-Co mineralization at Bornite occurs in three distinct carbonate zones, the Upper Reef, the Lower Reef, and the South Reef. All three zones were drill tested this year. Mineralization is typically observed as breccia matrix replacement and is generally dominated by chalcopyrite and sometimes by bornite with chalcocite particularly in the higher-grade zones. Mineralization can also be observed as vein and replacement zones containing chalcopyrite and calcite/dolomite gangue. These styles of mineralization were observed in all holes mentioned in this press release with chalcopyrite, bornite, and chalcocite mineralization observed in RC18-0248 and RC18-0249. Drill hole RC18-0250 contained very minor chalcopyrite mineralization. Of particular interest, are two narrow but high grade intervals in RC18-0248 (0.69m grading 21.08% Cu and 0.04% Co) and RC18-0249 (0.13m grading 31.6%Cu, and 0.01% Co). These narrow high grade intervals are not vein style mineralization but represent replacement style mineralization along bedding. Bornite Resource The resource estimate utilized assay data from drill holes completed by the Company between 2011 and 2013 and re-sampled historic holes Kennecott drilled in the 1960s and 1970s. Assays from historic Kennecott holes that were not re-sampled were also used in the resource estimation. On June 5th, 2018 the Company announced an updated resource estimate for the Bornite project of 5.5 billion pounds of copper inferred resource at a grade of 1.74% Cu and 913 million pounds of copper indicated resource at a grade of 1.02% Cu and total inferred cobalt resources (in-pit and below-pit) of 182.4 million tonnes grading 0.019% Co for 77 million pounds of contained cobalt. Trilogy Metals filed a National Instrument 43-101 technical report in July 2018. See the Bornite Technical Report as well as the Company's press releases dated June 5, 2018 (https://Trilogy PR June 5 2018) and the Company's press release on the filing of the updated NI43-101 Technical Report for Bornite on July 20, 2018 (https://Trilogy PR July 20 2018). QA/QC Program The drill program, sampling protocol and data verification were managed by qualified persons employed by the Company. Diamond drill holes were typically collared at PQ or HQ diameter drill core and reduced to HQ and NQ diameter during the drilling process. Samples were collected using a 0.2-meter minimum length, 2.5-meter maximum length and 1.9-meter average sample length. Drill core recovery averaged 93% overall and 95% within the prospective lithologies. Three quality control samples (one blank, one standard and one duplicate) were inserted into each batch of 20 samples. The drill core was sawn, with half sent to ALS Minerals in Fairbanks for sample preparation and the sample pulps forwarded to ALS's North Vancouver facility for analysis. ALS Minerals in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada, is a facility certified as ISO 9001:2008 and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025:2005 from the Standards Council of Canada. The Company will submit 5% of the assay intervals from prospective lithologies to an independent check assay lab. Qualified Persons Andrew W. West, Certified Professional Geologist, Exploration Manager for Trilogy Metals Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. West has reviewed the technical information in this news release and approves the disclosure contained herein. About Trilogy Metals Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metals exploration and development company focused on exploring and developing the Ambler mining district located in northwestern Alaska. It is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts located in one of the safest geopolitical jurisdictions in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler mining district - the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within the Company's land package that spans approximately 143,000 hectares. The Company has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., a Regional Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler mining district in cooperation with local communities. Our vision is to develop the Ambler mining district into a premier North American copper producer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, further drilling activity, the potential advancement of the AMDIAP, the UKMP and mining generally in Alaska, the timing and the filing of updated reports on the Company's projects, the future price of copper, the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of projects, the likelihood and timing of the AMDIAP, the potential future development of Bornite, the future operating or financial performance of the Company, planned expenditures and the anticipated activity at the UKMP Projects, are forward-looking statements. The assay results from the drill holes discussed in this press release should not be considered representative of other drilling results for the 2018 drilling campaign. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties; exploration plans and budgets; mineral reserves and resource estimates; work programs; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; market prices for precious and base metals; or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving success of exploration, development and mining activities, permitting timelines, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses; mineral reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to the PFS; our assumptions with respect to the likelihood and timing of the AMDIAP; capital estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services the interpretation of drill results, the need for additional financing to explore and develop properties and availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests and the estimation of reserves and resources; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the development and operation of properties as well as the construction of the access road; the need to obtain permits and governmental approvals; risks of construction and mining projects such as accidents, equipment breakdowns, bad weather, non-compliance with environmental and permit requirements, unanticipated variation in geological structures, metal grades or recovery rates; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; fluctuations in metal prices and currency exchange rates; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2017 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This press release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this press release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended ("CIM Definition Standards"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of "measured" or "indicated resources" will ever be converted into "reserves". Investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by Trilogy Metals in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Arctic does not have known reserves, as defined under SEC Industry Guide 7. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. ______________________ [] See the latest resource statement in the report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Bornite Project, Northwest Alaska, USA" released on July 20, 2018 with an effective date of June 5, 2018 (the "Bornite Technical Report") on the Company's website at www.trilogymetals.com and on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. Related Links www.trilogymetals.com LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The USC Marshall School of Business today announced the introduction of a venture capital fund. The USC Marshall Venture Fund (the Fund) is a fund investing and receiving equity in early-stage startups founded by USC students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Its mission is to bridge the funding gap for early stage USC-related companies; train students to evaluate, make, and manage venture investments; involve and leverage enthusiastic alumni, advisors, and donors to support and accelerate USC ventures; and to return capital to the Fund. "Learning to strike a balance between high risk and dramatic reward remains an essential business skill, one often best taught through practical involvement," said USC Marshall Dean James G. Ellis. "This newest fund puts our students at the forefront of the California venture capital marketplace, adding another valuable dimension to their Marshall experience." The Fund is supported by donations from alumni, patrons and USC collaborating organizations. Upon a liquidity event, 100 percent of the realized gain is reinvested into the Fund, ensuring that it remains an evergreen, ever-growing fixture of USC Marshall's entrepreneurial ecosystem. "USC Marshall's Fund is committed to helping establish influential, high-quality companies," said Gabe Greenbaum, a Partner at Pritzker Venture Capital Group and member of the Fund Investment Committee. "By combining the Fund, and an active Investment Committee of experienced venture capitalists, with the best USC-related founders, we're creating a unique educational opportunity for students and supporting the next generation of business leaders." "Rarely do schools and investors come together to strengthen the startup ecosystem and benefit young leaders in this way," said Anna Barber, Managing Director for Techstars Los Angeles and also member of the Fund's Investment Committee. "Our Investment Committee reflects the diversity of experience, viewpoints and industries in the Los Angeles economy and investing community," said Michael Rivera, Managing Director of the Fund. "Their perspectives will be invaluable to our students as they learn to study and evaluate investment decisions." Members of the Fund's Investment Committee: Anna Barber , Techstars LA Damir Becirovic , Index Ventures Dino Becirovic , Index Ventures Michael Carney , Upfront Ventures Austin Clements , TenOneTen Ventures Nic Dardenne , Y Combinator Continuity Fund Gabe Greenbaum , Pritzker Laurent Grill , LUMA Launch Ryan Morris , Plus Capital Marlon Nichols , Cross Culture Ventures Dustin Rosen , Wonder Ventures Elaine Russell , PLG Ventures Erin Shipley , The Helm Luke Sikora , Vulcan Capital Ryan Smith , Magic Johnson Enterprises Michael Tam , Craft Ventures Anthony Tucker , Troy Capital The USC Marshall Venture Fund is slated to begin investing this month. For more information, see www.marshall.usc.edu/venturefund or contact: Media Contact Matthew Simmons Office: 213-821-9868 Cell: 202-277-4890 [email protected] SOURCE USC Marshall School of Business Related Links http://www.marshall.usc.edu HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Weidai Ltd. ("Weidai" or the "Company") (NYSE: WEI), a leading auto-backed financing solution provider in China, today announced that it will attend the Morgan Stanley 17th Annual Asia Pacific Summit to be held on November 28-30, 2018, in Singapore. Investors who are interested in attending the conference and meeting with Weidai should contact their sales representatives at Morgan Stanley. About Weidai Weidai Ltd. ("Weidai" or the "Company") (NYSE: WEI) is a pioneer and leading auto-backed financing solution provider in China supported by sophisticated and effective risk management system and technology. The Company transforms used automobiles, a type of "non-standard" collateral, into investable assets, to provide accessible credit for China's small and micro enterprises, and connects the borrowers with both online investors and institutional funding partners through its platform. For more information on Weidai, please visit http://weidai.investorroom.com/. For more information, please contact: Christensen Mr. Christian Arnell In China +86-10-5900-1548 [email protected] Ms. Linda Bergkamp In US +1-480-614-3004 [email protected] SOURCE Weidai Ltd. Canberra, Nov 19 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced criticism following his "smutty" remarks about actress Pamela Anderson, after she asked him to help Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Anderson had urged Scott Morrison to bring Assange to Australia. Rejecting her plea, Morrison said he had "plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort out the issue with Pamela". Several politicians backed the actress slamming the politician saying it was high time men stopped using a woman's sexuality and appearance to denigrate her political arguments. A government minister defended his comment though as being "light-hearted", the BBC reported. Morrison has not yet responded to Anderson's criticism. Assange, an Australian citizen, claimed asylum in Ecuador's London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations -- a case that has since been dropped. He has remained in the embassy over fears of extradition to the US. Last week, US media reported officials were preparing charges against him. Earlier in November, Anderson who is a former "Baywatch" star and long-time advocate for Assange, called on the Australian government to help him. "Get Julian his passport back and take him back home to Australian and be proud of him, and throw him a parade when he gets home," she told Australia's 60 Minutes programme. Morrison's comments came soon afterwards on a radio programme. He reiterated his government's position that it would not intervene in Assange case, the BBC said. On Sunday, Anderson wrote in an open letter: "You trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion." Several Australian politicians backed her criticism of Morrison's language, even if some disputed her views on the Assange case. Labor Senator Kristina Keneally tweeted: "It's high time men, including @ScottMorrisonMP, stopped using a woman's sexuality and appearance to denigrate her political arguments." Independent Senator Derryn Hinch added that Morrison "really should not have said it". Another minister, Steve Ciobo, told the media: "I suspect it was a statement that was said in a light-hearted way". LaPorte first realized that other people appreciated his humor when he discovered he was a family favorite. We were all over by my aunts house, I was maybe about six or seven, I dont remember exactly what I was saying. My relatives were laughing so hard that they were crying. I felt like I had magic or something. Washington, Nov 19 : US President Donald Trump said that he plans to visit American troops in war zones. His remark on Sunday comes after he received widespread criticism for not visiting an American burial ground outside Paris earlier this month and Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, reports CNN. "Well, I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned," Trump told Fox News when asked in an interview why he has not gone to war zones to see US troops and missed the cemetery visits. "We don't want to talk about it because of obviously because of security reasons and everything else. "I've had an unbelievable busy schedule and I will be doing it," Trump said, adding that he doesn't think "anybody's been more with the military than I have, as a President". Past presidents visited troops in war zones at various points during their presidencies. Former President Barack Obama visited troops in Iraq a little over two months into his administration, and Afghanistan after being in office for just over a year. Former President George W. Bush visited Iraq about eight months after the start of the war there. Trump also acknowledged in the Fox News interview that he should have gone to Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day on November 11. "I should have done that. I was extremely busy on calls for the country. We did a lot of calling as you know," he said. San Francisco, Nov 19 : Google Search engine -- the default platform for iOS users -- is the best, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said, adding that the company has put proper controls in its Safari web browser to safeguard users' data. In an interview with Axios on HBO on Sunday night, Cook defended Apple's billion-dollar deal with Google that keeps Google Search a default search platform on its devices. "One, I think their (Google's) Search engine is the best. But two, look at what we've done with the controls. We have private web browsing, we have intelligent tracking prevention. "What we've tried to do is come up with ways to help our users through their course of the day. It's not a perfect thing, but it goes a long way in helping," Cool told the Axios technology correspondent. Google will reportedly pay Apple a whopping $9 billion in 2018 to remain the default search engine for iPhone's Safari browser on iOS. According to Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall (via Business Insider), this number would only continue to grow, potentially leading to a payment of $12 billion in 2019. Cook has opposed privacy practices of some big tech companies, like Facebook, in the past, calling them a form of "surveillance". When it comes to regulating the tech companies, Cook said while he was "not a big fan of regulation," but there comes time to "admit when the free market is not working". "I think it's inevitable that there will be some level of regulation. I think Congress and the administration at some point will pass something," Cook said. "This is not a matter of privacy versus profits, or privacy versus technical innovation. That's a false choice. "Your device has incredible intelligence about you, but as a company I don't have to have that," the Apple CEO added. On a question on diversity at workplace, Cook said the Silicon Valley has been open to many different people from different walks of life. "But I agree 100 per cent from a gender point of view that the valley has missed it and tech in general has missed it," he said. Berlin, Nov 19 : France's President Emmanuel Macron has called for closer ties between Paris and Germany, saying Europe "has the obligation not to let the world slip into chaos". France and Germany were expected to unveil plans for a limited joint eurozone budget on Monday aiming at a more integrated zone, the BBC reported. Macron has also urged Germany's backing for a European Army, which he has said would reduce the bloc's dependence on the US, and a new tax on internet tech giants. He was here for the country's annual day of mourning for victims of war and in his speech to Germany's parliament, said Europe must not "become a plaything of great powers". They were set to discuss migration, defence co-operation and tax structures for digital companies German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed tentative support for some of these ideas. The French President spoke of nationalist forces "with no memory", and urged progressive forces to unite in an uncertain world. "There are too many powers that wish to thwart us, that interfere in our public debates, attack our liberal democracies and are trying to pit us against each other," he said. "And in this global order, which we have to take very seriously, our strength - our true strength - lies in unity." US President Donald Trump had attacked Macron on Twitter last week when the French leader called nationalism a "betrayal of patriotism" while commemorating the end of World War I. Merkel has welcomed his vision and accepted: "You said we are at a crossroads... and this is exactly what I perceive. Those of us born after the war are responsible for the lessons that we learned." She has led Germany for 13 years, and intends to serve out her fourth term which ends in 2021, but in-fighting within her party or the broader government coalition she leads, might not allow her. Washington, Nov 19 : Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, said that President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent "the greatest threat to democracy". McRaven's remarks on Sunday cams hours after the President dismissed him as a "Hillary Clinton backer" in a Fox News interview. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else," McRaven told CNN on Sunday night. "I am a fan of President (Barack) Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven said. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands." In the Fox News interview, Trump dismissed McRaven and slammed the military for having not killed bin Laden sooner. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, Trump has "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". New Delhi : Book: Hostage; Author: Greta Rana; Publisher: Speaking Tiger Publishing; Price: Rs 350; Pages: 223 This novel by Greta Rana is inspired by a true story of Nepali migrants. She dedicated it to 12 Nepali migrants who were murdered in Iraq on August 20, 2004. It's a gripping account of the struggle and sacrifices of a boatman for his family and how he, along with 12 others, end up in Iraq and is killed by those who mistook poverty for ambition. It's not just the story of a man who leaves for distant lands to enable a better life for his wife and children, but of thousands of others who flee the social and political upheaval of their countries in search of employment. The novel highlights how the socio-political and economic conditions at the height of the Maoist movement in the hill nation forced many to search for a better life abroad and how corrupt politicians made money out of their plight. The book, while referring to the brutality with which the terrorists in Iraq slew their hostages, brings home the point that there is no difference between the acts of these terrorists and the Maoists in Nepal. The author is equally harsh on the political corruption and the violation of human rights by the Nepalese government, police and the army. Hari Prasad, a boatman living by the banks of the Rapti in the plains of Nepal, worked in a desert near Dubai for five years. He pays off his loans, reclaims his ancestral land and puts his children through school. But when he returns home, he witnesses the terror that has crept into Nepal's everyday life. Hari Prasad returns to the Gulf, this time to Jordan, for a higher-paying job -- but not before sending his daughter and two sons to Khatmandu for further studies. How the Jordanian and American firms take a group of Nepalis to a remote desert for work and how they get kidnapped by a terrorist group, who suspect them to be spying for the Americans, forms the climax of the story. Hari Prasad becomes part of this group by quirk of fate as he boards the truck when a worker fails to turn up. As the names of only 12 hostages are announced to the world, Hari Prasad's fate hangs in balance. The terrorists behead one hostage and shoot 11 others in the head and videograph it to send their message across. While the whole world watches the execution of the 12, Hari Prasad falls to the bullets of a terrorist in a cave but not in front of the camera. A letter which Hari Prasad manages to slip out through a "messenger" before his execution reaches a lawyer, Hassan, who reveals to the world that there was a 13th hostage who was also killed by the terrorists. The lawyer takes up the case of Hari Prasad to seek compensation from his employers. He uses the services of Arjun, a Nepali working as driver of his friend, and another lawyer, Fayed. Arjun lands in Nepal to trace Hari Prasad's family, pursues a law course at the instance of his employer and falls in love with Hari Prasad's daughter, also a student of law. The novel is also about the tussle in Hassan's family over his younger brother Ali joining the terrorists and the dilemma he faces when Ali comes out as a witness. One of the characters in the novel is Siva Bahadur, a Maoist who works at the house of a minister. An engineer, Siva like many Nepali youngsters, joins the Maoists. One of the characters says these young men were indoctrinated with hatred and killed many of their own countrymen. The police and the army too were indoctrinated with a kind of righteousness that led to fascism. "Left wing, right wing it made no difference. It led to same inhuman behaviour, same lack of respect for human rights and life," says Siva. (Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in) New Delhi, Nov 19 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami to take stock of the situation after the state was hit by cyclone Gaja killing 45 people. "Spoke to the Chief Minister and inquired about the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Gaja, expressed condolences to bereaved families. People and government of India are standing by those in distress in the state," tweeted the President, who is on a week-long visit to Vietnam and Australia. Speaking to reporters at Salem, about 350 km from Chennai, Palaniswami on Sunday said that 45 persons had died in the cyclone and 117,624 houses damaged. He added that 88,102 hectare of crop and 39,938 electricity poles were damaged in the cyclone. Gaja, which crossed Tamil Nadu's coastal districts Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on Friday, left a trail of destruction affecting Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts. New Delhi, Nov 19 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a meeting here to review the national security situation in the aftermath of Sunday's grenade attack in Amritsar that killed three persons. The Minister met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Kumar Dhasmana and other senior Ministry officials, a day after assuring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of "strong action" against those responsible for the attack. Over a dozen people suffered injuries when two masked motorcycle-borne attackers threw a grenade at a prayer meeting at the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Adliwal village in Rajasansi area. Islamabad, Nov 19 : A 20-member delegation of Pakistan's ruling Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Monday left for China on a seven-day visit. PTI Central Secretary General Arshad Daad is leading the delegation, which was extended an invite by the Communist Party of China, Dawn reported. Both parties were expected to discuss matters of bilateral value. Colombo, Nov 19 : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has told MPs to call for another no-confidence vote on the government, after he rejected last week's no-confidence vote as unconstitutional, the President's Office said on Monday. According to a statement, following the all-party meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the President on Sunday evening, Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote was taken by name or conducted through an electronic vote, reports Xinhua news agency. Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Prime Minister appointed by Sirisena, and sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also attended the meeting. On November 16, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that a second no-confidence motion called against the government had been passed in Parliament with a majority, despite it being taken amid violence and under heavy police presence. However, the government rejected the vote as invalid, saying the Speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since October 26 when Sirisena surprisingly dissolved his cabinet, sacked Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapakse to the post along with a new caretaker government. Washington, Nov 19 : An Indian-origin professor in the US compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a daily said. The Kansas City Star daily in a report on Sunday said that it had found that over professor Ashim Mitra's 24 years as a leader in the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, his students hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. The claims were made by nearly a dozen of Mitra's former students. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the newspaper that he considered his life at UMKC as "nothing more than modern slavery". "Slavery" to Kuchimanchi meant bailing putrid water from Mitra's basement after a flood and serving food at the professor's Indian cultural celebrations off campus. The students' complaints were corroborated by Mitra's former colleagues, who told the daily that they saw the students performing menial tasks off campus or heard their complaints. A few colleagues repeatedly told the professor his actions were improper, yet nothing changed. According to allegations in pending litigation, the University not only knew about Mitra's behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because he was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. A student who earned her doctorate at the UMKC pharmacy school in 2013 told The Star that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, also from India, has sued Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court - one in 2016 and one in 2018. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. Mitra has denied the allegations. Mumbai, Nov 19 : Actor Ali Fazal, who has lent support to filmmaker Tigamanshu Dhulia's NGO in Allahabad, says culture is the foundation of a society. The NGO called Sanchaari is all set to come up with an event this month with the theme 'Youth' for their annual event Oorja, which will take place from November 16 to 18. Ali and Dhulia have collaborated to be part of this event to spread positivity among people. He said: "It's crucial for literature and culture to be preserved and I really appreciate what Sanchaari is doing towards the idea of promoting literary thoughts and ideas. Culture is the foundation of a society and to promote its awareness is truly something that is uplifting and also educative. "I truly believe the cause that Oorja, Sanchaari's annual event stands for and thus I am elated to be a part of it. Looking forward to experiencing its vibrant and purposeful activities when I am there in person." On the film front, Ali is all set for his next release with Sanjay Dutts's "Prassthanam" and "Milan Talkies". Bengaluru, Nov 19 : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will hold talks with agitating sugarcane farmers on their demands for a higher minimum support price and settling dues from state-run and private mills, said an official on Monday. "Kumaraswamy has called for a meeting with sugarcane farmers, mill owners and officials at the state secretariat on Tuesday to discuss their demands and problems, said the official from the chief minister's office in a statement here. The meeting has been convened a day after hundreds of farmers, including their womenfolk on Sunday staged protests at Belagavi against the state government's alleged indifference over ensuring minimum support price (MSP) for their cane and settling their dues from mill owners. The Chief Minister also advised the farmers staging the protest in the city on Monday to have patience and sought time to address their demands, including loan waiver, higher MSP for sugarcane and supply of seeds and fertilizers for the rabi crop. "I appeal to the farmers to be patient as the government is committed to find solutions to their problems. I held meetings with officials and stakeholders on demands of sugarcane growers. I have directed the district deputy commissioners to resolve their issues," said the statement citing the Chief Minister. Though debt waiver was not a solution to the farmers' woes, Kumaraswamy said the state government was working hard to waive off farm loans taken from cooperative, scheduled and state-run banks. "I hope the waiver will enable the farmers to seek fresh loans for the next crop. The loan waiver will begin soon as the process is at the final stage," said the chief minister. Claiming that the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government was pro-farmer, Kumaraswamy said a permanent solution was being worked out to ensure that farmers would not have to protest or resort to an agitation. "I have been always on the side of farmers and don't have bias against those from the northern or southern regions of the state. All are equal and same for me. Terming the police action against protesting farmers at Belagavi on Sunday when they barged into the premises of the district secretariat, Kumaraswamy said in a democracy everyone had the right to protest but not break the law. "As the loan waiver amount is about Rs 48,000 crore, we need time and workforce to verify each account. I want farmers to be patient and not be desperate," added the Chief Minister. Patna, Nov 19 : The Central Bureau of Investigation has discovered that five minor girls, and not two as reported earlier, died in a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. Their post-mortems were conducted at a government hospital, police said on Monday. The CBI, probing the alleged rape of 34 girls at the shelter home, on Sunday searched documents at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and found that the post-mortems of five girls of the shelter home were conducted there. According to the hospital register, the post-mortems of two girls were conducted in 2013, two in 2015 and one in 2017. The CBI officials are now trying to find out as to whom the bodies of the girls were handed over after their autopsies and also whether cases were registered in the matter. "A team of CBI officials is likely to soon interrogate some hospital doctors to collect more details about the case," a district police officer said. The CBI had earlier found human bones at a cremation ground on October 4 following a tip-off. It had also carried out an extensive excavation at the shelter home premises on suspicion that some inmates might have been killed and buried there, but could not recover anything from there. Last month, a shelter home employee Krishna Ram, who also ran the press of Brajesh Thakur -- the main accused -- told the CBI sleuths that some bodies were stuffed in gunny bags and disposed of in the Burhi Gandak river a year ago. However, the CBI could not recover anything from the river. According to the CBI, Ram disclosed that Brajesh Thakur had ordered the disposal of the bodies. He reportedly revealed that two inmates of Thakur's NGO, Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti, had died under mysterious circumstances and their bodies were dumped in the river from Akharaghat Bridge with the help of Guddu, another employee of the shelter home, and Vijay Tiwari, Thakur's driver. Of the 42 girls lodged at the short-stay home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO, 34 were found to have been sexually assaulted. The crime came to light after a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, five months ago. The shelter home has been sealed, and Thakur sent to jail. The Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI probe into the case. Hyderabad, Nov 19 : With growing air pollution and increase in number of people with pulmonary problems, the demand for portable oxygen cans is increasing in India, says a company which manufactures cans and light weight oxygen cylinders. Delhi Cryogenic Products Pvt Ltd, which is manufacturing the products under the brand name OXY99, on Monday announced its foray into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad-based Bluewater Alkaline Solutions will distribute the products manufactured with technology from Italian health major ING L&A Boschi in both the Telugu states. The portable oxygen can, weighing just 120 grams and can be used for 150 inhalations with shelf life of two years, will be available at medical stores across Telangana by the end of next month. The company plans to roll out distribution in Andhra Pradesh next year. Priced at Rs 650, it can be used by people suffering from asthma or other respiratory disorders, breathlessness, tiredness, headaches, mental and physical stress, wheezing and coughing, said Kalisetti Naidu, CMD, Bluewater Alkaline Solutions. The company also manufactures 75 litres to 1,700 litres oxygen cylinders with price ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 27,000. Shiv Sharma, Zonal Manager, Delhi Cryogenic, said the company was selling 150,000 products a month in 12 states across India. He said 50,000 products were being sold in Ladakh alone. The company has 50,000 cans per day capacity and this can be increased to 150,000 per day to meet the growing demand. Launched early last year, Delhi Cryogenic claims to be the only firm in India to manufacture portable oxygen cans and cylinders made of aluminium in India. Hyderabad, Nov 19 : In a rare feat, doctors at the KIMS Hospitals here saved a 39 year-old man by conducting an open kidney surgery to remove a large stone of the size of a potato. The stone, measuring eight centimetres, occupied almost the entire left kidney, resulting in its reduced functioning at only 18 percent. Considering the size of the stone, doctors had to go for open surgery on the patient, said a statement from the hospital. The patient, a farmer from Karimnagar, had come to KIMS Hospitals with complaints of pain in the left flank for 15 days. Upon investigation, Neil N Trivedi, Consultant Urologist, and his team found that the patient had a large stone in the left kidney due to which his kidney was poorly functioning. "Usually with such a large size stone, the kidney function would have been damaged. But to our surprise this patient had partially preserved renal function and therefore we planned to remove the stone. We planned for Anatrophic Nephrolithotomy - a surgery in which the kidney is completely split to remove the stone as a whole and then kidney was re-sutured. The patient recovered well and has been discharged with normal renal parameters." said Trivedi. According to doctors, this was a case of silent kidney stones. Unlike regular pain and other symptoms involved in regular kidney stones, silent stones never show any sign or symptoms until the kidney function is typically affected. Amritsar, Nov 19 : Even as the Punjab Police maintained that some leads were being investigated, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the grenade attack on a religious congregation of the Nirankari sect was a clear case of terrorism and there was no religious connection to it. "It is a clear case of terrorism. This has been carried out to create panic. There is no religious link to it," Amarinder, who visited the grenade attack spot at Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Adliwal village near Rajasansi, told the media. Three persons were killed and 20 injured when two motorcycle-borne youths threw a grenade at a Nirankari congregation about 15 km from Amritsar. All victims were sect followers from nearby villages who had gathered for the weekly Sunday religious meeting. The Chief Minister visited the injured in the hospital here and announced a government job to next of the kin of the three people killed in Sunday's grenade attack. Amarinder had earlier on Monday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh to anyone giving information regarding the two youths who carried out Sunday's grenade attack on the Nirankari prayer meeting. The Punjab Police, which has remained clueless for the last over 24 hours regarding who carried out the attack, has formed several teams to investigate the grenade attack. CCTV footage of places near the blast was being scanned to know more about the two masked attackers. Forensic teams and a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached the spot late on Sunday to investigate the attack. Inspector General (Border Range) S.P.S. Parmar told the media on Monday that the probe would look at all angles and police teams were trying to trace the culprits. The attack at the compound located in the rural belt, around three kilometres from the Guru Ram Das Jee Amritsar International Airport, created panic. Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora, who rushed to the spot on Sunday along with senior officers, admitted that it was a "terror act". The Punjab Police has drawn flak for intelligence failure regarding the attack despite the border state being on high alert since November 14 over reported movement of six to seven terrorists in the state. Eyewitnesses told the police that two youths on a motorcycle, with their faces covered, forced their entry into the sect compound by pointing a pistol at a woman volunteer at the gate. There were around 200 followers in the compound at the time. Amarinder Singh, who on Sunday directed the police to immediately enhance security arrangements at all sensitive places, terming it "the first such indiscriminate attack on innocent people in recent past", said that the "possibility of involvement of ISI-based Khalistani/ Kashmiri terror groups can't be ruled out". The Nirankari sect, with headquarters in Delhi, has millions of followers across the country and abroad. In the last few months, Khalistani and Kashmiri activists have been trying to foment trouble in Punjab, which shares a 553-km barbed wire-fenced international border with Pakistan. The state police, along with its Jammu and Kashmir counterpart, had busted two modules of Kashmiri students who were studying in institutions in Punjab and having links to terrorist outfits in troubled Kashmir. The Maqsudan Police Station was targeted by Kashmiri terrorists on September 14 with hand grenades though no one was injured in the attack. Posters of Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Mussa had mysteriously appeared in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Friday saying that he had been seen in Punjab.The Chief Minister said 15 terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months, including those with Kashmiri terror links. Beijing, Nov 19 : India on Monday said it is ready for more joint projects with China in Afghanistan, a strife-torn country whose diplomats are being trained by both Beijing and New Delhi. Already trained in India, 10 Afghan diplomats began their second 10-day stint in Beijing. The joint project between India and China was an outcome of the Wuhan Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. "We are hopeful that in the months to come we will be able to identify more specific projects which can be jointly done by governments of India and China for the benefit of Afghanistan as desired by the government and people of Afghanistan," India's deputy envoy Acquino Vimal said here. He was speaking at the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). "India is firmly committed in Afghanistan's efforts to emerge as a united, peaceful, secure, stable, inclusive and economically vibrant nation. India and Afghanistan are close neighbours as well as strategic and development partners. "All the efforts of India as a development partner of Afghanistan has been based on the priorities set by the government and the people of Afghanistan. This has been our fundamental basis for any development partnership. "I am happy to inform that through our scholarship and training programme, more than 3,500 Afghan diplomats are being trained in India every year," he said. Agartala, Nov 19 : Prices of flight tickets on the Tripura route have spiked after some carriers suspended their operations while others curtailed their frequency. The shortage of tickets to and from Agartala has prompted Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and CPI-M MPs to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu but to no avail. According to travel agencies, the scaling back of operations by private airlines to and from Agartala has triggered a huge shortage of tickets, leading to an about 6-fold increase in ticket prices. "After Jet Airways and SpiceJet suspended their operations to Agartala, IndiGo and Air India have also reduced their flights, resulting in a huge crisis," an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said here on Monday. He said that due to the unavailability of flights, hundreds of passengers were stranded in Tripura, a mountainous state bordering Bangladesh. The Tripura government on Sunday reduced the VAT (value added tax) on aviation turbine fuel by 2 per cent to lure private airlines to run their operations to the state. Tripura Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said: "Due to the reduction of VAT, the state government will incur a revenue loss of Rs 1.20 crore per year. This has been done to reduce the inconvenience to the people." The AAI official said Jet Airways and SpiceJet had withdrawn citing revenue losses. Currently, IndiGo and Air India are serving the Agartala route. They operate direct flights between Agartala and Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Imphal. The Agartala airport, which was recently renamed after Tripura's last ruler Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, is the second busiest in the northeast after Guwahati. Kuala Lumpur, Nov 19 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake an official visit to Malaysia from November 20, his first to the country since assuming his post in August. Imran Khan is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to review existing relations and cooperation as well as identify new areas for future collaboration between the two countries, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "The visit underlines the significance and importance Malaysia attaches to its relationship with Pakistan. It will also be an opportunity for both leaders to exchange views on a range of global and regional issues of common concern," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Both leaders will also witness the signing of an agreement on partial abolition of visa between their governments. Malaysia and Pakistan enjoy substantial and long standing bilateral relations in the field of education, tourism, defence cooperation and technical assistance, according to the statement. In 2017, total bilateral trade was recorded at $1.34 billion. Kabul, Nov 19 : Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Majahid said on Monday that the armed group has reached no agreement with the US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on a deadline to reach a peace deal for ending the war in Afghanistan. In a statement sent to media outlets, Majahid confirmed that the US envoy met Taliban leaders in Qatar's capital Doha last week but reached no agreement on deadline to cut a peace deal for ending Afghanistan's lingering crisis, Xinhua news agency reported. "The three-day talks in Qatar were preliminary and positive, but no agreement reached in the talks," Majahid said, saying any reports about reaching agreement on formation of interim government or any other topic was baseless. "We would share with the media if there were any progress," the statement added. Khalilzad, a veteran diplomat and Afghan-born US special envoy for Afghanistan, who was tasked to accelerate the Afghan peace process and pave the way for holding direct talks between Taliban and the Afghan government, expressed hope here on Sunday on reaching a peace deal with the Taliban before the April 20 presidential elections next year. Although a local community group's efforts to save the building via a lease arrangement and applying for grants was vetted, the city opted to go through the request for proposals route and provide information about federal and state level tax credits which are available to developers of historic properties, city officials said. Colombo, Nov 19 : Sri Lanka's political turmoil continued into its third week on Monday, with the government and the former ruling United National Alliance (UNA) quarrelling with each other. The government reiterated that it would continue in governance while the former ruling UNA said it would not recognize the government and called for financial cuts. Parliament proceedings began on Monday afternoon but lasted only for 10 minutes and was adjourned till November 23 by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who held an All Party Conference in his Parliament Chamber before the proceedings began, did not attend the session on Monday. Dinesh Gunawardena, leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and a supporter of Prime Minister Mahinda Rakapakse, told journalists that they urged Speaker Jayasuriya to recognize the government as the No Confidence Motions which had been conducted last week in parliament had been unlawful. Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, who is a part of the United National Alliance, told journalists that in the All Party Conference held in Parliament, legislators proposed to call for a vote on the trust vote against the government again, this time by name or an electronic voting system but this was turned down by the "purported government". He said a motion to halt the funds distributed to the Prime Minister had been submitted, which would be debated and voted in Parliament on November 29. Hakeem further said that several measures to protest against the "purported government" would be carried out in the coming days. Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena thanked all party leaders and legislators for adopting a "peaceful and consensual course of action at the Parliament," following his meeting with all the party leaders on Sunday evening. At the party leaders meeting, Sirisena had urged legislators to call for a No Confidence vote on the government again after he rejected the vote which was held in Parliament of Friday saying it was unconstitutional. Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil after Sirisena on October 26 surprisingly sacked his cabinet and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government. New Delhi, Nov 19 : The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that manages the Sabarimala temple on Monday moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement the apex court's order allowing women of all age groups into the temple. The Board has cited lack of infrastructure at the shrine post August's devastating floods as also the simmering law and order situation amid a section of devotees resisting the entry of women. The Supreme Court had on September 28 allowed the entry of women of all ages into the temple, where women aged 10-50 years (or menstruating age) were not traditionally allowed. In response to a number of pleas, the apex court on November 13 agreed to hear all review petitions on January 22. Meanwhile, it has put no bar on the entry of women. November 16 to January 20 is the pilgrimage season at Sabarimala. "In order to cater to the entry of women and to ensure their safety and well-being, additional infrastructure such as restrooms, washrooms and other necessary facilities will have to be created at Sabarimala, Pampa and Nilakkal, for which the applicant would require some time so as to make additional arrangements to put such infrastructure in place," the TDB said in its application. It pointed out that even the "unprecedented security and efforts" by the state authorities have not "discouraged the protesters from threatening and impeding women devotees" from paying obeisance at the Sabarimala temple. The security of women being the primary responsibility, "The applicant submits that at present, it is not in a position to provide that much of additional facilities for them," it said. The TDB emphasised at the outset in its application that it was "bound by the judgement dated September 28, 2018 passed by this court" and was "duty-bound to implement the same in letter and spirit". "However, the applicant is facing certain practical difficulties which has constrained it to approach this court. It is submitted that calamitous floods in August damaged and destroyed the infrastructure at Pampa and its surrounding areas which is the base camp of the pilgrimage for the devotees of Lord Ayyappa. "The buildings, stalls, pilgrim shelters, toilet facilities, sewage network system etc were almost completely washed off," it said. It said the basic amenities at Nilakkal (where the base camp has been shifted to) and Pampa are being provided through temporary toilets and bio-toilets to meet the increasing needs of pilgrims. Jammu, Nov 19 : A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was killed and three others were injured in an accidental explosion on Monday at a border outpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said. BSF sources said the incident happened after a grenade exploded accidentally at Manguchak border outpost. "The explosion took place around 5.15 p.m. One BSF trooper was killed and three others were injured in this explosion. "The injured troopers have been shifted to hospital for treatment," sources said. Istanbul, Nov 19 : The Russian President was received by his Turkish counterpart on Monday to officially inaugurate the TurkStream undersea natural gas pipeline which is expected to bring Russian gas through the Black Sea to Turkey and on to Europe from next year. Vladimir Putin joined Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a ceremony at the Istanbul Congress Centre to mark the completion of the offshore section of the pipeline, reports Efe news. "We plan to transfer at least half of the natural gas transported through here to Europe," Erdogan asserted in a speech at the ceremony, adding it would carry 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. TurkStream is to give Russia a way to export gas to southern and eastern Europe that avoids going through Ukraine as Moscow has accused the pro-western government in Kiev of stealing natural gas destined for the European Union. However, Putin seemed to downplay the Ukrainian factor in his remarks Monday, saying: "This is not a project contrary to the interests of third countries, it is to strengthen bilateral relations. It is to improve the conditions of economic collaboration between our two countries, it is beneficial for Turkey." Moscow has told the EU that it must link its gas pipelines with the Greek-Turkish border to connect to the new pipeline, effectively ruling out gas transit through Ukrainian territory. The Turkish route was born after Moscow cancelled the South Stream gas pipeline project in 2014, which was to supply Russian gas under the Black Sea through Bulgaria and on to central Europe. Instead, Turkstream's offshore section will connect to the European part of Turkey, about 40 km south of the Bulgarian border. Islamabad, Nov 19 : Pakistan's Prime Minister on Monday rejected the US President's allegations that Islamabad failed to cooperate with the US and had helped the former Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden hide in the country until his death at the hands of the US military in a covert operation in 2011. Imran Khan said in a series of tweets that Islamabad had joined the American war on terror even though no Pakistani national was involved in the 9/11 terror attack in the US, reports Efe news. "Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before," Imran Khan tweeted in response to Donald Trump's remarks. On Sunday, Trump accused the Pakistani government of hiding Bin Laden in its territory in an interview to broadcaster Fox News and claimed that despite the US giving $1.3 billion annually to Islamabad, the latter had done nothing. "(Bin Laden) lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year. I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," Trump had said. "Think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion," said the US President, adding that Laden's hideout had been next to a military academy. In January, Washington announced the suspension of the major part of its security aid to Pakistan until Islamabad took "decisive" steps against terrorist groups such as the Taliban, which threaten "regional stability and American interests". New Delhi, Nov 19 : Reaching out to top industrialists and businessmen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the government is working towards making India a $5 trillion economy and for this the country will have to continue scaling up the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business (EODB) ranking. "Now our target is to get India into the $5 trillion club in the shortest possible time. For this, we have to improve all areas of the economy," he said addressing them at his residence here while launching the "Ease of Doing Business Grand Challenge". Currently, India is a $2.5 trillion economy. Modi said the government is working on an industrial policy that takes into account the changing economic scenario and will be aligned to the aspirations of the new industrialists in New India. "We will have to keep the changes in mind. Manufacturing and services sectors are now complementary to each other with both adding value to the other. New techniques, artificial intelligence and information technology is now an essential part of the ecosystem," he said. Modi said the industrial policy will give importance to EoDB in which India has climbed up 65 ranks from 142 to 77 in the last four years. He said the Centre is working continuously with the state governments on EoDB ushering in cooperative, competitive federalism. "Now we all have to work together to get into the top 50 rank. In days to come, I will hold review meetings with different departments as decisions rolled out by December will get reflected in the EoDB rankings of next year," he said. Modi said business, trade and industry are an essential part of the country as the country needs growth, infrastructure, jobs and increase in per capita income. He said the government is putting stress on "policy driven governance and predictable transparent policies". The Prime Minister said the government is not only working to improve its business-friendly ranking but also towards giving a quality life to the common citizens. "World Bank's ranking is decided only on some parameters but the government's strategy of reform, perform and transform is much wider than that. We are working to improve the ease of living for common citizens, traders and small industrialists. "The country is continuously working on reforms to make people's life simple and easy. India's rank is rising or has already risen in the several evaluations done by either IMF, Moody's, World Economic Forum or UNCTAD," he said. The objective of the Grand Challenge is to invite innovative ideas based on artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data analytics, block chain and other cutting-edge technology to reform government processes. Ahmedabad, Nov 19 : Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said the state government had sought details from its Maharashtra counterparts about its decision to grant reservation benefits to the Maratha community to find out if the Patidar community could be given a quota here. Rupani, who was on an official visit to Kutch, told reporters there the Gujarat government had asked for the survey reports on the basis of which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis administration had decided on reservation for the OBC Maratha community in the neighbouring state. "The state government would examine in detail the Maharashtra survey reports and related data and then decide on reservation for the Patidars in Gujarat," the Chief Minister said. Taking a cue from the development, young Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel has asked why Gujarat could not give reservations to the Patidars (Patels) if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra could do so. "If reservation is not possible constitutionally in Gujarat, how is it possible in Maharashtra?" Hardik Patel asked, referring to the stated position of the Gujarat Government that quota beyond 50 per cent was not feasible under the Constitution. The firebrand 25-year-old leader, who has been running a pitched agitation for quota to the Patidar community since 2015, asked the Gujarat Government to order a survey of Patidars to assess their backwardness, as was done with the Marathas, and to extend reservation in higher education and government jobs. Patel reminded that the BJP was in power in both Maharashtra as well as Gujarat. New Delhi, Nov 19 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday expressed concern over the issue of unemployability among fresh graduates in the country, saying that nothing less than a complete re-engineering of the education system can fix the problem. Addressing the students and faculty members here at the 95th annual convocation of Delhi University, he said the demographic dividend that we possess in the form of young people below the age of 35, who constitute 65 per cent of the total population, can turn into a "demographic challenge" if we fail to exploit the youths' potential. "... it is a matter of grave concern to us that the rise in the number of educational institutions has not led to corresponding improvement in the quality of education granted in this country. We do produce a large number of graduates and other degree holders but how many of them are well rounded, employable individuals capable of critical, rational thinking?," Naidu said in his speech. "There is a need to re-imagine and re-engineer our entire education system, top-down and bottom-up. There has to be a change in the curriculum, teaching methodology, examination system, technology tools used and research," he added. The Vice President also criticised the 'one-size-fits-all' approach in the way education is imparted in the country and advocated for development of the "unique qualities" of students and encouraging them to think independently. Stressing the need for "equity in higher education", Naidu urged the private players to step up and "find ways to cross-subsidise the education for the poor and the needy". "We should also take special care when it comes to providing barrier-free access to education to our differently-abled youngsters," he added. He also lamented the decline in original research. "For a country as vast and as diverse as India, facing problems ranging from poverty to environmental degradation, innovation is not a luxury but an urgent necessity." Nagpur, Nov 19 : Two women Maoists were killed after a fierce gun-battle in the forests of Gadchiroli district here on Monday, an official said. According to an official spokesperson, the gun-fight took place when a security team of the CRPF and Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) was conducting combing operations in the Maoist-infested Nihaikal jungles of the district. Suddenly, some Maoists hiding there opened indiscriminate fire on the security team, which retaliated and continued to push them deeper inside. Nearly half an hour later after the gun-battle ended, the security forces launched a search operation and found bodies of two women Maoists sporting army fatigues lying in the vicinity. One of them has been identified as Babita Narsu Gavde, 28, of Dhanora and a member of a Maoist Platoon No. 15, while the identity of the second woman is yet to be ascertained. Gavde had 16 major offences registered against her ranging from murder to kidnapping to attacks on security forces and carried a Rs 400,000 reward on her head. The security forces are continuing a massive combing operation to trace out Maoists who may have been injured or fallen to their bullets in the morning encounter, said the official. Hanoi, Nov 19 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday called for more cooperation between India and Vietnam in the areas of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT. "Agriculture has been a key sector of our cooperation involving trade, investment and training," Kovind said while addressing the Vietnam-India Business Forum here. "We feel privileged to have supported the Vietnamese agricultural revolution through the establishment of Cuu Long Rice Research Institute," he said. Stating that Vietnam is a huge agricultural economy with agro-marine-forestry exports surpassing $35 billion last year, Kovind said that agricultural products already occupy over 45 per cent of India-Vietnam bilateral trade. "Agro-processing, agro-chemicals, farm machinery, bio-technology and high-tech farming hold immense potential for bilateral cooperation," he said. "Indian industry can also learn from Vietnam's success in crops such as coffee, pepper, cashew, fruits and vegetables." The President also said that the Indian pharmaceuticals industry, the third largest in terms of volume and the world's largest provider of generic drugs, can partner Vietnam in providing quality health-care, medicines and medical devices for the public health system at an affordable cost. "Indian pharmaceutical companies are also looking at domestic production opportunities in Vietnam," Kovind said. He pointed out that both India and Vietnam are leading players in the textile industry. "We must cooperate further to facilitate integration of value chains," Kovind said. He also highlighted significant opportunities between the two sides in the oil and gas, power, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. Stating that the Indian IT services, including digital economy and fin-tech sector have much to offer to Vietnamese growth, Kovind said start-up sectors and innovation based industry must be encouraged to leverage each other. "We must also learn from each other on how to improve productivity; how to approach the Fourth Industrial Revolution; how to promote innovation and entrepreneurship; and not the least, how to leverage technology for governance," he stated. Vietnam is a key partner country of India in Southeast Asia and served as New Delhi's coordinator country with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc till July this year India and Vietnam have set a bilateral trade target of $15 billion by 2020. Later, Kovind also addressed an Indian community reception during which he invited members of the community to attend next year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the External Affairs Ministry-organised conclave of the Indian diaspora. Chennai, Nov 19 : Three AIADMK party members serving life sentence in the Dharmapuri bus burning case were released on Monday to mark the birth centenary of party founder M.G. Ramachandras (MGR). Reacting to this, DMK President M.K. Stalin questioned why the state government has not pressed for the release of seven prisoners who are in jail for the past 27 years convicted in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The three convicts -- Muniapan, Nedunchezhian and Ravindran -- burnt a bus in which the students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore were travelling while protesting against the conviction of then party leader late J. Jayalalithaa in a corruption case in 2000. Three young girl students -- Hemalatha, Kokilavani and Gayathri -- were burnt to death in the bus while other students escaped. The three accused were awarded death penalty but the apex court in a review petition commuted that to life sentence two years ago. The three were released on Monday after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit cleared the AIADMK government recommendation for their premature release. To mark the birth centenary of MGR, the state government has recommended the release of 1,800 life convicts who have been jailed for 10 years. Stalin said the AIADMK government is not urging Purohit seriously to release the seven persons convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. New Delhi, Nov 20 : A top CBI official, Manish Kumar Sinha, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the allegation of bribe against Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana in the meat exporter Moin Qureshi case. The petition refers to charges of bribe being made to a Union minister and the other accused claiming connections with the "high and mighty" in the power corridors, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. Sinha, a DIG-rank officer transferred to Nagpur on the dramatic night of October 23 when he was supervising the probe against Asthana, has said his transfer was "arbitrary, motivated and malafide". The application challenging his transfer to Nagpur, refers to November 8, 2018 purported message from Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer Rekha Rani to the office of Sana Sathish Babu claiming Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra, who was in London, wanted to speak to Sathish Babu to convey a message of Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha offering "full protection" to Sathish Babu. Sathish Babu is a witness in the Moin Qureshi case and the meeting between Asthana and Chief Vigilence Commissioner (CVC) V.K. Chaudhary at latter's residence where matter relating to some transactions between Gorantla Ramesh, Sathish Babu and Moin Qureshi was discussed. Seeking the top court direction for summoning of the records pertaining to the case against Asthana to ensure their safe custody and guard against tampering, Sinha in his application for impleadment has cited several instances where people who were interrogated in the case flaunted their high connections and one Manoj Prasad "dropped" the name of NSA Ajit Doval in the course of interrogation. The payment of alleged illegal gratification involved a case against meat supplier Moin Qureshi. The accused in the case are Asthana, Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, the investigating officer, two private persons Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad and unknown others. The allegation of illegal gratification against Asthana, the application says, primarily pertained to December 2017 and October 2018. There are two instances of acceptance of bribe in December 2017 totalling to Rs 2.95 crore and three instances of acceptance of bribe in October 2018 totalling to around Rs 36 lakh. This is a case in which Sathish Babu is a complainant who has recorded his complaint before a magistrate in Delhi. Recalling the course of the events, Sinha in his application says that Manoj Prasad was intercepted at Delhi airport on his arrival from Dubai on the morning of October 16, 2018. He was brought to the CBI headquarters, where in the first few hours of his arrival, Manoj was "garrulous and arrogant, both at the same time, and in equal measure". "He tried his best to ward off the investigation by dropping names of 'high and mighty' and mentioning his 'top contacts' to create fear in our mind," says the application. Taking exception to CBI picking him from the airport, Manoj told the interrogators that his father Dineshwar Prasad "retired as Joint Secretary, RAW and has close acquaintance with present NSA Shri Ajit K. Doval." Manoj Prasad also claimed that his brother Somesh Prasad was "very close to an officer at Dubai (name withheld) and to Samant Goel, presently Special Secretary, RAW and he can get us 'finished off/kicked out'." The application says that no attempt was made to verify genuineness his claim about his closeness to NSA Doval. In another revelation pointing to alleged close connections of the accused to the power corridors, the application says after the arrest of Manoj Prasad on the intervening night of October 16/17, in the morning of October 17 there was a call from Special Cell of Delhi Police to CBI Dy.SP A.K. Bassi, investigating the case but he did not take the call. Later, another Inspector of Special Cell called up and sought to know if Manoj had been arrested. Enquiries revealed that the query had originated from the Cabinet Secretariat, says the application. The application says that immediately after it became public that the arrest of Manoj Prasad in the intervening night of October 16 ad 17, there were "4 calls between Somesh and Samant Goel and 4 calls between Samant Goel and Shri Rakesh Asthana by 17th afternoon". Manoj also claimed that he and his contact Samant Goel "helped NSA Shri Ajit Doval on an important personal matter". He further claimed that India opted out of a contest for a post in the Interpol. Sinha says that on verification it was found to be correct. India was to contest for the post of delegate in Interpol and CBI Joint Director (Policy) A.K. Sharma was its nominee. There were four other contending countries. The elections were to be held sometime in the third week of November this year. Sometime in September, Sharma was to go abroad for a meeting but at the last minute, his trip was abruptly cancelled. Meanwhile, CBI Director Alok Verma on Monday filed his reply to the adverse findings against him by the CVC after the anti-corruption watchdog inquired into the allegations of corruption levelled against him by his second in command Special Dirtector Rakesh Asthana. Lucknow, Nov 20 : "Sah Karyavahak" of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Monday prayed at the makeshift temple of Lord Ram at the disputed site in Ayodhya and wished this was his last "Darshan" of the deity under a tent. In the temple town to oversee the preparations for the "Dharm Sabha" to be held on November 25, the number two in the RSS said that he prays to the God that the next time he is in Ayodhya, he visits Lord Ram in a grand temple. The comment assumes significance as pressure is building on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre to bring a Bill or ordinance favouring early construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. He added that the event on November 25 is being held at the request of Hindu seers and that as Hindus, they all (RSS) will participate in it. Joshi also reiterated the commitment of the organisation for Ram temple construction. "We assume that the Hindu community at large would accept the invite of the seers for the Dharm Sabha and turn up in large numbers" he added. When asked to comment on what should the government do, Joshi said he will not comment on that but added that they will however request the Supreme Court -- where the matter is pending -- to "acknowledge that the matter is very sensitive and pertains to the faith for Ram temple construction" and to "remove the obstacles in its way". He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the long-pending matter and bring out an early solution. New Delhi, Nov 20 : Days after cancelling his admission, the Delhi University (DU) on Monday filed a police complaint against Ankiv Baisoya for submitting fake educational certificates to get admission in the university. The university had expelled Baisoya on November 15 after finding in a probe that he had submitted fake certificates from Thiruvalluvar University at Vellore in Tamil Nadu to secure admission in the Delhi University. He was a student in the Buddist Department of the university and was elected the President of the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) in the election held in September this year. "We received the complaint this evening from the department head of the Buddhist Studies. We will now begin criminal proceedings against him (Baisoya)," a senior police officer told IANS. A case against Baisoya is due for hearing on November 20, which was filed by Sunny Chhillar, the National Students' Union of India candidate who had come second to Baisoya in the September election. In his petition, Chhillar has challenged Baisoya's election and studentship on the basis of the letter written by the Thiruvalluvar University Registrar, in which he had said that Baisoya was never a student of his university. In his speech on Monday on the occasion of 95th convocation of the varsity, DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi said he is working towards making the admission process transparent. "We have been able to make the process of admission transparent by the distinctive efforts of those who are at the helm of affairs. "Although some cases of malpractices have come to our notice, we have the process of accountability in place and a strong resolve to take corrective measures. And we would not like any delinquent in the admission process to go scot-free," Tyagi said. Mumbai, Nov 20 : Actor Akshay Kumar, who is known for featuring in socially relevant films, feels that there is no point in making documentary films on social issues as most of the time people don't react to those films. The actor featured in "Toilet - Ek Prem Katha" which talked about the issue of open defecation in India, when asked him what kind of reaction he received after making the film, he said: "I personally believe that there is no point making documentary films on social issues." "I am sorry to say that but I have seen it often that nobody reacts to documentary films in villages," Akshay said while speaking at the panel discussion titled as 'Universal access to sanitation' as a brand ambassador of Harpic on World Toilet Day here on Monday. "People like to see commercial and entertaining films so filmmakers should make entertaining films and they should subtlety give their desired message through it," he added. "I think I am very lucky because I have the opportunity to do commercial cinema and give them the message in a very different way. I am proud to say that my film 'Toilet- Ek Prem Katha' has been shown in every village." The actor also urged the government to show his another film "Pad Man" in villages to create awareness about menstrual hygiene among people. "I would also urge the government to show my another film 'Pad Man' in rural areas because menstrual hygiene is the biggest taboo in our country," the actor said. Akshay next will be seen in science fiction film "2.0" along with megastar Rajinikanth. It is directed by S. Shankar, co-written by B. Jeyamohan, and produced by A. Subaskaran. The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on November 29, 2018. Baghdad, Nov 20 : Iraq has denied reports that President Barham Salih is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, media reported. The Gulf media reports that "Iraqi President proposed to mediate" after "Iran offered to negotiate with Saudi Arabia" are "absolutely untrue," Salih's office said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. "We stress the need to take accurate information from reliable sources, which is in line with the professional charters of the media," the statement added. Earlier in the day, a separate statement by Salih's office said the Iraqi president arrived in the capital Baghdad after visiting neighbouring countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia. Salih's regional tour starting on November 11, the first of its kind since he took office on October 2, also covered Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan, and aimed at boosting Iraq's relations with Middle Eastern countries. The beachfront Base Backpackers on Magnetic Island has hit the market. Tenanted to Base Backers of Tourism Adventure Group, the property at 1 Nelly Bay Road sits on a near 1.1 hectare site fronting the water. The main building occupies a total area of 1,244 sqm and the accomodation is in huts and campsites. There are a total of 186 beds, 11 campsites, a commercial kitchen and a swimming pool. Savills Hotels senior executive Christian Tsalikis says the offering will stand as a secure investment, underpinned by the lease to Base Backpackers. Tourism Adventure Group owns and operates 28 backpackers across Australia and New Zealand through their three brands BASE, NOMADS, and UNITED, Mr Tsalikis said. Tsalikis is handling the marketing with Leon Alaban, Savills Hotels director, who said the unparalleled location attracts both international and domestic tourists who want to experience the best of what Queensland has to offer. The offering provides investors with the ideal beachfront asset, a solid covenant with a lease to Base Backpackers, who operate a business that procures an excellent trading history." Offers to purchase close December 5. EXPERT OBSERVER The announcement that Sydney Markets will move from Flemington to the Aerotropolis in Western Sydney means the existing Flemington site could become a new type of development. Sydneys markets were originally in Haymarket close to Darling Harbour but as the city grew they moved west to Flemington closer to the then centre of Sydney at Parramatta. With Sydney now planned to have three city centres the announcement that the markets will move further west to be part of the third city at the Aerotropolis completes their move to the areas of growth. This will leave a large site at Flemington ripe for redevelopment. The Urban Taskforce has asked Sydney architect Tony Owen to develop an exciting vision for the redevelopment of the Flemington site in a manner that retains a number of market uses. Tony Owens proposal (pictured above and below) sets a new standard for urban renewal by incorporating greenery throughout the new built form. Buildings are dripping in greenery and lower height buildings have green roofs that are used for agriculture that could include cows grazing and free range chickens. There is another great benefit of the proposal in that all the greenery will reduce the heat build up on the site and manage water run off better as well as cleaning the air. Flemington 2036 is a glimpse into how urban development will occur in the future. The main residential accommodation is in green towers that overlook the shared facilities and markets in the middle of the site. Tony Owen has cleverly located the tall buildings nearest the highway and commercial areas with lower buildings near existing residential areas. The amazing potential of the Flemington site is that a whole community can live and work there with 10,000 residents and 4,000 workers all coming together in a park like environment. What Tony Owen's vision demonstrates is that urban environments can be green and connected to Urban Agriculture. The whole Flemington village will be self sustainable with the food grown on the site. The Flemington site is well located between the Sydney CBD and the growing city of Parramatta and it has its own railway station. There is the option of providing a new station on the proposed Metro West line to further connect the site to jobs in Parramatta and in the Sydney CBD. Redevelopment of a large site like the Flemington Markets must be a leading example of a new approach to urban living. CHRIS JOHNSON is the CEO of Urban Taskforce A three bedroom two bathroom house in Success, WA has been listed by its mortgagee. Located at 24 Prespa Loop, Success the home is set for auction on December 15. Set on 257 sqm the home features a two car garage. The home is within walking distance of schools and transport links. It is a short drive to the beach, featuring an open plan living/dining area and timber look flooring in the living areas. Strongbuild went into administration after an external consultant fed confidential, incomplete information about its financial affairs to Frasers. The administration came after Frasers' eleventh hour works cancellation of the next stage at Edmondson Park in Sydney. The cancellation meant a $10.5 million lending facility the company had arranged also fell through, Strongbuild managing director Adam Strong told Fairfax Media. Strong said Frasers received confidential information from the consultant Strongbuild had engaged to assess its finances. The consultant, who Mr Strong said had admitted to passing on information to Frasers, was unaware of the facility. "We had this consultant doing the forensics, which was part of the process of raising equity and debt," Mr Strong told The Australian Financial Review. "Unbeknown to us, he was feeding confidential information to one of our clients, Frasers." Mr Strong declined to name the consultant. A Frasers spokeswoman declined to comment. Administrator Brian Silvia said he could not comment. The former Domain chief executive Antony Catalano failed in his eleventh-hour, air headed attempt to block Nines bid for Fairfax Media. Some 81 percent of the Fairfax shareholders voted for the merger. There was no appearance by the Melbourne-based former chief executive at the Sydney meeting Monday morning. There was just one question from the floor as to whether the chairman Nick Falloon had given consideration to the request to postpone the vote to give greater consideration to Catalano's Sunday night missive. The 81 percent vote included the use of some 16 percent open proxy votes which were voted in favour of the merger by the chairman. Catalano had indicated he would buy up to 19.9 per cent of Fairfax to then implement a Domain-led turnaround strategy for the ailing media group from a board seat. Fairfax shareholders voted to push ahead with the $4 billion merger, which would mark the end of the 177-year-old publisher as a stand-alone company. The Fairfax board met early Monday and unanimously urged a vote for the merger. The merger needed 75 percent of total votes cast, so Catalano may have succeeded with more time. Overnight Catalano hit out at the Fairfax Nine merge plan, saying the current proposal did not apply a sufficient premium for control of Fairfaxs majority-owned digital real estate arm, Domain. He said $740 million in value in the share takeover had been lost since the planned merger was announced in July. Catalano's friend, the billionaire investor Alex Waislitz said he planned to vote his Fairfax shares against the merger. Share market activist Stephen Mayne tweeted the 11.4 percent of voted shares and 18.51 percent of voting shareholders was "more resistance than usual" in these scheme merger deals. The combination of Nine and Fairfax's publishing assets will create a business with around $500 million in revenue. Over the weekend a prominent member of the Fairfax family, John B Fairfax attacked the Nine takeover of Fairfax, saying the Fairfax newspaper company and name has more credibility than the commercial network associated with media moguls Kerry Packer and Alan Bond. Last week the former prime minister Paul Keating said the ACCCs approval of the Nine-Fairfax merger was a "truly appalling decision." Catalano has flagged he could challenge the merger deal in court next week, Fairfax Media has reported. The Senate crossbencher Derryn Hinch has told The New Daily he was open to supporting Labors negative gearing changes. But the Victorian politician appears to seek to take the grandfathering aspect further that the opposition policy. "My view is that I would vote for the ALP changes if grandfathered, but I would limit negatively geared properties to two or three. Senior MPs doubt the Shorten-Bowen policy will pass the Senate if Labor wins the next election. The policy survived subdued attacks at the last election. A Labor frontbencher told The New Daily it will be a very difficult Senate. We can announce a date, say July 1, 2019 but I dont think we are going to get it through. Weve got to get 39 votes. While the Labor Party remains strongly committed to the policy, there are calls for the ALP to delay the introduction while the housing market remains volatile in Sydney and Melbourne. In recent weeks, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has ramped up the campaign over Labors negative gearing policy. Labor also proposes reducing the capital gains discount from 50 per cent to 25 per cent. Shortens changes will grandfather existing property investors, which means the 1.3 million Australians who currently negatively gear can continue to do so. For yonks I resisted changing it. I own one negatively geared property, Hinch said. Now I know of one senator who owns more than 20 negatively geared properties. Not what was intended. I agree that nurses and cops own such properties. "My view is that I would vote for the ALP changes if grandfathered, but I would limit negatively geared properties to two or three. It is not the first time Hinch has raised the issue giving insights in his 2017 Budget in reply speech. "I support negative gearing. "I have declared in my pecuniary interest register that I have one heavily mortgaged negatively geared apartment, but I am open to legislation to limit the number of properties, residential or commercial, that a person can negatively gear. "I am increasingly being convinced of a limit of two or three such properties,' he said last year. "It could help first-time buyers who are being swamped by investors, local and foreign, at every weekend auction." Purplebricks Australia chief executive Ryan Dinsdale has quit the struggling estate agency after just two-and-a-half years. The departure was reportedly by "mutual agreement," Fairfax Media advised. Dinsdale (below) said he was "incredibly proud" of leading the Purplebricks brand over the past two-and-a-half years. "The business has successfully disrupted the real estate industry in Australia, with over 4000 homes sold and saving sellers more than $45 million in traditional fees," he said. "I felt the time was right to pursue another venture," he said. Earlier this year Purplebricks appointed of Neil Tavender to the role of chief operating officer in its struggling Australian outpost. It is understood Tavender will replace him as CEO. Purplebricks have advised agents Dinsdale "will leave the business to pursue new opportunities" but would support a period of transition until next March at the latest. Other recent departs include chief financial officer Brad Rom who quit earlier this month to join the community healthcare group, Mable. The departures comes after leaked documents showed that NSW agents were departing after struggling to get vendors to sign up despite the low commission policy. The constant staff shuffle, and extraordinary media mismanagement, came as Purplebricks' struggled with dreadful headlines generated by aggrieved former staff claiming the startup was like a "sweatshop." The non-traditional estate agency market is virtually non-existent in Australia, but Ryan Dinsdale said: We would look to replicate our UK market share success in Australia. Dinsdale has hoped to recruit high quality Australian estate agents with local expertise who may feel disenfranchised or disillusioned. Dinsdale did not have an estate agency background, but held various marketing roles, including being marketing director for Virgin Money Australia. He joined the British hybrid agency from CommSec. We are changing the way Australians sell real estate, giving them the best experience through incredible service and saving them thousands of dollars along the way. Purplebricks has been a huge success in the UK and we believe it is exactly what the Australian public have been waiting for, he suggested in his early days in the post. We congratulate Protected Media for meeting the demanding requirements necessary to earn MRC accreditation for its SIVT detection and filtration, as well as its viewability measurement, said George W. Ivie, Executive Director and CEO of the MRC. These capabilities are essential to protecting ad November 15, 2018 Protected Medias accreditation by the MRC provides an opportunity for leading brands and advertisers to work with technology that was designed from its inception, to catch fraud at the earliest stage. The accreditation demonstrates the validity and sophistication of Protected Medias new paradigm of invalid traffic detection and viewability measurement technologies which are based on cybersecurity methodologies to provide robust detection for all stakeholders in the digital advertising chain. We are committed to empowering the advertising industry with accurate and granular information about every single ad impression, explains Protected Media CEO Asaf Greiner. The MRC accreditation for Protected Medias invalid traffic detection and viewability solutions provides our existing customers and the market, with the reassurance that our new paradigm of detection technology meets the rigorous industry standards. We congratulate Protected Media for meeting the demanding requirements necessary to earn MRC accreditation for its SIVT detection and filtration, as well as its viewability measurement, said George W. Ivie, Executive Director and CEO of the MRC. These capabilities are essential to protecting ad investments in todays digital environments, and Protected Media has demonstrated to the MRC that its up to this critical task. Protected Media is headquartered in Tel Aviv, with offices in the London and New York. About Protected Media Protected Media's solutions enable buyers and sellers of digital advertising to ensure that display mobile and video ads are properly located, visible, and seen by real people. Protected Media's technology provides in-depth information at the impression level to detect problematic traffic so agencies can work side by side with publishers to identify and eliminate suspicious activity to dramatically increase over-all ad quality. For more information visit http://www.protected.media. Contact: mailto:marketing@protected.media About The Media Rating Council The Media Rating Council is a non-profit industry association established in 1963 comprised of leading television, radio, print and digital media companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations, whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective. Measurement services desiring MRC accreditation are required to disclose to their customers all methodological aspects of their service; comply with the MRC Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research as well as other applicable industry measurement guidelines; and submit to MRC-designed audits to authenticate and illuminate their procedures. In addition, the MRC membership actively pursues research issues they consider priorities in an effort to improve the quality of research in the marketplace. Currently approximately 110 research products are audited by the MRC. Additional information about MRC can be found at http://www.mediaratingcouncil.org. Liferay, Inc., which makes software that helps companies create digital experiences on web, mobile and connected devices, today announced the winners of the sixth annual Liferay Pulse Awards. Liferays Pulse Awards are designed to honor the the people and companies behind innovative and creative solutions built using Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP). A key theme this year was one of engagement, whether that was by providing deeper digital engagement to employees with an intranet, sales agents through omnichannel applications or partners via streamlined deal registration and support ticket logging. Winners included CNO Financial Group and Hearst, which were recognized as examples of what can be accomplished through digital transformation. We continue to be amazed by the engaging customer, partner and employee experiences created through Liferay DXP, said Liferay Chief Operating Officer Brian Kim. Todays businesses certainly understand the need to provide cohesive digital experiences regardless of location or device. We feel that the Pulse winners this year have really taken advantage of what Liferay DXP is built for and capable of and the results we see are inspiring. Congratulations to 2018s very deserving companies. Winners of the Liferay Pulse Awards were revealed recently at the 11th annual Liferay Symposium North America, an event bringing together Liferays leadership, customers and partners. The Pulse Awards highlighted the breadth and flexibility of DXP implementations across the categories of Best Overall Digital Transformation, Best Intranet Experience, Best B2B Digital Experience and Best Omnichannel Experience. Selected winners include: Best Intranet Experience: Hearst Hearst is a leading global, diversified media, information and services company with more than 360 businesses. In 2017, working with Liferay Global Partner Accenture, Hearstthrough its Communications and Technology teamsdebuted a new intranet, MyHEARST, utilizing modern development tools and processes. Hearst leveraged the core capabilities of Liferay to deliver a comprehensive employee portal experience to more than 14,000 employees, while also providing information tailored to individual business units and office locations across the country. Custom permissioning on applications central to employee job functions and integrated companywide platforms enable MyHEARST to be the unified source of all essential workflow needs and announcements for Hearst employees. Best Omnichannel Experience: CNO Financial Group CNO Financial Group is middle-income America's valued financial security partner. The company provides health and life insurance, as well as retirement solutions, to middle-income Americans through CNO Financial Groups family of insurance brands: Bankers Life, Colonial Penn and Washington National. Using Liferay, Colonial Penn, a brand of CNO Financial Group, created a series of tools, including a responsive new site, to ensure consistency and continuity in the customer experience by establishing a single profile for each user, tracking interactions on mobile devices, online and in-person and actively anticipating customer needs. Learn more about how companies around the world are using Liferay Digital Experience Platform by viewing our case studies at https://www.liferay.com/resources. About Liferay: Liferay makes software that helps companies create digital experiences on web, mobile and connected devices. Our platform is open source, which makes it more reliable, innovative and secure. We try to leave a positive mark on the world through business and technology. Hundreds of organizations in financial services, healthcare, government, insurance, retail, manufacturing and multiple other industries use Liferay. Visit us at https://www.liferay.com. During China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 6, Heather Humphreys, Irelands Minister for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation met with Hengtian CEO, Mr. Bo Zhou and Vice President Mr. Wells Shi in Shanghai. This meeting served as a further in-depth exchange between Hengtian and Irish national leaders since the meeting between the Tanaiste, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland and Hengtian executives this past March. In recent years, trade between Ireland and China has expanded and developed very positive momentum. Minister Humphreys introduced to Mr. Bo Zhou many of the recent developments in Ireland and the business opportunities brought about in International trade between the two countries. She also spoke highly of Chinas opening up and commented that she would fully support Hengtian in its efforts to set up a branch in Ireland as a base to further expand its business in Europe. Mr. Bo Zhou, Hengtian CEO, expressed his thanks for Minister Humphreys invitation and said that Hengtian had been paying close attention to the development and opportunities of Ireland and other European markets. Since 2010, Hengtian has actively cooperated with Irish companies in the fields of life insurance and pensions, among other segments of finance and technology. Mr. Bo Zhou pointed out that with its open and inclusive culture, as well as an ideal business environment, Ireland has assumed greater strategic importance as a base of Hengtian business in Europe, and that Hengtian is well on its way to establishing a new Irish entity in collaboration with University College Cork. Mr. Bo Zhou said, "We expect that the visit of senor Irish government officials during the CIIE is bound to create opportunities for Chinese companies to expand in the Irish market. Science and technology, especially financial technology will surely draw continuous attention as an important part of bilateral trade cooperation. As a technology- and innovation-driven company, Hengtian has developed exciting solutions in finance, big data and new retail, and has launched a series of R&D initiatives, such as a financial data service platform, Internet finance solutions, integrated new retail e-commerce, private cloud platforms, big data analytics solutions, software performance and security engineering, etc. In the future, with the Belt and Road Initiative as one of many examples of cross-border cooperation, an increasing number of opportunities for overseas business development exist. Hengtian views Ireland as a strategic hub for Europe and Hengtian will continue to explore software development and innovation, promote advanced technology solutions in Europe, create greater value for companies at home and abroad, and make new strides in trade and technology globalization." Active.Ai is proud to be part of the ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) that showcases the API Exchange (APIX), an online Global Fintech Marketplace and Sandbox platform for financial institutions. APIX is the worlds first cross-border, open architecture platform to enhance financial inclusion. The collaboration between Active.Ai and Axis Bank was presented by Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2018. Active.Ais Triniti, a Natural Language Processing AI Engine, is now on the APIX marketplace. Active.Ais Triniti is a SAAS platform with powerful combination of cutting-edge AI algorithms, data models focused on BFSI with secure, on-demand, scalable infrastructure on the cloud, powered by AWS. With the open API of APIX, facilitation of innovation and collaborations between Active.Ai and financial institutions is now possible. Active.Ai caters specially for Banks, Securities, Insurance and Payments. Axis Bank, one of Indias leading private banks, was looking to further enhance its customer experience on fund transfers. This led to the formation of a partnership with Active.Ai, which provided banking AI capabilities on the APIX marketplace. Using the APIX sandbox, the collaboration saw the design of a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) solution to create a smooth, seamless fund transfer experience for their customers through conversation. Praveen Bhatt, Head Digital Banking & Customer Experience, Axis Bank, said, As one of the first mover of the APIX network, Axis Banks collaboration with Active.Ai on a conversational interface to add to Axis Banks Unified Payments Interface offerings to the marketplace. We hope to boost cross-border reach through potential collaborations with all financial industry participants in ASEAN. APIX is a collaborative network of banks, FinTechs and non-banks in which participants can develop common approaches to business, regulatory and technical challenges through an industry sandbox. An emphasis is placed on supporting financial inclusion. Active.Ai is now able to connect with other financial institutions through a global curated marketplace through the APIX network. The adoption of APIs will drive digital transformation and financial inclusion across Asia-Pacific. Ravishankar, Active.Ais Co-Founder and CEO adds We are thrilled to be part of this incredible platform. AI will be a pivotal role in this network. With Triniti, our natural language processing AI engine, we hope to be able to provide Conversational AI solutions to financial institutions to match their needs and help accelerate their business and product development. About Active.Ai Active.AI, a Gartner Cool Vendor in AI for Fintech in Asia/Pacific 2018, is the leading Conversational AI Platform for BSFIs to deliver conversational banking services that help banks redefine their digital strategy. With NLP, NLU and Machine Intelligence, the platform enables natural dialogues through messaging, voice and IOT devices. Founded in 2016, Active.Ai expands its global presence with offices in Singapore, India, Australia and North America. Led by seasoned Fintech entrepreneurs, Ravishankar, Shankar Narayanan and Parikshit Paspulati, with experienced team in AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, Finance, Payments, Banking, Mobile and Design. Please visit http://www.active.ai or on twitter@activeaibot Media Contact: Michael Wee Tse Hua Email: mike@active.ai Contact: +65 98238889 Paul B. Howard, P.E. (ctr), receives his Executive Director Award during the MWWA Awards Banquet. Shown with Paul is MWWA President Joe Coulter (l) and MWWA Executive Director Jennifer Pederson (r). Pauls knowledge and expertise is well-known in the water environment, said 2019 MWWA President Elect Patrick ONeale, P.E., Sr. VP at T&H. He brings a unique perspective to our work and has fostered enduring relationships throughout the water community. This recognition is well-deserved. Tata & Howard is pleased to announce that Paul B. Howard, P.E., Co-Founder and Senior Vice President at Tata & Howard, Inc., has been recognized with the 2018 Massachusetts Water Works Association (MWWA) Executive Director Award for his distinguished accomplishments and professional achievements in the water environment. The Award was presented at the MWWA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on November 1st 2018. The Award, given by MWWA Executive Director Jennifer A. Pederson, is in honor of Paul Howards commitment to the MWWA and his tireless advocacy on behalf of the water profession. The Award recognizes an active MWWA member whose knowledge and contributions to the profession merit special recognition. Paul Howard has had a highly distinguished career with more than 36 years experience in the water quality environment and long-term dedicated service to the MWWA and its members. He served as MWWA President in 2009 and has an unfailing passion for furthering the advancement of the water quality profession. Paul is exceptionally deserving of this recognition, stated Tata & Howard Co-President Karen L. Gracey, P.E. He has worked tirelessly to help numerous water quality professionals throughout his long and illustrious career. Along with Paul Howard being honored, the event included awards for Sponsorship, including one for Tata & Howards Presidential Sponsorship presented to Co-President Karen L. Gracey, P.E. Introduction of the elected slate of Officers of the Association also took place and included MWWA Board President Elect Patrick S. ONeale, P.E., a Senior Vice President with Tata & Howard. Dr. Arta Farahmand, Periodontist in Torrance, CA, Attends Annual American Academy of Periodontology Meeting Founded in 1914, [the AAP] has a legacy of discovering and developing the latest advancements in periodontology, transforming the field into what it is today. A trusted periodontist in Torrance, CA, Dr. Arta Farahmand expands her skillset and experience at the 104th Annual American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) meeting. Traveling to Vancouver, BC for this four-day event, Dr. Farahmand understands how critical continuing education (CE) is in offering minimally invasive and leading-edge periodontal care to her patients. Already skilled in placing dental implants, treating gum disease and ensuring proper root coverage and bone regeneration around natural teeth and dental implants, Dr. Farahmand is excited to see her practice take another step forward in truly exceptional care. The AAP is comprised of over 8,000 clinicians who specialize in gum disease treatment, dental implant placement and cosmetic periodontal care. Founded in 1914, this organization has a legacy of discovering and developing the latest advancements in periodontology, transforming the field into what it is today. A major development in periodontology was truly unveiled during this years convention: the new classification of periodontal health and diseases and dental implant disease model. Instead of a single staging model, a multi-dimensional staging and grading framework is bringing the gum disease diagnosis process closer to a medical model. Also discussed for the first time was the new classification of peri-implantitis, or the infection that occurs around a dental implant. As greater research and understandings emerge, the AAP annual meeting gathers leading periodontists, like Dr. Farahmand, to one collaborative stage. Already an active member of the AAP, Dr. Farahmand attended courses during this conference that continue to reshape what she can offer for gum disease therapy, dental implants and other periodontal solutions. One area in particular that she appreciated was in developing bone grafting and gum recession research. Dr. Farahmand expands, I strive more than anything to improve the regeneration of bone and soft tissue. Whether around natural teeth and dental implants that have experienced loss due to anatomical deficiencies or disease, or in sites in need of preparation before dental implant placement. Receding gums can expose the tooth root leaving it susceptible to gum disease and tooth loss. In an effort to avoid the loss of a natural tooth or dental implant, Dr. Farahmand offers soft tissue and bone regeneration treatments to halt gum recession and bone loss and achieve a lasting, healthy smile. An active member of numerous dental organizations beyond the AAP, she is a past and current President of the California Society of Periodontists. Under her presidency, the Governor of California Recognized the Month of March as Gum Disease Awareness Month. An advanced practice, Dr. Farahmands team offers patient-centered and precise care using modern technology. This technology includes Cone Beam CT imaging for computer-guided dental implant placement, the PerioLase MVP-7 dental laser for LANAP gum disease therapy and a dental microscope for minimally invasive periodontal care. To receive a dental implant or gum disease consultation from a trusted periodontist in Torrance, CA, call 424-488-7500 for a personalized experience. To learn more about Dr. Farahmand, visit her website at http://www.periodentalimplants.com. About the Periodontist Dr. Arta Farahmand is an experienced periodontist serving the Torrance, CA area. With knowledge, skill, and dedication, Dr. Farahmand has made it her lifes goal to help people look and feel better. Completing her Bachelors and Doctorate of Dental Surgery degrees from Northwestern University, she later completed her specialty certificate in periodontics from Emory University School of Postgraduate Dentistry. An active member of American Academy of Periodontology, past president of the Western Los Angeles Dental Society and currently on the board of directors of the California Society of Periodontics among other organizations, Dr. Farahmand understands just how critical continuing education is in offering high-quality periodontal care. Dr. Farahmand offers the latest techniques for dental implants, laser gum disease therapy, gum recession treatment and a variety of other periodontal services at her state-of-the-art office. To learn more about Dr. Farahmand or her services, visit http://www.periodentalimplants.com or call 424-488-7500 for a personalized consultation. Were honored to receive award recognition from the Public Relations Society of America Sunshine District and our fellow PR professionals for our work on these campaigns. PRmediaNow has won several awards from the Public Relations Society of Americas Sunshine District and PRSA Tampa Bay. PRmediaNow, which specializes in crowdfunding PR to help companies around the world launch innovative products, received a 2018 PRestige Award for Best Media Relations Tactics and a 2018 Radiance Award for Best Media Relations Tactics both for work with X Suit. The X Suit campaign focused on generating earned media coverage to drive traffic to the X Suit Kickstarter Page, where the XYZ Company raised more than $360,000 to become the most-funded suit in Kickstarter history. As a result, XYZ Company has transitioned into full-scale mass manufacturing and global distribution. X Suit is now sold online to consumers around the world. X Suit is very cool product thats a travelers dreamit can be literally stuffed into a carry-on bag, while its wrinkle defense technology and stretch material ensures the suit springs back into shape with just a shake, said PRmediaNow Principal Colin Trethewey. Its also great at the office, on the town and anywhere a spilled coffee or drink could happen. The suit repels liquids, so you simply wipe away any spill. We were honored to have the opportunity to share the X Suit story with business people and travelers around the world via media coverage. PRmediaNow also won a 2018 PRestige Award for Best Media Kits for its work on the crowdfunding campaign Nise Wave Sous Vide - Cooking Up Crowdfunding Success. The Nise Wave Wi-Fi Sous Vide, an automated high-tech personal chef that can transform any pot of water into a precision cooking device using the sous vide method, raised $290,000 during its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Nise Wave is made for busy people, foodies and chefs alike. It uses smart algorithms to allow users to schedule the exact time they would like to eat, Trethewey said. It offers set it and forget it functionality with the sous vide technique allowing busy people have the perfect meal, heated-up and ready, at the end of the day. Trethewey accepted the PRestige Awards along with PRmediaNow colleague Coleen Murphy during the annual PRSA Tampa Bay PRestige Awards event. Award submissions were judged by an independent panel of senior PR practitioners from the PRSA Thoroughbred chapter in central Kentucky. Campaigns were selected for demonstrating excellence in research, planning, implementation and evaluation. Were honored to receive award recognition from fellow PR professionals for our work on these campaigns, he said. Both the PRestige and Radiance Awards recognize outstanding strategic public relations by Florida based agencies and organizations, as well as individual practitioners who have shown great commitment to the profession. For more information about PRmediaNow and the services it provides to crowdfunding and non-crowdfunding clients, visit http://www.PRmediaNow.com. About PRmediaNow PRmediaNow, LLC is a full-service international public relations agency that focuses on securing media coverage for companies and their products. In 2015 PRmediaNow led the PR campaign for the record-breaking BauBax Travel Jacket Kickstarter campaign that raised $9.19 million USD, to become the 4th most-funded Kickstarter product at the time. PRmediaNow has since helped crowdfunding clients raise over $60 million. PRmediaNow prides itself on creativity, responsiveness and providing high-level customer service to clients, while delivering media-outreach campaigns that result in major media coverage and viral spread on social media and the Internet. For more information, please contact info@PRmediaNow or visit http://www.PRmediaNow.com. Dan Kittleson EVP Chief Financial Officer of FNBT Dan's knowledge and industry background in finance is a great value to the bank, and his contributions will play a major role in shaping the future of the company. David McCoy, President of First National Bank and Trust Company (FNBT) is pleased to announce that Dan Kittleson has joined the company as Executive Vice President (EVP) Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In this role, Kittleson will be responsible for the overall financial management of the bank, aligning financial goals and reporting with the banks strategic plan, assuring safe and sound risk management practices, leading the banks asset-liability committee, process improvements, and communicating financial results to every team member at First National. He joins FNBT with more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, most recently serving as EVP and CFO of Oak Bank in Fitchburg, Wisconsin for 17 years. Prior to that, he worked as CFO for a start-up bank in Appleton, Wisconsin. I am excited to welcome Dan to the First National Bank and Trust employee family, said McCoy. His knowledge and industry background in finance is a great value to the bank, and his contributions will play a major role in shaping the future of the company. A 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Kittleson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with double majors in accounting and finance. He went on to graduate from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005. Kittleson resides in Stoughton, Wisconsin with his wife, Jerri, and daughter, Stephanie, who is a senior at Stoughton High School. He has been heavily involved with various civic organizations in the Stoughton area including economic development, the redevelopment authority, and various committees. Currently, he serves on the police and fire commission. As part of the banks executive management team, Kittleson will participate in the overall management of the bank and will be based at the banks Operations Center located at 601 Third Street, Suite 300 in Beloit, Wisconsin. First National Bank and Trust Company is a family-owned, community bank headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin. Chartered in 1882, First National Bank and Trust Company now serves nearly 30,000 households in 13 communities and 16 locations in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois with assets of approximately $1.1 billion. Commitment to full service banking, investments, asset management, exceptional service, and Sound Advice has positioned First National Bank and Trust Company as a Stateline leader in the industry. For additional information, visit https://www.bankatfirstnational.com. ### With this new service, passengers from El Salvador can now get more convenient connections to the U.S. and other key Mexico markets Interjet Airlines announced today, daily, nonstop service between Mexico Citys Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juarez (MEX) and El Salvadors Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport. This new flight will serve both the business and leisure traveler. El Salvador is a growing and significant market for travel to Mexico and beyond, said Julio Gamero, Interjets Chief Commercial Officer. With our new service, passengers from El Salvador can now have convenient connections to both Los Angeles and New York City in the U.S. along with easy connections to Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Monterey in Mexico, he added. Interjets new service between Mexico City and El Salvador will begin December 15, 2018, and operate using Airbus A320 aircraft seating 150 passengers. Round trip promotional fares between Mexico City and El Salvador will start at $299.00 taxes included. This special fare with be available until February 26, 2019, and valid for trips through February 28, 2018. Promotional fares are not available to groups nor can they be used with other promotional fares. For more information regarding Interjets new El Salvador service or to make a reservation, visit http://www.interjet.com or in the U.S. call (866) 285-9525 About Interjet Interjet is an international airline based in Mexico City carrying more than 12 million passengers annually within Mexico and between Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central, and South America. In all, it provides air service to 55 destinations in eight countries offering its passengers greater connections and travel options through agreements with major airlines such as Alitalia, All Nippon Airways (ANA), American Airlines, British Airways, LATAM Group, EVA Air, Iberia, Lufthansa, Hahn Air, and Japan Airlines. Interjet was recently honored with Skytraxs World Airline Award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Mexico and Best Cabin Crew in Mexico. In 2017, Interjet was awarded the Travelers' Choice Trip Advisor Award as the best Mexico airline. Media Contact Julieta Pena Flores Tel. +52 (55) 9178 5500 x5833 Email: julieta.pena(at)interjet(dot)com.mx As a female entrepreneur, I love empowering women to get what they want without giving up what they need. - Cokie Berenyi Hundreds of Charlestons savvy businesswomen gathered November 15-16, 2018 for C4WNEW - the Center for Womens Annual Conference - to be empowered and grow as business leaders. Included in the speaker line up was Cokie Berenyi, CFP, who shared successful negotiation strategies acquired during her 20-year career in the highly competitive financial advising industry. While women negotiate many things every day, salary is one of the most important issues. The ability to negotiate a higher salary is a great starting point in closing the gender income gap, says Berenyi, As a female entrepreneur, I love empowering women to get what they want without giving up what they need. South Carolina is among the top five states for growth in the number of women business owners, and yet is among the lowest-ranking nationwide in metrics of gender equality, including ranking 45th in income equality by gender, according to the Center for Women. International best-selling author, Elizabeth Gilbert one of Time magazines top 100 most influential women in the world - kicked off C4WNEW on Thursday evening. Then, Friday was a cornucopia of exhibitors and speakers all focused on facilitating meaningful connections that are essential to womens individual and collective success. Berenyi also teamed up with a professional photographer to offer complementary headshots. Who doesnt want to freshen up their professional profiles with a nice headshot? posed Berenyi. This gift to attendees is right in line with Center for Womens mantra, I dont shine if you dont shine. About Cokie Berenyi Author, speaker and founder of Alphavest, Cokie Berenyi, inspires investors and entrepreneurs at-large with her vision, storytelling, and practical tools gained from leading thousands of clients through the financial and work-life balance maze. She is a 40 Under 40 recipient and was named Woman CEO of the Year in 2012. Cokie is the founder of nonprofits Rein & Shine and She CLIMBS and the author of Perfect Day and The Liberated Investor. For more information about Cokie visit her website at http://www.cokieberenyi.com or connect with Cokie at Instagram/cokieberenyi, Facebook/ PerfectDayConnect, Twitter/CokieBerenyi, and LinkedIn/Helen-cokie-berenyi-51040111 Christopher White, Founder/CEO Sneakers Agency Its truly an honor to be accepted into the Forbes New York Business Council alongside so many accomplished business people here in NYC. Christopher White, Founder/CEO of Sneakers Agency, a digital agency located in Soho, NYC, has been accepted into the Forbes New York Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders in Greater New York City. Christopher White joins other Forbes New York Business Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on Forbes.com. Forbes Councils combines an innovative, high-touch approach to community management perfected by the team behind Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) with the extensive resources and global reach of Forbes. As a result, Forbes Council members get access to the people, benefits and expertise they need to grow their businesses and a dedicated member concierge who acts as an extension of their own team, providing personalized one-on-one support. Christopher White says, Its truly an honor to be accepted into the Forbes New York Business Council alongside so many accomplished business people here in NYC. Im looking forward to being an active member of the Business Council community and raising my capabilities as a business leader in the process. Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, says, We are honored to welcome Christopher White into the community. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to curate successful professionals from every industry, creating a vetted, social capital-driven network that helps every member make an even greater impact on the business world. About Sneakers Agency Too many brands struggle with creating technology. The Sneakers Agency framework helps brands clarify their digital strategy. Customers who work with Sneakers Agency build better companies and bigger business opportunities. Sneakers Agency is a full-service digital product development agency focused on helping brands launch and grow their businesses. Our core branding, product, and marketing services help brands at every stage of their journey not only survive, but thrive. Sneakers Agency has been trusted by 50+ brands since 2014 from start-ups, to enterprises, to non-profits, and partner agencies. We are located in Soho, NYC. Services include Branding, Design, User Interface, Research & Discovery, UX Strategy & Design, Android & iOS Mobile Development, Web & App Development, Marketing, QA & Deployment, DevOps, CRM & Hosting, SEO, and Social Media Marketing. For more information, visit https://sneakersagency.com. Media Contacts: info(at)sneakersagency.com. About Forbes Councils Forbes partnered with the founders of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to launch Forbes Councils, invitation-only communities for world-class business professionals in a variety of industries. Members, who are hand-selected by each Councils community team, receive personalized introductions to each other based on their specific needs and gain access to a wide range of business benefits and services, including best-in-class concierge teams, personalized connections, peer-to-peer learning, a business services marketplace, and the opportunity to share thought leadership content on Forbes.com. For more information about Forbes New York Business Council, visit https://forbesnycouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit https://forbescouncils.com. Im excited to work with the LeadingBiotech team as they take the preeminent biotech conference series with a global reach to the next level. LeadingBiotech (formerly Boston Biotech Conferences), creator of exclusive peer-to-peer CEO meetings for the biotech community, announces its new Ambassador Committee. The committee is part of the recently appointed leadership team at LeadingBiotech. Along with CEO, Wendy Nelson Ph.D., and Chairman Bob Buderi, this select group of experts will have an influential role by advising on overall strategy and pinpointing important trendshelping to better serve its community of senior-level leaders. Meet the LeadingBiotech Ambassador Committee: Brian Gallagher Jr. Ph.D. Partner, Abingworth Gallagher has over 20 years of investing, business development, operational and R&D experience in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Abingworth in October, he was a Partner for SR One, the venture arm of GSK, for 8 years. Gallagher received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from University of Michigan. Im excited to work with the LeadingBiotech team as they take the preeminent biotech conference series with a global reach to the next level. Brian Gallagher Jr. Ph.D. Carol Gallagher Pharm.D. Partner, New Enterprise Associates Gallagher has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial, drug development, and business roles in both large and small biopharma companies. Prior to joining NEA in 2014, she spent several years as an independent board director. From 2008-2011, she was CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals which was acquired by Gilead. Gallagher received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky. Michael Gilman Ph.D. Chairman and CEO, Arrakis Therapeutics Gilman has made over 30 years of contributions in the biotech and biopharma fields. Prior to joining Arrakis Therapeutics in 2016, he was Founder and Chief Executive of Padlock Therapeutics, a venture-funded company focused on autoimmune disease. Gilman received his S.B. in Life Sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of California, Berkeley. Rachel Haurwitz Ph.D. President & CEO, Caribou Biosciences Haurwitz is the co-founder of Caribou Biosciences and has been President and CEO since its inception in 2011. She has a research background in CRISPR-Cas biology and is also a co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics. Haurwitz received her A.B. in Biological Sciences from Harvard College and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from Universtiy of California, Berkeley. Mary Lynne Hedley Ph.D. President & Chief Operating Officer, TESARO Hedley has over 20 years of experience in the biotech and biopharma fields. Prior to being co-founder of TESARO in 2010, she served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Scientific Officer of Abraxis BioScience. Hedley completed two consecutive postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University and received her B.S. in Microbiology from Purdue University and her Ph.D. in Immunology from University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center. Susan Windham-Bannister Ph.D. President & CEO, Biomedical Growth Strategies LLC Windham-Bannister has spent over 40 years advising major biopharma companies on strategic decisions essential for market access, growth optimization, and portfolio management. Prior to joining Biomedical Growth Strategies LLC in 2015, she served as founding President and CEO of the $1 billion Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative. Windham-Bannister received her B.A. from Wellesley College, her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management from Florence Heller School at Brandeis University, and her Sc.D. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The Ambassador Committee is working with Nelson and Buderi to implement several exciting changesmaking LeadingBiotech a premier networking and content-rich event series. Im thrilled to have the support and advice of such an esteemed group of Ambassadors as we work to bring our new brand LeadingBiotech forward! Wendy Nelson Ph.D. Join us at the inaugural LeadingBiotech event, East/West CEO, to engage with some of the Ambassadors and other senior-level peers! The event is on January 5-6, 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Learn more. Contact: LeadingBiotech Suzanne Carroll suzanne@leadingbiotech.com +1 857-504-6707 Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI), a leading distributor of PaperCut software in North America, announced today that Tim Higgs has joined the company as a Regional Solutions Manager. Higgs comes to ACDI with 18 years of management experience in the office equipment industry. His proven ability to understand challenges and opportunities from front-line to high-level stakeholders will be key in growing ACDIs reseller network in the South Central region. In his new role, Higgs will continue to nurture long-standing partnerships with prominent office equipment resellers. Jeff McWilliams, Director of Sales for ACDI, remarked, Tim has very unique experience from winning equipment, software, and professional services deals to effectively managing profit and loss statements. He has a well-rounded understanding of the challenges and opportunities that sales reps face, as well as ownership. His unique skill to understand salespeople and owners alike will be a huge asset to ACDI. The newly appointed Regional Sales Manager anticipates a seamless transition of major accounts from preceding South Central Regional Solutions Manager Jason Andrews. After six years of service with ACDI, Andrews will assume a new sales leadership role as National Sales Manager overseeing the companys seven regional managers. Jason Andrews has been with us for over six years and consistently exceeds expectations. Promoting him into a leadership role was an easy decision but back-filling his position was far more difficult, said Stephanie Goodwin, People & Culture Manager, ACDI. When Tim approached ACDI, timing was everything. We were ready. Having him join our team is a blessing to the ACDI family and his knowledge of the channel will prove to be extremely beneficial. I am thrilled to work with this team and play a key role in the company's growth strategy," stated Higgs. "With ACDI's leadership and unique ability to deliver complete document lifecycle solutions, the sky is the limit. Our reputation speaks for itself and I'm excited to continue building the relationships that we've established in the channel." Prior to joining ACDI, Higgs served at Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. in an executive management role, including positions as Vice President of Enterprise Services and Vice President of Sales in the Kentucky marketplace. He has nearly two decades of combined sales leadership experience across the office equipment industry, namely software sales and office automation technology. In his personal time, Higgs is an avid fisherman and a diehard Kentucky Wildcat fan who enjoys outdoor activities with his two children. About ACDI Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI) specializes in delivering world-class integrated software and hardware solutions through proven innovation, service, and culture. Since 1994, office equipment suppliers have trusted ACDI to provide industry-leading capture, print management, and cost-recovery solutions to streamline the complete document lifecycle. Through channel distribution and development partnerships with the most prominent copier and printer manufacturers across the globe, ACDI solutions drive efficiency and productivity for thousands of organizations in education, healthcare, government and beyond. For more information, visit http://www.acd-inc.com. Amy Y. Zhang, CFA Its an honor to be recognized by The Mulan Club and to receive this accolade. Fred Alger Management, Inc. (Alger) is pleased to announce that Amy Y. Zhang, CFA, has been awarded The Mulan Award by The Mulan Club, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, enabling and inspiring successful Asian women. The award was presented at The Mulan Clubs 2018 Anniversary Celebration on Friday, November 16 in New York. Its an honor to be recognized by The Mulan Club and to receive this accolade. The organizations mission of encouraging professional women of Asian heritage is one that I deeply identify with as a woman of Chinese descent, said Ms. Zhang, a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Alger. Ive been a member since 2017 and I look forward to being a part of the organizations continued success supporting Asian women through education, culture and philanthropy. In addition to being a member of the Mulan Club, Ms. Zhang is involved with the Asian Financial Society (AFS) and in July, she presented at two segments of the organizations Career Development Program for female professionals. Ms. Zhang also founded the AYZ STEM scholarship at her alma mater, Manhattanville College, in 2015 to benefit female students who choose to pursue degrees in STEM-related fields. Through the scholarship, Ms. Zhang has ensured that female recipients (one per year) have had access to funding for equal educational opportunities, allowing them to work toward future careers in industries that have been traditionally dominated by men. In the three plus years that Ive had the pleasure of working with Amy, she has demonstrated time and time again an unparalleled level of passion for her work as a portfolio manager. She is a leader to others within our organization and is an active, contributing member of the growing community of women in asset management, all while juggling her roles of portfolio manager, wife, mother, and mentor. said Dan Chung, CEO and CIO of Alger. This award is a testament not only to Amys performance but her leadership in the community to encourage and enable women in their professional endeavors. Ms. Zhang earned her B.A. from Manhattanville College, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She earned her M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, where she was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. She is also a member of the Columbia Business School Ambassadors Program. Amy is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. She is a former President of the CFA Society Baltimore and is currently chair of their Advisory Board. She also served as a member on the Board of Directors, as well as Vice President and Programs Chair for the CFA Society of Stamford. About Alger Founded in 1964, Alger is widely recognized as a pioneer of growth-style investment management. Headquartered in New York City with affiliate offices in Boston and London, Alger provides U.S. and non-U.S. institutional investors and financial advisors access to a suite of growth equity separate accounts, mutual funds, and privately offered investment vehicles. The firms investment philosophy, discovering companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change, has been in place for over 50 years. Weatherbie Capital, LLC, a Boston-based investment adviser specializing in small and mid-cap growth equity investing, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alger. For more information, please visit http://www.alger.com. About Mulan Club Mulan Club is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization based in New York City. It aims to enable Asian women to give to society with collaborated talents and efforts. Mulan Club was created for extraordinary Asian women who established themselves professionally in diverse fields. The Club provides a platform for members to support, enable and inspire one another. It also empowers members to collectively advance key social issues, including education, culture and philanthropy. To learn more about Mulan Club, visit http://www.mulanclub.org. Young cadets salute their mentors at Atlantic Shores They have served us with honor, now they are our guests of honor. They have served us with honor, and on November 11, military veterans became the guests of honor as more than 270 people gathered for a special celebration at Atlantic Shores Retirement Community. Each year, the patriotic community invites local guests and dignitaries to personally honor each resident veteran, as well as the loved ones of veterans who have recently passed. Local Cub Scout packs, high school JROTC members, community and church vocal groups, area musicians, and even members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association have been among those gathered to recognize those who have fought for our freedom. Honored speakers, pinning ceremonies, color guard and patriotic musical performances all combine to acknowledge the extreme sacrifices made by our American veterans and their families. An emotional playing of taps also memorializes all veterans who are no longer with us. Located in the heart in one of the countrys largest military communities, Atlantic Shores deeply values all servicemen, and is home to a large number of retired servicemen and women from the Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, and Coast Guard -- many who have served honorably, earning Purple Heart and Silver Star awards. The community also boasts many civilians who have been recognized for making a vital difference to the readiness and well-being of soldiers on the frontiers of freedom, including 102 year-old resident Doris C. Baker. For almost 30 years, Miss Baker earned her way into the hearts of Special Forces soldiers and their families as a teacher assigned to Bad Toelz, Germany, the first overseas assignment base for the 1/10th Special Forces Group Airborne (Green Berets). Her adventures in Europe put her directly in the path of history, including close-call border crossings, and a face-to-face encounter with Hitlers last active general experiences which served as the basis for Doris memoir The Originals -- the first book about the Green Berets written by a woman. Miss Bakers legacy of support was recently honored with induction as an Honorary Member of the Special Forces Regiment (Green Berets), an honor bestowed on only nine other distinguished individuals worldwide, only two of whom are women. Atlantic Shores is also home to the Colonial Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, an organization which honors past and present veterans for the sacrifices they have made, and educates elementary and high school students children on the principles of citizenship, leadership, and how to support the freedoms their previous generation fought so hard to achieve. The group is part of the National Freedoms Foundation -- a patriotic organization started soon after WWII to held rebuild war-torn countries in Europe, and strengthen democracy throughout Europe and the U.S. The Colonial Chapter was chartered in 2008 as the first chapter in Virginia. In addition to Veterans Day celebrations, Atlantic Shores also salutes retired and active duty military year-round, with special event partnerships including the Virginia International Tattoo. This inspiring event features an astounding display of patriotism and international cooperation, with military and civilian bands, drill teams, bagpipe and drum bands, and highland dancers from around the world combining to create a powerful, unified and extraordinary performance. For more information on Atlantic Shores and its active community of military veterans, visit http://www.atlanticshoresliving.com. It was exciting to witness the signing of this important agreement. Since many threats are global, this MOU joins the substantial capabilities of these three key entities, said Bob Biggs. Certrec, a leading regulatory compliance provider for NERC compliance, participated as a sponsor at the 2018 GridSecCon (Grid Security Conference) in Las Vegas. NERCs Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council hosted the eighth annual GridSecCon, which was held October 16-19. The conference included cybersecurity and physical security experts from industry and government who shared emerging security trends, policy advancements, and insights into the latest strategies and solutions to handle known and potential cyber and physical security threats. A Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony was an important part of an already impressive conference. This agreement was signed among NERC, the Japan Electricity-ISAC, and the European Energy-ISAC. The entities committed to working together to help prevent cyber-attacks and enhance the cyber security resiliency of electric power systems in Europe, Japan, and North America through information exchanges and other agreed-upon initiatives. Certrecs Office of NERC Compliance supports entities in these efforts, ranging from program reviews to program development and implementation. It was exciting to witness the signing of this important agreement. Since many threats are global, this MOU joins the substantial capabilities of these three key entities, said Bob Biggs, Certrecs Office of NERC Compliance Services Director. Our clients understand the increasing importance of NERC CIP compliance to harden assets and to protect the electric grid. Protecting Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Assets ultimately improves reliability and reduces risk. Certrec Corporation has been dedicated exclusively to regulatory compliance since its inception in 1988. We believe our focused approach is the key to our successful client programs as well as our growing NERC practice. Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology-based organization providing regulatory support services in the electric power industry. With more than 1,000 cumulative staff years of direct industry experience (including nuclear, fossil, and renewables), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process to their advantage. Certrec offers support from highly skilled and experienced industry professionals who possess degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Nuclear). Additionally, Certrecs staff has multiple degreed personnel in physics, communications, a variety of MBAs, and information technology. This highly skilled team of personnel has direct working experience in all regulatory areas of licensing, compliance, and engineering, including nuclear, fossil, and renewable generation and transmission. For more than 30 years, Certrec has been applying its hundreds of years of industry experience to help clients develop and manage solutions to complex regulatory issues. Combining this direct industry experience with Certrecs Information Technology assets has led to development of technology-based solutions and tools directly targeted to the electric power industry and specifically focused on helping clients manage regulatory issues. Cloudponics, maker of the GroBox, the intelligent, fully-automated IoT aeroponic plant growing system for the home, today announced a discount of $420 for its industry-leading product during the holiday season. Customers can save up to $420 off the $2690 GroBox if paid in full, with other discount and payment options available on the Cloudponics website. We aim, through this discount, to give consumers access to a fully-automated, healthy and simple method for growing plants, said Pepijn van der Krogt, cofounder and CEO, Cloudponics. The GroBox is simple yet adaptable to the growers level of experience. From a beginner to an expert, anyone can cultivate their own high-yielding, high-quality plants in about three months time from the convenience, comfort, and safety of their home. The Cloudponics technology can be used to grow a variety of plants and produce, with special features designed to ensure the security and discretion of your plants, such as an odor filter, app-controlled door lock, and lights specifically designed for growing. For additional information, please visit http://www.cloudponics.com. About Cloudponics Cloudponics developed the GroBox, the IoT system for autonomously growing high-yielding, high-quality plants. Cloudponics GroBox system intelligently creates the ideal growth conditions for consistent, predictable, and repeatable yields. The GroControl is Cloudponics automated controller that allows growers to remotely monitor and automate any size of indoor grows with nutrient dosing, pH sensoring, and climate control. Founded in 2015 and led by entrepreneurs Pepijn van der Krogt and Nicolas Ruiz, Cloudponics is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.cloudponics.com or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church: 2640 Park Drive An evening service to officially welcome St. Johns new rector, the Rev. Jeremy Froyen, will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 5. The Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, will be the celebrant. A reception will follow the service. A Holiday Cookie Walk will be from 9 to 11:30 Dec. 8. A wide variety of holiday and other homemade cookies will be offered. Top key players mentioned in this Coated Glass Market report include Saint-Gobain, PPG Industries, Sisecam, Guardian Industries, SCHOTT, Pilkington, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., Glaze-Tech Industries, Schott AG, Euroglas, Abrisa Technologies, Cardinal Glass Industries, Press Glass, FUSO Glass and others. The hard coated glass market demand from automotive windshield application will witness steady gains at over 4.5% during 2018-2024. Increased usage of product in windscreens to offer convenient driving during harsh weather conditions such as fog, ice, mud and rain will boost product demand. Growing automotive manufacturing base in Asia Pacific region along with acoustic, thermal & visual comfort and style & taste of the products in automobiles will positively influence coated glass market size. The report says global coated glass market will cross USD 24.5 billion by 2024 due to the increasing demand for clean source of energy along with addition of better aesthetical value to the buildings will drive coated glass market. Favorable government schemes along with growth in FDI funding in India and China has propelled the growth of construction and automotive industries in the region, thereby propelling product demand. Environmental concerns regarding CO2 emissions and consumer awareness towards energy efficient buildings will stimulate industry growth. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2436 Solar control glass market demand from construction applications will witness gains at over 4% during the projected timespan. The products are used in combination to create multi-functional glazing which results in noise reduction, low-maintenance, enhanced safety & security and aesthetic appeal. They have a microscopically thin coating on one side of the glass which reflects the heat from the sun to the outside and keeps the interiors cooler, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency of the building and stimulating coated glass market growth. U.S. solar control glass market size from residential buildings will exceed USD 50 million at the end of 2024. Increasing expenditure on household remodeling and renovation activities in the U.S along with promotion of renewable energy resources will fuel industry growth. Rising application of the product in automobile interiors combined with increasing automotive production output is anticipated to drive market growth to a certain extent. Europe coated glass market size driven by France, Germany, Russia, Poland and UK will register steady growth at over 3.5%. Growth in green buildings, hospitals, offices and institutions have enhanced the construction output in Europe. Browse key coated glass market insights from the 2018 report spread across 500 pages offering 1316 market data tables as well as 18 figures & charts along with the table of contents: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/coated-glass-market Brazil low-E glass demand from automotive windshield will surpass USD 55 million by 2024. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors are opening or expanding their automotive production facilities in the region to boost up the local economy. India soft coat glass market size is likely to register significant gains close to 6% during the forecast timeline. Increasing construction projects along with styling flexibility, transmittance and reflection properties of these product will drive regional industry growth. The product offers thermal performance and neutral appearance similar to its counterparts, resulting into coated glass market demand. Low-E coated glass market demand from commercial buildings may exceed USD 4 billion by 2024. The product offers low surface emissivity and helps in reduction of UV-value; thus it enhances energy efficiency of the buildings and minimizes CO2 emissions. Increased R&D spending and technological advancement in the product portfolio will surge industry growth. Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2436 Top key players mentioned in this Coated Glass Market report include Saint-Gobain, PPG Industries, Sisecam, Guardian Industries, SCHOTT, Pilkington, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., Glaze-Tech Industries, Schott AG, Euroglas, Abrisa Technologies, Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc., Press Glass, FUSO Glass, Glaze-Tech Industries, Metro Performance Glass and some others. Browse Related Reports: 1. Flat Glass Market Size By Product (Laminated, Tempered, Basic Float, Insulating), By Application (Construction, Automotive), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (North America, Central & South America, China, Indian Sub-Continent, Oceania, Europe, Post-Soviet States, Middle East, Africa) Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024 Flat Glass Market size surpassed USD 80 billion in 2016 and demand should exceed 120 million tons by 2024. Read more at: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/flat-glass-market 2. Automotive Glass Market Size By Product (Laminated, Tempered), By Application (Sidelite, Backlite, Windscreen), By End-Use (Aftermarket Replacement Glass, Original Equipment Manufacturer), By Vehicle (Light Commercial Vehicle, Heavy Commercial Vehicle, Passenger Cars), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 2024. Automotive Glass Market size was valued at over USD 12 billion in 2017 and is predicted to exhibit around 7% CAGR between 2018 and 2024. Read more at: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/automotive-glass-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales(at)gminsights(dot)com Web: https://www.gminsights.com Blog: http://allchemresearch.com/ Hurrah! Leaderboards Introduces New Sales Contest Feature Hurrah! has had a huge culture and communication impact. Reps love having their sales display on the TVs, and management loves seeing a visualization of results. Jillian Paine - Director of Sales, Boston Celtics Companies of all sizes use sales contests to incentivize and motivate sales teams. US Organizations spend over $100 billion annually on incentives programs according to the Incentive Research Foundation; yet many companies do so without understanding or implementing effective methodology for these programs. A study conducted by the IRF shows that incentives programs such as sales contests can boost performance by anywhere from 25 to 44 percent, but only if conducted properly. Sales leaderboards software like Hurrah!, that employ gamification techniques for data presentation have a potentially powerful application in facilitating successful incentives programs for inside sales teams. Hurrah! is a sales leaderboards broadcasting software solution for key performance indicators that integrates seamlessly with major CRMs and other data collection applications. This product is designed optimally for inside sales organizations, and has won over a loyal niche in the highly competitive SaaS marketplace. Popular among teams in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and other professional sporting leagues, a few who have discovered the power of Hurrah! include the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Cavaliers amongst many others. These high-volume sales teams are utilizing Hurrah!s sales leaderboards to introduce gamification into their daily activities and data presentation with impressive results. For many of these organizations, who use sales competitions to boost sales team productivity, the capability to run contests is the most anticipated new feature in Hurrah! 4.0. The right tools and strategies are paramount to running a constructive sales contest. Researchers establish that Communication, Emotional Appeal, and Measurement are three of the essential strategies for creating an effective incentive program. Hurrah! is a software that aims at facilitating these very strategies as fundamental to productive daily team dynamics. Incentive awards alone have proved to be poor motivators over the long run; rather, they are most effective when they positively impact emotional engagement and team spirit. Hurrah! utilizes gamification techniques specifically designed to increase employee engagement and generate emotional investment in daily activities. Additionally, research shows that sales tend to spike at the beginning and end of a contest period, while dipping in the middle. Measuring and broadcasting live contest metrics by ranking with sales leaderboards software can help keep sales teams engaged more consistently throughout a competition. Hurrah! 4.0 provides a complete solution for managers who utilize sales contests, to effectively communicate objectives and strategies, measure and display employee progress in real-time, and give immediate recognition based on results. Hurrah! Contests measure a specified KPI over a defined period of time, tracking and displaying participants progress on a sales leaderboard. Once the contest is completed, the results are automatically announced and broadcast, recognizing top performers by rank. It is a simple-to-use tool with big impact. Hurrah! Leaderboards has proven to be particularly effective for engaging younger members of the workforce. The web-based application combines eye-catching graphics, animation, and audio components with various templates and capabilities in one multipurpose platform. Expanding existing functionality to include contests is a logical next step in this products development, and it presents an exciting new application of gamification for inside sales teams. Founded in 2011, CRMGamified provides modern technology to help companies improve sales and service performance by leveraging gamification mechanics. Its main product, Hurrah! Leaderboard, offers a metrics-driven approach to promote behaviors that lead to substantial revenue growth, increased employee engagement, and improved customer support and sales productivity. For more information, visit http://crmgamified.com and follow @CRMGamified on Twitter. Evelyn Torres, CEO of Solaris Technologies, was recognized in the Dallas 500 for the fourth year in a row by D CEO. Dallas 500 celebrates the most influential business leaders in North Texas. Torres is honored to be acknowledged once again as an exceptional leader by the Dallas business community. Evelyn Torres founded Solaris Technologies in 2011, and she continues to excel in not only growing her business, but also growing young leaders around her. She is on the Board of Directors for the UTA Engineering Department and Solaris Technologies and its employees are also very focused on community outreach. Employees help with STEM girls, serve as local school mentors and advocate for the Wounded Warriors Project. Recognition in the Dallas 500 will help solidify Torress reputation as a distinguished business leader and mentor in the Dallas area. The Dallas 500 is unprecedented in scope and is the result of a yearlong research initiative by the editors of D CEO, which has been named the countrys best regional business magazine for the last four years. Dallas 500 provides a personal, engaging look at the leaders who make Dallas-Fort Worths economy tick. For additional information, contact: Nicole Torres-Vuong. Solaris Technologies is a woman-owned business and the leading provider of the highest capacity mobile cellular towers in the industry. The patented tower design also makes them the strongest, most durable and reliable mobile towers available and capable of being deployed in under 30 minutes. These mobile towers serve first responders in local communities during natural disasters and other emergencies. We are already building on our innovative approach to delivering technology that helps improve commercial and industrial asset utilization and lifetime performance in existing and new markets. Decisiv, Inc., the industry leader in Service Relationship Management (SRM) solutions, announced today that the Northern Virginia Technology Council named it to the NVTC Tech 100 list of top companies in regions technology sector. The recognition was given for driving technology innovation, implementing new solutions for customers, and leading growth in the greater Washington D.C. region. Receiving NVTC Tech 100 recognition for our technological innovation is gratifying because it confirms the success of our commitment to expanding our SRM solutions for customers, said Dick Hyatt, President and CEO of Decisiv. Looking ahead, we are already building on our innovative approach to delivering technology that helps improve commercial and industrial asset utilization and lifetime performance in existing and new markets. The NVTC Tech 100 celebrates the top companies and executives in the greater Washington D.C. technology community. Companies and individuals are nominated in a range of technology related categories and a panel of judges chooses the final list. The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies and organizations, including businesses from all sectors of the technology industry, service providers, universities, foreign embassies, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. Among other previous awards, earlier this year Decisiv was named to the Inc. Magazine Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America for the second year in a row. Additionally, Decisiv was the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the Most Innovative Company of the Year - Up to 2,500 Employees category in the 15th Annual International Business Awards. About Decisiv, Inc. Decisiv provides a cloud-based Service Relationship Management (SRM) platform that revolutionizes how the service supply chain for commercial assets communicates and collaborates. As the industry leader in SRM technology, Decisiv is driving unrivaled improvement in asset performance and utilization for manufacturers, service providers and asset owners in the commercial vehicle, heavy equipment, and industrial markets. The SRM platforms ability to harness, share and analyze connected asset data, and to intelligently enable service management, is the key to driving asset uptime and availability. Decisiv is the partner of choice for major commercial vehicle manufacturers, including Volvo, Mack, Hino, Peterbilt and Kenworth, as well as their dealers and call centers, service networks and asset owners. For more information, visit http://www.decisiv.com. The Bible Revealed: Believers Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Volume 1 is the creation of published author, Dennis Walton, who answered the call to full-time ministry in 1994 then founded Faith Temple of Christ (FTOC) in 1996. He is the senior pastor of FTOC and the president of Computer Skills and Training Center, which are both located in Merrillville, Indiana. With God spawning a vision in his heart to expand his ministry, Pastor Walton began traveling on missionary trips to Third World countries to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Various testimonies have stated that the materials in this book are impactful and necessary to help every believer grow in their walk with Christ. Consequently, it is assured that this book will be a blessing to all who read and apply this knowledge to their everyday life. --Dennis Walton Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dennis Waltons new book guides readers in their quest to enrich their lives and Faith. Dennis Walton has skillfully compiled fifteen lessons into one dynamic book by focusing on the concepts that help individuals reach the next level in their Christian education. These lessons have been proven to make a difference in the lives of many people. Bringing powerful messages with a gentle and humbling spirit, the author desires to cultivate spiritual growth by guiding readers to maturity in their Faith and their love of Christ. Pastor Walton is committed to helping the Faithful understand the principles needed to develop spiritually while simultaneously obtaining a blessed, abundant life. He delivers practical teachings backed with scriptural truth as he imparts wisdom and knowledge. He challenges Believers to live a purposeful life in Jesus Christ. This book will be a blessing to all who read and apply this knowledge to their everyday lives. View a synopsis of The Bible Revealed: Believers Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Volume 1 on YouTube. Consumers can purchaseThe Bible Revealed: Believers Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Volume 1 at Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Bible Revealed: Believers Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Volume 1, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. We are excited to have earned this certification. It will certainly help our local federal contractors better afford the cost of securing information they share with our government and our community. - Shawn Duffy, President and CEO, Duffy Consulting Services, LLC Duffy Consulting Services, LLC, a provider of security consulting and compliance services is now identified as a Qualified Maryland Cybersecurity Seller (QMCS) by the Department of Commerce. Purchases made through a QMCS business like Duffy Consulting Services, may be eligible for the Maryland Cybersecurity Tax Credit if they have fewer than 50 employees and files income tax returns in the state of Maryland. This tax credit is for the purchase of cybersecurity technologies that are proprietary goods and services designed to protect information systems, electronically stored data or information, and electronic data and information transferred between information systems. Duffy Consulting Services, LLC provides their qualified cybersecurity service as identified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) through their compliance audits and remediation services for the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) regulation. We are excited to have earned this certification. It will certainly help our local federal contractors better afford the cost of securing information they share with our government and our community. said President and CEO Shawn Duffy. Federal contractors need to meet this mandate to work on certain DOD contracts. We hope more Maryland contractors will start the process and take advantage of this new Maryland tax credit. About Duffy Consulting Services, LLC Duffy Consulting Services is a provider of cybersecurity assessments and compliance services to federal contractors. They are based in Frederick County, Maryland and have served the Baltimore/DC metro area since 2014. For more information, visit http://www.duffyconsulting.us or reach out via email at info@duffyconsulting.us. Leisa Erickson, License Partner of Engel & Volkers St. Pete The Engel & Volkers brand and reputation is above all others in look, mission and ethos Engel & Volkers today announced its latest franchise expansion with a newly established brokerage in St. Petersburg, Florida; marking the companys fourth location in the Tampa Bay market. Opting for the local vernacular, the shop was named Engel & Volkers St. Pete and is owned and operated by Leisa and Matthew Erickson, formerly Leisa Erickson & Associates, a RE/MAX Metro team. "Having our own brokerage was simply the next logical step for us as entrepreneurs, said Leisa Erickson. We relish the opportunity to help other professionals grow their business and obtain freedom of time and individuality as a better way to work and live. Aware of the many existing opportunities for growth by joining a franchise network, the Ericksons diligently vetted several companies before deciding on Engel & Volkers. The Engel & Volkers brand and reputation is above all others in look, mission and ethos, said Leisa Erickson. We have been watching Engel & Volkers expansion in the Americas for some time now and knew it would be a perfect fit. By aligning ourselves with this brand, we are able to offer a higher level of service to our clients and undoubtedly draw other like-minded agents to join us. The connected global culture of Engel & Volkers, including the yachting and aviation divisions, provides expanded connections for our advisors globally and we are beyond excited tap into these as our market is seeing a growing influx of global buyers and sellers. After extensive careers in the corporate sales and marketing sector, the Ericksons found success in the real estate industry. In just five years they have amassed over $26M in annual sales volume and are ranked tenth out of the top 100 agents in Pinellas County. Engel & Volkers St. Pete hit the ground running by recruiting three local top agents before they opened their doors for business on November 12, 2018. Engel & Volkers St. Pete is currently operating out of a temporary space, located at 433 Central Ave Suite 209, while their official storefront shop is being renovated. They plan to host a grand opening in early 2019 at their permanent location at 102 2nd Ave NE, just off Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg. The bespoke shop will create a space for those passionate about real estate and will include a hospitality lounge for advisors and clients alike. They hope to develop a unique workplace culture by setting certain professional standards for members of their brokerage such as minimum production levels, while instilling a culture of luxury service standards to cater to the most discerning of clients. We are focused on building our brokerage with experienced, savvy professionals who conduct at least 12 transactions per year and who fit our culture of diversity and humility, said Matthew Erickson. We are more focused on quality than quantity, however we endeavour to have 20 advisors by mid-2019 and grow to 50 thereafter. According to a 2015 census estimate, St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa and the fifth-most populous city in Florida. Engel & Volkers now has four locations in the area: Bellair, Madeira Beach, South Tampa and St. Pete. The markets in and around Tampa Bay are of strategic importance to our growth, said Timo Khammash, Managing Partner of Engel & Volkers Florida. We are very pleased to have Leisa and Matt on board with us in St. Pete. ### Press contact: Linzee Werkmeister, Director, Public Relations & Franchise Support Email: Linzee.Werkmeister@evusa.com Tel: (239) 348-9000 About Engel & Volkers: Engel & Volkers is one of the worlds leading service companies specialised in the brokerage of premium residential property, commercial real estate, yachts and aircrafts. Based in over 800 locations in total, Engel & Volkers offers both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of services. Consultancy, sales and leasing form the core competences of the staff of more than 10,000 people operating under the Engel & Volkers brand. The company is currently operating in over 30 countries on four continents. Intensive training schemes in its in-house real estate Academy and the high level of quality assurance governing its systematically structured service provision are key factors that account for the companys success. For more information about Engel & Volkers, please visit engelvoelkers.com About Engel & Volkers Florida: Engel & Volkers Florida is the Master Franchise Partner of the global luxury brand Engel & Volkers. The company represents franchise locations around Florida, including: 30A Beaches, Belleair, Boca Raton, Bonita Springs-Estero, Cape Coral, Clermont, Delray Beach, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Jupiter, Madeira Beach, Marco Island, Melbourne, Melbourne Central, Miami-Coral Gables, Olde Naples, Orlando-Winter Park, Palm Beach, South Tampa, Stuart, St. Pete, Wellington, and Windermere. Recognized for uniquely recruiting, training and equipping some of the top professionals in the real estate industry, Engel & Volkers Floridas exclusive franchise model positions its license partners at the top of the premium market to gain market share and support their bottom line. Engel & Volkers Florida is continuing to strategically strengthen and expand its presence in premium real estate markets across the state of Florida. If you would like to know more about the Engel & Volkers brand or how to join its global network, which is known for demonstrating competence, exclusivity and passion, feel free to call our corporate office, located at 633 Tamiami Trl N, Suite 201, Naples, FL 34102 USA. Tel: +1 239-348-9000. For more information about Engel & Volkers Florida, please visit florida.evusa.com Singapore office, Experience Center "Our Experience Center will showcase the companys own unified, IP security solutions in a Security Operations Center mock upfeaturing hardware and software integrations from the vast ecosystem of Genetec technology partners."- Daniel Lee, Managing Director for Genetec APAC. Genetec Inc. (Genetec), a manufacturer of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today announced it will officially inaugurate its new, expanded Singapore headquarters this week (Tuesday 20th November). Mr. Daniel Lee, Managing Director for Genetec APACalong with Genetec executives from other regionswill welcome distribution, channel sales, strategic technical partners, end-users and guests to the event. Guests will tour the facility and have a chance to meet with the Genetec APAC team. Our new, expanded Genetec location in Singapore is designed to facilitate business development, train integrators and customers, and offer support and custom solutions for end-users in the growing Asia/ Pacific (APAC) region, said Daniel Lee, Managing Director for Genetec APAC. Our Experience Center will showcase the companys own unified, IP security solutions in a Security Operations Center mock upfeaturing hardware and software integrations from the vast ecosystem of Genetec technology partners. We invite all our APAC and global partners to visit our Singapore operations soon, added Lee. Over the past year, Genetec has grown rapidly across Asia Pacific, offering unified physical security solutions in all regions including Australia / New Zealand (ANZ), and has expanded its distribution partners in Indonesia, Thailand, and Indiaall countries that are rapidly migrating to a unified, IP-based security platform. The company also added new country/sales managers, support and business development team members in Singapore, ANZ, Thailand, and India. To learn more about the Genetec Singapore office, contact Sharon Chong located at the Bugis Junction Towers, 7th floor 08/09, Singapore 188024. The Poor, Rich Man: A Story Based on the Biblical Account of the Rich Young Ruler: a compelling novel about true wealth. The Poor, Rich Man is the creation of published author Gerald Kinsey, a former dairy farmer, owner of the local weekly newspaper The Lakeview Area News and grandfather that lives in Lakeview, Michigan. Kinsey writes, In the rich mans search for meaning, he read many books. One that he found especially interesting was the Bible. Since he was a rich man, he was particularly interested in what it said about wealth. He was disturbed by the fact that much of what it said seemed rather negative. Although it troubled him, he had to admit that his experience seemed to confirm what he read. One story that fascinated him was the account of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus to ask how he could have eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. That seemed strange because everywhere else the Bible said that eternal life was obtained by faith. Nowhere else did it say that eternal life could be obtained by selling possessions or giving to the poor. He puzzled over this anomaly for some time. Why did Jesus tell this one man to do what He never told anyone else to do? Finally, it occurred to him that if the man gave away everything he had, he would be destitute. He would have to depend on God for his survival. He would have to trust God. That was what Jesus had been telling everyone. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Gerald Kinseys new book is a unique novel written simply and beautifully. As readers follow on the journey, they will learn that what Jesus had been asking for all along was trust. View a synopsis of The Poor, Rich Man: A Story Based on the Biblical Account of the Rich Young Ruler on YouTube. Readers can purchase The Poor, Rich Man: A Story Based on the Biblical Account of the Rich Young Ruler at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Poor, Rich Man: A Story Based on the Biblical Account of the Rich Young Ruler, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. GESS International joined economic development officials, local farmers and community leaders in November to break ground on two new biomass plants. The first, on Nov. 8, marked the start of work at the Wilson County Green Energy Biogas Park in Stantonsburg NC; the second, on Nov. 14, at the Union County Green Energy Biogas Park in Monroe, NC. During remarks, GESS and other speakers highlighted the growing role of bioenergy in North Carolina. Positive Impacts of Turning Waste into Energy Both biogas production plants are expected to start construction in Q1 of 2019 and become fully operational by Q3 of 2020. GESSs biogas plant developments represent an investment of approximately $33 million in each community. The plants are expected to utilize 160,000 tons of swine waste and 80,000 tons of green biomass, producing 500,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas annually; the biomass production is the energy equivalent of powering 6,800 homes. Each plant will also help create 16 new full-time jobs in the community. Said GESSs Representative Seth Daughety, GESS is developing biogas projects that are inclusive of local communities by creating a new waste-to-energy revenue stream for farmers. Along this journey, we will pay area farmers for their waste product and provide good jobs, while also helping mitigate the environmental issues associated with hog farming. We look forward to contributing to North Carolinas bright future. Olga Bryzhan, Director of GESS, noted, Investing in renewable energy projects provides opportunities, simultaneously generating significant financial returns and mitigating or addressing societal and environmental challenges. For Wilson and Union County event photos, see folder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xoi6ee0p3kl8no9/AADxpP_T2xyiVEaKJhFGoWc5a?dl=0 About GESS International GESS is a highly experienced and globally established renewable energy services company. With over 350 completed projects worldwide, GESS, Inc. has over 21 years of expertise in providing energy-efficient solutions using co-generation and renewable energy resources such as solar and biogas. From consulting to managing operations of our completed projects, GESS, Inc. offers design and implementation solutions with direct economic impact for its customers and their communities. The police departments school resource officer was able to determine the source of the threat as a 15-year-old male student at the school, who was later charged as a juvenile Monday with making a threat of violence or death directed at persons at a school, police said. The student admitted to police investigators that he posted the threat. Creating this non-advocacy platform to host the discussion about CBD provides Christians with a place to learn more about the potential benefits and limitations of CBD in order to make informed decisions about if and how they might integrate it into their life. What is CBD? Will CBD get me high? Is there a difference between hemp and cannabis? Is using CBD a sin? Is CBD a drug? Is it harmful? These are a just a few questions Christians around the country are asking themselves now that hemp-based Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is legal in most states. GodsGreenery.com (https://www.GodsGreenery.com) launched Nov. 19, 2018 and is the first online community where Christians can access reliable information, research, and stories about the uses of CBD - the non-psychoactive, natural components of hemp and cannabis (translation it doesnt contain THC and therefore does not get you high). Understanding all of it can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially for Christians who may not understand the difference between CBD and cannabis and how it can fit into their lifestyle. Because of potential health benefits, CBD products are rapidly becoming mainstream and are being sold in beauty salons, spas, fitness centers, membership-only warehouse clubs and more. However, finding a place for Christians to be safe, healthy and connected while making sense of all this information filtered through the lens of Faith has not existed - until now. GodsGreenery.com grew from a desire to serve the Christian community, said chief executive officer, Michael Klein. Creating this non-advocacy platform to host the discussion about CBD provides Christians with a place to learn more about the potential benefits and limitations of CBD in order to make informed decisions about if and how they might integrate it into their life. GodsGreenery.com has produced and curated original stories, thought-provoking articles and news coverage of the latest scientific studies about the use of CBD to help this vast community make sense of the continuing development of all there is to know about the role these plants play in our society, filtered through a Faith-based lens. The site includes a strong focus on real stories from Christians who use CBD for medical and spiritual needs, stories like that of GodsGreenery.com co-founder Rory Millikin, whose family turned to CBD to help free his brother from opioid addiction. After seeing CBD help my family and many others, I made it a personal mission to share these healing properties with the world, said Millikin. Millikin quickly realized the voice of the Faith community was largely missing in the greater conversation about CBD, and that many Christians are already exploring the potential benefits of these products. Gods Greenery was born to help create a safe, factual, trustworthy place to explore CBD through a Christian perspective while offering solid research and resources to make informed decisions about how to use Cannabidiol (CBD). Learn more at https://www.GodsGreenery.com. ### About GodsGreenery.com GodsGreenery.com is part of Miraculo Inc., a new integrated media company. GodsGreenery.com is the first online community where Christians can access reliable information, research and stories about the use of Cannabidiol, or CBD, the non-psychoactive, natural components of hemp and cannabis. By providing a safe destination with premium and trustworthy content through a faith lens - including original articles, research, podcasts, video and more - we are empowering Christian consumers to take control of their health and wellness journey. Learn more at GodsGreenery.com. For interview requests and press materials including useful infographics, images, video and frequently asked questions, please access our press room at https://www.godsgreenery.com/press-room. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoGodsGreenery Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoGodsGreenery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GoGodsGreenery Julieanne, Mitchell and Ian all bring with them a wealth of experiences in a variety of practice areas, said Gregory E. Grim, CEO of Grim, Biehn & Thatcher. They are a huge asset to the firm and to our clients. Grim, Biehn & Thatcher of Perkasie, Pa., is pleased to welcome attorneys Julieanne E. Bateman, Mitchell H. Baylarian and Ian W. Peltzman to the firm. Julieanne E. Bateman, a resident of Philadelphia, Pa., received a bachelors degree from George Washington University and a law degree from Catholic University. Her areas of practice include civil litigation, employment law, domestic relations, and criminal law. Prior to joining the firm, Bateman was an assistant district attorney in Franklin County, Pa. and clerked for the Honorable Robert O. Baldi in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Mitchell H. Baylarian, a resident of Lafayette Hill, Pa., received a bachelors degree from Franklin and Marshall College and a law degree from Pennsylvania State University. His areas of practice include family law and criminal law. Baylarian previously worked at the Chester County Public Defenders Office and at a small, busy law firm in Doylestown. In 2016, he was appointed by the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas as a conflict attorney representing parents in Children and Youth Matters. Ian W. Peltzman, originally from Fort Washington, Pa., received a bachelors degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a law degree from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master of Laws degree at Temple University. His areas of practice include elder law, estate planning and estate administration. Peltzman recently completed the Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Training Certification course. Julieanne, Mitchell and Ian all bring with them a wealth of experiences in a variety of practice areas, said Gregory E. Grim, CEO of Grim, Biehn & Thatcher. They are a huge asset to the firm and to our clients. About Grim, Biehn & Thatcher Grim, Biehn & Thatcher has been providing trusted legal counsel, practical, commonsense advice and values-based business solutions to clients since the firm was founded by Webster Grim in 1895. The firm represents clients in the areas of Business, Commercial and Tax Law; Litigation; Family Law; Criminal Law; Landlord/Tenant Law; Municipal/Zoning Law; Personal Injury Law; Wills and Estates; and Real Estate Law. The firm prides itself on the following commitments it makes to its clients: Responsibility Recognizing that the firm is in a service business and that clients expect and deserve timeliness and responsiveness. This priority is imbedded into the firms culture and values. Trust Representing clients in a skillful and honest manner; taking ownership of every action in its dealings with clients and others with unyielding integrity. Diligence Providing the best service with confidence about what the firm does and always working hard to deliver quality service with the clients goals and best interests in mind for each legal matter. Value Striving to pool talents and resources to better serve clients and minimize unnecessary costs and expenses, thus providing increased value to its clients. For more information about Grim, Biehn & Thatcher visit http://www.grimlaw.com. Ignite Visibility, a premier full-service digital marketing agency based in San Diego, was named the #1 agency for SEO and Paid Search by Clutch. Clutch is a B2B research and ratings company that evaluates businesses offering development, design, marketing and technology services. The acclaimed firm uses qualitative and quantitative data to determine which agencies offer the best services, and makes this information accessible to those looking to hire exceptional B2B businesses. This year, Ignite Visibility was ranked #1 for its SEO and Paid Search offerings. Earlier in 2018, Ignite Visibility was also recognized by Clutch as one of the Top B2B Companies in California. Ignite Visibility was established in 2013, and offers a variety of digital services including website design and development, email marketing, paid and earned media services, conversion rate optimization and more. The agency has created an impressive client roster due to their extensive service offerings as well as their commitment to creating personal connections with their clients by delivering exceptional customer service. We are extremely excited to be recognized for this prestigious award. Our company focuses on hiring and empowering the industrys greatest digital marketers, and we strive to provide that team with both a supportive work environment and an innovative corporate culture. Seeing these amazing client reviews on Clutch is so rewarding for the entire team. It makes all of our collective efforts that much more worthwhile, said Eythor Westman, Head of Paid Media for Ignite Visibility. In addition to this recent award from Clutch, Ignite Visibilitys work has won numerous awards throughout 2018. To learn more about the agencys previous recognitions, or to explore Ignite Visibilitys current clients and services, visit https://ignitevisibility.com/. About Ignite Visibility: Ignite Visibility is a premier Internet marketing company based in San Diego, CA, dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. By establishing mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with their clients, Ignite Visibility creates custom solutions uniquely tailored to meet the specialized business objectives of each client. Because a company is only as good as the promises it keeps that were made during the sales process, Ignite Visibility holds itself accountable to clearly defined key performance indicators established at the outset of every campaign. Ignite Visibility is committed to their motto pertaining the three Rs of customer satisfaction: relationships, responsiveness and results, visit https://ignitevisibility.com/. "I always find it inspiring to read the stories of the next generation of entrepreneurs," said Ted Devine, CEO of Insureon. "Small business owners are the future, and we believe in supporting college students with an interest in entrepreneurship." Insureon, the nation's leading online provider of small business insurance, today announced Deselyn Swain of Douglasville, Georgia, and Sebastian Barker of Argyle, Texas, as the latest winners of its Small Business, Big Impact scholarship competition. Each student will be awarded $2,500 to help pay for tuition and other educational expenses. Since 2014, Insureon's scholarship program has awarded more than $64,000 to undergraduate students enrolled full-time at a college or university in the United States. Students who wish to enter the competition are asked to write an essay that describes their favorite small business and what it means to them. For her essay, Deselyn focused on Shear Elegance, a hair salon owned and operated by her Aunt Cookie in Talladega, Alabama. Deselyn's essay describes how she is inspired by the fact her aunt overcame multiple challenges to start and run a successful business for 30 years. Deselyn is a freshman at Georgia State University where she is majoring in entrepreneurship. She also runs her own business consulting firm, designs a clothing line, and volunteers to help underprivileged children. Sebastian's essay describes his experience helping run his family's escape room business, Escaping the Square. In his essay, Sebastian highlights his family's dedication to creating their own puzzles and challenges, and how working at the business has taught him valuable problem-solving and communication skills. Sebastian is majoring in biochemistry and minoring in business at the University of Texas at Austin. He plans to become an orthopedic surgeon. In addition to working with his family, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and nature photography. "I always find it inspiring to read the stories of the next generation of entrepreneurs," said Ted Devine, CEO of Insureon. "Small business owners are the future, and we believe in supporting college students with an interest in entrepreneurship." To read the winning essays, visit the scholarship winners' page. Insureon's scholarship program will return fall 2019. For more details, visit http://www.insureon.com/insureonu/small-business-scholarship/. About Insureon Insureon provides industry-leading technology that helps small business owners compare insurance quotes from top U.S. carriers with one easy online application. The company's agents are certified in 50 states and have helped more than 200,000 business owners protect their businesses. For more information, visit http://www.insureon.com. "The translation of ISBERs Best Practices into Chinese will facilitate its wide adoption in China. Chinese biobankers will now be at ease to understand and follow the recommended guidelines in their daily management." said Xun Xu, ISBER Director at Large for China. The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) is pleased to announce the release of the Chinese translation of Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories, Fourth Edition. The Fourth Edition publication, originally released in January 2018, is a practice-changing publication aimed at advancing the science of biobanking to meet the needs of a growing industry. The English publication has been downloaded over 1000 times, and this translation will help meet the needs of more members worldwide and facilitate further growth in this field. The ISBER Best Practices 4th Edition aims to sustain and support biobankers everywhere, said David Lewandowski, President of ISBER. Translating these Best Practices into multiple languages aligns with ISBERs position as the leading resource in repository management and the Chinese translation of Best Practices is but one more step in our goal. The release of the Best Practices in Chinese is a great opportunity to promote international norms and cooperation. The Biobank Branch, China Medicinal Biotech Association (BBCMBA) and ISBER will cooperate hand in hand towards that goal!, said Prof Hengjun Gao, President of the BBCMBA. "The translation of ISBERs Best Practices into Chinese will facilitate its wide adoption in China. Chinese biobankers will now be at ease to understand and follow the recommended guidelines in their daily management." said Xun Xu, ISBER Director at Large for China. "ISBER will continue to bring its expertise to China to improve the repository management quality in the region." he added. ISBER would like to thank the many Chinese colleagues for their involvement in the translation of this publication, acknowledging Mr Zhou Xuexun in particular, as well as the ISBER Standards Committee, for their critical support in this effort. For a full list of languages in which the Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories, Fourth Edition is available or to access the original English edition, please see http://www.isber.org/bestpractices. To learn more about ISBER, please visit: http://www.isber.org. For further information, please contact: Ana Torres, BA (Hon), MPub ISBER Executive Director 750 West Pender Street, Suite 301 Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2T7 T: 1-604-484-5693 E: info(at)isber.org About ISBER: ISBER is the only global forum that addresses harmonization of scientific, technical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to repositories of biological and environmental specimens. The mission of ISBER as a global organization is to create opportunities for sharing ideas and innovations in biobanking and harmonizes approaches to evolving challenges for biological and environmental repositories. ISBER fosters collaboration, creates education and training opportunities, provides an international showcase for state-of-the-art policies, processes, and research findings, and innovative technologies, products, and services. Together, these activities promote best practices that cut across the broad range of repositories that ISBER serves. John Freund, CEO, Jump Technologies By delivering actionable analytics that are visible to all areas of the hospital, we can positively impact the supply room, patient care, and an organizations bottom line. Jump Technologies, a leading hospital supply chain solutions provider, announced today it has closed a $2 million follow-on investment round, which will be used to expand the companys national sales efforts and support broader product development. Headquartered in Eagan, MN, Jump Technologies delivers a cloud-based hospital supply chain software solution called JumpStock, which integrates with any ERP system to help hospitals save money and improve clinical outcomes by providing actionable analytics that drive a new level of standardization of clinical and operational best practices. This latest round of investment into Jump Technologies was led by Black Granite Capital and includes new strategic investor Mount Sinai Ventures and reinvestment by two large investors. Additional investment capital helps us expand our footprint more quickly to hospitals and health systems across the country, said John Freund, CEO, Jump Technologies. Hospitals invest in cutting-edge technology to treat patients, but when it comes to inventory management, some facilities still rely on individuals counting materials in store rooms every day. Were improving this dramatically with our powerful automation and data analytics and simple user interface. By delivering actionable analytics that are visible to all areas of the hospital, we can positively impact the supply room, patient care, and an organizations bottom line. JumpStock integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows and delivers reports that help clinicians and supply chain professionals make informed decisions about supply utilization throughout their facilities including high-cost areas like operating and procedure rooms. With JumpStock, hospitals can more easily standardize utilization of supplies, which allows them to save money and reallocate funds to clinical resources and technology that improve patient care and generate new revenue. JumpStock also ensures that clinicians have the right supplies when and where they are needed so as not to slow down surgeries and other clinical therapies. For example, Jump Technologies customers, such as the Mount Sinai Health System, have been able to reduce stock-outs, which helps clinical practice, while increasing inventory turns, which improves the hospitals bottom line. Health Systems need to drive innovation in business practices and technologies, not only in clinical care or practice, said Les Grant, Corporate Director of Materials Management for Mount Sinai Health System. Our partnership with Jump Technologies has enabled the development of a best-in-class inventory management solution that reflects the unique needs of our system and brings increased efficiency and support to our world-class clinical teams and the patients we serve. To learn more about Jump Technologies, visit https://www.jumptech.com/product/. About Jump Technologies Jump Technologies creates modern solutions for supply chain and inventory management that help hospitals and health systems track supplies from the loading dock to the patient. The companys JumpStock solution reduces stock-outs, over-ordering, and waste while increasing inventory turns, improving billing accuracy, and facilitating data-driven decision making across a facility or system. To learn more, visit http://www.jumptech.com or call (888) 373-7226. Follow Jump Technologies on LinkedIn and Twitter @JumpTechNews. About Mount Sinai Ventures Mount Sinai Ventures was established by the Mount Sinai Health System in 2008 as part of its commitment to defining the future of health care. Mount Sinai Ventures leverages the talent and expertise across the Mount Sinai Health System by investing in innovative businesses that are poised to improve quality, drive down cost, and expand access to healthcare services. The portfolio includes over 20 companies, including Epicured, Gauss, Jump Technologies, Accuity, urgent care centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. To learn more, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/about-us/mshcv/ About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York Citys largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinais vision is to provide the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Reports Honor Roll of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nations top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 Best Hospitals issue. Mount Sinais Kravis Childrens Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Lukes and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Kofile plays an integral part in our solutions mix to our customers related to data transformation, conversion and ingestion. In an industry where companies can often fall victim to changing technologies, Kofile Conversion Services (KCS) is pleased to celebrate 20 years of providing world class data and image conversion services to its customers and partners. During that tenure over 1400 projects have been completed, representing the conversion of over 700 terabytes of data. The team was initially formed in 1996 at Protocorp International to perform conversions for internal projects, but in 1998 began providing conversions for external resellers and customers for a variety of target systems. Following a path through Bell & Howell, and later Eastman Kodak, the North Carolina based team eventually became Kofile Conversion Services after an acquisition from Eastman Kodak. While early conversion efforts often included handling specialized physical media formats, including various formats of optical disc and magnetic storage, more recent work is driven by the need to convert images and data from one vendors legacy digital format to a replacement system. Kofile Conversion services is uniquely positioned to provide support to Enterprise Content Management (ECM) resellers, and is able to draw on years of experience working with wide array of imaging systems to provide cost effective conversion support. Often a subcontractor to an ECM reseller, KCS handles the conversion of the legacy imaging repository, allowing the reseller to focus on the new implementation. Raouf Benhadj-Djillali, Program Director ECM Services at Fiserv, confirms the value of this model. Kofile has been a business partner with Fiserv for more than 15 years. Kofile plays an integral part in our solutions mix to our customers related to data transformation, conversion and ingestion. From the day to day project life cycle, I personally have had the pleasure of working with Kofile for all these years in projects related to financial institutions ranging from $800M to $30B in banks asset. You will work with seasoned professionals who understand the importance of data security, flawless delivery with schedules and budget in mind. Barry Latta, President of Softrac, a long-time reseller partner recently added, "Kofile has proven themselves experts in the digital media conversion services realm. No matter the size or scope of the job, they are thorough and precise in their approach, and have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about multiple COLD, imaging, and database platforms. They have years of experience converting digital data to common formats ingestible by virtually any software package. The staff is easy to work with and will listen to your requirements and needs in order to provide a smooth and straightforward transition to where you need to go." Kofile Conversion Services has recently completed a large number of conversions to applications leveraging Hyland Onbase, and assisted several customers in exporting EMC Centera image files for transition to other storage devices. Past projects also supported users migrating from EMC AppXtender and Intellistor QM platforms. For additional information about Kofile Conversion Services, and the variety of platforms and formats available for assistance, please visit http://www.conversions.kofile.com, or contact (704) 226-5600. About Kofile Conversion Services Kofile Conversion Services is one of the oldest US-based companies providing conversion and migration of digital data from Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS). We accommodate conversion projects ranging from gigabytes of data to terabytes of data, and even larger. About Kofile The Kofile companies have been modernizing local governments for more than 40 years. Our legacy of innovation for the public sector spans the technological evolution from microfilm, to client-server applications, to web-based platforms, to our current on-premise and cloud SaaS solutions. Find out more at http://www.kofile.com Leigh DeVoe At Caring Transitions, we are here to help you get to the next chapter of your life as quickly and with as little stress as possible. Life happens, sometimes suddenly, and its important to know you have someone to turn to. - Leigh DeVoe Local entrepreneur and experienced business owner Leigh DeVoe is excited to announce the launch of her new senior-focused relocation and estate clearing company Caring Transitions of West Pasco. Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle decluttering, organizing, packing, moving, resettling, in-person estate sales, and online auctions, liquidations, and preparing homes for market. While the services are tailored for seniors, they can be customized for any situation. Caring Transitions of West Pasco serves Trinity, Odessa, Hudson, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Bayonet Point and the surrounding areas. DeVoe grew up in Michigan and worked in hotel management for 10 years in Florida before moving to North Carolina, where she owned a campground and cabin business. When she moved back to Florida, DeVoe opened a Kumon Math & Reading Center in Port Richey, which she owned and operated for 10 years. She decided to step back from being a business owner when her daughter was a young teenager so she could spend time with her family. Now that her daughter is 16 and her son is 20, DeVoe decided she was ready to get back into business. Owning a Kumon franchise was an excellent experience and it fueled my passion for making a positive impact. I knew, whatever I decided to do next, it had to be something that empowered me to make a difference in my community. As I was researching, I found Caring Transitions, DeVoe said. I honestly had no idea a service like Caring Transitions existed but, the more I learned about the business, the more I realized how critically valuable Caring Transitions could be, especially for families who are spread across the country, which is common for people living in Florida. Im looking forward to being the resource people can turn to as they face these kinds of life transitions, either themselves or with a loved one. Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move or assisting with the process of downsizing to provide a safer living situation as well as for busy families and people clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or passed. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs whether that means managing the entire move and estate-clearing, just getting someone resettled into their new place, or anything in between. Its hard to prepare for the time when you need to downsize, move to a better living situation or clear out an estate and, when that time comes, it often feels unexpected and rushed. Ive gone through similar situations with my own family including clearing out my grandmothers 12 room farmhouse and I understand the challenges my clients are facing. At Caring Transitions, we are here to help you get to the next chapter of your life as quickly and with as little stress as possible. Life happens, sometimes suddenly, and its important to know you have someone to turn to, DeVoe said. Caring Transitions of West Pasco is bonded, insured and their W2 employees have been background checked. For additional information about Caring Transitions of West Pasco, call (727)733-4620, email LDeVoe@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsWestPasco.com. About Caring Transitions Caring Transitions, founded in 2006, is the most trusted and experienced national franchise specializing in senior relocation and transition services. With more than 200 locations throughout the United States all owned and operated by Certified Relocation and Transition Specialists, Caring Transitions provides clients with supportive moves, auctions, rightsizing and transitions. This includes expert advice plus a well-executed transition plan beginning with the initial sorting of personal belongings through packing, unpacking, resettling, selling of items to the final clearing and cleaning of the property. For more information, visit http://www.caringtransitions.com or visit us on Facebook. As we continue evolving to meet the changing needs of the manufacturing industry, it is also critical that we adapt to geographic trends." Lucas Group, ranked third on Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firms list for 2018, has opened a manufacturing branch within its Denver office. With a clear focus on finding candidates with the skills necessary to drive results in a rapidly changing landscape, Lucas Group is expanding its network of recruiters that locate and place the most talented individuals in manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and engineering. Led by Charlie Wilgus, General Manager of the Manufacturing practice group, the division has excelled in finding candidates with proven leadership experience across all functions within a supply chain to include procurement, plant management, quality, distribution and more. As we continue evolving to meet the changing needs of the manufacturing industry, it is also critical that we adapt to geographic trends, said Wilgus. Between the exploding popularity of Colorado as a destination for talent and the growth in opportunities on the West Coast, it seemed like a natural progression to have a dedicated manufacturing branch in our Denver office. The Denver manufacturing branch will be overseen by Nick Tucker, who joins Lucas Group as a Managing Partner with an accomplished career as an E-5 Sergeant and Amphibious Assault Crew Chief in the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as more than 12 years of experience in various producer and manager roles within staffing and recruiting companies. A Northern Colorado native, Tucker previously co-founded two companies that specialized in contract staffing and direct hires, Velocity Energy Partners, Inc. and Echo Mountain Resources. Nick brings an incredibly diverse background to our company and is well-suited to direct our new team in Denver, said Wilgus. Between the leadership skills he acquired as a Marine and his success as a proven producer and leader in this industry, we are lucky to have him at Lucas Group. We are excited to see this new Denver manufacturing team grow and take shape under his guidance. To contact Lucas Groups new manufacturing practice in Denver, call or visit them at the location below: 650 South Cherry Street Suite 1221 Denver, CO 80246 800.466.4489 About Lucas Group Lucas Group is North Americas premier executive search firm. Since 1970, our culture and methodologies have driven superior results. We assist clients ranging in size from small to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies find transcendent, executive talent; candidates fully realize their ambitions; and associates find professional success. To learn more, please visit Lucas Group at http://www.lucasgroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Charles Layne, MDSL CEO This was our first year to participate in the ACE Awards, and we were overwhelmed with the outcome. I am deeply honored and humbled for the acknowledgements and want to thank our outstanding team of employees who made this years record levels of growth possible. MDSL, a global leader in technology expense management (TEM) solutions, has earned rankings on two prestigious lists as part of the 2018 Arizona Corporate Excellence (ACE) Awards created by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, MDSL CEO Charles Layne was honored as CEO of the Year. This was MDSLs first year to enter the competition. MDSL was ranked No. 9 on the list of ACE Fastest Growing Phoenix-Area Companies and No. 35 on the list of ACE Largest Phoenix-Area Private Companies. Additional details about the awards ceremony last night are available at https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2018/11/15/phoenix-business-journal-honors-largest-fastest.html. Mr. Layne joined MDSL in 2017, just prior to an international merger and acquisition, and has led the corporation through a year of unification, merging of two cultures, and record growth in employment and earnings. With a global footprint in North America, Europe and Asia, MDSL maintains nine regional offices. Under Mr. Laynes leadership, MDSL has increased its staff by 25 percent and experienced record growth in year-over-year revenues. Layne commented, This was our first year to participate in the ACE Awards and we were overwhelmed with the outcome. I am deeply honored and humbled for the acknowledgements and want to thank our outstanding team of employees who made this years record levels of growth possible. About MDSL MDSL is a world leader in technology expense management (TEM) and market data management solutions and provides enterprise-level clients the tools, platform, marketing services and analytics that enable clarity, control, compliance, and cost savings across their global technology estates. MDSL provides a unified expense management platform encompassing categories such as telecoms, cloud services, the Internet of Things, and financial market data. By providing best practice procedures, unparalleled visibility of spend and automating time-consuming processes, MDSL helps ensure global digital transformations are smooth, secure and cost-effective. Since beginning to work with the MonarchFx team in August of 2018 we have been incredibly impressed with their logistics capabilities, timeliness, and quality of the responses they have provided to ToyHouse LLC. MonarchFx, a nationwide alliance of best-in-class providers focused on delivering integration, cost efficiency, and high service fulfillment solutions for brands and retailers through distributed logistics, announces our newest client, ToyHouse LLC. ToyHouse LLC is the exclusive distributor for LEGO Systems, Inc. in the United States and is excited to partner with small independent and specialty retailers on behalf of LEGO to provide the best customer service possible, which these unique retailers expect. Initial operations for supporting ToyHouse LLC operations nationally are already gearing up in MonarchFxs Dallas, Texas location with first outbound shipments commencing in December 2018. ToyHouse LLC selected MonarchFx as its order fulfillment provider because of its efficient and effective operations, enabled by proprietary technologies. ToyHouse LLCs B2B online orders have expanded. Therefore, seeking e-fulfillment operational excellence to best serve and retain its loyal customers, as well as attract new ones by rapid deliveries of perfect orders. Partnering with MonarchFx allows ToyHouse LLC to further the goal of an even better customer journey, helping both their brands and retailers to succeed. We will use our highly integrated network of people, technology, and physical assets to help ToyHouse LLC manage their goods more efficiently throughout their supply chains. We will provide value to ToyHouse LLC in the form of cost and risk reductions, process efficiencies, consistently reliable outcomes, technological innovations, and customer service that are both highly responsive and proactive, Jim Tompkins, CEO of MonarchFx. Relative to todays announcement, Brian Specht, CEO of ToyHouse LLC stated, Since beginning to work with the MonarchFx team in August of 2018 we have been incredibly impressed with their logistics capabilities, timeliness, and quality of the responses they have provided to ToyHouse LLC. MonarchFx also did a great job of simplifying everything for us at every step along the way. We look forward to a long and growing relationship with MonarchFx as the ToyHouse LLC business expands. About MonarchFx MonarchFx is an alliance of leading logistics service providers, supply chain technology providers, and partners, managed by experienced executives, that provides world-class logistics and fulfillment solutions through an innovative logistics ecosystem. It serves retailers, brands, and other sellers with multiple fulfillment channels, providing speed, quality, and efficiency, operating with distributed logistics centers for nationwide coverage, allowing for same-day delivery. It is high-service, facilitated by advanced robotics, analytics, and artificial intelligence methods for inventory allocation. For more information visit: http://www.monarchfxgo.com. About ToyHouse LLC ToyHouse LLC is the exclusive distributor for LEGO Systems, Inc. in the United States. We are excited to partner with small independent and specialty retailers on behalf of LEGO to provide the best customer service possible that these unique retailers expect. We are committed to helping them build their businesses using one of the world's most recognized brands and providing small independent and specialty retailers with the best service possible. The CEO and President of ToyHouse LLC, Brian and Christina Specht have over 45 years combined experience with the LEGO company in various capacities and markets around the world. Their experience in building businesses with the LEGO brand has a very positive track record. The ToyHouse LLC business is completely aligned with the LEGO values, customer proposition and most importantly quality service. For more information visit: http://www.toyhousellc.com. About Tompkins International A supply chain consulting and implementation firm that maximizes supply chain performance and value creation. We enable clients to be more profitable and valuable, while also becoming more agile, flexible, and adaptive to the marketplace. Tompkins collaborates with client teams to develop improved operations strategies, supply chain planning, and execution across all the Mega Processes of supply chains (PLAN-BUY-MAKE-MOVE-DISTRIBUTE-SELL). Tompkins is headquartered in Raleigh, NC and has offices throughout North America and in Europe and Asia. For more information visit: http://www.tompkinsinc.com. I am so proud of Kristina as her incredible drive to help her clients in a difficult situation embodies our firms mission and has now been rewarded with such a distinct honor. Monge & Associates is excited to announce that one of their own has been identified by The Association of American Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 40 Under 40 personal injury lawyers in the state of Georgia. Due to her incredible work since joining Monge & Associates in 2016, Kristina Ducos has been hand selected by the Board of Directors at The Association of American Trial Lawyers. According to the Association of American Trial Lawyers, less than 1 percent of attorneys in the United States are selected to receive this unique honor. Scott Monge, Founder of Monge & Associates, explains how proud of Ducos he is saying, "We do everything we can for our clients; we act as a resource and a consultant to help them through the difficult process of recovery. I am so proud of Kristina as her incredible drive to help her clients in a difficult situation embodies our firms mission and has now been rewarded with such a distinct honor." Ducos started her journey to Monge & Associates at The University of North Carolina Charlotte. She then went on to receive her Juris Doctorate Degree in 2016 from Atlantas John Marshall Law School. Since joining the Monge & Associates team in 2016, Kristina has become one of their high powered attorneys at the firm. Monge & Associates has always had the motto of Because You Want to Win. Its their goal to ensure that every person who calls them for help is calling them for that purpose and they will work tirelessly to deliver on their promise. The firm encourages anyone who feels that they may be owed compensation for any type of personal injury reach out to their experts immediately. To learn more about Monge & Associates and their incredible team of licensed High Powered Attorneys, visit http://becauseyouwanttowin.com/ About Monge & Associates: Monge & Associates, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, can assist clients in recovering from auto accidents, slip-and-fall injuries, nursing home neglect, workers compensation cases, and all personal injury. For more information, contact Scott Monge, attorney at law by calling 800-676-4878 (HURT) or email info(at)monge(dot)lawyer. Ramikrishnan Krishnan, an India native who immigrated to the United States to finish his education and start his career, has completed his new book Ford According to Ram: an insider look into one of Americas most beloved companies. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Ramikrishnan Krishnans intriguing work details the authors work experience with Ford and how it shaped his life. According to Ramikrishnan, My grandfather, Dr. Minahshi Sundaram, was a retired state assistant director of Public Health in Madra (now Tamil Nadu), India. He would have been proud of me. He was one of the earliest Ford Model T owners in the city of Madras (now Chennai). We used to have fun starting the car using the iron rod in the shape of a T, inserting in the crank shaft from the front and rotating it round and round with force until the car started! The author graduated from the Ramakrishna Mission High School in the city of Madras (Chennai) in 1961. After getting a Bachelor of Education degree in mechanical engineering, he came to the United States on a research fellowship in Brooking, South Dakota, South Dakota State University. Ramakrishna graduated from South Dakota State University with a masters degree in mechanical engineering. He specialized in industrial engineering. After Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in 1971, he went to Carlton School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and received his Master of Business Administration in 1974. The author then spent two-plus years in Burroughs, Corporation in Detroit as a management systems analyst. He joined Ford in 1978 and retired in 2017 after thirty-nine years. It is his lifelong dream to write this book about his experiences. Readers who wish to experience this intriguing work can purchase Ford According to Ram at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. The forward-facing opportunity is extremely compelling and a big reason for my joining this team of seasoned professionals. RapidScale, a Cox Business company, welcomes Duncan MacDonald to the team as director of product development. MacDonald is based in Oklahoma City. He is responsible for RapidScales new product development and life cycle management. I am extremely excited to join the RapidScale team, said MacDonald. The forward-facing opportunity is extremely compelling and a big reason for my joining this team of seasoned professionals. Solution building is a team sport and one I am excited to engage in with this team. I cannot wait to apply my years of experience to drive a positive impact across RapidScales product strategy. Duncan joins RapidScale with over 20 years of IT services experience, most recently as senior product manager for Navisite. As a product manager, MacDonald was responsible for end-user cloud computing, and managing numerous vendor relationships including Microsoft, VMware, Citrix, Mimecast and Proofpoint. Prior to that, he was a programmer for various large organizations including L3 Communications and Hertz Corporation. Duncan brings with him a wealth of cloud-centric product experience, says RapidScale SVP, Technology Duane Barnes. He has illustrated a broad experience across the product life cycle, with strengths in pricing, branding, industry awareness, sales enablement, packaging and more. We are excited and look forward to his positive influence on the partner and client experience. MacDonald is an AIPMM certified product manager. He moved to the U.S. in 2001, where he resides in Oklahoma City with his wife and six-year-old daughter. About RapidScale RapidScale, a Cox Business company, is a managed and hybrid-managed cloud services provider that delivers world-class, secure, and reliable global cloud computing. Businesses choose RapidScale as their cloud provider of choice because of its state-of-the-art managed Desktop as a Service platform and other market-leading cloud solutions. RapidScales award-winning 24x7x365 global support and help desk team ensure that organizations receive the most innovative technology backed up by the most highly responsive and knowledgeable service technicians in the industry, freeing up IT leaders to focus on strategy and driving their businesses forward with technology. RapidScales innovative solutions include CloudDesktop, CloudServer, CloudSecurity, CloudRecovery, CloudMail, CloudApps, SD WAN and more. For more information on RapidScale, visit http://www.rapidscale.net. Cox Business is owned by Cox Communications and is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at http://www.cox.com. Rentec Direct, a property management software, has redesigned its listing feature to ensure that landlords can fill rental vacancies quicker and tenants can more comfortably search for their housing. Nathan Miller, president of Rentec Direct says, We take any opportunity we can to help our landlords fill rental vacancies quicker, and help our tenants feel more comfortable in their search for housing. Rentec Direct, an industry leader in property management software solutions, has updated the marketing features included in their user-friendly platform. The new features are focused on making property listings more efficient for both landlords and tenants, and are designed to help fill rental vacancies faster. Marketing features, such as the property listing function, are one of many features available to Rentec Direct users. The property listing feature is one of the pages included when users create a custom property management website and allows landlords to showcase property photos, features and information, and application requirements. Prospective renters are also able to fill out an online application directly through the property listing. Updates to the property listing feature include: Complete redesign for visual appeal, responsiveness and device/browser compatibility Instant search option which allows easier browsing by potential tenants, including filters like maximum rent amount, number of bedrooms, and other common property amenities Capabilities for property managers to market their properties in a clean, professional manner on both mobile and desktop These upgrades were designed to make the housing search process easier on tenants, and save landlords time by preventing inquiries for properties that are out of budget or missing must-have amenities. Our development team has been hard at work completely overhauling our property listings feature and we couldnt be more excited to unveil this new upgrade to our clients, says Nathan Miller, president of Rentec Direct. We take any opportunity we can to help our landlords fill rental vacancies quicker, and help our tenants feel more comfortable in their search for housing. Rentec Direct regularly updates its platform to better serve clients with streamlined processes like these latest features. Nimble upgrades to the platform are made based on specific client feedback and industry expertise. About Rentec Direct Rentec Direct offers industry-leading property management software and tenant screening solutions for real estate professionals. Features include online rent payments, tenant and owner portals, the industrys largest vacancy listing syndication network, full property, tenant, and owner accounting, 1099-MISC reporting, QuickBooks Sync and more. Rentec Direct received three gold-level 2018 American Business Awards, was named to the 2017 and 2018 Inc 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies and the 2017 Entreprenuer360 list for Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America. http://www.rentecdirect.com Palermo, Italy estimates over 11,000 Nigerian women and girls are being victimized by human trafficking, a 600% increase in trafficked victims over the last 3 years, in this region alone RippleNami, Inc., a provider of blockchain data visualization technology, announces its partnership with the Golden Faith Foundation (GFF) to enhance humanitarian assistance for victims of human trafficking and other survivors. This critical partnership will focus on integrating RippleNamis technology platform with GFFs entrepreneurial development tools. Through GFFs rehabilitation and reintegration program, this initiative will identify, train and mentor female survivors of trafficking to become entrepreneurs, while simultaneously dealing with their psychological trauma. What makes this project unique is its multi-dimensional approach that focuses on the re-integration of survivors with enduring sustainability, says Jaye Connolly-LaBelle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. RippleNamis enabling technology will advance three essential pillars of this initiative with GFF and its expert affiliates including: 1) the physiological treatment of trauma, 2) the business and financial education, as well as 3) the business development training through mentorship. RippleNami understands the elevated security risks that victims escaping trafficking face and through its data intake and management platforms, it exceeds industry standards by ensuring vital data privacy and security throughout the initiative. This program commences on November 2018 in Palermo, Italy, one of the major countries where trafficked women are funneled and originate from Nigeria. Palermo estimates over 11,000 Nigerian women and girls are being victimized by this widespread epidemic, a 600% increase in trafficked victims over the last 3 years, in that region. This initiative will prepare Nigerian survivors to return to their native country and retake their roles in society as victors and heroes in their own right. Female victims of human trafficking are usually subject to reprisals and re-trafficking due to outstanding debt to traffickers, says Oluwatobi Tobi Osobukola-Abubu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GFF. They have to deal with physical and emotional trauma while encountering the associated stigma of trafficking from their own communities. Upon safe return, they are then dislodged from that sense of community necessary for reintegration into society. Working with RippleNamis technology and industry partners, we can now connect these victims with the invaluable resources and services needed for a positive and sustained reintegration. GFF is an independent, non-profit, nongovernmental organization founded by Oluwatobi Tobi Osobukola-Abubu. Tobi is well known for her vast experience in multilateral diplomacy, negotiations, business development, trade and other global developmental issues. She is a renowned problem solver with a strong desire to help people achieve their potential. GFF was a direct result of a research project uncovering the plight of human trafficking victims. Key regional GFFs partners in this project include B Innovative Enterprises and Blue Monarch who deeply share in GFFs mission. B Innovative Enterprises was founded by an award-winning executive and strategic planner/facilitator, Sheila Martin-Askew. Blue Monarch Productions is a new, independent film and television production company founded by Damali M. McDowell-Rather & Demetrius D. Rather. About RippleNami RippleNami recognizes that people empowered with real-time and easily accessible information around the world can connect and drive unimaginable change. RippleNami is redefining blockchain and mapping with the first visualization platform that consolidates big data and provides information that matters most to its users. This cost-effective, device agnostic, cloud-based platform delivers millions of actionable data points on an intuitive map that enables critical decision making and enhanced collaboration for enterprises, nonprofits, and foreign government agencies. With seamless integration, limitless customization and scalable architecture, RippleNami allows people to chart their world, streamline communications and improve operational effectiveness. For more information about RippleNami, visit http://www.ripplenami.com. About Golden Faith Foundation Golden Faith Foundation is an independent, non-profit non-governmental organization (NGO) developed to provide humanitarian assistance through rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked and other abused victims. It was founded in 2017 as a proactive response to the high rate of human trafficking and other abuses like rape and child slavery; poverty and inadequate life skills amongst many women and youths in Nigeria. For more information about Golden Faith Foundation, visit http://www.goldenfaithfoundation.org. Rite-Solutions was recently awarded a $49.6 million contract to support NUWCs Activity Chief Information Officer (ACIO)/Information Technology (IT) division, which is responsible for strategic planning, operations, maintenance, and compliance of the centers IT systems and infrastructure. We are thrilled that NUWC chose to renew the contract with us, says Rocky Reeves, Rite-Solutions Vice President and Director of IT Services. The company will provide IT services in several areas including software engineering, client support services/help desk, Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) support, IT governance and application portfolio management support, and more. Cybersecurity touches every one of these areas, notes Reeves. Over one-half of the personnel supporting this contract must meet the Navys strict Cyber Information Technology/Cybersecurity Workforce requirements. This was a major reason Rite-Solutions won the contract. Many of our employees have degrees in cybersecurity or computer science as well as security and operating system certifications, added Reeves. Security certifications include Security+ce, CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Operating system certifications include Linux, Microsoft and SPLUNK. Rite-Solutions will support NUWC headquarters in Newport, RI as well as NUWC locations in Connecticut, Virginia, Florida, and the Bahamas. Art of Dentistry Offers Same-Day Dental Crowns to La Mesa, CA Drs. Lawrence Addleson, R. Douglas Campbell and David Landau of the Art of Dentistry are encouraging anyone in need of a dental crown to discover same-day options at their practice. Each dentist uses precise and efficient CEREC technology to create beautiful, lifelike tooth crowns for a variety of purposes. The technology enables the dental providers to generate a single dental crown in about an hour. Tooth crowns are often used in dentistry when the natural tooth has been compromised. Over time, teeth can become cracked, broken, discolored, or otherwise damaged. In these cases, an individualized dental crown covers the aesthetically unappealing portion of the tooth, protecting the majority of the tooth from further damage without harming the root. The CEREC machine uses specialized software to craft tooth crowns that share the size and color of the patients natural teeth. This allows patients to leave the office with an instant makeover for a tooth that has been cracked, chipped, or damaged. It also helps those with dental implants enjoy a completely lifelike cap to their implant post and abutment. In fact, the American College of Prosthodontics estimates that around 2.3 million dental crowns are created specifically for single dental implants every year in the United States. In the past, patients who required tooth crowns typically waited for several days or longer to receive a custom-manufactured dental crown. By shortening the timeframe from diagnosis to repair, the professional team members at Art of Dentistry can make appointments easier and faster for both children and adults. Those interested in an evaluation for a same-day dental crown, such as someone with permanent tooth discoloration or a broken tooth in La Mesa, CA, are invited to schedule a consultation. Appointments with any of the Art of Dentistry cosmetic dentists can be made at 619-291-4325. About the Cosmetic Dentists Art of Dentistry is a cosmetic dental practice offering patients customized dental care in San Diego, CA. Applying a philosophy that considers the art, science and biology of a smile, Drs. Lawrence Addleson, R. Douglas Campbell and David Landau provide personalized care in a comfortable, family atmosphere. With combined experience of over 85 years, the Art of Dentistry team uses state-of-the-art technology and leading techniques to craft each healthy smile. To learn more about Drs. Addleson, Campbell and Landau or the services they offer, visit their website, http://www.sandiegoartofdentistry.com. To experience the Art of Dentistry difference, call 619-291-4325. "If insurance companies do not cover CAC testing, physicians will not be able to fully adopt the new guideline, and patients will be underserved" Leading cardiologists and cardiovascular researchers from SHAPE (Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication ), a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the mission of eradicating heart attacks by advocating early detection and treatment of Vulnerable Patients (future heart attack victims), issued a press release today following the release of the new national cholesterol guideline, calling it a major step forward in personalizing preventive cardiology. Additionally, the SHAPE organization called out Dr. Steven Nissen for misrepresentation on the cost of coronary calcium testing in his interview with CNN. Over the past decade, I have worked closely with some of the worlds most distinguished leaders in cardiology who participated in the SHAPE Task Force, and I have felt their frustration that our country lacks a personalized approach in heart disease prevention guidelines. The new guideline from AHA/ ACC partially addresses that frustration and has been a long time coming. said JoAnne Zawitoski, President and Chairwoman of SHAPE, who has volunteered with the organization since 2006 after losing her husband to a sudden heart attack at age 49. Last weekend, November 10-12, during the 2018 Annual Scientific Sessions of American Heart Association in Chicago, thousands of heart doctors gathered to learn about news and updates in cardiology. During this event, the new guideline for treatment of high cholesterol and prevention of heart attacks was presented. One of the major advancements in the new guideline is the addition of coronary calcium scoring to personalize risk assessment and drug therapy. It is encouraging that coronary calcium scoring is now recommended when the decision about initiating statin therapy is uncertain, Said Dr. David Maron, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director of Preventive Cardiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, a volunteer SHAPE Scientific Advisory Board member. It is noteworthy that all of SHAPE advisory doctors and board members are unpaid volunteers who have contributed an enormous amount of time and personal resources for the good cause of the organization. Since 2006, the SHAPE Task Force, an international group of leading cardiovascular experts that created the SHAPE Guideline, has been working hard to persuade traditional heart organizations including American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) to adopt a more progressive approach to prevention particularly for early detection and treatment of Vulnerable Patients (individuals with a high risk of cardiac events in the near future). The new guideline issued by AHA and ACC last weekend is a major step forward in this direction and supports the SHAPE Task Forces position that coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is useful for personalizing risk assessment. CAC is a measure of the amount of plaque in the coronary arteriesthe source of heart attacks. Those with high coronary calcium but normal cholesterol are high risk. The so-called normal or borderline cholesterol is not normal for them and they need to receive intensive therapies. On the other hand, individuals with zero coronary calcium are very low risk. Despite borderline cholesterol they should not be subject to drug therapy. Its an unnecessary cost and a burden on our healthcare system. These two key components of SHAPE guideline that were published in American Journal of Cardiology 2006 July 17;98(2A):2H-15H http://www.shapesociety.org/pdf/The-Scientific-Foundation-of-SHAPE-part-1-2-3.pdf , are finally adopted by the new AHA/ACC guideline. Now that the new guideline acknowledges a critical role for coronary artery calcium testing, SHAPE will work in unison with AHA and ACC to raise awareness among physicians and patients about the importance of CAC both for intensifying therapy in patients with a high calcium score and stopping unnecessary drug therapy in those with a zero calcium score, said Dr. Morteza Naghavi, founder of SHAPE and Executive Chairman of the SHAPE Task Force. Equally important, we need their help to secure coverage for CAC testing like we did in Texas with HB1290. If insurance companies do not cover CAC testing, physicians will not be able to fully adopt the new guideline, and patients will be underserved added Dr. Naghavi. Many practicing physicians are still unaware of the value of coronary calcium scoring and have not yet incorporated it into their patient care. Now that AHA and ACC have recognized the value of the SHAPE Guidelines, the challenges are public education and insurance reimbursement. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology represent the best of the best in the fight against heart disease. We knew it was just a matter of time for them to recognize the importance of coronary calcium scoring which is the initial step in SHAPE Guidelines, said Dr. PK Shah, Chair of Scientific Committee for the SHAPE Task Force and Director of Atherosclerosis Research at Cedars Sinai.Despite this delightful news, until reimbursement and inadequate public education barriers are removed, we have a long way to go, and preventive cardiology will be far from personalized preventive care. Dr. Shah added. Although the new guideline validated an important role for coronary calcium scoring, it still falls short in being completely personalized as advocated by SHAPE. Unfortunately, for many decades treatment for prevention of heart attacks had been based on a patients risk factors, rather on the amount of coronary plaque, reflecting particular individuals true risk. When countless healthy-looking individualsincluding those with low risk factors-- are victimized every year by a sudden heart attack, we knew that the status quo was not working and that it was time for a new approach. The SHAPE Task Force has long advocated going beyond traditional risk factors, to measuring CAC for personalized risk assessment. It is gratifying to see the SHAPE approach finally being adopted, said Dr. Daniel Berman, Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Director of Nuclear Cardiology at Cedars Sinai Hospital, on behalf of the SHAPE Task Force. It has taken the cardiology establishment over a decade to incorporate noninvasive imaging of atherosclerosis in early detection and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Now that this major step forward is taken, the next challenge is securing reimbursement and universal coverage by payers. The good news is that the cost of CAC has significantly come down from what it was over a decade ago. Today, in the majority of diagnostic centers, the charge for a CAC test is usually $100-$200. In fact, certain hospitals offer the test at a cost below $100. Given this fact, SHAPEs doctors were disappointed by the CNN quote attributed to Dr. Steve Nissen, a long term CAC-opponent. In this report https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/10/health/cholesterol-guidelines-aha-bn/index.html titled New guidelines offer a more personalized approach CNNs Jessica Ravitz @JRavitzCNN wrote: Nissen offered just one criticism of the new recommendations: the suggestion that coronary artery calcium scores be used to help determine the need for cholesterol-lowering treatments in patients for whom the need isn't clear. This score shows plaque buildup in arteries and is determined through a CT scan, which can cost between $800 and $1,000, he said. Dr. Mathew Budoff, professor of medicine and director of preventive cardiology at Harbor UCLA, stated Dr. Nissen is an eminent cardiologist with many accomplishments, but in this case he is doing patients a great disservice. If the quote was accurately stated, he clearly misguided CNN and its numerous readers. Hopefully, Dr. Nissen will correct the record and follow the facts when it comes to CAC cost. he added. SHAPE acknowledges the reports by Gina Kolata @ginakolata of New York Times that accurately stated the cost of CAC and the barriers in the way of its adoption. (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/health/heart-scan-can-fine-tune-risk-estimate-for-patients-considering-statins.html ) The test is a CT scan that looks for calcium in coronary arteries, a signal that plaque is present. It used to be expensive about $500 but now typically costs between $75 and $100. Still, it is generally not covered by insurance and so is not often used to assess risk. The X-ray dose is about that of a mammogram. Kolata wrote in October 2015. She did an outstanding job of educating the public, something that the established professional organizations had failed to do at the time. said Dr. Naghavi, founder of SHAPE and Executive Chairman of the SHAPE Task Force. Although coronary artery calcium is the best indicator available today for detection of the Vulnerable Patient, the SHAPE Task Force recognizes that existing tools, including coronary calcium scoring, fall short in accurately identifying the Vulnerable Patient. https://youtu.be/hQjcjItCYM4 Most recently, SHAPE has proposed a major, multi-national collaborative project dubbed Machine Learning Vulnerable Patient. This project aims at utilizing certain forms of artificial intelligence in a unique subset of cases from various prospective cohort studies around the world to identify the biological signature of a near future heart attack. Through this initiative, blood samples will be collected from blood banks of major cohorts in which apparently healthy people experienced a heart attack few days, weeks, or months after their blood draw and clinical exams. The in- depth investigation of this unique subset has the potential to provide researchers with new insight into what is happening in the days, weeks, and months prior to a heart attack, and will allow them to characterize related biological signals. Once the Vulnerable Patient is characterized, researchers will be able to conduct clinical trials to evaluate the effect of various therapeutic interventions on these individuals and develop new short-range treatment guidelines that do not exist today. Currently, heart attacks are predicted using a 10-year risk prediction based on risk factors alone. Imagine if we tried to predict 10 years ago where and when Hurricanes Harvey and Irma would strike: our predictions would hardly be accurate. We know long term predictions of disasters in nature are ineffective. Similarly our traditional 10-year and life-time risk predictions do not work well because they do not trigger immediate preventive actions. Preventive cardiology needs a short-term predictor. An accurate 12 month forecast of who is likely to have a heart attack can be a game changer in cardiology. It can trigger aggressive life style modifications in patients and provide unprecedented opportunities for intensive therapies including new therapies that are not currently implemented. Overall there is a great potential to save many lives from sudden cardiac events, and it can be achieved with a small investment in Machine Learning Vulnerable Patient Project. This project can be extremely rewarding. SHAPE is seeking philanthropic and private funding sources to launch the project. This topic was extensively discussed during SHAPE Symposia, held in conjunction with the past Annual Scientific Sessions of American Heart Associations. For details and viewing the presentations visit the following links: The First Machine Learning Vulnerable Patient Symposium http://shapesociety.org/the-first-machine-learning-heart-attack-forecast-symposium/ The Second Machine Learning Vulnerable Patient Symposium http://shapesociety.org/the-second-machine-learning-heart-attack-forecast-symposium/ Machine Learning Outperforms ACC/AHA CVD Risk Calculator in MESA Originally published 11 Nov 2018Journal of the American Heart Association. 2018;7:e009476 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.118.009476 (Full-Text) About SHAPE The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) is a non-profit organization that promotes education and research related to prevention, detection, and treatment of heart attacks. SHAPE is committed to raising public awareness about revolutionary discoveries that are opening exciting avenues to prevent heart attacks. SHAPE's mission is to eradicate heart attacks in the 21st century. Additional information is available on the organization's website at http://www.shapesociety.org or by calling 1-877-SHAPE11 or 713-529-4484. About SHAPE Task Force: The SHAPE Task Force, an international group of leading cardiovascular physicians and researchers, has created the SHAPE Guidelines, which educates physicians on how to identify asymptomatic atherosclerosis (hidden plaques) and implement proper therapies to prevent a future heart attack. According to the SHAPE Guidelines, men 45-75 and women 55-75 need to be tested for hidden plaques in coronary or carotid arteries. Individuals with high risk atherosclerosis (high plaque score) should be treated even if their cholesterol level is within statistical normal range. If they have plaques, the so-called normal is not normal for them. The higher the amount of plaque burden in the arteries the higher the risk and the more vulnerable to heart attack. SHAPE Guideline aims to identify the asymptomatic Vulnerable Patient and offer them intensive preventive therapy to prevent a future heart attack. Knowing one's plaque score can be a matter of life and death. Additional information is available by calling 1-877-SHAPE11 or 713-529-4484. And Additional information is available at http://www.shapesociety.org. The SHAPE Task Force includes the following: Morteza Naghavi, M.D. Executive Chairman PK Shah, M.D. Chair of Scientific Board Erling Falk, M.D., Ph.D. Chief of Editorial Committee SHAPE Task Force Members and Advisors (alphabetic order): Arthur Agatston, M.D., Daniel Arking, Ph.D., Juan Badimon, Ph.D., Raymond Bahr, M.D., Daniel S. Berman, M.D., Matthew J. Budoff, M.D., Michael Blaha, M.D., Jay Cohn, M.D., Michael Davidson, M.D., Raimund Erbel, M.D., Erling Falk, M.D., Ph.D., Zahi Fayad, Ph.D., Sergio Fazio, MD, PhD, Steven B. Feinstein, M.D., Craig Hartley, Ph.D., Harvey S. Hecht, M.D., Howard Hodis, M.D., Ioannis Kakadiaris, Ph.D., Sanjay Kaul, M.D., M.P.H., Asher Kimchi. M.D., Wolfgang Koenig, M.D., Ph.D., Iftikhar J. Kullo, M.D., Daniel Lane, M.D., Ph.D., David Maron, M.D., Roxana Mehran, M.D., Ralph Metcalfe, Ph.D., Morteza Naghavi, M.D., Khurram Nasir, M.D., M.P.H., Tasneem Z. Naqvi, M.D., Jagat Narula, M.D., Paolo Raggi, M.D., George P. Rodgers, M.D., James HF Rudd, Ph.D., John A. Rumberger, PhD, M.D., Robert S. Schwartz, M.D., PK Shah, M.D., Leslee Shaw, Ph.D., David Spence, M.D., H. Robert Superko, M.D., Henrik Sillesen, M.D., Ph.D., Pierre-Jean Touboul, M.D. Nathan D. Wong, Ph.D. http://www.shapesociety.org/about-shape/scientific-advisory-board Distinguished SHAPE Task Force Advisor: Valentin Fuster, M.D., Ph.D. Chair of SHAPE Board of Directors: JoAnne Zawitoski, J.D. Vice Chair and Executive Board Member: Brenda Garrett Superko, CVRN For SHAPE Volunteer and Sponsorship Opportunities Please Contact joanne.zawitoskli@shapesociety.org http://www.shapesociety.org A new study in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine indicates mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a safe and innovative option to heal normal tissue following radiotherapy. Alain Chapel, Ph.D., and Annette Larsen, DVM, Ph.D., of the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) in France led the team that conducted this research. More than 14 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed globally each year, according to the National Institutes of Health. Of those, half could benefit from radiation therapy. However, radiotherapy can cause substantial damage to a patients normal tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used to help alleviate this damage, but their potential to lead to residual tumor cells is worrisome. In a test, conducted on rats with colon cancer, MSCs not only protected healthy tissue from radiation damage by increasing the levels of growth factors, they also reduced the development of residual tumor cells and slowed disease progression in the absence or presence of radiotherapy. In fact, treatment with the bone marrow-derived MSCs decreased the number and the size of the tumors by half, thereby prolonging animal survival. These beneficial effects were seen up to one year after the last MSC administration, most likely due to polarization of resident MSCs and immune cells, Dr. Chapel said. We believe this shows that MSCs have durable action on colon cancer development by modulating the immune component of the tumor microenvironment, added Dr. Larsen. Our findings also support the use of MSC administration for treatment of severe radiation damage in patients. Accordingly, the two reported, a new phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of systemic MSC injections for the treatment of chronic radiotherapy-induced abdomino-pelvic complications is scheduled to start this year (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02814864). Outcomes from this study highlight several important aspects of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the context of solid tumors progression, supporting their use in radiotherapy for cancer patients as a safe and innovative therapeutic option to heal normal tissue, said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The full article, Mesenchymal stem cell administration attenuates colon cancer progression by modulating the immune component within the colorectal tumor microenvironment, can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sctm.18-0117. About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), published by AlphaMed Press, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation. About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS (http://www.StemCells.com), celebrating its 36th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist (http://www.TheOncologist.com), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 23rd year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives. East side resident Steffen said he is running again to keep the momentum going and to help ensure comprehensive and strategic plans adopted in the last year are put to use. Steffen said he would like to see Elgin redevelop the lots it owns downtown and to form a youth commission. This additional square footage will serve to increase StorageMarts already dominant market share within Lees Summit and Greater Kansas City, allowing us to continue providing best-in-class storage solutions for our customers throughout the area. Alex Burnam StorageMart announced today their plans to develop a total of 135,000 net rentable square feet of climate controlled self storage units in Lees Summit, Missouri. The company currently owns and operates 3 storage locations in Lees Summit. Expansion plans will add nearly 1,400 climate controlled storage units available for rent to residents and local businesses in the area. StorageMart is adding 75,000 square feet of climate controlled self storage to the facility located right off Hwy 50 & Milton Thompson Rd. While another 60,000 square feet of climate controlled self storage is under construction at the StorageMart located at the intersection of Highway 291 & 150. The Lees Summit expansion is only a portion of StorageMarts growing footprint in the Kansas City Metro area. Since 2016, The company has added 66,000 square feet of storage to the metro area, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Slated for delivery by 2020 are 3 additional new developments throughout Greater Kansas City, totaling approximately 146,000 net rentable square feet. The Lees Summit submarket is a key area of focus for our Greater Kansas City investment strategy. said Alex Burnam, Real Estate Acquisitions and Development at StorageMart. This additional square footage will serve to increase StorageMarts already dominant market share within Lees Summit and Greater Kansas City, allowing us to continue providing best-in-class storage solutions for our customers throughout the area. Each expansion will be state-of-the-art, including large indoor loading bays equipped to accommodate moving trucks so that customers can load and unload indoors and away from the weather. Other amenities include: video surveillance, motion-censored lighting, a fenced and gated storage property that requires unique customer PIN access, and extra wide hallways for hassle-free moving. Come on by and check out how great a storage facility can be. StorageMart is committed to being the cleanest place to store, and we make it easy to move youll feel like its an extension of your own home, added Alex Burnam. About StorageMart StorageMart started with a single store in Columbia, Missouri and has grown to be the largest privately-owned, family-operated storage company in the world with over 200 self storage properties throughout the US, Canada, and UK. StorageMart is led by the Burnam family, which has been in the storage industry for three generations. Dedicated to providing easy, clean, and friendly service to each and every customer, StorageMart is also committed to giving back to the many communities it calls home. In 2017, the company donated more than $159,000 to charities, in addition to donating over $370,000 in free rent to charities throughout the US, UK and Canada. Find out more at http://www.storage-mart.com StudyKIK is very excited about this vital communication tool and our mobile and tablet strategy. StudyKIK, a patient recruitment company headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, announces the release of their new Patient Messaging Application available for all research sites on the Apple and Android App Stores. Among many other features, StudyKIKs new Patient Messenger App allows sites to securely communicate with all patient referrals from their personal personal smartphone. StudyKIK is very excited about this vital communication tool and our mobile and tablet strategy, states StudyKIK Chief Technology Officer Stace Baal. I believe this app will ease the burden on research sites to quickly and effectively communicate with patients. The faster sites are able to facilitate patient visits and answer their questions, the more patients will be able to participate in potentially life altering trials. Since its inception, StudyKIK has made it a goal to simplify the research sites workload when it comes to patient communication. The new Patient Messenger App does just that, allowing sites to send and receive text messages, as well as manage inbound/outbound messages through the StudyKIK Portal - all while on the go. StudyKIK has built this mobile app for research sites after a great deal of research has shown that over 82% of patients enrolled in clinical trials prefer to communicate through text messaging. The app allows the research sites the ability to communicate to the patient through a text message but the patient does not have to have the app as they can use their normal phone providers text message service. By continuously striving to be the most reliable and innovative patient recruitment provider in the industry, this new offering is another step toward StudyKIKs goal of helping patients and bringing new technologies to the clinical trial industry as fast as possible. To get started, Download for Free today on both Apple App Store or Android by searching for "StudyKIK" in the app store. *Research sites can login to the StudyKIK Messenger App with their usual StudyKIK login information. More About StudyKIK: StudyKIK utilizes social media to provide disruptive patient recruiting solutions for clinical trial sites, clinical research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. The Company is a first mover in the patient recruitment space, using social media to address recruiting and retention of patients in the $40bn+ clinical trial industry that has historically relied on traditional advertising mediums such as print and radio. StudyKIK serves over 1,600 research sites with a growing database of over 2,000,000 patients from its extensive social media communities across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest. The Techaya MILTECH 9136 "No other Ethernet switch on the market delivers this plug and play capabilities with the port density and unique mix of data speeds and physical media in a compact form factor." - Ronen Isaac, general manager of MilSource, the exclusive distributor of Techaya MILTECH products in the US MilSource today announced the availability of Techayas MILTECH 9136, the industrys only military-grade, managed gigabit Ethernet switch on board (GESoB) that supports up to 52 ports on a 3.4 x 3.4 foot print. The MILTECH 9136 is ideal for managing and switching large quantities of network-enabled devices in aerial and mobile military applications, with 24 1G ports of plug and play copper, 8 ports 1G SFP fiber, 4 ports of 10G SFP+ fiber, and 4 QSGMII ports for an additional 16 1G fiber interfaces. Recognizing the rapidly increasing demand for VICTORY-compliance in military vehicles, Techaya delivers support for both Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) and IEEE 1588 standards for time and frequency alignment across devices on military networks. Advanced network features include static routing, VLANS, traffic prioritization (QoS), bandwidth aggregation, and security at both port and board level. The MILTECH 9136 is designed for easy integration on to any communications backplane. Thirty-six (36) of the ports are plug and play, with an additional 16 ports available by connection to a backplane to integrate with external PHYs. A conformal coating enables the MILTECH 9136 to stand up to extreme vibration and environmental elements and it is rated to work in temperatures from -45C to +85C. It complies to MILSTD-810F/GM and MILSTD-461E when housed in an appropriate enclosure. The MILTECH 9136 is truly a unique product for the military and airborne markets, said Ronen Isaac, general manager of MilSource, the exclusive distributor of Techaya MILTECH products in the United States. No other Ethernet switch on the market delivers this plug and play capabilities with the port density and unique mix of data speeds and physical media in a compact form factor. For more information about the MILTECH 9136, or other MILTECH products, please visit MilSource at http://www.militaryethernet.com. About MilSource MilSource is focused on bringing innovative, rugged, military-grade Ethernet communications solutions the military and aerospace markets for both manned and unmanned systems. MilSource is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Techayas MILTECH line of military-grade switching, routing and other communications solutions. For more information on MilSource, or the Techaya product line, go to http://www.militaryethernet.com. About Techaya Techaya Inc. is a prime developer, innovator and manufacturer of military-grade, ruggedized COTS and customized IP-based communication solutions where extreme conditions and unique tactical requirements are the norm. Their MILTECH products and solutions are designed for military rugged and unique applications involving extreme environmental conditions. They are tested and certified by an external accredited laboratory for MIL-STD-810F, MIL-STD-461E, MIL-STD-1275B, MIL-STD-704A, HIK-7 and IP68. Visit http://www.techaya.com. For more information: Kelly Dorsey kd(at)milsource.us +1 (818) 436-9646 ### Telemedicine enables providers to deploy service to a crisis area within hours and in some cases minutes after a disaster or incident. Lets Talk Interactive, a leading provider of customizable telehealth solutions, announced this week that they have donated six interactive dashboards to Big Bend Community Based Care (BBCBC), a Northwest Florida network management agency for child welfare and behavioral health services. The dashboards will enable BBCBC to provide much needed care to those affected by Hurricane Michael. The dashboards will be available to BBCBC free of charge for a period of ninety days. During this time, providers in the hurricane-affected area will be able to offer counseling services through the Lets Talk Interactive online platform. We are excited to be in a position to deliver not only HIPAA compliant virtual capabilities, but also a rapid response behavioral health care system. This will enable providers to deploy service to a crisis area within hours and in some cases minutes after a disaster or incident, said Arthur Cooksey, Founder of Lets Talk Interactive, Inc. The more providers who are trained and licensed in the proper deployment of services and HIPAA compliant utilization of this technology, the better equipped an area is to help all citizens. Hurricane Michael was the third most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States and the first storm of its magnitude to make landfall in the Northeast Gulf Coast. After making landfall near Mexico Beach on the Florida Panhandle on October 10th, 2018, the category 4 storm caused massive destruction. Days after the hurricane, Mike Watkins, Executive Director of BBCBC, reached out to both his staff and providers for ways to overcome the challenges caused by the storm. Without buildings, and staff experiencing homelessness, possible solutions were few and far between. It was at this time that Mike remembered a grant application to expand telehealth adoption, which would allow BBCBC to improve access to substance abuse and mental health treatment services. Three existing providers, DISC Village, CARE, and Life Management Center (LMC), were asked to select six counselors to participate in the pilot program. DISC Village staff training began on October 30th, 2018 and two LMC Community Action Teams were trained on November 1st, 2018. Two additional substance use disorder counselors from CARE will be trained as soon as Internet connection and facilities have been restored. This training is expected to take place before November 15th, 2018. The capability of providing services to our clients during this time of tragedy has been a blessing to us all. I am so grateful for the donation by the Lets Talk Interactive team. These accounts open up numerous doors for our staff to reach out to those in need, said Matt Robinson of DISC Village. About Big Bend Community Based Care Big Bend Community Based Care provides community-based child welfare services to twelve Northwest Florida counties. BBCBC is also a state-contracted Managing Entity provider of substance abuse and mental health (SAMH) services in Floridas Northwest Region. BBCBC is the only community-based care organization designated by the state of Florida to also serve as a Managing Entity (payer). This allows BBCBC to pay for services for the entire family. About Lets Talk Interactive, Inc. Lets Talk Interactive, Inc. provides behavioral health professionals with cutting-edge HIPPAA-compliant video conferencing software, network solutions, virtual clinics, and safe and secure online video conferencing capabilities through their Lets Talk Counseling website. The companys telemedicine solutions enable providers to offer care at any time, from any location in the world. This makes it possible for providers to reach more clients and improve the level of care they are able to provide. For more information about Lets Talk Interactive, please visit their website at https://letstalkinteractive.com. Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano attorneys and staff take to the streets of Philadelphia to lend a hand to hundreds of local people in need this holiday season. On Saturday, November 17, Pond Lehocky partnered with Gibson Temple Baptist Church for a Turkey Drive to provide turkey vouchers from ShopRite and baskets full of Thanksgiving meal necessities to hundreds of families. This is the seventh consecutive year Pond Lehocky staff and attorneys have volunteered their efforts during the holiday season. The Firms partners, staff and attorneys also offered free legal consultations to residents. Through the years, Pond Lehocky and the Gibson Temple Baptist Church have formed a strong relationship helping our community and our city, said Elizabeth Griffin, Associate Minister and Director of Blessed to be a Blessing Food & Clothing Ministry. Since its inception, Pond Lehocky has been dedicated to giving back to the Philadelphia community. The Turkey Drive is a highly anticipated annual holiday tradition for Pond Lehockys partners, attorneys and employees, who are pleased to provide Thanksgiving dinners to the less fortunate. The law firm also educates Americans about their rights to Social Security disability insurance, workers compensation benefits, employment law and long-term disability. The holidays are a reminder to everyone about the importance of assisting those in need, Managing Partner Sam Pond emphasized. Founded by partners Samuel Pond, Jerry Lehocky, David Stern and Thomas Giordano Jr., the law firm of Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano opened its doors in July 2010 with six attorneys and only 22 total staff members. Today, as the largest workers compensation and Social Security disability law firm in the region, Pond Lehocky boasts 12 office locations and more than 30 attorneys and 200 staff members nationwide. " 'Born to the Badge' opens with the following line: 'Wichita, Kansas, was hell in the making...' and there I went - engrossed for hours...Warren is able to convey scenes with a cinematic clarity." Peta Stevalli, New Zealand Booklovers This trilogy represents the culmination of more than 60 years of research and contains information about Earps life not known to the general public. Its all here: the ambitions and failures of a man who wanted more for himself than police work . . . the decisions of disgrace and the moments of nobility . . . acts of shame and acts of moral pride. Warren says: "I have written it as close to the truth as I know how. And as usual, the truth is so much more compelling than the myth. Welcome to the real story." Was Wyatt Earp the hero that legend has taught us? He was a young man making his way toward some undefined version of financial success in the hardscrabble terrain of America's raw frontier . What he achieved came as a complete surprise to him, for he did not crave a life of notoriety based upon his work as a peace officer. Yet when we look back on his story, it becomes clear that he was meant for this occupation. What he accomplished is not as important as the manner in which he handled himself in a hostile environment. Always direct and with no talent for politics or affectation, Wyatt Earp won the undying respect of those around him. That or their hatred. There seemed to be no middle-ground. Perhaps no better example of devotion to Wyatt Earp can be illustrated than his friendship with Doc Holliday, the tubercular ex-dentist whose name will be forever linked with Wyatts. What may seem an unlikely bond of two opposing personalities reveals much about the respect and loyalty that Wyatt naturally elicited from others. In "Born to the Badge," the reader follows Earps exploits through Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas, where his reputation began to build as he faced down men like George Peshaur, Hurricane Bill, Mannen Clements, Curley Bill Brocius, and Clay Allison. Though he could not have known it, this proving-ground was leading to a place called Tombstone, Arizona Territory, where, it could be said, his destiny awaited him. Reviewer Quotes for Born to the Badge: "In 1896, Ed Colburn, who had been a Dodge City attorney during that town's turbulent early years, remembered Wyatt Earp: 'While there (Dodge City), I saw Wyatt Earp do things you wouldn't undertake for a million dollars, and yet he did it every day just as a street car conductor rings up fares or a banker receives deposits.' In 'Born to the Badge' Mark Warren follows Earp through the Kansas cow-towns where he first makes a name for himself. They still talk about Wyatt Earp in Wichita and Dodge City. After reading this book, you'll understand why." ~Jeff Morey, Historical Consultant for the movie "Tombstone." "Not every writer understands that the most important line in any book is the hook - that opening sentence which grabs your attention and makes you eager to read on. 'Born to the Badge' opens with the following line: 'Wichita, Kansas, was hell in the making...' and there I went - engrossed for hours...Warren is able to convey scenes with a cinematic clarity. In this way, I can see the store room lit by the warm glow of a single lantern; and the prairie crossing at night, guided solely by the stars above and the subtle shapes of the land smudged on a distant horizon" ~Peta Stevalli, New Zealand Booklovers "Warren's novel paints a vivid picture of the lawlessness of the American Frontier...Although this book is a fictionalized account, its dedication to facts will keep history buffs satisfied, and its colorful similes will put a smile on any genre-fiction lover's face." ~ Booklist "Mark Warren is the first writer to illuminate the Earp story from the inside. 'Adobe Moon' and 'Born to the Badge' show you why Wyatt Earp became a legend and what that legend was born out of." ~Allen Barra, author of "Inventing Wyatt Earp, his Life and Many Legends." "Historian Mark Warren's second volume in his trilogy on the life and times of Wyatt Earp is an excellent story of Earp's adventures and misadventures in Kansas, the Dakotas, and Texas. The dialogue is virtually true to life and gives the feeling the author must have been present when the words were originally spoken. This volume has been anticipated and meets all expectations. Whether one is new to the story of Wyatt Earp or a seasoned historian of the Wild West, there is something here for everyone who loves stories of adventure, law and order, and life on the western frontier of the 1870s. A most worthwhile contribution to the story of Wyatt Earp, 'Wyatt Earp, Brave, Courageous, and Bold!' " ~ Roy B. Young, author and Western historian, Wild West History Association Quote from Mark: When I was 6 years old I checked out a book from my elementary school library and read the so-called biography of Wyatt Earp. The story reached down inside me and gripped me as no story ever had before. Why? Courage has always fascinated me, and whether or not it was courage or lack of fear (two very different ideas) that governed Wyatt Earps actions, he had my attention. It would be many years before I would discover that this early Earp book was highly fictionalized. The real story, I learned, was more complicated and much more interesting. About the Book: In Wichita, Kansas, Wyatt Earp answers his most innate calling and returns to law enforcement, where he excels by sheer force and an utter lack of fear. When town leaders become disenchanted with his hardline methods, he moves to a place where an iron-rule is needed Dodge City. With him comes Mattie, a runaway prostitute, who, like Wyatt, is searching for a chance at a better life. As assistant marshal in Dodge, Wyatt stands at the center of a volatile arena, which pits celebratory cowboys against the economic security of the merchants. Wyatts performance as a proficient officer earns him respect among the citizens, but it does not provide the social standing he desires. After a disappointing venture into the gold fields of Deadwood, Dakota Territory, Wyatt returns to Dodge to find no marshals job waiting for him. Mattie has fallen back into prostitution. Regressing to foot-soldier status, Wyatt takes a job as detective for the A.T. & S.F. Railroad to hunt down train robbers. Heading south from Kansas he once again tries to outride his failures. In Texas he meets a man whose name will be forever linked with his own. Doc Holliday is a testy, Southern ex-dentist-turned-gambler, who is dying from tuberculosis. By giving Wyatt information about the train robbers, Doc offers the first thread in an unlikely friendship that will weave the two mens lives into a common story that will be told through the ages. "Adobe Moon" and "Born to the Badge" are available through all major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound and Books-a-Million. They can also be ordered through your favorite Indie bookstore. Author Bio - Mark is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Chemistry/Pre-med. At Medicine Bow, his school in the Southern Appalachians, he teaches nature classes and survival skills of the Cherokees. The National Wildlife Federation named him Georgias Conservation Educator of the Year in 1980. Mark has written extensively about nature and primitive survival for magazines, including: "Guernica," "Blue Ridge Highlander," "North Georgia Journal," and "Georgia Backroads." His published books include: "Two Winters in a Tipi" (Lyons Press, 2012), a memoir, "Secrets of the Forest" (Waldenhouse Publishing, 2016), a 4-volume series on nature/survival, "Adobe Moon" (Five Star Publishing, 2017), a historical novel and first in the trilogy "Wyatt Earp: An American Odyssey." "Born to the Badge" November 21, 2018 and "Promised Land" (Five Star, coming in 2019), the third book in the trilogy. Check out all of Mark's books on his website http://www.wyattearpanamericanodyssey.com By offering innovative courses outside of the traditional education experience, we are helping create tomorrows industry leaders, said Rachel McGalliard, Senior Vice President of Operations and General Manager of The Software Guild. The Software Guild is bringing its successful coding bootcamp to one of the most rapidly growing tech markets in the country by teaming up with the University of Northern Colorado. Complementing traditional course offerings, The Software Guild and the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) will provide students with skills to better compete for careers in the burgeoning tech industry. The program, starting December 1, 2018, will feature badges that students earn as they gain competencies in .NET/C# or Java from the basics to full stack web development. This learn-at-your-own-pace curriculum allows for the flexibility and accessibility important to todays students, many of whom are holding down jobs while studying. Students can earn badges in succession until they complete the program or gain badges individually based on their respective interest or schedules. Offered through UNC Extended Campus, the Coding Bootcamp Badges are open to anyone seeking to develop career-ready skills fast, including the University of Northern Colorado students and community. Over the past few years, the tech industry in Colorado has grown exponentially, outpacing nationwide tech growth and positioning Denver to stand as one of the countrys next tech centers. Its important that software development education matches the demands of the industry. At The Software Guild, it is our mission to educate students in skills that are not only needed now, but will be vital in the future, said Rachel McGalliard, Senior Vice President of Operations and General Manager of The Software Guild. We're excited to announce our partnership with the University of Northern Colorado. By offering innovative courses outside of the traditional education experience, we are helping create tomorrows industry leaders. In addition to coding experience, students who participate in The Software Guilds badge program graduate with a high job-placement rate and will have access to The Guilds growing employer network of more than 400 companies, including Hallmark, Humana and UPS. Denver holds the eighth-highest concentration of tech workers in the country. We have the opportunity to foster a thriving industry in our state," said Nancy Rubin, Executive Director, Extended Campus, University of Northern Colorado. "Were proud of the strides UNC has taken to develop a skilled tech workforce and are confident our partnership with The Software Guild will help continue that momentum. For more information on the new university partnership including application deadlines and cohort start dates, please visit the following link: http://extended.unco.edu/courses-workshops/coding-bootcamp-badges-software.asp ### About The Software Guild The Software Guild is an accelerated, hands-on coding bootcamp where individuals learn to be software developers at an in-person bootcamp or at the fully online program. Apprentices learn technologies like .NET/C# or Java and acquire the skills needed for junior-level developer positions. The Guild has more than 450 companies in its employer network, a high job placement rate and master instructors with an average of more than ten years of industry experience. Currently, The Software Guild has locations in Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Atlanta, GA; and online. The Software Guild is owned and operated by online education technology solution provider Learning House, Inc., a Wiley brand. About the University of Northern Colorado Extended Campus UNC EXTENDED CAMPUS - ONLINE & ACROSS COLORADO The University of Northern Colorado Extended Campus offers academic programs designed for working professionals who are looking to enhance current employment or to change their careers. Taught by renowned UNC faculty, Extended Campus offers students more than 100 continuing education choices degree completion programs, master and doctorate degrees, certificates, licensures and endorsement options. A University of Northern Colorado education is built upon high standards spanning more than a century of academic excellence. No matter how you access Extended Campus, you are a partner and a colleague fully immersed in your chosen field of study. Delivered in Greeley, Loveland, Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Affordable. Flexible. Online and Face-to-Face. Media Contact: Alyssa Miller alyssa@ammediaworks.com 973-615-1292 Lemoose Crepe Cafe in Fremont Jarinya Piyasantisuk (Jen), owner of Le Moose Cafe (Crepe & Thai Restaurant in Fremont) announced today that her Thai restaurant, Le Moose Cafe, will offer new special dishes for this winter, at 5014 Mowry Ave., Fremont, California. Fusion Food Where East Meet West The food served at Le Moose Cafe is a combination of food from different cultures, including French, Italian, Thai, and more. The restaurant has been rated as one of the Top 5 Best Thai Restaurants in Fremont by TripAdvisor and has more than a thousand stars on Yelp. The cafe has been proudly serving the Fremont neighborhood for over 10 years. And since our menu changes monthly, fans of Thai and fusion cuisine in Fremont and the South Bay Area can experience and enjoy the current months tasty menu. Some dishes can only be available upon request with the restaurants Pad-Thai Kim-Chi being one of the most popular specialty dishes at the restaurant. The traditional Thai noodle goes very well with the unique sourness from Korean pickled cabbages, which will delight your appetite and taste buds. Its easy to get into the same loop of food, even good considered ethnic and different from most foods found in America. At Le Moose Cafe, we are inspired by the idea of meshing different cultures together. And apart from the special items on the menu of the month, the cafe also offers Thai and French fusion crepes. These crepes include: Green curry chicken Chicken masala crepe Panang curry crepe bacon & cheese (French) Smoked salmon crepe (French) Le Moose is one of the only restaurants in Fremont, and probably the Bay Area, serving this unique crepe and curry combo. Each dish is outstanding with its own flavor and features, especially since Thai cooking emphasizes dishes that have been lightly prepared with strong aromas and a spicy kick. The owner of Le Moose Cafe, Jen shared that the restaurant will offer an appetizing and varied breakfast crepe, lunch and dinner options that will be prepared fresh daily, directly on the premises with respect to the customers preferences and at an excellent price. They are known for the enormous food portions for the huge plate of fried rice that would literally be enough for 2 meals. About the Team Every team member was born and raised in Thailand. They have been making and tasting Thai food for many years. The guests can be sure that they will experience the authenticity of Thai flavor in every dish. The team of Le Moose Cafe believes that consistency and superiority are the main reasons that keep coming back. That is why they take quality testing seriously to maintain the level of customer satisfaction. Le Moose Crepe Cafe is located in Fremont, California at 5014 Mowry Avenue. The restaurant also provides an online reservation click on RESERVATION to reserve your table today. They also offer catering for your upcoming corporate and special events. Call our catering number at (407) 969-5464. Le Moose Cafe opens on Monday-Sunday 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM for Lunch and 5:00 PM-9:00 PM for dinner. from now on bookings for holidays and parties are accepted at http://pressreleasezen.com/redsun/reserve Contact info: Restaurant Name: Le Moose Cafe Address: 5014 Mowry Ave. Fremont, CA 94538 Website: https://www.lemoosecrepecafe.com/ Phone Restaurant: (510) 745-7288 Phone Catering: (407) 969-5464 We launched parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com with SimplePart to make Toyota parts and Toyota accessories more accessible to customers in the Miami area and nationally. Toyota of North Miami recently launched parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com. Designed to better meet the needs of consumers shopping for genuine Toyota parts and accessories, as well as Scion parts and accessories, Parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com offers a comprehensive and up-to-date parts and accessories catalog, complete with interactive part diagrams. Toyota owners can now browse and purchase genuine parts and accessories and for their cars, SUVs and trucks, including the Camry, Corolla, Prius and Tacoma. We launched parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com with SimplePart to make Toyota parts and Toyota accessories accessible to customers in the Miami area and nationally. We also carry a large inventory of Scion accessories and parts. With parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com, we want to ensure our customers have a great shopping experience and access to our store 24/7, said Sebastian Ventura, parts manager at Toyota of North Miami. "We are excited to be working with Toyota of North Miami on parts.toyotaofnorthmiami.com. This will be a great benefit to Toyota and Scion owners because now theyll be able to browse a comprehensive, updated catalog of genuine OEM parts for their vehicles, said Matthew Whisler, director of enterprise consulting at SimplePart. The interactive parts diagrams we utilize on the sites we design and build will ensure vehicle owners find the right product every time." About Toyota of North Miami Toyota of North Miami is a Miami-based dealership that offers a superior selection of parts and accessories for Toyota and Scion vehicles. Located off of I-95, not far from North Miami Beach, Toyota of North Miami has a Toyota and Scion parts and accessories counter staffed with highly trained and certified industry professionals who will help you get the product you need. The Toyota of North Miami parts department can be reached at (305) 652-6500 or via email at parts@toyotaofnorthmiami.com. About SimplePart With a client base of automotive, motorcycle, truck and powersport dealerships across every major brand, SimplePart connects OE dealers with owners buying retail parts and accessories online. SimplePart provides turnkey parts catalog solutions, user-friendly websites and digital marketing services. SimplePart currently has official programs with Subaru, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW Motorrad, Volvo, Toyota and more. The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.simplepart.com. The Two39 Group today announced the planned opening of Two39 Work, a world-class coworking space in Bonita Springs, Florida. Two39 Work provides workplace solutions for freelancers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and growth stage businesses. Designed to meet the needs of professionals and organizations of all sizes, Two39 Work will offer a variety of offerings from single monthly desk memberships to large private suites. Two39 Work will offer its members a comfortable work environment with fast internet access, connectivity, and power at an all-inclusive price. With over 15,000 square feet, Two39 Work members will also have access to a large conference center, meeting rooms, private phone booths, collaborative work areas, mentor library, game room, and cafe lounge. Two39 Work is founded on the notion that coworking is more than just wifi and free coffee. The Two39 Work value proposition asserts that professional, personal, and social benefits are added bonuses from working within their environment. In addition to providing a stimulating, inspiring, and enjoyable work environment, membership will lead to new business collaborations, increased productivity, and an expanded business network. Conveniently located in Bonita Springs at the Walden Center on US 41 with easy access to the Coconut Point shopping area and centrally located in the rapidly growing Estero/Bonita Springs areas. Two39 Work will focus on providing members a work space consistent with todays best corporate cultures. Brian Samelson, one of Two39 Works founders, explains leadership, communication, dynamic human capital, outstanding benefits and a productive, comfortable environment are the secret sauce for building successful company culture. Further distinguishing Two39 Work will be its commitment to the community. Starting with our name and reflected in everything we do, we believe in Southwest Florida. continued Samelson, In launching Two39 Work, we have consulted area businessmen, educators, and leaders to ensure that we launch Two39 with an offering that best serves the needs of the strong entrepreneurial community of Southwest Florida. Two39 Work is accepting membership applications now and plans a soft opening of January 1st, 2019 and an Official Grand Opening slated for February 1st, 2019. For additional details, visit http://www.two39work.com. To get the best out of these wholesome grains, all the flour sold at Hewn is also stone-milled. The benefit over conventional flour sifted through a roller mill is that stone milling does not separate the three essential components of flour: the bran, the germ and the endosperm, the owners say. We seek to provide our customers with telecommunications solutions that make sense. So, it follows that our website was due for a revamp, especially in the UX/ UI area, Telecommunications provider United World Telecom has announced the official launch of https://www.unitedworldtelecom.com/, which replaces https://www.uwtcallback.com as the corporate website for the company. The website includes a wealth of modern features aimed to improve the customer experience. Among these includes a more visually-appealing display, enhanced content to inform prospective buyers on location-specific services, and upgraded order processing for a more efficient checkout. The change is part of United World Telecoms agenda to modernize their infrastructure in order to meet the demands of businesses and to stay competitive in a growing telecom marketplace which, according to reports from MarketWatch, has been booming. Similarly, Future Marketing Insights has projected similar growth, with VoIP-related telecommunications services reaching $204.8 billion by 2020. According to United World Telecoms CEO Thierry Genoyer, the change has been part of the companys efforts to accommodate its growing customer base. This is a necessity in todays business climate to remain competitive with the latest developments in tech, particularly in regards to the needs of customers across all industries and to support the overall customer experience. We seek to provide our customers with telecommunications solutions that make sense. So, it follows that our website was due for a revamp, especially in the UX/ UI area, stated Thierry Genoyer. For international businesses looking to increase their global presence, virtual phone numbers from United World Telecom offer a number of key benefits for organizations looking to expand their operations and increase their customer base. These benefits include replacing a physical presence, as virtual phone numbers allow businesses to contact customers across international borders. Virtual phone numbers eliminate the need for a physical brick-and-mortar presence. By leveraging these numbers, businesses can take advantage of the growing trend of virtual offices and virtual locations, where clients no longer need to have in-person contact with a company representative. Instead, phone calls serve as direct communication, where the rest of the business transactions serve to provide goods or services through an app, a fully-integrated website, or another ordering method. Were part of a trend of revolutionizing how people do business in more efficient ways, no matter where theyre headquartered, says Genoyer. Normally, calling internationally can provide a number of obstacles, such as being blocked by a foreign service provider or being charged hefty long-distance fees for the ability to connect international callers. Similarly, toll free numbers that are dialed without the caller being located in the country (or numbering plan) are charged for the call - which defeats the purpose of modern toll free phone numbers. However, with VoIP powered ITFS numbers from United World Telecom, these calls can be completed across country borders while retaining the toll free intent of the subscriber. Virtual phone numbers enable businesses to easily establish virtual presences across the world, in any specific market that makes sense for their businesses. This can be a significant competitive edge for emerging startups, which may be low in capital but eager to enter the global marketplace. By leveraging the newest tech, startups can now gain competitive ground through United World Telecoms solution to cross-border commerce and localization efforts. About United World Telecom United World Telecom is a facilities-based international telecommunications service provider serving thousands of businesses worldwide. Since its inception in 1996, United World Telecom has become a leading provider of call forwarding services with one of the largest offerings of worldwide coverage of local and toll free numbers in the industry, serving medium to large businesses from a variety of markets. Providing companies with local and toll free numbers in over 140 countries, United World Telecom enables businesses to create a local point of contact for their customers, affiliates or employees. Were thrilled that Richard Florida will be part of this inaugural event and appreciate that his participation is indicative of the strength of programming we plan to offer each week through Venture Cafe. Venture Cafe Philadelphia will kick off its first Thursday night gathering on November 29 with prominent urban studies theorist, Richard Florida. The inaugural Venture Cafe Philadelphia Thursday gathering will take place from 3 8 p.m. at the newly opened 3675 Market Street where the University City Science Center is headquartered. Richard Florida is one of the worlds leading urbanists. He is a researcher and professor, serving as University Professor and Director of Cities at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto, a Distinguished Fellow at New York Universitys Schack Institute of Real Estate, and a Visiting Fellow at Florida International University. With a presence in six cities including Boston/Cambridge, Miami, St. Louis, Rotterdam, Winston-Salem, Tokyo and now Philadelphia, Venture Cafe offers free high-impact programming, with the goal of amplifying and showcasing the citys thriving innovation ecosystem and partners. Venture Cafe is building a global movement to create stronger and more inclusive innovation ecosystems and accelerate and enhance the innovation process in cities around the world. Venture Cafe Philadelphia is designed to convene and grow the regions innovation ecosystem through reoccurring, quality programming that is free and open to all, says Science Center President & CEO, Steve Zarrilli. Were thrilled that Richard Florida will be part of this inaugural event and appreciate that his participation is indicative of the strength of programming we plan to offer each week through Venture Cafe. Other sessions that will take place during the November 29 Venture Cafe will include office hours, musical performances, panel discussions and standup comedy. November 29 Schedule: 3:00 5:00 p.m. Office Hours (participants TBA) 4:00 4:30 p.m. Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra performance/Orchestrating Leadership Session 5:30 6:15 p.m. Richard Florida discussing Inclusive Growth 6:00 7:00 p.m. Drexel Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Automation in Legal Services 6:30 7:15 p.m. Panel: So we didnt get HQ2, whats next? 7:30 8:00 p.m. Startup Standup with Rubi Nicolas and Travis Sheridan 5:00 8:00 p.m. DJ Adam Durant *additional sessions and speakers to be announced Venture Cafe is free and open to the public. Earlier this year, the Science Center joined the Venture Cafe Network, a global network founded by CIC, with partner organizations in six cities around the globe. Hosted by the Science Center and powered by Quorum, Venture Cafe Philadelphia is focused on connecting, educating and community building. Venture Cafe Thursday gatherings regularly attract 300-500 attendees in its established markets. About the Science Center Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Centers incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a businesss lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO and beyond. For more information about the Science Center, go to http://www.sciencecenter.org. Jose A. Rodriguez Jr. Actionable intelligence that supersedes legacy collection methodologies Rodriguez and Williams are two of the most well-respected and experienced intelligence, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism experts in the world. In their respective roles as leaders, both men reached the pinnacle of their careers in service of our country. Appointing such revered and knowledgeable board members underscores LifeLines investment in global security leadership, as well as our commitment to growth and developing further bench strength on foreign policy and geopolitical issues. Peter Cahill, CEO of LifeLine Response, said, Jose Rodriguez and Kevin Williams offer operational and situational prowess that has elevated them as thought leaders at the Central Intelligence Agency and US Navy SEAL Teams, respectively. The nature of our work at LifeLine Response entails operating in complex environments globally, as well as utilizing AI technology and ground assets to provide threat intelligence, personal safety, and travel security. Acumen in foreign policy and geopolitical issues is not a nice to have. Rather, it is an absolute essential to any enterprise that needs to monitor and respond to crises affecting its workforce. Both men contribute strength and knowhow to an already robust bench. Jose & Kevin have incredible depth on these issuesamong many othersand have truly distinguished themselves as the best of the best. I welcome these patriots with reverence. Jose Rodriguez is a 31-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency. When he retired in January 2008, he was the director of the National Clandestine Servicethe head of all human clandestine operations for the CIAand was also responsible for the coordination of human operations for the entire US intelligence community. In addition, Jose was director of the CIAs National Counterterrorism Center, where he led the worldwide intelligence collection programs and covert action operations against international terrorist organizations following the attacks on 9/11. Upon his appointment to the board, Rodriguez said, Its my honor to be named as an advisor to LifeLine Response. The work they are doing on identifying the signals of imminent threats and delivering these in a targeted and optimized manner is actionable intelligence that supersedes legacy collection methodologies and will be industry standard. Kevin Williams spent 12 years serving as an officer in the US Navy SEAL Teams, where he led SEAL and coalition forces during seven deployments worldwide in support of the Global War on Terrorism and other foreign policy objectives. At the service of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team SIX, Kevin led a 35-man assault troop, which executed five deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and other national-level missions. Prior to that, Kevin served as a platoon commander and operations officer of SEAL Team THREE. He currently serves as a managing partner of Arteryx Capital Partners, a private equity firm that provides long-term capital to growth-stage companies. Williams said, The global and geo-political risk in both the private and government sector is escalating. Being mission ready in order to navigate that landscape is at a premium. Lifeline Response is developing and delivering a Tier 1 technology and service fully capable of predicting and defeating these threats. Im honored and excited to join the team. As of zero dark, Rodriguez and Williams began their tours as members of the boardand we could not be prouder to have them join the ranks. To learn more about these ordinary men that have accomplished the extraordinary visit us at LifeLine Response or learn more at LifeLine Response Services About LifeLine Response: LifeLine Response is a global duty of care and security company operating in more than 175 countries. Utilizing patented technology and ground assets, LifeLine provides global threat intelligence, personal safety, travel security, and enhanced mass notification with comprehensive global imagery and proprietary AI algorithms. The LifeLine Response platform ensures operational safety and security oversight to businesses operating worldwide, in partnership with Constellis, the worlds largest risk management organization. A wide range of companies & organizations have implemented LifeLines services and products, including several Agencies, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies. Culture has always been a top priority for West Monroe. Winning 26 awards in 2018 validates the hard work that every employee-owner at West Monroe puts into this company. West Monroe Partners, a national business and technology consulting firm, announced it has collected 26 company culture and people awards in 2018. Each of the firms nine offices across the United States hosted a breakfast celebration on Friday to demonstrate solidarity and appreciation for each others efforts and results in 2018. Each year, West Monroe wins a number of workplace awards for its company culture. In 2018, distinctions spanned national awards, such as the Best Places to Work for Millennials, to local awards, such as Washingtons Best Places to Work, to individual honors, such as the Women Leaders in Consulting award, this year bestowed upon Jodi Bednar, a director in West Monroes Energy & Utilities practice. Culture has always been a top priority for West Monroe. Winning 26 awards in 2018 validates the hard work that every employee-owner at West Monroe puts into this company, said Susan Stelter, Chief People Officer for West Monroe. I am grateful to have our people-first values be recognized by so many esteemed awards programs, but its even more important to me that we are fulfilling our mission of building the next generation of leaders and creating an environment for employees to learn and grow. Most of the awards in 2018 were won through employee satisfaction and engagement surveys, conducted by various third-party organizations. One of the firms leading values, people first, has driven client satisfaction and project success over the years: The firms leadership believes employees do their best work when they are fulfilled and their contributions are realized, which is why the company is 100% employee-owned and operates an employee stock ownership plan. West Monroe serves hundreds of clients across the mid-market and Fortune 1000, and its employees have fueled incredible growth. The firm was founded in 2002 and has grown at a CAGR of 35%. It currently employs more than 1,000 people across nine U.S. offices. In mid-2017, the firm announced plans to double its workforce by 2022 as part of an effort to address todays growing tech skills gap in business and innovation. Having an award-winning culture means we can consistently retain and attract top talent to best serve our clients. What is so fulfilling to me is that these awards are not only won at a national level, but also at the local level in nearly all of our markets meaning the culture permeates across the entire company, whether you work in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, or one of our other six offices, said Kevin McCarty, President & CEO of West Monroe. We put a ton of work into creating that consistency, and these awards prove that a company culture built on values will sustain and prosper no matter which city youre in or how much you grow. West Monroe won the following awards in 2018: ChannelE2E - Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs List 2018 Chicago Tribunes Top Workplaces 2018 Consulting Magazines 2018 Best Firms to Work For Consulting Magazines Rising Stars of the Profession - Jordan Sternleib Consulting Magazines Rising Stars of the Profession - Kevin Hulsebosch Consulting Magazines Women Leaders in Consulting - Jodi Bednar Corporate Trailblazer Award from Student Conservation Association Crains Chicago - Best Places to Work 2018 Top Large Companies to Work For Crains New York - Best Places to Work 2018 Elite 150 category of CRNs 2018 Managed Service Provider 500 (MSP500) EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Midwest Region - Kevin McCarty Forbes Best Management Consulting Firms for 2018 Channel Futures - Top 501 Global Managed Service Providers Great Place to Work/Fortune Best Small & Medium Workplaces 2018 Great Place to Work/Fortune - Best Workplaces for Consulting & Professional Services 2018 Great Place to Work/Fortune - Best Workplaces for Giving Back 2018 Great Place to Work/Fortune - Best Workplaces for Millennials 2018 Great Place to Work/Fortune - Best Workplaces in Chicago 2018 Great Place to Work/Fortune - Best Workplaces in New York 2018 Los Angeles Business Journal Best Places to Work 2018 M&A Advisor Emerging Leaders Awards NatureBridges Corporate Sustainability Award PEOPLE's 2018 Companies that Care Puget Sound Business Journal - Washington's Best Workplaces 50 to 99 employees San Francisco Bay Areas 2018 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For Seattle Business Magazine - Washington's 100 Best Companies to Work For The company is currently hiring for dozens of positions across several markets. For career opportunities, visit http://www.accepthechallenge.com. About West Monroe Partners West Monroe is a national business and technology consulting firm that partners with dynamic organizations to reimagine, build, and operate their businesses at peak performance. Our team of more than 1,000 professionals across nine offices is comprised of an uncommon blend of business consultants and deep technologists. This unique combination of expertise enables us to design, develop, implement, and run strategic business and technology solutions that yield a dramatic commercial impact on our clients profitability and performance. For more information, visit http://www.wmp.com. Media Contact Christina Galoozis cgaloozis@westmonroepartners.com 312.447.6623 If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. In America and Britain, fiction is said to be in decline. PW recently called attention to the 16% (or $830 million) decline in the sales of adult fiction reported by the Association of American Publishers during the 20132017 period. In Britain, the Publishers Association reports a slightly larger drop over a similar period. These are figures youd associate with a product in long-term decline: landlines in a mobile age, horses in the age of Ford. Of course, theres a problem with the data here: Where are the self-publishers? Where are Amazons own imprints? But more broadly, and speaking as a novelist, I cant help feeling that these AAP numbers simply dont reflect whats happening with readers. (And, as an author with extensive experience with both self-publishing and traditional publishing, Im able to speak from both sides of the curtain.) The fact is that nothing at all in my interactions with readers makes me feel like Im selling horses to car owners. Indeed, if my email inbox is anything to go by, Im selling horses to people who really, really like horses. The appetite for good, absorbing, well-written fiction feels to me as intense now as it ever did. Nor do most of those fiction in decline theories make sense to me. For sure, Netflix has upended the business model of traditional TV companies over the past few years, but a cop show is still a cop show. Who cares about business models? There may, admittedly, be a generational shift in play, but a generational shift would play out over 20 years, not five. For me, there are other factors at workand the common thread is that corporate publishing is asked to simultaneously ride two trains running on ever-diverging tracks. The first issue is that the bricks-and-mortar industry is simply not as supportive of old-school brand building as it once was. Its long-serving captain, Barnes & Noble, is too enfeebled; the independents are too scattered; the supermarkets just dont care. Huge standalone bestseller successes are still possible, but building a brand has never been harder. Amazon is the exact opposite. It doesnt, in a way, know what to do with standalone books by debut authors or authors whose previous sales were relatively modest. Without sales data, Amazon doesnt know how to market a book, so its tools work much better with series fiction and authors who work hard to instill series loyalty. Then theres pricing. Competent indie authors will price the first books of their series at pretty much nothing: either permafree or a giveaway 99. But no sane indie author would price that first book at $11.99. Why make it hard for readers to get into a series? The first book is merely bait; the rest of the series is where the money lies. That logic has driven plenty of indie careers, including mine, but its hopelessness as a strategy for print books is obvious. And how do you sell full-priced print if youre offering the same thing at next to nothing in e-form? Next theres marketing. The bricks-and-mortar world loves media splash, whether thats Fifty Shades or Go Set a Watchman. Those things will drive online sales, too, but online-only authors work hard with mailing lists and online ads and deploy those tools in the context of a supportive series pricing structure. An industry focusing on traditional publicityand pricing for printcant use those other tools as intensively or as successfully. Last, theres Kindle Unlimited. Data Guy (a man who analyzes Amazon data) estimates KU to be as big, roughly, as all non-Amazon e-tailers combined. Like an increasing number of indies today, Ive got all my books, bar the first in the series, exclusive to Amazon. The Kindle Unlimited page reads give me a full third of my writing income (the vast majority of which comes from e-books)and for many indies, its well over half. How can a traditional publisher fight that? What beats free? (And sure, quality is always good, but my own work has been kindly reviewed in numerous publications, including this one. The traditional industry no longer has a lock on quality.) Theres a dark message in this, but also a bright one. The dark one is that the publishing industry has its work cut outbut thats hardly news. The bright one is that readers still read and fiction still compels. The art form we love is migrating, perhaps, but not mutating in any deep way. Fiction in decline? Not from my point of view. Fictions doing just fine. Harry Bingham is the author of the Fiona Griffiths series and runs Jericho Writers, an online writers club. The automobile firm aims at providing a hands-on training to engineering students in Ghana and beyond. According to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, the project is a part of a partnership agreement between the company and the university. This was announced at the congregation of undergraduates of the College of Humanities at the university in Accra on Sunday November 18, 2018. Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu disclosed that, Toyota Ghana will provide a dedicated bus to be conveying students to the centre and as well give a scholarship package worth $10,000 every year to brilliant needy students in the school. Its no surprise to anybody that Sessions was going to be gone at one point or another, either at the request of the president or just resigning on his own, Garber said. The whole rally was completely disingenuous. Theres been no talk except for Democrats about the Mueller investigation ending. Come on. The whole thing is absurd. In his view, the tithe money will be of more benefit to needy people than it will be to the church. READ ALSO: Juliet Ibrahim outdoors new boyfriendJuliet Ibrahim outdoors new boyfriend ece-auto-gen Many Ghanaians and churches across the world have often held different views on the phenomenon of tithing. While some believe it is a directive from God, others insist it is not supported by any Biblical evidence. In fact, there are even some churches that do not believe in the process of tithing and, therefore, do not pay tithes at all. Although Dumelo believes in tithing, he has revealed that he often gives his tithes to the needy rather than the church. According to the actor, he does not know it his actions are wrong, but he feels that is the right thing to do because the needy need it more. ece-auto-gen READ ALSO: Fancy Gadam welcomes a bouncy baby boyFancy Gadam welcomes a bouncy baby boy I give my tithe to the needy most of the time. I think they need it more than the church. I dont know if its wrong, Dumelo wrote on Twitter. The actress and journalist won the Breakout Actor of the Year at Scream Awards 2018 in Nigeria and Student Actor of the Year at C-Baze Awards 2018 in Ghana. The actress won Breakout Actor of the Year at the just ended Scream All Youth Awards 2018. The event took place at Victoria Island in Nigeria on Wednesday November 7, 2018. The said Awards is an all-youth award scheme designed to honor and applaud outstanding youth in the creative arts industry and business world across Africa. ece-auto-gen READ ALSO:I give my tithe to the needy, not the church John Dumelo revealsI give my tithe to the needy, not the church John Dumelo reveals The Ultimate story actress was also awarded with the Student Favorite Actress of the Year at the C-Base Awards 2018 held on Saturday November 10, 2018 at the National Theatre in Accra. Victoria Lebene Mekpah had started acting when she left the scene for The next movie star 2014, in Nigeria and was among the final 5. She started acting again in 2015 and has since been in the spotlight . Victoria attended Zenith University with a Human Resource Management Degree but developed the passion for acting during her time in school and now hopes to take her career worldwide. ece-auto-gen Victoria recently combined Journalism to her acting career and also currently works at GH One TV as a Broadcast Journalist. The first female Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and owner of upscale furniture company, The Chair Centre Group said she will not have problem kneeling before Abiodun Awosika, even in the presence of 10 million people, just to show submission to him. Ibukuns revelation follows the back and forth between some feminists on one hand who think it is demeaning of a woman to kneel before her husband, while some men and other women on the other hand disagree, saying a man should always be the head of the home. The debate is very intense here in Ghana where there are two female groups, Pepper dem and Sugar dem, both of whom have opposing views about whether a woman should submit to the husband. Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Ibukun Awosika said a woman must always be a woman and a man must always be the head. ece-auto-gen Read extracts of the interview below: Many career women find it difficult coping with their homes. In all these, how do you juggle between your roles as a mother, wife and career? In life, you decide on those things that are important to you, because as a woman I have all my visions and dreams and I want to achieve them. I want to also be a successful mother to my children and I want to be a successful wife to my husband; once I am able to balance it up, it will make a successful home. All we need is understanding. And we need a balanced home to have the right atmosphere. I also apply wisdom most of the time because the day my children matter most to me, I create time for them. The day it is my husband that matters, I create the time. The same goes for my work. If not, everything will crumble and that is why I need to measure the percentage of attention I give to them and that is why I cant advise another woman on how to run her family because it is your circumstances that determine your kind of action; my home is different from any other home. I am happy to be married to the best man. How has this rubbed on your success? The news website reports that when the minister was asked about things like the power grid and malware, he was found wanting. He sparked a huge laughter when he said that USB was basically never used in Japans nuclear power stations, which led many to believe that he didnt understand the technology at all. The drama heightened when Sakurada admitted that he has never used a computer, hence his deficit in the area he was being questioned about. The Japan Times quoted him as saying: I dont use computers because since I was 25 I have been in a position of authority where secretaries and employees handle such tasks for me. I give instructions to my aide and so I dont punch into a computer myself, but I am confident our work is flawless. Sakurada is a 68-year-old long serving member of the Japanese parliament who was appointed a minister just last month. Reports say his core mandate is to formulate policies geared towards the countrys cyber security, which includes safeguarding 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Though reports say the ministers portfolio does not necessarily demand that he must be an expert in ICT, some people found his hilarious admission as unfortunate. Masato Imai, a politician from the opposition Democratic Party said: I find it unbelievable that someone who is responsible for cyber-security measures has never used a computer. You can trust social media users to make mockery of the minister. One twitter user said: If a hacker targets this Minister Sakurada, they wouldnt be able to steal any information. Indeed it might be the strongest kind of security! According to a Dailymail report, the teenagers have taken to this peculiar habit as it is a cheap and readily accessible source of stimulant. The Indonesian National Drug Agency (BNN) is reported as saying the chemicals in the sanitary pads give those who drink the resulting concoction a feeling of 'flying' and hallucinations. Straits Times also reported of police in the island of Java, home to the capital Jakarta having arrested several youth who subsequently revealed that they had taken the bizarre concoction which got them intoxicated. A senior Commander Suprinarto, head of the BNN in Central Java is quoted as saying The used pads they took from the trash were put in boiling water. After it cooled down, they drank it together. READ ALSO: Broke man dumps wife who paid for her own dowryBroke man dumps wife who paid for her own dowry Local media reported a 14-year-old boy from Belitung Island who admitted to drinking the sanitary pad concoction as saying, the pad is put in water and boiled for about an hour after which the pad is squeezed and the water left to cool down for drinking. ece-auto-gen The unnamed youngster further revealed in an interview with Post Belitung that, although the concoction is bitter, his friends drink it trice a day: morning, afternoon and evening. The Indonesian ministry of health is reportedly investigating to figure out what chemical component of the sanitary pads is getting the youth intoxicated, for which reason drinking its tea has become the new trend. What is clear from the reports so far is that the use of all other hard drugs are illegal and the youth have been trying to outsmart the authorities by still getting high without breaching any law of the land. The boys arrived on November 15th on the invitation of the Play Network Africa. But only three out of the four very hot boys, also known as Kupe boys, came to Nigeria. As part of their visit plans, they advertised for modern African bespoke brand, Ebewele brown. Donned in very classic Kaftan styles of different colors, the Instagram models looked entirely ethereal in the apparel. They scored their regal look with sun glasses and that was the perfect icing on the cake. He said this while he was addressing Members of Parliament at the post-budget workshop at Koforidua in the Eastern Region. His comment came after some stakeholders asked the government was going to raised concerns about how the government plans to raise money to finance its budget deficit as well as some of its major infrastructural projects in the 2019 budget. One of the issues Ive heard a lot about is the issue of whether we have the resources for this ambitious program that we have taken. I think the Sinohydro deal, you all have seen what we are looking to do. And I think the Vice President has negotiated very soundly. So that resource envelope will be available. You have honorable members also see the Minerals ACT which is going to securitize our royalties and thats maybe 500 to 750 million Dollars that we are yet to even discuss what well use that resource for. READ ALSO: Heres how much government plans to spend in 2019Heres how much government plans to spend in 2019 He further indicated that measures are in place to help boost domestic revenue collection through effective ways. According to him, the poor performance of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government will not guarantee them victory in the 2020 polls. Addressing delegates at the just ended 9th congress of the party at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, he said "Ghanaians are looking up to us. We cannot expect to win the 2020 elections by default of NPPs poor performance in office. Our return to power must be based on a humble persuasive approach to Ghanaians that we are not only a better alternative but that we have learnt the lessons of our 2016 defeat. ece-auto-gen READ MORE: Only witches and wizards dont support Mahama Allotey JacobsOnly witches and wizards dont support Mahama Allotey Jacobs "And that we are prepared to give them an even better service than we did in our previous term in office." He also hit back at Nana Addo who said he doesn't respond to presidential aspirants. He remarked that the NDC presidential aspirants are citizens and not spectators. According to former President John Mahama, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has become a clearing house for clearing his appointees accused of corruption. Addressing delegates at the just ended 9th congress of the party at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, Mahama said "Most appallingly, the President has become a clearing house for clearing his appointees of corruption. He has on several occasions cleared his Ministers and appointees when allegations of corruption have been made against them. Speaking at the African Investment Forum 2018 in South Africa, Nana Addo said there has not been enough evidence to suggest his appointees are corrupt. ece-auto-gen "So far investigations [involving his appointees] have not yielded any serious evidence," he said. But Mahama described this claim as deceitful. "Indeed it was a very low day for Ghana when the President peddled a falsehood on a panel on a recent African investment forum that all allegations made against people in his administration have been investigated and cleared by independent investigative bodies. That was an obvious untruth," he noted. He stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a better record of fighting corruption in government than the NPP adding that the party still abide by their motto of probity and accountability. According to him, the party has elected presidents from the three major ethnic groups in the country. [Akan, Volta and North] His comments come at the back of the recently-held Congress of the party which saw two Voltarians, Koko Anyidoho and Dan Abodapki losing out in their bids to become General Secretary and National Chairman respectively. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, an Akan, beat Dan Abodakpi and three other aspirants at the Congress over the weekend. Sammy Gyamfi was also elected Communications Director beating Fred Agbenyo with Kwaku Boahen and Ako Gunn emerging his deputies. Reacting to the ethnic concerns raised by some executives of the party, Asiedu Nketia said "The results rather tell you that the NDC is more tribal-neutral. "We have more to show that our party has risen above ethnic consideration." She said she will serve the party in whatever capacity to ensure victory in 2020. In an interview on Accra-based Class FM, Zanetor Rawlings said "I'm willing to support the party to victory in whatever capacity that maybe." Reports circulating in the local media had suggested Mahama was considering picking Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, the legislator for Korle Klottey constituency and daughter of former president Jerry John Rawlings, as his running-mate. ece-auto-gen Asked if she was ready to partner former President John Mahama as his running mate, she said: "You're asking a tricky question, which I mustn't answer because I am not the one to decide who his running mate should be should he emerge as the flag bearer". "So, I think to answer that question would be a bit premature", she added. Some weeks ago, Mahama denied reports that he has selected a running-mate for the 2020 general elections. READ ALSO: Rawlings weeps over economic hardship in the country This report is absolutely false as a Payment Service Bank (PSB) framework is totally different from a payment service provider as reported by a local newspaper report. Just as the fintech companies acquire microfinance bank status in Nigeria such as Piggybank and the likes which now operates as a microfinance entity, PSBs operate solely as agent bankers without a licence to perform some major banking activities such as lending of funds and playing in the forex market. According to the CBN, the PSBs will corroborate several other initiatives including Introduction of Microfinance banking, Agent Banking, Tiered Know-Your-Customers Requirements and Mobile Money Operation (MMO) in order to increase the number of bankable adults in Nigeria. When the CEO of Farmcrowdy, Onyeka Akumah, tweeted the report of $13 million (N5billion)for startup licence over the weekend, it generated controversy. ece-auto-gen Do we mean that a Fintech Startup in Nigeria should first have $13m USD before they get their license? A startup???, Akumah tweeted citing the newspaper's report. I just read this and Im shocked! This will kill innovation and literally push out everyone that has one idea or the other to improve Fintech solutions. Im hoping there is something I missed in this article. The tweet generated intense argument on social media. While some believed in it, many others said the CBN report has nothing to do with fintech as it was merely a draft framework for a payment service bank to be run by Telcos, Mobile money agent, Agent Banks etc. This policy document sets out requirements for operating a payment service bank. It says nothing about regulating Fintech start-ups. Kindly point me to the contentious section if it exists. Otherwise, your tweet comes across as targeted to deceive, a Twitter user, @kezielive responded. Subomi Plumptre, an executive at Alder Consulting, who stood in between said young players need to take the lead and make use of lobbying as a valid tool of business.Remember what we discussed. If young players don't organise and take the lead, you will be regulated without your consent. Lobbying is a valid tool of business. Get a seat at the table, responding to Akumah's tweet. Business Insider SSA checked the CBN draft guidelines and regulation and it is clear that the guidelines have nothing to do with startup or fintech in Nigeria, the confusion originated from the newspaper report. PSBs serve as a mobile payment platform for increasing financial inclusion so as bring the unbanked population into the banking sector through the service of an agent banker also known as Payment Service Banks. What is CBN saying about Payment Service Banks? In October, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released a proposed guideline for a new Bank to be called a Payment Service Banks (PSBs). Through its draft guidelines, CBN said it will grant an operating licence to Payment Service Banks(PSBs) to operate in rural areas and unbanked areas.CBNs director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Kevin Amugo, in a letter to banks,telecommunications companies, mobile money operators, banking agents and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) said the PSBs shall comply with KYC requirements and other extant laws and regulation of the apex bank to track illicit and laundering offences. Why CBN is establishing Payment Service Banks? According to a 2017 World Bank Global Findex Database report, more than 60 million Nigerians are without bank accounts. Dipo Fatokun, Director, Banking & Payment Systems, CBN, in June 2018, stated that the apex bank is committed to reducing the population of unbanked Nigerians to at least 20% by 2020. In view of this, the CBN issued draft guidelines for licencing and regulations of PSBs in Nigeria. The apex bank said it is part of the agreement to bring the figure of unbanked adults down to 20% by 2020 through its National Financial Inclusion Strategy. ece-auto-gen What is a Payment Service Bank? Payment Service Bank will have the ability to issue electronic wallets, debit and pre-funded cards, and electronically make payments/remit cash between banks for services rendered, as it will be connected or utilise a corresponding bank which is connected to Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBBS). According to the draft framework, the PSBs will facilitate transactions in remittance services, micro-savings and withdrawal services in a technology-driven environment to further deepen financial inclusion and onboard 80% of bankable adults by 2020. PSBs will enhance financial inclusion in rural areas by increasing access to deposit products and payment as well as remittance services to small businesses, low-income households and other entities through high volume, low-value transactions in a secured technology-driven environment. Capital requirement for setting up PSBs The guidelines for licensing and regulation of Payment Service Banks (PSBs) have been placed on a minimum capital base of N5 billion and a N2 million licensing fee respectively. Also, there is a proposed non- refundable application fee of N500,000 Structure of the Payment Service Banks - Performs basic banking functions - Establish ATMs in the areas they operate - Operate a banking agent service - Use of electronic channels to reach out to its customers - Establish centres in clusters outlets What PSBs cannot do: - Grant of any form of loans, advances and guarantees - Trade in the foreign exchange market Who can operate a Payment Service Bank? - Banking agents - Telcos though subsidiaries - Retail chains (Supermarkets) - Mobile money operators (MMOs) with the plan to convert to PSBs From the above details of PSBs framework, it is basically out of the fintech and/or startup space. Like Kenya and Ghana, Safaricom is operating M-Pesa just as MTN is making waves with its Mobile Money subsidiary in the Ghana The grants support a variety of worthwhile projects in the areas of human rights, transparency in government, freedom of the media, empowerment of women and youth, health, education, entrepreneurship, and the promotion of mutual understanding. F. John Bray, U.S. Consul General, while speaking at the grant award ceremony in Lagos on Monday, recognised the commitment of the grantee organizations working to improve the lives of community members through sustainable projects that bolster good governance, education, and health. According to him, the Consulates grant award program is part of the U.S. governments efforts to support Nigerias economic development, improve livelihoods, and strengthen communities. The U.S. Mission has several objectives here in Nigeria, one of the foremost is to support a healthier, more educated population in Nigeria. One way in which we work to accomplish these goals is through grants. We are so proud to work with such an immensely energetic and creative community of organizations and individuals committed to strengthening communities and empowering fellow Nigerians! Consul General Bray added Every year, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos invites non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and individuals working in 17 states in southern Nigeria to submit proposals that seek innovative solutions to challenges facing local communities. The student said this on Monday, November 19, 2018, in Minna while protesting against the ongoing industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The protest is coming after the students issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to meet ASUU demands. The students, during their peaceful protest tagged Save Education Rally criticised the ASUU Strike and called on the government to shift ground on the matter. ALSO READ: 3 reasons why WAEC withholds SSCE results Some of their placards bear such messages as FG should meet up their agreement with COEASU, Nigerian students are tired of unstable education, Save education save the future, stop mortgaging our future, Education is the future we have, No nation can survive without good education. Speaking about the strike, NANS Zone A Coordinator, Umar Faruk Lawal Nigerian students are not happy about the way things are going in the country. He said, We are not happy with the federal government, all our institutions are shut down, we are not happy with the way things are going in the education system. Nigeria students should be called back to the classrooms. The lecturer according to Punch was arraigned on Monday, November 19, 2018, before Justice Maureen Onyetenu of a Federal High Court, Osogbo, on four counts bothering on alteration of age and demanding sex to pass her student. Recall that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, announced that the former lecturer would be arraigned. ece-auto-gen Akindele pleads However, during his arraignment, Professor Akindele was reported to have pleaded through his lawyer, Omotayo Alade-Fawole asking for a plea bargain. The former Professor also reportedly claims he has health conditions that will make it difficult for him to stay in prison. ALSO READ: 5 times lecturers have been accused of sexual harassment in 2018 Akindele said that he is already serving punishment for his action, since he has been sacked by the University authorities. As the eight edition of the Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, wraps up, South African movies led the pack of winners at the festival's awards night, AFRIFF Globe awards with 30 Nigerian films making it to the final list of 140 films screened. At the closing night gala, Kasala won Viewers Choice Awards, The Delivery Boy by Adekunle Nodash Adejuyigbe won Best Nigerian film and Coat of Harms by Stanlee Ohikuare won Best Short. That didn't stop our Nigerian celebrities from leading the pack with the best looks of the gala night. From Rita Dominic in a custom Tubo dress and Michelle Dede in Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi, here are some of our favourite looks of the night. NAN gathered that the rally in Oro, the hometown of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was meant to celebrate the outcome of Saturdays bye-election won by the partys candidate, Raheem Olawuyi. The vehicles conveying the party members, a Nissan Previa with registration number BU 383 ABJ and Mazda 323 number FKJ 169 AN, were said to have had a head-on collision with a Nissan Murano Jeep marked KJA 905 CV at about 4:30 pm. One of the party members was said to have died instantly following the impact of the crash while others were rushed to Adeyemo and Ajisafe hospitals in Omu-Aran. The other four victims were said to have died in the hospital while those who sustained injuries, among them the partys Chairman in the council, Hon. Yemi Aransiola, were being treated. An eyewitness, Kunle Azeez, said the driver of the jeep survived. Azeez told NAN that the jeep had overtaken a trailer while on top speed before the head-on-collision with the cars conveying the party members. A NAN correspondent, who visited the hospitals on Monday, reports that the partys stalwarts were seen making frantic efforts to receive the corpse of the victims for burial at their respective communities. Mr Tyia Asagun, an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Omu-Aran Unit Command, who claimed to have coordinated the accident rescue efforts, told NAN that the cause of the accident was still being investigated. He, however, said that over speeding and dangerous driving were suspected to have played major roles in the accident. Asagun said the command, after the rescue efforts, had handed over the accident case to Oke-Onigbin Police Division located a few meters from the accident scene. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba held that where the proposed name of a company or its aims and objectives are caught by the provisions of Section 30 (1) (c) of CAMA, the Respondent (CAC), is duly empowered to reject such an application for reservation of name or registration. The judgement followed a suit filed by Pamela Adie who established the initiatives in 2017 with the aim of advocating for Nigerians who have inclination to same-sex relationship. In her bid to legalise the group, Adie lost her appeal twice at CAC on the ground that the name of the group was misleading and contrary to public policy. She approached the court for redress following the refusal by CAC. In the suit filed by her lawyer, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, she wrote, "Whether having regard to the express provisions of sections 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 10 (1) of the African Charter on Human And Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9, Laws of the Federation on Nigeria 2004, the Respondent's rejection of the registration/reservation of the Applicant's proposed name of an Association - Lesbian Equality and Empowerment Initiatives is a violation of the Applicant's right to Freedom of Association. "Whether having regard to the express provisions of Sections 39 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), and Article 9 (2) of the African Charter on Human and People's Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the Respondent's rejection of the registration/reservation of the Applicant's proposed name of an Association - 'Lesbian Equality and Empowerment Initiatives', is a violation of the Applicant's rights to freedom of expression." Justice Dimgba, while acknowledging the right of the applicant to freedom of expression, held that "in exercising its discretion to reject the name sought to be reserved, the Respondent has not violated the right to freedom of expression since the proposed name itself is in collision with an existing and operational law". He held that the case must must fail "so far as the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act is still much operative in Nigeria and has not been repealed". Nigeria's anti-homosexuality law In 2014, then-president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA) into law. At that time, existing legislation already criminalised consensual same-sex activities in the country. The law forbids any cohabitation between same-sex sexual partners and bans any 'public show of same sex amorous relationship'. The law also prohibits Nigerians from registering, operating, or participating in gay clubs, societies and organisations, or supporting such activities. Punishment for violations of the provisions in the law ranges between 10 to 14 years imprisonment. The National Coordinator of the group, Elder James Amedu, also urged CAN to refrain from making political statements. Amedu said in Lagos that any attempt to politicise Christendom in the days leading to the 2019 elections should be resisted by the Christian body. According to him, CAN should neither delve into politics nor utter statements that run contrary to the Christian faith. CAN must not be seen as working for any party. Some of the CAN leaders have desecrated their pulpits by campaigning for certain candidates, under the pretext that they are relaying Gods voice, he said. Amedu recalled that four years ago, in the build up to the 2015 General Elections, the Christian faith was ridiculed repeatedly because CAN was seen to be supporting the then ruling PDP. According to him, the then CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, allegedly reduced the association to the outsourced PR firm of the PDP. He said many Nigerians were burdened that Christendom was being politicised in the country again. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Amal Pepple Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage, had on Nov. 6, submitted its report to President Buhari where it recommended N30,000 as the new national minimum wage. While receiving the report, the president expressed his commitment to ensuring the implementation of a new national minimum wage and pledged to transmit an Executive bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time. He expressed delight that the committee had successfully completed its assignment in a peaceful and non-controversial manner. President Buhari said that the Federal Government would soon transmit an Executive bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time. However, the 36 state governors had since expressed reservations over the proposed N30,000 new minimum wage by the Amal Pepple committee, saying the state governments were not in a stable financial position to pay the new minimum wage. The Chairman of the Governors forum and Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, had on Nov. 15, told newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the governors in Abuja that payment of N30, 000 wage was impracticable. This was disclosed in an official statement released by the Army on Saturday, November 17, 2018. The Army said the group's leader has already been identified as a certain Abul- Fadl Iyad Gali and will fight the group with advanced technologies. The statement read, "Meanwhile, the new leader of JAMA'ATU NUS'RATUL-ISLAMI WAL-MUSLIMINA, Abul- Fadl Iyad Gali has also been identified. The group is a new terrorist group which Ansaru is affiliated to. "In the same vein, the identification of the leader of JAMA'ATU NUS'RATUL-ISLAMI WAL-MUSLIMINA group would enable the NA target the group effectively using advanced technologies in its arsenal. "This is as the existence of group portends grave danger to Nigeria's national security." Army kills ISWAP media chief The Army also disclosed that the media chief of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ahmad Sale, has been killed by troops. ISWAP is a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has operated in the northeast region of the country since 2009. The group's insurgency kicked off nine years ago after its spiritual leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed during a crackdown by security operatives that also led to the death of hundreds. Abubakar Shekau took control of the group and has killed tens of thousands of people as well as displaced millions who currently reside in internally displaced persons camps in the country. Before Andrew was a child with cancer, he was a child with special needs, said his mother Christy Panoff. He had nearly 400 hours of speech, occupational and developmental therapy in about a year and a half, she said. This was made known in a statement issued by the office of the Senate President on Twitter, from the handle, @SPNigeria. The statement reads: Today, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, met with a delegation from @UKinNigeria led by Harriet Thompson, the Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria. The meeting between the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and the delegation from @UKinNigeria focused on the progress of the National Assemblys priority pieces of legislation. The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, speaks on the progress of #CAMA and the #PoliceReformBill in todays meeting with the @UKinNigeria delegation. ALSO READ: Controversial audio recording Over the weekend, an audio recordingallegedly of the Senate President boasting that he spent millions of Naira to sponsor President Buharis presidential campaign in 2015, went viral. In the audio recording, Saraki allegedly complained to those listening that he was not given any opportunity to nominate anybody for federal appointments. The 63-page policy document is titled 'Let's Get Nigeria Working Again'. The policy document presentation kick-starts Atikus campaign for president ahead of the 2019 election; and the event will be broadcast live on Atikus Facebook page. Here are 8 things the document will dwell on: 1. You can access this document online at no cost, when it is launched According to the Atiku campaign organization; The PDP presidential candidate will present his vision for Nigeria and his action plan to achieve it as encapsulated in his policy document. The document will promptly be uploaded on his website for all Nigerians to access at no cost. 2. Atiku has promised to run an issue based campaign The PDP flagbearer has promised to run a campaign based on the issues and the issues only. ece-auto-gen In line with that promise, the policy document focuses on issues like reviving a moribund economy, economic empowerment for millions of Nigerians, bridging the nation's infrastructure deficit, "improving access to qualitative as well as industry-relevant education", transparency, building a savings culture, promoting multilateral trade and restructuring. The Atiku campaign organisation says the candidates decision to kick-start his presidential campaign with the launch of his policy document is meant to reiterate his commitment to running an issue-based campaign. 3. Atiku has promised to grow Nigeria's GDP The candidate has promised to build a "broad-based, dynamic and competitive economy with a GDP of US$900 billion by 2025". 4. Private sector will get access to credit, Atiku says The policy document states that "enhanced private sector access to credit will be prioritized and regulatory institutions will be strengthened and their independence will be shielded from political interference". 5. Atiku has promised to deliver 20,000MW of electricity "By 2025, Nigeria shall make giant strides in diversifying its sources of power and delivering up to 20,000MW", the policy document reads. ece-auto-gen For context, Nigeria has only been able to generate 7,000MW of electricity while transmitting a little over 5,000MW, at the best of times. 6. Atiku promises to create 12 million jobs The statement from the Atiku campaign organisation highlights that our policy document focuses on creating jobs, ensuring security, growing business, developing power and water infrastructure, agriculture and education and how we will empower women. Our policies outline the goals and methods for developing and revitalising Nigeria as the foundation of our campaign. This policy document is being launched to encourage a dialogue with the people of Nigeria, inviting everyone to join us in helping to get Nigeria working again". Essentially, Atiku has promised to create 12 million jobs as Nigeria's president. 7. Atiku wants you to own this policy document Atiku is launching this document so you can take ownership of it, he says. Hes taking the campaign directly to Nigerians with this document, his campaign adds. ece-auto-gen That is why we want Nigerians to access the policy directly and ultimately take ownership of it. Our campaign offers a simple message: United, the people of Nigeria can begin anew, creating a prosperous and secure future and a better life for every Nigerian, his campaign organisation says. 8. Atiku will be happy to meet with you on the campaign trail I started out as an orphan selling firewood on the streets of but God, through the Nigerian state, invested in me and here I am today, Atiku said in a 9-minute broadcast that was streamed live on Facebook. If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you, he said. Atiku served as Customs boss for many years before his first foray into politics. He first ran for president in 1993 and has remained a major player in the nation's political scene ever since. Atiku unveiled his plan contained in a document called Lets Get Nigeria Working Again. Jobs and more jobs The 71-year-old former Nigeria Vice President has promised to create millions of jobs, revive the economy and fix Nigerias crumbling infrastructure if elected. If elected President, I will be pro-active in attracting investments and supporting the 50 million small and medium scale enterprises across Nigeria for the purpose of doubling the size of our Gross Domestic Product to US$900 billion by 2025. These investments will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first 2 years. My team and I will also help create jobs by innovating flagship programmes such as the National Open Apprenticeship Programme through which we shall enhance the capacity of Master-Craftsmen and women to train 1,000,000 new apprentices every year", he said. Atiku added that his policy proposition isnt mere talk. I am not just presenting these policies to you, I want you to own them. Take a look at them, he said. Atiku is looking to unseat 75-year-old Muhammadu Buhari as Nigerias President on February 16, 2018. Atikus launch is coming after his closes contender, President Buhari launched his documenttagged Next Level on Sunday, November 18, 2018. According to Vanguard, the PDP flagbearers policy plan has a six-year timeline, and members of the PDP in the South-West and South-East are reportedly disturbed. The Nation also reports that a PDP Governor who commented on the issue, said policy is causing some disquiet because it does not give a ray of hope that power will shift from the North to the South in 2023 if Atiku is elected as the nations president in 2019. Some of us were expecting a timeline of 2019 to 2023 but the policy plan is mostly made up of a six-year plan. The people of the South-East, South-West and South-South want a commitment from Atiku on whether or not he will spend one term in office in order to complete the slot of the North. We are suspecting that those who drafted the policy have a hidden agenda of two terms in office for Atiku. Planning for the future A member of the partys National Working Committee (NWC) however dismissed the insinuations. He said I think our candidate is planning for the future for the country. It may not be a matter of second term ambition. ALSO READ:All the times Atiku has dumped one political party for another Atiku has not really been categorical on whether or not he will spend one term in office. So, those raising dust on 2025 policy plan are getting agitated to know where he stands. Sanwo-Olu is the Lagos governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria's governing party. In September, journalist Dele Momodu announced to the world that Otedola was going to run for the office of Governor of Lagos on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Breaking news: Lagos 2019 promises to be interesting. PDP offers Femi Otedola governorship ticket. He's accepted and personally confirmed to The Boss newspaper, Momodu shared on Twitter. Otedola neither confirmed nor denied Momodus disclosure. "Wonders will never cease" On Saturday, November 17, 2018, Otedola shared a picture on his Instagram where he was seen posing with Sanwo-Olua frontline governorship candidate ahead of the 2019 elections. Dinner at my residence yesterday evening with my childhood friend, APC governorship candidate, Jide Sanwo-Olu; the governor in waiting, Otedola wrote. That ringing endorsement of an opposition figure by a member of his party has understandably left George dazed and flummoxed. ece-auto-gen That is news to me. That is very interesting. Wonders will never cease. It is very shocking, George who is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), told Punch newspapers. Quizzed on what has become of Otedolas rumoured governorship ambition, George stated, He has always been with us (PDP). I will call him. I will find out that Ki lo ri? Ki lo se? (What did you see? What did you do?) That is strange. George however said Otedolas apparent volte face wont affect the electoral dynamics of the PDP in Lagos. ece-auto-gen No, it doesnt affect our strategies towards 2019 because he is not in our camp. But it is shocking. He is my aburo (junior) and I am going to find out from him what made him (endorse Sanwo-Olu). But he is a thoroughbred Lagosian and the people Bola (Tinubu) is handpicking are all from Ogun State. Is that what he wants for his state? I will ask him,George was quoted as saying by Punch. While speaking in Abuja on Monday, November 19, 2018, the former Minister of Education said Nigeria needs a leader like her to make the country realise its huge potential. She accused President Buhari of repeating the same mistakes made by previous adminitrations in the running of the country and urged Nigerians not to resign to low standards by voting for him or Atiku, a former vice president running on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). She said, "I cannot stand it when we choose to accept mediocrity or resign ourselves to lowly standards. Nigeria can do much better. "I care about Nigeria and Nigerians enough to know that the back-to-back failed leadership has held us back for far too long, and if we do not take a stand and take our country back, they would still be here in years to come, holding back our children and their children. God forbid!" I'll fulfil my campaign promises - Ezekwesili Ezekwesili also promised Nigerians that she'll lead an honest government that will be committed to delivering on promises made before attaining office, unlike the current government who went back on its promises. "The APC campaigned in 2015 on a manifesto that propagated the doctrine of restructuring. President Buhari went along with it every step of the way because it is all about getting into power for him. He won and then began to renege on his promises, including on restructuring. He suddenly remembered all the reasons why 'structure is not the problem' with Nigeria. "I want to reignite belief in Nigeria's greatness by leading a government that would make clear promises to citizens and deliver on them, not like the current leadership which spent its first year in office denying all the promises it made to get into that office," she said. 2019 presidential election The 2019 presidential election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is billed to be closely-fought between Atiku and President Buhariof the All Progressives Congress (APC). Alongside Ezekwesili in the chasing pack is Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC). Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Olusegun Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more. While speaking during an interview in Abuja on Saturday, November 17, 2018, Gbor, a retired Major General, said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have failed Nigerians and left them to suffer with a streak of terrible governance. He said next year's election is an opportunity for Nigerians to choose between sticking with the past or forging a new future with him at the helm. He urged Nigerians to ignore President Muhammadu Buhari of APC and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, of the PDP who are both frontline candidates for the election. He said, "Nigeria has a choice. Buhari has emerged as APC candidate while Atiku has emerged as PDP candidate and I have emerged as presidential candidate for APGA. "You have a choice. If you want, vote for Buhari and go down as a nation. If you want, vote for Atiku when you know that PDP has already failed Nigerians. "If Nigerians want a change, they should vote for me. Nigerians should make their choice. "I am coming to save and recreate Nigeria just like Gowon did. I am coming from the Middle Belt just like Gowon to reunite this country and make it one indivisible nation where everybody is happy." 2019 presidential election ece-auto-gen While next year's election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is expected to be keenly-contested between Atiku and President Buhari, they both face competition from other candidates including Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC). Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more. Julius Anyawu Uche was charged with 10 offences under cybercrimes legislation after scam emails were sent in the name of President Muhammadu Buhari's wife, Aisha. The defendant pleaded not guilty before a judge sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos. Uche was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the same court on January 18. Two other men were also remanded in custody until the same date on similar offences. One of them, Agu Ifeanyi George, 48,allegedly pretended to be a medical doctor seeking funds to relocate from war-torn Syria with her family. Uche, who according to police is also known as "Musa Mohammed", is said to have conspired with "others at large". Oh Chong Song's dramatic dash across the border at the Panmunjom truce village in the Demilitarized Zone -- under fire from his comrades -- made global headlines last year, and saw him hospitalised with serious injuries. The 25-year-old Oh is the son of a major-general, Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported, in what it said was the defector's first media interview. But despite his privileged birth -- he described himself as "upper class" -- he felt no allegiance to the North's leadership. AFP "Inside the North, people, and especially the younger generation, are indifferent to each other, politics, and their leaders, and there is no sense of loyalty." He was "indifferent" to the rule of Kim Jong Un, the third generation of the Kim family to lead the North, and had no interest in how his friends felt about it. "Probably 80 percent of my generation is indifferent and has no loyalty," he was quoted as saying. "It is natural to have no interest nor loyalty since the hereditary system is taken as a given, regardless of its inability to feed people." Oh denied media reports in the South that he was wanted for murder in the North. AFP After some unspecified trouble with friends, the Sankei said, he started drinking. On his way back to his post he broke through a checkpoint and, fearing execution, decided to keep going. "I feared I could be executed if I went back so I crossed the border," he was quoted as saying, adding he had no regrets about defecting. The newspaper said Japanese intelligence officials had confirmed Oh's identity. A short clip posted by the Sankei Shimbun on its website shows him wearing a black jacket and a white top, speaking with a slight North Korean accent. His face is not revealed. 'Heavy punishment' AFP Seoul's unification ministry -- which handles inter-Korean affairs including the resettlement of defectors -- declined to comment on the interview and said it does not keep tabs on defectors after they are released from resettlement centres. Lee Cook-jong, the South Korean doctor who treated Oh, told a radio interview last month that the defector had secured a job and bought a car, adding he had nearly lost his North Korean accent. The geopolitical landscape around the Korean peninsula has shifted dramatically since last year when US President Donald Trump threatened to rain "fire and fury" on the nuclear-armed North Korea. "I really felt that we were on the verge of war with the US," Oh was quoted as saying. "The tension (that I felt) trickled down from the top." jpegMpeg4-1280x720Now a rapid rapprochement has taken hold on the peninsula and troops in the border truce village where he defected are to be disarmed. Oh said he understands the former comrades who shot him. Mna Guebla detonated a bomb near police cars on the busy upmarket Avenue Habib Bourguiba in central Tunis on October 29, killing herself and wounding 26 people, mostly police officers, Hichem Fourati told parliament. Fourati said the 30-year-old had received online instructions on bomb-making from "terrorist elements" based in the country's mountainous east, the epicentre of a long-running jihadist campaign of attacks targeting Tunisian security forces. The attack was the first to rock the Tunisian capital since 2015. Police sources said the assailant appeared to have used a homemade bomb rather than an explosive belt. Guebla, who lived in a marginalised rural area in the eastern Mahdia region, was studying for a doctorate and spent hours on the computer locked in her room, but her family said there was no indication she was being radicalised. After her death, authorities found "a quantity of raw materials used in the manufacture of explosives" at her house, Fourati said. The Guardian on Sunday reported that senior staff at the British media house were divided on the decision to censor a womans body. The woman in the interview was a Kenyan socialite, Glamour Pam who was interviewed on a documentary titled; Fake Me: Living for Likes. ece-auto-gen Fake News The documentary was part of BBCs focus on fake news, and was meant to show how people seek to depict a false lifestyle through social media. The decision to deal with Pams cleavage was made at senior editorial level at BBC Africa, the Guardian reported while quoting an internal email discussing the incident and justifying the decision. BBCs spokesman later explained that the blurring was done to comply with some of the strict watershed regulations in some African countries. This is the second time that BBC Africa has been on the spot over documentaries shot in Kenya. ece-auto-gen Bridget Achieng In September, Kenyan socialite Bridget Achieng' threatened to sue the media house over the manner they depicted her in a documentary on Kenyan women providing sexual favors in exchange for material benefits. "I was shocked I did a 2 months documentary only for them to cut my interviews and make me look like I am a prostitute," she said. BBC later offered an explanation for the documentary, clarifying Achiengs position in the documentary. According to a source who spoke to Pulselive.co.ke newsdesk, the results will likely be announced from Star of the Sea school, Mombasa at 11am. Checking Results KNEC via their Twitter account alerted candidates by posting the number they would send their index number to get their results. "For your KCPE 2018 results send SMS with 'Index Number' to 20076 #KCPE," the Tweet read in part. Pulse Live Kenya On Sunday President Uhuru Kenyatta had hinted that exams would be announced today but he later retracted his statement. Before the exams began, Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) Chairman George Magoha had announced that the marking of exams would take approximately three weeks. Dr Magoha had said that Knec would use 20 machines it acquired last year to mark the exams. The optical mark recognition (OMR) machines enable the examiners to scan exam papers with multiple choice answers and can handle up to 10,000 papers daily. Exam Marking Exams are programmed with the correct answers and detect the pencil shade on the answer sheets. ece-auto-gen Since last year, only the English composition and the Kiswahili Insha are marked manually. After marking, the examiners are expected to pass the marked scripts to a new machine for the tallying of marks. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Their homes are reduced to ash and charred remains. They have the clothes on their back, and not much else. Northern Californias raging wildfire has displaced 52,000 people and has destroyed 9,800 homes, according to the Associated Press. Who will help the victims as they pick up the pieces of their shattered lives? Research suggests community ties can be effective beyond the support from government or nonprofit agencies. Our previous studies have shown that faith-based and community organizations played a pivotal role in coordinating relief efforts, said Seungyoon Lee, an associate professor in Purdue Universitys Brian Lamb School of Communication. They were a central point of contact in terms of sharing information about financial assistance and recovery steps, and they became a bridge between community residents and the bigger nonprofit and state and federal agencies. They also organized donated items and volunteers. Lee is part of an interdisciplinary research team examining the resilience of communities destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. A four-year study is using social media data, game-theory algorithms and advanced simulations to determine why some communities recovered more successfully than others. Local organizations, given their local knowledge and familiarity, have offered both physical and mental support to residents affected by disasters, she said. Residents mentioned appreciation of face-to-face support when they were frustrated with the communication and coordination failures in some of the non-profit and governmental organizations. We also observed grassroots efforts, where a few residents partnered together and initiated the support of local churches and schools and then got their words out to attract a large number of volunteers and donations from outside. Researchers estimate communities can lose as much as 20 percent of their pre-disaster population following a natural disaster. Cities and towns in California could experience a population drop, she said. In previous disasters, return rates have varied largely across neighborhoods, depending on neighborhood characteristics and housing types, demographics and socioeconomic status, and other factors, she said. Vulnerable populations, such as low-income and minority residents, have difficulty mobilizing resources and often experience a pile-up of adversities that deter them from rebuilding and recovering. Writer: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu Source: Seungyoon Lee, seungyoon@purdue.edu Ponsi Trivisvavet, CEO of Inari, talks Wednesday (Nov. 7) about why the Cambridge, Massachusetts, company decided to expand its operations to the Purdue Researrch Park business complex in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Seed Foundry will fundamentally challenge the seed industry with a shorter, lower-cost and more precise product development cycle complementing Inaris Cambridge base. Strategic expansion to Purdue will further enhance Inaris product development and innovation through its association with Purdue College of Agriculture. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Inari, a Flagship Pioneering company, on Thursday (Nov. 8) introduced the worlds first Seed Foundry as part of the companys mission to reintroduce genetic diversity, revolutionize the seed industry and create a food system that is environmentally responsible, promotes better health and is more resilient. Purdue Research Park business complex, in West Lafayette, Indiana, will be the next strategic location for the Cambridge-based Inari to fuel its product development and innovation in order to restore the naturally rich building blocks of agriculture enhanced by its proximity to the seed industry and the Purdue University College of Agriculture. Inari is disrupting an industry by utilizing the natural genetic diversity in plants, equipping crops to be more resilient to climate change and respectful to the environment all while significantly lowering product development costs and accelerating the timeline for introduction of new varieties. Inari will accomplish this by using genetic knowledge to make precise changes to genes to deliver desired field performance through customized seeds for microclimates around the world. We are looking forward to tapping into the community and research prowess of Purdue. Establishing a base in Indiana will not only allow us to ramp up our product development efforts, but it puts this activity in close proximity to seed companies, which we view as the best partners to reintroduce genetic diversity in agriculture, said Inari CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet. Purdue has been on the forefront of agriculture, particularly digital agriculture, bringing together researchers, students, farmers and others to change the agricultural landscape. Purdue has had three World Food Prize laureates since 2007, its College of Agriculture was rated as the ninth best in the world by Quacquarelli Symonds and its Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering was ranked as the top program in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The College of Agriculture's International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) collaborates with educational institutions, agencies and organizations throughout the world. We are excited to see a Boston-area startup that undertook a national search to find the best place to break new ground in agribusiness decided being near Purdue was the ideal location. With joint goals to advance agriculture and provide sustainable food products for people around the world, Inari and Purdue are a natural fit, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said. Purdue and Inari can change crop development for the better, making it more diverse and help address the worlds nutrition and health challenges for decades to come. Karen Plaut, Purdues Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, said working with Inari will create opportunities for faculty, students and others involved in agriculture. Inari is applying unique artificial intelligence and data sciences in its efforts to grow this high-tech agriculture company. These are all areas of excellence here at Purdue, so we welcome their arrival, Plaut said. Inari and Purdue share a similar vision that will ultimately lead to more nutritious and productive crops and better profits for farmers in the years to come. Johnny Park, CEO of the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, a consortium of 10 Indiana counties, said Inaris arrival in the region is exciting because its goals align with WHINs mission to build on three Midwestern strengths: digital agriculture, next-generation manufacturing and regional vitality. By working collaboratively we can continue to make giant leaps in improving and innovating agriculture and changing the world, Park said. We are eager to see Inari contribute to this effort. Inari aims to revolutionize plant breeding by merging the latest technologies with leading-edge data analysis tools to bring top-performing plants to market faster with the aim of cutting breeding time by two-thirds and cutting development costs by up to 90 percent. Inari also plans to combine biology, agronomy, data science and software engineering to make innovative breakthroughs by working with seed company partners. Inaris total 26,000 square feet at Purdue Research Park will consist of an office space, lab and a 6,000-square-foot greenhouse complex. Growing the Inari team, currently at 65 people, the team based out of Research Park will add another 50 people by 2023 and consist primarily of scientists and product development teams. A video about Inaris emerging disciplines is available here. To learn more about Inari and our Seed Foundry, click here. About Inari Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, Inari is disrupting the seed industry by reintroducing genetic diversity to create a winning food system for all. This mission is powered by Inaris Seed FoundryTM, the seed product development process through which Inari leverages plants natural diversity to equip them to be more resilient to climate change and respectful to the environment. Inari works directly with seed companies to co-develop high performance seeds and give farmers more innovation and profitability. Inari is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with key development sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium and has a growing team of over 60 employees. To learn more about how Inari, visit Inari.com or follow the company on Twitter @inari_ag. About Purdue Research Park The Purdue Research Park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation and is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The Purdue Research Park manages the Purdue Technology Centers in five sites across the state of Indiana with locations in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. The more than 260 companies located in the park network employ about 5,000 people. In 2016, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities co-named the Purdue Research Park a top recipient for an Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Designation for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about leasing space in the Purdue Research Park, contact 765-588-3470 or click Purdue Research Park. Writer: Tom Coyne, 765-588-1044, tjcoyne@prf.org Inari: Julie Borlaug, 214-597-1009, Julie@inari.com Sources: Mitch Daniels, president@purdue.edu Karen Plaut, 765-494-8362, kplaut@purdue.edu Ponsi Trivisvavet, ponsi@inari.com Peatlands in the Peruvian Amazon could soon start emitting carbon rather than soaking it up, according to a new study. (Samantha Lloyd/Arizona State University School of Life Sciences) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Until humans can find a way to geoengineer ourselves out of the climate disaster weve created, we must rely on natural carbon sinks, such as oceans and forests, to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These ecosystems are deteriorating at the hand of climate change, and once destroyed they may not only stop absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, but start emitting it. Ecosystems that host a carbon-dioxide rich type of soil called peat, known as peatlands, are the most efficient natural carbon sink on the planet. When undisturbed, they store more carbon dioxide than all other vegetation types on Earth combined. But when theyre drained and deforested, they can release nearly 6 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions each year. Climate researchers are worried that many of the peatlands soaking up carbon now will soon be doing the opposite. Global peatlands cover only about 3 percent of global land area, but hold around 30 percent of the earths soil organic carbon, said Qianlai Zhuang, a professor of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences at Purdue University. Peatlands act like a terrestrial ocean because of their sequestering carbon, but will this large amount of peat carbon be released under a warmer climate, causing further warming? In collaboration with Sirui Wang, a Ph.D. candidate at Purdue, Zhuang looked to peatlands in the Peruvian Amazon to try to answer this question. According to an earth systems model spanning from 12,000 years ago to 2100 AD, this relatively small basin could lose up to 500 million tons of carbon by the end of this century. Thats about 5 percent of current global annual fossil fuel carbon emissions, or 10 percent of U.S. emissions, being spit back out into the atmosphere. By most estimates, South America will become both warmer and wetter by the end of the century. Zhuangs findings, which were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, show that higher temperatures lead to more peat carbon loss, while increased precipitation slightly enhances the build-up of peat carbon over long timescales. Together, this is likely to increase carbon loss from peatlands to the atmosphere. Peatlands in northwest Peru remain nearly intact, but this is isnt the case in most places with significant peat stocks, which are being cleared to make room for agriculture. Peatlands in some parts of the world, including Canada, Siberia and Southeast Asia, have already turned into significant carbon sources. The same fate may be coming soon for the Peruvian peatlands. If the area we looked at could represent the whole Amazonia or tropical peatlands, the loss of peat carbon to the atmosphere under future climate scenarios should be of great concern to our society, Zhuang said. Agricultural intensification and increasing land-use disturbances, such as forest fires, threaten the persistence of peat carbon stocks. These peatland ecosystems may turn into carbon sources instead of sinks unless necessary actions are taken. Researchers from Arizona State University, the Carnegie Institution for Science and Florida International University contributed to this work. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. Writer: Kayla Zacharias, 765-494-9318, kzachar@purdue.edu Source: Qianlai Zhuang, qzhuang@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: For a copy of the paper, please contact Kayla Zacharias, Purdue News Service, kzachar@purdue.edu. ABSTRACT A potential shift from a carbon sink to a source in Amazonian peatlands under a changing climate Sirui Wang, Qianlai Zhuang, Outi Lahteenoja, Frederick C Draper, and Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Amazonian peatlands store a large amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fate under a future changing climate is unknown. Here we use a process-based peatland biogeochemistry model to quantify the carbon accumulation for peatland and non-peatland ecosystems in the Pastaza-Maranon foreland basin (PMFB) in the Peruvian Amazon from 12,000 years before present to 2100 AD. Model simulations indicate that warming accelerates peat SOC loss while increasing precipitation accelerates peat SOC accumulation at millennial time scales. The uncertain parameters and spatial variation of climate are significant sources of uncertainty to modeled peat carbon accumulation. Under warmer and presumably wetter conditions over the 21st century, SOC accumulation rate in the PMFB slows down to 7.9 (4.3~12.2) g C m%& yr%) from the current rate of 16.1 (9.1~23.7) g C m%& yr%) and the region may turn into a carbon source to the atmosphere at -53.3 (-66.8~-41.2) g C m%& yr%) (negative indicates source), depending on the level of warming. Peatland ecosystems show a higher vulnerability than non-peatland ecosystems as indicated by the ratio of their soil carbon density changes (ranging from 3.9 to 5.8). This is primarily due to larger peatlands carbon stocks and more dramatic responses of their aerobic and anaerobic decompositions in comparison with non-peatland ecosystems under future climate conditions. Peatland and non-peatland soils in the PMFB may lose up to 0.4 (0.32~0.52) Pg C by 2100 AD with the largest loss from palm swamp. The carbon-dense Amazonian peatland may switch from a current carbon sink into a source in the 21st century. This year's festive season won't be so festive for many New Zealanders. One in five Kiwis say they can't afford to celebrate Christmas, a new survey commissioned by The Salvation Army has found. Around one in four New Zealanders will face hard times this festive season, with just under half saying it's a time of financial struggle, according to the survey of 1000 people aged over 18. Its the average families who are struggling to get ahead and to cope. Pam Waugh, head of Welfare Services at The Salvation Army, says the results speak to the "rise of the working poor", telling RadioLIVE it's a reflection of people living on fixed incomes who are struggling with increasing costs. In 2017, 17,000 New Zealanders sought help with the basics of life from The Salvation Army in the lead up to Christmas. And this year the organisation expects it to be "just as bad" without significant public support. The Salvation Army's annual Christmas Appeal which launches on Monday, under the theme 'All I want for Christmas'. Ten percent of Kiwis surveyed by the Salvation army said they go without so their kids can celebrate Christmas. You can donate to the Salvation Army here. Listen to the full interview with Pam Waugh above. The Long Lunch with Lynda Hallinan, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. Votes aren't the only things that haven't easily added up in Palm Beach County this election cycle. Neither have the South Florida countys decisions to spend election-integrity funds on civic coloring books and iPads rather than on fixing voting machines that officials have long called a problem. The same machines officials are blaming for delays in the recount of the Nov. 6 election were also blamed for problems in 2008 and 2012. Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher explains voting problems. It became evident through the vigorous pace of counting that the machines used for the recount were starting to get stressed, Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher told reporters last week. In a further twist, the company behind the Palm Beach machines says official claims that they overheated are false. The idea that this equipment is at fault is a mischaracterization, Kay Stimson, vice president of government affairs for Dominion Voting Systems, told RealClearInvestigations. There were no reports of overheating machines during the recount. We had engineers on the ground there, available 24/7, and they heard nothing from anyone at Palm Beach County. Three statewide races for governor, U.S. senator and agriculture commissioner were close enough to require a statewide recount this year. Because of vote-counting problems, Palm Beach election workers were forced to miss the Thursday deadline for recounting votes. A circuit judge extended the count to this Tuesday, although remaining doubts over the winners appeared to have been settled over the weekend. The counting controversy in Palm Beach seems certain to endure, however. Problems have occurred despite federal election security funding that the county has been given to keep voting systems running correctly -- part of the millions doled out to states under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, or HAVA. Records show Palm Beach County this year used its $909,000 share of HAVA funds to buy iPads for voters to check in at the polls. A 2009 audit of the countys elections department found the agency improperly spent $48,000 in HAVA money on coloring books. Bucher has asked commissioners for an $11.1 million system to replace the current one. She has said the equipment hasnt been ordered yet because she wants to make sure it complies with a state accessibility standard that allows people with disabilities to vote more easily. Numerous other counties have equipment that meets the standard. Bucher did not respond to an email from RealClearInvestigations seeking comment. The countys eight voting machines that reportedly went on the fritz while recounting ballots from this month's election were purchased in a no-bid deal in 2008 from Sequoia Voting Systems for $5.5 million. In 2012, the machines miscounted a race in Wellington Village, mistakenly calculating victories for two candidates who did not actually win. In that case, Bucher blamed Dominion Voting, which purchased Sequoia in 2010, for failing to advise her of a software update. Dominion disputed her claim. Even before Bucher took office in January 2009, the machines were presenting problems. In 2008, the countys optical-scan machines produced conflicting results for the same batch of ballots in a circuit judge primary. Experts framed that snafu as a combination of administrative failure and puzzling technological glitches. All these issues are probably a combination of [technical and user] mistakes, said Gerald Richman, a veteran elections lawyer who represented Democrats in Florida during the 2000 presidential election recount. Its hard to say why Florida is always involved in this, other than we have a lot of close races and a lousy voting system. The state approved the version of the software used in the Palm Beach machines in 2015. Palm Beach County is the only one in Florida using that particular system, although several other counties use Sequoia equipment. Whats unclear is if the machines are simply old or in need of a software update. Disputing claims that Dominion machines failed in this years election, Stimson said her company shipped motors to Palm Beach County the weekend before the machines were to be used for the recount, knowing that this was going to be a highly unusual situation and there would be stress far beyond normal usage. Those motors, she said, are still in their boxes. Florida received $19 million in HAVA funds in early summer. In its letter requesting the funding, Florida Secretary of State Kenneth Detzner said the state has, at the direction of Gov. Rick Scott, worked with local elections supervisors to modernize voting equipment. More than two-thirds of Florida counties have completed a voting equipment modernization and the majority of the remaining counties are in the process, Detzner wrote. Florida was also one of seven states that did not file a planned expenditure form, specifying how it intended to spend its share of HAVA funding. Stimson, the Dominion official, said the company has been trying to contact Bucher but has gotten no response. We have reached out to them to get clarification of this information that they have made public and their claims and have not heard back, Stimson said. 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 have searched the four corners of the globe to put this together. Were blessed with amazing talent, he said. Performers hail from South Africa, China, England, Holland, France, Ukraine, the United States and other countries. To give the production another dimension, a wonderful composer reimagined and rearranged some of the songs, Peakman said. Youll be hearing a completely new interpretation of Christmas music in an exciting soundtrack for the various acts we feature. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 11/19/2018 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. featured Olga and Steven welcoming their son and Colt Johnson and Larissa Christina Dos Santos Lima getting engaged during Sunday night's Season 6 episode on TLC.features couples separated by land and sea bringing the foreign fiances to the United States so they can tie the knot within 90 days. Otherwise, the American individuals risk losing love and having their significant others return to their home countries.Season 6 of stars Steven Frend , a 20-year-old from Bowie, MD, and his fiancee Olga Koshimbetova , a 20-year-old from Russia; Colt Johnson , a 33-year-old from Las Vegas, NV, and Larissa Christina , a 31-year-old from Brazil; and Kalani Faagata , a 29-year-old from Orange County, CA, and Asuelu Pulaa , a 23-year-old from Samoa.The remaining couples are Jonathan Rivera , a 32-year-old from Lumberton, NC, and Fernanda Flores , a 19-year-old from Mexico; Ashley Martson , a 31-year-old from Mechanicsburg, PA, and Jay Smith , a 20-year-old from Port Maria, Jamaica; and Eric Rosenbrook , a 40-year-old from Baraboo, WI, and Leida Margaretha , a 29-year-old from Indonesia.Below is the latest on each couple, according to the new episode:Jonathan and Fernanda had 65 days to wed, and Fernanda was still yelling at her fiance for dancing with a blonde woman at a club. Fernanda said Jonathan didn't respect her and he needed to act like he actually wanted to marry her."I think Fernanda is a little too young for her to handle this situation in a mature way," Jonathan said. "Every night we go out, it ends in a fight, and to be honest, this has to go better in order for me to go through with this marriage.What was supposed to be a romantic vacation turned into the worst night the couple has ever had.The incident made Fernanda obsess over previously finding underwear that belonged to Jonathan's ex.Jonathan apologized again for the prior night, but he explained that she had overreacted -- and if she ever got arrested and someone pressed charges, she would lose her citizenship in the United States."If you put me in this situation, I prefer being in Mexico with my family," Fernanda said, insisting the situation was Jonathan's fault and not her own fault.Jonathan told Fernanda he had put his hands up and warned the woman at the club he was engaged and could not dance with her, but she was still upset. Fernanda questioned Jonathan's loyalty and confessed she felt "stupid."Regardless of which person was at fault, Jonathan apologized and insisted that he loved her to death and would always be there for her and take care of her. Fernanda then stopped crying."Fernanda is explosive and she can do some crazy things, so I'm just trying to avoid that as much as possible," Jonathan told the cameras.Fernanda and Jonathan moved on from the fight and continued to work on their communication.Jonathan then revealed Fernanda was about to meet his family -- a meeting which was very important to her. Jonathan said his relationship with his mother was struggling because he had spent a lot of time in Mexico with Fernanda and she found out about his engagement on social media.Jonathan knew his family was a bit resentful of his relationship, and so he anticipated things might be a little difficult for Fernanda right off the bat. She unfortunately became stressed and nervous about the gathering.Jonathan acknowledged if Fernanda felt she had no family in the United States, she would leave and that would be the end of it.Olga was in labor and doctors told the couple she was going to give birth that very day. The doctor recommended a C-section because the baby was too big for her small hips.Steven was scared because all of the doctors spoke Russian and he didn't understand what they were saying. Steven realized, however, this method prevented Olga from being in a lot of pain.When the baby was born at 11:55AM, the doctor called him an "eagle," saying he's not small at all. Steven cried at the sound of his son crying, and then the couple saw him for the first time and got to hold him."I'm so happy," Steven said in tears. "You have no idea how happy I am right now."Steven and Olga named their child Richie, which was Olga's choice, and Olga said she immediately saw her fiance grow up. Steven knew he could give his wife and baby a better life in America.A few days after Olga gave birth, Steven expected Olga to be discharged from the hospital, and he couldn't wait for them to come home. He was tired of "Russian rules" keeping them apart.Steven then picked Olga up from the hospital, but he was a bit bothered by how overprotective she was being of the baby. Olga explained she was trying to protect Richie from germs."When Olga criticizes and tries to tell me what to do, it can really set me off and I get really defensive. I come from a family that has anger problems... but I want [this] to be completely different," Steven told the cameras, before telling Olga she couldn't be "an assh-le" to him.Olga confessed this was not the type of relationship she wanted in America, as he was rude.Colt and Larissa had 77 days to wed in the United States. Larissa said the heat in Las Vegas was "a nightmare," especially since Colt had a car without air conditioning. Larissa told Colt they needed to buy a new car.Colt called Larissa "impulsive" and said she has no idea how much things cost. Colt was a little annoyed by Larissa's demands and expectations, and she in turn, was disappointed Colt wasn't showing her more love.Once at a dealership, Larissa asked to see a "big, black, luxury" vehicle. She fell in love with an SUV but it was over $20,000, and so Colt said they needed a car that's more in the $10,000 price range.The couple was then shown a small, red, compact SUV, which Larissa hated. Colt acknowledged they had other expenses coming up, such as their wedding in less than 90 days.Colt then revealed to his mother, Debbie, he planned to propose marriage to Larissa and wanted the three of them to share a joint bank account.Colt took Larissa to the Stratosphere, which is the tallest building in Las Vegas. He thought their lunch was going to be incredibly romantic because of the view, but Larissa is actually terrified of heights and hated the experience.Since the date didn't go according to plan, Colt hesitate to pop the question, but he noted he'd be a fool to squander this opportunity.Colt then took a diamond ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee."Larissa, want to get married?" Colt asked."Yes!" she said. "[The ring] is perfect!"The couple then hugged and they both said, "I love you." She thought the proposal was amazing and didn't see it coming."I feel really happy Colt give to me a beautiful surprise. Now that Colt propose me with my ring, I expect that Colt stand by my side when his mother bothers me," Larissa told the cameras.The couple then shared their big news with Debbie, who seemed happy but certainly not ecstatic. Debbie was worried about the amount of money Colt spent on Larissa's ring, but she hoped for the best for them.Jay had only been in the United States for a few weeks and things were getting "incredibly hectic." Ashley said she couldn't be friends with Natalie anymore because she didn't support her relationship.Jay wasn't entirely comfortable in America yet. He missed his business and his friends, as he had no one to talk to in the United States. Jay thought the food in the United States was "alright," and he felt it was awkward to be the only black person in the grocery store.Ashley didn't realize people were going to stare at them as much as they did. Jay could sense the racism, and Ashley felt guilty about her fiance being so isolated. Ashley hoped the issue wouldn't escalate to the point of Jay wanting to return to Jamaica.Jay missed Jamaica and didn't feel like he fit in. He was also lonely since Ashley worked a lot.One day when Ashley was at work, he went to a local barbershop and seemed glad to hang out with fellow black men.Jay revealed he was getting married the following month, and the guys couldn't believe he was tying the knot at age 20 and "giving up his player's card" for life.Since Jay loved Ashley, he didn't feel like he was giving up a lot. Jay and Ashley couldn't take their time due to the visa process, and Jay admitted he wouldn't be getting married so fast if he had his way.Although the guys in the barbershop insisted Jay shouldn't get married and he was too young for such a commitment, Jay was very optimistic about his relationship.The couple prepared for a six-hour drive to Utah to see their new house. Kalani's parents offered the couple to live in their vacation house in Utah, and since she didn't have much money left, that was their only option.Kalani lived in California her entire life, so she was worried about going through major life changes without her family close by. Kalani had a nice conversation with Asuelu in the car, but once their son started crying, Asuelu took him out of the car seat.Kalani swore at Asuelu and admitted she was in "blackout rage mode." Kalani said she was not in control of herself and if they were standing outside of the car, she would "probably deck him."Asuelu said it's not the norm for babies to sit in car seats in Samoa, so he was upset and disappointed Kalani had screamed at him. Kalani eventually apologized to Asuelu for the way she had treated him, but he didn't want to hear it.The couple was exhausted and annoyed with each other, and so they decided to stop at a motel and spend the night there."This situation with the baby definitely makes me doubt wanting to marry Asuelu... Conversations I had with my sister, I was like, 'If he does stupid things with the baby, obviously I'm not going to put the baby in danger. And then one of the first trips we take, he does something dangerous with the baby," Kalani told the cameras.The following day, Asuelu continued to ignore Kalani, who didn't care since she had already apologized. Things were tense and it was an "uncomfortable" car ride, but after Asuelu had some space, he started to open up again.Kalani and Asuelu arrived at a nice house, and Asuelu was very proud they'd be living there.Asuelu then met Kalani's protective brother Nick, who gave Asuelu a condom so they couldn't have another child. Asuelu thought the gesture was rude and disrespectful because he didn't think his sex life was anyone else's business. Asuelu also said he's "not a slut."Asuelu then revealed he wants four children, but Kalani agreed to two -- maybe three. Kalani said he had "no idea" how expensive it is to raise a baby in the United States and they needed to get on the same page.Leida was complaining about Eric's place, saying it was "horrible," messy and dirty. There were dirty dishes everywhere and a tiny twin bed in the bedroom, and Leida pointed out that Eric's couch was an air mattress.Leida gave up her career and comfortable life for Eric, and her sister Reina admitted, "I don't know whether it's worth it."Eric's apartment did not live up to Leida's expectations, and she feared her well-respected and wealthy Indonesian family would not approve of his living conditions or financial situation.Leida's father, Wim, had "no comment" on Eric's apartment. And since Eric's daughter Tasha was still living there, there was no room for her five-year-old son Allessandro. Reina called it a "sh-t place" and said Leida shouldn't even think about living there.Reina suggested Leida needed to make sure Eric was okay financially and he had to be honest with her. Reina said Leida had "blindly believed" in everything Eric had told her and she's naive and easily fooled by others.Leida admitted her family "hated" the apartment and they insisted she needed to move into a bigger and better place."Eric failed me, and I don't think I'm ready to get married with Eric, but we will see," Leida said in a confessional.But Eric didn't think his apartment presented unsafe living conditions for Allessandro. Eric felt Leida's family was focused on their image, and he said he wasn't going to extend his credit and live beyond his means just to impress Leida's family.Wim offered Eric money, but he did not want it and did not accept it. Eric insisted he could take care of their rent in a new place. Eric did not want to appear weak.Leida ultimately decided to stick with Eric, telling her family that they needed to understand and accept her new life in the United States. Leida's family wasn't sure they could trust Eric, but Leida was sticking by her man. Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The applause you get from an audience of 3,000 doesnt even come close to the impact it has on you when a little kid looks you in the eyes and says, Look, I did it. Theyre just so proud of themselves, and your entire insides just jump with joy, Spencer said. 'If the RBI board forces the management's hand on all the key issues, it should be prepared for resignations by the governor and the key deputy governor, Viral Acharya,' warns T N Ninan. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters The general drift of published commentary since the spat between the government and the Reserve Bank of India became public has been as follows: A showdown should be avoided, and both sides should pull back; the government has a point on the need for more liquidity in the system; drawing on RBI reserves to keep the fiscal situation under control is not a good idea; finally, after having packed the RBI's central board with political fellow-travellers, to now ask such a board to take decisions so far left to the management is best avoided. The board can provide oversight and guidance, but on technical matters the decision must be that of the professional management. In broad terms, the commentariat has come down on the side of the RBI while asking it to be more flexible and more open to discussion and persuasion. There is another view: The RBI has excess reserves, which it should hand over to the government, to which the reserves belong. The central bank's management has not been subjected to proper accountability, despite obvious failures, and therefore the RBI's central board needs to play a more active role. And, it has its finger in too many pies and should focus on its core functions, leaving the rest to other market regulators or the government. Precedents from other countries have been cited for and against these positions. The calls for the two sides to pull back and relax is the most sensible advice that can be given, but may not be easy for a couple of reasons. First, the pressures in the economy are real. Second, the broader debate on the proper role and functions of the RBI has been going on for some years and has to be resolved because it surfaces every now and then, as now with the payments system. There is a third factor that in all honesty has to be recognised, namely the personality of the present governor, who is seen as not just rigid but also uncommunicative. Past governors too have been rigid, but willing to engage. And yet, especially after the manner in which the last governor left (admittedly, at the end of his term), the government is reluctant to pull the trigger prematurely on this one. Hence the government's push to get issues discussed threadbare in the board meeting on November 19. At the same time, if one were to judge by the tone and tenor of recent speeches by two deputy governors, there is a hardening of positions in the RBI's top echelons. If the board forces the management's hand on all the key issues, it should be prepared for resignations by the governor and the key deputy governor, Viral Acharya. That can only have negative consequences all around. Bear in mind that the government is yet to fund a suitable candidate for the post of chief economic advisor. To look for a new governor and one more top-flight economist to serve as deputy governor, in an atmosphere of conflict, will probably mean planting an officer from the Indian Administrative Service as governor, on the assumption that he will do the government's bidding. Given the criticism from influential quarters about filling senior economist positions with candidates from abroad, the search for suitable candidates will be an ask, though internal promotion could offer a solution. The best answer in such situations is some tactical give-and-take. The board should advise in favour of more liquidity in the system, while appointing a committee to go into the technical issue of whether the RBI has surplus reserves that can be handed over. The government should use its own resources to give money to the under-capitalised banks that it owns. And Governor Urjit Patel on his part would be well advised to recall how Manmohan Singh as governor in the early 1980s was opposed to giving a branch licence to a dodgy foreign bank. When the government insisted and threatened to take bank licensing away from the RBI, Dr Singh (who had submitted his resignation on the issue) chose to back off rather than allow institutional damage to be done. Dr Patel faces a similar situation today. The Indian Institute of Science topped the HRD ministry's 2017 national rankings. In 2016, the IISc was ranked among the world's top 15 universities in the Times Higher Education University Rankings. In his book The Creation of Wealth: The Tatas from the 19th to the 21st Century, R M Lala recounted how Jamsetji Tata's grand vision and immense personal contribution laid the edifice of arguably India's finest educational institution. IMAGE: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839-1904), who founded the Tata Group, circa 1890. Photograph: Henry Guttmann/Hulton Archive/Getty Images In September 1898, Jamsetji Tata announced an offer that was to astonish the men of his day. He decided to set aside fourteen of his buildings and four landed properties in Bombay for an endowment to establish a university of science. His donation was worth Rs 30 lakh in those days, equal to over Rs 10 crore of today. It was half his wealth. The other half he left to his two sons. His offer fetching an interest then of Rs 1.25 lakh a year was hailed in many quarters, but some of his fellow Parsis regretted that the wealth of the community was being diverted to a scheme from which few Parsis would benefit. Jamsetji's proposal was presented to the new viceroy, Lord Curzon, in 1898, the day after his arrival in India. The proposal was put to him by a deputation led by the vice chancellor of the Bombay University. Typical of Jamsetji, he did not say much on the occasion himself, but let the vice chancellor, Mr Justice Candy, and others do the talking. Curzon was lukewarm, and had two major doubts about the scheme. The first was whether qualified Indians would be forthcoming for such advanced scientific training. Secondly, whether there would be employment opportunities for them in a country that had no industries worth the name. To report on Jamsetji's scheme, the secretary of state for India requested the Royal Society of England to send out an eminent scientist. The Royal Society selected Professor William Ramsay, the discoverer of rare gases (including helium and neon), who was later to be awarded the Nobel Prize. After a quick tour of the country in ten weeks Ramsay reported that Bangalore was a suitable site for such an institution. On Curzon's doubt whether the qualified students would come to the institute to be trained in scientific methods, Ramsay recommended liberal scholarships. Ramsay also indicated certain industries that could be developed in India. IMAGE: Lord Curzon, viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons IMAGE: Lord Curzon, viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Meanwhile, Curzon was writing to the secretary of state for India, Lord Hamilton, on 26 June 1901: We are endeavouring to save Tata's scheme from the shipwreck which his ambitions and Ramsay's exaggerated ideas threatened it, and are asking the committee to consider and submit a scheme under which the annual expenditure will be limited to 10,000; 2,000 of which will be provided annually by the Government of India for ten years. It may be mentioned that Jamsetji's endowment alone provided 8,000 (Rs 125,000) a year. Curzon also wrote to Hamilton that his government would propose to create the institution on a more modest scale and then if Jamsetji declined it, the responsibility for destroying the scheme would be upon Jamsetji Tata and 'we shall escape the odium which would have been fully bestowed upon us.' IMAGE: A statue of Jamsetji Tata holding a replica of the main building. Photographs hereafter: Kind courtesy Indian Institute of Science IMAGE: A statue of Jamsetji Tata holding a replica of the main building. Jamsetji had hoped 'that corporations, the native chiefs, sardars' will gradually see their way to bountifully help such an institution. For this reason he insisted that his own name should not be attached to the institute. The maharaja of Mysore did come forward with a generous offer of 371 acres of land in Bangalore for the institute, a gift of Rs 5 lakh for construction and a recurring grant of Rs 50,000 a year. The Curzon government was taking its own time and was concentrating on cutting down and controlling the scheme. Did Curzon comprehend fully that what Jamsetji was after was not just a university of science but a new 'national system of education'? According to the original plan proposed by Jamsetji, the university was 'destined to promote original investigations in all branches of learning and to utilize them for the benefit of India.' IMAGE: The main building of the Indian Institute of Science The canvas that Jamsetji was working on was too vast for his contemporaries to fathom, far less to accept. The largesse he had given for the institute was from his private account. To increase the regular income of the institute, he wished to levy and lay aside a certain commission from his business. His colleagues in business opposed him. Jamsetji must have felt hurt. Though he could have pushed through his idea, he graciously bowed to the desire of his colleagues and restricted his endowment to his personal wealth. Attacked by some co-religionists, denied co-operation from those he had inducted into his business, confronted with an arrogant viceroy who could not understand the greatness of the giver or of his gift, any other man than Jamsetji would have withdrawn the offer. In fact the British reckoned that he would. But Jamsetji was not easily deflected from the accomplishment of his purpose. IMAGE: In 1913, Sir M Visvesvaraya, the dewan of Mysore, was nominated to the IISc council. IMAGE: In 1913, Sir M Visvesvaraya, the dewan of Mysore, was nominated to the IISc council. In 1904, Jamsetji added a codicil to his will urging his two sons not to use this money set aside for the university. If need be, he requested they add to the university from the wealth he was leaving them. While the scheme was still being considered and a provisional committee was looking into it, Jamsetji died on 19 May 1904. In 1905, when Curzon was on leave, he finally gave the green light to Dorab Tata, by agreeing that the government would meet half the cost. The institute opened in 1911 with three major departments of general and applied chemistry, electro-technology chemistry and organic chemistry. Today the institute has over thirty departments. IMAGE: Sir C V Raman with Dr Homi Bhabha and others. Dr Raman became IISc's first Indian director on March 31, 1933. Distinguished names in science and industry have been closely associated with the institute. The industrial genius Sir M Visvesvaraya was closely associated with the management of the institute for three decades. Nobel Prize winner Dr C V Raman was director of the institute for four years and did his important work on crystals and spectroscopy at the institute where he was the head of the department of physics for many years. Dr Homi Bhabha did his pioneering work on cosmic rays during the years of World War II and Lord Wavell visited the institute as viceroy mainly to see Dr Bhabha's work. Also at the institute was Dr Vikram Sarabhai who succeeded Dr Bhabha as the head of India's atomic energy programme. Dr Satish Dhawan, who became director of the institute in 1961, was later selected to concurrently head the Indian Space Research Organisation. IMAGE: Mahatma Gandhi at the department of electrical technology, with Sir C V Raman, Kasturba Gandhi, Kenneth Aston, head of the department, and Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's personal secretary. Gandhi visited the Institute twice, in 1927 and in 1936. When asked what are the distinguishing characteristics of the institute, its then director Dr C N R Rao, says, 'For success in intellectual endeavour the first requisite is freedom. We are the most free in India; truly autonomous. Once a member joins a faculty nobody bothers him, be he a lecturer or professor. Rank does not come in the way of a person's work. People are able to devote themselves to their research.' Professor M N Srinivasan of the faculty of mechanical engineering observes, 'The three distinguishing characteristics of the institute are: It has created an environment for research, it promotes creativity and witnesses intense activity.' IMAGE: To celebrate 100 years of the Indian Institute of Science, then vice-president Hamid Ansari released commemorative stamps. The reason why Jamsetji Tata did not want to give his name to the institute was spelt out by him in the letter proposing his scheme to Lord Reay. Jamsetji said: 'I want no title for myself, nor do I wish my name attached to anything.' In the platinum jubilee year, the institute decided to build a modern auditorium with a seminar complex and name it the J N Tata Auditorium. When Jamsetji Tata dreamt of the institute, he wrote: 'The objects of the institute shall be to provide for advance instruction and to conduct original investigations into all branches of knowledge likely to promote the material and industrial welfare of India.' His dream has been fulfilled. Excerpted from The Tata Saga with the kind permission of the publishers, Penguin Random House India. 'The CBI must become a creature of the Constitution,' argues T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan. Now that the rot Indira Gandhi introduced into government in the mid-1970s has begun to suppurate in the form of the open festering in the CBI, we will hear a lot of wailing about the degeneration of 'institutions'. Often, however, many people have only a vague notion of what the term 'institutions' means. So it is worth reminding everyone that an 'institution' is not a building. Nor is it an office. It is also not something that is instantly created. It is also not something available for duty-free import. Indeed, there are many things that it is not. It is, instead, a set of rules created over a long period of time to give effect to a set of values that evolve gradually to enable control. So whether it is the khap panchayats or the rules that govern entry into temples or those which govern the relations between governments and central banks or between the police and everyone else or whatever, two things are important for a genuine institution to emerge: Gradual evolution and the strict administering of rules. But here's the problem: In a winner-takes-all electoral democracy, there is no time for gradualism so that the rules never settle down. As we have seen in the post-Indira Gandhi era, one government's rule becomes another's misrule. There are two ways in which these allegations of misrule appear justified to many people. One is when a government becomes paranoid and panicky, upon which it starts making mistakes. The other, as result, is when a government puts loyalty to itself -- meaning the prime minister -- above loyalty to rules. The loyalty test Indira Gandhi went down this road when she adopted what I call the 'Sanjay-Dhawan imperative'. It was that in order to hold a top executive position in the central government, it was necessary, but not sufficient, to be a Punjabi, preferably Khatri. R K Dhawan proposed and Sanjay Gandhi approved. You can look up the postings history of 1974-1976 to check this. If I may illustrate the point, ceteris paribus, a Nayyar was preferred to a Nair. It is easy to draw the wrong conclusions from this sort of thing. But, in fact, it was no more than the replacement of a British practice or institution with an American one where loyalty to the leader is the key determining factor. And, in turn, this is the result of the need to deliver quick results, which can often be delayed if the existing rules slow things down. It's the old 'pesky priest' problem. Lest you think I am justifying the flouting of rules and laws, this is not my view. It was the view of Chief Justice P B Gajendragadkar, who said while governments were in a hurry, the judiciary had to see that things were done properly. The ensuing friction is-- if I may be permitted Justice V R Krishna Iyer type hyperbole -- the music of democracy. There's no need to get your knickers in a twist over it. That said, a problem nevertheless remains when you describe something that has been created by an administrative order as an 'institution'. The CBI is one such. It owes its existence to a home ministry resolution. That is why, in 2013, the Gauhati high court held that it was illegal. Since then the matter has been in the Supreme Court. But even if it overturns the Gauhati judgment, the CBI will not become an institution. For that to happen, it must satisfy the following two criteria. First, it must become a creature of the Constitution. These institutions are Tier One institutions and the only ones that are truly independent of governments. The Tier Two ones, created by Parliament, are semi-independent and the Tier Three ones, created by ministries, are just extensions. Second, like the other institutions created by the Constitution do, it must have its own staff. It just won't do to staff it with police officers on deputation. Even when they don't come with suspect credentials, the approach is not what an independent investigation agency needs. The rest, including the power and procedure of appointment of directors, and their removal, is a matter of detail. Besides, to a large extent the current system has taken care of this. It's unlikely that any of this will happen soon. But the current crisis offers Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi an opportunity to test the Opposition: Will it agree to the CBI being made a Constitution-mandated body? If nothing else, to deflate Opposition, Mr Modi should at least float the idea. 'Whatever the Supreme Court expected, it wasn't achieved in these five years. 'So, we have made an amendment now to achieve that objective.' Five years after the Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission to introduce a 'None Of The Above' or NOTA button on all electronic voting machines, the Maharashtra state Election Commission last week announced that if NOTA gets the maximum votes in an election, none of the contesting candidates would be declared elected and re-elections will be held. The state EC stated that the order will be applicable to polls and by-polls to all municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats with immediate effect. If NOTA gets the highest number of votes in the re-election as well, the candidate with the most number of votes, excluding NOTA, will be declared the winner. The rule will come into effect for the first time in the Ahmednagar and Dhule municipal corporation polls to be held on December 9. "To make democracy better we have to take certain steps," Maharashtra Election Commissioner J S Saharia tells Rediff.com's Hemant Waje. The Supreme Court issued its order on NOTA in 2013. However, a clause mentioned that while announcing the result, the NOTA option should not determine the winner even if it had polled the most votes. What made you amend this? In 2013, the Supreme Court gave an order to introduce NOTA in elections with three expectations, One, the voting percentage will increase. Second, political parties will field good candidates. Third, whatever the majority will vote, that will be selected. With these three observations, the Supreme Court gave its order. Till now there is no mention of NOTA anywhere in the local Act. The Supreme Court gave this order, but said that the votes to NOTA won't be counted. Whatever the Supreme Court expected, it wasn't achieved in these five years. So, we have made an amendment now to achieve that objective. Has there been any study or data to suggest that there hasn't been any change? See. It is in the public domain. There hasn't been any drastic increase in voting percentage (since the introduction of NOTA). The voting percentage has been stagnant. As you can see, political parties are still fielding candidates who have criminal backgrounds, good financial backing, and they are still winning. So overall, there is no change after the Supreme Court introduced NOTA. Has it happened earlier where NOTA secured more votes than the actual winner? I can't recall any specific instances, but yes, it has happened before where NOTA got more votes, but still the candidate with less votes has been declared the winner. It has happened in Maharashtra too. When will the Election Commission of India implement this rule for the assembly and general elections? The Election Commission of India and other state election commissions are independent bodies. It is up to the ECI and other state commissions to take that call. Will your new order force political parties to field good candidates? We hope so. The Supreme Court gave the order in 2013 with the expectation that parties will field good candidates. How will you create awareness among voters about your new order? Before the Dhule, Ahmednagar municipal elections, we will publish advertisements in the press and also inform voters about the new order. How do you think the voters will react to it? I hope more people will come and exercise their voting right. But if there are re-elections, wouldn't it put more burden on the already expensive, time consuming, tiring election process? No, it's not like that. To make democracy better, we have to take certain steps. There will be no burden on us. The state election commission is fully prepared (in case there is a re-election). IMAGE: Wailing relatives of a victim after two men on a motorcycle reportedly threw a grenade at the Nirankari Bhawan during a religious congregation, in Adliwal village near Amritsar, on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo Main preacher Sukhdev Kumar was among the three persons killed in a grenade attack on a religious congregation in Amritsar on Sunday, an incident which the police are treating as a terrorist act. According to police, the grenade was hurled towards the stage where Kumar was holding the congregation. Although the people who attended the congregation said the preacher may have been the target of the assailants as the grenade was thrown near the dais where he was addressing the gathering, police dismissed the suggestion. Inspector General of Police, S S Parmar said it looked unlikely that the preacher in particular was the target. He said the force will soon come out with more facts as various investigating teams were working on the case. It is, however, learnt that the police have deployed tight security around the house of Kumar, a resident of Meerakot village, just two kilometres away from the incident site. The other deceased were Sandeep Singh, a resident of village Rajasansi, and Kuldeep Singh. Nine women and a six-year-old child were among the injured, they said. A first information report was registered based on the statement of Nirnakari sect volunteer Gagan, who was on duty at the main door of the premises. The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan here is located close to the international airport and Indo-Pak border. The grenade was lobbed by one of the two people who had their faces covered. One person pointed a gun at the volunteers manning the gate, while the other one hurled the bomb after which they escaped, police and eyewitnesses said. Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora, who along with senior officers rushed to the spot, said police was treating it as a terrorist act. A Dubai court on Monday ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, according to a media report. Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the United Arab Emirates. The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, the Khaleej Times reported. Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the paper said. However, there was no immediate official confirmation about the courts ruling in New Delhi. On Monday, Michels lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client. The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case, the lawyer argued. Earlier, he argued at Dubais highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a violation of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower courts ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow the proper procedures when requesting the extradition, the paper said. The request should have been filed by Indias Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs, Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was flawed since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed, he argued. Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower courts ruling. With Dubais top court upholding the lower courts decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE minister of justice for the extradition procedure to start. The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department. Since the appellate court ruled on September 2 that he could be extradited, in response to a request filed by the Indian authorities to the UAE in connection with corruption-related charges, Michel lost his bail conditions, the paper said. Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became wanted on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals. Citing a source, the paper said Michels extradition request had previously been closed administratively here as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards. India officially made the request to the Gulf nation sometime back for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The money was nothing but kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through criminal activity and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. Michel denies the charges. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanicas British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million. Manish Kumar Sinha has also alleged that the complainant in the case, businessman Sana Sathish Babu, had told him that Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhari had been paid bribes to the tune of several crores of rupees for alleged help in matters related to CBI. The feud in the Central Bureau of Investigation turned murkier on Monday with a senior officer M K Sinha dragging the names of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss. K V Chowdhury did not respond to queries when his reaction was sought while Doval, the National Security Advisor, was not immediately available for comments. The Union minister termed the allegations as baseless and malicious. Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, the CBIs number 2, and important cases like the Punjab National Bank scam involving Nirav Modi, made a litany of sensational allegations in his petition before the Supreme Court that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur. Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Sinha, informed a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that his client has got some shocking revelations in his petition and sought urgent listing and hearing Tuesday along with the plea of CBI Director Alok Verma. Nothing shocks us, the bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, shot back, as it ruled out urgent hearing and asked Fernandes to be present in the court when it will hear Vermas plea challenging the governments decision to divest him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha claimed that as a result of his transfer to Nagpur he has been taken out of the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. The transfer is arbitrary, motivated and malafide, and was made solely with the purpose and intent to victimise the officer as the investigation revealed cogent evidence against certain powerful persons, he alleged. In his 34-page petition, Sinha, a 2000 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, alleged that the CBI director briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana. Subsequently on the same night, it was informed that the NSA has informed Rakesh Asthana about registration of the FIR. It was informed that Rakesh Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested, the petition said. Sinha, while supporting the affidavit of Deputy Superintendent of Police officer A K Bassi, who has also been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, claimed Bassi favoured immediate search of public servants involved in the bribery case(relating to Asthana) but the Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same. The CBI booked Asthana on allegations of receiving bribe from an accused Manoj Prasad probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Sinha said during interrogation of a middleman Manoj Prasad, who was arrested in the bribery case allegedly involving Asthana, the names of Doval and Samant Kumar Goel, Special Director of Indias external intelligence agency (Research and Analysis Wing) cropped up. As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, his father, retired as Joint Secretary, and has close acquaintance with Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI headquarter and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with Doval, Sinha said, adding Manoj claimed. Sinha said Manoj taunted the CBI officers and asked him to stay in limits. He said on October 20, searches were conducted at the residence and the office of Devender Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CBI who was investigating the Moin Qureshi case. The reason for the searches was based on certain inputs provided by Special Unit, based on legal interception. While the search was on, a phone call was received from Director CBI instructing to stop the search. At that time, the applicant (Sinha) was sitting in the BSF&C office and asked the Director, to which the Director replied that this instruction has come from NSA Shri Doval, Sinha alleged. Sinha, in his plea, also alleged that Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who is the complainant in the case against Asthana, told during interrogation that sometime in the first fortnight of June 2018, a few crores was paid to Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, at present the minister of state for coal. The minister, in a statement, said he would quit politics if the allegations were proven to be true. Certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know, nor have I met Mr Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe, he said. I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any enquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics, he said. Sinha, presently the Deputy Inspector General (Head of Branch) in CBIs Anti-Corruption Branch at Nagpur, also claimed Sana said he met the CVC along with one Gorantla Ramesh somewhere in Delhi and they discussed Moin Qureshis case. Sinha also alleged that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra had contacted Sana while the proceedings were going on in the CVC against Alok Verma. Chandra rejected the allegation as fake. In a wide-ranging interview, the US President said his administration is formulating 'rules and regulations' for the White House reporters. Trump said he is doing a great job as the President and gave himself 'A+' for successfully running the country. Pakistan doesn't do 'a damn thing for us', United States President Donald Trump said in his latest interview to Fox News, while defending his administration's decision to pull hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country. Trump further charged that the Pakistan government helped wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden to hide in their country. "We give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year . ... [bin Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," Trump was quoted saying in the interview. Speaking exclusively to Fox News' Chris Wallace in a wide-ranging interview, Trump also admitted that he occasionally enjoys calling on CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta. "Actually I like to do it, but in many cases I don't," Trump said. Trump, speaking to Wallace, floated another idea for dealing with Acosta. "I think one of the things we'll do is maybe turn the camera off that faces them, because then they don't have any air time, although I'll probably be sued for that and maybe, you know, win or lose it, who knows," Trump said in the interview. "I mean, with this stuff you never know what's going to happen," Trump added. Trump also called Acosta to be 'unbelievably rude to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee, who's a wonderful woman'. Trump said his administration is currently formulating 'rules and regulations' for the White House reporters. "And if he misbehaves, we'll throw him out or we'll stop the news conference," the President added. Refuting the media reports that labeled the President to be acting bitterly and resentful following the midterm elections, Trump called it to be 'disgusting fake news', and addressed some potential high-level departures from his administration. Trump said he is doing a great job as the President and gave himself 'A plus' for successfully running the country. "I think I am doing a great job. We have the best economy we have ever had," Trump told Fox News. "I would give myself, I would -- look, I hate to do it, but I will do it -- I would give myself an A+, is that enough? Can I go higher than that?" he said. Responding to a question in the wide-ranging interview, the US President said, "We are doing really well. We would have been at war with North Korea if, let's say, that administration continued forward". On North Korea, he also said that before leaving the office, his predecessor Barack Obama had advised him that the North Korea was one of the top challenges for the country. Trump said Obama had offered him some important guidance in the White House shortly after his 2016 election. "I think North Korea's been very tough because you know we were very close. When I took that over -- President Obama right in those two chairs, we sat and talked and he said that's by far the biggest problem that this country has," Trump told the news channel. "And I think we had real decision as to which way to go on North Korea and certainly at least so far I am very happy with the way we went," Trump said referring to the fact that his diplomacy with the North Koreans. Early this year, Trump became the first US president to hold talks with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. As a result of the summit meeting in Singapore, North Korea has agreed to a pathway of denuclearisation. There has been no missile tests and nuclear tests. The rhetoric and threats from the North Korean leaders against its neighbours and the US has almost ended for the past several months. Trump takes credit for his successful diplomacy with North Korea. During his interview, Trump told the Fox news that his supported candidates won in the mid-term elections against the candidates for whom Obama had campaigned for. "I won against President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama in a great state called Georgia for the governor," Trump said, referring to defeated Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams' top surrogates, to the news channel. "And it was all stacked against Brian (Kemp), and I was the one that went for Brian, and Brian won," he said, adding that and same with Florida. "Look at Florida. I went down to Florida. (Republican) Senate candidate) Rick Scott won, and he won by a lot. I don't know what happened to all those votes that disappeared at the very end. "And if I didn't put a spotlight on that election before it got down to the 12,500 votes, he would have lost that election, OK? In my opinion he would have lost. They would have taken that election away from him. Rick Scott won Florida," Trump said. With PTI inputs The attack on Nirankari Bhawan is a case of terrorism, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Monday and hinted at the involvement of Pakistan in the blast, in which three people were killed and over 20 injured. IMAGE: Relatives mourn the death of Sandeep Singh, at his funeral, in Amritsar on Monday. Three people were killed and over 20 injured when two motorcycle-borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation inside the Nirankari Bhawan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo After visiting the attack site along with his senior ministers, the chief minister said certain leads have been found which are being pursued aggressively and assured that culprits would soon be arrested. The chief minister has also announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anyone providing information on those involved in the blast. The grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan seemed to carry Pakistans signature, with initial investigations indicating that the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory, Amarinder said. He said the police had recovered similar HG-84 grenades from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating a high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across the border. Prima facie, this appears to be an act of terror by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, said the chief minister, adding his government has taken serious note of the incident and the National Investigation Agency is also helping in the investigations. Three persons including a preacher were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on Sunday. The attack took place inside the Nirankari Bhawans prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsars Rajasansi, an incident which the police are treating as a terrorist act. IMAGE: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh visits a victim of the grenade blast. Photograph: PTI Photo The chief minister flew in from Chandigarh along with his cabinet colleague and Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and Congress state president Sunil Jakhar to take stock of the situation. Blaming the Amarinder-government for the attack, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the chief minister of hobnobbing with radicals who are hell-bent on fomenting trouble in the state. I squarely blame Captain Amarinder Singh for the terror activity, as there is a conspiracy of supporting radicals and encouraging radicals. Today, he is responsible for what happened in Amritsar. The chief minister has hobnobbed with those forces which are hell-bent on fomenting trouble in Punjab, Badal told reporters. A NIA team visited the blast site on Sunday night along with explosive experts and held discussions with the top brass of the Punjab Police. Responding to a query, Amarinder said the attack could not be equated with the Nirankari conflict in 1978 as that was a religious matter and the Adliwal incident was purely a case of terrorism. Violence between the Sant Nirankari Mission and traditional Sikhs on April 13, 1978 at Amritsar had left 13 dead, and sparked the subsequent wave of terrorism in the state. Sundays incident had no religious overtones, as per initial investigations, the chief minister asserted. In response to another question, he said the state was already on high alert, with strict checking going on around landmark buildings and other vital public installations and infrastructure. IMAGE: Punjab-police-SWAT-team stand guard at Hall Gate of Golden Temple, in Amritsar. Security was beefed up in the state following a grenade attack on a religious congregation inside the Nirankari Bhawan prayer hall on Sunday. Photograph: PTI Photo Police nakas (posts) have been set up in all districts and patrol parties have also been deployed in search of suspicious objects/activities, he said. The chief minister said the district and police administration have been directed to explore the possibility of installing CCTV cameras at all strategic points. Amarinder, who visited the hospital to meet the injured, announced jobs for the kin of those killed in the attack and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, in addition to their free treatment. The Sant Nirankari Mandal promises to stand by all the affected brothers and sisters in the incident in every possible way. A team of Executive Committee Members of Sant Nirankari Mandal is visiting the families of deceased and injured devotees in Amritsar, the Sant Nirankari Mission said in a statement. According to initial police reports, masked attackers, armed with pistols, had forced their way into the Bhawan after taking the civil guards hostage at gun point. They had lobbed the grenade into the prayer room. Earlier, on his arrival, the chief minister was briefed by Home Secretary NS Kalsi, DGP Suresh Arora, IG Amritsar Surinder Pal Parmar and DC Amritsar Kamaldeep Sangh, who updated him on the progress of the investigations so far. Plascencia has categorically denied that she had anything to do with her personnel file going missing or ever lying to the school board or the public. She also said that in weighing the potential issue of having a subordinate conduct the inquiry, she had full faith in Dr. Newbys ability to conduct an impartial investigation. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee asserted on Monday that all parties opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party were united in their endeavour to save the nation and will chalk out a strategy to take on the saffron party ahead of the winter session of Parliament. Naidu, who met Banerjee days after their governments withdrew the general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct probe and raids in their states, told reporters that the November 22 conclave of opposition parties which was to be held in Delhi has been postponed due to ongoing assembly elections and a fresh date for the meeting will be announced soon. The two leaders, were, however evasive on who will be the face of the proposed anti-BJP front, with Naidu quipping that compared to Narendra Modi ji, we all are seniors, while Banerjee said all are the face of the coalition. Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax department, Reserve Bank of India and Comptroller Auditor General are under severe pressure. We have the responsibility to save the nation, save democracy, save institutions. Democracy is in danger, he said. We wanted to meet on November 22 earlier (but) because of the elections... We wanted to make it before the Parliament (winter) session. Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward, take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation, the Telugu Desam Party chief said after emerging from an hour-long meeting with Banerjee. The winter session of Parliament is from December 11 to January 8. The fresh date for the non-BJP parties conclave will be announced very soon, Naidu told reporters. The TDP chief said that he would attend the public meeting called by Banerjee on January 19 in Kolkata, where opposition leaders have ben invited, in the run up to general elections. We are in touch with Mayawati ji. Those who are opposing the BJP, those who want to save the nation, we will work together. Thats our mission, Naidu said, while referring to the Bahujan Samaj Party chief. Asked as to who would be the face of the opposition coalition, Mamata Banerjee said, Everybody, all are the face of the coalition. Compared to Narendra Modi ji, we all are seniors. Everybody has enough experience, Naidu said. The TMC chief said, This is not for the first time that we have discussed about the countrys interest... when with Arvind Kejriwal there was a problem, (we) had gone and discussed in detail about our future (course of) action. We are totally together, we are working together, we are speaking together. We all are together against the BJP government to save the nation, she said. Prime Minister's House New Delhi Personal/Confidential 9 February 1976 Photograph: PTI Dear Natwar, I found your letter of the 2nd awaiting me on my return from Bharatpur. We all enjoyed the trip especially as Salim Ali (Salim Ali, India's greatest ornithologist) was there and accompanied us to the sanctuary. Fortunately, I had insisted that no one else should go with us. I would have preferred to see the Dig palaces also on our own, rather than with a large gathering tagging on. A children's dance performance had also been arranged and took time which could have been used for sight-seeing. Your brother was introduced to me very briefly, just as I was going off to the public meeting. He should have met Rajiv while I was away. But perhaps he was shy and Rajiv did not know about him. I am not surprised that Subramanian Swamy is being welcomed in England. His sort would be! In India he has no influence whatsoever even in his own party. He has not been a success in Parliament and there are often sniggers when he gets up. He seems to have a complex of some kind and is aggressive in a defensive way if you know what I mean. He is a strong advocate of the Atom Bomb. He has had a long-standing quarrel with our Atomic Scientists -- with Vikram Sarabhai and now Sethna (Dr Homi Sethna, nuclear scientist). His main criticism was that we were quite incapable of serious work with Atomic Energy! After our experiment in Pokhran, his first reaction was that news was probably not true. British opinion does count, but if it insists on being completely cut off from the realities of the situation, there is little we can do about it except to try to educate the Indians living abroad. Only about a hundred people were arrested in the whole of Tamil Nadu and only a few of those were political. All the important leaders are out. Even we were astonished at the good reaction all over the state. I hope looking after the children is giving new dimension to your personality! With good wishes, Yours sincerely, Indira Gandhi Shri K Natwar Singh, Deputy High Commissioner, India House, Aldwych, London W C 2. I read in the paper about bilingual education. You know, Im sick and tired of the schools wasting taxpayers money teaching other languages. English is the language in this country and thats what you should know. You should know it before you come into this country to get in. If not, then dont come. Im sick and tired of everybody speaking different languages and all this stuff. If you want to do that, you do it on your own dollar. The schools are getting out of hand and theyre getting crazy. I mean, were making them more for sports than for education. Its getting ridiculous, and the taxpayers have to pay for it. Id like to see them stop doing all that and see how they do. Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday dismissed U.S. concerns that he would grant China the right to build a military base in his country, saying such a move would violate the constitution. During a meeting of his Council of Ministers, Hun Sen noted that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan met with Cambodias Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn on the sideline of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore last week and expressed concerns about the possible opening of a foreign military base on Cambodian soil. I also received a letter from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence raising concerns of the possible presence of a Chinese naval base in Cambodia in the future, the prime minister said. I want to make clear to our compatriots and foreign friends that Cambodia will not violate its own constitution. Cambodias Constitution prohibits the presence of foreign armies or military bases inside the country Cambodia will not permit any foreign military base for a navy, army or air force. Hun Sen said he would never allow foreigners to fight one another on Cambodian territory and slammed what he called a disinformation campaign against Cambodia, adding that he will make his position clear in a written response to Pence. On Nov. 15, Hong Kongs Asia Times online news portal cited unnamed diplomatic sources in a report as saying that a 45,000 hectare (111,200-acre) Chinese naval base is being built in Cambodias Koh Kong province, though it remains unclear how far construction has progressed. In a press release issued the same day, Cambodias Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Sullivan had raised the issue with Prak Sokhonn, saying that such an agreement could significantly affect relations between Phnom Penh and Washington. The ministry said Prak Sokhonn categorically dismissed this as a rumor more than likely spun out of a significant increase of Chinese investment in the area and said the Cambodian government would neither allow a foreign military base on its territory nor likewise allow its military to operate [in military bases] abroad except within the framework of the United Nations. Cambodias Ministry of National Defense followed with a statement on Nov. 17, calling the Asia Times report fake news and part of a foreign campaign to mislead the public and the international community with the intention of destroying the countrys independence and neutrality. Chinese investment has poured into Cambodia in recent years and has caused some Cambodians to question what type of influence Beijing might have over their government. China and Cambodia have recently held joint military exercises and Beijing has pledged to help fund a modernization of the Southeast Asian nations military. If such a naval base were built on the Gulf of Thailand, it would allow China to significantly expand patrols on the South China Sea, which Beijing claims much of, while rival Taiwan and ASEAN countries Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have their own stakes in the waters. In 2016, the Hague-Based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines in its challenge to Chinas efforts in the region, but China has rejected the ruling and continues to expand structures including landing strips on islands it has claimed. When asked on Monday about reports of Chinas plan to open a military base in Cambodia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang only said that cooperation between [Cambodia and China] is open and transparent which targets no third party and gives no ground for criticism, adding that he hoped the U.S. could view it in a correct way. Government response Political commentator Kim Sok told RFAs Khmer Service on Monday that Hun Sen is hiding the truth about plans for a Chinese naval base to avoid pressure from the U.S. and Cambodias neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He fears that such a reaction [from the U.S.] wont lead to just words, but may also spark prompt measures [against his government], as the issue could create insecurity within the region, he said. Meas Nee, another observer, called Hun Sens comments an appropriate response from the government that it must make in order to defend itself against the allegations, lest it face pressure from the U.S. and Western nations. But he added that the statement was also necessary because the reports could affect the popularity of the government within the country, as relations between Cambodians and Chinese have not gone so well in the past, and noted rising dissatisfaction among Cambodians against the Chinese as a result of their influence in Cambodia. A third political commentator named Ly Srey Sros said that Hun Sens government routinely denies reports that paint it in a bad light without bothering to investigate the claims. I am concerned about this issue because when the Chinese come to Cambodia, surely they request authorization to build something, she said. I believe there may be some secret actions carried out by Chinese technicians claiming to cooperate with Cambodia, and they are trying to hide them from Hun Sen. Its not good that Hun Sen is so quick to deny the reports. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Authorities in Hong Kong on put on trial nine prominent figures of the city's 2014 Occupy Central pro-democracy movement, four years after the event, on public order charges. The three activists who initiated the movement -- law professor Benny Tai, retired sociology professor Chan Kin-man, and reverend Chu Yiu-ming -- face one count each of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, inciting others to cause public nuisance, and inciting people to incite others to cause public nuisance. Former student federation leaders Tommy Cheung and Eason Chung, League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong, and lawmakers Tanya Chan and Shiu Ka-chun face two counts of inciting others to cause a public nuisance, while former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Wing-tat faces one count. Around 100 supporters gathered outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on , holding up banners calling for fully democratic elections. Civil disobedience! Peaceful resistance! No regrets! they chanted. We are not afraid! We want universal suffrage! The prosecution told the court that the actions of the seven were "unreasonable," and accused them of repeatedly calling on protesters to shut down parts of the central Admiralty district, where key government buildings are located, by blocking traffic with illegal sit-ins. Prosecutors accused Tai, Chan and Chu of initiating the civil disobedience movement at a news conference in , as a way of achieving fully democratic elections, and of encouraging large numbers of people to take part. Not guilty pleas All nine pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were based largely on evidence of their statements made to the media at the time. Speaking outside the court, Chan Kin-man said the case was a landmark one in Hong Kongs history, because the prosecution case was based on comments made in media interviews, a move he said could be a further blow to freedom of speech in the city. He welcomed a motion tabled by several British MPs expressing concern over the trial, and what they called vague and ambiguous charges. The motion condemns the use of common law charges apparently intended to intimidate and silence pro-democracy figures including conspiracy to commit public nuisance, incitement to public nuisance and to incitement to incite public nuisance. It said more than 100 pro-democracy protesters have been charged, and many jailed, on the basis of common law charges which curtail freedom of expression and have been criticized by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam called the motion clear interference by the MPs, however. A foreign government or foreign parliamentarians have asked us to make certain decisions on the prosecution I believe this is a clear inference of internal affairs and is highly undesirable, Lam said on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership summit in Papua New Guinea. Hong Kong was promised the continuation of its traditional freedoms of speech and association by a mini-constitution drafted by U.K. and Chinese officials ahead of the 1997 handover to Chinese rule. But those freedoms are now being eroded in the wake of repeated interventions in the citys political life by Beijing, according to overseas governments and human rights organizations. The trial comes after student leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow were found guilty of public order offenses in for their role in the occupation of a cordoned-off public space at the start of the movement. Wong and Chow were convicted of "unlawful assembly" after they climbed into the fenced-off area outside government headquarters on the night of Sept. 26, 2014, at the start of a 79 day civil disobedience campaign for universal suffrage. They were jailed after a retrial at the request of the justice department, which said their non-custodial sentences were too lenient, but were later released on appeal. Reported by Lee Wang-yam for RFAs Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. A Chinese civil rights activist has been redetained and formally arrested, just months after his release from a three-year prison term for subversion, RFA has learned. Huang Wenxun, 29, was released last May after serving a jail sentence handed down by a court in Chibi city in the central province of Hubei. Known as one of the Chibi Three, Huang was released on May 13, but was held under surveillance before finally being allowed to return to his home in Huizhou city, Guangdong. Huangs wife, Zhang Yiqiong, told RFA she had received a call from state security police in Huizhous Boluo county on Friday notifying her of his formal arrest. Huang was detained as he was setting out for a run on Oct. 10 to mark the founding of the 1911 Republic of China by Sun Yat-sen, the remnant of which now forms the government of the democratic island of Taiwan. He posted a message to group chat calling on people to celebrate the day by taking some form of physical exercise, Zhang said. He said it would be very meaningful to do some kind of exercise on the Double Tenth. Zhang said Huang has now been formally arrested on suspicion of picking quarrels and stirring up trouble, a charge commonly used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. I really think they are overreacting, she said. I think they are probably trying to score political points, and trying to get funding for stability maintenance. Thats why they are making such a big deal out of it, she said. Huang was previously targeted for his involvement in press freedom protests outside the Southern group of newspapers in the southern city of Guangzhou, after a local propaganda official rewrote the 2013 New Year's Day editorial to remove references to constitutional government. He was held in prolonged pretrial incarceration after his initial detention by police in the southern province of Guangdong in June 2013. A person close to the family who declined to be named said Huang had been under very close surveillance by police following his release. Freedom of speech Fellow rights activist Yuan Xiaohua said Huangs redetention was a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of speech. There should be freedom of speech, according to the constitution, and theres nothing really controversial about celebrating Oct. 10, certainly not to the extent of picking quarrels and stirring up trouble, Yuan said. Oct. 10 is a part of Chinas history, and its normal to want to do something to express that. Calls to the Boluo County Detention Center and to the Boluo county police department rang unanswered during office hours on Monday. Huang Wenxun was detained around the same time as fellow New Citizens' Movement activists Yuan Fengchu, also known as Yuan Bing, and Yuan Xiaohua, who were sentenced to three-and-a-half and four years respectively last month for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble." All three were held in prolonged pretrial incarceration after their initial detention by police in the southern province of Guangdong in June 2013. Rights groups said at the time that Huang's trial was entirely political in nature, and targeted young activists campaigning for democracy and constitutional government. Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, talks to reporters about about the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, at an event marking Universal Children's Day in Naypyidaw, Nov. 19, 2018. UPDATED at 11:24 A.M. EST on 2018-12-20 The return of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar has been postponed so that a systematic repatriation can be conducted, a Myanmar government official said Monday, four days after an initial group of Rohingya verified as eligible for return did not show up at the border for processing when they were expected. We want to work on this repatriation systematically according to the memorandum of understanding [MoU] with Bangladesh, Win Myat Aye, Myanmars minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement who is in charge of the repatriation program, told RFAs Myanmar Service in response to a question asked during an event in Naypyidaw marking Universal Childrens Day. The Myanmar government wants the dignified and safe repatriation [of the refugees], and the postponement of the repatriation to the end of December by Bangladesh means that there is still work to be done to have a systematic repatriation, he said. Myanmar signed an MoU with Bangladesh a year ago to take back some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who fled a violent military crackdown in Rakhine state that began in August 2017 in response to deadly attacks by a Rohingya militant group. The campaign prompted an exodus of more than 720,000 Rohingya as security forces killed families, sexually assaulted women and girls, and burned villages in what the United Nations, human rights groups, and other members of the international community have said amounted to ethnic cleansing or genocide. The first group of 2,200 refugees was set to return on Nov. 15, but none of them showed up for processing amid protests by Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh who said they would not go back unless the Myanmar government met their demands to be treated as equal citizens in Myanmar. According to the MoU and to another agreement that Myanmar signed with the U.N.s refugee (UNHCR) and development (UNDP) agencies, the country can only accept refugees who want to return voluntarily. The Rohingya refugees are also demanding that Myanmar grant them certain rights and access to basic services to which they are denied. The UNHCR and rights groups have warned that repatriations should not begin until the safety of returning Rohingya can be guaranteed and Myanmar can assure that they will not be subject to persecution and systematic discrimination. As we have to work on this procedure, it is very important to consider whether these refugees really want to return or not, said Win Myat Aye, who is also vice chairman of Myanmars Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine State (UEHRD). Bangladesh, the UNHCR, and UNDP will work on the repatriation on this basis. Bangladeshs Foreign Affairs Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali said his county will resume the repatriation process at the end of December after a general election. According to the MoU, Myanmar can receive the refugees only if Bangladesh sends them back, Win Myat Aye said. When it resumes the refugee repatriation, we want a systematic process like we have arranged in Myanmar. The terms of the agreement specify that the Myanmar government cannot force the repatriation of refugees who dont wish to return, he added. Boat people return home Win Myat Aye also said that more than 100 Rohingya rescued on Friday from a boat stranded in the Andaman Sea as they attempted to travel from Myanmar to Malaysia are being sent back to their places of residence in Rakhine state. Sixty-six of the 106 Rohingya detained by police following their rescue at sea are from internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Sittwe township, while the rest are from 40 villages around the township, he said. The refugees, who were found adrift off Kyauktan township in Yangon region after their vessels engine failed, said they left Myanmar because they didnt have enough food rations in the camps and they needed jobs. When asked about the lack of food in the camps, Win Myat Aye said that his ministry provides support to the Rakhine state government which is responsible for the management of IDP camps in Sittwe. International NGOs still support the Sittwe camps as well, but more may be needed, he said. We are working on this issue with other organizations as well. On Sunday, Myanmar police shot and injured four Rohingya at the Ah Nauk Ye IDP camp, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of the capital Sittwe, after detaining two men accused of smuggling the 106 Rohingya out of the country in their boat, Reuters reported. Relevant organizations have been investigating whether or not they were illegally trafficked, Win Myat Aye said, though he had no details about the probe. As the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, we are working on supporting them in their resettlement, he said. IDP camps in Sittwe and other areas of Rakhine house tens of thousands of Rohingya displaced by communal violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims in 2012. The Myanmar government is in the process of shutting down the camps in keeping with one of the recommendations of an advisory commission that probed ways to end violence in the ethnically and religiously divided state. Chaw Shaw Chaw Thee (R), a Hindu woman from Myanmar's Rakhine state, sits with her newborn baby, her husband, and their young son in a shelter for refugees in Sittwe nearly a month after Rohingya militants attacked their Hindu village in the Kha Maung Seik area of northern Rakhine, Sept. 22, 2017. Credit: AFP Hindus want to return Meanwhile, nearly 440 Hindus who were not on the first list of refugees to be repatriated told officials from Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs visiting the Bangladeshi camps in October that they still want to return to Rakhine state. During a visit to the Kutupalong camp, Myint Thu, the ministry's permanent secretary, pledged that he would try to have the Hindus returned as soon as possible, said Maungdaw district administrator Soe Aung. RFA tried to contact some of the Hindus in the camps for an update, but they refused to answer questions, citing security concerns. Ni Maul, a Hindu social worker and community leader in Maungdaw who has regular contact with the Hindu refugees, told RFA that the Hindu refugees want to return to Rakhine state so they can die where they were born. They thank Bangladesh for helping and feeding them in the camp, but they want to come back home because they want to die where they were born, he said. It is our religious belief. Myanmar officials initially sent the Bangladeshi government a list of 1,222 people, including roughly 440 Hindus, in March to receive as the first group of returnees, said Chan Aye, director general of Myanmar's Consular and Legal Affairs Department. But afterwards, Bangladeshi officials sent back a list with more than 8,000 refugees to be considered for repatriation, he said. Hindus from the Bangladesh camps contacted and told us that they want to return, said Soe Han, director general of the ASEAN Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We requested that Bangladesh put them on the list of first group to be repatriated. But Bangladesh replied that it didnt want to send Hindus back first and that it would try to put them on the list after the first group had been sent, he said. I hope they will be on the list after the first group of 2,260 refugees is sent back. Hindus residing in northern Rakhine suffered violence at the hands of Muslim militants who invaded their villages and drove out or killed them following deadly attacks on police outposts that sparked the 2017 crackdown on Rohingya communities. The militants detained nearly 100 people from several Hindu villages, killed most of them, and dumped their corpses in mass graves. They also forced the young Hindu women to convert to Islam and took them to a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. Protest planned Meanwhile, Buddhist monks and ethnic Rakhine groups are planning a protest in Sittwe on Nov. 25 to oppose the resettlement of Rohingya refugees in northern Rakhines Maungdaw district, a predominantly Rohingya area prior to the crackdown. Event organizers said they will also protest against plans to appoint Muslim youths as assistant teachers and against the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) to Muslims in Ramree township. Protest leaders said they filed an application for permission to hold the protest at a police station on Monday. NRCs, also known as pink cards, grant full citizenship to those to whom they are issued in line with Myanmars 1982 Citizenship Law. Ethnic Rakhine locals and Rakhine political parties have contended that immigration officials erroneously issued more than 3,300 NRCs to Rohingya Muslims instead of ethnic Kamans in Ramree township's Kyauk Ni Maw village tract this year. Immigration officials launched an investigation of the cards in September after the Kaman National Progressive Party [KNPP] filed a complaint with the offices of President Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi that the NRCs had been inappropriately issued. The KNPP said earlier that although there are about 200 of a total 7,000 Muslims in Kyauk Ni Maw village tract who are authentic Kaman based on voter records from the 2015 general elections, more than 3,300 villagers now have IDs listing them as Kaman. Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt, Min Thein Aung, and Thiri Min Zin for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. CORRECTION: An earlier version of the article referred to National Verification Cards instead of National Registration Cards. The "special status" of a statue in downtown Minsk of a random policeman and his canine has drawn a backlash from some Belarusians since a college student was forced to issue an apology for slapping the same sculpture's bearded face. The latest episode of the very public back-and-forth came on November 19, when four actresses from the capital's Free Theater staged a flash mob to bestow the sculpture with hugs and cuddles, and snap a group selfie before real-live police officers intervened. They were eventually fined for "disobeying police" in connection with the early morning stunt. Last week a 16-year-old student in Minsk, identified as Arseniy, was forced by police to issue a video apology for his November 14 whack on the cheek of the monument to tsarist-era police in an incident that drew ridicule on social media. After they turned up for their creative response to Arseniy's punishment, the four activists were first admonished by two police officers who told them their PDAs on bronze were illegal. Then a third cop came to tell them that kissing the statue was alright as long as no "vandalism" was taking place. But then the women asked the third policeman, who identified himself as Sergeant Yahor Tsyrulnikau, to cite the laws that had been broken by slapping the statue, which is not considered to have major architectural or historical value. Tsyrulnikau acknowledged that he did not know which statutes would be violated by such an action. The women were then reportedly cited for disobeying a police order. Arseniy had been cited for hooliganism -- the police even made a special video of the incident to show how efficiently they had handled the situation. "We detained the delinquent in question, interrogated him, and drew up a report," a police representative said in the video. "He thought everything would go unnoticed," the ministry wrote in its statement. "How naive.... Military Detachment 5448 reacted instantly and professionally." An unemotional Arseniy said in the video clip: "This statue has its own history, and my actions could have desecrated it. I am genuinely sorry." The tsarist-era police in Belarus are regarded critically by many residents in the former Russian Empire for perceived excesses to enforce reactionary policies. But Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has been accused by critics of running a police state during his nearly quarter-century of authoritarian rule, with dissenters or challengers closely monitored, routinely harassed, and frequently jailed. The spat over the police statue and its significance has simmered for months. 'Plucky Foolhardiness' Blogger Yauhen Lipkovich has launched a drive on the Petitions.by website, asking people to support the destruction of the police statue. The petition says the sculpture, which was unveiled in 2017 to mark 100 years since the establishment of the Belarusian police, "provokes residents and police officers [to commit] inappropriate actions." Just over a week ago, police arrested Dzmitry Zavadsky after he tied a scarf around the sculpture's neck and tried to have a photo taken. Police detained him and took him to the station for questioning. That was preceded on June 28 by the detention of three people for allegedly placing rainbow-colored flowers in front of the statue and painting colorful footprints on the sidewalk in front of him on their way from a rally for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. They were subsequently fined. And, in what was one of the first instances of defiance in front of the statue, artist Vyacheslav Kasinerava was fined in March 2017 after he threw a hangman's noose over the sculpture to protest the current police treatment of political protesters. The light-hearted attacks on Minsk's bronze policeman and his pooch are unlikely to end anytime soon in a country where officials have largely stamped out more serious displays of disaffection. But, in the concluding words of the video showing Arseniy's apology, the police appear hopeful that he and the other potential critics of the monument will learn their lesson. "Perhaps his words of apology to the policeman will help him rein in his plucky foolhardiness and repair his relations with the law," an unnamed official intones. Written by Pete Baumgartner based on reporting by RFE/RL Belarus Service correspondent Aleh Hruzdzilovich The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Police in Belarus made a boy apologize on video for slapping a statue of a policeman. When people responded by recording themselves kissing it, how would police react? British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is scheduled to visit Iran for the first time on November 19 for talks about the nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran. Hunt's visit is the first by a Western foreign minister since the United States withdrew in August from the nuclear agreement in which Tehran accepted curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions. The latest report from the UN atomic watchdog said last week that Iran was abiding by the terms of the 2015 agreement, even as Washington imposed a second round of crippling economic sanctions on Tehran on November 4. Hunt, in a statement ahead of the visit, said the nuclear agreement was "a vital component of stability in the Middle East" and Britain would "stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does." Hunt's office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief. But Hunt also suggested Iran needed to end what U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has described as Tehran's "malign conduct," such as nuclear and missile development and support for militant groups in the Middle East. "But we also need to see an end to destabilizing activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces," Hunt said in the statement. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP KRASNOYARSK, Russia -- The deputy speaker of the Krasnoyarsk regional parliament, Aleksei Kleshko, has been found dead. The regional parliament's press service told RFE/RL early on November 19 that Kleshko's body was found on the ground outside a building in the regional capital, Krasnoyarsk. The regional police department refused to comment on the situation. Sources in the regional emergency services told the RIA Novosti news agency that Kleshko might have died after falling out of a window. Aleksei Kleshko, 48, served as the regional parliament deputy speaker for three years. He became a regional lawmaker in the Siberian region in 2001 and used to lead the ruling United Russia party's group and the parliamentary committee for government structures, legislation, and local self-governing. With reporting by RIA Novosti BRUSSELS -- Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on November 19 that Budapest will continue to block meetings of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at a ministerial level, amid a diplomatic spat between the two neighbors. However, Szijjarto also said that his country would give its consent to the Ukrainian foreign minister attending a NATO foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for next month if Georgia's top diplomat also participates. Relations between Hungary and its eastern neighbor began deteriorating last year after a language bill was approved by Kyiv that Budapest said limited ethnic Hungarians' rights to receive education in their mother tongue. Since March 2017, Hungary has blocked all the meetings of the NATO-Ukraine Commission -- the key format for bilateral cooperation between Kyiv and the Western military alliance -- at all levels above that of ambassadors. "We cannot lift our veto when it comes to the NATO-Ukraine Commission meetings because there was no forward progress," Szijjarto told RFE/RL in Brussels. Szijjarto also said that Hungary would not oppose inviting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin to NATOs ministerial meeting set for December 4-5 in Brussels if his Georgian counterpart also attends. At the NATO summit in July, the alliance created a special format in which the presidents of both Georgia and Ukraine were invited in order not to exclude Kyiv from the meeting. The diplomatic spat between Hungary and Ukraine escalated in September, when an undercover video emerged that appeared to show a Hungarian diplomat in Ukraine handing out passports to ethnic Hungarians. Kyiv responded by expelling the Hungarian consul in Transcarpathia, prompting Budapest in turn to expel a Ukrainian consul in Hungary. In October, Budapest summoned Kyiv's ambassador to protest what it called a "death list" targeting ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine as well as military movements on their common border. This is in response to the Talk of the County comment titled Justice delayed questioning why its been six years since the former chief of North Chicago Police Department has yet to be in court, and why its been three years since the widow of Lt. Joe Gliniewiecz has still not been to court. The answer is because when an attorney knows that their client is guilty, the only hope that they have for them is to continue to postpone and postpone and postpone, and hope that as time passes that evidence is lost and that witnesses die or are unable to be contacted. Thats why it takes so long Their hope is that their guilty client will somehow receive a miraculous not guilty verdict. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov says his country will consider suspending its membership in Interpol if a Russian official is elected as the international police agency's new chief. Ukraine's Interior Ministry quoted Avakov as making the comments in Dubai, where police chiefs from around the world are expected to select a new president on November 20 after the organization's former official in the post was detained in China. British media have reported that a veteran of Russia's Interior Ministry, 56-year-old Aleksandr Prokopchuk, will most likely be elected despite allegations that Moscow has used Interpols procedures to pursue political enemies. Interpol, which has its headquarters in the French city of Lyon, acts as a clearinghouse for national police services that want to hunt down suspects outside their borders. "Russia's possible presidency at Interpol is absurd and contradicts the spirit and goals of that organization," a Ukrainian Interior Ministry statement cited Avakov as saying on November 19. Avakov had earlier warned that having a Russian at the helm of Interpol would pose "a hybrid threat to the whole world." The comments come amid high tensions between Moscow and Kyiv over Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and its backing for separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,300 people. Meng Hongwei, who was China's vice minister of public security while also leading Interpol, disappeared while on a trip to China in September. Beijing later said that he was detained as part of a sweeping purge against allegedly corrupt or disloyal officials under President Xi Jinping's authoritarian administration. Interpol's general assembly will also assess this week applications for membership from several countries, including Kosovo. Accepting Kosovo as a full member would allow Pristina among other things to distribute red notices for Serbian officials that Kosovo deems to be war criminals. Red notices are alerts filed by Interpol to member states that identify suspects wanted for arrest by another country. Interpol says there are 57,289 active red notices around the world. Kosovo's application is expected to be discussed on November 20. For a country to become a member it needs the approval of two-thirds of the 192 current members. Two years ago, Interpol introduced new measures aimed at strengthening the legal framework around the red-notice system after facing criticism that governments had abused it to go after political enemies and dissidents. As part of the changes, an international team of lawyers and experts first check a notice's compliance with Interpol rules and regulations before it goes out. Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and AP Four workers were arrested in southwestern Iran for protesting unpaid wages, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Workers at the Haft Tapeh sugar mill in Shush, a city in Khuzestan Province, have been protesting for days. IRNA reported that locals had joined the demonstrations in solidarity with striking workers at Haft Tapeh, which employs about 4,000 people. IRNA reported that those arrested on November 18 included two workers' representatives and a female reporter. It did not provide further details. IRNA quoted Khuzestan Governor Gholamreza Shariati as saying, "workers have rights, we are looking into their issues and demands." Iran has seen multiple strikes and protests in recent months over working conditions and unpaid wages in a range of sectors, including steel, education, mining, and transport. Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months. The United States reimposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran in early November, targeting Tehran's crucial oil, transportation, and financial sectors. Based on reporting by AP and AFP BISHKEK -- A Kyrgyz lawmaker says she has been sexually harassed by a male government employee in the parliament building. Elvira Surabaldieva wrote on Twitter on November 19 that the man tried flirting with her in the parliament's elevator and then he started groping her. "After learning that the uncontrolled use of hands against a member of parliament might lead to repercussions, he stated that he thought I was an ordinary employee of the White House [the building housing Kyrgyz government and the parliament]," Surabaldieva wrote. Surabaldieva told RFE/RL that she was shocked when the man tried to grope her. "I did not have my lawmaker badge today. It looks like he was a middle-ranked official from a state entity who visited the parliament. If I pursue the matter, people might say that 'a lawmaker has no problems more important to tackle than this,'" Surabaldieva said. Women across the former Soviet Union often say they are routinely the targets of harassment in the workplace but can do little to prevent it, with their protests frequently falling on deaf ears. Earlier this year in March, when three female journalists accused powerful Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky of sexual harassment, the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, suggested that female journalists who report from the legislature should change their jobs if they can't cope with the behavior of lawmakers. Thousands of protesters rallied in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, against an agreement with Greece which would see the country change its name to North Macedonia. The November 18 protest came after the national parliament voted to start the constitutional process required for the name change. The Macedonian Foreign Ministry has summoned Hungary's ambassador to Skopje to formally demand that the government in Budapest reject an asylum application by fugitive former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. The ministry said in a statement on November 19 that State Secretary Viktor Dimovski handed over a "note of protest" to Ambassador Laszlo Dukes as a result of Gruevski's escape to Hungary earlier this month to avoid prison time. The Hungarian government was also urged to "act in the spirit of good bilateral relations and European values" to ensure the return of the 48-year-old former leader of the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party. Gruevski, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2016, was sentenced in May to two years in prison for unlawfully influencing Interior Ministry officials over the purchase of a luxury vehicle valued at 600,000 euros ($680,000). Facing jail after his appeal was rejected on November 9, Gruevski fled to Hungary, a European Union member, where he sought asylum. In the past, Gruevski has indicated he was close to Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose government has formally denied having actively provided assistance in his escape. In 2017, Orban offered his public backing to Gruevski during his campaign for municipal elections, in which his party lost to the ruling Social Democrats. Gruevski is still facing three other trials, including over a major wiretapping scandal, and could be handed longer sentences than the one already given to him. He claims the cases are politically motivated. With reporting by AP and AFP A court in Russia's Daghestan region has found a man guilty of attacking a journalist and impeding the reporter's professional activities. The lawyer for Patimat Makhmudova of the Russian-language news portal Caucasian Knot called the November 19 ruling the "first guilty verdict in a journalist assault case in the North Caucasus. A court in the regional capital, Makhachkala, earlier handed a suspended 18-month prison sentence to Karim Kasumov for assaulting Makhmudova and breaking her video camera. Makhmudova's lawyer, Akhmed Elmurzayev, called the sentence too mild and said he will appeal it. The incident occurred as Makhmudova was covering an antigovernment rally organized by Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in June 2017. Kasumov pleaded not guilty, claiming he was not aware that Makhmudova was a journalist. However, witnesses testified during the trial that Makhmudova had told Kasumov that she was covering the rally as a journalist. In the mostly Muslim-populated North Caucasus region, journalists and human rights activists, who try to cover social issues linked to organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry are often attacked and even sometimes killed. Investigations of such attacks almost never reach the courts. Based on reporting by Mediazona and Caucasian Knot Msh/ab BRUSSELS -- The Netherlands is proposing a new EU sanctions regime that would target individuals accused of human rights abuses worldwide. Government officials from all 28 EU member states will meet in The Hague on November 20 to discuss the Dutch proposal outlined in a position paper called Towards An EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The document, seen by RFE/RL on November 19, says the proposed sanctions regime "differs significantly from the existing EU geographically limited sanctions regimes," which it says aim to "change state behavior and are therefore political in nature." The proposed regime "could target individual human rights violators globally, unrelated to the political context and intergovernmental developments. It could also be used against individuals belonging to non-State actors (i.e. rebel groups)," the paper says. The document says asset freezes and visa bans should be placed on individuals who "commit serious human rights violations and abuses" such as extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions, enforced disappearances, and torture. "We have seen in a number of human rights violations over the last couple of years where individual countries have introduced the possibility of implementing sanctions on individuals involved," Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok told RFE/RL on the sidelines of an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. "But currently there is not an EU-wide sanction instrument and of course sanctions are most effective if they would be EU-wide," Blok added. On November 19, Russian authorities leveled new accusations at British-based financier Bill Browder, saying the vocal Kremlin critic is now suspected of involvement in the death of his associate Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow jail in 2009. In a tweet, Browder dismissed the new accusations as "Kafkaesque," saying they come one day before "the Dutch government will be inviting all EU member states to The Hague to propose an EU wide Magnitsky Act." Magnitsky was arrested after exposing a scheme in which officials allegedly defrauded the Russian state of $230 million. Since his death, Browder has campaigned for laws in nations worldwide that are designed to punish those responsible for human rights abuses -- including the 2012 U.S. Magnitsky Act. Blok said there was no EU consensus yet on the Dutch proposal but said he was "optimistic about it." The minister added that EU foreign ministers could discuss the proposal at their next meeting in Brussels on December 10. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has hit back at Donald Trump's claim that Islamabad does not do "a damn thing" for the Unites States, calling on the U.S. president to name an ally that has sacrificed more in the fight against militancy. Khan tweeted on November 19 that his country had suffered 75,000 casualties and lost $123 billion in the "US War on Terror" that followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, despite the fact that no Pakistanis were involved in these attacks. He also wrote that the United States has only provided a "miniscule" $20 billion in aid. Trump has slashed nearly $800 million in military assistance to Pakistan this year, saying it has not done enough to eliminate safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network within its borders. The Trump administration has vowed to freeze other forms of security assistance, bringing the total of security funds that could be held back to at least $1.3 billion. Pakistan rejects allegations it is not doing enough to fight terrorism and that it provides safe havens for militants operating in Afghanistan. Trump, in an interview with Fox News aired on November 18, said his administration had withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Islamabad "because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us." He said "everybody in Pakistan" knew Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was there and no one said anything despite the United States providing $1.3 billion a year in aid. Bin Laden was killed in 2011 during a raid by U.S. Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. His hideout was located just a short distance away from one of Pakistan's most prestigious military academies. 'Devastated' Tribal Areas "Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan," Khan wrote in a series of tweets defending his country's record in the war on terror. "No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror," he wrote, adding that his country "suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US 'aid' was a miniscule $20 bn." "Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of [people] uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis," he continued. The Pakistani prime minister also pointed out that his country continues to provide the United States with supply lines into Afghanistan, adding, "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" Instead of making Pakistan "a scapegoat for their failures," Washington should do a serious assessment of "why the Taliban today are stronger than before," Khan concluded. As part of Trump's effort to resolve the 17-year war in Afghanistan, Washington has escalated pressure on Pakistan, whose assistance the U.S. believes is needed to compel the Taliban to agree to negotiate with the government in Kabul. The insurgents have so far declined government overtures for peace talks this year, and instead have escalated violence against U.S. and Afghan forces. With reporting by Fox News Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have marked the completion of the offshore phase of a gas pipeline underneath the Black Sea, the latest sign of growing cooperation between Moscow and Ankara. Speaking at November 19 ceremony in Istanbul, Erdogan said the TurkStream pipeline will carry 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to Turkey each year when operational, and will send at least half of the amount to European markets. Work will now focus onshore and is on track to be completed by the end of 2019, he also said. Putin said the pipeline will help ensure European energy security, insisting that the project is "not directed against the interests of anyone." The Russian president also said that Turkey will become a "major European hub" for the energy sector. The new pipeline is part of Moscow's efforts to bypass Ukraine as a gas transit route to Europe, which imports about a third of its gas needs from Russian energy giant Gazprom. Turkey is almost completely reliant on imports to meet its energy needs. Ties between Moscow and Ankara plunged to their lowest level in years in November 2015, when Turkish forces shot down a Russian warplane over Syria. But after a reconciliation deal in 2016, relations have quickly recovered, with Putin and Erdogan cooperating closely over Syria, Turkey buying Russian-made air-defense systems, and Russia building Turkey's first nuclear power plant. The Istanbul ceremony marked the completion of the building of two undersea lines stretching 930 kilometers across the Black Sea from Anapa in Russia to Kiyikoy in Turkey. Russia's state energy giant Gazprom has said that it sees Serbia and EU member-states Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, and Hungary as potential markets for Russia's natural gas supplied via TurkStream. With reporting by TASS, Interfax, AP, AFP, and Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his top military officials to discuss a response to U.S. threats to pull out of a key nuclear arms treaty because of alleged violations by Moscow. The U.S. withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) "wouldn't be left without an answer from our side," Putin told a meeting of Defense Ministry officials in Moscow on November 19, adding that the Kremlin was ready to discuss the matter with Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump last month declared his intention to withdraw from the 1987 INF Treaty, citing alleged Russian violations of the accord, which prohibits the United States and Russia from possessing, producing, or deploying ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,000 kilometers. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations and also alleged that some elements of U.S. missile-defense systems in Europe were in violation of the agreement. Washington denies that. Trump's move came amid persistent tension between the West and Russia over issues including Moscow's seizure of Ukraines Crimea region in 2014, its role in wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine, its alleged election meddling in the United States and Europe, and the poisoning of a Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain in March. In 2002, the United States withdrew from another important arms control agreement -- the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM. Putin said on November 19 that Russia responded to the U.S. move by developing new weapons that he said were capable of piercing any prospective missile shield. The Russian leader had previously warned that the U.S. plan to withdraw from the INF Treaty could lead to a new "arms race." With reporting by AP, TASS, and Interfax Do your research before writing. To the uninformed writer regarding the fires in California and President Trump, It is California's fault for not cleaning the forest floor, and that is why these fires spread so fast. The Democratic governor is cutting expenses by not doing that. And now on to the uninformed writer regarding our first lady Melania Trump and her immigration status. She is a legal immigrant with an education in design and architecture, and certainly has much to add and contribute to this country, much unlike the illegal immigrants coming to this country, now read this, illegally. Remember that word. Donald Trump's children are all legal. BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- The chief prosecutor of Kyrgyzstan's southern region of Batken has been killed during a hunting outing. Regional police officials told RFE/RL on November 19 that Anarbai Mamajakypov was shot dead while hunting a day earlier on the mountainous outskirts of the regional capital, Batken. Police said the chief of the regional directorate for construction works was detained on suspicion of shooting the 43-year-old prosecutor. The police did not disclose the name of the suspect or say whether they believe the shooting was deliberate. Six other officials from the regional prosecutor's office, who were hunting with Mamajakypov, were being questioned by investigators, authorities said. Russian authorities have leveled new accusations at British-based financier Bill Browder, saying the vocal Kremlin critic is now suspected of involvement in the death of his associate Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow jail a decade ago. In November 19 announcements that were swiftly dismissed by Browder as baseless and "Kafkaesque," state prosecutors also told a news conference that they had charged Browder in absentia with forming a "transnational criminal group." The accusations are the latest chapter in an ongoing battle between the Kremlin and Browder, a U.S.-born Briton who was once the biggest foreign investor in Russia but fell afoul of the government and is now a foe of President Vladimir Putin. In a tweet, Browder said that "Putin's 'fever dream' response to being caught poisoning the Skripals is accusing me of four murders, including poisoning of Sergei Magnitsky." The remark was a reference to the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in March, which Britain accuses Russia of carrying out with a nerve agent developed in the late Soviet era. The Russian claims come ahead of an Interpol election that could put a Russian Interior Ministry veteran at the head of the international policing group despite allegations that Moscow has used the agency to pursue political enemies, including Browder. Browder was the employer of Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested in 2008 after exposing a scheme in which mid-ranking Interior Ministry, tax service, and other officials allegedly defrauded the Russian state of $230 million. The officials who Magnitsky accused turned the tables, claiming he perpetrated the fraud himself, and he died in jail in November 2009 after what associates and activists said was a beating, the denial of medical care, and treatment that amounted to torture. Since Magnitsky's death, Browder has campaigned for laws in countries worldwide that are designed to punish those responsible for human rights abuses -- including the 2012 U.S. Magnitsky Act, which riled the Kremlin. Magnitsky was prosecuted and convicted posthumously, a development that caused outrage abroad, and a Moscow court sentenced Browder in absentia to nine years in prison in December 2017 after convicting him of large-scale tax evasion. At the news conference in Moscow, Nikolai Atmonyev, an assistant to Russia's prosecutor-general, said the authorities were investigating Browder's possible involvement in what he called "the fatal poisoning with a chemical" of Magnitsky and three other people. Another representative of the Prosecutor-General's Office, Mikhail Aleksandrov, claimed that Magnitsky and three other late associates of Browder had been poisoned with a chemical substance that he suggested was of Western origin. "Russia never conducted targeted studies" of the substances in question, Aleksandrov said, adding that "toxicological studies of aluminum compounds have been conducted exclusively by research centers in the United States, France, and Italy." The officials presented no evidence to back the alleged poison suspicion. But Prosecutor-General's Office spokesman Aleksandr Kurennoi claimed that Oleg Lurye, a journalist who was Magnitsky's cellmate, has said Browder might have poisoned Magnitsky. Atmonyev also said Browder was also charged with organizing a transnational criminal group and will be added to an international wanted list, while any property he has in Russia will be impounded. Browder said on Twitter that the Russian accusation came one day before "the Dutch government will be inviting all EU member states to The Hague to propose an EU wide Magnitsky Act." "In advance of that, the Russian government today has accused me of murdering Sergei Magnitsky," he tweeted. "Kafkaeske to say the least." Browder also suggested that the Russian accusations were connected to an election expected on November 21 in which a Russian, Aleksandr Prokopchuk, could be chosen as president of the French-based Interpol. "On the eve of Interpol deciding whether a Russian official should be president of Interpol, the Russian prosecutor's office holds a huge press conference about me and how they will chase me down anywhere in the world," he tweeted. "I really struck a nerve with the Magnitsky Act." Browder, who was barred from entering Russia in 2005, has been detained several times in various countries -- most recently in Spain in May of this year -- while Interpol sought to verify arrest warrants issued by Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to challenge Browder's criticism, telling journalists in Moscow that the "so-called Browder case began, as far as I know, long before the episode with the Skripals" -- but said a "new episode was added" to the case. Browder's lawyer, Aleksandr Antipov, cried foul, saying that the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office and Investigative Committee officially informed him that Browder was not under investigation as a suspect in any case. Antipov called the prosecutors' new accusations "illegal" and said he will fight them. "Today's information was unexpected and unclear because by the law, first the person who is going to be charged and his/her lawyers must be informed about the charges before they are made public," Antipov said. Peskov also said that the Kremlin "naturally" supported Prokupchuk, who is now an Interpol vice president, and wanted him "to be victorious in this election." With reporting by Interfax, Dozhd, and The Guardian An umbrella organization of groups representing Russian military veterans has appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the alleged mercenary activities of Russian private security firms. Yevgeny Shabayev, head of the All-Russia Officers Assembly, told RFE/RL on November 19 that the group approved the appeal to ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda at its meeting in Moscow the previous day. It was not immediately clear whether or how the ICC would respond to the groups' petition. Russia is not a member of the court. The ICC has jurisdiction only when a countrys own government is unwilling or unable to prosecute an extremely grave crime, and only over crimes committed on the territory of its member states. The Russian government does not acknowledge the use of private military contractors abroad, and mercenary activity is illegal under Russian law. Moscow has said that Russian civilians fighting in foreign conflicts do so of their own volition and have no connection with the Russian military. The veterans' groups assert that over the last three years they have received "thousands of complaints from Russian citizens" who participated in military actions in eastern Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and elsewhere. Shabayev told RFE/RL that his group has identified people who would be willing to testify about their experiences if the ICC opens an investigation. According to the veterans' groups' letter to the ICC, "employees of private military firms are intentionally deprived of their legal status, as a result of which they do not receive the health and economic benefits afforded to veterans by the government and are prosecuted under the law on mercenary activity." The group contends that the use of mercenaries in this way violates Article 7 of the ICC's Rome Statute, which bans the "enforced disappearance of persons...with the intention of removing them from the protection of the law." They also cite the same article's prohibition on transferring people by force "from the area in which they are lawfully present, without grounds permitted under international law." Russian Presidential Human Rights Council member Sergei Krivenko told RFE/RL that he welcomes the appeal to the ICC. "This problem exists because the state is using mercenaries in military conflicts through private military firms while acting as if it is not involved," Krivenko said. "Either we need to legalize private military firms with all the standard benefits for fighters or we need to prosecute them under the law on mercenary activity. But neither of these is happening." DUSHANBE -- The state prosecutor in Tajikistan is seeking a sentence of life in prison for the main suspect in an attack that killed four foreign cyclists on a mountain road in July, RFE/RL has learned. A participant in the closed-door trial of 15 suspects told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the prosecutor made the request on November 19. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter, said that Husein Abdusamadov and the other defendants all made their final statements to the court. The cyclists -- an American man and woman, a Dutchman, and a Swiss man -- were killed on July 29 when attackers plowed into their group on a road in southern Tajikistan and then stabbed some of them. Two foreign cyclists survived. Out of five men the authorities accuse of carrying out the attack, Abdusamadov is the only survivor; officials say the others were killed by security forces during operations aimed at capturing the suspects. Abdusamadov is on trial on nine charges. His co-defendants are accused of playing supporting roles in the attack. There is no death penalty in Tajikistan, a mostly Muslim former Soviet republic in Central Asia. A verdict is expected soon. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it occurred and released a video showing five men -- at least some of whom appeared to resemble those identified by Tajik officials as suspects killed in a confrontation with security forces -- pledging allegiance to the leader of IS. The Tajik government, however, rejected the claim and instead blamed followers of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), a political party that was banned by the authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon's government in 2015. The leadership of the IRPT -- which served for several years in the Tajik government -- has denied involvement and called the authorities' claims "shameless and illogical slander." The trial started on October 23 and is being held behind closed doors inside Detention Center No. 1, a jail in Dushanbe. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's treason trial in Kyiv has been postponed due to his hospitalization in Russia. Judge Vladyslav Devyatko of the Obolon district court in Kyiv ruled on November 19 that the trial will resume on December 5 and Yanukovych is expected to make his final statement via video link, even from his hospital bed if he is still ill. Yanukovych was scheduled to make his statement in the case via video link from Russia on November 19. But his lawyer, Oleksandr Horoshynskyy, said his client's current physical state did not allow him to do so. Horoshynskyy said earlier on November 18 that Yanukovych received emergency treatment at a Moscow hospital on November 16 for injuries to his spine and his knee. Horoshynskyy is one of two lawyers representing the exiled Yanukovych at his trial in absentia in Kyiv. Prosecutors in Kyiv are seeking life imprisonment for Yanukovych on charges of high treason, taking deliberate actions that violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and complicity with Russian authorities. Yanukovych abandoned the Ukrainian president's office in late February 2014 and fled to Russia in the face of protests triggered by his decision to scrap a landmark deal with the European Union and, instead, improve economic ties with Moscow. Dozens of people were killed when Yanukovych's government attempted to clamp down on the pro-European Union protests known as the Euromaidan. Yanukovych's ouster was soon followed by Russia's seizure and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and by Moscow's support for pro-Russia separatists fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine. Based on reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda and Gordon U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing for us" and defended his administration's decision to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Islamabad. Trump has slashed nearly $800 million in military assistance to Pakistan this year, saying it has not done enough to eliminate safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network within its borders. Trump, in an interview with Fox News aired on November 18, accused Pakistan of helping to hide Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who was killed in 2011 during a raid by U.S. Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden's hideout was located just a short distance away from one of Pakistan's most prestigious military academies. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," Trump said. "And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year...[bin Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year. I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us." The Pentagon said in September that it would cancel $300 million in military aid to Pakistan. That came after another $500 million in payments to Islamabad was revoked by the U.S. Congress from so-called Coalition Support Funds (CSF). The Trump administration has vowed to freeze other forms of security assistance, bringing the total of security funds that could be held back to at least $1.3 billion. Trump earlier in 2018 wrote on Twitter that the "United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools." "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump tweeted. Pakistan rejects allegations it is not doing enough to fight terrorism and that it provides safe havens for militants operating in Afghanistan. As part of Trump's effort to resolve the 17-year war in Afghanistan, Washington has escalated pressure on Pakistan, whose assistance the U.S. believes is needed to compel the Taliban to agree to negotiate with the government in Kabul. The insurgents have so far declined government overtures for peace talks this year, and instead have escalated violence against U.S. and Afghan forces. With reporting by Fox News Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has discussed ways of easing international financial transactions during a meeting with British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt in Tehran, Irans state media report. Hunt arrived in Iran on November 19, less than two weeks after the United States imposed sanctions on key sectors of Iran's economy. Irans IRNA news agency said Britain's top diplomat and Zarif also discussed ways of ending the war in Yemen, where Iran is accused of supplying weapons to Shi'ite Huthi rebels. Tehran denies the allegation. There was no immediate comment from the British Foreign Ministry on the discussions. During his visit, Hunt will also meet Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, according to Iranian state TV. Hunt was expected to raise the case of British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been imprisoned in Iran since April 2016. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, is serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's clerical establishment, a charge she and her family have denied. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," Hunt said in a statement before leaving London. British officials have routinely sought Zaghari-Ratcliffes release in talks with Iranian leaders. Hunt's visit to Iran is the first by a Western foreign minister since the United States in May withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, saying the terms of the accord were not strict enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It also accuses Tehran of supporting militant violence in the region and other "malign"activities. Iran denies the allegations. Washington in August started imposing crippling economic sanctions on Iran that were lifted in exchange for curbs on the country's nuclear activities. Earlier this month, the U.S. administration targeted Irans energy, shipping, shipbuilding, and financial sectors, while the world's biggest interbank transfer network, SWIFT, announced it was cutting off links with "certain Iranian banks' access," further isolating Iran from the international financial system. Iran continues to abide by the 2015 nuclear agreement, and Britain and other European nations have been trying to salvage the accord. Hunt, in its statement ahead of his visit, said the deal was "a vital component of stability in the Middle East" and Britain would "stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does." "But we also need to see an end to destabilizing activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces," he also said. With reporting by AP and AFP At the annual meeting, Pandaleon said he does not have a grand plan for his time in office. Instead, he spoke of the need for an efficient transition in city government as there will not only be a new mayor, but also be a new head of daily operations. Top finishers included: Mathew Olech, with a 17:01 time among males and Columba Montes, with a time of 18:51 time for females, in the 5K; and Jaime Marcos Jr. posted a time of 33:26 among males and Anneliese Schulz 39:32 for females, in the 10K. Yao is currently a Dunn fellow with the state of Illinois, where she advances policy in health, human services and public safety, according to the website. She has held several federal policy internships focusing on health care equity, including stints with the White Houses Domestic Policy Council and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She also is a Truman scholar and has focused her research on devising better systems for health care delivery. It was at least the fourth robbery of a gas station in the last year, according to records. The others occurred in May at an undisclosed Speedway, July at a Mobil station at 20 E. Ogden Ave. and August at a Mobil station in the 1200 block of West Ogden Avenue, records show. Principal Leslie Mitchell sent a message about 1:45 p.m. to alert parents that the school was on lockdown because of the large police presence at 103rd Street and Helene Avenue, meaning no one was allowed to enter or exit the building until the school was given the all-clear. My mother remembers those harrowing times before the U.S. Supreme Court validated a womans right to control her own body, before Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. I knew a lady a schoolteacher who died after a back-alley abortion, she told me. Back then, there were few options available for a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. If the womans circumstances were dire enough if she had been raped or if her health were threatened or if she simply could not care for another child she may have made the decision to seek out an unlicensed practitioner of an illegal procedure. Often, she didnt survive. On Election Day, the voters of Alabama and West Virginia paved the way for their states to return to those awful times. They approved amendments to their state constitutions that would make abortion illegal if Roe v. Wade is thrown out. And those states are not alone. Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota have already passed similar proposals. With the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, so-called pro-lifers are giddy over the prospect of overturning Roe. The amendments passed in Alabama and a handful of other states are meant to give them a fast lane to restricting reproductive freedoms. They wont have to wait once Roe is history. Several other states havent gone quite as far yet, but they dont mean to be left behind, either. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit research organization dedicated to reproductive health, 29 states have passed enough anti-abortion restrictions that they are considered hostile or very hostile to reproductive rights. As those restrictions increasingly become obstacles to reproductive health care, women will die, said Staci Fox, president and CEO of the Atlanta-based Planned Parenthood Southeast, which has clinics in Alabama and Mississippi as well as Georgia. I think were going to be looking at a crisis. We are looking at a time when we revert to women taking these unplanned pregnancies into their own hands. According to medical journal The Lancet, the United States already has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world a stunning fact in and of itself. The rate of pregnancy-related deaths is certain to rise as a result of the all-out assault on reproductive medical care. Abortions are a consequence of unplanned pregnancies; in 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly half 45 percent of the pregnancies in this country were unintended. But heres the good news: Between 2008 and 2011, unintended pregnancies declined as did abortions. Researchers say thats most likely because of the broader use of better contraceptives. Yet, the same right-wing forces that denounce abortion also undermine or cripple efforts to provide contraceptives. Consider their ongoing attacks on Planned Parenthood. While its clinics usually offer abortion services, thats a very small part of what they do. Mostly, they provide routine gynecological care, sex education and contraceptives to women who cant get them otherwise. If you wanted to curb abortions, youd certainly support Planned Parenthood. (Full disclosure: I serve on the board of Planned Parenthood Southeast.) Instead, so-called pro-lifers have waged a decades-long battle against a womans right to control her own body. They have never won the war for public opinion; according to polls, more Americans support Roe than oppose it. But conservatives control of the nations highest court may have given them all the firepower they need. So, what might the future to which they aspire look like? In the 1950s and 1960s, according to Scientific American, between 200,000 and 1.2 million women underwent illegal abortions each year in the U.S., many in unsafe conditions. According to one estimate, extrapolating data from North Carolina to the nation as a whole, 699,000 illegal abortions occurred in the U.S. during 1955, and 829,000 illegal procedures were performed in 1967. Poor women, those without the resources to get to a safe facility in a progressive state such as, say, New York, will suffer most. But there will also be deaths among the more affluent teenagers afraid to tell their parents, professionals too overwhelmed to seek care in a distant state. The pro-life movement cant wait. Email Cynthia Tucker at cynthia@cynthiatucker.com. According to the Salvation Armys website, the event includes a marketplace and a gala concert. The website described the event as a chance to see the Christmas story come to life as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at our annual Come to Bethlehem event. More and more bacteria are resistant to available antibiotics. A team of chemists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) now presents a new approach: they have identified important enzymes in the metabolism of staphylococci. Blocking these enzymes in a targeted manner would allow the pathogens to be starved. "Medicine needs new weapons against bacteria," says Prof. Stephan Sieber. "Many bacteria are already resistant to common drugs. An important goal of the research is thus to identify new points of attack." Together with PhD student Annabelle Hoegl and his team at the Chair of Organic Chemistry II at the Technical University of Munich, the researcher has developed a procedure for isolating and metabolizing enzymes that control metabolism. "If we could block these enzymes," Stephan Sieber explains the goal, "we could more or less starve out the pathogens." Staphylococcus as a model bacterium The new methodology was tested on Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterium is widespread, with many species resistant to antibiotics. Staphylococci comprise thousands of proteins. "Isolating enzymes with specific properties from this haystack, identifying them and investigating their function presented a real challenge," recalls Sieber. The enzymes targeted by the research team use vitamin B6 to accelerate chemical reactions in the cell. A crucial component of vitamin B6 is pyridoxal phosphate, or PLP. Without the PLP-dependent enzymes, the bacteria's metabolism would come to a halt, starving the microorganisms to death. advertisement Tracking down enzymes with markers The team used a chemically modified pyridoxal phosphate to detect such PLP-dependent enzymes. The marked molecules were added to a nutrient solution in which the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria proliferate. Since the solution contained no natural PLP, the PLP-dependent enzymes incorporated the markers, using them for metabolism. The chemists then ruptured the bacteria using ultrasound and fished out the enzymes carrying the markers. Opportunities for new antibiotics The principle of molecular fishing, or "protein profiling," as it is called, is not completely new. But, the TUM scientists are the first to utilize this methodology to investigate PLP-dependent enzymes. "We were able to demonstrate that the method is very efficient," emphasizes Sieber. "Many physiologically important enzymes in Staphylococcus depend on pyridoxal phosphate. We isolated 73% of these enzymes, analyzed them using mass spectrometry and identified them." In addition, the team uncovered previously unknown PLP-dependent enzymes and deciphered their functions. "Therewith we discovered an untapped treasure in our search for new antibiotic targets," says the chemist. This insight can now be used to develop new active agents against bacteria. In the next step, the researchers hope to investigate the functions of the enzymes in greater detail and determine how the metabolism of bacteria can be blocked in a targeted manner without damaging healthy human cells. Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that leads to muscle paralysis from birth and results in death before two years of age. Although no treatment currently exists, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, -- working in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, France, -- have identified a molecule that not only greatly reduces the progression of the disease but also boosts life expectancy in animal models by a factor of seven. Since the molecule -- known as tamoxifen -- is already used for breast cancer, the researchers hope to soon set up a clinical trial so that patients can be given the medication. You can read all about the results in the journal Nature Communications. Myotubular myopathy is a severe genetic disease that weakens all the skeletal muscles from birth. Ninety percent of affected babies do not live to two years of age. "The disease affects the X chromosome in one in 50,000 male infants," begins Leonardo Scapozza, full professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNIGE's Faculty of Science. Only boys are struck by myotubular myopathy, since the second X chromosome in girls generally compensates for the possible mutation of the first. Although there is no existing treatment for this genetic defect, valuable research in gene therapy is currently underway. "But it will take years before we can come to a conclusion about how effective the clinical trials are," points out Olivier Dorchies, a researcher in the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. "That's why we turned to a molecule that is already authorised for other treatments in humans, in the hope of finding a quicker way to counter this life-threatening disease." Tamoxifen: a multi-purpose molecule The researchers focused on tamoxifen, which has been used for many years to treat breast cancer, because the molecule has several interesting properties for protecting muscle fibres: it is antioxidant, anti-fibrotic and protects the mitochondria. "In a previous study, we used tamoxifen against Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is also an inherited muscular disease that affects one in 3,500 boys, where the life expectancy is 30 years," explains Elinam Gayi, a PhD student in UNIGE's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences . "The results have been excellent, and a clinical trial is also in progress." This is why the scientists have been looking at the molecule in an attempt to combat myotubular myopathy, which -- although it also leads to muscular paralysis -- does not have the same mechanisms of action as in its cousin Duchenne. "Myotubular myopathy is caused by a lack of myotubularin, an enzyme that transforms the lipidic messengers. Without it, the protein known as dynamin 2 accumulates and brings on muscle atrophy," continues Elinam. In the search for a cure, one of the avenues explored by several groups -- including UNIGE's colleagues in Strasbourg -- is to target dynamin 2, which is modulated by tamoxifen. advertisement Oral treatment that increases life expectancy sevenfold The scientists administered tamoxifen orally on a daily basis to sick mice with the same symptoms as affected babies, mixing it with their food. Three doses were tested: 0.03 milligrams per kilogram, 0.3 milligrams per kilogram and 3 milligrams per kilogram. The highest dose matches that used for treating breast cancer in women if we consider the metabolic differences between mouse and human. The results obtained by the research team left no room for argument. An untreated sick mouse lived for 45 days on average. With the lowest dose, the average life expectancy was 80 days, rising to 120 days with the intermediate dose. "But with the biggest dose, life expectancy went up to 290 days on average -- seven times higher than for an untreated mouse. Some even survived for over 400 days!" says Professor Scapozza. In addition, the progress of the paralysis was slowed down enormously or even completely stopped. Muscular strength was tripled, and it was possible to recover 60% of the muscular deficit between a healthy mouse and a sick mouse. The scientists began the treatment when the mice developed the first symptoms, namely paralysis of the hindlegs at about three weeks. However, they have not ruled out that administering the drug earlier might be more efficacious against muscle weakness. "In parallel to our study, a team from the Children's Hospital of Toronto tested the drug on even younger mice, and the disease did not develop," says Olivier. "The problem is that in humans, myotubular myopathy starts during foetal development, so it's hard to know whether the total absence of paralysis might be achieved if this molecule is given after birth." Is a clinical trial on the horizon? Elinam adds: "Since tamoxifen is already authorised for use in humans, and a clinical trial is underway for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we're hopeful that a clinical trial will come on line within a couple of years." It is now up to clinicians to make the most of our research and put it into practice. The UNIGE researchers will continue to explore the multiple uses of tamoxifen for treating genetic muscle diseases. They will try to combine it with other authorised molecules or in the final phase of clinical development. The goal will be to find treatments that can be put on the market quickly. New analysis of artifacts found at a South China archaeological site shows that sophisticated tool technology emerged in East Asia earlier than previously thought. A study by an international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, determines that carved stone tools, also known as Levallois cores, were used in Asia 80,000 to 170,000 years ago. Developed in Africa and Western Europe as far back as 300,000 years ago, the cores are a sign of more-advanced toolmaking -- the "multi-tool" of the prehistoric world -- but, until now, were not believed to have emerged in East Asia until 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. With the find -- and absent human fossils linking the tools to migrating populations -- researchers believe people in Asia developed the technology independently, evidence of similar sets of skills evolving throughout different parts of the ancient world. The is published online Nov. 19 in Nature. "It used to be thought that Levallois cores came to China relatively recently with modern humans," said Ben Marwick, UW associate professor of anthropology and one of the paper's corresponding authors. "Our work reveals the complexity and adaptability of people there that is equivalent to elsewhere in the world. It shows the diversity of the human experience." Levallois-shaped cores -- the "Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools," Marwick said -- were efficient and durable, indispensable to a hunter-gatherer society in which a broken spear point could mean certain death at the claws or jaws of a predator. The cores were named for the Levallois-Perret suburb of Paris, where stone flakes were found in the 1800s. advertisement Featuring a distinctive faceted surface, created through a sequence of steps, Levallois flakes were versatile "blanks," used to spear, slice, scrape or dig. The knapping process represents a more sophisticated approach to tool manufacturing than the simpler, oval-shaped stones of earlier periods. The Levallois artifacts examined in this study were excavated from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in the 1960s and 1970s. Previous research using uranium-series dating estimated a wide age range of the archaeological site -- between 50,000 and 240,000 years old -- but that earlier technique focused on fossils found away from the stone artifacts, Marwick said. Analyzing the sediments surrounding the artifacts provides more specific clues as to when the artifacts would have been in use. Marwick and other members of the team, from universities in China and Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date the artifacts. OSL can establish age by determining when a sediment sample, down to a grain of sand, was last exposed to sunlight -- and thus, how long an artifact may have been buried in layers of sediment. "Dating for this site was challenging because it had been excavated 40 years ago, and the sediment profile was exposed to air and without protection. So trees, plants, animals, insects could disturb the stratigraphy, which may affect the dating results if conventional methods were used for dating," said Bo Li , an associate professor of archaeology at the University of Wollongong in Australia and one of the paper's corresponding authors. "To solve this problem we used a new single-grain dating technique recently developed in our OSL lab at the University of Wollongong to date individual mineral grains in the sediment. Luckily we found residual sediment left over by the previous excavations, so that allowed us to take samples for dating." The researchers analyzed more than 2,200 artifacts found at Guanyindong Cave, narrowing down the number of Levallois-style stone cores and flakes to 45. Among those believed to be in the older age range, about 130,000 to 180,000 years old, the team also was able to identify the environment in which the tools were used: an open woodland on a rocky landscape, in "a reduced rainforest area compared to today," the authors note. advertisement In Africa and Europe these kinds of stone tools are often found at archaeological sites starting from 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. They are known as Mode III technology, part of a broad evolutionary sequence that was preceded by hand-axe technology (Mode II) and followed by blade tool technology (Mode IV). Archaeologists thought that Mode IV technologies arrived in China by migration from the West, but these new finds suggest they could have been locally invented. At the time people were making tools in Guanyindong Cave, the Denisovans -- ancestors to Homo sapiens and relative contemporaries to Neandertals elsewhere in the world -- roamed East Asia. But while hundreds of fossils of archaic humans and related artifacts, dating as far back as more than 3 million years ago, have been found in Africa and Europe, the archaeological record in East Asia is sparser. That's partly why a stereotype exists, that ancient peoples in the region were behind in terms of technological development, Marwick said. "Our work shows that ancient people there were just as capable of innovation as anywhere else. Technological innovations in East Asia can be homegrown, and don't always walk in from the West," he said. The independent emergence of the Levallois technique at different times and places in the world is not unique in terms of prehistoric innovations. Pyramid construction, for one, appeared in at least three separate societies: the Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Mayans. Boatbuilding began specific to geography and reliant on a community's available materials. And writing, of course, developed in various forms with distinct alphabets and characters. In the evolution of tools, Levallois cores represent something of a middle stage. Subsequent manufacturing processes yielded more-refined blades made of rocks and minerals that were more resistant to flaking, and composites that, for example, combined a spear point with blades along the edge. The appearance of blades later in time indicates a further increase in the complexity and the number of steps required to make the tools. "The appearance of the Levallois strategy represents a big increase in the complexity of technology because there are so many steps that have to work in order to get the final product, compared to previous technologies," Marwick said. On Nov. 6, some voters in Oak Brook had six propositions on the ballot, three from DuPage County, one from the Oak Brook Park District asking whether it should issue bonds to buy the McDonalds property, one for York Township voters asking if the U.S. Congress should support measures to address climate change, and one from either Elmhurst Unit School District 205 to issue bonds to fund school improvements. "Being invested in your community is really important to me knowing about the changes in the community and wanting to be involved and seeing my fellow community members," Fallis said, adding that shes looking forward to "different, exciting businesses in the area" and also is excited about transportation improvements that were discussed at the workshop. As for Anthony Valentino Salon, Fosco said the move toward downsizing was prompted by Stapletons offer to purchase the building, which she and her husband had owned for more than two decades. The smaller size of the salon at about 1,400 square feet will give customers a more intimate experience, with stylists who specialize in both color and cuts, Fosco said. A 16-year-old girl was killed and three other people were injured, including a firefighter, when flames destroyed a home in Orinda early Sunday. The fire broke out just before 4 a.m. inside a Spanish-style home on the 500 block of Moraga Way. The home was fully engulfed by the time firefighters got there a few minutes later, said Dennis Rein, a spokesman for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District. Two people, a man and a teenage girl, managed to get out, but the 16-year-old was trapped inside, Rein said. The firefighters immediately went into rescue mode, he said. Two members of the fire crew got about 10 feet inside the building when it flashed over, meaning everything inside superheated and burst into flames all at once, Fire Chief Dave Winnacker said at a news conference Sunday. The adobe-style brick walls and clay tile roof created an oven-like atmosphere, he said. One firefighter suffered burns as he retreated from the inferno, which was so hot it destroyed his helmet and breathing apparatus, Rein said. As firefighters sprayed water, part of the roof caved in. The body of the girl, whose name was not released Sunday, was found in the wreckage after the flames were knocked down, he said. The injured firefighter was treated for second-degree burns at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and later released. The male and female who escaped were taken to the Bothin Burn Center at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, where they were being treated for second-degree burns, Rein said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The girls mother and father were out of town when the fire broke out and are now living every parents worst nightmare, Rein said. Orinda is still a small town, where everybody knows each other, he said. So its going to be a tough one here for a while. Our hearts go out to the family and community, Winnacker said. This is obviously a tragic event and one that we take very seriously. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite All sides in the Millennium Tower debacle appear to be nearing an agreement on a $100 million-plus fix to stop the 58-story high-rise from sinking further but at least part of the buildings tilt will probably remain. Were very encouraged by the recent progress that has been made, said P.J. Johnston, spokesman for Millennium Partners, the luxury condominiums developer. We look forward to working with the homeowners and the city to get this all completed as soon as possible. Doug Elmets, spokesman for the homeowners association, cautioned that nothing has been submitted to the city yet for review, but that residents are encouraged by the ongoing progress. The latest plan calls for drilling piles into bedrock from the sidewalk on the buildings southwest corner. The proposal would be less extensive and intrusive than the plan floated in April, which called for drilling as many as 300 micro-piles to bedrock through the buildings concrete foundation. The idea was to stabilize one side of the 58-story structure, then let the other side continue to sink until the building straightened itself. That plan, however, probably would have cost upward of $350 million as much as it cost to build the tower in the first place. The new plan by Ronald Hamburger, the structural engineer for the developer, is expected to be considerably less expensive and faster, and without as significant a disruption to the residents. Hopefully, it will take out some of the tilt and stop the building from moving entirely, said one source familiar with the plan, but who wasnt authorized to speak for the record. The tower has sunk 18 inches and tilted 14 inches to the west since it opened in April 2009. The building sits on a 10-foot-thick mat foundation, held in place by 950 reinforced concrete piles sunk 60 to 90 feet deep into clay and mud. They do not, however, reach bedrock. The repair job is expected to take several months to complete. The timeline for getting started, however, will probably hinge on how fast the parties can get approval of an environmental impact report and the necessary building permits. Were told the construction work will not require the closure of the 300 block of Mission Street, a major east-west artery routinely clogged with city buses and other vehicles. The work, however, probably will cause some traffic disruptions along Mission. Hamburgers analysis of the building last year, paid for by the developer, concluded it was safe enough to withstand an 8.0 earthquake. A three-member expert panel hired by the city subsequently reached the same conclusion that the building is safe. Millennium Partners has blamed the sinking on ground shifts brought on by the construction of the huge Transbay Transit Center, which is just across Fremont Street from the tower. The bus hub opened in August, only to be shut down six weeks later when cracks were discovered in a pair of girders over Fremont Street. Taxpayers are already on the hook for up to $15.7 million in lawyer fees to help fend off claims by the Millennium developer and homeowners that construction of the transit center contributed to the sinking and tilting of the luxury high-rise. In all, nine lawsuits have been filed in the Millennium case, with no fewer than 146 lawyers involved. Late last week, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow, who is presiding over most of the condo owner cases including a major one against the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, which built the transit center issued a notice that he is pushing back the first scheduled trial until October to enable the parties to focus on (private) mediation and funding of a retrofit. Southern California attorney David Casselman, who is representing more than 250 of the buildings 400 condo owners in their suit against the authority, didnt rule out a courtroom showdown if the deal for the proposed fix unravels. 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. We are deeply involved in the litigation process and looking forward to trial, Casselman said, but if it is possible to resolve the case, we welcome the opportunity. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle On the money: Fresh from voter approval of an $18 million-a-year parcel tax extension to help keep its doors open, City College trustees are now looking to go back to voters next November with a whopping $800 million facilities bond. With some of our buildings, its questionable if they could withstand an earthquake, college Trustee John Rizzo said. You would be appalled at the condition of some of the buildings we are trying to teach in they are well beyond their designed age. And it looks like the voters agree. A Tulchin Research poll the district commissioned found 77 percent voter support for a new facilities bond well above the 55 percent support required with the respondents not appearing to care whether the ask was for $450 million or $800 million. So the district is preparing to go for the full load. Still, competition for votes could be steep, as there are likely to be competing measures on next years ballot seeking money. District officials expect to descend on City Hall this week to gauge the temperature of Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors. 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 The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has been advising people to stay indoors as smoke from the Camp Fire makes air quality hazardous. Ive been concerned about how the smoke is impacting people living in the Bay Area without homes. I thought about Kelly Thompson and his friends, some of whom sleep in tents. Thompson is retired and a Vietnam veteran who lives in a small camper in a West Oakland field. I wrote about him this month after his pickup truck was towed at an RV encampment near 20th and Campbell streets. On Oct. 23, the city of Oakland towed RVs, trailers and campers from the site. Thompson, whod moved his camper the day before, was there to use his truck to help others. But the city towed his Chevrolet Silverado first, so he wasnt able to help anyone. So now, Thompsons friends dont have their RVs because Oakland penalized them for being poor and living in a home on wheels. Now, theyre stuck outside breathing unhealthy air. Photos by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle The East Bay Community Law Center is part of a coalition of legal aid and civil rights organizations reviewing constitutional issues around the towing of vehicles belonging to homeless people. On Nov. 7, Osha Neumann, a supervising attorney at the law center, sent a letter to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf chiding the city for towing vehicles before it opens places for people to park their RVs and campers without hassle. In the letter, Neumann cited Smith vs. Reiskin, the lawsuit against San Francisco filed by a homeless man after the city towed his vehicle. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction in the case, because the court questioned the constitutionality of towing a car for parking tickets the owner cannot afford to pay. I would think that the city, given that they acknowledge they have a homelessness crisis and that they dont have shelters for everybody, should simply do everything to stop towing the homes of people, Neumann told me. They know perfectly well that if they do, people are going to lose their home and be out on the street. The Oakland City Council has approved opening three parking sites that will provide up to 150 RVs with secure parking, sanitary facilities and garbage services. I asked Karen Boyd, a city spokeswoman, if Oakland will continue towing RVs before the parking sites open next spring. She said, Generally not. There may still be times we need to tow as we address environmental issues associated with RVs and balance impacts to neighborhoods, Boyd continued. We will approach each situation in the most compassionate way possible. There is compassion in the East Bay, but not in Oaklands actions. Consider what happened to Thompson after Oakland towed his truck. He got the truck in June 2017 as payment for electrical work. The trucks registration expired that August, and Thompson couldnt register the vehicle without it passing an emissions test. He knew it would fail until it was repaired, but Thompson, who gets $1,195 in Social Security income every month, didnt have the money to get it fixed. After reading my column about Thompson, George Nunes, the president and CEO of California Fleet Maintenance Inc., an engine repair shop in Hayward, offered to do the maintenance for free. The trucks spark plugs and spark plug wires have been replaced. Four 02 censors have been installed, as have a new muffler and two catalytic converters. 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. Hes a really nice person, and Im glad that fate brought us together, Nunes told me. The feeling of helping someone like him is priceless. The check engine light is still on, and it must be off for a vehicle to pass inspection. Nunes said the goal is to get Thompsons smog certification completed this week. Other readers reached out to help Thompson, too. One person gave him $700. Another person gave him $300. Still another has offered to pay for the vehicle registration. How does it feel to get a helping hand? It just made me feel wonderful, said Thompson, 70, who is tired of fearing the police will pull him over for an expired license plate. Ive never had anything remotely close to this in my entire life. For strangers to just pitch in and give me a hand like this, its wonderful. The irony is that if his truck didnt get towed, Thompson wouldnt have met people like Nunes. And while its a feel-good story that Thompsons getting his truck back in working order, the other vehicles towed that morning remain locked in a tow yard in East Oakland and their owners are stuck outside with the bad air. The owners cant afford the fees attached to retrieving their vehicles, including unpaid tickets. On Friday afternoon, a group of RVers, including Thompson, met near a homeless encampment on Wood Street to discuss next steps, including a possible protest. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr Where in the world are you? The answer could be a street address, or numeric GPS coordinates expressing latitude and longitude. But many locations lack street addresses, and GPS coordinates are long and cumbersome. A London startup called What3words devised a solution: It divided the planet into 10-by-10-foot squares 57 trillion of them and gave each a simple address made up of three random words: plants.invest.statue for instance (thats inside a coffee shop at The Chronicle building). Talking about a precise location is really difficult, said Giles Rhys Jones, What3words marketing chief. We wanted a system of human-friendly GPS. What3words is a free app and website for consumers that is used in 170 countries and 26 languages. Its now making a push into the United States. More than 1,000 businesses, government and nonprofit users pay for its code: the Red Cross, delivery companies, travel guides, the Mongolian post office, Mercedes-Benz (which invested in it), Dominos Pizza and Latin Americas biggest ride-hailing company, for instance. Santa Clara officials used it as part of the emergency response for Super Bowl 50. The company has raised $54 million in funding. What3Words Now What3words is partnering with San Franciscos Airbnb to enable remote and nomadic people to rent to travelers. Its starting in Mongolia with about 30 hosts who dont have addresses, including nomadic reindeer herders in the taiga forest and people living in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. Guests can meet them at a location like settings.holly.stereo at the forests edge and then ascend the mountain by reindeer or horse to a camp at evaluate.video.nails. A night in a yurt is about $120. It is very hard for tourists to find us, and for us to explain the location when we have limited mobile network access, said Otgonbayar and Zorigt, Dukha reindeer herders, in an interview translated from Mongolian and provided by What3words. (Mongolian people commonly use given names only.) We have to explain the address as pass those mountains ... and then pass the river. For nomadic people, hosting travelers provides income that could help sustain their lifestyle, Mongolian travel officials said. The nomads, who often must ascend mountains to get cell service, work with co-hosts, who live in places like Ulaanbaatar with internet connectivity and who can communicate with guests in English. GPS, unlike cell service, works in remote locations. For Airbnb, What3words delivers an innovative way to provide hosts with an accurate and reliable address while constantly on the move, and creates new livelihood opportunities for nomadic and rural communities in Mongolia and around the world, said Cameron Sinclair, Airbnb social innovation lead, in a statement. What3words has generated controversy as a proprietary system, rather than one that is open. RealNames, an internet keyword system similarly controlled by its maker, shut down in 2002 despite signing deals with companies like Google. Another issue: Since What3words relies on connections to satellites, it does not work in some enclosed locations where it might be useful, such as airports and shopping malls. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Funded in 2013, What3words originated in the concert world. Its founders were frustrated by rubbish addressing, but roadies and drummers couldnt remember GPS coordinates, Rhys Jones said. After noodling about the problem with a math genius friend, they hit upon dividing the world into 57 trillion squares and figured theyd need just 40,000 words to describe them all with three common words (40,000 cubed is 64 trillion). If its hard to describe a location, were great in that circumstance, Rhys Jones said. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid If it comes down to it, if you have to run, take the baby, Rachelle Sanders told the stranger next to her as flames inched closer to their car, melting the taillights. Her son Lincoln, cradled in her lap, was only 8 hours old. Leave me behind. Sanders and the rest of the patients at Feather River Hospital had been rushed into any car available as the Camp Fire barreled toward the hospital. As firefighters still battle to put out the fire, reporter Lizzie Johnson takes us through the first, most dangerous hours, in which Paradises meticulous evacuation plans were scrapped as the fire overran the town, moving more than 6 miles in 90 minutes. Johnson tells the stories of how Sanders and five others escaped, made possible by acts of bravery, heroism and good fortune. President Trump made a rare visit California on Saturday to assess damage from the fire, which has killed 77, burned 150,000 acres and destroyed 10,623 homes. Trumps visit was largely free of the tension expected after the president said the fire was the result of Californias forest management policies. As the fire slows, plenty of people are still without permanent shelter, some of whom were camping in a dirt lot next to a Walmart in Chico. They faced a tough choice after relief services nearby packed up, hoping to encourage people inside but probably further away. Sign up for Bay Briefing Like what you're reading? Subscribe to The Chronicle's Bay Briefing newsletter and get the Bay Area's best journalism in your in-box every weekday. See More Collapse Wildfires in California have changed, and so has our journalism, the Chronicle Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper writes. That means making tough decisions about how to handle graphic video of the destruction, responding to those asking for help if possible and even taking a moment to comfort a survivor. Thank you for reading and sharing your stories with us. Top of the News Still not Karl: The Bay Areas air quality has improved somewhat but will remain unhealthy until forecasted rains late Tuesday. Worried about what the smoke means for your long-term health? Little data on long-term outcomes from wildfire smoke exist, reporter Catherine Ho writes, but a Bay Area study focused on last years Wine Country fires is among the first. Leaning Tower of S.F.: There finally may be a plan to stabilize San Franciscos infamous Millennium Tower, which has tilted 14 inches since opening in 2008. An engineer for the developer proposes drilling piles into bedrock at the buildings southwest corner. The $100 million fix would stabilize the tower but not remove the tilt. Still, City Hall is encouraged by the ongoing progress, one official tells Matier & Ross. Fun in too much sun: Ski season has begun at Tahoes biggest resorts, but the crucial element snow is thin on the ground and entirely artificial. Resorts are trying to put a happy face on it, but a warming climate means they can expect more years like this. Cerulean tsunami: With election day results almost settled, the Republican Party in California will probably hold only seven or eight of the states 53 House seats and Democrats will regain their supermajority in the state Senate. In California, we didnt have a takeover, we had an overthrow, one political analyst says. But whats left of the GOP in California cant agree on why Republicans lost and what to do about it. We wouldnt call it cheap but ... : The number of price cuts on Bay Area real estate was at its highest level in October since 2012. Kathleen Pender asks agents what this means for buyers and why an aggressive price cut doesnt necessarily mean somethings wrong with the property. Becoming: Michelle Obama has sworn to tell her readers everything, and she delivers on that promise, Allyson Hobbs says in her consideration of the first ladys new memoir. The book is intimate and bracing: Parts of her story are familiar, but still, you lean in, eager to hear them again. Jonestown, revisited: Marshall Kilduff was a Chronicle reporter in the 1970s whose first impression of the Rev. Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple flock was that it was nothing sinister, just jarringly odd but also a story to be explored. Rebuffed by editors who didnt want to look too closely, he eventually wrote the magazine expose that drove Jones to Guyana. Now one of our editorial writers, Kilduff uses his unique perspective to look back on a tragic saga where power brokers chose to ignore the signs of evil in Jones actions. Honoring the victims: The Peoples Temple members who followed Jones to the jungle and died 40 years ago may finally be remembered here with a physical memorial. As one survivor tells columnist Caille Millner, Its San Francisco history, and it shouldve never been swept under the carpet. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Forever Young: Joan Baez played her final San Francisco concert last week at the Masonic, but her farewell tour is avoiding big nostalgic goodbyes, pop music critic Aidin Vaziri writes in his review. Instead, the folk icon focused on gorgeous renditions of her songs and Bob Dylan classics and call to social justice movements of the moment. The long view: Native Son columnist Carl Nolte took a walk through Muir Woods where redwoods date to the age of Genghis Khan, yet show scars of blazes through the centuries. The difference between Californias wildfires then and now, he reflects, is that todays state has 39 million human residents. The Kicker HOK+CTM 1987 In the latest Our SF, Peter Hartlaub takes a look at a proposed Giants ballpark back in 1987 that never came to be. Then-owner Bob Lurie threatened to move the team out of town if he didnt get a ballpark at Seventh and Townsend streets one that incorporated the adjacent freeway in such a way, Hartlaub writes, that it looked like the stadium entrails were spilling out of left field. Alas, the measure failed by 11,000 votes. Lurie sold the team in 1993, and what now is AT&T Park opened in 2000. So count your blessings, Giants fans, that this concept is filed away in the Chronicle archives under San Francisco Stadium Failed. Bay Briefing is written by John King and Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email in-boxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here and contact King at jking@sfchronicle.com and Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com A South San Francisco man says his sick mom begged him to end her life, and now hes facing an attempted murder charge. Prosecutors in the San Mateo County district attorneys office say Thomas Beck, 58, tried to kill his 86-year-old mother in May of last year. She suffered from Parkinsons disease and wanted her suffering to come to an end, Beck told authorities. He had been caring for his mother for 18 years, prosecutors said. Marie Beck told her son she was in pain and wanted him to stop feeding her, and on May 16 he allegedly gave her extra medicine and covered her mouth and nose for 10 minutes. Californias End of Life Option Act allows terminally ill adults in specific circumstances to take fatal drugs, if approved by their physician, to end their own lives. Marie Beck, however, would have had to request the drugs from her doctor on two separate occasions 15 days apart, sign a form in front of two witnesses, be six months from death and administer the drugs herself. It isnt just simply somebodys got a very miserable, painful life and theyre looking to end it, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. You cant just have a family member help you end your life. The law was first passed in June 2016 but was put on hold in May, when a judge ruled that it had been passed illegally during a special legislative session. Three weeks later an appeals court overturned that ruling. Thomas Becks case is complicated by an inconclusive autopsy. Doctors couldnt determine exactly how Thomas Becks mom died or whether his alleged suffocation attempts were what killed her. Hes been charged only with attempted murder. Nobodys trying to send this man to prison for this, Wagstaffe said. But it continues to be a crime under our law. Judge Stephanie Garratt said she would not send Beck to prison if he pleaded guilty, Wagstaffe added. Thomas Beck has instead pleaded not guilty, and he faces up to seven years behind bars if hes convicted by a jury. Assisted suicide cases havent come up frequently in San Mateo County, Wagstaffe said. He estimated the office hasnt prosecuted a similar case in 10 to 20 years. In 2017, the California Department of Public Health reported that 632 people made requests to their doctors for end-of-life drugs. Of that amount, 363 people took the drugs and died from them, which was more than three times the 111 people who died from aid-in-dying drugs in 2016. Thomas Becks case is set to go to trial Dec. 17. Hilary Swift / New York Times 2017 Tweet heat over inmate firefighters A misleading summertime tweet from Californias prison system returned to reignite social media outrage last week amid the states deadly wildfires, fooling some into thinking that the government is sending child inmates to battle the flames. Today, more than 2,000 volunteer inmate firefighters, including 58 youth offenders, are battling wildfire flames throughout CA, the July 31 tweet said. Inmate firefighters serve a vital role, clearing thick brush down to bare soil to stop the fires spread. The backlash was swift. Why are you letting children fight these fires? one Twitter user wrote in August. Another person chimed in this month: In other words slaves, including child slaves are risking their lives for free And then: Excuse me, children? Were having children fight fires?! In short, theyre not. Youth offenders is industry speak for inmates whose cases were adjudicated in juvenile court but remain in the prison system. A youth offender can be as old as 25. Inmates must be at least 18 to work on a fire crew, and the age range of the juvenile justice fire crew is about the same as the adult camps, said Ike Dodson, a spokesman for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. By Thursday, though, the tweet had more than 3,000 likes, 1,200 retweets and 2,100 comments. I think sometimes we get in the habit of using terminology that seems routine to us, but can create some confusion in 140 characters when a phrase like youth offenders is not recognized by the public, Dodson said. Thats what happened in this case. The post also lent itself to long-running debates on whether inmates of any age should be fighting the states deadly blazes, and the inmates career limitations after release. There are currently 1,381 fire-camp firefighters, including 28 youth offenders, fighting Californias wildfires. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials have said volunteer crews save the state about $100 million annually and can account for up to 40 percent of the crews battling the flames. Inmate firefighters are paid on average $2 a day and $1 per hour when theyre fighting an active fire. Critics have likened the practice to modern-day slavery, while prison officials and some inmates argue the positions are coveted. The work pays more than other inmate jobs, reduces sentences and provides many individuals with a sense of purpose, officials said. Special to The Chronicle 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. Two questions for Contra Costa D.A. Diana Becton Q: Why did you change your offices policy and start releasing reports on fatal incidents involving law enforcement? A: The new policy affirms my commitment to transparency and accountability for our criminal justice system. Under prior administrations, reports were not released to the public in a consistent manner. The public should know the outcomes of our independent investigations if no charges are filed against an officer. The interim policy took effect on April 1, 2018, and was made permanent on Oct. 29, 2018. Q: Nearly 40 California district attorneys signed a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown in September asking him to veto two prison reform bills. Why didnt you sign the letter? A: We know that there are certain laws, in our state and throughout the country, that have contributed to mass incarceration and racial and ethnic disparities within our criminal justice system. It is incumbent upon us to evaluate and re-evaluate our laws and systems to ensure that we are keeping our communities safe while also ensuring that justice is administered fairly and equitably. Roundup: The biggest crime news from last week Butte County deputies fatally shot a 48-year-old man after a confrontation and high-speed chase through the Camp Fire evacuation zone. The CEO of a San Francisco wheelchair accessory company was shot with a stun gun and beaten to death by a former work colleague, authorities said. An Oakland police officer saved a newborn babys life by performing CPR after a mother gave birth prematurely in downtown Oakland. Reported hate crimes spiked last year in California and across the U.S. in a trend some link to President Trumps rhetoric. Two men pleaded guilty to human trafficking charges after abducting a mother from a Mission District nightclub in 2016. Ashley McBride, Megan Cassidy and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb, @meganrcassidy, @SarRavani The Rainbow World Fund, which has for more than 10 years organized and placed a World Tree of Hope Christmas tree in City Hall, has been booted from that space and has taken the tree to Grace Cathedral. Jeff Cotter, executive director of the fund, is grateful to the cathedral a beautiful venue that is open to the public and has a tradition of welcoming people but the move wasnt exactly willing. We are saddened that at a time when we need to be inspired and to reach for possibilities for ways to bring goodness into the world, he said in an email, City Hall has canceled the World Tree of Hope. The tree is a project of the fund, a group that was founded, says its mission statement, to promote peace, unity and hope by leading the LGBTQ movement in participating in humanitarian relief efforts around the world, and in the Japanese American community in San Francisco. It is 23 feet tall and decorated with 17,000 handmade origami cranes, inscribed with individual messages of hope for the future of the world. Over the years, citizens and celebrities Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jane Goodall and Joan Baez among them have submitted messages to be folded into cranes by members of the community; theres even been a crane-folding project at San Quentin Prison. In 2014, there was a glitch when someone at City Hall wanted to charge the fund $15,000 to have it at City Hall. That resulted in the tree being moved to Grace Cathedral that year. When Mayor Ed Lee was informed of that, he assured organizers that it wouldnt happen again, found storage space for the tree at City College of San Francisco, and personally raised $5,650 for an additional section to be added to make the tree fill the entire City Hall space when it was returned. The decision not to have it at City Hall this year was transmitted to Cotter in an email received in August from Martha Cohen in the mayors office. Cohen wrote only that the city had decided to approach the 2018 Holiday Season differently, adding that the tree was in storage at CCSF at no cost to the Rainbow World Fund, which should make arrangements to pick it up. Cotter tried to enlist the help of supervisors to arrange a meeting with the mayor, but his efforts were fruitless. Ive never met London Breed, said Cotter, and I dont know whats behind her decision. He said the tree had been the only holiday decoration in City Hall, and hed been promised by Lee that we would get full cooperation. Bill Barnes in the office of the city administrator explained in a phone call the other day that there are many new holiday events at Civic Center this year, and that there was a conversation about changing things, making sure that City Hall was open to everybody. ... Its nothing against the Tree of Hope, but it really is an opportunity to expand events inside and outside the building, and that kind of thing. Barnes said that it all had to do with inclusivity, citing the new playground and Bi-Rite food pavilion in Civic Center, and saying, There was this idea that the holidays were a good time to make more people part of the winter events. It seems like everything has worked out for the best. Three weeks ago, administrators at Grace Cathedral, which came to the rescue of the tree in 2014, informed Cotter that the cathedral would again provide a home for the tree this year. Cotter is grateful for that and is looking for volunteers from Nov. 24 to 30 to help with the tree decoration. Lighting ceremonies are Dec. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. More information is at www.worldtreeofhope.org. 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. When he voted in Berkeley, Paul Schwartz emailed a few days ago, he was offered an I Voted sticker in English, Spanish or Chinese. He was disappointed, he said, not to have the choice of Russian. When I received this, I wrote to Schwartz saying that it was perhaps too late to be making jokes about Nov. 6, election day. Why, they are still counting ballots, he said, in Moscow. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING Your new friend has one mommy and one daddy. Woman to child, overheard in Temescal Alley in Oakland by Alta Gerry Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik ANCHORAGE, Alaska Federal regulators are preparing an environmental review for a possible offshore lease sale in Alaskas Beaufort Sea and environmental groups are calling foul. The legality of Arctic Ocean offshore lease sales is the subject of a federal lawsuit. Environmental groups say its irresponsible to plan lease sales ahead of a ruling. Rather than moving ahead with expending large amounts of governmental resources for analyses and holding public hearings for a lease sale the court may decide is illegal, the Trump Administration should wait for the courts decision, Lois Epstein, Arctic program director for the Wilderness Society, said in a statement. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced last week that it would prepare the environmental review in support of a potential oil and gas lease sale in the Beaufort Sea next year. The review would analyze potential effects of leasing, exploration, development and production. A 30-day public comment period runs through Dec. 17. The agency scheduled public hearings in three Arctic coast communities followed by a hearing Dec.6 in Anchorage. We especially need to hear from residents of the Beaufort Sea communities, letting us know how the proposed leasing area is currently being used and what specific areas need extra attention, said James Kendall, BOEMs Alaska region director. The agency said the proceedings do not mean a final decision to hold a lease sale has been made. The environmental review process is kicking in before the administration has completed a new national five-year leasing program, circumventing an established public process for offshore development, said officials at Oceana, a conservation group. Despite the risks of offshore drilling, it appears as though President Trump is charging ahead and that the decision to offer leases for 65 million acres of the Beaufort Sea has already been made, with no regard for the dangers or the established public process, said Diane Hoskins, Oceanas campaign director. Former President Barack Obama banned drilling in most U.S. Arctic waters. President Trump in April 2017 signed an executive order reversing the bans. Environmental groups sued, claiming Trump exceeded his power. Dan Joling is an Associated Press writer. SAN DIEGO As thousands of migrants in a caravan of Central American asylum-seekers converge on the doorstep of the United States, what they wont find are armed American soldiers standing guard. Instead they will see cranes installing towering panels of metal bars and troops wrapping concertina wire around barriers while military helicopters fly overhead, carrying border patrol agents to and from locations along the U.S.-Mexico border. Thats because U.S. military troops are prohibited from carrying out law enforcement duties. Whats more, the bulk of the troops are in Texas hundreds of miles away from the caravan that started arriving last week in Tijuana on Mexicos border with California after walking and hitching rides for the past month. Still, for many migrants the barriers and barbed wire were an imposing show of force. Angel Ulloa stood on Tijuanas beach where a wall of metal bars more than 20 feet high cut across the sand and plunge into the Pacific. He watched as crews on the U.S. side placed coils of barbed wire on top. A border patrol agent wearing camouflage and armed with an assault rifle part of a tactical unit deployed when there is a heightened threat walked in the sand below where the men worked. A small border patrol boat hovered offshore. Its too much security to confront humble people who just want to work, said Ulloa, a 23-year-old electrician from Choloma, Honduras, who joined the caravan to try to make his first trip to the U.S. Now, he and his two friends were rethinking their plans. They tried to apply for a job at a Walmart in Tijuana but were told they need a Mexican work permit. So they were considering seeking asylum in Mexico but were unsure of giving up their dream of earning dollars. Were still checking things out, he said. On Friday, people walking through one of the worlds busiest border crossings into Mexico passed by a pair of Marines on a 20-foot lift installing razor wire above a turnstile. The U.S. military has deployed 5,800 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. So far, more are not expected, despite President Trumps initial assessment that 10,000 to 15,000 were needed to secure the border against what he has called an invasion of migrants. Most in the caravan of several thousand are families, including hundreds of children. Another 2,100 National Guard troops are have also been deployed since April as part of a separate mission. Like the military troops, they are not allowed to detain illegal crossers. Instead, they have been monitoring cameras and helping to erect barriers. Of the 5,800 soldiers and Marines, more than 2,800 are in Texas, while about 1,500 are in Arizona and another 1,300 are in California. All U.S. military branches, except the Coast Guard, are barred from performing law enforcement duties. That means there will be no visible show of armed troops, said Army Maj. Scott McCullough. Julie Watson is an Associated Press writer. The blankets, piled high inside the Clark Ministry Center Chapel at the church, were blessed by the Rev. Jerry Gunderson, MSW pastor, and then delivered to one of four destinations, Collins said. The bulk of the blankets went to Franciscan Outreach, a homeless shelter in Chicago, but others were divided between Salvation Army of Des Plaines; Center of Concern, which serves Maine Township; and Our Lady of the Angels parish in Chicago. Facebooks terrible year keeps getting worse. On Wednesday, the New York Times published an investigation into the way Facebook handled the discovery of Russian disinformation campaigns on its platform ahead of the 2016 presidential election. What the investigation revealed can only be described as rot at the top. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg once considered a possible Democratic presidential candidate and the companys chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg once considered a potential Cabinet appointee for a Hillary Clinton administration and a very public champion for womens empowerment come off especially badly. Instead of aggressively fighting Russian disinformation on their platform, they allegedly downplayed the seriousness of reports from their own executives. They tried to deflect blame onto their rivals. When that failed, they sought special favors from politicians and hired consultants to discredit anti-Facebook activists. Facebook has pushed back against the news report. In a blog post published Thursday, the company alleged a list of inaccuracies and added: Mark and Sheryl have been deeply involved in the fight against false news and information operations on Facebook. The companys spin might not work this time. Facebook has been promising to do better for the past few years. Meanwhile, the scandals keep coming. The Cambridge Analytica scandal showed the company didnt take user privacy very seriously. The companys failure to prevent its platform from being used for genocidal violence in Myanmar was evidence that it wasnt willing to be an aggressive defender of human rights. While the company has taken some shaky steps over the past year to improve transparency, these efforts havent been thorough and consistent. Change may be coming. Several U.S. senators sent the company a letter Friday demanding answers about how it used contractors to hit back at critics. There are growing bipartisan concerns about the ways social media platforms are being used to sway and divide people politically. Regulating these companies could be just the kind of big challenge the incoming Democratic House of Representatives wants. Facebook must respond to the latest batch of bad news by taking its trust, transparency and privacy problems seriously. Deflection and denial has gotten it this far, but they wont help the company when its users eventually find a new platform that respects them. 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. In California, it was a cerulean tsunami. The Democrats hoped-for devastating blue wave fell short in some parts of the country, but the election results inundated Californias Republican Party, leaving it as little more than a political afterthought in the nations most populous state. This was a shellacking, no question about it, said Jim Brulte, chairman of the state Republican Party. The scope of the Democratic victory is stunning, with the party grabbing far more than the low-hanging fruit thats typical of a swing election. In much of the country, the seats Democrats won have been volleyed back and forth for years, depending on which party was in power, said Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., which collects and analyzes voter information. But in California, we didnt have a takeover, we had an overthrow. Just as Orange County was long a nationwide symbol of Republican power, it became an indicator this year of how much has changed. Democrats flipped all four GOP seats in that once-conservative core. Russell Yip / The Chronicle The midterm election losses in California were devastating, said Republican Travis Allen, who gave up his Orange County Assembly seat to run unsuccessfully for governor. Its taken the Republican Party to its lowest point since the 1880s. Consider the numbers: Going into the election, 14 of Californias 53 members of the House were Republicans. Come January, that will probably drop to eight. In California history, Democrats have never held more than the 57 seats they had in the 80-member Assembly in 1977. They are already assured of holding that many when the Legislature reconvenes, and are leading in races that could bring the total to 60. Democrats lost their two-thirds majority in the state Senate in June, when Josh Newman was recalled from his Orange County seat. After flipping two Central Valley seats, they have their supermajority back with a vote to spare, meaning they can pass virtually any legislation without Republican help. For the third election in a row, Democrats won every statewide office, each one by double digits. Not a single Republican collected as much as 39 percent of the vote. The reason for the GOP debacle depends on whom you ask. For Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a 30-year veteran of Congress who lost his coastal Orange County seat to Democratic businessman Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach, it was all about the money. This was a bought and sold election, he said. I didnt lose this vote my district was purchased. Rohrabacher was outspent 3-1 by Rouda, and Democratic billionaire Michael Bloomberg of New York dumped more than $4 million into the district in the final weeks for TV ads attacking the Republican. The first thing that the Republican Partys got to do is make sure our billionaires stay loyal to us in tough times, Rohrabacher said. But he and other California Republicans didnt see that their districts were changing around them. In the six congressional districts Democrats have won or are winning, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in 2016. Two years of Trump in the White House just hardened voters misgivings toward the president and his supporters. They were not safe Republican seats, which is why the results were as bad as they were, said Brulte, the state GOP chairman. The demographic changes have been dramatic, said Mitchell of Political Data. Not only is Californias Democratic-leaning nonwhite population growing, but Republicans are losing many of the wealthy suburban voters who shored up the party for decades. In 2009, seven of the 10 California congressional districts with the highest average household income were held by Republicans, Mitchell said. After the 2018 election, they only hold two of the top 10. The steady drip, drip, drip of Democratic gains as millions of post-election night ballots are counted shows how the states population is changing and not in Republicans favor. Those late ballots dont come from the 10 of 10 voting white homeowners who know where their stamps are, Mitchell said. They voted early and their votes already are tabulated. They come instead from groups that lean Democratic: young people, minorities, renters and others who dont show up for every election. But increasingly they do. Innovations in Californias election laws now register voters automatically at the Department of Motor Vehicles, send a ballot automatically to voters in an increasing number of counties, allow ballots to be counted if theyre postmarked by election day and give voters a do-over if they forget to sign a mail ballot or use an unreadable signature. Those changes encourage more people to vote, and more of them are voting Democratic. I think that one of the lessons that the GOP needs to learn out of this election cycle is how to work within all the new rules, said GOP Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock (Stanislaus County), who was beaten by Democrat Josh Harder. There have been a lot of changes that caught many in the Republican Party by surprise, Denham said. But the party doesnt have much time to adapt. Presidential elections always bring out more voters than midterms and with Trump on the ballot in 2020, Californias turnout could soar. When all the votes are counted, turnout for the November election is expected to be around 63 percent, compared with 75 percent for the 2016 presidential balloting. Those additional voters arent going to be white-haired Republicans, since they always vote anyway, Mitchell said. Its going to be a lot more minorities and teenagers, which should be really foreboding for Republicans. Chris Carlson / AP So what needs to change? For Allen, the failed candidate for governor who is running to replace the retiring Brulte as the state GOP chairman in February, its time to rebuild the structure from the ground up and make the party even more old-school Republican. The Republican establishment has given in to despair, he said. Theyve deluded themselves into thinking that the only way to be relevant is to look more like the Democrats. Instead, the party has to reach out to a wider range of voters with a message of lower taxes, better schools and safer communities, Allen said, adding that Republican values are California values. Former GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristin Olsen, former Republican Assembly leader, want a different type of change. Theyre promoting New Way California, a moderate Republican group committed to building trust and achieving bipartisan solutions to Californias problems. The California Republican Party isnt salvageable at this time, Olsen said in a recent opinion piece. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images But for GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who will become House minority leader in the next Congress, theres no reason for panic. One thing I know about politics: The pendulum swings back and forth, he said. What it also means is it wont swing back and forth if you dont work hard, you dont improve your message, you dont include more people in the process. ... So we do have our work cut out for us. John Wildermuth and Tal Kopan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com, tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth, @talkopan WASHINGTON House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi casts herself as an unparalleled legislator and political tactician. Those skills are about to be put to the test, as she strives to reclaim the speakers job after eight years. The veteran San Francisco congresswoman projects confidence that she will return to the post she lost when Republicans took control in the Tea Party wave of 2010. But behind the scenes, shes campaigning forcefully. The race is more complicated than other leadership elections, because the speaker must win a majority on the floor 218 if every member votes instead of simply the backing of party members. With a majority likely to consist of 231 to 236 members, some rebellious Democrats think they have enough votes to block Pelosi, who has said she wont accept GOP help to get her over the top. Theyre especially focused on recruiting moderates who said during the campaign that they would not support Pelosi to preside over party leadership as she has for 16 years. Erin Schaff / New York Times Pelosi has indicated she will take the standoff all the way to the House floor if necessary, something that one of her detractors, Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, conceded would be a public bloodbath. Pelosi is waging a campaign built around her success in the just-concluded midterm elections that flipped House control to her party. She phoned every Democrat who claimed victory on election night and has kept up the congratulatory calls as more races are decided, an aide said. Her office has distributed endorsements from a suite of high-profile outside groups, Democratic lawmakers and politicians. Late in the week, Pelosi won the support of progressive groups and labor unions that were instrumental in grassroots campaigning, including MoveOn.org and Indivisible. When Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, a former Congressional Black Caucus chair, floated the possibility of a challenge, prominent caucus members including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, endorsed Pelosi. The caucus senior member, Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, told new members at a reception he hosted and Pelosi attended, that she was an outstanding leader and a sister to him, according to an aide. Brendan Smialowski / AFP Pelosi has also been active in less public ways. She has enlisted prominent Democratic surrogates to make calls on her behalf, including former Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Emilys List leaders Ellen Malcolm and Stephanie Schriock, and deployed her whip team of colleagues. Pelosi has met individually with new members and incumbents in private. On Thursday and Friday, she hosted more than two dozen such meetings in her Capitol office. She also hosted Fudge at the encouragement of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. It was a candid and respectful conversation, Pelosi said afterward. She has sat down with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, moderate Blue Dog Democrats, the moderate New Democrat Coalition, the Progressive Caucus and a group of Democrats and Republicans called the Problem Solvers Caucus. Pelosi has plenty of tools she can wield including to extort and enforce, said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Leaders can award plum committee spots and caucus positions or take them away. New leadership positions can be created. Already, Pelosi has made commitments to some members to lock up their support, including from the Progressive Caucus. What we got is what we needed for me to be able to feel confident to endorse her, the groups vice chair, Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said of Pelosis meeting with the progressives. Pelosi pledged to the caucus that there would be expanded leadership positions and more progressive representation on key committees, Jayapal said. Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which has laid out proposals to make Congress more bipartisan, also came away from their meeting encouraged. The discussion was productive, said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who co-chairs the group. But we remain eager to see the specific, substantive rules changes that Pelosi will push through. There may be more deals to come, perhaps including one with Fudge. She wants something, one member groused privately as news of the Ohio Democrats potential challenge circulated. Everybody wants something. Dissident Democrats who rule out voting for Pelosi claim credit for forcing her into promising changes to how the House runs. The issues that the Democratic leader today is committing to, shes only committing to them because of the challenge that exists, said Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y. Thats a good thing, but it remains to be seen what happens in the ensuing year. Some of Pelosis backers resent the dissidents, saying theyre a minority of the caucus siding with Republicans to block her. To have a small, rump group that is determined only, so far that I can see, to deprive the majority choice of the caucus, Nancy Pelosi, of being speaker, is simply outrageous, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. She is the smartest when it comes to counting votes, when it comes to being an organizer, when it comes to being a general, which is exactly what we need in this moment and going forward. She and others backing Pelosi say the opponents are mostly men who are making a tactical and political blunder by trying to unseat a woman as leader after an election that Democrats won thanks to a surge of support among female voters. Connolly, however, warned that the desire for change is real and that Pelosi has little room for error. The Virginia Democrat, who supports Pelosi, said there are enough caucus members who want a change to make her speakership far from a sure thing. The math is compelling, and its extremely narrow, Connolly said. But he added, Ive seen Nancy win battles on the floor when she in fact went to the floor without the votes. Among Californias newly elected Democrats, Gil Cisneros said during his campaign in a Republican-held district that new Democratic leadership was necessary. But fellow Southern Californians Katie Hill and Mike Levin, who also claimed GOP-held seats, publicly endorsed Pelosi for her stability, vision and strength, and said Democrats cannot afford to let internal party discord and infighting continue to dominate the public conversation. Pelosi will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in San Francisco with family, but is likely to keep making calls to gather support. Her longtime friend and colleague Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, called her unwavering. She is as solid as a rock, Eshoo said. Nancy is not rattle-able. Shes not built that way. She would say to members, We dont agonize, we organize, so shes very disciplined about her work and her thinking. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan Bill Wallace died out loud for all to see, spending his final days the way he lived them as the investigative news reporter and crime novelist he was for four decades. In your face, blunt. Honest. During the past 16 months as he battled cancer, Mr. Wallace posted regular updates of his fight on Facebook, documenting the medications he was taking, the pains of his body as it shut down and always, his unwavering determination to go down swinging. Wow! I was kicking ass today! Got 10,000 words of rewrite and revisions done for my new anthology, he posted on Feb. 6. Three days later he wrote, Life remains better than I could have hoped. Hundreds of people typed encouragement in reply, month after month, calling him everything from an inspiration to a bona-fide badass. The last posting Mr. Wallace made, two weeks before he died at his Berkeley home on Saturday, was a self-shot video of him quietly playing slide guitar. He turned off the camera at the end with a slight smile, as if saying goodbye. He was 69 years old. It was all the kind of exit that Mr. Wallaces co-workers and journalism students expected of a man who spent his 26-year career at The Chronicle writing exhaustively researched stories challenging authorities of all kinds, from the state Legislature to the police. That was Bill he was flinty, said his longtime partner on investigative projects, former Chronicle reporter Susan Sward. His attitude was, Im a tough guy and Im not afraid of it. It was impressive. Mr. Wallace brought that punchers sensibility to virtually every story he wrote until he retired from the newspaper in 2006, whether it was in a series he wrote that year with Sward, Elizabeth Fernandez and Seth Rosenfeld about police violence, a 1999 exploration of the plight of domestic violence victims, or investigations into missteps by government that contributed to the 1991 Oakland hills fire. Mr. Wallace was also one of the papers main rewrite reporters, those who take notes from reporters in the field on a breaking story, do their own research and pound out a story all on a tight deadline. Rewrite is a tough task in any newsroom, and Mr. Wallace was as renowned at The Chronicle for his specialty at that as he was for his investigations. He was the greatest night rewrite man I ever met, said former Chronicle Managing Editor Jerry Roberts. Fast, clean, could bat out five or six stories a night, whatever it took. He was also the toughest reporter I knew, and the most meticulous. Mr. Wallace was born in Placerville (El Dorado County) to Mary and Ernest Tub Wallace. The family lived in a trailer that moved with them all over Northern California and Colorado as Tub worked construction jobs, eventually settling back in Placerville, where Mr. Wallace went to El Dorado High School. A voracious reader of everything from science fiction to Steinbeck, Mr. Wallace drummed in a rock band and graduated a year early in 1965, but not before meeting his classmate and future bride, Margot Bliss. They married in 1967, the same year Mr. Wallace enlisted in the Navy and became an intelligence specialist. He received an honorable discharge in 1971. He earned a bachelors degree in political science from UC Berkeley in 1973, then wrote articles for the Daily Californian, Washington Post, Nation magazine, Berkeley Barb and National Enquirer before taking a job with Roberts at the Bay Guardian in the mid-1970s. The two led a fierce but unsuccessful attempt to unionize the Guardian, and soon afterward both wound up working at The Chronicle. He just loved doing the work of journalism, and guess what? It was pretty great finally getting a decent paycheck at The Chronicle after all those years, said Margot Wallace, who remained married to Mr. Wallace for the rest of his life. His zeal for unionism fueled, his friends say, at least partly by his humble roots led him to be president of the local unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild during the 1994 strike by workers at The Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner. Bill was a real advocate of working people, a classic investigative reporter who had a very fast trigger on injustice, said Carl Hall, executive officer of the guild. He was never bashful about speaking his piece. After retiring, Mr. Wallace taught journalism at California State University East Bay and began writing hard-boiled noir crime novels and short stories under the name William E. Wallace. He pumped out seven books with titles including Dead Heat With the Reaper a pair of tales about a badass who is dying and a horribly scarred war veteran and was working on another when he died. The writing was pithy and direct, just as he was in person to the end. A few months before his death, a reporter ran into Mr. Wallace on a Berkeley street and asked how he was doing. Im dying, he said, eyes hard and bright. But Ive got a lot of writing to do before I go. Im not going away easy. Mr. Wallace is survived by his wife of 49 years and his son, Garth Wallace of Berkeley. No services are planned. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Hate crimes in California cities rose nearly 20 percent in 2017 over the preceding year, according to a new FBI report, but some Bay Area cities showed virtually no hate crime activity. The bureau released its 2017 hate crime statistics Tuesday. Across the United States, hate crimes were up 17 percent. Of the 962 hate crime incidents in California cities, Los Angeles again had by far the most 227. San Francisco reported 43 crimes. MORE: Skateboard allegedly used as weapon in hate crime Among smaller cities, Berkeley led the Bay Area in hate crimes with 23 (up 77 percent over 2016), unseating San Leandro, which reported 22 hate crimes in 2016, but only six in 2017. In February of last year, far-right groups and their antifa (anti-fascist) opponents clashed on the streets of Berkeley. Some Bay Area cities over 100,000 residents, ostensibly would seem immune to hate crimes. Antioch, Concord, Santa Clara and Daly City had a total of one each in 2017. Fremont, with a population of 236,368, and San Mateo reported only two. Not a single hate crime occurred in Vallejo in 2017, according to the FBI. The reality is that most hate crimes are simply not reported, Seth Brysk, a San Francisco-based regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "There may be 10 times as many hate crimes occurring as are being reported," he said. "It's across the country." ---- Read Mike Moffitt's latest stories and send him news tips at mmoffitt@sfchronicle.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has been strategic in planning how it might help nearby locals affected by the devastating Camp Fire. Last week, the company launched the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief fund, and seeded it with an initial $100,000. Now, the company founded by brewing pioneer Ken Grossman takes its efforts much further. As Sierra Nevada writes in a Facebook post, the company sent out a "bat signal" to breweries nationwide, asking breweries to volunteer to make a fundraiser beer and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the Camp Fire relief. Benson said that in 2016, a confidential source, who operated a tow company, recorded conversations with Cortina where he was told to reportedly pay Snyder to get on the citys towing list. Benson said that the source and Cortina allegedly each gave Snyder $6,000, in check form, to the Portage mayors campaign fund and roundtable committee, according to court documents. Both trains will stop at Van Buren Street, run non-stop to Hegewisch, and then make all local stops before ending in Michigan City. They will not go to Hudson Lake or South Bend. Two men have been arrested in connection with the burglary of a Cal Fire station during the Camp Fire, Cal Fire said Monday in a news release. Robert DePalma and William Erlbacher, both of Concow, were arrested on five felony counts ranging from vehicle theft to looting during an emergency and possession of stolen property, Cal Fire. PARADISE, Butte County A handful of residents returned to their homes in the burn zone Monday, among the first allowed back since the Camp Fire tore through town Nov. 8, some walking up to unscathed houses while friends and neighbors stood in disbelief in front of piles of ash and twisted metal. The area off Neal Road, which once had beautiful, sprawling views of the hills and the rest of Paradise, was reduced to blackened grass, dead trees and a few standing homes after the flames pushed through. Officials lifted the evacuation order Monday for the area at the edge of the burn zone, although much of Paradise and neighboring communities were still off limits. The search for human remains is ongoing in the area 79 have been found so far and six have been identified publicly, a challenging process that involves collecting DNA from relatives and crews continue to remove downed power lines and damaged trees. Bob Smalley returned to his business, Smalley General Contracting, on Monday and it was unscathed. Even a pile of wood in front of his building was untouched. We got really lucky, Smalley said. Few residences in the area survived, but there was a randomness about which ones it took and those it left unscathed. Most of Smalleys employees lost their homes, he said, so hes hoping to bring RVs onto the property to house them. Smalley also lost his home in nearby Magalia. Down the road, the Wiggins family returned to their 6-acre property on Goa Way Monday afternoon to find a pile of charred, unrecognizable debris. They stared at the rubble for over an hour, remembering all of the time and money they spent on the three-bedroom, two-bath home, which theyd finished painting a pale yellow this month. They had just rebuilt the house after losing its predecessor in a 2008 fire that also devastated the region. It was a very pretty home, very pretty with my plants, my back porch, the front porch, Catherine Wiggins said, her voice trailing off. But thats OK. Well have another pretty home. The mood was surprisingly light as Catherine, John and their 17-year-old son, Dominic, joked and teased each other in front of the remains of their house. They had been through this before, John said, and what else could they do? It was a lot of money and work, John said, laughing. That sucks. Higher up the hill toward the center of Paradise, the area was still closed to residents as search-and-recovery teams stepped up efforts to locate bodies in the rubble before a storm that was forecast to hit the region starting late Tuesday. While the wet weather will help douse the still-burning flames, it could make it harder to find additional remains in an ashy sludge. The impending rain also prompted the National Weather Service to issue flash flood watches late Monday for the Camp Fire zone and other recently burned areas in the state. More than 300 searchers were going house to house with cadaver dogs Monday throughout Paradise, including a group who picked through the rubble on Newland Road as the sun poked through charred trees. The neighborhood was gone, reduced to rubble. The searchers raked through debris as cadaver dogs sniffed for signs of human remains. Nearly 700 people were still considered missing Monday evening, although officials were whittling down the number as they checked back with family and friends to confirm whether those initially unaccounted for had been found. But local authorities expected the number of dead to continue to rise past the current total. Butte County officials have tentatively identified 64 of the victims, but because the bodies were burned so badly, they have launched an unprecedented effort to name the victims through their DNA. With victims burned beyond recognition, other means of identifying a body such as through fingerprints or dental records are not possible. Roman Digby knows his 78-year-old father died in his Paradise mobile home. Recovery teams found a body there, and his father lived alone. But without DNA, the coroner cant officially identify the body. At least knowing that he passed away is better than the uncertainty, Digby said of his father, John Digby. Ive never had to finalize someones affairs before, so Im starting to do that, but I cant move forward without a death certificate. Im just waiting for that. Digby, who lives in Owatonna, Minn., had to go to his local police department to submit his cheek-swabbed DNA through the mail. To help make a match, Butte County officials have enlisted the help of ANDE, one of the few companies in the country that can develop a DNA profile in less than two hours with a fully automated process and little expertise from the user. But collecting DNA from blood relatives of the victims is challenging, officials said. Paradise had a large number of seniors living alone or in retirement communities, with family members scattered around the country. Weve had a tremendous response getting DNA from the remains, and theyre in the database, said ANDE spokeswoman Annette Mattern. But we need blood relatives to contribute their DNA. Were working for a way to do that for people out of the area. Meanwhile, the search continued for victims among the 11,713 homes destroyed. Officials said its unclear whether Wednesdays rain will help or hinder the effort to find bodies. It depends on the intensity of the weather system that could either uncover bodies and bones or cover them up with an ashy sludge, said Lt. Paul Liskey, emergency manager for the Alameda County Sheriffs Office, who is aiding Butte Countys search-and-rescue efforts. We definitely want to do as much as we can before the rains come in, Liskey said. We cant stop the rains. Well have to adapt and overcome. Precipitation will undoubtedly help douse the fire, provide air quality relief and clear up the dust, but an outright downpour could also stall the recovery operation, Liskey said, although the rains may prove beneficial for the canine members of the search teams. For cadaver dogs, the scent is the scent, with or without rain, he said. It might even help them because it will spread the scent or maybe embed it into the soil. Even before the rain appeared on the horizon, the deadly and destructive path of the worst wildfire in California history had slowed considerably despite a red flag warning Sunday, which included 40 mph gusts and low humidity the kind of weather that generally fuels infernos. By Monday morning, the Camp Fire had burned just 1,000 additional acres to grow to 151,000 acres total, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Officials reported the blaze at 70 percent containment and 151,272 acres Monday night. The Camp Fire is now the fourth-deadliest natural disaster in Californias recorded history, behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, in which more 3,000 people died; a 1933 earthquake in Long Beach; and a 1938 flood in Los Angeles. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Megan Cassidy and Ashley McBride contributed to this story. Trisha Thadani, Evan Sernoffsky and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @trishathadani @evansernoffsky @jilltucker The mother of a man shot to death behind the wheel of his car by Danville police has filed a claim against the city that alleges his only crime was being the wrong skin color in Danville. Attorney John Burris made that statement in a claim his office filed Friday with the Danville city attorneys office. The claim, which California requires to be filed and denied before a lawsuit can be filed against a government agency, seeks in excess of $25,000; it was filed on behalf of Jeannie Atienza, the mother of Laudemer Arboleda. Arboleda, 33, of Newark was shot to death Nov. 3 in the affluent East Bay suburb by Danville police officer Andrew Hall, a five-year veteran of the force. Authorities said Hall feared that Arboleda was trying to run him down in an escape attempt. The shooting has raised questions about the controversial practice of police firing on moving vehicles. Such tactics are banned in many cities, including San Francisco. Police said they received a call about 11 a.m. of someone acting suspiciously and walking toward several homes with bags in his hands. When officers approached Arboleda, police said, he fled in his silver Honda sedan. He pulled over twice, authorities said, as if to surrender, before driving away. But at Front Street and Diablo Road, Arboleda allegedly veered toward officers approaching his car on foot. Burris released a statement saying Arboleda had not committed a crime or an infraction, and the attorney said a witness has come forward to contradict the Police Departments account of the incident. Arboleda was trying to drive slowly around a police cruiser and not attempting to strike Hall, Burris said. Hall recklessly decided to deprive Mr. Arboleda of his life when he had no information that he had committed any crime, Burris said. The officer had an option but chose death over life. Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston released a statement slamming Burris for playing the race card and called Arboleda dangerous and reckless. This is a tragic case, yet once again John Burris is reaching for his well-worn race card. This is not about race. This is about a dangerous and reckless person trying to run down and murder a police officer. Once all investigations are completed, we look forward to sharing the full details with the public, Livingston said. Burris said the lack of a ban on shooting at moving cars runs contrary to recommended police practices and Department of Justice guidelines. The claim alleges wrongful death, negligence and negligent hiring and training. It seeks an unspecified amount of money for general damages, including pain, suffering and emotional distress, as well as medical and related expenses. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Fans of Netflix's "Narcos": welcome to Mexico. The fourth installment of the hit series, called "Narcos: Mexico," will delve into the warring cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border. It will focus on two rival characters who face off in the war on drugs. On one side, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, on the other, the controller of transporting drugs into the U.S. >>>A strong cast depicts the fascinating real-life stories. Meet them and their roles in the gallery above. Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, played by Diego Luna, is known as "El Padrino," the godfather. He's responsible for founding the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s and for later becoming the majority leader of almost all the drug-trafficking corridors along the U.S.-Mexico border. ABOUT SEASON 3: The real-life faces of 'Narcos' On the opposite side is DEA agent Kiki Camarena, portrayed by Michael Pena, who is intent on capturing Gallardo and helping to end the drug trade. He moves his family, including his wife, Mika, from California to Guadalajara with the goal of maintaining a family life while remaining dedicated to his dangerous task. It ultimately becomes much more difficult and time consuming than he may have originally thought. While this season mostly leaves behind the Colombian cartels, there are some parallels between Gallardo and Pablo Escobar, the drug lord at the center of the first season. Both are seemingly beloved leaders of their communities and both create some of the longest searches and captures in the DEA's history. There are also some similarities between the villain and protagonist here, Gallardo and Camarena. For however different their end-goals are, they both care deeply for their families and believe in their work. It should create an interesting contrast of perspectives. "Narcos: Mexico" debuts Friday, Nov. 16 on Netflix. ATLANTA Stacey Abrams broke the rules of politics until the very end. The Georgia Democrat who came about 60,000 votes shy of becoming Americas first black female governor refused to follow the traditional script for defeated politicians who offer gracious congratulations to their victorious competitor and gently exit the stage. Instead, Abrams took an unapologetically indignant tone that established her as a leading voting rights advocate. I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election, Abrams said in a fiery 12-minute address. But to watch an elected official ... baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the peoples democratic right to vote has been truly appalling. So lets be clear, Abrams concluded, this is not a speech of concession. Pointedly refusing to concede would typically risk drawing a sore loser label that would be impossible to shake in any future political campaign. But Democrats and even some Republicans say she is likely to emerge from the closely fought governors race with her political future on solid ground. There was a time when this may have been a bad look, but Im not sure thats where we are in politics anymore, said Jen Palmieri, who served as communications director for President Barack Obamas White House and for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. Abrams cited a litany of problems that she said add up to systemic voter suppression. She specifically pointed to absentee ballots thrown out by what she called the handwriting police, a shortage of paper ballots to back up broken-down voting machines and Georgias so-called exact match voter registration rules that require information on voter applications to precisely match state and federal files. She said she plans to challenge in court various aspects of the electoral system Kemp oversaw until he resigned as secretary of state two days after the Nov. 6 election. She also launched the new nonprofit group Fair Fight Georgia to advocate for changes. In her speech Friday, Abrams said pundits and hyper-partisans would object to her flouting normal order for losing candidates. I should be stoic in my outrage and silent in my rebuke, she said of conventional expectations. But stoicism is a luxury and silence is a weapon for those who would quiet the voices of the people. Bill Barrow is an Associated Press writer. Hobart police spokesman Cpt. James Gonzales said in a release that at around 9:15 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to a home in the 3700 block of Colbourne Street in reference to a reported stabbing. The victim, who was bleeding from his neck, told officers he and his ex-girlfriend had been arguing when things turned physical, and she "cut him in the neck with a knife," Gonzales said. CHICAGO A gunman opened fire Monday at a Chicago hospital, wounding at least four people, including a police officer and a hospital employee, authorities said. A police spokesman said the gunman was dead, but it was not immediately clear whether he took his own life or was killed by police. The shooting unfolded at Mercy Hospital on the citys South Side, and officers were searching the facility. A witness named James Gray told reporters that he saw multiple people shot: It looked like he was turning and shooting people at random. Four people were in critical condition, including an officer. At least one of the four was a hospital employee, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. Authorities asked people to avoid the area. Television footage showed several people, including some wearing white coats, walking through a parking lot with their arms up. Hundreds of police cars, fire trucks and ambulance lined the streets encircling the hospital. Police blocked off streets into the near South Side neighborhood. Fire officials invoked an Emergency Medical Services Plan, sending at least 15 ambulances to the scene, because of the active shooter situation, a Fire Department spokesman said. Erix Horton, who works in Environmental Services at the hospital, spoke to a Chicago Tribune reporter after being inside the hospital when the shooting occurred. I was checking out, getting ready to leave, said Horton. One of the nurses ran back here and it was like she was about to collapse and said (a staff member had) been shot. And shes like, Call the police. We have an active shooter. And thats when everybody took cover. Horton said he took cover with others in the break room across from the emergency room, which has a combination lock, until police entered and escorted everyone out. A Fire Department crew that had just brought in a patient took cover in the room also, Horton said. While in the break room, they could hear someone firing gunshots in the hallway, eight or nine of them, he said. We had to duck, he said. A lot was going through my mind, he said. Make it home to see my wife and my kids. The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report. Amanda Seitz is an Associated Press writer. He helped decode some of the assessor-speak language in the documents I received. He also pointed out that although my assessment went up $22,500, my property taxes went up only $230. I overlooked this figure, which is more important, while freaking out about the assessment hike. He began doing interfaith education which, he said, caused him to be viewed as an enemy of his people. He said he ignored online threats but when he began receiving phone calls and realized that those threatening him knew where he lived, he began to fear for his family. Thats when he planned his escape with the help of four upstanders who connected with him on Facebook. President Donald Trump has a proclivity for tweeting, typos and trenchant nicknames. In making use of the first habit Sunday, he alluded to a profanity and left many wondering which of his other online idiosyncrasies were at work. In the tweet, the president took aim at Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Schiff has said that Democrats would investigate Trumps acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who is charged with overseeing the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate! Trump tweeted. The post quickly set off reactions on social media, as some critics assumed that the president had deliberately misspelled the congressmans name to make it sound like a vulgarity. The Office of the President was made for better things than an infantile tweet misspelling a congressmans name like a curse word, tweeted Walter M. Shaub Jr., the former top ethics watchdog for the federal government who resigned last year after going head-to-head with the Trump administration. Schiff himself also fired back. Wow, Mr. President, thats a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Muellers questions, or did you write this one yourself? he wrote, referring to Trumps lawyers drafting written answers to some of Muellers questions. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening: Was it a nickname? A typo? Both? History offers little guidance. Trump has an uncanny ability to brand rivals with unflattering nicknames, from Crooked Hillary (Hillary Clinton) to Lyin Ted (Sen. Ted Cruz) and Pocahontas (Sen. Elizabeth Warren). Using the word little before the names of his opponents is a go-to tactic. He has even used the phrase on Schiff in the past: Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, the president tweeted this year. Inexplicably, he has also called him Liddle Adam Schiff. But Trump is also known for typos and spelling errors in his tweets. People have caught basic spelling errors in Trumps posts (and more in other statements by his staff), some of them small (counsel as council, gas instead of has, tapp for tap), some large (unpresidented for unprecedented, honered for honored). Perhaps most famously, Trump incited a worldwide mystery with a middle-of-the-night tweet that introduced a new word to the language: covfefe. We still dont know what that means. And so, as we debate this new mystery, we can tell you this: Trumps profanity-adjacent tweet went up Sunday afternoon and had not been deleted by Sunday night. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Right now there are children and young adults in our community who are going to bed and going to school hungry, food pantry Director Tony Araque said in the release. We rely on the generosity of our Niles Township residents to help make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. It was a cold evening on Friday at Buffalo, the second largest city in the U.S. state of New York as the temperature dropped down to 36 oF (2 oC) after a day's heavy wet snow. Yet it was as in a warm Spring in the Slee Hall at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) as about two hundred audience applauded and shouted "Bravo!" time and again during the incredible show of the "Amazing Chinese Opera," featuring the U.S. and Chinese artists from the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) at Binghamton University (BU). The event, sponsored by the UB Confucius Institute, was the closing event of the university's International Education Week, an annual initiative to celebrate and promote international education and exchange. Founded in 2009, the BU's CICO is the first such place in the U.S. to offer Chinese Opera lessons through cooperation with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts in Beijing, while supplying tools and support for teaching Chinese language and culture. Barbara Krajewski, 60, a UB biological technician, was among the audience who watched the Peking Opera the first time and were wowed by the delicate makeup, exquisite costumes and headwear, tumbling and acrobatic movements of the opera performers including He Zichen, Xu qiushi, Ting Wang, Qi Zhang and Carrie Feyerabend, also assistant to the CICO director. "I have quite a few Chinese friends that I've worked with and they've introduced me to some kinds Chinese cultural events. In fact one took me to Beijing during a vacation, so I'm just very fascinated and interested in the Chinese culture," Krajewski told Xinhua. "It was fabulous. It's wonderful. The colors, the costuming, the choreographing... it's all wonderful," said Pam Burns, 66, a nearby resident, "(It's) our first experience and won't be the last." "It was cool. I like it. It's very abstract. There's a lot of symbolism and I thought it was a very bright, like lots of dance fighters," said Joe Sinicki, who said himself a Chinese Opera fan. Sinicki said he liked the most the excerpt from the Money Tree, presented by Xu qiushi and Qi Zhang. The Peking Opera classic describes a love story between a fairy, Zhang Sijie and an ordinary person, Cui Wenrui. The Jade Emperor in Heaven sent Heavenly Generals down to the earth to punish her, but Zhang Sijie fights with them bravely. He also was impressed by the "Green Ripples in the Milky Way" performed by Yuming Zhang on Guzheng, which describes the scenes of the famous folktale "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid." When the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl meet across the Milky Way, the green ripples sing of their everlasting love. "Yeah, the cool instrument, I like it. I think just she did really good. I like the way she played with the strings. It needs a lot of circular motion on the strings and so just up and down. There goes more fluid than like guitar," Sinicki said. Another performance that attracted the audience was a Chinese bamboo flute piece Flying Partridges, one of the best-known flute pieces in China. The solo piece describes the desolate scenes after the demise of the Yue kingdom dating back over 2,000 years ago, as a flock of partridges flying across the sky and evokes in people a sense of longing for freedom. "The bamboo flute actually imitates the cries of different birds and you can hear as if the birds flying overhead into the faraway distance," said Chen Yuxiao, performer of bamboo flute music. "I hope the vivid melody could make the American audience get a r touch of the Chinese ancient culture through music, an art form that goes beyond nation boundaries," she said. "It expanded my knowledge of it in the music. I love the music. I was not familiar with the flute at all... But you recognize the sound of the string, which is a hard type of instrument. But I loved the music. It was very relaxing," said Burns. Like many others, Sinicki was extremely amazed by Feyerabend's performance of an excerpt from another Peking Opera classic The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms, "She did pretty good. If I didn't see her, I think she was maybe a Chinese girl," he said. Feyerabend, who has studied Peking Opera in Beijing, also served the Master of the Ceremony for the event in English and perfect Mandarin. "As a musician and as someone who appreciates different culture and different religion, the Buddhist piece was just amazing to me," said Lori Burns, 53, another nearby resident. "The limited amount of knowledge that I know and to be able to see that, those kinds of details, the hand movements and the position of the body is very important to me. So that was awesome." Jenna Lenz, an employee of international student services in the office of international education UB, viewed the show as a window to have a glimpse at the Chinese culture. "It's obviously very unique to be able to come and see this. It's a really interesting experience obviously to see something that's so very different, especially from anything in Buffalo obviously," Lenz said. "For me, this is my first time seeing Chinese opera. So it was a great way to learn a little bit," she said. "The performers are clearly very, very talented and it's good to see something so unique and just really entertaining too. But it's a view of an obviously very different culture than what we're used to, so it's a very interesting way to celebrate difference and to see obviously different traditional dance and then instruments and singing. So even for people who aren't necessarily familiar with everything." The Burns also took the opportunity to let her children, who learned a little bit of Chinese and Chinese culture while they went to school in the state of Kentucky, to learn about the programs at the UB Confucius Institute. "We saw it on the Facebook. When we moved here and we saw that this was happening. We wanted to get involved in. We're really excited actually. Our youngest is a dancer and she particularly liked the ribbons and that sort of things. So she said that was pretty cool. So we were hoping that maybe the Confucius institute here will give her an opportunity to learn more, which is a great way for American young people exposure to different cultures. So this is really exciting," Burns said. The opera show was just one of the six programs celebrating Chinese culture contributed by the UB Confucius Institute to the week-long celebrations from Nov.12-16, said the institute's director Zhiqiang Liu. In 2018, nearly 5,000 students throughout the Buffalo area studied Chinese language in programs supported by the institute. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has decided to start an anti-dumping investigation into imported barley from Australia, it announced Monday. The probe was launched after the ministry received an application from the China Chamber of International Commerce, saying Australian barley had been dumped in the Chinese market at prices below fair value, according to an official statement. "The domestic industry suffered damage, and a causal relationship exists between the dumping of the product and damage to the domestic industry," the MOC said. The investigation will run from Nov. 19, 2019, and could be extended to May 19, 2020 in special circumstances. Three firefighters who were injured while escaping a fallen tree during the Buzzard Fire in Santa Cruz County on Sunday have recovered, Cal Fire officials said. The firefighters were treated and released from a hospital today, and the 2-acre fire was contained at about 8 a.m. today, according to Division Chief Jonathan Cox. The firefighters are off-duty and only suffered minor injuries, according to Cox. The fire began at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday near Eureka Canyon and Buzzard Lagoon roads in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. Crews are on scene mopping up debris and Cox said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A federal judge in San Francisco today questioned the legal grounds for President Donald Trump's partial ban on granting immigrants asylum, but made no immediate decision on whether block the ban. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar took a request by several refugee assistance groups for a temporary restraining order under submission at the close of a hearing and will issue a written decision later. If granted, a temporary restraining order would be in effect until the judge holds another hearing on whether to issue a preliminary injunction, the next step in the case. The new restriction, issued by Trump in a proclamation on Nov. 9, allows immigrants to apply for asylum only if they cross the U.S. border at a designated entry point. Trump's proclamation cited the caravan of Central American migrants now approaching the Mexican border and said the measure was needed to prevent "overloading of our immigration and asylum system." Four groups led by the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant claim the ban violates the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Act, which provides that anyone physically present or arriving in the United States, "whether or not at a designated port of arrival," can apply for asylum. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt told Tigar, "Ultimately, this is a fight between the executive and legislative branches. Right now, Congress has been very clear that people who are present in the country are allowed to apply." The plaintiff groups also contend that some asylum seekers don't know there are legal entry points, don't know where they are located or have lengthy waits in dangerous conditions at those points. U.S. Department of Justice attorney Scott Stewart argued that the immigration law gives the president broad discretion to decide which categories of immigrants -- in this case, only those who enter at legal entry points -- are eligible to apply for asylum. But Tigar questioned, "How does it not render the expression of congressional intent a nullity?" "I don't know that the (Justice Department's) argument is supported by the statute. If this rule is valid, what's left of that expression of congressional intent?" the judge asked. The asylum restriction stems from a combination of a rule issued by the Trump Administration on Nov. 8 and the president's proclamation the next day. The rule, issued on an emergency basis, authorized the president to issue a proclamation denying asylum eligibility to people who cross the border with Mexico illegally. The president then did so. In addition to claiming a violation of immigration law, the plaintiff groups contend the rule violated the U.S. Administrative Procedure Act by not allowing a 30-day public comment period. The government contends the immediate rule was allowed under a foreign affairs exception because the administration is negotiating with Mexico about a possible "safe third country" agreement in which immigrants would be required to apply for asylum in Mexico first. "We are in negotiations with Mexico. We can't guarantee but we're hopeful," Stewart told Tigar. Tigar asked whether there is any evidence of negotiations and queried how he should balance the promise of negotiations against the alleged hardship on asylum seekers. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. You are here: China China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has published three cases showing the violation of juvenile rights, including child molestation, rape and abuse. Such cases are supposed to act as guides for procuratorial organs to better handle similar cases. In one case, a suspect surnamed Luo threatened a 13-year-old girl by online chatting and forced the girl to send him naked pictures via the Internet. Luo was sentenced to two years imprisonment. "As the case illustrates, child molesters using cyber tools, in which no direct physical contact is involved, can be charged with child molestation," the SPP said. In another case, a school teacher surnamed Qi was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping and molesting several children. In one case involving child abuse, a woman surnamed Yu was prosecuted for beating her stepdaughter. "When victims are incapable of filing lawsuits in such cases, procuratorial organs should initiate public prosecutions in time," the SPP said. Certain information concerning the victims' identities was omitted in the disclosure to protect their privacy, according to the SPP. The University of California at Berkeley and Santa Clara University will remain closed this coming week because of the continuing poor air quality resulting from smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County, officials from those two schools said today. San Jose State University, meanwhile, will be open for classes and all other business Monday and Tuesday despite the ongoing concerns about air quality, the university said. In a news release today, UC Berkeley Carol T. Christ said university officials typically consider canceling classes when the Air Quality Index hits 200, the level at which everyone may experience adverse health effects. Through readings from the monitor closest to UC Berkeley, at Aquatic Park, indicate the AQI has remained below that threshold, "According to current forecasts for tomorrow from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the National Weather Service, it remains uncertain as to whether current conditions will persist," Christ said. Santa Clara University will also be closed over the entire Thanksgiving week, because of the continuing poor air quality resulting from smoke from the Camp Fire. San Jose State, however, will be open for classes on Monday and Tuesday. There will be no classes Wednesday, but it will be a regular employee workday and faculty duty day prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break. "While we suggest limiting extensive outdoor activity while poor air quality persists, we are assured that conditions are improving and the campus can return to business as usual," Charlie Faas, the university's vice president of administration and finance, said in a message to the campus community. "Should there be any significant change in conditions we will respond accordingly, but at this time the campus will resume business as usual tomorrow." The latest forecast from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District calls for air quality to remain poor Monday and Tuesday before improving later in the week. ORINDA (BCN) A 16-year-old girl died in a house fire this morning on the 500 block of Moraga Way in Orinda, the Moraga-Orinda Fire District said. Two additional occupants and one firefighter suffered burn injuries and were taken to hospitals. The firefighter, who suffered second-degree burns to his shoulders and ears, was treated and released from John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, fire district spokesman Dennis Rein said. A teenager and man who were in the home when the fire broke out were taken to St. Francis Memorial Hospital Bothin Burn Center in San Francisco with at least second-degree burns. Firefighters responded to the fire shortly before 4 a.m. and found the single-family home heavily engulfed in flames. Rein said the first firefighters on the scene immediately began rescue attempts but were hindered by a "flash-over" when trapped gases inside the home ignited. The tile roof collapsed into the home, he said. Nine engines brought the fire under control at 5:08 a.m. The cause and origin are under investigation. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. CONCORD (BCN) A 46-year-old Antioch man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence after a crash that left one person dead and another injured on eastbound state Highway 4 in Concord on Sunday night, according to the California Highway Patrol. Willie Hamlin was arrested after the crash reported at 9:28 p.m. Sunday at eastbound Highway 4 at Willow Pass Road that killed 19-year-old Antioch resident Giovanni Vasquez, CHP officials said. According to an initial investigation, Hamlin was speeding east on the highway in a Chevrolet Chevelle when he veered to the right and struck the metal guardrail, then veered back into lanes of traffic and hit a Nissan sedan, according to the CHP. The Chevrolet continued across lanes and broadsided a Mitsubishi Lancer in the far left lane, killing Vasquez. The 44-year-old Nissan driver suffered only minor injuries in the collision and was able to walk away from it, CHP officials said. Hamlin suffered injuries considered major but not life-threatening. He was taken to John Muir Medical Center and was determined to be under the influence. CHP officers placed him under arrest at the hospital and he will be booked into county jail after being medically cleared. The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed it or events leading up to it is asked to contact the CHP's Contra Costa-area office at (925) 646-4980. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A person who demands nude photos or pressures minors to have sex over the internet can be charged with child molestation, even if there is no physical contact, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Sunday. The SPP highlighted three cases of sexual assault or abuse of minors - under age 18 - in China to better guide prosecutors nationwide in properly handling such cases, from gathering facts to recommending sentences. In one case, the suspect, surnamed Luo, 25, used verbal threats to get his online friend, a 13-year-old girl, to send him nude photos last year. After the girl sent the photos over the internet, he asked her to meet him in a hotel for sex and said that if she didn't comply he would publish the photos online. The girl reported the threat to the police and the man was detained on his way to the hotel. Luo was convicted of the crime of attempted child molestation and sentenced to one year in prison by a district court in August last year. The court said that because Luo's attempt had failed, no child molestation had occurred. The SPP did not release the court's name or say where the case was tried. But it said the district procuratorate protested to the intermediate people's court that the judgment in the first trial was based on incorrect fact finding, which led to a lighter sentence. Luo should have been treated as if he had completed the crime, prosecutors argued. The court agreed and amended the sentence to two years in prison. Zheng Xinjian, director of juvenile prosecutions for the SPP, said the case is a new type of crime that has emerged with the development of the internet. The perpetrator often argues that because there was no touching of the victim's body, there was no crime. However, he said, in such cases, the suspect did, in fact, commit molestation by seriously damaging the mental health of the minor, which should be considered a crime. When a perpetrator pressures a child into taking nude photos or videos for purposes of sexual stimulation, it seriously violates the child's personal dignity and mental health and is therefore a crime, Zheng said. The criminal law does not list specific details of what constitutes molesting a child, so the case should be judged according to the circumstances, and this case should set an example for handling similar cases, he added. In another case released by the SPP, the suspect, surnamed Qi, was the head teacher at a county elementary school. From 2011 to 2012, he raped two girls under age 12 several times in the school office, classroom and bathroom. The 49-year-old also molested seven other female students. The provincial high court concluded that Qi committed rape and child molestation and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The SPP appealed the judgment to the Supreme People's Court last year, saying that the penalty was too light. In July, in its retrial, the top court handed down a life sentence. Zheng said it is difficult to obtain evidence in the crime of sexual assault, especially in cases involving minors, which usually lack objective and direct evidence and in which the accused often deny guilt. In Qi's case, the victims' statements were the only direct evidence, and their classmates' testimony provided indirect evidence. In such situations, the top procuratorate and top court both examine the criminal facts. Based on experience and common sense, the statements of victims who are minors are reasonable and logical, Zheng said. "In fact-finding for cases involving minors, the criteria should be different from adult cases," he said. The SPP recently sent a proposal to the Ministry of Education about improving mechanisms for preventing sexual assaults against schoolchildren in primary and secondary schools, and in kindergartens. The ministry said in a guideline issued on Friday that any teacher caught abusing, molesting or sexually harassing students will be banned from teaching at any school and their teaching credentials, academic titles and honors will be revoked. You are here: China Two pilots were slightly injured after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into a road in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday, local authorities said. The injured pilots were sent to a local hospital for treatment after the crash, which happened at around 12:10 p.m. in the Mount Emei scenic area, according to the area's management committee. The helicopter was a two-seat R22 single-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by U.S. Robinson Helicopter Company. Local authorities told Xinhua that there were no other people injured or vehicles damaged in the accident. The road has reopened one-way after temporary closure. An investigation is ongoing. Flash Papua New Guinea is planning to roll out special tourism programs to draw Chinese travelers. So far, Chinese travelers have been able to get a special visa on arrival, while direct flights and tax-free experiences will be made available in the future, says Jerry Agus, head of the country's tourism promotion authority. The goal is to welcome more Chinese travelers to discover the country's tropical features, Agus says. The largest island country in South Pacific, Papua New Guinea boasts some stunning natural landscapes featuring volcanos, waterfalls and rivers, as well as exotic cultural experiences provided by around 800 tribes. A series of cultural exchange activities were recently held in Port Moresby between China and Papua New Guinea ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting. One was the production of a documentary Glamorous PNG, produced by China Central Television, that was aired on Friday and Saturday. The documentary gives glimpses of not only the natural scenery, history and culture of the country, but also of modern life in Papua New Guinea. Agus says the show, alongside the APEC summit would give local tourism a shot in the arm. At the moment, the country remains an off-the-beaten-track destination for Chinese travelers, due to its visa application process and a lack of understanding of the country's tourism resources. Agus says Chinese travelers' visas would be dealt with in one week or less, and visa on arrival would be granted for Chinese group travelers who book their trips via PNG-accredited travel agencies. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan Sunday for a state visit to Brunei, the first by a Chinese head of state in 13 years to the Southeastern Asian country. Xi was warmly welcomed by senior officials of Brunei at the airport. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the Brunei government and its people. Xi stressed that China and Brunei are close neighbors across the sea, and also friends and partners who trust each other, as the two sides have a long history of friendly exchanges. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 27 years ago, the two countries have been treating each other as equals, and scored deepening political mutual trust and fruitful results in various cooperations, which brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and made positive contributions to peace and prosperity in the region, said Xi. He expected to carry forward bilateral traditional friendship, jointly outline a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the new era, and uplift the China-Brunei good-neighborly friendship to a new high through the visit. It is the second stop of Xi's ongoing Asia-Pacific tour. He has paid a state visit to Papua New Guinea, met with leaders from Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China and attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea's capital city of Port Moresby. Upon his departure from Port Moresby Sunday afternoon, Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel with other senior officials saw the Chinese president off at the airport. After Xi's stay in Brunei, he will fly to the Philippines for a state visit. Flash Latvia celebrated its 100th Independence Day on Sunday with concerts, church services, a military parade and numerous other festive events not only in the capital city Riga but across the country. The events were held to mark the centenary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia on Nov. 18, 1918. Celebrations dedicated to this historic event began already in May 2017 and will continue until 2019. The Latvian parliament on Sunday convened for a special meeting at the Latvian National Theater in Riga, the same venue where the Republic of Latvia was founded 100 years ago. The traditional Independence Day concert also took place at the theater in the evening. The military parade in Riga with around 1,700 participators was the largest ever held in Latvia. Thousands of people watched the military parade, which also displayed military equipment. Later in the evening, people flocked to an embankment in Riga, where President Raimonds Vejonis' gave a national address and watch a magnificent multi-media show "The Life of the Sun". The celebrations culminated when a spectacular fireworks show started. Addressing the nation, President Vejonis said that the future of Latvia is in the hands of its people and urged everyone to honor and protect democratic values as the basis of the Latvian state. Attending the centenary celebrations in the Latvian capital were also many foreign guests, including Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, Icelandic President Gudni Johannesson, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, as well as foreign diplomats, officials and dignitaries. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies to bring their cooperation to a higher level based on a keen appreciation of the trend of the world and its economy. Underlining the trend of economic globalization, economic integration in the region, and an open economy, Xi urged the economies to keep the momentum of Asia-Pacific cooperation during a speech at the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting hosted by Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill on Sunday. Charting course "Our world is undergoing rapid development and changes," Xi said at the meeting under the theme Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future. "We have reached a crossroads of history, when we must have a keen appreciation of the trend of our world and take the pulse of the world economy," he said, "That is how we will be able to respond to the call of our time and chart our future course accordingly." Firstly, the economies need to advance economic integration in the region so as to build an open economy in the Asia-Pacific, the Chinese president said. "We should continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation," he said. He called on the economies to adopt an open, inclusive and transparent approach to the various kinds of free trade arrangements to ensure coordinated and positive interactions among them. "We need to firmly uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system and say no to protectionism," he said. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is exploring a new round of reform, Xi noted, saying such reform should be designed to uphold the core values and underlying principles of the multilateral trading system. "What we need is to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all," he said. Secondly, Xi highlighted the need to pursue innovation-driven growth and foster new growth drivers. He called on the economies to fully implement the Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap in a balanced way, so as to unleash the growth potential of digital economy. "We need to promote the building of digital infrastructure and capacity, make digital economy more accessible and bridge the digital divide," he said. "Our goal should be for the benefits of digital economy to reach all member economies at different stages of development and for the people of the Asia-Pacific to get aboard the fast train of a growing digital economy," he said. Thirdly, Xi urged APEC members to improve the connectivity network to promote inclusive and interconnected development. Noting that efforts are required to turn their connectivity blueprint into reality, the Chinese president encouraged the APEC economies to take the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a guide and adopt more concrete steps to make development more balanced, growth more sustainable, opportunities more equal and societies more inclusive. Fourthly, Xi called on APEC members to forge a closer partnership and jointly meet common challenges. He said it is important for the APEC economies to stay committed to the shared goal of common development and explore solutions to common challenges. "We need to respect diversity and each other's choices of development path, promote integration and mutual learning on the basis of openness and inclusiveness, and engage in both healthy competition and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said, stressing the importance of jointly building a community with a shared future in the Asia-Pacific. China's commitment This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up initiative, Xi said, adding that his country will pursue with resolve continued reform across the board. China will continue to pursue its fundamental policy of opening-up, he added. China follows a people-centered development philosophy and a new development vision that features innovative, coordinated, green and open development for the benefit of all, he said. The overall momentum of sustained and sound growth of China's economy will continue, he said. China seeks deeper cooperation on digital economy with other members of the Asia-Pacific so as to expand convergence of interests and create more growth areas, thus adding strong and fresh impetus to the Asia-Pacific economy, he said. China will work with all countries involved under the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative against high standards so that it will create even greater development opportunities for the people in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, he said. Xi said leaders of the Asia-Pacific share a common responsibility to chart the long-term development course for APEC and draw up a post-2020 vision. China is a champion of Asia-Pacific cooperation and has taken concrete steps to promote cooperation on the ground, Xi said. Close cooperation with other members of the Asia-Pacific is indispensable for China's development, while China's development, on its part, offers broad opportunities of development for the Asia-Pacific, he said. Xi pledged that China will stay deeply engaged in the Asia-Pacific cooperation process, deepen practical cooperation with other parties involved, and make new contribution to the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Upholding multilateralism Leaders of the APEC economies agreed that the Asia-Pacific economy has bright prospect but is also facing challenges of trade barriers and protectionism. Under current circumstances, all participating sides should staunchly protect multilateralism and a multilateral trading system, stand against protectionism, and support APEC in playing an important role in facilitating trade and investment liberalization and realizing a balanced, innovative, sustainable and inclusive growth, the leaders said. Calling for advancing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and jointly building a vibrant and open Asia-Pacific, the leaders urged all sides to press ahead the work on drawing up a post-2020 vision and popularize the achievements of digitalization and innovation in all member economies. Earlier in the day, Xi and other APEC leaders also attended an informal dialogue on world economic situation and were briefed by chief of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde. The Chinese president arrived here Thursday to pay a state visit to PNG and attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. PNG is the first stop of Xi's ongoing Asia-Pacific tour, which will also take him to Brunei and the Philippines. LONDON Besieged Prime Minister Theresa May warned Sunday that a leadership change wouldnt make Brexit negotiations easier, as opponents in her Conservative Party threaten to unseat her and the former Brexit secretary suggested she failed to stand up to bullying from European Union officials. As furious Conservative rebels try to gather the numbers to trigger a no-confidence vote, May insisted she hadnt considered quitting. A change of leadership at this point isnt going to make the negotiations any easier and it isnt going to change the parliamentary arithmetic, she told Sky News. May added that the next seven days are going to be critical for successful Brexit talks, and that she will be traveling to Brussels to meet with EU leaders before an emergency European Council summit on Nov. 25. An announcement last week that Britain has struck a draft divorce agreement with the EU triggered a political crisis in Britain, with the deal roundly savaged by both the opposition and members of Mays own Conservatives. Two Cabinet ministers and several junior government members quit, and more than 20 lawmakers have submitted letters of no confidence in May. Forty-eight such letters or 15 percent of Conservative lawmakers are needed for a leadership challenge vote. Asked about the attacks directed at her, May said: It doesnt distract me. Politics is a tough business and Ive been in it for a long time. Dominic Raab, who quit Thursday as Brexit secretary, said there is one thing missing and that is political will and resolve. If we cannot close this deal on reasonable terms, we need to be very honest with the country that we will not be bribed and blackmailed or bullied and we will walk away, he told the Sunday Times. Many pro-Brexit Conservatives want a clean break with the EU and argue that the close trade ties between the U.K. and the EU called for in the deal would leave Britain a vassal state, with no way to independently disentangle itself from the bloc. The draft agreement envisions Britain leaving the EU as planned on March 29, but remaining inside the blocs single market and bound by its rules until the end of December 2020. It also commits the two sides to the contentious backstop solution, which would keep the U.K. in a customs arrangement with the EU until a permanent trade treaty is worked out. That will serve to guarantee that the border between the U.K.s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland remained free of customs checkpoints after Brexit. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn told Sky News Sunday that his party will vote against the deal. Sylvia Hui is an Associated Press writer. BAGHDAD It was spring 2007 in northern Iraq when 6-year-old Saja Saleem raced home from school with the good news about her excellent grades, hoping to receive the gift her father had promised her. All of a sudden, I found myself spinning into the air with fire trailing from my school uniform after a loud boom, Saleem, now 17, recounted. Saleem lost her eyesight, right arm and an ear in the explosion, set off by a roadside bomb. Months later, her disfiguring injuries forced her to drop out of school after other students complained about her scary face. Feeling helpless, Saleem recently turned to social media to find help. Eventually, her appeal captured the attention of a surgeon who offered free treatment. Others have also reached out on social media. Emotional videos and photographs of Iraqis with war wounds and disabilities have overwhelmed social media platforms, mainly Facebook, widely used in Iraq. The widespread violence unleashed by the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein and the 2014-17 battle against the Islamic State group has wounded hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Many are maimed and scarred, their suffering lingering long after the violence subsides. Poor medical services, scarcity of specialized staff and medical centers, and poverty have exacerbated the suffering. Those who cannot obtain treatment at state-run hospitals and cannot afford private clinics are looking to social media platforms to make appeals. Requests are posted on the personal Facebook pages of patients or on the pages of aid organizations and public figures with tens of thousands of followers. Messages are also distributed on platforms like WhatsApp and Viber. Saleem and her family recall the explosion that upended her life, and the years that followed as they struggled financially to get her treatment. Her mother, Khawla Omar Hussein, remembers her daughters screams when she first regained consciousness and realized she had lost her right arm and ear. She woke up screaming, crying: Mammy, mammy, Hussein recalled. Then she asked: Why cant I see and why is everything dark? They told her it was the bandages over her eyes and that she would see after they were removed. When that day came, the doctors told her she had lost both eyes. After the state-run hospital couldnt go beyond the necessary treatment to save her life, Saleems family looked for plastic and reconstructive surgery for her at a private clinic, but they couldnt afford the doctors $7,500 fee. Then, late last year, her mother made an appeal, posting photographs of Saleem and details about her ordeal in a public group on Viber. Days later, Baghdad-based Dr. Abbas al-Sahan, one of Iraqs best plastic surgeons, offered to do free surgeries. Since January, Saleem has undergone four surgeries first so her face could accommodate the two glass eyes, or ocular prostheses, then a procedure to reduce some of the scars. She also had a surgery to adjust to a prosthetic arm and is due to have plastic surgery to reconstruct her missing ear, al-Sahan said. Sinan Salaheddin is an Associated Press writer. TEL AVIV Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he would take on the defense minister portfolio, rejecting calls to dissolve his government even as early elections appeared increasingly likely. Netanyahu said heading to elections now, amid repeated violent confrontations with Gaza militants, was irresponsible of his coalition partners, who have been pushing for early polls since the resignation last week of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman over a Gaza cease-fire. Today, I take on for the first time the position of defense minister, said Netanyahu, speaking from Israels defense headquarters in Tel Aviv in a statement broadcast live. We are in one of the most complex security situations and during a period like this, you dont topple a government. During a period like this you dont go to elections. The sudden coalition crisis was sparked by the resignation of the hawkish Lieberman, who had demanded a far stronger response last week to the most massive wave of rocket attacks on Israel since the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. He alleges the cease-fire agreement reached with Gazas Hamas rulers will put southern Israel under a growing threat from the group, similar to that posed to northern Israel by Lebanons heavily armed Hezbollah group. The departure of Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party leaves the coalition with a one-seat majority in the 120-member parliament. Netanyahus other partners say that makes governing untenable and would leave the coalition susceptible to the extortion of any single lawmaker until elections scheduled for November 2019. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, has already threatened to bring down the government if he is not appointed defense minister. He and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of Jewish Home, are set to deliver a statement Monday. If the party leaves the coalition, it would strip Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority. No Israeli government has served out its full term since 1988. Elections have almost always been moved up because of a coalition crisis or a strategic move by the prime minister to maximize his chances of re-election. Though Netanyahu has been reportedly flirting with the idea of moving up elections in recent months, the current timing is not ideal for him. He has come under heavy criticism for agreeing to the Gaza cease-fire. Tia Goldenberg is an Associated Press writer. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Pamela Silvestri STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Behind the service counter in the treehouse-style coffee shop at Urby's new Coperaco, Vincent Tortora froths milk to spoon over a triple shot of espresso. The barista touts the quality of the espresso that's the base of Coperaco's core drinks -- the latte, cappuccino and, the drink he crafts at the moment, a macchiato. Don't Edit Coperaco roasts its carefully sourced beans in Kearny, N.J. The brand is served at the St. Regis Hotel, at Maison-Kayser outfits around the world, in restaurants by chef Alain Ducasse and in those of "Chef of the Century" Joel Robuchon, just to name a few of the food and hospitality stalwarts with which the coffee is associated. "Other major coffee brands' macchiato is just caramel, milk and sugar in the coffee as opposed to a traditional macchiato with milk dolloped on top," said Tortora. With all the sugar and additions, Tortora said the coffee loses its traditional roots, so to speak. By the way, Staten Islanders know this barista from his tenure at Beans and Leaves in West Brighton, where he learned his drink-making techniques and culled a deep appreciation for coffee. Don't Edit Coperaco roasts its carefully sourced beans in Kearny, N.J. The brand is served at the St. Regis Hotel, at Maison-Kayser outfits around the world, in restaurants by chef Alain Ducasse and in those of "Chef of the Century" Joel Robuchon, just to name a few of the food and hospitality stalwarts with which the coffee is associated. "Other major coffee brands' macchiato is just caramel, milk and sugar in the coffee as opposed to a traditional macchiato with milk dolloped on top," said Vincent. With all the sugar and additions, Vincent said, the coffee loses its traditional roots, so to speak. By the way, Staten Islanders know this barista from his tenure at Bean 'n' Leaves in West Brighton where he learned his drink-making techniques and culled a deep appreciation for coffee. Coperaco sticks with versions of drinks that show off the quality and richness of the coffee itself. The company's owner Johan Pesenti travels to Nicaragua (where he is currently) and Colombia and to source beans that are roasted in Harrison, N.J. "They take very good care of the growing process and roasting process. They pay a lot of attention to detail with it," said Vincent. Coperaco in Stapleton is one of 13 espresso bar locations around the world and one of two in the United States. The company has an affinity for hotels and uniquely designed spaces like that at Urby in Stapleton where the lofty coffee shop with its collection of cozy nooks functions as both a lobby and thoroughfare for the complex. While Coperaco was established at Urby in May, the company's official opening happened about a month ago after some renovations. The space has seen a few businesses come and go starting with Coffeed in fall, 2016, and Urby Eats in spring, 2017. Coperaco serves pastries, cookies, bottled fresh juices plus a modest menu of sandwiches in the $4 to $6.50 range, paninis that average $9 and salads like Wild Rice & Farro ($5.50) to Kale Chicken Caesar ($9.) Of course, there is also the show-stopping coffee at Coperaco to experience. "We're trying to be true to coffee itself," said Coperaco's Helena Arlaud. She touts the company's Maestrale espresso, its top seller named for the Mistral wind credited with making French farm harvests so distinct. "Because we are a culinary product we are elevating the coffee to a culinary product. Our recipes are true to that tradition," said Arlaud. "At the end of the day, people forget that coffee is actually fruit. And as a fruit it should be considered a part of the food chain. Coffee has a lot of benefits -- the better seed, the better fruit, the better product you're going to have," she explained. The company works with the farmers themselves and Johan treks to farms in Mexico and South America. There could be droughts, excessive rainfall. With Mother Nature, it's a volatile business. "Coffee is seasonal. It's always an adventure. We never know what we're going to find," said Arlaud. Copeaco is located at 8 Navy Pier Ct., Stapleton at Urby amber@coperacocoffee.com Tuck. 7 a.m. 9 daily except for Sunday. 8 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Coperaco sticks with versions of drinks that show off the quality and richness of the coffee itself. The company's owner Johan Pesenti travels to Nicaragua (where he is currently) and Colombia to source beans that are roasted in Kearny. Don't Edit "They take very good care of the growing process and roasting process. They pay a lot of attention to detail with it," said Tortora. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri Coperaco in Stapleton is one of 13 espresso bar locations around the world and one of two in the United States. The company has an affinity for hotels and uniquely designed spaces like that at Urby in Stapleton, where the lofty coffee shop with its collection of cozy nooks functions as both a lobby and thoroughfare for the complex. Don't Edit Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri While Coperaco was established at Urby in May, the company's official opening happened about a month ago after some renovations. The space has seen a few businesses come and go starting with Coffeed in fall 2016, and Urby Eats in spring 2017. Amber Tuck, formerly of Urby Eats, is the shop's manager. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri Coperaco serves pastries, cookies, bottled fresh juices plus a modest menu of sandwiches in the $4 to $6.50 range, paninis that average $9, and salads like Wild Rice & Farro ($5.50) and Kale Chicken Caesar ($9). Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri Of course, there is also the show-stopping coffee at Coperaco to experience. "We're trying to be true to coffee itself," said Coperaco's Helena Arlaud. She touts the company's Maestrale espresso, its top seller named for the mistral wind credited with making French farm harvests so distinct. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri "Because we are a culinary product, we are elevating the coffee to a culinary product. Our recipes are true to that tradition," said Arlaud. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri "At the end of the day, people forget that coffee is actually fruit. And, as a fruit, it should be considered a part of the food chain. Coffee has a lot of benefits -- the better seed, the better fruit, the better product you're going to have," she explained. Don't Edit Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri The company works with the farmers themselves and Pesenti treks to farms in Mexico and South America. There could be droughts, excessive rainfall. With Mother Nature, it's a volatile business. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri "Coffee is seasonal. It's always an adventure. We never know what we're going to find," said Arlaud. Don't Edit Pamela Silvestri Copeaco is located at Urby, 8 Navy Pier Ct., Stapleton, and can be reached via email at amber@coperacocoffee.com. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except for Sunday, when the cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Seniors at New Dorp High School recently learned how to safely operate a vehicle and make good choices while driving, as part of a new safety program from the Department of Transportation (DOT). The Alive at 25 program, which concluded at New Dorp last week, is aimed at young drivers between the ages of 18 and 25. DOT safety educators began teaching the program to students this year at 10 public high schools across New York City. The four-session program, funded by the National Safety Council, was administered to the entire senior class of New Dorp -- about 700 students. Cynthia Sweeney, a special programs manager for the DOT who conducted the sessions, said its important to bring this program into high schools because students dont think an accident will happen to them. We try to teach them this is not about being afraid, its about being a responsible, safe driver, Sweeney explained. Making better choices. Its all about the mindset. Making a decision to do whats right. This whole thing focuses on behavior, choices and consequences. Its the only thing thats going to keep them alive. The Alive at 25 curriculum is based on choice theory, putting students through real-life scenarios for situations both behind the wheel and as passengers in cars. Lara Kaminski, a government teacher at New Dorp, said she hopes the program continues in the years to come. I think it related to the students themselves and it allowed them to kind of understand what the distractions might be and really how to deal with that, said Kaminski. They had a lot of videos and a lot of interactions, I think thats important to let them see. Students were awarded certificates upon completion of the program. According to the DOT, in 2017, people ages 18 to 25 were behind the wheel in 20 percent of all New York City fatal crashes, despite only making up less than 10 percent of the driving population. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While Miss America eliminated its swimsuit portion for its competition, it still made an appearance during the 53rd Miss Staten Island and Miss Richmond County Scholarship Pageant on Sunday afternoon. The competition was held at the Congregation BNai Jeshurun in West Brighton. Stephanie Accardo, executive director and Miss Richmond County 2012 and 2014, said all of the local and state level competitions across the country continue to have the swimsuit portion of the competition currently. Whether it will continue to be included at the local and state levels in the future has not been determined, she said. But Sundays contestants were excited for the swimsuit portion of the competition, according to Kristina Ferraro, production director and Miss Staten Island 1994. Its not about the bikinis, Ferraro said. Its a confidence builder. Nothing scares you after wearing a bikini on stage. Aside from the swimsuit portion of the competition, Staten Island women took the stage to show off their talents and raise awareness for their platforms. Each contestant has a social initiative and they can make a greater impact by coming here, said Ferraro and Accardo. Theyre passionate about it. It affects them personally. WINNERS Ashley Davis was crowned Miss Staten Island 2019 by her predecessor Nicole Doz, Miss Staten Island 2018. Davis received a $1,000 scholarship donated by former Miss Staten Island, Dr. Anna Marie Truncalli and her husband Dr. John S. Cavallero, along with Ann Grande, NYS Lic. Real Estate sales person, in memory of Big Daddy, Fire Fighter Paul Mitchell, who perished at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Davis also was the winner of the Private Interview. Samantha Rosenberg was crowned Miss Richmond County 2019, and will receive a $1,000 scholarship donated by Arlene Rachman and family, in memory of Richard E. Rachman. Rosenberg was also the talent winner of the evening, receiving a $5,000 scholarship from the American Musical and Drama Academy in Manhattan. Cassie Paradise took the title as first runner-up. She will receive a $500 scholarship donated by Jean Cronin, in memory of her twin, Rosemary Morrison, who was a runner-up in the 1974 pageant. Catherine Costagliola received the title of Miss Congeniality. She received a $300 scholarship donated by Gail Attilio Sanchez and her brother Bob, in memory of her sister Denise Attilio who was Miss Congeniality in 1979. Tatyana Smith was crowned Miss Outstanding Teen Staten Island 2019. She won a $250 scholarship donated by Carmine M. DeBetta, president of the Miss Staten Island Scholarship Organization in memory of his parents Leo and Josephine DeBetta. Sarah Lawrence was crowned Miss Outstanding Teen Richmond County 2019, donated by Carmine M. DeBetta and his wife, Felicia, in memory of her parents, Frank and Rose Tozzolino. Gabriella Marinelli was the first runner-up in the teen competition. She will receive a $100 scholarship donated by newly elected Surrogate Court Judge Matthew Titone. Crowns and crown rings were donated by Jimmys Fine Jewelry. Winners banners were donated by South Shore Kiwanis Club. DJ Nick Petino, of E-Square Productions handled the audio for the competition. WHATS NEXT The competition, produced on the local level since 1967, is an official Miss America preliminary. As a point of interest, since its inception, a total of five Miss Staten Island winners have gone on to nab the title of Miss New York. They have vied for the title of Miss America in Atlantic City's legendary competition, namely, Kari Pedersen Cynar in 1967; Lezley Braun in 1977; Alice Knisely in 1987; Deana Herrera Walker in 1998 and Jamie Lynn Macchia in 2015. The two highest scorers in the competition are bestowed the much-coveted titles of Miss Staten Island 2019 and Miss Richmond County 2019. Both titleholders will compete next summer in the Miss New York State Competition and the winner on the national level at the Miss America Competition in Atlantic City, N.J. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Neighborhood coordination officers from the NYPDs 123rd Precinct will be having a Build the Block meeting Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Woodrow Methodist Church in Annadale. The NYPD invites the community to discuss public safety challenges, giving officers a chance to coordinate with residents and identify crime concerns as well as help with quality of life conditions. According to the flier promoting the event, all are welcomed to come join and voice their concerns regarding the safety and security of their neighborhood. The meeting will take place at 1075 Woodrow Road. Doors will open for refreshments at 7 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. 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! Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn has left the door open to scrapping variable pay for many frontline staff, after admitting these payment schemes came with inherent" risks of employees engaging in misconduct to get an incentive payment. Mr Comyn, the first of the big four chief executives to appear before the royal commission, faced questions over the bank's practice of paying frontline staff variable pay, a key concern in Commissioner Kenneth Hayne's interim report because of how incentives can lead to misconduct. CBA's Matt Comyn, the first big four chief executive to appear before the inquiry, said there would be no significant disadvantage to the bank if it decided to be the first in the industry to get rid of variable pay for its frontline staff. Mr Comyn said there would be no significant disadvantage to the bank if it decided to be the first in the industry to get rid of variable pay for its frontline staff, except in the area of home lending, where such incentives still play a key role. Its certainly not something that I would be unwilling to do in the future, Mr Comyn said. Fortescue Metals Group founder and current chairman Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest is 'humbled' by his pending induction into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame next month. Mr Forrest will be inducted at a ceremony in Perth to be held in conjunction with the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies awards dinner on December 6. Andrew Forrest will be honoured in Australian mining hall of fame next month. Credit:Aaron Bunch/Bloomberg The association said he would be recognised under the entrepreneurs and promoters, and directors and management categories for his vision, drive and knowledge of both the mining and financial markets and his determination to deliver social change through business growth. The hall of fame honours miners and prospectors across the country from the 1800s to present day. A spokesman for the federal government said Australia condemned the cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property for commercial gain from any country. "The Coalition government has been active in strengthening Australias capability to detect and respond to cyber enabled threats and is committed to ensuring businesses and the Australian community are resilient to cyber-attacks," the spokesman said. One major irritation, raised by several police and intelligence officials, was that Australian companies and universities failed to heed repeated warnings to harden their security against both criminals and attacks directed by nation states. These state actors are called advanced persistent threats because they work over months or years, adapt to defences and often strike the same victim multiple times. One of the most active Chinese adversaries has been dubbed "APT10", while "Cloud Hopper" refers to the technique used by this group as they "hop" from cloud storage services into a companys IT system. In this case the Chinese hackers penetrated poorly secured IT service providers, to which Australian firms had outsourced their IT. The targets include cloud storage companies and helpdesk firms in North America and Asia. The initial penetration by the Cloud Hopper team allowed the hackers to enter the IT systems of Australian companies. Loading Adrian Nish, BAE Systems Head of Threat Intelligence, said the APT10/Cloud Hopper attacks had focussed on the mining, engineering and professional service companies. "It is still active. We have evidence of [Cloud Hopper] again actively compromising managed service providers," he said. The theft of intellectual property is part of Chinas broader industrial policy to match the USs technological edge by 2025. The theft can shorten the research and development process and potentially give Chinese companies a crucial market edge. They can also acquire sensitive information around pricing and corporate activity. A national security official said the Turnbull-Li agreement had initially led to a significant reduction in cyber espionage from China. The US experienced a comparable drop-off in attacks after former President Barack Obama struck a similar agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015. A former senior Government official familiar with the cyber security agreement said: "The way these things usually go with the Chinese is they behave themselves for a while before they go back to being bad". "Australia and China agreed that neither country would conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets or confidential business information with the intent of obtaining competitive advantage," the Prime Minister's office said in a brief statement. Credit:Andrew Meares The attacks on Australian firms since the start of this year, including Cloud Hopper activity, showed the bilateral agreement was being ignored, according to officials. Security officials and cyber experts, including Mike Sentonas a vice-president at US firm CrowdStrike, have linked the Cloud Hopper hackers to the Ministry of State Security. "We noticed a significant increase in attacks in the first six months of this year. The activity is mainly from China and it's targeting all sectors," he said. "Theres no doubt the gloves are off." He said there had been a drop off in Chinas global hacking operations after the Xi-Obama deal. Dr Nish from BAE, who has published the most comprehensive report on Cloud Hopper, said he discovered that attacks on multiple clients appeared to be part of the same campaign of "espionage activity". "It was clear it was a much bigger campaign," Dr Nish said. BAE referred it to the UKs National Cyber Security Centre, who referred it to their Australian counterparts at ASD. While Dr Nish declined to confirm the Cloud Hopper attack was directed by Chinese intelligence services, he said there was "no reason to doubt" those who claimed it was. He said that while outsourcing IT functions was a sensible business decision, Australian firms needed to ask "tough questions" of managed service providers. Some providers offered cheaper IT services because they scrimped on their own security, effectively allowing a backdoor into their clients' IT systems. In October, the US Department of Justice provided a case study on Chinese hacking within a 21-page indictment naming the MSS and accusing the MSS and its provincial counterparts of hacking an Australian domain name provider in order to access computer systems at aviation companies in the United States and Europe. Under direction from the MSS, the hackers are accused of either creating fake domain names or redirecting existing domain names to malicious addresses. The MSS is headquartered in Beijing but has extensive provincial operations and is regarded by western intelligence services as a sophisticated outfit able to combine human intelligence with the advanced cyber capabilities. Ramos gin fizz, kangaroo mortadella, handsome moustaches, serious tattoos and the odd bandana. Yessirree, you can take the Continental Deli out of Newtown, but you can't take Newtown out of the Continental Deli. "Yes, we can," says the Continental, as ever, but they're just talking about their 15 different varieties of canned fish and seafood, their ring-pull Mar-tinny cans and their forthcoming Ameri-can-o. Kangaroo mortadella with olives. Credit:Christopher Pearce Head chef Jesse Warkentinny (sorry, Warkentin), maitre d' Michael Nicolian, and head bartender Marcus Dullard have all made the move into the charmless depths of the CBD, a physical and cultural shift masterminded by canny co-owners Elvis Abrahanowicz and Joe Valore. Outside, there's a painfully slow sliding glass door and all-too-obvious views of brightly lit office lobbies, but inside, it's a racy little inner urban scene. Co-owner and style maven Sarah Doyle has put together a lively mix of brasserie-inspired dining room and stool-lined Newyorkese cocktail bar with distinctive deco touches (wonderful brass and glass star ceiling lights), a wall of wine, and '30s-themed posters by graphic artist Michael Wholley. A search party has retrieved potential evidence from Mount Ainslie in a rebooted search for a missing person, but police are yet to link any to the case. Volunteers searching Mount Ainslie on the weekend. Credit:Jamila Toderas The weekends search, which police said on Saturday could involve 100 people, was held after ACT Policing reviewed its information already in hand. ACT Policing again did not identify the person at the centre of the case on Monday. "No further comment will be made regarding the identity of the missing person case that the search related to, for both the sake of the family and in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation," a spokesman said. Concerns over the running of the new Northern Beaches Hospital (NBH) have been characterised as "hiccups" by Health Minister Brad Hazzard at the hospital's official opening on Monday. The health minister and Premier Gladys Berejiklian doubled-down on the term "teething problems" to describe shortages in staff, drugs and medical supplies at the high-tech public-private facility operated by Healthscope. Absent from the ribbon-cutting was NBH medical director Louise Messara who had phoned into a meeting with Healthscopes chief medical officer and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federal (ASMOF), who threatened to support exhausted junior doctors if they chose to withhold treatment from private patients in response to their grave concerns over understaffing. "This is a momentous occasion for the people of the northern beaches, who now have a world-class public hospital like no other right on their doorstep," Ms Berejiklian told the gathered crowd in the foyer of the nine-storey facility, among them former premier Mike Baird, former health minister Jillian Skinner and federal member for Warringah Tony Abbott. Gwen Gould says shes no prude. And when she moved to Tyagarah Beach near Byron Bay more than 20 years ago, she said a lot of locals in the "hippie-style" area enjoyed a nude swim as much as she does. Locals say if Byron is to keep a clothes-optional beach, it would be better to be closer to town, where police were more accessible. Credit:Danielle Smith "We'd all skinny-dip, do yoga, walk the beach, sit around and chat. It was a place for people to meet up and get to know each other," Ms Gould said. However, in the 20 years Tyagarah has been a nude beach, the 77-year-old said it had gone from being a hippie hang-out to a place where locals don't feel safe. "Over the years, so many women got so badly harassed they stopped going there," she said. "Youd be down there with just the stalkers." A Local Court magistrate has been accused of misusing her detention powers, denying procedural fairness and encouraging police prosecutors to lay further charges during her tenure on the NSW mid-north coast. Magistrate Dominique Burns, formerly a barrister practising family law in Newcastle, was appointed to the bench in February 2015 and was assigned in January 2016 to the busy Port Macquarie circuit. Magistrate Dominique Burns leaving court on Monday. Credit:AAP On Monday, at the start of a week-long public hearing, the Conduct Division of the Judicial Commission was told two complaints were made about Ms Burns' conduct in 2017 by representatives from Legal Aid. Counsel assisting the Commission, Kristina Stern, SC, said the hearing will examine the treatment of 17 defendants who were in Ms Burns' court between June 2016 and February 2017. The annual Moonlight Cinemas, which has been nestled in the heart of New Farm for more than 10 years, will be moved to a new home this year in Brisbane's CBD to welcome 2000 viewers. The outdoor cinema will in the city from November 29 to March 31 next year at the Roma Street Parklands' ampitheatre to enjoy favourite classics, new releases and advanced screenings. Moonlight Cinemas will return to Brisbane this year with a great line up of movies but it will be held in a new venue. The program includes screenings of The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots and Second Act and family movies such as Incredibles 2, Smallfoot and Bumblebee. The top picks for award-season will include Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born, Green Book andWidows, and a showcase of Australias talents: Storm Boy, Boy Erased and Ladies in Black. A Queensland woman has told an investigation into the 1989 killing of Annette Mason that she overheard a man admit to friends he bludgeoned the teen to death. The 15-year-old's body was discovered in her bed with massive head injuries after a night out with friends in Toowoomba in 1989. Victim Annette Mason's sister Linda Mason (left) and father Mick Mason (right) are seen during a media conference outside the Brisbane Coroners Court in Brisbane on Monday. Credit:AAP A previous inquest into Annette's death found there was insufficient evidence to pin down her killer. But a second inquest that began on Monday has heard explosive evidence from a witness who previously backed down on what she initially told police. Premier Daniel Andrews and Police Commissioner Graham Ashton knew that Bourke Street terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was on bail the day after the deadly CBD rampage but neither revealed it to the public. Shire Ali's bail status and the extent of his criminal history came to light through media reports seven days after the attack. The Bourke Street scene. Credit:Stuart Gaut Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday that he was advised Shire Ali was on bail during a cabinet sub-committee meeting on the Saturday, November 10, the day after the November 9 attack. But he said it was not up to him to divulge the information, rather it was the responsibility of Victoria Police. The West Australian mining minister has lashed the former state government for allowing a mining proposal set to uproot hectares of protected banksia woodlands south of Perth, saying he has "no control" over the future of the project. Speaking in parliament recently, Minister for Mines and Petroleum Bill Johnston said the former government should be condemned for allowing the Wellard sand mine proposal to get through environmental approvals processes without significant investigation. The proposed sand mine has caused headaches for local residents. Credit:Hannah Barry The Hanson Construction proposal was met with significant pushback from the community due to the sensitive banksia woodlands on the site and perceived potential adverse health and amenity effects. But it passed through the Barnett government unhindered in 2008, with then-environment minister Donna Faragher passing on a thorough assessment of the environmental impacts to the in-house Department of Mines team. Gang crime squad detectives have charged four people with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice following a further investigation into the alleged abduction and torture of a man last year. Last year four people including a 51-year-old senior Rebels member, were charged with the alleged abduction and torture of a man in his 20s. Credit:Paul Harris In June last year several people, including a 51-year-old senior Rebels bikie member, were charged with the alleged abduction and torture of the man in his 20s. Earlier this month detectives charged four people with with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice, stemming from the original incident. "It will be alleged they conspired to thwart the justice process during the criminal proceedings of the June 2017 incident," a police statement said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will cut the number of migrants coming to Australia, declaring the "roads are clogged" and buses, trains and schools in Sydney and Melbourne "are full". In a dramatic shift in rhetoric as cabinet plots a new population policy, the Prime Minister predicted the impending changes would lower the annual immigration target from its cap of 190,000. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will revamp Australia's migration policy. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Population growth has played a key role in our economic success. But I also know Australians in our biggest cities are concerned about population," Mr Morrison said. "They are saying: enough, enough, enough. Seven new parenting centres providing baby sleep training to exhausted parents will be opened across Victoria if Labor wins Saturdays state election. Labors latest pitch for the family vote includes $232 million that will also go towards an updated 24-hour phone line with sleep specialists available to advise parents of their baby's sleeping patterns. Premier Daniel Andrews and his wife, Catherine, meet Cody Davis at Monash Children's Hospital earlier this month. Credit:Daniel Pockett The seven new early parenting centres will be available to more than 4500 families each year. They will offer residential programs (known as sleep schools) as well as advice on a range of challenges parents face such as feeding, child behaviour, mental and physical development. Labor is also spruiking its pledges of payroll tax relief to employers to provide paternity leave, first-aid training and more home visits from a maternal child and health nurse for thousands of vulnerable families. A pro-euthanasia group will harness celebrity power in a fresh campaign urging undecided voters to only support candidates who back assisted-dying laws. A recorded phone message by television personality Andrew Denton will go out to thousands of voters in the Albert Park, Prahran, Bentleigh and Burwood electorates, prompting voters to make voluntary euthanasia a priority at the state election on Saturday. Andrew Denton speaks with Health Minister Jill Hennessy at a pro-euthanasia event last year. Credit:AAP Voluntary euthanasia laws passed the Victorian Parliament in a conscience vote last year. But proponents still fear a change in government could undermine the assisted dying regime. Beijing: University of NSW vice chancellor Ian Jacobs has urged Australian universities to continue collaborating with China to stay competitive in science and technology research that could be turned into economic benefit for Australia. One of the worlds leading science publishers, Springer Nature, has formed a partnership with the University of NSW and Chinas top science institute to deepen collaboration between Australian and Chinese researchers on artificial intelligence, renewable energy, materials and health science. Ian Jacobs, vice-chancellor of the University of New South Wales attending Dialogue on the Future: China-Australia Innovation Summit at the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing. Credit:Sanghee Liu Speaking in Beijing, Professor Jacobs praised the brilliant minds at the Chinese Academy of Science, which will co-host an annual Springer Nature innovation summit, and said Australia would be foolish not to be looking to partner with a country that is doing such extraordinary things. Staying competitive was fundamentally dependent on an approach that embraces collaboration and shares ideas. Sanaa, Yemen: Yemen's Shiite rebels said on Monday that they will halt rocket fire into Saudi Arabia for the sake of peace efforts, answering a key Saudi demand in the latest push to stop the civil war in the Arab world's poorest country. Houthi Shiite fighters chant slogans as they guard a street leading to the residence of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen. Credit:AP But the rebels also said they had fired a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia overnight in response to an attempted border incursion and a Saudi airstrike, and that they reserved the right to respond to attacks. For the past three years, a US-backed, Saudi-led coalition has been waging war against the Iran-aligned rebels, known as Houthis, to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government. The rebels say they have long been excluded from that government and aim to rectify historic grievances. Rebel leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi announced in a statement that the rebels had ordered the cessation of rocket and drone attacks on the Saudis and forces loyal to the United Arab Emirates, a leading coalition member, at the request of UN envoy Martin Griffiths. Los Angeles: Rain is coming to fire-ravaged parts of California this week, a sharp change in the weather which should be hailed as a miracle in the wake of the state's worst bushfires in history. But heavy rain in the aftermath of bushfire also brings with it the risk of mud and rock slides, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a warning ahead of the cooler, wet weather. Search and rescue teams comb the ruins of Paradise, California. Credit:AP The rain could hit fire-affected areas as early as Wednesday, Sydney time. The National Weather Service forecast as much as 115mm of rain in northern California and up to 20mm of rain in southern California. New York: US President Donald Trump's weekend visit to fire-ravaged California has prompted a withering barrage of ridicule and anger after he suggested the state should copy Finland in raking forest floors to prevent a repeat of wildfires that have killed at least 76. He claimed he had received the tip from the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, who promptly said that he could not remember offering such advice. "You gotta take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important," Trump said during his trip. "I was with the President of Finland and he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don't have any problem." Political Analyst, Julio R, Romney The Court of First Instance in Philipsburg is scheduled (on Tuesday, November 20, 2018) to hear open arguments from the dissolved insular Government of Sint Eustatius which was taken into receivership on February 7, 2018 by its Central Government The Government of the Netherlands. The dissolved Government officials are of the opinion that the Government of the Netherlands infringed on Statias right to a full measure of self-government as established by the United Nations and further concluded that the action of the Netherlands is in violation of international law as indicated by the Vienna Convention on the law of Treaties and now seeks the Court of First Instance ruling to reverse the receivership action of the Government of the Netherlands. To put this into perspective, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, on October 10, 2010, Sint Eustatius became a Public Entity/Body of the constituent state of the Netherlands. In other words, integrated into the Netherlands as a municipality and as such properly governed under the Constitution of the Netherlands. With the Central Government of the Netherlands having the statutory authority to exercise supervision or to oversee the local administration of Sint Eustatius, as provided for under Article 132 of the Constitution of the Netherlands. Based on media reports, out of concern in which the Government was being administered, the Government of the Netherlands established a committee to investigate the operation and functioning of the Government of Statia. The Committee reported back that the Government of Statia was in a state of lawlessness and financial mismanagement, threats and insults and the pursuit of personal power. To this end, the Government of the Netherlands, invoked Article 132 of the Constitution through an Act of Parliament (namely the Temporary Act on Neglect of Duty in Sint Eustatius) and thereby dissolved the local elected government and appointed a Government Commission to oversee the governing of the Island. In defense or to support the claim that with the dissolution of the local elected Government of Sint Eustatius, Statias right to a full measure of self-government is infringed upon - the dissolved local elected Government of Sint Eustatius cited Article 73 of the United Nations Charter and insofar as the dissolution action of the Netherlands being in violation of international law Articles 26 and 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is cited. In addition, there is also much talk about the use of Article 2 and 103 of the United Nations Charter to further solidify the case. An abundance of caution should be exercise here and the identified Articles should be closely examined with respect to the audience, intent, and jurisdiction of the articles. First and foremost, it is highly questionable whether or not, more likely not, Article 2 of the United Nations Charter can be used to further solidify the case against the receivership action taken by the Netherlands. Clearly, Article 2 establishes the United Nations as membership base on the principle of sovereign equality. In other words, the content of the Charter speaks to an agreement for adherence between members with the notion that Members are equally sovereign. Respectfully, Sint Eustatius is not sovereign and as such not a member of the United Nations, but only a lower administrative body (municipality of the Netherlands) of a sovereign member of the United Nations - the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This is addressed in the 7th part of Article 2 which states that nothing contained in the Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matter to settlement under the Charter. As for article 103, this Article addresses a conflict between Members, where their obligations under the Charter shall prevail. Again, Sint Eustatius is not a member of the United Nations and the conflict is of a domestic nature between the local government and its Central government, so there is nothing to prevail within the realm of the United Nations Charter. With that said and in regard to the view that the dissolution of the local elected government, Statia is deprived of a full measure of self-government which is recognized in Article 73 of the United Nations Charter as paramount and encourages all its members to promote self-government in its administration of territories. Operationally, the basis of self-government warrants that administrative governed bodies to have self-rule and control of their internal affairs, free from external government control or outside political authority. Where self-rule does not extend to the right to unilaterally do as pleases within the Constellation, but expect to govern or follow the established rules and regulations of the Constellation. Given the factors laid out in Article 73 to determine whether a full measure of self-government is being attained i.e., assurance the people social, political and educational advancement, just treatment and protection against abuse; take the political aspiration of the people and assist them in progressive development and; promote constructive measures of development none of these appeared to be violated. There is no question that there is hindrance with the receivership of the local government. Second, without prejudice to Articles 26 and 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, they have no binding force on the lawfulness of the Government of the Netherlands dissolving the local elected Government of Sint Eustatius. Specifically the Temporary Act on Neglect of Duty in Sint Eustatius that was for the dissolution of the local elected Government of Sint Eustatius. In general, the Vienna Convention on Law of Treaties applies to agreements between states. While the Temporary Act on Neglect of Duty in Sint Eustatius is presumably an agreement between the Government of the Netherlands and the local elected Government of Sint Eustatius it is not a treaty. What is a treaty? A treaty is an agreement entered into by two or more states, mainly of sovereign powers. Again, these Articles do not apply to the circumstances of Sint Eustatius. The governing principle to which the Statia peril/ crises points to a political discourse rather than a legal case. The crises are integrated into its (Statias) political statutory status as a Public Entity (of the Netherlands), the creation of conditions that the polity of Statia is not preparing to live under and appeared not to have understood from the inception. All parties must take care to determine the needs and welfare of the people of the Territory of Statia and place these before politics. The suggestive crises impasse here is through political dialogue in institutional-building and likewise comprehension. PHILIPSBURG:---- Friday, November 16 marked International Day of Tolerance. Tolerance is respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, says UNESCO's 1995 Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever on the occasion of International Day of Tolerance, said Sint Maarten is a country of tolerance rich in diversity, and that this must be respected and appreciated as it is part of the synergy of the Friendly Island. According to the United Nations (UN), the UN is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life. In 1996, the UN General Assembly (by resolution 51/95) invited UN Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. This action followed up on the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 at the initiative of UNESCO, as outlined in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year. The United Nations has launched a new campaign to promote tolerance, respect, and dignity across the world. TOGETHER is a global campaign that aims to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants, and to strengthen the social contract between host countries and communities, and refugees and migrants. Sint Maarten is a peaceful country, a tolerant society, who are guided by compassion, selflessness, and kindness. Despite challenges, as a society, we must always strive for mutual understanding, respect, tolerance, and non-violence. Our society has set standards for community bonding, social cohesion, and inter-faith understanding. We must continue to build upon these pillars. If one pillar starts to weaken, society as a whole must be there to lift it and hold it up and mend it back so we as a society as our brothers keeper can continue to move forward. Let us as a society renew our collective efforts to share with the less fortunate and help them progress so they too can benefit from the fruits of our hard work in building a sustainable nation. As country Sint Maarten, we must leave no one behind, Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever said over the weekend. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations (CKAIR), will meet on November 19, 2018. The CKAIR Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 13.00-14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda points are: 1. Letter regarding the Dispute Regulation UV/107/ 2018-2019 2. Preparation IPKO and Tripartite on Sint Maarten from January 7-11, 2019 Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.com and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten. ~Emmanuel: MP Theodore Heyliger committed treason.~ PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel did not mingle with words when he informed the Minister of TEATT Stuart Johnson that government has to ensure they keep the Dutch Government out from Government owned companies on St. Maarten. Emmanuel said that he wants the Minister of TEATT to make sure he tells parliament the truth regarding PJIAE. He said that it was MP Theodore Heyliger that offered the Dutch government positions on government-owned companies since April 2018 something he considered as treason since the MP was out there trying to make deals in order to stay out of jail. Emmanuel even went as far as saying that he could hear the discussions Heyliger had when he was meeting with members of the Dutch Government and was singing dont lock me up. Emmanuel gave the management board credit since they were not appointed to build an airport but instead, they were appointed to manage PJIAE. The MP said that while gives management a pass he wanted to know if they conducted a bidding process before awarding the contract to Ballas Nedam. Emmanuel made clear that local companies go through the wringer when they submit bids for jobs locally thus, he wants to know if management of PJIAE followed due process before awarding the contract to Ballas Nedam and he asked that parliament be provided with the cost of the contract. The statements made by Emmanuel regarding the song dont lock me up prompted MP Franklin Meyers to ask if the MP was referring to him since that was the campaign song he used. Meyers also informed parliament and the Minister that he personally never had discussions with the Dutch or none of the financial agencies to obtain funding for any of the government-owned companies. The MP said that both his brothers were locked up as well as his role models and his view the jail was not made for animals. The other Members of Parliament posed several questions to the Minister of TEATT regarding the financial status of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE). MP Jurendy Doran asked the Minister and the Management Board of PJIAE to give parliament clarity on the amount of office space PJIAE is renting. He asked the Minister to inform parliament where are these rented office spaces are located. He also asked the Minister to inform Parliament if PJIAE rented office space for a period of five years and if that is the case then he wants to know why did PJIAE rent office space for that period of time. He also asked the Minister if management considered using containers for temporary office space and if PJIAE has other buildings that are not on the grounds of the airport and if those spaces could have been used as temporary office space. MP Doran also asked about the old fire department building, he asked the Minister to inform parliament on the status of that building. Doran also asked about the current pavilion and if it true that it is hot and what management is doing to provide some comfort to passengers. Doran also asked the Minister if its true that there is mold in the pavilion and if there is what is done to eliminate the mold to prevent health hazards. Doran also asked the Minister to inform parliament why is government not issuing the letter of guarantee to PJIAE. MP Iron Ardwell asked the Minister to further explain more on the financial status of PJIAE since the CFO said that operation costs including salaries are secured for the month of November 2018. He called on the Minister to provide the budget and cash flow for 2019. He also asked for the draft financial report. MP Iron asked what was the financial status prior to hurricane Irma and Maria? He asked the Minister to provide parliament with the true financial record of money that were on accounts locally and overseas. He asked the Minister to tell parliament if the case against NAGICO Insurance is in appeal and if that is the case then he wants to know if PJIAE can use the insurance money paid to them thus far. He said based on the presentation presented to parliament its show loss of business and business interruption is a tune of $25M. He asked for more details on this projection. As for the Port of St. Maarten, he asked if Government or management is considering leasing the facility. MP Silveria Jacobs asked if the Minister approved the conditions set forth by World Bank and the Dutch Government. She also asked if all positions on the management team are filled. MP Rolando Brison asked the Minister to provide information on the level of cooperation between the stakeholder (government) and the Supervisory Board and Management of Board are in sync. Brison said he wants to know what is the Prime Ministers role with PJIAE and he also wants to know if the Minister approved the intervention of the Prime Minister since PJIAE falls under his Ministry. He said he wants to know if the Prime Minister is involved in any form of micromanagement. Brison said he wants to know if PJIAE has a clear wish list, and what is it they need from government, he said he wants to know if they need the letter of intent and tax break. MP Brison warned the Minister about the trias politica and he also reminded him of the role Corporate Governance Council. Brison said the Minister needs to take heed on the separation of power when it comes to the shareholder, management and the holding company. He also called on the Minister to give parliament clear-cut information with regards to the insurance money and if they did would they be in a better position financially. He called on the Minister to further explain the parliament of St. Maarten what exactly placed PJIAE in the current financial position. Brison said he wants to know if PJIAE signed any type of agreement in 2012 that gave the bondholders the right to hold on to the funds. He asked the Minister if PJIAE is seeking funds from the World Bank. He asked if PJIAE is negotiating with the World Bank then he wants to know what are the conditions set forth by the World Bank and the Dutch Government. Brison said he wants to know if there are other dangers lurking and if PJIAE is planning on shares. He called on the Minister to come forward with the truth. He asked the Minister if Royal Schipol Group made proposals to government regarding management if PJIAE gets a loan from the Trust Fund. Brison also asked the Minister to explain the situation regarding the suspension of the Holding Board of PJIAE. He also asked what was the reaction of the bondholders when they heard government was contemplating changing the board members. MP Peterson asked the Minister to provide clarity on the position Andre Wright is holding at PJIAE. He wants to know if Wright is a consultant and if he was paid in 2012 when he secured financing for PJIAE and if he will paid a percentage for any loans that PJIAE acquires now. Uranium Report 2019: New and relevant information for download Posted by Publisher Internet The electrorevolution is gaining momentum. Without sufficient clean, base-load capable energy, millions of cars will have to stay in the garage in the future. The Uranium Report 2019 provides up-to-date information on demand, price trends and investment opportunities in the uranium sector. Commodities are indispensable for the development of industry and technology worldwide, which makes them a sought-after commodity. The mining and commodity experts at Swiss Resource Capital AG regularly prepare special reports on the precious metals gold, silver, platinum and palladium, the battery metals lithium, cobalt and vanadium as well as on uranium. The new Uranium Report 2019 is currently available for free download: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/reports/view/uranium-report-2019.html. It contains comprehensive information on the properties, use and extraction of uranium and also shows why the electric revolution, which will allow us to move almost 100% electrically in just a few years, cannot be achieved without uranium. It cannot be achieved by burning coal and oil, as this would lie one\-\-s own pocket from a purely ecological point of view. The alternatives are renewable energies, which, however, require an enormous amount of time and money and, in addition, are not nearly capable of base loads without the lack of larger electricity storage facilities, or nuclear power, which can provide a great deal of energy in a CO?-neutral manner. In addition, the report provides insightful interviews with experts and executives from the industry. The report is completed by the presentation of a number of interesting companies that are suitable for speculation on rising uraniumprices. All special reports can be found here: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/reports.html This is for information only. No guarantee for information, data. No liability. This is not an invitation to buy or sell securities. The disclaimer/risk information of Swiss Resource Capital AG applies as follows. Direct access can be found under Disclaimer: https://www.resource-capital.ch/de/disclaimer-agb.html Swiss Resource Capital AG, based in Herisau, Switzerland, is one of Europe\-\-s leading communication agencies for commodity companies and focuses on the German-speaking region. In addition to the special reports, SRC AG, as the world\-\-s leading provider, also offers self-produced contributions in Commodity-TV und Rohstoff-TV. The complete offer is to be found on-line under www.resource-capital.ch, the TV contributions under https://www.resource-capital.ch/de/mediathek/videos.html as well as all special reports under https://www.resource-capital.ch/de/reports.html. The 38th International East - West Security Conference organised by Capricorn Conferences and Exhibitions was held on 5th and 6th November 2018 at the elegant Hotel West End on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France. Delegates representing private and public sector organisations from the Russian Federation and Ukraine participated in an intensive two days of presentations by speakers drawn from the UK, USA, Italy and Russia, supported by simultaneous translation in English and Russian. Conference Chairman, Patrick Somerville QPM, welcomed the delegates and under the theme of Protecting Yourself and Your Business reflecting the recent collapse of several retail and other sector businesses, introduced a programme that included the development of corporate governance and regulation in the UK with emphasis on the Comply or Explain approach to compliance with codes of conduct and management. National critical infrastructures The need for business continuity and planning based on the international ISO22301 Framework was discussed against the background of global threats The issues of integrated security management and fraud prevention practices were highlighted by actual case histories from various jurisdictions, together with understanding of the Audit Expectation Gap that exists between stakeholders and auditors evidenced by the failure to the discovery of fraud at all levels during formal audits. The need for business continuity and planning based on the international ISO22301 Framework was discussed against the background of global threats to business from cyber-crime and related activities. New cyber counter measures including the growing use of artificial intelligence, video analytics and biometrics as tools in the fight to protect national critical infrastructures, businesses and public services outlined how governments and industries were raising the levels of protection required against increasingly sophisticated and penetrating threats. Russian commercial activities Various speakers addressed the importance of protecting corporate assets with emphasis on due diligence procedures to prevent insider crimes and fraud. Case studies of elaborate schemes and compliance failures in both commercial and banking sectors resulting in massive losses and illegal gains demonstrated the considerable efforts needed to investigate and successfully prosecute those responsible. Insights into the operation of Russian commercial activities, including measures to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing in a business engaged in the leasing of plant and stock for the operation of railways and other enterprises contributed to the range and diversity of the topics discussed. Current concerns about identify theft, data security and protection from cyber-attacks featured prominently in the programme. Best business practices At the conference closing banquet several delegates expressed their appreciation of the opportunity to meet with colleagues from other countries Delegates were again urged to ensure that awareness of new developments and systems and the protective measures needed were not only understood at Board level in all organisations but were recognised and endorsed as Board level responsibilities for effective implementation and oversight where required. At the conference closing banquet several delegates expressed their appreciation of the opportunity to meet with colleagues from other countries, sharing professional experiences through presentations and discussions, and gaining knowledge and understanding of best business practices in countries represented. The International East West Security Conferences are promoted twice yearly by Capricorn Exhibitions and Conferences in cooperation with several other supporting bodies and held in various European cities to promote understanding and the exchange ideas and information between those engaged in managing security in public and private sector organisations in United Kingdom, Member States of the European Union, the Russian Federation and other countries in Eastern Europe. We love handbags and owning the most popular expensive handbag brands is one dream that keeps us ever experimenting with the choices. Indeed, we never have enough handbags and lucky are those who can flaunt the expensive handbags. Exclusive Expensive Handbag Brands Love For Luxury In fashion world, handbags are elementary accessories to create an absolute stir and rage. Moreover, the added style quotient that handbags add to your personality is a celebrating feature for fashionistas. Available in variety of colors, designs and brands, its a must accessory to match with every occasion and event. And in this power dressing era, handbag is the accessory that can speak for itself. Moreover, it can convey your style, personality and status at the event or in your group. Hence, from celebrities to stars, everybody loves to brag their style with the most expensive handbag brand in their hands. We have seen many exquisite luxury handbag brands on red carpet and events. On the whole, we love to adore their style. In this read, we are celebrating the love for luxury with list of the most expensive handbags for Forbes list and Guinness world records. 1. Hermes Hermes is a Paris based luxury handbag brand that has fetched a whopping 125,000 for its blue crocodile Hermes Birkin handbag design. With this, the brand has managed to smash all European records for priciest handbag while there is an outrageous response on online bidding of its Birkin handbag design made out of white gold and 18-karat diamonds. The brand stands for high class luxurious products since 1837. The popular brand in elite class is the symbol of wealth and status. (SHOP HERE) Price Range: $2000 to $30,000 2. Prada Prada is a well known Italian brand helping both men and women luxury lovers to find their style with different products. Started in 1913, the brand has a history of making cosmetics, bags, apparels and jewelry. Flaunting style statement with PRADA pure leather made luxurious handbags is a favorite choice of celebrities. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $1000 to $3000 3. Lana Marks With more than 150 different styles and color choices, Lana Marks is a very famous brand. This luxurious brand is counted in the most expensive handbags brands globally. Hollywood divas Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, and many others love to vogue with Lana Marks. The brand gets sky rocketing fame with its Cleopatra clutch design crafted with almost 1500 precious diamonds. No doubt that the auction ended up with $100,000 to make the brand name in the list of most expensive bag in the globe. (SHOP HERE) Price Range: $2500 to $20,000 4. Judith Leiber Judith Leiber is an exclusive handbag brand from Hungary. Since 1963 the brand is giving new designs and styles to luxury lovers with its expensive handbags. And, crystals and jewels studded pure leather handbags are their steeping style of luxury loved all around the globe. With its remarkable Rose shape handbag design studded with diamonds and gold, the brand mark $90,000 pricing. In 2008, the brand also bagged award for the luxurious and most expensive handbag brand. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $700 to $7000 [amazon box=B01MZC1GP6] 5. Fendi From the famous Italian fashion house, Fendi is the brand name stands for luxury. The style quotient of this brand makes it stand apart from the competition and make it a lovable choice for expensive handbag lovers. Founded in 1925, the brand has enriched history of making exclusively expensive handbag pieces. The forte of brand is its pure leather material including crocodile skin, lambskin, etc. No doubt the bags are exclusive and that is the reason Fendi touching the mark of $28,000 for one of its jewel piece. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $1000 to $6000 6. Chanel Origin country of Chanel the luxurious brand, is France. Since 1909, this brand has managed to astonish the world of expensive handbags with unique styles. Celebrities such as Nicole kidman, Keira Knightley are fan of this brand and are spotted on many events flaunting Chanel handbags. In recent time, the brand was in center of attraction for expensive handbag lovers with its exclusive handbag studded with diamonds and gold bagging $261,000. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $3000 to $10,000 7. Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton is a world class luxury brand from Paris. Established in 1854, the brand has been in the list of expensive handbags and celebrated as the most valuable brand. With its elite range of products, the brand has managed to win the love of expensive handbags with marking $55,000 price. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $2000 to $5000 8. Mouawad Mouawad is a famous brand in the category of Jewelry and timepieces. This Geneva brand has head office in Dubai. With its accessorized handbag designs, it is the most popular brand among expensive handbag lovers. 1001 nights diamonds handbag design decorated with diamonds and gold. This expensive handbag piece was sold for a whopping $3.8 million price tag. Also, the Guinness World record named it as year 2010 most valuable brand. 9. Valentino Materializing the dream of owning the luxurious handbag for elite class, Valentino is one of the most loved brands. This popular Italian brand has earned its name in apparel and accessories industry with its exclusive range of products. Since 1959, the brand is providing stand out designs. With the latest release of their Rockstud and Butterfly Camouflage bags the brand has cracked out the list of expensive handbags. (SHOP HERE) or (HERE) Price Range: $1000 to $6000 10. Yves Saint Laurent Recently, Yves Saint Laurent grabs the luxury buyers interest with its Muse Bag design available as All Day Muse and Night Long Muse. Celebrated as the name for elite and fashionable, this brand from Paris has successfully etched a place for itself in many hearts. And, Hollywood celebrities Ashley Benson, Angelina Jolie, Erin Andrews love to pose with the brand name at various red carpet events. (SHOP HERE) Price Range: $1000 to $5000 So, these are some of the brands who have made their name across the world. Do post your comments section on which one is your favorite. [amazon box=B00KWSX9ZS] NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the defeat of Rep. John Culberson, who chaired the appropriations subcommittee that funded NASA, was a concern to him as the agency seeks to keep its exploration programs funded. WASHINGTON NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Nov. 15 that the reelection defeat of a key appropriator, and the potential for budget cuts next year, is a cause for concern for him as he tries to balance the agency's priorities. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), chairman of the commerce, justice and science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, was defeated Nov. 6 in his bid for a tenth term in Congress. His defeat, as well as a Democratic takeover of the House, will put the leadership of that subcommittee in new hands next year. Culberson was known for his efforts to increase funding for NASA, particularly for missions under development to go to Europa, the potentially habitable moon of Jupiter. Bridenstine, speaking at a meeting of the National Space Council's Users' Advisory Group here, said Culberson's absence will be felt. [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump] "NASA has benefitted greatly from one congressman in particular, John Culberson," he said. "He will not be back in the next term, and that is of concern to me personally." Bridenstine praised Culberson as "an amazing champion for NASA" for his work on the appropriations subcommittee. "He was in the right position at the right time as the chairman of the commerce, justice and science appropriations subcommittee in the House, and he has increased our budgets significantly." Bridenstine also noted that NASA, like other federal agencies, has been asked by the White House to develop proposals for a five percent cut in its fiscal year 2020 budget, currently being crafted for released in February. That would require NASA to find approximately $1 billion in cost savings across its programs. Such a cut, he suggested, would imperil its exploration plans. "If that materializes, no, we're not going to have what we need to go to the moon," he said. "We're certainly not going to have what we need to put boots on the moon." Bridenstine said he wouldn't try to compensate for any cuts by taking money from other agency programs to keep NASA's exploration efforts funded. "If we start robbing one part of NASA to feed another part of NASA, we will lose political support in a heartbeat," he said. "If we start pitting one part of NASA against another part of NASA, we will in essence be pitting one part of Congress against another part of Congress, and then we're not going to be able to accomplish most of what the president has assigned us to do in Space Policy Directive 1." Bridenstine was responding to a question from committee member Harrison Schmitt, the Apollo 17 astronaut, who was concerned about the level of funding reserves available for NASA's major exploration programs. "We're okay for now," Bridenstine said. "I'm sounding a warning." He said later the specific issue of reserves had not come in discussions with the Office of Management and Budget. Despite that potential funding problem, Bridenstine said he was optimistic about the prospects for NASA's exploration strategy, including cooperation with international partners. He noted he had just returned from Canada, where he found "a lot of excitement" about lunar exploration. "I find that everywhere I go on the planet," he said. "There's a lot of international support for going to the moon." That cooperation, he said, is essential to keeping the exploration program sustainable. "There is a tradeoff between going back to the moon as fast as possible and getting humans to the surface tomorrow," he said, "and building a sustainable architecture where we can go back and forth really in perpetuity, and that's the objective." This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry. No one in Northern California would question that the Camp Fire, in addition to killing scores of people, destroying thousands of buildings and burning a huge amount of acreage, has made the region's air hard to breathe. But satellite imagery confirms what Californians are experiencing on the ground rates of black carbon, an aerosol created by wildfires, have become particularly high in Northern California beginning on Nov. 9. [Satellite Photos of the 2018 California Wildfires] Scientists are using satellite data to monitor black carbon produced by wildfires in California this month. The image shows black carbon levels in the air as of Nov. 11. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using GEOS data from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA GSFC.) Black carbon in a type of fine particulate matter, which is known to cause health problems in the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system. Scientists can monitor black carbon by pulling together data gathered by satellites, airplanes and systems on the ground. They also feed in weather data to understand how factors like wind and precipitation affect the aerosol. Southern California also saw a smaller, more short-lived spike in the pollutant on Nov. 10 and 11 due to the Woolsey Fire that burned west of Los Angeles beginning on Nov. 8. That fire has been almost entirely contained, and the focus is shifting from managing the fire to dealing with its aftermath. NASA runs a mapping tool that quickly pulls together different characteristics of a fire in order to help disaster managers respond to the situation. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory maps by Lauren Dauphin using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and NASA's Rehabilitation Capability Convergence for Ecosystem Recovery.) Satellites are assisting with that recovery process as well. NASA runs an online tool that can quickly piece together factors like vegetation and soil type and burn severity to offer a comprehensive picture of a fire, using data from satellites like Landsat, Aqua and Terra. That picture can then be disseminated to emergency personnel to shape the response to the blaze. For example, the map of the Woolsey Fire shows how the fire devastated steep slopes. That's a concern because without vegetation holding earth in place, these areas are susceptible to landslides. For the latest updates about these and other California blazes, go to Cal Fire's "Incidents" page. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Original article on Space.com. An artist's illustration of the exoplanet Kepler-1625b with its hypothesized moon, which is thought to be about the size of Neptune. This candidate moon, and others like it, could host satellites of their own, researchers say. Extrasolar moons, or exomoons, are moons that orbit a planet outside our solar system, called an exoplanet. Although nearly 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered by space telescopes like NASA's Kepler and TESS since 2009, only one exomoon has been described and it's still unclear if it's actually a moon. Astronomer David Kipping and his graduate student Alex Teachey at Columbia University in New York first reported the possible exomoon in October 2018 in the journal Science Advances. Using NASA's Hubble space telescope, the pair watched as Kepler-1625b a Jupiter-size exoplanet passed in front of its star, causing a slight dip in the amount of light visible from Earth. This "transit method" is how thousands of exoplanets have been discovered so far. But watching Kepler-1625b transit in front of its star came with two surprises. First, the exoplanet completed its transit about 1.25 hours earlier than expected, which suggested that something was gravitationally tugging on it. Then there was a shallow dip in light shortly after the planet finished passing in front of the star, possibly indicating a satellite trailing behind Kepler-1625b. "We've tried our best to rule out other possibilities such as spacecraft anomalies, other planets in the system or stellar activity, but we're unable to find any other single hypothesis which can explain all of the data we have," Kipping said during a teleconference with reporters. The alleged exomoon is the size of Neptune around a third the size of Kepler-1625b. That's enormous for a satellite, which is usually much smaller than the planet it orbits. Such moons are predicted to be quite rare, if not impossible, by current models of planet-moon system formation. "We're not cracking open champagne bottles just yet," Teachey told Nature. But "things look exciting, tantalizing, maybe compelling." Exomoons in the search for life ? Exomoons have the potential to be "super-habitable" worlds, according to some scientists, meaning that they are especially good places for life to evolve. That's because moons don't exclusively depend on light energy from their solar system's star. Instead, they can get energy elsewhere, such as: Reflected light Light reflected or emitted as heat from an exomoon's nearby planet could provide long periods of stable temperatures that would encourage life to spawn. Light reflected or emitted as heat from an exomoon's nearby planet could provide long periods of stable temperatures that would encourage life to spawn. Radioactive elements Radioactive elements, such as uranium and radon, that are found in rocks deep inside an Earth-size exomoon, slowly break down over time and release heat to the surface. Radioactive elements, such as uranium and radon, that are found in rocks deep inside an Earth-size exomoon, slowly break down over time and release heat to the surface. Tidal forces The gravity of a large exoplanet say the size of Jupiter or Saturn might pull on an exomoon to create tidal forces, similar to the way our moon pulls on the Earths oceans to create tides. When a rocky exomoon's surface is tugged by the exoplanet's gravity, it can generate heat that could travel to the surface. Around 175 moons exist in our solar system. Many of them have the above characteristics, and two of those moons have become strong contestants for harboring life as we know it: Jupiter's moon Europa, and Saturn's moon Enceladus. Both satellites have icy surfaces that are covered in stretch marks from the tidal forces of their parent planets and that never exceed minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 128 degrees Celsius). But a few miles beneath each of their surfaces sits an ocean that holds more water than found on Earth. And where there's water, there could be life. Where are the other exomoons? By some estimates, there should be 100 to 1,000 times more of these icy, ocean-bearing moons in the Milky Way than there are Earth-like planets, but they're hard to find. Kepler-1625b's sun-like star sits about 8,000 light-years from Earth. That distance makes the star only a tiny pinpoint of light, but advanced technology has allowed scientists to detect the minute silhouette created when a planet crosses in front of its star. And for Kepler-1625b's alleged giant moon, detection is easier because of its size. But for any potentially Europa-size exomoons, which would be only a quarter the size of Earth, the dip in light as it moves in front of a star may still be too small to decipher clearly with current technology. Madrid (Spain), November 19, 2018 (SPS) - Thousands of people gathered Saturday afternoon in Madrid in support for the decolonization and independence of Western Sahara, calling on the Spanish government to revoke "the Declaration of Madrid signed in 1975, which allowed the Moroccan invasion of the Saharawi territories." "Illegal Pact" and "Spain responsible, Morocco guilty" were among the slogans chanted during the demonstration, staged on the sidelines of the 43rd European Conference for Support and Solidarity with Saharawi People (EUCOCO 2018). The participants to the great march, which started from Atocha square, in the centre of Madrid, carried signs expressing support for the legitimate demands of the Saharawi people who are fighting against occupation, condemning the official position of Spanish government. The march, held in support of the Western Sahara people was an opportunity to underline the 43rd anniversary of the Declaration of Madrid (14 November 1975), which had paved the way for Morocco's invasion of Western Sahara territories. "We stand in solidarity with the Saharawi people and we support their struggle," the demonstrators chanted throughout the event. "Justice" and "solidarity with Western Sahara people (who are fighting) for liberty and independence," the signs carried by the demonstrators read. Some of the demonstrators even called for "armed struggle" to put an end to Moroccan occupation. The protesters also called for Western Sahara people's legitimate right to self-determination, and called for the release of the political prisoners of the Gdeim Izik activist group. "It is a clear message meant to Spain, France and the occupier, Morocco, to put an end to the suffering of the Saharawi people," an Argentine activist supporter of the Saharawi cause told APS. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS STAMFORD J.M. Wright Technical High School parent-faculty organization will be hosting their Second Annual Holiday Shopping Evening on Thursday December 6 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at its campus on Bridge Street. Visitors can take pictures with Santa and decorate cookies with students from the schools digital media department. The culinary department will be taking orders Holiday Cookie Trays. The National Honors Society will be hosting a bake sale table and there will also be raffle prizes. There will also be music by students and local musicians. O ne of the car industrys most feted executives Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn was stunningly fired on Monday for serious misconduct including under-reporting his salary and misuse of company funds. The 64-year old the first foreigner to lead a Japanese company is chairman of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi after building a strategic alliance of the three car-making giants nearly 20 years ago. Combined sales by the trio reached 10.6 million cars last year, or one-in-nine passenger cars sold worldwide. Shares in Renault, where Ghosn is also chief executive, plunged 13% and Nissans Europe-traded stocks slumped 12% amid reports of Ghosns arrest in Tokyo after a probe by Japanese prosecutors. Nissan said it had been conducting an investigation into Ghosn and fellow director Greg Kelly over the past several months following a whistleblowers report. It claimed that over many years the pair had worked together to under-report Ghosns pay to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, adding: Numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. Reports from the Kyodo news agency suggested Ghosn had under-reported his salary by 5 billion yen (34 million) since 2011, breaching Japans Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Nissan said the clear violations had impelled Nissans chief executive Hiroto Saikawa to call on the board to promptly remove Ghosn and Kelly from their positions. It added: We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues. Ghosn, Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, began his career at Michelin before moving onto Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and is widely credited with saving it from bankruptcy. In June, Renault shareholders approved Ghosns 7.4 million (6.6 billion) package for 2017, and he also received 9.2 million in his final year as Nissan chief executive. The French government, which holds 15% of Renault, helped to approve Ghosns pay deal but the company has had an uneasy recent relationship with the Elysee Palace. In 2015, as finance minister, Emmanuel Macron briefly increased Frances stake in Renault to 20%, giving it the ability to thwart Ghosns plan to give Nissan a bigger say in the alliance. Speculation also mounted in March that Nissan would buy most of the French governments stake. Analysts said the ousting of Ghosn would prompt questions about the future of the alliance he shaped and dent the speculation over a full-blown merger. The initial share price reaction shows how pivotal he is, Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said. Reports suggest that chief operating officer Thierry Bollore would be a likely successor at Renault after being promoted by Ghosn earlier this year. Nissan and Renault have a combined 280,000 staff worldwide, and the alliance sells cars in nearly 200 countries under 10 brands including Dacia, Lada and Datsun. Kerpow! Cartoon hero 'Le cost-cutter is axed It is hard to overstate the huge impact Carlos Ghosn has had on the car industry since getting his first big job running the Michelin tyre company in his native Brazil, writes Jim Armitage. After turning that business around, he was snapped up by Renault, where he earned the nickname Le Cost-Cutter and returned it to profitability. In 1999, he was hired by Nissan to repeat the trick. At the time, Nissan had $20 billion debt and was losing $6 billion a year. Ghosn cut 21,000 jobs and brought in French and American managers to work with Japanese incumbents, making English the global company language. He massively overdelivered on targets, returning Nissan to profit in the first year and there are now more staff than when he started. So celebrated was he that a manga comic was even made of his life story. T he news is grim these days if you happen to be part of the regional newspapers business. Johnston Press, the third-biggest player in the market, has just gone into administration and been controversially sold to its debtholders after failing to find a buyer for its 200 or so daily and weekly titles. We do not yet know what Johnstons new owners will do with the company. It is business as usual for the time being. But the gimlet-eyed bondholders who are now in charge are not generally known for their sentimentality or tolerance of underperforming assets. Johnstons fate looks to be one more chapter in the seemingly inexorable decline of the industry. In the past decade 300 local newspapers have closed, circulation has more than halved, advertising revenues have nosedived by 75% and 6000 fewer journalists are employed. The result: two thirds of local authorities and more than half of all parliamentary constituencies no longer have a daily local newspaper to report what is happening at grassroots level and keep politicians and councillors honest. This is known as the democratic deficit. It is an interesting juncture, therefore, for Dame Frances Cairncross to be putting the finishing touches to her review of the sustainability of the UKs local press. Her modest remit? To ensure that the UK has a vibrant, independent and plural free press as one of the cornerstones of our public debate, or so said Matt Hancock when, as Culture Secretary, he ordered the review. The first thing Cairncross may have done is to interrogate just how accurate a picture those statistics paint. For the reality is that most of the local newspapers that have closed are weekly freesheets which are advertising not news-driven, employ few journalists and are delivered door to door. Remarkably few paid-for daily or evening papers have closed, with the sad exception of the Liverpool Daily Post. In the place of declining local print sales, a burgeoning digital sector has sprung up. Reach, the publishing group formerly known as Trinity Mirror, is the biggest player in the regional press market with a 29% share. The print circulation of its daily regionals is around 300,000 but the websites of those newspapers attract 25 million unique users a month. The Hull Daily Mail, for instance, sells just 22,000 paid-for copies, but half the towns population log on at least once a day to its Hull Live website. So successful has this been that Reach is rolling out the Live model in cities where it has no print newspaper presence, such as Leeds and Edinburgh. Admittedly, this has meant trading print pounds for digital pennies because online news is intrinsically less lucrative per reader than its physical cousin. The move towards a digital future has also been accompanied by content hubs, where several local newspapers are replaced by one edition served by a single newsroom in the nearest large urban centre and containing much common content. The result has been a decline in the absolute volume and range of local news and much less parish-pump reporting of what goes on in the courts and council chambers. This democratic deficit has partly been addressed by the creation of 150 local democracy reporters funded from the BBC licence fee, whose sole job is to cover local council meetings and make their copy freely available to any local newspaper. Consolidation and regional concentration has also reduced plurality of ownership, resulting in what some see as a widening of the democratic deficit. How bold will Cairncross be? Some want more regulation to force internet giants such as Google and Facebook to peddle less fake news and more local news from trusted sources, who would then receive a fairer share of advertising revenues. Facebook seems intent on heading off such action by offering to invest in social media training for regional reporters. Some want more government intervention to increase plurality of ownership. Some want more state subsidy through a big rise in the number of local democracy reporters. Cairncross cannot please everyone. Scale has enabled the big regional players to innovate. Break up their local monopolies in the name of plurality and the perverse result may be a democratic black hole. T he ending of irrational fantasies is always going to come as a rude jolt. Last week, the jolt came with the publication of the 585 pages of the draft Brexit agreement between the UK and the European Union for our departure. Instead of the promised land of a trading relationship as good as the single market, but with all its constraints removed to enable us to control immigration and strike trade deals elsewhere as we pleased, we have the assurance of at least 20 months of total adherence to every EU rule and regulation with all political participation and ability to influence its development removed. Nor is this to provide either an implementation period or even a transition to the desired goal. The short document outlining, as an aspiration, the longer-term future economic and political relationship is sufficiently vague as to leave much doubt as to what it might be possible to achieve. There is at present nothing substantive to be implemented. We just have at best an honest promise of goodwill to try and work something out in a number of defined areas of co-operation. The one thing that stands out is that there is every chance we will remain both in a form of customs union and in close regulatory alignment with the EU for the foreseeable future. The agreement spells out with crystal clarity that to alter these arrangements will require us to leave Northern Ireland in exactly such a close alignment, if the UK decides to give them up. At present no politician has suggested that such an outcome is compatible with our Union. Far from enhancing sovereignty, the agreement highlights its practical diminution. The Good Friday/Belfast Agreement was a bilateral one between ourselves and Ireland and did not involve the EU at all. It just presupposed common EU membership as a facilitator of its successful operation. Now that can no longer be assumed, we are being required to accept the EU as the effective guarantor of the manner in which our relationship in respect of the border with Ireland is conducted in future. MP for Beaconsfield Dominic Grieve / Matt Writtle These are the terms that have sent some of my Conservative parliamentary colleagues into a rage of denunciation of both the EU and the Prime Minister. Their anger and frustration is misplaced. The EU has done no more than reasonably seek to maintain its cohesion and protect the interests of its members in the face of Brexits disruption. The Prime Minister, constrained by the referendum result and those red lines insisted upon by them, as Hard Brexiteers, has tried to square a circle and deliver Brexit while minimising the obvious risks of economic and security damage it will bring. The place we have got to is the result of their sustained self-deception. Now all they can think of are more drastic and irrational actions to avoid having to admit their mistakes. "The Prime Minister, constrained by the red lines of Hard Brexiteers, has tried to square a circle" Getting rid of the Prime Minister will solve nothing. Attempts at renegotiation are most unlikely to get anywhere. A no deal departure would plunge us into chaos and indicate to the world that a country seen as a byword of stable governance had taken leave of its senses. Faced with this crisis I am being told along with many others that acceptance of this deal is therefore the only option. I disagree. In saying that, I can understand that some parliamentary colleagues may wish to accept it despite its evident shortcomings. That is their right. But a poor agreement now will deliver nothing but trouble in the future. Far from bringing closure, it will precipitate debates on our future relationship as heated and paralysing as we are having now. The one difference is that our departure will have irremediably undermined any leverage we might have to deliver a better outcome for our country. Nor is official Labour policy of demanding a general election to address the issue credible if, as it intends, the agreement is rejected by Parliament. Jeremy Corbyn has shown no ability to provide solutions for Brexit whatsoever. The idea that a different government of any party will be better able to negotiate an agreement for leaving the EU is another fantasy. The better solution must be to return to the public and ask them to consider what they want in the light of the circumstances that we face. If the Prime Ministers deal is to their liking, then we can leave on those terms, however unsatisfactory I may as an MP personally consider them to be. But they should also be offered the opportunity of remaining in the EU. The evidence increases daily that in an interconnected world our sovereignty of action and ability to provide for the wellbeing of all our citizens is helped by EU membership. Those still wanting to leave have to explain where any practical benefit can be shown, now it is so much clearer what leaving means. As an MP, my first duty is to act in the national interest, regardless of party affiliation. I and many others in Parliament are prepared to try and do that. I would urge colleagues, in government or not, to think about how future generations will judge us if we passively allow ourselves to be taken to the third-rate destination the EU Withdrawal Agreement presages. Our country deserves better of us and better of itself. There should be a peoples vote. M y wife was poised over her laptop like a hawk ready to swoop the moment tickets for Michelle Obamas appearance at the Royal Festival Hall on December 3 became available. The former First Lady was to discuss her autobiography with novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and we were eager to hear answers to the most pertinent questions. Whats Barack really like? Are there any secret tunnels in The White House? Is Melania a fembot? The deadline came, my wife clattered at the keyboard, and then gave a wry grimace. There are 35,000 people ahead of me in the queue, she said. The Festival Hall seats 2,900 people. We clearly werent going. Two days later it was my turn. In an interview with me for this newspaper, Sir Ian McKellen announced plans to tour a one man-show to 80 venues in the UK to celebrate his 80th birthday next year. He was kicking off with a mini-tour of theatres of special significance to him in London. The day the tickets were released I tried to buy a pair for the first night, at his local theatre, the Space, in the Isle of Dogs. Sold out. Then I tried our local theatre, the LGBT venue Above the Stag, in a railway arch in Vauxhall. Sold out. The Old Vic, Young Vic, National Theatre, the Bridge? Sold out, sold out My suspicion that chat has become the new rock n roll was confirmed when we went to see the one talk we did manage to get tickets for, by the former US secretary of state John Kerry in Westminster last week. A Vietnam veteran, former presidential candidate and a thoroughly patrician good egg, Kerry is not quite in Michelles or Sir Ians league in the celebrity rankings. Yet the 2,300-seat Methodist Central Hall was pretty much full. Many punters were older than us, but many more were younger. We laughed. We applauded when he asked why it was seen as detrimental for a presidential candidate to speak a foreign language: After all, Trump does. True, the atmosphere was less raucous than a concert. It being a Methodist venue, there was no booze on sale. Most of all, though, we listened avidly. I cant recall a time when I was so interested in hearing someone calmly and informatively speaking their own thoughts on a stage, and I suspect this feeling is widespread. Chat, like books and music and news, has been digitised, commodified and devalued. But, as in those fields, disruption is followed by a correction, and a new balance emerges. Printed books and vinyl make a resurgence. Newspapers rally. W e are from different parties, each with their own histories and values. On many issues we dont see eye to eye. On Brexit, however, we are united in our belief that we must put the interests of the people we represent above party. The Brexit withdrawal agreement bears no resemblance to the false prospectus on which Brexit was sold. The Prime Minister warns that the only choice is between her deal and no deal but there is another way. MPs across the country need to ask whether this proposed deal is better than the one we currently have with the EU, and they must be sure that it will create a prosperous United Kingdom for their constituents. If they cannot be certain, then Members of Parliament must reject this withdrawal agreement and instead ask the country to decide its future. It is only right and democratic that the British people are given the chance to choose between quitting the EU, or staying in with the deal we already have. That is why we, along with a growing number of our colleagues in Parliament, agree that the country must be given a Peoples Vote, including the choice to stay in the European Union. Anna McMorrin MP (Labour) Heidi Allen MP (Conservative) Bridget Phillipson MP (Labour) Jo Stevens MP (Labour) Caroline Lucas MP (Green) Guto Bebb MP (Conservative) Jo Swinson MP (Liberal Democrat) Liz Saville-Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru) Chuka Umunna MP (Labour) Sarah Wollaston (Conservative) Chris Leslie MP (Labour) Hywel Williams MP (Plaid Cymru) Gareth Thomas MP (Labour) Ian Murray MP (Labour) Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat) Chris Bryant MP (Labour) Tonia Antoniazzi MP (Labour) Luciana Berger MP (Labour) Owen Smith MP (Labour) Phillip Lee (Conservative) Rushanara Ali MP (Labour) Stephen Doughty MP (Labour) Tom Brake MP (Liberal Democrat) EDITOR'S REPLY Dear MPs YOU are, of course, right that the reality of Brexit bears little resemblance to the promises made to the British people. The choice now being presented is to either leave without a deal, or swallow the compromises of the Prime Ministers agreement. But there is, as you say, a third option of holding another referendum. Impressive as your cross-party campaign is, Im sure you know you dont stand a chance unless you get the Labour Party fully signed up. Thats the only way to get the votes needed in the House of Commons. Again, over the weekend, Jeremy Corbyn refused to back a referendum and when asked said he didnt know which way hed vote if there was one. Keeping the pressure on inside the Labour Party strikes me as the priority for now. George Osborne, Editor Trump is irrelevant When Theresa May called Donald Trump to congratulate him on the mid-term elections, he became grumpy towards her regarding trade and Iran. Why is a British Prime Minister demeaning herself by calling Trump over a US mid-term election? Trump has no class or decorum, and the world should just let him see out his tenure in office and then get real with the next President. Larry Sequeira Poles deserve respect as long-time allies As a Brit married to a Pole, I found Daniel Nowakowskis rebuke of Jakub Krupas article saddening [Britain owes a big debt to the Poles, November 15]. However, Daniel neednt worry that Jakub was speaking on his behalf. Using dziekuje meaning I thank you rather than the collective dziekujemy we thank you it should have been obvious that Jakub was speaking on his own behalf. For the past three weeks Holly Willoughby has swapped her cosy This Morning studio for the Australian jungle to co-host ITV's Im A Celebrity. The presenter stepped in for Ant McPartlin to host the annual show, filled with gruesome Bushtucker trials, alongside Declan Donnelly. And her day job wasn't the only noticeable change for Holly. On British soil, the star is known for her affordable high street style, but in the jungle, she showcased a plethora of high fashion (and very lustworthy) looks, the total of which racked up to over 19,000. From a 725 dress to the odd affordable number (notably, a classic 43.99 denim skirt), here is a breakdown of the style queen's best ensembles and where to buy them. Holly's first I'm A Celeb outfit Although the simple all-black ensemble looked fairly casual, it was, in fact, a piece by luxury French fashion house Isabel Marant. The mum-of-three paired a 475 high-neck top, which boasted intricate cut-out detail in patterned broderie anglaise lace, with a matching 510 mini skirt that featured the same scalloped detail, as well as a slightly flared silhouette. She finished off the luxe look with a western-inspired 315 studded belt, again by Marant, and a sturdy utilitarian boot by English shoe label Grenson. Her leather combat boots cost 260. Double Denim Channelling her inner Jane of the Jungle for the fourth show, Holly showcased a statement double denim look. The retro ensemble included one of her most affordable items so far: a reworked denim mini skirt by Madewell which retails for only 43.99. She paired it with a feminine denim blouse by Bash Paris - a little more spenny at 165 - as well as another pair of chunky Grenson boots, this time in a tan hue. The Instagrammable ensemble Holly then really hit her sartorial stride, as demonstrated through her sixth look. The presenter stunned in a Chinese-inspired sunshine yellow mini dress. Although the floral number, by much-loved Instagram brand De La Vali, is no longer available in a shorter style, you can still buy the midi length version for 495. 4 ways to style cowboy boots Holly styled the dress with an on-trend pair of 460 western boots by Ganni, which was recently named the 5th most popular brand on Instagram in 2018. The Wild Card Holly's fabulous frocks did not stop there. She also wore a striking 325 red midi dress by Rixo London which featured an eye-catching tiger print. The bold dress was paired with a simple black ankle boot from Topshop. Western Style Holly went full Wild West wearing a 290 tan suede skirt by Ganni paired with a statement pair of matching knee high cowboy boots by Golden Goose. Adding a feminine touch to the look, the presenter paired it with a dusty pink shirt boasting a feminine print and frill detail by Zadig & Voltaire. Statement Sleeves And Holly continued with the Wild West theme on Friday, November 30, with a Western-inspired 185 shirt with balloon sleeves by Sandro. She paired the statement blouse with a feminine ruffle pocket skirt, again by Sandro, and yet another pair of Western style boots - this time by Maje. The Floral-Print Frock Showing off her feminine side over the weekend, Holly stunned in a floral-print dress, featuring frilly detail and one-shoulder silhouette by Isabel Marant. She paired the 315 dress with yet another pair of boots by Grenson. The Denim Dress Holly cut a casual, yet cool, figure in an A-line denim dress designed by Alexa Chung. She paired it with a white tee featuring a retro cartoon graphic and the saying: "I just want pizza! Pizza understands me...". Need the tee in your life? You may want to start saving, as the design by RE/DONE will set you back 115. Holly finished off the look with a sleek black biker boot by Camilla Elphick. The Final Look For her final outfit, Holly chose a tiger print dress in a striking yellow shade. The high neck number from Zadig & Voltaire's autumn/winter 2018 collection costs 725. D istressing photos have emerged online of a beached whale in Indonesia that was found to have almost six kilograms of plastic in its stomach. The sperm whale washed up on the shore of Kapota Island, in the Wakatobi Archipelago of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia on Monday. The grim discovery was posted online by Whale Stranding Indonesia, an organisation that tracks incidents of mammals washing up onshore in the region of Indonesia. Photos posted on the organisation's Facebook page show an array of plastic items that were present in what was thought to be the whale's stomach. 19112018 a code 4 sperm whale stranded on Kapota Island Wakatobi SE Sulawesi. A 5.9 kg debris found inside d whale. The dominant debris are raffia and plastic cups. News: Mr Hardin (DKP Wakatobi). Photo: Mr Alfi (AKKP-KKP). Tx 2 Kartika Sumolang (WWF) FB: https://t.co/zPukshy6at pic.twitter.com/uk7wTS71AH Strandings Indonesia (@stranding_ID) November 19, 2018 However, it admits that decomposition of the body means it is uncertain that the organ cut open was in fact the stomach. According to the Facebook page: "soft plastic, hard plastic, plastic bags, plastic cups, bottled drinks, sandals and raffia" were among the items that spilled out of the stomach when it was cut. In the photos, single-use plastic cups can be seen amongst the items, as well as what appears to be a large, jagged shard of a plastic plate. After weighing the contents of the stomach, the organisation claims a total of 5.9 k.g of plastic was present in the stomach. This was mainly made up of plastic cups and raffia (a fibrous, man-made material). The Wakatobi Marine and Fisheries Community Academy is said to be investigating the discovery. After seeing the photos, Greenpeace issued an urgent warning to cut our single-use plastics. Louise Edge, Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner, said: "If nature had a distress signal to warn us that it can't take any more of our plastic rubbish, it would look like this - a dead whale with 1,000 pieces of plastic in its stomach. "Our throwaway culture has turned whales' guts into dustbins for our plastic waste. And the global plastic contamination doesn't end there - this material is already in the food we eat, the water we drink, and inevitably in our bodies too. It's clear that we can't go on like this. "If we want to stop this slow-motion environmental disaster unfolding before our eyes, we need to immediately start cutting the amount of throwaway plastic we produce." She added the source of the problem is at the manufacturing stage, calling on big food companies to reduce single-use plastic out of their production lines. Research suggests there are more than five trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, which poses a severe threat to marine wildlife. H ampstead Theatre has announced that Roxana Silbert will take on the role of artistic director from spring 2019. Her first season will open in September 2019, coinciding with the theatres 60th birthday celebrations. Silbert will take over the position from Edward Hall, who announced he was leaving the theatre in August this year. She will also take on the role of Joint Chief Executive, sharing the position with the north London theatres executive producer Greg Ripley-Duggan, who joined the theatre in 2010. Hampstead Theatre is where I fell in love with new plays, Silbert said. When I first arrived in London from a city with no producing theatre and a school with no drama department, I had very little experience of theatre. I saw every production there for the first five years of my London life, usually more than once. My first job was as a Hampstead script reader. My career as director of new plays is almost entirely due to Hampstead Theatre. It is very dear to my heart - so to be its new artistic director is just wonderful. Silbert comes to the theatre from her role as artistic director at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, which she has held since 2012. She is set to direct the UK premiere of Edmond De Bergerac in March of next year, as well as the European premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns in June. Previous positions also held by Silbert also include associate director roles at the RSC and The Royal Court, as well as the role of artistic director for the award-winning Paines Plough Theatre Company. The Spice Girls may have reunited but Rochelle Humes has shut down any hope of S Club 8 following suit. Humes, now 29 and a TV presenter, found fame at 12 in the junior spin-off of early Noughties pop group S Club 7. She said of a reunion: I wouldnt be there in the nicest way possible. I was such a young un it would be so weird. I struggle to remember a lot of it. Ill go to places and people will say, I saw you here with S Club Juniors and I dont remember. Throwback: Rochelle Humes with her former bandmates / Ian West/PA I made good friends out of it but in terms of wearing those full-on denim outfits and running around like a kid, Ill pass on that. The group, which changed its name from S Club Juniors to S Club 8, had chart success with hits including One Step Closer before disbanding in 2004. Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes cant contain their amusement as famous donkey refuses to sing Humes went on to perform in The Saturdays before becoming a TV presenter. She is standing in for Holly Willoughby on This Morning and last Friday teamed up with husband Marvin Humes to front Children In Need. She hinted that the couple, who have two daughters, would be working together again in the New Year. Weve been working on stuff, she said. But I cant really talk about it. I find it quite hard [to keep a secret]. Marvins good at it but Im not. Stars including Oprah Winfrey, Amy Adams, Nicole Kidman and Lady Gaga took to the red carpet this weekend at Hollywood's annual Governors Awards. The awards otherwise known as the honorary Oscars are now in their 10th year. The event was scaled back this year, a decision made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences due to the wildfires currently affecting much of California. Steven Spielberg hugs Frank Marshal and Kathleen Kennedy. / Reuters In light of the tragic wildfires burning through California, we have decided to scale back our red carpet at the Governors Awards this year, making it exclusively photos only, they announced before the ceremony. The dinner and ceremony will continue in order to honor the achievements of these artists and filmmakers that are so deserving. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause for your coverage planning and hope to see you at the next Academy event." Lady Gaga on the red carpet in black. / AFP/Getty Images A Star is Born actor Sam Elliott even attended the awards shortly after tending to his own Malibu home, affected by the wildfires something he described as "surreal". Winners included Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, the first woman to receive the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award, and 93 year old producer Cicely Tyson. Cicely Tyson, who accepted an award. / EPA I t has been a bit of a tumultuous week for Brexit. Last week saw Prime Minister Theresa May strike an EU divorce deal which saw some cabinet ministers including the Brexit secretary resign from their positions. With just 130 days to go until Britain leaves the European Union, to say there is uncertainty in the air is an understatement. Indeed, there have even been reports of people starting to stockpile food. But will we really run out of anything? No one seems to know what will happen come March 29, 2019, although undoubtedly there are some foods and drinks more likely to experience shortages. Below, are the foods that might disappear from our shelves. 1. Cheese Unsplash Its safe to say were cheese lovers here in the UK, with Brits consuming around 700,000 tonnes of cheese per year which equates to around 10 kilograms of cheese per person each year. Yet, a recent report from the British Retail Consortium found Brexit could mean a cheese crisis as import costs from European countries would rise. Burrata, comte and manchego have already seen price rises and even our beloved cheddar cheese is at risk, because 82 per cent of the UKs cheddar is imported from Ireland. A separate study from the London School of Economics backed up these claims and furthermore, the UK managing director of Arla Foods, Ash Amirahmadi, said in a press release: "Our dependence on imported dairy products means that disruption to the supply chain will have a big impact. Most likely we would see shortages of products and a sharp rise in prices, turning everyday staples like butter, yoghurts, cheese and infant formula, into occasional luxuries. Speciality cheeses, where there are currently limited options for production, may become very scarce." The answer to a cheese crisis? Buy local. The UK produces 94 per cent of the milk it consumes and there are plenty of UK-made cheeses on the market. 2. Gin Unsplash Before you start panicking that your favourite summer tipple may be in short supply, gin is only predicted to run out if the 'doomsday no-deal' scenario comes to fruition. According to the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA), if 'no deal' were to play out, this would greatly affect the UKs juniper supplies, making gin much harder to produce. 3. Mars bars Getty Images During a roundtable meeting with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove over the weekend, it was revealed that Mars bars could run out within weeks if the UK left the EU without a deal. This is because two of the ingredients found in the chocolate bar are imported and go off within a few days. If certain food imports are barred from entering the UK in the no-deal scenario, the beloved Mars bar might cease production. 4. Olive Oil Unsplash In 2017, the price of olive oil hit a seven-year high due to a suffering pound and bad weather in Europe if Brexit causes the pound to suffer even further this could lead to a price hike in the beloved oil. 5. Wine Unsplash I ts cool to sweat now, says Tamara Hill-Norton, founder of premium activewear brand Sweaty Betty at her bright London HQ by Putney Bridge. The mum of three cycles into work every day from her home in Acton and has just done a lunchtime yoga class at her studios across the road. There, leggings are the unofficial uniform, which is reflective of a wider revolution across the capital: these days youll find a woman in a pair of Sweaty Bettys famous bum-sculpting leggings in every exercise class in London. After two decades I still get such a kick out of that, says Hill-Norton, who has just celebrated the brands 20-year anniversary with more than 4,000 women at a live event. You can sit there and dither on something within four walls and think, yeah, itll sell, but the ultimate endorsement is just seeing customers wearing them wherever you are. Which she does: Sweaty Betty products now have a loyal following in the US and the brand has more than 60 shops across the globe. Last year, Hill-Norton spotted a girl paddleboarding in one of their swimsuits in southern Spain, which felt amazing. It all comes down to quality. People come back time and time again because theyre prepared to pay for good leggings, she continues. Her hero styles are the Zero Gravity and Power leggings featuring the brands famous bum-enhancing technology, which are high in elastane content and very lightweight. Its like youre putting on an amazing pair of sculpted underwear to hold you up. You put them on and you realise, Oh my God, they look amazing. Confidence is important, especially for young women and girls. They say, from about the age of 11, girls start to not do sport because of what they look like, Hill-Norton continues. Often thats because their PE kit is ugly. As soon as theyre allowed to wear a pair of leggings and a cute top or nice sweatshirt, they feel really good about themselves and they want to go and do sport. Her own teenage daughters are 18 and 15 the right age for Sweaty Bettys XXS legging, but the brand has just launched a new teen legging for 11- to 14-year-olds. Its all part of a tribe mentality, says Hill-Norton. Unlike with normal clothes, where youre embarrassed to wear the same dress as someone, people want to feel part of a team with their activewear. Bossing it: founder Tamara Hill-Norton / Supplied That said, she doesnt want Sweaty Betty to be seen as an expensive cult. She believes the price point of her products seems fair against premium competitors like lululemon and she is proud of the brands offering of free in-store fitness classes. Its our way of saying, Come on everyone, come in and get fit for free. You can come as many times as you want. She admits the high street is tough, so the focus is on experiential retail for boosting footfall. Sweaty Bettys latest drive includes a new Wellness Wednesday concept featuring talks with industry warriors from the Hemsley sisters to fitness author Max Lowery. This is the Sweaty Betty lifestyle. Londoners are always trekking somewhere and stay in their activewear for longer, so they need layers for the Tube. This winter its all about pairing your leggings with a cosy knit and a down jacket, so the brands new winter collection features three different base-layer sets of matching tops and leggings in a fun retro Union Jack design. W e're already celebrating Movember this month, but on November 19 people around the world will be commemorating International Men's Day. You may have heard of International Women's Day, but few people know that there is a male equivalent. Unsurprisingly, the day has continued to spark controversy year after year, with some claiming that "every day is men's day." So where did it all start and why is it celebrated? Here's everything you need to know about International Men's Day (IMD): When is International Men's Day? Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images IMD falls on November 19 every year. According to the International Men's Day website, the month of November was chosen because it "is important for the masculine soul because it gathers several events that are important to men," including Movember. What is International Men's Day? International Men's Day aims to promote men's health, improve gender relations and promote gender equality. / rawpixel/Unsplash The purpose of IMD, according to its organisers, is to "encourage men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man." The organisers added: "we promote a unified celebration of manhood and the positive contributions that men make to society." IMD was inaugurated in Trinidad and Tobago by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh in 1999 but calls for an International Men's Day date as far back as 1960. Back then, the New York Times reported: "Many men have been agitating privately to make February 23 International Men's Day, the equivalent of March 8, which is International Women's Day." Key points of focus for IMD include men's health, improving gender relations and promoting gender equality. This year, the theme for IMD is positive male role models. Where is it celebrated? IMD is now celebrated in countries such as Singapore, Australia, India, the UK, the US, South Africa, Haiti, Jamaica, Hungary, Malta, Ghana, Moldova and Canada. IMD in its current format began in the UK in 2010, with a conference discussing the issues facing men and boys taking place in Brighton & Hove. Similar events are now taking place up and down the country. Last year, Theresa May became the first British Prime Minister to acknowledge IMD. She said: "I recognise important issues that this event seeks to highlight, including men's health, male suicide rates and the underperformance of boys in schools. "These are serious issues that must be addressed in a considered way." How is it celebrated? Organisers say the commemorative day "is an opportunity for people everywhere of goodwill to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society for the greater good of all." Past events have included public seminars, conferences, festivals and fundraisers, classroom activities at schools, radio and television programs, Church observances, and peaceful displays and marches. Isn't every day International Men's Day? Some would argue yes. On International Women's Day, IMD was one of the top trends on Twitter, with swarms of users asking why there wasn't a male equivalent. Every year, comedian Richard Herring takes it upon himself to remind those users that such a day already exists and used the jibes to raise money for domestic abuse victims through Refuge. He said: "I thought this year it would be nice if we raised some money along the way, to turn stupid or negative comments by people who don't understand how to google something that will be positive and helpful. IMD is one topic that has been causing controversy for over a decade, with leading male feminists Michael Flood, Michael Kaufman and Michael Kimmel having called on people to boycott it. In 2015, planned events for IMD at the University of York were cancelled following an outcry from staff and students. A counter-petition then went on to gather over 4,000 signatures stating that "true feminists should be fighting for gender equality for both men and women." However, some see IMD as a very real and important opportunity to discuss the unique struggles facing men. Males accounted for three-quarters of suicides registered in 2017, which has been the case since the mid-1990s. K enneth Shivdyal, my Guyanese guide, is understandably perplexed. Imagine, most people cant find your country on a map they think its in Africa but if they know anything at all, then its only Jonestown. This is the equivalent of Scotland only being known for the Dunblane massacre, except around 51 times more people died in the jungle of northern Guyana on November 18, 1978. The 40-year anniversary of the Jonestown massacre took place this weekend, and its likely some so-called dark tourists will have chartered planes to waste their time trying to visit the old Peoples Temple site. Theres really nothing there just jungle, says Kenneth. Really, you could be anywhere in the interior [of the country]. And, as he makes clear to me over a couple of days, if youre going to make the effort to come all the way to Guyanas vast interior, then the place you should be coming is the Kaieteur National Park, home of the spectacular Kaieteur Falls. On the north-eastern edge of the Amazon, Guyana can feel like a long way from anywhere, and Kaieteur is further still. But while getting here can feel convoluted (British Airways dropped its direct flight to the capital, Georgetown, making at least one connection necessary), the falls are just an hour away by small plane. It has its own airstrip, and from there the main event is just a gentle 15-minute walk away. The most popular way to see Kaieteur is as part of a day trip from Georgetown. On arrival, the pilots make a point of flying past the falls, completing dramatic figures of eight so that all passengers get a glimpse of its magnificence from above. At 741 feet high, it is the largest single-drop waterfall in the world a singular beauty piercing the great ocean of dense green forest. Having glimpsed it from the plane, Im keen to get as close as possible as quickly as I can. However, Kenneth and I are going to stay overnight in a battered old cabin within earshot of the falls, so while the other tourists from the plane are led off in a group, we drop off our gear and supplies first. This delay means that when we do head to the trail, we have it all to ourselves. Guyana has two deeply rainy seasons that supercharge the falls. The rest of the year, when things dry out, Kaieteur breathes life into the surroundings by generating a heavy morning mist that waters the entire valley. Among the largest flora are the giant tank bromeliads, the deep channels of which are home to some of the smallest fauna: endemic golden tree frogs that spend their lives inside them. Some do this right on the edge of the falls themselves if they could only look over the rim of their green palaces theyd realise that they have some of the best real estate in the world. Rumble in the jungle: the Guanian cock-of-the-rock / Alamy Stock Photo Keen to see Kaieteur on ground level, Im surprised when Kenneth takes us off the path. It looks remarkably un-falls-like. Worse, he gets his phone out. An ugly sound plays out through the undergrowth a recording of a mating call from an extraordinary bird, rupicola rupicola, more commonly known as the cock-of-the-rock. Amazingly, this trick works, and within seconds, five male birds all the most intense orange nervously land around us. I cant imagine how disappointed they must be to find us in place of a potential mate, but the feeling is absolutely not mutual. We finally make our way to Johnsons Point, the first viewing platform, and see the falls erupt through the jungle, a picture-perfect, all-natural wonder spectacularly severing the dense expanse of jungle. Its like the first time, every time, says Kenneth, who has no idea how many times hes been here. We move along to two other points, each fantastic in their own way, getting closer to the falls. In the air, a plane takes off its the other tourists returning to Georgetown, meaning Kenneth and I now have the place to ourselves. This is perhaps Kaieteurs greatest miracle of all. Also in the sky are thousands of swifts that roost behind the falls. Every night, great squadrons assemble, then make what looks like kamikaze dives at the falls. They fly with such murderous intent that survival looks impossible but somehow they make it behind the colossal curtain and to bed. Above them, the ugly calls of scarlet macaws seem like a criticism of the swifts life choices. When I get back to Georgetown the next day, a taxi driver takes me to the Cara Lodge, a beautiful old British-era building turned hotel. On the 20-minute drive he asks about Kaieteur. I tell him about my outrageous good fortune. So you had the swifts? Yes. A beautiful sunset? Yes. Everything to yourself? Yes Serenity. I cant quite decide if this is a question or a statement, but I agree all the same. Details: Guyana J une is, undoubtedly, one of the best times of the year to go on holiday. Why? Well, the start of summer in the northern hemisphere brings warmer temperatures without the hordes of tourists. Not only that, but as it is not yet peak season, prices are often cheaper, meaning June offers the perfect opportunity for a luxury city break or a longer, more indulgent, vacation. Below are 10 of the best destinations to head to in June, from across the Irish Sea and the Atlantic. Banff National Park, Canada Unsplash Thanks to the picture perfect Lake Louise, Banff National Park is one of the most Instagrammed spots in Canada. The brilliant azure waters of Lake Louise, a hamlet located in Banff National Park, contrasts with lush green pine forests and snow-capped mountains to create a stunning vista. Summer is the best time to head to Banff National Park; June means warmer weather (highs hover around 14C) but sees less tourists than the peak summer months of July and August. While there, experience the famous Rocky Mountains which are stretched across Banff and neighbouring national park, Jasper, and look out for moose, wolves and bears while hiking through one of the world's most glorious protected landscapes. Naxos, Greece Shutterstock June is prime time to visit Greece as warm temperatures have set in but the islands are still mainly made up of locals. Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, offers an abundance of heavenly beaches, turquoise seas and picture-perfect cobbled alleys. Make sure you try the local olives and figs while there - the land on Naxos is more fertile than others in the Cyclades - and spend a day island-hopping around the smaller Cyclades like Pano Koufonisi (known for its stunning beaches) or lesser-known Donousa for a unique day out. Connemara, Ireland Unsplash Oscar Wilde described Connemara perfectly when he called it A Savage Beauty. The western district of Ireland is fringed by one of the worlds must-do road trips, the Wild Atlantic Way , and is known for the rugged landscapes of Connemara National Park, narrow roads where sheep wander freely and a heavy concentration of gorgeous lochs. Summer is when you can expect some of the best weather in Connemara, and is the perfect time to explore the Twelve Bens mountain range, with a network of hiking and mountain biking trails to choose from. Connemara is also home to luxury hotels like The Lodge at Ashford Castle and Ballynahinch Castle , both ideal bases to explore the magic of the area. Bazaruto National Park, Mozambique Shutterstock June often calls for a beachy getaway and there may be no prettier waters than the Bazaruto Archipelago. Located in Mozambique, the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean that surround the islands are home to 2,000 types of colourful fish, which make diving and snorkelling a dream. The five main islands that make up the archipelago are protected and, as well as tropical fish, are home to pink flamingos and fish eagles, amongst other dazzling birds, along with Nile crocodiles and dolphins. A paradise for any animal lover. The Amazon Rainforest Unsplash Home to some of the last unexplored areas on earth, the Amazon covers over 5.5 million square kilometres and contains some 427 species of mammals, 1,300 types of birds, 378 kinds of reptiles and more than 400 species of amphibians. The 7,000-kilometre river runs through Brazil, Colombia and Peru meaning the rainforest is accessible from all three countries, with Colombia and Peru offering a better chance of seeing colourful wildlife. In June, the river starts to go down which means there is better access to trails, fewer mosquitoes and less chance of rain. Yerevan, Armenia Unsplash For balmy evenings, head somewhere different this summer and take a trip to Armenia. The capital, Yerevan, basks in 30C temperatures in June and the streets are lined with teahouses and wine bars frequented by locals enjoying the sunshine. Expect Soviet-era architecture, especially in the central Republic Square, and soak up some culture in the Matenadaran library, which houses thousands of ancient Greek and Armenian manuscripts. Inside the History Museum of Armenia, you can also find objects that date back as far as 3500 B.C. Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda Unsplash June marks the start of the long dry season in Rwanda, but remains quiet before the peak tourist season of July and August. This makes June the ideal time to take one of lifes bucket list trips a visit to Nyungwe Forest National Park to go chimpanzee trekking to see one of the 13 species of primates that inhabit the forest. Not only that, but no less than 75 others species of mammals, 275 types of birds and 120 species of butterflies also inhabit Rwandas famed forest. It's a bucket list trip for a reason. Sardinia, Italy Shutterstock Sardinia has been a beloved holiday destination for decades and for good reason. Here, youll find some of the dreamiest beaches in Europe, complete with white sand and Maldives-level emerald waters alongside country lanes and Bronze Age towers. June is one of the best times to visit as the Italian island offers clear skies, guaranteed sunshine and warm days. When youre not lying on a beach, go for a hike, walk a coastal path to a hidden bay or go diving to see Roman ruins. Swedens archipelagos Unsplash If you thought island life was restricted to countries bordering the equator, think again. One of our Nordic neighbours, Sweden, is surrounded by thousands of islands which offer a different kind of summer island break. Of these, the most popular are the Stockholm archipelago and the West Sweden/Gothenburg archipelago but there are a number of other archipelagos found north near Swedens Lapland too. Our pick would be a visit to Sandon, one of Stockholms archipelagos, where youll find the colourful and quaint village of Sandhamn. The perfect place for an active holiday, in Sandon you can go swimming, kayaking, scuba diving and biking, or simply enjoy one of the stunning coastal paths. Budva, Montenegro Unsplash Budva is the perfect Montenegrin base as you can explore nearby beaches for relaxing days and the mountain of Lovcen for stunning, little explored pathways. D etectives are investigating two suspected linked attacks in which four men were stabbed and three others were shot less than a mile apart. The four men were knifed when a fight broke out after a crash in Edmonton, north London, just before 6pm yesterday, police said. The victims, all in their 20s, were rushed to hospital after the stabbing in Fraser Road, where two vehicles that had been in a crash were also found. Three remained in hospital today, their condition is not known, while the fourth victim has been discharged. One man has been arrested. The stabbing came 24 hours after three people including a 16-year-old boy were injured when a man fired a shotgun into the back of a minicab on a busy High Street less than a mile away. Two men, both 22, and the teenage boy were taken to hospital, and one of the victims suffered potentially life-changing injuries. Police say they believe the stabbings were linked to the shooting in Gordon Road the day before. Police are investigating whether the Edmonton stabbing was linked to the Enfield shooting / Yui Mok/PA A worker at the Sultan off-licence near the scene told how one of the shooting victims staggered into the shop with blood pouring from his head. He told the Standard: A guy just came into the shop, very bloody. He was bleeding from his head... This street, its not surprising, theres something always going on. A Scotland Yard spokesman said the victims of the shooting had been sitting in a stationary minicab before a gunman approached in another vehicle. A police cordon at the scene of the stabbing in Edmonton / Yui Mok/PA He added: A second vehicle pulled alongside the minicab, at least two men got out and approached the victims. One was armed with a shotgun. The shotgun was fired twice into the rear of the vehicle. The driver was not injured and there have been no arrests. Chief Superintendent Ade Adelekan, who leads the Violent Crime Task Force, denied police were losing control of the streets saying: These incidents are totally unacceptable and we are focusing the whole of the Met on tackling violent crime. Susanna Reid gets emotional as she questions Sadiq Khan on knife crime He insisted that the scale of violence particularly involving young men was levelling off in the capital but said it remained a major challenge. A moped gang rammed a stolen car into a luxury jewellery store in central London before stabbing a have-a-go hero who tried to stop them with a samurai sword and slashing his knees with an axe, a court heard. Builder Petar Dimov needed eight stitches to his knee, now walks with a limp and battled a lung infection caused by the stabbing, jurors heard. Miguel St Martin, 21, Harry Doyle, 18, Reece Salmon, 22, and Alfie Warry, 21, are all accused of being part of the gang that carried out raids at Boodles and an 85,000 handbag snatch at Yves Saint Laurent in London's West End over a month apart. Blackfriars Crown Court heard St Martin is the mastermind behind the plot which saw co-conspirators carry axes, samurai swords and a sledge hammer to the burglaries in Mayfair and Sloane Street. Jurors were shown CCTV of the raid today / SWNS Dad Mr Dimov described suffering flashbacks of the moment he grappled with one raider before others wearing motorcycle helmets piled in. Michael Shaw, prosecuting, said: "These four planned and carried out two attacks in particular. The first was an attack on a shop in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, called Boodles - a high end jeweller. Prosecutors said the gang used a sledgehammer after a Land Rover was unable to smash its way inside (SWNS) / SWNS.COM "In that first attack at least five men dressed pretty much identically - dressed head to toe in black wearing crash helmets - and armed with axes, hammers and samurai swords. They arrived outside the jewellers on moped and with a stolen Land RovAer. "The Land Rover was used to try and smash their way into the side. That failed and they tried to smash in with a sledge hammer. "They were caught in that act by a member of the public who works on a building site just across the road. "He saw what was going on and rather bravely attempted to tackle the robbers as they tried to smash their way into the store in the middle of Monday morning in the West End. "He got the better of him despite him holding a samurai sword, which he got stabbed in the back with for his troubles. "The team that were attacking the front of Boodles saw he was being overpowered and went to assist their colleague. They were armed with a pair of axes they brought for the job and slashed his knees with them. A builder was attacked with a samurai sword, the court heard (SWNS) / SWNS.COM "Having attacked Mr Dimov with the sword and the axes they jumped back on their motorbikes leaving the Land Rover abandoned and rode back to Islington from where they all originate." Mr Dimov, who moved to Britain from Bulgaria 15 years ago, said he noticed the gang "slowly" approach the shop on mopeds with covered number plates, before the Land Rover ploughed into the building, the court heard. A man is seen on CCTV brandishing a sledgehammer (SWNS) / SWNS.COM In a statement read to the jury, he said: "The next thing one of the men was running at me with what I thought was a metal bar but now know was a sword. "I grappled with this male but was then attacked by more men who hit me with an axe. Members of the gang inside the store (SWNS) / SWNS.COM "I was taken to hospital in an ambulance where I was treated for a stab wound in my back and a deep gash across my right knee." Jurors heard the wounds left him with regular pain, blood circulation problems and the stab wound caused a lung infection. Mr Dimov said: "I can feel the wound in my back constantly. When I sit and lie down it is painful." He added: "For me this whole incident has affected me very deeply psychologically. It is far, far worse than the physical injuries. "I am a big and physically strong man. I can deal with the pain and the physical discomfort but I am deeply troubled by the emotional aspects of this attack. Four men are accused of being in a gang that carried out a raid on Boodles and at a YSL boutique (SWNS) / SWNS.COM "I have no one to talk to about what happened to me. I could talk to my wife but she is very upset by what happened, so I don't want to talk to her about how I am feeling or what this incident has done to me as I don't want her to be upset and worry." He also told how he is nervous of groups of young men and anxious by the sound of mopeds and motorbikes. "I have had a couple of bad dreams and flashbacks especially in the first couple of weeks but this has got better," he said. "I am very paranoid since the attack. I get up in the night and check the doors and windows to make sure they are locked." His statement added: "I feel I am very fortunate that the outcome for me wasn't worse and I feel I really could have been seriously injured especially to be attacked with swords and axes. I feel lucky to still be alive." The robbers fled empty handed, spooked by Mr Dimov's bravery and after they set off a burglar alarm which emits a smoke cloud that prevents would-be burglars seeing. Salmon and St Martin deny conspiring to rob Boodles in March, while Warry is accused of attacking Yves Saint Laurent on April 24. Doyle admits his involvement in conspiracy to rob the jewellers on March 26 but denies a count of wounding with intent against Mr Dimov. The court heard Henry Histon, 18, has admitted his involvement in the Boodles and Yves Saint Laurent raids and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to rob Boodles. Other members of the north London gang are still to be brought to justice, it was said. The men abandoned their clothing and crash helmets in a Clerkenwell office block undergoing refurbishment but a mobile phone was left in a pocket of one pair of trousers. Mr Shaw said: "It's the major mistake that this gang made. They left behind a burner Nokia mobile phone, stored in it was four numbers. "It had been activated on the Saturday before it was used. The first number was for Mr Warry, the second number was for Mr St Martin and the third number was for a mini-cab driver." Police contacted the company that supplied the top-up the phones and traced the payment back to a Co-op store in King's Cross. Mr Shaw added: "Police got the store's footage from Saturday night and approaching the counter, topping up that mobile phone found dumped, was Mr St Martin. And he was topping up not just his phone but the four other numbers stored in it." Jurors heard cell site and phone company evidence linking the four phones together during the weekend before and on the day of the attempted robbery. The next burglary took place on April 24 - just 28 days after the first attack. The prosecutor said: "Yves Saint Laurent is further down Sloane Street. When the store was shut, again two mopeds with four men on them, all dressed in black, arrived and smashed their way into the store. They stripped the store of about 85,000 of hand bags." Jurors saw footage from the inside of the store in which two men dressed in black lift up the shutters, smash their way through the door and dash around the store nabbing expensive bags. Some handbags were thrown into a large red duffle sack similar to that used by postmen. Mr Shaw said: "CCTV identifies Mr Warry. Both those offences are planned in that we say it's the same gang carrying them out." St Martin, Warry and Histon are then all seen on CCTV at a hotel in King's Cross that Mr St Martin was living in, said the prosecutor. A red duffle bag similar to that seen on the footage is seen on hotel CCTV being taken in and out of the hotel before being put into the boot of a Ford Focus that pulls up outside. CCTV allegedly then shows St Martin and two other men go into a local McDonalds. St Martin is also said to have gone on a robbery spree in King's Cross in between the two attacks. The court heard he donned a face mask used to filter out pollution and got onto his bicycle before stealing phones from members of the public on the street. Two stolen mobile phones were later found in his hotel room, the court heard, as well as two YSL handbags, worth 4,500 and 5,000 respectively. The defendant is said to have jumped out of a second floor window when police came to arrest him and tried to hide an iPhone in the airing cupboard in a lower floor room. T his is the shocking moment a policewoman was kung fu-kicked in to the path of an oncoming double-decker bus as she assisted with an arrest. In footage captured by a passing motorist, two men are seen grappling with officers after attempting to flee when their car was pulled over in a routine stop at 7.55pm in Kingswood Road, Wimbledon, on Saturday. One policeman was dragged from his car and thrown in to the road but kept hold of the suspects leg, preventing his escape. His female colleague directed pepper spray at the suspects in an attempt to subdue them. As the situation appeared to come under control, an accomplice in a grey tracksuit took a running jump and landed a high kick to the policewomans chest. She fell backwards, causing a passing bus to brake and swerve, missing her by inches. The policewoman lay in the middle of the junction as the scuffle continued, before a moped rider stepped in to tackle the first suspect, pinning him to the ground in a headlock. The suspect who kicked the officer then fled the scene. Since the footage was posted on Twitter last night under the caption: South London at night... Lol, it has been viewed more than 120,000 times. Twitter users hailed the police officers bravery but condemned bystanders for not stepping in to help, and others for mocking the incident on social media. Paramedic Ben Hooper said: Im disgusted by the replies, why is this funny? Commenting on the footage, retired Met officer Chris Hobbs told the Standard: This is what happens when policing is cut and officers are constantly subject to denigration by politicians, sections of the media and so-called activists. The Met said today that the officers detained a 20-year-old man before they were assaulted by two others. The officers were treated at hospital and have since been discharged. A developer has been urged not to charge residents 2.4 million to remove Grenfell Tower-style cladding from their block. More than 500 people living in New Providence Wharf in Poplar were told they could have to pay an average of more than 4,000 each to remove the panels after freeholder Landor Residential, part of the Ballymore group, refused to foot the bill. But the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has now asked the group to protect leaseholders from the costs. It came after dozens of residents sent letters to Housing Secretary James Brokenshire, urging him to put pressure on the developer. A spokeswoman said: Nothing is more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes. We have been clear building owners and developers should do the right thing and foot the bill for removing unsafe cladding. New Providence Wharf, where apartments can cost up to 1.2 million, consists of five blocks. Only the original tower, built in 2005, was coated with the aluminium composite material panels blamed for the rapid spread of the Grenfell Tower fire last year. Residents were told the cost of replacing cladding would be added to their annual service charge. Some feared they would face a bill of at least 16,000 that would potentially leave many without a home. C ampaigners who blocked off five major bridges in central London vowed today to bring the capital to a standstill again this weekend. Protest group Extinction Rebellion, who are demanding greater government action on climate change, are planning further demonstrations after thousands of protesters flooded the capital on Saturday. Eighty-two people were arrested when demonstrators shut Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges. Most of them were detained for breaches of the Highways Act, and all of those arrested have been released under investigation. Organisers said as many as 6,000 people joined the march. They are now planning three days of civil disobedience around London from Wednesday to Friday, and a Rebellion Day 2 protest on Saturday. Police with demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge / PA Campaigner Clare Farrell said: The 24th will be another mass participation, public protest and we think theres a good chance there will be a bigger turnout. We have demonstrated to the public that it is possible to take radical direct action in a mass participatory way, while being peaceful and non-violent. L ondons highest viewing platform is set to soar almost 1,000 ft above the City at the tip of a skyscraper dubbed The Tulip. Under plans submitted today by architects Foster + Partners, the concrete and glass tower will also have eight floors of attractions, including a bar, restaurants and a classroom in the sky. Sir Norman Foster said the building, shaped like a bud on top of a 787 ft stalk, was in the spirit of London as a progressive, forward-thinking city. The architects practice added: Visitors will benefit from interactive materials and briefings from expert guides about the history of London. Complementing the experience will be a sky bar and restaurants with 360-degree views of the city. 'The Tulip' skyscraper 1 /8 'The Tulip' skyscraper The Tulip will be the tallest skyscraper in the City of London DBOX for Foster + Partners The 1,000 feet high concrete and glass skyscraper is set to become the City of Londons tallest tower DBOX for Foster + Partners How the view from The Tulip could look from the inside DBOX for Foster + Partners How The Tulip might look from above DBOX for Foster + Partners How the view across London could look from the new skyscraper DBOX for Foster + Partners How the London skyline would look once The Tulip is built DBOX for Foster + Partners A CGI from inside the new skyscraper DBOX for Foster + Partners Plans show a 12-storey glass bud on top of a 787 feet concrete shaft with eight floors of viewing platforms, bars and restaurants inside with a capacity for 1,500 people DBOX for Foster + Partners The building, next to the Gherkin in St Mary Axe, will feature glass-floored internal bridges and visitors will be able to ride in glass pods rotating slowly on tracks on the exterior. It is expected to attract one million visitors a year. Although The Tulips summit will be a few feet lower than the peak of the Shard, the tallest building in the capital, the designs suggest its viewing platform will be higher than the 800 ft View from the Shard. Visitors will reach the top in double-decker lifts. Plans for a new skyscraper: The Tulip / DBOX for Foster + Partners The proposal also includes plans for a hi-tech education floor that will be available for free to 20,000 state school children each year. If it gets the go ahead from the City of London Corporation, The Tulip would be an architectural sister for the adjacent Gherkin, designed by the same practice, which was originally supposed to have a visitor attraction in its glass dome. How the Tulip would look from above / DBOX for Foster + Partners The Tulip would be built by Bury Street Properties, part of the Brazilian banking billionaire Joseph Safras finance and industrial empire, which bought the pine cone-inspired Gherkin for more than 700 million in 2014. The proposal also include plans for a high-tech education floor that Fosters project director Grant Brooker calls 'the worlds best classroom' / DBOX for Foster + Partners The Tulip will be only one foot taller than architect Eric Parrys proposed 1 Undershaft nearby. That building was at the absolute height limit for Square Mile towers because of City Airport flight paths, but a thick new layer of tarmac on the runway means The Tulip can pip it. A dozen meetings have been held with City planners with discussions to date described as fruitful and exciting. T heresa May left her top civil servant Olly Robbins to seal the draft withdrawal agreement with Brussels last week, which according to a civil service source was completely extraordinary. That she did not go in person to speak to them, leaving Olly to close the deal is astonishing, they added. On Tuesday, Brussels and London reached a draft agreement on the UKs withdrawal from the EU. Robbins, the countrys lead civil service negotiator, had been toiling into the small hours over the weekend to get the deal across the line. But May did not travel to the Belgian capital herself. Instead she battled with her Cabinet on Wednesday to secure support for the deal and suffered the resignation of Dominic Raab among others. Europe always leave a bit back to give the lead politician, the source said, and European politicos were surprised May didnt seize the opportunity on offer. This morning a No 10 source denied May had deviated from protocol. The deal is still not sealed, they told us, adding, The PM is going to Brussels this week, where she will meet with Jean-Claude Juncker. So is there further wriggle room? No 10 did not reply. Mays overreliance on bad advisers has been described as her fatal flaw in the past. Former chief Nick Timothy was said to have been behind the Brexit red lines, and encouraged May to trigger Article 50 and call the disastrous 2017 snap election. Last week he turned on her, claiming she never believed in Brexit. Robbins has become her chief Brexit sherpa and his transfer from the Department for Exiting the European Union to No 10 was seen as proof that DExEU was being eclipsed as a department. He now works closely with the Prime Minister. The source adds: The problem with Mays advisers is that they did not understand Europe. The problem with David Camerons advisers was they did not understand the Tory Party. Pall Mall Tremors A referendum is underway at The Athenaeum, which counts Gore Vidal and TS Eliot among its former members, to decide whether to relax its famously stiff dress code. Men must wear a jacket and tie. Trainers and jeans are prohibited. The vote is hotly contested, we hear, with emails exchanged like sniper fire. I sympathise with Athenaeum members in this revolutionary moment, Lord Adonis told us this morning. We had the same crisis in the Lords, which has just allowed members to appear without ties. The world hasnt ended, but its foundations are shaking. -- The Lords hosted Girls Breaking Barriers in the chamber on Friday, less than 24 hours after voting not to suspend Lord Lester over groping allegations. How can we ensure that girls and young women are able to achieve their potential in the UK and around the world? the event asks. We wonder. -- A curious winner for The Comment Awards Commentator of the Decade prize. Congratulations to the public for winning Chairs Choice, organisers Editorial Intelligence announced to groans. This years adjudication was plagued by controversy and resignations from shortlists by journalists. Perhaps the general public seemed a safer bet? Spikes in battle-hardened Gina Millers armoury Gina Miller, who has faced death threats since taking the Government to court over Brexit in 2016, does not duck a fight. Im very realistic when I put my head above the parapet, she told the Harpers Bazaar annual Bazaar Summit on Thursday. I do not go into battle unprepared. Im aware its going to happen, but I put my armour on. Sometimes, that armour is literal, and includes towering heels, she says. I dont wear dresses into battle. If you wear a dress you are suddenly seen as being more feminine by the guys in the City, so I deliberately dont. Theatre Dynasties out in force for after-party After last nights Evening Standard Theatre Awards, the stage was transformed into the setting for a riotous after-party co-hosted by Cressida Bonas. Guests were in an ebullient mood: Vanessa Redgrave said she was f***ing thrilled that her play, The Inheritance, received a gong. Her daughter, Joely Richardson, could barely contain her surprise at the octagenarian turning the air blue: she exploded into giggles. The ceremony was co-hosted by American Vogues Dame Anna Wintour, whose father Charles, the late Evening Standard editor, founded the awards. Her daughter, Bee Carrozzini, paid tribute to her grandfather for always taking her to the theatre, a role her mother took over after his death. We saw a show a week, she said. Even the Sam Mendes production of Cabaret. I was 10. On arrival at the risque production, she said, an usher suggested she may be too young. Its nothing I havent seen before, she breezed. Francesco Carrozzini and Bee Carrozzini (Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images) / Dave Benett/Getty Images SW1A A Sunday paper reported yesterday that Esther McVeys meltdown in Wednesdays five-hour Cabinet meeting was so bad security was almost called. Hilarious, McVey tweets in response. Seems a bit of straight talking from me to ask Cabinet members to vote on the most important matter in a lifetime made them crumble. Good to hear McVey is now a fan of straight talk. In July she apologised for misleading Parliament over the Universal Credit roll-out. -- This morning Michael Fabricant released a video of himself running in slow motion towards a tree and hugging it to explain what parliamentary committees do. I am, he says, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ancient Woodlands. He also suggests an APPG on solo dancing with footage of him dancing across Westminster locations and interspersed with Theresa May boogieing. And if that doesnt get us out of Europe, Fabricant says, nothing will. Quote of the Day T he water cannon that were bought by Boris Johnson but never used on the streets of London have ended up as scrap metal, it emerged today. The three riot control vehicles were purchased from the German federal police for 85,000 in 2014 but ended up costing London taxpayers more than 322,000 after undergoing modifications. In 2015 the then Home Secretary Theresa May refused permission for them to be used by the Met police - leaving them consigned to a storage yard in Gravesend. Today Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed the 25-year-old vehicles had been scrapped for 3,675 each after two years of failing to find a buyer. Absolutely nobody wanted them, a City Hall source said. The 11,025 raised from the sale - to Reclamations (Ollerton) Ltd scrapyard in Newark - is part of a 13.2m fund announced today by Mr Khan for 72 youth projects to tackle the root causes of serious violent crime. A water cannon is used on a protester in Zimbabwe / EPA Mr Khan said: For too long, London taxpayers have had to bear the brunt of Boris Johnsons appalling botched water cannon deal. This has been another waste of taxpayers money by Boris Johnson. Londoners continue to live with his vanity. Officers training with a water cannon in 2015 / PA I am pleased we have managed to finally get rid of them and I made an election promise to Londoners that I would claw back as much of this cash as possible, and pump it into helping young people at risk of being affected by crime and giving them better life opportunities. The purchase of the Ziegler Wasserwerfer 9000 cannon came to be known by his critics as one of Mr Johnsons greatest follies. The water cannon have been dismantled and sold as scrap metal They were bought for 85,022 by the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime, on the advice of police chiefs, in the wake of the 2011 London riots. But in 2015 Mrs May refused to licence their use on the UK mainland, saying they could cause primary, secondary and tertiary injuries such as spinal fracture, concussion, eye injury and blunt trauma and risked inflaming community tensions. After taking office in 2016, Mr Khan vowed to sell the cannon as he revealed that a further 237,812 had been spent bringing them up to scratch. Anger at Boris Johnson: Sadiq Khan / Getty Images This included 3,100 on sirens, 4,500 on Battenberg police vehicle markings and 970 on radio and CD players. Mr Khan hoped to sell them for up to 43,000 each to an ethical purchaser. But the Ministry of Defence, which handled the sale, was unable to find a buyer, prompting the decision to scrap the vehicles. Stephen Greenhalgh, who was Mr Johnsons deputy mayor for policing, today accused Mr Khan of gesture politics. He told the Standard: I think its an absolute waste of money by the Mayor. This is something tactically you want in the event of extreme violence and public disorder to keep crowds at a distance. Water cannons are not about an escalation of force. They are civilian vehicles, rather than armoured military machines. They are less harmful than a metal baton at close range, far less dangerous then firing baton rounds and more discriminating than horses charging into a crowd of people all tactics that the police can lawfully use now. Up to 42,000 young Londoners will benefit from the latest round of funding from the 45m Young Londoners Fund. It supports projects that aim to show a positive way forward through education, sport and cultural activities. It is part of the public health approach to fighting violent crime being taken by the Mayor. Mr Khan said: By giving young Londoners meaningful things to do, I am doing everything I possibly can to help ensure they make the right choices and do not follow the wrong path. Huge cuts in national government funding have had a big impact on London youth services and policing, which we should all be in no doubt has contributed to a rise in violent crime. Allies of Mr Johnson said the cannon were purchased at a time when there were great fears of civil unrest in the wake of the London riots. They said that David Cameron agreed in private hed licence them if there was another riot and that Mrs May blocked the licence politically. A source close to Mr Johnson said: In the wake of the London riots, with a worrying rise in knife crime and with his hands tied by the political decisions in the Home Office, Boris made tackling crime his number one priority. T he Brexit transition period could be extended by two years until 2022 under proposals suggested by the European Union's chief negotiator, reports say. Michel Barnier is said to have proposed the extension in order to give more time for Britain to strike a full trade deal with the EU. The move would also give diplomats more time to find a means of avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland and avoid the use of the backstop. Under the draft Withdrawal Agreement published last week, the transition period would begin when the UK leaves the EU on March 29 and run until December 31 2020. The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier with EU Council President Donald Tusk / AP It comes ahead of a tense week for Prime Minister Theresa May who is facing a possible leadership challenge as her own Tory MPs plot her downfall amid a fierce backlash to her Brexit withdrawal deal. Staunch Brexiteers could see any extension of the transition period as a concession to Brussels. During the transition, EU law will continue to apply in the UK and Britain will continue to participate in the customs union and the single market. Theresa May: Toppling me won't help Brexit There is a one-off option for the UK to seek an extension of the transition if negotiations on the future relationship are still continuing. According to the Financial Times, Mr Barnier told EU ambassadors in a diplomatic note that the transition period could be extended until as late as December 2022. During the extended period, the UK could have to continue to allow the free movement of people from the EU and keep making large payments to Brussels. In October, Theresa May confirmed she was ready to consider a delay of "a matter of months" in Britain's final departure from the EU in order to avoid a hard border in Ireland. The Prime Minister previously said she did not expect any extension of the transition period to be needed, because she hoped to conclude a deal on the UK's future trade and security relationship with the EU by its scheduled end-date of December 2020. Esther McVey and Dominic Raab both quit the Cabinet over the Brexit plans last week / Jeremy Selwyn In his reported communique, Mr Barnier is said to have noted that the political situation in Westminster is "volatile". Any extension to the transition period would be mutually agreed between the UK and the EU. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister could also face criticism of failing to overcome the final barriers to sealing a full trade deal with the EU. Twenty-five MPs have publicly sent letters of no confidence to the Tory partys 1922 committee of backbench Conservatives with more said to have been sent privately. If the number reaches 48, the chair of the committee Sir Graham Brady will call a confidence vote. Mrs May would need a simple majority and 158 out of her 315 MPs would have to back her in order for her to win the vote. If she wins, she remains as Prime Minister and wins immunity for a year. TODO: define component type apester If she loses, she will be expected to resign as Prime Minister and there will be a leadership election in which she will not be allowed to run. Senior Cabinet ministers Esther McVey and Dominic Raab resigned in protest at the Brexit plans last week. Their resignations saw Amber Rudd brought back to the Cabinet to replace Ms Mcvey as work and pensions secretary. The little-known Stephen Barclay, a former banker, was appointed as Brexit secretary to replace Mr Raab. CBI president John Allan said that, while Mr Barnier's intentions may have been constructive, extending the transition period "may not be particularly helpful" at this point in time. MP Jacob Rees-Mogg statement outside Parliament He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think he's trying to be helpful and trying to reduce the risk that the backstop will be needed. Him saying it just at this moment may not be particularly helpful, but I think his intentions are probably good. "We all hope it won't be necessary, that the discussions on our future economic relationship with the EU will be concluded by the end of 2020 and within the existing transition period. "Well, it seems my predictions of last week were, if anything, too optimistic. If MPs vote for this deal, we are bowing our neck to the yoke. "We are preparing to take colonial rule by foreign powers and courts. We are handing over colossal sums of money for nothing. We are giving up the hope of new free-trade deals. We are giving up the right to vary our laws. We are betraying Leavers and Remainers alike: we are poised to abandon any UK influence in Brussels, and yet we are signally failing to take back control." B rexiteers launched an all-out offensive today to topple Theresa May by pleading with fellow Tory MPs to write letters of no confidence in her. Jacob Rees-Moggs European Research Group unleashed a co-ordinated move early this morning to rally Conservative MPs to put their names to the revolt. But the ERGs attempt to oust Mrs May plunged the party into a deeper civil war, with many MPs backing her to win any vote of confidence. As they returned to Westminster, more MPs were expected to deliver letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs, demanding a confidence vote in the Prime Minister. But the Brexiteers were locked in a fierce tug-of-war over Mrs Mays fate with government whips and ministers seeking to persuade MPs not to join the plot to oust her. Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual conference in London / REUTERS The ERG believes it has enough backing to get over the 48-letter line needed to trigger a vote but, crucially, only if MPs do not go back on earlier pledges. Simon Clarke, Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, stepped up the attack on Mrs May, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Colleagues who have said they will act, I think now need to search their consciences and follow up on what they pledged to do. TODO: define component type apester Calling for a confidence vote on the Prime Minister, he added: It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks. He told MPs agonising over whether to move against Mrs May that her deal, and therefore her government, was doomed as it would not get the backing of Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party. New Brexit Secretary: Stephen Barclay / EPA Former Brexit Secretary David Davis compared Mrs Mays negotiating position with Brussels to a nervous cat and said it sounded that there were now more than 40 letters. He would not reveal whether he was sending in a letter but told Bloomberg: It seems to be teetering close to getting over the 48, the critical number. North Wiltshire MP James Gray would also not say whether he had written a letter, but added: It seems to me, having spoken to lots of colleagues, that it is likely that there will be such a challenge and that the Prime Minister must change her approach to this proposed deal. Yeovil Tory MP Marcus Fysh said: We need a leader, whoever that is, who is able to reset this process and lead us into a place where we do not sign this agreement. Twenty-five MPs have gone public that they have written letters, including Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, and a number more are believed to have done so privately. But a senior Tory MP said this morning: The 48 names are not in so far if they were the (1922) executive would be meeting. Rallying rebels: Jacob Rees-Mogg / AFP/Getty Images Even if a confidence vote is called, Mrs May could still get the backing of a majority of MPs. Environment minister Therese Coffey predicted she would win it convincingly, adding that it was an unnecessary distraction. Childrens and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi urged Tory MPs to examine their conscience if they sought to block the proposed Brexit deal and warned that ousting Mrs May risked destabilising the economy. T heresa May is to face a vote of no confidence later tonight with the result expected at around 9pm. Here's everything you need to know. How will the vote of no confidence take place? Tory MPs will troop into Committee Room 14 in Parliament, which overlooks The Thames, between 6pm and 8pm this evening. It is a secret ballot so MPs can pledge total loyalty to the Prime Minister while wielding the knife to oust her. Theresa May is facing pressure from fellow Tory MPs to stand down over her Brexit plans / AFP/Getty Images Why is there a vote? It was triggered after the threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party was passed after at least 48 MPs wrote to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs, demanding a vote. When will the result be known? The ballots will be counted immediately and Sir Graham has pledged to announce the result as soon as possible this evening. There are currently 315 Tory MPs so if they all vote the winning threshold is 158. TODO: define component type apester What are the possible outcomes if Theresa May wins? Under the rules, if she wins by one vote she can continue as Tory leader and PM. However, in reality, she would be left in an almost impossible position if nearly half her party were against her. If around a third of her party, some 100 MPs, vote against her, she might be able to limp on in the short term but badly wounded. If fewer than 80 rebel against her, she would be able to argue she had seen off a revolt by hardline Eurosceptics but she may still not be able to get her Brexit plans through the Commons. British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss Brexit / REUTERS What happens if Theresa May loses the vote? She would not be able to stand in the subsequent leadership contest. How would that work? Candidates for the leadership must be nominated by two Conservative MPs. If only one candidate comes forward, he or she becomes leader but that looks highly unlikely with Boris Johnson, Sajid Javid and several others expected to enter the race. So the list of contenders would be whittled down to a shortlist of two in a series of vote by MPs. The final pair then go to a postal ballot of all Tory party members, with the position of leader - and Prime Minister - going to the victor. Participants in the postal vote need to have been Conservative party members for more than three months. When David Cameron decided to step down as prime minister and Conservative leader after the EU referendum in 2016, five candidates came forward. The field was narrowed to Mrs May and then-junior minister Andrea Leadsom, but she pulled out before members voted, leaving Mrs May to become leader unopposed. Dominic Raab is one of the bookies' favourites to replace Theresa May should she lose a vote of no confidence. / AFP/Getty Images How long would that take? J eremy Corbyn's belief that he can renegotiate Brexit in 18 weeks was today dismissed as a fantasy by members of his party. The Labour leader yesterday claimed the party could get a better deal in time for Brexit on March 29. But some Labour MPs said the leadership needed to seize the moment and push for a second referendum. Mike Gapes, MP for Ilford South, said: Its a fantasy to think he can renegotiate Brexit. The EU made it clear that this is the best deal that they are going to negotiate. "Labour would be far better focusing on a Peoples Vote and trying to get an extension to Article 50. Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said more than 100 Labour MPs back a Peoples Vote and described Mr Corbyns plan to push for a jobs-first Brexit as silly. At the Confederation of British Industry today, Mr Corbyn was due to set out his alternative to Theresa Mays deal. Centrist Labour MP Mr Leslie said the speech would be all about a mythical renegotiation with 18 weeks to go. Astonishingly, they dont even mention the Peoples Vote at all. I sense excuses being built up one after another to why he doesnt want a Peoples Vote its very worrying indeed. He added: We shouldnt at this stage kick this idea into the distant horizon. However, Mr Corbyn said on Sky News on Sunday that a new referendum on the relationship with the EU was an option for the future but not now. Peoples Vote campaigner Chuka Umunna MP said: A good Brexit is a fiction. All one can do in the event we leave is damage limitation which is why the overwhelming majority of Labour members, supporters and voters want an unequivocal commitment from our leadership to a Peoples Vote. T he EU may be annoyed at having to play another Brexit waiting game but officials are biting their tongues ahead of a crunch leaders summit on Sunday. Austrias EU minister Gernot Blumel predicted a painful week in European politics and there is genuine fear that MPs will unpick 17 months of negotiations. But many in Brussels are also frustrated that they are once again being asked to dig Theresa May out of a political hole. We tried to do that since some months, with many proposals coming from the EU side, said Belgian deputy prime minister Didier Reynders. Herman Van Rompuy, the countrys former prime minister, told BBC radio today that the EU had been flexible. EU leaders may be more sympathetic to Mrs Mays cause, but fundamental differences remain between the two sides. EU officials say the UK has not resolved the contradiction at the heart of Brexit: that you cannot have frictionless trade if you leave the EUs single market and customs union. France wants strict conditions on the UKs future access to EU markets. The countrys Europe minister, Nathalie Loiseau, has repeated French demands for access to British fishing waters as the price for an extension of the post-Brexit transition period. EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier floated the idea of keeping the UK tied to EU rules until 2022, to allow more time for trade talks which would also avoid or delay the Irish border protocol coming into effect. We are willing to be flexible so we can take more time to get a good deal on the future relationship, but the transition must be time-limited and a one-off, Ms Loiseau said in Brussels. T heresa May faced a fierce Tory backlash today after admitting that full Brexit could be delayed until the next general election in 2022. The Prime Minister pushed back the ultimate deadline for ending the transition period to six years after the 2016 referendum. It drew a furious reaction from Brexiteer MPs. Former Conservative leader Lord Howard said: That would be just kicking the can down the line yet again. The row came as the Prime Ministers enemies made an appeal to Tory MPs to honour promises made to write letters to trigger a confidence vote in her leadership. A confidence vote was described as teetering close by former Brexit secretary David Davis. The Government faced a possible defeat on the Finance Bill over an amendment from Remain MPs who were demanding an economic analysis of how much worse off Britain would be under Mrs Mays deal compared with staying in the EU. Eleven Tories signed the amendment enough to wipe out the Prime Ministers majority. Under pressure on Brexit: Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the annual Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in London on Monday / Andy Rain/EPA An option of postponing the end of the transition period during which time the UK will honour EU rules and pay substantial fees was offered by European Union negotiator Michel Barnier as a way of avoiding the controversial Northern Ireland backstop. He suggested December 31, 2022. Mrs May said she preferred the election date, June 2022, as a final deadline, which is some six months earlier. Addressing the Confederation of British Industry in London today, Mrs May said: From my point of view, I think it is important in delivering for the British people that we are out of the implementation period before the next general election. This stance contrasted with her words at a summit last month, when she spoke of a delay of just weeks or months to the original deadline of December 2020. Mrs May enlisted business leaders to back her much-criticised withdrawal deal. We have in view a deal that will work for the UK, she told the CBI conference. And let no one be in any doubt, I am determined to deliver it. Defending her deal from attacks by Tory rebels, she urged: Dont just listen to the politicians, listen to what business is saying, listen to what business that is providing your jobs and ensuring that you have that income that puts food on the table for your family, is saying. And Business is saying we want a good deal with the EU. TODO: define component type apester She slapped down ultra-Brexiteers who are arguing for a global approach, saying existing exports to the EU were worth far more than future trade deals elsewhere. While the world is changing fast, our geography is not, she said. Business Secretary Greg Clark told the Today programme on Radio 4 that a longer transition was an option. He added: It would be at our request and that would be a maximum period. But former minister Crispin Blunt said it would prolong the anxiety and uncertainty suffered by businesses and the public. Senior MP Bob Blackman, a member of the executive of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said the current date for the transition to end should not be shifted. December 31, 2020 is my backstop, he said. Michael Gove jogs near his home in west London. He has urged MPs to give Theresa May support / EPA Mrs May was warned that two of her Cabinet ministers, Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom, have not ruled out resigning if the withdrawal deal is not changed, something the Premier has ruled out firmly. Ms Mordaunt refused to comment on reports that she is still considering her position this morning, telling Sky: Ill be working with the whole of the Cabinet to get the best deal possible for the United Kingdom. Environment Secretary Michael Gove, pictured jogging today, urged Tory colleagues to give the PM all the support they can so she can conclude a deal in the best interests of Britain. A n Oxford professor is locked in a 1.25 million court battle after he was disinherited by his mother who fell for a female lawyer half her age. Leading archaeologist Christopher Gosden believed his mother, distinguished physician Jean Weddell, had resolved to leave him her Edwardian home in London, but he was left with nothing when she died in 2013. Ms Weddell had fallen in love in her later years with barrister Wendy Cook, 37 years her junior, and they formed a civil partnership in 2007. She made a new will which left nothing to her son and gifted much of her estate to her Ms Cook, according to papers lodged at the High Court. The Kennington home at the centre of the case is worth 1.25m / Richard Gittins/Champion News Professor Gosden, who is the director of the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford University, said it was only after his mothers death that he discovered she had, in 2010, sold her Kennington home which is now worth 1.25 million. He is suing solicitors who drew up a trust scheme set up by his mother in 2003 to minimise inheritance tax, claiming it should have prevented the house from being sold without his knowledge. Ms Weddells medical career included helping set up a childrens hospital in Korea in the Fifties after the countrys civil war, treating youngsters with tuberculosis in Jordan, lecturing for the World Health Organisation, and carrying out ground-breaking work with stroke patients. She was one of the first women to attend St Thomas Hospital Medical School in 1947, and gave her son Christopher up for adoption shortly before she left to work in Korea. Professor Gosden, a trustee of the British Museum, re-established a relationship with his mother in 1987, he told the court. He claimed his mother had left her whole estate to him and his wife Jane Kaye an Oxford professor in the field of health law and policy in a 2003 will. At the same time, Ms Weddell set up an estate protection scheme, putting her home into a trust which promised to deliver the property, or the money from its sale, into the hands of her son and his family in a tax-efficient manner. Professor Gosden and Professor Kaye were appointed trustees of the scheme along with Ms Weddell, but the situation changed in 2010 when she sold the house and made a new will leaving most of her wealth to Ms Cook. When the value of her estate was revealed after her death, Professor Gosden was told it amounted to less than 5,000. He and his wife claim solicitors who drew up the trust left open a loophole which allowed his mother to sell her house without his knowledge. The solicitors argue they were not responsible for advising Ms Weddell on the advantages or disadvantages of the trust and had not acted for Professor Gosden and his family in any capacity. H undreds of Mexicans took to the streets of Tijuana to protest as some 3,000 migrants hoping to get into the US arrived in the border city. As many as 10,000 from the migrant caravan that has been crossing central America are expected over the coming weeks. Demonstrators waved Mexican flags, sang the national anthem and chanted Out! Out! in front of a statue of Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc about a mile from the US frontier. They say there will be chaos in Tijuana if the migrants are forced to wait months to seek asylum in America, especially as Donald Trump has vowed to keep them out. Some accused the new arrivals of being dangerous. Demonstrators with signs that read in Spanish "no more Caravans" and "let's save Tijuana, no more caravans" / AP A woman who gave her name as Paloma said: Let their government take care of them. Protesters also fear the US will close the frontier, damaging Tijuanas economy. Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum said the city was ill-prepared to handle the caravan, calculating they would be in the city for at least six months as they wait to file asylum claims. Demonstrators stand under a statue of indigenous Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc / AP He appealed to the federal government for assistance and said: No city in the world is prepared to receive this if Im allowed this avalanche. It is a tsunami. His words were seized on by the US president, who tweeted: Likewise, the US is ill-prepared for this invasion... They are causing crime and big problems in Mexico. Go home! Demonstrators protest the presence of thousands of Central American migrants in Tijuana / AP A smaller demonstration was held in support of the migrants, who say they are fleeing persecution, poverty and crime in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. F our people are dead, including a doctor and a police officer, after a gunman opened fire at a hospital in Chicago. The suspected shooter is also among those confirmed dead after the violence unfolded in Mercy Hospital, in citys south side. Chicago police officer Samuel Jimenez, 28, was the first of the victims to be named following the shooting on Monday evening. Another victim was the suspects partner and doctor at the hospital, according to reports. She has been named locally as Tamara O'Neal. Chicago shooting 1 /35 Chicago shooting Firefighters and police officers salute as the ambulance carrying Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez drives past AP Plain clothes Chicago police officer salute the arrival of the body of officer Samuel Jimenez EPA Chicago police officers and firefighters form an honor guard as the body of Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez AP Chicago firemen and police officers wait for the arrival of the body of police officer Samuel Jimenez EPA Chicago firemen and police officers wait for the arrival of the body of police officer Samuel Jimenez EPA A Chicago fire department ambulance passes under an American flag EPA Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, left, comforts Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson AP A Chicago fire department ambulance delivers the body of Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez to the Cook County Medical Examiners office EPA Chicago police officers wait for the arrival of the body of police officer Samuel Jimenez EPA Chicago police officers stand outside the University of Chicago Hospital Getty Images University of Chicago Hospital Getty Images Chicago police officers salute the ambulance bearing the body of Chicago police officer Samuel Jimenez Getty Images Chicago police officers stand outside the University of Chicago Hospital Getty Images Chicago police officers stand outside the University of Chicago Hospital Getty Images A Chicago police officer carries a blue and white flag as he and other officers and firefighters file into the the Cook County Medical Examiners office after the arrival of the body of police officer Samuel Jimenez EPA A police officer (R) escorts Mercy Hospital workers to the main entrance Getty Images People are seen inside the main entrance of Mercy Hospital Getty Images People are escorted outside Mercy Hospital Getty Images Chicago police officer walks with his police dog outside Mercy Hospital Getty Images People are seen inside Mercy Hospital Getty Images A nurse exits Mercy Hospital Getty Images A woman is escorted outside Mercy Hospital Getty Images Police and firefighters follow the ambulance carrying Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez as it arrives at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Chicago firefighters and police officers line up outside of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Chicago firefighters and police officers line up outside of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Firefighters and police officers salute as the ambulance carrying the body of Police officer Samuel Jimenez arrive at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Chicago police officers and firefighters line up outside of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Firefighters and police officers salute as the ambulance carrying Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez drives past Getty Images Firefighters and police officers salute as the ambulance carrying Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez drives past Getty Images Firefighters and police officers salute as the ambulance carrying Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez drives past AFP/Getty Images Chicago firefighters and police officers line up outside of the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Getty Images Police and firefighters follow the ambulance carrying the body of Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez AFP/Getty Images Police and firefighters follow the ambulance carrying the body of Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez Getty Images Police and firefighters salute as an ambulance arrives at the medical examiner's office carrying the body of Chicago Police Department Officer Samuel Jimenez AP Chicago Police officers monitor the area outside of the Chicago Mercy Hospital AFP/Getty Images The third victim was a pharmaceutical assistant, officials said. Officers place the area surrounding the hospital on lock down / AP Dramatic footage from the scene showed terrified staff and patients being led from the building with their hands in the air. Horrified witnesses said they heard as many as 10 shots and that people were locking themselves in wards to hide after they heard gunfire. An ambulance believed to be carrying an injured Chicago police officer departs Mercy Hospital / AP The shooting began outside the hospital after a verbal altercation broke out, the citys mayor Rahm Emanuel said. A friend tried to intervene and the suspected gunman pulled up his shirt and showed a weapon, he added. Chicago Police at the scene where a gunman opened fire at Mercy Hospital / AP The mayor said gunfire then erupted and the shooter ran inside the hospital, where police confronted him. He said that one of the women killed was in a domestic relationship with the gunman. Victim: Police officer Samuel Jimenez was killed in the shooting / Facebook Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T Johnson said Mr Jimenez joined the force in February 2017 and had recently completed training and became an officer. "What I would ask is that you keep all the victims of today's horrific incident in your thoughts and prayers," Superintendent Johnson said. The gunman was killed inside, but it was not immediately unclear if he shot himself or was shot by police. The police department issued a statement earlier saying there were "reports of multiple victims" after shots were fired near the hospital. Police were asking people to avoid the area surrounding hospital. Chicago police officers respond to a shooting at a hospital in the city's South Side / AP A search of the hospital was under way, with footage from the scene appearing to show armed police units securing rooms as they moved through the building. Shocking footage from inside the Mercy Hospital shows blood on the floor as armed police carry out a search of rooms. Police outside Mercy Hospital in Chicago / NBC News One employee told the news channel ABC: "I am scared as hell. I have never been so scared, I hear of shootings going on every day at people's workplaces, but not where I work at. A courageous dog left behind by her family amid a fire evacuation in California was found badly burnt, but guarding the neighbours home. Ellas owners were forced to evacuate their home in Paradise as the Camp Fire approached but left the Border Collie behind, thinking they would be able to come back for the animal later. According to the Copsey family, they fully expected to be home in the afternoon however their plans were scuppered when they realised how serious the fire was in the middle of their escape. 10-year-old Emma Copsey told Visalia Times-Delta: All you could see was where the fire wasnt. It was like something out of a movie. They had no idea where the fire was, and for it to jump like that it was unreal. Animals affected by the California fires 1 /6 Animals affected by the California fires Cathy Fallon pets her dog Shiloh at their home Friday AP A rabbit suffering from burns struggles to find safety REUTERS Equine veterinarian Jesse Jellison carries an injured goose REUTERS Shiloh, a 2-year-old golden retriever, lies down with its face burned AP A rabbit suffering from burns struggles to find safety Chris Rusanowsky/ZUMA Wire/REX Butte County Sheriff Search and Rescue crews guide an abandon goat to safety EPA After hearing that their home had been destroyed, the family had feared the worst for Ella. However a friend who had gone back to the evacuated area on Saturday found the Border Collie guarding the only house remaining standing. Ms Copsey said: She was protecting the only house left on the block. The animal suffered some burns in the fire / GoFundMe Ella has been treated for her burns and is staying with the familys oldest daughter Kayla Westman. Ms Westman set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the animals vet bills. The Camp Fire rages through Paradise on November 8 / AP She said: Like many other animals that have been affected by the Camp Fire, Ella is one of them. After going through the fire, we are very lucky to have her back with us. And while vet bills have already been discounted for fire victims, its still adding up quickly. Already spending $250, any little bit helps for the future visits we will be making. California wildfires 1 /8 California wildfires A fire fighting aircraft releases water as firefighters battle the thousand-acre plus 'Fish' wildland fire that erupted near the Angeles National Forest, Duarte, Califonia EPA Smoke from wildfires burning in Angeles National Forest fills the sky behind the Los Angeles skyline Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Jimmy Romo, 73, leads the horses leaving his ranch as a wildfire is burning in Azusa, Calif., Monday, June 20, 2016. New wildfires erupted Monday near Los Angeles and chased people from their suburban homes as an intense heatwave stretching from the West Coast to New Mexico blistered the region Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP A television cameraman shoots a thermometer sign which reads 126 degrees in Palm Springs, California Sam Mircovich/Reuters A wildfire burns around homes built near a hilltop in Azusa, California Nick Ut/AP A water bomber makes a drop on a wildfire as it attacks the flames near Campo, California Mike Blake/Reuters A column of smoke is seen rising, viewed through a windshield, from one of two wildfires in the Angeles National Forest above Azusa, California Gene Blevins/Reuters Flames flare up from a wildfire behind a house along a hillside in Duarte, California Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP $2,094 has already been raised for Ella. F rance's prime minister Edouard Philippe has pledged to stand firm against scenes of anarchy as the fuel tax protests that left one dead and more than 400 injured continued today. An estimated 320,000 protesters took to the streets at the weekend, paralysing traffic at key points across the country in a bid to force the government to lower taxes on diesel and petrol. Blockades were today targeting oil depots amid warnings of continued disruption in the weeks ahead. An official said 30 people were arrested overnight as police tried to clear the protesters. It followed a weekend of chaos as protesters calling themselves yellow vests, after the hi-visibility jackets that have become their emblem, clashed with police and motorists. Protesters slow down traffic on a road in Saint-Herblain, near Nantes / AFP/Getty Images Chantal Mazet, 63, was killed on Saturday when she was hit by a car at a blockade in the Alps. Chantal Mazet / Facebook Other incidents among about 5,000 protests included an attempted storming of the road outside the Elysee Palace the presidential home in Paris and fights with CRS riot police on the Champs-Elysees. Protesters face riot police as they block the A10 motorway in Virsac, near Bordeaux / AFP/Getty Images Speaking on national TV, Mr Philippe last night said the government would not back down on fuel tax rises, as President Macrons efforts to put the environment at the heart of his agenda stoked anger in the provinces. Safety has been a constant in our approach to this, said Mr Philippe. In France, freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration are guaranteed, but not anarchy. We have seen scenes of anarchy. Edouard Philippe poses prior to taking part in the evening news broadcast of French TV channel France 2 / AFP/Getty Images Motorists are angry at a 21 cents per litre rise in diesel fuel tax over the past eight years. They face another 6.5 cents rise in January. The price of diesel, the most popular fuel in France, has risen by almost 25 per cent over the past year to an average of 1.51 (1.32) a litre. Thousands living in rural communities say they are the worst hit by the rising cost. But speaking on France 2, Mr Philippe said tax rises would continue: The course we have set is a good one, and we will keep to it. It is not when the wind blows that you change course. People block Caen's circular road in Caen, Normandy / AFP/Getty Images An unidentified 43-year-old woman faces trial for allegedly using her Audi as a weapon and causing unintentional death, according to prosecutors. A hero bus driver tore his shirt into made makeshift masks for 22 children as he dashed them to safety in the midst of the deadliest wildfires in California history. Most of the children at Ponderose Elementary School in the town of Paradise, North California, had been picked up by parents as part of mass evacuations, said school bus driver Kevin McKay, 41, in an interview with CNN. But 22 children were stranded at the school on November 8 because their families had not yet made it. Meanwhile the Camp Fire which started about 6.30am that day and has now left at least 77 people dead was intensifying. Kevin McKay, 41, was modest and said he just followed safety training / CNN After discussing an escape plan with the school principal, Mr McKay who had only been in the job a few months climbed into the bus with the kids and two teachers. "It just kind of looked like we'd be headed into Mordor," Mr McKay told CNN, recalling the dark lands of the evil Lord Sauron from Tolkien's "Lord the Rings". Together they made a desperate dash to safety as the bus filled with smoke and the children complained they felt weak. The bus quickly hit traffic as the panicked residents of Paradise all took to the streets to flee. California Wildfires - In pictures 1 /25 California Wildfires - In pictures A home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town. AP Flames consume a Kentucky Fried Chicken as the wildfire tears through Paradise, California AP Patsy (R) and Henri (L) Brachais watch from their driveway as smoke from the Camp Fire looms over head as it burns out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California EPA The Feather River Hospital burns down during the Camp fire in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Images A home burns as the wildfire moves through the area of Paradise, California. Getty Images home burns as the wildfire moves through the area of Paradise, California Getty Images Firefighters try to save a building as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Getty Images Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town and destroyed hundreds of structures. AP Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town and destroyed hundreds of structures. AP Embers blow in the wind as a Camp Fire burns a KFC restaurant on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Getty Images A group of U.S. Forest Service firefighters monitor a back fire while battling to save homes at the Camp Fire in Paradise, California Reuters A Cal Fire firefighter unrolls a hose while battling the Camp Fire in Paradise, California Reuters A vintage car rests among debris as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise, California AP Patients are quickly evacuated from the Feather River Hospital as it burns down during the Camp fire in Paradise, California on November 8, 2018. - More than 18,000 acres have been scorched in a matter of hours burning with it a hospital, a gas station and dozens of homes. AFP/Getty Images A chimney remains at the site of a home that burned as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. Getty Images Medical personnel evacuate patients as the Feather River Hospital burns while the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town. AP A plume of smoke rises above the Camp Fire as it moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California Getty Images Hospital workers and first responders evacuate patients from the Feather River Hospital as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. Getty Images A firefighter directs an unidentified driver who narrowly survived after a large tree fell on to the road and cracked the windshield during the Camp Fire, as it burned out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California, USA, 08 November 2018. The nearby communities of Pulga, Paradise and Concow, have been ordered to evacuate the area. EPA A flag that says "hot buys" is displayed on a car at a fully involved car dealership as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading wildfire has ripped through the town of Paradise, charring 18,000 acres and destroying dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. Getty Images A fire fighter puts water on a fire as he performs structure protection, as the Camp Fire burns out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California, USA, 08 November 2018. The nearby communities of Pulga, Paradise and Concow, have been ordered to evacuate the area. EPA Hillery Johnson (2-R), who lost everything except the clothes on her back and her horse Augie (R), watch with other locals as the Camp Fire burns out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California, USA, 08 November 2018. The nearby communities of Pulga, Paradise and Concow, have been ordered to evacuate the area. EPA Redding policemen load Augie the horse onto a trailer, after his owner had to leave him in a shopping center parking lot as flames approach, as the Camp Fire burns out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California, USA, 08 November 2018. The nearby communities of Pulga, Paradise and Concow, have been ordered to evacuate the area. EPA A hospital worker embraces her co-worker as they evacuate patients from the Feather River Hospital during the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 18,000 acres and has destroyed dozens of homes in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at zero containment. Getty Images This photo provided by Nicole Kowalczyke shows smoke and ash from the nearby Camp Fire in Chico, Calif AP Mr McKay witnessed several collisions as frenzied drivers battled to escape. To help the children breathe, he took his shirt off and tore it into strips which he doused with water and handed to pupils to put over their mouths. Scenes in Paradise, California, after wildfires wreaked destruction on the town / AP It took five frightening hours to reach safety amid the wildfires which were on a scale that Mr McKay described as "unheard of". Although they were trying to get out as fast as possible, the bus driver also picked up a pre-school teacher whose own car had broken down. Trump sees California wildfire devastation up close In the interview, Mr McKay played down his bravery and said he just followed safety training. Once the kids were safely out of Paradise, kindergarten teacher Mary Ludwig, 50, who was on board at the time, praised McKay's actions in an interview with CNN. P amela Anderson has blasted the Australian Prime Minister for making "smutty" remarks about her after she made a political plea about Julian Assange. Ms Anderson urged Scott Morrison earlier this month to help WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, who has been living at London's Ecuadorian embassy since August 2012. "Get Julian his passport back and take him back home to Australia and be proud of him, and throw him a parade when he gets home," she told Australia's 60 Minutes programme. Mr Morrison turned down the request but said he had "plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort out the issue with Pamela". Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said he had 'plenty of mates' who want to be 'special envoy' to Ms Anderson / EPA The former Baywatch star and longtime Assange advocate has now slammed the premier's comments as "lewd" in a sharply worded open letter. She wrote: You trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion. She added: Rather than making lewd suggestions about me, perhaps you should instead think about what you are going to say to millions of Australians when one of their own is marched in an orange jumpsuit to Guantanamo Bay for publishing the truth. Mr Assange is wanted in America over the leak of classified military documents in 2010 / AP You can prevent this, she wrote, adding that Mr Assange's human rights are being violated. I am hopeful Australia now has a leader with strength and conviction enough to bring him home, she wrote. Mr Assange took refuge in Ecuador's London-based embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of sex assault, fearing he could be handed to US authorities. Last week it was alleged that charges against Mr Assange have been filed secretly in the US, before apparently being accidentally revealed in court documents accessed by a member of the public. Julian Assange granted Ecuadorian citizenship Several Australian politicians have said that although they may not support Ms Anderson's views, the prime minister's comment was out of line. Labour Senator Kristina Keneally wrote on Twitter: "It's high time men, including @ScottMorrisonMP, stopped using a woman's sexuality & appearance to denigrate her political arguments." A lift in famous Chicago skyscraper plummeted 84 floors towards the ground with a group of diners inside it. Six people including a pregnant woman were inside the lift in the 75 North Michigan Avenue building when it malfunctioned, sending it hurtling towards the ground. The passengers are said to have just left a restaurant on the 95th floor of the skyscraper when one of several cables holding the elevator broke and the car fell rapidly. But miraculously everyone on board survived when the lift came grinding to a halt just 11 or 12 storeys from the ground. Cracked door of an elevator with six people trapped inside is pictured as the rescue crew try to open it / REUTERS 50-year-old tourist Jamie Montemayor told CBS Chicago: I believed we were going to die. We were going down and then I felt that we were falling down, and then I heard a noise: clack clack clack. One passenger, a student at Northwestern University, said that people inside began to scream and cry. They were stuck in the elevator on Friday for two and a half hours as firefighters struggled to reach them. Eventually firefighters broke through a wall more than 10 stories above ground from a parking garage to reach the people who were trapped inside. The rescue crew open the door to pull out six people trapped in an elevator / REUTERS Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Maloney said that one of the cables snapped. Other cables were still attached, preventing the elevator from plummeting to the floor. He said: It was a pretty precarious situation where the cables that broke were on top of the elevator. The elevator and two others will be closed until repairs are made and officials carry out an investigation. P resident Donald Trump has claimed the US should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before it did. The remark was the President's latest in a bitter feud with Admiral William McRaven, the retired Navy SEAL who led the operation resulting in Bin Laden's death. Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did, Mr Trump tweeted on Monday, after making similar comments in an interview just a day before. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.. After this he stated that the US used to pay Pakistan billions and they would take our money and do nothing for us. Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another, he wrote. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Prior to these tweets, Mr Trump had stated his belief it would have been nice to have captured the leader of Al-Qaeda sooner. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, the Mr Trump was asked about comments that Bill McRaven had made shortly after he was sworn in. In these he called Mr Trump the greatest threat to democracy that he had seen throughout his life. Osama Bin Laden in 1998 at a news conference. / AP In rebuttal, Mr Trump spoke of Mr McRaven and said: Hillary Clinton fan. Excuse, me, Hillary Clinton fan. Hes a Hillary Clinton backer and an Obama-backer and frankly, wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that? Wouldnt it have been nice? Think of this, living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what I guess they considered a nice mansion. I dont know, Ive seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy. Everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they dont tell him, they dont tell him. President Trump said Bill McRaven was a "Hillary Clinton fan" / AFP/Getty Images Presenter Chris Wallace pointed out that Mr McRaven had been a Navy SEAL for 37 years, though President Trump ignored this. When asked if the US would give him any credit for eventually finding Bin Laden, Trump said: They took him down but look, look, theres news right there. "He lived in Pakistan, were supporting Pakistan, were giving them $1.3billion a year, which we dont give them anymore by the way, I ended it because they dont do anything for us, they dont do a damn thing for us. After these comments, 63-year-old Mr McRaven told Jake Tapper of CNN that he did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else in the 2016 elections. He said: I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all Presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office. He also defended his comments that Mr Trumps attack on the media was the greatest threat to democracy he had witnessed. C NN has asked for an emergency court hearing after being told White House staff plan to revoke correspondent Jim Acostas press pass again at the end of November. This comes just days after it was ordered the US administration was ordered to reinstate it with immediate effect. A letter sent to Mr Acosta, signed off by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, said: We are writing to give you formal notice that we have made a preliminary decision to suspend your hard pass due to your conduct at the Presidents November 7, 2018 press conference. President Trump was said to be aware of this decision and agreed with it. Trump v Acosta - In pictures 1 /14 Trump v Acosta - In pictures President Donald Trump points to CNN's Jim Acosta during a news conference in the East Room of the White House AP CNN correspondent Jim Acosta does a stand up before the daily press briefing at the White House AP U.S. President Donald Trump gets into an exchange with CNN reporter Jim Acosta Getty Images US President Donald Trump (R) gets into a heated exchange with CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump points at CNN's Jim Acosta and accuses him of "fake news" while taking questions during a news conference Reuters A White House staff member steps in to try to take the microphone away from CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference Reuters President Donald Trump watches as a White House aide takes away a microphone from CNN journalist Jim Acosta AP President Donald Trump looks on as a White House aide takes away a microphone from CNN journalist Jim Acosta during a news conference in the East Room of the White House AP US President Donald J. Trump (R) speaks with CNN reporter Jim Acosta (L) during a press conference in the East Room of the White House EPA CNN reporter Jim Acosta (L) holds onto a microphone asn an aide tries to take it away during a press conference with US President Donald J. Trump EPA A Compination of photos showing a White House staff member reaching for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference following Tuesday's midterm U.S. congressional elections Reuters US President Donald J. Trump (R) speaks with CNN reporter Jim Acosta (L) during a press conference EPA CNN's Jim Acosta detaches his earphone at the end of a news conference after a tense exchange between Acosta and U.S. President Donald Trump Reuters CNN's Jim Acosta (L) hugs colleague Peter Alexander of NBC after a tense exchange between Acosta and U.S. President Donald Trump Reuters It then went on to say that though there was no written code of conduct for Mr Trumps news conferences, they felt there were unspoken rules which applied. This etiquette including journalists asking just one question then passing on the microphone to another attendee upon it being answered, they wrote. On November 7, 2018 you failed to abide by these basic, widely understood practises, the letter said. It said that of course he would continue to have access while the judges temporary restraining order remained in place. Trump and Jim Acosta's furious press conference showdown US District Judge Timothy Kelly, hearing CNN's lawsuit challenging the revocation, ordered Mr Acosta be given access in a temporary order last 14 days. Therefore, based on the letter the journalist would not be allowed as of the end of the month. TODO: define component type apester A statement from CNN said: The White House is continuing to violate the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution. These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations. Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President. The broadcaster has filed for an injunction to be imposed to protect Mr Acostas access to the White House, requesting a hearing on this for Monday, November 26. Lawyers on behalf of the network and Mr Acosta replied to the letter stating there were not a set of unspoken codes of conduct and called the response disappointing. Mr Acosta, who is CNN's chief White House correspondent, was barred after he and President Trump clashed after the US midterm elections. Mr Trump called him a rude, terrible person" as he persisted questioning him. At which point an intern tried to take the microphone from Mr Acosta, adding further to the controversy with the White House taking umbrage over him trying to retain it. P aris Hilton has reportedly split from her fiance Chris Zylka months after announcing their engagement. Reports in America claim that the couple called time on their two year relationship earlier this month after their romance went off-kilter. A source told Just Jared: They broke up and called off their engagement earlier this month. Their relationship started to become off-kilter after about two years together. The insider added that Hilton, 37, and Zylka, 33, will be focusing on different things. Proposal: Paris Hilton and Chris Zylka got engaged in early 2018 (Instagram / Paris Hilton) / @parishilton Standard Online has contacted representatives for Hilton for comment. The duo started dating in early 2017 before getting engaged a year later during their holiday break in Aspen. Announcing the happy news on her Instagram, Hilton shared a picture of her beau down on one knee thanking him for showing her fairytales exist. She wrote: I said Yas! So happy & excited to be engaged to the love of my life. My best friend & soulmate. Perfect for me in every way. So dedicated, loyal, loving & kindhearted. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! You are my dream come true! Thank you for showing me that fairytales do exist. J odie Whittaker has defended Doctor Who against claims it has become too politically correct. The latest series has had storylines involving racism, intolerance and other social issues, with critics blaming subliminal PC lectures for viewing figures dropping by millions since her debut. Whittakers Time Lord crossed paths with civil rights activist Rosa Parks after taking the Tardis back to Alabama in 1955, before visiting Punjab in 1947 as the show took on the partition of India. The star, 36, championed writer Chris Chibnalls vision, saying it would be a bad move not to tackle the past in a show which travels through space and time. Lighting duties: Jodie Whittaker was speaking as she turned on the Regent Street Christmas lights / PA Speaking at the Regent Street Christmas lights switch on she told A list: Whats the point of making a show if it doesnt reflect society today? We have the opportunity with this show like no other to dip to future, to past, to present, to new worlds and time zones. There is never going to be a drought in the stories you can tell. Its always topical. Chris is a very present-minded person who is very aware of the world he lives in and is passionate about storytelling. It would be wrong of him to not have used the past. He does it in a really beautiful way. Doctor Who new Trailer Whittaker took over from Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, becoming the first woman to play the iconic role since the sci-fi hit launched in 1963. Her debut episode attracted an audience of 10.53 million but that had fallen to 7.76 million by the fifth episode. Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who debut - in pictures 1 /14 Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who debut - in pictures Voila! Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who BBC Companions Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Graham (Bradley Walsh), Grace (Sharon Clarke) BBC / Sophie Mutevelian In action PA Landed BBC / BBC Studios Guest star BBC New role BBC Trouble ahead PA Run! BBC Sticky situation BBC Time traveller BBC BBC BBC BBC BBC She stars with Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, who play companions Graham, Ryan and Yasmin. Whittaker joked that Gill provided healthy competition, forcing her to take on as many stunts as possible. One scene in her first episode saw her jumping between two cranes. Im very competitive particularly with Mandip so I thought I need to look cool and thought if Mandip can do it, then I can do it, she said. There are certain moments where [bosses] went absolutely not because the insurance wouldnt cover it, but episode one, I did it. Whittaker said she is looking forward to being as surprised as an audience member when she sits down to watch this years special on New Years Day. She wont bully her relatives into watching but joked no one is allowed to say they arent Whovians any more. S ocial media giant Facebook is launching a new Community News Project in the UK to address the problems faced by local news providers. The new initiative will see Facebook provide a 4.5 million fund, which the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and local news providers including Newsquest, Reach and Archant, will use to train and pay the salaries of around 80 journalists over two years. Local news has been suffering in recent years, mainly as a result of a decline in advertising revenue because businesses are choosing to advertise on platforms such as Facebook and Google. As a result, newsroom numbers are falling with only 15 per cent of UK journalists working in newspaper publishing, down from 24 per cent in 2012. Facebook wants to shore up these numbers by offering grants to train new journalists, to ensure communities around the UK benefit from high-quality journalism. The two-year programme will see trainees receive the skills necessary to report on the issues that matter the most to the communities around them. Depending on their previous experience, the trainees will work towards the NCTJ Diploma or a new National Qualification for community journalism. They will also receive training from Facebook on digital news-gathering skills. Facebook said: We're excited about the opportunity to help more local news reach more people through the Community News Project. We hope it can play a small part in boosting community engagement in towns, cities and counties across the UK, and open up new opportunities for the next generation of journalistic talent. One aspect of the programme is to ensure that local newsrooms reflect their communities, particularly when it comes to diversity. According to research by the NCTJ, journalists in the UK are more likely to be white, have attended private school, and come from wealthier backgrounds, which isnt representative of the UK as a whole. As all the training for the new community journalism roles will be paid for, the aim is to remove some of the barriers that some people face attempting to enter the industry. This isn't the only initiative currently addressing the problems faced by local news organisations. Last year, the BBC funded 150 new journalism jobs as part of its Local Democracy Reporting scheme, which supports reporters covering news for local organisations as well as the BBC. The idea was to offer funds for new jobs which would lead to more coverage of local news. In addition, Google has its Google News Initiative, which allows organisations to apply for grants to improve their digital news offering as well as to finance investigations. This is the first time Facebook has dedicated funds to improving journalism anywhere in the world. However, given the impact the platform has had on the issues facing journalism, whether that's declining revenue or the prevalence of fake news on the social network ahead of Brexit and the 2016 US Presidential Elections, there are questions over whether this is the right approach. For one, the news providers partnering with Facebook on the scheme said there is no guarantee the community journalists will receive a job at the end of the programme. The trainees will have a salary during the two years, but as local news organisations are facing declining revenues, they may not be able to secure employment afterwards, which is one way in which this scheme may struggle. 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 At a meeting this Monday at the Superior Council of the Magistrates (CSM) Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader reproached Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar for being on trips abroad in various key moments and accused him of putting the recently established Magistrates' Investigation Section of the General Prosecution Office out of gears. Tudorel Toader presented on Monday at the CSM Prosecutors' Section the reasons for his requesting Augustin Lazar's removal from the office of Prosecutor General. "In key moments the Prosecutor General was either in China, in South Africa or elsewhere. I defy you to hear me out as I prove that you actually enjoy the position and it's probably natural, but at the same time you have delegated much of your job responsibilities, without exercising them.You said that you have a deputy in charge. Your activity plans do not include approvals for national security warrants of which I don't know if you signed any throughout this period, you just left somebody else to do it. You probably signed yourself only as an exception," Toader said during the meeting. The JusMin also blamed the PG for opposing the establishment of the Magistrates' Investigation Section right from the start, and for hindering now its activity. "You vehemently challenged the establishment of the special Section. The Constitutional Court said it was a matter of timeliness, and it was of no consequence if those who investigate or verify the complaints against prosecutors are under the umbrella of the National Anti-corruption Directorate or of the Public Prosecutor's Office. You vehemently stood against this ruling, although the Constitutional Court said this was the legislator's job. 'I, as Prosecutor General, do not agree to this.' But do you have legislator competencies? Investigation Section personnel complain having no basic services like fax, phone, clerks, they lack the basics for carrying out their activity. We will check this and if it is true, it means that you are throwing obstacles to their activity," Toader said. The CSM Prosecutors' Section is to issue an advisory opinion on the request of the Minister of Justice to remove Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar from office. Romanian Justice minister Tudorel Toader is to meet on Tuesday in Bucharest the European Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourova. Toader announced on Monday at the Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM) seat that the meeting scheduled with Vera Jourova was postponed for Tuesday. "Due to the meteorological conditions, the flight with the European Commissioner Vera Jourova is delayed, we have therefore rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow (Tuesday, ed. n.) at half past twelve," Toader said. The Social Democratic Party's (PSD) National Executive Committee (CExN) on Monday decided to dissolve the PSD Ilfov organisation, Social-Democrat sources told AGERPRES. Capital District 6 Mayor Gabriel Mutu was designated interim chair of PSD Bucharest, the sources pointed out. At the same time, Gabriela Firea announced during the CExN meeting her resignation as PSD deputy chairperson. Rodica Nassar was designated to replace her. AGERPRES . Gabriela Firea announced on Monday that she has tendered her resignation as interim president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.) Bucharest, in protest to the fact that the elections have been blocked for more than two years in this organization. "I have now tendered my resignation as interim president of PSD Bucharest. It is a form of protest to the fact that for two years Mr. Dragnea has blocked the elections in this organization and in a few others in the country, probably so that we are vulnerable and depend on him. (...) Now I realize that it has been a plan and not a very friendly one as far as I am concerned, meant for me to depend on him permanently. (...) We are born alone, we die alone, no one holds our hand," Gabriela Firea said before the meeting of the National Executive Committee of PSD. According to her, it is non-statutory to learn from the press certain decisions in PSD's National Executive Committee before there being an official decision. In bilateral terms, Romania and the UK should be ambitious of their future after Brexit, UK's Trade Commissioner for Europe Andrew Mitchell told AGERPRES in a recent interview. He also talked about the current agreement between the UK and the European Union on UK's withdrawal from the EU unveiled last week, as well as about the relationship between the UK and Romania. "UK exports to Romania grew by nearly 20 percent over the course of 18 months up to the start of this year and we are on track still to continue that race of growth, slightly under that rate of growth, but nonetheless a very strong growth this year too. I think that represents actually confidence bilaterally in trade agreements and trade relationships between our countries," he said. In Bucharest on Monday, Mitchell met Romanian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister for the Implementation of Romania's Strategic Partnerships Ana Birchall. AGERPRES: You were appointed Her Majesty's trade commissioner in July this year. Could you talk a little bit about the cornerstones regarding the Brexit negotiations within your mandate, regarding the topic that you are covering? Andrew Mitchell: Absolutely. I first say what a privilege it is in fact to be Her majesty's Trade commissioner for Europe. The Europe trade commissioner role is that part of the British government that is responsible for our trade and investment relationships with the 43 countries and states on the continent of Europe, and the fact that it is the continent of Europe, and not simply the European Union that I am responsible for is to do with the fact that our aspirations for trade and investment with Europe span the continent and we see a very bright future for that relationship. Last year we did 303 billion in pounds worth of export trade with those countries in Europe, which was 49 percent of our exports and similarly 49 percent of investment came from those markets. So, Europe is very important for us as a in terms of trade, culturally, politically, economically going forward, from every conceivable perspective. One shouldn't, I think, confuse the fact that we are leaving the European Union with the importance that we see going forward for European trade. So I say to you, since I was appointed three months ago, what's most important, I think, from our perspective is maintaining the bases of free market, open trade and frictionless trade across the European Union and with the future economic policy very much in mind our focus is on ensuring the closest, the best possible trade relationship with our European partners post Brexit. AGERPRES: The current withdrawal agreement that was made public is actually talking about a free trade area between the UK and the EU. How realistic is this envisioning of a free trade area between the EU and the UK, because that's one of the main points that is being discussed within Brexit? Andrew Mitchell: Absolutely. Over the bases on which we have built our proposals and the agreement that we have come to in principle with the European partners is on the basis of frictionless trade in goods and agri-foods with a common rulebook which will then establish the bases for a continuing close trade relationship in goods between Europe and the United Kingdom. And this is in no sense complicated from the perspective of the fact that we start in the same place; we are currently member of the same single market and customs union, and in that sense that economic partnership is unique; it's unique because we begin from the same standpoint, we have the same standards, we operate the same regulation - broadly speaking our markets are very integrated. So, it is entirely legitimate and entirely possible to have that very deeply integrated market for goods and agri-foods across Europe, and that's very much the intention behind the future economic partnership agreement that we would like to negotiate we completed the withdrawal agreement. AGERPRES: And also the withdrawal agreement is talking about non-discrimination, but Brexit people voted to leave because they wanted Britain to be first. How will these two aspects meet? Andrew Mitchell: Well, non-discrimination, in the sense of an aspiration of a high level of standards is entirely natural, and I don't think anybody should think that we are leaving the European Union because we want to lower our standards. I know there's been some discussion of an economic model for Britain that involves low taxes and lower standards than the remainder of the European continent. I don't detect any aspiration amongst British people who voted to leave the European Union to use this as a vehicle for lowering standards. Absolutely, we have the highest possible aspirations, and, indeed our markets and our economy works very much on the basis that we produce very high quality goods and services. We believe they are competitive in global markets on the basis that they are of a very high qualities. So, I don't see any aspiration towards lower standards. AGERPRES: There is a lot of tension around the withdrawal, the current withdrawal agreement. What do you consider that are the main aspects that should not be given up on from this withdrawal agreement, when it comes to the final withdrawal agreement? Andrew Mitchell: Well, the withdrawal agreement is negotiated in such a way to ensure alongside the political agreement that sits on top of it, is negotiated to ensure absolutely frictionless trade in goods and agri-foods within the continent alongside integrated agreements around services, and also regulation and the supervision elements around standards. That, in a sense, is part of an integrated package that makes for a competitive trade relationship between the United Kingdom and Europe. And I don't see how you can take elements of that away without damaging the whole of that agreement. In a sense, we need to be able to trade effectively across borders, and the fact that it is goods and agri-foods that are subject to the common rulebook and that single market for goods is effectively associated to the fact that supply and demand chains in Europe are so highly integrated and these engines that are built in and shipped to be assembled as cars here in Romania is very good example of the reasons why it makes sense to have that agreement. But similarly on standards, we are clearly an economy that thrives on the bases of exports of services, particularly we want to make sure that we observe the highest possible standards and actually develop and strengthen our international markets for services going forward. Part of the reasons why therefore we have a different approach on services is that we see opportunities in the wider world to be able to create free trade agreements on the bases of those highly competitive services. But, in a sense, this is a package; it's a bundle. I think that the integrity of that package is very important, and therefore we will be working to make sure that the package has economic and commercial, trade element together. AGERPRES: And because you are here in Romania, could you talk about the way the trade between the UK and Romania fluctuated after Brexit and also the key points in which the UK wants to invest in Romania. Are there key fields in which the UK wants to invest here in Romania? Andrew Mitchell: I think it's interesting to note that Britain's trade with Romania grew in fact: UK exports to Romania grew by nearly 20 percent over the course of 18 months up to the start of this year and we are on track still to continue that race of growth, slightly under that rate of growth, but nonetheless a very strong growth this year too. I think that represents actually confidence bilaterally in trade agreements and trade relationships between our countries. I think as far as Britain is concerned, it's the 12th largest investor in the Romanian market. We think that frankly is a market that we believe we can see growth. Major investment recently by LSE, the London Stock Exchange, and by Liberty House in the steel market here gives you a good indication of the kinds of areas that we think could be areas of growth in terms of UK investment in Romania in the future. Energy is also extremely important to us, we think infrastructure, and the health sector are opportunities too. I think if you look at what is happening in places like Cluj, around the tech sector clearly with Britain's big strengths in innovation in particular, I think there are real prospects. We are satisfied with the relationship that we have today but we genuinely believe that there is more we can do. We want to create, as we leave the European Union, in the single market and the customs union the kind of basis for our relationship going forward that allows bilateral trade to thrive. So, this is not the end of something, this is the beginning of something. I think Romania and the UK should be ambitious of their future. *** Andrew Mitchell was appointed Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Europe in July 2018. Mitchell has a 25 years' experience leading organisations in both the public and private sector in the UK and overseas. Most recently he was the director of a British creative and communications agency with clients among Olympic bid cities and major Games hosts. He has previously held leadership positions in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office including as lead director for economic and trade issues and spent four years as HM Ambassador to Sweden. HMTC for Europe cooperates closely with HM ambassadors and high commissioners, the wider diplomatic network, and other HM Government colleagues based in countries in their region, in a joined-up and coordinated government effort overseas to promote UK trade and prosperity, according to the gov.uk website. Agerpres . The European Commission has decided to cut the financial assistance to Moldova by 20 million euros ($22.7 million) per year for both 2017 and 2018. Besides reducing direct funding, the EU suspended the $113,280,000 (100 million euros) macrofinancial assistance (MFA) program for Chisinau until further notice. The MFA was initially frozen temporarily in July. On Nov.14, just a day before the decision to cut assistance, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding resolution saying Moldova has become a "state captured by oligarchic interests" that exert their influence over most parts of Moldova's society. The country is actually ruled by a small group of tycoons. Chisinau is criticized for backsliding on democratic standards and the rule of law. The document says Moldova has failed to cope with high levels of corruption, lack of independent judiciary and backsliding on democratic standards. The dubious results of mayoral elections in the capital Chisinau and the disappearance in 2014 of an estimated $1 billion from Moldova's banks are matters of special concern to be addressed before the assistance starts to pour in again. The MEPs resolution went as far as to mention the possibility of sanctions imposed on some Moldovan individuals. EU Neighborhood Commissioner Johannes Hahn believes the EU will suffer a blow to its reputation if it does not insist on European standards being respected. Otherwise people would believe we are in a way a lame duck. He says the EU could cancel the visa-free traveling regime to the Schengen zone, which Moldovans have been enjoying since 2014. The Moldova-European Union Association Agreement went into force in 2016. The bloc is Chisinaus largest trade partner accounting for 64% of total exports and 56% of the countrys trade as of last year. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. It is the 122nd least corrupt nation in the world. Moldova will hold parliamentary elections in February. The EU will be closely monitoring the process. Brussels had treated Moldova quite differently just some time ago. It has all changed now. The EU is gradually realizing that the oligarchs-ruled Moldova is more of a headache than an asset for it. Chisinau has gone to any length to demonstrate its loyalty and anti-Moscow stance. It has joined the anti-Russia political alliance with Ukraine and Georgia other pro-Western Russia-hostile states ruled by oligarchs who obstruct reforms. The Moldovan government has sent its troops to participate in NATO exercises in open violation of its national laws. Everything is done to embrace the North Atlantic Alliance. Chisinau has announced a decision to buy lethal weapons from the pacts members. The country is on the way to become a foothold for US military, including the construction of eight training facilities for military operations in urban terrain at the Bulboaca training base to host American Marines. In June, the UN General Assembly voted for the Moldova-submitted resolution calling on Russia to immediately withdraw its peacekeepers from Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova. Chisinau complained about what it calls Russias occupation. There are Russian 1250 servicemen stationed in Moldova. 450 soldiers are on a peacekeeping mission in accordance with the decision of the 1999 OSCE summit. The mission is carried out in compliance with international law. The 800 men strong Operational Group of Russian Forces is there to guard ammunition depots near Kolbasna settlement left over from the days of the Soviet Union. They are also peacekeepers. Is it an occupational force? One of the reasons for Russia to reunite with Crimea through a referendum was the need to comply with the responsibility to protect the fundamental principle of the United Nations. No other OSCE member state has agreed to allocate forces for the peacekeeping mission in Transnistria. If the Russian peacekeepers leave, a big fire can be re-ignited. As a UN member, Russia is obliged to prevent such a development. An oligarchs-ruled state plunged in corruption and backsliding on democracy violates its international commitments hoping that a blind eye will be turned on whats happening in the country as long as it sticks to its policy of open hostility toward Moscow. Does this hostility meet the interests of common people in Moldova, the country which is totally dependent on Russian gas imports via the pipeline system that passes through Ukraine? Will EU taxpayers pay for energy supplies to Moldova in case Russia stops the supplies? Will they shoulder the burden of building interconnectors to Moldova stretching from other European countries? The parliamentary elections in Moldova are scheduled on February 2019. The Socialist Party Moldovan President Igor Dodon is a member of is predicted to win. The countrys foreign policy will change as a result to make Moscow and Chisinau friends and good neighbors again. The current governments moves and plans will lose their relevance. The EU could restore its assistance. Russia could re-start normal economic cooperation. The US will lose an ally that wants a lot to be given much without offering much in return. But one should give the devil his due the European Parliaments resolution and the following move by the European Commission are timely steps to demonstrate that being anti-Russian is not enough to automatically become a part of United Europe with its standards and rules to abide by. Mr. Trump, nor anyone else in his administration, has announced any conclusions about how Mr. Khashoggi died, or who bears responsibility for ordering the killing, a Washington Post editorial fulminates. Instead, they have pretended to be waiting for the results of a Saudi investigation the obvious problem with that stance is it assumes that Mohammed bin Salman himself is not at the bottom of the Khashoggi plot though abundant evidence points to the crown prince. In truth, as the administration surely knows, there is no Saudi investigation only a cover-up operation that has clumsily tried to disguise itself as an inquiry. One aspect to this affair is the US domestic issue. The White House is increasingly perceived as the Washington Post implies as engaged in a soft cover-up of a cover-up. That is to say, the White House is being viewed as so set on keeping MbS in position as lynchpin to Trumps entire Middle Eastern strategy that the White House and Mr Bolton will try to turn a Nelsonian blind eye or a selective ear to any audio evidence provided by the Turkish government that seems to implicate MbS. President Trump is keeping his powder dry. He said: Ill have a much stronger opinion on that subject over the next week Im forming a very strong opinion. But caution on his part might be wise: leading Turkish daily, Yeni Safak, which is close to the Turkish government, and which has been covering leaked details of the Khashoggi investigation day by day, has reported that Maher Mutrib, the Saudi intelligence official who led the 15-man assassination team in Ankara, spoke to Badr al-Asaker, the head of the Crown Prince's private office, four times directly after Khashoggi was killed (if it was Mutrib who said tell your boss to MbS chef de cabinet, then the implication is clear). This has not been officially confirmed, but it is possible (and likely) that Turkish intelligence has yet further details to trickle out, piecemeal, to discredit the Saudi line each time the kingdom tries to draw the line under the case. Erdogan is determined to get MbS scalp, it seems. In any case, the nature and cost-benefit of the Saudi-US relationship clearly is an issue set to run-on in Washington: Adam Schiff (Chair of the House Intelligence Committee) has already identified it and the who, where, and what of the Khashoggi affair as a prime topic for Democratic Party scrutiny, when the new House assembles. However, the bigger issue one that Trump may not yet be ready to admit is that his Mid-East strategy is in deep trouble, even if MbS does manage to survive as heir-apparent, as seems likely, given Trumps strong attachment. The complication does not derive from the gruesome Khashoggi murder alone it is now much wider than that. The significance of the Khashoggi affair, as it were, is that it has slid open a Pandoras box of ugly goings-on. What is emerging from the Gulf is that the Khashoggi assassination is neither isolated, nor out of the ordinary in the Gulf today: Buzzfeed News reported that UAE leaders had set up, and tasked, a foreign military mercenary unit for the explicit task of serial assassinations of Muslim Brotherhood leaders (Al-Islah), in Yemen (whilst Saudi Arabia was at the same time, quietly facilitating al-Qaeda forces in Yemen, fighting against Houthi insurgents). More recently, the NY Times has disclosed an attempt by a senior Saudi official to close a $2 billion contract with US interests again for serial assassinations but this time, of Iranian leaders. It is, to put it bluntly, more redolent of the Saddam Hussein era, to read these reports; and those of Princes disappeared from Switzerland and Paris; of a Prime Minister hijacked; and of dissenters and senior princes incarcerated at whim. Of course, the realists will argue so what. And we see this line coming from western officials in their briefing, for example, to the Financial Times: a weary sigh of there is no alternative percolates through. Western officials doubt that the 33-year-old prince is in danger of being ousted as he has consolidated so much power, including bringing all armed forces and security services under his control There is no obvious candidate to replace Prince Mohammed, who has won support among youth and the liberal elite for his social reforms during his meteoric rise, they conclude. Really? No one? No one else to perform any of this roles? Well then, there is indeed a problem here for Trumps grand strategy: In fact, there is a three-fold problem: One, is psychology. Does MbS or Saudi Arabia now embody anything authoritative, anything compelling, in terms of leadership or vision? Does the Kingdom have the charisma now to gather under its banner the Sunni world, and to lead Trumps war on Iran? (Most people in the region have been sickened by events in Yemen, even before the Khashoggi murder). Secondly, have not all these reports underscored Mr Trumps political risk in staking so much on the veritable pinhead of a one-man platform? What else lurks unknown and unseen, beneath the surface? (By-the-by, Prime Minister Netanyahu has based his platform too, on a similarly, precariously narrow foundation.) And lastly, what in the light of all that is emerging now stands as the core idea advanced by the Gulf: What does the Gulf stand for after the eclipse of Monarchial, de haut en bas, handouts of benevolence to grateful subjects? Is it a vision of quasi-secular autocracy, the ubiquitous security-state, and raw neo-liberalism? Admittedly, the might prove a hit with Israel, but in terms of the energetic national, cultural re-sovereigntisation taking place in the northern tier of the region, this leaden notion is no competitor. And the embrace of the security-state structure in, and of itself speaks not of self-confidence, but of rising internal dissent and existential pressures that must be contained and suppressed. And it is this latter point (increased internal repression) on which Khashoggis death, inadvertently, has shed unexpected illumination. It is an insight which suggests that the future axis of conflict in the region will not be as Trump and PM Netanyahu had hoped. It will be focused not on Iran, but will rotate towards a further round of conflict with the Muslim Brotherhood and its patrons Turkey and Qatar. Some Gulf states are more frightened of Islamist Muslim Brotherhood dissidence within their emirates than they are frightened of Iran, which has no history of external state expansion. These anxieties are driving and represent the new regional re-alignment. And these Gulf states, the UAE and Saudi, are fearful that Turkey the old Ottoman imperial political power, and seat of the Islamic Umma might just succeed in usurping Saudi Arabias Islamic credentials as diminishing Saudis position as being no more than an inept Custodian of Mecca and Medina (the Turkish press is full of such claims). This would strip the Gulf of much of its significance and value to Washington. And whilst the Gulf has made its turn toward a quasi-secularism to please the West, Turkey has been quietly vacuuming up what there is of the Gulfs discarded Islamic credibility in the form of a MB-style, soft Islamism and a very explicit neo-Ottoman revanchism, fueled by Turkeys sense of being victim to a conspiracy led by Mohamed bin Zayed, the US and Israel. Thus, the axis of the coming conflict is more likely to be that between a fearful Gulf, and an increasingly assertive Turkey, bidding for the leadership of the Islamic sphere. As for Iran, it can contemplate these events with sanguinity: Saudi being pressed to end its campaign against Yemen -and end its siege of Qatar. And, additionally, this new regional dynamic will only serve to push Turkey and Qatar closer to Iran. None of this can be countered as promising for Mr Trump. Turkey will lead on embracing the Palestinian cause (with Iran and Qatar in the rear), and MbS will lack the credibility or standing to lead any new war against Iran after the disaster of Yemen, nor be able to coerce the Palestinians into capitulation in the face of the deal of the century. Even his near incapacitated father, as well as the al-Saud family, understand Netanyahus strategy to bury the idea of a Palestinian state and in any event, Bibis strategy is likely to be overtaken by internal politics, as Israel struggles with the implications of Liebermans resignation. All this raises the question of why the Trump Administration continues to view an MbS-led Kingdom as somehow still a fount of strategic stability ( is it just that old habits die hard)? Trumps policy of not just exiting JCPOA, but of going that mile further in seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic as well, through sanctions will we suggest eventually become seen as the Albatross which Trump injudiciously and without compelling need hung about his own neck. It will not work, and Americas credibility in the Middle East will be gone when that failure becomes apparent. Since 2013 China has been describing its multi-trillion dollar effort to build roads, pipelines, fiber optic networks, ports and railroads throughout Asia as Obor (One Belt, One Road) as a way to enhance local economies at little cost to the locals. China will not only provide construction loans but will also supply Chinese managers and workers to see that the work gets done properly and on time. China needs international trade and Obor is the Chinese plan to control as much of it as possible. For many nations where Obor projects are built, there are other, less publicized, benefits for local governments. First, China is not opposed to paying bribes to local rulers as needed. Many of the nations Obor projects pass through are run by corrupt or dictatorial governments that are always seeking new methods to keep them in power. China has something for that as well. Part of the Obor package is the construction of fiber optic lines to carry communications, especially Internet, traffic. China also offers a wide variety of tested (in China) tools for controlling what locals can use their Internet access for. For many nations Obor is being built in this Internet control option is a very attractive feature. The fiber optic cables are easily built as part of new pipelines, roads or railroads. Chinese firms are major worldwide providers of cell phones and all manner of Internet-related hardware and software. Many of the Chinese censorship tools are unwelcome or even illegal in the West but most of the nations in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa that are part of the Obor network have rulers who are eager to gain more control over what local phone and Internet users are up to. China has lots of apps for that. China will also help install and manage these new content controlled networks and give local rulers the benefit of Chinese experience and new developments. One of those new developments is particularly popular; reliable facial recognition systems. Another dictator-friendly new app measures and tracks enough Internet and other activity by locals to come up with a Social Credit ranking for every person and enterprise in the country. For dictators, this is an easy way to monitor emerging threats (widespread lower social credit scores) and determine how best to deal with these problems. This, coupled with the more effective Chinese Internet monitoring, eavesdropping and censorship tools makes unelected governments more confident about their ability to stay in power. The Chinese, as they like to put it, have always been more flexible and respectful of local customs. In other words, the Chinese never saw bribes and corruption as a defect but an opportunity. This is great for the foreign political and business leaders but less so with most of the others and that can cause problems. Africans and Asians living near many Chinese foreign operations complain that China is the major investor in illegal extraction of raw materials and keeping local gangsters and corrupt politicians in business. The Chinese also violate local labor laws with impunity and often hire their own armed security personnel who will shoot to kill if threatened by angry workers or local residents. Keeping local tyrants in power serves Chinese interests when it comes to things like establishing new military bases or preventing other nations from doing so. Corrupt locals also make it easier to carry out espionage operations (locally or in nearby areas). Helping to keep unelected leaders in power also serves to maintain the legitimacy of the current Chinese government which is basically a communist police state and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) wants to keep it that way. Many Asian and African governments Obor is being built in are eager to adopt the Chinese censorship and monitoring systems. Chinese leaders regularly demonstrate that they practice what they preach. Chinese leaders will often criticize, in public, their own censorship and media controlled organizations for not doing their jobs effectively. For example the Chinese Propaganda Department is the several hundred people who direct the vast censorship operation that is supposed to block inappropriate messages (that make the Communist Party look bad) and encourage approved ideas. When there is a problem with the effectiveness of this media control the government will not hesitate to order state-controlled mass media to criticize the Propaganda Department. In addition to controlling most mass media in China, the Propaganda Department supervises how more than $10 billion a year is spent on pro-China publicity outside the country. Inside China, this media manipulation effort employs millions of full time and part time personnel who, since the 1990s, have concentrated more on the Internet. Over a decade ago the rulers of China (which remains a communist police state) noted that they were losing control of their media, which had long been a key component of maintaining a dictatorship. The effort to regain the pre-Internet media monopoly has not been going well and until recently received little official notice. China has developed methods as well as software and hardware to make this all work and now they are exporting it. Some recent criticisms concentrated on failures to keep the traditional mass media (radio, TV, newspapers) in line. This is not unexpected because the massive efforts to censor the Internet have only been partially successful and the disturbing (to the Communist Chinese Party) new ideas that began spreading on the Internet have spread to the traditional mass media, despite the fact that most media personnel in China are government employees. You could see this crisis coming. In 2013 (the same year Obor was officially announced) China revealed the number of people involved in Internet censorship operations: two million. This operation is called Golden Shield (or Great Firewall of China in the West) and its a huge information control system that has been under construction for a decade. Before the new revelations, Golden Shield was believed to have at least 40,000 full-time Ministry of Public Security employees dedicated to monitoring and censoring Internet use throughout the country. This was done using specialized hardware and software and lots of paid and volunteer censors. These irregulars were known to be numerous but it was difficult to get an accurate estimate. Now the government revealed that irregulars bring the total Internet censorship manpower up to over two million. This is for keeping over 700 million Chinese Internet users (52 percent of the population) under control. Over five billion dollars has been spent on Golden Shield so far. While the Great Firewall cannot stop someone expert at how the Internet works, it does greatly restrict the other 90 percent of Internet users. And it provides a lot of information about what is going on inside all that Internet traffic. Year by year the Golden Shield operators learned what worked (to control news) and what didn't. Not only can Golden Shield keep news from getting out of a part of China but it can greatly limit how much contradictory (to the government version) news gets into all of China. Most of those Internet censors are occupied with monitoring new material showing up, especially via Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) and blocking anything that disputes the official government line. In 2011 China created a new organization to handle just Internet censorship. Called the State Internet Information Office, it consolidated all Internet censorship activity. This was done, in part, to halt the fragmentation of Internet censorship activity. This was happening because over a dozen government agencies engage in censorship (of films, TV, radio, newspapers, books, advertising, text books, and so on). Most of these agencies have expanded their efforts to include similar material that shows up on the Internet. This was leading to turf wars or Internet sites getting an okay from one censorship authority and a shutdown notice from another. This sort of activity is typical of government bureaucracies, no matter where they are. China has also created more laws for misbehavior on the Internet. This means it is easier to prosecute anyone (in China) who says anything on the Internet the government does not like. Several successful Internet-based commentators have since been silenced because of the new rules. The Internet censors have tools to measure how popular Internet-based commentators are and how many people they are reaching. Commentators on Weibo are particularly vulnerable, especially if they have a lot of followers. Twitter has long been banned inside China. Weibo is considered too popular to shut down but not immune from increased censorship efforts. Meanwhile, Internet security companies outside China are discovering, documenting, and publicizing more and more Chinese hacker groups and the large campaigns these groups wage on the rest of the world. China denies everything and criticizes its censors for not doing enough. China is also offering its censorship, content management and social credit systems to interested governments. A growing number of governments are very interested despite the fact that China has access (granted or otherwise) to information gathered locally. When dealing with a government so obsessed with controlling media everything they offer comes with strings (some of them invisible) attached. The rebel coalition is visibly dissolving. The non-Shia tribes and groups, especially those in and around Sanaa (the rebel-occupied national capital) are losing confidence in the Shia rebels and their leaders. Over the last year, a growing number of these non-Shia leaders have defected. Although the rebels deny morale and unity problems they recently made a public call for deserters, especially Shias, to return to the fighting. Army and coalition troops have reported that a shortage of rebel fighters have become a major factor in the rebels inability to resist ground attacks as effectively as they used to. For this reason, the rebels are eager to obtain a ceasefire or truce. This would enable them to rebuild their strength and be ready for another round of fighting. That is more likely than a peace agreement. The Shia rebels and their Iranian backers are both obsessed with self-destructive, and dangerous for bystanders, goals. The Shia rebels want their autonomy back. The Sunni majority in Yemen opposes autonomy or weapons for the Shia up north because those two things have made the Shia tribes a constant source of trouble for centuries. Iran wants world domination, starting with control of Saudi Arabia and most of the Middle East. Iran also seeks to destroy Israel and the United States. Neither Iran nor the Yemeni Shia have a reputation for honoring promises, treaties or anything that limits their activities. In short, negotiations may seem smooth but compliance will be in short supply. Expect both sides to resist implementing an actual, working, ceasefire or truce. The Shia rebels have a lot of problems right now. Poor morale and disunity rapid escalated in 2017 because of heavy losses (in personnel and territory) the rebels suffered that year. The loss of one of their major factions (led by Ali Abdullah Saleh) in late 2017 hurt the rebels the most. Saleh was ousted as Yemeni president in 2012 and refused to quit politics. Saleh demonstrated that he could not be ignored by providing the rebels with support from many army units. Saleh had ruled Yemen for decades before the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings unified his many opponents. Saleh was a secret backer of the Shia rebels after he was ousted and until they seized the capital in 2014. By then it was obvious that Saleh was the main reason so many veteran military commanders, and the troops they led, went over to the rebels. In late 2017 Saleh sought to switch sides because he was more of a Yemeni nationalist than Shia zealot and saw how this war was going. Saleh was negotiating a deal but the rebels found out and killed Saleh in early December 2017. Tarek Mohamed Abdullah Saleh, the brigadier general son of Saleh, united the many pro-Saleh factions who were willing to switch sides. This loss weakened the Shia rebels sufficiently to allow the government and Arab coalition ground forces to advance without taking heavy losses and gain a lot of ground. So even though Saleh is dead he is still a factor in the wars. After the loss of Saleh Iran persuaded the Shia tribes to keep on fighting because Iran believes Saudi Arabia is more likely to walk away than Iran. But the younger Saleh now has a force of several thousand former rebels who are eager to crush the rebellion as soon as possible. That enabled the government forces to clear most non-Shia areas of rebels. That put millions of more Yemenis under government control but also caused problems because food and other aid for these civilians came through the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida. The rebels cut those supply lines once their gunmen were pushed out of an area. The two major ports in the south (especially Aden) do not have the port capacity to replace the Hodeida based aid delivery. Moreover, the roads out of Aden were inadequate compared to Hodeida. The upcoming peace talks in Sweden will see access to foreign aid used as a major bargaining tool. The rebels have the edge here as long as they maintain control of the Hodeida port. Currently, government forces are within mortar and machine-gun fire (a few kilometers) range of the port. The rebels have responded by planting thousands of landmines and explosive traps near the port area. Clearing these explosive devices has already become a major chore for the army. All but one of the roads out of the port area are now controlled by government forces. The rebel-controlled road goes north, straight to the rebel homeland. Food and other foreign aid are let through government controlled roads, often only after extensive searches for weapons and other military gear. Hodeida remains the major entry point for smuggled weapons and military supplies, which is why the rebels have never allowed (as the Shia had agreed) the UN to inspect all incoming aid. Road inspections are not as effective as port inspections and some weapons are still getting in. Also, the rebels are still able to divert additional food to their home provinces in the northwest (on the Saudi border). This could enable to Shia rebels to make a last stand although in the past the Shia tribes have never gone that far. Then again, the Shia tribes never had the degree of Iranian support they have now. That support has included large shipments of Iranian ballistic missiles and rockets. These are primarily for use against Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Egypt can both identify with what Israel is going through with Hamas and Hezbollah rocket attacks because Iranian sponsored Shia rebels in Yemen have been firing rockets, ballistic missiles and, mortar shells and machine-gun bullets into Saudi Arabia for three years now, killing over a hundred civilians and soldiers on the border. The Saudis have found the American made Patriot anti-missile missiles very effective in stopping nearly all the ballistic missiles. The shorter range rockets are another matter and there have been discussions about obtaining the Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket system. This rocket and missile threat to Saudi Arabia will make negotiating a Yemeni peace deal difficult. The Yemeni Shia have always been hostile to the Saudis but now it has moved beyond that. The Saudis will not accept any peace deal that does not guarantee a halt to the rocket and missile attacks. That means more government control of the Shia tribal areas of Yemen than before the rebellion began. That will be difficult for the Yemeni Shia to accept but for the Saudis nothing less is acceptable. Continued rocket and missile attacks would be evidence of Saudi inability to defend its own borders and the Saudi citizens that live there. Iran knows this too but the UN is less concerned about that sort of thing. Iran continues to supply the Shia rebels with weapons and equipment despite energetic efforts to block the smuggling. The naval patrols off Yemen enforcing the blockade have to contend with hundreds of small craft operating near them each day, more than can be searched. But enough smuggler boats have been detected and caught since 2015 to make it clear that this smuggling route was still active. It was also interesting to note where the weapons were coming from. As of late-2018 North Korea was still exporting weapons like rockets, small arms and ammo to Yemen, as well as Libya and Syria. Whenever there is a successful interception the Saudis will increase their naval patrols near where it happened and search more fishing or cargo boats. If nothing else that causes the boat operators to dump their illegal weapons cargo overboard before the boarding party reaches them. Some boats refused to be searched and are fired on. This form of smuggling is more important as the government forces move closer to driving the rebels out of Hodeida and making it possible for all cargoes to be thoroughly searched. That will cut off the supply of Iranian ballistic missile components, which have, over the last two years, allowed more than two hundred of these short-range ballistic missiles to be assembled in northern Yemen and eventually fired into Saudi Arabia. One very under-reported Iranian contribution to the Shia rebel effort is an effective media manipulation effort. Not as massive or well-equipped as the ones created by China and Russia (the main practitioners of this) but the Iranians do pretty well spinning news of events in Yemen to favor, as much as possible, the Shia rebels. The Iranians know what appeals to mass media, especially in the West, and what does not. Thus anytime a coalition airstrike kills civilians (or rebels who can be described as such) the Iranians see that pictures and stories are supplied to news media worldwide. Coverage of the nasty things the Shia rebels do to hostile civilians in areas they control is not reported because no journalists are allowed in rebel areas. Thus it is only later that it becomes known that the rebels were using civilians as human shields or letting them use a road the rebels know is constantly watched and most vehicles seen on it are hit with an air strike. The hit anything that moves policy can isolate a rebel force under attack and make the rebels easier to defeat. The Iranians will also send out stories of rebel-controlled civilians going hungry when that can be blamed on the coalition, the Yemeni government or the West. Another technique is to make false claims of damage from Shia ballistic missile or UAV attacks on Saudi or UAE targets. These claims are eventually found to be false but Iranian media experts know that if you can get some traction with the initial story that is what most people will remember. Truth isnt what counts here but supplying what editors are seeking at the moment. November 18, 2018: The Shia rebels said they would halt their use of ballistic missiles (all Iranian) for attacks on neighbor countries and government forces in order to obtain a ceasefire. November 17, 2018: The Shia rebels agreed to peace talks and several hours later launched four ballistic missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia. All four missiles were intercepted and destroyed. In the southwest (Taiz province) army forces continued advancing and cutting off supply routes for the remaining rebel forces in the province. November 15, 2018: In the northwest (Hodeida province), the Arab Coalition ordered a halt in its offensive operations against the port of Hodeida. Still controlled by the rebels it is the main port on the Red Sea and where 80 percent of food and other aid enter the country. This halt is in response to UN pressure to join peace talks to be held in Sweden. The Arab Coalition halt in operations allows civilians, foreign aid workers and foreign aid to leave the city. The rebels still control portions of the city center. November 14, 2018: In the northwest (Hodeida province), the rebels fired ballistic missiles at Arab Coalition forces inside Hodeida city near the port. The missile missed and landed in the Red Sea. November 12, 2018: In the northwest (Hodeida city), soldiers, supported by Arab Coalition artillery and airstrikes, fought their way into the city, especially along the Red Sea coast and are now a few kilometers from the port area. This fighting has been going all this month and the rebels say they will allow the port to be destroyed in defending it rather than surrender it. November 11, 2018: In the north (the rebel-held capital Sanaa), rebel forces clashed with a pro-rebel tribe north of Sanaa. The clash was over rebel forces raiding a wedding celebration. The rebels had declared that weddings much be conducted without music or firing of guns into the air. This was an unpopular rule that many pro-rebel tribes refused to obey. In this case, fighting left two rebels and four tribesmen dead before a ceasefire could be arranged. November 9, 2018: American officials announced that the United States will halt providing aerial refueling for Saudi warplanes operating over Yemen. No date was given for when this would go into effect. American aerial tankers currently provide about 20 percent of the aerial refueling for Saudi aircraft in Yemen. The Saudis can work around the loss of the American aerial refueling support. November 6, 2018: In the northwest (Hodeida city), port workers report that the Shia rebels have begun planting explosive devices inside the port area itself. The port workers dont know where all the explosives have been placed and the numerous Shia gunmen in the port are warning workers away from some areas which apparently do contain hidden explosive devices. November 2, 2018: While the American UAV attacks continue in Yemen there number has greatly declined in 2018. There were none at all in October and only two in September. Many of the attacks are not announced at least not right away. So far in 2018, there have been about 36 attacks. As in 2017 (when there were 131 attacks), the ones in 2018 have been mainly against AQAP (al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) camps and key personnel in central Yemen. This greatly reduces Islamic terrorist capabilities in Baida, which had long been an Islamic terrorist stronghold. East of Baida province is Shabwa and Hadramawt provinces. The later stretches from the sea to the Saudi border and is largely desert. Along with Baida, these two provinces used to host most AQAP personnel and base areas. But since 2017 AQAP has been under heavy attack by the Americans and the Arab coalition and the Islamic terrorists have responded by shifting more of their attacks to the government and Arab coalition forces. AQAP took credit for 273 attacks in 2017 and in the first six months of that year, some 75 percent of these attacks were against the Shia rebels. But in the second half of 2017, half the attacks were against fellow Sunnis (government and coalition forces). In 2018 the remaining AQAP are mainly fighting for survival against the government and coalition forces. There was only one UAV attack on ISIL this year (in January) because ISIL is much reduced in size and capabilities. AQAP is more acceptable to more Yemenis in the south and survives. By mid-2017 Islamic terrorist attacks had declined more than 90 percent versus three years ago. AQAP and ISIL are still in Yemen and apparently keeping their heads down and rebuilding. The Islamic terrorists are awaiting the outcome of the current civil war as that will have a major impact on their goals and options. October 26, 2018: Saudi warplanes carried out numerous airstrikes on some portions of the Sanaa airport and a nearby military airbase. The airstrikes avoided any areas having to do with commercial aviation operations at the airport and instead his support facilities the Saudis suspect are used to support ballistic missile and UAV operations. Brian Rogers Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz These days, many things are not what they seem and things have changed. What once would have been considered very odd, is now commonplace. Even compared to 18 years ago, when I started writing this column, the world has become a more complex place. I guess every generation thinks that, from cavemen onwards. And the moment you catch yourself musing that, or saying it out loud, you are immediately identified as An Old Person. For starters, its inappropriate to actually talk of cavemen - they are more correctly referred to as gender-irrelevant persons with subterranean dwelling preferences. And rightly so. Even the pictures on the wall of the cave illustrate this. You can clearly see theres male cave people and female cave people and some indeterminate characters. There are some stick figures depicting gender re-assignment and others that look like the result of a nasty accident at the mammoth riding rodeo. Too specific These days, girls can be boys, boys might be girls and some of them are somewhere in between. The song about a Boy Called Sue is no longer politically correct. By the time you read this, a Girl called Sue will probably be too specific to mention and it could all end up in court. Sue will sue. Meat isnt necessarily from animals, and just because the Americans have pictures of men (persons) on the moon doesnt mean they actually walked on it. And speaking of dastardly meat, I heard a story this week that the volunteers at an SPCA fundraiser sizzle served vegetarian sausages, because some PC do-good customers whinged that real meat was perceived to be cruel to animals and therefore against the principles of the organisation. Something fishy Now the latest weird world wonder: fillets that dont contain any fish. An observant reader in Countdown Papamoa forwarded these revealing photos recently Fishless Filets, tender and flaky in a light golden batter. The photo was taken with a telephone. Even that was unheard of a couple of decades ago, yet oddly enough, no-one has invented a camera with a telephone in it. That I know of. Once it was a big deal to own a scooter. Now, theyre lying around the streets for anyone to use. Prospective riders simply wave their phones (or was that a camera?) over them, they bounce into life and voila, as they say in Remuera, you have an instant scooter. Better than that, you dont risk ripping the strap out of your jandal, because they have magic motors inside. Gone are the days when youd have to stand still on one leg and run like hell with the other leg to make the contraptions go. Electric blue These days, everything is reliant on a screen, including these fancy new scooters. Even people are reliant on screens. In fact, the average person spends so much time staring at these artificial light sources that science people believe it is damaging our health. Particularly nasty, they say, is the blue light emitted from artificial light sources, and as well as affecting the persons on the earth, its upsetting wildlife and the night sky. Heavens above, that will include the Person on the Moon. Back in the day, the only blue light a person needed to watch out for was the local constable. Apparently, the problem is that lights dont have bulbs any more. They have light-emitting diodes, and these LED- gizmos emit a higher proportion of light energy at the blue end of the spectrum than other lamp devices. Blurring the coastline Boats used to be boats, and only drove in the water. Now, thanks to Sealegs, we have boats that drive on land. Im looking forward to the version that can also fly. That cant be too far away. Very soon, apparently, we will have cars that drive themselves. Ironically, this was not a problem for horse-drawn carts, because the horses knew their way home. In fact every horse I have ever ridden has taken it upon itself to decide our course. My relatives all had these autonomous horses. Id give it instructions and it would go wherever it damn well pleased (if Id been a cowboy, I would have ended up in the Wild, Wild East). But the point here is that its taken car manufacturers about 100 years to catch up with technology that was naturally built in to the family nag. Dates and mates Finding a partner in the old days was quite a process with the exception of the cavepersons, who simply knocked one on the head and dragged it home by the hair (which, I should point out, is not acceptable these days on several levels). Some marriages, of course, were arranged by the parents to suit their political or economic aspirations. Those who actually got to choose a spouse had to go through a romantic but sometimes exasperating ritual known as courtship. It involved dance cards, church picnics, copious flowers and generally a lot of politeness. These days, love is merely a click away on Tinder; or for the adventurous, the Animals Lost and Found website. You can organise a new partner on your telephone/camera, while riding a scooter to your lunch date of fishless fish and meatless sausages. The wonders of the world! What will personkind think of next? brian@thesun.co.nz Bay of Plenty You will be driving the Roller and also required to help out the team hands on. You will be working around Tauranga, for... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Salvation Army is expecting about 17,000 people will seek help this festive season. A survey commissioned by the organisation, released this morning, shows 23 percent of respondents cannot afford to celebrate Christmas, while 45 percent said they struggle financially over the festive season. The survey had 1000 respondents. Last year the organisation assisted 17,000 people in the lead up to Christmas. Salvation Army head of welfare services Pam Waugh says this year the number would be the same, perhaps slightly more. "As people gear up for Christmas, families get under stress, they start to think about what they can do to get their children through the Christmas time so we get people coming in a lot saying 'I need help' and how can we help them." School holidays add to the financial stress for families, Pam says. "The children need outings, they'll be hot over the summer time, the children want to get out to the pools or to the beach and they're home all day so they eat more food. So that puts the pressure on a family's budget." Pam says the government's recently instated Families Package was a step in the right direction, but the positive effects would take some time to be actualised. -RNZ. The New Zealand Defence Force will not walk in next year's Auckland Pride Parade after the festival board banned police officers from wearing their uniforms. Squadron leader Stu Pearce says the Defence Force would not be applying to participate in the 2019 parade. "We do not feel comfortable participating in an event that excludes other uniformed services," he says. "Like Defence, Police are on their own journey and are fully committed to inclusive diversity." The NZDF would still be participating in other pride events around the country, including Wellington International Pride Parade, Pearce says. Next year would also mark the 25th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on gay and lesbian Kiwis in open service, he says. "The NZDF is an inclusive employer, we work to ensure all of our people are empowered to be the best they can in the service of New Zealand. "We achieve this through engagement, education and dialogue and by upholding our core values." A meeting on Sunday night to discuss the police uniform ban was described as a "circus", with gay icon and parade veteran Mika describing the uniform ban as "fascist" and "elitist". Manurewa MP Louisa Wall attended the meeting and says she understood the board had made its decision to protect transgender members of the community, some of whom felt intimidated by police. "We have all had different experiences as part of the community but the reality is that our trans [people] are the most excluded," Wall says. -Stuff/Melanie Earley. Bethlehem Birthing Centre celebrates its fourth birthday this week, with more than 1340 babies born since it opened and an increasing number of free services for Tauranga families. Birthing Centre CEO Chloe Wright says the 12-room centre has increased its wrap-around services every year, becoming a community hub meeting the needs of young families. As a primary birthing centre, weve been delighted to offer pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies an option in Tauranga other than birthing in hospital or at home, says Chloe. We also provide, as is the right of women, a post-natal stay of up to two nights for rest, breastfeeding support and mothercraft education. But we also see our role as connecting mothers with each other, so they can form strong bonds and friendships and support one another - providing that 'village' to help raise a child, says Chloe. Its latest offering, led by Clinical Midwife Manager Sarah Pike, is a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) Midwifery Service, for healthy pregnant women who are unable to find a midwife to provide their antenatal, labour and delivery care, and who plan to give birth at the centre. This free service started earlier this year in conjunction with BOPDHB in response to the LMC midwife shortage in the area, and includes 24/7 midwifery care and telephone service, the same as any other LMC service. Referrals can be either from the woman herself, or from another LMC or the District Health Board. The birthing centre also offers support by way of its free antenatal classes, Mama & Me group and Milk Cafe breastfeeding support group. Our Milk Cafe breastfeeding support group is held every Thursday morning from 9.45am to 11.30am at the centre. Its open to all breastfeeding mothers and is a chance to meet other mums, have a chat, and ask any questions about breastfeeding, says Sarah. "We've found that from the Milk Cafe and our other groups we're seeing some strong support networks formed, which is fantastic. Its about community. Its exciting to see the impact the birthing centre is having in the community four years after opening. The success of Bethlehem Birthing Centre has been replicated with birthing centres opened in Palmerston North in 2017 and Lower Hutt in 2018, and a fourth - Nga Hau Mangere Birthing Centre - to open in South Auckland in January 2019. Mothers and LMCs in other centres without birthing units have seen what were doing at Bethlehem, and are wanting the same service, says Chloe. We have women from other towns and cities emailing us saying, can we have this too? Were so proud that Bethlehem Birthing Centre is making an impact, and now our other centres are too. Bethlehem Birthing Centre has been welcomed with open arms by the Tauranga community over the last four years, and its success is a collective effort. We have a wonderful team led by Sarah, including staff midwives who care for our mothers and babies, and support the community midwives (LMCs). We have a fantastic relationship with LMCs and the DHB, and are grateful for their continued support, says Chloe. Were also exceedingly thankful to the mothers and whanau who use our service its an absolute privilege to be part of this precious time in their lives and support maternal mental health. The service, which is run as a social enterprise by Birthing Centre, is free to all women who birth at the centre and are eligible for care in New Zealand hospitals, whose pregnancy is considered low-risk primary care. Birthing Centre is owned and supported by registered charitable trust the Wright Family Foundation, of which Chloe is co-founder and CEO. The inaugural chair of Ora Charitable Trust, Les Simmonds, has stepped down after three valuable years of contribution to the charitable trust and the Bay of Plenty community. With his extensive background in counselling, therapy, family therapy, management and community work, Les has contributed significantly to the work of the Trust. Les carries a deep commitment to ensuring women within Tauranga Moana and the wider Bay of Plenty have free access to therapeutic services which enhance and support their health and wellbeing and in turn, generate a positive ripple effect on their children, their relationships, their whanau/family and their entire community. "Les Simmonds professional experience in therapy and counselling has spanned over 30 years. He has worked in a diverse range of community settings, including general counselling services for individuals, couples and families, alcohol and drug counselling, sexual abuse counselling and men experiencing anxiety and depression," says a statement released by the trust. He is highly qualified within his areas of expertise, holding a Bachelor of Social Science and Post- Graduate qualifications in Cognitive-Behavioural and Couple and Family Therapy, as well as Certificates in group-work, community-work and supervision. He also holds a Diploma in Business Management. Drawing from this wealth of experience Les, along with other Trust members, supported the development and formation of Ora Charitable Trust. "The Ora Charitable Trust Recuperative Retreats for Women is a free service provided by Life A Plenty within Tauranga Moana and the wider Bay of Plenty, for women who have been recommended a period of rest and recuperation by a health professional." The idea of a free therapeutic retreat was raised by a previous colleague Linda Parnell, and readily endorsed by Lyndsay Cumberpatch, CEO of Bryant Trust, which is an established womens retreat in the Hamilton/Raglan area. "After substantial consultation and planning, the therapeutic partners Life A Plenty developed a service offering free retreats for women through the Ora Trust, which has gone on to be immeasurably successful," says the trust. "These retreats enable women to take a break from their ordinary lives, and provide a safe and supportive environment for them to focus on their well-being. All participants have access to individual and collective support from qualified facilitators and therapists throughout the retreat. The retreats include daily life-skills workshops to learn simple relaxation exercises, how to cope with anxiety, stress management techniques and problemsolving strategies to effectively manage life challenges. "The retreats aim to build confidence and enable women to return to their whanau/family, with relevant skills to make positive changes in their lives." Chris Coughlan has been invited to take over the role of Chairperson. She is passionate about providing support to women living within the Bay of Plenty, who are experiencing significant difficulty in their lives. Chris has worked for many years for incorporated societies, and is experienced in the unique management and governance challenges which many of these present. Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Chobani Foundation, the yogurt company's philanthropic arm, has announced a partnership with national nonprofit to help improve childhood nutrition in the communities where the company makes its yogurt. Chobani said Monday its partnership with Wholesome Wave will provide 150 needy families in Chenango County and 150 needy families in Twin Falls, Idaho, with $60 a month to purchase fruit and vegetables through a reloadable Wholesome Wave Rewards card. The recipients can use their cards like a debit card at participating local retailers. In addition, Chobani said it will provide the families with six months of free yogurt to supplement their fruit and vegetable purchases. Along with the yogurt, the families will receive recipe cards for healthy cooking options, the company said. Wholesome Wave is a nonprofit organization that makes fruits and vegetables affordable and accessible to low-income individuals and families. Chobani, maker of the nation's best-selling Greek yogurt, operates yogurt plants in South Edmeston and Twins Falls. Nissan fired its chairman Monday after an internal investigation found financial misconduct. Carlos Ghosn was later arrested in connection with his actions, according to USA Today. Nissan, the Japanese automaker, began investigating after a whistleblower reported that Ghosn had been falsifying his income for years. The probe found Ghosn committed financial violations including underreporting his salary and using company assets for personal business, USA Today said. Nissan described the acts of misconduct as "significant," according to The Wall Street Journal. Ghosn, 64, was credited with reviving Nissan starting in 1999. The company said Ghosn worked with another executive at the company to underreport his pay in securities filings. Japanese media reported he understated his income by about $44 million, according to the Journal. The executive accused of helping Ghosn, representative director Greg Kelly, was also arrested, Japanese media said, according to the Journal. "Nissan deeply apologizes for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders," the company said in a statement, according to CNN. "We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues and to take appropriate measures." Ghosn is also CEO of carmaker Renault and chairman of Mitsubishi. Nissan and the other two companies work together in an alliance that rivals Volkswagen and Toyota in vehicle sales, according to CNN. It's unclear how Ghosn's arrest will affect the alliance. Representatives of Renault and Mitsubishi declined to comment, according to the Journal. Renault shares fell over 10 percent in European trading after the news broke the Journal said. The announcement came after the stock market in Tokyo closed, but shares of Nissan on the Frankfurt exchange fell 10 percent, according to CNN. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 Syracuse, NY -- Anthony Saccone was just sentenced to the long-anticipated punishment of 10 to 30 years in prison for the deaths of three young people near Onondaga Community College. Saccone, 31, pleaded guilty in July to aggravated vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. The Feb. 23 crash killed Baylie Rose, 19, Michael Walker, 18, and Samra Osmanovic, 20. "This case shows, more than any other in my 30 years as an attorney, just how one bad choice after bad choice after bad choice can affect so many lives," Judge Matthew Doran said. "What happened that day lays squarely at the feet of Anthony Saccone," the judge told the three grieving families. To Saccone, he said: "To this court, it just seems you don't get it. Maybe some day you will." Watch the whole sentencing below. Here are some time markers in the hour-long video: 2 minutes, 30 seconds: Saccone is brought into courtroom 5 minutes, 40 seconds: Victims' families address the court 32 minutes: Fitzpatrick addresses the court 39 minutes: Saccone addresses the court Judge Matthew Doran Syracuse, NY -- An Onondaga County judge this morning has ruled against Anthony Saccone's last-ditch attempt to withdraw his guilty pleas in connection with a February crash that killed 3 young people near Onondaga Community College. Anthony Saccone's sentencing will go forward this morning as planned, Judge Matthew Doran ruled. Syracuse.com is streaming today's sentencing on Facebook. Ononadaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick comforts Michael Walker's mom during Saccone's sentencing. The 50-seat courtroom is packed beyond capacity. Media are seated in the jury box and in seats near the gallery usually reserved for lawyers. Family of the three victims have overflowed the benches and are standing in the rear of the courtroom. Saccone is expected to be sentenced to 10 to 30 years in state prison for leaving the scene and aggravated vehicular homicide in the Feb. 23 crash at Onondaga Road and Onondaga Boulevard. Killed were Baylie Rose, 19, Michael Walker, 18, and Samra Osmanovic, 20. Saccone, high on cocaine and alcohol, ran a red light going more than 80 mph, slamming into the victims' car as they went through the intersection on green. He then fled the scene to his mother's house nearby, where he was later found by police. He pleaded guilty this summer to leaving the scene and aggravated vehicular homicide, sparing the risk of being convicted of murder at trial. Saccone then fired his first retained lawyer during an appearance in which Doran rejected his attempt to withdraw the plea. Saccone has since hired Randel Scharf, of Cooperstown, who has tried again to convince the judge to allow the plea withdrawal. Doran rejected that second attempt today, leading to Saccone's sentencing. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Joanie Mahoney starts her new job today as chief operating officer at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, college officials said. She also will serve as an adviser on community relations matters at Upstate Medical University. Her total salary is $224,000. As COO, Mahoney will oversee the overall management of the operational aspects of the ESF campus. She will report directly to Interim President David C. Amberg and serve as a member of the senior leadership team. In addition, Mahoney will provide advice to the State University of New York administration on community relations matters impacting both ESF and Upstate Medical University. Mahoney will earn $209,000 a year for the ESF job and $15,000 for her additional role at Upstate, university officials said. Two months ago, Mahoney resigned as Onondaga County executive midway through her third term to take the SUNY job. Mahoney earned $160,000 as county executive. As of Nov. 1, her last day as county executive, Mahoney and SUNY officials said they were still negotiating her compensation. Here's what ESF paid other top administrators in 2017: -- Quentin Wheeler, former president, $288,398 -- Joseph L. Rufo, chief financial officer and vice president for administration, $176,833 -- Nosa O. Egiebor, provost and executive vice president, $145,446. Contact reporter Tim Knauss | email | Twitter | 315-470-3023 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is defending the state's tax incentives for an Amazon HQ2 site in Queens after much criticism. "The New York Post, which is representative of extreme conservatives, says essentially that New York 'gave Amazon $1 billion,'" Cuomo wrote in an op-ed published on the state's website Monday. "Their argument is factually baseless. "New York State and New York City gave Amazon nothing." The Empire State is kicking in more than $1.5 billion in taxpayer-funded incentives over the next 10 years for Amazon's second headquarters, which will be split in two locations. The Seattle-based retail giant will create 25,000 jobs each at two HQ2 sites in Long Island City and Alexandria, Virginia, plus 5,000 jobs at a new operations hub in Nashville. Virginia is offering fewer incentives, reportedly totaling just $573 million, prompting many to wonder if New York "overpaid" for Amazon. The company said the cost per job for New York taxpayers is $48,000, compared to $22,000 for Virginia and $13,000 for Tennessee. "Amazon, by our current tax structure, would generate approximately $1 billion per year in new revenue," Cuomo said Monday. "Our proposal offered that, when and if those revenues are realized, the government would effectively reduce their $1 billion payment by about $100 million for a net to New York of approximately $900 million. New York doesn't give Amazon $100 million. Amazon gives New York $900 million." Cuomo, who previously joked he'd change his name to "Amazon Cuomo" to seal the deal, called the agreement "one of the largest, most competitive economic development investments in U.S. history." Amazon received 238 proposals, including from Syracuse and other Upstate NY metro areas, before narrowing the list to 20 in January. The Democratic governor said other states offered more incentives, such as $7 billion from New Jersey, $8.5 billion from Maryland and $6 billion from Louisiana. Still, criticism came from the Post, The New York Times, CNN's parent company Warner Media, and the syracuse.com | The Post-Standard editorial board. Some politicians, including Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also opposed the "extremely concerning" tax breaks. "This transaction is a lightning rod for the political rhetoric on both extremes. The extreme conservatives and the socialists both now vehemently oppose 'incentives' for Amazon, which is one of the most profitable companies in the country," Cuomo wrote. "Compounding the situation, Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and Amazon and is a competitor to many interests currently involved in the discussion..." "As for the local officials who now oppose the project, many of these same individuals signed a letter supporting the application for the same location knowing full well it was a national competition in which states and cities were putting together incentive packages. These same officials voted and authorized the long-standing economic development programs deployed in the Amazon transaction. It is pure political posturing." CORINTH -- State Police said Saturday that the Corinth woman who was shot to death Thursday night was accidentally killed by her husband as he cleaned a gun. No charges have been filed against Eric Rosenbrock in connection with the death of his 34-year-old wife, Ashley Rosenbrock. State Police said Mr. Rosenbrock, 35, was "performing maintenance" on a handgun that he legally owns when it fired, hitting his wife. The shooting happened in the couple's Raymond Street home around 10:30 p.m. Mrs. Rosenbrock was taken to Saratoga Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed Saturday by forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Siikirica, who determined the death was "consistent with the information and evidence that has been discovered to this point in the investigation," State Police said in a news release. Police did not say what type of handgun fired the shot, where Mrs. Rosenbrock was hit or explain how the gun came to discharge. Mr. Rosenbrock was cooperative with investigators, and was questioned extensively late Thursday and early Friday, authorities said. Though the shooting is being labeled an accident, charges that allege he was negligent or reckless could potentially be pursued, such as criminally negligent homicide or manslaughter. Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen would not comment on the prospect of charges on Friday, but police said the investigation was ongoing. Mr. Rosenbrock is a science teacher in the Lake George school district. The couple has three young children, and neighbors described them as dedicated parents and nice people. Their 18-month-old daughter died of an infection 5 years ago, and the family had been involved in extensive fundraising in the years since. Jason Proctor, the pastor at the United Methodist Church in Corinth, where Ashley and Eric met as teens and later married, told Post-Star newspartner NewsChannel 13 that the Rosenbrocks had a wonderful love for each other and their three children. Proctor said Ashley wanted to share her faith with her children, so she recently started teaching a church school program. A celebration of life will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church at 243 Main St. in Corinth. The fatal accidental shooting is the second in Saratoga County in a matter of weeks. Police said a 61-year-old man was killed in a Wilton motel on Oct. 7 after a resident of an adjacent room accidentally fired a gun that put a round through a wall. Michael Kornacki was found dead in his room three days later, and his relatives have questioned how the shooting could have occurred as police concluded. The alleged shooter, Daniel Salas-Miranda, 40, has been jailed on a felony weapon charge, as he did not legally possess the gun, and a count that alleged he is a Mexican immigrant who is in the country illegally. He is being held in Saratoga County Jail. -- By Don Lehman, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y. Two cities in Upstate New York have been named among the 15 worst cities for black Americans to live. USA Today notes that the unemployment rate for black U.S. citizens fell below 6 percent for the first time this year, but concerns still persist about racial inequality, job disparities and other socioeconomic gaps. The black unemployment rate, for example, has remained higher than the overall unemployment rate since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it more than 40 years ago. According to the publication, black Americans are also less likely to own a home or have a college education, and are five times more likely to be imprisoned than white Americans. On top of that, the median income for black households is just $36,651 -- $24,000 less than the median income among white households. 24/7 Wall St. created a new list of the 15 worst cities for black Americans based on statistics in eight categories including education, household income, incarceration rates, mortality and unemployment rates. The 2018 study considers metro areas where African-Americans comprise at least five percent of the population, and two in the Empire State made the cut. Rochester, N.Y., was named the 14th worst U.S. city for African-Americans, with an unemployment rate of 16.3 for black residents (11.5 percent of Rochester's population) compared to 5.4 percent for white residents. The homeownership rate is 32.3 percent for black residents and 73.9 percent for white residents. USA Today reports the Civil Rights Project at UCLA recently found that "de facto" segregated schools are also a concern in Rochester, where black students make up more than half of inner city public schools as white families relocated to the suburbs. Just 78.8 percent of black adults in Rochester have a high school diploma, compared to 93.1 percent of white adults -- almost double the nationwide attainment gap. Elmira, N.Y., was named the sixth worst city for black Americans, due to a median income of just $21,767 (42.6 percent of white income) and an unemployment rate that's three times the white unemployment rate. Only 5.9 percent of the Southern Tier city is black, but the gaps are among the largest in the country; the homeownership rate is just 22.4 percent for black residents, compared to 71.7 percent for white residents. According to 24/7 Wall St., the study compared metropolitan areas across the U.S. where the black population was at least five percent and data was available for eight categories, including the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey on median household income, poverty, adult high school and bachelor's degree attainment, homeownership, and unemployment rates; data on incarceration rates from The Sentencing Project; and age-adjusted mortality rates by race from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 24/7 Wall St. conducted a similar study last year, naming Syracuse the 8th worst city for black Americans to live. The Salt City was not on this year's list. Worst Cities for Black Americans, according to 24/7 Wall Street: 15. Chicago, Naperville and Elgin, Illinois 14. Rochester, New York 13. Danville, Illinois 12. Trenton, New Jersey 11. Springfield, Illinois 10. Fresno, California 9. Kankakee, Illinois 8. Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan 7. Decatur, Illinois 6. Elmira, New York 5. Peoria, Illinois 4. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Bloomington, Minnesota 3. Racine, Wisconsin 2. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin 1. Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa I check my wrist for the time as, once again, I count the number of people who stand before me in the queue. It trails aimlessly, making arrival at the final destination seem that much more desirable. I had hoped to catch the 11:30 to 12:30 slot, as I had watched from 12:30 to 14:00 the day before. Just as I was thinking I might not get the full hour in that I had planned, a large group come traipsing out from within. I couldnt have sat in there much longer, one of them remarks, I was so aware of each minute that passed. The queue in front of me shuffles through the doorway and I manage to take a seat in the crowded cinema at 11:28 with a sigh of relief. The Clock by Christian Marclay is a 24-hour long installation comprised of thousands of clips from film and television that represent whether in physical form or through speech or action the concept of time. By collating clips from films of various genres, languages and time periods, Marclay presents an intricate portrayal of the human day, shown in parallel with real time. As the viewer sits, watching the minutes go by, the film does the same, telling true time through endless images of clocks. By scouring through film archives thrillers, science fiction, comedies and westerns Marclay succeeds in finding clips to represent each minute of our 24-hour day. A woman checking her watch; a man hanging off the minute hand of Big Ben; a discrete grandfather clock in the corner of a room; the time shown in the bottom right-hand corner of a CCTV footage screen. As you sit watching characters exclaim theyre late for an appointment, whilst also being acutely aware of the people who come and go from their seats around you, the human concept of time is made alarmingly stark. The presence of clocks in every scene could sound like a rather crude way of cutting together film footage. Marclay, however, manages to produce an installation that is refined and witty. The concept of time is simply the starting point for his gathering of clips. The way he so successfully match-cuts allows the viewer to be taken from American suburbia to 1920s Paris, to a space shuttle, without realising the three films they have just encountered span several decades, languages and geographical locations. The lack of storyline does little to detract from the enjoyment of the film. Instead, it serves to benefit the passer-by who, with little time to spare, only has 20 minutes before they must be elsewhere. Unlike the woman who had felt uncomfortable with her heightened awareness of time passing, I found it an important issue to confront. Try to imagine a world without timekeeping. You probably cant. says Mitch Alborn in his novel The Time Keeper. And hes right, I think. There is no issue with the concept of time. But there is an issue with the increasing pace at which we are all experiencing life. Technology has contributed to the production of a society that values immediacy and efficiency. All else is secondary, even at the expense of quality, creativity, and individuality. Marclays film recognises this increasing need for speed. By forcing viewers to sit and watch the minutes go by, he tests our ability to overcome the human fear of time running out. Having only discovered The Clock a couple of days before returning to Cambridge, I eagerly anticipate returning to London at Christmas and allowing Marclay to steal more hours from my day. The Clock is being shown at the Tate Modern until 12th January. A number of 24-hour screenings are being shown on 6th October. Why it matters: The last couple of years havent been the best for Facebook. The social network has had to deal with everything from Russian election interference to Cambridge Analytica, along with plenty of other scandals. It led to CEO Mark Zuckerberg gathering 50 of his top executives together back in June to inform them that the company was at war. At the time of the meeting, Facebook was still dealing with the fallout from Cambridge Analytica. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Zuckerberg said he was moving to a more aggressive leadership style, telling his execs that they needed to make progress faster. Zuckerberg reportedly held COO Sheryl Sandberg and her team responsible for the Cambridge Analytica backlash, telling her she should have done more to deal with the public outcry over the scandal. Sandberg was reportedly concerned about the meeting, telling friends that she wondered whether her job might be under threat. Zuckerbergs more aggressive approach hasnt been well-received by those within Facebook. The WSJ writes that its led to "unprecedented turmoil," with several top executives, including the Instagram and WhatsApp cofounders, resigning. Facebook is generating a slew of negative publicity right now. Last week saw a New York Times article that claimed the company employed the services of a Republican opposition-research firm to discredit activist protestors, in part by linking them" to liberal billionaire George Soros. Sandberg was reported to have overseen the campaign but denied being aware of Facebooks involvement with the PR firm in a post on the social network. The Journal adds that during an internal company meeting on Friday, Zuckerberg described the recent media coverage of Facebook as bullsh*t. Cutting corners: Apples most recent handsets, the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, didnt exactly set the smartphone industry ablaze with excitement, and it seems the company may have overestimated their popularity. According to a recent report, the firm has decided to reduce orders for all three phones. It was only a few weeks ago when we heard that Apple had slashed production of the iPhone XR as demand failed to meet expectations. According to the Wall Street Journal, this is an issue with all three new iPhones, which has created turmoil along its supply chain. The move comes as global smartphone sales are slowing down, along with what appears to be weak demand from the Chinese market. An anonymous supplier told the WSJ: Growth fixes a lot of sins. When it slows, rocks start to show up in the bottom of the ocean. Doing business with Apple is very risky as it often reverses what it has promised, they added. The report repeats earlier claims that iPhone XR production will be cut by a third, though the reduction in iPhone XS and XS Max orders dont appear as severe. Many iPhone suppliers have cut their quarterly profit estimates after a large customer, which is almost certainly Apple, reduced its orders. Even Foxconn has reduced its overtime hours that are typically available during peak production periods. At the start of November, Apples stock fell after it revealed the company might miss Wall Street expectations during the upcoming holiday season. It also said it would no longer report how many devices it sells each quarter, focusing instead on their increasing revenuea result of the iPhones higher Average Selling Price (ASP). Slashing the iPhone orders wont have Apple worried. The ever-increasing ASP of its phones and the massive growth of its Services division means revenue is at an all-time high (the last Q4 was its best ever). But the company's suppliers are suffering as a result of the reduced demand. The big picture: Amazon's friendly relationship with the theater industry is in stark contrast to the position that some of its rivals in the streaming business have taken. It could very well pay dividends down the road but just as easily come back to bite the company if it isn't careful. Amazon Prime members in the US will be able to watch Aquaman in theaters nearly a week before anyone else thanks to a promotion with Warner Bros. Pictures. The DC Comics film, scheduled to hit theaters on December 21 in the US, will be part of an early showing on December 15 at 7:00 p.m. local time. Prime members can purchase up to 10 tickets and take in the flick at one of more than 1,000 theaters across the country including branches owned by AMC, Regal, ArcLight Cinemas and National Amusement Theaters. If you arent a Prime member, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial and still take advantage of the advance showing of Aquaman. This isnt the first time Amazon has partnered with the cinema industry. In 2017, Amazon offered Prime members advance screenings of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Hotel Transylvania 3. Rumors surfaced over the summer that Amazon was interested in purchasing a movie theater chain. Should such a deal materialize, it would put further pressure on rival Netflix and almost certainly ensure further tie-ins with Prime members. Forward-looking: The US Patent and Trademark Office recently approved a patent for motorized shoes submitted by Google. The device is intended to be used in a virtual reality environment to give the user a sense that they are walking. The shoes would continually work to keep the user in the center of the play area. Virtual reality developers are always looking for ways to make the VR experience more immersive. Weve covered various haptic gloves that allow you to feel objects. Realistically walking around in VR, however, is more difficult to pull off requiring either an expensive and bulky omnidirectional treadmill, or tons of play space. Google filed a patent for motorized shoes that simulate walking, but can be used in a confined space like your living room. The footwear would use small wheels that gently roll the user back toward the center of the room as he or she walks in any direction. UploadVR reports that the idea is based on infinite redirected walking that is under development by other companies. Dynamic Saccadic Redirection (DSR) is one technique to achieve this. Developed by Nvidia, DSR tricks the user's eyes and causes them to walk in different directions even though the VR is telling them they are walking straight. Thus the user can be redirected to avoid walking into walls and even physical and virtual obstacles. However, Nvidias technique requires at least a 20-square-foot play area. Since Google's shoes would redirect the users physically back toward the center of the play space by rolling the wheels opposite the players direction of movement, the space required would be significantly less. Japanese startup Cybershoes has a similar approach using strap-on shoes with slick bottoms. Rollers on the soles register distance-traveled data, which is relayed to the VR computer for rendering. The disadvantage here is that to use the Cybershoes users must be seated on a stool to keep them stationary. Googles method proposes to eliminate this necessity. The patent reads: "A physical position of motorized footwear in a physical environment may be tracked, and movement of the footwear may be transmitted into corresponding movement in a virtual environment. When a distance between the motorized footwear and a boundary of an operational zone defined in the physical environment is less than or equal to a threshold distance, a motor of the motorized shoe may be actuated. Actuation of the motor may in turn actuate a locomotion device of the motorized footwear, to move the motorized footwear back into a return zone defined within the operational zone. This may allow the user to walk, seemingly endlessly in the virtual environment, while remaining within a defined physical space in the physical environment." At this time the motorized shoes are only a concept that has been approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office. There is no official word from Google on how far into development the shoes are. Facebook has a new plan to fight the spread of fake news on its platform, and it's a particularly ambitious one. The company announced in a blog post that it wants to "do more to support" local publishers, due to the important role it plays in the spread of modern news. To accomplish that goal, Facebook is launching the Community News Project, a 4.5 million fund ($6 million) which will support and encourage local journalism in the UK. Specifically, the money will be used to recruit and train a total of 80 prospective journalists, from a "range" socioeconomic backgrounds. One of Facebook's main partners on the Community News Project -- and the party responsible for handling the money -- is the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). "The NCTJ cares deeply about the number, quality and diversity of journalists working in our local communities," said NCTJ executive Joanne Butcher. "We are very proud to support the sustainability of quality local journalism by overseeing the recruitment of additional local news journalists from diverse and inclusive backgrounds and by ensuring they are properly trained and qualified." "The NCTJ cares deeply about the number, quality and diversity of journalists working in our local communities..." The NCTJ will use the money to train fledgling journalists to receive their NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, while training more seasoned journalists to acquire the National Qualification in Journalism. It's certainly nice to see Facebook support quality journalism in such a concrete manner, but it's tough to say how effective this initiative will be. Hundreds, if not thousands, of stories are being shared on the platform at any given time. As such, training roughly 80 reporters will likely not be enough to significantly improve the accuracy of the information spread on Facebook. Why it matters: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is set to sign a deal with IBM to produce mainframe server chips. As a big player in the global data center market, a contract to supply IBM could propel TSMC into a position to contend with Intel which currently owns the market. The business machine giant designs its own server chips, which are presently produced by GlobalFoundries, so the change to a new supplier is a big blow for the rival manufacturer. According to sources with Nikkei, IBM looks to move to a smaller process for its next generation of mainframe servers, and Taiwan-based TSMC has the only 7nm technology available. Currently, Intel controls 96 percent of the data center server market. It is working on a 10nm process that is expected to compete with TSMCs slimmer wafers, but those chips have been delayed until some time in late 2019. In the meantime, IBM can start using a 7nm chip right away. We think Intel could gradually lose some market share ... for its most lucrative data center server chip business, said Trendforce analyst Liu Chia-hao. As of its last earnings report, Intel receives about 50 percent of its operating revenue through its data center division. It reported revenues of $17.09 billion just in the first nine months of 2018. This chunk of the sector is made up of mostly Dell and HP servers with IBM in third place. Although it ships far fewer units than competitors, the IBMs data servers are considered by some to be the "Rolls-Royces" of the market. Compared with ordinary enterprise servers that come with Intel's X-86 chips, They are much more expensive than those products, said Danny Kuo, an analyst with IDC. The IBM sever core chips will be much more expensive as well. Banks and other companies use IBM setups ranging from $300,000 to $2 million. This higher-end clientele means TSMC will see greater profits producing custom chips for IBM. With recent shifts in the mobile market, including reduced production numbers from its main mobile client Apple, the company looks to other areas to hedge its numbers. The Taiwan chip maker will not be knocking Intel off of its 96-percentage-point perch any time soon, but penning the deal with IBM could be a good start that is bound to bring immediate growth to the company. An app for citizen scientists to take part in the effort to monitor the location of orcas has been launched this month. Called Orcasound, the web app will live stream audio from hydrophones (underwater microphones) that will be placed near the San Juan Islands. This will help experts to locate and send boats to collect fecal samples or prey fragments to the area as soon as possible. Orcasound And The Value Of Citizen Scientists A computer algorithm currently analyzes the audio from a hydrophone and pinpoints the sound coming from orcas. However, the aid of human listeners is invaluable. For a long time, citizen scientists have been useful at detecting orca noises from the trove of other sounds such as shipping traffic or the presence of other animals. Orcasound will make it easier for citizen scientists to access the audio and then alert experts of the marine mammals' whereabouts. "We want to make it really easy for citizen scientists to listen to signals," stated Scott Veirs, a bioacoustian and lead researcher of Orcasound. Orcasound has actually been around for years, but it was relaunched this month to make it a lot more user-friendly. The app picks up the audio coming from several hydrophones in San Juan Island and Haro Strait. There is another one at Bush Point, but it is currently under repair. Once a citizen scientist has identified the presence of an orca from the audio livestream, they can log their observation into a shared Google Spreadsheet for analysis. Users can also shoot the people behind the project an e-mail. The researchers also hope to one day add a button on the web app in order to make it easier for the citizen scientists to report orca sighting. For now, Orcasound can be accessed via any major internet browser on a computer or a mobile phone. Southern Orca Conservation Southern resident orcas are mostly spotted off the coast of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. They feed on chinook salmon which are dying off, leaving the orca population starving. Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed a 4-year-old orca that was rapidly losing weight and growing weaker. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Scientists from the University of Oregon discovered a dinosaur bone believed to have belonged to a plant-eating bipedal ornithopod. The dinosaur bone, which was once a part of a toe, is believed to be of the plant-eating dinosaur who roamed the planet around 103 million years ago during the Cretaceous, the period that also saw the rise of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is the first ever dinosaur bone to be found in the state. The discovery was reported in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Dinosaurs In Oregon? Greg Retallack, an earth sciences professor from the University of Oregon, found the dinosaur bone in 2015 during a trip near the town of Mitchell. He and his students were surveying a shale slope on Bureau of Land Management when they spotted the bone among mollusk fossils preserved in rocks. The discovery comes as a surprise because Oregon was submerged underwater for the most part of the dinosaur age. "Oregon landscapes are rich with Cretaceous rocks, but they rarely contain the kinds of dinosaur remains we see elsewhere in the U.S.," explained Retallack. "The rocks here are the right age but are mostly from under the sea where dinosaurs did not live or from swamps where dinosaur bones are seldom preserved." Edward Davis, fossil collections manager at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History and a co-author of the paper, suggested that the dinosaur bone ended up in present-day Oregon after the ornithopod had died. He said that the animal died on shore, but was later swept into the sea where it floated while bloated with decomposition gases. He called this phenomenon "bloat and float." Eventually, however, the dinosaur corpse exploded and only its toe got preserved. The Oregon Ornithopod Dinosaur Bone Retallack also compared the dinosaur toe bone to other ornithopods. He found that the creature that once owned the toe bone grew up to more than 20-feet long and probably weighed nearly a ton. The team will continue looking closely for more dinosaur bones in Eastern Oregon, but Retallack admits that they do not expect to see any more. He said, however, that he already made another startling discovery during the search. The ornithopod toe bone is expected to be displayed at the University of Oregon's Museum of National and Cultural History by next month and then play a role at next year's "Explore Oregon" exhibit. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome picked up some welcome support on Friday for her $912 million tax proposal to ease traffic woes in East Baton Rouge Parish through a massive upgrade of the parish's transportation network. Mayors in Baker, Central and Zachary all said they're backing the mayor-president's 30-year, half-cent sales tax plan. The mayors of the three cities say they agree with Broome's assessment that it's the only way to address traffic issues crippling the parish's potential for economic growth and limiting the ability of their cities to progress. "I'm not a big tax guy (but) we have to pass this tax," said Zachary Mayor David Amrhein. "We can't continue to kick the can down the road. We've got to get traffic moving." Baker Mayor Darnell Waites and Central mayor Jr Shelton each took a similar stance during a press conference Broome held Friday morning to re-emphasize the merits of her tax proposal, known as MovEBR, ahead of its appearance on the Dec. 8 ballot. The proposed sales tax would raise about twice as much revenue than a previous property tax Broome tried to implement but couldn't get past the Metro Council for approval. 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 The ambitious list of projects slated on the MovEBR plan includes improvements to Airline Highway, widening roads around Central, synchronize traffic signals and building a new Interstate 10 exchange with a widened Pecue Lane. Waites called the list of projects "a great vision" since it'll address several problems spots in his city as well. And Shelton claimed his citizens have been very vocal about their desire for the infrastructure improvements slated in his city. "We can continue to shut down taxes that can help us prosper or we can do something about fixing traffic," Shelton said. "It's important for us to finally get something done." The Baton Rouge Area Chamber has already come out in support of MovEBR too. A full list of projects and a map is available at movebr.net. A Romanian man pleaded guilty in U.S. Middle District Court Wednesday to ATM fraud, specifically to withdrawing more than $7,000 from an ATM i Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" Louis Armstrong's "Christmas in New Orleans" Big Freedia's "Santa is a Gay Man" Vote View Results The New Orleans City Planning Commission has recommended dropping the core element of a plan aimed at increasing the amount of affordable housing in the city, balking at a plan that would allow the city to require that apartments for low-income renters be included in developments in specific parts of the city. However, the commission last week did endorse two other changes that would require developers seeking zoning changes to provide affordable units and allow the city to offer incentives in exchange for including such units in other projects. The Planning Commissions recommendations are not binding on the City Council, which is expected to have the final say on the affordable housing mandates, known as inclusionary zoning, in March. Several commissioners said they did not feel comfortable moving forward with the more aggressive elements of the proposal before the expected completion in February of an economic feasibility study that would look at which neighborhoods should be covered by the new requirements. But housing advocates said the requirements are needed to begin making a dent in the citys affordable housing crisis. And, with state lawmakers expected to make another run next year at passing a law to prevent cities from adopting such policies, they argued that time was of the essence. It is disappointing the commission is choosing to privilege the desires of business owners and developers over the very clear and expressed desires of residents of our community, said Cashauna Hill, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center. Dozens of housing advocates and residents argued in favor of the mandatory affordable housing policy at the commission's meeting Tuesday, pointing to what they said is the increasing difficulty of finding affordable housing in the city, particularly in areas near plentiful jobs, shops and other desirable amenities. Developers who opposed the plan said implementing it would drive up construction costs, making all housing more expensive. The planning staff had recommended three separate policies designed to work together as part of a smart mix proposal for increasing the number of affordable units in the city. The one most sought by advocates would create a new type of zoning district where any project with more than 10 residential units would be required to set aside at least 12 percent of those homes for lower-income residents. 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 Exactly where those districts would be located would be hashed out later by the Planning Commission and the City Council, likely with input from the study to be released in February. But only two of the seven commissioners at the meeting, Kyle Wedberg and Jonathan Stewart, backed that proposal. The commission did recommend the other two proposed policies. One would say that affordable units must be included whenever a developer seeks to rezone a property to a more intense residential classification. The other would create a new category of development that would offer looser regulations for projects that include affordable units. The commission recommended those proposals on a 6-1 vote, with Commissioner Kelly Brown dissenting. The City Council has considered the idea of affordable housing mandates for years, but the plans have never made it this far in the process. Looming over the debate is the likelihood that opponents will urge the Legislature next year to ban such inclusionary zoning policies in Louisiana. Lawmakers passed a bill to do just that last year, but Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed it. But noting that no local governments had yet implemented such policies, Edwards suggested at the time that he wouldnt continue to veto similar bills unless cities show they actually want to implement those policies. Edwards reiterated that sentiment last week when asked about his veto during a briefing hosted by the Bureau of Governmental Research. I did serve notice on municipalities across Louisiana that if this is something youre interested in, you need to do it. And if youre not going to do it, well turn the page on it and well try to figure out some other way to make sure we have affordable housing, Edwards said. Healthscope's Northern Beaches Hospital is expected to be put under the microscope as suitor Brookfield Capital Partners conducts due diligence on the private hospital operator and decides whether to make a formal $4.5 billion offer for the business. A storm of publicity about problems at the new hospital over the weekend coincided with the Canadian group getting access to Healthscope's financial data more than six months after its initial request for due diligence was rejected. The Emergency Dept at the new Northern Beaches Hospital. Credit:Nick Moir Not that it is expected to cause any issue for Brookfield, or rival suitor the BGH-AustralianSuper consortium, according to Morningstar senior equities analyst Gareth James. "It's not something that would stop the two takeover offers proceeding," Mr James said. Tracey Barnes wants to be able to pay herself minimum wage, but as the cost of running e-commerce deliveries increases, she's faced with a difficult problem. "Everyone wants free shipping and they want a discount. It reduces our profit margin down to the point where we're not able to pay ourselves a minimum wage," Barnes says. Tracey Barnes of FrothnFlames Candles and Soap. Increasing costs The Melbourne entrepreneur runs candle and homewares business FrothnFlames Candles and Soap. She says in the lead up to Christmas, it's clear parcel delivery fees are increasing for her business at a rate beyond the consumer price index, and for a company that turns over just under $250,000 a year, it's hurting. The 29-year-old entrepreneur started Nexba in 2010 with co-founder, 32-year-old Drew Bilbe, setting up their own canning line in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby and selling sugar-free iced tea out of a van. "Our goal now is let's pick some international markets and share some Australian innovation overseas so we have secured Sainsbury's in a substantial way," says co-founder Troy Douglas. "If you are going to do something, do it big." Aussie drinks brand Nexba is going global after signing a deal for its sugar-free drinks to be stocked in 548 Sainsbury's supermarkets across the United Kingdom. "We were young and naive and thought we would go all in," Douglas says. The pair invested about $500,000 of their own money in the first few years of Nexba's operation and took out two mortgages between them to fund the business before scoring their first major contract with 7-Eleven. Douglas says while setting up their own manufacturing plant may not have been the best move financially for Nexba it did help convince the convenience chain the pair were serious about the business. "We always had a vision to be the first brand to be natural but sugar-free," says Douglas. "That's when we started to collaborate with bigger retailers and Coles were the first to take the soft drinks in 2015 and we have also built a great relationship with Woolworths." Australia's "most important bird" and one whose conservation some scientists consider the most urgent of any bird in the world has just taken a significant step back from the brink of extinction. The critically endangered plains-wanderer once roamed the grasslands surrounding Melbourne. So it is fitting that on these volcanic plains, for the first time in Victoria, the bird has been bred in captivity. It can be revealed that on November 4 four healthy plains-wanderer chicks hatched at the Werribee Open Range Zoo. Their names: Quagmire, Jane, Ramble and Clinton. While girls are broadly expected to be the gatekeepers of sex, in charge of prevention and "warding off" the advances of their supposedly single-minded male peers, boys are generally fed an ideology that positions their pursuit of sexuality as something that defines their masculinity. The stereotype of the red-blooded Aussie bloke is pervasive, and it calls on men to be rigidly heterosexual and up for it at all times. Boys need as much support navigating sexuality and what is "expected" of them as girls are offered routinely. Excuses such as "boys will be boys" are made in defence of young men who engage in predatory (and sometimes criminal) behaviour, the assumption being that the women they target should have better protected themselves because you guessed it! we know what boys are like. In my book, Boys Will Be Boys, I offer numerous examples about the negative impact such stereotyping has on boys. The jury deciding the verdict for murder in the marathon trial of David Harold Eastman told a court on Monday they have been unable to reach a unanimous decision. Acting Justice Murray Kellam encouraged the jury to continue deliberating for a time before he sent them home early for the day, saying: "I don't want anyone suffering from stress." The jury had begun their discussions at about 10.30am on Wednesday. David Eastman. Credit:Lukas Coch Mr Eastman, 73, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester at about 9.15pm on January 10, 1989. There's a new warning about wasp nests as the temperature rises with summer. Residents of Canberra are urged to report any sightings either to a hotline or on an online app. Officials are worried about potential infestations by European wasps - a breed of wasps brought to Australia by settlers. Jim Bariesheff with a huge wasp nest. Credit:Steve Evans. European wasp nests are often hidden, the most common nesting sites in wall cavities, a hole in the ground, roofs and even in conifer trees, said Jim Bariesheff, a pest officer with CoreEnviro Solutions which is contracted by the ACT government to deal with the problem. He said that last summer more than a thousand nests were dealt with in Canberra. Some of them were several metres long. The new law: guilty until proven innocent Matthew Guy's tough on crime/make Melbourne safe agenda appears predicated on the assumption that he will be able lock up every suspect person to make us "safe", and that he can fix "the problem". Nothing could be further from the truth unless he changes the law so people are guilty until proven innocent. Think about which regimes behave in that way and ask yourself if you would be happy living in those places. However Guy wants to spin it, Melbourne is among the safest cities in the world. His views on law and order are grossly simplistic, and seem to shadow the risible comments of Peter Dutton who thought it smart to say that Melbourne people felt too unsafe to go out at night for dinner. Should Matthew Guy win on Saturday, his comment that he will "make sure that every Melburnian is safe" will most certainly come back to haunt him every day of his tenure. Brandon Mack, Deepdene The certain way to provoke attacks It may not be possible to prevent "terrorist" attacks in our cities, but there is a certain way to ensure that there will be more. Continue to exclude, marginalise and demonise minority groups, be they Muslim, African or whatever. Nick Barton, Hillside Where are all the prisoners going? The state Coalition needs to start explaining to voters where they are going to build all the prisons to lock up all the thousands of people who breach bail, and the cost. Further, Matthew Guy and shadow attorney-general John Pesutto ought to be asking the police why it is they don't always appeal against bail being granted, if that's the Coalition policy. For many of these matters, it seems to me that the Opposition is trying to sheet home the blame in the wrong direction. Not only is that cheap political expediency, it's also a bit gutless. Ross Crawford, Frankston FORUM Stop the whistling I am deeply troubled with some of the policies being put forward as law and order at this state election, particularly the latest of the publishing of judges' sentencing record. I'm not in any aspect of the legal system and my only experience is being on the receiving end of a speeding fine and for jury duty, but even a novice like me knows that there are always extenuating circumstances that never seem to be presented by some of the tabloid media whenever a large or heinous court case judgment don't seem to match this mythical public opinion. The notions of "innocent until proven guilty" and "beyond all reasonable doubt" seem to be put aside to gain a few votes without delving into any of the reasons why a "light" sentence was given in the first place. I agree there may be some issues with the communication between various intelligence agencies, but this dog whistling isn't doing any of us any favours at all. John Anderson, Donvale Get serious A recent letter asked why police were wasting time on a squeegee raid. I recall the report on the police action said there was a very high incidence of drivers caught using mobile phones. Every report I have seen on road safety concludes that distraction is a major cause of road accidents, and a recent study reported in The Age found a surprisingly high number of drivers admitting to using their mobile phones. If we are serious about safety, surely the conclusion is that there should be more squeegee patrols or other means of catching offenders. Another conclusion is that the level of penalties is insufficient to deter drivers. Perhaps confiscation could be threatened. David Lamb, Kew East Grievance cul-de-sac In Bill Mathew's world, (Letters, 19/11) the cause of Muslim terrorist attacks is always the unjustified actions by the West. To last week's reference to the 2001 Iraq war he now adds the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, but of course, he conveniently ignores the hostile acts of Israel's neighbours that precipitated this conflict. According to this logic, the large loss of Australian lives in the 2002 Bali bombings was the inevitable result of Australia's prior support for the East Timorese in their war of independence against Indonesia. The solution to ongoing Islam-inspired terrorist attacks will never be found by indulging in the "grievance" cul-de-sac, rather, it first requires an end to the infantilising of the Muslim world, and an expectation that Muslims will take full responsibility for their own actions. Geoff Feren, St Kilda East Market example Obviously all the dog whistling and vilification has had the desired effect with most Coalition voters and a large proportion of Labor voters saying that we should discriminate against Muslim nations in our immigration policy. Long ago it was the Chinese who Banjo Paterson referred to as "the leprosy". Then, after the war it was the Jewish refugees who were allegedly arriving "dripping with furs and jewels" straight from the concentration camps. In the fifties it was the "wops and dagos", the Greeks and Italians who largely built the Snowy Scheme for us. More recently the Vietnamese "forming dangerous enclaves". Now the Muslims, motivating and harbouring terrorists. I would urge people to go to Dandenong Market and its surrounds to see the hundreds of Muslims who are integrated into our society and contributing 100per cent, not a terrorist among them. Reg Murray, Glen Iris Toxic choices It is a pity that Daniel Andrews will not make a "deal" with the Greens ("ALP snubs Greens as 'toxic' rival", The Age, 19/11) because if Labor gets back in power in Victoria, he may well have to "deal" with minority groups who have far more "toxic" agendas. As I have always done, I will be making up my own mind on preferences and voting below the line at this election. Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont Penal settlement Matthew Guy and the Liberal opposition plan to reconstruct Victoria into a penal colony. Marie Hodgens, Burwood New models needed Scott Morrison has "plenty of mates who have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort the issue out with Pamela Anderson". Would these nice men I assume they would be men sort these issues out in Morrison's bus? Would Morrison's Pentecostal God also attend? And as Pamela is a star, would she be able to grab hold of something that doesn't belong to her, a la Trump? The behaviour and opinions of Abbott, Trump, Morrison and their mates send all the wrong messages to our LBGT+ community and the #MeToo movement. These guys need to be updated or rejected. Jeff McCormack, Hangelsberg, Germany Raise your voice Just as Scott Morrison is calling on Muslim leaders to publicly condemn Islamic extremism, Christians also need to make their voices heard against Christian extremists who support schools expelling gay students and gay conversion therapy for children. Walter Lee, Ashfield, NSW Keeping promises The Liberals can promise to outspend Labor at the election. If they win the election they will claim that Labor has messed up the finances, and that none of their promises can be paid for. Simple. Would Matthew Guy promise that all his election promises will be delivered, no matter the state of the finances? George Houlder, Cambrian Hill Green defence If, as Daniel Andrews says, the Greens are "toxic" because of a "problem with women", how does he reconcile that extraordinary statement with the fact that seven of eight current Victorian state Greens MPs are women? Such MPs come from the grassroots of the party's ordinary members and not by factional chiefs, as has long been the way within the Labor Party. Further, among the seven women Greens MPs in State Parliament are the first Aboriginal woman elected in 160 years to the Victorian State Parliament and also the first woman Vietnamese-Australian elected to any Parliament in Australia. His attack on the Greens has all the marks of a politician desperate to cling to power and happy to stoop to false and misleading claims concerning political opponents. Robert Humphreys, Ringwood Truth goes missing Politicians were happy to vote for the retention of our metadata (they didn't even know what it was) but are not so supportive of a federal integrity commission. I guess their attitude towards any such commission belongs in the same basket as truth in political advertising, buying votes through pork barrelling and the inexplicable generosity of political donors who seek nothing in return. Gary Sayer, Warrnambool Keep to the centre History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, therefore, it's no good pretending that the US-driven trade war with China, would not return us to another cold war. Whatever our stance in our geo-political situation, we are a former British colony geographical located within the boundaries of ASEAN. Scott Morrison can say that our foreign policy is our business and nobody else's, but the truth is that it's driven by our alliance with the US. Instead of trying to punch above our true national weight by siding with the US, we should be playing a centrist peace-making role in the context of the Sino-US trade war that could, given Trump's unpredictability, escalate into a military conflict. Alex Njoo, St Kilda Paving the way Tim Colebatch gives us a well-considered piece on population and infrastructure (16/11). And yet it's marred by the throwaway claim that "road space has grown barely at all" in this century. EastLink, Peninsula Link, the Hallam, Pakenham, Dingley and Deer Park bypasses and widenings of the Monash, Tullamarine and Western Ring Road are hardly negligible additions to road space. That's before one considers the extensive arterial road networks newly built up in growth suburbs the latter being the normal growth one expects to support a growing population. It's true that, considering just the past 10 years, we've not seen quite as many new motorways as in the past. But this is also a period when we've seen for the first time road traffic and congestion grow slower than population. We'd argue there is at least a partial causal factor here. On infrastructure and congestion, as years of experience and clear expert advice tells us, you get what you pave for. Tony Morton, president, Public Transport Users Association Innovation nation Katy Barfield's food rescuing posts ("Start-up aims to save food from wasteful graves", The Age, 19/11) provide a creative solution to unnecessary waste. Instead of politicians using fear and dog whistling, we need more innovative thinking on crime, climate and population challenges. Extravagant oneupmanship, and locking more people up indefinitely doesn't win my vote. Innovations like Katy's is what I'm looking for. Anne Hocking, Healesville Students losing out Well said Catherine Ryan and Anna Apfelstedt (Letters 14/11 and 19/11). After 30-plus years as a teacher librarian I, too, feel it is a great shame that qualified, passionate teacher librarians rarely exist in our schools today. In this information age we need them more than ever. Reading for pleasure and for research is such an important part of a student's education. Sadly, it is now rare to find a school with a teacher librarian. The big losers in all this the students. Anne Chowne, Thornbury AND ANOTHER THING Politics Flesh-eating ulcers spreading in Melbourne (17/11). A further opportunity for some politicians to exploit fear and uncertainty. Keith Gove, Hawthorn To get himself off the hook, Scott Morrison could suggest moving the embassy a few kilometres in the general direction of Jerusalem. Tony Lenten, Court Glen Waverley The wonders of modern science we now have a self-wedging PM. Joan Segrave, Healesville Evidence suggests that jurisdictions with less inequality have lower crime rates than those who are simply tough on crime. Something Matthew Guy should ponder. Phil Alexander, Eltham Why does Matthew Guy want to build a prison? There'll be some on Nauru and Manus Island available soon. Raymond Kenyon, Camberwell Is Matthew Guy suggesting a Chinese style re-education camp for young offenders? Shayne Davison, Mulwala Trump In the words of Jack Nicholson, when it comes to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Donald Trump just can't handle the truth. David Seal, Balwyn North Donald Trump fails to demonstrate anything resembling empathy, focusing more on himself than those who have suffered the most. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW Donald Trump rates his performance as "A+" despite the loss of the House of Representatives. An "A+" for incompetence and self delusion? Peter Rutherford, Hamlyn Heights Aw diddums. Who's a grumpy boy? Wendy Batros, Templestowe One wintry afternoon in 1951 in the skies above Pyongyang Flight-Lieutenant Gordon Harvey fired his brace of rockets at the North Korean capital designated target and headed for home, keeping low to avoid flak. Then ground fire hit his Mustang fighter-bomber. Oil poured out of the engine coating the windscreen black and forcing the then 27-year-old RAAF pilot to fly blind as he desperately scanned the snow. Eventually he spied an open spot and brought his aircraft down for a belly landing on a snowbank outside the town. Korean POW Group Captain Gordon Harvey and wife Mikie. The first Australian captured in the Korean war, Harvey was a prisoner of war for nearly three years - 45 days of it in a two by one-metre hole as punishment for escaping - and a little recognised participant in one of the war's most enduring controversies. Harvey was interviewed by the Australian journalist and communist sympathiser Wilfred Burchett who was vilified for allegedly trying to "brainwash" POWs and was subsequently repeatedly denied an Australian passport for reporting the Korean and Vietnam wars "from the other side". A Queensland woman has told of her frantic efforts to get help after discovering the body of a teenage girl bludgeoned to death in her bed almost 30 years ago. Annette Mason was found dead in her Toowoomba home in 1989. Annette Mason was 15 when she was killed after a night out with friends in Toowoomba in 1989. A previous inquest into Annette's death found there was insufficient evidence to establish who killed her. A second inquest into her death began in Brisbane on Monday, with investigators hoping it will shed further light on her final hours. Police investigating Toyah Cordingley's death are appealing for any women who have been approached by men acting inappropriately or aggressively on Cairns beaches to come forward. Ms Cordingley, 24, was found dead on Wangetti Beach, about 40 minutes north of Cairns, on Monday, October 22, after being reported missing the day before. Toyah Cordingley was out walking her dog on Wangetti Beach when she disappeared. Her body was found the next day. Credit:Facebook On Monday morning, a month after Ms Cordingley's death, Detective Inspector Sonia Smith addressed the media with a fresh appeal for community information. "We remain committed to finding answers for Toyah and her family," she said. A woman recently elected as a Liberal Party delegate who runs a blog called "Political Posting Mumma" has been warned that her Facebook page is in breach of the electoral act because it has no authorisation statement. Marijke Rancie, who was elected as a delegate for the Victorian Liberal Party in early May, became widely known last year after her videos attacking Safe Schools were shared millions of times in the lead up to the federal election. Anti-Safe Schools campaigner and Liberal delegate Marijke Rancie. The Age later revealed Ms Rancie, a born-again Mormon, became a Liberal Party member in early 2016. Her political connections were not mentioned in the viral videos, which claimed Safe Schools was trying to "erase gender", expose children to dildos in the classroom, and teach them how to masturbate using household items. Many of her claims have been dismissed as false by the Education Department. The family of a South Sudanese army general allegedly claimed $470,000 in welfare payments from the Australian Government at the same time as they paid for a luxury Melbourne house with a $1.5 million cheque. The revelation comes from an affidavit sworn by Australian Federal Police agent Graham White as police try to keep a restraining order on a Narre Warren house and European cars owned by the family of retired General James Hoth Mai. Actor George Clooney's organisation The Sentry was critical in uncovering the alleged hiding of assets by General Mai. Credit:AP General Mai has applied for the court to dismiss the restraining order, as police allege the family's wealth was gained by corruption and money laundering. The case involving retired General Mai made headlines earlier this year when it emerged the AFP interest in his familys Australian assets was sparked by a 2016 report co-authored by Hollywood star George Clooney. The owner of a jewellery store in Melbourne's south-east says staff are "fearing for their lives" after the second robbery at the shop in 18 months. Jafari Jewellery in Malvern East was robbed for the second time on Monday morning, after it was a targeted during a brazen daylight robbery in May last year. During that terrifying incident, the jewellery store owner hid in terror and nearby traders barricaded themselves inside as four masked men armed with crowbars and a hammer stormed the shop. No charges have been laid over last year's incident. Four beds at a new mental health emergency centre are expected to ease the burden on a Perth hospital that has about 12 patients a day walk through its doors for specialist care. The state government said it would allocate $1 million to a new Mental Health Observation Area at St John of God Midland Hospital to cater for people with drug, alcohol and mental health issues. St John of God Hospital, Midland. Health Minister Roger Cook said the new facility would hopefully drive at-risk patients away from the emergency department, which had 71,000 people through its doors in the last financial year. Patients will benefit from being treated in a dedicated treatment area in a low stimulus environment," he said. "In addition, it will free up vital beds in the hospital's busy ED." A tax office plan to roll out mobile panic buttons using the smartphones of its public servants has met warnings the technology could be a "double-edged sword" that could be abused. The Australian Taxation Office has revealed plans to adopt an app with a duress signal available to 20,000 staff and contractors in a move to improve their safety. Tax officials would adopt the app voluntarily, letting their employers locate them indoors to within 10 metres using a system monitored internally, and by an external security firm. Bureaucrats could install it on wearable devices and receive push notifications, text messages and email through the duress system. The ATO said it would cover employees working at locations remote from ATO sites, its bureaucrats in shopfronts, staff at higher risk investigating potential criminal activity, and those travelling within Australia and overseas for business. No incidents of violence or increased risk for staff have attracted the ATO to a duress app, but a spokesman said its decision to adopt it followed changes that had improved the new technology and made it more cost-effective. It expects a quarter of its staff and contractors will use the app. The division in the NSW Greens party room has worsened, with Ballina MP Tamara Smith telling her colleague Jeremy Buckingham that a speech made in Parliament calling for his resignation was "claptrap". In a text message sent to Mr Buckingham, Ms Smith said she was "sorry that things have gone this way" and that she publicly condemned him because she felt compelled to support other women in the party. Jeremy Buckingham is facing pressure to resign. Credit:Simone De Peak Greens' Newtown MP Jenny Leong last week used parliamentary privilege to call on Mr Buckingham to quit Parliament amid allegations of "sexual violence" against a former party employee. She also said that Mr Buckingham's poor behaviour on other occasions, while not sexual, also meant he should no longer have a place in the party or the upper house. The Liberal Party has thrown its support behind a former mental health counsellor who promoted gay conversion therapy and said homosexuals can be cured. Independent Dianne Colbert is listed above all other candidates on Andrew Kilmartin's how-to-vote card for Saturdays election. This makes her the Liberal Party's second preference for the Buninyong District, which covers the south and southeast suburbs of Ballarat. Liberal candidate for Buninyong Andrew Kilmartin says he never spoke to Dianne Colbert about voting preferences. Credit:Lucka Kauzlaric/Ballarat Courier Labor candidate Michaela Settle was placed sixth and Greens candidate Linda Zibell seventh, leaving Victorian Socialist candidate Lisa McKendrick last. Ms Colbert has run as an Australian Christian candidate in past federal and state elections, and has also stood for City of Ballarat council elections. The last time there was an imperial-scale contest for power over Australia's sphere, its land advance was halted in Papua New Guinea. That was 1942 on the storied Kokoda Track. The contemporary Kokoda campaign was engaged on the weekend. It is also occurring in PNG. It is not a hot war, of course. But one by one all elements short of war are being arrayed. Xi Jinping arrives in Port Moresby for the APEC summit. Credit:AP To now, the imperial-scale contest between the US and China has occurred at safely abstract distances from Australia. In the South China Sea, the East China Sea. The new line of resistance is a country whose closest point is just 5 kilometres from Australian soil. The most obvious forum was the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It accordingly became an economic non-cooperation summit. "APEC was always an area where we could reach some common agreement with China on economic matters," says Mike Green of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Instead, for the first time in a quarter-century, the summit broke up without agreement on a communique. Why? "You know the two big giants in the room," the summit host, PNG Prime Minister Peter ONeill, said. Says Green: "This shows two things. The Trump administration doesn't care about multilateral forums. They're happy to blow APEC up. And China is happy to blow it up too." Washington: White House officials have reportedly sent a letter to CNN's Jim Acosta indicating they will suspend his press pass again once the temporary restraining order that required them to restore Acosta's credentials expires. The 14-day order was issued on Friday, and unless the judge extends it, it would expire at the end of the month. In a ruling seen as a victory for press freedom, US District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by President Donald Trump, ordered the White House to temporarily restore Acosta's press pass on Friday while he considers the merits of the case and the possibility of a permanent order. He said the White House has an obligation to afford due process to Acosta before it can revoke or suspend his access, and found that the White House's decision-making process in this case was "so shrouded in mystery that the government could not tell me... who made the decision". Stacey Abrams. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images While Stacey Abrams did not win her bid to become Georgias governor in the legal sense, her historic campaign can claim a number of victories: She ignited a nationwide discussion around racist voter suppression at the hands of her opponent, former secretary of state Brian Kemp; galvanized young and non-white voters; filed lawsuits over the mishandling of provisional and absentee ballots; and nearly became the first black woman to ever be elected as governor. On Friday, Abrams gave a non-concession concession speech, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described it, in which she acknowledged that she had no further legal remedy, but refused to recognize the election results as right, true or proper. Over the weekend, the Cut reached out to three black women who live in Georgia. Each woman is processing the race differently, but all expressed a similar sentiment: They know this is the beginning of something bigger than an individual politicians success. And Abrams herself isnt going anywhere. Already, the Democrat is talking about running for elected office again, and has plans to file major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections from unconstitutional actions. Though she has ended her candidacy and acknowledges Kemp as Georgias legal governor but not a legitimate one shes prepared to fight on. Im angry because you can be a genius, you can run the best campaign Georgia has ever seen, and it still not be enough. I run Staceys initiative the New Georgia Project, and weve registered over 300,000 people of color to vote, all across the South. We want to bring Georgias underrepresented and underserved communities into the democratic process to fundamentally change the way politics gets done. Was I optimistic and hopeful ahead of the race? Absolutely, but it was a very measured optimism, given how intimately familiar I am with Brian Kemp and his low-grade, systematic attacks on Georgias election infrastructure. In the beginning, there was the belief that Stacey would not meet the traditional Democratic performance so, not get 45 percent of the vote, because shes a woman and shes a woman of color. She went from that to her essentially her winning, even with all of these votes that were not counted. Im angry. Brian Kemp isnt even qualified to carry Stacey Abramss handbag. That he stole this election, and that people are ready to go back to business as usual, as if we arent at a crime scene, as if this isnt the blueprint for how elections are going to be stolen all over the country, is disgusting to me. Its frustrating because when we told people that this was about the very integrity of our elections, people tried to say we were being hyperbolic or shrill. Im angry because you can be a genius, you can run the best campaign Georgia has ever seen, and it still not be enough. However, I am encouraged because there were people out there who shared our values and are on our side. Some said that Georgia could never elect a black woman in the primaries, and that was proven wrong. Im also really proud of Georgia because Ive been saying for a long time that Georgia is Americas newest swing state. So on the one hand, I am very angry and bitter. On the other hand, I am super encouraged because on international stage, all of these old assumptions about women candidates and black candidates have been destroyed in front of the world to see. Nse Ufot Its not over for her, or for us. I first heard about Stacey Abrams a little while after the primary elections. I was just finishing out my maymester classes and preparing to start summer classes. I liked that her platform was for all individuals, including the marginalized, the underrepresented, and those that may have felt forgotten, regardless of race or socioeconomic backgrounds. Before the election, I was very optimistic she would win. As a young black millennial in America, seeing a black woman pushing boundaries on a political platform in a state like Georgia was inspiring. Stacey empowered me and reminded me to stay true to my convictions and the power of sharing your voice, whether it is on a small or larger scale. I was upset at the circumstances that led up to her concession. However, I am so encouraged by what Stacey accomplished. I had never seen so many of my peers take action towards being politically aware and active. I definitely believe Stacey played a part in what was the catalyst to this shift in many millennials. I am confident this is just the beginning. Its not over for her, or for us. Krystal Samuels Abrams did win. We won. Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker, gives brief remarks to state and local law enforcement on efforts to combat violent crime and the opioid crisis at the U.S. Courthouse Annex, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 14, 2018. (Steve Pope/Getty Images) Three Democratic Senators Challenge Legality of Whitaker Appointment A trio of Democratic senators filed a lawsuit on Nov. 19 challenging the legality of President Donald Trumps designation of Matthew Whitaker as the acting U.S. attorney general. Attorneys for Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) claim in a lawsuit that Trump violated the Constitutions appointments clause when he chose Whitaker to temporarily serve as the replacement for Jeff Sessions, who resigned at Trumps request on Nov. 7. The appointments clause requires that the presidents nominees be approved by the Senate. The Justice Department (DOJ) argued in a legal opinion that the clause doesnt apply because Whitaker is serving only temporarily. Under the legal theory currently being advanced by the White House, the president could elevate a family member who worked for an agency to lead it without Senate confirmation, Anne Tindall, an attorney representing the senators, said in a statement. The prospect that the attorney general might seek to serve the president, rather than the American people, reaffirms the importance of a confirmation process that follows the Constitution. The lawsuit by Blumenthal, Whitehouse, and Hirono is the third legal challenge to Trumps appointment of Whitaker. On Nov. 14, the state of Maryland challenged the legality of the appointment as part of a separate lawsuit related to the Trump administrations handling of the Affordable Care Act. On Nov. 16, the legality of the appointment was challenged in an unusual motion to the Supreme Court (pdf) as part of an unrelated lawsuit challenging a federal ban on the possession of firearms by convicted felons. The motion asserts that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein automatically became the acting attorney general upon Sessionss resignation. Both the State of Maryland and the Supreme Court suits ask the court to order that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, not Whitaker, is the acting attorney general. The lawsuit by the three Democratic senators, all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, only seeks an order which would bar Whitaker from performing the duties of the attorney general. In contrast to the Maryland and Supreme Court challenges, which assert that Trump may have violated both congressional statutes and the Constitution, the lawsuit by the Democrats targets only the constitutional claim. The president announced on Nov. 7, the same day Sessions resigned, that Whitaker will be the acting attorney general until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate. Prior to his appointment to the top of the DOJ, Whitaker served as the chief of staff for Sessions. Sessions served for nearly two years having recused himself from the Russia investigation. As a result, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed and managed special counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Whitaker became Muellers boss on Nov. 7. Democrats are concerned about Whitaker because he has criticized the scope of Muellers probe, suggested that there was no collusion, and speculated that it would be possible for a new attorney general to limit the probe by cutting the special counsels budget. Mueller has not accused anyone of colluding with Russia. Much of the special counsels investigation, including its full scope, remains classified. Trump has said that he was not aware of Whitakers views on the Mueller probe before selecting him and was not concerned upon learning of the acting attorney generals views afterward. What do you do when a person is right? There is no collusion. It happened to be right, Trump said in an interview with Fox News. The DOJs legal opinion to the White House on Nov. 14 revealed that Trump was briefed by the DOJ on the legality of his choice before making the appointment. The White House and the DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump appointed Whitaker under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 (FVRA), a law allowing him to elevate a senior official to agency head for up to 210 days. The law was intended to address vacancies created by deaths or resignations, but it is unclear whether it applies to those created by firings. There is some question as to whether Sessions was fired or resigned. The former attorney general submitted a letter of resignation at the presidents request. Some legal experts say that if Sessions was effectively fired, his appointment runs afoul of that law and could be challenged in court. Steve Vladeck, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Texas, said he thought Whitakers hiring passed constitutional muster. Vladeck said there is Supreme Court precedent for the argument that Whitakers assignment is temporary and therefore not an appointment under the Constitution. Reuters contributed to this report. Absolutely Evil: 4 People Found Executed in West Philadelphia Basement, Say Police At least four people were shot dead in a West Philadelphia basement on Nov. 19, according to local media reports. The bodies were discovered at a home on the 5100 block of Malcolm Street after 12 p.m. local time, Fox29 reported. Two bodies and two men were discovered. The victims had a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, police said. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told CBS Philly: All four of these individuals were executed. He added it was an absolutely evil thing to do. Two of the victims were identified only as a 31-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman. Their names havent yet been released. The other two victims were not identified and were described as a male between the age of 20 and 30 and a woman between the age of 30 and 40, according to the Fox affiliate report. The home was under construction, and the bodies were discovered after a family member went to check on the home. The door was left ajar, police said. Police told Fox29 they think the male victims are cousins who lived at the home. Meanwhile, neighbors said they heard three bangs last night, but they thought it was renovations, so they didnt call the police, the Fox report said. No suspects have been identified. No weapons have been recovered. Murder Rate Higher The Associated Press reported that last year, the city had at least 314 murders, which is an increase of about 13 percent over the previous year. It was the highest in five years. As of October 2018, the murder rate is continuing to increase. Local station 6ABC reported that as of October, 256 people have been killed in the city, which is 24 more murders than the same time last year. Philadelphia Police Captain John Ryan told the station: We did have a very violent August. We recorded 41 murders in August and there were 19 murders in August last year. Some noted the citys drug problems, namely opioids. John Appledorn of the Citizens Crime Commission told the outlet: Territorial disputes and people that are on drugs. They gotta go out and start robbing people so you have all this violence, violence, violence. Philadelphia Police spokesman Sekou Kinebrew in 2017 blamed violence related to the opioid crisis. With the increase in demand of these opioids, theres also territorial battles, he said. Neighborhoods where drugs are sold are the same places where the department is logging many of the killings, Kinebrew said, adding that crews use violence means to accomplish their economics goals. Its a very small minority committing most of the havoc, he said. I dont really think we have a clear sense yet of what could account for increase in deaths relative to trending downward of other crime, said Jordan Hyatt, an assistant professor in the criminology and justice studies department at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He said opioid-related violence could be a reason for the jump but maintained that its too early to determine a cause. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former US President Barack Obama stands with Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams during a campaign rally at Morehouse College on November 2, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. Obama spoke in Atlanta to endorse Abrams and encourage Georgians to vote. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) After Election Loss, Georgias Abrams Launches Fair Fight PAC Georgias Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams, admitted electoral defeat on Nov. 16, but vowed to continue fighting, through a federal lawsuit and a political action committee called Fair Fight Georgia. The lawsuit will be filed under the auspices of the newly formed PAC, she said, which is the latest effort at political fundraising that in the past has garnered millions of dollars in donations from sources she has refused to identify. Lets be clear: This is not a speech of concession, Abrams said. In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections from unconstitutional actions. Abramss attempt to become the nations first black female governor fell 17,000 votes short of her Republican opponent Brian Kemp, whom she blames for her election loss. Kemp served as Georgias secretary of state from 2010 until Nov. 8, or two days after the polls closed. I acknowledge that former of Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election, she said. But to watch an elected official, who claims to represent the people in the state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the peoples democratic right to vote has been truly appalling. As the states chief elections officer, Kemp was ultimately in charge of state election integrity procedures. Abrams accused him of purging thousands of minority voters from voter rolls, while Kemp maintained that incorrect voter registrations and those lacking sufficient identification were properly moved to pending status. Citing election abuses, Abrams didnt end her campaign until 10 days after Nov. 6. Fair Fight Georgias website alleges systematic voter suppression, and states that elections in Georgia, and throughout much of our country, are not fair. The site also seeks donations: Contributions currently support the Democratic Party of Georgias voter protection efforts. Fair Fight will start collecting funds on its own behalf shortly. Voter suppression is a message that resonates with many Georgia voters, as evidenced by Abrams earning more total votes than any Democrat in the states history. It was a prime campaign theme, and arguably the issue that has most defined her political career. In 2014, Abrams ran unopposed in a race for Georgias state House District 89, which she represented since 2007. But a massive influx in unforeseen political donations purportedly aimed at supporting voting rights began raising eyebrows not just among Republicans, but other Democrats and so-called good government groups. According to public records, Abrams raised $12.5 million from 2013 to 2016, through two voting rights nonprofits she founded, Third Sector Development and Voter Access Institute. Abrams has refused to acknowledge where the money came from although she personally benefitted to the tune of nearly half a million dollars, the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) reported in Sept. Absolutely, 100 percent, no doubt, the foundations set the stage for Abramss 2018 gubernatorial campaign, a former Democratic candidate told the AJC on the condition of anonymity, citing a fear of political retaliation. Prior to 2018, Third Sector organized a statewide voter registration drive known as the New Georgia Project. The effort relied on support from wealthy progressive donors who continued giving millions to Abrams during her bid for governor. But activities performed by the New Georgia Project led to a fraud investigation by the State Board of Elections, and the groups lack of transparency caused concern among many Democrats. When pressed on the campaign trail, Abrams defended her anti-voter-suppression foundations by suggesting that questions about her donors and outsized salary were sexist. The implicit question is: Why didnt you do it for lessor for free? Abrams said in an interview with Glamour magazine in April. I cant imagine that any man at the head of a non-profit, who achieved what we achieved, and raised the kind of money that we raised, would be asked that question. Public records reveal that Third Sector Development and Voter Access Institute were funded in part by the national progressive groups, American Votes, the Sixteen Thirty Fund and Priorities USA. The entities are backed respectively by labor unions and gun control advocates, environmental activist groups, and Democratic Party super PAC contributors. In a separate interview in March, Abrams let slip one of her anchor donors: George Soros. George Soros and the Soros family have demonstrated nothing but deep investment and commitment to social justice. That is how I came to know them because they were early investors in the New Georgia Project, a project whose sole purpose was to expand the ability of people of color and low-income people of color to exercise their right to vote, and my experience of open society and the work they have done has been that of a family committed to social justice. And I am proud to have their support, Abrams said. Abrams said the billionaire mega-donor had given $1.25 million to another political action committee she controlled, called GeorgiaNEXT, and $1 million to the Georgia Democratic Party on her behalfthe same state political party currently receiving donations from Abramss Fair Fight Georgia. Abrams has not ruled out future elections, such as challenging Georgias Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue in 2020. In the meantime, a team of allied lawyers is amassing testimony and evidence for her impending federal lawsuit. A mans mugshot went viral last week due to the size of his neck (Escambia Sheriff's Office) Alleged Drug Dealers Mug Shot Goes Viral, but He May Suffer From a Rare Medical Condition An alleged drug dealers mugshot went viral last week due to the size of his neck, prompting a number of jokes. The Escambia County Sheriffs Office in Florida on Nov. 13, posted the mugshot of Charles Dion McDowell, 31. He was charged with eluding police, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug equipment. McDowells being held on $57,000 bond. Congratulations to Charles Dion McDowell, DOB: 8/12/87 *shareCharles Dion McDowell was arrested for Fleeing/Eluding Escambia County Sheriff's Office A big thank you to Bob Tyler Toyota for his continued partnership with Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers and the ECSO in expanding the reach of Wheel of Fugitives to WEAR ABC 3 News, Pensacola, the sheriffs office wrote. The post had more than 61,000 likes, 264,000 shares, and nearly 300,000 comments as of Nov. 19. Its not the first time McDowell has been arrested, as there are other mug shots of him available on the Internet. But his most recent arrest went viral and spawned a number of jokes. They gonna put him in jail and throat away the key, wrote one person. Added another: You people should be ashamed of yourselves, all this neckativity isnt right at all. Hell be outta jail neck week, wrote another. Said another, Dude up to his neck in charges. Added one: So I guess they take crime seriously in his neck of the woods. I wonder if he gets out, what he gone do necks, said another person. As Dr. Milton Wolf noted, McDowells neck might be due to a medical condition, accusing the media of body shaming. He said it might be pterygium colli deformity, known as webbed neck, and is associated with Turner Syndrome and Noonan Syndrome. However, Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder that only affects females. Its called pterygium colli deformity. Or webbed neck. Its associated with various medical disorders, most commonly Turner Syndrome. So I guess the MSM is cool with body shaming, so long as its the result of a medical condition? he wrote on Twitter. The prevalence of pterygium colli webbed neck is 75 percent in patients with Turner syndrome. This congenital deformity manifests as a bilateral cervical skin fold stretching from the mastoid to the acromion. Although the visibility of this skin fold varies among patients, it frequently has negative social effects. The surgical management of this malformation remains challenging as it requires the achievement of a harmonious neck profile and natural hairline implantation, according to the U.S. Library of Medicines website. Its not clear if McDowell actually suffers from any rare genetic disorders. And the National Organization for Rare Diseases writes of Noonan Syndrome: Noonan syndrome is a genetic disorder that is typically evident at birth (congenital). The disorder is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms and physical features that vary greatly in range and severity. In many affected individuals, associated abnormalities include a distinctive facial appearance; a broad or webbed neck; a low posterior hairline; a typical chest deformity and short stature. It adds that some features of the head and facial (craniofacial) area may include widely set eyes (ocular hypertelorism); skin folds that may cover the eyes inner corners (epicanthal folds); drooping of the upper eyelids (ptosis); a small jaw (micrognathia); a depressed nasal root; a short nose with broad base; and low-set, posteriorly rotated ears (pinnae). Visitors look at a "wheeled combat vehicle" on display at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong Province on Nov. 7, 2018. (WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images) An Assessment of Chinas Missile Systems at the 12th Zhuhai Airshow This article is the second in a series of four reports on Airshow China, a biannual exhibition held in the city of Zhuhai, China. New missile systems have been featured at all Zhuhai shows and were a significant part of the 12th Zhuhai Airshow, held Nov. 6 to 11. Zhuhais missile displays have usually been dominated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). However, since 2014, the China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) has also displayed increasingly capable missile systems. Essentially, all three companies now offer the same range of surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), while CASIC offers the most surface-to-air missiles (SAMs, or anti-aircraft missiles), cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles. Export products of Chinas main missile companies often provide indications regarding future missile armaments for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). The former Second Artillery, now Rocket Forces of the PLA, traditionally has been the PLAs main missile-armed service, controlling short, medium, intermediate, and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles and some cruise missiles. The PLA Ground Forces have in recent years acquired artillery rockets comparable in range to short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and may be acquiring tactical-range cruise missiles. The PLA Air Force and PLA Navy have been equipped with long-range cruise missiles, but more recently both have acquired air- and ship-launched ballistic missiles. SRBMs reach speeds of Mach 3 to Mach 6, making them far more difficult to shoot down compared to subsonic-speed cruise missiles. CASICs CM-401 Anti-Ship SRBM CASICs new CM-401 solid-fuel, anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is likely the worlds first ship-launched ASBM to be offered for sale. Its likely based on CASICs 295-kilometer (183-mile) range, second-generation BP-12B SRBM introduced in 2016, which uses an infrared or radar guidance system. A cutaway model of the CM-401 shows that it has a radar for terminal guidance. It has an advertised range of 290 kilometers (180 miles), a top speed of Mach 6, and a mean or average speed of Mach 4. Illustrations at Zhuhai show that its also capable of interception-avoidance maneuvering. However, the CM-401 is too wide to fit into existing ship vertical launch systems (VLS) sized for surface-to-air missiles, so it requires an inclined box launcher, which would take up deck space on a launch ship. At Zhuhai, the CM-401 was displayed on a transporter-erector launcher (TEL), perhaps indicating it could equip PLA Navy Coastal Defense units. Based on conversations with CASC officials at an April 2018 Malaysian arms exhibition, its also possible that CASC could be modifying its HHQ-16 SAM as an ASBM, which can fit into existing VLS tubes. In addition, university lecture slides leaked in August 2017 from a retired PLA Navy rear admiral indicate the PLA may put longer-range, higher-speed ASBMs on ships, and even equip them with maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicle warheads. CASC Expands its M20 SRBM Family Also seen at Zhuhai for the first time were new variants of CASCs second-generation solid-fuel 280-kilometer (174-mile) range M20 SRBM. The M20A is equipped with an optical seeker to perform precision strikes. In addition, there is an M20B that wasnt described but likely carries either a radar or electronic signal-homing guidance system. CASCs M20, which first appeared in 2013, and CASICs BP-12A, appearing in 2012, are maneuverable second-generation SRBMs with TELs that can carry up to two large SRBMs, or up to eight artillery-rocket technology-based SRBMs. Considering that PLA Rocket Force SRBM units all employ reload missiles, if the PLA replaced all first-generation SRBMs with second-generation models, the PLA could increase its 1,200 SRBMs targeting Taiwan to more than 4,000. While the PLA has yet to start such a general modernization of its SRBMs, when they do, both CASC and CASIC second-generation SRBMs may be able to attack both naval and ground targets. The Curious WS-600L One new missile at Zhuhai that raises some questions is the WS-600L solid-fuel short-range ballistic missile, which may ultimately be a product of CASC. At first, observers such as Henri Kenhmann thought this may be HQ-8, said to be a long-under-development 200-kilometer (124-mile) range surface-to-air missile system (SAM). This might have been understandable at first glance, as the WS-600L was placed next to a new phased-array SAM radar, and it apparently uses cold-launch missile tubes similar to those of advanced SAMs. CASIC makes the 150-kilometer (93-mile) range HQ-9 SAM, but the launch tubes of the WS-600L are larger than those of the HQ-9. The WS-600L uses a Taian made TEL thats usually associated with CASC missiles. However, while it is clearly capable of longer ranges, it is being presented as a less-than-300-kilometer (186-mile) range SSM, which is part of the Wei Shi (WS) family of large diameter artillery rockets and guided rockets, usually associated with CASC. Though it hasnt yet been reported that the WS-600L has entered PLA service, its size may indicate that it can be developed into a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), with different warheads for a precision ground strike, or anti-naval strikes. Perhaps Kenhmann is half right: The WS-600L could be the SSM variant of the not-quite-ready-for-market HQ-8. CASIC already makes for the PLA Rocket Force its 800- to 1,000-kilometer (497- t0 621-mile) range DF-16 MRBM family, so the WS-600L may be CASCs attempt to exploit a larger rocket engine to make a less expensive MRBM. The WS-600L would have an advantage of having four missiles per TEL, compared to the DF-16s single missile. CASICs Army Precision Strike System With CASICs Army Precision Strike System, the PLA now has four companies to choose from offering integrated short-range loitering and precision strike missiles, which can complement anti-tank missiles, regular artillery, and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), to dominate battlefield operations. At the 2014 Zhuhai show, CASC introduced its artillery rockets combined with its 60-kilometer (37 mile) range WS-43 loitering-reconnaissance-strike missiles. Then at the 2016 Zhuhai show, Poly Technologies and Norinco introduced precision loitering battlefield missiles, including the latters 10-kilometer (6-mile) range, fiber-optic, wire-guided HQ-10, which is in PLA Ground Forces service. While CASIC revealed its 40-kilometer (25-mile) range CM-501 and its 25-kilometer (15-mile) range CM-502 loitering reconnaissance-strike missiles at the 2016 Zhuhai show, it used the 2018 Zhuhai show to reveal its 70-kilometer (43 mile) range, 30 minutes endurance CM-501X, which is similar in range and has a similar boxy fuselage as the WS-43. The CM-501X and the WS-43 perform initial battlefield reconnaissance to cue the smaller loitering strike missiles. CASICs missiles are launched vertically from a 44 wheeled vehicle, indicating it may be movable by helicopter. These systems demonstrate the PLAs ability to more powerfully combine information and strike technologies. The name of the CASIC missiles likely purposely recalls the similarly configured U.S. Lockheed Martin XM-501, Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System (NLOS-LS) precision strike missile system program of the U.S. Army, which after development difficulties was canceled in 2011. Some Comments With the revelation of the CASIC CM-401, China has become the first country to develop and offer for sale a short-range anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), even though it has DF-21D medium-range and DF-26 intermediate-range ASBMs in Rocket Force service today. While the CM-401 can only be launched horizontally from a ship today, its possible that China could develop a larger vertical launch system for this missile, or develop smaller ASBMs that can fit into existing VLS on PLA Navy ships. All of this makes China the world leader in ground- and sea-based ASBM systems. There is no open-source indication that a version of the CM-401 is in PLA Navy service today, but Chinese sources do indicate it is the PLAs intention to introduce longer range ASBMs onto PLA Navy ships. When deployed, they will further stress U.S. Navy and allied navy ship defenses, which must already contend with shore-launched ASBMs, and air, ground, and sea-launched long-range anti-ship cruise missiles. This years Zhuhai show also added to the overkill of choices already available from Chinas competing missile companies. China is beginning to see some success in SRBM sales, with its B611 having been co-developed with Turkey; the CASC M20 having been sold to Belarus; and the CASIC BP-12 revealed in late 2017 to have been sold to Qatar. For several years, a version of Irans Fateh-110 solid-fuel SRBM has had an optical precision guidance system. Might it have been supplied by CASC? Even though China was never a party to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, its well-placed to respond to the United Statess withdrawal from INF by matching any new long-range missile systems the United States develops and deploys in Asia. Rick Fisher is a senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center and author of Chinas Military Modernization: Building for Regional and Global Reach. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. APEC leaders pose for a "family photo" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Port Moresby on Nov. 18, 2018. (SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) USChina Divisions Leave APEC Leaders Unable to Reach Consensus on Communique Divisions between the United States and China set off an unprecedented event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, when leaders at the regional forum failed to issue a joint statement for the first time since 1993. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill said on Nov. 18 that the sticking point was over whether the Leaders Declaration should include mention of potential reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Reuters reported. China wouldnt agree to the inclusion of the reference to WTO blaming a country for unfair trade practices, an unidentified diplomat involved in the negotiation told Reuters. In September, the United States, Japan, and the European Union agreed to work together to reform ineffective WTO rules that enabled unfair Chinese trade practices. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited Beijings unfair trade practices as the main reason for slapping tariffs on a total of $250 billion worth of Chinese goods in the ongoing SinoU.S. trade war. Trump was represented by Vice President Mike Pence at the APEC summit. Speaking in Papua New Guinea on Nov. 17, Pence criticized Chinas unfair practices, including tremendous trade barriers, quotas, forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and industrial subsidies on an unprecedented scaleall of which contributed to a $375 billion trade deficit with the United States last year alone. The division between the two countries goes beyond trade practices and references to the WTO. In the span of two days from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, Pence and Chinese leader Xi Jinping traded remarks about their countries differing policies in the region. On Nov. 17, Pence, in an indirect reference to Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) initiative, stated: We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt. We dont coerce or compromise your independence. The United States deals openly, fairly. We do not offer a constricting belt or a one-way road. OBOR, first announced by Beijing in 2013, seeks to build Beijing-centered land and maritime trade networks by financing infrastructure projects throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, Beijings initiative has been criticized for burdening developing countries with massive loans that they cant pay off. This debt trap has already occurred in South Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Pence spoke of how the United States plan in the region, the Indo-Pacific strategy, differs from OBOR, as it includes for example freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Additionally, Pence welcomed Chinas involvement in the American strategy, if Beijing were to respect its neighbors sovereignty; embrace free, fair, and reciprocal trade; uphold human rights and freedom. Trump first brought up his Indo-Pacific strategy during an Asia trip in November 2017. In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $113 million in infrastructure investments in the Indo-Pacific region. Chinas state-run daily, the Global Times, lashed out at Pences remark in an editorial published on Nov. 17, calling it nothing new, while defending OBOR as a development plan warmly received by a large number of countries. Xi, speaking prior to Pences speech on Nov. 17, defended the countrys OBOR initiative. He said the initiative was neither designed to serve any hidden geopolitical agenda, nor a trap as some people have labeled it. Sri Lanka handed control of its strategic Hambantota port to China in December 2017 after it was unable to pay back $6 billion in loans and converted the debt into equity. On Nov. 18, in another speech, Xi openly stated Beijings ambitions in the Pacific. He said that efforts are required to turn our connectivity blueprint into reality and extend our connectivity network to every corner along the Pacific shores, referring to OBOR. Sending a message that it would face off with Chinas increasing influence in the Pacific, the United States announced on Nov. 17 that it will join with Australia to build a naval base on Papua New Guineas Manus Islands, according to Reuters. On Nov. 18, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan agreed on an electricity project in Papua New Guinea that promises to boost electricity access to 70 percent of the local population, up from the current 13 percent. We dont want to see a repeat in the South Pacific of the kinds of risks that we saw in Sri Lanka or other parts of the Indian Ocean, where Chinas infrastructure and development assistance had negative consequences, Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at Australian National University, told the English-language Japan Times for a Nov. 18 article. With additional reporting by Sunny Chao. A relative of a missing Argentine submarine crew member is pictured outside Argentina's Navy base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on Nov. 24. (EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP/Getty Images) Argentine Sub Found Partially Imploded After Yearlong Search BUENOS AIRESThe Argentine Navy submarine that went missing a year ago off the countrys Atlantic Coast was found by a private company involved in what had been a massive search for the vessel and its 44-member crew, the defense ministry said in a news conference on Nov. 17. The ARA San Juan submarine was discovered by marine tracking contractor Ocean Infinity, 907 meters (2,975 feet) below the ocean surface. The vessel was found in an underwater canyon with its tail partially imploded, Argentinas Defense Minister Carlos Aguad said. Given the poor visibility at the site, the ministry said it only had preliminary information about the state of the submarine, which was scattered in pieces on the ocean floor. Aguad could neither confirm nor deny if the vessel could be recovered, but said the government did not have the means to extract the submarine. The disappearance gripped the nations attention as the government struggled to provide information about the tragedy. Relatives of the crew still have questions. We have found them, Jorge Villarreal, father of one crew member told local radio. Now we are going to search for the truth. For us this is the start of a new chapter. Aguad said: Much of what happens from here will have to be resolved by the justice department. If there is someone responsible, they will be held responsible. At the time of the disappearance, the Navy said water that had entered the submarines snorkel caused its battery to short-circuit. Naval officials said international organizations helping to search for the missing vessel a year ago detected a noise that could have been the submarine imploding, just two hours after its last contact. The first anniversary of the submarines disappearance was commemorated at the Mar del Plata naval base on Nov. 15, with President Mauricio Macri in attendance. The crew had been ordered to return to Mar del Plata on the countrys east coast. But the vessel was never heard from again. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Ocean Infinity, a U.S. company that can search and map the seabed, was hired by Argentina following the failure of an international operation to find the vessel after it went missing in the South Atlantic. Ocean Infinity used five autonomous underwater vehicles to carry out the search, according to a statement from the company. Our thoughts are with the many families affected by this terrible tragedy. We sincerely hope that locating the resting place of the ARA San will be of some comfort to them, the statement said. The San Juan was some 270 miles off Argentinas Patagonian coast when it sent its last signal. The disaster spurred soul-searching over the state of the military in Argentina, which after a series of financial crises has one of Latin Americas smallest defense budgets relative to the size of its economy. Some families of missing crew members blamed the government for underfunding the Navy. Argentina learned a harsh lesson of submarines military value during the 1982 Falklands War, when a British sub sank the ARA General Belgrano cruiser. It was the only major ship Argentina lost in the war over the disputed Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas. By Hugh Bronstein & Jorge Otaola Students study in their classroom at the Yang Dezhi elementary school in Wenshui, Xishui country in southwestern China's Guizhou province, on Nov. 7, 2016. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images) Beijing Issues New Political Guidelines on What Constitutes Good Teachers In China, political loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party has just become a key criterion in assessing whether a teacher is doing their job well. On Nov. 16, Chinas Ministry of Education issued 10 guidelines on what is considered professional behavior for teachers in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to Chinas state-run media Xinhua. The rules apply to all instructors from elementary school through college and university. Two criteria clarify the political stance that a teacher must have: The first one states that teachers must have a firm political direction while supporting the Chinese Communist Partys leadership and thoroughly following the Partys educational policies. While engaging in school activities, they cant do or speak of anything that might damage the authority of the central government or go against the Partys policy. Secondly, they must conscientiously love their country, be loyal to their homeland, and, most importantly, not damage the regimes interests. Other guidelines include more typical protocol, such as caring for students, making sure students are safe, and being fair and honest. Since its founding, the Chinese regime has instilled an ideology that the Party is equivalent to the country. The call for loving the country often means a command for people to abide by the Partys agenda. The latest guidelines arent the first time that Beijing has tried to enforce control over the countrys teachers. In August 2001, during the rule of former Party leader Jiang Zemin, the Ministry of Education released a notice that called for elementary school instructors to incite youngsters to love their homeland and their country. In January 2005, the Ministry of Education issued another notice, which urged teachers to improve their ideological thinking, by being diligent in learning about Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Three Representatives [by Jiang Zemin]. Each Party leader develops a political doctrine to enshrine their legacy in communist history. Current leader Xis is Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The 2005 notice also encouraged teachers to be steadfast in the direction of socialist education and to fully enforce the Partys educational policy, and also be able to use their good political thinking to influence and guide their students. The call for learning Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought was emphasized again in a 16-article notice issued by the Ministry of Education for teachers within higher education in May 2013. One rule calls for teachers to use internet tools to better monitor public opinions and thinking within school campuses, and have teachers ideological thought become the dominant force on cyberspace. In other words, teachers were encouraged to censor their students speech for anything that didnt toe the Party line. On Sina Weibo, Chinas equivalent to Twitter, some Chinese netizens expressed concerns over Beijings increasing encroachment on education. A netizen with the moniker Ms. Dong Angelazombie from Beijing wrote, I wouldnt want someone with a firm political stance to be my teacher. Another netizen from Wenzhou, a port city in Chinas Zhejiang Province, wrote: I feel like Im going to puke. Can we leave politics out of education? For teachers who overstep Party boundaries, punishment may come swiftly. In August, Yang Shaozheng, a noted economics professor at Chinas Guizhou University, was dismissed after being suspended for nearly a year, after he advocated for constitutionalism and the rule of law to students in his class. President Donald Trump (R) talks to China's leader Xi Jinping during a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017. (THOMAS PETER/AFP/Getty Images) Beijing Responds to US Crackdown on Chinese Firm With Micron Antitrust Probe WASHINGTONChinese officials said they found massive evidence of antitrust violations by Americas largest memory-chip maker, Micron Technology, in an investigation that is expected to result in the Chinese regime slapping Micron with substantial fines. The tit-for-tat move, which may escalate the U.S.-China trade dispute, followed the recent U.S. crackdown on a Chinese state-owned company for stealing American trade secrets. The Financial Times reported Nov. 19 that Chinese investigators have collected strong evidence of anti-competitive behavior by Micron. The ongoing price-fixing probe also includes Microns two rivals, South Koreas Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The three chipmakers control almost 95 percent of the global market for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips. The anti-monopoly investigation into these three companies has made important progress [It] has yielded massive evidence, said Wu Zhenguo, head of Chinas anti-monopoly bureau under the State Administration for Market Regulation, according to the Financial Times. Officials in Beijing didnt offer specific details about the wrongdoing. The price-fixing investigation started May 31 after sharp increases in DRAM prices. In the first such probe by Chinese authorities, officials were reported to visit Samsung, SK Hynix, and Microns offices in May without prior notice. According to experts, these probes were initiated because of pressure from Chinese electronics manufacturers, mainly smartphone makers who suffer from the high cost of chips. The price-per-bit of DRAM chips has continued to rise this year, following a nearly 50 percent jump in 2017. According to a Citi report, high DRAM prices reflect technology difficulties and an unexpected rise in demand. Considering that the memory players have been avoiding interactions among themselves given their history of collusion, it would be difficult to prove the Chinese governments allegations, Citi analyst Peter Lee said in a report on June 3. The most recent announcement by the Chinese investigators, however, looks like a continuation of the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, Lee said in another report. We believe the Chinese governments actions are related to current US-China trade friction, he wrote on Nov. 18. Recently, as the U.S. Commerce Department restricted transactions of U.S. equipment makers with Chinese memory makers (Fujian Jinhua and YMTC), Chinese mobile customers are hesitant to procure memory from U.S. makers. We expect China to impose penalties to memory makers, Lee noted. According to the Financial Times report, China could impose fines as high as $2.5 billion on each of the three chipmakers. This would create additional pressure to cut DRAM prices and build more wafer factories as joint ventures with local Chinese companies to spur the transfer of technology to China, Kim Young-woo, an analyst at SK Securities told the newspaper. US Actions to Defend Micron The move by Chinese authorities came at a time when the U.S. government took unprecedented actions to defend Micron Technology. The Commerce and Justice departments recently cracked down on a Chinese state-owned company for stealing Microns trade secrets. On Nov. 1, the Justice Department issued indictments against Chinas Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit, its business partner Taiwans United Microelectronics Corp., and employees for conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, economic espionage, and related crimes. The companies were alleged to have stolen Microns trade secrets related to the production of DRAM. The Chinese regime has set the development of DRAM and other microelectronics technologies as a national economic priority. The Justice Department also filed a civil lawsuit to block Jinhua and its partner from exporting to the United States any products made by using the trade secrets at issue. In addition, the Commerce Department announced in October that Jinhua posed a national security threat, and added the company to its entity list to restrict exports to Jinhua. According to experts, this action by the Trump administration is an unprecedented effort to use a legal tool widely known for penalizing foreign companies that support terrorism, send goods to sanctioned countries like Iran or North Korea, or violate export-control rules. U.S. officials are now searching for additional cases where U.S. businesses have been harmed by Chinese IP theft. A study found that the annual cost of IP theft to the U.S. economy could be as high as $600 billion. During the bilateral trade negotiations this year, the Trump administration presented Chinese officials with a long list of demands, including ending IP theft. The last round of talks ended in August as Chinese officials gave no indication that they were ready to meet Washingtons demands. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. Both sides are considering a formal, bilateral meeting at the summit that may include discussions on trade as well. Beijing may use its Micron probe as a bargaining chip for its trade talks with Trump, according to analysts. The logo of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras is pictured in the company headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Feb. 20, 2018. (Paulo Whitaker/File photo/Reuters) Brazils Bolsonaro Taps Privatization Advocate to Lead Petrobras RIO DE JANEIROBrazils government on Nov. 19 turned to a University of Chicago-trained economist who has spoken in favor of privatizing Petroleo Brasileiro SA to be the head of the state-controlled oil company. The nomination of Roberto Castello Branco is the latest in a string of appointments of Chicago-trained, free-market economists to the team President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who takes office on Jan. 1. Castello Branco has in the past advocated the privatization of Petrobras, Brazils largest company by market capitalization and the employer of 60,000 people. He shares his University of Chicago ties with Bolsonaros influential pick for economy minister, Paulo Guedes, as well as Joaquim Levy, who has been tapped to lead Brazils powerful state development bank, BNDES. Chicagos economics department has long been known for orthodox economics, particularly in Latin America, and much of Brazils business elite is enthused by the prospect of Chicago-linked appointees in top posts in public administration. Hes been public in the past about advocating for less government intervention all the way to privatizing parts of Petrobras, James Gulbrandsen, chief investment officer for Latin American investments at NCH Capital, said of the appointment. We basically have the University of Chicago economics department taking over the Brazilian economy. Castello Branco, a member of Petrobrass board until 2016, has also held executive positions at Brazils central bank and at iron ore miner Vale SA. He will take over from Ivan Monteiro, who will remain CEO of the oil company until Castello Branco is officially appointed by Bolsonaro, Guedes said on Nov. 19. In a June letter to newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Castello Branco wrote in favor of privatizing Petrobras, a strong hint that he will aggressively push forward with the companys ambitious divestment plans. We expect Petrobras deleveraging process and divestment program to continue under Castello Brancos tenure, Vincente Falanga and Oscar Camilo, analysts at Banco Bradesco BBI, wrote in a note to clients. Challenges Ahead Castello Branco will take the helm at Petrobras amid a debate within Bolsonaros team over the direction of the oil producer. Guedes has advocated a full privatization of the company while military generals around Bolsonaro oppose such an idea. Bolsonaro himself has said he favors keeping the company in state hands but is open to privatizing certain assets. Petrobras, which has played a leading roll in developing a bonanza of deep-water oil finds in recent decades, is a source of national pride for many Brazilians. Yet its central role in the Car Wash investigation, considered by many to be the worlds largest corruption probe, has hurt its public image and bottom line in recent years. With Petrobras burdened by some $88 billion of gross debt, the market is eager to see an ongoing divestment program maintain a full head of steam in coming years. Castello Brancos appointment follows the Nov. 16 nomination of banking executive Roberto Campos Neto as head of Brazils central bank. University of California-trained Campos is a senior executive at Banco Santander Brasil SA. Bolsonaros team first sounded out Castello Branco about his interest in the job in October, shortly after Bolsonaro won the presidential election, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Traders said the appointment of a market-friendly CEO at Petrobras was widely expected. Some said they would have seen keeping Monteiro on as a positive as well. I preferred that Ivan (Monteiro) stay on, but given the change, given that (Castello Branco) was on the board, he already knows the company and he has a good profile, said a Rio de Janeiro-based trader, who requested anonymity to speak frankly. Preferred shares of Petrobras were down 0.3 percent in early afternoon trade, while Brazils benchmark Bovespa index was off some 1.2 percent. By Gram Slattery, Rodrigo Viga Gaier & Marta Nogueira As the Camp Fire ravaged the small Northern California city of Paradise, days later, a family found their dog guarding a home. (Kayla Westman/GoFundMe) Camp Fire Ravages Town of Paradise, California, but Family Dog Survives As the Camp Fire ravaged the small Northern California city of Paradise, days later, a family found their dog guarding a home. Leahna Copseys home was destroyed, as were many on her block, but one house remained standing. Thats where they discovered Ella, the familys border collie, standing watch, according to reports. She was protecting it, Copsey told Visalia Times-Delta paper. She was protecting the only house left on the block. Copsey said that when evacuation orders were issued due to the fire, she had no idea the fire would reach her home. We did not get an evacuation order until 4 p.m. that day, Copseys 24-year-old daughter Kayla Westman told People magazine. Copsey decided to leave Paradise and went to Chico, a nearby city, with her two daughters. She was under the assumption she would be able to return later in the day. According to Fox News, Copsey began to pack up some random items but was unable to locate the dog. She said that as the family was evacuated, she thought about Ella and hoped for the best. But [the family] had to go, Fox reported. ELLA IS TRULY A LOYAL FAMILY PET YET WAS LEFT BEHIND! SHE WAS BURNED ON HER FEET&BODY. SHE HAS A GO-FUND ACCT FOR HER CARE! TY GOD HELP HER IN HER RECOVERY!https://t.co/vUVcFpGzmJ Califgal49 (@Califgal49) November 19, 2018 When they got back, they discovered that Ella had made it through the fire. Ella suffers minor burns in the blaze, she said. On a GoFundMe page, Westman said she got rude messages from people who jumped to conclusions as to what happened. Her family, according to the page, fully [expected] to be home in the afternoon after they escaped their home. They also left behind chickens, home videos, photo albums filled with pictures that are now lost forever and only in our memories. Their GoFundMe has raised $2,000 of its $650 goal as of Sunday night. As soon as my mom and sisters hit the main road, thats when they realized how serious it was. They werent able to move, Westman told People magazine. Theres people all of a sudden running out of their cars because traffics not moving and the fire, all of a sudden, was that close. Nobody really knew it was going to jump that quickly when all of us were thinking. Oh, its aways away, we have a day or more, you know? Rain Expected Up to 400 people fanned out Sunday to search the ash and rubble where homes once stood before flames roared through the Sierra foothills town of Paradise and surrounding communities, killing at least 77 people in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century, according to The Associated Press. A team of 10 volunteers, accompanied by a cadaver dog, went from house to house in the charred landscape. They scrutinized the rubble in five-minute sweeps, using sticks to move aside debris and focused on vehicles, bathtubs and what was left of mattresses. Sheriff Kory Honea said it was within the realm of possibility that officials would never know the exact death toll from the blaze. He also questioned whether the search for remains could be completed by midweek when rain is forecast. The Associated Press contributed to this report. South Koreans watch a television broadcast reporting the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, airing at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on March 28, 2018. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) Chinese Leader Xi Intends to Visit North Korea Next Year, South Korea Says SEOULChinese leader Xi Jinping intends to visit North Korea next year after receiving an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korea said on Nov. 17, which would make Xi the first Chinese leader to do so since 2005. Xi told South Korean president Moon Jae-in in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea that he would make time to visit North Korea next year. Xi said China would work to build peace on the Korean Peninsula, Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for South Koreas presidential office, said at a briefing after the meeting between Xi and Moon. The announcement of the visit comes at a time when negotiations between North Korea and the United States appear to have stalled over how to remove Pyongyangs nuclear weapons. At an unprecedented summit in Singapore, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim agreed in June to work toward denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula and establish new relations. But the agreement was short on specifics, and negotiations have made little headway since. Xis trip to North Korea would be the first by a Chinese leader since his predecessor Hu Jintaos visit in 2005. Xi traveled to North Korea in 2008 as a vice president. Amid existing international sanctions on North Korea following its weapons tests, China is Pyongyangs sole major ally and a key economic lifeline for the isolated country. China is North Koreas largest trading partner. China appears to have relaxed enforcement of sanctions on Pyongyang, as relations between China and North Korea have thawed after the longtime ally of Beijing began to engage with the United States this year, a U.S. congressional commission said last week. Earlier this year, Chinese ships were spotted making illegal shipments to North Korea, violating international sanctions. In response, the U.S. administration announced sanctions in August on Chinese companies involved. Also, this past year, North Korean leader Kim met with Xi three times, raising speculation that the two communist allies were negotiating behind the scenes without the United States input. The North Korea-China border have seen increased economic activity since denuclearization talks began. Chinese counties near the border were even reported to have set up refugee camps in anticipation of a refugee crisis. Chinas account of the bilateral meeting in Papua New Guinea made no mention of Xi planning to go to North Korea. Moon and Xi agreed that a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang and a planned visit by North Korean leader Kim to Seoul would be an important breakthrough in resolving the situation on the peninsula, according to South Koreas presidential office. The South Korean presidential spokesman said Xi was also willing to come to South Korea next year at a convenient time. South Koreas presidential office issued a transcript of its briefing on the meeting in Port Moresby. Ju-min Park and Soyoung Kim. Epoch Times staff member Annie Wu contributed to this report. Danske Bank Whistleblower Says European Bank Handled $150 Billion of Payments COPENHAGENThe whistleblower who revealed alleged money laundering involving Danske Bank said Nov. 19 that a major European lender helped process as much as $150 billion in suspicious payments and that two U.S. banks were also involved. Payments totaling 200 billion euros ($228.5 billion) made through Danske Banks tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015 have sparked inquiries in Denmark, Estonia, Britain, and the United States in a growing global scandal. Howard Wilkinson, the head of Danske Banks trading unit in the Baltics from 2007 to 2014, told a Danish parliamentary hearing that several other lenders were involved in the payments through its Estonian branch, adding that many involved two large U.S. banks and the U.S. subsidiary of a big European bank. I would guess that $150 billion went through this particular bank [the large European bank] in the U.S., the Briton said, without naming any of the banks in question. No one really knows where this money went. All we know is that the last people to see it was these three large banks in the U.S. They were the last check, and when that failed, the money was into the global financial system. Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, and Bank of America all cleared dollar transactions for Danskes Estonian branch, some until 2015, sources have told Reuters. Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, which one of the sources said ended its correspondent relationship with Danskes Tallinn branch in 2013, both declined to comment, while Bank of America wasnt immediately available for comment. Wilkinson, who told Parliament that he had been offered money by Danske Bank for his silence, said he had received a waiver last month allowing him to talk to U.S. authorities, but added that he didnt expect investigations to lead anywhere. We are now here at the back-end of 2018, talking about dirty money from 2007 to 2015. There is no chance in the world that any of that money is ever going to be tracked down and that any criminals lose a single cent, he said. Lack of Interest Danske Bank has acknowledged that its money-laundering controls in Estonia were insufficient, but in a report issued in September, the company said the board, the chairman, and the chief executive, hadnt breached their legal obligations. The CEO and chairman have both stood down since the release of the report. In April 2014, it became clear that the bank didnt intend to do anything, the former Danske Bank employee said, referring to earlier whistleblower reports. There was a curious lack of interest at senior management level. In this concrete case, we have said that we urge everyone with knowledge about it to go to the authorities, Danske Banks interim CEO Jesper Nielsen told Danish lawmakers. We have breached the expectations society had of us. The case and the course of events around it does not reflect the bank we want to be, Nielsen added. In Danske Banks September report, it said the first whistleblower report, which was titled Whistleblowing disclosureknowingly dealing with criminals in Estonia Branch, was sent to its executive board, group compliance, and internal auditor at the end of December 2013. Thomas Borgen stepped down as CEO following the September report, saying that although he was cleared from a legal point of view, he held the ultimate responsibility. However, the report concluded that no red flags had been shared with Borgen when he held the ultimate executive responsibility for the Estonian branch between 2009 and 2012. After the banks Internal Audits initial findings in February 2014, Borgen recommended an immediate stop to all new business and a controlled closing-down of existing transactions, the banks report said. By Teis Jensen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Chinese workers assemble electronic components at the Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China, on May 26, 2010. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images) Employee Suicides in Chinas Much-Touted Tech Manufacturing Sector Highlight Harsh Working Conditions Among the goals laid out in Beijings national agendasuch as its Made in China 2025 policyis to prop up the countrys tech manufacturing sector and advance Chinas reputation as a high-tech powerhouse. And yet, this very tech sector, which supplies the world with electronic gadgets, currently faces a serious problem of employee suicides. Much of the blame rests on the Chinese regime, according to a recent study. Hong Kong-based Economic Rights Institute (ERI) and Electronics Watch, an independent monitoring organization for labor rights, jointly published a study on the link between employment conditions and suicide in Chinas electronics sectors on Nov. 14. The study looked at 167 cases of attempted or completed suicide based on internet sources since 2010. In addition, the study conducted surveys with 5,592 employees from 44 Chinese electronics companies, and interviewed 252 employees from four Chinese companies. The study found multiple contributing factors that included employers ignoring signs of employee stress, using punishment to enforce productivity requirements, and refusing to give employees bonuses that they were promised when they were first recruited. Additionally, the study found that employers often resorted to coercion to keep employees in grueling working cycles of repetitive movement for 80 hours or more per week, including forcing overtime, withholding income to keep employees from resigning, denying requests for time off, and fining employees for incomplete work. These employers are responsible for suicides at their companies, the report said. Employee suicide in the Chinese electronics sector reflects the repression of workers collective voice, said Dimitri Kessler, director of ERI and one of the authors of the study, in a statement issued on the Electronics Watch website. The study pointed out a peak in the number of suicides in 2010, most prominently with one Chinese company, only identified as Supplier F, that witnessed a string of suicides. But the reports authors dont believe the decline in reported suicides is entirely due to fewer incidents of employee suicide. It is possible the government grew concerned this triggered tighter control of public reporting of suicides. Though the study didnt identify Supplier F, numerous references make it all but certain that it is, in fact, Apple supplier Foxconn. In 2010, at least 14 Foxconn employees died in apparent suicides that were attributed to difficult working conditions. The study explained how Beijings tight censorship of suicide-related news actually undermines any effort to reduce suicide. Censorship undermines deeper solutions when it permits employers to circumvent accountability for negligence that directly contributes to suicides. And it prevents more effective monitoring and analysis of the frequency and evolution of suicides which could contribute to prevention efforts, the study stated. It wasnt only suicide incidents that were censored. The study found that online stories of suicide survivors, such as criticism of employers, or police ruthlessness and suspicions of company wrongdoing, were sometimes removed by internet censors. Such censorship hinders the possibility of independent monitoring that can pressure employers to respect sensible norms and requirements in their response to suicides, according to the study. Suicide survivors and family of suicide victims are also at a disadvantage when fighting for their rights, given that employers in China have been known to collude with local police, according to the study. In one incident in November 2014, according to the report, an unidentified employee was thrown into prison by local police, charged with disrupting order at his workplace, after he threatened to jump from a second-story window because of withheld income. In April 2013, an employee at a factory owned by the Hong Kong-based semiconductor company ASM, located in the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Shenzhen, died two days after he and his workers organized a strike against the companys decision to move from Shenzhen. Local police reported his death as a suicide, despite family members of the man expressing concerns that the employer and police were using the veil of suicide to hide a homicide in connection with the strike, according to the study. China Press's webpage, with a remembrance photo and message about the passing of its founder, Xie Yining. (Screenshot) Founder of US Newspaper With Ties to Beijing Shot to Death at California Office Xie Yining, the founder and chairman of the U.S.-based Chinese-language newspaper China Press, was shot to death inside the publications office in Alhambra, California, according to a report by local newspaper San Gabriel Valley Tribune. After receiving a call on Nov. 16 from a man who said he had been shot, local police found Xie, 58, at the newspaper office, where he was pronounced dead. Police recovered a handgun at the scene and arrested an employee identified as Zhong Qi Chen, 56, on suspicion of murder. Zhong is currently held on $1 million bail. Police didnt indicate a motive for the shooting. Newspapers Background China Press, better known as Qiao Bao in Mandarin Chinese, is a Chinese-language newspaper long known in the U.S. immigrant community for its pro-Beijing views and propensity to repeat Beijings propaganda on a wide range of issues. During the current trade dispute between China and the United States, for example, China Press has run an article advancing Beijing propaganda, such as that the trade dispute was being pressed by President Donald Trump to win Republican votes in the November midterm elections. Since Beijing launched a nationwide persecution of the spiritual group Falun Gong in 1999, China Press has been among a number of overseas Chinese newspapers that repeated propaganda in mainland Chinas state-run media, vilifying the meditation practice and its adherents. Meanwhile, Chinese media often repost China Press articles, such as one titled, Overseas Chinese in Seattle support Chinas sovereignty in the South China Sea, in July 2016. Many suspect that the newspaper is actually run by the Chinese regime. On paper, the newspaper is under the umbrella of Rhythm Media Group, a California-registered firm founded in 2003 with several Chinese-language news outlets, a film production company, and a cultural center in its profile. But Xies background and a look into the companys history indicate that it, in fact, has close ties to Beijing. On Nov. 18, China Press published an obituary spread about Xies death, giving a brief biographic timeline. After graduating from university in 1982, Xie became a reporter for the state-run China News Service. In 1987, Xie became the White House correspondent for the news service. In 1992, he left his position to establish China Press in San Francisco; the newspaper also has editions in Los Angeles and New York. Notably, the China Press obituary included a statement of condolence from the Chinese consulate office in Los Angeles. Under Mr. Xies leadership, China Press gave great contributions to service overseas Chinese in America, the statement read. Xie had attended events organized by the Chinese regimes Overseas Chinese Affairs Office several times over the years. In April 2016, the offices official website reposted a media article mentioning Xies participation in a press tour of a tech incubator in Jiangsu Province organized for overseas media outlets. Connections to Overseas Chinese Affairs Office In 2001, the U.S. think tank Jamestown Foundation listed China Press as an overseas Chinese newspaper directly controlled by the Chinese government. But it was unclear which organ of the Chinese Communist Party directed it. In 2006, China Press was among a list of several U.S.-based overseas outlets that signed a partnership agreement with China News Service, under a media consortium called U.S.-Asia Culture Media Corporation. This media corporation is run by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, as claimed in a 2011 public expose written by a former television host for Sinovision, another U.S. media company in the corporation. Wang Aibing wrote the complaint to expose corruption at her former workplace, noting that the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office ran the media corporation as an overseas operation. Wang filed her complaint to then-director of the office, seeking redress for her grievances. While China Press is now owned by a private U.S. company, the nature is the same, said China analyst Heng He. Heng has observed Chinas overseas media landscape for more than a decade. He notes, for example, how China Press covered a series of incidents in New York City in 2008 involving local Falun Gong practitioners, who were physically attacked and harassed by aggressors in Flushing, Queens. China Presss allegedly defamatory depictions of Falun Gong adherents were reprinted by Xinhua [state-run media], CCTV [state broadcaster], and Kaiwind, Heng said, referring to a website run by the 610 Office, a secret police force created in 1999 to carry out the persecution of Falun Gong. This March, the central authorities launched an internal restructuring that subsumed the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officeoriginally an office within Chinas cabinet-like State Councilunder the United Front Work Department, an organ of the Communist Party that carries out operations overseas to fulfill Beijings agenda. This change meant the Party now controls all propaganda-related offices, Heng noted. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office no longer had even a surface-level connection to Chinas state affairs. An official gestures as China's President Xi Jinping (L) and Papua New Guinea's Governor General Bob Dadae pose for photos before a meeting at Parliament House in Port Moresby on Nov. 16, 2018, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. (Mark Schiefelbein/AFP/Getty Images) In Papua New Guinea, China Bans Media From Covering Xi Meeting With Pacific Island Leaders Chinese officials denied entry to local and international media who had been invited to cover Chinese President Xi Jinpings meeting with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Nov. 18. Xi Jinping hosted a working dinner with leaders of eight Pacific Island nations that are in agreement to Beijings One China policyPapua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, and the Federated States of Micronesia. When reporters arrived at the hotel where the meeting was being held, Chinese officials told them to leave. The Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC), one of the invited media, said that a local security officer also threatened an ABC camera operator who had been filming as the press were denied entry. The ABC was among other local media that had registered through the PNG Government to cover Xis visit, and had been issued with special passes in advance. The meeting comes as multiple countries are seeking to influence the Pacific region. Xi is not going to show up empty-handed Almost a full third of Taiwans remaining support base is in the Pacific islands region. Chequebook diplomacy is alive and well in this part of the world, Jonathan Pryke from the Australian think tank The Lowy Institute, commented prior to the meeting, AFP reported. [Mainland] China has been much more aggressive in picking off Taiwans support base, Pryke said. One reporter of the Post Courier newspaper recounted the Nov. 16 incident. I said We are here to cover the meeting, our names have been submitted, and they said No, all of you get out, Gorethy Kenneth said, according to the ABC. Thats when it all got fired up. However, he noted that Chinese state media were allowed entry. Some local media in Papua New Guinea described the treatment as a slap in the face, the ABC reported. To be told that were not allowed is undermining our press freedom. We have press freedom in this country, Helen Tarawa Rei, a senior reporter of PNGs The National newspaper, told the ABC. Its quite disappointment because as Pacific Islanders, for a meeting as big as this, and PNG being the host country, we were all looking forward to covering this, she said. We were quite surprised because we want to hear a lot of the things that are happening there with the Pacific Islander leaders, out Prime Minister and the Chinese President, and unfortunately we werent allowed and were just wondering why, she added. Tarawa Rei said the dinner was not the first time in Xis visit to PNG that media access has been tightly controlled. She recounted the stringent restrictions at a Port Moresby road opening ceremony in October where only Chinas CCTV was granted access to cover the speeches. We were told not to record, not to put our recorders or mobile phones near the speaker, she said. In another incident in October, media that had been invited to film the arrival of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Port Moresbys airport were shuffled away. They included the ABC and local station NBC. Khashoggis Death Is Being Used to Further Destabilize the Middle East Commentary The media uproar over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi continues. Citing people familiar with the matter, The Washington Post has reported that the CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination. A spokesman for the CIA declined to comment in response to the Posts inquiries. President Donald Trump said he has spoken with CIA Director Gina Haspel and a full report is to be made public on Nov. 20. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert issued a statement on Nov. 17, noting: Recent reports indicating that the U.S. government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. A Player Khashoggi was a Washington Post Global Opinions contributing columnist. But as noted in an opinion piece in the Financial Times authored by Alexander Downer, the Australian diplomat who famously met with former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos, Khashoggis activities went beyond that of a simple journalist. My intelligence sources tell me he had worked as an intelligence agent for the Saudi intelligence service, GID, for around 20 years. At one point, he was sent by GID to Sudan to meet Osama bin Laden and to try to lure him away from terrorism. He failed, Downer wrote. Khashoggi had always been close to the Muslim Brotherhood, the people who took over Egypt under Morsi following the so-called Arab Spring. The Muslim Brotherhood is a hard-line Islamist organization dedicated to the introduction of Sharia and the creation of an Islamic caliphate. Khashoggis recent actions in Turkey placed him in direct conflict with the reformist actions undertaken by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, writes Downer: Khashoggia former Saudi intelligence agent, a man who was close to the Muslim Brotherhood and a sworn opponent of MBSs reform programwas in the process of setting up a center to promote the ideology of the MB. He was setting it up in Turkey with Qatari money. The Saudis wanted to stop him. In September, they offered him $9 million to return to Saudi Arabia and to live there unhindered. They wanted him out of play. Khashoggi refused and the rest you know. This man wasnt some Western-oriented liberal brutally murdered because of his passion for freedom. This man was a player. Worth noting is that Downer isnt just an Australian diplomat. For 11 years, Downer served as Australias minister of foreign affairs. The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), a direct counterpart to the CIA, is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The director of ASIS reports directly to the minister of foreign affairs. Downer personally oversaw all the intelligence operations of Australia for 11 years and is uniquely positioned to know of what he speaks of. Realignment Over Extremism The Middle East has been undergoing a dramatic realignment, dividing itself between those regimes that support extremism and those that oppose it. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic alliance of six countries in the Arabian Peninsula, has been at the forefront of these efforts against extremism. Led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, most members of the GCC have chosen to stand against extremism. One exception is Qatar, which has quietly, yet consistently, chosen to align itself with extremists, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar supported the extremist factions in Syria throughout the civil war. And Qatar has subtly aligned itself with Iranin direct opposition to the Saudi/Egypt-led efforts to align Arab nations against the Iranian regime. Qatar is currently under a blockade imposed from the other members of the GCC for its alignment with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. It is Khashoggis recent ties with Qatar that may have ultimately proved to be his undoing: The real crime was that Khashoggi was backed alone by Muslim Brotherhood supporters, namely the Qatari regime and the Turkish government, Downer wrote. A writer in Okaz, a daily in Jeddah, accused him of meeting with the Emir of Qatar at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York and of having ties to regional and international intelligence services. If true it may have sealed his fate. Qatar is now the No. 1 enemy of the Saudi regimearguably worse than Iran. Overlooked in the heated rhetoric is the larger issue of stability in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role and is strategically important to maintaining a balance of power in the Middle East, and as Downer notes, the Persian Gulf. On Nov. 17 at the 2018 Halifax International Security Forum, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, commented on the Saudis critical importance, noting: Saudi Arabia has been an important partner to regional security in the past. I expect they will be in the future. Their cooperation, their interoperability, in my judgment, is a good thing. Their cooperation, interoperability, capability if you will, would be a stabilizing force on the region. Has been a stabilizing force in the region. A continued weakening of Prince Mohammed bin Salmans newly established regime would prove destabilizing for the entire region. His removal could prove disastrous. But that hasnt stopped some for calling for exactly this type of response. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a tweet on Nov. 17: Trump must accept (for once) his intelligence experts incontrovertible conclusion: Crown Prince MBS is culpable for Khashoggis monstrous murder. This brazen killing must have consequencessanctions, prosecution, removal of MBS & others, not continued cover-up, enabled by Trump. Risking Instability Worth asking are two simple questions: Why should we continue to insert ourselves into the internal politics of Saudi Arabia, and why would we be willing to risk the exacerbation of further instability in an already volatile region? As correctly noted by Downer: Abandoning the relationship with Saudi Arabia would further weaken the interests and influence of the Western powers in the Middle East. And if you think that doesnt matter, youre quite wrong. The Middle East is volatile enough without adding to that volatility by creating new power vacuums. Claims that the Saudis are fully responsible for Khashoggis death may be proven correct. Saudi Arabia is no standard-bearer of human rights. It is an authoritarian government, a monarchy run by the House of Saud. It might even be shown that bin Salman ordered the assassination. It may be equally possible that an opposing faction within the Saudi government may have been responsible for Khashoggis murder in an effort to destabilize Salmans rule. There are also other players, such as Turkey and Iran, who stand to gain from a weakening or destabilizing of the U.S.Saudi relationship. No matter the outcome, to dictate our foreign policy and support for one of the primary stabilizing forces in a historically unstable region over the death of an individual with questionable ties seems a foolhardy venture. As Downer notes: You can in government be swept up in the prevailing media narrative, and if you design your foreign policy on that basis, you will achieve nothing. The wise government is the government which has a clear strategic direction and manages ephemeral events often driven by others with ulterior motives. Jeff Carlson is a CFA charterholder. He worked for 20 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the high-yield bond market. He runs the website TheMarketsWork.com Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. French President Emmanuel Macron waits for a guest at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France on Oct. 9, 2018. (Reuters/Pascal Rossignol) Macrons Popularity Dips as French Fuel Tax Revolt Simmers PARISEmmanuel Macrons popularity took a further hit in recent weeks, according to a poll on Nov. 18, as fuel tax protests rumbled on across France in the latest sign of discontent with the presidents economic reforms. Only 25 percent of those questioned in an Ifop poll between Nov. 9 and 17 said they were satisfied with Macron, down from 29 percent in October, according to the survey of almost 2,000 people published in the Journal du Dimanche (JDD). Macron, who came to power 18 months ago vowing to reshape the economy and overhaul institutions, has brushed off slumping ratings to push through a series of reforms, including a loosening of laws governing hiring and firing. His government introduced fuel tax hikes to encourage drivers to embrace less-polluting cars, touching a nerve with voters in rural areas in particular as the extra cost began to bite in October when global oil prices surged. Angry motorists and other demonstrators, many accusing Macron of being out of touch with ordinary people, blocked roads across France on Nov. 17 in a grassroots campaign dubbed the Yellow Vests that drew nearly 288,000 protesters. More than 400 people were injured, 14 of them seriously, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said, with some frustrated drivers trying to ram through blockades, and at least 157 people were taken into police custody. A woman protester died when she was accidentally hit by a panicked driver at one blockade. Some maintained protests on highway slip-roads, tolls, and roundabouts on Nov. 18. In another Ifop poll in the JDD on Nov. 18, 62 percent of those surveyed said the government should prioritize policies to help household incomes even if it meant advancing more slowly on measures to fight climate change. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who said on Nov. 18 he was sensitive to the sense of abandonment expressed by some protesters, stressed that the government would not back down on its fuel tax plans. These are set for another hike in January including on diesel, the most commonly used fuel in France. The path weve set out on is the right one and were going to stick to it, Philippe told France 2 television. He said workers would ultimately have less of a tax burden by the end of Macrons mandate, with some measures already feeding through this year, such as reduced housing tax bills. Macrons popularity has sunk to as low as 21 percent in other polls recently, after a torrid summer marked by a scandal over the violent conduct of his former security adviser and the departure of several ministers. In another poll released on Nov. 18, by OpinionWay, Macrons approval ratings were unchanged in November from a month earlier at 29 percent. By Sarah White and Sophie Louet A general view of the Mulee-aage, the official residence of the President of the Maldives, in Male on Feb. 7, 2018. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Maldives Set to Pull Out of China Free Trade Deal, Says Senior Lawmaker MALEThe Maldives new government will pull out of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the worlds second biggest economy, the head of the largest party in the ruling alliance said. It is the latest sign of a backlash against China in the Maldives, best-known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands. The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of an FTA between such parties, said Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance. China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty. On Nov. 17, as he took office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the state coffers have been looted and warned that the country was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. Former President Abdullah Yameen, who lost the election in September, signed the FTA during a visit to Beijing in December 2017, and the same month his parliament ratified the treaty despite opposition protests that he had rushed through the 1,000-page document in less than an hour without any debate. Nasheed, a former president and now an advisor to Solih, said parliament would not pass the law changes required for the zero tariffs agreement to come into force. It was ratified by parliament, but fortunately it calls for different sets of legislation. We are not going to have this further legislation. We cant go with that, Nasheed told Reuters in an interview in the capital Male. The Maldives is among a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building highways and housing as part of its One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) initiative. Through that initiative, Beijing hopes to establish geopolitical influence through trade and investment flows with much of Asia and parts of the rest of the world. Striking Deals Critics in the Maldives say a China-led infrastructure boom has left the tiny country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship. Between January to August this year, the Maldives imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were just $265,270, according to Maldives customs data. The island nation bought meat, agricultural produce, flowers, plants, electronics, and toys from China among many other items. It imported $194 million worth of goods from India, its traditional partner, during the same period, while exporting $1.8 million of products including scrap metal such as copper, aluminum, and steel. The Yameen administration said at the time that the FTA with China would help diversify the $3.9 billion economy and boost fisheries exports from the Maldives, crucial since the European Union declined in 2014 to renew a tax concession on them. The two countries would open up services such as finance, healthcare, and tourism, China said at the time. The Maldives has no free trade pacts with any other country. If the Maldives turns away, it would be the latest setback for China, which is facing opposition for its projects in countries stretching from Malaysia to Nepal, and even from its all-weather ally Pakistan. A proposed free trade agreement has been held up in Sri Lanka over Colombos demand that it have the option to leave after 10 years. A member of Solihs transition team also said the administration was thinking of cancelling the pact. It makes no business sense, the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. This is not something we are going to pursue, we expect the cabinet to meet and take a formal decision on this. By Sanjeev Miglani & Mohamed Junayd Man Killed in Likely Stingray Attack at Australian Beach A 42-year-old man died from cardiac arrest on Nov. 17 shortly after an incident at a Tasmanian beach near Hobart where he sustained injuries to his abdomen, most likely caused by a stingray. The incident happened around 3:00 p.m. at the southeastern end of Roches Beach in Lauderdaleabout 13 kilometres east of Hobart. He was removed from the water by friends prior to the arrival of emergency services. It was reported he was unaccompanied in the water at the time of sustaining a puncture wound to his lower abdomen, a police statement of the incident said. He had been bathing in the waters a short distance from the shore, according to the police statement. The man, whose identity has not been released, died shortly after the injury was inflicted despite paramedics efforts to try to resuscitate him. Initial indications are that the wound was possibly inflicted by a marine animal although the incident is not shark related, the police statement said. Its consistent with [a stingray injury] but further investigation and examination of the deceased may be able to give a bit more of a concrete fact on that, Tasmania Police Senior Constable Brett Bowering told The Mercury. With low tide and shallow water, Roches Beach is a popular spot amongst swimmers. Community leaders and residents had informed the Sunday Tasmanian that the area was known for its stingrays. The smooth stingray, the largest of all Australian stingrays, is one common to the area. According to the Australian Museum, the smooth stingray is not aggressive and is frequently seen by divers. However, the stingray also has a venomous sting halfway along its tail, which can inflict injuries that are severe or fatal. This species is sometimes observed raising its tail above its back like a scorpion, the museum website said. Lauderdale Yacht Club Commodore Sean Keady told the Mercury that he had noticed more stingrays during warmer conditions. Last summer there seemed to be an increase in stingray population at the beach, he said. At times Ive noticed three to four stingrays grouped in shallow waters at Roches Beach. I remember thinking they arent something I would want to go near. Thats why they hang around the shallower waters. Ive seen rays in knee deep water, TK Balrow commented on an ABC post on Facebook. Nigel McDougall who was walking on the beach on Nov. 17 following the fatal incident, told the Mercury that stingrays are everywhere here. It puts the wind up you, he said. Stingrays love shallow water. I wouldnt snorkel at the [southeastern] end of the beach because of the silt and seaweed. The beach remained open when the mans family and friends gathered at the spot where he died on Nov. 18. They asked that their ceremony remain private, and did not wish to comment, the ABC reported. The mans family has also asked for his name not to be published. Tasmanian Police continue to investigate the incident. Australian zookeeper, conservationist, and television personality Steve Irwin died at the age of 44 in 2006, when he was killed by a stingray in Queensland. Irwin was pierced in the heart by a stingray barb while filming underwater. The cameraman who witnessed Irwins death said that the stingray had stabbed at Irwin hundreds of times, according to AFP. Watch Next: Steve Irwins Family Launch New Show A woman from upstate New York was shot and killed when the gun her husband was cleaning accidentally discharged on Nov. 16, 2018. (Facebook/Ashley Rosenbrock) Mom of 3 Who Lost Toddler Daughter to Illness Fatally Shot by Husband Cleaning Gun A woman from Upstate New York was shot and killed when the gun her husband was cleaning accidentally discharged. Ashley Rosenbrock, 34, was shot on Nov. 16 in Corinth and was later pronounced dead at Saratoga Hospital, the New York Post reported. Eric Rosenbrock, her husband, was performing maintenance of the firearm when it went off, said police. He legally owned the gun, the Post reported. No charges have been filed in the case, and an investigation is underway. The shooting occurred at the couples home at 10:30 p.m., the Post-Star reported. Police didnt say what type of handgun it was. Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica determined her death was consistent with the information and evidence that has been discovered to this point in the investigation, police said. They didnt explain where the woman was hit or how the gun discharged. Rosenbrock, a science teacher in the Lake George Central School District, was questioned extensively by authorities on Thursday and Friday, the Post-nStar reported. A sudden loss like this can have a profound effect on family, friends, colleagues, parents, and students, the school district told The New York Times in a statement. It is important that we recognize this loss and support each other through this time. Our grief is great and our hearts and support go out to Mr. Rosenbrocks family, the statement added. He could face criminally negligent homicide or manslaughter charges in the case. The couple has three young children, and neighbors told the Post Star theyre good parents and nice people. The paper noted that the couples 18-month old daughter, Vivienne, had died of an infection five years ago, and they had been involved in extensive fundraising since then. It was just a way for me to say, Dont focus on whats missing. Live your life to the fullest, she told the Post-Star several years ago. Vivienne ran from room to room with her heart-stealing grin with the big gap between her two brand-new front teeth, an obituary for the toddler read. She gave a hug that felt like she was giving all she had. She stole every heart she touched. He looked like he was shaken very bad, said Rita Mosher, 74, who lives next door to the Rosenbrocks, according to The New York Times. Mosher added: I cant imagine what hes going through. Hes got to feel horrible. Im more worried about the children. Other neighbors told the Times that police swarmed the neighborhood immediately after the shot was fired. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions figures show that unintentional firearm-related deaths are relatively rare, with only about 200 deaths in 2015. According to the website Project Child Safe, there are tips on how to store a firearm in a home. Always keep the firearms muzzle pointed in a safe direction. A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if an accidental discharge occurred, it would not result in injury it says. Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. Whenever you pick up a gun, such as when removing it from or returning it to storage, remember to point it in a safe direction and make sure it is unloaded, the website adds. Video: Man Grabbed by Gun Range Official After Pointing Firearm at Head The skyline of midtown Manhattan in New York City is seen from the United Nations headquarters in New York City, July 20, 2018. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid) New Yorkers Talk About Integrity in Florida Midterm Elections The midterm elections in Florida have received national attention because of recounts and accusations of fraudulent activity. The Epoch Times asked people in New York if voter integrity in Florida was a concern for them. Heres what they had to say: Melania Calderon, 22, student, from Costa Rica The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Ms. Calderon: Integrity? Yes, I do believe in this. I havent been here long, but Ive read the news. I think thats smart, especially because now the government is divided so no party can have too much power. I think thats really great for democracy, but I also think it limits how much either party can do. Its also a little bit rough for passing legislation. The Epoch Times: How about the Florida elections and the fraud accusations? Ms. Calderon: That is something that should concern everybody, theyre accusing each other without any real background so I think that harms democracy. If youre saying you committed fraud because of this and this and this, then yes, of course. But if you dont have any proof, and youre just saying this because you didnt win, thats not what democracy is about. Tim Gemperline, 31, architect The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Mr. Gemperline: It should concern everyone, but whether its happening or not is the question; I dont think overall it is happening a lot. If there was evidence of that happening, then yes, people should be concerned. Its like when you see in the newspaper that theres a homicide. Yes, theres concern about that, but is it a trend? Is it something thats widespread? So, its getting a perspective on it, too. The Epoch Times: Do you think there should be more transparency in voting? Mr. Gemperline: Yes, if youre calling for a democracy and think thats the idea of democracytransparencyyou can see every pixel and how that forms a larger picture. Ryan Johnson, 36, music licenser The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Mr. Johnson: I think the democratic process concerns me the most, so I guess, yes. The Epoch Times: In what way? Mr. Johnson: Making sure that people who are able to vote have an equal opportunity to do so, making sure the votes are cast, and every vote is counted properly. The Epoch Times: There seems to have been a process of each party accusing the other of voter fraud. Mr. Johnson: Its usually like that, no matter the party, when youre on the losing end. We saw the same thing in 2000, the Democratic Party, were seeing the same thing now with the Republican Party, its important that we understand that democracy has no favorites. If it goes to a run-off, then you go through the necessary steps to make sure that everyone is accounted for in the democratic process. Carlos Rodriguez, 54, dog walker The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Mr. Rodriguez: It does concern me because it always happens in Florida, I remember when Al Gore lost the presidency because of Florida and I dont know whats really happening in Florida. I dont really understand. Most people think its a very backward country but definitely, there is a lot of voter suppression in Florida, There are so many things that are happening and have been happening for a while. I dont how they havent fixed that problem, but Ive been following the news and Ive seen all the boxes of ballots that they find in schools and in other places and they didnt count them, you know. So its definitely something to be concerned about because that is not democracy. If youre oppressing voters from getting their vote counted, then were not living in a true democracy. Fred Leal, 63, lawyer, from Canada The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Mr. Leal: I thought the television show about broadcast news [The Newsroom] with Jeff Daniels, where they talk about voter fraud with the actual numbers with proven voter fraud are minute, theyre truly minute. I dont believe that voter fraud is a real issue, because it always comes up in a partisan way. Someones always using it in an argument, and no one ever really seems to say we have this piece of documentation or this evidence which establishes voter fraud. Its just thrown around as a term. I think the better thing to do is to think that theyre not being honest if theyre not showing proof. So I think the allegations are fake. Steven Abram, 64, IT consultant The Epoch Times: Are you concerned about voter integrity in the Florida elections? Mr. Abram: It depends on what you mean, I think theres voting incompetence in terms of processing the votes, the board of elections. The Epoch Times: There have been stories in Florida concerning voter fraud Mr. Abram: I think, for the most part, the people that are bringing that up have been the ones that have been caught doing it. I dont think voter fraud is a rampant problem. The Epoch Times: You mentioned about voting incompetence, is that something that concerns you? Mr. Abram: Yes. I think using New York as an example, using a lot of volunteers, there should be a little bit more of a professional process. This is the 21st century, whereas you could apply technology to something that also does have its risks in terms of security. With that said, it just seems that the voting process should be better, especially in New York state. It would be great to be able to vote early, that would alleviate some of those problems. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan addresses a plenary session of NATOs Parliamentary Assembly, in Halifax on Nov. 19, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) Next Canadian Federal Election Will Be Target for Russian Meddling: Sajjan HALIFAXWith a federal election less than a year away, Canadas defence minister is warning voters they will be targeted by online cyber-attacks and fake news as Russia steps up its efforts to undermine western democracies. We have taken this into account very seriously in our defence policy, Harjit Sajjan said in an interview with The Canadian Press. We need to further educate our citizens about the impact of fake news. No one wants to be duped by anybody. Sajjan made the comments while attending a defence and security conference in Halifax, where experts, military officers, and politicians representing democracies from around the world spent a great deal of time discussing cyber-warfare. When we stand up for human rights, and when we stand up to nations like Russia who are going against the rules-based order you become a target, Sajjan said, adding that Canadas decision to protest Russias annexation of Crimea has also raised Russias ire. He said the Canadian government has a cyber-security plan that includes establishing the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security within the Communications Security Establishment, which is focused on collecting foreign signals intelligence. Rose Gottemoeller, deputy-secretary general of NATO, stressed that Russia is not the only country using the internet to spread disinformation, citing a NATO report released on Nov. 18 that drew attention to North Korea, China, and Iran. The report, presented on Nov. 18 to a NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Halifax, was discussed by NATOs science and technology committee. U.S. Democratic congresswoman Susan Davis told the committee that Russian interference continued in the early stages of the recent U.S. mid-term elections, although not on the scale seen during the 2016 election that saw Donald Trump elected president. Last year, Facebook said hundreds of dubious accounts, likely operated out of Russia, spent about $100,000 on some 3,000 ads about contentious issues such as LGBT rights, race, immigration, and guns. Facebook later said an estimated 10 million people in the United States saw the ads. Gottemoeller, who previously served as undersecretary for international security at the U.S. State Department, said democracies have to be ready to defend themselveson the battlefield or in cyberspace. Theres a lot of creativity among the bad guys, she said in an interview on Nov. 18. As an example, Gottemoeller pointed to the Canadian-led NATO Battle Group in Latvia, which has been subjected to a steady stream of fake news aimed at undermining the year-old mission. The Russians are pumping out a lot of reports about misbehaviour of Canadian troops and how expensive the (battle group) is for Latvia, she said, adding that Canadian soldiers have taken a proactive role by letting local residents know why they are there. Its a great example of how Canada has made a difference pushing back against disinformation. Pauline Neville-Jones, chairwoman of the U.K.-based Advisory Board to Cyber Security Challenge, said Russian operatives use online algorithms to distribute false stories that are aimed at sowing division and distrust of democratic institutions. In the case of Canada, (the Russians) would find it very interesting to try to destabilize your relationship with the United States, said Neville-Jones, who was David Camerons national security adviser before he became prime minister of Britain. That gets at the sinews of western democracy. It gets at the sinews of NATO relationships. Neville-Jones said the rise of social media has eroded the influence of traditional media sources, which has left citizens more susceptible to cyber-attacks. The best defence against fake news, she said, is to seek other news sources. She said there was plenty of evidence of online interference in the 2016 U.S. vote, particularly from the Russians. Propaganda has been one of the things theyve always done, Neville-Jones said. They see international relations as a zero-sum game. If youre losing, then Im winning. Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, attends the Tomorrow In Motion event on the eve of press day at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, France, on Oct. 1, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/File Photo/Reuters) Nissan to Oust Ghosn After Arrest for Alleged Financial Misconduct YOKOHAMA, JapanNissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Nov. 19 for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissans French partner Renault and his departure will raise questions about the future of the alliance. Nissan said an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower, had revealed that Ghosn engaged in wrongdoing including personal use of company money and under-reporting for years how much he was earning. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said too much power had been concentrated on Ghosn, one of the best-known figures in the global car industry and a rare foreign executive who enjoyed corporate superstar status in Japan for reviving the ailing Japanese brand. The problem of governance was significant, Saikawa said, confirming the arrest of Ghosn in Japan. Looking back, after 2005 when he became CEO of both Renault and Nissan, we did not really discuss the implications. Saikawa, a long-standing lieutenant to Ghosn, said he could not give specifics on the personal use of company money but that the wrongdoing was serious and had gone on for years. Ghosn could not be reached for comment. To have so greatly violated the trust of many, I feel full of disappointment and regret, Saikawa told a late-night news conference. Its not just disappointment, but a stronger feeling of outrage, and for me, despondency. Saikawa took over as Nissan CEO from Ghosn last year. Ghosn once told reporters the two thought alike. Saikawa said he would propose at a board meeting on Nov. 22 to remove Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly, who was also accused of financial misconduct. Kelly could also not be reached for comment. Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissans German-listed securities dropped 10 percent. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, Renaults top shareholder, would safeguard the long-term viability of the carmaker. The key question for us is to ensure the stability of Renault and of the alliance between Renault and Nissan, so I am working on that with all the parties, he told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of euro zone finance ministers. Governance Known as Le Cost Killer for overseeing turnarounds that included cuts, Ghosn has remained popular in Japan despite pushing through massive job losses and recent controversy over his pay. Japanese media said Ghosn had reported about 10 billion yen ($88.9 million) of annual compensation as about 5 billion yen for several years. Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. It is hard not to conclude that there may be a gulf opening up between Renault and Nissan, said Bernstein analyst Max Warburton, raising the prospect of a potential re-Japanization of Nissan and the end of the alliance. Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said the share price reaction showed how important Ghosn was to the partnership, adding that the alliance had long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors. Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock, he added. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999. Since 2016 Nissan has held a 34 percent controlling stake in its smaller Japanese rival, Mitsubishi. A statement from Mitsubishi said it would propose removing Ghosn from its board. The Nov. 19 news is likely to raise questions about Nissans accountability at a time when Japan has been pushing companies for better governance. Recent cases of corporate malfeasance have hit companies including accounting irregularities at Toshiba Corp. and data falsification and improper inspections by manufacturers including Nissan. The Asahi newspaper reported on its website that prosecutors had begun searching the offices of Nissans headquarters and other locations late on Nov. 19. Brazilian-born, of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, Ghosn began his career at Michelin in France, moving on to Renault. He joined Nissan in 1999 after Renault bought a controlling stake and became its CEO in 2001. Ghosn remained in that post until last year. In June Renault shareholders approved Ghosns 7.4 million euro ($8.5 million) pay package for 2017. In addition to this, he received 9.2 million euros in his final year as Nissan chief executive. By Ritsuko Ando & Maki Shiraki Fake Psychiatrist Case in UK Prompts Review of 3,000 Foreign Doctors LONDONThousands of foreign doctors in the UK are having their backgrounds checked after it was found that a woman was able to practice psychiatry for 22 years without any qualifications. The woman, Zholia Alemi, was jailed for fraud in October after faking a dementia patients will to try to become the benefactor of her $1.6 million estate. Despite not having any qualifications, Alemi managed to register as a psychiatrist in the UK after traveling from New Zealand in 1995 and exploiting a loophole in the system. The General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees doctors in the UK, said its checks are more rigorous now than in the 1990s. The council is now investigating the records of as many as 3,000 doctors who also registered under the same system as Alemi, according to the BBC. The GMC said it had informed the police and other organizations responsible for health care, including Britains National Health Service. Alemi, 55, who originally registered in 1995, falsely claimed to have a medical degree from the University of Auckland; she actually dropped out of the university in her first year. She was able to become a doctor in the UK by exploiting a law that enabled people from Commonwealth countries, such as New Zealand, to register without having to sit for the usual British medical exams. Alemi eventually became a consultant psychiatrist working for a dementia service in Cumbria, northwest UK. Our Systems Are Robust The law has since been changed, and the GMC said that any such attempts now to join the medical register without qualifications would be noticed. Our processes are far stronger now, with rigorous testing in place to ensure those joining the register are fit to work in the UK, GMC chief executive Charlie Massey said in a statement. We are confident that, 23 years on, our systems are robust and would identify any fraudulent attempt to join the medical register. Alemi was suspended from the medical register on June 23, 2017, after it was discovered she had drafted a will for a dementia patient in her care so that she and her two godchildren would be the only beneficiaries. Cumbria Police confirmed with the victim that she hadnt given Alemi permission to change her will and didnt know the godchildren. The victim told police she thought Alemi just helped herself. Alemi claimed that she was suffering from trauma-induced amnesia and couldnt remember what she had told police. She was found guilty of theft and fraud and sentenced to five years in prison on Oct. 18, although she denied the charges. It was only after her conviction that her false medical qualification was discovered. Cumbria Police Detective Constable Louise Carter said in a statement: Alemi saw someone who was vulnerable and sought to take advantage of her to make a financial gain. Her actions are all the more abhorrent as she met the victim in her capacity as a medical professional and should have been helping her. Instead she sought to befriend the elderly woman and quickly made plans to commit theft and fraud. Student Delinquencies Up as US Household Debt Hits Another Record NEW YORKThe total debt shouldered by Americans has hit another record high, rising to $13.5 trillion in the last quarter, while an unusual jump in student-loan delinquencies could provide another signal that the U.S. economic expansion is growing old. Flows of student debt into serious delinquencyof 90 or more daysrose to 9.1 percent in the third quarter from 8.6 percent in the previous quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported last week. That propelled the biggest jump in the overall U.S. delinquency rate in seven years. Serious-delinquency flows have been growing on auto debt since 2012 and on credit card debt since last year, raising red flags for some economists. The worlds largest economy has grown well above its potential this year on the back of strong consumer spending and the lowest unemployment rate since the 1960s. If growth continues for another year it will be the longest U.S. expansion ever. Total household debt, driven by a $9.1 trillion in mortgages, is now $837 billion higher than its previous peak in 2008, just as the last recession took hold and brought on massive deleveraging across the United States. Indebtedness has risen steadily for more than four years and sits more than 21 percent above a trough in 2013. The $219 billion rise in total debt in the quarter ended Sept. 30 was the biggest jump since 2016. While borrowers are far more creditworthy and lenders are more stringent than in the run-up to the last downturn, the upward creep in serious delinquencies in automobile, credit card and now student debt could unsettle policymakers at the Fed and elsewhere. Some 4.7 percent of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency in the third quarter, up from 4.5 percent previously. This was primarily due to a large increase in the flow into delinquency for student loan balances, the New York Fed said in its report. If the jump in student delinquencies persists, it could raise questions about the ability of income-based repayment programs to ease debt burdens on lower-income borrowers. Unlike auto and credit card lenders, student lenders have not loosened standards in recent years. Separate data from the New York Fed showed that borrowers aged 30 to 39 years and those 50 and older drove the jump in flows to serious delinquencies, a measure economists use to gauge market stress and likelihood of defaults. Mortgage delinquency transitions worsened slightly. With the central bank having settled into a gradual rate-hike cycle, mortgage originations grew to $445 billion, from $437 billion in the previous quarter, suggesting borrowers are locking in lower costs while they can. By Jonathan Spicer A Tennessee waitress was praised for working with her child strapped to her back. (Kelly Gentry via Storyful) Tennessee Waitress Praised After Being Pictured Working With Child Strapped to Her Back A waitress in Tennessee was praised by many after being pictured working while carrying her child on her back. The picture was snapped by Kelly Gentry inside Greenback Diner in Greenback, a town of about 1,000 people southwest of Knoxville. Gentry posted the picture on her Facebook page, praising the mother. Shes dedicated she has busted her butt with her child strapped to her! Need more people willing to have this work ethic! Shout out to this awesome mom doing what it takes to make ends meet and shout out to her work for allowing her to bring him! she wrote. I thought it was just a customer walking around with her baby on her and she started waiting my table and I was like Oh my gosh,' Gentry told WBIR. The waitress was identified as Kori Dotson. She told the broadcaster that she was very busy that day and didnt notice Dotson taking the picture. The boy on her back is her 2-year-old, son Rhody. He loves to just ride and talk to people and hes just a social butterfly so he loves every minute of it, she said. At times, the boy is let down to help wipe tables and toss used spoons in the sink. On a normal day, hes not there; shes only brought him to work a few times, but its part of teaching him to be a hard worker. Whether its feeding cows with Pappy or handing out menus, I want to teach him to be a hard worker and have fun at it, Dotson said. On Facebook, Teresa Hackworth said that Dotson is her sister-in-law, calling her beautiful and a great mother! People praised the diner for allowing Dotson to bring her child to work. Greenback Diner The diner was started in 1923, passing through a number of owners but always remaining in business. It used to include a pharmacy but doesnt anymore. It has its share of regulars, who love the home-cooked meals, workers told The Daily Times last year. We have people who dont miss a day, said new owner Tammy Tallent, naming one. He comes in every day around 10:30 a.m. He has the same thing every day, a regular hamburger. She said she bought the diner because she wanted to continue the tradition of giving locals good food. People have to eat. People love to eat, Tallent said. I just want to serve the young and old alike. Its all the same in Greenback. Gentry said on Facebook that the restaurant has some of the best homemade cooking and its one of her favorite places to get lunch. From NTD News Texas 6-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Kills 1-Year-Old Brother; Father Charged A 6-year-old girl allegedly killed her infant brother six months ago and the childrens father was charged this week. Adrian Dreshaun Middleton was charged Nov. 19 for a May 2018 incident when he left the girl in the car with his 1-year-old son, according to court documents obtained by ABC13. He told officials that the car and air conditioner were running. Also, he gave the children snacks and turned on a movie inside the vehicle. Later, the girl told police she was playing with the boy and said he began crying when she stopped playing with him. She got angry and wrapped the seat belt around him, the ABC affiliate report stated. The girl told police she thought he had fallen asleep. When Middleton returned, he saw his daughter crying and noticed the belt wrapped around the 1-year-olds neck and found he wasnt responding. The girl told him she had done something bad. He gave the boy CPR until an ambulance arrived, the report said. The boy was rushed to Texas Childrens Hospital and was later pronounced dead. Middleton initially told deputies that the children were strapped into car seats, KHOU reported. However, he later told officials there were no car seats in the vehicle. Surveillance footage showed he was in the store for 1 hour and 40 minutes, the report said. He had claimed to officials that he was in the store for 30 to 45 minutes, ABC13 reported Officials described the childs death as homicide due to strangulation. He was identified in court documents as Adrian Middleton, Jr. The 6-year-old has not been identified. Middleton, 26, was charged with abandoning a child. Other details about the case, including his next court date, are not clear. Murder Rate Drops In 2017, according to officials, the murder rate in Houston dropped 11 percent. It dropped from 302 homicides in 2016 to 269 in 2017, the Houston Chronicle reported. The way you reduce murders is to solve attempted murders, Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo said in January 2018. If you think about people who shoot people, frequently its not the first person theyve ever shot, and in many cases it wont be the last person they will shoot. In 2011 Houston saw its fewest number of homicides in recent memory, with 198. Theres been a steady uptick since thenuntil 2017. However, violent crime has been on the rise. The number of violent crimes in Houston went up by 8.9 percent from 2016 to 2017. I think any increase in violent crime is a tragedy, but you want to put things like this in context, Ames Grawert, counsel for the Brennan Centers Justice Program, told the Chronicle. For 2018, so far, the murder rate isnt yet clear. Houstons first homicide came early on Jan. 1 when two brothers got into a deadly argument. Investigators have also looked into shootings with multiple victims, a roadside stabbing between a husband and wife, and a pair of homicides blocks away from each other, reads the Chronicle. So far this year, homicides in Houston are averaging roughly four per week, whereas preliminary data shows there was an average of five per week in 2017. Assuming 2018s homicides rate holds steady, this year could be one of the least deadly years homicide-wise in recent history. Texas Roadhouse Apologizes After Manager Asked Breastfeeding Mother to Cover Up A Texas Roadhouse in Kentucky has apologized after a manager asked a breastfeeding mother to cover up. Sadie Durbin was nursing her 7-week-old daughter while visiting a Louisville Texas Roadhouse recently when a manager went over to her and asked her to cover up. David Mitchell, a manager at the Texas Roadhouse on Shelbyville Road, brought me a napkin and tried lying it over my 7-week-old nursing infants face as he explained that he had another patron complain and that he really needed me to cover up, Durbin wrote in a Facebook post that went viral. I politely explained to him it is against the law for him to ask me to cover up and that I was well within my rights to feed my baby, Durbin continued. According to Kentucky state law (pdf), a mother can breastfeed her baby in any location, whether public or private, and the act isnt considered an act of public indecency or indecent exposure. In addition, a municipality cannot enact an ordinance that prohibits or restricts a mother breastfeeding a child. Another aspect of the act states, No person shall interfere with a mother breastfeeding her child in any location, public or private, where the mother is authorized to be. The manager threw down the napkin and angrily walked away, Durbin said. However, he reappeared after Durbin asked her server who the complaining patrons were. He finally came back to our table, threw his hands up and said angrily Im not at liberty to tell you that. Listen lady, Ive done nothing wrong,' she wrote. She told WDRB that she found the whole situation disheartening. Its sad to me that, in 2018, there is not more education to employees, that this man, who is clearly in his 50s, didnt know he was breaking the law, Durbin said. In a statement, the restaurant said it supports the rights of all mothers to breastfeed their children in public, including in our restaurants. Unfortunately, our managers handling of this situation was misguided and wrong, it added. A representative for Texas Roadhouse said the manager was told to take paid time off but he wont be fired. We sincerely apologize to Mrs. Durbin and all nursing mothers for how this situation was handled. We would like to Texas Roadhouse Louisville St. Matthews In a Facebook post, the Texas Roadhouse Louisville managing partner Jeff White said that they sincerely apologized to Durbin and all nursing mothers for how the situation was handled. The restaurant asked La Leche League of Louisville to visit the restaurant and educate staff members on the struggles facing nursing mothers. As we discussed, we will use this incident to educate our employees to the rights of nursing mothers as part of our commitment to a providing a welcoming and family-friendly dining experience for everyone, White said. From NTD News The Myth of St. Michael and What It Tells Us Myths: Mapping Our Way Home Contained in the myths and stories of the distant past are nuggets of wisdom and ideas that we have forgotten, and failed to see how important they are. One such myth is the story of St. Michael. Why Michael was accorded sainthood is, frankly, odd, as he is not a human being. Rather, he is the great prince of all the angels, and one of the four archangels (Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel) who, along with Michael, face respectively east, west, north, and south. In other words, they cover the earth with their influence. But the key thing to grasp about him (and not forgetting that angels are traditionally sexless) is that he is the supreme archangel, that he heads the heavenly host, and that in the book of Revelations he leads the fight against Satan. Moreover, in the more esoteric tradition of angelology, there are nine levels of angels, and those in top tier of these, called the Seraphim, are the most powerful because they are nearest to God. Put another way, then, what we can say about Michael (dropping the title of saint) is that he is, under God, the most powerful of all beings that God created, excepting possibly, but not certainly, the angel of light, Lucifer, who fell and became Satan. And, unsurprisingly, according to Catholic teaching, the first responsibility of Michael is to combat Satan, which suggests comparability between them. Given this, what does the name Michael mean? Who Is Like God? Michael is Hebrew for Mikhael meaning Who is like God? This is a rhetorical question, and in the rhetoric we discover the meaning of the myth. For imagine it: You have been created the most powerful, charismatic, and dynamic being in the cosmos, and what do you reflect upon? How wonderful, powerful, charismatic, and dynamic you are? Closet narcissism? No, what your whole being is explicating as it takes stock of itself is that there is a gulf, a void, a universe even, between you and that transcendent reality that has no name; or says, almost as a throwaway name, I am that I am. That is to say, is Being itself. Immediately, one is aware that one is nothing compared with that transcendent, nameless reality. What the Creator is, is something far beyond created things, and in contemplating the Creatoras Michaels name suggestsone can only adopt a profound humility in response, for anything else would be plain silly. As silly, for example, as trying to impress God: as if God is one day going to say, Hey, Josh, thats a great singing voice you have; I wish I could sing like that, or Hey, Joanna, what a great negotiator you are; I wish I could make multimillion dollar deals like you! And if these two examples sound especially silly, think about it: How often are we actually seeking to impress the universe with what we do? The Role Model But more importantly, there is a further point here. For the question Who is like God? actually resonates in all religions and in wholesome secular practices too. We are all being asked to be like what? Admirable role models all the time. Indeed, we can only grow from having great models that we want to be like. Christians, for example, are enjoined to be like Christ or to put on the mind of Christ. Buddhists want to be like Buddha. And on a secular level, we have schools, universities, government, armed forces, businesses, and all sorts of other organizations in which to progress is to become like the ideal role models within them. Carl Rogers thought the self-conceptthe very core of our self-identityhad three distinct subcategories: our self-esteem (how we feel about our self), our self-image (how we see our self), and our ideal self (how we want our self to be). Clearly, the ideal self has this future orientation in which we become either somebody else (a distortion of our true self) or who we were meant to become (our true self). In the latter case, the acorn becomes the oak tree. For this to happen, the process starts in childhood. Children in a functional family seeks to be like their mother or their father, or both, in certain and distinct ways. Without adequate role models (and hence, too, mentors to guide us), we cannot develop, because we cannot see what we could become. And nowhere is this more acute than in the world of myths and religions, for here the promise before us is to become like god/God or godlike. The destiny of human beings is to become godlike, and this paradoxically begins when we see the gap between what we are now and what we might be like, as in Who is like God? If we were truly godlike humans, what would that look like, based on the scriptures from which Michael emerges? Essential Qualities to Model After I think there are three essential qualities that speak to our own self-concepts that are godlike. First, freedom. God is free. We want to be free, and this magic occurs when what we want to do corresponds exactly with what the universe, the Tao, God demands of us. This would be shaking off the shackles of addiction and compulsion because we could choose to live another way. Second, understanding or wisdom. This is not an academic qualification or title, but a profound insight into how the cosmos operates, and the ability to work in harmony with it. Naturally, as with freedom, there is a moral dimension to wisdom for it to be wisdom. The Old Testament said it this way: Those who hate me [Wisdom] love death. Third, and finally, love or compassion. Why? Because to be godlike, we would see the beauty of the whole creation, its interconnectedness, its intricacy, its amazing qualities, and to see such beauty everywhere and all around us would be to love it. And, of course, the love would be freely given from our hearts because seeing it would enable us to feel it, and so to care. Thus, Michaels name opens us up to this incredible story as it contrasts us with the Transcendent reality, and in the falling short, we find that we can become more. This may sound a hard sell or even a hard road to travel, but lets not forget it is for Michael too. The Seraphim have six wings, one pair of which is permanently folded across the eyes to shield them from being blindedby looking into the sheer intensity of absolute reality. In this series, Myths: Mapping Our Way Home, James Sale revisits why mythsall but discounted todayremain crucial to understanding our place in the universe, if not to our very survival. James Sale is an English businessman and the creator of Motivational Maps, which operates in 14 countries. He has authored over 40 books from major international publishers, including Macmillan, Pearson, and Routledge, on management, education, and poetry. As a poet, he won First Prize in The Society of Classical Poets 2017 competition. Tijuana Mayor: Caravan Influx to Last at Least 6 Months TIJUANA, MexicoWith about 3,000 Central American migrants having reached the Mexican border across from California and thousands more anticipated, the mayor of Tijuana said Friday that the city was preparing for an influx that will last at least six months. Juan Manuel Gastelum said there were 2,750 migrants from the caravan in Tijuana and that estimates by Mexicos federal government indicate the number could approach 10,000. No city in the world is prepared to receive thisif Im allowedthis avalanche, he said during a news conference at City Hall. It is a tsunami. There is concern among all citizens of Tijuana. U.S. border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuanas main crossing to San Diego, creating long waits. Asylum seekers register their names in a tattered notebook managed by migrants themselves that had more than 3,000 names even before the caravan arrived. Along the nearly 3,000 miles (nearly 5,000 kilometers) from the caravans origin in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to this city on the Pacific Ocean, the migrants have stopped in most places for only a single night, with some exceptions. That overwhelmed small towns in southern Mexico in particularbut only briefly. The migrants expected long stay in Tijuana has raised concerns about the ability of the teeming border city of more than 1.6 million to handle the influx. Pleading for financial support from the Mexican government, Gastelum sternly warned migrants against criminal behavior, though authorities reported only seven arrests so far five for drug consumption and two for disorderly conduct. Supposedly they are fleeing catastrophe, mistreatment in their countries of origin. How is it possible that they arrive here and, if they want, create disorder? the mayor said. Its not right. His language linking the latest arrivals to crime underscores how the caravan is already testing Tijuanas proud history as a melting pot for immigrants, a tradition that Gastelum also highlighted. A municipal gymnasium and recreational complex that has been converted to a shelter was expected to register up to 1,000 people Thursday night but ended up housing more than 2,000, including more than 400 children. Tijuana officials said they opened the shelter as part of an effort to keep migrants out of public spaces. The citys privately run shelters are meant to have a capacity of 700. At the municipal shelter, long lines formed for showers and meals of tuna casserole or noodle soup with coffee. Outdoor canopies covered rows of mattresses and blankets. A woman singing Mexican ranchera music on a loudspeaker drew a small crowd, while men congregated in circles to play cards. Eighteen new portable toilets on a grass field made bathroom lines disappear. U.S. President Donald Trump, who sought to make the caravan a campaign issue in last weeks elections, took to Twitter on Friday to aim some new criticism at the migrants. Isnt it ironic that large Caravans of people are marching to our border wanting U.S.A. asylum because they are fearful of being in their countryyet they are proudly waving their countrys flag. Can this be possible? Yes, because it is all a BIG CON, and the American taxpayer is paying for it, he said in a pair of tweets. Migrant Ronald Calderon, who picked coffee beans back in Honduras, said he would seek asylum in the U.S. if he felt there was a 90 percent chance of success. But he figures the odds are long and doesnt want to risk being deported, so he hopes to find work and settle in Tijuana. Andrea Ramirez, 42, said that her siblings were killed by gangs in Honduras and that she registered her name Friday to seek asylum in the U.S. The only thing we want is not to go back to Honduras, Ramirez said. Also Friday, another caravan set out from Mexico City heading toward the border. Gastelum, the mayor, wondered why the migrants chose Tijuana instead of other Mexican cities on the U.S. border. There is an intention to do things badly. There is an intention to prejudice Tijuana, and we cannot allow that, he said. His comments marked a contrast to a more welcoming tone from other officials. Francisco Rueda, the top deputy to Baja California Gov. Francisco Vega de la Madrid, said Thursday that the state had 7,000 jobs available for any migrants who obtain legal status in Mexico. Gustavo Magallanes, director of Baja Californias migrant attention agency, said Friday that the state is doing the best it can at a difficult time and that, nearing the end of the year, agencies at all levels of government lack funds. The governor had also asked federal officials to speak to their U.S. counterparts about possibly accelerating asylum processing, he said. Magallanes said the governor had not ordered that more migrants be prevented from arriving in Tijuana, but said state officials were telling people in the caravan they might get processed faster in the city of Mexicali because the list in Tijuana is so long. Magallanes said it was likely the migrants could be waiting in Tijuana for four to six months. The state government plans to push them to regularize their immigration status in Mexico so they can be offered work. He said he could not speak for Tijuanas mayor but believed his comments had been misinterpreted. We are looking for the best way for these Central American migrants to be able to be in the best situation in this state, Magallanes said. Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker, gives brief remarks to state and local law enforcement on efforts to combat violent crime and the opioid crisis at the U.S. Courthouse Annex, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 14, 2018. (Steve Pope/Getty Images) Trump Says He Didnt Know of Acting AGs Views on Mueller Probe Before Appointment President Donald Trump said he was not aware of Acting Attorney General Matt Whitakers views on the Russia investigation before appointing him to temporarily replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In a taped interview that aired on Fox News on Nov. 18, the president said Whitaker is free to decide how to handle the probe and that he would not get involved if the acting attorney general moved to limit the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. Its going to be up to him. I think hes very well aware, politically. I think hes astute, politically. Hes a very smart person, a very respected person, Trump said. Hes going to do whats right. I really believe hes going to do whats right. Whitaker has been the target of criticism by Democrats who believe that his thoughts on the Mueller probe may result in actions to limit or shut down the investigation. Mueller was appointed by Sessions in May last year to investigate allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, as well as matters that arose from the probe. Whitaker has previously criticized the scope of Muellers investigation, ruled out that there was any collusion, and opined about a scenario in which a new attorney general reins in the probe by shrinking Muellers budget. Asked if learning of Whitakers views had any impact on his appointment, the president said he doesnt think so. I dont think it had any effect. If you look at those statements, those statements really could be viewed either way, Trump said. What do you do when a person is right? There is no collusion. It happened to be right. Mueller has not brought any charges of collusion. Rosenstein, who Mueller answers to, has on several occasions clarified that the charges brought by Mueller do not implicate any U.S. person in colluding with Russia. Trump said he would not overrule Whitaker if the acting attorney general moved to limit or close down Muellers probe. Referring to people who are afraid he will close down the investigation, the president pointed out that he has been under investigation since announcing his run for president in 2015. Trump said that then-FBI officials Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page wanted to set up an insurance policy in the event Trump won the election. Muellers investigation is that policy in action, the president suggested. These people were looking at me. They wanted an insurance policy just in case I won or Hillary lost, Trump said. This was the insurance policy. Its a scam. There was no collusion whatsoever and the whole thing is a scam. Trump also indicated that the Mueller probe is nearing its completion. The president said he personally answered a set of questions from the special counsel related to collusion. Trump declined to answer questions related to obstruction of justice. Probably this is the end, Trump said. Rosenstein appointed Mueller because Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. The recusal upset Trump, but Sessions served for nearly two years before the president asked him to resign. Mueller is now reporting to Whitaker instead of Rosenstein. Much of the Mueller investigation, including its full scope, is classified. Rosenstein defined the limits of the investigation in a pair of memos, the second of which, issued on Aug. 2, 2017, is heavily redacted. Whitaker expressed his views on the Mueller investigation in an op-ed for CNN published on Aug. 6, 2017. Whitaker wrote that Mueller was close to crossing a red line by investigating the finances of Trump and his family. It is time for Rosenstein, who is the acting attorney general for the purposes of this investigation, to order Mueller to limit the scope of his investigation to the four corners of the order appointing him special counsel, Whitaker wrote at the time. In addition to calls for Whitakers recusal, Democrats have challenged the legality of his appointment, arguing that Trump may have violated the constitution by appointing someone who had not been vetted by the Senate. The state of Maryland filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government over the designation, citing a myriad of legal issues. The Department of Justice responded to the lawsuit by issuing an extensive legal opinion to the White House concluding that Trump was within his authority when he appointed Whitaker. Activists, members of the Human Rights Association Istanbul branch, holding posters with photos of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 9, 2018. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP) Trump Says Prince Role in Khashoggi Death May Never Be Known President Donald Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has denied to him perhaps five times any role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the U.S. may never know whether he was involved in the murder. Well, will anybody really know? All right, will anybody really know? Trump responded when Fox News anchor Chris Wallace asked during a Fox News Sunday interview that was taped Friday (Nov. 16) whether the princes denials might be lies. Several news organizations including the Washington Post and New York Times reported that the CIA has concluded the crown prince ordered Khashoggis assassination in Istanbul last month, contradicting the Saudi governments claim he wasnt involved in the murder. CIA officials have high confidence in their conclusion, which is based on multiple sources of intelligence, the Post reported. Trump said Nov. 17 the U.S. will issue a very full report on the killing by Nov. 20. But Trump denied the CIA has made a judgment, saying Nov. 17 that the intelligence agency hasnt assessed anything yet. Its too early. That was a very premature report. Trump told Wallace in the interview conducted Nov. 16 that the prince had told him he had nothing to do with the killing maybe five times at different points, including as recently as a few days ago. Wont Listen Still, Trump said, the prince did have certainly people that were reasonably close to him and close to him that were probably involved. Trump said he has been briefed on a recording of the murder that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shared with the U.S. government, but he didnt want to listen to it because its a suffering tape, its a terrible tape. I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it, Trump said. It was very violent, very vicious and terrible. Some U.S. lawmakers have demanded tougher action against Saudi Arabia for the murder. The Trump administration on Nov. 15 announced sanctions against 17 Saudi officials implicated in the killing, though not the crown prince. Critics in Congress immediately branded the sanctions as insufficient. Trump defended the U.S. response in the Fox interview as very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But he suggested he was wary of damaging the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. We do have an ally, and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good, Trump said. Hand-in-Hand The Saudis play an important role in the Middle East in pushing back on Iran, but the U.S. shouldnt rely so heavily on the crown prince, said Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California, whos in line to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Any regime that would be involved in murdering a journalist this way, we should not be walking hand-in-hand with, Schiff said on ABCs This Week. Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, a frequent critic of Trump who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on CNNs State of the Union that the U.S. response should not be driven by its ties to Saudi Arabia. There are things that were going to have to confront here soon, he said. I hope we do it based on the truth, not in something that we simply want to see because we have a lot invested in the relationship with the crown prince now. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the crown prince is irrational and unhinged. Hes done a lot of damage to the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, Graham said. Jennifer Jacobs From Bloomberg U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (R) on reducing drug costs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2018. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images) Trumps Drug Pricing Czar Found With Multiple Blunt Force Injuries, Ruled Suicide The high-level federal official tasked with lowering drug prices was found dead and, according to authorities in Washington, took his own life. Daniel Best was the senior adviser to Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for drug pricing reform. Best was found unresponsive near the garage door exit of an apartment building in Navy Yard, a neighborhood about a mile south of the Capitol at 5:25 a.m. on Nov. 1, according to the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. Best was pronounced dead on the scene. On Nov. 15, the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declared the death a suicide, saying Best succumbed to multiple blunt force injuries without providing further details, according to Cleveland.com. Cheryle Adams, special assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner, confirmed the cause and manner of death to The Epoch Times via email. Blunt force injuries can be caused, among other things, by jumping or falling from heights, wrote Nicholas Batalis, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Medical University of South Carolina, in a Medscape article. Best was a drug industry insider. He worked for more than a decade in various executive roles for the drugmaker Pfizer, Universal American, MemberHealth, and CVS Caremark Corporation. His March appointment to HSS sparked criticism from some opponents of President Donald Trump, who accused the administration of cozying up to the drug industry. Azar is also a former pharma executive as well as lobbyist. But Bests experience could swing the other way, too. Pharma Shake Up Azar and Best will know where the bodies are buried, a health insurance lobbyist told Stat in May, though he added the two would also know how far they could go against the industry. You can only shake up so much. Best apparently wanted to shake up quite a bit. Two days before his death, HHS published a question-and-answer article where Best explained one of the initiatives he led was expected to save the government more than $50 billion in its first eight years on Medicare and Medicaid expensesat the expense of drugmakers and/or other developed countries. As Best explained, Americans often pay much higher prices than people in other developed countries for some expensive drugs. The plan was to attempt to level the playing field by tying how much Medicare pays for some drugs to a selection of international prices, instead of the average U.S. price. Many European countries, for instance, exercise broad control over health care and dictate how much companies can charge for drugs. Conservative pundits have long complained over the oversized chunk of pharmaceutical research paid by Americans through higher drug prices. The world reaps the benefits of American genius and innovation, while American citizensand especially our great seniors, who are hit the hardestpick up the tab, Trump said on Oct. 25 when announcing the plan. Rebates Other initiatives of Best included opening the market to generics and biosimilar drugs, and restructuring drug rebate programs that are blamed by some for driving up prices. The rebates have been on his mind for years, Bests brother Tim told GoErie.com. It was a concept he started on in 2005 to be able to take the rebates from the drug companies and give them back to the consumer, Tim Best said. I think thats what he is really looking to do. Nice Guy People who came into professional contact with Best described him as a congenial person and tough negotiator. Hes got a real nice personality, said Chuck Spinelli, former team member of Bests at MemberHealth. Hes not a jerk, hes not overbearing. Hes approachable, and pharma liked him. They appreciated working with him. He was very transparent. He was very honest. He didnt play any games. Spinelli recalled a story of another of Bests former coworkers who tried to get Best to include a new drug he was selling onto an insurance plan Best managed. But Best disregarded the longtime personal connection and refused the drug as it wasnt a good fit for his customers. Best grew up in the Erie, Pennsylvania, area and graduated from the University of Dayton. He leaves behind a wife and three sons. He brought his deep expertise and passion to this task with great humility and collegiality, Azar said in a statement after news of Bests death. All of us who served with Dan at HHS and in the administration mourn his passing and extend our thoughts and prayers to his wife Lisa and the entire Best family at this difficult time. Update: The article has been updated with responses from the Department of Health and Human Services, the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department as well as background information on blunt force injuries. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference in London on Nov. 19, 2018. (Reuters/Toby Melville) UKs May Sticks to Brexit Deal as Opponents Seek to Trigger Formal Challenge LONDONBritish Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Nov. 19 to stick to her draft European Union divorce deal, as dissenting lawmakers in her own party tried to trigger a leadership challenge. Since striking a deal with the EU on Nov. 13, May has faced the most perilous crisis of her premiership with several ministers resigning, including her Brexit minister. May has pledged to fight on, warning that toppling her risks delaying Britains exit from the EU or leaving without a deal, a step that could thrust the worlds fifth-largest economy into the unknown. Even if she stays in place, the level of opposition from euroskeptics in her own ranks has made it clear how hard it will be to get the deal through parliament. We have in view a deal that will work for the UK and, let no one be in any doubt, I am determined to deliver it, May said in a speech to Britains premier business lobby, the CBI, to loud applause. We are not talking about political theory but the reality of peoples lives and livelihoods. While the world is changing fast, our geography is not: Europe will always be our most proximate goods market, and ensuring we have free-flowing borders is crucial, May said, citing the importance of the automotive industry in particular. Fair and Balanced The EU is due to hold a summit to discuss the draft deal on Nov. 25. Some Brexit-supporting ministers are reported to want to rewrite parts of it, though Germany has ruled this out. The EUs Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the draft deal was fair and balanced. May said she wanted any Brexit transition, during which Britain will remain a member in all but name and voting rights, to have ended by the time of the next national election, due in 2022. More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms, or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019. Many business chiefs and investors fear politics could defeat an agreement, thrusting the economy into a no-deal Brexit that they say would weaken the West, spook financial markets and silt up the arteries of trade. CBI President John Allan said such a Brexit would be a wrecking ball for Britains economy, while CBI Director-General Carolyn Fairbairn said politicians were playing a high-stakes game that could lead to an accidental no-deal departure. Surely, surely, we can do better than this, she said. Asked about the unpopularity of her deal among many in her party, May said voters should listen to business. However, rebels in her own Conservative Party who say the deal will leave Britain in indefinite subjugation to the EU are attempting to trigger a vote of no confidence in her leadership. Challenge? The chairman of the partys 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, said Nov. 18 the threshold of 48 letters from lawmakers hadnt yet been reached. He also said if there were a vote, May would win. The Sun newspaper said the rebels were six letters short. One of them, Simon Clarke, told BBC radio, This day must be the point at which action is taken. But by 4 p.m. on Nov. 19, there was no sign of a formal challenge. Since she won the top job in the turbulence that followed the 2016 referendum, Mays premiership has been characterized by obduracy in the face of frequent crises. Her biggest challenge will be getting the deal through parliament. The DUP, a small Northern Irish party that props up her minority government, has threatened to pull its support. By Kylie MacLellan and William James Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street via the back exit in London on Nov. 16, 2018. (Reuters/Peter Nicholls) UK PM Theresa May Faces Day of Reckoning Over Brexit LONDONBritish Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to win support from business leaders for her contentious draft European Union divorce deal on Monday as dissenting lawmakers in her own party try to trigger a leadership challenge. May has had a tumultuous few days since unveiling her deal on Wednesday, Nov. 14, with several ministers, including her Brexit minister, resigning. She has vowed to fight on, warning on Sunday, Nov. 18 that toppling her risked delaying Britains exit from the EU. She has said a separate future partnership agreement, not yet finalised, will help ensure the government delivers on the 2016 Brexit referendum. The EU is due to hold a summit to discuss the deal on Nov. 25. Some Brexit-supporting ministers are reported to want to rewrite parts of it, though Germany has ruled this out. May will defend her deal in a speech to the CBI business lobby group on Monday, saying Britain will this week thrash out the details of its outline future relationship with the EU. We now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us, she will say, according to advance extracts. During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship, and I am confident that we can strike a deal at the Council that I can take back to the House of Commons. Economic Wrecking Ball More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019. CBI president John Allan said a no deal Brexit would be a wrecking ball for Britains economy. May will say the withdrawal agreement set out last week, strongly criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the EU debate, is a good deal for Britain. However, rebels in her own Conservative Party who say the deal will leave Britain in indefinite subjugation to the EU are attempting to trigger a vote of no confidence in her leadership. The chairman of the partys 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, said on Sunday that the threshold of 48 letters from lawmakers had not yet been reached. He also said if there were a vote, May would win. The Sun newspaper said the rebels were six letters short. One of them, Simon Clarke, told BBC radio, This day must be the point at which action is taken. Critics like Clarke say Mays deal risks dividing the United Kingdom by aligning Northern Ireland more closely with the EUs customs rules than mainland Britain. The DUP, a small Northern Irish party that props up Mays minority government, has threatened to pull its support over that issue. Clarke referred to this threat, saying, It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks. Business minister Greg Clark said London would be open to extending a transition period between Britain leaving the bloc and the start of a new trading relationship until 2022 as one means of preventing such an arrangement coming into force. It would be our discretion, it would be purely for us if we wanted to, and there are reasons we may not want to take that up, he told BBC radio. Controlling Immigration During the transition period, Britain will remain an EU member in all but nameand voting rightsmeaning that such an extension would be likely to dismay Brexit supporters. Also speaking at the CBI conference, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will describe the deal as a botched, worst-of-all-worlds deal which is bad for Britain, leaving the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say. Corbyn, who has said his party will not support Mays deal when parliament is asked to vote on it, will say Labours plan for Brexit would include a new, comprehensive, and permanent customs union, and a strong single market relationship. The government is trying to force a bad deal that doesnt meet our countrys needs by threatening us all with the chaos and serious damage to our economy of a no deal outcome, he will say. May will tell the business leaders that the deal will allow Britain to control immigrationa key concern for many of those who voted to leave the EUbut still allow companies to attract the brightest and the best from around the world. It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi, she will say. By Kylie MacLellan and William James Update: Officials Received Notice Large Number of Migrants Planned to Rush Border at San Ysidro, Prompting Action All northbound lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry were closed early on Nov. 19, blocking traffic into the United States from Mexico, but some lanes reopened around 7:30 a.m. The lanes were closed so that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel could place port hardening materials in place, the agency said. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen later said that CBP officials were notified that a large number of migrants from the caravan were planning to rush the border in an attempt to gain illegal access to the U.S. The agency, with the help of troops from the Department of Defense, appropriately responded by blocking the lanes, deploying additional personnel and seeking assistance from other law enforcement and federal assets, she said, sharing pictures of concertina wire put up around the port of entry. Unfortunately, some members of the caravan are purposely causing disruptions at our border ports of entry. There is a legal and illegal way to enter the US. We have deployed additional forces to protect our border. We will enforce all our laws, she added. .@CBP and @DeptofDefense appropriately responded by blocking the lanes, deploying additional personnel and seeking assistance from other law enforcement and federal assets. #CBP has reopened lanes for legitimate trade and travel. I want to thank them for their swift actions. pic.twitter.com/eJVVuAs0w6 Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) November 19, 2018 Southbound lanes remained open through the closure. The agency also suspended processing northbound pedestrians at the San Ysidro Pedestrian East Facility but travelers can still use the West Facility. The lane closure started around 3:30 a.m. PDT, reported Fox 5, describing the lanes as lined with what looked like armed forces blocking many northbound lanes. [We] have temporarily suspended vehicle processing for northbound travelers at the San Ysidro port of entry Monday morning to position additional port hardening materials, the agency said in a statement to The Epoch Times. After the materials are in position, CBP will resume processing northbound vehicle traffic in select lanes at the border crossing. CBP said in a second statement around 7:30 a.m. PDT that some lanes re-opened while others remained closed. Customs agents told CBS 8 around 9:45 a.m. PDT that 10 lanes at the port of entry were still closed to northbound traffic as troops erected barriers and put the wiring in place. San Ysidro is the busiest land port of entry in the Western Hemisphere, processing some 70,000 northbound vehicles and 20,000 northbound pedestrians every day. Lane closures were previously announced for Nov. 13, at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. CBP said then that they would be closed to install and pre-position port hardening infrastructure equipment in preparation for the migrant caravan and the potential safety and security risk that it could cause. CBP has been and will continue to prepare for the potential arrival of thousands of people migrating in a caravan heading towards the border of the United States, said Pete Flores, director of field operations in San Diego, in a statement. These preparations include training exercises, deploying additional CBP personnel, and partnering with the U.S. military to harden our ports of entry and the border area between those legal crossings into the U.S. Similar actions were being taken in Arizona. Thousands of migrants have poured into Tijuana in recent days, as up to 10,000 more traveling across three caravans heads north, largely toward the same border city. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered thousands of troops to the border to support Border Patrol agents and place obstacles along the border. About 6,000 are currently in place across California, Arizona, and Texas. Trump said that up to 15,000 could be deployed. From NTD News People watch a screen showing information on 5G technology during the Mobile World Conference in Shanghai on June 27, 2018. (-/AFP/Getty Images) US May Lose Ground to China in 5G Race, Experts Warn WASHINGTONA commission of experts formed by the U.S. Congress has warned that Chinas ambitions to control the next generation of mobile networks will have significant implications for U.S. competitiveness, data privacy, and national security. The U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) states in a report that the Chinese government is heavily investing in the fifth-generation wireless technology (5G) networks. Significant state funding for 5G deployment is part of the communist regimes comprehensive industrial blueprint to cement technological dominance globally and reduce Chinas dependence on foreign technology. 5G, which will replace the fourth-generation mobile (4G) network, has the potential to increase data speeds by 100 times and transform the internet. It also enables energy saving and widespread device connectivity through the Internet of Things (IoT). Since it is a software-defined network, it could replace the need for cables by largely operating on the cloud. International 5G standards will be set by 2019 and large-scale commercial deployment is expected by 2020. It faces, however, multiple hurdles, the most significant of which is cost. Huge investments are needed for this next-generation wireless network. 5G and subsequent technologies are expected to bring trillions in economic benefits, and U.S. and Chinese companies are engaged in a fierce competition to secure first-mover advantage in the race. Presently, U.S. firms such as Qualcomm, Intel, Cisco, Amazon, and Google are global leaders in next-generation network development, the USCC report says. However, Chinas state-led policies weaken Americas competitiveness. The Chinese government is supporting its companies to lead in international 5G standards to ensure they set global standards. Such leadership may result in higher revenues for China and more global control over future wireless technology and standards development, USCC warns in the report. The Chinese government, telecom operators, and local companies such as Huawei and ZTE are working hard to be at the forefront of equipment production for this new technology. According to the report, China already dominates in global network equipment, which raises serious supply-chain concerns about the secure deployment of 5G networks in the United States. In addition, China is the worlds largest manufacturer of IoT devices, which collect enormous amounts of user information. The rapid increase in these largely unsecure IoT devices is creating numerous points of vulnerability for intelligence collection, cyber attacks, industrial control, or censorship, stated the report. U.S. data could be exposed through these devices and the Chinese regime could hold broad powers to access U.S. personal and corporate data, the report added. The report also contains a number of recommendations on countering potential security issues posed by Beijings industrial policies to advance the IoT and 5G technologies. USCC recommends Congress require the White House Office of Management and Budget to ensure all government agencies address supply-chain vulnerabilities arising from China. It also advises Congress to direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Federal Communications Commission to ensure the rapid and secure deployment of 5G technology with a particular focus on the threat posed by equipment and services designed or manufactured in China. National Spectrum Strategy President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum last month directing the Commerce Department to develop a national strategy for spectrum policy to advance the countrys 5G innovation and dominance. The United States is already the global leader in 4G technology, White House stated in a report. To lead in 5G and reap the benefits of better and faster wireless connections, we must have a forward-looking, strategic spectrum policy. The research firm GSMA Intelligence forecasts that there will be 1.3 billion 5G connections by 2025, however, this depends on governments ability to make enough spectrum available. Governments need to allocate sufficient spectrum to next-generation mobile services to make them more affordable and accessible for everyone, according to GSMA. AT&T, Verizon Communications, Sprint, and T-Mobile are working to acquire spectrum and beginning to develop and test 5G networks. Since 2015, China exceeded the United States by approximately $24 billion in mobile communications infrastructure spending, according to the consulting firm Deloitte. China built 350,000 new sites during that period. Meanwhile, the United States developed fewer than 30,000, a Deloitte report said. Looking forward, Chinas five-year economic plan specifies $400 billion in 5G-related investment. Consequently, China and other countries may be creating a 5G tsunami, making it near impossible to catch up, stated the report. Recognizing the IoTs enormous economic and military potential, the Chinese government made the IoT and its enabling technologies such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence cornerstones of its blueprint Made in China 2025. In the industrial plan, unveiled three years ago, the Chinese regime announced the goal of achieving dominance in 10 high-tech industries by 2025, including advanced information technology, robotics, aviation, and new energy vehicles. To realize its economic ambitions, the regime has been resorting to various tactics, including industrial espionage, cyber theft, heavy government subsidies, forced joint ventures in exchange for market access, and acquisition of foreign companies to attain sensitive technologies. Maria Butina appears in a police booking photograph released by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, on Aug. 18, 2018. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters) US Prosecutors Talking With Accused Russian Agent to Resolve Case WASHINGTONU.S. prosecutors and lawyers for accused Russian agent Maria Butina are engaging in negotiations, both sides said in a court last week, raising the possibility the case could be resolved with a plea deal. Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who has publicly advocated for gun rights, was charged in July with acting as an agent of the Russian government and conspiracy to take actions on behalf of Russia. She is accused of working with a Russian official and two U.S. citizens to try to infiltrate the National Rifle Association, a powerful lobby group that has close ties to Republican politicians including President Donald Trump, and influence American foreign policy toward Russia. Currently jailed awaiting trial, Butina has pleaded not guilty. She could face years in prison if convicted. The parties continue to engage in negotiations regarding a potential resolution of this matter, prosecutors and Butinas lawyers wrote in a joint filing on Nov. 16, without elaborating on what resolution might materialize. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan later granted a joint request for a delay in a status hearing in the case that had been set for Dec. 6, scheduling a new hearing for Dec. 19. After the delay was granted, defense lawyers withdrew motions they had filed on Nov. 15 to dismiss the case. Such talks sometimes lead to a deal in which a defendant pleads guilty to lesser charges to resolve a case. Robert Driscoll, an attorney for Butina and who is under a media gag order imposed by the judge in the case, declined to comment when asked whether his client may plead guilty in order to resolve the case. The prosecution has made serious missteps in the case, including erroneously accusing Butina of offering sex in exchange for a position in a special interest group. They later backed off the claim and earned scorn from the judge, who said the incorrect allegations were notorious and had damaged Butinas reputation. Butinas lawyers have previously identified the Russian official with whom she was accused of working as Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russias central bank who was hit with U.S. Treasury Department sanctions in April. They identified one of the two Americans mentioned in the criminal complaint as being Paul Erickson, a conservative U.S. political activist who was dating Butina. Neither Erickson nor Torshin have been accused by prosecutors of wrongdoing. Questions relating to Russia have cast a shadow over Trumps presidency. Moscow has labeled the case against Butina fabricated and called for her release. Prosecutors have called Butina a flight risk and said she had been in contact with Russian intelligence operatives and kept contact information for several Russian agents. By Sarah N. Lynch While obesity has long been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, previous research has offered a mixed picture of the potential for weight loss to help reduce that risk. For the current study, researchers assessed weight and height to calculate body mass index (BMI) for more than 61,000 women twice, three years apart. Then, researchers followed women for an average of 11.4 more years. During this time 3,061 women developed invasive breast cancer. Compared with women who had stable weight during the initial three years of the study, women who lost at least 5 percent of their body weight during those first three years were 12 percent less likely to develop breast cancer over the next decade or so. Our results are consistent with a woman being able to lower their cancer risk, even if they remain overweight or obese after losing some weight, since almost none of the women in our current cohort analysis lost sufficient weight to achieve normal weight, said lead study author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. That should be an encouraging result for women since modest sustained weight loss can be achievable by many, while weight loss sufficient to return to a non-obese or overweight category is quite difficult, Chlebowski said by email. All of the women in the study had gone through menopause, when menstruation stops and production of estrogen drops. After menopause, womens main source of estrogen is fat tissue; being overweight or obese can increase the risk of cancer because estrogen can help tumors grow. Women who are overweight or obese likely have an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer due to increased hormone levels associated with fat cells, said Dr. Daniel Schauer of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, who wasnt involved in the study. These hormones, especially estrogen, can promote the development of postmenopausal breast cancer, Schauer told Reuters Health by email. Losing weight decreases the levels of circulating hormones. Among the roughly 41,000 women in the study who had a stable weight during the initial three years, participants had an average BMI of 26.7, which is considered overweight. The 12,000 women who gained weight during the study also started out with an average BMI of 26.7. Women who lost weight started out heavier. The roughly 3,300 women who lost weight unintentionally started out with a BMI of 27.9 and half of them lost more than 17 pounds. Women who lost weight intentionally began with an average BMI of 29.9, just shy of the cutoff BMI of 30 to be considered obese, and half of them lost more than 20 pounds. Weight gain of 5 percent or more was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer overall, the researchers report in the journal Cancer. But this amount of weight gain was associated with a 54 percent higher risk of developing triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive and difficult to treat type of cancer. The study wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how weight changes over time might directly impact womens risk of developing or dying from breast cancer. Researchers only measured womens weight twice, at the start of the study and again three years later, and any changes in weight women reported after that were not verified by medical exams. For most people, weight creeps up over time, said Dr. Graham Colditz of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who wasnt involved in the study. So, the first realistic goals is to work to stop gaining. There are health benefits to that, even if youre overweight, Colditz said by email. After that, sensibly and slowly losing weight is a good goal, Colditz added. Five to 10 pounds is a great start thats more easily maintained over time. By Lisa Rapaport Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media TIAA Bank acquired a $1.5 billion portfolio of medical equipment leases and loans from GE Capital, with the companies not disclosing immediately what TIAA paid. The portfolio includes loans and leases to 1,100 hospitals and 3,500 physician practices and diagnostic centers, covering imaging equipment, monitors and surgical devices. With a slew of hits from Hot Blooded to Cold as Ice, its no wonder Foreigner is among the worlds top rock acts. The Grammy-winning band brings its Double Vision: Then and Now show to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, Dec. 1. But this isnt your basic Foreigner concert (as if there is such a thing). This is bigger one of only four shows with both current and original members. So when you hear Feels Like the First Time, from their 1977 debut album, it really will be like that first time, or at least as close as possible. The show brings Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Rick Wills onto the stage with lead guitarist/cofounder Mick Jones, plus newer members such as vocalist Kelly Hansen (since 2005) and Tom Gimbel, who plays multiple instruments, including sax, and has been with the band over 20 years. They are the original recipe; we are the extra crispy, Gimbel said of the lineup. We do a portion with the way the band is nowadays and then theres a portion with the band from those days, and then a portion with both bands combined. Of course Mick Jones is in both bands. Its wild, its phenomenal. We caught Gimbel for a phone chat as he was preparing for an Australian concert tour. We are all packing and practicing. With the saxophone youre constantly experimenting with mouthpieces and different reeds. Thats the exciting life of a woodwind player, he said, with a laugh. Gimbel visited Australia a bunch of times while working with Aerosmith, and since then, with Foreigner. He said he loves it, but also looks forward to Connecticut, where he has family and fond memories his sister is a graduate of Wesleyan University. Its (Mohegan Sun) gonna be a Saturday night, so thats a fun time to have a celebration. Though bikini-clad girls have been known to join the band for Hot Blooded, that wont happen here. I wish they could, but there wont be room onstage. We could build a second stage for the girls, suspended in the air maybe. I wish. No I think it is a pretty straight-ahead rock show. These songs just sound so incredible to this day. Gimbel said Jones sometimes introduces tunes with a brief story. Perhaps hell share the Juke Box Hero tale, of how its lyrics, Standing in the rain, with his head hung low. Couldnt get a ticket, it was a sold out show, refer to a fan in Cincinnati. That song is, in some ways, based in truth, Gimbel said. A young guy was outside the venue there when Jones and Gramm invited him backstage to kind of show him the world the way they saw it... They probably went outside to have a cigarette and he was trying to listen through the wall and it was raining, and they said, Cmon in kid. Gimble chuckled at the thought. He also made clear how he feels about Foreigner that its an honor and a whole lot of fun to rock on with this group. Were hardly ever home, he said. We really live in airports and hotels and backstage and onstage; that is where we exist. lkoonz@newstimes.com; Twitter: @LindaTKoonz Ask any startup what the single most important element to success is and -- more often than not -- the answer will be money. Financing always ranks as a high priority for the small fish trying to make it happen in the big pond of business -- but often discussed with less fanfare is where this cash comes from and what will come with it. These are actually the most important details to a startup. Related: Who Would Invest in Your Startup, and Why? That is not to say that money is not important. In fact, the second most common reason for startup failure is lack of funding, according to CB Insights. Although, perhaps ironically enough, the top reason for startup failure is lack of market need -- a problem which could have been identified and avoided by investors who bring money with direction and money with experience. Startups don't just need money, they need smart money. Startups need investors who bring not only cash to the table, but also their networks and business acumen. Essentially, they bring experience and direction to outfits that are usually inexperienced or directionless. So, let's talk smart money and the startup. What is smart money? "Smart money" refers to investors who are simply more intuitive and aware of market movements and business health. The Financial Times describes "smart money" as "sophisticated investors who tend to pick the right moment to buy or sell assets because they can identify trends and opportunities before others do." These investors calculate based on history and profit and invest accordingly. Where they go, other investors follow. These business heavyweights are invaluable to a startup because they put more than simply their money where their mouth is; they also invest their expertise. A startup could have all the money in the world but it will fail more without the proper business direction and market placement. Related: 4 Traits Perceptive Investors Look for in Tech Startup Founders Smart money works best for startups when nascent businesses pair with investors who provide a holistic approach to business. They can help in hiring the best talent, attracting interest from the most relevant stakeholders, securing a continuous presence in the press, avoiding pitfalls and, ultimately, fulfilling ambitions. There are more than a few ways that money can be termed as smart. Perhaps the cash infusion also comes with experts in thought leadership and strategy, or executional capacity, or the ability to increase sales and raise funds. Whatever the method, smart money brings something more to the table than dollars. This becomes abundantly clear when conducting post-mortems of the startups which have failed. Why do startups fail? Startups fail all the time -- and it is important to understand why. As mentioned above, the top reason startups fail is simply the lack of market need. Tackling problems that are interesting to solve rather than those that serve a market need is the most common issue startups cite for their downfall. The next most common reason for startup failure, as likely predicted, is money. Smart or not, money does need to flow into any startup to make it possible. Meanwhile, the third most common reason for startup collapse was team composition. More to the point: Startups need to comprise a diverse team with different skill sets. These top three reasons for startup failure could be solved with the right management approach from the top down. Each of these reasons can be addressed with smart money. The right business and management structure will allow the right hires to be made and course to be charted. Smart investors can identify the right people for your team and help you to hire staff who will take the business to the next level. While startups think money is the key, it is not the end-all and be-all for their potential success. They need skills and networks. Business and innovation expert Rosemarie Truman explained this misunderstanding best: "A common mistake entrepreneurs make in their struggle to find funding is focusing too much on getting the money under specific terms and not paying enough attention to who is providing the funds." Related: How to Find the Right Investors for Your Business Show me the (smart) money. Savvy entrepreneurs recognize their businesses need more than cash to be successful -- especially those at the top. Alibaba chief executive officer Jack Ma, who ranks as one of the richest people in the world, described the need for smart hires and smart staff as thus: "At first, I knew nothing about technology. I knew nothing about management. But, the thing is, you don't have to know a lot of things. You have to find the people who are smarter than you are." Smart business owners want to work with investors who provide not just money but also their expertise, time and access to networks -- and this is especially important for businesses looking to scale. The proof is in the research: Take for example a paper by Morten Sorensen, professor of finance at Copenhagen Business School, about venture capital and its impact on an overall business. Sorensen found that companies funded by more experienced venture capital funds were more likely to go public, and also that more experienced venture capital funds invest in better companies, leading to better long-term business health. So, the question then becomes: Where does one access smart money? The answer will depend on whom is asked, but startups that have survived and later grown into viable businesses are a good place to start. The founders of collaborative blogging platform Niume, Daniel Gennaoui and Francesco Facca, have this advice for startups who are on the hunt for smart money: "First, you need a strong founding team with complementary skills that can actually deliver on their promises. Second, you need a working minimum viable product (MVP), showing that there is traction and interest for the product and people willing to use and pay for it," the founders said. "The actual amount they invest is far less important than the value they bring to your company." It is also worth noting that crowdfunding can be considered a form of smart money, as it brings an ecosystem of partners who will help to scale and countless brand ambassadors who have invested their hard-earned cash. It's simply more than capital. Gaining startup finance is not only venture capital or crowdfunding -- it should also provide an ecosystem of business management and be viewed as such. It's simply wrong to think funding is only funding. Startups can have all the money in the world but will fail more often than not without the proper business direction and market placement. Those who want to make a lasting impression in their given field need the guidance and support smart money brings. Related: The Growing Role of Blockchain Technology In Southeast Asia Startups Need More Than Money to Succeed -- They Need Smart Money How Indian Startups Are Grabbing A Larger Slice of Chinese Investments Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Early last month, the wife of Meng Hongwei, a Chinese national and the president of Interpol, reported that her husband had disappeared on a trip to China. Three days passed before the Chinese government admitted detaining him and placing him under investigation. Following that, Interpol received a notice of Meng's resignation. Whether he wrote it or not is unknown. Last Saturday, news began circulating that a Russian official is the front-runner to replace Meng as president of Interpol. At first, I thought this must be a joke. Russia has demonstrated some of the most criminal tendencies of any country in the world. Its agents used a military-grade chemical weapon in an attack in Salisbury in Britain. Russian missiles murdered 298 innocents on Flight MH17 over Ukraine. And the Kremlin's operatives have interfered with elections in the United States and Europe. Russia shouldn't even be on the list of countries that could provide a leader for Interpol. Later this week, Interpol's general assembly in Dubai will decide who becomes Interpol's next president. The vote will take place on Wednesday, and the choice is between the Russian Interior Ministry officer Alexander Prokopchuk and Interpol's current interim president, a South Korean named Kim Jong Yang. No one should want to see a Russian elevated to this post, but I have a particular personal interest in seeing that it doesn't happen. In 2012, I succeeded in advocating for the U.S. government to pass the Magnitsky Act, named after my colleague Sergei Magnitsky, who was imprisoned by Russian authorities after exposing high-level corruption and died in detention after being beaten and denied medical care. This law allows the United States to freeze the assets and ban visas for Russian human rights abusers. Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has embarked on a vendetta against me. This has taken a number of forms, including death threats and plans for illegal renditions. But one of the most pernicious has been Moscow's repeated attempts to misuse Interpol to try to have me arrested and extradited back to Russia, where they will likely torture and kill me. Moscow first attempted to use Interpol to go after me in May 2013 with a request for an Interpol Red Notice. Interpol rejected this, stating that the Russian request violated Interpol's constitution, since it was obviously politically motivated. Several months later, the Russians tried again to get a Red Notice for me - and once again, it was rejected. After two explicit rejections, one might think Russia would give up trying to use Interpol to have me arrested. Instead, the Russians altered their tactics. In October 2017, the Canadian Parliament unanimously passed its own version of the Magnitsky Act. In response, Vladimir Putin's government went after me using something called an Interpol "diffusion notice." This was also an Interpol arrest warrant, but one that required far less oversight than a Red Notice. Again, Interpol intervened, declaring it politically motivated. Then, in May of this year, I was actually arrested in Madrid. I'd been invited there by a senior Spanish prosecutor to give evidence against Russian organized crime and money laundering taking place in Spain and connected to the Magnitsky case. I was arrested at my hotel by Spanish National Police, and only released from custody after Interpol intervened. In reaction to the Madrid incident, Russia's most senior law enforcement officer, Yuri Chaika, gave a news conference in Moscow, saying: "We will redouble our efforts to get Bill Browder. . . . He should not sleep peacefully at night." On Monday morning, the Russian government went one step further. Officials in Moscow held a news conference at which they absurdly accused me of murdering Sergei Magnitsky himself and described me as the leader of a "transnational criminal group" who needed to be apprehended. In total, Russia has tried to use Interpol seven times to have me arrested. If there ever was a case for why Russia should not have any authority at Interpol, I am that case. I am, however, by no means alone. Russia has sought the imprisonment of scores of people connected to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of oil giant Yukos and an outspoken Putin critic. It is currently pursuing the supporters of Alexei Navalny, the Russian anti-corruption activist. Every week I get a call from a new victim of Russia's abuse of the Interpol system. I'm currently working with lawyers and other victims on an initiative to apply Interpol's own rules to suspend Russia from using the Interpol system. Its serial abuse is welldocumented and undeniable. It would be an absurd and Kafkaesque scenario if - rather than Russia being suspended - one of Putin's henchmen were to become the leader of one of the world's most important law enforcement institutions. Interpol plays a crucial role in tracking and apprehending fugitives around the world. To allow Interpol to be commandeered by one of the most criminal dictators on the planet serves the interests of no one but the Kremlin. On Wednesday, all democratic and transparent nations should band together and use their influence to ensure that Interpol does not debase itself by effectively becoming an arm of the Russian mafia. - - - William Browder is the author of "Red Notice" and an activist who spearheaded the Global Magnitsky Act. CARROLLTON It started out like any other shift for Greene County Sheriffs Deputy Cliff Elliott, but a surprising call changed that. Elliott received a call about a sick or injured eagle between White Hall and Walkerville along Walkerville Blacktop. When I call a call from Rob [McMillen, the sheriff] asking me to go out and pick up an eagle, I was trying to figure out if he was joking, Elliott said. Once I got out there, all it did was try to run through a field. The bird ran from Elliott, who caught the bird with a blanket, using it to keep the bird calm as he drove it to Roodhouse, where hed meet up with representatives from TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow. I got him tucked into the blanket and he was pretty mellow after that, Elliott said. It was something I was glad I got to do. While a common sight along the river and in portions of the county, Elliott said he never imagined hed be holding an eagle. But that wasnt the end of the surprises for his weekend shift as he received a second call the following day requesting help capturing a second eagle that also appeared sick from the same area. Responding a second time, Elliott said he was surprised. Getting to help one is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Elliott said. Its not something I ever expected to do. I did it twice in one weekend. The second bird was also unable to fly away, but Elliott said it was a bit more reluctant to let Elliott near. The second one was a little more feisty, Elliott said. He kept hissing at me. I used my coat to wrap around him because the blanket was at the Roodhouse Police Department. Once I got my coat around it, it calmed down. For the Army veteran, being able to help the bird that represents freedom in the country, Elliott said it was a remarkable experience. My first tattoo when I joined the military was an eagle on my left arm, Elliott said. I felt tremendously honored to be able to help them. Both birds were believed to have gotten sick off a rotten carcass or something that was poisonous. While a complete timetable is not available, Elliott said he was told by TreeHouse representatives that the birds would be rehabilitated before release. The eagles will have to be able to fly and hunt before they can be released. They will be released within a couple miles of where they were captured once they are well enough. For birds like that to be sick, thats just sad, Elliott said. I was just doing my job. Im thankful the two people called the birds in, so we could get them help. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha. A group of Illinois lawmakers are promoting legislation that would use a combination of state, local and federal funds to put metal detectors in every school in the state, but some school leaders say its simply not feasible. State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said students in schools should feel safe from gun violence when theyre learning. For that reason, the former teacher filed a bill that would require all public schools, K-12, have students walk through metal detectors everyday to get to class. Why is it that no one gets shot inside of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 at OHare Airport? he asked. The bill would tap into federal funds made available this summer to partially pay for the walk-through detectors, which can cost thousands of dollars. Regional Superintendent Mark Jontry, who oversees schools in DeWitt, Livingston, Logan and McLean Counties, said the idea is well-intentioned, but would result in a unfunded expenses for school districts and create logistical problems. Whos going to be responsible for doing those screenings? Are districts going to be responsible for the cost of hiring additional personnel? he said. The concept, on the surface may seem like a good idea, but it presents a number of challenges once you dig into it. The detectors would have to be run by a trained professional and need regular servicing and calibration to ensure they work properly. Jontry said such costs would likely fall to local taxpayers. Ben Schwarm, deputy director with the Illinois Association of School Boards, served on a working group with the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. The law enforcement contingent of the group had a hierarchy of actions that could be taken to harden schools from unwanted entry. Schwarm said metal detectors were last on that list. Its just not that effective, he said. Theres a thousand things school districts should be doing before they get to that point. Public college students in Illinois are being split into two separate and unequal tracks, according to new research. A report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce showed white students are disproportionately represented at selective public colleges, comprising 64 percent of freshman enrollment, even though they represent only about half of the college-age population. And in Illinois, report co-author Martin Van Der Werf explained, black students are severely under-represented at these schools. Eighteen out of every 100 Illinois college-age young adults are black, but only about nine out of every 100 Illinois selective public college freshmen are black, Van Der Werf said. So their representation is only about half of their distribution of the population. Latinos fare a bit better, accounting for 18 out of 100 freshman at Illinois selective public colleges, compared to 20 out of every 100 Illinois college-age young adults generally. Illinois State University, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are considered selective public colleges. Van Der Werf said admissions policies that rely heavily on standardized testing are problematic because they are not a reliable predictor of college graduation rates; rather, he said, theyre an indicator of the quality of K-12 schooling. Whites do better on standardized tests. Latinos do second best and blacks, of the three groups, they do the worst, Van Der Werf said. And so when you rely on testing as an entry measure, whites are always going to do better. The report found Illinois is one of just eight states that provide more per-student funding to open-access public colleges than to elite public colleges. However, selective public colleges in Illinois spend almost four times as much on instructional and academic support per student. Van Der Werf said how this money is spent matters, and not just to the students. States are funding these colleges; all taxpayers are paying for them, he said. And so we wanted to look at who is actually being served by these colleges; because if everyones paying for these colleges arguably they ought to be serving all members of the public. Van Der Werf added spending differences are directly connected to a wide variation in graduation rates. At elite public colleges, students have an 85 percent chance of graduating, compared with just 51 percent at an open-access public college. He contends its contributing to blacks and Latinos falling farther behind white students in bachelors degree attainment. Students from Illinois College and MacMurray College were recognized during a weekend ceremony at the Old State Capitol in Springfield held each year to honor the top students from the states colleges and universities. The Lincoln Academy of Illinois 43rd annual Student Laureate Convocation recognized excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities by one senior from each of the states four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities. This years honorees included Charles Kevin Monge of Metamora, a senior at Illinois College, and Faythe Reyhan Newberry from Clinton, a senior at MacMurray College. Monge, a 21-year-old psychology and sociology major, gave credit for the award to the learning environment at Illinois College. Its not an opportunity to boast about myself, but rather Im in this position because there are fantastic opportunities on my campus that I ran with, Monge said. I got to work directly with professors on research projects, I went to faraway places and studied abroad, I did all of these fantastic things because those were the opportunities that my campus gave me. Graduate school and a doctorate are next up for Monge, who may return to a college campus for a career. Doing research would be the optimal choice, but in general working at a college on the professor level would be the best of both worlds, Monge said. I would get to engage in research with students and also do some teaching, which would be really fun. Newberry, a 20-year-old social work major at MacMurray, wants to become a social worker. I would prefer to work in endocrinology with newly-diagnosed diabetics because I am diabetic myself, Newberry said. So to give back to that community would mean a lot to me. This is definitely a very great and prestigious honor, said Newberry, who is graduating after just three years in college. Knowing that after only three years the faculty and staff at MacMurray saw my hard work ethic and put my name in for the award is definitely an honor. Newberrys mother, Angela Newberry, couldnt be more proud of her daughter. Im a single mom, Ive worked really hard to raise her, and shes really put the effort forward and has all of this to gain from it, Angela Newberry said. I just hope shes taking it all in at this historic building with its Lincoln history. Its history, not only for where were at, but for our family. Faythe Newberrys grandmother, Cathy Lobb, was also at Saturdays ceremony. Its a wonderful experience and I hope she is gaining as much out of it as we are, Cobb said. Its great to be be here with her. Each Student Laureate was presented with a certificate of merit, a Lincoln medallion, and a $1,000 check from The Lincoln Academy. It affirms their tremendous dedication to academic scholarship and research, their devotion to community service, and the fact that these students really want to be change-makers to the world, said Lincoln Academy Chancellor Stephanie Pace Marshall. The Lincoln Academy is one of those organizations that can say those are exactly the things you would be doing if you lead in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln. In addition to honoring the states Student Laureates, The Lincoln Academy also selects present or former citizens who have made outstanding contributions toward the progress and betterment of humanity to be honored as Laureates of the Lincoln Academy and receive the Order of Lincoln, a process that has been in place since 1964. LOS ANGELES Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nations leading mesothelioma law firms, announced Monday that a California jury has awarded $30.2 million to a man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Norris Morgan, 65, apparently contracted mesothelioma after repeated exposure to asbestos-containing transite pipe sold by defendant J-M Manufacturing (J-MM) while working as a construction supervisor in southern California. The compensatory verdict awarded Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court before Judge Maurice A. Leiter included $15.2 million in damages. The jury awarded Morgan $1 million in economic damages and $13.2 million for pain and suffering. His wife, Lori Morgan, was awarded $1 million for loss of consortium. The jury held J-MM 45 percent responsible for Morgans mesothelioma diagnosis and split the remaining liability among several entities that also exposed Morgan to asbestos. Jurors also found J-MM acted with malice and awarded punitive damages. According to evidence presented during trial, more than 700 articles and studies were published prior to 1964 showing asbestos caused cancer and death. Yet, despite knowing the existing danger and having access to a safe alternative, J-MM chose to use asbestos in its pipes. As a result, jurors awarded punitive damages Thursday totaling $15 million during a separate punitive damages hearing. Simmons attorneys Scott Peebles and Robert Woodward and shareholders Tim Thompson and Benjamin Goldstein represented Morgan and his wife in Norris Morgan and Lori Morgan vs CBS Corporation, et al., Case No. BC695605 in Los Angeles Superior Court. After examining the evidence, the jury found J-MM made a calculated business decision to use asbestos, and Norris and his family are suffering for it, said Peebles, who served as lead attorney during the trial. Norris should have never been diagnosed with cancer because he should have never been exposed to asbestos. This result is fair and holds the defendant accountable for its actions. Morgan was born and raised in Los Angeles. He left college in the mid-1970s for construction jobs around San Luis Obisbo and in Ventura, California. Over the next 20 years, Morgan was exposed to asbestos while supervising workers who cut and beveled the defendants transite pipe, which released airborne asbestos fibers into the surrounding work environment. Morgan was a bystander to the exposure and did not perform the work himself. The jury found the transite pipe sold by J-MM was unreasonably dangerous and that Morgans exposure to the pipe caused his mesothelioma diagnosis. Evidence presented during trial showed that J-MM failed to adequately warn about the hazards of asbestos. As a result, Morgan was repeatedly exposed to asbestos without learning of its dangers. Lori Morgan, who testified during trial, said she would give it all back to have her husband healthy again. While no amount of money can give my husband back his health, this result acknowledges the devastation our family has suffered, she said. I hope this result sends a clear message to companies about the consequences of using asbestos. The dangers of asbestos have been known since the early 1900s. Mesothelioma occurs when asbestos fibers become lodged in the lining of a persons lungs. The cancer has a long latency period and typically takes decades to form. There is currently no cure. I battled and held on to have my day in court, Norris said. We are so appreciative of our team at Simmons Hanly Conroy. The verdict is the fourth asbestos verdict Simmons Hanly Conroy has won on behalf of its clients in the past 15 months. The trial lasted three weeks, and the jury deliberated for five hours before holding J-MM liable for Morgans mesothelioma. The couple currently resides in Washington state to be near family. Ad Investing Trends Get In On This Crisis Investment While You Can The headline screamed "Amazon, Google and Netflix are fighting over this rare gas," which is helium, nonrenewable, and running out. When it's gone it's gone. That's a huge crisis for medicine, the military, and computer chips that run the 21st century's gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. But, a couple small companies have a solution. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. A funeral is Saturday for a 24-year-old Harrison woman killed by a gunshot wound in Waterford a week ago. Waterford police have been mum on details of the shooting but identified the victim as Samantha Cosway of Harrison several days after her body was found on Sunday, Nov. 11. Cosway was found dead outside on LaSalle Street, west of Telegraph Road, shortly before 9 p.m. that Sunday night, the Oakland Press reported. According to the Oakland County Medical Examiner, she died from a gunshot wound. Visitation is 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Stocking Funeral Home in Harrison, 165 W. Oak St., with the funeral to follow at 3 p.m. In the early morning hours of Nov. 12, Waterford police detectives executed a search warrant at a house in Pontiac and took a suspect into custody, but the man was later released pending further investigation. As the investigation continues, detectives told the Oakland Press they are interviewing witnesses and speaking with others who may be able to provide additional information about the incident or events leading up to the time it occurred. A 38-year-old Midland County man killed while hunting in Antrim County on Thursday is among two hunters killed in the opening days of firearm deer season in Michigan. A 67-year-old Lansing man was also shot and killed. Justin Beutel of Sanford was pronounced dead at the scene where he was shot near Alden in Antrim County on Thursday, Department of Natural Resources officers said. Lt. James Gorno, a district law supervisor with the DNR, says in a statement that Beutel was hunting on private property and was apparently shot by a 45-year-old Gaylord man who was hunting nearby. He says the men werent hunting together and apparently didnt know each other. On Friday, authorities say a 67-year-old Lansing man is believed to have been shot and killed while hunting deer in mid-Michigan. The Bath Township Police Department says the man was pronounced dead at the scene after he was found after 10 p.m. Friday northwest of Lansing in Clinton County. It says a preliminary investigation reveals the victim was deer hunting on public property when apparently shot by someone. The victim, who has not been identified, was wearing hunters orange clothing at the time. Police says they have no immediate suspects in the shooting. Centara adds fourth property in Krabi PHUKET: Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed a Hotel Management Agreement for a 180-room property at Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, under its upscale brand Centara. tourismconstruction By Press Release Monday 19 November 2018, 05:23PM Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed a Hotel Management Agreement for a 180-room property at Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, under its upscale brand Centara. The Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will be Centaras fourth property in Krabi and is expected to open in September 2019. We have resorts all over Thailand, but Krabi is one of our favourite destinations, said Centara CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat. Krabi is a gem worth discovering its famous for its stunning seascapes, world-class diving, national parks and eco-tours. We are pleased to have reached a greater level of trust from the owner to manage a second property in Krabi for them after Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa. With record of delivering and inspiring extraordinary guest experiences, Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will establish itself as one of Krabis premier destinations tailored to match everybodys desires, he added. Centara signed an agreement to manage the property with its owner, Dr Pornsak Thantapakul, CEO and Managing Director of Anda Beach Resort Co Ltd. Were thrilled about the plans for the resort, said Dr Pornsak. We trust Centara to design and operate in order to make the most of this stunning location, offering guests the combination of a modern tropical resort and the fun family experience, village atmosphere of Ao Nang. Plus one of the most beautiful sunset views in Thailand, he said. Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi will be the first chain hotel in the area which has direct access to the tourist-popular Ao Nang beach. The resorts 180 rooms will range from 39-81sqm. in eight configurations, including 20 family-friendly residences with bunk beds. Most ground floor rooms will have direct pool access. Centara is planning a modern design, with Food & Beverage outlets for breakfast and special event buffets, or independent themes and menus. The resort will also feature a spa and beach club. Man arrested for slaying ex-partner in the street PHUKET: The man who stabbed to death his 55-year-old ex-partner in the street in Tha Chatchai, at the northern tip of Phuket, in a fit of jealousy earlier this month has been apprehended, police have confirmed. murderhomicidedeathcrimeviolencepolice By Tavee Adam Monday 19 November 2018, 04:33PM Police at the scene where the body of Orathai Fornghoi, 55, was left lying in the street on Nov 7. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub / file Lt Col Watcharin Jiratikanwiwat Deputy Chief of Investigation of the Tha Chaichai Police confirmed to The Phuket News Today (Nov 19) that Somboon Saelao, 69, had been arrested for the murder of Orathai Fornghoi. However, Col Watcharin declined to reveal any further details, including when or where Somboon was arrested. Police began their manhunt for Somboon on Nov 7 after the body of Ms Orathai, his former live-in partner, was left in the street in front of a garage near Tha Chatchai temple. She had been stabbed five times, and was dead before emergency responders arrived. Somboon was last seen fleeing the scene. (See story here.) Witnesses told police on Nov 7 that Ms Orathai had been living together with Somboon for three months, but the couple had separated about a week earlier. The breakup left Somboon bitter and angry, police were told. Witnesses told police that Ms Orathai went to a garage in the village near the temple, but when she arrived Somboom was already there. The two argued, and Somboon produced a knife and repeatedly stabbed Ms Orathai before fleeing. Police noted that motivation for the attack seemed to be that Somboon was jealous that Ms Orathai may have been seeing another man. Phoenix off limits to outsiders while police inspect wreck PHUKET: The salvaged wreck of the disaster-struck Phoenix tour boat, which sank on July 5, killing 47 Chinese tourists, is off-limits to everyone except the appointed investigating team, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat has announced. By The Phuket News Monday 19 November 2018, 01:25PM The Phoenix, raised to the surface on Saturday, is now at Rattanachai Shipyard on the east side of Phuket Town pending inspection by investigators. Photo: PR Dept Tourism Minister Weerasak confirmed the order yesterday (Nov 18), after the Phoenix wreck was raised to the surface by the Seacrest Marine salvage team on Saturday. (See stories here and here.) The boat has been impounded and all people not directly involved in the investigation are banned from the vessel until the investigation has fully concluded, Mr Weerasak said. This is a decision agreed by the Chinese Ambassador and the Thai Government. It is for the best investigation as it is priority case for both countries, he added. Present in front of the press with Mr Weerasak yesterday were Chinese representatives led by Li Chunlin, Counselor and Consul-General at the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. We are following up on this closely. Now we expect the Thai Government to urge the investigation team to find out the cause (of the disaster), then charge the person (or persons) responsible, Mr Li said. Mr Weerasak also called on the media to report less on the progress of the investigation. I think people got enough information while the boat was being raised. Now there is nothing so dramatic. There will not be any more official reports until the investigation finished, so please report less about it. Let investigators do their job until the result leads to formal charges, Mr Weerasak said. The wreck has now been moved to the Rattanachai Shipyard in Rassada, on the east side of Phuket Town, Mr Weerasak confirmed. The boat has been seized for investigators by the order of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. In accordance with that order, the boat will remain impounded until the investigation has concluded, he added. Of note, the Bangkok Post reported that Mr Weerasak had confirmed that an initial investigation found that the vessel had been built off-standard, using an adapted engine from a 10-wheeled truck, which posed a risk, while a water pump was also found to be smaller than the standard required. (See story here.) In August, Minister Weerasak announced that 100 investigators under the command of Royal Thai Police Deputy Commander Gen Rungrot Saengkhram were to inspect the wreck. (See story here.) That same month, the Director-General of the Marine Department, Jirut Wisanjit, announced that investigators and experts will have 30 days to inspect the wreck. (See story here.) No such confirmations were made yesterday. Asked how long the investigation will take, Mr Weerasak responded, That depends on the investigation team. Asked whether the recovery of the wreck would restore Chinese tourists confidence in travelling to Thailand, Mr Weerasak said, Their confidence depends on the result of the investigation, on the cause of this accident. We know that personal recklessness was a factor, but we want to find out the cause from the boat. We have wait until the investigation has concluded. Shifting the focus on having more Chinese tourists travelling to Thailand since the drastic fall in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country on holidays since the disaster, Mr Weerasak said, I believe the news that they watch will give them the answers that they are looking for. Right now Western and Asean tourists are coming back after the monsoon season. The number (of tourist arrivals) will increase after December 1. The charter flights are coming back, plus we have provided the packages and have promoted special tourism activities to Chinese tourists. Also, double-entry visas for Chinese tourists will be ready soon, which will allow tourists to stay in Thailand for six mouths, Mr Weerasak said. US TV series slammed over monarchy reference BANGKOK: Bangkok hit out at the CBS show Madam Secretary yesterday (Nov 18) in response to an episode that referenced the countrys monarchy, calling it misleading. culturecrime By Bangkok Post Monday 19 November 2018, 10:02AM This episode of Madam Secretary has caused strong criticism from the Foreign Ministry. Fictitious anti-monarchy dissident Rochana Arak and the husband of the US secretary of state are re-arrested on their way to the airport. Photo: Screengrab by Bangkok Post Madam Secretary, a popular Sunday-evening US political drama starring Tea Leoni as the fictitious, problem-solving US Secretary of State and now in its fifth season, came under fire after the first weekly episode of this month featured her scholarly husband-character travelling to Thailand to celebrate the Kings birthday. While helping Henry to pack for the trip, the secretary advises her husband to be cautious, because, Thailand is a country where free speech doesnt exist. Sure enough, in Thailand Henry meets his old lover, Rochana Arak (US actress Kimiko Gelman) while he is attending a freedom of religion forum. When the woman criticises the monarchy at the forum, she is arrested and sentenced to 60 years in prison. The rest of the sub-plot revolves around how to free Henry and his ex-girlfriend. She is pardoned, then re-arrested. The US president authorises a black ops extraction that immobilises the prison warden and successfully frees the two prisoners. They arrive safely back in the United States, Madam Secretary resumes her plans to run for president of the United States. The happy ending makes no mention of Thai reaction. Officials said many of the scenes in the show were shot in Thailand but they had no inkling of the key lese majeste references and sequences. Though no legal action was threatened, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had asked the Thai embassy in Washington to convey our concern and disappointment to CBS over the Nov 4 episode. The episode, titled Ghosts presented the Kingdom of Thailand and the Thai monarchy in a misleading manner, leading to grave concern and dismay from many Thais who have seen it, ministry spokesperson Busadee Santipitaks said in a statement provided yesterday. The episode was first broadcast inside the United States by CBS on Sunday, Nov 4. The statement added that the monarchy has been a symbol of unity and pillar of stability in our kingdom for more than seven centuries and is beloved and respected by the public. The episode in question did not take into account the sensitivity of the Thai people in this regard, it said. In real life, the number of prosecutions under the Section 112 law has shot up since the junta seized power. According to figures compiled by Prachatai.com, since the 22 May 2014 coup, at least 127 people have been arrested for violating Article 112, with 57 sentenced to prison terms of up to 35 years. Its not the first time Madam Secretary has found itself in hot water among governments referenced in the show. Last year the Philippines strongly protested after a trailer for an episode showed a fictional Philippine president making a sexual advance on the US secretary of state character, which is met with a punch. Read original story here. For Subscribers With six playoff bids, MVFC flexes its FCS muscle yet again In the FCS playoffs, South Dakota State football will host UC-Davis in first round, while the University of South Dakota will host Southern Illinois. TORONTOChinas largest ride-hailing firm has launched a research facility in Toronto, its second in North America. Didi Chuxing says it officially launched DiDi Labs, which follows the establishment of a lab in Mountain View, Calif. in March 2017. The California facility has worked on product development and safety technology for DiDis international operations in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan and Greater China. The new DiDi Labs in Toronto will focus on research into intelligent driving and artificial intelligence. It will be led by Jun Yu, who the company describes as a pioneer of Chinas consumer app industry and who has been responsible for creating many of Chinas leading internet products. The company, which acquired Uber China, offers app-based transportation options for 550 million users, including taxi, bus, bike-sharing, car-sharing and foot delivery. More than 31 million driver use its platform. Read more about: CALGARYThe city is undertaking the biggest service change in its history as three new bus rapid transit lines get up and running Monday. Three BRT lines will launch under the citys Max program. Max Teal runs southeast from Westbrook to Douglas Glen, Max Purple runs east out of downtown to East Hills, and Max Orange goes east from Brentwood before turning north to the Saddletowne CTrain station at the end of the blue line. Its a big change, and drivers and transit commuters alike will have some adjustments to make when the new routes take effect. Heres what you need to know: How is this different from a regular bus? The Max system includes dedicated transit lanes and fewer stops along the way, with the aim of moving people across the city more efficiently. Calgary Transit director Doug Morgan also touted heated shelters with real-time information about when the next bus will arrive. The purple line along 17 Ave. S.E. sees the buses get their own dedicated lanes in the middle of the roadway, with bus shelters sitting on large covered islands along the route. International Avenue BRZ executive director Alison Karim-McSwiney said the new transit line is something the neighbourhood has sorely needed. This is long overdue, she said. Were absolutely tickled pink. How is this supposed to improve my commute? Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the transit network is aimed at helping people connect to different parts of the city without having to travel to downtown first. What we realized with the system we had built around the amazing CTrain was really shuffling people in and out of downtown in a hub and spoke model, he said. A big part of Calgarys transit strategy, he said, is to show that not everyone goes downtown. Because weve created these three new major spines through the city, it allowed us to reconfigure different routes he said. Does this change my bus route? Possibly. The city has a full list of route changes at calgarytransit.com/max. Nenshi said he anticipates some confusion during Mondays commute, and advised people to leave early as they navigate the changes. Calgary Transits Morgan also said there will be plenty of in-person help available during the rollout. Well have an army, so to speak, of Calgary Transit representatives out on the system trying to help people on their way to discover the new routes and the new service. How much did this cost? The total budget for the entire network is $304 million. The provincial government contributed $116.2 million, while Ottawa offered $42.5 million. What if Im a driver? Traffic engineers and transit staff will be monitoring the rollout to address issues if they arise. Morgan said transit employees have been training on the new routes for more than two weeks, and no major problems have been flagged so far. When will the project be finished? At this point, Morgan said the only work left to do on the lines opening Monday is cosmetic, with some landscaping still outstanding. A fourth Max line between downtown and Woodbine is set to launch some time in 2019. Read more about: CALGARYThe RCMP said a man they alleged to have posed as an employee with the Royal Canadian Legion and stole the contents of two donation boxes in Strathmore, Alta., was in fact an overeager volunteer. Police previously accused the man of walking into the towns Shell gas station, roughly 50 kilometres east of Calgary on Nov. 7 and switching out the stations full donation box with an empty container. The RCMP said he then allegedly walked into a Tim Hortons next store and stole their donation box. But the force has since said nothing was stolen. This was a misunderstanding involving a very eager volunteer who went above and beyond and collected boxes that he was not tasked to collect, the force said in a new statement issued Sunday afternoon. The money is accounted for and is where it belongs. Police have asked reporters to remove a photo they issued of the volunteer to news outlets and assist in clarifying this situation. StarMetro does not unpublish unless there are exceptional circumstances, or if required to by court order. Read more about: HALIFAXJust a stones throw from where the late Nova Scotia civil rights pioneer and businesswoman Viola Desmond opened her Halifax business in 1937, history was made as the $10 bill featuring her image was officially launched. A large crowd packed a room at the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute in the citys north end Monday where they listened to speeches before lining up to be among the first to exchange a regular $10 bill for one of the iconic new vertical $10 banknotes. Desmond is the first Canadian woman to be featured on the front of a regularly circulating banknote. As you all know, Viola Desmond was an educated, ambitious, confident businesswoman well ahead of her time. ... She discovered in 1946 that Canada was not ready to recognize that racism and segregation existed, Monique LeBlanc, Atlantic Canada regional director (currency) for the Bank of Canada, told the crowd. On Nov. 8, 1946, Desmond was arrested after refusing to leave a whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, N.S. The incident became one of the most high-profile cases of racial discrimination in Canadian history. The recognition of the injustice she suffered was a long time in coming, sadly long after her death in 1965, LeBlanc said. Read more: Opinion | Tiffany Gooch: A palpable energy during celebration of women Viola Desmond is getting a Walk of Fame star in her hometown Halifax The Queen is in good company: New $10 bill with civil rights advocate Viola Desmond launched Now with this banknote every Canadian, from Prince Rupert to Petty Harbour, from Cambridge Bay to Niagara Falls, can carry with them an image of a brave pioneer from Halifax who stood up for what was right. LeBlanc told the gathered crowd that she visited Desmonds sister Wanda Robson two weeks ago at her home in North Sydney to record Robson getting a sneak peek of the $10 banknote. Robson was described by LeBlanc as instrumental in ensuring her sisters story and legacy werent forgotten. A moving recording of Robson pulling the banknote from an envelope and admiring it was shared during Mondays Halifax launch event. This $10 bill coming out with Violas picture is awesome. Everything on this bill is so significant. Its so significant to Canada. To Canada. When I say Canada, I tell you the tears come up in my eyes because I love Canada, Robson said in the video. I grew up in Canada, in Nova Scotia, and to have a bill for my sister? A Canadian bill. Robson went on to say there were many people to thank for what she called the journey to justice. On behalf of my family I thank you. Words. Thats just words. I can say no more. Ive said it all, she concluded. The reverse side of the new $10 bill features the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Thats where Robson was on Monday, honoured with making the first purchase using the new banknote featuring her sisters image. That first purchase was a book about Desmonds life and legacy co-written by her and Cape Breton University professor Graham Reynolds. She planned to give it to her 12-year-old granddaughter. Christine Hanson, director of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, called the launch of the Desmond banknote significant not because of its monetary value, but for its symbolic power. Viola Desmonds image on the $10 bill celebrates the power of a small, courageous act. We all know that the road to justice for Ms. Desmond was a long one. The justice she sought came later. Today we are still striving for equality and equity and there does remain a great deal of work to be done, Hanson told the crowd. The new note can serve as a reminder to all of us that it is not always the large magnificent moves that bring about change. It can remind us that a part of our collective history has to be recognized. What happened to Viola Desmond is an early account of consumer racial profiling. She was treated differently because of the colour of her skin, and sadly this practice still continues today in Nova Scotia and across Canada. The Bank of Canada said the new $10 banknote should be available at local bank branches across Canada in the coming weeks. For those who lined up to get their hands on some of the first $10 Desmond bills in Halifax, it was a momentous Monday. I think this is a significant moment for us as a people and for me as an immigrant coming to Canada and seeing Viola being recognized. It means that Im more accepted in this society and its great for me and its a great moment. Its amazing, Njabulo Nkala said moments after getting one of the treasured new bills. Ive lived in Halifax for 15 years, I work with the Black communities, Im part of the community here. I think with this note, its not that weve arrived, but I think it recognizes our struggles, where we have come from, and I think it speaks to where we are going as a people too. Monique Thomas was also all smiles as she emerged from the lineup with her crisp new $10 bill featuring Desmond. Its just really important for Halifax to have an African Nova Scotian woman on the $10 bill. Its really exciting. This is really inspiring for me, she said. To see someone that looks like me on the $10 bill is just really amazing. A number of events to celebrate and commemorate Desmond are taking place in Halifax from Wednesday until Sunday. Marika Parris, events co-ordinator for the North End Business Association and a member of the Celebrate Viola planning committee, encouraged people would celebrate by attending the events this week. It is a momentous event, a great accomplishment. I feel so proud, I feel proud to be a part of the north end. I was born and raised around here so Im extremely proud to be a part of this event and the planning committee has been amazing, Parris said in an interview. What does this mean to the Black community of the north end? It gives them the spotlight. It shows them that we are a people of great pride and significance. Its nice to be shown here. It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe. Yvette dEntremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont Read more about: HALIFAXA top NATO official made the case for alliance unity Monday, citing what she said are complex and challenging security issues that include an increasingly aggressive Russia. Deputy secretary general Rose Gottemoeller focused on what she said was a vast expansion and modernization of the Russian military in an address before the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which concluded four days of meetings in Halifax. Gottemoeller singled out the development of Russias new intermediate missile as a particularly worrying aspect because it is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the heart of Europe in minutes. This directly undermines one of the most important arms control treaties of the Cold War, the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), Gottemoeller said. The 1987 treaty not only reduced the number of nuclear missiles held by both superpowers, but it also eliminated a whole class of weapons, Gottemoeller said. This new weapons system places the INF treaty at serious risk, she said. Read more: Next Canadian federal election will be target for Russian meddling, says Harjit Sajjan Protesters say security forum not welcome in Halifax, call gathering a conference of warmongers Canadas defence spending questioned at NATO parliamentary meeting Gottemoeller, who is American, reminded delegates that the U.S. has no new missiles of intermediate range in Europe. She also pointed out that nobody in this room wants a new arms race or new Cold War. Now is the time for dialogue but it is also the time for action by Russia to allay our very serious concerns. It is vital that when NATO talks we do so with one voice and a position of strength. Gottemoeller said she believes a recently concluded exercise in Norway is proof of NATOs unity of action. Exercise Trident Juncture was the largest alliance exercise since the Cold War, involving 50,000 troops from all 29 members along with Finland and Sweden. Our exercise...sent a very clear message to all who may think to challenge the alliance, she said. NATO stands ready to defend all of the allies against any threat. The Halifax meeting brought together about 600 politicians from NATO member countries, as well as delegates from partner countries to discuss international security issues. A wide range of hot-button topics were discussed during the weekend sessions, including Russian interference with democratic elections, NATO funding, and how terrorists use encrypted messages on the dark web. Gottemoeller told the delegates that they play a central role in holding their individual governments to account and holding their feet to the fire when it comes to the money they spend and the actions they take in relation to security and to NATO. Your support for NATO within your parliaments, within budget discussions, and with your publics will make a big difference, said Gottemoeller. There is nothing stronger than this alliance when it is united and when our publics are behind it. In that your support is essential. Canadas defence minister, Harjit Sajjan, also addressed the assembly, telling it that Canada remains committed to the transatlantic co-operation through the alliance. Sajjan told the delegates that co-operation is needed more now than perhaps ever before in the face of military and non-traditional threats such as cyber attacks and hybrid tactics, which seek to shape or to change public opinion through various social media platforms. No single nation can face these challenges alone, so we come together in this extraordinary alliance to face them together, he said. A series of nine resolutions from several committees were adopted by the assembly. Among those was a resolution on burden sharing that urges all members to redouble efforts to move toward the two per cent of GDP guideline for defence spending by 2024. Another welcomed the deepening of NATO-European Union co-operation in countering hybrid threats, while another called for increased co-operation in the Arctic to counter an increased Russian military buildup in the region. Read more about: How do we really know the Clinton era not just of Bill which is well past, but of Hillary too- is finally done and dusted? The famed political power couple-the man who was Americas 42nd president and the woman who absolutely, but for the Russians, sexism, Donald Trump, and her own campaigns mistakes, should have been its 45thare coming to Toronto the last week of November to speak. No doubt there will be fascinated and adoring crowds there to hear them. No doubt both will be feisty and informative. They are part of a longstanding power structure who should be publicly condemning the current administration and Republican leadership at every turn. Read more: Opinion | Vinay Menon: Bribe her, distract her, trip her if you have to, but dont let Hillary Clinton run for president again Hillary and Bill Clintons tour comes to Toronto on Nov. 27 Jean Chretiens thoughts on a round of golf with Bill Clinton, and the bogeyman Trump But no matter what they say about the present or future of America, the Clintons are clearly its past. The recent midterm election of a brand new crop of relatively young and diverse Democratic representatives, the most women ever elected in one fell swoop, that caused the House to flip from Republican to Democrat, signals the start of something bold and new. So does the ongoing surprisingly tough battle in the Democrat ranks against re-anointing the powerful and effective Nancy Pelosi, who has already served 15 years as the top Democrat in the House, as speaker, although she will most likely prevail. Then there is the debut this week of The Clinton Affair, a new tough to watch six-part docuseries on A&E airing on the 20th anniversary of the 1998 impeachment of then President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice, a trial that was prompted by multiple sex scandals and an overzealous independent counsel. The Big Dawg, one of the most gifted politicians of any era, of course survived his senate trial, finished out his two term presidency and went on to build the charitable Clinton Foundation. But at 72, if he thought all these good works would save him from a #MeToo reckoning, hes barking up the wrong tree. The Clinton Affair, produced by Alex Gibneys Jigsaw Productions, has its flaws, but at least it finally and justly reframes a scandal that for years was unfairly known as The Monica Lewinsky Affair. That was after the young White House intern whose life and future were upended when she embarked on a consensual but grotesquely power imbalanced intimate relationship with then president Clinton, conducted grubbily in a private room off the Oval Office. Lewinsky, now a poised anti-bullying activist with a large fan base and writer of powerful essays about what its like to have been, as she has put it, Patient Zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale almost instantaneously, is front and centre in this series telling her own story. Lewinsky has never wavered from owning the fact that at 22, she vigorously pursued a romantic relationship with a president who was notoriously weak-willed when it came to extra-marital momentseven admitting to dashing home midday to put on a sage green outfit because she thought it might catch his eye. Yet the #MeToo era, with its searing spotlight on powerful men who abuse their positions to exploit, harass and assault women sexually has now allowed her to emerge as a heroine. Mainly because of the worldwide naming and shaming abuse she endured after her name became public property. If she didnt have anything interesting to say, it would be problematic. But she does. She wrote recently about the fact that Bill Clinton after falsely saying he did not have a sexual relationship with that woman has not publicly apologized to her: What feels more important to me than whether I am owed or deserving of a personal apology is my belief that Bill Clinton should want to apologizeHe would be a better man for it, Lewinsky wrote. And we, in turn, a better society. Yes, thats true. And so is the fact that after years of not being pushed about it, everywhere the former president now goes, as was the case when he was promoting a novel he co-wrote, he will be asked for that apology and further explanation of the sexual wreckage he created. Old history, say some. A different era. And so many more urgent things to get to in the battle for Americas soul. But thats what #MeToo is about, for those women whose lives were affected by sexually incontinent menrighting the wrongs and making sure they dont happen in a new generation. As for Hillary Clinton, what is she owed? A lot I would say. Its still painful to see historical footage of her younger self so smart, so accomplisheddefending the indefensible and promoting the line that the women who claimed her husband had sexually exploited them were all part of a conspiracy. This scandal rewrote the rules for what was private and what was public in politicians lives. In large part because of it, Hillary went off to pursue her own course, historically winning successive terms in the Senate , then acting as Secretary of State after losing out to Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic nomination and then presidency. For many obvious reasonssee decline and fall of a great country under Donald Trumpmillions will remain steadfastly sorry she didnt prevail against Trump in 2016 when she finally got her turn. It wasnt fair. Probably rigged as the unconscionable amoral increasingly idiotic so-called leader who bested her might say. I hope she continues to speak out against Trump and speak up for progressive values. She also needs to reiterate she will not run againand then take those other old Democratic stalwarts with her, including Joe Biden and the very irritating Bernie Sanders. I will always miss the Hillary who never was, the first female president of the U.S. Maybe she can use this Toronto stop on their she says/he says speaking tour to make it clear that the generational shift already underway is the only thing that will truly make America great again. Judith Timson is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @judithtimson Read more about: MONTREALOn Sept. 10, municipal employees in a region between Montreal and Quebec City arrived at work to discover a threatening message on their computers notifying them they were locked out of all their files. In order to regain access to its data, the regional municipality of Mekinac was told to deposit eight units of the digital currency Bitcoin into a bank account roughly equivalent to $65,000. Mekinacs IT department eventually negotiated the cyber extortionists down and paid $30,000 in Bitcoin, but not before the regions servers were disabled for about two weeks. The attack highlights the inability of many small municipalities to adequately protect their data, but also the lack of guidance on cybersecurity provided to them by the Quebec government, according to Prof. Jose Fernandez, a malware expert at Montreals Polytechnique engineering school. Quebec is an embarrassment, Fernandez said in an interview, adding that he has tried without success to contact government representatives to alert them to the problem. There hasnt been any traction on this issue in the past 15 years, he said. I try to speak to (the government) but there is nobody. Who are you going to call? Nobody. Bernard Thompson, reeve for the Mekinac regional municipality, said the ransom demand presented a real dilemma for his small organization. Mekinac groups together 10 municipalities with a population of roughly 13,000 people. It was hard, clearly, on the moral side of things that we had to pay a bunch of bandits, Thompson said. Mekinacs attackers used malicious software known as malware or ransomware to demand money in return for keys to unlock the data. Fernandez said it is ironic that Quebec is home to a thriving cybersecurity industry and is an emerging hub for artificial-intelligence research, yet the provincial government is decades behind other provinces in defending against cyberattacks. Still, Quebec is not the only province experiencing attacks. Several municipal governments and businesses in Ontario were recently hit by ransomware attacks, prompting the Ontario Provincial Police to issue an advisory in September. In response to the growing problem, Communications Security Establishment the Defence Departments electronic intelligence agency launched the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security last month. It is responsible for monitoring new forms of ransomware and advising the federal and provincial governments. Spokesman Evan Koronewski said the centre has no provincial or territorial equivalent. Fernandez, however, notes that some provinces are taking significant steps. British Columbia and New Brunswick have established offices dedicated to protecting government data. Meanwhile in Quebec, he said, small towns are left unprotected. Im hoping the new government does something about it, he said. Patrick Harvey, spokesman for the Public Security Department, disputed the claim the provincial government is unprepared for cyberattacks. He said the Treasury Department has a director of information responsible for ensuring government data is protected. The Public Security Department has a unit dedicated to responding to cyberattacks within the administration and provincial police. But municipalities are not part of the units mandate. Municipalities are autonomous entities that are responsible for ensuring the security of their digital infrastructure, Harvey said. Mekinacs servers were compromised after an employee opened and clicked on a link in a fraudulent email sent by the hackers. Once opened, the malware was downloaded onto the computer, giving the hackers access to the entire network. The hackers then encrypted all the data and held it hostage until they received their bitcoins. Once a systems data is encrypted, its virtually impossible to crack the code without a key and there is nothing police can do about it. Most professional criminals use commercial grade encryption and to locate a key to decrypt data would take astronomical effort in terms of computing, Fernandez said. You either pay or you dont get the data. The identity and location of Mekinacs hackers were never discovered. Thompson said police seized some of his computers for analysis and told his office not to negotiate or pay the criminals. But Thompson said his region couldnt heed that advice, because it would have meant months of data re-entry, costing significantly more than $30,000. So they paid, got their data back and learned a valuable lesson. In the end, in terms of the security of our system, (the attack) was actually positive, Thompson said. A local cybersecurity company for $10,000 a year helped the regional municipality build firewalls and encrypt its own data. We are practically no longer vulnerable, Thompson said. Everything is encrypted now. Every email is analyzed before we even receive it. He warns that small towns across the province are just as susceptible to attack as his region was. Every day, our system catches malicious emails trying to penetrate but they are stopped, he said. But the attacks keep coming. Read more about: OTTAWASupporters of a Russian scientist who fears political retribution from the Putin government if she is deported back to her native country said she will be allowed to stay in Canada, at least for now. Elena Musikhina, a vocal critic of the Kremlin, has been granted a two-year visitors permit, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said late Monday. It means Musikhina and her husband, who faced removal from Canada early next month, will now have time to apply for permanent residency, May said in a statement. May, who advocated on the familys behalf, thanked Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen for his timely intervention, saying the couple would have faced jail or worse if sent back to Russia. Oxana Genina, a friend of the family, said Musikhina is very happy and relieved, but realizes she has more work to do in order to remain in Canada permanently. Musikhina believes her family fell into disfavour with Russian authorities for condemning Moscows military incursions in Ukraine and for saying Russia illegally annexed Crimea. Read more: Putin critic fights to remain in Canada, fears for life if sent back to Russia She also said her research work uncovered information about serious environmental hazards and pollution from military activity around the large freshwater Lake Baikal in Siberia. Her supporters said a half-dozen other researchers and officials who were aware of the data died in mysterious and violent circumstances. Musikhinas pet dog was shot and she herself had warning shots fired over her head. The Russian FSB, an internal security service and successor of the Soviet-era KGB, began to visit her. Musikhina and her husband Mikhail fled in 2015 to join their daughter, a permanent resident of Canada, in Gatineau, Que. The couple unsuccessfully applied for refugee protection and subsequent appeals had failed. The Canada Border Services Agency had set Dec. 3 as a deportation date. Human-rights activist and former Alberta MP David Kilgour, who has also championed Musikhinas case, told a recent news conference she faces genuine danger if returned to Russia, given the knowledge she has gained through her research. Read more about: Its not that far maybe a dozen houses, or the length of a city block. With the possibility of cannabis stores setting up shop just 150 metres away from a school under rules announced by the province last week municipalities are now being urged to put some more distance between the two. The concept of 150 metres is remarkably less than what the premier was speaking about in the election campaign just months ago, when he was saying that 450 metres was not sufficient, that there needs to be greater distance away from schools, said Toronto District School Board Trustee Ken Lister. Lister said that in Toronto, body rub services have to be 500 metres away from schools, video arcades 300 metres and even liquor stores must be located further away. But, you know, a marijuana store 150 metres ... to me, thats dangerous, he said, calling that distance very, very close and one that puts student well-being at risk. Mayor John Tory said he continues to be concerned about safety for kids and about the proximity of cannabis stores to places like schools. From what I understand, the rules propose to reduce the distance between schools and cannabis stores. I would generally see that as not something that I would look upon favourably, he told reporters Thursday, adding that he hopes the city can have some input on the rules. My position would be very simple, which is that we should be maximizing safety and the protection of kids and families and neighbourhoods and business from any negative effects that might come about as a result of cannabis retail outlets. New regulations also say pot shops can be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, but only those 19 and older may enter. Attorney General Caroline Mulroney has said the new guidelines, including the 150-metre minimum, are to keep kids safe and to ensure all people operating in this tightly regulated retail system behave with integrity, honesty, and in the public interest. The government is spending $4.1 million for public education campaigns on cannabis use for youth in Toronto, as well as creating provincial ads. During public hearings on the cannabis legislation held at Queens Park last month, the group representing all 35 of Ontarios boards of health said there needs to be a limit on the number of stores and limits as to where the drug can be consumed. They were hoping for outright bans in areas where children hang out. Seeing too many stores around them and people consuming it out on the streets could normalize the drug and promote a generation of nicotine and cannabis addicts, warned Dr. Robert Kyle, president of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies. NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles, a former Toronto public board trustee herself, said the government was wrong to set regulations without any public consultation. Parents, teachers and school boards are right to be concerned about Doug Fords latest backroom decision this time to allow cannabis shops to move within a stones throw of kids schools, she said. This move is a complete reversal of what communities were led to believe and Ford did it with no input from the people or communities impacted the most. Lister, the trustee for Don Valley East, is hoping Toronto will set larger buffers than 150 metres. He has a motion going before a board committee on Wednesday asking that the TDSB be in on discussions about where stores will be located. I think a lot of people are concerned about having kids with marijuana stores nearby their school, and whether or not they might be influenced by seeing it every day, he also said. Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, said 150 metres is not the very best scenario. However, she said the impact is different in urban and rural areas. Just back from a tour of Northwestern Ontario school boards, she said theres more than one school that 150 metres from that school might take you right out of town. Thats the remote piece. Elected officials in municipalities such as Windsor and Hamilton are also said to be worried about the 150 metres, raising the possibility of opting out of having storefronts in their communities entirely. Read more about: Mayor John Tory has promised to review funding for youth programs and city-led initiatives in the wake of ongoing violence. At the same time, the mayor refused to say whether the police budget should again be frozen in 2019. Tory told reporters Monday that the number of homicides which hit a record total of 91 on Monday, although at a rate of firearm-related violent crime still lower than that of other Canadian cities like Winnipeg, Saskatoon and nearby Hamilton should not be accepted as a new normal. I think what we have to do is double and triple and quadruple our resolve to try and address it as best we can, he said, noting the need to invest in kids and families and neighbourhoods and supporting the police. Acknowledging a Star story that reported the Toronto Youth Equity Strategy was being severely underfunded by the current council, Tory said he has undertaken to take a look at that during the 2019 budget process. The strategy was approved by council in 2014 to tackle the roots of youth violence. Read more: Analysis | What Torontos homicide record means and what we can do about it The 90 victims of Torontos record year in homicide Every Toronto homicide in the past 15 years mapped Tory said money the city recently applied for from the provincial and federal governments will fulfil many of the same purposes as the strategy. In July, the city applied for funding for a five-year, $44-million plan to reduce gun violence that includes some of the strategys programs for youth. The strategy itself, which was intended to be funded at $15.8 million annually, has survived on less than $500,000 per year. There is no city money committed to the new gun violence reduction plan. During the election campaign, Tory would not commit to funding the youth strategy, saying he believed there may have been a bit of broken telephone in the budget numbers despite city staff confirming the funding deficit to the Star. When it comes to the police budget for 2019, which will soon be up for debate, Tory said the funding should be consistent but that the city must continue with a plan meant to have the police force slim down the number of officers while still effectively serving neighbourhoods. Tory refused to say the police budget should be held to a zero per cent increase next year a request made of all city departments heading into this budget cycle saying he expects police Chief Mark Saunders to also start the budget process by seeing if the force can do more with the money already allotted to it. Thats going to be the subject of some discussions that are happening as we speak, he said. I respect the fact that when we face some challenges with respect to gun violence and other things in the city, when were looking to do some things that Ive talked about myself ... that puts some pressure on them to deploy additional resources that come at a cost. The final decision on all budgets is up to council in the new year. The police association representing officers has cried foul over the declining size of the uniformed contingent as a result of higher-than-expected retirements and departures. The city and service responded by committing to hire additional officers while still trimming the overall number of uniformed officers. The police budget was around $1 billion in 2018. It remains the single biggest line item in the citys $13-billion operating budget, costing the average homeowner $681.90 on their property tax bill. But a request for more funds could soon be made. In a report to the police board, which meets Thursday, Saunders said savings and deferred costs in previous years are not sustainable and therefore, investments will be required in 2019 and future years to meet operational requirements and enable the modernization of the service. Asked if the police would request a higher budget in response to this years homicides, Saunders said Monday that he will meet with the police services board this week to look at the numbers. The boards responsible for submitting it to the city, and so Im certainly not going to speak out of turn with respect to that at this point in time, he said. Working with the board well have an opportunity to collaborate and figure out what the go forward is, looking at all opportunities, whether its resources and people, whether its resources and technology or any other aspects when it comes to the reduction of gun violence in the city. It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe. With files from May Warren Read more about: This article contains graphic content. A second alleged incident of sexual assault has been reported to St. Michaels College School, which is at the centre of a police investigation into allegations of assault and sexual assault. In an interview with the Star on Sunday night, principal Greg Reeves revealed that the mother of a student contacted him saying, Her son was a victim as well. It was concerning the locker room, said Reeves, who spoke with the mother on Thursday. There was a long painful discussion and I shared that with police. The locker room is the site of where a young teenager was allegedly held down by boys as he was sexually assaulted with a broomstick. A graphic video of the alleged incident was shared on social media. We are shaken by this, said Reeves. So is the whole staff and faculty. Reeves said he also received a video on Sunday morning. He did not look at it and immediately gave it to police, so hes not sure if its a duplicate of an existing video or a new incident. His comments on Sunday were made as the school, which is located at Bathurst St. and St. Clair Ave, announced it is launching a rigorous independent examination of underlying attitudes and behaviours inconsistent with its culture and values, and their impact across the entire school community. Dubbed the SMCS Respect and Culture Review, it will be led by an independent third-party committee, and will examine traditions, rituals and social practices of students in each grade. Information will be collected from students, parents, alumni and current and former faculty and staff about the current school year and recent years. The three-member committee, comprised of individuals with no connection to the school, is currently being selected and should be established by early December. Its expected to deliver a preliminary report by the spring, and a final one in the summer. Recommendations will start to be implemented in the 2019- 2020 academic year. What were not seeing is the problems. We need this committee to come in and make visible the invisible, said Reeves. We take responsibility for keeping our students safe. Read more: Macho culture at St. Michaels College goes back decades, alumnus claims Police investigate incidents of alleged assault and sexual assault at St. Michaels College School Disturbing bullying incidents caught on tape are a teachable moment, advocates say Questions about safety surfaced last week after it became known that videos shot on campus were circulating on social media. Last Monday, Reeves saw a video shot in the boys washroom of a young boy in underwear he does not appear injured allegedly placed in a large sink by other boys, who splash water on him and slap him. That prompted a school investigation that revealed another boy had also allegedly been placed into the sink, and splashed and slapped. Reeves called the police about the washroom incidents and began reaching out to parents whose children were involved to set up expulsion meetings for the following day. That night, a student gave Reeves a video of a young teenager in a locker room, held down by boys and allegedly sexually assaulted with what appears to be a broomstick. Reeves did not immediately call police about that video that night or the following day. On Tuesday, Reeves was busy in expulsion meetings, related to the washroom incidents. And he identified the victim of the alleged sexual assault video. Reeves spoke with the boy, and helped him tell his father about what had happened. The boys mother was out of town, so a meeting was set up with both parents for Wednesday. My whole focus was on the protection of this young man, said Reeves about his actions on Tuesday. Principal Greg Reeves announces external review of St. Michaels College School It was only on Wednesday, around 11 a.m., that Reeves said he turned over the video to police. By that point, however, the media was beginning to contact police about it. Police have said they learned about the video from the media. But Reeves said he believed he was the first one to hand it over to the police. When asked why he didnt immediately notify police Monday night, after watching the locker room video, Reeves said his focus was on protecting the victim that night and the next day. My whole decision-making process went around the protection of the victim. And I was nervous about him being exposed. What gives me some solace, because I know Im receiving some critique about that, is the parents of the victim are very pleased with my timelines because of the mother being away and the processing that needed to take place. They at least heard it from the school principal, as opposed to police. In total, eight boys have been expelled and one student suspended in relation to the washroom and locker room incidents. Its unclear how many incidents Toronto police are currently investigating. On Friday, police released a statement saying they are investigating a number of occurrences of alleged assaultive and sexually assaultive behaviour. On Sunday, Nov. 18, at around 1:30 p.m., a 23-year-old Ajax man named Cardinal Licorish was shot to death in an apartment building in Torontos West Hill neighbourhood. Police found Licorish suffering from gunshot wounds in a stairwell inside the building near the intersection of Lawrence Ave. and Kingston Rd. in Scarborough. He died at the scene. With his death, the citys 90th homicide this year, Toronto passed its record for killings in a year 89, set in 1991 with 44 days remaining in 2018. As of Dec. 28, that total had risen to 96. This year, Toronto has seen 51 gun deaths, 20 fatal stabbings and 12 homicides in a pair of shocking incidents of mass violence, the Yonge St. van attack and the Danforth mass shooting. Forty-six of the those killed were under the age of 30; 10 were minors. Seventy-five men and boys; 21 women and girls. By the Stars count, police have neither arrested nor issued a warrant for arrest in 33 of these killings, excluding one apparent murder-suicide. These are the victims of homicides in Toronto this year. The Star will continue to update this file until the end of 2018. It was last updated Dec. 28. App users tap here for an optimal viewing experience. They range in age from a 3-week old baby to a 94-year-old woman. Many were killed inside a residence, many more on the street, others outside a bowling alley, while sitting in their car, or while attempting to stop a robbery. They were struck by gunfire in a targeted hit or a mass shooting, fatally stabbed, pushed in front of a subway train, or killed by a van in one of Torontos worst mass-casualty events. Their alleged killers include family members, strangers, youth as young as 13, and some perpetrators who are still unknown. Together, their deaths mark a grim record for the city. With Sundays fatal shooting, Toronto has hit 90 homicides in 2018, with six weeks left in the year. The tally surpasses the previous record of 89 homicides, set in 1991. The violence has prompted an outcry from community groups and activists, citing an urgent need for services and resources to address the root causes of crime. A surge in shootings, in particular, made community safety a top issue in this months municipal election and prompted a move to send 200 additional officers into the streets this summer. Read more: The 90 victims of Torontos record year in homicide What Torontos homicide record means and what we can do about it Fatal shooting in West Hill neighbourhood marks new record of violence in Toronto During Torontos infamous Year of the Gun in 2005, the city saw 80 homicides, 53 of which were fatal shootings. So far this year there have been 47 fatal shootings, one fewer gun death than there had been by this date in 2005. Criminologists and sociologists warn against drawing conclusions from a single year of data, saying crime ebbs and flows and trends should be observed over longer periods of time. Fixed numbers, like homicide counts, do not account for multiple factors that can influence homicide numbers, says Jooyoung Lee, associate professor of sociology, at the University of Toronto, whose research includes policing and gun crime. They dont take into account that a city like Toronto is changing over time and the population is exploding, Lee said. A more reliable figure is the homicide rate, which factors in population. In 1991, the previous record-breaking year, there were 3.8 killings per 100,000, the highest in city records. The long-term average in Toronto has hovered around 2.4 homicides per 100,000, though it has risen to 3 in recent years, including during the Year of the Gun. So far this year, the rate sits at approximately 3.5 per 100,000. Lee also noted the years homicide total will undoubtedly break from historic numbers by the atypical mass casualties caused during Aprils Yonge St. van attack, when driver Alek Minassian allegedly mounted the curb, striking pedestrians as the van moved along a two-kilometre stretch. The attack killed 10 people, a single event that has increased the citys homicide total by 11 per cent. But from a policing perspective, the Yonge St. tragedy, while anomalous, should not be discounted in discussions about the homicide record, said acting Insp. Hank Idsinga, who heads the Toronto police homicide squad. Its still 10 murders, its still 10 victims, and to dismiss them and say its not part of the problem would be equally misleading, Idsinga said in a sit-down interview in October. Idsinga and his unit have had an exceptionally busy year, both due to the sheer number of homicides and a string of high-profile and resource-intensive cases. In January 2018, police arrested alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, a sweeping probe, led by Idsinga, that has included the largest forensic investigation in the services history. McArthur is charged in the deaths of eight men between 2010 and 2017. Then came the Yonge St. van attack, followed by a surge this summer in gunfire, some of it unleashed in crowded public spaces. In July, two men were gunned down on Queen St. near Peter St., during the early evening of a busy Canada Day long weekend. The following month, in an incident that made international headlines, an 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were killed when gunman Faisal Hussain opened fire along Danforth Ave. on a warm Sunday evening. He then exchanged gunfire with officers before shooting himself. Despite the heavy workload, the homicide unit is responding well and getting the job done, Idsinga said. He cites a solve rate that has stayed around 70 per cent, which includes a few cases where warrants have been issued but the suspect is still at large. There are more homicides where he is confident an arrest is coming in the near future. But given the workload, police will eventually have to take a real serious look at how the manpower and the structure in this office is working, Idsinga said. We can keep going at this pace and respond to the homicides, but the people who are doing the work are eventually not going to be able to keep that pace up anymore, he said. Currently, the unit consists of six teams each comprising two detective sergeants and a crew of detectives which take on every sixth murder. The teams can expand and contract depending on need, with as many as nine homicide investigators able respond if necessary, in addition to those sent from the local division and forensic identification services. A possible solution to the growing workload could be creating specialized technological units to help the squad. Idsinga said they are considering a video analysis unit crucial work, as its how a growing number of cases are getting cracked. The solves are largely coming from video, Det.-Sgt. Gary Giroux, who has been with the homicide squad for more than 20 years, said in an interview. Either for insurance purposes or for their own self-preservation, property owners or businesses are equipping themselves with high-end cameras, Giroux said. In a recent homicide case, detectives working on the case obtained super high end video from a condominium complex you can read the plates on the cars, he said. The growing prominence of video, however, has created an increased amount of the labour thats imposed on detectives. A unit that could help tackle the growing technological demands on homicide investigators could lessen the load, Idsinga said. Both police and researchers say that its the right call to make such changes, adjusting to the realities of increased crime. But there must be greater emphasis placed on addressing its causes. The fact that this is a record-breaking year in some respects should give everyone collectively pause to think about how we can prevent this from becoming the new normal, said Lee. With files from Jim Rankin Six students of St. Michaels College School have been released on bail after being charged with assault and sexual assault offences in a spiralling scandal over a series of incidents at the prestigious all-boys private school. Five students turned themselves in to police and one was arrested on his way to school, Deputy Chief James Ramer and Insp. Domenic Sinopoli of the sex crimes unit told reporters at a Monday morning news conference at Toronto police headquarters. The six boys have each been charged with assault, gang sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon, Sinopoli said. Their charges are all in relation to a single incident that was captured on video and posted to social media depicting an alleged sexual assault of a teen boy. The 22-second video, which has been viewed by the Star, shows the teen held down by a group of boys in a locker room while he is allegedly sexually assaulted with what appears to be a broomstick. The boys are all younger teens, and cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The bail hearing and the identity of the complainant are also covered by a publication ban. Read more: Second alleged incident of sexual assault reported to St. Michaels College, principal says Opinion | St. Mikes toxic, outdated idea of masculinity must change Macho culture at St. Michaels College goes back decades, alumnus claims As the graphic allegations were read out in a small Toronto courtroom Monday afternoon, some of the parents of the accused teens began crying. The teens appeared distraught and hunched forward in the prisoners box as Crown Erin McNamara described what allegedly occurred. Two shook their heads at certain points. All six were released with the consent of the Crown with their parents as sureties. Two of the teens were released on $7,000 bail, with the other four on $5,000 bail. Their conditions of release include not contacting or being near the complainant, not going to St. Michaels College School and only using social media with the direct and constant supervision of their sureties. Police are also investigating at least three other incidents at the school, one an alleged sexual assault and two alleged assaults. There are a minimum of four victims, Sinopoli said. We also know there are several videos being circulated, said Sinopoli, adding police are concerned the videos may still be being shared online. Six teens have been arrested and charged after an alleged sexual assault at St. Michaels private school in Toronto. Police say anyone in possession of the video of the alleged incident should delete it immediately. (The Canadian Press) Police have warned that anyone in possession of the alleged sex assault video should delete it immediately because it meets the definition of child pornography. The news conference was briefly delayed after a bomb threat was called in to the school Monday morning, police said. The Roman Catholic school expelled eight students and suspended another one in connection with at least two incidents that allegedly took place on campus and were captured on video. Late last week, the alleged sex assault video and another video began circulating on social media sites. The Star also viewed the second, 49-second video, shot in the boys washroom. It shows a young boy in his underwear he appears not to be physically injured placed in a large sink by other boys, who splash water on him and slap him. At a late afternoon news conference at the school, principal Greg Reeves told reporters its clear St. Michaels College School has a serious problem. As a school we have a responsibility to keep our students safe, but our collective best efforts, have failed, he said. Pressed by reporters, he said he didnt call police about the video of the alleged sexual assault in the locker room, which he saw Monday evening. When police arrived at the school Wednesday he said he told them about it, but was always intending to call them. Sinopoli said Reeves had called police Monday for advice related to a hazing incident, but there was never really a complaint until after police heard about the video from the media. After days of questions about who knew what and when, the school released a detailed timeline of events late last week, confirming officials took a full day to report the locker room video to police. Reeves told the Star in an interview Sunday evening that the delay was because he was busy with expulsion meetings related to the washroom video on Tuesday. The mother of the locker room victim was out of town and he set up a meeting with both parents for Wednesday. My whole focus was on the protection of this young man, Reeves said. At the police news conference, Sinopoli said the school should have immediately notified police about the alleged sex assault video. Reeves said at the Monday news conference that when he saw the video he called the victims dad, and his mom was out of town. Neither had been informed by their son. The victim was his priority, Reeves said. I know Im being criticized for that, but Ive spoken with the victims parents, they are very pleased with the timeline, and I think that were helping the healing of that victim, Reeves said. Reeves said the school is co-operating with police. He said a confidential voice mail has been set up and a full-time social worker is being hired. Last week, the school did its own internal investigations into both the locker room and bathroom videos, brought in crisis counsellors, and met with members of the junior football team and their parents. Theres no good news in this story whatsoever, Mayor John Tory told reporters at city hall after news of the students charges. This is a school that has a great history, a great distinguished history in our city, but sometimes it can be the case that cultures within organizations like that not confined to that school or schools in general can fail to meet the accepted standard or fail to keep up even with changing attitudes. Tory said he couldnt comment on the timing of when police were notified about the alleged incidents. The police should be called in instances where there is suspected criminal conduct as soon as possible, he said, adding it was best left to others to examine what happened in this case. Over the weekend, the elite all-boys school announced an independent third-party investigation into the schools culture. The SMCS Respect and Culture Review will look at the traditions, rituals and social practices of students. Parents and alumni will also be consulted. It will be led by a three-member independent committee of prominent citizens individuals who dont have any connection to the school and a final report is expected by the summer. Recommendations will be implemented by the start of the 2019-20 school year. It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe. Correction Nov. 21, 2018: This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Toronto police Insp. Domenic Sinopolis name. It is a number. A number that grew incrementally and in jumps, over days and weeks and months this year, with the stopping of each human heart, each of which belonged to someone who was loved by somebody. With Torontos latest homicide, a shooting on Sunday in the West Hill neighbourhood of Scarborough, the number has become a record. With 44 days to go in 2018, Toronto has this year seen more homicides, 90, than any other year in the citys history. Ive covered crime, policing and injustices in the justice system for more than a quarter century. Ive seen how policies intended to save lives are born from moments like this and often result in minor improvements, or nothing at all. This number should remind us how much we already know about what causes violent crime, and how to stop it. And, what to avoid. Toronto lawyer Annamaria Enenajor stresses the importance of understanding the context of the shootings and homicides because they do not happen in a vacuum. If our city is serious about tackling our rising murder numbers, she says, we need to resist the temptation to respond with fire and fury empty rhetoric of being tough on offenders. This piece is meant to give you some context for the record number and ways to move forward. It draws on an in-house database of Toronto homicides, maintained by Star librarians, which dates back to 1960. Read more: Fatal shooting in West Hill neighbourhood marks new record of violence in Toronto With 90 homicides in 2018, Toronto marks grim record Every Toronto homicide in the past 15 years mapped First, the number With 47 people killed in shootings, 19 by stabbing and 24 by other means so far in 2018, the city on Sunday passed the previous record of 89 homicides, set in 1991, a year that also saw highest per capita rate of killings 3.8 per 100,000 of any in our records. But that year appeared to be an outlier the homicide rate was lower immediately before and after 1991, and most years since have been closer to the citys long-term average of 2.4 killings per 100,000, dating back to 1976. Only two other years have seen rate higher than 3 per 100,000: It was 3.0 in 2005, the so-called Year of the Gun, and two years later in 2007 it was 3.2. Its not yet clear if 2018 will also be an outlier: In 2017, Torontos per capita homicide rate was 2.2; It was 2.5 in 2016; In 2018, the city has so far maintained a homicide rate of about 3.5 per 100,000. If that pace continues and it may not, there are often fewer killings in colder weather the city would see 105 killings this year. Criminologists and sociologists who study crime trends warn against drawing conclusions based on short-term data. Based on the past 20 years of data, University of Toronto sociologist Akwasi Owusu-Bempah says nothing signals to me that there has been an increase in either gun-related incidents or homicides. Thats in part because 2018 was, of course, an outlier for a different reason Toronto this year experienced two mass killing tragedies. A van attack on citizens on Yonge St., a shooting on the Danforth. These events are thankfully rare in Canada, but affect the homicide rate. Shootings are more common, and account for a larger share of deaths Reported shootings where someone was shot at, or shot are trending up in Toronto, according to Toronto police figures, as are firearm-related violent crimes in Canada overall. Sixteen of the countrys 26 largest cities have seen increases in firearm-related violent crime rates since 2013, including the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA), which had a rate of 35.7 per 100,000 in 2017, up from 17.8 in 2013. Nearly half of the national rise in rates of firearm-related violent crime defined as incidents in which a firearm was used or present and relevant to a crime since 2013 are due to more reported victims in the Toronto CMA. Yet, Hamilton, Regina, Winnipeg and Saskatoon all had higher firearm-related violent crime rates than Toronto last year, with Winnipeg highest at 58.4, per 100,000. Despite the increase in firearm violence, Canadas homicide rate between 2013 to 2017 stayed at or below average over the past 20 years, ranging from 1.5 to 1.8 per 100,000. Toronto police reported that there have been 362 shooting occurrences and 492 shooting victims as of Nov. 11, up from 162 and 211, respectively, at the same time in 2014. Of 2018s shooting victims, around 10 per cent were killed, a lower death rate than in 2014, when it was slightly more than 12 per cent. Why is that? In part, its because trauma medicine is improving, saving lives that in the past would be counted in homicide rates. It means more survivors surviving what can be near-catastrophic injuries, and lasting challenges and impacts on their lives. Still, the proportion of homicides caused by guns has gone up over time. Since 1960, the average proportion of homicides due to shootings is 37 per cent, or slightly higher than one in three, according to the Stars database. Since 2005, the same number is 53 per cent, or one in two. Whats behind the shootings In 2017, the City of Torontos Community Crisis Response Program, which responds to shootings and other violent incidents and works with communities to focus on crisis intervention, prevention and preparation, identified four firearm violence trends: increasing access to firearms; violation of spaces considered safe; escalation on social media; and more demands on victim services. Changing demographics, particularly in the population of high-risk of arrest age groups from age 15 to 29 can also be a factor in crime rates. During steady crime declines in both Canada and the United States in the 1990s, those high-risk populations were also declining. What else could have been responsible for the decrease? In that decade, the U.S. increased its use of incarceration as violent crime rates fell, but Canada did not. Canada also saw a decrease in police officers per capita, and an increase in unemployment, even as violent crime rates fell. As it happens, Torontos population of young people aged 15 to 29 has been growing in the two decades since the 90s and in 2017 was the highest in 30 years, according to Statistics Canada figures. Many of the victims and offenders of violent crime, notes University of Toronto criminology professor Scot Wortley, are young minority males from our most socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Wortley warned in a 2008 report for the Ontario Roots of Youth Violence inquiry that Toronto, with increasing divide between rich and poor and poverty, was at a crossroads and might see the higher crime rates seen in the U.S. Has that trend continued? I would say yes, says Wortley. Toronto has become increasingly expensive and poverty, social alienation and hopelessness has become even more pronounced. The current rise in violence that we have witnessed this year may reflect those larger social and economic trends. Unfortunately, if things do not change, this new violence may become the new normal. Public health issue Ask Wendy Cukier, a Ryerson University professor and president of the Coalition for Gun Control, the one thing politicians and governments should definitely be doing to have the greatest impact on addressing violent crime, and youd be wrong to guess reducing access to firearms although that would be No. 2, tied with intelligence-led enforcement. If I were Queen of the World in trying to find out systems that would drive change, theres no question that making sure kids have a chance to be successful is where youd put your money, says Cukier. Theres tonnes of evidence that early childhood intervention and supporting families, all those kind of things, can have a real impact. Treating violence and gun violence as a public health issue a disease like any other provides the best approach, says Cukier, as well as a growing chorus of other experts. The violence and all that comes with it, including fear and PTSD disproportionately impacts poorer, racialized communities, places where there are fewer opportunities, strained relationships with police, fewer services, higher rates of unemployment, and young people vulnerable to the allure of gangs and guns. In a February report to the Toronto Board of Health, Toronto District School Board Trustee Chris Glover and Bobbak Makooie argued that the growing gap between rich and poor in Toronto may mean more violent crime may become a new normal, and that community exposure to it should be considered a social determinant of health. Rather than responding to each crisis, the response to violent crime requires a major shift in the economic trend and a radically different approach to addressing community violence, concluded Glover and Makooie. The policing piece Despite the national increase in violent firearm crimes, some including media pundits, a Toronto police sergeant and a failed white nationalist mayoral candidate have cited the Toronto Police Services 2015 cessation of the controversial practice of carding, the police practice of stopping, questioning and documenting citizens in non-criminal encounters, and the 2017 mothballing of the also controversial Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) as prime reasons for the violence. Outgoing Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans has also claimed new provincial carding regulations have empowered criminals. Lets look at what was happening, and when. In 2007, a year after TAVIS was introduced, Torontos homicide rate spiked to its second highest level since 1991. It was above average the next year, and remained below average until 2016. Carding was suspended in 2015, but carding levels had already plummeted in the summer of 2013 when police were asked to hand out receipts to the people they stopped. Despite this, from 2013 to 2015 Torontos homicide rates were among the lowest in the past 30 years, hovering slightly above 2 per 100,000. They rose somewhat to a still-below-average 2.2 in 2017, before spiking this year. New York City saw predictions that violent crime would spike after it ended the similar practice of stop and frisk. That didnt happen, and studies have found no apparent correlation between the two. Both carding and TAVIS produced racially-skewed outcomes and increased levels of public mistrust, and not even the Toronto police union supports their return. But there is talk of replacing them with some new practice that is analytics- and intelligence-led. Police Chief Mark Saunders, a police spokesperson said recently, is endorsing policing efforts that are focused and strategic so our members can target the right people at the right time. Toronto police also recently expanded its neighbourhood officer program for a minimum two-year period. Unlike TAVIS, which sent teams of officers flooding areas of the city they were not familiar with, the neighbourhood officer program is a throwback to the days when officers got to know the people they police by walking the beat. We hope it will lead to interventions rather than apprehensions, Deputy Chief Peter Yuen told the Star earlier this year. This is an investment piece. Why tough on crime is not the answer Tough on crime policies imposing tougher conditions and mandatory minimum sentences, which send more people to jail for longer periods may be politically and publicly popular but have proven to be costly and ineffective at making communities safer. Federal governments of all political stripes in Canada have gone down this path, to varying degree. A 2015 study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found tough on crime measures imposed by the Stephen Harper government had the opposite effect of setting the community up for danger by keeping people in prison longer without effective programming and by dismantling transitional supports that assist with community reintegration. And yet, moral panics often sparked by rare, horrific crimes or a homicide number like this years have historically led to more tough on crime stances and policies that lean heavily toward enforcement. Following the mass shooting on the Danforth, city council also approved a five-year, $44 million plan to combat gun violence, which relies on provincial and federal funds. In 2018, $7.4 million was earmarked for stepped-up enforcement and new CCTV cameras, while just over $1 million was to go to community initiatives. In other words, a small fraction of the funds for enforcement. And the Stars archives are littered with examples of short-term funding announcements for community programs that lapse when the money runs out. In 2008, the Youth Employment Local Leadership program in Scarborough shuttered when government funding timed out. Prevention Intervention Toronto, a gang prevention program, saw its funding come to an end in 2013, despite calls from the city to keep it running. And this past August, it was Scarborough gang prevention program Taking Action to Achieve Growth Success that came to its end of a funding cycle. The programs die. Only to be reintroduced in some other form. Its a tragic version of the movie Groundhog Day. We need more early, smart investments Its been said, pay now or pay later, and with violent crime and its financial and other impacts on society, research has shown the later costs are far greater than the costs of investments in proven early supports and interventions that improve and save lives. Of the excellent programs that do just that, Pathways to Education born out of Torontos Regent Park in 2001 and now helping thousands of young people in eight provinces shines as an example of how supporting young people living in low-income areas through their high school years delivers results. About 40 per cent of its funding comes from corporations, foundations and individuals, and the remainder from provincial and federal governments. Ottawa recently announced secure funding for another four years as part of its poverty reduction strategy. In other words, fairly stable funding. What the real issue for us is, is demand, says Pathways CEO Sue Gillespie. As of September, there are about 6,000 young people enrolled in the program across Canada but probably 30,000 students, easily, that could benefit from a program like this, says Gillespie. Pathways seeks to level the educational playing field by offering academic supports, financial supports, including money to get to and from school, and providing an advocate for students through high school. According to independent reviews, the program improves graduation rates and entries into post-secondary education. Although its difficult to measure the impact of violent crime, it no doubt has an effect school suspensions and dropout rates are known factors in youth crime. Its about development, and its about how young people develop and understanding when your opportunities are, and we know that when students transition into high school, there is a lot going on, says Gillespie. Its essential, she says, to be aware of critical points in young lives and make sure all the supports are available ... so that when theyre hitting up against some roadblocks, for whatever reason, or they just cant imagine a future for themselves, its important to have those supports there like Pathways. Its the timing, and being there early ... and really important to take that community approach. A veteran party organizer who enjoyed Premier Doug Fords support won the presidency of the Progressive Conservatives on Sunday, defeating a grassroots activist who made his name battling former leader Patrick Brown. A majority of party delegates cast ballots for Brian Patterson at a weekend convention in Etobicoke, where members from across Ontario celebrated the PC victory in the wake of more recent sex scandals and controversial cuts in the governments fall economic statement. Patterson has worked with every leader dating to former premier Bill Davis in the early 1980s, played key roles in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, then helped rebuild the party after its 2003 drubbing by Dalton McGuintys Liberals. I look forward to working with each of you to keep our party strong and ready to win again in 2022! Ford said on Twitter, congratulating Patterson and the new party executive. Patterson, who avoids the limelight and was elected to a two-year volunteer term, could not be reached for comment. His opponent was Jim Karahalios, a lawyer and husband of backbench Cambridge MPP Belinda Karahalios. Read more: Ontario Tories pile on against Justin Trudeau at party convention Ford rallies Tory faithful to celebrate electoral victory as incendiary book by former PC leader Patrick Brown appears Social conservatives say their voice is being ignored at Ontario Tory convention Instrumental in exposing problems in Tory candidate nomination votes under Brown and in fighting the former leaders promise of a carbon tax, Karahalios campaigned on bringing a higher standard of integrity to the party. Karahalios did not return a request for comment but former party president Ken Zeise tweeted Jims take no prisoners, scorched earth campaign triggered an endorsement of his opponent by @fordnation. The convention, which attracted more than 1,000 delegates to the Toronto Congress Centre on Dixon Rd., was rife with federal overtones as Conservatives took aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus carbon pricing plan to fight climate change. With a national election looming next fall, guest speaker federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer charged that the prime minister is treating car-driving commuters as the enemy while Ford told loyalists I will not sit by and let Justin Trudeau make life more expensive for Ontario seniors and families. Trudeau fired back on another front, taking aim at Fords moves to cut Ontarios French-languages services commissioner and to scrap plans for a francophone university in the province, which the PCs had backed in the June election campaign. I was deeply disappointed by the decision of the Ontario government to cut services and protections for the francophone minorities in Ontario, said the prime minister, suggesting the issue will have ramifications beyond the provinces borders. The protection of official language minorities across our country, the protection of the French language across our country and francophone communities, is something that is extremely important to me and to my government. New Quebec Premier Francois Legault said he will raise the issue when he meets with Ford at Queens Park on Monday. The cuts have been widely criticized in Quebec a crucial battleground for the Conservatives in next falls election as an assault on minority language rights. While Scheer did not flag the francophone issue publicly at the convention, his office issued a statement saying he raised concerns in private with Ford and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, minister responsible for francophone affairs. Ford told the convention Saturday night that the government is facing a $14.5-billion dollar deficit and must cut costs, in addition to $3.2 billion in spending axed so far, to balance the budget. Were not going to go in there slashing and burning, he maintained. Were going to do it responsibly. We will balance. It may be in year four, but were going to balance. Finance Minister Vic Fedelis economic update on Thursday did not specify a timeline to eliminate the deficit. Ford also cut the provincial child advocates office and the post of environmental commissioner, drawing rebukes from opposition parties and environmental groups. The convention also saw delegates pass a non-binding policy resolution on the provincial sex-education curriculum, now under review, from former PC leadership candidate Tanya Granic Allen. Her resolution, which now will be debated at next years policy convention, calls on the party to recognize gender identity as a Liberal ideology that should be excluded from the curriculum. It was a disgusting and dangerous display of hate aimed at transgender people, said New Democrat MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport). I think that folks want a government that will work to make Ontario free from discrimination and hate not one that feeds it. Read more about: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIACambodia has reiterated it intends to end the work of the UN-backed two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said the tribunals work had been completed and there would not be any additional prosecutions for acts that led to the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people in the 1970s. The only other person convicted was the regimes prisons chief. He cited the terms under which the tribunal, staffed jointly by Cambodian and international prosecutors and judges, had been established, limiting its targets to senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime that was in power from 1975 to 1979. The rules also allow prosecuting those most responsible for carrying out atrocities. Sar Kheng spoke Saturday at a government ceremony in the northern province of Oddar Meanchey and his remarks were reported Sunday. On Friday, the tribunal convicted and gave life sentences to Nuon Chea, 92, the main Khmer Rouge ideologist and right-hand man to its late leader Pol Pot, and Khieu Samphan, 87, who was the regimes head of state. The sentences were merged with the life sentences they were already serving after an earlier conviction for crimes against humanity. In nine years of hearings and at a cost exceeding $300 million (U.S.), the tribunal has convicted only one other defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who was head of the Khmer Rouge prison system ran the infamous Tuol Sleng torture centre in Phnom Penh. Read more: Vancouver lawyer who prosecuted Khmer Rouge leaders welcomes genocide verdict Cambodian Khmer Rouge leaders convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity Cases of four more suspects, middle-ranking members of the Khmer Rouge, had already been processed for prosecution but have been scuttled or stalled. Without the co-operation of the Cambodian members of the tribunal, no cases can go forward. Long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen repeatedly declared there would be no more prosecutions, claiming they could cause unrest. Hun Sen himself was a midlevel commander with the Khmer Rouge before defecting while the group was still in power, and several senior members of his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party share similar backgrounds. He helped cement his political control by making alliances with other former Khmer Rouge commanders. In his remarks, Sar Kheng sought to reassure former Khmer Rouge members that they would not face prosecution. Because there are some former Khmer Rouge officers living in this area, I would like to clarify that there will be no more investigations taking place (against lower-ranking Khmer Rouge members), so you dont have to worry, said Sar Kheng, who is also interior minister. He acknowledged that even without more prosecutions, the tribunal still had to hear the appeals expected to be lodged by Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, but aside from that task, its work was finished. Read more about: WASHINGTONDemocrats agree they want to act on climate change, but even before they take charge of the House, they are signs of cracks in their coalition over how to advance the cause. On Tuesday, while in Washington for new member orientations, the most prominent of newly-elected Democrats, New Yorks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, joined climate demonstrators at the office of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to demand more aggressive action on greenhouse gases. Read More: Ocasio-Cortez addresses environmental protesters waging sit-in in Pelosis office Pelosi said she would reprise a select committee on climate change that Republicans dissolved in 2011 when they took over House leadership. But Ocasio-Cortez and other young progressive Democrats want the committee to have more powers than it did previously, including the ability to write legislation to move the country to 100 per cent renewable electricity generation within a decade. Pelosis idea of reviving the panel has not been well received by others in the party, including by New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who is in line to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Clean Air Act issues. I think that it is unnecessary and my fear is that it will just delay the very aggressive action that we intend to take, Pallone told reporters on Thursday. I think that we can have a very aggressive agenda that we can get caucus consensus on and that we can get some Republicans on. The tension displayed within the first week after the mid-terms has caught the attention of House Republicans, who are already using it to suggest that Democrats are the party of disunity, as the GOP prepares its strategy to retake House leadership in 2020. If you look at what we accomplished in the last Congress and you look at how the Democrats have started this one protesting each other in their offices I think that men and women all across the political spectrum and all across the country are going to take a look at that and say that we need the kind of positive growth we saw in the last Congress ... not the kind of chaos weve already seen over there, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney said on Wednesday after being picked to become chairwoman of the House Republican Conference. Democrats have been frustrated for the last two years as they have been unable to stop the Trump administration and congressional Republicans from dismantling many environmental protections, including Obama administration rules to cut carbon and methane emissions and other regulations to protect clean air, water and ecosystems, while boosting fossil fuel production on public lands. Meanwhile, scientists warnings about the dangers of a warming climate due to human activity have become more grim. Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch, who is co-chairman of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, said Thursday he has not had time to look into Pelosis idea of a select committee, and has instead been focusing on what his own climate group, which lost nearly half of its Republican members in the midterm elections and through retirements, will look like in the new Congress. The important thing to remember is that there is finally a majority that understands the urgency of combating climate change, he said in a hallway interview with reporters. There are a range of ideas and proposals and well have the opportunity to hash them out. Deutch says he plans to continue his push for a bipartisan approach and is looking to bring Republicans and Democrats who can agree into the Climate Solutions Caucus in the 116th Congress. We want to come up with something that can move past the discussion phase and can lead to some type of proposals that have a chance of moving in the House and hopefully the Senate, he said. A United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in October warned that unless drastic action is taken quickly, global average temperatures could rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) between 2030 and 2052, a level that scientists fear could be catastrophic for environment, humans and wildlife. That report has become the most recent rallying cry for progressives and environmental activists in their quest for bolder action. What I hope that we could communicate is that this is not about a person, this is not about a personality, Ocasio-Cortez said during the Tuesday protest at Pelosis office. Should Leader Pelosi become next speaker of the House, we need to tell her that weve got her back in pursuing the most progressive energy agenda that this country has ever seen. Ocasio-Cortez is hoping to raise support for the creation of a Select Committee For a Green New Deal, which, according to her campaign proposal, would have the authority to develop a detailed plan for the transition of the United States economy to become carbon neutral and to significantly draw down and capture greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans and to promote economic and environmental justice and equality. As Pallone remained dismissive of the idea of the creation of another panel, he said the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Natural Resources and Science committees, which share jurisdiction over environmental issues, should take charge and will soon start crafting legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and build resilience against severe storms and other climate-related disasters. I dont want to prejudge what we are going to do other than to say that we intend to be very aggressive about it and the progressives will be very happy, Pallone said. Two other lawmakers who belong to another group, the Safe Climate Caucus, echoed the idea that the committees of jurisdictions should take the lead in climate issues, although they did not directly oppose Pelosis idea. In light of President Trumps decision to withdraw from Paris, roll back federal standards that limit greenhouse gas pollution, and suppress climate science within federal agencies, it is imperative that Congress have the strongest voice possible to prepare the way forward with evidence, Democratic Reps. Donald S. Beyer Jr. and Alan Lowenthal, co-chairmen of the caucus, wrote in a letter to Pelosi on Wednesday. We believe that the committees of jurisdiction and future Chairs are ready and able to tackle this challenge. However, should you decide to create a select committee on climate change in the 116th Congress, we stand ready to work with you. Read more about: COLOMBO, SRI LANKAThe new president of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies following a two-year absence, his office said a statement Monday. The decision was made on Monday after the Cabinet of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solihs recommended the move, the statement said. Former president Yameen Abdul Gayoom pulled the Maldives out of the Commonwealth in 2016. He had accused the group of interfering with the countrys internal affairs after it raised concerns over democracy and human rights. Solihs ministers believe being part of the 53-member Commonwealth will provide young Maldivians with opportunities to recieve educational scholarships and for the countrys athletes to play internationally. Moreover, the Cabinet ministers noted the importance of Maldives being a member of the Commonwealth, especially in keeping in line with other members of the international community with regard to upholding and promoting human rights, freedom of expression, and democracy, the statement said. Solih defeated Gayoom in Septembers presidential election. Maldives was a British protectorate until 1965 but did not inherit a full parliamentary system unlike other former colonies. It remained largely under single party rule for decades until it became a multiparty democracy in 2008. Yameen rolled back many of the democratic gains after he was elected in 2013. King Salman of Saudi Arabia stood by his son and crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on Monday, avoiding any mention of the international outrage toward the kingdom in his first public remarks since Saudi agents killed the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last month. The echoes of that killing continued to spread, with Germany sanctioning 18 Saudis suspected of involvement and freezing arms exports to Saudi Arabia on Monday. And the Turkish defence minister suggested that Khashoggis killers could have left the country with his body. Khashoggis killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul has become a lightning rod for Western criticism of Saudi Arabia, its human rights record and the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed, the kingdoms day-to-day ruler. A growing chorus of current and former Western officials have concluded that an operation as elaborate as the one to kill Khashoggi could not have been carried out without the princes knowledge, and U.S. officials told the New York Times and other publications last week that the CIA had concluded that the prince had ordered the killing. Saudi officials have vehemently denied that the crown prince had any involvement in the death of Khashoggi, a Virginia resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post that were critical of some Saudi policies. They have portrayed the killing as a result of a rogue operation to return Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia. The heightened scrutiny of Crown Prince Mohammed, 33, has caused speculation in some quarters that he could be pushed aside. But in Saudi Arabias absolute monarchy, only his father has the authority to do so and in Mondays remarks he showed no intention to sideline his son. In his annual address to the Shura Council, the kingdoms advisory assembly, the 82-year-old monarch stuck to general statements on official Saudi policy, calling on the world to stop Irans nuclear program, press for political solutions to the wars in Syria and Yemen and keep up the fight against terrorism. Read more: CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggis assassination U.S. sanctions Saudis, alleging involvement in Khashoggi murder Foreign Affairs Minister says Canada might follow U.S. lead in sanctioning Saudis in Khashoggi case If the king made any reference to the aftermath of Khashoggis killing, it was done obliquely. He praised the countrys public prosecutor, whose office is handling the official Saudi investigation into the killing. Last week, the prosecutors office said it had filed criminal charges against 11 Saudis for suspected involvement in the killing and that it was seeking the death penalty against five of them, usually carried out in Saudi Arabia by beheading. We affirm that this country will never deviate from the application of Allahs law without any distinction or delay, the king said. He also made a vague reference to governmental reforms to ensure that instructions are properly followed to avoid any violations or mistakes. Saudi Arabia said the operation that led to Khashoggis death was carried out outside the chain of command. Last month, Salman announced the formation of a committee charged with restructuring the intelligence apparatus to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future. Heading that committee is the crown prince. Those steps have done little to cast doubt on the narrative laid out by Turkish officials that Khashoggi was suffocated soon after entering the consulate and then dismembered by a team of 15 Saudi agents who had flown in to do the job. Nor have the kingdoms frequently shifting explanations stemmed the outrage in Western countries over the death. Germany on Monday froze the delivery of previously approved arms exports to Saudi Arabia over the killing of Khashoggi. It also banned 18 Saudis from entering Europes border-free Schengen zone because of their suspected involvement. Heiko Maas, the German foreign minister, told reporters in Brussels his country had issued the ban for the 26-nation zone in close coordination with France, which is part of the Schengen Area, and Britain, which is not. As before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it, Maas said. Over the weekend, the United States announced sanctions on 17 Saudis suspected of involvement in the killing. The German list included the same names, plus that of Gen. Ahmed Asiri, the former deputy head of Saudi intelligence, who was fired after Khashoggi was killed. Khashoggi, 59, went to the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain papers that would allow him to marry his fiancee, who is Turkish. Over the past few weeks, the Turks have leaked evidence of the plot, including the names and photographs of the Saudi team members and surveillance footage of them arriving at the airport and moving around in Istanbul. The Turkish defence minister provided further information over the weekend, pressing the case that the team had set out to kill Khashoggi, rather than deciding to do so only after an effort to bring him home had failed, as Saudi officials have contended. The most important issue is this crime was premeditated, it did not happen in a second, the minister, Hulusi Akar, said at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada on Saturday. It was premeditated. Those people were sent to Istanbul and they did their work. Akar also provided a new possible answer to one of the killings enduring mysteries the location of Khashoggis remains suggesting that the Saudi agents could have carried Khashoggis dismembered body out of the country in their luggage under the cover of diplomatic immunity. Possibly, possibly they committed the murder and then after that, within three or four hours, they left Turkey, said Akar, a retired general who left his post as chief of staff in the summer to take up the civilian post of defence minister. And because of the diplomatic immunity they left very easily, without having any problem with the luggage. Possibly in the luggage they carried the dismembered body of Khashoggi, he added. The killers had several hours between Khashoggis arrival at the consulate and the time when his fiancee and friends alerted Turkish authorities that he had not emerged, Akar noted. By then, Khashoggis body had probably already been removed from the consulate, he said. Possibly, Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered and after that dismembered. And they removed the body parts from the consulate, he said. Turkish teams did some work in the consulate but they could find nothing. Turkish officials have said that most of the 15 Saudis who arrived in Istanbul in the hours before the murder by commercial and private planes did not have diplomatic status. When they left, their luggage passed through airport security machines. Security officers also hand-searched some of the luggage on the second plane. At least nine of the Saudis were government and security officials. One, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, was a frequent companion of Crown Prince Mohammed. A diplomat who left shortly after the killing was an intelligence officer and the deputy head of the Saudi consulate, Ahmad Abdullah al-Muzaini. Al-Muzaini made a quick trip to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, after Khashoggi first visited the consulate on Sept. 28. He returned to Istanbul the day before the murder and was photographed passing through Ataturk Airport, which serves the city, with heavy luggage. He left the country again at 9:35 p.m. on the evening of the murder, flying direct to Riyadh from Sabiha Gokcen Airport on Istanbuls Asian side, according to security camera footage released to Turkish news media. The Saudi consul, Mohammad al-Otaibi, who was also at the consulate during the killing, left the country two weeks later. Read more about: COLOMBO, SRI LANKASri Lankan lawmakers submitted a motion Monday to suspend the expenses of disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has lost two no-confidence motions in parliament amid an ongoing political crisis. A lawmaker from the Marxist Peoples Liberation Front, which is opposed to Rajapaksa, said last weeks passing of the no-confidence motions meant that Rajapaksas office and the government had ceased to exist and therefore has no power to spend public money. The lawmaker, Anura Dissanayaka, said Parliament has the power over public finances and it was on that basis that Mondays motion was submitted. The vote will take place Nov. 29. Sri Lanka has been in crisis since Oct. 26, when President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa, a former president. Wickremesinghe has said he still has the support of a majority in Parliament. Read More: The newest weapon in Sri Lankan politics: chile powder in the eyes Sri Lanka president sacks prime minister, appoints strongman Sri Lankas political crisis turns deadly M.A. Sumanthiran, another lawmaker opposed to Rajapaksa, said Mondays motion was presented by a group of 122 lawmakers. He said it is a token of what the powers the Parliament can exercise when the group claiming to be the government does not have the majority in Parliament and refuses to bow to a no vote. The latest motion was presented a day after a crucial meeting among political party leaders failed to reach a breakthrough to resolve the political crisis. Both Rajapaksa and Sirisena have refused to accept the results of the no-confidence motions, saying proper procedures have not been followed. Rajapaksa has said the vote should not have been done by voice. He also insisted the speaker had no authority to remove him and said he is continuing in his role as prime minister. Lawmakers opposed to Rajapaksa have said his government is illegal. Parliament turned violent when the no-confidence motions were taken up last week, with rival lawmakers exchanging blows. On Friday, lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa threw books, chairs and chili powder mixed with water to try to block the proceedings. Rajapaksa is considered a hero by some in the ethnic Sinhalese majority for ending a long civil war by crushing ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels. However, his time in power was marred by allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism. Tensions had been building between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe for some time, as the president did not approve of economic reforms introduced by the prime minister. Sirisena has also accused Wickremesinghe and another Cabinet member of plotting to assassinate him, a charge Wickremesinghe has repeatedly denied. Read more about: An Australian bridal magazine is shutting down after standing by a controversial decision not to feature same-sex couples. The founders of White magazine said Saturday in a statement that they have received a flood of judgement since making their decision during the same-sex marriage debate and legalization in 2017. Instead of allowing us the space to work through our thoughts and feelings, or being willing to engage in brave conversations to really hear each others stories, some have just blindly demanded that we pick a side. Were not about sides, were about love, patience and kindness, Luke and Carla Burrell wrote. The couple said that magazine staffers, advertisers and even couples who had been featured in the magazine were suddenly the subject of online abuse despite their individual beliefs. The result has been that a number of advertisers withdrew their sponsorship out of fear of being judged, or in protest. We have had to recognize the reality that White Magazine is no longer economically viable, their statement read. Australias Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage in December 2017, joining many countries, including the United States, that now recognize such unions. And as in many other countries, there was an impassioned debate leading up to the vote, which gained widespread support from people across the country. While debating the issue in Australias House of Representatives, one lawmaker, Liberal Party member Tim Wilson, paused and proposed to his longtime partner, saying the same-sex marriage debate had been the soundtrack to their relationship. The founders of White magazine, who are Christian, said they created the publication more than a decade ago to celebrate relationships. During the same-sex marriage debate, the couple said, people began asking why the magazine did not feature same-sex couples in its pages. We started getting messages then: Youre the only magazine in Australia thats not showing your support. Come on, guys, jump on board. Move forward with 2018. But then there was always something that just stopped us because we just didnt want to enter into that conversation that wasnt a loving conversation and add heat to a hot conversation, Carla Burrell said in a video statement on the magazines website. But her husband, Luke, said that the couple understood why their decision was contentious. The accusations that its unfair that at this time were not featuring same-sex marriage, I get that that can be hurtful. People feel thats unfair, he said in the video. But, he added, Why are values becoming more important than relationships? Why cant we have diversity in our thoughts and feelings? I think without those things, were not progressing. The announcement drew a wide range of responses on social media some from people saying they are heartbroken by the magazines closure and others telling the founders, You reap what you sow. Love is love. And as a business you should have been able to put your personal religious beliefs aside, one person commented on the magazines farewell statement on Facebook. Its unfortunate it had to come to this I would have loved to see beautiful same sex couples grace your covers or read storys about their love, but you chose to censor that. Another wrote: I guess all the ones who preached to us last year that love is love, about tolerance and acceptance actually dont practise what they preach and are the exact opposite of what they claim. Things like this are not a surprise and were no doubt what a lot of people were intending to do. Others praised the founders for standing up for up for their beliefs. What a beautiful, brave conversation encouraging listening, choosing relationships over our own beliefs, one wrote. We as a society scream for diversity, yet when it comes to diversity of beliefs there is just no room. I am sorry it has come to this for you both, cant wait to see whats next. There have been similar debates in the United States, where some ministers have declined to marry gay couples and businesses have refused to provide services for the wedding ceremonies. Perhaps one of the most highly publicized cases was in Colorado, where a Christian baker was accused of discrimination for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The case was taken all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices narrowly found for Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood. SANAA, YEMEN Yemens Shiite rebels said Monday that they will halt rocket fire into Saudi Arabia for the sake of peace efforts, answering a key Saudi demand in the latest push to stop the civil war in the Arab worlds poorest country. But the rebels also said they had fired a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia overnight in response to an attempted border incursion and a Saudi airstrike, and that they reserved the right to respond to attacks. For the past three years, a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition has been waging war against the Iran-aligned rebels, known as Houthis, to restore Yemens internationally recognized government. The rebels say they have long been excluded from that government and aim to rectify historic grievances. Rebel leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi announced in a statement that the rebels had ordered the cessation of rocket and drone attacks on the Saudis and forces loyal to the United Arab Emirates, a leading coalition member, at the request of U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths. We are ready to freeze and stop military operations on all fronts in order to achieve peace, al-Houthi said. He mentioned the rockets specifically as part of a longer statement in which he blamed the United States for being the main driver behind the aggression against Yemen. The Houthis swept down from northern Yemen in 2014 and captured the capital, Sanaa, with the help of forces loyal to longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been forced from power by an Arab Spring-inspired popular uprising. Saleh was killed in internal fighting between the Houthis and their allies last year. Read more: The tragedy of Saudi Arabias war Saudi Arabia gets free pass on destroying Yemen Saudi-led coalition bombs airbase in Yemen capital The government fled Sanaa in early 2015, and Saudi Arabia, citing fears that its nemesis Iran was trying to make inroads on the Arabian Peninsula, began launching airstrikes against the rebels in March of that year. Riyadh formed a coalition of Sunni Arab states, including the UAE, Kuwait, Egypt and Sudan, and launched ground assaults on several fronts but failed to take the capital. After major setbacks, including the death of some elite officers, it outsourced the ground fighting to local troops, including a group trained by the UAE in the south. Tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the war, and two-thirds of Yemens 27 million people rely on aid. More than 8 million are at risk of starvation in what has become the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. The latest Saudi-led offensive, which began in the summer, has been focused on capturing the key rebel-held port city of Hodeida, through which almost all of Yemens food and desperately needed humanitarian aid flows. Griffiths, the U.N. envoy, announced on Friday that both sides had agreed to attend talks in Sweden soon aimed at ending the conflict. The internationally backed government said Monday that it would attend, but also insisted the Houthis do so unconditionally. Saudi Arabias King Salman, in an annual policy speech Monday, called Yemen a priority and said he supports a U.N.-sponsored political solution to end the war. But he also railed against the Houthis, saying Saudi Arabia was supporting the Yemeni people against the aggression of Iranian-backed militias. The coalition has long demanded the rebels withdraw from all major cities they have taken, which the Houthis refuse to do. It was not immediately clear to what extent the Houthi move to stop missile fire into the kingdom would halt the overall violence. While the guns have gone silent inside central Hodeida, fighting continues on its outskirts and elsewhere in the country, and several previous peace initiatives have failed. International outrage over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in October focused attention on the war in Yemen, leading the U.S. to scale back its support for the coalition and call for a ceasefire by the end of this month. But the U.S. call for a truce was immediately followed by a renewed coalition onslaught on Hodeida, with dozens of fighters and civilians killed on both sides. A week later, the stalemate resumed, with the Houthis still firmly dug in on the citys outskirts. Read more about: Waking up to the news Thursday morning that the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007 would be repealed, and that the Ontario Child Advocates Office would be closed, and its duties transferred to the Ombudsmans Office, was like waking up to a whole new reality, one where young peoples voices are silenced and rights curtailed. Hopefully, this recent announcement is a correctable misunderstanding and the government still means to honour the child-centred practice stipulated in the new Child, Youth and Family Services Act. That act guarantees children and youth in care, or in receipt of child welfare services, a voice and a right to express their own views freely and safely and to be informed, in language suitable to their understanding, of the existence and role of [the Child Advocates Office] and of how [that Office] may be contacted. It appears to be the governments plan to expand the duties of the Ombudsmans Office to include child-related investigations and other yet to be prescribed functions. However, transferring services from one independent office to another is not like shuffling a deck of cards. We are concerned that children and youth will turn out to be the big losers in this bureaucratic transaction. For one thing, research and experience have taught us that independent offices that dont have a singular focus on vulnerable children and are not rights-based are less likely to be successful in enabling children and youth to achieve positive life outcomes. When the interests of children and adults are intermingled in independent Offices, the interests of children are usually diluted, and monies earmarked for childrens services often end up being redirected to address weaknesses in adult services. The new Child, Youth, Family Services Act states that its aim is to be consistent with and build upon the principles expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, but the closure of the Ontario Child Advocates Office would constitute a serious erosion of Ontarios obligations under that international treaty, which Canada ratified in 1991. There is no clear indication in the proposed amendments to the Ombudsman Act that the totality of the noninvestigation functions currently housed within the Advocates Office, which promote and protect the human rights of children and youth, will be transferred to the Ombudsmans Office. By definition, an Ombudsman is a neutral and impartial independent officer and is not a proactive and partisan child advocate who supports and amplifies the voices of children and young people. As Irwin Elman, Ontarios child advocate stated in a recent interview, An ombudsman frankly, tries to make sure that government does what it says its going to do. It doesnt stand with the young person An Ombudsmans job is to try and listen to both sides and be impartial. A child advocates job is to stand with children. In Ontario, there will no longer be somebody. The children, who may be harmed by this unnecessary office closure, are those most in need of strong advocacy supports. They could be in a foster home, in a group home, or other arrangement for their care or in a young offenders facility. They are societys children. They are our children. Most staff in those facilities would be kind and understanding, but there has been enough evidence of abuse, neglect and deaths in various kinds of placements to make the services and investigative powers of the Child Advocates Office indispensable. Cost is an issue for any government and any member of society respects the endeavour to spend as wisely as possible. Having said that, there may be other ways of saving money such as shared rental premises, or shared reception and consultative services, or even a reduction in the budget temporarily, but certainly not the repeal of legislation that gives life to the Child Advocates Office and hope to so many children and youth across this province. It is surely a sound long-term societal investment to maintain an office that has been instrumental in contributing to the health and well-being of our youngest citizens. In order to safeguard Ontarios children and youth from physical and emotional harm, and to ensure that their voices are heard, and their rights respected, the Children in Limbo Task Force respectfully encourages the provincial government to reconsider its position and abandon its plan to repeal the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007. This would be a most welcome and timely gesture to be celebrated in Ontario on Tuesday, which is Canada's National Child Day. One of the splendid benefits of living in Toronto is that respite from the noise, traffic and crowds of the big city can easily be found on the trails winding through its quiet ravines. Indeed, if one was to walk through Toronto, one in five footsteps would fall within the ravines that cover such a great swath of the city. So a study that found that these seemingly green and lush refuges are, in fact, on the edge of ecological collapse is alarming. Indeed, the innocuously named Toronto Ravine Revitalization Study: 1977-2017, should light a fire under City Hall. Not only to preserve the ravines but to invest in their regeneration. Theres no time to lose. The ravines are already in the full throes of a massive decline, according to Eric Davies, one of the authors of the study. The evidence comes not so much from what people see on their quiet ravine walks, but what they dont see. Plants, mammals, birds and insects are all disappearing from the ravines. Theyre being crowded out by invasive species. In the tree canopy, Norway maples, for example, are pushing out native sugar maples. At ground level, invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard and dog-strangling vine now cover more than 95 per cent of the forest floor. On hillsides, where herbaceous plants, shrubs and seedlings should be tethering the soil, sometimes there is nothing at all, says Davies, who refers to them as hills of destruction. And the declining health of native species of trees puts many bird species and small wildlife who have depended on them over the ages at risk. Native birds, small mammals, invertebrates, and other native plants are not able to establish effective populations in ecosystems dominated by these invasive species, the report warns. Conifers, which offer shelter to owls and other birds in winter, are in decline, as are the hickory trees that produce nuts for small mammals such as flying squirrels. Also in decline are large, old trees, which provide nesting spots for tiny songbirds to woodpeckers. Toronto is not alone in facing the loss of wildlife because of the rapid decline of natural areas. The World Wildlife Fund warned in its 2018 Living Planet Report that over the last four decades mammal populations in Canada have dropped by 43 per cent, amphibian and reptile populations by 34 per cent, and some types of birds have lost up to 69 per cent of their populations. But Toronto can take actions to halt the decline of its ravines. Faced with a similar challenge, the studys authors point out, New York City just approved a 25-year, $385 million program to restore its natural areas, which are only half the size of the Toronto ravines. If Toronto took a similar path, it could be home to the worlds greatest urban ecosystems an outdoor Louvre of wilderness, biodiversity, and recreation. It will take money and a long-term commitment. The ravine study estimates it will take one to two decades of work by biologists, pathogen and invasive species experts dedicated to planting native species and removing the invasive ones. Torontos residents should be concerned about the citys ravines because they provide recreational, economic and ecological benefits, Davies says. But for plants and animals that depend on the native plant species that are dying out, it is a life or death situation. In terms of biodiversity, this is the Mothership, this is where everything is. Toronto council needs to take steps now to protect the ravines for its residents who need a wild respite from urban life, and the plants and creatures who have no other home. Heres the good news about Torontos record-setting number of homicides, which hit 90 on the weekend: this problem has been studied to death and we pretty much know what to do about it. Now heres the bad news: collectively, we refuse to do what weve been told must be done. Politicians at all levels, police, lawyers and judges, taxpayers and citizens in general we lurch from crisis to crisis, responding to particularly shocking murders and headline-making numbers, then turning away as soon as the sound of gunfire dies away. Theres no shortage of announcements from politicians in the wake of this or that crime. In August, for example, Premier Doug Ford was out railing against gang violence and promising $25 million over four years for so-called legal SWAT teams to stop those charged with firearms offences from getting bail. Maybe that will have some effect, though at least one experienced defence lawyer dismissed it as rhetorical fluff. What Ford (and other politicians) have not done, though, is set out any sort of coherent, long-term plan backed with adequate resources that has a good chance of actually curbing this years rise in homicides and the surge of shootings that has swept the city in recent months. Is that a pipe-dream? Is it impossible to imagine a solution to a problem so apparently intractable as gang-related violence? Not really. In fact, such a plan was set out in detail almost exactly a decade ago, in November 2008. Thats when Roy McMurtry, a former chief justice of Ontario, and Alvin Curling, a one-time Liberal MPP and Speaker of the Ontario legislature, published The Roots of Youth Violence, a report commissioned by the McGuinty government in the wake of Torontos so-called Summer of the Gun in 2005. Their report went to the heart of the rise in violent crime. They wrote about the growth in gangs, the increasing prevalence of using guns and knives to settle disputes, and neighbourhoods trapped in a downward cycle of disadvantage. In the neighbourhoods we visited, they went on, we heard about gun violence, violence around drugs and drug dealing, robberies on the street, swarmings, verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, gangs, claims of turf, attacks with knives, fights at school, violence in sports, domestic abuse, sexual assaults, dating violence and violence that flows from systemic issues such as racism, inequality and poverty. There is much, much more in their report that rings true 10 years later. If anything, the problems they identified have become even more pronounced as the city has become more economically and socially polarized. That trend has been going on for years, transforming what was once a largely middle-class city into one marked by islands of wealth surrounded by pockets of deep poverty. All this is well-documented in study after study. McMurtry and Curling wrote that the trend toward growing inequality feeds the alienation and hopelessness that provides the soil in which gang violence can easily flourish. They urged the Ontario government to develop a strategy aimed at giving young people a way out that doesnt involve using a gun. They suggested 27 concrete steps the government could take. A full decade later, where are we? Did the government of the day take up that report and commit itself to fighting the problems it identified? Did the governments that followed persevere on that path? Not really. Four years after the McMurtry-Curling report was published, City of Toronto staff reported to council that there were no new major provincial investments in Torontos neighbourhood improvement areas supporting youth at high risk of marginalization. And Alvin Curling himself, asked recently by the Stars Jennifer Pagliaro to assess progress on this front, said of city and provincial politicians: I dont think theyre addressing it in a forceful manner at all. He went on: If they were more aggressive, we would have been further ahead. But the politicians were not aggressive. City council, for example, approved an ambitious youth equity strategy in 2014. But, as Pagliaro reported in October, the strategy is severely and chronically underfunded, leaving staff with few resources. This, even as the spike in gun violence led to dramatic headlines and worried residents. All this is typical of the half-hearted, stop-and-go approach to funding the types of programs that Curling, McMurtry and many others have identified as crucial to cutting the roots of gang violence. There simply hasnt been the political will for a concerted effort that would survive the up-and-down funding cycles and changes in the political weather. Certainly, there are other things that can and should be done. Policing strategies can be developed that get officers in touch with local communities while avoiding the heavy-handed approach of the discredited carding era. Toronto Chief Mark Saunders has talked about intelligence-led policing, which sounds promising even though its light on details so far. The federal government can and should make sure that its Bill C-71, which would tighten regulations around handguns, becomes law as quickly as possible. More and more of the firearms used in crimes originate in Canada and there has been a troubling rise in the number of straw purchasers, legal gun owners who illegally sell their weapons to criminals. In fact, Ottawa should go further and introduce a ban on handguns and assault weapons. Some changes in the legal system may also be appropriate. Premier Fords so-called legal SWAT teams may not be the solution, but no one wants violent criminals walking free. Politicians, understandably, want to meet the publics demand for quick action. But if we truly want to make progress on a problem that has been decades in the making, we will have to dig in and commit to long-term solutions. If that had been done 10 years ago, theres a fair chance Torontonians would not today be lamenting a record year for homicides. And if we fail to respond adequately now, theres an even better chance that well be ringing our hands over even more sobering numbers in 2028. Read more about: This is not who I am, is a common phrase usually said by Americans when they get caught. Killers say it, distancing themselves from the crime, implying it was done by their shadow self or their evil twin. Sentence him, not me, they suggest. A P.E.I. hammer thief tells a court, This is not who I am. Patrick Brown said the same thing on the night he resigned as Ontario Conservative Party leader after being accused of sexual misconduct. I reject these accusations in the strongest possible terms. This is not how Im raised. This is not who I am. Hulk Hogan used the phrase when he apologized for hideously racist remarks on tape. So did a North Carolina baby thief and a South Carolina woman who helped gang rape a sailor. So did a Lethbridge woman filmed screaming racist abuse in a Dennys, and a teenager in Glace Bay, N.S. who helped torture a boy with cerebral palsy by using him as a human bridge and walking on this back. And then theres Mark Zuckerberg saying Facebooks crimes against humanity are not who we are. Yes, they are, very much so. As the ironic website SorryWatch points out, its not good enough. Like Prospero, youve got to say, This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine. But Americans have been trained to run for cover after a generation of therapy-speak. The problem is that your behaviour is often precisely who you are, unless you find it anathema. If youre a mean drunk, your inner jerk is going to come out of hiding and make himself known. People construct a me, a face they present to the world, but it leaves other people unconvinced. Edward Eddie Gallagher, a long-serving American Navy SEAL, is in military court, charged with having shot at Iraqi civilians and stabbing a teenage Daesh prisoner to death with a knife he crafted himself. Like the Trump boys, he posed in deer kill photos with the bloody corpse and an American flag. He was highly decorated but find me an American soldier who isnt. According to the New York Times, Gallaghers soldiers saw him shoot into civilian crowds, at young girls walking along a riverbank and an old man carrying a water jug, while threatening to kill his fellow soldiers too. They were so alarmed that they altered his sniper rifle to make it less accurate and fired warning shots to scare Iraqis away from this soldier they considered unhinged. He thought himself an excellent sniper but other snipers considered him trigger-happy and out of control. And what did Gallaghers wife say? This is not who Eddie is. Co-workers often know men better than their wives do. His defence lawyer says many soldiers have done what Gallagher did and so what. The Navy says he handed (Daesh) propaganda manna from heaven. His actions are everything (Daesh) says we are. And who are Americans? Daesh is precisely what Daesh is. It knows itself. President Obama used to tell Americans, That is not who we are. During his eight years in office, he said it 46 times on issues such as immigration, health care and education. When President Trump was elected in 2016, it became clear that he knew exactly who Americans were: racist, contemptuous of education, eager to cut health care for others, happy to tear small children from their parents and cage them and so on. He could see himself mirrored in those MAGA crowds and whos to say he was wrong? As Guardian writer Tim Dowling, an American, writes, the phrase is self-exculpatory, if not completely delusional. Its like handing over your [resume] at a job interview and saying: This is not who I am, by the way. The facts speak for themselves. You are what you do, unless you have vital information to the contrary. I often think that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a higher opinion of Canadians than we do of ourselves. But that is who we are, trying to live up to our reputation as peaceful and rational while counting coins and worrying about immigration levels. Is Doug Ford who we are? Really? I mean, we have a choice. Read more about: At this time last year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau was in the eye of a storm over the bungled rollout of a series of small business tax changes, and Andrew Scheers Conservatives looked like they were on a roll. The minister has been having a quieter parliamentary season this fall. With the legalization of cannabis, the NAFTA renegotiation and the energy/environment debates taking up centre stage, Morneau was largely consigned to a cameo role in the House of Commons. That will change on Wednesday when he delivers the last fall fiscal update before next years federal election. The return of the economy to the Commons forefront offers the Conservative opposition one of its last best chances to find a solid footing to take on Justin Trudeau next fall. With less than a year to go until the campaign, Scheer remains a leader in search of a compelling (and unifying) narrative. He and his party have just spent much of the past year prosecuting the Liberals on their handling of the refugee issue and their plan to tax carbon pollution. But if they were road-testing those themes for the actual campaign, the results are not promising. A poll published on the weekend by the Environics Institute suggests the Conservatives message track is more of a rut than a path to victory. The political capital expended on attacking Trudeaus management of an influx of irregular refugees crossing from the U.S. into Canada has barely moved the public opinion needle. The proportion of voters that identifies immigration and refugees as a top-of-mind problem is stagnant. Only five per cent list the file as an important one. Thats up just one point from the year before. Even in Quebec, the province that is at ground zero of the influx, the issue continues to lack the kind of traction that would make it a strong ballot box issue next fall. Inspired by the success of Doug Fords Tories in last Junes Ontario election, Scheer has jumped in front of a provincial parade of Conservative premiers and leaders committed to opposing Trudeaus carbon-pricing policy. He has promised a CPC government would dismantle the Liberal climate change framework and speed up the approval of new pipelines. But the Environics numbers suggest the Conservatives are missing the mark with their anti-carbon tax, pro-pipeline crusade, and may be caught in a time warp. Over a year that has seen Scheer and his provincial allies hammer away at Trudeaus carbon-pricing policy, the proportion of voters that lists climate change and the environment as a top of mind concern has doubled, from five per cent to 10 per cent. In the Environics list of important challenges, climate change is now in the same league as health care and ranks just below the economy. The environment has not been a Conservative strong suit in decades. Should the issue drive more votes than in past elections next fall, it will not be good news for Scheer. Given his partys rhetoric, it would take more than a coat of green paint to turn this Conservative leader into a credible climate change fighter in time for the federal vote. It is easy to connect the dots between those findings and the latest polls on voting intentions. They add up to a net Liberal advantage. Scheer is doing really well in regions like the Prairies, where the Conservatives usually do well and he is doing poorly in places like British Columbia and Quebec and Atlantic Canada where he absolutely needs to make gains if he is going to lead his party back to government. Unlike Stephen Harper, he cannot count on the NDP to divide the non-conservative vote to his advantage unless the New Democrats undergo an unlikely revival between now and the fall. In light of the weakness of the NDP offering, Scheers alignment with a polarizing Ontario premier risks driving more votes to the Liberals next fall than attracting more support for the federal Conservatives. And then there is the economy. At this time last year, the federal finance minister was widely seen as a weak link in a critical spot in the Liberal chain of command. Back then, the Trudeau/Morneau economic tandem seemed to offer a soft and juicy target for the Conservatives. But in the wake of the soft landing of the tentative NAFTA deal the Liberals negotiated with the U.S. and Mexico, and with corporate Canada for the most part behind Trudeaus carbon tax, it is Scheers already slim economic credentials that are in need of shoring up this fall. It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe. Chantal Hebert is a columnist based in Ottawa covering politics. Follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: Quebec Premier Francois Legault is urging Premier Doug Ford to reconsider his controversial decision to eliminate Ontarios French-language watchdog. But Ford said the cash-strapped province can no longer afford an independent French-language services commissioner or the promised francophone university that was also cancelled in last weeks fall economic statement. The difference between myself and Premier Legault and I told him this: You inherited a $1 billion surplus; I inherited a $15 billion structural deficit, the Ontario premier said Monday. Read more: Ontario Tories cut taxes and oversight protections for environment, vulnerable children, and francophones Ontario open for business, says Doug Ford at office tower groundbreaking Opinion | Conservatives should follow Brian Mulroneys example and protect French language rights Legault like Ford a newly elected millionaire businessman-turned-premier emerged from his first meeting with his Ontario counterpart dismayed by the measures in Thursdays fiscal update. I dont think it sends a good message to francophones, the Quebecer told reporters after an almost two-hour meeting at Queens Park. I told Mr. Ford that I was disappointed with the two decisions regarding the francophones in Ontario. I asked him to reconsider the decisions regarding (the) francophone university and regarding the commissioner. He disagreed, he said. But Legault emphasized that he did not think Fords move would spark a national unity crisis by reawakening Quebec separatists. I dont see how it can be an argument for sovereignists because if Quebec becomes independent I dont see which power Quebec would have to ask Ontario to change its mind, he said. Right now, I think that the federal government may help us convincing (Ford to) changing the decision. Indeed, federal Official Languages Minister Melanie Joly has written to the provincial government to express her sincere disappointment at the moves. These are devastating decisions that will have a lasting impact on the more than 600,000 Franco-Ontarians and the more than 7.9 million francophones across Canada, Joly wrote in a letter to Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, who is also Francophone Affairs Minister. Ford, who held a hastily organized press conference after hearing Legaults comments, stressed the changes are not personal against any Franco-Ontarians. Theyre great people, but we also cancelled three other ... English-speaking universities, the premier said, referring to the satellite campuses scrapped in Brampton, Markham, and Milton as part of the cost-saving cuts. We have 10 universities and colleges in Ontario that offer over 300 French-language courses. They arent even filled right now. Quebec has three, he said. We have to take care of high priorities. If you talk to any Franco-Ontarian, they love their health-care system just as much as anyone else. But Ford conceded his administration did not do a good job communicating Finance Minister Vic Fedelis fall economic statement, which melded the French-language watchdog and the Ontario child advocate into the ombudsman and collapsed the independent environmental commissioners responsibilities into auditor generals office. We have to get out and get our message out a lot clearer than what weve been doing, said the premier. So Ill take the fault for that. Mulroney agreed we could have communicated that better. We are not cancelling it. We are integrating it into the ombudsmans office in its entirety and a new post of deputy ombudsman (for) French language is being created, she said, noting the Tories have a mandate to shrink the size of government and to rationalize agencies in a way that makes sense. What we did in this case is we did that without having any impact on how we protect French-language rights in this province. The work of the commissioner is going to continue within the office of the ombudsman. But NDP MPP Guy Bourgouin said the Tories are telling Franco-Ontarians that our constitutional rights to be served and educated in French are unimportant. Francophones are a founding people of the country in which bilingualism is the fundamental basis of what is conceived of as contemporary Canada, said Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk-James Bay). What can the Ford government tell people in my riding, where more than six out of 10 speak French, about eliminating the only office defending their rights and cancelling the university project for which that have fought for over four decades? It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: VANCOUVERA cross-country coalition of migrant care workers is calling on Canada to give caregivers permanent residency status on arrival, with a new report and simultaneous campaign launched on Sunday. The move comes while tens of thousands of racialized women who came to Canada for work are living in fear and limbo as the federal Caregiver Program is set to expire in November 2019, according to authors. Meanwhile, care workers frequently face forced family separations, exploitative working conditions or abuse and exorbitant legal fees because their status is precarious, the report found. I didnt know my rights but to work. My salary was $300 per month, said Winnie Waithira, a Kenyan caregiver in Ontario since 2014, as she addressed a Toronto crowd through tears. I didnt want much money but I wanted the minimum wage. I worked six days, sometimes seven days, 12 hours per day. Waithira lived in the family-room of her employer, sleeping on an air mattress with no privacy and said she didnt know where to go or what to do. Her employer refused to sign her papers for permanent residency and today, Waithira is still fighting to get her status. There are few labour laws that protect migrant care workers and its difficult for them to leave a job given current policies. Read more: B.C. labour minister outlines next steps for Temporary Foreign Worker employer registry Migrant farm workers deserve to be treated decently: Editorial B.C. moves to crack down on shady recruiters of temporary foreign workers But by filling gaps in Canadas in-home care sector, the hidden costs must no longer be shouldered by racialized migrant women and their families, the authors argued. Accompanied by a petition to the immigration ministry under #LandedStatusNow, the report was produced by a coalition of 14 organizations who held conferences in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa on Sunday. It features over 150 personal caregiver stories outlining the impacts of family separation, low wages, and unfair laws and policies on racialized women. And 95 per cent of care workers reported family separation as the most detrimental impact of the current program, according to Lorina Serafico, member of Vancouvers Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights, part of the coalition. A caregiver program that forces women from the global South to leave their families behind in order to show care for Canadian families, is a cruel one, the report said. Serafico said shes seen generations of caregiver families separated in her nearly three decades in the field. Other problems cited by care workers include inadequate rest periods, poor or unhealthy accommodation, a lack of food and privacy, and the inability to take sick leave or have a personal life, the report found. They are set up to fail in this program, she said. We are asking to be recognized and treated equally under the law so that we can provide quality care and be healthy ourselves. But to date, the ministry has not outlined plans for a replacement program, she insisted. In 2014, the previous Conservative government overhauled the program by capping the number of caregivers who can access permanent residency at 5,500 a year and imposing new requirements for language and post-secondary education. Under the new program, only 1,955 caregivers and their dependants were granted permanent residency in the three years following the changes. This is in contrast to an average of 10,740 people caregivers and families being granted permanent status annually between 2006 and 2014 under the previous live-in caregiver program. The Government is committed to ensuring that caregivers continue to have a pathway to permanent residence, according to a statement on the federal governments official website. The new program meant that caregivers work for two years before applying for residency although one year is the standard for other immigration programs and staff came on employer specific work permits, without their families and with temporary resident status, the report noted. Tied work permits create an employment relationship where caregivers futures are in the hand of employers. And if a client passes away, the report noted they must start the entire process again. I lost a job after one year of service. Its very difficult to find a new employer, which means I will have a longer time to reunite with my family. This prospect makes me miserable, said one interviewee, Liezel, in Canada since 2016. Meanwhile, at least 20,000 care workers have applied for landed status and are awaiting a decision on their application, it added. Research indicated that most workers are being underpaid or not paid for overtime because of immigration and labour rules. But the immediate concern is for those care workers who are already here under the current program, Serafico said. We are potentially depriving 12,000 Canadian households of their caregivers, she explained. What kind of legal documentation will we provide them? They have families back home. They need jobs, they need work, they need money. Serafico questioned whether these caregivers who look after households, children and the elderly will be forced underground or be deported. Thats why the group is calling for open work permits in the interim. They would also like to see the removal of educational and medical requirements, as well as, caps for permanent resident applications. The governments caps on new streams makes it harder. And then we have to pass the new language and education tests I am here since April 2015 and I am still completing my 24 months of work. I have been separated from my family for 10 years already, said Maribeth, a report interviewee who is responsible for 14 family members in the Philippines. In addition, the group is calling to replace the broken program with a Federal Workers Program that would not only provide landed status for workers and their families, but also allow them to find employment in the national job bank. The latter change would remove the need for third-party recruitment agencies, where many caregivers face a huge debt paying a minimum of $5,000 just to come in, Serafico explained. International recruitment agencies have been found to use abusive practices including charging exorbitant fees, misrepresenting the types and terms of employment, withholding passports or travel documents and human trafficking, the report found. Women like us have been coming to Canada for over a century raising children, taking care of the sick and elderly, being the backbone of the economy, and yet we are treated like we are expendable, said Kara Manso in a release, co-ordinator of the Caregivers Action Centre speaking in Toronto. We need security, and that means landed status on arrival, family unity, and justice for workers already here. Read more: Helping migrant workers must be part of new food policy Unscrupulous recruiters keep migrant workers in debt bondage Hes worked legally in Canada for 37 years but the government considers him temporary With files from Nicholas Keung Read more about: VANCOUVERThe families of two British Columbia police officers being held in Cuba said the men might have to stay in the country longer because the prosecutor plans to appeal a unanimous verdict that acquitted them of assault charges. A statement issued on behalf of the families of Mark Simms and Jordan Long said the news is a painful realization that the nightmare is not yet over. The statement said they have no idea when Simms, 29, a constable with the Vancouver police, and Long, 31, a constable in nearby Port Moody, will be allowed to return to Canada. Rollie Woods, the deputy police complaint commissioner in B.C., said in April that the men were in Varadero when they were arrested in mid-March following allegations that an Ontario teenager was assaulted while vacationing in the same area. Woods said the Vancouver officer was being held for assault, while the Port Moody officer was detained as a witness. A 17-year-old Canadian female alleged to Cuban authorities she was assaulted by Simms and officials held Long as a material witness in the case, Woods said. The Canadian Press contacted the Directorate of International Relations in Cuba and was asked on Friday to send an email, but a reply has not been received. Global Affairs Canada said consular services are being provided, but because of the Privacy Act no other information can be disclosed. Vancouver police confirmed in an email that Simms is a constable in the department but it had no update on the situation. The Port Moody Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. The statement from the families does not specify what the two officers were originally charged with. We are so grateful that the Cuban judiciary recognized that the case against Jordan and Mark was based on a lie that had no evidence to support it, but in fact only had evidence to refute it, the statement said. In Cuba, unlike in Canada, people accused of crimes are considered guilty until proven innocent, it said. The statement says a panel of five judges issued the unanimous acquittal last week and the families expect the very highest levels of the Canadian government to work with Cuban authorities to bring the pair home. Mark and Jordan and our families and friends have endured tremendous suffering in every area of our lives for the last eight months; emotional, physical, psychological, financial, spiritual and social, the statement said. We have been overjoyed at the thought that this ongoing nightmare would soon be over and that the long journey towards healing could finally begin. The statement said the families look forward to an investigation by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner so the truth can be fully revealed. We are holding on to the hope that they will be home to celebrate Christmas with their loving families and friends, it concludes. EDWARDSVILLE The HSHS Holy Family Foundation in Greenville and HSHS St. Josephs Foundations in Breese and Highland have joined the global Giving Tuesday effort and ask their communities to consider donating to one of the foundations on this day of giving. Our donors are extremely important in helping us provide quality health care close to home, said Amy Liefer, foundation director for all three locations. Each foundation supports its own community with all money staying local and supporting only their respective hospital. Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity for people to make a positive impact on our community. EDWARDSVILLE The Madison County Sheriffs Department is investigating a complaint from a poll watcher who claims he was improperly told to leave the County Administration Building during early voting on Nov. 5. Brad VanHoose, a Republican poll watcher from Belleville, said he was told by a Madison County Sheriffs deputy assigned to Administration Building security that he needed to leave the building at the end of the day on Nov. 5. The deputy then escorted VanHoose out. In an email to the Sheriffs Department dated Nov. 15, VanHoose outlined what he called serious omissions in a report being prepared by the Sheriffs Department about the incident. According to the email, the officer said he had been ordered to remove VanHoose, but declined to say who had ordered it. VanHoose also stated that he considered the officers behavior to be rude and aloof, and at times, even belligerent during the 10-day period I was present as a poll watcher. County Clerk Debra Ming-Mendoza confirmed Monday that VanHoose was a registered poll watcher, and had the right to remain in the building after normal closing hours while clerks were conducting election business. He was waiting for a report, she said. It was my understanding that the deputy did not know that a poll watcher is allowed to stay. I am aware of the situation, and poll watchers are absolutely allowed to stay, she said, referring further questions to the Sheriffs Department. VanHoose asked that the Sheriffs Department and Madison County States Attorneys Office investigate the incident, which he claimed was a violation of election law. According to the letter, he had also filed a Freedom of Information request and has sought assistance with the Illinois Attorney General Offices Public Access Counselor to preserve video surveillance footage of the incident. However, that could not be independently confirmed on Monday. Chief Deputy Sheriff Maj. Jeff Connor said the incident was under investigation and declined further comments until the investigation is complete. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-2 ALTON When food scarcity at some students homes is a hardship on a regular weekend, imagine how much harder it is during longer school breaks, such as Thanksgiving, when many public schools typically are out for three weekdays plus the following Saturday and Sunday. Gilson Brown Elementary School hopes to change that with adding Project Third Day to its programming. Project Third Day is an initiative that discreetly provides non-perishable food items and snacks to students in need by sending it home via their backpacks. This is Gilsons first year to participate in the effort; North Elementary, which has been a participant of the program, donated $1,000 to get Gilsons Project Third Day initiative up and running. According to the State of Illinois State Board of Education 2018 data, Gilsons entire student population is eligible for free or reduced lunches. On a recent school day, teaching assistant Brenda Kemper, Principal JoAnne Curvey and her mother, Lucille Haar, spent time between classes filling plastic bags in the schools library for distribution ahead of the upcoming long weekend. The women rapidly added juice boxes, pudding cups, crackers, trail mix, granola bars, fruit cups, miniature cereal boxes, soup cups and small containers of peanut butter. Ruler Foods donated the bags. Kemper said Gilson services 32 students now, but she predicts that number will rise. She added that if a Gilson student has siblings at West Elementary School, Gilson services the siblings, too. Gilson also partnered with St. Ambrose School in Godfrey, where Curvey is a parishioner. Each grade at St. Ambrose has been assigned to collect the different types of foods that Gilson gathers during the first two weeks of December. Gilson staff will then send those goods home with students for winter break on or close to Dec. 14. Food scarcity can be a problem even during the growing season. Curvey said Serving All Kids (SAK) at Main Street Methodist Church gathers and distributes food to some area students during summer vacation. Also, the Subway restaurant at 500 W. Delmar in Alton has a promotion where, on the third Saturday each month during the 2018-2019 school year, 20 percent of purchases will be donated to Project Third Day. Customers can present a small, green flier or show the Project Third Day Ad on their phones. The remaining Subway Project Third Day dates are Dec. 15, Jan. 19, Feb. 16, March 16, April 20 and May 18. EDWARDSVILLE Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing (SIUE SON) faculty and one student were honored at the March of Dimes seventh annual Nurse of the Year Awards Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. The March of Dimes presented awards across 20 disciplines to nurses who exemplify an extraordinary level of patient care, compassion and customer service in their respective disciplines. Rebecca Luebbert, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, and Jodie Warsing, DNP, APRN-BC, were honored in the education and behavioral health categories, respectively. Robert Ehrhardt, of Troy, was the student nurse recipient. Christine Durbin, PhD, JD, RN, associate professor and chair of the SON Primary Care and Health Systems Department, nominated both Luebbert and Warsing. Luebbert is an associate professor of primary care and health systems nursing. Her clinical area of expertise is psychiatric/mental health nursing. Her scholarship activities include human subjects protection, competency and informed consent, and suicide assessment. Dr. Luebbert has wide-ranging interests in teaching students, faculty and healthcare providers about those who suffer from mental/behavioral health issues and pain, Durbin said. Her work to assist all of these groups through innovative teaching strategies led to this honor. Durbin pointed to Luebberts popularity among students stemming from her unique ability to make the complex seem simple. This ability is especially evident in her approach to teaching psychiatric nursing, Durbin said. Her attitude and manner defuses students anxiety and enables a clear assessment of a patients behavioral presentation. Beckys goal throughout her nursing career has been to protect vulnerable populations. She works to meet this goal through educating others whether they are nursing students, University staff or general healthcare providers about how to best care for those who bear a mental/behavioral health disorder diagnosis. She is always developing new approaches to demystify psychiatric nursing for healthcare providers. One of Luebberts initiatives is a Suicide Prevention grant in collaboration with the SIUE School of Pharmacy (SOP) and Counseling Services. The goal is to raise awareness about suicide prevention across campus constituencies, students, faculty and staff. She conducts training sessions that seek to raise awareness regarding suicide warning signs, how to protect an individual contemplating suicide and appropriate actions to take. Another Luebbert initiative to assist vulnerable populations is a collaboration with the SOP, and the SIU Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine to address the psychosocial co-morbidities associated with chronic pain. She and her colleagues developed pain education modules that were published on the National Institute of Health (NIH) Centers of Excellence in Pain Education website for public use. Dr. Luebbert is a role model to all faculty teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate programs in the SIUE School of Nursing, Durbin said. New faculty are frequently directed to audit her didactic classes to learn her approaches to teaching research. In addition, as director of the RN to BS program for the SON, she developed all of the online training for students. Luebbert has mentored students in the Freshman Direct Entry admission program to the SON and mentored students in the Student Nurse Achievement Program (SNAP) program for disadvantaged students. She continues to provide consultations for graduate students with Institutional Review Board questions. Warsing is a lecturer and has provided care for patients diagnosed with mental and/or behavioral disorders for 20 years. In 2005, she joined Mid-America Psychiatry and has worked alongside two psychiatrists for the past 13 years. Her practice is a mix of in-patient adult, geriatric clients and outpatient care that extends from the clinic setting to nursing home facilities. She makes rounds in rural communities as far as four hours away, and multiple towns and cities in the Metro East. Dr. Warsing is a quiet but powerful proponent of compassionate, evidence-based care and education of not only the patient diagnosed with mental/behavioral health disorders, but also their caregivers, Durbin said. The foundation for her practice lies in the education and skills that she continually shares with the patients, the patients families and their caregivers. Dr. Warsing has always found the care of patients diagnosed with mental/behavioral disorders fulfilling and gratifying. This attitude is why she is so successful in teaching undergraduate nursing students in the Care of the Patient with Mental Health Needs course at the SIUE School of Nursing. Her passionate support for her patients inspires nursing students to shed their anxiety about the subject matter and moves them to see the person behind the diagnosis, Durbin said. She is highly effective in teaching students skills in therapeutic communication and how to treat all patients skillfully. Warsing has also made it a mission to keep her congressional district members aware of patients with situations that require increased funding and better opportunities for intelligent care. Ann Popkess, PhD, RN, associate professor of primary care and health systems nursing, and SON interim assistant dean of undergraduate programs, nominated Ehrhardt and noted his passion for and history of volunteerism. He has volunteered on food buses distributing nourishment to homeless populations, helped at animal shelters and donated his time at the local veterans association. He also became the volunteer coordinator for his residence hall. Ehrhardt was among 13 SON students who participated in a global health mission trip to Costa Rica during March 2018. Robert was not only hard working, but also conducted his work with individuals in an unbiased manner regardless of their background, demographic or socio-economic status, Popkess said. Ehrhardt combined his extensive volunteerism with his academic ability to become an exceptional senior nursing student. He was selected through a competitive interview process to the SONs senior fellowship program to complete his nursing clinicals in a regional emergency department. A selection committee of healthcare professionals reviewed the nominees and narrowed the field to 200 finalists. Nurses employed in the state of Missouri and the Illinois counties of Jersey, Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Monroe and Randolph are eligible. A complete list of the finalists is available at nurseoftheyear.marchofdimes.org. The Danish RefugeeCouncil (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working onall aspects of the refugee cause in more than 36 countries throughout theworld. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons(IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems offorced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRCworks in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conductfor the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief. Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... The Travancore Devaswom Board on Monday petitioned the Supreme Court to seek more time to implement its September 28 verdict that allowed entry of women of all age groups to the Sabarimala temple. The plea reportedly cites lack of basic amenities at Sabarimala, among other factors, for seeking more time to implement the Supreme Court verdict. Given weeks of protests and posturing by groups affiliated to the RSS and BJP and opposition from the Congress, Kerala's ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government had last week called an all-party meeting before the Sabarimala shrine reopened on November 16. It was then speculated that the Vijayan government could cite poor infrastructure, caused by the Kerala floods, as a reason to appeal for delaying the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict. Meanwhile on Monday, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi reiterated that the Supreme Court would take up the review petitions related to the Sabarimala verdict only on January 22. The Supreme Court was hearing a representation from the National Ayyappa Devotees Association, which sought urgent hearing of the petitions on account of the emergency situation at Sabarimala. The association had also referred to the poor amenities at Sabarimala. The Shiv Sena on Monday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare that the proposed statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji off the Mumbai coast will be the tallest in the world, and not be "scared" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over the issue. The Shiv Sena said Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil had claimed the height of the Shivaji statue had been decreased to ensure that the 'Statue of Unity', dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remained the tallest. It said Fadnavis should use the same courage that he displayed in announcing a quota for the Maratha community, and not be "scared" of Modi and Shah over the issue of the Shivaji statue's height. Decreasing the height of the Shivaji statue to make Sardar Patel's statue look taller showed a "narrow and distorted mindset", the Shiv Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana. "Fadnavis should use the same courage that he showed while granting reservation to the Maratha community and fearlessly announce that the Shivaji statue would be the tallest in the world, and not get scared of Amit Shah and Modi. This will not diminish the prestige of Sardar Patel," it said. The Shiv Sena reminded Fadnavis that earlier, then Union finance minister Chintamanrao Deshmukh in the Jawaharlal Nehru government had shown courage to tender his resignation, to ensure Mumbai stayed with Maharashtra. It rued that while the 'Statue of Unity' had already been unveiled and opened for public viewing, not a single brick had been laid for the construction of the Shivaji statue. There are now doubts being raised whether there was an internal conspiracy to make the Shivaji statue seem like a dwarf compared with the structure dedicated to Sardar Patel, the Shiv Sena said. The Shivaji statue should be larger than that of any other leader and all parties should come together for it, said the Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. Prime Minister Modi had on October 31 inaugurated the imposing 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel, the first home minister of independent India, in Gujarat's Narmada district. The Congress and the NCP had said in the Maharashtra Assembly in July that the height of the Shivaji statue, to be built in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast, was being reduced, a claim rejected by Fadnavis, who had asserted that it would be the tallest in the world. According to the state government's reply submitted earlier to an RTI query, certain height specifications of the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial had been changed to reduce the cost of the project. In the new design, the height of the Shivaji statue would be reduced by 7.5 metres, although the sword he wields would be taller than in the original design. However, these changes will not alter the total height of the Shivaji statue, which would be 121.2 metres. The height of the entire structure, including the pedestal, would be 212 metres, the government said in its RTI reply. The height of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue had now been reduced to 75.7 metres from the earlier 83.2 metres. But in order to maintain the statue's overall height of 121.2 metres, the length of the sword had been raised from 38 metres to 45.5 metres, the government said. "The height of the pedestal has been reduced to 87.4 metres from the earlier 96.2 metres. This change in the pedestal's height will save Rs 338.94 crore," it had said. The dominance of the Android operating system in our lives is no secret. From smartphones and watches to uncommon places like smart fridges, automobiles and laptops, Android is everywhere. This ubiquity combined with wafer-thin profits and heavy competition makes it difficult for smartphone manufacturers to innovate and differentiate their products. So that leaves the manufacturers with only the software to differentiate themselves. Now custom smartphone skins are not new and have been around long before the Android OS. However, custom skins are often panned for the following issues. Design inconsistencies Too much bloatware Missing features (App drawer, battery status, notification swipe) Memory management and slowdowns Too many bugs Slow or no updates ALSO READ: Best smartphone under Rs 7000 in India 2018 But while we are generalising the issues in skins, let us go deep in them and look individually at what makes each skin tick and what are the flaws in them. Stock Androidthe way Google meant it to be Well, before we can even begin our voyage into the custom Android skins, its only fair we look at what exactly stock Android really is. Stock Android is the very essence of Android with only a few Google Apps bundled along with the Play Store. Now, this is how Android is released to every manufacturer to which they add their embellishments. Googles own hardware devices right from the very first Nexus smartphones and tablets had this unadulterated version of Android (no matter which manufacturer was chosen as a partner). But, as we said before, stock Android bundles only the bare minimum of what's needed for a good experience. This meant that in its initial days the stock operating system did not have as many features as the competitors used to carry. Over the years, Google has anointed the operating systems with a lot more stuff, but it still lacks in comparison. Common features lacking are basics like app manager, gesture support to the more requested features like Multi Window support (which was added in 2017) and a system-wide dark mode (which is still a work in progress). Listed below are just some of the features that stock Android lacks but custom UIs support. Bulk app uninstalls Scrolling screen shit support Custom icon pack and font support System-wide theme and dark mode support One handed operation Network speed indicator in the status bar Manual mode and time-lapse support in Google camera Native call record App Locker Dual app support Customisable navigation buttons While a lot of these can be remedied with a quick app download, it does make sense to have them natively from the software provider. These missing features are exactly the reason why a lot of the smartphone buying public tilts towards custom experiences. In the present scenario, however, even Pixel smartphones do not use the stock version of Android. Well, they do use stock Android, but with a set of features exclusive to them. From the Nightsight camera feature to Playgrounds AR stickers app to the phone related Call Screen and Duplex apps are just some of the apps exclusive to the Pixel line. Samsung TouchWiz UI-Colours, features and a lot of bloat Probably one of the most common and certainly the most hated UI amongst Android purists, Samsungs TouchWiz UI has been around since their early Android phones and much before that). Useful productivity features have been at the forefront of Samsungs TouchWiz UI, from the likes of the multi-window support (amongst the first to have this feature), game launcher, download booster, S-Pay and more. While these are some genuinely great features Samsungs aggressive memory management, poor update track record and childish design language have let users down. But with assistance from Google, Samsung eventually toned down TouchWiz to the Grace UX we saw gracing the Note 9 and S9+. Recently, they even announced their new design directionthe One UI which makes for a much easier user experience for tall aspect ratio phones and brings in a new night mode for the system-wide dark theme. While it still isn't stock Android, the changes are much more meaningful. Will people love it? Only time will tell. Xiaomi MIUI: Community, customisation and imitation Not many know that Xiaomis first product in the market wasn't a smartphone or a power bank but a custom skin for the popular devices of that time. The ethos of it was customisability and useful features for consumers. But like Samsung, there are some core niggles that plague MIUI, from its memory management issues, weird notification handling and an overall buggy nature of the software. However, if you do look closely at the present day MIUI (version 9 and 10) the improvements to battery life and the sheer camera-centric features (portrait modes on single sensor cameras of all budgets) are the reason why people flock to it. While the initial versions of MIUI faced flak for their iOS similarities, the latest MIUI 10 does try to create its own identity. Another great thing about MIUI is the company updates even phones that are over two years old. They do not always get the latest version of Android but do get new MIUI features. EMUI: Emotion, usefulness and overburden EMUI, short for Emotion UI, is Huawei's (and Honor) take on the Android UI. Although similar to other Chinese manufacturer skins, it has one differentiating factorthe presence of an app drawer. While this is not something to rave about, it is more intuitive than having a screen filled with apps. More than just the usual customisability features Huawei also prides on some of their unique AI and GPU Turbo features (made possible by their in-house developed processors) that are baked into the OS. Sadly for Huawei, their custom skin has always received poor reviews from users due to performance issues and inconsistent design. Their EMUI 9 does try to improve upon a lot especially in terms of memory management and battery, but even then it just doesn't feel like a modern Android UI. LG UX: Different but conflicting LG as a manufacturer has never shied from making bold decisions. While everyone was ditching the headphone jack, LG was adding a capable Quad DAC to theirs while still keeping the venerable headphone jack. As the trend shifted to depth sensors for bokeh, LG went in their own direction with wide-angle sensors. This being different approach can also be seen in the software. LG UX (previously called Optimus UI) has some core functionality that LG users may prefer like the Dual Screen mode, Always on display, Floating bar and more. Many of these are useful features, but they do not really feel premium in design and the whole UI is often a mess as it often goes against Material Design. The others: LG, HTC, Sony, Oppo, Vivo and more While HTC and Sony both had really heavy skins in the early days of Android, their bloatware along with their sales have dwindled down to an acceptable level. Despite being custom skins, both HTC and Sony's offerings manage to look stock-ish with only a few feature addition and some visual changes. These two manufacturers certainly head in the right direction when it comes to skins. Oppo and Vivo, on the other hand, are amongst the perfect candidates when it comes to the worst custom skins. Their Color OS and FunTouch OS are marred with missing features, bloatware, too much of an iPhone influence and in general poor performance. Manufacturers that do it right Motorola, Nokia and more: Refreshing change But while there are the many who go beyond what the norm is, they are a few smartphone makers who believe in purity with just a sprinkle of extra. Motorola has long ditched its horrendous Moto Blur UI and was, in fact, one of the first large smartphone manufacturers to embrace stock Android. Even under the leadership of skin and bloat happy Lenovo, they have managed to stay on the light side. They have meaningful additions like Moto Display, Moto Actions and Moto Voice. Nokia is another dark horse in this segment being the only manufacturer that has all their phones be a part of Googles Android One program. This means stock android, fast and regular updates and no slowdowns. Razer and Essential are two other innovative manufacturers who have vehemently stuck to stock Android on their smartphones. But right at the beginning, we did say that stock Android lacks certain features even today, and here we are telling that its the right thing. While a stock experience is better than custom, here is the solution if you truly want the best of both the worlds. Oxygen: The elixir to our problem! OnePlus Oxygen OS right from the word go has taken the middle road when it comes to stock Android and customisability. It remains one of the few custom skins that is visually similar to stock Android while still maintaining some excellent customisability features. Theme, Accents, App locker, Gesture control, Reading mode, Gaming mode and Parallel Apps are the most loved little touches added by OnePlus to their skin. Despite being custom, OnePlus in the recent time has been quick with updates as well giving you truly the best of both worlds. To conclude, there are not one but multiple, different custom routes that manufacturers have taken to set their devices apart. While some are subtle, some change too much, some are just right. Ultimately, it is for the customer to decide whether customs skins are an abomination or a true differentiator. Defiant British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday warned her Conservative Party rebel MPs that overthrowing her as leader would only make negotiation process with the European Union tough over the future of Britain's relationship with the bloc after Brexit. Britain is facing a political crisis after this week's announcement about the Withdrawal Agreement struck with the 28-member European Union. Two Cabinet ministers and several junior government members have quit the May Cabinet and some of her party MPs have submitted letters of no-confidence. May could face a no-confidence vote if at least 15 per cent of her party lawmakers - meaning 48 MPs - submit letters saying she has lost their support. According to reports, the party's influential 1922 Committee is edging closer to the 48-MP mark that is needed to trigger a leadership contest. But May vowed to fight on for what she believes is the best deal possible. "Politics is a tough business and I've been in it for a long time," she said during an television interview on Sunday, adding that the next seven days "are going to be critical" for the future of the UK and that she will be travelling to Brussels to meet with EU leaders before an emergency European Council summit on November 25. Asked whether Sir Graham Brady, Chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, had hit the 48-letter mark from her party MPs needed to trigger a no-confidence vote in her leadership, she replied: "As far as I know, no - it has not." "It is not going to make the negotiations any easier and it won't change the parliamentary arithmetic," she said. The 585-page withdrawal agreement deal between London and the EU, which was published alongside a shorter document setting out what the UK and EU's future relationship could look like, triggered resignations from the Cabinet including that of her Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Writing in The Sunday Times, the former minister launched an attack on the British PM's handling of the negotiations and called on her to stand up to bullies in the EU. "If we cannot close this deal on reasonable terms, we need to be very honest with the country that we will not be bribed and blackmailed or bullied and we will walk away," wrote Raab, who is seen as one of the contenders for the post of PM if May is ousted. "I think there is one thing that is missing and that is political will and resolve. I am not sure that message has ever landed," he said. Steve Baker, another former minister in the Department for Exiting the EU who had resigned earlier, is reportedly coordinating the latest coup against May and claims that more than 50 MPs are ready with no-confidence letters, making a contest likely next week. Indian-origin Brexiteer MP, Suella Fernandes Braverman, who quit the Brexit department as a junior minister along with her boss Raab last week, revealed that the draft withdrawal agreement issued by Downing Street contains clauses the two ministers had never previously seen and says the document will be seen for generations as a betrayal. "It has been forged, not by those who have a political pulse, but by those who are risk-averse, pro-Remain and do not want Brexit to happen," she wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. Meanwhile, Andrea Leadsom, the House of Commons leader, who along with fellow Brexiteer MP Michael Gove indicated she was staying on in Cabinet in an attempt to seek changes to the agreement, stated in a TV interview that there was still time for "more to be done" on the deal. Leadsom and Gove are holding talks with three other Cabinet ministers, including International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who has indicated she may quit her ministerial post over the plan. The draft agreement, a so-called divorce deal with the EU, sets out the terms of the UK's departure, including details such as how much money will be paid to the EU, details of the transition period and citizens' rights. Both the UK and the EU want to avoid a hard Northern Ireland border so they agreed to include in the deal a "backstop", or back-up plan, in case they cannot reach a long-term trade agreement which does this. This would mean Northern Ireland would stay more closely aligned to some EU rules, and the UK would not be able to leave the backstop without the EU's consent. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says his party, which has 257 MPs, will not support the deal. -PTI A day after the all-party meeting called by President Maithiripala Sirisena failed to make any breakthrough, the Sri Lanka parliament is all set to meet again today. The parliament is likely to witness new set of actions as it meets at 1.30pm. Sirisena has said that he will not accept the results of Friday's no confidence motion (NCM) in parliament as the standard procedure had not been followed. MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane informed the media that this had been conveyed to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as well. In fact, the second vote of confidence motion was passed in concurrence with the president's request to remove the first clause that inducted him. "We did what we were asked to do. We removed the clause against the President as he wanted us to," tells Vijitha Herath, one of the JVP MPs who brought the trust motion. The president has called for a third vote of confidence with the demand that it has to happen either by electronic voting or calling of names. Meanwhile, all the political party legislators are to meet in groups among themselves hours before the session to discuss their strategies. Public galleries in the parliament, which were open to foreign diplomats, visitors and the public, will remain closed on Monday and no visitors, including foreign diplomats, are to be allowed to watch the parliament proceedings. Sources say this decision was taken as some of the legislators complained of interference from the foreign diplomats who were keenly observing the political crises. In fact, on Friday during the protest, one of Mahinda Rajapaksa's supporters was seen protesting the presence of the foreign diplomats in the parliament. New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Messaging platform WhatsApp Monday held a training session for community leaders in partnership with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Jaipur, as it looks to tackle the menace of fake news ahead of elections in Rajasthan. The effort is part of WhatsApp and DEF's joint initiative -- announced in August -- to undertake workshops in over 10 states to educate subscribers on using the messaging platform responsibly and help curb the "epidemic of misinformation" in the country, WhatsApp said in a statement. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held on December 7. The Facebook-owned company has gone into overdrive after it faced severe criticism from the government over circulation of fake news on its platform that incited multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country earlier this year. The focus areas of these workshops are "key election states and those plagued with instances of provoked-violence as a result of misinformation earlier this year", the social media giant said in its statement. WhatsApp and DEF have already conducted training sessions in poll-bound states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, it said. Similarly, they will conduct the sessions in some other key states such as West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and Jharkhand by March 2019, the statement noted. The Delhi-based DEF is a not-for-profit social enterprise that empowers people at the edge of information, including marginalised and underserved communities. "WhatsApp is proud to have played a part in helping millions of people in Rajasthan to freely connect with their loved ones anywhere in the world. These trainings are part of our strategy to help people stay safe and limit the spread of harmful rumours this election season," WhatsApp Public Policy Manager Ben Supple said. With the general elections slated to be held next year in India, the government is taking a tough stance on use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to stop the spread of misinformation. The government had warned WhatsApp that it would treat the messaging platform as abettor of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place. WhatsApp, which has been slapped with two notices to check the spread of fake news, has taken a series of measures, including restricting the number of forwards and added 'forward' label to help users identify such messages. It is also in the process of establishing a local corporate entity and appointing a head for its India operations. Detailing out the proceedings of the workshop at Jaipur, WhatsApp said the event included training session that encouraged WhatsApp users to see themselves as 'agents of change'. Over 120 participants were trained on how to spot false news and differentiate between rumours and opinions. Subsequent steps to tackle instances of false news and tips to stay safe on WhatsApp were also shared. The curriculum further delved into how users can contact fact-checking organisations like Altnews and Boom Live to accurately verify information when they are in doubt. The training was provided to local government administrations, law enforcement authorities, college students, NGOs and other community leaders. "While the problem of misinformation is not restricted to rural areas alone, it is the rural population that majorly lacks access to alternative news sources for sake of verification," Osama Manzar, founder-director of DEF, said. He added that education is the only solution to this problem, and when users are taught some basic verification techniques, there is a ripple effect that can potentially fight misinformation. Given the nature of private messaging, where 90 per cent of the messages sent are between two people and group sizes are strictly limited, WhatsApp has been focussing on educating and empowering users and proactively tackling abuse. Recently, WhatsApp had also announced the recipients of its research awards -- announced in July -- that aimed to find possible ways to address the challenge of misinformation. The company said it had received about 600 proposals. Each of the selected 20 research teams will receive up to USD 50,000 for their projects that will attempt to examine various aspects, including the role of WhatsApp in everyday political conversations in India. PTI SR HRS MKJ MKJ Lucknow, Nov 19 (PTI) Shia Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi released on Monday the trailer of the film "Ram Janmbhoomi", which chronicles the events during the Ram temple movement since October 30, 1990, when Uttar Pradesh police had opened fire on kar sevaks moving towards Ayodhya. Rizvi is the writer and producer of the film directed by Sanoj Misra. He has has also acted in it. Rizvi said some "misled supporters of Babar" were out to spoil the atmosphere in the country by indulging in a bloodbath over the disputed structure built by Babar's commander Mir Baqi. "I had also tried to broker peace between the communities and proposed that a Ram temple should come up at the site in Ayodhya and a 'masjid-e-aman' be constructed in Lucknow but my voice was drowned by the noise of fundamentalists," he said. "The film starts with the incidents from October 30 to November 2, 1990, when unarmed kar sewaks (volunteers mobilised by Hindu outfits) were fired on, and the changed atmosphere has been depicted through a story with the main protagonist dying with the dream of Ram temple in his eyes," he said. "No community has been targeted in the film. Instead, the wrongs, including halala, in the society have been targeted," he said. The film has Manoj Joshi, Govind Namdeo, Naznin Patni, Rajveer Singh, Disha Sachdeva and Aditya in important roles. Produced under the banner of Cinecraft Production, film is a little longer than two hours. It releases next month. PTI SAB SMI SMI ABH ABH Mumbai, Nov 19 (PTI) Disney is set to release "Mary Poppins Returns" in India on January 4. The new sequel to Disney's 1964 film "Mary Poppins" has Emily Blunt stepping into the shoes of veteran actor Julie Andrews as the prim and proper nanny with magical skills. The film, directed by Rob Marshall, is based in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the original was set. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack's (Lin-Manuel Miranda) help, brings joy and wonder back into their home. The director said he feels honoured to be approached by Disney to direct the sequel. "This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen. "'Mary Poppins' was the first film I saw as a child and it opened my mind up to movies and to the love of musicals and adventure and fantasy in film. But this film isn't just for children... It's for the child in all of us," Marshall said in a statement. Ben Whishaw stars as Michael Banks and Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks - the eldest children of the Banks family. The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. Van Dyke is the only actor from the original to return, portraying the son of one of his original characters. The film is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca and Marc Platt. The screenplay is by David Magee based on "The Mary Poppins Stories" by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score. PTI RDS BK BK Dhaka, Nov 19 (PTI) Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Monday challenged the 10-year sentence handed out to her for embezzling funds meant for an orphanage trust in her late husband's name, claiming that she has been convicted in a "fabricated" case. A bail petition was also submitted alongside the petition seeking stay order of the jail term, reported bdnews24. On February 8, Dhaka Special Court convicted the former premier in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and sentenced her to five years of imprisonment for embezzling 21 million Bangladeshi Taka (USD 252,504) in foreign donations meant for the Trust. Five others accused - including her son and BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman - received 10 years' imprisonment each. On October 30, the High Court doubled the jail term of Zia to 10 years. "Usually a sentence is reduced on appeal. But in Khaleda Zia's case it was increased. This is completely motivated by politics," the former premier's lawyer Kaysar Kamal was quoted as saying by the report. The BNP chairperson has been "sentenced in a false, fabricated and fake case, he added. The petition to stay the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed a day after she challenged the trial court's verdict in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case in which she was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Tk 1 million (USD 12,024). Zia, 73, has been in custody since February 8, when she was handed jail term in the case related to embezzlement of funds in the orphanage trust named after her husband late president Ziaur Rahman. Zia was made vice-chairperson of the BNP in March 1983 after the assassination of her husband. She became chairperson of the party on May 10, 1984, a post she is holding till now. In her 35 years of political career, Zia went to the jail several times. During the 2007-2008 tenure of the army-backed caretaker government, she was in jail for about a year on charges of corruption. PTI SCY SCY Washington, Nov 19 (PTI) A prominent Indian-origin professor in the US has been accused of exploiting his students as servants and compelling them to do his personal work, an American daily has claimed. Ashim Mitra, a longtime pharmacy professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, made his students tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away, the Kansas City Star reported. According to the paper, over Mitras 24 years as a leader in the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a charge dismissed by him. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events, it said quoting nearly a dozen former students of Mitra. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the daily that he considered his life at UMKC "nothing more than modern slavery. He alleged that Mitra exploited cultural kinship with students from India. When Kuchimanchi once told Mitra he wouldnt be a servant, he threatened to kick me out of the university and force me to lose my visa and lose everything. That was his ammo. Either fall in line or you would be thrown out. You didnt want to be in that situation where you have to go back home empty-handed." One of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, who is also from India, is suing Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court one in 2016 and one in 2018, the report said. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. According to allegations in pending litigation, the university not only knew about Mitras behaviour, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because Mitra was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. Court documents obtained by the daily show that after one colleague filed a formal complaint, the university investigated, but the probe involved talking to only one student. In a statement to the daily through his attorney, Mitra said, Over the years, I have invited graduate students to my home where they have done work related to their courses of study, and at times eaten meals prepared by my wife. I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies." I do not understand the suggestion that anyone was concerned with their visas being at risk. I have worked with over 60 graduate students attending UMKC on F1 (study) visas, and I am not aware of any of those students having their visa status challenged or revoked, he said. Another former student told the daily that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. They were so afraid of not graduating, said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear that Mitra could undermine her career. She said students complained to one another privately. Because he had the prestige, he could influence people. He could make things happen. For that reason, they were reluctant to come forward. So were most of Mitras pharmacy school colleagues," she was quoted as saying by the daily. PTI PMS AKJ PMS PMS Kabul, Nov 19 (AFP) The Taliban held talks with US officials in Qatar on ending the Afghan conflict last week, the militants confirmed Monday, but said no agreement was reached on "any issue". The statement comes a day after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul that a peace deal could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for April 20 next year. Khalilzad was in the Afghan capital after a second round of regional meetings with top government officials to coordinate efforts on ending the 17-year war. Senior Taliban officials met with a "high-ranking" US delegation in Qatar on November 14, 15 and 16, the militant group said in a WhatsApp message, without mentioning Khalilzad. The Taliban has a political office in the capital Doha that serves as a de-facto embassy. "These were preliminary talks and no agreement was reached on any issue," spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. "We want to reassure our Mujahideen and Muslim nation that the representatives of the Islamic Emirate will never agree to anything that does not adhere to Islamic principles." The second Taliban-US meeting in as many months come as the militants step up attacks on beleaguered Afghan security forces, which are suffering an unprecedented level of casualties. The death toll among Afghan soldiers and police is nearing 30,000 since the start of 2015, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged. In a recent report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) cited the NATO mission in Kabul as saying this summer's toll had been worse than ever for Afghan forces. Khalilzad told reporters on Sunday that he recognised the "complexity" of the conflict, but insisted he wanted to "make as much progress as possible as soon as possible". His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for a peace deal to be done quickly. Washington is facing competition from Moscow, which this month hosted an international gathering on Afghanistan that was attended by the Taliban. (AFP) SCY SCY Colombo, Nov 19 (PTI) Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday warned that he will come down hard on those responsible for violence inside the House on November 16 amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country. "The speaker informed the party leaders that he had already called for a report on the ugly and illegal behaviour such as bringing in weapons to the chamber, chilli powder attacks, causing damage to public property, exchange of fisticuffs and other breaches of discipline," said a statement by the speaker. On November 16, Sri Lanka's Parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. The speaker refuted allegations that unauthorised persons had entered the public galleries on that day. Each parliamentarian had been allowed visitors and their details were provided to the House, he said. Jayasuriya had called the police into the House as lawmakers were seen breaking furniture to attack the police while there were video images of some MPs carrying sharp objects and an MP was seen throwing chilli powder mixed with water at the policemen. The violence had left some lawmakers injured. Political parties in Sri Lanka agreed on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs amid a power struggle set off by President Maithripala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove Ranil Wickeremesinghe as prime minister last month. Jayasuriya said party leaders have been already told to name the members to the select committee and inform the secretary general of Parliament. Parliament, which was convened on Monday for a third floor test against disputed prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was adjourned just 10 minutes after its opening as lawmakers could not decide on the members of the committee. The decision to form the select committee came a day after an all-party meeting called by Sirisena to resolve the political crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when Sirisena suddenly announced on October 26 that he had sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered a snap election. But the Supreme Court last Tuesday overturned the president's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted preparations for snap polls set for January 5. The select committee is to be appointed to carry out parliamentary business such as the appointment of other committees. There were counter arguments from both sides on the issue. Jayasuriya has faced the wrath of the disputed government of Rajapaksa for his bold action to summon Parliament and request a floor test to prove the majority of Rajapaksa whose appointment has been dubbed as unconstitutional. Ousted premier Wickremesinghe still maintains he is the lawful prime minister of the country. Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe's United National Party moved a motion in Parliament against Rajapaksa's appointed secretary. "He has no power to use public money as he had been illegally appointed. We want a debate on that," Ravi Karunanayake, a UNP legislator, said. Jayasuriya said the motion would be taken up on November 29. PTI CORR KUN KUN Riyadh, Nov 19 (AFP) Saudi King Salman heaped praise on the kingdom's judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst international crises. The public prosecutor last week exonerated powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered the assassination. The prosecutor called for the death penalty against five men as it announced indictments against 11 people and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody in connection with the killing. "The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution and the performance of the job entrusted to them," the king said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory body. The 82-year-old monarch did not directly address the murder of The Washington Post columnist in his speech. US President Donald Trump, who has praised Saudi Arabia as a "truly spectacular ally", has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the Central Intelligence Agency's reported assessment that he was behind the killing. Saudi Arabia -- which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings -- has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom "by means of persuasion", but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime, including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing. In a sign of further international pressure, Germany on Monday said it will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder. (AFP) SCY SCY Islamabad, Nov 19 (PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday ordered a cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into its dam fund as it concluded a suo motu case initiated following media reports that the Katas Raj temple pond - considered sacred by Hindus - was drying out due to industrial activity in the area. An apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, ordered DG Khan Cement company to deposit Rs 8 crore for using water and Rs 2 crore for misleading the court, the Express Tribune reported. The Katas Raj temple complex in Chakwal district of Punjab is considered sacred by Hindus and cement companies in the area were held responsible for drilling boreholes and utilising groundwater, which eventually led to a drop in sub-ground level water and drying up of a sacred pond present at the temple site, the paper said. Hearing the case at the apex court's Lahore registry, the bench also prohibited the cement companies DG Khan Cement and Bestway Cement from extracting groundwater and admonished the DG Khan Cement firm for stating that the water being used was stored rainwater, the paper said. On November 15, the court formed an inspection committee to probe the veracity of claims by the cement factories. In Monday's hearing, the committee submitted its report to the bench. Locals blamed the cement plants, which, they said, drilled a number of water-bores in the vicinity of the temple, to draw water for their industrial production. Chief Justice Nisar said that DG Cement claimed to have stored rainwater, but this was a lie since they had actually obtained groundwater, Dawn reported. During an earlier hearing, Justice Nisar had observed that the cement factories caused damage to the environment by using up the area's water as well as causing air pollution. "The people who are not doing anything for water are not sincere with this country; those taking no measures for water (provision) are enemies of this country," he said. He said factory owners must have used influence to get permission to establish cement factories in the area. He also admonished a former secretary industries, Khalid Sherdil, "for giving away everything for free", at which the official responded that a no-objection certificate was not a requirement when the factories were established. Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the Katas Raj temple complex originally housed a cluster of seven ancient temples, along with a Buddhist stupa and the home of a warrior - built between 6th and 13th century. The name 'Katas' is derived from Kataksha, a Sanskrit word meaning 'tearful eyes'. According to legend, the pond was formed after Lord Shiva wept upon the death of his wife Sati. Hindu pilgrims from around the world visit the Katas Raj temple during the Maha Shivratri festival and bathe in the 'sacred pond'. Some believe the water holds healing powers. BJP leader L K Advani during his trip to Pakistan in 2005 also visited Katas Raj and inaugurated conservation work being carried out by the government of Pakistan. PTI ZH ZH ZH Islamabad, Nov 19 (PTI) Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari on Monday said that US President Donald Trump's tirade against Islamabad should be a lesson to those Pakistani leaders who appeased America after 9/11. Mazari's remarks came a day after Trump defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country does not do "a damn thing" for the US and its government had helped Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hide near its garrison city. The minister in a series of tweets said that whether China or Iran, US policies of "containment and isolation" do not coincide with Pakistan's strategic interests. "Trump's tirade against Pak & his claim that that Pak does not do 'a damn thing' for the US shd be a lesson for those Pak ldrs who kept appeasing the US esp after 9/11! The renditions; the loss of Pak lives in US WoT; the free space for Raymond Davis & other operatives; etc etc," she tweeted. "The illegal killings by drone attacks; the list is endless but once again history shows appeasement does not work. Also, whether China or Iran, US policies of containment & isolation do not coincide with Pak strategic interests," she said. Referring to Laden and his former compound in Abbottabad, Trump in an interview to Fox News on Sunday said, "You know, living think of this living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer." The compound was demolished shortly after US Naval Special Warfare Development Group forces, in a daring helicopter raid, killed Laden there in 2011. "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there," he added. "And we give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year. ... (Laden] lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," he said. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil. PTI PMS PMS Pune, Nov 19 (PTI) A letter containing what police claimed was the phone number of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has been made part of the charge sheet against 10 activists arrested for alleged Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, a senior official said Monday. The letter was seized during nationwide raids conducted by the Pune police in connection with the case following which these activists were arrested, he said. The Pune police recently filed its charge sheet against five activists - Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, who were arrested in June. The letter in question, dated September 25, 2017, is addressed to Surendra (who police claim is Surendra Gadling) by one comrade Prakash, the official said. A portion of the letter reads, "We must intensify nationwide protests using students. State forces will be soft against students which will gradually put the state at a disadvantage while acting against us. Congress leaders are very much willing to assist in this process and have also agreed to fund further agitations.... In this regard, you can contact our friend at (the phone number of Digvijaya Singh as per police)". A senior police official said the number in the letter is also available on the website of the Indian National Congress. A senior official associated with the probe said the letter had been made part of the charge sheet and is under investigation. Asked if Singh would be summoned for questioning, Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Suhas Bavche said several numbers had cropped up in the letters seized during the raids and the ownership of these numbers and their roles in the case are being probed. "If someone's role is established, whatever is needed to be done as part of the investigation, will be done," Bavche said. Shivaji Bodakhe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) informed that, as of now, no notice had been issued to any one. Digvijaya Singh had denied the allegations when they first surfaced and had dared the government to arrest him. Talking to reporters in Satna in Madhya Pradesh on September 4, Singh had said, "If I am guilty, I challenge the Centre and the state government to arrest me." The other activists arrested in the case are Telugu poet Varavar Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj. While Gautam Navlakha has been booked, he not taken into police custody as yet. The prosecution had Sunday told court that charges related to "sedition and waging war against the state" had been added against all the accused arrested for Maoist links in connection with the Elgar Parishad. Government pleader Ujjwala Pawar had told court Sunday that sections 124 (A) (sedition), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war) and 121 (A) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been added to the charge sheet. The Elgar Parishad was held on December 31, 2017 in Pune to commemorate 200 years of the 1818 Koregaon Bhima battle in which East India Company forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, defeated the Peshwa army. PTI SPK BNM GVS Bhubaneswar, Nov 19 (PTI) The three-year-old male Royal Bengal Tiger, Mahavir, which was translocated from Madhya Pradesh to the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Angul district, died due to infection and multiple organ failure, official sources said Monday. "The ante-mortem wound in the neck region was infested with maggots and the subsequent infection had led to septicaemia, resulting in multiple organ failure," the post-mortem report released by the forest department said. The big cat, which was translocated from the Kanha Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh, was found dead in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) on November 14. The post-mortem report also mentioned that a provisional diagnosis indicated that the tiger had died due to multiple vital organ failure, which was initiated since the creation of the wound in the neck region. The forest department has also collected specimens from the tiger's liver, kidney, lungs, spleen, intestine and stomach for laboratory tests. "Around 8-10 porcupine quills were recovered from the stomach of the tiger," STR Field Director Sudarshan Panda said. Besides, furs of wild boar were also found in its stool, he added. However, under what circumstances the tiger had suffered the injuries would be investigated, Panda said. Asked about another tigress, Sundari, which is rumoured to be unwell and is kept in an enclosure in Satkosia, he said the animal was doing fine. Sundari was moving inside the enclosure, Panda said, adding that further decisions on the tigress would be taken after discussing the matter with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Centre and the state government. "The NTCA team had also observed that the tigress in the enclosure was in good health," Sandeep Tripathy, Odisha's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, told reporters, adding that the forest department had released a video of the tigress, where it was seen in good health. PTI AAM JM RC Ranchi, Nov 19 (PTI) RJD president and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad could not appear before a special CBI court due to ill-health on Monday for the hearing of a fodder scam case, his counsel said. However, former MPs Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana and three ex-IAS officers, who were also accused in the RC 47/A fodder scam case, appeared before Special CBI judge Pradeep Kumar. The case pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda Treasury in the 1990s. "Jagdish Sharma, R K Rana, ex-IAS officers Phool Chand Singh, Mahesh Prasad and Beck Julius appeared before the court. Lalu Prasad could not appear because of illness," said Prasad's counsel Prabhat Kumar, who was present in the court. Prasad, who was convicted in four fodder scam cases, is in jail custody. He, however, is under treatment for various ailments at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here. Prasad's health condition has deteriorated of late due to a festering boil on his right leg and his sugar level and blood pressure have shot up due to the boil, the doctor who attends the diabetic politician said. The former Bihar chief minister's dose of insulin has been increased to bring down the sudden increase in sugar level, he said. Due to the boil, the RJD chief is experiencing difficulty in standing up and going to the washroom, sources close to Prasad said. The fodder scam is related to fraudulent withdrawal of government funds from the treasuries of various districts of undivided Bihar in the 1990s when RJD was in power and Prasad was the chief minister. Prasad was first convicted in one case pertaining to Chaibasa Treasury (Rs 37.7 crore) on September 30, 2013. He was then found guilty in cases involving the Deoghar Treasury (Rs 89.27 lakh), the Chaibasa Treasury (Rs 37.62 crore) and Dumka Treasury (Rs 3.13 crore) between December, 2017 and March, 2018. PTI PVR NN ABH ABH Organs of brain dead girl transplanted on 3 patients Kolkata, Nov 19 (PTI) The liver and kidneys of a girl, declared brain dead, were successfully transplanted on three patients at state-run SSKM Hospital here on early Monday morning, a doctor involved in the operation process said. The organs of the 13-year-old Madhusmita Bayen were carried across 170 km and four districts by road - from Durgapur in Burdwan West district to Kolkata - in two hours after a green corridor was created for the transportation on Sunday. Madhusmita's kidneys were transplanted on Abhishek Misra and Mithun Dalal in surgeries that concluded around 2:30 am on Monday, the senior doctor of SSKM Hospital told PTI. Both were in stable condition and will be kept under observation for a few days, he added. The girl's liver was transplanted on Sanjit Bala and the operation was over by 8 am. Bala was currently on ventilation but his condition was otherwise stable and his body did not show any rejection symptom to the new liver, the doctor said. Madhusmita, a resident of Mejia in Bankura district, had slipped into coma a few days ago at the Durgapur hospital and was declared brain dead on Saturday. The organs were taken out by a team of doctors from the SSKM who travelled to Durgapur to carry out the process. The corneas of the girl were also taken out and kept in an eye bank. The girl's parents had said they had decided to donate her organs as that would help save several lives and make their daughter alive among other people. PTI SUS NN NN New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday reviewed security situation in the country, particularly in Punjab where three people were killed and 20 others injured in a grenade blast, officials said. Senior officials of the Home Ministry and security agencies briefed the home minister on the explosion at a religious gathering near Amritsar on Sunday, an incident which police are treating as a "terrorist act". The home minister directed the officials to provide all assistance to the Punjab government in their investigation to nab the perpetrators of the crime, a home ministry official said. Singh was told that a team of the National Investigation Agency has already visited the blast site along with their investigators and explosive experts. Three persons, including a preacher, were killed and 20 others injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar. The incident took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi, police said. A religious congregation of the Nirankari followers was being conducted inside the Bhavan at the time of the incident. The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan lies close to the Amritsar international airport and the Indo-Pak border. PTI ACB GVS \R Gurgaon (Har), Nov 19 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the previous Congress regime in Haryana for creating "obstacles" and "delaying projects" which he said caused loss to the state as he inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the KMP Expressway. He also inaugurated the 3.2 km-long Ballabhgarh-Mujesar Metro rail link, which would facilitate travel for the people of Delhi and Faridabad and laid the foundation stone of the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in Palwal district. Addressing a public gathering in Sultanpur later, Modi said with the inauguration of the KMP project, Ballabhgarh-Mujesar rail link and the foundation stone of the skill varsity being laid, Haryana has taken one more step towards all-round development. "Today's day is important for Haryana." He said with the inauguration of the Kundli-Manesar section, the entire 135 km stretch of the KMP has been completed. Taking a dig at the previous Congress regime without naming it, Modi, while referring to the KMP project, said today's occasion is to remember two pictures -- one when a work is done and completed with determination, which he said is reflective of his government, on the other hand second picture shows and reminds us of how work was done during the previous regime. "That picture reminds us that work on this expressway had been going on for 12 years...This project should have been completed 8-9 years ago, but it did not happen," he said. "Atkana, bhatkana aur latkana wale sanskriti mein (the culture of creating obstacles, misguiding and delaying)...Haryana ka, janta ka kitna nuksan kiya hai (caused loss to the people)," he said taking a veiled dig at the Congress. Modi said the KMP project was to be completed much earlier and used during the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, but that did not happen. Blaming the previous regime over the KMP project, he said the cost had escalated manifold from Rs 1,200 crore earlier. The prime minister said while the KMP Expressway and the metro rail link projects will help in bringing revolution in connectivity, the university will empower youth at the same time. Modi said when the NDA government had come to power, he himself took meetings pertaining to this project and did regular follow-ups with the present Haryana government. The prime minister, on his arrival at Sultanpur village in this district, went around visual art exhibition pertaining to the KMP project. Modi was briefed by the officials about the project. The inaugurations and foundation-laying functions were done by the prime minister through remote from Sultanpur village of the district. Earlier, Manesar to Palwal stretch of the KMP, whose entire length is 135.65 km, had been opened for public use, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on the occasion. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana has blamed the previous Congress regime for the delay in the KMP project, which they claimed should have been completed nearly nine years ago. Modi was accompanied by Khattar, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, who is a Gurgaon MP, and Birender Singh. Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya was also present on the occasion. A sum of Rs 6,400 crore has been spent on the expressway project and 3,846 acres of land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore, a Haryana government spokesperson said. The length of the stretch from Kundli to Manesar is over 83 km. This stretch would have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpass or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, helping reduce the pollution. Besides, the project will also provide high-speed link between northern Haryana and southern districts and provide uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, especially commercial traffic, from Haryana to neighbouring states. The prime minister inaugurated the Rs 580 crore Metro link, at Sultanpur village in the district. PTI SUN CHS VSD KJ KJ KJ New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) India is proud of the remarkable speed with which sanitation coverage has increased in the last four years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday and reiterated his government's commitment to enhancing sanitation facilities. He said the drive for a cleaner India and ensuring better sanitation facilities is in fact a people's movement. On World Toilet Day, Modi took to Twitter to thank women and youth for taking the lead in the sanitation drive. "Today, on World Toilet Day, we reiterate our commitment towards enhancing cleanliness and sanitation facilities across the nation. We in India take pride at the remarkable speed with which sanitation cover has increased in the last four years," he wrote. He said it is the 130 crore Indians, particularly women and youths, who have taken the lead in the movement. "I congratulate all those working to fulfil the dream of a Swachh Bharat," he said. World Toilet Day, celebrated on November 19, is about taking action to ensure that everyone has a safe toilet by 2030. This is part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 6 relating to sanitation and water. PTI NAB GVS \R Jammu, Nov 19 (PTI) A BSF assistant commandant was killed and three others were injured in a blast at a border outpost (BOP) along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, an officer said. "A blast has taken place at a BOP in Samba sector. One BSF person has died and few others (were) injured," he told PTI. An assistant commandant was killed and three jawans were injured in the blast in Mangu Chak, said Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Arun Manhas, adding that an investigation was on. A Border Security Force (BSF) officer said it was not known yet whether the blast was caused due to some accident or it was a mortar fire from the Pakistan side. PTI AB HMB New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan Monday asked the BJP to announce at the earliest the seat-sharing deal for Lok Sabha polls among the NDA partners in Bihar and also criticised sulking RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha over his recent comments. Paswan met BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who is his party's in-charge for the state, and told PTI later that seat-sharing talks among the BJP, Janata Dal (United), and his party have been positive. He told Yadav the BJP should make an announcement regarding the division of seats among these three National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties at the earliest, he said. In a sign of Kushwaha's isolation within the NDA, Paswan disapproved of his recent outbursts, which have been aimed at Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and also the ultimatum given to the BJP that it should make an announcement regarding the seat-sharing arrangement by November 30. "Such talks only weaken the alliance. He (Kushwaha) also said that he would now talk to no one except Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This amounts to shutting doors for talks. This is not good," the LJP parliamentary board chief said. With BJP president Amit Shah busy in the state poll campaign, NDA sources said a final announcement on the share of seats of all Bihar allies could be made after the assembly elections are over. Shah had earlier announced that the JD(U) and his party would contest an equal number of seats in Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha. With the prospect of Kushwaha remaining in the NDA looking increasingly grim, NDA sources said the LJP may get to contest six seats, while the BJP and the JD(U) get 17 seats each. Sources said the there was a proposal earlier that LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan be sent to the Rajya Sabha and his party fight four Lok Sabha seats. However, the question mark over the continuation of Kushwaha means that there may be reconfiguration of arithmetic of seats among the NDA partners. The BJP, LJP and RLSP, which fought the 2014 polls together, had won 22, six and three seats respectively. The JD(U), which fought against the NDA, had won only two seats and joined the ruling alliance in 2017. PTI KR AAR New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other political leaders paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary Monday. "Tributes to India's former prime minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary," Modi tweeted. Former president Pranab Mukherjee, former vice president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, paid floral tributes to her at Shakti Sthal in the national capital. Rahul Gandhi tweeted a picture of Indira Gandhi and quoted her, saying, "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave. Indira Gandhi". Rich tributes were paid to the former prime minister at a function in the central hall of Parliament, where leaders cutting across party lines were present. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Manmohan Singh, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel and other Parliamentarians were present at the function. A booklet containing her profile was presented to the dignitaries who attended the function. It was brought out in Hindi and English by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Sonia Gandhi also released a book on her and her love for environment at the Indira Gandhi memorial. A large number of people paid tributes to the former prime minister at her residence and office, where she was gunned down by her bodyguards 34 years ago. Later in the evening, Manmohan Singh was awarded the Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development at a function at the Jawahar Bhawan. She was remembered fondly by many dignitaries on the occasion. Congress leader from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the contribution of Indira Gandhi towards nation-building was "immense". "Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt Indira Gandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation-building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration," Gehlot tweeted. Paying her respects to the former prime minister, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the nation should work together to keep the diversity of the country intact. "Homage to Indira Gandhi Ji, former prime minister of India, on her birth anniversary. National Integration Week begins today. As she did so whole-heartedly, let's work together to keep the spirit of 'unity in diversity' alive," she tweeted. Congress leader Ashok Chavan also tweeted his homage to the former prime minister. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala quoted Indira Gandhi, saying her contribution towards building the country cannot be forgotten. "I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud. My humble homage to Smt. Indira Gandhi who lived and died in the service of the nation. Her immense contribution in nation building and preserving the unity & integrity of the nation shall always be remembered," he tweeted. Indira Gandhi, often described as the 'Iron Lady of India', was born on November 19, 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. PTI ASG SKC AAR New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Indian defence forces are undergoing joint military drills with the US and Russia in Rajasthan and UP respectively, the Defence Ministry said Monday. Special forces of India and the United States began their 12-day bilateral exercise in Rajasthan while the militaries of India and Russia commenced a joint exercise in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The drills include training on various aspects such as hostage rescue, desert survival, combat firing, a statement by the ministry said. A contingent of one officer and 10 other ranks from the special forces group of the United States Pacific Command arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan on Sunday for undertaking joint training with the Indian special forces. The American special forces will carry out 12-day rigorous joint training in semi-desert and rural terrain with an aim to enhance the inter operability of the two armed forces and further the military to military co-operation. "The contingents will train on aspects such as hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and combat firing. At the end of the joint training, the special forces will undertake a three day outdoor exercise to validate their best practices," the statement said. One the first day of the exercise, the United States Pacific Command troops carried out a visit to the training area followed by zeroing of their personal weapons. In a separate military drill, the opening ceremony for the tenth Indo-Russian Joint Exercise, INDRA 18, scheduled from November 18 to 28 was held on Monday at Babina Military Station in Uttar Pradesh, another statement by the ministry said. There was a fly past of Army Aviation helicopters which carried the national flags of both the participating nations during the parade. The members of both the countries also interacted and familiarised with each other after the opening ceremony. "The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct to enhance interoperability of the two armies in the peace keeping and enforcement environment under the aegis of the United Nations," the statement said. The 11-day exercise focuses upon training on enhancing team building and tactical level operations in a counter insurgency environment in semi-urban terrain, it added. PTI PR DPB New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Union Minister Satya Pal Singh urged the students Monday to become good human beings, saying holding a degree alone is not sufficient. The Union minister of state for Human Resource Development, who is an alumnus of the varsity, was addressing students at the 95th convocation ceremony of the Delhi University. "In today's time, degree is not sufficient. Many people have degrees. Galat degree bhi le lete hain log (people also obtain degree certificates by unfair means). In the ancient times, there were no degrees but knowledge, science and wisdom," Singh said. "Degree can get you a job but it cannot enlighten the world," he said. Singh stressed that the aim of education is to move from "darkness towards light and from lies towards truth". "Our prime minister has said that by 2022, our country will be free of terrorism, poverty, casteism and communalism. It is not possible without the support of our youths and education. The aim of education is to make one a good human being. An educated person does not look at people through the prism of caste," he said. PTI SLB CK Jammu, Nov 19 (PTI) Polling for the second phase of panchayat election will be held Tuesday at 2,179 polling stations across Jammu and Kashmir, state chief electoral officer Shaleen Kabra said. Voting will begin at 8 am and end at 2 pm in 828 polling stations in Kashmir and 1,351 in Jammu division, Kabra said. He said 601 polling stations have been categorised as 'hypersensitive', including 490 in Kashmir division and 196 in Jammu division. He said 4,014 candidates are in the fray for 281 sarpanch and 1,286 panch seats in the second phase of the election. Ninety sarpanchs and 1,069 panchs have already been elected unopposed. The first phase of the election was conducted on November 17 in which 71.4 per cent of electorate voted. Separatists who asked people to boycott the polls had called for a strike on the polling day. Major regional parties -- the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party -- had decided not to participate in the local bodies polls. Defying militant threats and boycott calls by separatists, 64.5 per cent of electorate voted in Kashmir while an impressive turnout of 79.5 per cent was recorded in Jammu region, the officer had said. Kabra said Basic Minimum Facilities (BMF) have been ensured in all the polling stations across the state. Photo voter slips have been distributed among the voters to inform them of their polling stations. He said senior government officers have been appointed as general observers to oversee the smooth, fair and orderly conduct of panchayat election. Also, expenditure observers are keeping a watch on the candidates, he added. In addition, for the poll day, micro observers have been placed in polling stations, particularly in those which are considered 'hypersensitive'. Besides, the zonal and sector magistrates too have been deployed, he added. The government has declared holiday on the polling day in the areas going to the polls. The officer said special casual leave shall be granted to employees who have to go to other areas to exercise their right to franchise. The chief electoral officer appealed the voters to come forward and exercise their right to franchise. PTI AB DPB Presidency hostel issue: minister says students' demand justified Kolkata, Nov 19 (PTI) West Bengal Education minister Partha Chatterjee Monday said the demand by students of Presidency University for being accommodated in the Hindu Hostel, being repaired by the state PWD for over three years, at the earliest is just and cannot be ignored for long. A section of Presidency University students started a sit-in demonstration in the main building of the varsity from November 15 demanding immediate accommodation in the hostel. It has to be remembered that these students have been patiently waiting for the repair and renovation work to be over for three years, Chatterjee told reporters here. The minister confirmed that he received a report from the state PWD about the progress of renovation work of the Hindu Hostel. To a question, Chatterjee said the government will look into the reasons behind the delay in renovation work of the hostel and find out who is responsible - the PWD, the Presidency authorities or any agency previously hired by the institution to carry out the work. The sit-in demonstration of the students resumed as the the November 15 deadline given by the university authorities for completing renovation of the two wards of the hostel and throwing it open for students expired without the work being over, Sayan Chakraborty, a spokesman of the agitators, said. University Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia told reporters on November 15, while the government had wanted to complete the work of the two wards of hostel by November 15, the PWD gave report that some work related to safety and security issues still remained to be completed. To a question if the hostel can be thrown open for boarders on November 30, Lohia had said "If the facilities (in two wards) are ready for minimum habitation by November 30, we will throw it open for the boarders." On October 12 students had called off their 10-day-long hunger strike after authorities gave them a written assurance that they would be provided accommodation at the Hindu hostel, adjacent to the institute's campus, by the middle of November if the PWD gave the clearance. The students had held sit-in protests on the institute since August 3 seeking room allotments at two wards of Eden Hindu Hostel but called off the sit-in along with fast on October 12. The Hindu Hostel was shut down for repairs in July, 2015 and 150 boarders were shifted to a rented accommodation at New Town, which is quite far from the university. PTI SUS NN NN Ahmedabad, Nov 19 (PTI) The police lathicharge on the agitators demanding reservation for the Patidar community here in Gujarat in August, 2015 was akin to the brutal British era "Jallianwala Bagh" episode, quota agitation leader Hardik Patel told a court here Monday. Patel deposed as a witness in a private complaint filed in a metropolitan court against the police action on the agitators at the GMDC Ground here over three years ago. In his deposition before Metropolitan Magistrate N P Radia, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader narrated the incidents leading up to the police action, against which the complaint was filed in the court. The 25-year-old Patidar quota agitation spearhead said he had addressed a large gathering at the ground on August 25, 2015 to push for reservation for the Patidar community. Patel said he later sat on a dharna with the demand that then chief minister Anandiben Patel accept a memorandum from him demanding reservation for Patidars in government jobs and educational institutions. He said he also went to the collector's office to submit the memorandum, but came back to the ground as the collector was not in his office. "Around 8 pm, there were around 2,000 people at the ground. What happened around that time (the police lathicharge) was no less than the Jallianwala Bagh incident," Patel said. An environment of fear was created even as the police began lathicharging the young protesters and abusing them, he claimed. The court had earlier ordered an inquiry into the August, 2015 lathicharge on the Patidar community agitators under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on a complaint filed by one Haresh Mehta. The complainant has accused the then Ahmedabad police commissioner Shivanand Jha, Vastrapur inspector M S Shaikh, assistant commissioner of police J M Patel, additional commissioner of police R R Bhagat, among other police officials, of resorting to "unnecessary and illegal action". Jha is now the Gujarat director general of police (DGP). The mega rally at the GMDC Ground, which was addressed by Patel, had triggered widespread violence, in which 13 people were killed and public property worth crores of rupees was damaged across Gujarat. PTI KA PD RSY RC New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to hear on November 21 a plea of Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon bast case, that he was being prosecuted for terror charges under the stringent UAPA without any valid sanction. The apex court had, on April 20 this year, granted Purohit the liberty to raise the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute him under the Unlawful Aactivities (Prevention) Act before the trial court at the time of framing of charges. However, the trial court had rejected Purohit's plea on sanction and had framed charges against him. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Purohit, old a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday that the trial court had framed charges against him without properly considering his plea that there was no valid sanction to prosecute him. The bench, also comprising justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, asked the High Court to deal with Purohit's plea on November 21. "The issue raised in the present petitions is being considered by the High Court of Bombay on November 21. "In view of the same, we do not consider it necessary to entertain the special leave petitions, and instead request the High Court to hear and decide the matter on the date fixed. The special leave petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the apex court noted in the order. Purohit, in his fresh plea, has referred to the earlier apex court order by which the trial court was asked to deal with the claim of Purohit that he was being prosecuted under penal laws including the UAPA without any sanction from the authorities. The plea also alleged that the charges have been framed against Purohit and others by the special court which had commenced the trial without dealing with his plea on sanction. The apex court, while granting bail to Purohit on August 21, 2017, had also said the issue of grant of prosecution sanction could be raised at the time of framing of charges. Earlier, a special court had, on October 30, framed terror charges against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, setting the stage for their trial which commenced on November 2. It had said that the organisation named Abhinav Bharat was formed by the accused with the common object to "spread terrorism" and had framed charges of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other offences. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The special court had framed charges against all the seven accused under relevant sections of the stringent UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Apart from Purohit and Sadhvi, the other accused are - Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. The accused were charged under sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA. Under the IPC, they were charged under sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153 (a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups). If convicted under these sections, the maximum punishment can be life imprisonment or death. The accused were also charged under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act. The Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra police, which probed the case, had initially charged Thakur, Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre, Rakesh Dhawade, Ajay Rahirkar, Samir Kulkarni, Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Pravin Mutalik and Ramchandra Kalsangra. Thakur and Purohit were arrested the same year along with nine others for the blast conspiracy. On August 21, last year, the apex court had granted bail to Purohit, who had been languishing in jail for almost nine years for his alleged role in the case, observing there were contradictions in the charge sheets filed by different investigating agencies. PTI SJK ABA MNL RT Farmers stage protest in Bengaluru, seek full loan waiver Bengaluru, Nov 19 (PTI) Hundreds of farmers from across the state Monday staged a protest here on a host of issues andset a fortnight long deadline for the government to fulfil their demands, including complete loan waiver. Farmers' have given the government a memorandum containing about 40 demands, and have expressed hope that the Chief Minister and his cabinet would look in to it and take an appropriate decision. Their charter of demands include full loan waiver, minimum support price for crops and relief measures for drought hit areas. Farmers also expressed anguish over Chief Minister Kumaraswamy's reported comments against a woman farmer from Belagavi on Sunday, and sought an apology. Agitating farmers who had threatened to lay a siege to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, were stopped by the police at the Freedom Park. Despite farmers' demand that Kumaraswamy should meet and hear them, the government sent co-operation minister BandeppaKashempur to talk to agitating ryots. "Government has said they will call us for meeting todiscuss on our issues. We have demanded that government fulfil its promises and look into our demands, we have given 15 days deadline, if nothing happens we will start our agitation again from village level," farmer leaders said. Kashempur said several groups of farmers fromacross the state have submitted a memorandum to the government on about 39 issues, and the government would look into it. The government would try and respond to all their demands positively, he said. "I will speak to the chief minister and will call farmers' leaders for a meeting with himon host of issues like drought, situation in flood hit Kodagu, among others, at the earliest," the minister said. Farmers also demanded that Kashempur should convey tothe chief minister their demand seeking Kumaraswamy's apology for hiscomments against agitating sugarcane farmers and a womanfarmer from Belagavi. Driving trucks with sugarcane, a group of farmers on Sunday had 'gatecrashed' into "Suvarna Vidhana Soudha", the legislature complex in northern district of Belagavi. They were protesting Kumaraswamy's reported cancellation of his visit to meet royts agitating over payments due from sugar mills. In a strong reaction, Kumaraswamy had described those who barged into the legislature complex as "goondas" and accused them of defaming the entire farming community. Kumaraswamy's remarks against a woman farmer while questioning her 'silence' in the last four years on the arrears issue and her farming background, had evoked sharp reaction from her. Kumaraswamy has now convened a meeting of sugarcane farmers and sugar factory owners at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss the issue and find a way out. PTI KSU RA BN BN BN Bengaluru, Nov 19 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily Monday said his party would return to power in Chhattisgarh after a gap of 15 years, riding on a "strong anti-incumbency" wave. He also claimed that the Congress would increase its tally from 12 to 15 of the 18 seats in the Naxal-hit areas of the state. "We are definitely returning to power in Chhattisgarh after a gap of 15 years, because there is a very strong anti-incumbency wave against the Raman Singh and Narendra Modi governments in the state and at the Centre," the former Union minister told PTI here. The Congress would win 50 to 55 of the 90 Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, he said, adding, "I will not be surprised if we win even more (seats)." In the 2013 Chhattisgarh polls, the Congress had won 12 seats in the Naxal-hit areas, Moily said. "The problems of unemployment, law and order and security of jobs have contributed to a strong anti-incumbency wave against the Raman Singh government (in Chhattisgarh)," he added. As many as 37,000 women in Chhattisgarh were reported missing, which reflected the worst law-and-order situation in the state, the former Karnataka chief minister alleged. He claimed that most government jobs in the state were outsourced and that Chhattisgarh was next only to Tripura in terms of unemployment in the country. Contrary to Chief Minister Raman Singh's claim of Chhattisgarh being the first state to provide 150 days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), in reality, Moily said, the state government gave work for only 47 days. During the Congress rule, the poverty ratio was 37 per cent in the state and now, it had shot up to 47 per cent during the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rule, Moily, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, claimed. He alleged that adding to Singh's "misrule", the people of Chhattisgarh were also unhappy with the BJP-led central government for giving false assurances, the latest being giving Rs one crore loans in 59 minutes to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). "I attended a bankers' meeting recently, where I asked the bankers whether they had received any circular on Rs one crore MSME loans. They said, no. This is only an election stunt," Moily said. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had also failed to fulfil the promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of every citizen in the fight against black money, the Congress leader said. "During the Congress rule, as much as Rs 36,000 crore (black money) were brought back. These people (BJP) are silent today," he said, alleging that the Centre had not taken a single step to bring back black money. PTI BDN BN RC Banda (UP), Nov 19 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl was set ablaze in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district, allegedly by her cousin for refusing to marry him, police said Monday. The girl had gone out to attend nature's call on Sunday evening in Jarakhar village when the cousin met her and started putting pressure on her to flee and get married, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Santosh Kumar Singh. When she refused, the accused poured kerosene on the girl and set her ablaze. The girl has suffered 50-per-cent burns and undergoing treatment at a hospital, the ASP said. A case has been registered on the complaint of the girl's father and efforts are to nab the accused who is absconding, the officer added. PTI COR SAB HMB New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria inaugurated an online platform on Monday to provide data on the cause of deaths in the country which helps the government plan and monitor the effectiveness of its health programmes. The premier institute has developed the platform for the Registrar General of India Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs. The RGI office had signed an MoU with the AIIMS last year to provide technical support for its Sample Registration System-based verbal autopsy. The SRS (Sample Registration System) is the single most important source of data on annual demographic indicators including causes of death in any country. Under this system, close caregivers of the deceased identified under the SRS are interviewed and they fill up a a predesigned form used by trained physicians to arrive at the cause of death, a senior AIIMS official said. This system has been necessitated by the fact that most deaths in India, especially rural areas are not medically certified. The platform is fully developed by the AIIMS and enables physicians to review the verbal autopsy form and enter the cause of death in the form of a standard international code sitting at their office, the official said. It also has an online training platform for doctors to learn about the system and on how to arrive at and code the cause of death. The platform is called Minerva (Mortality in India established through Verbal Autopsies). The cause of death data is critical for governments to plan and monitor the effectiveness of their health programmes. This system has been in place since 2001 but till last year it was managed by an international agency. "About 400 doctors have already registered with the system which will start coding of the verbal autopsy forms from next week," the official said. The AIIMS will provide additional support in the form of training to conduct verbal autopsy, training physicians to code the cause of death and development of an IT platform for training and coding. In future, hand-held computers are planned to be used for the collection of data. PTI PLB DPB DPB Hyderabad, Nov 19 (PTI) As many as 3,584 nominations were filed by political parties for Telangana Assembly elections, slated to be held on December 7, a release from the office of Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said Monday. Telangana caretaker ministers K T Rama Rao and Jagadish Reddy and state Congress Working President Revanth Reddy were among the prominent leaders who filed their nominations Monday, the last day for the process. PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy's wife Padamavathi also filed her nomination. Rama Rao, the son of caretaker Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, filed his nomination from Sirsilla constituency in Rajanna Sircilla District. The Congress fielded K K Mahender Reddy against Rama Rao. Revanth Reddy filed his papers from Kodangal in Vikarabad district. The TRS is going alone in the elections, which were advanced after the government chose to dissolve the Assembly ahead of its term. While the Congress has formed a "grand alliance", the BJP is also contesting the polls alone. The CEO said they accepted all the nominations that were submitted till 3 pm. Officials are expected to make the announcement on the total number nominations later. Scrutiny of papers is fixed for Tuesday and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 22. The counting of votes would be held on December 11. PTI GDK AAR The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency is set to rake in a staggering 16.2 million from selling motorists' details to private parking firms for 2.50 each, it has been calculated as part of a new study. Motoring magazine Auto Express said the government agency will sell around 6.4 million drivers' information by the end of the financial year. This is Money has been fighting the corner of motorists with our 'Stop the private parking sharks' campaign, calling for the DVLA to stop selling personal details to private firms, particularly in light of new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules now in place. Money made from motorists: The DVLA is set to rake in around 16.2m this financial year by selling drivers' details to private parking enforcement firms DVLA figures provided to Auto Express showed that the agency is set to make 2 million more from selling motorists' records to private parking enforcers, up from 14.2 million in 2016/17 and 9.2 million the year previous. It said that 3.2 million drivers' information was handed to private firms in the first six months of this financial year - almost 20 per cent more than in the same period the year before and almost twice the number requested in 2015/16. One parking firm - ParkingEye, which was recently sold by Capita for 235 million - has already paid a staggering 1.3 million for over 500,000 motorists' details in the second quarter of this financial year. Private parking enforcement using automatic number plate recognition cameras has mushroomed across the UK in recent years. Stations, supermarkets, shopping centres, pubs, restaurants, hotels and more have joined private car parks in setting up cameras to catch drivers. This latest study sited previous analysis by the RAC Foundation from 2007/08, which found that around half a million drivers' records were requested from the DVLA by private parking firms that year. That means the DVLA is currently issuing 15 times the number of motorists' information to private enforcement companies than it did a decade ago. Stations, supermarkets, shopping centres, pubs, restaurants, hotels and more have joined private car parks in setting up cameras to catch drivers Motorists are now having to deal with this by keeping their eyes peeled for signs erected in car parks that state that they're entering into a contract with the land owner and any minor infringement, however suspect, sees a ticket automatically sent out. The parking sharks are located across the land, targetting people in almost every car park and the plague has worsened in recent years, as parking firms armed with cheap Big Brother ANPR cameras have convinced landowners to cash in. While This is Money is arguing that the DVLA's actions go against the GDPR restrictions in place, it's the cost of mental anguish for drivers and damage to the High Street that is causing as much concern. With these concerns in mind, we are also calling on the independent appeal process to be made fairer. In typical circumstances, private parking firms dish out the 'penalty' and pressurise payment within 14 days. This is Money has received hundreds of cases of motorists who have been fleeced by private parking firms for fines they shouldn't have received There has been an increasing trend for land owners to use ANPR camera in their car parks to enforce restrictions If drivers don't pay up straight away, or dare to appeal, the notice often threatens a higher charge - including via the official appeal process - and the threat of court action. Many simply pay out of fear. We want the appeal process to freeze the original charge while it is investigated, meaning more drivers are likely to take their case to the independent body rather than worry about a bigger charge. We're asking the DVLA to investigate if dozens come in at a time for the same spot to determine whether or not parking enforcers are being fair with the nation's drivers. We support This is Money's hard hitting campaign to bring common sense and fairness to private parking enforcement Edmund King, AA president The campaign has already received backing from motoring organisations. AA president Edmund King said: 'We support This is Money's hard hitting campaign to bring common sense and fairness to private parking enforcement. 'We had hoped that our actions in getting the cowboy clampers outlawed would have improved the situation for drivers but it seems that some of the unscrupulous highwaymen have now turned their hand to dishing out tickets on parking land. 'The sad thing is that many drivers are so worried about bailiffs or higher charges that they just pay up. 'We have raised some of these issues in our Caught in a Trap report with the Transport Secretary and hope the This is Money campaign can help to bring about change.' How private parking firms make money Research by the RAC Foundation last year found that 19,000 motorists a day had their personal details bought by private parking firms. This works out at 570,000 people over the course of a 30-day month. Certain private parking companies can buy your personal details from the DVLA at a cost of 2.50 per motorist. This means that these firms only need to claw back a 60 charge from one in every 24 drivers to break even on the cost of buying your details. In a letter sent to Chris Grayling, the AA has called for government intervention to restore the principle of deterrence in the enforcement of parking and moving traffic offences instead of the harvesting of charges at every opportunity. The AA said it aimed to 'fight back against rampant ticketing by council and private parking enforcers, to ensure that first-time offenders in bus lanes and yellow box junctions get a warning letter instead of a fine, and residents are no longer taxed for parking outside their homes.' It was revealed at the weekend that new regulations could be put in place to regulate private parking firms and protect motorists from rogue companies who use parking law loopholes to profit. The new code of practice is being written by the DVLA and is expected to include a 10 minute grace period for motorists who stay in a car park for longer than the period stated by the clear signage at the entrance. There could also be a 100 cap on fines for drivers and consistent enforcement to prevent returning drivers from being charged when they use the same parking facilities hours or days later. However, while these proposals would rein in some of the excesses of the private parking firms, the big rise in tickets is unlikely to be reversed unless the DVLA stops selling personal information to firms. GlaxoSmithKline's technology chief has vowed to poach top talent from the likes of Google and Facebook as it overhauls its approach to discovering new drugs. Karenann Terrell, who was made Glaxo's first chief digital and technology officer last year, said pharmaceutical firms needed to adopt Silicon Valley's tactics or face the reckoning that industries such as retail have endured at the hands of online rivals. The former Walmart executive, 57, said she would aim to poach top staff from internet giants and acquire tech companies if necessary to tap into their expertise. This includes analysing vast troves of data, which she believes can help uncover lucrative new medicines. Self help: Karenann Terrell said she would aim to poach top staff from internet giants and acquire tech companies Her comments come as Google is extending its reach into healthcare with research arms Calico and Verily Life Sciences, while Amazon circles the US pharmacy market after its acquisition of Pillpack. Swiss pharma giant Roche announced it was buying tech firm Flatiron Health for around 1.3 billion earlier this year. Terrell said the use of data by tech companies to create new products needed to be replicated at Glaxo. She added: 'Tech companies win by figuring out what the tactics of selling books are in order to sell web services, or they apply the tactics used in their search engine to the life sciences business. But demand for tech talent is massively different. So we have got to do this the way the tech companies do it, bringing in dream team players who build their squads around them.' She said although many rising stars of the industry had gone to Silicon Valley in recent years, Glaxo would stress its life-saving mission to lure them back, and has already poached staff from Google and Salesforce. 'Our culture is mission-based,' she said. 'We are not selling bananas. We are selling life-saving drugs. That is a huge pull to the best talent. 'But we have to create an environment that attracts talent and does things differently. This is the most exciting time in healthcare ever and GSK is fighting with a growth mind-set.' Terrell is credited for leading a modernisation push at US groceries giant Walmart, and is one of several executives brought in under boss Emma Walmsley to overhaul the drug maker. Walmsley also brought in former Calico executive and pharma industry veteran Hal Barron to head its research efforts. Barron and Walmsley pledged to make better use of cutting-edge data analysis in drug trials, and have also struck a major partnership with Silicon Valley DNA testing firm 23andme, which holds genetic data on 5m customers. Airbus has landed a major deal to build components in the UK for two European satellites. Sign of the times: The deal with Eutelsat will see Airbus' sites in Portsmouth and Stevenage produce key parts of the satellites The deal with Eutelsat, which the Mail understands is worth about 180m, will see Airbus' sites in Portsmouth and Stevenage produce key parts of the satellites before they are shipped to France for assembly for a launch date in 2021. It is also a sign of confidence in the UK's space sector, which has faced uncertainty during Brexit negotiations about its future role in European projects. How much tax do YOU pay? As a survey claims half of Britons have no idea, we explain how to work our your total bill - and even cut it down Kevin and Rani have been together for four years and are expecting their first baby in spring. They want to buy their first home before the baby arrives, but two-bed flats in their part of South London cost around 400,000. Even though they've saved a deposit of 15,000, they can't find a mortgage lender willing to lend them the rest. Kevin writes: 'Our friends have been encouraging us to consider shared ownership properties. They say they're cheaper to buy, and there's no stamp duty to pay. But how does it work? 'Rani and I are struggling to save a bigger deposit, but we want to move before the baby arrives - is it worth going down the shared ownership route?' TV's Phil Spencer answers a first-time buyer's question on the Shared Ownership scheme TV Property guru and founder of advice site Move iQ Phil Spencer replies: As first-time buyers, you and Rani are just the sort of people shared ownership is aimed at. It's a cross between buying and renting a home, in which you buy a share of the property - and then rent the part you don't own. Not only is it more affordable than buying a whole property, but month-by-month it can be cheaper than renting. Its appeal was given a big boost in the October Budget, when the Chancellor cut stamp duty for first-time buyers purchasing a shared ownership property valued at less than 500,000. This was an extension of the amnesty awarded to first-time buyers in last year's Budget, when Hammond scrapped stamp duty for first-time buyers on the first 300,000 of their home; they still pay 5 per cent on the remaining amount up to a maximum value of 500,000. Given that you're looking at flats costing around 400,000, this means a big stamp duty saving for you. Under the old stamp duty rules you would have had to pay 10,000 in tax, but now you'll have to pay half of that. That saving should easily cover the cost of your lender's mortgage arrangement fee and your conveyancing costs. You're first-time buyers which is good news too, as shared ownership is targeted at people who don't already own a property. But before you plunge into searching for your dream shared ownership home, you need to check you're definitely eligible. As you and Rani live in London, your household income must be less than 90,000 a year for you to qualify. Outside the capital, the threshold is that buyers' combined income must be less than 80,000. Once you have confirmed your suitability, then you can set out home hunting. A number of online resources can help with your search, including the Homes For Londoners property search tool. You can choose from newly built homes, or existing ones via resale programmes from housing associations. To help you decide where to live, arm yourself with plenty of information about the local area, from schools to crime rates. Last month's Budget included a stamp duty exemption on shared ownership properties After you have settled on a property, you'll need to pay a reservation fee (usually around 200), before establishing how big a slice of the property pie you can afford. This will be calculated during a financial assessment, which will determine what share you can purchase and what rent you will be paying on the rest. As a rule, you can buy between a quarter and three quarters of the total value of the property - with the local housing association owning the rest. Given that you're looking for flats at the 400,000 mark, this puts the proportion you could buy between 100,000 and 300,000. Your 15,000 deposit should theoretically put a 200,000 mortgage in reach, but you'll need to shop around for the best lender, and then pass their affordability checks. Fortunately, many of the best-known banks and building societies offer mortgages specially tailored for shared ownership. The housing association may arrange an interview for you with an independent mortgage adviser who will look at all your outgoings - including the rent you'll pay on the housing association's share of the property - and help you choose a suitable mortgage. Over time you should be able to purchase additional chunks of the property. This is known as 'staircasing' and how it is done varies from provider to provider. Some may allow you to buy 10 per cent chunks annually, while others only allow you to staircase a maximum of three times. Either way, you need to plan ahead with your finances if you want to own 100 per cent of your property sooner rather than later. The good news is that as you buy more slices of your home, your rental payments will reduce, reaching zero when you own the property fully. All shared ownership properties are leaseholds, so you'll have to pay annual ground rent As all shared ownership properties are leaseholds, you will be required to pay annual ground rent on your home and possibly a monthly service charge too. Make sure to read the small print regarding these charges, as they may increase in future. Remember, you will also be responsible for repairing items inside your home. Don't expect the housing association to cover the costs of a broken boiler or a faulty washing machine. The reduction in stamp duty on shared ownership properties of less than 500,000 is likely to make the scheme significantly more popular. Greater demand from buyers could push up prices, and the scheme may not be around forever. So if you can make the numbers work and are keen to buy before your baby arrives, don't hang around. Got a question? Email experts@thisismoney.co.uk with property in the subject line. I'm going through a divorce and I've heard that some people have got out of splitting their pension by quietly moving it abroad. I'm worried my ex-husband might do this. How do I prevent it? I live in England. Moving a pension overseas: What risk do you face if an ex moves a pot abroad and how do you guard against it happening? Rhys Taylor is a barrister specialising in matrimonial finance claims who practises from chambers in Cardiff and London. He is a co-author of Pensions on Divorce: A Practitioner's Guide. He replies: You must first ask yourself if you are right to be worried. In favour of the worry is the fact that the courts have held that it is not possible to make an English pension sharing order against an overseas pension scheme and it is possible to transfer certain English pension funds into overseas pensions, such as a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). There are, however, a number of factors that will militate against the worry. First, your ex may well have valuable assets and a life based in England or Wales. If that is the case orders may be made against other assets in his name and your ex should be easily subject to the court's enforcement mechanisms. Government slaps 25% tax charge on moving pensions overseas The Chancellor introduced this to clamp down on people trying to dodge UK tax bills. Read more here. Secondly, since March 2017, the Government clamped down on most transfers into QROPS. It is still possible to do, but it would be subject to a 25 per cent tax charge. This has led to a significant reduction in QROPS transfers. These factors will make a pension flight unlikely in many cases. There are exceptions to the 25 per cent charge if both your ex and the QROPS are based in the same country or if both your ex and the QROPS are resident in different countries in the European Economic Area. What risk do you face if your ex does move their pension abroad? If you already have the benefit of an old pension attachment order, the attachment order cannot follow the funds into a destination QROPS. Worse still, there is no obligation on the pension trustee (by trustee, throughout this response, I mean any pension company or arrangement which holds regulated pension funds) or your ex (unless you secure a specific promise that they give to the court) to inform you that instructions have been given for the transfer to be made, until it has been done. Pension attachment orders, however, are now quite rare. More likely, you may be in the course of divorce and associated financial proceedings and concerned that your ex may (even allowing for the factors against this which I gave above) seek to thwart your application for a pension sharing order with a transfer of pension funds overseas. How might you guard against your ex moving a pension overseas? Pension attachment orders and pension sharing orders A pension attachment order is where a court decides that a percentage of someone's future pension income and retirement lump sum must be paid to their ex-spouse, writes This is Money. But these orders only take effect when the pension holder reaches their scheme's retirement age, which might be years after their divorce. Courts now prefer to use pension sharing orders, which were introduced later and split a pension straight away on a 'clean break' basis. Each ex-spouse walks away with a share of the pension, which they control themselves from then onwards. This is Money's pensions columnist, Steve Webb, explains in more detail here. There are a few steps which may reduce your exposure to this risk. They can get complicated and if you don't have a solicitor already I strongly advise you to get one who will help you. 1. Ensure that the pension trustee of the scheme involved is properly served with notice of the proceedings and your application for a pension share, as is required by rule 9.31 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010. The pension trustee is then on notice that the fund may be subject to a sharing order in the future. While this is far from a complete protection, as soon as the trustee is served with a copy of a pension sharing order (the pension sharing order only takes effect on the later date of 28 days after the making of the pension sharing order or the granting of the divorce, known as the decree absolute) it would have to carefully examine its duties as a trustee before allowing an ex to remove funds which are clearly intended to be shared. However, if the trustee has not been served with a notice under 9.31 from the outset, it may have less obligation to consider your position. The court will serve the pension sharing order, but often there may be delays or mistakes made by overstretched court offices. For this reason, the recipient of a pension sharing order should serve it on the pension trustees themselves, as soon as they have it. If the case is actually in court, ask the court to give you a sealed copy of the pension sharing order there and then. If the case is not in court, even consider writing to the pension trustees with a copy of the agreed draft pension sharing order, saying that the sealed one will follow. 2. If you have concern that your ex may try and do something with their pension, you could also ask them to give a formal undertaking (a solemn promise) to the court that they will not transfer or deal with the pension until any pension sharing order has been implemented, after the conclusion of all divorce related proceedings. Rhys Taylor: 'It is not possible to make an English pension sharing order against an overseas pension scheme' If they refuse to give such a promise to the court, then you would need to ask yourself why they are refusing to do so and consider inviting the court to grant an injunction to stop them from dealing with their fund. However, you should be aware that there needs to be substantial grounds before you can persuade a court to take such a step and being worried or just being suspicious is not enough. 3. When a final financial order is made there is often a 'clean break' order, which means that neither party can come back to court for any further financial claims. If you have real worries about being able to implement any pension sharing order the court may grant you, you or your lawyer can invite the court to say that only 'upon implementation of a pension sharing order...' the clean break will be granted. This will mean that certain of your financial claims will be kept open until your pension sharing order has been safely implemented and you have the fund in your own name. What if your ex does move the pension abroad? If the worst happens and a fund which you depend upon is spirited away, you may try and seek an order setting aside that transaction, if your ex is still in England or Wales and therefore physically subject to the court's jurisdiction. If your ex has left England and Wales and does not intend to return, you might be able to obtain a special kind of injunction which would delegate management of your ex's pension fund to a receiver. You would probably need to seek advice in the jurisdiction where the pension funds are based, in order to secure such an outcome. The receiver would then act to require (by instructing the trustee of the overseas scheme) some or all of the pension to be drawn, with payments being made by the overseas pension fund to be directed to you personally. Whilst this may assist, the fund will remain your ex's and if they were to die it would be even more difficult, probably impossible, to secure further payment. The receiver may have been able to nominate you to receive successor pension benefits, but that would depend upon the terms of the scheme allowing for such a nomination to a non-spouse or child. In very rare instances it might also be possible to seek to attack an overseas pension, not using pension sharing legislation, but a Victorian provision which has been transposed into modern legislation, known as a 'variation of a nuptial settlement'. However, the power to do this and the circumstances where that may be possible are the subject of much legal uncertainty and complexity in this context. If your ex is acting in such an obstructive fashion, he is unlikely to co-operate with the following suggestion. However, if there is a pension fund abroad and you are able to work together, you might explore whether the overseas court, where the pension is based, would be prepared to make a pension sharing/splitting order. You could each promise the English court to do this, if it can be confirmed that the overseas court would make the order you require. A car industry chief was arrested yesterday amid claims he raided company funds and concealed bonuses to dodge tax. In an extraordinary fall from grace, Carlos Ghosn, who is chairman of Renault-Nissan, was detained by prosecutors in Tokyo for alleged financial misconduct. Carlos Ghosn (pictured right with British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011), the chairman of Nissan and Renault, has been arrested for alleged misconduct and using company money at the Japanese carmaker for personal use Greg Kelly, who is the firm's senior executive in the US, was also taken into custody. Nissan accuses the pair of masterminding financial crimes stretching back to 2011. They include under-reporting their pay to the Tokyo stock exchange by 34million over five years, in a suspected ploy to slash their tax bill. Shares in Nissan and Mitsubishi plunged today as the automakers prepared to oust the the two men following their arrests. Nissan chief executive Hiroto Saikawa apologised for the scandal at a news conference about the arrests. In a statement issued by Nissan yesterday numerous other 'significant acts of misconduct' were uncovered during an internal investigation Mr Saikawa said at a news conference that the company plans to dismiss the two men at a board meeting this week. Saikawa said during a seven minute apology at the outset the news conference: 'Beyond being sorry I feel disappointment and frustration. 'I feel despair and indignation and resentment.' Saikawa said three major types of misconduct were found: underreporting income to financial authorities, using investment funds for personal gain and illicit use of company expenses. He said that because of the continuing investigation, he could not disclose many details. But he promised to tighten internal controls, saying the problems may have happened because too much power was concentrated in one person. 'We need to really look back at what happened, take it seriously and take fundamental countermeasures,' he said. Ghosn officially still leads the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as CEO and chairman. But experts said it is unlikely he will be able to stay on there or at Renault, where he is also CEO. Renault said its board will hold an emergency meeting soon. Numerous other 'significant acts of misconduct' were uncovered during an internal investigation, according to a statement issued by Nissan yesterday. Nissan shares fell to a low of 940 yen (6.50) and were trading down 5.5 percent at 950.7 yen. Shares in Mitsubishi Motors Corp, another member of the Franco-Japanese partnership, also slid by about 6 percent. Mitsubishi also said on Monday it would remove Ghosn as its chairman. Renault shares lost 8.4 percent on Monday. These include 'misrepresenting' the purpose of company investments and personal use of company assets. The scandal comes just months after Mr Ghosn's 6.7million pay package from Renault for last year was narrowly approved by shareholders. A French citizen born in Brazil and of Lebanese descent, he has been one of the car industry's most powerful figures for almost 20 years, heading a firm that builds around one in nine vehicles sold around the world. Nissan said it had been probing possible improper practices of the 64-year-old and Representative Director Greg Kelly for several months based on a whistleblower report Its site in Sunderland is the UK's biggest car plant, employing around 7,000 workers. He met David Cameron in Downing Street and two years ago Theresa May rolled out the red carpet to Mr Ghosn, inviting him to London to reassure him about Brexit. Career of 'Le Cost Killer' Carlos Ghosn is known in the industry as 'Le Cost Killer'. His relentless drive saw him rise to become chairman and chief executive of Renault, chairman and former chief executive of Nissan, and chairman of Mitsubishi. A twice-married father of five, he was born in Brazil but returned with his mother to their ancestral home of Lebanon as a child. He studied French and built a career with Michelin before switching to Renault in 1996. The multilingual Ghosn, 64, restructured the firm to such an extent that he became 'Le Cost Killer'. When Renault linked up with Nissan he cut even more jobs 21,000 and shut five plants. He once reportedly turned down running for president of Lebanon because he had 'too many jobs'. Advertisement As well as being courted by politicians, he has become a hero in Japan for rescuing Nissan and he is even celebrated in manga comics. But yesterday he was arrested shortly after his plane landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Prosecutors also raided Nissan's offices. Mr Saikawa said Mr Ghosn was given too much power in 2005 when he became chief executive of both Renault and Nissan making him hard for board members to control. Mr Saikawa said he would now focus on stabilising the company. The revelations spooked investors, fuelling fears that the Renault Nissan pact could fall apart. As shares in Renault slumped more than 8 per cent, President Emmanuel Macron said the French government, which is a major shareholder, 'will be extremely vigilant about the stability of the alliance'. Mr Macron and Mr Ghosn visited a Renault plant together this month in northern France. The alleged wrongdoing emerges as the car industry struggles to rebuild its reputation after the VW 'Dieselgate' emissions scandal. DALLAS, November 16, 2018 Thomson Reuters today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Integration Point, an international leader in global trade management (GTM) operations. Thomson Reuters announced on October 23 that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire Integration Point. The acquisition was subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino regulatory approval in the US. Integration Point, which has major offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as India, Mexico and Tbilisi, Georgia, will become part of the Corporates customer segment of Thomson Reuters. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Piotr Marczewski, President of the Corporates customer segment of Thomson Reuters, said, The completion of this acquisition represents an exciting moment for Thomson Reuters, demonstrating our commitment to expanding our offerings at the fast-moving intersection of regulation and commerce. The addition of Integration Point to our existing ONESOURCE Global Trade offering will allow Thomson Reuters to present the most comprehensive end-to-end global trade management solution available to trade and compliance professionals. Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading provider of news and information-based tools to professionals. Our worldwide network of journalists and specialist editors keep customers up to speed on global developments, with a particular focus on legal, regulatory and tax changes. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com. CONTACT MEDIA John Russell Director, Communications +44 (0)20 7542 0239 john.p.russell@tr.com INVESTORS Frank J. Golden Senior Vice President, Investor Relations +1 646 223 5288 frank.golden@tr.com SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. 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 A group of 14 Capital Region people who came together for a day late last month to learn strategies for bridging the political divide were so inspired by the experience that they plan to spread the lessons further. A new organization called Better Angels Capital Region NYS Alliance has been formed to give an ongoing local presence the national Better Angels, a not-for-profit founded in 2016 with a commitment to "reduce political polarization in the United States by bringing liberals and conservatives together to understand each other beyond stereotypes," according to its mission statement. Better Angels held a seven-hour workshop at the main branch of the Guilderland Public Library on Oct. 27. Seven people who identified with the "red," or conservative political side, took part, as did an equal number of liberal-minded "blues" and even more observers. Participants engaged in a workshop and "skills class" format devised by Better Angels; all committed to truly listening to others who believe differently about profoundly held issues and to speaking in helpful, constructive ways to address those differences. "It was an amazingly good experience," said Christine Primomo, 68, of Ravena, a self-described pragmatic progressive who was part of the Oct. 27 workshop. "To see that there are so many of us who have more in common than not, even those who were skeptical coming in, was really terrific. All 14 reds and blues agreed to help form the local Better Angels alliance. They have already held a follow-up planning meeting, and an introductory session, free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the main branch of Guilderland library for those interested in hearing more and perhaps joining the alliance. A more expansive workshop to teach Better Angels strategies is planned for 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at Albany Public Library. Full details and registration opportunities for the later session will be available at the Nov. 29 meeting.details can filled in if/when they come in. Primomo hopes others who live locally will attend to learn some of what the initial group did at that first meeting in October. "(It was) hard work, but everyone agreed we need to continue the process," Primomo said. "It was incredibly uplifting for all who attended." From Kristi Gustafson Barlette's blog: Many say their friends are like family (or, for some, better than family) so they're choosing to celebrating the traditional family-focused holiday that is Thanksgiving with their tribe instead of, or in addition to, relatives. According to this story in Forbes: "While social media has amplified various obscure food and family-related celebrations, Friendsgiving might just be the first viral holiday , born out of a distinct mix of word-of-mouth and Instagram envy. Around this time last year, #friendsgiving yielded more than 668,000 posts on Instagram, and an active stream of tweets ranging from recipes, to photos, to snark. Around that same time (November of 2017), USA Today, Food & Wine, US Weekly and Refinery 29 all published articles about the bud-focused fete." I will say, I see far more people on social media complaining about their family than their friends, so it does make sense revelers want to get together with those they choose to have in their life on a day-to-day basis, rather than those who they're connected to via blood, marriage or adoption. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. That said, Thanksgiving may be the only time all year some people see family members, if they're spread out around the country even the world. Click here to answer the poll question: If you had to choose one, which would you pick? Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or Megiving (I want to be alone). ICAC can help enhance integrity of BRI projects Updated: 2018-11-19 07:28 By Tony Kwok(HK Edition) Tony Kwok makes a powerful case for letting the agency manage anti-corruption protocols in Belt and Road projects to ensure they are transparent At a recent seminar co-organized by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong SAR and the Better Hong Kong Foundation, entitled "China's 40 Years of Reform and Opening-Up: Implications for the World and Role of Hong Kong", Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in her speech that the city had played a significant and unique role in the 40-year journey: "We are a contributor as well as a beneficiary in China's reform and opening-up." On the future role of Hong Kong in the country's further reform and opening-up, Lam said, among other things, that the Independent Commission Against Corruption had been sharing its rich experience in fighting corruption in Hong Kong with countries and institutions along the Belt and Road Initiative routes to enhance their integrity. The BRI involves many infrastructure loans and development projects in participating countries and it is of paramount importance that a high level of integrity should be ensured in such projects. When China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank to finance the projects, its president Jin Liqun stressed that the bank would place the highest priority on integrity management for its loans and infrastructure projects. To highlight his awareness that all AIIB activities should be beyond reproach, he joked that the Western media would be eagerly hunting for the first corruption scandal involving AIIB's loan projects! Not surprisingly, the ICAC is expected to play a major role in guaranteeing that the BRI projects would not be stained by any improprieties. Indeed the ICAC has earned its reputation as the world's premier anti-corruption force. It has turned a once most corrupt metropolitan city into an exemplary corruption-free world city. In the process, it has become the mecca for other countries eager to learn the secrets of its success. Thus empowering ICAC to introduce and monitor anti-corruption protocols in BRI projects would greatly enhance the prospect of them having a successful outcome. Every year, the ICAC plays host to many high-level delegations from different countries eager to adopt its methodology. It is the co-founder of the first International Anti-Corruption Conference together with the Office of Inspector General of the United States. ICAC played an active role in supporting the Supreme People's Procuratorate in the establishment of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, which is the equivalent of Interpol for anti-corruption agencies. Every other year, ICAC hosts an international ICAC Symposium which has become a major biennial event for anti-corruption agencies around the world for experience sharing and to intensify their professional collaborations. Its training institute offers places for overseas anti-corruption officers. ICAC was set up in 1974 and is the first one to come up with a comprehensive three-pronged anti-corruption strategy of prevention, education and deterrence. Since then many other countries have established their national anti-corruption agencies largely along the Hong Kong model. They include many BRI countries such as the Brunei Anti-Corruption Bureau in 1982; Philippines' Office of the Ombudsman in 1987; Pakistan National Accountability Bureau in 1999; Thailand National Counter Corruption Bureau in 1999; South Korea's Korean Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2002 (later reorganized as Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in 2008); Indonesia Corruption Eradication Commission in 2003; Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the Fight Against Economic and Corruptive Crime in 2003; Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission in 2004; Bhutan Anti-Corruption Commission in 2005; Kyrgyz Republic National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2005; Mongolia Independent Authority Against Corruption in 2006; Nepal Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority in 2007; Fiji-Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2007; Afghanistan High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption in 2008; Cambodia Anti-Corruption Commission in 2010; Timor Leste Anti-Corruption Commission in 2010 and Myanmar Anti-Corruption Commission in 2013 etc. Since my retirement from the ICAC, partnering with my retired colleagues, we have been running Postgraduate Certificate Courses on Corruption Studies for the Hong Kong University SPACE and so far, over 40 countries, mostly BRI countries, have sent their representatives to this course. I have also accepted invitations to visit 26 countries to provide anti-corruption consultancy and training. In fact, many BRI countries have already benefitted from ICAC's experience and expertise. What we can do to take this forward is to set up a BRI Anti-Corruption Academy and to continue offering courses to BRI government and anti-corruption officials, including courses on corruption prevention in handling infrastructure projects. Hong Kong is renowned for integrity of management in infrastructure projects such as Chek Lap Kok airport. By capitalizing on our strengths in ensuring the integrity of BRI projects, Hong Kong's reputation as an international banking, financial services and logistics hub can only be further enhanced. (HK Edition 11/19/2018 page7) Q: What in the world is going on with Route 22 in Columbia County? The road from New Lebanon to the Thruway interchange is one giant pothole. While visiting friends in the area last week, I thought my car was going to shake apart. It's so bad, people living along it have posted their own signs warning of the rough conditions. Even the patch repairs are a mess. Did the town supervisor tick off someone at DOT? Also, I think the traffic light at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 295 is malfunctioning. The sensors seem to work fine when approaching the light on Route 295, but approaching on Route 22 doesn't seem to produce any reaction. Perhaps the miserable condition of the road is the problem. Anyway, Route 22 is heavily traveled by locals, tourists and commercial vehicles, all of whom deserve a better ride. Tim Murphy, Ballston Lake A: Parts of Route 22 will be paved next year, but not exactly the section you addressed, Tim. According to Gina DiSarro, a public information officer at the New York state Department of Transportation Hudson Valley Region, State Route 22 from the southern town line in Canaan north for about 2 miles was paved over the summer. Next year, the road will be repaved from Massachusetts Route 102 to Interstate 90, with resurfacing to include travel lanes and shoulders. Proposed treatment includes pre-cast concrete, cast-in-place concrete and asphalt. The plan is to start just north of the I-90 interchange and go south through it as far as available funding will allow. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Route 22 from I-90 to Route 20 has been identified as a needed repaving project," said DiSarro. "The project is not currently on the NYSDOT capital program; however, it is our hope to implement the project in future years as funding opportunities arise." DiSarro said Route 22 in the towns of Canaan and New Lebanon will continue to be monitored, and maintenance crews will fill potholes and make other pavement repairs as the DOT becomes aware of them. In addition, DiSarro said that there were no prior complaints about the signal at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 295 malfunctioning, but the DOT is now looking into it. Do you have a question about transportation? Email gettingthere@timesunion.com. Please include your name, town and telephone number. A few days before Victor Figueroa vanished from an Essex County prison in 1997, he called his older sister for a routine check-in. But moments later, the 21-year-old abruptly said he had to go. "There is a (expletive) guard who keeps messing with me. Look, I have to let you go," Yvette Cruz recalls her brother saying on that day two decades ago. She replied, "Papi, you know I love you. This is going to end in a few months. Please call me tomorrow." He agreed and hung up. "After that, I never talked to him again," Cruz told the Times Union on Sunday. She and her sister reached out to the newspaper hours after it published a story about their brother's unsolved disappearance. On Feb. 6, 1997, Figueroa walked away from the Moriah Shock Incarceration Facility in Mineville and never returned, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. He was three months into what would have been a six-month sentence for felony attempted drug possession. Guards and police scoured the area around the minimum-security state prison and found footprints that led from the facility to the only entrance of a shuttered iron mine across Fisher Hill Road, the agency said. "Ultimately it was determined, based on the evidence, that the absconder had most likely fallen into one of the abandoned mine shafts and the risk to the well-being of the search crews was too great to continue," state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesman Thomas Mailey said in an email last month. More for you 1997 upstate prison escape remains unsolved Figueroa is the only New York state prison inmate who has never been found after an escape. Nearly 22 years later, his family is renewing their call for answers. "At this point my mother needs closure. There is nowhere she can visit him, nowhere to bring flowers," Figueroa's youngest sister, Milixza Rodriguez, said Sunday. "You mean to tell me they can't go in there now, with all the technology?" The two sisters recalled Figueroa as the family's father figure, who was strict with his four sisters and two brothers but also made sure they were always treated well. The seven kids and their mother had moved from Brooklyn to Utica in 1995. "He was all about his mother, sisters and brothers," said Rodriguez, who still lives in Utica. She was 13 and Cruz was 22 when correction officers appeared unannounced at the family's Dudley Avenue home in 1997 and asked to search the house. Their mother didn't speak English, so Cruz asked why, and the officers delivered the news that Figueroa had escaped three days earlier. "Why would you come knocking on my door when apparently his footprints led to the abandoned mine?" Cruz said. Soon after the corrections officers left, she drove to Mineville. "It was snowing. It was terrible," Cruz said. When she arrived, officials told her they had called off the search due to dangerous conditions in the mine. "But it's dangerous for my brother too," she recalled telling them. "He's a human being. He could still be alive." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Cruz broke down in tears Sunday as she recalled how helpless she felt that day, 21 years ago. "I was so desperate, I wanted to go inside the mine myself," she said, adding police threatened to arrest her if she went inside and rebuffed her suggestion that the family hire a company to search the mine. "I was going crazy. He was my other half," said Cruz, who now lives in Florida. In the weeks that followed, she said she "would try calling the jail and they would hang up on me. No one would tell me anything." Cruz said she felt the state was even less responsive when she began questioning the circumstances surrounding her brother's disappearance speculating that someone hurt her brother and he died while still inside the prison. She recalls hearing nothing else from prison officials until a year later, when someone called to ask where the prison should ship his belongings. State prison "records do not include any allegations from the individual or family alleging staff abuse," Mailey said Sunday. His emailed statement reiterated the state and local police investigation determined Figueroa has most likely fallen into a mine shaft and died, though but searchers could not safely confirm this. In the days after Figueroa's disappearance, Cruz walked around Mineville herself and knocked on doors with photos of her brother, asking people if they'd seen him or if they'd even seen police out looking for him. The answer to both questions was always no, she said. "If it's true, their story, then they could have done so much more," she said. "But I think they refused because he was an inmate. He wasn't given enough importance. He was caught with drugs but he's still a human being, a person in our society, an American citizen." Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York City, is donating $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, to create a fund that would help low-income and moderate-income students attend without having to worry about the cost, his charitable organization, Bloomberg Philanthropies, announced Sunday. The money would expand the university's endowment by almost 30 percent, to about $6.1 billion. The fund would be dedicated to undergraduate financial aid and recruitment, and would be enough, a university official said, to cover the full difference between the cost of attending Johns Hopkins and the amount that students and their families can afford to pay. "America is at its best when we reward people based on the quality of their work, not the size of their pocketbook," Bloomberg wrote in an opinion essay published online in The New York Times on Sunday. "Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity. It perpetuates intergenerational poverty. And it strikes at the heart of the American dream: the idea that every person, from every community, has the chance to rise based on merit." The rising cost of higher education and the heavy debt loads that many students shoulder have become significant political issues in recent years. Liberal politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont have proposed free college tuition for all students, and states like Georgia and New York have set up programs to significantly widen access to their state college systems for low-income students. Bloomberg's gift comes at a time when he is considering running for president in 2020. It may help to improve his standing with lower-income families, particularly those who are black or Hispanic. But Kevin Sheekey, a top adviser to Bloomberg, said Sunday that the gift was not made with the election in mind. "There is absolutely no connection at all," Sheekey said. "It's a natural extension of work that he's done most of his adult life." Bloomberg has already given more than $1.5 billion to Johns Hopkins for various purposes, including scholarships, but scientific research and endowed professorships have dominated his giving in the past; the new gift, aimed solely at student aid, represents a shift in focus. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and an advocate of social and economic diversity in college admissions, said that while stronger financial aid was one way to boost the admission of lower-income students, universities also had to make other allowances for them. The announcement of Bloomberg's gift came with a sentimental backdrop. He recalled in his essay that he was able to afford to attend Johns Hopkins only with a National Defense student loan and a job on campus. His father, a bookkeeper, never made more than $6,000 a year, he wrote. The education he received changed his life, he said, and he was so grateful that he began donating money to the university in 1965, the year after he graduated. His first donation was $5. He called on others to do what he had done giving money to their colleges and universities and on the government to do more. The money will become available to students in the current admissions cycle, and will also be used to replace loans with grants for some students in the spring of 2019. SARATOGA Nearly 70 years after Army Pfc. John W. Martin vanished in North Korea, his remains are coming home. The soldier will be buried next to his mother, Nellie, who never gave up hope he would be the next person to walk through the door. "She waited every day for him to come home," Martin's niece, Marina Wilson of Gansevoort, said Monday. Martin grew up in Saratoga and, following a family tradition that dates to the American Revolution, joined the military. A member of Medical Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, he was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after he was last seen near the Chosin Reservoir the scene of one of the war's most decisive battles. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers comprising the 31st Regimental Combat Team were attacked by Chinese forces who had only recently joined the five-month-old civil war. Battling the Chinese and North Koreans as well as frigid conditions, the American-led forces withdrew south. By Dec. 6, the Army had evacuated roughly 1,500 service members. The remaining soldiers more than half of the original force had been captured or killed, or were missing in enemy territory. Martin's name did not subsequently appear on prisoner of war lists, and no returning POWs reported seeing him among the captured. He was declared deceased as of Dec. 31, 1951. Five years later, his remains were declared "non-recoverable." Wilson said that Martin's mother never stopped writing to the federal government, including letters to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His siblings took on the effort after she died in 1972. Their message never changed as the decades rolled on: "Where are these men? Where are their remains? Where are their belongings? Please help us," Wilson said. " ... It's heartbreaking to read these letters from her just the anguish of a mother: Where's my son?" Martin's four siblings have all passed away. Wilson said her father, John Martin's brother Charles, gave the military a DNA sample in 1998 and assumed it would make a quick match. But the wait went on for years even after remains from the battle were found near the Chosin Reservoir in September 2001 and returned to the United States. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a unit contained within the Defense Department, said Martin's remains came from that burial site. Scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used various forms of DNA analysis and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence, the agency said. Charles Martin died in 2012, never knowing that his brother's remains were in the U.S. and only awaiting advances in technology to return him to his family. "That perfect match," Wilson said. "It would have been nice for him to know." Martin was officially "accounted for" on Sept. 24, the DPAA said. Wilson said her sister, Tamaris Dolton, was the first to learn of the positive identification. "She said, 'I could have had a heart attack,'" Wilson said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In a statement, the DPAA said it was "grateful to the government and people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and looks forward to the continued fulfillment of the commitment made by President (Donald J.) Trump and Chairman Kim (Jong Un) on the return and recovery of U.S. service members in North Korea." Martin's remains are currently in Honolulu. One of Wilson's nephews, an airman based in California, will escort the remains home for a Dec. 2 burial. He will be buried next to his parents at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Schuylerville. Martin's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing in Honolulu. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate his change in status. The DPAA said 7,675 Americans who served during the Korean War remain unaccounted for. Nora Santore, the daughter of Martin's sister Eleanor, said that the news did not come too late for some members of the community. "I'm just happy he's going to be remembered," Santore said of her uncle. "There are people from Schuylerville who haven't passed, and who knew him and remember him." A Schalmont student posted threatening messages on social media against students and staff at Mohonasen Central School District late Saturday morning. School officials and Rotterdam police said in a statement that they investigated and interviewed the student and deemed the threat not credible. The student will not attend school on Monday, Schalmont officials said. Rotterdam police are investigating the incident as a criminal matter. ALBANY State University of New York trustees want an additional $74.6 million in direct state tax support for a variety of initiatives next year. The increase over last year's funding would bring the basic operating costs to approximately $1.6 billion. Included in the request is money to fund a new push for artificial intelligence programs. Trustees also are seeking a modest expansion of the Excelsior scholarship program and support for SUNY-operated hospitals. What we need is predictable funding over the next five years, Chancellor Kristina Johnson said after a recent meeting. She also said shed like to start an initiative to combine technology with the arts. Another priority is individualized education, which would entail an expansion of more online courses. We need to meet the students where they are and get them where they need to go, Johnson said. SUNY has in recent years put in requests for more money than it actually ends up getting from the state. Thats not unusual in part because of the annual state budget bargaining process that involves the Assembly, Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. One factor driving costs is the raises for members of the United University Professions, the union that represents more than 35,000 SUNY professors and other professionals. The state Budget Division has allocated $225 million for raises during the current budget year which runs through April 1. UUP members approved the contract which runs six years retroactively to 2016. Members are set to get half of the retroactive raises of 2 percent annually in their Nov. 28 paychecks. The other half is set to go out in July. SUNYs budget request estimates the raises by the end of the contract will cost an extra $385.5 million annually. Providing for the cost of contractual union raises, while staying within Cuomos statewide call for a 2 percent spending cap, is challenging for SUNY as well as other state agencies. Lawmakers as well as UUP have called for a maintenance of effort law that would ensure those costs are accounted for separately in annual allocations of state aid to SUNY as well as the City University of New York. Lawmakers have passed such efforts during the past several years but the proposals been vetoed by the governor, noted Assemblymember Deborah Glick, D-Manhattan, who chairs that chambers higher education committee. Such a law would require the state to increase direct state support to SUNY and CUNY to cover collectively bargained increases in personnel expenses, as well as unavoidable operating expenses such as building rentals and utility costs at SUNY and CUNY, UUP spokesman Mike Lisi said in an email. A true maintenance effort would also cover employee fringe benefit costs, debt service, and fringe benefit costs that SUNYs three public hospitals have been paying since 2002, he added. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The governor, however has argued in his veto messages that employee costs should be considered in the overall context of the state budget rather than being broken out into separate laws. Overall, the total amount of state support for SUNY is $4.6 billion, which includes operating expenses, employee fringe benefits, debt service on capital projects and student financial aid, state budget division spokesman Morris Peters explained in an email. That, he added, is a 26 percent increase over the 2011-12 budget year. The taxpayer support is separate from other income sources, including tuition. SUNY's budget request document also shows some interesting trends such as the growth and decline of various programs between 2012 and 2017. The fast growth came in the field of Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services which grew 75 percent followed by Engineering at 32 percent. The steepest declines were in English Language and Literature/Letters which fell 26 percent and History which dropped 35 percent. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU Dalila Yeend, a Troy mother of two facing deportation, had her case dismissed in immigration court Monday morning after filing a green card application with funds donated by strangers. Yeend can no longer be deported, doesn't have to return to immigration court near Buffalo or check in with the government while her application to become a permanent resident based on her petition as a domestic violence survivor is pending. It could take up to a year to get an answer but her attorney, Siana McLean, who practices near Buffalo, said she has a good chance of getting it because she already has an approved petition. A woman Yeend described as a "Good Samaritan" drove her from Troy to Buffalo Sunday and paid for her hotel. When Yeend walked into the court Monday morning, she could have been deported - and was shocked by the outcome. "I felt like a weight was lifted off my chest," Yeend told the Times Union, flooded with relief after the Monday court hearing. "This is the best possible outcome I could have gotten." Yeend, who is originally from Australia, came to the U.S. from New Zealand with her mother when she was 17 years old. Yeend made headlines in May when she was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following a traffic stop for rolling through a stop sign in Troy. The single mother of a nine-year-old and 11-year-old spent two and a half months in immigration detention near Buffalo and was abruptly released in August. In September, she applied for work authorization and a green card based on her petition as a domestic violence survivor. She's had the approved petition since 2014, but because of inconsistent legal representation and lack of knowledge, hadn't applied yet for a green card. A month later, she received a notice that she failed to demonstrate her "inability to pay" and wasn't eligible for a waiver for the $1,225 fees. She hasn't been able to work since she was detained in May. Yeend and McLean said that the immigration judge in Buffalo on Monday was shocked that the initial fee waiver was denied. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. If Yeend couldn't file her application, she was at risk of being deported at her next court date. After a plea for help, a stranger gave her the full amount she needed. A GoFundMe for the family has raised nearly $8,000. "Without the GoFundMe, I don't think we would be able to survive at all," Yeend said. Yeend still has to wait three to five months for her work authorization to be approved before she can get steady income and support her kids again. For now, Yeend will get the ankle bracelet the government used to track her removed on Friday and live without the fear of deportation. [November 19, 2018] Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-Joon Endeavors to Increase Disability Employment Through HAPPY DODREAMI HAPPY DODREAMI, Hyosung ITX (KRX: 094280)'s subsidiary employing the disabled, received a visit from a delegation of the Russian Ministry of Labor and Social Protection on Oct. 17. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181118005067/en/ HAPPY DODREAMI, Hyosung ITX (KRX: 094280)'s subsidiary employing the disabled, received a visit from a delegation of the Russian Ministry of Labor and Social Protection on Oct. 17. It introduced its stabilized and well-organized workplaces and operating systems to them. HAPPY DODREAMI is a legally certified "standard business place for the disabled." It was established by Hyosung ITX in 2013 according to Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-Joon's commitment to expand the employment of the physically disadvantaged. (Photo: Business Wire) It introdued its stabilized and well-organized workplaces and operating systems to them. HAPPY DODREAMI was established by Hyosung ITX to give jobs to the disabled. It is a "standard business place employing the disabled" which is equipped with production facilities rated suitable for them to use by related law. The Russian officials came to Seoul from Moscow to share information on government policies of both countries for the physically handicapped and have a better understanding of South Korea's employment and support systems for the disabled. Their trip to South Korea was hosted by the Russian Embassy in Seoul, and their program in Korea was run by KOICS, a non-profit organization seeking international cooperation and development. The delegation of about 20 officials led by a bureau chief of the ministry visited the first HAPPY DODREAMI business site in the headquarters of Hyosung ITX. They were briefed on its operation before examining works by employees with severe hearing or developmental disorders and their working conditions. HAPPY DODREAMI is a legally certified "standard business place for the disabled." It was established by Hyosung ITX in 2013 according to Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-Joon's commitment to expand the employment of the physically disadvantaged. Some 60 employees with serious hearing impairment or developmental disabilities are currently working at cafeterias or providing in-house business support services. In 2017, HAPPY DODREAMI was credited with creating jobs for the disabled. It received a prize for employing the physically disadvantaged and a letter certifying it as an excellent employer of the disabled from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled. "I am proud of HAPPY DODREAMI because it was introduced as an exemplary employer of the disabled," Chairman Cho Hyun-Joon said, "I will keep trying to create jobs and stable working conditions for them." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181118005067/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Achieving Savings of $6 Million with the Help of a Category Management Strategy | SpendEdge SpendEdge, a well-known procurement intelligence solution provider, has announced the completion of their latest category management study for a fashion retail industry firm. The client is a renowned fashion retail clothing firm with over 2,500 retail outlets situated in different countries. Based in the U.S., the client is known for its fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers, and kids. With the fast-paced technological changes and ever-changing landscape in the fashion retail industry, the client realized the need for a strong category management strategy to leverage their procurement decisions. Moreover, the client wanted to develop a robust strategy that could support them build better stakeholder relationships in the business. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005252/en/ Category management study for a retail industry firm (Graphic: Business Wire) Category management is a process of driving and delivering value, growth and innovation and yet most companies struggle with the transition from strategic sourcing to effective category management. Improving the category management function not only makes for a smooth handoff but also helps feed continued improvements in strategic sourcing. Implementing the category management principles will help businesses place their management strategies at the heart of their overall growth strategy. Request a free demo see for yourself why we're the preferred partner for leading Fortune 500 companies when it comes tocost benefit analysis and procurement intelligence. According to the procurement experts at SpendEdge, "A category management strategy helps in evaluating sourcing destinations, monitor supplier performance, and facilitates an overall powerful category planning cycle." The category management solutions offered by SpendEdge's experts helped the client to effectively organize the procurement resources to focus on distinct areas of spend. This guided the client in dealing with the business strategy implementation, determining ROI, and estimating the effect of the category management process on the supply chain efficiency. Moreover, with the help of category management strategies, the client achieved a savings of $6 million over a 12-month period. To know more about the complete scope of this engagement and the real benefits of cost benefit analysis for businesses, request a proposal SpendEdge's spend analysis strategies helped the client to: Gauge the performance of each category Enhance supplier relationships To know more about the spend analysis strategies followed by different firms, Talk to an analyst The engagement also offered predictive insights on: Identifying category objectives and fine-tune their category management Uncovered major opportunities to enhance brand perception Read the complete article to know more: https://www.spendedge.com/casestudy/category-management-fashion-retail-industry-client Are you interested in purchasing procurement reports? Our subscription platform, SpendEdge Insights, provides ready-to-use procurement research reports for multiple categories. Now access latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. Start your 7-day FREE trial now. About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005252/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] First UK Veterans Graduate from NS2 Serves Technology Training and Employment Programme Aidan Gray, Aviation Communication Specialist and Ryan Dix, Flight Operations Manager, both from the British Army Air Corps, British Army, on Friday 16th November became the first UK veterans to graduate from the United States-based NS2 Serves programme, following three months of the in-residence training. NS2 Serves aims to reduce employment gaps by providing veterans with both the technical know-how and 'soft business' skills to gain employment in some of the world's most prominent technology companies. Established by Mark Testoni, the President of SAP National Security Services, Inc. (SAP (News - Alert) NS2), NS2 Serves offers a three-month, full-time, paid training program, which leads to official SAP certifications that pave the way for careers in technology in the US and globally. Since its inception in 2014, the programme has successfully trained and found employment for more than 200 former US military personnel, however Aidan and Ryan are the first to go through the programme from the UK. C5 Capital's Cloud Leadership Centre ("CLC") was instrumental in these placements, working closely with NS2 Serves and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to find and place the candidates. The MoD operates a number of UK-centric programs to help veterans to find work and has taken this step to extend its collaboration with the U.S. Armed Forces further beyond personnel on active military duty. Aidan Gray, former Aviation Communication Specialist in Army Air Corps, British Army said, "Transitioning to civilian life after nearly eight years was never going to be simple. There are a lot of programs on offer, but knowing which path to follow can be quite overwhelming. Then I came across the NS2 Serves rogram and am extremely grateful to the MoD for making this introduction as part of their post-Forces career support. It's a real honour to be one of the first UK veterans to be accepted on the programme. The experience we've had over the last three months have been invaluable, and I'm really looking forward to building a career in this industry." Ryan Dix, former Flight Operations Manager, Army Air Corps, British Army said, "Like Aidan, I wasn't sure what to do next before I heard about NS2 Serves. Thanks to the skills we've gained and the connections we've made over the last three months I have a renewed confidence in both my own abilities, and my opportunities for the future. What's more, my wife is American so it's a pleasure to be able to experience more of her country!" General (Ret.) John Campbell (News - Alert), Chairman NS2 Serves said, "We are pleased to have extended this programme to the UK for the first time. We created this programme to help the military community, and by doing so it is important that we reach out to veterans in the UK and Australia who face similar employment challenges. We hope to continue to work with the MoD to place more UK veterans in the future." Brigadier Martyn Gamble, Head of Arms and Services, British Army said, "Participating in the NS2 Serves Programme provided the Ministry of Defence with a novel opportunity to further demonstrate its continued commitment to its personnel throughout all stages, including resettlement, of their military careers, and the chance to yet further our engagement with a key international partner. The MOD already has a number of programmes and initiatives designed to support our servicemen and women to find secure and fulfilling jobs when they transition to civilian life and the NS2 Serves programme complements this." Andre Pienaar, managing partner and founder C5 Capital, said, "We have a duty to ensure that personnel that have served us so faithfully across the world are repaid with proper employment and training for their new lives. We were extremely pleased to work with the MoD and NS2 Serves to pave the way for Aidan and Ryan and we will be following their future careers with great interest." The NS2 Serves program runs quarterly in the US, so far taking place in Virginia, Texas and Florida. It has pledged to work with more than 600 veterans from around the world by the end of 2021. - ENDS - About C5 C5 Capital Limited (C5) is a specialist venture capital firm, focused on Innovative Technologies in Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing. Headquartered in London, C5 also has offices in Washington, Munich, Luxembourg and Bahrain. www.c5capital.com About NS2 Serves NS2 Serves is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established by Mark Testoni, the President of SAP National Security Services, Inc. (SAP NS2), to give back to the community SAP serves by training and employing veterans in high-tech careers. As its signature initiative, NS2 Serves offers training and employment assistance to recent veterans of U.S. national security missions. The course is open to post-9/11 U.S. military service veterans and reservists (including disabled veterans) and Gold Star spouses who meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time, paid participants are trained in world-class software solutions that support U.S. national security, leading to official SAP certifications, which are valuable in many career paths in the U.S. and worldwide. The training program was modeled on the successful Mawared Young Professionals Program offered by the SAP Training and Development Institute in Dubai To learn more, visit www.ns2serves.org. 1 Barclays, July 2017 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005146/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] GSMA Announces New Speakers for Mobile 360 Series - MENA The GSMA today announced a number of additional high-profile speakers for its Mobile 360 Series - MENA (Middle East and North Africa) conference taking place on the 26-27 November 2018 in Dubai. The mobile industry-focused event, which is now in its sixth year, will cover the key industry issues facing the region, with a particular emphasis on transformative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and 5G. "Mobile is having a transformative impact across this diverse region with mobile operators in the GCC states laying the foundations for leadership in 5G and planning ahead to commercial launches, while the region's emerging markets are seeing rising smartphone adoption," said John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA. "We have a incredible line-up of expert speakers this year, ready to outline the key issues and challenges facing the region - we're looking forward to a thought-provoking and exciting showcase." New speakers added to the agenda include: Hakam Kanafani, Chairman of the Board, Arab Advisors Group Ola Doudin, CEO, BitOasis Sandra De Zoysa, Chief Customer Officer, Dialog Sri Lanka Saleem Alblooshi, Chief Infrastructure Officer, Du Chafic Traboulsi, Regional VP, Head of Networks Middle East, Ericsson (News - Alert) Khalifa Hassan Al-Forah Al-Shamsi, Group Chief Corporate Strategy and Governance Officer, Etisalat Dr. Mohamed Madkour, VP Global Wireless Networks Marketing and Solutions, Huawei Ramit Harisinghani, Vice President/Head of MEA, HTC (News - Alert) Ouassim El Arroussi - Marketing B2B Director, INWI Bashar Arafeh, Managing Director, MEA, Irisguard Elcin Yanik, EVP Market Development, Mastercard Dr. Atef Helmy, Senior Advisor, Board of Directors, Orange Middle East and Africa Madhu Dua, Vice President, Reliance Jio Dr Homoud Mohammed Alkussayer, Governance and Regulatory Affairs Sector VP, STC They join previously announced speakers including: Hatem Dowidar, CEO International, Etisalat Imen Benzine, CMO, Algerie Telecom Dr Ling Wu, Chairman, Carrier Blockchain Study Group (CBSG) Consortium Osman Sultan, CEO, Du Rafiah Ibrahim, President Middle East and Africa, Ericsson Mohie Elrafey, CMO, GE Healthcare, Eastern Growth Markets Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA, GSMA John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA Anthony Butler, Leader and Chief Technology Officer, IBM Blockchain Services, Middle East and Africa Jaime Galviz, COO and CMO, Microsoft MEA Thierry Millet, CEO, Orange Tunisia Navin Gupta, Managing Director, South Asia and MENA, Ripple Daichi Nozaki, VP Global Business, SoftBank Nasser bin Suleiman Al-Nasser, CEO, STC Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO, Telecom Egypt Aysem Ertopuz, EVP Digital Services and Solutions, Turkcell Scott Gegenheimer, CEO Operations, Zain Group (News - Alert) New Sponsors A number of new industry sponsors have recently signed up to support the event, including Telecom Egypt, who have joined as Mobile Partner, alongside Mastercard as Industry Sponsor, Irisgard as Showcase Sponsors and Novation City as Supporting Sponsor. They join previously announced sponsors including Etisalat (Host Sponsor), Huawei (Headline Sponsor), and Ericsson, Facebook, Intelsat and Matrixx Software (News - Alert) (Supporting Sponsors). For further information on Mobile 360 - MENA, including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.mobile360series.com/mena/. Follow developments and updates on Mobile 360 - MENA (#M360MENA) on Twitter @GSMAEVENTS, on Facebook (News - Alert) www.facebook.com/Mobile360Series and LinkedIn on www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-360-series. Download the event app for further information: www.mobile360series.com/app/. -ENDS- About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with over 350 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005230/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Blommer Chocolate to Be Acquired by Fuji Oil Holding The Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest ingredient chocolate manufacturer in North America and third largest in the world, announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Fuji Oil Holding, Inc., a global leader in oil and fat ingredients serving the food industry. The sale includes all Blommer business entities, including its four manufacturing operations in North America and one in Shanghai. Blommer is a private, family-owned company; Fuji Oil is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. "For nearly 80 years, our family business has grown to become a major ingredients supplier to most of the iconic brands across a wide variety of food categories," said Peter Blommer, CEO and third-generation family member. "This is a landmark event in the proud history of Blommer Chocolate Company and begins an exciting new chapter as we look forward to joining a highly respected global leader in Fuji Oil. Our companies share common values and a deep commitment to product quality, innovation and customer service. With our combined expertise in chocolate and fats and oils, both rooted in product and process innovation, we have the opportunity to create a broad global footprint from which to serve our customers and drive growth," said Blommer, who, along with the existing senior management team, will continue to lead the company after the transaction. BofA Merrill Lynch is acting as financial advisor, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal counsel to Blommer in connection with the transaction, which is expected to close in 30 to 60 days. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "Fuji Oil is a global supplier of food ingredients, with oil and fat, chocolate, emulsified and fermented food and soyprotein businesses as pillars," said Hiroshi Shimizu, President and CEO of Fuji Oil Holdings. "In our industrial chocolate business we are a leader in Asia and have expanded our presence in Europe and South America. By partnering with Blommer we are convinced that the combination of our knowhow and operations in our respective regions will provide significant opportunities and choices for our customers." About Blommer Chocolate Company Blommer Chocolate Company is the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America. With more than 900 employees and five strategically located manufacturing facilities in North America and China, the company provides comprehensive business solutions for domestic and international customers of all sizes in the confectionery, baking and dairy industries. Among Blommer's core competencies are cocoa bean processing, chocolate manufacturing, commodity risk management, and product and process R&D. The company is a leader in advancing sustainable cocoa farming as a founding member of the World Cocoa Foundation, a member of the Cocoa Action sustainability initiative, and through its privately managed farmer programs in Cote d'Ivoire, Indonesia and Ecuador. Founded in 1939, the family-owned and operated company maintains an outstanding reputation for customer service and quality. For more information about Blommer Chocolate Company, please visit www.blommer.com. About Fuji Oil Holding, Co. The Fuji Oil Group is a manufacturer of plant-based food solutions in the fields of hard butters for chocolate and industrial use chocolate; confectionery and bakery ingredients including cream, margarine, and cheese-flavor ingredients; and soy ingredients. We deliver delicious and healthy foods to customers around the world based on the idea of plant-based food solutions. We have 11 chocolate factories in 8 countries, and we have a wide range of chocolate business in Japan, Southeast Asia, Brazil and Belgium. Ever since its founding in 1950, Fuji Oil has adhered to the conviction that its path to survival and advancement lies in cultivating new fields through application of its originality, without following the lead of other companies. With a focus on tropical oils and fats, we began developing business overseas at an early stage. Similarly, in the belief that soybeans will contribute to human health and the environment, we have been researching and making sophisticated use of them for half a century. https://www.fujioilholdings.com/en/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005256/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Internet Marketing Company, fishbat, Shares 3 Ways to Improve Your Business Website PATCHOGUE, N.Y., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of their commitment to helping companies put their best foot forward, internet marketing company, fishbat, shares the 3 main ways to improve your business website. With how central the internet has become to the consumer's daily life, any company that isn't taking full advantage of the opportunities that digital marketing has to offer are missing out. There are all sorts of ways to promote a company online, but the most important is a well-crafted business website. Listed below are 3 major ways that businesses can take a step forward and increase revenue through an effective online site. Tailor Content Towards Search Engines. While some customers might happen to come across a company's website by directly heading to the URL or through an email or social media marketing campaign, the vast majority of most websites' traffic is coming through search engines like Google. In these cases, customers likely aren't searching for a specific company - instead using terms related to the subject matter that they're looking for. The biggest part of keeping a company's online presence relevant is ranking well in Google searches, and the main way that is handled is through optimizing website content to be more attrctive to Google's algorithms. Aspects like proper keyword density don't take very much effort to nail down once you understand the basics, and some simple changes to website content can bring a webpage to the top - allowing businesses to enjoy massively increased traffic. Prioritize Conversion Rates. Having the most beautiful website in the world doesn't mean much if it doesn't create any more business. In an internet age where the majority of traffic is funneled through search engines, it's important that websites be fine-tuned in order to drive the customer to action. A big part of getting traffic to a site is proper search engine optimization, but conversion rate optimization is just as important. Take a look at website analytics and figure out opportunities for improvement. Sometimes something as simple as moving a link around or changing the position of text on a page can have a huge impact when it comes to increasing engagement. Optimize For Mobile. One aspect of running a website that many companies don't think about is how the pages will look on different devices. A beautiful homepage could look amazing on desktop, but if it isn't easily navigable on mobile, that company is going to be missing out on a significant amount of traffic. These days, websites are seeing traffic from mobile devices that rivals or exceeds that of Mac or PC, so there's no excuse for having a page that doesn't perform well on a smartphone or tablet. ABOUT FISHBAT Digital marketing agency fishbat is a full-service firm that takes a holistic business approach to their clients' digital marketing programs. The fishbat team understands the importance of business principles just as well as the nuances of the latest digital technologies. fishbat offers every digital marketing service available from digital marketing research and planning to brand development to website and asset creation through social media management and search engine optimization programs - all custom calibrated for both B2B and B2C businesses. Media Contact: Scott Darrohn, fishbat Media, 855-347-4228, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/internet-marketing-company-fishbat-shares-3-ways-to-improve-your-business-website-300743182.html SOURCE fishbat [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Cashaa is Going Live on 28 November 2018 LONDON, November 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cashaa, one of the pioneers in blockchain technologies for financial services, has announced its crypto friendly global accounts for business and individuals. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786546/Cashaa_launch.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786545/Cashaa_Infographic.jpg ) Cashaa is known in the industry for following rigorous AML and KYC policies under which it rejected more than 14 Million during its token sale in Jan 2018. Since then, Cashaa has received many awards and recognitions around the world. Its offering for startups and business have brought it the titles of "Technology Provider of the Year, 2018" by the Small Business Awards by The Entrepreneur and being named one of the Emerging 50 Rising Stars as part of the Fintech 100 of 2018 list by KPMG. One of the largest Fintech competition worldwide, BBVA Open Talent, selected Cashaa as one of the top three finalists for the Fintech for People Award in 2018 and later presented as Top Fintech Startup from Europe in Money2020 in Las Vegas. The blockchain startup was also nominated as "Hottest Crypto Finance Project" of 2018 at The Europas Awards by Techcrunch. Most recently, Cashaa has been selected as finalist for the Shift Money challenge, with the finals to be held on 26-27 November. Last but not least, Cashaa has permanently maintained a spot among the Top 100 Most Influential Blockchain companies since 2017. The Crypto community has continuously been denied support from high street banks who like to talk and sponsor blockchain events but in reality do not want the blockchain revolution to happen. To speed up our mission to "Bank the Unbanked", starting from the Crypto community, Cashaa merged their wallet release with the account plans - this first version of Cashaa will be launched on 28th Nov 2018. Cashaa's team in the UK has completed its membership plans to launch its global multi-currency crypto friendly accounts. Cashaa has now finalised its business products for small startups starting in a garage, or big exchanges or businesses with a Billion dollars in revenue every month. Yes, you got it right, Cashaa will able to bank them all. Cashaa will start with 5 products for businesses and individuals. All accounts other than the Free account will require CAS tokens to function. CAS is listed on multiple exchanges including HitBTC, Idex and many others. In the first release, Cashaa users will get: 1. Multisig crypto wallet for Bitcoin, Ether and CAS tokens 2. Accounting and auditing features 3. Banking product details with different membership plans 4. Pre-registration for the membership plans 4. Onboarding business users for the banking services 5. Deposit CAS token holding period to activate the accounts As Cashaa is launching accounts for businesses and individuals, and most of the businesses will have millions or billions of dollars, Cashaa decided to go with a 100% fund protection scheme with European Central Institutions. In this case, all the deposits made through Cashaa are kept in a segregated account with Bank of England so that Cashaa does not invest users' money or risk in any form. Cashaa believes in decentralisation, and so gave control over both crypto and fiat back to its users or central institutions. In case anything happens to Cashaa, it will not affect a single dollar or crypto of their customers. Unlike banks, Cashaa can not use, invest or lend users' money for their personal gain. While the crypto will be kept in a multisig wallet, with no single point of failure, the company's business model is to earn by the fee paid by its community members and CAS tokens owned by the company for future growth. Be a part of the Cashaa revolution to Bank the Crypto community. Contact: Janina Lowisz, +44-7955929720, [email protected] SOURCE Cashaa [November 19, 2018] Braintri and iCompass, Two Leading Polish Fintechs Merge to Offer Banking and Payment Solutions Globally WARSAW, Poland, November 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Braintri and iCompass, two leading Polish fintechs servicing the world's largest banks and payment institutions, have begun to merge and prepare a joint offer for the global financial sector. The merger will enable the two to further expand their products and reach out to foreign markets. Until the completion of the merger, both teams will operate under their existing brands. The plan is to rebrand. As Poland is a leader in mobile banking, Polish fintechs contribute immensely to the global financial innovation. Braintri and iCompass each has an impressive track record of market achievements. Braintri is involved in the development of mobile banking apps for the largest Polish banks, including the FTSE large cap banking giant PKO BP and the innovation pioneer mBank. It helped establish Poland's non-card payment standard BLIK, now being used by 94% of the country's population. The company is urrently implementing the national open banking standard. Braintri has also created Jiffee, a token-based mobile payment technology using Bluetooth, with numerous application options in IoT, smart city, access control and loyalty programs. Jiffee is co-financed by the EU. Biffee, a core banking system offloading engine, is another Braintri product with huge global potential. iCompass provides software for major European banks, as well as for global payment organizations, including Mastercard Payment Transaction Services. The company is a technology provider for the first Polish mPOS platform, and the developer of the universal payment gateway Octopus Payment Hub. "The partnership is a step forward in Braintri's strategy to enter global markets," said Wojciech Zatorski, Braintri's COO. Following its merger with iCompass, Braintri will focus on three main product lines: mobile applications, big data solutions, and payments. In addition, it plans to further develop its insurtech competence. The geographical expansion will primarily be in the EU, the Middle East, Asia, and the US. Braintri has most recently entered the UAE market. About Braintri Founded in 2013, Braintri is based in Warsaw, Poland. Its team consists of 80 engineers. The company's founders previously worked for the largest financial institutions on 5 continents. Braintri and its products have received a number of prestigious international awards, including the Best of Show at Finovate New York and San Francisco, SAP Global Innovation Award, Citi Mobile Challenge, World's Best Mobile Banking Application, and Polish Innovation Award. http://www.braintri.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Ceridian Canada Earns a Place on the 2018 Best Workplaces for Millennials List for Second Consecutive Year Ceridian, a global human capital management (HCM) technology company, today announced it has been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces for Millennials for the second consecutive year by independent analysts at Great Place to Work Institute Canada. "Millennial employees, like every generation, want their workplace culture to align with their values and inspire a sense of purpose," said David Ossip, CEO and Chairman, Ceridian. "We are very fortunate to employ talented, innovative, and engaged young people who bring Ceridian's brand promise of 'Makes Work Life Better' to life in the exceptional work they do every day." In addition to new graduate programs focused on determining fit, Ceridian's offers their people competitive salary and benefits, the ability to work virtually or adjust schedules to accommodate personal obligations, and an open vacation policy emphasizing work life blend - programs which also happen to appeal to Millennials. "We are privileged to have young people choose to grow their careers with us, and we strive to provide an environment where they can truly thrive," said Lisa Sterling, Chief People and Culture Officer, Ceridian. "The modern Millennial workforce is not just looking for a job, they're looking for a way of life, and we are happy to provide them with a workplace culture that encompasses the flexibility, autonomy, and sense of community we know they truly value." Great Place to Work determined the 2018 Best Workplaces for Millennials List based on the overall Trust Index Score of Millennials working within a list of eligible Canadian Organizations. Eligible organizations must have at least 30% of their employees qualify as Millennials, in this case, defined as those born after 1980, and at least 90% of those employees must believe that they are treated fairly regardless of their age. Ceridian Canada was also included on the 2018 Best Workplaces in Technology List and is fully Certified as a Great Place to Work. The full results of the Certification, including n overview of Ceridian's Workplace Flexibility, New Time Away Program, Equality & Inclusion Initiatives, and Rewards and Recognition in Canada can be viewed here. To read more from Lisa Sterling about how to establish a workplace culture that appeals to young people, please visit the Ceridian blog. About Great Place to Work: Great Place to Work (www.greatplacetowork.ca) is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes the Best Workplaces across the world in a series of national lists including those published by Fortune magazine (USA) and The Globe & Mail (Canada). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Follow Great Place to Work at www.greatplacetowork.ca and on Twitter (News - Alert) at @GPTW_Canada About Ceridian Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better. Ceridian is a global human capital management software company. Dayforce, our flagship cloud HCM platform, provides human resources, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management functionality. Our platform is used to optimize management of the entire employee lifecycle, including attracting, engaging, paying, deploying, and developing people. Ceridian has solutions for organizations of all sizes. Visit Ceridian.com or follow us @Ceridian. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005048/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Invivoscribe Submits the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay to Support Daiichi Sankyo Submission for Quizartinib in Japan SAN DIEGO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In support of an ongoing partnership with Daiichi Sankyo, Invivoscribe is pleased to announce submission of the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay to the PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) as the companion diagnostic for quizartinib, which follows Daiichi Sankyos PMDA application for quizartinib in Japan. Invivoscribe developed the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo as the companion diagnostic that bridges to the global phase 3 QuANTUM-R clinical trial (Europe, United States, Asia excluding Japan) in patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3 ITD AML. Together, QuANTUM-R clinical trial and open-label phase 2 study of quizartinib (Japan) support the Daiichi Sankyo New Drug Application (NDA) to Japans MHLW/PMDA for marketing approval of quizartinib for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory FLT3 ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This submission complements Invivoscribes prior regulatory approvals of this LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay as an AML companion diagnostic in support of midostaurin for Novartis (United States and Europe), and gilteritinib fumarate for Astellas (Japan). Astellas and Invivoscribe have also submitted applications for the drug and device to the CDER and CDRH, respectively, in the United States. This milestone helps to further establish the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay as the international standard for comprehensive FLT3 assessment for critically ill acute myeloid leukemia patients as this CDx is available worldwide and generates standardized signal ratios for both ITD and TKD mutations. These criteria are already resulting in more consistent stratification of patients which will help prescribing doctors identify personalized theapy options for their patients and accelerate new drug and therapy approvals by establishing more homogeneous patient populations for clinical trials. Timing of this submission also reflects the efficiencies of Invivoscribes Streamlined CDx program, which provides pharmaceutical partners with integration of activities including CDx development , clinical trials support with rapid patient screening for enrollment, regulatory support and commercialization. Combining many of these activities can accelerate drug approvals as well as ensure rapid availability of the drugs to the appropriate patients following approvals. The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay Partial Change Approval Application submission and continuing Daiichi Sankyo partnership represent significant milestones for our company. We continue to welcome opportunities to partner with global pharmaceutical companies interested in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, whether for hematologic disease or solid tumors, said Jeffrey Miller, Invivoscribes CSO and CEO. Invivoscribe remains focused on improving the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality, standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. About the Invivoscribe LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay is a PCR-based, in vitro diagnostic test designed to detect internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations D835 and I836 in the FLT3 gene in genomic DNA extracted from mononuclear cells obtained from peripheral blood or bone marrow aspirates of patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. This globally standardized test includes software that interprets data, generates mutant/wildtype signal ratios for ITD and TKD mutations, and predicts response to both gilteritinib fumarate and midostaurin. This extensively validated assay helps standardize the detection of genetic mutations in the FLT3 gene as one of the most important driver mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In serving as the companion diagnostic to the Daiichi Sankyo sponsored clinical trials, this test reports out FLT3 ITD mutations alone. The LeukoStrat test is currently available as a test menu service through the Invivoscribe subsidiaries, LabPMM LLC (San Diego, CA, US), LabPMM GmbH (Martinsried, Germany) and LabPMM GK (Kawasaki City, Japan). LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay kits are currently distributed in Europe. Distribution of kits in Japan, United States, and China are planned. About Invivoscribe Invivoscribe is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to Improving Lives with Precision Diagnostics. For nearly twenty-five years, Invivoscribe has improved the quality of healthcare worldwide by providing high quality, standardized reagents, tests, and bioinformatics tools to advance the field of precision medicine. Invivoscribe has a successful track record of partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies interested in developing and commercializing companion diagnostics, and provides expertise in both regulatory and laboratory services. Providing distributable kits, as well as clinical trial services through its globally located clinical lab subsidiaries ( LabPMM ), Invivoscribe is an ideal partner from diagnostic development through clinical trials and regulatory submissions. For additional information please contact Invivoscribe at [email protected] or visit www.invivoscribe.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] GridGain Experts Showcase the Power of In-Memory Computing at Multiple Industry Events FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experts from GridGain Systems , provider of enterprise-grade in-memory computing solutions based on Apache Ignite, is organizing or taking part in multiple webinars, conferences and meetups during November and December to share the latest information and developments related to in-memory computing technology and business trends. The performance challenges facing companies as they undertake digital transformation are vast, and for many companies an in-memory computing platform is the only cost-effective, easy-to-deploy technology capable of delivering the speed and scalability necessary to overcome many of those challenges, said Terry Erisman, vice president of marketing at GridGain Systems. Our experts travel the world to share practical advice on how to leverage the power of in-memory computing. Conferences AWS Re:Invent 2018 November 26, 2018 GridGain CTO and Co-Founder Nikita Ivanov will speak on the topic of In-Memory Computing: Unlocking the Digital Future. GridGain experts will be in booth #616 to provide product demos and discuss the need for in-memory computing for real-time big data applications. Gartner Application Strategies & Solutions Summit November 27, 2018 GridGain CTO and Co-Founder Nikita Ivanov will speak on the topic of High Performance Business-Critical Applications in the Digital Era. GridGain experts will be in booth #113 to provide product demos and discuss the need for in-memory computing for real-time big data applications. Big Data LDN 2018 November 13, 2018 GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri was one of the featured speakers at Big Data LDN 2018, a free-to-attend conference and exhibition where delegates shared ideas with forward-thinking peers and leading members of the data community. Akmal's talk was titled, "How to Become a Big Data Rockstar in 30 Minutes. The secret? Apache Ignite, a memory-centric distributed database, caching, and processing platform. Apache Ignite is designed for transactional, analytical and streaming workloads, delivering in-memory performance at scale. Big Data Spain November 14, 2018 GridGain Technology Evangelist Akmal Chaudhri was one of the featured speakers at Big Data Spain, a conference featuring AI technologies for smart business. Akmal's session was titled, Powering Up Financial Institutions with Distributed Systems. Attendees learned about Apache Ignite and its key capabilities and features important for financial applications, including ACID compliance, SQL compatibility, persistence, replication, security, fault tolerance, fraud detection and more. The session included a review of major use cases of Apache Ignite deployed as a caching layer between applications and a database system to speed up response time and achieve scalability, and as a full-fledged distributed database with its own persistence layer. Data Management Technologies Moscow 2018 November 29, 2018 Mikhail Kouznetsov, head of GridGain sales in Russia, will share insights from the report, "When Appetites Grow: The Use of In-Memory Technologies for Real-Time Data Analysis. Webinars How to Make a Backup in a Distributed System, Unnoticed November 21, 2018 GridGain Systems Senior Software Engineer Ivan Rakov will discuss how to create backups, or snapshots, in GridGain without impacting ongoing user activities; perform a snapshot while keeping data consistent and transactionally complete across the cluster; create and restore snapshots during cluster topology changes; and ensure snapshots are optimized to use less space. Nuances of Machine Learning with Ignite ML November 28, 2018 Alexey Zinoviev, GridGains, Apache Ignite ML contributor, will discuss the new 2.7 release of Apache Ignite and present the new features that are added to Ignite ML modules. In the second part of his presentation, he will introduce what a Java programmer needs to do and understand in typical Big Data and ML projects. How to Add Speed and Scale to SQL, Support New Data Needs, and Keep Your RDBMS November 28, 2018 GridGain Lead Architect Valentin Kulichenko will discuss how companies have been using Apache Ignite to overcome todays data challenges, including the 10x growth of transaction volumes and the 50x growth in data volumes over the last decade, as well as the drive for real-time response and analytics that has pushed relational databases beyond their limits. Relational DBMSs with Apache Ignite: Faster Transactions and Analytics Wednesday, December 12, 2018 GridGains Akmal B. Chaudhri will discuss how combining Apache Ignite with a relational DBMS can offer enterprises the best of both open-source worlds: a highly-scalable high-velocity grid-based in-memory SQL database, with a robust fully-featured SQL persistent datastore for advanced analytics and data-warehouse capabilities. Meetups Joint Event with Agile Lab in Milan, Italy November 19, 2018 GridGain Solutions Architect Christos Erotocritou will be a featured speaker at a free three-hour event in Milan, Italy, sponsored by GridGain Systems and Agile Lab. The event is titled, "Apache Ignite and GridGain: In-Memory Computing for IoT, Banking and More!" Data Science Sydney Meetup November 20, 2018 GridGain Asia-Pacific Director of Solution Architecture Stephen Leung will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, Getting Started with Apache Ignite as a Distributed Database. London In-Memory Computing Meetup November 20, 2018 Attendees will hear two excellent talks around distributed systems and enjoy great food, cold beverages and a chance to win a Nintendo Switch video game system. Big Data Analytics Melbourne November 22, 2018 GridGain Asia-Pacific Director of Solution Architecture Stephen Leung and an application engineer from Macquarie Bank will present, Getting Started with Apache Ignite as a Distributed Database. Munchen Kubernetes/Cloud-Native Meetup December 4, 2018 GridGain technology evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, "Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue!" Hamburg Kubernetes/Cloud-Native Meetup December 5, 2018 GridGain technology evangelist Akmal Chaudhri will be the featured speaker at this meetup. His talk is titled, "Distributed Database DevOps Dilemmas? Kubernetes to the rescue!" Moscow Apache Ignite Meetup November 14, 2018 GridGain experts discussed benchmarks, what to do with unstable tests, and how major open source features are created using the example of Transparent Data Encryption in Apache Ignite. About GridGain Systems GridGain Systems is revolutionizing real-time data access and processing by offering an in-memory computing platform built on Apache Ignite. GridGain solutions are used by global enterprises in financial, software, e-commerce, retail, online business services, healthcare, telecom and other major sectors, with a client list that includes ING, Sberbank, Finastra, IHS Markit, Workday, and Huawei. GridGain delivers unprecedented speed and massive scalability to both legacy and greenfield applications. Deployed on a distributed cluster of commodity servers, GridGain software can reside between the application and data layers (RDBMS, NoSQL and Apache Hadoop), requiring no rip-and-replace of the existing databases, or it can be deployed as an in-memory transactional SQL database. GridGain is the most comprehensive in-memory computing platform for high-volume ACID transactions, real-time analytics, web-scale applications, continuous learning and HTAP. For more information, visit gridgain.com . CONTACT: Terry Erisman GridGain Systems [email protected] (650) 241-2281 [November 19, 2018] Shasta Ventures Leads Series A Round in Quantum-Safe Security Leader ISARA Corp. with $10 Million USD Investment ISARA Corp., the world's leading provider of agile quantum-safe security solutions, today announced that Shasta Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm focused on early-stage companies, is leading a Series A financing round with a $10 million USD investment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005097/en/ Shasta's investment builds on ISARA's initial capital of $11.5 million USD from Quantum Valley Investments, founded by BlackBerry (News - Alert) creator Mike Lazaridis, to enable ISARA to scale globally to address the looming security threat posed by quantum computers. Additional investors will be announced in the coming weeks as ISARA ramps up its capabilities through strategic initiatives with Cisco (News - Alert), DigiCert, Gemalto, Volkswagen AG and others. "Quantum computing requires a wholesale, generational rethinking of how we secure the digital environment," said Shasta Ventures Partner Nitin Chopra. "ISARA is the clear leader as the only company with commercial solutions that can be implemented today. Complex systems used by corporations and governments will take years to migrate to a quantum-safe state and smart organizations are already beginning the transition." As development of quantum computers accelerates, experts predict that within the next decade a quantum machine will be capable of cracking the current encryption standards that protect an array of connected devices such as, financial systems, power plants, medical devices, deployed military equipment and automobiles. Without quantum-resistant encryption, today's ubiquitous digital communications could easily be decrypted or spoofed by a quantum computer. ISARA specializes in creating production-ready quantum-safe security solutions that work in today's computing ecosystems to enable a seamless, cost-effective and simplified migration from classical to quantum computing. "Shasta's investment recognizes the fundamental role security will play in the Quantum (News - Alert) Age," said ISARA CEO Scott Totzke. "The globaleconomy and our daily lives are built around a secure online ecosystem that will crumble in the face of a full-scale quantum computer. Ensuring that the many significant benefits of quantum computing can be realized requires a robust set of quantum-safe security and encryption practices that are practical, affordable and agile. ISARA is focused on providing solution providers, enterprises and governments with the tools they need to enter the Quantum Age with confidence and optimism. The enthusiastic response of investors like Shasta in our Series A offer reinforces the need for what we do." Shasta's investment builds on initial financing from Lazaridis' Quantum Valley Investments, which funds early-stage companies seeking to develop commercial applications around quantum technology. Lazaridis, co-founder and former CEO of BlackBerry, has invested heavily in Canada's quantum research and development capabilities - starting nearly 20 years ago with the founding of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and, more recently, the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. "Shasta's investment is another validation of Canada's - and specifically the Quantum Valley in the Waterloo Region's - growing role in creating the next wave of technology," said Lazaridis. "The concentration of intellectual talent, academic support and state-of-the-art facilities available to innovative companies like ISARA is unmatched anywhere in the world. Quantum Valley Investments is delighted to work with Shasta as ISARA helps to secure communication and protect confidential data in the Quantum Age." About ISARA Corporation ISARA is a cybersecurity company specializing in creating production-ready quantum-safe security solutions for today's computing ecosystems. We provide our partners with agile quantum-safe technologies to enable a seamless, cost-effective and simplified migration of their security solutions. As a commercial solution provider within a rich academic and research ecosystem, ISARA is part of a collaborative effort to raise awareness of quantum threats, and design and implement quantum-safe solutions that will work globally. For more information, visit www.isara.com or follow @ISARACorp on Twitter (News - Alert). About Shasta Ventures Shasta Ventures is a leading early-stage venture capital firm partnering with bold creative entrepreneurs who are passionate about building epic products and amazing experiences. Founded in 2004, Shasta Ventures has more than $1B under management funding companies specializing in enterprise software, consumer technology and emerging platforms including Anaplan, Apptio, Dollar Shave Club, Eero, Mint, Nest, Nextdoor, Smule, Zuora (News - Alert) and more. The firm has offices in Menlo Park and San Francisco, California. Find more information, visit www.shastaventures.com or follow @shasta on Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005097/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Sun Capital Partners Affiliate Partners with StonePoint Materials to Acquire VantaCore Partners Sun Capital Partners, Inc. ("Sun Capital"), a leading private investment firm specializing in leveraged buyouts and investments in market-leading companies, today announced that its affiliate, in partnership with StonePoint Materials LLC ("StonePoint"), has signed a definitive agreement to acquire VantaCore Partners LLC ("VantaCore" or "the Company"). VantaCore is a leading producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel for infrastructure, energy, commercial, residential, and other markets. StonePoint Materials was founded in 2017 by former executive members of VantaCore, with the objective of creating a national aggregates and construction materials company, through both acquisition and internal growth. Operating across eight states, VantaCore has over 7.6 million tons of annual production and offers complementary asphalt production and paving services in Tennessee and Kentucky. VantaCore operates several companies acquired since its founding in 2006, including Laurel Aggregates, Winn Materials, Southern Aggregates, and McIntosh Construction. "This transaction represents a great opportunity for Sun Capital to leverage our experience in growing businesses in the building products ad infrastructure sectors," said Marc Leder, Co-CEO at Sun Capital. Aaron Wolfe (News - Alert), Managing Director at Sun Capital, added, "We look forward to partnering with StonePoint Materials and VantaCore's seasoned executive team to build the Company into a leading aggregates platform. The aggregates sector is highly fragmented with numerous M&A targets, and VantaCore has proved its ability to integrate strategic acquisitions." The U.S. aggregates market is valued at $20 billion and is expected to grow by four to five percent annually, driven by residential and non-residential construction demand, as well as tailwinds from government-backed infrastructure spending. Colin Oerton, StonePoint Materials' Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are excited to build on VantaCore's already great foundation with our new partner, Sun Capital, to bring VantaCore's commitment to outstanding customer service and the safest possible work environment to a much broader group of companies." Perry Donahoo, VantaCore's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We look forward to our new partnership with Sun Capital and StonePoint Materials and having them help us grow our business." About Sun Capital Partners, Inc. Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a global private equity firm focused on identifying companies' untapped potential and leveraging its deep operational and financial resources to transform results. Sun Capital is a trusted partner that is recognized for its investment and operational experience, including particular expertise in the consumer products and services, food and beverage, industrial, packaging, chemicals, building products, automotive, restaurant and retail sectors. Since 1995, Sun Capital has invested in more than 360 companies worldwide with revenues of approximately $50 billion across a broad range of industries and transaction structures. Sun Capital has offices in Boca Raton, Los Angeles and New York, and affiliates in London and Shenzhen. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005375/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Mene Inc. Partners with Affirm to Offer New Credit Alternative to U.S. Customers Mene Inc. (TSX-V:MENE) ("Mene" or the "Company"), an online 24 karat investment jewelry brand, today announced its partnership with Affirm, which provides U.S. customers with a new option based on real-time credit decisions that allow them to split Mene purchases into monthly payments while receiving items directly following payment capture. Qualified U.S. customers will be offered 0% APR loans for 3 or 6-month terms, while remaining customers will be offered 10-30% APR loans for 3, 6 or 12-month terms. For example, a $600 loan over six months at 0% APR would cost $100 per month. Affirm's offering is in addition to Mene's existing Harvest Plan payment program, which remains available to Canadian and other international customers. "We are honoured to be working with Affirm, one of the most impressive new fintech companies in Silicon Valley," said Mene Inc. CEO Roy Sebag. "With this important partnership, Mene now provides a transformative way to accumulate a Mene collection by enabling customers from the U.S. to purchase pure 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry, delivered at checkout, with as little as 20% of the intrinsic precious metal value paid at time of purchase. This is a revolutionary value proposition for our customers, which is well timed for the holiday season." About Mene Inc. Mene crafts pure 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry that is transparently sold by gram weight. Through Mene.com customers may buy jewelry, monitor the value of their collection over time, and sell or exchange their pieces by gram weight at prevailing market prices. Mene was founded by Roy Sebag and Diana Widmaier-Picasso with a mission to restore the relationship between ewelry and savings. Mene empowers consumers by marrying innovative technology, timeless design, and pure precious metals to create pieces which endure as a store of value. For more information about Mene, visit mene.com. About Affirm Affirm was founded with a goal to create honest financial products and services that empower consumers and improve lives. Our goal is to revolutionize the banking industry to be more accountable and accessible to consumers. Today, Affirm provides millions of shoppers an alternative to traditional credit cards at the point of sale, giving them the flexibility to buy now and make simple monthly payments for their purchases. Unlike payment options that have compounding interest and unexpected costs, Affirm shows customers upfront exactly what they'll pay each month - with no hidden fees and no surprises. Affirm partners with over 1,200 merchants including well-known brands across fashion, retail, beauty, home furnishings, travel and more, giving shoppers the option to pay with Affirm at checkout. Affirm makes loans in partnership with originating bank partner Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains or refers to certain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "potential" and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. All information other than information regarding historical fact, which addresses activities, events or developments that the Goldmoney Inc. (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, is forward looking information. Forward-looking information does not constitute historical fact but reflects the current expectations the Company regarding future results or events based on information that is currently available. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information will not occur. Such forward-looking information in this release speak only as of the date hereof. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005188/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Siyata Mobile Signs Supply Agreement with Leading Tier 1 U.S. Cellular Operator for Uniden UV350 MONTREAL, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siyata Mobile Inc. (the Company or Siyata) (TSX-V: SIM | OTCQX: SYATF), a leading global developer and provider of cellular communications systems, is pleased to announce the completion of a supply agreement with a leading Tier 1 cellular carrier in the United States. This agreement is a prerequisite to launching the Uniden UV350 with this operator in the U.S. and covers all the terms and conditions related to the distribution, pricing, logistics, warranty, legal terms and more. Marc Seelenfreund, CEO and Chairman of Siyata Mobile, commented, This is a major milestone for Siyata which we have been working towards over the past two years. With over twelve million commercial fleet vehicles and nearly two million first responder vehicles in the U.S., the UV350 PTT device is a multibillion-dollar opportunity and we believe we can dominate market share as developers of the worlds first and only-in vehicle smartphone with North American carrier distribution." The Uniden UV350 is the worlds first and only dedicated 4G in-vehicle smartphone with Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) while being compatible on Band 14. As an all-in-one, purpose-built in-vehicle smartphone designed to upgrade single purpose hardware, the Uniden UV350 creates in-vehicle efficiencies never seen before in the commercial fleet and vehicle market. According to the United States Department of Transportation, in 2015 there were over 12 million commercial fleet vehicles and 1.85 million first responder vehicles in the United States. About Siyata Siyata also offers rugged phones for industrial users and signal boosters for homes, buildings, and fleets with poor cell coverage. Siyatas customers include cellular operators, commercial vehicle technology distributors, and fleets of all sizes in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Visit www.siyatamobile.com and http://www.unidencellular.com/ to learn more. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of: SIYATA MOBILE INC. Marc Seelenfreund CEO and Chairman Investor Relations: Arlen Hansen Kin Communications 1-866-684-6730 [email protected] Sales Department: Glenn Kennedy, VP Sales Siyata Mobile Inc. 416-892-1823 [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Attivo Networks Sweeps 2018 'ASTORS' Taking Home 8 Homeland Security Awards Attivo Networks, the award-winning leader in deception for cybersecurity threat detection, announced today that the company was recognized by American Security Today's 2018 'ASTORS' Homeland Awards with eight awards. Attivo was honored with 'ASTORS' esteemed "Extraordinary Leadership Platinum Award." In addition, the company's ThreatDefend Deception Platform won four platinum awards for "Best IT Intrusion (News - Alert) Detection and Prevention Solution", "Best Cyber Incident Response," "Best ICS/SCADA Cyber Security," "Best Cyber Critical Infrastructure Solution", and three gold awards for "Best IT Threat Intelligence System", "Best Integrated Security Management System" and "Best Vulnerability Management". These latest recognitions bring the company's award total to 66. The 'ASTORS' is one of the most comprehensive homeland security awards programs in the industry. It recognizes the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, first responders, (fire, EMT, military, support services vets, SBA, medical mech) as well as the federal, state, county and municipal government agencies in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to keep our nation secure. Attivo Networks, an early innovator in commercial-grade thret deception technology, has seen growth soar as enterprise, midmarket, and government agencies rapidly adopt deception technology. "We are truly honored to be among the many prominent companies recognized by the 'ASTORS' Awards as an innovator helping to keep our nation's enterprises secure," said Tushar Kothari, CEO, Attivo Networks. "This recognition is further proof that we are delivering the industry's most innovative threat deception technology that empowers government and organizations of all sizes and industries to gain the upper hand against increasingly sophisticated attackers." The ThreatDefend Platform provides a powerful security control for early threat detection and for applying a proactive defense that can be used to change the asymmetry of an attack. As the most comprehensive and scalable platform on the market, Attivo dynamic traps, bait, and lures provide threat deception for today's evolving attack surfaces including networks, cloud, data centers, remote offices, and specialized environments such as IoT, medical IoT, ICS-SCADA, POS, infrastructure, and telecommunications. The company has also completed rigorous testing and has achieved FIPS 140-2 at Level 1 and Level 2 and Common Criteria at EAL 2+ certifications. About Attivo Networks Attivo Networks, the leader in deception technology, provides an active defense for early detection, forensics, and automated incident response to in-network attacks. The Attivo ThreatDefend Deception Platform provides a comprehensive and customer proven platform for proactive security and accurate threat detection within user networks, data centers, clouds, and a wide-variety of specialized attack surfaces. The portfolio includes expansive network, endpoint, application, and data deceptions designed to efficiently misdirect and reveal attacks from all threat vectors. Advanced machine-learning makes preparation, deployment, and operations fast and simple to operate for organizations of all sizes. Comprehensive attack analysis and forensics provide actionable alerts, and native integrations that automate the blocking, quarantine, and threat hunting of attacks for accelerated incident response. The company has won over 66 awards for its technology innovation and leadership. For more information, visit www.attivonetworks.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005214/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Iowa Partners with Info Tech to Implement Construction Administration Solution Statewide The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Local Systems (OLS) recently announced a partnership with Info Tech, Inc., a leader in software solutions that advance and automate construction and provider of expert statistical and econometric litigation consulting services, to license the company's Appia service. As a cloud-based tool for construction administration and inspection, Appia will provide real-time project access and a one-system solution for all Iowa local public agencies (LPA) to manage their work. Once fully implemented, the Iowa DOT will require Appia to be used for all projects with federal or state funding. After working closely with the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) and the American Public Works Association - Iowa Chapter representatives to assess local business needs, Iowa DOT contacted Info Tech to provide a web-based solution for the state's specific construction administration needs. Info Tech has provided construction software solutions to the Iowa DOT for more than 20 years, establishing the company as a trusted partner in the department's mission to maximize efficiency. "Info Tech has a strong history providing solutions to the Iowa DOT and many of our LPAs, so it was natural to look to them to help provide all LPAs with one easy-to-use construction administration system regardless of the funding type," said Donna Buchwald, Director Office of Local Systems. "Appia's ability to work within other DOT systems' framework, such as the Doc Express service, the AASHTOWare Project software, and contractor payment systems, positioned the Appia service as the idal solution for Iowa." The Appia service will provide a single solution for all LPA construction contract administration and will allow the LPAs to effectively manage daily reporting, funding, items, change orders, and payments with multiple role types for controlled, real-time collaboration. "Currently, nine localities have successfully implemented Appia with more coming soon," said Will McClave, Info Tech Systems President. "We have a long-standing relationship with the Iowa DOT and are proud to continue it as we partner to implement our local construction administration solution statewide." The Iowa DOT LPA released the following statement on their decision to adopt the Appia service: "The Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Local Systems' mission is to work with our transportation partners and provide guidance in the development and implementation of projects to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements. In line with this goal, the Office of Local Systems is implementing Info Tech's Appia service as our solution which will allow all local public agencies to manage all construction contracts with state and/or federal funds, as well as their local or privately funded contracts." About Info Tech, Inc. Info Tech consists of two core businesses: Info Tech Systems and Info Tech Consulting. Info Tech Systems develops cutting-edge digital solutions to support paperless environments and e-Construction initiatives through automated infrastructure construction management and Internet bidding solutions. Info Tech Consulting provides expert statistical and econometric litigation consulting services and support. With a diverse workforce and collaborative, relaxed environment, Info Tech is a Gainesville-born pioneer of innovation, committed to its family of employees, customers and community. For more information, visit www.infotechfl.com or www.infotechconsulting.com. For more information on the Appia service, a leading solution for infrastructure administration and inspection, visit www.appia.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005425/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Affordable Designer Prescription Eyewear from Warby Parker Now Available to People Enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans Warby Parker's designer prescription eyewear is now available to approximately 2 million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, either online at warbyparker.com or at more than 80 Warby Parker stores nationwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005019/en/ UnitedHealthcare's expanded relationship with Warby Parker offers more Americans, including approximately 2 million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, access to an assortment of designer prescription eyewear at more affordable prices (Source (News - Alert): Warby Parker). This marks the first time Warby Parker is accepting Medicare insurance. People enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that include eyewear benefits through UnitedHealthcare Vision can purchase prescription eyewear from Warby Parker for little or no out-of-pocket cost, often for less than $50. The expansion builds on an existing network relationship that provides people with employer-sponsored and individual UnitedHealthcare plans access to Warby Parker's designer eyewear for only a copayment. UnitedHealthcare became the first insurance plan accepted by Warby Parker in 2017. Warby Parker helps make designer eyewear more affordable and the process of buying glasses easy, fun and more convenient. People can click here for a list of locations or get started by completing an onlne quiz to identify eyewear options that may work well for them. Warby Parker will then ship five frames so they can try them on in the comfort of their home, all for no additional cost. During the open-enrollment season for 2019 health benefits, UnitedHealthcare is enhancing its vision benefits for people enrolled in employer-sponsored and individual plans. Benefit buy-up options for 2019 include an "additional pair" package that enables people to use their UnitedHealthcare vision plan to purchase a second pair of prescription eyewear at any network provider for their normal or reduced copay and coinsurance (depending on plan design). Separately, employers and plan participants enrolled in both UnitedHealthcare medical and vision plans will be able to select a "workplace safety" package that provides coverage for a pair of prescription safety glasses or blue-limiting eyewear. "Our expanded relationship with Warby Parker and additional benefit options will help support more Americans with their eye health, which is important for overall health," said John Ryan, general manager, UnitedHealthcare Vision. "We know baby boomers are looking for a more convenient and personalized health care experience, and we believe they will find Warby Parker's innovative model both appealing and affordable as they shop for eyewear." More information about UnitedHealthcare's 2019 Medicare plans is available here and at UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com. About Warby Parker Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Every idea starts with a problem. Theirs was simple: glasses are too expensive. By circumventing traditional channels, designing glasses in-house, and engaging with customers directly, they're able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear starting at $95 (a fraction of the going price). Warby Parker also believes that everyone has the right to see. Almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world's population cannot effectively learn or work. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with non-profits like VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need. About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter (News - Alert). Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies. For Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans: A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in these plans depends on the plan's contract renewal with Medicare. Other providers are available in our network. Y0066_181105_052248_M Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for UnitedHealth Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005019/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Estrella Mountain Community College and cyber education leader Cybint join forces in cybersecurity roundtable for education, government, private industry NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global cyber education leader Cybint Solutions, a BARBRI company, recently joined forces with Arizona's Estrella Mountain Community College to host Cyber Intelligence, Human Behavior, and Personal Incident Response, an innovative and informative cybersecurity roundtable centered on the "human element" of cybersecurity. The event, which featured presentations by global cyber expert and Cybint CEO, Roy Zur, and Cybint head of business development and former FBI profiler, Bryan Dickens, attracted numerous cyber professionals and leaders from institutions and organizations representing government, education and businesses. The roundtable served as one more step to further Cybint's mission of fostering cybersecurity knowledge and expertise across industries. It also served to reinforce the company's core philosophy around the importance of hands-on skills training for cybersecurity professionals and the value of multiple levels of education aimed at building expertise in professionals. A key theme throughout the day revolved around the notion of the human factor of cybersecurity and the importance of individuals and their training and decision-making in the face of cyber threats. "Solid training and educaton are pivotal for cybersecurity individuals as they work to protect their organizations," said Glen Olson, Estrella Mountain Community College faculty member. "Focusing on the human element of cybersecurity during our roundtable is a way to ensure we help our students and our faculty stay abreast of the latest real-life challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity." "Cybersecurity intersects the worlds of government, academia and industry," said Zur. "Consequently, it is absolutely vital that we keep cyber training and education current and consistent and shared across those industry lines. We were excited to participate and encouraged by the collaboration and passion for best-in-class cyber training we saw in the session. Collectively we understand that cybercrime is increasingly sophisticated and we need to work together to train the cybercrime prevention professionals of today and tomorrow." About Cybint Cybint is an international cyber education company, providing training, certifications and learning solutions across the cybersecurity and intelligence spectrum. At Cybint we believe that protecting our assets, companies, and national security starts with cyber education. That's why we are dedicated to building the most knowledgeable cyber teams for governments, educating the best cyber experts at universities and colleges, and training employees around the world to be aware of cyber threats. Cybint is a collaboration between military-trained cybersecurity and intelligence experts and the education experts at BARBRI. Together, we've created programs that address cybersecurity and intelligence at the individual level creating a deep and powerful network of cyber expertise that goes far beyond the typical technical expertise. About Estrella Mountain Community College Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) is one of the ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), one of the largest community college districts in the nation. EMCC offers academic courses leading to associate degrees, university transfer, certificates and short-term job training to more than 15,000 students annually. The flagship campus is located on Thomas and Dysart roads in Avondale. Classes are also offered online and at two Buckeye locations: EMCC's Buckeye Educational Center, located in downtown Buckeye, Arizona, and at the EMCC @ West-MEC Southwest Campus at 500 N. Verrado Way. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/estrella-mountain-community-college-and-cyber-education-leader-cybint-join-forces-in-cybersecurity-roundtable-for-education-government-private-industry-300752875.html SOURCE Cybint Solutions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] The Climate Corporation Partners with Farmers Mutual Hail, Simplifies Crop Insurance Reporting for U.S. Farmers SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Bayer, today announced a platform agreement with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (FMH), enabling farmers to connect their field data to FMH for seamless delivery of crop insurance reporting. This collaboration will deliver new capabilities and value for farmers by simplifying this annual task and expanding Climate FieldView as the industry's broadest and fastest growing digital agriculture platform. "We are working to accelerate the development and delivery of digital solutions for farmers by bringing together participants across the agricultural value chain through our industry-leading Climate FieldView platform," said Mike Stern, Chief Executive Officer for The Climate Corporation and Head of Digital Farming at Bayer. "Like Climate, FMH recognizes the benefits of helping farmers organize their data in one place to optimize and simplify all their management decisions. Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing more streamlined insurance reporting to farmers." With Climate FieldView, farmers across millions of acres are experiencing fast, easy field data collection and the ability to gain analytics-based insights from their data for increased productivity. With the addition of FMH as a partner, planting and harvest data captured in a farmer's FieldView account will seamlessly flow into FMH systems at the farmer's request for faster completion and delivery of planting and production reports. Ultimately, this will provide farmers and their agents a more simplified reporting experience, eliminating the need for manual data entry. In addition to enabling easy, digitized insurance reporting for farmers, Climate and FMH will be identifying further collaboration opportunities to partner in the area of digital risk management for farmers in the future. "FMH has been focused on enhancing and expanding our use of digital ag data to best meet the needs of today's farmers. We continue to lead the industry through partnerships like these that grow our innovative insurance solutions," said Ron Rutledge, FMH President and CEO. "We are excited about working with The Climate Corporation to add an easy-to-use reporting option for our policyholders who use FieldView and agents utilizing FMH Precision Crop Insurance Solutions. Not only will connecting our two systems enhance reporting processes, the data collected through FieldView can be used for adjusting crop losses, resulting in an enhanced claim experience for our policyholders." First launched in the United States in 2015, the Climate FieldView digital agriculture platform is on more than 60 million paid acres across the United States, Canada, Brazil and Europe. It has quickly become the most broadly connected platform in the industry and continues to expand into new global regions. p>As innovation in the digital agriculture space continues to accelerate rapidly around the globe, Climate continues to explore partnership opportunities to provide farmers with the insights they need to improve their productivity. To date, Climate has announced partnerships with more than 50 platform partners globally. Most recently, the company announced three new ag tech partners in Canada . For more information about the Climate FieldView platform, contact a local FieldView dealer, or visit climate.com . If you are interested in partnering with The Climate Corporation, please visit climate.com/partners . For more information about Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa, please visit fmh.com. About The Climate Corporation The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Bayer, aims to help all the world's farmers sustainably increase their productivity through the use of digital tools. The integrated Climate FieldView digital agriculture platform provides farmers with a comprehensive, connected suite of digital tools. Bringing together seamless field data collection, advanced agronomic modeling and local weather monitoring into simple mobile and web software solutions, the Climate FieldView platform gives farmers a deeper understanding of their fields so they can make more informed operating decisions to optimize yields, maximize efficiency and reduce risk. For more information, please visit www.climate.com and follow the company on Twitter @climatecorp. About Bayer Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of healthcare and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2017, the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of EUR 35.0 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.4 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.5 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.com . About Farmers Mutual Hail Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, FMH has served America's farmers since 1893 with a combination of financial strength, personal service, and Midwestern values. A leader in the crop insurance industry, the company has been managed by the same family for over 125 years and has a reputation of building lasting relationships that benefit their employees, business partners, and customers. FMH provides comprehensive risk management solutions, including private and federal crop insurance, reinsurance products and services, as well as farm and ranch insurance that includes auto, property, and liability coverage. The company is a leader in the industry in utilizing the speed and accuracy of precision data for crop insurance processes with Precision Crop Insurance Solutions. Learn more at www.fmh.com . For more information, contact: Chelsea Shepherd The Climate Corporation [email protected] (314) 258-0438 Carrie Flynn Farmers Mutual Hail [email protected] (800) 247-5248 Ext. 034 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-climate-corporation-partners-with-farmers-mutual-hail-simplifies-crop-insurance-reporting-for-us-farmers-300752836.html SOURCE Bayer [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Global Technology Systems Expands Global Marketing Team FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Technology Systems (GTS) today announced the addition of two marketing professionals to the companys staff. The newest team members will support all GTS global marketing strategies with a significant focus on the OEM business unit and the recently launched Batteries-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering. While enterprises are focused on developing complex mobility strategies, the one element often overlooked is the battery. Our new team members will use their varied, complementary skills to support the global marketing efforts across all aspects of our business to educate potential customers and generate demand, said John Rodrigues, VP Marketing, GTS. GTS new marketing team members include: Robert ODoherty , Marketing Manager ODoherty will be a key stakeholder in designing, developing and implementing GTS marketing strategies with the overall goal of driving market demand. Over the past 5 years, he gained invaluable experience through his work across multiple industries and at companies invarious stages of growth. He has held diverse marketing roles in operations, channel, demand generation and strategic alliances, all focused on driving engagement and new business acquisition. ODoherty will be a key stakeholder in designing, developing and implementing GTS marketing strategies with the overall goal of driving market demand. Over the past 5 years, he gained invaluable experience through his work across multiple industries and at companies invarious stages of growth. He has held diverse marketing roles in operations, channel, demand generation and strategic alliances, all focused on driving engagement and new business acquisition. Kelsey Reilly , Marketing Associate Reilly will assist the marketing team with crafting creative content, developing online engagement opportunities, promoting social content and supporting GTSs overall marketing strategies. Her past experience includes public relations work managing multiple corporate and non-profit campaigns. She also has experience developing corporate communications messaging, project management, media relations and social media management. The marketing team expansion coincides with the BaaS launch, the first-ever mobile-power managed-service offering, which includes GTS on-site battery inventory analysis and removal of dangerous bad batteries. For as little as $0.05 per battery per shift, BaaS allows retail, transportation or logistics customers that rely on battery-powered devices to gain control over these mismanaged assets and save millions of dollars per year. About GTS Global Technology Systems (GTS) is an innovator of mobile device batteries, chargers and power management solutions and services that lower cost of ownership and increase productivity. With outstanding performance and unmatched quality, the companys batteries and power management solutions are trusted by leading retail organizations, logistics companies, government agencies, and public safety officials around the globe. GTS is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts and operates design, manufacturing, and distribution centers across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. To learn more, visit http://www.gtspower.com , and follow on Twitter , LinkedIn and YouTube . Media Contacts: Jenna Beaucage, cell: 508-340-6851 Michelle Allard McMahon, cell: 781-718-3248 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Nicklaus Children's Hospital Selects Dicom Systems, WinguMD for Enterprise Mobile Clinical Collaboration Platform CAMPBELL, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dicom Systems, Inc. ( www.dcmsys.com ), a leader in Enterprise Imaging IT, and WinguMD, ( www.wingumd.com ) a clinical collaboration mobile app, have announced a joint deployment for Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, Florida. Nicklaus Children's is consistently recognized amongst the best children's hospitals in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Children's Hospitals" edition and no other hospital in Florida has more ranked specialties as listed in the 2018-19 report. As a CHIME #1 "Most Wired" hospital in 2018, Nicklaus has the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern U.S. with a track record of leading healthcare IT. In order to better integrate clinical communications over mobile, Nicklaus Children's sought to implement a secure, centralized platform to capture and share clinical photos inside their EHR. WinguMD provided sharing and indexing of serial clinical photos across care teams as well as comparison with pathology, wound care and other imaging. Unifier by Dicom Systems served as the integration engine for workflow and interoperability. Elise Hermes, Chief Nursing Information Officer for Nicklaus Children's Health System said, "Nicklaus Children's is excited about the communication tools and interdisciplinary collaboration provided by WinguMD. Prior to deploying the application, clinical photos were stored in multiple devices using numerous manual processes. Quality, continuity, security, and integration were our key drivers and intended outcomes. WinguMD is a single and seamless solution for clinical photos that answers the needs of our care teams." "We are on the cusp of a mHealth revolution. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is an innovative institution that leverages technology to provide better patient care. We are pleased to be the chosen vendor to meet their mobile clinical photo and collaboration needs," said Dr. Oliver Aalami, practicing vascular surgeon and Co-Founder of WinguMD. Benefits of Nicklaus Children's Enterprise Mobile Clinical Collaboration Platform Easy to use social-media style platform reports on patient status to all members of the care team Integrates encounter-based imaging, chat and mobile device clinical photos into EHR and viewer Features medical-grade photo app with capture, comparison and annotation of medical photos series DICOMweb integration provided Nicklaus Children's with their choice of enterprise viewers Unifier DICOM Modality Worklist (DMWL) by Dicom Systems integrates visible light imaging, DICOM, HL7 and non-DICOM imaging data Plans for hospital-sanctioned iPads preloaded with enterprise WinguMD and Dicom Systems solution for all new residents to support culture of compliance and more seamess workflow Frost & Sullivan noted the adoption of visible light imaging modalities across several image-using and image-producing specialties was gaining traction across healthcare organizations. Meanwhile, KLAS Research released a 2018 Enterprise Imaging report that listed adopting and standardizing encounter-based imaging and visible light images as having the greatest impact on workflow success. "This tight integration at Nicklaus Children's Hospital is a tribute to the fundamental value of interoperability. We seamlessly deployed this solution leveraging Nicklaus Children's existing IT ecosystem with zero downtime impact on existing infrastructure. The newly enabled workflows do not cause end-users to deviate from existing workflows, which means they are naturally adopting the solution," said Florent Saint-Clair, Executive Vice President of Dicom Systems. "Providers and residents can now use iOS devices to collaborate in a controlled, secure, hospital-sanctioned environment. Dicom Systems in partnership with WinguMD co-founders, Dr. Aalami and Manabu Tokunaga, are proud to be in the trenches with providers, empowering clinical teams to collaborate on the best care for their pediatric patients." Dicom Systems (#7900) and WinguMD (#1158G) will be exhibiting in their respective booths during the 104th Radiological Society of North America ( RSNA ) Annual Meeting from November 25-29, 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago, CA. Resources Frost & Sullivan, 18 April 2016, "Visible Light Imaging and Operating Room Informatics Market, Forecast to 2019" http://www.frost.com/sublib/display-report.do?id=MC12-01-00-00-00 KLAS Research, Keystone Summit 2017, "Enterprise Imaging: Enterprise Imaging Measurement, Functionality and Keys to Success" https://klasresearch.com/report/keystone-summit-2017/1324 About Dicom Systems Dicom Systems provides Enterprise Imaging solutions that simplify IT and data management. The features-rich Unifier platform delivers intelligent routing, SSL-based DICOM and HL7 integration tools, DICOM Modality Worklist, archiving and de-identification through on-premise, private cloud and leading cloud providers like Google Cloud. Proven at worldwide deployments, Dicom Systems is recognized by top healthcare enterprises, government agencies and partners for next-generation Enterprise Imaging. To learn more, visit www.dcmsys.com . Media contact: Taylur Ngo, 415-684-8790, [email protected] About WinguMD Based in Silicon Valley, WinguMD is an essential mobile clinical collaboration platform that closes information access gaps in the hospital EHR. The comprehensive mobile app unifies individual physicians and physician groups as well as all members of the hospital care team security and efficiency when communicating using personal mobile devices. WinguMD seamlessly integrates all communications, mobile photos, orders and other clinical documents into the EHR and PACS. WinguMD is a Startup Health company. Its BodyMapSnap app is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store. To learn more, visit www.wingumd.com . Media contact: Tawnya Pell, 408-786-5399, [email protected] About Nicklaus Children's Hospital Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians, including more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nicklaus-childrens-hospital-selects-dicom-systems-wingumd-for-enterprise-mobile-clinical-collaboration-platform-300752890.html SOURCE Dicom Systems, Inc; WinguMD [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] IoT Community (Internet of Things Community) Announces T-Systems as an Elite Gold Corporate Member The IoT Community (Internet of Things Community), the world's largest community of CxOs and IoT professionals and practitioners, announces T-Systems (News - Alert) North America as a Gold Corporate Member, joining other core IoT thought leaders working collaboratively to address the wide variety of barriers, inhibitors, and technical and operational issues that accompany the IoT ecosystem. Jim Sabogal, T-Systems Healthcare and Life Sciences Leader in North America, will play a key role participating in the IoT Community's Advisory Board. Sabogal will also present a Keynote address on December 11, 2018 at the IoT Grand Slam'18, virtual IoT conference. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005451/en/ T-Systems, is the latest "powerhouse" to join the IoT Community - Internet of Things Community Corporate Member Ecosystem, which features the leading edge IoT Solution Providers Globally. (Photo: Business Wire) In the keynote titled The Internet of Things for Clinical Supplies, Sabogal will discuss how using the Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be use in clinical supplies. Usin actual results from a recent proof-of-concept (POC) for a Biotech company, that ships small quantities of medicines from a dispenser directly to a patient in a hospital. The audience will learn: The business background of Pharmaceutical clinical trials: market size opportunity and challenges Real examples of IoT devices providing 'real-time' visibility to a typical clinical supply scenario. What this means for improving your business. Once you establish the use of IoT what are the next steps in leveraging this data? How does machine learning and Blockchain fit in with the industry and the current Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) of 2013? "We are overjoyed to have Jim join our IoT Community Advisory Board," said Nancy Shemwell, COO and IoT Community Advisory Board Member. "As a Strategic Business Executive with a technological powerhouse like T-Systems, Jim will be a great addition to the IoT Community; we are grateful to have him and T-Systems aboard." "T-Systems is thrilled to join the IoT Community. We look forward to collaborating with other members and contributing to the advancement of IoT," said Jim Sabogal, Healthcare and Life Sciences Leader at T-Systems in North America. "I am personally honored to join other industry leaders as a part of the IoT Community Advisory Board, and look forward to working together in this leading-edge space." "We are delighted to welcome T-Systems as an elite member of our IoT Community. T-Systems is on the cutting edge of IoT innovation and will be instrumental in community discussions about how to utilize, leverage, and profit from IoT. We look forward to their insights and expertise," said David Hill, Executive Director of the IoT Community. Bill Mortimer, Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Spirent (News - Alert) and IoT Community Advisory Board Chairman said, "We welcome Jim Sabogal to our Advisory Board and T-Systems to our community; we look forward to their vast experience and unique perspective on how to better manage and navigate the IoT landscape." Registration Details IoT practitioners seeking more information about IoT Grand Slam 2018 and to register now for free should visit: https://iotslam.com/register. Collaboration Opportunities IoT solution providers seeking accession to the IoT Community should email [email protected], Media interested in covering IoT Grand Slam 2018 should email [email protected] About T-Systems As a global leader among ICT service providers, T-Systems offers business customers integrated solutions for fixed and mobile networks, highly secure data centers, and a unique cloud ecosystem made up of standardized platforms and global partnerships. The portfolio includes not only classic ICT, but above all digital transformation services, and appropriate infrastructure, platforms, and software from the cloud, as well as crucial future areas such as big data, the Internet of Things, M2M, and Industry 4.0 - always based on maximum ICT security. About IoT Community (Internet of Things Community) The IoT Community is the world's largest CxO community of senior business leaders and IoT practitioners consisting of 23,000+ members. The function is to focus on adoption and application of IoT in commercial environments, overcoming the variety of barriers, inhibitors, and technical and operational issues. For more information about IoT Community, visit http://www.iotcommunity.net. Follow @IoTChannel or hashtag #IoTCommunity View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005451/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] AEye's iDAR Shatters Both Range and Scan Rate Performance Records for Automotive Grade LiDAR PLEASANTON, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AEye, a world leader in artificial perception systems and the developer of iDAR, today announced a major breakthrough in long-range threat detection and safety. In performance specification tests monitored and validated by VSI Labs, one of the nation's leading automated vehicle technology advisors, AEye's iDAR system detected and tracked a truck at 1,000 meters, or one kilometer four to five times the distance current LiDAR systems are able to detect. AEye's test sets a new benchmark for solid-state LiDAR range, and comes one month after AEye announced a 100Hz scan rate - setting a new speed record for the industry. The company simultaneously announced $40M in Series B funding, led by Taiwania Capital. The round was significantly oversubscribed and includes multiple global automotive OEMs, Tier 1s, and Tier 2s to be formally announced at CES in January. In addition to Taiwania Capital, existing investors Kleiner Perkins, Intel Capital, Airbus Ventures and Tychee Partners also participated. New Range and Scan Rate Records Key to Autonomous Automotive and Trucking Safety Using AEye's standard iDAR sensor, the company set up a formal test, monitored by VSI Labs, the leading research and development resource for active safety and automated vehicle technologies. The test was structured to establish and verify the range and scan rates of the iDAR system. The test was conducted on the runway of an airport in Byron, California in order to isolate targets to better measure and calibrate iDAR's performance. To test range, a standard 20-foot moving truck was tracked and continuously scanned down the length of the 914-meter runway. At the end of the runway, the iDAR system was fully able to continuously detect, and track the movements of the vehicle as well as detect runway signs and markers en route. The AEye sensor vehicle was then taken off the runway to extend the available test range to over 1000m, where iDAR continued to track the truck without difficulty. "The test conducted by AEye delivered impressive results," said Sara Sargent, senior engineer at VSI Labs. "We monitored the performance and the truck was clearly identifiable and visible at 1 kilometer. We were also able to verify that AEye's iDAR system achieves scan rates of 100Hz and that the fusion of the camera and LiDAR in the iDAR sensor produces accurate true color real-time point clouds in the form of Dynamic Vixels. This is an outstanding acievement that demonstrates the true potential of perception systems to reliably and accurately detect and track objects at great range." iDAR and Biomimicry AEye's iDAR is an intelligent artificial perception system that physically fuses an agile, solid-state LiDAR with a hi-res camera to create a new data type called Dynamic Vixels. These Dynamic Vixels are the result of real-time integration of iDAR's Agile LiDAR and a low-light camera in the IDAR sensor, not post fusion of a separate camera and LiDAR system after the scan. By capturing x, y, z, r, g, b data, Dynamic Vixels are uniquely created to biomimic the data structure of the human visual cortex. Better data drives vastly superior performance and delivers more accurate information. AEye's use of Biomimicry is more fully explored by Dr. James Doty, world renowned neurosurgeon and clinical professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, in an article he recently published. "After establishing a new standard for LiDAR scan speed, we set out to see just how far we could accurately search, acquire and track an object such as a truck," said Blair LaCorte, Chief of Staff at AEye. "The iDAR system performed as we expected. We detected the truck with plenty of signal to identify it as an object of interest, and then easily tracked it as it moved over 1000m away. We now believe that with small adaptations, we can achieve range performance of 5km to 10km or more. These results have significant implications for the autonomous trucking and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) markets, where sensing distance needs to be as far as possible and potential threats identified as early as possible to achieve safe, reliable vehicle autonomy." New Funds Fuel Company's Global Expansion In addition, AEye announced the close of its Series B round, bringing the company's total funding to over $61 million. The funds will be used to scale AEye's operations to meet global demand for the company's artificial perception systems for autonomous vehicles. AEye is uniquely structured to effectively scale through partnerships with contract manufacturers and Tier 1s on a global basis. This has allowed the company to focus on its core design and innovation competencies, avoiding the costs of building manufacturing capacity, while optimizing investment dollars on higher value activities. AEye's growth has been fueled by its ability, as a software driven platform, to provide artificial perception systems that address both ADAS and Mobility solutions and engagements with customers and partners in Europe, North America, and Asia. "This funding marks an inflection point for AEye, as we scale our staff, partnerships and investments to align with our customers' roadmap to commercialization," said Luis Dussan, AEye founder and CEO. "Our strategic relationship with Taiwania will serve as a gateway to Asia, with valuable manufacturing, logistics and technology resources that will accelerate our ability to address the needs of a global market. We intend to launch our next generation product at CES, which we believe will help OEMs and Tier 1s accelerate their products and services by delivering market leading performance at the lowest cost." "We see AEye as the foremost innovator in this space, whose systems deliver highly precise, actionable information at speeds and distances never seen in commercially available LiDAR sensors," said Huang Lee, Managing Partner at Taiwania. "We look forward to working closely with AEye's team to explore and pursue growth opportunities in this burgeoning space." AEye takes a disruptive approach to vehicle perception by putting intelligence at the sensor layer and making it extensible and controllable via a software driven architecture. The company's iDAR system is an intelligent artificial perception system that physically fuses an agile, solid-state LiDAR with a hi-res camera to create a new data type called Dynamic Vixels with integrated software definable feedback control loops. This enables the iDAR sensor to also dynamically assess and prioritize what's most relevant in a scene, then process this data at the edge. This is way above and beyond the function of legacy fixed pattern LiDAR systems and standalone cameras with 2D computer vision algorithms. This unique approach enables rapid, dynamic perception & path planning, for drastically improved autonomous vehicle safety and performance. For more information about AEye and its innovative approach to artificial perception, please visit www.aeye.ai. About AEye AEye is an artificial perception pioneer and creator of iDAR, a perception system that acts as the eyes and visual cortex of autonomous vehicles. Since its demonstration of its solid-state LiDAR scanner in 2013, AEye has pioneered breakthroughs in intelligent sensing. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and backed by world-renowned investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Taiwania Capital, Intel Capital, & Airbus Ventures. For more information, please visit www.aeye.ai . About Taiwania Capital Taiwania Capital is a venture capital firm sponsored by the Taiwan government and large private enterprises. Founded in 2017, Taiwania Capital is focused on ICT-related sectors and startups in fields including: enterprise IT infrastructure and software, AI, IoT, network security, industrial automation, drones and robotics, next-gen semiconductors, autonomous vehicle technology, and digital devices. With offices in both Taiwan and Silicon Valley, Taiwania Capital exclusively backs startups that will turn the promises of technological advancement into scalable applications. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aeyes-idar-shatters-both-range-and-scan-rate-performance-records-for-automotive-grade-lidar-300752470.html SOURCE AEye [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] AuctionTime.com, Auction Flex & HiBid.com Announce Upcoming Auctioneer Forums & Webinars LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing, the tech company behind Auction Flex, HiBid.com, AuctionTime.com, BidCaller, and Equipmentfacts, will host a series of educational events, including an auctioneer forum, several auction management seminars, and a webinar series. While varied in their areas of focus and presentation formats, each session is aimed at increasing auction efficiency and profitability. Seminars will be held in Richmond, Virginia; Naperville, Illinois; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and will focus on Auction Flex and its integrations with HiBid, AuctionTime, and BidCaller. The webinar series will provide online, in-depth coverage of tools available within Auction Flex and Auction Flex 360. Both will be held through November and December; a February event is also in the works. The auctioneer forum (scheduled for January 28th and 29th in Louisville, Kentucky) will cover auction management solutions, including insights into using technology to automate cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, and more. Day one of the event will include coverage of online-only and simulcast auction technology, bidding and bidder anagement solutions, and asset valuation resources, as well as financing and payment processing platforms. Day two of the event will focus on streamlining auction management, and will include in-depth coverage of Auction Flex. Interested in attending an upcoming seminar, online webinar, or the auctioneer forum? Contact [email protected] or call (352) 414-1947 or your AuctionTime sales representative to register. Upcoming Forums & Seminars November 28 th Auction Flex Seminar in Richmond, VA December 19 th Auction Flex Seminar in Naperville, IL January 8 th Auction Flex Seminar in Harrisburg, PA (ahead of the PAA Annual Conference) January 28 th & 29th Auctioneer Forum in Louisville, KY Upcoming Webinars November 20 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Cataloging tips, Auction Flex mobile, details on lot labels, consignor codes, and drag and drop Cataloging tips, Auction Flex mobile, details on lot labels, consignor codes, and drag and drop November 29 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Auction day screens, check-in, clerking, bid sheets, check out, and invoicing tips Auction day screens, check-in, clerking, bid sheets, check out, and invoicing tips December 4 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Advance searches with filters and reports Advance searches with filters and reports December 13 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Auction Flex 360 cataloging, mobile, drag and drop, and importing Auction Flex 360 cataloging, mobile, drag and drop, and importing December 18 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Currency Pay overview, Auction Flex 360 integrations, Auction Flex Legacy features Currency Pay overview, Auction Flex 360 integrations, Auction Flex Legacy features December 27 th at 1:00 p.m. (CST) Additional screens in Auction Flex, presenters, webcast screens, checkout, auctioneers, and modem screens About AuctionTime.com Powered by Machinery Trader, CraneTrader, ForestryTrader, Truck Paper, TractorHouse, and MarketBook, AuctionTime.com is a product of Sandhills Publishingan information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. AuctionTime equipment listings appear both online and in print across Sandhills' trade publications and corresponding websites to reach buyers around the world in the trucking, agriculture, construction, and heavy equipment industries. About Auction Flex & HiBid Auction Flex is the market-leader in auction software for live auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Auction Flex also provides a seamless solution that enables auction houses to upload auction catalogs online and accept internet absentee bids, conduct internet-only auctions, or offer webcast live internet bidding through its integrated web service and internet bidding solutionHiBid (both a private-label solution and a portal). Auction Flex and HiBid were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly. Contact Auction Flex: (352) 414-1947 [email protected]flex.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auctiontimecom-auction-flex--hibidcom-announce-upcoming-auctioneer-forums--webinars-300752984.html SOURCE Sandhills Publishing [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] SENDGRID INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of SendGrid, Inc. - SEND Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of SendGrid, Inc. ("Send") (NYSE: SEND) to Twilio (News - Alert) Inc. ("Twilio") (NYSE: TWLO). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Send will receive only 0.485 shares of Twilio Class A common stock for each share of Send that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, ithout obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-send/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005577/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Kudelski Security's World-Renowned Cryptography Expert to Present at Black Hat Europe 2018 CHESEAUX-SUR-LAUSANNE, Switzerland, and PHOENIX, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kudelski Security, the cybersecurity division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) today announced that Jean-Philippe (JP) Aumasson, VP technology, and Nathan Hamiel, director of research, will deliver presentations at Black Hat EUROPE 2018 in London, December 5-6. JP Aumasson, VP Technology, will deliver a presentation titled, "Attacking and Defending Blockchains: From Horror Stories to Secure Wallets." Aumasson's talk will review recent security failures in blockchain systems, Ethereum smart contract issues, examples of bugs in popular Bitcoin software utilities and how to mitigate risks. Aumasson will also discuss the pros and cons of the different types of bitcoin wallets as well as the risks and benefits of hardware-based wallets for individuals, organizations, and trading platforms. Nathan Hamiel, Director Cybersecurity Research, will deliver a presentation on the need for security profesionals to adopt a more agile approach to programs in response to a constantly changing business, technology and security landscape. In "Level Up Your Security Mindset," Hamiel will also talk about the need to move beyond worst-case scenarios and apply the right balance of risk-driven collaboration, innovation and technology to guide security efforts. Further information can be found here Media and analysts interested in meeting with Kudelski executives at the show should contact [email protected]. About the Experts Jean-Philippe (JP) Aumasson is a world-renowned expert in cryptography, part-time VP Technology at Kudelski Security, co-founder of Teserakt.io (IoT security), and lead security advisor of Taurus Group (digital asset exchange). JP holds a PhD from EPFL (2009) and has worked for 12 years in applied cryptography, security architecture, and cybersecurity within the Kudelski Group. JP wrote the acclaimed book Serious Cryptography (No Starch Press, 2017) and has designed widely used algorithms such as BLAKE2 and SipHash. He has performed numerous security assessments for leading blockchain and cryptocurrency organizations. JP has spoken about applied cryptography, quantum computing, and platform security at numerous global security conferences, including Black Hat, DEFCON, RSAC, CCC, and Infiltrate. Nathan Hamiel is Director Cybersecurity Research at Kudelski Security. Nathan works in the innovation group defining the future of services and products for the company. A security veteran with a strong focus on software security, he has spent his nearly 20-year career helping customers around the world solve complex security challenges. Nathan has presented his research at numerous global security conferences, including Black Hat, DEF CON, HOPE, ShmooCon, SecTor, and ToorCon, and he is a member of the Black Hat Review Board, where he evaluates research for inclusion in the various conferences Black Hat hosts. About Kudelski Security Kudelski Security is the premier advisor and cybersecurity innovator for today's most security-conscious organizations. Our long-term approach to client partnerships enables us to continuously evaluate their security posture to recommend solutions that reduce business risk, maintain compliance and increase overall security effectiveness. With clients that include Fortune 500 enterprises and government organizations in Europe and across the United States, we address the most complex environments through an unparalleled set of solution capabilities including consulting, technology, managed security services and custom innovation. For more information, visit www.kudelskisecurity.com. Media Contact: John Van Blaricum Vice President, Global Marketing Kudelski Security +1 650 966 4320 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kudelski-securitys-world-renowned-cryptography-expert-to-present-at-black-hat-europe-2018-300752443.html SOURCE Kudelski Security [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] INFRAREIT INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of InfraREIT, Inc. - HIFR Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of InfraREIT, Inc. ("InfraREIT") (NYSE: HIFR) to Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of InfraREIT will receive only $21.00 in cash for each share of InfraREIT that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, withot obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-hifr/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005586/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Mazda Implements Delphix to Significantly Reduce Data Wait Time, Accelerate Innovation REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and TOKYO, Nov. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Delphix, the company enabling the largest enterprises in the world to accelerate digital innovation through DataOps, in conjunction with K.K. Ashisuto announces that Mazda Motor Corp. (head office: Aki-gun, Hiroshima; http://www.mazda.co.jp/; Mazda) has selected Delphix (developed by Delphix Corp.), a data management solution provided by Ashisuto, for the automakers development data platform. Offering the iconic Roadster, a celebrated car that has been loved since its release a quarter century ago, Mazda has developed SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, innovative new-generation technology for creating the worlds best cars. With this technology, the automaker is working towards the goal to develop cars that provide drivers with the joy of driving in addition to safe and powerful driving performance. Mazdas car-making philosophy that new technology is generated only through challenges has taken root across the board from technology to design and manufacturing sites. Mazdas IT Solutions team has diverse initiatives to contribute to business leveraging the next-generation systems powered by new IT technologies. These initiatives include establishing global supply chain that changes customer engagement and supply chain, and support for customer experience using the latest IT. Along with these offensive IT measures, defensive measures are also essential to continue business activities. Defensive measures include modernizing traditional application infrasructures consisting of diverse platforms such as mainframes and PC servers, and updating applications. Both offensive and defensive IT strategies are indispensable. However, limited human resources and traditional development approaches can no longer support all these requirements. To attain unconventional speed and efficiency, Mazda has been working to establish a new development scheme, fully reviewing its concepts, approaches, and technologies. For the process from design to fine-tuned manufacturing, the company already had some prospects for attaining better efficiency, establishing development processes and rules and promoting important standardization processes. At the same time, it had not started working to enhance the efficiency of the test process. Many man-hours were required to prepare data and to make adjustments to avoid conflicts of database (DB) updates for tests done by multiple engineers, which had been a significant bottleneck. In preparing test data, especially unit test data, the same DB is used in multiple programs. To avoid conflicts, engineers use a local DB individually. They need to create their own DB environment and import data. In some test cases, engineers import test data many times a day, which causes long wait time. More engineers in a project means more total wait time to be wasted. Test data for a test case are created by employees who are familiar with the current system, with in mind the alignment of data in multiple tables. It takes a large amount of time to retrieve and save data because it is done manually. When executing a test, engineers need to reset data, sometimes manually after changes are made in the previous test case. This had to be done for the number of test cases multiplied by the number of tests performed, resulting in many hours in entire testing. To address this situation, IT Solutions looked to Delphix, which Ashisuto suggested, for improving testing efficiency as it enables copying and distributing DB easily and promptly, obtaining a section at any time point, and rewinding to the obtained section. In preparing test data, engineers no long create a local database. Instead, a required number of copies will be created and distributed by copying from the original DB. When creating test data, a section at a certain time point of DB can be obtained, which will eliminate the need to manually create and save data. In test execution, engineers can easily reset data to a section when replacing data in repeating tests or switching to another test case. With these benefits, Mazda saw potential in shortening the test period significantly. IT Solutions verified the potential benefits and confirmed that the expected results can be attained. Based on this, it decided to implement Delphix. Mazda started using Delphix in a 400 man-month project for changing the framework of its logistics center in Japan. It also plans to use it in a project to modernize legacy systems towards 2020. Related seminar This case will be presented at the following seminar: Title: D x D Summit - Super-fast software development will decide winners in digital business Date/time: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Venue: Hotel Gajoen Tokyo (Meguro-ku, Tokyo) URL for more details: https://project.nikkeibp.co.jp/event/xdds181120/ About Delphix Delphixs mission is to free companies from data friction and accelerate innovation. Fortune 100 companies use the Delphix Dynamic Data Platform to connect, virtualize, secure and manage data on the cloud and in on-premises environments. For more information, visit us at our website. Contact Information Alex Plant Delphix [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] NEWFIELD EXPLORATION INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Newfield Exploration Company - NFX Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Newfield Exploration Company ("Newfield") (NYSE: NFX) to Encana Corporation ("Encana") (NYSE: ECA). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Newfield will receive only 2.6719 Encana common shares for each share of Newfield that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sal, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-nfx/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005655/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] IICRC Offers Tips for Safe Wildfire Smoke Damage and Ash Cleanup in California In the wake of recent wildfires that have damaged, destroyed and permeated hundreds of homes and businesses in California, it's important for residents to be aware of the many dangerous health effects caused by returning to smoke-salvageable and smoke-damaged buildings. To help home and business owners in affected areas, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, Restoration and Certification (IICRC), a non-profit standards-setting organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industry, is providing home and business owners with tips for cleanup and deodorization of fire-damaged, smoke-contaminated buildings. "Once officials determine it is safe to return to a home or business after a wildfire, it's important for property owners to assess physical damage impacting structures before cleaning up heat, char, ash and smoke-odor impacted buildings," said Pete Duncanson, chairman of the IICRC. "It's imperative that fire and smoke odor cleanup be performed correctly and safely to stave off any ill health effects and permanent property damage." To help home and business owners returning to fire and smoke damaged properties, the IICRC offers the following tips: Safety is most important. Wear an N-95 ANSI-approved dust mask (like a painter's mask) and work gloves during cleanup. Ventilate the home. Place a box fan in an open window to draw smoke-odor laden air and char out of the building. Replace ventilation filters as soon as possible, then run the ventilation system to filter-out smoke-related particles. Clean the exterior of the building of fire-damaged debris, smoke and char particles. Exterior cleaning includes washing of the building, sidewalks, driveways and decks with detergent and fresh water scrubbing followed by rinsing. Clean the interior by dry HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air), vacuuming the ceiling, upper and lower walls and then flooring. In some situations, detergent wet cleaning must be applied to remove a smoke film which impacts and absorbs onto surfaces. Vacuum contents and upholstery. Make sure your house or building vacuum is HEPA rated, otherwise, you risk blowing smoke and soot into the air. Draperies, clothing and machine-washable items such as towels may be dry cleaned or laundered. Unless the upholstery manufacturer says otherwise, use a mild alkaline cleaner to neutralize acid in smoke, soot, char and ash. When smoke and soot damage and residue is moderate or heavy, or you cannot complete smoke and soot odor removal on your own, consider hiring a professional who is certified in fire and smoke damage restoration to cleanup and restore your home or business and belongings. To find a trained and certified professional in your area, visit the IICRC website at www.iicrc.org and select "Locate a Certified Pro." Check with your insurance provider to determine if smoke damage from outdoor sources is covered under your policy. Insurance companies can often provide a list of credible restoration companies from which property owners can choose. If the fire has warped or distorted the structure, consult a general contractor who can also be found in the IICRC list of approved restorers. To find certified restorers in your area or to confirm the certification of any company that has contacted you, call the IICRC at 1-844-464-4272 or visit www.iicrc.org and select "Locate a Certified Pro." About IICRC The IICRC is a global, ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO) that credentials individuals in 20+ categories within the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. Representing more than 54,000 certified technicians and 6,000 Certified Firms in 22 countries, the IICRC, in partnership with regional and international trade associations, represents the entire industry. The IICRC does not own schools, employ instructors, produce training materials or promote specific product brands, cleaning methods or systems. For more information, visit www.iicrc.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005709/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Quantstamp CEO Richard Ma Joins Chamber of Digital Commerce as Co-chair of Smart Contracts Alliance SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantstamp has joined the Chamber of Digital Commerce's Executive Committee and the company's CEO Richard Ma will serve as co-chair on the Chamber 's Smart Contracts Alliance . The Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world's first and largest trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry, meets with legislators and industry leaders in order to promote the real-world application of smart contracts and blockchain technology. "The Chamber of Digital Commerce has an excellent track record of educating policymakers in order to facilitate the passage of informed policies that support innovation and commerce," says Quantstamp CEO Richard Ma. "I look forward to furthering this effort as the new co-chair of the Smart Contracts Alliance." As CEO of Quantstamp, Richard has helped lead initiatives to improve the secure mainstream adoption of blockchain technology. Quantstamp also works with enterprise clients to help them build blockchain solutions. "We are pleased to welcome Quantstamp to the Chamber of Digital Commerce," says Perianne Boring, Founder & Pesident of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. "We look forward to working with Richard Ma and leveraging Quantstamp's expertise and professionalism as we move our smart contracts efforts forward." On October 25, the Chamber of Digital Commerce's Smart Contracts Alliance held its "Get Smart on Smart Contracts" roundtable event in San Francisco. Olga V. Mack, Vice President of Strategy at Quantstamp, addressed the audience and expressed Quantstamp's passion in proliferating safe smart contracts. She also explained how the Quantstamp protocol, tools and services help build critical infrastructure for blockchain technology. Olga urged attendees to get in touch and explore opportunities to collaborate with Quantstamp. About Quantstamp Quantstamp is a smart contract security company that is developing the Quantstamp protocol and automated security tools, and conducts manual audits. The Quantstamp protocol aims to enhance smart contract security and the reputation of projects that create smart contracts by producing openly accessible scan reports. CONTACT: Jared Harrill [email protected] 415-579-8976 Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohf9NlXxSCA Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786708/Quantstamp_CEO_Richard_Ma.jpg SOURCE Quantstamp [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Ygrene Helps Homeowners Save Hundreds Of Millions On Property Insurance Premiums And Surpasses $500 Million In Funded PACE Projects In Florida MIAMI, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ygrene, a national leader in energy efficiency and resiliency financing, announced today that it has provided more than $500 million in project funding for over 21,600 homeowners across Florida since launching its program in 2013. Ygrene's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, through partnership with local governments, provides property owners access to affordable, private financing for hurricane protection, renewable energy, and energy efficient home and building improvements. Ygrene's PACE financing program is currently available in more than 170 communities across Florida. According to some preliminary research findings from the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy, Ygrene funded hurricane resilience improvements are estimated to result in over $500 million in avoided future hurricane disaster losses and over $700 million in potential insurance premium savings over the next 20 years. Florida has the highest property insurance premiums in the country, which can be two-to-three times the national average, and the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation found that the statewide average wind mitigation credit for property owners was $1,454 annually ($4,150 for commercial-residential policies). As Florida's largest provider of PACE financing, Ygrene now provides nearly 12 million residents with access to affordable financing options they can use to strengthen and protect their properties fromsevere storms and high winds, as well as save on energy costs. Just in 2018 alone, a total of 18 communities in Florida have adopted the company's PACE program, including two counties and four cities just this month, protecting over two million more Floridians in 2018 alone and bringing our program to over 170 communities. "The completion of $500 million and nearly 24,000 projects in Florida is a key milestone for our company and a momentous achievement towards our goal of helping create stronger, more resilient communities in Florida," said Mike Lemyre, Senior Vice President at Ygrene. "We are focused on providing ease, access and strong consumer protections while offering property owners affordable options to make storm and hurricane preparedness upgrades. Florida will be much better prepared for hurricanes and flooding by embracing community-wide plans to make storm preparedness improvements to residential and commercial properties, rather than by taking a piecemeal approach." In addition, PACE and Ygrene have generated hundreds of millions in economic output, helped create and sustain thousands of good paying jobs, cut more than 520,000 metric tons of CO 2 emissions, and saved homeowners over $100 million in lifetime utility costs. Ygrene is helping communities across the nation fund projects to meet their energy efficiency and resiliency goals. The full list of Florida jurisdictions where Ygrene's PACE program has been approved can be found here. About Ygrene Ygrene's award-winning PACE program, with built-in consumer protections, is delivering greater choice for home and business owners by providing accessible and affordable financing for energy efficiency, resiliency, renewables, water conservation, storm protection and seismic upgrades. Recognized as one of the fastest growing asset classes in the country, PACE has proven to be a successful tool for supporting public policy initiatives, all without the use of public tax dollars or credits. By providing over $1 billion of private capital to more than 550 local communities, Ygrene has created thousands of jobs and invested millions into local economies across the U.S. Learn more at ygrene.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ygrene-helps-homeowners-save-hundreds-of-millions-on-property-insurance-premiums-and-surpasses-500-million-in-funded-pace-projects-in-florida-300753244.html SOURCE Ygrene [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS AND VALNEVA REPORT POSITIVE PHASE 1 RESULTS FOR THEIR VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST THE ZIKA VIRUS EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS AND VALNEVA REPORT POSITIVE PHASE 1 RESULTS FOR THEIR VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST THE ZIKA VIRUS GAITHERSBURG, Md. and Saint-Herblain, France, November 19, 2018 - Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) and Valneva SE (VLA) today announced positive interim results for the Phase 1 study evaluating VLA1601, their vaccine candidate against the Zika virus. The highly purified inactivated vaccine candidate, VLA1601, met the study's primary endpoint showing a favorable safety profile in all doses and schedules tested. VLA1601 was also immunogenic in all treatment groups and induced both dose- and schedule-dependent neutralizing antibodies against the Zika virus with the kinetics expected for an inactivated, alum-adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine. Seroconversion Rates (SCR) reached up to 85.7% on Day 35 (Interim Analysis of Data up to Day 56). The Phase 1 study was designed to assess safety and immunogenicity. It is being co-financed by Emergent and Valneva as part of an exclusive, worldwide license agreement signed in July 2017. The agreement includes pre-defined post-Phase 1 opt-in rights for Emergent. Wolfgang Bender, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Valneva commented, "We are pleased to see progress of this promising vaccine candidate for the prevention of infections caused by the Zika virus and their serious implications during pregnancy. The excellent safety profile supports further optimization of the elicited immune response to cover an unmet medical need in the most vulnerable populations." Kelly Lyn Warfield, PhD, vice president, Vaccines and Anti-Infectives Research and Development at Emergent BioSolutions, added, "Emergent's continued focus on the development of prevention and treatment strategies for emerging infectious diseases is part of its broader mission - to protect and enhance life. Through our work, we are committed to making a positive impact on public health across the globe." About the Phase 1 Clinical Study VLA1601-101 VLA1601-101 is a first-in-human, randomized, placebo-controlled and observer-blinded study. It is assessing the safety and immunogenicity of two different dose levels of the alum adjuvanted, inactivated whole virus Zika vaccine candidate VLA1601 in 67 healthy, flavivirus-naive adults aged 18-49 years. The study is being conducted in Knoxville, TN, U.S. Participants received two vaccinations with a lower (3AU) or higher dose (6AU) - either 7 or 28 days apart. The current analysis includes full, final data for all analyses (safety and immunogenicity) up to day 56 after the first vaccination. The final analysis at day 208 after first vaccination, which is expected in the first quarter 2019, will include additional immunogenicity data such as Geometric Mean Titres (GMTs), rate of subjects with seroconversion and fold-increase of ZIKA virus specific neutralizing antibodies titres as compared to base-line, measured by PRNT. Additional information, including a detailed description of the study design and eligibility criteria is available at ClinicalTrials.gov using identifier NCT03425149. About Zika Virus The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first discovered in 1947. The first human cases were detected in 1952. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and, in 2015, in the Americas. According to the World Health Organization, there is scientific consensus that ZIKV is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Since 2013, 31 countries and territories have reported cases of microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations associated with ZIKV infection. About VLA1601 VLA1601 is a highly purified inactivated vaccine candidate against the Zika virs, developed using the same manufacturing platform as Valneva's IXIARO (JESPECT) Japanese Encephalitis ("JE") vaccine. In pre-clinical development, VLA1601 demonstrated excellent purity and had an overall biological, chemical and physical profile comparable to the commercially produced JE vaccine. Valneva has an established manufacturing process in its dedicated clinical JE vaccine facility. About the exclusive worldwide license for Valneva's Zika vaccine technology On July 26, 2017 Emergent and Valneva announced the execution of an exclusive worldwide license agreement for Valneva's Zika vaccine technology. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties share all costs until the availability of final Phase 1 data in the U.S. Valneva is responsible for the program's execution until completion of the Phase 1 trial through a joint governance structure. Upon availability of final Phase 1 data, Emergent will have the option to continue the development and commercialization of a Zika vaccine for a milestone payment of 5 million. The agreement provides Valneva potential additional milestone payments of up to 44 million related to product development, approval, commercialization, and product sales, future royalties on annual net sales, and the right, prior to a Phase 3 clinical trial, to negotiate with Emergent for exclusive commercialization rights in Europe. As part of any further development, the companies are expected to enter into a technology transfer agreement at a later time to enable transfer of Valneva's technology to Emergent's Bayview manufacturing facility in Baltimore, Maryland. About Emergent BioSolutions Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is a global life sciences company seeking to protect and enhance life by focusing on providing specialty products for civilian and military populations that address accidental, intentional, and naturally occurring public health threats. We aspire to be a Fortune 500 company recognized for protecting and enhancing life, driving innovation, and living our values. Additional information about the company may be found at www.emergentbiosolutions.com. Find us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter @emergentbiosolu and Instagram @life_at_emergent. About Valneva SE Valneva is a fully integrated, commercial stage biotech company focused on developing innovative life-saving vaccines. Valneva's portfolio includes two commercial vaccines for travelers: IXIARO/JESPECT indicated for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis and DUKORAL indicated for the prevention of cholera and, in some countries, prevention of diarrhea caused by ETEC. The Company has proprietary vaccines in development including a unique vaccine against Lyme disease. Valneva has operations in Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the US with over 450 employees. More information is available at www.valneva.com. Emergent Investor and Media Contacts: Investor Contact: Robert G. Burrows Vice President, Investor Relations 240-631-3280 [email protected] Media Contact: Lynn Kieffer Vice President, Corporate Communications 240-631-3391 [email protected] Valneva Investor and Media Contact Laetitia Bachelot Fontaine Global Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications M +33 (0)6 4516 7099 [email protected] Emergent Safe Harbor Statement This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events. We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate. Investors should realize that if underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could differ materially from our expectations. Investors are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events or circumstances. There are a number of important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including the success of the planned development program; the timing of and ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for the product candidate; and our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, when evaluating our forward-looking statements. Valneva Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Valneva, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical trials for product candidates, the ability to manufacture, market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for product candidates, the ability to protect intellectual property and operate the business without infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, estimates for future performance and estimates regarding anticipated operating losses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing. In addition, even if the actual results or development of Valneva are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments of Valneva may not be indicative of the future. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets," or similar words. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the current expectations of Valneva as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Valneva could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, unexpected clinical trial results, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, competition in general, currency fluctuations, the impact of the global and European credit crisis, and the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements made in this press release will in fact be realized. Valneva is providing the information in these materials as of the date of this press release, and disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. ## Attachment 2018_11_19_VLA_Emergent_ZIKA_Phase1_Results_PR_EN.pdf [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter of FY 2019 Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. ("Tel", "Tel-Instrument" or the "Company") (NYSE American: TIK), a leading designer and manufacturer of avionics test and measurement solutions, today announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2019. Jeff O'Hara, Tel's President and CEO said, "While second quarter revenues were $2.2 million due to delays in the receipt of in-process orders and export license approvals, the Company did, however, materially improve its bottom line with our operating loss for the quarter declining to under $100,000. This was accomplished by tight cost controls including the streamlining of our manufacturing processes and reductions in overhead, resulting in our gross margins growing to 45%, which was double the year-ago percentage. Gross margin percentages should continue to improve going forward based on much higher projected revenues and a favorable product mix. The recently announced $4.3 million test set order from the U.S. DOD and pending volume orders from domestic and international Mode 5 customers should result in a return to solid profitability for the current fiscal year with revenues and profits expected to further improve in the 2020 fiscal year. We are also working to introduce our new SDR/OMNI test set by the end of this fiscal year, and we are very optimistic that this will let us regain a market leading position in the commercial avionics market and allow for future expansion into the much larger secure communications test market. The near-term goal for the Company is to return to strong profitability starting this quarter, and rebuild our balance sheet that was negatively impacted by the Aeroflex (News - Alert) litigation and damages award. The recent $1 million issuance of Series B Preferred Stock was crucial, as it has allowed us to quickly ramp-up production and take full advantage of the many opportunities now in play for the Company. We remain very excited about our prospects and look forward to seeing our shareholders at our Annual Meeting, which is scheduled to occur on January 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey." Results of Operations Sales For the three months ended September 30, 2018, total net sales increased $435,776 (24.4%) to $2,222,941 as compared to $1,787,165 for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Avionics government sales increased $255,406 (24.8%) to $1,284,099 for the three months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $1,028,693 for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The increase in sales is mostly attributed to the increase in shipment of the new T-47/M5, ITATS, and the T-47NH offset partially by decreases in the shipment of the TS-4530A, CRAFT products and other legacy products. Commercial sales increased $180,370 (23.8%) to $938,842 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to $758,472 for the three months ended September 30, 2017. This increase is attributed to the increased sales from our repair business and the TR-36 offset partially by lower sales of the TR-220. For the six months ended September 30, 2018, total net sales decreased $1,292,087 (24.2%) to $4,037,155, as compared to $5,329,242 for the six months ended September 30, 2017. Avionics government sales decreased $1,624,338 (40.6%) to $2,376,681 for the six months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to $4,001,019 for the six months ended September 30, 2017. The decrease in sales is mostly attributed to the decrease in shipment of the U.S. Army TS-4530A which is now completed, CRAFT units and certain other legacy products, partially offset by the increase in sales associated with the shipments of the T-47/M5. Commercial sales increased $332,251 (25.0%) to $1,660,474 for the six months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to $1,328,223 for the six months ended September 30, 2017. This increase is attributed to the increased sales from our repair business and the TR-36 offset partially by lower sales of the TR-220. As discussed above in the overview section, sales are expected to increase in the second half of the current fiscal year as a result of the $4.3 million order for additional Mode 5 test sets from the U.S. military, the multi-million German order, as well as other large expected orders for our Mode 5 test sets both domestically and internationally. Gross Margin For the three months ended September 30, 2018, total gross margin increased $599,343 (149.9%) to $999,213 as compared to $399,870 for the three months ended September 30, 2017 primarily as a result of the reduction in manufacturing overhead as well as manufacturing efficiencies and the increase in volume. The gross margin percentage for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was 45.0% as compared to 22.4% for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The higher gross margin percentage is attributable to the reduction in manufacturing overhead as well as manufacturing efficiencies. For the six months ended September 30, 2018, total gross margin decreased $160,634 (9.8%) to $1,480,526 as compared to $1,641,160 for the six months ended September 30, 2017 primarily as the lower volume offset partially by the reduction in manufacturing overhead and improvement in manufacturing efficiencies as well as higher prices. The gross margin percentage for the six months ended September 30, 2018 was 36.7% as compared to 30.8% for the three months ended September 30, 2017. The higher gross margin percentage is attributable to the reduction in manufacturing overhead as well as manufacturing efficiencies. Operating Expenses Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $70,984 (11.3%) to $555,411 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to $626,395 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, respectively. This decrease is primarily attributed to lower salaries and related expenses as well as lower commission expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $210,745 (15.8%) to $1,121,936 for the six months ended September 30, 2018 as compared to $1,332,681 for the six months ended September 30, 2017, respectively. This decrease is primarily attributed to lower salaries and related expenses as well as lower commission and travel expenses partially offset by higher consulting fees. Litigation costs decreased $7,485 and $350,726 to $35,848 and $75,119 for the three and six months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, as compared to $43,333 and $425,845 for the three and six months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, as a result of less activity associated with the Aeroflex litigation. The Company has filed its appeal (see Notes 5 and 14 to Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements). For the three and six months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded $2.1 million in additional legal damages as a result of the court's decision regarding punitive damages last year (see Note 14 to Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements). Engineering, research and development expenses decreased $26,287 (5.0%) and $124,237 (10.9%) to $503,380 and $1,020,703 for the three and six months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, as compared to $529,667 and $1,144,940 for the three and six months ended September 30, 2017, respectively. The Company also continues to invest in the development of the Company's SDR/OMNI hand-held product line and the T47-M5 test set, the enhanced remote client, and the incorporation of other product enhancements in existing designs. Other Items In October 2018, the Company entered into a subscription agreement pursuant to which an investor purchased 166,667 shares of the Company's Series B Preferred Stock for $1 million. A portion of these funds have been used for working capital purposes to support the orders received and expected in the near term. The Company is currently appealing the Aeroflex $4.9 million judgment, as we believe that substantive mistakes were made in the trial and that we have strong legal arguments. The Company has posted a $2,000,000 appeal bond which will remain in place during the appeal process, which is expected to take several years to complete. If we do not prevail with the appeal, we will have several years to generate sufficient cash or secure additional financing to support the repayment of the remaining $2.9 million not covered by the $2 million appeal bond. On August 8, 2018, the Company received a letter from the staff of the NYSE American (the "Exchange") stating that based on the Company's financial statements at March 31, 2018, the Company is not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(ii) of the NYSE American Company Guide, which requires that a company's stockholders' equity be $4.0 million or more if it has reported net losses in three of its last four fiscal years (the "Stockholders' Equity Requirement"). The Company has also been advised that it will be subject to delisting proceedings if it does not regain compliance prior to the deadline of January 29, 2019, or if the Exchange determines that Company is not making progress consistent with the Plan. The Company's stock will continue to be listed on the NYSE American while the Company evaluates its various alternatives. The Company's receipt of such notification from the Exchange does not affect the Company's business, operations or reporting requirements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company continues to work with the Exchange, but there is no assurance that it will remain listed on the Exchange. The Company encourages investors to read its full results of operations as contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 19, 2018 at www.sec.gov. About Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. Tel-Instrument is a leading designer and manufacturer of avionics test and measurement solutions for the global commercial air transport, general aviation, and government/military aerospace and defense markets. Tel-Instrument provides instruments to test, measure, calibrate, and repair a wide range of airborne navigation and communication equipment. For further information please visit our website at www.telinstrument.com. This press release includes statements that are not historical in nature and may be characterized as "forward-looking statements," including those related to future financial and operating results, benefits, and synergies of the combined companies, statements concerning the Company's outlook, pricing trends, and forces within the industry, the completion dates of capital projects, expected sales growth, cost reduction strategies, and their results, long-term goals of the Company and other statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. All predictions as to future results contain a measure of uncertainty and, accordingly, actual results could differ materially. Among the factors which could cause a difference are: changes in the general economy; changes in demand for the Company's products or in the cost and availability of its raw materials; the actions of its competitors; the success of our customers; technological change; changes in employee relations; government regulations; litigation, including its inherent uncertainty; difficulties in plant operations and materials; transportation, environmental matters; and other unforeseen circumstances. A number of these factors are discussed in the Company's previous filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act. TEL-INSTRUMENT ELECTRONICS CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS September 30, 2018 March 31, 2018 (unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 278,443 $ 307,812 Accounts receivable, net 769,553 1,095,049 Inventories, net 3,762,164 4,269,934 Restricted cash to support appeal bond 2,002,873 2,000,866 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 130,835 147,746 Total current assets 6,943,868 7,821,407 Equipment and leasehold improvements, net 142,917 180,763 Deferred tax asset, net 63,500 63,500 Other long-term assets 35,109 35,109 Total assets 7,185,394 8,100,779 LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt - 2,124 Line of credit 840,000 1,000,000 Capital lease obligations - current portion 7,200 6,875 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,355,269 2,580,383 Deferred revenues - current portion 344,164 60,051 Accrued legal damages 5,144,644 5,059,990 Accrued payroll, vacation pay and payroll taxes 363,588 447,863 Total current liabilities 9,054,865 9,157,286 Capital lease obligations - long-term 3,202 6,885 Deferred revenues - long-term 296,526 337,676 Total liabilities 9,354,593 9,501,847 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' deficit: Preferred stock, 1,000,000 shares authorized, par value $0.10 per share, 500,000 shares 8% Cumulative Series A Convertible Preferred issued and Outstanding 3,155,998 3,035,998 Common stock, 4,000,000 shares authorized, par value $0.10 per share, 3,255,887 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 325,586 325,586 Paid (News - Alert)-in capital in excess of par value, common stock 8,096,327 8,046,975 Accumulated deficit (13,747,110 ) (12,809,627 ) Total stockholders' deficit (2,169,199 ) (1,401,068 ) Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $ 7,185,394 $ 8,100,779 TEL-INSTRUMENT ELECTRONICS CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 Net sales $ 2,222,941 $ 1,787,165 $ 4,037,155 $ 5,329,242 Cost of sales 1,223,728 1,387,295 2,556,629 3,688,082 Gross margin 999,213 399,870 1,480,526 1,641,160 Operating expenses: Selling, general and administrative 555,411 626,395 1,121,936 1,332,681 Litigation expenses 35,848 43,333 75,119 425,845 Legal damages - 2,100,000 - 2,100,000 Engineering, research and development 503,380 529,667 1,020,703 1,144,940 Total operating expenses 1,094,639 3,299,395 2,217,758 5,003,466 Loss from operations (95,426 ) (2,899,525 ) (737,232 ) (3,362,306 ) Other income (expense): Interest income 1,009 - 2,007 - Proceeds from life insurance - - - 92,678 Amortization of deferred financing costs - (1,357 ) - (2,714 ) Change in fair value of common stock warrants - (5,000 ) - 90,000 Interest expense - judgement (72,003 ) (143,223 ) - Interest expense (24,990 ) (14,707 ) (59,035 ) (24,338 ) Total other (expense) income (95,984 ) (21,064 ) (200,251 ) 155,626 Loss income before income taxes (191,410 ) (2,920,589 ) (937,483 ) (3,206,680 ) Income tax expense - - - - Net loss $ (191,410 ) $ (2,920,589 ) $ (937,483 ) $ (3,206,680 ) Preferred dividends 60,000 - 120,000 - Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (251,410 ) $ (2,920,589 ) $ (1,057,483 ) $ (3,206,680 ) Basic loss per common share $ (0.08 ) $ (0.90 ) $ (0.32 ) $ (0.98 ) Diluted loss per common share $ (0.08 ) $ (0.90 ) $ (0.32 ) $ (0.98 ) Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 3,255,887 3,255,887 3,255,887 3,255,887 Diluted 3,255,887 3,255,887 3,255,887 3,255,887 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005784/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Southeast Toyota Finance Ranks No. 1 for J.D. Power Consumer Satisfaction Award According to the J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction StudySM, Southeast Toyota Finance ranks No. 1 among mass market brands. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale and Southeast Toyota Finance received a score of 870. The study, which measures overall automobile consumer satisfaction with banks and captive finance companies, evaluates website experience, billing and payment process, onboarding process, origination process and mobile app experience. The study not only analyzes consumers' perceptions of their provider's ability to meet their expectations, but also identifies critical metrics that represent best practice performance targets for satisfying consumers. "We are honored to have our collective investments in people, processes and technology earn us placement on top of the industry," said Dan Chait, president of Southeast Toyota Finance. "This award is validation that together we can positively impact our consumers' experiences with, and loyalty towards, the Toyota brand." A subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a $15.1 billion diversified automotive corporation headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla., Southeast Toyota Finance is the captive finance company for 177 Toyota dealers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company offers indirect financing exclusively to Toyota dealrs and their consumers and is a sister company to Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world's largest independent distributor of Toyotas, accounting for more than 20 percent of all Toyotas sold in the U.S. Southeast Toyota Finance consistently ranks at the top of its class in market share and dealer satisfaction, and owes its success to its innovative finance programs (including retail and lease programs), loyalty programs, college graduate and military rebate programs, and its commitment to strong dealer relationships and customer service. Its portfolio of dealer loans includes inventory financing, as well as working capital, real estate and construction loans. About Southeast Toyota Finance Southeast Toyota Finance is the captive finance company for 177 Toyota dealers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company offers a broad range of products and services to automotive dealer and consumers. Southeast Toyota Finance is the leading provider of retail and lease financing for new Toyota purchases within its footprint, consistently ranking at the top in market share and dealer satisfaction. The company is committed to strong dealer relationships and customer service, providing finance retail and lease programs, college graduate and military rebate programs that drive customer and dealer loyalty. The company's portfolio of dealer loans includes inventory financing, real estate and construction loans. Southeast Toyota Finance is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive corporation ranked No. 21 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. JM Family is also ranked No. 51 by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, its 20th consecutive year on the list. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005864/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Bono, Jimmy Kimmel, Kristen Bell, Pharrell, Chris Rock, Lady Gaga, Drake, DJ Khaled, Armie & Elizabeth Hammer, Will Ferrell, Brad Paisley and others join the (RED) Shopathon to fight AIDS LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS, a galaxy of brands and stars are once again stepping out for the annual World AIDS Day Campaign, the (RED) Shopathon, to raise money and bring urgency to the AIDS fight. Ahead of the Global Fund to fight AIDS' mobilization of countries to finance the fight for the next three years, (RED) is mobilizing companies and their customers, and celebrities and their fans, to generate millions and give people everywhere countless ways to get involved. (RED) co-founder, Bono, said: "If you think the HIV virus is in the rear-view mirror, think again -- because all I see are flashing red lights. It's still an emergency, especially for women and girls. AIDS is the biggest killer of young women globally. Our complacency today could be complicity tomorrow in the deaths of millions who are needlessly infected." "That's why it's so important that we keep the world's focus on this crisis, and we couldn't have a better partner in that than Jimmy Kimmel and his army of funny friends, and our (RED) partner companies who are donating their cash and using their marketing genius to dial-up the heat in the fight against AIDS. Tremendous progress has been made 22 million lives have been saved but it is all at risk if we falter now, just short of the finish line." Jimmy Kimmel Live! (RED) Special For the fourth year running, Jimmy Kimmel is generously donating his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to benefit the AIDS fight with (RED). Stars including Bono, Kristen Bell, Pharrell, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Channing Tatum, Snoop Dogg, Mila Kunis, Brad Paisley and Zoe Saldana will join tonight's show for a ridiculous ride through the many (RED) products and winnable experiences in this year's campaign. The show airs on ABC at 11.35pm ET / 10.35pm CET. "This is our fourth and most star-studded (RED) special yet. I am grateful to Bono and all the great names who are joining the fight to end AIDS on what promises to be our biggest show yet," said Jimmy Kimmel. Kristen Bell, said: "I'm honored to be back for the third year in a row to help bring attention to this tragic epidemic that impacts so many people around the globe, particularly women. (RED) makes it easy for everyone to do their part and Jimmy brings the party every time." Holiday sweeps loaded with winnable celebrity experiences on CrowdRise by GoFundMe! Bono and Lady Gaga write a song about YOU! Enter to win the chance of alifetime to become the muse of musical legends, Bono and Lady Gaga. They will find out everything there is to know about you and then write you your very own medley. write a song about YOU! Enter to win the chance of alifetime to become the muse of musical legends, Bono and Lady Gaga. They will find out everything there is to know about you and then write you your very own medley. Pack your passport and fly away to hang out with Drake , at a secret location next year! You'll take selfies and even bag OVO apparel! , at a secret location next year! You'll take selfies and even bag OVO apparel! Hey pudding pie! Join Hollywood's hottest couple, Armie Hammer & Elizabeth Chambers Hammer , for the ultimate double-date and delicious dessert tasting at Bird Bakery. hottest couple, , for the ultimate double-date and delicious dessert tasting at Bird Bakery. Always wanted to learn how to swear like a sailor? While she's not going to take you sailing, Penelope Cruz she will teach you to curse with style in Spanish. It'll be f***ing brilliant! she will teach you to curse with style in Spanish. It'll be f***ing brilliant! Join the one and only Snoop Dogg for a culinary experience in the kitchen as he throws down with his favorite spices, herbs and recipes, sharing secrets from his new cookbook, 'From Crook to Cook'. for a culinary experience in the kitchen as he throws down with his favorite spices, herbs and recipes, sharing secrets from his new cookbook, 'From Crook to Cook'. Be a country star for the night and experience the thrill of performing live with Brad Paisley Win this and you'll not only get an autographed Brad Paisley model Fender Telecaster, you and a friend will be Brad's guest at the U.S. or Canadian Brad Paisley tour date of your choice! Brad will invite you to practice singing the chorus on his hit song, ALCOHOL, with him, during sound check, and later in the night, he'll have you to join him on-stage to sing with him for the show closing encore. You'll also get a video of the performance with Brad as a keepsake! Win this and you'll not only get an autographed model Fender Telecaster, you and a friend will be Brad's guest at the U.S. or Canadian tour date of your choice! Brad will invite you to practice singing the chorus on his hit song, ALCOHOL, with him, during sound check, and later in the night, he'll have you to join him on-stage to sing with him for the show closing encore. You'll also get a video of the performance with Brad as a keepsake! Be the Dopest Queen (or King!) for the night! Head to NYC and be Phoebe Robinson's VIP guest at the 2DopeQueens final taping and wrap party. VIP guest at the 2DopeQueens final taping and wrap party. Win the chance to fly to Tokyo to meet Rich Brian , backstage, at the Toyosu Pit show on January 10 th! In support of (RED)'s partnership with AirAsia, the airline will match every dollar raised by the experience, up to $100,000 . (RED) products that fight AIDS! For tech fans wanting to shop (RED) and save lives, Apple has a wide range of (PRODUCT)RED devices and accessories, including the new iPhone XR (PRODUCT)RED. iPhone XR features the longest battery life ever in an iPhone, a breakthrough camera system with Portrait Mode and Depth Control, a stunning all-screen Liquid Retina display, A12 Bionic the smartest and most powerful chip in a smartphone and comes in six beautiful finishes, including (PRODUCT)RED. Additional products include the new (PRODUCT)RED Sport Loop for Apple Watch and a collection of cases and covers for iPhone and iPad models, as well as (PRODUCT)RED headphones and speakers by Beats. Since partnering with (RED) in 2006, Apple has donated more than $160 million to the Global Fund, serving as the organization's largest corporate donor. A portion of proceeds from these products, available at amazon.com/RED and at Apple.com/RED , will go directly to Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants. A galaxy of gifts at a mazon.com/RED; Bank of America is Official Payment Provider for the (RED) Shopathon For the second year, Amazon is providing customers a single destination to shop more than 100 (RED) products, including the exclusive Echo (RED) edition, which is available for a limited time. For every Echo (RED) edition sold, Amazon will donate $10 to the Global Fund. Plus, customers interested in donating to support (RED)'s fight can do so on any Echo device by simply asking, "Alexa, donate to (RED)." Other AIDS-fighting products available on amazon.com/RED include BALR, Calm, Casper, CHAOS, Durex, Dyson, EOS, Tarte Cosmetics, MCM, S'well, Vilebrequin and Vizio amongst others. As the Official Payment Provider for the (RED) Shopathon, from today through December 31st, Bank of America will donate 20 cents to the Global Fund for every dollar spent on amazon.com/RED, up to $1.5 million. More (RED) products for the holidays will be available from Belvedere, Bombas, Jennifer Fisher Jewelry, Montblanc, Pour Les Femmes and Quip. Go to RED.org to find out more. The (RED) Shopathon is supported by many generous collaborators including Group Nine Media and Now This, Getty Images, OATH, Spark Foundry, iHeartMedia and The Moth, among many others. Media Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bono-jimmy-kimmel-kristen-bell-pharrell-chris-rock-lady-gaga-drake-dj-khaled-armie--elizabeth-hammer-will-ferrell-brad-paisley-and-others-join-the-red-shopathon-to-fight-aids-300753278.html SOURCE (RED) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] DiDi Launches Labs in Toronto, Expanding Global Research Network to Canada Didi Chuxing ("DiDi"), the world's leading mobile transportation platform, today officially launched its DiDi Labs in Toronto, Canada. This marks the second major research facility founded by DiDi in North America, following the establishment of DiDi Labs in Mountain View, California, in March 2017. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005834/en/ Jun Yu, Head of DiDi Labs in Toronto, said DiDi looks forward to actively contributing to the flourishing local tech ecosystem (Photo: Business Wire) Since its inception, DiDi Labs in Mountain View has invested heavily in product development and safety technology for DiDi's international operations in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan and Greater China. The new DiDi Labs in Toronto, which will focus on research into intelligent driving and artificial intelligence, will be led by Jun YU, Senior Vice President of DiDi and chair of DiDi's Product & Design Committee. As a pioneer in China's consumer app industry, Jun Yu was responsible for creating many of China's leading internet products. Christopher Yip, Associate Vice President of the University of Toronto, joined DiDi's team led by Bob Zhang, DiDi's Chief Technology Officer, at the inaugural ceremony. On the same day, DiDi also reached a strategic partnership with the University of Toronto. The two sides will explore collaborative projects in areas ranging from vehicle connectivity and autonomy, to artificial intelligence and smart transportation. In recent years, Canada has become a fast-growing, global tech and innovation center. Studies show that a record Can$ 447 million of venture capital has been injected into Canadian AI startups between 2015 and 2017, with the country's AI talent pool ranking third in the world behind the U.S. and the U.K. About Didi Chuxing Didi Chuxing ("DiDi") is the world's leading mobile transportation platform. The company offers a full range of app-based transportation options for 550 million users, including Taxi, Express, Premier, Luxe, Bus, Designated Driving, Enterprise Solutions, Bike Sharing, E-bike Sharing, Car Sharing and food delivery. Over 31 million drivers have found flexible work and income opportunities on the DiDi platform. DiDi is committed to collaborating with policymakers, the taxi industry and communities to solve the world's transportation, environmental and employment challenges with smart transportation innovations. The company is working with a growing alliance of car industry players to build out a next-generation auto-solutions and operations platform. DiDi partners with Grab, Lyft, Ola, Uber, 99, Taxify and Careem in a global ride-hailing network that reaches over 80% of the world's population across over 1,000 cities. Currently, DiDi provides ride-hailing services in Brazil under the 99 brand, operates DiDi-branded mobility services in Mexico and Australia, and provides taxi-hailing service in Japan through a joint venture. By continuously improving user experience and creating social value, DiDi strives to build a safe, open and sustainable mobile transportation ecosystem. For more information, please visit: www.didiglobal.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005834/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Housing Repair Organization Receives $8K Grant to Benefit Mississippi Residents Many elderly residents in the Mississippi Delta are without the financial means to address their aging homes' inevitable wear and tear. An $8,000 Partnership Grant Program (PGP (News - Alert)) award to Delta Grace will help resolve some of the area's most dire cases. The nonprofit, faith-based organization matches mission teams with people in need of home repairs and hosted 25 teams of 377 mission workers and worked on 47 projects this year alone. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005913/en/ Mississippi housing repair organization Delta Grace received $8,000 in Partnership Grant Program funds from Planters Bank & Trust and FHLB Dallas, which will be used to replace roofs on several area homes. (Photo: Business Wire) Delta Grace received the PGP funds from Planters Bank & Trust and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). Representatives from the banks on Friday awarded the PGP funds to Delta Grace, which Executive Director Veronica Pritchard said will help the area's most vulnerable residents. Planters Bank & Trust CEO Jimmy Clayton told Ms. Pritchard about the grant program when she was a guest speaker at a luncheon. "Persistent poverty shapes daily life in the Mississippi Delta, which leads to critical needs for outside assistance," said Mr. Clayton. "Programs such as the PGP provide a lifeline to a community that so desperately needs it." FHLB Dallas has awarded $300,000 in PGP funds this year through 31 member institutions to assist 32 community-based organizations. Combined with the $114,010 contributed by FHLB Dallas members, a total of $414,010 has been awarded to the organizations. "The benefits of the Partnership Grant Program are two-fold," said Melanie Dill, community and economic development product manager at FHLB Dallas. "The community benefits from the organization's enhanced outreach and our members benefit from the enriched community partnerships." Ms. Pritchard said the funds help the organization not only reach more residents, but also help the community in other ways. "The primary goal of Delta Grace is to bring healing and wholeness to a hurting community by reaching out and bringing together those that are willing to serve with those that are in need," she said. "Grants like this truly enhance what we are able to accomplish in our communities." About Planters Bank & Trust Planters Bank and Trust Company opened its doors for business in 1920 in Ruleville, Mississippi. In July 1920, the bank had total assets of $268,000. As of December 31, 2017, the bank has $1.02 billion in assets and is headquartered in Indianola, Mississippi. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $73.7 billion as of September 30, 2018, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 825 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005913/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] Chris Walsh Named CEO at Partners Bank of California Partners Bank of California ("Partners Bank") (OTC: PBKX) has announced the appointment of Chris Walsh as President & Chief Executive Officer. With over 30 years of banking leadership and business development experience, Chris originally joined the Partners Bank team in June of 2018 and has served as President since that time. He now assumes the role of President and CEO. "We are truly excited and inspired by what it means to us, to have Chris leading our institution's management and growth," says Mike Ahmar, Executive Chairman of the Board at Partners Bank. "It's a pivotal and exciting time of growth and development for our bank, and Chris provides an unparalleled level of experience and leadership, with a proven track record that our clients and shareholders can truly count on." Chris Walsh replaces Rick Mandelbaum who previously served as CEO until recently announcing his retirement from Partners Bank. "On behalf of the entire Partners Bank team, we would like to than Rick Mandelbaum for his service," says Chris Walsh. "I look forward to building on the success and leadership represented by Rick's six years with the bank." A Southern Californian for most of his life, Chris Walsh graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1980. His background in leading significant and sustained institutional growth has included experience with Sunwest Bank, Vineyard Bank, Commercial Capital Bank, California Bank and Trust, U.S. Trust Company of America and Bank of California. Past community organization board appointments held by Chris Walsh have included Mission Hospital Foundation, Saddleback Valley YMCA, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and Orangewood Children's Foundation. The Partners Bank of California Executive Management team includes Mike Chambers - EVP, Chief Banking Officer; Kirk Colburn - EVP/Chief Financial Officer; and Kent Falk - EVP/Chief Credit Officer. With current total assets of $239.5 million*, Partners Bank of California provides a wide array of personal and commercial banking services as well as a variety of business lending solutions including lines of credit, commercial real estate, new construction financing, equipment/industrial and SBA/State Government guaranteed loans. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, Partners Bank is proud to serve clientele throughout Southern California. Partners Bank of Californiapassionate about your success! Member FDIC * Unaudited, as of September 30, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005915/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 19, 2018] $16K in Grant Funds Awarded to Promote Financial Literacy in Mississippi Guaranty Bank & Trust Company and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) have awarded $16,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP (News - Alert)) grant funds to Mississippi Community Financial Access Coalition (MCFAC). Bank and project representatives presented the funds at a ceremonial check presentation Friday. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005916/en/ Guaranty Bank & Trust Company and FHLB Dallas awarded Mississippi Community Financial Access Coalition $16,000 in Partnership Grant Program funds on Friday for organizational capacity building. (Photo: Business Wire) MCFAC will use the PGP funds for organizational capacity building, to hire grant-writing consultants and for market research studies. This is the organization's second PGP award. "MCFAC partners with other community organizations, social services agencies and financial institutions to provide financial literacy training programs to Mississippi's unbanked, under-banked and underserved population," said Latah Holloway, program director at MCFAC. "Te grant funds will help us advance our mission in a meaningful way." The structure of the PGP enables FHLB Dallas member institutions like Guaranty Bank & Trust Company to make a contribution of $500 to $4,000 to a community-based organization (CBO), which FHLB Dallas will match at a 3:1 ratio. "The community benefits from the PGP because the funds enable the organization to focus on its mission," said Clifton Williams, community development officer of Guaranty Bank & Trust Company. "We as a financial institution also benefit because it increases our impact in the community." In 2018, FHLB Dallas awarded $300,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds through 31 member institutions to assist 32 community-based organizations. Combined with the $114,010 contributed by FHLB Dallas members, a total of $414,010 has been awarded to the organizations. "The PGP helps promote and strengthen the relationships between FHLB Dallas members and local organizations," said Melanie Dill, community and economic development product manager at FHLB Dallas. "Additionally, FHLB Dallas' matching contribution emphasizes the partnership aspect of this program, making it a win-win for everyone." About Guaranty Bank & Trust Company Guaranty Bank & Trust Company is locally-owned and operated since 1943. As of September 30, 2018, assets have grown to $824 million by delivering top-notch services and products to Mississippi and the surrounding areas. Providing personalized, quality customer service and the best in banking products have been their goal from the very beginning. As a responsible leader in economic development, they strive to be an instrumental member of their local communities through actions and involvement of their employees. Since the start, Guaranty Bank has been driven to do their part to help Mississippi communities and community members excel. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank system created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $73.7 billion as of September 30, 2018, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 825 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Visit fhlb.com for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181119005916/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Fingerprint recognition is a great form of authentication for your smartphone because it's fast, accurate and relatively tough to spoof. Or so we thought. (Image credit: Vivo's Nex S (Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide)) It turns out the latest generation of optical fingerprint sensors the kind used for in-display fingerprint reading technology in the OnePlus 6T and Huawei Mate 20 have a very serious vulnerability, and one that seems glaringly obvious in hindsight. Chinese researchers at Tencent's Xuanwu Lab discovered earlier this year that they were able to unlock handsets simply by placing a piece of opaque reflective material i.e., aluminum foil over the in-screen fingerprint readers. "This is a not big problem for previous capacitance sensors, but for optical sensors, it's lethal, Xuanwu Lab founder and researcher Yang Yu told Threatpost. Patches for the flaw have been pushed out to user handsets by at least a few vendors, but it's not clear exactly how many devices are affected because many vendors seem to be keeping quiet about it. MORE: Samsung Galaxy S10 Rumors: Release Date, Specs, and More The attack is simple. If you took a highly reflective opaque material, such as aluminum foil, a Mylar bag or a mirror, and pressed that material down on the display glass with force, the optical module could be tricked into reading the reflection of a residual fingerprint left on the glass by the phone's owner. The researchers found the flaw in February, and reportedly notified phone makers immediately. Huawei was the only vendor specifically mentioned in the report (and the only one that's posted a security advisory following an update designed to patch the issue). But devices from OnePlus and Vivo two pieces of the Chinese BBK Electronics conglomerate are expected to be affected by this flaw, as they use optical technology similar to Huawei's for their in-display sensors. They're likely not the only ones. "We have tested many cellphones with in-display fingerprint from different vendors, they all had the same problem, even if the modules they were using were from different chip manufacturers," Yu told Threatpost. "This vulnerability is a design fault of in-display fingerprint sensors." We may never know how many other vendors' phones were affected. "Vendors differ greatly in the attitude to security issues," Yu told Threatpost. "Some vendors strongly hope us to keep the voice down on this." Old-school electrical-capacitance-based modules, such as the iPhone's Touch ID or the fingerprint readers in most Android phones, are not affected. We tried to unlock our OnePlus 6T using a piece of aluminum foil, as well as a clean packaged food wrapper, and came away unsuccessful after several attempts. Perhaps OnePlus has already patched the flaw via its regular software updates; we've reached out to the company for comment. Fortunately, Yu told Threat Post that because many hardware manufacturers acted swiftly to fix this oversight, there's no reason the flaw should persist in future phones that are expected to implement in-display fingerprint readers, like Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10. "Manufacturers have fixed this issue from the root," said Yu, who previously found serious flaws in Windows. "There wont be vulnerability in later cellphones in theory." (Image credit: Oleksly Mark / Shutterstock.com) China has increased the pressure it's applying to the world's largest DRAM suppliers. The country has reportedly claimed that its antitrust probe into Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron has made "important progress" since it started in June. This investigation mostly revolves around rising DRAM prices caused by shortages, but it's also just the latest in China's efforts to help its own companies compete with their international counterparts. The Financial Times reported that Wu Zhenguo, the head of China's anti-monopoly bureau, said "the anti-monopoly investigation into these three companies has made important progress" and "yielded massive evidence." It's not clear what exactly the Chinese government has on the companies, or what it plans to do as the investigation moves forward. Odds are good, though, that it will continue to support homegrown companies. The investigation purportedly started in June after DRAM prices skyrocketed following global shortages. Yet now prices are expected to fall: DRAMeXchange said in September that a 5 percent price decline was possible within the year, and Samsung has even slowed its production in an effort to reduce supply and keep prices stable. Consumer worries about DRAM pricing may have abated, or at least started to, but China's haven't. This also isn't the only way China's targeted foreign DRAM producers in recent months. The country's also involved in a back-and-forth with Micron (and by extension the United States) and local companies such as the Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company. China blocked Micron from selling certain products in its country earlier this year, and in October, the U.S. Department of Commerce blocked American exports to Fujian Jinhua. Now the countries have added the DRAM market to their list of things to squabble over as part of a looming trade war. Micron's inclusion in this anti-monopoly investigation merely represents the company's latest woes in China. SK Securities analyst Kim Young-woo told the Financial Times that China could impose fines up to $2.5 billion on Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron as the result of this investigation. That would likely incentivize the companies to work with their Chinese counterparts, he said, rather than competing against them. That might be good for consumers it's about DRAM time prices fell but we suspect the companies themselves wouldn't be pleased. Report: Independence homicide victim was witness in previous case against suspect Independence police are investigating a shooting that killed one person and left another with minor injuries. It happened inside a home in the 3800 block of S. Sterling Avenue near Blue Ridge Boulevard just after 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Police have taken a suspect into custody. Michael T. Clueless suburbanites, reactionaries and denizens of the fading middle-class blame urban & po'folk for refusing to stand up against crime in their own community. This story from the weekend reminds us why doing the right thing can be risky . . .More deets: Hot Wheels rollicking, 15-stop, nationwide Legends Tour reached its climax at the 2018 SEMA Auto Show, where Luis Rodriguez and his 2JetZ open-wheel jet car took home top honors in the competition. As part of his prize, Rodriguez will get to see his creation immortalized in Zamac and turned into its very own 1:64 scale die-cast toy. The 2JetZ was chosen from more than 3,600 custom cars entered in the Legends Tour. It was selected, in part because of its design and originality. The Hot Wheels version of the jet car is expected to hit toy stores sometime next year. This is the dream, isnt it? Everyone who has ever played with Hot Wheels cars can attest to the dream of one day seeing a car they made get turned into a 1:64 scale toy. I had that same dream myself growing up. Unfortunately, my Pizzamobile that runs on salami and cheese is probably never going to win a competition like Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Fortunately for Luis Rodriguez, his own intrepid creation not only caught the attention of the likes of Jay Leno and legendary Hot Wheels designer Larry Wood, but it also outlasted more than 3,600 custom creations to win the exclusive competition. Rodriguezs 2JetZ open-wheeled jet car was selected by Mattel after the culmination of the 15-stop nationwide tour. A winner was selected at each of the 15 stops, and all 15 winners and their cars, Rodriguez and his 2JetZ, included, took center stage Hot Wheels own booth at the 2018 SEMA Auto Show. Thats where Rodriguez was announced as the winner for creating what can only be described as a custom car that was built to have its own Hot Wheels alter ego. It features a jet fuselage body, complete with a yellow tinted canopy covering the cockpit of the car. A Toyota-sourced 2JZ power plant sits behind the wheel and is said to be capable of producing more than 600 horsepower. While it wouldve been nice for the car to have its own jet nose, it does feature a smorgasbord of decals and graphics, the kind that you normally see on actual fighter jets. Overall, its a sick-looking creation, and the fact that it has that much power and weighs just 1,600 pounds speaks to the kind of capabilities it has once its unleashed on, say, a drag strip. As an added bonus to everything that Rodriguez has already won in the competition, the 2JetZ and its 1:64 scale counterpart will be inducted into the Hot Wheels garage of Legends, a collection of one-of-a-kind cars immortalized as Hot Wheels die-casts. With honors coming left and right, were hoping that at least one time, we get to see the 2JetZ in action. It probably wont have any trouble holding its own on a drag strip, but still, wed like to see it for ourselves. Nissan Chairman and Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn has been arrested by prosecutors in Japan for "significant acts of misconduct." Nissan said Ghosn and another board member had been under investigation for months following a whistleblower report. As one of the auto industrys most important executives, Ghosn will be "promptly removed" from his positions, according to Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa. He will be "promptly removed" from his position What Happened? Ghosn is being investigated for underreporting his income Specific details are still under wraps and Nissan wasnt able to disclose much due to the ongoing investigation, but Ghosn has been arrested in Japan. Apparently hes being investigated for underreporting his income, but Nissan said that "numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered," including "personal use of company assets." Greg Kelly, another member of the Nissan board, has been arrested as well. Nissan had been investigating both Ghosn and Kelly for months following a whistleblower report. Company CEO Hiroto Saikawa confirmed that he will propose to Nissans board of directors to "promptly remove" Ghosn and Kelly from their positions. What Are The Implications? Ghosn is also the CEO and Chairman of Renault and the Chairman of Mitsubishi Well, theyre enormous. Carlos Ghosn is no regular CEO or Chairman. Hes the mastermind who put together Nissan and Renault in their current alliance. He also brought Mitsubishi Motors under the same roof recently. On top of being the former CEO and (still) current Chairman of Nissan, Ghosn is also the CEO and Chairman of Renault and the Chairman of Mitsubishi. Under his supervision, this three-automaker alliance grew strong enough to rival companies like the Volkswagen Group and Toyota in terms of global sales, with 10.6 vehicles delivered in 2017. The Nissan-Renault Alliance is pretty much Ghosns vision. He is the company and this scandal and his removal from his positions will send shockwaves through all the companies involved. Its Already Happening It took only a few hours for Nissan-Renault shares to plunge. As of this writing, Nissan shares dropped almost nine percent, while Renault shares took a 12-percent tumble. The French government, which owns 15 percent of the Renault, is also keeping a close eye on the investigation. "Nissan deeply apologizes for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders," the Japanese company said statement said. "We will continue our work to identify our governance and compliance issues, and to take appropriate measures." The End of a 40-Year Career? This scandal might just put an end to Ghosns 40-year-long career in the industry. The Brazilian-born started with tire maker Michelin in 1978 and worked his way up to lead the brands North American business by 1989. He joined Renault in 1996 and became Nissan's chief operating officer in 1999, after the two companies formed their alliance. Ghosn helped steer Nissan out of a financial crisis and was promoted to CEO of Nissan in 2001. Four years later he also became the CEO of Renault. He became Chairman of Nissan after the Japanese company acquired a 34-percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. Nissan paid Ghosn a salary of almost $10 million a year as a CEO. Although the company doesnt reveal individual board members compensation in its annual report, its safe to assume he earned more than that as a Chairman. Further reading Elon Musk Accused of Fraud, SEC Sues to Remove Him from Tesla Audi CEO Rupert Stadler Arrested in Munich California is facing its deadliest wildfire in history, and so far, 42 people have lost their lives to "Camp Fire. The count would have been much higher if not for good Samaritans like Allyn Pierce. Pierce, a nurse by profession, drove his Toyota Tundra into the flames and evacuated patients from the intensive care unit that he manages. Although he came out unharmed, his Tundra bore the brunt, quite literally. When the Japanese automaker found out about this, it offered to replace his Tundra. A True Heroic Deed Allyn Pierce posted a picture of the scathed Tundra on social media. In the post, he said, "this truck literally saved my life today." In response, Toyota said, "We are humbled you'd risk your life and Toyota Tundra to drive people to safety. Don't worry about your truck; we're honored to get you a new one!" Later, Toyota issued a statement, "Our hearts go out to the victims of the devastating California wildfires. We are extremely grateful to all of the emergency crews who are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires and helping people to safety. We are especially thankful to one hero, in particular, Allyn Pierce, for risking his life and sacrificing his Toyota Tundra to drive people to safety. Toyota is so humbled by Mr. Pierces selfless act that were pleased to offer him a brand new Tundra." It is these little gestures that go a long way in building the trust and goodwill for an automaker. Toyota trucks are known for their durability and reliability, and this post by Pierce is a testament to the same. Our hearts go out to the people who have their homes and loved ones to these deadly fires. Further reading Read our full review on the 2017 Toyota Tundra. Read our full review on the 2019 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file. Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file. Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Africas leading agricultural export is cocoa beans from west Africa, but next in importance is tobacco and tobacco products. However, the relative importance of tobacco as a crop has been declining in Africa since 1961, and this suggests that tobacco is very much an export-oriented rather than a domestic-oriented crop. Global production of tobacco has roughly doubled since 1961, and production is now dominated by China which has overtaken the previously dominant United States (US). The largest increases since 1961 are, however, from the African producers of Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, while Zimbabwe and Malawi have consistently been the leading African producers. Overall, Africas global production share has increased from 4.9% in the 1960s to 9.3% in the current decade. A recent tralac-NAMC publication, Agriculture and the African Continental Free Trade Area, examines African agricultural production and trade, looking separately at cocoa and cocoa beans, tea and coffee, and sugar. The objective of this Trade Brief is to continue that examination by reviewing the African tobacco production and trade profile. This will include an examination of how tobacco has become a substance that is the focus of international efforts to severely constrain its global consumption as overwhelming evidence points to tobacco directly for causing significant health problems. Readers are encouraged to quote and reproduce this material for educational, non-profit purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. All views and opinions expressed remain solely those of the author and do not purport to reflect the views of Hans Nurnberger and his granddaughter, Cali Reid, visited the USS Iowa. (Courtesy photo) A grandfather's journey in teaching his granddaughter how to make her way into future endeavors became his own opportunity for closure on a haunted past. Together, Hans Nurnberger, who is co-owner of Knuckleheads Motorcycle and Small Engine Repair in Rosman, and his 9-year-old granddaughter, Cali Reid, of South Carolina, visited the USS Iowa battleship in San Pedro, Calif., where it is now a museum. Nurnberger was serving on the USS Iowa the day the number 2, 16-inch, 50-caliber gun turret exploded on April 19, 1989, killing 47 men. Over the summer, Reid set up a lemonade stand in front... Three veterans U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Bob McCann, U.S. Navy Flight Lieutenant Chuck Evans and U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roy Million spoke at Brevard College last Wednesday on a wide range of topics regarding the military. Paul Morgan, a veteran who moderated the discussion, said the panel had roughly 60 years of military experience. War seems to be a hallmark of human nature, said Morgan, who noted that this month marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Although the United States entered that war late, roughly 120,000 Americans lost their lives in... HITEC Dubai 2018, the Middle Easts largest hospitality technology exhibition and conference, will be inaugurated by Dubai Tourism on 5th December 2018. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - November 19th, 2018 - HITEC Dubai 2018, the Middle Easts largest hospitality technology exhibition and conference, will be inaugurated by Dubai Tourism on 5th December 2018. The annual business-to-business (B2B) exhibition will give Middle East buyers, currently worth over USD 75 billion, access to the worlds leading technology solution providers and experts in the hospitality sector. Commenting on the critical role technology is playing in driving tourism, Issam Kazim, CEO, Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM)stated, Dubai is a global hub of innovation with the ongoing development of technology at the centre of our strategy. Disruptive technologies are creating new opportunities for our industry while reengineering the marketplace, and Dubai is at the forefront of capitalising on these emerging technologies to optimise travellers journey. We will continue our focus on harnessing the power of data to redefine the customer journey whilst strengthening developments of advanced technology solutions as we invest in entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability that sets a new benchmark for global travel. As such, we are delighted to support HITEC Dubai as the tourism sector continues to lead the way when it comes to evolving technology. Dubai Tourism is the destination partner for HITEC Dubai 2018 that will feature regional and international case studies, thought provoking panel discussions and technology demonstrations from 70+ solution and service providers. Co-produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Naseba, the two-day trade show will be held on 5th and 6th December 2018 at the Madinat Jumeirah Dubai. Frank Wolfe CAE, CEO of HFTP, said: Its an honour to receive DTCMs endorsement to HITEC Dubai for the second consecutive year and have their CEO Mr. Issam Kazim lead the shows official opening ceremony. DTCMs support reemphasizes the governments commitment to transform the hospitality industry through proactive adoption of innovative and intuitive technology, and further position the UAE as a regional driver of innovation. Few industries have felt the impact of enabling technology like hospitality. HITEC Dubais Advisory Council Chairperson Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, said, Technology holds the key to a more advanced, sustainable and smart future which is revolutionising the hospitality sector like every other industry. Tech-savvy tourists are demanding more from hotels and therefore it is essential to give them the enhanced experiences they crave. Internet of Things, Cloud Technology, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, etc are all paving the way for the future of technology in the hospitality sector and HITEC Dubai will give be a great platform to see the latest developments transforming our industry. For more information or to register for HITEC Dubai 2018 visit https://www.hitec-dubai.com/ Call Amir Abdin on +971 44 55 7920 or Rouf Hyder Beigh +971 44 55 79 32 ABOUT HFTP Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is a global non-profit hospitality association, headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, that uniquely understands the industrys problems. HFTP has members and stakeholders across the globe. HFTP assists its members in finding solutions to industry problems more efficiently than any organization via its expert networks, research, conferences such as HITEC and certification programs. HFTP also owns the worlds only hospitality specific search engine, PineappleSearch.com. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segment of the hospitality industry. ABOUT NASEBA Naseba offers global business facilitation services. The company creates growth opportunities by bringing together people, partners and ideas. It helps clients raise capital, enter new markets, secure partners, close sales and educate workforces. Nasebas goal is to create opportunity and add economic value at every stage of its clients journey. It does this through three key areas: investor services, commercial services and leadership services. Since inception in 2002, Naseba has facilitated deals totalling billions of dollars for its clients. The company has connected over 100,000 global executives through more than 1,000 proprietary business platforms and is an expert in growth markets. About Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the worlds leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai Tourisms mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai among global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate. Dubai Tourism is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubais tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirates commerce sector, and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the Dubai Tourism portfolio include Dubai Business Events, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. For media contact: Hina Bakht Managing Director EVOPS Marketing & PR Mob: 00971 50 6975146 Tel: 00971 4 566 7355 Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com www.evops-pr.com ### Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : LAURENT A. VOIVENEL, SVP MEA & INDIA, FOR SWISS-BELHOTEL INTERNATIONAL SPEAKS ON QUALITY FUNDAMENTALS AT ASQ MIDDLE EAST AFRICA CONFERENCE Industry: Eco Travel Dubai Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, spoke today on quality fundamentals (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - November 19th, 2018 - Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, spoke today on quality fundamentals at the ASQ Middle East Africa Quality Conference held in Dubai. During his session Laurent highlighted the significant shifts in value in a digital age. Laurent said, Maximizing profit is a common goal for both operators & owners. To reach that goal, quality in every aspect of the business is a must, but quality comes at a price. To maintain theconsistency of the quality of product, standards and service that align with changing consumer preferences and deliver on the brand promise, smart investment is essential. By investing in quality and innovation hotels can position themselves for greater growth and new possibilities in an era of disruption. Elaborating on the significance of quality, Laurent stressed, We live in the times when people are searching for better in everything. The speed of business just keeps accelerating, and disruptions are multiplying. Only quality can help hotels thrive in this environment. Laurent concluded, In our industry quality is critical in satisfying customers and retaining their loyalty. If we do not deliver on customers expectations, they will start looking for alternatives. New technologies have empowered customers to seek and compare the different hotels which is compelling everyone to up their game. And when guests are unhappy, they turn to social media platforms to broadcast their displeasure which can be hugely damaging for a propertys reputation. By creating value for our guests, we can have them come back. For media contact: Hina Bakht Managing Director EVOPS Marketing & PR Mob: 00971 50 6975146 Tel: 00971 4 566 7355 Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com www.evops-pr.com About Swiss-Belhotel International Swiss-Belhotel International currently manages a portfolio of more than 150* hotels, resorts and projects located in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy and Tanzania. Awarded Indonesia's Leading Global Hotel Chain for six consecutive years, Swiss-Belhotel International is one of the world's fastest-growing international hotel and hospitality management groups. The Group provides comprehensive and highly professional development and management services in all aspects of hotel, resort and serviced residences. Offices are located in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. *Numbers may fluctuate For further information visit http://www.swiss-belhotel.com ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release : CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Evops Company: Evops Phone: 45667355 Email: Admin@evops-pr.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 19 Residents, along with some social activists, on Monday burnt the effigy of AAP MLA from Dakha HS Phoolka over his statement on the Army chief regarding the attack on Nirankari Bhawan at Amritsar. Social Activist Sandeep Aggarwal, while leading the protest at Sadbhavna chowk in the city, said the attack in Amritsar had created fear in the minds of residents. But, speaking on the issue, Phoolka had blamed the Army chief for this attack, which was very wrong. They had protested against his statements, he stated. Another activist, Sukhpal Sra, said by giving such statements, some politicians were trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the country. He demanded that a case be registered against Phoolka. The organisations had collectively lodged a complaint with Kotwali police station and had appealed to the police for action in this case, he added. Sanjeev Sharma, Yogesh, Anil Gupta, Ashwani Shukla, Raju Baba, Somnath Mehta, Ramesh Mehta, Mohinder Bansal, Ajay Kumar, Anil Garg and others also took part in the protest. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Tokyo, November 19 Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, one of the worlds best-known businessmen, was reportedly under arrest in Japan on Monday in a shocking fall from grace linked to allegations of financial misconduct. Japans public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets said Ghosn had been arrested after being questioned by Japanese prosecutors for various improprieties, including underreporting his income. Nissan said it had been investigating its chairman for months and would now move to fire him. The news sent shockwaves through the auto industry, where Ghosn is a towering figure who is credited with turning around several major manufacturers and leads an alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office arrested Nissan chairman Ghosn on suspicion of violation of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, NHK said. In a statement, Nissan said it had been conducting a probe into Ghosn for several months after receiving a whistleblower report and had uncovered misconduct going back several years. The Tokyo prosecutors office had no comment on the reports about Ghosn. Mitsubishi also declined comment. Nissan said it had launched an investigation into both Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly several months ago. The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosns compensation, the statement said. Also, in regards to Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered, such as personal use of company assets, and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed. The company said it had provided information to Japanese prosecutors and would propose to the Board of Directors that it promptly remove Ghosn from his positions along with Kelly. The astonishing news first emerged Monday evening, when the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported Ghosn was being questioned by prosecutors and was likely to face arrest. AFP Cost Killer amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, November 18 The ongoing rift with the government is set to play out at the RBIs crucial board meeting on Monday, with the Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team over issues ranging from MSME credit to the central banks reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. While there have been reports and demands from some quarters for the Governor to step down, sources said Patel is unlikely to yield under pressure and will rather mount a strong defence of the central banks policies regarding stringent NPA recognition norms as well as measures taken to ease credit supply to MSMEs. Patel and his four deputies, who all are members of the RBIs 18-member central board, will present a united front, while a few independent directors too are expected to support the central banks mission to clean up bank balance sheets, sources said. The central board, headed by the RBI Governor, is expected to discuss issues mentioned in the agenda circulated to the board members in advance. Off-agenda items can also be raised in the meeting, with the chairs permission. The RBIs central board currently has 18 members, though the provision is that it can go up to 21. The members include Governor Urjit Patel and his four deputies as full-time official directors, while the rest 13 have been nominated by the government, including two Finance Ministry officialsEconomic Affairs Secretary and Financial Services Secretary. Sources said the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are looking to reach at an agreeable solution with respect to relaxation of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework and easing of lending norms for the MSME sector. If not in this board meeting, the issue of relaxation of PCA framework would reach a resolution in the next few weeks, they added. As a result of the relaxation, some banks may come out of the PCA framework by the end of this fiscal. Of the 21 state-owned banks, 11 are under the PCA framework, which imposes lending and other restrictions on weak lenders. These are Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger pointsnamely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). Globally, PCA kicks in only when banks slip on a single parameter of capital adequacy ratio, and the government is in favour of this practice being adopted for the domestic banking sector as well. The RBI is also expected to consider a special dispensation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which have been facing liquidity issues. The government feels that the MSME sectorwhich employs about 12 crore people and plays a critical role in the economyneeds some support after being impacted by demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the central bank has been averse to the governments demand as it considers the sectors to be vulnerable. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity. It is necessary that the growth process does not suffer due to the cleaning up of the banking system from the collectively committed sins during 2008-14 when the regulatory mechanisms also overlooked high debt accumulation, he said. Amid growing tensions with the central bank, the Finance Ministry had sought discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act which empowers the government to issue directions to the RBI Governor. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be potentially catastrophic for the economy. In his first public comments since the spat between the RBI and the Finance Ministry came out in the open, Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy had last week said the stand-off is not a happy thing at all. Gurumurthy, who was appointed to the board of RBI a few months back, had said the capital adequacy ratio prescribed in India is 1 per cent higher than the global Basel norms. He also pitched for easing lending norms for small and medium enterprises, which account for 50 per cent of the countrys GDP. Last month, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch said the RBI Governor should work in sync with the government or resign. The Reserve Bank of India Governor should work in sync with the government or otherwise resign, SJMs co-convener Ashwani Mahajan had said. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Chandigarh, November 19 The mortal remains of Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri (retd), the hero of Laungewala battle during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, were consigned to flames with state and military honours on Monday. Large number of civil and military dignitaries turned up to pay their last respects to Brig Chandpuri, an awardee of Mahavir Chakra, the country's second-highest gallantry award, for his heroic deeds at the Longewala battle, an outpost in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. Western Army Commander Lt Gen Surinder Singh and Chief of Staff Lt Gen P M Bali of the Western Command Headquarters placed wreaths on the body of the departed war hero to pay homage to him. Wreaths were also placed by the veterans of 23 Punjab Regiment, Punjab's ex-servicemen cell and many other military and civil organisations, a defence release said here. Brig Chandpuri, whose heroic deeds during the Laungewala battle inspired the making of the 1977 Bollywood classic, 'Border', died Saturday in a private hospital at Mohali. He was 78. - PTI Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) Chancellor, Central University Kashmir As I write this I have put aside all the recent literature which has appeared in the media by veteran or serving personnel of the civil services and the Army, for I felt that in the aftermath of the unfortunate Bomdila incident, there could only be losers all around, especially the nation; self-justification only exacerbates the already fractious state of the civil-military relations (CMR). The incident is but one issue, it is the post incident handling and the fingers pointed at each other which are another. At the tactical level, this is not the first time it has happened but it is the spat at the leadership level (mostly one-sided) which is new and causing anguish and wonderment about the level of maturity of people who ran or still run our nation. Admittedly, I supported the Commanding Officer (CO) on social media, about his threat to back his men if they were harmed again, because whatever may be the circumstances under which the incident took place, evidence of two soldiers being badly manhandled is there for all to see and that is something no CO worth his salt will ever tolerate. Evidence about all else is sketchy and doubt exists whether any inquiry can impartially establish, with any degree of certainty, what really happened that unfortunate day. Not without the other More than two weeks after the incident, the issue is being stoked without a thought in mind what the end result is going to be. By sheer coincidence, four days after the incident I was invited by the Indian Police Foundation to become a member of the organisation, an honour I gladly accepted. As an Army officer, who is a rare alumnus of Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, I have always held my police counterparts in high esteem, having worked with them in the most challenging circumstances. I have virtually appointed myself as the ambassador of the J&K Police (JKP), having witnessed and experienced the situations under which my officers and men have received its support and extended the same to it. The Army and the police in J&K are almost one body. The day this changes, we would have lost the moral and physical dominance we enjoy over the adversary. Many a time I have remarked that as soldiers we still have breaks from active operations in J&K and come back with higher responsibility; deserving breaks which may see stress and strain but never of the same intensity. It is the men and officers of the JKP (including outstanding IPS officers) who continuously battle the odds from appointment to appointment and location to location. No member of the political community has to ever advise us on the necessity of mutual respect; it is self-realisation which remains at the fore. I must have been bailed out from some very difficult situations by the JKP and I would have inevitably ensured that the Armys support would always be there for the JKP and its ranks in the most impossible situations. Happens everywhere, every time When inter-force problems arise at the tactical level, it takes one positive gesture to start the process of defusing but when ego remains in place, the situation will only fester. Ask any manager of conflict and he will give you the same response. The ability to step back, take a deep breath, visualise the end result and seek ways of retraction comes from the experience most senior officers possess; confrontation ultimately resolves nothing and only creates more problems for the future. However, the state of CMR has now come to such a pass that none seem to be capable of any visualisation of what this could lead to. A perception, carried by military personnel at all ranks, alludes to the existence in government circles of a campaign to show the military its place, so to say. It happens everywhere, in diplomatic missions abroad, in places where military officers are required to work in tandem with civil services in institutions within the country and even within the service headquarters, where some civilian counterparts attempt to dominate. With a weak understanding of the role of the military in nation building and an existent sense of mistrust, right up the chain, no opportunity appears to be spared to paint red the olive green uniform. National interest above all Inter-government service rivalry at lower levels can be expected but surely at apex levels the larger picture and national interest has to prevail through the expected maturity which goes with the higher appointments. Which is why it is surprising that civil services associations have got themselves involved in a matter which, at best, should have been handled by the Armys local division commander and the divisional commissioner. The mutual disdain that the civil services and the military appear to have for each other is not exclusively Indias reserve; I have seen it even in mature democracies and even in the UN missions, but there, at higher levels, refrain is mostly in place through effective communication, a deficit which seems to exist within our system. The effect this deficit has on motivation and morale at lower levels is palpable with loss of their confidence in the senior military leadership, which inevitably is torn between the need for service ethos of strict discipline and defending the turf. In the current case, the senior Army leadership appeared to have done the right thing in not going public, something the civil services themselves should have avoided. However, this is now beyond the stage of who is right and who is wrong. If the larger issue of CMR appears beyond repair, it is incumbent on the part of the political authority to exercise itself more forcefully. It cannot allow the state of relations to drift. A CMR commission may be without precedence in any other country but such a body, or even a standing committee, to provide institutional support to the expression of genuine grievances and recommend ways of better cooperation may actually assist the government in more ways than one. It is not for nothing that in several veteran social media groups, involving personalities from the civil services and the armed forces, there is utter dismay at the state of things. Can that response jump ahead a few years into the domain of those serving the nation? There will still be more Bomdilas which will occur but their handling at the apex level will need to be shorn off the awkward response we have witnessed this time. Ajai Sahni Ajai Sahni Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management Irrespective of who wins the current elections in Chhattisgarh, the Maoists have already lost, particularly in Bastar division, one of their last strongholds. In a resounding vote for democracy, and an explicit and courageous rejection of the CPI-Maoists call for a boycott of what they described as a farzi election process, the voter turnout in eight districts across 18 Assembly seats averaged as much as 76.28 per cent. Crucially, the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh was intended to address some of the countrys worst left wing extremist (LWE) affected districts. Bastar has long been dominated by Maoist activities and has been the principal haven for its leadership since the progressive loss of areas of dominance in the Telangana region of then Andhra Pradesh through the early 2000s. Since the last Assembly elections in 2013, Bastar has accounted for 929 LWE-linked fatalities 98.41 per cent recorded in Chhattisgarh, and 43.95 per cent of the 2,114 fatalities recorded across the country in this period (South Asia Terrorism Portal data, till November 12, 2018). Significantly, of the 18 Assembly constituencies in Bastar, nine registered a voter turnout of over 80 per cent (Dongargaon constituency with 85.15 per cent, recorded the highest polling). Just three constituencies recorded a vote of less than 74 per cent. These, significantly, are the worst affected by Maoist violence. Of them, Bijapur constituency recorded the lowest turnout, at 47.35 per cent, and has seen 244 Maoist-linked fatalities since 2013 and has already recorded 57 killed this year (till November 12). Similarly, Sukma district, which recorded 321 fatalities since 2013, and has already counted 67 killed this year, saw its Konta constituency register an astonishing 55.3 per cent voter turnout higher than what would be the average for most urban constituencies in peaceful states. As in the past, the Maoists had called for a boycott and violent incidents, intended to intimidate the population and to disrupt security arrangements for the electoral exercise, continued through the 38 days from the announcement of the schedule on October 6 and the vote on November 12. At least seven civilians and nine SF personnel were killed in 15 lethal attacks during this period. Significantly, at least 14 Maoists were killed in operations during this time. It is clear that the Maoists have lost credibility and that democracy, with all its imperfections, is more in line with the aspirations of the people in regions where rebels have long claimed to represent popular will a myth that has won great favour with elements within the intellectual classes and even among the strategic community in this country. Indeed, even during the last Assembly elections in 2013, when the Maoists had threatened to cut off fingers if people voted, the turnout in Bastar was a high 75.93 per cent. For decades now, poorly informed commentators have projected movements of armed violence in India particularly Maoist rebellion as some sort of inchoate expression of the popular will of the people, an incipient version of the peoples democracy the Maoists promise, against the fake democracy of the parliamentary system. The truth is, once guns enter the equation, claims to popular support (on both sides) become unverifiable. People go along with the side that threatens greater violence or offers the greatest protection. Despite the capacities of the state and its agencies, and their many aberrations, state violence is exercised under significantly greater constraints than the violence of rebel formations and their kangaroo courts. It is not difficult to simulate the manifestation of popular support through acts of demonstrative cruelty, an art the Maoists have mastered well in their areas of dominance. The Maoist choice of violence does not flow from any evident superiority of their so-called peoples democracy a notion that has been left entirely undefined, and that has collapsed into arbitrary tyrannies wherever Maoist or Marxist-Leninist power has been established; nor does it flow from a long experience of seeking, and failing to address, problems through constitutional democratic processes; it is, rather, an ideological given, an end and a good in itself. Apart from a tiny core of the top leadership, it is not the Maoist ideology that inspires or provokes people to join the movement. It is, rather, frustration with the democratic states inability to meet the least of their aspirations; or it is the complete absence of choice in areas where the state has abdicated or failed to fulfil its duties, and where the Maoists have established their transient dominance. When the movement begins to lose ground, much of the Maoist recruitment becomes progressively coercive, even as large numbers abandon rebel camps to return home or to surrender. Another reality is that such violent formations are quickly de-legitimised by defeat. The Maoists have been taking a beating over at least the past six years and have lost their capacities for disruption and violence in most areas of past dominance. Small pockets in poorly connected regions, mostly dense forest, remain a challenge, but the time when the Maoists would put up improvised checkpoints along many principal roads and extort taxes from travellers are long gone. The Maoists have openly declared themselves the enemies of democracy, and are not alone in this hostility. While armed LWE constitutes a significant threat to the stability of the system in shrinking areas of the country, the gravest threats come from extremist ideologies that seek to subvert the system from within. The voter turnout in Bastar is a demonstration and a warning to movements of fascism, both Left and Right, that they do not reflect the will of the people, in particular the most marginalised and impoverished (Bastar is among the poorest regions of the country, though this profile is changing). Indias faith remains in its constitutional democracy; the powers that seek its subversion will be rejected, again and again. shalender@tribune.com Tribune News Service| New Delhi, November 18 A two-year-old homeless girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a man, who later dumped her near the tracks of Old Delhi Railway Station. The accused, a 24-year-old drug addict, identified as Anil, was arrested today morning, police said on Sunday. The girl is said to have been kidnapped by the accused on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday while she was sleeping with her mother on a footpath at north Delhis Kotwali . It was around 2.30 am on Saturday the woman woke up to find her daughter missing and started looking for her. She approached police around 10 am the same day following which a kidnapping case was registered. On Saturday, the police learnt that a baby girl had been admitted to a hospital in central Delhi and subsequently, she was identified as the one who was kidnapped from Kotwali. The child was rescued by a team of police personnel. Upon enquiry, it was confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted and had to undergo a surgery for her injuries. The police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage in the area. Thereafter, a trap was laid at several temples and gurdwara where street dwellers usually go for food to nab the accused. As per the police, the accused used to collect garbage for a living and also worked as a waiter during wedding season. Three months ago, he was arrested in a theft case in Haridwar. Despite a law, no rapist given death in Delhi DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, who met the child in the hospital, said no rapist of children have been sentenced to death till date despite a law for death penalty to rapists of children enforced following her fast. This has failed to instil fear among criminals and deter sexual crimes, she added. PM @narendramodi ji's cabinet promised during my Anshan that within 3 months they will increase police resources, accountability & fast track courts so that rapists shall be given death within 6 months. I broke my fast on this promise. Till date, nothing done by Centre. Shameful! she tweeted. uttara@tribuneindia.com Washington, November 19 A prominent Indian-origin professor in the US has been accused of exploiting his students as servants and compelling them to do his personal work, an American daily has claimed. Ashim Mitra, a longtime pharmacy professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, made his students tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away, the Kansas City Star reported. According to the paper, over Mitras 24 years as a leader in the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants, a charge dismissed by him. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events, it said quoting nearly a dozen former students of Mitra. Former Indian student Kamesh Kuchimanchi told the daily that he considered his life at UMKC nothing more than modern slavery. He alleged that Mitra exploited cultural kinship with students from India.When Kuchimanchi once told Mitra he wouldnt be a servant, he threatened to kick me out of the university and force me to lose my visa and lose everything. That was his ammo. Either fall in line or you would be thrown out. You didnt want to be in that situation where you have to go back home empty-handed. One of his colleagues, Mridul Mukherji, who is also from India, is suing Mitra and university officials. He filed two related lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Courtone in 2016 and one in 2018, the report said. The lawsuits claim that Mitra mistreated vulnerable foreign students and that the university retaliated against Mukherji when he complained. According to allegations in pending litigation, the university not only knew about Mitras behaviour, but also overlooked complaints for years because Mitra was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. Court documents obtained by the daily show that after one colleague filed a formal complaint, the university investigated, but the probe involved talking to only one student. In a statement to the daily through his attorney, Mitra said: Over the years, I have invited graduate students to my home where they have done work related to their courses of study, and at times eaten meals prepared by my wife. I have not required anyone to perform chores unrelated to their studies. I do not understand the suggestion that anyone was concerned with their visas being at risk. I have worked with over 60 graduate students attending UMKC on F1 (study) visas, and I am not aware of any of those students having their visa status challenged or revoked, he said. Another former student told the daily that students feared the repercussions if they refused Mitra. They were so afraid of not graduating, said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear that Mitra could undermine her career. She said students complained to one another privately. Because he had the prestige, he could influence people. He could make things happen. For that reason, they were reluctant to come forward. So were most of Mitras pharmacy school colleagues, she was quoted as saying by the daily. PTI editorial@tribune.com Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurugram, November 19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a scathing attack on the previous Congress government over the delayed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway project, terming it a case study of how public money was wasted. He said this while inaugurating the 83-km stretch of KMP eway, also known as Western Peripheral Expressway, and the Rs580-crore 3.2-km elevated stretch of the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro through video-conferencing from Sultanpur village in the district. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola village in Palwal district. The expressway was to be used in the Delhi Commonwealth Games (in 2010). But what they (previous regime) did to Commonwealth Games (in an apparent reference to CWG scam), the same story became true for this expressway, he said. Modi said atkane aur latkane wali sanskriti (the culture of creating obstacles and delaying works) had made the people of Haryana and Delhi-NCR suffer. The expressway project was conceived at an estimated cost of Rs1,200 crore but, due to delay, the cost trebled. It should have been completed and dedicated to people eight to nine years ago, but it did not happen. The way previous regimes functioned, it took 12 years for the expressway to get completed, the PM said. After the NDA government came to power in 2014, the Centre and the state government had engaged regularly to ensure the project was completed soon, Modi said. He further said that during his government, 33,000-km highways had been constructed at a cost of more than Rs3 lakh crore. The number of highways constructed in the last four years is much more than the number constructed by the previous government in seven-and-a-half years. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Mondays rally had set the ball rolling for the 2019 General Election. He claimed the BJP would return to power with 350 seats. Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh urged the PM to start the Lok Sabha campaign from south Haryana as he had fulfilled all promises made to ex-servicemen. Rally sidelights rchopra@tribunemail.com Gurugram, November 19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) western peripheral expressway. He also inaugurated the 3.2 km-long Ballabhgarh-Mujesar Metro rail link, which would facilitate travel for people of Delhi and Faridabad, and laid the foundation stone of the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, which will come up at Dudhola in Palwal district. The inaugurations and foundation-laying stone ceremonies were done through remote from Sultanpur village of this district. The Prime Minister, on his arrival at Sultanpur village in this district, went around a visual art exhibition pertaining to the KMP project. Modi was briefed by the officials about the project. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh, who is a Gurugram MP, and Birender Singh. Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya was also present on the occasion. Earlier this year, Manesar to Palwal stretch of the KMP, whose entire length is 135.65 km, was opened for public, Khattar said on the occasion. A sum of Rs 6,400 crore had been spent on the expressway project and 3,846 acres of land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore, a Haryana government spokesperson said. The length of the stretch from Kundli to Manesar is over 83 km. This stretch would have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpass or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, thus helping in reducing pollution. Besides, the project will also provide high-speed link between northern Haryana and southern districts and give uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, especially commercial traffic, from Haryana to neighbouring states. The BJP government in Haryana has blamed the previous Congress government of delay in the KMP project. The Prime Minister inaugurated the Rs 580 crore Metro link in Sultanpur village in the district. Ballabhgarh becomes the fourth city in Haryana to get metro connectivity after Gurugram, Faridabad and Bahadurgarh. The skill university will come up over an area of 82.5 acres at a cost of Rs 989 crore. 'Endangering lives' The Congress on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of endangering the lives of commuters by inaugurating an "incomplete" expressway in Haryana for quick publicity during elections. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order an inquiry and get the KMP Expressway completed first. "PM Modi and CM Khattar are endangering the lives of thousands of commuters by illegally and forcibly inaugurating an incomplete KMP Expressway today. "Will Modi-Khattar duo answer - No testing of KMP by engineers, illegally called as Partial COD (Commercial Operation Day); 3rd party consultant has refused to give 'completion certificate' and even HSIIDC refused to own responsibility for any mishap. "Are you risking commuter lives only for quick publicity in the middle of elections and to benefit the private operator by Rs 26 crore a month (sic). Modiji, you should cancel the inauguration, order an enquiry and get the KMP completed," he said in a series of tweets. Earlier in the day, the prime minister inaugurated the Kundli-Manesar section of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Western Peripheral Expressway and blamed the previous Congress government in Haryana for the delay in its completion. Earlier this year, the Manesar-to-Palwal stretch of the KMP Expressway, the entire length of which is 135.65 km, was opened for the public, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on the occasion. The length of the Kundli-Manesar stretch of the expressway is over 83 km. This stretch will have 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpasses or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas. The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, thus helping in reducing pollution. PTI editorial@tribune.com Dipender Manta Tribune News Service Mandi, November 19 Director General of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has inspected the ongoing work on the Rohtang tunnel. Lieutenant General Harpal Singh, Director General of the BRO, said the work had been progressing at an accelerated pace. He said the project authorities had managed to fix the Seri Nullah fault zone and the water inflow in the tunnel by completing the crucial reprofiling and heading works in the nullah. The critical deep invert works were being undertaken in the nullah fault zone under a temporary bridge. It is only due to the perseverance, hard work and sound technical acumen that the works have progressed successfully, he added. He appreciated the efforts of BRO officials and gave valuable directions to expedite the activities during winters from the south portal side. He said the Rohtang tunnel had become the lifeline for people of the Lahaul valley, which had played a major role in September to evacuate a large number of stranded persons and tourists from the Lahaul valley, when untimely heavy snowfall had blocked Rohtang. The complete tunnel works are regularly monitored by the Director General to ensure timely decision-making and support to meet the requirements. The BRO will dedicate the tunnel to the nation in time, he said. uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service Jammu, November 19 Former Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra and his wife Usha Vohra have expressed their condolences over the death of ex-chief secretary of the state Mohammad Iqbal Khanday. In a condolence message, former Governor and his wife conveyed their grief to Mohammad Iqbal Khandays wife. The former bureaucrat, the first IAS officer from Kashmir to be appointed chief secretary of the state, passed away after a long battle with cancer at SKIMS Soura in Srinagar on Sunday night. Khanday had worked with Vohra during the period of Governors Rule before Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds coalition government took over, the message read. They (Mrs and Mr Vohra) have prayed to the Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace. A direct recruit IAS officer of 1978 batch, Iqbal Khandey was born on November 15, 1955. He served on various key positions before being appointed as Chief Secretary in February, 2013. He has also been principal secretary to the former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Funeral prayers will be held at Friends Enclave graveyard near Srinagar airport at 4 pm on Monday. rchopra@tribunemail.com Jammu, November 19 Train traffic resumed in the city on Monday, two days after its suspension due to blockade by agitating farmers in Punjab near Dasua, a senior railway official said. The track was cleared for operations on Sunday night, he said, adding that two trains left for their destinations late at night. The train traffic was resumed. Several trains have left for their destinations, the official told PTI. The farmers blocked rail tracks to protest against the non-payment of sugarcane dues by the Punjab government. Due to blockade by the agitating farmers on the Jalandhar-Pathankot section, five trains from Jammu to different destinations remained cancelled on Sunday, causing inconvenience to commuters for the second consecutive day. Hemkund Express from Katra to Rishikesh, Uttar Sampark Kranti from Katra to Delhi, Shalimar Express from Jammu Tawi to Delhi, Pooja Express from Jammu to Old Delhi and AC Special from Udhampur to Old Delhi remained cancelled as they had not reached their destinations on Sunday. Due to cancellation of these trains, hundreds of commuters could not reach their destinations and they either had to arrange for some alternative for transportation or abandon their journey. However, Shalimar Express from Jammu Tawi to Delhi and Gareeb Rath from Jammu Tawi to Kar Godam in Uttarakhand, which were earlier cancelled, were restored. As many as 13 Jammu trains were cancelled and 12 others were diverted, while short-termination and short-origination was ordered for seven trains, causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters, including Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims on Saturday. PTI editorial@tribune.com Jasmine Singh Jawa Motorcycles launches its new range of 300 cc bike; three variants and a special price, the news made all the Jawa fans make a dash to the showroom in the city to take a closer look at how the bike would now look like! Mean machine Aditya Singh and Anmolak Brar, Jawa fans from Mohali, havent seen the new model but they have a fair idea of what the bike looks like. Pictures have been circulating on the social media for quite some time now, so we know how it looks like. In fact, we think both are similar. The original model came in 1970s and the new one looks something like a vintage model, echo the two. Harpreet Singh Gill, founder member of Jawa Yezdi Club, Chandigarh, spent the entire weekend admiring the new models, The new model has a European feel and design; it is way ahead of its times. Harpreet shares that almost 15 riders from his club have booked the new bike. And I am also in line. As far as the pricing is concerned, the entry-level Jawa Forty Two is priced at Rs. 1.55 lakh while the retro-looking Jawa is priced at Rs 1.64 lakh (both ex-showroom, Delhi). The company has also unveiled the factory custom Jawa Perak priced at Rs 1.89 lakh. Fan club Fans feel the mean machine cannot be compared to any other existing high-end brand. I had gone numb when I had to say bye to Jawa Yezdi, Amanbir Sandhu, data analyst, shares how he had to literally beg somebody from Tatanagar to sell him the bike at whatever cost he quoted almost five years back. I could have dug a knife in his heart had we not struck a deal, laughs Amanbir, who is planning to buy one of the variant for sure. For those who do not know, even Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor fell in love with the bike while shooting for his debut film Ishaqzaade. In one of his interviews, he said he had gone crazy cruising on the bike throughout the shoot! Not only this, Amitabh Bachchan rode a Jawa in Parvarish, Shah Rukh Khan in Kabhi Han Kabhi Na; the bike was recently seen in the Punjabi film Bambukat too. In the world of Hayabusa and Harley Davidson, this might be a fuel-guzzler but fans cannot care less! Rajnish Sharma calls his affair with Jawa as an eternal one. Everything about a Yezdi is pure nostalgia, and the new models are no less; they are like the futuristic machines, I like the solid metal body and the throaty roar. jasmine@tribunemail.com editorial@tribune.com Ludhiana: The police division 5 have arrested the driver of a Punjab Roadways bus and recovered 4-kg poppy husk from him. The accused has been identified as Rachpal Singh, a resident of Ferozepur. Investigating officer ASI Baldev Singh said a tip-off was received that the driver had gone to Delhi and when he returned on Saturday, he brought narcotics along. During a checking, poppy husk was recovered from him. The police have launched further probe to inquire about the links of the driver with drug smugglers. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. CCTVs at MCs accounts, audit branches soon The civic body will install CCTV cameras for security at its audit and accounts branches at MCs Zone-A office, near Mata Rani Chowk, soon. After installation of the cameras, the MC branches would remain under direct vigil of the MC chief. The civic body on Saturday floated tenders to invite bids for installation of 10 CCTV cameras and required equipment at estimated cost of nearly Rs2 lakh. Sources said the commissioner ordered for the installation of the cameras at these branches. An official said under integration cameras viewing and connecting system, the branches can be monitored from the commissioners offices at Zone A and D. He said the cameras would help in the security of record and in checking activities at these branches. The civic body had invited bids for 1o IP cameras with digital face recognition, line crossing and intrusion detection technology as per the tenders. Earlier, some cameras were also installed at the MCs Zone-D office. Executive Engineer Balwinder Singh said the tenders have been floated for the installation of the cameras at two branches. The bids would be open on November 27. Woman held with heroin The Salem Tabri police have arrested a women and recovered 5-gram heroin from her. The accused has been identified as Deso, a resident of Salem Tabri. Investigating officer ASI Jawala Prashad said after a receiving a tip-off about the woman, a naka was laid at Jalandhar bypass, where after intercepting the woman, she was stopped for checking. During the checking of her belongings, drugs were recovered from her. Suicide: Woman, kin booked The city police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against the wife of deceased and her kin. The deceased has been identified as Inderjeet Singh. The accused booked in the case are deceaseds wife Jyoti, her mother Sarabjit Kaur, kin Suman, Deepu and Kulwinder. Deceaseds brother Sonu told the police that the accused used to torture his brother. The deceased got married to Jyoti six months ago only. His wife wanted him to stay at her parents house, but he was not agreeing, due to which his wife and her parents were torturing him. On Saturday evening, the deceased went to his room and committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan. He also left behind a suicide note, on the basis of which the police have registered an abetment of suicide case. The accused are yet to be arrested. TNS rchopra@tribunemail.com Lucknow, November 19 A minor boy was shot dead in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh around midnight during a religious congregation, police said on Monday. The 14-year-old was part of the crowd that had gathered to hear the Bhagwad Katha. He died on the spot after being hit by a bullet that was apparently shot to kill Kans in the act being enacted on the stage. Senior police officials rushed to the crime scene at Bhaduiya Math village. An official told IANS that it had been decided that the dummy of Kans hanging on a tree near the temple--venue of the congregation, would be shot and killed. Pradeep who was watching the show was, however, shot in the chest in the firing that ensued. He was rushed to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Sanjay Kumar, additional superintendent of police (ASP), said a probe had been ordered and the body sent for post-mortem. Many people die every year in Uttar Pradesh in celebratory firing during weddings and incidents like this. There is a ban on such firing but the law implementation is poor, an official averred. IANS pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, November 19 India will go ahead with the construction of much-required strategic roads and permanent integrated buildings along the Indo-China border in Arunanchal Pradesh and Sikkim as part of a critical infrastructure project worth Rs 25,000 crore. The crucial decision, approved by the High-Level Empowered Committee (HLEC) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, is slated to be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) shortly, along with other border-related projects in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The decision to fast-track the construction of roads and other critical infrastructure on the Chinese border assumes significance as it is happening at a time when India is looking to fend off the dragons threat on its north-eastern border. The final blueprint envisages construction of 19 roads, 29 permanent integrated buildings and other critical infrastructure along the Indo-China border in Arunachal and Sikkim. The critical infrastructure will come up in a mountainous and rugged terrain, a challenging task for the executing agency. The job also involves construction of two-metre wide roads, sources in the government said. Some issues involving forest and wildlife clearance and land acquisition have been resolved now and project will soon be executed at a faster pace, the sources added. Besides, the executing agency will also take up fencing and road construction work along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. There will also be 18 coastal border outposts in Gujarat to strengthen the vigil along the coastline. IANS rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, November 19 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a meeting here to review the national security situation in the aftermath of Sundays grenade attack in Amritsar that killed three people. The Minister met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing chief Anil Kumar Dhasmana and other senior Ministry officials, a day after assuring Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of strong action against those responsible for the attack. Over a dozen people suffered injuries when two masked motorcycle-borne attackers threw a grenade at a prayer meeting at the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan at Adliwal village in Rajasansi area. IANS editorial@tribune.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 Facing strong anti-incumbency and trouble within, the BJP is banking on booth-level micromanagement and committed cadres of ideological fountainhead RSS to see it through seemingly difficult elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and to an extent also Chhattisgarh. The party is also hoping that the time tested appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take care of the visible fatigue among voters to some extent. BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday again reminded voters in Madhya Pradesh, where Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan is facing a 15-year anti-incumbency, that the Opposition was suffering from the Narendra Modi phobia. Chouhan recently had a firsthand experience of their anger when upset voters confronted his wife Sadhna Singh during a door-to-door campaigning in his constituency Budhni. But while Chouhan appears to be placed better so far as his relationship with the RSS in its garh (bastion), his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje, who despite suffering from a lesser degree of anti-incumbency, appears to be at a disadvantageous position with the sangh factor. Roots of the RSS run deep in MP where the Congress virtually committed a self goal by referring to it in its manifesto and giving Chouhan a leg-up. Raje has no such advantage in Rajasthan where the sangh cadres too are believed to be unhappy with her. As the BJP approaches its most crucial phase in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it is depending on micro-management at the booth level through tried-and-tested methodology of panna pramukhs. The methodology forms the backbone of any saffron election. Party leaders are confident of coordination between the BJP and sangh affiliates like the VHP, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the ABVP is keeping the momentum in their favour. BJP-RSS is very adept at micro-management at the booth level. The cadre knows voters and shares a personal rapport with them. This helps in getting them to the booth on the election day and ironing any personal grievances they may have against the party or leaders, they explain. amansharma@tribunemail.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, November 19 The issue of granting reservations in educational institutions and government jobs for the Maratha community in Maharashtra has now landed before the courts. The Bombay High Court is expected to hear several petitions on the matter on Wednesday. A petitioner, Vinod Patil who was seeking reservations for the Maratha community, mentioned the matter before Judge B P Dharmadhikari of the Bombay High Court and sought an urgent hearing. The court has posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday. Petitions for and against reservations for the Marathas were filed before the Bombay High Court in 2014 and 2015 shortly after the Congress-NCP government issued an ordinance allowing 16 per cent reservations for the community. The HC had passed an interim order staying reservations for the Marathas on the grounds that the limit of 50 per cent reservations ordered by the Supreme Court had been breached. Subsequently, Patil and others had moved the court seeking reservations for the community on the grounds that most of its members were socio-economically and educationally backward. The HC had then asked the State Backward Class Commission to issue a report on the status of the Maratha community and whether its members needed reservations. With the Commission recommending reservation for the Marathas, the Maharashtra assembly is poised to pass the legislation granting quotas in educational instutitions and government jobs on the grounds that the community is sociologically, economically and educationally backward. The High Court today asked the Maharashtra government to file its response to the petition seeking reservations for the Maratha community along with the report of the State Backward Class Commission in the matter. harinder@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 The infighting in the CBI today turned uglier with yet another senior officer moving the Supreme Court, accusing NSA Ajit Doval, Union Minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC KV Chowdhury of attempting to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Manish Kumar Sinha, who was investigating Asthana and the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi and was transferred to Nagpur, also alleged that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra had contacted Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana complainant in the case against Asthana while the proceedings were on in the CVC against the CBI Director, Alok Verma. The NSA and the CVC were not available for comment. Minister Chaudhary called it baseless and malicious. Chandra too denied the allegations as false and concocted. I do not know this person, he told The Tribune. The CBI had booked Asthana for allegedly receiving bribe from an accused, Manoj Prasad, probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. He was divested of his duties and sent on leave, along with CBI Director Alok Verma. Both have challenged the government decision in the SC. On Monday, Verma filed his response to the CVC report of inquiry against him in a sealed cover. His petition would be taken up tomorrow. In his plea before the SC, Sinha a 2000-batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre has challenged his transfer to Nagpur. Sinhas plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi that refused to accept it. His counsel Sunil Fernandes said his client had "got some shocking revelations" in his petition and requested the Bench to take it up tomorrow, along with Vermas petition. But the Bench wasnt impressed. Nothing shocks us, said the CJI and asked Fernandes to be there during the hearing of Verma's plea against the Centres decision to divest him of duties and sending him on leave. monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, November 19 Chatbots will now help air travellers in addressing their grievances, as the government on Monday launched an upgraded version of AirSewa digital platform. Besides, passengers can have access to real-time flight status and schedule for both domestic and international flights, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. AirSewa 2.0, the upgraded version of the web portal and mobile app, provides chatbot support for faster resolution and personalised traveller experience. Also, passengers can sign up using their Facebook and Google accounts. Generally, chatbots are computer programmes that interacts with people through audio or text messages. The AirSewa portal and mobile app were launched in November 2016. Since the launch, AirSewa 1.0 has helped resolve significant number of air passenger concerns, as per the ministry. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu formally launched the upgraded version of AirSewa here. Around 12,000 complaints have been dealt with through AirSewa, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said. "It is very very scalable and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven," he noted. India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. The ministry also said that AirSewa would help the government capture air travellers' feedback for policy interventions PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to November 26 the hearing on former Congress MP Ehsan Jafris widow Zakia Jafris petition challenging the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi--who was the chief minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots--and others and exonerating them of allegations of a larger conspiracy behind the riots. A Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkarwhich had on November 13 deferred the hearing as it needed to go through the petition in detailtook it up for hearing. Ehsan Jafri and 68 others were killed by a mob that attacked Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002 during the riots that broke out following the Godhra train carnage that claimed the lives of 58 kar sevaks. Alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots, Zakia had in 2006 demanded registration of a criminal case against the then Gujarat chief minister Modi, some ministers and bureaucrats. The Supreme Court had in 2008 ordered the state government to re-investigate nine major riots cases, including the Gulberg massacre. The Supreme Court had in April 2009 asked the SIT to look into her complaint. During the probe, the SIT had examined Modi in March 2012 and submitted a closure report in 2013, saying there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations against Modi. The Gujarat High Court had in October last year upheld the clean chit given to Modi and 58 others by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court. Zakias petition has now challenged the SITs findings and a magistrates order accepting its closure report filed in 2012. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, November 19 The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the CBI to proceed with its further investigation into the rape allegation against self-styled preacher Daati Maharaj and file its report before a trial court here. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao, which had earlier asked the agency to submit the inquiry report to it, clarified that it should be filed before the magistrate who is dealing with the matter. The court's clarification on filing of report came after the preacher's counsel submitted that as per the CrPC, the investigation/inquiry report has to be filed before the trial court and not the high court. "We deem it appropriate to direct the CBI to proceed with the inquiry and file the report before the magistrate who shall proceed in accordance with the law," the bench said. The high court disposed of the plea of the alleged victim, filed through advocate Pradeep Tiwari, seeking a CBI investigation into the matter and arrest of the accused. It also asked the parties and the CBI counsel to appear before the magistrate on November 26 for further directions. The high court had earlier transferred the probe in the rape case against Daati from Delhi Police to the CBI. The preacher had filed a petition seeking review of the court's decision transferring the rape probe to the CBI. The court, however, had dismissed the plea on November 14. The court had said the investigation was handed over to the CBI "after going through the charge sheet in detail" and after considering the plea moved by the "victim herself". The preacher had contended that the CBI had started a fresh investigation in the case which was not permitted. Dealing with the argument, the court had said it had directed only for further investigation by the CBI and not a de novo (fresh) probe. On October 3, the high court had said the manner in which the probe was carried out by police "casts a shadow on the investigation" as it did not arrest the accused in the case even after recording the complainant's statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The preacher's plea against the October 3 order was initially filed in the Supreme Court which had asked him to approach the high court with his grievance. The CBI had earlier submitted before the high court its status report on the probe in a sealed cover. The agency had registered a case of rape and unnatural sex against Daati on October 26. The complainant's plea was earlier being heard by a single judge bench of the high court, but was transferred to the division bench after a PIL on the issue was filed. A complaint was filed against Daati Madan Lal alias Daati Maharaj on June 7 and an FIR was registered on June 11. On June 22, police questioned the accused, who has been charged with rape of a disciple at his ashrams in Delhi and Rajasthan. The accused has claimed that he was being framed. The complainant has filed the case against the preacher, his three brothers and a woman at Fatehpur Beri police station in South Delhi. The case was later transferred to the crime branch. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Raipur, November 19 All arrangements have been made for the second and final phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections to be held in 72 seats of 19 districts on Tuesday amid tight security, with the deployment of over one lakh police personnel. The fate of nine ministers, Assembly Speaker and some other prominent leaders of the ruling BJP as well as of the Congress will be decided in the polls. In the first phase, polling was held in 18 seats of eight Naxal-affected districts on November 12. Eyeing a fourth consecutive term, the BJP has set a target of winning 65 plus seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the Congress is seeking to end its 15-year exile from power in the tribal-dominated state. The coalition between the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former Chief Minister Ajit Jogis Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) has added a twist to the poll battle. Over one lakh security personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling, a police official said. During the poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and other senior saffron party leaders targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his family. The Congress, however, raised farmers issues during the poll campaign. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Manama, November 19 The Bahrain government is likely to sign an agreement with India early next year for cooperation in space technology, a Bahraini minister has said. In February next year, the Gulf nation, hopefully, will sign a pact with Indian space agency ISRO for training and research purposes, Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications, Bahrain, said. The national science and space agency (Bahrain) and ISRO will sign an MoU. It has been approved by the Bahrain government and is in its final stage. And hopefully, I will be in India shortly, maybe in the next air show in February to sign the MoU, the minister, who also holds the space portfolio, said. The agreement would be mainly for training purposes and both countries would cooperate on research and technology, he added. It is just a starting point. The government will send some Bahrainis to be trained in India from January for eight weeks...to study how they can design and build satellites, Mohammed said. Bahrain is also looking to forge closer economic ties with India to attract investment and tech companies. We are in continuous discussion with the private sector, CII and Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) which is the government agency to promote Bahrain and attract foreign direct investment, and India is one of the important markets for EDB. It has an office there. There will be a delegation there in December, the minister said. He said India is an important market and it would become one of the superpowers in terms of economy. On investment from India, he said: I believe Indian companies are becoming bigger, they are expanding outside of India and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries offer them the best opportunity. We are focusing more on technology and knowledge-based industry and services. India is an important business partner for Bahrain, and the kingdom is keen to further strengthen the relations with the private sector in India. Trade relationship between the two countries also prompted many Indians to set up their businesses there. Located at the heart of the Middle East, Bahrain is the natural gateway to the Gulf region, with strong, efficient and cost-effective pan-GCC transport links and direct access to Saudi Arabiathe regions largest market, Bahraini officials said. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Lucknow, November 19 An Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister said on Monday that once a Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, it would restore the glorious history of the town, asserting that the public sentiment across the country was in favour of building it. Whether it is the government or any other institution (in the country), everyone must respect the public sentiment. And, the public sentiment, which is prevailing across the country, wants that the construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya must begin at the earliest, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary told PTI in an interview here. As soon as a grand Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, it will restore the glorious history of Ayodhya. Subsequently, lakhs of tourists will visit the place and it will eventually give a boost to tourism in the temple town, the state religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, Muslim waqf and Haj minister said. Claiming that the entire world was keeping a watch over the developments, Chaudhary affirmed that the country owes its identity to Lord Ram. He said the aim of the recently-organised Deepotsav in Ayodhya was to send a message across the globe that people should learn a lesson from the life of the Maryada Purushottam, who made India a global superpower. Lord Ram is a personality, which is incomparable--be it as a son or a warrior. Lord Ram is our role model...It was due to Lord Ram that India became a global superpower, Chaudhary said. The minister claimed that during the Mughal rule, British rule and even after decades of Independence, no attention was paid for the development of Ayodhya. He said, It was only after Yogi Adityanath became the UP Chief Minister that attention was paid for the beautification of Ayodhya and to enhance its grandeur. In the last 100 years, no work was done for development of Ayodhya and it was virtually left to its own fate. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, November 19 Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday that India must lead in reviving internationalism and stay ahead in the globalised world by handling its diversity and having an innate cosmopolitan temperament. In an apparent criticism of the present government, he said Indias success is its pluralist democracy, which celebrates diversity rather than equate unity with monochromatic dispensations, and the more narrowly the country seeks to define its identity the less capacity it will have in dealing with a globalising world. Singh was speaking after receiving the prestigious Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development for the year 2017, which was presented to him by former Chief Justice of India Justice (retd) T S Thakur, in presence of former President Pranab Mukherjee and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Former Vice President M Hamid Ansari and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, besides a host of former chief ministers, union ministers and dignitaries were present among the audience at the award function. In her inaugural address, Sonia Gandhi said Manmohan Singhs demeanour is such that it appears that he was born wise. He is the very epitome of integrity, humility, sagacity and gravitas. Not for him tall claims. Not for him empty and fanciful boasts. Not for him self-promoting bombast. Not for him falsifications of facts and history. Not for him the language of abuse and vitriol, she said. She said in Singhs decade-long prime ministerial tenure, India recorded its highest economic growth rate ever. He became PM when the country was on edge and within months, his policies had a profound calming effect, Sonia Gandhi said. Singh said if globalisation is one continuing and reinforcing trend, then the emergence of an increasingly multi-polar world is another, and the two are integrally inter-linked. The former prime minister also called for a multilateral rule-based trade order which would enable the efficient management of an increasingly inter-connected and inter-dependent global economy, saying this must be high on Indias international agenda. We must lead in reviving the spirit of internationalism to temper the narrow urgings of nationalism now sweeping across the world, he said. Singh noted that if globalisation is an inevitability and India needs to stay ahead of the curve, the assets that it can draw upon are its success as a pluralist democracy that celebrates diversity rather than equate unity with monochromatic dispensations. He said successful societies of the future will be those which can handle immense diversity and have an innate cosmopolitan temperament. The framers of Indias Constitution were wise men and women in articulating a concept of citizenship which transcended, but did not seek suppression of Indias diversity, he said. He also noted that if Asia is to sustain its remarkable trajectory of growth and dynamism, acknowledging and learning to manage its emerging multi-polarity will be the key. If not, peace will inevitably be the casualty and so would development, he said. Singh noted that right from the day it became an independent nation, India has been a steady champion of multilateralism and the spirit of internationalism without which it would lack its driving impulse. We are now at a point in history where there is an urgent need to strengthen institutions of global governance, including the United Nations, promote multilateralism as a process for transforming global collaboration on a whole series of global challenges which threaten to fragment and undermine international order, he said. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Jabalpur, November 19 Three persons were injured and several persons booked after BJP and Congress workers clashed in Jabalpur East (SC) constituency in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday. The Congress' Lakhan Ghanghoriya and the ruling BJP's Anchal Sonkar are pitted against each other in this seat, which goes to polls with the rest of the state on November 28. The incident took place in the city's Belbagh area on Sunday night and gun shots were also fired in the air, police said. "An Election Commission team had arrived there on a complaint that sarees were being distributed from a local shop in connection with the polls. After the EC team left, BJP and Congress workers clashed and shots were fired in the air," Belbagh police station in charge Deepak Joshi said Monday. He said police had to resort to a mild lathicharge and lob teargas shells to disperse the crowd, adding that BJP worker Vishwas Sonkar and Congress' Tapan Jain and Manish Sen were injured in the ruckus. He said that a case had been registered and several people were booked for the incident. These include Jay and Bharat, brothers of Congress candidate Lakhan Ghanghoriya, as well as Raja and Ram, sons of BJP candidate Anchal Sonkar. PTI editorial@tribune.com Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Kolkata, November 19 The January 19 rally called by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata promises to be a grand show of Opposition unity against PM Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Centre before the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to reporters here in the presence of Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata said except one or two, all other parties invited by her had confirmed participation in the rally. The rally is designed to kick off Mamatas campaign for the LS elections in the state with the TMC chief projected as a probable contender for the PMs post. We have received invitation and we will attend the rally, Naidu announced. He landed in Kolkata this afternoon and met Mamata at her office at the secretariat building. The meeting lasted for about an hour. The two CMs discussed the issue of cobbling up a front against the BJP. Naidu, whose TDP was earlier an ally of the BJP, has been meeting various leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCPs Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, JD-S chief and former PM HD Deve Gowda and his son and Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and DMK president MK Stalin as part of his efforts to forge a front against the ruling BJP at the Centre. Naidu said a meeting of various Opposition parties was being organised in Delhi before the winter session of Parliament to chalk out a plan to corner the BJP. The meeting was to be held on November 22 but had to be deferred in view of the Assembly elections in some states. Fresh date will be announced soon, he said. harinder@tribunemail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday warned governments against the dangers of narrow nationalism in an increasingly globalised world and said the future belonged to societies that could celebrate diversity. In his acceptance speech upon receiving the 2017 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, Singh rued the prevailing paradox in the world and said just when the societies needed to get closer together, they appear to be falling to narrow nationalism. In a veiled message to his successor Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads the ruling BJPs nationalist narrative, Singh said, Successful societies of the future will be those which can handle immense diversity and have an innate cosmopolitan temperament. One of the most admired qualities of India is its success as a plural democracy, which celebrates diversity rather than equate unity with monochromatic dispensations. Addressing a select gathering after receiving the award from former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, who showered praises on him, the ex-PM said India needed to tap into its assets to stay ahead in a globalised world. As former President Pranab Mukherjee, head of the award jury, and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi heard, the Congress veteran went on to say that the framers of Indias Constitution were wise in articulating a concept of citizenship which transcended, but did not seek suppression of Indias diversity. rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, November 19 CBI director Alok Kumar Verma on Monday filed in the Supreme Court his response on findings of the CVCs preliminary probe report on corruption charges against him in a sealed cover. The apex court had earlier in the day asked Verma to file his response as quickly as possible during the day and made it clear that it would not adjourn the scheduled hearing on Tuesday after his lawyer sought more time. Even though we sought a little time from the court, the sealed cover reply of Verma was filed with the secretary general at 1 pm, lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Verma, told PTI. The apex court, on November 16, had asked Verma to file his response in a sealed cover to the preliminary probe report of the Central Vigilance Commission on corruption charges against the CBI director by 1 pm on Monday. The bench made it clear that it would not shift the scheduled date of hearing and asked him to file his response as quickly as possible during the day by 4 pm itself to enable it to peruse the reply. Earlier, the apex court had said that the CVC had made some very uncomplimentary findings in its probe on corruption allegations against Verma and wanted further investigations into some of the charges which required more time, adding that there were also some very complimentary conclusions. Summing up the exhaustive confidential report of the CVC given to it, the court ordered that its copy along with the annexure be given to Verma in a sealed cover. Verma had approached the apex court challenging the Centres decision to divest him of his duties and sending him on leave following his feud with special CBI director Rakesh Asthana, who has levelled corruption allegations against him. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave. Pursuant to the top courts order, the CVCs inquiry against Verma was conducted under the supervision of former apex court judge Justice AK Patnaik and the report was filed in the court on November 12. Besides the plea filed by Verma, the court is also seized of the PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, which has sought a probe by a special investigation team against CBI officers. Besides, it had barred Rao from taking any major policy decision but granted him liberty to perform routine tasks that are essential to keep the CBI functional. On November 4, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had also moved the top court contending that divesting Verma of his statutory powers and functions is completely illegal and arbitrary. In an interlocutory application filed in the pending petition, Kharge, who is also a member of the three-member selection committee which appoints the CBI director, said that as a concerned stakeholder he brings to the attention of the court the brazen and illegal actions of the political executive in interfering with the independent functioning of the CBI director. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 The Supreme Court on Monday deferred till November 26 hearing on former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia Jafri's petition challenging the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who was the chief minister of Gujarat during 2002 riots -- and others. The SIT had exonerated them of allegations of a larger conspiracy behind the riots. "The matter will take some time for hearing," a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar said posting her plea for hearing on November 26. Ehsan Jafri and 68 others were killed by a mob that attacked Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002 during the riots that broke out following the Godhra train carnage that claimed the lives of 58 kar sevaks. Alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots, Zakia had in 2006 demanded registration of a criminal case against the then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi, some ministers and bureaucrats. The Supreme Court had in 2008 ordered the state government to re-investigate nine major riots cases, including the Gulberg massacre. On behalf of the SIT, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi questioned the maintainability of Zakia's petition and activist Teesta Setalvad's locus standi in the case. "It can't go on endlessly," he submitted. During the previous hearing, Jafri's counsel had said notice needs to be issued in the plea as it pertains to the aspect of alleged "larger conspiracy" during the period from February 27, 2002 and May 2002 and had also maintained that after the SIT gave a clean chit in its closure report in the case before a trial judge, a protest was filed by the petitioner which was dismissed by the magistrate without considering "substantiated merits". On February 8, 2012, the SIT had filed a closure report, giving clean chit to Modi and 63 others, including government officials, saying there was "no prosecutable evidence" against them. "According to SIT, no offence has been established against any of the 58 persons listed in Zakia's complaint," metropolitan magistrate MS Bhatt had said in his April 2012 order on petitions by Zakia Jafri and other who had named Modi and 57 others for alleged criminal conspiracy in the 2002 riots. The Gujarat High Court had in October last year upheld the clean chit given to Modi and others by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT. Zakia's petition has now challenged the SIT's findings and the magistrate's order accepting its closure report filed in 2012. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 The infighting in the CBI on Monday turned uglier with yet another senior officer moving the Supreme Court, accusing NSA Ajit Doval, union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC KV Chowdhury of attempting to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Manish Kumar Sinha, who was investigating Asthana and the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi and was transferred to Nagpur, also alleged that Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra had contacted Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sanacomplainant in the case against Asthanawhile the proceedings were on in the CVC against CBI Director Alok Verma. While the NSA, the CVC and the minister were not immediately available for comments, Chandra denied the allegations. All this is fake and concocted. I do not know this person, Chandra told The Tribune. The CBI had booked Asthana for allegedly receiving bribe from an accused, Manoj Prasad, whom he was investigating in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. He was divested of his duties and sent on leave along with CBI Director Alok Verma. Both have challenged the Centres decision before the Supreme Court. On Monday, Verma filed his response to CVCs report of inquiry against him in a sealed cover and his petition will be taken up on Tuesday. In his plea before the top court, Sinhaa 2000 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadrehas challenged his transfer to Nagpur. Sinhas plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which refused to grant urgent hearing. His counsel Sunil Fernandes said his client had got some shocking revelations in his petition and requested the Bench to take it up on Tuesday along Vermas petition. But the Bench wasnt impressed. Nothing shocks us, said the CJI and asked Fernandes to be there during hearing of Vermas petition against the Centres decision to divest him of duties and sending him on leave. Terming his transfer as arbitrary, motivated and malafide Sinha said it was made solely with the purpose and intent to victimise the officer as the investigation revealed cogent evidence against certain powerful persons. He alleged that the Verma briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana. Subsequently on the same night, it was informed that the NSA has informed Rakesh Asthana about registration of the FIR. It was informed that Rakesh Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested, the petition alleged. Sinha supported the affidavit of CBI DSP AK Bassi, who was transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said Bassi favoured immediate search of public servants involved in the bribery case (relating to Asthana) but the Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same. Sinha said during interrogation of a middleman Prasadarrested in the bribery case against Asthanathe names of Doval and Samant Kumar Goel, Special Director of Indias external intelligence agency (R&AW) cropped up. As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, his father, who retired as Joint Secretary, and has close acquaintance with Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI headquarters and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with Doval, Sinha said. He said on October 20, searches were conducted at the residence and the office of Devender Kumar, Deputy Superintendent, CBI, who was investigating the Moin Qureshi case. The reason for the searches was based on certain inputs provided by Special Unit, based on legal interception. While the search was on, a phone call was received from Director CBI instructing to stop the search. At that time, the applicant (Sinha) was sitting in the BSF&C office and asked the Director, to which the Director replied that this instruction has come from NSA Shri Doval, Sinha alleged. Sinha, in his plea, also alleged that Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who is the complainant in the case against Asthana, told during interrogation that sometime in the first fortnight of June 2018, a few crores of rupees was paid to Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, at present Minister of State for coal. As per Sana, Harbhai had intervened with the senior officers of CBI through the office of Minister of personnel...To whom apparently, the Director CBI reports to. The money was paid through one Vipul of Ahmedabad. These facts were disclosed to me by Sana on October 20 in the forenoon, Sinha said in his petition. Sinha claimed Sana said that he met CVC Chowdhary along with one Gorantla Ramesh somewhere in Delhi and they discussed Moin Qureshis case. As per Sana, subsequently, Chowdhary called Asthana to his residence and made inquiries. Asthana informed the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but the same is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosure made by Sana, he said. rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Adliwal (Amritsar), November 19 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan seemed to carry Pakistans signature, with initial investigation indicating that the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory. The chief minister, who flew in from Chandigarh along with his Cabinet colleague and Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, to take stock of the situation, said the police had recovered similar HG-84 grenades from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating a high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across the border. Prima facie this appears to be an act of terror by separatist forces, organised with the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, said the chief minister, adding that his government had taken serious note of the incident and was aggressively pursuing all angles of investigation. The culprits would soon be arrested, he promised, while talking to media persons after visiting the site of the attack. The state government has announced Rs 50 lakh as reward for any information leading to the arrest of the assailants. Capt Amarinder said the NIA was also helping in the investigations and certain leads had been unearthed. Responding to a query, he said the attack could not be equated with the Nirankari conflict in 1978, as that was a religious matter and the Adliwal incident was purely a case of terrorism. Violence between the Sant Nirankari Mission and traditional Sikhs on April 13, 1978, at Amritsar had left 13 dead, and sparked the subsequent wave of terrorism in the state. Yesterdays incident had no religious overtones, as per initial investigations, said the chief minister. Asked to react to HS Phoolkas outrageous statement accusing the Army chief of orchestrating the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack to prove himself right on the revival of terrorism in the state, the chief minister said the AAP leader was apparently unstable. Only someone suffering from mental instability could come out with such a despicable and nonsensical statement, said the chief minister, after undertaking an on-the-spot assessment of the ground situation here in the wake of the grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan. In response to a question, the chief minister said the state was already on high alert, with strict checking going on around landmark buildings and other vital public installations and infrastructure. Police nakas had been set up in all districts and patrol parties were moving around in search of suspicious objects/activities, he said. Meanwhile, the chief minister, who visited the IVY Hospital to meet the injured, has announced jobs for the kin of those killed in the attack and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, in addition to their free treatment. The men, armed with a pistol and their faces covered, had allegedly forced their way into the Bhawan after taking the civil guards hostage at gun point. They had lobbed the grenade into the prayer room, killing three and injuring 15 people. editorial@tribune.com Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 18 Serving and retired police officials are looking at the grenade attack at a Nirankari prayer hall in Amritsar today as an attempt to provoke the community to indulge in retaliation and disturb peace. The state government and police machinery are suspecting it a handiwork of Kashmiri militants and Pakistan-sponsored terror modules active in Punjab. Questions are being raised on police intelligence and its efficiency. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said the possibility of the involvement of ISI-backed Khalistani or Kashmiri terror groups could not be ruled out. Police teams have been rushed to raid the suspected hideouts of the assailants and multiple teams are investigating various angles to crack the case. DGP Suresh Arora has commented that the attack is a clear act of terror and nothing more can be said at this juncture. Ludhiana Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu suspected the role of Sikh hardliners. He said: The role of Sikh hardliner Baljit Singh Daduwal and others who follow his ideology should be probed. The attack took place despite a red-alert in the state for last four days on the suspected movement of Kashmiri militant Zakir Musa of Ansar Ghawzat-Ul-Hind in Amritsar and Gurdaspur. Some officials on the condition of anonymity said the terror groups had earlier successfully targeted Dera Sacha Sauda, Shiv Sena, RSS and Christians, but had failed to provoke any retaliation from them. Todays attack on Nirankaris points out that the terror outfits based in Pakistan seem to be aiming to engage a new group, said a retired police official. Experts are already drawing a parallel between todays attack and the 1978 killings of Nirankaris, which had led to a decade-long period of militancy in Punjab. A senior police official said it might be too early to establish motive as Nirankaris had stayed away from controversy over their faith and conflict with Akal Takht. As per the Chief Ministers Office, preliminary investigations had revealed that two men, both with faces covered and one of them having a flowing beard, allegedly forced their way into the hall by brandishing a pistol. They detained a sewadar and hurled a grenade into the prayer room and fled on a motorcycle. A crater was formed by the impact of the explosion, and was being examined by a forensic team. The safety valve of the grenade has also been found. The Chief Minister said 15 terror modules had been busted in the past 18 months. Links with Kashmiri terror outfits were also found in some cases as was evident from the arrest of Kashmiri students from Jalandhar and grenade attack on the Maqsudan police station, he added. Peace under threat: OPPN editorial@tribune.com ibune News Service Sangrur, November 19 The district police claimed to have arrested a member of the Khalistan Gadar Force from Dirba. He has been identified as Patiala resident Jatinder Singh (28), an accomplice of Shabnamdeep Singh (24). The latter, said to be a member of a Pakistan-sponsored terror module, was arrested early this month by the Patiala police. The Patiala police reached Dirba and took the suspect into custody. Addressing a press conference on Monday evening, Sandeep Garg, Sangrur SSP, said, Jatinder Singh was wanted by the Patiala police in an FIR dated October 31 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act. A team of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) arrested him on Monday from the main market of Dirba. He belongs to Patiala, but since the registration of the FIR there, he had been hiding at the house of his relative in Dirba. The SSP said Jatinder told the CIA team that he and Shabnamdeep had committed crimes in Punjab and Haryana. He has confessed to his involvement in setting liquor vends afire. He was also involved in the theft of two-wheelers. He made video clips of the crimes and sent the same to his handlers to foreign countries to get funds, the SSP added. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 SAD chief and former deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, after his questioning by SIT, on Monday spoke about the blast in Amritsar. He said the situation reminded him of 1978 incident of attack on Nirankaris. He alleged: "Till 25 years ago, the state suffered because of terrorism. Moderate Akali Dal was pushed back by the Punjab Congress to usurp power." He alleged, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is again meddling with radical elements, those who want to bring Punjab on boil. He alleged that the Capt and his Cabinet colleagues have had held meetings with the radicals over the past few months. Even within the Congress, leaders are questioning the money being received by radical leader Baljit Singh Daduwal. MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has hinted that the Bargari morcha behind the blast at Adliwal, he said. He said just like 25 years ago, hand grenades were used, they are being used again. AK-47 were found in hostels of students then, and arms being recovered from students in hostels now. He said in spite of the warning by the Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, no preparedness has been done to tackle the issue in the state. I was called for questioning by police and I asked them: how many times did the present CM held meetings to review law and order situation. Capt is incompetent to lead the state, said Sukhbir, adding that the Congress leaders and MLAs were being rebuked by people of Punjab for fanning radical elements. I told the SIT: it had a political motive behind it. I was questioned by all five members, he added. He said: I asked for a copy of the FIR in which I was summoned. SIT did not have a copy of FIR. The FIR was registered in August, the complainant was summoned to the police station in Kotkapura on phone - this is mentioned in the FIR. This shows that the case is politically motivated. I was not in Punjab. I had sought the chief ministers permission to go out of the state and was away from October 8-14, 2015, when the police action was initiated, said Badal, adding that he was asked just four to five questions. I was also asked if I had met actor Akshay Kumar in Mumbai. To which, I replied that I have never met the actor outside Punjab, he said. The SIT probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents questioned Sukhbir today. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 The clash between British and American English has come under judicial scanner. A candidate for a stenographer's post has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that the word 'enrollment' was wrongly checked by Registrar (HR), Punjab and Haryana High Court Enrolment, with one "L" is standard in British English, while enrollment with two "Ls" is standard in American English. In her petition placed before the Bench of Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, Rajni of Bathinda prayed that she was required to be considered "qualified candidate" for the posts of stenographer in the subordinate courts of Punjab "in view of word 'enrollment' being wrongly checked". She added the word with single and double "L" was correct as "both were having the same meaning". Her counsel Dr Rau P.S. Girwar added the petitioner secured 34 marks, while the candidate obtaining 36 marks in her this category was declared successful. He added the petitioner was in the physically handicapped category. "Due to wrong result, she was deprived from getting employment in the subordinate courts on the post of Stenographer Grade-III, which was direct infringement of fundamental rights." The case will now come up on November 26. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 The attack has triggered a political slugfest between the Congress and the Akali Dal, with the Bargari morcha leaders at the centre of the crossfire. Even as the Akali Dal has upped its ante against the Congress, blaming it for cosying up to radical elements in the past few months, some Congress ministers, mainly from Majha, got together last night in Amritsar and spoke in hushed tones about a plan by intelligence agencies to use the incident to defame the Congress government and link it to Bargari protest. Since June, ever since the morcha was started at Bargari, the Congress has been accused by the SAD-BJP of sponsoring the dharna. Though Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has said that the attack seemed to have a Pakistan signature, many of his Cabinet colleagues believe that the attack was likely to be used to create a scare in the public, especially among the Hindu community. The Congress win in 2017 was attributed largely to the consolidation of Hindu votes in its favour. Political observers and many in the Congress fear that not initiating any action to remove the Bargari morcha helped build it up and this could be a tactical political mistake as the Hindu voters would be weaned away from them. Some recent incidents be it attack at Maqsudan police station, terror modules being busted, sighting of terrorist Zakir Musa in Amritsar and the snatching of an Innova by unknown persons in Pathankot have led to creating a fear psychosis among the minority groups. The linking of the two incidents by other political parties could upset the Congress prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The total vote share of the Hindus in the state is believed to be 39 per cent. The only Congress leader to have spoken against the Bargari leaders so far is Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu. He has blamed them of getting foreign funding and vitiating peace in the state. The Ludhiana parliamentary seat has a high percentage of Hindu voters. As the clamour by the Opposition grows louder, senior Congress leaders and ministers admit that they have no choice but to completely dissociate themselves from the Bargari morcha and find an amicable way to lift the dharna. Intelligence agencies have already warned the state government about the funds being received by some of the leaders of the morcha from abroad. A probe by the Income-Tax Department to find the money trail is already on. rchopra@tribunemail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 Senior Congress leader and former Ludhiana MP Manish Tewari has urged the Centre and Punjab to work closely for maintaining peace in the state, describing Sundays blasts in Amritsar as the Pakistan ISIs attempt to reactivate the Khalistan file. As someone who lost his father to militancy in Punjab, Tewari said, The state government and the people of Punjab must walk that extra mile to guard peace because what has happened today is definitely the ISI and Pakistans act. It shows Punjab is in their crosshairs again. The former minister drew linkages between Sundays attack on a Nirankari congregation near Amritsar to the first Akali-Nirankari clashes of April 13, 1978 in Amritsar. The 1978 clash that led to the killing of 13 Sikhs and three Nirankaris is widely believed to have laid the foundations of militancy in the state. It all started on April 13, 1978 like this. The ISI has activated its Khalistan file again. The US which is looking to get out from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region wants Pakistan to rein in the conjoined terror groups operating in both Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has started clamping down on these groups in Afghanistan but doesnt want the proxy war in India to end. It is becoming increasingly clear that Punjab which was off the radar of Pakistan for nearly three decades is back in its crosshairs. The recent terror attacks in Gurdaspur, Pathankot and now Amritsar are the ISI gameplan. We must watch out, said Tewari, urging Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh with a Twitter appeal, We must protect our peace. The former minister while pointing to the recent campaigns around the Sikh Referendum said these incidents are part of a pattern and not isolated. He recalled the 1978 Akali-Nirankari clashes and how it all began with the radicals targeting religious sects first and then the Hindus with the 1981 assassination of former Punjab minister and MP Lala Jagat Narain, a hugely popular leader. On August 31, 1995, then Punjab CM Beant Singh was killed. The reason why events like the Sikh Referendum and other activities are back is because Pakistan is under pressure from the US to control the terror groups in Afghanistan. So while doing this to address its financial challenges, Pakistan wants to keep nurturing its proxies in India. The grenade attack on the Nirankari assembly in Amritsar is straight out of the ISI playbook, Tewari said, referring also to the recent killings of RSS and Hindu outfit leaders in the state. Last year, RSS leader Ravinder Gosain and another Hindu outfit leader Vipan Sharma were killed in Ludhiana. Rahul condemns attack Rahul Gandhi said on Facebook: I have been deeply anguished by the attacks in Amritsar. These are condemnable. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of victims. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Moga, November 19 A 25-year-old youth, hailing from Daala village in Moga, was allegedly murdered by unidentified assailants at Legazpi City in Philippines today. The deceased has been identified as Jasmel Singh, alias Jassa. He went to Philippines 15 months ago and was running a small finance company. He was reportedly shot by two motorcycle-borne masked youths in the market of Legazpi City. The assailants fired five bullet shots at Jasmel, killing him on the spot. The assailants fled the spot after committing the crime. Jasmels father Iqbal Singh said his son worked in a finance company for a couple of months and later started his own business. Preliminary findings revealed that the motive behind the murder was not robbery. However, business rivalry could not be ruled out as his business was growing for the past few months. I have learnt that a rival businessman who was not happy with Jasmels growing business in the local market of Legazpi City hired contract killers to kill my brother, said Jasmels brother Gurjit Singh. A Punjabi youth living in Legazpi City called Jasmels family to inform them about the incident. The family members urged the state government to intervene on their behalf and help in getting the custody of Jasmels body from the authorities at Philippines. Spokesman for the Punjab unit of the Aam Admi Party Navdeep Singh Sangha, expressing grief over Jasmels death, urged the External Affairs Ministry to help the aggrieved family in bringing back the body. More than 20 youths belonging to Moga district had been murdered in the Philippines in the past eight years. editorial@tribune.com PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Adliwal (Amritsar), Nov 19 A day after the grenade attack, officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) combed the Nirankari Bhavan complex for about six hours. The NIA team, comprising officials from Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi, collected splinters of the HG-84 hand grenade used in the attack and recorded the statements of witnesses, including gatekeeper Arjun Singh and Gagandeep Singh. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, Cabinet ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, OP Soni and Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria, local MP Gurjit Aujla and others visited the spot and talked to NIA officials. Earlier, Punjab DGP Suresh Arora, DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta and other police officers briefed the CM about the incident. Capt Amarinder Singh remained at the spot for about five minutes. Immediately after him, the NIA team left the scene. Police sources said the HG-84 grenade was widely used by army personnel of Pakistan. They said it hinted at the involvement of Pakistan-based anti-national elements, including International Sikh Youth Federation chief Lakhbir Rode and Harmeet Singh alias PhD. The duo had allegedly trained several terror modules busted by the Punjab Police in the recent past. The NIA are also ascertaining whether the incident was linked to the recent grenade attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, wherein a similar modus operandi was used. Meanwhile, North India executive committee member, Nirankari Mission, Joginder Kaur and district incharge Sukhdev Singh visited the spot. Condemning the attack, Sukhdev Singh said their peace-loving mission had no enmity with anyone. In a related development, the Rajasansi police registered an FIR pertaining to the attack under Sections 302 and 307 of the IPC, Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act, Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on the statement of Arjun Singh, who was posted at the entrance gate of the Nirankari Bhavan. Sect to give Rs 10 lakh to kin of deceased Chandigarh: The Sant Nirankari Mission on Monday announced Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased. A press note by the mission said a team of executive committee of the Sant Nirankari Mandal would visit the families of the deceased and the injured in Amritsar. Joginder Kaur, regional incharge, said the prayers at all the centres would continue as usual. TNS Fake sketches surface Two sketches, purportedly of the persons who lobbed the hand grenade at the congregation, went viral on social media on Monday. However, SSP Parampal Singh said the Punjab Police had not released sketches of the suspects. Row over red carpet The Amritsar administration organised a press interaction with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh near the spot. However, a red carpet laid out at the venue triggered a controversy. When the media flagged the issue, the authorities immediately replaced the red carpet with a green one. Later, the press meet was shifted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. editorial@tribune.com Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, November 19 Its been two months since SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was booked for alleged poll violence in the Lambi Assembly constituency, but the Muktsar police have taken no further action. On September 19, Sukhbir Badal, along with many unidentified persons, was booked for allegedly damaging an Innova vehicle and thrashing some people near a polling station at Mandi Killianwali in the Lambi Assembly segment. An Independent candidate from Killianwali Zila Parishad zone, Jatinderpal Singh, native of Chak Middu Singhwala village, who is brother of the Congress candidate from the same zone, had lodged a complaint to the police in this regard. The case was registered under Sections 323, 341, 506, 148, 149 and 427 of the IPC at the Lambi police station. CCTV footage of this incident had also gone viral, in which Sukhbir was allegedly seen standing as a spectator of the entire violence. Talking to The Tribune on Monday, Manjit Singh Dhesi, SSP, Muktsar, said, The investigation is underway and action will be definitely taken. The offences are bailable, but the accused has not got any kind of bail as yet. Asked whether any political pressure was creating hindrance in taking further action, Dhesi said, We have electronic evidence of the incident and there is zero interference of anyone in the case. Lambi is the home constituency of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Further, on November 8, a day after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs rally at Killianwali in the Lambi Assembly constituency, the Lambi police had also booked SAD leader Tejinder Singh Middukhera for allegedly creating obstruction in the duty of an assistant-sub inspector, snatching his cell phone and entering the polling booth along with many others by violating the law on September 19. Even in this case, no further action is taken by the police. About this case, the SSP said, The offences are non-bailable and investigation is underway. After these cases, the SAD leadership, including Sukhbir, had warned the SSP of facing inquiry and action on the party returning to the power in the state. Was booked On Sept 19 editorial@tribune.com Vishav Bharti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 The attack has surprised scholars as well as the police as there has been no tension between Nirankaris and Sikhs in the past over three decades. After the assassination of the then mission chief Gurbachan Singh in 1980, the Nirankaris had virtually withdrawn from Punjab, says Jagtar Singh, author of the book Khalistan Struggle: A Non Movement. Following the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash, Gurbachan Singh had released pamphlets titled What is true? What is untrue? which were inserted in newspapers across the country. He had claimed that he was just Gurbachan Singh, not a guru or a prophet. He had accused some selfish people of calling him a guru. He had also claimed that he respected the Sikh Gurus. In the early 1980s, there were some incidents in which Khalistani supporters killed Nirankaris. However, the Nirankaris didnt show a confrontational attitude towards the Sikhs. After Gurbachan Singhs assassination, Hardev Singh, who remained the mission chief for almost three decades till his death in 2016, adopted a play it safe policy. A few months after the 1978 clash, Akal Takht had issued a hukumnama severing ties with the Nirankaris. In the early 1990s, efforts were made to resolve the conflict. The mediators approached the then SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra, recalls Jagtar Singh. Tohra had conveyed to the mediators that the Nirankari chief should present himself before Akal Takht and seek pardon. Later, the Nirankaris backtracked, so the dispute could not be settled. However, Nirankaris remained at peace with the Sikhs, he said. harinder@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 Former Deputy CM and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal appeared before the SIT regarding the Kotkapura police firing in 2015. Speaking to the media later, he claimed Justice Ranjit Singh Commission was a ploy to divert public attention from the "abject failure" of the Congress government on several fronts. He claimed successive Congress governments had set up SITs only to implicate rivals. I was questioned on the directions I gave on October 14, 2015, when I was out of the state after duly informing the CM. "I made it clear to SIT officials that they had been given the mandate to malign the SAD and that was why I had been called for questioning. He pointed out that no action was initiated against radicals elements who had targeted his vehicle in Amritsar recently. Claiming the SIT members posed irrelevant questions based on mere hearsay, Sukhbir said he had never met film actor Akshay Kumar outside Punjab. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 18 Members of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha and representatives from nine districts in the Malwa region along with six other union members blocked the Bathinda-Mansa highway, disrupting the vehicular traffic for hours. Scores of protesters gathered in front of the Mini-Secretariat Complex and raised slogans against the state government for not fulfilling their demands. They blocked the overbridge near the ITI Chowk. A group of protesters removed barricades after being confronted by the police. Davinder Singh Punia, state convener, Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, said, We will continue our agitation until the government relents and fulfils our demands. We oppose governments decision to regularise SSA/RMSA teachers by imposing 75 per cent pay-cuts. The transfer policy adopted by the Education Department is irrational and implemented only to suppress our dissent. The teachers recruited under the 5178 master cadre and computer teachers must be regularised and given all benefits of government employees. However, the protest was called off after getting an assurance of meeting Education Minister OP Soni on November 22. editorial@tribune.com Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 19 Kulwinder Kaur from Punjab was one of the thousands of mid-day meal scheme workers from across the country who attended a rally here on Monday to protest against the alleged apathy of the Union and the state governments towards their welfare. The protesters demanded Rs 18,000 per month as remuneration against less than Rs 2,000 per month they get on an average. Also, they want that the workers must be recognised as Class IV school employees. Kulwinder, who has been working with Government High School (Jumla Malkan) in Barnala district for more than three years, alleged that apart from poor wages, she was forced to do personal works of the school staff like preparing their tea and warming their food etc. My husband is a farm labourer due to which the family income is erratic, she said, adding that even the little wages she got were not paid regularly. Manjit Kaur, another worker from a government school at Badaur village in Barnala, narrated similar woes. The Centrally sponsored scheme was launched on August 15, 1995, and is the worlds largest social welfare programme. More than 20 lakh workers (98 per cent women) are employed under it. Shimla Devi, a worker at Government Primary School, Udana in Karnal district of Haryana, too, was part of the protest. Although the state provides comparatively higher wages (Rs 3,500 per month), she and her colleagues alleged that they had not been paid for eight months. The workers demanded that they should be employed throughout the year instead of 10 months. The rally was organised by several unions and Left-leaning organisations. harinder@tribunemail.com UNFORTUNATELY the Englishmans correspondent, in suggesting a boycott of enemy goods, brings an unjustifiable charge against Indian merchants who purchase cheap goods, no matter what their origin may be. It is not the fault of Indian merchants if they go in for such goods as are in popular demand, and the real difficulty is the intense poverty of the masses and their inability to patronise superior goods at higher prices. It is for the manufacturing and exporting countries to study the tastes of the people and supply such materials as are within the purchasing power of the people. The one thing that the correspondent forgets about India is that her people are not at present to be compared economically with those of Canada and Australia, though their claim for political equality with the latter is perfectly justifiable. India must be given freedom to solve her economic problems in the same way as the Dominions have been. harinder@tribunemail.com The Englishman supports a suggestion made by a correspondent that for the next five years the citizens of India should enter into a compact not to buy enemy goods. He says that Great Britain, the Dominions and the Allies can provide everything necessary for India. The problem is not an easy one, and it is too early yet to say what the future trade policy of the Empire will be. Mr. Lloyd George has declared that there is to be no trade war and one of Mr. Wilsons 14 conditions has made that clear enough. It will, we believe, be possible to encourage a policy of Imperial preference as far as it suits the economic conditions of each unit of the Empire. In case of India the question deserves careful consideration from the standpoint of people whose requirements are different in many matters. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Islamabad, November 19 Pakistans Supreme Court today ordered a cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into its dam fund for using underground water that lead to rapid drying up of the sacred pond at the Katas Raj temple complex considered sacred by Hindus. The SC started suo motu proceeding in November last year after media reported that extensive exploitation of underground water by cement factories located near the historic Katas Raj temple in Chakwal district of Punjab was drying up the sacred pond. A three-member Bench headed by CJ Saqib Nisar already had banned the use of underground water by cement factories to save the pond. While in its hearing on Friday, the court also ordered authorities to refill the pond even by using water tankers. Concluding the case today, the court ordered DG Khan Cement company to deposit Rs 10 crore into the Supreme Court Dam Fund, including Rs 8 crore as payment for water utilised and Rs 2 crore penalty for misleading the court. The CJ has set up a fund to crowd-fund construction of two dams. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Brussels, November 19 Germany will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday. Maas said the move was "coordinated very closely with" states France and Britain and the broader EU as they seek more information in Khashoggi's death last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Berlin has "decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be in connection with this deed, in the Schengen information system," Maas told reporters. "We are in close coordination on this issue within the European Union," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. "Over the weekend, we stated that we expected further steps to be taken to clarify the situation. We will follow on this closely and reserve further steps for ourselves." The Schengen zone-which is composed of 22 EU nations and four non-EU countries. EU member Britain is not part of the passport-free Schengen zone, but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes. Germany called last month for EU countries to follow its lead and suspend arms sales for the moment to Saudi Arabia, prompting a dismissive response from French President Emmanuel Macron. France is the kingdom's second biggest customer after India. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, an audio recording proves that Khashoggi was deliberately killed and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. The United States, traditionally Riyadh's closest ally, has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. - AFP pardeepdhull@gmail.com Colombo, November 19 Political parties in Sri Lanka decided on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs following amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisenas controversial decision to remove prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe last month. The decision came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when President Sirisena suddenly announced on October 26 that he had sacked prime minister Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned President Sirisenas decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on January 5. The House till now has passed two no-confidence motions against Rajapaksa and his government by a voice vote. The House was convened Monday morning to conduct a third floor test. Ten minutes later, the House was adjourned till November 23. When the House was convened, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the party leaders who met in earlier in the day resolved that a select committee would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary business. The leaders from Wickremesinghes United National Front, Tamil National Alliance and the JVP or the Peoples Liberation Front discussed the proposal by Sirisena made at the all party meeting to have a floor test by name or electronic vote for the third motion of no trust against Rajapaksa. Mano Ganesan, one of the leaders who attended the meeting, said the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA of Sirisena and Rajapaksa) flatly refused and backtracked on the proposal. During Mondays session, Dinesh Gunawardena on behalf of the disputed government of Rajapaksa asked the deputy speaker that since they were the government they should have the majority in the select committee. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake argued that since the Rajapaksa government had not proved their majority the select committee should have a majority of members from the group that commands majority. Mondays session was conducted peacefully. Last week Sri Lankas parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other. On Monday, the public and VIP gallery were shut for diplomats on a request by Rajapaksas United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The security was also tightened to prevent any incident, officials said. Last week, the apex court issued a temporary order against Sirisenas sacking of parliament with hearing of the case fixed for early December. After the temporary order, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya reconvened parliament the sittings of which had been suspended by Sirisena till November 14. Jayasuriyas decision not to recognise Rajapaksa as the prime minister until a floor test is held has angered Sirisena. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Colombo, November 19 Political parties in Sri Lanka agreed on Monday to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisenas controversial decision to remove PM Ranil Wickeremesinghe last month. Sri Lankas Parliament, which was convened on Monday for a third floor test against disputed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, was adjourned just 10 minutes after its opening as the lawmakers could not decide on the members of the committee. The decision to form the select committee came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively. The crisis erupted when President Sirisena suddenly announced on October 26 that he had sacked PM Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Rajapaksa in his place. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap poll. The SC on Tuesday overturned President Sirisenas move to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls on January 5. When the House was convened on Monday, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the party leaders who met earlier in the day resolved that a select committee would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary business. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Male, November 19 The Maldives new government will pull out of a free trade agreement with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the worlds second biggest economy, the head of the largest party in the ruling alliance said. The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of an FTA between such parties, said Mohamed Nasheed, chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance. China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty. On Saturday, as he took office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih warned that the country was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. Ex-President Abdullah Yameen signed the pact in December and the House ratified it despite opposition protests. Reuters To rejoin Commonwealth The new President of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies following a two-year absence. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's office says that the decision was made on Monday after his Cabinet recommended the move. AP pardeepdhull@gmail.com The Hague, November 19 A writer who thought she had found a painting by Pablo Picasso stolen in an infamous art heist six years ago has said she was the victim of a publicity stunt, Dutch media reported. Picassos Harlequin Head was one of seven celebrated paintings snatched from the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam in 2012 during a daring robbery local media dubbed the theft of the century. The artworks by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse and Lucian Freud have not been seen since. But Dutch writer Mira Feticu, who wrote a novel based on the brazen heist, thought she had uncovered the piece after she was sent an anonymous letter around 10 days ago with instructions regarding the place where the painting was hidden in Romania. Feticu, of Romanian origin, told AFP the tip-off led her to a forest in the east of the country where she dug up an artwork wrapped in plastic. Romanian authorities, who were handed the canvas on Saturday night, said that it might be Picassos painting, which is estimated to be worth USD 915,000. However, on Sunday night Feticu told the Dutch public broadcaster NOS that she was the victim of a performance by two Belgian directors in Antwerp. Feticu said she received an email from the Belgian duo explaining that the letter was part of a project called True Copy, dedicated to the notorious Dutch forger Geert Jan Jansen, whose fakes flooded the art collections of Europe and beyond until he was caught in 1994. Part of this performance was prepared in silence in the course of the past few months, with a view to bringing back Picassos Tete dArlequin, Bart Baele and Yves Degryse wrote on their website. Their production company currently wishes to abstain from any comment because it first wants to speak to Feticu, the statement said. We will be back with more details on this issue within the next few days. - Theft of the century. Four Romanians were jailed in 2014 for the heist and ordered to pay USD 20.5 million at todays rates to the works insurers. One of the group, Olga Dogaru, told investigators she had burned the paintings in her stove in the sleepy village of Carcaliu to protect her son, Radu, when he could not sell them. She later retracted the statement. Investigators have previously said the paintings were destroyed after the thieves failed to find a buyer. Specialists from Romanias museum of natural history examined ashes from a stove in Dogarus home and found traces of at least three oil paintings, based on lead- and zinc-based pigments in blue, yellow, red and green that are no longer used, director Ernest Oberlaender-Tarnoveanu said. The thieves had slipped into the Dutch museum during the night of October 15-16, 2012 and got away with the works which despite their value were not protected by alarms. AFP monicakchauhan@gmail.com Washington, November 19 US President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media represent the "greatest threat" to democracy, the retired Navy SEAL, who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein, has said. William McRaven's remarks on Sunday came after Trump derided the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer". Trump also suggested that the four-star admiral, who recently left his post as chancellor of the University of Texas amid a battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, should have caught bin Laden faster. "Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?" Trump told Fox news. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," McRaven said. McRaven oversaw the May 2011 covert raid of the US Navy Seals which killed former Al-Qaeda leader bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. He also supervised the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during his 37 years in the US military. "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime," McRaven told CNN, referring to remarks he made about Trump last year. "When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands," he said. Trump coined the term 'Fake News' during his presidential campaign, targeting media houses and has been repeatedly using it for "biased" news coverage. The term is now popularly related to news one does not agree with. He has also announced the 'Fake News Awards' for the "very corrupt and dishonest" press for "bad reporting". McRaven's comments escalated a war of words that began last year when McRaven called Trump's description of the news media as the "enemy of the people" the greatest threat to American democracy he had ever seen. In August, McRaven issued a stunning rebuke of Trump in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, writing that through his actions, the US President "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation". Former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell pointed out on Twitter that McRaven's forces had nothing to do with locating bin Laden. Morrell said it was the CIA that did the "finding" and McRaven's forces that did the "getting", moving out within days of receiving the order. The president's remarks about McRaven came amid broader questions about Trump's relationship with military matters. During a recent trip to France, the president did not attend a ceremony commemorating the centenary of World War I because of the rain, with the White House saying his helicopter couldn't fly in the inclement weather and a motorcade would have caused too much traffic. Trump also has been criticised by his political opponents for not visiting either Afghanistan or Iraq in the first two years of his presidency. He, however, said he was planning to visit the two countries. "I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of - obviously because of security reasons and everything else," he said in an interview. PTI A man who went to take in the sea breeze at Mayaro on his birthday was arrested by police. IT is with a great sense of appreciation that we commend the mayor and the City Council of S I just found out that i have about 3 weeks off in early December and the destination i have chose is Australia. = = = Australia is so huge and i kind of have a vague idea of what i want to do. But the logistics are killing me. = = = First is Visa -- I am a US Citizen and seems like i should be able to get a visa approved within 24 hours, so that seems doable. Right? = = = The very vague itinerary i have chosen is, 1) Fly to Sydney. Spend 3 days there. 2) Then fly to Cairns, spend 3 days there. A road trip (Round Trip) to Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation. Back to Cairns, return the rental car. 3) Fly to Alice Springs: Spend the next 4-5 days there. Rent a car is Alice Springs and explore the outback. visit uluru, red center way, kings canyon etc. (Is there any way I can shorten my itinerary here? I guess, I can skip red center way and maybe even Alice springs..?) 4) Then I would like to do the road trip, GREAT OCEAN ROAD where do I need to fly to for this? And then what? 5) Ideally, I would like to include the kangaroo island on this trip.. p.s. am a bit confused about how to incorporate 4 and 5 into this equation. And the cost of all the airplane tickets its just killing me. Please help! From here do I go to Melbourne and then back to Sydney, so I can fly back to the US? Please help with this bare itinerary. Hi there, Planning my itinerary for a first visit to Australia in March. We are a couple in our early 30s and like beach/nature/dronable places :) Will you please give me your opinion on the below itinerary and let me know if something does not look right in terms of distances, etc.? I still have two nights to add (it is 16 nights in total) and would love to squeeze in the Whitsunday islands (Whiteheaven beach), but I do not see where to fit them in. Train or car from Cairns seems like a waste of time to do back and forth. Air seems too expensive to go and come back to Cairns? Are they worth the effort to get there? Thanks! Also, what do you think of Kangaroo Island? Is it worth to go there? Here is the itinerary: -Sydney, 3 nights ->Flight to Cairns -Port Douglas, 3 nights (Cairns, GBR tours, snorkeling, diving, Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation) ->Flight to Brisbane -Byron Bay, 2 nights (too much?) -Brisbane, 1 night ->Flight to Melbourne + car hire -Great Ocean Road, 2 nights on the way to 12 Apostles -Melbourne, 3 nights Edited: 3 years ago -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This post has been removed at the author's request. The author may repost if desired. Posts on the Tripadvisor forums may be edited for a short period of time. Once the edit period has expired, authors may update their posts by removing and reposting them. To read more about editing your posts, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/how_to_edit_your_posts JR Pass will pay off though the savings will not be huge. Use the pass to ride JR to Otsuki for your Kawaguchiko day trip. From Otsuki, you will then have to transfer to Fujikyu Railway which is not covered by your pass. While your itinerary is rushed, it's not unrealistic. Quick comments: Tokyo: --keep your Kawaguchiko day flexible. You can't see the iconic Fuji view if it's not a clear day. Alternatively, if you want to spend less time overall on transport, opt for Hakone instead. You can visit there between Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto as the area sits right off the Shinkansen train stop Odawara. --Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku in this order. Shibuya and Shinjuku come alive later in the day; --Tsukiji is fine to visit as long as you aren't after seeing the tuna auction. The outer market still has a happening atmosphere with various sushi restaurants and "street food" stores. Toyosu offers a different atmosphere these days--maybe too modern, too sterile. Kyoto --For just one day, start off as early as you can and visit Fushimi Inari. You probably don't have time to go up to the actual shrine, but the Torii gates should be memorable. Next, take Keihan train to Higashiyama area and visit Kiyomizudera, then walk the historic streets north toward Yasaka Shrine. Head to Arashiyama in the early afternoon. Osaka: --Looks fine. Visit Osaka Castle first and then spend the rest of the day roaming Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori and Namba. Hi epascrapper. I'm a Japanese working in Tokyo for over 10 years. Let me answer to your questions. >Will they provide a receipt or scan it in so that my husband can see? Basically no. However, e-mails can be receipts instead of it. If you want to keep any certification, you can copy the prepaid envelope on which their information (incl. your info and the exact date) printed. >Alternatively, are there any specific companies that have a counter at Narita where we can directly return the unit? Yes. Some have such counters (like Ninja WiFi), but keep in mind that such companies' fees are bit pricey that that of companies not have their own counters at airports. More of that, without such counters, post boxese of Japan post -- they are located everywhere throughout Japan and airports -- completely do their work. And, eiterway, providers can deliver yours to the hotel or places specified by you. Lastly, I just put a link to the (almost) comprehensive comparison chart of pocket WiFi plans in Japan. Hope you and your husband have a wonderful experience in Japan, without any worries. As part of our Japan trip next year, after 11 days Hokkaido (road trip by car), we plan to fly from Sapporo to Okinawa for the next part of our trip. Including the day we fly from Sapporo, we will have about 5 days on the Islands. We will be in Okinawa around June 26th 2019. We really love driving around in a rental, visit beautiful beaches, enjoy culture, great Japanese food, ... However, we do not plan to make this a beach holiday. But if weather permits, we would like to snorkel and do a bit of water activities. Which Islands (besides Okinawa) would you suggest we visit for the best combination of sightseeing and beautiful beaches? Is this doable in 5 days, taking planes from one island to the other, rent car, ...? We would really love to visit a couple of different islands, but not at the expense of traveling all the time, waiting in airports. After these 5 days, we fly to Tokyo for another 3 days to end our trip. We then fly back to Belgium. Niagara to New York in 4 days Niagara to New York in 4 days Hi, I am from overseas, and am planning a car driving holiday/trail with family from Niagara to New York: - - Sunday - fly to Toronto, arrive about 3.00pm - Sunday / Monday - Niagara - Monday - Thursday - drive from Niagara to New York. Need to arrive in New York early Thursday afternoon. Would like to take in as much beautiful scenery as possible, with some activities for kids aged 16,14,6 Grateful please for suggestions / plans for a trail / route. Thanks, Marc You probably know someone who wishes to pursue a nursing course but does not know the requirements or even how to go about it. Nursing is one of the noble professions offered in Kenya. Unfortunately, many people miss out on joining this field due to lack of information about the entry requirements. So what are the nursing courses in Kenya and their admission requirements? A nursing student in Kenya. Photo: @NursingCouncilKenya Source: Facebook While medical doctors do all diagnosing and prescribing, the professional who is hands-on when giving care to the patient is the nurse. Nurses stay on the sick person's side when sickness strikes. They interact with the patients, make sure that the patients drink their medications, provide treatments that ease discomforts, and do so much more. Nursing courses in Kenya and their admission requirements In Kenya, nursing courses are popular, with thousands of students joining accredited schools to kick-start their career paths. Most of these courses are easily accessible because they are offered by major hospitals and tertiary institutions, even in remote areas. You can enrol for certificate, diploma, bachelor's degree, part-time, and other short medical courses offered to interested groups. Certificate in nursing in Kenya The nursing certificate course is probably the lowest course in nursing and takes little time to complete. A certificate in nursing in Kenya takes two and a half years to complete, while other certificate courses offered at nursing colleges take two years. To qualify for any of the nursing certificate courses, one is required to have a minimum of C- as the aggregate grade in KCSE. One should also have a relevant combination of subjects done to match the prospective course. One can apply for a certificate in nursing at KMTC campuses all over the country after ensuring that all requirements are met. Diploma in nursing in Kenya A diploma in a nursing course in Kenya will require a KCSE mean grade of C or its equivalent. Certificate holders can also be eligible to apply for a diploma in nursing as long as they comply with set guidelines. It should be noted that the correct subject combination should be observed, or else one will not be admitted to any school for a nursing diploma. Nursing training session in progress. Photo: @NursingCouncilKenya Source: Facebook The correct combination should include English, Kiswahili, Biology, Biological Sciences, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Physical sciences. Almost all diploma nursing courses take three years, except community health nursing, which takes 42 months. Higher diploma in nursing Nurses wishing to scale up their qualifications should consider a higher diploma. The higher diploma nursing course is open to individuals who have successfully completed a basic diploma in nursing or a relevant field. In addition to this, candidates must have had a minimum of two years of working experience before they can qualify. The duration of this course is one year. Qualifications include: Diploma in KRN/M, KRCHN or a Bachelor's degree in nursing (BScN) Work experience of a minimum of two years as a registered nurse in a hospital C- and above in KCSE Be registered by the Nursing Council of Kenya and be in possession of a valid practising license Post basic diploma courses The major focus of post basic diploma courses is to offer specialized training such as cardiac nursing and community nursing. To qualify for such courses, individuals must be holders of a basic diploma from recognized institutions. Nurses in Kenya. Photo: @NursingCouncilKenya Source: Facebook It also requires students who have practised for a minimum of two years in the relevant field. Some of the post-basic diploma specialized nursing courses offered at the Kenyatta National Hospital include the following: Critical care nursing Perioperative nursing Nephrology nursing Accident and emergency nursing Neonatal nursing University degree in nursing Nursing courses in Kenya universities ought to be done in line with the placement regulations such as entry requirements. To join any university for a degree in nursing, candidates must attain the prescribed minimum score of C+ in the relevant cluster subjects. These are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and English/ Kiswahili. Alternatively, one can gain entry into a degree program with Biological sciences, Physical science, Mathematics, English/ Kiswahili and any other subject from group II in KCSE. Outstanding diploma students with a credit and above can also be admitted to pursue a degree in nursing. Here are some of the requirements to pursue a degree in nursing: An aggregate of C in KCSE and a credible diploma in nursing or KCE/EACA Division 2 and a nursing diploma or KACE 1 Principal and 2 Subsidiaries in addition to a diploma in nursing Applicants should have worked for a minimum of two years after getting the diploma in nursing Short nursing courses Short medical courses in Kenya universities are not only offered to individuals but also organizations. Entities such as corporate bodies, organizations, and government agencies wishing for their staff to undergo training can issue a written request to any medical college and make arrangements for the same. Below are some of the short nursing courses offered: Basic Life Support (BLS) Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Pediatrics Advanced Life Support (PALS) Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Nursing management Nursing aide course A nursing aide or assistant helps patients with their day-to-day care, including bathing and getting dressed, repositioning wheelchair- and bed-bound patients, and so much more. There are several institutions. Nurses at work. Photo: @NursingCouncilKenya Source: Facebook The minimum entry requirement for a nursing aide course is a minimum grade of C in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education with a minimum of C+ in Biology, Chemistry and English. It takes two years for one to be well equipped with the required skills, including: Safety skills Interpersonal skills Basic restorative services skills Frequently asked questions about nursing courses in Kenya There are so many questions that people have about the nursing courses and the minimum requirements. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on the topic. How long does a certificate in nursing course take? Most of the certificate courses in Kenya take two years. However, if you want to pursue a certificate in nursing, you should be prepared to spend more time in school. The course duration is two and a half years. What duration does a degree in nursing take? Like most other degree courses, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree takes four years or 180 weeks to complete. This degree is ideal for those who want to learn the full professional scope of nursing as a career choice. What are the minimum entry requirements for a diploma in nursing? A diploma in a nursing course in Kenya will require a KCSE mean grade of C or its equivalent. It should be noted that the correct subject combination should be observed, or else one will not be admitted to any school for a nursing diploma. Where can I work with a nursing course qualification? If you have a valid practice license from the nursing council of Kenya, you can access different jobs depending on your qualification. You can work in hospitals or in community settings such as people's homes, health centres or nursing homes. How much does a nursing course cost in Kenya? The fees for a nursing course varies from institution to institution. Therefore, you need to look at the fee structure of the nursing course of the institution of choice to know how much you will be required to pay. There you have it. A comprehensive guide on nursing courses in Kenya and the minimum requirements for entry. It is important to be updated on the nursing courses offered and the requirements so that you can select a course best suited to your qualifications. Tuko.co.ke published a list of KMTC certificate courses. KMTC is one of the best medical training colleges in the country. It offers a wide range of courses, from higher diplomas and diplomas to short courses for continuous professional development. If you got lower grades in your KCSE, you can enrol for one of the many KMTC certificate courses to further your studies in the medical field. Unlike many other institutions, KMTC allows students with lower grades to do medical certificate courses and upgrade later. You can enrol in a certificate course and progress through the diploma level until you get to the degree level. The minimum entry requirement for most of the certificate courses is a KCSE mean grade of C-. Source: Tuko - The legislators say Joho's combative nature is known across country - This, they say, positions him as their strategic choice for presidency - They, nonetheless, pledge support for Raila in case he runs in 2022 elections - It is speculated that Raila's tenure in active politics has come to a close Coast based MPs aligned to the ODM Party have said they will support Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's 2022 presidential bid. Led by Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, the legislators said Joho was their bet in case Opposition Leader Raila Odinga will not vie in the next General Election. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: Mombasa Governor Joho forgets political bile, accompanies Uhuru to Paris Coast based MPs aligned to the ODM Party have said they will support Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's 2022 presidential bid. Photo: Governor Hassan Joho Source: Twitter READ ALSO: I have nothing personal against Uhuru, Joho says Chonga, nonetheless, refuted claims that Raila's tenure in active politics had come to an end after several failed attempts to clinch the top seat. Those saying Raila will not contest should keep dreaming. If Baba (Raila) will not vie then we know who the right choice for us is - none other than Governor Joho, said Chonga. READ ALSO: Joho wants to be president, let him be elected - Raila The MPs remarks come at a time when there is speculation on the former premier's appointment as the infrastructure boss at the African Union.A section of political pundits and citizenry interpreted the appointment as a clever move to blindfold Raila from his presidential ambition. The notion was intensified with Kalonzo Musyoka's, (Raila's potential running mate) appointment as a special peace envoy by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said nobody had capacity to dictate Raila's political decision but also described Joho as a politician whose combative track record was know across the country. "Joho is loved across the country so we as the coastal people should stand by him and Raila," said the law maker. In the recent past, the Mombasa County boss shared bitter bile with Uhuru but their Monday, November 12, appearance in Paris confirmed the duo had buried the hatchet. Governor Joho's Twitter Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Mombasa Governor Joho hints at working with Uhuru Other MPs who threw their weight behind Joho include Zulekha Hassan (Kwale Woman Representative), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe) and ganze's Teddy Mwambire. The leaders hailed the handshake between Uhuru and Raila stating that it had launched the country on a transformative trajectory. In the recent past, the Mombasa County boss shared bitter bile with Uhuru but their Monday, November 12, close appearance in Paris confirmed the duo had buried the hatchet. The ODM leadership led by Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi and Party's Chief Whip Junet Mohamed earlier stated Raila remains movement's preferred candidate unless advised otherwise. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. Kenya News Today: Ken Okoth Is Fighting For Marijuana Legalization | Tuko TV. Source: Tuko - The party's brand new headquarters will be located in Lavington, Nairobi - ODM indicated it would move to the new address by the end of December 2018 - The famous Orange House is reportedly set to be transformed into a multi-storey office block - Decision to exit Orange House was reached after the landlord, Caroli Omondi, allegedly refused to renew lease - ODM had, however, rubbished claims by a section of the media that it was being kicked out of the property Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is now set to relocate from the iconic Orange House located on Menelik Road in Kilimani, Nairobi, to a brand new property it acquired in Lavington. The new property estimated to be worth KSh 180 million will serve as the party's headquarters as from December 2018 if things go as planned. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: ODM explains why it's vacating Orange House The Raila Odinga led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is also reportedly planning to rebrand ahead of the 2022 General Election. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Ford Kenya turns guns on ODM over plans to kick out Wetang'ula from powerful office TUKO.co.ke on Monday, November 19, also learnt ODM had commenced on re-branding ahead of the 2022 polls and acquiring a new office was just part of the process. The party, the Standard reported, was in the process of refurbishing and furnishing the new office and would soon announce to the public the exact date when it would move to the new address. The historic and iconic Orange House which has been the headquarters of the ODM party will be relocated to a new address by end of December 2018. Photo: Monicah Mwangi. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Youths storm ODM headquarters demanding Raila be sworn in The decision to change address was arrived at after the Orange House landlord, Caroli Omondi, who TUKO.co.ke understands used to be Raila's right-hand man when the ODM party leader was prime minister, fell out with the party. Omondi is said to have refused to renew the lease for the party to continue occupying the premises after he failed to clinch the party's ticket in primaries in his quest to be a Member of Parliament during the 2017 General Election. READ ALSO: Tension after angry supporters invade ODM headquarters The country's biggest Opposition party first announced its intention to relocate its headquarters from the famous Orange House in June 2018. It, however, refuted claims it was being kicked out of Orange House where it had its National Secretariat. The party's Executive Director, Oduor Ongwen, claimed the property was set to be transformed into a multi-storey office block and that was why ODM was moving out. "We have agreed not to renew the lease. This is due to the intention of the landlord to construct a multi- storey office block on the property in line with the current trends of land use in the neighborhood," Ongwen told TUKO.co.ke. 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. Governor Okoth Obado Release Terms and Conditions - On Tuko TV Source: Kenyan Breaking News - He claimed people from the DPP's office want to compel him to be a witness in the case - The petitioner, he said, is the one who requested for the changes made in the company - This removed Kimani from being a director and made her girlfriend the boss - He wants the DCI to offer him protection and investigate the authenticity of signatures A lawyer who represented a couple in the ownership of the contested KSh 300 million Ridgeways hotel and other properties has claimed his life is in danger. In a letter addressed to the DCI, the lawyer claimed people working for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) threatened him with unspecified consequences if he did not act as a witness in a case involving his clients. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: Controversial Kiambu businessmans failed marriage proposal sparks fallout with rich love A suite filed in court by the ex-lover to Sylvia Wambui Karanja (pictured) saw her arrested and charged with forgery. Photo UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ex-Nairobi beauty pageant winner denied bail in a KSh 300 million hotel ownership row TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported that Daniel Kimani Kariuki had sued his ex-lover Sylvia Wambui Karanja for allegedly forging documents that made her a director at a company owned by him. The duo had in 2017 procured the services of David Kimani Kinyanjui as an advocate for their business. READ ALSO: Okoth Obado's woes far from over as Senate calls for his prosecution Kariuki and Wambui, however, fell out after a botched marriage proposal that would otherwise have seen them married. A suite saw her arrested and charged with forgery but she was released on a KSh 1 million bond and a surety of a similar amount. Daniel Kimani Kariuki (pictured) claimed her ex-girlfriend forged documents that stripped him ownership of his property valued at over KSh 300 million. Photo: UGC Source: UGC In the letter, Kinyanjui informed the DCI that the petitioner (Kariuki) had earlier instructed him to facilitate changes at the company. The changes, according to the lawyer, saw the petitioner struck out from being a director at the firm. Daniel Kimani (Kariuki) had prior to making the said changes informed me that he had issues with the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) and since the company could not access a loan facility approval owing to the challenge, he authorised his removal," the letter reads. Kinyanjui stated that he prepared the documents for the transfer and sent them to three directors, (Kariuki, Wambui and Ruth Wanjiru Maigua) who then appended their signatures. Besides being given protection from the alleged threats, the lawyer wants the DCI to investigate whether the three directors were present at the same place during the day they signed the documents. READ ALSO: ODM party purchases KSh 180 million office, set to relocate from iconic Orange House He also wants the documents examiner to investigate their signatures to find out if they are genuine of fake.. "I have read in both print and social media of alleged forgery of the signatures appended on the said change of directorship documents, and prompting filing of cases both civil and criminal nature. I am therefore calling upon the DCI to subject the said signatures of all the directors to examination by a document examiner in order to determine their true position,"reads an affidavit signed and sworn by the lawyer. Shortly before the arrest of the ex-beauty queen, a lawyer in Kinangop had filed a complaint in court. Paul Njiria Njoroge claimed that his official stamp was faked and used by the accused to execute the company changes and also seal fake Board meeting minutes. 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. Teresiah Wambui Story: The Struggles of a Kenyan Woman With Beards - Kenya Untold Stories | Tuko TV. Source: Kenya Breaking News Today - The pupil went missing and the father reported the case at the same station - A senior officer was caught with her in his house within the police quarters - She was taken for a medical examination at a health facility in Mumias - The case has been filed in court and suspect is likely to be charged with defilement A police officer attached at Otiato AP post in Mumias, Kakamega County was on the evening of Saturday, November 17, busted with a Standard Six girl in his house. Police sources intimated to TUKO.co.ke that the officer, Alex Igadwa, was arrested by two of his colleagues at his official house at the camp. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: KCSE candidate forced to cancel exams after undergoing caesarian section READ ALSO: 41 KCSE candidates in Kitui give birth as exam progresses, 72 others pregnant The 14-year-old girl, police said, had disappeared and her father made a report at the same police camp. "This was discovered after the child's father complained at the said post," read a police report filed at Otiato AP post. READ ALSO: Breakdown of alarming teenage pregnancy rates in Kenya per county The minor was taken to a local hospital for medical examination to determine whether she was defiled. Igwada is set to be charged with defilement immediately investigations are concluded. Cases of primary and secondary school learners involving in early sex have recently been rife in the country. They have so far seen over 449 candidates miss out of the national exams (both KCPE and KCSE) in 2018. Hundreds of others sat their exams in maternity wards while others yet to go into labour handled their tests in schools alongside fellow learners This latest case came hardly a week after a law enforcement officer in Narok County was arrested while on a mission to eat the forbidden fruit with a KCSE candidate. Patrick Mwendo was arrested in Kilgoris town on the night of Tuesday, November 13, at a lodging with the student. Kakamega police officer arrested after being caught with a Class Six pupil in his house Source: UGC READ ALSO: Migori Form Three student arrested for drowning her newborn in river In a recent health survey, Narok County was ranked with the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancies. Boda boda operators, teacher and close male relatives have been put on spot over the menace. In a separate story on Sunday, November 18, TUKO.co.ke reported on a case where a 17-year-old secondary school girl drowned her newborn in River Migori. A boda boda operator in the area is said to have been responsible for the pregnancy but rejected the minor and their child after she gave birth. The rejection, according to locals, prompted the girl to tragically end her infant's life. 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. Carolyne Nduti Untold Story: My Husband Left Me for My Cousin - Kenya Untold Stories | Tuko TV. Source: Tuko.co.ke - The legislators will also be given travel allowances and revamped medical cover under the newly proposed law - Also to benefit from the Bill are Speakers and leaders of Majority of the National Assembly and the Senate - The Bill was informed by recommendations of National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs - It was tabled in Parliament on November 15 by Baringo North MP William Cheptumo and is awaiting debate - The new Bill comes two weeks after the lawmakers protested quality of food they were being served in Parliament Members of the 12th Parliament could soon start receiving free cars, houses, revamped medical cover and fat travel allowances should they pass the Parliamentary Service Bill. The already highly remunerated 416 lawmakers, Speakers and their deputies and even the Majority leaders in the two Houses will roll in high-end cars and live in luxurious homes bought by taxpayers. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Kenyan MPs demand 5-star hotel services, reject Parliament food Debate on the the Parliamentary Service Bill which was tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday last week is expected to kick off on Tuesday, November 20. Source: Twitter READ ALSO: MPs plead with Speaker to provide them with plenty of quality meals and not funeral tea TUKO.co.ke on Monday, November 19, confirmed the Parliamentary Service Bill 2018 was tabled in the National Assembly awaiting debate on Tuesday. The Bill, Daily Nation reported, was tabled by Baringo North MP William Cheptumo who is the chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs which produced the report that informed drafting of the new Bill. Besides the free houses and cars, the MPs, House Speakers and their deputies and the Majority leaders would enjoy improved mortgage facility which currently staggers at KSh 20 million per legislator. READ ALSO: NASA MPs storm out of parliament The Bill comes about two weeks after the MPs angrily protested the quality of catering services they were receiving in Parliament. The lawmakers claimed the quality of food they were being served when they visit the August House was poorly prepared. They demanded their catering services to be outsourced from a 5-star hotel where the food would be prepared by professional chefs only and people hired by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). READ ALSO: NASA MPs storm out of parliament While debating a report on Members' Services and Facilities on November 7, the lawmakers led by the National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale called for full implementation of the recommendations contained in the House report. They said report had recommended for several changes including construction of two cafeterias, renovation of Parliament's kitchen, bar and restaurant and members' lounge. TUKO.co.ke understands the Committee chaired by Nyaribari Masaba MP Ezekiel Machogu tabled the report following a bench-marking exercise in the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland National Assemblies. 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 Breaking News Latest As the rest of the county is celebrating release of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams results, a family in Eldoret town is mourning a candidate who died in a tragic road accident hours before release of the results. Edward Nyamu from Eldoret in Uasin Gishu county died on Sunday, November 18, after a lorry loaded with sand rammed their house. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Lorry rams house in Nyeri killing two children who were watching TV Nyamu had scored 347 marks in the KCPE exams that were released in Mombasa County on Monday, November 19. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: 5 ways in which passengers get killed in road accidents In a report by Citizen, the heavily loaded lorry had hit the bedroom of Nyamu and her mother's efforts to pull him out were fruitless as the boy had already died. "I tried to pull him out but all was in vain. I could not believe my son had died and I kept pulling him as my neighbours watched helplessly," said the mother. Nyamu had scored 347 marks in KCPE exam whose results was released on Monday, November 19, by Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed in Mombasa County. READ ALSO: 9 killed, 20 injured in tragic morning accident The incident came barely days after another lorry rammed into a house in Nyeri killing two children who were watching TV. 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'S FORGOTTEN HERO| Tuko TV Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest The Ministry of Health has purchased 12 new ventilators specifically for the treatment of CO Napoli will be looking for a win that would put them in a strong position in Group C and could secure a place in the knockout round as they welcome a Crvena zvezda side who are buoyed by their first UEFA Champions League victory. The Italian side who shared a goalless draw in Serbia in their opening fixture have six points, level with Liverpool and one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain with Crvena zvzeda still in contention on four points. That means Napoli will be through if they win and Paris do not beat Liverpool in the other matchday four game; Crvena zvezda will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose. Highlights: Crvena zvezda 0-0 Napoli Form guide Napoli Having been held 0-0 at Crvena zvezda, a 90th-minute Lorenzo Insigne goal earned Napoli a 1-0 win against last season's finalists Liverpool in their first home game on matchday two. Insigne was also on target in a 2-2 draw at Paris and scored for the third successive UEFA Champions League match to earn a 1-1 draw against the French club last time out. Napoli are unbeaten in this season's competition, but have won only three of their last ten UEFA Champions League matches (D3 L4) all those victories coming at the Stadio San Paolo. Serie A runners-up in 2017/18, Napoli are in the group stage for the fifth time all in the last eight seasons. They reached the round of 16 in 2011/12 and 2016/17. The Italian club finished third in their section last season winning two of their three home matches and losing the other and went on to the UEFA Europa League round of 32, where they lost to RB Leipzig. The Serie A side have lost two of their last five home European matches. However, they have suffered only four losses in their last 28 European home fixtures (W17 D7). The draw against Paris means Napoli have won only three of their last eight home games in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final; they have lost three in that sequence. The Naples outfit have won only one of their six matches against Serbian opposition (D3 L2) a 3-1 home victory against OFK Beograd in the 1962/63 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final second leg, although they went on to lose the replay by the same score. Watch Crvena zvezda claim Serbia's first group win Crvena zvezda Crvena zvezda's first game in the UEFA Champions League proper was the goalless draw at home to Napoli on matchday one, but they were beaten 6-1 at Paris in their second fixture, equalling their biggest margin of defeat in European competition. Another heavy defeat followed at Liverpool (0-4) before two Milan Pavkov goals secured a first group victory, 2-0 at the expense of last season's runners-up. It was the first victory by a Serbian club in the UEFA Champions League proper at the 16th attempt. Before matchday two, Crvena zvezda had lost only once in 14 European games; despite losing at Paris and Liverpool, they have still only suffered three defeats in their last 17 (W6 D8). The Belgrade club have won two of their six European away games this season, and have lost only three of their last ten (W3 D4) in Paris, Liverpool and 1-0 at CSKA Moskva in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg to lose by the same aggregate scoreline. They had conceded only four goals in eight away fixtures before shipping ten in total on matchdays two and three. Champions of Serbia in 2017/18, Crvena zvezda came through four qualifying rounds to reach the group stage the first time they had successfully negotiated the UEFA Champions League preliminaries at the seventh attempt. Crvena zvezda kicked off this season in the first qualifying round, where they got the better of Latvia's Spartaks Jurmala 2-0 on aggregate. Lithuania's Suduva were beaten 5-0 over two legs in the second qualifying round, before extra time secured a 2-1 away win at Slovakia's Spartak Trnava in the third qualifying round second leg to complete a 3-2 aggregate victory. They came from 2-0 down to draw at Salzburg in the play-off second leg, going through on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Crvena zvezda have won only two of their 20 fixtures against Italian clubs, most recently a 3-1 home win against Roma in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage their sole home success. Their record home and away since then is D2 L3. The Belgrade club have won only once in Italy (D3 L5), and have lost on their last three visits, failing to score each time. This is only the third season Serbia has had a team in the group stage, after Partizan's participations in 2003/04 and 2010/11. #UCL matchday four skillszone Links and trivia Napoli's Serbian centre-back Nikola Maksimovic was at Crvena zvezda in 2012, scoring once in his 25 appearances. Have played in Italy: Nenad Krsticic (Sampdoria, 200816, Bologna 2014/15 loan) Marko Marin (Fiorentina 2014) Richmond Boakye (Genoa 201012, Sassuolo 2011/12 & 2012/13 loans, Juventus 201214, Atalanta 2014/15, Latina 201617) International team-mates: Nenad Krsticic, Milan Rodic & Nikola Maksimovic (Serbia) Latest news Napoli Napoli have won four of their last six Serie A games, including a 2-1 success at Genoa on 10 November. The exception in that sequence of wins was a 1-1 draw against Roma on 28 October, Napoli's first Serie A stalemate this season (W9 L2). A second followed on Sunday as Chievo earned a 0-0 draw in Naples. Lorenzo Insigne is Napoli's leading scorer this term with seven goals in 12 Serie A games and three in four UEFA Champions League outings. Sunday marked only the second time Napoli have failed to score in Serie A this season, after the 3-0 defeat at Sampdoria on 2 September. Marek Hamsik made his 512th Napoli appearance against Paris on matchday four, overtaking the all-time club record set by former defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti. On 17 November Mario Rui helped Portugal to earn a 0-0 draw away to Insigne's Italy as the visitors reached the UEFA Nations League Finals. Arkadiusz Milik scored a penalty in Poland's 1-1 draw against Portugal three days later, although his side were already relegated from League A. Simone Verdi has not played since suffering a thigh injury against Udinese on 20 October. When he resumed training with the team, he twisted his left ankle. Amin Younes has not played since undergoing an operation on a ruptured Achilles tendon shortly after joining in the summer. Goalkeeper Alex Meret is yet to make his Napoli debut after breaking his arm soon after joining this summer. Faouzi Ghoulam underwent knee surgery in July having not played since 1 November 2017 and has been an an unused substitute in Napoli's last four games. Vlad Chiriches ruptured the cruciate ligament in his left knee in Romania's game against Montenegro on 7 September. Kalidou Koulibaly has been named on a five-man shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award. Crvena zvezda The defeat in Paris on matchday two ended Crvena zvezda's 34-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W26 D8), stretching back to the 1-0 loss at CSKA Moskva in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg, although they did lose on penalties in the Serbian Cup against Macva on 14 March after a 0-0 draw. Crvena zvezda are 43 matches unbeaten in the Serbian Super League (W38 D5), since a 1-0 loss against Napredak on 1 October 2017. The Serbian champions won their first seven games in this season's Super League, making it 17 in a row, before being held 1-1 at Belgrade rivals Partizan on 23 September. They won their next eight matches but were held to a 2-2 draw at second-placed Radnicki Nis on Saturday, keeping them nine points clear at the top of the table.. El Fardou Ben Nabouhane scored nine goals in his first 11 matches for Crvena zvezda this season, but has only two in his last nine, although he was on target on Saturday. Richmond Boakye has five goals in four league appearances this season. Crvena zvezda reached the Serbian Cup quarter-finals with a 4-1 home win against second division side Backa Topola on 21 November. Ben Nabouhane made it four goals in his last four international appearances for Comoros with the opener in a 2-1 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Malawi on 17 November. Milan Pavkov, Boakye, Vujadin Savic, Dusan Jovancic and Goran Causic are all carrying minor injuries. Kyiv and Washington are continuing to hold discussions about future deliveries of weapons, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said. "We are in discussions about other pieces of defense equipment," Klimkin said in an interview with the Defense News magazine, declining to get specific. Klimkin said the presence of Russian and Russian-backed forces in the Donbas "is pretty much constant," but the presence of U.S.-supplied arms has had an effect. "It's an ongoing discussion, because Javelins were important psychologically. We have noticed that the Russians [withdrew] their tanks deeper into the occupied area basically fearing symbolically, psychologically and physically that such [anti-tank] weapons can be used in the case of Russian provocation," the minister said. Ukraine has been moving to build up its defense capabilities in the city of Azov, Klimkin said, as Russia attempts a "creeping annexation" of the sea and delays Ukrainian ships sailing on it, to intimidate and disrupt trade. "We are very decisive on defending our interests in the Azov Sea, and we can't let the Russians take control of the whole Azov Sea," he said. Klimkin also added that a modern Ukraine is "prepared for effective provocations." op The Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) is estimated to be worth about $14 billion, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev has said. He said this during the 3rd Ukrainian Oil and Gas Investment Forum 2018, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The value of the Ukrainian GTS is about $14 billion. Any management company, in whatever format it was founded, should provide the state with a return on that capital in accordance with the value set by the regulator. Regardless of the format, it's necessary to find a mechanism that will ensure this revenue to the state," Kobolev said. He noted that European partners are currently reluctant to buy the Ukrainian GTS at such an estimate. Kobolev said on October 1 that a consortium with European partners to manage the Ukrainian gas transportation system could be set up in the first half of 2019. He expressed confidence that the Government of Ukraine would soon submit proposals to the Verkhovna Rada on the terms of the consortium. op First Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko, who represents Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, has called on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to support Ukraine's initiative on a peacekeeping mission in the Donbas and ensure women's participation in such a mission. She stated this as part of the ninth session of the NATO PA in Halifax, Canada. "I urged to support Ukraine's initiative on a peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, and it would be good if women could make up a significant percentage in a peacekeeping mission," Gerashchenko wrote on her Facebook page. She also spoke about the participation of Ukrainian women in peace processes, the role of military women and civilians in restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. According to Gerashchenko, Ukrainian women pay the highest and most terrible price for Russian aggression unleashed against Ukraine. "More than 1,500 widows, more than 2,250 mothers who lost their sons [...] I talked about young nurses and women soldiers killed by Russian mercenaries, about women who remain hostages in the occupied Donbas for their pro-Ukrainian stance. I stressed that the Donbas, and especially Crimea, remain closed to monitoring missions. We cannot fully record all human rights violations there, including sexual crimes," she wrote. In addition, Gerashchenko added, during the discussion, the sides exchanged views on enhancing the role of women in peacekeeping processes with the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security Claire Hutchinson, who recently visited Ukraine. The session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, involving over 270 delegates, took place in Halifax last weekend. op A Ukrainian delegation has met with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Halifax, Canada, First Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko has reported on Facebook. "I was particularly pleased to meet a great friend of Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Paul Grod. I thanked the Ukrainian diaspora for their incredible work on restoring the historical memory of the terrible tragedy of the Holodomor, as well as our joint efforts to spread information around the world about an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people," Gerashchenko wrote. She also noted that the parties had discussed the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and exchanged views on the free trade area with Canada. "Canadian friends noted that Ukraine-Canada parliamentary friendship groups can do more to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. I invited our Canadian friends to visit Ukraine next year to monitor the presidential election," Gerashchenko wrote. op Ukraine calls on Canada to intensify sanctions pressure on Russia due to the holding of pseudo-elections in the occupied Donbas and the blocking of the release of Ukrainian hostages and political prisoners. The Ukrainian president's envoy on the peaceful settlement of the situation in the Donbas, First Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, said this at a meeting with Canadian parliamentarian, co-chair of the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group Borys Wrzesnewskyj, the press service of the Ukrainian parliament reported. The report notes that the meeting took place in Halifax, Canada, on November 17. Ukrainian MPs invited representatives of the Canadian delegation to take part in monitoring the parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine in 2019. During the meeting, the sides also paid special attention to Russian military aggression against Ukraine and the problems of UN resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. "Canada is in favor of strengthening the role of women in peacekeeping processes and peacekeeping missions. We hold the same position and support all projects aimed at strengthening the role of women in peacekeeping processes, supporting women who were affected by the conflict in the Donbas," Gerashchenko said. op Germany continues to urge the Ukrainian side to delete the Myrotvorets (Peacemaker) website. Germany's Foreign Ministry spokesman Christoph Burger stated this at a briefing in Berlin on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. We have informed Ukraine of our position in the past and have insisted the Ukrainian government delete this website. We will now do this again, he said. Earlier, the Myrotvorets website added former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder to its list of enemies of the state, accusing him of "anti-Ukrainian propaganda" and attempting to justify "Russian aggression against Ukraine." Myrotvorets is a Ukrainian Kyiv-based website that purports to reveal personal information of people who are considered to be "enemies of Ukraine" or "whose actions have signs of crimes against the national security of Ukraine, peace, human security, and the international law". ish On November 19, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Ukraine, Mr Jedai Al-Hathal. During the meeting, the sides discussed preparations for the 6th meeting of the Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Saudi Arabian Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and noted that the Commission's meeting would become another successful event aimed at deepening the existing and identifying new forms of interaction between the states, the Government portal reported. During the meeting, the issue of investigating the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was also raised. The Ukrainian vice prime minister thanked for the consistent support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine by Saudi Arabia. He also expressed hope that Saudi Arabia will continue to express its principled position, including regarding the protection of the rights of Crimean Tatars in the occupied Crimea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine states that any attacks on journalists, as well as any manifestations of intolerance and violence are unacceptable. Spokesperson for MFA Kateryna Zelenko wrote this on Twitter, when commenting on the attack on a Canadian photographer during the transgender rights rally held in the center of Kyiv. Attacks on journalists, as well as any manifestations of intolerance and violence, are considered unacceptable. We are waiting for the results of the investigation by law enforcement agencies, she wrote. On November 18, the far-right protesters interrupted the transgender rights rally in the center of Kyiv and attacked some activists. Among those injured was Canadian photographer Michael Colborne who was trying to cover the event. iy The Ecumenical Patriarchate has reaffirmed its decision to grant the tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This is stated in a communique issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Monday, November 19. "In preparation for the meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod from November 27-29, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its sacred decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," the document reads. According to the communique, while the preparation process for the Holy Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is underway, a concrete date will be presented within December 2018 for the confirmation and announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. On October 11, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kyiv now has to convene an assembly involving the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, who turned to the Ecumenical Patriarch with the request to grant the tomos. The assembly will carry out church unification, form a single local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and elect its primate. After that, the head of the single local autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church will receive the tomos as a document (letter). President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul on November 3. op The National Day of Ukraine has been held in the capital of Iraq within the framework of the 45th session of Baghdad International Fair (BIF). "In the city of Baghdad, the National Day of Ukraine was held within the 45th session of Baghdad International Fair," the press service of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Iraq reported. The Ukrainian day at the exhibition began with the flag raising ceremony and the national anthem. The event was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Iraq, the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and the representatives of a number of Iraqi companies. Russian border guards have detained a Ukrainian fishing boat in the Sea of Azov in the waters of Yeysk, allegedly for violating the rules of fishing, Russian news agency Interfax has reported, with reference to the press service of the FSB's border directorate for the Krasnodar Krai. "A foreign small-sized ship was spotted in the Yeysk Spit area. It was detained and taken to the port of Yeysk. More than 240 kg of fish, including 17 zander banned for fishing, and ten fishing nets were found in the Tunets-type motor boat," reads the report. According to the FSB, detained fishermen could not explain in what part of the Azov Sea they caught fish. The fish and prohibited fishing gear were seized. At present, according to the FSB, "for the violation of the rules of fishing (Part 2 of Article 8.37 of the Code on Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation), the captain of the detained vessel was brought to administrative liability" by a court in Yeysk. He was fined 5,000 Russian rubles. In addition, the court ruled to confiscate the vessel and fishing gear. As reported, a member of the Russian Federation Council, Frants Klintsevich, said last week that Russia could block the Azov Sea for Ukrainian ships "within minutes." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, in turn, stressed that Russia's actions in the Azov Sea are nothing more than a "creeping occupation" and a new attempt to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, as well as create another area of tension. Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration Olena Zerkal said earlier that Russia covers up its aggression regarding the blocking of ships and ports in the Azov Sea by international law on combatting piracy. On October 25, the European Parliament passed a resolution due to Russia's obstacles to free navigation in the Azov Sea, proposing to toughen sanctions on Russia in the event of an escalation of the situation and condemning the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, in turn, decided to strengthen the country's naval presence in the Sea of Azov by building a naval base. op Many of us dont enjoy studying history and talking about it because we find it too serious or too boring. But when you read these cool historical facts that are not known to many, your perception about history is bound to change. Did you know we once had a year without summer due to a volcanic eruption, or that in 1752, the 3rd through 13th of September did not happen in England due to the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar? Keep reading for more such facts! You would love to share them with your friends. 1. The second officer of the Titanic refused to get off the ship until he had helped the others and got trapped underwater. A boiler exploded that set him free. He then served in World War II and saved the lives of 127 men at Dunkirk. Known as the man who survived two world wars and two ship sinkings, Charles Lightoller was the second officer aboard the Titanic. He was the seniormost member to have survived the sinking and is known to be the one who enforced the protocol of helping women and children out of the ship first followed by the men. He stayed on board until the end trying to help the others and was sucked under a grate and submerged under water until the warm air from a boiler explosion set him free. He served in World War I and World War II as an officer of the Royal Navy. The second ship disaster in his life was aboard the Falcon, a ship that should have been scrapped long before he was given charge of it. On one of its many adventures, the Falcon collided with the trawler John Fitzgerald. Despite the crews attempts to save the ship, it sank. This time, too, Lightoller was the last to get off. He is known to have played a role in the Dunkirk evacuation when all the boats that could help the soldiers at Dunkirk were called in. Lightoller steered his boat Sundowner and rescued 127 soldiers, sailing them to safety while dodging enemy aircraft while at the sea. (1,2) Advertisements 2. Canada and Denmark have had one of the funniest border disputes in history over an island. Each nations military will visit the place, uproot the other countrys flag, and leave a welcome note with a bottle of schnapps or Canadian Club depending upon their nationality. A strange dispute has been going on for over three decades now over the barren Hans Island located far in Arctic north. No one knows why Canada and Denmark have been fighting over this half-a-square-mile territory for so long. The crux of the dispute is that, according to international law, countries can claim territories up to 12 miles from their shores, but Hans Island lies within 12 miles of both countries. It was declared to be a Danish territory by the League of Nations, but after that body dissolved, there has been no certainty about its status. The dispute began sometime in 1984 when a minister from Denmark placed the Danish flag there with a welcome note and a bottle of brandy. This started a battle of sorts. Today, if the Canadian army visits the territory, they leave a note that says, Welcome to Canada and a bottle of Canadian Club. If the Danish army visits, they leave a bottle of schnapps with a similar note. This war has been dubbed as the Whiskey War, and the governments have kept a good sense of humor over it. Plans are underway to make Hans Island a shared territory. (source) Advertisements 3. Philip II of Macedon wanted to conquer Sparta. He sent a warning to the Spartans that read If I win this war, you will be slaves forever. The Spartans replied with just one word, If. Their boldness paid off, and Philip II left Sparta alone. The king of Macedon from 339 BCE to 336 BCE, Philip II was the father of Alexander the Great. He had a dream of expanding the Macedonian empire and many Greek cities had submitted to him. Thereafter, he turned to famous Sparta. This is one of the lesser-known Spartan stories. Philip II sent the Spartans a note that read If I win this war, you will be slaves forever. Another version of the note read, You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your cities. The Spartans, known for their bravery, replied simply, and according to all the accounts in history, their reply was the same. They wrote, If. The Spartans bravery worked. Philip II did not attack Sparta and neither did his son, Alexander. (source) 4. For over three decades from 1845-1879, the Peruvian economys backbone was seagull poop. This bird poop also caused the War of the Pacific. Seabirds like the Guanay cormorant, the pelican, and the Peruvian booby have supported Perus economy for quite a long time now. From 1845 to 1879, the poop from these birds accounted for most of Perus revenue. The country is the worlds largest producer of organic fertilizer (yes, the bird poop) which is used to boost crop yield. This bird poop known as guano is rich in nitrogen and often needs to be excavated. Peru has 21 guano islands which once had 60 million birds living on them producing poop in high quantities. There is an eight-month collection period for guano when all the collection has to be done by hand as no machines can be used to prevent scaring the birds away. The laborers who work to collect the poop earn two to three times the amount than what they would earn otherwise taking home a monthly average of $428 which is much more than Perus minimum wage. Guano, which is exported to Europe and the United States, has sparked diplomatic disputes and actual wars. The War of the Pacific was indirectly caused by it between 1879 and 1884. The population of guano birds has drastically decreased today with only five million of them left alive. The future of the industry largely depends on the conservation efforts of Peru. (source) 5. Some 2,400 years ago when the Gallic troops tried to sack Rome, the city was saved by a flock of holy geese that honked so loud that the guards were alerted who then defeated the attacking troops. In history, Rome has been sacked innumerable times. Some 2,400 years ago, Gallic troops had conquered most of it except the Capitoline Hill which was defended vigorously by the Romans. On one night, the Gauls tried to quietly enter the area but did not know that some geese would make their efforts futile. While climbing the hill, the Gallic troops disturbed a flock of sacred geese that lived in the temple of Juno. Once disturbed, the geese began honking loudly which alerted the Roman guards who fought and threw the Gallic troops off the hill preventing the sacking. Rome was saved, then, by unexpected saviors. (source) The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly recently approved a further revised draft resolution entitled "The Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol (Ukraine)." UNGA resolutions, like all UN resolutions, are not something that can stop Russia's war against Ukraine and bring back Crimea. But that does not mean that they have no meaning. On the contrary, they are important because they fix all the crimes committed by the Russian Federation, and, accordingly, provide arguments that allow to put forward certain demands to Russia. If we analyze the extract from the new draft resolution on Crimea, a few interesting points can be singled out If we analyze the extract from the new draft resolution on Crimea, a few interesting points can be singled out. Firstly, it is once again noted that Crimea is part of Ukraine, but it is important that the document calls for international institutions to call the territory the "Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which is temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation." In the future, it makes it impossible for some international institution to oppose the position of most countries. And I am convinced that the resolution, as planned, will be voted in December, and it will become a certain marker for countries that will help them understand how to act on the issue. Of course, there were those who voted against this resolution earlier. Here it is necessary to distinguish the position of Belarus, since recently, President of Ukraine visited the country, after which we were told a lot about this state being impartial and that it may well become the mediator between Ukraine and Russia, as well as participate in the peacekeeping mission, in the negotiations, and so on. But we saw how "impartial" Belarus was: it never supported decisions that were fundamentally important for Ukraine, including in March 2014, when during the UN General Assembly, the country voted against the territorial integrity of our state. Therefore, it must be remembered that Lukashenko's smiles and hugs are not apologies for his true behavior, so it's not worth relying on Belarus. Secondly, it is important that in the draft resolution several names were noted of Ukrainian political prisoners. This is important because it exacerbates pressure exerted on Russia as regards the release of prisoners. Thirdly, the occupation of Crimea is condemned as such, as well as the somewhat medieval behavior of a country which, while conquering foreign territories, forces local residents to fall under its jurisdiction. We are well aware that after Crimea was captured by Russia, conditions were created that made it impossible for locals to preserve their Ukrainian citizenship. That is, in fact, Russian citizenship was imposed on the local residents. In addition, the document condemns the involvement of Crimean residents in military operations. In cities, there is an ongoing change of the composition of the local population by those coming to the peninsula from across Russia Fourthly, the inadmissibility of changing the composition of the Crimean population is underlined. For example, the research by the Maidan of Foreign Affairs Foundation proves that in Sevastopol to a greater extent and a little less in other cities, a change of composition is underway of the local population by those coming to the peninsula from across Russia. According to our estimates, it is already about 170,000 people this figure is higher than our UN envoy Yelchenko voiced because we took into account not only official data provided by the Russian Federation but also mediated data, for example, the amount of housing being built for the occupation authorities, the amount of mortgages given to the military servicemen and administrators of the occupiers, etc., as well as the information from our fellow citizens in Crimea, telling how much schools, kindergartens, and other institutions are loaded, which allows to see the real number of citizens. Consequently, the new UN resolution will be important for fixing all of these crimes committed by Russia and, accordingly, exerting pressure on the aggressor state. Also, the document should oblige the UN Secretary-General to establish a certain system for monitoring its implementation. And then it will be possible to try to use the UN system in order to press on the Russian Federation, using the UN bureaucracy tools. However, it is difficult to predict how the draft resolution may change, and what will be its final version. Oleksandr Khara is an expert on foreign and security policy with the Maidan of Foreign Affairs Foundation On Saturday, Klimkin confirmed to reporters, "We are in discussions about other pieces of defense equipment," but declined to get specific. The U.S. and Ukraine are in "close discussion" for Washington to supply another tranche of lethal weapons for Kyiv's fight in eastern Ukraine, where "Russians keep bringing new military technology," Ukraine's foreign minister said Saturday. The remarks from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum came one day after Klimkin met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. Pompeo affirmed U.S. support for Ukraine's nearly four-year conflict with Russia-backed separatists and said America would never accept Russia's annexation of Crimea, Defense News reported. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced in February the imminent delivery of anti-sniper weaponry, including tools for electronic warfare, air defense. Last December, the U.S. announced a $47 million sale of 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine and the U.S. has reportedly supplied Kyiv with Model M107A1 Sniper Systems. Read alsoUkrainian FM Klimkin: Russia loses war in Ukraine On Saturday, Klimkin confirmed to reporters, "We are in discussions about other pieces of defense equipment," but declined to get specific. Speaking separately at the forum on Saturday, Sen. Chris Coons, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the fighting "a frozen conflict" and expressed support for the Trump administration's decision to provide training and lethal arms to Ukraine. "I think we can push Russia out of Ukraine," said Coons, D-Del. "We need to work with our allies to make this a sustained priority." Coons said the effort may take decades of pressure, likening it to the Soviet Union's occupation of the Baltic States, which lasted from the 1940s to the 1990s. Klimkin said the presence of Russian and Russian-backed forces in the Donbass, "is pretty much constant," but the presence of U.S.-supplied arms has had an effect. "It's an ongoing discussion, because Javelins were important psychologically," he said. "We have noticed that the Russians [withdrew] their tanks deeper into the occupied area basically fearing symbolically, psychologically and physically that such [anti-tank] weapons can be used in the case of Russian provocation." Read alsoU.S. to continue to impose Russia sanctions until Crimea, Donbas returned to Ukraine - Pompeo Russian forces have been moving newer military equipment like signal jammers and drones, along with traditional armaments, into the disputed Donbass region, as observed by international monitors. Four distinct electronic warfare systems were spotted in July by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. By Ukraine's reckoning, Russian-controlled forces have some 1,400 armored vehicles and tanks in Donbas, and between 3,000 to 5,000 troops and mercenaries along with heavy mortars among a range of artillery, which Russia uses for nighttime shelling from hidden positions. Beyond Donbas, another flashpoint is the disputed Azov Sea, which borders Russia, Ukraine, and Crimea. Kyiv has accused Russia of harassing its ships, and after Kyiv interfered with 15 ships headed for Crimean ports, the Kremlin warned it would protect Russian ships. Ukraine has been moving to build up its defense capabilities in the city of Azov, Klimkin said, as Russia attempts a "creeping annexation" of the sea and delays Ukrainian ships sailing on it, to intimidate and disrupt trade. "Russian naval capabilities are stronger than ours, but we have to build up," Klimkin said. "We are very decisive on defending our interests in the Azov Sea, and we can't let the Russians take control of the whole Azov Sea. The "Ukrainian army is not the same army as it was five years ago, so I believe we are prepare we are prepared for effective provocations," he said. Illarionov says that about 0.25% of GDP allocated for the occupied territories is a significant amount, but it is not exorbitant. Russian economist and former economic advisor to President Vladimir Putin Andrei Illarionov has said Russia spends about 0.25% of its GDP, or US$2 billion, on the occupied territories of Donbas per year. "There is no official information about this. But it's possible to estimate based on how much money the Russian budget spends on financing occupied Crimea about $2 billion a year. Since the number of people in occupied Donbas is slightly higher than the population of Crimea and Sevastopol, bur per capita expenditure in Donbas is somewhat lower than on the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, we may assume that the amount of subsidies for Donbas is also about $2 billion a year, " the expert said during an online Q&A session with the Ukrainian news outlet Glavred's readers. About 0.25% of GDP allocated for the occupied territories is a significant amount, but it is not exorbitant for the Russian Federation's budget, he said. Read alsoUkrainian FM Klimkin: Russia loses war in Ukraine "This is a considerable amount of money, but this is not the one Russia cannot afford under the current situation. And this is not the amount that would be able to stop Russia's economic growth. It is noticeable, but it is not exorbitant for the current Russian budget," Illarionov said. Co-chairman of the Prava Sprava public initiative Dmytro Sniehyriov gives a similar estimate of the costs. According to his calculations, the Russian Federation has invested over $10 billion in the so-called "Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics" ("LPR/DPR") over the past five years. "Over the past five years, the Russian Federation has invested over $10 billion in the 'LPR/DPR.' This means it will never leave it on its own," he said. Read alsoTurchynov rules out any talks with "DPR/LPR" As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian-controlled puppet statelets "DPR" and "LPR" on November 11 held sham "elections" of the so-called "heads of people's republics" and "deputies of people's councils." The international community condemned the pseudo-vote. The European Union, the United States, and Japan declared the "elections" in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine were held in violation of the Minsk agreements. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that the fake "elections" in Donbas would not be recognized either by Ukraine or by the international community. Following a visit to Singapore, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 15 that the conflict in Donbas could be settled only after the change of leaders in Ukraine. The trial will resume on December 5 and Yanukovych is expected to make his final statement via video link, even from his hospital bed if he is still ill. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's treason trial in Kyiv has been postponed due to his hospitalization in Russia. Judge Vladyslav Devyatko of the Obolon district court in Kyiv ruled on November 19 that the trial will resume on December 5 and Yanukovych is expected to make his final statement via video link, even from his hospital bed if he is still ill, RFE/RL wrote. Yanukovych was scheduled to make his statement in the case via video link from Russia on November 19. But his lawyer, Oleksandr Horoshynskyy, said his client's current physical state did not allow him to do so. Read alsoYanukovych reportedly hospitalized in Moscow Russian media Horoshynskyy said earlier on November 18 that Yanukovych received emergency treatment at a Moscow hospital on November 16 for injuries to his spine and his knee. Horoshynskyy is one of two lawyers representing the exiled Yanukovych at his trial in absentia in Kyiv. Prosecutors in Kyiv are seeking life imprisonment for Yanukovych on charges of high treason, taking deliberate actions that violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and complicity with Russian authorities. Yanukovych abandoned the Ukrainian president's office in late February 2014 and fled to Russia in the face of protests triggered by his decision to scrap a landmark deal with the European Union and, instead, improve economic ties with Moscow. Dozens of people were killed when Yanukovych's government attempted to clamp down on the pro-European Union protests known as the Euromaidan. Yanukovych's ouster was soon followed by Russia's seizure and illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and by Moscow's support for pro-Russia separatists fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine. The minister says that putting Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk at the helm would be in breach of the organization's "spirit and goals." Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Arsen Avakov, states that Ukraine will consider suspending its membership in Interpol if a representative of the Russian Federation is selected the new president of the organization. "Russia's probable presidency in Interpol is absurd and contradicts the spirit and goals of the organization. In case the arguments of Ukraine and a number of other countries fall on deaf ears, Ukraine will consider suspending its membership in ," Avakov wrote on Facebook. As reported earlier, on Nov 18, the 87th session of the Interpol General Assembly launched its work in Dubai, where, among other issues, consultations are underway regarding the candidates for the post of the new Interpol president, months after the agency's former leader, Meng Hongwei, was arrested in China on corruption charges. One of the two candidates in the upcoming vote by Interpols 192 member states, is from Russia despite allegations that Moscow has used Interpols procedures to pursue political enemies. Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk, a current Interpol vice-president who previously headed the office of Russias deputy interior minister, will compete with Kim Jong Yang of South Korea, Interpols acting president, according to The Financial Times. All 28 EU member states showed full unity regarding the non-recognition of the so-called "elections" Russia had organized in the occupied areas of Donbas Nov 11. The European Union is fully united on the position of non-recognition of pseudo-elections Russia held in Donbas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told a press conference in Brussels following an EU foreign ministers' meeting on Monday. Mogherini noted that it was "an opportunity today to express full unity of the European Union on the position we have already expressed of non-recognition of the so-called 'elections' that were held in Donbas Nov 11." As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia organized and held in the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine pseudo-elections of the so-called "heads of people's republics" and "deputies of people's councils." Read alsoRussia spends about US$2 bln per year on "LPR/DPR" Putin's ex-advisor The international community has condemned the sham vote. The EU, the U.S., and Japan said that holding the "elections" in the occupied territories was a violation of the Minsk Agreements. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko sad that the fake "elections" in Donbas would not be recognized by anyone, while Russia would bear responsibility for organizing them. Szijjarto claims there is no "forward progress" on the issue of rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia. Hungary will continue blocking the Ukraine-NATO Commission meetings, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Speaking in Brussels following the EU Council meeting at the foreign ministers' level on Monday, the top diplomat has told journalists about his latest meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "I told him that unfortunately we cannot lift our veto when it comes to the Ukraine-NATO Commission meetings because there is no forward progress [on Ukrainian authorities meeting the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia region]," Szijjarto said. Read alsoMFA Ukraine demands reaction from Budapest as member of Hungarian party visits Donbas as "elex observer" He added that Budapest could agree to the holding within a framework of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels of a joint session with the participation of the top diplomats from Ukraine and Georgia, as it was during the July NATO summit. As UNIAN reported earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Nov 15 echoed Vladimir Putin in claiming that it was impossible to reach an agreement with today's leadership of Ukraine. He expressed hope that following presidential elections scheduled for 2019, it will be easier for Budapest to come to terms with Ukraine leaders. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has reiterated its sacred decision to grant the tomos of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has said the Holy Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine will be held in December. "In preparation for the meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod from November 27-29, 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its sacred decision to grant the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a communique on November 19, 2018. Read alsoPolitical analyst explains why Armenian church opposes Ukrainian autocephaly "While the preparation process for the Holy Council (SOBOR) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is underway, a concrete date within December 2018 will be presented for the confirmation and announcement by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate," it said. As UNIAN reported earlier, on October 11, following a meeting of the Synod, a decision was announced, stating that the Ecumenical Patriarchate proceeds to granting autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine. In addition, the legal binding of the Synod's letter of 1686 was abolished, thus taking the Kyiv Metropolis from under Moscow's canonical jurisdiction. Also, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) Filaret and head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) Makariy were reinstated in their canonical status. On October 12, the UOC-KP urged the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to prepare for a special unification council. On November 3, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on cooperation and interaction between Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. There have been no Ukrainian army casualties in the past day. Russian-led forces mounted 16 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the last 24 hours. "No casualties among Ukrainian troops have been reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, three occupiers were killed and another four were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on November 19, 2018. Read alsoOSCE spots amassing of heavy weapons in occupied Donbas Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms at the defenders of the towns of Svitlodarsk, Avdiyivka and Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Zholobok, Novotoshkivske, Travneve, Verkhniotoretske, Pavlopil, Vodiane, and Hnutove. The enemy also employed 120mm mortars against the Ukrainian fortified positions near Novotoshkivske and Svitlodarsk, as well as 82mm mortars and 122mm artillery systems near Travneve and Zholobok. "Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces have attacked the Ukrainian positions near Zholobok, using 120mm mortars, heavy machine guns and small arms. No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported since the start of the day," the update said. In 2012, Bidyovka was elected Ukrainian MP from the Communist Party of Ukraine. Vladimir Bidyovka has become Chairman of the "People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic, or DPR" of the second convocation. Vladimir Bidyovka is a native of the town of Makiyivka, Donetsk region. He was a member of the Communist Party of Ukraine (the party was outlawed in Ukraine on December 16, 2015), the Ukrainian news outlet Novosti Donbassa has reported. Read alsoRussia spends about US$2 bln per year on "LPR/DPR" Putin's ex-advisor From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Donetsk Regional Council, representing the Communist Party of Ukraine. In addition, Bidyovka was secretary of the party's committee in Donetsk region and worked as editor-in-chief of the Kommunist Donbassa newspaper. In 2012, he was elected Ukrainian MP from the Communist Party of Ukraine (No. 18 on the list). In 2013, he was a coordinator of protests staged by the Communist Party against shale gas production in Donetsk region. In October 2014, he was nominated by the Communist Party as member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, but the political force did not receive enough votes to be elected to parliament. After that, he fled to the "DPR-" controlled territory. On November 2, 2014, he was elected to the "People's Council of the DPR" of the first convocation. The Russian military are not happy with unofficial status of their service and low allowances. Spokesman for Ukraine's Defense Ministry Dmytro Hutsuliak says Russian servicemen massively refuse to serve in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "The recruited Russian military personnel massively refuse to serve in the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," he said at a briefing on November 19, referring to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate. Read also"DPR parliament" headed by former Communist MP (Photo) According to Hutsuliak, the Russian military argue their decisions by unofficial status of their service there, recognition as war criminals in case of capture, low allowances and large-scale casualties in the formations and units of Russia's occupation forces. The command of the armed forces of the Russian Federation is intensively training and taking on more troops in the occupied part of Donbas, he said. In particular, military training for officers, sergeants and privates who serve in the army under contracts has been under way on the territory of all military districts of the Russian armed forces since the beginning of November to ensure simultaneous rotation and recruitment of the formations and units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Russian armed forces. This also concerns vacancies that were previously occupied by locals. In this regard, twice as many Russian servicemen than usual are involved in this training, Hutsuliak said. At the same time, high-ranking members of the Russian armed forces directly supervise the recruitment and battlemind training of troops, he added. In the capital city, protesters went for a walk in the soft drizzling rain, from Parliament to the Cabinet building, along major boulevards to Eagle Bridge and to Alexander Purvi Square. The much-hyped day of protests in Bulgaria on November 18 saw traffic disruptions by protesters in cars in some parts of the country, while in Sofia participation numbered little more than a few hundred people, under grey skies and light rain. The difference in impact of the various protests called generally around cost-of-living issues including "high fuel prices" and seeking the resignation of the government depended on whether protesters were in cars or on foot, according to The Sofia Globe. In Bulgaria's Black Sea cities of Bourgas and Varna, for example, motorists blocked city streets, while elsewhere roads to some of Bulgaria's border checkpoints were obstructed for some time. Read alsoReuters: Bulgaria charges senior state official in passport scam In the capital city, protesters went for a walk in the soft drizzling rain, from Parliament to the Cabinet building, along major boulevards to Eagle Bridge and to Alexander Purvi Square. En route, this caused temporary halts to traffic in central city streets. As night fell on the city, no major road in Sofia was blocked, according to a report by Bulgarian National Radio. Participants in two of the larger protests out of four, the other two being in the name of other causes chanted "resign," "mafia" and at one point "referendum," the last-mentioned presumably to do with the placards they carried urging "direct democracy." In the course of the afternoon, a motorist was arrested near the Russian Church for driving recklessly near the protesters and failing to obey police orders. As the motorist sped down the road, a police car intercepted it, with another swiftly coming up to block it from behind. Elsewhere in Bulgaria, about 300 people took part in a protest in Gabrovo, demanding the resignation of the government because of the low standard of living. At one point, they blocked the exit from the town towards Veliko Turnovo. In Pleven, about 100 cars were involved, and there also was a protest on foot. The motorised protesters put small amounts of petrol into their cars at fuel stations as a protest against high fuel prices. They also told reporters that they wanted the electoral system changed. About 90 cars were involved in Vidin, a few dozen in Dupnitsa, about 300 in Gotse Delchev while in Vratsa, protesters obstructed a pedestrian crossing for about an hour. Between noon and mid-afternoon roads to Bulgaria's border checkpoints at Kapitan Andreevo, Ilinden -Exochi, Kulata and Lesovo were obstructed at various times, as were sections of Trakiya Motorway, the Boaza junction and the road between Lovech and Pleven. Police prevented an attempt by residents of Blagoevgrad to block the E-79, which leads south to Greece. According to a report by bTV, there was conflict after protesters closed a road junction on Trakiya Motorway at the exits to Yambol and Sliven. After other motorists, not part of the protests, waited for hours to pass, a mother asked protesters to allow her to proceed because she was accompanied by a young child. The protesters did not allow her to go on, leading to a dispute. Protesters and police then opened a way for cars to pass in the opposite direction. The obstruction of the motorway lasted about three hours. A "national protest" also is scheduled for Sofia on November 19. The organizer has been named as Alexander Stamboliiski, who has been prominent in the "high fuel price" protests that have caused traffic disruptions in various parts of the country in the past week. (@FahadShabbir) Nepali Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada here on Monday expressed his belief that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative would help transform the economy of those partnering countries including Nepal. KATHMANDU, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Nepali Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada here on Monday expressed his belief that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative would help transform the economy of those partnering countries including Nepal He made these remarks during a two-day international conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in South Asia and Nepal. Khatiwada said the initiative created win-win situation for those countries. "I think nobody should be skeptic about the BRI as it creates win-win situation for all who are part of it," Khatiwada said. Proposed by China in 2013, the Nepalese Minister said, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa through the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. He said noting that Nepal has already become part of the initiative, Khatiwada said Nepal would reap benefit from the enhanced connectivity. "The initiative has opened up new opportunities for countries like Nepal. We believe that we can gain easy access to the sea and further strengthen economic ties with South Asian and Central Asian countries through enhanced connectivity," he said. The minister added that the initiative helped to narrow the gap of physical infrastructure and investment. Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong said the Belt and Road Initiative has adopted the principle of achieving shared benefits through extensive consultation and joint construction. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Over 500 business leaders and 30 industry experts, chief executives and decision-makers representing the region and the world will lead discussions at the fourth Sharjah FDI Forum. SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Nov, 2018) Over 500 business leaders and 30 industry experts, chief executives and decision-makers representing the region and the world will lead discussions at the fourth Sharjah FDI Forum. Taking place on 10th and 11th December in Sharjah, under the theme, Shaping the Future of Economies, the Forum will see global experts cover corporate investment strategies, expansion opportunities, and explore the latest in solutions, innovations and best practices within the global economy. Held under the patronage of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Forum is organised by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq, and the Sharjah FDI Office, Invest in Sharjah, with the endorsement of the UAE Ministry of Economy and in strategic partnership with CNBC Arabia. Mohammed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of Invest in Sharjah unveiled the forums comprehensive six-panel agenda, which will highlight the role of sustainable development in shaping the future of global economies. He also announced that for the first time, Sharjah FDI Forum will be hosting a special workshop on 9th December, organised and conducted by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, WAIPA, targeting a number of investment promotion agencies from around the world, to discuss latest practices of promoting investment opportunities by studying investor needs and embracing latest technological breakthroughs to identify in-demand sectors. Sharjah FDI Forum 2018 will host the veritable whos who in regional and global economics, including Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Abdulla Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of Foreign Trade and Industry at the Ministry of Economy; Marwan Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman of Shurooq; Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority; and Juma Mohamed Al Kait, Assistant Under-Secretary of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy. The forums global appeal is reflected in its international speaker line-up that includes Huggy Rao, Stanford Business school professor and co-author of 'Scaling Up Excellence'; Simon Benney, UK Trade Commissioner for middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan; Bostjan Skalar, CEO of WAIPA; Henrik Von Scheel, popularly known as the father of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, MBRF, has announced the details and activities of the Knowledge Summit 2018, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Foundation, and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on 5th and 6th December, 2018, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Nov, 2018) The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, MBRF, has announced the details and activities of the Knowledge Summit 2018, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Foundation, and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on 5th and 6th December, 2018, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The MBRFs CEO, Jamal bin Huwaireb, announced this at a press conference, which was attended by Khalid Abdul Shafi, Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and representatives from various local and international media outlets. Bin Huwaireb asserted that the Knowledge Summit is in sync with the UAE Vision 2021 to build a competitive economy rooted in knowledge-bound investment, an economy that supports innovation and creativity, and embraces technology to enhance peoples well-being. The summit also implements the objectives of the UAE National Agenda for the Youth, which seeks to support Emirati youth and provide opportunities that empower them to hone their skills and use them to serve their communities. "Choosing Youth and the Future of the Knowledge Economy as this years theme reflects the critical role that this segment plays in in Governments quest to build a sustainable knowledge economy," Bin Huwaireb said, and added, "their skills must be developed to address the challenges of the labour market of the future, build a sustainable economy and promote entrepreneurship." He noted that the foundation sought to put together a packed agenda for the Knowledge Summit 2018 one that takes into account the impact of various topics on the youth and the knowledge economy, from developing human and knowledge capital to transforming Arab countries from knowledge consumers to knowledge producers. Furthermore, the sessions of the Knowledge Summit 2018 shed light on the role of laws and legislation in enabling the knowledge economy and highlight the UAEs pioneering experience in space exploration. The sessions also explore success stories of a distinguished group of young entrepreneurs among many other topics of interest, where more than 100 experts and decision makers from all around the world are set to speak in over 45 discussion panels and workshops. The MBRF CEO went on to explain that the upcoming Knowledge Summit is set to reveal the results of the close cooperation between the MBRF and the UNDP on the Knowledge Project, as well as the results of the very first edition of the Index, covering 2018, in addition to the projects latest developments and future plans. Furthermore, the Knowledge Summit will honour the winners of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award, which honours prominent individuals and leading organisations around the world, whose accomplishments inspired humanity in various sectors. Bin Huwaireb revealed that the summit is set to highlight the experiences of winners in the first round of the "Literacy Challenge" the most notable of its kind in the region. The project seeks to educate 30 million Arab youth and children by the year 2030 and enhance the knowledge and skills of Arab youth across the region. Khalid Shafi asserted the importance of the partnership with the MBRF, noting that the Knowledge Project is a pioneering initiative, seeking to outline a new vision for sustainable development inside and outside the Arab region, that was never deterred by the difficulties, challenges and volatility of the Arab region in recent years. "We look forward to utilising the results and reports of the Knowledge Project to formulate a forward-thinking strategy that encourages all countries to support knowledge and promote it as a main component in the effort to build a knowledge economy and ensure sustainable development in the Arab region and the world," he added. Since its launch in 2014, the Knowledge Summit has welcomed more than 5,000 participants and 300 decision makers, experts, and academics from all around the world, who took part in over 110 discussion panels and workshops. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MoFAIC, has received a copy of the credentials of Mher Mkrtumyan, the new ambassador of Armenia to the UAE. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Nov, 2018) Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MoFAIC, has received a copy of the credentials of Mher Mkrtumyan, the new ambassador of Armenia to the UAE. Al Mazrouei wished the ambassador success in carrying out his duties in strengthening cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Armenia. The ambassador, in turn, expressed his pleasure at representing his country in the UAE, which, he said, enjoys a prestigious regional and international standing, thanks to the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development recently held a series of training programmes across the UAE in collaboration with Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Nov, 2018) The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development recently held a series of training programmes across the UAE in collaboration with Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, the educational arm of Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai mandated to develop the SME sector to focus on information and communications technology (ICT), hospitality, and other vital sectors that promote entrepreneurship and SMEs as the backbone of the UAEs economy. Speaking on the occasion, Mouza Al Nasri, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship Development at Khalifa Fund, said, "We will continue to implement various initiatives and events, including awareness campaigns and development programmes, for university and school students. In all these efforts, our aim is to build a promising future where SMEs are highly empowered. The Khalifa Fund also provides all kinds of support to innovative ideas, creative projects, and technological advancements. Our training courses in cooperation with Dubai Entrepreneurship academy reflect the importance of solidarity and cooperation among various entities for young generation. We should always endeavor to raise the level of their administrative and technical competence by enriching their knowledge and experiences and cultivating their entrepreneurial skills." Ibtihal Al Naji, Manager of Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, said, "The training programmes we had in partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development were in line with the ongoing efforts to provide all support for entrepreneurship development in the country and establish the right environment for Emirati youth to pursue their projects, thus contributing to the growth of the local economy. Such training programmes and workshops are important to providing innovative mechanisms, tools and programmes that will enable the youth to turn their creative ideas into a reality. " As part of the training programmes, Khalifa Fund held a workshop titled How to Start a Successful ICT Project in October at the Higher Colleges of Technology for Female Students in Ras Al Khaimah. More than 50 students attended the event and took part in the discussions on the importance of ICT. Another workshop under the same title was also held at the University of Sharjah in Khorfakkan. The course, The Hospitality Industry between Local and Global Reach was held at the UAE University in Al Ain, with the participation of more than 80 students, focusing on the role of investments in supporting innovative ideas and solutions as well as ways to help entrepreneurs better understand brand building in the hospitality sector to bring their ambition from local to the global stage. The course also discussed government procedures, continuity and sustainability of projects, commercial franchises in the hospitality industry, and food trucks, among others. Meanwhile, the Khalifa Fund is currently holding a specialised training programme titled Professional Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Management, which kicked off on 5th November and will run until 16th December with an expected number of 30 entrepreneurs attending the learning session. This specialised and intensive programme was designed in collaboration with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management for entrepreneurs interested in opening their own food and beverages stores. The programme is teaching the basics of being involved in the food industry, design elements, best management practices, feasibility study, financial management, food cost, and business requirements. The programme aims to develop a professional work plan based on creative ideas and achieve them in a financially viable manner. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The police arrested ten accused and recovered narcotics and illegal weapons from them. SARGODHA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) -:The police arrested ten accused and recovered narcotics and illegal weapons from them. Police spokesman said on Monday that during continued drive against drug pushers and criminals the teams of different police stations had conducted raids within the areas of their jurisdiction and arrested 10 accused recovering 2886 grams Hashish,2840 grams Heroin,1 kilogram Opium,1 kilogram Gardha,115 bottles of liquor,a pistol 30 bore and a gun 12 bore from their possession. They were identified as-Muhammad Ali s/o Noushad Khan, Shahbaz, Arshed, Amir,Imran,Babar,Iftikhar and others. Police registered separate cases against the accused and started investigation. (@FahadShabbir) Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration Monday jointly carried out a gigantic operation against the illegal encroachments and constructions on the right of way of Grand Trunk (GT) road and retrieved 250 kanals of state land from the illegal occupants. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) : Capital Development Authority CDA ) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration Monday jointly carried out a gigantic operation against the illegal encroachments and constructions on the right of way of Grand Trunk (GT) road and retrieved 250 kanals of state land from the illegal occupants. During the first day of the operation, illegal constructions from 1.5 kilometers on the right of way of GT road, from Tarnol Phatak towards Peshawar were completely demolished, a press release said. 150 illegal shops, 20 rooms, 7 Chapper hotel, 30 sheds, 5 kiosks, 10 fruit stalls, one wood tall, 10 bhussa talls, 8 chicken shops, 10 Kabarkhanas, 6 hotels, 2 service stations, 3 containers and 10 boundary walls out of which 2 constructed on more than 10 kanals state land were completely demolished. The operations was participated by Director Enforcement of CDA Faheem Badshah, ICT Assistant Commissioner Saad Bin Asad and relevant officers and staffers of National Highway Authority, Planning Wing, Land and Rehabilitation Directorate and Revenue. In order to cater any unpleasant situation Counter Terrorism Force and Anti-Riot Unit of the ICT Police with the backup of Rangers were also deployed during the operation. Furthermore, heavy machinery of MPO Directorate and other formations of CDA were also utilized during the operation in addition to two excavators provided by the NHA. It is pertinent to mention here that operation was conducted after the demarcation carried out by the Revenue staff of CDA, ICT and NHA. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2018 ) :A delegation of cable operators from Lahore held a meeting with Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Muhammad Saleem Baig on Monday and discussed issues of mutual concern. The Chairman PEMRA informed the cable operators about orders of the Supreme Court about illegal Direct to Home (DTH) service and asked them to stay away from all illegal activities and change their transmission according to PEMRA laws. He said PEMRA would expand scope of its operations and nobody would be allowed to indulge in illegal activity. Chairman PEMRA assured of his cooperation to resolve problems and meet all justified demands of the cable operators and said he would resolve issues facing the cable industry. He said all channels which were violating the religious and social values would be stopped. He said the broadcast of messages about the dam fund, clean and green Pakistan and other social messages should be aired to promote the aspect of responsibility in society. RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :Like other parts of the country, the preparations to celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) with religious zeal and zest are in full swing in the city and adjoining areas. As Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) is approaching fast, the buildings and mosques are being decorated with colourful lights, flags, buntings and banners to celebrate the event with religious fervor. A number of programmes are being chalked out to celebrate the birth of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) with great reverence and devotion. Different Naat committees in the city are organizing Naat competitions to celebrate 12 Rabi-ul-Awal. The speakers are highlighting various aspects of the life and teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Various educational institutions and religious organizations are also arranging programmes for Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH). Important government and private buildings, mosques and streets in the city are being decorated with lights, green flags, colourful buntings and banners welcoming the festive day commonly known as Eid Milad-un-Nabi. Eid Milad-un-Nabi would be celebrated with religious fervor and respect on Nov 21 (Wednesday). As a tradition, Milad-un-Nabi processions would be held in all areas of the town. Strict Security arrangements would be made to ensure the security of the processions of Eid Milad-un-Nabi. The Punjab government has directed to all District and Tehsil administration officers to take strict security measures in this regard. In this connection the main procession of Milad-un-Nabi would start in the morning from Bunni Chowk and after passing from Circular road, Waris Khan, Murree road, Committee Chowk, Iqbal road, Fowara Chowk, Raja Bazaar, would end at central Jamia Mosque Rawalpindi. The district administration has finalized plan for the security of the faithful on Eid Milad-un-Nabi. The entry of Tractor trolley, trucks and other heavy vehicles will be prohibited at the route of the main procession. It has also been decided that Ulema and people belonging to all sects of life would play their role in maintaining law and order and would foil nefarious designs of the miscreants. The district administration would set up a control room for the surveillance of the processions and reviewing security arrangements. The newspapers have also started publishing special supplements, while television channels and radio stations have started special programmes since sighting of Rabi-ul-Awwal crescent to highlight different aspects of the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Meanwhile, the vendors have established a number of stalls at every nook and corner of the city, offering banners, badges, stickers and flags inscribed with slogans paying respect and reverence to the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). A vendor said that passion among the people, especiallyyouth, is increasing as the festival approaching fast. President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the government was committed to protect its children from all types of exploitation, exclusion and marginalization. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the government was committed to protect its children from all types of exploitation, exclusion and marginalization. In his message to the nation on Universal Children's Day annually observed on November 20, the president said it was government's obligation to protect children and provide them access to development opportunities without any discrimination of status, caste, creed or religion. Universal Children's Day is a day celebrated throughout the world to create awareness on the rights of the children. As signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Pakistan has always been in the forefront of regional and international initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of the child. He said the government was endeavoring to provide them equal opportunities and an enabling environment to excel in every sphere of life. "We reiterate our pledge towards promotion and protection of children's rights in the country, he said. The president said the government was carrying forward an agenda for substantial reforms which would have a salutary impact on the lives of children in future. This includes an action plan on child abuse, actualization of the Juvenile Justice Act, and the set up of the National Commission on the rights of the child, he added. He said while the government was fully alive to its responsibilities, there was however, a need for all the stakeholders to work in the same direction. The task of child welfare requires partnerships of all public and private agencies, he added. The president called upon the media, corporate sector, community, parents and children themselves to come together and play their constructive role in the national effort to improve the lives of children in Pakistan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Monday said that the government was committed to up-gradating Main Line-I and Main Line-II. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Monday said that the government was committed to up-gradating Main Line-I and Main Line-II. During a meeting with Chinese delegation of the National Railway Administration (NRA) led by Deputy Administrator NRA, An Lusheng at the Ministry of Railways, he said the up-gradation of Main Line-I was lifeline of China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). The minister said that up-gradation of Main Line-I should be completed swiftly earlier than the schedule. He said that China was a significant neighbouring country of Pakistan so that NRA and Pakistan Railways both were interested in mutual cooperation. Sheikh Rashid said that Main Line-II and Main Line-III were also important for CPEC. Hence, Chinese government should also give importance to these both lines. There will be no modification in Framework Agreement between National Railway Administration (NRA) and Pakistan Railways. The minister urged the NRA to give reasonable construction estimates to Pakistan Railways. Both the parties agreed that the present government is well aware about the importance of CPEC and knows that Pakistan Railways is the backbone of CPEC. It was decided that technical teams from both the sides would do a detailed exchange on issues relating to railway relationships for two days and later on will come out with solutions. The final report will be signed on December 25. NRA delegation mentioned that Main Line (ML) 1 is a central infrastructure of Pakistan. Chairman Ministry of Railways, M Javed Anwar, Secretary Railway board Farrukh Taimur Ghilzai, Director General Planning M Yusuf, Director General Technical Syed Munawar Shah and Director General Operations Maryam Gillani were also present during the meeting. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) has arrested 12 Indian fishermen and seized their two boats for violating and fishing in Pakistani territorial waters. PMSA spokesman said here on Sunday that the fishermen were arrested while fishing illegally in Pakistan's territorial waters. The fishermen have been handed over to local police for further legal action, he added. Meanwhile, Docks police has registered cases against the fishermen and will be produced in court on Monday, police said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :The seven-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted by Chief Commissioner Islamabad to investigate into the murder case of SP Tahir Dawar has started formal working and demanded the record of safe city cameras related to this case, an official source said here on Sunday. He said the Superintendent of Police Investigation Gulfam Nasir is heading the team, which also includes the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Shalimar Circle, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) from the Crime Investigation Department, one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the investigating officer of the case. The JIT has been formed under Section 19 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997. The JIT will complete investigation within the stipulated time period as laid down in the ATA 1997, read the notification. The JIT, the source said, would contact the family members of martyred SP including his brother to know about people in his close contacts and those visiting his home. The JIT has also asked the authorities of Safe City project about camera records including visual footages of sectors G-11, F-10 and exit as well as entry points of the city during the last seven days of the previous month. (@rukhshanmir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Sunday said the mess created due to the mismanagement of previous regimes over the last seven decades could not be cleared overnight. He said as Rome was not built in a day, it would take time to steer Pakistan out of the crises the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government inherited. Talking to a private news channel, the governor said the PTI government had been able to set its goals during its first 100 days in office. He said accountability was vital for establishing a corruption-free society. The whole PTI leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, had presented themselves for accountability, he added. The governor said the government was working to bring change in the society. A new local government system was in the offing to provide maximum relief to the masses, he added. He said though he had a constitutional role but his doors were open for the workers as being a worker, he knew their problems and would try to resolve the same. To a question, Chaudhry Sarwar said he was enjoying cordial relations with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. To another query, he he had no rift with the coalition partners and was rather enjoying cordial relations with the leadership of allied parties. Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) was formulating a National Emigration and Welfare Policy for overseas Pakistanis. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) was formulating a National Emigration and Welfare Policy for overseas Pakistanis. The official of the ministry told APP, "The initial draft of the policy has been prepared. After its finalization and approval, the same will be implemented."At present, he said there is no formal policy for overseas Pakistanis. The objective of the policy would be promotion of overseas employment, welfare of overseas Pakistanis and their families and reintegration of return migrants to Pakistan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :Mir Nadir Magsi won 3rd Thal Jeep rally after thrilling contest, here on Sunday. According to result of 3rd Thal Jeep rally, Mir Nadir Magsi covered distance of 191 kilometres in two hours, 16 minutes and 51 seconds. Sahibzada Sultan covered the same distance with margin of eight seconds. Sahibzada Sultan secured second position. His race timing remained two hours 16 minutes and 59 seconds. Qadir Nawaz Sangi of Multan got third position while covering thisdistance in two hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds. Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Chemical Manufacturers Association (TCMA) to explore joint venture (JV) opportunities in chemical sector between Pakistan and Turkey. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) : Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Chemical Manufacturers Association (TCMA) to explore joint venture (JV) opportunities in chemical sector between Pakistan and Turkey PCMA Secretary General/CEO Syed Iqbal A. Kidwai and TCMA Director Elif Ozman PUSAT signed the MOU documents on behalf of their respective associations at PCMA's stand in Turkchem Exhibition in Istanbul, according to PCMA spokesperson here. Under this MOU, he said, both the associations will facilitate their members to conduct industrial visits and to hold B2B (business to business) meetings for any joint ventures with their Turkish and Pakistani counterparts. The associations would also maintain collaboration in organizing and conducting national and international conferences, seminars, workshops or interactive sessions, besides managing mutual cooperation in exchange of information, new innovations and new product developments, he explained. The MOU has especially identified the scope of collaboration between the two associations in conducting research studies and R&D Projects in multiple areas of different industrial sectors as well as provide demand-driven consultancy services in multiple disciplines relevant to the chemical industry. For effective and meaningful coordination, he said, the parties would hold a meeting on bi-annually basis; one at TCMA, Istanbul, and the other at PCMA office Lahore to review the progress and discuss the plan of activities. Both the associations decided to nominate a senior executive being focal persons to act as Chief Coordinator to ensure implementation of the MOU and such Joint Projects which are arising out of this MOU. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :PTI's Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Muhammad Yaqoob Shaikh Sunday said the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was very important as it would help strengthen the country's economy. Talking to a news channel, he said the government was considering all the options to stabilize the economy, which was left in a shambles by the last regime. The prime minister's UAE visit was important in the prospect of peace in the region as Pakistan desired to play the role of a mediator among the Gulf states, he added Yaqoob Shaikh said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was an excellent opportunity not only for Pakistan but also for the entire region as it would open new vistas of development in shape of enhanced trade and export activities among the neighbouring countries. To a question, he said the government had nothing to do with the affairs of National Accountability Bureau, which was an independent institutions. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was in favour of across the board accountability, he added. Responding to another question regarding the Public Accounts Committee's chairman, he said the issue would be resolved soon as discussions were underway with all the political parties. Prime Minister Imran Khan here Monday directed the authorities concerned to develop a framework for public private partnership, especially to attract foreign and local investment in large scaled tourism projects in the country. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) : Prime Minister Imran Khan here Monday directed the authorities concerned to develop a framework for public private partnership, especially to attract foreign and local investment in large scaled tourism projects in the country. Chairing a meeting of National Task Force on Tourism at Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister said Pakistan had huge potential in tourism sector and tourism had increased phenomenally during last three years. Secretary to the Prime Minister Azam Khan briefed the participants regarding recommendations of the earlier constituted National Task Force on Tourism. In order to complement 100 days agenda of the government, he said new destinations were highlighted, based on their potential and proposed activities, to be developed in all provinces and regions of Pakistan. In order to ameliorate tourism sector of Pakistan after 18th Amendment and to develop synergies amongst provinces and regions, it was proposed to formulate National Tourism Coordination board with inclusion of relevant public and private stakeholders from all provinces including GB and AJK. The Board would be meant to integrate efforts, coordinate with national and international organizations and to facilitate provinces in developing regulatory framework in tourism sector. The participants were apprised of the major issues and challenges being faced by tourism sector and their possible solutions with dedicated time bound roles of various public sector organizations at Federal, provincial and local government level. The meeting discussed specialized, religious, adventure and sports, eco-tourism and others thematic types of tourism with their suitable areas and potential target market. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to facilitate and give incentive to the tourism industry while removing all the bottlenecks and hurdles impeding the promotion of tourism in the country. He directed to ensure environmental protection and cultural preservation while undertaking tourism related projects in tourist areas of the country. He stressed to bring tourism to the center stage of development process by ensuring that development proposals of other sectors are seamlessly fed into the development of tourism potential of provinces and regions. The Prime Minister emphasized that relevant tourism departments should develop their tourism policies and plans in accordance to the international best practices of sustainable tourism to ensure the sustainability of environment, local economy and cultural norms. While agreeing to the recommendations of National Task Force on Tourism, he directed for devising a comprehensive plan of action in consultation with relevant public and private sector organizations of all provinces and regions for implementing a well synergized and well-coordinated mechanism for promotion of tourism in the country. (@FahadShabbir) Former Ambassador B.A. Malik on Monday hailed the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to UAE as a `very significant step' in strengthening relations between the two countries ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Former Ambassador B.A. Malik on Monday hailed the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to UAE as a `very significant step' in strengthening relations between the two countries. There is a positive change in our foreign policy, he said while speaking in a Radio current affair programme. Opposition must have to cooperate with the government in strengthening the economy of the country, he suggested. Pakistan's foreign policy is now going in right direction, he said adding, the government is focusing on to improve relations with the neighboring countries. The Ambassador said the brotherly relations between Pakistan and UAE are historical and time tested. UAE has always extended full support to Pakistan and its cooperation in the developmentof the country is praiseworthy, he highlighted. Pakistan Railways is planning to sell out as many as 10 commercial plots worth billions of rupees located in Lahore and Karachi division to overcome deficit of the organization. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Pakistan Railways is planning to sell out as many as 10 commercial plots worth billions of rupees located in Lahore and Karachi division to overcome deficit of the organization. Presently Pakistan Railways deficit is Rs 40 billion while the department is also under debt of Rs 25 billion, official sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP. They said the minister has directed the Railways Real Estate Development Company (REDIMCO) to formulate a master plan for the sale of commercial land of the department as soon as possible. The sources said that Pakistan Railways assets will be utilized through public-private joint ventures. All the Divisional Superintendents of Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar have been appointed as focal persons in this regard. The focal persons, they said would coordinate with Chief Secretaries and Boards of Revenues in concerned provinces for the early transfer of land to the department as major portion is not officially in the name of Pakistan Railways. According to a document of land section of the department, Pakistan Railways has owned more than 105,000 acres of land. The Railway administration has nominated four divisional superintendents as focal persons to properly transfer the land of railways to it. Out of 168,000 acres of PR's land, 63,500 acres of land has already been transferred on its name. Similarly, out of total land, 125,000 acres of land is under operation of Pakistan Railways, while 19,234 acres has been fixed for future usage and 12,568 acres have been given on lease while 4,010 acres land is under control of land mafia and Katchi Abadies, 4,525 acres is agriculture land while 413 acres is commercial land which has worth of billions. Pakistan Railways has owned more than 48,000 acres in Punjab, 34,300 acres in Sindh, 20,000 acres in Balochistan and 3,279 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sources said that Ministry of Railways has requested the Cabinet Division to lease out or sell more than 20,000 acres of Pakistan Railways land which is presently in the possession of the department and is not in any usage. Over the losses of Pakistan Railways, they said the main reason of losses to the department was that no improvement had been made in the freight sector for the last many years. They said One-Window Operation will be initiated for the freight handling to facilitate the people, as the new government attaches top priority to the enhancement of the railways' revenue and reduction of its deficit. The new administration was also considering curtailing the railways' expenses by 15 percent through austerity measures, as the minister has sought details of protocol vehicles under use of the officials, they added. Like other parts of the globe, United Nations (UN) World Television Day will be marked on November 21 (Wednesday) including Pakistan, the day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issue that affect people. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Like other parts of the globe, United Nations (UN) World Television Day will be marked on November 21 (Wednesday) including Pakistan, the day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issue that affect people. World Television Day helps people remember the beneficial purposes of television and World Television Day is a day to renew governments, organizations and individuals commitments to support the development of television media in providing unbiased information about important issues and events that affect society. News about World Television Day may be shared via print, online and broadcast media. Television and radio bloggers may write comments, editors may write in the editors columns, and writers, academics and journalists may write feature articles about the meaning behind this event. Education institutions may mark World Television Day on their calendars and educators may use this day as an opportunity to invite guest speakers to discuss media and communication issues relating to television. The UN acknowledges that television can be used to educate people about the world, its issues and real stories that happen on the planet. Television is one of the most influential forms of media for communication and information dissemination. It is used to broadcast freedom of expressions and to increase cultural diversity. The UN realized that television played a major role in presenting global issues affecting people and this needed to be addressed. On December 17, 1996, UN General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day to commemorate the date on which the first World Television Forum was held earlier that year. The UN invited all member states to observe the day by encouraging global exchanges of television programmes focusing, among other things, on issues such as peace, security, economic and social development and cultural change enhancements. Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation is ready to built a KAZSAT-2R for Kazakhstan and launch it, possibly in cooperation with Airbus, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Russia 's Roscosmos state space corporation is ready to built a KAZSAT-2R for Kazakhstan and launch it, possibly in cooperation with Airbus, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. "Building this spacecraft is not just a technological issue, this depends on the point on the orbit that is registered to Russia, so we offer a package deal to our partners. We are ready to build this spacecraft, launch it via our launch systems and allow it to work at that point on the orbit ... We do not exclude working with our colleagues from Airbus who can supply the necessary technological equipment. This could be done in cooperation," Rogozin told reporters. (@rukhshanmir) The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Monday will hold its monthly meeting on Palestinian issue, during which the members will be briefed by the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, via video from the occupied Jerusalem New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Monday will hold its monthly meeting on Palestinian issue, during which the members will be briefed by the Special Coordinator for the middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, via video from the occupied Jerusalem. Also today, the council will hold a meeting on Syria, as the UN Special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura will brief the council's members via video conference on the political situation their. The session on the Syrian file is scheduled to be followed by another closed consultations for further consultation . (@ChaudhryMAli88) PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis reiterated that his son Andrej Babis Jr. had went to Russia voluntarily in 2017 in order to escape media scrutiny over his father, a Dollar billionaire, facing a fraud probe in the Czech Republic. On Tuesday, leaders of six Czech opposition parties demanded resignation of the government. The opposition said that the reason for this was an alleged attempt of Babis to send his son to Crimea to avoid questioning in the case against his father.At the same time, the Czech Seznam media outlet has released a documentary, which includes footage of Babis Jr. saying that his father organized his kidnapping and subsequent transfer to Crimea, where he was forcibly detained by a psychiatrist and a Russian citizen. The Czech prime minister told the Nova broadcaster late on Sunday that his son has a history of mental illness problems and has been treated by Czech doctor Alena Protopopova, while her husband Pyotr, a Russian citizen, took custody of his son and accompanied him on trips. "In order to at least temporarily save my son from the attacks of journalists connected with the Stork's Nest business, Dr. Protopopova suggested temporarily taking him outside the Czech Republic. Together with her husband, the son went to Russia, because Mr. Protopopov did not have a EU visa. They have spent 14 days in Kaliningrad. Then they visited Moscow and went to Crimea. There my son met a girl, a Ukrainian, and went with her to Kryvyi Rih [city in Ukraine], where she lives with her parents," Babis told the broadcaster. By that time, Protopopov went back to Prague for some time, while Babis Jr. got tired of living in Ukraine and wrote a letter to the Czech police alleging that he was kidnapped, subsequently moving to Geneva, where his mother lives, according to the prime minister. On January 19, 2018, the Czech parliament stripped Babis of parliamentary immunity in connection with the police investigation in relation to him as the head of Agrofert, the largest corporation in Eastern Europe. The police suspect Babis of illegally obtaining a EU subsidy for the firm Stork Nest that was part of the corporation, but was later removed from its structure. The company received the EU subsidy as a small company, after which it was again incorporated into Agrofert. Babis has denied the fraud allegations saying the case was politically motivated. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) The government of Belgium has authorized the purchase of the US MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicle for its defense forces, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced in a press release on Monday. "General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been notified that the Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to begin negotiations with the US Government to acquire the MQ-9B SkyGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)," the release stated. The manufacturer describes the MQ-9B as the latest generation of its multi-mission Predator B fleet. The system features 40 hour endurance, all-weather, short-field, self-deployment, and "detect-and-avoid" capabilities, the company said. "We are also eager to work with our industrial partners in Belgium on a host of activities ranging from manufacturing to maintenance," General Atomics CEO Linden Blue said in the release. In July, SkyGuardian became the first medium-altitude, long-endurance drone to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean, the release added. (@FahadShabbir) BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) The European Union supports the Dutch government's initiative to create a large-scale mechanism of sanctions against human rights violations, and EU institutions' representatives will attend the upcoming meeting, during which the initiative is set to be discussed, a EU spokesperson told Sputnik late on Monday. Earlier on Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said that a new EU mechanism of sanctions against human rights violations would be discussed during the meeting of EU government officials, set to be held in the Hague on Tuesday. "We welcome the initiative taken by the Netherlands to organize an expert seminar 'Towards and EU global human rights sanctions regime' on 20 of November. Experts from the European External Actions service will attend the workshop," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the idea of a EU global regime of sanctions against human rights violations merited "careful reflection, given its importance and complexity." "Tomorrow's meeting will provide a good opportunity for experts to discuss this issue ... Let me also remind you that the introduction of new sanctions is for EU member states to determine and unanimously agree on in the Council," the spokesperson added. Blok believes that following talks in the Hague, the sanctions regime could be included into the agenda of the next meeting of EU foreign ministers, which will be held in Brussels on December 10. Lima, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Former president Alan Garcia has sought asylum in the embassy of Uruguay in Lima after being barred from leaving the country pending a corruption investigation, Peru's foreign ministry said Sunday. Garcia, who was twice president of Peru, is under investigation for bribes allegedly paid by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to secure contracts during his second presidency, from 2006 to 2011. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $29 million in bribes to Peruvian officials over the course of three administrations. A foreign ministry statement said it had been informed by Uruguay's ambassador to Peru that Garcia arrived at his residence Saturday night seeking asylum. A court order issued Saturday barred Garcia from leaving the country for 18 months while prosecutors investigate Odebrecht bribes to win a contract to build Lima's first metro line when Garcia was president. Garcia, who also was president from 1985 to 1990, has said he is the victim of political persecution, a charge rejected by President Martin Vizcarra, who insisted the investigation is being conducted independently by the judiciary and state prosecutors. "We did not intervene at all. They have complete independence," Vizcarra told reporters Sunday. (@FahadShabbir) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday held a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Tehran and the sides discussed the European mechanism to ease trade transactions with Iran among other issues, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday held a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in Tehran and the sides discussed the European mechanism to ease trade transactions with Iran among other issues, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "During the meeting, the two sides discussed various aspects of bilateral relations, including issues related to the European financial mechanism known as Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which is aimed at promoting economic and trade relations within the framework of the Iran nuclear deal," the statement said. According to the ministry, Zarif and Hunt also exchanged views on the most important regional issues, including the need to accelerate the end of the Yemeni conflict. Media reports said that Hunt was also expected to hold a meeting with Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, later on Monday. In May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the nuclear deal, and reimpose its sanctions against Iran that had been lifted under the agreement. The first round of the US restrictions came into force in August. On November 5, the second package of US sanctions targeting, in particular, Iran's oil sector took effect. Other parties of the deal - China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union - have, however, expressed their commitment to the accord and are working on instruments to bypass the US restrictions. Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev will pay an official visit to China from Nov.21 to 22 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Monday. BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Kazakh Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev will pay an official visit to China from Nov.21 to 22 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Monday. Li and Sagintayev will hold the fourth regular meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries during the visit, Geng added. Mongolia is willing to further strengthen ties with Russia in the fields of economy, trade and investment, deputy speaker of the Mongolian parliament Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan said Monday. ULAN BATOR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) : Mongolia is willing to further strengthen ties with Russia in the fields of economy, trade and investment, deputy speaker of the Mongolian parliament Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan said Monday. Enkh-Amgalan, also head of the Mongolia-Russia inter-parliamentary group in parliament, made the remarks while meeting with a visiting Russian delegation led by Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. "The potential of trade, investment and economic cooperation between Mongolia and Russia is not being used at full strength. Thus, our two countries need to make more efforts and improve the business and legal environment in order to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in these sectors," Enkh-Amgalan said. Klishas expressed Russia's willingness to promote the development of Russia-Mongolia ties in all sectors. He also stressed the important role of the Mongolia-Russia interparliamentary group in parliament in expanding cooperation between the two legislative bodies. Last year, the trade volume between Russia and Mongolia amounted to 1.4 billion U.S. Dollars, an increase of 46.9 percent compared with 2016. (@FahadShabbir) Moscow condemns the expansion of Washington's sanctions against Cuba as they only create new obstacles for the development of the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Moscow condemns the expansion of Washington 's sanctions against Cuba as they only create new obstacles for the development of the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday. On Thursday, the US State Department updated its list of entities in Cuba that are under US sanctions forbidding US businesses and citizens to have direct financial transactions with these organizations. "We strongly condemn this measure. We have to note yet again that the United States, carrying out its policy of heightened pressure on Havana, is thus creating additional obstacles for the gradual socioeconomic development of Cuba in the context of the changes ongoing in the country," the ministry said in a statement. (@FahadShabbir) Moscow is considering all options regarding its participation in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russian envoy to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin said on Monday, when asked about potential suspension of Russia's membership. THE HAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Moscow is considering all options regarding its participation in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Russian envoy to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin said on Monday, when asked about potential suspension of Russia 's membership. "We are considering all options. At the moment, I would not look that far ahead. Our goal is to ensure that the organization has the budget it deserves: with expenses, with funds necessary to finance its activities linked to the [Chemical Weapons] Convention," Shulgin said at the 23rd session of the conference of the convention participants. Shulgin added that the Western countries were trying to make it seem as if Russia was isolated in the OPCW, but the reality was different. The Russian envoy said that members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) had made a "strong statement" against the initiative of some of the states to allow the OPCW to attribute blame. "The statement stresses the unacceptability of any attempts to usurp the prerogatives of the UN Security Council. It is the only body that can make necessary decisions linked to establishing who is responsible in alleged cases of chemical weapons use," Shulgin said. Baku, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :An opposition leader in Azerbaijan remains in custody a day after being arrested for organising a memorial march, an official from his party told AFP Sunday. Ali Kerimli of the Popular Front party was arrested Saturday after attempting to visit a memorial for those killed in protests during the oil-rich nation's secession from the USSR. Also arrested was Jamil Hasanli, an opposition candidate during the presidential election in 2013, activists said. Police in the capital Baku said that 11 people in all had been detained. "We still don't know the whereabouts of the leader of the Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli, who was detained on November 17," the deputy chairman of the party Nureddin Mammadli told AFP. Several other party activists were also still detained, though it was not clear how many, he added. Rights groups say the government of the Caspian state has clamped down on opponents in recent years. President Ilham Aliyev secured a fourth consecutive presidential term in April with 86 percent of the vote, elections that international observers said were marred by "serious irregularities" and lack of competition. (@rukhshanmir) Over 21,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homes via the Salhiyah checkpoint in the Deir ez-Zor province since its opening in late August, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said on Monday. DEIR EZ-ZOR (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Over 21,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homes via the Salhiyah checkpoint in the Deir ez-Zor province since its opening in late August, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said on Monday. "The checkpoint is working on a daily basis ... Since its opening, 21,357 people have returned to their pre-war places of residence," Vladislav Nikonov told journalists. According to the Russian military, around 1,500 people, including about 300 refugees returning to their homes pass through the checkpoint every day. "Here, we also have a health facility where citizens can receive medical assistance if necessary. Moreover, food sets are being handed out at the checkpoint," the spokesman said. The settlement of Salhiyah, which lies some 52 miles to the southeast of Deir ez-Zor along the Euphrates River, was liberated by the government forces backed by the Russian aircraft in December 2017. The eponymous checkpoint was opened on August 25, 2018, enabling internally displaced Syrians to get back to their homes from the territories to the east of the Euphrates, which are controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) The US Department of Defense is working with Congress to help find alternatives to Russia's S-400 air defense systems for Turkey, spokesman Eric Pahon told Sputnik. "We've got ongoing diplomatic discussions on that," Pahon said. "We turned in our congressionally mandated report on the relationship with Turkey last Friday, November 9, to Congress. As part of the report, I mean it was only encompassing look at our relationship with Turkey, goods, bads and everything. We are in diplomatic discussions with Turkey to look for viable alternatives to the S-400. So, we are helping them to find alternatives along with Congress to the S-400 purchase. We are continuing to work with Turkey, continuing to work with Congress to try to find the alternatives." In December 2017, Ankara signed a loan agreement with Moscow envisaging the delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to Turkey. Russia's Rostec state corporation CEO Sergey Chemezov said then that the contract envisaged the delivery of four S-400 battalion-size sets worth $2.5 billion, with 55 percent of the contract sum being covered by Russian loans. On October 25, Akara said that Turkey would begin the deployment of the S-400s in October 2019. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov clarified on Wednesday that the contract allows Ankara to exercise the right of option after the main deliveries under the deal have been made. "As we've discussed with our Turkish counterparts, the S-400 purchase would have significant consequences or could have significant consequences on the US-Turkey defense relationship. There is a lot of things that that purchase comes along with," Pahon said. US officials have warned that if Ankara goes ahead with its plans to purchase the S-400 system, the United States could withhold the transfer of F-35 jets to Turkey. In addition, the US Congress passed legislation that would block the transfer of F-35 jets. S-400 is the next-generation mobile missile system which can carry three different types of missiles capable of destroying a variety of aerial targets at a short-to-extremely-long range, from reconnaissance aircraft to ballistic missiles. (@ChaudhryMAli88) WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) Poland and Denmark signed on Monday an agreement on delimitation of maritime zones in the Baltic Sea after 40 years of negotiations, the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a press release. "Today the two ministers for foreign affairs of Poland and Denmark met in Brussels and signed the Agreement concerning the delimitation of maritime zones in the Baltic Sea," the release read. The agreement was reached earlier this fall, according to the ministry. "I am very pleased with today's historic signing of the treaty on maritime delimitation between Poland and Denmark. We have now closed the negotiations that were started more than 40 years ago and taken the first step in formalizing the agreement. This is great news indeed and shows our common commitment to solve difficult issues through negotiations," Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said, as quoted in the press release. Samuelsen's Polish counterpart praised the agreement as well. "Today's signing ceremony marks an important day in our bilateral relations. It signifies that with commitment, mutual trust and respect it is possible to successfully end even longstanding disputes," Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz was quoted as saying. Czaputowicz voiced his hope that Denmark and Poland would promptly conclude the internal procedures required so that the agreement came into force. Within the agreement, the two countries' continental shelves and exclusive economic zones in the Baltic Sea will be delimited. Poland and Denmark have been disputing the area located to the south of the Danish island of Bornholm since the 1970s. Reports on the potential return of Russian military bases to Cuba are "soft science fiction," the head of the Department of Latin America at the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Monday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Reports on the potential return of Russian military bases to Cuba are "soft science fiction," the head of the Department of Latin America at the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Monday. The Daily Star newspaper reported Saturday, citing US-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation, that Russia might establish new bases in Cuba. "We do not comment on soft science fiction," Aleksander Shchetinin said, when asked about the article. According to the think tank, the rumors of a possible reopening of Lourdes signals intelligence facility in Cuba and setting up new Russian bases started after a visit of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to Russia and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Russia and China have proposed a draft decision that will preserve the integrity of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) amid a split over the creation of a mechanism that would facilitate universal attribution of all chemical weapons attacks, Russian envoy to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin said on Monday. THE HAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2018) Russia and China have proposed a draft decision that will preserve the integrity of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) amid a split over the creation of a mechanism that would facilitate universal attribution of all chemical weapons attacks, Russian envoy to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin said on Monday. "Russia and China have prepared and submitted a draft decision on preserving the integrity of the OPCW, which, we believe, contains the only possible way out of this situation, when assessments of the legality of attribution in the OPCW differ dramatically," Shulgin said at the 23rd OPCW conference. According to Shulgin, a number of delegations strongly disagree with the possibility of an attributive mechanism within the OPCW. "Russia and China propose to the executive board to form an open-ended expert group to review the actions and proposals of the technical secretariat on the implementation of the decision [to expand the mandate]," Shulgin added. On June 27, the mandate of the OPCW was expanded in line with the UK-drafted motion that allowed it to assign responsibility for chemical weapons attacks. Moscow said it would not recognize the decision as legitimate, since only the UN Security Council is eligible to make such judgments, while the OPCW is only tasked with conducting probes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow is concerned about the future of the organization following this move, adding that Russia will try to change this decision. (@ChaudhryMAli88) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) Russia's S-300 air defense systems in Syria have no impact on the United States' operations in the country, US Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon told Sputnik. "Not on our operations," Pahon said on Monday refereeing to the impact of Russia's S-300 air defense systems in Syria. Pahon cautioned that adding more weapons systems in Syria could only endanger multiple militaries operating in the area and cause potential danger to civilian aircraft transiting the area. "Any additional arms [sent] into Syria only serves to escalate the situation at this point," Pahon said. "We need to be having diplomatic discussions to end the conflict in eastern Syria, and we need to be supporting the Geneva-led process to come to a resolution of that conflict. By adding more armaments and more systems, that only complicates the situation at this point." Pahon reiterated that the mission of the United States in Syria remains unchanged. "We remain focused on the defeat of ISIS [Islamic State]," Pahon said. On October 2, Russia finished delivering S-300 systems to Syria in an attempt to increase the safety of Russian troops deployed there. The move was announced after a Russian Il-20 military plane was downed on September 17 by a missile launched by a Syrian S-200 air defense system targeting Israeli F-16 jets that were carrying out airstrikes in Latakia. The Russian Defense Ministry has blamed the crash on the Israeli Air Force, claiming that the Israeli jets used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems. Israel has voiced concerns over Russia's decision to supply Syria with S-300 systems, saying that Damascus would be able to control Israeli airspace. Russia has been involved in military operations in Syria since 2015, after receiving a request from the Syrian government. Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria without permission from the Syrian government, but is justifying its actions by claiming it needed to counter Iran's military presence there. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2018) The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Thai government have signed a memorandum of cooperation with the aim to boost bilateral trade and increase investment, the EEC said in a statement on Monday. "The EEC and the Thai government have signed a memorandum of cooperation. The document aims to develop collaboration between the Eurasian Economic Union [EAEU] states and the Kingdom of Thailand. It will help increase the trade in goods and services, intensify investment in the future," the statement said. According to the statement, the two parties intend to cooperate in such areas as regional economic integration, trade policy, customs and technical regulation, energy policy along with harmonizing sanitary and phytosanitary measures. "The implementation of the memorandum will contribute to strengthening relations between the EAEU countries and Thailand and, for sure, will give an impetus to the development of direct contacts between the representatives of business communities and will finally have a positive effect on the well-being of the citizens of our countries," Tatyana Valovaya, the minister in charge of the main directions of the EEC integration and macroeconomics, said, as quoted in the statement. According to Tigran Sargsyan, the chairman of the EEC board, by signing the memorandum the EAEU and Thailand have made the first step toward deepening the cooperation in the economic field, which might finally result in the creation of a free-trade zone. "The negotiations on a free-trade zone formation are very concrete and detailed. Our experience shows that usually the negotiating process with one country might last two or more years as there are plenty of sensitive subjects and, secondly, there is need to harmonize the positions of five countries within the EAEU," Sargsyan indicated. One of the first events that will be held as part of the signed agreement will be a forum with the participation of the Thai businesses that will be held in Bangkok. "It is important for us to receive their requests: in which fields they would like to have a closer cooperation with us and to find out what ambitions they have," Sargsyan stated. Sargsyan also revealed that several dozen countries had asked the EAEU to launch talks on a free-trade zone establishment. "But our approach toward the issue is balanced, and before answering a question about whether we are ready to proceed with talks on a free-trade zone creation we carry out considerable work, undertake research in order to find out the possible benefits for our countries from the creation of free-trade zones with those countries," Sargsyan stated. The EAEU, comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an organization that encourages regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services, and people within the union. Yemen's internationally-recognised government announced Monday it has informed UN envoy Martin Griffiths that it will take part in proposed peace talks with Huthi rebels to be held in Sweden. Dubai, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Yemen's internationally-recognised government announced Monday it has informed UN envoy Martin Griffiths that it will take part in proposed peace talks with Huthi rebels to be held in Sweden "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen.. . that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," the foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba news agency. Griffiths is expected to visit the Yemeni capital within days for talks with the Huthi rebels in preparation for the peace talks. The Jesuits in Africa have made a passionate plea for peace in South Sudan. Notwithstanding the killing of Fr. Victor-Luke Odhiambo, they have also reaffirmed their commitment to the mission in that country. Fr. Paul Samasumo Vatican City As Pope Francis on Sunday, during the Angelus, prayed for peace in the Central African Republic following the massacre, at a refugee camp of more than 40 people including two priests, the Jesuits of Africa on Monday, issued a separate plea for peace in South Sudan. The appeal for peace and better security in South Sudan follows the horrific killing of a Kenyan Jesuit priest, Fr. Victor-Luke Odhiambo gunned down by assailants who stormed the Jesuit community in South Sudan, last week. The slain priest was Principal of Mazzolari Teachers College in Cueibet, South Sudan. In a statement made available to the Africa Service of Vatican Radio, the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar said it would like to see justice, reconciliation, peace and complete disarmament in South Sudan. They equally call upon the African Union, regional governments and the international community to support the implementation of the peace agreement reached on 12 September 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy president, Riek Machar. The Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar condolences to family We, the Jesuits of Africa and Madagascar, strongly condemn the horrific murder of Fr. Victor-Luke Odhiambo, a Jesuit priest from Kenya, on 15 November 2018, in Cueibet, South Sudan. Our hearts go out to the family of Fr. Odhiambo, praying that the Risen Christ consoles them, reads a statement co-signed by Fr. Joseph Afulo the Jesuit Provincial of the Eastern Africa Province and Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar. A call for comprehensive disarmament in South Sudan In the statement, the two Jesuits have made a passionate plea for immediate and comprehensive disarmament in South Sudan and condemned the proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons in South Sudan, largely supplied by Western and Asian countries, and call for an immediate end to the supply of these arms. We encourage all anti-illegal arms advocates, civil society, religious groups, governments and private individuals to join hands in calling for an end to the sale of arms to illegal groups in South Sudan, the statement reads in part. Increase peacekeeping and development support to South Sudan The Jesuits further appeal to the international community to increase peacekeeping support and development aid to South Sudan in order to promote economic recovery. Renewal of commitment to South Sudan Notwithstanding the death of Fr. Odhiambo, the Jesuits have recommitted themselves to the mission in South Sudan. In fidelity to our mission of reconciliation and justice, we renew our commitment to continue collaboration with the local church and all people of goodwill for the advancement of the reign of God through our ministries and works in South Sudan," they said. Fr. Odhiambo described as a dedicated and courageous priest was the first Kenyan Jesuit priest. He was scheduled to be buried on Monday in Cueibet, on the grounds of the College. The Ethiopian Catholic Church has reaffirmed its resolve and commitment to collaborate with the newly established Ministry of Peace in Ethiopia. Makeda Yohannes - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Ethiopia's new Minister of Peace and former speaker of parliament, Mrs Muferiat Kamil has led a strong government delegation on a courtesy call to Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, CM, at the Ethiopia Catholic Secretariat (ECS). Peace Minister visits Cardinal Berhaneyesus at ECS The Peace Minister, during her visit to the Catholic Church, was accompanied by Almaz Mekonnen, State Minister for Peacebuilding and Kefyalew Tefera, State Minister for Capacity Building and Modernisation. Other high government officials were also in attendance. The delegation was met by ECS Deputy Secretary General, Fr. Teshome Fikre,. In the ensuing meeting, Cardinal Berhaneyesus congratulated the newly appointed Minter of Peace and expressed his belief that the dedicated collaboration of the ministry with all stakeholders such as religious leaders and their institutions would be crucial to the peacebuilding process and bringing about sustainable peace to the country. The Cardinal took the opportunity to brief the minister and government delegation on the structure of the Catholic Church and efforts of the Church in integral human development through education, health and other social services. Ministry seeks collaboration with religious leaders For her part, the Minister of Peace, Mrs Muferiat said that collaboration with religious leaders and their institutions is essential for her ministry as they strive to bring about sustainable peace and reconciliation in the nation. She explained that the purpose of the visit was part of that effort to ask religious leaders to firmly continue their support for peacebuilding and the process of national reconciliation and also to ask for their blessings as the new ministry begins its work. We are very pleased with our visit to the Catholic Church; (In you) we have a reliable partner for peacebuilding. We hope that we can work closely with you in addressing some of the challenges our nation is facing and also assure you of our collaboration. We also appreciate that you have welcomed us to your Secretariat so warmly, said the Peace Minister. The Government of Ethiopia happy with Catholic schools The officials from the Peace Ministry further added that they know from experience the contribution and achievements of the Catholic Church concerning producing morally strong citizens for the country through Catholic schools. They also expressed hope that the Church would continue to enhance this success. Cardinal Berhaneyesus was joined, at the meeting, by Bishop Lisanuchristos Mathos, the Eparch of Bahirdar-Dessie. Also present were partners of the Catholic Church, representatives of religious congregations, leaders of the lay council and heads of Catholic institutions as well as ECS management. The aftermath of Cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu state, India. (AFP or licensors) Churches, including a Marian shrine among the thousands of buildings damaged by storm in Tamil Nadu state. A devastating cyclone killed more than 40 people and displaced hundreds of others at the weekend as it tore a destructive path across southern India, severely damaging farmland and buildings including the region's most revered Marian shrine. Catholic Church agencies have joined Tamil Nadu state government in relief efforts to help people affected by Cyclone Gaja in Thanjavur Diocese and Pondicherry-Cuddalore Archdiocese. Officials say at least 46 people were killed and more than 100,000 displaced when their thatched homes were blown away by strong winds and driving rain that hit coastal areas early on Nov. 16, when the Gaja made landfall. "More than 122,000 people have been evacuated and are in 351 relief camps, while rescue teams are helping others in villages, cut off by the storm," said John Arokiaraj of Caritas India, the Catholic Church's social action arm in the region. He said at least 10,120 houses were destroyed and another 5,770 partially damaged, while 1,300 fishing boats and other fishing gear were damaged. Livestock, crops and coconut trees were badly affected were also destroyed, he said. The worst-hit areas were in Tanjavur Diocese. "The livelihoods of our people are destroyed when their fishing equipment or livestock and farmlands were destroyed," diocesan chancellor Fr. John Zacharias said. Velakanni Marian shrine More than 30 churches, including the renowned Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Velakanni, some 60 chapels and 15 schools were also damaged in the cyclone, he said. Rector of the Marian Shrine, Father Maria Anotony Prabhakar, said the storm blew away a cross atop one of shrine's two towers. "Another building in the compound also suffered damage," he told ucanews.com. The hands of a 20-meter-high statue of Jesus Christ also suffered damaged. "There was no loss of life or injury at the shrine," he added. The shrine, a pilgrim center since the 16th century, attracts some 20 million people a year. Church officials said some 3 million of them come during a 11-day long annual festival that concludes on Sept. 8, which Catholic celebrate as Mary's birthday. Despite the damage, hundreds of people were taking shelter in the buildings within the shrine compound, while 15 other Catholic parishes were also providing shelter and assisting people, church officials said. Indian bishops condolence The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) expressed its solidarity with all people suffering from this calamity saying it desires to help all people irrespective of their religion, community or provenience. We pray for the repose of the departed people and even as we offer our condolences to the affected families we assure them of our support and comfort, wrote CBCI Secretary-General Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas in a statement. He said Caritas India is assessing the damage and will begin immediate relief intervention as soon as possible. The Catholic Bishops reiterated their desire to work with the government and all people of good will to provide succour to the suffering people. (Source: UCANEWS) Pope Francis receives a group of Albanian pilgrims, who are in Rome during the commemoration of the 550th anniversary of the death of national hero George Castriot known to history as Skanderbeg. By Christopher Wells In his prepared remarks to Albanian pilgrims, Pope Francis took the opportunity to greet all Albanians in the name of the ancient bond of friendship and habitual relations with the See of Peter. An ancient and glorious history Pope Francis noted the ancient and glorious history of Albania, remarking that the country is an integral part of Europe, with its own unique culture. Today, he said, we remember and celebrate George Castriot Skanderbeg, an heroic son of a strong and generous people, who defended spiritual values and the Christian name with courage. Skanderbeg, he continued, forged the Albanian cultural identity with his deeds, becoming an undisputed symbol of cohesion and national unity. The Holy Father also spoke of the emigration of many Christians after the death of Skanderbeg, and the subsequent invasion of Albania, and welcomed the presence of Italo-Albanians among the pilgrims. Renewed commitment to development I sincerely hope that this anniversary will not be limited to the celebration of the glory of past deeds, the Pope said, but will also be a good opportunity for a renewed commitment of all, institutions and citizens, in favour of an authentic and balanced development, so that the younger generations will not be forced to migrate. From coexistence to collaboration and brotherhood The example of Skanderbeg, Pope Francis said, has validly expressed the Albanian character. In particular, he pointed out the climate of mutual respect and trust between Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims. This, he said, shows that the peaceful coexistence of citizens belonging to different religions is a concretely viable path that produces harmony, and frees the best forces and the creativity of an entire people, transforming simple coexistence into true collaboration and brotherhood. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue released a message on the occasion of the birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, which will be marked on Nov. 23. The Vatican is urging Christians and Sikhs to join hands to promote a culture of tenderness for the wellbeing of every human being and for the welfare of the entire created world! The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) made the call in its message on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Prakash Diwas, or Guru Nanak Jayanti, the birthday of Guru Nanak, the first guru and founder of the Sikh religion. A national holiday in India, it will be celebrated on November 23 this year. Our cherished tradition of sharing with you some thoughts on this occasion draws your kind attention, this year, towards nurturing and promoting a culture of tenderness, since a culture of self-centredness and indifference towards one another seems to be taking root almost everywhere, wrote the Pontifical Council in the message signed by its Secretary Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot. The PCID said Christians and Sikhs can advance the culture of tenderness for the wellbeing of all human beings, especially the most vulnerable of the society such as the poor, the weak, the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the migrants, irrespective of religious affiliations. This tenderness, the message said, can be fostered in children, students and others by families, religious teachings, educational institutions and the means of social communications. Please find below the full text of the message: Dear Sikh Friends, The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue greets you all with warm felicitations and good wishes as you celebrate Sri Guru Nanak Prakash Diwas, this year, on 23 November. May your festivities marking this feast renew and reinvigorate the bonds of mutual respect and love in your families and communities, so also enhance among you happiness, harmony and peace! Our cherished tradition of sharing with you some thoughts on this occasion draws your kind attention, this year, towards nurturing and promoting a culture of tenderness, since a culture of self-centredness and indifference towards one another seems to be taking root almost everywhere. An alarming rise, moreover, in the number of people in our neighbourhoods and townships who feel unloved and uncared for is indicative of a tenderness index at an all-time low across the globe. Our reflection, therefore, also focuses on how we, both Christians and Sikhs, can advance the culture of tenderness for the wellbeing of all human beings. Tenderness, as experienced and explained commonly, is a gesture on ones part that displays kindness and gentleness, care and concern towards the other. It is a display of the ability of the humans to feel with and feel for others. It is heartily looking at, listening to, being with and comforting others especially the most vulnerable of the society and doing everything possible, even taking risks, for their welfare. Pope Francis loves to describe it as a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hand (Video Talk, TED Conference, Vancouver, Canada, 25 April, 2017). The foundation of tenderness is, undoubtedly, God Himself who is infinite tenderness. However, we experience the divine tenderness, care and providence in times of need mostly through human instrumentality, as though it were Gods most preferred route. Thus, being needy ourselves of tenderness from God and others and being members of one human family we need today in our world what the Holy Father calls a revolution of tenderness (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, Apostolic Exhortation, 2013, no. 88) spearheaded through genuine gestures of care and concrete actions of compassion towards our brothers and sisters, specially the poor, the weak, the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the migrants, no matter which religious traditions they belong to. The greater tenderness manifests itself in our words and deeds, the better can the culture of tenderness spread its roots far and wide. This tenderness must also extend to the whole of creation because caring for the earth and caring for one another go hand in hand; non-caring for the nature would amount to noncaring of human beings and vice versa ( Cf . Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, 1 Sept. 2016, no. 1). The formation in tenderness evidently must begin in the families themselves where children, led by the example of parents and elders learn to show love, care and concern for others, particularly the weak and the needy, serving them and being of support to them. Religious teachings, educational institutions and means of social communications all definitely play a vital role in inculcating among practitioners of religions, students and the other citizens altruistic, benevolent and respectful behaviour towards others. If such a life pattern is adopted by adherents of every religion, there is bound to be greater harmony and peace in our world. Nurturing the culture of tenderness can thus be the new model even for interreligious engagements and joint achievements, and for building a better world through a shared vision and a common action. Both of our religions believe in the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of all human beings. Living by these religious convictions and encouraging others to live by the same, may we Christians and Sikhs, joining hands with believers of other religious traditions and all people of good will, do all we can, in humility and human solidarity to promote a culture of tenderness for the wellbeing of every human being and for the welfare of the entire created world! Wish you all, once again, a joyous and serene Prakash Diwas of Guru Nanak Dev Ji! Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ Secretary Friday night (November 16, 2018), actress Kaley Cuoco, widely known for her role on the EMMY Award-winning show The Big Bang Theory, was spotted attending the hit show ABSINTHE at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (Photo courtesy of Joseph Sanders/Spiegelworld). Enjoying a night on The Strip, Cuoco was seen taking in ABSINTHEs outlandish acts and hilarious antics during the 10 p.m. performance and went backstage after the show for a photo with The Gazillionaire. The World Bank recently released its latest Doing Business report, ranking Vietnam 69th among 190 economies for ease of doing business a fall from last years position at 68. However, Vietnams net increase is still up 13 spots in recent years. The ease of doing business index compares countries against one another to gauge factors that are conducive for businesses operating within the competing regulatory environments. Despite its drop in ranking, Vietnams overall score increased 1.59 points from the previous year. Vietnams business procedures may be more tedious than its ASEAN neighbors such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore however, the underlying reasons that Vietnam has attracted investment in years past have not changed. Improvements in ease of doing business Compared to higher scoring economies, Vietnams low rankings for transparency, accountability, and media reform may not necessarily promote investor confidence. However, these determinants alone do not reflect the countrys economic expansion in recent years. Vietnams economic achievements can be attributed to proactive reforms implemented by the government in the context of a politically stable business climate. Although Vietnam dropped one spot in this years rankings, the government has shown it is willing to implement practical changes. In 2017, Vietnam stumbled to its lowest overall score in years. Since then, Vietnam has concentrated efforts to improve ease of doing business in the following three areas: starting a business, paying taxes, and enforcing contracts. Starting a business in Vietnam comes with its challenges. It takes an average of 18 working days for a new business to set up, along with a number of mandatory and time-consuming administrative procedures. To improve these areas, Vietnam has released reforms to ease access for businesses entering the market by reducing registration fees. The country has also made online content on enforcing contracts available for companies entering the region. The administrative procedures for paying taxes under Vietnamese law are widely known to be a timely process. As a way to streamline customary tax procedures, a few changes were made over the past year. Companies are no longer required to submit hard copies of the value-added tax return, and joint payments for business license tax and value-added tax are now an option. Further, under the scope of social insurance, employers contribution to the labor fund was also reduced. In addition to these reforms, Vietnam performed well in its rankings for getting construction permits (21) and getting electricity (27). Areas to be addressed While Vietnam has made steps over the past year to streamline its business environment, the Doing Business report highlighted areas where the country could make further improvements. Vietnams scores for getting credit, protecting minority investors, and trading across borders maintained were the same as last year, while its score for resolving insolvency decreased. For international trade, an important area of concern that is worth emphasizing is the process for imports and exports in Vietnam. As of now, the timeframe for trade is drawn out, as procedures can take up to 21 days to complete and require numerous documents. The inefficient process means that trade across borders can be a major hindrance for businesses in Vietnam, despite the importance of exports for its economy. Notably, the ease of doing business measurements are limited to Ho Chi Minh City the countrys biggest and most developed city and do not cover the diverse regions within Vietnam. Foreign investors should therefore note that the north, central, and southern parts of Vietnam offer their own unique advantages and challenges and that there may be regional variation in the countrys business environment. Further, due to the inflow of FDI in Vietnam, governmental procedures have not kept up to pace. Government offices may be over-capacity and do not necessarily have the time to address all challenges they are faced with. For a foreign investor who is newly entering the region, using a third party to facilitate administrative tasks can help shorten set up time, as they often have knowledge of working in a specific industrial zone and the countrys legal and taxation landscape. Vietnam continues to attract investment The World Banks report suggests that Vietnam still lags behind many other Asian economies in terms of its business environment. However, ease of doing business alone does not necessarily reflect the drivers of FDI into the country. According to Maxfield Brown, Business Intelligence Manager at Dezan Shira & Associates, Vietnams reforms have taken shape in discounted manufacturing opportunities and a first-rate international trade agreement network for exports. Vietnam has cultivated a receptive investment environment through various progressive measures introduced in recent years, combined with other favorable macroeconomic factors. Nevertheless, while Vietnam has become a popular destination for foreign investment, businesses would do well to recognize the areas in which doing business in the country can be challenging. Ex-Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta is in China to hammer out a deal with Inter Milan bosses. AFP/Valery HACHE Marotta left Juventus earlier this month after eight highly successful years in Turin, and his arrival would be seen as a huge coup for Inter, Juve's fiercest domestic rival. The 61-year-old was one of the architects of Juventus' recent re-emergence as Italy's dominant force, which has seen them rack up seven straight Serie A titles and four Italian Cups, and twice finish runners-up in the Champions League. Marotta is in Nanjing to meet with Suning owner Zhang Jindong and his son, Inter President Steven Zhang, to discuss his future role within the club, according to Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport. Both newspapers reported that he wants to be clear that his future position will be different to that of Inter's sporting director Piero Ausilio. A deal could be reached before Inter travel to Juventus on Dec 7. Luciano Spalletti's side are third in Serie A, nine points behind Juventus. Well-known Korean star Kim Tae Hee Her visit aims to promote a bedding brand that she works as its Brand Ambassador. The beauty will attend an opening ceremony of a new showroom in Hanoi on November 22. On November 23, she will join an exchange with the Korean community in Hanoi and attend a charitable activity at Continental 72 Keangnam Landmark Tower. This is the third time Kim has visited Vietnam. Previously, she arrived in Hanoi to promote her TV series entitled My Princess in 2012 and attended a charitable programme in June, 2018. Born in 1980, Kim Tae Hee is known as the Republic of Korea's ideal woman for her well-educated background and natural beauty. In 2003, Kim won the Best New Actress award for her role in Stairway to Heaven given by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS). One year later, she received SBSs Popularity Award for her role as Lee Soo In in the drama Love Story in Harvard. In 2009, she won Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)s Excellence Award for Actress for her role as Choi Seung Hee in Iris. Vietnams benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange inched up 0.12 per cent to finish last week at 898.19 points, decreasing 1.76 per cent on a weekly basis.-VNA/VNS Photo Vietnams benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange inched up 0.12 per cent to finish last week at 898.19 points, decreasing 1.76 per cent on a weekly basis. The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange gained nearly 2 per cent on Friday to end at 103.01 points and closed last week level. The local stock market underwent a volatile trading week as investors remained cautious on a shortage of supportive news, the potential risks of China-US trade tensions, and worries about further Fed rate hikes. Caution among investors resulted in weak trading liquidity with an average of 189 million shares traded on the two local exchanges in each session, worth VND3.93 trillion (US$174.6 million). There was big differentiation among group stocks and they took turns to help prevent the market indices from falling further during the week. Weighing on the markets were property developer Vingroup (VIC) and its sub-unit Vinhomes (VHM), dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM) and consumer holding firm Masan (MSN). In contrast, banks and energy firms made gains to offset the underperformance of food and beverage and real estate stocks. VPBank (VPB) and HDBank (HDB) soared on Friday after their top officials and relatives announced plans to buy back shares, up to 21.5 million in total. In addition, a three-day increase of oil prices helped boost local petroleum stocks such as PetroVietnam Gas (GAS), PV Drilling and Well Services (PVD) and PV Technical Services (PVS). Foreign net selling remained a threat to the stock market as foreign investors posted VND1.22 trillion worth of sales on the two local exchanges. Investors remained cautious with concerns about the possibility of the markets short-term downtrend, Bao Viet Securities JSC (BVSC) said in a note. Such caution made the market move sideways with high differentiation among stock groups and resulted in moderate trading liquidity, BVSC said. Amid these negative signs, buying demand at low price ranges began to rise in some battered stocks such as bank and steel, boosting the market performance, the company said. The latest rise was a short-term technical recovery only and the benchmark index was seeming to experience more fluctuations after approaching the 905-point level, BVSC added. The benchmark index was forecast to test itself against the bottom line of 889-895 points this week but it was hoped it would rebound a bit from this level, BVSC said. According to Phan Dung Khanh, head of the investment division at Maybank KimEng Vietnam Securities Corporation, the markets recovery may be short-term and technical because investors were unwilling to buy in local stocks and were waiting for clearer signals from the market. The Vietnamese stock markets movement is highly connected to that of the US stock market, Khanh said, adding that even good news would not lift trading liquidity at the moment. The Feds tightened lending policy would lure dollar-based capital back to the US, putting pressure on Vietnams exchange rate policy, he said. Deepening trade tensions between the US, China and other economies would force the Chinese government to depreciate the yuan to support Chinese exports, and basically, that would make other economies de-value their currencies to compete against the Chinese, Khanh added. The VN-Index may retreat back to 850 points or lower, then there will be good technical recovering sessions, he said. In his final column for The Washington Post, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi perhaps presciently pleaded for greater freedom of expression in the Middle East. (AFP/MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH) "Because it's a suffering tape. It's a terrible tape," he said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday." "It was very violent, very vicious and terrible." Trump refrained from blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, even though the CIA reportedly concluded that he ordered the Oct 2 assassination in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Trump on Saturday told reporters that the US would release "a very full report" on the matter as early as Monday. He was interviewed by Fox on Friday. Asked whether the crown prince had lied to him in denying any role in the killing, Trump said: "I don't know. Who can really know? But I can say this, he's got many people ... that say he had no knowledge." "He told me that he had nothing to do with it. He told me that, I would say, maybe five times at different points, as recently as a few days ago," Trump added. The president acknowledged that people close to the prince "were probably involved" but added, "I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Asked whether he would go along with moves in the US Congress to cut off US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen or halt arms sales to the kingdom, Trump equivocated. "I want to see Yemen end. It takes two to tango and Iran has to end also," he said. "I want Saudi to stop but I want Iran to stop also." The United States has called for a ceasefire and peace talks to end the three-year-old conflict amid a mounting international outcry over the massive civilian toll of air strikes. US air refueling flights in support of Saudi-led air operations in Yemen ended last week. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis portrayed that as a Saudi decision. Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates intervened in the conflict against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in 2015 in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. SHIFTING ACCOUNTS Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of the crown prince, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, the audio shows that Kashoggi was strangled to death and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. Novartis will organise the dialogue on November 20 in Singapore More than 100 regional participants from Singapore, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, Cambodia, and other countries are expected to attend the event, including global public health experts, representatives from governments, NGOs/IGOs, industry, KOLs, and partners, who will focus on finding ways to improve access to healthcare in lower-income countries in Asia, including Vietnam. "We will discuss how public-private partnerships, digital health, innovative financing, and insurance solutions can help shape access to healthcare in Asia," said a Novartis Social Business (NSB) representative. Top discussions will encompass the application of a business mindset to solve global public health issues, the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases and unconventional ways to address health needs in Asia, and public-private partnerships. The discussions will address questions on how we can co-create healthcare solutions to help governments improve Primary Healthcare as part of their Universal Health Coverage strategy and what role innovative financing solutions can play in improving access to healthcare, among others. The event is a good opportunity for Vietnam to learn from partners experiences in dealing with these issues. Despite the progress made in reducing poverty, billions of people still lack access to essential healthcare. That is why Novartis pursues a variety of approaches to create long-lasting solutions, including commercial solutions through Novartis Social Business, to support public health needs and increase patient reach. These programmes provide a unique approach to different aspects of the challenge of access in the developing world. All of them generate value by building local, sustainable capabilities to increase the health and well-being of patients in lower-income countries. They also address societal problems that impact access to healthcare, including the need for education, infrastructure, and distribution. In Vietnam, Novartis Social Business has implemented two programmes for quite a long time. NSB has experience in co-ordinating with the Department of Health to develop the Cung Song Khoe programme at the commune level. This programme was launched in 2012 to provide health awareness, education, and affordable quality medicines. To date, the Cung Song Khoe programme has reached more than 930,000 people, providing basic health education and screening for the prevention of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Novartis to part with Roche Swiss drug-maker Novartis is working with investment banks to line up potential buyers for its 13.5 billion francs ($14 billion) worth stake in Roche, according ... Novartis joints goal of improving Vietnams healthcare system Ninety-four delegates from 19 countries gathered yesterday for the 8th Asia Pacific Future Trends Forum to discuss key healthcare policy issues and share best practices ... One year after nearly one million Rohingya Muslims were forcibly evicted from Myanmar, VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren and a camera crew went behind the walls of the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh to hear their stories of murder and rape. Although safe in Bangladesh, she found them depressed, isolated, prevented from attending school or working, and a target for violent extremists and human traffickers. As the Bangladesh monsoon season hit, the crew encountered potentially disastrous landslides and an infrastructure struggling to keep up with the need for food, supplies, and medicines. But they also found stories of hope, as well. After spending nine years and more than $300 million to prosecute leaders of Cambodias Khmer Rouge responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million of their countrymen, a U.N.-assisted tribunal has ended up convicting only three people for the communist groups heinous actions. Was it worth it? These kinds of proceedings dont come cheap. The longer-running tribunals covering genocide in Rwanda and war crimes in the former Yugoslavia ran up costs of as much as $2 billion, though both tried many more people than were called to account in Cambodia for crimes committed during the 1975-79 regime of the late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. On Friday, the tribunal convicted Nuon Chea, 92, and Khieu Samphan, 87, the last surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and sentenced them to life in prison. The only other person who has been convicted is Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, who as head of the Khmer Rouge prison system ran the infamous Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh. A hobbled hybrid court Justice is the primary goal. But international tribunals, trying people accused of crimes on a national scale, also serve to promote human rights and establish a historical record, among other targets. Even the most bullish observers acknowledge the shortcomings of the Cambodian tribunal, officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, or ECCC. The rules hammered out in extensive negotiations between the United Nations and the Cambodian government hobbled its proceedings in ways that were not always foreseeable. The ECCC was set up as a hybrid court, meaning every international prosecutor and judge was paired with a Cambodian counterpart. However, what was a political atmosphere encouraging cooperation when the U.N. agreement was signed in 2003 deteriorated, as democratic space has shrunk under Cambodias long-serving, autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hybrid courts require domestic and international partners to share the steering wheel. They tend to function well only when the two drivers want to head in the same general direction, said John Ciorciari, a professor at the University of Michigan and co-author of a book about the tribunal. When they do, mixed tribunals can help fill gaps in otherwise frail domestic systems. When interests clash, these efforts to share sovereignty are prone to crash. The main case in point: Hun Sen himself a former Khmer Rouge commander who defected from the group when it was in power declaring no more suspects should be prosecuted, saying without justification that such action could cause unrest. Vague guidelines It didnt help that the U.N. agreements vague wording of who could be targeted for prosecution senior Khmer Rouge leaders and those most responsible for the atrocities proved to be more restrictive than open-ended. All tribunals of this character have political restraints, and so that is not unique to the ECCC, said David Scheffer, a law professor at Northwestern University and former U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes. Other points he mentioned that delayed the proceedings included the protection of due process rights and the unusual combination of a civil law investigating judicial procedure alongside a common law prosecutorial model. One can always surmise about more being done, said Scheffer, who also served as the U.N.s special expert on assistance to the Khmer Rouge trials. But that was the negotiated reality of this particular tribunal. Nevertheless, he gave high marks to the tribunals performance, saying its main contribution has been both domestic and international justice rendered against some of the major figures in the Pol Pot regime. The Cambodian people sought justice and the ECCC delivered a significant measure of it, Scheffer said in an email interview. The ECCC also established a historical record, albeit not comprehensive, that otherwise never would have been uncovered. Justice and political education Adama Dieng, the U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide, also said Fridays convictions showed that justice will prevail, and that impunity should never be accepted for genocide and other atrocity crimes. Political education is an area where the tribunal has succeeded, said Heather Ryan, who has monitored the trials for the Open Society Justice Initiative, an independent international human rights organization. The court has made a huge contribution to helping the world and Cambodians better understand what occurred during the Khmer Rouge regime, said Ryan. It has triggered discussions at all levels of Cambodian society about not only the past, but concepts of impunity, justice and accountability relevant to the current political situation in Cambodia. Other observers were less impressed. Complete failure Theary Seng, a U.S.-trained lawyer, writer and political analyst based in Phnom Penh, Cambodias capital, who is an outspoken critic of Hun Sens government, called the tribunal a complete failure for international justice because it didnt accomplish any of the established goals of reconciliation, symbolic justice and combating impunity. Seng, whose parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, pointed out that the hope that at least some of the Cambodian judges, prosecutors and lawyers that the government placed in the tribunal would somehow become champions of judicial fairness and the rule of law has been the opposite of fulfilled: they have all been deeply implicated in government abuse and perversion of the domestic justice system. She said her top concern now was for the integrity of the tribunals documents to be preserved for researchers. It is likely that the voluminous documentation used by the tribunal will be handed over to the government or institution controlled by the government, she said. This means that the printed documents could be selectively destroyed and the electronic version could be subtly altered, she warned. Future researchers writing the history of Cambodia will not know whats what. A citizen-led initiative in the Indian city of Mumbai commended by the United Nations for transforming a garbage-filled beachfront into a pristine shoreline has inspired other community-led efforts to reclaim more of the city's beaches. Anjana Pasricha joined a group of young volunteers in India's financial capital who have been working for over a year to restore another strip of a sandy shoreline that was buried under plastic and trash. Disabled people in Cameroon are protesting the deepening crisis in the country's English-speaking regions after clashes between government forces and armed separatists killed several handicapped people. A number of people caught up in the fighting have been made disabled as well. Their protests in towns across Cameroon Monday comes after a bloody weekend, in which at least 25 armed men and several troops were killed. Fifty-four-year-old Martin Ndende was among dozens of disabled Cameroonians protesting near the Ministry of Defense Monday against the killing of handicapped people. Ndende, who has had a hearing impairment for 35 years, went to teach philosophy in the English-speaking northwestern town of Kom in September 2017. He was there for barely a month when armed separatists attacked and torched his school for refusing to close its doors. Ndende says he and several teachers were abducted and tied to a tree. It was a week before Cameroons military came to the rescue, too late to save his broken right hand, which had to be amputated. Ndende says he is an unfortunate victim of the offensive things armed gangs do to people in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. He simply went to educate children in the restive areas, he says, because true patriots and loving parents would never accept to compromise the education of their children. Even in war-torn countries, children are protected and allowed their right to education, says Ndende. Christopher Ayombe is leader of Cameroons Coalition of People Living with Disabilities. He organized the protests in towns in the restive regions and Yaounde to urge both the military and separatists to stop killing civilians, especially the handicapped. "We are going to educate the military services how to engage persons with disabilities in crisis time. We have persons with disabilities who do not hear and they were shot down based on the fact that they gave instructions and they did not hear. So, in such situations, how do you identify someone who do[es] not hear? How do you identify somebody who cannot see?" asked Ayombe. Cameroons military says over the weekend it killed 20 terrorists in Kom, including a separatist general known as Amigo. Ayombe says a blind civilian was killed during the clashes in Kom because nobody helped him escape the shooting. At least 12 disabled people have disappeared during the two-year conflict and are feared dead, says Ayombe. Spokesman for Cameroons military Colonel Didier Badjeck says troops do their best to avoid civilian casualties. He says Cameroons defense minister always reminds his military on the need to remain professional even in difficult moments and does not hesitate to punish any soldier found to have abused the rights of citizens. While the military respects the rights of all citizens, says Badjeck, armed terrorists - who often take drugs - attack and kill civilians. Badjeck did not give specific examples of troops punished for abuses. Cameroons military says more than 1,200 people have been killed in the past year of fighting between security and separatists, while hundreds have been abducted. Last weekend, armed men abducted 16 Roman Catholic nuns in the northwestern town of Kumbo. They were set free unharmed a day later. Earlier this month, suspected separatists kidnapped 79 students and three staff from a school in the northwest. All were released within days. Rights groups accuse both the Cameroon military and separatists fighting for an independent English-speaking state of using excessive force. Nearly a quarter-million more people have fled the ongoing violence. Britains interminable Brexit saga seems ready made for Netflix and is already putting to shame Nordic noir fiction for unexpected twists and turns, gothic dark mood and moral complexity. More than two years after Britons narrowly voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, still no one knows what the upshot will be or even the timing of the final episode. What you thought was certain crumbles into nothingness with each passing episode. WATCH: British Prime Minister's Future on Brink Like Britains notoriously dysfunctional rail system things never go according to plan. The Brexit-watching British public seem like apoplectic platform-trapped passengers enraged by delays and stamping their feet crossly over the excuses as they worry about when the train will arrive or be re-routed. Hardly surprisingly, opinion polls are showing big swings to the main opposition party, Labor, which is also split on Brexit, the biggest issue facing the country since the end of the Cold War. Labor, though, has the good fortune not to be in power unlike the ruling Conservatives, who are tearing themselves apart in a political maelstrom over Brexit. I feel like I am in car which is going over a bridge, and toppling in slow-motion into the water, says Heidi Kingstone, a Canadian-born British author. Should I sell my apartment and leave? she muses. She is not alone in struggling for a foothold Britains newspapers are straining with adjectives and adverbs to explain the fast-moving plots, coups and resignations. Britains no-nonsense Sun tabloid headlined characteristically one of its front pages last week simply Brex****. Will May survive? As it stands, Britains embattled Prime Minister Theresa May, whose trademark resilience is seen by many of her critics now as just plain obstinacy, might be Britains leader tomorrow or, then of course, she might not. On Sunday, in an interview with Sky News, May admitted, the next seven days will be critical for the country. As they will for her. With criticism mounting over of the 585-page Brexit withdrawal agreement published alongside a much shorter political declaration setting out what Britains future trade relationship with the EU might look like depending on more and (probably) years of negotiations May is battling to sell against the odds the proposed deal, some of which took her own Brexit ministers, who resigned last week, by surprise. Suella Braverman, one of the ministers, says there were some clauses in the final draft that were never agreed by ministers or cabinet as far as I know and never appeared in any draft agreements I saw. Across Britains political spectrum, the deal which is due to be signed off at an EU special summit next Sunday has prompted alarmed outrage with critics labeling it a demeaning deal which could leave the country indefinitely trapped, as far as they see it, in a customs union with its erstwhile European partners while having to abide by the blocs laws, rules and regulations without having any say about them. Few observers believe the draft deal will win the approval of parliament next month when it comes up for a formal vote. All the opposition parties are opposed to the proposed agreement, as is a large faction of Brexit hardliners in Mays ruling minority Conservative government, who say the deal will obstruct Britain from striking trade deals with non-EU countries. They say Britain will turned into a vassal state of the EU. To get legislation through parliament, Mays government relies on a handful of lawmakers from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party. They are infuriated about the deal, which in order to avoid customs checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the only land frontier separating Britain from the EU, treats the British province differently from England, Wales and Scotland, a state of affairs they worry will weaken their ties with London. But Theresa Mays problems are even more immediate than next months scheduled vote in parliament. Her first challenge this week is to confront an effort by Brexiters to oust her. But as ever with the Brexit saga, nothing is certain. Zealous Brexiters in her party might or might not launch Monday a formal effort to dump her as Conservative leader, but the bid appears to have been slowed because some of them fear if she survives a no-confidence vote, she will be strengthened. Others seem to be heeding Mays warning made on Sunday that a change of leadership at this point isnt going to make the negotiations any easier and it isnt going to change the parliamentary arithmetic. If they do manage to trigger a formal vote of non-confidence in her, May has to win convincingly. If she survives with a small majority that wont be sufficient. Even a hundred or more lawmakers voting against her would so weaken her, shed probably have to resign, concedes an aide. Even if she overcomes a leadership challenge, she will be faced later in the week by a loyalist gang of five powerful ministers, who unlike a handful of their colleagues decided not to resign last week over the draft withdrawal agreement. They want her to reopen negotiations and to amend the deal substantially, something Brussels and the 27 national governments of the EU have firmly said they wont do. On Monday, Luxembourgs foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, emphasized that, saying: This deal that is now on the tables is the best there is. There is no better deal for this crazy Brexit. The gang of five led by Michael Gove may or may not resign, if she refuses. If they do, few believe she would survive nor the draft deal with her. The complexities dont end there. Several EU governments, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, are also dissatisfied with the deal, believing it gives Britain a competitive advantage by not tying it closely enough to EU regulations, workers rights and environmental standards, thereby lowering potentially the production costs of British goods. And they want the divorce agreements accompanying political declaration, which will set the parameters for the longer-term future trade deal thats still to be negotiated, to be much tougher on Britain to ensure there will be no competitive advantage. If they manage to do that, it will cause further outrage in the British parliament. Brexit's future What happens if the deal collapses or May is deposed is any ones guess. When May unveiled last week the divorce deal, it was akin to hurling a cut-glass bowl to the ground with shards scattering everywhere. There is now a dizzying array of cross-party factions in the House of Commons. They include hard Brexiters who want to leave without any deal, which analysts say would wreck supply chains for manufactured goods, cause huge economic costs for Britain, and would trigger recession. There are factions who want to scrap the draft withdrawal agreement and negotiate a simple but limited free trade deal modeled on one Canada has with Europe and another that wants a Norway-style deal whereby Britain would join the European Economic Area, seamlessly tying the country to the EUs internal trade market without it being part of the supranational political union. And then there are still Remainers who want Britain to stay in the EU. Maybe, this isnt fare for Netflix. Author Heidi Kingstone sees it more as very bad reality TV. Possibly it could have the title, I'm British...Get Me Out of Here! Guilty verdicts in the genocide trial of Pol Pot's senior henchmen has brought the curtain down on the main act of a controversial tribunal that has lasted more than a decade, cost more than $300 million and is finally nearing an end. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan can appeal their latest convictions for genocide, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and there are still trials pending against four lower ranked Khmer Rouge cadre. However, the appeals process is expected to take less than a year and further cases are unlikely to be heard amid speculation the local judges at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) dont want to pursue officials ranked outside of Pol Pots inner circle. Those most responsible Helen Jarvis, tribunal advisor and former head of the Victims Unit, said a successful prosecution of genocide in Case 0002/02 had clearly defined precedents, including genocide, enslavement and rape inside a forced marriage, as opposed to an arranged marriage. For years weve talked about genocide in Cambodia and its often been said that nothing could ever be proved in court and today we have a clear statement, a clear conviction by the trial chamber, she said. The tribunals initial remit was to prosecute those most responsible for the deaths of between 1.7 million and 2.3 million people, the obliteration of Cambodian culture and the persecution of those who survived Khmer Rouge rule. "Most responsible" was defined as those who sat on the central and standing committees essentially Pol Pots Cabinet from April 1975 to January 1979, when a Vietnamese invasion ended the tyranny. Civil war continued for another two decades. It was only then that negotiations could begin for a Khmer Rouge tribunal, the ECCC was established and secured its first conviction in Case 001 in 2010 against Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who ran the S-21 extermination center in Phnom Penh. Costs and other convictions Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were already serving life sentences when the genocide verdict was announced. They were each given an additional life sentence and Judge Nil Nonn ordered the two life sentences be merged into one. Others, including Pol Pot, his national defense minister Son Sen, and military chief Ta Mok died before they could be tried. Former foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith, who served as minister for social affairs, died after they were charged with genocide and detained by the ECCC. I think weve done the job that needed to be done and I think the objectives of setting up the ECCC have been met, Jarvis said. Of course theres still going to be an appeal so its not The End but theres quite a lot of clarity I think. There have been complaints about costs to secure convictions against just three people and political interference by the Cambodian government. Vun Em and her family were typical of Pol Pots victims. They lived in a village in Kampong Cham province where she grew up in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge while contending with the communists on-going civil war. I think the tribunal was a good result, but for me I think it take too long a time and spending a lot of money, she said, adding $300 million to secure convictions against three people was expensive. However, this paled when compared with the atrocities committed by the regime. They do so much bad to the people in Cambodia, including my family. They separate everyone from each other, they killed too many people, too much labor during their time. Not enough food too eat, sickness, distrust, unsafe, also forced marriage, she said. Further charges A further four lower ranked cadre have been charged in regards to genocide, crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions in Cases 003 and 004. But stark divisions have emerged between international and Cambodian prosecutors over whether to proceed. Charges against a former district chief, Im Chaem, were dropped after the court ruled it did not have the jurisdiction to prosecute her. Critics claimed this was because Hun Sen did not want to prosecute outside the highest levels because it might damage his own standing within the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, which is comprised of several former Khmer Rouge cadre. Meanwhile, final decisions are pending on whether to pursue naval commander Meas Muth, the deputy secretary in the regimes central zone Ao An, and Yim Tith, a former mid-level commander turned wealthy businessman. Jarvis added that only the courts could decide whether or not to proceed with those prosecutions. Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia group have expressed support for U.N. calls for a cease-fire in Yemen, even as fighting between them continued on the ground. Arab media reported scattered pockets of fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis around the key Red Sea port city of Hodeida Monday. The coalition has been waging war against the rebel Houthis to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government to power. Saudi King Salman, addressing the annual opening session of the Saudi al Shura consultative council, told delegates he was determined to abide by international efforts to forge a cease-fire in Yemen. He said it was the kingdom's duty to stand by the Yemeni people in resisting "aggression" by the Iranian-backed Houthis. But he said the Saudis will support a political solution based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216, and the Gulf initiative for inter-Yemeni dialogue. The resolution calls for an end to the violence in Yemen. The king also called on Iran to "stop meddling in the internal affairs of other countries or to support terrorism or chaos." The conflict is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The subject of Yemen also came up as Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, hosted his British counterpart, Jeremy Hunt, in Tehran Monday. Mohammed Ali al Houthi, who heads the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Council, indicated late Sunday he was "ready to stop military operations on all fronts to reach a just and honorable peace for the Yemeni people." He added that his group would also put an end to missile and drone attacks on countries belonging to the Saudi coalition (including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan). Houthi spokesman Mohammed Al Bakhiti told Arab media Monday his group would abide by a cease-fire if its adversaries did, as well. He said his group is willing to wait to sound out the determination of the international community to put an end what he called the aggression against Yemen. But he added that the Houthis would resume defending themselves if nothing were to come of these efforts. Saudi coalition spokesman Col. Turki al Maliki told journalists in Riyadh Monday the coalition "supports all efforts by U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths to bring peace to Yemen, but that fighting was continuing in Hodeida. He accused the Houthis of attempting to launch a missile into Saudi territory overnight that fell inside Yemen. He said the coalition has practically surrounded the city and is three kilometers from its center. He claimed the Houthis are desperate and are fleeing. He claimed that the fighting in Hodeida is continuing on humanitarian grounds. He accused the militia of violating international humanitarian law by blowing up grain depots used for humanitarian aid in Hodeida, and putting mines inside piles of wheat and TNT inside bags of sugar. He alleged that the Houthis had blown up a school and were using mosques to store landmines. Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, said a cease-fire would eventually take hold in Yemen, but that each side wanted to fire the final shot before it goes into effect. "Usually," he said, "before a cease-fire goes into effect, we normally witness an escalation of hostilities and it appears to me that since the fighting continues in Hodeida and the claim that they fired a rocket or a missile into Saudi Arabia that did not reach its target tells us that the Houthis are keen on telling everybody that the last shot was theirs before the cease-fire." Khashan said firing the last shot in a conflict has "important symbolic meaning." He pointed out that Iraq "insisted on firing the last missile in the Iran-Iraq war before the ultimate cease-fire in 1988." Hezbollah, he added, also continued firing rockets into Israel until the last minute during the 2006 conflict in southern Lebanon. Authorities in the western U.S. state of California were able to determine Sunday that nearly 300 more people are safe after the deadliest wildfire in the state's history swept through their town. But more than a week after the Camp Fire began in Paradise, nearly 1,000 people are still unaccounted for as search crews go through the remains of burned buildings and others try to contact those reported missing by friends and family. The official death toll rose to 77 people Sunday. The Butte County Sheriff's Office said that so far authorities have identified 67 of the dead. The fire itself is still burning, 65 percent contained as thousands of firefighters work to bring it under control. Fire officials said crews made progress Sunday in creating and reinforcing the containment lines they hope will eventually halt the fire's advance. They are due to get some help this week with several days of rain in the forecast for northern California. But while the shift in weather from the dry, hot conditions that allowed the blaze to spread so rapidly will help firefighters, it will also make the work of those searching for remains among ash more difficult. And with the fire leaving behind terrain stripped of vegetation, there is also a heightened risk of floods and mudslides. California's governor expressed optimism Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump would support the state. Following Trump's visit to California the day before, Democratic governor Jerry Brown said in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" that the president has "got our back" and has pledged to continue to help. "The president not only has signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding, but he said and pledged very specifically to continue to help us, that he's got our back," Brown said. "And I thought that was a very positive thing." Brown also suggested in Sunday's interview that California's wildfires will make the most ardent of climate change skeptics believers in the coming years. Trump visited California Saturday to get a close-up look at the widespread damage that raging wildfires have inflicted on the state. "Nobody would have ever thought this could have happened," he said to reporters after walking through burned-out ruins in Paradise. "It's like total devastation." At least 10,000 homes have been destroyed. "I think people have to see this really to understand it." Trump said. Trump was accompanied on his visit by Paradise Mayor Jody Jones, California Governor Brown, Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, and Federal Emergency Management Agency head Brock Long. He pledged to the California officials the support of the federal government, saying, "We're all going to work together." He vowed also to work with environmental groups on better forest management and added, "Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one." But when asked if the fire had changed his mind on climate change, Trump said, "No, no." He said he believes a lot of factors are to blame. The president also visited a local command center in Chico, California, and praised the firefighters and other first responders. "You folks have been incredible," he said, adding that those battling the flames are "fighting like hell." Woolsey Fire Late Saturday afternoon, Trump landed in Southern California, where the Woolsey Fire has burned nearly 390 square kilometers. Fire officials say the blaze had been about 60 percent contained by Friday. Evacuated residents are returning to the area. En route from Northern to Southern California, Trump told reporters he had not discussed climate change with Governor Brown and Governor-elect Newsom, both of whom accompanied him on the flight. "We have different views," Trump said. "But maybe not as different as people think." On the same issue, Brown told reporters, "We'll let science determine this over a longer period of time. Right now we're collaborating on the most immediate response and that's very important." Israel's ruling coalition remained intact Monday after a key minister backed off his threat to withdraw his party from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Education Minister Naftali Bennett had pressured Netanyahu to name him defense minister, but said his Jewish Home party would drop all of its demands and give the prime minister a chance to get Israel "to win again." The defense chief post became vacant last week with the resignation of Avigdor Lieberman, who was upset that Israel did not respond more forcefully in a flare-up of tensions with militants in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu said Sunday he would take on defense duties. He further cautioned that due to the security situation it would be "irresponsible" at this time to send his government into a minority and bring on early elections. With Bennett's party remaining, the coalition retains its slim majority with 61 of the 120 seats in parliament. The next regularly scheduled elections are due to take place in November 2019. The U.S. and Afghan governments have made "little clear progress" recently in compelling the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal, according to a new U.S. assessment Monday that said military and political signs point toward continued stalemate. "Progress toward peace remains elusive," Glenn A. Fine, the acting Pentagon inspector general, wrote in an introduction to a comprehensive review of military, political and humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan during the July-September period. These were the final three months of the 17th year of a war that began in October 2001. The report offered little support for the Trump administration's assertions that its revised war strategy, announced in August 2017, is bringing the Afghan government and the Taliban insurgency closer to peace and reconciliation. When he visited Kabul in July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the strategy "is indeed working." In the three months following Pompeo's visit, the Taliban demonstrated their resilience even as the U.S. military continued its focus on training and advising the Afghan army and police while helping develop an Afghan air force. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Saturday that efforts to draw the Taliban into peace talks are being made "below the surface." But he indicated that progress is insufficient. "We're a long way from where we could say that we're on the right path," Dunford said at the Halifax International Security Forum, referring to effectively combining military, political and social pressure on the Taliban. Noting that U.S. officials as recently as a year ago called the war a stalemate, Dunford said, "it hasn't changed much" since. Pulling the Taliban into peace negotiations has been the central feature of the Trump administration's Afghanistan strategy, with little result so far. The effort has intensified since Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Kabul, was appointed a special U.S. envoy to Afghanistan in September. The Associated Press reported on Sunday that Khalilzad held three days of talks with the Taliban in the Gulf state of Qatar. Without referring explicitly to the talks in Qatar, Khalilzad told a news conference Sunday in Kabul, "I am talking to all interested parties, all Afghan groups... and I think there is an opportunity for reconciliation and peace." "The Afghan government wants peace," he said. "The Taliban are saying they do not believe they can succeed militarily, that they would like to see the problems that remain, resolved by peaceful means, by political negotiations." Monday's report, which was a combined assessment by inspectors general of the Pentagon, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, said available measures of security in Afghanistan showed little change in the July-September quarter. Progress toward reconciliation with the Taliban also as scant. "Despite continued efforts and activities, there was little clear progress toward reconciliation during the quarter," the report said, adding that Afghan security force casualties are rising and humanitarian needs are growing as the conflict drags on. The U.S. military does not publicly report the number of casualties among Afghan security forces, saying it is forbidden by the Afghan government. However, just last week Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said during a visit to Washington that 28,529 Afghan forces have been killed in the past four years, compared to 58 Americans in the same period. The U.S. has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari launched his manifesto on Sunday, hoping his anti-corruption agenda can win him a second term at a February 16 election. Buhari, a military ruler in the early 1980s, in 2015 became the first opposition candidate to oust a president through the ballot box. His focus on corruption may be offset by Nigeria's slow growth. The country emerged from its first recession in a quarter of a century - largely caused by low crude prices last year. In his first term, Buhari ordered government revenues and funds recovered in corruption investigations to be placed in a central bank account known as the Treasury Single Account (TSA). That had protected government coffers from corruption when oil receipts - which make up two-thirds of revenues - were low, he said. "We are committed to deepening the work we started this first term such that the nation's assets and resources continue to be organized and utilized to do good for the common man," he said at the manifesto launch. Buhari said Nigeria had a chance to make "a break from its tainted past which favored an opportunistic few". Despite the president's focus on tackling corruption, there have not been any significant convictions related to graft in his first term. The main opposition party has accused Buhari of focusing on its members, which the presidency denies. The campaign team of opposition candidate, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, said Buhari's manifesto was an "anti-climax" and did not address Nigerians' economic problems. "If the state of the average Nigerian has not improved in the last three and a half years, more of the same is obviously not what they need," it said in an emailed statement. Abubakar is expected to unveil his policy plans on Monday. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Strokes on the left indicate the tt, and strokes on the right the order within the tt.There are variants of runescape 07 gold hese two schemes, such as inverting the numbers (counting backwards the tts, and the runes within the tts). Tree runes and hook runes are like branch runes, with the strokes pointing downward diagonally and curving downward, respectively. These may be mixed: in the phrase ek vitki at left, ek is written in straightforward branch runes, but vitki is written with the tts as hooks and the order as branches.. A professional Game website is Recommended to you, Rsorder is a Trusted Runescape gold Site 2018 to Buy All RS products with 24/7 online. It owns 10 years of experience in the gaming market and Millons of players from Europe, Asia, South America and so on.Now The new version of Mobile is live, you can buy All RS products with mobile conveniently and quickly! 5% more gold code:RSYK5 for all rs products & 10% Off code:OSRSA10 for all osrs accounts anytime! Set on a mysterious artificial ring world, players take up as Master Chief, a faceless, futuristic soldier fighting the alien Covenant and, later, the zombie like Flood. If they'd actually cared about lives, they wouldn't have programmed the gaming equivalent of a brick wall with "Bash your head off this 4,332,321 times" written on it.. However, the rise of the internet has made producing free online games much easier. It is now possible for a independent developer to hire both programmers and designers to create an online game. How can this be done? When you hear of outsourcing in the news, you often think of fortune 500 companies. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, or until someone uses a the same programming language behind one of the most popular mobile games of all time to construct one of the largest cyberweapons the world has ever seen. The folks at Fox News spoke with a number of cyber security experts who said that the sophisticated 'Flame' malware currently wreaking havoc in the Middle East was written in the LUA computer language, which happens to be the same language Rovio used to build Angry Birds. Small world, eh? Roel Schouwenberg, a senior security researcher with Kaspersky Labs, told Fox News.. Dec. 9, 2011 PRLog MMO Worlds, the top gaming blog for free to play MMOs, has today released its fan award for the Best Free MMORPG 2011. Throughout the year, the fan site has featured many different titles each month but only one can be the top f2p game of 2011.. Happy to Join RSorder Exclusive Thanksgiving Day Promo for Runescape 3 Gold&2007 RS Gold with Up to $15 Cash Coupons Until Nov.23 !More:http://www.rsorder.com More: Save $3 with code ETP3 for order $50+! Save $9 with code ETP9 for order $120+! Save $15 with code ETP15 for order $180+! Japanese automaker Nissan says it has determined that its chairman, Carlos Ghosn, falsified reports about his compensation "over many years." The company said its internal investigation also found Ghosn had used company assets for personal purposes. Japanese media are reporting Monday that Ghosn is being questioned by Tokyo prosecutors on allegations that he underreported his income and that he will likely be arrested. Ghosn is suspected of failing to report hundreds of millions of dollars in income. Nissan says Ghosn will be dismissed from the company. The Ashai newspaper reported that prosecutors have raided Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama. The Brazilian-born Ghosn, who is of Lebanese descent and a French citizen, was the rare foreign top executive in Japan. Ghosn was sent to Nissan in the late 1990s by Renault SA of France, after it bought a controlling stake of Nissan. He is credited with rescuing Nissan from the brink of bankruptcy. In 2016, Ghosn also took control of Mitsubishi, after Nissan bought a one-third stake in the company, following Mitsubishi's mileage-cheating scandal. "If he is arrested, it's going to rock the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as he is the keystone of the alliance," said Satoru Takada, an analyst at TIW, a Tokyo-based research and consulting firm. Shares in Renault fell more than 12 percent in late morning trading in Paris after the news about Ghosn came out. What does a new "tactical" weapon mean for the North Korean denuclearization process? Both the United States and the South Korean government downplayed the weapons test, but Adam Mount, a member of the Federation of American Scientists, disagreed. Speaking to Reuters news agency, he said the test may serve as a warning to Washington. "They're trying to signal that they are willing to walk away from talks and restart weapons testing," he said. "It is the most explicit in a series of escalating statements designed to send this message." The U.S. State Department suggested the test would not derail efforts to persuade North Korea to give up a nuclear weapons program. "We remain confident that the promises made by President Trump and Chairman Kim will be fulfilled," a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said. Troy University lecturer in international relations Daniel Pinkston, also does not believe the test will have any direct impact on current talks and says its another example that North Korea's orientation policy objectives haven't fundamentally changed. He adds that this "particular system is just another indication of the importance of military to military strength in North Korea." South Koreas Ministry of Defense said Friday the test shouldn't be classified as a "provocation." In addition, an anonymous South Korean government official speaking to South Koreas Yonhap News, said while the test should be watched carefully, it didn't necessarily mean North Korea was willing to walk away from denuclearization talks. A North Korean threat? Seong Whun Cheon, Visiting Research Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, says he has concerns about Seoul's assessment of the recent test, because a tactical weapon refers to a short-range device, "which means even if it's not a threat to the United States, [its] a direct threat to our (South Korean) national security." Pyongyang has positioned a large assortment of conventional weapons within striking distance of the South Korea capital. The proximity of those weapons and their potential to inflict massive casualties should a country attempt to attack North Korea, has been a powerful deterrent to such actions. Cheon adds that if Pyongyang and the United States were able to reach a deal that would allow North Korea to "continue to purchase either technical or medium-range missiles, including some nuclear capability, that is the worst nightmare that we can imagine at the moment." Pinkston says the latest test sends "a signal to South Korea on how North Korea is prepared to stand fast and be resolute in their relations with the South... and to the United States and others on the UN Security Council." Ultimately Cheon says, "We dont see any significant changes, or revisions, in their conventional strategy." What weapon was tested? North Koreas state media said Friday, leader Kim Jong-un inspected a test of a newly developed high-tech weapon. The visit and announcement came as talks with the United States over Pyongyangs denuclearization have stalled, even though Washington says a second summit with Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is still being planned for early 2019. In the English version of the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) report, it said Kim visited "the Academy of Defense Science and supervised a newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon test." "The state-of-the-art weapon that has been long developed under the leadership of our party's dynamic leadership has a meaning of completely safeguarding our territory and significantly improving the combat power of our people's army," it said. As of Monday, the South Korean government had not concluded what kind of weapon was tested, though South Koreas Yonhap news suggested it may be some sort of long-range artillery; however, that has not been verified. "Regarding the North Korean high tech weapon test, South Korea and the United States are investigating it. We cannot confirm what it is," a defense ministry spokesman said. "The testing of the high-tech tactical weapon has been carried out successfully, meeting all superior and powerful designing indicators," the Korean Central Broadcasting Station added. The KCNA report said, "After seeing the power of the tactical weapon, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was so excited to say that another great work was done by the defense scientists and munitions industrial workers to increase the defense capability of the country." North Korea's KCNA news agency did not identify the weapon and only posted a picture of Kim standing on a beach surrounded by officials in military uniforms. No weapons were visible in those images. Lee Ju-hyun contributed to this report. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan sharply criticized President Donald Trump Monday for questioning Pakistan's anti-terror efforts, saying Washington is making Islamabad a scapegoat for U.S. failures in Afghanistan. In an interview that aired Sunday on the U.S. network Fox News, Trump defended his decision to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, saying the country doesn't "do a damn thing for us. The president went on to accuse Pakistan of sheltering al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden before he was tracked and killed by U.S. Special Forces in 2011 during a unilateral daring night helicopter raid deep inside the country. Khan rejected Trumps tirade against his country in a series of tweets, saying Pakistan participated in the U.S. war on terror even though no Pakistani was involved in the September 2001 attacks on America that prompted the military invasion of Afghanistan. Khan noted that Pakistan has since suffered 75,000 casualties in the war and suffered economic losses to of more than $123 billion. He added that "U.S. "aid" was what he called a "minuscule" $20 billion. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications (GLOCs/ALOCs). Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?, asked Prime Minister Khan. The United States and NATO continue to heavily rely on Pakistani land and air routes for sending supplies to their troops in landlocked Afghanistan. Khan went on to say his countrys military operations to secure the border with Afghanistan in support of the U.S.-led coalition have devastated Pakistani tribal areas near the frontier and uprooted millions of people from their homes. Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the U.S. should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before, said the Pakistani leader. "Trumps false assertions add insult to the injury" Pakistan has suffered in U.S.-led war on terror "in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs." Khan said in another tweet, adding that Trump "needs to be informed" about historical facts and that now Islamabad "will do what is best for our people & our interests." A traditionally uneasy relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. has deteriorated particularly since August 2017, when President Trump announced his South Asia strategy to tackle the resurgent Afghan Taliban. He directly accused Pakistan at the time of sheltering Taliban and other militants involved in deadly cross-border attacks against U.S. troops. Islamabad swiftly rejected the accusations as politically motivated and stemming from Afghan battlefield setbacks. This past January, the U.S. president said that around one billion dollars in military assistance would be suspended until Islamabad improved its counterterrorism record. Pakistan maintains the money is not assistance but reimbursements for counterterrorism operations its troops conduct to secure the Afghan border in support of coalition actions on the other side. Germany's foreign minister said Monday that Berlin will ban 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europe's border-free Schengen zone because of their alleged links to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Heiko Maas said he had consulted with France and Britain before announcing the ban. "There are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it," Mass said on the sidelines of a European Union meeting in Brussels. U.S. President Donald Trump says he has been fully briefed on an audio recording of the killing of the dissident Saudi journalist inside Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month, but has no intention of listening to it because of the violence it depicts. "It's a suffering tape. It's a terrible tape," Trump told Fox News Sunday in a White House interview that was taped Friday. "It's very violent, very vicious and terrible," Trump said. Trump said Saturday the U.S. government would release its findings on the October 2 killing of Khashoggi on Tuesday. The State Department says no final conclusions have been reached, although some U.S. news accounts have reported that the Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh's de facto leader, ordered the killing. Asked in the Fox interview if the crown prince lied to him about his involvement, Trump replied, "I don't know. Who can really know? But I can say this, he's got many people... that say he had no knowledge." Trump added, "He told me that he had nothing to do with it. He told me that, I would say, maybe five times at different points, as recently as a few days ago." Saudi Arabia has filed charges against 11 operatives accused of involvement in Khashoggi's killing and said it will seek the death penalty against five of them. Trump conceded that people close to the prince "were probably involved." But he said, "I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good." Fox interviewer Chris Wallace asked Trump whether he would go along with moves in Congress to cut off U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen or halt arms sales to Riyadh, but Trump said it depends. "I want to see Yemen end," he said. "It takes two to tango and Iran has to end also. I want Saudi to stop but I want Iran to stop also." Trump was briefed Saturday on the U.S. investigation of the killing of Khashoggi by telephone by CIA Director Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while the president was aboard Air Force One en route to California to inspect the devastation from wildfires in the western state. The State Department said the U.S. government "is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing... accountable" but that "numerous unanswered questions" remain. The assessment by the CIA, first reported Friday by The Washington Post, contradicts that of Saudi Arabia, whose top prosecutor one day earlier exonerated the crown prince in the killing of Khashoggi. U.S. officials say the CIA concluded that 15 Saudi agents flew in a Saudi government aircraft to Istanbul and assassinated Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate. Khashoggi, who wrote opinion columns for the Post and was a critic of the Saudi crown prince, was killed at the Saudi consulate while he was trying to get documents for his planned marriage to a Turkish woman. The Post said the CIA based its conclusion on multiple sources of intelligence, including a phone call that the prince's brother, Khalid bin Salman, who is also the Saudi ambassador to the United States, had with Khashoggi. In the phone call, Khalid told Khashoggi that it would be safe for him to go the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents for his marriage. The paper said it was not known whether or not Khalid knew Khashoggi would be killed. Khalid denied in a tweet on Friday that he had spoken with Khashoggi. The last contact I had with Mr. Khashoggi was via text on Oct. 26, 2017. I never talked to him by phone and certainly never suggested he go to Turkey for any reason. I ask the U.S. government to release any information regarding this claim,'' he said. Reports of shootings, allegedly by Myanmar police, at a camp for Rohingya refugees in Rakhine state have sparked concern by United Nations officials. Knut Ostby, the U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, tweeted that he is "deeply concerned about the reports of shooting in Ah Nauk Ye camp in central #Rakhine, #Myanmar which holds IDPs who fled violence in 2012. I call for calm, non-violence and restraint. " The Reuters news agency quotes eyewitnesses as saying Myanmar police shot and injured four Rohingyas Sunday, while detaining two men accused of smuggling people out of a camp for displaced people in western Rakhine state. The report said about 20 police descended on Ah Nauk Ye camp, 15 kilometers east of the state's capital Sittwe, and apprehended the two men who were accused of owning the "rickety vessel," used in an attempt to smuggle 160 people, including 25 children, out of the camp. The watercraft was stopped south of Yangoon. An eyewitness told Reuters that when the police came into the camp "people from the camp went out to look and police shot at people." The police, however, told the news agency that Rohingyas surrounded them with swords and threw stones at them. "I heard that Bengali from the camp tried to grab the arrested people back from the police and police had to fire warning shots," police inspector Than Htay from a nearby police station, said. People from Myanmar call the Rohingya Muslims "Bengali," implying they are from Bangladesh and not from Myanmar. None of the first Rohingya Muslims on a list to return to Myanmar showed up at their departure points in Bangladesh Thursday, the first day they were scheduled to be sent back under a repatriation agreement between the two nations. About 150 Rohingya refugees were slated to be transported from the crowded camps in Cox's Bazar back to northern Rakhine state, the region where they and more than 700,000 others escaped in August 2017 from a scorched earth campaign by Myanmar's military in response to a series of attacks committed by Rohingya militants. Some of the refugees on the list are believed to have gone into hiding to avoid being sent back. Meanwhile, about 1,000 angry Rohingyas, including children, demonstrated against the repatriation effort at one of the camps. Bangladesh Refugee Commissioner Abul Kalam told reporters that the refugees cannot be forced to return to Myanmar under the terms of the agreement. Human rights groups are calling on Myanmar and Bangladesh to end their plans to send Rohingya Muslims back to Rakhine State, where the United Nations says they are subject to extrajudicial killings and other atrocities carried out by Myanmar's military. Amnesty International called the organized return of the Rohingya a "reckless move, which puts lives at risk." "These women, men and children would be sent back into the Myanmar military's grasp with no protection guarantees, to live alongside those who torched their homes and whose bullets they fled," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty's East and Southeast Asia director. Bill Frelick, the refugee rights director for Human Rights Watch, said Dhaka "will be stunned to see how quickly international opinion turns against it if it starts sending unwilling Rohingya refugees back into harm's way in Myanmar." A special U.N. fact-finding mission said the military acted "with genocidal intent" against the Rohingyas, citing numerous atrocities such as extrajudicial killings, gang rapes and the torching of entire villages. Three U.S. Democratic senators have sued to block President Donald Trump's appointment of acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, alleging the appointment was made to undermine the ongoing criminal investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign's alleged links to Russia. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii filed the lawsuit Monday in a federal court in Washington. The suit is the fourth legal challenge of Trump's appointment of Whitaker, following the ouster earlier this month of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom Trump had long disparaged for removing himself from oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Before joining the Justice Department as Sessions's chief of staff more than a year ago, Whitaker attacked the Mueller investigation in commentary on television network CNN, saying a replacement attorney general, such as he is now, could cut funding to the probe so that it "grinds almost to a halt." Whitaker has taken no public action against the investigation since Trump named him, for up to 210 days, as the country's top law enforcement official, but also has made no statements on how he views the probe.Democratic lawmakers, along with some Republicans, have called for Whitaker to avow he would not curtail Mueller's investigation while it is still underway and contended his appointment, as head of a Cabinet-level agency, was subject to Senate confirmation. "President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation's top law enforcement official," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test.In selecting a so-called 'constitutional nobody' and thwarting every senator's constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." Senator Whitehouse added that the "stakes are too high to allow the president to install an unconfirmed lackey to lead the Department of Justice, a lackey whose stated purpose, apparently, is undermining a major investigation into the president.Unless the courts intercede." He added that this "troubling move creates a plain road map for persistent and deliberate evasion by the executive branch of the Senate's constitutionally mandated advice and consent. Indeed, this appointment appears planned to accomplish that goal." Justice pushes back The Justice Department, for the second time in recent days, defended Whitaker's appointment as legal. "There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position," a Justice Department spokeswoman said. "To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent." In an interview with Fox News that aired Sunday, Trump said he was unaware of Whitaker's CNN commentary opposing the Mueller investigation before naming him to head the Justice Department, bypassing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, whom Sessions had delegated to oversee the Mueller investigation. Trump dismissed concerns about how Whitaker will deal with the Mueller investigation, but said that he, as president, would not intervene. "It's going to be up to him," Trump said. "I think he's very well aware politically. I think he's astute politically. He's a very smart person. A very respected person. He's going to do what's right. I really believe he's going to do what's right." Asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace whether he would overrule Whitaker if he decides to curtail the Mueller investigation, Trump replied, "I would not get involved." Trump has answered written questions from Mueller about his campaign's connections with Russia during the run-up to the November 2016 voting, but told Wallace he "probably" won't sit for an in-person interview with Mueller's investigators. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks with the Iranian government on issues including the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, his office said in a statement. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic president Barack Obama's administration, and earlier this month the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors. Hunt's office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and would stress that the UK is committed to the nuclear deal as long as Iran sticks to its terms. He will also discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearized Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. "We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilizing activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt will also discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, his office said, and press Iran on its human rights record, calling for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the countrys leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," he said. The U.S. and Western powers on Monday clashed with Russia and others over whether the global chemical weapons watchdog could start apportioning blame for poison gas and nerve agent attacks. At a heated session of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' annual conference, both sides bitterly fought over a June decision for the group to set up a new investigative team which could name the perpetrators of chemical attacks a major change in the group's rules. Russia and China said the widely-backed June decision to allow the organization to identify those responsible should be reviewed to ensure it didn't go beyond the OPCW mandate. The U.S. ambassador to the watchdog, Kenneth Ward, complained that "a tsunami of chemical weapons" had been used this year, especially in Syria, an ally of Russia, and called Moscow's attempts to undo the decision "pungent hypocrisy." Britain and its allies also have accused Moscow of using a Soviet-era nerve agent in an attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury earlier this year. Russia denies the allegation. Britain's ambassador, Peter Wilson, said a Russia-Chinese proposal to review the decision "is clearly designed to obstruct and delay implementation" of the decision. Russian envoy Alexander Shulgin said the new team would wield unlawful powers within the OPCW and on Monday called for an expert group to assess the viability of the decision, something the U.S. insisted would hamstring the development of the team. Wilson said that the Russian move would "undermine" plans to set up the team. Last June, an 82-24 vote among OPCW members provided more than the necessary two-thirds majority to give the group the mandate to name the parties it found responsible for chemical attacks. With Russia's opposition on Monday, Ward said Russia and China made "an attempt to re-litigate what happened in June." He said that both nations "are trying to turn back the clock of history." One allegation still being investigated by weapons inspectors is the suspected chemical attack in April in the Syrian town of Douma. An interim report said that weapons inspectors found "various chlorinated organic chemicals" at the site of the alleged Douma attack. The OPCW made headlines last month when Dutch authorities revealed that they had foiled an alleged plot by Russian spies to hack into the organization's Wi-Fi network using equipment stashed in the trunk of a rental car parked at a hotel next to the OPCW headquarters. Russia denied any wrongdoing. The White House has restored press credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, warning him he could lose them again if he fails to follow press conference rules. The White House revoked Acosta's press pass after a testy exchange with President Donald Trump during a nationally televised press conference two weeks ago. CNN said the White House "backed down" and that it will drop its lawsuit against the Trump administration. "Thanks to everybody for their support," Acosta wrote on Twitter. "As I said last Friday ... let's get back to work." White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders informed Acosta in a letter Monday that he is once again welcome in the White House, but warned he and other reporters could lose their press passes if they fail to carry out what she calls "explicit rules" -- a reporter is allowed just one question; only the president or others taking questions will allow a follow-up; and "yielding the floor" means hand over the microphone to an aide. "For years, members of the White House press corps have attended countless press events with the president and other officials without engaging in the behavior Mr. Acosta displayed at the November 7 press conference," Sanders said Monday. The White House Correspondents' Association said the White House was correct to restore Acosta's pass, but expressed objection to the new rules. "For as long as there have been White House press conferences, White House reporters have asked follow-up questions. We fully expect that tradition will continue," said WHCA President Oliver Knox. "We will continue to make the case that a free and independent news media plays a vital role in the health of our republic." At the Nov. 7 news conference, Acosta questioned Trump whether he demonized a caravan of Central American migrants hoping to cross into the U.S. from Mexico as an "invasion." Trump responded that he believed it was an invasion, telling Acosta, "Honestly, I think you should let me run the country." But the exchange with Trump grew tense when Acosta tried to ask the president another question about the Russian election meddling investigation. The president said he wasn't concerned "about anything" because he considered the Mueller probe a hoax. But he then lit into Acosta, calling him a "rude, terrible person." Acosta refused to surrender the microphone as he tried to ask Trump a follow-up question. Sanders accused Acosta of physically pushing away the hand of an intern who tried to take the microphone -- an allegation Acosta denied. The White House revoked Acosta's press credentials. But a federal judge last Friday ordered the White House to reinstate them, saying the ban may have violated Acosta's constitutional right of freedom of the press. When the White House threatened to block Acosta again at the end of the month, CNN asked the judge for another emergency hearing, accusing the White House of not responding to its offer to reach a settlement. Sanders called Trump the "most accessible president in modern history" and said the White House wished it could continue to host press conferences with a "set of understood professional norms." Trump told Fox News Sunday, "Nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do and if I think somebody's acting out of sorts I will leave. I will say, Thank you very much everybody, thank you very much for coming' and I will leave. And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is that's acting up." Efforts to fight a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's restive eastern Beni region have resumed after a brief suspension following clashes, the World Health Organization said Sunday. "On Sunday, all activities have re-launched, including vaccination," the U.N. health agency said in a statement. Congo's health ministry had announced a suspension of operations in Beni after deadly clashes erupted Friday just a "few meters" from a local emergency center and the hotels of several response teams. UN peacekeepers from the MONUSCO mission had repelled an offensive by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia in Beni city's northern Boikene neighborhood, a ministry statement said. The ADF, a shadowy armed group that has killed hundreds of people since 2014 and at least seven peacekeepers in clashes just last week, wanted to "attack one of MONUSCO's bases", the statement added. WHO said that all the health workers involved in the Ebola response were safe, but said 16 of its staff in Beni had been temporarily evacuated to Goma for psychological care after the building they were staying in was hit by a shell that did not explode. Michel Yao, WHO's coordinator for Ebola response operations in Beni, told AFP Saturday that no one was injured, and said it remained unclear whether the shell had come from the ADF or MONUSCO forces. Since August 1, the Ebola outbreak in Beni, home to up to 300,000 people, has killed 213 people. A total of 30 health workers have been infected in the outbreak to date, including three deaths, according to the WHO. The UN has said unrest is hampering efforts to contain the disease in a region that has been troubled for decades by inter-ethnic bloodshed and militia violence. "WHO will continue to work side-by-side with the ministry and our partners to bring this Ebola outbreak to an end," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Sunday's statement. "We honor the memory of those who have died battling this outbreak, and deplore the continuing threats on the security of those still working to end it," he added. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Nelson Chamisa says Zimbabwe is facing a leadership crisis, lack of a vision and rampant corruption resulting in serious socio-economic and political problems. Addressing thousands of people Sunday in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, Chamisa said the southern African nations problem wont end as long as Zanu PF is in power. He said, amid audience applause, The crisis in the country is a crisis of governance, the crisis in the country is a crisis of leadership, the crisis in the country is a crisis of lack of a vision. Former American president (Bill) Clinton was once asked about problems in America and his response was that its the economy stupid. In Zimbabwe if someone asks me about what is happening I will tell the person that it is governance stupid, it is leadership stupid, it is corruption stupid, it is unity stupid, it is lack of a vision stupid. Chamisa further told the crowd that there wont be any economic transformation unless the President Emmerson Mnangagwa admitted that his party stole the peoples vote in July this year. He said he was prepared to lead the MDC until we remove Zanu PF from power. Responding to Chamisas remarks, Zanu PFs Central Committee member, Believe Gaule, said Chamisa should grow up and understand that Mnangagwa is the legitimately-elected president of Zimbabwe. Gaule said, These MDC people are not serious about problems facing our nation. They dont want to discuss this matter with government as they are focusing on useless public protests which will not revive our economy. Chamisa and Mnangagwa have ruled out forming a government of national unity even if the Zimbabwean president has suggested that the MDC leader can be accommodated in his government through creating a position of the leader of the opposition in parliament. Chamisa says he will never recognize Mnangagwas leadership as his party stole the July 30 elections. The Constitutional Court ruled in favour of Mnangagwa after Chamisa challenged his election in court. Tom Everett Scott and Andrea Savage. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for New York Magazi At this years Vulture Festival Los Angeles, Andrea Savage, creator of the TruTV comedy Im Sorry, took the stage with co-star Tom Everett Scott and producer Joey Slamon to screen and talk about the shows second season premiere. The show about a comedy writer (Savage) living in Los Angeles and the misadventures she has while parenting, maintaining a marriage, and doing every little thing is largely drawn from the real life experiences of Savage and members of its five-person writers room. So if youve ever watched and wondered how true to life some of Savages fictional relationships are, Everett, Slamon, and Scott herself each confirmed the answer is very, especially as it relates to her mother. My favorite this is when Andreas mom, Sharon real Sharon comes to set, and its like this weird time vortex where youre not sure which one is which, Slamon said. When real Sharon is around, she frequently ruins takes by laughing off camera, and renders the writers speechless with how similar she is to her fictionalized counterpart, played by Kathy Baker. When my mom came to the writers room and I had been doing her all season, mimicking her and writing lines, she came in and just spewed out everything I had basically been saying, said Savage. And all the writers were just like [slack-jawed staring face]. She did not disappoint! But what does real Sharon think of fake Sharon? She did say to me the other day, Oh, I hope people dont think this is who I really am! Savage added. And I said, But it is! And she goes, I know! But I just dont want them to know it! We see you, Sharon, and thanks for the laughs. This is not Benedict Cumberbatch. This is Alan Ball. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for New York Magazi On the tenth anniversary of True Bloods debut, the shows creator, Alan Ball, came to Vulture Festival Los Angeles to watch the pilot episode with fans and share some memories about the making of the breakout HBO hit. Jaws dropped when Ball talked about how difficult it was to find the right actor to play smolderingly attractive vampire Bill Compton, and described how the search took him to London, where one of the actors he met with was none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. Lets think about that for a minute: The man weve come to know and love as Sherlock and Dr. Strange almost played one of TVs sexiest vampires. (Sadly, Ball didnt reveal why Cumberbatch didnt land the part.) More fun facts we learned: Anna Paquin read for the role of Sookie Stackhouse five times before the producers were convinced she could play Southern enough. Ball casually mentioned that Jessica Chastain also auditioned for the role of Sookie, while an underage Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for a were-panther girl in season three. Talking about the Sookie/Bill chemistry that evolved into the real life relationship and marriage between Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, Ball said he told Paquin that when Bill stares at Sookie in the scene at Merlottes near the end of the first episode, she has to feel it in her vagina. And apparently, she did! Watching the late Nelsan Elliss first scene as Merlottes chef Lafayette in the pilot episode, Ball reacted, Oh, Nelsan. It breaks my heart. Im usually not a fan of actors ad-libbing but he ad-libbed this entire scene and I stood back and went, okay. The pilot episode was shot entirely in Los Angeles at the Warner Brothers backlot, Malibu Canyon, and the Disney ranch. Production hung lots of Spanish moss to make it look more like Louisiana. Ball revealed that after the pilot was shot, HBO spent six months deliberating if they were going to put it on the air. Apparently, it didnt feel like an HBO show it was too pulpy, too genre, Ball said. That, of course, didnt turn out to be the case, as True Blood wound up changing the definition of what it meant to be an HBO show. Noting that the channels two biggest hits are now Game of Thrones and Westworld, Ball summed it up, HBO owes me a lot. Mike Schur (right). Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazi Move over, Doctor Who and your timey-wimey bullshit. The reign of Jeremy Bearimy has begun! On a recent episode of The Good Place, philosophers collective minds broke when the sitcom introduced a new way to discuss the concept of time and space: the silly words Jeremy Bearimy. In short, while time on Earth continues to be its plain-ol linear self, things in the afterlife dont happen while things are happening here or rather, afterlife time doubles back and loops around and ends up looking something like the name Jeremy Bearimy in cursive English. It makes total sense! Our brains are not exploding! Any questions? The scene quickly became one of the highlights of The Good Places third season, and as revealed during this years Vulture Festival in Los Angeles, the jokes set-up came surprisingly easy for the shows writers. It all began when Rae Sanni, the newest writer to join the staff, became impatient with showrunner Mike Schurs musings about philosophy. The Jeremy Bearimy happened, in part, because Im a lot less smart than these people, Sanni said with a laugh. Mike was trying to explain the concept of time, and I couldnt get it for a full afternoon. Im new on the staff, Im the least experienced, and Im boldly interrupting their conversations because I just wasnt following. I dont know how time works! Help me! So Josh [Siegal, co-executive producer] was literally just like, What about Jeremy Bearimy? Shes being modest, Schur interjected. She was like, How can can time events be happening in the Good Place if theyre not happening on Earth? We were like, Well, were trying to say it like this, and she was like, This doesnt make any sense, and she was totally right. Schur and the writers soon realized they were searching for answers that were too long-winded and convoluted, when all they really needed was lean into the silliness of it all. And viola, the name Jeremy Jeremy was pitched, with Bearimy later being swapped in as the surname to ensure the i with the dot was included. (That i denotes Tuesdays and July, after all. Dont let it break you like it did with Chidi!) It was another one of those things where we couldve been writing and pitching for two weeks about solutions to explain this. This saved us so much time, Schur concluded. Its a bit of a middle finger. You have a problem with the way time works? Too bad! Jim Carrey. Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for New York Magazine If youve taken a gander at Jim Carreys Twitter account over the past year, then you know it includes just about everyone in the Trump administration being brutally mocked via Carreys drawings. (The newest addition, which he posted during his panel at Vulture Festival? An unflattering depiction of Mitch McConnell on a turtles body.) Aside from skewering politicians on canvas, Carrey also just debuted his first solo show at the esteemed Maccarone Gallery in Los Angeles. However, as Carrey noted at Vulture Festival on Sunday, his management was initially skeptical that making his drawings public would be a good idea for his career advice Carrey immediately scoffed at. Well, it was interesting, because when I first started playing on Twitter, like everybody else I just got myself in trouble all the time because I was honest, which is a terrible thing to be on Twitter, he told moderator Jerry Saltz. It was a little scary and I became kind of an activist when it comes to a lot of things that I was seeing, and there was a lot of pressure on me from my management and people in charge. Dont mess this up. You have good will in the world, people love you. If you start talking about politics or whatever issues youre going to lose half your audience. And I say, lose them! Carrey did add, though, that he gives himself a layer of protection against the temptation of impulse-tweeting: The first thing I did, which I think was really smart, is I gave my Twitter to one of my assistants so that I wouldnt make that rash choice in the middle of the night, like our president. Carrey has zero intention of deviating from political art, mostly because its given him a new outlet for creative and professional fulfillment. In fact, we should probably be prepared for him to increase his output the 2020 elections will be here soon, after all. It has turned into an incredibly beautiful thing, he concluded, and I just feel so gratified. This post has been updated to reflect Carreys comments more accurately. Photo: Merrick Morton/Twentieth Century Fox While Steve McQueens Widows, co-written with Gillian Flynn, is certainly a heist movie, it has a complicated relationship to its genre. This probably shouldnt be a surprise, considering the past work of its director Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years a Slave have about as much in common with Oceans 11 as they do Looney Tunes but by the time all the robbing is done, it does leave an odd impression, one surprisingly similar to that of his earlier films despite the choice of genre. Rather than indulge in the traditional tropes and set pieces offered by the heist narrative, McQueen chooses to downplay these elements, if not avoid them altogether. The squads recruitment happens in an instant; its training is nonexistent, its chemistry fraught; their preparation mostly involves Michelle Rodriguez running back and forth from a van with a bag of dirt on her back; and the heist itself is almost defiantly anti-climactic, a short in-and-out of a residential home that involves little more than a code being punched into a keypad and an abbreviated, accidental shootout. Whatever McQueens reasons for choosing this approach heightening the realism, keeping the focus on the characters, thumbing his nose at expectations it creates a stranger dynamic than what were typically left with at the end of this kind of movie. Picture the recent Oceans 8, in which the cast lounges around the safe house, chatting and hamming it up as they savor a successful job; then compare that to a parallel scene in Widows, in which Veronica (Viola Davis) returns to their HQ post-job only to find her supposed-to-be-dead husband, Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), waiting there to steal her loot and shoot her in the head. Its a nasty moment, played with fury by both actors, and it consummates the thematic arc of the film to that point: tragedy can bring people together, but it can also tear them apart. But even that encounter, thrilling as it should be, is sapped of its suspense by McQueen, who has telegraphed the continuing earthly existence of Harry so clearly that you spend the last act of the film waiting for him to show up in the same way that youd wait for a bus. It seems likely that McQueen isnt interested in suspense so much as he is the burdens carried by Veronica: first, that of having to clean up after her husbands mistakes; and then second, having to live with the knowledge that he betrayed her, knowing full well that she would be stuck with the bill he ran up in the process of robbing the Mannings. Money is heavy, as Michelle Rodriguez discovers when she puts on that bag of dirt, and its only in the context of this dead weight that we see the full extent of Veronicas strength. These questions are resolved with a bullet, and leaving Widows, the story appears to have come to a tidy ending. Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) has triumphed in the aldermans election, ironically thanks, in part, to the widows murder of his dad, which brought out a sympathy vote that pushed him past Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry). Jamals enforcer (and brother) Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) is dead; Harry is dead, for real this time, having been punished for the greed of wanting Jack Mulligans money when he couldve just run off with Amanda (Carrie Coon) and his new baby with what he earned from robbing the Mannings. Meanwhile, each of the main female protagonists is given a triumphant conclusion: Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) gets her store back, Belle (Cynthia Erivo) helps her boss buy out her hair salon, Veronica donates to a school library in her deceased sons name, and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) has a nice coat. The few questions that remain chief among them: doesnt Jamal Manning still want his money, and probably revenge for his brother? dont seem to be troubling anyone. But the cumulative effect of McQueens toying with genre comes in retrospect. The film is called Widows, and for much of it, it plays along with the conceit suggested by that name: a bunch of widows are going to pull off the heist that their husbands died before doing. Its a simple, concise, and emotionally straightforward idea, a metaphorical means of overcoming their grief that still sounds like a studio movie tailor-made for the zeitgeist. However, its in that name, and that concept of the widow, where we might find McQueens true intentions. Generally, the notion of the widow is used to suggest a grieving, bereft woman mourning her lost husband, a woman left behind and mired in sadness. While that is true of these characters, theres another side to each when viewed from the vantage point of the ending: Alices husband beat her; Lindas husband gambled away her store; Veronicas husband was having an affair behind her back; and Amanda was cheating on her husband with Harry, who set him up to die. Technically, these women are grieving widows, but at the same time, they represent the many ways in which men and male society can victimize and exploit women and, in one case, the way women can hurt men. Meanwhile, we realize, walking out of the theater, another factor in this dynamic: Veronica wasnt even a widow. Her widowhood was a guise, an escape route for her husband: it was a burden thrust upon her falsely, trapping her beneath the obligation of paying back the Mannings. When Veronica does become a widow, she makes herself one, and the word takes on wildly different implications within the context of McQueens film: now, her widowhood is real; she came into it through her own actions, rather than those of a man; and instead of being a cage, it represents liberation and empowerment, albeit at a cost. From this perspective, Widows doesnt look like a heist film: it seems like more of a prison break, the story of four women escaping the shackles put upon them by their husbands. In that sense, it does end up having something in common with McQueens previous films, despite early appearances to the contrary: his protagonists may face different circumstances from a British jail to sex addiction to slavery but they all just want to be free. My Brilliant Friend Le Bambole (The Dolls) Season 1 Episode 1 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * * Previous Next Photo: HBO As a young girl in the 1950s, my mother was convinced that her maternal grandparents hated one another. Immigrants from a small town in Calabria, Italy the toe of the boot, just across the sea from Sicily they learned only a smattering of English words after they landed in upstate Pennsylvania, and their discussions, in a rapid southern Italian dialect, always sounded ferocious and antagonistic. When she was older, she was startled to learn that they, in fact, didnt have a particularly contentious relationship. This was just, she was told by her own mother, the way Italian people spoke to one another. Loudly, and vigorously, and without any soft edges. Its a stereotype, she shrugged, for a reason. The world of Elena Ferrantes My Brilliant Friend set in Naples, but in the HBO version appearing more like a small, dryly crusted town strung out away from the city like a distant satellite clamors and echoes with shrieks, bellows, and the sounds of violence. In the first episode alone, a man is beaten bloody in the street, a woman is thrown down a flight of stairs, and the same child is hit in the head with a rock and repeatedly smacked in the face. Family members shout to be heard; pots, pans and, rather dangerously, an iron are tossed from an open window; vendors yodel out their wares; children smack and jostle one another in tight school hallways. Elena Greco and Lila Cerullos loud, crowded lives are small and insulated, and theyre always seconds away from a tragedy around which the entire town will gather to gawp. All these people are fantastically enmeshed, Joan Acocella explained in her New Yorker review of the first novel in Ferrantes series, They practically cant walk to the corner without running into someone theyve slept with or beaten up. Life in Ferrantes struggling post-war 1950s Italy is a struggle for dominance over domestic affairs and the whole town is essentially one squabbling family. Of course, Elena and Lilas story has now been bent and revived by three sets of hands. Director Saverio Costanzo is adapting Elena Ferrantes novel, inside of which a contemporary, older version of Elena Greco recounts the story (perhaps embellished or biased, we dont know) of her and Lilas childhoods. Its an act of aggression. Lila has run away, literally cut herself out of her familys photographs she wants to disappear, although we arent sure why. Elena, a writer, whom we already know makes it out of their riotous neighborhood by the capacious, vaulted apartment she roams through, is determined to drag Lilas story back into the light, to metaphorically paste her back into the family photos. You wanted to cancel out the life you left behind, she says in voice-over as she taps away at her keyboard, writing down every last memory she can muster. Adapting My Brilliant Friend to the screen may be an exercise more foolish in intent than most page-to-TV leaps. The novels beauty is in their constrained expansiveness like a brilliant sonnet, their scale is limited, but they cram in all the richness of a lifes worth of memories. And in this debut the shows director already seems to have some trouble enlivening Ferrantes tightly packed universe. (Lila and Elenas fierce stares seem to take up at least 50 percent of the episode, although theyre only effective about a quarter of the time). This first episode establishes itself more like a play, with a cast of characters, each of whom is provided with a brief description, and a chorus in this case, the gossiping, sometimes vindictive women leaning on their balcony railings into a shared courtyard, taking their small bits of pleasure where they can. There are Lila and Elena and their families (in the novel, Elenas father is a porter at the city hall and Lilas is a cobbler). Theres Maestra Oliviero, the girls teacher, who has a contained feminist streak (if we dont start showing the boys now that youre like them, better actually, theyll crush you) and true dedication to her students the bright ones at least. Theres Don Achille, the loan shark whose shadow lurks over the whole first episode, and whose face we expect might come looming out of the doorway at the beginning of the second. He essentially runs the neighborhood and his brutish older son makes sure even the little girls fall in line. The Solara family are Achilles rivals; owners of the only bar in town a relatively prosperous line of work they can be seen observing him, and perhaps plotting to take him down. Inside the girls apartment buildings, which are dark, dank places, live the Cappucios, including Melina, the love-starved widow who may or may not be having an affair with Donato Sarratore upstairs. The neighborhood politics Melinas screaming fit when the Sarratores move, the catfight (theres no other word for it) in the stairwell, Carmelas fathers losing battle with Don Achille arent softened because we see them through childrens eyes. In fact, theyre almost augmented. When Don Achille plucks Carmelas father from the back of church (during a funeral, no less) and beats him bloody outside, he picks him up and hurls him against a wall: the toss is so hard and so high that its more fitting of an ogre of fairy-tales than a mere man. Its a rough world, and the parents of Ferrantes invention (and perhaps her own childhood) see no reason to coddle. The children, especially Lila, are frequently dirty and left to their own devices there simply isnt the time or inclination to fret over them when it takes so much work to bring is such little money. The boundaries that separate childhood and adulthood are fluid: children are sent to school only to master the basics of literacy and mathematics so that they might be of help to their parents. Even a classroom competition between the boys and girls is political Lila and Elena understand that theyre not to beat Don Achilles son, but cannot resist living up to Maestra Olivieros mandate to show up the boys. Lila and Elenas intellects mark them as distinct from their peers, and as competitors for each other. As Elena so clearly points out in her voice-overs (which are an odd choice for such a playful narrative), its Lilas brilliance (ahem) that draws her in. And its Lilas no-bullshit attitude written beautifully across the face of the perfectly cast Ludovica Nasti that cements their friendship. Elena encourages softness and reason in Lila, and Lila propels Elena into demanding more from life. The two young actresses both entirely inexperienced must carry this episode on their own, and at times, like the scene in which they face off against the jealous rock-throwing boys, their steel backbones prop them up as deliciously fierce. But director Saverio Costanzos mandate that Elena remain out of focus at times throws the balance so wildly in Lilas favor that the essence of the story the girls deep abiding friendship that we know has gone off the rails in late adulthood is lost. Where Costanzos direction shines is in the complicated gender dynamics that color Lila and Elenas perceptions of themselves as girls who will necessarily become women in a mans world. Leaving school, the girls primly line up and quietly glide down the halls as if theyve been instructed in female propriety. The boys, on the other hand, curse and push, undisputed owners of the schoolyard. When Don Achilles son beats Lila about the face for allegedly showing up his brother in the school competition, theyre playing out a far more complex scenario than they know. Lila is marking herself as a troublesome woman, and Achilles son smacks and degrades a tiny young girl without a lick of shame or doubt. And in the episodes most telling scene, the girls stand in their shared courtyard watching Melina lean out the window and bat at Signora Cappucios fresh white laundry with a greased broom handle. At first its comical, two women shouting and cursing one another over childish pranks and the chorus of other neighborhood women leaning out their windows only adds to the hijinks. But the girls faces grow dimmer and more alarmed as the fighting escalates, and Elena eventually faints after she sees Melina tumble down the stairs at Signora Capuccios hands. Lila and Elena are, essentially, being inducted into the community of women and there is no safety there from the violence and competition for survival that lurks in the church, and the schoolyard, and their friendship. Dog groomer Kenichi and Tinkerbell. Photo: Netflix Lets be clear: Every dog in the Netflix series Dogs is a special blend of hungry eyes, wagging tails, and flapping tongues. But some of the dogs in this six-part documentary series stand out above the others. So I decided to make like a Westminster Kennel Club judge and rank the shows top 18 dogs. This is, obviously, a subjective process. The following bundles of slobbering joy are the ones I deemed the best boys and girls, in order, as of this writing. Tomorrow, I could conceivably change my mind about who belongs in first place because, aww, all these pups are the best. 18. Santa (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix The Scissors Down and Second Chances episodes of Dogs are the major ensemble pieces of the docuseries, i.e. the ones that introduce us to the most furballs by name. (The fifth episode, Territorio del Zaguates, contains the most dogs numbers-wise, but theres really only one, Max, that we get to know well.) Hence, the dogs from those two episodes dominate this list, starting with Santa, the pet owned by master groomer Kenichi of Scissors Down. We dont spend a ton of time with Santa, but the fact that he has essentially the same hairstyle as Elaine Benes from early-90s Seinfeld is reason enough to love him. 17. Tinkerbell (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix Tinkerbell is one of Kenichis clients, and shes an adorable lap dog. But shes also spoiled rotten. Her clothes are nicer than mine. Her bed is probably comfier than mine. (Its so posh!) She even has a larger stash of Champagne than I could ever afford. And you can tell she knows it, too. If she were a human, shed be maddening, but to be that entitled as a dog? Thats a level of confidence thats kind of amazing, and also worthy of one of those dumb talking-dog movies that you can easily find on Netflix. 16. Herman (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix Heres what I like about Herman, the canine cotton ball that Kenichi snips into shape in that Groom Expo West contest: Hes super-chill even though you can tell that hes already had it with the American judge who cant understand the way Kenichi pronounces Herman. Watch him during that fun little misunderstanding he wont even give that woman a glance. 15. Zeke (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix This is the dog that spoiler alert ultimately wins the freestyle grooming competition, and I understand why. If its possible for a dogs fur to look like its having a bad, high-humidity hair day, thats what Zeke looked like when his groomer, Cat Dotson, got started. But she turned him into a whole new dog, texturing his fur so that his two-toned coloring is runway-ready. Hes basically the Eliza Doolittle of Dogs. 14. Princess (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix This is the dog that Kenichi does a grooming demonstration with before he competes at Expo West. Its a shame he didnt compete with Princess instead: His artistry transforms her ears and head into a continuous fro of awesomeness that moves as one unit when her mom calls her name. If you saw that ear trick and didnt say, Awww, either out loud or in your own head, you are the Ebenezer Scrooge of Dogs viewers. 13. Eva (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix Eva was robbed and so was her groomer, Miki, who came all the way from freakin Japan to compete in Groom Expo West. Look at that beautifully sculpted, absolutely darling face. How could she not place? The main judge notes how cute she is and seems like shes leaning toward giving her a prize, but then another judge talks her out of rewarding Eva because, and I quote, she doesnt like her rear. This isnt an ass-judging competition, lady. Its a grooming contest and a cute-off and Eva is a winner, dammit! 12. Penny Lane and her puppies (Second Chances) Photo: Netflix When Anna from Hearts & Bones and her Texas rescue partner Whitney came across Penny Lane and her itty-bitty babies who are wiggling all over each other like one big mound of puppy I wanted to reach into the television and adopt them all myself. 11. Ichi (Second Chances) Photo: Netflix People say New York is an unfriendly place just because its overwhelming and every once in a while, someone might yell a curse word in your face. And by someone, I mean a friend or co-worker. But New York really can be friendly, especially to dogs and dog owners. Ichi, the little head-turner owned by Hearts & Bones dog fosterer Kyla, is a classic New York dog, the kind who helps her owner make 20 new friends every time she takes her for a walk. Also, take note of her ears: They are absolutely perfect little triangles! 10. Every dog at Bistro Loves Dogs (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix I love every dog at this dog birthday party and every owner who believes that it makes complete sense to dress her dog in a denim skirt that matches her own. Every single animal in this restaurant has a look on his or her face that says, Good lord, what are we doing here? Oh, theres food? All right, fine. Ill keep wearing these dumb outfits. 9. Rider (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix Consider what this obviously anxious dog has to deal with: a groomer who thinks hes a freak, and a demanding mother who at one point says, Youre a Standard Poodle, for Gods sake. Youll be all right. Riders only crime is that he just wants to get the hell out of this grooming expo and go home with his mom. Hes basically a walking episode of Toddlers & Tiaras. Plus, the fact that hes been dubbed kind of a weirdo immediately puts him in the top ten. 8. Jimmy Buffett (Second Chances) Photo: Netflix This Australian shepherd was depressed and hypothermic when he was rescued in Texas. By the time he makes it to New York, where hes adopted by Neal, Emily, and their very happy daughter, Julia, hes a whole new dog. I love that Jimmy overcame a tragic past, was temporarily named after an artist whose music is associated with drunken revelry, and ultimately became part of a stable home. Thats a quality story arc right there. 7. D.J. (Scissors Down) Photo: Netflix Why did you waste all that time reading What Color Is My Parachute? when all you needed to determine your career path was a dog? As Miki the groomer explains in this episode, thats all it took for her: She spontaneously bought her pup D.J. and their relationship immediately convinced her to become a groomer. I love that D.J. is so inspiring. I also love that his own personal life goals are as follows: 1. Snuggle on Mikis lap. 2. Continue snuggling on Mikis lap until death. 3. Go to Doggy Heaven, which will consist of nothing but an afterlife version of Mikis lap. 6. Stax (The Kid With the Dog) Photo: Netflix Stax, the goldendoodle whos been trained to act as a service animal, was already adorable enough. But pair him with his new best friend a sweet little girl named Meghan with a condition called VACTERL, which makes it difficult for her to maintain balance and he grows at least six times cuter that day. With a harness that comes with a handle for Meghan to hold on to, Stax not only keeps her steady, but its obvious right away that he makes her very happy. I mean, look at them. They are so precious I cant even deal. 5. Max (Territorio de Zaguates) Photo: Netflix Max is, like most of the dogs in the Territorio de Zaguates episode, is a stray now living on a Costa Rica animal sanctuary. Hes also a stray with such a fierce loyalty streak that he turns Jonny, the head farmhand at Territorio de Zaguates, from dog ambivalent into dog lover. Max is such a solid exemplar of the canine species that he even attacks a tapir to protect his fellow dogs. Know what I would do if I saw a tapir in person? First, Id Google it because Id have no idea what it was note: its this and I have no interest in ever meeting one and then Id run like the heels of my shoes were on fire. Not Max. Because Max is a hero. 4. Justin Timberlake (Second Chances) Photo: Netflix This is Justin Timberlake. Hes four months old. He was picked up for rescue after a car hit him, breaking his leg and fracturing his pelvis. And every time he looks into the camera, I can swear I hear In the Arms of the Angel by Sarah McLachlan. May you find some comfort, sweet, sweet JT. 3. Zeus (Bravo, Zeus) Photo: Netflix Zeus is a stunning Siberian husky, which makes the fact that hes stuck in war-torn Syria all the more tragic. As you watch the episode focused on him, you get the sense that hes like the dog version of The Matrixs Neo: Hes a Chosen One. He was put on Earth to play with Syrian children; sing for his owner, Ayham, over Skype; and eventually escape to become Ayhams companion once again. Bravo indeed. 2. Rory (The Kid With the Dog) Photo: Netflix I like cats. I swear that I do. But can you imagine such a thing as a medical service cat? As soon as you had a heart attack, the cat would be like, Ugh, do you have to do this right now? Im really busy licking my right paw. Dogs, though, are remarkable service animals. That includes Rory, who becomes the new BFF of Corinne, a sixth-grader with epilepsy. Its amazing to see how quickly Rory goes into savior mode and barks when Corinne merely pretends to have a seizure. But what makes Rory even more special is that shes also an instant comfort, quiet literally providing Corinne with a furry shoulder (or head, or belly) to lean on when shes had a rough day. 1. Ice (Ice on the Water) Photo: Netflix As I said earlier, this is a subjective list. But subjectively, Ice is the best dog in Dogs because he typifies the quality most valued in a dog: He is loyal. Every morning, he gets up to go fishing with his owner, Alessandro. He pays regular visits to his neighbors in his Italian village. He has resting steadfast face, so theres never a moment in this episode when he doesnt look noble, like a dog who is taking his dog responsibilities very seriously. I mean, look at him in the above photo: He sits at the kitchen table with his family like he owns the place, just paid the mortgage bill, and has some thoughts about how to redesign the living room to achieve more of a feng shui vibe. Photo: Netflix Ice isnt just a dog. As Alessandro says, hes the heartbeat of the family. Hes also Alessandros rock, and he carries that title with so much dignity that you want to hug him, bow down to him, and salute him all at the same time. Outlander The False Bride Season 4 Episode 3 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Aimee Spinks/Starz Entertainment, LLC After the emotional intensity of Do No Harm, it was only fair that Outlander give us an episode chock-full of Jamie and Claire and romance. The False Bride mostly does that! Sure, theres no sex in the woods, even though there was ample time to get the job done, but Jamie says some very swoony things to Claire and there is a lot of butterfly-inducing forehead touching. The plot might not advance much and we might have to put up with Brianna and Roger, but at least we get forehead touching. For now, thats enough. Its a forgone conclusion that after all the horribleness that went down, Jamie and Claire are leaving River Run. Auntie Jocasta can try all the guilt-trip manipulations she wants she is wistful around Jamie, having hoped he would come to love River Run, and she plainly tells Claire that shes holding back her husband from becoming the man he could and truly wants to be but Jamie and Claire are still getting the hell out of there. At least Jamie and Jocasta part on good terms: She gives him candlestick holders that belonged to Jamies mother and they cry over their grief together. Will I ever be able to look at candlestick holders without getting misty-eyed now? HAS THIS SHOW RUINED CANDLESTICK HOLDERS FOR ME? As tough as Claire is, Jocastas words about doing Jamie a disservice sting. Once the Frasers allow Young Ian who is his own man and will NOT go back to Scotland, thank you very much to go off on a trading expedition with burly backcountry heartthrob John Quincy Myers, Jamie wonders if maybe they should think about settling in Boston, somewhere familiar to Claire. She, of course, would prefer something new and fresh with her husband and do they really want to live with Franks ghost hanging around? We might be relishing the forehead touching this conversation brings about, but the offer makes Claire wonder if there was some truth to Jocastas admonishment about Claire letting Jamie give up everything for her. And so, the next day, as Mr. and Mrs. Fraser are riding through the forest worrying if Brianna will get her life together, because parents are parents even when theyre living 200 years apart from their children, Claire tells Jamie how shes feeling. He shouldnt be making decisions solely based on what he thinks Claire wants. I mean, could he really be happy being a printer for the rest of his life? He admits that being a printer isnt, like #CareerGoals or anything, but it did keep both his mind and his body in shape. Claire doesnt say, Uh, yeah it did, which feels like a missed opportunity. Regardless, Jamie tells his wife that sure, he was doing more exciting things before but now hes thinking about her and Ian and Fergus and Marsali. He has people to take care of, and he likes that. This isnt a sacrifice for him. I would lay the world at your feet, Claire, but I have nothing to give you, he tells her as I wonder why I dont have a fainting couch for moments just like these. Jamie and Claire are more in love than ever and standing so close to each other and maybe forest sex will happen again but no, a big thunderstorm has different ideas. Why do you hate love, thunderstorm? You should talk to your therapist about that. The storm spooks Jamie and Claires mule, which is carrying all of their supplies, and Claire goes after it because Claire has no time to wait around for a man to do things for her. Unfortunately, Claires horse doesnt care about ladies doing it for themselves because that horse also gets spooked, bucks Claire off, and leaves our heroine unconscious on the wet forest floor as the storm really starts rolling in. Jamies out in the dark woods calling out for his lass, but the storm makes it impossible. Theyll have to spend the night separated. Fuck this storm, guys. Claire comes to and finds some questionable shelter under a large tree branch and proceeds to take off her boots to let them dry? To become a plot contrivance? No one knows. Your girl also finds a skull with a very traumatic-looking head wound under that tree, and instead of kicking it away and screaming ew like a normal person, she inspects it, finds a pretty gemstone next to it, and starts talking to it. Never change, Claire Fraser. Then things get really weird! Claire hallucinates a Native American walking toward her in the dark. He has the same head wound as the skull and is wearing the gemstone. When Claire wakes up the next morning, post-storm, her boots are missing but she finds tracks in the mud. She follows those tracks all the way to a stream where her boots are sitting nicely next to Jamie! Jamie also followed tracks to this location, assuming Claire would come back here for her boots. But Claires never been there! What kind of New World Forest Magic is this? The whole creepy incident is punctuated by Claire showing her husband the cool new skull she found in the woods, only to discover that there are silver fillings in the teeth. A thing that wont be invented for another 100 years! This skull belonged to a fellow traveler! No but seriously, what kind of New World Forest Magic is this? Forget all the strangeness for a moment, because now that the storm has passed, we get to watch Jamie and Claire make their way through some glorious nature, almost as beautiful as the two of them. Almost! When they come upon some unreal views and some wild strawberries, the emblem of the Fraser clan, Jamie takes it as a sign: Hell made a deal with Governor Tryon and this land shall be their land. Welcome to Frasers Ridge, everybody. Not to rain on the gloriousness that is Jamie and Claires holding each other and looking at nature, but Brianna and Roger are back. Its the 1970s and they are sort of doing the long-distance thing, since you cant really break up with the only other person who knows time travel is real. Theyre reuniting for a road trip down to a Scottish festival down in, ahem, North Carolina. Roger is some sort of secret highlander-John Mayer type, so hell be playing some music. There will also be traditional dancing, a traditional burning of the stag ceremony, and traditional caricature drawing. As the highlanders would want it. As fun as hanging out in a remote North Carolina location doing Scottish things sounds, it all gets ruined when Roger reveals himself to be the biggest douchebag in the history of douchebags. Brianna gets all hot and bothered after seeing Roger singing the sad, Scottish version of Your Body Is a Wonderland while wearing a kilt, so she makes some big, shirtless moves on him. Only, Roger isnt down to clown instead, he wants to propose. Like, way to be a buzzkill, dude. When Brianna tells him this is way too fast and shes nowhere near ready to talk about marriage or kids AS IS HER RIGHT he gets pissed. Hes actually disgusted that a nice, Catholic girl like Brianna would sleep with him but not marry him. Brianna calls him out on the fact that hell sleep with women, but only wants to marry a virgin. Girl, Roger is The Actual Worst and you should get the hell out of North Carolina immediately. Of course, this is Brianna were talking about, so she finds him the next day in an attempt to make amends. Its impossible. If she wont change her mind on the marriage thing, Roger isnt interested. Are you screaming at your television? Im screaming at my television. Surely, this wont be the end for these two, but for now it is almost enough to see Brianna leave Roger all alone in his kilt. Lawrenceburg Police are extraditing the man accused of raping a baby boy. Lawrenceburg officers will take Simon Dean Porter back to Tennessee to face charges of raping a 16-month-old boy. Sunday, Porter was taken to the Scottsboro jail when someone spotted him walking along Highway 79 near Skyline. He was on his way to Huntsville. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation put Porter on its 10 Most Wanted List after he left the Lawrenceburg area. Investigators say the alleged rape of the infant happened on November 10th. The baby was taken to Vanderbilts childrens hospital and they notified police. They say the baby suffered damage that will last his whole life. Porter's bond is set at $1,000,000 and a court appearance is set for him on December 6th. He is now being held at the Lawrence County Jail in Tennessee. UPDATE: The remains have been identified from dental records as James Michael Eakin. Eakin was reported missing in August. --- James Eakin; from Jackson Co. Sheriff's Office Facebook page James Eakin; from Jackson Co. Sheriff's Office Facebook page James Eakin; from Jackson Co. Sheriff's Office Facebook page James Eakin; from Jackson Co. Sheriff's Office Facebook page The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is conducting a death investigation after a body was found in Hollywood on Sunday afternoon. Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen told WAAY 31 deputies were called around 3 p.m. on Sunday when a resident found the body. Harnen said because the body is so decomposed, investigators could not determine if foul play is involved or if the body is male or female. The body will be sent off for an autopsy sometime on Monday. Prescription drug company Pfizer plans to increase prices on 41 different prescription drugs, Stocks Beat reported. The increases involve some of the most commonly prescribed drugs like Lyrica, which will see a 9% increase, and Viagra, which will increase in cost by 13%. This comes just months after President Trump openly talked about his opposition to any drug prices increases during a speech this past summer. Pfizer initially backed off plans to increase prices. The increases are expected for the advertised prices. These may vary from what insurers pay. Outgoing CEO Ian Reed released the following statement: "We believe the best means to address affordability of medicines is to reduce the growing out-of-pocket costs that consumers are facing due to high deductibles and co-insurance, and ensure that patients receive the benefit of rebates at the pharmacy counter." The price hike is expected to go into effect on January 15. On Friday night, members of the Jackson County narcotics unit, sheriff's deputies, the Scottsboro Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's drug task force had a search warrant on Lee Street in Scottsboro. During the search, they located 138 grams of meth, some of which was packed for resale, marijuana and controlled pills along with cash, drug paraphernalia and a stolen handgun. Harold Tracy Smith of Scottsboro and Wesley Phillips of Pisgah were arrested. Smith was released on a $31,600 bond, and Phillips is still in jail on a $31,600 bond. Both suspects were charged with trafficking meth, unlawful possession of controlled substances and possession of marijuana along with receiving stolen property in the 2nd degree. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Global Artifical Intelligence as a Service Market 2018 Industry Research Report provide the details about the Industry Overview and analysis about Cost Structure, Sales Revenue, Sales Volume, Gross Margin and Price Sale, Major Manufacturers, Industry Chain Structure, New Project SWOT Analysis with Development Trends and Forecasts 2025. For Sample Copy of this Report at - https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/665138 The growing demand for AI as a service in the form of the Application Programming Interface (API) and the Software Development Kit (SDK) and the growing number of innovative startups. The demand for the natural language processing technology is growing, as it helps understand customer behaviors and interpret the human languages, such as text, speech, and sentiment analysis. Hence, the use of the natural language processing technology in various AI-powered service offerings, such as chatbots is growing. The use of the natural language processing technology is expected to grow, due to the increasing need to attract new as well as old customers. Sensitivity involved in accessing data is a main challenge for the growth of the AI as a service market. Software tools market is expected to dominate the market due to increasing demand for advanced data storage and it delivery to prediction and analytics. No. of Pages: - 121 Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on Artifical Intelligence as Service Industry report https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/665138 Key players covered in the report nternational Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Google, SAP SE (Germany), Amazon Web Service, Salesforce. Target Audience: Artifical Intelligence as Service providers Traders, Importer and Exporter Raw material suppliers and distributors Research and consulting firms Government and research organizations Associations and industry bodies Key Benefits of the Report: Global, Regional, Country, End-user, and Application Market Size and Forecast from 2014-2025 Detailed market dynamics, industry outlook with market specific PESTLE, Value Chain, Supply Chain, and SWOT Analysis to better understand the market and build strategies Identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global and regional scale Expert interviews and their insights on market shift, current and future outlook and factors impacting vendors short term and long term strategies Detailed insights on emerging regions, Application & End-user, and competitive landscape with qualitative and quantitative information and facts. Order Copy of this Report @ https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/665138 Research Methodology The market is derived through the use of secondary, primary, in-house research. The secondary research forms the basis of our study where we complete data mining, referring to verified data sources such as white and government published materials, technical journals, trade magazines, and paid data sources.extensive use of secondary, primary, in-house third partyperspective like analyst report of investment banks. The secondary research forms the basis of our study where we complete data mining, referring to verified data sources such as white and government published materials, technical journals, trade magazines, and paid data sources.analystreport of investment banks. The secondary research forms the basis of our study where we complete data mining, referring to verified data sources such as white and government published materials, technical journals, trade magazines, and paid data sources. For forecasting, regional demand & supply, investment, market dynamics including technical scenario, consumer behavior, and end use industry trends and dynamics, capacity applications, spending were taken into consideration.end use industry trends and dynamics, capacity applications, spending were taken into consideration. We have assigned these parameters and quantified their market impacts using the weighted average analysis to the expected market growth rate. The market estimates and forecasts have been verified through exhaustive with the Key Industry Participants (KIPs) which typically includes: Original Equipment Manufacturer, Component Supplier, Distributors, Government Body & Associations, and Research Institute Followed by TOC TABLE OF CONTENT 1 Executive Summary 2 Methodology And Market Scope 3 Artifical Intelligence as a Service Market Industry Outlook 4 Artifical Intelligence as a Service Market Type Outlook 5 Artifical Intelligence as a Service Market Application Outlook 6 Artifical Intelligence as a Service Market Regional Outlook 7 Competitive Landscape End of the report Disclaimer End of the report Disclaimer About Us Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients with access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicated research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients. Contact Us: Ruwin Mendez Vice President - Global Sales & Partner Relations Orian Research Consultants US: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27 Email: info@orianresearch.com Website: www.orianresearch.com/ Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ Those companies can get tax credits of up to $5,000 for each employee who relocates to the area for the company and up to $7,500 for each employee who relocates to D.C. proper for the company. The law also provides wage reimbursements of up to $10,000 for each new hire or up to $30,000 for newly hired veterans, drops the corporate tax rate to zero for the first five years and exempts the sales tax on purchase of hardware and software. We knew Becoming was going to be one of the biggest books of the year, but it has now officially had the best first week of sales of any book in 2018, and is among the fastest sellers in Barnes & Noble history, said Liz Harwell, senior director of merchandising at Barnes & Noble. This is definitely the must-have book of the holiday season. Reiss was a big influence on Douglas. The Germans pastel portraits were commissioned by Locke for Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro. Among them was a double portrait of two young public school teachers that is as freshly beautiful today as it was confronting to racist mind-sets then. (At a reception for Reiss, one man declared that the two teachers would have scared him had he encountered them on the street. Galleries wouldnt show them, Anastasia Kinigopoulo writes in the catalogue, out of fear they would attract black clientele.) Despite what you were told, it might be possible to have the parts welded together, although for this process, the broken ends would need to be slightly thicker: at least three-sixteenths-inch. Welding brings metal together at the molecular level, so it is stronger than a joint glued with even the strongest epoxy. Welding cast iron can be tricky, though, which is why some companies dont do it. But Peggy Wright, who works in sales for Architectural Iron in Milford, Pa. (800-442-4766; architecturaliron.com), looked at your picture and said her company could do it, using a welding rod that is 99 percent nickel. At least three kinds of welding rods work on cast iron, but the advantage of using 99 percent nickel is that it can be sanded smooth later to give the hardware a finished look, she said. Wright estimated that the repair might cost around $85. But to get a firm estimate, you would need to send the parts to the company. Trump said Friday that were setting up a certain standard, which is what the court is requesting, but no particular new rules had been publicly issued. On that day, after the courts order was issued, Sanders said the White House would develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. There must be decorum at the White House. And it was his parents who drove him into public service, his own form of ministry. He rarely gives a speech without mentioning his mother and how she used to soak her feet in epsom salts, singing her prayers, each night after cleaning houses. When his father died of a heart attack, shortly after giving a sermon at a womens detention center, Cummings arrived at the morgue to sort through his belongings. He found in his fathers wallet a note that Cummings had written him years earlier, folded and refolded so many times over the years that it had holes in the paper. Some Facebook investors are calling again, and more vehemently for a change at the top. If Zuckerberg is to stay at the helm, they at least want him to give up his dual role as CEO and chairman. Step down as chairman and appoint an independent director to oversee the board. A video posted Sunday showed the bear walking through light snow and around a car outside a home. It doesnt appear to find anything and goes back through the yard and past a white picket fence. When relatives came in to deal with Teddys suicide, they found an older brother who was really riled up and agitated. Jeffrey was defending the synagogue massacre, investigators said. On Gab, he called Bowers a hero and said, of those killed, that every last one of them deserved exactly what happened to them and so much worse, according to court documents. 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 Federal officials have said the president has broad powers to protect the borders and national security. When he announced the asylum rules this month, Trump invoked the same authority that ultimately allowed him to impose a travel ban on migrants from mostly Muslim-majority nations. After earlier versions were blocked in court, the Supreme Court upheld a modified version of the ban by a 5-to-4 vote in June. Everyone in West Virginia has an opportunity to address what ails them, not just the substance itself, whatever it might be, but the root cause of the addiction, he said. I knew there were things in my past, childhood traumas, I had never talked to anyone about. Lt. Manuel Rivera, a county police spokesman, said the chase began about 1 p.m. when a Prince Georges officer tried to stop a vehicle in the 6000 block of Marlboro Pike in District Heights. Rivera said the driver was suspected of having just committed an armed robbery in that block. Zynae went into cardiac arrest, but the property did not have a defibrillator immediately available to render emergency aid, the lawsuit asserts. Morelli said that if there had been a defibrillator on the scene that paramedics could have used right away, Zynae would not have lost as much oxygen to her brain and her present condition might be less dire. After oral argument this month, a three-judge panel asked Mueller and Miller to address implications for the case of the forced resignation of Jeff Sessions as attorney general and the presidents selection of Whitaker to succeed him until a permanent attorney general is chosen. Whitaker is now supervising the special counsel probe and facing separate court challenges over whether his appointment is valid. The NYU study authors relied on data from the 2015 survey, the first year in which respondents were asked questions about sexual identity and attraction. Those who took the survey were first asked whether they considered themselves to be heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual. Second, respondents were asked whether they were attracted to the opposite sex or to the same sex, and to what extent. Stacy Pearsall was frustrated, demoralized and in pain in 2008 the day she arrived for yet another appointment at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. A combat photographer for the Air Force, she had suffered injuries in roadside bombings and an ambush in Iraq, leaving her with neurological, psychological and physical problems. At 28, she could no longer run or lift anything over five pounds, and doctors had said her career as a war photographer was over. He abruptly canceled a Sept. 14 keynote appearance before the Colorado River Water Conservation District, citing advice from department ethics attorneys. While Interior did not disclose the exact nature of the potential conflict, emails obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act show that lawyers flagged the fact that Bernhardts former firm represents the Central Arizona Water Conservation District. The district is trying to blunt the impact of being the lowest-ranking beneficiary in a multistate negotiation over how to divvy up water from the Colorado River in the case of a future drought, a topic that was on the agenda for the Grand Junction, Colo., conference. Car bomb in Iraq's Tikrit kills 5: Officials in Iraq said five people were killed in a car bombing in the city of Tikrit. The blast also wounded 16, an army officer said. There were no assertions of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State has claimed a role in several recent attacks. The group has switched to insurgent tactics since it was defeated in Iraq's urban centers last year. No doubt they would have stuck by that story, malfunctioning cameras and all, but evidence got in the way. The Turkish government had photographs of a 15-man hit squad arriving from Saudi Arabia and entering the consulate shortly before Khashoggi. The Turks had audiotape of Khashoggis brutal killing, almost as soon as he entered the consulate. They knew that the hit squad included a forensic specialist who arrived with his bonesaw, who put on earphones and listened to music as he dismembered the body. These policy rebukes are not driven by lobbyists in Washington; theyre groundswells inside companies in California and Washington state. Never before have a handful of companies had the power to rebuke federal policy directly in matters of security, defense and immigration. Imagine that Delta Air Lines defied Homeland Security by refusing to abide by the TSAs No Fly List. It couldnt. But if Delta were one of the few airlines in the world, traveling faster than any competitors, it might have more pull. Tech companies today often have scale and singularity in their favor. Pelosis Democratic opposition has the power to vote for someone else in January, and they may be able to muster enough support to leave her with a plurality but not a majority. This would create a deadlock and lead to multiple ballots until someone won a majority. If you want to ponder the nightmare Democrats hope to avoid, consider that it took 133 ballots before Nathaniel Banks was elected speaker in 1856. No one expects anything that dramatic, but even just a few rounds of voting would court a return of the cliched headline the party loathes: Democrats in disarray. In 2012, I succeeded in advocating for the U.S. government to pass the Magnitsky Act, named after my colleague Sergei Magnitsky, who was imprisoned by Russian authorities after exposing high-level corruption, and who died in detention after being beaten and denied medical care. This law allows the United States to freeze the assets and ban visas for Russian human rights abusers. Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has embarked on a vendetta against me. This has taken a number of forms, including death threats and plans for illegal renditions. But one of the most pernicious has been Moscows repeated attempts to misuse Interpol to try to have me arrested and extradited back to Russia, where they will likely torture and kill me. But the race between Fried and Caldwell also was the subject of the historic statewide recount. And Democrats clung to Frieds win as a sign that all is not lost for them in the nations largest battleground state, as the country heads into campaign season for the next presidential election. American politicians have always thinly veiled their tactics and come up with reasons why they are changing directions or switching positions, and with Trump, there is no subtlety, and there is no thin veil, said one former White House official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. Its raw power politics. Its, Im doing this because its election time, and I know it will generate energy for my base, and now the elections over, so Im shifting in x, y and z way. In Georgia, the diverging energies of voters showed up in the contrast between statewide results and the fortunes of suburban Republicans in Congress. Rep. Karen Handel (R) lost the suburban seat she had won in a special election in 2017. Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux is seeking a recount in her race against Rep. Rob Woodall (R), who won by less than 0.5 percent in his district outside Atlanta. Two years earlier, he had won by 20 points. At the same time, Republican Brian Kemp won the gubernatorial race behind strong support from the states rural areas. We have the tape. I dont want to hear the tape. No reason for me to hear the tape, Trump said in the Fox interview, which was recorded Friday and aired Sunday. He described it as a suffering tape and told Fox host Chris Wallace, I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it . . . . It was very violent, very vicious and terrible. Wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldnt it have been nice? Trump said. He added that bin Laden had been living in Pakistan right next to the military academy; everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. In his rebuttal Monday, Lee noted that the final version of the criminal justice overhaul is a combination of legislation that has already passed the House and a similar bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee cleared earlier this year. He also emphasized that the legislation encourages prisoner rehabilitation and that the Bureau of Prisons ultimately has authority over who would qualify for early release. Sixteen Democrats said Monday that they will oppose Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for House speaker, an act of defiance that puts the dissidents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as the party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi, delivered in a letter to Democratic colleagues, comes as the California congresswoman has marshaled a legion of supporters to make her case. She is courting members in one-on-one conversations while securing the backing of allies on and off Capitol Hill. On Monday, the International Association of Fire Fighters; UnidosUS, a leading Latino civil rights organization; and nine military veterans serving in the House endorsed her return as speaker. Meanwhile, at a town hall meeting in Massachusetts, a leader of her opposition in the House was confronted by dozens of pro-Pelosi protesters. The insurrection against Pelosi stands as the only official obstacle to unity in the top leadership ranks, after Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) on Monday withdrew her challenge for the No. 3 job held by Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Pelosi endorsed her leadership team. But the renegades threat is considerable. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, her opponents wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi, 78, has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Pelosi is the only speaker candidate who has declared ahead of a party nominating vote on Nov. 28, with a vote of the full House on Jan. 3. But her opponents believe that an alternative will emerge if it becomes clear Pelosi does not have the 218 votes needed to win in January. Drew Hammill, a Pelosi spokesman, said Monday that she remains confident in her support among members and members-elect and noted that more than 90 percent of the incoming Democratic caucus declined to sign the letter. Two Democratic aides said Pelosi inquired with at least one incoming member about whether they would be willing to vote present a move that would lower the threshold for becoming speaker while also allowing Pelosis critics to keep their word in opposing her. Hammill declined to comment on whether Pelosi is exploring that possibility. The signers of the letter might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves, but there is at least a handful of Democrats who plan to oppose her but did not sign the letter. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with four races still undecided. If the current leads hold in those uncalled races, Democrats will have won 234 seats a 17-seat majority. [Does Pelosi have the votes to become speaker?] That means Pelosi could lose as many as 16 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker Jan. 3. Two of the 16 signers, Anthony Brindisi (New York) and Ben McAdams (Utah), have yet to be declared winners. Also signing the letter were Reps. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Bill Foster (Ill.), Seth Moulton (Mass.), Brian Higgins (N.Y.), Stephen F. Lynch (Mass.), Ed Perlmutter (Colo.), Kathleen Rice (N.Y.), Tim Ryan (Ohio), Linda T. Sanchez (Calif.), Kurt Schrader (Ore.), Filemon Vela (Tex.), and newly elected members Joe Cunningham (S.C.), Max Rose (N.Y.) and Jeff Van Drew (N.J.). Not signing the letter was Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), who has publicly opposed Pelosi and is mulling a run against her. A spokesman for Fudge said Monday that she was unavailable for an interview and spending time in her congressional district in the Cleveland area, adding that her final decision on the speaker race is not expected until after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Fudge associate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said it was unclear why Fudge did not sign the letter but that the lawmaker was deliberately keeping a low profile this week as she continues to think through her possible candidacy, with the travel and fundraising of the job weighing on her and potentially pushing her away from running. Moulton, one of the leaders of the insurrection, stayed in close touch with fellow Pelosi critics on Monday, including a call with Fudge, who has been his mentor in the House, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Moulton continues to encourage her to run, the person said. At a town hall meeting in Amesbury, Mass., Monday night, Moulton heard an earful from Pelosi supporters including about 20 organized protesters who held signs reading I Stand With Nancy. Many of them saw sexism and ageism in the push to oust Pelosi. I almost feel like Im targeted Im old and Im a woman, said Lynda Christian, 80, of nearby Burlington, Mass. Nancy Pelosi, I dont know her, but shes done a fantastic job. Who fires somebody who does something well? Addressing the sometimes testy crowd, Moulton said it would be failing the American people to keep Pelosi in place after 16 years in charge. The American people cried out for change in this election, he added. Whats going on in Washington isnt working, and we need a new generation of leadership. Five other Democrats Rep. Conor Lamb (Pa.) and Reps.-elect Jason Crow (Colo.), Jared Golden (Maine), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.) have made firm statements saying they would not vote for Pelosi but did not sign the letter. Representatives for Crow, Lamb and Spanberger each said Monday that their positions on Pelosi had not changed and that they intend to vote against her in the January floor vote. Golden said the same in an interview, saying, Its your vote, not signing a piece of paper, that counts. We need to pass the torch to new leaders in the Democatic Party, and I stand by that, and Im going to vote that way in caucus and on the House floor, he said. [Trump again offers GOP votes to make Pelosi speaker. This time it doesnt sound like hes joking.] In her conversations with individual members, Pelosi has started inquiring about their policy priorities and committee assignment preferences. The Democratic Caucus gives its top leader wide leeway to make those decisions, crucial to a lawmakers legislative career. She has also met with key subgroups within the caucus, including hearing out the left-leaning Congressional Progressive Caucus and the more centrist New Democrat Coalition. Both groups expect to have scores of Democrats in their ranks next year. The Progressive Caucus issued a statement last week supportive of Pelosi, citing her pledge to help appoint caucus members to coveted committees such as Appropriations, Financial Services, and Ways and Means. The New Democrats are pressing Pelosi for rules changes to ensure lawmakers have time to read bills and that operations in the House are more transparent, and Pelosi attended a meeting of the group Friday during which she was pressed on the need to shield centrist members from politically perilous votes. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the chairman of the coalition, cited the cap-and-trade climate bill that House Democrats passed in 2009, only to see it languish in the Senate. Many Republican challengers used the bill in their campaign to oust Democratic incumbents the next year. The culture of our caucus is very progressive, as it should be. But we need to make sure that we dont do things which damage the electoral prospects of the people who gave us the majority, he said. I think she heard us loud and clear. DeGette had challenged Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in House leadership, for the majority whip post. But facing a backlash from members of the Congressional Black Caucus, DeGette dropped her bid ensuring, for now, that Clyburn will remain in the top ranks. Any major shake-up in the Democratic leadership now depends on whether the dissidents can muster the votes to keep Pelosi from seizing the House speakers gavel in January. If that bid is successful, it could kick off a wholesale scramble that could also threaten Clyburn, the current assistant Democratic leader, and Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who is seeking to move from whip to majority leader. DeGette, who has long served as chief deputy whip, launched her campaign after the Nov. 6 election by touting her experience in rounding up support for difficult pieces of legislation implicitly making the case that Clyburn, 78, was not up to or interested in the task. But the challenge upset backers of Clyburn, a former Congressional Black Caucus chairman and a revered figure among the caucuss roughly 50 African Americans who bristled at the notion that the caucuss top tier could be all white. Out of the three of the leadership positions, he is the only one with announced opposition, Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, the current Congressional Black Caucus chair, said last week. I just think it is offensive and insulting. Devi Lockwood in Amesbury, Mass., contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost Ghosn, 64, began his career at tiremaker Michelin in France in the late 1970s before moving on to Renault in 1996. There he helped engineer a turnaround in the carmakers fortunes that earned him the admiration of the business world but not of labor unions or leftist politicians, who resented his high salary while he presided over massive job losses in the wake of the global financial crisis. Nasiris family and at least 1,000 others have fled to Bamian, a city 200 miles to the north, from a ferocious assault on their villages across Jaghori and Malistan two Hazara-dominated districts in Ghazni as well as a third in next-door Uruzgan province. The violence, which continued for two weeks and left more than 100 dead, took residents and police by surprise. Afghan forces ultimately quelled the assault and pushed the Taliban out of the villages, but sporadic fighting continues. Although Bennett retracted his demand to become defense minister, opposition parties still planned to file a motion of no confidence in the government on Wednesday. It was anyones guess whether those once loyal to Netanyahus now-shrinking coalition would be able or even willing to fend off the move, which could lead to an early national election. Trump recently has signaled discontent with the top retired generals serving in his administration, raising questions about whether he is souring on the military brass in his orbit. Earlier this year, he derided Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as sort of a Democrat. In Sundays interview, he said that there are things Kelly does that he doesnt like and that at some point he will move on from the chief of staff position. The High Court has ordered the surrender of a Polish man to face trial in his native country despite finding generalised and systemic violations to the independence of Polands judiciary. Polish authorities had sought the surrender of Artur Celmer (31), who is wanted to face trial in his native Poland on drugs trafficking charges. He was arrested in Ireland on foot of a European Arrest Warrant last year and his lawyers had opposed their client's surrender over radical changes to the Polish justice system, which has put the country at odds with the European Union in recent years. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, the judge in charge of High Court extradition, postponed the surrender of dozens of suspected criminals to Poland earlier this year over concerns for their fair trial rights. Following a referral of Mr Celmers case by Ms Justice Donnelly to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in Luxembourg, the High Court was advised that it must assess whether there was a specific risk to Mr Celmer that his fair trial rights would be breached. Ordering Mr Celmers surrender on Monday, Ms Justice Donnelly said the High Court had originally found generalised and systemic violations to the independence of the Polish judiciary which gave rise to a real risk that fair trial rights would be breached. However, she said the High Court was only concerned with determining whether the issues in Poland specifically related to Mr Celmer, in accordance with the CJEUs ruling. She said the High Court had concluded that systemic and generalised deficiencies in the independence of the judiciary in Poland of themselves did not amount to a real risk that Mr Celmers right to a fair trial would be denied. She said the threshold was a high one and, on the evidence before the court, it had not been reached. It is important to state that it is the courts in Poland and, perhaps if he were to be convicted and have that conviction upheld on appeal, the European Court of Human Rights that will have to decide whether any trial of this respondent [Mr Celmer] actually meets the Polish and ECHR standards respectively of right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial judiciary". Ms Justice Donnelly had sought further assurances in respect of Mr Celmer after Polands Deputy Justice Minister was quoted as calling him a "dangerous criminal" connected to a "drugs mafia", despite the presumption of innocence. However, she said the possibility of a flagrant denial of justice had not been established by Mr Celmer despite the adverse comments on his presumption of innocence by the Deputy Justice Minister. She ordered Mr Celmer be surrendered to Polish authorities within the next 25 days. His lawyers have the option of appealing her decision and the case will be mentioned before the High Court again next Monday. In a statement following the judgment, Mr Celmers solicitor Ciaran Mulholland from the firm Fahy Bambury Solicitors said: We are extremely disappointed with the judgment handed down by the Irish High Court this morning, particularity given the views expressed by our experts, the recent conflicting and contradictory responses from the Polish Judiciary and the conduct of Polish government ministers throughout these landmark proceedings". Mr Mulholland said he had grave concerns for his clients fair trial rights and well-being in Poland. We hope to consider this judgment in greater details over the coming days and consult with Mr Celmer to in order to assess the merits of a potential appeal. Our primary objective is to ensure that our clients human rights are upheld and protected. We are plainly not satisfied that will occur should he be extradited to Poland. This is now a renowned case given the sensationalist commentary echoed from the Polish governing party. It is also an unprecedented case dealing with the extradition scheme within the European Union during this turbulent period of Brexit in which some member states are attempting an a la carte approach to the fundamentals of the European Project. In her judgment, Ms Justice Donnelly said the manner in which the Republic of Poland governs itself is a matter for the Polish people. It is the entitlement of those who are elected in Poland to enact laws in accordance with the Constitution of Poland." She said the constitutionality of any laws enacted in Poland is a matter for the judiciary in Poland to rule upon in accordance with their own laws and Constitution. Ms Justice Donnelly said the only reason recent legislative changes in Poland had become a concern to the High Court was because Ireland had obligations under EU law. She said the execution of warrants was a matter of applying EU law as it has been implemented in this member state. It was not a matter of applying Polish law. She said European arrest warrants were executed on the principle of mutual recognition of judicial authorities in other member states. They are executed on the basis of the mutual trust that each member state places in another member states sharing of common values on which the EU is founded, as stated in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union. She said countries may not be bound by the principles of mutual trust where systemic deficiencies in the common values of the rule of law arising from a lack of independence of the judiciary are found to exist". However, before surrender may be prohibited, she said the country receiving the warrant has to carry out a specific precise assessment on whether the requested person will run the risk of not receiving a fair trial. She said generalised and systemic deficiencies in the independence of the judiciary in Poland of themselves do not reach the threshold of amounting to a real risk there will be a flagrant denial of this individuals [Mr Celmers] right to a fair trial. She also concluded that, despite the adverse comments on Mr Celmers presumption of innocence by the Deputy Minister of Justice, the real risk of a flagrant denial of justice has not been established. She said the threshold, which is a high one under the law of extradition/surrender, had not been reached on the evidence before the court. After detailed examination and extensive questions from senior counsel assisting Rowena Orr QC about the Commonwealth Bank's remuneration structures chief executive, Matt Comyn has left the door open to scrapping variable pay for many frontline staff. Mr Comyn admits the payment schemes come with inherent" risks of motivating employees to engage in misconduct to get an incentive payment. The bank's practice of paying frontline staff variable pay was a key concern in Commissioner Kenneth Hayne's interim report because of how incentives can lead to misconduct. Mr Comyn, the first chief executive to appear before the inquiry, said there would be no significant disadvantage to the bank if it decided to be the first in the industry to get rid of variable pay for its frontline staff, except in the area of home lending, where such incentives still play a key role. Its certainly not something that I would be unwilling to do in the future, Mr Comyn said. Ms Orr has tabled internal documents showing the bank had for several years been looking at the remuneration arrangements used in Australian banks compared with other markets, and ways to reform financial targets for staff. Senior counsel assisting Rowena Orr QC quizzing bank boss Matt Comyn. Credit:Screen shot In one 2016 email from Mr Comyn to his predecessor, Ian Narev, he proposed capping "discretionary" payments to frontline staff at 5 per cent of their pay, compared with 10 per cent. This change hasn't occurred and Mr Comyn wasn't sure why. Mr Comyn said it would be quite easy for the bank to scrap variable pay for a range of roles within the bank, but it would be problematic to do it higher up the management tree, including for his pay as chief executive. Half of the 70 trampoline parks in Australia have been accused of prioritising profit over safety and driving up "appalling" injury rates, while only a quarter are planning to comply with tough new standards. In a bid to curb the rising number of trampoline injuries, the industry, doctors and academics have developed Australia's first official standards for trampoline parks, which cover safety requirements and test methods. Rebecca Tinning with her children Georgina and Darcy at Sky Zone trampoline park in Alexandria. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer "The injury rate was appalling; we had lots of injuries from the usual sprained ankles to spinal-type injuries that left children in wheelchairs," injury prevention expert and committee chairman David Eager said. "We haven't had any deaths in Australia, but there's been five around the world." An Australian man has died after a falling rock severed his climbing ropes as he descended a peak near Mount Everest in eastern Nepal. Michael Davis, from Newcastle, was with a group of 15 climbers on Thursday when the freak accident happened on the 6812-metre Ama Dablam mountain in the Himalayas. Michael Davis died after a falling rock severed his climbing ropes in eastern Nepal. It was the 33-year-old's first trip to the worlds highest mountain range, but he had climbed two other peaks earlier in the five-week expedition. The Himalayan Times quoted expedition organiser Tshering Pande Bhote, the managing director at Top Himalaya Guides, as saying Mr Davis had fallen to his death below the highest camp on the mountain. Swimmers and surfers of Maroubra's waves may be counting themselves lucky, after the Department of Primary Industries confirmed a great white shark was caught in nets off the popular south Sydney beach. State government contractors found the deceased 4.65-metre shark while carrying out a routine check of the nets on Monday morning, a spokeswoman for the DPI said. A photograph of the large shark was posted to Facebook by fishing blogger Trapman Bermagui, who stressed that he did not catch the shark or take the photo, after the image attracted backlash from some commenters. The animal was removed from the netting and DPI scientists performed a full necropsy on it, according to the DPI spokeswoman. A baby girl was declared dead shortly after she was found after midnight on a Surfers Paradise beach on Queensland's Gold Coast and a couple are in police custody being questioned. The infant, believed to be about nine months old, was found by a member of the public on the edge of the surf near Staghorn Avenue, on the Esplanade, about 12.30am on Monday. Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said the body was believed to have been in the water and did not have any visible injuries. Post-mortem results were expected on Monday afternoon. Most worryingly, just 30 per cent thought the public service remained frank and fearless. The majority said ministerial advisers played too great a role in governance (60 per cent), and 70 per cent thought the same of consultants. Just two in five felt they delivered projects well and made effective use of taxpayers money. Almost half said their institutions had become more political. Just two in five public servants felt they delivered projects well and made effective use of taxpayers money. I was shocked by the results, Shergold said recently. Australias public servants were suffering a crisis of confidence. Recently, as president of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), he surveyed more than 800 IPAA conference attendees, mostly current and former public servants. Peter Shergold is worried. During the final years of the Howard government, Shergold sat at the apex of Australias federal bureaucracy as secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Public faith in democracy in Australia is in decline, according to a range of recent surveys. He is not alone in expressing concern about the health of Australias democratic process: the system whereby elected officials, assisted by frank and fearless public servants, draft, explain and implement public policies that advance the interests of society. Shergold says there is a rising tribalisation of Australian politics and culture. In this post-truth world, the value of a skilled public administration, trained in looking at all sides of a political proposition in a considered and thoughtful manner, is no longer regarded as a civic virtue. Such gloom comes at the worst possible time, says Shergold. The foundations of liberal democracy appear to be increasingly fragile. Populist responses to complex public policy conundrums are becoming attractive to disillusioned voters in search of simple answers. But while political dysfunction is playing a role, deeper economic reasons also seem to be driving the results, says Cameron. Theres a perception that the government is run for big interests, and that politicians are looking after themselves rather than governing on behalf of the people they are elected to represent. There is a combination of factors leading to the decline in democratic satisfaction, says Dr Sarah Cameron, a political scientist at the University of Sydney. Voters have largely disapproved of the changes of prime minister that have taken place in between elections over the past decade, under both Labor and Liberal governments. And satisfaction with democracy is at its lowest ebb since the aftermath of the shock dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, according to the Australian Election Study, run out of the Australian National University. Slightly less than half of Australians aged under 45 agreed that democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, in a Lowy Institute poll this year. Just 5 per cent of Australians feel they have personally gained a lot from our record-busting economic run, according to a Community Pulse survey in April by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). The envy of the world, as it enters its 27th year of continuous economic growth, the Australian economy in November earned a place on the cover of The Economist magazine for the first time, in an edition titled Aussie rules: What the world can learn from Australia. The special feature extolled Australias economic success while expressing only mild perplexion at the revolving door of prime ministers Down Under. In recent elections, voters have become increasingly pessimistic about the state of the economy. In 2016, just 10 per cent of voters believed economic conditions in Australia had improved over the past year down from 43 per cent in 2004. These negative attitudes about the economy are related to dissatisfaction with democracy. When you step back and look at the aggregate, we have done really well. We have this brand of economic development which is a type of democracy where we make sure that we sustain growth but we have a really strong social compact that sustains our values. Yet this is unfounded, says Cilento. While there remain areas of entrenched disadvantage, particularly in Indigenous communities, most Australians have benefited from the fruits of economic growth, including low unemployment, rising incomes, tax relief and rising asset prices. When you step back and look at the aggregate, we have done really well. No matter how impressive we feel our track record of growth has been, very few people feel that they personally have gained much. Amid the scandals unearthed by the banking royal commission, Australians also made international headlines last month when they erupted with fury over the placement of corporate advertising emblazoned across the Sydney Opera House. The hostility to business is particularly troubling, says Cilento. Maintaining the competitiveness of business big and small is fundamental to future economic opportunities. We know that business investment plays a critical role in supporting improved productivity and, in turn, higher incomes. However, this is clearly not connecting to the aspirations of the community, even where the link is direct for instance, through shareholder returns to superannuation. More needs to be done to reduce this disconnect. The business case for reform Business is worried too. Business is clearly in no position to lecture anyone, says Jennifer Westacott, the chief executive of the Business Council of Australia. But it is very hard to get anything done. And its not just political instability. I think clearly that is part of it although Im always taken aback by how resilient our institutions are when we now have this more frequent leadership change. In contrast to the big reform era of the 1980s, Westacott says the problems facing todays modern economy are more nuanced. Loading I think the problem were trying to solve is not evident to people. So, we end up going down a path where people say, Why are we doing this again? I think sometimes things are just so complex. In the past, people have just trusted governments to get things done. Now, people arent just willing to say, These people in power know what theyre doing. That lack of trust means complexity becomes more difficult to manage. Westacott is scathing of the often very poor process by which public policies are formulated today, citing the lack of a business case for the NBN. Energy policy, she says, is a mess. When people float an idea it just seems to get killed. Jennifer Westacott The architect of the Coalitions abandoned National Energy Guarantee, the Energy Security Board chair, Kerry Schott, recently expressed similar frustration. I characterise the general state of affairs right now as anarchy, Dr Schott told an Australian Financial Review energy summit. Westacott backs a recent observation by economist Ross Garnaut that there had been a death of the independent centre in Australia. We havent seen a green or white paper for some time in Australia, she says. When people float an idea it just seems to get killed. They get asked, Are you going to rule this in or out? As you rule more and more things out, there is less freedom to reform. There is much at stake, she says. The simple reality is that wages have been not growing as fast as people want or need and thats directly linked, whether people like it or not, to productivity. Our productivity is poor and our productivity is driven by investment, which is driven by our competitive settings. We have to ask ourselves, as a business lobby, what do we really stand for? We want to see a stronger, better economy capable of caring for its people. Is that a bad thing? A basic competency issue In 2012, former NSW Treasury secretary Percy Allan oversaw the release of a study titled Public policy adrift. It rated 18 public policies against whether they met the Wiltshire test (devised by University of Queensland academic Kenneth Wiltshire) for good public policy development: including establishing a clear need for policy reform, creating a green paper identifying reform options, extensive public consultation, producing a white paper with reform recommendations, and having a strategic communication strategy to convince voters of the merits of a reform. Ten out of 18 policies assessed failed the test, including the NBN and the GFC stimulus Building the Education Revolution and home-insulation programs. Good policy is not a left-right issue; it is an issue of basic competency. Simon Breheny This year, the study was repeated in a novel fashion. In an Australian first, think tanks from opposite ends of the ideological divide the right-wing Institute of Public Affairs and the left-wing Per Capita - came together to assess the rigour of the development process behind 20 policies. There was striking agreement, with both think tanks identifying four policies, in particular, that showed an unacceptable level of rigour: the same-sex marriage postal survey, the decision to create a federal Home Affairs department, the NSW governments local council mergers policy and the Queensland governments laws on vegetation management. Good policy process from actually undertaking cost-benefit analysis to having a detailed plan for how a policy will be rolled out is not a left-right issue; it is an issue of basic competency, says the IPA's director of policy, Simon Breheny. Are we going the way of Washington, where advisers replace seasoned public servants? Credit:Bloomberg From Westminster to Washminster Allan, who now consults to the private and public sector, points the finger at the growing role of political advisers in perverting the policy process, crowding out the advice of public servants. The situation now is that ministers have more advisers in their private ministerial offices. Many of them are recruited from politically affiliated lobbying and polling organisations where the skill set is political analysis and marketing rather than policy making, says Allan. Australia has gradually moved from a traditional UK Westminster government to a polyglot Washminster model. Percy Allan Australia has gradually moved from a traditional UK Westminster government to a polyglot Washminster model that borrows from the Washington style of public administration. In Washington, Allan explains, top bureaucrats are political appointees: Its only from the middle to lower tiers of public service management that American public servants are recruited on merit, not political affiliation. In America, there is an army of senior public thinkers who move between the bureaucracy (when their chief is president or governor) and think tanks (such as the Brookings Institution when their party is out of power). This has advantages (e.g. bright people committed to a government's agenda are in charge of effecting policy) and disadvantages (e.g. ideologues take control of the administrative apparatus of public policy-making and override evidence and consultation in advancing solutions to complex problems). Kate Ellis, then a backbencher, and staff before the 2007 election. Credit:AAP Social medias perfect storm Tim Gartrell is the former national secretary of the Australian Labor Party who helped deliver Kevin 07 to power. He agrees there has been a hollowing out of the federal bureaucracy. I do think theres a problem, says Gartrell, who also points to the relentless rise of social media for the apparent breakdown in good public policy-making. Theres just less considered thinking about things, the speed and velocity of how things are decided. I hear less and less, We should sleep on this, we will make a better judgement in the morning. Its a worry. As interest wanes, politics makes more noise to be heard, only to further alienate the public. Peter Lewis But even as the media cycle has intensified, fewer Australians are truly engaged with politics, says Peter Lewis, the executive director of Essential Media, which has also conducted research showing dissatisfaction with Australian democracy. I think the results are a response to that fact that the structures that underpin our democracy are getting weaker. Fewer people consume news. Fewer people trust their public institutions. Fewer people think politicians represent their interests, says Lewis. As interest wanes, politics makes more noise to be heard, only to further alienate the public in the process. This creates a climate for easy solutions and hero figures to come in and clean up the mess. The House of Representatives, Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen So where to from here? Amid an increasing sense of policy chaos, a new microcosm is forming around finding ways to fix Australian democracy. Percy Allan just wants politicians to return to the old way of doing things, committing to an evidence-based policy-making process run more by public servants and less by political cabals. That involves establishing the known facts and stakeholder views about a situation, identifying the alternative policy options, weighing up their pros and cons, sharing that with the public and inviting its reaction, after which finalising a policy position to put before Parliament or effect by regulation, says Allan. The public has turned against government not so much over policy but the way policy is decided, announced and executed. Percy Allan Winning back public trust in the process of government is crucial, he says: I believe the public has turned against government not so much over policy but the way policy is decided, announced and executed. Peter Shergold agrees the public service needs to restore its policy advising capabilities while partnering more with business and community groups to get their views. In todays uncertain environment, he says, the ability of public administrators to serve successive governments in an apolitical manner has become significantly more important to the healthy functioning of the machinery of democratic government. A campaign is also needed, says Shergold, to restate the importance of a rigorous, independent public service as central to the operations of the maintenance of a civil society and as bedrock of democratic governance. Ian McAllister, a professor of political science at the ANU, and co-director of the Australian Election Study, offers some more radical solutions, including fixed four-year parliamentary terms and Senate reform. Australians rejected the idea of four-year terms in a 1988 referendum because they prefer to keep politicians on a short leash, McAllister says but governments need a chance to govern. [Four-year terms] would put less pressure on political parties to perform in the short term and give them more time to actually do something, and voters could either punish or reward them at the next election. Senate reform is also needed, says McAllister. Australia is one of only four countries globally where the upper house can veto legislation from the lower house the US, Switzerland and Germany being the others. It has long since ceased to be a representation of the states and territories. It's a microcosm of party conflict. That wouldn't matter, except it's extremely powerful. McAllister would also like to see reform of parliamentary procedures, including the appointment of an independent speaker and limits on question time. We need a process that says these are all just good ideas until people of goodwill come together and resolve to fix the system. Ralph Ashton Ralph Ashton is the executive director of the Australian Futures Project, a not-for-profit, charitable organisation formed with the mission to fix short-termism in Australia. The biggest thing that has to happen is there needs to be a recognition that the system even if its not broken is struggling to be functional in the current context, and thats because there has been rapid change and the system is under stress, Ashton says. My top solution is the meta solution. We need a process that says these are all just good ideas until people of goodwill come together and resolve to fix the system, even if it takes five to 10 to 15 years. We need to go beyond the natural human instinct of getting angry and looking to lay blame and realise that a lot of different people are responsible and, in some way, the world just changed. CEDAs Cilento agrees. She says public policy decision-making will need to become more transparent, involving more engagement with citizens, to restore public trust in democracy. I think that the way we are going to have to go about policy is different to the way we have in the past. Most of all, says Cilento, Australians need to avoid falling prey to excessive gloom about their future. We need to be more optimistic. We should have faith. We have fixed our future before. When you look back to the late 1970s, people would have thought the future was pretty bleak, and we fixed that. We just have to keep talking about it. If anyone asked him about his high school results, Gus Picking would proudly tell them he got an ATAR of 99.7. The problem, according to Gus, is that they dont ask. Gus Picking working at his family's bookstore until he starts university next year after he took a gap year to travel. Credit:Chris Hopkins No one really cares, he said. I wish people wanted to know more so I could tell them. Once you finish you have a couple of days of people asking you how you did. [After that] no one wants to know. A Perth court will decide whether a man who referred to having sex with young girls as an addiction will be detained in custody indefinitely for treatment. The man, known only as MGD, was first convicted of indecent assault against a woman with an intellectual disability while he was a volunteer at a community care centre in Tasmania. The court heard the man developed a fixation on young girls. Credit:File Image He was later convicted of rape, indecent assault and exposing himself to friends of his daughter, his step-nieces and his step-granddaughter in 23 separate incidents between 2001 and 2008. The 65-year-olds earliest possible date for release is March 24, 2019. The WA Police Union wants its members to be able to track and remotely disable cars in high-speed chases, terrorist incidents and other dangerous situations. George Tilbury takes questions from the media at the annual conference on Monday. Credit:Phil Hickey The high-tech proposal is one of 88 motions which will be debated at the 82nd WA Police Union annual conference in Perth, which begun on Monday. WA Police Union president George Tilbury said the proposal would involve fitting immobilisers and GPS tracking devices in new vehicles as they are manufactured. "There is full support within the Police Federation of Australia to lobby the Federal Government for these changes," Mr Tilbury told the union's annual conference in Perth on Monday. A Perth father was left shaken, fearing for his and his son's life, after a man fired shots at his home on Saturday night. Brett Lappin, 46, was at home with his 22-year-old son when two men knocked on his door in High Wycombe just after 8pm. High Wycombe father Brett Lappin feared for his and his son's life after his home was shot at on Saturday night. Credit:9 News Perth Upon opening the door, he found a gun pointed at his head. One man claimed the Mr Lappin owed someone money and at least two shots were fired from behind the security screen. One of the bullets went through the wooden door, narrowly missing Mr Lappin. One of the instantly iconic images of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs recent visit to Australia was of Harry embracing Gwen Cherne on the Sydney Harbour bridge climb after discussing the suicide of her veteran husband, Peter. This image, and Harrys advocacy around the mental health of service members, has renewed attention to military suicide, whether of serving service members or veterans. In 2015 more Australian military personnel and veterans took their lives than were killed in Afghanistan during 13 years of war. Prince Harry with fellow Harbour Bridge climber Gwen Cherne, the widow of a military veteran who took his own life. Credit:AP Research in Australia and the US also shows that male veterans are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as their civilian counterparts. Although there is little data about female veterans in Australia, we know that American female veterans are nearly 250 per cent more likely to die by suicide than civilian women. Despite the increased public awareness about military suicide, much of the debate remains shaped by the myth that service members are more vulnerable to military suicide if they have served in combat roles during war. In short, there is a presumed connection between combat, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, and military suicide. However, the idea that service in combat is the biggest contributing factor to military suicide is a myth. There is almost no research showing a link between combat exposure and military suicide. In fact, multiple studies from Australia and the US have shown no association between serving in combat operations and vulnerability to military suicide. Surprisingly, available medical data indicates that service members who have never even deployed let alone served in combat may be at the highest risk of suicide. Building on this, several researchers have found that service members diagnosed with PTSD are actually less likely to die by suicide. An unlikely grouping of federal parliamentarians from across the political spectrum has condemned China's unprecedented crackdown against Muslim minorities and urged a strong response from Australia and the international community. The politicians Greens leader Richard Di Natale, Liberal senator Eric Abetz, and Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick also voiced concern at claims Uighurs living in Australia were being monitored and potentially intimidated by the Chinese government. Uighurs holding up photos of relatives who are missing, in internment camps or have passed away. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Chinese Communist Party has escalated a campaign targeting Uighurs and other minorities in the north-western province of Xinjiang, with up to 1 million people said to be detained in a network of mass indoctrination camps aimed at suppressing religious activity and enforcing CCP practices. According to reports, detainees have been abused and tortured for failing to comply with the "re-education" program. People not in the camps are living in an increasingly advanced surveillance state with heavy restrictions on their freedoms. Tony Abbott has urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to proceed with a controversial shift in policy on Israel despite a warning from Malaysia that the move could fuel terrorism and concerns from Indonesia over a $16.5 billion trade deal. Mr Abbott said the "rhetorical backlash" from Muslim countries in Asia was always going to happen but that this should not stop Australia showing its support for Israel by moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The comments are another strong show of support for Mr Morrison on the issue after another former prime minister, John Howard, also spoke up for the move on the weekend. Mr Abbott said west Jerusalem was recognised as the capital of Israel and was the logical location for the Australian embassy. Wouldnt it be great if Australia could solve two huge problems with one smart policy? Barely a day goes by without hearing commentary for or against negative gearing in the mainstream media. Credit:Louie Douvis The two problems Im thinking of are the heartbreak of long and hopeless public housing waiting lists and their byproduct of homelessness (problem one) and the taxpayer burden (but property industry economic stimulus) that is negative gearing (problem two). Barely a day goes by without hearing commentary for or against negative gearing in the mainstream media and the matter has been problematic for both sides of politics for successive elections. Should Australia continue the practice of middle class tax-breaks that is negative gearing? Or not? How big will the impact be on property and construction sector jobs if we dont? How big the electoral fallout from Australians who have invested in the property market to help to secure their futures? Meanwhile in Victoria alone there is a huge shortfall in homes to meet the demand for those currently on public housing waiting lists, not to mention what Industry Super Australia calculates as an overall shortfall of affordable housing nationally of 350,000 units. Then add to those numbers the silent demand those who have fallen through the cracks into homelessness because they cant see the point in adding their name to an already unfulfilled list. I walk past dozens of them every day in the CBD, as do you if you live or work here. I feel sad for them, but if Im to be brutally honest they are confronting to me. Now isnt that an awful way to feel about a fellow human being? Imagine how much better life would be for be for them, and for everyone else, if they had a roof over their head with lockable doors, privacy and dignity and a shower. Like I do, like you do. Nairobi: If a teacher in South Sudan wants to buy a chicken for dinner, he would have to save everything he earns for two full months - and it still wouldn't be enough. Five years of intense civil warfare have decimated South Sudan's economy and killed an estimated 380,000 people. A third of the population is displaced, every second person is going hungry, and hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starving to death in the world's newest country, according to the United Nations. Parts of South Sudan including key agricultural areas are nearly empty after people fled for safety or to find food. That means those who remain in South Sudan are relying on imports, even though a plunging exchange rate means imported food is overwhelmingly expensive. And despite the influx of billions of dollars in food aid, attacks on deliveries, bad roads, flooding, and deliberate government interference mean that food often doesn't get to the people who need it. The result, according to UN data, is that even when food is available, many prices are so high a single meal costs two times the national daily income, according to one report released this year that people can't buy the things they see in markets or shops. This is threatening to worsen a crisis that is already Africa's biggest refugee exodus since the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. London: The odds of a thaw when Xi Jinping and Donald Trump meet in a few weeks at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina just got longer. From left, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence wave as they pose for a group photo at APEC Haus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Credit:AP With the China-U.S. trade war deepening, leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations meeting in Papua New Guinea failed to agree on a communique after arguments over issues such as reform of the World Trade Organisation. Plans for Trump and Xi to meet at the G-20 have raised hopes for some sort of rapprochement between two leaders who appear to admire each other personally. Trump has said he's optimistic heading into their chat. But the harsh rhetoric from Xi and Vice-President Mike Pence in Papua New Guinea, combined with the collapse of the communique, suggests a deal in Buenos Aries faces mounting obstacles. The fire spread so fast, people barely had time to save themselves, let alone their pets. Loading Over the past week, first responders have carried thousands of injured animals out of the ashes to emergency veterinary hospitals. Many of them were found sitting in the smouldering rubble of their former homes, burned and dazed. At VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Centre in Chico, California, the staff cancelled regular appointments so doctors could focus on wildfire victims. Hundreds of pets, mostly cats, were dropped off over the course of five days. "We've run out of space," said Daniel Gebhart, the co-medical director at Valley Oak. He had about 20 animals under his care on Wednesday. Injuries include smoke inhalation, dehydration and severe burns, Gebhart said. The animals in the worst condition, with third-degree burns all over their bodies, have had to be euthanised. Fortunately, the vast majority of the animals that have come through Valley Oak's door have been saved, Gebhart said. Veterinarians administer pain medication to the burn victims immediately. They're given fluids, antibiotics and oxygen depending on the nature of the wound. "Once they're stable, we can debride and clean the wounds," Gebhart said. "We've been so emotional the past five days. It's so sad to see; they're in such terrible pain." The Small Animal Clinic at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine took in 32 cats with burn-related injuries over a two-day period, according to the clinic's chief of emergency services, Steven Epstein. "Most of the injuries are related to actual burns, mainly to their feet," Epstein said. "A lot of foot pad injuries that take two to three weeks to heal." Their ear tips and faces also have been singed or even burned down to the skin in many cases. There might be lower-airway disease if they were breathing toxic gases. Some come in with burns in their nasal cavities or their mouths if they were surrounded by fire, which has another effect, Epstein says. "They need feeding tubes because they don't want to eat." Emergency room doctors often say human burn victims are the most difficult to care for because of the agony the injuries cause for the patient. Epstein said it's similar for veterinarians. And burns are "striking," he said, "since it's a very visual disease." First-degree burns might only take a few days to heal, he said. More severe burns take weeks to months. "My staff are very emotional right now," Gebhart said. They are stressed and fatigued, but caring for the community's animals is "the most important thing we can do." Of the nearly 2000 animals the North Valley Animal Disaster Group has taken into its shelters, most have been cats. But there have been hundreds of dogs, rabbits and chickens, and dozens of larger animals such as horses, goats, sheep and cows. Overwhelmed by animals, local veterinarians have been transferring the healthiest patients to the disaster group's shelters, which are set up at the Chico Municipal Airport and regional fairgrounds. Then comes an equally difficult task: connecting injured pets with their owners. Lucky animals have microchips, tiny implants that, when scanned, display their owners' contact information. Without microchips or tags, the identification process can be difficult because of the nature of the injuries. Whiskers are singed off. Ears are painfully burned at the edges. What fur is left is shaved to facilitate treatment. Some could be unrecognisable. Vets, rescue groups and volunteers are using social media to reunite pets with their humans. Multiple Facebook groups have launched since the wildfire started with the sole purpose of reconnecting Camp Fire survivors with their cats and dogs. Danz shared photos of Coco and Pebbles on her personal Facebook page. "If anyone sees them, please contact me," she wrote. Soon she had a small army of strangers and friends searching for her cats in photos tagged "found" - dozens of pets with bandaged paws, cone collars, whiskers burned down to nubs. The photos tagged "reunited" were rare flashes of hope. "One thing I've noticed in this tragedy is the kindness of others, even strangers," Danz said. "People I didn't even know would comment on my posts. I had this whole invisible team looking for my cats." A good Samaritan found Coco on the UC-Davis Facebook page. Her paws were burned in the fire and three were still wrapped when Danz saw her Thursday. An animal-control rescue team found Coco three streets away from her former home. "She is in good condition, though," Danz said. "She's eating and loves to be petted." Brands love to celebrate their founders. Apple would sell Steve Jobs turtlenecks if they could, KFC slaps the Colonel on every box, and Disney still makes all new park employees kiss Walt Disney's frozen head before entering. But there are plenty of companies that would prefer we forget all about the horrible, horrible people who started them. It might hurt sales if it became widely known that Marcus Dorito would hunt people for sport, or that Joel von Quaker-Oats had an affair with the original Lassie. Some other examples ... 5 The Founders Of Chippendales Were A Bunch Of Murderers Somen "Steve" Banerjee was a true pioneer of the 20th century. In 1979, he was hosting a female mud wrestling night when he had an epiphany: "What if we did this, but with cocks?" Together with some unlikely partners -- lawyer Bruce Nahin, former pimp Paul Snider, and Emmy-winning choreographer Nick De Noia -- he launched Chippendales, America's favorite bulge-based dance troupe. But while the beefcakes on stage were all about healthy living and positive male sexuality, the founders were all about anger, jealousy, and occasionally some light murder. The first murder came in 1980, when Snider's wife and former client, Playboy model Dorothy Stratten, left him. Snider found out that Stratten was sleeping with director Peter Bogdanovich, so he broke into Stratten's house, raped her, murdered her, then blew his own head off with a shotgun. Meanwhile, Banerjee was growing concerned about how many other entertainers were stealing his absolutely unique idea of getting hot people to take off their clothes for money, so decided he needed to take strong steps to protect his brand. Steps such as burning down nightclubs that dared to host rival dance troupes, or hiring a hitman to shoot Nick De Noia dead in front of his apartment because he decided to quit the Chippendales and do choreography for one of its rivals. Remember, we're talking about dick-dancing here. Professional dick-dancing. Sift through the gags, though, and it doesnt take Warren Buffett to see theres a sharp mind at work, one thats prepared to hammer home opinions with the subtlety of a Questrade ad. But thats his shtick, it works and he has the floor in the palm of his hand. He believes the money will return to Canada in a big way once emerging markets and Europe prove too scary for investors. He said: I believe that money will come back to Canada as sign of stability because a lot of Canadian clients on the retail side went to Europe to invest, and to delineate and diversify their equity holdings when President Trump won the election. Hows that worked out? Not very well. I think theyre coming back to America and they are going to come back to Canada when theres even worse volatility in emerging markets and Europe. What are they going to buy when they come back? They are going to buy big, liquid companies. Belski compared Canada unflatteringly to Eeyore in Winnie the Poor and said he had never seen the country this bearish. He called on investors both sides of the border to ignore the fearful rhetoric and make the most of what he beleives are the best market conditions since 1950. It's nice to know that the United Kingdom, for all its snickering at the United States' current situation, shares a few problems with us. For instance, there are "sovereign citizens," those nutty folks who believe that exempting themselves from society's rules (like having to pay taxes) is simply a case of shouting out the correct combination of nonsense phrases, like they're trying to transform into the Green Lantern or something. And like our sovereign citizens, those in the UK can't help but hilariously own themselves when placed in a courtroom. Earlier this year, elderly John Trimbell was arrested for obstructing police officers who were attempting to arrest his friend, getting up in the officers' faces and bellowing legislation at them for 20 minutes before attempting to lay hands on both of them. This ended about as well as you'd expect for a man of his age. At his trial last week, Trimbell described himself as someone "who is extremely knowledgeable about the law." His first line of attack was to argue that his arrest was invalid because the officers involved had no legal right to enter his friend's home (where he was arrested). "Your rights as a police officer do not give you the authority to break common law," he said while cross-examining his arresting officer. "The fact a living man can refuse jurisdiction from a court is not known to many police officers." His proof of this? A similar case from 1980s Australia and a speech from the 1700s. A Winnipeg radio show host who was fired for making transgender-phobic comments on air continues to claim his former employer praised and encouraged his behaviour up until his termination. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Winnipeg radio show host who was fired for making transgender-phobic comments on air continues to claim his former employer praised and encouraged his behaviour up until his termination. Christopher Wheeler Johnson, known as Dave Wheeler, is suing Rogers for $1.4 million for alleged wrongful dismissal, even though the company says he was repeatedly warned and previously suspended for misconduct while he hosted Wheeler in the Morning on 92.1 CITI. Rogers is defending itself against the lawsuit, saying Wheeler's actions led to advertisers pulling ads from the station and left Rogers vulnerable to sanctions for his violations of broadcasting standards and the Canadian Human Rights Act. Other Rogers employees threatened to resign if Wheeler wasn't fired in the wake of his on-air remarks likening transgender people to actors "pretending to be different things" and his subsequent defence of those comments on social media in which he compared being trans to a human being pretending to be a dog. "He was entitled to be goofy, loud, raucous and rumbustious but not to be editorially 'controversial.' In any event, it was made clear to the plaintiff (Wheeler) repeatedly that he was not to conduct himself in the manner which led to his dismissal." Rogers' statement of defence "Despite repeated training, warnings and even a suspension, Wheeler proved incorrigible in failing to comply with the provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act and appropriate journalistic ethics and standards," the company stated in a statement of defence filed in Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench Nov. 5. Wheeler was specifically warned not to make any further comments about his on-air remarks, but he responded to a listener on Facebook soon afterward, Rogers says. In his claim against his former employer, Wheeler said he's owed lost earnings he was being paid $335,000 a year on a five-year contract and financial damages because Rogers encouraged him to be "controversial." "He was entitled to be goofy, loud, raucous and rumbustious but not to be editorially 'controversial.' In any event, it was made clear to the plaintiff (Wheeler) repeatedly that he was not to conduct himself in the manner which led to his dismissal," Rogers' statement of defence says. The company cited two previous incidents leading up to his July 2018 firing in which Wheeler was forced to apologize to listeners, given disciplinary warnings and suspended. He was suspended for one day after creating two YouTube videos in April 2016, Rogers says, "which were denigrating to women and embodied racist and sexist stereotypes." The company says Wheeler was made to apologize to listeners, specifically Winnipeggers from the two neighbourhoods he stereotyped. Three days after Rogers filed its defence in court, lawyers for Wheeler issued a reply, claiming he wrote the songs featured in the videos North End Boys and Transcona Girls but that the videos were produced, broadcast and uploaded to YouTube by Rogers. Wheeler claims Rogers kept him off the air with pay after the videos prompted backlash, but "at all times conveyed to Wheeler that Rogers approved of the content of the videos and that the controversy they were creating was good for ratings. At no time was Wheeler punished, admonished or reprimanded whatsoever for the videos, but rather received praise by Rogers." Rogers says it gave Wheeler a disciplinary reprimand after he verbally attacked a colleague and released confidential information on the final day of his television show in August 2017 while he complained about Rogers' decision to end his television show and said his ideas were censored. Wheeler denies he was reprimanded. His reply filed in court says he had a dispute with a female television producer whom he referred to as a "blackhole of comedy" and that he was later asked not to make such comments about Rogers' employees on air. No court hearing dates have been set for the legal dispute. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay A Canadian woman and a national museum are featured for the first time on a Bank of Canada note, as the new $10 bill was officially put into circulation Monday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Canadian woman and a national museum are featured for the first time on a Bank of Canada note, as the new $10 bill was officially put into circulation Monday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The image of human rights pioneer Viola Desmond, the first woman other than the Queen and other royalty to appear on the front of a Canadian bank note, is on one side of the vertically oriented purple bill, and the Winnipeg-based CMHR is on the other. A sample of the $10 Canadian bill, featuring civil rights icon Viola Desmond Wanda Robson, Desmond's younger sister, joined a slate of dignitaries to officially launch the historic piece of currency. "I feel this is such a momentous occasion. It's unbelievable. My sister, a woman a black woman is on the $10 bill," said Robson, 91. "The Queen is in good company." Robson was joined by Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz and museum president and chief executive officer John Young. "Canadians will now carry a story about human rights in their pockets," Young said. "While Viola's story is becoming increasingly known, the issuance of this bank note is another step, along with the museum, on our journey towards improving our collective memory and understanding that this is a story for all Canadians to know." Desmond was selected from some 25,000 nominations after an open call for Canadians to nominate a woman to be commemorated on the $10 bank note. In 1946, the Nova Scotia businesswoman refused to leave the whites-only section of a theatre in New Glasgow, N.S. She was arrested, jailed and fined. Her defiance helped motivate the struggle against racial segregation in Canada, and the story has been in an exhibit at the Winnipeg museum since it opened in 2014. Desmond (1914-65) received an official apology from Nova Scotia and free pardon from the lieutenant governor in 2010. It was the first time a free pardon which is based on innocence, and recognizes that a conviction was in error had been posthumously granted in Canada. Gail Asper, a CMHR trustee, said the museum began telling Desmond's story in 2004 during a fundraising event called "Remember My Name" where actors appeared as famous Canadians to tell their human rights stories. "An actor playing Viola Desmond came up and told the Viola Desmond story, which nobody really knew back in 2004. She said, 'I am Viola Desmond. Remember my name.' So 14 years later, to have Viola and the museum together on this day is incredibly fitting," Asper said. Robson said she hopes her sister's story and the $10 bill help foster improved human rights and respect among all people. Asked what she things Desmond would say if she were here, Robson said: "It's about time." "She would say that, to herself, 'Well, it's about time that somebody recognized what I did and what so many other people did in their own way. I did it in my way.' That's what she would think," Robson said. "She would say there's so many ordinary people that make a change or begin to make a change with a step here, a step here." Robson delighted the audience with her storytelling skills and her effervescent personality. She shared a memory of her sister's powerful advocacy abilities from decades ago, when she was visiting Robson, a young mother at the time who was struggling financially; even though she'd asked authorities for help, her heat had been shut off. Robson said Desmond crashed a town council meeting on a Saturday to ask for the heat to be turned back on for her little sister. When told to come back Monday, because the town office wasn't open Saturdays, Desmond told the meeting: "Excuse me, children die on Saturday, also." "When we got home, the truck was there, the heat was in, the lights were on and there were groceries in my refrigerator," Robson said. Robson said she sees hope for the future in children when she speaks to them in schools about human rights. "There. There is the change, in the children," she said. "Children don't see colour. They don't see a difference. They have pals, they have friends. I'd like to keep it that way." Young said he hopes as Canadians learn more about Desmond's story, they will also learn more about other stories of racism, oppression and injustice that are part of Canada's human rights journey. "Achieving rights for all is a process and we are not there yet," Young said. The new $10 bill is expected to be available in local banks within the next few weeks. ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Beer guzzlers who like to experiment may soon have a chance to try experimental brew at The Forks. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Beer guzzlers who like to experiment may soon have a chance to try experimental brew at The Forks. Discussions are underway between the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), a non-profit research centre, and The Forks to bring test suds to a tap at The Common craft beer and wine kiosk. The centre evaluates the quality of Canadian malting barley and produces batches of beer to test. It would involve the technical centre moving from its current Main Street location to the Market building at The Forks. "It really is considered one of the worlds greatest research stations in that brewing industry. Its really based on we grow the best barley in the world right here," Paul Jordan, The Forks CEO, said in a phone interview Sunday. "Part of The Forks mandate is to help tell the stories of this place, and thats what The Common is doing with the craft brewing industry. Wed like it to also tell the story of barley. The great beers you can get all over the world, a lot of the barley is coming from Manitoba." As part of the testing process, the technical centre makes high-quality, small-batch beer, Jordan said. Right now, that beer is simply disposed of, but Jordan wants to put it on tap at The Common, in addition to having the centres research facility become a tenant. "They would continue to be research scientists, and thats really the interest for us, and part of telling that story is to sell the beer at The Common as a tester, or an example, when youre testing other beers including local craft beers. Its just a great way of getting the word out that the barley is made right here in the Prairies," Jordan said. "What a great opportunity to tell that story at The Common by having a tap that would be dedicated to the CMBTC." While no one from the technical centre could be reached Sunday for comment, it stated in previous media reports that a move to The Forks would make sense, provided funding could be secured for the move. Manitoba Brewing Association president John Heim said Manitobas craft breweries are already under-represented at The Forks, so the association would be in favour of the move if it motivated The Forks to increase the amount of local crafters products on tap in The Common. Right now, only five local craft beers are among 20 types of beer on tap at The Common. There are 15 local breweries in Manitoba that rotate among the five taps designated for local craft beer. "Those 15 local breweries available now make multiple different styles of beer, and The Forks is a gathering place. Its where people go for local Winnipeg and Manitoba products," he said. "The Forks is a privately run company, so its up to them what they carry, but the expectations are to promote Manitoba and all the good things that can happen as a result of purchasing from Manitoba companies." Heim, also the president of the local company Torque Brewing, said his product has been on tap at The Common only twice in the past six months. "There are a series of taps that are rotated with the craft breweries and a series of taps that are rotated with the worlds best breweries, and the whole idea is to compare," Jordan said. "You can compare these local breweries, which have only been around for a few years, with some beers that have been produced for 1,000 years and you can see how were doing." Jordan would not say if the CMBTC brews would take over one of the five local taps or if it would take one of the 15 other taps. "We havent even gotten that far," Jordan said, noting the discussions of a move are still in the early stages. "But we have absolutely no interest in hurting the local craft brewery business. Its the complete opposite. The rising tide floats all boats, is the way we look at it." Jordan said the CMBTC would use space on two levels at The Forks, including the northwest corner (the former home of the Sushi Train) as well as the area above. ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca The tornadoes that recently hit the Ottawa area cannot be blamed specifically on global climate change but they are consistent with the long-predicted pattern of increasingly frequent and severe extreme-weather events, highlighted in the most recent report of the International Panel on Climate Change. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The tornadoes that recently hit the Ottawa area cannot be blamed specifically on global climate change but they are consistent with the long-predicted pattern of increasingly frequent and severe extreme-weather events, highlighted in the most recent report of the International Panel on Climate Change. Unfortunately, too many Canadians still do not believe that human activity is a major contributor to climate change. How media and government agencies report weather forecasts could help change that. Environment and Climate Change Canada, a government agency, and a bevy of meteorologists provide regular weather forecasts to Canadians through traditional and social media. But they dont often tell us how our daily weather fits, or doesnt fit, with climate change. We hear each day how hot or cold it will be tonight, whether to expect rain tomorrow and what the UV index will be. And on TV, we often see maps of Canada showing animated radar images of cold and warm fronts, clouds, temperatures, cyclones and where there is rain or sun. This information is always helpful to decide what to wear and whether to bring an umbrella. But the government agencies and weather forecasters are missing a major opportunity to impart data that could help to educate and remind Canadians of the growing impacts of climate change on our daily lives. The most we typically hear about climate trends is whether this was the hottest or coldest day/week/month on record. But these trivial facts dont give us a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change in our own regions of Canada. There are interesting and highly relevant weather statistics that would fit well with daily weather forecasts and could regularly remind us that climate change is real, that it is happening now, and could demonstrate how it is affecting our daily lives. Instead of simply pointing out daily or monthly weather records, for example, the forecasts could include the frequency of highly unusual or extreme weather events, statistics that demonstrate broader climate change trends. Depending on the actual daily weather patterns in your part of the country, forecasts could include, for example, exceptional runs of high wind speeds, extreme downpours and unusually warm winter temperatures, using comparisons with historic patterns. These kinds of statistics may look similar to the ones we hear now, but they are different: they flag when and where unusual or extreme weather patterns are happening. Another routinely collected kind of weather data that is rarely shared with the public is snow cover a critical input for Environment and Climate Change Canadas weather forecasting models. Similar to the shrinking coverage of the Arctic ice cap and receding glaciers, why not demonstrate once in a while how todays snow cover across Canada compares to averages on the same day spanning a previous decade? Scientists studying global climate change have predicted for decades that, in addition to gradual warming, the most noticeable effects will be increasing frequencies of extreme weather events: hotter and longer heat waves, heavier and more intense downpours and, depending on which part of Canada it is, longer and more intense dry spells. Canada will also be affected by melting Arctic sea ice, melting permafrost, ocean acidification, more forest fires and rising seas. Climate change is also predicted to generate more intense hurricanes and typhoons in other parts of the world. These changes, while tremendously important, do not fit well with daily weather forecasts. But it would be easy for Environment and Climate Change Canada to produce an interesting and engaging flow of statistical indicators weather facts and images that highlight climate changes that affect us, not just whether it will be warm and sunny tomorrow. Our regular TV and radio weather forecasters could then be able to inform their audiences that were in the midst of an unusual or extreme weather event, as they occur, using these new and much more important indicators. Inevitably, as global climate change continues, the frequency that these indicators would show important changes, especially extreme changes, will increase. Why doesnt the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna ask her staff to produce this information for Canadians? It could help us all understand the here and now of climate change in real terms. Michael Wolfson is a member of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa and a contributor with EvidenceNetwork.ca based at the University of Winnipeg. He was a Canada Research Chair at the University of Ottawa, and is a former assistant chief statistician at Statistics Canada. Manitoba Hydro and SaskPower recently announced progress on a deal to sell up to 215 megawatts of electricity from Manitoba to consumers in Saskatchewan beginning in 2022. This is on top of another 100 megawatts set to begin in 2020. This represents about eight per cent of Saskatchewans peak power demand a good start, but theres plenty more the two provinces can, and should, do. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Manitoba Hydro and SaskPower recently announced progress on a deal to sell up to 215 megawatts of electricity from Manitoba to consumers in Saskatchewan beginning in 2022. This is on top of another 100 megawatts set to begin in 2020. This represents about eight per cent of Saskatchewans peak power demand a good start, but theres plenty more the two provinces can, and should, do. While the exact financial arrangements of the deal are not yet known, this latest co-operation between the two provincial utilities is a boost for Manitobans and Saskatchewanians for both their pocketbooks and their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Yet even more co-operation will be needed in the future an argument we make in a recent research paper titled "Power without Borders: Moving towards an integrated Western grid." This is because Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the rest of Canadas energy future is going to involve using a lot more electricity than is used today. To reduce emissions, electricity rather than traditional fossil fuels will be used to power more things such as electric vehicles or space heating. Studies suggest this could mean doubling or tripling electricity consumption over the next several decades. But to actually reduce emissions, the electricity powering this future needs to be clean. Supplying this clean electricity reliably and affordably will need greater integration between provincial electricity systems the recently announced deal is a positive example. A more integrated grid will let Manitoba and Saskatchewan take full advantage of their most valuable zero-emission electricity resources. With the announced deal, SaskPower will be able to use clean hydroelectricity from Manitoba to help achieve its 2030 goal of reducing emissions by 40 per cent. But Saskatchewan wont just rely on Manitoba nor should it. The province also has significant potential to produce a lot more of its own clean electricity. Saskatchewan has great wind resources a lot like Alberta, which recently procured nearly 600 MW of wind generation at record low prices. Developing this potential will create new jobs and economic activity in Saskatchewan but there will also be a limit. The variable nature of wind generation constrains how much wind energy can be economically developed in the province. Build too much and the province may have more electricity than it can use when its particularly windy. The solution to this problem is to find a way to store the excess electricity something that is still very expensive at large enough scale or find other markets to send it to. Improved electricity trade between Manitoba and Saskatchewan can provide this outlet. The deal will be enabled by the construction of an additional transmission line between the two provinces, but more transmission capacity is needed to enable additional electricity trade. A recent study commissioned by Natural Resources Canada found that increasing transmission capacity between the two provinces beyond what is currently planned would lower electricity costs while also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions a win-win. Increasing electricity trade is good for both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Manitoba already exports 30 per cent of its generation mostly to the United States but it is never a bad idea to diversify. This point became clear with recent trade negotiations with our southern neighbours. Saskatchewan needs clean electricity to meet its near-term emission goals and Manitoba hydroelectricity can help achieve those goals at a lower cost than Saskatchewan can achieve on its own. But Saskatchewan will also need outlets in the future to send electricity to if it wants to take full advantage of its wind resources. Manitoba can be that outlet by using cheap wind energy from Saskatchewan when its plentiful and filling the gaps with hydroelectricity when the wind subsides. Study after study shows improving interprovincial electricity trade is a key component of supplying the clean electricity Canada will need in the future. The electricity deal between SaskPower and Manitoba Hydro is a step in the right direction for the provinces energy futures, but ideally, its only the beginning. Nick Martin is a policy analyst at the Canada West Foundation and the author of Power without Borders: Moving towards an integrated Western grid. On Oct. 8, climate scientists from around the globe warned that dangerous greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be cut in half by 2030 or we risk giving our children and grandchildren a badly damaged planet. The scientists also say emissions must be zero by 2050 or life will be dominated by extreme conditions such as droughts, fires, floods, massive species die-offs, rising oceans, collapsing food systems, and the forced migration of hundreds of millions of climate refugees. In short, either we start changing how we live now, or the climate is going to do that for us at a cost we likely cant even imagine. The scale of this challenge is truly massive, but the United Nations scientists offered some good news too: we still have time to avoid a future of runaway climate change. The question is, how? Here in Manitoba, and specifically in the Wolseley/West End neighbourhoods, I would argue there are several ways to turn this enormous global challenge into real opportunities for local people. Most of the greenhouse gases we emit in our day to day lives come from burning fossil fuels in our vehicles and in our homes for heating. Switching to electricity creates huge opportunities for local employment and saving money while also reducing our greenhouse pollution. This is because Manitoba is one of the few places in the whole world to make its electricity without using fossil fuels. For instance, given our older homes in the West End, who would like to have lower utility bills each month because your home is more efficient? Homeowners, renters and landlords alike would benefit if governments provided incentives to fix up our buildings and then switch them as needed to green energy such as solar, geothermal or biomass. According to a study by Natural Resources Canada, every dollar invested into efficiency upgrades creates $5 to $8 of GDP, and every $1 million invested creates 30 to 50 new jobs. Electric buses are another potential win-win-win for us in the West End/Wolseley and across the province. Each electric bus saves Winnipeg Transit $60,000 per year because they cost much less to operate. These savings could be used to reduce transit fares, or increase how often buses come to our neighbourhoods. Climate change is the defining issue of our time. For our kids sake, lets be proud of how we define our response. Let me know your thoughts on how to make a greener Manitoba at Wolseley1@yourmanitoba.ca or 204-775-8575. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 19/11/2018 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. On Oct. 8, climate scientists from around the globe warned that dangerous greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be cut in half by 2030 or we risk giving our children and grandchildren a badly damaged planet. The scientists also say emissions must be zero by 2050 or life will be dominated by extreme conditions such as droughts, fires, floods, massive species die-offs, rising oceans, collapsing food systems, and the forced migration of hundreds of millions of climate refugees. In short, either we start changing how we live now, or the climate is going to do that for us at a cost we likely cant even imagine. The scale of this challenge is truly massive, but the United Nations scientists offered some good news too: we still have time to avoid a future of "runaway climate change". The question is, how? Here in Manitoba, and specifically in the Wolseley/West End neighbourhoods, I would argue there are several ways to turn this enormous global challenge into real opportunities for local people. Most of the greenhouse gases we emit in our day to day lives come from burning fossil fuels in our vehicles and in our homes for heating. Switching to electricity creates huge opportunities for local employment and saving money while also reducing our greenhouse pollution. This is because Manitoba is one of the few places in the whole world to make its electricity without using fossil fuels. For instance, given our older homes in the West End, who would like to have lower utility bills each month because your home is more efficient? Homeowners, renters and landlords alike would benefit if governments provided incentives to fix up our buildings and then switch them as needed to green energy such as solar, geothermal or biomass. According to a study by Natural Resources Canada, every dollar invested into efficiency upgrades creates $5 to $8 of GDP, and every $1 million invested creates 30 to 50 new jobs. Electric buses are another potential win-win-win for us in the West End/Wolseley and across the province. Each electric bus saves Winnipeg Transit $60,000 per year because they cost much less to operate. These savings could be used to reduce transit fares, or increase how often buses come to our neighbourhoods. Climate change is the defining issue of our time. For our kids sake, lets be proud of how we define our response. Let me know your thoughts on how to make a greener Manitoba at Wolseley1@yourmanitoba.ca or 204-775-8575. On Oct. 8, climate scientists from around the globe warned that dangerous greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be cut in half by 2030 or we risk giving our children and grandchildren a badly damaged planet. The scientists also say emissions must be zero by 2050 or life will be dominated by extreme conditions such as droughts, fires, floods, massive species die-offs, rising oceans, collapsing food systems, and the forced migration of hundreds of millions of climate refugees. In short, either we start changing how we live now, or the climate is going to do that for us at a cost we likely cant even imagine. The scale of this challenge is truly massive, but the United Nations scientists offered some good news too: we still have time to avoid a future of "runaway climate change". The question is, how? Here in Manitoba, and specifically in the Wolseley/West End neighbourhoods, I would argue there are several ways to turn this enormous global challenge into real opportunities for local people. Most of the greenhouse gases we emit in our day to day lives come from burning fossil fuels in our vehicles and in our homes for heating. Switching to electricity creates huge opportunities for local employment and saving money while also reducing our greenhouse pollution. This is because Manitoba is one of the few places in the whole world to make its electricity without using fossil fuels. For instance, given our older homes in the West End, who would like to have lower utility bills each month because your home is more efficient? Homeowners, renters and landlords alike would benefit if governments provided incentives to fix up our buildings and then switch them as needed to green energy such as solar, geothermal or biomass. According to a study by Natural Resources Canada, every dollar invested into efficiency upgrades creates $5 to $8 of GDP, and every $1 million invested creates 30 to 50 new jobs. Electric buses are another potential win-win-win for us in the West End/Wolseley and across the province. Each electric bus saves Winnipeg Transit $60,000 per year because they cost much less to operate. These savings could be used to reduce transit fares, or increase how often buses come to our neighbourhoods. Climate change is the defining issue of our time. For our kids sake, lets be proud of how we define our response. Let me know your thoughts on how to make a greener Manitoba at Wolseley1@yourmanitoba.ca or 204-775-8575. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. operates as an independent specialty pharmacy in the United States. The company operates through Specialty and PBM (pharmacy benefit management) segment. It provides specialty infusion pharmacy, patient care coordination, clinical, compliance and persistency program, patient financial assistance, specialty pharmacy training, benefits investigation, prior authorization, risk evaluation and medication strategy, retail specialty, and hub services, as well as clinical and administrative support services to hospitals and health systems. The company primarily focuses on medication management programs for individuals with complex chronic diseases, including oncology, immunology, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, specialized infusion therapy, and various other serious or long-term conditions. It also offers PBM services, including electronic point-of-sale pharmacy claims management, retail pharmacy network management, mail pharmacy claims management, specialty pharmacy claims management, Medicare Part D services, benefit design consultation, drug review and analysis, consulting services, data access, and reporting, information analysis, and preferred drug management programs to managed care organizations, self-insured employer groups, unions, and third-party healthcare plan administrators and worker's compensation payers. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Flint, Michigan. Read More iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF's stock was trading at $158.09 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IWF shares have increased by 92.1% and is now trading at $303.72. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Advisors S.r.l., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe (Services) Limited, AIG Europe Holdings S.a.rl., AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Insurance Company (Switzerland) Ltd, AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG Shared Services Corporation, AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE EOLA LLC, AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American Home Assurance Company Escritorio de Representacao no Brasil Ltda., American International Group Inc., American International Group UK Limited, American International Overseas Association, American International Overseas Limited, American International Realty Corp., American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A., American Security Life Insurance Company Limited, Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Avondhu Limited, Blackboard Customer Care Insurance Services LLC, Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Services LLC, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., Chartis Takaful Enaya B.S.C. (c), Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Fortitude Group Holdings LLC, Fortitude Life & Annuity Solutions Inc., Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Group Risk Services Limited, Group Risk Technologies Limited, Illinois National Insurance Co., Jefferson Eola Venture LLC, Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, MG Reinsurance Limited, Mt. Mansfield Company Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Private Joint-Stock Company AIG Ukraine Insurance Company, Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SA Affordable Housing LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners Inc., SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., Thai CIT Holding Company Limited, The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., Western World Insurance Company, and Western World Insurance Group Inc.. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Crown: Adularia Inversiones 2010 S.L., Angleboard Sweden AB, Bates Cargo-Pak ApS, Butimove, CMB Machinery and Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CROWN AP (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Aerosols & Promotional Nederland, CROWN Aerosols Italia Srl, CROWN Aerosols Nederland BV, CROWN Aerosols UK Limited, CROWN Americas LLC, CROWN Arabia Can Company Ltd, CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd., CROWN Asia Pacific Investments (T) Limited, CROWN Bevcan Espana S.L., CROWN Bevcan France SAS, CROWN Bevcan Slovakia s.r.o., CROWN Bevcan Turkiye Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, CROWN Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Dong Nai) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Beijing Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Changchun Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Danang Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hangzhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hanoi Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Heshan Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hong Kong Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Huizhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CROWN Beverage Cans Nanning Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Putian Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Saigon Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Shanghai Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Sihanoukville Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte. Ltd., CROWN Beverage Cans Ziyang Limited, CROWN Beverage Packaging LLC, CROWN Beverage Packaging Puerto Rico Inc., CROWN Cans Ghana Limited, CROWN China Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, CROWN Commercial Belgium BVBA, CROWN Commercial France SAS, CROWN Commercial Germany GmbH & Co. KG, CROWN Commercial Hungary Kft, CROWN Commercial Netherlands B.V., CROWN Commercial Vermogensverwaltung GmbH, CROWN Cork & Seal USA Inc., CROWN Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia S.A., CROWN Emballage France SAS, CROWN Emirates Company Limited, CROWN Envases Mexico S.A. de C.V., CROWN Famosa S.A. de C.V., CROWN Food Packaging (Thailand) Public Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Hat Yai) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Nakhon Pathom) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan Germany GmbH, CROWN Foodcan GmbH, CROWN Imballaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Imgallaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Italy Finance srl, CROWN Khmer Beverage Cans Limited, CROWN Maghreb Can, CROWN Magyarorszag Csomagoloipari KFT, CROWN Metal Packaging Canada Inc., CROWN Metal Packaging Canada LP, CROWN Middle East Can Co. Ltd., CROWN Packaging (Barbados) Limited, CROWN Packaging Holdings LLC, CROWN Packaging Investment (H.K.) Limited, CROWN Packaging Ireland Ltd, CROWN Packaging Jamaica Limited, CROWN Packaging Polska Sp.z.o.o., CROWN Packaging Technology Inc., CROWN Packaging Trinidad Limited, CROWN Packaging UK Limited, CROWN Promotional Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN SIEM, CROWN Senegal, CROWN Societe Malgache d'Emballages Metalliques, CROWN Speciality Packaging BV, CROWN Speciality Packaging Investment Pte. Ltd., CROWN Specialty Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited, CROWN Verpakking Belgie NV, CROWN Verpakking Nederland B.V., Caretex Asia Ltd., CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd, CarnaudMetalbox Food South Africa (Pty) Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Group UK Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overeseas Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overseas Limited, Cierres Hermeticos S.A. DE C.V., Constar International, Crown Americas Capital Corp., Crown Americas Capital Corp. II, Crown Americas Capital Corp. III, Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, Crown Brasil Holdings Ltda., Crown Canadian Holdings ULC, Crown Closures Spain S.L., Crown Colombiana S.A., Crown Comercial de Envases S.L., Crown Commercial Italy Srl, Crown Commercial Polska Sp. z.o.o., Crown Consultants Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Company (DE) LLC, Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Crown Cork & Seal Receivables (DE) Corporation, Crown Cork & Seal de Portugal Embalagens S.A., Crown Cork Kuban, Crown Cork and Seal Receivables II LLC, Crown Developpement SAS, Crown European Holdings, Crown Food Espana S.A.U., Crown Foodcan Turkey Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Crown Hellas Can Packaging SA, Crown Heshan Trading Company Limited, Crown Holdings Italia Srl, Crown Holdings Spain S.L., Crown International Holdings B.V., Crown International Holdings Inc., Crown Luxembourg Holdings, Crown Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Crown Overseas Investments B.V., Crown Packaging Commercial UK Limited, Crown Packaging Distribution UK Limited, Crown Packaging European Division GmbH, Crown Packaging European Division Services SAS, Crown Packaging European Holdings GmbH, Crown Packaging Lux I S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux II S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux III S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited, Crown Packaging Maroc, Crown Receivables III, Crown Services Iberia, Crown UK Holdings Limited, Crownway Insurance Company, Dacro B.V., EMPAQUE, Fabricas Monterrey S.A. de C.V., Form Koruyucu Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Foshan Continental Can Co. Limited, Foshan Crown Easy-Opening End Co. Limited, Glass & Silice S.A. DE C.V., Globoplastt s.r.o., Gunther S.A.S., Haloila Bulgaria EOOD, Interstrap B.V., Josef Kihlberg AB, Kiwiplan GmbH, Kiwiplan Inc, Lachenmeier ApS, Liljendals Bruk AB, Litec France S.A.S., Mezger Heftsysteme GmbH, Mima Films S.a.r.l., Mima Films Sprl, Mima Packaging Systems S.A.S., Mivisa, Nordic S.A.S., Norsk Signode AS, Oy M. Haloila AB, PT CROWN Beverage Cans Indonesia, Package Design and Manufacturing, Prolatamex S.A. DE C.V., Quandel Verpackungs- und Foerdertechnik GmbH, SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH, SMP Schwede Maschinenbau Weischlitz GmbH, SPG Denmark, SPG France Holdings SAS, SPG Germany Service Management GmbH, SPG Industrial Packaging S.a.r.l, SPG Netherlands B.V., SPG Packaging Ireland Limited, SPG Packaging Systems GmbH, SPG Packaging UK Ltd, Scybele S.A.S., Shippers Europe S.p.r.l., Signode BVBA, Signode Brasileira Ltda, Signode Hong Kong Limited, Signode Industrial Group, Signode Industrial Group AB, Signode Industrial Group Colombia S.A.S., Signode Industrial Group GmbH, Signode Industrial Group Holdings Lux S.a.r.l., Signode Industrial Group Holdings US Inc, Signode Industrial Group Lux S.A., Signode Industrial Group Mexico, Signode Industrial Group Sweden AB, Signode International Holdings LLC, Signode International IP Holdings LLC, Signode International Investment LLC, Signode Kabushiki Kaisha, Signode Korea Inc, Signode NZ Limited, Signode Netherlands B.V., Signode Packaging (Qingdao) Co., Signode Packaging (Shanghai) Co., Signode Packaging Espana S.L., Signode Packaging Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Signode Packaging Group Australia Pty Ltd, Signode Packaging Group Canada ULC, Signode Packaging Group NZ, Signode Packaging Systems Limited, Signode Pickling Holding LLC, Signode Polska sp. Z.o.o., Signode Singapore Pte. Ltd., Signode Sweden Holdings AB, Signode System GmbH, Signode System Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, Signode Systems (Thailand) Ltd., Signode US IP Holdings LLC, Silice De Veracruz S.A. DE C. V., Silice Del Istmo S.A. DE C.V., Silices De Veracruz, Societe Civile Immobiliere Rousseau-Ivry, Societe Civile Immobiliere des Baquets, Societe de Participations CarnaudMetalbox, Stopak India Pvt. Ltd, Strapex Austria GmbH, Strapex Embalagem L.d.a., Strapex Holdings Limited, Strapex S.A.S., Strapex Srl, Superior Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd., Superior Multi-Packaging Limited, TopFrame LLC, V.A.C. B.V., Vichisa S.A. de C.V., and Warehouse Automation Iberia S.L.. The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Pacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap ETF's stock was trading at $28.3295 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, PTMC shares have increased by 29.9% and is now trading at $36.79. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 KBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Humana: 154th Street Medical Plaza, 516-526 West Main Street Condominium Council of Co-Owners, 54th Street Medical Plaza, American Eldercare, American Eldercare of North Florida, Anvita Health, Arcadian Health Plan, Arcadian Management Services, Atlantis Physician Group, CAC Medical Center Holdings, CAC-Florida Medical Centers, CDO 1, CDO 2, CHA HMO, CHA Service Company, Care Partners Home Care, CareNetwork, CarePlus Health, CarePlus Health Plans, Cariten Health Plan Inc., Certify Data Systems, CompBenefits, CompBenefits Company, CompBenefits Corporation, CompBenefits Dental, CompBenefits Direct, CompBenefits Insurance Company, Complex Clinical Management, Concentra Managed Care, Continucare Corporation, Continucare MDHC, Continucare MSO, Continucare Medical Management, Dental Care Plus Management, DentiCare, Emphesys, Emphesys Insurance Company, Enclara Healthcare, FPG, FPG Acquisition Corp., FPG Acquisition Holdings Corp., FPG Senior Services, Family Physicians of Winter Park, Go365, HUM Provider Holdings, HUM-e-FL, Harris Rothenberg International, Health Value Management, Humana Active Outlook, Humana At Home (Dallas), Humana At Home (Houston), Humana At Home (San Antonio), Humana At Home (TLC), Humana At Home 1, Humana Behavioral Health, Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Humana Dental Company, Humana Digital Health and Analytics Platform Services, Humana EAP and Work-Life Services of California, Humana Employers Health Plan of Georgia, Humana Government Business, Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Humana Health Company of New York, Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, Humana Health Plan, Humana Health Plan of California, Humana Health Plan of Ohio, Humana Health Plan of Texas, Humana Health Plans of Puerto Rico, Humana Healthcare Research, Humana Inc., Humana Innovation Enterprises, Humana Insurance Company, Humana Insurance Company of Kentucky, Humana Insurance Company of New York, Humana Insurance of Puerto Rico, Humana Management Services of Puerto Rico, Humana MarketPOINT, Humana MarketPOINT of Puerto Rico, Humana Medical Plan, Humana Medical Plan of Michigan, Humana Medical Plan of Pennsylvania, Humana Medical Plan of Utah, Humana Pharmacy, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, Humana Regional Health Plan, Humana Veterans Healthcare Services, Humana WellWorks LLC, Humana Wisconsin Health Organization Insurance Corporation, Humana at Home, HumanaDental, HumanaDental Insurance Company, Humco, Hummingbird Coaching Systems LLC, Independent Care Health Plan, KMG America, Kindred Healthcare, MCCI Group Holdings, MCCI Holdings, MCCI Medical Group, MCCI Specialty, MCCI/Lifetime of Aventura, MD Care, METCARE of Florida, Managed Care Indemnity, Medical Care Consortium Incorporated of Texas, MetCare, Metropolitan Health Networks, Naples Health Care Specialists, North Region Providers, Nursing Solutions, OSF HealthCare, PHP Companies, Partners in Integrated Care, Preferred Health Partnership, Preservation on Main, Primary Care Holdings, Primary Care Holdings II, Primary Care Specialists of the Palm Beaches, RMA Medical Centers of Florida, RMA Medical Group of Florida, ROHC, SeniorBridge, SeniorBridge Family Companies (CT), SeniorBridge Family Companies (FL), SeniorBridge Family Companies (IN), SeniorBridge Family Companies (MO), SeniorBridge Family Companies (NY), SeniorBridge-Florida, Texas Dental Plans, The Dental Concern, Transcend Population Health Management, and Transcend Population Health Management II. iShares S&P 500 ETF's stock was trading at $275.41 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IVV shares have increased by 70.7% and is now trading at $470.06. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos. Delta Galil Industries Ltd. engages in development, design, production, marketing and sale of underwear, socks, children's wear, leisure wear and Activewear as well as in development, design, marketing, distribution and sale of branded products in the category of men's and women's jeans and outerwear and related products. It operates through the following segments: Delta USA, Global Upper Market, Schiesser, Delta Israel, and Delta Premium Brands. The Delta USA Segment engages in the development, design and marketing of lingerie, socks and Activewear to Private Labels. The Global Upper Market segment develops, designs, manufactures and markets men's and women's underwear, socks and Activewear manufactured at the Company's plants and sold to retail chains and to brands in Europe and the United States. The Schiesser segment covers the development, design, manufacture and marketing of labeled women's, men's and children's underwear and Activewear under the Schiesser brand. The Delta Israel segment is involved in the development, design and marketing of labeled women's and men's underwear, socks and Activewear products, as well as children's wear under the Delta brand. The Delta Premium Brands segment engages in development, design, marketing, distribution and sale of premium products under the brands 7 For All Mankind, Splendid, Ella moss. The company was founded by Dov Lautman and Eliezer Peleg in 1975 and is headquartered in Caesarea, Israel. Read More Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions Read More Galway Metals Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties. It explores for zinc, gold, copper, silver, and lead. The company holds a 100% interest in the Clarence Stream project that covers an area of 61,000 hectares located in south-western New Brunswick, Canada. It also holds a 100% interest in the Estrades mine, related Newiska concessions, and adjacent Casa Berardi claims covering an area of 20,915 hectares in western Quebec, Canada. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Novan, Inc., a clinical development-stage biotechnology company, provides nitric oxide-based therapies to treat dermatological and oncovirus-mediated diseases. Its clinical stage dermatology drug candidates include SB204, a topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris; SB206, a topical anti-viral gel for the treatment of viral skin infections; SB208, a topical broad-spectrum anti-fungal gel for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, including athlete's foot and fungal nail infections; and SB414, a topical cream-based gel product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The company also develops SB207, an anti-viral product candidate for the treatment of external genital warts; WH602, a nitric oxide-containing intravaginal gel to treat high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV); WH504, a non-gel formulation product candidate to treat high-risk HPV; and SB019 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Novan, Inc. has a license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and a strategic alliance with Orion Corporation. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Read More There is not enough analysis data for POET Technologies. 4.8 Community Rank Outperform Votes POET Technologies has received 183 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes POET Technologies has received 69 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment POET Technologies has received 72.62% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about POET Technologies and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe POETF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe POETF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next HDFC Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, including commercial banking and treasury operations. The firm also provides financial services to upper and middle income individuals and corporations in India. It operates through the following segments: Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Other Banking Operations. The Treasury segment consists of bank's investment portfolio, money market borrowing and lending, investment operations and trading in foreign exchange and derivative contracts. The Retail Banking segment provides loans and other services to customers through a branch network and other delivery channels. The Wholesale Banking segment provides loans, non-fund facilities and transaction services to large corporates, emerging corporates, public sector units, government bodies, financial institutions, and medium scale enterprises. The Other Banking Business segment includes income from para banking activities such as credit cards, debit cards, third party product distribution, primary dealership business, and the associated costs. The company was founded by Aditya Tapishwar Puri in August 1994 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd.. World Aids Day 2018 Engulfed in social stigma and discrimination, HIV/AIDS is an issue society still addresses in hushed voices despite the progression we claim to have achieved globally. In honour of World AIDS Day 2018 (Celebrated on December 1) the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) has partnered up with their stakeholders, NGO partners and the private sector to approach this disease with open hearts and minds. World AIDS Day (WAD) originated in 1988 at the Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. This years theme has been announced as Know your status. According to the statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO), over 70 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 35 million people have died resultantly since its origin. These inconceivable figures have paved the way for a global campaign which follows a fast tracked strategy to end AIDS by 2030. This incorporates an ambitious 90-90-90 treatment target which is as follows: By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. Having maintained a relatively impressive low prevalence rate, the Sri Lankan authorities involved in this campaign have moved one step further and modified the global theme to read Know your status to End AIDS by 2025. The NSACP is well aware of the social and cultural forces which erect a wall between victims and non-victims of AIDS. Such pressures have driven sufferers to deny their illness and shy away from getting their selves tested. It is therefore a foremost target of the NSACP to normalize testing and eliminate societys unfounded fear toward the disease. Dr. Iresh Jayaweera of the World AIDS day organizing team, explained that if HIV testing was perceived as something as ordinary as a full blood count test or a fasting blood sugar test, the social stigma that has been thus far impermeable, may be dissolved greatly. He explained that battling these social factors was the first step toward achieving medical targets. For, only 2/3rd of people having HIV know their status, 1/3rd is still out there- who if diagnosed and treated will allow us to virtually eliminate AIDS by 2025. Statistics show that over 3600 people are HIV infected within Sri Lanka, of them only around 1355 are under care. Although these statistics may seem trifling there is no room for complacency Lack of awareness Only 2/3rd of people having HIV know their status, 1/3rd is still out there- who if diagnosed and treated will allow us to virtually eliminate AIDS by 2025 Dr. Iresh Jayaweera HIV/AIDS is often associated with a defeatist attitude, owing to the lack of awareness concerning treatment possibilities. Despite our unlimited access to information, AIDS is still considered synonymous with a death sentence. In spite of our paramount advancement, AIDS is still a sensitivity which tests humanity. The campaigns carried out by the NSACPA will annihilate age-old myths regarding the disease. There is hope were the words of Dr. Chandrika Jayakody- the National Programme Consultant for IEC and Condom Promotion. She added that through treatment, an HIV positive patient is now able to attain a quality of life (and life expectancy) that is almost the same as of a normal person. Owing to local cultural values that are deeply embedded in society, these authorities realize that a change in how people view AIDS cannot be made in the near future. However this is a reality against which the patients will be sheltered from, owing to confidential and anonymous testing procedures. Dr. Iresh stressed on the extremely secure doctor- patient relationships beyond which ones HIV status will not be disclosed to anyone. Furthermore, the information we generally possess regarding the disease itself is limited, thereby subjecting us to more misconception and misjudgement. Dr. Chandrika spoke of a lengthy asymptomatic period a patient may experience after contracting HIV/AIDS. This may subject him/her to a false sense of security and keep them from getting tested and/or treated. The hesitation surrounding this primary step of getting tested is what the campaign hopes to obliterate. 33 full-time STD clinics Under the NSACP, there are 33 full-time STD clinics and 23 branches around the country. Of these, 21 clinics provide HIV treatment free of charge. Meanwhile, the NSACP is also tackling the problem of stigma at its roots. It is extremely important that an individuals perception of victims of diseases like HIV/AIDS is moulded at their core. Understanding this, the NSACP in cooperation with the Education Ministry has visited 192 schools island-wide conducting sessions to instil awareness among the youth. Additionally, the multi-sectoral unit under this National programme conducts TOTs (Training of Trainers) which enable teachers to be prepared to educate their students in the most wholesome way possible. Blood testing programmes, condom promotion and NGO- supported workshops have been organized. Vulnerable sectors like the migrant, the youth, tourists and prisons have especially been targeted. .However this is just the beginning. The aspiring team is currently working on other developments which will dilute the pessimism, the prejudice and the trepidation of the disease. Preventive and effective printed messages on school text books and informative video clips are a few other budding projects. Through treatment, an HIV positive patient is now able to attain a quality of life (and life expectancy) that is almost the same as of a normal person Dr. Chandrika Jayakody Statistics show that over 3600 people are HIV infected within Sri Lanka, of them only around 1355 are under care. Although these statistics may seem trifling in relation to the victim count in African regions which is close to 26 million, there is no room for complacency. Sri Lanka is one of the countries in South East Asia with a rising HIV incidence. Every week 5-6 new infections are reported to the NSACP. Dr. Iresh stressed on a possible increment in the local prevalence rate in future considering the population pyramid which depicts the sexually active youth outnumbering the aged. He also explained how due to migration and tourism being portals for STDs, societys rapidly changing sexual patterns, homosexuality and the role that social media plays in this respect, the condition may only worsen. These are evidentiary reasons this campaign is needed now more than ever. The reality is that we are striking down the diseased. The vision is that we strike down the disease. However this is unattainable unless certain walls are broken down and a different mindset is practised. Driven by these targets, the NSACP is equipping our community with armour of awareness and vigilance. In the spirit of acceptance, the NSACP together with their stakeholders will be organizing a walk on the 1st of December in honour of the 30th anniversary of World AIDS day. The Walk will commence at 8.30 am in the front lawn area of the Colombo Municipal Council and will reach its conclusion in the front lawn of BMICH where it will be followed by a meeting. Kick starting a series of efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS from being a public health problem by 2025, these trailblazers request your support in making the changes we urgently need. 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.. Yext, Inc. is an emerging growth company engages in software development. It offers a cloud-based digital knowledge platform, which allows businesses manage their digital knowledge in the cloud such as financial information, resources and performance of these resources on a consolidated basis and sync it to other application such as Apple Maps, Bing, Cortana, Facebook, Google, Google Maps, Instagram, Siri and Yelp. It offers the Yext Knowledge Engine package on subscription basis, which has an access to Listings, Pages, Reviews and other features. The Listing feature provides customers with control over their digital presence, including their location and other related attributes published on the used third-party applications. The Pages feature allows customers to establish landing pages on their own websites and to manage digital content on those sites, including calls to action. The Reviews presence enables customers to encourage and facilitate reviews from end consumers. The company was founded by Howard Lerman, Brent Metz, and Brian Distelburger in 2006 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF's stock was trading at $38.50 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EFV shares have increased by 33.4% and is now trading at $51.34. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company. It provides financial and investment banking services. The firm offers a range of investment banking products and services in all capital markets, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and brokerage and research. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking, Corporate and Investment Bank, Commercial Banking, and Asset and Wealth Management. The Consumer and Community Banking segment serves consumers and businesses through personal service at bank branches and through automated teller machine, online, mobile, and telephone banking. The Corporate and Investment Bank segment offers a suite of investment banking, market-making, prime brokerage, and treasury and securities products and services to a global client base of corporations, investors, financial institutions, government and municipal entities. The Commercial Banking segment delivers services to U.S. and its multinational clients, including corporations, municipalities, financial institutions, and non profit Read More The clergy participate in the clean-up A mega beach clean-up campaign carried out by Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC in collaboration with Seth Sarana, Sunday Schools and Parish Youth Societies under the theme of Gods Love for All and covering a stretch of 34 km from Palliyawatta in Wattala to Poruthota in Negombo, was held recently with the participation of over 5000 environmental-lovers from all walks of life. Brief note on Caritas Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC is an expression of the concern of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka for justice, peace and human development. It operates on the mandate of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka (CBCSL) which is conferred to the Board of Management (BOM). It is the National Secretariat of the Commission for Justice, Peace and Human Development of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka. In each Diocese, Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC has an implementing Caritas Diocesan Secretariat. These are the secretariats of the Commission for Justice, Peace & Human Development of the respective Dioceses. Beach clean-up campaign It is even identified through a research conducted by a team of researchers in the United States and Australia that Sri Lanka is the fifth among the countries that pollute the ocean the most It was the first time in Sri Lanka that such a long vast beach stretch was cleaned-up within 5 hours. Caritas Sri Lanka -SEDEC National Director Rev. Fr. Mahendra Gunatilleke, and Seth Sarana Director, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake and Parish Priests of 11 churches along the beach belt gave the leadership for this enormous task. The campaign kicked off with a brief multi-religious opening ceremony where children cladded in attire according to different ethnicities, welcomed the religious leaders offering sheafs of betel. Ven Atabage Piyadassi Thera of Abeysekararamaya, Negombo, Moulavi Nawaz of Poruthota Mosque, Shiva Sri Rajendram Kurukkal of Kandsurindugama Skandakumara Hindu Temple represented their respective religions. In their short sermons, all the religious leaders emphasised the importance of environmental friendly facts according to their religions. Representatives from Presidential Secretariat, Marine Environment Protection Authority, Central Environment Authority, Department of Coast Conservation, Divisional Secretariats of Wattala, Ja-Ela and Negombo, Negombo Municipal Council, Wattala-Mabloa Urban Council, Ja-Ela Town Council, students of Maris Stella College, Negombo, Sunday School students and teachers, Youth Societies, the parishioners and many environmental-friendly organizations featured in the campaign prominently. A pilot beach clean-up programme was carried out on September 2 as a rehearsal to ascertain the gravity and difficulties of planning a mega beach clean-up project. Experience gained in that project has immensely helped us to organise the so campaign in a proper manner. Every citizen should protect the nation Fr. Mahendra Gunatilleke said it was the duty of every citizen to be clean and to maintain a clean neighbourhood. However, it is visible that our surroundings are very much polluted and an emerging issue is that the oceans are being dumped with plastic and other wastage. It is even identified through a research conducted by a team of researchers in the United States and Australia that Sri Lanka is the fifth among the countries that pollute the ocean the most. Taking this matter into serious consideration and as a mean of setting Laudato Si a book by Pope Francis in action, Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC intends to organise a mega beach cleaning campaign with other collaborators covering the coastal area from Palliyawatta to Negombo, Fr. Gunatilleke said. The Catholic parish priests, Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu, religious leaders in the relevant areas also played leading roles in organising the event. Youth groups, Sunday school students and teachers, YMCAs and fisheries communities including Dheewara Samithiyas assisted us in making this event a success, Fr. Gunatilleke added. Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN. Read More Magna International Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. Its Body Exteriors & Structures segment provides body and chassis systems, as well as engineering and testing services; exterior systems, including fascia and trims, front end modules, front integration panels, liftgate modules, active aerodynamics, engineered glass, running boards, truck bed access products, and side doors; and roof systems, such as modular and textile folding roofs, and hard and soft tops. The company's Power & Vision segment offers dedicated hybrid, dual and e-clutch, and manual transmissions; engine drive plates and accessories; AWD/4WD products, rear drive modules, and hybrid and battery electric drive systems; transmission, engine, and driveline components; advanced driver assistance systems, camera systems, ultrasonic sensors, and electronic controllers; interior and exterior mirrors, actuators, door handles, overhead consoles, and camera monitoring systems; head, tail, and fog lamps; signal and other lighting products; and latching systems, door modules, window systems, power closure systems, hinges and wire forming, and handle assemblies. Its Seating Systems segment provides seat structures, mechanism and hardware solutions, and foam and trim products. The company's Complete Vehicles segment offers vehicle manufacturing and engineering services. It also designs, engineers, and manufactures tooling products. Magna International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Aurora, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited. CEO Mr. Lakshman Silva welcoming the graduates Strengthening its Strategic CSR pillar of Education, DFCC Bank recently organised a graduation ceremony for its second batch of students who participated in its English Education CSR programme, Samata English. Held at the DFCC Bank Auditorium, the occasion was graced by senior management of DFCC Bank, graduating students and proud parents. A total of 52 students graduated on this occasion receiving a certificate from the awarding bodies. The Spoken English course was carried out at DFCCs Galle, Kandy and Kurunegala branches from April to August 2018 for students between the ages of 18 and 22. The Bank partnered with the Gateway Language Centre and 96 students were selected to enrol for the course upon completion of an initial assessment. The course was held over a period of three months and at the final examination, a total of 87 students scored a First Class out of 96, which reflects how much the course has helped to improve their spoken English skills. The final assessment was conducted by Gateway where they also received a CALSDA Certification. A CSR initiative by DFCC Bank, the Samata English programme was designed to teach Spoken English to students, enabling them to enter into the workforce on a strong and confident footing. The course consists of practical activities, presentations, skills development and free tutorials in classrooms with modern facilities. The initiative commenced in 2017 with programmes being held in the Kalutara and Gampaha districts. Commenting on the successful second phase of the Samata English programme, Lakshman Silva - CEO, DFCC Bank said: We are humbled by the far-reaching impact of the Samata English programme, which is in its second year currently. Students from the last batch have given us positive feedback about how the skills taught in the Samata English course have enhanced their career prospects. I commend our partners in this project and the dedication of students who attended the classes diligently and scored well on the tests. Their improved English speaking skills will most definitely give them the confidence they need to achieve success in the workplace. Congratulations to all students and to DFCCs Galle, Kandy and Kurunegala branches for their cooperation in making this initiative a success. This is yet another CSR initiative under DFCC Banks Know and Grow initiative to fulfil our responsibilities towards our key pillar of Education. Samata English Graduate awarded by CEO, Mr. Lakshman Silva The top achievers of the programme will receive an opportunity to join the Bank as interns which will create opportunities for them to apply their education, gain work experience and develop their skills. DFCC Bank was recently recognised as one of the Top 10 Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL). It is rated AA-(lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka Limited. Samata English Graduate awarded by Deputy CEO, Mr. Thimal Perera Skit performed by students from Kurunegala Graduates of Galle deliver vote of thanks The Samata English Graduates of Galle, Kandy and Kurunegala together with senior management of the Bank Vedanta Ltd. is a natural resource company, which engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, oil, and gas properties. It operates through the following segments: Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, Power, and Oil & Gas. The Copper segment focuses in custom smelting and also include a copper smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a sulphuric acid plant, a copper rod plant, and three captive power plants. The Aluminum segment comprises refinery and a captive power plant at Lanjigarh and a smelter, a thermal coal based captive power facility at Jharsuguda both situated in the State of Odisha in India. The Iron Ore segment explores, mines, and processes iron ore, pig iron, and metallurgical coke. The Power segment consists 600 MW thermal coal-based commercial power facility at Jharsuguda in the State of Odisha in Eastern India. The Oil and Gas segment involves in the exploration and development and production of oil and gas. The company was founded by Dwarka Prasad Agarwal on June 25, 1965 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Pearson: AEL (S) PTE Limited, ATI Professional Development LLC, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., Aldwych Finance Limited, Americas Choice Inc., Atkey Finance Limited, Author Solutions, Axis Finance Inc., CAMSAWUSA Inc., CTI Education Group (Pty) Limited, Camsaw Inc., Casapsi Livraria e Editora Ltda, Centro Cultural Americano Franquias e Comercio Ltda., Century Consultants Ltd., Certiport, Certiport China Co Ltd, Certiport China Holding LLC, Certiport Inc., Cogmed Systems AB, Connections Academy of Arkansas LLC, Connections Academy of Florida LLC, Connections Academy of Iowa LLC, Connections Academy of Maine LLC, Connections Academy of Maryland LLC, Connections Academy of Minnesota LLC, Connections Academy of Missouri LLC, Connections Academy of Nevada LLC, Connections Academy of New Jersey LLC, Connections Academy of New Mexico LLC, Connections Academy of New York LLC, Connections Academy of Oregon LLC, Connections Academy of Pennsylvania LLC, Connections Academy of Tennessee LLC, Connections Academy of Texas LLC, Connections Education Inc., Connections Education LLC, Connections Education of Florida LLC, Dominie Press Inc., Dorian Finance Limited, Dorling Kindersley Australasia Pty Limited, EBNT Canada Holdings ULC, EBNT Holdings Limited, EBNT USA Holdings Inc., Edexcel Limited, Edexcel South Africa Pty Ltd, Education Development International plc, Education Resources (Cyprus) Limited, Educational Management Group Inc., Educational Publishers LLP, Embanet ULC, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Inc., EmbanetCompass, Embankment Finance Limited, English Language Learning and Instruction System Inc., Escape Studios Limited, FBH Inc., Falstaff Holdco Inc., Falstaff Inc., GED Domains LLC, GED Testing Service LLC, George (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consulting Co. Ltd, Global Education, Global George I Limited, Global George II Limited, GlobalEnglish, Globe Fearon Inc., Guangzhou Crescent Software Co. Ltd, Heinemann Education Botswana (Publishers) (Proprietary) Limited, Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Ltd, INTELLIPRO INC., Icodeon Limited, IndiaCan Education Private Limited, Integral 7 Inc., Integrated Analytics LLC, J M Solucoes Exportacao e Importacao Ltda, K12 Learning Services LLC, Kagiso Education Pty Ltd, Knowledge Analysis Technologies LLC, LCCI International Qualifications (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., LCCIEB Training Consultancy. Ltd, Learning Catalytics, LessonLab Inc., Lignum Oil Company, Linx Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Longman (Malawi) Limited, Longman Australasia Pty Ltd, Longman Group(Overseas Holdings)Limited, Longman Indochina Acquisition L.L.C., Longman Kenya Limited, Longman Mocambique Ltda, Longman Romania S.R.L., Longman Swaziland (Pty) Limited, Longman Tanzania Limited, Longman Zambia Educational Publishers Pty Ltd, Longman Zambia Limited, Longman Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Longmaned Ecuador S.A., Major123 Limited, Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Limited, MeasureUp LLC, Modern Curriculum Inc., Multi Holding, Multi Treinamento e Editora Ltda, NCS Information Technology Services (Beijing) Co Ltd, NCS Pearson Inc., NCS Pearson Pty Ltd, NCS Pearson Puerto Rico Inc., National Computer Systems Japan Co. Ltd, Ordinate Corporation, PN Holdings Inc., PT Efficient English Services, Pearson (Beijing) Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Pearson (Guizhou) Education Technology Co. Ltd., Pearson Affordable Learning Fund Limited, Pearson America LLC, Pearson Amsterdam B.V., Pearson Australia Finance Unlimited, Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Pty Ltd, Pearson Benelux B.V., Pearson Books Limited, Pearson Brazil Finance Limited, Pearson Business Services Inc., Pearson Canada Assessment Inc., Pearson Canada Finance Unlimited, Pearson Canada Holdings Inc, Pearson Canada Inc., Pearson Central Europe Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson College Limited, Pearson DBC Holdings Inc., Pearson Desarrollo y Capacitacion Profesional Chile Limitada, Pearson Deutschland GmbH, Pearson Digital Learning Puerto Rico Inc., Pearson Dollar Finance Two Limited, Pearson Dollar Finance plc, Pearson Educacion SA, Pearson Educacion de Chile Limitada, Pearson Educacion de Colombia S A S, Pearson Educacion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pearson Educacion de Panama SA, Pearson Educacion de Peru S.A., Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pearson Education Achievement Solutions (RF) (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education Asia Limited, Pearson Education Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Pearson Education Hellas SA, Pearson Education Holdings Limited, Pearson Education Inc., Pearson Education Indochina Limited, Pearson Education Investments Limited, Pearson Education Korea Limited, Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education Namibia (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Publishing Limited, Pearson Education S.A., Pearson Education SA, Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education South Asia Pte. Ltd., Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd, Pearson Education do Brasil S.A, Pearson Educational Measurement Canada Inc., Pearson Educational Publishers LLC, Pearson Egitim Cozumleri Tikaret Limited Sirketi, Pearson Falstaff (Holdings) Inc., Pearson Falstaff Holdco LLC, Pearson France, Pearson Funding Five plc, Pearson Funding Four plc, Pearson Funding Two Limited, Pearson Holdings Inc., Pearson Holdings Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Pearson IOKI Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, Pearson India Support Services Private Limited, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Pearson International Finance Limited, Pearson Investment Holdings Inc., Pearson Italia S.p.A, Pearson Japan KK, Pearson Lanka (Private) Limited, Pearson Learning China (HK) Limited, Pearson Lesotho (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Loan Finance No. 3 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No. 4 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No.2 Unlimited, Pearson Loan Finance Unlimited, Pearson Longman Uganda Limited, Pearson Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Pearson Management Services Limited, Pearson Management Services Philippines Inc., Pearson Maryland Inc., Pearson Netherlands B.V., Pearson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Pearson Nominees Limited, Pearson Online Tutoring LLC, Pearson Overseas Holdings Limited, Pearson PEM P.R. Inc., Pearson PRH Holdings Limited, Pearson Pension Nominees Limited, Pearson Pension Property Fund Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Services Limited, Pearson Professional Assessments Limited, Pearson Real Estate Holdings Inc., Pearson Real Estate Holdings Limited, Pearson Schweiz AG, Pearson Services Limited, Pearson Shared Services Limited, Pearson South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Strand Finance Limited, Pearson Sweden AB, Pearson VUE Philippines Inc., Pearson in Practice Holdings Limited, Pearson in Practice Skills Based Learning Limited, Pearson in Practice Technology Limited, Penguin Capital LLC, Phumelela Publishers (Pty) Ltd, ProctorCam Inc., Reading Property Holdings LLC, Rebus Planning Associates Inc., Reston Publishing Company Inc., Rycade Capital Corporation, Shanghai AWL Education Software Ltd, Silver Burdett Ginn Inc., Skylight Training and Publishing Inc., Smarthinking Inc., Sound Holdings Inc., Spear Insurance Company Limited, Stark Verlag GmbH, Sunnykey International Holdings Limited (BVI), TQ Catalis Limited, TQ Clapham Limited, TQ Education and Training Limited, TQ Global Limited, TQ Group Limited, TQ Holdings Limited, The Financial Times (I) Pvt Ltd, The Learning Edge International pty Ltd, The Waite Group Inc, Trio Parent Holdings LLC, US Learning Services LLC, USLS Holdings LLC, Virtual Nerd, Vue Testing Services Israel Ltd, Vue Testing Services Korea Limited, Wall Street Institute Kft., Williams Education GmbH, eCollege.com, and Editions Du Renouveau Pedagogique Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. DIMO is bringing the best of tailored, high quality service to customers via DIMO Premier, its product for certified pre-owned franchised and non-franchised vehicles. These vehicle owners can upgrade, or sell their vehicles via DIMO Premier with a guarantee of safety and quality. DIMO Premier allows aspiring Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Chrysler customers to begin their journey into the premium world with certified used Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles. The DIMO Premier package is noteworthy for its versatility. Existing owners who have purchased and maintained their vehicles through DIMO can upgrade their vehicle for a brand new or used Mercedes-Benz, Jeep or Chrysler model. Existing owners of other brand vehicles can trade in their vehicle for a brand new or used Mercedes-Benz, Jeep or Chrysler model. Current owners of vehicles under these three brands can showcase their vehicle at the DIMO showroom for sale, for a facilitation fee, provided they were purchased through DIMO. As the only authorized Distributor in Sri Lanka for Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Chrysler and other best engineered brands in the world, DIMO leads Sri Lankas market for high-end, functional automobiles. Its relationship with the brand was established when DIMO launched the first Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicle in Sri Lanka- the 170S. Eight decades later, DIMO continues to be the preferred choice among Mercedes-Benz owners and aficionados. The relationship has been further cemented by DIMOs aftersales service capacity. All DIMO imported vehicles receive service repairs for every 10,000 km, with factory warranties and one-year warranties for each repair. DIMO premier is located at The Mercedes-Benz Centre of Excellence - DIMO 800 - the only Daimler certified general distributor workshop in South East Asia for body and paint repairs and the only LEAD Gold certified Automobile related facility in the Asian region. DIMO 800 is a certified Level 4 body and paint repair facility authorised to carry out body and paint repairs for Mercedes-Benz vehicles at the highest level awarded by Daimler. The facilty is able return vehicles that have been in accidents back to 5 Star state and retain its original safety standards. All DIMO Premier customers receive the guarantee of Proven Exclusivity. With this, customers can enjoy peace of mind when trading up with a fair value transaction via DIMOs professional valuation team. The Smart Package that DIMO provides as part of the Premier experience includes; - a one-stop, hassle-free, trade in process, - attractive trade value for the current vehicle, - in-house valuation, - a 12-month preowned vehicle warranty backed by stellar DIMO aftercare, - 24-hour roadside assistance, - customized service packages for each model, and - refurbishment of the vehicle before sale with original parts. Through this process, the DIMO guarantee remains strong. DIMO certified pre-owned vehicles differ from other pre-owned vehicles in the market because they have been inspected, refurbished and certified by DIMO - a company that has gained its reputation for quality of service and trust from customers by providing and introducing the best engineered brands in world for the last 79 years. The following companies are subsidiares of IDEX: ADS Corp., ADS Environmental Services Pty Limited, ADS Environmental Technologies Inc., ADS LLC, AEGIS Flow Technologies, AEGIS Flow Technologies L.L.C., AWG, AWG Fittings GmbH, Abel Pumps, Advanced Thin Films, Advanced Thin Films Inc., Airtech Group, Akron Brass, Akron Brass Company, Alfa Valvole, Alfa Valvole S.r.l., Band-It Clamps (Asia) Pte. Ltd., Band-It Company Limited, Band-It-IDEX Inc., Banjo Corporation, Banjo Europe S.r.l., BarbIDEX International SRL, CIDRA Precision Services, CVI Laser, CVI Laser LLC, CVI Laser Limited, CVI Melles Griot, Corken Inc., ERC, Eastern Plastics, FAST & Fluid Management S.r.l., FM Delaware Inc., FM Investment Inc., FMD Distribution and Service LLC, FMD Fabrication Services LLC, FTL Seals Technology Limited, Fast & Fluid Management B.V., Fast & Fluid Management Eastern Europe Sp. Z O.O., Fast and Fluid Management Australia Pty. Ltd., Flow Management Devices, Flow Management Devices LLC, Fluid Management Canada Inc., Fluid Management Inc., Fluid Management Operations LLC, Gast Group Ltd, Gast Manufacturing Inc., Godiva Limited, Godiva Products Limited, Hale Products Europe Limited, Hale Products Inc., Hurst Jaws of Life Inc., IDEX Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., IDEX Dinglee Technology (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., IDEX Europe GmbH, IDEX Health & Science KK, IDEX Health & Science LLC, IDEX Holdings GmbH, IDEX Holdings Inc., IDEX India Private Limited, IDEX Italy S.r.l., IDEX Japan GK, IDEX Korea Ltd, IDEX Leasing GmbH, IDEX MPT Inc., IDEX Mexico S.A. de C.V., IDEX Middle East FZE, IDEX Pump Technologies (Ireland) Limited, IDEX SAS, IDEX Service Corp., IDEX Sourcing Corporation, IDEX Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., IDEX Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, IDEX UK Investment Ltd, IDEX UK Ltd., IDEX do Brasil Servicos e Vendas Ltda., IETG, Isolation Technologies, KNIGHT LLC, KVT-Koenig Holding Limited, Knight (Canada) Limited, Knight Inc., Knight UK Ltd, LUKAS Hydraulik GmbH, Liquid Controls, Liquid Controls LLC, Matcon, Matcon (R&D) Limited, Matcon Group Limited, Matcon Limited, Melles Griot B.V., Melles Griot GmbH, Microfluidics, Microfluidics International Corporation, Micropump Inc., Nova Technologies, Nova Technologies Corporation, Novotema, Novotema S.p.A, OBL, OBL Srl, Oil & Gas Process Solutions LLC, PP AWG GmbH, PPE International LLC, PPE LLC, Precision Photonics, Precision Polymer Engineering Limited, Project Gold Acquisition Corp., Pulsafeeder Inc., Quadro Engineering Corp., RV Acquisition Corp., Richter Chemie-Technik, Richter Chemie-Technik GmbH, Richter EP (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Richter Pumps & Valves Inc., Roplan AB, Roplan GmbH, Roplan Holding AB, Roplan Ltd, Roplan Machinery (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Machining AB, Roplan Sales (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Sales AB, Roplan Sales Inc., Roplan Trading AB, S.A.M.P.I. S.p.A., SFC KOENIG, SFC KOENIG Flow Control (Suzhou) Co. Limited, SFC Koenig AG, SFC Koenig Beteilgungs GmbH, SFC Koenig GmbH, SFC Koenig LLC, Scivex, Seals Limited, Semrock, Steridose Sales AB, The Fitzpatrick Company, Toptech Systems, Toptech Systems Inc., Toptech Systems NV, Trebor International Inc., Velcora, Velcora Holding AB, Vetter GmbH, Viking Pump Inc., Viking Pump of Canada Inc., Warren Rupp Inc., Wright Flow Technologies Limited, XAM Swiss Holding I GmbH, iPEK, iPEK International GmbH, iPEK Spezial TV GmbH, thinXXS Microtechnology, and thinXXS Microtechnology AG. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc operates as an industrial technology company in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems, Defence, and ITP Aero. The Civil Aerospace segment develops, manufactures, and sells aero engines for large commercial aircraft, regional jet, and business aviation markets, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Power Systems segment provides high-speed and medium-speed reciprocating engines, and propulsion and power generation systems for the marine, defense, power generation, and industrial markets. The Defence segment offers aero engines for military transport and patrol aircraft applications; and naval engines and submarine nuclear power plants, as well as aftermarket services. The ITP Aero segment engages in the design, research and development, manufacture and casting, assembly, and testing of aeronautical engines and gas turbines. It also provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for regional airlines, as well as business aviation, industrial, and defense applications. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Read More Consolidated Graphics, Inc. (CGX) is a provider of commercial printing and print-related services with 70 printing businesses located across 27 states, Toronto, and Prague. The Company's services consist of print services, including electronic prepress, digital and offset printing, finishing, storage and delivery of printed documents, which are custom manufactured to the Company's customers' design specifications; fulfilment and mailing services for such printed materials, technology solutions that enable customers to procure and manage printed materials and/or design, procure, distribute, track and analyze results of printing-based marketing programs and activities, and multi-media capabilities allowing its customers to supplement the message of their printed materials through other media, such as the Internet, email, or text messaging. In January 2014, RR Donnelley & Sons completed the acquisition of Consolidated Graphics, Inc. Read More Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. engages in global investment banking, securities, and investment management, which provides financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. The Investment Banking segment serves public and private sector clients around the world and provides financial advisory services, help companies raise capital to strengthen and grow their businesses and provide financing to corporate clients. The Global Markets segment serves its clients who buy and sell financial products, funding and manage risk. The Asset Management segment provides investment services to help clients preserve and grow their financial assets. The Consumer & Wealth Management segment helps clients to achieve their individual financial goals by providing a wealth advisory and banking services. The company was founded by Marcus Goldman in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Western Union: Banco Western Union do Brasil S.A., Coins, Custom House, Custom House (Online) Ltd., Custom House Currency Exchange (Australia) Pty. Limited, Custom House Currency Exchange (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Custom House Financial (UK) Limited, Custom House Financial Ltd., Custom House Holdings (USA) Ltd., Custom House ULC, E Commerce Group Products Inc., First Financial Management Corporation, Global Collection Services S.A., Global Corporate Real Estate Advisors LLC, Grupo Dinamico Empresarial S.A. de C.V., MT (Bermuda) 1 Ltd, MT (Bermuda) 2 Ltd, MT Caribbean Holdings SRL, MT Financial Holdings Ltd., MT Global Holdings Ltd., MT Group Investment Holdings Ltd., MT Group Ltd., MT Holdings (Bermuda) Ltd., MT Holdings Limited, MT Holdings Switzerland GmbH, MT International Holdings Ltd., MT International Operations Partnership, MT International Operations SRL, MT Network Holdings Ltd., MT Payment Services Ltd., MT Payment Services Operations EU/EEA Limited, MT Worldwide Holdings Ltd., Money Transfer Financial Services Limited, Operaciones Internacionales OV S.A. de C.V., Opus Software Technologies Private Limited, PT Western Union Indonesia, Paymap Inc., RII Holdings Inc., Red Global S.A., Ruesch Holding LLC, Ruesch International (Delaware) LLC, Ruesch International L.L.C., Servicio Electronico de Pago S.A., Servicio Integral de Envios S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Apoyo GDE S.A. de C.V., SpeedPay Inc., Speedpay, The Western Union Real Estate Holdings LLC, Transfer Express de Panama S.A., Travelex, Union del Oeste de Costa Rica SRL, Vigo Remittance Canada Company, Vigo Remittance Corp., WU BP Peru S.R.L., WU Technology Engineering Services Private Limited, WUBS Financial Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, WUBS Payments Limited, Western Union (Bermuda) Holding Finance Ltd., Western Union (Hellas) International Holdings S.A., Western Union Acquisition Partnership, Western Union Benelux MT Ltd., Western Union Business Solutions (Australia) Pty Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (Hong Kong) Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (Malta) Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (SA) Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (Singapore) Pte Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (UK) Limited, Western Union Business Solutions (USA) LLC, Western Union Business Solutions Japan KK, Western Union Chile Limitada, Western Union Communications Inc., Western Union Consulting Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Western Union Corretora de Cambio S.A., Western Union Financial Holdings L.L.C., Western Union Financial Services (Australia) PTY Ltd., Western Union Financial Services (Canada), Western Union Financial Services (Hong Kong) Limited, Western Union Financial Services (Korea) Inc., Western Union Financial Services (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Western Union Financial Services Argentina S.R.L., Western Union Financial Services Eastern Europe LLC, Western Union Financial Services GmbH, Western Union Financial Services Inc., Western Union Financial Services International (France) SARL, Western Union GB Limited, Western Union Global Network Pte. Ltd, Western Union Holdings Inc., Western Union International Bank GmbH, Western Union International Holdings LLC, Western Union International Limited, Western Union International Services LLC, Western Union Ireland Holdings Limited, Western Union Ireland Partnership, Western Union Japan K.K., Western Union LLC, Western Union Luxembourg Holdings 1 S.a.r.l., Western Union Luxembourg Holdings 2 S.a.r.l., Western Union Luxembourg Holdings 3 S.a.r.l., Western Union MT (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Western Union MT East Ltd., Western Union Malta Holdings Limited, Western Union Malta Limited, Western Union Morocco SARL, Western Union Network (Canada) Company, Western Union Network (France) SAS, Western Union Network (Ireland) Limited, Western Union Network Belgium SPRL, Western Union Northern Europe GmbH, Western Union Online Limited, Western Union Overseas Limited, Western Union Payment Services (India) Private Limited, Western Union Payment Services GB Limited, Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited, Western Union Payment Services Network (Canada) ULC, Western Union Payment Services Network EU/EEA Limited, Western Union Payment Services UK Limited, Western Union Payments (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., Western Union Peru S.A., Western Union Processing Limited, Western Union Processing Lithuania UAB, Western Union Processing Services Inc., Western Union Regional Panama S.A., Western Union Retail Services Belgium, Western Union Retail Services GB Limited, Western Union Retail Services Ireland Limited, Western Union Retail Services Italy S.r.l., Western Union Retail Services Norway AS, Western Union Retail Services RO SRL, Western Union Retail Services Spain S.A., Western Union Retail Services Sweden AB, Western Union Services (Philippines) Inc., Western Union Services (Spain) S.L., Western Union Services India Private Limited, Western Union Services S.L., Western Union Services Singapore Private Limited, Western Union Singapore Limited, Western Union South Africa (PTY) Limited, Western Union Support Services (Nigeria) Limited, Western Union Support Services Cote dlvoire, Western Union Turkey Odeme Hizmetleri Anonim Sirketi, Western Union do Brasil Participacoes Limitada, and Western Union do Brasil Servicos e Participacoes Ltda.. Millrock Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It deposits for gold, copper, porphyry, silver, and other metals. The company holds an interest in the Liberty Bell property covering an area of approximately 6,151 hectares; 64North Gold project covering an area of approximately 1,860 hectares; Chisna DragonSlayer project; and Apex El Nido covering an area of approximately 315 hectares located in Alaska. It also holds an interest in the El Batamote project covering a surface area of 5,796 hectares situated in Mexico. Millrock Resources Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA. Elections to Bangladeshs eleventh parliament are to take place on December 30 and they are going to be very different from the elections to the tenth parliament which took place in January 2014. In 2014, the elections were boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia. The BNP had contended that the elections will not be free and fair in the absence of a neutral caretaker government, a system the Awami League (AL) government led by Sheikh Hasina had abolished in 2011. The BNPs anger was justified in as much as the caretaker government system was introduced after a struggle jointly waged by it and the AL in 1991. As a result of BNPs boycott, more than half the 350 seats in parliament (153), were won by the AL uncontested. The AL won 87 of the uncontested seats (59%), and 105 of the 147 contested seats (almost 69%). The only party in the opposition was former military dictator Gen.H.M. Ershads Jatiya Party (JP) which got 41 seats (eventually). In 2015, the frustrated BNP unleashed violence which led to the killing of 197 people, 72 of whom were burnt alive. To the advantage of the AL, the violence alienated the BNP from the people. The virtual one-party rule of Prime Minister Hasina was further bolstered by the institution of corruption and money laundering cases against BNP chief Khalida Zia and her son Tarique Zia. While Khalida was jailed, Tarique became a fugitive in London. The BNP became leaderless and began to wither. However, Hasinas one-party rule bolstered the countrys economy. In 2017 the economy grew at 10% with lots of foreign investments. Per capita income rose to US$ 973. Manufacturing boomed and became the single largest contributor to the GDP (Bangladesh Taka 18 billion). With exports going up, the trade deficit came down to US$6.2 billion. Remittances were at a high US$ 15 billion. But the boom did not produce as many jobs as it should have. 31% of the people live below the poverty line.According to independent agencies, 47% of graduates are unemployed though the Bangladesh Bank said that 98% of those in the working age group are unemployed. There is under-employment rather than employment. It was to check the Hasina governments unbridled power that the BNP decided to give up its policy of boycotting elections until they are held under neutral caretaker governments But the political stability which contributed to economic growth came at a cost. Perhaps deservedly, Islamic terrorism and the drug menace were tackled ruthlessly by extra-judicial killings. Extra-judicial killings numbered 128 in 2014, but rose to 195 in 2016 partly because of the killing of foreigners and upper class guests in a posh restaurant in Dhaka by boys from elite English speaking families. Recently, under the Special Powers Act of 1974, 14,000 people were rounded up and 300 persons were killed in crossfires. Human Rights groups cried foul, but the government and the people welcomed the use of extra judicial measures as Islamic terrorism and drug trafficking had spread like cancer, claiming lives of liberals. But unbridled power also led to the Hasina regime dominating and manipulating the administration, the judiciary and the Election Commission. It abolished the election-time caretaker government system in 2011.The Election Commission came under the Executive and the ruling party de facto. Recently,the Chief Election Commissioner K.M. Nurul Huda said that he cannot guarantee an election without irregularities. And one of the Election Commissioners, Kabita Khanam, said that the commission cannot ensure a 100% fair election but can ensure an acceptable election. Jatika Oikya Front - BNP Alliance It was to check the Hasina governments unbridled power that the BNP decided to give up its policy of boycotting elections until they are held under neutral caretaker governments. As a first step the BNP contested the local bodies elections in 2016 and it is now contesting the December 30 parliamentary elections. The BNP has joined hands with Kamal Hossains new group, the Jatika Oikya Front (JOF). Hossain, who was Bangladeshs first Foreign Minister, may not be politically very relevant, but he gives the BNP legitimacy. Its image is tarnished by charges of thuggery and violence. The liberals brand it as a fellow traveler of Islamic radicals. In 2014, the elections were boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia JOF has demanded free and fair elections; appointment of a neutral government ahead of elections; the release of BNP chief, Khaleda Zia; withdrawal of all cases against her and other BNP leaders and activists; reform of the Election Commission by appointing people acceptable to all parties; usage of electronic voting machines; assurance of freedom of speech for individuals, newspapers and electronic and social media, and all political parties meetings and rallies; and a halt to legal proceedings in all political cases after the announcement of the election schedule. Press freedom had come under attack under the Hasina regime. For example, 79 cases, including some sedition cases, were slapped on the editor of The Daily Star for example. Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha had to flee the country after he gave a ruling against the 16th Constitutional amendment which had allowed the impeachment of Supreme Court judges. Sinha had also said that the Supreme Court could unseat a Prime Minister as the Pakistan Supreme Court did in the case of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Hounding Continues The Hasina government is continuing to go after the BNP even though it is a much weaker party now with its leader in jail and her heir apparent living in London as a fugitive. After the announcement of the December 30 elections, 773 BNP cadres were arrested. The BNP has submitted a list of the arrested to the Election Commission. It is difficult to predict which way the December 30 election will go. A recent survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI) found there is still significant support for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League. But the support base is narrowing. 62% said the country is going in the right direction, but one year ago, it was 75%. There is also an increase in the number of people not wanting to answer the questionnaire. 40% of respondents declined to say whether they thought political stability would improve or worsen, compared to 29 per cent last year. 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 Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Valero Energy: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC.. Samath Fernando, CEO, H One, introduces Res.Q Machine Inventory to the apparel industry Leading full-service IT solutions provider, H One, announced the launch of Res.Q| MI; an all-encompassing machine management solution designed with both large and small-scale factories in mind. This cloud-based solution, developed by Sri Lankas trusted IT solutions provider, was launched at a private event attended by industry professionals. Res.Q Machine Inventory is a revolutionary new asset management solution which leverages the capabilities of NFC (Near Field Communication) technology for the management, protection, and maintenance of one of the most vital assets of the apparel industry: its machinery. The apparel industry is in a state of rapid change, where speed and efficiency are critical to a manufacturers success. Any setback in the functioning of its equipment is certain to incur severe losses losses that with the right technology, can be significantly curtailed. One of the critical issues related to factory equipment in the apparel trade, is the efficient management and identification of its machines. Although the exchange of machinery between facilities - on a loan or rental basis- is a common practice across the industry, there has never been an efficient mode of automating and optimising these processes to productively monitor these movements. As a result of poor asset management, the production facility is at risk of incurring phenomenal expenses, effectively holding back the entire business with this loss. Res.Q|MI is designed specifically to cater to such scenarios in any factory environment; facilitating the easy tracking of machinery -with just a click of a button- irrespective of where the machine is located at the time. Guests at the Res.Q Machine Inventory launch observe information provided by the asset management solution Each machine is assigned a specific uniquely identifiable NFC tag which contains information, from the machines unique ID, its transaction history, break downs and service records. The machine management solution includes smart notifications, rent-in and rent-out calculations, as well as complete visibility of available machinery, allowing for manufacturers to exhaust all available machinery before resorting to renting machinery. With Res.Q Machine Inventory, facilities will be automatically notified once a machine has completed its rental time period. Res.Q Machine Inventory also aids the commerce of the apparel industry with machine maintenance, for manufacturers can now ensure that their machinery is functioning at its optimal performance and also monitor a detailed record of its maintenance and service history of every machine. In order to further ensure that all machinery is consistently functioning at its optimal performance -and with minimum down time-, Res.Q |MI is designed to give production facilities complete visibility of all available machinery. The system instantly notifies the relevant personnel as soon as a machine is detected as offline, allowing for the manufacturing facility to track the issue and take immediate corrective action. Repair work for every machine is updated to the system via a mobile application paired with the NFC tag, and as a result a comprehensive record of the service and maintenance history -including spare part management- of each machine is monitored and immediately accessible. Another responsibility factory managers bear is the tedious task of manually managing needle supply to each machine or operator. Res.Q |MIs in-built Needle Management Module helps manufacturers address these issues, from needle management to needle issuing at the shop floor. This NFC technology-based module helps facilities streamline the needle monitoring process by recognising each machine and operator with unique ID tags, systematically recording each authorisation and bringing forth visibility to the entire process in real-time. H One replicates a factory floor setting at the launch of Res.Q Machine Inventory At the launch of this cutting-edge machinery management solution, key stakeholders and potential investors were introduced to the many benefits of this effective and paperless new technology, and H One once again proved its mettle as the countrys primary innovative technology solutions provider, by once again serving the industry with yet another unified, integrated cloud solution for strategic IT modernisation aligned with the emerging needs of the business. The key to any IT service is to make it easy for clients to have access to information which may otherwise involve a tedious process to accumulate, said H One Chief Executive Officer, Samath Fernando at the launch. This is exactly why we designed Res.Q Machine Inventory: an all-in-one solution for factory maintenance, enabling precision in tracking and maintenance with enhanced flexibility so that they can manage their machinery requirements on-site, which ultimately allows for well-informed, and intelligent decision-making. Since its establishment in 2008 -as a progression from the Hirdaramani Group legacy spanning over 120 years- H One has become the forerunner in business intelligence solutions. The firm is a Microsoft Tier One Partner, Gold Cloud Productivity Partner and a top-ranked Microsoft Large Account Reseller serving the largest number of Enterprise Agreement customers in Sri Lanka. In both 2016 and 2018 H One was recognised as Microsoft Country Partner of the Year for Sri Lanka, in addition to winning O365 Partner every consecutively year since 2013. The launch of Res.Q Machine Inventory is the newest addition to its solutions portfolio following the release of the resourceful QMS (Quality Management System) just last year. Staying true to its commitment to servicing the industry with innovation in apparel manufacturing with its business intelligence capabilities, H One also has plans to release a Skill Profiling tool to track employee performance, and hopes to serve markets beyond the region as well. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF's stock was trading at $52.04 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWY stock has increased by 52.6% and is now trading at $79.41. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. InterXion Holding N.V. provides carrier and cloud-neutral colocation data center services in France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The company enables its customers to connect to a range of telecommunications carriers, cloud platforms, Internet service providers, and other customers. Its data centers acts as content, cloud, and connectivity hubs that facilitate the processing, storage, sharing, and distribution of data between its customers. The company offers colocation services, including space and power to deploy IT infrastructure in its data centers; a range of output voltages and currents; connectivity services that enable its customers to connect their IT infrastructure to exchange traffic and access cloud platforms; and systems monitoring, systems management, engineering support, and data backup and storage services, as well as installs and manages physical connections running from its customers' equipment to the equipment of its telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, Internet exchange customers, and other customers. It provides its services to telecom operators, Internet service providers, and content delivery networks; content and cloud providers; and enterprises through direct sales forces, as well as through tradeshows, networking events, and industry seminars. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 51 carrier and cloud neutral colocation data centers in 13 metropolitan areas in 11 countries. The company is also involved in real estate management/holding businesses. InterXion Holding N.V. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Barnes Group: AS Monterrey S. de R.L. de C.V., Adval Tech - Foboha Mold Making Business, Associated Spring (Tianjin) Company Ltd., Associated Spring (UK) Ltd., Associated Spring Asia Pte. Ltd., Associated Spring Corporation, Associated Spring Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Associated Spring Raymond (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Associated Spring Raymond GmbH, Associated Spring do Brasil Ltda., Barnes Airmotive Malaysia SND. BHD., Barnes Financing Delaware LLC, Barnes Group (Bermuda) Limited, Barnes Group (Delaware) LLC, Barnes Group (Germany) GmbH, Barnes Group (Scotland) Limited, Barnes Group (Thailand) Ltd., Barnes Group (U.K.) 2 Limited, Barnes Group (U.K.) Limited, Barnes Group Acquisition GmbH, Barnes Group Canada Corp., Barnes Group Finance Company (Bermuda) Limited, Barnes Group Finance Company (Delaware), Barnes Group Holding LLC, Barnes Group Luxembourg (No. 1) S.a r.l., Barnes Group Luxembourg (No. 2) S.a r.l., Barnes Group Spain S.R.L., Barnes Group Suisse Industries GmbH, Barnes Group Switzerland GmbH, Barnes Industrial Group India Private Limited, Barnes Korea Ltd., Barnes Molding Solutions (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Blitz F16-34 GmbH, Curtis Industries, Curtiss Industries (U.K.) Limited, Di-Dro Manifold System Product Line, Euro Stock Springs & Components, Foboha (Germany) GmbH, Foboha Holding GmbH, Forward Industries LLC, GF Controls GmbH, Gammaflux, Gammaflux Controls Inc., Gimatic, Gimatic Automation Engineering (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Gimatic Automation India Pvt Ltd. , Gimatic Automation Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gimatic Balkan d.o.o. Beograd Savski Venac, Gimatic Czech Republic s.r.o., Gimatic France S.a.r.l., Gimatic Japan Limited, Gimatic Korea Limited, Gimatic Nordic A.B., Gimatic Otomasyon Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Gimatic Polska sp. z o.o, Gimatic S.r.l., Gimatic Sisteme RO SRL, Gimatic Sistemi industrijska avtomatizacija d.o.o., Gimatic Spain S.L., Gimatic Vertrieb GmbH, Gimatrade S.r.l., Heinz Haenggi Gmbh Stanztechnik, Industrial Gas Springs, Industrial Gas Springs Group Holdings Limited, Industrial Gas Springs Inc., Industrial Gas Springs Limited, Kar Products, Kratz-Wilde Machine Co, MTM S.r.l., Manner Hong Kong Limited, Manner USA Inc., Orflam - Nitropush Product Line, Otto Manner, Otto Manner GmbH, Otto Manner Immobilien GmbH, Otto Manner Innovation GmbH, Premier Farnell - KENT Division, Priamus System Technologies, Priamus System Technologies GmbH, Priamus System Technologies LLC, Raymond Distribution-Mexico S.A. de C.V., Resortes Argentina S.A., Ressorts SPEC SAS, Seeger-Orbis GmbH & Co. OHG, Service Plus Distributors, Sign Holdings Limited, Spectrum Plastics Molding Resources, Stromsholmen AB, Synventive Acquisition B.V., Synventive Acquisition GmbH, Synventive Acquisition Inc., Synventive Acquisition UK Ltd., Synventive Acquisition Unlimited, Synventive B.V., Synventive Fertigungstechnik GmbH, Synventive Holding B.V., Synventive Holding Limited, Synventive Holding SAS, Synventive Molding Solutions, Synventive Molding Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions B.V., Synventive Molding Solutions Canada Inc., Synventive Molding Solutions Co. Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions GmbH, Synventive Molding Solutions Inc., Synventive Molding Solutions JBJ Private Limited, Synventive Molding Solutions K.K., Synventive Molding Solutions LDA, Synventive Molding Solutions LLC, Synventive Molding Solutions LTDA., Synventive Molding Solutions Limited, Synventive Molding Solutions Pte Ltd., Synventive Molding Solutions SAS, Synventive Molding Solutions SL, Synventive Molding Solutions s.r.o., Synventive Parent Inc., Teledyne Fluid Systems, The Wallace Barnes Company, Thermoplay, Thermoplay Brasil Sistemas de Injecao Ltda, Thermoplay Deutschland GmbH, Thermoplay France S.a.r.l., Thermoplay Hot Runner Systems (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Thermoplay India Private Limited, Thermoplay Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Thermoplay S.p.A., Thermoplay U.K. Ltd., Toolcom Supplie, Windsor Airmotive Asia Pte. Ltd., and manner Japan Co. Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of SAP: Abakus, Abakus Europe Limited, Abakus Ukraine Limited Liability Company, Adatfeldolgozasban Informatikai Kft., Altiscale, Ambin Properties Proprietary Limited, AppGyver, Ariba, Ariba Czech s.r.o., Ariba Inc. Palo Alto, Ariba India Private Limited, Ariba International, Ariba International Holdings, Ariba International Singapore Pte Ltd, Ariba Slovak Republic s.r.o., Ariba Software Technology Services (Shanghai) Co., Ariba Technologies India Private Limited, Ariba Technologies Netherlands B.V., Beijing Zhang Zhong Hu Dong Information Technology, Business Objects, Business Objects Holding B.V., Business Objects Option LLC, Business Objects Software Limited, CNQR Operations Mexico S. de. R.L. de. C.V., Callidus Software, CallidusCloud, Christie Partners Holding C.V., Clear Standards, ClearTrip Inc., ClearTrip Inc. (Mauritius), Cleartrip MEA FZ LLC, Cleartrip Private Limited, Coghead, ConTgo Consulting Limited, ConTgo Pty. Ltd., Concur (Austria) GmbH, Concur (Canada), Concur (France) SAS, Concur (Germany) GmbH, Concur (Japan) Ltd., Concur (New Zealand) Limited, Concur (Philippines) Inc., Concur (Switzerland) GmbH, Concur Czech (s.r.o.), Concur Holdings (France) SAS, Concur Holdings (Netherlands) B.V., Concur Technologies (Australia) Pty. Limited, Concur Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, Concur Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concur Technologies (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Concur Technologies (UK) Limited, Concur Technologies Inc. Bellevue, Contextor, Coresystems, Crystal Decisions (Ireland) Limited, Crystal Decisions Holdings Limited, Crystal Decisions UK Limited, Emarsys, EssCubed Procurement Pty. Ltd., Extended Systems, Factory Logic, Fedem Technology AS, Fieldglass Europe Limited, Financial Fusion, FreeMarkets Ltda., Frictionless Commerce, Gigya, Gigya Australia Pty Ltd, Gigya Ltd., Gigya UK Ltd, GlobalExpense Limited, Highdeal, Hipmunk, Hybris (US) Corp., Hybris GmbH, Inxight Federal Systems Group, KXEN, Khimetrics, LLC "SAP Labs", LLC "SAP Ukraine", LLC SAP CIS, MaXware, Merlin Systems Oy, Multiposting Sp.z o.o., Nihon Ariba K.K., OpTier, OutlookSoft, OutlookSoft Deutschland GmbH, PLAT.ONE, PT SAP Indonesia, PT Sybase 365 Indonesia, Pilot Software Inc., Plat.One Inc., Plat.One Lab Srl, Plateau Systems LLC, Quadrem Africa Pty. 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South San Francisco, Sybase, Syclo, TopTier Software, Triversity, Vimercate, Virsa Systems, Visiprise, Wicom Communications, and conTgo limited. Ravi with the last remaining Northern White rhino Sudan before its death Crimes are an everyday occurrence. Crime scene investigations have often been vested with the Police but in the West, it is serious business. It would take years or even a lifetime for one to be qualified as a Crime Scene Investigator. Completing his 25th year in forensics and crime scene investigations is Ravi Perera, a Sri Lankan living in California, USA. Ravi has been one of the 12 individuals who were selected to follow training at the Forensic Academy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Quantico, Virginia. While solving crimes related to humans, Ravi has quite interestingly extended his expertise to solving wildlife crimes, especially at his work base in Kenya. As such, Ravi is also the founder of the Serendipity Wildlife Foundation which is an organisation that provides assistance in wildlife forensics and investigations. Ravi also has plans to extend his operations to Sri Lanka in the near future. In an interview with the Daily Mirror during a recent visit to Sri Lanka, Ravi shared his experience in the field of forensics and about lessons we can learn from Kenya. Excerpts: Q Why are you interested in forensics? My forensic career started 24 years ago and will be completing 25 years in a couple of weeks. The department that I worked for wanted to start a CSI unit. But during that time there was no CSI on TV and no one knew what CSI was. Then I said yes and from that point onwards there was no return. They sent me for schooling which included basic, intermediate and advanced CSI which I studied at the University of California, Long Beach. I also did my advanced certification which very few people have and I got quite interested in it that I did a double advanced certificate as well. I have done almost every type of training available and have been able to solve well over 5,000 crimes from basic vandalism to homicides. My department is one of the few that do traditional CSI including fingerprints, DNA, different types of evidence such as biological evidence, trace evidence, traces from hair or fibre and any type of body fluid. From there I was asked if I would like to be sponsored for the FBI Academy in Quantico. That is the ultimate that anybody could reach. So I asked whether I was qualified and one of my supervisors sponsored me as he thought I should take my education further. "I think education is very important and the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) is heading in the right direction. Education is the best way to go because in Kenya my drivers need to be certified before they go out there" Q What happened thereafter? Hence, I applied and there were thousands that have applied. The minimum qualification was that you had to have 10 years of experience. At Quantico they dont just teach the basics but teach everything at a higher level. I applied and for six months I completely forgot about it and gave up hopes when one day they suddenly called me and asked if I was ready to go in three weeks. I was so happy because out of the thousands who applied only 12 were selected from the whole of US. Then I also found out that Im the only person from the entire state of California that has been selected. It was the most memorable time of my life. I never expected it to be so advanced and there was so much to study. Sometimes classes would start at 6.30 am and would go on till 11.00 pm. The academy alone was bigger than Dehiwela and Mt. Lavinia combined. So you need wheels to go from one end to the other. It has its own crash track where they drive cars, crash it and we have to do the investigation and the photography. Everything was extremely hi-tech. My most exciting time was doing surveillance photography from helicopters and night vision photography which we would do with absolutely no light. Then we had the usual crime scene materials we would photograph including shoeprints, drug detection, surveillance on drug sales where our instructors would be the bad guys and we have to go in and pick our spot to take photographs of the way they come in, the drug transaction, etc. Q How did you get involved in solving wildlife crimes? On one of my visits to Kenya I was talking to people at the anti-poaching unit and I realized that they never had proper evidence when they caught people who were poaching, smuggling or trafficking. Evidence means to show the person associated with the crime or being at the crime scene or involved with the crime in some way. I told them what I do in the US and they invited me back to start working with them. The first thing that they found was that when someone shot an animal they wouldnt want to get caught with the weapon, so they ducked the gun under a bush. So even if there are 10 people they dont know who shot at the animal. Hence I introduced what is called Gunshot Residue Testing (GSR) which enables them to take that little testing kit, put it on their hands and detect who had fired the shot. That came in useful and we will enhance it in years ahead. I also taught them fingerprinting which was very useful. We started fingerprinting on tusks and we are still in the process of testing and we found some good methods. The tusks are porous and do not have a smooth surface. If it is a smooth surface we can get a good fingerprint. We started a project and it has proven to be successful and by next year we want to have the first wildlife crime fingerprint database only to associate people involved in wildlife crimes. This is going to be very unique. Q Out of the 5,000 odd cases you have gotten involved with, what were the most difficult cases to crack? That would be a lot of sex crimes and child abuse cases. Sometimes it will be a family member that they dont want to be arrested or prosecuted or they dont want to be a witness. If its a child then he or she cant make those decisions. There was a case where a camera was left behind at a crime scene and when I looked at the flash card there were no faces there. But in one of the photographs I saw a finger. So I took it back into the lab, analysed it for a couple of hours and got his fingerprint detail off his finger. It then turned out that this person was identified in a lot of crimes. There were operations including money laundering and gun trafficking which have been very exciting. But every case can be as exciting as another. In cases such as homicides we have to think like the criminal. Im also a Shooting Reconstruction Specialist and this is where we have to reconstruct the crime scene with the evidence that we have. "On one of my visits to Kenya I was talking to people at the anti-poaching unit and I realized that they never had proper evidence when they caught people who were poaching, smuggling or trafficking. Evidence means to show the person associated with the crime or being at the crime scene or involved with the crime in some way" Q Sri Lanka has a history of dragging criminal cases even with adequate evidence. What needs to be done is to streamline the process of getting hold of perpetrators as soon as possible? The most important thing is to preserve a crime scene when a crime happens. The evidence needs to be preserved and from videos and pictures I see in Sri Lanka I dont see that happening. The whole village, the next village and their relatives are looking down at the accident or dead body. I also see that in wildlife crime where a 100 people are gathered around a dead elephant. So if the elephant was killed by something we have lost our evidence there. If evidence is contaminated we cannot use it. Contamination means touching, walking in that area and taking evidence out. What we do is to secure it with crime scene tape so that no one can walk in. In that way we support the integrity of the crime scene. The collection of evidence needs to be done with a plan and a method by qualified people. The qualified people need to know exactly what they are doing and prior experience goes a long way. You also need to make sure that everything is safe when you enter a crime scene and you should enter with the bare minimum number of people. Q How often do these wildlife crimes get reported? In most instances they get reported by rangers who go on patrol or by the villagers that do a lot of walking, especially the tribesmen who can walk up to 20 to 30 miles on foot every day. Then again it could be a natural death, it could be caused by another animal or it could be a shooting. Sometimes we find animals hanging from snares and when it comes to snares its quite difficult to find a suspect. One of the key pieces of evidence we collect is from the cell phone. There is software that we use to extract evidence and do cell phone analysis and the information we get can be used as evidence to solve the crime. They can have a locked cell phone and delete files but we can still retrieve information. Q As opposed to Kenya, in Sri Lanka we have the human elephant conflict and villagers often see animals as threats. How could we push them for co-existence? Let me take an example about lions because lions are the animals that tend to affect people in Kenya the most. There is a programme in place right now where donors put money into a certain fund and if their cow is killed by a lion they get compensation. So they are not keen on killing the lion anymore. But sometimes they want to kill the lion because the cows, goats and sheep are valuable to them. Lions are the big killers, and this compensation programme has gone a long way and it has been implemented in tourism areas. Q Sri Lanka also has a compensation scheme but the money is not enough to construct a damaged house, leave aside the crops. So do you think it would work here? Compensation could work if the elephants destroy crops but where is this money coming from? It is very rarely that houses get damaged in Kenya and the cost of constructing a hut is quite cheap. In Sri Lanka, the farmers are not contributing to tourism as such. But the Masai warriors contribute because they are in the tourism area and tourists even visit their village. The money comes from lodgers, well-wishers and foundations who are interested in conservation. Because if a lion is killed, a luxury camp will not have their guests coming in, so they value the animal because that is part of their wealth. Q Since you are in the safari industry, how important is it to have nature interpretation programmes such as what has been initiated by the WNPS? I think education is very important and the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) is heading in the right direction. Education is the best way to go because in Kenya my drivers need to be certified before they go out there. Sometimes they may have to go to a guiding school for two years before they can be certified as a safari driver. You got to know exactly what youre doing, how you behave and even identify every animal and bird out there. But in Sri Lanka, I have had trackers who have never opened their mouth during the entire safari ride. That was when I realized that I dont need trackers but I can get the support from the jeep driver. Some of the jeep drivers are not qualified and know nothing about wildlife. So they can go in for a certification programme and perhaps have a sticker on their jeeps for guests to identify them as qualified drivers. and we dont have 100 to 200 jeeps coming in at once. Hence theres no blocking and theres space for everyone. "The most important thing is to preserve a crime scene when a crime happens. The evidence needs to be preserved and from videos and pictures I see in Sri Lanka I dont see that happening. The whole village, the next village and their relatives are looking down at the accident or dead body. I also see that in wildlife crime where a 100 people are gathered around a dead elephant. So if the elephant was killed by something we have lost our evidence there. If evidence is contaminated we cannot use it " Q How do you see the future of wildlife in Sri Lanka? That is if there is wildlife remaining for the future and if nothing is done right now, there wont be any wildlife in the future. If all the elephants get killed there will be nothing for the future generations. From what I read I dont see any positive outcomes. I dont live in Sri Lanka so I dont have first-hand experience; I dont go out to the jungles as a lot of conservationists or wildlife lovers do. I think its good that there are associations and individuals who have come forward to fight for the wildlife and be their advocate and that in turn makes a big difference. Ravi Downtown Utica is going to be the set of what looks like could be a high budget movie. NewsChannel 2s Brent Kearney went to see what was going on earlier Monday to get more information on the shoot. The film makers didnt make a public comment about the movie, but the mayors office was able to release a few details. The movie is filming on Hotel Street, which the Utica Police Department has entirely blocked off. According to Uticas Media and Film Commissioner Paul Buckley, the production has hired professionals from New York and Los Angeles to make the movie. The office supplied their film location scouts with possible locations to shoot, along with food supplies and personnel. Police also closed the road for the film crew for a night shoot. Brent Kearney will provide an update later Monday. FLORA, Ind. (WLFI) It's been nearly two years since a Flora mother lost her four daughters in a house fire and now she has filed a federal lawsuit against her landlord. Nov. 21, 2016 was a devastating day for the town of flora. A home on Columbia Street caught fire while Gaylin Rose and her four daughters were inside. The mother was this only one to make it out a live. Rose is now suing landlord Josh Ayers, his business partner Troy Helderman, and their company Birch Tree Holdings. The wrongful death suit alleges Rose previously complained about multiple things that potentially lead to the death of her little girls. The complaints include faulty smoke detectors, non-functioning electrical outlets, and non-locking doors. Rose is also suing Whirlpool and Sears over a range appliance that was allegedly defective and created the dangerous situation. The fire was originally deemed arson by the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office. An arrest has still not been made and anyone with information about this case is asked to call the arson hotline is 1-800-382-4628. Calls can be made anonymously and there is a $5,000 reward. FRANKFORT, Ind. (WLFI) One person is dead after a structure fire in Frankfort. Fire chief John Kirby said a person was pulled from an upstairs apartment Sunday a little after midnight on East Clinton Street. EMS workers began life-saving measures and took the victim to a hospital. Kirby said that's where the victim died. The victim's identity has not been released and the fire is still under investigation. Kirby said more information will be available once the fire investigation is complete. Indiana State Fire Marshals Office is assisting in this case. European governments get their own say on Brexit this week as they debate future ties with London in the run-up to Sundays summit to sign Britains divorce papers. Ministers from the other 27 EU member states are in Brussels on Monday at the start of what Prime Minister Theresa May calls an intense week of negotiations. The British leader has said she will be in the city herself later in the week to meet the head of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for last-minute talks. Neither May nor European leaders are keen to reopen the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement that was grudgingly approved by the British cabinet last week. But both sides are scrambling to finalise a parallel political declaration that will set out a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties. The focus this week will be on the future relationship, May told Sky News. We wont agree the leaving part... until weve got what we want in the future relationship, because these two go together. Specifically, London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible how to get to a free trade agreement before the end of a 21-month post-Brexit transition. Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market as it did as a member state after Brexit on March 29 next year. European negotiators plan to publish their version of the statement on future relations on Tuesday, after their ambassadors met over the weekend. BRUSSELS AFP Nov19, 2018 House Leader Dinesh Gunawardane said today it was the government which could move a financial motion whereas the opposition handed over a motion to the Speaker limiting the Prime Minister's expenditure. He told a news conference held at the parliament complex that the opposition had planned to move the motion in the House today but they had to hand it over to the Deputy Speaker in writing. "He informed the opposition that their motion cannot be taken up today. According to Standing Orders, it has to be included in the order paper for five days," Mr Gunawardane said. He said what they insisted from the beginning was to adhere to Standing Orders and added that only they as the government could present motions in parliament. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera) Rhode Island Blue Star Moms Vice President Jenn Ahrens, of Warwick, is elbow-deep in candy as she helps to distribute it to servicemen and women. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Discrimination against the LGBT community is rife across the world. Those who identify with these sexual orientations are subjected to social stigmatization, legal restriction, and violence. And although adult consensual sexual activity is considered a basic human right across the world, homosexuality is outlawed in about 80 countries. In some of these countries, draconian anti-LGBT laws have been passed including life sentences and even the death sentence. Even in countries such as the United States where there is no legal barrier to homosexuality, hate crimes against the LGBT community is very high in some areas. Here are ten countries where LGBT rights are most threatened. 10. Afghanistan The LGBT community living in Afghanistan face both social and legal challenges. Being a Muslim country, homosexuality is widely considered a taboo and often linked with prostitution. There is a limited awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity in the country. The Sharia Laws and Family Laws do not recognize same-sex marriage or domestic partnership. Homosexuality is considered a violation of Sharia Laws and is punishable by long imprisonment. People convicted of homosexuality are often sentenced to prison. Political parties have also been discouraged from advocating for LGBT rights as it is considered against the Islamic morality. LGBT people are also not allowed to serve in the military. 9. Sudan Same-sex sexual activities are illegal in Sudan and are punishable by imprisonment or death. Societal discrimination against LGBT people is widespread in the country. Few people dare talk about sexual orientation or gender identity publicly for fear of attacks and threats to their lives. Criminalization and discrimination have made the LGBT community invisible. There is no legislation protecting the LGBT from abuse and harassment on the basis of their sexual orientation. Homosexuality is punishable by 100 lashes and five years imprisonment while third offenders are liable to life imprisonment or death. Those whose clothes violate public decency are punished with 40 lashes and a fine. 8. Yemen Although the constitution of Yemen does not explicitly address the rights of the LGBT people, it guarantees basic human rights to its citizens as long as the rights are compatible with the Sharia Laws. Homosexuality is punishable by law in Yemen. The unmarried men who engage in this activity are liable to one year in prison and 100 lashes while the married men who engage in homosexuality are put to death by stoning. Women are exempted from death sentence but can serve up to 7 years in prison. The government of Yemen has also blocked all the web pages supporting LGBT rights. 7. Iran LGBT community and activities in Iran have been described as barbaric not acceptable in the country. The LGBT people face societal discrimination and threats to their lives. According to the Amnesty International, over 5,000 Iranian lesbians and gays have been killed since 1979. Although the killing is less common now, it still occurs. In 2016, a 19-year old man was killed for being gay. While sexual activities between people of the same gender are illegal in the country, a person is allowed to change their assigned gender. Thus, homosexuals are encouraged to sex reassignment surgery to avoid legal and social persecution. 6. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has one of the worst LGBT rights violation records in the world. LGBT is illegal in the country and the government does not recognize the rainbow community. The countrys laws are influenced by the tribal customs of the Arabs. Transgenderism and homosexuality are considered immoral and indecent activities which are punishable by fines, torture, prison, or death. LGBT people are considered immoral and perverts who want to dilute the good Islam morals. 5. Somaliland LGBT is considered a crime in Somaliland, an African region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991, and carries a capital punishment or even death. The country is dominated by Muslims who uphold the Sharia Laws. The Sharia Laws prohibit sexual activities between people of same sex. It does not recognize same-sex unions or domestic partnership and those who are found to be gay or homosexual are liable to life imprisonment. Some have been threatened or attacked, forcing them to seek asylum elsewhere. Gays and lesbians fear coming out for fear of being shamed by the community. The LGBT people are also not allowed to serve openly in the military. 4. Nigeria Nigeria is one of the worst countries in Africa to belong to the LGBT community. The tough laws and discrimination against homosexuality make LGBT almost invisible. Homosexual acts attract up to 14 years imprisonment. Any Nigerian who belong to LGBT organization can be liable to a 10-year jail term. The influence of Islam in the country means it is not safe for anyone to publicly identify as LGBT as it is considered to be against Sharia Laws. According to a survey conducted by Pew Global Attitude Project in 2017, 97% of Nigerians are of the opinion that homosexuality should not be entertained in the country. 3. Russia The government of Russia is openly anti-LGBT and is currently crafting a homophobic law that will discourage public display non-heterosexual activities. The law proposes jail terms to those who publicly display their homosexual tendencies and gender identity. In Chechnya, homosexuals are abducted then sent to concentration camps based on their sexual orientation. The LGBT community have also been denied the right to hold a pride march and most of the well-publicized events have been interrupted by gangs. The government has also not taken any action against any group like Occupy Pedophile that openly torture gay men and post the videos online. 2. United Arab Emirates The LGBT rights are heavily suppressed in the United Arabs Emirates. All non-heterosexual activities are considered a crime, punishable by flogging, imprisonment, beating, deportation for non-citizens, torture, and death. A person convicted of homosexual activities may also be charged for committing adultery if they have a spouse of the opposite sex but are having sexual relations with someone of the same sex. In 2005, 26 young men were sentenced to five years in prison in Abu Dhabi for engaging in homosexual activities. 1. Mauritania The LGBT community in Mauritania faces both legal and social challenges. All same-sex activities are illegal and punishable by stoning to death if committed by men and imprisonment if committed by women. Mauritanias laws are based on Sharia Laws which prohibit any form of unnatural act between people of the same sex. There are no laws guarding against discrimination of the LGBT persons, causing the majority to live in silence. Mauritians are not allowed to change gender nor serve in the military if one is openly homosexual. Officially known as the Republic of Malawi, Malawi is a country that is located on the African continent. The landlocked country is located in the continents south central area in a region that was once known as Nyasaland. Malawi has an area of about 45,560 square miles and a population of about 18,091,575 people. Unfortunately, from an economic standpoint, the country is among the least developed on the planet. Accordingly, agriculture is the nations biggest sector with a huge chunk of the population (about 80%) residing in rural areas. As of 2017, the estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of Malawi stood at around $6.206 billion. To make up for the deficiencies in the economy, the country is forced to rely on economic aid from sources such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other donors (such as other nations). Dealing with these issues has proven an almost insurmountable challenge for the government due to a number of reasons including environmental issues, HIV/AIDS, and illiteracy. Agriculture Malawi grows a number of crops although the main one is undoubtedly tobacco. In 2012, the plant accounted for around 50% of the total value of the exports whereas, in 2000, Malawi was the tenth global producer of tobacco. Unfortunately for Malawi, an over-reliance on tobacco is not that conducive for the economy since the international prices of tobacco always fluctuate. In addition, several countries have campaigns and plans for limiting intake and production of tobacco in the coming years. Despite this, the dependence has only increased as tobacco generated 70% of the export revenue in 2008 compared to the 53% of 2007. Aside from tobacco, other revenue-generating crops include tea, coffee, and sugarcane. Together with tobacco, these plants contribute a whopping 90% of the total exports value of Malawi. Tea has been present since its introduction back in 1878. Today, most of the tea plantations are located at Thyolo and Mulanje. Other crops include cotton, sorghum, potatoes, and corn (maize). Livestock farming, which includes goats and cattle, is also practiced. Historically, the country produces enough food to feed its population with the main food being maize or corn. In fact, back in the 1980s, the country was able to produce excess food with the extra being exported to its neighbors who were going through a major drought. Sustaining itself through agriculture is easy since about 90% of the population engages in small-scale farming. These small-scale farmers produce a wide array of crops such as cassava, groundnuts, small amounts of tobacco, rice, beans, and cassava. The remaining 10% represents the truly wealthy people of Malawi, which shows the wide margin between the wealthy and the poor. In addition to crop and animal rearing, the country depends on lakes like Lake Chilwa and Lake Malawi for fishing. For the bigger chunk of the population, the most crucial protein is fish. Some of the fish is exported to countries nearby. Most of the fishing is done by traditional small-scale methods although a few companies such as Maldeco Fisheries have fishing boats for commercial fishing in Lake Malawis southern area. Services The service sector is another major contributor to the GDP of Malawi. Presently, the sector contributes about 51.7% of the country GDP. Some of the notable industries in this sector include tourism, health services, the banking sector, telecommunications, and retail. The government of Malawi holds a majority of shares in most of these sectors. For example, the government owns 51% of Malawian Airlines as well as Press Corporation Limited. The latter firm is the largest in Malawi with its dealings extending to things such as tobacco, fishing, steel production, ethanol production, the petrol sector, and retail. Among these sectors, tourism is among those that show a significant amount of potential. This potential is seen by the steadily improving sector since the middle stages of the 1970s. For this reason, the government has been working hard to ensure that the sector grows. Unfortunately, the sector was affected negatively by the economic recession that hit South Africa in the 1980s. The recession affected Malawi because a huge number of tourists to Malawi are from South Africa. Aside from the recession, the sector was also affected by the general instability in Zimbabwe. Despite the challenges, the growth of tourism has been realized in recent years. For example, in 2014, the sector contributed about 4.5% of the nations GDP and accounted for about 3.8% of the total number of jobs. Some of the major attractions for tourists include Lake Malawi, Mulanje Mountain, Zomba Plateau, and many more. National parks in the country include Kasungu National Park, Liwonde National Park, and Nyika National Park. Industry Some of the industries in the country include food processing, consumer goods, furniture production, cigarette production, and construction. This sector has some significance as evidenced by the 10% contribution to the countrys GDP back in 2013. To improve its agricultural produce, the government has also tried coming up with ways of embracing the latest technologies in production. Unfortunately, several challenges have impeded these efforts. Challenges include lack of well-developed infrastructure, poor business climate, and an unskilled labor to operate machinery. Exported fruits and vegetables are usually raw although the country has to import processed food from countries such as South Africa. One of the companies involved in this sector is the internationally known Carlsberg, which has a branch in Malawis Blantyre. The company has a brewery that produces mango juice as well as package Coca-Cola products. In Salima, there is a mango-processing firm that deals with exporting mango products. Another company in Blantyre, Universal Industries, produces a number of products including sweets, milk powder, baby food, and soy products. Companies in places such as Mulanje, Mzuzu, and Thyolo are involved in the processing of tea and coffee. The pharmaceuticals industry is also present with the country having four companies dealing in the sector. The companies do not make a wide range of drugs with production focused on those drugs that are in demand in the local market. Ordered by size, these four companies are Pharmanova Ltd., SADM, Malawi Pharmacies, and lastly Kentam Products Limited. The native wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is the designated floral emblem and the state flower of Kansas. It was adopted in 1903. The sunflower features in the Kansas quarter, state flag, and is the reason why Kansas is known as "the Sunflower State." Ironically, just a decade before it acquired the official status, the state lawmakers had unsuccessfully called for the eradication of the sunflower terming it a noxious weed. The flower represents the frontier days of Kansas, the pathless prairies, winding trails, and the present and future of the state. Sunflowers flourish throughout the state; they grow in the wild, commercial farms, and even in suburban yards. During the summer, fields of sunflowers spring up along the roads of western Kansas. Features of the Sunflower Sunflowers are quite tall plants that can grow to heights of up to nine feet. They have leggy stalks, bright cherry faces, and broad round heads. They are captivating to photographers and drivers can often be seen pulling over to take pictures. The sunflower looks like a single simple flower, but it is made up of several flowers arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The outer part is either orange, red, maroon, or the more common yellow color. Smaller flowers known as disc florets develop inside the flower's disk in a spiral pattern and mature to be sunflower seeds. The sunflower is not just beautiful, but it is also a valuable resource. It is used to produce sunflower cooking oil while the seeds are used in salads, bread, and as snacks. Advancement in technology has enabled sunflower oil to be harvested and used as an alternative to biodiesel fuel. Facts About the Sunflower The mountain laurel flower is the designated flower of the US state of Pennsylvania. The flower grows in the countryside of the state and it is one of the important symbols of the state since it represents the beauty and the conservation effort. On the other hand, the Penngift Crownvetch plant is planted at all state roads due to its aesthetic qualities and was given recognition in 1982. Both plants play important roles, while one is recognized as the state flower, the other is recognized as the beautification and conservation plant. The Road to Recognition Before it was given official recognition, the then governor of Pennsylvania had received two bills on his desk for his signature to become law. Governor Gifford had to make a choice between the two bills that were passed by the state legislature that proposed either the mountain laurel or the pink azalea flower to be the official state flower. Pennsylvanians in support of any of the two flowers had been engaged in intense lobbying, forcing the governor to settle the debate. On May 5, 1933, he chose the mountain laurel over the pink azalea by signing the bill into law and effectively making it the state flower. The designation, however, did not give it special protection over other wild plants. Classification The mountain laurel flower is scientifically classified by the name Kalmia latifolia. From May to June, the distinct pink flowers that bear the star-shaped bloom to reveal them. The plant grows to a height of between three to nine meters while its flower leaves are three to twelve centimeters in length and between one to four centimeters wide. It contains stamens that actively eject pollen whenever a bee disturbs it. The pollen is dispersed through insect pollination. The roots are fibrous to enable the intake of water and nutrients from the acidic soil that it grows in. Toxic Potential Despite the plant being among the sources of nectar for bees, it is toxic to animals and human beings. The green parts of the flower pose a danger when ingested. For humans, products made from this flower such as toxic honey will affect them. Some of the symptoms of poisoning will begin to show like irregular breathing, nausea, depression, cardiac arrest and if not handled early, it could result in death. Animals may suffer hemorrhages in their intestines and die. Due to this fact, it is advisable that children are kept away from this flower to prevent poisoning. Conservation The lack of special protection laws that preserve endangered species of plants and animals has not stopped the Pennsylvania authorities from preventing its destruction. The Pennsylvania authorities have a raft of laws that are aimed at discouraging the destruction of this plant. For instance, it is illegal for anyone to cut any plant, including this flower, without the owners permission even if it was growing on public land. The state regulations have also made it illegal to cut, dig, or damage a living or dead tree, shrub, or plant in any public land within the state. The Armenian Genocide was the systemic killing of over 1.5 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide started on April 24, 1915, when the Ottoman government rounded up between 235 to 270 Armenian community leaders and intellectuals from Ankara to Constantinople and deported them. Eventually, some were murdered. The Armenian Holocaust was done in two phases: the murder of all able-bodied men and the deportation of the women, children, and the elderly. Western Armenia Under Ottoman Rule Western Armenia was permanently separated from Eastern Armenia by the Zuhab Treaty of 1639, and it became the Ottoman Armenia. The Western Armenians were Christians, and they lived in small communities that were concentrated in the Western and the Eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire and also in Constantinople. The Christians were never considered to be equal to the Muslims, and numerous prohibitions such as riding atop camels and carrying weapons were placed on the Armenians. The major European powers began to question how the government was treating the minorities in the mid-nineteenth century, and they pressured them to give equal rights to all its citizens. The government responded by instituting numerous reforms which were never implemented. Sultan Abdul Hamid II established a paramilitary outfit called Hamidiye in 1890. The task force was told to deal with the Christians as they wished. After too many complaints, Abdul was forced to sign a treaty meant to restrict the power of the task force, but it was never implemented. Soon massacres of the Christians began in Constantinople and then spread to other Armenian provinces. The Cause of the Armenian Genocide During the First World War, the Ottoman government asked the Armenians to help them take over the Transcaucasia by inciting a rebellion between the Russian Armenians and the Russian Army. The Minister of War, Enver Pasha, implemented his plan to retake the territory which they lost after the Russo-Turkish War, but they were defeated. Pasha blamed the defeat on the Armenians and claimed that they sided with the Russians. Soon after their defeat, all the Armenians serving in the military were removed from their positions and assigned to the unarmed battalion. The Genocide was also incited by the refusal of the Armenians in the city of Van to give 4,000 soldiers to Jevdet Bey. The Christians believed that Beys goal was to massacre their able-bodied men; therefore they gave his 500 men and money, but he accused them of being rebellious. On April 20, 1915, the siege of Van started after two Armenians were killed while trying to rescue a woman who was being harassed. Arrest and Deportation of the Armenians The Ottoman authorities started a propaganda drive which presented all Armenians as a threat to the security of the empire in 1914. The government imprisoned 250 Armenian community leaders and intellectuals of Constantinople in April 1915. After the Tehcir law was passed on May 29, 1915, some Armenian leaders were deported while others were assassinated. With the implementation of the law, the Muslims confiscated all the Armenian properties and killed them. The government deliberately withheld supplies when they were marching the Armenians to Deir Ez-Zor and the neighboring desert resulting in the death of thousands of Armenians. Armenian Genocide Quick Facts Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has sought a report from the authorities concerned on the violence in Parliament including brawls, name calling, spraying of chili powder and damaging properties, a statement from his office said today. He told a party leaders meeting that he regretted the incidents that took place in the House and pointed out that it was the duty of all MPs to avoid the repetition of such ugly scenes in the future. The Speaker said he had received intelligence reports that disruptive activities would be carried out yesterday and therefore preemptive measures were taken. Commenting on the allegation that unwanted people were present in the public gallery during commotion in the House last Friday, he said he looked into it and found that there was no organized presence of such individuals. The Speaker said any MP could bring up to five of his supporters to the gallery. The Republic of Guatemala is an independent country situated in Central America. The nation occupies an area of 42,042 square miles. Its land area is 41,374 square miles while the maritime area is 667.9 square miles. It is Central Americas most populous state with an estimated population of 17 million residents. In the early 19th century, Guatemala was part of the Federal Republic of Central America. The federation split up in 1841 to form several nations namely; Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Today, the Central American nation of Guatemala shares its border with some of these same nations, namely the four nations of Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize. Bordering Nations of Guatemala Guatemala is strategically situated in the central region of Central America. It plays a key role in the region due to its central location. Through the Central American Free Trade Agreement, Guatemalas open borders and central location allow Central American nations to freely transact. The nations border is marked by natural features such as rivers and mountain ranges. In some densely populated regions along the nations border, they have fences to prevent illegal immigration to neighboring states. The areas close to Guatemalan borders experience high rates of crime. The lack of strict law enforcement around the borders has led to the growth in crimes. The Central American region, particularly the Guatemalan border area, is listed as among the worlds most dangerous places. Guatemala-Mexico Border Guatemala and Mexico share an extensive border that runs from the western region to the northern region of Guatemala. The international border between the two countries is 541 miles long. It is Guatemalas longest border with another nation. Some of the administrative units along the border in Guatemala include El Quiche, San Marcos, El Peten, and Huehuetenango. Some parts of the border are fenced while natural features such as rivers mark others. Official border posts that allow peoples movement between the two countries are scattered along the border. The Guatemala-Mexico border is crucial in the region as it allows for trade between the two nations and trade with other Central American nations. Nonetheless, the border has also been a source of conflict between Guatemala and Mexico. Guatemalan citizens are often accused of illegally crossing into Mexico through the GuatemalaMexico border. Criminals often use the border to smuggle weapons and drugs between Mexico and Guatemala. Recently, thousands of immigrants attempting to get to the United States were denied entry into Mexico at the border with Guatemala. Guatemala-Belize Border The border between Guatemala and Belize appears as a straight line. It separates the eastern region of Guatemala from the western region of Belize. The Guatemala-Belize border is 165 miles long, and it is the second longest border in Guatemala. Since the 18th century, Guatemala and Belize have been in serious conflict over the border between the two nations. Guatemala claims to own as much as 4,247 square miles of territory situated in Belize. The two countries in Central America have remained in disagreement over the Guatemala-Belize border. In April 2018, Guatemala voted to have the International Court of Justice resolve the dispute with Belize. Belize will also hold a referendum to determine the way forward. Guatemala and Belize share important infrastructure close to the border area. One major highway passes through the Guatemala-Belize border and links the two nations. Guatemala-Honduras Border The Guatemala-Honduras border is the third longest border in Guatemala. It links the eastern part of Guatemala and the northwestern part of Honduras. The border stretches for 164 miles. The border region is listed as the most dangerous regions in Central America. The area is said to have the leading murder rate in the entire world. The region is known for mega-crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, violence, and murders. Lack of effective law enforcement has enabled criminals to thrive in the region. As a result, the Guatemala-Honduras border has accelerated crime rates in the whole of the Central American region. The Central American states have stepped up their efforts in fighting against drug traffickers, human traffickers, and other organized criminals. The two nations have increased troops in their respective border areas as well as official border cross points. These steps will ensure safety in the entire Central American region. Guatemala-El Salvador Border Guatemalas border with El Salvador is found on the southeastern region of Guatemala. As El Salvador is Central Americas tiniest nation, its border with Guatemala is only 142 miles long. The municipality of Jutiapa in Guatemala lies along the Guatemala-El Salvador border. High crime rates around the Guatemala-El Salvador border has led to a decline in the regions economy. As a result, many citizens in the country have migrated to neighboring states in search of better opportunities. The border point that connects Guatemala to El Salvador recently experienced an influx of immigrants attempting to move to the United States. Importance of the Guatemalan Border in Central America Before the 19th century, the Central American nations existed as one united nation referred to as the Federal Republic of Central America. In 1840, the federation split up to form the individual nations. Guatemala, which is situated in the middle area of Central America, is an important historical location which holds key sites from the past regimes. Guatemalas bordering nations share the same historical past. Additionally, Guatemala is economically important in the region. It provides a commercial link to most of the countries in Central America. The Central American Free Trade Agreement enables traders in the region to transport their goods through Guatemala with little or no restrictions. Guatemalas southern border lies on the Pacific Oceans coast. The Pacific coast provides important ports for maritime transport and access to landlocked nations in the region. Lastly, most Central American countries have robust tourism industries. The holidaymakers can visit different sites in different states in the region. Guatemala has several border crossing points where visitors easily move to diverse destinations. Lithuania is a country in northeastern Europe. Historical evidence indicates that human habitation within Lithuanias borders began approximately in the 10th millennium BC. Throughout Lithuanias history, some communities have exerted their influence within Lithuanias borders with the main ones being the Baltic tribes. The modern-day boundaries of Lithuania trace their roots to the boundaries of the first Lithuanian state that was formed sometime during the 13th century. Lithuania has land border stretching approximately 963 miles long and shares with four nations of Belarus, Russia, Latvia, and Poland. Poland Poland and Lithuania are separated by a boundary that is roughly 65 miles long and is situated in the southwestern section of the country. There are many towns along the Lithuanian side of the border such as Kalvarija and Lazdijai. There are also towns located on the polish side of the border such as Suwalki and Augustow. There are several roads and a railway that connects the towns in Poland to the towns in Lithuania. The present-day boundary between the two nations dates back to 1990 when Lithuania regained its independence. Initially, the border separated the nation of Poland from the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic that was part of the USSR at the time. The border was formed at the end of the Second World War. Before the Second World War, the Second Polish Republic and the nation of Lithuania had a different border. During this period, Poland and Lithuania were involved in a border dispute over who controlled the Vilnius Region. There were several efforts to mediate the conflict by the League of Nations. In modern times, Poland and Lithuania have close ties which were solidified after the collapse of the USSR. When Lithuania became an independent nation, Poland was the first nation to officially recognize it. In Poland, the Lithuanian government is represented by an embassy located in Warsaw. In Lithuania, the Polish government has three representations: an embassy located in Vilnius, a consulate general located in Sejny as well as an honorary consulate within Klaipeda. Belarus The boundary that separates Belarus and Lithuania is roughly 422 miles long, and a section of which crosses through several physical features such as River Apyvarde, lake Apvardai, and the Dysna River. Several individuals consider the border between the two nations to be the outermost border of the European Union a distinction which it has held since 2004. Since 2007, the border between Belarus and Lithuania has been the outer border of the Schengen region. The relationship between Lithuania and Belarus dates back to the period when they were both parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Both nations would later be part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the two nations gained their independence and they established formal diplomatic ties. The Belarusian government is represented by embassy located in Vilnius while the Lithuanian government is represented by an embassy located in Mink as well as a consulate general situated in Hrodna. Latvia The boundary that separates Lithuania and Latvia is approximately 338 miles long and is situated in the northern section of the country. There are many towns along the Lithuanian section of the border such as Skuodas, Zagare, Maizeikai, and Rokiskis. The towns located on the Latvian section of the border include Auce, Eleja, Nereta, and Subate. During the 1920s Latvia and Lithuania were involved in a border dispute. The dispute revolved around the cities of Palanga and Sventoji and was relatively peaceful. An international commission helped Latvia and Lithuania reach a peaceful settlement to the dispute. Due to the shared history between the two nations, Latvia and Lithuania have exceptionally close ties. In Latvia, the Lithuanian government is represented by an embassy located in Vilnius. An embassy located at Riga represents the Latvian government. Latvia and Lithuania cooperate in areas such as economic development, infrastructure development, and security. Russia Russia and Lithuania share a border that is approximately 163 miles long. The border passes through some distinct physical features such as the Curonian Spit, the Neman River, Lake Vistytis, and Curonian Lagoon. The boundary that separates Russia and Lithuania has varied greatly throughout history, and in some instances, it was remarkably different from the present day boundary. The boundary between the two nations dates back to the end of the First World War. During the period when Lithuania was part of the USSR, the boundary between Russia and Lithuania was considered an internal boundary. After the USSR broke up, Lithuania became an independent nation, and the boundary was then considered an external boundary. The ties between Russia and Lithuania date back to the period of the Russian Empire. Russia formally recognized Lithuania as an independent nation in 1991. In modern times, the ties between the two countries include diplomatic and economic relationships. The Russian government is represented by an embassy in Vilnius as well as consulates situated in the cities of Klaipeda and Marijampole. The Lithuanian government is represented by an embassy located in Moscow as well as four consulates spread out in various cities such as Sovetsk, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, and Kaliningrad. Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire) is a 124,504 square mile nation that is situated in the western region of Africa. Over the years, the boundaries of Ivory Coast have gone through some significant changes. Archaeologists find it challenging to determine the date of the first habitation of Ivory Coast as the country's climate makes it difficult for remains to be preserved. However, historians have been able to determine that some kingdoms were situated within Ivory Coast's borders such as the state of Gyaaman, the state of the Baoule, and the Wattara Empire. The boundaries of Ivory Coast began taking their present-day shape after the French developed an interest in the region and made it a protectorate in 1843. Ivory Coast attained the status of a colony nearly 50 years after it was made a protectorate in 1893. The modern boundary of Ivory Coast is approximately 2,194 miles long and is shared with five countries, which include Mali, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea, and Ghana. Border Countries of Ivory Coast/Cote D'Ivoire Ivory Coast-Mali Border The border that separates Mali and Ivory Coast is roughly 372 miles long and is Ivory Coast's second shortest land border. The border is situated in the northwestern section of Ivory Coast. The boundary between Ivory Coast and Mali traces the path of several rivers such as the Baoule River in the western section and the Bagoe River in the northern section. There are some important towns along the border such as Manankoro, Kadiana, and Zegoua on the Malian side, and Tingrela and Nielle on the Ivorian side. One of the most distinct points in Ivory Coast, the northernmost point, is situated along the border with Mali. Mali and Ivory Coast have longstanding diplomatic ties that go back to the colonial period as both nations were under control of the French. The diplomatic ties were made stronger after the president of Ivory Coast, Houphouet-Boigny, brokered a deal between Mali and Burkina Faso ending a longstanding border dispute. The diplomatic ties are also improved by the fact that both nations are members of the same regional organizations such as the African Union and ECOWAS. In Mali, the government of Ivory Coast is represented by an embassy situated in Bamako. On the other hand, the government of Mali is represented by an embassy situated in Abidjan and a consulate general located at Bouake. Ivory Coast-Burkina Faso border Ivory Coast's shortest border is the one that separates it from Burkina Faso, and it is approximately 372 miles long. The boundary traces the path of some rivers such as the Leraba and the Komoe. There are some important towns along the Burkina Faso-Ivory Coast border such as Ouangolodougou and Varale in Ivory Coast, and Batie and Banfora in Burkina Faso. The border is exceptionally significant particularly to Burkina Faso as the southernmost section of the country is located along the border. The ties between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast date back to the colonial period as France colonized both nations. However, despite the close ties between the nations, the relationship was adversely affected in 2014 after the ouster of Burkina Faso's leader Blaise Compaore. The leaders of Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast met roughly two years later and agreed to cooperate on several areas such as infrastructure and security. Ivory Coast-Ghana Border The border between Ghana and Ivory Coast is roughly 450 miles long and is situated in the eastern section of the country. The Black Volta, which is one of the most important rivers in the region, forms part of the boundary between the two nations. There are some significant cities along the border between the two nations such as Bole and Berekum on the Ghanaian side and Agnibilekrou and Tanda on the Ivorian side. Ghana and Ivory Coast have had a tumultuous relationship, particularly in the early years after both nations had gained their independence. The government of Ghana accused the Ivorian government of allowing dissidents to use their country as a base. The relationship between Ghana and Ivory Coast had steadily improved by 1992; however, the progress was reversed after some incidents in 1993 and 1994. Ghana and Ivory Coast were also involved in a maritime dispute in 2010 that was resolved by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea. In Ghana, the government of Ivory Coast is represented by an embassy situated in Accra while in Ivory Coast the Ghanaian government is represented by an embassy situated in Abidjan. Ivory Coast-Guinea Border The border between Guinea and Ivory Coast is approximately 507 miles long and is located on the western edge of Ivory Coast. A section of the Ivory Coast Guinea border traces the same path as the Sankarani River. There are some well-known towns close to the border such as Odienne and Bako on the Ivorian side and Soukourala and Lola on the Guinean side. The ties between the Ivory Coast and Guinea date back to the colonial era as both nations were under French rule. Due to their close ties, the nations have collaborated on some projects such as roads that connect several Ivorian cities like Varale, Boundiali, and Odienne to Guinean cities such as Soukourala and Beyla. Ivory Coast-Liberia Border The boundary that separates Liberia and Ivory Coast is approximately 483 miles long and is situated on the southwestern side of Ivory Coast. The border follows the path of some rivers such as the Cavally River and the Dube River. Due to their proximity, Liberia and Ivory Coast have close ties. One of the instances, when the close ties were demonstrated, was when an Ivorian medical unit went to Liberia to take part in a peacekeeping mission. In Ivory Coast, the Liberian government is represented by an embassy situated in Abidjan. On the other hand, in Liberia, the government of Ivory Coast is situated in Monrovia. The Impact of Border Disputes Border disputes have a significant impact particularly on people living along the border. In some instances, the disputes have been known to reduce the volume of trade in a region which significantly affects the economy. The Republic of Congo, which is also known by title Republique du Congo, is an African nation that is located in West-Central Africa and lies on the Congo basin. The nation shares the basin with its larger neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or the DRC. The name Congo-Brazzaville is also commonly used to refer to the nation because its capital is Brazzaville to distinguish it from its neighbor DRC, which is also referred to as Congo-Kinshasa. Congo-Brazzavilles Neighbors Congo-Brazzaville shares its borders with the DRC to the south and to the east, with Cabinda, an Angolan enclave to the south-west, with Gabon to the west, and with the C.A.R (Central African Republic) to the north. The nation also has a 100-mile coastline with the Atlantic Ocean south of its border with Gabon and to the north of its border point with Cabinda. The nation occupies a total area of 342,000 square miles and is mainly sparsely populated with 37.8 persons per square mile. The majority of its 4.992 million people residing in urban areas such as Brazzaville. Only an estimated 34.6% of the population lives in rural areas. Republic of the Congos History The nation gets its name from the Kingdom of Kongo which used to occupy parts of the present-day Republic of the Congo. The kingdom comprised of a Bantu speaking community by the name Bakongo. Other kingdoms that occupied the present day nation are Loango, Kouilou, and the Tio. The slave trade boom between 1600 and 1800 in the river region and coast which had been initiated previously by the Portuguese led to increased interaction and interest from other European powers such as the British and French. The present-day Congo was established by the French when they signed a treaty over the jurisdiction of the area with the Toi ruler in 1880. The colony was later proclaimed as French Congo in 1891. The colony of Congo was joined with neighboring French colonies in 1910 to form the Federation of French Equatorial Africa with its administrative headquarters in Brazzaville. Establishment of the Republic of the Congo Congo was declared an overseas territory of French in 1946, and ten years later the Loi Cadre paved the way for an elected government in the colony. In 1958 Congo became a republic of the French Community. French Equatorial Africa as a federation was dissolved in the same year. Congo later attained independence in August 1960. Congo-Brazzaville and the DRC Border The two nations were formerly part of the old Kongo Kingdom. The nations share a 763-mile border and a rich history. The countries also have the closest capital cities after the Vatican and Rome with the flight distance between the two capitals being only 5 minutes apart. Part of the boundary is demarcated by River Congo which was previously known as Zaire but was changed when Congo Brazzavilles eastern neighbor changed its name from Zaire to the D.R.C. Despite the cultural closeness and the people's close interaction, the two nations have had an estranged relationship with DRC accusing Congo Brazzaville of harboring rebels. In some areas, the Chiloango River forms the border between the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. The same river also forms about half of the border between Cabinda and DRC, and Angola. Congo Brazzaville and Gabon Border The Republic of Congo shares a 1595-mile boundary with its western neighbor nation of Gabon. Both nations are heavily reliant on natural resource exploitation. The two nations have relatively good relations with both maintaining embassies in the capital of the other. The two nations have also partnered in strengthening their fiber optic connection to the world through the Central African Backbone regional project. The Aina River, which is a tributary of the River Ivindo, originates from Cameroon and part of it forms the border between Republic of Congo and Gabon. Republic of the Congo and Angola Border The two nations share a 143.5-mile border in the Cabinda region which is an enclave separate from the rest of Angola. During the civil war that rocked the Republic of the Congo, Angolas intervention through its army helped to decisively end the conflict. The small enclave of Cabinda has vast amounts of oil deposits that contribute immensely to the Angolan economy. The enclave which is a mere 37 miles across the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, however, it shares deeper cultural links with its neighbors, Congo Brazzaville, and DRC due to the Bantu Bakongo connecting and shared history with the Kakongo and Loango kingdoms. The enclave has experienced civil unrest over the years with Cabindan Separatist forces seeking to secede from Angola. The Republic of Congo is currently home to thousands of exiled Cabindan people. The nation has also hosted peace talks between the warring parties which resulted in a ceasefire agreement. Congo Brazzaville and the Central African Republic The two nations share a French colonial history and a 302-mile border. Both nations were in what was previously French Equatorial Africa before it was dissolved in1958. The Central African Republic has been engulfed in what has been termed as one of Africas longest and bloodiest civil wars. The Republic of the Congo currently houses over 120,000 refugees from its war-ravaged neighbor a majority of who are found in Betou to the north. The population of the Republic of the Congo is also concentrated towards the south while the population of the Central African Republic is concentrated in the Central and western regions. Currently, the government of the Republic of the Congo has been working with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to repatriate refugees who are willing to go back across the border to their home. Congo-Brazzaville and Cameroon Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville are both former French colonies and were in what was previously French Equatorial Africa before it was dissolved in 1958. The two nations share a 306-mile long border and have a population of predominantly Bantu speaking people. Congo Brazzavilles Maritime Territory The country has a coastline extending 105 miles long and lays claim to maritime of territorial sea water of 12 nautical miles, an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles, and a contiguous zone extending 24 nautical miles. Vermont is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the 6th smallest state by land area and 2nd least populated among the 50 states of America. Vermont has claim to two presidents of the United States, namely Chester Allan Arthur and Calvin Coolidge. Both men were vice presidents before ascending to the presidency following the death of the sitting presidents. Presidents from Vermont Chester Allan Arthur - Early Life and Career Chester A Arthur, an attorney, and a renowned politician became the 21st president of the US upon the demise of James A. Garfield in 1881. Chester was born on October 5th, 1829, in a village known as Fairfield to Malvina Stone and William Arthur. He was the fifth born among nine children. His father, a preacher, moved the family to different locations in New York where Chester grew up and went to school. He was a teacher before joining law school. Upon graduation from law school in 1854, he worked in Culverts firm. Chester was a lawyer who fought for civil rights. In 1859, Chester married Ellen Herndon and they had three children. Political Life and Presidency Chester was an activist and a diehard supporter of the Republican party in New York. During the presidential elections of 1880, he was selected to be the running mate of James Garfield. When elections were held, they beat the Democrats and were consequently sworn in on March 4th, 1881. However, on July 2nd of the same year, resident James Garfield was shot fatally. The president died on September 19th the same year leading to swearing in of his vice president Chester Allan Arthur as the 21st president. He did not seek to be reelected in the following general elections of 1884 due to health reasons. He handed over the presidency in March 4, 1885. He is remembered for reforms in the civil service, modernization of facilities in the navy, and sweeping away fraud in the Postal Service. He died on November 18, 1886, at the age of 57 one year after vacating the office. Calvin Coolidge Early Life and Career Calvin was the 30th president of the United States from August 2nd, 1923, to March 4th, 1929. The practicing lawyer rose to be a governor, vice president, and eventually the president. He was the first born of the two children born to John Calvin Coolidge Senior and Victoria Josephine Moor. Born on July 4th, 1872, in Windsor County, Vermont, he attended the local academies before joining Amherst College. He was admitted to the bar as a county lawyer in 1897 before opening his own law firm in Northampton in 1898. In 1905, he married Grace Anna Goodhue and they had two children. Political Life and Presidency Calvin was actively involved in the politics of the Republican party where he actively campaigned for Willian McKinley. He held numerous political offices beginning with the member of the city committee, the city council of Northampton, the house of representatives, and the mayor of Northampton. He was the senator of Hampshire City before vying successfully for the position of the Governor of Massachusetts in 1918. In 1920, Coolidge was nominated the running mate for Warren G. Harding for the presidential seat. They won in the November 1920 elections and he became the vice president. On August 2nd, 1923, the president died unexpectedly, leading to Coolidge taking over as the president. He took the oath of office from his hometown in Vermont which was administered by his father. He was sworn in once more by Justice of the supreme court. He was elected again in 1924 as the president. During his tenure, America experienced economic prosperity. He was an accessible president and developed the radio and film sector. He died on January 5th, 1933, due to coronary thrombosis. Presidential Succession in Case of Death In instances where a sitting president of the US is deceased, the vice president takes over as the president. The Speaker of the House of Representatives comes second in the list of successors to presidency followed by the president of the Senate pro tempore. AMRITSAR AFP Nov18, 2018 - A blast at a religious ceremony in Indias Punjab state Sunday killed at least three people and injured 10, police said. Media reports said two armed men on a motorcycle forced their way into a building where the Nirankari spiritual group was meeting. They brandished a pistol at a woman at the gate before throwing a hand grenade at the crowd, the Tribune newspaper said. Police did not immediately confirm the media accounts of the attack in Amritsar district, which came just ahead of a major Sikh festival on Friday. Three people have been killed and 10 people are injured. We are trying to gather more information, senior police officer Surinder Pal Singh Parmar told reporters. SANAA AFP Nov19, 2018 - A high-ranking Huthi official has called for rebels to stop firing rockets and using attack drones in the conflict in Yemen, as a UN envoy prepares to travel to the country to prepare peace talks. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that his group wants all official Yemeni parties to demand a ceasefire. We announce an initiative to call all official Yemeni parties to ask to end launching rockets and drones against aggression countries... in order to deprive them for any reason to continue their aggression and siege, along a readiness to freeze and stop all military operations on all fronts in order to reach peace, he wrote. His comments come after UN special envoy Martin Griffiths said on Friday that he plans to travel to rebel-held Sanaa in the coming week to finalise arrangements for peace talks to take place in Sweden soon. Griffiths -- whose efforts at kick-starting peace talks collapsed in September -- said both the Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels have shown a renewed commitment to work on a political solution and have given firm assurances that they will attend the talks. No date has yet been set. US President Donald Trump has promised a very full report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Monday or Tuesday. Its a horrible thing that took place, the killing of a journalist, Trump said in Malibu on Saturday. A very, very bad situation. Khashoggi. And somebody who was respected. It should never have happened. And well be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday, Trump said. He then said more definitely that there would be a report on Tuesday. The report will address what we think the overall impact was and who caused it, and who did it, he added. Asked about reports that the CIA had assessed involvement by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the president said they havent assessed anything yet. Its too early. That was a very a premature report, he said of a Washington Post article pointing at the Saudi crown prince. Earlier Saturday, refuting US media reports, the State Department said no final conclusion had been reached by the United States on who was behind Khashoggis murder. The White House said Trump spoke to CIA chief Gina Haspel and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the case on Saturday, but disclosed no details. Asked about his conversation with Haspel, the president said, I spoke with our CIA director, whos terrific and very knowledgeable and has been studying this very closely. (dpa),17 Nov 2018 Last month, the Council of Economic Advisers, an agency of the Trump White House, released an extraordinary report titled The Opportunity Costs of Socialism. The report begins with the statement: Coincident with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marxs birth, socialism is making a comeback in American political discourse. Detailed policy proposals from self-declared socialists are gaining support in Congress and among much of the younger electorate. The very fact that the US government officially acknowledges a growth of popular support for socialism, particularly among the nations youth, testifies to vast changes taking place in the political consciousness of the working class and the terror this is striking within the ruling elite. America is, after all, a country where anti-communism was for the greater part of a century a state-sponsored secular religion. No ruling class has so ruthlessly sought to exclude socialist politics from political discourse as the American ruling class. The 70-page document is itself an inane right-wing screed. It seeks to discredit socialism by identifying it with capitalist countries such as Venezuela that have expanded state ownership of parts of the economy while protecting private ownership of the banks, and, with the post-2008 collapse of oil and other commodity prices, increasingly attacked the living standards of the working class. It identifies socialism with proposals for mild social reform such as Medicare for all, raised and increasingly abandoned by a section of the Democratic Party. It cites Milton Friedman and Margaret Thatcher to promote the virtues of economic freedom, i.e., the unrestrained operation of the capitalist market, and to denounce all social reforms, business regulations, tax increases or anything else that impinges on the oligarchys self-enrichment. The reports arguments and themes find expression in the fascistic campaign speeches of Donald Trump, who routinely and absurdly attacks the Democrats as socialists and accuses them of seeking to turn America into another socialist Venezuela. What has prompted this effort to blackguard socialism? A series of recent polls in the US and Europe have shown a sharp growth of popular disgust with capitalism and support for socialism. In May of 2017, in a survey conducted by the Union of European Broadcasters of people aged 18 to 35, more than half said they would participate in a large-scale uprising. Nine out of 10 agreed with the statement, Banks and money rule the world. Last November, a poll conducted by YouGov showed that 51 percent of Americans between the ages of 21 and 29 would prefer to live in a socialist or communist country than in a capitalist country. In August of this year, a Gallup poll found that for the first time since the organization began tracking the figure, fewer than half of Americans aged 1829 had a positive view of capitalism, while more than half had a positive view of socialism. The percentage of young people viewing capitalism positively fell from 68 percent in 2010 to 45 percent this year, a 23-percentage point drop in just eight years. This surge in interest in socialism is bound up with a resurgence of class struggle in the US and internationally. In the United States, the number of major strikes so far this year, 21, is triple the number in 2017. The ruling class was particularly terrified by the teachers walkouts earlier this year because the biggest strikes were organized by rank-and-file educators in a rebellion against the unions, reflecting the weakening grip of the pro-corporate organizations that have suppressed the class struggle for decades. The growth of the class struggle is an objective process that is driven by the global crisis of capitalism, which finds its most acute social and political expression in the center of world capitalismthe United States. It is the class struggle that provides the key to the fight for genuine socialism. Masses of workers and youth are being driven into struggle and politically radicalized by decades of uninterrupted war and the staggering growth of social inequality. This process has accelerated during the 10 years since the Wall Street crash of 2008. The Obama years saw the greatest transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top in history, the escalation of the wars begun under Bush and their spread to Libya, Syria and Yemen, and the intensification of mass surveillance, attacks on immigrants and other police state measures. This paved the way for the elevation of Trump, the personification of the criminality and backwardness of the ruling oligarchy. Under conditions where the typical CEO in the US now makes in a single day almost as much as the average worker makes in an entire year, and the net worth of the 400 wealthiest Americans has doubled over the past decade, the working class is looking for a radical alternative to the status quo. As the Socialist Equality Party wrote in its program eight years ago, The Breakdown of Capitalism and the Fight for Socialism in the United States: The change in objective conditions, however, will lead American workers to change their minds. The reality of capitalism will provide workers with many reasons to fight for a fundamental and revolutionary change in the economic organization of society. The response of the ruling class is two-fold. First, the abandonment of bourgeois democratic forms of rule and the turn toward dictatorship. The run-up to the midterm elections has revealed the advanced stage of these preparations, with Trumps fascistic attacks on immigrants, deployment of troops to the border, threats to gun down unarmed men, women and children seeking asylum, and his pledge to overturn the 14th Amendment establishing birthright citizenship. That this has evoked no serious opposition from the Democrats and the media makes clear that the entire ruling class is united around a turn to authoritarianism. Indeed, the Democrats are spearheading the drive to censor the internet in order to silence left-wing and socialist opposition. The second response is to promote phony socialists such as Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and other pseudo-left organizations in order to confuse the working class and channel its opposition back behind the Democratic Party. In 2018, with Sanders totally integrated into the Democratic Party leadership, this role has been largely delegated to the DSA, which functions as an arm of the Democrats. Two DSA members, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York and Rashida Tlaib in Detroit, are likely to win seats in the House of Representatives as candidates of the Democratic Party. The closer they come to taking office, the more they seek to distance themselves from their supposed socialist affiliation. Ocasio-Cortez, for example, joined Sanders in eulogizing the recently deceased war-monger John McCain, refused to answer when asked if she opposed the US wars in the Middle East, and dropped her campaign call for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The working class and youth are increasingly looking for a socialist alternative, but their understanding of socialism and its history is limited. Here the role of the revolutionary party, the Socialist Equality Party, is critical. It alone seeks to arm the emerging mass movement of the working class with a genuine revolutionary, socialist and internationalist program. The SEP fights to mobilize and unite the working class in the US and internationally in opposition to the entire ruling elite and all of its bribed politicians and parties. As our program explains: But socialism will be achieved only through the establishment of workers power. This will be a difficult struggle Socialism is not a gift to be given to the working class. It must be fought for and won by the working class itself. The task facing workers and youth looking for the way to fight against war, inequality, poverty and repression is to join and build the Socialist Equality Party to lead the coming mass struggles of the working class. The factional warfare over Brexit within Britains ruling elite is at fever pitch. Amid warnings of a crisis dwarfing Suez in 1956, threatening to permanently unravel the UKs relations with Europe, advanced preparations are being made by the police, army and secret services for a national emergency. Yet this is a political conflict characterised above all by the deliberate exclusion of the working class from any influence over its outcome. The pro-Brexit faction of the Conservatives and their allies cite the sanctity of the 2016 referendum on British membership of the European Union as the declared will of the people, while pro-remain forces urge a second Peoples vote. But the specialised lexicon of debatehard Brexit, soft Brexit, backstop,indicates the exclusive focus of this fall-out in high places. This is a fight over Britains geostrategic orientation and economic and political alliances, amid developing protectionism and trade war and an eruption of militarism. Every factionwhether pro- or anti-EU membership or urging some form of continued relations with the EUis viciously opposed to the interests of the working class. The Brexiteers openly discuss how a hard Brexit will create the necessary conditions for the imposition of economic shock therapy, including slashing wages and ramping up exploitation to compete for markets in the US, China and south Asia. But when Tory Remainers and their Blairite allies in the Labour Party warn of the economic impact of Brexit, they speak as those who have helped impose savage austerity on workers and young people for more than a decadeand who would do the same within the confines of the EU. Last week, UN rapporteur Philip Alston issued his report on poverty in the UK. After visits to several towns and cities, he declared that austerity has led to the immense growth in food banks and the queues waiting outside them, the people sleeping rough in the streets, the growth of homelessness, the sense of deep despair that leads even the government to appoint a minister for suicide prevention and civil society to report in depth on unheard-of levels of loneliness and isolation The results? 14 million people, a fifth of the population, live in poverty. Four million of these are more than 50 percent below the poverty line, and 1.5 million are destitute, unable to afford basic essentials. The widely respected Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts a 7% rise in child poverty between 2015 and 2022, and various sources predict child poverty rates of as high as 40%. For almost one in every two children to be poor in twenty-first century Britain is not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster, all rolled into one. This is the record of those portrayed as a moderate, civilised alternative to Boris Johnson and his ilk. This situation is set to worsen. Without a shift in social policy, Alston warns, the impact of Brexit could well lead to significant public discontent, further division and even instability The sole genuine concern of the Remain faction of the ruling class is how to ensure British imperialisms global position by safeguarding tariff-free access to European markets. No advocate of Remain wants anyone to recall that the EU has functioned for more than a decade as the engine of austerity, ruining the economies of Greece, Spain and Portugal and subjecting its workers to social devastation. A wall of silence has been erected to conceal the reality of the contemporary European political and social order. Everywhere, amid a deepening economic crisis, free trade is giving way to trade war, financial security to joblessness, prosperity to austerity, the free movement of people to the closing of borders and the rise of the fascist right. A key role in preventing any intervention by the working class is played by the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. Once again Corbyn dutifully follows the dictates of the most powerful representatives of imperialism. He abandoned decades of opposition to the EU to support the 2016 Remain campaign, even as Greeces population was being subjected to the EUs scorched earth austerity program. He now presents Labour as a safe pair of hands, preserving the national interest and navigating the Brexit crisis while preventing a worsening conflict. His is a multi-stage proposal guided solely by political expediencya meaningful vote to reject Prime Minister Theresa Mays deal, a Labour minority government to renegotiate Brexit to guarantee access to Europes markets or, failing this, a second referendum including an option to remain. There is no hint of an appeal to the working class, as Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell continue to woo the City of Londonor he would be demanding an immediate general election to bring down the Tories. Everything depends on the ability of the working class to formulate an independent political responsenot to resolve the crisis facing Britains rulers, but to take forward the struggle for socialism here and throughout the European continent. Brexit has proved that in a globally integrated economy, it is impossible to secure economic progress or defend democratic and social rights on a national basis. However, EU membership offers no genuine alternative for working people. The EU is disintegrating, under the impact of developing national and social antagonisms that have led to an eruption of conflict between Brussels and rightist governments in Italy, Hungary and Poland that posture as opponents of EU-dictated austerity. Held together as a trade bloc in the struggle for control of global markets and resources, plans are underway for its transformation into a military alliance with its own army, led by Germany and France, and rearmament to end dependence on the US through NATO. As proved tragically twice before, the result of such escalating inter-imperialist conflicts is world war. The progressive unification of Europe is impossible without breaking with capitalism and ending the division of the world into rival nation states. Trotsky explained in The Third International After Lenin, Geographically and historically, conditions have predetermined such a close organic bond between the countries of Europe that there is no way for them to tear themselves out of it. The modern bourgeois governments of Europe are like murderers chained to a single cart. The working class can only fight capitalism in unity with their brothers and sisters throughout Europe and internationally. The rule of the financial oligarchy and its governments must be replaced by a socialist Britain in a United Socialist States of Europe. This, Trotsky explained, corresponds to the dynamics of the proletarian revolution, which does not break out simultaneously in all countries, but which passes from country to country and requires the closest bond between them, especially on the European arena, both with a view to defence against the most powerful external enemies, and with a view to economic construction. The adoption of this perspective would bring the most powerful social force into actionthe European working class. Amid the exclusive preoccupation of the media on the minutiae and infighting over Brexit, there are numerous indications of an eruption of the class struggle across the continent. This year has seen strikes involving UK lecturers and rail workers, French rail workers, German engineers and cross-border action by Ryanair and Amazon workers. It includes mass protests such as the recent 250,000-strong demonstration in Berlin against the rise of the far right in Germany, hundreds of thousands in France protesting fuel tax hikes and protests across Italy in defence of immigrants and refugees. The Socialist Equality Party and our European sister parties, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) in France and the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) in Germany, together with our co-thinkers in the International Committee of the Fourth International, provide the necessary programme and leadership to take forward this developing counteroffensive by the working class. Democratic Party leaders who will control the House of Representatives next January will use their new power to step up demands for censorship of the internet and other repressive measures flowing from the bogus allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Representative Adam Schiff, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told the Wall Street Journal that he would seek to explore avenues such as the possible financial relationship between the Trump Organization, the business entity that runs Trumps real estate and branding empire, and Russian businesses or individuals. Schiff complained that under Republican leadership the committee had been precluded from getting answers, adding that there are entire investigative threads which the Republicans refused to pursue because they thought it too threatening to the president. In an appearance Sunday on the ABC interview program This Week, Schiff denounced the appointment of Matt Whitaker as acting attorney general, claiming that anyone occupying the top leadership position in the Justice Department had to have previous Senate confirmation, which Whitaker, as the chief of staff of the department, did not. He said that besides constitutional and legal obstacles to the appointment, the biggest flaw from my point of view is that he was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the Mueller investigation. As a conservative pundit, before going to work at the Department of Justice, Whitaker had denounced the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 elections. The statements are a continuation of the strategy of the Democrats to focus their opposition to the Trump administration not on the basis of its fascistic attacks on immigrants or its right-wing policies, but on its supposed subservience to Russia. Schiff also criticized Trump for distancing himself from a CIA assessmentmade public by the Washington Post in its Sunday editionthat Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was personally responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi ruler who was also a Post columnist. The president needs to listen to what our intelligence community has to say, what our best professionals' assessment is, he declared. At the same time, Schiff was at pains to reaffirm the US support for the brutal Saudi monarchy, adding, The danger to the US is if we act too precipitously and the House of Saud should fall, that would be completely destabilizing of the region and we don't know what would follow. Another leading House Democrat, Elijah Cummings, who will chair the House Government Oversight Committee in January, appeared on the CBS Sunday interview program Face the Nation to raise the same concerns about the appointment of Whitaker and the likelihood that Trump might shut down or hamstring the Mueller investigation. He told interviewer Margaret Brennan that if the Department of Justice sought to block the public release of Muellers findings, he would seek to subpoena the Mueller report and then make it public. I would do anything and everything in my power to have the findings presented to not only to the Congress, but to the people of the United States. I think it's very important. In a further effort to revive the anti-Russia campaign, four Democratic senators sent a letter Friday to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to provide details of lobbying activities and retaliatory action against political critics of the huge social media platform. The letter was sparked by a lengthy front-page report by the New York Times claiming that Facebook had withheld details of alleged political activity on its pages by Russian entities and agents during the 2016 elections. The senators letter was then made public in the pages of the Times, as the Democrats and their chief media voice engaged in a tag-team effort to pressure Facebook to move more aggressively in censoring and shutting down dissident voices on its platform, particularly those criticizing the Democratic Party from the left. Senator Amy Klobuchar, one of the four Democratic senators, told the Times, We need to know if Facebook, or any entity affiliated with or hired by Facebook, ever used any of the vast financial and data resources available to them to retaliate against their critics, including elected officials who were scrutinizing them. The attempts to revive the flagging anti-Russia campaign come after a midterm election in which there was not the slightest evidence of significant foreign intervention, despite incessant claims by the Democrats and their media supporters that Russianow allegedly joined by China and Iranwas seeking to rig the results of the congressional vote. The Democratic Party, the supposed target of the attack, instead made its largest gains in the House of Representatives since the Watergate election of 1974, capturing at least 41 Republican-held seats, and losing only three Democratic-held seats, for a net gain of at least 38. The incoming House will be divided 233-202 if three still undecided seats go to the Republicans, who currently hold narrow leads. The final contests for the US Senate and state governorships were settled over the weekend. Republican Brian Kemp was certified as governor-elect of Georgia, with his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams conceding she could not overcome a deficit of more than 50,000 votes or force a runoff. In Florida, Republicans claimed the statehouse and the US Senate seat for Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott, after machine recounts and, in the case of a Senate seat an additional partial hand recount, failed to significantly reduce the narrow leads they held over their Democratic opponents, Andrew Gillum and Senator Bill Nelson. Both Democrats conceded defeat. The Republican Party retains control of the US Senate with a 52-47 majority, with the remaining seat to be decided by a runoff election in Mississippi on November 27 in which Republican incumbent Cynthia Hyde-Smith is heavily favored. 1.12: Todays parliamentary session with Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri in the chair began at 1 pm and ended 10 minutes later. It was adjourned till 10.30 am on Friday. Monday: President Maithripala Sirisena stressed at the party leaders meeting held yesterday that it was not appropriate and transparent to take a voice vote on a serious motion aimed at unseating a government. Instead, he said Parliament should go for a division by name or electronic voting to resolve. He said it was a system acceptable to the general public and the international community at large and that a voice vote was not transparent although Standing Orders provided for it. The President, in his address, said that those who were educated would never endorse such a turbulence situation in Parliament. He requested both sides to strike a compromise and act with some understanding to avoid clashes. He also requested the parties represented at the meeting to refrain from bringing huge crowds to hold protests near Parliament. 12.36: A Party Leaders Meeting commenced at the Parliamentary complex a short while ago to finalise todays agenda in Parliament. Friday: Parliamentary sessions were marred by violence for the third consecutive day on Friday with government MPs forcibly occupying the Speakers chair and delaying the days business They laid siege to the Speakers Chair even before the sessions could begin and protested against the Speaker shouting slogans for not ordering the arrest of UNP MPs Palitha Thewaraperuma and Ranjan Ramanayake who they alleged had smuggled knives into the Chamber on the previous day. Government MP Arundika Fernando was seen occupying the Speakers Chair even before the sessions began. Karaw Karaw arrest Karaw, Palithayawa arrest Karaw (Arrest Palitha)" they shouted. The protest went on for nearly an hour and there was a delay in the arrival of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. There was also a delay in bringing in the Mace into the House for the start of the day's session. Finally, the Speaker, escorted by police officers, arrived in the Chamber only to be disturbed by some legislators. The parliamentary employees carried a special seat to be placed in the Chamber for the Speaker to occupy promoting some angry reactions from certain members who smashed that chair. They even assaulted a worker with the Chair injuring his head. Then the government MPs started attacking the police. The commotion left one policeman and a worker injured. Opposition MPs also turned aggressive and hurled back the copies of reports kept on their tables and other items injuring Minister Johnston Fernando. Amid the commotion, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran moved a resolution to suspend Standing Orders while Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented an amended version of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Speaker then called for a voice vote and based on it announced that the motion was passed. The MPs then began hitting each other with various objects. The drama took place in the presence of foreign diplomats who were in the gallery. Some of the other visitors presumably supporters of the opposition started cheering and gearing at the government members. Meanwhile, the government dismissed the claim made by the opposition that the no-confidence motion was passed. Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said a no-confidence motion can be taken up for debate only after five days from the day it has been handed over as per the Standing Orders. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardane) 2.45: The parliament session was adjourned till 1 pm on November 19th Monday after the Speaker was thrown at objects and disruptions caused by the government MPs. 2.56: JVP MP Vijitha Herath had also come under a chili powder attack. 2.52: MP Kumara Welgama denounced the actions of his fellow government MPs and said this is not how lawmakers should behave. 2.50: Meanwhile, Minister Wimal Weerawansa has said that Speaker would be sent home, UNP MP Dr. Harsha De Silva said. MP Weerawansa is abusing the judiciary and says will not accept order.President Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa are forcibly taking over Parliament. I wonder if this has ever happened in any democracy, he tweeted. He also said Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi was leading the demonstration saying they will not leave power laying siege on Parliament and occupying Speakers chair. 2.47: UNP MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera had been attacked with chili powder by the government MPs. 2.35: Speaker Karu Jayasuriya enters into chamber with police protection but leaves soon after unruly Government MPs threw objects at Speaker and police personnel. 2.01: The parliamentary session which was scheduled to be commenced at 1.30 pm today is getting delayed because of the demonstration which is being held inside the house by government MPs. 1.50: Government MP Arundhika Fernando sits in the Speakers Chair. Government MPs urge action against MP Palitha Thewarapperuma. 1.37: The party leaders meeting came to an end without reaching an agreement, Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said. 1.30: All MPs who are entering into Parliament Chamber had been subjected to a body search by the security officers. It was yesterday reported that MP Palitha Thewarapperuma had allegedly brought a knife into the Chamber. 1.29: Prior to the commencement of todays parliament session, government MPs were seen shouting slogans surrounding the Speakers chair inside parliament chamber. The demonstration organised by the United National Party (UNP) against the continued suppression of democracy is being held at the Lipton Circus in Town Hall, Colombo. A number of supporters of the UNP and MPs were seen marching towards the venue of the demonstration. UNP MP Dr. Harsha De Silva said they have the power both inside and outside Parliament. Fake Prime Minister better listen to the people and respect democracy. You have no confidence in the Legislature. Go for Gods sake, Go!, Dr. De Silva tweeted. Addressing the rally, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka urged the government to hold both the General Election and the Presidential Election together. We would defeat both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa will be defeated by more than 7 million of votes this time. For the first time in the history, a president has changed his political camp. We will respond to this next time," he said. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said the President, who speaks about the Central Bank Bond scam, had forgotten about the Hedging Deal. He urged the President to follow the correct path. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader MP Rauff Hakeem challenged the President to go for a presidential election. We will show our trump cards then. We safeguarded the sovereignty of the people," he told the UNP rally. UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa challenged the President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to face an election in Parliament. "We are not afraid of guns or ammunitions. We will win through democracy. All they know is how to oppress the people and issue threats," he said. The death toll from wildfires in California could rise to more than 1,000, which would make it one of the deadliest and most horrific disasters in modern American history. While the official number of dead from the Camp Fire in Northern California rose to 76 over the weekend, nearly 1,300 are listed as missing, many of them elderly. Confirmed fatalities have only been added at around eight each day, as investigators meticulously comb through the destruction. Given the nearly 10,000 homes destroyed and the chaos of the evacuation, the final number killed will almost certainly be much higher. To this must be added the untold health consequences from the extreme air pollution that has spread throughout Northern California. Due to the intensity of the fire, in many cases the only remains recovered are teeth or a human bonemaking it difficult to identify victims. Many residents of the small California town of Paradise faced the last moments of their lives in the most horrific manner, as flames engulfed their homes or senior living facilities when they were still in bed. Samantha, whose father and step-sister both lost their family homes in the fire, told the World Socialist Web Site on Sunday, There was no kind of warning or anything like that. As for the death toll, she said, I think its going to be with a commathat is, over 1,000. In an attempt at damage control, President Donald Trump joined Democratic Governor Jerry Brown and Democratic Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom to tour affected areas on Saturday. Aside from the usual platitudes and vague promises about federal aid, none of the politicians had anything substantive to say about the disaster. Trump fixated on raking the forests to clear out brush and prevent fires. Brown said that Californians living in high risk areas need to build some kind of underground shelters. Neither idea has any basis in fire management or emergency safety. In a political circling of the wagon, Brown praised the response of Trump, who threatened last week to cut off federal funding to the state. The president not only signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding, but he said and pledged very specifically to continue to help us, that hes got our back, Brown said on CBSs Face the Nation program Sunday. And I thought that was a very positive thing. The political establishment and media are extremely nervous about the social and political consequences of the disaster. There is growing popular outrage as details emerge pointing to the culpability of the states energy giants and government officials in creating the conditions for the deadly inferno. Although high winds and low humidity drove the rapid spread of the fire, there is nothing natural about the disaster. The human toll is the product of decisions by elected officials, government regulators and private utilities to maximize profits by risking the lives and property of ordinary workers. The precise cause of the Camp Fire is still under investigation, but firefighters initially responded at 6:45 a.m. to a fire sparked by downed power lines at Poe Dam, owned by the local utility monopoly Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), 10 miles outside Paradise. The companys stock initially plummeted amid investor fears that the company would be found liable for the lives lost and billions in damages. PG&E is already facing liability of up to $17.3 billion for 16 wildfires sparked by its equipment last year that destroyed thousands of homes and killed 44. In 11 of those cases, PG&E was determined to have violated safety regulations. In the 2010 San Bruno disaster, one of PG&Es aging pipes running under a residential neighborhood exploded, killing eight people. Michael, a home support services worker from Paradise, expressed the anger of many when he told the WSWS, Its insane we didnt get a warning. As for energy giant PG&E, Michael said, I hated them before this fire, I hate them after this fire, Ill hate them for the rest of my life. Michael and his family are currently living in a makeshift tent outside of a WalMart. Those without nearby family to take them in are living in such tent cities or crowded shelters across Butte County. Conditions in the shelters are difficult, and survivors were immediately struck by a norovirus outbreak sending at least 25 to the hospital. Government officials have responded by attempting to defend the company. Michael Picker, the president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), held a private meeting with investors and analysts announcing that the state would not permit PG&E to go bankrupt and instead would limit their liability and allow them to cover losses with consumer rate hikes. Picker then issued a public statement announcing that, as regulators, the CPUC needed to defend PG&Es profits because An essential component of providing safe electrical service is the financial wherewithal to carry out safety measures. PG&E stock rebounded Friday at the news, rising 40 percent. Picker based himself on the recently passed Senate Bill 901 backed by Democratic Governor Brown. SB 901 instructs regulators to reduce utility liability due to weather conditions and to take into account the companys financial status when assessing damages. PG&E tripled its lobbying expenses to $1.7 million in the three months leading up to the vote. In addition to the role of PG&E, there is growing popular outrage over the lack of government planning for a disaster that was both foreseeable and foreseen. Officials issued an initial evacuation order for the easternmost part of Paradise at 7:45 and a city-wide order for over 26,000 people an hour later. Emergency officials never issued a system-wide wireless emergency alert, instead relying on a privately-run Red Alert program that only notified residents who had signed up for it. The Paradise emergency operations director told the Los Angeles Times that no more than 30 percent of residents had opted in. Many people never received official notice and had to hear from neighbors or see the approaching fire before trying to escape, only to find the evacuation routes overwhelmed. As in countless other disasters, public officials knew the risk of a catastrophe and did nothing. In 2008, the Humboldt Fire approached Paradise from the southwest and closed off three of the routes out of town, leaving panicked residents to try to escape on a single two-lane mountain road. A 2009 grand jury investigation was convened to guide government planning and prevent a catastrophe. The report highlighted the lack of evacuation routes from the area. Despite the report, no improvements were made that resolved the problem. Out of four roads to the south of Paradise, only one, the Skyway, has more than two lanes. The rest wind through the mountains without shoulders and are closely surrounded by easily burned vegetation. By the time the general evacuation order was made, one of these roads was already closed by the fire. The Skyway was only designed to carry 1,200 cars per hour. When tens of thousands tried to make it out, many were trapped. Each and every death from the fires is an indictment of the capitalist system. There is no shortage of wealth in society to manage wildfires safely and put in place emergency response systems. However, that wealth is currently tied up in the hands of a small oligarchy. California is home to 144 billionaires, the largest of any state, holding a combined $725 billion in wealth. The second part in this series is posted here. World War I commenced on July 28, 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918, with the surrender of Germany, the last of the Central Powers to capitulate. The total number of military and civilian casualties was approximately 40 million. Estimates range from 15 to 19 million deaths and about 23 million wounded. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and France each recorded more than one million killed. The United States lost close to 54,000 soldiers. By comparison, the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, commenced in three waves starting February-March of 1918 and ended in March of 1919, a period of approximately 12 months (though it is acknowledge that a fourth wave occurred in the spring of 1920). The flu infected 500 million people, nearly one-third of the worlds population at that time, including regions as remote as the Pacific Islands and the Arctic. Conservative estimates place numbers perishing from the disease at 50 million and as high as 100 million, with a case fatality ratethe proportion of those infected who subsequently dieestimated at 10 to 20 percent). The First World War brought diverse regions closely together in an unprecedented manner. The Spanish flu was a byproduct of the global war that unleashed a global epidemic. Seasonal flu is relatively benign, with case fatality rates of less than 0.1 percent. The disease usually has a limited course, with fevers, cough, and chill which resolve in a week. There is a U-shaped mortality curve by age: those who succumb are infants, the elderly and those with significant health morbidities. Chart shows U- and W-shaped mortality curves The virulence of the Spanish flu remained a mystery until recent investigations were able to provide answers to some of the perplexing questions. These included why the second wave of the pandemic was so lethal compared to the first wave and why healthy young adults were so vulnerable to the virus by comparison to older people and young children who seemed to fare better, giving a W-shaped mortality curve. The ending of the second wave, the deadliest period of the pandemic lasting from September to November of 1918, coincided roughly with Armistice Day. By many accounts, influenza probably had little direct impact on the outcome of the war, as both sides were similarly affected. Chart shows similar influenza impact in New York, London, Paris and Berlin Death from the 1918 Pandemic Influenza during the First World War, by Peter Wever and Leo Van Bergen, cites the description of one eyewitness, Captain Geoffrey Keynes of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC): There were rows of corpses, absolutely rows of them, hundreds of them, dying from something quite different. It was a ghastly sight, to see them lying there dead of something I didnt have the treatment for. The catastrophe certainly tempered the celebrations of the end of the military conflict, as the wounded and those infected with the disease were both taken in at casualty clearing stations with severe colds and headaches, only to die in a few days from acute respiratory distress caused by pneumonia. During the first year of the pandemic, life expectancy in the United States dropped by 12 years. Unlike most influenza outbreaks where the young, the old or those already weakened patients are most vulnerable, the 1918 pandemic killed healthy young adults at more than 20 times the rate expected. In India, as many as 17 million people succumbed to the Spanish Flu. The disease hit Iran hard with estimates ranging from close to a million to as high as 2.4 million deaths. In Europe, the excess number of deaths is estimated at 2.6 million in the period of the pandemic. Japan reported 23 million infections and 390,000 deaths. In Indonesia 1.5 million were thought to have died. In the United States, about 30 percent of the population was infected and close to 675,000 died. Brazil saw 300,000 deaths. The source of the epidemic Another perplexing question is where did the Spanish flu originate? That Spain is identified with the origin of the influenza pandemic of 1918 has to do with Spains neutrality during the war. Their press freely reported news of the flu outbreak, while in the warring nations military censors, concerned about keeping up public morale and not encouraging the other side, kept the news on the severity of the disease quiet. Influenza severely afflicted every army in the war. The Americans sustained the highest morbidity, with 26 percent of the US Army affected, over one million men. The German Army recorded over 700,000 cases of influenza and the British listed 313,000 cases. The pandemics spread has been linked to the millions of men piled into trenches and camps fighting in the First World War. Some medical historians have cited China as the site of the origin of the disease. They noted that a lethal outbreak of the pulmonary disease in 1918 might have been the harbinger of the pandemic. Chinese or Vietnamese laborers who came to the United States or were working in France could have been carriers of the virus. Another theory suggested that the pandemic may have started at a British military base at Etaples, located at the coast of northern France, which is noted for its sea marshes and migratory birds with many farms nearby stocked with pigs, geese, and fowl as food for the soldiers. An outbreak of acute respiratory infection in the winter of 1916-197 resembled a milder version of the 1918 pandemic influenza. But many have discounted this as an incidental flare-up. One of the first methodical examinations into the Spanish Flu pandemic was conducted by a prominent American bacteriologist and public health scientist, Dr. Edwin Oakes Jordan, who was a co-founder of the Journal of Preventive Medicine. In his 1925 book, Epidemic Influenza, he carefully reviewed the available data and commented that extreme overcrowding of troops in the American military not only helped spread the infection but contributed to the virulence of the disease. Excluding France, British troops and even India as a source of the pandemic, he noted that in the United States the influenza was moving from Army camp to Army camp, then into the cities and traveling to Europe with the soldiers. About 12 percent of over 1.2 million American soldiers were hospitalized for respiratory illness from March to May of 1918. He concluded that the United States was the site of the origin. The infirmary at Camp Devens, near Boston Subsequent British and Australian studies have corroborated these conclusions. Jeffery Taubenberger, based on his work on statistical analysis of the rate of mutation of the virus, became convinced that the virus emerged only a few months before the pandemic. One of the first documented cases of influenza in 1918 was provided to the national public health service by a country physician working in Haskell County, Kansas, about 300 miles west of Camp Funston (today Fort Riley). Haskell County was a remote farming community raising cattle, poultry, and hogs as well as grain. In late January several patients came down with severe flu symptoms which quickly proceeded to pneumonia. Dr. Miner, concerned over public safety issues reported the outbreak to public health officials. Soldiers recruited into the military from Haskell County arriving sometime in late February may have been the initial human vectors for the disease. On March 4, 1918, the first soldier at Camp Funston fell ill with influenza. Camp Funston in Kansas (now Fort Riley) Within the first three weeks, over 1,000 of the 56,000 troops fell ill enough to be hospitalized. Soldiers moved quickly through training camps to other parts of the country and Europe. By the end of April 1918, 24 of the 36 main Army camps suffered an influenza epidemic. Thirty of the fifty largest cities also experienced the flu epidemic with excess mortality associated with influenza and pneumonia. According to an article by John Barry, A subsequent Army study said, At this time fulminating pneumonia, with wet hemorrhagic lungs, fatal in from 24 to 48 hours, was first observed. He notes that the first recorded autopsy in Chicago of an influenza victim was conducted in early April reporting that the lungs were full of hemorrhages. Influenza then appeared at Brest, France, a disembarkation port for the American soldiers. To be continued The Australian Greens aims to hold the balance of power in both houses of Victorias parliament and form a coalition government with the Labor Party after the November 24 state election. Its campaign underscores the partys rightward shift. Resting upon a wealthy, upper-middle class base, it is determined to extend its influence within the political establishment. The Greens currently holds three of the 88 lower house seats in the state parliamentthe inner-Melbourne electorates of Prahran, Northcote, and Melbourne. These areas are representative of the partys affluent base. The central Melbourne electorate is comprised of 56 percent professionals, more than double the national average, while it has the lowest proportion of any state electorate for residents with trade qualifications (6 percent). Prahran, a seat formerly held by the Liberal Party, incorporates part of the ultra-wealthy suburb of Toorak, and also has the third highest proportion of all areas for children attending private schools (63 percent). The Greens aims to retain these three lower house seats and win another two, Richmond and Brunswick, from the Labor Party. These electorates are also inner-city suburbs that are now largely inhabited by more privileged sections of the middle class. Richmond, for example, has the second highest proportion of all electorates for residents who are managers and professionals (58 percent) and the sixth highest proportion of households with a weekly income higher than $2,500 (28 percent). It remains to be seen whether the Greens electoral aspirations will eventuate. The Greens ability to appeal to the hostility towards the distrusted and despised Labor and Liberal parties is hindered by their ever more open eagerness to work with them in government. The Greens lost a federal by-election last March in the seat of Batman, which overlaps the state electorate of Northcote, despite investing significant resources in the campaign (see: Australian by-election in Melbourne heightens Greens crisis). In the Batman by-election, the Greens sought to woo Liberal voters by opposing the Labor Party from the right, with party leader Richard Di Natale opposing a limited Labor proposal to abolish a tax break for high income retirees. In the event, however, that neither the Labor party nor the Liberal-National coalition is able to win a parliamentary majority, the Greens will likely hold the balance of power and be in a position to either form a ruling coalition or strike a de-facto coalition deal to support a minority government. The Greens serve as a vital prop for the increasingly crisis-stricken political setup. The Labor government holds the slimmest of parliamentary majorities, with 45 of the 88 lower house seats, and is responsible for deteriorating working class living standards, rapidly escalating social inequality, and a social infrastructure crisis afflicting public schools, hospitals, and other services (see: Victorian Labor government makes election pitch to big business). The opposition Liberal Party is in disarray. A protracted financial crisis previously threatened to prevent the party from mounting an effective state election campaign. Corporate funding has dried up in recent years, as the Labor Party has proven itself a more effective instrument for big business and finance capital. According to Australian Electoral Commission submissions, the Victorian Liberal Party had $7.5 million in debts in 20152016. The opposition was forced to sell its six-storey central Melbourne headquarters, and pursue a Federal Court case for access to millions of dollars controlled by the Cormack Foundation, its corporate fundraising arm, after foundation directors withheld money reportedly because of dissatisfaction with the party leadership. The legal case revealed that Liberal Party paper membership in the state had declined to just 10,000. Thirty years ago, when Victoria had two million fewer people, membership was twice as high. The Greens have downplayed the prospects of joining a Liberal-led coalition, while not ruling out the possibility. State leader Samantha Ratnam explained that it was very hard to see us do a deal with the Liberals, as has been seen previously in the neighbouring state of Tasmania. This, she explained, was due to the oppositions hostility to renewable energy subsidiesan important issue for the eco-business lobby that forms part of the Greens base. Ratnam gave short shrift to Labor Party statements that they would not form government with the Greens after the November 24 ballot, declaring this as posturing. She explained: If the people of Victoria do vote us into the balance of power, I think it would be wise of Premier Andrews to talk to the Greens. Another Labor term in office would see the working class confront a government moving even further to the right, accelerating the offensive against living standards and democratic rights. In the event that the Greens directly install this government, their primary responsibility will be to provide it with a left gloss. At the Greens October 27 campaign launch state leader Samantha Ratnam declared that a Labor-Greens government would usher in the most progressive era of politics that Victoria has ever seen. Federal party leader Richard Di Natale also spoke at the launch and enthused over the historic opportunity to have a multi-party government. He declared: Heres our chance to use the influence that we have through power sharing governmentthats what lies ahead for Victoria. To the cheers of the assembled Greens members, Di Natale invoked as a model the Greens support for the minority federal Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard between 2010 and 2013. Far from ushering a new era of progressive politics, the Greens-backed Gillard government saw a further lurch to the right. In foreign policy, the government signed up to the US pivot to Asia, a provocative strategy based on militarily encircling China, including through the new US marine base in Darwin, without a word of protest from the Greens. Gillard also fully backed the US vendetta against journalist and WikiLeaks' editor Julian Assange. On domestic policy, Gillards most notable achievements included privatising disability services, undermining public education through NAPLAN standardised testing, and stripping tens of thousands of single mothers of parent payment benefits. The Greens remained loyal supporters of the minority Labor government throughout these attacks on the working class. The Greens-Labor administration opened the door for right-wing ideologue Tony Abbott to come to power in 2013 on the basis of populist demagoguery. The historical experiences of workers and young people with the Greens demonstrate the fraud of its claim to represent an alternative to the two major capitalist parties. Socialist Equality Party members and supporters distributed thousands of copies of the World Socialist Web Site perspective French President Macron hails fascist dictator Philippe Petain article at the demonstration in London on Saturday. A WSWS reporting team spoke to some of those who attended the protest. Elliott, aged 35, attended the march from Kentish Town, London. He was originally from Nottingham where he was homeless for many years and currently works at a YHA youth hostel: Elliott In this age we all need to be linked and working together and we need to be united. Jobs, housing, the little things we take for granted, they are being taken away and so easily. In July, Elliott marched against Donald Trumps visit to the UK. He said the recent attack on the Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh was a shocking event. Its happening more and more in America and Trump and other politicians just turn a blind eye. Elliot said immigrants and workers in America and Britain face a common plight: Its really stressful for normal, average working people. Its the same here, where people are going to food banks. The other day I saw the queen giving a speech about the poor when she was wearing all those jewels and stolen diamonds from Africa, portraying that she cares about poor people! Describing the wars waged since 9/11 as pointless senseless wars that didnt need to happen, he said governments in the UK and the US were killing people and then moaning about people trying to escape from there and come into this country. To be honest, you had the First World War and the Second World War, but the war hasnt stopped, has it? And were in the 21st century now. There is no end to it all, apart from World War III which we dont want. People want change. Students from Barnet in North London Joe joined the rally with his friends from Barnet, North London. He said, Its terrible to see the rise of the far-right. We seem to be going backwards in time and we just cant let it happen. We have to learn from our mistakes. His friend Ben agreed, saying, Capitalism is causing the problem with refugees and making them the scapegoat. I particularly didnt like the comments of Trump that if the Tree of Life synagogue had been armed, they could have stopped the attack by a fascist. Jewish people are being scapegoated and after everything that happened with Nazism, you would think that people would learn from it. Giacomo, aged 20, is from Italy. He joined the rally after attending a similar protest in his native Turin two weeks ago: The situation in Italy now is bad. [Italian fascist Interior Minister Matteo] Salvini is blaming everything on refugees and the atmosphere is hateful. Many young people like me think the same. But many also think like Salvini. There are no longer any right or left parties. They are all the same and they dont care about working people. It is the same in every part of Europe. Giacomo Young people in Italy have no future under the present system, with many forced to leave Italy in search of work. Giacomo expressed his agreement with the fight to unite the working class across Europe and internationally against capitalism and said he would read the World Socialist Web Site. Ali travelled to the march from Southampton as part of a delegation from the Unite union. He said, The far right has got to be stopped. Its growing in Europe and spreading hate and is growing in the UK at an alarming rate. Its politicians and governments who are scapegoating immigrants and refugees, but its the governments that are causing the wars, selling arms to countries like Yemen. Where are people supposed to go when were bombing their countries? Its the elite at the top that are for fascism. They want us to fight amongst ourselves rather than stand together. Victoria, a University of Southampton student, said, I agree [with the WSWS] that there are parallels with the 1930s with right-wing parties views becoming more mainstream. The media are responsible for the spreading of right-wing views. Victoria and Kendall Stephanie, from Queen Anne University, also said there were parallels with the 1930s: I definitely see the tactics they are using are more open. There has been a spike of far-right speakers in university campuses. This was seen with Steve Bannon speaking at Oxford University. We have had [Tory Brexiteer] Jacob Rees Moog at our university. It emboldens the fascists already in society. She said governments put themselves under the banner of nationalism, but its leading to fascist ideologies. The way politicians use data and statistics on immigrants and migrants as their tools to win support in general elections, pulling in a wider group of people who may not be racist but are being taken on the wave of anti-immigrant ideas, which then emboldens the far right. Stephanie On the Labour Party she said, Jeremy Corbyn has conceded on so much because of the inherit problems within Labour. I dont think he has stood up for far-left ideas. I am not happy about his role. Corbyn presented a voice for socialism, but has gone back on a lot of the promises he made. Support for him is on a very loose thread. Samuel is a journalism student from Southampton. On parallels with the 1930s he said, In Britain it could easily get that extreme with the way things are going very quickly. Everyone needs to stand to fight together against racism. I think there is the false narrative that the working class is racist, but that is not the case. The working class are the people standing up to racism today! Lena and her friend Catlain are studying at university in Leeds and London. Lena, who is originally from Iraq, said, There is a lot of ignorance and people are not being educated to see what the cause of social problems is. They are particularly targeting Muslims with the Islamophobia. Theresa May and all the governments are corrupt. They do not represent anyone except the rich. Caitlin said, I see some comparisons with the 1930s in terms of the scapegoating of migrants and refugees and Muslims. The media whips it up. When a white supremacist carries out a massacre in a church or synagogue, they say it is just the product of individual mental illness. However, when it is a terror attack they blame all Muslims and Islam. People need to be educated. The main problems in society are caused by the government and the economic and social system we are living under, which favours the wealthy. Neal Neal, from Kent, said, The far-right use immigration and poverty to whip up hatred. We are seeing history repeat itself, which is very frightening. I support a humane society that does away with borders and boundaries. Why do we need them in the first place? We are one world. If a richer nation is able to produce more food, capital and so on then we should be able to share. We throw so much away and destroy so much when people are starving and struggling in the world. Kevan, from Kings College London, said, What we see now is a general discontent with capitalism. There is austerity, neo-liberalism, laissez-faire capitalism, which was rampant in the 1930s. Far-right sentiments arise from this discontent with the economic situation. The establishment has generated this crisis. Last week, three US pilots unions, aviation experts and a number of airlines, including Indonesias Lion Air, stated that a feature of Boeings new 737 Max 8 aircraft may have contributed to a plane crash in the Java Sea on October 29 which killed 189 people. They have claimed that an automated system not present in previous Boeing models or mentioned in any of the companys safety manuals may have triggered a catastrophic nosedive. The Lion Air plane lost contact with air traffic control around 13 minutes after departing from Java for a routine commercial trip to Pangkal Pinang, the capital of the Bangka Belitung Islands province. Eyewitnesses reported that the plane plunged at an almost vertical angle into the Java Sea. There were no survivors. While the report from an initial investigation by Indonesias National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has yet to be released, statements by the countrys aviation officials have made clear that the plane had experienced mechanical issues during its previous four flights, with key pieces of equipment reportedly feeding false data to the cockpit. Allegations aired last week, however, have indicated that the safety issue may be far broader than the ill-fated Lion Air Flight, potentially affecting the entire fleet of 737 Max 8 aircraft. There are currently 246 of the new model in operation around the world, while airlines in Australia, the US, Europe and internationally have orders for another 4,542 of the aircraft. It has emerged that the 737 Max 8 model contains an automated mechanism, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, aimed at preventing it from stalling. If flight data indicates that there is an imminent risk of stalling, this mechanism sometimes forces down the planes nose without any action on the part of the pilots. The mechanism is directed against a common cause of stalling incidents, which is a planes nose being pitched higher than it should be for the speed that it is travelling. The ability of such a mechanism to work effectively, however, is dependent on it being supplied accurate information by a complex network of sensors. According to statements by the NTSC on November 5, the Lion Air planes Angle of Attack (AOA) sensors had repeatedly provided inaccurate information in the flights preceding the crash. AOA sensors feed information about the angle of wind passing over the wings of a plane, and how much lift it is getting. Black box data indicated that on the last flight before the disaster, the right and left AOA sensors had given indications that diverged by about 20 degrees from one another. This resulted in a sudden nosedive, which the pilots were able to correct. After that flight, and before the crash, the planes AOA sensors were replaced. The plane, however, had also experienced issues with its airspeed indicators. According to some aviation experts, this could have indicated a broader problem with the air data reference system, a key component which provides data from indicators for temperature, AOA, airspeed and altitude to the pilots electronic flight instrument system. If data falsely indicated that the planes nose was pitching up, it could have activated the anti-stall mechanism, triggering the catastrophic nosedive that led to the crash. Most explosively, pilot unions, airlines and aviation experts have indicated there was no information about the models auto-dive in any of the handbooks or safety guidelines provided to pilots by Boeing. On November 13, Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association in the US, told the Wall Street Journal: We did not know this was on the [Boeing 737] MAX models. Weaks disputed claims that a safety bulletin issued by Boeing on November 8, in the wake of the crash, had merely reminded pilots of existing safety procedures. He said the bulletins reference to the anti-stalling mechanism was the first in any material from Boeing. Pilots were previously unaware of the means to disable the mechanism. Dennis Tajer, communications committee chairman at the Allied Pilots Association, stated: This was clearly a sign that the safety culture [at Boeing] was missing on a cylinder or two. Were all on the same side looking at Boeing, saying, What else you got? On November 15, the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United Continental Holdings Inc.s flight crews, issued an open letter to the US Federal Aviation Administration, warning that it was concerned that a potential, significant aviation system safety deficiency exists. The letter stated: There appears to be a significant information gap, and we want to ensure that pilots operating these aircraft have all of the information they need to do so safely. Southwest, American Airlines and Lion Air all confirmed that the anti-stall mechanism was not included in any operating manual or safety guidelines for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Because the aircraft was presented as merely an improved version of previous 737 models, with few new features, pilots were provided with just three hours of computer-based training and a familiarisation flight before being certified. The family of Doctor Rio Nanda Pratama, one of the victims of the Lion Air disaster, has responded to the revelations by filing a lawsuit alleging that Boeing is culpable because it failed to inform its customers and pilots of the new anti-stall mechanism. The lawsuit has also claimed that under certain conditions, the auto-dive feature can push the nose down unexpectedly and so strongly that the pilot cannot pull it back up in time to avoid a crash. Boeing has rejected claims that not enough information was provided to pilots, or that there are any potential safety issues with the new model. Boeing is one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world and the biggest US exporter by dollar value. It had a net income of over $8 billion in 2017. On Saturday, protests against French President Emmanuel Macrons fuel tax hike saw an elemental outpouring of pent-up anger against social inequality. After a series of calls for protests and road blockades in social media in recent weeks, 287,710 people wearing yellow vests joined 2,034 blockades and go-slow operations across France. Last night, tens of thousands were still protesting a measure that would break the monthly budgets of workers commuting to their jobs. They are part of an international wave of protests spreading across Europe. In Belgium, protesters are blockading oil refineries in solidarity with the French protests, while fuel tax protests have also erupted in Bulgaria and Serbia. Amid an upsurge of the class struggle in Europe, there are ferry strikes and a public sector strike against the pro-austerity Syriza government in Greece; the Bucharest metro strike; and Amazon and Ryanair strikes in Germany and across the continent. Broad opposition to existing social conditions is mounting. For the average Frenchman who works and gets a wage, it is getting really hard. We are proud to pay our taxes, but this is too much, one protester told BFM TV. He added that he is opposing problems that accumulated over decades, to cries of Macron resign from protesters holding signs saying No to the president of the rich. Three-quarters of French people support the protests, amid anger at austerity, Macrons cuts to pensions, and his decision to tax workers while slashing the Tax on Wealth (ISF) on millionaires. The fuel tax was the feather that broke the camels back, but it goes far beyond that, protesters near Marseille told the WSWS. We are sure there are other solutions, we are tired of being led by private interests. We would like a return to democracy, wage increases, cuts in taxes paid by working people, the right to cast blank votes and to decide on all important laws via referendums. We are sure there are many solutions. The population must take back political power. The movement is socially heterogeneous, drawing in workers, independent truck drivers and small businessmen. While there are undoubtedly politically reactionary elements among the demonstrators, they constitute a small minority. The attempts by the union bureaucracy to blackguard these protests as a far-right provocation are politically slanderous. The real purpose of lying misrepresentations of the mass demonstration is to justify the efforts of the reactionary trade unions to suppress and discredit opposition to the government. The Stalinist General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union distributed leaflets at workplaces calling on workers not to join blockades. CGT boss Philippe Martinez said he would not join the protests, claiming they are led by the far right: The CGT cannot march alongside such parties and individuals. They are not our model, we will not march alongside them. Insofar as there is a danger of right-wing or far-right forces profiting from the protests, this is above all because the organizations presenting themselves as left support Macron. This allows the right to posture as the sole opposition to a French president who is seen as a symbol of austerity and militarism across Europe. Just this spring, the CGT effectively isolated and strangled the rail workers strike against the privatization of the National Railways (SNCF), calling for an end to the strike despite 95 percent opposition among rail workers to Macrons attack on the SNCF. Now, as mass opposition erupts outside the usual trade union channels, the entire ruling elite, both right and supposedly left, is in shock and fears that the movement will take on an ever more working-class character. Macron, who only last week lavished praise on the fascist Marshal Petain, who ruled France between 1940 and 1942 on behalf of Hitler, is hostile and impervious to protesters demands. Traveling to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discuss plans for a European army, at a cost of 300 billion to French taxpayers by 2023, Macron took no questions on the protests. Speaking on the protests in a France2 TV interview yesterday evening, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe pledged to maintain the fuel tax hike: The course we have set, we will continue to follow it. It is not when the wind starts blowing that you change course. He denounced the Yellow Vests, saying that they produced scenes that look like anarchy. Macrons opponent in the 2017 elections, neo-fascist Marine Le Pen, did not seek to whip up more protests but called on him to back down, so that the protest can be rapidly brought to a close: 75 percent of Frenchmen supported and support this movement, which should encourage the government to be modest and take rapid decisions I encourage the government to show it gets the message and take decisions that bring back peace. As for the various political allies of the CGT, who initially reacted with disinterest and hostility to the protest calls on social media, they are only trying to arrange a political mechanism to get the eruption of social opposition back under control. Jean-Luc Melenchon called for the success of the protests on his blog only after his Unsubmissive France (LFI) party held an internal debate over whether to back fuel taxes on ecological grounds, and LFI official Clementine Autain announced that she would not attend the protests. The Pabloite New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), for its part, called on trade unions, NGOs and political parties to continue the struggle launched by the Yellow Vests. In fact, the central lesson from Saturdays protest is that, amid growing social anger across Europe, genuine opposition can only emerge outside of the stranglehold of the union bureaucracies and their political allies, such as LFI and the NPA in France. Now that such opposition has emerged, it is critical that it not be suppressed. The questions of building workers organizations of struggle independent of the unions, and building a vanguard in the working class raising the question of political power, are decisive. Much can be learned from the struggles of the 1930s. In his article Committees Of ActionNot Peoples Front, written less than a year before the eruption of the 1936 French general strike, Leon Trotsky stressed the critical question of the independent organization of the struggles of the working class: The greatest danger in France lies in the fact that the revolutionary energy of the masses will be dissipated in spurts, in isolated explosions and give way to apathy. Only conscious traitors or hopeless muddle-heads are capable of thinking that in the present situation it is possible to hold the masses immobilized up to the moment when they will be blessed from above by the government ... The task of the proletarian party consists not in checking and paralyzing these movements but in unifying them and investing them with the greatest possible force. Amid a renewed upsurge of the international class struggle, this appeal acquires intense political relevance. But the most critical issue of all is the construction of a Marxist leadership in the French and European working class. Only in this way will it be possible for the growing mass movement to assume a politically conscious socialist character and unify the European working class in struggle against the capitalist system. After weeks of rousing protests and overwhelming community support for a scheduled teacher strike, the Little Rock Education Association (LREA) in Arkansas accepted a contract last Tuesday, which violates the main demand of educatorsprotection of due process rights. The far-reaching attack, pushed by the pro-privatization powerhouse, the Walton Family Foundation, is part of a series of bipartisan policy changes aimed at eviscerating public sector employment rights on a national level. The union-endorsed agreement will open the door to modification of the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act (ATFDA), enacted more than three decades ago, and streamline the ability of the Little Rock School District to fire educators. The one-year contract deal came just a day before it was set to expire. It was ratified by a snap membership meeting. The state board of education may meet as early as December 13 to grant waivers allowing administrators to ignore the ATFDA in failing Little Rock School District (LRSD) schools, those assigned D and F rankings based on standardized tests. Last month, Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key, a pro-privatization official appointed by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson, rejected a tentative agreement because the contract did not include language for a waiver from the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act. The ATFDA, passed in 1983, covers all school employees required to hold a teaching certificate throughout the state and requires a series of steps including hearings, counseling and improvement policies before an educational professional can be dismissed. Following the well-worn pretext utilized by privatization forces throughout the US, the high-poverty Little Rock School District was placed under state control in 2015 citing low test scores. Instead of increasing funding and offering free tutoring and other educational enrichment opportunities, state and federal policiesdesigned by Wall Street interests and implemented by Democrats and Republicans alikehave mandated firing staff, imposing lucrative business professional development schemes, charterizing schools and/or shuttering them. It is worth recalling that it was former Arkansas governor Democrat Bill Clinton who notoriously pioneered such education reform advocating for teacher competency examinations and standardized testing. Hillary Rodham Clinton, enforcing those new policies, headed the Arkansas Education Standards Committee. As Clinton exited his second term as governor in 1992, a lawsuit was filed, which resulted in finding the states system of public education funding inadequate and inequitable. The Walton family were key financial backers to Governor Bill Clinton, and heiress Alice Walton donated over $350,000 to a pro-Hillary Clinton group during the 2016 elections, according to Fortune magazine. In the wake of the contract deal, the LREA issued a statement rife with self-serving double-talk. They claimed they had preserved due process in the form of a grievance procedure in the absence of Fair Dismissal protections. It glossed over the fact that the contract deal accepts the right of the state to waive teacher employment protections, while calling on community members and parents [to] stand up and speak against the waiver at the State Board meeting. Further, the agreement stipulates the use of arbitrary performance standards under the Arkansas Excellence and Support System to evaluate teachers, imposes a no-strike agreement, and stipulates that the contract will continue to apply indefinitely as long as next years negotiations are in progress. But the unions overriding concernmaintaining its seat at the table and dues basewas accomplished. After enumerating the abandonment of the teachers demands, the LREA notes with obvious relief, In addition, we are able to continue to serve as the exclusive representative of the LRSD employees. The abject capitulation of the union should be taken by educators as a dire warning. As the state continues to strangle public education, the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and their state and local affiliates will take no measures except to protect their own income stream. The outpouring of support to Little Rock educators over the past weeks, coupled with the courageous history of the Little Rock Nine and the defeat of right-wing segregationists in the historic confrontation of 1957, speaks to the wellspring of support for public education in the city. The last thing the unions wanted, however, was a strike that could have served as a catalyst for a broader mobilization of workers throughout the city and the state, and, even more significantly, the resumption of mass teachers struggles that occurred over the first five months of 2018. The deal was immediately approved by Commissioner Key, who signaled his eagerness to carry out layoffs and reorganizations: This agreement is a win for students. A waiver from the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act gives the Little Rock School District the flexibility it needs to expedite critical staffing decisions Making no promises, Key added, Im pretty sure it would not be drastic. I think it wouldnt be used as a chainsaw, more like a scalpel. Key, as a result of the state takeover of the Little Rock schools, has near dictatorial control over policy and answers directly to Governor Hutchinson. The governors advocacy for extreme right-wing policies first came to national prominence as one of the House of Representatives managers who spearheaded the thoroughly antidemocratic impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, aimed at overturning the results of two presidential elections. On the state level, Hutchinson has consistently advocated for tax cuts for the wealthy and school privatization, working in conjunction with the Walton Family Foundation, and following the well-trod path of most other US state administrations. Heirs to the Walmart fortune, the Walton family is the nations richest with an estimated net worth valued north of $175 billion. They have played an outsize role in setting education policy in Arkansas and nationally. The Walton Family Foundation, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, had spent over $1 billion to promote privatization of education as of 2016 and has promised another $1 billion over the next five years. It is difficult to encapsulate the full influence of the Waltons on national educational policy. With their fingers and money in a gigantic network of organizations, they direct agencies for teacher training, building construction, public policy, early stage support for education entrepreneurs, Catholic school partnerships, principal training, and direct funding to at least one out of every four charter schools in the nationseeking to undermine virtually every aspect of public education. But these attacks have been national and bipartisan. The policy of starving public schools for resources was implemented with a vengeance by the Obama administrations Race to the Top, and constitutes the complementary aspect of the drive to fully open education to Wall Street predations. The A-F grading system, being used to justify state takeovers of school districts, is based on the Obama-enacted Every Student Succeeds Act school index score. The cumulative effect of the defunding of education, both nationally and statewide, has meant that the inadequate and unequal education crisis in Arkansas has deepened. It was announced this week that substitute teachers in Arkansas, many of whom make about $8.65 an hour, will see an increase to $9.25 an hour on January 1. Reportedly school districts are already so underfunded that many will be straining to meet this poverty-level wage requirement. Its very hard on a lot of school districts because this comes in the middle of the school year, it wasnt in their budget and its very difficult for them, said a representative for Education Solution Services, a substitute teacher subcontractor. Also indicating the terrible crisis facing educators in the state, the present minimum teachers salary stands at an abysmally low $31,800, with Arkansas ranked 11th out of the 16 states in its region. In the aftermath of the elections, Governor Hutchinson promised to raise teacher salaries to make sure teachers in every district make at least $36,000 by July 1, 2023. Lest anyone consider this promise of a drop in the bucket as a genuine advance, the reelected governor has pledged to spend about twice those projected costs on a tax cut aimed at reducing the states top income tax rate over the next two years. Finally, Arkansas teachers participate in a health care system, which is increasingly underfunded, a problem strikingly similar to that which sparked the wildcat strikes in West Virginia earlier this year. In 2013, mass demonstrations of educators were held at the capitol over the near collapse of the Public School Employee plan. It is estimated that teachers in the state pay 60-70 percent of the cost of their health insurance, about double the national average. To break through the straitjacket imposed by the corporate-backed and pro-capitalist unions, teachers should form rank-and-file committees in every school and community to oppose the attack on public education and the rights of teachers. These committees should link up their struggles with the entire working class, including the highly exploited Walmart workers. In opposition to both corporate-controlled parties, workers need a new political strategy, which is based on a socialist program, including a vast redistribution of wealth to provide high-quality public education to all as an essential prerequisite for a genuinely equal and humane society. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, falsely posing as an arbiter of the rival factions fighting for state power, held an All Party Conference of parliamentary parties yesterday. The conference ended without any agreement between the contending groups. The meeting was attended by several United National Party (UNP) MPs led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was dismissed as prime minister on October 26 by Sirisena, and leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, All Ceylon Muslim Congress and the Tamil Progressive Alliance of plantation unions. The other faction was headed by former President Mahinda Rajapakse, who was appointed as new prime minister by Sirisena, and included several leading MPs from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the plantations-based Ceylon Workers Congress. Parliamentary speaker Karu Jayasuriya was invited but did not participate in the meeting saying it was meant for political parties. There are sharp tensions between Sirisena and Jayasuriya. The president supports the Rajapakse faction while the speaker is a senior member of Wickremesinghes UNP. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) refused Sirisenas invitation to the meeting, declaring that he was the creator of the crisis and that he had to resolve it. The JVP, which is attempting to distance itself from Wickremesinghe, is, however, backing his partys efforts to regain power. Sirisenas meeting was convened against the back drop of three consecutive days of bitter parliamentary fighting between supporters of Rajapakse and of Wickremesinghe. Parliament was reconvened on Wednesday after the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling overturning President Sirisenas dissolution of parliament. Physical confrontations and violent clashes erupted when the UNP and opposition parties moved no-confidence motions against Rajapakse and his new government on Wednesday and Friday. Speaker Jayasuriya ruled that the resolutions were passed with majority support on both days. On Thursday, Rajapakse made a statement to the parliament, but it broke up after the opposition tried to move a resolution rejecting his speech. Sirisena rejected the first no-confidence vote and called on the UNP to remove a section criticising his appointment of Rajapakse as prime minister as unconstitutional. At yesterdays All Party Conference, he rejected Fridays vote on the modified no-confidence motion, saying it should be voted on electronically, or by calling names, for it to be regarded as trustworthy by the people and internationally. Sirisena also called on MPs to act decently but offered no explanation for the violent behaviour of his factional supporters. Sirisena and leaders of the rival factions are somewhat nervous about the political impact on the Sri Lankan masses of the unruly fighting in parliament, which was broadcast live on television. The UNP leadership told Sirisena that they could bring the 113 MPs who supported the no-confidence proposal to meet with him. Sirisena rejected the suggestion. After the meeting, however, the UNP leadership insisted they would submit another motion to the parliament today. Rajapakse supporters said they would not allow such a proposal unless it was properly presented. Wickremesinghe, who is backed by the US and its allies, is determined to continue his bid for power. Colombo-based diplomats from the US, EU, UK, Australia and Japan visited Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees, the prime ministers official residence, after yesterdays All Party Conference. On November 15, American, Japanese, Australian and Indian government officials meeting in Singapore, prior to the ASEAN summit, discussed the escalating political crisis in Sri Lanka. A US State Department statement said that its senior officials stressed the need for joint efforts to advance shared regional interests, including support for the new Maldivian government, and encouragement of an outcome to political developments in Sri Lanka consistent with democratic principles. Washington and its international allies have no concern for democratic principles but are motivated by their own imperialist concerns and, in particular, are determined to undermine all Chinese economic and political influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Recently-elected Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power last month with behind-the-scenes backing from Washington and New Delhi. The US and India opposed former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen because of his close ties with Beijing. Sirisena became Sri Lankan president in 2015 following a regime-change operation to oust Rajapakse orchestrated by Washington and with Wickremesinghes help. Washington had no opposition to Rajapakses authoritarian methods of rule but was hostile to his close ties with Beijing. The US considers that any government led by Rajapakse would be a pro-Chinese regime that would undermine its political and military preparations for war against China. The International Monetary Fund is also putting pressure on Sirisena and Rajapakse, announcing that it has delayed the last instalment of a $1.5 billion bailout loan to Colombo. Sri Lankan Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy revealed last Wednesday that the IMF payment had been postponed, pending the outcome of the political crisis. Washington no doubt had a hand in this decision. The international media is also widely using Chinese President Xi Jinpings congratulatory message to Rajapakseimmediately following his appointment as prime ministeras proof of Beijings influence. China, which is manoeuvring to counter US geo-political activities, hopes that a Rajapakse regime would boost Colombos ties with Beijing. Rajapakse, however, has sent signals to the US and India that his government would be prepared to work with them. In September, he visited New Delhi and met with Indian leaders, including Prime Minster Narendra Modi. When Donald Trump became US president in 2017, Rajapakse immediately sent a congratulatory message. On Friday, Wickremesinghe cynically told the media that the ferocious fighting in parliament was a blow to democracy and a blow to all of us who are voters of Sri Lanka in whom the sovereignty lies. UNP governments, which instigated the almost 30-year war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, like all other bourgeois regimes in Sri Lanka, have systematically suppressed the democratic rights of the Sri Lankan masses. Rajapakse, who endorses Sirisenas call for new elections, continues to posture as a defender of democratic rights, declaring that if the Sri Lankan parliament is unable to resolve the political crisis, then the people should be allowed to intervene. When the voters are given power, no one will have a problem. These claims are false. Rajapakse was voted out in the 2015 presidential election because workers and the poor opposed his attack on social and democratic rights and bloody atrocities carried out against the Tamil minority during the war. The democratic demagogy of the Wickremesinghe and Sirisena-Rajapakse factions is bogus. Their real concern is not democracy but widespread social discontent and the eruption of protests and strikes among workers, youth and the poor. Both formations, and their erstwhile allies, are political representatives of the venal Sri Lankan capitalist class. Whichever faction wins government will move, sooner rather than later and with the backing of international finance capital, to unleash vicious attacks on the rights of all working people. The working class must urgently intervene on the basis of the revolutionary perspective advanced by the Socialist Equality Party, and to rally the working masses, the youth and the rural poor to fight for workers and peasants government based on a socialist program. 25 years ago: Clinton intervenes to halt American Airlines strike The American Professional Flight Attendants union called off a five-day strike against American Airlines on November 23, 1993, after the Clinton administration brokered a deal to submit the strikers demands to binding arbitration. The powerful walkout by 21,000 workers had crippled the second-largest US airline, and government, company and union officials were all determined to bring it to an end to avoid setting an example for other workers. Underscoring the political importance of the deal, President Clinton announced the end of the strike at a White House press conference only 20 minutes after the airline and union agreed to it. He cited the urgency of restoring normal operations in the air travel system before the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally the busiest travel period of the year. Union officials were unanimous in hailing the intervention of Clinton and portraying the end of the strike as a triumph. They spread illusions among the flight attendants, who initially greeted the deal with euphoria. The International Workers Bulletin, newspaper of the Workers League (predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party) warned that workers illusions will be rudely shattered as they see their jobs, living standards and working conditions gutted under the terms of the new contract. The strike was undermined by the unions from the start, as the pilots union ALPA and the AFL-CIO as a whole refused to honor the picket lines of the flight attendants. The agreement on binding arbitration essentially outsourced to the government the task of imposing cost-cutting measures demanded by American Airlines management, which neither the bosses nor the unions felt themselves strong enough to impose on their own. American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall had opposed government mediation efforts because any deal reached in this way would be subject to a ratification vote by the rank-and-file flight attendants. The company agreed to arbitration because the resulting contract would be imposed by government edict and the working flight attendants would have no say. In a clear indication of the pro-company stance of the Clinton administration, Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena said, after the return to work, that airlines must find a way to reduce their costs and become more competitive. Under conditions where starting flight attendants were making less than $15,000 a year, Penas statement amounts to endorsing poverty wages for workers facing conditions of enormous stress and superexploitation. The shutdown of the American Airlines strike was only one of a series of actions by the AFL-CIO unions to sabotage resistance by the working class to corporate cost-cutting and the right-wing policies of the new Democratic administration of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. The United Mine Workers of America ended a six-month strike against the major coal companies. On November 14, the United Auto Workers ended a three-day strike by workers at Caterpillar plants across the country, called in response to the firing of a union official in Mossville, Illinois. 50 years ago: West Virginia disaster kills 78 US coal miners On November 20, 1968, a series of explosions at the Consolidation Coal (Consol) No. 9 mine in Mannington, West Virginia, killed 78 miners. It was the worst US coal mine disaster since 1951, with a death toll unsurpassed to the present day. The fires set off by the explosion were massive, with flames reaching as high as 150 feet in the air. The disaster was also brutally deadly. Only 21 of the 99 miners working the midnight shift survived. Efforts to rescue the other men, trapped 600 feet underground, were initially blocked by explosions and fires. The explosion was caused by high concentrations of methane gas. The mine sat on top of an oil and natural gas field, and the area was dotted with dozens of operating gas wells. A report from the US Bureau of Mines revealed that the coal seam released 8 million tons of methane gas every day. Federal inspection records showed Consol guilty of repeated safety violations. The No. 9 mine had been found in violation of rock dusting requirements on every inspection over the preceding five years. In August of 1968, a federal inspector found numerous additional infractions. The news media and capitalist politicians played down the companys disregard of safety. The reaction of Democratic Governor Hulett Smith of West Virginia was to portray the event as nothing out of the ordinary. In a press conference following the explosion, he called the tragedy one of the hazards of being a miner. Smith emphatically rejected offers of federal assistance in locating the trapped miners. United Mine Workers President Tony Boyle travelled to Mannington and issued a statement praising Consol as one of the better companies as far as safety and cooperation with our union is concerned. The union did nothing to address the safety conditions that killed 78 workers and instead came to the side of the company. Rank-and-file miners were outraged by Boyles position. The brother-in-law of a dead miner described conditions in Consol No.9 as lousy. He said, It's been filled with gashe knew it and so did everyone else. Something was bound to happen. A congressional investigation was launched following the tragedy. The report sought to pin the blame on officials in the Bureau of Mines, the agency that conducted the safety inspections. Later, in September 1970, an investigator found that the disaster was caused in part because a safety alarm on a ventilation unit had been disabled. 75 years ago: Uprising against liquidation of Janowska concentration camp in Poland On November 19, 1943, Jewish prisoners in the Janowska concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland launched a heroic rebellion against the imminent liquidation of the center and the mass murder of all those incarcerated in it. With an approaching Soviet advance, the German authorities began an attempt to cover up the mass killings that had been carried out at the camp. They forced prisoners to open mass graves and burn the bodies of those who had been buried in them. A number of those assigned to this task killed a handful of guards on November 19 and sought to orchestrate a mass escape. While some managed to get out of the facility, they were recaptured and executed over the following days. The Nazi SS murdered an estimated 6,000 inmates at the facility in the final weeks of November. The Janowska camp had been established in late 1941 by the Nazis in Lwow, then in eastern Poland. The city is in modern Ukraine and is now known as Lviv. It was part of a network of forced labor facilities in the city, which were used to produce German armaments and other war supplies. The camp was also a transit camp for the mass deportation of Polish Jews to the gas chambers. In Janowska, Jews underwent a selection process similar to that at Auschwitz. Those believed still physically able to work were held at Janowska for forced labor. The majority, including children, most women, and the elderly and infirm, were deported for extermination at Belzec or shot in the Paski ravine just outside the camp. Janowska was the site of the murder of most of the Jews deported from the ghetto in Lwow. During the course of the war, more than 100,000 prisoners passed through the Janowska camp. An estimated 40,000 of those were killed at the center. 100 years ago: Anti-semitic pogrom begins in Polish-Ukrainian city of Lvov Rioting from November 21-23, 1918, primarily by ethnic Poles and encouraged by Polish armed forces, left scores of Jews dead in Lvov, the largest city of Galicia, in what is now western Ukraine. Lvov had been a multi-ethnic city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, comprised of Poles, Ukrainians, Germans, Jews, Roma, and others who lived relatively peaceably until the first imperialist war. Pogroms against Jews had been carried out by the Tsarist military when Russian troops occupied the city in September 1914. With the disintegration of the Tsarist Army during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the defeat of Austria-Hungary the following year, Lvov became a central focus of contending nationalist aspirations in the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918-19 after an independent Polish capitalist state was established under Marshal Joseph Pilsudski. Nationalist forces had emerged in Ukraine during the Russian Revolution and had enjoyed German support after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, under which the Bolsheviks had been forced to cede Ukraine to the Germans. Although the Ukrainian forces were driven out of Lvov by the Poles in November, they continued to besiege and shell the city until 1919. The pogrom lasted three days, with the participation of civilians, including Polish criminals whom retreating Austro-Hungarian troops released from prison. Polish soldiers and civilians of other nationalities also participated. One historian notes, Incidents of violence and pillaging continued for weeks. The year 1918 had seen a wave of anti-Jewish pogroms in Galicia. The Jews in Lvov had formed a defensive militia and declared neutrality in the Polish-Ukrainian conflict, but it was disarmed by the Polish Army. According to some accounts, the Polish commander of the occupying forces had issued anti-Semitic pamphlets. Some Jewish survivors told investigators that Polish soldiers said that they had been allowed 48 hours of license in the Jewish quarter. Polish mobs looted Jewish stores and homes and raped Jewish women. The events were widely reported in the European and American press at the time, and American President Woodrow Wilson appointed a commission to investigate the incident. Recent media discussion of a possible consolidation among US carmakers underscores the highly precarious state of the auto industry and the looming threat of major jobs cuts. Wall Street is putting intense pressure on the Detroit auto companies to increase profit margins and continue cost cutting. The announcement of a series of joint ventures between Ford and German carmaker Volkswagen has sparked speculation about a possible merger between the two giant automakers. Ford and VW are currently in talks for cooperation on the production of mini-vans with the possibility of expanded collaboration being raised. Wall Street has punished Fords share prices this year, with Ford stock down more than 20 percent due to what are perceived to be insufficient earnings. The company has warned that it plans to cut significant numbers of jobs as part of a global restructuring operation aimed at driving up profit margins. Ford recently announced a global restructuring operation that will lead to significant job cuts while some investors are pushing for a merger by Fiat Chrysler with either Ford or GM. The late FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne had long sought a merger with GM or another major car manufacturer citing the enormous development costs for electric and autonomous vehicles. At the same time, GM has offered buyouts to salaried employees worldwide with more than 12 years seniority, some 18,000 people, in an effort to cut costs. Three of GMs five car assembly plants are only running one shift, encouraging speculation that the company may close one or more facility. Predictably, the United Auto Workers has responded to the threat to jobs by aligning itself ever more closely with the America First nationalism and protectionist agenda of the Trump administration. This was highlighted by a recent open letter from UAW Vice President for General Motors Terry Dittes noting GMs booming profits and blasting the company for expanding production in Mexico and China. In his letter, Dittes noted that many GM car plants were running a single shift, adding filling our plants with product has to be a top priority in the upcoming 2019 national contract negotiations. This should be taken as a warning to workers that the UAW will seek to impose even more concessions on workers. The supposed pursuit of job security has been used as the justification of imposing decades of concessions, which have transformed autoworkers from the highest paid industrial workers in the US to an increasingly low-paid and casual workforce. Dittes then blasts GM for expanding production in China and Mexico, declaring that the union had denounced this further erosion of American jobs and UAW jobs. He goes on to urge workers to check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) tags of new cars purchased to verify they are made in the United States. The endless promotion by the UAW of its reactionary Buy American campaign has not defended a single job. Ever since the 1979 near bankruptcy of Chrysler, the UAW has promoted anti-foreigner nationalism to divert workers from a united struggle against the auto corporations. This has gone hand-in-hand with corporatist collaboration between the union and management aimed at increasing the competitiveness and profits of the auto corporations by squeezing ever-greater profits and productivity off the backs of workers. The retrograde nationalism of the UAW flies in the face of the reality of the globalized nature of modern industry. Autoworkers in Mexico, China, Europe and all over the world are tied together in an integrated system of production in which the national identity of any particular vehicle is virtually impossible to determine. Given this fact, the role of the nationalism promoted by the UAW and other unions only serves the interests of the bosses by promoting a fratricidal competition between workers in different countries. Unless decisively opposed, this can only lead to impoverishment of all workers. Dittes concludes his letter by stating that product and job security will be the starting point for the UAW in upcoming contract talks with the Detroit automakers. As many workers are well aware, such talk by the UAW is a signal that it intends to impose yet another pro-company agreement in 2019 to further slash US labor costs and drive up profits for the auto companies. While Dittes rants against China and Mexico, the UAW has sat by without lifting a finger while GM cuts thousands of car assembly plant jobs, including the elimination of a shift earlier this year at the Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant. Prior to the layoff, the UAW signed a provocative secret Memorandum of Understanding with GM permitting management to hire lower paid contract workers to take over jobs formerly performed by regular GM employees. The supposed job guarantees negotiated by the UAW in exchange for concessions have all turned out to be worthless. Since 1979 the Detroit automakers have eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs with no resistance by the UAW. In not one case has the UAW called a strike or organized a mass demonstration against layoffs or plant closures. Mimicking corporate management and Wall Street analysts, UAW officials justified recent layoffs by GM on the grounds they were dictated by market conditions. The 2015 contract further facilitated layoffs by vastly expanding the number of temporary part-time workers who are excluded from most contract protections, including eligibility for supplementary unemployment benefits. In 2009 the UAW agreed to eliminate the jobs bank that provided limited job security for laid-off workers. The auto companies soon followed up by eliminating tens of thousands of jobs. The UAW has supported the proposal by the Trump administration for tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, a measure that if implemented would have potentially devastating impact on world trade and enormously exacerbate global tensions. Trumps trade policies are not aimed at defending jobs, in fact a vast contraction of production is the likely outcome, but at developing fortress America aimed at military conflict with global rivals, in the first place China or Russia. The program of the UAW dovetails with this agenda, lining up American workers behind US preparations for a catastrophic war. This is the deadly logic of the UAWs economic nationalism. Workers all over the world have a common interest in opposing the promotion of nationalism and chauvinism by the unions. The destruction of jobs and living conditions as well as the threat of war are the product of the capitalist system and the insatiable drive by big business for profit. The very real threat of massive job cuts can only be countered by the mobilization of autoworkers in a united struggle, coordinated with their brother workers overseas, against the global auto giants. To be successful, this struggle must be conducted independently of the UAW through the building of a network of rank-and-file factory committees, democratically controlled by workers and committed to a collective struggle to defend the right to good-paying jobs for all workers. This necessarily means a rejection of the economic nationalism promoted by the UAW and fraternal collaboration of workers in different lands based on a socialist and internationalist program. It is anybodys guess whether diplomatic visitations by foreign invitees put Jayasuriya under pressure, or whether he was emboldened by them (Pic AFP) it was common knowledge that the worst kind of horse-trading took place behind the scenes This type of internal political impasse is not unique to Sri Lanka Sri Lankas non-Western friends have reacted differently to these events It is not the job of the Speaker to convene Parliament Although recent developments have made it near-impossible to anticipate the changing political landscape from one day to the next, there are some aspects of Sri Lankas ongoing parliamentary/ constitutional saga that have come into sharp focus. One is the unusual concern shown by the West in what is a purely internal issue for Sri Lanka. Another is the extraordinary trajectory of the Speakers behaviour since the onset of the crisis. Following the Supreme Court stay order on dissolution that paved the way for reconvening of Parliament, there took place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday some of the most disgraceful scenes ever witnessed in the legislature. MPs verbally and physically attacked each other and vandalised the Chamber, causing early adjournment. Earlier, it was common knowledge that the worst kind of horse-trading took place behind the scenes with MPs putting themselves up for auction at prices reportedly ranging from Rs.50 million to 500 million. It was a race between the new Government and the old, to ratchet up numbers and show a majority in the House. On Wednesday, in a move that seemed to have been scripted in advance, a No Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Government was proposed, seconded and purportedly passed, at record speed. This was done in a dubious manner and surely in violation of Standing Orders because an NCM was not on the Order Paper. It would anyway have required five days notice and a debate. Taking everyone by surprise, the Speaker hurriedly declared, amidst an incoherent cacophony of voices, that the voice vote was in favour. In a further surprise on Thursday he enacted a similar drama amid hurled waste paper baskets and other flying objects. During these events Western envoys were in the visitors gallery, reportedly at the Speakers invitation. Notwithstanding Wednesdays raucous Parliament session, the US Ambassador made a deadpan statement in a tweet that day saying she was glad that Parliament was once again fulfilling its constitutional role. One is left to wonder by what stretch of the imagination the mayhem witnessed that day could have conformed with the ambassadors idea of parliament fulfilling its role. There was nothing to applaud in these ignominious events. Could the ambassador have been so naive as to believe the claims of feckless cross-over MPs that they were following their democratic conscience etc.? As for the conduct of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who figured prominently in the drama of the last few days, many aspects of it remain a mystery What becomes apparent in this dispute between political factions supporting, respectively, the ousted PM and the new one, is that these Western powers are taking sides. This type of internal political impasse is not unique to Sri Lanka. But it would seem that in Sri Lankas case, alarm over possible geopolitical consequences of Ranil Wickremesinghe - a pro-western prime minister, being replaced Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is seen to be pro-China - has set off unprecedented reactions. Interest on Sri Lanka Why is Sri Lanka the focus of all this interest? asked Dr Palitha Kohona, Sri Lankas former Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. There must be something more to it than the need to protect democracy he said, addressing an Eliya briefing on Tuesday. At an international level, I find that the current spate of interventions in our domestic affairs is ungainly and unacceptable. It is not consistent with contemporary diplomatic practice. One might even argue that it is illegal under international law he asserted. Kohona, one-time head of the UN Treaty Section, suggested that with the unexpected ouster of Wickremesinghe many western countries and their embassies, high commissions in Colombo were wrong-footed. They did not expect this. They assumed they had enough time to deal with the emergence of the Rajapaksas between now and the election due in 2020. The suddenness of these developments may explain the gaps in their logic and reasoning, he said. Sri Lankas non-Western friends have reacted differently to these events. There were no demands as there were from Western missions and foreign offices, that Sri Lankas Parliament must reconvene immediately! etc. China said this was an internal problem it believed Sri Lanka would find ways to overcome. Indian Government spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters in Delhi This is something which has to be handled within Sri Lanka. In a statement in Delhi, seemingly attributed to Indias Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Sri Lankas state-run Daily News said they are willing to work with any Prime Minister in the interests of both countries. Similar remarks were reported in the Sunday Morning newspaper citing unnamed Indian Foreign Ministry sources. The message in these somewhat cryptic reports not contradicted by Delhi - would need to be deciphered in the light Indian media accounts of the red-carpet welcome that was accorded to Rajapaksa, a former president, when he visited Delhi two months ago at the invitation of BJPs Subramanian Swamy. Diplomatic visitations Japan has expressed the hope that stability will be ensured through due process and the law. Contrary to foreign media reports, Japan has not threatened to withhold a $1.4 billion loan for a proposed Light Rail project. The loan is not suspended or put on hold, a spokesman from the Commercial section of the Japanese Embassy, who did not wish to be named, told the Daily Mirror. As for the conduct of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who figured prominently in the drama of the last few days, many aspects of it remain a mystery. Initially he accepted the prime minister and cabinet appointed by the president, and assigned offices and seats for them accordingly in Parliament. Later, in an inexplicable turnaround, he wrote to the president claiming that his conscience compelled him to accept the status that existed previously because the presidents actions were undemocratic and unconstitutional. Was it a coincidence that the Speakers sudden substitution of Conscience for Standing Orders came after he had been visited by envoys from Europe and Canada, along with the UN resident rep, and warned of adverse consequences of Wickremesinghes dismissal? US Embassy officials too are reported to have met him in parliament around this time. A few days later eleven Colombo-based envoys again met him and collectively urged him to reconvene Parliament so that they could determine which the Government in Sri Lanka was, according to the Sunday Times political column of 04.11.18. It is not the job of the Speaker to convene Parliament. It is anybodys guess whether these diplomatic visitations put Jayasuriya under pressure, or whether he was emboldened by them. What is apparent from his actions, visible to all on public television over the last few days, is that the Speaker has adopted a course of action that is partisan, and influenced by his party affiliation. So much so that one must ask if he has forfeited his claim to a role that requires him to be independent and even-handed. The unnatural determination shown by him to have a NCM against the Government passed, by fair means or foul, disregarding Standing Orders and parliamentary tradition, has contributed to reducing the House and its proceedings to the level of high farce. US Vice President Mike Pence effectively sabotaged the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea (PNG) last weekend with an aggressive attack on China across a broad range of issues from trade, to the South China Sea, to Beijings signature infrastructure projectthe Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For the first time in APECs 29-year history, the summit did not issue a final communique after the United States and China failed to agree on its wording. According to PNG Prime Minister Peter ONeill, talks broke down over the language concerning the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which the Trump administration has condemned for treating China as a market economy. There were two big giants in the room, what can I say, ONeill declared, in announcing the failure to reach agreement. In his speech on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned of the catastrophic consequences of rapidly sharpening tensions with the US and the dangers of war. Mankind has once again reached a crossroads, he said. Which direction should we choose? Cooperation or confrontation? Openness or closing doors? Referring to conflict between the US and Japan, Xi declared that the bloody battles of the Pacific War in the 1940s plunged mankind into calamity not far from where we are. To avoid a repetition of that tragedy, he said, the international community needed to support globalisation and reject arrogance and prejudicea thinly veiled reference to the United States. Unilateralism and protectionism will not solve problems but add uncertainty to the world economy, Xi said. History has shown that confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, produces no winners. US Vice President Pence, however, ignored Xis appeal and launched a frontal assault on China and its growing influence in the Asia-Pacific. Pence foreshadowed the determination of the Trump administration to ratchet up the US confrontation with China in a bellicose speech last month, in which he accused Beijing of military provocations in the South China Sea, stealing US intellectual property and interfering politically in the US mid-term elections. Speaking last weekend, Pence accused China of taking advantage of the United States for many, many years, and bluntly declared that, those days are over. Referring to the Trump administrations mounting trade war measures against China, he insisted that the US will not change course until China changes its ways and warned that the US could more than double the tariffs it had placed on $250 billion in Chinese goods. Pences comments cast a further pall over talks due to take place between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi at the G20 summit due to take place in Argentina at the end of the month. Although China has recently offered a list of economic concessions to the US, Trump has declared the offer not acceptable. Chief among US demands is an end to Beijings Made in China 2025a program aimed at hi-tech development that would challenge American technological dominance in a range of key economic and strategic areas. Washingtons unsubstantiated accusations of Chinese theft of intellectual property are to justify tightening restrictions on Chinese investment, trade and research cooperation. For China to change its ways would mean accepting economic subservience to the US. Pence also openly challenged Chinas Belt and Road Initiative which has been the subject of intensifying criticism in the US and international press for setting debt traps for countrys that accept Chinese infrastructure loans. While not directly naming China, Pence declared: The terms of those loans are often vague at best, projects they support are often unsustainable too often they come with strings attached. Pence then touted the Trump administrations infrastructure plans for the Asia Pacific, saying pointedly: Know that the US offers a better option. We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt, we dont coerce, or compromise your independence We dont offer a constricting belt or a one-way road. Pences comments are absurd. For decades, the US and its allies have exploited various forms of economic assistance either directly through its own agencies, or indirectly through bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, to bribe and bully countries into accepting US economic and strategic demands. What concerns the US about Chinas capacity to provide aid and low interest loans is that it undercuts Washingtons ability to impose its demands. To underscore Washingtons determination to counter Beijing, the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand signed an agreement on Sunday with PNG to connect power and internet services to 70 percent of the countrys population by 2030. PNG, which was left impoverished and underdeveloped after decades of Australian colonial rule, currently has only about 13 percent of its population connected to reliable electricity. The agreement is aimed at blocking an internet offer by a Chinese company. In his speech, Xi defended the Belt and Road Initiative, declaring that it was not designed to serve any hidden political agendas nor to target anyone, nor was it for geopolitical purposes. In reality, Chinas BRI and the US counterplan are both bound up with intensifying geo-political rivalry as both sides prepare for potential war. The massive BRI project is aimed at consolidating Chinese ties throughout the vast Eurasian landmass and, in particular, to secure access to supplies of energy and raw materials in the Middle East and Africa in the event of a US military blockade. The US on the other hand is determined to prevent Eurasia from slipping into the domination of China or any other rival power, and its infrastructure plans are aimed at undermining the Belt and Road Initiative. In a menacing threat to China, Pence hailed military cooperation between the US and its allies in Asia and warned that the Pentagon would continue its provocative freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea that challenge Chinese territorial claims. Since coming to office, Trump has accelerated the intrusion of US warships close to Chinese-controlled islets in the contested areas. Pence also urged South East Asian countries negotiating a code of conduct with China in the disputed waters not to compromise the rights of all nationsthat is, especially the USto freedom of navigation. The US militarys growing presence in the South China Sea, adjacent to vital Chinese naval bases on Hainan Island, is part and parcel of a massive US build-up and war preparations throughout the Indo-Pacific that began with President Obamas pivot to Asia and has accelerated under Trump. The US has committed 60 percent of its air and naval forces to the region by 2020, strengthened alliances and military partnerships throughout Asia, and restructured and extended its basing arrangements. The recent decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with the former Soviet Union was directed not just at Russia, but also at China. Tearing up the treaty opens the door for the US to develop a range of nuclear weapons to be placed on bases close to the Chinese mainland that threaten to destroy Chinas relatively small nuclear arsenal. Over the weekend, Pence announced a further US military commitment to the Pacific. It will participate in an Australian-PNG plan to develop a joint naval base on Manus Island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. The island was a major US military base during World War II with a 3,000 metre airstrip and naval facilities. Pences deliberately provocative and confrontational stance at the APEC summit is a further warning that Washington is determined to prevent any challenge by China, or any other power, to its global economic and strategic ambitions by any meansincluding through a disastrous war between nuclear-armed powers. The author also recommends: Bipartisan panel: US must prepare for horrendous, devastating war with Russia and China [16 November 2018] US vice president issues bellicose diatribe against China [5 October 2018] US Vice President Mike Pence has said Washington is "not going to stand for" the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, as Turkey suggested that the Saudi journalist's body was possibly carried out of Turkey in diplomatic bags. While in Papua New Guinea on a foreign trip, Pence said the US was "committed to ensuring that all of those responsible" for Khashoggi's death are held "accountable." Continents and regions Crime, law enforcement and corrections Crimes against persons Criminal offenses Donald Trump Homicide Jamal Khashoggi Middle East Middle East and North Africa Mike Pence Misc people Murder North America Political Figures - US Saudi Arabia The Americas United States Accidents, disasters and safety California California wildfires Fires Natural disasters Southwestern United States Wildfires Government and public administration Government bodies and offices International relations International relations and national security Politics Turkey US federal government White House "The murder of Jamal Khashoggi was an atrocity. It was also an affront to a free and independent press and the United States is determined to hold all of those accountable who are responsible for that murder." The Vice President's comments Saturday came the day after after the CIA concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered the killing of Khashoggi, despite the Saudi government's denials that the de facto ruler was involved, according to a senior US official and a source familiar with the matter. However, US President Donald Trump said Saturday it was "premature" to assess whether bin Salman was responsible for Khashoggi's killing and added that there would be "a full report on Tuesday, and it will be very complete." "We're going to come up with a report as to what we think the overall impact was and who caused it and who did it," Trump said while touring homes in Malibu, California that were devastated in ongoing wildfires. "We're talking about a killing. We're not talking about anything else. We're talking about a killing, so who did it?" Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News that he doesn't know if bin Salman was lying when he denied having any involvement in the murder of Khashoggi, a statement that conflicts with the CIA's assessment on Friday that bin Salman personally ordered the killing of the journalist. "I don't -- I don't know, you know, who could really know?" Trump told Fox's Chris Wallace. "But I can say this: He's got many people now that say he had no knowledge." "Do you live with [bin Salman's statement] because you need him?" Wallace asked. "Well, will anybody really know? All right, will anybody really know? But he did have certainly people that were reasonably close to him and close to him that were probably involved," Trump said. "You saw we put on very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But at the same time, we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good," Trump said. On Saturday Pence also reiterated that he wanted to preserve the strong relationship with Saudi Arabia amid the murder investigation. He added that after reviewing the report on Tuesday, Trump would "make his decisions in the context of an enormously important strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia." Turkey: Body may have been carried through airport It comes after Turkey's Minister of National Defence said Saturday that the dismembered body parts of the slain journalist may have been carried out of Istanbul's international airport. Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, the Turkish minister, Hulusi Akar, said that an 18-strong "kill team" from Saudi Arabia carried out the murder of Khashoggi and could have smuggled his body parts out of the country thanks to their diplomatic status. Because they wouldn't be searched by airport security due to their diplomatic status, Akar added that it was possible that "within the luggage they carried the dismembered body of Jamal Khashoggi." "Because of the diplomatic immunity, they left very easily without having any problems with the luggage," Akar said. "Under the title of a diplomatic immunity passenger -- coming, going -- they have the diplomatic right to carry some of the luggage without leaving their control." Khashoggi, a former Saudi royal insider who became a critic of the country's government, went missing in October after he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers for his upcoming marriage. The Saudi government offered changing explanations for his disappearance. On Thursday, the Saudi Public Prosecutor's Office said 11 people had been charged for their involvement in the killing, adding that five are facing capital punishment for being directly involved in "ordering and executing the crime." The journalist was killed following "a fight and a quarrel" at the Saudi consulate, the prosecutor's office claimed. Prosecutors said Khashoggi was tied up and injected with an overdose of a sedative that killed him. Then, according to prosecutors, his body was dismembered and removed from the consulate by five people. Khashoggi's remains have yet to be found. The Washington Post has reported that investigators were looking into the theory that the body was dissolved in acid. A source close to the Saudi Royal Palace has denied any knowledge of the body's whereabouts. On a winter day in the Columbia Gorge in 2004, Tad McGeer watched a video from a battlefield 7,000 miles away. One of McGeer's co-workers had just brought the video home from Iraq. Filmed from the air, the footage revealed tiny figures moving about an open field below. Suddenly, the figures on the computer screen were engulfed in an explosive fireball. For McGeer, it was an unsettling moment. The video was captured by a camera on board an unmanned aerial drone, one of the newest weapons on battlefields in the global war on terror. The person responsible for creating that drone was McGeerand his years of hard work were also partly responsible for the deaths he'd just watched on his screen. "I thought it was pretty unpleasant business," he recalls. "I'm told [the targets] were evildoers. Were they really? I don't know. Certainly no court of law determined they were evildoers." McGeer never meant to build war machines when he started drawing plans in his garage in 1992. He spent nearly 10 years perfecting drones for peaceful purposes like predicting weather or tracking tuna. But since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, his creations now function as the eyeballs of a cutting-edge U.S. program to gather wartime intelligence and assassinate its enemies. The images from Iraq were filmed from a ScanEaglethe plane McGeer originally built and that the Defense Department now finds so useful. Though never weaponized with missiles like the more famous Predator drone, the ScanEagle is no less a part of the war effort. Flying at nearly 20,000 feet, it scans terrain or tracks targets from the air for up to 24 hours. It can be controlled from anywhere in the worlddelivering high-quality, real-time video both day and night. "These things have some potential to actually surprise people and to catch them out in the open. They've turned out to be very useful," says retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak, a military analyist who lives in Lake Oswego. "They're getting more important, not less important." One of the successful engines of that industrya company that has delivered more than 1,000 unmanned drones for military useis centered about 60 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. The company McGeer founded Insitu Inc.is rapidly eclipsing tourism as a source of jobs in the Gorge. But it's also drawing fire from peace activists for war profiteering and what they see as a disturbing trend toward remote-controlled, robotic killing. At odds with the military direction his company was taking, McGeer left Insitu in 2005. Three years later, when Boeing bought the company for $400 million, McGeer made millionsexactly how much he won't say. "I made a Faustian bargain," says McGeer, a lanky 52-year-old Canadian who lives with his wife and daughter in Hood River. "And when you make a Faustian bargain, you can't complain when the devil shows up at the door." Many of his neighbors in the Gorge have no such qualms. The residents of Hood River and surrounding towns on both banks of the Gorge have built an industry that, according to public statements made by Insitu executives, now generates more than $200 million a year amid this recession. The drones they've built have logged hundreds of thousands of flight hours over Iraq and Afghanistan, above disaster zones like earthquake-ravaged Haiti, or patrolling pirate-infested seas off the coast of Somalia. It may seem an unlikely niche in a region better known for windsurfing, mountain biking and microbrews. But the Gorge has a big footprint in the global war on terrorism, and the industry is reshaping the area. Former military men with short-cropped hairvisiting to learn how to fly and maintain the dronesare now a more common sight around town than skiers from Mount Hood, says Hood River Mayor Arthur Babitz. FOUNDING FATHER: Tad McGeer started Insitu in 1992, then was ousted by the board and newcomer Steve Sliwa. IMAGE: leahnash.com The mayor says the drone industry has almost single-handedly anchored the service industry and local tax revenues during the recessionnot to mention employing more than 1,000 locals, both at Insitu and local businesses directly supplying the company with parts and services. "It's the sort of good-paying jobs that every small community would love to have," says Babitz, a high-tech entrepreneur with his own animation company. "We're very thankful and grateful that they're here. It's a bright spot for the entire Gorge region." But not every local is so sanguine about the Gorge's newfound fortune. Disturbed about their community's growing reliance on the military, activists are holding a three-day conference on robotic warfare in Hood River next month. Nationally known antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan is scheduled to attend. "It's the same as putting a gun to the back of someone's head," says Susan Garrett Crowley, a retired 65-year-old lawyer from Hood River who's helping organize next month's conference, April 16-19. "It would horrify people. But do it from 7,000 miles away, and there is no public outcry." Insitu, the company drawing Crowley's ire, is a success by any economic measure. With headquarters in Bingen, Wash. (population 672), the company has grown from just three employees to more than 700, spread across offices from The Dalles to Vancouver, Wash. In 2008, the same year Boeing bought Insitu for $400 million, Insitu upped its commitment to aggressively woo international customers, opening a branch office in Queensland, Australia. Winning contracts with the U.S., Canadian and Australian militaries, the company has already logged more than 200,000 hours in Iraq and Afghanistan alone. Insitu executives, about half of whom worked with McGeer before he left in 2005, declined to comment for this story. But last summer, CEO Steve Sliwa announced revenues in 2009 were expected to top $200 million. Until now, the company has mainly leased aircraft, with Insitu employees operating the drones in the field. Now the Defense Department wants to buy its own, and Insitu is competing to win a large contract this year to sell 1,000 copies of its newest planethe larger Integrator drone. The contract is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But with better-known rivals like Raytheon and General Dynamics also in the race, the outcome is far from certain. Success with the Integrator would not only boost Insitu, but cement the Gorge's role as a major hub for building drone aircraft. From welders to wing-builders, construction contractors to computer programmers, the drone industry has cast its shadow over smaller shops and businesses up and down the Gorge. Even sprawling orchards like Andy von Flotow's, four miles west of Hood River. Just installed on von Flotow's 100-acre orchard is a 200-foot tube of plastic sheeting connected to a 100-horsepower fan. The 90-mph breeze that blasts through the tube creates a wind tunnel. The enormous length allows distance to cancel the noise of the fan to allow accurate acoustic testing on airplane engines. Built last month, the tunnel is part of von Flotow's efforts to make Insitu's ScanEagle and Integrator into quieter flying machines. Less noise will mean the planes can fly lower and collect better video, without their insectlike buzz being heard from below. The tunnel is the latest gadget among millions of dollars' worth of hardware that lies scattered among a series of barns and former horse stables on von Flotow's property. His otherwise bucolic farm features Bartlett pears, Bing cherries and Honeycrisp apples. WIND MACHINE: Andy von Flotow and his crew test engine acoustics on his Hood River farm. IMAGE: leahnash.com More than 100 of von Flotow's employees swarm around the property and at two other locations in the Gorge, building giant slingshots to launch drones, designing better gyroscopelike devices known as gimbals to support the planes' spy cameras, and testing their engines. Von Flotow, a 54-year-old Canadian with piercing blue eyes and a dry sense of humor, presides over the operation with the glee of a manic genius. Von Flotow is the original reason Insitu is in the Gorgeand insiders say he continues to generate most of the company's innovations. That involves providing the generals and colonels who occasionally visit his farm with a rotating menu of possible improvements, von Flotow says. He also fields complaints from war zones about faulty equipmentand gets praise when his newest gadgets exceed expectations. "Then the enthusiasm wears off and I have to invent something better yet, or somebody else will. It's such a rat race," von Flotow says with a grin. Unlike McGeer, von Flotow has no qualms about his work. "It's a pleasant hobby, and it makes money. Making money is fun," von Flotow says. "I'd feel just as guilty if I made toilet paper." Raised on a soybean and corn farm in southern Ontario, von Flotow met McGeer when they were studying for their Ph.D.s in aeronautics at Stanford University in the early 1980s. Von Flotow moved to Hood River in 1993, and McGeer followed a year later. Like many others, von Flotow came to Hood River for its rural charm and killer windsurfing. McGeer's needs were more immediatemotivated by the technical challenge and the desire to start his own business, he was designing an unmanned plane and needed space to fly. The idea wasn't groundbreakingunmanned aircraft had been used sporadically since the early 20th century. But no one had perfected a small, versatile drone with proven commercial applications. With help from von Flotow, McGeer set out to solve a problem plaguing civilian meteorologists. With satellites, scientists could watch weather as it forms. But the old method of sending ships with weather balloons to gather direct measurements from the atmosphere had been largely abandoned. McGeer sought to fill the data void by building an unmanned plane to measure temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed. With funding from the Australian government, McGeer, von Flotow and a small team built Aerosonde, a 30-pound plane with an onboard computer powered by a modified model-airplane engine. With a successful 1998 flight from Newfoundland to Scotland on a gallon and a half of gas, Aerosonde became the first unmanned plane ever to cross the Atlantic. The publicity stunt captured headlines. But McGeer never managed to sell more than a handful of the dronesdespite some enthusiastic support from within the bureaucracies of national weather services around the world, they could not be swayed into buying. "That was life," von Flotow says. "When you're running a little garage businessand there's many such businessesyou're always chasing the dream, and the dream never quite makes it into your grasp." The next opportunity at McGeer's door came from the tuna industry, of all places. Tuna companies track schools of the fish using helicopters. It's expensive and dangerous work, and McGeer was told the industry would pay for a plane that could launch from a boat with a camera to do the job. McGeer set to work designing a new unmanned plane he called the SeaScan. Again with help from von Flotow, McGeer and five employees worked at a dizzying rate of invention to master the biggest technical hurdlelaunching and retrieving the plane from the deck of a ship. They came up with a 14-foot catapult that slingshots the plane into the air at more than 50 mph, then spent years perfecting and eventually patenting the so-called "sky hook" landing system, which lets the plane fly into a rope suspended from a pole. With a maximum speed of about 90 mph, the SeaScan was the first unmanned plane able to deliver high-quality video footage. Like the Aerosonde, however, the SeaScan never found a successful market. This time, it was terrorists who got in the way. Just as the SeaScan prototype was being completed, the 9/11 attacks came. McGeer had already been in contact with Boeing and others in the defense industry for the better part of a year about possible military uses for SeaScan. Now they left the tuna industry behind and went into high gear. But not without reservations. "There were plenty of people who weren't comfortable. But we went along with it," McGeer says. "I took an ends-justify-the-means argumentthat taking this money would allow me to get into the civilian market. But I was wrong. That never happened." Insitu underwent other rapid changes in 2001. McGeer called in Steve Sliwa, a friend he knew from their undergrad days at Princeton, to turn Insitu around. And coincidentally, the day before 9/11, the Boeing Co. first agreed to invest in Insitu. With Boeing's marketing help, Insitu courted the Department of Defense, whose generals liked the products they saw. With the glacially slow pace of federal defense contracting, Insitu began shipping ScanEagles to Iraq in summer 2004. As a result of that success, McGeer says the company board became focused on serving the defense industry. But McGeer continued to have qualms, especially about his drones supporting a questionable war in Iraq. McGeer says he wanted to restructure Insitu with a new branch dedicated to civilian applications, but Sliwa opposed it. With the board behind him, McGeer says Sliwa ousted him in 2005. Sliwa declined repeated requests to comment for this story. When Boeing bought Insitu in 2008, the deal made millionaires of both McGeer and von Flotow, who still owned shares in the company. McGeer says he would give all that money back if it meant he could prevent the conflicts that made him rich. "If you gave me the choice of turning back the clock and saying no to war in Iraq and Afghanistanif you could buy peace for a few million dollarsof course [I would]," he says. "I'm using the money to try to get done what wasn't done with Insitu." While von Flotow continues to be the brains behind Insitu, McGeer's interests have moved him in a new direction. On March 1, McGeer met with a few friends at his office in tiny Husum, Wash., to roll out the Flexrotora new drone he built over the past four years with the help of five employees in Aerovel, the company he started after leaving Insitu. Flight tests won't start until later this year, but if the Flexrotor works, it will be a remarkable achievement. The 42-pound plane with a 10-foot wingspan is designed to take off and land vertically, requiring less space for launch and retrieval. With a propeller that doubles as a helicopter rotor, the plane can hover vertically or fly horizontally. Takeoff, landing, refueling and relaunching will all happen automatically, with no need for people on site. McGeer hopes to fulfill his original dream of selling drones for civilian uses, including weather observation and geological surveyingmarkets he says Insitu abandoned when the company opted for easy money in the defense industry. Unlike his earlier civilian ventures, McGeer hopes the Flexrotor will succeed because it's cheaper and better designed. Without being specific, he says it will probably sell for "tens of thousands" of dollars. When pressed, he says he won't actively pursue defense contractsbut he won't rule out the possibility entirely. He still believes military drones can do useful work. THE AIR APPARENT: McGeer and his team at Aerovel walk in rural Washington on March 1 with the company's Flexrotor. IMAGE: leahnash.com "There are people who are dead today who would not be dead were it not for the [ScanEagle]. There are [also] people who are alive today who would not be alive were it not for the aircraft," he says. "How that balances out, I don't know." Somewhere between McGeer's moral reservations and von Flotow's comparison of making drones to making toilet paper are two other contributors to the Gorge's growing industry for war, Ross Hoag and Bill Vaglienti, founders of Cloud Cap Technology in Hood River. The two worked for McGeer in the 1990s, building the autopilot and designing software for the Aerosonde. They left Insitu in 1999 to start Cloud Cap, where along with 35 employees they build autopilots, inertial measurement units and camera systems for just about every maker of small drones on the market, except Insitu. Both say they wrestle with the morality of making a living building war machinery. Both say they'd much rather be working on civilian applications like tracking wildfires. But they stand by their defense work. "I don't make it a weapon. My customers might. I can't control that," Vaglienti says. "This is the stuff that's used to pull the trigger, and it's also used to [find] an IED [improvised explosive device]." Drones from the Gorge and elsewhere are used for both purposes. But it's the heroic side of high-altitude surveillance that Insitu's PR department tends to promote. On its website, Insitu highlights the April 12, 2009, rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Navy SEALs managed to kill four of the pirates and save the ship using surveillance from a ScanEagle. It's the dark side of drone warfare that's raised concerns from United Nations rights investigators, officials in targeted countries, and even U.S. military personnel. They say drone assassinations may not only violate international law but actually undermine national security. Begun under the Bush administration, military and CIA use of drones has mushroomed under President Obama. According to a study last fall by the Washington, D.C.-based New America Foundation, Obama sanctioned at least 41 CIA missile strikes during his first nine months in officemore than Bush did in his last three years combined. Local officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan say many of the estimated 300 to 500 people killed were innocent bystanders, including women and children. Taliban leaders seize on those collateral deaths for anti-American publicity. And that track record inflames Susan Garrett Crowley and the other antiwar activists who organized a protest last September when Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire visited Insitu. McGeer also spoke at one of the activists' meetings last year about the history of unmanned aerial vehicles. Garrett Crowley says she is concerned fighting wars by remote control makes it more likely the U.S. will enter future conflictsbecause killing from a distance means no American casualties. The drones built in the Gorge are merely the eyes of the system, gathering information instead of raining death from the sky. But she argues Insitu is just as complicit in the outcome. "Evil is banal. We're all capable of it. And the truth about people who like designing beautiful tools is that they prefer not to think about how those tools are used," she says. "We don't want to blame our neighbors for making the tools. But we do want to question the use to which those tools are put." WWeek 2015 Rainbow Six Siege's New 'Crystal Guard' Season is Live Now With New Operator Osa In her first week in Washington D.C. as Congresswomanelect, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the 29-year old waitress who shocked the Democratic Party by upsetting popular Caucus Chair Joe Crowley in the primary for New Yorks 14th congressional district fired up her social media presence. As she explored her new turf, she shared her orientation experience with 780,000 followers followers via Instagram Stories. Whereas the default of most elected officials is to position themselves as experts on the levers of power, Ocasio-Cortez invited her supporters along for the ride as she got her bearings. Ocasio-Cortez documented her first week in Washington in a way that was relatable on every level: from mundane everyday matters like figuring out how to get around D.C. to financially balancing the big career change before her congressional salary kicked in to immediate decisions she learned she would need to make in the coming weeks. There are very practical reasons for politicians, especially Democrats, to turn to Instagram to communicate with supporters. Since being introduced in the summer of 2016, Instagram Stories users post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours now has 400 million daily users. Sixty percent of 18-29 year-olds are regular users of Instagram, while The Center For American Progress estimates that by the 2020 election, 90 million millennials will be eligible to vote and could potentially comprise close to 40 percent of the electorate. They are also a generation that strongly disapproves of President Trump, at a rate 60-70 percent depending on the poll. There are also very practical reasons for Ocasio-Cortez to turn to Instragram Stories that extend beyond demographics. Social media and communications experts often advise public figures, or those hoping to build a public profile, to pick the medium that best fits their voice and message. For better or worse, there is no better example of than Donald Trumps reliance on Twitter a social media platform that serves as the pulse that the media checks to read the heartbeat of the news cycle. Story continues Read More:Filmmakers and Viral Videos May Be the Democrats Secret Weapon For President Trump, who feeds off cable news chatter, his concise gut reactions play to Twitters strength and becomes an effective tool for injecting himself into the news cycle framing, inflaming, or distracting by causing outrage and impassioned support that fuels the sharp partisanship he uses to his advantage. In 2016, Trumps unfiltered reactions exploited an electorate ready to revolt against poll-tested politicians many believed were in the pocket of special interests. In the wake of that 2016 victory, a new type of Democratic candidate ran for office in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez becoming the most prominent of the dozens of candidate one would never expect to run for Congress ordinary working Americans with great personal stories and who refused to take corporate donations. You have to remember, Trump won connecting with voters about a system that doesnt listen to them, said democratic political consultant Cayce McCabe, in interview with IndieWire about campaign ads. We can wring our hands about the irony of some billionaire in a gold tower with his policies being their champion, but the only way well take it back is helping tell the story of authentic candidates who the voters believe will actually fight to change the system. For someone like Ocasio-Cortez, who earlier this month rode an anti-Trump populism to victory, the move to D.C. could be treacherous as they become part of the political system they railed against. Its in this light that the Ms. Ocasio-Cortez Goes To Washington approach to her Instagram has the potential to be so effective. By demystifying government, bringing followers inside the process, as if they, like Ocasio-Cortez, are having the inner workings unveiled to them. Its essentially a form of real-time, first-person documentary filmmaking with an interactive hook. For example, in one series of Instagram Stories on Friday, the Congresswoman-elect discussed how she was learning that she would have to make a handful of critical hires and develop a strategic plan for her congressional office before being sworn in. She then posted a poll to her followers: What would you rather your Congressmember do better? Provide services or introduce legislation? Its the type of political dilemma most rising stars pretend they dont have to face, but the Congresswoman-elect put on the table for discussion with her supporters as she contemplated how to staff her office. The handmade, personal visual presentation of Ocasio-Cortezs Instagram feed is the perfect fit of form meets content. In much the way that Franklin D. Roosevelt used the intimacy of radio to conduct his fireside chats with the American public, the Congresswoman-elect enacts an immediate, candid mode of address by holding her phone in selfie-mode while cooking black bean soup. At a time when the current president has demonstrated his executive bonafides as a reality TV star, the visual authenticity of Democratic officials newest breed has become especially significant. Dating back to her viral campaign commercials, Ocasio-Cortez and others favored a cinematic language with ample cinema verite; they employed documentary filmmakers over political consultants. So while a fresh kind of Democrat offers up unique personal stories, the format those stories take matters just as much to their ongoing appeal. Related stories 'Death by Magic' Trailer: Netflix Magic Show Tries Tricks That Killed Harry Houdini Ron Perlman and More Boycott Georgia Film and TV Production Over Election Results Sarah Silverman: 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' Flips the Script on Princess Ideal Photo credit: Getty Images From Esquire In our old feature, What Are The Gobshites Saying These Days?, we used to do a semi-regular weekly survey of the state of Our National Dialogue based on what went down on The Sunday Showz, those still-ambulatory broadcasting dinosaurs still considered newsworthy within the Beltway and dedicated to Reasonable People Disagreeing Reasonably while the world burns down around them, and also dedicated to keeping various Capitol Hill doughnut shops open. We placed this feature in the storeroom of the shebeen because, frankly, we got bored with it, and it was too much work keeping up with what the gobshites were saying in the age of Trump. But we're reviving it just this once because of this interesting moment that occurred on Meet The Press between Chuck Todd and the recently re-elected Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Under discussion was the manner in which Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp used the power of his office to help him finagle his way to the governorship over Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams. Want unlimited access to Charlie? Join the fight against stupid HERE Brown's election comments begin at 1:30-mark in video above Senator Brown recently decided to point out the elephant in the room. TODD: Let me start with you were out this week, talking about another race in 2018. And it was in Georgia and Stacey Abrams. It was before she had acknowledged her defeat. She has now admitted defeat, didn't call it a concession. But I want to ask you about something you said this week about Georgia. Let me play it. SEN. SHERROD BROWN: If Stacey Abrams doesn't win in Georgia, they stole it. It's clear. It's clear. And I would say, I say that publicly. It's clear. TODD: Strong language to throw that out there. You believe, today, that this is a stolen race, that basically, Brian Kemp is, is somebody who's illegally governor right -- or governor-elect of Georgia. It is here where Sunday Showz protocol demands that the politician cavil, hedge, or otherwise walk his argument back over his own feet. However, Senator Brown wasn't playing that. Story continues BROWN: Well, I think you look at the lead-up to this election as secretary of state -- and I was the secretary of state in Ohio 30 years ago. I know what you do, as secretary of state. You encourage people to vote. You don't purge millions of voters. You don't close down polling places in rural areas where voters have difficulty getting to the polls, which were mostly low-income areas. You don't do what Republicans are doing all over the country. And you've seen it, Chuck. You've seen the kind of voter suppression that, all over this country. And you end with the secretary of state of Georgia should have recused himself from running that election, as Jimmy -- as former -- Georgia resident, former-President Jimmy Carter said he should. And clearly, he did everything he could to put his thumb on the scale and won that election, quote unquote, "won" that election by only about a point. Chuck Todd was appropriately dismayed. But Senator Brown wasn't playing that, either. TODD: I guess I would ask this. Couldn't you bring up all of those, all of those issues, lay all of that out, without using the word, stolen? And I throw that out there, because we have enough distrust in our institutions as it is...Does that add to it? Photo credit: NBC NewsWire - Getty Images BROWN: Okay, Chuck. Don't do the false equivalency of, of, of, the, you know, the lack of respect in institutions. I mean, we have a president that attacks your profession day after day after day. You, if you saw the earlier part of my election-night speech, you would've heard me thank the media. And you would've seen hundreds of people in Ohio, on the Democratic -- at this election-night gathering, turn around and clap for the media. We see a president that goes after the courts, that goes after the judicial system, a president that says, as the votes were counted, that something's been wrong with the elections. He criticizes the elections that way. So don't play this false equivalency. Because a former secretary of state, like me, said that about this election, which clearly is an effort to suppress the vote, not of people that look like you and me, Chuck-- CHUCK TODD: Right. BROWN: --but people of color especially. And it's happened. Now spend your air time-- I don't mean to lecture-- [Ed. Note: Feel free to lecture, senator. I'm just making some more popcorn over here.] TODD: No, no, no, I, look -- BROWN: -- but spend your airtime critical of those people who are trying to suppress the vote. This is not to single out Chuck Todd. His interplay with Brown was merely the most obvious public manifestation of dismay over the senator's quite accurate assessment of what happened in Georgia. More than a few pearls were clutched over Brown's choice of language. Photo credit: Jessica McGowan - Getty Images Rick Hasen, the election-law guru, writing in Slate, made the same argument at greater length. I confess I don't follow Hasen's line of thought at all. He seems to be arguing that calling the election in Georgia "stolen," as Brown clearly did, undermines the fight against suppressing the vote, as Kemp clearly did. I'm unclear how this is the case. First, rhetoric about stolen elections feeds a growing cycle of mistrust and delegitimization of the election process, an attack pushed by President Donald Trump and other Republicans who have been yelling voter fraud every time they are behind in the count. Ive already set out my fear that Trump could refuse to concede the 2020 presidential election if he is ahead in the count on election night and then ballot counts inevitably shift toward Democrats as the counting continues. A democratic polity depends on losers accepting election results, even if the election was not conducted perfectly. I would hold stolen election rhetoric for conduct even more outrageous than Kemps decisions, which, while odious, either have not been found to be illegal or that courts allowed to remain in place for this election. I mean, holy hell. Because Kemp used the power of the office he held to help himself gain the office to which he was aspiring, this means that he could not be said to have "stolen" the election, even as a shorthand designation for his clearly corrupt conduct? If a state legislature in, say, Nebraska, were to use its eminent domain power to appropriate a farmer's land in order to help a foreign corporation build, say, an oil-sands pipeline, is it really not permissible for people to say that the legislature "stole" the farmer's land, even though it used its power corruptly to benefit a private interest? Is there an exemption by which theft is not theft if it is done under the color of law? A lot of local sheriffs who got rich behind civil forfeiture laws are going to be happy to hear that. Photo credit: Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images And as for the growing cycle of distrust and delegitimization, that's already been underway for some time, as Rick Hasen's previous work has demonstrated. In our current historical moment, it began with the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore. Do the people making the tone-police argument on this issue really believe that the Georgia voters who showed up at their polling place only to find that it had been closed, and who then went out of their way to the nearest one only to find that they couldn't vote because the hyphen in their last name really was a dash, wouldn't say their votes were "stolen," and that, therefore, the election was, too? They don't need Sherrod Brown to believe that, I assure you. Hasen also seems to misunderstand the nature of El Caudillo Del Mar-A-Lago, too. If the Democratic Party tries to temper its rhetoric based on whatever the most recent egregious lie has emerged from the presidential* gob, the Democratic Party is going to have a nervous breakdown. The president, because he is both corrupt and something of a dunce, will say what he's going to say regardless of how temperate the Democratic response is. Sometimes, blunt instruments have to be met with blunt instruments. Much of the most loyal portions of the Democratic Party's political base already believe from their own experience, and not because of anything Sherrod Brown and Stacey Abrams have said, that their elections are being stolen out from under them. It's up to the opposition to speak for those whose right to choose their own leaders was, yes, stolen from them through bureaucratic legerdemain and malfeasance in office. Which is a long way around to point out that the run-off election for Secretary of State in Georgia is the most important election of many lifetimes. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the state is suing CVS and Walgreens for allegedly overselling opioids as the nationwide epidemic grows. The lawsuit accuses the two major drugstore chains of using unfair and misleading marketing to push doctors to overprescribe opioids for chronic pain in place of other treatments. The State of Florida also says that this artificially inflated demand led to quantities of opioids in the state that could not possibly have been medically justified, according to court documents. The lawsuit also names a third defendant, Insys Therapeutics, which Bondi says provided kickbacks to doctors who prescribed opioids. We will continue to pursue those companies that played a role in creating the opioid crisis, Bondi said in a statement. Thousands of Floridians have suffered as a result of the actions of the defendants. CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis told the Associated Press that the allegation that the company increased the opioid crisis is without merit, and that they are dedicated to helping reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion. Over the past several years, CVS has taken numerous actions to strengthen our existing safeguards to help address the nations opioid epidemic, he said. A Walgreens spokesperson told PEOPLE they are declining to comment on pending legislation. RELATED VIDEO: Jamie Lee Curtis Opens Up About Opioid Addiction She Hid for 10 Years: No One Knew Florida has seen a dramatic increase in opioid overdoses in the last few years, the National Institutes of Health says. In 2013, there were 6.6 deaths for every 100,000 Floridians. By 2016, that number was up to 14.4. Meanwhile, the rate of opioid prescriptions have actually dropped slightly, from 69.6 prescriptions per 100 people in 2013 to 62.8 prescriptions in 2015. Florida used to be known as the home of pain mills storefronts where doctors would perform a quick exam and then prescribe opioids to patients, which led to mass amounts of opioids in the state, NPR reported in 2011. Law enforcement cracked down on the pain mills, but according to the new lawsuit, Walgreens has distributed billions of opioids in the state since 2006. It also claims that in two small towns, the company distributed amounts of opioids that far exceed the total population 2.2 million opioids in Hudson, where 12,000 people live; and 285,000 pills in an unnamed town of 3,000. The lawsuit also says that CVS distributed 700 million opioids between 2006 and 2014. Celebrity SheKnows In October, fans started speculating about Tom Cruises face because he looked completely different than we are used to seeing him. He didnt look like himself and of course, thats when the plastic surgery rumors started to leak out. But it felt like an uncomfortable topic to be speculating about given the fact that the [] For Chris Murphy, the newly re-elected junior senator from Connecticut, Yemen is a byword for the failures of American foreign policy in the Middle East. For the past three years, he has been a consistent and often lonely voice in the government for ending United States military support for Saudi Arabias war on its southern neighbor, which has turned the country into a hellish failed state while accomplishing nothing. Yemen is a small, impoverished country torn by domestic tribal power struggles and the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as a long-running covert U.S. drone war against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The current conflict is essentially a civil war between the Saudi-aligned government, backed by a coalition of Gulf monarchies, and an indigenous Shia rebel group known as the Houthis. To beat back the rebels, a Saudi-led coalition is mercilessly bombing Houthi-controlled areas, and blockading the countrys ports, causing mass starvation. The Saudi coalition is supplemented by proxies or mercenaries that include American, British, Australian, Mexican and Colombian contractors working for Abu Dhabi. The dirt-poor Houthis have a tenuous connection to Iran, but otherwise the battle for control of Yemens capital has very little to do with American national security interests. But beginning under Obama, the Pentagon has been enabling the Saudi coalition with special-forces advisers, inflight refueling of warplanes and target-spotting for airstrikes. The American role has been more overt since Trump took office. One of his first actions as president was to commit the United States to an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $110 billion. While hugely profitable for American weapons manufacturers, the war has caused extreme suffering. Thirteen million people are now at risk of starvation in Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, and the cholera epidemic is the worst in a century. Story continues Despite the scale of the disaster, it has been largely ignored by cable news and broadcast television in the U.S. That makes it all the more surprising that Sen. Murphy has been speaking out against it since day one. With little to gain politically, he has introduced bills to cut off the supply of weapons, and consistently denounced Saudi atrocities, such as the incident on August 9th when a Saudi warplane dropped a bomb manufactured by Lockheed Martin on a school bus in Saada, killing 40 little kids. It was another incident, though, that finally turned American opinion against Saudi Arabias malign regional influence: the October 2nd murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudis Istanbul consulate. It had little to do with Yemen, but the serial-killer methods the Saudis used got people asking why the United States is allied with such a regime. In late October, Secretary of Defense James Mattis called for a ceasefire in Yemen within the next 30 days. But any optimism that the war might finally come to an end was short-lived. The Saudis immediately stepped up their attacks on the port city of Hodeidah, the main lifeline to food and medicine in the Houthi-controlled west. In Congress, a number of legislative measures were being drawn up to to curb military aid to Saudi Arabia, but on Wednesday, House Republicans used a complicated procedural ploy to block a resolution that would have directed the Trump administration to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen. Sen. Murphy is a 45-year-old lawyer whose first elected position was on the planning and zoning commission in the Connecticut town of Southington. He steadily rose through the state legislature and the House of Representatives, often bumping off Republicans, before winning Joe Liebermans Senate seat in 2012. Hes the proud holder of an F rating from the National Rifle Association and was previously a critic of the use of private military contractors in Iraq. I spoke with Sen. Murphy in August, and caught up with him again this week to get his take on the latest developments in Yemen. The Saudis are attacking the port city of Hodeidah. What do you think theyre trying to accomplish? The Saudis would never admit to intentionally causing a humanitarian catastrophe as a military strategy, but they seem to be very methodical in their efforts to make it as hard as possible to get humanitarian resources into the country. [Saudi crown prince] Mohammed bin Salman once said that time is an asset for the coalition. What I think he meant is, as the campaign continues and starvation gets worse, its more likely the Houthis will be forced to the negotiating table. And yet, just two weeks ago, it seemed like the Trump administration might try to force an end to the war. Was that empty talk by Jim Mattis and [CIA director] Mike Pompeo? Im glad the administration has stopped support for refueling. Its an important first step. But I dont get the sense that Pompeo and Mattis are willing to undertake the direct and consistent intervention necessary to end this quagmire. Youre referring to the Pentagons announcement last Friday that the United States will no longer be refueling Saudi warplanes inflight. Do the Saudis have the technical capacity to carry out a sustained air war without that logistical support? Not many countries do. The have some internal capacity. They will be able to continue their bombing campaign, but at a slower pace. They will have to be more selective in their targets. Why do you say Pompeo and Mattis arent willing to do what it takes to end this quagmire, as you called it? One problem is we dont talk to the Iranians. Theres been this strange double-standard where the administration is gleefully enthusiastic to talk to the North Koreans but not the Iranians, which makes no strategic sense. Another thing is, we dont even have an ambassador to Saudi Arabia, because of the administrations negligence in filling key positions at the State Department. The administrations hair is regularly on fire when it comes to foreign policy. Its hard to get it together when youre engaged in daily pissing matches with your allies. Youre probably the most senior American official to consistently criticize U.S. involvement in this war. What was it about Yemen that first got your attention? Yemen is a symbol of our continued military hubris in the Middle East. An addiction Obama was supposed to cure but didnt. I ran in 2006 as an opponent of the Iraq War, and I came to Congress to change overreliance on U.S. military power. Yemen struck me as a place where we were beginning to make the same kind of mistakes as in Iraq. There are a lot of humanitarian nightmares in the world, but theres only one country thats in the middle of a famine caused by the United States. I couldnt stand by and allow that to happen. For a long time youve said that American intervention in Yemen makes the United States more vulnerable to terrorist attacks. How so? Were radicalizing a generation of Yemenis against the United States. They see the bombs falling on them as U.S. bombs, not Saudi bombs. AQAP is much stronger than it was before the civil war started. Why do you think that is? AQAP took quick advantage of the civil war. At one point they controlled a major port city, Mukallah. Technically, AQAP controls less territory than before the war, but my sense is that they are not weaker as an organization. It was not a long fight for Mukallah. AQAP willingly gave it up, because theyve got plenty of space to operate. In fact, AQAP is closely aligned with elements of the Saudi coalition the United States is supporting. There are not clear lines between these radical Sunni extremist groups. People travel seamlessly between them. We know the Saudi coalition is aligned with radical Salafist militias whose members may be moving back and forth between groups that want to do us harm, including AQAP. Do you believe the Saudis are deliberately striking civilian targets? I dont have an audiotape in which a Saudi general tells a pilot to strike a civilian target. I just know what Im seeing. At some point you have to believe your own eyes. We gave these guys PGMs [precision-guided missiles], and since then theyve been hitting more civilian targets. Do you believe the Saudis are deliberately exacerbating the cholera epidemic in order to further their military objectives? You dont hit a cholera treatment center inside a humanitarian facility by accident. You dont hit a water-treatment facility for the third time by accident. The Khashoggi affair seems to have been what finally caused Washington to sour on the war. But Khashoggis murder had little or nothing to do with Yemen. I think theres a pretty simple explanation. Many people in D.C. had been supportive of the bombing campaign because they believed the Saudi lobby wouldnt flat-out lie to us when they said the strikes on civilians were accidental. The Khashoggi case made it clear that the Saudis are absolutely willing to lie through their teeth about things that are easily disprovable. The Saudis have killed thousands of Yemenis and pushed millions into starvation. What does it say about our foreign policy establishment that it was the killing of one rich guy who wrote for The Washington Post that finally got peoples attention? Ive been beating the drum on Yemen for years and for the life of me I couldnt understand why Congress didnt care more. Im sick over the fact that it was one journalists death that caused many of my colleagues to wake up, when so many thousands have died needlessly. This town places a different value on human life depending on who you are. Your life has more value if you speak English, have light skin or youre a journalist. Do you still feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, or do you think this issue is finally getting some traction? I feel like Ive got a little bit of a chorus now. Jeanne Shaheen, Bernie Sanders, Todd Young, Rand Paul. For a while there I was a soloist. Long before the Khashoggi case, you were saying the United States ought to rethink our alliance with Saudi Arabia. Why is that? About four years ago, I challenged myself to do a deeper dive into the roots of extremism. We were throwing a lot of ordnance around the world and dispatching a lot of special operators to deep dark places, and the extremists were not going away. In my research, I kept running into the Saudis, and this very intolerant form of Sunni Islam financed by the Gulf States. The relatively unconditional nature of our alliance with them is a total head-scratcher. Its a leftover consequence of our previous dependence on Saudi oil, which we dont have today. Its also the result of a ton of Saudi money floating around this town. I cant throw a nickel from the Capitol without hitting a think tank thats been financed by one of the Gulf States. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. President Trump loves to talk about how much he supports the military. It is our sacred duty to support Americas Service Members every single day they wear the uniform and every day after when they return home as Veterans, he tweeted last Thursday. Together we will HONOR those who defend us, we will CHERISH those who protect us, and we will celebrate the amazing heroes. But the words Trumps staff writes for him to recite behind podiums dont always jibe with the sentiments festering inside his head. The latter are borne not out of anything so lofty as honor, but out of pettiness and narcissism, Trumps bread and butter. As has been made abundantly clear in recent weeks, not even the militarys amazing heroes can override Trumps self-centered impulses. While in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of World War I earlier this month, the president canceled a trip to an American cemetery because it was raining. On Veterans Day, he decided to forgo a trip to Arlington National Cemetery because he was busy, the same excuse he has given for his failure to visit troops in a combat zone since taking office. The same day last week that Trump trudged his way through prepared remarks about cherishing those who protect us, NBC News reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs hasnt been able to pay thousands of veterans their benefits because of a technical glitch, and that the department doesnt know when the issue will be remedied. This past summer, ProPublica reported that Trump had essentially turned control of the VA over to a handful of Mar-a-Lago members. The presidents hot streak of disrespect continued Sunday when he sat down for an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Trump took the opportunity to attack Admiral Bill McRaven, the 37-year Navy SEAL veteran who orchestrated the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Before Wallace could even finish asking Trump for his thoughts on critical comments made by McRaven, the president cut him off. Hillary Clinton fan, Trump interjected. Wallace continued. Trump cut him off again. Excuse me: Hillary. Clinton. Fan. Story continues Trump on retired Navy SEAL Adm. Bill McRaven, who called Trump's attacks on the press "the greatest threat to democracy." "He's a Hillary Clinton backer and an Obama backer. And frankly, wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that?" pic.twitter.com/lyaBvC9KFd Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 18, 2018 Wallace eventually finished pointing out how McRaven called Trumps demonization of the free press the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. Trump wasnt moved. OK, hes a Hillary Clinton-backer, the president said again. Hes an Obama-backer. Frankly, wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that? Yes, the president casually dismissed one of Americas most decorated military heroes because he supported Hillary Clinton, which is brace yourselves a lie. McRaven never endorsed Clinton. He did, however, write an op-ed criticizing Trumps decision in August to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan. I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency, McRaven wrote, effectively adding his name to the presidents shit list. McRaven could have singlehandedly won both world wars for the United States, but as soon as he uttered a syllable critical of Trump he became just as much an Enemy of the People as the free press he chose to side with over the president. As one might expect, Trumps comments have drawn bipartisan outrage. Adm. McRaven is not a partisan individual. Hes a decorated former SEAL who served his nation, not a party. I believe he is speaking out because he feels a moral obligation to do so, and note that Pres. Trump said nothing to refute Adm. McRavens criticism, said Sen. Jack Reed (D-CT). I dont know if Adm. William McRaven shares my political views or not, Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted Monday morning, failing, of course, to mention the president by name. But I do know that few Americans have sacrificed or risked more than he has to protect America & the freedoms we enjoy. His military career exemplified honor & excellence. I am grateful for his service. Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling wasnt so coy, calling Trumps comments disgusting. McRaven responded later on Sunday. I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else, he told CNNs Jake Tapper. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all Presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the Nation together in challenging times. He added that he stands by his comments regarding Trump attacks on the free press. Via @jaketapper, Ret. Admiral William McRaven's response to Trump: "I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime." pic.twitter.com/iubTvPEdwp Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 18, 2018 Somehow, Trumps comments bashing the man responsible for Osama bin Ladens death werent the only offensive remarks he made toward service members on Sunday. Wallace also asked the president about his decision to skip his trip to the World War I cemetery in France, to which he lied that the Secret Service told him he couldnt go. Many have pointed out that the decision was the presidents, and that it is the job of the Secret Service to facilitate whatever moves their boss wants to make. When asked about his subsequent decision to bail on a trip to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, Trump said that he was extremely busy on calls for the country and that we did a lot of calling as you know. Trumps schedule on Veterans Day was empty. He did fire off several tweets about how the United States is being ripped off by France, how he thinks Democrats were trying to steal the election in Florida, the stock market and his beef with Comcast. In other words, he was probably watching cable news. Perhaps responding to the backlash over his comments, the Republican Party on Sunday evening reminded its Twitter followers of what the president read off a sheet of paper last Thursday: Its our sacred duty to support Americas service members every single day they wear the uniform and every day after, when they return home as veterans and heroes, we take care of them. Former congressman John Dingell responded with a legitimate question: What if its raining? This post has been updated. In an interview between Fox News Sundays Chris Wallace and President Donald Trump, topics ran the gamut from Trumps relationship with the press to why he didnt visit Arlington Cemetery on Veterans Day to the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General overseeing the Mueller investigation. Discussing CNN reporter Jim Acostas victory in court that gave him back his press pass, Trump said, Its fine, its not a big deal. What they said though is we have to create rules and regulations for conduct.. And if he misbehaves, well throw him out Look, nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do. And if I think somebodys acting out of sorts, I will leave, Ill say thank you very much everybody, I appreciate you coming and I will leave. And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is thats acting up. Wallace followed up with a logical question: Why call on Acosta in the first place? Actually I like to do it, but in many cases I dont. Hell stand up, hes unbelievably rude to Sarah Huckabee, whos a wonderful woman, unbelievably rude and I see that and I actually ask her the same: Why do you call on these people that are so nasty? I think one of the things well do is maybe turn the camera off that faces them because then they dont have any air time. Its an interesting approach to the issue. Leave it to Donald Trump to believe that the ultimate punishment he can inflict on a person is to take away their ability to be on camera. When the discussion turned to Trumps controversial choice of Matthew Whitaker for Acting Attorney General following the firing of Jeff Sessions, and Whitakers vocal criticism of the Mueller probe, Trump said he wasnt aware of Whitakers views on Mueller. Naturally, Trump didnt want to miss a chance to reiterate his no collusion line, denying he was aware of Whitakers comments and and saying, I did not know that. I did not know he took views on the Mueller investigation I dont think it had any affect. If you look at those statements, they really can be viewed either way. Story continues This is untrue, and Wallace said as much. Among other things, Whitaker has said, The truth is there was no collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign. Whitaker also suggested starving Muellers budget and forcing the investigation to end that way. Trump responded: What do you do when a person is right? There is no collusion. He happened to be right. I mean, he said it. So if he said there is collusion, Im supposed to be taking somebody that says there is? Because then I wouldnt take them for two reasons, but the number one reason is the fact that he would have been wrong. If he said that there was no collusion, hes right. Wallace then asked how Trump would react if Whitaker decides to curtail the Mueller investigation. I would never get involved [but] the whole thing is a scam, Trump replied. WALLACE: Whitaker is going to have to make big calls on Mueller probe. If he decides to curtail it, are you ok w/that? TRUMP: "It's going to be up to him." W: But you won't overrule him if he decides to curtail? T: "I would not get involved[but] the whole thing is a scam." pic.twitter.com/bqnjIlVEHq Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 18, 2018 Then Wallace brought up Veterans Day and Trumps failure to visit Arlington Cemetery as his predecessors did, Trump said he was extremely busy and thought the fact that hed been at an American cemetery in France the day before would have been good enough. And I probably, you know, in retrospect, I should have [gone], Trump said, And I did last year, and I will virtually every year. But we had come in very late at night and I had just left, literally, the American Cemetery in Paris. And I really probably assumed that was fine and I was extremely busy because of affairs of state doing other things. Trump says that he should have gone to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day but he "was extremely busy on calls for the country. We did a lot of calling, as you know." pic.twitter.com/PIm8UZhxEm Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 18, 2018 But perhaps the greatest line in the entire interview was Trumps response to Wallaces question, Where do you rank yourself in the pantheon of great presidents? Do you make the top 10? Trump responded in the most classically Trumpian way: Look, I hate to do it, but I will do it. I would give myself an A-Plus. Is that enough? Can I go higher than that? President Trump rates his job performance compared to past presidents. He tells Chris, "I would give myself an A+." #POTUSonFNS pic.twitter.com/9OPrTpqs60 FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) November 18, 2018 Editors Note: This story has been updated to clarify that President Trump appeared on Fox News Sunday. After messy Florida recount, Broward election official Brenda Snipes resigns originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Florida's most embattled election official is resigning, effective January. After drawing more criticism than anyone in the state during the -- at times -- messy recount that unfolded in Florida following Election Day, Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes has submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Rick Scott. "Although I have enjoyed this work tremendously over these many election cycles, both large and small, I am ready to pass the torch," Snipes wrote to Scott. She asked for her resignation to be effective Jan. 4, 2019. (MORE: After long recount, Gov. Rick Scott wins Florida Senate race) Snipes had previously hinted she might step down after 2018's vote recount had finished, but she had not said so definitively. A county official who does not work for the state, Snipes was first appointed in 2003 and had been re-elected since. Snipes drew more attention and criticism than any election official during Floridas vote recount, which ended Sunday with local election officials racing to meet a noon deadline to send results from the race for state agriculture commissioner and the U.S. Senate contest. Scott defeated sitting Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. PHOTO: Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes explains to the canvassing board the discrepancy in vote counts during the hand count at the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office in Lauderhill, Fla., Nov. 17, 2018. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP) Scotts campaign successfully sued Snipes in federal court, as a judge ordered her to release vote totals. Amid allegations of fraud by Scott, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi prompted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate Snipes, but no investigation ever materialized. A federal judge also said Scotts team lacked evidence of misconduct. Her office reportedly intermingled about 20 provisional ballots that shouldn't have been counted, out of a batch of 205. It also failed to meet a 3 p.m. deadline on Thursday, uploading results late to the state website after previously completing the first round of recounting on time. Story continues (MORE: Florida indicates recounts are complete) As Republicans alleged improprieties in Florida's vote counting and recounting, attention turned repeatedly to Snipes and to Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. In perhaps the best encapsulation of Floridas recount problems, Snipes announced to a canvassing board meeting on Saturday that her office may have misplaced more than 2,000 ballots while counting votes in the state's agriculture race. Recounting in other races had already been completed. Snipes assured those in attendance: The ballots are in the building. The ballots are in the building. Over the weekend, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum bowed out of their races in Georgia and Florida, respectively. Gillum, standing next to his wife, congratulated governor-elect Ron DeSantis before speaking directly to disappointed supporters. "We want you to know that we see you, and we hear you, and that your voices will continue to power us as we still stand on the front lines right alongside you to make this a state that works for all of us," he said. Gillum also promised not to bow out of politics altogether: "This fight for Florida continues, and I just want to thank you all for being along with us for at least this part of the journey. But the journey continues." A few hundred miles north, Abrams was a little less conciliatorynot a huge surprise, given that her opponent, outgoing secretary of state Brian Kemp, eked out the victory while presiding over an astonishingly brazen scheme of voter disenfranchisementbut not less hopeful. "The title of governor isnt nearly as important as our shared title: voters," she said. "And this is why we fight on." Abrams wrapped by announcing the launch of "Fair Fight Georgia," an organization that will work to ensure greater transparency in the administration of future elections in the state. For Democrats, these losses, along with Beto O'Rourke's in Texas, sting for a similar set of reasons: Each candidate is an exciting and inspiring politician in whom voters made real emotional investments. They all ran as as staunch progressives in races in which Democrats typically put up vanilla centrists who get shellacked on Election Day, and all they hoped to defeat particularly odious Republican opponents, and came much closer to doing so than pundits expected. Even one win here would have been an extra-satisfying exclamation point to a wave election, and sent a strong signal that good things are in store for Democrats in reddish-purple states. Coming up short in all three races feels a little more demoralizing than losing any three randomly-selected races probably should. Story continues There are still reasons to be hopeful. Gillum, Abrams, and O'Rourke succeeded in prompting the type and scale of engagement that Democratic strategists know they need to win in reddish-purple states, but that had, until now, largely eluded them. In Georgia, early voting alone approached the total number of people who voted in the last midterm election, and many Texas counties needed only a few days to surpass their 2014 numbers. In Florida, midterm turnout usually hovers around 50 percent. This time around, nearly two-thirds of eligible voters showed up to cast a ballot. None of this is coincidence. The challenge for politicians who are not Abrams, Gillum, or O'Rourke will be keeping this surge of voters engaged, which is by no means guaranteed. But these candidates built the all-important infrastructure that will allow future Democrats to connect with people who have been unable to or uninterested in participating in the democratic processand to chip away at the built-in partisan advantage on which Republican power in these states depends. The 2018 election, as Gillum put it, was not just about who gets to be Florida's next governor; it was about "creating the kind of change in this state that really allows for the voices of everyday people to show up again in our government and in our state and in our communities." The fact that this change occurs incrementally does not mean that it does not occur. They also made a difference in key races that were not their own. In Florida, freshman legislators Donna Shalala and Debbie Muscarel-Powell unseated Republicans in two South Florida swing districts, and voters approved Amendment 4, which will automatically restore the franchise to millions of ex-felons, by a decisive margin. In Texas, Colin Allred and Lizzie Pannill Fletcher beat a duo of Republican incumbents who had served a total of four decades in Washington. In Georgia, Lucy McBath flipped a GOP-held district that a Democrat lost by four points just last year; in an adjacent district, Republican congressman Rob Woodall, who took home 60 percent of the vote in 2016, is ahead of Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux by fewer than 1,000 votes. (That contest is likely headed for a recount.) These are all good candidates and worthy causes, but the presence of strong, competitive Democrats further up the ballot helped them succeed where predecessors had come up short. Lastly, the results have important implications for the 2020 presidential election, even if Gillum and Abrams and O'Rourke all choose to sit it out. The traditional model for Democrats has been to secure the party's nomination and then tack to the middle of the political spectrum in order to coax proverbial (and possibly apocryphal) swing voters to move to their column. At the very least, these three proved that candidates do not need to do so in order to succeed, because authenticity matters, and enthusiastic progressive voters can make up for whatever centrists candidates lose by not watering down the more ambitious aspects of their platforms. If more Democrats say what they actually believe instead of what they think people want to hear, the party is going to get better candidates at all levelsand win more electionsbecause of it. Yahoo Life Shopping Says podiatrist Rock G. Positano: 'The feet are the bodys Michelin tires. And the last thing you want is for your foot to become a flat tire.' Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock When you sleep, you may think that your five senses shut down. But a recent study by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, suggests that you need to watch what you say around slumbering folks: The ears are always on. Check out these 8 sleep sounds that will help you get a better rest. The researchers studied preschool-age children while they were sleeping. "The type of environment in which children sleep has been a topic of conversation, especially in recent years," said study coauthor Adrienne Roman, PhD, in a press release. "But there's a big hole in the literature and the discussion about what goes on with preschool-age children, which was our jumping-off point." In the study, napping children were hooked up to a portable EEG machine and then played three nonsense words. When the kids woke up, they were again connected to the EEG machine and played a series of wordsincluding the nonsense ones from their nap. The children's brains showed positive signs when they heard the keywords, indicating that they were able to recognize the test sounds. Learn these 30 mind-blowing facts about the human brain. One goal of the research, Roman said, is to better understand how children's brains develop and whether they're still registering information while asleep. But it's also good information to know the next time you're discussing the snoozing kidsor adultsin the room: Their sleeping brains may still be registering what you're saying. Now read these 20 obscure facts you never knew about your body. The administration is like a shit show in a dumpster fire, conservative attorney George Conway said in an interview released last Friday, offering this eloquent description when a reporter asked him if he had ever considered serving in the White House. Conway, a right-wing critic of the president and the husband of notorious Trump apologist Kellyannestrange bedfellows!added: And then you got the [James] Comey firing. And then you have him going on TV saying I had Russia on my mind I'm going to be in the middle of a department he's at war with. Why would anybody want to do this? I dont know, Bubwhy dont you ask your wife? Conways pungent assessment of the Trump years was hardly the only shit show this week. On Friday, a judge appointed by the president issued a narrow ruling that forced the administration to re-instate press credentials to their perceived arch-nemesis, CNNs Jim Acosta. Responding to this development, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued this statement: Today, the court made it clear that there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House. In response to the Court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporters hard pass. We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. There must be decorum at the White House. Decorum, Sarah? May we remind you that at 4:30 in the morning on Thursday your boss tweeted: The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess. They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want. They are a disgrace to our Nation and dont.......care how many lives the ruin. These are Angry People, including the highly-conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for Obama for 8 years. They wont even look at all of the bad acts and crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY! Asked about this outpouring the next day, the president insisted, I'm not agitated. It's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax," and added that he had prepared written responses to questions from Mueller all by himselfand nobody helped him. My lawyers dont write answers, I write answers. Story continues Guess who is making hiring and firing decisions in the West Wing these days? Why its our old friend, the mostly silent Melania, who took time out from her Be Best campaign to diss deputy national security adviser Mira R. Ricardel: It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. Seems there was some kind of shit show involving Ricardel over plane seats during Mrs. Trumps Africa tripor something. The whole business is mysterious, but not as mysterious as why the First Lady is issuing directives for the world to see when she could be discussing this with her husband privately over a Big Mac. (As of this writing, Ricardel has been reassigned, but still has the honor of serving in this White House.) Another head on the guillotine belongs to John Kelly protege Kirstjen Nielsen, the Homeland Security chief, who was heavily rumored to get the sack this week but as of this writing is still hanging by a thread. (Dont feel too sorry for her, she was a prominent defender of the policy of putting migrant children in cages.) In other news, the Mueller probe is reportedly examining the byzantine connections between Trump acolyte Roger Stone, WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, and the Trump campaign. And the torrid affair between French president Emmanuel Macron and Trump appears to have been just a summer flingon Tuesday the President tweeted: On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change! (Those with long memories may recall that the president took time out from his infamous Charlottesville comments to offer this aside: I mean, I know a lot about Charlottesville. Charlottesville is a great place that's been very badly hurt over the last couple of days. I own actually one of the largest wineries in the United States, it's in Charlottesville.) On Friday, the New York Times reported that the CIA has concluded that the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though the president is still shrugging this off, declaring on Saturday: As of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We're going to have to find out what they have to say. And after a brief disappearance from the national discourse, that caravan full of middle eastern terrorists and leprosy victims is back. On his way to view the fire devastation in California, the president told reporters that this would be a good time for a government shutdown if he doesn't get border wall funding: I think probably, if I was ever going to do a shutdown over border security, when you look at the caravans, when you look at the mess, when you look at the people coming in, this would be a very good time to do a shutdown. But let us leave you with a holiday chuckle! Last week it came to light that the newly appointed acting Attorney General, Matthew Whitaker, was at one time involved with a scam operation called World Patent Marketing. In 2014, the now defunct company announced the marketing launch of a masculine toilet, which boasted a specially designed bowl to help well-endowed men avoid unwanted contact with porcelain or water. The average male genitalia is between 5 and 6, the firms press release said. However, this invention is designed for those of us who measure longer than that. In the same release, World Patent Marketing noted the recent appointment of Matthew G. Whitaker, former Iowa US Attorney and Republican candidate for United States Senate to the companys advisory board. The stock market sectors strategists are bullish on heading into the end of the year may surprise you. Alicia Levine, chief market strategist at BNY Mellon Investment Management, is bullish on health care, financials and consumer staples as we wrap up 2018. Health Care Much of that thesis stems from the outcome of the midterm elections, in which Democrats took control of the House of Representatives. With that theme, Levine sees the Affordable Care Act remaining intact, which benefits the health care sector. Within health care, I like hospitals and HMOs (health maintenance organizations), she said. Some of the names within this specific area of health care include Centene (CNC) and Molina Healthcare (MOH). A bunch of Republican governorships turned over to Democrats from the midterm elections, Levine said. These Democrats are probably going to expand Medicaid in those states. I think the Medicaid HMOs will do well. According to Levine, when the government expands Medicaid, private companies manage it. The government is essentially handing out money to private companies, she said. FILE- In this Nov. 8, 2018, file photo traders Eric Schumacher, left, and Richard Deviccaro work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, Nov. 16. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) Financials As for financials stocks, which are down over 4% so far this year, Levine notes their attractive valuations. The sell-off happened and so now you go for whats cheap and what has a good fundamental business, she said, adding that bank stocks offer attractive dividends and are much stronger since the 2008 financial crisis. After all, Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) recently scooped up a whopping 35.6 million shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) in the third quarter. Consumer staples Levine is also bullish on the consumer staples sector, often viewed as a defensive sector that investors hide in during times of volatility. Im playing defensive, Levine said, referring to looming headwinds of Federal Reserve normalization and the possibility of no trade deal with China. If youre worried about rates and slowing growth, I think staples outperform discretionary, she said. Story continues Consumer staples have been, well, a staple of the recent wave of stock market volatility that started in early October. The sector is up 3.5% since then, but down 2.3% since the start of 2018. The consumer staples sector has shown to be a far better safe haven than many were willing to give it credit for, David Bahnsen, chief investment officer and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, told Yahoo Finance, referring to the boring, dependable and non-cyclical features of stocks within the sector. Scott Gamm is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ScottGamm. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and reddit. More from Scott: These 2 forces could prompt companies to cut capital expenditures The Santa Claus rally could come early this year Johannesburg (AFP) - A respected South African minister and anti-graft campaigner on Monday warned an official probe into widespread state corruption risks being subverted by those who illicitly enriched themselves. Pravin Gordhan, the minister of state-owned companies, issued the warning as he gave evidence to a judge-led inquiry into alleged corruption that tainted former president Jacob Zuma's time in office. The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which previously backed Gordhan, protested outside the Johannesburg-based inquiry accusing him of being "corrupt", an "enabler" of corruption and Zuma's "biggest defender". "Those who have engaged... in malfeasances, (will) engage in the politics of distraction," said Gordhan. Gordhan was finance minister before he was abruptly fired by Zuma in March 2017. He estimated that around 100 billion rand ($7 billion, 6.2 billion euros) may have been stolen through corrupt government tenders. He said he was "an unwitting member of an executive... which was lied to, manipulated and abused for the benefit of a few families". "We allowed a climate of impunity in respect of crime and corruption to emerge." The inquiry, which opened in August, is probing allegations 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, a wealthy Indian migrant business family at the heart of the scandal. The country's anti-corruption ombudsman said in a report the Guptas held such sway that they chose some of Zuma's cabinet ministers and they are accused of fraudulently profiting from vast government contracts. "It impacted severely on the economic growth of the country," said Gordhan. He will continue testifying on Tuesday. Another former finance minister, Nhlanhla Nene, last month gave damning testimony accusing Zuma of pushing policies to benefit the Guptas. Story continues Zuma himself has denied any improper relationship with the Guptas and rejects accusations of graft. President Cyril Ramaphosa faces an electoral test at polls next year as public support has waned for his ruling African National Congress. The party has ruled since Nelson Mandela came to power in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule. Zuma, 76, has been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to an arms deal from before he became president but has applied to have the charges thrown out. WASHINGTON (AP) In an echo of his campaign rhetoric, President Donald Trump is back to portraying himself as the Paul Revere of the terrorism age the one who told the country Osama bin Laden was coming. There was less to his foreshadowing than he states. Trump's tweet about bin Laden on Monday has some truth to it: "I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center." But the book, with only a passing mention of bin Laden, did not do more than point to the al-Qaida leader as one of many threats to U.S. security. Trump's book, "The America We Deserve," came out more than 1 years before al-Qaida's deadly attack on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, not just before. Trump's reason for resurfacing the matter: persistent criticisms from retired Adm. William McRaven, who has branded Trump's laceration of the news media "the greatest threat to democracy" in his lifetime. As commander of the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command in 2011, he oversaw the raid that killed bin Laden in Pakistan. Trump accused McRaven in a Fox News interview broadcast on the weekend of being a "Hillary Clinton backer and an Obama backer." McRaven said he did not endorse anyone in 2016 and told CNN he is a fan of both former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, having served under them. "I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times," he said pointedly. TRUMP's tweet: "Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!" THE FACTS: There was nothing original or clairvoyant in the reference to bin Laden in Trump's 2000 book. As part of his criticism of what he considered Bill Clinton's haphazard approach to U.S. security as president, he stated: "One day we're told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin Laden is public enemy Number One, and U.S. jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later it's on to a new enemy and new crisis." Story continues Trump's book did not call for further U.S. action against bin Laden or al-Qaida to follow up on attacks Clinton ordered in 1998 in Afghanistan and Sudan after al-Qaida bombed the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The U.S. attacks were meant to disrupt bin Laden's network and destroy some of al-Qaida's infrastructure, such as a factory in Sudan associated with the production of a nerve gas ingredient. They "missed" in the sense that bin Laden was not killed in them, and al-Qaida was able to pull off 9/11 three years later. In the campaign, Trump boasted even more expansively about being a soothsayer. He stated that his book said of bin Laden, "you better take him out," which it did not say, and that he "predicted Osama bin Laden" back when "nobody really knew who he was." Bin Laden was well known by the CIA, other national security operations, experts and the public long before 9/11; the debate is over whether Clinton and successor Bush could have done enough against al-Qaida to prevent the 2001 attacks. In passages on terrorism, Trump's book correctly predicted that the U.S. was at risk of a terrorist attack that would make the 1993 World Trade Center bombing pale by comparison. That was a widespread concern at the time, as Trump suggested in stating "no sensible analyst rejects this possibility." Trump did not explicitly tie that threat to al-Qaida and thought an attack might come through the use of a miniaturized weapon of mass destruction, like a nuclear device in a suitcase or anthrax. ___ Associated Press writer Hope Yen contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck EDITOR'S NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figures The Hague (AFP) - A writer who thought she had found a painting by Pablo Picasso stolen in an infamous art heist six years ago said Sunday she was the victim of a "publicity stunt", Dutch media reported. Picasso's "Harlequin Head" was one of seven celebrated paintings snatched from the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam in 2012 during a daring robbery local media dubbed "the theft of the century". The artworks by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse and Lucian Freud have not been seen since. But Dutch writer Mira Feticu, who wrote a novel based on the brazen heist, thought she had uncovered the piece after she was sent an anonymous letter around 10 days ago "with instructions regarding the place where the painting was hidden" in Romania. Feticu, of Romanian origin, told AFP the tip-off led her to a forest in the east of the country where she dug up an artwork wrapped in plastic. Romanian authorities, who were handed the canvas on Saturday night, said that it "might be" Picasso's painting, which is estimated to be worth 800,000 euros ($915,000). However, on Sunday night Feticu told the Dutch public broadcaster NOS that she was the victim of a "performance" by two Belgian directors in Antwerp. Feticu said she received an email from the Belgian duo explaining that the letter was part of a project called "True Copy", dedicated to the notorious Dutch forger Geert Jan Jansen, whose fakes flooded the art collections of Europe and beyond until he was caught in 1994. "Part of this performance was prepared in silence in the course of the past few months, with a view to bringing back Picasso's 'Tete d'Arlequin'," Bart Baele and Yves Degryse wrote on their website. Their production company "currently wishes to abstain from any comment" because it first wants to speak to Feticu, the statement said. "We will be back with more details on this issue within the next few days." Story continues - 'Theft of the century' - Four Romanians were jailed in 2014 for the heist and ordered to pay 18 million euros ($20.5 million at today's rates) to the work's insurers. One of the group, Olga Dogaru, told investigators she had burned the paintings in her stove in the sleepy village of Carcaliu to protect her son, Radu, when he could not sell them. She later retracted the statement. Investigators have previously said the paintings were destroyed after the thieves failed to find a buyer. Specialists from Romania's museum of natural history examined ashes from a stove in Dogaru's home and found traces of at least three oil paintings, based on lead- and zinc-based pigments in blue, yellow, red and green that are no longer used, director Ernest Oberlaender-Tarnoveanu said. The thieves had slipped into the Dutch museum during the night of October 15-16, 2012 and got away with the works which despite their value were not protected by alarms. PORT MORESBY (Reuters) - A Chinese official said on Sunday that Asia-Pacific leaders could not issue the traditional communique at the end of the regional APEC forum, held in Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG will instead issue a "chairman's statement", said Zhang Shaogang, director-general of China's international department at the Ministry of Commerce. Disagreement over the future of multilateral trade was a sticking point, PNG Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato told Reuters earlier. (This version of the story corrects paraphrase of PNG foreign minister to clarify trade was a sticking point) (Reporting by Jonathan Barrett in PORT MORESBY; Editing by Himani Sarkar and David Evans) Vienna (AFP) - Alper Yilmaz has no doubt where his home is. "My homeland is Austria, Vienna," he says. But with a far-right party sharing power and anti-immigration sentiment generally on the rise in Austria, Yilmaz -- along with potentially thousands of other Austrians with Turkish roots -- is worried he could be stripped of his citizenship. Except in very special cases, Austria does not allow its citizens to hold dual nationality. But the far-right and anti-Islam Freedom Party (FPOe) -- junior partner in a ruling coalition with the centre-right Austrian People's Party (OeVP) -- last year claimed to have received a list of Turkish voters which it said could contain tens of thousands of illegal dual nationals. The affair drew comparisons to Britain's "Windrush" scandal, in which scores of British citizens of Caribbean origin were deported or detained because they had not collected the necessary paperwork proving their right be there. Now many of the Austrians of Turkish origin whose names appear on the list could face a similar administrative nightmare. Duygu Ozkan, a journalist for the Die Presse newspaper, said the dual nationality issue had become "virtually the only topic of conversation" for Austria's Turkish community. Austria, like neighbouring Germany, invited thousands of Turkish citizens to come and work in the 1960s and 1970s, with many staying and putting down roots. Turkish immigrants and their descendants now number around 270,000 out of the population of 8.7 million. One of them is Cigdem Schiller, born in Austria 31 years ago to Turkish parents. Schiller -- who handed in her Turkish passport to become an Austrian citizen when she was a teenager in 2003 -- said that because of her presence on the list, she received a letter from the authorities in February asking her to prove she doesn't illegally hold dual nationality. After many visits to the Turkish consulate in the city of Salzburg where she lives, she says she eventually managed to do so. But the process was not easy and she argues that her case proves the list is unreliable. Story continues - 'Kafkaesque' - Others have found themselves trapped in a similarly "Kafkaesque" situation. Earlier this year, the Salzburg authorities stripped a Turkish man on the list of his Austrian citizenship, a decision subsequently upheld by a court, which argued that the list -- whose mysterious origin the FPOe has never revealed -- could only have been produced by a bona fide Turkish authority. The man's lawyer, Peter Weidisch, said his client found himself in the "extremely difficult situation of... being asked to prove that he hadn't done something". To make matters worse, the Turkish authorities also washed their hands of him. Weidisch said his client was told "you are an Austrian citizen, we can't help you". Yilmaz, who runs a cafe in Vienna, has no idea how his name ended up on the list. Born in Turkey, the 53-year-old came to Austria in the early 1980s and adopted Austrian citizenship in 1988. He says he has had no official contact with Turkey since. Yilmaz said the Turkish consulate in Vienna suggested he go back to Turkey to pursue his case. But the cafe owner is reluctant to go as he believes his status as an Alevi Kurd, and his opposition to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, could put him in danger. Nationwide, 85 people have already had their citizenship revoked and the Vienna city authorities say they have hired an 26 extra staff to investigate 18,000 potential cases. - Anti-Turkish rhetoric - Yilmaz feels he has been caught up in political manoeuvrings outside his control. On the one hand, Turkish President Erdogan is keen to keep Turkish communities in Europe closely tied to the motherland, not least because they count among his most loyal supporters. According to Austrian media reports, some Turkish consular officials are reluctant to help Turks give up their nationality. On the other hand is the anti-Turkish and outright Islamophobic rhetoric spouted by the far-right FPOe. Just last week the party posted a video about health insurance fraud that featured two fez-wearing cartoon criminals called Mustafa and Ali. It deleted the video after a storm of criticism. Yilmaz says he has no political axe to grind with any party, but simply wants the government to come up with a fair solution. "I am afraid, I have sleepless nights thinking: What happens now?" he says. EU negotiator Michel Barnier insisted on Monday that the deal would allow the UK to take back control (Reuters) EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has tried to sell his deal with Theresa May by insisting it will fulfil the central pledge made by the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum. Speaking to the media as the deal hung in the balance, Barnier borrowed the language of Brexit supporters in a bid to win over its critics in London. He said: Both the EU and the UK will have full control of their own legislation and rule-making. This is essential, on our side, for the integrity of the single market. It is essential for the UK in terms to taking back control. Barnier made the comments after gaining the backing of EU27 ministers for the deal at a meeting in Brussels. MORE: EUs Kurz urges MPs to back good deal for both sides While that was a formality, his efforts to help the prime minister promote the merits of the deal reveal the EUs concern about the possibility of it being voted down by MPs. We are in fact at a decisive moment in this process, Barnier added. No one should lose sight of the progress that has been achieved in Brussels and in London Globally speaking, this deal is fair and balanced. European politicians who met with Barnier played down the possibility of changes being made to the deal a demand of some Brexit supporters who have stayed in Mays Cabinet. German Europe minister Michael Roth said: Ultimately I can only urge everyone to use reason and realise that no deal better than the one on the table can be reached. Michel Barnier speaking to EU27 ministers in Brussels on Monday (Getty) Belgian deputy prime minister Didier Reynders said: Its the best after so many months of negotiations Here it will survive were waiting for the same situation in London. Asked whether the EU could do anything to help May, he replied: We have tried to do that for some months. Despite the unpredictable situation in the UK, Czech Europe minister Ales Chmelar said the EU were determined to sign-off the deal at a summit on Sunday and was optimistic about the chances of it clearing the Commons. Story continues I suppose that the situation in Britain will consolidate and we will be speaking to a government with a clear majority also for the proposals, he said. MORE: EU tells Mays critics: this deal is the best we can do Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan sent a message back from Brussels for Conservative MPs rebelling over the deal. He said: My message to my parliamentary colleagues back in London is: back the prime minister 100%, be realistic, and accept that what we need is a deal here that will last for the future and telling the prime minister what to do all the time is not going to make anything better. UK and EU negotiators were in talks on Monday over the draft political declaration which, along with the Withdrawal Agreement, makes up the Brexit deal. The declaration, which is now 20 pages long and is due to be published on Tuesday, will set the framework for the trade talks will begin after Brexit. Sidewalk Labs designing Toronto smart city project (The Canadian Press) Google sister company Sidewalk Labs wants to turn a piece of Torontos waterfront into a data driven smart city. Imagine an urban laboratory with an array of sensors and cameras designed to address big city problems, like congestion and housing. Its still in the early planning phase, but think robots that magically appear to clean up garbage, energy efficient buildings, pedestrian monitoring, and roads to accommodate self-driving cars. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the area could become a thriving hub for innovation. Some worry the plan could set the stage for a surveillance state. A municipal-provincial-federal development agency called Waterfront Toronto picked the Alphabet-owned company for the project last October. Waterfront Toronto recognizes people have concerns. But are they overblown? If you consider the central importance of ensuring privacy protection in the building of a smart neighbourhood, I would say no. Chantal Bernier, Legal Counsel for Waterfront Toronto told Yahoo Finance Canada. If you consider the robust privacy protection regime in Ontario and in Canada, I would say yes. The current debate seems to ignore the fact that privacy laws in Canada effectively govern the use of personal information to respect the fundamental right to privacy. Who controls the data? Sidewalk Labs plans to hand over control of the urban data to an independent civic data trust. All the parties involved, including the city and other companies involved in Sidewalk Labs, would have a say in how the de-identified data will be used. Ontarios Former Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian told Yahoo Finance Canada the framework is the reason she resigned from her consulting role with Sidewalk Labs on October 19. She says the criticism against Sidewalk Labs has been about governance, not privacy. They said we will de-identify the data at the source but we cant guarantee what other parties are going to do. We have no control over what other parties will do with the data and thats when all the bells went off in my head, says Cavoukian. I had to make a statement. Story continues Cavoukian says Waterfront Toronto needs to lay down the law and insist all parties with access to the data must de-identify it at the source. Otherwise youll have personal identifiable data that will be a treasure trove and nobody will have privacy. For many of us privacy means control. And thats part of the reason Sidewalk Labs is stirring up so much controversy. Sidewalk is not addressing this larger question of who is control. Who controls the data. Who makes decisions. This is the fly in their ointment., Jesse Hirsh, President of Metaviews, told Yahoo Finance Canada. What is a democratic smart neighbourhood? By ignoring this crucial question Sidewalk Labs looks at best foolish, and at worst tyrannical. Hirsh says we already have no expectations of privacy when were out in public, and none of this means Alphabet isnt to be trusted. I also think that Sidewalk, and their parent company Alphabet, are probably one of the worlds leading companies when it comes to protecting peoples privacy, says Hirsh. Im a Google user, and I actually trust their ability to protect my privacy while also providing helpful services. At 3.3 million square feet of office space and retail space, this will be the largest attempt at creating a smart-city in North America. To help get things started, Alphabet plans to move Googles Canadian headquarters to the Eastern Waterfront. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Rear-facing-only infant car seats are the first seat that most parents use when transporting their new bundles of joy, including that memorable trip home from the hospital. 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The seats listed here have performed well in our crash tests, but they also score well for ease-of-use and fit-to-vehicle ratings, increasing your chances of installing and using them correctly. Additional details on each model can be found on their individual model pages. See our complete car seating buying guide. And go to Consumer Reports' 2018 Holiday Central for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider tips on shopping, and much more. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2018, Consumer Reports, Inc. Tehran (AFP) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt visited Iran for the first time on Monday for talks about the conflict in Yemen and freeing UK nationals held in Iranian jails. It was the first visit to Tehran by a Western foreign minister since the United States withdrew from the multi-nation nuclear deal in May. Hunt met his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and they discussed plans to keep trade flowing in spite of renewed US sanctions, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. But Hunt was particularly focused on the conflict in Yemen, where Iran is accused of supplying weapons to Huthi rebels. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," he told the BBC. "But also we have the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals here who are in prison and shouldn't be. We want to get them home." Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country's leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," Hunt said in a statement before leaving London. Britain is determined to keep Iran in the nuclear deal, technically known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran," Hunt said in the statement. "It needs 100-percent compliance though to survive. We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. "But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Iran's patience has been tested by Europe's slow progress in finding ways to work around US sanctions. "If Europe thinks that the JCPOA is important for its sovereignty, security and credibility, it must be ready to pay for it," deputy foreign minister Abbas Aragchi told ISNA. "The price of losing the JCPOA is greater for Europe than the US," he added. burs-er/dr (Photo: MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images) Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) often find themselves on opposing sides of debates in Washington. But on Sunday, both called on the fellow Republican who controls the Senate agenda Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to reverse course and schedule a vote on a bipartisan reform bill to reform harsh U.S. prison sentencing laws. Itll get 80 votes Graham said on NBCs Meet the Press. Urging President Donald Trump to pick up the phone and push the Republican leadership, he said his own party is the problem here, not the Democrats. Graham, who is set to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee in next years new Congress, argued that passing the bill endorsed by Trump last week would allow the country to heal after the divisive midterm elections. The First Step Act would lower mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related offenses and reduce the three-strike penalty for multiple convictions of certain felonies from a life sentence to 25 years. It also aims to help federal inmates better adjust to life after prison by expanding their employment opportunities and incentivizing their participation in rehabilitation programs, among other measures. It has the support of liberal and conservative groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Fraternal Order of Police, as well as the billionaire Koch brothers. Paul, a long-time advocate of criminal justice reforms, similarly urged McConnell to bring up the legislation before the years end, estimating that it would pass with 65 to 70 votes. Its all up to one person. Sen. McConnell has the ability to call any vote he wants to anytime, Paul said on CBS Face the Nation. Asked whether he was suggesting McConnell opposed the legislation, Paul demurred. I havent talked to him directly about it. The last time I talked to him about it, he said he was open to allowing a vote after the (midterm) election, Paul said. McConnell has said time may not permit the bills consideration before the Senate adjourns for the year, despite the overwhelming bipartisan support for the legislation. Proponents of the effort, however, fear he is using the calendar as a pretense to kill the measure, given that its passage may be more difficult in the new Congress. Story continues After Democrats become the Houses majority party in January, they may add provisions to the bill that will bog it down in the Senate, which will remain under GOP control. Last weeks GOP Senate caucus luncheon became heated after Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a vocal critic of the legislation, warned it would lead to the immediate release of thousands of felons, according to The New York Times. Some GOP senators openly speculated that McConnell enlisted Cotton to spur opposition to the bill. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. SheKnows In October, fans started speculating about Tom Cruises face because he looked completely different than we are used to seeing him. He didnt look like himself and of course, thats when the plastic surgery rumors started to leak out. But it felt like an uncomfortable topic to be speculating about given the fact that the [] AP Search teams have stepped up efforts to find the almost 1,300 people still believed missing amid the deadliest fire in California's history, with rain expected to hit the area in the next few days. While the rain will help with the Camp Fire, it could also turn parts of the blaze zone - where at least 76 bodies have been discovered so far - into a mass of mud that could hinder efforts to find remains. Meteorologists have very high confidence that Butte County will get 10-13cm of rain from Tuesday night through to the weekend. Patrick Burke, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's weather prediction centre in Maryland, said the rain would be a one-two-punch. It'll bring much needed relief to the firefighters and to the air quality, but there's a potential for dangerous mudslides wherever vegetation is burned away on slopes and hills, he said. Sixty-three bodies have been identified using DNA confirmation, with the latest including Lolene Rios, 56, whose son Jed tearfully told KXTV in Sacramento that his mother had an endless amount of love for him. It's a disheartening situation, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said of the search for the 1,276 missing. As much as I wish we could get through this before the rains come, I don't know if that's possible. The Camp Fire was 60 per cent contained on Sunday, having burnt more than 60,500ha. But even when the fire is fully contained, the destructive nature of the blaze will leave thousands of residents displaced. At the latest count, the Camp Fire had destroyed more than 12,700 homes and other structures, authorities said on Sunday. In southern California, the Woolsey Fire - which has also killed at least three people - is 88 per cent contained with about 39,000ha set ablaze. The area will also see some rain during the week. Donald Trump visited California on Saturday, amid criticism over the way he had blamed poor forest management for the blazes and his threat to cut off federal funding. Story continues Mr Trump said while visiting the town of Paradise, which had been decimated by the Camp Fire, that wildfires were not a problem in Finland because crews spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things to clear forest floors. On Sunday, Finland's president Sauli Niinisto said in an interview he could recall discussing forestry with Mr Trump but was not sure if the subject of raking came up. He remembered telling Mr Trump, We take care of our forests, according to the interview in the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper, but said he could not recall raking coming up. Also on Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown claimed president Trump was supporting residents. He's got our back, Mr Brown told CBS' Face the Nation. There have been some back and forth between California leaders and the president, he said. But in the face of tragedy, people tend to rise above some of their lesser propensities. So I think we're on a good path. He also suggested California's severe wildfires would make believers of even the most ardent climate change sceptics in less than five years, and that those living near forests might need to build underground shelters to protect them from fires. Associated Press contributed to this report Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's postal service on Monday called for a truce with striking workers to avert a disastrous holiday season for online retailers that rely on the carrier to deliver their wares. But the union representing postal workers immediately shot down the idea. The two sides have been in contract negotiations for nearly a year, with no success. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday major sales events just days away, Canada Post needs "urgently" to start reducing a massive delivery backlog if it hopes "to deliver the holidays to Canadians," its chair Jessica McDonald said in a statement. It gave the union until 5.00 pm (2200 GMT) to respond to its proposal for a "cooling off period" through January in which the union would end rotating strikes and the two sides would resume mediation. Mike Palecek, head of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, rejected the proposal, saying it "asks our members to go back to work at the heaviest and most stressful time of year, under the same conditions that produce the highest injury rate in the federal sector." Rather it urged Canada Post to "negotiate a settlement now." Employment Minister Patty Hajdu, meanwhile, continued to press both sides to return to the bargaining table. "Everyone is hurting and we expect everyone to work as hard as possible to get a deal," she told reporters outside the House of Commons. The strike, now entering its fifth week, has resulted in a delivery backlog of up to 30 days, with hundreds of trailers waiting to be unloaded outside mail sorting facilities. Last week, after the union rejected a previous offer, Canada Post issued a plea for the rest of the world to stop sending in mail. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is facing growing pressure from online retailers such as eBay to step in and legislate an end to the walkout. Canada Post delivers two-thirds of the nation's online shopping and the last six weeks of the year are its busiest due to the holiday rush. Montreal (AFP) - A surveillance aircraft and six ships were dispatched Monday to assess a spill of 250,000 liters of oil from a drilling platform off Canada's Atlantic coast, officials said. The spill occurred on Friday when workers noticed "a loss of pressure on an underwater line" connecting the South White Rose platform and Husky Energy's Sea Rose tanker, 350 kilometers southeast of St. John's, Newfoundland, according to a government watchdog. A flight Monday morning found "no visible sheen" on the water, the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) said in a series of Twitter messages. "Four oiled seabirds" were spotted and a wildlife rehabilitation team was called into action, Husky Energy said in a statement. A remotely-operated submersible was also deployed to inspect underwater flowlines, and collect images that will be reviewed by the regulator. Observation flights and sea vessel sweeps, however, indicated that "the oil is dispersing," the company said. The regulator added that "there is no reason to believe that the spill continues." All four offshore facilities in the area were shut down temporarily as a safety precaution due to stormy weather in the area over the weekend. Production resumed Monday at one of the oil platforms, the Hebron, owned by ExxonMobil. Beijing (AFP) - Beijing on Monday downplayed the unprecedented fallout from this year's APEC summit, which for the first time ever failed to issue a joint statement after US-China trade tensions boiled over. Clashes between the world's top two economies over the rules of global trade blocked agreement on a formal written declaration by the 21 nations represented at the Port Moresby meeting. Washington had pressed for leaders to issue what amounted to a denunciation of the World Trade Organization and a call for its wholesale reform -- a step too far for Beijing, which would likely suffer in the event of any change to trade rules. But China on Monday chose instead to focus on the "positive results" of the summit. "The meeting pushed forward different areas of practical cooperation under the APEC framework," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, adding that many APEC leaders "clearly expressed that they were against protectionism". "I think they are standing on the right side of history," he added. Beijing also denied attempting to barge into the office of host country Papua New Guinea's foreign minister during the summit. Police were stationed outside of foreign minister Rimbink Pato's office after Chinese delegates tried to enter the office in a last-minute bid to influence the summit's draft statement, according to several sources. "This is purely a rumour from someone with ulterior motives," said Geng. "Any plot to undermine China-Papua New Guinea relations will not succeed." The spat ramps up the stakes for a crunch meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Argentina later this month. In a speech at the APEC summit, Xi lashed out at "America First" trade protectionism, while US Vice President Mike Pence warned smaller countries not to be seduced by China's massive Belt and Road infrastructure programme. The "opaque" loans come with strings attached and build up "staggering debt", Pence charged, mocking the initiative as a "constricting belt" and a "one-way road". Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) (AFP) - President Xi Jinping visited Brunei on Monday, with the sultanate turning to China to boost its flagging, oil-dependent economy as warnings mount about Beijing drowning small countries in debt. Xi, who arrived from a tense summit in Papua New Guinea dominated by a war of words between China and the US, was treated to an official welcome at Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's enormous, golden-domed palace. Like in many other parts of Asia, Chinese companies are investing huge sums in the absolute monarchy on Borneo island, part of an infrastructure drive aimed at extending Beijing's economic and geopolitical clout. Initiatives include a multi-billion-dollar oil refinery -- Brunei's biggest ever foreign investment project -- a dam and a highway. The wealthy former British protectorate, which is surrounded by Malaysia, long depended on abundant oil deposits but was plunged into recession when prices fell several years ago, and crude reserves are also in a long decline. "Brunei, whose income from hydrocarbons will decrease in the coming years, is looking for help from China in developing economic alternatives," Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert from think-tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP. After talks between the sultan and the first Chinese president to visit the country in 13 years, a joint statement said that Brunei "will continue to support and jointly promote cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative", China's infrastructure drive, official news agency Xinhua reported. Brunei, a conservative Muslim-majority country of about 400,000 people, is a rival claimant to China in part of the South China Sea -- which Beijing claims in almost its entirety -- but its criticism has been muted. There have as yet been few outward signs of unease at growing Chinese influence in tightly-controlled Brunei, where per capita GDP remains among the highest in the world. Story continues But concerns have been mounting in the wider region at the aggressive Chinese investment drive, particularly that poorer countries could struggle to pay back debts. Ahead of the weekend's APEC meeting in Papua New Guinea, US Vice President Mike Pence warned countries not to be seduced by China's infrastructure programme, saying that Beijing offered "opaque" loans that led to "staggering debt". In an earlier speech, Xi insisted the initiative was not a "trap". SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping intends to visit North Korea next year after receiving an invite from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korea said on Saturday, which would make Xi the first Chinese leader to do so since 2005. Xi told South Korean president Moon Jae-in in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea that he would "make time" to visit North Korea next year. Xi added that China would continue to play a constructive role in building peace on the Korean peninsula, Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for South Korea's presidential office, said at a briefing after the meeting between Xi and Moon. This comes at a time when negotiations between North Korea and the United States appear to have stalled over how to remove the Pyongyang's nuclear weapons. At an unprecedented summit in Singapore, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim agreed in June to work toward denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula and establish new relations. But the agreement was short on specifics, and negotiations have made little headway since. Xi's trip to North Korea would be the first by a Chinese president since his predecessor Hu Jintao's visit in 2005. Xi traveled to North Korea in 2008 as a vice president. Amid existing international sanctions on North Korea following its weapons tests, China is Pyongyang's sole major ally and a key economic lifeline for the isolated country. China appears to have relaxed enforcement of sanctions on Pyongyang, as relations between China and North Korea have thawed after the long-time ally of Beijing began to engage with the United States this year, a U.S. congressional commission said earlier this week. China's account of the bilateral meeting in Papua New Guinea made no mention of Xi planning to go to North Korea. Xi said that in the past year, the situation on the Korean Peninsula had undergone positive changes returning to the "correct track" of talks, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. "At present, the situation on the peninsula is at a critical stage," the ministry cited Xi as saying. China and South Korea should strengthen communication and coordinate the process of promoting the denuclearization of the peninsula and establishing a peace mechanism, Xi said. "The key is that the parties concerned meet each other half way, show flexibility, and are able to talk and for those talks to get results," he said. The two leaders agreed that a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang and a planned visit by North Korean leader Kim to Seoul would be an "important breakthrough" in resolving the situation on the peninsula, according to South Korea's presidential office. The South Korean presidential spokesman said Xi was also willing to come to South Korea next year at a convenient time. South Korea's presidential office issued a transcript of its briefing on the meeting in Port Moresby. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Soyoung Kim; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Tom Hogue) Madrid (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Spain next week as the two countries celebrate the 45th year of ties, Spain's royal palace said Monday. Xi "will begin a state visit to Spain on November 28," a spokesman told AFP, without specifying how long it would be or giving details of the programme. A state visit typically involves a meeting with Spain's King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, as well as with the heads of the country's lower and upper houses of parliament. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Spain in May. While Spanish exports to China increased last year by 28.3 percent, it still has a trade deficit of 19.4 billion euros ($22.1 billion), a 2.3 percent increase over the previous year. China has agreed to open itself up more to Spanish goods and services. Some 600 Spanish firms are present in China, mainly small companies, although multinationals such as Telefonica, Zara-owner Inditex and major banks like Santander and BBVA also operate in the country. Sanchez's predecessor Mariano Rajoy made an official visit to China in September 2014. Beirut (AFP) - The US-led anti-jihadist coalition hit back Sunday at reports its air strikes on an Islamic State group holdout in eastern Syria had killed civilians, appearing to blame their deaths on regime forces. More than seven years into the country's civil war, multiple offensives have whittled down the swathes of Syrian territory IS once controlled to a small pocket in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on the Iraqi border. A Kurdish-led alliance backed by the coalition is battling to expel IS from that holdout, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. Russian-backed regime forces have been fighting the jihadists west of the river. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said coalition strikes on Saturday killed 43 people, including 36 family members of IS fighters in the village of Abu al-Husn. But the coalition denied that its air raids there had killed any non-combatants. The US envoy for the coalition, Brett McGurk on Sunday appeared to blame regime forces stationed "across the river" for the civilian casualties. "Reports of civilian casualties attributed to coalition strikes are false. All other forces should cease uncoordinated fires from across the river immediately," he said on Twitter. In a statement late Saturday, the coalition reported 19 coalition strikes on IS targets "free of civilian presence" between late Friday and Saturday afternoon in the jihadist enclave, which includes the town of Hajin. The coalition's "initial assessment following the strikes is that there was no evidence of civilians near the strikes", it said. But the coalition "detected a total of ten additional strikes in the same area of Hajin that did not originate from the coalition or partner forces," it added. It called "on all other actors to cease uncoordinated fires across the Euphrates." The Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, said regime forces and IS fighters exchanged fire across the river on Saturday, but pro-government shelling did not hit Abu al-Husn. Story continues The US-led international coalition has consistently denied reports by the Observatory in recent days that its air raids have killed civilians. It says it takes allegations of civilian casualties seriously and investigates each one thoroughly. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in land it controlled. But the jihadist group has since lost most of it to offensives by multiple forces in both countries. On Saturday, Syrian regime forces retook control of the group's last holdout in the country's south as the jihadists retreated into the desert after months of fighting, the Observatory said. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Since 2014, the US-led coalition has acknowledged direct responsibility for over 1,100 civilian deaths in Syria and Iraq, but rights groups put the number much higher. By Keith Coffman GREELEY, Colo. (Reuters) - A Colorado man was sentenced to life without parole on Monday for strangling his pregnant wife, smothering their two young daughters and dumping their bodies in an oil field so he could pursue a romantic affair. Christopher Watts, 33, was spared the death penalty at the urging of family members of his wife, Shanann, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and their daughters Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4. "This is perhaps the most inhumane and vicious crime I have handled," Judge Marcelo Kopcow, who has 17 years on the bench, said in the packed and windowless courtroom in Weld County District Court. The girls' maternal grandparents, who had urged the prosecution not to seek the death penalty in a deal in which Watts pleaded guilty in November to the murders, spoke in court before the sentence was handed down. "This is a heartless monster," said Frank Rzucek, Shanann's father, sobbing as he stood at a podium just feet away from a seated Watts, who wore an orange prison uniform, his hands cuffed in front of him. "I trusted you to take care of them, not kill them. Then you take them out like trash. You monster." An equally emotional statement was made in court by the girls' paternal grandparents, the parents of the admitted killer. "I hate what has happened," said a sobbing Cindy Watts, gripping the podium as her son kept his head down throughout the 45-minute proceeding. "But we will remain faithful as your family. We love you and we forgive you, son." Watts, stoic except for a brief moment when he wiped an apparently tear-streaked cheek on his shoulder, apologized for the crime through his court-appointed lawyer Kathryn Herold. But he declined to speak. "Mr. Watts asked us to share this... he is sincerely sorry for all of this," Herold told the judge. After Shanann Watts and the two girls were reported missing in August from the family's home in Frederick, about 30 miles (48 km) north of Denver, Christopher Watts went on multiple Denver television stations pleading for their safe return. Story continues The following day, Aug. 15, he was arrested for their murders. Watts told detectives that he was having an affair. He murdered his victims at home, drove their bodies to an oil field, buried his wife in a shallow grave and dumped the girls in separate oil tanks. (Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Dan Grebler) Brussels (AFP) - Cuba hopes a special payment system the EU is creating to get round US sanctions on Iran will help it sidestep its own Washington-imposed trade embargo, a senior official told AFP on Monday. Brussels is working on a "special purpose vehicle" (SPV) -- a system for clearing payments to Iran -- as it seeks to keep trade flowing despite Washington reimposing sanctions after ditching the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. The EU is desperate to keep the nuclear deal alive and hopes the SPV will persuade Tehran to stay on board by giving companies a way of trading with Iran without fear of US sanctions. The SPV was announced in September but has made little headway, with several countries saying they will not host it, fearful of repercussions from the administration of US President Donald Trump. Nevertheless, senior Cuban foreign ministry official Rodolfo Reyes told AFP after talks with EU officials that Havana was interested in the project. "There was a mention of this instrument and we of course also raised the interest that we would have in any solution of this kind that would allow European companies to become increasingly involved in foreign investment and bilateral trade with Cuba," Reyes told AFP. Despite a thawing of ties under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, the US still has a sweeping economic embargo in force against Cuba that dates back to the 1960s. The SPV would in theory allow Iran to keep selling oil and European companies to continue doing business in the country despite the US sanctions. But it has proved difficult to get the project moving and some analysts doubt it would prove to be effective in any event. Many major international companies have announced they are pulling out of Iran, and earlier this month the US announced a fresh set of sanctions aimed at cutting off Iran's banks from international finance and significantly cutting its oil exports. ATLANTA (AP) Stacey Abrams broke the rules of politics until the very end. The Georgia Democrat who came about 60,000 votes shy of becoming America's first black woman governor refused to follow the traditional script for defeated politicians who offer gracious congratulations to their victorious competitor and gently exit the stage. Instead, Abrams ended her campaign in an unapologetically indignant tone that established herself as a leading voting rights advocate. "I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election," Abrams said in a fiery 12-minute address. "But to watch an elected official ... baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people's democratic right to vote has been truly appalling." "So let's be clear," Abrams concluded, "this is not a speech of concession." Ending a race while pointedly refusing to concede would typically risk drawing a "sore loser" label that would be impossible to shake in any future political campaign. But Democrats and even some Republicans say she is likely to emerge from the closely fought governor's race with her political future on solid ground. "There was a time when this may have been a bad look, but I'm not sure that's where we are in politics anymore," said Jen Palmieri, who served as communications director for President Barack Obama's White House and to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. "For many years, people have been too concerned about the optics of their actions as opposed to the impact of their actions," Palmieri added, saying that addressing some voters' lack of faith in the system is "more important than worrying what might offend people who may or may not vote for you four years from now." Republican Rick Tyler, a top adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign, said "botched concessions have hurt people before," but he said it's too simple to say Abrams "botched" anything because some of her criticism has merit. Story continues "I wish we could all have faith in the system and the process," Tyler said. "Then we could count votes, listen to gracious concession speeches and all just move on. That's not where we are." Abrams cited a litany of problems that she said add up to systemic voter suppression. She specifically pointed to absentee ballots thrown out by what she called "the handwriting police," a shortage of paper ballots to back up broken-down voting machines and Georgia's so-called "exact match" voter registration rules that require information on voter applications to precisely match state and federal files. While state law allows "no viable remedy," she said she plans to file federal legal action challenging various aspects of the electoral system Kemp oversaw until he resigned as secretary of state two days after the Nov. 6 election. She also launched the new non-profit group "Fair Fight Georgia" to advocate for changes. Some Republicans rebuked her approach. "She seems to think there are only two branches of government: executive and judicial," said Debbie Dooley, a Georgia-based activist who was among the early national tea party leaders. "I'm just disappointed that her immediate adversarial response is to file lawsuits when there are a lot of people on the Republican side who see a need for some of the reforms she wants." For starters, Dooley cited an absentee ballot process that varies from county to county and Georgia's reliance on electronic voting machines with no paper trail a system a federal court already has ordered changed after the 2018 elections. "If they try to do it all through the federal courts, it's going to end up with people resenting her," Dooley predicted. Abrams said "pundits and hyper-partisans" would object to her flouting "normal order" for losing candidates. "I should be stoic in my outrage and silent in my rebuke," she said of conventional expectations. "But stoicism is a luxury and silence is a weapon for those who would quiet the voices of the people." Georgia Democrats said Abrams has little choice but to continue highlighting problems. "The middle ground here is simple: 'Count every vote,'" said Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, Abrams' campaign chairman. Buddy Darden, a former congressman who chaired the campaign of Abrams' Democratic primary rival, agreed. Darden, who is white, said Abrams proved wrong the "old dinosaurs like me" who thought a black woman couldn't compete in a general election in the Deep South. "She did it by getting folks out that no one else could," Darden said. "Now she has their back, and that's a good thing for the party, a good thing for the state." Palmieri, the former Obama and Clinton adviser, said Abrams can fill an important national void. Republicans, she said, have spent a generation focused on passing GOP-friendly voting rules, redrawing district boundaries and electing like-minded secretaries of state like Kemp. The left has answered with a less-effective patchwork of lawyers and think tanks. "She would be a formidable force on that front," Palmieri said. Lawrence-Hardy and other Abrams confidants say she's not considered future runs for office. The next chance would be to challenge for Republican Sen. David Perdue's seat in 2020, though those close to Abrams say her policy interests are better suited to the governor's office. History offers some parallels. Democrat Al Gore fell just short of the presidency in 2000 after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed Republican George W. Bush's victory in Florida. Gore never returned to politics, but established himself as a leading advocate for addressing climate change. Republican Richard Nixon lost a bitter presidential election to John Kennedy in 1960, followed by a loss in the 1962 California governor's election, prompting a bitter concession speech in which he declared himself done with politics. Six years later, he was elected president, capitalizing on Democrats' Vietnam-era disarray. Cruz found himself in Republican crosshairs in 2016 when he spoke at the Republican convention but notably refused to endorse then-nominee Donald Trump for president. Weeks ago, Trump and Cruz embraced on a Texas campaign stage, helping Cruz to a hard-fought re-election victory to the Senate. The lesson, Palmieri said, is that "voters let these things play out." ----- Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP. By Tuqa Khalid and Andrew Torchia DUBAI (Reuters) - With its Persian restaurants and shop signs in Farsi, Murshid Bazaar, a dense maze of alleys in Dubai's old quarter, has for decades been a center for small-scale trade with Iran. That is changing. One in every dozen or so shops in the once-bustling area is shuttered or carries a "for rent" sign. Indian and Pakistani merchants now far outnumber the Iranians who used to dominate the area. The Iranians who stayed say the fallout from U.S. sanctions has made their jobs harder. Dubai has long been one of Iran's main links to the outside world, but trade between the two has slowed as sanctions approached. Imposed in early November and August, the sanctions target Iran's rial currency, autos, metals, oil and banking. The saffron, clothing and processed foods that the Iranians sell in the bazaar are not directly targeted but the merchants say business conditions have got worse. Banks in the United Arab Emirates, including in Dubai, have become more reluctant to work with Iranians for fear of exposing themselves to U.S. legal action. And the rial's nearly 70 percent fall against the U.S. dollar this year has made business with Iran risky. Landlords in the bazaar are offering to waive two months of rent for prospective tenants, said businessman Aftab Hasan, a member of the city's Iranian Business Council. "A lot of Iranians have shut down their stores," finding it harder to do business in Dubai, he said. Some are considering whether to leave the city in search of other bases for their operations, he added. The deteriorating bank ties also threaten a larger re-export trade of other countries' goods to Iran through Dubai's ports and airports. In the past, these have included cars and auto parts, consumer electronics, machinery, glass and plastics. Last year, 29 percent of Iran's $71.5 billion imports passed through the UAE, according to International Monetary Fund data. The vast majority moved via Dubai, which does not disclose timely data on its trade with Iran. Two-way trade between Iran and the UAE shrank to $1.75 billion in July from $2.49 billion last December. In 2014, at the height of the previous sanctions period, monthly trade averaged $1.92 billion. Mehrdad Emadi, an Iranian economist who heads energy risk analysis at London's Betamatrix consultancy, said rial weakness triggered by the approach of the sanctions had hurt trade because Iran reduced imports as they became more expensive. "When you have a massive currency devaluation, import prices rise, and wages did not rise as fast in Iran so people were forced to cut back," he said. BANKING DIFFICULT Visits to the Gulf this year by U.S. Treasury officials to discuss the legal enforcement of sanctions, made the region's banks nervous of links with Iran, Emadi said. This made it harder to arrange payments for trade, he added. Banks in Dubai no longer open accounts for Iranians without obtaining the co-signature of a UAE national and demanding a series of documents, said the Iranian manager of a herbs and spices shop at Murshid Bazaar. International money transfers through banks have largely become impossible, he said. UAE central bank governor Mubarak Rashed al-Mansoori said this month that UAE banks were cautious about Iran business because of their need to keep relations with clearing banks in the United States. He said two Iranian banks, Bank Melli and Bank Saderat, which largely serve Iranians, would continue operating in the UAE. The Dubai government referred questions on sanctions to the UAE economy ministry. A ministry official said the UAE was fully complying with U.S. sanctions. Iran's central bank said last month UAE banks were no longer facilitating transactions for Iranian merchants. It said Tehran was seeking regional alternatives to replace the UAE as a center for its banking business, the Iranian IRNA news agency reported. SEEKING ALTERNATIVES U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed the sanctions in an effort to curb Tehran's missile and nuclear programs and diminish the Islamic Republic's influence in the Middle East, notably its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. They are largely a repeat of measures imposed by President Barack Obama between 2012 and 2015 although U.S. officials say they plan further action. With business ties to Iran stretching back over a century and an Iranian population estimated at 200,000 or more, well over 5 percent of the total, Dubai has ridden out sanctions before. Businessmen have found ways to continue operating. Some Iranian traders used people of other nationalities to transfer money abroad or struck barter deals, involving an exchange of goods with no payments of hard currency. But the Obama administration did not rigidly enforce sanctions, leaving a small number of banking and trading channels open. The Trump administration appears to be taking a tougher line. At the Iranian Business Council, membership has fallen to about 50 from 500 in 2011. This is partly because businesses are reluctant to be associated with the group during sanctions, said Hossein Asrar Haghighi, an Iranian businessman and member who has lived in Dubai for 37 years. Some are moving to other places such as Turkey or Europe, he added. "Investors look for the best terms possible to do their business and make their living, and when they are facing these kinds of difficulties...they look for alternatives," he said. (Editing by Anna Willard) CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt said on Sunday it would hold talks with Ethiopia in the next two weeks to iron out differences over an Ethiopian dam on the River Nile that Cairo sees as a threat to its water supplies. The two countries and Sudan have held a series of meetings over the $4 billion hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam, but have yet to reach a deal on managing flows and other issues. Egypt fears the scheme will restrict the waters coming down down from Ethiopia's highlands, through the deserts of Sudan, to its fields and reservoirs. Ethiopia, which wants to become Africa's biggest power exporter, says it will have no such impact. Egypt's prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said he and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, agreed "to start bilateral discussions in the next two weeks to agree on the points that remain unagreed," state news agency MENA reported. MENA cited Abiy as saying he wanted to preserve Egypt's Nile river rights. The dam was scheduled to be finished by 2020, but Abiy said in August it would be delayed by several years. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Heavens) Brussels (AFP) - EU foreign ministers on Monday agreed to examine possible sanctions against Iran over two foiled attacks in Europe blamed on Iranian intelligence, as demands grow for tough action against Tehran. France has hit two suspected Iranian agents with asset freezes over a plot to bomb a rally near Paris, while Denmark has called for a coordinated EU response to a foiled murder bid on its soil. The move came as 150 MEPs slammed the bloc's "silence" over the plots as well as human rights abuse in Iran and called for steps to hold Tehran to account. Up to now the EU has trod cautiously on Iran as it seeks to save the beleaguered nuclear deal with Tehran, after the US withdrew from it earlier this year and reimposed sanctions. Copenhagen has been consulting EU partners about economic sanctions against Tehran after Danish intelligence accused Iran of planning to murder three Iranian dissidents in Denmark. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels discussed the incident and decided to press ahead with work on sanctions. "What happened (in Denmark) was completely unacceptable and this was clearly stated by all of us," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters. "The council will take forward some work to explore appropriate targeted responses in light of what has happened in Danish territory." The measures could include adopting at EU level the sanctions France imposed last month on two suspected Iranian agents and others from Iran's ministry of intelligence and security. France's security services concluded that the head of operations at the Iranian intelligence ministry had ordered a plot to bomb a rally of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) opposition group in a suburb of Paris in June. Iran has been blamed in the past for attacks in countries as far afield as Argentina, India and Thailand, and French officials say Tehran is also suspected of carrying out "several" assassinations of opposition figures in Europe since 2015. Weve all been there. Youre out doing whatever, see a face you recognize and say to yourself, oh my gosh, thats (insert the name of a famous person or athlete here). At that moment, you have a choice to make. Either you move on with your life after a few more glances in their direction, or you introduce yourself to potentially ask for a quick photo and/or autograph. As people that are in the spotlight constantly, professional athletes know that this is part of the job. However, as Danny Green and Serge Ibaka of the Toronto Raptors discussed in a recent episode of The Green Room, some fans dont quite know the most appropriate time to make such a request. They might follow you into the bathroom and theyll try to make conversation at the wrong time, said Green. It happened before, at the urinal was actually where and Im like, let me wash my hands first. Let me talk to you after I wash my hands and then well figure out autographs or a picture situation. If you have or are a child, your chances of an autograph from Serge Ibaka are very good. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) When it comes to getting an autograph from Ibaka, the big man from the Republic of Congo has a soft spot. When its kids, I cannot say no to kids, said the Raptors centre. Although thats obviously the correct approach, it has put him in some uncomfortable positions in the past. People! Theres a time and a place to ask these questions to these people. Even though it shouldnt have to be said, while theyre taking care of business in the bathroom is not that time. More NBA coverage on Yahoo Sports By Sanjeev Miglani and Mohamed Junayd MALE (Reuters) - The Maldives' new government will pull out of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the world's second biggest economy, the head of the largest party in the ruling alliance said. It is the latest sign of a backlash against China in the Maldives, best-known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands. "The trade imbalance between China and the Maldives is so huge that nobody would think of an FTA between such parties," said Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance. "China is not buying anything from us. It is a one-way treaty." On Saturday, as he took office, the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the state coffers have been "looted" and warned that the country was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. Former President Abdullah Yameen, who lost the election in September, signed the FTA during a visit to Beijing in December, and the same month his parliament ratified the treaty despite opposition protests that he had rushed through the 1,000-page document in less than an hour without any debate. Nasheed, a former president and now an advisor to Solih, said parliament would not pass the law changes required for the zero tariffs agreement to come into force. "It was ratified by parliament, but fortunately it calls for different sets of legislation. We are not going to have this further legislation. We can't go with that," Nasheed told Reuters in an interview in the capital Male. China's embassy in Male did not respond to a request for a comment on the trade pact. But China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Culture and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang, President Xi Jinping's special envoy to the inauguration, told Solih that China paid great attention to developing relations with the Maldives. The Maldives is among a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building highways and housing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Through that initiative, Beijing hopes to improve trade and investment flows with much of Asia and parts of the rest of the world. China was willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate their traditional friendship, plan their practical cooperation and promote Belt and Road to inject "new impetus" into their future relationship, the foreign ministry cited Luo as saying during Sunday's meeting with Maldivian president. The statement cited Solih as expressing appreciation for China's long-term support of the Maldives and that he was willing to further deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. STRIKING DEALS Critics in the Maldives say a China-led infrastructure boom has left the tiny country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship. Between January to August this year, the Maldives' imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were just $265,270, according to Maldives customs data. The island nation bought meat, agricultural produce, flowers, plants, electronics and toys from China among many other items. It imported $194 million worth of goods from India, its traditional partner, during the same period, while exporting $1.8 million of products including scrap metal such as copper, aluminum and steel. The Yameen administration said at the time that the FTA with China would help diversify the $3.9 billion economy and boost fisheries exports from the Maldives, crucial since the European Union declined in 2014 to renew a tax concession on them. The two countries would open up services such as finance, healthcare and tourism, China said at the time. The Maldives has no free trade pacts with any other country. If the Maldives turns away, it would be the latest setback for China, which is facing opposition for its projects in countries stretching from Malaysia to Nepal, and even from its all-weather ally Pakistan. A proposed free trade agreement has been held up in Sri Lanka over Colombo's demand that it have the option to leave after 10 years. A member of Solih's transition team also said the administration was thinking of cancelling the pact. "It makes no business sense," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. "This is not something we are going to pursue, we expect the cabinet to meet and take a formal decision on this." The new administration plans an audit of the deals signed by the Yameen administration, but it said it had no plans to suspend or cancel any of the projects, such as airport expansion and housing contracts, given to Chinese firms. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Martin Howell and Alex Richardson) CJ Precopia, left, was facing life in prison for allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend until a selfie proved his innocence. (Photo: KVUE) A man facing 99 years in prison for a violent crime he didnt commit was cleared of any wrongdoing, thanks to a Facebook selfie taken by his mom. On Sept. 22, 2017, Cedar Park, Texas, resident Christopher CJ Precopia, 21, was working at a lumberyard when the Temple County Police Department came to arrest him. CJs crime: Breaking into his ex-girlfriends home two days prior and attacking her with a box cutter, carving an X onto her chest, according to Austin television station KVUE. CJ was confused he hadnt spoken to his ex-girlfriend in two years, having only dated her for six weeks in high school when he was 17 and she was 15, mom Erin Precopia told ABC News. Their breakup was admittedly unfriendly, but the pair remained apart, and CJ didnt know where she lived. CJ Precopia, 21, was accused of a terrible crime and faced 99 years in a Texas prison. But a selfie by his mother cleared him of wrongdoing. (Photo: KVUE) I had no idea who accused me of this, I had no idea why everythings happening, and I was lost, CJ told KVUE. Attorney Rick Flores, who represents CJ, told ABC News that when his client asked why he was being arrested, officers said, something along the lines of, Dont act like you dont know what were talking about. Flores did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. Per ABC News, CJs ex-girlfriend told police that after CJ broke into her home, he came towards her in an aggressive manner and pushed her to the ground, punched her in the face and cut her with a box cutter. I could hear the slices being made, the woman told police, according to KVUE. CJ Precopias high school ex-girlfriend falsely accused him of slashing her. (Photo: KVUE) CJs parents paid his $150,000 jail bond and over the next nine months, they waited to hear whether CJ would be found guilty of first-degree felony burglary of a habitation with intent to commit additional felonies, which carried a 99-year prison sentence if convicted. Thats what Im scared of most, CJ told KVUE. Going to prison for no reason. However, Erin insisted that her son couldnt have committed this crime because they were together on Sept. 20th, 2017, at 7:20 p.m., the time of the alleged attack. Erin had taken CJ to the Renaissance Austin Hotel for an event by the skincare line Rodan & Fields called Men Tell All. Story continues Thankfully, I do log on Facebook all the time, and I check in when I go places, Erin, who did not return Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment, told KVUE. That evening, Erin had posted a selfie of her and CJ at 7:02 p.m. at the event located an hour away from the accusers home. Additionally, per ABC News, text messages between the mother and son showed plans to carpool to the event, cell tower data proved they were inside the hotel, and witnesses verified they had interacted with CJ. Erin Precopia took a selfie that would later save her son from a potential prison sentence. (Photo: KVUE) Henry Garza, Bell County district attorney tells Yahoo Lifestyle in an email: The information that was presented was not known to investigating officers at the time the case was filed. It was in the possession of Mr. Precopia and his attorneys. It was not until counsel for Precopia presented the information to the assistant district attorney handling the case that we became aware of the information. This was some time after the charges were initially filed. Upon learning of the information we moved quickly and were able to independently confirm the date and location of where the photo was taken, wrote Garza. The photo was posted to Facebook but what we examined was the actual photo that was taken and the data that was created when the photo was taken. When this was confirmed, we acted in dismissing the charges. I have said . we are always willing to listen and examine new information, and thats exactly what we did in this case. Currently, charges are under review by law enforcement concerning the individual who reported the allegations, that matter will be reviewed by the Bell County Attorney office. However, the damages are immeasurable. CJs parents have paid about $250,000 in legal fees and CJs application to the U.S. Army was denied due to the charges. I think there should have been way more investigation into that because it was basically word of mouth, CJ told KVEU. I just hope something like this doesnt happen to anyone else. CJ did not respond to Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. (Reuters) - Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Nov. 6 elections and Republicans held onto a majority in the U.S. Senate, but eight federal races remain undecided more than a week later. In Mississippi, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Mike Espy will compete in a runoff election on Nov. 27 after neither won a majority for a U.S. Senate seat. On Sunday, Florida's outgoing governor, Republican Rick Scott, was declared winner of the state's U.S. Senate race following a recount of ballots in the tight matchup against three-term Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. Vote tallies continue to trickle in for seven U.S. House races that appear too close to call and there is no consensus among media outlets that a victor has emerged. Democrats have so far made a net gain of at least 35 House seats. The outcomes of the remaining undecided elections will not change the overall balance of power in either the Senate or the House. The following are House seats where there is no consensus winner: State District California - 39 Georgia - 7 New Mexico - 2 New York - 22 New York - 27 Texas - 23 Utah - 4 (Compiled by Washington newsroom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Under some definitions, a financial advisor and a financial adviser arent acting with the same interests at heart. (Getty) Having someone to advise you on investments can be key to achieving your financial dreams, but as Yahoo Finance Canada found, there has been strong, heated contention about the title and what it means for years. The trouble all comes down to a single letter. The Small Investor Protection Association has argued that there is a stark difference between those who say they are an investment advisor versus those who say they are an investment adviser. SIPA claims that the financial industry uses the title Financial Advisor for their sales persons to gain trust and that sales persons are not legally required to look after investors best interests. They also say that Securities Acts define an Adviser as having responsibility to look after investors best interests, and that regulators say Financial Advisor is an unregulated business title that can be used by anyone. SIPA has not responded to Yahoo Finance Canadas requests for comment for this story, but the organization has been spreading the word about what they believe is a difference between advisors and advisers for years. It sponsored a quirky YouTube video on the topic in 2015, and in 2016, MoneySense published a guest column by SIPAs president Stan Buell explaining the organizations perceived difference between the two terms. The advisor/adviser divide gained more traction in 2017 when it was featured in a CBC Go Public story. No semantic difference, WealthBar says Tea Nicola, cofounder and CEO of WealthBar, told Yahoo Finance Canada that she investigated further after the controversial difference came to light. I went in pretty deeply, and I could find no evidence that there is a semantic difference between an advisor and an adviser, Nicola said. She likens the difference to that of colour and color. What I have found is that advisor is a colloquially Oxford English accepted and U.S. version of the word, Nicola added, saying that its commonly found in the media. Story continues The adviser, with an e, turns out is a Queens print standard and because our regulations are national and are subject to Queens print standard, the word adviser with an e appears in regulations, she said. From a fiduciary material perspective, who can do what in terms of regulation and in terms of client experience, there is really no difference. Confusion over Advisors The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), a national group which acts as an umbrella organization for provincial securities administrators, says that adviser is defined in the securities legislation of Canadian jurisdictions. Adviser is a legal term and is used in securities legislation as it is a category of registration for those that are in the business of advising in securities, a representative of CSA said in an emailed statement. Advisor is a colloquial term that captures a broad range of firms and individuals that would cover both advisers and dealers registered under securities legislation, but is also often used in the context of others that provide financial advice. It added that some of those individuals and firms may be licenced or regulated in another area, like insurance, mortgage or banking, or they may not be formally regulated, like stand-alone financial planners. SIPA, however, has explicitly raised concerns about the term financial advisors, saying in one of its reports that they can be an outright con man or fraudster that is unregulated, or a regulated representative that is a commission motivated sales person. Distinction between adviser types does exist Nicola says that the distinction between salespeople and those who have a fiduciary responsibility to their client exists, but often there is no cause for alarm. The CSAs AreTheyRegistered.ca, which aims to help investors check the status of a financial adviser or firm to prevent investment scams and fraud, doesnt use the term advisor, but does include several individual registration categories, including dealing representatives and advising representatives. The term dealing representatives has largely been used to refer to those who act as salespeople, while advising representatives is used for those who have a fiduciary responsibility to their client. The CSA says that additional duty is there because advising representatives can have discretionary authority over a clients assets. SIPA said in a 2016 report that dealing representatives legally act as an agent of the dealer and not firstly of the investor. Client relationship rules currently allow this to be hidden from your view, and the investor is expected to be responsible for learning this information themselves, it read. However, the CSA says that both types of representatives still have to act fairly to clients. Under securities legislation, all dealing and advising representatives have an obligation to act fairly, honestly and in good faith toward his or her clients, the CSA said in an email to Yahoo Finance Canada. Most securities legislation requires that an individual who presents himself as being registered must in fact be registered and indicate the actual category of their registration. If you still want to know if youre dealing with an advising representative, Nicola says you can ask about the products being sold. If you hear a variety of brand names that seem broad and competitive with each other chances are youre dealing with somebody who has your best interest at heart, she added. She also adds that dealing representatives still often have many products at their disposal and that they too are able to offer something that is best for their client. Were not dealing with snake oil salespeople, were dealing with large, transnational financial incumbents that are for the most part operating above board in a heavily regulated environment, she said. Youre not going to be royally screwed regardless of who youre going with. CSA says that a full review of titles is a longer-term project for the organization and a report published earlier this year outlined certain changes that include the use of titles and designations that promote transparency and dont mislead clients. It says comments for the publication are currently under review. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. A former Ohio judge who served time in prison for brutally attacking his then-wife was arrested Saturday after she was found stabbed to death. Lance Mason, 51 who had pleaded guilty to felonious assault in 2015 after punching Aisha Fraser repeatedly in front of their children was taken into custody in a Cleveland suburb this weekend after his ex-wife was found dead in his driveway, according to WKYC. When police arrived on scene in Shaker Heights, Mason allegedly attempted suicide and then tried to flee, ramming his vehicle into a police cruiser in the process. He and an officer were taken to an area hospital. Mason was charged with felonious assault for the attack on the officer. No charges were immediately filed in connection with 45-year-old Frasers death, according to News 5 Cleveland. Aisha Fraser, 45, was allegedly killed during a domestic violence incident on Saturday. (Photo: WJW - Cleveland) In 2014, Mason was arrested after he punched her 20 times, slammed her head against the dashboard of their car and then drove away as she lay bleeding on the ground, according to Cleveland.com. Their two young children were in the back seat of the vehicle. Officers searched the familys home at the time and found a weapons arsenal that included semi-automatic rifles, a bulletproof vest, 2,500 rounds of ammunition and smoke grenades. Mason was serving as a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge until he was removed a month after the attack. His wife filed for divorce, asked for a protection order and later sued Mason and won $150,000 in damages. Mason was sentenced to a total of two years and six months, but served only nine months, according to News 5. Following his release, Mason reportedly wrote a blog about how the time behind bars had changed him. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson picked him to work as a minority business development director for the city a job that pays $45,000 a year. The move drew immediate criticism from the local press. On Saturday, the mayor fired him. I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Aisha Fraser, especially to her children, Jackson wrote in a statement obtained by WKYC. Story continues Fraser was a sixth-grade teacher at Shaker Heights Woodbury Elementary School, which her two daughters attended. She was a young lady who was loved, gracious, and a community servant, her uncle George Fraser told WKYC. A candlelight vigil at the school was planned for Monday evening. More women in the U.S. are killed by their intimate partners than by any other kind of assailant, HuffPosts Melissa Jeltsen writes. Only a quarter of physical assaults against women are reported to the police, and those who leave abusive relationships are much more likely to be murdered by their abuser in the few weeks after they go than at any other time in the relationship. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. For the National Dating Abuse Helpline, call 1-866-331-9474 or text loveis to 22522. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A former Ohio judge who served just nine months in prison for brutally beating his wife four years ago has been arrested after she was found stabbed to death. Aisha Fraser's body was discovered in the driveway of her home in the city of Shaker Heights on Saturday. Lance Mason, her estranged spouse, was initially taken to hospital after crashing into a police car at the scene and is now being held in custody. In 2014 Mason punched Fraser around 20 times after the couple argued while returning from a relatives funeral. He repeatedly slammed her head into the dashboard, armrest and passenger window of a car and bit her on the face during the attack. The couple's six- and four-year-children were in the vehicle at the time, according to NBC News. Mason also broke Fraser's orbital bone and left her with injuries so severe that she required reconstructive surgery, according to WKYC. Aisha Fraser was killed on Saturday (Shaker Heights Teachers Association ) He was removed from his position as a judge shortly afterwards and pleaded guilty in 2015 to attempted felonious assault and domestic violence. The former judge was sentenced to 24 months in prison for the assault, yet served just nine. After Mason was released from prison he was hired in 2017 by Cleveland mayor Frank G Jackson, subsequently serving as the director of Cleveland's minority business development. Mr Jackson fired the former judge on Saturday, after his arrest. WKYC reported that that Mr Jackson sent his deepest condolences to the family of Ms Aisha Fraser, especially to her children. Mason's earlier conviction bars him from ever returning to work as a judge. The victim had worked as a teacher for two decades and a Gofundme page set up by the Shaker Heights Teachers Association is collecting donations in Fraser's name. Proceeds will go to her two young daughters. The Shaker Heights Police Department said in a statement that the investigation into the teacher's death is "ongoing". PARIS (Reuters) - France will decide very soon to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday. "We are working very closely with Germany at this moment ... and we will decide ourselves a certain number of sanctions very quickly over what we know (about the murder)," Le Drian told Europe 1 radio when asked whether Paris would follow Germany in imposing travel bans on Saudi individuals. "But we believe that we need to go beyond that, because the whole truth needs to be known." Le Drian did not specify when, who or how individuals would be targeted, but insisted that Paris wanted to have all the facts in place before making a decision. "We want all the truth to be established and today it's not the case. When I say all the truth, I mean the circumstances, those responsible need to be designated and once we've decided ourselves on the subject then we'll take the necessary sanctions." French reaction has been relatively guarded given it is keen to retain its influence with Riyadh and protect commercial relations spanning energy, finance and military weapons sales. Asked about a CIA assessment blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) for the killing and whether he could stay in his position, Le Drian said Paris had no intention of meddling in Saudi affairs. "He took some very strong initiatives that nobody was expecting ... very significant initiatives and a modernization project that everyone appreciated," Le Drian said. "What we're seeing today is that it's more complicated than that, but we don't intend to meddle in how the Saudi authorities are going to resolve this." (Reporting by John Irish, Editing by William Maclean) The robbers BMW, left, was captured in the background of a family photo taken inside a restaurant (Picture: SWNS) A gang who robbed a couple of more than 100,000 worth of jewellery at gunpoint were caught after they were pictured in the background of a family photo taken by their victims in a restaurant. Daniel Inamder, 35, and Isaac Duncan, 20, were photographed in their BMW outside a restaurant by the unsuspecting couple as they took a family picture inside it. The night after surveilling the couple at the Flying Pizza in Roundhay, they followed them as they drove their Ferrari to their home in a village north of Leeds. Along with another man who hasnt been traced, the pair broke into the couples home through a patio door as they lay in bed on July 31. Daniel Inamder admitted conspiracy to rob and was jailed for 12 years (Picture: SWNS) They shouted police, police as the pair awoke, pistol-whipping the male victim in the face and causing a cut that needed 35 stitches while demanding access to their safe. Another raider ripped a gold necklace from around the womans neck and took her diamond engagement ring valued at 92,000. They also stole a pair of diamond earrings, a second diamond ring and two Rolex watches. MORE: Argentine submarine found in Atlantic a year after going missing with 44 crew on board MORE: Woman claims airport valet drove her car 500 miles then got her a parking ticket Leeds Crown Court was told how one of the robbers asked the woman Wheres your big diamond? during the raid. Prosecutor Michael Smith told how Inamder planned the raid and had contacts to sell on the jewellery none of which has recovered been by police. The man now suffered from nervousness and anxiety and the woman could not sleep or go out and is nervous all the time, the court heard. Prosecutor Michael Smith said: They were subjected to a terrifying ordeal. Jailing the pair, along with their getaway driver, on Friday, Judge Christopher Batty said: This was sophisticated, professional offending targeting high-value property. It involved significant planning and recruitment of a number of people. Telephones were purchased to assist in carrying it out but also in an attempt to escape detection. Story continues An imitation firearm was taken and gratuitous violence was used. Duncan pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and was jailed for 10 years and five months (Picture: SWNS) Its difficult to imagine how you feel if you have jewellery ripped from your person while you are lying in bed. Inamder, from Leeds, admitted conspiracy to rob and was jailed for 12 years. Duncan, from Leeds, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and was jailed for 10 years and five months. Ali Agha was jailed for ten years for robbery (Picture: SWNS) Getaway driver Ali Agha, 27, denied robbery but was convicted after a trial and jailed for ten years. Mark McKone, mitigating for father-of-three Inamder, told the court: The violence that was used was not something Mr Inamder anticipated. Kenton Sargeant, for Agha, said he did not go in the house and was the driver, adding: He didnt know about the gun he wasnt involved in the violence. Baltaj Bhatia, for Duncan, said: He is an immature young man who is easily led. There is genuine remorse. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Erick Dubon and Pedro Nehemias get married in Tijuana They are the advance line of the migrant caravan that Donald Trump has said is attempting an invasion of the US. But, as a 400-strong group of asylum-seeking Central Americans arrived in the Mexican border town of Tijuana on Saturday, they appeared more concerned with love than war. The splinter caravan which is made up of dozens of LGBTQ+ people was in celebratory mood as two of its members, 23-year-old Erick Dubon and Pedro Nehemias, 22, got married. The couple originally from Honduras where same-sex unions are banned tied the knot ahead of applying for asylum in the US. And the moment they said I do and kissed went viral after journalist Sarah Kinosian, who has travelled with the caravan, posted it online. "They totally look like they're about to invade," noted one Twitter wit in response. Congrats to Erick and Pedro! The first LGBT couple of 7 from the migrant caravan to get married today. pic.twitter.com/6t3Snt6jZV Sarah Kinosian (@skinosian) November 18, 2018 The wedding is the latest news from the 5,000-strong caravan which has made its way north across Central America. The group has already trekked hundreds of miles in a bid to escape poverty, violence and discrimination in their home countries and start new lives in the US. The 400-strong advance group which is said to include seven LGBTQ+ couples broke off from the main body upon reaching Mexico City to complete the journey by bus. We were discriminated against, even in the caravan, Erick told the Washington Post. People wouldnt let us into trucks, they made us get in the back of the line for showers, they would call us ugly names. But if the pairs wedding marked a high point, the hardest part of their journey may still be ahead. US border authorities have said they are now hardening the crossing into San Diego. Story continues The country's Customs and Border Protection said in a statement it will be closing four lanes of the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings and that US troops have been installing concertina wire, barricades and fencing along the stretch. It added that asylum seekers will have to stay in Mexico while their application is processed. Brussels (AFP) - Germany will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their alleged links to the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday. Maas said the move was "coordinated very closely with" France and Britain and the broader EU as they seek more information in Khashoggi's death last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Berlin has "decided that Germany should impose an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens, who are presumed to be connected with this deed, in the Schengen information system," Maas told reporters. "We are in close coordination on this issue within the European Union," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. "Over the weekend, we stated that we expected further steps to be taken to clarify the situation." The murder and Riyadh's explanations have angered its Western partners and raised tensions between United States and Saudi Arabia, a key oil supplier and US regional ally against Iran. The United States last week sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime. The Schengen zone is composed of 22 EU nations and four non-EU countries. EU member Britain is not part of the passport-free zone, but shares intelligence through Shengen Information System (SIS) for law enforcement purposes. Maas said Berlin was following Britain's example last month to bar Saudi suspects in the Khashoggi murder, including revoking British visas for those who already have them. Maas did not rule out a decision by all EU member states to impose travel bans on Saudis linked to the murder and left open the possibility of further action. - Call to suspend arms sales - In October, Germany called for EU countries to follow its lead and suspend arms sales for the moment to Saudi Arabia, prompting a dismissive response from French President Emmanuel Macron. France is the kingdom's second-biggest customer after India. Story continues Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. According to Turkish officials, an audio recording proves that Khashoggi was deliberately killed and dismembered soon after entering the consulate. Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom but killed him instead in a rogue operation. The prosecutor exonerated the crown prince, after indicting 11 Saudis and sacking five officials, including two members of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. US sanctions earlier this month targeted several top aides to the crown prince by freezing assets under US jurisdiction and forbidding US companies from doing business with them. "We support the US action and are clear, we need to see proper accountability for those responsible," a British government spokesman told AFP. "Sanctions are implemented in concert with others. We are exploring with EU partners the potential for an EU global human rights sanctions regime, which could address such brutal human rights violations." BERLIN (Reuters) - German conservative Manfred Weber, who is running to take over the European Union's top job next year, said on Monday that the draft Brexit deal would not be renegotiated and the ball was now in Britain's court. Weber, leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, said the draft deal represented a good offer both for the EU and Britain and would prevent chaos when Britain quits the EU in March 2019. "The text that is currently on the table will not be re-negotiated," he told a news conference in Berlin. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, editing by Thomas Escritt) Doha (AFP) - Fourteen giant bronze sculptures by British artist Damien Hirst graphically charting the moment of conception to birth greet patients arriving at an $8-billion hospital in Gulf state Qatar. The vast open-air installation, named "The Miraculous Journey", shows a foetus growing in the womb and culminates with a 14-metre (46-feet) of a naked baby just after birth. The monumental work is the centrepiece of an impressive modern art collection at the Sidra Medicine Hospital, officially opened this week in Doha, that would be the envy of many galleries around the world. "We believe it reflects very much the mission of Sidra, taking care of the healthcare of woman and babies," said Layla Ibrahim Bacha, art specialist with the government-supported Qatar Foundation, which owns most of the artwork. "I think it's perfect for the location, as you can see a lot of people are taking pictures, I think its becoming iconic." Among the 65 works at the speciality facility for children's and women's health are pieces by high-profile international names and artists from across the Arab world, including Qatar. A fourth-floor outpatient clinic is decorated with a neon installation entitled "I Listen To The Ocean And All I Hear Is You" by Tracey Emin, one of Hirst's ground-breaking contemporaries from Britain. Bacha says the art was chosen with "very specific themes" in mind. "They are not meant to be decorative, they are meant to be more creating debates, helping with the patient to keep calm," she said. Syrian artist, Jaber al-Azmeh, whose pictures hang in the hospital, told AFP that it makes him "smile" to imagine his photographs on display in a place where new lives are starting. Sidra began receiving its first patients in January and last month successfully conducted Qatar's first conjoined twin separation surgery. Energy-rich Qatar has become a major buyer of contemporary art. Story continues It is seeking to portray itself as one of the most progressive states in the region against the backdrop of a bitter standoff with Gulf rivals led by Saudi Arabia. But that does not mean there has not been some controversy over the Damien Hirst works towering outside the hospital. The sculptures were originally unveiled in October 2013 but then covered from public view until recent weeks. The official reason was to protect them from ongoing building work on the hospital, but they were concealed after a social media outcry. "We are not expecting everyone to like them. We are not expecting everyone to understand them," said Bacha. "This is why they are there to actually create this element of debate, this element of thinking." Dumbledore (Jude Law) sees his hearts desire, Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) reflected in the Mirror of Erised in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection) Warning: This post contains big spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Albus Dumbledore lives again in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second installment in the Harry Potter prequel series set within J.K. Rowlings Wizarding World. Now played as a strapping younger wizard by Jude Law, the future headmaster of Hogwarts is still just the schools Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at the time Grindelwald begins in 1927. But hes got an intimate connection to the titular villain, played by Johnny Depp, that finally canonizes an important piece of character backstory that was only ever in the margins of the previous Potter films and novels. In 2007, after the publication of the seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling publicly disclosed that Dumbledore was gay and specifically singled out Gellert Grindelwald as the object of his affection. I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy, she remarked at the time. Fans will be happy to know that the Dumbledore-Grindelwald love connection is a plot point in The Crimes of Grindelwald, which Rowling wrote. The movie opens with the dark wizards escape from his captors at the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and his flight to Paris in pursuit of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), the Obscurus-possessing orphan from the previous film. With the manhunt in full swing, representatives from the British Ministry of Magic turn up at Hogwarts to persuade Dumbledore to go wand-to-wand with his equal. You and Grindelwald were as close as brothers, one of the flunkies says. We were closer than brothers, Dumbledore replies meaningfully, as ghostly images of his teenage self and the teenage Grindelwald float above their heads. Law as Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. /Courtesy Everett Collection) If youre hoping for a more overt sign of romance like, say, a kiss you may have to wait until the next Fantastic Beasts. Depp and Law only share a fleeting moment together in this film, when Dumbledore peers into the Mirror of Erised (which Harry Potter would find decades later in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone) and sees the image of his hearts desire. Their teenage selves are similarly chaste, although they do engage in one important bit of fluid-swapping. While they were at Hogwarts together, the lovers made a blood pact ensuring that they would never fight one another. The pact takes on physical form in the shape of a vial that Grindelwald has on his person, and its existence prevents Dumbledore from challenging his friend-turned-foe in magical combat even if he wanted to. Story continues The final moments of The Crimes of Grindelwald may render that blood pact null and void courtesy of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). In the films climax, Newt infiltrates a Grindelwald-organized rally, where the wizard reveals his Magneto-like master plan: calling for the magical world to assert supremacy over the Muggle world as the latter marches to the World War II. (Grindelwald even conjures an image of a ballooning atomic mushroom cloud hinting at the dark future thats in store for Mugglekind.) His argument is persuasive enough to win over poor, lost Credence and, more surprisingly, Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), who is furious that the magical powers that be prevent her from marrying the No-Maj she adores, Jacob (Dan Fogler). Grindelwald evades capture once again by unleashing a potentially Paris-destroying dragon, but not before Newts Niffler one of his more fantastically adorable fantastic beasts nabs the blood-pact vial while his owner battles the fire-breathing beast. Grindelwald (Depp) rallies his true believers in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection Scamander then brings that vial to Dumbledore, who says he may be able to find a way to break its power. (We already know hes successful; Dumbledores 1945 duel with Grindelwald is enshrined in Wizarding World lore as one of the all-time great wizard battles.) But hes not just going to have ol Gellert to worry about in the third film. See, the reason why Grindelwald was so interested in recruiting Credence to his side is because he knows the boys true identity: Aurelius Dumbledore, Albuss long-lost brother. In an all-new piece of mythology that Rowling unveils in this film, its revealed that Aurelius was switched at infancy with a baby from another illustrious magical family, the Lestrange clan, who become disciples of Voldemort later on. The great love of Newts life, Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz) fills us in on the whole sad backstory before her own untimely death at the hands of Grindelwald. As a child, she was sent away to America with her half-brother, Corvus, as part of her fathers plan to hide his just-born son. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Leta grew frustrated with the babys ceaseless cries and placed him in another infants cot, and taking the other child with her instead. That same night, all the passengers had to flee the ship, and she watched as the lifeboat carrying her brother capsized, tossing Corvus into the deep. The surviving child was Aurelius though he grew up unaware of his real identity and family lineage. So far, the introduction of another Dumbledore sibling is drawing a mixed response online, where serious Potter fans are already devising theories for how Aurelius can possibly fit into existing continuity. On the other hand, his presence heightens the already-substantial personal stakes for Albus, and providing more material for whats intended to be a five-film series. Before the Fantastic Beasts franchise is over, Dumbledore will have to confront the two most important men in his life: the man he loves and the brother he never knew. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is currently playing in theaters. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Hong Kong (AFP) - Three leading Hong Kong democracy campaigners pleaded not guilty on Monday to public nuisance charges over their involvement in massive rallies calling for political reform, as room for opposition in the semi-autonomous city shrinks under an assertive China. The pioneering trio are among nine activists all facing public nuisance charges for their participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests. The charges are based on colonial-era law and carry jail terms of up to seven years. Sociology professor Chan Kin-man, 59, law professor Benny Tai, 54, and baptist minister Chu Yiu-ming, 74, founded the "Occupy Central" movement in 2013 and joined with the student-led Umbrella Movement which brought parts of the city to a standstill for months, calling for free elections for the city's leader. The activists were welcomed outside court by hundreds of supporters shouting: "Peaceful resistance! I wanted real universal suffrage!" Prosecutor Andrew Bruce argued that the mass protests had caused a "common injury done to the public", who had been affected by the blockage of major roads. He accused the trio of taking part in and supporting the demonstration "by way of unlawful obstruction of public places and roads". - 'Unreasonable charges' - Occupy Central called for the occupation of Hong Kong's business district if the public was not given a fair vote for the city's leader, who is appointed by a pro-Beijing committee. It was overtaken by the student movement that exploded in September 2014 when police fired tear gas on gathering crowds. The Occupy trio urged people to join what became known as the Umbrella Movement as protesters used umbrellas to shield themselves from tear gas and pepper spray. The movement failed to win reform and since then activists have been prosecuted, with some jailed. The court was shown video clips by the prosecution Monday afternoon which included a press conference from 2013 in which the trio explained the Occupy Central movement. Story continues In one clip Tai said the success of the movement "hinges on civic awakening" but added that civil disobedience must be "non-violent". Speaking outside court after the first day of the trial, Chan said the activists had pleaded not guilty because the charges were "unreasonable". The trio face three charges each of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, incitement to cause public nuisance and incitement to incite public nuisance. Chan warned that if the case was successful it would encroach on freedom of expression in Hong Kong. "I think this lawsuit is not just one faced by the nine of us...Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rule of law are also being tried in this lawsuit," added Tai. Chu pointed out that the clips shown by the prosecution had highlighted the group's "emphasis on peace and non-violence". - 'Chilling prosecution' - In an op-ed for the New York Times Monday, Tai said there had been an "onslaught against free speech" in Hong Kong in recent years. His comments came after Chan said the accused would become stronger through imprisonment at a farewell talk Wednesday night to a full house of more than 600 people at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching for over two decades. Hong Kong has been governed under a "one country, two systems" arrangement since it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. It allows far greater civil liberties than on the Chinese mainland, but there are growing fears those freedoms are being eroded. Ahead of the trial, rights groups had urged authorities to drop what Amnesty International called the "chilling prosecution" of the nine activists, a group that includes lawmakers, student leaders and pro-democracy party campaigners. Man-kei Tam, director of Amnesty International Hong Kong, warned there would be a "real danger" of more prosecutions for peaceful activism if the case was successful. Human Rights Watch said the prosecutions raised further questions about how far authorities are trying to "politicise the courts". The trial at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court is expected to last 20 days. UK prime minister Theresa May. Photo: Reuters Theresa May is doubling down on her promise to curb immigration to Britain in a bid to prevent her being ousted as leader of the Conservative party, thereby removing her as UK prime minister. But in her upcoming speech at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference today (19 November) in London, there is a huge hole in her pledge which it could be one of the worst things to happen to UK businesses. Last week, May revealed that she had agreed to a draft Brexit withdrawal bill with the European Union a move which threw the government into chaos. Her survival now hangs in the balance, as criticism pours in from both the opposition and from within her own party. READ MORE: May goes to war over her Brexit deal and to keep her in power Despite one-to-one meetings held with ministers the morning after the deal was unveiled, May lost two junior ministers and two front benchers (including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab). Worse still, her party have begun putting together signatures to trigger a vote of no-confidence. There need to be at least 48 letters the equivalent of 15% of MPs for this to happen. While reports have ranged widely on the number of letters collected, it is believed at least 20 have come through. On Sunday, Sky News asked May if all 48 letters were in, to which she replied: As far as I know, no. Politics is a tough business and Ive been in it a long time. I always think the important thing to say is: What are we here for? Who are we here for? And were here for our constituents. When asked if the past few days had been personally challenging, she added: As prime minister, Im here for the people of this country and thats what we must put first and foremost; their interests. Focus (or distraction) on immigration plans Its little wonder why May would then seek to shift the debate, delivering a speech on migration in order to rally the hearts and minds of her most staunch Brexit-deal critics. Immigration was the main reason Britain voted for Brexit. Being within the EU means that all member states have to adhere to the Freedom of Movement Act, allowing citizens of member states freedom to work and live in any country within the bloc. Story continues At the conference in front of the pro-EU business lobby group CBI, which speaks for 190,000 firms across the nation she will try and get businesses on side by attempting to rally support for her draft Brexit withdrawal agreement. She will insist that leaving the EU and withdrawing from the Freedom of Movement Act will prevent EU migrants jumping the queue or being prioritised over engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Essentially, she will hammer home that immigration rules will become skills-based and level the playing field for those who want to work and live in Britain. However, while that sell seems sensible, it actually reinforces one of the biggest problems businesses face and could cripple the economy. The massive issue with her immigration pledge The services industry everything from shops and farms to banking and insurance contributes more than 80% to the UK economy. EU migrants make up a bulk of those services industries, mostly in low-paid jobs. The thinktank IPPR warned that construction firms could lose at least 120,000 EU brick-layers post-Brexit and a bulk of other industries could face major labour shortages. Table: IPPR Table: IPPR It is highly likely that Britains immigration policy will change post-Brexit, said Marley Morris, senior research fellow at IPPR. IPPR research shows that some sectors in the UK economy are now highly reliant on EU nationals in lower-skilled jobs. Britains low unemployment and inactivity rate and the geographical spread of jobseekers means it is difficult to see British workers easily taking up these roles. But when it comes to the highly-skilled this doesnt necessarily mean that itll be easy for those migrants to come over or that businesses will be able to plug the gap. According to Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory, companies now have to offer salaries over 60,000 ($77,213) to bring non-EU workers to the UK, making 80% of professional jobs ineligible for visas. Overall, Britains economy faces huge issues over Mays immigration pledges. At the CBI conference today, shell have to do a lot more to convince businesses that her deal is worth fighting for. Ouahigouya (Burkina Faso) (AFP) - In Burkina Faso, a country struggling to contain jihadist violence, education is one of the victims of the insurgency, with hundreds of schools closed, teachers in hiding and pupils kept indoors over the fear of attacks. In the conflict-ridden north, more than three years of assaults and threats by radical Islamists have led to the closure of more than 300 schools, according to estimates, with the east of the West African nation now also seeing school closures. "They (the jihadists) are slowly killing education," said Kassoum Ouedraogo, who used to teach in a primary school in the small town of Nenebouro, near the border with Mali. One of his colleagues was murdered in 2016 and last year teachers felt the security threat was so dangerous that they shut the school. Ouedraogo moved to the northern regional capital Ouahigouya where, he says, he "lives with fear in his stomach". "They do not want 'French' schools... they want schools in Arabic," he said, describing how teachers have been threatened by Islamists angry about "Western-style" education. "(I used to) stay with villagers so that they could not find me so easily," Ouedraogo said, who considered the accommodation provided by the school unsafe. - Violent extremism - Burkina Faso is part of the vast Sahel region, which has turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, the Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. Despite international efforts to create a transnational anti-jihadist military operation, named the G5 Sahel force, the situation is getting worse. A recent report submitted to the UN Security Council warned that security had "deteriorated rapidly over the last six months" in the area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, with attacks spreading to eastern Burkina Faso. According to an official report in September, 229 people have been killed in Islamist attacks in Burkina Faso since 2015 -- including three major assaults on the capital Ouagadougou. Story continues Another teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said jihadists attacks and destroyed his school. "One day, armed men arrived in the village. Some students ran to warn me and we went into the bush to hide. The men shot at the doors of the school, then they burned everything inside," the teacher told AFP, declining even to name the region of the attack. In the eastern town of Matiakoali, a dozen schools were forced to close at the end of October due to threats of violence, teachers and local security forces said. Jihadists had visited mosques in nearby villages and warned that the staff had to leave, a teacher said on condition of anonymity. "The teachers from neighbouring villages got together and we decided to leave," he said, explaining that they moved to other cities for safety. - Access to education - The growing boldness of jihadist fighters in the former French colony reflects the government's apparent inability to protect its citizens across vast stretches of the country. Teachers and unions warn that thousands of children face years without access to schools unless the government steps up the fight against the growing terror. "The situation is worrying. More than a dozen secondary schools have closed... hundreds of primary schools. There are many places where there are no schools," said Yssa Kintiga from F-Synter union. "The state must give itself the means to ensure security so that all children have access to education," Kintiga added. In one of the world's poorest countries that is proving hard to do. France has a 4,500-member military mission in the Sahel and is backing Burkina Faso and other members of the G5 Sahel group to improve security but it has had funding issues. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Ouagadougou last month and announced a 30 million euro ($34 million) "Three Borders" aid package for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to help spur development. The money is seen as essential for easing the conditions which have allowed the jihadist insurgencies to thrive. But optimism is hard to find with a French diplomatic source warning of a "very long" anti-terrorist fight. "People are no longer going to school, the administration has fled," said Ly Boukary, teacher and member of NGO Balai Citoyen, but added that the situation could improve. Tehran (AFP) - Iran's former economy minister, impeached less than three months ago, will head the national oil company as it works to evade renewed US sanctions, local media reported Monday. Masoud Karbasian, 67, was impeached by parliament on August 26 after only a year in the job, over his handling of the country's economic downturn. In a short statement run by the state-run Iran newspaper Monday, he vowed to "use four decades of experience... to overcome the sanctions crisis." Karbasian takes over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) at a crucial moment following the US oil embargo that was reimposed on November 5. Although he kept a very low profile during his tenure as economy minister, he was praised in the reformist Sazandegi newspaper on Monday for his "anti-corruption" stance -- particularly during an earlier stint as head of customs. But there was some confusion over his appointment, since he is in breach of a new law barring anyone over 60 -- the age of retirement -- from public office. Parliament passed the law in September, and it was used to remove outgoing NIOC head Ali Kardor, who is three years younger than Karbasian, according to several newspapers. The Iran daily said Karbasian's age was overlooked due to "sanctions and the gravity of sustaining oil sales". The US reimposed sanctions on Iran after deciding in May to abandon a landmark multi-lateral deal signed in 2015 over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. Temporary exemptions have been granted to several key customers of Iran's oil, including China and India. But Iranian authorities are seeking alternative and clandestine methods to keep oil flowing as Washington remains determined to eventually force its exports down to zero. The unaffiliated Haft-e Sobh newspaper described the new NIOC chief as "special agent: Masoud Karbasian". It said his appointment was approved by the Council for Special Economic Measures, set up during the previous sanctions period between 2010 and 2015, headed by President Hassan Rouhani, and whose decisions are taken in consultation with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Dozens of Indonesian mosques that cater to government workers are spreading radicalism and calling for violence against non-Muslims, the country's intelligence agency said Monday. Its findings come six months after Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya was rocked by a wave of suicide bombings at several churches during Sunday services, killing a dozen people. They were the deadliest terror attacks in about a decade and once again put religious tolerance in the world's biggest Muslim majority in the spotlight. The Indonesian State Intelligence Agency said Monday it has probed about one thousand mosques across the Southeast Asian archipelago since July and found that imams at some 41 places of worship in one Jakarta neighbourhood alone were preaching extremism to worshippers -- mostly civil servants who work at nearby government ministries. The Agency found about 17 clerics expressed support or sympathy for Islamic State and encouraged parishioners to fight for the jihadist group in Syria and Marawi, the Philippine city overrun by foreign IS fighters last year. Some clerics also called on the faithful to commit violence on behalf of IS -- which claimed the May bombing attacks in Surabaya -- and spread hatred or vilify Indonesia's minority religions, which include Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. "The majority of people who go to these mosques are government workers so that's why this is alarming," intelligence agency spokesman Wawan Purwanto told AFP. "These are people who are running the country." The agency did not release details about what it found at hundreds of other mosques covered by its probe. But it said that it also found worrying signs of radicalism at seven university campuses among several hundred it spot checked as part of the probe. The spy agency's investigation was sparked by an independent anti-terrorism expert's report last year that found imams at dozens of mosques across Indonesia were expressing intolerance and support for IS. Story continues "We have to avoid this because we don't want people in Indonesia fighting against each other -- that will lead to (bad) things," Purwanto said. Indonesia has beefed up its anti-terror law to give authorities more power to arrest suspects in the wake of the Surabaya attacks. But Purwanto said the agency would take a soft approach to dealing with radical imams by trying to convince them to spread a more peaceful message. Jakarta-based terrorism expert Sidney Jones said the agency should go beyond just talking with clerics about their sermons. "Generally it's not enough to talk to the preacher -- you have to get to the mosque development committee and look at (who is behind) the financing," she said. "And you have to understand why there is support from the local community." JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday that a teacher sentenced to jail for spreading an "immoral" audio tape documenting alleged sexual harassment by the school principal should seek a judicial review. In a case that has shocked many Indonesians, the Supreme Court announced last week that Baiq Nuril Maknun, 37, would be jailed for six months for recording and spreading "information violating decency". She was also fined 500 million rupiah ($34,300). Widowo said he could not intervene in the case, but said Maknun should request a judicial review. "If later she does not find justice through a judicial review she can request clemency to the president, that's the procedure," he said in a statement. "When the clemency request has been submitted, then it will be on my turf." Indonesia's #MeToo movement has gained some traction on social media with women sharing their experiences of sexual harassment but in a mainly conservative society has yet to trigger the type of impact it has had in the West. According to media reports, Maknun was harassed by the head of a school where she worked as a contract teacher on the island of Lombok, including through sexually explicit and abusive comments on her cell phone. She made a recording of one of the calls and it was later obtained by a co-worker in 2014 and subsequently spread on social media. In 2015, the school principal reported Maknun to police. A court document said that Maknun had recorded the phone call without the knowledge of the headmaster and gave the recording to a third person and distributed it using an electronic device causing the principal to lose his job. Prosecutors had taken the case to the Supreme Court after it was rejected by the court in Lombok. "This absurd ruling by the Supreme Court appears to jail someone just for documenting the abuse they were subjected to from their employer," Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director, said in a statement. More than 111,000 signatures have been submitted on an online petition demanding clemency for Maknun. Joko Jumadi, Maknun's lawyer, said his client intended to file a judicial review once the Supreme Court had provided a full verdict explaining its decision. ($1 = 14,585 rupiah) (Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Jessica Damiana; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Ed Davies and Nick Macfie) Beirut (AFP) - Dozens of inmates in a prison in central Syria have begun a hunger strike to protest against a raft of death sentences, two of them and rights groups said Monday. Hama central prison holds hundreds of inmates, most of them men who were detained in connection with the anti-regime protests that broke out in 2011 and the subsequent conflict. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and two inmates reached by AFP inside the prison, the hunger strike was launched on November 12. It was a reaction to a decision to transfer 11 inmates to Saydnaya, a prison near Damascus which Amnesty International has described as "a human slaughterhouse". "We started the hunger strike to protest against the death sentences against 11 inmates, and the decision to transfer them to Saydnaya," said one prisoner AFP contacted by phone. The hunger strikers are demanding the death sentences be overturned and also want guarantees that other Hama inmates whose cases are still pending not be sent to death row. Another inmate, who also requested anonymity, was reached by AFP and confirmed the hunger strike. Riots had broken out twice in Hama central prison in 2016, resulting in its director and the local police chief being taken hostage and later released following a negotiation. Many inmates were subsequently freed or saw their sentences commuted. Those who remained have retained some level of control over the facility. The Hama inmates' access to mobile phones has helped them bring public attention to their plight. "This has allowed them to pressure the regime more easily," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A video was posted on social media recently showing the hunger strikers holding banners that demand an amnesty and an end to "arbitrary sentences". "The detainees' ongoing hunger strike is a stark reminder of the flawed judicial processes in Syria," Human Rights Watch wrote in a statement on Monday. Tens of thousands of Syria are believed to have died in Syrian prisons since the start of the conflict more tha seven years ago. Brussels (AFP) - European ministers signed off on Britain's draft divorce deal on Monday as they launched a "painful" final week of negotiations on future cross-Channel ties. Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the Union's Austrian rotating presidency said the negotiated text would be presented to EU leaders at a signing summit on Sunday. "The first, difficult step is done," said Austrian European affairs minister Gernot Bluemel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, after the ministers' meeting. "A painful week in European politics is starting," he warned. "We have the divorce papers on the table. Forty-five years of difficult marriage are coming to an end." Meanwhile, detailed discussions continue on a parallel political statement setting out the bloc's ambitions for future relations with post-Brexit Britain -- and on a possible extension to the transition period. Britain will leave the Union on March 29 next year, but remain within its single market for a further 21 months as negotiators seek a deal to avoid a potential breakdown in trade between the key economic partners. If the parties struggle to find a deal before the end of this period, Britain can request a one-off extension. Barnier has suggested that this should expire at the end of 2022, but he said member states have yet to sign off on this. "I think that during this week we'll have a definitive proposition for this date. The decision will be made jointly between the United Kingdom and the 27," Barnier said. - Trade deal hopes - Neither European member states, who want to protect access to their single market, nor hardline British Brexiteers, who fear being trapped in a bloc where they don't make the rules, want an endless transition. Barnier stressed it was Prime Minister Theresa May's British government that requested the extension option and warned: "It can't be indefinite. It needs to be decided." Story continues In London, May said she wants to reach a trade deal by the end of 2020 to avoid asking for an extension, but that if the transition is prolonged it should be out of the way by "the next general election." If May survives domestic anger over the deal, the next British election is scheduled for 2022. Preparations continued meanwhile for Sunday's summit, where May and her 27 colleagues are supposed to sign the withdrawal agreement. "We're in the closing stages of negotiating the deal at the moment," she said. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." May will be in Brussels this week to see the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, but her spokesman could not say when she would arrive. "I don't have a timeline to set out for you but negotiations are very much ongoing and I'd expect coming days to see very intense talks continuing," he said. London wants to lay out in as much detail as possible a route to a free trade agreement, in part to shore up support in a British parliament that may yet reject the deal. Brussels, meanwhile, insists Britain cannot have the same privileged access to the single market after Brexit on March 29 next year. - UK political in-fighting - While the EU 27 have remained publicly united through the 17-month negotiation, Britain's political camps are fighting bitterly among themselves. Conservative hardliners and May's Northern Irish unionist allies have pledged to vote down the treaty despite the threat of a calamitous no-deal Brexit. The opposition Labour Party, scenting a chance to topple May's government, has also warned that its members will not support her deal. EU officials are surprised by the furious debate and mostly refuse to intervene, but French minister for European affairs Nathalie Loiseau said both sides had "exhausted their margin to manoeuvre". Dutch foreign minster Stef Blok said it was imperative that the political statement "lays the foundation of our future relationship, it has to be ambitious". Some member states were annoyed that their rights to fish in British waters were not guaranteed in the withdrawal deal and have been left to future talks. Spain is also concerned that the draft texts do not, in its view, make clear that it retains a veto on the future status of Gibraltar, the British territory it claims on its southern coast. "Until we have the future declaration and we know what it says, whether we agree or not, we are also not going to approve the withdrawal agreement," said Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell. Nevertheless, Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders said of the deal: "Here, it will survive. We are waiting for the same situation in London, but here in Brussels it will survive." Tehran (AFP) - Iran's judiciary chief said Monday that government officials must not make accusations of vast money-laundering operations by powerful institutions, which could be exploited by the enemy. The criticism followed statements by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to the Khabar Online news agency last week in which he said: "Money laundering is a reality in our country, and a lot of people are benefitting from it." Zarif said "thousands of billions" of rials were being laundered by unnamed organisations in Iran, and that these groups were behind efforts to block new laws against money laundering and terrorist financing. "If there is huge money laundering in the country, why did you not report this to the judiciary?" said Sadegh Larijani, judiciary chief, in a speech on Monday, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. "The enemy's best tool is economic pressure... In such a situation officials are expected not to make two-sided statements that could be misused by the enemy," he added, without naming Zarif. The government introduced four new laws this year aimed at meeting demands set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors global efforts to counter money laundering and terrorist financing. Conservatives groups have attacked the bills, saying they would undermine Iran's ability to support allied militant groups in the region, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah. But Zarif said wealthy groups were also involved because they opposed greater financial transparency. "There are special interests behind some of these concerns and propaganda," he said. "I don't aim to pin this to any certain organisation, but those places that do launder thousands of billions are certainly financially capable of spending a few hundred billion on propaganda and psychological operations in the country," he added. Larijani hit back on Monday, saying: "The authorities should not say things that drop like a dagger into the heart of the system." Story continues Iran is alone with North Korea on the FATF blacklist, but the Paris-based organisation has suspended counter-measures since June 2017 while it works on reforms. One bill on the mechanics of monitoring and preventing terrorist financing was signed into law in August. The remaining three have been approved by parliament but have been held up by higher authorities that oversee legislation. Jerusalem (AFP) - A key Israeli minister said Monday he will not quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for now despite sharp disagreements, handing the premier a victory and potentially ending a crisis that has threatened to provoke snap elections. The announcement by Education Minister Naftali Bennett was a dramatic climbdown from his Jewish Home party's earlier threat to leave the coalition if he was not named defence minister. Netanyahu has refused to give the high-profile post to Bennett, one of his main political rivals, despite the coalition crisis threatening to topple his government following a controversial Gaza ceasefire. Bennett, whose far-right party holds eight seats in parliament, said he would give Netanyahu time to correct course on a range of issues as he pushed for an even more hawkish approach toward the Palestinians. Netanyahu's current coalition is already seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history. "If the prime minister is serious in his intentions, and I want to believe his words from last night, I am saying here to the prime minister we are removing at this moment all of our political demands and will help you in the huge mission of making Israel win again," Bennett said in a statement to journalists broadcast live on television. He acknowledged the backlash he may face for backing down from the earlier ultimatum. "It's better that the prime minister beats me in a political battle than (Hamas leader Ismail) Haniya beats Israel," Bennett said in a parliamentary committee room packed with journalists. A number of analysts said it seemed Bennett did not want to risk being blamed by his supporters for bringing down a right-wing government. - 'Irresponsible' - Bennett's comments followed an impassioned address to the nation on Sunday night by Netanyahu. The premier said he would retain the defence portfolio for now and seek to convince coalition partners to remain in the government. Story continues Calling early elections would be "irresponsible", Netanyahu said, due to what he described as a complicated security situation facing the country. He did not explain why Israel's security concerns would be more complex now than at other times, saying he could not publicly describe in detail the sensitive moves being taken. Netanyahu also defended his security credentials, seeking to hit back at criticism of last week's ceasefire that ended the worst escalation between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war. On Monday, he continued with his more aggressive tone. According to Israeli media reports, he told lawmakers from his Likud party that he was planning to demolish Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank that Israel says was built illegally, but he did not say when. Bennett called for its demolition in his statement, despite an international outcry against razing the strategically located village. - 'Back to winning' - Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's resignation last week over the ceasefire threw the government into crisis. After Lieberman's withdrawal along with his Yisrael Beitenu party, Netanyahu's government was left clinging to a one-seat majority in parliament. Key coalition partners had said that was unworkable even though elections are not due until November 2019, but Netanyahu has been in discussions aimed at staving off an early vote. Bennett hit back at Netanyahu's argument that Israel was in an especially complicated security situation, saying the country has always faced threats and managed to overcome them. At the same time, he accused Netanyahu of leading a defeatist defence policy. "What's most dangerous to Israel is that we've begun thinking there's no solution to terror -- to terrorists, to rockets, that there's nothing to do," Bennett said. "When Israel wants to win, we'll go back to winning." Netanyahu has defended the ceasefire and his backers say he and his security chiefs are on the same page when it comes to Gaza. Many analysts question the wisdom of starting another war in the Gaza Strip without a strategy for how it will end. But Lieberman labelled the ceasefire "capitulating to terror" when he resigned on Wednesday and Bennett says he also disagreed with it. Israeli residents of southern communities hit by barrages of rockets from Gaza last week have also protested, calling for tough action against Hamas, with which Israel has fought three wars since 2008. A poll published after the ceasefire found 74 percent of respondents were unhappy with Netanyahu's handling of the escalation with Gaza and its Islamist rulers Hamas, though it also showed his party would still easily win the most seats. Many analysts believe Netanyahu would like to buy more time before heading toward elections, to allow him to move on from the Gaza ceasefire. By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday avoided an early election for now after a coalition partner backed away from toppling a government hanging on to power with a razor-thin parliamentary majority. Education Minister Naftali Bennett's U-turn surprised many pundits who had predicted the leader of the far-right Jewish Home party would quit in protest after Netanyahu rejected his demand to be named defense minister and assumed the post himself. Netanyahu, head of the right-wing Likud party, has been making last-ditch efforts to prevent the collapse of the government, which has a majority of just one seat in parliament since Avigdor Lieberman resigned as defense chief last week. Outflanking Netanyahu on the right, Lieberman, an ultranationalist, lashed out in his resignation announcement at the government's acceptance of a ceasefire with Gaza's dominant armed group, Hamas, amid a surge in cross-border violence "You win some, you lose some," Bennett said in a televised address, shrugging off Netanyahu's rejection of his bid for the defense post, long regarded in Israel as its second most important cabinet portfolio. Had Bennett pulled his party out of the weakened coalition, as Jewish Home officials had threatened, Netanyahu would have been left with a minority government, making an election likely ahead of a national ballot that is not due until November 2019. Bennett said Jewish Home party was withdrawing all its political demands and would stand by the four-term prime minister. SECURITY CHALLENGES In a speech late on Sunday appealing to coalition partners to remain loyal, Netanyahu cited unspecified security challenges ahead and hinted at future action by Israel against its enemies. He repeated that theme in remarks to parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, in which he said that "together we can surmount any challenge and ensure Israel's security". Such comments have left political and military affairs commentators in Israel pondering whether Netanyahu is indeed planning new military action, either in Gaza or possibly against Hezbollah guerrilla missile sites in Lebanon, or engaging in political spin that would appeal to his right-wing voter base. An opinion poll last week suggested that Israelis, including those living outside border areas that were struck by more than 400 rockets from Gaza during the flareup, were unhappy with Netanyahu over the continued threat from the Israeli-blockaded territory. It was a rare dip in popularity for a leader who has been on course to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. "National security is beyond politics," Netanyahu said in his speech on Sunday. "I will not say this evening when we will act and how. I have a clear plan. I know what to do and when to do it. And we will do it." In his own address, Bennett said he wants to believe that Netanyahu was serious about the threats facing Israel. If so, he said, "I say here to the prime minister: "We are withdrawing all our political demands and we will stand by you in this mighty task, so that Israel starts winning again." (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Richard Balmforth) Jerusalem (AFP) - A key Israeli minister said Monday he would not quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government for now despite sharp disagreements, making snap polls less likely. Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home said he would give Netanyahu time to correct course on a range of issues. "If the prime minister is serious in his intentions, and I want to believe his words from last night, I am saying here to the prime minister we are removing at this moment all of our political demands and will help you in the huge mission of making Israel win again," Bennett said in a statement to journalists broadcast live on television. The announcement was a dramatic climbdown from Jewish Home's earlier threat to leave Netanyahu's coalition if Bennett was not named defence minister. Netanyahu has refused to give him the post despite a coalition crisis that has been threatening to bring down his government. In an impassioned address to the nation on Sunday night, Netanyahu said he would retain the defence portfolio for now and seek to convince coalition partners to remain. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's resignation last week over a controversial ceasefire that ended the worst escalation between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war threw the government into crisis. After Lieberman's withdrawal along with his Yisrael Beitenu party, Netanyahu's government was left clinging to a one-seat majority in the 120-seat parliament. New deal: Britains opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn at the Confederation of British Industry conference in central London, on November 19, 2018. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images UK Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Monday urged business leaders to reject the governments botched, worst-of-all-worlds deal on Brexit and called for a general election. Corbyn, leader of the opposition and long-term critic of the EU, closed the annual Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in London on Monday. The CBI represents 190,000 British businesses, who employ a combined 7 million staff. Corbyn told the 1,500-strong audience that UK prime minister Theresa Mays draft Brexit deal, which was announced last week, is a blindfold Brexit and will leave the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say over our future. Labour will vote down the deal in Parliament, Corbyn said, and he argued that a general election is now the only sensible course of action. READ MORE: A top UK business group wants transition period on Brexit immigration reform Corbyn set out plans for how Labour would fight any election and said he has an alternative plan for a sensible jobs-first deal that could win support in parliament and help bring our country together. All options must remain on the table, including a second vote of some sort, Corbyn said. We want a new comprehensive and permanent customs union, with a British say in future trade deals. That would ensure no hard border in Northern Ireland and avoid the need for the governments half-baked backstop deal. He called for a strong single market relationship and a guarantee that our country doesnt fall behind the EU in workers rights, or protections for consumers and the environment. We wont let this Conservative government use Brexit as an excuse for a race to the bottom in protections, and rip up our rights at work or expose our children to chlorinated chicken by running down our product standards, Corbyn said. READ MORE: Theresa May tries to calm UK businesses fears over immigration and trade Questioned on how Labour would negotiate such a deal given there are only 130 days to go until Brexit, Corbyn said: When the EU says there isnt time, the EU has a long history of 11th hour negotiations. Even the Lisbon treaty was re-negotiated several times. Story continues He added that he would not use threats against the EU in negotiates and accused the Conservative Party of doing so. The Labour leader argued that Brexit should be the catalyst to invest in our regions and infrastructure, bringing good jobs and real control to local communities and people. He pledged to invest more in business and society through initiatives such as a national investment bank and a national transformation fund. When societies are bought together, theyre much much stronger, Corbyn said. Theyre weakened by division, weakened by poverty and lack of investment. Earlier on Monday, prime minister Theresa May spoke at the CBI conference and called for businesses to back her draft Brexit plan. She said the deal unashamedly puts our economic success and the prosperity of families up and down the country first. May announced she had agreed a draft withdrawal deal with the EU last week. The deal has since been attacked on both the left and right, and Mays position as prime minister looks increasingly perilous as her own party has rebelled. ATLANTA (AP) The Latest on Georgia's elections (all times local): 12:40 p.m. Official certified results from the contentious race show Republican Brian Kemp narrowly avoided facing a runoff against Democrat Stacey Abrams. Official results from the Georgia Secretary of State's office say that Kemp defeated Abrams by 54,723 votes out of more than 3.9 million ballots cast. Kemp had to get more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff against Abrams. Official results show he garnered 50.22 percent of the vote ___ Georgia has certified its Nov. 6 election results, finally ending the contentious race for governor. Georgia Secretary of State Robyn Crittenden said late Saturday the results are certified and can be viewed on the agency's website. Democrat Stacey Abrams came within about 60,000 votes of becoming America's first black woman governor but lost to Republican Brian Kemp. Abrams took to Twitter on Saturday to urge supporters not to boycott Georgia after a handful of actors suggested that because of what they view as an unfair election. Abrams said "hard-working Georgians" who make a living in Georgia's television and film industry "are not to blame." In another close race, Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux says she will ask for a recount in her 7th Congressional District race against Republican Rep. Rob Woodall. Dennis was adopted, and he couldnt be more grateful. An 18-year-old girl walked into a Methodist hospital in Philadelphia, and she says, Im pregnant. And she literally almost delivers me in the elevator. As shes going to the hospital, she tells the nurses and everybody else that she wants to put the baby up for adoption and that she doesnt want to see the baby, she cant see the baby. Shes with her mother. And her mom is surprised that shes pregnant, she literally just learned that day that shes pregnant. She hid me from her parents and her sister for the entire pregnancy. Dennis Gerber, 37, is telling me the story of his birth. At the time of his birth, there was a couple in town the couple who would become his parents. They were down in Philadelphia staying at my aunt and uncles house. His uncle, an ob-gyn, was helping them connect with a fertility expert. Then they were going to attend a conference on overseas adoption. The husband was going to be transferred to Europe so that they could adopt from Italy or Germany, which were their ancestral backgrounds. That was the plan, anyway, before the doctor who was the uncles practice partner delivered Dennis. He told my uncle about this baby who was just born. The mother wants to put him up for adoption. He immediately called home and asked, Dennis and Marianne, would you like to adopt a baby? Before they bothered to ask a single detail about the child, they said yes. They found a lawyer through other family connections, and within three days they were parents. They had no idea it was going to go so quickly and really did nothing to prepare. Back home in Saddle Brook, N.J., they lived in a two-family apartment with a breezeway. All of my grandparents lived there. Our house was like the demilitarized zone, Gerber says, joking about Sicilians and Germans living together. On the day of the adoption three days after the initial call the man and woman who would become Denniss parents pretended to go to work when they were actually going to the hospital. The birth mother was about to leave the hospital, and she handed me to the attorney, and then the attorney took me out the doors and handed me to my parents, he says. And my parents were able to bring me home that day. Story continues They hadnt had time to tell much of anyone in that short while. So they called home: Well, were in Philadelphia today, and youre grandparents now. We adopted a baby. And my grandparents went crazy. Meanwhile, having no car seat, the new parents used a large wicker basket Denniss uncle and his wife had received as a gift for a recent wedding anniversary. They lined it with blankets to bring him home. By the time they got back (they took back roads because theyd been warned of the dangers of kidnapping during the window before the adoption was final), there were upwards of 200 people in their house an impromptu baby shower! In three hours, they had a painted bedroom, a crib all set up, and toys. After Dennis came into their lives, they were able to have two biological children. Two years after his birth, his brother was born. Its always been a great adoption story. I came home in a wicker basket! Dennis Gerber is living, breathing thanksgiving. A few years ago, through an organization called Brave Love, he even threw a thank-you party for birth mothers. Since then, he has thanked his birth mother. A neighbor alerted him that Pennsylvania had opened up its adoption records. He had never really thought to search for his birth mother, having had all the love a child could ask for. But hed also had a recurring dream, forever: Me walking up the stairs, and theres my birth mother, and I dont know what she looks like. I dont know if shes okay or anything. It wasnt quite fearful, it was it was just nagging. Right before Christmas last year, he got a letter in the mail with the name of his birth mother. He and his wife, Elise, of course Googled her. They found her on Facebook. They did wind up meeting and his birth father, too. Dennis had a business meeting near where his birth mother lives, and he brought his wife and three young daughters (their first plane trip). For the first time, he saw someone who shared his DNA. For the first time, he would thank her in person for the incredible gift of his life including his parents. She loved me so much that she knew that she could give me the best option, the best life, he tells me about his birth mother. I ask him what he wants birth mothers to know, and he says: Youre just multiplying grace, and youre multiplying love. Its a multiplying factor. Your decision can change the lives of so many people. You make a husband and wife parents. You make siblings. You make houses whole. You make spouses find each other. You make more life. Its this multiplying factor of grace. You take something people see as a mistake or violence or something horrible that happened to somebody, he adds, and turn it into something just amazing. In a season of thanksgiving and gifts, Dennis Gerber has had the best and gives the rest of us the gift of remembering to cherish life and love and the most intimate sacrifices. This column is based on one available through Andrews McMeel Universals Newspaper Enterprise Association. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) The new president of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies following a two-year absence, his office said a statement Monday. The decision was made Monday after the Cabinet of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's recommended the move, the statement said. Former strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom pulled the Maldives out of Commonwealth in 2016. He had accused the group of interfering with the country's internal affairs after it raised concerns over democracy and human rights. Solih's ministers believe being part of the 53-member Commonwealth will provide young Maldivians with opportunities to get educational scholarships and for the country's athletes to play internationally. "Moreover, the Cabinet ministers noted the importance of Maldives being a member of the Commonwealth, especially in keeping in line with other members of the international community with regard to upholding and promoting human rights, freedom of expression, and democracy," the statement said. Solih defeated Gayoom in September's presidential election. Maldives was a British protectorate until 1965 but did not inherit a full parliamentary system unlike other former colonies. It remained largely under single party rule for decades until it became a multiparty democracy in 2008. Yameen rolled back many of the democratic gains after he was elected in 2013. Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Manila tomorrow for a two-day state visit and the Philippines is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that everything goes smoothly during his visit. Xi was invited by President Rodrigo Duterte to visit the country in October 2016 during the latters visit to China. Duterte invited him again during the APEC leaders meeting in Lima, Peru in November 2016, reported ABS-CBN News. This is the first time that a Chinese president will visit the country in 13 years. Xi will stay at the swanky Shangri-La Hotel in Taguig City. After his arrival tomorrow, he will proceed to Rizal Park to lay a wreath on the tomb of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines national hero. He will then go to presidential palace Malacanang where he will have a bilateral meeting with President Duterte and his cabinet members. The day will end with a state banquet in the Palace, Rappler reported. On Wednesday, House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III will visit Xi at his hotel. He will also have a photo session with leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community before he flies back to Beijing. Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has suspended classes and work in Manila tomorrow due to the visit. Work at the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the lower courts in Manila have also been suspended, reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Today the Manila Police District (MPD) announced that the following roads will be closed starting tomorrow at 6am, the Inquirer said. The MPD advised the public to seek alternative roads instead. North and southbound lanes of Roxas Blvd. from Katigbak Drive to P. Ocampo North and southbound lanes of Bonifacio Drive from Anda Circle to Katigbak Drive East and westbound lanes of P. Burgos from Lagusnilad to Roxas Blvd. East and westbound lanes of Finance Rd. from Taft Ave. to P. Burgos East and westbound lanes of TM Kalaw from MH del Pilar to Roxas Blvd. East and westbound lanes of Pres. Quirino Ave. from MH del Pilar to Roxas Blvd. East and westbound lanes of P. Ocampo from Mabini to Roxas Blvd. East and westbound lanes of Ayala Boulevard from Solano to Taft Ave The entire stretch of Solano from P. Casal to J.P Laurel. Duterte is generally viewed as friendly to China. Recently, he said that the South China Sea belongs to China and that the United States should realize this. Early on in his presidency, Duterte also infamously denounced the countrys ties with its long-time ally the United States and said that he has realigned his ideologies with Chinas. The post Manila pulls out all the stops to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared first on Coconuts. Paris (AFP) - MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, makes humans more likely to cooperate -- but only with trustworthy people -- researchers said Monday in the first study into how the drug impacts our willingness to help others. Despite its status in Britain as a Class A drug, MDMA is widely consumed due to the heightened sense of energy, empathy and pleasure it arouses in users. It contains neurotransmitters -- chemical messengers for the brain -- that are known to be linked to behaviour and mood, but scientists currently understand very little about how these affect social interactions. Researchers at King's College London studied 20 healthy adult men who were given a typical recreational dose of MDMA or a placebo pill and then asked to complete a set of tasks while images of their brain activity were taken with an MRI scanner. One of the mind exercises they were given was the Prisoner's Dilemma -- an example of so-called "game theory" in which an individual is asked to choose between cooperating or competing with another, unknown person. Both players get an equal share of the points on offer if they choose to cooperate, but if one player chooses to compete they get all the points, while the other player gets nothing. They however risk getting nothing if the other player chooses to compete. The team found that participants on MDMA were more willing to cooperate than those given the placebo. But, to their surprise, the MDMA takers only became more cooperative with players they perceived as trustworthy, based on observations of the previous choices of the other player. "We thought MDMA might make you think that other people are more trustworthy. And we were wrong," Mitul Mehta, from King's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, told AFP. "Actually it didn't change one bit what you thought of the other person, but it did change your behaviour towards them. "It's not that MDMA is giving you rose-tinted glasses and therefore you're behaving differently, it's actually keeping your glasses clear and you still think an untrustworthy person is untrustworthy." Story continues - Clinical trials - The team found that MDMA increased activity in the superior temporal cortex and mid-cingulate cortex, two areas of the brain known to be important for empathising with the thoughts and intentions of others. They also observed noticable differences in activity in the right anterior insula -- a section of brain important in appraising risk and uncertainty -- when participants on MDMA processed the behaviour of trustworthy and untrustworthy players. "In other words, MDMA did not make participants naively trusting of others," said Mehta. "For the first time ever we are showing that MDMA isn't having a global effect on brain behaviour, it's actually having quite a specific effect and that's really useful." The team behind the study, which was published in The Journal of Neuroscience, said their findings could help the treatment of psychiatric conditions such as PTSD. "Patients with psychiatric disorders have a lot of difficulties with social interactive behaviour. We now can ask the question about what specifically you have trouble with in social behaviour -- is it your behaviour, or how you evaluate others?", said Mehta. Despite being legally classified in Britain as a schedule 1 drug -- meaning it is deemed to have no medical use -- MDMA has been given Breakthrough Therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration. It's currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for treating PTSD and Mehta said the drug should be more widely available for medical research. "It's about access to treatment that is so promising that it seems unethical not to give people access," he said. "There's a renewed interest in MDMA, how it works and how it affects the brain." By Suzannah Gonzales CHICAGO (Reuters) - Two people were killed and two others critically wounded in a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Monday, and among the dead was the gunman who started shooting in the parking lot and then burst into the medical facility and opened fire, according to local media. A police officer was among those wounded in the shooting on Chicago's South Side at Mercy Hospital, officials said. Police cars and ambulances swarmed the hospital after the shooting. ABC7 Chicago and CBS Chicago, citing sources, reported that two people died in the shooting, including the gunman, and that two other people were wounded. Police searched the hospital, said Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago Police Department spokesman. The hospital said on Twitter the shooting was over and patients were safe. Eyewitnesses told reporters the shooting began in the parking lot before moving into a clinic area inside the hospital. Police have not commented on a possible motive for the shooting. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were on their way to University of Chicago hospital, where the wounded police officer was being treated, according to local media. Sue Jimenez, the manager of Kozy's Cyclery bike shop near the hospital, said she heard multiple gunshots separated by pauses. At one point, she heard five shots in quick succession, she said, but the shooting stopped after police arrived. (Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) For most Americans, Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate with food, family, and friends. But for many Native Americans, many of whom think of the day in terms of sadness and remembrance, the controversial holiday is marked with a National Day of Mourning. Since 1970, the fourth day of every November has been commemorated with a march and rally by Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts, who do not celebrate the first Thanksgiving feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians, but instead remember the Native Americans who have lost their lives and culture since colonisation. What is the National Day of Mourning? The National Day of Mourning is a rally organised by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) to honour Native American ancestors lost in the 1637 genocide, when hundreds of Pequot Indians were massacred, and the struggles of Natives people to survive today. Each year, several hundred Native Americans living near the location of what is commonly considered the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gather to rally and march at Coles Hill near Plymouth rock. For many participants, the tradition begins the day before at sundown with a fast, which they then break the following afternoon at a pot-luck that takes place after the march. Although the group welcomes non-Native supporters, only indigenous people are asked to speak to commemorate the struggles of the past and present. According to the website, this years NDOM is dedicated to our thousands of relatives who are migrants and are being abused by ICE and other government agencies, including having their children stolen from them. This will be the 49th year the march has been held. When will it take place? This years NDOM will take place on November 22 - the same day as Thanksgiving - at 12pm. What does the UAINE hope to achieve? The annual tradition is held not only in memory of their ancestors, but as way to fight and protest existing racist beliefs and ideologies in America against all indigenous people. Story continues In addition to protesting Thanksgiving and the pilgrim mythology perpetuated in Plymouth, the organisation also protests racist team names and mascots, and other struggles faced by minorities in America. We believe very strongly that we must support others in struggle, particularly other communities of colour, the LGBT community, and the disabled community, the website states. It wasnt until a fateful and nearly fatal first date between Jenna Johnson Val Chmerkovskiy that the pair realized they could be more than just dance partners. Our first official date was pretty spontaneous, Johnson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. However, Chmerkovskiy says it was maybe more hazardous: I was crossing the street on Melrose Ave, she almost ran me over. Unperturbed, Chmerkovskiy quickly followed the incident up with an invitation for Johnson to come over to his house later that evening for a less treacherous activity. She came over, I taught her how to play chess, and that was our first date, he says. Back on set of the ABC television series, the couple kept their relationship under wraps, sharing that they wanted to be known for their dancing and didnt want their personal lives to interfere with that. It took a few years for the on-again, off-again couple to embrace and celebrate their unconventional relationship. We come from very different worlds, Chmerkovskiy says, having grown up in New York while Jenna was raised in Utah. For us to both meet in Hollywood is a very very unique coincidence. Its one that Im very grateful for. Finally, the couple let fans in on their secret in 2017 with photos on Instagram. Nearly one year later in June 2018, Chmerkovskiy and Johnson were engaged. I love him so much but hes pretty incapable of planning anything ahead, Johnson says of the unforeseen engagement. We were in Venice, and basically I went through all of his bags and didnt see [a ring] and so I was like, Im just gonna enjoy the trip. Story continues Little did she know that Chmerkovskiy had arranged an extravagant proposal and had the ring tucked away in his backpack. We were sitting in this cafe and I had like three undercover cameras, Chmerkovskiy explains of the moment that has since been seen on Instagram. I was in Venice 15 years ago and I promised myself that when I meet the love of my life this was where I was going to propose, and here I am proposing. Now, the two are looking forward to a 2019 wedding and the rest of their lives together starting with a Dancing With the Stars: Live! tour that begins in December, and goes into the beginning of the new year. In the meantime, be sure to check the couple out in the Dancing With the Stars season 27 finale on Monday night at 8/7c. This will be the first time that well be on tour together officially as a couple, and now were engaged! Johnson says. Hes like my favorite dance partner. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: How Fox News Dana Perino met her husband by chance on an airplane: Hes cute, and hes not wearing a wedding ring, and he has a British accent GMA Day co-host Sara Haines met her husband on OkCupid and he had no idea she was famous Why Love and Hip Hop Hollywood star Ray J proposed to his wife, Princess Love, twice Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition has been thrown into chaos - REUTERS Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, resisted calls for snap polls Sunday, saying elections now would be "unnecessary and wrong", ahead of what he called last-ditch talks to hold his embattled coalition together. Mr Netanyahu's Right-wing coalition was thrown into crisis Wednesday after the defence minister Avigdor Lieberman's resignation over a controversial Gaza ceasefire deal, leading to speculation over whether early elections have become inevitable. After Mr Lieberman's withdrawal along with his Yisrael Beitenu party, Mr Netanyahu's government was left clinging to a one-seat majority in the 120-seat parliament. Key coalition partners say that is unworkable. Mr Netanyahu, who has sought to delay calling elections, made his case at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday. Yuval Steinitz, energy minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, and government secretary Tzahi Braverman attend the weekly cabinet meeting Credit: Abir Sultan/Pool via AP "In a period of security sensitivity, it's unnecessary and wrong to go to elections," Mr Netanyahu said. He noted past instances when Right-wing governments had called elections that did not turn out as they had hoped. "We need to do whatever we can to avoid such mistakes," he said. Mr Netanyahu planned to meet Moshe Kahlon, the finance minister whose centre-right Kulanu party holds 10 seats, at later on Sunday for what he called a "last attempt" to keep the government together. Elections are not due until November 2019. Mr Kahlon has said he does not think it is possible to continue with the existing coalition. Mr Netanyahu said on November 18 it would be "unnecessary and wrong" to call snap polls Credit: ABIR SULTAN/AFP/Getty Images "If (Mr Netanyahu) pulls a rabbit out of his hat, we'll see," Mr Kahlon told Israeli television Saturday. "Meanwhile, I don't see a rabbit or a hat." Naftali Bennett, the education minister of the far-right Jewish Home party, which holds eight seats in parliament, has demanded the defence portfolio as a way of keeping the government together. Netanyahu says he will take it over at least temporarily rather than hand the key ministry to one of his main right-wing rivals, though a last-minute deal could not be ruled out. On Saturday, Bennett told Israeli television that Lieberman had "collapsed the government". "There is no more government and we are heading towards elections," he said. "There is no other alternative." Lagos (AFP) - Nigeria's opposition leader Atiku Abubakar launched his presidential campaign on Monday vowing to create millions of jobs to tackle rising inequality and insecurity in Africa's top oil producer. Seated for a nine-minute address streamed live on Facebook and Twitter, Abubakar laid out his plan to "get Nigeria working again". "The sad fact today, as you know, is that too many of our people are not working and are living in poverty and insecurity," Abubakar said. "The very fabric of our society is breaking down. We have never been so divided as a nation," he said. "The most important question in this election is: are you better off than you were four years ago, are you richer or poorer? That is why our primary focus is to get Nigeria working again." As a former vice president dogged by allegations of corruption, Abubakar drew criticism and scepticism when he announced his intention to run in the February 2019 presidential polls. But his campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gaining momentum, with the 71-year-old political veteran casting himself as an antidote to lacklustre growth in Nigeria. Abubakar laid out his plan to ramp up growth in his policy document, targeting a gross domestic product of $900 billion (788 billion euros) by 2025 -- more than double the current amount -- and vowing to lift "at least 50 million people out of extreme poverty". Under his plan to help businesses he would introduce tax incentives, improve availability of foreign exchange and accelerate the privatisation of the power sector. He would partially privatise the state-run oil company and "reconsider" the introduction of bidding rounds for marginal fields and oil blocks, and he plans to double refining capacity to 2 million barrels of crude daily by issuing new licenses for greenfield investments in crude refineries. In response to Buhari, who in a misstep earlier this year said youth in Nigeria "do nothing", Abubakar pledged to revive an apprenticeship programme which will recruit 100,000 artisans to train one million people. Story continues The opposition candidate promises to introduce liberalising reforms in contrast to Buhari, a 75-year-old former general who has focussed instead on rooting out corruption. Buhari's anti-graft campaign has yet to secure any high-profile convictions while his opponents accuse him of mounting a political witch-hunt. Although Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer, poverty is rampant and unemployment is high in the former British colony. The government, approaching its 10th year fighting Boko Haram jihadists in the northeast, is also struggling to contain outbreaks of violence between herders and farmers across the country. Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn faces being fired this week after being arrested in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct, the firm said Monday, in a stunning fall from grace for one of the world's best-known businessmen. Ghosn's arrest and his likely dismissal from Nissan, as well as possibly from Mitsubishi and Renault, sent shockwaves through the auto industry, where he is a towering figure, credited with turning around several major manufacturers. Besides being chairman of Nissan, the 64-year-old is also CEO of Renault and leads the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance. Nissan's board will meet Thursday to decide his fate, and Mitsubishi said it would propose he be dismissed as chairman "promptly." Renault said its board would meet "shortly", after Ghosn was detained over allegations including underreporting his income. At a hastily organised press conference, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa expressed "despair," but also suggested that Ghosn had accrued too much power and eluded proper oversight. "Too much authority was given to one person in terms of governance," he told reporters at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama. "I have to say that this is a dark side of the Ghosn era which lasted for a long time." The news of Ghosn's downfall emerged unexpectedly on Monday evening, with local media first reporting he was being questioned by prosecutors and that Nissan's headquarters was being raided. Shortly afterwards, Nissan said in a statement that it had been investigating Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly for months after a whistleblower report. "These two gentleman are arrested this evening, that's what I understand," Saikawa said at the press conference. He said the company had uncovered years of financial misconduct including under-reporting of income and inappropriate personal use of company assets. Saikawa gave few details about the nature of the improprieties, including refusing to confirm reports that Ghosn under-reported his income by 5 billion yen, or around $44 million, over five years from 2011. Story continues He said an ongoing investigation limited what details could be shared, and refused to be drawn on whether other people were involved, saying only: "These two gentlemen are the masterminds, that is definite." A Japanese judicial source told AFP that Ghosn could legally be held for up to 23 days but would possibly be freed on bail before then. News of his arrest caused Renault shares to fall 8.43 percent in Paris trading. The reports emerged after the trading day was over in Tokyo. The apparent disintegration of Ghosn's career raises questions about the alliance of the three car companies, which the Brazil-born executive was often believed to be holding together personally. Saikawa insisted "the partnership among the three entities will not be affected by this event," but he was unable to give details on how Renault and Mitsubishi planned to respond, or who might succeed Ghosn. - 'Man of charisma' - French President Emmanuel Macron warned Paris would be "extremely vigilant" about the stability of Renault and the three-firm alliance after Ghosn's arrest. France owns a 15 percent stake in Renault. Speaking on the sidelines of a eurozone finance ministers' meeting in Brussels, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the government would "do everything as a shareholder represented on Renault's board to ensure operational continuity and stable governance at Renault". Ghosn's arrest will "rock the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as he is the keystone of the alliance," said Satoru Takada, an analyst at TIW, a Tokyo-based research and consulting firm. "He is the man of charisma for the alliance. It is likely to have a negative impact on its brand image," he told AFP. "It's the future of the alliance that seems in play, because the thing holding it together seemed to be Ghosn himself," said Daniel Larrouturou, a senior executive at investment firm Diamant Bleu Gestion. The arrest is an astonishing reversal of fortune for Ghosn, often feted for his success at turning around failing companies with hard-nosed tactics that earned him the nickname "Le Cost Killer" in France. Renault came to the rescue of the then-ailing Japanese automaker Nissan in 1999 and parachuted in Ghosn, who set about slashing costs and jobs in a huge corporate overhaul. In 2016, Ghosn also took charge at troubled Mitsubishi after Nissan threw it a lifeline, buying a one-third stake for about $2.2 billion as it wrestled with a mileage-cheating scandal that hammered sales. He is credited with saving Nissan from bankruptcy through measures including closing plants and restructuring, and he has instant name recognition in Japan, where he is a rare high-profile foreign executive. But he has also faced opposition, including over his pay, with his compensation package at Renault prompting a spat with shareholders and criticism from France's then-economy minister Macron. In February he was forced to accept a 30 percent pay cut from the 7.25 million euros ($8.3 million) he took home as Renault CEO last year. Saikawa said he was still thinking through whether Ghosn was "a charismatic figure or a tyrant." "But looking at the facts he has done what not many other people could have done," he added, referring to Ghosn's overhauls of companies. si-nf-sah-cb/pvh BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany and other European Union states told Britain on Monday their draft Brexit agreement could not be renegoitated. British Prime Minister Theresa May is battling at home to keep the last week's deal alive and push it through the British parliament amid criticism from pro-Brexit politicians, Northern Ireland's unionists and those who want to keep closer EU ties. "No deal better than the one on the table can be reached," Germany's European affairs minister, Michael Roth, said. Economy minister Peter Altmaier also dismissed any prospect of a return to the drafting table. More than two years after Britons voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, the sides have reached a tentative divorce agreement and are working on an outline of their future ties to accompany that. Though the fate of the accord is unclear on the British side, the EU is preparing for a summit next Sunday of all its national leaders that is meant to rubber-stamp the agreement. They are also advancing their contingency planning for the scenario of a no-deal Brexit in which the sides would fail to seal their agreement and the United Kingdom is cut off on March 29, 2019, with very little in place to mitigate the economic and other disruptions. "Any deal is better than no deal," Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told reporters on arrival to talks of national EU ministers about Brexit in Brussels. "I think that it's in the interests of the United Kingdom and the European Union...that this deal becomes reality." Belgium's Didier Reynders echoed that and the Netherlands' Stef Blok called for an "ambitious" vision of the EU-British future ties in the political declaration that the sides are working on now to accompany the divorce deal. "We hope that we will not have to reopen negotiations," the Czech Republic's Ales Chmelar said. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Daphne Psaledakis, Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Angus MacSwan) By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude futures rose ahead of settlement in choppy trade on Monday, supported by a reported drawdown of U.S. oil inventories, potential European Union sanctions on Iran and possible OPEC production cuts. Brent crude settled up 3 cents at $66.79 a barrel, strengthening late in the session after earlier hitting a low of $65.27 a barrel. U.S. crude futures traded 30 cents higher at $56.76 a barrel in a session that saw swings in a $2 per barrel range. The market is struggling to find firm footing after a rout that has seen prices fall more than $20 a barrel since early October on global oversupply fears. "The market needs a steady drumbeat of negative pressure to move down further," said Gene McGillian, director of energy research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. "We've seen a significant exodus of a lot of the speculative length in the market." The market pared losses early in the U.S. trading day when energy information provider Genscape reported that crude inventories fell in the latest week, traders said. It then strengthened further into the close. EU foreign ministers endorsed a French government decision to sanction Iranian nationals accused of a bomb plot in France, diplomats said. That could take additional oil off the market from OPEC member Iran. U.S. sanctions on Iran, which were put in place in November, have taken less oil off the market than anticipated as the U.S. has granted waivers to some of Iran's oil customers. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is pushing allied producers including Russia to join in output cuts of 1 million to 1.4 million barrels per day. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russia planned to sign a partnership agreement, and that details would be discussed at OPEC's Dec. 6 meeting in Vienna. "For a cut to be successful in supporting the market, they're going to have to present a front that is not fractured and the chance of that is looking less and less likely as Dec. 6 approaches," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. Story continues While a large cut would support crude futures, clear signals from producers are needed, Yawger said. "We lack any certainty other than that the market is oversupplied in the U.S. and everybody else is trying to deal with it." U.S. crude stockpiles have grown for eight straight weeks, and data last week showed inventories swelled by the most in more than a year. Brent is almost 25 percent below early October's 2018 peak of $86.74 on evidence of slowing global demand while output from the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia hit historic highs. "Oil prices rose (last week) on hope OPEC and partners will act to reverse bearish sentiment, but from a technical set up, bear mode remains intact," OANDA strategist Stephen Innes said. A trade war between the United States and China has made investors warier about the outlook for oil demand growth. (Graphic: U.S. oil drilling points to more output - https://tmsnrt.rs/2Q97LFW) This month, fund managers cut their bullish exposure to crude futures and options to the lowest since around mid-2017. Weekly exchange data shows money managers hold a combined net long position equivalent to around 364 million barrels of U.S. and Brent crude futures and options, down from over 800 million barrels two months ago. "The main trend remains bearish as investors no longer believe in a risk of supply tightness for crude," ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa said. (Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE and Amanda Cooper in LONDON; Editing by David Gregorio and Phil Berlowitz) By Ludwig Burger and Patricia Weiss FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Palantir Technologies Inc will set up a cancer data analytics joint venture with German lab supplies company Merck KGaA, as the U.S. analytics and security firm makes further inroads into health care. The new U.S.-based venture, called Syntropy, will offer cancer data analytics tools to research centers, combining Palantir's Foundry data platform with the customer knowledge of Merck's Life Science business, known as MilliporeSigma in North America, the companies said in a statement on Monday. Syntropy will help medical researchers to structure and analyze data from various sources and to selectively share the insight with external partners, they added. "Our customers will pay a license fee for a software, enabling them to aggregate and analyze data from highly disparate sources," Merck Chief Executive Stefan Oschmann told Reuters, adding the JV would not buy or sell any data. The companies would not disclose financial terms, beyond saying each partner would hold a 50 percent stake. Known for helping the U.S. government track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Palantir does confidential work for defense and intelligence agencies. Private sector customers include aircraft maker Airbus. "When we choose partners, be it in government or the private sector, we are on their side and want to grow a business together and not with five others," said Palantir co-founder and CEO Alexander Karp. "Also in this case, we have no intention to handle it any differently," he said. Healthcare companies are investing heavily in data analytics. GlaxoSmithKline in July agreed to buy a $300 million stake in Google-backed gene testing company 23andMe. Roche has spent $4.3 billion this year buying out two specialists in cancer data, U.S. genomic profiling group Foundation Medicine and U.S. cancer data company Flatiron Health. While Roche is seeking to harness real-life data from cancer units, Merck and Palantir's offering will for now focus on clinical trial data and early-stage research, Merck said. Palantir, which won Merck as a customer in January 2017, said the JV deal would make the German company its exclusive partner in healthcare. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Palantir was weighing an initial public offering with a valuation of as much as $41 billion. (Editing by Thomas Seythal and Mark Potter) On patrol with the Iraqi militia hunting the last remnants of the Islamic State group Baiji, Iraq | A Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi fighter rides on the back of a pickup truck heading towards a nighttime operation targeting the terrorist militia Islamic State group, which hides in this region. (Photo: Sebastian Backhaus) Although the Islamic State group has been defeated militarily in Iraq, members of the militia group still find areas to hide. Some parts of the Sunni population give them shelter. They also find cover in the mountains around Hawija. From their hiding places, they set up attacks: Suddenly popping up at improvised checkpoints in the winding roads that lead through the hills, they arrest or kill those passing, or take hostages and blackmail the government for possible prisoner exchanges. They also place IEDs and send suicide attackers into cities in the region. Iraqi federal police have outposts in the region, but their patrols only operate during the day. At night, they retreat to their bases, when the caliphate of terror becomes a guerrilla terror group. The Islamic State groups favorite targets are members of the Shia militia al-Hashd al-Shaabi. Also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, are Shia-dominated militia was created in 2014 following a fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraqs most influential Shiite cleric. Victory over the Islamic State group in Iraq would be inconceivable without al-Hashd al-Shaabi, which filled the gap left by the Iraqi Army. But they are also an Iran-supported force operating in a traditional Sunni area in Iraq. And members of the Shia-dominated militia have been accused of massacring Iraqi Sunnis. Today, al-Hashd al-Shaabi is fighting sleeper cells and defending against Islamic State group attacks. Unlike the Iraqi federal police in the region, they can react quickly because they dont have to follow a strict chain of command. _____ Based in Berlin, freelance photojournalist Sebastian Backhaus covers humanitarian crises and wars throughout the Middle East. These photographs were taken while Backhaus was embedded with the al-Hashd al-Shaabi during their search for hidden Islamic State group members. _____ See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. President Trump addressed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the recent court decision reinstating CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acostas press pass, his own claims about the media and many other subjects in a wide-ranging interview with Fox News Chris Wallace on Sunday. Wallace pressed the President on his references to the mainstream media as the enemy of the people. Im only saying it very differently than anyones ever said it before, the President told Wallace, before reiterating claims that much of the mainstream coverage of his presidency is false. ....I cant imagine any President having a better or closer relationship with their Vice President then the two of us. Just more FAKE NEWS, the Enemy of the People! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2018 Responding to Trumps fake news claims, Wallace brought up Retired Admiral William McRaven, who led the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. Wallace quoted McRaven as calling Trumps denunciations of the media the greatest threat to democracy hes seen. Hes a Hillary Clinton backer, and an Obama backer, the President responded. And frankly, wouldnt it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that? After the interview, Wallace supplemented the Presidents words by saying McRaven never endorsed a 2016 presidential candidate, though in a hacked email John Podesta discussed him as a possible Clinton running mate. In the interview, Trump also fielded questions on his response to the killing of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Turkey. Contrary to the Saudi governments claims, according to a report from the Washington Post, the CIA has concluded that the assassination was carried out under the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman The President still refused to come down firmly on the Saudi Crown Prince, who has told him that he had no knowledge of the killing. Story continues He told me that he had nothing to do with it, the President insisted. He told me that maybe, I would say, five times. But what if hes lying? Wallace countered. Do you just live with it because you need him? Well, will anybody really know? the president responded. But he did have certainly people that were reasonably close to him that were probably involved. Trump also brushed off the recent court ruling that ordered him to reinstate CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acostas press pass after it was revoked on Nov. 7, following a testy exchange. Its not a big deal, Trump said. If he misbehaves well throw him out, or well stop the news conference No one believes in the first amendment more than I do, and if I think that someone is acting out of sorts, I will leave. Trump also expressed regret over not following the presidential tradition of visiting Arlington National Cemetery to honor Veterans Day. In retrospect, I should have, and I did last year, Trump said, before stating that he had just been at the American cemetery in Paris. I really probably assumed that was fine. And I was extremely busy because of affairs of state, doing other things. The President is evidently pleased with his own job in conducting those affairs, despite controversies, the Muller investigation and his partys recent loss of control over the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections. I hate to do it, but I will do it, President Trump said. I would give myself an A+. Is that enough? Can I go higher than that? Scores of prison inmates are engaged fighting Californias deadliest ever wildfire for just $1 an hour a deployment campaigners say has created the potential for exploitation and abuse. Around 200 prisoners are involved in the fight against the Camp Fire, that has so far claimed 77 lives and destroyed the community of Paradise in northern California. Around 1,000 people have been listed as missing by emergency teams, although the list is not considered fixed. Meanwhile, as many as 3,700 inmates are among the estimated 9,000 firefighters currently tackling various blazes throughout the state. Approximately 2,600 of those are fire line qualifiedinmates. An inmate must volunteer for the fire camp programme; no one is involuntarily assigned to work in a fire camp, Alexandra Powell, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), told The Independent. Volunteers are screened on a case-by-case basis and must have minimum custody status, or the lowest classification for inmates based on their sustained good behaviour in prison, their conforming to rules within the prison and participation in rehabilitative programming, she said. She said volunteers must must have five years or less remaining on their sentence to be considered Reports suggest the use of inmate labour to tackle wildfires saves the state as much as $100m (77.8m) a year, and that the so-called Conservation Camp Programme, has made prisoners available since the 1940s. Yet, campaigners say their involvement is not without problems. At least six inmates are believed to have died fighting fires since 1983 and the prisoners do not receive the same legal protections as other firefighters, the activists said. Most prisoners want to work, and jobs for prisoners can be a very positive thing. A job can provide an escape from the crushing monotony of prison life a chance to do something productive, earn a little money, and maybe even learn some skills that are useful in and of themselves and useful when reentering society, said David Fathi, director of the national prison project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Story continues He added: That said, given the vast power inequality between prisoners and their employers, there is also a persistent and real potential for exploitation and abuse. Prisoners are excluded from the legal protections enjoyed by all other workers. Theyre not allowed to unionise. Theyre not covered by minimum wage laws, and the paltry wages they do earn can be seized by the prison. Ms Powell, of the CDCR, said inmate firefighters receive wildland firefighting training from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire), and would obtain the same amount of training as a seasonal firefighter. It is important to note that through rehabilitation, and programmes like the fire camp programme, inmates learn useful skills that can help them on the outside, she added. On Monday, two days after Donald Trump visited the site of the fires and met some members of the emergency teams, officials said crews had renewed their search for the remains of those who have lost their lives in the Camp Fire blaze, which took hold in Butte County, 80 miles north of the state capital, Sacramento. Reuters said while the remains of 77 people had been recovered as of Sunday night, the Butte County Sheriffs Office had reduced the number of missing to 993 from 1,276. It said the number of missing has fluctuated dramatically over the last week as reports have come in from rescue teams in the field. The sheriffs office said the number would continue to move up and down as remains were found, more missing reports come in and people who have been reported missing turn up safe. Some people appear to have been added to the list more than once under variant spellings of their names, according to other reports. The Camp Fire broke out in northern California on 8 November and rapidly tore through Paradise, a mountain town of nearly 27,000 people. Today, more than 2,000 volunteer inmate firefighters, including 58 youth offenders, are battling wildfire flames throughout CA. Inmate firefighters serve a vital role, clearing thick brush down to bare soil to stop the fires spread. #CarrFire #FergusonFire #MendocinoComplex CA Corrections (@CACorrections) July 31, 2018 It has burned about 151,000 acres, and was 66 per cent contained early on Monday, up from 65 per cent late on Sunday, officials said. Up to four inches of rain is expected to fall north of San Francisco between late Tuesday and Friday, said Patrick Burke, a forecaster at the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Centre in Maryland. But while that might help those still working to contain the blaze, the rain could combine with ash to create thick mud yet another hindrance for those working to recover remains. Colleen Fitzpatrick, founder of the California-based consulting company Identifinders International, said the expected rain will turn the site into a muddy, mushy mess. Its going to coat things and stick to things and its going to make it a lot harder to find remains, she told the news agency. Theres really nothing that can be done about this. The workers looking for remains are going to be stuck with this. Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - Russia, Iran and Turkey will hold the next round of talks on Syria's conflict on November 28-29 in the Kazakh capital Astana, Kazakhstan's foreign minister said on Monday. "The participants plan to discuss the current situation in Syria, in particular in Idlib, creating conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced people, and post-conflict reconstruction," Kairat Abdrakhmanov said in Astana. The meeting will be the 11th in the Astana peace process -- set up in early 2017 by Russia and Iran, who support President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, and opposition backer Turkey. Abdrakhmanov said representatives of Damascus and armed opposition groups would take part, but did not specify what level of officials from Russia, Iran and Turkey would attend. The Astana process was launched after Russia's military intervention in Syria tipped the balance in the regime's favour. It has gradually eclipsed an earlier UN-sponsored negotiations framework known as the Geneva process. This month's meeting comes with continued violence threatening plans for a buffer zone around Idlib, the last major opposition stronghold in Syria. Russia and Turkey agreed in September to set up the buffer zone to avert a Syrian regime offensive, but jihadists who hold around 70 percent of the area have refused to withdraw. Fighting in the area has continued, with jihadists on Friday killing 22 regime fighters in an attack on government forces in the northwest of Hama province near the planned zone. Moscow (AFP) - Russian prosecutors said Monday they had opened a new criminal probe into anti-Kremlin British financier William Browder, alleging he was a crime boss who could have poisoned several associates. Browder -- who describes himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "Enemy Number One" -- dismissed the allegations, saying on Twitter they were Kafkaesque "to say the least". Moscow's new claims against the US-born chief executive of hedge fund Hermitage Capital came as European Union member countries planned to discuss possible new sanctions against Russians implicated in human rights violations. Browder's tax consultant Sergei Magnitsky died in prison of untreated illness in 2009 after accusing Russian officials of $230 million tax fraud. Russia has rejected the claims and convicted Magnitsky of fraud, putting him on trial posthumously. Browder has vowed to avenge his death, pushing the West to adopt legislation punishing Russian officials for rights violations. In a new twist on Monday, a representative of the Russian General Prosecutor's Office, Nikolai Atmonyev, told reporters that a new probe against Browder had been opened on suspicion that he ran a "transnational criminal gang". Browder faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the new charges, Atmonyev said. Russia has earlier convicted Browder in absentia of tax evasion and deliberate bankruptcy. Prosecutors also alleged that Browder could be behind the death of four associates including Magnitsky to cover up crimes allegedly committed in Russia. "The Russian General Prosecutor's Office has concluded that it was Browder who was interested in Magnitsky's death," Atmonyev said, adding Browder might have forced Magnitsky to commit perjury. Prosecutors said the four had been killed, possibly by poisoning with a military-grade substance containing aluminium. - 'Putin's fever dream' - Story continues Alexander Kurennoi, spokesman for the General Prosecutor's Office, told AFP that it was "highly likely" Browder was responsible. Browder suggested the accusations were a response to British claims that Russian operatives attempted to kill former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve agent in England in March. "Putin's 'fever dream' response to being caught poisoning the Skripals is accusing me of four murders, including poisoning of Sergei Magnitsky," he said on Twitter. "I really struck a nerve." Browder's campaign for Magnitsky has had strong resonance worldwide. In 2012, the United States passed the "Sergei Magnitsky Act" which imposed a visa ban and froze the assets of Russian officials implicated in the lawyer's death. British lawmakers adopted similar measures this year. The legislation became a symbol of prison abuses in Russia and strained ties with the West. On Tuesday, EU member states are set to discuss an EU-wide Magnitsky Act in the Hague. "The conference on the Magnitsky law, organised by the Dutch government with all 28 EU countries, the United States and Canada will be held tomorrow in The Hague," Pieter Omtzigt, a lawmaker from the ruling coalition, told AFP. He said "it could be a big step" towards holding officials accountable. - 'Deceitful scumbags' - Browder also noted that the allegations came just as Interpol was expected to decide this week whether a Russian interior ministry official, Alexander Prokopchuk, should become its new president. Moscow critics fear that if its candidate is confirmed, Russia could abuse Interpol "Red Notices" to hunt down Kremlin opponents. Ukraine said Monday it would consider suspending its membership if a Russian representative was elected. Prosecutors said that Browder would be put on an international wanted list "in the near future". Atmonyev said Russia would seek Browder's extradition within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, meaning that no country would be able to refuse to hand him over. Russia's previous efforts to put Browder on Interpol's wanted list have been rejected. Magnitsky went public with details of the $230 million fraud by Russian state officials before being charged with tax evasion and later dying in detention after a year in jail. Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny mocked the new allegations against Browder, pointing to previous official findings that Magnitsky had been beaten in prison and died of untreated illnesses. "First they said that (Magnitsky) died from illness. Then that he banged his head against a wall and tortured himself to death. Now that Browder poisoned him. Deceitful scumbags," Navalny wrote on Twitter. By Nelson Renteria SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - At least 150 Salvadorans set off on Sunday from their impoverished Central American country in a U.S.-bound caravan, ignoring their likely rejection at the U.S.-Mexico border where a larger caravan of mostly Hondurans has been stalled for days. Guarded by police officers, the men, women and children of the gathering caravan marched through San Salvador's streets to Guatemala-bound buses, loaded with heavy backpacks, water and the knowledge of an arduous 2,700-mile (4,300-km) trek ahead to the U.S. border. The group from El Salvador was at least the fourth caravan to set off since a first, large-scale mobilization in neighboring Honduras, which departed on Oct. 13 from the crime-wracked northern city of San Pedro Sula. That caravan quickly grew to thousands as it moved north on daily 30-mile (50-km) treks. Many of its members were still winding their way on Sunday through Mexico toward the U.S border, where hundreds of early arrivals have been waiting since last week to cross. Ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm U.S. congressional elections, President Donald Trump denounced the large caravan as an "invasion" that threatened American national security and sent thousands of active-duty U.S. troops to the border with Mexico. Trump has not publicly focused on the caravan since the election. Inspired by the public spotlight on the larger caravan, Salvadorans organized themselves on social networks and the WhatsApp application to launch the latest effort. Among them was Manuel Umana, a 53-year-old farmer from the town of San Pedro Masahuat, who said he decided to join Sunday's caravan to escape MS-13, a brutal criminal gang that controls large parts of El Salvador and neighboring Honduras. "We are already threatened by the gangs where we live," said Umana, pointing to scars on his face he said gang members had inflicted five years ago. "We no longer can live with these people." His motives echoed dozens of migrants in the earlier caravans who told Reuters they were abandoning their homes to escape a toxic mixture of violence, corruption and economic insecurity. El Salvador and Honduras compete for the highest homicide rates in the world, according to official figures. Both countries rank among the poorest in the Americas. "It is very dangerous but we have no other alternative. We are determined to do what we need to do," said Umana, before leaving with the rest of the caravan from the Salvadoran capital's central Plaza Salvador del Mundo. Far to the north on Sunday, in the city of Tijuana that abuts California, hundreds of people from the larger caravan braced for planned protests from local Mexicans both in favor and against them. Just over the northern border, nearly 6,000 U.S. troops in recent days have stretched barbed wire to dissuade illegal entries. U.S. immigration authorities, meanwhile, barred passage to dozens of the migrants who in recent days formed orderly lines to enter through the San Ysidro Port of Entry connecting Mexico to San Diego. (Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Tijuana; Writing by Delphine Schrank; Editing by Will Dunham) This video captures a shocking attack on London police officers. The incident very nearly results in a police woman being kicked under a double decker bus. Footage taken on the scene, in Croydon, south London, sees two officers apparently trying to detain two men who kick and punch the officers. One of the men is wrestled to the ground before his associate takes a running kick at the woman PC, sending her inches from the path of a turning London bus. The clip was taken by a witness, who later shared it on Twitter with the caption South London at night. Met Police officers are attacked in south London (Twitter/Big Neems) Metropolitan Police told Yahoo News UK: A man has been arrested and charged after two police officers from the Mets Roads and Transport Policing Command were assaulted during a routine traffic stop in south-west London. At approximately 19:55hrs on Saturday, 17 November, the two police constables stopped a vehicle in Kingswood Rd, Merton SW19. The three occupants of the vehicle ran off. The officers managed to detain a 20-year-old man [A] before the other two suspects [B and C] returned and the officers were assaulted. A was arrested and subsequently charged with assault causing ABH and assault on an emergency services worker. He is further charged with driving without insurance and driving other than in accordance with a licence. He is Martin Payne, 20, (6.11.98) of Brighton Road, South Croydon. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Monday, 19 November. The two officers were taken to a west London hospital. A female officer sustained head injuries and a male officer suffered cuts. They have both been discharged. Detectives from the South West Command Unit are investigating. [B] and [C] remain outstanding. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Merton via 101 quoting reference CAD 6952/17Nov. London has experienced a grim spate of violent crime and bloodshed, with the number of homicides recently surpassing that seen in the whole of 2017. The total number in the capital, including the week from October 31 when there were five stab murders, has risen to 120 so far. Story continues According to Home Office figures, there were 118 in London in 2017, excluding the 13 victims of the terrorist attacks at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Finsbury Park. South London at night.. Lol pic.twitter.com/9Qybk0iOrC Big Neems (@nehemiah_adams) November 18, 2018 Today, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is expected to announce a large amount of funding for youth projects across the capital in an effort to steer vulnerable youngsters away from crime. In a letter released Monday, 16 House Democrats vowed to oppose Nancy Pelosi in the upcoming speaker election, throwing her bid to reclaim the post into doubt. We believe more strongly than ever that the time has come for new leadership in our caucus, the letter reads. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus. . . . However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran and won on a message of change. Our majority came on the backs of candidates who said they would support new leadership because voters in hard-won districts, and across the country, want to see real change in Washington. We promised to change the status quo, and we intend to deliver on that promise. The letter was signed by Democratic representatives Tim Ryan, Linda Sanchez, Jim Cooper, Bill Foster, Brian Higgins, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Ed Perlmutter, Kurt Schrader, Filemon Vela, and Kathleen Rice, as well as Representatives-elect Anthony Brindisi, Joe Cunningham, Ben McAdams, Max Rose, and Jeff Van Drew. Notably, several Democratic members and incoming members of Congress who have vowed to oppose Pelosis speaker bid did not sign the letter, including Conor Lamb, Abigail Spanberger, and Jason Crow. Pelosi has led her party for 15 years and was speaker of the House previously from 2007 to 2011. She has made clear that she has no intention of abandoning her bid and said she is 100 percent confident she will win. She needs 218 votes to be elected speaker on January 3, and Democrats are currently projected to control 233 seats in the House. Brussels (AFP) - Spain warned Monday it could yet derail the Brexit deal agreed between London and Brussels if it does not guarantee Madrid's veto over Gibraltar's future status. Madrid has a long-standing claim on Gibraltar, which was ceded to the British crown in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is due to sign a treaty with European Union leaders to leave the bloc on Sunday, if Spain does not stand in the way. But Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell warned on Monday after a meeting of EU ministers that the draft deal does not spell out how Gibraltar should be handled. He said the text does not make it clear that future negotiations on ties between Brussels and post-Brexit Britain are separate from the Gibraltar issue. "Future negotiations on Gibraltar are separate negotiations. And that is what needs to be made clear," Borrell said. "Until it is clear ... we will not be able to give our agreement", he warned. According to Article 184 of the draft divorce deal, "the EU and the United Kingdom shall make every effort, in good faith and with full respect for their respective legal systems, to adopt the measures necessary to negotiate rapidly the agreements governing their future relationship." These agreements will be negotiated between Brexit day on March 29 and December 2020 -- extendable once -- and will enter into force at the end of the period. But Spain wants to retain what it sees as its right to negotiate the future on Gibraltar with Britain on a bilateral basis, giving it an effective veto. Although the legal service of the EU Council has tried to reassure Spain that the text does not preclude this, Madrid is seeking further clarification. "Until we have the future declaration and we know what it says, whether we agree or not, we are not going to approve the withdrawal agreement either," Borrell said. In London, May's spokesman said: "The draft withdrawal agreement agreed last week covers Gibraltar. Story continues "The PM has been clear that we will not exclude Gibraltar, and the other overseas territories and the crown dependences from our negotiations on the future relationship. We will get a deal that works for the whole UK family." Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the position adopted by Madrid "does little to build mutual confidence and trust going forward." Over the weekend, European diplomats said they did not expect Spain's concerns to derail the agreement. Gibraltar has become the latest flashpoint in the Brexit process (Getty) Divisions among EU member states over the Brexit deal have been exposed after Spain threatened to veto the agreement over its provisions on Gibraltar. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has so far been able to maintain a united front in negotiators despite the disparate interests of the 27-member states. But he faced a public rebellion on Monday as Spain demanded Barnier make changes to the draft withdrawal agreement in relation to Gibraltar. The EUs negotiating guidelines published last year stated that any deal on the future relationship between the UK and EU would not apply to Gibraltar without the consent of Spain. MORE: Barnier says Brexit deal will allow UK to take back control Spain is unhappy that the draft withdrawal agreement published last week is not consistent with that position and has warned it wont back the deal at Sundays summit without changes. The negotiations between Britain and the EU have a territorial scope that does not include Gibraltar, the negotiations on the future of Gibraltar are separate discussions, said Spains foreign minister Josep Borrell. This is what needs to be made clear, and until it is clarified in the withdrawal agreement and in the political declaration on the future relationship, we cannot give our backing. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier shaking hands with Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell at a meeting in Brussels on Monday (Getty) The issue risks causing a row at Sundays summit which is meant to simply rubber stamp the agreement, one EU diplomat warned. If Barnier is forced to back down, it could encourage other member states to push for their own last-minute amendments. Ministers from the EU27 formally approved the draft deal during a meeting with Barnier in Brussels on Monday. MORE: EU warns there is no plan B if a Brexit deal is rejected by MPs But France is leading a group of states which wants guarantees on continued access to UK waters for their fishing industry after Brexit as part of the agreement. Barnier has been able to convince EU ministers that these issues should be resolved in the negotiations on the future relationship that will begin after Brexit. Story continues So far, they have agreed to put their concerns on ice so as not to increase the chances of the Brexit deal hitting the rocks but might now reopen the issue. Czech Europe minister Ales Chmelar said some states have some individual proposals on sensitive issue but said: We hope that the text will not be reopened excessively. Rabat (AFP) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday made his first official visit to Morocco, where he pushed for greater cooperation between the two countries on tackling migration. Spain has this year become the main entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, the majority departing from Morocco. "Migration is a shared responsibility and we must reinforce our cooperation in this area," Sanchez said following talks with his Moroccan counterpart Saad Eddine el Othmani. More than 50,000 migrants have crossed into Spain so far this year, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Madrid has for months been pressing the European Union to unlock funds for Morocco to better tackle people smuggling into the bloc. Throughout the year, numerous Spanish ministers and officials have travelled to Rabat to discuss security issues and migration. Sanchez was accompanied by a government delegation for his first visit to the North African nation since taking office in June. Othmani said Morocco was doing "all that is in its power regarding the fight against illegal immigration". Moroccan authorities say that between January and the end of September they stopped some 68,000 illegal attempts to cross into Europe and dismantled 122 people smuggling gangs. "The migration question is complex and it cannot be resolved solely through a security approach, despite its importance, it's necessary to favour the development of departure countries in Africa," said Othmani. Many seeking to reach Europe are from sub-Saharan Africa, but in recent years there has been an increasing number of Moroccans seeking to leave the country. While the majority of migrants have taken the perilous sea journey in rubber dinghies, others have scaled fences into the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla which border Morocco. The boat landed close to Folkestone Harbour: PA Nine people, thought to be migrants from Iran, have been found along the coast at Folkestone after arriving in the UK in an inflatable boat. Kent Police said they were called at 6.54am on Sunday to reports of concerns for people in a boat just off the coast of Dover. The Home Office confirmed that the Border Force responded and found the group in a small vessel which had landed close to Folkestone Harbour. They were brought to Dover with the help of the coastguard. "All of these individuals will now be processed in line with the immigration rules," said a Home Office spokesperson. Authorities have responded to a number of similar groups arriving at the Dover Coast in the last week On Wednesday, three boats with people thought to be migrants on board were picked up by the coastguard. A total of seven men, one woman and a toddler from Iran were on board one boat and were stopped by officials at around 5am. Another vessel, containing 10 Iranian men, was found off the Kent coast at 9.15am. Shortly after 2pm, a third boat carrying five people was met by a merchant vessel near Ramsgate. Fourteen men and three minors all Iranian were also stopped at Dover Harbour on Tuesday after trying to make their way into the country on board a fishing boat. In another incident, Port of Dover police officers found seven men while searching a heavy goods vehicle arriving from Calais on Tuesday afternoon. The Home Office said three of the group said they were Iranian, while four identified themselves as Iraqis. Iran's currency has collapsed to record lows this year as people in the country struggle with the impact of sanctions and government corruption. "We continue to work closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to tackle people smuggling at source," said a spokesperson from the Home Office. "Nobody should put their life at risk attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK across the Channel. Thankfully, this route to the UK remains relatively rare." Additional reporting by agencies Under pressure: Britains Prime Minister Theresa May gives a press conference inside 10 Downing Street in central London on November 15, 2018. Photo: MATT DUNHAM/AFP/Getty Images. UK prime minister Theresa May said on Monday that Britains post-Brexit immigration policy will allow businesses to attract the best and brightest from around the world, in an attempt to quell misgivings from the industry. The prime minister spoke to business leaders at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)s annual conference in London on Monday. The CBI represents 190,000 UK companies who employ close to 7 million people in the UK. Around 1,500 of its members were in attendance at Mondays annual conference. The event comes just as her future as prime minister and the state of Brexit are both up in the air. May agreed a draft deal with the European Union on the terms of Brexit last week but it has been attacked by both the left and the right since then. She doubled down on the deal on Monday, saying: We have in view a deal that will work for the UK and let no one be in any doubt, I am determined to deliver it. The prime minister stressed the advantages the deal offers on immigration. She said: Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people. May said immigration control would be benefits for business too. She said: It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi. Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. It avoids the nightmare scenario Critics claim that Mays deal keeps the UK bound to EU laws without giving Britain any say over these rules. The prime minister has said it is the best deal possible as it is the only viable option to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland. Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigned in protest against the deal last Thursday and the rightwing of Mays Conservative Party has been calling for her to resign and threatening an internal leadership challenge. Story continues The CBI threw its weight behind the deal on Monday, with senior representatives of the trade body saying it will avoid the disruption of a no-deal Brexit. CBI President John Allan said the draft Brexit deal was not perfect, we all know that but minimises the damage. It avoids the nightmare scenario of a no deal departure which would be a wrecking ball for our economy. If were out without a deal, it will have severe consequences if every part of our country, he added. CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said Brexit was consuming politics and businesses, and said politicians calling for a new deal were involved in a high stakes game of risk where the outcome could be an accidental no deal. Surely, surely we can go better than this. She called the draft deal a compromise but hard won progress. Disagreement: CBI Director General Carolyn Fairbairn. Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images. The head of one of Britains biggest business groups has attacked the governments post-Brexit immigration plans as economically damaging and misguided. Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said on Monday: Pulling up the drawbridge, very quickly we understand, would be very damaging and needs a rethink. We have built massively successful businesses based on the concept of freedom of movement. You change that overnight and the damage to our economy would be enormous. There has to be, at the very least, a transition, another one if you like, to enable businesses to adapt. Fairbairn was speaking at the CBIs annual conference in London, addressing around 1,500 of the groups members. The CBI represents around 190,000 businesses in the UK, which employ around 7 million people. Her comments came before UK prime minister Theresa May gave a speech at the same event emphasising the benefits of Britains post-Brexit immigration possibilities. The core of our new immigration system will not be quota-based, May said in her speech. It will be skills-based. May said she would ensure Britain ends freedom of movement, instead prioritising high-skilled immigration from places like India and Sydney. The governments migration advisory committee recommended earlier this year that the UK block any foreign workers earning less than 30,000 ($38,500). Fairbairn said: What has been proposed so far wont work for our economy. This idea that 30,000 is the cut-off point below which we stop people coming here look at the people in our economy who would be affected by that: the construction workers, the care workers, the people who are doing fantastically important jobs, she said. This is a really serious issue and we do have a major difference with the government on it. My question to the government is: what is your plan? Where are the people going to come from that are going to work in our businesses and power our economy? Story continues Fairbairn said the current policy was based on false choices and arbitrary targets. She called for a the government to consult with business on a new immigration policy. It is a reasonable objective for the UK to want to bring down immigration. We heard it in the referendum, the idea of there being a more controlled system of immigration is entirely fine, she said. Sanaa (AFP) - Efforts to end Yemen's devastating war picked up pace Monday as the government and rebels edged closer to peace talks and Britain led a push at the UN Security Council for an immediate truce. The moves came ahead of a visit in the next few days to the Arabian Peninsula country by UN envoy Martin Griffiths, once again trying to get all sides around the negotiating table. "The government has informed the UN envoy to Yemen... that it will send a government delegation to the talks with the aim of reaching a political solution," Yemen's foreign ministry said, quoted by the official Saba news agency. Earlier, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the Huthi rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, tweeted that he wanted his group to announce "readiness to suspend and halt all military operations" and stop firing missiles on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition backing the Yemeni government, also lent its support to new talks. A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council Monday calls for an immediate truce in the battleground port city of Hodeida, according to the draft seen by AFP. However, fierce fighting broke out in the city late Monday between rebels and pro-government forces, according to military officials. The fighting was the worst since forces loyal to the government halted an offensive last week, and was concentrated in the eastern part of the city where rebels fired artillery. Pro-government forces responded while planes from the Saudi-led coalition launched 12 raids, the sources said. The text of the draft UN resolution, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-linked Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. Story continues It also calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month. - 'Renewed commitment' - The Huthis have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa since capturing it in late 2014. They also hold Hodeida, home to a key port on the Red Sea. The rebels have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has since 2015 led a military coalition to restore to power President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. Residents of Sanaa, interviewed by AFP, welcomed the Huthi call to halt military operations. "This initiative is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength to prevent bloodshed and for life to go on," Mohammed al-Jouri said. Griffiths also hailed the rebel move, saying he "hopes that all parties continue to exercise restraint to create a conducive environment" for talks. The envoy will visit Sanaa Wednesday, a source in his office said. He is expected to finalise arrangements for peace talks in Sweden, a date for which has not been set. On Monday, Saudi King Salman told the Shura Council, his country's top advisory body, that Riyadh also supported a "political solution" and a "comprehensive national dialogue" in Yemen. Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Huthis have failed. Griffiths said he hoped the rivals would meet in Sweden "within the next few weeks" to seek "an appropriate formula for the involvement of Ansarullah (the Huthis' movement) and other political parties throughout Yemen in a government of unity". He told Sky News an agreement had been reached to ensure Huthi delegates could attend the talks without fear of being prevented from returning to Yemen, an obstacle that doomed peace talks slated to take place in Geneva in September. - 'Stop the bloodshed' - The Huthis' foreign minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdallah, met UN officials late Sunday, and was quoted by the rebels' news agency as saying the UN and the international community should "adopt the political path to stop the bloodshed". British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. "We are very, very keen to move towards peace in Yemen. That's our number one priority at the moment," Hunt told British television after the talks. Fighting in Yemen intensified at the start of November as the coalition renewed an offensive aimed at seizing Hodeida, whose port serves as entry point for nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid. Pro-government forces announced a pause in their offensive last week as international pressure grew for a ceasefire. But the coalition insisted Monday their operations were still ongoing, with spokesman Turki al-Maliki saying they were targeting rebel reinforcements even as he voiced support for the talks. The rebel-run Al-Masirah TV said the coalition had carried out seven air strikes in the surrounding province and one inside Hodeida city. The rebels also reported fresh clashes in a battle front near Sanaa on Monday, Al-Masirah said. The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the toll may be five times higher. The war in Yemen -- already one of the world's most impoverished countries -- has left the nation on the edge of mass starvation. bur-mah-oh-ac/hc/dv/rsc/kaf Donald Trump has said that there is no reason for him to listen to an audio recording of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Mr Trump confirmed the US has the recording, which was provided by Turkey. But he told Fox News Sunday: I dont want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape. When asked why, Mr Trump called the recording a suffering tape and said he knows everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. The president said that what happened to Khashoggi at the consulate on 2 October was very violent, very vicious and terrible. A US official said that American intelligence agencies have concluded that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing. The Saudi government denies the allegations. Mr Trump earlier said that a CIA assessment, which concluded that that the crown prince was responsible, is very premature but possible. He also said that he will receive a full report into The Washington Post columnists death on Tuesday. According to the president, the report will include a conclusion as to who the US government believes was responsible for the killing, which Mr Trump said should never have happened. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, was slain on 2 October inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was a frequent critic of the crown prince but Saudi Arabia has denied accusations that the kingdoms de facto leader had prior knowledge of the murder. American officials have expressed high confidence in the CIAs assessment, which is the most definitive to date, according to The Washington Post, which originally reported the story. The CIA found that 15 Saudi agents flew on government planes to Istanbul and carried out the killing at the Saudi consulate, the report said. Mr Trumps remarks, made during a trip to California, came just hours after the US State Department claimed that the government was still working on determining responsibility for Khashoggis death. Story continues Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The killing has caused a diplomatic crisis for the US president, who considers the crown prince a close ally. As of this moment we were told that he did not play a role, he told reporters. Were going to have to find out what they have to say. It is unclear who is producing the report the president discussed. The US leaders remarks were similar to those of national security adviser John Bolton, who said earlier this week that people who have listened to an audio recording of the killing do not think it implicates Mohammed bin Salman. Other officials familiar with the case cautioned that while it was likely the prince was involved in the death, there were questions about what role he played. The CIA has briefed other parts of the US government, including Congress, about its conclusions. Mr Trump has previously said that Mr Khashoggis killers should be held to account, but has also stressed the importance of Washingtons ties with Riyadh, one of the biggest clients of the US defence industry. The president is aiming to preserve Saudi arms deals, despite growing opposition in Congress. They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development, he said. But US politicians critical of Saudi Arabia are ramping up pressure on the White House to take action over the killing. Trump must accept (for once) his intelligence experts incontrovertible conclusion: Crown Prince MBS is culpable for Khashoggis monstrous murder, tweeted Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic senator, on Saturday. This brazen killing must have consequences sanctions, prosecution, removal of MBS and others, not continued cover-up, enabled by Trump. Additional reporting by agencies The president claims the US should have caught the al-Qaida leader earlier, but that ignores basic details of the raid In 2012, policemen stand guard near the partially demolished compound where Osama bin Laden was killed. Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters Donald Trump has repeated his claim that Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US Navy Seals in May 2011, should have been captured much earlier, seeking once again to blame Pakistan and his political rivals at home. Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Reprising comments he made in a television interview that aired on Sunday, the US president then claimed that he had pointed [bin Laden out] just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. Trump accused one of his predecessors, Bill Clinton, of missing his shot at killing the terrorist leader, adding that the US had paid Pakistan billions of dollars and they never told us [bin Laden] was living there. Fools! There is a lot to unpick here. The claim that the successful special forces operation in which Bin Laden was killed was overdue is of course subjective. The Saudi-born leader of al-Qaida did manage to slip away from the US in December 2001, when he appeared to have been cornered at Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan. He then managed to live, undetected by the US, in several locations in Pakistan, ending up in the northern garrison town in Abbottabad with wives, children, grandchildren and retainers. Ten years is a long time for a manhunt, one could argue especially for a 6ft 4in terrorist mastermind with an instantly recognisable face who has achieved global infamy. But the details we have of the effort that led to his location and death there was no attempt to capture Bin Laden as Trump implies underline the extreme difficulty of the task. Story continues Al-Qaidas leader was holed up in a house that had no connections to the outside world, that no one other than a trusted retainer and a few family members entered or left, and that even top people in his organisation did not know about. Patient investigative work, with vast numbers of leads checked out and massive amounts of information collated, finally resulted in a breakthrough. Even then, the technical and military capability to investigate the suspect location and eventually to launch such a raid was the cumulation of years of learning and development by the CIA and US special forces. Clinton did, in one sense, miss a shot at bin Laden. There were several instances in the late 1990s when intelligence suggested the presence of the al-Qaida chief on the ground in Afghanistan. There was no attempt to capture Bin Laden as Trump implies. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images On each occasion, concerns about collateral damage 300 people in a mosque, children, a Gulf prince meant a cruise missile attack was called off. On another occasion, in September 2000, a drone pilot thought he had identified the al-Qaida leader on the ground. The only problem? US drones were unarmed at the time. Perhaps the best opportunity to get hold of Bin Laden came in 1996 when he was expelled from Sudan, which was trying to win favour with Washington. The terror chief was a low priority for the US at the time, officials wavered over what to do and he was allowed to travel to Afghanistan. That the US has paid billions of dollars to Pakistan is certainly true, and it looks very likely that no significant intelligence on his whereabouts reached the CIA from the countrys generals or civilian leaders. The jury is still out on whether elements within Pakistans top spy agency, the directorate of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), shielded Bin Laden, but it is clear that soldiers and spies played a double game with the US. This meant that while they were supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan, which they saw as a useful asset, the ISI was prepared to cooperate with the US against the extremists they considered a threat too (and whose capture earned vast bounties). So large numbers of Pakistani troops fought, and died, in campaigns in the countrys western frontier zones, and, at least early on, a series of top al-Qaida commanders were located by the ISI and handed over to the US. Pakistans prime minister Imran Khan replied on Twitter, saying that Trumps remarks add insult to the injury Pakistan has suffered in the War on Terror. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US aid was a miniscule $20 bn, Khan tweeted. Trumps false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018 Finally, there is the claim that Trump saw Bin Laden as a threat before 9/11. It is true that Trump mentioned the al-Qaida leader in his 2000 book The America We Deserve, although the mention comes in a passage apparently bemoaning the proliferation of threats faced by the US. Two years before, al-Qaida had destroyed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, so Bin Ladens potential to cause harm was well-known, and Trump mentioned him as part of a bewildering series of smaller crises. One day were told that a shadowy figure with no fixed address named Osama bin Laden is public enemy No 1, and US jetfighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later its on to a new enemy and new crisis, Trump wrote. The mention of US jetfighters is a reference to the cruise missile strikes that followed the 1998 bombings. These were relatively ineffectual and did not lay waste to any camp, let alone one used by Bin Laden. Those hit were primarily training facilities for Pakistani sectarian militant outfits. Subsequently, Bin Laden split his time between a sprawling complex of buildings on the outskirts of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar; the capital, Kabul, where he stayed in a relatively comfortable two-storey house; and a former collective farm south of the eastern city of Jalalabad. He did not live under any rocks. This article was amended on 20 November 2018 because it referred to Bill Clinton as President Trumps predecessor, instead of as one of his predecessors. Donald Trump mistakenly called the wildfire-ravaged town of Paradise, Pleasure, as he visited the site of Californias deadliest ever blaze. Touring the area over the weekend alongside the states outgoing and incoming governors, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, the US president twice used the wrong name for the town where most of the 77 people known to have died so far have come from. Youre watching from New York or youre watching from Washington, DC, and you dont really see the gravity of it, he said. I mean, as big as they look on the tube, you dont really see whats going on until you come here. And what we saw at Pleasure, what a name right now, but what we just saw, we just left Pleasure... He was then interrupted by the crowd, who corrected him. Or Paradise, Mr Trump added. And what we just saw at Paradise is just, is just not acceptable. Mr Trump also insisted he had not changed his mind on climate change after visiting the town in northern California. I have a strong opinion, he said. I want great climate, we are going to have that and we are going to have forests that are very safe. He appeared to blame forest management for the fires. Weve got to take care of the floors, you know the floors of the forest, very important, he said. You look at other countries where they do it differently and its a whole different story. I was with the president of Finland and he said were a forest nation, he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. They dont have any problem, and what it is, its a very small problem. Finland's leader Sauli Niinisto later told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper that he had spoken briefly with Mr Trump about forest management on 11 November, when they both were in Paris for Armistice Day events. He said their conversation had focused on the California wildfires and the surveillance system Finland uses to monitor forests for fires. Story continues He said he remembered telling Mr Trump that we take care of our forests, but could not recall raking coming up. In California, rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping to douse the flames which have been raging since 8 November. The death toll far surpasses the previous fatality record from a single California wildfire, 29 in the Griffith Park fire on 1933 in Los Angeles and already ranks among the deadliest US wildfires since the turn of the last century. It was also the most destructive in Californias history, having destroyed more than 13,600 homes and other structures. Mr Trump also visited southern California, where firefighters are making progress against another wildfire which tore through communities from Thousand Oaks to Malibu, killing three people. Additional reporting by agencies Donald Trump has said that he will not interfere if acting attorney general Matthew Whittaker seeks to limit special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The president appointed Mr Whittaker earlier this month, having forced out then-attorney general Jeff Sessions after criticising Mr Sessions for months about his decision to recuse himself from overseeing the probe. The federal investigation is looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, whether there was any collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign officials and if Mr Trump has sought to unlawfully obstruct the inquiry. Mr Whitaker has been handed supervision of the Mueller investigation from deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, but has faced controversy over previous remarks criticising the scope of the probe and the possibility of it being curtailed by slashing Mr Mueller's funding. Democrats have called Mr Whitaker a "political lackey" and called on him to immediately recuse himself, particularly given that he had also echoed Mr Trump's constant denials of any collusion with Russia. A new filing as also asked the Supreme Court to rule that Mr Whitaker is not legally qualified to serve as acting attorney general as he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Speaking during an interview on Fox News that is being aired on Sunday, Mr Trump said that he would not get involved if Mr Whitaker moved limit the Mueller probe. "It's going to be up to him," Mr Trump told Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace in a wide-ranging interview. "I think he's very well aware politically. I think he's astute politically. ... He's going to do what's right." Mr Trump said he did not know [Mr Whitaker] took views on the Mueller investigation, saying that those views did not have any effect on the appointment. But the president said his views on the probe were right. What do you do when a persons right? Mr Trump said. There is no collusion. He happened to be right. I mean, he said it. So if he said there is collusion, Im supposed to be taking somebody that says there is? Because then I wouldnt take him for two reasons, but the number one reason is the fact that he would have been wrong. If he said that theres no collusion, hes right. Story continues Mr Mueller has bought indictments and charges against a number of former Trump campaign officials, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Michael Flynn as well as a number of Russian individuals and entities. A number of those in Congress, including some Republicans, are worried that Mr Whitaker's appointment could lead to the investigation being hampered, or even end with Mr Mueller being fired. A bipartisan group of Senators renewed a push last week for legislation to protect Mr Mueller. However, it was opposed by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Democrats would not stand for any effort by Mr Whitaker to curb Mr Mueller's probe. We will expose any involvement he has in it, Mr Schiff said, referring to Whitaker on ABC's This Week. He accused Mr Trump of appointing Mr Whitaker in order to interfere with the investigation. This is an attack on the rule of law. In an interview with Meet the Press on Sunday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, an ally of the president, said he had nothing against Mr Whitaker, adding, however: I dont know if hes the best choice. There are a lot of choices out there, Mr Graham said. The senator said he would encourage the president to pick someone to nominate as attorney general very soon. Mr Trump said he had prepared answers to questions from Mr Mueller as part of the Russia probe. "It wasn't a big deal," Mr Trump said "You know Why? I did nothing wrong." However, Mr Trump also signalled he was not planning to sit down for a face-to-face interview with Mr Mueller or his team. The president and his lawyers had been in negotiations with Mr Mueller's team for months over how the president would be questioned as part of the investigation. Mr Wallace asked Trump whether it was his final position that he would not do a sit-down interview and would not give written responses to questions relating to obstruction of justice. I think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is probably, we're finished, Mr Trump said, although he added: I can change my mind. Beyond the Mueller probe, Mr Trump also faced questions about possible changes in his White House team and the Republican performance in the congressional midterms earlier this month, where the party retained control of the Senate but lost its majority in the House. Facing speculation that White House chief of staff John Kelly, and homeland secretary Kirstjen Nielsen could leave imminently, Mr Trump said that he could change multiple Cabinet members. I have three or four or five positions that Im thinking about. Of that, maybe its going to end up being two. But I need flexibility, Mr Trump said. The president indicated he was disappointed with Ms Nielsen's handling of the southern border, which has been a source of tension for the two. I like her very much, I respect her very much, Id like her to be much together on the border. Much tougher. Period, he said. As for Mr Kelly, Mr Trump played down suggestions of any rift, but did not guarantee he would stay in his job until the next presidential election in 2020. We get along well, Mr Trump said. There are certain things I love what he does, and there are certain things I dont like that he does that arent his strength. I havent even thought about John in terms of this. But John at some point is going to want to move on. As for the recent elections, Mr Trump again said that expanding the Republican majority in the Senate was a "tremendous victory" but tried to explain away the loss of the House by saying that some supporters would only come out if he was facing a vote. I have people that won't vote unless I'm on the ballot, OK? Mr Trump said. And I wasn't on the ballot. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu did not request a U.N. inquiry into the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi when he met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, a U.N. spokesman said, though they did discuss the case. "They discussed Yemen, Syria, Cyprus, as well as the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. On a possible U.N. inquiry into Khashoggi, he added: "We have not received any formal request from the Turkish side." Khashoggi, a U.S.-based Washington Post columnist who was a critic of the Saudi government run by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As Cavusoglu left the United Nations after meeting Guterres he was asked if he requested an international investigation. "We discussed all the aspects of this," he said. After offering numerous contradictory explanations for Khashoggi's disappearance, Riyadh said last week he had been killed and his body dismembered when "negotiations" to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. The public prosecutor said it would seek the death penalty for five suspects in the case. The CIA believes the Saudi prince ordered the killing of Khashoggi, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, complicating U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to preserve ties with a key ally. Four prominent western rights groups - Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders - last month urged Turkey to ask the United Nations to investigate the disappearance of Khashoggi. They say a precedent was set for such a move in 2008 when Pakistan asked then U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish an international inquiry into the assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Ban consulted Pakistani officials and members of the U.N. Security Council. He then notified the 15-member council in 2009 of his intention to establish an inquiry and was given informal approval by the body to do so in a letter. "The Secretary General does not have the authority to do it (an investigation) without a mandate given to him by a legislative body," U.N. spokesman Dujarric said on Friday, citing as examples the Security Council or the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. Dujarric said that if a country made a formal request for an inquiry into Khashoggi's death "we would obviously have to study the content of that letter." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) By Alexander Cornwell DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is fully complying with sanctions imposed this month by the United States on Iran even though it will mean a further drop in trade with Tehran, a UAE economy ministry official told Reuters on Monday. Abu Dhabi, the political capital of the UAE federation, has taken a hawkish stand on Tehran, although Dubai, the country's business hub, has traditionally been a major trading partner with Iran. Washington announced on Nov. 5 a series of sanctions targeting Iran's banks, shipping sector, national airline and 200 individuals after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of an international nuclear deal with Tehran. "We are implementing the sanctions," Abdullah al-Saleh, undersecretary for foreign trade and industry, said in an interview in Dubai. The UAE is enforcing the U.S. sanction regime "as it is published by the United States", al-Saleh said, adding that the relevant authorities would ensure compliance. Al-Saleh said the UAE's trade with Iran is expected to decline this year and next year due to the sanctions, after falling to $17 billion in 2017 from a peak of $20 billion in 2013. Most trade consists of re-exports via Dubai to Iran, which lies across the Gulf. The sanctions are part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to diminish Iranian influence in the Middle East. The UAE is among U.S. allies in the Gulf region that staunchly oppose Iranian foreign policy and swiftly backed Washington's decision. It is also a member of a Saudi-led coalition that is opposing the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen's civil war. Compliance will mean UAE companies do not face difficulties in the United States, and the UAE government will look to boost trade with other markets such as Africa and Asia to offset the impact of the sanctions on its own economy, al-Saleh said, repeating an existing government policy to diversify trade. Trump's administration has threatened those who continue to do Iran business with the prospect of losing access to the U.S. market, although it has given temporary exemptions to eight importing countries to keep buying Iranian oil. The European Union, France, Germany and Britain, which are trying to save the nuclear deal, have said they regret the U.S. decision and will seek to protect European companies doing legitimate business with Tehran. (This version of the story changes day in first paragraph) (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by David Stamp) Bo Young Lee speaks at the #MoveTheDial summit in Toronto on Nov. 7, 2018 (Supplied photo by Lu Chau, Photagonist) When Bo Young Lee graduated from New York Universitys School of Business in 2003, she was a vegan yoga teacher that expected to spend her career working at non-profits. At the time, she found they were the few groups doing the type of work she aspired to do implementing change and making organizations more inclusive. Everything I was taught in business school was created assuming the leader who is going to be sitting at the table is a 40-year old white, straight man, she told a group of mostly women at the Move the Dial Summit held in Toronto earlier this month. (The inaugural conference was aimed at discussion and promoting women in tech.) Every strategy that was being taught was not made for someone who looked like me at that time. So I said to myself, I gotta change this. Today, Lee is trying to implement that change as the first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Uber, a company that has had a tumultuous history when it comes to diversity and inclusion, to say the least. In 2017, a blog post written by former software engineer Susan Fowler accused the company of sexual harassment and discrimination, which eventually led to the resignation of Ubers cofounder Travis Kalanick. Just this summer, a New York Times story revealed that companys chief operating officer Barney Harford had made what some of his colleagues perceived as insensitive comments, including about women and race. Eight months into her job at Uber, Lee spoke to Yahoo Finance Canada about Harford, the tech sectors culture, and whether the company has progressed when it comes to diversity and inclusion. The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Yahoo Finance Canada: You began your new position at Uber in March. What has been your priority since arriving at the company? Bo Young Lee: I think one of the biggest focuses Ive had in Uber is that I tell people that I dont own diversity and inclusion. Its not my responsibility to change the organization. Its my responsibility to create the pathway forward. Unless our leaders, our managers, our workforce are fully engaged, were never going to make progress. Story continues What I found at the organization is most of our senior leaders are engaged. A good plurality of our workforce were engaged but there was a very large chunk in the middle that simply didnt think it was their responsibility. And I think thats been one of the biggest focuses when we are creating those programs, when we are creating those opportunities. We are trying to ensure that every person, at all levels, is thinking about it. YFC: Can you tell me about what kind of specific policies or programs have you brought in at Uber to improve the state of diversity and inclusion at the company? BYL: So in about four weeks, Ill be making some pretty significant announcements about our policy changes around caregiver inclusion, which will give a much more gender-balanced policy. We will be launching training for not only our colleagues, but also our people managers, to help them navigate how you manage somebody with caregiver responsibilities. And so from a purely pragmatic, very policy-oriented way, we will be making some announcements very soon. We have already started launching a number of resources to our colleagues around training, around navigation and then in 2019 were really looking at completely revamping our culture to make it much more inclusive and feasible. YFC: According to Uber, as of March 2018 less than 40 per cent of employees at the company are women. How do you go about increasing representation at the company? BYL: We are working on a number of initiatives. Pretty much every tech innovation-oriented organization out there engages in what I call our unfair share strategy of pipeline development. Right now, there is a fixed number of women, a fixed number of underrepresented people of colour, and we all are trying to get our unfair share of that. What we ultimately have to do is we have to actually develop an alternative pipeline of people who are not represented, whether it is women, people of colour, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. We are working with a lot of programs and partners who are actually creating those alternative pipelines and trying to find them. What we hope is that by working with these organizations, people will actually start to see that we are doing the right thing and that they start to come to us. In any organization, the way you diversify your workforce is never going to be through a pull strategy where youre convincing people that this is where you want to grow your career. People have to come running to you, but that will only happen if you do the right thing from a cultural perspective, a trust perspective, and if we build a culture of engagement. YFC: Do you think things have fundamentally changed at Uber since your arrival? BYL: I think it has. Materially, it feels like theres a different level of conversation. The level of discourse that is happening during our annual performance process is amazing. We have all of our leaders talking about it. People have come up to me who have been with the organization for many years saying there is a level of discourse around diversity and inclusion that didnt even exist in 2017. People are asking questions, asking for numbers, and I think the best testament to this is people want to see the data. Suddenly people want to see our culture survey, down to demographics, so that people can really understand the nuanced differences of the experiences people are having. Thats progress. YFC: Tech companies have been grappling with diversity and inclusion issues for years. Recently, the way Google had been handling sexual harassment claims prompted employees to stage a walk-out at offices around the world. What did you make of the Google Walkout? YFC: I think that it is a wakeup call, not just for Google, but for the entire tech sector because Google was in many ways a north star for a lot of companies. A lot of us arent doing it well, but Google is probably doing it better than most. Then suddenly youre like: Oh my gosh. Maybe we are not having the real fundamental tough conversations to make change. Because what the Google walkout really pointed to is a fundamental aspect of their culture. So I think for a lot of tech companies, the lesson we learn there is that we really have to look at our core values and say, do our core values support us doing the right thing? Its led to some really constructive conversations within Uber. Since last week, Ive talked to more of our (executive leadership team) ELT members more frequently bc they asked me, are we are risk of any this? And I said I dont think so. I think the Me Too movement came a little bit earlier for Uber, and I do think we tried to fundamentally build the infrastructure to ensure that something like this wouldnt happen to us. Q: How does Ubers chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi approach diversity and inclusion? A: Its been great working with him. He has been so open and so willing to engage in tough conversations. He fundamentally gets it from a gender perspective and hes really evolving his thinking around other dimensions of diversity as well. Weve had some really tough conversations where we dont agree on things, but I think the fact that I can have that conversation has been really valuable. But I dont want to centre it all on Dara, because we have some other leaders who are really amazing. And I know that Barney has been in news quite a bit but I will tell you, even before everything that happened, he probably leans more into the conversations than anyone that i have ever met actually in my life. He and I speak on a weekly basis. We love to discuss his leadership, and what he can do to be a better champion for diversity and inclusion. I give him constructive feedback, and he has never been defensive, ever. He will push back sometimes when he doesnt agree, but he really wants us to do the right thing and because he oversees our business, he has a lot of influence to shape the culture there. And I think were having the right conversations. YFC: During your keynote speech at Move the Dial, you emphasized the importance of acknowledging your own biases as a way to overcome them. Do you think the tech sector overall is doing an adequate job of that? BYL: Not really, and Im being very honest about that. Even now, even though we have seen so many organizations facing such fundamental issues around diversity and inclusion, the conversation still hasnt moved to the core fundamental beliefs that we have built our tech culture around that actually ingrain exclusion into the industry and how do we dismantle that. It has to be conversations about the culture. I fundamentally believe that techs problem isnt actually diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion is the byproduct of a larger more fundamental culture issue. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.` By Kylie MacLellan and William James LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Monday to stick to her draft European Union divorce deal as dissenting lawmakers in her own party tried to trigger a leadership challenge. Since striking a deal with the EU on Tuesday, May has faced the most perilous crisis of her premiership with several cabinet ministers resigning, including her Brexit minister. May has pledged to fight on, warning that toppling her risks delaying Britain's exit from the EU, or leaving without a deal, a step that could thrust the world's fifth largest economy into the unknown. Even if she stays in place, the level of opposition from euroskeptics in her own Conservative ranks has made clear how hard it will be to get the deal through parliament. "We have in view a deal that will work for the UK and, let no one be in any doubt, I am determined to deliver it," May said in a speech to Britain's premier business lobby, the CBI, to loud applause. "We are not talking about political theory but the reality of people's lives and livelihoods. "While the world is changing fast, our geography is not: Europe will always be our most proximate goods market, and ensuring we have free-flowing borders is crucial," May said, citing the importance of the automotive industry in particular. "FAIR AND BALANCED" The EU is due to hold a summit to discuss the draft deal on Nov. 25. Some euroskeptic ministers in May's cabinet are reported to want to rewrite parts of it, though EU governments have largely ruled this out. The EU's Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, called the draft "fair and balanced" and offered the orderly exit in March that would form a basis for a future trade deal. May said she wanted any Brexit transition, during which Britain will remain a member in all but name and voting rights, to have ended by the time of the next national election, due in 2022. The EU has signaled it could accept Britain extending the transition by up to two years from December 2020. Barnier met ministers from the 27 EU governments in Brussels as they try to complete a separate, non-binding "declaration" on plans for a trade and security relationship with Britain that May would agree at a summit in Brussels on Sunday. Diplomats said many pushed national interests to be included - France on fishing rights, for example, or Spain's claim to Gibraltar. But there was little concern these would scupper prospects for a text to be ready by Tuesday. Where there was disagreement among the 27, they said, issues would be put to one side until talks start with Britain next year. May has said she will visit Brussels to discuss the declaration before Sunday. More than two years after the United Kingdom voted by 52-48 percent to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019. Many business chiefs and investors fear politics could torpedo an agreement, thrusting the economy into a no-deal void that they say would weaken the West, spook financial markets and silt up the arteries of trade. CBI President John Allan said such a Brexit would be a "wrecking ball" for Britain's economy while CBI Director-General Carolyn Fairbairn said politicians were playing a high-stakes game that could lead to an accidental, no-deal departure. "Surely, surely, we can do better than this," she said. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the business leaders that his party would not countenance a no-deal Brexit but would also vote against May's Brexit blueprint. "After the events of the past week, many people and many businesses will be confused and very, very anxious," Corbyn said in a speech. "The prime minister has negotiated a botched, worst-of-all-worlds deal which is bad for Britain, leaving the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say." CHALLENGE? Asked about the unpopularity of her deal among many in her Conservative Party, May said voters should listen to business. However, Conservative rebels who say the deal will leave Britain in indefinite subjugation to the EU, in part through a continued customs union of uncertain duration, are attempting to trigger a vote of no confidence in her leadership. The chairman of the party's "1922 Committee", Graham Brady, said on Sunday the threshold of 48 letters from MPs had not yet been reached. He also said that if there were a vote, May would win. The Sun newspaper said the rebels were six letters short. One of them, Simon Clarke, told BBC radio: "This day must be the point at which ... action is taken." But by 6 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Monday, there was no sign of a formal challenge. Sterling, which has fluctuated wildly in response to the political turmoil, was flat at $1.2860 . Since she won the top job in the turbulence that followed the 2016 Brexit referendum, May's premiership has been characterized by obduracy in the face of frequent crises. Her biggest challenge will be getting the deal through parliament. The DUP, a small Northern Irish party that props up her minority government, has threatened to pull its support because the deal could end up treating Northern Ireland - given the goal of keeping its land border with EU member state Ireland open - differently from the rest of the United Kingdom. (Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, James Davey and Alistair Smout in London and Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski, Alastair Macdonald and Robin Emmott in Brussels; Writing by Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Heinrich) LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks with the Iranian government on issues including the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, his office said in a statement. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, and earlier this month the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors. Hunt's office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and would stress that the UK is committed to the nuclear deal as long as Iran sticks to its terms. He will also discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief. "The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearised Iran. It needs 100 percent compliance though to survive," Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit. "We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilising activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces." Hunt will also discuss Iran's role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, his office said, and press Iran on its human rights record, calling for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so. "I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the countrys leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage," he said. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Janet Lawrence) LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May says she sees no alternative to the Brexit deal she presented earlier this week, amid reports that some of her senior ministers want her to renegotiate the draft agreement before meeting EU leaders next weekend. "There is no alternative plan on the table. There is no different approach that we could agree with the EU," May wrote in an article for the Sun on Sunday newspaper. "If MPs (legislators) reject the deal, they will simply take us back to square one. It would mean more division, more uncertainty and a failure to deliver on the vote of the British people," she added. Just hours after announcing on Wednesday that her senior ministers had collectively backed her divorce deal, May was thrust into her premiership's most perilous crisis when Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday to oppose the agreement. Other mutinous lawmakers in her party have openly spoken of ousting her and said the Brexit deal would not pass parliament. Brexit supporters say the transitional deal risks leaving Britain subject to EU rules for an indefinite period. On Saturday Andrea Leadsom, the minister in charge of government business in parliament, told the BBC that she was supporting May but was not fully happy with the deal. "I think there's still the potential to improve on the clarification and on some of the measures within it and that's what I'm hoping to be able to help with," she said. Ireland's foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said on Saturday that British pro-Brexit ministers were "not living in the real world" if they thought they could renegotiate the divorce treaty agreed with the EU last week. Several British newspapers had reported that Leadsom was working with four other senior ministers and Brexit enthusiasts - Michael Gove, Liam Fox, Chris Grayling and Penny Mordaunt - to pressure May to change the deal. Mordaunt, Raab, and five other top Conservatives - former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Raab's predecessor David Davis, Interior Minister Sajid Javid, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Work and Pensions Minister Amber Rudd - are all "actively preparing" leadership campaigns, the Sunday Times said. More than 20 Conservative lawmakers have written to call for May to go, and a total 48 requests are needed to trigger a leadership contest. The Sunday Times also reported Britain's army had been ordered to step up contingency plans to help police maintain public order in case of food and medicine shortages after a "no deal" Brexit, citing an unnamed "well-placed army source." (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Laredo (United States) (AFP) - They started work in the cool of the morning and moved quickly, uncoiling reel after reel of vicious-looking fencing and tying it with barbed wire to green poles hammered into the ground. Over the course of three days, a gleaming, shoulders-high barrier of concertina-wire emerged like a silver snake along a lush riverbank, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was the work of 100 or so American troops from the 19th Engineer Battalion, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Rather than finding themselves in a far-off warzone, the soldiers are in Laredo, a busy border town overlooking a stretch of the Rio Grande river in southwest Texas, carrying out controversial orders from President Donald Trump. He has sent about 5,800 troops to the border to forestall the arrival of large groups of Central American migrants traveling through Mexico and towards the US, in a move critics decry as a costly political stunt to galvanize supporters ahead of midterm elections earlier this month. Before the election Trump called the matter a "national emergency" and warned that so-called migrant caravans were an "invasion" with "some very bad thugs and gang members." So far at least, the most visible aspect of Trump's deployment is the fence, a visible deterrent and physical obstacle to migrants, designed to corral would-be asylum seekers towards organized points of entry into the US. - Residents with cakes - Over the weekend, Lieutenant Alan Koepnick's platoon could be seen stringing concertina wire, which is built to snag clothing, along one edge of a quiet riverside park near downtown Laredo. As families walked dogs, grilled sausages and relaxed, the soldiers mounted the wire, occasionally ripping their camouflaged uniforms on its metal barbs. Koepnick said some Laredo residents had voiced disquiet about the fencing and the presence of US troops. "But there's also been a lot of support, people coming in, vets shaking our hands, bringing us cakes, water, things like that," Koepnick told AFP. Story continues About 100 yards (meters) behind him, a group of people on the Mexican side of the river could be seen standing on the bank. "You'll see people across the river cursing at us in Spanish, throwing bottles at us. But on this side it's more positive," Koepnick said. He and his soldiers were unarmed, but a group of armed military police officers stood by to provide "force protection." Under US law, the military is not allowed to conduct domestic law enforcement in most cases, so soldiers here will not have any direct interactions with migrants. Trump created a media whirlwind by sounding the alarm about the migrant caravans before the November 6 elections. He has mainly stopped raising it since, though last week he praised the military's work. "They built great fencing, they built a very powerful fence," said Trump, who wants to build a hardened wall along the entire 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border. Laura Pole, a British tourist visiting Laredo for the third time, was less enthusiastic. "It reminds me of Hitler and the concentration camps," she said, but added: "I really don't know what's the best thing to do." - No risk of combat - The border mission has put the supposedly non-political military in an uncomfortable spotlight. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has hit back at critics who say the Pentagon should not be doing Trump's political bidding, saying "we don't do stunts". He visited troops on the border last week and reiterated that their job in the short term was to assist under-resourced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and put up physical obstacles. But "longer term, it's somewhat to be determined," he said. After some rank-and-file troops grumbled about the purpose of the mission to US media last week, they are now under strict instructions not to voice personal opinions to the press. Several soldiers AFP spoke to said their time on the border provided valuable real-world training, albeit without the risks of combat. "We have a very large group of brand-new soldiers and it's really good for them," Corporal Samuel Fletcher said, citing a chance for the green troops "to do real work and put their skills to use." - Focus on Tijuana - In Laredo, large groups of migrants from the caravans in Mexico had not arrived. Instead they were mainly headed to Tijuana, about 1,300 miles away in San Diego, where authorities say more than 3,000 have already arrived. Still, a CBP agent, who was not authorized to give his name, said he was glad of the military assistance as each day, "hundreds" of migrants attempt to cross the approximately 30-mile stretch of border he patrols. The military deployment is set to wrap up December 15 and it is not clear what will become of the wire fencing. Already, the winds whistling down the Rio Grande valley are strewing trash, clothing and plastic bags along the jagged wire. "Nobody seems to know when it's coming down. It's not really our decision," said Koepnick. "If we are told to take it down, we will take it down with a smile on our faces, like good soldiers." Washington (AFP) - The United States will make final conclusions by early next week over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump said Saturday, following reports that the CIA had held Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly changed its official narrative of the October 2 murder, first denying any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts and later saying he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight. Earlier this week, a Saudi prosecutor exonerated the crown prince of involvement in the brutal murder. Speaking to reporters in Malibu, California after surveying damage from wildfires, Trump said "we'll be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday." State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert earlier said reports indicating the United States had already made final conclusions in the case were "inaccurate." "There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi," she added. The State Department will continue to seek facts and work with other countries to hold those involved in the killing accountable, Nauert said, "while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia." "In the meantime, we will continue to consult Congress, and work with other nations to hold accountable those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi." She noted that Washington had already taken "decisive measures" against individuals, including visa and sanctions actions. The remarks appeared to contradict reports that the Central Intelligence Agency had determined Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Khashoggi, a vocal critic. - 'Truly spectacular ally' - The killing and the international uproar it triggered has frayed ties between Washington and longtime ally Riyadh, which has sought to end discussion of the murder and rejected calls for an international investigation. Story continues But ahead of a briefing by his secretary of state and CIA director, Trump demured when asked about possible retaliation against Riyadh. "They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development," Trump told reporters. "And I also take that -- you know, I'm president -- I have to take a lot of things into consideration." The Washington Post, which broke the story, said the CIA found that 15 Saudi agents flew on government aircraft to Istanbul and assassinated Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate. Khashoggi, a Post columnist, had gone to the consulate to obtain documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancee. European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini meanwhile reiterated calls for a "thorough, credible and transparent" probe into Khashoggi's killing. "The need remains to shed full clarity on the circumstances surrounding this horrendous crime as well as to ensure accountability for all those responsible for it," she said in a statement. Reiterating the EU's categorical opposition to the death penalty, Mogherini said "we will continue to stress that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia must put in place measures to ensure that something like this can never happen again." "In due course, the EU and its member states will consider how they can act together towards appropriate measures against those responsible, in support of the rules based international system," she added. In the latest version of the events presented by the Saudi prosecutor on Thursday, a 15-member squad was formed to bring Khashoggi back from Istanbul "by means of persuasion" -- but instead ended up killing the journalist and dismembering his body in a "rogue" operation. Victoria had Saturday, October 6, 2018, circled on her calendar for the better part of a year. That was the date she and her longtime boyfriend, Rick, were supposed to walk down the aisle and commit to spend the rest of their lives together in front of 250 of their closest friends and family. (Note: Names have been changed to protect the former couples identity.) With nine weeks to go before their big day, 34-year-old Victoria had this sinking feeling. Ever since Rick proposed to me 13 months ago, I felt he really wasnt on board with the wedding, she said. Rick didnt want anything to do with the planning, from picking out the venue to coming up with the invite list. He seemed distant. Its like he just stuck his head in a hole, and didnt want to come out, she said. Victoria finally worked up the courage to ask Rick the question she had been dreading to hear the answer to: Do you really want to get married? His answer confirmed her suspicions. Rick didnt want to be married, and not just right now ever! Hurt, angry, and confused, Victoria quickly realized that she not only had a broken heart to mend, she might also have an empty pocketbook if she didnt try to recoup some of that wedding money, and fast. Bride and groom close up saying their vows According to TheKnot.com, 1 in 10 couples pay for their weddings entirely by themselves, and that was Victoria and Rick. They had agreed to split the cost of their $27,000 wedding in Mahopac, New York. Whats a lovelorn bride or groom to do? The first order of business, according BitchlessBride.com founder, Deborah DeFrancesco is to inform your guests that the wedding is off. She says if a save the date or actual invites have already gone out, you need to let your guests know the wedding is not happening. Enlist a friend or family member to call or send a note, DeFrancisco says. They dont have to go into the why of the cancelled wedding, but they can let guests know that their support during this challenging time is appreciated. Story continues If words escape you, Zazzle.com has a good assortment of canceled-wedding notices that can take the edge off having to make a phone call. Next, DeFrancesco says its time to contact the venue. Whether its an elegant hotel ballroom or a trendy barn on a farm, the wedding space is usually the bride and grooms biggest ticket item, averaging about $16,000. The 90-days-prior mark is critical, since thats when many reception spaces require 50% of their fees. Appeal to their softer side, advises DeFrancesco. She says be prepared to lose part or all of your deposit, and dont go in with demands. Let the venue manager know that this is a very difficult time for you emotionally, and anything they can do to help mitigate the financial pain is much appreciated. DeFrancesco says if you can find a replacement event for the day your wedding would have been held, you have a much better chance at getting all or most of your money back. And that romantic getaway youd planned? Sites like Canceledweddings.com allows registered users to buy or sell discounted weddings or honeymoons. When it comes to the wedding dress, DeFrancesco says, Price to sell. In addition to the usual suspects, such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace, DeFrancesco recommends sites such as BravoBrides.com and Tradesy.com. You may also want to consider donating the dress to a non-profit organization. Youll be doing something good for someone else and get a tax deduction. DeFrancesco cautions not to expect much back from smaller businesses, like the photographer, makeup artist, or band. You may get them to agree on offering you a credit, but they typically work for themselves and may have passed up other work opportunities on what would have been your wedding date. Should you give back the engagement ring? While it is a personal decision, the legal answer depends on which state you live in. In California and Texas, the recipient of the ring is expected to return it, unless the giver called off the engagement. If youre in Montana, the engagement ring is considered an unconditional gift. Victoria decided to give her engagement ring back to Rick. She also managed to get 60% of the deposit back from the venue and her photographer gave her a credit for a future photo shoot. She donated her $1,800 wedding dress to Brides Across America in support of military brides. On Saturday, October 6, 2018, her would-be wedding day, Victoria drove to New England with a couple of close friends for some leaf peeping and stayed at her favorite bed-and-breakfast. Not sure about how to approach the sales event? Here are our top tips - Getty Images Contributor Cards at the ready, shoppers. The lead up to Black Friday 2018 is upon us and, if the retail industry at large is anything to go by, its time to prepare for the biggest and best deals of the decade. Deals - as Black Friday demands - for everything; mobile phones, washing machines, headphones, holidays, and almost anything else you might consider treating yourself (or your Christmas jumper-wearing loved ones) to in the next twelve months. As always, The Telegraph will not only handpick the highlights from an immense and ever-increasing throng of Black Friday deals, but share all the best last-minute bargains with you as they go live. These days, its a necessity. The notoriously frenzied Friday can overwhelm shoppers hoping to find diamonds in the rough and November 23rd - swiftly followed by Cyber Monday on the 26th - will prove no different. It is more important than ever to prepare exactly where and how you will find the best Black Friday deals. Read on for our top tips. Where to find the best Black Friday deals Amazons Black Friday extravaganza, which has been so successful for the company that the single day pushed CEO Jeff Bezos net worth past $100 billion last year, heavily promotes and discounts its lifestyle products. Think virtual assistants, virtual books, and virtually anything else that falls under tech. TVs are a veritable Black Friday staple and new advancements suggest typically costly OLED screens will be much more affordable over the shopping period. Black Friday holiday deals often follow current travel trends. By recent estimations, trips to tourism-hungry destinations like the US, Tunisia, Greece, Spain, and Turkey could be more than half price. Apple are not known for discounting its famous products (in the past they've opted to include gift cards with new purchases, instead during Black Friday). However it's not all bad news - many mobile network providers tend to offer sim-free iPhone and iPad deals, in addition to heavily reduced monthly plans. Clothing retailers tend to prefer store-wide discounts (often around 20 per cent for high street brands) to individual deals. This does, however, make them one of the only places to find great deals on a shops extras - the accessories, homeware and gadgets that make superior stocking stuffers. Despite their popularity, both the PS4 and Xbox One are due to be upgraded next year, meaning their Black Friday bundles will be more competitive than ever. As part of an effort to expand their audience beyond second-hand lovers, eBay host a range of exclusive Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. In recent years, they have been especially generous with home appliance deals. Photographers both budding and professional are likely to save hundreds of pounds camera equipment and compacts. Most great tech retailers will discount one or two hero products in each category. Black Friday preparation tips Story continues Write a Christmas list (and then some) Black Friday deals offer you an unusual opportunity to gift your nearest and dearest with the present of their dreams. For twenty-four hours, a budget that might afford you a great bottle of wine, could stretch to the coffee machine your Mum has been dropping hints about. Make a list of upcoming occasions (birthdays, babies and beyond) and make the most of these annual discounts to snap up something special. Subscribe to The Telegraphs Black Friday updates We hunt the mess for the best so you dont have to. Make Friday a Fiveday Last year, retailers were under such pressure to beat each others Black Friday records they competitively unveiled flash sales as early as the Monday beforehand. The Fiveday approach was typically utilised for the trends in each sector, meaning this years it gifts are likely to show up days in advance. Keep an eye on your suspected retailers social media accounts, or sign-up to their newsletters and promotional marketing to ensure you dont miss out on any early sales. Search, search, search: Comparison is key In the wise words of The Miracles, you better shop around. If a heavily discounted product deal catches your eye, it is not only likely to show up in its competitors Black Friday deals, but be joined by a host of similar devices with different specifications. Dont click on the first laptop deal that lands in your inbox. Instead, ensure it is the best Black Friday laptop for your needs and do a quick search to find it at its best price. Question unbelievable deals You need a new vacuum cleaner and Black Friday is teeming with the latest and greatest. Like most people, you will scan a few deals before finding one at a sale price far exceeding anyone elses and assume youve hit the jackpot. You might be right. Or you might be getting ready to buy an outdated model that has already been on sale for a year. Remember, the RRP doesnt change; it is more important to own the right hoover than the hoover that saved you 200. Hack product discounts that dont exist Though some brands and retailers completely abstain from from Black Friday, you may be able to buy their products - heavily reduced - with a very simple Black Friday hack. Simply search online for the product youre looking for, scope out the affiliated retailers who offer it, and sign up to their sale or newsletter updates. Department and grocery stores are especially good for this as they are most likely to do site-wide Black Friday discounts and vouchers. Shop online While the atmosphere created by excitable high street hunters cant be matched by invisible digital crowds, online shopping (and a fast WiFi connection) gives you immediate access to deals it would otherwise take you days to scour shops for. Consumer Contract regulations also offer a legal returns policy - 14 days to notify the retailer of return and another 14 to do so - which does not apply to in-store purchases. Register your interest Increased digital traffic can sometimes send websites into a tailspin, meaning slow speeds or hesitation can be the difference between a sale or a sell-out. When you have your Black Friday wishlist created, register an account with the appropriate retailers and pre-load your address and payment details where you can. If you fill your shopping basket or wishlist, some retailers will even allow one-click purchasing when the deals go live. Prepare ahead to guarantee your deals. Explore Black Friday discount codes and Cyber Monday offers Manila (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping lands Tuesday for his first state visit to the Philippines, a traditional US ally that is a key prize as Beijing and Washington jostle for supremacy in the Pacific. China won a windfall partner with the 2016 election of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has rattled the Philippines' century-old bond with the US while courting trade and investment from the rising American rival. Manila has said it hopes the two-day stopover, the first from a Chinese president in 13 years, will finally net signed deals for investment in major infrastructure projects promised by Beijing when Duterte visited two years ago. China has dispersed tens of billions of dollars in loans since 2013 as it expands its political influence globally, countering the American hegemony that characterised the post-World War II order, especially in Asia. Duterte has enthusiastically embraced Xi, even setting aside a key 2016 ruling from an international tribunal that declared as without basis Beijing's expansive claim over the South China Sea. At the same time, the mercurial leader has declared an end to the Philippines' submissive relationship with the US, even calling then-US president Barack Obama "son of a whore". But relations have been warmer since Donald Trump became US president and dropped American criticism of Duterte's anti-drug crackdown that has killed thousands. The dispute over the resource-rich South China Sea, a key transit route for billions in trade, led to a freeze in Manila-Beijing relations which thawed with Duterte's pivot. - Duterte taken for a ride? - China subsequently pledged $24 billion in loans and investments, but just a tiny portion has come through, which has prompted critics to say Duterte was tricked. Meanwhile, others have warned of a "debt trap" citing China's lending record with the rest of the developing world. Filipino analyst Richard Heydarian said China's pledges induced Manila to "soft-pedal" on the South China Sea issue, but failed to hold up its end of the bargain. Story continues "We know there was a geopolitical calculation," he told AFP. "What is the incentive to rush if Duterte has been giving them whatever they want?" Filipino Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno conceded last week the delays were partly due to China's unfamiliarity with the Philippine bidding process, but didn't hide his wish for things to accelerate. "The visit of the head of state of China will put pressure on the team (in Beijing)," Diokno added. Gregory Wyatt, director for business intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy, said big projects face many barriers in the Philippines, like right of way issues, regulatory approvals and political dissent. "The foreign investment has come, the infrastructure loans have not," he added. Chinese investments in the Philippines surged more than five-fold in the first six months of the year after a 67 percent expansion last year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a Manila visit last month. Two-way trade also topped 10 percent over both periods, he added. Chinese investors poured money into online gaming, real estate, service providers and stakes in existing Filipino firms, but not into large-scale infrastructure or manufacturing, Wyatt said. While there was support in government for the latter, "that doesn't mean that every bureaucrat, local politician, and the general public enthusiastically jumps on board", Wyatt said. CNNs Jim Acosta is reporting at the White House again after a judge ruled that the Trump administration overstepped the law in revoking his access. Ill tell you what: CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person, Trump told Acosta. Its no secret that Trump isnt a big fan of the media, especially CNN, which he has frequently referred to as the Clinton News Network. But after Acostas press pass was pulled, the network filed a lawsuit against the president, alleging that he violated its First and Fifth Amendment rights. Lawyers for the administration argued, The President and White House possess the same broad discretion to regulate access to the White House for journalists that they possess to select which journalists receive interviews. But a judge ruled that the White House had to reissue Acostas press pass. I want to thank the judge for the decision he made today. And lets go back to work, said Acosta. The First Amendment guarantees: Congress shall make no law prohibiting or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. And following a 1977 court case, any outlet can apply for a press pass, and cannot be denied one without a formal written decision. Currently, 20 of the 49 seats in the press pool are taken by news outlets that didnt exist when seats were first assigned or by organizations new to covering the White House. Members of the press have had an assigned workspace at the White House since 1902. President Dwight D. Eisenhowers press secretary first permitted outlets to record coverage of news conferences in 1955. Further solidifying the importance of the press, President John F. Kennedy became the first to hold a live televised press conference. The growing presence of media even forced the White House to build a more modern briefing room next to the West Wing in 1969. Democratic and Republican administrations alike have granted the press access for decades, including big and small outlets. Story continues But President Trump has been less welcoming of news outlets, and the Acosta court case is just the latest confrontation. Press secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration will develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. But according to CNN, the Trump administration said its going to revoke Acostas pass again once the temporary restraining order expires. The president said his staff is are now drafting a code of conduct for the press. By Aziz El Yaakoubi DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemens Houthi movement said on Monday it was halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemens main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "After our contacts with the U.N. envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes ... We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks before the end of the year in Sweden to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. Yemen's parties have given "firm assurances" they are committed to attending peace talks to be convened shortly, Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council on Friday, and pledged to escort the Houthi delegation from Sanaa if needed. The Iranian-aligned group which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years added it was ready for a broader ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace." "(The decision) came to support the U.N. envoy, to show good faith and support the peace efforts," the statement said. Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have said they support U.N.-led peace talks. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition, which entered Yemens war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. The Houthis last July unilaterally halted attacks in the Red Sea to support peace efforts, after Saudi Arabia suspended temporarily oil exports through a strategic Red Sea channel following attacks on crude tankers. Key Western allies including the United States have been urgently calling for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed U.N. efforts. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of U.S.-based Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early last month. (Additional reporting by Hesham Hajali in Cairo; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Chris Reese) By Aziz El Yaakoubi DUBAI (Reuters) - Houthi rebels in Yemen said on Monday they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, responding to a demand from the United Nations. The Iranian-aligned group, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government for nearly four years, also said it was ready for a broader ceasefire if the Saudi-led coalition "wants peace". The Houthis' decision to halt missile attacks could be a turning point in peace efforts as it ends a direct threat to Saudi Arabia. It is by far the biggest concession from the movement since it left the southern port city of Aden in 2015. International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the war that has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the verge of starvation. The move from the Houthi group came after the coalition ordered a halt in its offensive against Yemen's main port city Hodeidah, which has become the focus of the war. "We announce our initiative ... to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a statement. The decision was based on discussions with U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths to show "good faith" and support peace efforts, he said. Griffiths welcomed the Houthi announcement and urged all parties to continue to show restraint "to create a conducive environment for convening the consultations". The envoy is trying to salvage peace talks after a round in September collapsed when the Houthis did not show up. He hopes to convene talks in Sweden before the end of the year to agree on a framework for peace under a transitional government. Yemen's parties have given "firm assurances" they are committed to attending peace talks, Griffiths told the U.N. Security Council on Friday. On Monday, the Security Council began considering a British-drafted resolution that aims to improve the humanitarian situation. It calls for a halt to fighting in Hodeidah, a stop to attacks on populated areas across Yemen and an end to attacks on countries in the region. The draft, seen by Reuters, also calls for an unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian goods across the country, including lifting of any bureaucratic impediments within two weeks, a large, fast injection of foreign currency into the economy through the Central Bank of Yemen and more aid funding. It was not immediately clear when the text could be put to a vote. To pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France. TIRED OF WAR Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Monday reiterated the kingdom's support for U.N. peace efforts. The Riyadh-backed government also announced its willingness to take part in the next round of consultations. Yemenis cautiously welcomed the announcement on Monday. "We pray that this will be the real beginning of peace in Yemen, we are all tired of this war," said Mona Ibrahim, a teacher in the capital Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since September 2014. "We just want to live like other humans," Mohammed al-Ahdal, a resident of Hodeidah said. The Houthi defense ministry said it would respond to any hostilities from the coalition. Graham Griffiths, a senior analyst at Control Risks Middle East, said the announcement was potentially important as it comes in response to the coalition's pausing of Hodeidah operations. "Efforts to resume the peace process remain fragile ... given the mutual distrust between the warring parties. Nevertheless, given the renewed pressure from the international community, there is a real chance to begin to move the conflict toward a durable de-escalation," he said. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on Monday that Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile on Saudi-backed forces in the desert of Midi, bordering Saudi Arabia. It was not immediately clear when the attack happened. An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition targeted the Sahar district of the northwestern city of Saada on Monday, injuring several people, residents and Al Masirah TV said. The Houthis say their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for air raids by the alliance, which entered Yemen's war in 2015 to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in the impoverished country that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. Western allies including the United States have called for a ceasefire ahead of the renewed U.N. efforts. Western countries have provided arms and intelligence to the Arab states in the alliance, but have shown increasing reservations about the conflict since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul last month. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Hesham Hajali in Cairo, Asma Alsharif in Dubai and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Angus MacSwan, David Gregorio and Andrew Heavens) 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. We will never forget our flight back from Milan in 2006. It was a Thursday, and Israel was in the middle of a war in Lebanon. Just a few days earlier, a British Muslim terror squad, which planned to blow up airplanes using liquids, was discovered. Lines at the airport were long and people were hysterical. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The new threat caused airlines to ban liquids, even medicine and creams, and flights were bound to be delayed because of these new guidelines. The number of Israelis who wanted to return home was astounding. Violence on an El Al flight. At some point, a crew member approached us and said our flight is overbooked. He said we looked like nice people, and offered to treat us with a flight on the next day, Friday, in business class, and with accommodation at a five-star hotel until then. He even offered us 400 each. We were a fairly young couple, and 800 would have been a tremendous help to us, not to mention we've never imagined we would have the opportunity to fly in business class. But we looked at each other and immediately said no. Of course not. And thanks for asking. And why is that? Because the flight was scheduled to land an hour before Shabbat. The crew member was shocked, but moved on to the next couple. We said our no without regrets, hesitation, or thoughts of losing out. For us, it was crystal clear: Losing out would be to get on a plane that is delayed, just a bit, and then lands after Shabbat. Losing out would be to arrive 30 minutes before Shabbat, but then get stuck in line at passport control and desecrate the Shabbat. Read my lips: not 800, nor 800,000there is no amount of money in the world that can buy my Shabbat observation, or any other observant person's. That's basic. Ask anybody. Chaos on board. (Photo: Roni Meital) And now a word about the "Shabbat flight" ordeal. An El Al flight that leaves late and is scheduled to arrive just on the verge of Shabbat; a flight that doesn't allow observant passengers on board to get off, while the plane waits for hours at the airport before takeoff; passengers that get vague answers while in the air, only to finally learn that they will be landing in Athens instead of Tel Aviv a moment before Shabbat. I read the horrifying descriptions of events by flight attendants and shudder. I read violent comments from secular people who call the ultra-Orthodox names, and say they "bend our society to their will," and shudder. The differences between the two versions are as immense as the rift in Israeli societya rift that is today bigger than ever. I wasn't on this flight, and I dont know who said what, to whom and where. By the cockpit, in the aisleit doesn't matter. The different testimonies show no one sector was responsible for the rage, and that the initial claims made against the observant passengers were inaccurate, to say the least. This is the place to state the obviousviolence is unacceptable. But we also need to acknowledge that this was a traumatic event for observant people: The fear of desecrating Shabbat is traumatic. I'm happy I was spared this experience. Someone, I'm not sure who, should be doing some soul-searching following this event. How did we get to a situation in which a religious passenger who wishes to observe the most basic Mitzvah is on public trial for it? Israel's national airline used ultra-Orthodox passengers cynically and posed as a victim. But it's an unconvincing victim. Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked are expected to resign on Monday morning, consequently bringing down the government and leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with no choice but to call early elections. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter After Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman announced his resignation from the government , Bayit Yehudi demanded the defense portfolio for party head Bennett and threatened to quit the government if the demand is not met. On Sunday evening, Netanyahu held a press conference and announced he intended to keep the defense portfolio for himself, leaving the ball in Bennett's court. Justice Minister Shaked, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Education Minister Bennett Earlier on Sunday, Shaked set an ultimatum for the prime minister: Security or elections. "At this point, the government is no longer a right-wing government, unfortunately," she said. "The only justification for the continued existence of the government until November 2019 is for Bennett to carry out a revolution in security, give Israel back the deterrence that was lost under Lieberman over the past two years, and help to fix the serious crisis in trust in the defense establishment. We must go to elections as soon as possible to establish a new right-wing government, headed by Netanyahu, with Bayit Yehudi being the strong party to his right, so we could finally vote Right and get Right." However, sources close to Netanyahu said the prime minister was not willing to capitulate to Bennett's demands. Senior Likud officials, meanwhile, said Netanyahu didn't rule out giving Bennett the defense portfolio in the future, but he first wanted the education minister to stay in the government without conditions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: AP) Netanyahu met with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon on Sunday evening in an effort to convince him to remain in the government. Following this meeting, Netanyahu announced he would keep the defense portfolio, prompting Bennett and Shaked to announce a press conference at 10:30am on Monday. Bennett spoke to political officials in the coalition on Sunday evening, telling them he plans to resign following Netanyahu's decision not to appoint him defense minister. According to those officials, Bennett intends to vote in favor of the Knesset's dissolution on Wednesday "as a member of Knesset and not as a minister." Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, a member of the Tkuma faction inside Bayit Yehudi, said Monday morning that he and fellow MK Bezalel Smotrich supported Bennett's demand for the defense portfolio, adding that if Bennett decides to resign from the government, his faction will hold a special discussion to decide whether to join the Bayit Yehudi leader's move. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, a close associate of Netanyahu, held talks with members of Kahlon's party Kulanu and Bennett's party Bayit Yehudi on Sunday, telling them that "dissolving the government would be an irresponsible act, both on the security level and by bringing down a right-wing government." Meanwhile, Netanyahu is expected to announce the appointment of ministers in the coming days. With the prime minister deciding to keep the defense portfolio, he will have to give up the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He has promised it to two ministers: Gilad Erdan and Yisrael Katz. But in an effort to avoid a clash between the two ministers, he's leaning towards a third candidate: Yuval Steinitz. As for the Immigration Absorption Ministry vacated by Yisrael Beytenu member Sofa Landver, Netanyahu is considering giving it to Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, to whom the prime minister reportedly promised an upgrade to minister at the first chance he gets. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU), who maintains extensive ties with countries in the Persian Gulf, said he has recently seen a vast improvement in relations between Israel and the Gulf states. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Schneier, who is known as a rabbi to many US celebrities, said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth that the six Persian Gulf emirates are competing over who will be the first to go public with their relationship with Israel, and establish diplomatic ties. "I believe we will soon see the official forming of relations with Bahrain, and the rest will follow," he asserted. Rabbi Marc Schneier with King of Bahrain ( ) Over the past 15 years, Rabbi Schneier has visited many palaces in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. According to him, the Iranian threat is what stands behind the change in attitude toward Israel. "Israel and the Gulf states face the same existential threatIran." However, economic opportunities is another driving force behind the improved relations. Rabbi Marc Schneier with leaders of Gulf states (Photo: Rabbi Marc Schneier) "The current Emir of Qatar and leaders in Saudi Arabia said that the combination of Gulfs wealth and Israel's high-tech knowledge could potentially transform the region into the most successful area in the world, Schneier explained. Rabbi Marc Schneier with foreign minister of Saudi Arabia (Photo: Rabbi Marc Schneier) "If in the past it was argued that the Gulf states would be willing to establish official relations with Israel only after peace with the Palestinians is achieved, then today the leaders of these countries say that merely returning to the negotiating table will suffice," said the rabbi. "I believe we will see diplomatic relations developing with all six Gulf states as early as 2019," he emphasized. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is expected to submit a draft resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, harshly condemning the Hamas terror organization. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Haley, who will be leaving her position by the end of the year, is promoting a resolution condemning Hamas's rocket fire at Israel and incitement against it, as well as demanding to halt any violent activity, including the launching of incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (L), and Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon (Photo: Shahar Azran) An additional provision in the draft obtained by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, focuses on Hamas terror tunnels and calls on the UN to condemn the terror organization's use of civilian resources for military purposes. Haley is cooperating with Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, and has met over the past two days with world envoys in order to raise support for the American draft. Danon thanked Haley for her support of the Jewish State. "The efforts and diplomatic activity to promote the draft resolution condemning Hamas stresses Haley's steadfast support of Israel. "Through joint efforts we have managed to change the hostile approach against Israel at the UN. Now the time has come to recruit the world to join us in our fight against terror," the Israeli envoy to the UN added. "Hamas is a deadly terror organization, which must be dealt with on all fronts, and especially in the diplomatic arena," he concluded. On Friday, the US opposed for the first time an annual draft resolution at the UN calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials. The US has abstained in previous years on Occupied Syrian Golan resolution, which declares Israels jurisdiction in the area null and void, but Haley said on Thursday that Washington would vote against the resolution. The United States will no longer abstain when the United Nations engages in its useless annual vote on the Golan Heights, she said in a statement. The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone, she added. Despite the US opposition, a UN General Assembly committee approved the draft resolution with 151 votes in favor and 14 abstentions. Only Israel joined the United States in voting no. The General Assembly is due to formally adopt the resolution next month. For the first time, an Arab Christian diplomat has been appointed as an Israeli ambassador. Attorney George Deek, an Arab Christian diplomat with years of experience is the new Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The newly appointed ambassador was born to a Christian Arab family in Jaffa, and is the only Christian in the Foreign Ministry. He served as deputy ambassador to Nigeria as well as the deputy ambassador to Norway, both for a period of three years. George Deek In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Deek served as the temporary director of the Embassy in Oslo. As the head of the Israeli delegation and as the sole Israeli envoy in the country, he organized and managed a successful state visit by former president Shimon Peres, a visit for which he received many accolades, including the ministry's outstanding employee award for that year. George Deek's speech in Oslo X Deek received a bachelor's degree in Government and Law from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and won the prestigious Fulbright scholarship to attend Georgetown University, where he completed his graduate studies in International Law with honors. The young ambassador has been practicing law since 2007, and served as an attorney at the Foreign Ministry's International Law Department for a year. At a speech he held in Oslo, he told the story of his family and spoke about Israel's contribution to democracy, tolerance and stability in the Middle East. A video of his speech soon became viral and was even dubbed by some as "the best speech held by an Israeli diplomat." The new ambassador is a popular and sought-after lecturer among pro-Israel organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), StandWithUs and others. "George Deek is a talented Israeli diplomat who has passed the diplomatic training process with flying colors, and even served at the Israeli embassies in Abuja and Oslo. He is a gifted advocate and a popular lecturer. We are proud of his appointment, which symbolizes the integration of Israeli diplomats from various backgrounds in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. The heads of the Jewish Home party, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announced Monday that they do not intend to resign from government, as was previously estimated, but stay in office and support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "If the prime minister is serious about his intentions, and I want to believe his words last night, I hereby notify the prime minister we are removing all of our political demands at this time and stand with you, ready to offer assistanceI assume this announcement will have a political price but never mind, we'll get over it. It is better to let the prime minister win in a political battle than let Haniyeh win the State of Israel," said Bennett. Over 121,000 cases of sexual harassment were reported in Israel in 2017, according to a recent research done in conjunction with the Central Bureau of Statistics. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The research's findings will be presented to the Knesset next week, ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While awareness of sexual harassment has increased over the past year thanks to the #MeToo campaign, there has been no data collected in Israel about the extent of this serious crime so far. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is marked on November 25. It will also be the 20th anniversary since the Knesset passed the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law. Ahead of these two events, the Chairman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, MK Aida Touma-Suleiman (Joint List), approached the Knesset Research and Information Center (RIC) and asked for information on sexual harassment cases in Israel. MK Aida Touma-Suleiman Consequently, the RIC presented its sexual harassment report, written by RIC employees Dr. Nurit Yachimovich-Cohen and Orly Almagor-Lotan, who collected the data in cooperation with the Central Bureau of Statistics. The research included 7,000 participants over the age of 20. According to its findings, 2.2% of those surveyed, which amounts to more than 121,000 Israelis, have experienced sexual harassment in 2017. 79% of the victims are females, mostly young women between the ages of 20 and 35. In addition, 32% of sexual harassment cases happen in the workplace. The initiators of the #MeToo campaign named as Person of the Year by Time magazine The study also finds that 97% of the victims refrained from filing a police report. The reasons behind this findings are varied: 25% of the victims did not report the crime because they believe their specific case is "of less importance," 19% did not complain out of fear "the police won't be able to handle" their case, and 13% did not complain because "the police are not interested in investigating the incident." "Women still suffer from sexual harassments at home, on the street, in academia and in the workplace," said Touma-Suleiman. "In this reality, despite the recent conceptual changes, women still feel defenseless." Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announced Monday morning that they are not resigning, allowing the current government to live out its days. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Bayit Yehudi party threatened to leave the coalition if leader Naftali Bennett doesn't receive the defense portfolio, a position vacated by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who resigned last week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening announced he intends to keep the defense portfolio, leading many to believe Bennett would make good on his threat and leave. Moreover, both Bennett and Shaked have complained the government has lost its right-wing character and asserted it would be hard to govern with only a one-vote majority in the Knesset. Ministers Bennett and Shaked (Photo: Reuters) But Bennett claimed on Monday that he did not set an ultimatum to Netanyahu. "During our conversation on Friday, I made it clear to the prime minister that I was not, in any way, shape or form, giving him an ultimatum, and accepted with appreciation his statement that he saw me as a worthy candidate for the defense minister position," he said. Explaining his about-face, Bennett said he drew assurances from Netanyahu's speech on Sunday night. "In his speech, (Netanyahu) promised the Israeli public to change paths, to lead to a dramatic change in security, to change his direction from the past ten years towards strength," he said. "If the prime minister is serious about his intentions, and I want to believe his words last night, I hereby notify the prime ministerwe are removing all of our political demands at this time and stand with you, ready to offer assistance," Bennett declared. "I assume this announcement will take its political toll, but we'll survive. It is better to let the prime minister win in a political battle than let (Hamas leader Ismail) Haniyeh defeat the State of Israel," he added. Bennett asserted this is a political price he was willing to pay. "If the government goes on the right back, leads as a true right-wing governmentit's worth a try. The ball is in the prime minister's court. In the coming weeks, the dramatic change to defense will be put to the test," he continued. "This test will be in actions, not words... and we won't stand as spectators examining the prime minister, we will of course help out and do our best to assist." Describing the changes that need to happen, Bennett determined that "The State of Israel is facing a crisis of confidence in the defense establishment." The enemies are the same, Bennett said, and "the security situation today is not more dangerous than what it was a few months ago, when the prime minister sought to bring down his government for political reasons, or because of the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC)." The problem, he asserted, is internal. Education Minister Bennett (Photo: AFP) "For quite a few years, including over the past decade of Netanyahu governments, Israel has stopped winning," he charged. "I saw it with my own eyes during the Second Lebanon War as a commander in southern Lebanon. I saw the embarrassment, the confusion, the lack of determination and spirit ... Following that war, I abandoned my career in high-tech, which I loved very much, and went into politics," Bennett explained. Bennett asserted the Israeli government, which he remains a part of, stays its hand due to fear of legal entanglement, listing several examples of instances in which the government is waiting too long to take action: the evacuation of the illegal Arab outpost of Khan al-Ahmar; legislation to stop the generous salaries paid to terrorists by the Palestinian Authority; the demolition of terrorists' homes. "We impose countless restrictions on our soldierslegal as well as mental. Our fighters are more afraid of the Military Advocate General than (Hamas leader) Yahya Sinwar. Instead of defeating the enemy, we are containing it. Things that were crystal clear before, are suddenly questionable," he lamented. Education Minister Bennett (Photo: AFP) The Israeli government, he argued, also fails in dealing with security challenges. "After more than 530 rockets were fired at the Israeli communities along the Gaza border, and a Cornet anti-tank missile was launched by Hamas at an IDF bus near the security fence, we tell ourselves that everything is okay and that the terror organization is as deterred as it has never been," he said critically. "Hamas and Hezbollah are becoming more arrogant by the day, believing we are afraid to confront them. What Netanyahu describes as 'responsibility' is often perceived by our enemies as hesitancyand the line between the two is thin," he continued. "The most dangerous thing for the State of Israel is that we've started thinking there is no solution to terrorism and rockets, but there is!" "When Israel wants to win, we will go back to winning. (This situation) is not predestination," Bennett insisted. "We entered politics to create an alternative, to replace hesitancy with might, fatigue with initiative, embarrassment with confidence." "We proved with actions that we could change direction," he asserted. "Before we came along, everyone thought a Palestinian state was on the verge of being established, we changed this path from the Left to the Right." 'We won't add to the gift Lieberman gave Hamas' Justice Minister Shaked said Netanyahu had promised Bennett the defense minister's position before the 2015 election, but because Bayit Yehudi lost power, Netanyahu gave the post to Moshe Ya'alon, a Likud member at the time. Explaining why the party joined the government anyway and why she and Bennett decided not to quit, she said "Bennett, myself and the rest of our party members are rare birds. We see politics as a calling. We believe politics is a tool to implement policy and serve the public." Justice Minister Shaked (Photo: AFP) "Many urged us to resign over the last few days. After Lieberman did so, there were those who were angry at us for losing the momentum. (But) we're public servants with a sense of responsibility. We'll never escape responsibility. We'll never make a political move that entails a risk," Shaked added. She too criticized Israel's defense policy, saying "if such a policy exists, it conveys irresolution and hesitation. The Israeli daring was replaced with a policy of 'sit and do nothing.' Israeli solidarity was replaced by a policy of containment as long as it's 'only' the border residents. The pursuit of victory was replaced by the disgraceful resignation of the defense ministera gift to Hamas that will forever serve as a mark of shame." "We won't increase the psychological achievement Lieberman gave the terror groups in the strip," Shaked insisted. "They're watching us, and not just themthe entire Middle East is looking at us." Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who resigned his post as defense minister last week, on Monday slammed Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked not to resign from the government , saying it shows why Israel has lost its deterrence. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "Now everyone understands why we lost our deterrence, Lieberman wrote in a tweet, which MK Yair Lapid shared on his own Twitter account. In a 20-minute televised speech, Bennett harshly criticized the Yisrael Beytenu leader for his shortcomings as the defense minister. Bennett and Lieberman (Photo: Getty Images, AFP) The State of Israel is facing a crisis of confidence in the defense establishment," Bennett said. "The previous defense minister failed miserably, he abandoned the fight." I wanted to do the exact opposite, to take responsibility during a difficult fight, to rise up despite the difficulties that everyone is aware of. Not a single one of my advisors thought it was a good move, added the education minister, who publicly demanded to be appointed defense minister. Bennett's speech was followed by a statement from fellow Bayit Yehudi member and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who gave her full backing to her party leader, while launching a verbal attack against Liebermans defense policy. The Israeli daring was replaced with a policy of 'sit and do nothing.' Israeli solidarity was replaced by a policy of containment as long as it's 'only' the border residents. The pursuit of victory was replaced by the disgraceful resignation of the defense ministera gift to Hamas that will forever serve as a mark of shame," she lamented. "We won't increase the psychological achievement Lieberman gave the terror groups in the strip," Shaked insisted. "They're watching us, and not just themthe entire Middle East is looking at us." Shaked, Netanyahu, Bennett (Photo: AP,Yaron Brener, Alex Kolomoisky) Bennett and Shaked's decision to remain in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was slammed by other members of the opposition, who argued that the Bayit Yehudi party has capitulated to Netanyahu's pressure. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) called the statements by the two ministers "cynical." "This attempt to conceal narrow political aspirations behind security considerations will fail. There has never been a more cynical use of matters of defense for political purposesby Bibi, Bennett and Lieberman," she said, referring to the prime minister by his nickname. Tzipi Livni (Photo: Amit Shaabi) "The debate is no longer about who will be the defense minister in the Netanyahu government, but rather who will replace him, and the reins of national security must be in our hands," Livni stressed. Zionist Union MK Itzik Shmuli says Bennetts decision only makes the opposition more determined to remove the Netanyahu government. "Naftali Bennett is a slave to his rabbis Bayit Yehudi tries to hold the stick at both ends, and it doesnt work. They are part of the reason why this government has failed. Well give them hellthere will be a more determined, more aggressive opposition. Our goal is to put an end to this cynical government," Shmuli emphasized. Meretz leader MK Tamar Zandberg asserted some type of political deal must have been made between the Bayit Yehudi leader and the prime minister. "I only hope the agreement made over the past 12 hours between Netanyahu and Bennett doesnt bring us a futile political war, moments before the elections, and force soldiers and civilians to sacrifice their lives because Bibi and Bennett forged a deal," Zandberg added. MK Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Amit Shabi) MKs from the Likud party, on the other hand, praised the Bayit Yehudi leaders move. MK Nurit Koren argued Bennett came to his senses and realized what the public wanted, while MK Sharan Heschel urged everyone to give Bennett and Shaked a pat on the back, because they managed to put their egos aside to save the coalition. Minister Yariv Levin said the Likud party made great effort to convince Bennett and Kahlon not to dismantle the government, and I am happy that the effort has borne fruit. MK Moti Yogev, from Bennetts Bayit Yehudi party, rejected the claim that the two ministers folded under pressure. "I say that they havent folded they took on a heavy national responsibility. There is a concession here, which may also come at a political price, but as Bennett saidthe country is above all else, Yogev stated. BRUSSELS - European Union foreign ministers on Monday endorsed a French government decision to sanction Iranian nationals accused of a bomb plot in France, potentially allowing the measures to take effect across the bloc, three diplomats said. The ministers said technical work could now start on an EU-wide asset freeze on two Iranians and the Iranian intelligence service over a failed plot to carry out a bomb attack at a rally near Paris organised by an exiled Iranian opposition group. Denmark, which in October said it suspected an Iranian government intelligence service had tried to carry out an assassination plot on its soil, also pushed for support for similar EU-wide sanctions once its investigation is complete, the diplomats told Reuters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Likud party members at a meeting that the illegally settled Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar will soon be demolished. Airbnb, the short-term apartment rental giant, surrendered to the boycott movement and announced on Monday that it has decided to remove from its site apartments for rent in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians," a statement on the Airbnb website said. airbnb (Photo: Shutterstock) An Airbnb spokesman said the decision, affecting some 200 listings, would take effect in the days ahead. "We are certainly not experts when it comes to historic conflicts in this region," the company stated. "Our team is struggling with this problem and we have been working hard to reach the right approach. As a global platform operating in 191 countries and regions and more than 81,000 cities, we must consider the impact we have and act responsibly." Oded Revivi, mayor of the West Bank town of Efrat and a representative of the settler council described the Airbnb decision as contrary to its mission, as stated on the website, of "help(ing) to bring people together in as many places as possible around the world". "When they make such a decision, they get involved with politics, which ... is going to defeat the actual purpose of the enterprise itself," he told Reuters. BDS march in Paris (Photo: AP) Moshe Bruce, CEO of Gush Etzion Tourism, said in response to the company's decision: "This is another unfortunate decision by organizations that are trying to boycott business owners and tourist sites from all over the country. Despite the disgraceful decision by Airbnb, we will continue to promote tourism in Gush Etzion and bring in many visitors from around the world and from all walks of life. " Tourism Minister Yariv Levin called on Airbnb to reverse their decision calling it shameful. The minister said he was looking into taking action against the companys activities throughout Israel. Dep. Minister Michael Oren criticized Airbnb for blacklisting and singling out Israel while ignoring other regions involved in land disputes, such as Turkish Cyprus, Tibet, the Crimea and Western Sahara. Shlomo Neeman, Director of the Gush Etzion Regional Council asserted that the Jewish settlements will not lose any tourists as a result of the move and called on Jews around the world to boycott Airbnb in response. Minister Gilad Erdan called the decision anti-Semitic saying it stemmed from political, and not business, considerations. The BDS movement does not differentiate between the whole of Israel and Judea and Samaria, as far as they are concerned, Israel has no right to exist. He added: Political conflicts exist all over the world, they need to explain why they specifically chose to impose this policy on Israel alone. The minister suggested that hosts harmed by the move seek legal action against the company for engaging in a boycott against the State of Israel. He said that he intends to consult with officials in the US, where more than 25 states passed laws banning boycotts of Israel. The left-wing Peace Now movement issued a response to the Airbnb decision: Even if Netanyahu and Bennett refuse to see the Green Line, the rest of the world differentiates between Israel and the occupied territories. International companies are interested in doing business with Israel but are not ready to accept the continuation of military control over millions of Palestinians. MASS CITY A 16-year-old youth is dead after an accidental gun discharge in a Mass City home Friday. According to the Ontonagon County Sheriffs Department the department responded to a possible shooting accident in a Mass City home Friday at 3:08 p.m. A Sheriff Department release said an investigation revealed a 13-year-old male and a 16-year-old male were at the 13-year-olds residence when the 13-year-old was loading a rifle and the weapon fired striking the 16-year-old in the back. A 14-year-old male was at the residence and called 911, the report said. The victim was transported to Ontonagon Aspirus Hospital by SONCO Ambulance where he was pronounced dead. The Ontonagon County Sheriff Office was assisted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources officers, a U.S. Forest Service officer, and Michigan Sheriff Association Victims Services Unit. According to Ontonagon County Sheriff Dale Rantala, the accident is not considered a hunting accident as they were not in the act of hunting at the time. The names of the victims were not announced. Jan Tucker The lack of employment opportunities in the Top End continues to turn investors away, despite high yields The freefall of prices in Darwins property market may be slowing down compared to a year ago, but theres still room for prices to fall further. Malcolm Gunning, president of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, points out that the decrease of approximately 20% in the year to March 2018 shows a further decrease in prices from March 2017. Rental affordability is decreasing in much the same way as housing affordability, he adds. This has to do with competition for rental accommodation dropping. Gunning attributes this slow demand to the fact that Darwin offers very few economic prospects projects in the pipeline are nearing completion, while there are very few plans to create more jobs. There are major gasworks which could be completed by the end of 2018, and there is no other major project other than the proposal of expanding the wharf for American warship visits. But thats in the planning stage, so theres nothing scheduled. The economy is also hampered by a lack of diversity, and the tourism industry is being limited by location. Tourism has continued to decline. Theres little Asian tourism, because most of the major tourist sites are difficult to get to. They cant fly in and fly out of places like Kakadu or Litchfield theyre long day trips, which international tourists are not looking for, Gunning explains. High returns are not enough CoreLogic data indicates that Darwin recorded the greatest increase in rental yields in the year to June 2018, at 0.3%. The capital also had the highest yield of all its peers, at 5.7%. However, returns wont help draw eyes to the market. I dont think itll appeal to investors because of the lack of capital growth. I dont think interstate investors will buy residential properties in Darwin, says Gunning. Empower Wealth research director Jeremy Sheppard says, Investors should prefer to get a high yield from rising rents, not from falling prices. Yet rent growth in Darwin went negative by 5.9% over the last year. Sales turnover is yawn-like it can easily take four months for a property to sell. And quite often the seller has to drop their asking price by more than 8% to get that sale. Few properties go to market via auction and half of those that do are passed in. SUBURB TO WATCH BAKEWELL: Values go lower and lower While not far from the Palmerston CBD, the suburb of Bakewell is mainly known for its abundance of well-kept parks. The largest park in the suburb lies directly between Bakewell and neighbouring suburb Gunn, and is a favourite recreational spot for families. It has three large man-made ponds and a childrens playground. The Top Ends overall poor performance has had its effect on this suburb, and property prices are continuing their freefall despite very strong returns on rents. Among renters, there is a little more demand for units than houses. Rental rates for the former fell by only 1.4% compared to 4.3% for the latter. Affordability: House prices are just under $450,000, while unit values are below $300,000 Amenities: Bakewell offer family-friendly facilities such as parks, ponds and playgrounds Property spruiker Rick Otton and his company We Buy Houses were fined $18 million after falsely telling consumers that they could purchase a house for $1. The Federal Court has imposed the highest penalty yet against Otton and his company following action by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). Otton held free seminars where he told investors that they would be taught how to buy a house for $1 without needing a deposit, bank loan or real estate experience. In addition, he misled them into believing that they could create passive income streams through the property, which would allow them to leave their jobs, and build a property portfolio, as well as gain profits immediately. The Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) believes that that the authority made the right call. PIPA Chairman Peter Koulizos said the record fine was an indicator that the ACCC was serious about taking action against deceitful operators who lead consumers to believe in an unachievable level of financial success. Koulizos said that property investment is a long-term wealth creation strategy, with most successful investors owning property for 20 years or more. Hence, Aussies should be warned that anyone promising short-term profits is a spruiker and not an expert. Hats off to the ACCC for staying the course on an investigation that began in 2015, which has resulted in $18 million worth of penalties, Koulizos said. He also pointed out these circumstances happen because there isnt any property investment advice regulation. He said that the lack of stricter rules creates a breeding ground for greed and bad behaviour, and the general public is put at stake. The latest Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) Vacancy Rate Survey showed that rental availability in Sydney has increased. The city saw its vacancy rates track higher by 0.1 percentage point to 2.9% over October. REINSW President Leanne Pilkington said that the result was caused by the slowdown in rental accommodation in the Inner and Middle Sydney, as well as the interest hike in the Outer Sydney market. REINSW reported that the vacancy rate in Inner Sydney rose 0.4 percentage points to 2.8%. Middle Sydneys rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 3.2%, while Outer Sydneys vacancy rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 2.8%. Hunter's vacancy rates also bucked the trend, dipping 0.3 percentage points to 1.6%. Newcastle similarly saw a drop of 1.1 percentage points to 1.8%. The Illawarra fell 0.1 percentage point, despite Wollongong rising 0.1 percentage points to 2.2%. Across regional areas, Albury remained stable at 2.2%. New England rose 0.3 percentage points to 2.5% and the South Coast sank 0.1 percentage point to 1.8%. News Washington, DC - NASA and the Departments of State and Commerce have submitted a report to the National Space Council outlining future opportunities and challenges for human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit (LEO), and its potential economic contributions to the broader field of exploration. The National Space Council requested NASA lead an interagency effort to produce the report, entitled A Strategy for Human Spaceflight in Low Earth Orbit and Economic Growth in Space, during its February meeting. The report details four overarching goals for human spaceflight in LEO that were developed in collaboration with NASAs interagency partners: To achieve a continuous U.S. presence in LEO both NASA astronauts and private citizens in order to support the use of space by U.S. citizens, companies, academia, and international partners and to maintain a permanent American foothold on the nearest part of the space frontier. To create a regulatory environment in LEO that enables American commercial activities to thrive. To conduct human spaceflight research in LEO that will advance the technology and systems required for long-duration spaceflight systems, including systems for interplanetary travel and permanent space habitation. To expand and extend commercial opportunity though international partnerships and engagement. These goals are among the priorities of NASAs exploration plans for the coming years. NASA will continue to work with its interagency partners to achieve these objectives and milestones with commercial crew and advancement of long-duration human spaceflight systems. The report is for intra-governmental use only, due to the inclusion of sensitive information. However, an executive summary is available online at: https://go.nasa.gov/2TdKjpN Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Tuesday, Rodrick D. Begay, 64, of Round Rock, Ariz., was sentenced by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 131 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. The sentence reflects a downward adjustment of approximately four months to account for the time Begay served in tribal custody for the same incident. Begay had previously pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a minor. On April 13, 2017, Begay, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, who is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Tuesday, Giordano Jackson, 39, of Teesto, Arizona, was convicted by a jury on all charges, including first degree murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and kidnapping. Jackson will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa in February 2019. Jackson had a history of repeated acts of domestic violence against the victim, his girlfriend. In July 2017, Jackson beat the victim and dragged her by her hair with enough force to pull out chunks of hair. Then, in September 2017, Jackson brutally beat the victim to death outside his house in Teesto. Jackson was lying in wait when Navajo Nation Police Officers arrived to investigate the murder, and assaulted two officers with a machete. Both Jackson and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation, as are the responding Navajo Nation Police Officers that Jackson assaulted, and the crimes all occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William G. Voit and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix. There is not enough analysis data for Botswana Diamonds. 4.1 Community Rank Outperform Votes Botswana Diamonds has received 231 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Botswana Diamonds has received 140 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Botswana Diamonds has received 62.26% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Botswana Diamonds and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BOD will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BOD will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next - Former president John Mahama has argued that his administration fought corruption better than that of President Akufo-Addo - According to him, President Akufo-Addo has failed to prosecute corrupt officials in his administration - He added that the current administration has been merely paying lip service with regard to corruption Former president John Mahama has argued that his government had a better record with regard to fighting corruption, compared to the President Akufo-Addo-led-administration. According to a report by 3news.com, he added that President Akufo-Addo has, within the two years in office, become a clearing house for his appointees and ministers who have been accused of corruption. Speaking at the 9th National Delegates Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in Accra on Saturday, November 17, 2018, Mahama said despite the swelling stench of corruption in the Akufo-Addo administration, the president has failed to prosecute those involved. READ ALSO: Police commander hospitalized after being shot in the neck In his view, what Akufo-Addo has been good at within the two years, is paying lips service in the fight against corruption. The governments flagship anti-graft agency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Mahama observed, has been starved of funds, personnel and logistics to work. The minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, on Thursday, November 15, 2018, however revealed that an amount of GHC180 million has been allocated to the OSP. READ ALSO: Mahama rushes to the hospital after serious accident almost claims the lives of NDC delegates Street Quiz: Ghanaians React to Increment in Sachet Water Prices - Yenkasa | Yen.com.gh YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via Instagram or on YENs official Facebook page. Source: Yen Samuel Gyamfi is the new National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after beating Fred Agbenyo. According to Citi News report sighted by YEN.com.gh, the young lawyer polled 6,225 votes, as against Agbenyos 2,069. Gyamfi went into the election as the deputy Communications Officer, however, he proved his worth against Agbenyo who is older than him. Sammy Gyamfi beat Fred Agbenyo to emerge NDC National Communications Officer Source: UGC READ ALSO: NDC delegates rushed to 37 Military Hospital after accident Gyamfi has been an active member of the Communications team of the NDC over the past few years, and is known for representing the party on some major media platforms. Until recently, Gyamfi was the Communications Director of Ibrahim Mahamas Exton Cubic Mining Group. He was also the spokesperson and PRO for the former Mayor of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu, between 2012-2016. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo leads in nepotism chart in latest corruption watch report He was President for TEIN-NDC KNUST between 2011-2012, and is the immediate past SRC President of the Ghana School of Law. Meanwhile, Kwaku Boahen and Godwin Ako Gunn who is known infamously as one-third of the Montie 3, jailed for contempt by the Supreme Court in 2016 were also elected as the partys Deputy Communications Officers. Deputy Communications Officer results (Provisional) READ ALSO: My government had a better record with the fight against corruption - Mahama Kwaku Boahen -2857 Godwin Ako Gunn -1816 Adongo Atule Jacob -978 Mahama Seidu Samuel -573 Muhammed Nurullah Iddrisu -473 Alhaj Mohammed Nasiru Seidu -1637 This years NDC congress is the 9th Delegates Conference and it was held at the Fantasy Dome of the Trade Fair Center in Accra on Saturday into Sunday. The conference saw the adoption of some motions of amendment to the partys Constitution and the election of all national executives. About 9000 delegates voted in the election. Street Quiz: Ghanaians React to Increment in Sachet Water Prices - Yenkasa | Yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh A social media user who touts himself as a prophet, His Grace Cosmos Walker Affran of the Cosmos Walker Affran Ministries, has alleged that CEO of Zylofon Media, Mr Nana Appiah Mensah, was going to fall victim to a politically-motivated assassination. The preacher took to Facebook to sound a word of caution to Ghanaians to remember Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1 in prayers since God had revealed imminent doom. His post on Facebook read, "There is going to be an attempt assassination on Menzgold CEO Mr Nana Appiah Mensah, Ghana should pray for him, Political attack 'thou saith the Lord' prophecy by Prophet Walker Cosmos Affran." READ ALSO: Throwback photos of Fella Makafui and her 'SHS boyfriend' land on social It is yet to be ascertained why the preacher made such a pronouncement and if he has been contacted by NAM 1 or any of his associates. Nana Appiah Mensah has been in the news following issues between his Menzgold Ghana Limited and some authorities including the Bank of Ghana and Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC). SEC ordered Menzgold to stop its operations due to some issues the former had pertaining to licence and documentation of the latter. SEC's order moved Menzgold to suspend its gold vault services and dividend payments till they were able to sort out issues with the Commission. Customers of the gold dealership firm are up in arms over the fact that their monies had been locked up following the impasse which has lasted months. Credit: Facebook/Francis Kennedy Ocloo READ ALSO: Meet Kgomotso Christopher the pretty woman behind MTN voiceover Not too long ago, the embattled CEO was in the studios of Zylofon FM based in Accra to address issues related to his gold dealership firm and called on SEC and BoG to correct them when they go wrong. His Grace Cosmos Walker Affran is noted for his many prophecies which he posts on his social media page. Earlier this year, the preacher predicted doom for award-winning dancehall act, Shatta Wale. The prophet also made some predictions regarding statesmen like Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. During the just-ended 9th National Democratic Congress (NDC) Delegates Congress, he wrote some names of the competitors on his Facebook page. READ ALSO: Asiedu Nketiah retains NDC General Secretary position Watch: Street Quiz Ghana: What Would Be Your Message to the President Should You Meet Him? | 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 News - A suspected pickpocket was arrested at Trade Fair in Accra, where NDC organized its conference to elect national officers - The unidentified man was caught as he tried to take GHC80 belonging to a delegate - He was handed over to the police and taken away An unidentified man was arrested as counting continued at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates congress held at the Trade Fair grounds. The suspect, who allegedly tried to steal GHC80 belonging to a delegate, was caught in the act and reported to the police. The delegate whose money was about to be stolen sensed the suspect;s intent and turned around. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo was elected as National Chairman of the NDC Source: Supplied Source: UGC READ ALSO: Throwback photo of Fella Makafui and her 'SHS boyfriend' causes a stir on social media This forced the suspect to drop the money, which was already out of the delegates pocket. Those present then drew the attention of the police who whisked him away. At the end of the congress, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo emerged victorious as the national chairman of the NDC. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, also retained his position as the General Secretary of the party. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo's corruption record is worse than mine - Mahama Street Quiz: Ghanaians React to Increment in Sachet Water Prices - Yenkasa | Yen.com.gh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen A section of Ghanaian social media has been thrown into a state of shock and mourning following the death of a young man known as Pablo Doe Bwoy. Pablo, YEN.com.gh gathers, died over the weekend after being involved in an accident last Friday. Details about the tragic accident are very sketchy but photos making rounds which have been sighted by YEN.com.gh suggest it was a ghastly one. According to some reports, Pablo was a 'sakawa' boy who was based around the Lapaz area in Accra. READ ALSO: Throwback photos of Fella Makafui and her 'SHS boyfriend' cause stir on social media While YEN.com.gh cannot confirm the report of him being a 'sakawa' boy, it must be noted that his social media posts suggest that he was living a fast life and may have led to such a conclusion. A graduate of the Koforidua Senior High Technical School, Pablo who was known in real life as Emma seemed to be relatively living in comfort as compared to his peers. Since the news of Pablo's death broke early Saturday morning, many of those who knew him have taken to social media to cry their hearts out. Many of them cannot just believe that the young man is no more and are in pains. READ ALSO: Man mistakenly sends GHC13k to Uber driver; he refuses to refund (Photos) Shee could not just believe the news: Ras was said he had a cold heart: READ ALSO: Man fakes death so his wife could claim over GHC2.5m in life insurance Richard who said he was in the same car described Pablo as a good person: Worlbass also described Pablo as a 'cool' brother: READ ALSO: Afia Schwar leaks photo to force Benedicta Gafah to admit affair with married man Nyhirah thought Pablo had died too young: Don brought more heartbreaking news that Pablo had left behind a wife and a little daughter: READ ALSO: Ghanaians weep as 6 pupils die after being run over by truck carrying loads of cement (Photos) And Young suggested the little girl was even yet to be named: Street Quiz Ghana: What Would Be Your Message to the President Should You Meet Him? | Yen.com.gh: 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.com.gh The National Democratic Congress (NDC), from Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, November 8, 2018, held its 9th delegates congress at Trade Fair to elect its national officers. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo emerged victorious as the national chairman of the NDC, after fighting off competition seasoned party members such as Dan Abodakpi and Betty Mould Iddrisu. Johnson Asiedu Nketia also retained his position as the General Secretary of the party, after beating his former deputy, Koku Anyidoho. Johnson Asiedu Nketia retained his position as the General Secretary of the NDC Source: Supplied Source: Original READ ALSO: Suspected pickpocket grabbed at NDC's delegates' congress (Video) The victory had Ghanaians talking, and others sought to, via social media, draw Anyidohos attention to the dangerous decision he took to contest his boss: READ ALSO: NAM1 to be assassinated - Prophet drops a bombshell Ghana News Today: Madina-Adenta Footbridge Demo | Yen.com.gh Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram Source: Yen.com.gh Kumawood actress Safina Haroun has disclosed that she is not against any future production roles that would see her in adult film.The actress revealed that it is not against her personal principles to work in adult industry. The Kumasi-based actress made her intentions known during a radio show with Spice FM's Yoofi Eyeson. According to Haroun, physical intimacy is an act she regularly engages in. And when it comes to putting herself up on screen in that situation, the actress says she has no problems. On the radio show Efie ne Fie", the actress added that all that she needed was a good story line. She maintained that that even that was necessary for an adult film. READ ALSO: A government funded Christian Cathedral is a big problem - Here are 3 reasons why On the issue of adult films in Ghana, filmmaker and government appointee on creative arts, Socrate Safo, was of the opinion there is no specific that law in Ghana stopping anyone from production. Safo was however quick to add that he would not venture into that business himself even though he has had some controversial films in the past. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Safina Haroun disclosed during a revealing interview with Kumawood actress Tracey Boakye on her Time With Tracey show that she was once the girlfriend of actor Big Akwes. READ ALSO: 'Sakawa' boy Pablo Doe Bwoy dies after ghastly accident She was also believed to have been chased by another top radio presenter based in Kumasi. Ghana News Today: Mortuary Workers to Strike / Madina-Adenta Footbridge Demo | Yen.com.gh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen - Some people in Feyiase in the Ashanti Region have threatened to chase their chief out of the palace - According to them, he takes autocratic decisions which are not in the best interests of the people - They added that his family members have taken over all the social amenities in the town and using them as private properties Residents of Feyiase, a community in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have risen up in protest against their chief, Nana Addai Dwamena, over his decision to destroy 27 new buildings. It is believed that that he took the action because the owners of the destroyed buildings failed to respect permits issued from his palace. According to a report by MyNewsGH.com, they have vowed to chase him out of the palace. Source: MyNewsGH.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Video of suspected pickpocket arrested at NDC's congress grounds leaks online YEN.com.gh understands that they are upset over his autocratic decisions and no longer feel comfortable with him ruling them. They added that the demolition of the buildings is contrary to customs and traditions and will take extreme measures if he fails to change his ways. The residents have also petitioned the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to call the chief to order, else they will do so themselves. As if that was not enough, Nana Dwamenas family members have taken over all social amenities in the community including public toilets, and running them as their private investments. The unit committee, they went on, has also been dissolved, and to them, it is nothing short of a breach of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. Nana Addai Dwamena declined to comment on the development when reached. READ ALSO: Ghanaians mock Koku Anyidoho after General Mosquito beats him in NDC's elections Nuru Deen Story - The Miraculous Xylophone Manufacturer: Faces of Ghana | Yen.com.gh YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via Instagram or on YENs official Facebook page. Source: Yen - A policeman in the Central Region has shot at a car because the driver refused to pay a 50 pesewas toll - The driver was said to have forgotten to pay after he received an emergency call from his boss - The Central Regional Police commander, DSP Irene Oppong, said the police was yet to start investigations into the matter A police constable on duty at a checkpoint of the Moree tollbooth in the Central Region has injured a woman after he fired into a vehicle because the driver had refused to pay a 50 road toll, YEN.com.gh can report. An eyewitness who spoke to Citi News, said the driver of the private saloon car who was travelling from Cape Coast to Accra upon reaching the tollbooth received an emergency call from his boss at work and in the process forgot to pay the 50 peswas toll fee. The driver reportedly drove off from the tollbooth upon reaching it, and the police constable, in a bid to stop the vehicle, fired at it, injuring one woman in the process. READ ALSO: I cant believe this! Ghanaians angry over photos of beautiful buildings being demolished for national cathedral The incident drew the attention of residents and pedestrians around who chastised the policeman for firing at the vehicle. Central Regional Police Commander DSP Irene Oppong has reportedly confirmed the incident to the media. She explained that at about 8pm on Sunday, November 18, 2018, they had a distress call from police officers at the Moree Tollbooth of a constable firing shots at a saloon car there. DSP Oppong, however, did not admit the reasons behind the gunshots. READ ALSO: Social media user exposes Fella Makafuis dangerous motives for snatching Medikal from Deborah Vanessa She explained further that a woman in the said saloon car sustained some injuries as a result of the gunshot, and has been sent to the Interbetin hospital in Cape Coast for treatment. The Police is yet to commence investigations into the matter the DSP said, adding that the police will address the issues at the right time. She however indicated that the Police constable (name witheld) had been invited for questioning to ascertain the reasons behind the shots. READ ALSO: Wild photo of Juliet Ibrahim and her new Nigerian boyfriend has fans angry Ghana News Today: Mortuary Workers to Strike / Madina-Adenta Footbridge Demo | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: 'Sakawa' boy Pablo Doe Bwoy dies after ghastly accident 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 More often than not, African are given timelines in the societies in which they live with regard to important life decisions. Significant stages such as education, marriage and childbirth often come to the attention of the wider society, who feel obligated to make inputs. YEN.com.gh sought to find out the pieces of advice to be given a single men who are above 33 years: Source: Facebook Source: UGC READ ALSO: Chief goes wild; destroys 27 houses because owners disrespected 'tradition' (Photos) READ ALSO: Ghanaians mercilessly mock Koku Anyidoho after General Mosquito 'beats' him at NDC's congress Ghana News Today: Mortuary Workers to Strike / Madina-Adenta Footbridge Demo | Yen.com.gh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen - Dr Zanetor Rawlings has said she is willing to support the NDC to victory in 2020 in whatever capacity - Her comments follow reports that she was being considered as John Mahamas running mate for the 2020 elections - She has however said it would be premature to say if she was ready to be Mahamas running mate The Member of Parliament for Korley Klottey Constituency, Dr Zenator Rawlings, has said that she is ready to support the NDC in whatever capacity to victory in the 2020 elections. Zenator, who happens to be a daughter of former president Rawlings, was speaking on earlier reports that she had been nominated as John Mahamas running mate for 2020. She was reportedly speaking in an interview with Class FM. READ ALSO: Juliet Ibrahim appears to show new Nigerian boyfriend to the world and fans are angry Asked whether she was ready for the running mate position, Zenator described the question as a tricky one. She added that it would be premature for her to say if she has been nominated or not, and if she was ready to partner Mahama. According to her, all that matters is that she is willing to serve the NDC in whatever capacity that is whether as running mate or another position to help the party win power from the NPP in 2020. READ ALSO: Ghanaians angry as government demolishes beautiful buildings for construction of national cathedral She, however, denied media reports that she had been nominated by Mahama to be his running mate for 2020, stressing that it was not the case. A statement released by Mahama's campaign team, which was signed by his spokesperson, James Agyenim Boateng also dismissed the reports. The statement described the reports as false, asking the public to disregard it entirely. Former President John Dramani Mahama has become aware of speculations about his choice of Running Mate for the 2020 Presidential elections. We wish to state that the reports are false. "Mr. Mahama is presently focused on both his NDC flag bearer campaign and his official duties. Therefore, Ghanaians should disregard all such conjectures", part of the statement read. READ ALSO: What about Sandra Ankobias husband snatching story? Fella Makafui asks media Ghana News Today: Mortuary Workers to Strike / Madina-Adenta Footbridge Demo | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Policeman fires at car over 50 pesewas toll; injures woman 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 - Zimbabwean man, Bekezela Bhebhe, and his South African wife, Thulile, are in trouble after reportedly trying to commit insurance fraud - Bekezela, 52, allegedly faked his own death so his 49-year-old wife could claim 400,000 (about GHC 2.5 million) life insurance reward - His wife already admitted to the crime and would be tried in court A number of people sign up for insurance so as to secure their future from unforeseen circumstances. However, some people try to claim their insurance reward through fraudulent means. Bekezela and Thulile Bhebhe Photo source: Central News Source: UGC YEN.com.gh has gathered that an African couple, Bekezela and Thulile Bhebhe, based in the United Kingdom, are facing a possible jail term for committing insurance fraud. READ ALSO: 'Sakawa' boy breaks hearts as he dies in car crash leaving behind wife and newly born baby According to Daily Mail, Bekezela, faked his own death between August 1 and September 30, 2016. This was to ensure that his wife could get the almost GHC2.5 million reward in life insurance The prosecutor, Julian Pozimski, revealed that if found guilty of the crime, Bekezela, could face up to five years in prison. Thulile, who admitted to the crime at a court hearing, would be sentenced after her husbands trial has been concluded. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar leaks photo to force Benedicta Gafah to admit affair with married man Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported the story of a young man has taken to his Facebook profile call out an Uber driver after he mistakenly transferred the huge sum of one million naira which translates into over 13,000 cedis to the driver's account. According to the young man, after realising his mistake, he contacted the driver who after some back and forth admitted that he had received the money and promised to transfer it back. But after some time tossing him, the driver refused to return the money and even stopped picking his calls. READ ALSO: Ghanaians weep as 6 pupils die after being run over by truck carrying loads of cement (Photos) Street Quiz Ghana: What Would Be Your Message to the President Should You Meet Him? | Yen.com.gh: 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 Tim P. Whitby - WPA Pool/Getty Images(LONDON) -- A new photo of baby Prince Louis being held by his grandfather, Prince Charles, was published Monday in the British news outlet Sunday Times Magazine. The photo, taken by longtime royals photographer Chris Jackson, who's been photographing the family for more than 15 years, came just days after Charles' 70th birthday last week on Nov. 14. It features the heir apparent to the British throne embracing his youngest grandson, offering a rare, candid glimpse at Charles as a doting grandfather. HRH The Prince of Wales on and off duty in todays Sunday Times Magazine. Photos by @ChrisJack_Getty. pic.twitter.com/TinrDaELqc Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) November 18, 2018 Last week, Clarence House released new family photographs of the whole family together, the first official photos of the whole family since the christening of Prince Louis in July. The images showed the three men who will each be king: Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George, all together. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. L-r: Mr Isaac Savua, Emergency & Response Recover Coordinator; Acting Director of DSPPAC John Ezra, New Zealand High Commissioner Jonathan Schwass; Director of National Disaster Management Abraham Nasak, standing with the materials ready for dispatch. Specialty coffee roaster Blue Bottle Coffee will arrive in the San Diego market with a cafe in Carmel Valleys new mixed-use community One Paseo, opening in spring 2019. Blue Bottle Coffee was founded by James Freeman in Oakland in 2002. A self-declared coffee lunatic, Freeman hand-roasted beans in a 182- square-foot potting shed and then delivered them to friends from his Peugeot wagon. Sixteen years later, Blue Bottle is now a network of cafes in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Miami and Japan. In addition to the One Paseo location, a second San Diego location will open later in 2019 in downtowns Tower 180. Weve been looking for the opportunity to begin serving our customers in the San Diego area and are pleased to have found two such ideal locations for Blue Bottle Coffee, said Bryan Meehan, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. San Diego is a community of free-thinking, adventurous spirits and were looking forward to the opportunity to connect with a community of coffee drinkers excited about specialty coffee. The One Paseo cafe will face a central courtyard and offer interior and exterior seating. Blue Bottle Coffee baristas will serve beverages, including coffee, espresso, Cold Brew and New Orleans-Style Iced Coffee, as well as a selection of pastries, including Liege wafels and toasts. Cafes will also host coffee education classes where guests can learn about coffee brewing techniques and the nuances of different varietals and coffee types through coffee cupping or coffee tasting classes. The One Paseo cafe will also serve as the regions training lab, offering space for new Blue Bottle baristas to learn the art of pour over, espresso and milk foam. One Paseo couldnt be more delighted to welcome Blue Bottle to our collection of culinary and lifestyle shops, said Nelson Ackerly, senior vice president of Kilroy Realty. Being the location for their first brick-and-mortar in San Diego gives us a jolt of excitement, just like the careful curation and innovation behind their coffee. We cant wait to sip Blue Bottle's freshly brewed coffee while enjoying everything One Paseo has to offer. One Paseos roster of retail, restaurants and three announced fitness studios will open their doors in March 2019. The residential component, which includes 608 residential units, will open in 2019 and the office spaces will be completed in 2020. Follow Blue Bottle on Facebook, Instagram or visit bluebottlecoffee.com for more information. The first group of Chinese visitors at the Vanuatu Jungle Zipline. 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The hashtag #boycottgeorgia began to trend after Stacey Abrams, a former Democratic state representative and romance novelist, announced Friday that she would no longer challenge the Georgia Secretary of States election results. While Abrams acknowledged Kemp would be the winner of the election, she refused to call her speech a concession because a concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true, or proper. Read More: Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com Follow Larry Elder on Follow Larry Elder on Twitter "Like" Larry Elder on Facebook American Job profiles Trump's working class voter By Thomas M. Sipos I first saw American Job (1996) some 20 years ago on the Independent Film Channel. It looked like a documentary. Yet ... I wasn't sure. Research revealed that the main character, Randy Russell, had actually worked at the minimum wage jobs portrayed in the movie. Filmmaker Chris Smith then asked Randy and his former employers to reenact scenes of Randy's hiring, working, and eventual firing or quitting. American Job is less documentary than an early example of Reality TV. Except that it's not. The genius of American Job is that, unlike today's Reality TV, this film doesn't try to "spice up" reality with phony conflicts. The scenes in American Job are mundane. Excruciatingly boring. Even so, I was mesmerized. The film conveys some powerful social commentary -- by showing, not telling or preaching. American Job peeks into the lives of minimum wage workers. Randy works at a plastics factory, fast food restaurant, warehouse, cleaning motel rooms, and telemarketing. It's a portrait of working class Americans, portrayed not by actors, but by real working class Americans on actual job sites. Despite being a series of reenactments, American Job reeks of authenticity. Indie films claim to focus on marginalized groups. It's their raison d' etre. But many indie films are not so much authentic as calculated, hitting all the right PC buttons. Their marginalized groups are really celebrated minorities. Whereas American Job is the real deal, focusing on low wage, mostly white, workers. These are the people who voted for Trump. Midwestern. White. Blue collar. The Connor family come to life. And though American Job was shot 20 years earlier, it captures the cracking of their American dream. Forty years ago, these people had good union jobs. By the 1990s, globalization -- that "sucking sound" Ross Perot warned about -- had exported the good blue collar jobs and depressed wages for the jobs that stayed. Never-Trump Republicans are rather cold-blooded about it. To understand why the working class rejected establishment conservatives in favor of Trump's populism, consider Bill Kristol's callous remarks: The working class served as cannon fodder in Kristol's Mideast wars, dying or coming home blinded or maimed, and this is Kristol's gratitude. Nor does Kristol only offend whites. Consider this black MAGA man: Ayn Rand fans will dislike Randy's work ethic. He is no John Galt. While this clip has been edited (making Randy's factory gig appear briefer than in the film), there's no question that he messed up: Yet the above clip highlights a real "Take this job and shove it." moment. Let it sink in. It's open to interpretation and debate. One IMDB critic wrote: "It isn't that Randy has a bad work ethic. He just knows that this is not the way he wants to live, and the only power he has is to leave a job (which is very powerful actually -- have you ever walked out on a job?)." It's easier to endure a crappy job if the pay is high. It's easier to endure low pay if the job is interesting, meaningful, or fun. But this is the reality for many Americans. Crappy jobs for low pay. The promised American Dream nowhere in sight. Randy later finds himself working as a telemarketer: I sympathize with these people. Hell, I empathize. I worked as a telemarketer in the 1980s. If you hate getting telemarketing calls, trust me, it feels worse on the other end. But one need not empathize to sympathize. The Left sympathizes with foreign workers and immigrants because they are not Americans. Establishment Republicans sympathize with foreign workers and immigrants because they'll work for less. No wonder native born American workers (who are being economically squeezed by labor competition) are rejecting both in favor of Trump's populism and nationalism. American Job has no narration. No political discussions. Just a raw profile of low wage workers in the American Midwest. Do you (like Kristol) sneer at their plight? Or do you see a problem? If so, what's the solution? The film lets you draw your own conclusions. Upon its release in 1996, American Job screened at New York's Museum of Modern Art and Austin's South by Southwest Film Festival. It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 1997. It aired on the Independent Film Channel, and was released on VHS (but never on DVD). It's been hard to find since then, apart from the above two YouTube clips. Used VHS tapes occasionally turn up on Amazon and Ebay. Thomas M. Sipos writes horror fiction, satire, and film reviews. His website is http://www.CommunistVampires.com/ Home Article I Section 5 Clause 1 By Bruce Walker As Democrats prepare to steal Senate seats won by Republicans in the midterm elections it is time for Republicans to use what Democrats have used in House and Senate elections during the last five decades: Article I Section 5 Clause 1 of the Constitution which states that: Each House [of Congress] shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide. That clause of Article I means just what it says: the Senate can decide, whatever the state authorities in states with close elections (particularly those in which votes are miraculously discovered or are invalidated to give Senate Democrat candidates losing tallies on election night but winning tallies after state authorities finagle the ballots) supersede and override what state election authorities hold. Moreover, this part of the Constitution has been held beyond the power of federal courts to challenge or change. Like most conservatives, I find granting more practical power to Washington than it already has to be a bad idea, but in this particular instance it is an excellent approach for several reasons. First, Democrats at just as adept at stealing elections at the state level than at the federal level. Recall the odious George Soros Secretary of State Project which sought to quietly elect state secretaries of state to count ballots progressively (or whatever other similar adjective for corruptly fits.) This ghastly subornation of democracy allowed creepy and sick characters like the former Senator Al Franken to defeat widely respected Norm Coleman a few election cycles back and showed that the left will slither into any crevice it can find to make sure that the favored candidate wins. Second, this particular constitutional power is actually in the Constitution! What novelty to have the federal government use the powers explicitly conferred upon it in our foundational government document! The left, of course, will not understand this but the left these days seldom understands anything. Third, the power is returned to Congress, which was intended to be the real power in the federal system. Indeed, the Speaker of the House was for several decades considered the most power office in the federal government. Returning power to Congress is very different from giving power to federal courts, independent regulatory agencies and the like. Fourth, controlling the Senate is absolutely vital now. With the Senate judicial nominations and other appointments requiring Senate approval can be safely assured with decent conservative nominees. The impact of just one more Supreme Court Justice the fifth conservative vote, counting the Chief Justice as a neuter creates a conservative Supreme Court for the first time since FDRs reelection. Fifth, although House Democrats could retaliate, this would be stupid and futile because the House of Representatives has truly become very weak and lame, easily less important than any other part of the constitutional federal system. The Senate, by contrast, not only has a clear majority of conservative states indeed in 2020 it is hard to see Republicans losing more than one seat even if Trump loses and the state governments in those states are run by Republicans. States, unlike congressional districts, are fixed in the Constitution system absent the self-willed and congressionally approved changes in state borders, and so if House Democrats attempt retaliation for Senate Republicans seating properly elected Republican Senate candidates, the House Democrats will lose and this would not just be for the structural advantages Senate Republicans have over Senate Democrats but because Senate Republicans do not need to steal elections but only to insure that Democrats running for Senate seats do not steal elections. There is every reason for Senate Republicans to begin now to review state election authorities to let flacks for Democrats know that Republican candidates who won on election night do not lose election by nefarious machinations of corrupt leftists. The Constitution, the political dynamics and honor of the electoral process all demand this action now. There is no reason to back down and every reason to be bold, direct and steady in upholding Article I Section 5 Clause 1. Bruce Walker is the author of the recently released Pseudo-Green Leftism and True Green Conservatism and a contributing editor to Enter Stage Right. Home Herbert Marcuse vs. Aldous Huxleys Brave New World a thought experiment By Mark Wegierski The thought-experiment is a recognized form of obtaining certain insights, even in the strictest hard sciences. Aldous Huxley, who passed away fifty-five years ago, on November 22, 1963, would have probably appreciated laying out a hypothetical situation like the one below. Let us say that Herbert Marcuse, the Frankfurt School theorist, often considered as one of the intellectual progenitors of the Sixties' revolutions, were re-awakened several hundred years hence, in the world of Our Ford's "Brave New World". What sort of critique would he make of that society and what would this say about Marcuse's ideas? Marcuse's critique of Brave New World would presumably focus on the "masked nature" of the society. What appears as a happy, free-loving society is in fact the product of continuous and thoroughgoing genetic engineering, which imposes class distinctions and barriers from the moment of (artificial) conception. The hierarchy of Brave New World is more rigid than that of any formerly existing society, as it is utterly predetermined. There is no rising even from the Beta class to the Alpha class. Marcuse's critique of BNW would probably be that it is "not genuine" -- it is built on bio-engineering of humans and complete "state" control of human reproduction. It is a society where everyone is absorbed in an all-permeating "false consciousness". Thus, the society of BNW is not really natural, and does not really allow individuals freedom of choice. Inequality is endemic and completely ingrained into the society. The fact that the society is ultimately based on total genetic determinism should totally illegitimate it, as far as Marcuse is concerned. Yet, on the other hand, Marcuse would probably approve of many of the features of BNW, if considered apart from the genetic caste system. It is a world which has done away with hunger, poverty, disease, and the fear of natural or violent death. Individuals are allowed "the free play of their sexuality" at all times of their lives, and are uninhibited in any way. The idea of the father, that strict, patriarchal oppressor, has gone away, as well as the idea of the mother, which so unnaturally (according to some modern sexual theorists) oppresses women. Without the father, none of the evils of premodern civilization are present -- war, aggression, and violent conflict have all but disappeared. The image of the all-powerful father has indeed often been identified with patriarchal, authoritarian systems of oppression -- the very picture of most premodern societies. The idea of the family is also gone -- and it is often believed by thinkers like Marcuse that the tightly-knit, authoritarian family is the very model of an authoritarian state -- with downward flow of authority and no right to ask questions. The idea of "possessiveness" has also been extirpated in BNW, "everybody belongs to everyone else", which would seem to be the natural extension of the maxim of equality. BNW therefore appears to be the fulfillment of Marcuse's sexual utopia. This somewhat sardonic juxtaposition of Marcuse's reactions to BNW is deliberate. Marcuse would probably not understand how a society which had all the "right" ideas about sexuality would not also be an equality-based and non-hierarchical society. The first thing this points up is the shallowness of basing one's views of how society should be constructed exclusively on the mode of the sexual. There is, in fact, no contradiction between the sexual freedom of BNW and its hierarchical structure. In fact, the two can be seen as mutually supportive of each other. There is nothing in Marcuse's theory which could account for the existence (or the possibility of existence) of such a society. Secondly, one would like to ask Marcuse about his definition of "hierarchy". Clearly, it is one that makes no distinctions between "hierarchies" of different sorts -- "hierarchy", which can be seen as the opposite of "equality", is inherently "bad", no matter what ends it chooses for itself. In fact, the question of ends does not arise -- "hierarchy", in whatever form, is "bad"; its opposite, "equality" is good. Yet the idea of "hierarchy" must indeed have some implicit valuative connotations attached to it in the mind of Marcuse -- fascist or fascistic impulses towards domination, etc. So, when a "hierarchy" promotes the ends which Marcuse promotes, how is he to criticize this "hierarchy"? He cannot criticize it for the ends it promotes. So he can only criticize it for its means. Paradoxically, John the Savage, in the course of his conversations with the World-Controller Mustapha Mond, provides one answer to this problem. In the so-called Cyprus experiment described in the book, a society of Alpha Double Pluses fights a savage civil war. The reason given for this is that no Alpha Double Plus could stand doing Epsilon Semi-Moron work. Thus, it may be deduced that Huxley's point is that, if everyone were equally, outstandingly, intelligent, beautiful, and so forth, society probably could not exist. Interestingly enough, though our own society does not resort to bio-engineering humans, people are born with very different abilities and aptitudes. It could be argued that, to put it sharply, inequality is thus present in human nature itself, and is an indelible part of human nature. BNW, in regard to its genetic caste system, can therefore be seen to be creating un-naturally an extreme form of the hierarchies and stratifications that are normally present in any case, in any human society. The rejection of Brave New World because of its hierarchical nature is thus very theoretically shallow. Marcuse must look to what effects the society has on individuals apart from this -- in what aspects, for example, does the society of BNW differ from that, say, of Victorian England? Can he say, for example, that the society of BNW is ignoble? Another major point is that BNW cannot be criticized for breeding poverty, disease, racism, hunger, and so forth. If everyone is healthy, happy, well-fed, and so forth, what possible critique can a Marxist or capitalist material determinist make of the society? And if there is sexual liberation in the broadest sense of the word, what critique can a Freudian Left thinker make of it? One might then see the seeming contrast between what might be called the "ideology" or ruling-principle of Brave New World (endless satisfaction of all appetites), and its hierarchical nature -- which it could be argued are not really all that contradictory. As the Director of the Central Hatchery says, it is the foremost aim to be "adults at work, infants at play". If this insight could somehow be brought down to the currently-existing world, it can be seen that there is no contradiction between functionalism at work and hedonism at home. Some of the more typical current-day urban classes (for whom the term "bobos" -- bourgeois bohemians -- has been coined) who are sharp stockbrokers or business-people by day, hedonists at night, are the best example of this. Sexual pleasure up to the limits of health and hygiene might well be the slogan of contemporary North American society. Without some frankly non-materialist notions of the importance of "the real human soul" -- which can be used to criticize various ignoble aspects of BNW, including the artificiality and extremity of its genetic caste-system -- and of the importance of rootedness in family life, particular culture, and religion as they have been historically understood -- it would be rather difficult to decisively criticize Brave New World. The inability to incisively criticize Aldous Huxley's Brave New World society from a Marcusean perspective might be seen as troubling to those who would like to put the locus of resistance to late modernity and the current commodity-consumption culture in Marcuse and similar thinkers. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Mitch McConnell: How to win without doing anything By Michael R. Shannon The best summary of the 2018 midterm elections came from National Review, that hotbed of Never Trumpism. David French wrote, Republicans solidified their theoretical advantages in the [Senate]. Theoretical being the operative word. With Curator of the Senate Mitch McConnell in charge any conservative changes in the status quo were always only theoretical. Thats why the big winner of this election was McConnell. As this is written the left has picked up 29 House seats and lost 3 seats in the Senate. Thats not a blue wave. Its more like the splash on your shoes after a lobbyists SUV drives by during a DC rain storm, while you wait for a bus. In Clintons first midterm he lost 54 House seats and 8 Senate seats and that was before he went all Harvey Weinstein on the help. Nobel Prizewinning Obama, beloved by all, lost 63 House seats and 6 Senate seats in 2010. As Ed Rogers pointed out, the lefts victory didnt even exploit the alleged national loathing for Trump. Democrats have underperformed in comparison with the historical markers and general expectations of a midterm cycle. The presidents party loses 37 seats in the House on average in midterm elections when his approval is below 50 percent but Democrats arent projected to pick up nearly that many seats. Some of these numbers could change by the time you read this because Democrats have dispatched votefinding teams for the undecided races. These grave robbers and dumpster divers somehow manage to unearth previously hidden leftist votes in much the same way the French find truffles. Mitch McConnell, Architect of Inertia, wins because even the most rabid members of the base wont expect him to pass conservative legislation when the House is held by Antifa. Had Republicans held the House, the additional three new GOP senators would have been an unmitigated disaster for McConnell. The pressure to finally pass legislation conservatives have been promised during the campaign, but somehow gets lost on the trip back to DC, would have been overwhelming. A relieved McConnell will spend the next two years cheerfully functioning as the Human Resources office for the White House judicial nomination team. After each confirmation, Mitch will claim the approved judge is a victory for Senate conservatives. The truth is every judge is a victory for the man McConnell secretly despises: Donald Trump. His victory in 2016 upset all the curators careful plans. With Hillary in the White House Mitch could be his natural, passiveaggressive self. Trump ended the if we only controlled the White House excuse Senate country club conservatives used to justify their legislative coma. Even after Trump made the McConnell family a twoincome household again his wife is Sec. of Transportation Mitch showed his gratitude by refusing to support Trumps budget, Trumps wall and Trumps effort to shrink the federal government. McConnell is responsible for 90 percent of the failure to pass Trumps legislative agenda. Now McConnell is mumbling about working with Democrats. This means hes ready to reopen the Pork Palace under the guise of bipartisanship, because the only activity the two tribes in Incumbentstan can agree upon is spending money. McConnell will enjoy the extra threevote pad on judicial confirmation votes even though he did nothing to produce the unprecedented senate victories. He avoided the immigration issue. He didnt force Democrats to cast votes that would not play well at home. McConnell did almost nothing aside from his HR duties. The president, on the other hand was a campaigning machine. As Laura Hollis pointed out, [Trump] was instrumental in the GOP victories in Florida, Indiana, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and North Dakota. Trump won running his issues and not those of the housebroken conservatives hiding in the Swamp. Frank Cannon and Paul Dupont summed it up nicely, The GOP [McConnell and the leadership] cannot afford to settle for a truce strategy on social issues, surrendering to Democrats the power to define the cultural narrative. This repeatedly has proven to be electoral suicide. If Republicans are to capitalize on the Democrats growing weakness, they must campaign unapologetically as conservatives, as President Trump did in 2016, or else resign themselves to eventual defeat. Ed Rogers has sage advice for the curator, Voters had a chance to repudiate Trump and they did not. Much of the commentariat has said this years elections are about who we are as a country and what America is all about. Well, a lot of America seems to be about supporting Trump. If McConnell who has a lower approval rating in Kentucky than Trump cant grasp that fact he needs to get out of the way. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the regaining of Polish independence amidst the megapolitan world-city By Mark Wegierski On October 24, 2018, I attended the event Celebrating Poland at the showcase Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto, as part of the 39th edition of the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA). There were three young Polish writers featured: Dorota Maslowska author of, among others, Snow White and Russian Red (originally published in Polish in 2002 when she was only nineteen) set in the social milieu of a low-life Polish gangster; Jakub Zulczyk author of among others Blinded by the Lights (now an HBO Europe television series) (about a drug-dealer in current-day Warsaw); and Jakub Malecki, most of whose work has yet to be translated into English. The event was introduced by Professor Tamara Trojanowska, who had been for many years the main professor of the Polish Language and Literature program at the University of Toronto (in the Slavics Department), and moderated by Eva Stachniak, author of, among other historical novels, The Winter Palace (about Catherine the Great). There has been a flurry of Polish-related events in Toronto because of the 100th anniversary of the regaining of Polish independence (November 11, 1918). Poland was reborn after 123 years of often harsh foreign occupation by Tsarist Russia, Prussia/Germany, and the Habsburg Empire. As part of the independence commemorations, Terry Tegnazian, a Los Angeles-based Armenian-American woman, a publisher of award-winning books on Polands World War II history, spoke at the Consulate-General of the Republic of Poland on October 25. There was also the 10th Toronto Polish Film Festival (ekran.ca) showing a broad variety of films from Poland. The Polish Students Association at the University of Toronto arranged the showing of three Polish films The Gates of Europe, set in 1918 in Polands Eastern Borderlands; Warsaw 44, about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944; and Ida, set in the difficult post-World War II period under Communism. There was also an exhibition at Robarts Library, the massive main library of the University of Toronto. On November 13, there was the book-launch of Being Poland, a collection of essays on Polish literature and culture since 1918, edited by, among others, Tamara Trojanowska (published by the University of Toronto Press). It was good to see some quickening of Polish themes in Toronto, around this important anniversary. Nevertheless, this brief flurry of events cannot disguise the fact that the Polish-Canadians are indeed very low in the multicultural pecking-order of current-day Canada. There are very few authors of literary fiction, genre fiction, and works of social and political commentary in Canada, who could be described as belonging to the Polish-Canadian community. There are no such opinion journalists in any of the major Toronto newspapers, and probably very few in Canada as a whole. (Canadian Polonia is the term usually used by persons of Polish descent to describe the Polish-Canadian community.) There are very few currently-sitting MPs and MPPs who could be identified as belonging to the Polish-Canadian community. Among the most prominent are Calgary-area MP Tom Kmiec, and the recently elected young MPPs in Ontario, Kinga Surma (Etobicoke Centre) and Natalia Kusendova (Mississauga Centre). Until a few years ago, a person comparatively well-acquainted with the community, when thinking of authors, could probably think only of Eva Stachniak and Irene Tomaszewski, and perhaps K. G. E. (Chuck) Konkel (author of two, police-procedural-type novels, set in non-Polish locales Hong Kong and Mexico respectively). There was also, in 1995, Marynia, Dont Cry: Memoirs of Two Polish-Canadian Families, by Apolonja (Pola) M. Kojder and Barbara Glogowska, published by the University of Toronto Press. I would like to discuss A Mothers Legacy, Apolonja Kojders memoir in Marynia, Dont Cry: Memoirs of Two Polish-Canadian Families. (The title of the entire book is taken from Polas memoir; the second memoir is by Barbara Glogowska.) Pola draws helpful attention to such matters as to how difficult life truly was in earlier parts of the Twentieth Century, as well as chronicling her highly tragic family history. Her father, mother, and their young daughter, Apolonja Rozalia, were deported in 1940 from Eastern Poland to far-northern Russia, where Rozalia would die a sister whom Pola (who was born in 1948 in Canada) would never come to know. (Her parents settled after the war in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.) Her uncle was murdered by the NKVD as part of the Katyn massacres in 1940. She lists twenty relatives who did not survive the war. Tragedy continued after the wars end. Her fathers cousin, Wladyslaw Kojder, a leader of the independent Polish Peasants Party, was brutally murdered by the Communist secret police in September 1945. She found out many years later, that another of her relatives died in 1947 as a result of chemical poisoning from slave labor in a chemical factory, to which he was assigned after rejecting an offer of Soviet citizenship. Polas father died in 1968 in a tragic workplace accident, while saving the life of another worker. Those were times when workplace heroism was not usually recognized. During her speech at the Katyn commemoration ceremonies in April 2001, Pola endeavored to describe to an audience which included Canadians the vastness of the Katyn tragedy. In the context of Canadian multiculturalism, her drawing attention to the somewhat variegated nature of the Katyn victims all Polish citizens of various faiths and ethnic backgrounds was rather creative and appropriate. At the 2008 Annual Conference of the Canadian Association of Slavists held at the University of British Columbia, Joanna Kordus, a graduate student at UBC, presented a paper: Feminine Life Writing and Polish Ethnic Invisibility in the Canadian Landscape: Reading Apolonja Kojders Marynia, Dont Cry Transnationally. Later in 2008, Joanna Kordus (who had emigrated to Canada at the age of thirteen) successfully defended her M.A. thesis in Comparative Literature on the topic of: Self-Inscriptions: Ethnic, Indigenous, Linguistic and Female Identity Constructions in Canadian Minority Life Writing: A Comparison of Apolonja Kojders Marynia, Dont Cry and Rita Joes Song of Rita Joe. In her paper and thesis, Kordus brought attention to the many worthwhile and noteworthy aspects of Polas writing. She noted it was an almost singular example of a specifically Polish-Canadian identity and vision in Canada. Against all the odds and in the face of long-term travails and marginalization, Pola was attempting to give voice to a specifically Polish-Canadian identity. In her thesis, Kordus compared this to how the Aboriginal author Rita Joe was also writing out of a place of suffering. She compared Kojders use of Polish words, and Joes use of Aboriginal words, in the respective texts, as an attempt to catch some of the essence of conceptual differences between the so-called Canadian mainstream culture, and the two minority visions. Kordus suggested that a dialogue between diasporic and aboriginal minorities could lead to helpful insights. Apolonja Maria Kojder is indeed a representative of a fragmentary tradition of Polish-Canadian writing, a tradition that has been beset by various adversities. In the last few years, a number of new writers have emerged Andrew J. Borkowski, author of the short story collection, Copernicus Avenue, which won the 2012 Toronto Book Award; Aga Maksimowska, whose book Giant was nominated for the 2013 Toronto Book Award; Jowita Bydlowska, author of Drunk Mom, and, more recently, Guy; and Ania Szado, author of Beginning of Was, and Studio St-Ex (about Antoine St. Exupery). Of these new authors, the books of Borkowski and Maksimowska and, to a lesser extent, Szados first novel, are the only ones that appear to have major Polish and Polish-Canadian content. However, Maksimowskas novel has elements of some current-day politically-correct stereotypes about Poles, something that Borkowski, also, does not entirely avoid. In 2017, there appeared an anthology of Polish-Canadian short fiction from Guernica Editions, and Kasia Jaronczyks Lemons -- a gritty linked-short-story collection. In 2018, Caroline Szpak published a collection of abstruse poetry Slinky Naive. The endeavors of Professor Tamara Trojanowska in the Polish Language and Literature program at the University of Toronto have usually been felicitous (such as organizing a major international conference on Polish themes at the University of Toronto in February 2006). On the other hand, Professor Piotr Wrobel, who currently holds the Chair of Polish History at the University of Toronto, is considered by some to be rather cool to the Polish-Canadian community and its core concerns. Thanks to the isolated but genuinely idealistic efforts of Professor Kazimierz Patalas of the Freshwater Institute in Manitoba, and Professor Zbigniew Izydorczyk at the University of Winnipeg, there has appeared the book, Providence Watching: Journeys from Wartorn Poland to the Canadian Prairies (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2003). This was an English translation of a work which Professor Patalas put together with considerable effort, Przez boje, przez znoje, przez trud: Kombatanckie losy (Through battles, privations, and hardship: The fate of Polish soldiers) (Winnipeg: Polish Combatants Association - Group 13, 1996). Professors Patalas and Izydorczyk doubtless undertook a supreme effort to bring the book forward to appearance in English. Its quite clear that in todays climate, the publishing of a book friendly to the Polish cause, by a recognized Canadian publisher, requires a huge personal effort and well-established professional contacts. In this case, Professor Daniel Stone, who teaches Polish and East European history at the University of Winnipeg, wrote a lucid introduction to the book. Another isolated but genuinely idealistic endeavor, was High Park Magazine, edited by Piotr Manycz, of which twenty-five magnificent issues appeared between 1992 and 1998. The quality of the publication was amazing and it had articles in both Polish and English. Had it continued, it could have perhaps become a nucleus for far more lively Polish impressions on the Canadian literary landscape. A third example of an isolated but genuinely idealistic initiative is Poland in the Rockies. This is a summer seminar in a natural setting, with lectures and informal talks by such luminaries as Professor Norman Davies, that offers a sense of community and networking, mainly to young Polish-Canadian and Polish-American university and college students. Such a sense of community is considerably reassuring to young people, who not infrequently have to sharply defend Polishness, in todays North American social and cultural climate. After a hiatus of some years, the seminar was revived in 2014, but I am unable to ascertain through various Internet searches, whether it is happening in subsequent years. Another helpful initiative is the Quo Vadis conferences. In the main English-language Canadian press and publishers, the presence of articles and books that treat Polish and Polish-Canadian themes and issues in a comparatively sympathetic light, appears to be extremely infrequent. In fact, such themes and issues are rather rarely discussed at all. It might be concluded from this that, insofar as the Polish-Canadian community might wish to have articles in English that represent it effectively to Canadian society, they can probably only appear in Polonia publications. However, most newspapers and magazines of Canadian Polonia have usually been closed to publishing articles in English. It is also highly unfortunate that the annual scholarly journal of the Polish Library in Montreal and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada (PIASC) has suspended publication as of the two-year, 2007-2008 issue. Such articles in English can also speak to persons of Polish descent who have a middling or weaker command of the Polish language, but would appreciate their heritage effectively represented in English. This writer has waited for years (if not decades) for a Canadian Polonia newspaper that would frequently publish articles in English. Indeed, it is probably only through the medium of the English language that a more effective, intermediary, Polish and Canadian identity, which might be able to persist a considerable number of generations, can somehow be worked out, at this very late date. Most newspapers of Canadian Polonia have usually been oriented towards Poles living in Canada (that is, immigrants from Poland) as opposed to persons of Polish descent born in Canada. Given the ever-diminishing numbers of new immigrants from Poland, it could be argued that increasing attention must come to be paid to the generations born in Canada. Leaving the Celebrating Poland event to travel home on a long subway ride, I could not help but thinking about how small a sliver of life in Toronto the Polish-Canadians represented. Polish-Canadians are currently about 3.8 percent of the citys total population. The Polish-Canadians, lacking influence in the mainstream media, literary and cultural life, government institutions, and the educational system, simply cannot make themselves heard above the din of other groups. When I was far younger, I was heavily acculturated into Polishness, but this unfortunately has produced a cognitive dissonance, as my concerns were reflected nowhere in Canadian society, that I could see. Nor are they being reflected today. One can only hope that Polish-Canadians could begin to show some of the strong group-solidarity seen in most visible minority groups, or, to take an example closer to home, the Ukrainian-Canadians. Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. He was born in Toronto of Polish immigrant parents. Home Congress finds another way to not punish children By Sarah Coppola Food stamps, otherwise known as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program, are a government issued well-fare program that provides very low-income families a free or low-priced way of getting food. This sounds like an amazing thing! People who cannot afford food do not have to starve, kids can eat full meals year round without relying on meals provided by their school, and there is ultimately much less stress involved with food stamps. Samantha Wymann certainly agrees with this in her Socialist Worker article titled "Congress finds another way to punish children". In fact, in response to Trumps new laws on food stamp requirements she states that it is yet "another display of federal government cruelty toward poor families" and that "the food stamp provisions of the House farm bill would make these already harsh conditions even worse." She states the problem that many kids in school rely on free or low-priced meals given out by their school, but over the summer they have no way of getting meals, which is why these new requirements are harming American families in poverty. They are allowing fewer families to use food stamps, endangering the health of children and, of course, everybody else who will be affected by these new laws. However, Wymann does not understand the power the food stamps, however great they may seem from a superficial point of view, inflict upon these families using this welfare system (or any welfare system for that matter). Thomas Sowell points out that when families begin to rely on systems where the government pays for most of their necessities, there is hardly any way to get out of that welfare system. They are stuck relying on it for if "they have the potential to become productive members of society, the loss of welfare state benefits if they try to do so is an implicit tax on what they would earn." And really, families in poverty in America could be counted as rich in a less-developed country. Sowell also points out that impoverished families in America still have luxuries such as "air-conditioning, television, own a motor vehicle and, far from being hungry, are more likely than other Americans to be overweight." Because of food stamps, American families are stuck using this well-fare system. Using Martin Friedmans way of thinking, Diana Whitman proposes an alternative solution to "poverty" that will not cause Americans to become dependent upon the government. Instead of continually handing out what impoverished Americans need, he first believes that this well-fare assistance should "operate through the market without distorting or impeding it", it should not discriminate and prioritize the elderly and disabled, and above all, it should encourage Americans to work while "establishing a floor below which no individuals income would fall." One example organization that follows Friedman and Whitmans ways of thinking is the EITC, which is the biggest cash transfer program, and it "lifts over 4.7 million children out of poverty each year." Basically, the EITC provides a low-income worker with extra money for every dollar they make so that they receive more income. This gives workers throughout America an incentive to work while also eventually giving them an easy way out of the program, instead of forcing them to keep their low-income job and rely on welfare to take care of them. If, for whatever reason, EITC is no longer able to provide subsidies, food vouchers (food stamps, or "consumption-distorting food stamps," as Whitman calls them) can be used instead, though cash, according to Friedman, is preferred in order to retain a natural level of consumption. Basically, food stamps are very close to the solution to poverty, but they are not the answer as they suck low-income families into using them, and then those families cannot escape. Trump is on the right track; he is raising the standards used to qualify for food stamps so that fewer families are able to slack off and rely on the government for their food. Congress is not finding another way to punish children; congress is on the right track to helping children and impoverished families throughout America. Sarah Coppola is a high school student studying AP Macroeconomics. 2018 Sarah Coppola Home Mexican journalist reveals the truth about the caravan By Rachel Alexander Mexican journalist Alex Backman has released a stunning expose on the caravan from Central America. He says the migrants are robbing and stealing in Mexico. They carjack cars containing just one occupant. There are even accounts of rapes. Many of the migrants will not let people film them. If they see someone filming them through a car window, they stop the car and demand the phone. Backman suspects the reason they dont want to be filmed is because they have criminal histories. He said the Mexican president hasnt done anything to stop it. The Mexican government is instead providing them with necessities including medical aid. This despite the fact that 48 percent of Mexicans disapprove of the caravan. Almost 2,700 Central Americans have applied for asylum in Mexico since the caravan started. However, the Mexican government says it does not have the resources to house all the caravan members for six months. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez told Vice President Mike Pence that the caravan was organized by leftist organizations. Left-wing organizations are providing assistance. They include the coalition CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project, which stands for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, the American Immigration Council, the Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. At least three of the groups are funded by George Soros Open Society Foundation. Of course, exposing this is risky, because the left is fond of denying that Soros funds its ventures, labeling anyone who points out the connection as a conspiracy theorist. Kelly Johnston, a vice president at Campbell Soup, was fired after he tweeted about Soros funding the caravan. Backman says the rocks being thrown by caravan members are not just little rocks, but large ones that can kill people. Mexican law enforcement vehicles have iron mesh over all of their windows due to the rock throwing. Unfortunately, law enforcement is armed with guns that are little more than paint guns. The rock throwing escalated in recent days as the caravan reached Tijuana. The migrants are clashing with the locals, who are marching in the streets demanding that they leave public spaces and report to shelters. The locals yell Go home. We dont want you here! Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum referred to the arrivals as bums. Human rights should be reserved for righteous humans, he said. At least three journalists were injured in fistfights and other violence. Some of the migrants refuse to stay in the shelters, comparing them to jails. According to The New York Times, the caravan is already threatening a potential crisis for Tijuana and the surrounding state of Baja California. Instead of trying to illegally cross the border into California, the caravan members are waiting at the border to apply for asylum. But they dont qualify for asylum under international law, Backman observes. Theres no war going on in Honduras. At least 1,400 have applied for asylum in the U.S. It will be weeks before their turn to present their case comes. Meanwhile, they are remaining in Tijuana near the border, where locals and churches are providing them with food and clothes. The U.S. Border Patrol is out in force along the Tijuana-California border. American workers rushed to complete the border wall there. President Trump is sending the military to the border merely as assistance to the National Guard hes not militarizing the border. But the Mexican media is warning that Trump is going to use force on the border. They are also falsely attempting to portray the caravan as primarily women and children. President Trump tweeted about the caravan, Isnt it ironic that large caravans of people are marching to our border wanting U.S.A. asylum because they are fearful of being in their country yet they are proudly waving their countrys flag, he wrote. Can this be possible? Yes, because it is all a BIG CON, and the American taxpayer is paying for it. Trump refers to the caravan as an invasion. It is no way near over. A man within the Mexican government told Backman there are more caravans coming from three other countries; Brazil, Columbia and Venezuela. Officials in Baja California say there are currently 9,000 migrants moving through Mexico in caravans. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. 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Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell, the first to openly seek the Democrat nomination for the 2020 Presidency, beclowned himself by inserting himself into the CW2 matter while forgetting that hes an elected Representative. Already known for explicitly advocating gun confiscation, Rep. Swalwell posted that CW2 would come to a quick end through FedGov deploying nuclear weapons. This from a fellow who said hes running for the job that carries the authority to launch those weapons. Unsurprisingly, many 2A supporters took his comment to mean that hes hankering to one-up the troops of General Sherman. Swalwells Twitter try at being the next Herman Kahn turned his Presidential hopes into Electing the Unelectable.? Senator-Elect Krysten Synema gave a foretaste of her term by flatly breaking an explicit promise not to support Chuck Schumer for Senate Minority Leader. The biggest city of Schumer's State got hit with about six inches of global warming and traffic stoppages aplenty, including one that stalled city council member Vanessa Gibson. Mayor deBlasio blamed the fustercluck on off-the-mark climate models forecasts. Reversing a cliche, Inuits in Nunavut made the global-warming poohbas restless. As reported by the Canadian government, those natives are worried about an increased number of polar bears threatening their safety. Since this we-merely-live-here observation flat-out contradicted the Narrative, the flap over this report resembled a Bizarro University in which a team of theoretical physicists got mad at an experimental physicist whose findings embarrassed them. In tandem with the Broward-County mess, the latest global-warming scare was aborted when the authors of a grist-study of ocean temperatures admitted to a mathematical mistake. As we saw with Climategate, another scandal that was whitewashed by cadres of apologists, those mistakes were made? overwhelmingly go in one direction. So do those mistakes? in vote-counting. As was made obvious in Broward County, Palm Beach County, the state of Georgia and quite a few other jurisdictions, non-standard countings mean the Republican lead either shrinks or turns into a Democrat lead. Exceptions, like Mia Love squeaking ahead in Utah, are rare. If these counting mistakes were random, theyd be about fifty-fifty. Despite that massy tilt in the dice, the Dems show themselves to be true to their new form when they lose and get frustrated. As per the latest iteration of Progressivism, their response to losing is delegitimization. Many were the tweeters who claimed that Democrat candidates for the Senate won an agglomerated popular vote, which makes about as much sense as claiming that Justin Trudeaus majority government is illegitimate because his Liberals won 39.5% of the popular vote. Professional Dems escalated by using the new-normal means to reverse an election: a lawsuit. They got Obama-appointed judge Mark Walker to order an alteration of Florida law that governs how ballots with mismatched signatures are treated. Unsurprisingly, that alteration narrowed De Santis lead and benefited Gillam. Its almost as if there were a pattern or two worth recognizing. Snipes As for Broward, its post-election clown show has been pegged by the explainers-that-be as caused by Brenda Snipes incompetence?. Last Saturday, Fox News revealed that recounters were counting the wrong ballots. A Broward recount of Senate votes showing Rick Scott with a slight net gain over Bill Nelson that was submitted late, induced spokespeople for the Scott campaign to charge that the tardiness was deliberate. Election supervisors for two other counties, Hillsborough and (of course) Palm Beach, said that they would not report their recounts because of ballots gone missing. And in Georgia, Democrat candidate Stacy Abrams, after implicitly admitting that she lost, is demanding a new election. True to proggie form, she and her campaign are relying on the courts to override the election via an unusual theory. Per the latest rationalization, her campaign is attempting to portray upholding the integrity of the vote as voter suppression.? Its almost as if there were a connection between those bombastic coordinated every vote must be counted? missives, those overt attempts to delegitimize Republican wins, and results that dont add up. As Abrams tails we flip again? ploy hints, there are grounds to suspect that the Dems secretly rationalize those loaded-dice tilts as a purported evener against purported gerrymandering. As par for the new course of retconning history, the Narrative clashes with the real kickstarter of post-modern gerrymandering. Back around 1990 or so, Dems leveraged civil rights into a campaign for so-called majority minority? districts. These districts were gerrymandered to ensure that black voters comprised a majority or plurality of the voting base. Some had shapes so bizarre, they were made fun of. Its a historical fact that these districts were openly pushed for by black-studies types. As made very clear by a heavily-cited study published in the December 96 issue of American Political Science Review, Majority-minority voting districts have been advanced as a remedy to the underrepresentation of minority interests in the political process.? Lani Guinier, Bill Clintons controversial nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, had made a career of advocating different voting schemes to increase the political clout of minorities: one of these schemes was majority-minority districts. This gerrymandering proceeded under the pressure of the 1973 revision of the Voting Rights Act. Although the then-liberal Supreme Court did affirm the 93 strike-down of a North-Carolina gerrymander containing two majority-minority districts in their decision of Shaw v. Reno, it did uphold a similar redistricting plan that included one majority-minority district and one majority-plurality (47%). In Georgia, two plans that included two majority-minority districts were shot down; a third plan that included three majority-minority districts was okayed. (Miller v. Johnson, 1995) The actual record implies that the Dems yells about gerrymandering? are underpinned by accusing the Pubbies of doing what they themselves do or have done. At the very least, it shows why Democrats are heedless about the unintended consequences of their policies. If those policies backfire, it creates yet another pretext to complain and put pressure on authorities. If the coin comes up heads, they win. If it comes up tails, they win another tub-thump. So why should they care if their wish-list policies succeed or fail? Moreover, the now-underground history of post-modern gerrymandering puts a real question mark on their sanctimony about voter suppression.? The Dems have a long, long history of indulging in voter fraud. Even the Adios, America trick of importing a new and pliable electorate has roots in the 19th century. Back before the days of George Washington Plunkitt, who had a habit of calling his allies Irish? and his reform-Republican opponents Americans,? it was Democrat practice to get new-off-the-boat Irishmen registered to vote without such niceties as citizenship getting in the way. Vote fraud was so rife, slang terms arose to describe the tricks and variants. In 1946, a cycle of vote fraud in McMinn County, Tennessee came to a head when it collided with returning WW2 veterans who pushed a mixed-party reform slate of candidates to oppose County-Sheriff Mansfields machine Democrats. Thusly, the tinder was set for the Battle of Athens. As many will remember, the Daley Machine of Chicago arguably modified the results of the Illinois 1960 Presidential election vote so as the throw the White House to John F. Kennedy. Again, we see a pattern a pattern that implies the laws against voter fraud should remain and be enforced, if not strengthened. Ever since the Voting Rights Act imposed federal court supervision over southern States, voter suppression has predominantly been vote-fraud suppression. Assuming that the saw about Republican gerrymandering? has any truth at all to it, its an effect of the good new McConnell Rule. How much of this so-called gerrymandering is due to the backfire effects of the above-discussed racial gerrymandering? Given that the sonorous cries of voter suppression? are compromised, given that there seems to be more than incompetence? in Florida and perhaps other States, the question arises: what to do about it? One option being floated is to federalize the whole federal-vote infrastructure, which would push further in the direction that the Voting Rights Act has gone. This option is questionable on Constitutional as well as Conservative grounds. It would further whittle away federalism and push the United States farther in the direction of a unitary government overseen by an imperial Presidency. Donald Trump wont be President forever, and the anger over his hard-fought victory raises the risk of a post-Trump revenge Presidency. Even if that risk doesnt come to be, greater centralization correlates with greater polarization. As the CW2 scenario implies, too-great polarization causes real turmoil. A better alternative, even if it requires sustained effort to implement, is to take a leaf from President Trumps policy on illegal immigration. Namely, a hybrid of strengthening, or trying to strengthen, the laws against voter fraud while demanding vigorous enforcement of the integrity-of-the-vote laws already in force. As seen in the 60s-70 rise in violent crime being reversed in the 80s and 90s, enforce-the-law works if its applied with a backbone. True, the Dems will squawk while shamelessly moving the goal posts when vote fraud is dredged up. (Have you noticed that they switched from saying the claim of vote fraud is a conspiracy theory? to the claim of widespread vote fraud is a conspiracy theory??) The progs still rely on emotional manipulation as a weapon, which becomes a weak point when they go full SJW and ordinary folks get fed up. Once you see them as disingenuous and untrustworthy, their scoldings and moralizing lose their power. Last Friday, Breitbart published an interview with Government Accountability Institute research director Eric Eggers, in which he said that Florida Democrats asking voters to submit absentee ballots after Election Day is a smoking gun and could possibly lead to a racketeering investigation.? This is the way to go. Although there is an important difference between an allegation and a conviction, and one between an allegation and an investigation, pursuing investigations in these circumstances will show that the law is no longer snoozing. To his credit, Marco Rubio has jumped on board. Like Lindsay Graham, Sen. Rubio has de-rubbered his spine. The enforcement option is more protracted than the federalize? option, but enforce-and-strengthen is in harmony with federalism. Moreover, as shown by the protracted battle against violent crime which succeeded until reversed, its the approach that will work. In the end, grit prevails over gimmicks. Daniel M. Ryan, as Nxtblg, is spinning his wheels at Steemit. Blaming climate ignoring incompetence By Paul Driessen Two more raging infernos in California have burned an area nearly ten times the size of Washington, DC. Wildlife and habitats have been torched. Over 8,000 homes and businesses, and nearly the entire town of Paradise, are now ashes and rubble. Cars were partly charred and melted as they escaped the flames, others completely incinerated, sometimes with occupants still inside. Well over 60 people have perished. Over 50,000 are homeless. Hundreds remain missing. President Trump expressed deep support for the thousands of courageous firefighters battling the conflagrations, urged residents to evacuate quickly and expedited disaster assistance to the ravaged communities. He also sent a poorly crafted tweet: Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments! The tweet is partisan, ill-informed and insensitive to those who are suffering, state politicians and celebrities railed before engaging in their own ill-informed, partisan insensitivity. "This is not the new normal. This is the new abnormal, Governor Jerry Brown asserted. And this new abnormal will continue. Dryness, warmth, drought, all those things, theyre going to intensify. We have to do more on forest management, he continued. But managing all the forests everywhere we can does not stop climate change. And those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that were now witnessing and will continue to witness in the coming years. This chart refutes his climate claims. Resorting to manmade climate change has become the favorite, most politically expedient tactic for deflecting attention away from the abject, ideological, even criminally incompetent forest management practices demanded by politicians, regulators, judges and environmentalists in recent decades. The hard, incontrovertible reality is that California is and always has been a largelyarid state, afflicted on repeated occasions by prolonged droughts, interspersed with periods of intense rainfall, and buffeted almost every autumn by powerful winds that can whip forest fires into infernos. 43% of California timberlands are privately owned, 1% are state owned, and all of them are governed by state laws, regulations and regulators. The remaining 56% are federally owned and managed, largely by preservation-oriented, change-resistant bureaucrats, subject to constant litigation by environmentalists. This past summer brought unusual rainfall that spurred plant growth. It was followed by hot weather that dried foliage out and set the stage for conflagrations in thick, poorly managed brush and trees. In this context, it doesnt much matter if the state is also now confronting climate change, whether natural or manmade or that Californias or the worlds average temperatures may have risen 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 or even 1.0 degree in recent decades. It doesnt matter if humans or nature caused the recent fires. Instead of casting blame, responsible parties need to come together, and deal with the situation at hand. That means first extinguishing these fires and helping devastated families rebuild their lives. Thankfully, everyone is committed to doing that. But it also means better forest management, which is not happening. In 2016, Governor Brown vetoed a bipartisan wildfire management bill that had unanimously passed the state Assembly and Senate. For decades, radical environmentalists have demanded and legislators, regulators and judges have approved wildlands preservation and fires are natural policies. Tree thinning has been banned, resulting in thousands of skinny, fire-susceptible trees growing where only a few hundred should be present. Even removing diseased, dead and burned trees has been prohibited. All that timber could have gone to sawmills, to create jobs and lumber for homes. Instead, the mills and jobs are gone. It could also have fueled biomass electricity generating plants; but most are also closed. State and federal forests in California now host over 129 million dead trees that cannot be touched! In 2009, Clinton-appointed Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that the Bush era US Forest Service had not fully analyzed the effects of potential timber harvesting on endangered plants and animals. In 2015, Obama-appointed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson rejected concerns that new, highly restrictive Obama-era forest plans would further harm local economies and increase the risk of forest fires. Did those judges and pressure groups, or the politicians and regulators who support them, ever ponder how thoroughly the inevitable infernos exterminate habitats, immolate endangered plants and animals, leave surviving animals starving, and incinerate organic matter in the thin soils? Did they consider how subsequent downpours and snowmelts denude hillsides, wash soils into streambeds, and ensure that trees and biodiversity wont recover for decades? Did they gave a moments thought to the way horrific conflagrations obliterate communities and kill firefighters, parents and children who get trapped by sudden walls of fast-moving flames? Not likely. But now many of them seem ready to blame Pacific Gas & Electric, whose power lines may have may have caused a spark that ignited the current deadly inferno on private lands in Northern California. Let no one forget that these pressure groups and government employees share the blame by causing and perpetuating the conditions that set the stage for this horrendous destruction and loss of life. Governor Brown recently said that, especially during this new abnormal, you have to do prevention and have escape routes and adapt to a changed world that not so many people were aware of or were thinking about. These actions are part of his job the job of regulators, politicians and judges. Not only have they been derelict in their duties. They have colluded to prevent tree thinning and dead tree removal. Theyve contested recent initiatives by the Interior Department and Forest Service to revise and reverse policies that invite deadly infernos in the 56% of California forests that are under direct federal control. Theyve perpetuated what Congressman Tom McClintock (R-CA) calls ponderous, byzantine laws and regulations administered by a cadre of ideological zealots. In too many areas, tree and brush clearing, dead and diseased tree removal, and the construction of fire breaks and additional escape routes are prohibited or must go through decades-long study, review, approval and litigation processes. Only a fool or ideologue would fail to foresee the inevitable results. In many cases, companies are not even allowed to salvage blackened trees that might be left standing after a conflagration has passed through an area. In stark contrast to these areas, privately and tribally managed forests outside the once-Golden State are actively managed to prevent major fires like those that have devastated vast national forest areas in California and other Western states. In California, if private landowners want to burn leaves and tree limbs to reduce fire hazards, they must first obtain air-quality permits from local air districts, burn permits from local fire agencies, and other permits depending on the location, size, type and timing of a proposed burn, air and ground moisture levels, and other factors. Thats all well and good, if the rules prevent fires that could turn into infernos. But do the bureaucrats make any attempt to factor in the horrendous air pollution and utter destruction from the monstrous fires their decrees cause by delaying or blocking brush clearing or controlled burns? As to climate change, what actual evidence can alarmists provide to show that todays climate and weather conditions are predominantly due to fossil fuel use or would be significantly different if the state or USA went 100% renewable, especially when the developing world continues to increase its coal, oil and gas use to lift billions out of poverty? Can they prove energy and climate edicts would enable the state to control the timing, frequency and severity of future climate fluctuations, rains, droughts, winds, and other weather events? Will Governor-elect Gavin Newsom seek common ground on forest issues? We clearly need less hidebound ideology, greater compassion and respect for human and animal life and greater willingness to find bipartisan ways to deal with the perpetually arid conditions in California and throughout the West, via responsible and scientific management of our forest heritage. Above all, we need to remember that people live in these areas and need to be protected. And right now, we should all lend a hand to those who have lost their homes, livelihoods and family members perhaps by donating to the Red Cross or the WattsUpWithThat.com Camp fire relief fund. Paul Driessen is policy advisor for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and author of articles and books on energy, natural resource, climate change, health, environmental and human rights issues. Home A glimpse into a world without men By Selwyn Duke Ah, to have an all-female workplace, full of sugar and spice and everything nice and absent #MeToo turpitude and transgressions. Are you in, ladies? Well, before signing on that dotted line, you may want to consider the experiences of the sugar-and-spice girls at Swedens new Gender Equality Authority. Yes, that sounds like whats birthed when Orwells 1984 meets The Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (Bill Mahers most memorable movie), but it wasnt mainly men being consumed in this bureaucracy. As Swedens FriaTider reports (auto-translated and corrected for grammar): The New Gender Equality Authority has a leadership consisting of 100 percent women. Ten months after its inception, an internal report now reveals a work environment so bad that 70 percent of its employees are distressed enough to be at risk of ill health, reports Ekot. The internal survey, Ekot also noted, shows in addition that a majority of the employees of the Gender Equality Authority suffer from sleep problems and risk fatigue. Among other things, the women-dominated workplace is characterized by bullying and harassment, according to the survey. If this surprises you, perhaps you derived your conception of the sexes from a womens-studies class (maybe the one known as modern American culture). Whether it was Aristotles observation that women are more likely to scold and to strike, Rudyard Kiplings verse about how the female of the species is more deadly than the male or statistics on bullying, it has long been known that the sugar-and-spice bit reflects marketing and male flattery, not reality. As Forbes wrote in 2012 on inter-employee harassment, Women make much nastier office bullies than men, says psychologist Dr. Gary Namie, co-founder of the [Workplace Bullying] Institute. This behavior is particularly vicious among working women, informs Forbes, and ranges from playing favourites to badmouthing colleagues to undermining other womens careers (and mens, too). Unsurprisingly, Forbes attributed this to conditioning (read: its our Patriarchal societys fault), writing that girls are taught to be critical about each other from adolescence. How this is taught or where its taught I have no idea, but thats their story and theyre stickin to it. Its just good the Female Criticism 101 classes dont also instruct on how to criticize men, otherwise there could actually be nagging wives in the world. (Unless theyd just skip right to the physical, as some studies show that women are more likely to initiate both domestic and teen-dating violence.) Those adolescent girls must be quick learners, though, because experts and studies (two troubling phenomena, no doubt, but, hey, even a blind squirrel and a broken clock, ya know?) inform that bullying among girls is notably worse than among boys. Just consider the left-wing Guardian, which outlines the problems and practices of these teen Gorgons and then closes with the question: Do these realities make the normal bullying of, generally, low-level violence as used by boys seem strangely comforting? Part of the explanation for this is that as poet William Congreve noted in 1697 (pre-gender-sensitivity training), Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. His context was affairs of the heart, of course, but it extends further. While men have their characteristic sins (lust, for example), a female one is vindictiveness. I suspect this is partially, though not completely, because women are very emotion-oriented, are easily hurt and, most significantly, are emotion-retentive. Thus, a real or imagined slight cuts deeply and doesnt just remain in a womans mind, but in her heart. Its harder to forgive when negative feelings linger demanding retribution. The bottom line is that, as often portrayed art-imitating-life-style in film, two men can engage in fisticuffs and be buddies an hour later. Women? Not so much. The psychological experts will tell us this is taught, too, but its even (and especially) apparent in children. When a little boy gets upset, he may have a tantrum and explode like a volcano yet 15 minutes later behave as if nothing happened. A girl is less likely to do this but more apt to simmer for long periods, not boiling over noticeably but not cooling to a calm, either. Consequently, rifts with friends are too often permanent. Then theres that, speaking generally, men are creatures of principle, women of preference. As I put it, treating this recently, Years ago a female writer (whose nameescapes me) discussed the different ways boys and girls settle problems. She wrote that boys are natural-born deal makers; theyll try to ensure fairness for everyone and then shake hands, saying Deal? Deal. In contrast, girls will try to ensure an outcome everyone feels good about. Witnessed here, even from young ages, I continued, is that boys instinctively reference principles, the objective; fairness is a principle. The girls, of course, are referencing feelings, the subjective. The point? Fair fighting or conflict resolution in the workplace or anywhere else requires adherence to principles; emotion wont secure it (which is why catfights are, well, catfights). Philosopher C.S. Lewis touched on this in his book Mere Christianity when he asked: With whom would you rather deal if your dog bit the child next door, the man or woman of the house? Lewis explained that when the man handles what could be called the familys foreign policy, outsiders are more likely to get a fair shake; the womans extreme family patriotism often precludes this. The latter is, of course, what can cause a woman to be wholly devoted to her children, even to the point of backing them when they do evil (serial killers mothers come to mind). For only principle instructs, Your family is wrong, and you must say so; emotion exclaims My family right or wrong! Kipling touched on this as well, writing of man, Where, at war with Life and Conscience, he uplifts his erring hands [t]o some God of Abstract Justicewhich no woman understands. The strong, unyielding feminine emotion can provide the no-holds-barred love and devotion a child needs. But when this intense passion is turned to competition in the workplace or elsewhere, its just no-holds-barred. So I dont know about spice, but maybe, as so many today claim, sugar really is a killer. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home On the fifth day in Kandy, Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets for 17 runs to concede a 57-run win to the visitors England 290 (Curran 64, Buttler 63, Dilruwan 4-61) and 346 (Root 124, Foakes 65*, Burns 59, Dananjaya 6-115) beat Sri Lanka 336 (Roshen 85, Karunaratne 63, Leach 3-70, Rashid 3-75) and 243 (Mathews 88, Karunaratne 57, Leach 5-83, Moeen 4-72) by 57 runs A five-wicket haul from Jack Leach has helped England secure a 57-run victory over Sri Lanka in Kandy to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. This is England's first series win in Asia since the 2012 victory over India and the first in Sri Lanka since 2001 besides being their first series win away from home since they defeated South Africa three years ago. When play resumed on the fifth day, Sri Lanka were seven down and required 75 runs for a series-levelling victory. For the first 15 minutes or so, Sri Lanka progressed smoothly enough as England put their trust in left-arm spinner Jack Leach and offspinner Moeen Ali. Niroshan Dickwella, the senior batsman remaining, picked up singles with the sweep, while Akila Dananjaya survived one mis-hit over cover. But then Moeen, giving the ball some air, lured the left-handed Dickwella into a push outside the off stump. With the delivery dipping and turning sharply off the pitch, Dickwella could only edge the ball to the safe hands of Ben Stokes at slip. Two deliveries later Moeen bowled Suranga Lakmal with a beauty that again drew a forward prod only to turn sharply between bat and pad. It left Sri Lanka's final pair requiring 61 runs. Jack Leach wrapped up victory with his maiden five-wicket haul Getty Images That was always an unlikely ask and, barely half an hour after the start of play, Malinda Pushpakumara pushed a catch back to Leach. It was a tame end to a compelling match. While Joe Root's century was probably the key ingredient in the victory, England spinners also enjoyed a fine game. England's trio of spinners claimed all 10 second-innings dismissals with Leach claiming a maiden five-wicket haul in his third Test. Moeen finished with 4 for 72. In all, England's spinners - including Joe Root - claimed 19 wickets, with the other falling to a run-out. A witness in the Odebrecht corruption case in Colombia died this month at his home near Bogota of what appeared to be a heart attack. Three days later his son died from cyanide poisoning. The father, Jorge Enrique Pizano, was an auditor for the Ruta del Sol II road project in Colombia. He raised concerns about $30 million in bribes Odebrecht allegedly paid to win the work. Odebrecht partner with Colombias Grupo Aval, the countrys biggest financial firm, for 328-mile highway-building contract. Odebrechts work was worth $1.7 billion. Pizanos son, Alejandro Pizano Ponce de Leon, returned from Barcelona to Colombia for his fathers funeral. While in his fathers office, he took a sip from a bottle of water on the desk. Ponce de Leon was dead from cyanide poisoning within minutes. The Colombian attorney generals office said it opened an investigation into the death of both Pizano and his son after hearing about the poisoning. Colombia has jailed eight people for their involvement in the Odebrecht corruption scandal, including the ex-minister of transport and a former senator. Odebrecht admitted in December 2016 that it paid nearly $800 million in bribes and kickbacks over several years. The company and its petrochemical unit, Braskem SA, entered into a global settlement of bribery and money laundering offenses with authorities in the United States, Brazil, and Switzerland. The companies agreed to pay combined penalties of $3.5 billion. In April 2017, the DOJ reduced Odebrechts U.S. criminal penalties because the companys ability to pay had been impaired. After the global settlement, Odebrecht lost its big contract in Colombia, as well as other big contracts in Peru and Panama. In Brazil, Odebrechts owner, Marcelo Odebrecht, was sentenced to 19 years in prison in March 2016 on charges of money laundering, corruption, and taking part in a criminal association. ____ Harry Cassin is the managing editor of the FCPA Blog. Major General Alexander ProkopchukThe British press reported over the weekend that a Russian interior ministry official could become the next leader of Interpol, despite concerns that the Putin regime has abused the agency to target political opponents. Reports said Major General Alexander Prokopchuk is likely to replace former Interpol president, Hongwei Meng Meng was arrested last month in China for alleged corruption. He had served two years of his four-year term. Prokopchuk currently heads the Russian Interior Ministrys National Central Bureau of Interpol. He has also served as the vice president of Interpol, the first Russian to hold the post. Paris-based Interpol the International Criminal Police Organization isnt a police force. Its an information clearing house that promotes international police cooperation. The agency is best known for its red notices requests by Interpol members (all countries except North Korea) for other members to detain and extradite a wanted individual. Interpols neutrality is supposedly guaranteed by Article 3 of its constitution. It explicitly forbids Interpol from engaging in matters of political, military, religious, and racial character. But critics say Russia has used red notices for years to target political opponents. Those critics include Bill Browder, the American-born head of London-based Hermitage Capital Management. Browder says Russia has requested seven red notices against him. Courts in Europe have rejected the red notices, ruling they were politically motivated. Browder campaigned for sanctions against Russian officials responsible for the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky, Hermitages lawyer in Moscow. Browders efforts led to enactment in the United States of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The State Department has used the Magnitsky law to block visas and freeze assets of scores of Russian officials and others linked to serious human rights abuse and corruption. Browder wants Interpol to suspend Russia for abusing the red notice system. Saturday he tweeted a warning about a Russian takeover of the agency. Russian tipped to take over Interpol in Kremlin victory. This is absolutely astonishing, but not without precedent. Nazi Germany took over Interpol in the 1930s. https://t.co/Z7R9m0Wvst Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) November 17, 2018 The Financial Times reported Monday that Russian prosecutors had brought new money-laundering charges against Browder. In the past, Moscow has accused him of tax offenses and other financial crimes. The prosecutor, Nikolai Atmonyev, vowed that Russia had the right to arrest Mr. Browder in any country despite years of previous failures to do so. _____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Bellami Hair, LLC, a Los Angeles, CA-based hair extension brand, received a $20m minority investment from Cathexis Holdings LLP with a further $100m capital commitment. Cathexis is a multi-strategy holding company based in Houston, Texas, with investments ranging from real estate and energy to private equity. Founded in 2012 by Julius Salerno and Nikki Eslami, Bellami Hair designs iconic hair products which it markets in partnership with the top beauty influencers in the world to its platform of digital consumers and through its Bellami Beauty Bar. In 2018, the company increased its offerings by launching their Bellami Professional products and education for stylists in addition to expanding their Bellami Beauty Bar brick and mortar retail salon concepts. The Las Vegas Bellami Beauty Bar, recently opened, is the sixth location following Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, New York, and Vancouver, BC. In addition to new openings, the brand plans to support their Bellami Professional Hair Extensions and Education initiative, which continues to expand across the United States and into Europe and Asia. FinSMEs 19/11/2018 Isara Corp., a Waterloo, Ontario, Canada-based provider of agile quantum-safe security solutions, raised $10m in Series A funding. The round was led by Shasta Ventures, with participation from additional investors which will be announced in the coming weeks. The company intends to use the funds to scale globally. Led by CEO Scott Totzke, Isara specializes in creating production-ready quantum-safe security solutions that work in todays computing ecosystems to enable a simplified migration from classical to quantum computing. The company provides partners with agile quantum-safe technologies to enable a simplified migration of their security solutions. It is advancing its capabilities through strategic initiatives with Cisco, DigiCert, Gemalto, Volkswagen AG and others. FinSMEs 19/11/2018 QurAlis Corporation, a Cambridge, MA-based biotech company focused on developing precision therapeutics for ALS and other neurological diseases, is raising a seed extension, bringing the total funding to date to $5.5m. BioInnovation Capital and Viva Biotech Limited joined existing biotech investors MP Healthcare Venture Management (MPH), and Amgen Ventures. Along with this financing, Jeffrey Moore, D.Phil., M.B.A., President of MPH and Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D., General Partner at BioInnovation Capital, are joining QurAlis Board of Directors. The company has also won a Pfizer-sponsored Golden Ticket, and is now a resident company of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS (JLABS). The funding and additional support will allow QurAlis to advance its preclinical research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) toward the clinic. Led by Kasper Roet, Ph.D., CEO, QurAlis is a biotech company focused on developing precision therapeutics for ALS and other neurological diseases. The Golden Ticket provides the company with equipped, permitted and supported lab space for biomedical research in LabCentral, in addition to programming and networking opportunities. Each Golden Ticket also provides a spot on a priority waitlist for residency and a voucher for prepaid rent for one year. FinSMEs 19/11/2018 SAM.AI, a New York based social CRM platform, raised a seed funding round of undisclosed amount. The round was led by UpVentures Capital, an early-stage investor based in Little Falls, New York, which typically supports Seed to Series A companies in B2B or B2C SaaS, Clean Tech, Healthcare and IoT. In conjunction with the round, SAM.AI also acquired IntroNet, which provides an AI platform to foster social networking amongst executives. UpVentures partners Martin Babinec and Mike Krupit formed IntroNet in 2014, building intellectual property aimed at connecting people across broadly distributed networks, including filling gaps left open by social network platforms that do not distinguish strength of relationship between individual network participants. Led by Raz Choudhury, Co-founder and CEO, SAM.AI is a Software as a Service (SaaS) sales and marketing platform powered by AI. FinSMEs 19/11/2018 Wonolo, a San Francisco, CA-based on-demand staffing platform enabling businesses to fill their immediate labor needs, closed a $32m Series C funding. The round, which brought total venture funding to $60m, was led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from new investor DAG Ventures and support from existing investors Sequoia Capital, Base10, AMN Healthcare, and Cendana. In conjunction with the funding, Bain Capital Ventures Jamison Hill has also joined Wonolos board of directors. The company intends to use the new capital to expand its team and accelerate growth to new local markets around the United States. Led by Yong Kim, CEO and co-founder, Wonolo provides a platform that connects underemployed hourly workers with understaffed employers in retail, manufacturing, shipping and logistics, and other industries. There are now 300,000 users on the companys platform, which matches workers with thousands of brands using Wonolo for flexible staffing. Brands using Wonolo include Coca-Cola, Papa Johns, and Uniqlo. In August, the company launched a second headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee to expand the companys reach. FinSMEs 19/11/2018 Former Remedy CEO and Wargaming development executive Matias Myllyrinne has rounded up a team of industry veterans to form new studio, Redhill Games. As reported by VentureBeat, Redhill will focus on free-to-play PC game development and will look to create a slate of titles "that will have a global impact." Based in Helsinki, Finland, the fledgling studio currently comprises 13 employees including former Wargaming and Remedy technical director Mikko Uromo, who'll serve as chief technology officer at Redhill. Uromo will be joined by fellow Wargaming alumni including former World of Tanks development director, Milos Jerabek, and the company's former head of HR and chief of staff for global development, Ekaterina Dolgova. Even more fresh faces are expected to join the team in the coming months, with Myllyrinne hoping to bring together a talented group that'll prove the Finnish game dev scene can be more than just a hotbed for (some rather successful) mobile titles. Its refreshing to start from the beginning and build an environment where you feel people will do good work and also have a good life," commented Myllyrinne. Helsinki has had a lot of success in mobile, but not so much in PC. Its a tall order. But individuals are what matters. We have people from Eastern and Western Europe. Theyre all masters of their own craft, and theyre awesome team players." Lerch, who served 12 years with the U.S. Coast Guard and another 30 in the reserves, died on Sunday evening of cancer. Cologne-Bonn airport : Anti-terrorism exercise at airport Foto: Holger Arndt Cologne-Bonn airport On Tuesday evening, 1000 personnel will be on duty at Cologne-Bonn airport in the first test run of this magnitude in the country. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A large-scale police anti-terrorism exercise is taking place for the first time at a German airport. Cologne police, federal police from Sankt Augustin and customs officers are involved in the exercise at Cologne-Bonn airport on Tuesday evening. One of the largest anti-terrorism exercises ever carried out on German soil is planned. Federal police units and Cologne police will be deployed during the night from 20 to 21 November. Several rounds of the exercise, in which customs is also involved as a security partner, are planned. Around 1000 people will take part. The exercise will take place out of public view. According to the Federal Police Headquarters in Sankt Augustin, large parts of Terminal 1 will be cordoned off. The entire terminal will therefore not be available to handle scheduled flights between 9pm on Tuesday evening and 5am on Wednesday morning. All flight operations will be handled in Terminal 2 during the exercise. As there is little night traffic in Terminal 1, Carsten Herget from Cologne-Bonn airport said only seven flights would be transferred to Terminal 2. The Federal Police Headquarters said that flight operations should not be affected by the exercise. The airport said it would inform passengers about changes to traffic routing in good time before the exercise. This will be done on the airports website as well as through various media channels. Terminal 2 staff will also be available on site to answer questions from passengers and visitors. To date, similar practice exercises have been carried out at various train stations throughout Germany or in shopping centres such as the Neumarkt Galerie in Cologne. The Federal Police Academy in Lubeck has initiated this series of exercises. The planned exercise at Cologne-Bonn airport is the first of its kind in Germany. Cologne-Bonn airport was chosen for logistical reasons and because of its proximity to the major federal police facility in Sankt Augustin. Cologne police said they were supporting the initiative to strengthen cooperation in the event of an emergency. Most recently, Cologne emergency services proved their worth during the hostage taking at Cologne main train station on 15 October where they also cooperated with the federal police. Right-wing demonstration against UN Migration Pact : Demonstrations in Bonns former government quarter remain peaceful Bonn The Identitarian Movement held a protest against migration policies at United Nations Square in Bonn on Sunday. Several hundred people took to the streets. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken At the United Nations Square in the former government quarter on Sunday afternoon, around 200 supporters of the right-wing Identitarian Movement (IM) demonstrated against the UN Migration Pact. Police said they were confronted by a counter-demonstration by around 300 opponents from left-wing and citizens groups. This had been called by the Bonn stellt sich quer alliance. Large numbers of police kept both groups at a distance. Police said there was no violence, only verbal provocation. It was mainly people from outside Bonn who responded to the call to Stop the Migration Pact made by the IM, which has been classified as right-wing extremist by intelligence services. The keynote speaker, Edwin Hinterleitner from Vienna, described himself as active in political resistance. Referring to the current demand by the Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) for a vote on the Migration Pact by the German parliament, Hinterleitner said that the ideas of Identitarians, who are expressly demanding a Fortress Europe, had arrived at the centre of society. The counter-demonstrators loudly contradicted this view. Banish Nazis, refugees to stay they chanted in unison and leftist battle songs such as Belle ciao blared from loudspeakers. A representative of the Bonn Anti-Fascists spoke about the Identitarian Movement, which attracts young members through electronic music and is hardly distinguishable from left-wing demonstrators in appearance. The UN Migration Pact and its binding powers are currently causing political controversy. A number of countries, including the United States and Austria, have already announced that they will not sign the agreement; others are calling for improvements. As things stand at present, the German government wants to sign. There has been criticism from the ranks of the AfD as well as the CDU and CSU. Johnson (R) and Glenn (D) Owensboro, the 4th largest city in Kentucky, is the county seat of Daviess County. Ownesboro and Bowling Green are the two main population centers of KY-02, Brett Guthries congressional district, a safe red district that went 67.5% to 27.6% for Trump in 2016. Daviess County was slightly less red Hillary actually going all the way to 31%. In the presidential primary, Daviess was Bernie Country. Aside from beating Hillary, Bernies 5,188 votes was considerably more than Trumps 1,191. On November 6, there was no blue wave in KY-02. Republican incumbent Brett Guthrie beat Democratic challenger Hank Linderman two to one 160,888 (66.3%) to 76,220 (31.4%.). Kentucky House District 13, though well, its basically almost all of Owensboro and there was enough of a wave for Democrat Jim Glenn to oust Republican incumbent D.J. Johnson. How much of a wave? One vote . CBS News told the story very viscerally: Mary Beverly Goetz is 76, uses a walker and recently had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Worried her health issues would prevent her from voting for Democrat Jim Glenn in her western Kentucky state House district, she requested an absentee ballot by mail and sent it in weeks ahead of the election to make sure her vote was counted. Glenn won by one vote. "It made me feel good," Goetz said. "It made you feel like your vote really counted." As the nation watches election officials in Florida and Georgia painstakingly review results in high-profile Senate and governor's races, many less prominent races across the country were decided by agonizingly close margins. Johnson is demanding a recount. Glenn was one of three Democrats to win state House seats with less than a 10 vote margin. In District 96, Democrat Kathy Hinkle beat Republican Jill York by five votes and in District 91, Democrat Cluster Howard beat Republican Toby Herald by seven votes. You know the moral of this little story, right?